Sticks & Stones – Page 7 – News & Views from Christensen's Plant Center

The Birds Among the Plants

Bald Eagle at Chrisensen's

A lot of people are always in a hurry these days. Have you ever stopped and taken a few moments to just look around and listen to the nature around you? Well, if you know me, I will stop mid-sentence to point out any bird that I see and hear. Birds are absolutely beautiful, smart, and innovative, especially when making a nest of their own. This job has given me the opportunity to be immersed not only in plants on a daily basis, but also in wildlife, most often, birds. 

Killdeer eggs at Christensen's

Here at Christensen’s, I’ve been lucky enough to see some stunning birds that either nest or stop by to visit the property. If you’ve been here you know our most common nesting bird is the killdeer who love to make their nests on the ground usually in rocky locations. If we’re being honest, this can sometimes be inconvenient to us. Regardless, we flag them off and give them space. Being able to watch these birds protect their eggs, and finally become parents to some of the cutest little birds I’ve ever seen is a very rewarding experience.

Cedar Waxwings at Christensen's

Cedar waxwings, a not-so-common bird even though they make Michigan their home all year long, also come to snack on the serviceberry trees along Gotfredson Road. These birds look like they have been painted by an amazing artist. A beautiful blend of grey, light brown, and yellow with a cool-looking black mask over their eyes make these birds a real sight to see.

Blue Heron flying over Christensen's

One of my all-time favorite birds is the great blue heron. They come and fish out of our pond pretty much every day. They are mostly blue and grey with a bright orange and yellow bill, with long black plumes on their heads. When spotted flying you can see their long legs sticking out straight behind them, with a wide wingspan. Despite their size, they only weigh 5 to 6 pounds due to having hollow bones.

Bald Eagle at Christensen's

One of the rare sightings I’ve been lucky to see here is the majestic bald eagle. With a black/brown body accompanied by a white head and tail. These beauties soar through the air with wings flat (wingspan of about 7 feet), and heads extended far in front of their wings. Fun fact eagles can carry up to four times their body weight (they weigh 14 pounds).

These are just some of the birds that fly by or stop to visit us at Christensen’s. I love to be able to share these facts and pictures of some of my favorite birds with all of you. So, instead of rushing to get where you’re going, stop for a few moments and look around at the amazing wildlife that surrounds us. You just might be shocked at what you see. Nature is absolutely beautiful!

Brittany Young-McDonell

Springtime On My Mind

It’s that time of year again. The weather is hot, and the days are long. The plants are growing, blooming, and the season is in full swing. The last thing on your mind is spring bulbs! This time of year, bulbs are at the forefront of mine.  Updating our bulb selection and preparing for our Early Order Bulb Program can take quite a bit of time. Last year, we revamped the program. Largely due to the quantity increase from 50 tulips per box to 100 per box and the daffs from 50 to 75. Along with the increased quantities in these bulb sizes, we added an additional value to our customers by offering quantity breaks at 2 boxes for all of our Crocus and unusual varieties, including Chionodoxa, Hyacinthoides, Iris, Muscari, and Scilla.

The Early Order Bulb Program allows our customers to take advantage of some substantial savings. Although there is still a discount for the more boxes you buy, it doesn’t even compare to the savings of getting that order in quickly!

This season we have added a few more selections to choose from.

'Rijnvelds Early Sensation'- This trumpet narcissus is the earliest to bloom in the spring, often blooming right alongside the crocus. Holds its own against cold spring climate. Bright yellow, boasting big 3” blooms.
75 per box

Rijnvelds Early Sensation Daffodil
Blushing Lady Daffodil

'Blushing Lady'- This daffodil is in our “bunch” category. Buttery pale yellow with pale peach/ pink cups. Two to three flowers on each stem, they stand about 16” tall. Bloom time is April.
75 per box

'Minnow' - These dwarf narcissus are super cute! Pale, creamy white petals with yellow cups. These charmers are approximately 8’ and have approximately 2-5 flowers per stem. Great naturalizer! Mid spring.
100 bulbs per box

