Plants and flowers can be so gorgeous at their peak, and there is nothing better than smelling their aroma throughout the summer breeze in the middle of summer.  Most people enjoy watching their plants and flowers grow.

With typical Kansas summers, plants and flowers are going to need extra water.  If you don’t have an irrigation system then you probably need to water them yourself or find someone to water them for you. The best time to water is in the early morning or in the evening.

I have had a few plants this summer that just don’t look healthy and have wondered if I have been doing something wrong.  It is important to know that each plant has specific weather needs and those should be considered.  Be aware of these factors and if you are not one who likes to give attention to your plants, a better route might be low maintenance plants.

Plants that don’t need a lot of water and like to be in full sun or full shade might be an easier route.  Keep in mind the dimensions of your yard and shade vs. sun so that you can plant things in the areas of your yard that will give them the shade or sun that they need.  If they are getting the sun, shade, and water that they need and still are not doing as well as they should be, a soil sample might help.

If you have questions about your plants, don’t hesitate to call us here at the office.  A designer would be more than happy to talk to you about the health of your plants to ensure you are getting the optimal growth and results out of your plant.

It’s strange to even think about fall when the temperature outside was nearly 100 degrees just a week ago, yet it is time to start preparing your lawn. Here are the services that we recommend doing to your lawn.

Core Aeration is recognized as one of the best ways to improve the quality of your lawn. The machine removes small plugs from your lawn allowing air/gas intake as well as water/nutrient intake. It will also brake up the thatch, which is known to act as a barrier to your soil, preventing the necessary water and nutrients from reaching the root systems. A stronger root system will improve the thickness and look to your lawn, as well as create a stronger, deeper base which makes the lawn more heat and drought resistant.

The second step is called Verticutting - it is a two step process. In the first step, we will verticut the entire property in one direction in order to create our first set of seed lines.  It will also remove leftover thatch. The thatch will be removed from the surface to allow the second set of seed lines, which will go the opposite direction of the first set.

Finally, the lawn is seeded one final time. We also recommend putting down a starter fertilizer to help proper germination of the new soil, as well as fertilization of the existing turf, so it will grow healthier at the same time the new turf is growing…

After your fall lawn renovation, you need to water your lawn daily for the first 3-4 weeks to insure proper growth. You will then want to cut back to 2-3 times weekly. The soil should be a moist chocolate color. We recommend mowing after 3-4 weeks @ 2-3 inches. You will want to schedule your renovation mid- August and at the latest mid-October.

Please contact our office to be added to the schedule, as we often have a full schedule by Labor Day!

Featured in The Kansas City Star Business Section in June 2008

I had a friend of mine say to me recently, “Jason, you don’t have any new photos on Highland’s website..” - My answer was that its just not “prime” photography season.  Trust me, we have an arsenal of projects we need to schedule photography on.  Stay tuned…

One of the things I enjoy most about this business is working with clients I have known for a long time.  It seems this year has been chock full of referrals and past clients buying new homes, or adding to a previous project.

Five years ago, I was introduced to a client - they were building a new home in Southern Overland Park, and wanted us to assist them on some master planning.  The project was then split into three different projects - one when the house was constructed, one a few years ago, and one last fall and this spring.

The end product is in our newest uploaded Project Portfolio, here.  You can look at Phase 1 and 2 here, and see how the swimming pool, natural stone walkways, water feature, and expanded landscaping, lighting and recreation area was all integrated.  Although the harsh winter was not our friend to complete the project on time (we lost almost 4 months this winter of construction time), the client and our team was incredibly proud of the end product.  Enjoy our latest outdoor living space - five years in the making… 

I recently celebrated my birthday with friends and co-workers at the new Power and Light District downtown. We explored everything, and I have to say, it was pretty incredible. Between the lights, music, and food; there is probably never a dull moment. I have always been the type of person who has always wanted to travel to other places to explore because I have felt that Kansas City really hasn’t had that much to offer. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Power and Light District offers a variety of different types of entertainment.

It was so nice to see Kansas City so united and upbeat. I can’t even begin to imagine how many thousands of people were there. If you don’t like big crowds then you would probably want to go on a week night or avoid the Power and Light District all together. Seeing all of the people that were there enjoying one of the busiest places Kansas City has to offer really made me proud to be a Kansas Citian.

Next time you are downtown and looking for some excitement, I encourage you to go check it out and get a taste of what Kansas City has to offer. I can promise you that you won’t be disappointed. Kansas City has officially arrived on the checklist of places to experience and for good reason.

Oh, and it was fun to celebrate my birthday there with close friends!

 Me, Jason and Abby at the Power and Light District

Highland Outdoor would like to thank the Moormeier Family for their generous donation to Phoenix Family Housing Corporation during their annual fundraiser held on April 24, 2008.  Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, Phoenix Family Housing Corporation is a non-profit organization that provides direct, integrated social services in low-income housing communities for almost ten years.

