One of my favorite places to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life is literally right here in my own backyard.  Swarthmore College’s Scott Arboretum sits on 300 peaceful secluded acres on the banks of Crum Creek adjacent to the college’s main campus.  Even though its just 15 miles from Center City Philadelphia, it’s a world away once you hit the trailhead entrances.

According to the arboretum’s website, the arboretum was officially dedicated in 1929 as a living memorial to a college alumnus.  It is supported by an endowment fund through Swarthmore College, with the stated mission of educating the public and demonstrating the plants of Eastern Pennsylvania.  

Today it includes something for everyone, from hardcore horticulturists to outdoor enthusiasts to summer concert-goers.

For plant enthusiasts, the arboretum prides itself on its treasured collections.  In accordance with its mission of educating the public, plants are clearly labeled and tagged, providing a living museum open to the public.  The Arboretum’s collections of hollies, magnolias, and oaks in particular have gained recognition as registered collections in the North American Plant Collections Consortium.  Other prized collections include conifers, crabapples, flowering cherries, hydrangeas, roses, and magnolias.

One of my favorite spots in the arboretum is the Scott Arboretum Amphitheater.  Situated adjacent to one of the main trailheads just off the main campus road, this amazing spot was constructed in 1942 by noted Philadelphia landscape architect Thomas Sears.  Its perfectly spaced semi-circular stone bench walls are terraced between strips of lush lawn, perfect for lounging back on a blanket and taking in the sites.  

The amphitheater sits beneath a canopy of magnificent tulip trees and white oaks, with stunning views into the Crum Creek Valley behind the main stage amidst the dogwoods, magnolias and rhododendrons.  In addition to a number of college events including its annual commencement ceremonies, the amphitheater is also home to a summer concert series, theater performances and is also available for private weddings and parties.

The main trail connects the college entrance through the arboretum, ending on the back door of the campus in neighboring Nether Providence Township.  The length and access is just perfect for a quick “lets get out of the house” excursion, as the trail quickly descends into the valley and meanders along the banks of Crum Creek for approximately 1.5 miles.  A three-mile loop hike takes anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours, depending on how many times we have to stop so the dogs can play in the creek or the kids can climb any of the natural rock formations that dot the shoreline.

In the summer we’ll drop our canoe in just above the creek’s Yale Avenue dam (aka "The Falls"), originally constructed in 1776 in conjunction with a small milltown, and slowly paddle up stream through the woods.  Its not uncommon on these excursions that we don’t see a soul until the creek meets up with the trail.  Brook trout, perch, and bluegills provide fun recreational fishing opportunities, and there’s even some rumors about some bass residing in the waters just behind the dam.  In the winter we’ll ice skate on the same portion of the creek where we canoe, and cross country ski on the trails and across the meadow.

While I’m sure nearly everybody has a local spot that they can tap into for quick, easy, and rewarding recreational opportunities, I’m sure glad that Scott Arboretum is nearby for me.  If you’re in the area and would like to learn more about Scott Arboretum, visit their website at www.scottarboretum.org.

Happy Trails!

So it’s finally time to put in that new walkway or patio you’ve been dreaming about.  Sure there is an existing patio in place, but its ugly old concrete.  Maybe there’s a crack or two that has surfaced.  Maybe you’ve just moved into a new home and the old patio just won’t work for you.

“But wait”, you ask. “Since there’s already an existing patio or walkway in place, maybe we can save a few bucks by using it as a footing for a new flagstone overlay.”  Well I’ll give you credit for some independent thinking.

But unfortunately, more often than not, it doesn’t work out.

Now before you go accusing me of up-selling again, let me tell you that I have done overlays on top of existing concrete in the past.  And I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to doing it again.  But there’s a number of things that need to be looked at first.

1.  First, the doorways. Does your patio door open directly onto the patio?  Is there a step down to the patio or is the threshold set nearly even with the patio?  Same goes for front doors and front entry landings.  Keep in mind that a flagstone overlay typically will add a minimum of an inch-and-a-half of thickness to the surface to account for the thickness of the stones and the mortar bed.  If you have an eight inch step from the doorway to the patio surface this isn’t necessarily an issue, but if it’s nearly even to begin with?  Then it probably won’t work.  You don’t want the patio surface to be higher than the interior floor.  And you don’t want a small one-or-two inch step transitioning between surfaces. That’s what I like to call a tripper.

2.  The layout.  Assuming the interior entry points aren’t a problem, then the next thing you want to consider is the layout of the existing patio. Is the existing layout large enough for you?  Is it a basic rectangle shape and you were hoping for something with a few sexy curves? If the existing layout is exactly what you were hoping to replicate, then green light it, game on.  

