Landscape – Page 2

To Be Continued Part 2

June 16, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan Leave a Comment

So it’s been 1 week since Chelle and I both said yes to doing her tiny yard. One week of me visualizing and thinking on how I can best and most creatively construct a new and improved space for this real estate Diva. She’s so cute with all of her dreams and ideas.

First there’s…

Chelle’s inspiration pic

A beautiful small space garden. This space is gorgeous and a wonderful use of building materials and the elements. This space is also about 12 to 15 times more than Chelle’s budget of $4k. It’s likely a $60k small yard considering the built in seat wall, water fountain, tile flooring, custom wrap around exotic wood carpentry, plantings, bed work, irrigation and drainage. Oh and don’t forget the additionally priced items that add even more to the space, like the sauna in the corner and the small bistro set. This yard is also about 50% bigger than Chelle’s space but it’s a perfect inspiration pic for her to share with me so that I know what moves her.

Then there’s…

Chelle’s inspiration pics for her fence

Another of Chelle’s pic was this mixed media rock pathway and custom fencing. Chelle’s current budget isn’t enough to even build the fencing but what it does tell me is that I could trim out in a dark color and paint the field of the fence lighter to give her an effect.
We shall see.

She also sent this fence pic to me to serve as inspiration…

Another fence inspiration pic from Chelle

This pic cracked me up, because of the fact that it’s a Yard Crashers project that Badass Designer Jake Moss and I did several years ago for Mike and Erin Hare. They’ve since remodeled their space, and this water feature wasn’t what Chelle was pointing out. It was instead, the Bond brand Bamboo fencing . By the way, bamboo isn’t in the budget. I’ll likely get a great deal on paint, and simply paint fencing, unless Chelle decides to dig a lil deeper.

Anything beats what she’s currently got, which is what you see below.

The bones of the fence are good. I just need to find a way to dress it up a bit.

Finally, her final inspiration pic was this one…

Final inspiration pic from Chelle

That’s right, Chelle wants stained concrete for that there walkway. I’m seeing if my homeboy Ben with “Just Stain It” is up for the job. Stay tuned…

She’s so cute. Here is another water feature from Yard Crashers. Jake Moss, you’re still the man! He designed and we installed the copper wall with shear decent in like season 1 of YC. Chelle’s budget unfortunately won’t get her either of these but I’ve got a sweet set up for her. Just you wait!

I looked on how I could save money without compromising the space’s creative flare, since my first rendering cost about $7500. For more information about the creative part of this process, and what it took to arrive at a final rendering, take a look at last week’s post. Finalizing a budget that is realistic, and one that meets the expectations of a client, takes work!

Because I’m a professional landscaper and gardener I’ve always got leftover materials and goods, just waiting to be utilized and given a new life. Upcycling is a term that best describes this adventure in recycling. There is ALWAYS a chance that something can be used again. Just because it is discarded does not mean its life is over. If you are nodding your head right now then you are one of those people who troll neighborhoods looking for “upcycling material”. Usually this material comes in the form of large piles of “stuff” people have thrown out of their house for one reason or another. To most it looks like trash, but you see treasure. Well to that end, “One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure”, and Chelle’s new water feature, if you ask me. Pics and a little video of the water feature will be shared next week in the 3rd but not yet final post and documentation of this small space install. For now, enjoy the inspiration pics she sent me. Also, keep in mind that she wants to hear water. Here’s a sneak peak of what I’m cooking up. Take a look at my scaled base rendering below! I blew it up extra big for you. Bonus points if you can read my chicken scratch!

Adrienne gives me the base, I do the sketching!

Thanks for caring and sharing.

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To Be Continued

June 9, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 1 Comment

Where to get started is often the question that many of us have when it comes to designing our outdoor living space or yard. These days there are inspiration sites like Pinterest and Houzz to provide images and ideas. It’s just enough to get us excited so we can begin to at least start the process of designing and developing our dream garden.

Last week I met Chelle Henderson. She’s working on her second garden. In the last year she’s inherited her mom’s small yard and home in Natomas, California. She told me that it was a tiny space, and that it would probably be the smallest backyard I’d ever done. While she was wrong, it was a small space, and it has been a while since I’ve dreamt up something that would not only be limited and beautiful in size, but also be done with a very limited budget. This means Ahmad Hassan Landscape Services would need to be creative.

Creativity runs through my veins. I love the process of making and creating amazing outdoor spaces.

