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Protecting Our Waterways During Construction and Development

November 4, 2014 By Ahmed Hassan

This post is stimulated from none other than fan and friend Patricia Herron!

Patricia: So they’re building a housing development near me. My daughter noticed that on the hills they have placed rolls of something that look like hay. They’re also spraying the hillside with some sort of greenish blue stuff. We couldn’t figure out why. I said to her it’s probably stuff to stop weeds or some kind of grass seeding system. Then I told her I’ll just ask my friend Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan. So… am I right?

 

Ahmed: You’re right, the greenish spray is what’s known as hydroseed. I would love to credit Ahmad Hassan Landscape Services as the inventor, but that simply is not the case. Yet I do know what the product is used for, and can give a little insight for you and your daughter to satisfy curiosities sake. Hydroseed is a slurry of grass seed that’s sprayed with a greenish paper pulp mulch, or sometimes, a finely ground wood of sorts. The mulch helps keep the seed moist until it germinates.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahemd Hassan - Erosion Control During New Construction

Hillside showing tiered layers of Hydroseed used for erosion prevention

The rolls of straw or hay are called “wattles” and they’re used for erosion control to keep run off, soil, and dirty water from going into gutters and storm drain systems; as well as protect clean water ways like streams, creeks, and brooks. Whenever there’s new development and we get into the rainy season, you’ll see these tools and practices used.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan- Straw Wattles

Straw Wattles placed in long rows on top of Hydroseed prevent drainage problems from silt

Construction and development requires excavation of soil. This bare, exposed soil doesn’t drain very fast. Instead, it washes away down hill. Both hydroseeding and straw wattles are used to limit this run off and keep it from contaminating drainage systems. The cleaner a drainage system is, the better it functions. The problem with run off is twofold. First, you have to deal with small landslides and/or erosion of a hillside sliding away and sloughing off which would cause a construction clean-up nightmare.

The second, and more severe problem runoff creates, is of primary concern though. If you’ve ever washed soil down your driveway and had it end up in the gutter, then you have met this unassuming beast. The last of the super fine remains of soil are heavy, and require a lot of time, water, and broom work to push. This thick sludge like stuff is known as silt. By definition Silt is literally the last remains of soil. It is the smallest, sand like, particulate matter and it’s extremely difficult to manage and wash away.

Because this material is difficult to move, municipalities do everything possible to avoid ever getting it in their drainage ways. I know my city of Sacramento is more than diligent about it. The reason? Silt collects more of itself. So not only is silt heavy and hard to move; it builds up on itself, and like a magnet, attracts more silt. This heavy silt begins clogging up pipes and drain lines with a type of sludge (bust out your smart phone and look up “silt trap”). Here in California we use the date of October 15th as the official rainy season date. Other states may have different different deadlines. This is the date you’d better have erosion and soil water runoff control measures in place, or pay fines upwards of $30k if a municipality shows up and your construction site isn’t properly managed.

One other thing I wanna mention is what’s known as a “silt sock”.
If you walk down to the storm drain that your gutters empty into, you’ll likely see what looks like landscape fabric underneath the gutter drain grate. This is the final means of control before dirty, silty water enters the main, piped underground system.

So to recap:

1. Hydroseed is a method of applying and starting grass from seed. This grass grows roots that are used to take up water and stabilize hillsides by aggregating soil and holding it together. The foliage intercepts rain water so that it doesn’t compact soil, but instead hits the grass blades and runs down slowly into the soil, preventing erosion during construction and development.

2. Straw wattles are a second line of defense to slow and dam up silty water that’s running down hill. The water passes through the straw and the silt is caught there. This lessens the impact and the momentum of erosion while allowing water to do what it does and travel downhill.

3.Silt socks and catch apparatuses are used directly under and around storm drains.
All of these practices are mandated and enforced by local governments to keep our waterways clean and our drain ways flowing. They help avoid avoid floods and back ups. It’s a group effort to prevent floods and keep our reservoirs clean. The more you know, the more you can help do your own part.

