I have a love/hate relationship with my Fitbit. As an activity tracker, it measures the number of steps I take, my heart rate and even my sleep habits. I love it because it was a Christmas gift from my children. The fact that they all pooled their well-earned money to choose a gift that I wanted means so much to me. It isnât quite the gift that I had hoped it would be though. I mistakenly thought it would be this watch-type device that I would wear on my wrist and would act as a tangible way to reaffirm to myself what I thought I already knew. I walk A LOT! It hasnât lived up to my expectations. In fact, wearing it for the first few weeks in January was pretty depressing. Apparently we are all supposed to be taking 10,000 steps a day. I donât need a device on my wrist to tell me that doesnât happen in January in Northern Illinois. One time I even received a notification at 9:30 at night telling me âYou only need to take 2500 more steps to meet your goal!â In an attempt avoid taking the Fitbit off and putting it in a drawer, I started working out on the treadmill in the morning as opposed to bicycling in the evening. Parking farther away from the grocery store door and using the stairs have also helped as I have started to hit that 10,000-step mark. I am more appreciative of the positive affirmations I receive from this inanimate object than I probably should be. But I am sincerely appreciative of the fact that tackling a project early, i. e. exercising, feels great!
In the last column, we discussed sources of inspiration for landscaping projects around your home. I hope that you found them useful and have given yourself some time to dream about the time that the snow melts and we can all be outside enjoying our neighbors and neighborhoods more. Even though it is only mid-February, I would encourage you to consider moving from the dreaming portion of your outdoor project or projects to the planning portion.
For planning purposes, you will most likely need a copy of your Platt of Survey. This survey will give you lots of great information including lot and home measurements as well as easement information. The survey will also tell you definitively which direction your home faces.
If your proposed project includes planting trees, shrubs, or flowers, you may want to do a little sketch on a copy of the survey. This will help to visualize the project as well as start to figure out the correct quantities. Make sure to pay particularly close attention to the mature height and width of the plants you are interested in planting. In addition to mature heights and widths, consider other elements of the plant, including: flowering time, light requirements, soil requirements and hardiness. Flowers on plants are often considered the primary plant attribute, but there are so many more. These include: texture, shape, leaf color, and branching structure. Although it is easy to get overwhelmed, a quick read through about a particular plant should give you a good overview of those characteristics. Plants that attract butterflies, are friendly to pollinators and help wildlife are being used more and more.
If your project includes hardscaping, the term for outdoor projects that donât involve plants, then you may need to develop a more detailed plan. The construction of Pergolas, patios, sidewalks and driveway ribbons all require a building permit, so if making a drawing on your Platt of Survey, you will want to be as specific as possible. With those projects keep in mind the grade, the location of your downspouts, and of course the purpose for the construction of these elements. It has been my experience that what is below the surface of the project is often more important than the portion of the finished project that you can see. Make sure to research not only what the requirements are for the building permit but also what the manufacturerâs recommendations are for these structures.
In upcoming columns I will address implementation of the project as well as cost saving ideas. Until then I have 8 hours in the day left and 4,400 more steps to take.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com.. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
