Metro GreenScape is Featured in New Book: 50 Marketing $ecrets!

The inspiration to write 50 Marketing $ecrets, came after Sherré DeMao witnessed the frustration business owners feel when seeking the best ways to market their business for the greatest return. After hearing the same questions “How do I market my small business?” “Where is my money best spent?” “Why hasn’t what I have been doing worked?” “Where do I begin?” while instructing small business marketing classes and consulting with clients, Sherré determined her tried and true approach to marketing should be validated.


Sherré captured the stories of more than 60 companies presenting real-life examples of how and why they continue to grow even in a down economy. The book starts with an explanation of the CRISP Principle: The Study which was the catalyst for confirming what works and what doesn't in practical and profound ways. Chapters one through twelve discuss image and attitude. The middle section of the book, chapters thirteen through forty-three, focus on each of the CRISP Principles: Power of Five® sharing numerous core marketing initiative tactics which can be put into immediate action within a business. The final section, chapters forty-four through fifty, includes supplemental tactics and the success formulas involved in using the CRISP Principle.

Go to http://www.50marketingsecrets.com for more information.

Metro GreenScape Testimonial

I was recently relocated out of Charlotte. Our house qualified for a buyout, but we had an issue with our retaining wall. The railroad tie wall was 20 years old, and rotted. The relocation company mandated the wall be fixed before buying our home. I contacted several companies regarding replacement of the retaining wall. Some companies never returned my calls, others provided quotes that were all over the board - ranging from $10k to $30k. Metro-Greenscape wasn’t the cheapest quote, but they were willing to work with me to find a cost effective retaining wall solution. Throughout the quoting process Metro-Greenscape was always very responsive to any questions I had and willing to discuss how the project would work. The retaining wall construction was planned to occur after I moved out of the house, so I needed to have trust in the contractor I chose. Metro-Greenscape’s quick and continuous responses to my questions helped build that trust. The project was completed ahead of the projected schedule with no unforeseen issues, no cost increases, and most importantly – no headaches! Metro-Greenscape was actually able to upgrade the wall from a wooden wall to a much nicer looking block wall. Near the end of construction I had to come back to Charlotte and decided to check on the wall while I was in town. During this visit, I had a neighbor stop his car and tell me the new wall looked great and was very impressed with the work. I have also had friends drive by the house and all have commented on how well the new wall turned out. After my experience, I would highly recommend Metro-Greenscape for any outdoor needs.

Jamie

It's time to Aerate!

Fall aeration is considered best for cool-season turf, because grass plants are developing more roots in preparation for winter. Opening up the root zone with aeration provides an enhanced growth zone for new roots.

Plus, you can combine aeration with an early fall application of slowrelease fertilizer to get grass in shape for winter and charged-up for beautiful, lush green new growth next spring.

Fall aeration occurs September 1 - October 15, 2010! Call now to schedule best or priority placement!

SPECIAL: CALL TODAY AND GET LAST YEAR'S PRICING!

Aeration Plan One - $300
Aeration + Seeding + Fertilizing + Lime + Peat Moss Application. A typical 1/4-1/3-acre yard will cost $300 with our special Fall Aeration Plan.

Aeration Plan Two - $75
Professional Aeration only. A typical 1/4-1/3-acre yard will cost just $75 with Metro GreenScape's Plan Two Option. Available only to our current and past customers!


Call us today at 704.504.0980 to schedule the best times and top priority for your yard.

First Impressions Matter! What does your front door look like?

Check Out Carol Schulenberg's (Ballantyne Home Staging) latest blog about Home Staging and the front door. What does your front door say about you?

How Landscaping Can Increase Property Value

Everyone wants to increase the property value of their home, but some people ignore one of the best ways to do so, which is landscaping. It is important to invest in landscaping since it adds to the overall attractiveness while also giving your home something to set it apart from other houses. Landscaping can include trees, flowers and other plants as well as ponds, swimming pools, fountains and upkeep of patios, decks and porches. It is recommended that a homeowner put 10% of the home’s overall value into landscaping. Since appealing landscaping can increase a home’s value of up to 12%, this guarantees a nice return on your investment. This will also help your home sell more quickly when that time comes.

The first thing is to meet with a landscaper and discuss which plants are best for the region you live in as well as your lifestyle. Flowers look nice, but if you don’t have the time to personally care for them and are unwilling to hire a gardener, then they may not be the best choice, instead you may want to look at low maintenance plants, like ivy. You also must keep in mind your terrain and the placement of these plants. Trees in the backyard may be desired but you don’t want to block a nice view with a large maple tree. Also, look at what plants you already have. An arborist can help determine which trees are dying and which need a little bit of TLC. You also will want to pay attention to what is overgrown or anything obscuring windows or blocking entrance ways.