Every day, Phoenix Family Housing Corporation directly provides and administers a variety of social service resources and programs to more than 4,700 residents living in 28 affordable housing communities throughout Missouri and Kansas. At each community, Phoenix Family provides onsite community-based services to help children, families and older adults avoid homelessness and become more self-sufficient. Located in communities where families and seniors cannot generally afford to contribute themselves, Phoenix Family programs are offered at very low or no charge so as to allow residents to participate without financial difficulty.

Highland Outdoor believes in giving back to our local communities, but this organization really hits home with our philosophy of CREATING and MAINTIAINING QUALITY OF LIFE in communities across America. The Highland Outdoor Family offered a donation of $2,000.00 in services or credit to a contract to be bid on in the live auction.

Every year, proceeds from our annual fundraiser enable Phoenix Family Housing to continue to combat the cycle of poverty and end homelessness. The 2008 event was a huge success, raising a record $117,194.00!

Just this past week we had our crews at the Moormeier’s to give the front of their house a large splash of color with season annuals and installed over 1,700 annual plants! Her kids summed it up best when they returned home from vacation and said, “Wow that is a lot of flowers!” It’s amazing what a difference a day’s worth of work and some vibrant colors can change how your home greats your guests when they show up at your front door!

Thank you to everyone for you generosity either in donations or investing some of your personal time! We look forward to seeing you next year!

Here are some photos of the project we completed, as well as the event:

Moormeier Residence - over 1,700 annuals planted!

The Highland Outdoor Team at this years Phoenix Family Fundraiser:  David Rowan, Natasha Gabbert, Mitch Benjamin, Jason Cupp, Abby Smith and Rich Clark

Long-time friends Jason Cupp, Highland Outdoor CEO and Clifton Cohn, Yarco Companies CEO and Phoenix Family Board Member at Phoenix Families 2008 Fundraiser 

Highland Outdoor is proud to have a long standing relationship supporting Phoenix Family, now in our fourth year of support.  To read about last years event, click here.

Highland Outdoor was recently nominated for Kansas City’s Top 10 Buisness’ by the KCB and KC Magazine. They held a nominations event at Hotel Phillips, in beautiful downtown Kansas City. Rich Clark and I had the pleasure of representing Highland Outdoor, while Jason was at PLANET Summer Leadership in Vermont.

We were one of hundreds of companies that were nominated, and were in the Top 50.  To us, that is a HUGE honor, however, we weren’t ranked in the Top 10. We were thrilled to be in the running with other KC business’ like Children’s Mercy Hospital, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and BB’s Lawnside Grill.

We had a great time celebrating with local companies! Congratulations to everyone at Highland Outdoor!

Here was the criteria from the KCB / KC Magazine Website:

For the second year, the Top 50 Companies in Kansas City will be selected out of hundreds of submissions to KCB Magazine.  These businesses will be chosen based upon the following criteria:  contribution to Kansas City lifestyle, innovation, work culture, commitment to diversity, customer service, approach to challenges, community service, growth (projected and actual), and plans for expansion outside of Kansas City to a national or international level.

From this list, KCB will choose the 10 Best Companies in Kansas City, which will be revealed at a cocktail reception honoring all 50 Companies who made the list. The 10 Best Companies that are selected by independent judges will be profiled in the August and September issues of KC Magazine, and profiled in the June of KCB Magazine.

Living the Country Life Radio Show recently did a piece on tips to hiring a Landscape Company. Highland Outdoor CEO Jason Cupp, CLP, was the featured “landscape professional” in the interview. To read the article online, click here. To listen to the .mp3, click this link:

Jason Cupp Interview

I recently attended a Kansas City Royals game with my mom for Mother’s Day and forgot how much fun it is to go to The K every once in awhile. It was incredible to see all of the renovations that are taking place at The K which will make a Royals outing even more enjoyable. Inside the stadium they already have a new jumbo screen up that is amazing. It was a little bit chilly, but so nice to sit in the sun with a beer and hot dog in hand and watch some baseball. They gave out free Mother’s Day t-shirts and had tons of giveaways during the game. The team actually played really well and won the game!

Being a lifelong Kansas City Royals fan, it’s always exciting when you get to meet a player or when you get to see them doing something great for a charity event. This past winter, George Brett stopped by our office for a meeting with Jason. Its funny how we all put people like George on a pedestal, but after getting to meet him and chat for a few minutes, it became very clear how down to earth and how humble of a person he is. While at the game on Mother’s day, I walked by a cardboard poster of George and I thought to myself how neat it was that just a few months ago he was at the Highland Outdoor office cracking jokes and laughing with Jason.

If you are ever looking for something to do on a weekend, go check out the Royals if they are in town. (Check out the schedule here) It is guaranteed fun and even better when they win, not to mention parking is not as expensive as it is at a KC Chief’s game ☺