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There are many considerations to keep in mind when shopping around for the right landscaping company. You want to choose a company that is respected in your community, with a good track record of quality service and communication. An often overlooked, but important consideration to keep in mind, is employee longevity. Here’s why:

Valuing Employees Encourages Quality Work

Would you rather work with a company that goes through employees like sand through a sieve or one that has employees that have been with the company for years? Employees stay with companies that value them. This value is apparent in training, benefits, and the potential for promotion and advancement. When individuals feel valued, they’re more loyal and willing to stay with the organization. This commitment to the company leads to commitment to quality in their work. You benefit from that quality.

Employee Retention Benefits the Customer

Employee retention might not seem like an obvious quality to look for in a landscaping company, but it should be. When employees stick with a company, they gain valuable experience over time. They become experts at the work they do. With a landscaping company, you want that expertise in the work they do for you. Instead of having rookie landscapers doing the work, you want someone who knows what they’re doing.

When landscape company employees’ skills sets grow as the business grows, it leads to greater client benefits. The longer they do their jobs, the better they are at them. Hiring a landscape company like The Greenery, Inc., where employee retention and longevity are a priority, will yield the best results for your landscaping project.

Employee Owned

The Greenery cares about growing the careers of our employee-owners. As a 100% employee-owned company, all employees at The Greenery, from the senior management team to the crews in the field, earn ownership in the company. Employee ownership gives everyone a vested interest in the quality and services our company provides and the overall success of our company. Distinguishing The Greenery from other lawn care companies, employee-ownership also fosters an environment that draws some of the most talented people in the industry to our company. 

For employees at The Greenery, working here is more than just a job – it’s a lifelong career. In fact, our company recently celebrated the retirement of an employee that worked at The Greenery for more than 40 years! Standing in the photo with The Greenery CEO, Lee Edwards, are the three retires who made a career with our company. The Greenery is so grateful for our dedicated employees.

Contact The Greenery today to talk to one of our employee owners about how we can help you with your landscaping needs.

The Greenery, Inc. strives to be more than just a premiere landscaping company. We value our community, and each year we seek a project to “give back” to the communities we serve. In the past, we have completed projects on Hilton Head Island in Bluffton and Beaufort. It’s always a rewarding experience for all involved.

This year, as the country recognized the 20th Anniversary of September 11^th, more than 2 dozen employees from The Greenery and their families gave back to an organization that serves veterans located in Ridgeland, SC. 

On the morning of September 11, we worked to install sod, plantings and mulching at Operation Patriots FOB (OPFOB), a non-profit retreat facility for combat veterans. 

Working alongside OPFOB’s volunteer group, the goal was to enhance the property with beautiful landscaping to help prepare their grounds for an upcoming benefit concert.

At 8:45 AM, everyone paused to observe a moment of silence in remembrance of 9/11 at the flagpole.

 OPFOB operates on a 268-acre recreational property in Ridgeland where combat Veterans and their families are invited to participate in recreational peer-to-peer experiences creating a brighter outlook on their future. The organization believes that every combat veteran has a purpose beyond their call of duty and they are committed to helping the vets discover it.

In October, The Greenery will return to OPFOB to install 10 large memorial live oak trees.

We are grateful for the support of Tony Nimmer of Nimmer Turf for the donation of all the sod materials and the generosity of Witmer Jones Keefer, Ltd. for providing the landscaping plans.

You might ask what is FOB? FOB stands for Forward Operating Base. It is defined as a secure place that supports goals and objectives of military personnel.

For more information about Operation Patriots FOB, visit opfob.org or follow @operationpatriotsfob on Facebook.

The Greenery, Inc. is an employee-owned company serving regions throughout South Carolina, coastal Georgia and Florida. Since 1973 they have provided comprehensive commercial landscaping services including installation and maintenance, hardscapes and irrigation. 

Every July, thousands of people descend upon Beaufort’s Waterfront Park for a week of festivities known as the Beaufort Water Festival. It is one of the largest events in the Lowcountry that takes place right here in Beaufort, SC. Each year since 1956, the event has grown, drawing visitors from all over the country to enjoy the beauty that Beaufort’s waterfront park has to offer.

