Karinl, I think you made a bingo with your last post. It probably IS the questioner, rather than the question. May I give an example of what happens when people don't ask questions? Thank you. An organization (garden oriented) that I belong to has a project that is nearing completion. Mostly women gardeners, they have worked very hard, and they have done a wonderful job. One garden bed remained to be done, and a retired teacher/socialite type lady decided she wanted to do this one! She enlisted the County Judge's wife and a retired Nurse to help her. The CJ's wife is also a retired teacher. So, there is certainly enough brain power in that group to get the job done. You would think. The first thing they did was draw a plan. The bed is roughly 51'x13, with a 2'tall stone wall on 2 sides, and butts up against a building. So, there is one 51' side of this bed that is open. Existing plants in the bed consisted of a group of 6 crepe myrtles of a variety that I have never seen before: about 30 years old, the trunks are very slender, perhaps 1.5" in diameter, maximum. Very pretty. The plan before the lady took over this job was for us to use large boulders as accents in this bed, as it is a public building. No birdbaths to clean, no cute statues, no pathways- we don't want people (children) running through the bed, pulling the statues over on themselves. I digress. So they have a lovely colored drawing, and a plant list. They proceeded to the next step- purchasing the plants! They spent over $1,000.00 on plants- all retail, before they had ever added the first bit of amendments to the soil, before they had even decided what to do with the open edge of the bed. We (our organization)are a 501c3, and as such, have all the necessary paperwork, tax #s, liscenses and such to enable us to purchase what we need wholesale. When I asked why they didn't buy plants from a grower, 'the lady' professed that she wanted to do this herself. So, someone (MOI?)suggested that they really needed to raise the bed by about a foot, perhaps a little more, and add some amendments. They brought in some 'topsoil' from the river. Turned out to be pack sand, lovely when it is at optimum moisture. Nasty when wet, and you couldn't break the crust on it when it is dry. Nope, can't plant yet. The other thing they did was to add over a foot of soil to the crepe myrtles. About this time, the leader lady emailed me about this project. I outlined what I thought needed to be done, and she did take my advice. The soil over the CMs was removed to the drip line. A good amount of compost was added. Drains were installed at the CMs, as they now sit in a well. Sod was laid on the open side of the bed, and a rock edge was installed to complement what we had done at the other beds. The date to plant was scheduled. Tragedy befell us. The lady's DF passed away, and she was gone for about 10 days-2 weeks. The other persons on her committee "don't water', and half the plants died while she was gone. Since she has come back, She has decided that it is too hot to plant now, and we will wait until the end of September. And then she wants to purchase a bunch of expensive bulbs that she can plant in October. She doesn't know a thing about bulbs, and especially bulbs in the South of the South! We can't do them the way they do them in Michigan! And on top of all that, they decided against the boulders in favor of a big wrought iron trellis! I am near sobbing now, I don't know how many 'pretty' plants I would give up for a substantial boulder. Maybe I am wrong, I do have to consider that. That is my tale of woe. I would answer questions all day, until I was blue in the face, as long as I was confident that I knew the answer, or that I knew where to tell them to get the answer. I never mind 'dumb' questions, because I don't think there are that many of those. I resent people who think..........let me re-phrase that.........I resent people who Don't think! I started to garden so I could grow food. It was important, lest we would not eat. We were very poor. I learned as much as I could, and I love the learning, I never want to stop. So if I ask a dumb question, please answer it. You will never know how you may be influencing someone. Janie

Hi John. Funny how different laws work. Up here your van driver could be held 50 percent at fault for the accident. " He entered an intersection when it wasn't safe to do so ". Don't rag on me, that is what our laws say. If your van driver didn't want his air bag fixed and you knew there was a problem and you didn't fix it against his wishes you'd go down big time. His van now does not meet the factory crash test safety margin and you knowingly let it back on the street. I have the power to pull the plates on a vehical that i know is not safe.If the owner refuses to allow me to fix it the D.M.V. sends him a recall notice for another safty inspection after i turn him in. The owner has 48 hours to get it fixed or he loses his drivers licence and the plates are pulled.The vehical is impounded after the 48 hours. This is a serious infraction only. If it was me and your van driver was involved in an accident without a working air bag and i knowingly let it back on the street and he was hurt i get sued, loose my licence and could spend a few months in the crow bar hotel. I'm requiered by law to report this vehical to the D.M.V. My wife was cut off and she hit the rear quarter of a car with her brakes locked up. Her air bag went off. That is it. The car is not drivable. MUST BE TOWED. The car was fine except a broken bumper cover. They wrote it off. As in gone. Sent to the crusher. Front bumper covers are not repairable nor is the front facia. They are replaced. The front bumper cover for her car is $1734.97. Then you have to paint it. Then you have to install it. Then you replace all the crash sencors and body integrity and the 4 wheel alignment then the safety. Who knows maybe you guys will get the same laws we have and people will be safer. Or maybe have safer cars on the road. I guess they're waiting for a 30 percent kill rate before your government does anything. Actually a true story. a friend of mine brought his car in for an oil change and the so called free B.S. brake inspection. ( not my shop ). His rear brakes were metal to metal. They did the brake job without his consent. Wasn't safe. He either payed or he didn't get the car back. There was nothing he could do. It is the law. That is a good tech. We all have to be government safety certified or we don't work in the trade. We don't have the power of life and death but when you can pull a drivers licence and the registation plates in 5 mins. it's pretty close. We cut a lot of slack but don't piss us off.

