"Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over."

I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man. ~Henry David Thoreau

Filthy water cannot be washed. ~African Proverb

"Throughout the history of literature, the guy who poisons the well has been the worst of all villains..." -ANON

"Water is a very good servant, but it is a cruel master."
C.G.D. Roberts, "Adrift in America", 1891

"You could not step twice into the same rivers; for other waters are ever flowing on to you."
Heraclitus of Ephesus

"When you drink the water, remember the spring"
Chinese Proverb

"When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water"
Benjamin Franklin

"The stone in the water knows nothing of the hill which lies parched in the sun."
African Proverb

My thanks to Samuel Clemens for the title quote, thanks again Mr. Twain.

The above falls was built from Colorado fieldstone, the falls in the photo is about 18inches high, and running about 1700 gallons per hour regarding the rate of flow.

Martha Schwartz interview

I just ran across this interview in Metropolismag.com. I was hoping to read a good in-depth, insightful interview. Let's just say I was disappointed. it comes across a one of those 20 pop questions type of interviews. Not quite what's your favorite color, instead we get . . . bookmarks? Bookmarks? Martha doesn't have any by the way.

Martha has continually pushed the envelope and has marketed her brand well. Her work gets lots of press, her people submit for awards (which they win), and the critics are severe. Sounds like someone at the top.


The infamous HUD Plaza.

I was hoping for some insight into her design process, and how she reads sites. Interprets the area she is going to work in. The best we get is her insistence on physically seeing the site and this tid-bit:

Most useful tool: My equal-space divider. You quickly divide things—as opposed to measuring them out—which is a godsend: I work fast and I’m bad at math.

Still if you are not familiar with her work take a look at the article, and then go to the firm's website, one of those fancy flash pages. Here you will get a much better understanding of her work, and a better understanding of the publicity machine, look at the amount of print, not including all the critics columns


Residence in SW, New Mexico, I believe.

For more info on Martha here is the Wiki entry for her. I was speaking earlier about how she has been lambasted by some . . . here you go.

To counter that Martha has won the Cooper-Hewitt design award, 2006 in Landscape Design (scroll down). The award was for her design of the Grand Canal Square in Dublin, Ireland, for a really great breakdown of that project I found this, and this from Ireland.

Martha is more of the artist side than the horticulture side of the picture and this mindset has put her on the opposite side of the fence with a lot of folks in the landscape design world. There is usually a lot of stuff going on in her projects, some would consider them very busy or not very people-friendly. You could even say they are better to look at and admire from a distance, than to actually participate in.

Her designs are not for everyone, but I admire her ability to push the envelope and take a chance in her public projects. Even if some projects weren't perfect who can say that all of their's were. I sure can't, can you? can anyone?

The important thing is to dream, to think big, to continue to reach out to be the best you can, the most expressive. The most creative. Keep going Martha.

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Whats in a Word?

On 11/21/06 I posted a short blurb about books for the laymen in reference to a short list of books for (what I consider) folks who want to design/garden their property. So I was using laymen as a term for someone who is interested in horticulture/gardening but in no way, shape or form receives money for their interest.

On Nov. 27th over at a blog called A Lake County Point of View, the County Clerk was kind enough to refer to another post of mine 27 Books every Landscape Designer Should Read. In this post he also mentioned the 11/21 post; inside that post was a comment about my referring to laymen, and referencing the word layman was a little pretentious-on my part.

This starts a little back and forth, and a question from me about what term should I have used instead of laymen? So today the County clerk post a long discussion (quite interesting) starting with an apology to me-which I didn't think was necessary, but it is accepted.

Now the good stuff, this is a great post on the English language and the importance of words and how they are used, or should be used. It is a fantastic explanation of connotation vs. denotation with a little classical music thrown in.

My point in bringing all this to the forefront? What have I learned? Well one thing I have learned from this Blog was that I needed to craft my wording so that others would understand my way of speaking/talking/writing. I had previously been published over 35 times (mostly trade journals) but always had the other set of eyes look at my writing-the editor. I was lazy, editors made it too easy for me. It was, "just give me the how-to's of the installation, I'll clean it up for publication".

Well that's not the case here with this Blog . . it's me. What I write here is what makes it out to cyberspace and the public world. I gotta tell you, I like it. I like the challenge - a lot. So when I am called out on something, something like this (the use of word laymen), I really don't mind.

I have gotten lazy with some words, for me laymen/layman had become the great catch-all. Laymen was easy. So I ask you this . . . what is a better way to describe those that love to garden? those that like to be out in their private spaces, to dig in the dirt, to nurture those plants? With no thought of monetary reward. To separate Professional from the strict amateur.

