Reader

In this issue:

• The Foreword for The Modern Rain Garden II
• A Gardening Podcast I actually listen to
• Price changes for 2025 + February Price Freeze (I never do specials or discounts but what the heck)

I reached out to someone I consider both a mentor and friend to see if he would write a foreword for the second edition of The Modern Rain Garden. After a gruelling couple months writing and editing this book (which should be ready soon!) reading the foreword has given me a renewed sense of purpose. It's written below...

Before the Foreword I wanted to share a gardening podcast that I actually listen to. I listen to a bunch of podcasts but very few of them are gardening related. Heather is really easy to listen to and even easier to talk to. I joined her back in December to chat gardening and the AVESI origin story... I am planning on joining her again this summer but in the meantime our first conversation on the Hops and Hedges podcast can be found here...

The Modern Rain Garden: Scrape, Shape & Plant. Foreword by Sean James

The world’s weather seems topsy-turvy with droughts and floods frequently in the news. Some folks despair that there is nothing to be done but it needn’t be all doom and gloom. My eternal optimism has me believing there are always actions that will make a positive difference. I also believe that good news stories with achievable initiatives help us move forward. Gardeners are akin to modern-day superheroes, and this book is representative of one of the many important ways gardeners are making a difference.

Years ago, I was asked to work on one of the first studies for Northern climates on engineered rain gardens, focusing on the planting side of things. It set me on a path of study and learning that shows no signs of stopping. Michael is similar in his observational skill, desire to learn, and willingness to adapt his methods as he learns. I’ve known him for quite some time, having met him at a rain garden presentation I was giving. (Now he’s giving them, and I can say ‘I knew him when…!’)

Michael has an unusual talent – the ability to explain the concepts of rain-ready landscapes, and their importance, in ways that are easy-to-absorb, not just to professionals, but also to homeowners, and policymakers. Readers will walk away with an understanding of how to sculpt rain gardens, work with the soil that they have, and make sure water goes where they want, or at least guide it where it needs to go. Water can seem almost sentient, not wanting to be pushed or directed where it doesn’t feel like going. Michael’s focus on where water goes (overflow) after the initial capture, is an excellent example of something others often miss.

Rain gardens can increase biodiversity while building property value and curb appeal. They help prevent flooding in our communities, while protecting the creatures that live in our waterways and wetlands. Rainscaping is so important that forward-thinking municipalities have established granting programs to kickstart its implementation.

Creating any garden to do the right thing can and should be a perfect blending of art and science. We never need to sacrifice beauty when creating goal-oriented gardens, whether they be edible landscapes, drought-tolerant plantings, or gardens meant to support pollinators.

Rain gardens are the low-hanging fruit of eco-friendly landscape design; easy and pretty. Now is the perfect time for a book like this, and an author as knowledgeable and passionate as Michael Albanese.

​
Sean James Master Gardener, NPD, FLP

Price Changes Begin March 1, 2025

Local Landscape Consultation prices for this year are $176.99+hst

Out of Town and Virtual consultations will also see increases but as always those are priced on a case by case basis. Group rates apply if you have friends or neighbours close by.

2024 Pricing ($152.99+hst) for local consultations will remain in effect for all bookings made until the end of February 2025.

That's all for now,

Michael