Blog – Page 4

Abundantly Blessed!

March 24, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 7 Comments

In spite of California’s current drought, in spite of the global evolutionary changes taking place everywhere, in spite of sweet little Daniella Collazo, and the fact that three minutes from now another child will be diagnosed with cancer, in spite of the fact that I’m an unemployed TV host….

I recognize how abundantly blessed I am.

Yes, this is one of those optimistic, acknowledgment, blog posts. So what that my dad died. So what that I lost my house 4 years ago and had to file for bankruptcy. So what that I have a felony for selling pot when I was 19.

I am still BLESSED.

Blessed to be here to see my children grow. Blessed to have had a career where I get to do what I love and enjoy daily, because of my freedom. Being black in America is no longer the excuse or reasoning for any limitation in my life.

We are blessed

Being raised by 2 parents, a step mother and having step and half siblings is what’s made my life experience so wonderful. Having broken up and now reconciled with Tiffanie, my wife for the past 23 years; is what’s given us the opportunity to learn how to love, live, and raise our own kids. Raise them together in such a way that they will have even more tools and experience than we did growing up.

Life on planet earth is hard and yet we’re all endowed with the same common rights, responsibilities, and talents. The same get down attitude that we can each step into when and where we need to. No matter how much challenge and strife life delivers to me, I maintain my warrior attitude. I teach others to tap into this same warrior mindset and be the badasses, the talented and the optimistic characters, in their own life stories. It’s about taking limits out of our lives. The last time I argued with the producers of my former show Yard Crashers was when they tried to put me in a limited box called “Host”. I sent my executive producer the video of a song I so enjoy by Lauren Hill titled, “I Get Out“.

Marie Blackstock Author and Intuitive Counselor

Marie is another powerful, positive blessing in my life

No matter what the challenge, no matter what the pain, no matter what the struggle and small mindedness around me is; I seek to be big, be loving, and give thanks for my opportunities. The opportunities to reach, teach, and express a love and optimism for life. As many of you might know. I’m in the process right now of writing my very first book with Author and all around positive chic Marie Blackstock. She and I are both students and teachers of positive living. That is to say that we have both experienced many of life’s challenges and are completely obsessed with figuring out life’s mysteries and sharing these truths with the rest of humanity. Please continue to follow all things for positive change both here and at Alive Again Positive Living.

I know that I am abundantly blessed and I know that these blessings will continue and expand so long as I am willing to acknowledge them and give thanks, and so it is!

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Making Orange Juice Outta Oranges

March 17, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 1 Comment

Today’s blog post is stimulated by yesterday’s visit to one of my client’s yards. Victoria Kidman is both my client and friend. In 2013 under my small business, Ahmad Hassan Landscape Services, we both designed and installed a beautiful new front and backyard at Victoria’s newly remodeled East Sac property. One of the first things I learned while working there was that this particular area suffers from very poor drainage. The soil is a clay loam, meaning it’s predominately clay in texture, and is very slow to percolate.

Could you eat ten grocery bags filled with oranges?

Because of this we ended up installing 2 sump pumps on the property in order to move and assist drainage efforts from the backyard, and underneath the house itself. It was helpful to perform the landscape renovations in the fall, which also happens to be the best time of year for landscaping in Northern California. The only plant growing in the backyard when we started was a beautiful mature orange tree with some of the tastiest and juicy oranges I’ve ever had. When I find a wonderful fruit tree such as this, I feel as excited as a miner striking gold. Vicky would bag up the oranges and share them with as many people as she could. This after all is what growing fruit trees and a garden is all about. It’s almost impossible to harness and utilize all of the fruit from a full size tree yourself. A single family would have to squeeze a whole lotta juice, and nearly make themselves sick with oranges in order to consume all 10 bags of oranges their tree produces each season. Whenever I begin a landscape renovation, the first thing I do is assess the space and determine what in my professional opinion is healthy, has vigor, and is worthy of maintaining and integrating into the new landscape.

The beautiful, healthy, orange tree in Vicky’s yard that served as my inspiration for her space!

This tree was it! There we’re a few other camellias that we’re recently planted by the contractor that remodeled the house, so these were shifted around, since it was fall, and a great time for transplanting. When we finished the yard we did what most folks here in Northern California do; we mulched all of the garden beds with a decorative 1/4″ fir bark. I say decorative because these days most folks merely choose a bark mulch based primarily on it’s aesthetic value or cost. What they may or may not realize is that different types of mulch do make a difference.

While I won’t get into the specifics during this post I will tell you that what is recommended for soil that is dense, tight, and clay based is a loose, very porous mulch. When the soil is sandy and fast draining, a shredded and/or finely ground tight knit mulch should be applied. In this way the mulch can assist the soil by helping to regulate temperature in both situations, and assist the soils in either draining and drying out, or retaining moisture; whichever is needed.