Minnow Daffodil
Royal Virgin Tulip

'Royal Virgin'- Beautiful, pure white “Triumph” tulip. Traditional shape, strong stemmed. 16”-20” tall and bloom time of mid-April.
100 per box

“Doberman”- Deep red/burgundy “triumph” tulip with contrasting yellow edges. Absolutely striking in its color! Mid spring.
100 per box

Doberman Tulip by Dan Sparks-Jackson
Bulb Tone from Espoma

Unfortunately, every season we lose a few varieties that we have enjoyed. The good news is that there are so many fun choices it is exciting to see what each season holds in store! Be on the lookout for our bulb mailer that should land mid-July, but you can digitally check it out and print it if you click here! (The password is the same as the availability password on your e-mail) We also have the flyers at all our service counters. And don’t forget your BulbTone!!

Joanna Mueller byline

New Favorites in Perennials, Grasses & Shrubs

Puffer Fish Hydrangea by Proven Winners

Welcome back – I hope that everyone had a great holiday. Whew! Spring is finally over! For me, summer is a time of slight relaxation. 2023 is humming along and I have a month until I must start 2024. (Let’s not think about that!).

I wanted to check with everyone and make sure you all saw some of the new plant varieties at the nursery – if not, come on in as there are more newbies here and incoming.

There are a couple of new plants that I am excited about. Of the hundreds of new cultivars every year it is hard to know what to choose. Sometimes, I throw dice, sometimes I look at the magic 8-ball, and sometimes it has to do with a catchy name (I am a sucker for a catchy name!). Then I do some research and decide if the name is catchy enough! Check some of these out:

First off, we have 2 new ferns – are you ready? “Godzilla” and ‘Metallicum’. In this case, it was the names!! I was never a fan of Metallica (nor any of those big-hair bands!) but Godzilla is not only a great movie but also a great song (Blue Oyster Cult). ‘Godzilla’ is thought to be a cross of pictum (“Painted Fern”) and felix femina (“Lady Fern”). It has the upright habit of a lady fern and the colorful foliage of a painted fern. ‘Metallicum’ is an older variety but returning to the market. Nearly identical to a painted fern this one has redder coloration.

Holy Smoke Andropogon Grass

I have a couple of newer grasses this year, as well. My favorite is the Andropogon gerardii cultivars. Check out ‘Holy Smoke’ (Cheech and Chong movie ??), ‘Blackhawks’ (again with the movie?), and Red October (another movie!). ‘Holy Smoke’ and ‘Blackhawks’ both are going to be 4-5’ tall and ‘Red October’ is a dwarf coming in at 2-4’. All 3 are native prairie grass and rock hardy. All 3 also have purple-green leaves and get varying shades of red from mid-late summer through fall.

Puffer Fish by Proven Winners

I also have a couple of new Hydrangeas! Please don’t tell Chris!!! They are a secret. The one I am most excited about is Hydrangea paniculata ‘Puffer Fish’, “a Bobo on steroids”! It has white flowers that age lime and pink. They will typically send another flower at this same time and rebloom over top of older blooms. It gives the effect of double flowers – very showy. It seems everyone likes the compact habit of the ‘Tuff Stuff’ so take a look at this one ‘Pop Star’ . This one is from the Endless Summer people. This is a typical blue or pink lacecap (macrophylla). However, ‘Pop Star’ is far more compact (and looks far denser) than the traditional ‘Endless Summer’. Its biggest claim to fame is that it reblooms much faster than a traditional ’Endless Summer’.

Endless Summer Pop Star

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on Jeffery’s Weigela ‘Bubbly Wine’. If you were unaware, Jeff Good is now the patent holder of Proven Winners® Weigela ‘Bubbly Wine’. I will let him tell you all about it. I on the other hand will tell you about a relative of Weigela ‘Midnight Wine’ with darker, shinier burgundy leaves and a 12’ tall about 3’ wide habit. W. ‘Midnight Wine Shine’ is also much denser. Finally, W. ‘Very Fine Wine’ is a dwarf – 30x30” with better hardiness and heavier rebloom.

