Article About Wikis

We just wanted to point your attention to the recent article in the Boston Globe about wikis. Wikis are quickly becoming mainstream online collaborative tools.

From artists to spies, more going wiki on Web
Open editing model spreads
By Robert Weisman, Globe Staff | November 18, 2006

Read the article here.

New Organic Land Care Forum Moderator

We would like to announce our new forum moderator. He moderator is an expert in his field and active Underground participant who you may already know.

Please give a warm welcome to Ted Chapman who will lead the Organic Land Care Forum. He will be happy to facilitate discussions and answer your questions about this very interesting topic on our online forums. He would also welcome others to help co-moderate this forum with him. So if you are an Organic Land Care whiz, then please let us know so we can add you as a moderator to this forum.

Thanks to everyone who has registered for the forums so far. We will try and keep things interesting and lively and add more expert moderators as we go along. We now have 7 expert moderators at our forums. We will work to build valuable content and welcome your questions and discussions.

Learn more about how to get started in the Getting Started forum. While you are visiting the forums why not take our online poll in the Announcements from The Underground forum.

Not registered yet? Go to our website and click on "Members Please Register Here".

Welcome Our New Plant and Herb Forum Moderators

We would like to announce that we have two new forum moderators. These moderators are experts in their fields and will moderate the Plant Forums.

Please give a warm welcome to Russell Stafford who will moderate the Plant Forums (Trees, Shrubs, and more) and Linda Russell who will lead the Herb Forum. They will be happy to facilitate discussions and answer your questions about these very interesting topics on our online forums. Why not stop in and say hi.

Want to help them out? If you know your plants or have a special plant interest let us know. We will be happy to add you to our growing list of expert moderators.

Thanks to everyone who has registered for our forums so far. We will try and keep things interesting and lively and add more expert moderators as we go along.

We still have many members who have not registered yet. Go to our website and register today.

Welcome Landscape History Forum Moderators

We would like to announce that we have two new forum moderators. These moderators are experts in their fields and active Underground participants who you may already know.

Please give a warm welcome to JoAnn Robinson and Ann Uppington who will lead the Landscape History Forum. They will be happy to facilitate discussions and answer your questions about these very interesting subjects on our online forums.

Thanks to everyone who has registered for our forums so far we now have nearly 50 members who have registered. We will try and keep things interesting and lively and add more expert moderators as we go along.

While you are there why not take a look at the wonderful checklist about Fall/Winter water pond preparation, posted by Jay Bearfield in the Pond and Water Features Forum.

Go to our website and register today.

Find A Landscape Professional Website Launched!

The "Find A Landscape Professional" wiki website has now been launched and is available to the public at http://findalandscapepro.pbwiki.com.

We will continue to make on-going improvements to our consumer articles as well as add new search capabilities to our listings.

Thanks to everyone who provided their professional listings to us. We'll keep you posted.

Wishing you the best of success in your business.

Send Us Your Testimonials

As part of our campaign to attract new members we have begun to collect testimonials from our current members. Please help us in our effort to spread the word about the benefits of becoming a member by sending us your testimonials. They can be as brief or detailed as you would like. We would really like to hear from you.

Some questions to think about about when writing your testimonial:

1. What do you like best about The Underground?
2. How has The Underground been useful to you?
3. Any suggestions for improving The Underground?
4. What do you like best about our monthly programs?
5. How have our programs been helpful to you?
6. What program topics would you be most interested in seeing?
7. Any suggestions for improving our programs, our website, or anything else?
8. Would you recommend The Underground to others?
9. What else can you tell us?

So please help us out won't you? Tell us how The Underground has benefited you.

Please send them to us via our website at http://theunderground.pbwiki.com

From Parking Lot to Wetlands

The Wellesley College Campus master planners sought to restore and renew the landscape with respect to the college's site-sensitive needs and rich tradition. Attendees with an interest in sustainable landscape design, restoration, and native plants were encouraged to attend "From Parking Lot to Wetlands".

