Breaking down a Stream, a Teaching ah-ha!

 

[ This little stream was the #1topic. ]

A couple of post back I talked about the workshop I held on designing and building waterfeatures and of all the jobs we looked on this day the above stream was easily the most discussed waterfeature.

The workshop attendees had me go into great detail about how this job was built, transition, the stream edges, and the ripple efffects inside the stream.

There was also a lot of interest in how I was able to get to the stream to look so real. To sell the illusion of a natural waterfeature.

I was very pleased with the reaction of those in attendance. It was a really great opportunity to break down how something like this is built. The size of the class and the interest allowed us to work through the images very thoroughly, and allowed me to diagram and draw out many of the specifics in creating this type of stream.

6.5 hours of time really enabled us to really understand what goes into the process in the design, layout,and building of streams and waterfeatures.

This workshop has changed my thinking on the way I will give talks in the future(if I get the chance to do more) concerning water.

A divergence in my own stream of thought.

Attendees get shortchanged when they go to Conferences where everything is fed to them in 45 or 55minute doses. This may be enough time for a motivational talk, or a refresher course . . . but to actually learn something, to actually get inside the instructors thought process, to ask the un-explained —–no way.

I am still baffled why most of my industry still insist this is the way to do things.

The idea that hundreds of people herded from on room to another for a hour at a time for 2 or 3 days is a great teaching environment . . . doesn’t make sense.

This is not high school or college. We are not here for an entire semester of learning, at best we have those precious 2 or 3 days together.

Granted these industry associations have a narrow window of time to work with, and most attendees have few days to devote to these annual gatherings . . . added together this makes for limited opportunities to work in/with.

But does it always have to be the same thing?

Opening remarks, Headliner, multiple days of 1 hour seminars, with a keynote/closer to end the conference. Same thing . . . every conference . . . every year.

Sure the keynote/motivational guys are good, the 1-hour classes to keep up professional credits are needed also. Toss in a few food-for-thought talks . . . to me that’s enough of that. After that, it’s time for a change.

1 hour workshops just don’t cut it. I know; for me, that if a lecturer/teacher/presenter really has something to say/teach/divulge I can’t learn enough in one hour. I want some breakdown, some real knowledge imparted, to really delve deeply into the subject matter.

This cannot happen in one hour.

This cannot happen in one darkened room after another.

This cannot happen where the handout consist of the sum total of the PowerPoint lecture.

This cannot happen in a room with hundreds of people.

If someone has real knowledge, real experience, real talent, real skills, real wisdom . . .give them time, give them opportunity . . . with a small number of students so there can be real learning . . . real back and forth. A chance to fully explore a subject.

How do those folks running the large conferences think anything can really be learned when there is no real opportunity to ask questions? To be part of a give and take. To fully absorb the presenters philosophy? I’m truly puzzled by this way of thinking.

Maybe I’m all wet. Maybe I don’t have a clue. May-be this isn’t about learning at all . . . maybe this is all about the mystical recharging of the batteries, or some such thing, and it really isn’t about learning. Well . . . not learning is not my thing, and it certainly wasn’t what those who attended my workshops “thing”. They were hungry, they wanted to learn, they asked questions-lots of questions . . . and it was great.

Drought,have You been Affected?

I’d like to hear from some of you who live in parts of the country where drought has been a problem this year. I keep hearing about problems,and how water restrictions have really changed how some folks look at their landscaping.

Knowing that, I am curious about a few things, and have some questions.

• How has it affected your business?
• Has it affected your business?
• Have you changed how you design?
• Are you doing anything differently?
• How about those other Designers in you area-have they changed?
• Will it change you permanently?

It’s fine if you answer in the comments, or just drop me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing some of your experiences.

Three Sisters Islands at Niagara Falls

When most folks think of Niagara Falls; it’s images like this, we think of.

[Bridal Veil Falls overlook,on the American side.]

I very much enjoyed the visit, we spent a full day on the Canadian side, and close to a full day on the American side. What I feel fortunate about is all the small waterfeatures we found on the American side.

Waterfeatures that are so small that ideas could be borrowed from them to re-create them in a residential setting. Including this one we found at Three Sisters Island.