I actually pride myself in being creative, whether it be upcycling, or choosing an awesome plant palette that is most conducive to the space, exposure and what’s ultimately wanted from my homeowner.

Today’s blog post could have gone many different directions. I had a few different ideas last night as to what I might write about. After a careful and conscientious overview of what I’d most like to share with my fans and friends, I’ve decided to take you on a journey and let you all see just how I do what I do…

I’ve shared more than once on the fact that I do not offer free estimates. While Chelle’s yard was no different, I did decide to give her a cost break. First, because she was recommended by a friend/contractor of mine, and second, because I simply felt she was serious about working together. I decided to have one of my designers and drafts persons join me for the initial meeting at her home so that we could expedite the process and get to a design asap.

Here are a few pics of Chelles yard.

This is what I am going to transform!

It is small, but it will look amazing!

The pics were sent by Chelle at two different times of the day. This will help me determine the most appropriate plant palette according to the sun shade exposure at the hottest time of the year, since we’re in the summer season, and now’s the time that Chelle is ready to see some changes. Of course I’ve already had the budget conversation with Chelle and she started with wanting to spend no more than $2K. I convinced and educated her that a more realistic budget of approximately $4K was more realistic. When she finally said yes, I knew that this was the number I’d still have to utilize in order to base my design, and eventual installation, off of. Chelle’s time frame was asap. With an agreeable doubled budget than what she was first thinking, I had my marching papers so to speak, and was on my way!

Designer Adrienne pulled measurements and sent me over the base plan so that I could draw. This process is both fun and creative, but also challenging, since what I want to do is simply create. What I have to do is be mindful and conscientious of the allowable budget. more on this as it unfolds. That’s why I titled it, “To Be Continued”…

Thanks for sharing and caring.

You can follow Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter! #TeamAhmedTV #GoGreenWith Ahmed #ToBeContinued

Manifesting and Organic Timing

May 29, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan Leave a Comment

Anyone who knows me knows that I talk a lot. More than that, I dream a lot. However, my dreams at night are almost non-existent. I work long hours and often do physical work so when I do finally go to sleep, I sleep hard and sound. I have no problem whatsoever sleeping.

I do most of my dreaming with my eyes wide open. That’s to say that I visualize, and can easily be called, a visionary. I visualize landscaped spaces and outdoor living as my full time career. I also visualize relationships that I want to have or create with people. I so love the Green Industry and enjoy working with others, just like I did while hosting Yard Crashers.

In the real world (outside of TV) I still do this. I have friends all over the country, due to my television work, and while I’m no longer hosting YC; I am very much that same dude out there, dreaming up spaces and making magic happen wherever and whenever I can. You see, in order to create anything, one must have a vision, a design, an idea of what you want. You don’t have to have a plan per se, but there does have to be something you can hold in your minds eye.

When contracting for local work, I typically start with my consultation agreement. This is a pre-qualifier sent to the homeowner stating what I charge to consult, discuss, and start working on sharing our collaborative vision. I charge a flat rate of $375 for this which covers approx 2-3 hrs on site taking notes, listening, imagining and doing my initial visual observation. This fee also largely covers my travel to and fro as well as any initial communication with my various pros, partners, contractors and subs that will likely join me on the project.

I’ve gotta wrap my head around what’s wanted, needed and expected, so that I can ultimately deliver with my design and final installation. I did this same thing when I consulted with Daniella Collazo’s backyard makeover, #Daniellaswish, back towards the beginning of April.

Then I did it again in Glassboro, New Jersey last month when we created an entire organic edible school garden for Bullock Elementary.

I enjoy doing these large and small scale projects all the time. I’m actually addicted to what I call manifesting. I make my dreams come true, my clients dreams come true, and recently, have been making other’s dreams come true around the country, through what I call manifesting.

If you haven’t already figured out, I subscribe to religious science and what’s now known as Science of Mind. This philosophy was articulated and written about by Ernest Holmes. It was also the same philosophy of most all of the Master Teachers. Matthew 18:20 states, “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

I’m of the belief that we all are manifesting all the time. The words we speak (prayer), the thoughts we have (meditation), and the acts we carry out (works). All of life is our opportunity to create according to our own free will. This is nothing new. This has been going on since the beginning of time and will continue. The human mind is a magical thing and we all have a deep seated desire to realize our dreams. Whether they are good or bad is merely a judgment. Right or wrong is also a judgment.
It just is!

