Organic

Abundance vs. Too Much

September 30, 2015 by Ahmed Hassan Leave a Comment

I’ve published several blogs on the topic of abundance but this one’s a bit different. The issue of abundance can easily cross over into the realm of what’s just plain ol’ “too much” and too much of anything is typically just that. “Too much”. Overwhelming, is actually what I experienced when I originally was inspired to write this week’s blog post. Because I’m very literal in my choice of words, I often back up the words that I choose and share their definition as a way of gaining a more in depth understanding of the fact that too much of a good thing is sometimes just plain ol’ “too much”.

I feel like this often.

While recently working in a friend’s garden, I found myself inundated with a particular ground cover and another flowering perennial. It took me a minute to identify Glechoma Hedera aka Creeping Charlie. This wonderful little ground cover is considered like so many others, a weed. It’s prolific growth, and will to live, could easily be seen as “too much” of a good thing.

My friend, and fan, Tommy, and son Ryan aka Big Boobies!

Plants are like that.

1. Exotics. There are exotic plants, meaning they’re non-native and require special consideration in order to be grown, maintained and sustained in their non-native environments.

2. Native Plants. These are plants that are specific their region. They are accustomed to the area and thrive as a result. They receive just the perfect amount of sun and shade exposure.

3. Naturalized Plants. These are plants that were either taken, or moved from their location to a new location. They receive the ideal soil and moisture conditions, and boom! They explode! When this explosion happens in a non-native environment the plant is considered a noxious weed. Noxious, because it stands to threaten, harm and deter other native species from thriving. It is a rambunctious case of “too much”. Yet, this isn’t just isolated to the plant world.

Too much of anything is considered a problem. Balance in nature is essential to our sustainability and overall health. Balance in all things is what I’m currently focused on in my own personal life; whether it be my diet, my work life, my fun and my responsibilities. The key to life and landscaping is striking a balance, and having an appreciation for and everything in moderation.

Thank you for following my blogs on life, love and landscaping. My books are soon to follow towards the end of this year and beginning next year. It’s been a process in organic timing and tons of learning. I’m appreciative of your caring and sharing.

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That Which Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger

September 8, 2015 by Ahmed Hassan Leave a Comment

“That which doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” This phrase first coined by German philosopher Freidrich Nietzsche in and around the late 1800s is one of those iconic phrases that has stood the test of time, and is as true today as it was then. I love using analogies. It’s something I got from my father. Analogies allow me to teach and use various examples to tell a story, rather than simply conveying the facts of a particular event. “It’s kinda like this, or kinda like that.”

In nature it’s very easy to see that what doesn’t kill a tree can actually make it stronger. Hurricanes, wind, drought and flood are all challenges to a tree’s development. These challenges have the capacity to over take a fragile tree and do it in. But these same challenges also stand to challenge, or harden off, the tree and then develop its physiological character, as well as it’s ability to withstand these same challenges even better, the next time around.

Trees, need to sway in the wind. The swaying actually lifts up their roots and causes them to grow more, allowing the tree to improve upon its foundation. Without this natural, or what we call biological, challenge, the species would never be able to endure a more severe hurricane or gust of wind. If you’ve ever enjoyed looking at the structure and branch development of a large old oak tree, you are likely seeing and appreciating the challenges that tree has met, head on.

angel-oak-ahmed-hassan-make-you-stronger

South Carolina’s “Angel Oak Tree” has stood on St. John’s Island for more than 400 years, weathering more than its fair share of hurricanes.

That’s right, trees and plants don’t get an opportunity to back down. They don’t get to say, “Hey I’m afraid, I don’t think that I can handle this.” Instead they must deal, and when they do; again and again, they have the capacity to do and deal with even more. This is the absolute truth! Nature is such a wonderful teacher.

Intuitively I know that you and I are very similar to the tree. In our lives we need challenges in order for us to build our muscles (grow an expansive root system). We’ve always been like this. Since we were young, life has thrown us hurricanes, and heartache, and yet, we’re still here. There were times when we didn’t think we’d make it, and in those times, we got grounded, we learned to dig deep and set more roots.

