Articles & Complete Blog Archive Finding a professional and knowledgable landscape company is an important consideration when designing and building a new project. Here you will find our blog posts and articles that date back almost 20 years. Browse over 400 blog posts from our Blog Turned Earth since 2005 and older newsletter articles loaded on our first website in 1998. Here is a complete list in chronological order of blog posts, with older articles at the bottom of the page. For an easier time searching, visit the Blog page and enter a term in the search field. For a live archive of our newest blog posts, sorted newest first, visit the Turned Earth Live Archive Page.   2010 Turned Earth Turns 400! Bay Friendly- Apologizing to the Bay! From the Drawing Board: Petaluma Drainage Plan More on Living Roofs The Other Side of the Table The Benefits of Green Roofs Estimate Etiquette- The Good and Bad From the Drawing Board: Mill Valley & Corte Madera Plantings 2009 Corte Madera Paver Project Current Project- Belvedere Mill Valley Project Completed Baby It’s Cold Outside Cold Weather Preparation Local GIS Mapping Resources From the Drawing Board: Entry Gate Detail From the Drawing Board: San Rafael Planting Plan A More Sustainable Thanksgiving Novato Completed Project From Freeways to Boulevards Saving the Bay Changing to WordPress A Greener Lawn & Lawn Mower Post Referenced in Lawn and Landscape Magazine Our Demonstration Garden Simple Graywater Systems for Landscapes Petaluma Lawn Renovation Current Project- Novato Flagstone Patio Slab Our Prices Are Lower, How About Yours? Napa Backyard Entertaining Space San Rafael Fencing & Retaining Wall Sunset Magazine Article- Synthetic Turf Synthetic Lawns & Play Space Installations 2009 CLCA Design-Build Award Winner Water Bowls- Interesting Accents for Fountains Current Project- Novato Our Refferal Program Bay Area Source for Rubber Mulch Smart Controllers Made Easy- Hunter’s Solar Sync Vist us at the Marin Homeshow Consider a Survey When Working Near Property Lines From the Drawing Board- Fence Design New Office Location Case Study- Commercial Landscape Services Heritage Salvage- Good resource for recycled materials Decomposed Granite Problems Save Water with Irrigation Upgrades Italgreen- An Environmental Option for Synthetic Turf Trying a New Smart Phone- The Samsung Saga Preparing Your Garden for Drought Landscaping with Bluestone Finding that Hard to Find Computer Part How We Track Time on Projects Best of the Bay 2008 Time for a Winter Garden Tune-up Current Project- Napa Outdoor Kitchen Mindmanager Update Mindjet’s Mindmanager: Upgrade No More 2009 Calendar The Apple- Tracing a Plant’s Origin Current Project- Napa Current Project- Night Lighting Current Project- Mill Valley Current Project- Fireplace & Outdoor Kitchen Great Energy Saving LED options for Low Voltage Lights Current Project- Mill Valley High End Gate Hardware from Rocky Mountain From the Drawing Board: Gate Designs Tiburon Garden Revisited Online Resource for the 2007 California Building Code From the Drawing Board- Outdoor Fireplace MMWD’s Long Term Water Plan The Water Pinch A Differnent Way to Control Weeds New Stricter Rules for Fireplaces Interesting Smart Irrigation Controller Overview Tearing up the Front Lawn From the Drawing Board: Corte Madera Project 2008 CLCA Awards Current Project- Commerical Concrete and Wall Installation Garden Featured in July Marin Magazine The Price of Fuel Revisiting a Modern Garden From the Drawing Board: Custom Arbor Spring Projects Video- Gas Fireplace Current Project- Pool Courtyard Electric Patio Heaters with Style Concrete Patio Renevation- Before & After Good Resource for Eastern Statuary From the Drawing Board- Fireplace Detail Stonehenge in a Backyard Current Project- San Rafael Bluestone Patio Sprint/Nextel’s Woes Water Feature and Ipe Fencing Mill Valley Project- Construction Video Selecting a Landscape Light- Which Brand? Current Project- Bluestone