Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Check out the portfolio section!

Two of about a gazillion projects have been uploaded to the portfolio section. We have some trouble-shooting to do, and some tweaking -- not to mention update with LOADS of new pics -- but at least there are some colorful beauties to feast your eyes on.

Please do send us your own pics, too, to be used in the Your Turn section. We want to showcase your ability to implement our suggestions!

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Need your input!!!!!

We are putting finishing touches on the portfolio section of our new website and have decided to give our readers/clients an opportunity to show off their handiwork. If we have consulted with you or designed your landscape, we would like to see pics of your project. They can be before, during, after or years-later pics. Just send us a jpeg and brief description of its content to info@nativedave.com. We will upload them to our "Your Turn" page, which will be located within the portfolio section. The theme of this section is "your project, your perspective."

Looking forward to seeing your garden through your eyes!

Heroes

Tonight all the CNN network stations will broadcast an all-star gala, CNN Heroes. Celebrities and other public figures will be present to honor ordinary citizens doing extraordinary things. Eighteen finalists were selected from thousands of nominees; six winners will be awarded tens of thousands of dollars to go toward their chosen cause. Tune in and get inspired.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

2007 is almost a wrap!

We are winding down 2007. Only a few designs left to do. Holiday cards to mail, too. So much to prepare for in 2008, especially the arrival of NativeBabe. To be sure we are ready for all the changes coming our way, we will be scaling back our hours for the rest of December and January. I'm working on the schedule today and should have new days and hours posted soon.

This week we will be available as follows:
Wednesday (12/5) 8am-5pm
Thursday (12/6) 8am-5pm
Friday (12/7) 8am-5pm

Please check back at the end of the week for our complete winter schedule!

Homecoming, of sorts

Friday (11/30) we were at Texas State University in San Marcos for a symposium on water. I was the keynote speaker. My speech -- River Memories, Native Plants and the Nature of Texas -- connected our experiences as students to the mission of our business. Slide after slide illustrated ways we are making positive changes in our community through teaching others to conserve, preserve, restore and celebrate Texas' natural beauty.

We always appreciate the opportunity to share our knowledge and enthusiasm with others. This event was particularly meaningful; it is a great honor to be invited back to one's alma mater. Thanks to Gene Bourgeois, Ellen Ermis, and Ron Brown for joining Diann McCabe, and the rest of the University Honors staff and students, to welcome us "home".

Saturday we checked on Schroeder Park at Golden Age Home in Lockhart. Of course we picked up lunch from Smitty's BBQ and had a picnic under the gazebo at the center of the garden. The project looks amazing, though it needs a bit of grooming. It's just that time of year when perennials reach the end of their bloom cycle and grasses change from greens and blues to tans and coppers. We took some pics for our portfolio -- stay tuned!

After lunch we dropped by their Dickens' Christmas festival on the square. Local student choirs performed. Funnel cakes and other holiday food were available for purchase. Vendors peddled handmade jewelry, blankets, honey and other wares. A snow machine at the entrance to the event sputtered and spit white into the air. The sky was overcast -- it looked like a chilly winter day. In reality, however, it was HOT outside. Clad in shorts and sandals, everyone still maintained happy holiday spirits.

Sunday the temperatures were even higher. It was my birthday and I never complain about the weather being too hot on my special day. Making matters worse, I can no longer fit into my summer wardrobe. So I roughed it in maternity jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. I walked around on South Congress in Austin for as long as I could stand the heat...Monday we picked up plants for a couple landscape contractors.

Folsom is exhausted. Saturday he played at the San Marcos Dog Park, Sunday at the Austin park and Monday at the nurseries. Whew, we will back in the office tomorrow.

Grapevine Garden Club

Our program for Grapevine Garden Club was a tremendous success last Tuesday (11/27). Approximately 85 attended our presentation about water-wise landscaping practices; we discussed bed preparation, irrigation and plant selection that conserve, preserve, restore and celebrate Texas' natural beauty. The club has a large, very active membership involved in numerous community projects. Often we meet community-oriented groups, but this organization just seems to take volunteerism through gardening to a higher level.

We hope to be invited back again!

Belated Thanks

David, Folsom the Dog and I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving full of gratitude, food and laughter with your brood! A few of our loved ones were visiting from out-of-town, so we had several days of family events in addition to turkey dinner. We even found time to squeeze in a baby shower.

Green Is Universal

http://www.aswearemagazine.com/content/view/297/75/