Organic timing, on the other hand, is what I consider to be the “natural process” of things to develop. Organic is the opposite of synthetic. Synthetic is man made, while organic respects the natural process, order, and timing of nature. Synthetic chemicals, man made lighting, warmth and/or temperature control, are all a synthetic form of producing, and speeding up, the process of gardening and farming.

While the word organic is continually evolving, and the government is adapting and creating their own definitions of “organic”, I see it as the natural and realistic time frame in which things will happen. I can’t speed up the growth and ripening of a watermelon. When it’s ready it’ll be ready. Trying to pick and eat a watermelon before it’s fully ripened, will simply waste the enjoyment of that sweet and fleshy fruit.

So In life I suggest you chill. I suggest you stay focused on your vision. Stay focused and inspired on the want, but also stay open to organic timing and trust that all is conspiring together for good. Thanks for reading and sharing. My philosophy is no different than the philosophy of another. I’m just that gardening guy that explains it in my own unique way.

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Bright Shiny Object Disorder

May 19, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan Leave a Comment

Lawn and garden machine pro!

Staying focused on your own individual integrity is the name of the game.

In business and in life there are more distractions than ever. In fact, it has become so commonplace that now there is a diagnosis for the condition… SOS or Shiny Object Syndrome. I, myself, coined a similar term, Bright Shiny Object Disorder, or BSOD. Essentially, it works like this. We get so busy filling our lives with things that are interesting, or intriguing, that we begin to lose focus. As a result, many things get started, but nothing ever gets finished.

This happens to businesses all the time. In fact, tech companies are known for chasing every fad, turning it into a product that we can’t live without. Six months later, they develop a new variation and the cycle repeats. Since it’s all bright and shiny, we simply have to have it. Television stations do the same thing. They spend millions of dollars to create a new program, only to can it after six or seven episodes. That’s Bright Shiny Object Disorder. Those types of things might be able to work in the business world. It is easier to absorb something like that if your industry is designed to respond accordingly, by producing another product that is sustainable and turns a profit. However, in life it is much different. Bright Shiny Object Disorder can really be a hindrance.

Take me for example. In my own life I receive text messages, Facebook messages, emails, phone calls, voice mails, of calls that I can’t get to, messages on facebook messenger, Twitter, Google Plus… and I haven’t even left the house yet! If I took the time to respond to each and every one, I would not get very much accomplished during my day. The problem is, I like the interaction. If you know anything about me, you know that I love posting and interacting on social media. I know this about me, so I have to keep it in check. It’s a delicate dance (or roller derby in my case). Doing that dance is easy though. I just have to remember who I am.

I became a gardener because I enjoy working and creating outdoors. On any given day I’ve got 3 to 6 people waiting and wanting my direction. While I’ve claimed more than once to suffer from ADHD, this is a self proclaimed diagnosis. My awareness is ultimately what drives me. My passion and inspiration are what lead and direct my life on a daily basis. I’m of the philosophy that each of us needs to find our own unique inspiration. We need to find that dream, or those dreams, that most inspire us, and seemingly, best suit us.

I’ve been dreaming of being a landscaper since I was a kid.

Sometimes the vision was me as an operator…

Lawn and garden machine pro!

or myself as the horticulturally saavy gardener…

Look at that Young Guy!

The reason TV was easy for me was that I was playing the role I’d always seen myself as, in the first place.

I’m still the original Yardcrasher ya’ll!

I enjoyed the work because it was fulfilling. That leads me to the following summary about life. Finding time to be selfish is healthy. Finding time to focus on what’s most important to self is a means of maintaining one’s own sustainability. Yes our friends are important, and yes, our spouses and children are important. Hell! Life is important! But focusing on ourselves is by far our primary need, if we want to truly be happy in our lives. Taking time to love ourselves is not what our society promotes or encourages.

However, at the end of this month, I will be doing just that. The plan is for me, and a group of other dynamic speakers, to get together for a time of encouragement, inspiration, and positivity. The event is called Alive Again Positive Living, and it will take place in Palm Springs, California. You can find all of the information by clicking the link above, and I hope you can attend. Being a part of this event will give you the tools and resources necessary for you to maintain yourself as a priority. That way you can really make an impact on the lives and businesses of those people around you.
I, myself, will be speaking on the topic of love. You don’t want to miss it! When you think about it, that’s not too far from what I do as a gardener. Nothing grows unless you give it the proper amount of time and attention, also known as love. The same is true for you. Without the proper amount of time and attention you will wither up! Manifesting what your heart’s desire is, is essential to your well being.