You will want to enhance the layout of your home. Lining a walkway with flowers is appealing. Growing ivy or roses against a large fence is eye popping and gives character. Use outdoor lighting to not only increase security, but to also give a nice ambiance of the outdoors at night. One of the most popular trends in landscaping today is allowing patios and decks to become extensions of the home. Bring the aesthetic of your interior decorations to the outside. If you have a nice color scheme, continue to use it on your outdoor patio, and also plants flowers which pick up the pops of color you have throughout your home. If you have decorated within a certain artistic era, bring in sculptures from that era to the outside to tie everything together. For example, interior designs which have been influenced by Asian cultures should have Asian inspired sculptures or fountains in the backyard. Remember to offer something different with your landscaping. Barbecue pits, gazebos, exotic trees and flowers give character to your home and yard, and give personality to your property.

Working with a landscaper will help eliminate landscaping pitfalls. A landscaper will not only work with you on what types of plants you should look into, they will also help design the outdoor area so it looks its best. It is important to avoid overcrowding. Many people who try to landscape on their own end up going a bit overboard, making the backyard look like a jungle, not a relaxing area. The front yard is the advertisement of your home to the world, but the backyard should remain a place of privacy and relaxation. Stay clear of planting too many flowers, and instead plant in clean lines around the outside of your yard to block any unwanted views. Also, remember to give yourself time. If you aren’t planning on selling your home anytime soon, you can save money by buying small trees that will eventually grow in a few years. Give yourself about five years to achieve the outside of your dreams.

Landscaping: Green Grass - Selling your Charlotte Home

Over the past few years, Charlotte area real estate has taken a bit of a tumble. A lot of people have been faced with the horror of defaulting on their mortgage, or forced to sell their home at a terribly decreased price. In some areas, whole neighborhoods, were never built or have become ghost towns.

What does this have to do with landscaping? Good question. No matter what the condition of many of these properties, what state their owners or bank are in, and where they are – every real estate agent or seller is trying to make sure the landscaping is inviting. One landscaping company was even going as far to spray paint brown grass GREEN to make the yards look appealing. These motivated sellers knew what all of us in real estate know – that if the yard ain’t nice, nobody is buying at your price.

Keep your landscaping in tip top condition, and you won’t ever have to face the problems these folks have dealt with…You’ll have a home that steadily increases in value, is the apple of the neighborhood’s eye, and will net you a tidy profit when you sell it. People are drawn to living things – plants, trees, and all kinds of foliage. That’s why we love parks and wildlife reserves!
The Grass is always greener on the seller’s side!

Improve Your Value: Landscape Your Commercial Property

Years ago, two commercial developers were working tracts of land adjacent to one another along a busy highway. The area was bustling, the economy was good, and people were expanding businesses. Knowing they were going head-to-head, each development team to a different track to make sure they made their money.

Developer A built a business park that was simple, maximized his space, with basic no-frills buildings and parking lots. Everything was up to spec and regulation, but the park was very sedate – one might say boring. Sidewalks and a few simple shrubs littered the area, but beyond that – it was basically all about the big box buildings. Rentals for the large spaces were below-cost for the area, making them attractive to the fiscally smart eye of many local companies and businesses.

Developer B did the opposite. He kept the amount of buildings to a minimum. He hired some unique architects to give buildings signature looks. He also blew the bank on landscaping. Not only did he put in beautiful flower beds, he built several lakes, and even a fitness trail running threw his grounds. A FITNESS TRAIL! Fountains and water features doted the landscape. His rents were higher then his neighbors, and he felt justified in passing on a steeper square-footage cost.

Ten years later – guess who is sitting pretty?

Developer B.

While many cost-cutting robber barons jumped onto A’s plan – they weren’t stable tenants. Companies and business drifted in –and-out of the sites. He kept slashing rent, cutting his overhead, till he sold for much less then he ever made.

Developer B on the other hand, had an industrial park that was beloved by the community. Employees loved working there, and employers found a certain cache and status form their tony new digs. In fact, the park became a haven for people who didn’t even work there! People would walk through it, sit by the ponds (man-made), use the fitness trail, and eventually he was able to develop some unused smaller land into commercial mixed-use real estate. Now, he’s buying out his old competitor and making over that site.

Humans are attracted to beauty. We are attracted to water. We like pretty things. Spending money on landscaping, no matter how grandiose or simple is never a bad move. Regardless of whether you are renting homes, commercial real estate, or business property – make it attractive to customers, tenants, and FUTURE tenants. Give your property a name and an edge. Sure, a bed of azaleas might not seem like a investment that will make a great return, but it is!

If you are interested in working with a creative and professional commercial real estate landscaper, give us a call at 704.504.0980.

Using A Pressure Washer On A Deck

When you have a beautiful outdoor living space such as a deck--you want to spend as much time as humanly possible on it! No matter what style or architecture, any type of deck or outdoor space you have--this usually becomes the center of your friends and family’s lives - the "most used room in the house" is in fact, outdoors!