Installation Drainage Check From the Drawing Board- Arbor Detailing Current Projects Thinking Out Tree Placement From the Drawing Board- Pool Courtyard Good Rain, Bad Rain Keeping Those New Year’s Resolutions 2007 From the Drawing Board- Stone Water Wall Another Good Resource for Stone Fountains 2008 Calendar Tiburon Project- Edging and Planting New Jersey Dog Controversy Fire Accents for Waterfeatures Garden Roof Top From the Drawing Board- A Tough Planting Plan Mapping the Bay Oil Spill Upcoming Events Get Ready Marin Current Project Mill Valley Completed Outdoor Fireplace From the Drawing Board- Pool Courtyard Firescaping Current Project- Rox Pro Stone Veneer Top 100 Architecture Blogs Mobile Productivity & Orb Time for the Plastic Tarps Current Project- Tiburon Bluestone Aaron Smith Woodworking and Furniture Stopping Those Pesky Gophers Bruce Gray Sculpture Follow-up Outdoor Rumford Fireplace More Modern Outdoor Furniture Current Project- Mill Valley: Hardwood Cladding Completed Project- Tiburon Unique Outdoor Furniture- Design within Reach Featured Project Video Technology Dispatches from the Jobsite Current Project- Stone Slab Steps Marin County Garden & Design Events Calendar New Landscape Discussion Board From the Drawing Board- Street Interface Our Blog is Back! Here Come the Weeds Current Project- Tiburon New Design Services Overview Shop Where the Pros Shop Spring Maintenance Are Fancy Public Spaces Worth the Money? Matching Contribution Program Donation It’s a Bloom Year The Transformational Power of Sod Interesting Garden Sculptures- Bruce Gray Current Project- Tiburon Clean up Native Plants That Are Tough Keep Tabs on the Weather Anywhere Know Thy Project (Wants & Budget) Mizubachi Water Feature Current Project- Larkspur Seeded Aggregate Current Project- Stonework America’s Favorite Buildings My Lights or Fountain Don’t Work Colored Stamped Asphalt Prefabricated vs. Custom Trellises and Arbors Losing Plants to the Cold Versa-Lok Product Gallery Bulk Materials Billed by the Pound Current Project Mill Valley 2006 Another Resource for Custom Gates How We Track Local Weather Favorite Materials for 2007 Hawk Hunting Current Project- Block Wall Winter Time is Drainage Time From the Drawing Board: Water Feature Common Landscape Mistakes: Fences Current Project- Arbor Our 2007 Calendar Common Mistakes: Don’t Paint that Concrete! Planting Natives in Winter Cool Junk- Artefact Design & Salvage Unique Fall Color- Ginkgo Hiring a Contractor- The 1st Meeting It’s Masonry! Common Landscape Mistakes Seeded Concrete Aggregate Stones The Green Wall of Mongolia Mailbag- Railroad vs. Landscape Ties Revisited Project- San Rafael Current Project- Novato Intimate Garden The Mundane Is Important Low Voltage Lighting Systems and Energy Requirements Fall Is In The Air From the Drawing Board- San Rafael Project Remembering the Rain Finding Plants for Native Restorations Soil Disposal Can Be Costly Current Project- Novato Watering Roses in Shady Areas Work in Progress- Greenbrae Project Ornamental Metal Fencing Novato Project & Seeded Concrete Finishes Interesting Garden Water Features Newly Updated Portfolio From the Drawing Board- Access Stairs Blog References Around the World Turned Earth Turns 200! Progress Images- Greenbrae Project Progress Images- Novato Project New Developments- No Topsoil From the Drawing Board-Planting Concepts Matching Old Brick Pavers Summer Weather & Better Irrigation Controllers Customer Service Observations When it Needs to Last Completed Project- Tiburon From the Drawing Board New Project- Greenbrae Computer Cut Flagstone Patterns How Much Does it Cost – Budget & Landscape Projects Monet in Normandy Exhibition De Young Museum Landscape- Impressions Progress Images- Tiburon Project Is Decomposed Granite the Best for Paths? From the Drawing Board- Color Planting Plan Service is the Key Nextel and the Bully Pulpit Some Great Quotes to Stir the Blood Clamping Down on Comments More