ELAINE

Back in February I had promised a new blog post entitled:  What’s Your Plan?  I’ll tell you what my plan was:  Sit down some cold morning in early March with a cup of hot coffee to write this blog post!  As it happens, ‘March’ and ‘cold’ were not often heard in the same sentence, which has caused delicious chaos around here as we’ve gotten an early start to the season.  Things like blogging have been put off in favour of site meetings, client consultations, employee interviews and equipment purchases.  Remember that Budget I talked about in January?  We’ve been putting it to work.   

So here we are at the end of March, and I finally have a chance to sit down with that hot coffee as it’s minus 4 degrees outside and the phone is not ringing.  Yet.  So what isyour plan?  You’ve dreamed the dream; you’ve taken a hard look at your budget…now what?    You are obviously serious about investing in your landscaping project if you’ve come this far.  Are you prepared to plan for a successful project that fulfils your dream and meets your budget?   We encounter people every year who ask us for ‘ideas’ of what they can do for their front entry or rear patio.  These same people ask for a ‘ballpark’ estimate on the work.  If you are paying attention at all to what I’ve written here over the last 3 months, you probably already know that we are not a ‘ballpark’ kind of company.    

Investing in a landscaping project is an investment in the value of your home, similar to adding a deck or sunroom, or even an addition to your home. Would you be comfortable undertaking any of these projects without a clear plan and set of project installation specifications? A landscape design encompasses all of these details and more, and represents hours of consulting, measuring and site analysis by an educated professional. All of this even before the actual design work has even begun! 

When considering the cost of a landscape design, it’s important to realize that you’re purchasing a product which is yours to keep, whether you have our company install the project or not.  Some landscaping companies will promise to refund the design fee if they install the job. Not only does this negate the value of the design work, but it causes the integrity of that company suffer, as those hours of work need to be paid for somehow. This is commonly done by ' padding the invoice', charging more on each job than is really necessary in order to recover the cost of those 'free' design hours. At Picture Perfect Landscaping our mission is to raise the standard for landscaping in the Quinte area through uncompromising quality and integrity. We bill for design time, but not for our estimating time, and will happily break down the estimate into manageable projects if needed. This allows the client to do as much or as little of the project as they wish, and our company doesn't have to recover lost revenue from design fees from other clients.

So Dream Big…Assess the Budget…Start with a Plan.  Get the results YOU want.  Come and see us at the Quinte Home and Renovation Show March 30-April 1, 2012 at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre in Belleville!  We’d be happy to chat with you.

   ELAINE

Last month, I asked the question:  What’s Your Dream?  This month’s question is not nearly as much fun, but extremely important.  What’s Your Budget?  Yes, that ‘B’ word.  With a capital B.  February is Budget month here at Picture Perfect Landscaping.  Mr. Picture Perfect has been crunching numbers for a week now, finding the perfect balance of crews vs. equipment vs. prospective work.  Thank goodness for Landscape Management and budgeting software, because this is tricky stuff!  I’m always amazed at how much a change in one budget category affects all of the others.  We have big dreams as business owners as well:  Newer equipment, motivated staff, and clients that recognize quality work top the list every year.  The Budget is what we base all of our purchasing, hiring and marketing decisions on, so that we can roll out in the spring with a strategy for getting the work done and exceeding our clients’ expectations on every project. 

Stay with me here.  I’m not trying to take the wind out of your sails; just the opposite, in fact.  Spending time with the Budget at the beginning of each year enables us to make good purchasing and hiring decisions which help our company to run more efficiently and professionally. 

In the same way, investing in your outdoor living space is a much more comfortable experience when you've spent some time planning for it.  Dream Big, and decide early on what your Budget is for your landscaping project.  Think of it as you would a home building project:  Are you planning to stay in your current location?  Do you have small kids?  Teenagers?  What are the ‘must have’ elements that you want to include?  Water feature?   Outdoor fireplace?  Landscape lighting?  What kind of quality are you looking for in your landscape?  Just like making construction decisions for your home building project, choosing ‘entry level’ landscape elements and materials will stretch your budget a little further, but is that what you’re willing to live with? 

Fortunately, landscaping is something that can be tackled in phases, unlike most home building projects.   Your Budget may not allow you to accomplish everything all at once, but dream big, and don’t compromise on what you CAN do.  That includes who you decide to have install your project.  Hiring an experienced and detail oriented contractor (who uses a Budget, just like you) pays dividends when it comes time to sell your home, or to implement the next phase of your landscaping project.   So embrace the Budget!  It’s one of the first questions we will ask you, and it’s one of the most important tools at your disposal when planning your Dream.

Next time:  What’s Your Plan?

ELAINE

January is here, folks. Like it or not, 2011 is behind us and 2012 stretches ahead...pure and spotless...a year of possibilities.  Our family has had a busy winter so far...we spent 2 weeks over Christmas and New Years ‘road tripping’ along historic Route 66 through the south-western United States.  If you have young children who have watched Disney’s ‘Cars’ as much as ours have, I highly recommend this trip.  What an inspiring vacation!   I was initially skeptical about driving all this way with our 3 (not always Picture Perfect) kids, however I have been converted.  There is really no other way to appreciate this vast continent and its ever-changing landscape.  From the Ozarks to the Grand Canyon to Kentucky’s limestone caves and caverns...you just have to see it. 

Almost immediately upon our return, Mr. Picture Perfect and I headed to Toronto for LO Congress; Landscape Ontario’s annual trade show and conference which never fails to inspire and somehow intimidate us at the same time.  Even with 14 years of business experience behind us, there is always something new to learn.  The theme that permeated every seminar and awards ceremony at the conference for this year was ‘Dream Big’.  Whether it’s a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, a new career or an investment in your home and landscape, Dream Big.  You may not be able to accomplish everything all at once, but dream big, and don’t compromise on what you CAN do.  We are so excited to already be working with new and repeat clients on their dreams for the upcoming landscaping season.  How about you?  What’s your Dream?                      

Consider investing in a landscape design during winter to implement the following spring.  There are advantages.

Are you considering a landscape makeover or a master plan for your new home but think it may be too late in the season?  Yes, it is true that many landscapers have their season booked fairly solid by August and as September approaches the chances of having your dreamscape become reality before the snow flies may be slim, but from a planning perspective, end of season is an excellent time to book a consultation.

Initiate the design process in autumn and approve a concept and final design over winter.  A detailed site analysis, measurements and photos can all be accomplished as long as there isn’t four feet of snow to obscure the landscape.  Schedule implementation for the following spring and see your patience and foresight rewarded with the entire summer to enjoy your new outdoor living space.

There are advantages to planning in the off season.  Because we have fewer clients during winter your design receives lots of our attention.  Without the pressure of implementing as soon as possible, decisions can be made leisurely with plenty of time to consider choices.  You are not competing with other clients for our time and weather permitting have a solid idea when your landscape transformation will take place.  Spring. 

Want to celebrate spring by transforming your landscape vision into reality?  Call us this fall. 

Perfect timing to plan a Picture Perfect landscape.

Last week our crews were baking in brutally high heat and today are toughing it out against periodic downpours.  Unless weather is extreme they work through an assortment of climate; the good, the bad and the ugly.  Cold rainy days in spring to broilers in summer and in full safety gear.  Steel toed boots, long pants, and hard hats, safety glasses, hearing protection and respirators when required.   They return to the homeyard at the end of day, often bedraggled, muddy and sweaty , but always cheerful and smiling. 

At Picture Perfect we are proud of the positive feedback from our clients.  "Your crews are so polite and hard working”.  "We are thrilled with the quality of workmanship”.

Great work guys!  My hard hat’s off to you!