Yet, your deck have to deal with serious wear and tear from you and your kin, and it faces the elements head first. Whether you deck is wood or composite, periodic cleaning is always a requirement if you want your deck to retain its original prestige and beauty. Think of cleaning as preventative maintenance. This maintenance, done correctly, will add years to your deck and save you valuable time and money in the long run.

The pressure you need to wash your deck surface isn’t a great deal – we aren’t talking about sandblasting. But, it is enough pressure to do damage to soft wood, and enough pressure to leave lapmarks on most composite decking IF you are not careful. While the pressure washer is designed to remove embedded dirt and other contaminants, extreme excessive force on the wood will get rid of more than just the bad! Whether you or a trained person is operating the washer, it is important to treat the scenario with respect and not pretend you are having a water-gun battle. (Which reminds us – don’t use the pressure washer on people. EVER.)

Don’t just wait to power-wash your deck when you are planning to sell your home, it is a good idea to do it yearly. If you have an active family or friend group, you will want to keep your deck clean. You wouldn’t have your children crawling around on a filthy kitchen floor, so why would you have them playing on a dirty deck?

Don't have a deck yet?? We can help. Call Metro GreenScape at 704.504.0980.
Heather - Metro GreenScape
Charlotte Lawn & Landscape

Pergolas

Did you know... We do Pergolas!

What do you think of when you see the Metro GreenScape logo? Do you think of great outdoor kitchens, beautiful landscaping, or our great customer service?

Well, we certainly want you to remember us for those things, but you should also know that we design and build excellent pergolas! Pergolas are a beautiful accent for any home and provide an outdoor "room" space with just the right amount of shade.

Have you ever wanted a pergola? Call us today at 704.504.0980.

We Have Moved!

We have moved!

We have outgrown our great little location on S. Tryon and moved to a new building at 5019 Wilkinson Blvd. This new location has plenty of space for our equipment and vehicles and easy access to Route 77.

The new office has undergone quite a transformation in the last few weeks as we have worked hard to get it ready for us AND ready for you! We have a conference room where we now have a place to spread out and show our customers their plans & discuss their new outdoor living spaces!

We are still putting on the finishing touches, like new signs and some landscaping of our own, but we are starting to settle in and the place has become quite a comfortable office.

We look forward to serving you this summer and we look forward to having the opportunity to share our new office space as well!

Heather Brockelbank
Chief Designer, NCLC#1624, CPP, CLD, NCGC
Metro GreenScape

Earth Day Tips

Earth Day is April 22nd - but it doesn't have to be Earth Day to think about you can make a positive impact on our planet. Here are a few tips from Metro GreenScape:

1. Buy a programmable thermostat, and lower the temperature.
2. Use a refillable water bottle.
3. Install low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets in your bathrooms.
4. Start a compost pile.
5. Buy locally grown foods.
6. Buy in-season fruits & vegetables.
7. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
8. Unplug your cell phone charger and other small appliances when not in use. (Turn off energy strips and surge protectors overnight).
9. Recycle your newspapers, plastics and cans (where possible).
10. Car pool when possible and take the most efficient routes when traveling.
11. Trade kids toys with other friends with children
12. Ride a bike to work.
13. Walk, jog, or run to close-by places like the store or post office.
14. Go to your local library instead of buying new books.
15. Instead of buying gifts for the holidays, make a donation to charity.
16. Get off junk mail lists.
17. Buy products that use recyclable materials.
18. Reuse plastic bags for garbage.
19. Bring your own bags to the grocery store.
20. Shop at you local farmers’ market.
21. Buy organic cleaning products such as vinegar, borax, and baking soda.

22. Plant a vegetable garden of your own.
23. Consider buying a fuel-efficient car or a hybrid.
24. Landscape with native plants.
25. Go paperless. Reading your newspaper and magazine subscriptions onlinem and get your bank statements online.


Do you have a good Earth Day tip -- comment here and share it with us.

Heather, Metro GreenScape

Green Life Project: The Water Cycle

This is a fun family project to do to show how water recycles itself!

Things you will need:
- A clean glass jar and lid (mayonnaise jars work well)
- Gravel
- Clean sand (play sand or aquarium sand)
- Potting soil
- A small plant such as moss, or grass seed or small beans
- A bottle cap or small seashell.

Directions:
1) Layer into the jar the gravel, sand, and then the soil on top. Use thinner layers of gravel and sand, and a thick layer of soil.
2) Add a small plant, or seeds.
3) Gently water.
4) Add shell or cap with water in it, and close lid.
5) Place in a sunny spot and watch the water cycle over the next hours and days!

