Dirt Digger Online

Plant a Tree

2011-05-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been thinking a lot about trees. As everyone races out to their local nurseries to by the latest and greatest annuals, I find myself wanting to go in another direction and plant more beautiful trees.

Besides the sheer beauty that trees add to a site, they create the visual effect of balancing the mass of a home to the earth. In addition, trees can do a lot to help with the heating and cooling of a home. Energy conservation and environmental issues are at the top of everyone's minds these days and trees can help reduce the energy needed to cool a home. In addition, shaded perennial beds and lawn areas have less need for supplemental water in times of drought.

Recommended reading: The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. This is a deeply moving (short) book that will prompt most people to think more about the joy of planting trees.... and bonus, the book is illustrated with gorgeous wood engravings by Michael McCurdy.

Spring Garden Symposium

2011-03-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

Spring may not exactly be in the air - afterall it was only 10 degrees this morning - but we can all dream! Check out the interesting speakers at the Spring Garden Symposium this Sat at the Eisenhardt Auditorium. Tickets are available at the door or by contacting the Rochester Civic Garden Center at 585-473-5130 or at http://www.rcgc.org/
The headline speakers Scott Ogden & Lauren Springer Odgen are considered "rock stars" of landscape design in Colorado and we lucky to have them coming to town. I'm looking forward to reading their new book and attending their seminar.
See you there,
SC

Green Wall

2010-10-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been busy this summer designing and growing our first indoor green wall for DePaul's new facility on West Main Street...and now, it's finally in!

I have to admit that I was a bit of a nervous wreck as the wall panels filled in beautifully, but had not yet been installed. As we were growing this all outdoors, I would sometimes wake in the early morning hoping that a raccoon (or similar wild animal) had not destroyed the plants.

The green wall is in a glass-walled conference room right of the lobby of the new center, and is visible to all who walk in the main entrance. Enjoy!

Doing the Right Thing

2010-07-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

Last month we received a letter from the Upstate New York Better Business Bureau, informing us that we are 2010 Torch Award recipient. This award, achieved though a rigorous application and judging process, honors businesses for their ability to demonstrate the highest standards of customer service, community involvement, adherence to truthful and honorable business practices and outstanding reliability. Four companies where chosen for this year’s Torch Award, out of the fifty county area served by the Upstate BBB.

“There’s simply no replacement for good old fashioned honesty and business ethics,” said David Polino, Better Business Bureau President. “Today’s consumers need the support of reliable customer service, and commitment to business principles that make each buying experience positive. These businesses have maintained their operations through tough economic pressures, and continued to offer excellence for the consumer, contribute to their community, care for their employees and demonstrate true reliability.”

“Being a recipient of the BBB Torch Award confirms what we already knew: that doing the right thing in all aspects of our business really pays off in the long run”, said Sharon Coates, Vice-President of Zaretsky and Associates, Inc. “Just going through the application process had its benefits, and reminded us how fulfilling creating a well rounded company can be.”

Bruce Zaretsky, President, added, “Being acknowledged in this way should prove to all businesses, large and small, that profits are not the main focus of a truly successful business. We’re happy to be a profitable company, but even happier that we do it in an ethical way.”

The Healing Power of Nature

2010-04-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we held a healing garden seminar and event in conjunction with the fine folks at Midtown Athletic Club's Spa. The event was well attended and the seminar well received.
I really enjoyed the impromptu "round table" discussion that ensued during what is normally just a Q & A at the end of Bruce's talk.
One of the attendees told a very moving story that when his nephew died suddenly his sister was faced with the decision as to whether to donate her son's organs. Feeling overwhelmed in the hospital, she went outside to think. It only took a few moments sitting outdoors for her to know what she felt was the right thing to do...and as a result someone got a new heart!