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Filed Under: Landscape Construction & Property Improvements Tagged With: Ahmed Hassan, Celebrity Landscaper, construction, construction site maintenance, erosion prevention, grass seed, Landscape, Landscaping, protecting drainage systems, runoff prevention, Seeds, sewer runoff prevention, silt prevention, soil erosion, storm drain runoff

Caring for Indoor Plants

October 28, 2014 By Ahmed Hassan

10 Tips From Ahmed Hassan That He Thinks You’ll Really Wanna Know

What we typically grow as indoor plant species are actually tropical plants. These are plants accustomed to growing in hot, humid areas; similar to the hot, and sometimes humid, areas of your home. We humans tend to appreciate temps ranging from about 65 to 70 degrees, maybe a lil warmer if we want to snuggle. Many of the plants that you’ll find at your local nursery or garden center grow outside in places like Hawaii and South America. Heck, I’m from California and I often travel back east and find many of our western “houseplants” growing as annual foliage because the outside weather conditions are warmer and there is more humidity in the air.

What’s interesting is that it doesn’t matter where people live their lives. Plants are everywhere. They’re something we just can’t, and don’t want to live without. Today’s tips are going to hopefully help you better understand how to care for and co-exist with your foliage friends.

Tip # 1 Read up and do a bit of research on your houseplant.
When you buy your plant at the nursery or garden center, bust out your lil smart phone and use Google! Type in “How to care for…” whatever the specific plant name is. We live in the “Information Age”. This means that the information is literally at your finger tips. Use it! You’re paying for all that data on your phone anyway.

Tip # 2 Start w/kitchens and bathrooms.
The humidity in kitchens and bathrooms create just the right amount of humidity that houseplants need and rely on. These rooms have sinks nearby so it’s convenient to water them when you see the plant wilt. Be careful, however, of bathrooms that don’t have windows. Even houseplants need some indirect light in order to thrive. Some need more than others or they’ll start to decline. Again, do your research but these rooms are a great start since they usually have moisture present.

Tip #3 Do not water your houseplants on a regular schedule.
Instead check the plants regularly and water them only when they want to be watered. Most indoor plants die from people trying to hard. We somehow believe that plants will benefit from routine feeding. This is actually a farce. Imagine if everyday at 8 am, noon, and 6pm, I showed up to cram food and water down your throat? No matter where you were, what you were doing, there I was, “Boom! Blam!” water and feeding time! Forget your stress level, never mind if you’ve just had a snack or not. Sleepy? Tired? It doesn’t matter, I just crammed food and water down your throat. How good would you look?

All plants go through what’s called the Temporary Wilting Point, or TWP, where their leaves become flaccid and wilt. They’re showing you that they need water. Water your plants during the TWP. Within hours the leaves will be turgid, lush, and healthy looking.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan - Watering Houseplant

Pay attention to your plant. It will let you know when the next watering is due.

Tip #4 Saturate, but allow the soil to dry between waterings.
While some houseplants will tolerate being consistently wet, many need to dry out between waterings. The Tropics, because of their frequent persisting rainfall, have soil that contains less clay particles. This means that the soil’s ability to hold onto water, remaining wet and soggy, is greatly diminished. There’s no compacted clay to hold onto water. This is the reason houseplants are typically grown in extremely light and airy soil medium.  You are trying to mimic their natural environment. So saturate, then allow the houseplant to wilt before saturating again. If mobility isn’t possible, try using a turkey baster to remove waste water from saucers. Waste water doesn’t allow the soil to drain and will surely be the demise of your indoor friend.

Tip #5 Rotate plants so that leaves can develop in a more balanced manner.
Leaves grow toward the sun. Indoors we simply use light or nearby windows to give a plant it’s illumination needs. A simple spinning of the pot or container every so often works fine.

Be aware that when you spin the plant, you’ll likely lose other leaves that are no longer getting the light they were accustomed to. Remember what I mentioned earlier about bathrooms without windows. “No light, no leaves.”

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan - Houseplants in Window

Rotate plants periodically for balanced growth.

 

Tip #6 Plants don’t need nearly as much food as you think they do!
If you have it, use it but sparingly. Egg shells offer calcium, used coffee grounds, however, are superior.

You won’t need much though. Think of fertilizer as Red Bull, it’s got vitamins and gives you “wings” but too much of it and you will rot your gut. Also, never feed a plant without proper watering and removal of the waste water.

Tip #7 Water using recycled tepid water if you can.
Temperature does make a difference. Best selling plant book author Jack Kramer says “If you can drink the water from your tap, it’s fine for plants too. So don’t worry the plant to death; use the water from the tap, A good idea, however, is to let it stand overnight so it’s tepid rather than icy cold, to avoid shocking some of the plant roots. The quality of water is not as important.”

Standing water begins to build up algae. This algae in turn becomes a food source and fertilizer for houseplants. Plants also obtain much of their nutrients from the atmosphere. Dust and organic elements in the air, settle on the soil surface. When the soil is watered, these micro particles become micro compost that delivers nutrients to the soil.