The Greenery, one of the leading landscape companies in South Carolina and the Southeast, has supervised the landscape and lawn care for the Beaufort Waterfront Park since 2011. Each year, our crews work hard to make the turf and the landscape of the park look breathtaking for the festival and its visitors.

Visitors enjoy the arts & crafts booths, the annual raft race, the bocce tournament, the concerts, and the nightly themed dinners. During the festival, thousands of people pound the waterfront park turf with hundreds of thousands of footsteps, strollers, and even vehicles. By the time the festival ends with the Commodore’s Ball, the Blessing of the Fleet, and the Parade of Boats – the turf has taken a torturous beating.

“This turf was heavily damaged and looking very rough (seen below) after two weeks of traffic from the Beaufort Water Festival,” said Miles Graves, Regional Manager of The Greenery Commercial Landscaping Companies. “Our team made a miraculous turn around in just two weeks! Awesome job in pre and post event planning and execution.”

Brandon Duitsman, the Branch Manager of The Greenery in Beaufort, along with his dedicated crew, got to work immediately to repair the damage done to the turf along the waterfront.

For the 2 weeks of the festival, the irrigation in the waterfront park is turned off. Between the hot summer temperatures and the foot traffic from all the people attending the festival, the Bermuda turf is subjected to very high stress. As soon as the festival ended, The Greenery crew turned the irrigation back on and started the process of healing the turf. On Thursday July 29, our Plant Health Care team applied a turf fertilizer and instantly watered the turf so the fertilizer would soak into the soil and not sit on top of the grass and burn it. The results of the expert services from The Greenery are evident in the following photos.

The turf bounced back beautifully and all it took was proper irrigation management, some fertilizer and attention to detail, along with the expertise and hard work that The Greenery crew puts into each job. We are already looking forward to next year’s Water Festival and hope you will join us!

HERE AT THE GREENERY, INC. WE HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY EACH AND EVERY DAY TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PLANET EARTH.

As consumers become more ecologically conscious and climate change becomes an increasingly “hot” topic, we want you to know about many of the innovative sustainable strategies we employ at The Greenery, Inc.

It’s no secret that as members of the “green” industry, we have the privilege of making our world a greener, more beautiful place. Heck, it is literally in our NAME!  It’s our job to have Mother Earth in our hands most of every day. There are loads of opportunities for us to be more sustainable, from how we design landscapes, and how we work, to the tools we use. Sustainability shouldn’t create an additional burden—in fact, it should actually lessen our work. From climate change to water shortages to the increasing pollution of our air and water, we have the power to make a positive impact on the planet. Even small improvements we make today can help our waterways, communities, and, ultimately the world, become a better place for the next generation of humans AND wildlife.

UNDERSTAND HOW DESIGN AFFECTS MAINTENANCE. A professional landscape company will oversee and recommend the design and installation of plantings complimentary to your property.  At The Greenery, we can advise the best plant material indigenous to the area with a focus on visual appeal, and watering needs, including natural plantings to minimize stormwater runoff.

CONSERVE WATER. Water has become an ever more in-demand resource, particularly with parts of the western U.S. suffering extreme drought. It’s important to be mindful of water use, from the planting design to the mechanics of irrigation systems. Plants in a soggy area should have deep roots to soak up the water, and for dry areas, be sure to select drought-tolerant plants. You can also collect rainwater, as well as use a rain sensor to ensure plants are not being over-watered. At The Greenery, Inc we use the latest water-saving smart irrigation controllers. We can manage one or a thousand irrigation controllers, quickly, affordably and with ease. This technology reduces water usage and offers financial savings for our customers.

USE GREEN POWER. The Greenery is an industry leader when it comes to innovative green landscaping technology. We use state of the art robotic mowers, battery operated blowers, trimmers and weed eaters, as well as GPS tracking devices. We opt for using battery-powered tools over gas powered whenever possible since battery-powered equipment can now compete with gas-powered equipment in run times and efficiency. Battery-powered robotic mowers are the hottest development in the industry and we use them on highway mowing for safety purposes, as well as on difficult slope areas and on lagoon banks. Most robotic mowers are also significantly quieter and can operate at all hours of the day or night. This is especially beneficial in resort or residential areas that require quiet hours, such as tennis courts, swimming pools, hotel rooms and spas.

