We would like to introduce our new irrigation division manager. We are excited to announce that we are now offering lawn sprinkler service and repair.
Got Here As Soon As He Could
Raymond was born in Wichita, Kansas, but moved to Kansas City in high school. He got a degree in agriculture business from K State. For a while, he lived in Connecticut and serviced irrigation systems there. A few years ago, just before the pandemic, he came home to KC to help care for relatives.
Hobbies
Raymond loves the outdoors and gardening. He also loves hunting, fishing, and working on cars. On the weekends, he can be found at the track watching whatever car races are happening. Indoors, he likes to build trinket boxes from wood. He also creates spectacular woodburning conversation pieces. Raymond likes science fiction too, and can often be found watching sci-fi movies and shows during rain days when he can’t get outside.
Joining of Abilities
Raymond had his own irrigation and landscape business before joining Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping. He found Andy through a friend and fellow Blue Crew member who wondered if Raymond and Andy could do more together than apart. Once they met, it was quickly clear that Raymond embodies the core values of the company and that he would be a great fit for our team.
Irrigation Subscription Service
With Raymond here, we are now able to offer a Lawn Sprinkler Subscription program with three tiers of service to match our Garden Care model The Fresh Impressions level includes sprinkler activation, a system inspection at activation, a summer season system inspection, and winterization. The Luscious Landscape level includes all that plus two additional seasonal system inspection, a zone diagram, and 5% off all repairs. Finally, the Royal Treatment level includes sprinkler activation, system inspection at activation, four seasonal system inspections, six remote adjustments of the sprinkler during the season, winterization, zone diagram, and priority scheduling. Royal Treatment clients will also get 10% off of all repairs. To fully take advantage of this level of service, you must have a Wi-Fi-smart controller, which may require a one-time additional fee.
Time To Activate Your Irrigation System
St. Patrick’s Day is the traditional time of year to activate your irrigation system for the growing season. To enroll in our lawn sprinkler subscription program, give the Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping office a call at (816) 825-2524. To have us design your landscape, schedule a consult.
In September, Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping will be celebrating ten years of service to the Kansas City area. To celebrate, we are throwing ourselves a party. We hope you and your family can join us. Get your tickets on Eventbrite, and help us help others for a great cause.
Giving Back
We are not just having a party; we are raising funds to send kids to a one-week camp held by Wildwood Outdoor Education Center. These camps take kids who are underserved and may never have been outside the city and show them the outdoors. They go sailing, kayaking, swimming, hiking, and other things to instill a love of the outdoors in them. We got that from our grandparents growing up, but these kids won’t have that unless they get to go to one of these camps. It costs $675 to send a child to a week of camp. Most of the families we sponsor are only charged a $40 deposit.
Sponsors
We are seeking sponsors for our anniversary celebration so we can send as many children to camp as possible. We are sending all the proceeds to Wildwood, so the more the merrier. If you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact the office at [email protected] or call at (816) 825-2524. Here is a current list of sponsors.
Good Earth Water Gardens
Arbtech
Metcalf Partners Wealth Management
Enterprise Bank & Trust
Juice Plus
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Iron & Oak
Activities
Our celebration will be at Colonial Gardens in Blue Springs, Missouri, on September 23rd from 3-7. Colonial Gardens is a local nursery with tons of plants and garden décor, as well as a café and room to explore and play outside. We want this to be a fun, family-friendly event, so bring the kids. We will have barbeque, outdoor games, a kid-friendly scavenger hunt, an adult scavenger hunt, a silent auction, and a cash bar. We will also be sharing slide shows and videos of our work over the years and the culture of our team. There will be a brief presentation and door prizes at the end of the evening.
Silent Auction
As I mentioned, there will be a silent auction at the event. You must be present to bid on all the goodies we will offer. If you have something you would like to donate for the silent auction, please contact the office. Here are the auction items we have so far.
Bar K – Prize Pack with 4 Free Dog Entry Passes
Kansas City Zoo – Gift basket
Lakewood Oaks – 4 rounds of golf of w/ 2 carts
Jack Stack BBQ -250 gift card along w/ Hilton Plaza Stay with Parking & Breakfast
Curbz Landscape (Toronto) – Japanese Maple (planted by the Blue Crew)
Myer Music – Acoustic Guitar w/ case
Imagine Wholeness – Massage & Facial
Walnut Creek Winery – Wine Basket
Hilton President – One night stay with parking and breakfast for 2
Hilton Plaza – One night stay with parking and breakfast for 2
Hilton President & Midland Theatre – 2 Tickets to your choice of show
We would love to have you join us at our 10th Anniversary Party as we raise money to send kids to camp who wouldn’t otherwise get to go. Tickets for this event are available on Eventbrite. Children twelve and under are free. Tickets are selling fast, so get yours today.
