APLD California Chapter

  November 2007 Newsletter

 

 

It is with sadness that we report that Debbie Allen, APLD, lost her courageous fight against sarcoma on Thursday, September 27. A certified APLD member, Debbie was active in the Peninsula District, where she helped spearhead such programs as the member survey and garden tour. Many members also benefited from her coordination and publication of a compilation of municipal codes and regulations relevant to local landscape designers. Having developed a successful and thriving garden design business, Debbie touched the lives of many clients, contractors, and fellow designers.

 

Debbie will be missed by the many friends she made in APLD and at Foothill College, where she received her Environmental Horticulture degree in 1999, and later returned to lecture to aspiring garden design students. She was also an active volunteer at Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, where she chaired the Garden Committee. Debbie was also committed to sharing the benefits of home composting, and as a San Mateo County Certified Master Composter, she taught classes throughout her community.

 

Debbie moved to St. Helena in the Napa Valley three years ago. After her diagnosis, she continued her generous volunteerism through her cancer support group, where she helped others as they faced similar struggles. Debbie's triumphant walk down the runway for the 2006 Reach for the Stars Fashion Show, raised funds for the cancer center at Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa. Debbie's love of animals was one of the overarching themes of her life, and she adored her three cats, Emilio, EmmaCoon, and Olivia. Debbie's family--husband Ross, sisters Becky and Mindy, and brother and sister-in-law David and Brett--have given Debbie their unwavering love and support throughout her struggle, graciously allowing her broad circle of friends to be involved and stay informed of her progress.

 

In the most recent, beautifully worded update from Ross, he also had these comforting words: "Perhaps you can honor her extraordinary life and remember her in your own way--maybe with a whispered anecdote and glass of a decent Napa Valley wine tipped toward the setting sun.  Debbie sends her love and thanks to every one of you who has been so caring and supportive during these three difficult years, and her gratitude for your friendship and support to those of you who were so much a part of her rich and full life before she became ill."

 

Debbie has asked that there be no memorial service, but the family suggests that if you want to honor her, you might remember her by planting a tree (please, no Albizzias!) or by making a contribution in her name to any of the following charities, in no particular order of preference:

          - International Fund for Animal Welfare: www.ifaw.org

          - Mountain Lion Foundation: www.mountainlion.org

          - Pets-In-Need (SF Peninsula): www.petsinneed.org

          - We Care Animal Rescue (St. Helena): www.wecareanimalrescue.org

          - SEVA Foundation: www.seva.org

 

Several APLD members and fellow Foothill student are developing some additional ideas as to how to best honor Debbie's love of horticulture and education, and a tree planting is being arranged at Gamble Garden. The date is not set, because we are looking for a magnificent specimen of one of Debbie's favorite trees, Cercis 'Forest Pansy'. If you know of any available specimens worthy of this purpose, please contact Frank Niccoli at frank@thevillagegardener.com. Once the right tree has been located, an announcement of the date and time for the tree planting will be sent to Peninsula District APLD members. Please pass it on to others who might want to attend.

 

Here's to you, Debbie, from all of your friends in APLD.

 

 

 Members' Section

 

 

California Chapter Board Retreat

September 20-21, 2007

By Janet Bell - California Chapter President

 

 

The California Chapter Board held its 3^rd annual Strategic Planning Retreat in September at the Marconi Center in northern Marin County.  The meeting sessions started late Thursday afternoon and ran all day Friday.  This is an opportunity for representatives from the districts, a representative from Southern California and the Board to create goals for the following year and discuss current and past activity. Attendees included: Colleen Hamilton (VP), Shelley Somersett (Past President/Rep. to Nat'l Board), Susan Morrison (Treasurer), Maureen Decombe (Membership Chair), Li Vellinga (Communications Chair), Sharon Gibson (Website Coordinator), Karen Hunt (2008 Sponsorship Chair), Ketti Kupper (PR Chair), Ramie Allard (So.Cal. Rep), Sharon Petersen (E.Bay District Rep), Marcia Bloom (Peninsula Dist. Rep), Gail Fanning (North Bay Dist. Rep), Joni Wilson (Sacramento Dist. Rep + acting Sec'y), Nann White (SF Dist. Rep)

