It is time to spruce up your lawn equipment for spring. At Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping, we spend a lot of time in the winter and all year maintaining our equipment, so it is ready when we build your landscape or maintain it.
Home Maintenance Recommendations
Here is some of the lawn equipment you might have and how to maintain it.
Hedge trimmers
If you have gas-operated hedge trimmers, remove any fuel left over from the fall. Check your spark plug and replace it if the plug is fouled. Be sure to put the correct fuel in your hedge trimmers. They typically use a 50 to 1 ratio of gasoline to oil mix. You buy the mix for the size gas can you have and pour it in. Fill up the can with gasoline and mix the two substances well. Put this into your fuel tank. Using just gasoline will ruin the engine.
Fortunately, a lot of newer hedge trimmers are self-sharpening, so you don’t have to worry about dull blades. However, oil the blades before each use with a spray lubricant to keep the sap from the shrubs from gumming things up. Use your hedge trimmers to trim hedges, not for trimming anything else. Electric hedge trimmers are becoming more widely used and do not require much maintenance. Keep the batteries charged and you may want a spare if you use it often. Then spray down the hedge trimmer blades with lubricant, and you are ready to go.
Leaf Blowers
Gasoline-powered leaf blowers need much the same maintenance as hedge trimmers. They use the same fuel mix, too. Make sure you store your leaf blowers in dry conditions. The wiring around the starter and the choke can corrode in wet conditions. Check spark plugs and air filters before the season starts, and you should be good to go.
Mowers
We at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping don’t do mowing. However, your push mowers need annual maintenance. If there is any gasoline or oil in the mower, drain it out and dispose of it responsibly at an oil change place or mechanics. Power wash off any grass or other plant material stuck to the mower. Once the mower is clean, replace the mower blade and spark plug. Many lawn and garden departments sell kits with a new blade and spark plug for each make of mower. Finally, refill the oil and gas tanks. Now your mower is ready to run this spring.
Our Equipment Maintenance Routine
Our equipment maintenance routine is a little more complicated. We take care of our equipment, so it doesn’t break down and delay your construction project or maintenance of your landscape.
We have trucks, bobcats, excavators, trenchers, and hydraulic dump trailers that we keep in top condition. Each month, we check the oil, grease, electrical systems, oil blades, and change the oil if needed. We keep machines greased at least every 8 hours of use.
Before the equipment leaves the shop, we make sure it works, is greased, and has all the oil and hydraulic fluid it requires. We also fill the fuel tank. We also check trucks and trailers for safety to make sure all lights, trailer breaks, wheels, and tires are safe for the road as well as double-checking that our load is secured.
Less Delay, Faster Projects
We at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping keep our machines in tip-top condition to make them last longer. We also keep them well maintained so they do not break and delay our projects. While no amount of maintenance can prevent all breakdowns, we minimize them with our regular maintenance program. Better maintenance allows us to build hardscapes and landscapes faster with less waiting. If you want a superior product with less delay, schedule a consultation with us today. Our spring schedule is filling up, so don’t delay.
We use 3D design whenever possible to design outdoor living spaces. Here are some reasons why designing with 3D design models provides much more value compared to simple 2D plan drawings. Figure 1 – 3D Deck & Patio Layout
Elevation Changes and Heights of Plant Material
We do all of our designing to scale with your property. When we do the drawings, we can make sure that each element of the design will fit precisely into the space you have. This helps prevent getting a plant that is too big for the space or missing areas where retaining walls may be necessary for the design.
Figure 2 – Plan View Design Drawing
Designs Are Clearer
In larger-scale hardscape projects, there are often a lot of details that can not be easily communicated in a plan view drawing. Line drawings may be hard for our clients to understand and visualize how the finished product will look. With a 3D design, you can see exactly what each view of the landscape will look like. Seeing a realistic view of the design helps our design team figure out the details and show our clients how everything will look in much greater detail and help them to see the vision we have for their spaces.
Figure 3 – 3D image of Same Design
Saves Time with Improved Communication
A clear 3D design gives both the clients and the Blue Crew a good idea of how details are intended to look. Our team can see what plants, stones, and pavers will work best in the design, and we can choose the most appropriate materials to fit the project. The installers can see every elevation, paver color, and future plant size, to help make the construction phase much more efficient for the customer. This helps avoid questions and changes mid-stream during the construction process, which can really put a strain on the production process. When installers have to switch materials and re-order, there can be significant delays in the process. There will also be change orders that add to the cost of the project and sometimes even tear out work that has already been completed because the vision was not clarified enough in the design phase.
