At award ceremony were , from left to right, partners Timothy McGinley, Jeff Amici, Bruce Fritzinger and Michael McShane
We are so very proud to announce that on Thursday, June 17, 2010, Plantique was presented this year’s Excellence in Business Awards from the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business CouncilChamber EIB Award 2010 Release at a special ceremony held at Northampton Community College. Companies nominated for this award were invited to apply and then judged on customer service, quality planning, leadership, marketing, training and development, and community involvement. Our first time entering, we were the winner among businesses with 26-100 employees.
“We are extremely honored to have won this prestigious award from the Chamber,” says Plantique president and CEO, Michael McShane. “We have always held our staff and our services up to the highest standards possible, which has brought us so many loyal customers year after year, but to be recognized in this way for all these efforts is really very gratifying.”
It was also an honor to share the spotlight with Haggerty Services LLC, a firm that helps nonprofit organizations raise money through grants and special events and the recipient of this year’s award for businesses with up to 25 employees.
Plantique has previously been bestowed the Sales & Marketing Executives International (SMEI) Greater Lehigh Valley’s coveted Best Marketed Company Award and the nationally recognized “Inc. 5,000” by Inc. Magazine. Within the green industry circle, we have received hundreds of landscaping and professional awards, both locally and nationally, over the years. “We are very proud of our long-standing reputation for quality craftsmanship and customer service,” says Mike. “Even as we have grown and incorporated the latest techniques, technology and machinery to get just about any landscaping project done, our commitment to our clients hasn’t changed.”
Click here for a copy of our news release.
I’m sure everyone is glad that summer is here. School’s out, there are plenty of picnics, pool parties, and vacations planned. Which means the last thing anyone wants to be doing is watering their lawns and gardens. But with all of the heat and humidity that define summers in the Lehigh Valley, I thought it would be a good idea to brush up on the best ways to water our plants.
Many clients ask us, “how often should I be watering my new plants?” When temperatures and rainfall are pretty average, the best answer would be a couple of times per week. However, when the temperature is 90 degrees and it hasn’t rained in weeks, that answer changes. The best way to monitor soil moisture is to simply get your hands dirty! Pull the mulch away from the base of the plant and feel the soil with your hands. If it is dried out or cracking, the plants need water. On the other hand, if the soil is still wet or even muddy, it does not need to be watered. Overwatering is just as bad as not watering enough.
Another good tip is to set the hose at the base of the plant and let the water trickle out, rather than spraying water over the plant with a sprinkler attachment. This insures that the water is going directly where it needs to, the roots. It also eliminates run-off, which is wasteful.
When it comes to the best time of day to water, earlier is definitely better. The sun hasn’t reached its peak, so not only is it cooler, but there is less evaporation. The plants also have the entire day to absorb the water. If you can’t water first thing in the morning, then do it as soon as you get home from work at the end of the day. But the absolute worst thing you can do is water the plants at night. Watering once the sun goes down not only promotes rot and mildew, but can encourage pests (think slugs! or snails!) or other diseases to take hold.
Hopefully with these few helpful techniques, your watering will become less tedious, and before you know it, you’ll have thriving, beautiful plants that will require less water over time.
With Father’s Day right around the corner, my mind starts the thought process of coming up with the perfect gift for my dad. If you are having the same thoughts, why not consider setting the wheels in motion for the creation of an outdoor living area that he could enjoy for years to come. What gift could be better than one that provides rest and relaxation for someone who works so hard? Give us a call for the perfect way to honor your dad this year.
Now that another brutal Lehigh Valley summer is approaching, everyone is prepping their pools for the start of the season. Did you ever think about turning your dream into a reality of owning a backyard paradise? Plantique’s award winning designers can help you through the selection process of location, materials, interior finish, and other components of the project. Our pools can accommodate any need you may have, and are customized for the functions you would like to use it for. Boulder coping, waterfalls, spas, and fountains are just a few things to incorporate into your pool project. Formal, elegant, or naturalized looks are ideas people have used in the past, but don’t let this stop our creativity! Our design team can ensure they will work with architectural components of a home to make the whole project function as one. All of your friends and family will be asking you to have parties on the weekends after they see the paradise we can build for you. Call us today to set up an appointment with one of our award-winning designers!