So go get caught up in yourself. You’ll only get one life, and one opportunity, to do so.

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So You Wanna Build Yourself a Flagstone or Slate Patio?

May 12, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 3 Comments

Either way, the best material is the material that you can obtain for a fair and reasonable cost, if not for free. I personally prefer flagstone over slate simply because slate is often slippery, and if I wanted to slip and slide, I’d rather go roller skating.

The first couple of things you’re gonna want to determine is where to locate your new stone patio.
If the area is shady and stays moist, be prepared to grow a lil moss. If it’s full sun, you’ll be working in full sun so I suggest you find a nice shade hat now, and then get busy.

A past residential stone walkway project by my landscape company, AHLS.

Your location is selected, so now we’ve gotta determine your elevation (the height at which the patio will sit.) Keep in mind that the finish height, or grade of the stone, is not simply the thickness of the stone; it’s also the additional few inches of base material on which the stone is set. The better you prepare your base, the longer you’ll enjoy your new patio. The thickness of this base material is determined by your desired grade or elevation, your base material, and the stone thickness.

For simplicity sake, let’s assume that you’re building on top of stable, compacted clay, and you don’t mind the patio being a few inches higher than the surrounding areas. You’ll want to use a minimum of 1″ base rock (aka crusher run, sometimes referred to as DG for decomposed granite). This material, no matter the name, needs to be angular, not round; and composed of approx 1/4″ rock, and various smaller sizes all the way down to dust. Pieces that are too big will make it difficult to prepare a level base. The smaller gravel like material and/or masonry sand can also be used. You can also use builders quality sand.

In very sandy environments like Florida, and certain parts of California, I’ve used native sand which means I had to purchase nothing! If the elevation needs to be raised by more than a couple of inches, I recommend using gravel, rather than sand, because the sand will migrate, or wash away. Sand simply isn’t stable when built up more than an inch or two.

As your yard continues to change, so can your stone walkway.

A diamond blade installed on your grinder or circular saw can turn your wood saw into a masonry saw. This will allow you to cut and shape stone as you see fit. If weeds are a concern, you can utilize weed fabric (aka landscape fabric) on top of native soil, underneath base rock.

Once your base rock is applied you can either tamp, or grade, and rake it. Compact it, then install the stone on top. Each piece to be nestled into the base material. The real magic to installing your patio or walkway is taking the time to set each and every piece, so that every stone is in harmony with the last.

Being overly concerned about level is ridiculous. We walk on imperfect, unlevel surfaces all the time. Flat is good enough. That being said, each stone should be reasonably flush with the adjoining stone, so you don’t create a trip hazard. Don’t forget that the adjoining edges can match (their other ends can go up or down), then match those other stones. Stay away from smaller pieces of stone, since they’re largely unstable, especially if they are smaller than 12.”

Also seek to avoid small triangular pieces since they’re difficult to stabilize. Remember to test each piece as it’s set. Be sure the stone doesn’t wobble or tilt. If it does, your work’s not done. You simply need to fortify it’s foundation with a bit more sand, DG, etc. When it’s good and stable you’ll know it.

It’s always a good idea to have a helper or someone else to check and challenge your work. You also want to keep in mind your gaps in between each stone. We call these the joints. I prefer to have my joints consistent in size so that my patio or walkway looks as if it were a single monolithic stone that cracked and separated. It’s personal preference of course.

Utilizing flag stone as a walkway through turf and as a landing pad near a deck offers a pop of color and can either be done prior to laying turf or added afterwards using the same directions.

Lastly, the thickness of your stone does make a difference. 1/2 inch stone is likely to break under the stress of weight. 3/4″ or better is the industry standard for a residential patio or walkway, with 1″ or more being the preferred thickness. The larger (as in wider) the stone, the better.

Big pieces can be cut. Small pieces take a lot more time to make stable. In my own experience, stone pieces smaller than 12 inches in any size or shape are more decorative then functional. Talk to your rock yard salesman and ask which size stone is typically used for a patio like the one you’re building. If you bring pictures, it will help the conversation and your effort. Remember, these folks are there to sell you rock.

There’s veneer thickness (approximately 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch), walk-on thickness (1/2 inch to 3/4 inch), patio grade (3/4 to 1- 1/2 inch). Above this there is simply thick rock and you are going to pay for it per pound! and just plain thick flat rock. Take your time, follow these instructions, and all will be well. For those of you in Sacramento, or the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m available for consultations and installation work (including what you messed up to begin with).

