BLG Environmental Services - July 2021

BLG Environmental Services - July 2021

JULY 2021

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THE BEST WORKPLACE POLICY

FROM CHILDHOOD SUMMER JOBS TO OWNING A BUSINESS

This month, I noticed that it’s National Tell the Truth Day on July 7, and it put a smile on my face. I never knew there was a holiday to celebrate honesty, and I think it definitely deserves one.

somebody cheated. And why would we want to cheat? It was fun to run up to the garbage collector every week and try to sell him a popsicle.

WHEN I’M GENUINE ABOUT MY EFFORTS TOWARD MY FAMILY AND MY WORK, I FIND THAT MY HONESTY BECOMES THE FOUNDATION TO EVERYTHING I CARE ABOUT.

At the end of the day, those rewarding summer experiences remind me of why I’m honest in my work at BLG Environmental too. Not long ago, our team made a mistake about the type of soil we put down into a client’s ground. We spent two days digging it back up and replacing it. Although it cost a good amount of money and time, we didn’t charge our client at all for it, because fixing it was the right thing to do.

I was taught early on that — whether in my personal, business, or spiritual life — at the end of the day, you only get one reputation. You want to be able to put your head down at night and know you did the right thing, big or small.

I’d say, certainly, going to church when I was young helped reinforce those values of honesty. But the importance of honesty also developed over time as I grew older and saw how dishonesty affected people around me. When I’m genuine about my efforts toward my family and my work, I find that my honesty becomes the foundation to everything I care about.

We don’t just want to get the job done — we want to do excellent work, as if you were our next-door neighbor. Sometimes, that means buying extra plants, materials, or even extra time that we didn’t predict. But that doesn’t mean we’ll charge our client for that.

Having a strong work ethic became important to me partially because it became an honest way that I interacted with my community of people. Growing up, we used to do everything we could to earn our $3.50 so we could buy our very own two cheeseburgers, a large order of fries, and a Coke from McDonald’s. We used to sell popsicles, mow lawns, wash cars, sell candy and trinkets, and I even did a magic show that cost 10 cents for entry. We would also compete with other kids around the block for who could make the most money! But none of us ever tried to steal or cheat or take shortcuts. Probably because, in our cul-de-sac where we all lived, we’d quickly find out if

We’ll always take responsibility for it.

Whether at work or with my family, I’ve found that being honest often makes you a little more generous person with your time and money, and I think that makes it a worthwhile lifelong pursuit. Thanks for joining me again this month, friends. I hope you will enjoy your summer, and stay cool out there.

Robert Burns

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WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL

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WHY ‘YEW’

W ant the privacy of a hedge but desire a visual appeal that’s a little more elegant or exotic than your stereotypical American style? Enter the podocarpus. Most commonly referred

Japan’s Most Elegant Hedge Plant WILL LOVE JAPANESE YEWS! WELCOME TO ELLA’S FARM CHICKS DIG IT

to as Japanese yew, podocarpus is actually native to both Japan and Southern China. It’s a highly tough, drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant, heat-tolerant, adaptable tree that’s popular for screens and hedges because it has such a dense growth habit. Its dark green needle-like leaves grow paler on its underside, and reach about 5 inches in length while being 1/4 inch in width.

There are so many reasons why we love podocarpus plants and why they’ve become so popular for our clients. Podocarpus show the best growth and form in full sun, which is no problem in our sunny, beautiful Florida climate. It will also tolerate a variety of well-drained acidic soils — just avoid planting it in wet soils, or they may become yellow and sick.

Hi, everybody! I’m Ella, the daughter of the best landscape designer in the whole world. My brother Gavin has been on the newsletter lately, telling you all about his guys and the newest projects they’re doing. Well, you know what? Guys have cooties, not to mention they’re gross — and I have dreams, too! So let me tell you about my entrepreneuring dream: running a farm.

What kind of farm, you might ask? Excellent question. It’ll be the Knott’s Berry Farm of farms — it’ll have it all! With horses, ponies, cows, wheat fields, every type of vegetable, green beans (I’ll allow them because of their illogical popular demand), orchards, and berry fields, my farmwill overflowwith all kinds of goodies. And there will even be a river and lake for migrating ducks and geese — and, of course, fishing. This might sound like a lot to keep track of — and maybe a little ambitious for a 5-year- old — but I’ve planned it all out. See, I’m not shy to work for a living. I’ve worked in the weeds with Daddy plenty before. And I’ve noticed that he’s pretty great at what he does! That’s why I’ll get Gavin and Daddy to do a bunch of work on the farm with me too. I’ll have a lot to keep track of, so I’ll probably be pretty busy supervising. One hundred dollar bills don’t count themselves, you know. I’m sure theywon’t be busywith their own careers. If they complain, I’ll have plenty of money to let them retire on the farm. Plus, imagine all the money trees our orchards will have! They’ll be more than covered — I’ll have at least a couple money trees per person. People say I’m too generous, but, really, it’s the least I can do.

