July 2009 Newsletter

VALUED CUSTOMERS & FRIENDS+

June delighted us, with our team (Go Lakers!) winning the play-offs!

Just as delightful… So many of you visited our booth at Dwell on Design and attended Cassy’s discussion of Cultivating Green and Gardens in the City. If you didn’t have a chance to stop by the show, please check out the pictures of our booth and the video of Cassy’s presentation that follow.

We also enjoyed the Hard Hat Tour for the Lofts at Cherokee Studios, sponsored by the LA chapter of the USGBC in June. We were able to share information about our innovative landscape design and to learn more of the firsts incorporated into this truly remarkable building.

As we don’t see how the JPL hike could produce anything more beautiful than the hillsides of wild tiger lilies we saw in June, we’ve selected a Westside location for our next Hike and Learn scheduled for August 1st. Stay tuned for the location, which will be posted to our Website. We look forward to walking with you!

Sincerely,
Cassy and Kirk Aoyagi

LATEST NEWS+

Apartment Age Lawn Alternatives
Dwell on Design Exhibit
Dwell on Design Gardening Presentation

UPCOMING EVENTS+

Hike and Learn
No Sweat Gardening

SERVICE UPDATES+

Stop Paying Through the Hose
Protect your Traditional Lawn
Prune Oak Trees

TEAM UPDATE+

See Hike and Learn Photos
Meet Mark Britten

UPCOMING EVENTS+

The FormLA team has garden installations at several events
this Spring, and we would
enjoy seeing you:

July 18: “No Sweat Gardening” Class. Get details

August 1: Hike and Learn with Cassy and Kirk Aoyagi. TBA coastal location. Get details

TEAM UPDATE+

Mark Britten
Whether it’s a trip to Europe or a large-scale landscaping project, Mark gets it done beautifully, on time, and on budget.
Read Mark’s Biography

http://formlainc.com/events/hike-and-learn.php

The FormLA team, clients and friends enjoyed a breathtaking, rainy day Hike and Learn near JPL. Banks of 10 foot wild tiger lilies were among the myriad of attractions.
See More Pictures

CONTACT FORMLA+

Cassy and Kirk Aoyagi, Principals: Cassy@formlainc.com

Mark Britten, Production Manager: Mark@formlainc.com

John Avakian, Bookkeeping: John@formlainc.com

Maintenance Inquiries/Requests: Noe@formlainc.com

LATEST NEWS+

Apartment Age Magazine Reports Benefits of
Lawn Alternatives

Native Grasses Cassy Aoyagi outlines alternatives to thirsty traditional lawns, comparing the costs and benefits of xeriscape, synthetic lawns, native gardens, and native grasses. The cost savings can be considerable.
Read the Apartment Age Magazine Article

Aoyagis Highlight Greenroof at
Cherokee Studio’s Hard Hat Tour

The Lofts at Cherokee Studios opened their door to the brave and hard hat clad for a construction site tour sponsored by the LA Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Cassy and Kirk Aoyagi joined to highlight the innovative aspects of the property’s landscape design.
Read More

Outdoor Living Space Draws Crowds at
Dwell on Design

Simple, elegant concrete pavers, a seating wall and faux fire pit filled with sprays of vibrant native foliage, brilliantly bright planters by Eli Bonerz, and colorful retro seating and bar by Joe Graham, provided guests with an appealing gathering spot.
See the FormLA Exhibit at Dwell Outdoor

Challenges and Incentives for Sustainable Landscaping Outlined
by Dwell on Design Panel

Cassy Aoyagi and a panel of gardening experts outlined the challenges to and incentives for sustainable gardening presented by municipal processes and ordinances.
Read More or View Presentation

SERVICE UPDATES+

Stop Paying Through the Hose!
Reducing outdoor water consumption by 15 percent is no easy task. If your water bill labels your water consumption at Tier 2, you are paying a higher rate due to your water consumption. Let us help! FormLA’s certified water managers can identify strategies for augmenting an established landscape and watering system to consume less water.
Request a Water Audit
Protect Your Traditional Lawn.
Determined to keep your traditional lawn lovely through the water shortage? It may seem like a walk on the wild side, but raking lawn clippings back into a freshly mowed lawn acts like fertilizer and can reduce evaporation, keeping valuable water in your lawn longer. Join our summer experiment comparing the maintenance needs of traditional and native lawns.
Contact the FormLA Maintenance Team
Pruning for Oak Trees Recommended for July/August.
Native oaks demand pruning in July or August to maintain their form and health through the fall. Advance scheduling is recommended.
Schedule Oak Tree Pruning
info@formlainc.com • PO Box 441 Tujunga, CA 91043
phone 818.353.7030 • 310.979.9002 • fax 818.353.6837 • www.formlainc.com

Save Money, Save Water, Stop Mowing

Apartment Age. July 2009.  Water conservation mandates took effect June 1, 2009. Reducing outdoor water consumption will be key to avoiding stiff fines and rate hikes associated with high water consumption. Positioning properties to use less water can produce other cost savings, particularly when the plan involves replacing traditional lawns. In fact, Consumer Reports includes “thinking beyond grass” among its top 10 landscaping money-savers. Read More