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The Cobbler’s Kids

April 28, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 2 Comments

If you’ve not heard the story of the cobbler’s kids, this week’s blog would likely make very little sense to you. But, for those of you that have, I’ll just come clean with you now… I am very much “The Cobbler.” Before becoming the “Celebrity Landscaper” I was just the Landscaper, before that I was the gardener, and let’s face it, gardening has really always been a trade that’s less than glamorous, to put it lightly.

We gardeners are people of the earth. We see beauty in nature and desire to work with nature, rather than against her. Mother Nature is an abundant creator; she bares such an abundant harvest that, for many of us gardeners, we have more work than we could ever complete. We are hoarders of all things plant related and we know that with a little love, a little water and a little compost, all will be well and look gorgeous as ever. So long as plants grow, we’ve always got plenty of work to get done.

I like to think before I put it out there.

My own yard has of course never been”crashed.” Nobody in TV land is wanting to watch the show where the guy on TV gets his own yard done for free. While I shoot plenty of web video for the Green Industry, I’ve shot no web videos at my own house showcasing any green industry tools or tips. In all honesty, my yard, as a backdrop, simply isn’t worthy, yet! I believe that one of the reasons my yard looks like a raggedy 3rd world country is because I’m really not all that bothered by it. I mean of course I’d like to have my space look better, as would my family. Unfortunately, the amount of time, energy, and conscious awareness that I choose to put into my yard and the fact that I want to do so much of the work myself means I can only do these improvements in bits and pieces when time permits. I do this in between making sure that my bills are paid and seeing that all is well with my family. There are plenty of more important priorities that I choose to allocate my precious resources on before I’m willing to splurge on our outdoor aesthetics.

My yard has never been “crashed”.

Both Tiffanie and our kids have said on more than one occasion, “When are we gonna have a nice yard, like the ones you’ve done on TV?” To which I’ve answered, “As soon as you’re willing to go outside and help to start making things look better.” The last thing I wanna teach my wife or kids is that beauty in outdoor living just happens through osmosis. Yard work and gardening is a true labor of love. I spend most of this labor and my time making money and my yard doesn’t worry me because I know how to manage, maintain and change it. It’s more about finances and my time. Here’s an interesting article about the subject I found on-line.

All of this is in my driveway as we speak!

My yard is a place for me to collect and store all kinds of goodies until I’m ready to install them as permanent structures and a part of my landscape. It’s also a place where I can work with plants; dividing, growing from seed, and incubating them in my small inexpensive greenhouses, while getting them ready for sale.

Oh that’s right! I also run a couple small retail nursery outlets. I sell plants at Under the Arbor and Churchill’s Hardware. My house is more like Club Med for plants, a place of refuge for my container plants that aren’t quite sellable, due to poor watering practices, too much sun exposure, or whatever other reason.

How I use both sides of my house

The north side of my house is used for rain water collection and shade for my plants. While the south side is used for rain water storage, hand tool storage, and a variety of other things like transplanting, mixing of soils, and a place where I put boulders, gravel, and other elements to use in the yards that I create. On any given day I’ve got piles of mulch, compost, soil and other landscaping supplies in my driveway. It’s my life, my passion, and my livelihood.

In closing, I must speak on behalf of us cobblers and acknowledge that we professionals do not work on making our own stuff look lovely just because we lack funds and/or time. It’s also an issue of priority. We put them off as a lesser priority, since we deal with these same things daily, for the folks we call our clients and customers. We’re a little desensitized and less bothered by what others think is critically important. When the time is right; bit by bit, and little by little, we’ll enjoy the process of creating beauty for our own families in our own homes and gardens.

My kids remind why I also must leave some of the work alone, and just be present and playful. There’s a time for work, a time for play and a time for rest. The yard will get done when the time is right.

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What Just Happened

April 17, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 43 Comments

It’s Tuesday April 14th and I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge the surreal feelings I still have.
I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you all that what just transpired and took place in the little city of Miami Springs, Florida was likely the most ostentatious event I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of, and also, responsible for making happen.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan often calls himself the big mouth landscaper

When I’m crashing a yard, I can be a bit vocal!

Hi, My name is Ahmad Hassan. Most people know me as “Ahmed Hassan” the original host and inspiration for DIY Network and HGTV’s Yard Crashers. I am a professional landscaper, fundraising guru, fast talking, smack talking, motivational speaker, and professional flirt. I love babies and children. I love men and women; black, white, Latin, Asian and every other ethnicity. I love Christians and Muslims; Jews, Buddhists, and Atheists. I love the under dog.

