LAND DESIGNS UNLIMITED LLC

A Patient Craftsman Creating Exceptional Landscapes

Author: John Holden

Craftsman Wanted

Our home needs a new roof. Badly. For a couple of years.

A month ago my wife, Karyn, started the process of hiring a roofer. Karyn asked me who to call. I mentioned a large roofing company and an acquaintance who started his career in roofing and now works in all aspects of carpentry.

Karyn asked for recommendations on Facebook and compiled a list of 5 roofers to call.

Karyn called all the companies and scheduled four appointments. One company never returned her call.

Of the four companies who gave us a quote we narrowed the list down to three companies. It’s a difficult decision considering the investment and what’s at stake if a leak develops.

I’m sure my client’s feel the same when deciding whether to hire me or not.

Two of the companies had a dedicated salesperson. The salesmen visited and did a cursory examination of the roof, took some quick measurements and quoted a price in under an hour.

Next, they presented a canned sales presentation describing their roofing process and explaining the warranty on the bottom of the proposal.

The warranty was nice to see. It gave me piece of mind that they would stand behind their work.

Since this blog is about landscaping I thought I’d share some of the cool flora on the roof.

I had a couple canned questions ready.

“Do you hire subcontractors?”

Some companies bid jobs and then hire a subcontractor to do the work. This can work out well if you have the right match. Unfortunately, some subcontractors goal is to complete a job as quickly as possible and get to the next. Speed becomes more important than quality.

“Will I ever see you again?”

I’m old school on this one. I want a single contact person through the process. I don’t want a polished salesperson to turn into a gruff foreman when the job begins.

What happens if lines of communication fail between the salesperson and the foreman? Details discussed during the sales process could be missing on the Forman’s paperwork.

So who did we hire for our roofing job?

The only contractor who climbed on the roof. The only contractor who looked at my chimney and mentioned I need a new cap. The only contractor who went in my attic to see what type sheathing the roof had.

The only craftsman.

We hired the general carpenter who started in roofing. I’ll see him on the roof doing the work. I’ll see him installing copper flashing because he doesn’t bother with the cheap alternatives.

Only time will tell if I made the right decision.

I can’t wait to see the new roof!

May 6, 2015
Backyard Landscaping Ideas

A video tour of backyard landscaping ideas. A great opportunity to learn some backyard landscaping ideas and watch how quickly landscapes grow in.

April 23, 2015
Simplify

Today I updated the website.

I’ve gone to a basic theme after a beautiful multimedia theme with all kinds of color and stylistic tweaks. That website was something to behold. It took me days to put together.

Why step backwards?

Party, I think, because I’m getting older. As we age we seek to simplify. Not because we’re simple people, because life becomes complicated.

There’s a lot of ‘stuff’ going on. I have two children, a job as a landscape designer, second in command in my house, a cub scout leader, hopefully a good friend to a few and we just got a puppy.

Theo our Great Pyrenees mix puppy. At 4 1/2 months he weighs 55 lbs. We think he’ll be over 100 when he’s grown up. Theo is gentle with the kids and a wonderful companion.

Compared to most that’s a simple life!

I have a lot of knowledge to share with you. The easier to share the better.

The new theme has plenty of space for beautiful pictures of my landscapes and videos. There are just a few less stylistic tweaks and more beloved ‘white space.’

I hope you enjoy the new format.

December 19, 2014
Thoughts on a Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial

Today I completed a survey about a Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial . As a landscape designer I want to share my thoughts to aid in discussion.

I vision an outdoor memorial at a park in town that is not the sole purpose of the park. The memorial should be a place you visit when you want to reflect on those lost but are not be reminded if you are trying to forget for a day.

What happened that day will always be in our mind; sometimes we need a break from thinking about it.

The memorial should be at a park that receives traffic so those we lost are not forgotten.

The location of the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial should be selected before design begins. Let the memorial fit the site rather than force the memorial on the site.

I recommend the memorial to be built at Fairfield Hills at the top of the hill. I see it off the main path so those who want to reflect are not interrupted. The views from the top of the hill are amazing and reflecting while up there would be very soothing.

I envision the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial not separating educators from children. Everyone was a victim on that day. The names of the educators can be in a different font than the children but they should not be separate.

All victims had a lot of life left to live.

I envision the victims’ names written in a random fashion, not a list, on the monument. I see names carved into granite built into a classic New England stone wall gently curving in front of viewers.

I see a quiet place with benches and shade to view the memorial.

The memorial should NOT incorporate modern architecture. It should be timeless. Natural stone, natural stone or brick paving and classic landscape design. Not the latest fad in landscape materials.

The memorial should be designed with maintenance in mind. Someone is going to have to weed the gardens, pick up the trash, cut back the perennials, cut the lawn, etc. Rather than over building a memorial save some funds for maintenance so it can look just as good in 10 years as the day it is completed.

Thank you for listening to my thoughts on a Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial.

