BLG Environmental Services - June 2021

BLG Environmental Services - June 2021

JUNE 2021

407.702.7905

BLGENVIRONMENTAL.COM

THE REAL SECRET TO LANDSCAPE RENOVATING

When I meet people for the first time and they learn what I do for a living, some might feel inclined to ask: “What’s one thing I should keep in mind while looking to renovate my home’s landscape?”

Similarly, with landscaping, it’s best to plan your precise “recipe” first. Having your dream backyard professionally designed will put your mind at rest about what the final product will look like. Also, by having a clear vision and plan for your backyard, you’ll never have to figure things out or make costly mistakes along the way.

Here’s the biggest piece of insider information I can offer: Planning and implementation are everything.

I’ve had people come to me after hiring five different guys, ultimately paying much more money than they had to if they had a defined plan from the get-go. This tends to happen because your landscaping and

HAVING YOUR DREAM BACKYARD PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED WILL PUT YOUR MIND AT REST ABOUT WHAT THE FINAL PRODUCT WILL LOOK LIKE. ALSO, BY HAVING A CLEAR VISION AND PLAN FOR YOUR BACKYARD, YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO FIGURE THINGS OUT OR MAKE COSTLY MISTAKES ALONG THE WAY.

Good planning means saving money, saving time, and having the smoothest experience possible toward the finished product. While there’s a lot of reasons why this is true for landscaping, let me apply it to a quick, tasty analogy. As a guy with a major sweet tooth, I’ve been on a serious cookie kick lately — and it all started when my wife brought home Crumbl cookies. Not only were they beautifully presented, but their flavors were also delicious. It was unlike any other cookie I’ve had before, and they brought a huge smile to my face.

hardscaping could interfere with each other in ways you may not expect, or perhaps the plants you wanted weren’t suited for the Florida climate after all.

Creating a unique experience in your backyard is my specialty, but a little

planning from the start can go a long, long way. Chances are you will spend more time enjoying your outdoor spaces than time spent in your master bathroom or gourmet kitchen. How much planning and investment are devoted into your dream backyard?

But, sometimes, you experience a cookie that brings you more than joy. It completely blows your mind. That’s what Gideon’s Bakery did to me. Their cookies are showstoppingly gorgeous, are rich in flavor, and have a perfect, spiritually satisfying texture in every single bite. Even though I can’t have them every day (plus, it’d be expensive to do so!), I always look forward to having them because I know I’ll get the same amazing experience every visit. In order for Gideon’s to deliver such consistently awesome cookies, though, it takes a heavily dedicated team with a vision and recipe. If Gideon’s bakers went into work every day without having a precise idea of their recipe, they’d lose their quality.

Talk to a landscape designer while considering your backyard renovations and landscaping. And if you’re unsure what you want, that makes it more important to find a designer to help you design and plan your future steps. It will save you time, save you stress, and bring a smile to your face every day! Have a great month!

Robert Burns

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WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL

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Be a Titan With ‘Tools of Titans’ by Tim Ferriss ROBERT’S BUSINESS BOOK SPOTLIGHT

I started landscape design over 21 years ago, and I’m completely self-taught. I’m not shy to say that most of my success comes from listening and applying the principles that others have implemented in their own careers and fields.

My inspiration can come from clients or friends, but most have come from books like “Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers” by Tim Ferriss. This is not a thin book. At over 670 pages long, you get a lot of bang for your buck. As the title suggests, you’ll learn about the routines behind the world’s most famous athletes, ex-military, superstars, CEOs, actors, and more. However, there are multiple commonalities that are good to keep in mind.

First, more than 80% of the interviewees practice daily mindfulness or meditation in some form. Keeping control of your emotions and mental state can be a huge boon for setting up your productivity for the rest of the day — and meditation isn’t always about “forcing” ourselves to relax. It can often be about finding the part of ourselves that’s most in control, focused, and energized.

Second, many interviewees have a habit of listening to single songs on loop for focus. This might sound strange. Isn’t music rather distracting? However, there’s actually more

IT’S RUFF TO WORK FROM HOME TEDDY’S PAW-SPECTIVE

As the puppy years fly by, I’ve started thinking about settling down with a nice 9-to-5 job. I won’t be a young pup forever! And while it’s not easy having a 9-to-5 job, it’s a lot easier when it’s something you love. So, I’ve decided to be a faithful household greeter pup, with my executive office set up in the family’s mud room.