But if you were hoping to keep the existing concrete as a partial footing and add on to make it larger or change the shape slightly, then you’re probably better off just tearing it out and starting anew.  The cost saving of keeping that existing slab isn’t huge, and you don’t want a footing that isn’t one continuous slab.  Even the slightest differential in
movement (concrete does move as the ground swells and contracts) can result in visible surface cracks or stones popping. Nothing you want to deal with and nothing I want my name attached to.

3.  The integrity of the existing concrete.  If you don’t like the existing concrete then there’s more than likely a problem with it.  If it’s just a matter of not liking concrete, then hey, I’m with you.  But is the surface starting to crumble or deteriorate?  Then that’s going to affect the mortar bond to the overlay.  Is it cracked?  Well then the separate sections are likely to move independently of one another as the ground swells.  As stated above, that can lead to visible cracks in the flagstone and/or stones becoming loose.

4.  Does the existing concrete noticeably heave as the seasons change?  I grew up in a house where our back patio heaved and settled about three to four inches every year.  The slab remained intact, it just rose and settled with the seasons.  That may sound a bit extreme, but even a small fraction of an inch heave is enough to pop a few stones or at least crack some mortar against the seams of the house.  Why not alleviate the problem altogether by having a properly built footing installed to the proper depths and with the proper sub-prep.  It’ll save everybody a few headaches down the road.

So yeah, maybe you’ll have to foot the bill for the existing concrete removal and a new concrete footing in conjunction with that flagstone patio you’re putting in.  But in the grand scheme of things, it’s worth it.  And to be honest, those aren’t generally the biggest ticket items on any new install.  Focus on the value you’re receiving for the money you’re spending, not just the amount on the check you’re writing. 

And maybe that existing concrete will work for you as a footing.  I’ll look at it and let you know.  But take a quick run-down of the above checklist first before you come to any assumptions about whether or not it can be re-used. 

“Inspiration, move me brightly. Light the song with sense and color;
Hold away despair, more than this I will not ask.”

 -- Grateful Dead Lyrics, Terrapin Station

Funny thing about inspiration.  If you’re actively looking for it, you’re probably not apt to find it.

This time of year, nearly everybody is looking to get inspired with ideas for their landscaping. Maybe it’s some ideas for new plantings. Or designs for a deck.  Or patio layout.  Maybe it’s a matter of selecting the materials that will go best with your existing architecture.  Whatever the subject, we all need a little inspiration from time to time.

And that inspiration could come from a book, or television show, or a walk around a landscape supply yard.  Magazines, museums, the internet, public architecture and gardens, local neighborhoods – the sources are endless.

My wife and I were watching a show on PBS a few months back.  It was a documentary about the making of Simon and Garfinkel’s landmark album “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”  The show included a clip from the Dick Cavett Show circa 1970.  Paul Simon was the interview guest, and Dick Cavett asked him where the inspiration came from to write the album’s flagship song, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

After stumbling over his response for a moment or two and giving some boilerplate answer about listening to a lot of gospel music, Simon finally just stopped himself and basically admitted that one night he just picked up his guitar and penned the song in about an hour’s time.  

Wow!

An instant classic to say the least.  One moment the song didn’t exist, and the next moment it was out there.

And that’s just the point.  Inspiration doesn’t have to be a laborious process.  The best and freshest ideas often just come to us in moments of clarity.

Clients and prospects often ask me for ideas for their projects.  To be fair, I always have a couple of ideas up my sleeve, a by-product of having been at this job for more than a dozen years.  But I don’t have all the answers.  After
all, what may appeal to me may not to the client, and they’re the ones who are going to be living with and using the yard on a daily basis (I hope so, at least).

Here in the Philadelphia area, we are blessed with a number of public parks and gardens.  Winterthur, Longwood Gardens, Tyler Arboretum, Scott Arboretum, Ridley Creek State Park, Fairmount Park, to name a few.  And we are also blessed with an amazing stock of 100-year-old, even 200-year-old public buildings and private residences.

Rid yourself of pre-conceptions and take a drive around.  Or even a walk around your neighborhood.  Hike a trail.  Ride a bike.  See anything you like?  
 
Don’t look for specific things you THINK you may want included in your yard.  If you’re looking for that perfect set of steps to match your existing ideas, you probably won’t find exactly what you’re looking for.

But if you erase your mind and take in the beauty around you, I’m sure you’ll see a few things you like.