I grew up watching TV shows, believing in superheroes. Those larger than life characters that come from humble beginnings and develop amazing talents. Those that learn to utilize their powers for the good of humankind. As a kid, I saw my dad as a superhero. He was absolutely a character that inspired and amazed me with what he knew, what he could do, and what he’d been through.

I lost him to a modern days form of kryptonite (heroine). I was changed forever. My eyes we’re opened and my awareness shifted from being a kid. I began to see, understand, and live my life as an adult.
It took years to process my pain and my sadness. I believed then, and continue to believe, that life is merely a journey where we get to “show up and show off”, as the awesome super heroes of our own choosing. Please understand that because we are all merely natural human beings, we can only develop our natural human powers.

Silvia and Daniella sharing a moment

This is to say that our powers must always be kept in the realm of human possibility. Humans don’t fly, so the cape isn’t necessary. On a day like any other, I received a tweet from Mrs Silvia Vanni of Mystic Force Foundation. The tweet included a picture of Silvia and a young, bald, and beautiful Daniella Collazo. Mrs. Vanni is easy on the eyes and Daniella, well… now this little angel is as precious and beautiful as they come.

The request was for Ahmed, the Original host of Yard Crashers to come and “crash” aka create, remodel, accentuate, spruce up and horticulturally enhance, Daniella Collazo’s backyard. This request was nothing new for Ahmed but it came from someone different than the folks that typically reach out and ask for assistance with their oudoor living space. The first reply from Hassan was to please provide more information. Vanni did just that. She shared the pain of losing her own son, Salvatore, to Neuroblastoma. This was the same type of cancer that Daniella was diagnosed with, only Salvatore was diagnosed at stage 4 while Daniella was diagnosed at stage 3.

This is what saying Yes looks like!

My saying yes to Silvia Vanni and the Mystic Force Foundation was my opportunity to be big. It was my opportunity to be heroic; my opportunity to step out in faith. It was my chance to prove to myself, Mrs Vanni, Daniella, and anyone else who gave a damn; about the power of intention, love, and being a BADASS as I call it, for good.

Good intentions, good measure, a partnership and movement with other good people that are inclined to join in and “represent” for the cause; this is the kind of stuff my heroes are made of. The kind of stuff that Ghandi, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and others were known for. These men and another master teacher named Jesus Christ were also known for it. It’s all about helping those that cannot, or do not know how to, help themselves.
Because I’m just one person, I’m just one piece of the puzzle. I only have particular human powers. I happen to be a pretty damn good landscaper (And yes, I know it!). I began to reach out to others like myself that are awesome at what they do. I look for gifted and talented individuals that really know their craft. Their confidence level is something that needs to already be in place so that my job is merely one of buttering them up and convincing them to partner with me. Yes it’s manipulative, but in no way malicious.

I understand enough human psychology to understand that people need to feel big, they need to feel proud, and they need to feel loved, in order to rise up and be their best self. My job, my task, and my mission, was to solicit all of who I felt was needed in order to create the space and make Daniella’s Wish a reality. I did this in a modern grass roots way, utilizing social media and personal conversations. I also asked others to reach out in order to exploit and further network for this worthy and heartfelt cause. I played no games, I told no lies. I did what was necessary, and because I love The Green Industry, fans and friends; I kept everyone informed to the best of my ability, posting and sharing regularly as we built momentum and moved towards our goal.

A total outdoor play space transformation

The most unique thing about this whole experience was that it was completely non-profit. As a result, we needed to raise funds for what I thought would be a $50-$70K yard. In actuality, it evolved into a project totaling more than $100K. So in that regard, the learning curve on this project was something that I also said yes to. I’ve done so many things in my life where I hadn’t a clue as to what I was doing, or how I was suppose to get it done.

And yet I set a date anyway, having a conviction in my mind, heart, and the rest of me. Then I worked tirelessly with all of my human powers of communication, visualization, anticipation, discipline, collaboration and finally, fortified the entire thing with LOVE. Love for Silvia Vanni who loved her son Sal, love for little Daniella, who has a real life threatening disease. Love for all of my comrades; the ones that I know and truly respect as well as those that I’ve not met yet. Things magically tend to come together when you maintain your intention to love.