 

For those of you who aren't aware of how APLD is structured in California, as our chapter grew over the last 10 years and members in local geographical areas broke off to form their own groups (called Districts), the national organization required them to be under a state umbrella, the Chapter.  We currently have five districts (East Bay, North Bay, Peninsula, Sacramento and San Francisco) and are working with members in Southern California to create districts for the many Southern California members.  As the Districts provide the local programs, we believe that in order to get the maximum benefit of membership in APLD, it is important to offer local networking and educational programs, and our goals have included working to support the start-up and growth of Districts statewide.

 

The Districts each have boards, which create the events that we all enjoy locally, support connections with local CLCA and other industry-related organizations, communicate with the Chapter regarding members' input about the organization, track finances, etc.  These volunteer boards meet regularly and work hard to be of service to their members.

 

The functions of the Chapter include: processing of  members as they join the national/state organization, creating communication links with the members about events (calendar/newsletter), promoting APLD and our members to the public and through other industry-related organizations, being responsible for the state website, creating our state sponsorship program and overseeing the annual sponsorship drive, overseeing the finances for the districts and communicating the goals of California  members to the national organization.  Board members are dedicated volunteers who truly care about our profession, our members and the organization.

 

We have had a member of our board, Shelley Somersett, our Immediate Past President, attend the three National Board meetings this year, as our representative. Her presence at these meetings has been an important communications link between National and our Chapter.  Our California members make up close to one-third of the national membership, and we believe that we have a lot to offer the national organization, as well as participate in decisions that affect the membership at large.

 

Our goals for 2008 will center around membership and sponsorship.  Maureen Decombe, our Membership Chair, offered a presentation which included historical data that showed how our membership has grown significantly, yet we have not retained as many members as we would have liked to over the years.  The plan for the coming year, which Maureen has developed with her team, made up of the Districts' Membership Chairs, includes addressing this issue, as well as programs for attracting members.  We want to be responsive to the needs of our long-time members as well as our newer members and will work to do this.

 

Our Sponsorship Program, spearheaded last year by Kelly Greenwood, currently in the hands of Colleen Hamilton (California Chapter Board president-elect) and Karen Hunt, who is heading up the 2008 campaign, has been very successful.  Our goals for the coming year include retention of our existing sponsors as well as the addition of new sponsors, by including sponsors in our events, encouraging members who make use of sponsors' products to be sure to inform them, and many other great ideas.  Local Districts support this program by participating in the mailing campaign and calling local sponsorship candidates. 

 

We are looking forward to the introduction of our new California Chapter website, expected before the end of the year.  It is a true representation of our status as designers, and I believe/hope that all of our members will be thrilled with it.  Kinks are still being worked out and there will continue to be revisions after it is launched.  We are discussing additional options to be part of the 2008 work plan.  Sharon Gibson of the East Bay District, has been responsible for this effort, with a lot of assistance by Maureen Decombe (East Bay) and help from Li Vellinga (Sacramento) and Ketti Kupper (So. Cal.).

 

Li Vellinga continues to provide the editing of our monthly newsletter and preparation/overseeing of the calendar.  She has done this through two to three different computer program incarnations since she took over the position and has thankfully worked through the different learning curves.

 

A number of Southern California designers have been working on the "Kids Cancer Connection," a landscape design project, pro bono, in connection with a residence for children going through cancer treatment.  This has been valuable in bringing members together.

 

This is a small insight to our meeting.  We had fruitful discussions in a beautiful environment, which allowed us to focus on our organization and come up with goals which we can accomplish to support our profession and our members.  As a volunteer organization, in order to truly benefit, we all need to participate.  If you would like to be part of the process, please contact me and I can give you more information regarding what you can do.  Participating on the APLD Board(s) has been an enriching experience and has contributed to my personal and career success.  Join us!            Janet Bell (jbell@janetbellassociates.com )

 

 

What a Great Time to be a Member of APLD!