We are all destined for struggle. It is this process that helps us mature into something amazing.

Adversity and life’s trials and tribulations are essential. They’re natural and necessary in fact. The Christians say to pray. The Buddhist say to meditate. The arborist will tell you to stake up your tree, but be sure not to stake it too tight because the tree needs to sway a bit. Boundaries and parameters are a good way of looking at it. It’s okay to safeguard, and see that total obliteration doesn’t happen; but whatever you do, don’t expect that life shouldn’t be challenging. And remember, that which doesn’t kill you is actually serving you quite well. It is making you stronger, more aware and showing you just what you’re really made of.

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To Be Continued… The Finale

July 7, 2015 by Ahmed Hassan 1 Comment

If I did just one job at a time, Chelle’s yard would’ve easily been done in the epic 2 days that I’ve built a reputation around, slinging for folks on Yard Crashers.

Everyone meet Chelle. I just crashed her yard!

I tend to, instead, run 3 or 4 jobs at any given time. As a contractor this is somewhat normal. There are, of course, those out there that focus on doing one project at a time. But in this economy and society where everybody wants everything and they all want it asap… Most of us contractors realize the value of staying in several projects all simultaneous and concurrent with one another, then strike a balance with shuffling material, supplies and personnel from site, to site, to site.

I enjoyed my fourth of July up at Clear Lake, aka California’s largest lake, yet it is anything but clear these days due to a phenomenal case of Algae bloom. That being said, I decided that I’d better finally wrap up this final blog with Chelle Henderson’s yard being completed by showing off this tiny, approximately 15 ft by 26 ft, space. For those of you that remember, Chelle sent me the following inspiration pics.

Remember these? Chelle sent me these pics to give me an idea as to what she had in mind for her yard.

Of course, her budget was less than what it would cost, but to her credit she did have the back side of her house painted, as well as the fenced in area of her yard. I added just a couple of edible plants to her 2 ft by 25 ft long veggie garden and reset her 12″x 12″ red concrete steppers. Chelle’s $4k budget was spent on plants, local boulders, mulch, irrigation, 40 sq ft of turf and a few recycled cast concrete pavers, recycled from a previous project by Yard Crashers own “Clean Cut Landscape.”

Repurposing and upcycling helped create this water feature!

Thanks to Tiffanie Hassan, here’s my actual breakdown and expenditure with how I did this awesome little space….

Compost $60

Irrigation/Plants/Fountain $1252

Stepping Stones/Sand $100

Sod $57

Because a person’s bottom line is what finally determines what’s doable. I chose to purchase and upcycle a few items from Under The Arbor, and build my own small water feature from an old metal table that matched a green ceramic bowl I already possessed. I purchased a galvanized pitcher and weathered utility pail as my shear decent spout and seasonal container, with color for decorative purposes.

Another way I saved money was that I used Native Cameron Park granite boulders (from my yard), rather than buying stone from the landscape supply center. I have a joke where I say, “I live in Cameron Park, we grow rocks here.” Something about the local granite in these Northern California foothills. I, of course, felt it was necessary and beneficial to keep a patch of turf for Chelle’s beagle and reduced her previous 100sq ft of turf with a smaller, healthier 40 sq ft. Dogs simply love to relieve themselves on grass. Giving them a spot to do just this is almost essential to meeting their backyard needs.

Finally, her plant palette. Chelle has a ton of plant material in a very small space. I like to cram a yard full of interesting ornamental and edible plants whenever I can.

In the final hour of completing this tiny space, there were 4 of us busy going back and forth through the gate and I remember feeling crowded and a bit like things were unmanageable. That’s right around the time that I cut Anthony and Saul loose for the day.
This way Mike and I could finish the details, and by 7 pm I was snapping my afters pics for today’s blog. take a look at the transformation below..

The Whole Enchilada “before”

A few comparison before and afters…

Oh what a difference some paint and landscaping can make!

The final transformation…

Another yard crashed!