Alternative Mulches Sealing Arizona Flagstone New Client Section Coming Soon Garden Events for Summer Striking Images from Germany’s Duisberg Nord A Calender Correction Electric Mowers instead of Gas More Examples of our Blog Green Driveways? Beautiful White Viburnum in Bloom Tiburon Project- Box Trees Commuting Bikers? Rhododendrons from the Mendocino Botanical Gardens Turn on the Sprinklers A Review of Our Blog Landscape Architecture’s Identity Crisis Progress Images- Moving Box Trees An End to the Rain More on Biking Commuters A Guide to Container Sizes- Tree Sizes for Instant Impact Tiburon Project Progress Images III When It’s All about Price Compliments from the Mail Bag The Katrina Cottage Another Option for Cable Systems Turned Earth Turns 150! Shaking Like It’s 1906 Fresh Looking Precast Paver Solutions from Stepstone Nothing to Fear from New Orleans Termites Views of Ireland March & Spring Recent Plantings- Downtown San Rafael Articles from Marin Magazine SF Garden Show Another Option for BBQ Islands Tiburon Project- Progress Images Going Paperless Best Garden-Home Improvement Forums to Visit About Our Blog- What & Why? Lawrence Halprin’s Stern Grove- San Francisco Lawrence Halprin’s Stern Grove- San Francisco Architect Sim Van Der Ryn Interview Garden Events- Northern California Green Building Products- Green Fusion Design Center Progress Images- Tiburon Project New Project- Tiburon Digital Timers for Light Transformers Gardens of Kyoto- Nijo Castle Gardens of Kyoto- Daisenin Gardens of Kyoto- Ryoan-ji Gardens of Kyoto- Kinkaku-ji Gardens of Japan- Ginkaku-ji San Rafael Project- Completed Images Your Landscape Should Have an Owner’s Manual Too Recent Project- San Rafael: Before and After Great Gardening Advice from Across the Atlantic Design Review Tyrany? Free Viewer for Microsoft Project Files A Good Deer Repellent Progress Images- San Rafael Project II Progress Images- San Rafael Project II Greatplantpicks.org Current Project- San Rafael Alternatives to Lawns Fertilizing Lawns Great Spanish Language Resource Shrub Roses Equal Easier Roses It’s Photography- Art League of Northern California Exposition Drainage for Residential Properties 2005 Garden Magazines- Be Careful What You Wish For Merry Christmas Landscape Architects Dealing with Rain in Landscape Projects Synthetic Putting Greens Guide Synthetic Putting Greens Guide Home Improvement & DIY Info- Bobvilla.com New Downloads of Featured Projects & More Varied and Interesting Garden Info at Gardenvisit.com Looking Back at Our Website Great Books on California Native Plants and Ceanothus Turned Earth Turns 100! A Hefty and Winning Garden Retrospective A Wild Turkey Follow-Up Digital Basemaps The Photographic Revolution Japanese Maples- Great Fall Color Happy Thanksgiving II Happy Thanksgiving 2006 Gardens of Europe Calendar Native Plants on the Pacific Slopes of Mt. Tam Clients in All Shapes and Sizes Oil + Wax- Art League of Northern California Exhibition Marin County Garden & Landscape Events Hills and Views Find Ideas for your Landscape at the Local Winery Spam + Blog = Splog? Efflorescence in Stone and Masonry Lighting Barbeque Islands This is the Internet After All A Natural Repellant for Gophers From the Drawing Board to the Real World II Real Goods Solar Living Center A New Toy The Power of Adobe Acrobat Professional A Trip to the Hardware Stone- The Price/Service Axis Ehow.com Garden Care Information Different Types of Fencing GardenDesignOnline Blog Design- The New Churches Great California Weather Reflections on Blogging Isamu Noguchi- Landscape Artist Reflections on the Getty Center, Los Angeles The Irish Formal Garden: Powerscourt KQED Perspectives Archive Michelangelo- Contrasts of a Renaissance Genius The Allure of the Japanese Rock Garden Masters of Landscape Architecture- Thomas Church Mediterranean Climates- The Mediterranean Basin Mediterranean Climates- South Africa Mediterranean Climates- Chile Mediterranean Climates- Australia