KNOW YOUR SOIL.  Our in-the-field service plans start with your soil. We can discuss testing your soil BEFORE coming up with a design and selecting plants. This will ensure an installation that is matched to the soil type and doesn’t require excavating, replacing with a non-native soil, or treating with chemicals in order to get the plants to thrive. In areas where you may have a shortage of water or no irrigation, opt for drought-resistant plants. There is nothing worse than watching your beautiful, hand-selected plants wither and die because they weren’t planted in the proper soil for them, or they didn’t get enough water.

ENCOURAGE WILDLIFE. Save the honeybees! Did you know that native plants are essential to feed native species? Utilizing native plants in your landscape will help beneficial insects, birds, and wildlife stay in balance with nature. Design plantings that will attract dragonflies to eat those pesky mosquitoes or that will attract pollinators like birds, butterflies, and bees. Additionally, more native planting can increase the water absorbed on a property, as well as encourage wildlife.

AMELIA ISLAND, FL. – The Greenery, Inc. recently announced the acquisition of Amelia Island-based Martex Services Landscape Management. This acquisition will allow Martex Services as a division of The Greenery, Inc. to grow into the leading premier landscape provider in the greater Amelia Island/Jacksonville market while continuing to provide an extraordinary level of commercial landscape services to resorts and hotels, office parks, and distinguished gated communities of northeast Florida.

“The team at Martex Services is excited about this new relationship working with The Greenery,” said Tom Livingston, President of Martex Services, Inc. “Our employees are staying on board and will continue to work hard to preserve our long-standing reputation in the community for the very best landscaping services.”

Over the past 50 years, The Greenery has grown into one of the largest and most respected landscaping companies in the Southeast. As an employee-owned company, The Greenery has flourished to over 850 employee-owners and continues to grow with this acquisition. Employee ownership and investing in their people have proven to be the catalyst for gaining a successful position as a thriving leader in the landscaping industry.

“A strong connection between The Greenery, Inc. and Martex Services is longevity. Each business started in 1973, with both companies thriving through a reputation for superior work and customer satisfaction,” stated Lee Edwards, CEO of The Greenery, Inc. “We look forward to continuing to provide quality landscape services to the people and businesses of Amelia Island and Jacksonville.”

The Greenery offers comprehensive landscaping services to commercial customers. The Greenery has been a principal business in the South Carolina Lowcountry since 1973 and is proud to be an employee-owned company for the past 12 years. They have received many awards and accolades for customer service and were recently listed as one of the Top 30 landscape companies in the nation by Lawn & Landscape magazine and Landscape Management magazine.

Martex Services will now operate under the leadership of The Greenery, Inc. The leadership team will work closely with Martex, their preexisting management, and their employees over the next several months to ensure a smooth transition.

For more information about The Greenery, Inc., visit www.TheGreeneryInc.com or call the Amelia Island branch at 904-261- 5364 or the main corporate office (843)785-3848.

If you’re an HOA, it’s critical to ask all the right questions when it’s time to hire a new landscaping company. Read on to learn the top three things you should consider.

1: Communication and Professionalism

Many neighborhoods have similar landscaping needs, especially those with an HOA. What sets a commercial landscaping company apart is their ability to become a trusted advisor to your HOA. They should be able to communicate effectively with the HOA, including responding promptly to requests and inquiries. Professionalism at all levels is important. Proper licensing, experience, and knowledge about the level of your property needs is crucial. Well-maintained equipment and professional attire with high safety standards should also be a given.

2: Experience & Knowledge

Any landscaping team can mow the grass, but if you’re hiring a company to manage an entire community, you want them to have the appropriate experience. They also need to have enough resources, including people and equipment to get the job done on time and on budget. A strong company will have on staff many horticulturists, designers, and licensed experts so they know exactly what is needed on your property. Research the company’s references and speak with our customers. It’s a great way to determine if they are the right fit for your community.

3: Cost

You want to manage your community budget responsibly. While cost shouldn’t be your only consideration, it certainly is a key factor in hiring a commercial landscaping firm. Discuss detailed costs with any landscape company you’re considering, making sure they can meet your goals while staying within budget. Most reputable and established landscaping companies can help you develop a 3 to 5-year plan for regular maintenance and capital improvements. Do your due diligence, and you’ll be sure to end up with the results you want.