In almost all situations some type of mulch should be applied. The benefits of mulch can be found right here.
Because we’re in Northern California we employed the use of drip irrigation for the newly remodeled garden beds. Hunter Industry’s MP Rotators we’re used on the lawn spaces and all was well. That is, right up until Ahmad got busy and left the garden maintenance to other people. For a few years Vicky would seek out good and affordable help with maintaining her yard. Someone to manage the “mow and blow” weekly, as well as occasional pruning and other seasonal chores that arise. She found a local gardener from Angie’s List. While this site is a great resource for locating contract professionals in your area, it is still up to you, the homeowner, to thoroughly vet the contractor before they begin work. So Vicky hired this gardener to fix a supposed irrigation issue; and because the fir bark that I installed was thin in areas, he suggested reapplying a “better, longer lasting mulch”.

3 inches of mulch is recommended for most applications

Yet he failed to consider that when you’re applying mulch, you typically want to create about a 3″ mulch layer in order to reap the 3 main benefits of mulch. They are:
1. Soil Water Retention
2. Soil Erosion Protection
3. Weed Suppression.

This gardener actually had the nerve to bad mouth Ahmed Hassan, The Celebrity Landscaper and saying that I installed the wrong mulch, because it was fast to break down. In his opinion I was trying to simply make more money with by needing to reapply mulch on a frequent basis. Yeah buddy! There I am, The con artist landscaper, deep in thought on how I can juice my clients for more money when it comes to their yards. Wow!

While Mike assesses the situation, I contemplate “plan B”.

It truly saddens me that folks are simply uneducated in proper, solid horticultural practices. Yet here I am, doing all that I can to beautify and educate the masses on how to have better success with their outdoor spaces.
At this point the only thing I can do with the dead Citrus tree that’s sitting in my client’s yard is make lemonade outta lemons. Okay so orange juice outta oranges.

So here’s my list of 10 optimistic thoughts that come out of this whole experience for me.
1. Always and in everything give thanks!
2. Myself and so many others got to enjoy the wonderful fruit from the orange tree.
3. Myself and a few others got to enjoy the beauty of this lovely structural plant in nature.
4. I’ll chop up all of the dead branches and turn them into mulch and compost.
5. I’ll chop all of the larger wood into firewood size pieces so that it can be burned and used for heat.
6. This same location will be planted again, using the existing soil. It will be elevated on a small mound to aid drainage for the new fruit tree. This time… a Peach!
7. Both myself and this other gardener made money while working on site.
8. My client Vicky was likely tired of picking all those damn oranges.
9. The orange tree was a free gift that came with the house. Someone else planted it, and plenty of us got to benefit and enjoy it’s fruit.
10. Give thanks that we have an abundant earth and that she alone nurtures, feeds, and provides for us.

It lived a good life, now a peach tree will grow in it’s place.

Nothing lasts forever, except change.

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Chickenshititis

March 10, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 4 Comments

Chickenshititis, that condition that, from time to time, I’ve gotta believe we all suffer from. Even the most courageous and well intentioned of us, manage to find ourselves not quite living up to our standards for personal integrity and/or doing as we said we would. The topic, and word chickenshit, is very much a term that most Americans can relate to. I know this because I can Google the word “Chickenshit” and Merriam’s got a definition right there for me to read:

chickenshit

adjective chick-en-shit \chi-ken-shit\

Definition of Chickenshit

1. usually vulgar: petty, insignificant

2. usually vulgar: lacking courage, manliness, or effectiveness

My reasoning behind using this offensive word was due to the fact that I experience being chickenshit; and I also tend to recognize when others seemingly fall into this rut as well. Hey, it happens! It’s okay, it’s natural and normal. Yet, it’s also something, that with clarity and awareness, we can rise above in order to improve our lives and the way we relate with others.

So I recently had an experience where a male client and I consulted. I visited his property and we discussed various options and ideas for making improvements. Mind you he’d already had another contractor over to do this same thing too, though the other contractor focused primarily on what his specific trade was. None the less, both of us contractors had different opinions as to the process and direction we’d have my client go. This became a mental conflict for him. As a result, he somehow fabricated in his mind that I would be disappointed and he didn’t want to disappoint me. So what’d he do… nothing!

No call, no text, no NOTHING! He was experiencing what I call Chickenshititis, also known as fear. Fear is a huge factor in so many of our lives. It hinders our creativity, and causes us to live lives where we unknowingly limit ourselves and cause more drama than we ever imagined. Rather than continue to succumb to this condition that I’ve just defined and pointed out, I’d like to share just a few ways in which you might over come and cure yourself of chickenshititis. Living life courageously is how we overcome Chickenshititis.

