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Green it Up This Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2015 By Ahmed Hassan 1 Comment

ROSES are red…

                  VIOLETS are blue…

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

ahmed hassan- green rose

Go green with your love this year

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

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

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

Ahmed Hassan Valentine

Valentine’s Day Love from your favorite Celebrity Landscaper!

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

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

Ahmed Hassan- Tiffanie Hassan Power Partner

Me and My Valentine

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

Ahmed Hassan Petal Pusher

Me and fellow petal pusher Brad Denham

 

Behind the scenes at Arizona Family Florist:

Ahmed Hassan Greenery

Brad spices his arrangements up with accent greenery

Ahmed Hassan More Accent Greenery

More greenery used for making your flowers look spectacular!

Ahmed Hassan Flower Bouquets

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Ahmed Hassan Fruit Bouquet

One of many delicious fruit bouquets Brad offers!

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#TeamAhmedTV #GoGreenWithAhmed

Filed Under: Aesthetics & Gardening, New Trends & Ideas, Philosophical Rants & Analogies Tagged With: Ahmed Hassan, Celebrity Landscaper, eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, going green, recycle, reuse, sustainability, valentine, valentine's day

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!

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan - Carpeteria

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

For more info, and a LOT of landscaping ideas, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

#GoGreenWithAhmed #TeamAhmedTV

Filed Under: Aesthetics & Gardening, Landscape Construction & Property Improvements, New Trends & Ideas, Philosophical Rants & Analogies Tagged With: Ahmed Hassan, Ahmed Hassan TV, Celebrity Landscaper, eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, Home, Landscape, Landscaping, life, Organic, personal growth, Plants, recycle, reuse, sustainability

Water Bottles, Water Bottles, and Recycled Water Bottles

October 21, 2014 By Ahmed Hassan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Celebrity Landscaper Ahmed Hassan- Reusable Water Bottle

My Reusable Water Bottle

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

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

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

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