The Green Meridian Podcast - A Landscape Design/Build Toolkit

We are joined by some irrigation experts for this timely Summer discussion, from national irrigation product marketing managers, to some talented technicians - as we discuss the possibilities and pitfalls in marketing water saving irrigation products. Our guests include: Mark Guthrie of Puget Sound's Saving Water Partnership, Bryce Carnehl, Specification Marketing Manager Hunter Industries, Sergio Lopez, Business Development Manager with Horizon Online, Trent Allen, manager of Mist'er Rain, a landscape irrigation installer in the Puget Sound region - and some surprise guests with strong opinions! Check out Mark's handy irrigation "Weekly watering tip" email link here:https://www.savingwater.org/lawn-garden/watering-irrigation/weekly-watering-schedules/

Let's spend some time focusing on the vexing topic of online marketing and how to tailor it to your specific business - at low or no cost.

From navigating the sudden onset of harsher Summer and Winter weather events, to articulating ideas about lessening the impact of diminishing habitat, landscape professionals need to not only relate the larger climate to what is happening on a specific property, but show and specify new and innovative solutions. From water saving ideas, to pollution limiting drainage solutions, we are in a unique position to contribute a fractional amount to reinforcing a positive change, through design solutions and educating consumers. In this episode, we speak with landscape designers on the East & West coasts about how they approach clients about this critical topic. Now more than ever, it's more important for green industry professionals to be able to speak clearly and convincingly about the effects climate change.References:ASLA Survey: Continued Increase in Demand for Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change1American Society of Landscape Architects: Biodiversity & Climate Action 101 for Landscape Architects Webinar Series2ASLA Survey: Significant Increase in Demand for Climate Planning and Smart Practices3Landscape Design In Our Time of Climate Change4Climate Change Mitigation and Landscape Architecture5

On this episode we speak with Andrew tenBrink, the lead landscape architect for the Seattle’s Central Waterfront and Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion.Working with the firm Field Operations, Andrew is responsible for the overall implementation of this incredibly complex and expansive urban renovation, that includes redirecting urban streets, installation of thousands of native plantings and reconstruction of the Seattle seawall, as well as two of the existing waterfront piers and the creation of a new ferry terminal. With an overall massive renovation to the Pike Place Market area and new interactive ecological displays that will allow the viewing of salmon habitat and the reestablishment of kelp forests, the Seattle Waterfront project is an incredible integration of the urban environment with the reestablishment of wildlife habitat and public education about natural ecologies.(See a past episode where we talk to 3 Senior designers with Field Operations)Before leading the design and project management of Seattle’s Central Waterfront and Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion, since 2010, Andrew managed the open space portion of Princeton University’s Lake Campus and the Princeton University Bridge project. His previous work includes the Qianhai’s Guiwan Water Finger Park in Shenzhen, China; Cleveland’s Public Square; and Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square in Santa Monica, CA.Prior to joining Field Operations, Andrew was a designer with EDAW (now part of AECOM), where he worked on various high-profile projects, including Washington D.C.’s Marvin Gaye Park, the National Museum of American History, the Moultrie Courthouse, Woodland Park, and the Potomac Yard Linear Park, as well as New York’s World Trade Center Streetscape. Andrew earned his Master of Landscape Architecture degree with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture degree with honors from Purdue University. Join us as we speak with Andrew and discuss these unprecedented scope and complexity of The Seattle’s Central Waterfront and Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion projects!Some additional links:https://waterfrontseattle.org/construction/construction-overviewhttps://waterfrontseattle.org/waterfront-projects/alaskan-wayhttps://www.theurbanist.org/2023/09/30/seattle-waterfront-park-makeover-promises-new-greenway-native-plants-and-public-fishing/https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/in-waterfront-park-the-seeds-of-a-better-seattle/

On this episode of the Green Meridian podcast, we learn about the busy Mason bee and how these beneficial insects can transform the vibrancy and health in your gardens and landscapes. We discuss how to introduce mason bees to your outdoor area - and how you can purchase, manage and nurture bee populations at your home or landscape project site.We talk here with Dave Hunter, the founder of Crown Bees. You can learn more at Dave's website: https://crownbees.com/. Mason bees are solitary bees that are native to North America. They are excellent pollinators, and they are very easy to attract to your garden. Mason bees are very different from honey bees. Honey bees are social bees that live in colonies, while mason bees are solitary bees that live on their own. Mason bees are also much smaller than honey bees. They are about the size of a housefly, and they have black bodies with a blue or green sheen. Mason bees are important pollinators. They pollinate a wide variety of plants, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Mason bees are also very efficient pollinators. They can pollinate a plant in just a few seconds.If you are interested in attracting mason bees to your garden, there are a few things you can do. First, you need to provide them with a place to nest. You can do this by building a mason bee house. Mason bee houses are very simple to build, and there are many plans available online.Second, you need to provide mason bees with food. Mason bees eat pollen and nectar. You can provide them with food by planting a variety of flowers in your garden. Mason bees are especially attracted to blue and purple flowers.Finally, you need to provide mason bees with water. You can do this by placing a shallow dish of water in your garden. The dish should be filled with pebbles or marbles so that the bees can land on them.Mason bees are one of our most important beneficial insects. Excellent pollinators, they are very easy to attract to your garden. If you are interested in learning more about mason bees, have a listen!.Also check out these busy bee resources:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_beehttps://crownbees.com/pages/mason-bee-characteristics-and-identificationhttps://thebeeconservancy.org/

