Welcome to this four-part project spotlight on the famous Winter Garden Palm trees. The Winter Garden is an iconic atrium in downtown New York City within Brookfield Place. The project centers on sixteen 37’ Washingtonia Robusta palm trees and their journey across the country, a project over 3 years in the making.

First and foremost, we thank our client Brookfield Properties, and in this case, specifically Brookfield Place and their partner CBRE. Brookfield invests in what has become an iconic and beloved space, the Winter Garden. And their vision to nurture and cultivate a cultural hub around this one of kind atrium is inspiring. Without their vision and support, none of this is possible. Thank you.

In part one of this project spotlight, we sit down with three teammates at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes: Jack Harris – VP of Sales & Design, Bob Pressner – Product & Project Consultant, and Andrew Engel – Chief Horticulturalist. We’ll provide context, share some of the project’s history, and discuss the project’s importance to our industry.

In part two, we’ll reveal the challenging process of tree finding and acclimatation.

In part three the team grapples with the complexities of installing sixteen massive trees in two weeks of overnight work.

And, in part four we'll discuss the horticultural care required for these trees in the Winter Garden.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. If you have any questions, ideas for future episodes, or feedback. Please email us at Podcast@JohnMini.com.

And a big thank you to all our clients at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes. You allow us to make our passion our profession.

A special shout out to Keith Behringer, teammate at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes, for producing our podcast’s theme music.

Till next episode, if you are looking for some urban landscape inspiration, be sure to explore our website and portfolio at www.johnmini.com.

We sit down with Scott Ahlborn, Sales & Design Representative, and Matt Wessol, Director of Outdoor. They are urban landscape professionals from the John Mini Distinctive Landscapes team in New York and together bring over 40 years of experience to the table.

Scott and Matt discuss the role of annual plants in the urban landscape.

In our conversation we cover;

• How they think about annuals in landscape design
• When and how to use annual or seasonal plants
• The emotional connections annual plantings evoke
• How annuals need to be balanced with consideration for urban life and the environment

Thank you for taking the time to listen. If you have any questions, ideas for future episodes, or feedback. Please email us at Podcast@JohnMini.com.

And a big thank you to all our clients at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes. You allow us to make our passion our profession.

A special shout out to Keith Behringer, teammate at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes, for producing our podcast’s theme music.

Till next episode, if you are looking for some urban landscape inspiration, be sure to explore our website and portfolio at www.johnmini.com.

In this project spotlight we sit down with Matt Spencer, designer at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes. Matt walks us through the design process of a rooftop garden in New York City.

Our conversation is focused on the role of images and renderings in the development of urban landscapes. We’ll discuss the types of graphics and renderings he developed for the project and what software he utilized. We’ll cover some pros and cons of renderings to communicating landscape design.

Our conversation also features fun digressions such as how constraints breed creativity and the importance of nurturing customer relationships to receive candid feedback.

Here is a link to the project discussed, which includes pictures of the renderings and the rooftop after garden installation. Project Spotlight: From Rending to Reality.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. If you have any questions, ideas for future episodes, or feedback. Please email us at Podcast@JohnMini.com.

And a big thank you to all our clients at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes. You allow us to make our passion our profession.

A special shout out to Keith Behringer, teammate at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes, for producing our podcast’s theme music.

Till next episode, if you are looking for some urban landscape inspiration, be sure to explore our website and portfolio at www.johnmini.com.