By Maureen Decombe

 

With renewal time just around the corner, there are many exciting developments in both the California Chapter and the APLD international organization. That website we've been talking about is just a week or two away from launching, and it has been worth the wait. The "Find A Designer" search function can locate members by a zip code radius of five to fifty miles or more, there is a greatly improved focus on informing consumers of the value of landscape design, and the look and feel of the site truly reflects the aesthetic of a professional design organization.

 

The Chapter Board has committed to developing new districts throughout the state so that more members of the California Chapter can enjoy the incredible networking and educational opportunities available to district members, and our grassroots district organizers on Southern California have already hit the ground running with two excellent programs coming this month. Check the calendar to learn more details, and if you are interested in joining the organizational effort, please contact Maureen Decombe at membership@apldca.org.

 

 

And we are thrilled to say that the good news just starts in California. The APLD has been busy developing new member benefits on a national level, as well. The board is currently exploring insurance solutions for APLD members with Hortica, a reputable provider of E & O (Errors and Omissions insurance), Liability, Worker's Compensation, and even Health insurance coverage to the green industry. The details of the costs and available coverage are still being worked out, but this long-awaited member benefit is much closer to fruition than ever before.

 

 

APLD has hired a new PR firm, which will work with the national organization to elevate APLD's name in the industry and with consumers, optimize the content of the website, increase sponsorships for APLD programs, and apply awareness of sustainability to APLD on every level.

 

Three regional webcasts and/or podcasts are planned for this coming year, as well as three pre-certification workshops, and a document focusing on sustainable water use in the landscape to be developed and made available on the website.

 

These developments, along with a commitment toward chapter leadership training, a conference in 2009 in the Portland area, and greatly improved synergy between the efforts of the California Chapter and APLD National are the outcome of an intention to provide members with the services and benefits most important to us as we develop and grow our businesses. A member survey will be conducted in 2008 to learn more about your interests for an enhanced member experience.

 

Please keep an eye out for your renewal information, which should arrive this month. Within your packet, you will find instructions about using the improved online renewal forms at www.apld.org. In support of the APLD commitment to sustainability, online renewal is encouraged, but you will be given the opportunity to receive your renewal materials via hard copy. However you choose to renew, there could not be a better time to be a member of APLD.

 

 

 

 

LATC Representative Speaks at Merritt College

By Janet Bell

 

On Oct. 3rd, Linda Gates, a landscape architect from San Ramon, who has been on the State of California Landscape Architects Technical Committee (LATC) for eight years, including serving as President, spoke at Merritt College in conjunction with their Landscape Forum program, offered by Chris Grampp.  There were approx. 50 people in attendance, including APLD members and Merritt students. 

 

After a presentation which, among other things, Ms. Gates defined the LATC's mandate, there were many questions requesting her to further detail what we, as landscape designers, can and cannot legally include in our plans.  What she emphasized was that we need to be cognizant that although our plans can include some details and specification of wood, masonry and lighting materials, we need it to be clear that any grading, drainage, structural, electrical, etc. shown, should not be considered complete without the input of a professional in that field.  This can be shown in the form of notes on the plan, best placed in the area of the issue in question.  Also, structural details should be avoided, as well as specifying, for example, the number of steps in a sloped area, where the grading has not been verified.

 

Ms. Gates discussed that while some details are allowed, there is a cumulative effect if a plan included a number of details which give the impression that it is complete.  At that point, the intent of the design is considered and a note "Conceptual Only" would be disingenuous, according to the LATC. 

 

There was a discussion of plans that Chris Grampp had drawn up to illustrate different levels of details, which Ms. Gates commented to further clarify the LATC's viewpoint.

 

She specified that we should be working only on single family houses and not on condominium complexes or commercial sites.   She confirmed that residential work is difficult, as homeowners are not experienced in interpreting plans.  They can consider a plan to contain all of the information they need instead of considering hiring, for example, a structural engineer or electrician, or, for that matter, a licensed landscape contractor, to advise on these types of issues.  Also, CAD plans, which many of our designers provide, offer a professional look, which could be interpreted by the client to be complete; so, again, it is important that plans make it clear that other  professionals should be consulted.