Midnight Wine Shine by Proven Winners

Before I let you go – let’s talk Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’ I have not grown this personally and we have not had it at the nursery before. Everyone is yelling at me about this plant. Everyone wants it and I keep saying it is not hardy enough for us, you keep saying it is! I have special ordered this plant in the past and those that have put it in the landscape have told me they are hardy. So, this year I will stock a few. Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’ is a female ilex and will need a pollinator to bloom (any ilex that blooms at this same time will work.) ‘Sky Pencils’ get to be about 6-8’ and 2’ wide – yes, with a very columnar habit. It is a very dense tightly branched shrub. Considered a solid zone 6 possibly a zone 5 – it may all depend on the winter. Berries or not, it is a good-looking plant!

Have you tried these new varieties? Let us know what you think of them! We welcome your feedback on the plants we stock.

I hope to see you around the plant center, checking out all the new stuff!

Kim Roth Byline

Relax with a Water Feature

Easy Pro Pond Products Mixed Pallet

Something about the Independence Day holiday weekend feels like a signal to slow down a little bit, even if it’s just for the weekend.  It’s an apt time to think about water features. 

Fountains and water features are some of the best ways to elevate any garden, patio, or walkway.  They’re a simple, excellent add-on when selling an installation. Everyone loves the peaceful sound of flowing water while taking in the surroundings of a beautiful landscape. We offer several Easy Pro kits in our store, and many more that can easily be ordered for pickup or delivery straight to you. These kits are easy to assemble and include everything you will need to install an elegant and relaxing water feature.

Rosemont Kit

Ponds might be a preference for some customers, others may want the sound and movement without the standing water.  In that case, you should check out our fountains. We currently carry and display 2 different fountains in our store that are already assembled. Partially disassembling the fountain may be required for transportation. Both fountains spill water down 3 stone pillars providing soothing noise and an aesthetic centerpiece. The Tranquil Décor Basalt Kit includes 3 basalt columns with natural sides that would blend well with any landscape. Our other display, the Rosemont Kit, has 3 beautifully polished white stone pillars with black marbling and hints of pink that will catch your eye.

While these 2 fountains are all we keep in stock, we also offer many other features. Catalogs are available here at Christensen’s as well as online through Easy Pro. These features include different pillars, bowls, vases, and sculptures. They typically arrive within a few days and can be picked up here in our store or sent directly to you. Water feature kits include the basin, pump, plumbing, and lights. All you need to do is assemble, bury the basin, fill with water, and enjoy.

Easy Pro Pond Products Accessories

From “Just-A-Falls” kits to Spillways, you can relax, Christensen’s has you covered with Easy-Pro Pond Products (and pond-less products)!

Jacob Haines By Line

Abracadabra! A Little Magic in Hardscape

Marketing is like magic. Magic is all about misdirection and sleight of hand. The performer will have you so focused on what the left hand is doing so that you never notice the right foot. Marketing can be very similar, focus on the positive and redirect from the negative. Everybody, I’m sure, remembers the expandable garden hose craze. For $25, they were great! Until you got 1 teeny tiny little hole, but nobody mentioned that the stretching feature comes at a cost of durability. Concrete wall and pavers are in the same boat, they have been advertised and promoted as low maintenance, especially compared to traditional wood decks. But what does that really mean, low maintenance? Let me redirect your focus over here then.

Ketchup on pavers

‘Low’ does not mean ‘none’. And, that does not always mean quick and easy, either. Concrete is a sponge; its pores will trap all sorts of dirt and debris. Rusty water, red soda stains, tree sap and salt residue are just a few examples of what your concrete products can soak up. This does not affect the strength or longevity of the brick but it sure can alter the color and appearance of it. To bring it back to almost a new appearance you will need to wash it!