Operating from the standpoint of love keeps you smiling.

1. First you might wanna consider that there are really only 2 emotions that exist, Love and Fear. All other emotions stem from these 2 cerebral sides of our brain. While fear is a good and legitimate emotion that ‘s necessary for our safety and survival, it’s also something made from our memory; and we often confuse this made up reality with what’s real. The solution is to ask yourself,

“Am I thinking and acting out of FEAR or LOVE?”

The more often you can choose love, the better your results and outcome will be. A great resource for this is one I touched on in last week’s blog post. Dr. Jerry Jampolsky’s book, Love is Letting Go of Fear, is a must read. Check it out.

Invest in People

2. Let your intention be your guide. That is, of course, when your intention is loving, rather than fear filled. Our intentions are the back up documents and rationale for what we do. They are the “WHY”. I am in no way saying that your intentions will be understood by others. That is never a guarantee. But I will say that when your intentions are loving, and you allow these loving intentions to guide and direct your actions, you’re bound to experience a more pleasant response from, and with, others. That link will take you to an interview with Brother Ishmael Tetteh. His book “The Way Forward” is an awesome read.

Go for it!

3. Be willing to act immediately. Whether it’s as simple as making a phone call to inform someone you’re going to be late, or delivering what you know and anticipate someone might take as unwanted or bad news. Be willing to honestly, share immediately, and deliver this information. The longer you sit and flip flop this unwanted news in your head, the larger, and more seemingly dreadful, it becomes. So be courageous, don’t allow the chickenshit mindset to consume you. Act NOW and act expeditiously. In time you’ll get even better at doing this.

My reasoning behind sharing as I do is because I love humankind. I live and learn, then seek to teach what I have learned in life. My hope is that we will evolve in such a way that our lives, our relationships with others, and ourselves grow even deeper in love, and prosperous development.
Thanks for reading and sharing.

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Say Yes

March 3, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 3 Comments

The awesome power that comes from saying yes. I do, I will, I can, and yes! All action words. Each willing to step out and live or stand, rather than crawl or stay put. Last week I was asked, “why Ahmed?” Why are you helping this little girl, Daniella Collazo? Why her? Of all the people, and through all of the years that I’ve been known as a TV host, I’ve now been asked why did I say yes?

So here’s what I said….

“I chose to simply say yes!” was Ahmed Hassan’s response to his agreeing and assisting Mystic Force Foundation’s request for Daniella Collazo’s backyard play space.

Ahmed did, admittedly, have some internal doubts after his initial reaction passed and “how” was the biggest query of all. Once the initial angst went away, he recalled the role models he grew up wanting to emulate; the regular everyday heroes in society. He intuitively knew he must follow what was in his heart, the right thing. Against all odds.

“It’s just time and money. Daniella doesn’t have any time and I do. She can’t help herself, but I can. I needed to grasp a hold of my courage to help her. This project is a gift from myself, and others like me, that are grateful to live lives where we stand and sometimes step into “bad ass” mode when we need to. In this instance, I must be a bad ass for sweet Daniella who cannot be one for herself.” We all have this power and there’s nothing we can’t do if we simply believe and act on that belief.”

There’s an incredible power that comes from saying yes. It’s the power that comes when we decide to go for it!
It’s the power that comes from being willing to act in spite of the fear; to run towards our fears and conquer them.

This is a REAL BIG DEAL!

There are people that say no all the time, and it’s not because they’re incapable. It’s because they’re afraid. There is no love in fear. In fact, according to Dr. Jerry Lee Jampolsky, love is letting go of fear. Indeed Dr. Jampolsky wrote a book titled the same. I read this book many years ago and I’m still practicing, still walking thru my fears. I spend a lot of my life’s time acknowledging, and discovering my fears. In the last several years I’ve been actively pursuing getting over them, and learning to simply say yes to living life.

Consider this…

The sunrise says yes.

The sun rises each and everyday; nature is NOT afraid.

The tree doesn’t up root itself at the threat of a storm. It merely weathers it and continues growing, branches bending, developing even more roots in order that it might fair even better for the next storm.

Nature says YES and persists.

Spiritually, I work daily on saying YES to that spirit within me that causes life’s growth and expansion, NO MATTER the fear.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed hassan with his daughter

I say Yes to being an influence for my kids

My dad was my HERO. I only hope and aspire to be the same for my children.
Not only for my youngest here depicted with me, Camille Hassan, but also for others like Daniella Collazo.

Pema Chodron wrote another book that I’m reading called “The Places That Scare You, A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times”. If you ask me, life is filled with difficult times. It is filled with all sorts of daily opportunities to stay put, to stay inside, to stay small and small-minded.

