Not so many years ago, if you wanted to supply your project with plants, pavers, wall materials and bulk goods, it required trips to several locations to complete a job. Times have changed! Our current inventory includes six different types of mulch, slag, 2 NS sand, 21AA limestone, 6A Limestone for permeable paver applications, and pea stone.

We also carry prime compost and screened topsoil that we store in dedicated, covered bins. Why do we do this? We can keep nearly 160 cubic yards of soil dry so it is ready to go when you need it. Combine that with our extensive plant material, paver, and wall block inventory, we can supply your entire project.

Bulk materials can be picked up or delivered via Christensen’s Hardscape Center for a small portion of what it might cost to pick it up with your truck. If you need large quantities, we will can deliver “Direct” train loads to your yard or Job site.

It’s 92 degrees in Plymouth as I’m writing this. It’s hard to believe that there are only a few months to go in 2017. It will get cold, the weather will turn, and the days will get shorter. Being able to source all of your materials at one location just might save the time you need to be able to wrap up those jobs at the end of the season.

Some of you may know me, but for many of you, I am a new face. I moved to Michigan after College almost 30 years ago. I have worked in the Green Industry as a contractor for most of those years. So, although this is the first time for me to stand on this side of the counter, I have probably been involved with a project similar to the one you’re working on. If you have any questions or have a difficult site, please ask, I am ready to help.

Heavy clay soils are one of the toughest environments to plant in, but there are no hard and fast rules to follow. Whether the planting site is irrigated or not, and how much irrigation it’s receiving is crucial information. Here is an example: Concolor Firs will often decline and die in a heavily irrigated clay soil. In a lightly irrigated setting they will do fine.

Many planting guides will tell you to excavate 2-3 times the root ball diameter and amend the soil with top soil and peat moss. This is a big mistake! When you do this in a heavy clay soil you create a large “bathtub”, which can fill up with water in a heavy rain and drown your trees and shrubs. Digging a hole just large enough to hold the root ball reduces the amount of water around the plant.

Planting a little or a lot high to grade, depending on how wet the soil is, can be a good defense strategy. Just use a well-draining topsoil to feather out from the top of the ball to the top of the surrounding soil.

This columnar oak was planted at a correct depth in a raised bed.  See below for a closer view.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is planting trees above grade on the top of a berm. Trees subjected to this treatment will almost surely die! Any rain (other than an all-day soaker), runs right off the berm. In this case create a shallow basin and plant below grade to capture those quarter to half inch mini rains.

Keeping an employee is much easier than finding, hiring, and training new team members. I hear stories regularly from green industry companies about problems retaining good employees. The most popular story is probably, “I had three guys quit this week and go to a competitor for $2 per hour more than I was paying them. I offered them raises but they left anyway.”

People leave jobs for many reasons, however unless the amount is significant, it is rarely for money alone.

Information is vital for people to feel good in today’s world. We all have more information at our fingertips than ever before and have grown accustomed to feeling well informed. We tend to fill in the gaps with our own “information” and, as humans, rarely is it positive. We start in the hiring process with a checklist of items that we want to both give to and get from the new team member. Giving your team the information they need is vital to keeping them engaged and positive.

Let’s consider appreciation; compensation is not appreciation. These two things get linked somehow and are truly two different subjects. Compensation is agreed to and earned. Appreciation is beyond that and not necessarily financial. Most times a thank you is sufficient, just letting them know you noticed and appreciate their efforts. Small perks and rewards can also be very effective; we have done things like popsicles on a hot day, $10 cash rewards, paid time off (even an hour), bought lunches, and prepared lunches. There are so many things we can do to show appreciation and the ones that take a little effort are much more effective than those that cost money.

We all want to feel needed. Keeping our team informed and appreciating them will go far in making them feel essential. Also, delegating responsibilities and communicating expectations gives team members a connection to the successes and shortcomings of the company. It’s not all about reward, there is also an element of accountability and solid team members are ready to accept both. This leads to challenging our team.

Challenge leads to opportunity. No one wants to feel stuck, at a dead end, nowhere else to go. People want to be challenged with more responsibility, harder and larger tasks, and to be able to expand and grow their abilities. Raise expectations, increase responsibilities, and provide the resources and conditions to succeed and you will create a challenging environment for any team member. As these increased expectations and responsibilities are achieved, compensation should be adjusted to reflect the increased workload of the team member.

Retaining quality team members is not easy. Consider things from their perspective and keep them engaged and positive through the communication of information, appreciation, and expectations.