Though here is where I have interject an awesome little story. As we were working on the finishing touches throughout the project, I put our company sign in the front of the landscape to let people know who we are. I have to be honest here and say at this point I was getting down on myself. Based on how I was being treated I was thinking that the condo folks didn't really appreciate all the hard work we were doing for them. I felt I cared more than they did and they just wanted us done and out of there....
....then I received a phone call from the sweetest young woman who just wanted to say "that I walk by this condo everyday and wanted to let you know how I really enjoy the moment when I pass by this landscape now. It's so beautiful and I find something new each time I stop to admire it. It's the best part of my walk and I look forward to coming by. You did an amazing job and wanted you to let you know that someone noticed." OH MY GOODNESS, I started crying it was so sweet, her words fell on my ears at a perfect time in my life. I was amazed that a stranger called just to say something nice. I tear up again just writing this. Note to ourselves, always incorporate random acts of kindness in our lives because you never know who and how you can impart something good in someone's life.
Hope you enjoy our condo makeover as much as we did.
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| This is looking east at the front island area before demolition. This area is about 180 ft long x 18 ft deep |
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| This is further down as you walk along the sidewalk. We removed everything, the old ficus hedges & ficus trees were in bad shape. |
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| This is the same area of the front island except now it's completely new. We used silver butttonwood trees, bulnesia trees, Queen Emma crinum lilies, purple starburts, lantana & red shrimp plants to name a few. |
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| This is further down along the front island area. We used perennial peanuts around the perimeter as ground cover, blanket flower, persian shield epidendrum orchids, variegated hibisus 'red hot' & 'snow' & blue daze are some more of the plants. |
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| This is the center island area in the parking lot where we removed the pongham trees before demolition. |
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| The same area with the new trees we planted. I used allspice trees at each end with dahoon holly trees all in the middle along with another sable palm. |
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| This is one of two small areas on either side of the parking lot driveways, the east side before demolition. |
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| This is the east side of the parking lot driveway with the new plants, using the same ones as in the center island. |
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| This is one of two small areas on either side of the parking lot driveways, the west side before demolition. |
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| This is the west side of the parking lot driveway with the new plants, using the same ones as in the center island. |
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| This area is the east side of the condo before. Here we just added to what was already there to meet the city's code requirements. |
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| The east side afterwards with a new King palm & a few sable palms on the side of the building. |
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| The condo building's entry area before demolition |
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| The same area after the new cassia tree, sabal palm and ground cover plants were installed. |
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| Here is another view of the front island area before we removed everything & added dirt. |
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| Here is what it looks like after we installed the new plants & mulch. |
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| Here we are removing the diseased trees and old ficus hedges. |
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| Boy did this give us all a good scare, to find that someone nailed it to one of the tree's. |
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| This is the west perimeter of the parking lot with two new weeping podocarpus trees & new eugenia hedge plants |
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| Here is a close up of one of the weeping podocarpus trees. Every time I am on the jobsite, someone will ask me, "what is the name of those beautiful trees!?!" |
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| Here is the front center island looking towards the west before demolition. |
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| Here is the center part of the front island after we installed the new plants, trees & mulch. |
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| I was standing on the other side of the street in order to get almost all of the center island in the picture. That's how big this area is! |
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| In this picture I was standing in the center median of the road but at least you can see a little bit more detail of the landscape in this one. |
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| A close up of the center island with variegated hibiscus 'red hot' & 'snow' in back, Queen Emma lily, purple starburst, persian shield & blanket flower in the foreground. |
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| In the background you can see phase II has started. In the foreground you can see how the perennial peanuts are starting to really grow & spread out. |
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| Here is the back side of the center island before demolition & tree removal, facing eastward. |
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| Here is the back side of the center island about 8 months after we first planted everything in the ground. Unfortunately like alot of landscapes, other people maintain this property. As you can tell they do not have proper training & knowledge as to maintain a landscape of this caliber...soooo yeah that part sucks. Boy how I wish we could have maintained their property for them, it would look so nice!!! But that's what you get when you only want a "cheap" maintenance service...a 'hack & whack' and a 'mow, blow & go' as they are commonly known in the industry. Though all in all it still looks great! |
Hope you enjoyed my little slide show & tell of another day-in-the-life of a landscaper, lol.
Happy Gardening and Many Best Wishes,
Sheri
xoxo
