Blair Michener

Hey everyone, I recently launched a landscape Design Build Magazine this Spring.It focuses more on the consumer rather than the landscape architecture/ landscape designer profession. If any of you are interested at all to see what it’s all about you can visit http://www.naturallandscapemagazine.com click the magazine and you can look through the…[Read more]

Create your own book of Illustrations on computer
Do you realize that there are over 2500 sketches, renderings, illustrations, design photos and nice pictures on our BeLoose web site under “Photos”, many beautiful drawings are done by very talented illustrators from around the world.
You are encouraged to spend a few hours and go to the www,beloose…[Read more]

  
Render Landscape Plan
How you can render a landscape plan with the following easy steps:

• Outline your plan with pen (LePen used). Use tips: straight edge, circle template, overlap corner, professional dot, gap.
• Outline two trees with heavier Sharpie pen next to thinner pen as they are closer to your eyes.
• For more details, click here.

Six approaches to layout a successful space
After we have completed the bubble diagram, site analysis and preliminary design, often we are stuck in determine how to lay out appropriate lines to a successful space.  By laying your design on one of the six grids and follows each approach’s rule, a satisfying result can easily be obtained.  6 e…[Read more]

Thanks for the invite, Mike.  This is great!

Quick thumbnail sketch #1
It is only 3″x4″ in size and colored with markers and colored pencil using all six colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple). Outlined with Prismacolor black pencil.  Took only 5 minutes, it is a great way to communicate your great ideas quickly with your clients.  Remember, the best designers who don’t need t…[Read more]

Hello, does anyone in the philadelphia, new York or Delaware area have dynascape design program on their computer. Thanks for your response

Hello. I just want to let you know that at SLANT we have just launched our second competition and this time it is an open international garden design competition and all are welcomw. Details can be viewed on http://www.slant.eu

Hello all.. Any plant buffs out there have experience with Panicum virgatum ‘heavy metal’ or ‘Northwind’ in the SF bay area?  Based on the zone specs it should be fine but my broker hasn’t sold too many of them and couldn’t comment on how they perform in the area… any help would be appreciated.

to David — your response was great. thanks. we are about to over-seed an area with native wildflower mix. have to say, had a really good chuckle, more like chortle reading your comments. then had this amazing image of you talking to some folks out in your mojave neck of the woods about carbon sequestration (mostly because I have been in that…[Read more]

I was wondering what sites residential designers use to find certain products or materials. Let’s say you want to find certain types of outdoor porcelain tiles, sculptures, water features, etc. Are there sites out there that are relevant for us to use? And if so, would anyone like to share these?

David, I love your common sense approach!!!

Oops — just saw the link in your second post — thanks, David.

Still would be great to read the actual pub to know what was included in the study.

Wow…. and I thought my comment was long winded!

This is great, though, David. I appreciate it. It is helpful to have to have a peer reviewed pub in this conversation (it means i better try to find the one I was referencing!). And it does run contrary to the prevailing wisdom in the “green” community regarding turf. Do you have a web link or…[Read more]

This is interesting:

‘Corrected’ UC-Irvine study shows turfgrass to be positive sequester of carbon

Scientists from the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California – Irvine recently published a paper in the journal Geophysical Research Letters on January 22, 2010 titled, “Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Emi…[Read more]

In response to John’s question “how would you propose to reduce emissions and increase sequestration through design” in addition to my comments below about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – landscapes can also play an active role in sequestering carbon through thoughtful plant selection and soil stewardship. Research has shown that…[Read more]

I believe the solution is to first accept the dual responsibility built landscapes hold in both causing environmental degradation AND protecting and restoring the ecosystem services we depend upon.

I agree with David, we can not and should not eliminate turf completely from our landscapes. There are many scenarios where mowed lawn is the best…[Read more]

I have not read the article, Heather, David and Reid, but I think the basic point is good one — maintenance should be consideration in designing a “sustainable residential landscape.” Even here in the SW, we will design what we think is a more sustainable landscape, and put in a water harvesting swale with cobbles. As it turns out the maintenance…[Read more]

David your are correct!

@Reid – Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

I love to laugh out loud! It’s good for the body. Relieves stress, improves circulation.