About Us
Working with passion, integrity and insight since 2001: Fine gardening/perennial care, specialty pruning and distinctive shrub care, heirloom vegetable gardens, residential landscape oversight. Pre-event landscape detailing. Horticulture consulting/research/troubleshooting on landscape problems - we are thorough and strive to get to the bottom of tough issues. Fluent Spanish - collaborate with crews. Training: NYBG landscape design program, NOFA organic land care program, UCONN master gardener program.
How We Got Started
As a volunteer garden designer for a theatre, on the garden's opening night, I heard a patron say, "Oh, it feels so serene!" That was it -- I was hooked on the emotional impact gardens have on people.
(NOTE: We are big believers in credible word of mouth advertising. Please do not ask for a recommendation if we do not know you or your business. Our reputation is on the line, too, when we recommend people we do not know. If you see a rec from us, we know and respect the business. If you would like to meet, I'm happy to do so.)
The products and services we offer
Recommendations Received (7)
"Chris Reid does impeccable landscaping. She’s incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of..."
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"Chris Reid does impeccable landscaping. She’s incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of horticulture. "
"Christine is very knowledgeable! "
Products & Services
Creating gardens, plantings, and landscapes using plants beneficial to insects, birds and the environment.
Recommendations Given (7)
"Laura McKillop is a seasoned and experienced designer, pleasant to deal with, at a quality..."
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"Laura McKillop is a seasoned and experienced designer, pleasant to deal with, at a quality company for skilled execution of her designs -- a great combination."
"This is a great product and a thoughtfully managed company. They have worked with many arborists..."
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"This is a great product and a thoughtfully managed company. They have worked with many arborists and municipalities to understand and document how their product works in a variety of situations. The gel-filled donuts are so much easier to manage than the bag style tree irrigation products. I highly recommend!"
Recent Activity
A 20 x 40 pool uses 12,000 gallons or so to fill it. A one acre lawn with overhead irrigation uses 27,000 gallons of water per week based on the recommended rate of 1" of water per week. The pool is not nearly the water user that an irrigated lawn is.
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A 20 x 40 pool uses 12,000 gallons or so to fill it. A one acre lawn with overhead irrigation uses 27,000 gallons of water per week based on the recommended rate of 1" of water per week. The pool is not nearly the water user that an irrigated lawn is.
Drowning, you have identified a strong reality in present corporate world -- Pro Public just did an article on the pervasive forced retirement that is devastating people even younger than you. We live in an ageist society. But -- we have to set it aside and find a way to go forward. In my...
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Drowning, you have identified a strong reality in present corporate world -- Pro Public just did an article on the pervasive forced retirement that is devastating people even younger than you. We live in an ageist society. But -- we have to set it aside and find a way to go forward. In my opinion, working for somebody else is never going to make the kind of money a good small business can make. Starting one without a dime, however, may not be realistic on my part. I have not seen anyone suggest you get in touch with SCORE (free small business counseling) -- you can take a course in starting a small business, or delve into the myriad on-demand webinars on so many topics relevant to operations and marketing of a small business. Mentors will work with you and help you explore your unique value proposition (which very well could be that you are not old, you are well seasoned and highly experienced, and bring a perspective distinct from what people with a different life experience bring) . I have found this group enormously helpful, and I have been in business a long time. People do not buy "services," it is said, they buy benefits. So think of not just WHAT you do (service), but HOW you do it in marketing yourself. office skills are a commodity (price driven/lowest price wins). So if you figure out what else you bring to the table along with those or other skills/talents, you will be on the way to pricing yourself based on value (as well as valuing your own talents and worth more highly -- or at least, that is my experience). SCORE has many offices around the country, but if you're not near one, do not despair -- you can look online at the mentors, what areas they cover, and some are available by email or phone. One of the enormous benefits is that you do not have to do it alone. The hope one feels when somebody takes an interest and asks good questions may be energizing toward your search. I have not explored the online job market (here is a link to some services: https://www.doughroller.net/ma... ) -- they reportedly pay very little so this is a desperation move to bring in some money, not a solution. I believe you have not yet identified your strongest worth from your 74 years of living, and i will be excited to hear what you put together. Don't look for the validation of your worth from employers -- mine your talents, interests, and experiences and create a unique way to offer yourself (and then see if you're only worth what the "jobs" want to offer you). Hope that helps.
The State Cinema in the Springdale area of Stamford, CT. It closed on Labor Day, and was a small neighborhood theatre showing first run movies in an antique theatre setting -- the old film projector was in the lobby and overhead in the main theatre where all the seats are great was a mural of...
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The State Cinema in the Springdale area of Stamford, CT. It closed on Labor Day, and was a small neighborhood theatre showing first run movies in an antique theatre setting -- the old film projector was in the lobby and overhead in the main theatre where all the seats are great was a mural of clouds in the sky. It had 400+ seats but very little parking nearby, and as the area grew more congested, I think it was harder and harder for people to park close to the theatre, and walking traffic wasn't as strong as necessary. We walked the three blocks to the theatre and its presence was a big factor in moving to the neighborhood.
There is no municipal parking in the area (the train station lacks signage stating when it can be used free of charge) and each business manages its own parking needs. If the businesses had pooled their parking resources under a parking management agreement that allowed them to reserve what they needed when they needed it, could this key neighborhood feature have been saved?
Virtual parking lots can now be created. There are now apps to help locate extra parking spots that a business has not earmarked for its own use at certain days/times, such that others can identify and use them, paying a fee. www.spothero.com is one such app. Could it --or something similar -- have saved this business and helped all the businesses in the area? I guess we will never know.
I hand make unique gifts for my clients and in making their holiday wreaths, always try to include seed heads pine cones or other plant material from their gardens so they are customized with a story they can tell those who admire their decor.
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I hand make unique gifts for my clients and in making their holiday wreaths, always try to include seed heads pine cones or other plant material from their gardens so they are customized with a story they can tell those who admire their decor.