The guest speaker was Andrew Gutterman, Michael Van Valkenburg Associates, Inc., Cambridge, MA

Landscape architect, Andrew Gutterman, from Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc., and a major player in the design and implementation of this award winning landscape surrounding the new Campus Center at Wellesley College explained how it all evolved. The designers wrestled with brownfield problems, major stormwater management and reconstruction of an original wet meadow. Mr.Gutterman described the design process and lead a tour of the new elevated wetlands, rolling meadows and extensive plantings of native trees and shrubs. This program had something in it for everyone from designers to landscapers to arborists.

Andrew Gutterman has been a guest critic at the Harvard Design School, the Boston Architectural Center and the Rhode Island School of Design. Andrew received a Bachelor of Science degree in ecology at the University of Connecticut in 1996 and a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Design School in 2000, where he was awarded the Charles Eliot Traveling Fellowship.

American Society of Landscape Architects General Design Award of Excellence 2006. For more information visit http://www.asla.org/awards/2006/06winners/309.html

Annoucing Our New Forum Moderators

We would like to announce that we have two new forum moderators. These moderators are experts in their fields and active Underground participants who you may already know.

Please give a warm welcome to Jay Bearfield who will lead the Ponds and Water Features Forum, and Derek Walters who will lead the Landscape Lighting Forum. They will be happy to facilitate discussions and answer your questions about these very interesting
topics on our online forums.

Thanks to everyone who has registered for our forums so far. We will try and keep things interesting and lively and add more expert moderators as we go along.

Hey I just recently visited The Mount. Check out my pictures at the online forum in the Great Places to Visit section!

Visit http://theunderground.pbwiki.com and register today.

Do you have a special interest or expertise in a certain area of landscape? Let us know if you would like to become a forum moderator. We welcome your contributions and participation in The Underground Forums.

New Online Forums

Our new online forums are now open and available at our wiki website. To get to the website go to http://theunderground.pbwiki.com. Click on "Members Please Register Here" link to register. Please note that your registration will require validation before you can post messages to the board - we will do this as promptly as possible.

The forum will offer a few features that are not currently available at our Yahoo group. The forum will allow for easier online viewing and searching of message threads. All messages will appear in appropriated forum categories. You will be able to upload photos and other files. Customize your avatar (signature). Post your questions, help wanted and for sale ads and more. There is also a handy calendar to add upcoming events. Leave us your feedback, give us your testimonial - we want to hear from you.

On The Underground Forum includes:
Announcements from The Underground
Steering The Underground
Getting Started

Our All about the Biz Forum includes:
General Discussion
The Landscape
Specialty Services
Ecological Practices
Plants
The Toolbox
Business Practices

Our Community Forum includes:
Network with Members In Your Area
The Voting Booth
Project Showcase
Great Places to Visit
The Marketplace
Feedback

Register Today! Then get started by browsing the information in the Getting Started forum. Take our poll and help us choose program topics for next season.

Announcing Our New Wiki Website

We are very pleased and quite excited to announce the launch of our new members "wiki" website.

What's a wiki you ask? The term wiki comes from the Hawaiian word wiki wiki which means quick. A wiki is a kind of website that is written collaboratively and that multiple people can edit easily and quickly.

Our new members wiki website is a public informational website that can only be edited by The Underground Admin. It will provide information to the public about our group, our programs, and how to become a member.

The wiki was chosen for its ease of maintenance and updating. We welcome your comments and feedback about our new site.

Thanks,
Bridget McManus
For The Underground Steering Committee

ROCK ON - An Examination of Stone Sculpture in the Garden

This program "ROCK ON - An Examination of Stone Sculpture in the Garden" showed us how we can integrate artful stone sculpture to enhance the surrounding landscape. It examined the careful placement and installation of these sometimes massive works, as well as discussed the creative process involved in their making. It included a guided tour of the ROCK ON exhibit led by Tom Smarr of The New England Wild Flower Society.

Guest speakers included:
Tom Smarr & Scott LaFleur, The New England Wild Flower Society, Framingham, MA
Ron Rudnicki, Artist/Sculptor of Sculptural Environments, East Freetown, MA

Stone has a presence, beauty, and history that makes it the natural choice to adorn and enhance the landscape. The placement of stone sculptures in the ROCK ON exhibit were chosen by the artists themselves to reflect the beauty of the surrounding plants, water, and sky - to capture the spirit of place. But once their location was chosen, what did it take to install these works?