The money shot… or what I call magazine-cover-photo-worthy!

All of the elements chosen for Chelle’s yard create a seamless flow. The design is aesthetically pleasing and sustainable. Another yard crashed!

In closing, I’ll say that I’m still very much in love with creating outdoor spaces. Big projects take a lot more time than this yard and require all kinds of planning and coordination with subcontractors and laborers, but the net result of any collaborative space that I manage brings me so much joy when it finally comes together. A few special thanks to my Draft and co-designer Adrienne Landsittel, Kirin and my badass concrete stain and sealing pro, Ben Christian of “Just Stain It”. It’s one thing to love what you do for a living. Another thing to love and appreciate the many talented folks that continue to work with me, believe in me and show up to play their part in everything that I do. You know who you are.

Coming soon to your yard!

Until then, watch your back. I may show up to crash your yard. In fact, the truth is I would love to. Give my company a call and see what Ahmad Hassan Landscape Services can do for you! Thanks for reading and sharing.

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Ahmad and Ahmed, ADHD Never Looked Better

June 2, 2015 by Ahmed Hassan 2 Comments

While I know that labels are limiting, I also know that what I feel and live everyday is real. My life is wonderful, chaotic, diverse and loads of fun. So much fun that I’m often burnt out because of my own mind. Our minds are merely the slave master, and our bodies, the slave that must perform, and do what we think up. At least for me this is the case.

Some pretty amazing people work with me and my ADHD. Here is my buddy, and badass handyman, John Murray. We now have 2 awesome charity projects under our belts. John drove from Orlando to Miami Springs for #Daniellaswish. Then flew into New Jersey and killed it for us again for #BullockGarden. You’ve not seen the last of my bearded brotha. If you live in Florida and need Handyman work, click the pic to get connected to him!

While I don’t know all that much about why I am the way I am, I do live and feel the effects of my magnificent mind. My thoughts race. I’m addicted to inspiration and can’t stand routine. This is why and how I became the Yard Crasher in the first place. That hero that finds the nonsuspecting homeowner and does an awesome blitz style makeover they never saw coming.

Coming soon… I promise!

I am very much a superhero type character. The other day I posted about never being medically diagnosed but I’m sure that I’m very much ADHD and a fan by the name of Shaun Semien Roney agrees. If you work with me for any length of time, you will see it manifest. For instance, my Philosophical Rants book is VERY much going to happen. We tried setting an inorganic time frame for this book, and the others, to be ready. Yeah, that was funny. They’ll be ready, when they’re ready! Organic timing is how I roll. I thought y’all knew?

Me and Brienne, discussing the elementary school garden

On the converse, I so wanted to meet up and work with the fabulous Foodscaper Brienne Gluvna Arthur. We finally got the chance to merge forces and create an awesome edible school garden in New Jersey on May 2nd. This chic is most definitely another superhero in my book. She’s knowledgeable, articulate, knows most everything about horticulture, gardening and growing plants (especially food), and I can’t wait to work with her again.

It’s all about understanding how your brain works, and learning to work with it, rather than try to conform to systemic organizational norms that work for other people. Here’s a link to an article discussing ADHD. If you’re like me, and you suffer and benefit from ADHD, you’ll appreciate this article and can look further into the author’s work. ADHD is a learned trait and behavior that I can only imagine stems from an archaic time when we were warriors, and our human sensory had to be multiplied in order to survive and advance. We now largely live in a socially acceptable, complacent society. Our instinctual habits of busy work, jumping from thought to thought, moving from inspiration to inspiration; chasing after carrots, shiny objects and whatever other excitement arrives, is something that I’ll continue to work on. I’ll do this in the most loving, caring and respectful way that I can. Thanks for sharing.

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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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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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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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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.