[Between islands 2 and 3 on Three Sisters]

This little set of falls was less than 12inches high and created some great sound. They key here would be to create a line of stones that are rounded over and have some decent overhang, with a steady supply of water. Nice effect,nice audio.

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Three Sisters Islands are part of the Goat Island area on the American side. You can drive over, but I suggest you park in the main lot and use the trolley to get around on the American side.

Back from Talking Water

Back tonight from a week long trip to Canada, a few days in Hamilton for the workshops,and then off and about to look at several other places. This includes some “vacation” time in Niagara Falls.

“Niagara Falls . . . slowly I turned, step-by-step”. Do you recognize this quote?

More later, on the trip and impressions of the big water, and what I hope to take away from those observations to use somewhere down the line on a waterfeature that will be designed for a homeowner.

Talking Water

I’ve been given the title of keynote speaker for a one day symposium at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario this Sunday

MAKING A SPLASH:
A natural approach to water gardens
Sunday, October 21; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.;
RBG Centre, 680 Plains Road West, Burlington

Here’s a teaser from the page on the web-site talking about the symposium:

Each fall, Royal Botanical Gardens brings together a roster of great speakers to offer an in-depth day focusing on developing and enhancing great gardens. Symposium 2007 turns its eyes to the world of water gardening.

What you will not read on this page is that I am up 1st at 10:30 and they have given me 90 minuts to talk about water, nature, and residential waterfeatures.

My goal is to put all that together and hopefully inspire folks to go out and look at natural waterfeatures-really study them, and then use that new knowledge in their own waterfeatures.

If you read the blog, make sure to let me know. Always interested in meeting readers.

But wait! there’s more . . . .

On Monday I am doing a 1 day workshop for professionals on all things waterfeatures. They don’t know it yet, but I have prepared very little in the way of formal lectures. I want to start off showing some work to form a basis of credibility and show the attendees that this isn’t my 1st rodeo.

Here’s where it gets interesting . . . from that point forward I am willing to go wherever the attendees want to go, and spend as much time as necessary on each subject that they want to discuss.

I do want to spend time on “context” . . . meaning where does a waterfeature fit/belong/happen . . . why here, why there, and the immediate area around the waterfeature and how it relates (the importance of how it relates), and background/foreground of the waterfeature.

I have never been to a “water seminar” where the surrounding area has been discussed. How that surrounding area relates, or how to make the waterfeature a seamless fit into the landscape.

I look forward to this challenge. I have never attempted to do a 1-day seminar like this before. Everything has always been so structured. it will be interesting to see how the participants react.

Will they be excited that I am willing to go off in several different directions? Or will they be disappointed that they have to participate in open dialogue, and give-n-take . . . as opposed to just coming in and being fed some PowerPoint and sent home with a handout?

We’ll see, I am obviously curious as to how this will turn out.

[Part of a 12ft-13ft falls, at a large residence.]

Jazzonia

Oh, silver tree!
Oh, shining rivers of the soul!

 

In a Harlem cabaret
Six long-headed jazzers play.
A dancing girl whose eyes are bold
Lifts high a dress of silken gold.

 

Oh, singing tree!
Oh, shining rivers of the soul!

 

Were Eve’s eyes
In the first garden
Just a bit too bold?
Was Cleopatra gorgeous
In a gown of gold?

 

Oh, shining tree!
Oh, silver rivers of the soul!

 

In a whirling cabaret
Six long-headed jazzers play.

 

—Langston Hughes.

[In the Wasatch Mountains, Utah.]

Ripple Effects

[Double falls and a very shallow stream.]

Found this looking for examples of shallow streams that I consider a babbling brook type of stream.

A couple of upflow filters, a stream that is about 4.0′ wide, and only a inch or so deep. Lots of babbling, and lots of eddy’s for the birds to drop into.

How it’s done:

The only way to get that rippling effect is to layer in a lot of small very flat stones, foaming them down tight to force the water over the top . . . not underneath. Or the lazy mans way of stream building-filling with small rock/gravel . . . sign or a real amateur.

Steps to the Pool

[ Pencil rendering for steps starting a drive and opening up to pool area. ]

This was a rendering for a client who wanted some ideas for landscaping around a new pool. I was asked not to go into any detail, just give the homeowner an idea of what his place could look like.

