Blooming for only about 2 weeks no other plant that I install really has the car stopping power of the Girard's Fuchsia Evergreen Azalea. I have been planting it for years, and have one in my yard which is incredible.
Spring Cleanups have begun!
Worked in Liverpool today for a long time customer. Felt good to be out in the sunshine, pruning, edging and mulching. I always like this job because I get to design planters with all kinds of cool things and also spruce up the landscape that I designed and installed many years ago. (I even did the boulder wall by the garage!)
Boulder Wall to help with grading around a pool.
A common issue we encounter is large slopes especially around pools. In this case the client had a new pool put in but the pool enclosure (fence) would not prevent small children or animals from entering the pool area. For this reason the fence would not pass inspection. Our solution was to create a 60’ boulder wall and a smaller 20’ boulder wall. We also added catskill cobble and some stone stairs on this project to complete the pool scape.
Fresh Landscape design in Liverpool
I had a client contact me after a bad experience with another landscape contractor from the area. She had her yard left a disaster and got my name off a local Facebook neighborhood group after asking for help. We met at her home and also at the nursery to choose plant material and I came up with a design and installed this planting in a few days.
Happy Spring!
Hi!
This year I am excited to announce that I will for the first time in 20 years be able to offer more work as my new job gives me a longer summer! When I was a public school teacher I didn’t officially start projects until July! But now I can start in May! Here is my new plan going forward:
First week of May: College classes wrap up.
Second week of May: College Finals.
Third week of May: Bidding and estimating Jobs/Prepping equipment
Fourth week of May: First week of Spring Cleanups
July and So on: Larger Jobs including plantings, brick and stone work and excavating and drainage work!
Working on a Patio!
A 490 square foot patio in Liverpool today.
Renovations......a blend of old and new.
This week I am working on a project up in Baldwinsville for a new customer, who wants to update and freshen a mature landscape. I love these kinds of challenges because we get to try to create a new planting to mesh with the existing stock. Anyway here are the drawing and design phase of the project.
Design is the secret to great outcomes
After almost 20 years in this industry I know that design really is the secret to beautiful, lasting outcomes for your outdoor spaces. It really is the difference between contractor A and contractor B. I visit the site multiple times, take my clients plant shopping and develop a wish list for plants and materials. All of these “touch points” are extra work but they really pay of in the end.
I am currently working on a design for a home in Radisson and I will have been to the site 3 times, had one plant shopping meeting and also spent hours on the design and renderings of the space. Each time though I know the design gets revised and closer to a beautiful outcome.
Virginia Sweetspire - Little Henry
If you have wet spots in your yard where nothing will grow, let me introduce you to Virginia sweetspire. Virginia sweetspire is a super hardy river bottom plant that thrives in water or in dry conditions. Evolving in the river bottoms of the Midwest it can tolerate extreme wet or long periods of drought. The best part is it has a nice white flower in the spring and a bright red color in the fall. You can plant it in shade or sun. It comes in two sizes locally a larger variety and this little gem called “Little Henry.” It should only get 3’x3’ at maturity and you can pick them up at Hafners in North Syracuse almost all season. I use it often around downspouts or low areas! Here is one I put in tonight for a longtime customer.
-Chris
Updates on Spring work - April 28, 2020
As I write this, the Governor is discussing reopening plans for non-essential businesses and lift restrictions to businesses like mine in upstate NY.. There has also been updates and clarification to EXECUTIVE ORDER 202.6 which gives us the ability to complete maintenance jobs but not aesthetic work.
Here are a few of the outtakes from the executive order:
Landscaping (is considered essential), but only for maintenance or pest control and not cosmetic purposes.
Construction work (is considered essential) that is being completed by a single worker who is the sole employee/worker on the job site.
Enforcement will be conducted by state and local governments, including fines up to $10,000 per violation.
It is my understanding and interpretation of the current executive order that I will be resuming limited work on May 15. I will be working at a slower pace than usual and will have to get my mulch from another more costly supplier. You may see your spring cleanup bills a bit higher due to the increased mulch prices and issue in logistics.
I currently have 4-5 jobs spring cleanups scheduled and would love to continue to put jobs on our job list. I will also be starting limited estimates for summer work, so if you would like to set up an appointment to meet please click here.
2020 Updates - Spring cleanups and Job Lists
Hi Everyone:
I have already had my first few spring cleanup calls from my regular customers and wanted to update everyone on what is going on for landscaping this year.
Obviously we are entering a very unusual time for all of us amid the social distancing and COVID -19. In NY our landscape and maintenance services are still (as I write this) deemed essential as per NYS guidelines. There are a few grey areas of course on the type of jobs we can do and we are waiting for more clarification from the state. The keystone idea from NYS, in my opinion, is that whatever I am doing for a customer the service has to satisfy a real need to the “safety and needed maintenance” of the home.
One of the issues right now for us is our main mulch, soil, and stone supplier is closed as well as a few others I rely on. I respect those decisions. Some suppliers are set up for contactless payments and are filling orders and others are not, and it looks like that changes day by day, as it should. This makes our job at SPS incredibly difficult due to logistics, because so much time and effort is spent acquiring the right materials.
As of right now I am suspending all work until April 30th. I will update you as this changes. Feel free to call or email or text. I may entertain the thought of estimates and some limited work after April 30th.
Options:
You may want to order your mulch delivered from the supplier directly and since many of us have the free time, go out and tackle your Spring cleanup. I find the work to be good exercise and a nice way to destress. Get the mulch delivered in bulk to an unused space in your driveway and do a little bit each nice day. I am always available for questions as they come up. (See supplier list below)
You can wait for SPS and I will let you know, when we are scheduling jobs. I am creating a job list now for the spring but I have no set dates as of yet.
Suppliers for mulch/stone as of April 8, 2020. (Let me know if you have heard of others open, and I will add to this list)
Greenscapes in Jamesville are offering free delivery for the month of April.
Hafners is open for deliveries, and pickup or plants, mulch, and bulk and bagged products
Final Job of the 2019 season!
Here are some of the before and after shots of a job where our main goal was to simplify and reduce bed size and yearly maintenance!
My last design of the 2019 season?
Working on my final landscape design for 2019 for a family in Liverpool. They have enjoyed their current landscape for 20 years but are ready for a change. Mostly they are looking to downsize their landscape beds and plants (pruning workload) to enjoy more free time.
I am also starting to plan landscapes for next season if you know anyone looking for a fresh, easier to maintain look.
Design
Back at it!
It's Monday and I am back into landscaping business owner mode today after a week of needed vacation. Working on designs, building estimates, and scheduling way too many things! Here is a small design I am working on for someone looking to sell their home this October.
Clean up and Renovation in Liverpool
Worked for a family in Liverpool in the bayberry area to tackle some bed areas no longer needed and to freshen everything up.
A nice little tear out and redo!
A retired physical education teacher contacted me and wanted some help with cleaning up her landscape and removing some old shrubs and bed material as well as removing and grading a stump area in the back of the house. The only catch? Not damage the newly sodded lawn with the skid steer!
Hafner's is getting some plants in!
Stopped in Thursday to see what they had in stock and it looks like trucks are arriving daily!
