The Singing Trees

Sculpture design by Ben Roth & created with Brad Watsabaugh Beetle-killed Lodgepole Environmental Art Installation – Ford Park, Vail, CO

Town of Vail, Art in Public Places (AIPP) – The Singing Trees, a spectacular environmental art installation utilizing beetle-killed lodgepole pine by artists Ben Roth and Brad Watsabaugh, is now on view in Vail’s Ford Park. The Wildland Firefighting Division of the Vail Fire Department and A Cut Above Forestry of Breckenridge, CO cut standing dead lodgepole pines selected for this project from private property in East Vail. The trees were then transported to the lower bench of Ford Park by the Town of Vail’s Public Works where the installation was created to the applause of onlookers by the artists with the assistance of friends, family, and the team at Public Works.

This installation captures the raw beauty in what would otherwise be devastated forestry. Combining a sensibility for nature and a keen eye for design this area of Ford Park has been transformed by the artists into an exceptional environmental art installation. The artists dissected the trees longitudinally from root to top by hand with chainsaws and created benches with the remaining half of the split trees. The result is 90 degree structures arranged in an interactive and engaging pattern for the viewer. As most trees are sawed at a cross section, this will be an opportunity to examine the growth of tree and branches in the entirety of the tree’s life. The bluestaining left by the fungi carried by the beetle that ultimately kills the lodgepole pine is visible in the exposed trees. The relocated trees stand nearly 50 feet tall.

A native of Colorado, Roth currently lives and works in Jackson, WY. His passion for art is a direct result of the striking beauty of his surroundings. “What is it about an Aspen branch, or bend in a stream that is so arresting? That is the impact I want to capture in my work,” says Roth. His environmental installations appear as mirages or curiosities of nature. Watsabaugh is a native of Jackson Hole, WY. He constructs log homes, cabinetry, and furniture, among a multitude of other objects in this medium.

“Seeing these trees die during our lifetime is only a narrow snapshot of the life of a forest. The benefits of the beetle kill for the health of a forest will not happen for 100 to 150 years. It is certainly hard for us witness, but if something good comes out of something bad while it is occurring this is an interesting project,” explains Todd Oppenheimer, Senior Landscape Architect and Capital Projects Manager for the Town of Vail.

A celebratory opening for this major environmental artistic feat will take place on July 10th at the installation site in Ford Park. AIPP greatly appreciates the assistance of Vail Fire Department, A Cut Above Forestry, and the Town of Vail’s Public Works for their assistance in this project.

Intertwining art with nature the AIPP calendar of summer events include art courses for youths and adults taught outdoors at Vail’s Nature Center co-sponsored by the Nature Center and the Art Center in Gypsum; and the extended loan of two “Steelroots” sculptures by internationally renowned artist Steve Tobin to be placed in Lionshead and Vail Village.

Fun Facts for the Fourth

In honor of the July 4th, I’ve assembled some fun facts about our founding fathers and the wonderful state we call home.

We all know our founding fathers for their contributions to gaining American independence. But, did you know that many of them took interest in landscapes and horticulture?

• Thomas Jefferson was an accomplished Architect and Horticulturist. He is responsible for the campus design of the University of Virginia and his estate, Monticello, is recognized as an American Landscape Masterpiece.
• As a youngster, George Washington became familiar with his native Colony of Virginia while working as a land surveyor.
• It hasn’t been proven that George Washington chopped down his father’s cherry tree. Even if he did, we’re sure he had nothing against the tree…

Colorado Fun Facts

• Colorado was the 38th state admitted to the union in August of 1876.
• State flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine
• State tree: Blue Spruce
• State bird: Lark Bunting
• While enjoying your cookout this year, remember that Denver lays claim to the invention of the cheeseburger. The trademark was awarded in 1935 to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-in in Denver.
• The United States federal government owns more than 1/3 of the land in Colorado. This keeps our mountains accessible to adventurers from around the world.
• Katherine Lee Bates wrote “America the Beautiful” after being inspired by the view from Pikes Peak.
• The United States Air Force Academy is located in Colorado Springs.

Active Spaces for Active People

Landscape Architects are Doing Their Part to Eliminate Childhood Obesity...

