A BUCKET list is not complete without exploring prehistoric monuments and ancient cities such as Nara or Sigiriya or photographing the West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou. But where do you stay when embarking on such journeys?

Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) of the World can help check off some serious Unesco World Heritage Sites in style. With an impressive worldwide portfolio, many of Asia-Pacifics Unesco World Heritage Sites are just a hop, skip and a jump away from many beautiful SLH hotels. Many of these hotels offer unique experiences to help the guest really appreciate the beauty of the site as they explore. Here is a list to get you started. For more information, visit http://www.slh.com.

JAPAN Yakushima Located in the interior of Yaku Island, at the meeting point of the Palaearctic and Oriental biotic regions, Yakushima exhibits a rich flora, with some 1,900 species and subspecies, including ancient specimens of sugi (Japanese cedar). It also contains a remnant of a warm-temperate ancient forest that is exceptional in this region.

Where to stay? Sankara Hotel & Spa Yakushima Set between the mountains, cedar forests and the sea, Sankara Hotel & Spa is located on Yakushima Island. The hotel offers guests the chance to trek through the Unesco-listed mountains from the doorstep of their room, enjoy relaxing herbal spa treatments, and sample fine local and French cuisine.

Tip: Visit some of the islands hidden treasures such as the Sasuga Otoshi waterfall.

SRI LANKA Ancient City of Sigiriya

The ruins of the capital, built by the parricidal King Kassapa I (47795) lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some 180m high this is the Lions Rock, which dominates the jungle from all sides. A series of galleries and staircases emerge from the mouth of a gigantic lion constructed of bricks and plaster, which provide access to this stunning site.

Where to stay? Jetwing Vil Uyana A nature-inspired, eco-friendly resort in the shadow of the historic rock fortress of Sigiriya, Jetwing Vil Uyana is a peaceful retreat with a lake attracting local wildlife, an Ayurvedic spa, and creative regional cuisine, all in the heart of Sri Lankas Cultural Triangle.

Tip: Having viewed the rock fortress of Sigiriya from the villa at Vil Uyana, attempt the climb up hundreds of steps to the summit and discover its fascinating, ancient cave frescoes en route.

LAOS Luang Prabang Luang Prabang is a town in Laos that superbly combines both Laotian urban structures with French provincial architecture from the 19th and 20th century. Guests will enjoy the wonderful smell of the frangipani flowers and remarkable temples that dot the diverse landscape. The colours are intoxicating and ensure this magical town tops many must see lists.

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RELAY FOR LIFE ORGANIZERS HOLDING KICKOFF THURSDAY

Organizers of the upcoming Dana Point Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society will present a kickoff party from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at The Surfin Cowboy, 34235 Doheny Park Road, Capistrano Beach. Admission is free.

You can learn how to get involved in the annual Relay for Life, in which teams participate in a 24-hour walk for donations. Its set for Sept. 20-21 at Lantern Bay Park.

The kickoff event will include complimentary hors doeuvres and happy-hour specials, plus live entertainment and a prize drawing.

To save a spot, email donna.rosanellibarnhoorn@gmail.com.

For more information about the Relay for Life, visit relayforlife.org/danapointCA.

Rob Vardon

A free workshop on California-friendly landscaping is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Dana Hills Tennis Center, 24911 Calle de Tenis, Dana Point.

Topics will include designing your site, building healthy soil, selecting the right water-wise plants, using rainwater as a resource, using proper irrigation techniques and reducing runoff.

Reservations are required. Call 949-499-4555 or email

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Around Dana Point: Relay for Life party, landscape workshop, more

A REVIEW into the use of heavily-criticised pre-pack administrations has rejected the idea of legislative scrutiny, in favour of a series of voluntary measures that will make the process more transparent, fair and give creditors a better deal.

Teresa Graham, the ICAEW member who led the government-commissioned review, said that pre-packs should have a place in the UK's insolvency landscape, but called for "major improvements" in how they are administered.

A pre-pack administration is where the sale of the business is marketed prior to the company entering administration and subsequently sold on appointment of administrators. However, the administrators must submit a SIP16 report outlining why the pre-pack was chosen as the best course of action for creditors

Around 600 of the 2,365 UK companies that went into administration last year were subject to pre-packs, an insolvency process that has been much maligned because creditors are usually left out of the loop until the sale has taken place. In some instances a supplier that is owed money does not realise a pre-pack has taken place until they contact a company to chase payment. As with all administrations, the debt held by a company is usually reduced when it enters an insolvency process.

'Pre-pack pool'

Graham's recommendations include creating a pre-pack pool' where deals will be scrutinised prior to a sale taking place, though the system would only examine deals where there is a "connected party" involved, such as a director of the failed business.