Thanks for joining me, friends! I can’t wait to update you more on how the farm is coming along. I’m super excited to dominate the world — I mean, farm. My farm. See you next time!

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LANDSCAPE - HARDSCAPE - IRRIGATION - OUTDOOR LIGHTING

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OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST! The landscaping at my house used to look so bad that I felt embarrassed for people to see it. After Robert and his team installed my new, gorgeous landscaping, I feel proud of my yard because it’s one of the prettiest yards in the neighborhood!” —AdamWillingham

If you want to form and shape your hedges, podocarpus is still a great choice since it reacts well to pruning. You can prune them into a well-formed hedge or allow them to grow into a large showy tree. It has a moderately slow growth rate which reduces trimming and maintenance in the warmer months.

For privacy in your backyard, to hide utilities, or even decorate a fence, podocarpus is the solution for a rich, full, contrasting look. Once established, they require less water than other hedge types and keep their foliage full year round.

Podocarpus are completely adaptable to urban environments and work well despite poor soils or

restricted rooting space. Whether in your garden, along a street, or in a parking lot, we think you’ll love a Japanese yew planted wherever a tall, narrow, attractive plant is needed.

Robert Burns

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control. Against such things there is no law.” –Galatians 5:22-23 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.” –Psalm 1:1 “For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” –Psalm 149:4 HAVE YOU HEARD THE GOOD NEWS?

EASY OUT

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WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL

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Schedule a Free Design Consultation with Robert Burns

WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL

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Honesty — The Best Workplace Policy

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Japan’s Most Elegant Hedge Plant Chicks Dig It: Welcome to the Farm! The Good News Hear From Our Clients Take a Break! 5 Wacky Pizza Trends From Around the World

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THEY EAT WHAT ON PIZZA?!

5 Wacky Pizza Trends From Around the World

3. Haggis Pizza (Scotland) — Pizza may be the only semi-enjoyable way to eat haggis: a mix of sheep or calf offal, oatmeal, suet, and seasonings that are boiled in an animal’s stomach. Last year, Papa John’s got in on the action when it released a limited-edition haggis pizza in honor of a Scottish poet, Robert Burns. 4. Mockba Pizza (Russia) — This local pie comes topped with four kinds of fish (sardines, tuna, mackerel, and salmon), onions, herbs, and occasionally fish eggs. Most troubling of all, it’s served cold! 5. Chickpea Pancake Pizza (Argentina) — In Buenos Aires, locals top their super-cheesy pizza slices with fainá — chickpea pancakes cooked separately from the pies and balanced on top of each slice. Keep these pizzas in mind when planning your next international vacation! They might be tastier than they sound, and if not, they’ll still make great Instagram fodder. As actor Cole Sprouse once tweeted, “You’re losing followers because you’re not relatable enough. Try mentioning that you eat pizza. If that doesn’t work, play the ukulele.”

Here in the U.S., pineapple is considered a wild and controversial pizza topping. Even celebrities take a stand. Justin Bieber is pro-pineapple, but Jimmy Kimmel is against it. According to a 2019 YouGov Omnibus study, only anchovies and eggplant are more hated. But in other parts of the world, the tangy yellow fruit is far from the strangest topping you’ll see! Here are five wacky pizza trends from around the globe that will either make you hungry or inspire you to sprint the other way. You may want to order a comforting cheese pie from your favorite local pizzeria before reading this, just in case. 1. Banana-Curry Pizza (Sweden) — The Swedes first accessed bananas in 1944, and since then, they’ve put them on everything , including pizza which they top with tomato sauce, smoked cheese, banana slices, and curry powder. 2. Ketchup and Corn Pizza (Brazil) —According to several sources, Brazilians swap pizza sauce for ketchup or tomato slices and top their pies with strange combinations of local ingredients like corn, beets, hearts of palm, and potato sticks.

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LANDSCAPE - HARDSCAPE - IRRIGATION - OUTDOOR LIGHTING

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