Tip #8 Prune only what’s absolutely necessary.
Pruning actually steals food and nourishment from the houseplant. Leaves create food for the roots, so removing any leaves and branches limits the root growth and development of said plant. So limit removal of leaves to those that are dead, or mostly dead and brown. It’s normal for old leaves to die, in the same way that it’s normal for you and I to lose old hair and skin cells.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan- Houseplant Pruning

Prune carefully to avoid stunting growth.

Tip #9 Protect your floors and carpet.
Water seepage happens. Be sure to use double layers of floor protection whenever possible. There are plenty of floor saving products out there. I suggest you find products that look the way you want them to aesthetically; and create 2 layers of protection from water seepage. I warned you, now go and be careful with your wood floors.

Tip #10 Talk to your plants.
Folks wanna know if it really helps to talk to your houseplants. My answer is yes! Plants take in CO2 and need Carbon Dioxide to live and thrive. We humans expel this Carbon Dioxide. Plants expel oxygen. This gaseous exchange is good for us both.

Additional Information:

Here’s a link if you’d like to learn more on what benefits both plants and people.

And another on the benefits of plants and how they clean our air, as well as which houseplants are best for doing this in your indoor spaces, according to NASA.

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Filed Under: Aesthetics & Gardening Tagged With: Ahmed Hassan, Celebrity Landscaper, Home, houseplant care, houseplant maintenance, houseplants, indoor plants, Landscaping, Plants

Water Bottles, Water Bottles, and Recycled Water Bottles

October 21, 2014 By Ahmed Hassan

Recycle, Reuse, Repeat
We Americans are particularly blessed with abundance. We live and exist in a land where items are given away and discarded with leisure. We don’t think twice about throwing something away. In fact, we tend to believe we are doing the right thing. I think this has a lot to do with how we were brought up. Remember those “anti-litter” campaigns that various states did when we were younger? They were prolific for a while.

They made quite an impact too. Texas particularly, did a good job with their campaign and had quite noticeable results. It seems like we got control of our litter problem as a nation. Now we live in the age of Recycle and Reuse. For a few years, those terms turned into buzzwords that were hijacked by companies and politicians. This may or may not have cheapened the movement as a whole, but recycling and reusing is nothing new. Our grandparents recycled and reused. They were either poor, or perhaps children (possibly even grandchildren), of the Great Depression.

Yet I think now we live in a different time and place. We understand the importance of recycling and reusing so our landfills are not overburdened and our waste does not destroy the environment. If you distill the concepts down to a single phrase, they become quite simple. When it comes to recycling and reusing, it’s merely a case of being conscientious and not wasting.

I will say/write that again because it bears repeating. When it comes to recycling and reusing, it’s merely a case of being conscientious and not wasting.

When we respect nature by only taking and using what’s needed, we not only lessen our carbon footprint; but stand to save time, money, and energy as well. You see, it is my opinion that we have a duty to be mindful of our natural resources. By resources I simply mean the local resources we rely on and have become accustomed to having as a part of our daily lives.

To that end, Seasonally, I’ll share certain blog topics that will give simple and useful directions on how we can live in harmony with nature. Think of these as idea think tanks. Draw on them for creativity then, turn them into action.

Conscious Conservation
So let’s talk a bit about recycling and conservation by revisiting a blurb from my Facebook and Twitter post last week. In touching on the drought in my home state of California, I mentioned harvesting rain water as a means to water your plants at home; thereby saving drinking water.

Seems like a great idea right? That’s because it is! Rain water is much more beneficial to your plants in terms of nutrients and purity. Some states, particularly Oklahoma and Texas, encourage rainwater harvesting. They view this as an assistance to drought prevention and good citizenship overall. Here is the ironic thing though, some states have outlawed it altogether. That’s right! Utah, Washington, and Colorado make the claim that the rain actually belongs to someone else. Rain that would normally run off into their very valuable streams and rivers is essentially “hijacked” by people using rain barrels.

Now it is not my place to offer an opinion on those state laws, but I do feel it is my duty to keep you informed. Remember what I said earlier about being conscientious and not wasting? Checking up on your local recycling and/or rainwater harvesting laws certainly falls into the “conscientious” part. The last thing you want to do is go off on a recycling kick and end up with a hefty fine! Yet, with a little research, you can come up with ways to conserve resources in your area that are legal, and in some cases actually encouraged with various tax benefits. I really believe we can move the needle on conservation if we all just do our own small part every day.

