A Patient Craftsman Creating Exceptional Landscapes
My favorite fortune cookie fortunes:
I’m ordering Chinese food for dinner to research fortune cookie fortunes.
Yesterday my YouTube Channel, CTSCAPER, passed 5,000,000 views and 10,000 subscribers. It’s taken four years to get here.
When I filmed my first video on May 10th, 2011 I had no idea where I’d end up.
I remember the nervous energy I felt in front of the camera. It’s the same energy most people experience when public speaking. I did my best and tried not to over critique.
Five million YouTube views is the first goal I’ve reached since the birth of my son Matthew nine years ago. I had no idea the changes being a parent would bring.
It reminds me of other goals I’ve attained.
I’m a quiet person. I take pride in doing things well. I avoid crowds of people and get a thrill out of quiet conversations in small groups.
Yes, I’m an introvert.
To earn my college degree and pursue my dream career I lived away from home for two years. Most teenagers are anxious to move away and enjoy the college experience. I wasn’t. I did what I had to do to earn my degree.
After working at a nursery the year after college I was ready to start my business. Working for “The Man” wasn’t for me. I don’t like rushing through jobs. After much soul-searching I started my business.
I’ve learned all kinds of things running a business. Bookkeeping, taxes, managing staff, purchasing equipment, equipment maintenance, sales, etc. I’ve worked many late nights and read many incredibly boring books about taxes and bookkeeping to reach my goal.
I never thought I’d own a house growing up. I didn’t understand how to save enough money to buy one. When I got married, another thing I never thought I’d do, we found my wife’s, and my, dream house.
It’s a beautiful old home with plenty of gardens. If my neighbors are out we chat. I’ve got a big woodpile and I split wood anytime I want.
Why am I telling you, and reminding myself, of the goals I’ve achieved?
We must remember what we’re capable of.
If I took the easy way out I wouldn’t have earned a college degree. I wouldn’t have started my business. I wouldn’t live in this beautiful home with my wife and children.
This week I created SawsandSplitters.com for chainsaw and log splitter fans to enjoy and share knowledge.
Let the journey begin.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my friends, clients and YouTube viewers. Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
By John Holden
I wrote the list a while ago. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it and add your own tips in the comments below.
By John Holden
The kitty on the left is Spice. Spice is the mother of Sugar on right. All Spice wanted was a warm lap. The day we went to the shelter to choose our kitties Spice was shy. When I rubbed her chin she leaned into it and I knew she was the kitty for me.
Sugar grew up on the streets of Waterbury with Spice. Sugar and Spice were abandoned. Sugar was 5 to 6 months old when we brought her home. Sugar wasn’t socialized as a kitten. With Sugar’s temperament I don’t think it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Sugar sees people as a source of food and warmth.
Sugar is growing affectionate as she matures. When I’m working in my office she meows at me even though there’s food in her bowl. If I give her a few pets the purring starts.
Sugar has bonded with Madison, our high-strung, though calming as she matures, collie. I often see them laying one or two feet apart with sugar copying Madison. Madison never moves into Sugar’s space for fear of ‘The claw.’ Sugar freely move into Madison’s space.
Both of our children have suffered from ‘The claw’ because they didn’t listen to Sugar. If you ask what noise a cat makes my children will make a hissing noise. Sugar is the reason neither of my children want a cat for a pet. I plan on getting a fluffy and affectionate kitten for my children, and myself, when the time is right.
I have taught my children to rub their fingers together and let Sugar come to them, not to walk up to Sugar and start petting her. Sugar is ok with about 5-8 strokes on her terms before you get a gentle reminder that she is in control, not you.
Some people might think a cat-like that is a bad thing to have in the house. I disagree.
Sugar shows incredible restraint. When she strikes she does the least necessary to get the point across. No more, no less.
If either of my children did not listen to Sugar I would have to find her a new home because she could injure one of them. Sugar has taught my children to respect animals.
CATS RULE!
By John Holden
In the early 90’s The Arsenio Hall Show was on TV. It was a carbon copy of every late show since Johnny Carson except Arsenio sat on an arm chair, not behind a desk, while interviewing his guests. Part of Arsenio’s audience, called the “Dog Pound” was given a funny title every night such as “People who are experiencing déjà vou for the first time.”
I was in my early 20’s and I watched the show because I like Arsenio’s style. Arsenio is a warm and friendly man. He respected his guests and if they didn’t want to talk about a subject he wouldn’t push it.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received came from the Arsenio Hall show.
One night Arsenio was interviewing a guest and they talked about what his guest did for a living. Arsenio’s guest explained how he loved his job and got up every day eager to go to work because it was his passion. You could hear the conviction in the man’s voice and see it in his posture.
That moment must have affected me because I still remember it twenty years later.
Life is that simple.
Are you eager to go to work tomorrow?
By John Holden