Cleaners in Hardscape

So how does one wash a brick? It does not involve any toothbrushes or mops, but it does involve some specialized cleaners depending on the stain or material you are trying to wash away. Not all, but most chemical cleaners have some small amount of acids in them, this is why you rarely need to scrub the concrete. The cleaner is designed to either soften or dissolve the materials, then simply rinse away with a garden hose. But with that dissolving effect comes a warning, left for too long or too strong of a mix could start to dissolve the concrete’s smaller particles which will leave the concrete pitted and appear much more aged. Always test on a small obscure place on the concrete to test the effects. There are cleaners that specialize in gum, oil, tar, rust, and organic material like food condiments and popsicle drippings.

Sealers in Hardscape

After the cleaning, you now have an opportunity to seal the concrete, if you so desire. Years and years ago you would have to wait 6 months to a year for the efflorescence to work its way out of the concrete. Back then the sealers were not breathable, they trapped everything in. Now they have water based breathable sealers that can be applied shortly after installation. But why would one want to seal the concrete, especially if you can simply clean it? Think of sealer like shoe shine, it helps protect the shoe’s material while it helps to improve the appearance. It will make cleaning stains much easier as well as help maintain or enhance the color of the concrete. This could be very important around cooking and dining areas. You don’t have to seal every year, maybe not even every other year, but you will have to reapply again at some point to maintain the same protection and appearance.

Cleaned Pavers

Sealing can be both a blessing and a curse. It is so nice to take the hose to a grape jelly blob and simply hose it away. But you may have one more thing to add to an ever-growing list of springtime chores. I choose to live dangerously; I go sealer free. But I also have an amazing washing system, a yard full of kids and a hose. The car, house, dog, tree, neighbor kids, and most times the patio get a good washing many times during the summer. But if you do not have a high fructose fueled (kids with popsicles) washing system like me, stop by the Hardscape Center and let us help you make your stains and grime disappear, magically!

Bryan Pajak

To Bee or Not to Bee

Bee Illustration

Bee-lieve it or not, I have never, in my life been stung by a bee. In all my years working here at the plant center, I have managed to avoid that painful sting. Often by running around like a crazy person, screeching. The fear of the unknown is probably worse than the actual pain. As scared as I am, there are so many benefits to planting pollinator-friendly varieties that I would like to share with you. The pollination of food-grown crops, the growing number of endangered insects, easy maintenance, and low-cost gardening are just a few. Pollinator plants attract bees, wasps, butterflies, bats, and even hummingbirds. These benefits far outweigh the fear of the sting.

Macro of a Bee on a Honeycomb

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male parts of one flower to the female parts of another, within the same species. Pollination results in fertilization, which is essential to fruit and seed production. This process is accomplished by insects, birds, reptiles, and some mammals. Fertilization is essential in food-grown crops such as fruit trees. Approximately 75% of the world’s flowering plants and 35% of the world’s food-grown crops depend on pollinators for their success. That’s roughly one in every three bites! That makes pollinators an essential factor in the global food web.

Another important reason to grow pollinating plants is the declining number of honeybees and other pollinators. This is largely due to human actions such as pesticide use, urbanization, emerging pathogens, parasites, and predators. US beekeepers are losing up to 30% of their colonies each year. While there are still over 2.88 million honeybee colonies in the US, some species are still considered vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. 

Other pollinators also in decline are Monarch butterflies. This is largely due to habitat degradation and limited access to Milkweed on their migration routes down south. Planting Milkweed could be an easy start to help these populations. Asclepias Tuberosa and other varieties can always be found right here at Christensen’s. The good news is that if we are the problem, we can also be the solution, so planting pollinators is an easy way to help these declining species.

