Ever heard of "instant landscaping?" It's a landscape design meant to look very well established, even if it's just 10 minutes old.
Dennis Higbie, landscape manager at the Walt Disney MGM Studios in Orlando, Fla., has a baker's dozen of instant landscaping rules, from plant acquisition to big-tree moving, to maintenance. And, he says, each procedure is based on the mandate that you shouldn't be able to tell the plant or tree was moved into the space.
"Acquisition of healthy, pest-free plant material can make or break a project, financially and aesthetically," says Higbie. "Plant acquisition sets the "instant landscaper" apart from his or her counterpart in other disciplines. If what we need is not available right now, putting on a third shift won't solve the problem."
Higbie's approach to plant spacing involves intentionally overplanting certain portions of projects to hasten the desired look and provide specimens for future use.
"Once you have an instant landscape," says Higbie, "follow-up care is the most critical aspect." Crews keep daily tabs of plant vitality. Transplanted trees are immediately guyed, fertilized, watered three times at installation, and as needed thereafter. The landscape division of Disney World is expert when it comes to moving big trees. The time required to prepare and move a tree can be anywhere from three days to three years, and what happens during the move is crucial to the tree's lifespan.
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