Since when did television become an acceptable method of exercise for our children? Is playing a video game really like going outside and playing? Really?? I think not. And no parent can rely on the public school system to help keep children fit and active…what, with only one-day of physical education per week!! Don’t forget recess time has also been cut back too. And don’t get me started on the dissolution of nearly all public school music programs…but let’s stay on topic.

There is a solution. Call your Landscape Architect to help develop your own backyard play area(s).Think about it; a Landscape Architect can help design active – and fun no less – outdoor spaces to play, right on your own property. Or if you’re a Do-It-Yourselfer, the internet can help you as well. Let me start by saying, this recommendation is not meant to take away from our beautifully designed and built neighborhood parks, only to compliment them. Backyard Play has developed into more than just converting your existing lawn area into a makeshift Croquet court. Let me explain.

Backyard Play is quickly becoming a requirement of successful outdoor gatherings. With some design intuition on hand, an active space(s) can be achieved to meet any budget, within virtually any size yard. So OK, the makeshift Croquet court is a practical way to begin using outdoor space, and it’s one of the least expensive ways to get outside and play. If you have a lawn, all you need is a kit from your local sporting good store. But you didn’t think this article was to tell you where to buy a croquet kit, right?

While some homeowners are taking it upon themselves to build play areas, a thoughtful design can go a long way. Did you know the majority of games have rules and regulations for the court configurations? For example, a badminton court is 44 feet long and 22 feet wide (17 feet wide for singles play) http://usabadminton.org/. The stakes in a horseshoe pit are 40 feet apart, 36 inches long, and exposed 14 inches above the ground, leaning backward at a 12 degree angle. Foul lines are spaced 27 feet and 37 feet from each stake…the 27 foot foul line is for children, women and elderly men and the 37 foot foul line is for men http://www.horseshoepitching.com/. Other notable sizes: a volleyball court is 60 feet long and 40 feet wide; a bocce ball court is 60 feet long and 10 feet wide; corn hole boards (bag-in-the-hole) are spaced 27 feet apart, front to front.

To maintain a somewhat resonably priced backyard play area, the following games are great options, with kits readily available: Croquet, Badminton, Horseshoes, Corn Hole, Bocce Ball, a Trampoline…to name a few. Consider adding a basketball hoop to the home, or a freestanding backboard. A simple net can allow a person to hit golf balls and baseballs into it. Accoutrements such as backstops, tables & caddies, netting, benches, etc., all add to the grander scheme for a wonderfully active outdoor space. Get the most out of whatever dollars you want to invest.

Let’s get extreme, and expensive. Avid golfers are beginning to install their very own putting greens, some with adjacent sand bunkers. The material of choice for today’s backyard putting greens is no maitenance sythetic turfs http://www.theputtinggreencompany.com/. What if a child in the home loves skateboarding? Have a custom – sometimes sculptural – skatepark built in the back yard http://www.spohnranch.com/. Consider a batting cage for the baseball/softball enthusiast. If you want it all, then wrap as many activities as possible into a multi-sport court that allows you to play almost any sport imaginable http://www.sportcourt.com/.

To get the most successful outcome from your Backyard Playspace, make sure it’s properly integrated into the overall landscaping. Plopping a court into the yard may function for the activity, but it’s not the responsible solution for the appearance or enjoyment of your yard. Your Landscape Architect will consider the court(s), but also the adjacent plant material, the need for hot summer shade, and places to sit, catch a breath and sometimes be a spectator. Assuming all the action creates hungry and thristy people, an outdoor terrace with BBQ and refrigerator is a great complement to your playspace. There’s nothing like good food and a tastey beverage to unwind and relax. If you need help, ask us…it’s what we do!

Time to Shine

Flowers are the best way to create color in a landscape. These come in the form of annuals and perennials. Because there are millions of different types of flowers that come in a rainbow of colors, heights, textures and sizes, the decision of which to plant can be very overwhelming. This decision is made easier when you know when you need your garden to shine, and for how long.

It is a good idea to start by deciding when you want your garden to be at its best. If you are only in town for the holiday, then you want to consider only plants that bloom early to mid summer. For the folks that are here full time, or visit several times over the course of the summer, a mixture of early, mid and fall blooming plants, will give you constant color as the season progresses. You should space out your plants based on their bloom times throughout the garden, so your whole garden is always blooming, even though all the plants are not.