Tom Smarr and Scott LaFleur discussed the challenges posed by the installation of these sculptures in various locations around the garden. Artist and ROCK ON participant, Ron Rudnicki also gave us a brief slide presentation showing examples of his sculpture and discussing his creative process.

Tom Smarr has been working with the New England Wild Flower Society for the past five years, first as Horticulturist and now as the Horticulture Director. Scott LaFleur joined him as Senior Horticulturist this past spring. Together, they are responsible for the development and maintenance of the Society's botanic garden, Garden in the Woods, famous for its extensive native plant collections. They were also responsible for the installation of ROCK ON.

Ron Rudnicki received an MFA in Visual Design/Sculpture from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. His works have been featured in exhibits at the DeCordova Museum, the Fuller Craft Museum, and the Newport Art Museum. Ron has received many awards, including the prestigious Boston Society of Landscape Architects Award.

2006 Annual Report Now Available

Our 2006AnnualReport.pdf is now available from The Underground Steering Committee. This file has been sent to our members as an email attachment and has also been uploaded to the files section of our Yahoo Group for those members who wish to download it from our site.

If you have questions or comments please send them to us. We are all looking forward to more wonderful programs and a great year ahead.

The Underground Steering Committee

Yahoo Makes Improvements to Group Email

You may have noticed a bit of a change in the way you receive email from our Yahoo Group. Yahoo has made enhancements to the email format. See details below.

Get ready for a new look for your Yahoo! Groups email.
We've made your Daily Digest and Individual group emails easier to follow and more engaging than ever.

And this is just the beginning. Be sure to keep an eye out for more great additions to Yahoo! Groups.

Here are a few ways we're improving your Yahoo! Groups:
* Browse through your messages more easily, thanks to the new layout
* Get alerted anytime your group adds new photos, files and more
* Watch for more improvements to Yahoo! Groups based on user feedback

Have questions about the new Groups email? We've got answers.

Why did Yahoo! Groups change the look of my group email?
With the new email design, we've made Yahoo! Groups messages easier-to-read, friendlier and more informative by letting you know when information in your group has been updated.

I noticed that the group messages are now organized differently. Can you tell me more about this?
With message threading, customers can easily read thru messages around a specific subject. On the Web you can see all the messages associated with a single subject. In the Daily Digest, you can easily scan a group of messages and click on the subject line for instant access to the message contents.

Are there any other new changes to Yahoo! Groups?
Yes. We've also updated our search functionality. Now you can more easily search for, and find, specific content within your group's message archive.

I get overwhelmed by the number of individual email messages in some of my groups. Any solutions?
If your group is generating a lot of messages, you may want to get a summary of the daily messages in a single email. The new Daily Digest is a great way to keep up with what's happening in your group, particularly if you don't need to respond immediately to the messages. Sign up for the new Daily Digest.

Water-Friendly Landscaping

This program was held at Green Meadow Farms in Hamilton, MA and was coordinated by Susan Quatemen. Thank you Susan.

The guest speaker for "Water-Friendly Landscaping" was Mary Whitney, Principal of Whitney Associates, Salem, MA.

The Water-Friendly Landscaping program explored approaches to water efficient landscaping. Attendees learned how to use a site’s natural features together with landscaping to protect local water resources by reducing storm run-off, preventing erosion, and increasing infiltration. Includes descriptions of lawn alternatives and what plants to include or avoid when landscaping for water health.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 26 billion gallons of water are used daily in the U.S., of which approximately 7.8 billion gallons (30 percent) are devoted to outdoor use. This program discussed natural landscaping approaches to using water efficiently, through reduced lawn areas, careful planning and design, soil analysis,
mulching, and appropriate plant selection. This approach not only saves water, but also reduces chemical use and can save time, costs, noise and pollution associated with mowing and lawnmowers.

The program provided suggestions and tips to consider when planning future projects or updates for a more water-efficient landscape. It suggested how you could beautify your landscape, keep your family safe, and help the environment using low-cost ways to preserve and protect our water supplies.