Recycling Begins with Awareness
If necessity is the mother of invention, then recycling is the mother of conscientiousness. Can you tell that recycling is another thing I am quite passionate about? The truth is, I reuse as often as I can. Take for instance my flight this past weekend. The flight attendant gave me a small white insulated coffee cup, as well as two small white napkins. They give away napkins every time they give you anything when you’re flying. Despite her asking me twice if I would like to have them thrown away I kept them and look forward to reusing them during my weekend travel. It’s a small thing, but I do make sure that I either use, or recycle them, because I genuinely believe it makes a difference.

In fact, every thing I can do makes a difference.  In 2014 I established the “Hassan Household Bottled Water Ban”. Quite simply, I made the decision to stop purchasing bottled water. Our family of five was going through at least one case of bottled water per week. That is a lot of empty plastic bottles being made, shipped, and sold to either clog up a landfill or recycling center. We have since switched to reusable glass jars , formerly sold to us filled with spaghetti sauce (yes, I recycle everything I can at home), as well as canteens, or water bottles like the one pictured below.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan- Reusable Water Bottle

My Reusable Water Bottle

It really is not hard to refill a water bottle, and we all rest easier at night knowing that 1,248 plastic bottles are not going to a landfill, or causing me or the garbage man to drive across town and recycle them for pennies on the dollar at the recycling plant. Again, it’s all about doing your part to make society more sustainable or “green”.

Just look around and you will see many other people already involved in the Green Movement. Conversation is where it’s at! The folks who made my little insulated coffee cup on that flight are doing their part to create a sustainable environment. A quick survey of our modern and savvy society will show you that many of us are making a difference. For example, did you know that Walmart now sells organic produce? This is because people like you and me demanded it and then, supported it. Walmart didn’t want stores like Whole Foods to be the only spot in town and so… you get the point. The more of these types of things we do, the more sustainable our society will become. The Green Movement will turn into a societal norm. You have to understand this is not just about preserving the world for our children and grandchildren. This is about paying it forward for generations we will never meet.

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Filed Under: New Trends & Ideas Tagged With: Ahmed Hassan, Celebrity Landscaper, eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, Gardening, Landscaping, Organic, Organic Vegetables, recycle, reuse, sustainability, water conservation, Yard

Water Water Everywhere… Except California

October 13, 2014 By Ahmed Hassan

Those of you who know me understand how passionate I am about preserving our environment through nurture and conservation. I believe there are many natural methods we can use to make our lawns greener and healthier without adding harmful chemicals to the mix. I also believe that we should conserve the resources we have been given. We are stewards of this planet and as such it is our job to not only take care of it for our basic survival needs, but also ensure it thrives for future generations as well as is aesthetically pleasing.

With that in mind, I want to share a bit about water conservation. California has experienced an unprecedented drought for the past three years. Since 2011, we have received very little rain and it is starting to show, big time. A few weeks ago I posted a pic on Facebook showing the Bidwell Bar Bridge that passes over Lake Oroville. The pic was taken near Bidwell Marina and shows the reality of how this drought has affected us. Here are the pics again in case you missed the facebook post.

green bridge green bridge 2

 That is a pretty stark comparison right? The first pic shows the lake in 2011 while the second one taken this year shows the lake at it’s current water level. Now I understand that we have had a few hefty rainstorms as of late, but these have been described as merely a “drop in the bucket”. If we Californians continue using water at our current level, there is growing concern that some towns might actually run out of drinking water. This is not a conspiracy theory, this is a scientific fact. It’s also one of the reasons I did not participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I am a fan of raising money for charity and I did make my own $100 donation towards the cause. I just can not in good conscience participate in something that might cause a daisy chain event where hundreds or thousands of gallons of water are wasted when we are under such extreme drought conditions.

The point of all of this is to say that in order for anything significant to happen, significant action must be taken. My fair city of Sacramento is taking action. They have implemented a stage two water shortage contingency plan.

The short version of the plan is as follows:

  • Watering is reduced to two days per week
  • Odd-numbered addresses must limit watering to Tuesdays and Saturdays
  • Even-numbered addresses are to water on Wednesdays and Sundays
  • No automatic irrigation watering is to happen on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays (This does not limit hand watering since it’s difficult to over use and waste hand watering)
  • All watering is to be done prior to 10 AM or after 7 PM (Since evaporation of irrigation water is greatly reduced during these times.)
  • No over watering is permitted. This typically applies to things like watering your lawn and having run-off that spills onto the side walk, street, or gutter.