I want to introduce you to Ian Templeton, our hardscape foreman and outdoor specialist. He leads the hardscape team, building paver and stone patios, walls, fire features, and outdoor kitchens. He is currently wrapping up a project in Prairie Village with a front stone walk along with 2 back patios, a fire pit, and a seating wall just in time for the 4th of July holiday.
Ian’s Experience
Ian worked in a warehouse running machinery before coming to Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping. When he got here, Ian started as a basic laborer, digging ditches and lugging equipment around. In the six years he has been with us, Ian has risen from the bottom to the top of the hardscape crew.
As Andy says, ”Ian is our longest-term employee and it has been a pleasure to watch him grow and develop over the years. He has been a part of some major outdoor living transformations and has built over 100 hardscape projects. This season he continues to improve his skills in project planning, logistics, and leadership. We look forward to having Ian on our team for many years to come.”
Ian says his favorite part of the job is running the machines. He also likes it when the job is finished, and he can look and see all the hard work pay off. He loves it when the customer is thrilled with their new outdoor living area.
Coming To Royal Creations
Ian was looking for another job while at the warehouse and a buddy told him about an opening at Royal Creations. He applied for the job and got it.
Local Boy
Ian was born in south Kansas City, so he is a local. He moved to Independence at the age of seven and still lives there. As a local boy, Ian is used to the worst the climate can throw at us, from deep snow and ice that make digging impossible to the heat of summer. On one job, the soil was so frozen that picks and shovels couldn’t penetrate, so Ian had to rent a trencher. The trencher could barely dig the trench, the soil was so hard.
Other Interests
Ian likes to play computer games, especially Fortnight, with friends. He likes it so much that he built a gaming PC with a lot of RAM, a big graphics card, and a lot of memory to run his games. He dreams of a more powerful PC to make his games run even better.
What Ian Can Do For You
We do more hardscape work in July and August than during the rest of the year. If you want Ian and the Blue Crew to tackle your hardscape projects, go to our website at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping and schedule a consultation. Our calendar is filling up fast, so contact us today.
I want you to meet Henry Thompson, our field supervisor. Henry’s job has several responsibilities. He manages the production of projects, including pre-construction planning and scheduling, as well as material procurement and logistics for the Blue Crew. He checks in regularly with customers and the on-site foreman to ensure the project meets our quality standards for both craftsmanship and customer experience. Communication is our #1 core value, and Henry helps keep everyone on the same page by communicating expectations for both our team and our clients. Henry is also responsible for the continual coaching and development of our field installation and maintenance teams.
A Very Experienced Landscaper
Henry started a landscaping job as a laborer. He quickly worked his way up from laborer to the foreman of his own crew.
In 1996, Henry decided to move into management. He worked his way up to field supervisor. Henry has been working in the landscaping industry for thirty years and has experience with every aspect of construction and landscaping.
Coming to Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping
In a funny coincidence, I worked with Henry as an intern 25 years ago. In 2018, I called Henry after he had been following us on Facebook for years and commented on a post of ours.
When I called him, Henry said, “You are doing a good enough job now for me to work for you.”
“Funny you should mention that. I called to ask you to join the team,” I told him. The rest is history.
Why Landscaping?
Henry started working in landscaping right out of high school. He loves working outside. His favorite thing is turning a yard into an outdoor oasis. Henry likes to bring the countryside to people living in the city so they can enjoy their outdoor living areas and landscape, as he has his whole life as an outdoorsman.
Hometown Boy
Henry was born in Harrisonville, Missouri, and now lives in the small town of Archie, Missouri, about ten miles south of where he was born. He enjoys small-town (about 4,000 people) life and likes knowing everyone in town.
Other Interests
Henry has a passion for spending time outdoors, hunting, and fishing when he isn’t working. Anyone who knows him knows his favorite activity is attending his daughters’ sporting events with his wife Mindy. Their oldest girl, Emma, has started college this year and is concentrating on her academics and classes in accounting. His youngest, Elizabeth, is a freshman in high school and plays basketball and volleyball. She competes in a competitive league outside of school as well. Most weekends during the season, Henry can be found chauffeuring her to meets around the state. He sure is proud of his girls!
See Henry’s Work For Yourself
We appreciate Henry’s talents and are very proud of the work he does at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping. If you want his help turning your yard into an outdoor oasis, schedule a consult with us today. We will design something that suits your needs and brings a little bit of the country he loves onto your city property.