Mary L. Whitney is a Planner, Designer, and Educator for ecologically sound land use and Principal of Whitney Associates Landscape Planning | Design | Management located in Salem, MA. She is a member of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Low-Impact Development Working Group, promoting ways that residents, municipalities, and developers can protect local water resources and preserve open space, while fitting human use into natural systems.

Get Your Underground Merchandise at CafePress!

We would like to tell you about The Underground's new great looking merchandise available at Cafe Press. Get your shirts, caps, bags, mugs, posters and more.

• Keep the sun off with our sporty logo caps.
• Have that morning cup o' joe in The official Underground mug.
• Carry your papers and tools in our attractive canvas tote bag.
• Display our "What's Underground" poster in your office.
• From golf shirts to t-shirts and hoodies we have something for everyone.

A small portion of your purchase price will go directly to help The Underground fund more wonderful programs and other group activities. Some of these items were recently on display at yesterdays program.

We welcome you to show your support of our group by purchasing some of these fabulous products.

Check them out today by going to http://www.cafepress.com/the_undergrnd

Professional Methods for Estimating Landscaping Projects

From project conception to bid acceptance, the accuracy of your current working estimate is vital to landscape installation success. This informative program "Professional Methods for Estimating Landscaping Projects" explored professional methods for accurately costing out landscape construction projects.

Guest panelists included:
Mark Saydah, Whole Earth Landscape and Design, Inc., Harvard, MA
William S. Parker, Parker Garden Design, Nashua, NH

Attendees learned about the diverse methods and proven techniques for taking the guess-work out of producing construction bids and estimates. Our panelists described the processes they use for cost estimating and the steps involved in calculating quantity take-offs. They also discussed what a contractor/installer needs from a designer in order to provide the most accurate estimates. Basic materials formulas were provided and real-world examples of cost estimates for a variety of landscape projects were shown. Finally direct and indirect costs, profit margins, and other guidelines were also considered.

This program provided suggestions and tips to improve and streamline your landscape estimating methods. It also helped to demystify the cost estimating process so that you can work more effectively with your contractor/installer.

Mark Saydah is an entrepreneur with a business & horticultural background and has been running Whole Earth Landscape and Design, Inc. since 1989. He earned the MCLP certification in 1994 and the MCH in 2003. He is a past board member and co-founder of the ELA and a member of the MNLA. Mark is a local authority on the subject of landscape design and low-maintenenace landscaping and has been a speaker for various organizations including the Ecological Landscape Association (ELA) and the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS).

Bill Parker has been landscaping in Southern New Hampshire for 25 years. In 1996 he started, Parker Garden Design. PGD is a full service design and build landscaping company with a focus on natural hardscapes and native plants. Bill has developed PGD into a well known high-quality landscape company. He oversees all design work and does all of the estimating, bidding and selling. Through his years of experience in designing and implementing landscapes, he has developed an understanding of what it takes to create accurate estimates.

Practical Wetlands Protection for Residential Landscape Projects: Working With Conservation Commissions

This informative program "Practical Wetlands Protection for Residential Landscape Projects: Working With Conservation Commissions" was held at The New England Wild Flower Society's Garden in the Woods, and was geared to help you make the right decisions when dealing with wetland protection issues.

Panel members included:
Ecological landscape designer and conservation agent Kale Kalloch,
DEP circuit rider Kathy Robertson
DEP circuit rider Jason Lederer

Healthy wetlands are crucial for maintaining water quality for humans, animals and plants. The Massachusetts' Wetlands Protection Act, administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), requires approval of certain activities by each municipality’s conservation commission before site work begins in the wetland buffer zone.

This panel discussion, with case studies, was designed for homeowners and landscape professionals who want to act responsibly to protect our threatened marshes, ponds, and streams. Attendees learned which landscape activities and resources are regulated; how to determine whether your project must be reported; and how to work effectively with your local conservation commission to avoid homeowner liability. This important seminar covered basic wetland identification and great native plants for buffer zones. Questions and site-specific issues were addressed.