Under the proposals, members of the pool are expected to spend no longer than half a day reviewing a pre-pack proposal to avoid delays. Phillip Sykes, head of restructuring and insolvency at Moore Stephens, said it may be hard to keep to that schedule.

"There is a real risk that the amount of information included in the reports for the pool becomes unmanageable, as existing business owners try to protect themselves from any potential litigation by disclosing as much as possible in their pre-pack proposal," Sykes said.

Any connected party will also be required to complete a viability review' for the new company, while valuations must carried out by a valuer who holds professional indemnity insurance, to increase confidence that the sale is for a fair price. Additionally, proper marketing must be undertaken to maximise sale proceeds.

"I believe my proposals, implemented as a complete package, will lead to real improvements in pre-packs," Graham said. "I hope the insolvency industry, as well as all those in business, will embrace these measures as it is in everyone's interest that they are successful. I believe they will lead to real improvements in transparency and scrutiny."

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Pre-pack administrations to face voluntary scrutiny

By Ashley Mackin

Three coastal improvement projects under the auspices of La Jolla Parks and Beaches (LJPB) were discussed at its May 19 meeting the WindanSea S-Curve, Childrens Pool Walk Beautification, and Whale View Point.

The final stage of the WindanSea S-Curve project and the first stage of the Childrens Pool Walk Beautification project each needed an initial assessment from the citys Planning Division that required a $5,000 deposit.

The Windansea S-Curve project would fix the posts, chains and sidewalk gaps along Neptune Place

The good news from the assessment for Childrens Pool Walk (and for project organizer Phyllis Minick) is that the plans are classified as a replacement project, and therefore are exempt from requiring a Coastal Development Permit and CEQA Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

Our worst fears have not been realized, Neri said. It improves our chances of having Childrens Pool Walk be part of the current lifeguard tower construction and our chances (of finishing on schedule) are better.

One fee Neri said he is hoping to avoid is the city-imposed project management fee. With projects like this, he said, the city typically assigns a project manager, who would collect about 30 percent of the project cost. However, because LJPB and Minick are essentially managing the project, Neri said hes hopeful that District 1 City Councilmember Sherri Lightner will go to bat for the project and waive the need for a project manager and the costs associated with that.

As soon as all the boxes are checked from the Planning Division assessment, Neri and Minick will apply for the next required assessment from the Department of Engineering.

Because the work takes place on a public right-of-way, the Department of Engineering must weigh in. Once that application is submitted, it takes two to three months to obtain a permit.

The project would repair the sidewalk and improve the appearance of the area above Childrens Pool. To minimize cost and take advantage of closures and contractors already on site (for the tower work) construction would need to begin by mid-August.

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Three Parks and Beaches projects making headway

This Oenoke Ridge Road home on the New Canaan Nature Center's Secret Gardens Tour, which was originally a cow barn built in 1890, is now a sprawling property overlooking the reservoir with overlapping hedges, geometric lines throughout, and a spacious stone pool area equipped with an outdoor fireplace and pergola. New Canaan, Connecticut, June 6, 2104. Photo: Jeanna Petersen Shepard, Freelance Photo

This Oenoke Ridge Road home on the New Canaan Nature Center's...

The St. Mark's vegetable garden was a featured stop on the New Canaan Nature Center's Secret Gardens Tour, Friday, June 6, 2014. Photo: Jeanna Petersen Shepard, Freelance Photo

The St. Mark's vegetable garden was a featured stop on the New...

The St. Mark's vegetable garden was a featured stop on the New Canaan Nature Center's Secret Gardens Tour, Friday, June 6, 2014. Photo: Jeanna Petersen Shepard, Freelance Photo

The St. Mark's vegetable garden was a featured stop on the New...

The St. Mark's vegetable garden was a featured stop on the New Canaan Nature Center's Secret Gardens Tour, Friday, June 6, 2014. Photo: Jeanna Petersen Shepard, Freelance Photo

The St. Mark's vegetable garden was a featured stop on the New...

The St. Mark's vegetable garden was a featured stop on the New Canaan Nature Center's Secret Gardens Tour, Friday, June 6, 2014. Photo: Jeanna Petersen Shepard, Freelance Photo

The St. Mark's vegetable garden was a featured stop on the New...

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SLIDESHOW: Secret Gardens Tour

Bidding jobs on TidyLeaf: Get more clients and customers for landscape, pool and much more jobs
http://www.tidyleaf.com -Tidyleaf is a web destination for Everything leafy and more! Handling bids on several jobs from lawn mowing, tree trimming, snow cle...

By: TidyLeaf

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Bidding jobs on TidyLeaf: Get more clients and customers for landscape, pool and much more jobs - Video

A home with a swimming pool has become part of the American Dream. Unfortunately, that dream becomes a nightmare when the pool lighting kills a member of the family.

