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Elder Creek Landscape Design Studios
The Sandbox



Exploring the thoughtwork that drives quality design
for our clients | for the profession


Do water-efficient irrigation systems work against low-carbon goals?
The carbon footprint of any given material is not necessarily obvious or even intuitive. This brief intro should help you begin to wrap...
rick9162
Apr 13, 20244 min read
21 views


It's Not Just About Carbon | Using the Three Pillars Framework to Guide Ecological Literacy in the Landscape
It's about ecosystem services, and carbon is a part of that. I obviously support balancing our landscapes within the carbon cycle....
rick9162
Mar 18, 20246 min read
52 views


Elder Creek Said No to Organic Fertilizers a Long Time Ago.
Elder Creek said no to organic fertilizers back in 2010. Actually, we say no to all fertilizers wherever possible and use organics for...
rick9162
Aug 4, 20233 min read
73 views


Where are you on the spectrum of concern for the climate?
While I don’t spend much time discussing whether climate change is real, I do spend a lot of time in discussions with varying viewpoints...
rick9162
Jul 3, 20231 min read
20 views


Should We Claim Existing Carbon Assets as our Own?
What is the moral and practical stance on claiming existing sequestration assets when developing a new project? This is a hotly debated...
rick9162
Jun 23, 20233 min read
17 views


3 Critical Stages in the Growth of Your Gardens
What can i expect once my contractor finishes installing our gardens? The day your landscape is finished, the plantings will look more...
rick9162
Jun 23, 20232 min read
29 views


You finally finished the install! What to expect next.
Congratulations! You finally wrapped up the journey of construction. It can feel long and arduous for some of our clients and exciting...
rick9162
Jun 3, 20232 min read
13 views


Precision vs. Accuracy
precision accuracy; exactness: the degree of refinement with which an operation is performed accuracy the condition or quality of being...
rick9162
Jun 3, 20234 min read
23 views


You're landscape isn't Carbon Balanced, you say?
So your landscape isn't carbon balanced? It isn't even balancing out in the next 10 years? All I can say is, Welcome to the party!...
rick9162
Jun 3, 20232 min read
18 views


Succulents and Sagebrush, The Future of Sonoma County landscapes?
At last fall's ASLA Conference in San Francisco, I was lucky enough to share a table with a grad student committed to carbon solutions...
rick9162
May 12, 20232 min read
40 views


Can i really have a carbon negative landscape? and a pool? and concrete patios, and everything else.
Probably Not at least not in any reasonable timeline. The truth of the matter is that many of our lifestyle choices and many of the...
rick9162
May 12, 20233 min read
28 views
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