Turned Earth

We are just working on finishing up a couple of projects in San Rafael and Mill Valley that incorporate play friendly synthetic turf with play structures and basketball courts. The owners of both projects have small children and wanted to create a safe and low maintenance outdoor play space for their kids.

In Mill Valley we installed a synthetic lawn with a play structure surrounded by rubber mulch. The rubber mulch is one of the most absorbent materials for play structures, which worked well in the compact space of the play area and the play tower and slide and this project.

In San Rafael we installed a play grade synthetic turf with a premium mat backing for better fall absorption. The turf we used here was also denser and incorporated dead thatch yarn making it look much more realistic. We incorporated the lawn with a concrete patio and basketball court. The basketball court featured an adjustable hoop with tempered glass backboard that we installed.

For the sixth year running we won an award for this year's 2009 North Coast Chapter California Landscape Contractors Association awards. The awards are a yearly competition of landscape projects in the North Bay in a variety of installation categories. Against some stiff competition, our submission for an outdoor entertaining space in Napa won first place.

The project included a custom Rumford fireplace, Viking gas grill, refrigerator, ice maker and sink cabinet. These elements were integrated into the rear pool area with a beautiful custom concrete tile patio material by Tile and Stone in San Rafael that was installed over new concrete sub-slab. The project was tied together by some amazing custom woodwork done by Wil Matthews at Woodcraft Marin.

Special thanks to the suppliers, sub-contractors, Linda Applewhite & Associates for her great design vision, and of course our client who was a pleasure to work with.

Spilling water bowls are a unique way to incorporate fountains into pools, on top of pillars or in other applications in the landscape. A couple of interesting sources for these:

Grand Effects has a Plantier that incorporates a planter and spilling water bowl for eye catching results.

Fountains Unique also has an interesting line of spilling fountain bowls and many other wall and freestanding fountains that are worth a look.

We are in process of regrading and tearing out an existing front yard to prepare it for plantings and new landscape pathways. Using the Bobcat, we will shave soil from the top of the hillside and fill it at the base of the hill to reduce the slope of area and make it more suitable for planting.

Personal relationships with our clients and excellent customer service are two ways we distinguish our company. When customers refer family, friends, or neighbors to O'Connell Landscape they are paying us a great compliment. In appreciation for your referral, we have set up a new thank you program. Just have your referral mention where they heard of us, and when we start the referred client's landscape project, we'll contact you to discuss your thank you gift. You can be a past client or simply someone familar with our work, either way, we have established this program to recognize our efforts and pass our name on to other clients.

Our Thank You Gifts
-Dinner for 4 at Buckeye Roadhouse
-A Weekend Get Away for Two at a West Marin B&B
-Or a Napa wine tasting tour

Rubber mulch is gaining popularity in landscapes as an alternative material to woodchips for play areas and for landscape mulching. Rubber mulch has a higher absorption rate for playgrounds and a good life span when compared to wood mulch. There are some issues with the material, and its important to take into consideration the type of mulch being used. Not all mulches come from the same source and there are some concerns with toxicity of some recycled rubber products.

As with other alternatives like glass mulch, rubber mulch is going to cost 2-3x the cost of wood mulch, depending on the quantity installed.

The Cover Source, out of San Ramon is a good local reseller of rubber mulch that ships straight from the manufacturer is bulk quantites for landscape use.

I just had a meeting with our local rep from Hunter Irrigation. We use Hunter Controllers frequently on our projects. They have just launched a new smart controller module, Solar Sync, which adjusts programing for solar exposure, temperature, and rainfall. The multifunction sensor has a sensor for sunlight, can detect freezing temperatures, and turn the controller off in case of rain.

Unlike Hunter's fancier ET system, the Solar Sync is cost effective and easy to program, with a simple module that adjusts the percent application of irrigation. Just program the controller for what normal watering would be during the hottest month of the year, make a few minor adjustments and the Solar Sync does the rest. Say it is 50 degrees on average during the month March, Solar Sync may only apply 10-20% of the normal maximum watering. The module recalculates the percent application each night, ensuring that plants are watered appropriately.

For more visit Hunter's Solar Sync page

We will be at the Marin Homeshow at the Civic Center this weekend Saturday and Sunday May 30-31. If you are planning on going to the show make sure to stop by our booth. We will be raffling off a free water feature installation.