If you are a Californian, check your local municipality’s website or that of the county in which you live. Then simply comply. It is incumbent upon all of us to take decisive action so that the situation as a whole will improve.

If you do not live in California, there are still ways you can contribute. After all, water is one of those universal resources that we all use. Consider installing a rain barrel outside of your house and use the collected water for your garden or plants. This conserves fresh water aka drinking water. If your soil is predominantly clay based you might also consider installing drip irrigation as a means to water your shrubs or other plants around the exterior of your home. Drip irrigation is efficient and just as effective as traditional spray or what we call “overhead watering”. If properly installed and managed, drip irrigation can be highly efficient and effective. There are other things you can do to conserve water as well, but my point is simply to raise our awareness of the issue. If we think about how we use water in our own homes, and develop a plan to conserve it, then we will make a difference.
Little by little.

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Filed Under: New Trends & Ideas Tagged With: Ahmed Hassan, california drought, Celebrity Landscaper, eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, Home, sustainability, water conservation

The Truth About Sustainability

October 3, 2014 By Ahmed Hassan

Join Celebrity Landscaper – Ahmed Hassan, in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday, October 4, 2014 to learn the truth about sustainability. Those who attend can expect to be both informed and entertained, but most importantly Ahmed will demystify the process for you.

If you aren’t in the local Fairfax region, you can tune into Merrifield’s weekly televised gardening program, Merrifield’s Gardening Advisor. This popular television program airs Saturday at 8 a.m. on NewsChannel 8 in District of Columbia, Maryland and Northern Virginia as well as  being seen on DIRECTV.

Would you like to ask Ahmed a question? Visit Merrifield’s Facebook page before 4:00 PM on Friday, October 3rd and post your questions on their wall and your question may be selected for Ahmed to answer on their live TV show!
Ahmed-Hassan-Truth-About-Sustainability-Seminar


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Filed Under: Television & Dreamscapes Tagged With: Ahmed Hassan, Ahmed Hassan on Television, Ahmed Hassan Personal Appearance, Ahmed Hassan TV, Celebrity Landscaper, eco-friendly, eco-friendly gardening, environmentally friendly, Fairfax, garden, Landscape, sustainability, Television, TV, Virginia

Organic Seeds for Your Garden

February 23, 2014 By Ahmed Hassan

 

Carolyn Kenyon not only sells heirloom and organic seeds, but last year she decided to personally hand write the names on most of her seed packs.  I personally think that the hand written seed packs also keeps within the whole “Organic” feel and flavor of things.  My 2014 Landscape and garden will boast 24 or more different varieties of her heirloom and interesting plant choices.

 

Kenyon Organics - Seeds - Salt Lake City Utah

Kenyon Organics, is an urban backyard gardening business located in Salt Lake City, Utah. They offer the area’s most extensive line of heirloom plants, seeds, and amendments to the home gardener as well as the very tastiest varieties of home grown, well nurtured produce to private buyers or farmer’s market shoppers.

They are firm believers in growing wholesome food which has not been genetically modified and founded this business on organic growing principles, with a commitment to offering our gardening friends with the most diverse and pure food supply around.  No GMOs here either. Kenyon Organics has a passion for growing and SHARING heirloom and open-pollinated food options with all people and it is what prompted them to start their  “home-grown” business back in 2008.  “We too were frustrated with the lack of food diversity, not to mention veggies that tasted good, in our local grocery stores. Growing our own food was not enough. We wanted to teach our family, friends, and neighbors that there are much better, more wholesome food options than what we have become used to in our food supply, especially when kids are involved, or people who say they don’t like tomatoes. I was once that person too and now I just tell them “You haven’t tried my tomatoes, I can change your opinion!”   We focus on flavor, freshness, and nutritional value and have a passion for teaching organic, small space, season extending gardening techniques and food preserving and offer many workshops throughout the year. 

A huge part of our business is giving back to the community which we do in ways such as: donating entire gardens, plants, or seeds to senior centers, transitional homeless housing, family programs, community gardens, schools, colleges, and rehabilitation programs. We also have our own network of low income seniors that we donate fresh produce and canned goods to during the growing months.” You can purchase Kenyon Seeds by visiting Carolyn’s shop Kenyon Organics on Etsy

 

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Filed Under: Aesthetics & Gardening Tagged With: Edibles, Gardening, Home, Landscape, Landscaping, Organic, Organic Vegetables, Plants, Seeds, Yard

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