Yes You Can!

But I’ll tell you my philosphy. I say, we only live once. When we die, there’s no more. No more saying yes, no more having a choice. No more can we say, “I wish I’d done this or that”. So instead, do it now! Whatever it is that you think you can’t, prove to yourself like the little engine that could. Say, I THINK I CAN, then go one step further with, I know I can. Then do like Michael Jordan and Malcolm X put together… Just do It. By any means necessary.
Say yes!

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Evolution

February 24, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 1 Comment

It’s not a conspiracy theory, it’s merely our reality and evolution. Humankind’s impact on the planet is largely responsible for the climatic changes we’re experiencing back east and out west. Flooding and drought conditions are just a few of the causes and effects that we have going on in our ecosystem. This is nothing to be alarmed about or freaked out about. I mean really…

AHLS at your service

When has your freaking out ever helped bring about sustainable solutions for change? As for me, I choose to take responsibility into my own hands. As a professional landscaper, former TV host, and Celebrity Landscaper, I travel the country spreading knowledge, goodwill, and what I know to be good horticultural practices. Locally, around the greater Sacramento, California area, I continue to offer landscaping services via my small business… Ahmad Hassan Landscape Services (AHLS). I love what I do and plan on doing it for a long, long time.

My own prediction is that for the next decade or more, I will continue to be solicited, and encourage best management practices while assisting folks with creating drought tolerant/friendly, and ecologically friendly landscapes, at home and abroad. Take a look at these two examples to give you an idea of what I mean. Here is a before and after of my client Annie Tran’s Yard

Ahmed Hassan Trans Home Before and After

Drought tolerant plants make for easy maintenance

And another example… the Hughes’ Lawn Before and After Transformation

Hughes Project by AHLS Ahmad Hassan Landscaping Services

Here we transformed the lawn into a dry creek bed

In order to keep the cost down in both instances we used lots of small plant material. Most folks have more time than money. As the plants grow, the boulders and rock work will diminish, as the garden and greenery take center stage. At the end of the day, my goal was to be ecologically sustainable, as well as create something for both of them that presents well aesthetically. This is my obligation to the planet, and a commitment I make to myself and the human race. I get a real kick out of being a role model for change.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan loves being a role model for change.

This guy wants to be a role model for change

I intentionally plan to leave my mark on the planet with my life and impact the world in my own small way.

Ahmed Hassanpresenting at a home and garden conference

Educating people on sustainability

Television allowed me to grow my popularity, and because of this, I am committed to returning to TV in order to become the next Anthony Bourdain of the environmental industry. Bourdain is best known for his ability to communicate and share folks experiences around food, wine, and culture. He loves what he does and it definitely shows through in the programming. This is why he has been so successful.

My interests lie more within our local and global environment. I seek to give people an expanded awareness of what’s going on in both their own backyards, and the local community, and beyond. I enjoy creating these outdoor living spaces and giving my clients and fans the tools that they need in order to make a positive impact during our evolutionary period. It’s all about educating and then putting that education to use if we’re going to make a difference. I believe most people will do whatever is necessary to live in a sustainable manner if they just knew what to do. My job is to teach them those very things.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan often calls himself the big mouth landscaper

Watch out… big mouth landscaper coming through!

I don’t claim to be an expert in all things environmental, but I do understand soil, plants, water management, and how water is utilized by plants. I also understand our need for plants as a part of our human diet and overall nutritional health. I’m a nerd in case you haven’t noticed… A garden nerd who gets by with the title of “Gardener”. I’m ok with that. I often introduce myself to people and call myself the “big mouth landscaper” because it’s true!

It’s this big mouth that let’s me bring about awareness within the Green Industry and affect sustainability. It also helps me affect positive change. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease because the squeaky wheel gets things done. Last week I had the opportunity to meet with the director of sustainability at Ewing Irrigation to discuss having me join their team of speakers and teachers on that subject.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan at Ewing Irrigation in Phoenix, Arizona

Partnering with Ewing Irrigation to make a difference!

A little later this year you’ll have an opportunity to learn even more about what I’ve been doing over the past year with another irrigation manufacturer, Hunter Industries. I feel like all of us humans, landscapers, gardeners or not, need to take responsibility for ourselves and this planet. We don’t have another planet to move to and if we did, we’d likely throw that one out of balance as well. Learning what we need to, in order to improve and make living conditions better, is a real trial and error process. It took us many years to get to where we’re at. I only hope that we can expedite our learning curve so we can enjoy the years we have left and create something sustainable for our children, and their children, to enjoy.

Thank you for reading and sharing and caring.

