A Landscaper's View

As in any job, there are many vexing practices in which other companies engage.  One of these is the infamous ”crape murder” of crape myrtles.  Nothing is more horrendous to see than a crape myrtle chopped off at waist level.

Greg Grant with Piney Woods Native Plant Center at the Austin State University has an excellent write-up on this appalling practice. [...]

We at ALV recently purchased a Nikon D50 camera to take quality pictures, which means you get a quality view of the projects we showcase.  This is an exciting upgrade to our efforts as all previous pictures have been taken with an iPhone.  I love my iPhone (and it’s 2 MB camera) and have no plans to replace it, but the quality of the built-in camera just doesn’t compare to the D50.

Here are a couple pictures with the new camera:

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The Projects section is now up and running.  Please consult this section when you want to peruse some of our past works, brainstorm for your own home project, or you need advice on getting a particular job done.

As always, we welcome your comments and critiques.  If the Projects section isn’t that helpful for you, please email us through the Contact Us link.

I planned to write a post on a different issue today, but after today’s work was finished, I decided I needed to say something about the infamous green stainless steel thermos - Stanley thermos.

The high in Tulsa for the day was reached 35 degrees by late afternoon.  For most of the day, it was well below freezing.

Before I left for work, I took out my Stanley vacuum bottle and filled it with a mixture of coffee and hot chocolate (for the sweet tooth).  Not only did it keep me warm throughout the day, the little that was left over was still steaming hot by the time the bottle was emptied and washed this evening.  What an incredible bottle!

The Stanley bottle was invented in 1913 by William Stanley Jr.

Some key facts of the vacuum bottle from the manufacturer’s website:

• Keeps hot/ cold 24 hours
• Double wall vacuum insulation
• 8oz lid doubles as drinking cup
• Stainless steel construction
• Durable rustproof finish
• Heavy duty handle
• Easy-pour stopper

The Stanley thermos is a must for any serious landscaper.

Here are a few blogs in the landscape industry that are a good read:

1) Landscape and Urbanism

2) Landscape Management

3) Steve Snedecker

4) Pruned (not updated often, but unique site)

If there are any other sites out there that you enjoy, let me know!  Just make a comment in the comment box.

On yesterday’s post, I highlighted a video by This Old House on laying a flagstone walkway.  For the average homeowner and do-it-yourselfer, this type of walkway is a great weekend project.  But for those who want to take their weekend project to the next level, here are some questions to ask yourself.

Before you start a project like this, you need to define what your longterm goals are for the walkway.  Do you want a simple walkway?  Do you anticipate rolling a walker or wheelchair across the path?  Will you run a heavy wheelbarrow over it?  Do you want it to be a single person path or should it be wide enough for two people?  Once you decide your goals and purpose, you will have a good idea what size and material it will be.

The filler stone is also another important choice to make.  If you end up choosing a small pebble stone as highlighted in the TOH video, you should be aware of a couple things.  First, the stones will likely blow out in the fall when leaves are blown and raked up.  Second, the small stones will shift with heavy weights.  Although the choice of design and materials can depend on geography across America, our crew will use larger stones with a minimum 1″ diameter.

The type of flagstone chosen is also another very important decision.  The one problem with the flagstone used in the TOH video is that it is very thin.  Thin flagstone doesn’t sit as deep in the filler stone and will thus shift easier when walked on.  Thick flagstone set deeper in pebbles or stone will keep it secure and prevent it from moving.  This is especially important if heavier weight will be on the walkway.

One last item, the walkway in this video was not built on a foundation other than the dirt.  With a simple walkway like this, you shouldn’t have any problems down the road.  But for a solid walkway with flagstone steps that won’t shift over time, it is recommended to have a foundation of packed screenings/crusher rock.  Depending on the type of walkway it is, the foundation should be at least 4-6″ deep.  Using this method, lay a 2-3″ thick flagstone directly on the screenings (level it as demonstrated in the video).  Fill in the gaps with your filler stone (again, recommended minimum 1″ to prevent shift of flagstone steps).

Although not a flagstone walkway, here is an album of a job that has the packed 4″ screening base with 4″ blue hackett stone and 1″ Colorado river rock.  It will give you a good visualization and comparison to the TOH video.

Best of luck on your weekend project!

Loose stone sidewalk