Ahmed Hassan Celebrity Landscaper- Dollar Signs

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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The Season of Abundance

December 23, 2014 by Ahmed Hassan 7 Comments

Everything in life is cyclical. As a gardener, I know this oh so well. Just yesterday my general contractor buddy William Rogers was asking me about the difference between annuals and perennials. I explained that Annuals grow from seed, are established, and live their entire life cycle in a single year. Sometimes they’ll weather over and last for several years. When that happens it is primarily because those plants aren’t true annuals. They are perennials disguised as annuals.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan Bedding Plants

Me giving a demonstration on different bedding plants

Perennial plants, on the other hand, are plants that typically grow, and last, for a minimum of 3 years. They bloom for a season, then survive a couple of more seasons doing minimally okay, but they do last. These are the kinds of plants we typically do our ornamental landscaping with.

Then there are biennial plants. These plants take an entire year to develop, then they bloom only every other year. Plants like Fox Gloves, Trillium and Holly Hocks are all biennial. You might also like to know that cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, carrots, and even celery are biennials. We typically harvest these plants and eat them in their first season, which is why we never see their flowers.

I share this with you because as a gardening philosopher I see all of life as cyclical. Our moods and feelings shift just like the weather. I once remember Tiffanie saying that Oregon, with it’s gloomy, wet, foggy, and overcast weather, was the suicide capitol of the US. I thought , yeah, I could see that! Then I Googled it and found this was not actually the case. Oregon was merely number 12, not number 1. How could that be? All of the rain and overcast gloom, there has to be something to it right? There must be some connection between depression and the weather. As it turns out, there is. Take a look at this information from Wikipedia…

“Environment variables, such as the amount of sunlight, occurrence of natural disasters, and the inability to protect and shelter oneself, can result in suicidal behaviors”. Parasuicide, which is the strongest known indicator for a future successful suicide attempt, is known to have a strong association with weather patterns. As noted by Barker in their 1994 article on seasonal and weather factors in parasuicide, “A major finding of this study was…the greatest mean daily number of parasuicide episodes in late spring/early summer and a trough in December/January”. Their approach involved developing a linear model to accurately separate any “seasonal effects and seasonally-related weather effects”. Climate factors affect parasuicide differently in women and men. The data indicated that the meteorological factors to account for large parasuicidal effects in women were maximum temperature, rainfall, and cloud cover. On the other hand, rain, cloud cover, poor visibility, and windy days were the most important meteorological factors in men. These findings state that elevated levels of environmental heat have been known to “produce thermal stress causing physiological and behavioral change, which may predispose a person to parasuicidal behavior, or precipitate parasuicide in someone already considering it”.

Translation… weather does affect our mood. Throw in the holiday season and it is affected even more. We need to find a way deal with those feelings. I spend a lot of time thinking. It’s one of the reasons I so enjoy gardening. For me, gardening is a moving and productive meditation. It allows me to float, and allows my thoughts to remain fluid, drifting in and out as they please. It also allows me to move and keep my endorphin production going. I’ve used gardening and landscaping as my medicine when I first lost my dad 20 years ago.

My last blog talked about him and I paid homage in my own way to his memory and legacy. My topic for this week is the season of abundance and I’m talking about how things are cyclical because It’s what I notice in both nature and society. Duhh, we’re all from nature and we all make up this society. I share my thoughts so that others can also relate and know that they are not alone.

Just like the plants that I mentioned have various growth stages and cycles in which they produce , we as humans experience a similar shift according to our environment. I’m no meteorologist or psychologist but I do enjoy researching and learning about the ways in which nature affects us all. I spend most of my life teaching and creating in the realm of beautiful outdoor living spaces.

It has been said that cleanliness is next to godliness and I mean who doesn’t enjoy an aesthetically pleasing space? I know I feel best when things are clean, neat and organized. I also enjoy the process of designing, working, building, and creating so that we can get there. The journey is part of the fun.

So I encourage you in this season of Christmas and abundance.

Take note of what you’re thankful for.

Do something nice for someone else, something that contributes, something that “gives”.

I know it’s cold and snowy in some places, so give thanks that you have a warm and cozy house to call your home.

Maybe you have extra blankets and clothes that you can donate to the homeless or less fortunate. The best way to step up out of your depression during this holiday season is to give to others.