There is an article in the Marin IJ today about homeowners in Mill Valley that build their landscaping and pool house on open space and MMWD land. Over 7,000 sq.ft. of improvements ended up in the Homestead Valley open space, sparking the outrage of neighbors and open space advocates.

This is a good example of why in many cases homeowners should consider surveys when working on fences, large parcels, or other landscaping near property boundaries. Should adjacent properties sell or if neighbors want to expand, encroachments can lead to frustrating legal conflicts and the possible removal of improvements.

Here is a current project with a fence design we are working on in San Rafael. This is a typical 6' plus 2' trellis style fence, designed to give privacy, while at the same time using a top open panel to not being too visually imposing.

We have moved our administrative offices to an exciting new location in Petaluma. The address is: 3028 Petaluma Blvd North, Petaluma, CA 94952

We still have an office and construction yard in San Rafael, but this new office has more space and room for landscape demonstration areas and will allow us to better serve both our Marin and Sonoma clients. More details to come soon.

Our contact phone remains the same: (415) 462-9729 or you can dial our Sonoma County number (707) 313-5320.

While the majority of the new work we construct focuses on custom residential landscape construction, about 25% of our projects are commercial landscape installation work. Commercial installations carry with them their own set of challenges. We find that our design-build approach and project management services are especially valuable in these situations where we can manage complex projects involving multiple subcontractors, tight budget constraints and the needs of multiple stakeholders and end users.

A good case study of our commercial construction process is the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in San Rafael where we completed a pool courtyard renovation last year. The pool area for the Sheraton was outdated and unusable. The management and management company wanted a more usable space to serve as a better gathering place in the central courtyard of the hotel, and a place where outdoor meals could be served from the restaurant on-site.

We developed a renovation plan for the space the incorporated a custom designed two sided gas fireplace, with a central shade arbor that tied into the existing architectural detailing and gave an anchor to the space. The result transformed the outdoor dining experience at the restaurant, better incorporated the pool area into the rest of the hotel use areas, and is one of the most popular areas for people to gather at night around the fireplace.

View our Sheraton Portfolio to see more before and after images and details on this project.

With the high cost of quality lumber and reduced availability of good wood materials for building, Heritage Salvage in Petaluma is an excellent resource for recycled and salvaged building materials. Not only is salvaged lumber a more environmentally friendly option for exterior wood installations like fences, often you can find unique material that has more character than newly milled lumber. The other advantage to using salvaged material is finding sizes and dimensions of lumber no longer available. Their website has a good overview of current stock, and their yard is definitely worth a visit.

Will salvaged lumber be cheaper than building your project with new material? It depends on the application and how much treatment and labor is required for the particular project. In many cases though, salvaged lumber makes good aesthetic, environmental and financial sense.

A few weeks ago I was headed to a consultation for a client who wanted a decomposed granite patio installed.  Earlier that day, I passed a front yard that was a classic example of some of the problems with decomposed granite installations. DG is a great material, but it is important to understand its limitations and maintenance requirements to keep it looking as good as the day it was installed.

Decomposed Granite's Problems:

1- Rain and DG: DG is a combination of small pieces of granite gravel, and granite fines (basically granite sand). The fines is what allows DG to compact and makes it well suited for paths. The fines however, have a tendency to get muddy in winter. This is something to consider when designing paths that lead into a home, or something to be aware of with dogs and other pets that make leave DG prints inside.

2- Shady Areas and DG: Because DG has fines material and gets muddy, it also can grow moss or weeds that keep it from looking its best. Again, DG is not a maintenance free material like a concrete walkway. It needs to be raked to remove weeds or moss, and may need to be redressed with a little bit of new material and periodically recompacted.

3- Drainage and DG: Ideally, DG paths should be slightly crowned to make them drain better and prevent areas of standing water. DG paths also must be installed away from drainage flows like downspouts and dripping gutters and rooflines that will wash away the material.

We have written extensively in the past about the different types of DG and its properties- read our past blog articles for more information:

-Decomposed Granite Types
-Is Decomposed Granite the Best for Paths?