Asclepias Tuberosa
 Allium Millenium
Echinacea Lemon Yellow
Buddleia CranRazz
Lavandula Sweet Romance

Now that we have gone through the benefits, and environmental reasons to plant pollinators, you might be asking WHAT SHOULD I PLANT? A good start would be native plant varieties. Here at Christensen’s, you can find Asclepias Tuberosa, Aster, Echinacea Purpurea, Liatris Blazing Star, and Lobelia Siphilitica. If we don’t carry it, we can always special order these native varieties for you! These native varieties are usually low maintenance and won’t break the bank. Many of the perennials and shrubs we carry regularly here at Christensen’s make great pollinators too! My closest bee encounters have been on our Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’. Come summer these are FULL of bees, making them an excellent choice. Allium, Buddleia (Butterfly Bush), Coneflower, Lavender, Monarda, Rudbeckia, Sedum, Phlox and Rudbeckia are great options, too, and are always found on our perennial lot. Other things you can do to ensure pollinator success is to plant in full sun, provide long-lasting blooms by planting varieties that flower at different times, plant in groups, and by trying to avoid insecticides.

Lobelia Monet Moment
Liatris Kobold
Echinacea Salsa Red
Sedum

Pollinators are important for many reasons. Global food production, making sure invaluable insects endure, and helping our environment, and the important ecosystems within it thrive, are just a few. Planting pollinators is cost-effective, low maintenance, and will help you feel that you are doing your part to preserve our valuable planet. Just try not to get stung, I’ve heard it hurts!

Molly De La Rosa Author

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

Christensen's Dump Truck

Unfortunately, in business (and in life) bad stuff can happen. We do our best to be safe and conscientious, but, sometimes, it doesn’t matter how careful we are. Recently, we had some bad luck that left our dump truck out-of-service. Don’t worry! We’re so grateful that our employee is okay, just the dump truck sustained damage.

If you were looking for a bulk delivery in the last week, we’re sorry that we couldn’t deliver.  But now, we’re back in the bulk delivery biz!

'Black Betty' Dump Trailer

Still awaiting a nickname from our shipping department, it’s a triple-axle, 21,000 lb hydraulic dump trailer. Capable of hauling up to 16 yards of light bulk (mulch) or 5 yards of heavy bulk (topsoil, sand, gravel, compost mix), it’s ready to hit the road. The delivery area and cost ($45) remain the same.

If you need a bulk delivery, they’re easy to set up. Just call into the Plant (888-454-TREE) or Hardscape (734-454-1412) Centers and our friendly customer service staff will be happy to get you on the schedule.

Dump Trailer Range
Black Betty Dump Trailer
It is so clean and new, you almost don’t want to put gravel in… almost.


P.S. If you have a nickname suggestion, let me know. 

Chris Campbell

European Inspiration

Map or Europe Satellite View

My inspiration for this week’s Sticks & Stones is a trip that my family took last year. We traveled over to the Netherlands and France to cheer on my daughter’s team. But being a plantsman, I really noticed how trees are done along the roadways in Europe. I wondered if there is a way that we could do something similar here. I was impressed by the way the trees were well-manicured to keep the line of vision clear for drivers.

European Manicured Trees

For instance, Malus Sargentii is a prime example of a smaller stature tree. They mature at 6’ to 8’ tall and between 9’ to 15’ wide, which makes them easy to keep away from the power lines, unlike the pears in my neighborhood. The Sargent crab does have a white flower in the spring, as well, and does bear fruit about ¼" in size. It is very tolerant to clay soil, air pollution, and even the fruit can attract birds and, of course, pollinators in the spring with their flowers. It would be a perfect compact replacement.

However, there are a couple of reasons why this could not really be done here. (1.) They are manicured in such a beautiful, rectangular fashion, but ours are mostly just trimmed to avoid power lines. The labor (and cost of labor) involved in manicuring for a look is perceived differently than for function.  (2.) We have our power lines above ground, but they do not. These obstacles made me think, ‘What about using smaller-sized trees along the edges of the roads?’ Instead of having the tops sheared flat or even holes through one side, why not try a Malus?

American Tree trimmed for powerlines
Malus Sargent Tina in bloom

Since we are looking at the smaller crab apples, another overlooked variety is the Malus Sargent Tina. It fits into the dwarf category at about 4’-5’ tall and wide when mature. When the buds start to form in the spring, they start out with a pink color and then go to a brilliant white that is fragrant. While it is not as “fragrant” as a Cleveland pear, it differs in being considered a pleasant scent as opposed to the generally distasteful aroma of the pear. As with the Sargentii’s, Sargent Tina also attracts pollinators in the spring and has a ¼" fruit in the fall that attracts and sustains birds through winter.