This has nothing to do with shopping at Target or buying people gifts. We all have an abundance. We need to merely skim off some of our excess and create balance with nature. There’s a cyclical time for everything, just look at her.

She is our greatest teacher.

Ahmed

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Life and Landscaping

November 18, 2014 by Ahmed Hassan 2 Comments

When I began thinking about this week’s blog “Everything in moderation” is what was floating around in my mind. It was Waldo Emerson who said “Moderation in all things”. Another of my most beloved quotes is by Thomas Jefferson: Focus being on the word “equal”. My friend and author, Marie Rhoades, knows that I really enjoy blending quotes.

I like taking Jefferson’s prose and adding another quote like this one from Malcolm X. It primarily resonates with me because it gives a call to action at the end when he states “By any means necessary.”

The duality in both of these speeches brings balance to my own understanding. Of course because I’m Ahmed Hassan Celebrity Landscaper I typically enjoy sharing information and analogies related to landscape and gardening. Yes I’m very much a philosopher, but let’s talk duality and focus on one of my favorite subjects, compost.

Compost is basically life filled, dead plant material. There’s microbial life, processing, eating, and consuming plant material that we consider dead. In actuality there’s no such thing as dead, what there is would better be termed as a shifting of energy. Death is merely the culmination of life. So a dead plant is not really dead at all. Plants are as complex, and in some respects, more complex than people.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan - Compost Cycle

composting as a balanced, organic cycle, transfers energy at each stage

While I could say that all plants worship the sun in order to live, there are those plants that dwell in caves and survive in low lit conditions too. Now I’m not talking about survival though. Survival is what we’re doing here in Sacramento right now as we press through our extended drought. I’m talking about growing and developing. My point is that without the right conditions plants will not grow.
Any mother will tell you that if her hormones were out of whack, she would not have gotten pregnant. Plants are very much the same. Everything in nature is about balance. Whether you’re in the business of growing plants or developing as a person, balance is essential everywhere.

Yesterday I was discussing compost with a lovely neighbor of mine here in Northern California. The day before I was having a phone conversation on the same with one of the #WinMonroviaPlants winners in North Dakota. Talk about extreme differences in weather conditions… Yet regardless of your location, there’s one thing I know that is absolutely essential to growing healthy plants everywhere.

Do you know what this is? If you guessed compost you’d be correct. It is the world wide essential ingredient used to grow healthy plants. Why? Well, it feeds the soil with microorganisms and recycled nutrients. This creates the environment that plants need in order to grow.

I’ve been taught that healthy compost develops in a numeric Ph range between 6 – 8. Since 7 is considered neutral, compost is well balanced organic matter. Here’s an article from Cornell that offers a bit more detail on the matter. Of course there are variances. For example plants such as Azaleas, Camellia’s and Rhododendrons all do well with more acidic soil. If these are the plants you’re most interested in growing check out this link to learn a lil more. Most plants prefer soil that has a neutral (aka balanced) Ph. So I say If it’s good enough for plants, it’s good enough for me.

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan - Truckload of Compost

A load of fresh compost replenishes nutrients in the soil

Meaning a balanced diet and lifestyle is likely best for me. This means to avoid too much of anything in excess. About 14 years ago I got on this health kick and began reading a bunch of books about health. I started with the Vegan source book. Next I began reading The McDougall Plan, and others followed after that. What I learned from all of the books was that increasing fresh vegetation is best for optimal health. I understand the raw food benefit because I understand the way compost is developed through live microorganisms. (by the way, I am no longer a vegan or vegetarian. I am an omnivore and what I like to call a conscientious eater).

My point is to say that all of life seems to be about balance. The sun rises and it sets. There’s a season that’s hot and another when it’s cold. I sleep and then I’m awake. I require both fluids and solids. If I simply seek to live a happy and healthy life, I should seek to strike a balance and also expect that happiness must be balanced with it’s opposite, which I choose to call challenges. These challenges show up in your garden just like they show up in your day to day world.
You might refer to things as good or bad, God and the Devil and right or wrong. I simply call it all a Balanced LIFE.

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