-Our Portfolio of Pathway Installations

Concerned about possible water rationing in the near future, a client in Ross that we have done work for over the years wanted to upgrade the old portions of her irrigation system to be more water efficient. Here is a video that shows a good example of an older system that was in need of replacement.

With the increasing options available with synthetic turf, and the environmental benefits of not requiring watering, mowing, or fertilization, more people are considering synthetic turf alternatives. Italgreen is product now being carried locally that combines the benefits of removing natural turf, with an environmental material construction. Many of the current synthetic turfs combine various types of plastics to simulate a natural grass blade. There are some environmental concerns (most specifically with lead- see this Chronicle Story) with the long term effects of leaching or runoff from these products.

The manufacturer touts a number of benefits to their product. This type of turf has is constructed of a more environmentally friendly yarn construction, instead of plastic based blades. It also uses an organic granule infill instead of recycled rubber infill pellets. The results are a non toxic material, with better heat absorbtion and a softer feel.

We love technology around the office, and what better way to embrace new technology than by upgrading to the newest and latest smartphone. This was my plan at least when ordering the new device, a Samsung Saga. One day later, in was in the box ready to be sent back (thanks to Verizon's 30 day trial policy), and a Blackberry was ordered in its place. The problem- too much of a good thing. The Saga combines an optical mouse similar to the trackpad on a laptop, with a touchscreen, Palm Treo like stylus, and keyboard. This would all be great if you were using the phone as a complete PDA, and a laptop replacement, but not ideal for quick navigation and email on the go. None of these navigation methods worked flawlessly, and coming from the Blackberry like Motorola Q9, it was all too much technology.

Click here for an easy to read .pdf version of this article

Water agencies across California are bracing for a drought year, and either preparing or have already implemented water restrictions. As resources become more and more limited water districts are going to require more mandatory water savings measures. Landscape lawns and plants can be a major water user, but there are some simple steps you can take to make your garden more water efficient.

Take a look at your irrigation controller: For many people their landscape controller goes untouched in a back corner of the garage, or is the exclusive domain of their gardener. Basic controller operation is easy; take some time to walk through your controller programming and basic functions. Most controllers have .pdf versions of their manuals online. Your controller needs to be adjusted seasonally based on temperature, rainfall and the water needs of your plants. While this can intimidating at first, once you get the hang of the water usage patterns for your garden, it is easy to make adjustments.

In Marin, MMWD has recommendations online for the amount to water plantings and lawns that is updated each week based on weather conditions. Use this as a starting point, and then make adjustments either up or down based on observation and the needs of your garden. For dormant periods in the winter and early spring for example, MMWD recommends not watering plants unless they shown signs of wilting.

There are also an increasing variety of technologically advanced sprinkler controllers that make automatic adjustments based on temperature, rainfall and humidity. Depending on the type, you can install a small localized weather station for your garden, or have data beamed directly to your controller. You can find an outstanding overview on Smart Controllers from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Upgrade Your Sprinkler System

1. Rain Sensors- If you don't already have a rain sensor, these are devices that will automatically shut off watering when rainfall reaches a certain point such as 1/8" or 1/4". They are an easy way to manage watering during the rainy season without running to shut off your controller.

2. High Efficiency Irrigation- Converting existing planting beds from spray heads to drip irrigation can result in major water savings. Take this example, a water audit we performed for a client with a planting bed with 15 spray heads:

-Existing: 15 spray heads, average output per head 2.5 gallons per minute each -Proposed: Replace with 45 drip emitters, average output per emitter .016 gallons per minute each -Monthly Estimated Savings:Assume watering 3 times per week for 10 minutes (30 minutes per week, 130 minutes per month) Existing sprinkler consumption: 4,875 gallons New drip consumption: 97.5 gallons

While this is a simplified example, (the drip system may require a longer watering time per week) it goes to show how you can improve your watering efficiency dramatically by switching to a drip system with lower evaporation, lower output, and lower waste.

3. Next Generation sprayheads- For areas where drip irrigation isn't a good fit, there is an array of new higher efficiency lower output sprinkler spray heads and rotors that are up to 50% more efficient than older models.