The seed was planted, I said yes, and because of so many others, Daniella’s Wish and Silvia Vanni’s request have been fulfilled. If I had Super Human Powers to take away Childhood and all other forms of cancer I would. But because I don’t I’ll simply and humanly continue to utilize my natural human powers and prove to my family, friends, fans, and absolute strangers; just how beautiful we women and men can be.

Thank you to the Mayor and all of the sponsors who helped make this wish come true!

Thank you to everyone that helped and assisted in making Daniella’s Wish come true. I appreciate each and every dollar that was donated, spent, and shared to make it all happen. I appreciate the men, women, and children that showed up and exhausted all of who they were to help with the heavy burden. I appreciate the list of National and local sponsors, businesses and the wonderfully loving city Of Miami Springs, Florida.” You all really made a difference this past weekend. Here is a fantastic video of what we accomplished courtesy of Seda Custom Design!

Follow Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest! You can also JOIN ME THIS MAY in PALM SPRINGS at the Alive Again Positive Living Conference! #GoGreenWithAhmed #TeamAhmed #DoitforDaniella #DiditforDaniella #DaniellasWish

No More Crutches

April 8, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan Leave a Comment

Here I am writing another weekly blog that won’t be a list of gardening tips. There won’t be any explanation of how to design your outdoor space or which plants are deer resistant. Nope, none of that in this post.

I am so much more means going off to build a playspace for Daniella

The other day I began to recognize and question why I’m always so deep and more interested in so much of what else goes on in life. Why do I share on so many other topics that are mostly related to interpersonal growth, development, and love. I mean, I am after all the Celebrity Landscaper; but as I’ve told you once before, I’m so much more than that. The labels we use in our day to day lives are necessary, and give shape to the substance of our lives. They also limit us on so many levels that it’s restricting, and often keeps us ignorant as to what’s really going on.

We all like to fully understand and be able to envision what’s to come. We like to package people, places and experiences up in such a way that it all makes perfect sense. “He did this, because of that” and “that happened because of this”, but the truth is, these labels and life aren’t really that simple.
The complexity of life is what makes life so beautiful. It’s a riddle that we’re living, learning, and experiencing each and every day. We’re doing our own form of research and development as we have experience after experience. Through that, we have an opportunity to better understand what works and what doesn’t as we move gracefully through our lives… or otherwise.

As a matter of fact, many of us learn more through the “otherwise” experiences. Those experiences that cause us pain and anguish often show up as monumental learning curves in our own development. This is the effect that nature has on all living organisms. We’ve all heard that phrase from Freidrich Neitzsche, “That which doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger”. I find this statement to be absolutely true.

I often find similarities in nature and utilize analogies to better understand and explain what I notice in both nature and our lives. This shouldn’t come as any surprise, since after all, we’re all connected and a part of nature.
While I know that we often forget this small fact (that we’re natural), it’s still true. In the same way that a tree growing outside must learn to weather the 4 seasons, the pollution, and whatever the hell else life throws at it, we must learn to do the same.

Okay so here comes the landscape analogy:

Just like these tree stakes, our crutches should be temporary.

Young trees that are planted outside may or may not need a stake, in order assist and support them as they grow. This stake can be seen as a crutch. Anyone that’s ever had to use crutches knows that a crutch is meant as a temporary means of support. When it comes to tree stakes, the same applies. These supports are only needed as a temporary crutch.

A tree needs to sway in the wind. It needs to be challenged by the occasional and sometimes brutal weather, depending on where you live. In life we often face storms. These storms, problems, challenges, and opportunities will topple us; or they’ll do what the wind does, which is to challenge the tree. When the wind moves the tree, it’s roots are actually strengthened in the process. They are slightly moved, shaken, and displaced from where they were once present, in the soil. This movement and change could be seen as a problem even offensive, since roots need to be connected with the soil and hydrated in order to properly grow.

Of course what’s really happening is that the roots are being simulated. This stimulation causes even more roots to develop and expand the tree’s ability to live, take up water and nutrients, in turn creating an even larger tree; one that’s stronger and has a more extensive root system, better prepared for the next storm. This is how life is.

Storms help us grow.

With each challenge, each problem, each storm in life we can either dig in and see ourselves expanding, maturing and growing into the type of person we’ll eventually become, or we can throw in the towel and say screw it. This is what people do when they commit suicide. People barely feel a lil discomfort and they think they need a drink, or smoke, or divorce of some sort. In actuality, when we begin to shift our perception, what we’ll see is, ‘that which did not topple us…” Once we recognize that, we understand that what doesn’t completely do us in can only serve to prove one thing… just how strong we really are. We all have our vices, and maybe a crutch or two. Yet just like a tree stake, we shouldn’t be bound so tightly, and/or become dependent on our crutch. Neither should we be forever attached to whatever or own vice, stake, or crutch is.