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Badassery

February 19, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 3 Comments

“Badassery”… it’s the stuff that hero’s are made of.

The Avengers know this well

It’s true! I believe in being a show off! I believe in knowing how to do something so well that you can entertain others with your magnificence. There’s something magical about the confidence that each one of us has around those things we know how to do well. Others are awestruck at the mere sight of our performance.

Most folks know me simply as the guy that hosted that HGTV or DIY Network show “Yard Crashers”.

How is this for a #TBT pic?!!

What you’d also know, if you’re truly familiar with the show, is that once I was removed and replaced as host, the show never quite appealed to people in the same vein. This is because of one simple fact that the network nor the production company ever took into account. Yard Crashers was not a “gardening” show, and it was hardly a show to teach people about landscaping. It was a show about Outdoor Living and Badassery!

It was a show that brought millions of viewers the latest and greatest on backyard bling. It was also a show where I worked with various other badasses in order for us to collaborate, and create some of the most impressive backyards that the average man or woman could ever imagine. My team and I get to take the credit for these Outdoor creations. This was not simply Ahmed designing and installing each one these fabulous, flamboyant yards. Before we went to work on crashing the yards, I would work with my young, dynamic, and ambitious producers; Tiffany Cascio and Kristel Devries, in order to develop our plan of what we simply thought would be cool, different, and most appealing to the homeowners, viewers, and ourselves. We also had a pretty dynamic dude that worked as program director for Scripps Networks by the name of Ross Babbit. Ross was the final shot caller for all intents and purposes. He would send us love notes letting us know what he/the network liked or disliked. In other words, what they wanted more of or less of.

When I was hired as a TV host for DIY Network, what the network liked most about me was that I was a real, and authentic, landscape professional. This was what the network was all about; having real life professionals, not just a pretty face TV host. Of course, having a pretty face can only help.

Who could resist this face, right?

What the network also appreciated about me was my vein of arrogance. I have been doing outside work in landscaping most of my life. The only other thing I’ve been doing as long as landscaping is roller skating as many of you know. Roller skating and landscaping are my 2 favorite hobbies.

Me lacing up my skates!

I want you to know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a show off. We should actually aspire to being a little more pride filled in all of the things that we do. Taking pride in how we carry ourselves is what I learned from growing up, and being exposed to the Nation of Islam as a child. I was taught etiquette, to speak properly and carry myself in such a manner of respect and royalty, so that others would learn to treat me with respect in turn.

This is somewhat of a social psychological game where a person creates a socially acceptable way in which they are perceived in order to manipulate another person so that they respond to you according to the perception of your choosing. There are of course times to play the humble and meek roles like both the Buddhist and Christian philosophies teach, but there’s also a time and place in which we must stand tall and lead by example. In order to get people’s attention we must do this in an impressive way.

Mystic Force Director Sylvia Vanni and Daniella Collazo

The reason I share this information with you is because yesterday I posted and utilized the word Badass all day long. I actually put out a call to my fellow Badasses and invited you all to unite with me around the plight of sweet little Daniella Collazo.

She is a 2 yr old little girl living with stage IV Neuroblastoma. Daniella was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma when she was just a baby. She is living a life that is already challenged beyond any sort of what we might call fairness. Cancer isn’t fair. The survival rate for children living with Stage IV Neuroblastoma is 30%. Life isn’t fair. Neither is Neuroblastoma. It merely is what it is, a degenerative disease that attacks the immune system and literally takes lives. Now I’m not trying to save the world and cure all of it’s problems, yet I am seeking to stand tall and lead by example. I strive to not just be “the best”. I want to do my personal best. In order to do that I’ve gotta dig my heels in, clarify my internal self talk and create, then maintain a sense of urgency and determination like an Olympic athlete.

Heroes for Positive Change

Badassery is the name of the game folks. It’s time we all focus a bit more on our Badassness and do it for the most noble of causes. Be a hero for positive change like the people pictured here…. Stand firm and be committed to creating a beauty filled life for yourself and those around you. Be a conscious warrior for our generation and leave your mark as all good Badasses do. I thank you for your time and contemplation in doing so.

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Green it Up This Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 1 Comment

ROSES are red…

VIOLETS are blue…

Boy do I have a GREEN Valentine’s Day idea for you!

Go green with your love this year

It’s that time of year again, not only is Valentine’s day a reminder of the official day to start your annual rose pruning stateside, but it’s also the prickly cash crop’s largest harvest of the year. The interesting thing is, roses aren’t even blooming in February, unless of course they’re grown in green houses or shipped from South America.

Have you ever thought to consider just how many folks will head out this holiday, and buy roses, or some other fresh cut flowers this Valentine’s day? And have you ever considered that cut flowers could be anything other than “Green”or eco friendly.