For more info. on Midtown's Spa visit:

http://www.midtown.com/Rochester/Pages/Spa.aspx

Spring Garden Haiku

2010-04-05T07:02:00.001-07:00

sprouts push through the earth

breaking up the ground at last

reaching toward the sun

GardenScape 2010 - The Aftermath

2010-03-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

Well, GardenScape 2010 is now history and, although we retired from building displays a few years ago, that doesn’t mean we don’t still show our faces there. Bruce presented two seminars on sustainability (The Lawn-free Landscape and Gardens for the 21st Century). Both were received quite well and featured Bruce’s trademark high energy, strong opinions and passion for all things landscape.

Bruce also enjoyed playing with other designers during the Designer’s Challenge, a fun and friendly competition where four designers were asked to create a concept on the spot for a member of the audience. Our good friend Pietro Furgiuele, of Waterford Tilling, not only created the design challenge, but is a great emcee and did a wonderful job of filling in the blanks when the video camera system wasn’t working. Of course, we all know who came up with the most creative design…

Speaking of sustainable gardening, as spring approaches, be sure to check your irrigation system for leaks and improperly-set heads. More importantly, be honest with yourself and see if you even need to run it this year. You’d be surprised at how tough those plants really are.

Bruce will be presenting Gardens for the 21st Century at 11am on March 27 at the Rochester Home and Garden Show at the Riverside Convention Center. http://www.rochesterhomebuilders.com/home-garden-show/landingpage.html

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GardenScape Seminars

2010-03-10T06:54:00.000-08:00

Bruce Zaretsky will be speaking at GardenScape 2010 - The Rochester Flower & Garden Show on:

Friday, March 12th at 11am The Lawn Goodbye: The Lawn-free Landscape
Lawns suck. Water, lots of water. And fertilizers. And chemicals. And let’s not forget all that mowing. Let’s stop the madness. Come explore alternatives to these enormous wastes of resources and energy. Just imagine: meadows filled with flowers. And butterflies. And birds. Without fertilizers. And chemicals. And even water!

Saturday, March 13th at 2pm Gardens for the 21st Century: Green Roofs, Rain Gardens and Water Conservation
Like it or not, we’ve entered a new era in garden design. The best designs for the 21st century will not only be beautiful, but they’ll also be practical. They’ll clean our water. Feed our populations. Insulate our buildings. And did we say they’ll also be beautiful? Let’s take a tour of 21st century garden design, incorporating rooftop gardens, green walls and rain gardens, and see what the future holds!

For more information: http://www.rochesterflowershow.com/

It's Pruning Time!

2010-03-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

Spring is on its way and that means many things: spring snowstorms, spring rain and maybe even some much needed sunshine (as we’re having the last few days). It also means that now is a great time to prune trees and shrubs. If you’re on our client list, you will be receiving a postcard to remind you that this is a great time of year for us to really see the shape of your shrubs and small trees.

Feel free to call or

email sharon@zaretskyassociates.com to get on our pruning list.

Spring Gardening Symposium

2010-03-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the inaugural Zaretsky and Associates blog, where you’ll find timely information, expert advice and pig-headed opinion! Stop in frequently to see if we’re keeping up on it and to gauge our moods and frustrations with various elements related to the wonderful world of landscaping. No politics here; just all things green.

To begin, we’ll ease in with a few reminders and announcements: This Saturday, March 6, Bruce will be speaking at the Rochester Civic Garden Center’s Annual Spring Symposium at the Eisenhardt Auditorium at the Rochester Museum and Science Center (whew, that’s a mouth-full). The 9 am -2:30 pm symposium this year is focused on the healing power of gardens. Our headline speaker is Claire Sawyers, author of the book The Authentic Garden: Five Principles for Cultivating a Sense of Place. She will present two talks: The Authentic Garden and Great Garden Ideas.

Bruce’s talk is Doctor’s Order’s: Take a Walk in the Garden, focusing on the healing power of nature and built gardens. It will include numerous case studies of Z&A gardens here in Rochester. We’ll have an in-depth profile of our latest and greatest: The Woodward Healing Garden at Rochester General Hospital. Lots and lots of pictures, advice and pig-headed opinion! Come on out and get healthy! By the way, lunch is included in the fee, which is $55.00 for non-members and $45.00 for members of the RCGC. Here’s the link: http://rcgc.org/GardenSymposium.html