Allentuck Landscaping’s Inside Dirt – February 2017

Graphic showing text "either you run the day or the day runs you"

A Great Start! Keep The Progress Rolling!

January has been a jam packed start of the year. I am psyched about the progress we have been making on improving our company. We have been fortunate to have decent weather to work in. A few of the highlights:

  • We have screened the old soil in the field and turned it into excellent topsoil
  • The stables has been cleaned and organized (Thanks Felipe!)
  • We have held two really good Crew Leader Training Sessions so far
  • The maintenance crews have done a great job tightening up our customer properties
  • A new Landscape Architect/Salesperson has joined our team.
  • Design contracts and jobs are starting to come in!

We don’t know what the weather in February will look like so we need to make sure we are using every day the best we can. Spring will be here before we know it. Let’s keep the momentum rolling!

                         – Bruce

Living Our Core Values

A customer sent me a photo this week of some Arborvitaes we had planted last summer. She thought they were dead. They had actually been eaten by deer.

Our two year warranty specifically says that we do not guarantee against deer eating plants. Also, the job was designed by another company, we just presented the winning price and got the job. We could have told her “sorry ma’am, not our problem”.

The way I see it is that people come to Allentuck Landscaping Co. for our expertise. They trust us to make the right decisions for them and their landscape. In this case, we did not recommend changing the type of plant even though it was obvious that deer were in the area. We blew it and will be replacing the plants this spring with Cryptomeria, which deer do not eat.

Standing behind our commitment to quality and service is one of our Core Values.

Celebrations This Month!

Welcome Richard!

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Richard Mon to our team. Richard is a Landscape Architect will be working to design and sell new landscape projects. For most of his career he has been designing gold courses in China. In his spare time, of course, Richard enjoys playing golf and spending time with his two children.

Welcome Aboard Richard!

Thought For The Month

 

Monthly Safety Line

This month I went back to the basics. Winter is a time when we sometimes let go of some of the most important things regarding safety; Personal Protection Equipment, or PPE’s. Our Crew Members will be back with us soon. As leaders, I want you to make sure that you are alwas wearing your PPE’s, and that your Crew members do as well. Please set a great example.

Please share the Monthly Safety Line with your Crew Members. It is available in English and Spanish at the following link:

 

 Good Work – Photos From The Past Month

Ask Me Anything…

Have a question, comment, complaint or idea for Bruce? Click below to email it to him.

 

Top 5 November Gardening Tips: Keep Your Landscape Thriving

As November settles in, the garden enters a period of winding down. But there’s still plenty to do to help your plants survive the coming winter and thrive come spring. Here are five essential November gardening tips to keep your landscape healthy, vibrant, and ready for the cold season ahead. 1. Protect Perennials and Tender Plants For many gardeners, the risk of frost is looming, and November is the time to take protective measures: Mulch Perennials: Apply a layer of

READ MORE »

Your Custom Patio Planning Checklist: Everything to Consider Before You Build In Potomac, MD, Bethesda, MD, Chevy Chase, MD and Surrounding Areas

There’s nothing quite like stepping onto your own patio for the first time. The smell of fresh stone, the way the space instantly feels like an outdoor living room — it’s where lazy Saturday mornings and long summer nights collide. But before that first step comes a much less glamorous (and far more important) one: planning. A patio isn’t something you wing. It’s something you design to fit your life. This custom patio planning checklist will walk you through the

READ MORE »

Why Leaves Change: The Science Behind Fall Leaf Color

Every autumn, as the air turns crisp and the morning light softens, we catch ourselves staring at the trees. There’s something magical about the way green leaves shift into brilliant oranges, reds, and golds. In landscaping terms? That gorgeous transition is all about fall leaf color — and yes, there’s real science behind it. The Green Stage: What’s Behind the Summer Leaves During spring and summer, your trees’ leaves are hard at work. They’re tiny factories, using the green pigment

READ MORE »

Thinking About Hiring a Landscape Company? Here’s the Stuff No One Tells You

Hiring a landscape company can feel a little like rolling the dice with your yard — and your wallet. One Google search and suddenly you’re staring at a hundred options, all claiming to be “the best,” “trusted,” and “customer-focused.” It’s overwhelming. And homeowners often have no idea what separates a great experience from a stressful, drawn-out mess. So, let’s break this down clearly, honestly, and in plain English. No industry jargon. No sugarcoating. Just the real stuff most companies won’t

READ MORE »

The Best Places To Buy A Pumpkin In Montgomery County, MD

Our List Of The Best Places To Buy A Pumpkin In Montgomery County, MD Halloween is just around the corner so it is time to gut a pumpkin and make a Jack O’ Lantern. Whether you give yours a scary face, funny face or create a work of art, you need a place to purchase your pumpkin. The following are the where we consider the very best places to buy a pumpkin in Montgomery County, MD. Potomac Garden Center –

READ MORE »

How Much Should Lawns Be Watered in the Fall

Most homeowners start to back off the sprinkler once the weather cools down. It makes sense—temperatures drop, rain picks up, and the grass isn’t growing as fast. But here’s the thing: fall watering is the secret to a healthy, green lawn next spring. How much should lawns be watered in the fall? Probably more than you think, but not the way you think. Let’s break it down so your grass stays strong heading into winter. Why Fall Watering Still Matters

READ MORE »