 

The LATC is the avenue for homeowners to use if they have a complaint about plans they've had drawn up for them.  The LATC will investigate the complaint and if found to be valid, a landscape designer can be taken to court and/or fined.

 

Linda Gates offered us her views on how to interpret the current laws.  I heard her encourage designers to use not only their design ability, but also their common sense when it comes to preparing plans for clients.

 

If you have questions about the law, you can view it at http://www.latc.ca.gov/publawreg/pa_all.htm#5641.  You can also contact the LATC at 916/445-4954.

 

 

 

 

Water Conservation Seminar in Sacramento

By Joni Wilson, APLD - Sacramento District President

 

 

APLD Sacramento District put on a great Water Conservation Seminar in late September at the new Antelope Water District gardens. While enjoying a brisk breeze, coffee with great munchies, and gardens not often open for visitors, landscape designers from all over the district enjoyed learning new information from our four speakers.

• Annie Costa, Tuff Grass, an APLD sponsor, presenting a historical perspective and new information on types of synthetic grass and how to design with them.

• Dave Roberts with Roberts Landscaping, giving a talk on River-Friendly Landscaping Guidelines.

• Tom Noonan with Ewing Irrigation, speaking about Smart Controllers and how to use them to be more efficient with our water resources.

• Cornflower Farms' Cate Schmiedt, another APLD sponsor, sharing native plants with great colors and foliage for our drought tolerant plantings.

 

Additionally, MJM Lighting, another APLD sponsor, was also a sponsor of our morning's lessons.

I know that I learned a lot more about synthetic grasses than I knew before. Dave's enthusiasm for sustainability was infectious. The practical aspects of the smart controllers will be great to use for future projects while looking at great new plant choices was a wonderful way to start the day! 

 

 

 

Peninsula District Design Expo a Big Hit!

By Laura Schaub

 

It was a beautiful fall day at Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, perfect for gathering some of our favorite sponsors, resources and partners-in-design for the delight and edification of our members. What a great way to make new connections, strengthen old ones, and catch up with each other! And, of course, to recognize our kind sponsors, who help make our programs and activities possible. We'll be doing this again!

 

EXHIBITOR LIST

 

Design & Drafting Software

• VectorWorks - APLD Gold Sponsor

• Dynascape

• Gardensoft & SketchUp demos

 

Design & Drafting Consulting

• Schaubdesigns Garden Graphics

• Signature Design Consulting

 

Website Design & Hosting

• Homestead

• Next Step

 

Building Materials

• Lyngso Garden Materials - APLD Gold Sponsor

 

Outdoor Lighting

• Unique Lighting - APLD Gold Sponsor

 

Turf & Plant Providers

• Delta Bluegrass - APLD Gold Sponsor

• TuffGrass/ASGi - APLD Gold Sponsor

• Bamboo Pipeline

 

Garden Decoration

• Garden Accents - APLD Gold Sponsor

• Meryl Urdang Glass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opportunities

 

 

 

Help Wanted!

By Janet Bell

 

I am looking for assistance - landscape design & build company in Menlo Park - with a number of projects, including: organizing and laying out bulbs for planting, organization of files in office, scanning and filing of photographs, etc.  If you're interested, call Janet Bell at 650/328-3400 or email jbell@janetbellassociates.com

 

 

 

 

Gardens Needed for Garden Tour

By Peggy Hinman

 

To All Designers -the Garden Conservancy is looking for gardens on the Peninsula for its Open Days Program in the Spring of 2008. If you know of, or have designed a garden which you think would be suitable, please let me know.

Phone 650 361-1997, email phin@mindspring.com, or Fax 650 361-1997.

 

 

 

Sacramento Landscape Expo - Volunteers Sought
By Junette Wilson - Sacramento APLD Communications Chair

 

We have a great opportunity for a designer who would like to design the Landscape Expo booth this year, as well as co-project-manage the set up of the booth. This is an opportunity for you to gain personal exposure for your participation at the event by other industry professionals.   The Expo is held on January 16, 2008 in Sacramento.

 

For committee participation, we are looking for all types of volunteers as far as planning, setting up, manning the booth during the event and tearing it down after the event.  No contribution is too small and we can always use help. On top of that, it's a lot fun to be in the event with other industry professionals, a great opportunity to network.

