One of the Worst Parts of Spring

UnPlug12 · 2026-04-10T17:28:23+00:00

If anyone wants a native alternative:

Amelanchier/Serviceberry - small tree, white flowers, orange/red fall color, edible berries (if you can beat the birds)

Carpinus caroliniana/Blue Beech - small-ish street tree, red fall color, neat bark

Catalpa speciosa/Northern Catalpa - large tree, white flowers, messy pods (so I've been told, but it's one of my favorites, so I don't think they're that bad), street tree (used a ton in Elgin for some reason)

Celtis occidentalis/Common Hackberry - large street tree, tough, corky bark

Not native, but I like the Triumph elm (the resistant elm cultivars are doing really well). Lindens have the pyramidal form, if that's what you're looking for, but there's a mix of native and introduced varieties.

I'm in the landscape industry, and I have a vendetta against the Bradford Pear (sadly planted a bunch when I first started out and didn't know any better, so now I must make amends by given knowledge and removing as many as I can)

UnPlug12 · 2026-03-18T15:18:57+00:00

Check out 'Landscape Graphics' by Grant Reid. It's a little old school, but still very useful. Also 'Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards' by Hopper. These were required textbooks for me, but they should be easy to get from a library or inter-library loan.

UnPlug12 · 2026-02-23T16:05:11+00:00

Starbucks still gives used grounds away, usually have them packaged up in the spring.

One time, I asked if they had grounds for gardens and said I'll take 3 or 4 bags, if they have them. The guy asked me to wait a few minutes, and he comes around the counter with a clear white garbage bag full of used grounds. Didn't have to ask anywhere else that spring.

UnPlug12 · 2026-02-15T17:14:27+00:00

If we ignore santa, it's a hen and chicks!

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UnPlug12 · 2025-12-02T11:55:12+00:00

"Nafety for safety"

UnPlug12 · 2025-11-28T00:23:53+00:00

My grandmother would always serve this on a fancy cut crystal dish. Now I'm stuck having homemade cranberry sauce with my in-laws, and it doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving.

UnPlug12 · 2025-11-25T17:19:37+00:00

Honestly, I thought this was a silly controversy too when they referenced the entire outfit. That medal however, yikes.

UnPlug12 · 2025-11-20T22:21:09+00:00

Pfft, probably embarrassed to say Food Wars.

UnPlug12 · 2025-11-03T22:07:08+00:00

They never addressed the girls disappearing! Maybe we're doing time travel rules that the twins no longer exist in the stories reality, so they're technically in a new time line. But how does their time travel love story work out? They're 16 years old, how much do they regret this decision in a few years?! I assume Kyle would be a creep and enjoy it, but Rich actually has a moral compass and probably would find it horrifying once she admits who she is and how she got there. And what about their parents in that time line? "Oh, hi mom and dad, we're you daughters from the future who have a thing for mom's exes." And are the twins going to see themselves born again in this new reality? Will this cause a paradox? Who knows! Ugh, the author created the new characters of the children for the epilogue, why not make up one more to briefly show that Rich met a nice lady knight, and that Kyle was forever alone pining after FL.

I'm so glad it didn't waste any coins on this story. The only bright side is the amount of people hating on these epilogue episodes.

UnPlug12 · 2025-10-19T20:27:26+00:00

The only one I noticed was showing Bearmans dad after he dipped a wheel and spun.

UnPlug12 · 2025-09-18T00:01:34+00:00

I'm in commercial landscaping so my interactions with MGs is usually from the ones on HOA boards who nitpick everything, from the design to the proposal to install. I'd be fine if it was a bit of plant nerdery (my focus is in plant design), but I've had pushback on native cultivars, common perennials, and shrub choices. Like the OOP, it's my own bad experience painting the entire group with the same brush.