Xeriscape Reducing your water consumption by eliminating high water use plants and lawns is an extremely effective way to curb water use. There are a variety of alternative lawn materials, and drought friendly plants that can help accomplish this. In addition to bold measures like tearing out your lawn, simple steps like adding bark or gravel mulch can help reduce evaporation and make the water that is applied to plants more effective. Read here our articles on alternative lawns, synthetic lawns, and view MMWD's Water Wise Plant List.

Making these changes frequently require some effort and cost. But the work is rewarded by a more environmentally friendly garden, one that can better survive a drought. Given current weather patterns and strains on the water supply, making these changes now can better prepare your garden and home for water restrictions in the future.

For More Information:
Reference Manuals Online for Common Controller Types:
-Irritrol
-Toro
-Rain Bird
-Hunter
-Orbit

-Check out MMWD's 10 Easy Ways to Conserve Water

-The Bay Friendly Landscape Program has an wealth of best practices information for saving water and reducing environmental impacts of your garden.

Bluestone is one of our favorite natural stone materials for landscape. Bluestone's color range of blues and grays work great with most design schemes, its durable, and its available in multiple sizes for diverse applications.

Here is a new .pdf version of our bluestone installations and design applications.

We were reconfiguring some of the hardware in our office recently and needed a connector for one of our computer components. After not being able to find anything locally, we found the Cyberguys, a great website with all sorts of useful and ingenious gadgets for computers and around the house and office- definitely worth a look

For years tracking time on our construction projects was a bit of a challenge. We used a paper time card with different activity codes for the construction activities on our various projects. Rather than a simple clock in, clock out, this is what is known as a time and attendance system. Last year we implemented a new digital time tracking system, Pocketclock by Exaktime. Exaktime has been developing time tracking solutions for a few years, but we found their Jobclock system, that used a special padlock that was placed on the jobsite, didn't work well for the way our projects and crews were organized.

Recently, they released the Pocketclock system that was based on a Palm or Windows Mobile device. Rather than track time on paper, our employees enter their work actions on a PDA in the field. The difference has been noticeable. We can more easily track, analyze and bill our clients for the time we spend on projects, and it has streamlined our whole payroll process and simplified entering and bookkeeping tasks.

This a definitely worth a look for contractors or anyone who tracks individualized tasks out of a typical office environment.

The Chronicle and City Voter have announced their Bay List best of 2008 list of Bay Area companies in a variety of categories. These "Best Of" are a bit arbitrary and were create based on nomination, but this is an interesting list to browse though to find different local service companies.

Winter time is a great time of year for work in the garden, especially in California. While it can be a little cold and wet, winter time is a good time to work on the bones of the garden. Replanting can be done in needed sections so plants are well rooted for spring growth. Pruning and trimming is best done now, when plants are dormant and most are done blooming. Irrigation systems can be checked and repaired so they are ready for the spring watering season and leaks and alterations are made. Slightly later in the season is a good time to fertilize plants to give them the nutrients they need for spring. While the garden may be dormant, this is a good time for the gardener or paid gardening service to get in some winter time care.

Here is an updated photo of an outdoor kitchen project we have been working on in Napa. We have just installed this Viking gas grill with warming drawer. Viking makes great outdoor components, and their cabinets are a refined way to create outdoor storage spaces.

 
Leading to and from and the patio space are these beautiful cedar gates made by Wil Matthews over at Woodcraft Marin. His garden woodwork is some of the finest that we have seen.

We wanted to follow-up on our previous posting on our upgrade and customer service experiences with Mindjet and the Mindmanager planning software. Following our previous posts, we contacted customer service via the web to tell them about our experience. We quickly received responses from customer service letting us know that they would issue a courtesey upgrade for the newest version of Mindmanager. We also received a message from one of Mindjet's customer advocacy representatives following up our issues:

We take our relationships with our customers as the utmost priority and I deeply apologize on behalf of the Mindjet team for your negative incident. With new product introductions, there will be special situations which we will consider on a case-by-case basis, such as yours. We are grateful to have such passionate customers who care enough to let us know when they are pleased and more importantly to let us know when they are not. You have provided us with valuable feedback and we hope that you will give us a chance to improve and earn back your trust.

In this era of limited customer service, we appreciate Mindjet's efforts to satisfy our concerns with their upgrade process for Mindmanager and quickly respond to our concerns.