Some of my best ideas come from right in my own backyard.  Literally.  Spend some time in your yard and look around.  Soak in what you see.  Kick back and relax.  Have a drink. Read a book or the newspaper. Listen to the birds.  Listen to the wind in the trees.  Look at the yard and the surrounding neighborhood.  Imagine what it must have looked like before the houses and fences were there.  Look at the slopes and the berms, imagine how the water flows when it rains.  Where do you typically walk through the yard?  Is there a beaten path through the grass that gets walked on frequently?  How would (or do) deer travel through the yard?  The ideas will come.  Trust me.

Here’s to hoping you find your inspiration, for whatever projects you may be considering.

Whenever I speak with other people at parties or other parents at little league practice, the subject of what I do for a living always comes up.  And when I mention that I own and operate my own landscape construction business, people typically become slightly envious and reply with a comment along the lines of “How great it must be to own your own business and not have to work for somebody else.”

I can almost see the fantasy in their eyes as they envision cutting out early in the afternoon or taking leisurely hour-and-half lunches.  I rarely if ever have the heart to tell them that its not quite as glamorous as they envision.

In my home office I have a saying posted right above my computer screen.  “An entrepreneur is somebody who works 80 hours a week for himself so he doesn’t have to work 40 hours a week for somebody else.”

That about sums it up.

Not that I don’t enjoy what I do.  To the contrary, I absolutely do.  I can’t possibly imagine how somebody could put forth the time and energy to run a business if they didn’t love what they do.

But make no mistake about it, if you want to start your own business you need to understand the time commitment, and get out of the 9 to 5 mentality.  There is no 5:00.  And if you’re a parent too, -- in the words of Al Pacino from Donnie Brasco – "Fuhgedaboutit."

During the heat of the season, my days typically look something like this.  I'm up at 6 am to get the wife off to work and the kids off to school.  Once my parental obligations are done in the morning, there are emails and phone calls to return.  I then get to the jobsite, and ideally my guys are already at it.  Depending on the day and the project, the balance of the work day consists of working on the site and supply and material runs.  More often than not I schedule new prospect meetings in the evenings, meaning that after my workers head for home I’m off to meet with clients.  
 
And the nights I don’t have meetings?  Usually that’s because there’s a little league game or Cub Scout meeting
for my kids.

And then there’s just enough time for dinner before reading a story or two to the kids and getting them off to bed.

Now it’s time to unwind, right?  Not so fast my friends.  

Remember those meetings I had in earlier in the evening?  Well for every meeting there’s a new estimate that needs to be put together. And for every project there’s an invoice.  And for every month there’s income summaries. 
And bills to pay.  And marketing plans.  And this blog entry.  And a myriad of other tasks that need to get done sometime.  It’s not uncommon to be on the computer until 10 or 11 pm.  Or later.  And what doesn’t get done during the week, usually gets covered during the weekend.

This post isn’t meant as a complaint or even a venting opportunity.  It’s more about explaining the time and work that goes into every project – from initial phone call to final clean-up.  Good things don’t happen overnight, they take a lot of time and hard work.  And even if your project hasn’t started yet in terms of shovels in the ground, there’s most likely already a lot going on behind the scenes.

So for anyone considering opening their own business, whether it’s in the landscaping industry, running a restaurant, opening a storefront, or any service-related endeavor, my advice is that you better love, I mean really LOVE, what you do.  You’ll be spending an incredible amount of time nurturing your livelihood.

And if you see me at a party or around town, and we start talking about what we do for a living?  Well first of all it most likely means my to-do list is growing because I’m not working right then and there.  And second of all, before you get too jealous just remember there’s a lot more to running a business than just what goes on at the jobsite.

When most people approach me and ask about increasing their outdoor living space, they typically have a rough idea of what they’re looking for.  “We’d like a new paver stone patio,” the call usually goes, or “We’d like a new deck off our rear kitchen door.”  Sometimes people even have their layout envisioned, and its really just a matter of me giving them installation costs for their ideas.

But there are other times when people know they want to increase their outdoor living space, but really have no idea of what direction they want to pursue.  Maybe the husband wants a deck and the wife wants a patio.  Or neither really has any idea what to take into consideration.

So what should you consider when planning your outdoor living space?  Here are five basic things that hopefully will make your decision a bit easier.

1.  Grades and Elevation. 
Often times this is the one factor that may make your decision for you.  What is the elevation of your back door?  If it’s almost directly at grade, in otherwords there is just a single step out the door to the yard, then there may not be enough room to construct the deck and leave room for the necessary framing and supports.  In this case a patio would be the way to go.

Conversely, if your yard has a significant slope that doesn’t provide a large level area, then a deck is the way to go. 
Decks also allow you to build over tree roots, providing the opportunity to build around trees without harming the trees.