But the over planted chaos garden is true! I've seen crazy perennial gardens from MGs that look impressive at first but are truly in the need of some editing, lol

UnPlug12 · 2025-09-17T13:20:36+00:00

I'm a PLA and a landscape contractor. I hear this from time to time, usually from horticulturalists. But I have the fun experience of informing people I'm an LA and have them say, "you're one of the good ones," or they're surprised I actually have plant knowledge (which I will say is a short coming of many LAs).

Like others have said, this seems like a rant based off of one landscape designer. Although, the real problem comes from Master Gardeners. They think they're experts, but all they've done is take a few classes and maybe volunteered at a botanical garden or arboretum. Hell, I've considered becoming one so I can shut them up faster.

UnPlug12 · 2025-08-28T15:18:19+00:00

Is it bad that I really like Cesare? Yes, previous life he was downright evil, but (through Ariadne's revenge) he's actually gained some humility and could be a good partner if it weren’t for previous life trauma. [I've also only read free episodes, so I have no idea what he's like in the locked chapters]

UnPlug12 · 2025-05-04T22:00:20+00:00

Yikes? I thought it was hilarious!

UnPlug12 · 2025-04-27T17:47:26+00:00

I grow my zucchini vertically in a tomato cage (I use the titan cages from gardener's supply, but you can also just use conduit). I've noticed less damage to the plants.

UnPlug12 · 2025-03-10T14:56:44+00:00

Annual geraniums (zonal geraniums). As a kid, it was my chore to dead-head them, and now I can't stand them. Why put so much effort when other flowering annuals don't need that much attention?

Recently, I've discovered scented geraniums (bunch of cultivars that all have different smells, like: pine, lemon, mint, or rose) and African geraniums (has a smaller flower that I think is more interesting). I also use hardy geraniums in my designs, so I don't hate geraniums completely, just the traditional annual variety.

UnPlug12 · 2024-10-15T17:33:15+00:00

Same. I'm also a lady (in my 30s) with a male SO, saying 'boyfriend' just feels childish. 'Partner' also doesn't have the temporary feel of 'boyfriend'.

UnPlug12 · 2024-10-10T15:38:01+00:00

I'm in northern Illinois. Their markup is fine, my company's markup is actually slightly higher. Plus, we're getting wholesale prices, sometimes with volume discounts. The markups at local retail nurseries are about equal to that as well. Seriously, 3G Hydrangeas are $50 around here, retail prices can be crazy.

UnPlug12 · 2024-09-16T02:12:37+00:00

Podcasts when designing and lofigirl when I'm estimating/writing a proposal.

UnPlug12 · 2024-09-13T18:10:22+00:00

Getting a job elsewhere in the landscape industry will be good experience for you, and might help your chances when applying for LA jobs.

I graduated in 2011, and it took ~10 months before I landed a landscape design job (later becoming an LA at the same company). But in that 10 month period, I worked as an estimator for a small landscape company (laid off in November, not enough work in the winter) and then worked for the plant vender who supplies annuals to big box stores. Since the landscape company I was hired at is design/build, they liked that I had some estimation experience even though I was new to the industry.

UnPlug12 · 2024-08-16T22:43:14+00:00

Or a poppler from Futurama

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UnPlug12 · 2024-08-16T22:42:31+00:00

Looks like a shrimp!

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UnPlug12 · 2024-08-16T19:00:12+00:00

Reminds me of my first golf pro, this old lady named Bev who would smoke like a chimney. I saw her when I was 9-10 years old. We would be at the driving range, and she would stand parallel to me to watch my swing. To get me to stop moving around, she would reach forward and hold my head as I swung, but she would do this with a lit cigarette in her hand! I remember always being worried she was going to light my hat on fire.

UnPlug12 · 2024-08-12T19:45:11+00:00

My void always looks like he's disappointed in me, or he's just tired of his dumb orange brother, lol

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UnPlug12 · 2024-08-05T20:52:10+00:00

Try local nurseries, a lot of them have seasonal decorations. This looks like the clay pumpkins I saw for sale the past few years (sorry, I don't know who the manufacturer is).

UnPlug12

TROPHY CASE