Don’t cut corners when hiring a landscape company for the community your HOA board is responsible for. Start your search with the reliable and experienced team at The Greenery.

In many POAs and HOAs, decision makers must balance the unique needs of their communities with time and budget constraints. Partnering with an expert is a worthwhile investment with a huge reward, and is a cost-effective investment that saves time and money while accomplishing your landscaping goals.

Overall, a good landscape specialist will:

1. Provide a thorough assessment in the beginning and ongoing support

2. Offer Ideas and solutions for your landscape challenges

3. Conduct routine audits to make sure your landscape is thriving and meets your goals

4. Discuss your budget and provide services and products that meet that budget

5. Offer suggestions for enhancements

6. Provide you with a 3-5 year plan

One of the first things your new landscape specialist will do is assess your property, alongside your needs and goals. They will then suggest a variety of cost-effective landscaping options, individually suited for you. They might propose anything from new plants to different or upgraded irrigation systems – all designed to keep costs down while maintaining visual appeal. Together, you can choose the option that best fits your budget, tastes, and any other guidelines. You also might work together on a budget before doing anything else. An expert will be able to work within your budget and suggest different ways to get the most for your money.

A good landscaper is not just there at the beginning of a new project – they will carry out regular assessments moving forward, checking on the progress of work and adjusting plans to meet your desired results. They will carry out routine audits, making sure everything remains within your budget, or making budget adjustments as needed. They may suggest enhancements to your custom plan at some point along the way, and work to include these changes in your original budget.

Investing in a landscaping partnership will pay off again and again long down the road. An expert can propose a 3 – 5 year capital plan for any POA or HOA at the onset of your work together. They will implement the proper instruments to get started, and then work continuously to make sure your individual goals are being met. A good landscape partner can streamline this process for you by implementing a plan that maximizes beauty and minimizes common pitfalls, saving you untold sums of money in the long run.

With their expertise by your side, you can be confident knowing that your neighborhood landscaping budget and beauty are in good hands.

Here are some of the unbeatable perks you should expect:

1. Innovative Landscaping Technologies

Have you ever tried to maneuver a mower on a steep hill? Some lawns are trickier to mow and edge than others. The best landscapers for commercial work don’t just rely on traditional mowers and equipment. Instead, they utilize the latest technology to get the job done right. Now trending in landscape maintenance are robotic mowers that streamline the process and ensure precise, picture-perfect results.

Worried about water costs? Smart irrigation systems, like Weathermatic©, track every ounce of water. You’ll enjoy green grass without overpaying for water!

2. Trusted Horticulturists on Staff

Which plants will thrive best on your commercial property? Only a skilled horticulturist has the training to answer this question with confidence. A reputable landscaping company should have a horticulturist on staff. They will handle fertilization, weed control, and disease prevention to keep your plants healthy.

3. Emergency Storm Recovery Services

Mother Nature is unpredictable. A sudden storm can tear apart your once pristine landscaping in a matter of minutes. It’s wise to first focus on clearing the road from fallen trees and debris. This ensures residents, just like you, can return back to their properties as quick as possible. After recover, getting with the right landscaper for quotes on bringing your property back to normal is key.  

The Greenery, Inc. has the tools and services necessary to keep your property healthy, thriving, and beautiful all year long. Plus, we can provide a long-term plan for essential capital improvements. Get in touch with our experts to discover why we are the right landscaper for your commercial property needs.

Landscape services for a Homeowners Association, or HOA, can be costly and labor-intensive. Most HOAs want the entire neighborhood to look amazing: to achieve those results while maintaining a budget, prioritize 4 key elements in your landscape plan to get the most for your investment of time and money.

Identify Key Areas

With summer almost here, prioritizing areas of focus is critical to achieve a great look that most HOAs want.

Add some “wow” to the community entrance(s). The front entrance defines the level of quality that will be maintained throughout the community. A strong seasonal color display will provide impact and visual interest for residents and guests alike. Fresh mulch or pine straw should be used throughout the year to keep this area looking crisp.

