LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.
Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/807417
86 Landscape Architect and Specifier News Edible gardens have become an outdoor living trend, as is "above ground level" landscaping, so I'm thinking my banana palm is pretty trendy. Had to cut this pod down (1 of 4), as it was hovering about 12 feet up and over the neighbor's roof. The "bell" (left) or petals hang below the bananas and attract hummingbirds (another trend). The "tree," I read, is classified as a "perennial herb." This is one Godzilla herb. This pod weighs in at about 50 lbs. PHOTO/COMMENTS: EDITOR STEVE KELLY And the 2017 Outdoor Living Trends Go To…oops, Wrong Envelope Trends are, well, trendy! Various sectors love reporting trends, whether its tech, or life style, health, beauty, entertainment, ad nauseam. Did you know that "staying in is the new going out?" This was one "wellness" trend recently proffered. And yes, each year one reads about the latest outdoor living trends. Spring just arrived. People of course enjoy sitting outside in their backyards after spending the entire week indoors in an office in front of a computer. A little fresh air, some sun on the shoulders, a comfortable chair. And when the sun goes down, switch on the patio heater or fire pit if there's a nip to the air and start preparing dinner in the outdoor kitchen. So, what is it this year for outdoor living trends? The National Association of Landscape Professionals has queried its membership and come up with these 7 trends (tersely edited): 1. Combine greenery of various textures and shades. 2. Create a cozy atmosphere to enjoy life's simple pleasures (comfortable seating, sound system, subtle lighting, fire pits/patio heaters, water features, etc.). 3. Full-scale kitchens. 4. Integrate several forms of hardscaping. 5. Select plants that attract the honeybees, hummingbirds and butterflies; edible gardens are also de rigueur. 6. If you like turf, choose a modern turf cultivar pared to smart irrigation. 7. Think "above ground level" landscaping, e.g., green roofs, green walls. The Science Corner: Atomic Hard Drive A team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology has succeeded in storing 2 bits of data onto a single holmium atom. "Whoopee," you say. Well, today's magnetic hard drives need a magnet composed of anywhere between 100,000 about 1 million atoms to store a single bit of data. So, pretty big deal: one atom versus 1 million atoms. Netherlands physicist Sander Otte calls it a "landmark achievement." Magnets have strong positive/negative polarities, which of course is why they are so useful. The problem with magnets in computer storage applications is that they must be tiny, and the tinier you make them, the more unstable their polarities, and thus the use of holmium. Holmium has the highest "magnetic permeability" of any element, which means its atoms form the strongest magnetic fields. The research was published in the March 8, 2017 issue of Nature ( https://tinyurl.com/hm28atn ). I n f o r m a t i o n R e q u e s t # 6 9 2