Always be grinding!

Always be grinding. That’s the advice. And I follow it. Consider my recent residential work. When I arrived on site, it was absolutely pouring outside. But with limited space in my schedule and limited daylight, there was very little choice. Time to grind it out and please my client.

Step one. Leaf removal. I was planning to do the clean-ups earlier but it worked out fine because the Acer out front had finished dropping its leaves (leaf senescence). Great. So I bagged it all and moved it into my client’s green waste bin. Next.

Step two. Bramble removal. Let’s not pretend. Not every project is beautiful. Pulling prickly invasive bramble off cedar hedges and fences in heavy rain isn’t fun. So I grind it out. No big deal. This is the real life of a West Coast landscape pro.

Bramble is invasive and in this case was growing over the fence from its wild zone area home. An area that doesn’t see much- any!-maintenance. I brought a Stihl engine and brush cutter attachment, mixed gas in a jerry can to eliminate extra walking, gloves, snips and a hard hat with shield and head set. Protection is very important. Always. Never ignore it.

Then I torched the bramble to create a buffer between my client’s fence and the wild zone. Pulling the prickly bramble off the cedar hedges wasn’t very exciting either. But my client was happy!

Step 3. Garden clean-up. The back bed is viewed from the kitchen and living room and it was an easy up-sell. There will be weed and leaf removal, minor hand pruning (Pieris japonica), perennial cut-back (Crocosmia) and power shearing of evergreens. Yes, the resulting shapes look forced but the client’s wife insists. The final touch is cultivation of the mulch to give the bed a fresh look. Done. The season is over. The bed should hold until spring. I am totally comfortable with seasonal service. I am confident my client will call me back again next year. I’m happy to grind it out. Always. Anytime. That’s what West Coast landscape professionals do.