Executive Care Inc.

Feb 2010 Concepts on Ideas and Design (PDF Download)
As owner of Executive Care Landscape my service to you, my clients, is very much based on my own experiences, education and beliefs. So knowing a little about me, or any company’s owner, is valuable to you, the consumer.

My landscaping experiences started in high school, in the Ag. department. I rented a greenhouse to grow houseplants, a shade house for outdoor shade plants and a full sun area for flowers. The purpose of the project was to run it as a business, keeping the books and showing a profit, which I did. With those profits I paid for my dates and gas for my car. From there I was college bound.

During this time I interviewed with a large wholesale nursery and was hired. Coming in with some top honors, the interviewer wanted to have me trained immediately as assistant to the production manager. However, the production manager, being old school, would not have a “punk kid” working under him. Instead he sent me out to the fields. I worked around a 12′ tall and 30′ long soil pile where I spent most of the day bent over planting plants. I had played sports in school so I thought I was in pretty good shape, but for the first month I was exhausted. Slowly, I gained experience and soon became a foreman. As foreman it was my responsibility to select healthy plants for the canning crews. We supplied upwards of ten thousand plants a day. My eye was definitely being trained. From there I was promoted to Liner Supervisor, liner is the term used for the pots rooted-cuttings are planted in. It was 13 acres that were the very soul of the nursery. I was 20 years old going to college at night and running the Liner Department during the day. After two years I was promoted to greenhouse manager, four acres under glass, reminding me of my earlier days in high school. Through the years I assumed different responsibilities and changed nurseries several times, always looking for the next opportunity. Finally I ended up in Roseville as a production manager for a smaller nursery. From there, in 1989, Executive Care was born. In 1993 I went to a trade school to earn my C-27 license, which allowed me to do landscape projects in excess of $500. Since that time my company has grown, but I still consider Executive Care to be a small company. There are14 “hombres” that make up our four crews. Two of the crews specialize in commercial maintenance and the other two crews specialize in custom landscaping.

With all my experience and plant knowledge I have come to believe that the heart of good landscaping comes down to four things. First, there is the theme. This determines the choice of plants and the hardscape’s style and color. Second, you must consider the limitations and strengths of your plant materials. If the location is full sun in the afternoon but shade in the morning, can the plants handle that amount of shade but not burn in the afternoon sun? There are so many variables, soil, moisture (e.g., on top of a slope vs. at the base of a slope) and light, that knowing the plant material is key. The third is the proper “marriage” of landscape to hardscape. In looking at landscape pictures, you will agree that some landscapers are hardscapers, they specialize in cement, blocks, cultured stone, etc. If you view the actual landscape, you will often see the same plants that are seen at shopping centers. The planters are basically flat and lack good design. There is nothing in the landscape that draws your eye. As a landscaper my priorities are the plants, their use and location in the design, and then the hardscape. The plants are living, they give enjoyment; the hardscape is functional but it needs to be attractive so as to compliment the overall theme we are trying to achieve.

Finally there is talent, which comes in different degrees. Viewing a landscaper’s website gives you, the homeowner, an idea of the landscaper’s talent/work. I always ask my prospective clients, prior to our first meeting, to view my website so that when we meet there is already a comfort level. I strive to continually develop my talent by going to classes, reading trade journals and looking at other designs just like any other professional wanting to improve his skills and services.As with all professions, technology and environmental changes affect the way we do things, changing our tools and in many instances our priorities.

We have many things coming in the near future, and in some cases they are already here. There are water recapturing systems where instead of the water going down the drain, it goes into an underground cistern. There are smart timers that water according to weather station information and plant type in the yard, greatly aiding in the elimination or reduction of water waste and/or insufficient watering. Also, sustainability is being encouraged by developing garden boxes, compost piles, edible landscapes, and landscapes emphasizing an incorporation of California’s native beauty. Lastly, we have products such as polymers and mycorrhizae. The polymers when mixed with the soil and watered, swell many times their size holding moisture in suspension until the plant is ready for it. The mycorrhizae fungi attach themselves to the fine root hairs of plants and develop a vast netting that helps transport additional nutrients to the plant, enhancing the plant’s ability to grow and withstand periods of drought.

So, in ending, I would like to invite you to contact us at Executive Care and/or view our website to learn more. In being proactive we are seeking to practice our beliefs of wise stewardship and involve the community through education. Please look for our editorial in April on proper maintenance of your landscape and the tools available to reduce weed and insect problems.

For more information on designing your perfect landscape contact Arthur Navarrette at Executive Care Landscape (916) 765-9040 or view his photo gallery at www.ExecutiveCareInc.com.