I think I am back but I can't go to my email without Googling the company & my printer seems to have disappeared.My top Tool bar is gone so I must have hit a wrong key or something. DD is busy as GD is in play for 10 days so hope nothing else goes haywire! Oh,today I was walking back to car parked outside rehab parking (lot was full) & spotted 4 pieces of rebar, nice & rusty,(about 12 in. long each) & on wall above where we all park our cars. Well, don't want anyone to have problems & if they got knocked off that 4 in. wall would cost lot to repair their (or mom's) cars, so I took care of the problem, sure I will find a use for them! Jan

If you’re fed up with having the worst yard on the block, your landscape beds are outdated and overgrown or you need some privacy from your neighbors, it may be time to consider upgrading your landscaping. A full-service landscape design/build firm can completely transform your property into the outdoor oasis you’ve been dreaming of – and increase the value of your home – if their team understands your goals for the project. That’s why it’s important to consider your family’s wants and needs for the space before engaging a landscape professional. “We like to tell people to think about scope, details and budget,” says Michael Beightol, a landscape architect with Exscape Designs in Novelty, Ohio. “What is the underlying problem you are looking to solve? What can we do to make your life better?” Before you sign on with a landscape contracting firm, be sure to think through the following items on the checklist below. Beightol adds, “You don’t need to come up with a design, but you do need to come up with the information that lets us design and build a landscape you will love.” SCOPE When it comes to the project’s scope, Beightol encourages clients to think holistically about the entire site, considering their goals, how they use the space and timing. When do you need the project completed? How long do you plan to stay in your home? Do you plan to put in a pool in a few years when your kids get older? You may think you just want a patio, but what are your plans down the line? Will you eventually want to renovate the front or side yards? “The goal is to have everything in the landscape working together congruently,” Beightol says. The more information you give your landscape designer, the better. Answers to the above questions and others may lead you down the path of creating a master plan rather than a standalone design for a single element like a pergola or pathway. A master plan, which can be installed in phases over several years, ensures a useful, well-designed property for years to come rather than a series of piecemeal projects. Additionally, it can save you money in the long run. “Maybe we can do the prep work for a future phase now, like pouring footers for a grill, even if those elements aren’t going in for a few years,” Beightol says. “It can make our work a lot easier and save the client money in terms of not having to damage and rebuild things in the future.” It’s also a good idea for all decision makers, such as both husband and wife, to be on the same page when working with a landscape designer. “Even if one partner is driving the project, we still want to hear opinions from both parties,” Beightol says. “It allows us to set the proper expectations and avoid a lack of communication that can really affect the end game.” DETAILS Next come the details, which Beightol says typically include reviewing the site’s existing conditions and also the clients’ styles and preferences. Site conditions include your property’s grade, problem areas, improperly placed trees or plants and other considerations. Your designer will collect many of these details during a site visit, but it’s helpful if the homeowner points out anything notable. In fact, Beightol suggests making a list of your landscape’s assets and liabilities prior to the design meeting. Assets include favorite trees or site lines you’d like to keep. Liabilities are things like wet spots, too-shady areas or undesirable views of the neighbors. When drawing up a plan, landscape designers will take cues from your home’s exterior to ensure a harmonious, tasteful aesthetic. Beightol adds that it’s a good idea to give your designer a peek inside your home, as well. “We want to see the views of the landscaping from the inside, and we also want an idea of your style,” he says. “The interior doesn’t always match the exterior, and we’ll want to discuss whether the yard should reflect the look of the outside of your house or your tastes.” In any case, look online or in home and gardening magazines and share your likes – colors, materials and plant selection – with your designer. BUDGET Before engaging a landscape company, it’s important to have a good grasp on how much money you’d like to spend – and don’t hesitate to share that figure with your designer, Beightol says. Consider your financing options and remember, a master plan with several phases installed across multiple years is always an option. “A lot of people are scared to share their budget,” Beightol says. “But they should know we as designers want to do the best work we can and get the most bang for their dollar. It doesn’t make sense for us to shortchange the client. We want every job to be a good referral.” It’s also beneficial to share your maintenance expectations with your designer. Do you plan to hire a company to maintain your landscape or will you do it yourself? Those details will have bearing on the types of plants a designer will include in your landscape bed, for example. It also gets you thinking about the time and money it will take to keep your property looking great. Keep in mind, you and your designer are working toward the same goal: a functional, beautiful outdoor space that your family will enjoy for years to come.