November 12, 2014
Should I Use Landscape Fabric

When I started my career I thought landscape fabric, or weed fabric, was a wonderful invention. The magic cloth ensures a weed free landscape for years. Or does it?

Should I Use Landscape Fabric or Weed Fabric?

Landscape Fabric is a nuisance that creates more work for you and an unhealthy landscape.

What happens when mulch starts to break down? How does it mix with the soil?

It doesn’t!

Grass and weed roots under weed fabric are impossible to get out without removing the fabric. The weeds grow through the fabric and stick to it. Plant roots stick to weed fabric too. Every time I have to rip out landscape fabric I curse it.

Grass roots got under this landscape fabric making removal impossible without removing the fabric. I had to hack at this fabric with a shovel to remove it.

When deciding whether to use landscape fabric just say, “No.” It’s not worth the frustration.

August 20, 2014
Trumbull CT Landscape Designers – Trumbull CT Landscapers

This landscape is a welcoming entry to the pool scape . The plants provide interest in all seasons and low maintenance requirements. By mixing plants from the old landscape in the new we transition from old to new seamlessly.

Trumbull CT Landscape Designers John Holden offers landscape design services in Trumbull CT, Newtown CT and Shelton CT.

If you are looking for Trumbull CT Landscapers we offer garden maintenance services. When you are ready to take your landscape to the next level give me a call.

July 8, 2014
How NOT to Mulch a Tree

I drive through neighborhoods daily and see trees mulched improperly. People want to do the best for their trees and apply the “More is better” principal with disastrous results.

Trees that have been over mulched dry out quicker in hot summer months and are prone to disease and attacks by rodents. Mulching a tree like a volcano also doesn’t look natural.

If your trees have mulch that looks like a volcano the best thing you can do is remove the excess. There should only be 2-3″ of mulch around a tree with a minimum of 6″ of space between the mulch and the trunk of the tree.

Be gentle when removing mulch. You don’t want to damage the tree with your shovel. Use your hands to remove mulch near the trunk and large roots. Cleanly cut roots with sharp pruning shears to help them heal more quickly.

June 24, 2014
Keep Dirt and Mulch Off Your Siding

A drip edge is a trench filled with gravel that prevents mud from splashing against your home. You install it where water drips off the roof. I also use a drip edge when the grade next to the house is the same level as the siding.

Install the drip edge one foot from the siding when controlling a grade and a little outside the drip line of a home when controlling splashing water.

If your grade is level with the siding install a drip edge level with the mulch. Leave a 1-2″ gap from the top of the edging to keep mulch from touching the siding.

I removed mulch touching the siding before installing the drip edge. You can see where the mulch touching the siding blocked the painters.

Use commercial grade metal edging for drip edges. No rolled plastic from a box store. It comes in 1/8″ and 3/16″ widths that are 4″ tall and 10′ or 16′ long. This is heavy-duty stuff. If you have tight curves go with the thinner metal. There are fitting available for the edging for corners and splices to make the job look more professional.

Fill your trench with a minimum of 1″ diameter gravel. Gravel smaller than 1″ blows out of the trench when cleaning up leaves. The gravel also blocks sunlight and preventing weeds.

A stick cut the distance you want from the house is the best tool for measuring.

Draw a line on the stick to control the depth of your trench. Avoid over excavating your trench. You want soil there to hold the edging.

You have to be creative with existing plants when installing a drip edge.

I use gravel with earthy tones that blends with the landscape. A river stone with rounded edges works nicely too. The choice is yours.

I don’t use weed fabric under the gravel. Weed fabric traps sediment and the gravel will soon be sprouting weeds. Not using fabric also makes the stone easier to remove should the need arise.

You don’t have to use metal edging to create a drip edge.

Apply black spray paint where you cut the edging to prevent rust. I use a Milwaukee Portaband to cut edging. A hacksaw, some elbow grease and a lot of patience works just as well.

Time spent installing a drip edge will keep you from having to replace siding, or worse, down the road.

By John Holden

June 15, 2014
I Saved a Life Today

Today, while walking in Trumbull, CT I saved a Yoshino Cherry choking to death. As a horticulturist, I did what I’ve been trained to do. I took my knife, bent down and removed the obstruction.

The synthetic twine around this root will cut off the flow of nutrients to the rest of the tree.

Carefully cutting the twine. Point the blade away from the bark to avoid injuring to the tree.

The tree can breathe after cutting the synthetic twine.

I discovered this tree years ago in the last stages of death. It had synthetic twine embedded into the trunk.

As the tree roots expand the twine cuts the flow of nutrients eventually choking the tree to death. This tree would have died a slow and agonizing death.

I gave the Yoshino Cherry a chance to live. A chance to brighten people’s spring with blooms and summer with shade.

Please carefully remove all twine, synthetic or natural, from around the trunk and roots when planting trees.

By John Holden

April 21, 2014