Mediterranean Climates- California Introduction to the Mediterranean Climate KQED Perspectives Cornerstone Gardens, Sonoma Cable Rail Systems for Decks and Fences Digital Drafting vs. Hand Drafting Finding that Hard to Find Tool Deer Resistant Plant Lists Landscape Lighting- Adding another Dimension Making the Switch to Verizon Blog Piece to be Aired on KQED Radio Perspectives School’s Back & Traffic is Bad Masters of Landscape Architecture- Lawrence Halprin Newly Expanded Great Gardens and Parks Portfolios Prado Museum Botanical Gardens, Madrid Tales of a Wireless World An Empowered Employee at SBC Cedarworks- Cedar Play Structure Design Wireless Networking Digital Tools Used in Landscape Design Keukenhof Gardens Outstanding Service Deer Resistant vs. Deer Proof Good Garden Quotations Office Move Finished Project Pressure Washing Arizona Flagstone Scheduling your Irrigation in Hot Weather Bring Your Wood Back to Full Luster Nearing Completion Nextel Service Update Problems with Nextel Great People The Price of Steel A Guide to Concrete Finishes Many Choices in New Zealand Flaxes Automatic Gates An Interesting Japanese Garden Decomposed Granite Types Are Composite Decks the Best? Landscape Transformations- Before & After Garden Web Resources & Links More Choices in Wood Decking A Better Way to Treat Aphids Oil Prices & Energy Sustainability David Allen- Learning Blackbelt Productivity CLCA Awards Postcards from the Road Charles Prowell Woodworks Service Headache Great Planning Software Filoli Filoli Visit Turned Earth Our New Blog     Deer at the Doorstep: Read our Article from Landscape Contractor Magazine   Articles from Older Newsletters: Rose Pruning: A Cut Above Want to know how to maintain great looking disease free Roses? It's all here including illustrations Bareroot Roses  Planting and Care of Bareroot Roses. Deer Resistant Plants  List of Several Deer Resistant Plants Climbing Roses Climbing roses can often make great fragrant additions to the garden Gopher Busters  Do you have a gopher problem. This article will give you advice to get rid of those subterranean pests.  Tough &Elegant: The Misunderstood Rhododendron  Why the Rhododendron is one of O'Connell Landscape's favorite plants Ask John  President of O'Connell Landscape John O'Connell, answers some reoccurring questions from his clients. Water Audit  In this article we look at lawn water uses. These Pests won't  Bug you  Have you tried pesticides in you garden but don't like harmful chemicals? Maybe there is another solution. Here are some other Bugs that will help control your pest problems. Fertilizer  Get to know the different types of Fertilizers. Tips: Plant Feeding  Tips on feeding plants with fertilizer. Top Topiary  Remember Edward Scissorhands? Learn how to cut hedges quickly and  easily High Tech Drip  Underground drip irrigation can remove the hassle of watering by hand Enjoy a Sneezless Season  Suffer from allergies? Find out what common plants cause the most trouble Green is Better  An average front lawn has the cooling effect of 10 tons of air conditioning  while absorbing air pollution. Choosing the right irrigation controller  Will there be a state of the art controller in your future? Crab Grass  Defeat crab grass without chemicals Shear Madness  Pruning should enhance a plant's natural beauty ! Firescape  Don't just landscape, Firescape Fescue Grass  Fescue the grass of today The Art of Bonsai  An Article describing the Japanese art of miniature plants Allergy Facts  Want to more about Allergies? Look no further Water Wise  This article gives tips as to who to reduce water consumption Irrigation Design Process Gives an outline to the irrigation design process Begonias:Brilliance in the Shade  Article on the shade loving Begonia   Created and Maintained with Pride by O'Connell Landscape. This page is best viewed at a screen resolution of 800 x 600 or greater. 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