Thursday, February 11, 2010

Desperately Seeking Landscape Perfection!

Ok, I'm officially sick of the rain.

I know that it is good for the plants. I love not having to turn on my sprinkler clocks ( all 5 of them). They just replaced our water meter today, with a "new and improved" version that is supposed to be super efficient at tracking even the littlest flow of water so our water company doesnt miss out on ANY revenue. (Does it matter that the rates have quadrupled since 1992 when I moved here!) I need to go and check it out, because they did a sloppy job of putting things back and it is my opinion that if they are sloppy in one area of work, whats to say that they are not sloppy in installing the meter? It's ust a little leak, wont hurt.... I just think that they should be neater thats all. I mean, our name IS Perfection Landscape, after all.

It appeared that they just used some guy off the street. I dont know who they "contracted" to do it, but I didn't see any logo, uniform, or anything official. The guy looked like someone they would pick up in a park. After a recent conversation I had with a local water department guy advising me how I could get around the "regulations" so I could bid on a project coming up, I am a little dubious of anything they do.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Quality Questions Que Your Life

Why have I let a whole week go by without starting that important personal creative project that seemed sooo possible a week ago? Is is because I have not set a schedule to work on it for fear of setting a standard I will not attain?

Fear. F.E.A.R. False Expectations Appearing Real.

Starting is the hardest part. Do it.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Sister's call leads to better pre-emergent application

Ok, my sister read my blog about the pre-emergent application and reccommended to her friends that they read about it on my blog. (She's going to ask her gardeners to apply it.) I realized that I know all about pre-emergent, but perhaps YOU do not. So I thought I ought to give a couple of tips about the proper application of pre-emergent.

It is real simple. Prevent them before they start. But how to do it right. As with most things, if done improperly, it can be at best, ineffective and at worst, be downright dangerous. (think dead stuff you dont want dead)

Keep in mind a "professional knows dose" and as a licensed and trained professional pesticide (yes I used that terrible word) applicator, I really think the application of chemicals should be done by people who are familiar with and trained in the proper weed identification, application timing, various chemicals and application process of pre-emergents or any other chemicals.

I am going to get on my soapbox now. Just because your gardener makes his living at mowing your yard, does not a professional applicator make. If the size of your home dining table is all the people who have applied for landscape, gardening, spraying work with our company, then the number of people who actually had the skills and training to properly apply chemicals would fit on the head of a pin! One guy was even currently employed to spray and didnt even know how to figure square footage (sigh). Yeah anybody can go to Home Depot and buy stuff, but that doesn't make them a professional (or safe).

I reccommend you hire a licensed professional. The State of CA licenseses pest control applicators. You gotta know what you are doing to get a license. You test. You have to get continuing education every 2 years to renew your license. It's worth it. Check with your county agriculture department to get a reccomendation or list of applicators.