Trees along the road to Arc de Triomphe

Drawing to the end I will give the French a thumbs up for keeping tree limbs away from the streets since all those Carpinus in the picture are all in a trimmed-up, rectangular shape and have been that way for decades. They said it was to be able to look down the street and see the Arc de Triomphe where they have had large parades after wars. I enjoyed my time in Europe and want to leave you with one last thought. If you are ever able to, go to Paris, you must see the Eiffel Tower at night as the lights twinkle like stars all over it.

David Dermyer

Kudzu – The Invasive Vine that Ate the South (or did it?)

Kudzu taking over forest

Being from the North and a country music fan, I started hearing about Kudzu in songs by HARDY, Morgan Wallen, Alabama, Scotty McCreery and more. You can’t get far into country music before an artist compares something to the invasiveness of a Kudzu vine. My favorite being “My mama said addiction runs like a kudzu vine on our family tree…” Being in horticulture, I had to investigate this mythical beast of a plant and learn more about it.

Kudzu, or if we’re being scientific, Pueraria montana, was introduced at the 1876 World’s Fair Centennial Exhibition. Originally from Asia, it didn’t really make a splash with Americans.  Farmers couldn’t figure out how to leverage the plant for any sort of profit and it was quickly gobbled up by grazing by livestock. It wouldn’t have actually taken off, if it wasn’t for a supplemented government program. It’s estimated that around 1945, there were about a million acres planted. That was a far cry from the 8 million acres the government hoped would be planted and the incentivization ended. 

While the Kudzu on farms was plowed under or grazed away, the Kudzu on roadsides and railways grew to cover much of all the other vegetation, seemingly consuming the south at a rapid pace, up to a foot per day. This very visible conquest became the easy target of writers, poets and lyricists. This plant has taken on a cultural reference far surpassing most other southern plants. It has wrapped around the people to become an icon.

Kudzu flower

But in the end this plant doesn’t live up to the myth that’s been created around it. Horticulturists agree that it poses less of a threat than Asian privet, Japanese honeysuckle and invasive roses in the south. It does not grow inches in days and cover millions of acres. The U.S Forest service reports that in 2010 only 227,000 acres of forests are invaded by Kudzu. It sounds like a lot, but when you consider that over 1 million acres of the US are covered with Purple Loosestrife, you can see that it’s not nearly the problem we face from a local invasive species.

Kudzu Coverage Map 2023

And some horticulturists even think it’s on the decline. It’s certainly debatable, but as many farming corporations, universities and the government have been attacking it with herbicides, mowers, fires, goats and replanting, it is possible that they are starting to get a handle on the spread. Another factor is the Japanese kudzu bug that has begun infesting large areas of kudzu and sucking the life out of the myth.

Japanese Kudzu Bug Damaging a Leaf

When traveling near Gatlinburg, Tennessee last year, I was able to see the monster for myself. It was certainly an overwhelming site on the side of the road creating a jungle-like look for expanses of the highway. I would never want to battle this vine in my yard. It was always assumed that Kudzu was contained by the cool temperatures of the north, but a recent study indicated that it can survive in subzero conditions. And with climates shifting and zones redefining, it’s actually getting closer to the northern states and the Midwest by the year.  The romantic version of the plant in songs, poems and stories is a lot more palatable when it stays far away from my yard.

But whether you love it or hate it, at least you may know more about Kudzu than you did before. If you’re looking for additional information and articles, this is where I pulled the majority of my research from:

Kudzu by Beth Muschinski
Marci McIntosh


Professional Landscape Design! Why?

Hillyard Design by Beth Rowley
By Beth Rowley of Alluring Landscape Design


There are so many reasons for individual homeowners, and hardscape or landscape installers to use a professional landscape designer when it is time to create an outdoor space.