You might be surprised to find the stats from last year as to how many folks had the same idea you did and decided to buy their significant other some fresh cut flowers on February 14th. Going green and not being all party pooperish is still fairly easy to accomplish. Because I love both the planet and the human race I’ve decided to make it my duty to spread a lil love and some creative and affordable ideas for you this Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day Love from your favorite Celebrity Landscaper!

Cut flowers, foliage, branches and berries all make attractive bouquet ingredients. Dry flowers and even seed pods can all be assembled in some fashionable arrangement to where your significant love interest is bound to feel special on the day of love. There really aren’t any hard and fast rules with regards to what Valentine’s day brings. The pagan holiday started way back when, while it’s significance on several levels is somewhat warped and wrapped up in our history. The only reason I even celebrate the day is because the essence of what I understand is that it’s a day to recognize our loved ones.

The day before V day I ended up flying out of town to a skate party in Arizona. I did however leave a few early Valentine’s day gifts for both Tiffanie and the kids. The kids merely got aloe vera gummy bears and a personalized, loving note from Dad. Tiffanie got a little more substantial gift and I hope she knows that in spite of us spending time separately this weekend, I love her dearly.

Ahmed Hassan- Tiffanie Hassan Power Partner

Me and My Valentine

Upon my arrival to AZ, I drove by the Arizona Flower Market and couldn’t help but say hi to my fellow Petal Pushing friend Brad Denham. Brad owns 3 businesses that will provide you with local or imported fresh flowers, foliage, and accoutrements for making your own DIY floral arrangements in the greater Phoenix metro area.

Me and fellow petal pusher Brad Denham

Behind the scenes at Arizona Family Florist:

Brad spices his arrangements up with accent greenery

More greenery used for making your flowers look spectacular!

Brad’s “canvas” that he uses to create his artwork!

Here you might be a bit more limited within your own garden space or desire an extra bit of floral color. Brad also operates 3 other businesses all designed to assist you with gifts and floral or plant decor in AZ. All of his pricing is quite reasonable since he’s wholesale to the public, and family owned and operated. They sell floral supplies, arrangements, floral services for weddings and special occasions, and delicious, edible, decorative fruit bouquets!

One of many delicious fruit bouquets Brad offers!

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10 Interesting Tree Facts!

February 3, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 1 Comment

Yesterday’s pictures and Facebook post led me to thinking I should share 10 interesting facts about trees with my peeps. That’d be you if you’re reading this! So here they are in no particular order. I assume I can even come up with 10, if not I might just wing it and make up some stuff (kidding).

1. Did you know that trees are quite different than all other plant species? Unlike herbaceous plants, trees develop a large wooden structure that rises high above the ground. This allows the tree’s canopy (it’s leaves that actually feed the plant and keep it alive), to reach high above other plants, and receive the necessary light it needs in order to survive.

2. In the plant world, trees are the tallest members, the most prominent, and the most permanent. While I wouldn’t say that they are the most important, I will say they add value to your property because they are considered a permanent structure. Of course they must be healthy, in the right location, and have been properly and aesthetically maintained to be of value.

Trees add value to your property when maintained properly.

3. Because of their height, trees nurse smaller plants beneath them. Smaller plants benefit from the micro climate-controlled area created by the trees. They also benefit from fallen leaves that decompose, and recycled nutrients around the base of the tree. One more thing, the trees canopy drips for hours after rainfall. This continues to moisten the soil around it’s base, not only benefiting the tree’s roots, but the neighboring plant roots of other lower canopy plants.

4. Trees are typically sold…

ball and burlap

bare root during dormancy

pot or container

5. Leaves have evolved from needles and other appendage like structures that are attached to the wooden scaffold/branches of the tree. Earlier trees that existed were more closely related to our current coniferous species. Trees have evolved and adapted to their environment. In colder, more severe weather areas, trees began shedding their leaves during times of drought, and during the winter. Once the snow melts and weather begins to warm, leaves reemerge enough to resume regular growth rates and development of the tree.

6. Trees in the nursery are sold in several forms.
Street Tree: Typically tall with first limbs up around 6ft or higher
Standard: This one is very common. The term means that the tree looks somewhat like a lollipop or the way that a child draws a tree, with trunk and a head.
Multi Stem: Means just what it says. The tree has a single trunk then splits into typically 3, sometimes more trunks, fairly low from the ground.
Low Branching: Is when the tree develops it’s first branches fairly close to the ground. A tree can have multiple trunks and also be low branching. Conifers are typically sold this way. If the low branches get in the way of the landscape design, they are just sawn or lopped off.

