Hopefully, landscaping company will finally finish (or at least start) the front yard relandscaping project that we started a year ago. The "new" landscape designer (president of the company) came out today. After working with the original woman for a year, I'm scrapping most of her ideas for our courtyard. They were either the wrong plants that wouldn't grow in this location or else plants I didn't like.

I'm also going to have to scrap ideas I personally found that will work well, except for dog safety. A lot deep research eventually revealed that those plants (that a like and will grow in the areas selected) are also toxic to pets. Who would have thought? Even the new landscape designer didn't know this fact about some until I brought pointed it out. Since my dogs are so small, they are more in danger than larger breeds because even a tiny amount of a toxic substance can mean life or death to them.

This will be a complex landscaping process inside the courtyard. Beside beauty to my eye and plants that will grow well within the area, we also require "dog safe" plants, especially now with Tara who chews on anything and everything. Plus, I insist on plants that will not attract ticks like ornamental grasses.

Obviously, the woman, originally assigned to our project, did not have the experience to take all these factors into consideration. She would hit one element and then miss the other two with her plant selections. Then, when I complained, she'd change the plants and do the same thing over but in a different direction. So, she never could come up to a courtyard design that would begin to work for us. Her boss again said that she has an "attention deficit". But the company has kept her on for another year. She was likable enough. So, if a client is willing to take whatever she comes up with, I can see it. Some people don't want to have input in what goes into a landscaping job. They just want plants. However, she was not a good fit to work with us. Our tastes varied tremendously from hers. Plus, she refused to listen to what we wanted or our special concerns. Perhaps she just forgot our conversations as soon as she left our meetings... Who knows? But it's been a year and nothing got done.

The new designer (who has been in the business since the 70's) seemed to come up with some possible ideas that might work. We met with him today in the courtyard. Now that he has seen the area and listened (I hope) to my concerns, we'll meet again next week with his more developed ideas and a new plan. Meanwhile, he's going to do more research on specific plants that may be possible. Fingers crossed. I'd like to see planting start by April 15th, but we first still need a courtyard plan.

BTW, the white bench and the navy & gold gate are new as of late last Fall. So now, this new landscape designer has all the elements to work around. The woman only had these elements in theory.