Thank You to Our NE Spring Flower Show Volunteers

Thank you to Denise Pegrum and Debby McNulty for volunteering to help at this years New England Spring Flower Show.

Welcome New Members from LDSA

We would just like to take a moment to welcome new members from the LDSA yahoo group. This group represents landscape design students and alumni from the New York Botanical Garden.

To all of you from New York, please feel free to contribute links to favorite resources, take our online polls, add your contact information to our database, pose questions and share ideas. We want to hear from everybody and through your participation we will all grow.

Wishing you all a wonderful season ahead!

Software Shootout Software Discounts

Thank you all for coming to the Software Shootout yesterday. We were so happy you could join us for our first program of the new year - it was great to see you.

We just wanted to point your attention to some software offers the you may be interested in. For those of you who picked up a discount sheet for CADtools there is a code for 50% off the regular price for this Adobe Illustrator plugin which is good until March 15th, 2006.

Also if you contact Nick La Forest or Pablo Lora at Nemetschek and mention that you attended The Underground Software Shootout, they will be offering a discount on the purchase of VectorWorks Landmark.

Congratulations to our software winners yesterday - Mary, Ferris, Ted and Rolf.

For more information please contact us.

Software Shootout

Held at the Wellesley College Science Center, the first "Software Shootout" program explored cutting edge techniques to creating landscape plans and documents. The software presented ranged in price, capability and complexity.

Our guest presenters included:
Monica Fairbairn, Gardening by Design, Watertown MA
Mary Coyne, Coyne Landscape Design, Wellesley, MA
Bridget McManus, Lepidoptera Landscape Design, Framingham, MA
Andrew Buck, Not Yet Landscape, Jamaica Plain, MA

The software presented included MSPublisher, Autosketch, Adobe Illustrator, and VectorWorks Landmark.

Attendees learned the secrets to creating high quality, graphically rich landscape plans using your computer. Designers showed examples of their projects as well as described the step-by-step process for their implementation. They discussed their software products’ learning curve and the strengths and weaknesses from their personal perspective. Handouts provided additional information including tips and tricks, equipment requirements, costs and other special considerations and comparisons. The presentations were followed by a breakout session in which presenters demonstrated their software in
small informal groups.

Whether a novice or a seasoned landscape professional, this program gave you the information you needed to find the software that would work for you in your landscape business. It helped you to make an informed decision by giving you a real-world perspective of the products’ capabilities.

Welcome All Our New Members

We would just like to welcome all our new members to our group. Since our participation at NE Grows we have recruited 28 new members which brings our current total membership to 126 with more memberships coming in daily.

The following information may be helpful to our new members.

Our group operates via a Yahoo group and members connect via this group by email. All email messages posted to the_undergrnd@yahoogroups.com get sent to the entire group of 126 members. If you wish to respond to only the person who originally posted a message (and not the entire group) then please be sure to use their personal email address which will be found in the From field of the message.

The Underground has a number of nifty web features available for those of you who have set up their Yahoo ID's and password. To gain access to these features you must go to our Yahoo site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_undergrnd/ and sign in.

Once you have signed in you will have access to all the great features that are available. These features include:
Scheduling online chats with members
Sharing Files - upload and download them to the Yahoo file section
Sharing Photos - upload and download them to the photos section
Sharing links to great websites - we have 78 links so far in the links section
Sharing your contact info in our online database (member list and collaboration list) - listing is optional
Taking member polls about various topics
Adding your event to our Calendar and sending out automatic reminders to members

We encourage you to utilize all these features and participate.

Welcome to The Underground!

Thanks to Our NE Grows Volunteers

We would like to acknowledge the following people for so graciously volunteering their time to helping us staff our booth at New England Grows. All your hard work was so very much appreciated! You made our first show a success!

Thank you all so much!

Justin Kelleher
Susan Tuttle
Priscilla Williams
Erin McNeill
Susan Quateman
Seija Halva
Tom Ryan
Dori Smith
Mary Coyne
Katie Haried
Karen Fountain-Lantelme
Sally Naish
Denise Pegrum
Jennifer Campbell
Kathy Tunsley
Liz Evans
Ed Council
Melanie Neuman

Thank you.
The Underground Steering Committee