7. Many shrubs and grasses are grown as trees and are often thought of as trees even though they are technically shrubs or grasses. A few examples are Citrus, Crape Myrtle, Palms, and Manzanita just to name a few.

8. The primary difference concerning the use of trees and shrubs in your residential landscape is as follows. Trees should be planted and given space from your house foundation, sidewalks, etc., whereas shrubs can be planted much closer. They will do less damage because their roots don’t grow as large in size. They are far less likely to damage your hardscaping by pushing it up.

9. When trees come from the nursery they are shipped with a nursery stake. This stake aids the nursery grower in shipping the tree. You can and most often should remove this stake once the tree is planted. Otherwise it’s likely to do more damage than good by rubbing against the trunk and preventing branches from developing where the stake is. Proper staking techniques can be found in this YouTube video. I approve of what he’s doing, but might need to shoot my own video soon.

10. Wow! I’m already at #10 and I’m just getting warmed up! So the last couple of things I’ll tell you about trees is that once the tree has reached the same size, or is larger in caliper (trunk thickness) than the stakes, feel free to remove them. The tree will actually sway in the wind a bit, but that’s okay. Every time it sways, the roots are gently stimulated. They will respond by growing even more roots, thereby increasing the foundation and stability of the tree helping it to weather the next storm.

10.5 Sorry, I couldn’t help myself! Whenever you find a fallen or leaning tree, only straighten it and lift it into position once. Gather your guy wire, tree stakes, and straps. Then fix the tree once, remembering not to make the stake or bracing so tight that the tree can’t sway a bit. Think of it like a brace or cast on your leg. If you wore your brace too long and too tight, you’d never become a strong track runner. Your tree needs to sway and be challenged a bit in the wind in order to develop it’s root system in the same way that your body needs movement to develop your muscles. The stakes or braces are merely to keep it from being toppled completely.

So there you have it, 10.5 great facts about trees you can use the next time you consider planting or staking your tree. The weather will warm up in the next few months and you’ll likely be able to put this information to good use. One final thank you to my photographer and friend Tim Engle for the feature image on this post. This is just one of many amazing outdoor images he has collected. Don’t just take my word for it though, click the link and see for yourself.

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Shifting Towards Sustainability

January 29, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 1 Comment

Sustainability involves death. You might be thinking that is a bit counter intuitive. When we hear the word sustainability we most often think about something lasting. However, that is just one aspect; true sustainability involves so much more. Nature teaches us that nothing truly can last forever in a single form.

Consider how things change…

We have 4 seasons each year.
The weather continues to shift and change as it pleases.
The water and waves wash onto the shore only to be swept back into the sea.
The sun rises in the east each morning then sets along the western skyline.

About the only thing that is truly permanent is change and the cycles of life! I’ve never had a “new” anything that kept it’s “newness”. I’ve never visited any place that didn’t look different with the passing of time each time I returned.

So what does it really mean to be, and live, sustainably?

In my opinion it takes an understanding that the earth is alive. It takes respecting the fact that products and inventions are created, and they (just like nature), will deteriorate and return to the earth. It is not something that MIGHT happen, it is something that WILL happen.

I tell people this…

“The only thing live plants need in order to survive is the decomposition of dead plants,

aka organic matter or compost. “

In the beginning there was nothing and everything. Mankind figured out how to build and create. Stone, then straw and wood. Being a Landscaper was not my initial goal. As a kid I remember wanting to be a carpenter. I wanted to build and create. Landscaping was what I settled into because I learned from my dad how to work outside. I discovered how to improve the aesthetics around my home and yard. I digress; let me get back to the issue of sustainability.

Wood, as dimensional lumber, is still hugely popular as a building material and I assume that it will be for some time to come. It is sustainable. We grow trees for harvesting. Once harvested, the wood is milled and utilized for a multitude of purposes. Those uses have evolved over the years as sustainability practices have improved.

First we have pressure treated wood. This evolved from our desire to slow the natural deterioration process. The chemicals used are harmful to the so called “pests” that feed on the wood. This makes the wood last longer and slows the need for harvesting more natural resources.

Some is used for composite decking. This was developed as a means to give a bit of permanence to wood. Much of today’s composite decking is actually made from recycled plastic bags and a blend of recycled wood pulp. It assists us with not having the need to develop, grow and or exploit new raw materials and other goods. It is sustainable!

There are also several other inventions like PVC decking, bamboo decking and unique products like Nyloboard. These boards are made from recycled carpet fibers. Pretty neat stuff!

From carpet to concrete, we have been loving our floors for a long time!

When I was a kid growing up here in the states, everyone had carpet in their homes. Wall to wall carpet was the norm. These days many folks are more interested in hardwood floors, or laminate, if not concrete and tile.