2.  Maintenance. 
Nearly everybody will tell you that decks typically require more maintenance, and for the most part this is true.  Of course a lot of this depends on the type of materials used to build the deck and the environment where the deck is built.  But in general most wood decks require some annual maintenance in the form of water sealing at the very least.  And while composite materials are marketed as being maintenance-free, they are still prone to moss and mildew growth and most likely will need to get pressure-washed on an annual basis as well.

Patios typically require less maintenance, but to say they are maintenenace-free would also be a stretch.  Mortared flagstone surfaces will need to be repointed at some point, paver stones are prone to some minor weed growth and most likely will need to be re-swept with sand every few years.  And while sealing a hardscaping surface isn’t always entirely necessary, if you do choose to seal the patio it will need resealing every few years to maintain the sealed appearance.

3.  Other Features. 
Considering a firepit?  If so, a wood deck might not be the way to go, for somewhat obvious reasons.  Or a hot tub?  While decks can be built to hold the weight of a filled hot tub, it certainly requires a lot more framing to accommodate the extra load.  Most patio surfaces, if installed correctly with the adequate base preparation can handle the weight of a typically sized hot tub.

4.  Design Preferences and Personal Taste. 
Basic deck construction tends to be more linear in its make-up, while it is much easier to incorporate curves in a grade-level patio.  That’s not to say curves can’t be incorporated into a deck, but it certainly requires a bit more engineering and added costs.  

And while this may seem like a basic idea, if you’re a person who likes the look and feel of wood, then a deck may make more sense for you.  If you’re a person who likes the look and feel of stone, then a patio is probably the way to go.

5.  And the million-dollar category – Cost. 
Not that either is going to cost you a million dollars (that’d be one huge living space!).  To be honest, the costs are pretty similar, with a range depending on materials. I’ve seen a fair amount of information resources that tend to say decks are a bit more expensive than patios. But in reading further you’ll see that these articles are usually comparing a deck to a plain concrete patio. Once you compare a flagstone or paver stone patio to a deck, the costs become much more in line with one another.

Decks tend to have a much wider range in costs – a 16x20 deck on one site may cost nearly twice as much as the same size deck on another site, based on how high above grade the structure is built, the engineering necessary for the deck to carry the load, and the slope on which the deck is being built.

Unless an excessive amount of excavation is needed, or an excessive amount of re-grading is required to form a level space, patios tend to be much more consistently priced from one site to the next.

When it comes to composite decking, the prices typically start to become more expensive than their patio counterparts.  Not only are composites roughly about twice the price of wood, they also require much more framing due to the flexible nature of the materials.

In addition to these five items, local building codes may also come into play as to what is or isn’t allowed.  Most deck construction will require a permit, and with environmental concerns really starting to become a factor, many municipalities are also requiring stormwater management plans in conjunction with hardscaping installation.

These are just a few of the things to take into consideration when planning your project.  Ultimately every project, and every site is different and unique. Perhaps some of these considerations may apply to your site and not others.  Or maybe there are additional things that haven’t been brought up in this article.

For a free consultation on how to best increase your outdoor space, please feel free to give us a call.  We’d love
to help!

The pavers install identically to a manmade paver product. That means approximately 8” of excavation in preparation for the installation, a layer of geo-textile fabric, approximately 4” to 6” of compacted crushed gravel, about a ½” sand, and the pavers installed directly atop the sand bed. As with any paver installation, this is a dryset installation technique, meaning no mortar is necessary.

The pavers are all cut to exact specifications, meaning the dimensions and thickness is consistent, allowing for consistent grades, tightly spaced joints with no large gaps, and easy installation. And the 2 ¼” thickness is thicker than most bluestone or graystone flagstone products out there, and comparable to manmade paver thickness.  That
means durability and little need for worry about cracking or damaged stones.

And somewhat surprisingly, the material cost for this product is quite comparable to most of the manmade paver stone products out there.  Diaz Stone and Pallet has their own quarry operation, precision saw shop, and trucking network allowing them to control quality and keep costs down.

An added bonus – Diaz Stone and Pallet is a Pennsylvania-based business, meaning we’re keeping our business in state, and cutting down on long-range shipping.  That’s good for both the local economy and the environment.

This is one of those products that I’m really looking forward to having a chance to work with.  Whether you’re considering a traditional graystone flagstone project, or a manmade paver project, I think you’ll be interested in at least checking out these natural stone pavers.  

For more information about the product, check out the supplier website at www.diazstoneandpallet.com, or give me a call personally if you’d like to set up an appointment to get some design ideas and associated cost estimates for your hardscaping project.