Mike G

Hi Rob,
I have no experience with this type of system…however I too would be concerned with those details.  From the plants perspective this type of system may catalyze some of the extreme weather conditions that induce winter injury.  I would suspect sunscald and early/late frost damage will do a number on these trees eventually.
Northern t…[Read more]

Unions were not the downfall of Detroit.  The auto industry decentralized and competition increased ten-fold.  You can see much of the same across the whole rust best in all facets of manufacturing and material processing.
At the same time I would say no to a LAUnion.  This is not an appropriate profession for union representation.

Necessity is the mother of invention.  I can’t even fathom the amount of labor it would take to build or work in these fields.  But given the choice of eating and not eating…nature must be tamed.
This type of project could never be built in the US.  A pound of rice would have to fetch 25 bucks!  Subsistence farming is no competition to the les…[Read more]

I really like your website, but as one of those arborists I would agree that trees and ‘grass’ do not agree.  I have had to remove lots of trees for preventable design/installation/maintenance mistakes.  I also have hundreds of photos to prove it too.
I agree on most of the posted comments on why mulch rings are necessary.
On the matter of the c…[Read more]

If you’re working design / build your use of plants is often limited by what is available. For better or worse the use of common landscape plants is often very different than what you would use in a garden situation. To clarify landscape plants are your tried and true varieties that when used in the right places are more adaptable, more insect and…[Read more]

I remembered that graphic after reading the two articles from the beginning of this forum. Unfortunatly that is not mine, it was taken from http://www.re-burbia.com/. I was trying to understand what Mr. Rybczynski was talking about in the articles. I certainly was a bit confused as academics often do to me, but I think he has something interesting…[Read more]

No doubt academics don’t paint detailed pictures. If no one minds a visual response here’s my take on what Mr. Rybczynski may be speaking of. This image taken from http://www.re-burbia.com/.
I think the top image is a result of ‘big plans’ and the bottom image a result of many ‘little plans.’

While both are probably born from a collaboration of…[Read more]

Interesting article and great site Thomas.
However I think we owe groundcovers credit for setting the tone for contemporary and ‘naturalistic’ aesthetics. In many situations gcs act as a gateway drug for the horticultural community and those weary of an untamed nature, as some see in a restored prairie or meadow. As a gateway drug, it starts with…[Read more]

I was just wondering what happened to investigative journalism. Thanks for the post.

A permit to drill and pump oil to supply the worlds demand should be given to responsible safe companies. They supply us with a good we need and should be rewarded for it. The reward for providing us with this product is they make enormous sums of money. With this screw up in place they are still making enormous sums of money. Sure I think we all…[Read more]

All the solutions presented by BP thus far rely on being able to capture oil for future use without destroying the well shaft and mechanisms already in place. Could this because they figured they’ve already committed to (and and are permitted to) pumping future oil from it? Why haven’t solutions that would disable the well and allow it to be…[Read more]

Paging Dr. Nemo. Please report to the Nautalis for underwater reassignment.

I don’t understand all the capitalist slander.
Privatizing profits while the public pays for the consequences is not free market capitalism. The gov’t needs to step up for the people that they represent. British Petroleum needs to be sued out of business.

Alec,
Most bacteria tested (fecal bacteria) are tested as an indicator of more dangerous organisms and the excess nutrients they consume. If there’s less nutrient then there should be less bacteria, visa versa.

Education seems to be the foundation for licensure and thus title within this discussion. Does it matter in formal educational settings whether or not you are instructed by licensed individuals? Is this something ASLA weighs in during accreditation review? I don’t know what the general ratio of LAs to LDs is in most institutions. If I were to take…[Read more]

I agree that much of the two allied professions overlap. I think many individual LDs are well qualified to approach topics of drainage, grading, sustainable planning, site design, specifying materials, lighting, planting, and many of things within in the LAs turf. In general it does seem that LD work focuses on residential and light commercial…[Read more]

OK Nick, I think I misspoke. You are right many developments across the nation are inefficent in terms of land use, for longer term sustainability. In terms of efficently converting a land-use from farm land to subdivision in a short time they are very efficient. This is where standard guidelines and processes enfore this cookie cutter approach…[Read more]

Yes the devil is in the detail, both in if we completely neglect to correct design flaws as well as totally sterilize human experience. I would say from my own observations that many newer communities although are very efficently laid out, have ample lighting, good open sight lines, well marked signage, but are also very sterile. People don’t fall…[Read more]

I am not familiar with CPTED at all. But you bring up a few interesting subjects. Do we need to design better communities or do we need to establish better relationships with developers that commision subdivision design (pursuasive)? Or encourage our communities to develop more enforcable standards in design? I don’t know the answer at…[Read more]

ASCA is assembling a national database of BMPs
http://www.asce.org/community/waterresources/nsbmpdb-extdesc.cfm
Analysis is still in the works I believe. But their Bibliography is a pretty good starting point. I don’t know how much $$$ have been included.