Any flower regardless of when it blooms can have a prolonged blooming season if they are “Deadheaded.” This is the process of pruning off the old flowers, when they are finished blooming and starting to die back. This encourages the plant to continue re-blooming. If you have annual containers deadheading will keep your pots looking their best for the entire summer. The job of deadheading spent flowers is fairly easy. There are a couple “rules of thumb” to easily accomplish this task. The first rule is to deadhead tall plants by cutting the stem at the base of the plant. The second rule is to deadhead bushy plants with a pair of shears or pruners, and trim them back, as if you are giving them a haircut.

In the Rocky Mountains it is not uncommon to experience snow and below freezing temperatures into June, and starting again in September. Because our season can be so short, we recommend giving the plants some help by fertilizing. At local garden centers, there are several options to boost plant growth and promote blooming. This is especially helpful if you are hoping to see significant color and growth by the 4th of July holiday. Before planting the correct plants, fertilizing, and deadheading, the most important thing you can do to ensure a colorful garden whenever you see it, is proper water amounts. Every time you are in your garden, we recommend checking to make sure your soil is not too wet, or too dry. If these steps are taken, the results will give your garden vibrant color any time during the season.

July Means Dry

Colorado high-country summers are split up into two distinct periods—dry and drier. The majority of our moisture comes in the fall, winter and spring in the form of snow. We do get a weather pattern, usually in July, called monsoonal moisture or monsoon seasons, but it is unreliable and rarely amounts to much. So, we depend heavily on our sprinkler systems to keep our lawn and gardens thriving.

During these hot dry months, when we could go weeks without rainfall, our irrigation gets overworked and under-maintained. As a result our lawns get brown spots and flowers wilt.

During this season sprinkler systems are run more often, and thus have a higher risk for breaks. A little TLC and preventive maintenance can go a long way.

Three sure signs that you could use the help of our irrigation professionals are:

1. When you walk around your lawn and hear a crunch, crunch under your feet

2. When the dandelion becomes your most prevalent flower

3. When your water bill is out of control and you still have the above mentioned problems

While some problems may occur due to bad luck, many can be addressed and prevented with routine maintenance or simple upgrades. Our favorite upgrade is to install a smart irrigation controller.

Typical controllers need to be monitored and adjusted for weather events. This works best with a proactive approach but instead usually happens in a reactive manner. For example, when it rains you may turn off your irrigation, or if it’s hot and dry you turn up the run time on the areas that have noticeable dry spots. But, the water has already been wasted and the plant material is stressed. The solution is to make a simple upgrade to a smart controller. A smart irrigation controller installed by Land Designs by Ellison, uses sensors to read the weather in real time. If the sun shines for an extended amount of time, it automatically increases the watering times to the areas that need it most. When it rains, the controller instantly shuts down the irrigation zones you have programmed, and the same goes with freezing temperatures. The available customization in these controllers make it a must have if you have water features and annual pots that have different water needs that lawn or perennials. This simple upgrade will make your sprinkler system more efficient wasting less water, time, and money.

So when the summer’s dry days hit and you and your sprinkler system can’t keep up, give our irrigation dispatcher, Roberta, a call and she will schedule one of our trained technicians to upgrade your system ASAP.

Landscape Architect v Landscape Designer

I’m often asked about difference between Landscape Architecture and landscape design.

Regardless of their professional arena, Landscape Architects use their artistic talents and technical training to plan and design built environments. They formulate graphic and written criteria through drawings, construction documents, and specifications to control the means of arranging and building land forms in conjunction with the manipulation of water resources. Currently, 49 states require a form of licensure for Landscape Architects. Of those, 45 states require a license to practice the art and science of Landscape Architecture. The remaining four states, with title acts, allow the practice of Landscape Architecture regardless of qualifications but require licensure to use the title of ‘Landscape Architect’.

Landscape Designers also create drawings and many times have the in-house capabilities and resources to construct what they’ve drawn, specified and manipulated. The disparity between Landscape Architecture and Landscape Design may be the result of a higher level of education, license and liability insurance. According to Columbia University’s program in Landscape Design, the primary difference between Landscape Design and Landscape Architecture is the required level of education and licensing.

