Client Stories
Spanish Springs Home Start
Newly moved to the Reno-area to be closer to his grown-up kids, Chris purchased a home in the Spanish Springs area one winter, that has a yard for grandkids to play in, and in a safe caul-de-sac location. Retired, enjoying golf and skiing, along with easy access to direct flights to Orange County to visit friends in his old home area. What could be better?
The Need
The challenge Chris quickly found with the struggle to turn this neglected yard into a safe, clean and welcoming space for family to come every week. The back lawn was brown, and almost dead. The front lawn, originally planted by the developer, had fully died and blew away as dust. Trees were stunted and almost dead. Weeds were starting to pop up everywhere, and there was little to no shelter to protect against the strong hot summer sun and winds in the backyard. He was used to Southern California’s mild year-round climate. How would he transform this yard to be a space that family would want to come and enjoy.
Large Lawn Needing Care
Chris origionally hired us, and asked how we could help revive his back lawn, as it was already June, and he had not gotten the irrigation on yet. We assessed the situation and found that yes, it is possible to revive the lawn without having to rip it all out and start over. We crafted a plan, that involved a heavy dethatching service, followed by a tapered watering plan, along with fertilization, with the hopes that the lawn would start greening up in time for 4th of July week. This yard was a challenge, as it was quite possible that the previous owner may have never watered the lawn most of the previous season. But after almost three weeks of consistent watering, along with the other rehabilitation services, just a few days before Independence day, the lawn started to green up quite quickly! By mid-July, we did our second mow, and saw it almost entirely revived. This led to the next steps: trimming dead tree branches. Although two trees fully died, we were able to revive most of the perimeter trees. Next, our landscape installation partnering business installed sod in the from lawn section, that was perfectly laid out for a small egg-shaped turf section. This, along with deep cleaning of the gravel, enhancements and trimming dead debris, made the front of the home eye-catching.
Inspiration for Improvements
Chris then came to us with ideas for a pergola in the back, to add shade and wind reduction. In addition, he wanted a patio and water feature. Teh partner company, along with a fencing company that we refer folks to, collaborated with us and Chris to design and build both of these, along with a series of fencing, gates and decorative borders. By the end of that year, the entire property, both front and back, were totally transformed. Year-round family gatherings were taking place, and there was enjoyment of the yard in this newer, unestablished neighborhood. It helped Chris to be a place of refuge, warmth and memories for his family for years to come.
South Meadows Industrial Grounds Makeover
This large distribution center services foodservice dealers throughout the west coast. This was their second facility, after their east-coast one. Opened several years prior, from and existing facility from a previous tenant, they needed to adapt and develop a plan to maintain the large acreage throughout the property. There were large planters, tree borders, and spaces around the employee parking that needed serious cleanup.
After our crew got to work using two large visits, between leaf blowing, weeding, spraying, and pruning, along help with our friends at Naturally Green Irrigation, we were able to get the entire property back to square one. Several trees needed to be removed, and bushes needed to be shaped and turned into clean, sharp hedges. In addition, our partnering installer helped repurpose the dead lawn into a low-maintenance, high-desert space with native arid landscape plants. We crafted a routine monthly cleanup strategy that would make sure that this property never gets to that dead state again.
Aeration, which famously leaves the plugs of muddy grass throughout a lawn every spring, is designed to open up the deeper root system, 1-4 inches deep under your top turf layer. This allows water, fertilizer, oxygen and light to go down deep, and help strengthen your lawn. Over time, grass roots grow into a thick network netting, which can cause a lawn to be stressed and struggle during the hottest months of the year. By opening up and “aerating” the turf root network, your lawn can thrive the entire season, with deep root health.
This entire property experienced a rapid turn-around, leading it to be a model for industrial property groundskeeping transformations. Even employees started remarking, and feeling invested in, proud to work in a property that cares about them, and cares about the environment, while making a beautiful place to work and do business.
Airbnb Custom Home Portfolio
One client, who was a property owner with two short-term Vacation Homes in the Truckee Meadows area, came to us looking for a solution to keep the yards clean, and essentially immaculate, for travelling guests. She frequently rented the homes on Airbnb and other STR websites. She needed someone who was consistent, quiet, undisruptive, and could help her look for ways to keep costs and maintenance down. Her previous landscaper only wanted to focus on lawns, and kept trying to sell specialty lawn services that were unnecessary.
We got to work with developing a routine yard cleaning schedule for her Southwest Suburban Home, including bush trimming, mowing, dust and leaf blowing, and outdoor furniture cleaning.
Ranchharrah Home
The Ranchharrah home had a tiny front lawn, that was making an unsustainable project requiring bi-weekly visits. We recommended to her that our partnering service, could convert the lawn to artificial turf, thereby saving her money in the long run, and bringing cleaning visit to once-a-month. We knew that it is better to help her business become more successful over time, rather than trying to cram more visits from high-maintenance yards. We alos found ways to reduce maintenance costs, by helping her eliminate unsightly purple sage throughout, that was causing suckers and added hassle during landscape visits.
Finding a Solution that Works for Landscaping
By creating a system that develops low-maintenance landscaping solutions, along with understanding the needs of her rental home business, she was able to expand and take on another property later. She could offer clean, well-equipped homes, with inviting outdoor living spaces, and profitably rent them with low-maintenance from an eco-friendly landscaping provider.