Rain Barrel

Why install a rain barrel?
Rain barrels are great for homeowners who have external downspouts and want to save rainwater to water plants on a dry day or even to wash a car. For gardening, rain water is great since it doesn’t contain chlorine. An average rainstorm can fill a 50 gallon drum within an hour!

How much will it cost?
Rain barrels do not have to cost a lot of money and are actually great DIY projects. You can also buy models that vary in price from $50-$1600. Some cities even subsidize or provide rebates for residents.

Rain Barrel Tips
· Use a mesh screen to keep leaves and animals out of the rain barrel.

· Since airborne pollutants can be a problem in many areas, use your collected water for plants, cleaning your car, watering the lawn, but not to drink!

· Clean out the barrel frequently to avoid algae growth and remove sentiment.

· Put the barrel up off the ground to make it easier to drain the water out of the bottom.

Time for Annuals!

The weather has been beautiful this week and the flowers are blooming! This is the time to get your annuals planted and we have some great deals on flats. If you would like annuals installed in your gardens so that you can enjoy some gorgeous Spring color, give us a call at 704.504.0980! First-come first-serve!

Great New Bird Pics

Wendy Hope sent these beautiful photos in. Wendy gets plenty of chipping sparrows, chickadees, blue birds, wrens, mocking birds, cardinals and woodpeckers in her yard. What a wonderful site! Thank you Wendy.

Do you have any bird pictures from your yard? We would love to post them here! EMail heather@metrogreenscape.com.

Featured Photos

In this month's issue of the Compass Magazine we asked you to send in some bird pictures from yor yard. We were delighted to get these images from Jason Otte, a professional photographer from Tega Cay -- here is his website: http://http://www.imagesbyjasonotte.com/. Aren't these beautiful?!

Do you have some great bird pictures? We would love to see them and feature them here and possibly in our enewsletter! Please email us at events@metrogreenscape.com

GREEN LIFE PROJECT: Pinecone Bird Feeders

The Green Life was developed as a way for Metro GreenScape to share the fun of outdoor living with families in our area. This month we would like to bring you a quick and easy project to do with the kids.

Pine Cone Bird Feeders

Materials you will need for each pinecone feeder:

• A large, open pinecone
• Vegetable shortening and peanut putter
• Birdseed
• A few feet of string, fishing line or twine
• Mixing bowl
• Butter knife
• Spoon
• Scissors
• Pie tin, paper plate or cookie sheet
• ½ cup measuring cup
• Optional: High-energy bird foods such as dried fruit (cut in small pieces), chopped nuts, sunflower seeds or millet

Directions

1. Tie a three to four foot piece of yarn around the top of the pine cone for the hanger.
2. Mix two tablespoons of peanut butter with two tablespoons of shortening.
3. Spread the peanut butter and shortening mixture onto the pine cone.
4. Pour some bird seed onto a plate or shallow dish and roll the pine cone in it.
5. Optional: add dried fruit (chopped up), chopped nuts, seeds (especially sunflower and millet) which are high-energy bird foods.
6. Place the seed-covered pine cones in the freezer for about an hour or until it is firm.
7. Hang it outside in a tree!

Tips:
1. Hang your pine cone at the end of a smaller branch so squirrels don't get it.
2. Work with the bird seed over newspaper to help make clean up time easier.
3. The feeders are best when it is cooler outside. If it is too warm, the shortening will melt and the mixture fall from the cone.

*** please send us your completed feeder pictures! We would love to include them on our blog! (send to: heather@metrogreenscape.com)

Metro GreenScape has joined the Charlotte IAHSP Chapter

MetroGreenscape has joined the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) Chapter as an Affiliate. President Darin Brockelbank will be speaking on the topic of outdoor staging at the organization's chapter meeting tomorrow. Are you interested in how exterior Home Staging could help it sell faster? Call us at 704.504.0980.

Landscape Design

Metro GreenScape's custom and professional landscape design plans are created with you and your future in mind: from use of your outdoor space to where power lines run to avoid damage from tree branches and roots as they grow. Where trees might deprive a deck of sun, shorter varieties should be considered. Remember, too, that it is better to spend a bit more on rock or concrete materials that will last than pay less for those that tend to break down quickly. Designing outdoor living spaces is a relatively new art and one we take very seriously! If you would like to talk to an Outdoor Living Specialist about a design plan, please Metro GreenScape at 704.504.0980.

BRRR! CHARLOTTE'S WEATHER IS COLD

Many of our plants aren't used to the low-low temperatures, which is why you need to have someone looking out for the plants in your yard because every year poses different problems due to drastic changes in weather. (Last Christmas day it was close to 70 degrees--this year... well...BRRR!)

When plants go into shock they are vulnerable to diseases, fungus and early death. Simply watering and fertilizing these plants doesn't solve the problem and most of these signs aren't seen by the naked eye until the plant dies.

Prepare now for a beautiful summer lawn and landscape by contacting Metro GreenScape at 704.504.0980.