A recent local newspaper story opened with this information: A faulty pool light is central to the investigation of the death of a seven-year-old boy at his Keystone Point home. The same news article cited two other examples of electrocution death caused by outdoor lighting. In one case, a student died at a bus shelter due to a live wire on the bus bench. In the other case, a high school freshman died at an Aventura tennis court when he touched a receptacle box at the base of a 22-foot lighting pole. If a swimming pool is part of your home environment, there are some safety guidelines you need to know. The first step is to know the local safety codes and the National Electric Code when doing any electrical work around your pool. As an example, the NEC indicates that low-voltage lighting systems must be not less than 10 feet horizontally from the nearest edge of the water. You do not want someone to be able to touch a light fixture while part of their body is still in the water.

Use a 12-volt lighting system because they are less hazardous than the 120-volt systems, which must be installed by a licensed electrician. A 12-volt pool light can only be 300 watts.

Pay attention to the quality of the equipment. Mike Gambino, writing for , says the inexpensive plastic fixtures designed for the do-it-yourselfers are not suitable for applications near water.

He points out that these products are very susceptible to damage and have inferior service lives. He recommends quality cast brass or other non-ferrous (non-rusting) metal alloy fixtures such as copper or steel.

Gambino, owner of a landscape lighting company in the Los Angeles area, says that wiring next to water should always be installed in conduit. Although some installers will argue for burying the cable, Gambino finds that the added safety and durability of the conduit system and the ease of replacing wiring or expanding the systems gives the advantage to conduits.

Do not permit any part of the lighting system, fixtures, transformers or wiring to become submerged in water at any time. Transformers should be properly grounded in accordance with both manufacturer recommendations and the National Electric Code. Every component of a lighting system that can potentially come in contact with water must be protected with groundfault circuit interrupters (GFI).

Your careful attention to safety guidelines about your swimming pool lighting will assure happy times not tragic ones around that pool.

Check out our website at and contact us at 305-378-4011 or email us at with any questions and comments.

Short URL: http://www.communitynewspapers.com/?p=84539

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Improperly wired swimming pool lighting can kill you!

246 6th Concession E Waterdown, Ontario L0R 1V0 905-689-5557

There are seemingly endless options for water features in landscape design today. They include pools and ponds of all sizes and shapes as well as hot tubs, waterfalls, cascades, streams and fountains using any number of items for background and building materials. With all of the options available, how can you narrow down your choices? Here are a few factors to consider:

Size and Type of Space Available

Make sure your water feature fits in the space you have available. You want it to be a focal point, but not necessarily the only one. It should stay in scale with your other design elements and your budget too!

Consider the type and location of space available for your water feature. Will you be able to get plumbing or electricity to it if needed? Will construction crews be able to access the area with the necessary equipment?

Safety and Pondless Water Features

Todays water features are usually self-contained, meaning the water doesnt come from the plumbing supply, but from a pond, sump, or other reservoir. They are usually powered by an electric pump, although solar-powered pumps are now available as well. While ponds can be beautiful additions to your outdoor landscape, parents of small children tend to avoid them due to safety concerns. Many municipalities have strict bylaws that mandate enclosing pools and ponds for child safety reasons.

One way to incorporate a water feature into your landscape design without having a pool of water is to use a pondless feature. Pondless water features are fountains, cascades or waterfalls where the water disappears into stones or other porous materials so that it doesnt accumulate into a pool. A simple bubbling rock in your garden can provide a soothing waterfall sound without the safety risk or expense of more elaborate water features.

Hess Landscaping has decades of experience designing and building a variety of water features. Call 905-689-5557 or visit http://www.hesslandscaping.com to find out what they can do for you.

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How to incorporate water features into your landscape design (Home & Design)

The design of Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa at Mai Khao beach was a challenge due to the projects various requirements and limitations. The site, relatively flat, deep and covered by numerous species of vegetation, has a western boundary stretching along the coast. The project is comprised of just over 200 guestroom units including 27 detached villas.

The design approach was premised on the notion that all rooms, and in particular the seaside villas, were to have unobstructed views of the ocean. This aesthetic atmosphere is meant to embrace guests with a strong impression the moment they arrive. This required careful zoning of the different buildings so as not to impose upon guests privacy.

The reception area, with main dining area below, was located at the front of the site, flanked on either side by guestroom wings set along the northern and southern boundaries. The middle section of the site, kept more open following the master plan, could then become the common facilities and garden, serving as view for the guestrooms. Visible from the reception lobby, this central area was created to visually impress guests upon arrival; it includes dense trees, waterfall, fresh water pond and family swimming pool in a natural setting. Hidden amidst the trees and surrounded by a lush green slope sits the circular spa structure, its treatment rooms radiating out from its central pool to provide independence and privacy in each room.

