(HLM) Holistic Landscape Management FAQ's (frequently asked questions)
Questions? We are happy to answer any questions you might have about our services and fees. We have a portfolio of designs and photos from past projects available for review. In addition, we are happy to provide you with the names and addresses of recent Clients.
© Gaia Creations Ecological Landscaping & Permaculture Solutions 2007-2011 * PO Box 3358 Chico, CA 95927 * 530-321-9715
For the Sustainable Management Program’s weekly service what can we expect each week and will we see you at the same time each week?
What you can always expect of Gaia Creations is a program schedule that meets the needs of our Clients and our employees. Example (note all landscapes are very different!):Each week you can expect a truck and trailer with 1 or 2 people coming to service your landscape. We will see to it that your lawn is trimmed, mowed, weeded and checked for potential problems (if applicable). Your flowers, shrubs and trees kept in good form and monitored for pests. We will check the overall health of the soil and assess all irrigation systems. Weeds will be kept at bay with adequate on-site mulch, should the invasive rogue appear we will manually remove it. Any prunings or leaf debris will be clipped, if necessary, and placed back into the soil of garden beds When completed we will thoroughly clean up (we sweep as a priority to using a blower) and depart in the quietest manner possible.We try very hard to ensure a consistent schedule because routine and rhythm is important in all of our busy lives. Yet we also understand that unexpected events do arise. If we are late getting to your home never fear because we will be arriving shortly. Should we not be able to come at all that week? We will call on the day to be missed leaving you with instruction on when we will arrive to make up the work, always leaving you the choice as to when. Any services or time missed will be made up the following visit. We are diligent to record all the work we perform for all Clients each and every visit for the purpose of accuracy and a commitment to Client satisfaction.How do you determine how much time you spend in my landscape each month?
We do not have a set number of hours we service each landscape every month or even every week (unless a Client requests it). To give an example we prefer to observe the seasons of the year and how the seasons affect a landscape:Autumn leaf management or Fall ‘clean up’ of leaves and debris can require considerable time for some landscapes, much more so than any other season. Mulch-On-Site is our method of clipping and shredding the leaves and fallen sticks then placing them neatly back into the landscape providing your soil with the food necessary for abundant life; both above ground as healthy plants and trees but also underground as fertile soils filled with beneficial micro-organisms (like worms and fungi). Ensuring that leaves and other debris from on-site do not enter stormwater drainage systems is important to us as a company but more so to the creeks and streams that receive any and all water flowing down roadway gutters. Regularly sweeping driveways and sidewalks that are connected to storm gutters and drains keeps them free of leaves and replenishes the landscape with leaf mulch. NOTE: Redesign of landscape elements and relocating plants, small trees and shrubs is best performed in the fall. Moving plants to areas where they will be healthier and more resource efficient can and should be performed in these times prior to first frost. Creating water holding ditches or swales around planting areas allows water from winter rains to be held in the soil longer requiring less irrigation in the spring and summer months. Also incorporating permeable sidewalks, patios and driveways allows water to infiltrate the soil eliminating run-off in the landscape. We can schedule these types of services for you as Bill Extra services, which is in addition to HLM program schedules to keep the flow of management work consistent.
Autumn and Winter pruning is a necessity for any landscape with healthy shrubs and trees. Once again we work very efficiently to clip and shred all prunings from your garden and give them back simply and easily closing the organic material recycling loop (use of chipper/shredder machinery is a service of the Whole Earth Program or a Gaia Custom service or can be a Bill Extra service). We encourage utilizing chipped tree mulch from on-site to cover pathways which will help prevent weed growth in the spring. More importantly we stress the importance of covering bare soil to prevent erosion or compaction of fertile topsoils. Often we will not prune certain plants that utilize the increasing cold temperatures to go to sleep themselves. Pruning plants during this time can re-awaken them and/or leave them open to frost. As Nature continues to slow down into deep Winter the soil will be blanketed in a thick cover of organic materials which feeds and protects beneficial soil organisms as they wait for Spring.Moist Spring soils need amending only if additions in the seasons prior were not sufficient to provide for a friable soil structure. Mulches laid down thickly keep the weeds from poking their heads while the birds feed off insects beginning to wake up. Applying compost or organic fertilizers may be necessary to increase the health and growth of some plants. As the season warms further any combination of adverse conditions can bring out detrimental pest populations. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques including pest lifecycle diagnostics (weeds, insects and other landscape pests) is the key to preventing infestations. Some pests can become harmful to the landscape if not detected soon enough in their lifecycle. With consistent monitoring we are better able to take measures to control the pest in an ecologically sound manner. We do not use chemical pesticides, ever!NOTE: IPM programs, because of the time consuming nature of data recording, can be included into any HLM program for an increase in rate per month. Call us for details.
Summertime generally requires a substantial amount of mowing, for those with turf, as well as dead-heading of flowers and regular irrigation diagnostics. We ‘grass-cycle’ or mulch mow (a type of lawn mowing where the grass is not bagged up but left on the turf) which ensures natural Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is being provided in a regular application. Mulching-On-Site allows naturally occurring nutrients (Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) as well as micronutrients) to flow into your landscape through the consistent addition of organic materials. As we monitor the landscape and observe the health patterns of plants and trees we will fertilize only when necessary and only with organic fertilizers. One can begin to see a pattern to landscape management over time. All landscapes are dynamic ecosystems! In essence time spent in the landscape is only as much as its health dictates. A well established sustainable landscape requires less routine management than a landscape that was poorly designed and installed and has subsequently become an inefficient and chemically dependant garden. A sustainable landscape is one that was designed or renovated to fit your lifestyle and your budget yet does not pollute the environment or create unnecessary waste. Not very cost effective for us management folk in the long run, but better for the future of our community and our global environment! We think you’ll be pleased with your gardens year round!Do the HLM Programs monthly service rate include fixing any problems with my irrigation, adding mulch to my garden beds or relocating plants to better areas?
Good question. We can never anticipate the extent of problems or repairs that may come up with a landscape. Unfortunately the monthly rate cannot reflect any repairs to your irrigation system, the relocation of plants in the landscape or additional mulching (unless we have customized something for you). The cost of materials for mulch, should you not have enough on-site, and irrigation components is not something we can estimate into a program rate. Previously installed irrigation pipes that break during our care of your landscape would be an example of a problem we see regularly. We will first notify you of the problem then ask permission to repair or replace and submit an estimate for the cost of parts and labor. You will be invoiced separately from regular service rates for the repair or replacement. This is what we call a Bill Extra service. It is a repair or service to your landscape that is not within the scope of your program. We will always ask permission before attempting to repair or perform additional services. If the irrigation component or plant was installed by us we will see to it is repaired or replaced within the warranty period we provide. Please see the Service Proposal specific to your landscape for details on guarantees and warranty periods. Or give us a call with your questions; we can create a custom program just for you!Do you offer a discount or reduced rate per month with a signed landscape Contract Agreement?
YES! All Clients have the option of signing a 12 month landscape service agreement for a reduction in cost per month. Rates are $15 less per month for each signed program agreement saving you $180.00 per year! How this works: we develop a Service Proposal describing in detail the services we are routinely going to perform for your landscape. We then go over this proposal with you and if it meets your approval we will create your Contract based upon the Service Proposal. After all is signed and returned your reduced rate will become effective.
Contact
530-321-9715
530-828-6390
P.O. Box 3358
Chico, CA 95927