We must allow nature to push, pull, and develop who we are so that we can be a spectacle for others and ourselves. So that we can live for as long as possible and benefit the world with our having existed in the first place.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. Thank you for sharing.

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More Than a Landscaper

April 2, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 2 Comments

Folks, my title of Landscaper is actually a bit deceptive. It’s a label which society has given to me and I wear it proudly, but as the saying goes, “don’t box me in” because I’m so much more. As I’ve expressed before, I am a multi-dimensional being, just as you are, and I seek to continue developing the different dimensions of me as time progresses forward.
If you must label me then consider philosopher, author, teacher, motivational speaker or charitable cause badass. Based on these titles alone, you can see that I really am More Than a Landscaper and it’s due to this fact that I am currently working on a book of the same name for release next year. My co-author, Marie Blackstock and I, began working on the content last year; however writing a book is a highly personal and creative process so it’s important to respect the organic flow of such a project. In other words, you can’t force things.
As this will be my memoir, the content is being created with each new daily experience that I live through. Marie and I recently met in person to wrap things up and one of the first things she said to me was, “This book isn’t happening right now because it isn’t the book we are supposed to be writing.” I surprising didn’t protest as I knew she was absolutely correct.
My life has been transforming in major ways over the past few years and I continue to learn from the multitude of experiences coming my way. I’m positive that this growth pattern will continue throughout my lifetime. Many of these recent growth spurts have been huge so that the book we began writing in August is far from the same story I wish to share with you folks today.

Both books will be available May 29th!

We did decide to create two books that will be ready for purchase by the end of May and neither are about landscaping in the least. They are tentatively titled, Philosophical Rants & Analogies for Life and LOVE.
You might be wondering where you can get an autographed copy when they come out, right?
I’m happy to announce that I’ll be making a special guest appearance at the Alive Again Positive Living LIVE EVENT in Palm Desert, California on May 30th. This weekend will be filled with dynamic presentations on love, light, joy, success, health and wellness so I encourage you to invest in yourself and buy a ticket to join us. I have the honor of covering the topic of LOVE and you’ll be able to purchase copies of both books onsite. There will be opportunities to have them personally autographed by both myself and Marie too. So are you still wondering why a landscaper is writing and talking about love? Well, as I stated above, I’m far from just a landscaper and LOVE is likely the most misunderstood yet commonly used word in the English vernacular. I spend much of my life teaching and helping people with their landscaping and gardening woes and while landscaping is important and critical in terms of agriculture and the planet, love is something that’s even more critical to our existence here on earth.

I will be signing both copies in Palm Springs

The next few weeks will be focused on combining my big, badass landscaping talents with loving compassion in order to see the #DoItForDaniella campaign through to fruition. Daniella, and all of these precious children living and dying of cancer, inspire me to work harder than I’ve ever worked before. I’m completely coming from a place of love and a state of love expressed outwardly towards others. This love is keeping me in the frame of mind that I need to be in, so that I can stay positive, even when things aren’t necessarily feeling good or going my way. The love I have for self and this project have radiated out to others who are sharing their love by donating their time and products to the project.

Thank you to Southwest Airlines, My Splash Pad, Cascade Outdoor Design, Deck King Corp. and Genovations decking, Tremron pavers, Forever Lawn, Valley Crest Tree, Vista Pro landscape lighting is being donated and installed by Magic Irrigation’s Michal Wilk, Todd Chambers of TC Masonry, Mayor Zavier and the City of Miami Springs, Leah and Mike owners of Cascade Outdoor Design, electrician Ken Morningstar and Joe of Plumbtech, Miami Dade College horticulture department, The Fresh and fantastic EB Hotel, Corona brand gardening tools, Hunter Industries and recently committed Costa Farms plus the list continues to grow. Beautiful people everywhere continue to step up, step in and donate time, materials, products and services.
My own fans, friends and loved ones have raised an amazing $10k in cash through our Crowdfunding and all of our efforts are impacting the Collazo family and the Childhood Cancer community at large. Lead Designer and fellow badass, Duane Draughon of VizX Design; and I really had no concept of how awesome and powerful love was until we started this journey. I continue to give thanks and am in awe.
So, next time you hear The Beatles sing, “All ya need is love,” remember that there really are no truer words ever spoken.

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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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