Some of the best hardscape and plant installers I know have an artistic eye and can create beautiful outdoor areas. Can those incredible spaces be done without professional input or planning of some type? Sure, but only considering the aesthetic can have detrimental downsides. For example, installing the wrong paver on a driveway can result in broken pavers and unhappy clients. Installing the wrong plants can mean dead plants, the wrong balance of plants, or plants that outgrow the space they were intended for.

Hillyard Design by Beth Rowley

Design by Beth Rowley at Alluring Landscape Design. Installation by Executive Property Maintenance

While it might seem quicker to just show up on a site with a truckload of random plants and start installing them on a property, there is a higher chance of failure. If you’re providing a warranty on those plants, that is money out of your pocket in time, manpower, and loss of installation time on another site that could be making you money.

Hillyard Design by Beth Rowley

Design by Beth Rowley at Alluring Landscape Design. Installation by Executive Property Maintenance

Everyone has their favorite part of an installation. Whether it’s hardscape or softscape, we all have our opinions on what’s most important. While I love a good hardscape, I am most passionate about plants. But as a professional designer, I realize that the plants I use can be made to look more impressive if they are incorporated with a good hardscape. The reverse is also true. The simplest hardscape design and installation can be better when plants are added to showcase its structure, use, colors, etc. It’s my job to sense the whole picture and meld both of those items for the best result. Melding both is how the best designs are created. Then, of course, professional designers can add lighting, pots, structures, and many other design elements to step it up to the next level. A professional designer always keeps the big picture in mind and never just focuses on one aspect of the outdoor space.

Hillyard Design by Beth Rowley

Design by Beth Rowley at Alluring Landscape Design. Installation by Executive Property Maintenance

The best designers listen to the clients’ needs and wants and work to achieve a buildable and sustainable overall plan. The hardscape must serve the needs of the homeowner while working within the limitations of the site, building codes, and product limitations. The plant selection needs to be attractive, and long-term with the right care. That care must fit the homeowner’s ability to do the work, or their willingness to hire a pro to care for it. When selecting plants, this information can make a difference in the long-term happiness of the client.

DePotter Design by Beth Rowley

Did you know that our industry dumps thousands of new plants onto the market each year? Using a designer that is highly trained, has hands-on knowledge and continues to stay up to date on the latest plants, problems, products, and trends can make for a better installation process and result for the entire group of people involved. Save yourself the time and headaches of sifting through all the nuances by utilizing a designer.

DePotter Design by Beth Rowley

Design by Beth Rowley at Alluring Landscape Design. Installation by Atlas Outdoor

A professional design doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye. Site information needs to be collected. Client desires, lifestyle, the intended use of the spaces, etc. must be considered. Then, the design process starts. It’s a time-consuming process that needs to be thought through to meet all the criteria for all parties involved. There is VALUE in good design. I’ve owned my own design/build firm. I have worked for other firms. Now, I do freelance design for many companies and homeowners. For my entire career in the green industry, I’ve stressed the fact that designs should never be given away. There is value in good design, and it needs to be treated with that respect.

We do not expect to get free services in other areas of life so why should we devalue professional design? The people that work on our cars have trained to do this, the people that wait on tables at high-end restaurants have trained for this. You know when you get an untrained mechanic there is going to be a problem, or when the inexperienced wait person serves you a meal, the experience is likely to have a negative impact.  The same is true with design. Save the headaches, the disappointments, the trips back to a jobsite for corrections or plant replacements, the loss of money and hire a professional designer up front. Without a design, or with a poor design, an installation company may have their profit margin decreased on those installations or low customer satisfaction. A rising tide raises all boats, so let’s elevate the landscape industry together.

DePotter Design by Beth Rowley

Design by Beth Rowley at Alluring Landscape Design. Installation by Atlas Outdoor. Custom pergola built by Master Builders.

If you would like to talk more about the pros and cons to professional landscape design, Beth Rowley can be reached at barowley02@gmail.com or 734-890-9386.

Beth Rowley - Author

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