Design Priorities        

            ~ The Gardener ~
 
In this Issue:

       Publishers Notes
       Diversion              
       Designing From Scratch          
       Computer Tip

             ~ Publisher's Notes ~

As promised, we begin our series on Landscape Design.  Many of you
are reading this at work during your break, so we promise to be short
and sweet, as always. 
 
Winter winds down here in Michigan, finally.  To date snow belt snowfall
has been 148".  Just a little above average.  The only bad thing was we
set a January record of 92-1/2".  That's too much all at once!
 
Those buying bare-root plants remember to let us know in the shipping
comments section if you want us to hold your order up at all.  Otherwise,
items ordered through Wednesday will ship the following Monday.
 
Our design article is about the "priorities" in design, but first:
 
             ~ Diversion ~
 
A young businessman had just started his own firm. He had just rented
a beautiful office and had it furnished with antiques.
 
He saw a man come into the outer office. Wishing to appear the hot shot,
the businessman picked up the phone and started to pretend he had a
big deal working. He threw huge figures around and made giant
commitments.
 
Finally he hung up and asked the visitor, ''Can I help you?''
 
''Yeah, I've come to activate your phone lines.'
 
 
             ~ Design Priorities ~
 
Landscaping has several priorities of differing values.  Often,
there is a major problem to be fixed with the grade, where the
house just didn't fit the lot it was built on.  This is best left to an
excavator or landscaper.  The priorities we are concerned with
include the various views of your property, including:
 
1)  The view from the road.
2)  The view from the driveway.
3)  The view from the front porch.
4)  The view from the windows.
5)  The view in the back yard.
 
Which is most important?  We would contend that in reality it is a
tie between the view from the windows and the backyard.
 
Of course, the dwelling must look good from the road, and good
as a visitor is pulling up to your house, and from the front porch
as they knock on the door.  In fact, this is the landscaping part that
often 'sells' the design to a customer.  But what is truly the key to
a professional landscaping is the answer to this question:
 
Where do you spend most of your time?   In the house, of course.
The view from the windows is terribly important!  And, if you are
outside, where do you spend most of your time? In the backyard.
 
A good design automatically plans for the view of the property
from the point of view of a visitor, but absolutely must take into
consideration the owners'  perspective.  YOU are the owner, and
are landscaping your own home, or second home, and need to
think about what you want to see when you are home.
 
So, good design means planning completely everything from one
end of the lot to the other.  If you have a 3 year plan in mind, plan
all of it at once.  Sure, make your house presentable by getting
started on the front, the lawn, etc., but save you best ideas and
funds, for that matter, for the back yard!  Take your time, too.  As you
live in your home, you'll get many ideas about where on your lot
you will be spending your time, and then know where to concentrate
your efforts.
 
Next time, we'll go through some options for the 'hardscaping'.
That's the walks and paths, patios, ponds, and such, and need
to be installed first.
 
             ~ Computer Tip ~
 
Windows has a Power Management setting that will shut your monitor off
after a specified amount of time. If you don't like when it's shutting the
monitor off, or if it's not, and want to save some electricity,  you can
change it by doing the following:

1. Hit the Start button, Settings, Control Panel (XP users: hit the Start
button, Control Panel, then go to Performance and Maintenance link). Then,
open the Power Management icon.

2. Look for the "Turn off monitor" drop box. Select the amount of time you
want the computer to wait before shutting off the monitor, or tell it not
to shut the monitor off at all.
 
Well that's all for now!  Daughter Stacy (age 15) dyed her hair blue last
night, and didn't clean out the tub that well when she rinsed it. 
Now I've got to figure out how to get that light blue out, or dye the rest
of the tub blue.   Have a great day, and thanks for reading!
 
Spike

Contact me here ~ 
http://www.greatlakeslandscaping.net/question.htm 
 
Check out flowers, irrigation, fountains, water gardens and more:
Web Site:  http://www.greatlakeslandscaping.net
 
* Water Garden Kits * Vista Outdoor Lighting *
* OASE Fountains * Wholesale Plant Center *