Maybe you heard about a campaign to promote local small businesses by shopping on a certain day? Their vendor list is extensive, including cars, hardware, sushi, guns, bicycles, pizza, dental services, cameras, lingerie, jewelry, liquor and other stuff (no landscape architects though). What do these companies have in common? Credit cards. It seems this “smallContinue reading “Support your local microbusiness!”
Category Archives: General
Adieu, Montréal.
We’ve achieved a new milestone. We entered a design competition in French, giving ideas for the beautification of a really ugly freeway in Montréal. No, we didn’t exactly clean up in the awards department. We may have been a bit, well, wild. Even though we didn’t play it safe, we did have a lot ofContinue reading “Adieu, Montréal.”
Rhus typhina – now that’s fall color!
Our Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) is putting on quite a show now that we’ve had cool nights and bright, sunny days. These plants get around twelve feet tall, and develop an interesting branch structure. They also have strange, fuzzy tapering knoblike flower heads in summer that give them a bold, architectural look. Staghorn sumac isContinue reading “Rhus typhina – now that’s fall color!”
Un-green ad campaign
I found this on the porch. It contains cardboard, plastic foam and one lousy video DVD containing about one minute of promotional video for an unknown product made by an unnamed company. Its raw materials were harvested or pumped out of the ground, processed using water and energy, formed using more energy, prettied up withContinue reading “Un-green ad campaign”
The incredible flying circus
The Aster chilensis is blooming, and it’s the biggest insect party of the year. The plants are covered with skippers, with frequent visits by mason bees and other creatures. Despite its Latin name implying South American origins, it’s a California native – but from the Southern part. It’s common name, California aster, makes its originsContinue reading “The incredible flying circus”
Looking like a deck, finally
Putting down the decking goes quickly once the joists are attached and blocked. We worked from the two ends, setting them in place with a few screws, then placing the other boards. Spacing was adjusted at one end, then the boards were progressively attached, working from the spaced end. Since it’s very rare that aContinue reading “Looking like a deck, finally”
Deck understructure ready
Laying down some weed barrier was the last step before placing the decking. You can also see the pressure treated joists and blocking, as well as a beam that supports the joists.
Clearly, Fame isn’t Everything
The day after the Big TV Event. Calm. No calls, no e-mails from people clamoring for designs. Nobody knocking at the door asking for Mike Cheasshox’s autograph. It’s as though the TV episode never aired. So much for doing some unpaid work in the hope of capturing at least one potential client from the ether.Continue reading “Clearly, Fame isn’t Everything”
Ready to pour the footings
By positioning the beams and brackets before pouring the footings, we can ensure that everything aligns perfectly. Once the footings have set, we can unscrew the beams, cut the ends and finish the deck.
Another deck
We’re finally starting work on the linear deck that will link the back door of the house to the garden. It will have long concrete steps in the same style as those on the floating deck, and will be completed later with a screen structure and seating area.