The view path connecting from the lobby lounge towards the main pool and the beach was intentionally laid out, with sand and coconut trees among other local plants, to enhance the guests experience of a tropical beach resort.

The resorts large swimming pool is lined with dark tiles and surrounded by a sun deck. The landscape design introduces grass as a mediating surface between the pool and the beach, allowing the natural tree line and vegetation along the beachfront to be preserved, while creating a shaded relaxation area.

Half of the beachfront area is occupied with villas placed amongst the existing trees behind walls that help maintain privacy. The beachfront communal building is strategically located at the end of the pool opposite the villas to prevent restaurant activities from disturbing guests. The swimming pool and landscaping thus act as a transitional space linking the two areas.

The resort was designed following a unique tropical eastern architectural style. The sloped roofs over the reception lobby and villas are softly curved like flower petals or turtle shells to reflect the natural habitats of the surrounding area.

Dark natural colors are used throughout the site with different elements emphasized by varying tones. The natural materials, expressed in the architecture, interiors and landscaping, were selected to complement one another and for their simplicity, elegance and warmth.

By Architects 49; Team: PrabhakornVadanyakul, PichaiWongwaisayawan, ChanaSumpalung

Location: Phuket, Thailand Completion: 2011 Owner: Seacon Hotels & Resorts Interior Architect: P49 Design and Associates Landscape Architect: Landscape Architects 49 Structural Engineer: Architectural Engineering 49 System Engineer: M&E Engineering 49 Contractor: Project Planning Services

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Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa

Toronto, Canada (PRWEB) June 03, 2014

Landscape Structures (http://www.LandscapeStructures.ca), the Greater Toronto Areas leading custom design, build, and landscape maintenance provider, is weighing in on the growing popularity of outdoor living spaces as warmer spring weather finally hits the GTA.

Torontonians love the outdoors and want to enjoy it for as long as possible. To take advantage of the spring, summer, and autumn months, more and more homeowners are extending their indoor living space outdoors, says Sue Shorey, Operations Manager. On top of that, homeowners know that a professionally designed outdoor living space can add value to not just their lives, but also their property values.

Shorey explains that an increasing number of property owners in the GTA are discovering the joys of eating, relaxing, and entertaining in backyard spaces designed specifically for their purposes. Some of the outdoor living space features that are most in demand from Landscape Structures include patios, custom barbecue islands, outdoor kitchens, bars, fireplaces, fire pits, and installed seating areas (e.g. benches, seat walls, ledges, steps, boulders).

Unfortunately, says Shorey, building a backyard oasis, whether its a patio or fireplace, is a lot of work and can require moving lots of dirt, which takes heavy equipment, such as a backhoe or truck. Depending on the design, property owners may also need gravel, sand, and other materials.

When it comes to extending ones indoor living space outdoors, it really is best to hire a professional contractor. Some projects may look easy, but there are a number of logistics that can make it quite complex; especially if it involves water, electricity, carpentry, or masonry. On top of that, certain custom structures, like arbours, studios, custom pool cabanas, pergolas, and outdoor bars and kitchens, may require a building permit, Shorey adds.

Custom outdoor projects, including kitchens, barbecue islands, fireplaces, seating areas, and cabanas, are a great way to extend a homes living space. With a warm fireplace, a homeowner can extend the amount of time they spend enjoying their backyard; sitting on the patio from early spring into late fall.

There are many different ways to maximize the enjoyment and comfort of a backyard. One of the best ways is to bring the convenience of the indoors outdoors. And, like any addition, the homeowner needs to make sure the design, materials, and finished project of their outdoor living space fits in seamlessly with the rest of their home. The homeowner also needs to hire a team of professionals with a proven track record of creating outdoor living spaces that match not just their budget, but also their vision, Shorey concludes.

As the top landscape contractor & designer in the GTA, Landscape Structures has over 20+ years of experience designing innovative, enjoyable landscapes that work harmoniously with the natural environment. As one of Ontarios premier full-service design, build, and maintenance landscaping firms, Landscape Structures offers a wide range of services designed to exceed their clients needs using the most efficient and cost-effective methods. Fully licensed, bonded, and insured, the Landscape Structures award-winning landscape design/service teams range of services includes landscape design, native plantings, sod, tree and shrub landscape construction, decks, fences, pergolas, tree houses, lawn care, horticultural assessment, stone walkway paving, stone garden bed retainers, waterfall landscaping, storm water ponds, seasonal clean-up, and snow and ice removal.

To learn more about Landscape Structures, visit the companys web site at http://www.LandscapeStructures.ca. Contact Landscape Structures by e-mail at info(at)landscapestructures(dot)ca or call 1-416-854-2124.

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Landscape Structures, the GTAs Award-Winning Custom Landscape Design Company, Weighs in on Growing Popularity of ...