To confuse matters further, the level of education varies quite dramatically from curriculum offered at one college, to the next. Landscape Design programs vary significantly. Some schools offer certificates of varying lengths, while others offer full 2-year to 4-year degrees. Many times the graduate of a Landscape Design program will pursue an undergraduate degree in horticulture or agriculture. The standard Landscape Architecture programs consist of a minimum 4-year undergraduate degree; (BLA) Bachelors of Landscape Architecture or (BSLA) Bachelors of Science in Landscape Architecture. Upon completion of an undergraduate 4-year Bachelors degree in the Landscape Design or Landscape Architecture program, a student can enter into a Masters of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program. Students with an undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture typically earn their MLA in two years while the undergraduate from an ‘accredited’ school who earned their 4-year BS in Landscape Design, my take three years to earn the status of MLA.

There are many acclaimed and successful licensed Landscape Architects who got their roots from an education that is a derivative of the Landscape Design programs, coupled with good old hands-on experience. The father of Landscape Architecture and designer of New York’s Central Park, Frederic Law Olmsted, was a farmer without any relevant educational background. Yet Olmsted’s research and brilliance transformed the profession of Landscape Architecture across the world. It would be interesting to know if the value which Mr. Olmsted brought to this industry would hold its same level today, or would he be scrutinized since he only had the rudimentary training comparable to that of Landscape Architects?

Regardless of the written formality to differentiate those who provide Landscape Architectural services from those who provide Landscape Design services, the diversity in both fields greatly overlap as opposed to showing exclusivity. So what does that mean to the consumer?

Prior work experience, referrals and references along with an understanding of your needs should be the basis for choosing a Landscape Architect or Landscape Designer. Many highly professional firms offer both disciplines. When making your selection, make sure that the firms that respond to your inquiry for proposal have construction oversight capabilities, understand and enforce local regulations and can provide site engineering relative to building techniques. Above all, make absolutely sure that they have the professional liability insurance to properly cover their services and assurances.

Regardless of what your needs are, Land Designs by Ellison and A Cut Above Landcare has you covered. We employ two Licensed Landscape Architects and two designers who are working towards licensure. In addition to our Landscape Architecture division, we offer an informal design process for less complex projects or garden designs that still require regional horticultural and construction knowledge.

There is a wealth of knowledge and information available on the internet regarding the profession of Landscape Architecture. Here are a few of our favorite resources:

www.asla.org/

www.clarb.org/

www.thecela.org/

Social Media... Not Just for Kids

You might have noticed the links to Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, YouTube & Linkedin at the bottom of the last two newsletters. Maybe you even clicked on them… If not, we encourage you to do so. These Social Media sites are the best way to keep your finger on the pulse of our companies, tap into expert advice and they provide us with a way to keep all our clients, friends and followers up to date.

What’s in it for you?

• Special offers will be offered to our followers or fans through social media sites.
• A big part of our goal with Social Media is education. Subscribing to our blog puts timely and useful information at your fingertips.
• It’s fun! You get to see photos of our projects, hear about awards we’ve won and keep tabs on how our employees do their part to help the community.

While many of these sites have the reputation of being geared towards kids, the truth is, many businesses, and even more adults have found a use for these sites. In fact, more than 40% of Facebook’s users are over 35 years old. Despite what your kids might think, it’s not just another way to spy on them. Whether it’s getting in touch with old friends on Facebook, following a favorite celebrity on Twitter, getting expert advice from a blog, watching videos from across the street or around the world on YouTube or learning about the professional face of the company from Linkedin, these sites are a great way to communicate with and keep in touch with people everywhere.

