Embracing the Unpredictable: Concrete Solutions for Dynamic Environments
When you think about a garden, what comes to mind? Likely, it’s a serene oasis of lush greenery, bursting with the vibrant hues of carefully curated flowers. But what if I told you that some of the most innovative and environmentally-conscious landscaping is happening in the heart of our urban jungles?
Enter Apiary Studio, a design-build firm in Philadelphia that’s redefining the way we approach outdoor spaces. As I sat down with the dynamic duo behind Apiary, Hans Hesselein and Martha Keen, I was struck by their unwavering commitment to “regenerative landscaping” – a philosophy that embraces the unexpected and finds beauty in the discarded.
As I learned from my conversation with them, these green-industry pioneers don’t see a garden as a blank slate waiting to be filled. Instead, they approach each project as an opportunity to collaborate with the existing environment, working in harmony with the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the site.
Unearthing the Unexpected: Transforming Urban Landscapes
When Hans and Martha arrive at a new project site, they’re often faced with the kind of conditions that would make a traditional landscaper recoil in horror. Picture a property that’s been paved over, front to back, with nary a blade of grass in sight. Or soil that’s been so thoroughly disturbed and contaminated, it’s hardly recognizable as the life-giving medium we associate with thriving gardens.
“It’s not uncommon for us to find a site that is entirely paved front yard, backyard, side yard and building,” Hans explains. “And that’s always a challenging condition to create a garden in.”
But rather than seeing these obstacles as insurmountable, the Apiary team views them as a canvas for their creativity. They don’t simply bulldoze the existing hardscape and start fresh. Instead, they employ a technique they call “surgical extractions” – carefully saw-cutting and removing select sections of concrete to create new garden beds.
As Martha points out, this approach is driven not only by the practical constraints of their clients’ budgets, but also by a deeply-held belief that “there is no away” – a mantra that challenges the notion of simply throwing away materials that have outlived their original purpose.
Mosaics of the Unexpected: Repurposing Concrete Remnants
So, what happens to all that concrete they extract? Rather than sending it to the landfill, Apiary’s team sees it as a valuable resource, ripe for repurposing. They might use the saw-cut pieces to create mosaic-like paving patterns, or stack them into retaining walls and other hardscaping elements.
“We will sometimes reuse them on that same site as a new paver, stepping stones through the garden, or a retaining wall,” Hans explains. “Or we will stockpile that material in our small yard and save it for another project where we bring in new paving materials.”
The result is a tapestry of textures and hues, where the gritty charm of reclaimed concrete seamlessly blends with the vibrant foliage and thoughtfully-placed plantings. It’s a far cry from the sterile, cookie-cutter landscapes that so often dominate our urban environments.
As Martha puts it, “We are professionals and we’re trying to deliver to our clients a professional-looking landscape. And that’s a distinction I think that’s important.”
Adapting to the Soil’s Secrets: Embracing Nature’s Challenges
Of course, working with such challenging soil conditions means that Apiary’s plant palette has to be just as adaptable as their hardscaping solutions. Rather than bringing in truckloads of pristine topsoil, they carefully select species that can thrive in the gritty, alkaline-rich urban soils they typically encounter.
“We think of maybe kind of limestone-rich areas, kind of mountainsides, the Mediterranean – often places that have sharp drainage, that the soils are more leaning alkaline, and the plants can handle very, very low nutrients,” Hans explains.
Plants like butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Mediterranean herbs, and the captivating sea kale (Crambe maritima) are just a few of Apiary’s go-to species. The team even embraces a certain amount of “attrition” in their plantings, over-planting to account for the fact that not every specimen will survive the first year.
“We don’t expect everything to live,” Hans admits. “I would say between 10 and 20 percent of the plants we install, or 10 to 15 percent, might not make it through the first year. And that’s fine, because we pack stuff in.”
Lessons from the Garden: Adaptability in Action
As I listened to Hans and Martha share their passion for this unconventional approach to landscaping, I couldn’t help but be struck by the parallels to the challenges we all face in our rapidly changing world. Just as Apiary embraces the unpredictable nature of urban environments, we too must learn to navigate the shifting landscapes of our personal and professional lives.
The team at Concrete RT Townsville understands this better than most. As a leading provider of concrete services and solutions, they know that flexibility and adaptability are key to thriving in an industry that’s constantly evolving.
Whether it’s responding to changing client needs, adapting to new regulations, or finding innovative ways to reduce waste and improve sustainability, the Concrete RT Townsville team embodies the same principles that drive Apiary’s success. By embracing the unpredictable and finding beauty in the unexpected, they’re able to deliver exceptional results that not only meet their clients’ needs, but also contribute to the greater good.
Cultivating a Culture of Resilience
As I reflect on my conversation with Hans and Martha, I can’t help but wonder how we might all apply the lessons of Apiary’s “regenerative landscaping” to our own lives and businesses. What if, instead of seeing obstacles as insurmountable challenges, we approached them with the same spirit of creativity and adaptability?
“We garden, but it’s like it’s a project site,” Martha muses. “It’s an experiment ground.”
Isn’t that the essence of resilience – the willingness to experiment, to embrace the unexpected, and to find joy in the journey, no matter how unpredictable it may be? By cultivating a mindset of adaptability and a reverence for the natural world, we can not only transform our physical landscapes, but also the very foundations of how we live and work.
So, the next time you find yourself facing a daunting challenge, remember the example set by Apiary Studio. Roll up your sleeves, grab a saw, and get ready to create something truly extraordinary out of the most unexpected of materials. After all, as Martha so eloquently reminds us, “there is no away” – and the possibilities are endless.
