Saturday, June 21, 2014

Reflections….

With the frenzy of spring past us now, we get the chance to reflect on the health of our gardens and landscape. As many people know it is the foundation that determines the success of our gardens. Just like in life, we have to nurture those things upon which our strength and character is built. The more attention we pay to the soil on which our gardens are built the more fruits, blooms and bounty they offer us. This is truly the time for reflection, to stroll through our gardens daily and let them permeate all of our senses.

Last night for dinner, we raided the garden (top left picture) for spinach, strawberries and cilantro for a delicious salad topped with seafood and homemade vinaigrette.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

"Certified Sustainable Landscape Professionals"

Part of our Sustainable initiative is the ongoing education and certifications needed to offer the best solutions for all of our customers.  Our story continues to develop and we have achieved most of our goals.

Here are some of the certifications we have trained for and achieved:


Our Sustainable Initiative & Motivation
In 2011, we began seeing landscape maintenance companies all over the country converting their mowers to propane with positive results.

In 2012 we converted 2 of our midsize mowers over to propane to see how they would perform.  In January of 2013 we converted our entire fleet of mowers to propane. Also, we have converted all of our 2-cycle hand held equipment; leaf blowers, weed eaters, and hedge trimmers to battery power.  This will mean less pollution and less noise.  When our clients are having meetings at their home office, there is less noise while our team is there.  This makes for a less disruptive meeting.  The same goes for the few commercial accounts we have.

I have been in several meetings where the blowers and line trimmers were so loud we had to stop the meeting for the landscape technician to pass by because of the noise.

For our company to do it’s part to leave less of a carbon footprint on the planet and a cleaner environment. I believe this is the future of the Landscape Industry.

The challenges of Becoming Eco Friendly

Receiving correct information about the new technologies and in some cases the products are so new it’s a learning curve for everyone involved. From manufacture to the contractor. And of course new technology means the products are expensive.

Why was this goal so important?
Linda and I hope that Jefferson landscaping can do their part in leaving this planet in better shape for generations to come. For our children and their children.

First in the State to Become Energy Efficient
In Washington State, we were the first to convert to propane mowers and battery hand held equipment. To date we have converted 5- 21" mowers, and 6-midsize mowers to propane. Our hand held 2 cycle equipment has been converted to battery power including 5 line trimmers, 6 hedge trimmers and 5 leaf blowers.

Why aren't more companies following suit?

Cost and learning curve. With new technology there are always a few problems. We think the small problems we run into are worth a cleaner environment.

The Benefits & Cost Savings of Going Green
Less exhaust, less fumes , less noise. With the propane conversion mowers we should recoup our investment in 3 years. The emission results to our planet is immediate.

Feedback From our Customers
The feed back from our clients is very positive. Especially the ones who see the big picture with or without children.