Keeps Track of Versions
Have you ever made a list, then revised it several times, only to be confused as to which of the revisions is the latest one? 3D designs automatically keep track of which version a particular design is, so that never happens to us. We know which version you have approved and will not accidentally use an older version. In addition, each time the design is updated, the list of materials needed is automatically updated, so we don’t order anything you don’t need or fail to order needed materials. This keeps the installation process running smoothly.
Figure 4 – 3D Curb Appeal Design
Easy Add-Ons & Outdoor Lighting
Once we have a 3D model of your landscape, we can easily go back to that model and add on new projects. We have a record of the exact stones, cement, pavers, and other materials used, so it is easy to match materials in new additions. There is no guessing about matches or problems with the older components not matching the newer ones. The most common add-on to our designs is outdoor lighting. If we invest in the time to build the 3D Model, then we can quickly add lights into the plan to help both the client and installers see the intent of the project. This is a very powerful tool to portray the vision, as it virtually impossible to show what the lights will look like at night without actually installing a demo which can be costly and time-consuming.
Figure 5 – 3D Curb Appeal with Lights
Permitting and HOA Reviews
Often times we work in neighborhoods that will have a design review committee that must approve your design before work can begin. There are also certain types of projects that will require a city permit for building as well as inspections during the project. When 3D images are included with the plan, these committees can easily see exactly what is planned for the project. This can eliminate a lot of back-and-forth questions as well as speed up the approval process.
Figure 6 – Swimming Pool Memorial Design
Let Us Help You Visualize your Space with a 3D Design
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping can create a 3D design of your landscape. Right now, we are busy designing landscapes and scheduling installations for this spring. We are beginning to fill up our Spring install calendar. Schedule a consultation with us today to get your landscape design in the queue and begin the process of envisioning a space for your family to spend time together outdoors.
Recently, some clients have inquired about why Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping quotes for landscape design and installation are higher than our competitors. Here are some reasons why we provide more value.
Experienced Team
Our company’s founder Andrew L. Wright (Andy), has 25 years of experience in designing and building residential landscapes of all shapes and sizes. He has a degree in Landscape Architecture and is a Certified Landscape Professional and Licensed General Contractor while also certified for paver and wall installation from the ICPI and NCMA. Andy not only has the education but also has spent half of his career in the field, gaining first-hand real-world experience of what works best for installation techniques and design considerations.
Our field construction manager, Henry Thompson, has 30 years of experience in construction, specializing in residential landscape projects. Henry leads the field operations and is responsible for quality control. He helps train our staff and manage the projects. Henry is continually communicating with the customers and checking on details of the installations while supporting our field staff.
We also have a full-time office manager, Tammy Panarisi, who is responsible for all the behind-the-scenes action keeping track of the details of accounting, human resources, fleet management, material procurement, customer service, and a whole lot more.
In addition, our firm has completed over 1,000 successful landscape projects in the last 10 years. Ask yourself this question, “Do I want someone to learn what to do while working on my landscape project, or do I want someone who has done this 1,000 times before?”
Good Business Practices
We follow good business practices. We are a licensed general contractor, and we work with specialized subcontractors such as carpenters, plumbers, and electricians who are also licensed in their fields. If we are not licensed to do something, our employees will not do it. We will contact the proper professional to take care of the task. Not every company is as scrupulous as we are.
We are fully insured. This means that if someone gets hurt on the job, materials are defective, any property is damaged, or anything else happens while we are working on your job, we have the insurance to cover it. Not every landscape company can say that because such insurance can be expensive, and they are competing on price and not value. We care enough to invest in the proper insurance to protect our clients, our workers, and our company.
Taking Care of Our Employees
Our employees speak English and are legally allowed to work in the United States. We pay top-of-the-market wages to attract the top talent and create a strong team that embodies our C.R.O.W.N. values of Communication priority, Respectful attitude, Ownership mentality, Willingness to serve, and Never-ending pursuit of our potential. In return, we give our employees a clear career path and pay for continuing education, health insurance, retirement benefits, a first-time home buyers program, and profit sharing. We don’t exploit people because we don’t want to be exploited.
Quality Materials and Professional Construction Techniques
Many times, clients compare our proposals to those of competitors without realizing they are different in scope. Because of our experience, our proposals are often much more comprehensive than our competition. We consider the details upfront and minimize extra work to be completed after we leave or unexpected change orders to come up in the middle of the project. We often use better materials and construction techniques to provide a higher quality product to last longer and lower maintenance. Sometimes, those construction methods can be fairly complicated to achieve the desired results. We strive to present a final product that includes all the details to make your new outdoor space livable and ready to use. Not every company offers a full-service landscape design/ build concierge service as a general contractor who can handle any outdoor design/build project from start to finish.