Another area of focus is the community or amenity center. The landscaping should be inviting, welcoming people to the common space for activities, meetings, and relaxation, making it a place where the community residents want to gather and share the experience of being neighbors.

Choose Plants and Shrubs Carefully

To cut down on plant and shrub turnover, it’s essential to choose the right plantings from the very start. A professional landscape company like The Greenery, Inc. will design, install, and maintain a healthy landscape suitable for your regional climate that will complement the space where they are located – making your community inviting and attractive. 

Cut Down on Water Use

Save money by saving water.  A big expense for every HOA is irrigation of landscaped areas. Cutting down on water use can include installing native, drought-resistant elements and upgrading your current irrigation system to one that’s more efficient.  The Greenery, Inc. uses the latest technology in their irrigation systems and partners with Weathermatics to offer sophisticated irrigation systems for maximum water conservancy.

Choose the Right Landscape Company

Partnering with the right landscaping company can make all the difference when it comes to your HOA landscaping. A company with experience in community common areas, native plants, and proper lawn and landscape maintenance can improve the look of your landscaped areas while saving you money Focusing on these four elements will create a landscape plan for your HOA that will attract residents and respect your budget. It’s time for your HOA to consider a better landscape company. Contact The Greenery, Inc. today to find out how we can help you make smart decisions for your HOA landscaping.

 

To prune or not to prune – unfortunately that is not the only question. How much, how little, when and exactly how? These are also important things to consider before you pull those clippers out and start hacking away like Edward Scissorhands. The best thing to do is consultant a professional…and that’s where we come in.

Our trained professionals at The Greenery will first take inventory of the shrubs, plants or trees around the property to decide which pruning route to take. Before any pruning takes place, our specialists will consider the reason the plant needs pruning and what the final goal will be. Also, timing is essential. That’s why its always advantageous to consult a professional before you prune because once the pruning takes place – there isn’t an “undo” button.

CORRECTIVE PRUNING

Corrective pruning helps to control the direction and thickness of a plant, tree or shrub. It’s important to start pruning while plants are young to maintain their natural form and avoid the need for drastic corrective pruning later. Corrective pruning can be an essential way to keep many species of trees, plants and shrubs healthy year round.

One example of corrective pruning is thinning a tree or large shrub to allow light to penetrate the plant more effectively. This will result in a healthier plant and more flowers the following season. If you can’t see the sunlight through the leaves of your tree – that may mean it needs some corrective pruning.

Through the removal of dead or damaged limbs, corrective pruning can allow for trees to continue growing efficiently. Our goal is to improve the structural integrity of the tree leading to a longer, healthier lifespan.

RENEWAL PRUNING

If your property is being swallowed up by overgrown shrubs or you look out the windows of the buildings and only see the ‘back’ of shrubs? Then it sounds like you are in need of ‘renewal or rejuvenation pruning.’

Oftentimes, without proper landscape care, pruning can be overlooked for several years. This can cause some trees and shrubs to become overgrown, weak or even unsafe. When this happens, more drastic pruning is necessary to restore the plant’s health.

Renewal pruning can be done to promote better health, enhance the lifespan, and improve the fruiting and flowering of the plant. However, not all plants will benefit from such drastic pruning. Also the condition of the shrub will affect how it responds. Our trained professionals will identify whether a plant will survive and benefit from renewal pruning before ever making one cut.

To rejuvenate an overgrown shrub, we will generally prune it back to 12” to 24” – depending on the type of shrub. Most shrubs will begin to flush out along the exposed trunks within 6 weeks. And by mid summer, you won’t even remember those exposed ugly branches.

Renewal pruning is time consuming and can generate a lot of debris, however, it is a cost-efficient way to get the look of ‘new’ shrubs on your property. If the plants around your buildings, parks or walkways have become overgrown, renewal pruning is a great solution!

As part of our maintenance program, The Greenery’s trained professionals will examine plants, trees and shrubs on your property each year to determine whether they need pruning. And since almost every plant has a different growth habit – we know the specific method of pruning that will benefit each individual plant.

Don’t wait until it’s too late or your shrubs have been butchered! To confidently answer the why? how? and when? of pruning the plants, trees and shrubs on your property – give us a call today. We would be happy to help with the corrective or rejuvenation of your landscape to make it look more appealing to your customers and patrons!