Saturday, December 08, 2007

One Week Ago



That’s me, seated at the news desk of Denver’s Channel 7 TV with Steve Saunders and Dale Cedars. I was there as a representative of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado to talk about what can be done in the winter landscape. Our emphasis was on working with a landscape professional (like me!) right now to plan and/or schedule your outdoor projects for the upcoming spring. Most landscape businesses are at their slowest right now, so it’s much easier for consumers to get prompt, attentive service.

We also talked about some of the activities that, weather permitting, you can do in your garden right now:



1. Demolition! Out with the old to make way for the new. A great way to burn some calories on a brisk winter day.



2. Hardscape installation. Some non-plant elements of the landscape can be built in all but the worst weather. Think decks, arbors, fences, retaining walls, paver patios, and the like.



3. Mulching. Once the ground is frozen you can spread a nice layer (2-3” deep) of organic mulch or evergreen boughs to protect perennials, in particular, from the freeze-thaw cycle so typical of our crazy temperature swings.



4. Pruning. Before the buds break dormancy is the time to prune most of your woody plants. This is absolutely the best time of year for any radical pruning such as renewal or rejuvenation techniques.



5. Clean, sharpen and oil your hand tools. Sand the wooden handles lightly before applying a nice coat of mineral oil (have the tool and oil at room temperature!).



6. Run and play! Enjoy a whole new season in your garden!

6 comments:

The Artful Eye said...

Hi Jocelyn,
My mom and your daughter Erin work together. I love your blog and will be adding to my links for places to visit. It's chock full of good information and beautiful imagery. Thank you.

Andrea

Jocelyn H. Chilvers said...

Thanks for stopping by, Andrea!

LostRoses said...

How cool, Jocelyn! I wish I'd been watching Channel 7 instead of 9News. You look very professional and at ease alongside the anchors. Good for you!

Jocelyn H. Chilvers said...

Thanks! I really enjoy doing this kind of public outreach stuff, and these folks are especially nice to work with.

Aiyana said...

You look great up there. It's good you enjoy it--I volunteer at a local TV station here for their consumer help line, and I've seen guests so nervous they literally get sick! My son and family live in Denver, and I visit several times a year. I guess I never watched Channel 7 as I've never seen those newscasters before!

Jocelyn H. Chilvers said...

These newscasters appear at 7:00AM weekend mornings---not a time when I typically watch the news, either!
The trick to being comfortable on TV is to prepare the interviewer (and yourself!) a day or two ahead of time by providing them with a short list of questions and answers that are very specific to the topic you are there to discuss.
I also keep in mind that the newscasters are regular people who have been trained to do a specific job (just like any of my clients!), and are usually very nice to work with.
Thanks for stopping by!