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Chapter Meeting Recap
April 2007 Chapter Report.
Fifty-one members of the WSNLA Seattle and NW chapters and their guests gathered at the Seattle location of the Marenakos Stonearium to get the scoop on an upcoming airing of the HGTV Landscapers’ Challenge. Marenakos’ host Jan Nielsen gave a vibrant introduction to the showroom in Seattle’s SODO District and invited members to consider this site as a location to meet clients to discuss stone options for both interior and exterior landscapes. The Stonearium is replete with rock walls, waterfalls, ponds, paving stones, and sculptures. Three dynamic landscape designers then proceeded to share insights from the HGTV program called Landscapers’ Challenge. Each designer outlined the challenge presented by a small backyard in West Seattle that the homeowners wanted to convert into a ‘mystical playground’ for their two little girls, Gabrielle and Marissa. Part of the challenge included softening the blank wall at the back of the house, hiding the view of the apartment building on the next lot, replacing a laurel hedge that was an inviting host for bees and wasps, and rebuilding a failing retaining wall. All this was to be accomplished on a budget of $25,000. Tough challenge! The first to present her storyboard was Phyllis Warman, of
Phyllis Warman Landscape Design, LLC. Phyllis described a design that focused around an open pavilion for the girls to play as well as a restful area for adults to keep an eye on the children. Phyllis drew child-safe ideas from her own experience as mother and proceeded to tailor the design to fit a child’s storybook secret garden. It was her first time to create a storyboard using Photoshop rather than pencil drawings, but this was the challenge of presenting a visual design that would show well to the television camera.
Next up was Guy Feldman of Classic Nursery & Landscape Company. Guy contemplated how his nieces liked to enact fairytales and so incorporated play structures, herb gardens, shade arbors, and lighting to make a safe environment for the children. He even proposed a water feature, called a bubbler, which did not have an open pool. Guy used an auto-cad program to produce his storyboard and indicated that he had spent about 50 hours on the design.
Colleen Miko, CPH, of Colleen’s, A Landscape Design Company, was the last presenter. Colleen admitted that she had never produced a design focused on children, but this challenge offered an opportunity to have fun with the concept. Her design included a playhouse, raised garden beds with ‘headboards’, and a collage of plants based on a feminine pallet that would attract both butterflies and hummingbirds.
Scattered throughout each presentation were anecdotes that revealed behind-the-scenes techniques of creating a television program. There was also a description of how the homeowners and the designers were selected. Which design was accepted and installed? If you were not at the meeting, be sure to watch the show when it airs on May 24 at 9:30pm on HGTV. After all, it is a secret garden. By the way, CPH folks attending this meeting earned one credit hour toward maintaining their certification. The meal, provided by Chef du Jour Catering, was a great treat as well.
March 2007 Chapter Report
Forty members and guests of the Seattle Chapter met in Bellevue on March 12 to hear a range of ideas on how best to create a business niche. Three dynamic women described how they developed businesses suited to their own philosophies for delivering landscape solutions to customers. The three panelists were Jessica Bloom, Karen Chapman, and Linda Fraser.
Jessica Bloom, CPH, is the driving force behind N.W. Bloom – EcoLogical Landscaping. Jessica started her business eight years ago in order to funnel her passion to preserve the natural ecological balance typical of the Northwest into healthy living environments for communities and homeowners. N.W. Bloom shuns pesticides and stilted plantings in favor of organic gardens and natural designs. Her garden creations at the NW Flower and Garden Show the past two years have merited a total of three medals. Jessica believes in the power of affiliations with professional organizations so she participates in WSNLA, WALP, EnviroStars, and the International Society of Arboriculture. Ms Bloom holds and Environmental Horticulture degree from Lake Washington Technical College and is a graduate of the University of Washington Wetland Science and Management program. She lists her greatest challenge as finding co-workers who share her guiding principles and passion. An outstanding Internet presence (http://www.nwbloom.com) helps new customers find this business in Mill Creek.