My point in all of this is to say that there is no ultimate evil when it comes to manufacturing. As mankind evolves we are merely seeking to develop and create sustainable products that will both suffice for whatever the intended purpose is as well as generate the capital needed to maintain and build businesses, while also supporting the global economy.

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Our innovation creates capital for global sustainability.

In the United States we’ve become accustom to recycling, reusing, and manufacturing our new products with formerly used products (our waste). Our sustainability, and global health, require us to do this. We must continue to seek out better ways to create a greener environment, and do less damage in the process. My hope is that every person reading this blog will begin using the word “sustainability” in your regular vocabulary.

Then put that word to use by taking action on the following questions:

1. How can I personally assist nature and be a part of the natural solution?

2. How can I relate to others and build relationships that are sustainable?

3. How do the products that I buy and use support our local, regional and global sustainability?

You will begin to notice your life moving in cycles is you do this. Recycling bottles, Reusing shopping bags at the grocery store, saving scraps for your compost pile, etc. That is completely normal. Remember that things come and go, it is what we do at the end of their life cycle that contributes to sustainability. After all, to quote myself…

“The thought of any product living and existing forever is scary and in no way sustainable.”

-Ahmed Hassan Celebrity Landscaper

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I Too Have a Dream, Actually, I Have Many!

January 21, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 1 Comment

Dreams are what life is made of. Good dreams, bad dreams, insignificant dreams, and great big, “OMG that would be awesome if we ever got there dreams!”

When I look back over the landscape of my life, I notice how all of my dreams have either come true, lost their direction and focus, or simply evolved into something new and different. Dreams by definition are something that you think about, envision, or imagine. They are something that has yet to be fulfilled.

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How many do you have?

Once they are, we simply call it life. Dreams are those things we FOCUS and meditate on. This is referred to by many as prayer. The difference with praying and dreaming is the “wanting” or “petitioning” aspect. When we pray, we often ask God or the Universe for what we desire. A dream has nothing to do with God, necessarily, but everything to do with our belief system.

This is why we believe what’s happening around us, or to us, is real when we are in a dream state. For example, I had a dream the other night that I was boxing with rats. I was punching them. Large kitty-cat sized rats. Apparently in my sleep I actually lunged out. It scared the heck out of Tiffanie, who was lying next to me.

Contrast that dream with this one. When I was 19yrs old, I had a dream that I’d own a landscaping business complete with trucks, trailers, tools and equipment. I have all of that now, its called Ahmad Hassan Landscape Services! I also had a dream I’d be a TV host, done! I had a dream I’d be a dad and I am. The span of my life, just like your life, has been filled with dreams. It’s been filled with prayer.

So I ask you just like I ask myself.

What are your DREAMS?
Beyond that… What are you DOING in order to make your DREAMS come true?

Most of us have heard that all things are possible to those that believe. I’ll tell you that belief starts with what we envision. It begins with what we dream up, what we agree and say yes to. I let go of the dream where I woke up swinging at rats. I merely cast it off and said “It was just a dream.” In this sense, I allowed myself to detach from that altered state of reality.

Your dream could make the next big difference.

We can all do this. Reality is merely a choice by which we confirm what is true and real versus what doesn’t really exist. Time is the greatest teacher of this truth. Time will tell us what is real and what was just a farce or a dream. For instance, I could say that I live in Timbuktu, but over TIME I would begin to realize other indicators that point closer to Sacramento. An elementary example, but you get the point. If there’s something that you truly want, something that you truly believe in, then keep on dreaming. Hold fast to that dream. Give it time.

However, If you wake up to the reality that you’re swinging in your sleep at rats…you might wanna change your thinking and let go of whatever it is that’s causing you strife. Oh, and if your dream happens to involves other people, I should warn you. Those other people have dreams of their own and in no way are your dreams more powerful, nor do they take precedent over their dreams. We must respect, work with, and acknowledge other people in what they want to accomplish. We must collaborate with, rather than fight with one another. We must possess a certain amount of respect for other beings and subscribe to the fact that we’re all dreamers.

We all have the same capacity and birthright as I’ve said before, to say “Yes, no, maybe so, and I’ve changed my mind”. We all have the power to shape and mold our dreams into our a unique picture of reality. Little by little (time), life, and nature continue to show us what’s real. Give thanks for the life you’ve created thus far. If you’re not enjoying where things are at and would like to see or experience a change, then start dreaming a new dream!

Modify your thinking and your perspective, believe a new thought, take hold of a new idea. Start a new dream. It’s your life and your reality. Turn life’s lemons into lemonade by being responsible in this… acknowledging you are a dreamer. Yes, you too have a dream!

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Abundantly Blessed!

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