The Landscape, Nursery and Construction trades are at a crossroads. But then again, aren't we always? "If you see a fork in the road. take it!" Yogi Berra once said. But the election path that we travel this year may be more momentous than in year's past. Issues centering around the economy, business regulation, immigration and crime are affecting every business. Some say that democracy itself hangs in the balance and others will say that the issue is governmental over-reach. You will likely agree that it is more difficult than ever to have a coherent conversation with "the other side". But what if we could? Let's give it a shot.

Today we speak with three senior designers with the multi-disciplinary Landscape architecture and urban design firm - Field Operations. Field Operations is known for a wide range of large scale municipal and campus projects - including Seattle's new Waterfront project. You can find more info on this and other large scale work here ⁠https://www.fieldoperations.net/projects.html ⁠ We are talking today to three Senior associates: Alejandro Vázquez in New York City A graduate of Univ of Pennsylvania, Fla International Univ. Responsible for project such as The Underline’s 0.5-mile-long Phase 1 in Miami. South Main Innovation District in Houston, Texas, London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road District, Chicago’s multi-phased Navy Pier. 2021 Forefront Fellow with the Urban Design Forum, exploring how to foster food equity in every New York City neighborhood through the built environment. Alejandro is meticulous and creative thinker who brings unparalleled thought to his craft and a collaborative approach to his projects, resulting in public spaces that are vibrant, distinctive, and highly memorable. Alejandro is also fluent in English, Spanish, and Catalan. We are also joined by Justin Jackson. in Philadelphia. Justin is a graduate from Harvard, and the Univ of Georgia. His work includes the Georgetown Canal Plan in Washington, D.C., Met Park in Arlington, VA, he managed the master plan for the Kennedy Center’s public space in Washington, D.C. ,and also managed the Arlington National Cemetery Southern Expansion project. working at botanical gardens and arboretums throughout the eastern U.S. also a member of ASLA and the American Public Gardens Association. Our third guest is Seth Rodewald - Bates, in San Francisco. Seth is a graduate of LSU and Stephen Austin University. Seth has been working on Pier 70, a 28-acre mixed-use development and waterfront park, and the Presidio Tunnel Tops—both in San Francisco. He also was a landscape architect for Glenstone, a contemporary art museum near Washington, D.C., past intern at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa. Seth has a passion for large-scale site-specific art. He has worked on numerous campus, waterfront, urban, and mixed-use projects throughout the U.S. and abroad, and is adept at both resolving intricate design problems as well as overseeing construction. Seth taught at Stephen F. Austin State University, Boston Architectural College, Louisiana State University, and Tulane University. Seth is licensed in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Today we have a conversation with landscape architect Ken Yocom about the evolving students of landscape design, how community college programs yield a different kind of student, how academics is changing in the field of Landscape architecture and the conflicts between designers and contractors.Ken is an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture. He also has an adjunct appointment in the Department of Urban Design and Planning and is core faculty for the PhD in the Built Environments Program and the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Urban Design and Planning within the College of Built Environments. He primarily teaches seminar and studio courses in theory, ecology, and urban design.

Risk management can take many forms. When we think about it, our thoughts usually go directly to the job site and we think of safety issues. But there are many aspects around this kind of topic. From insurance concerns to contract clauses and safety in the form of training, today we cover a range of facets of risk management. Hosted by my associate Bill Peregrine, he references a graphic that takes the idea of risk management and breaks it into easy to understand parts. We'll cover topics such as: Identifying and assessing risks Developing and implementing risk mitigation strategies Managing and monitoring risks Responding to and recovering from incidents The importance of risk management in the landscaping industry The different types of risks that landscapers face How to create a risk management plan How to communicate risk to clients and employees How to use risk management to improve your landscaping business.We'll also be interviewing some business owners from the landscaping industry, to get their insights on risk management. Whether you're a landscaper, a business owner, or just someone who wants to learn more about risk management, this podcast is for you. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! -