Frosty Fountains

Many of our clients' landscapes showcase a water feature or two (mostly designed and installed by us) and many of our water-loving friends wonder what will happen to their lush, summertime fountains/waterfalls/ponds when winter comes?

(Photo courtesy of David Beam)

Our answer: all sorts of enjoyment!

Even the smallest of water features typically move enough water to prevent a complete freezing of the water here in balmy Richmond.

And last year's snowy February couldn't stop our pond's waterfall from flowing!

So when old man winter comes to Virginia, he brings with him the opportunity to enjoy some really beautiful ice effects without damaging the water features:

No ice-skating here!

So for those of you who are so lucky as to host one of those bubbliny beauts, spend the next few weeks enjoying the view of your winter waterscape!

Meeting 2011 With Our Sleeves Rolled Up!

Despite some of the challenges we (along with most other small businesses) faced in 2010, we are determined that in 2011 we will improve our business systems, further educate our team members, serve our clients better than ever, and grow our company!

For starters, we thought the best way to welcome 2011 was to GET ORGANIZED!

Jake, Luke, Chris, Kathryn and I spent the better part of a day last week cleaning and organizing our Production System. (Look at the dust on that table! Kathryn and I were sure to dust, sweep, Windex, repeat, many, MANY times while the guys hung countless boards on the walls and partitions.)

Though the project is not quite finished, the progress we have made has already helped us to streamline our Production efforts, and that feels great!

Bear in mind the Production System headquarters is located in our warehouse, so the space is much more functional than it is aesthetic. (The landscapes we design and install are much more beautiful than this warehouse corner!) The space does, however, accommodate the needs of the System better than ever before!

The new arrangement also allows for an official training corner where we can educate our team members on the many aspects of the Landscape Contracting Industry. How convenient!

There are many more exciting projects to cross off our To-Do List, and I'll post the progress as we tackle them!

Happy New Year!

New Year, New Landscape!

After spending some much appreciated time with family and friends this Christmas season, I've decided it's time to start evaluating my 2010 accomplishments, giving thanks for what I was blessed with this past year, and turning my focus to 2011.

Among other things, 2010 has given me the opportunity to spend time getting to know some of our clients. I have really enjoyed listening to some pretty creative ideas and helping to make these inspirations a reality. Here are just a few of the ideas I was able to help develop this year:

What a year for beautiful design!

In the coming year I am resolving myself to be a better blogger! I thoroughly enjoy the time I can spend exploring the inspirations of others through their own blogs, and I'm determined to provide you with the same exciting, inspiring blogging dedication right here on this site!

Here's to a very happy and prosperous 2011!

Cheers!

Got Mulch?

As this week's weather has made abundantly clear, WINTER HAS COME!

What does that mean for your landscape? It's time to mulch!

Winter is the time of year during which mulch can serve both an aesthetic and a functional purpose in your landscape. When trees have lost their leaves and flowers have died back, mulch can really make your slightly-less-exciting winter landscape look fresh and tidy.

More importantly, though, mulch serves a few important purposes in your landscape during the winter and early spring months.

Insulation: Laying a fresh dressing of mulch around your plants in early winter can help to protect their roots from winter cold and increase the chance of winter survival.

Erosion control: Winter weather often leaves areas covered in herbaceous plant material barren for a few months. This exposure of bare topsoil to winter's often windy and wet conditions increases the probability of erosion. Laying mulch in these areas can help mitigate the loss of topsoil.

Weed suppression: An annually applied layer of mulch can help to prevent the germination of weed seeds as temperatures rise in the early spring. Who doesn't welcome help with weed control?


Protect your plants and spruce up your 'scape; Spread some mulch!

the IVY league

A little eye candy for those of you who just love mossy, woodland gardens!







These fantastic stone steps are softened with moss and ivy to create a lush, calming pathway through a naturalistic garden. Lovely!






This striking combination of large-leaf hosta and variegated curly ivy creates real textural interest in a shady bed adjacent to the stone path.

How do you do that?

On September 15, Doug and Chris got to spend the day brainstorming about business and operations strategies...they came back with loads of great ideas!

The host of this fantastic event was Greenscapes, a design, build, and management company located in Raleigh, NC. (http://www.greenscapeinc.com/)Doug and Chris, along with many other Green Industry professionals, were able to visit the Greenscapes facility and learn about their production. In addition to witnessing the day-to-day operations of Greenscapes, participants were able to brainstorm together about tough industry challenges.

Many thanks to Greenscapes for promoting industry teamwork!

Backyard Entertaining Ideas

In light of this weekend's oh-so-anticipated cooler weather, we thought we'd offer some exciting ideas for some backyard entertaining with your outdoor kitchen. Enjoy!

Summer Party ideas for your

outdoor kitchen:

Harvest Party: Ask friends to bring some of the summer's bounty from their vegetable gardens (or stop by a local farmer's market!) and host a veggie grilling dinner party. Healthy and delicious!

Grill-Off: Gather family and friends and host a grilling competition to determine who has the best grill skills! Ask everyone to bring their favorite recipe and enjoy taste-testing!

Herb Cocktail Party: That pretty rosemary shrub can do more than flavor chicken dishes; search online for some tasty cocktail recipes that include herbs and have a few friends over for some Lavender Lemonade!