Karen Chapman, CPH, is the principal of Le Jardinet, a container gardening business that was launched in April 2006. Karen had worked for several years at a leading garden center and was often asked for advice on patio container arrangements. This experience, coupled with radio broadcasts and television appearances on gardening issues, prompted Karen to go out on her own with a business designed to match the demographics of clients looking for the clean, simple, and elegant solutions for small gardens, patios, and decks. Ms Chapman maintains a web page (http://www.lejardinetdesigns.com) that is as elegant as her products. Karen’s creations are also featured in the catalog and on the web pages of a major pottery supplier in the area. She attributes the success of her business to referrals from the Internet, articles in the local newspaper, participation in community events, handmade "Thank You" cards with referral coupons, and her own monthly newsletter to existing clients. Karen is often asked to speak to realtors on using containers to stage properties for sale and has found that realtors in turn will ask her to prepare dynamic containers as gifts for new homeowners.
Linda Fraser, CPH, started Landscapes by Linda in 1985 after completing the horticulture program at Edmonds Community College and working at a small eastside nursery. Her first challenges were correcting landscape problems left by new-home builders. While Linda coyly admits to never having a business plan, she adroitly chronicled the progression of moving from landscape design, to installation and maintenance, to hardscape design and construction, and back to design only. This progression moved across a period of 21 years and was stimulated along the way by association with professional organizations such as WSNLA, WALP, NPA, and APLD. The transition in business models also involved name changes so that the most recent public presence is under the name of The Landscape Group. The diversity of her award-winning portfolio is well presented on her web pages (http://www.landscape-group.com). Linda’s message to the group also included recommendations to students and young entrepreneurs: maintain your passion for learning as much and as fast as you can and allow your business to evolve with your skills and ability to enlist the help of others who will help you grow.
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Seattle Chapter Lending Library. Seattle Chapter members can borrow reference materials from our new lending library!
WHAT’S AVAILABLE:
CPH Study Guides
· WSU Sustainable Gardening Handbook
· ANLA Homescaping Kit
WSDA Pesticide Training
· Private Applicator Pesticide Education Manual
Contact Gina McCauley for borrowing details at gina4ipm@quidnunc.net |
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Next Meeting:
Monday, June 11.
Location: Tour Northwest Nurseries, Inc. in Redmond and visit the Horticultural program grounds at Lake Washington Technical College for a lecture by Todd Murray entitled "Bugs are Coming".
Meeting details:
Todd Murray, King County Extension agent for Agriculture and Horticulture, will share the latest strategies in Integrated Pest Management for this summer’s growing season. This event, to take place at Lake Washington Technical College (LWTC), will provide us with a heads up on insect pest issues that we "have now, may soon have, and do NOT want to have."
As a BONUS, participants may visit Northwest Nurseries, Inc., a wholesaler of perennials, shrubs, and trees before the meeting at LWTC. Northwest Nurseries is known for its amazing selection of unique cultivars of plants and a wide selection of Japanese maples. The nursery is located just south of the college entrance.
Boxed meals provided by Lake Washington Technical College Catering at $15.00 per person. For more information or to order your boxed meal, contact Bill Collins at waterwheelgroup1@comcast.net. |
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New Seattle Chapter
Meeting Features
Door prize! No purchase necessary. Prize worth up to $25!
Find the Greeter! First person to shake the hand of our Secret Greeter wins 5-free raffle tickets!
3 for the price of 2! Employers-bring or send 3 people from the same company and 1 is free!
Raffle! Bring an item; buy a ticket! Proceeds support chapter projects. |
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Annual Chapter
Meeting Schedule
January: Convention
February: Tour Behind the Scenes at the NWFGS
March: P. ramorum update
April: How to Create Business Niche
May: HGTV's Landscape Challenage Contestants Share Their Experiences.
June:
July:
August: Summer Break
September:
October: Annual Auction, Paradise Lake Nursery, Snohomish
November:
December: Holiday Break | |