Most Kansas City Residents have noticed the temperatures increasing and feeling more like spring.  The plants in our environment are also sensing the warm weather.  I was meeting with some current clients yesterday and noticed some ornamental trees and shrubs starting to produce flower and leaf buds.  The newly emerging buds are very susceptible to frost and freeze.  I would recommend covering any small ornamental trees or shrubs you may have that are starting to bud out.

A cold snap like the one we are currently in could freeze those newly emerging flower and leaf buds and cause them to drop off.  This will not kill the plant but it could affect the spring flowering trees and shrubs the most.  For example, spring blooming lilacs and azaleas are very susceptible to a late freeze because they are starting to produce flower buds.  If the flowers freeze the plants may not bloom this spring.  Usually the lilacs, tulips and azaleas are the sign that spring is finally here.  If the proper precautions are not taken they may not bloom this spring (similar to the effect the late freeze had on a number of plants in the spring of 2007).  A clear or semi transparent garbage bag works well to cover smaller plants or a light weight sheet will also work to help insulate your plants from the cold weather.

If you have any questions, please contact the office at 913.782.3700 or reach me via email.

(L to R, sitting) Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., former-Assistant Secretary, USDOL-OSHA; Jason K. Cupp, CLP, President, PLANET; (L to R, standing) Sabeena Hickman, CAE, CMP, Chief Operating Officer, PLANET; Cheryl Claborn, Market Development Manager, PLANET; and Laurie Erdman, Safety Manager, The Bruce Company of Wisconsin, Inc.; at the national Alliance signing on October 2, 2008.

In the Fall of 2008, Highland Outdoor CEO Jason Cupp, who also served the landscape and green industry as the President of The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), signed an Alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Labor Assistant Secretary Edwin G. Foulke.  Mr. Cupp and Mr. Foulke signed the agreement in Washington DC, representing the landscape and green industries commitment to safety in the workplace.  To see the OSHA/PLANET website, click here.  To see the signed agreement, click here.  To see the full press release, click here.

Jason Cupp, CEO of Highland Outdoor, was featured recently in an article in the Kansas City Business Journal. The article was part of a “Going Green” section of the journal. Jason talks about the things our company is doing to take a greener approach to what we do in the outdoor environments we create.

Our new sister company, Southwest Greens of Kansas City, was also mentioned in the article as being part of the green initiative.

Click on the image below to view the entire article and to read about Jason’s impact and involvement in the green industry nationally and here in Kansas City.

Highland Outdoor CEO Jason Cupp was recently featured on industry leading Lawn and Landscape Magazine’s Podcast series.   Jason was interviewed for his role as the President of PLANET - The Professional Landcare Network - about its upcoming PLANET Day of Service.  The PLANET Day of Services is a national “give back” campaign for lawn and landscape professionals across the United States, administred by the Public Relations Committee of the Trade Assocation that Jason serves as President.

Check back for the project that Highland Outdoor will be completing as part of their committment to the PLANET Day of Service this April…

To listen to the podcast, click here.

For more information on PLANET, click here, and for more information on the Day of Service, click here.

The Highland Outdoor/Southwest Greens of Kansas City team will be part of the upcoming Kansas City Golf Show at the Overland Park International Trade Center, February 6th through 8th.

Southwest Greens of Kansas City was launched last fall as a compliment to Highland Outdoor’s existing product mix of creating high-end outdoor living spaces.  Read about our past entries about SWGKC here.
This will be a great opportunity for everyone to come out and see what Southwest Greens of Kansas City is all about and to check out the many golf vendors that will be participating.  There will be over 100 golf exhibitors at the show as well as free instruction.

What better way to spend a weekend than at the golf show.  Be sure to stop by our booth to check out Southwest Greens of Kansas City and to say hi to our team! We look forward to seeing you there!  For more information on the Golf Show, click here.

See you in a few weeks!

Highland Outdoor CEO Jason Cupp, Certified Landscape Professional (CLP), was interviewed for a reader question in the February 2009 issue of Men’s Health Magazine.  He was also recently interviewed for a similar article for the April 2009 issue as well.

It seems that everywhere we turn these days; we are all the target of becoming a more eco-friendly nation.  There are so many gadgets and ideas out there about what we can do to be more cost effective and economical and I have enjoyed reading articles and watching television shows that talk about all of the above when it comes to going green.
Here are some tips that I found for those of you who are interested in going green in your front and back yards.

1.    Use more native plants rather than exotic plants in your landscaping

a.    Exotic plants need more water and attention than do native plants.  By planting native plants, we can cut the costs of water bills and time spent tending to the plants

2.    Plant trees with shade in mind

a.    These types of trees will provide more shade and cut down on energy costs in the summertime

3.    Plant trees that block cold and wind in winter

a.    Evergreens are great trees for blocking wind and will help with cutting down on energy costs in the winter

b.    It is best to plant these trees on the north and west sides of your house

4.    Alternative irrigation systems

a.    Most of our irrigation systems waste more water than we think and our water bills reflect this even though they can be on set timers

b.    Consider different alternatives when it comes to irrigation such as a drip irrigation system

c.    Click here for more information on drip irrigation systems

These are just a few tips from an article I found on the internet, for the full scoop click here

It is always nice to spend sometime outside of work with the Highland Outdoor Team and Jason’s parents, Charles and Marsha.

This year our staff headed to downtown Kansas City to Garozzo’s Italian restaurant, it is located in the old Italian district. Jason’s family has been eating there for years, for many of us it was our first time there! We were all delighted to enjoy some famous Chicken Spedini while winding down from the holidays.

Thanks to Jason for sharing this place with us, I will now be heading to Garozzo’s quite often for some delicious Italian cuisine! We hope you enjoyed the holiday season, and are getting back in the swing of things!

An extensive Design/Build Project in Lake Quivira is nearing completion, weather permitting.

Highland Outdoor was contracted to build an engineered Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) on the bottom side of a new residence constructed on the side of a hill in the cozy little community known as Lake Quivira.

One engineered SRW wall turned into an extensive Design/Build project.  The project now consists of the large engineered wall, a wall part way down the side of the residence, a wall to hold up the driveway, a wall to hold up the street that runs along side of the garage and a Belgard Paver Driveway.  Plans also contain landscaping and lighting to complement the extensive hardscaping on the property.

The majority of the hardscaping was finished just before the weather turned from a wonderful fall into the start of the winter weather to come.  There are some odds and ends on the retaining walls, the addition of another wall, landscaping and lighting to be completed as long as the weather cooperates with outdoor work.

Keep checking the project gallery for finished photos of this great project!

The Highland Outdoor Management Team stepped up their technology in communicating with clients this week.

The Samsung Omnia Smartphone with Touch Screen was added to the company’s communication plan with Verizon Wireless.  This new smart phone has a 5 mega pixel camera which will allow more on-site photos during construction.  These photos will be helpful when educating clients on the extensive installation process of Paver Patios, Walkways, Driveways and SRW walls.

Another feature of the new phone is the high speed connection to the internet and email.  This allows the management team to keep a close eye on the weather through internet radar maps and up to the minute forecasts.  As the weather turns from fall into winter the close eye on the current temps and precipitation plays an important role in getting projects completed through the winter and into spring.

The close connection to email allows the Highland Outdoor team to respond to urgent emails or forward them on to the appropriate team member.  This new technology will help the Highland Outdoor team stay closely connected to clients reinforcing our commitment to communication.