"Your Own Private Eden"

What is it that draws us outdoors? What is it that compels us to plant a garden, or landscape our homes, or hike a national park? For the past two weekends I have spent my leisure time in the front yard of my house re-landscaping with my wife. We are on a mission to correct the flaws that we have tried to ignore for the last five years since purchasing our home. We had made a decision, and before I could say "pass the ibuprofen", we were cutting sod, tilling the soil and creating new planting beds. Our driveway is now a holding area of compost & mulch piles and containers of shrubs and perennials. Together we labored to create a more ideal environment, or to say it better, our own private Eden.

The Garden of Eden has long been synonymous with paradise on earth. …A paradise lost. I asked Pastor Lou Rossetti of Wausau Alliance church about the Biblical connection of this underlying attraction we have for nature. He referred me to the first book of Genesis Verses 28 and 29 which covers the command that God gave man to have dominion over the earth. The word dominion according to Merriam Webster is defined as; domain, supreme authority or sovereignty. The command that God gave Adam was to tend the garden; so in essence, we are all ancestors of the very first gardener. The positive feelings that we get from spending time in the great outdoors is a direct link to our DNA. How cool is that?

Now while I am on the subject of the pursuit of paradise, I would like to address something that I refer to as; "The paradox of the project". Often times during the design process, we will inventory the wish list of a client, along with the needs of the site. We will then draw a detailed plan and present it along with a proposal for the work. What often happens is that the client will go into analysis paralysis. They now have a road map to their desires, but the reality of the price sends them into an altered state. There are two important things to remember here. First, never limit your possibilities due to a perceived price or budget. This is where real creativity comes into play - Getting the desired result even with a less than desirable budget. A wise man once posed this question to me. Sure there is a price to pay, but what is the cost of not doing it? And second, understand that your project can be implemented in phases. Doing things well, and at a pace that you can cope with will allow you to have quality craftsmanship and materials, and an outstanding result. And over a time line that you can live with. (Typically three to five years). I often recommend that our clients only implement what they are truly comfortable with. After all, what good is your piece of paradise if you are financially stressed by it? Eat the elephant in small bites.

The bottom line is that things of beauty often take time. The Good Lord did it in six days, but we aren't that good. However, with planning, patience and an "it's possible" attitude, you are well on your way to creating your own private Eden.

James Merritt/ Living Color Landscapes

715-849-9600

www.livingcolorlandscape.net

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