Relationships
Our commitment to our customers is to provide an excellent customer experience throughout the process of your design/build project. We will have your best interest in mind and act as a steward of your resources throughout the project. Oftentimes we have to consider alternative solutions and work through value engineering of the master plan to get to the appropriate solution for our clients and their budgets. We work through the design/build process, and we develop an enduring relationship with our customers that lasts far beyond the design and building phase of the project.
Throughout the design process, we provide value to our clients by not only creating design plans for their property but also helping them through the material selection process. We often even hand-pick materials with our customers at the stone yard or plant nursery.
We keep our clients informed throughout the stages of the project with estimated timelines and e-mail updates as we work through the process of design, construction, and maintenance. If the timeline changes, we will promptly send updates. We are always here and happy to answer questions not only during the design and build but also any time after it is finished. We help many of our clients with continual specialized maintenance and implementing additional phases of the master plan over time.
Compare Apples to Apples
Our experience, business practices, employee care, better materials, and better construction techniques all go into our proposals. Sometimes that means they look more expensive than our competitors. However, if you break them down, you will see we give you much more for the price. As a homeowner, there can be a lot of risk in hiring the least expensive service provider. Our passion, expertise, and core values of our team are worth the investment.
At Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping, we strive to give you the best customer experience and craftsmanship possible. We do that from the time you first contact us all the way through the installation process. On the other end, we can maintain your landscape for you or help you learn to do it yourself. Here is what to expect from us.
Consultation Scheduling
You can schedule a consultation at the best time for you instead of having to meet when you are busy or pressed for time. Our system allows you to upload photos of your current landscape and any photos of what you want it to look like. Your written description of what you want means we can begin thinking of how to get there from where your landscape is now. Documenting before and after in our scheduling system allows us to prepare for your consultation and use your time in the best way possible.
Communication System
We don’t take your money and disappear. From the time you sign the contract to the final walk-through, we communicate in emails that explain what is happening at any given stage of the project. Our team will also communicate by email and text to let you know what has been finished and what the next steps will be.
Team Effort
Every one of our employees plays a vital part in your customer service experience. From Andy Wright, our president, and salesman, to the newest member of the Blue Crew, we live our C.R.O.W.N. values:
Communication Priority
If we don’t communicate well, it causes problems. We will make sure we understand what you want. In addition, all communications within our company will give every employee that information. If someone has a question, they are empowered to speak up and ask it. There are no stupid questions.
Respectful Attitude
We do not tolerate rude or disrespectful behavior from our employees or clients. Everyone should be treated as a valued person, whether they are the boss, the client, or a ditch digger.
Ownership Mentality
We encourage our employees to own the installation. If they see a mistake or know how to make an installation run smoother, they are encouraged to speak to their supervisor. Employee innovation helps us grow better.
Willingness to Serve
We lead from the front. If we see a need, every one of our employees is willing to pitch in to help. Our employees are in it for the long haul and genuinely want to serve our customers.
Never-Ending Pursuit of Our Potential
Our employees continue to grow as people and as skilled craftsmen. We take continuing education units (C.E.U.s) every year to maintain our certifications or gain new ones. We know the latest best practices for our craft. If there is a better way to do things, we want to learn it. We also support employees that want to advance in our company.
Tammy, our office manager, fields phone calls, makes sure utilities are flagged for our crew, and makes sure the materials the Blue Crew needs are at the right place on the right day.
Field staff Trained in Customer Service
All of our field staff speak English and are trained in customer service. This training is reinforced in weekly meetings. There is also a logistics meeting every week to make sure we have the materials and people ready to go at each step of the process. Henry, our field supervisor, makes sure everything gets done right and on time. Finally, the members of the Blue Crew meet every morning to go over the day’s tasks. Their job plan reports contain the exact language in your contract, so you get everything you paid for.
When your project is done, we make sure that you know how to care for the new plants. We have watering, fertilization, and pruning care guides., We also have virtually any information you need to keep your landscape looking great. Just ask us.
Garden Care Subscription
Sometimes, trying to maintain a landscape yourself is a burden. Maybe you are too busy or unable to care for it as it should be taken care of. We have a solution for that. When you subscribe to our garden care subscription, we maintain your landscape for you. Lauryn, our garden care specialist, makes sure that your plants get exactly what they need to thrive. Call Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping today at (816) 825-2524 to get a free estimate for your landscape garden care subscription and to get on our schedule.
Still Hiring
If you are interested in a career in landscaping, we are hiring. Check our career page for details.