Aphids

Another annual pest of concern to Colorado trees and gardens is the common aphid. There are dozens of species of Aphids in our region and virtually no plant is immune to their damaging effects. Aphids, similar to pine needle scale, are sucking/piercing insects that slowly drain a plant of nutrition. To make matters worse they take this nutrition directly from its production source, the leaves. The sole purpose of leaves to a plant is to produce food. This food is then transported to the roots for storage to be called upon the following spring as the tree emerges from winter. Without this reserve the tree is unable to produce leaves of sufficient size thereby reducing its ability to make food, creating a viscous cycle. Each following year the leaves grow smaller and eventually stop altogether. Left alone, and in sufficient quantity, Aphids lead to a plant’s decline and eventual starvation. Aphids are very small insects and tend to avoid detection by the untrained eye. In fact, it’s typically not the insect that generates calls of concern. Rather, it’s “sticky stuff on my patio furniture” that initiates the majority of phone calls to our office. Mountain pine beetle has enjoyed a great deal of media attention over recent years and even pine needle scale to a lesser extent. Aphids are the exception, however, and quietly go about their lives doing significant harm to the landscape’s components. They start to draw attention to themselves after a few seasons when the landscape no longer appears as healthy and vigorous as it once did. Trees exhibit yellowing leaves mid-summer and leaves become progressively smaller each season. There may be fewer leaves, and in extreme conditions the tree may be forced to drop its leaves prematurely (sometimes as early as July and August) in hopes of ridding itself of the pest. Each of these items should be taken as a cry for help from the tree.

Aphids are usually less that 1/8” in size and vary in color between species. Their populations increase dramatically with the return of warmer, summer weather and drop off suddenly with the first killing frost of autumn. Through their feeding activity Aphids create a by-product known as “honeydew”. This sticky substance is highly nutritious and has the consistency of corn syrup (and is nearly as sweet). It falls to any lower surface and tends to build-up on leaves, branches, patio furniture, car windshields, sidewalks, and even other plants. The presence of this honeydew, being so nutritious, results in the rapid development of mildew called sooty mold. Similar to what’s found in a humid shower, sooty mold produces a “peppered” look on surfaces. Honeydew and the resulting sooty mold don’t cause any real damage but can become a general nuisance and cleanup headache. Though when the sooty mold accumulates on leaf surfaces it can actually inhibit photosynthesis and cause stunting of growth.

Here’s the good news: Aphids are a fragile, easily controlled insect. They are so fragile, in fact, that many gardeners simply wash them off with a garden hose. Beyond just a simple stream of water there are a variety of products available for the control of Aphids. There are traditional, foliar sprays, systemic injections, and even beneficial insects such as ladybugs that offer consistent control. While it may be easy to treat low-lying plants and flowers you will want to consider hiring a professional for trees. Their equipment allows for a safe and thorough treatment and increases the chances for success.

Water Wisely.

An efficient irrigation system is the result of a good system design, careful operation, and timely maintenance.

• A good system design allows control of how much water you want to apply and where.
• Careful operation helps to limit waste.
• Timely maintenance will keep your irrigation running at its peak performance and efficiency.

Last month‘s column covered irrigation start up, including adjustments, checking for leaks, and setting proper run times. This edition focuses on watering efficiency.

Water Efficiency can be affected by many factors. Let’s start from the ground up, literally.

• The type of soil you are watering - from sand to clay and everything in between.
• The type of plants that need water (grass, flowers, shrubs and trees) which could be broken down further: turf grass, wild grass, annual or perennial flowers, and old or young trees and shrubs.
• The type of climate and exposure.

In-ground landscape sprinklers are about 50% efficient. Evaporation, poor maintenance and poor design have the largest impact on efficiency. The major factors that affect in-ground irrigation (Pop up and rotary sprinkler heads) watering efficiency is evaporation. The two major factors that affect evaporation are heat and wind. This can be resolved by not running your irrigation on a hot, windy day and by setting it instead to come on during the cool calm of night when evaporation is minimized.

Another factor affecting efficiency is proper maintenance of your irrigation system. If your irrigation system runs during the day, when you’re asleep or not home, then you may never notice leaking heads, leaky fittings, bad or wrong nozzles, or too much water (puddling).

The last major factor is watering during or right after a rain event. Irrigation that runs while it’s raining wastes our natural resources. This can be combated with a rain sensor installed by a trained professional.

In conclusion, to achieve watering efficiency use the proper amount of water for the season and conditions, exposure, type of plant, age of plant, and soil type. This can be accomplished through good irrigation design, careful operation, and routine system management. It takes a knowledgeable technician to evaluate your irrigation system, make the necessary adjustments or modification, and prescribe a custom watering plan.