It’s almost exactly a 9-to-5 job when you think about it. Every day when I get up in the morning, I station myself near the door to watch everyone leave for school or work. They always get back by the afternoon, and I’m right there to welcome them home! Dad must think I’m doing a great job because my executive office recently got a few upgrades. Now, I have my very own bench! Imagine having a whole bench to yourself. I’m really living it up now, and I’m not even chasing around neighborhood Chihuahuas. Yep, I’ve really put those young, whippersnapper puppy days behind me ... maybe. I even have my very own window to watch the outside world from my bench! It makes my job as the family greeter very easy. However, it has made me realize just how dangerous the outside world is. There’s this car that I see all the time, bringing out boxes of every shape and size. It says “PRIME,” and I don’t trust it. We’ve all seen “Transformers” before, mister. You’re not fooling anyone! Thankfully, my ferocious barking eventually makes them go away. Some people walk up to my window and are really nice, though! I almost feel bad for barking at them the entire time. I mean, it’s our territory! Someone’s gotta lay down the law.

Man, what would my family do without me?

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LANDSCAPE - HARDSCAPE - IRRIGATION - OUTDOOR LIGHTING

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OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST!

scientific books written on this very topic. In her book “On Repeat: How Music Plays the Mind,” psychologist Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis writes, “Musical repetition gets us mentally imagining or singing through the bit we expect to come next ... In descriptions of their most intense experiences of music, people often talk about a sense that the boundary between the music and themselves has dissolved.” Musical repetition helps integrate our minds into an elevated space of focus.

Robert, I just wanted to shoot you a quick note with a sincere THANK-YOU for the work that you and your team did on our property. In

our eyes, you all went above and beyond our expectations. The dedication of your team by working in the nasty weather and being meticulous as they were was incredible. Thank you again for the great work you and your team did — I will certainly be recommending your group to all of my contacts and will definitely be in touch for future projects.”

Third, nearly all interviewees had done some form of “spec” work, or completing projects on their own time and dime to submit to prospective buyers. It just goes to show that it’s important to work on your craft even when nobody knows they want your work!

Those are only the most common themes of the book, and each story has its own interesting revelations. I think you’ll really like this book if you enjoy reading tons of unique nuggets of wisdom. Thanks for reading, and I hope you give this book a shot.

—Dave Evans

Robert Burns

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” — Luke 6:27–28 “Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” — Psalm 119:2 “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.” HAVE YOU HEARD THE GOOD NEWS?

EASY OUT

— Leviticus 26:3–4

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WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL

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BLGENVIRONMENTAL.COM 407.702.7905

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Schedule a Free Design Consultation with Robert Burns

WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL

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The Real Secret to Landscape Renovating Be a Titan Teddy’s Paw-spective: WFH Edition The Good News Hear From Our Clients Take a Break! Have You Explored a National Forest?

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EXPLORE A NATIONAL FOREST FOR FREE

M any people in the U.S. and across the world have a national park trip on their travel bucket list. While Zion, Yellowstone, and the Great Smoky Mountains are all awesome locales, outdoor enthusiasts often overlook a resource that is less busy, less expensive, and usually right in their backyard: national forests. All but 10 states have a national forest (or more than one!), so if your home state doesn’t have one, it’s very likely a neighboring state does! And there’s no better time to hike, bike, forage for mushrooms or berries, or camp at a nearby national forest than this month. The tree-filled landscape will provide shade and help you beat the summer heat, and to further incentivize visitors, the U.S. Forest Service (the organization that oversees the national forests) is offering a fee-free day on Saturday, June 12, in honor of National Get Outdoors Day! While parking and day-use fees to access national forests tend to be relatively modest, fee-free days open up the opportunity to all visitors. The U.S. Forest Service has a great interactive map tool that prospective park- On National Get Outdoors Day

goers can use to learn more about the forests in their area, amenities and activities, and accessibility. Visit FS.fed.us/ivm to access the map and see what’s near your hometown! If you’re dreaming up travel plans beyond your state’s border, consider visiting these notable U.S. national forests. • El Yunque National Forest: Located in Puerto Rico, El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the United States. • Tongass National Forest: Spanning 16.7 acres and several islands across Southeast Alaska, the Tongass is the country’s largest national forest. • Salmon-Challis National Forest: This Idaho forest is the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 and contains the Frank Church- River of No Return Wilderness. •Cibola National Forest and Grassland: Spread across north-central New Mexico, west Texas, and Oklahoma, this forest and grassland area is notable for its diverse ecosystems and wildlife. The Sky Islands portion of the park is also home to over 200 rare plant and animal species.

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LANDSCAPE - HARDSCAPE - IRRIGATION - OUTDOOR LIGHTING

407.702.7905