 

So if you are looking to get more involved with the APLD organization please contact Gary Kernick @ garyk@surewest.net  and let him know if you are interested in designing the booth or being on the committee. We will have our first planning meeting in early November so call him today.  The challenge for our organization is to make our booth better every year and we have every year thus far. Please help us make this year more successful than last year!  We can't do it without you! We look forward to seeing new faces and hearing new ideas!

 

 

 

 

 

Awards & Recognition

 

 

Congratulations to the Greenwood Family!

Wayne and Kelly Greenwood welcomed Helen Vivienne Greenwood on September 28th at 11:13 pm. She was 7 lbs 15.6 oz and 20.5 inches long. Thanks to everyone for your love and support throughout my pregnancy and your wonderful notes. We're both doing beautifully. Greenwood Landscape Design will be managing a few ongoing projects in November/December, but will be officially back in action for new business in the new year.

 

 

 

 

Build It (Green) and They Will Come
By Alma Hecht

On Sunday, September 23^rd, my little cottage in Glen Park was featured along with six other residences in the first San Francisco Build It Green Home Tour. Through the day a total of 378 people came to see what I had done to be included. My landscape was selected because there are 90% clay soil appropriate native plants; the only irrigation is for my kitchen garden. The pathway is made from on-site excavated concrete, as well as leftover stones from other jobs. Mirrors expand the tiny pockets that make up my green spaces--I garden by the square inch. Among the follies are a bottle tree, made of recycled rebar and bottles; bird bath made from car parts and a found copper sink by sculptor Kris Borchardt. Inside, I doubled my 500 square-feet with an "undition." The area below, once a crawl space, now has a bedroom, full-bath, library, and my studio. There is radiant heat, cork and stained concrete flooring, integral color plaster walls, and much of the wood is either FSC or salvaged. Doors and other elements were also salvaged. If you want to read more and see some photos, here is the link to the article "Green and Easy" that ran in the Saturday, September 22^nd Home and Garden Section of the San Francisco Chronicle.

 

For more details on the article, click here.

 

 

 

Second Annual Desert Garden Community Day a Big Hit

By Paul Ortega / Desert Garden Center, LLC

 

For the second year in a row the Desert Horticultural Society of the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area) presented its community day to the general public.  Our co-hosts, the Palm Desert Visitor Center, again went above and beyond to help make this event such a huge success, getting the word out through advertising and banners along the main highway, providing refreshments for the guests, lunch for the volunteers and participants, and being there to pick up the slack whenever and wherever needed. 

 

Attendance this year topped 450 versus 300 guests from last year, with nine presenters versus six a year ago, and thirteen booths versus six the previous year.  The weather couldn't have been better (a 'cool' 83 degrees), the speakers were informative and entertaining (with nearly every session 'standing room only'), and more than once guests told us that we should hold this event every few months. 

 

While once a year is probably a more realistic goal for such a small volunteer organization, we look forward to hosting next spring's desert garden tour and are already looking for homes in the area that best represent our mission statement, "to promote the use of desert appropriate plants in an attractive, environmentally sustainable landscape in the Palm Springs area."  We hope to see some of our APLD members there next year.

 

 

 
A Warm Welcome to these New Members of APLD, California Chapter

 

 

First Name		Last Name	Company	City	Joined APLD	Mbr_Category
Jim		Alexander	Landscape Art and Design	West Hollywood	08/08/2007	Associate
Kristi		Blicharski	Flora Bella Gardens	Torrance	10/02/2007	Associate
Sylke		Clark		San Diego	08/29/2007	Student
Cathy		Folk-Williams	Bloom Garden Design	Rio Linda	09/05/2007	Associate
Cynthia		Gause		Elk Grove	10/02/2007	Student
Kelley		Hanna	Plant Goddess Landscape Design	Pasadena	09/12/2007	Associate
Celeste		Hill	Belle' Maison Landscape	Placerville	09/05/2007	Allied
Tom		Scoble	Mother Magnolia, Inc.	Altadena	09/18/2007	Associate