By Toby Wolf
Ecologically designed landscapes come into the world small and vulnerable. Until they are established, they rely completely on their owners’ patience and care. And their owners rely on us, as designers, to tell them what to expect from their new landscapes and – even more importantly – to make sure that the landscapes fit the owners’ needs, values, and capabilities.
It can be frustrating to locate current literature on a topic without bumping into paywalls that prevent free access to information. How can you find the relevant information within the public domain?
by Amanda Sloan
You’ve designed an ecological landscape, but the contractor hired to build it is not familiar with ecological practices. What to do? One landscape architect shares strategies for ensuring an ecological design results in an ecological landscape.
Contributors: Lauri Johnson, Nanette Masi, and Trevor Smith
Managing a project with multiple phases and many subcontracts can present scheduling challenges. We asked three ELA members to share their insights into how they screen subcontractors and successfully manage projects with many players and many moving parts.
by Bryan Quinn
Showing examples of previous work can get a client to consider other visions. Another option? Build a three-dimensional site model. The author shares ten reasons he advocates for 3-D models and shares how his company incorporates model building into their projects.
Winter issues of many magazines are awash with articles suggesting ways to keep active in the cold months when we tend to slow down. Although it might be more enjoyable in the short term to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a book from the stack designated “landscape inspiration,”…
What are you doing to get ready for the season that’s just taking off? ELA asked a few members to share their favorite tips for getting the season off to a good start. From tool repair and website updates to seeking inspiration and education, our members have found a variety of ways to take advantage…
How I Avoided Career-ending Back Surgery Through Nutrition by Trevor L. Smith “I know that walk,” joked an industry friend as I stiffly jumped down from my truck and walked toward him. I had just spent forty-five minutes in an air-conditioned truck, and all my joints had seized up. After a dozen strides the oil…
by Rie Macchiarolo The advances we’ve made in technology, and especially in mobile apps, over the last decade have been huge. Before we relied solely on searching for information in books, asking our colleagues to share experiential knowledge, or using analog and more time-consuming methods to gather information. Now using mobile devices, we have unfathomable…
by Laurence Coronis As the end of another busy season draws near, this is an important time to set the course for you and your company’s future. It is my experience that the missing link in many companies is strong, consistent leadership that can create direction, build and coach your team, and hold staff accountable…
by Emily Goodwin A very vivid memory of mine is missing the bus and having my father drop me off at school in a big, loud, dirty dump truck. In the fourth grade, I just wanted to fit in, fly under the radar of my classmates and be “normal.” Let’s just say my arrival that…
by Carolyn Edsell-Vetter 2015 was an important year for A Yard & A Half Landscaping Cooperative. This year marks a decade since we made the leap to transition all of our maintenance clients off of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. In 2005, few contractors were even offering an organic option, so we had to do a…