The strange thing here is that; . . . that was it,** he took these drawings and gave them to a landscape contractor and said have at it. The contractor was someone who I have done a lot of work with, and have a good relationship with. Which I was grateful for in regards to knowing that the install would now go rather smoothly.

Which means we spent some time going over the sketches came up with a planting plan, along with laying out the hardscape right there on the site. Not a scenario I would recommend using all the time, but the fact is that we have a good working relationship-helps.

The hardscape* usually turns out close to my initial renderings . . . . the real argument happens when we discuss plants and planting plans. The great thing about this is no matter how spirited the discussion/disagreement we keep it on a professional level, and hold no grudges . . . a short memory is good here.

Bottom line; the client comes out ahead when designers and contractors work toward developing good solid relationships, focusing on doing great work at a great value.

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** What I am trying to say is instead of continuing the design process-larger, bigger, more elaborate drawings it didn’t happen here. Just some rough renderings and right on to getting something in the ground.

* WE are firm believers in identifying the areas of the landscape where the most difficult, elaborate and money-consuming areas are. From here plans are made accordingly. Obviously this difficult stage of the work has to be installed at the beginning of the process . . . if it’s an after-thought . . . it’s too late.

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Addendum: Did you ever try and write something and no matter how hard you tried it never quite came out how you wanted? this was one of those post . . .

Simple Rendering for Firepit area

This started out as one of those deals where the client had no good idea of what they wanted; besides some patio space, some seating, and some fire. Typical client request on a residence of this size.

Now how all this goes together is completely up to me, and the layout for the space is wide open.

 

[Final rendering that was sent to the client.]

After a lot of back and forth about a big, I mean really big pergola arbor that covered over half the patio . . . the idea was completely scrapped. It was not working to fit the scene, the scale, or the house itself.

The other big issue for the homeowner was . . . “would this wood be able to make the house seem not so high?” No; I kept repeating, you are about two and a half stories high, we can’t build an arbor to lower the house.

So it became more of an idea on how to create a pleasant place to sit, away from the house. Away as in not sitting next to a two-story wall.

[This was the initial concept sketch for the area.]

The other part of this was to make the firepit off-center. This is to allow some people to sit closer, while others can move off a ways if need be. Plus ample room to bring chairs around the firepit for those who prefer a chair over the bench-even if the bench has cushions, some folks just want some chairs.

The style of the pergola(if you’re wondering) matches quite closely to some entry pergolas I have designed for the front of the house. One at the gate to come down into the backyard, and the other which leads you into a garden going to the front door.

This was borrowed from some of the trim detail for the house. Was the drawing successful? Yes . . . the homeowner accepted without question, and with out asking how much. The idea for the sconces was a major benefit to the eager acceptance by the homeowners.

This is another example of why designers need to render. How could you possibly sell this in a plan view drawing.

This is the back of the house. The area in discussion is at the far left, and much of the patio would be out of frame.

[ I was not kidding when I said it was tall.]

Okay Gardeners, go take a look

Hey folks this guy; James Sinclair, can garden, he can garden like a mad man-I ain’t a kiddin’.

I am giving you 2 links one to his main garden page at his garden called Blackpitts(I wonder if I’ll name my garden someday), the other is to the home page where you can click on a lnk to his blog. Enjoy; and oh, don’t forget to thank me.

James you are the man.

[Summer at Blackpitts-one of a lot of angles, seasons, years.]

What’s Andy Goldsworthy up to?

Found out that Mr. Goldsworthy has some new installations, and a couple on new shows going on. Here’s the lowdown.

[Immediately tell it's a Goldsworthy.]

I thought this little nugget was quite interesting;

For many people, Goldsworthy’s works with blood and excrement are disturbing. But the artist says he is only trying to reflect nature in all its facets. “Things like blood and urine are difficult things to work with, in that I don’t want to be gratuitously shocking,” Goldsworthy says. “But in the landscape and on farms you can’t go far without coming across something that is shitty, bloody or dead.”

What a guy.

Some food for Thought

Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before. . . . He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way.

—Kurt Vonnegut