By the way A Lake County Point of View is a terrific read all the time, so many interest, so much thought. Heck, just go back and read last weeks entries about Walnut, you'll understand. Great stuff.

*Small confession: my wife has been known to log on here and do a little editing, she is terrific at catching all the typo's and stuff that I am good at missing. Many thanks Mrs. A.

*The above picture was taken at 9,000 or 10,000 feet in the Wasatch Mountains, east of Salt Lake City, Utah. It's worth the visit.

ANLA, Management Clinic

Every year in Louisville, KY. the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) holds their yearly conference, they call it The Management Clinic. The dates for the 2007 Clinic-Jan. 31st through February 3rd.

It's very easy for me to describe the Clinic . . . it's a blast! an absolute blast!!! I belong (have belonged) to many organizations in the industry, and attend many conferences, events, seminars . . . the Management Clinic is the best. The ANLA staff is terrific; going way above and beyond the call; and the ANLA members who volunteer to make the Clinic work . . . work like dogs to make this the premiere National Event in the industry.

From the opening session straight through to the Muggets, the Clinic is one learning event, one moment changer, one networking opportunity after another, after another. The willingness of the attendees to share what they know, and the depth of the speakers knowledge is terrific. I can't wait for the time to get here, well I can but you know what I mean.

Need another reason to go . . . ta da! I'm part of the program. This will be my 3rd time as a speaker at the Mgmt. Clinic and I really look forward to participating. This is how the Mgmt. Clinic describes my program:

Changes In The Landscape World - A Provocateurs Perspective:

During the Clinic, speakers will wax philosophic about sustainability, social responsibility, design trends, technology and systems, and marketing strategies. Do you buy what the "experts" are saying? Why make big changes when things are going OK? Should you guide your clients' tastes, or just give 'em topiary if that's what they want?

I'm being asked to reinvent the panel discussion where a bunch of guys would talk about the new petunia, or the next hot spreadsheet. Well . . . to quote Emeril "Bam! let's kick it up a notch!".

I hope to jump start a more lively discussion and really bring the audience into the discussion, I want interaction! I will throw out some new trends I see on the landscape Design/Build side, ask for some input from the crowd, and we'll mix it up from there.

I plan on using this Blog, the Blogsphere, Web Forums, cyberspace, etc., to kick start the discussion and find as much info as I can ahead of time. I hope those of you that stop in and e-mail me about stuff will contribute to my findings. I also am looking for more feedback from those lurkers (I know who you are) around here-speak out! Let me know what you're thinking. Or send me to sites or info I need to see.

One other thing about the Mgmt. Clinic for 2007, Mike Lin is coming back and doing another of his (sure to be terrific) 2-day graphic workshops immediately preceding the festivities. Mike is the man when it comes to teaching graphics in the field of Landscape Design. I mean he is the man. If you want to pick up your game in rendering technique, coloring skills, or drawing speed these 2 days would be worth your time with philosopher Mike. (Do you think this plug will get me in the session???).

The 2007 ANLA Management Clinic, if you are in any part of this industry, this industry that makes the World a better place to live . . . Ask yourself this . . . how can I be anywhere that week, but in Louisville, KY? See ya' at Muggets . . .

Einstein . . . on nature

 "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true
art and science."                     -Albert Einstein
"I shall never believe that God plays dice with the World."                     -Albert Einstein

   "You and I
Are suddenly what the trees try
To tell us who we are;
That their merely being there
Means something; that soon
We may touch, love, explain."
-John Ashbery, Some Trees

Woo hoo!!! I'm #2

For reasons I still don't understand I am now up to #2 on the Top 100 Gardening Sites. So I'd like to 
thank all  of those who got me here.  Even though I've no idea how you got me here.

I realize my bump on blogger has helped so it will be interesting to see how that translates over when I go off the top 10 of the Blogger, Blogs of Note.

All that aside, I am having a good time with this and have enjoyed answering questions that you've asked me. So keep 'em coming and I'll do my best to answer them.

And remember . . . we're #2 !!! Even if Vince Lombardi dsagrees;

"There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game and that is first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay and I never want to finish second again. "             -Vince Lombardi

"The Three Rules of Work"

1. "Out of clutter, find simplicity."
2. "From discord, find harmony."
3. "In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity."
-Albert Einstein

Nature is the Teacher

 
"When we pick up anything, we find that it is hitched to everything else."
--- John Muir
 
"If faith is put in a stone, it takes care of anything, if not it remanis a mere stone." ---Hindu Proverb

 
"Resilience is like a muscle. The harder we work it, the stronger it gets."
--- Beth Miller