Last weekend, Robert Mercado, Manager at Gardeners’ Guild helped the Girl Scouts of Sonoma Valley pick up Christmas trees from 42 residents. The troop also collected $300 in donations. Christmas trees, (shown below) are loaded in Robert’s trailer headed for recycling. Troop #10240 brought much end-of-holiday cheer to residents glad to have one item crossed […]
I’ve updated our post about drainage from March of this year. We talk again about solutions to landscape drainage problems. There is additional detail added including graphics that describe the drainage problems and solutions. One of the solutions described below is a dry creek bed. It was a project of Gardeners’ Guild at Spring Lake […]
San Francisco Street Tree Maintenance Implementation Schedule The passage of Proposition E last November, was welcome news for San Francisco property owners. There is, however, a lengthy start up period as San Francisco’s street tree maintenance implementation doesn’t begin until 2019. Depending on the type, health or age of the tree, waiting until that time […]
Order Poinsettias help North Bay fire victims Gardeners’ Guild is launching this campaign for the 2017 holiday season because of the catastrophic effects the wildfires have had on San Francisco North Bay residents. It will take a lot of support for survivors to rebuild their lives. And, Gardeners’ Guild wants to help. The “how” of […]
Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the north bay wildfires. Massive swaths of Santa Rosa decimated within hours. Countless numbers of residents now homeless. Other evacuees, anxiously praying for a home to return to. October, with its notorious Santa Ana winds, is upon us. Below are tips for keeping your property and family […]
San Francisco 2017 Street Tree Ordinance Simplified What the ordinance is Shifts responsibility of street trees from property owner to the City of San Francisco Sidewalks damaged by trees will also the City’s responsibility (see photo below) Measure E on November 2016 ballot. 80% SF voters approved it. Measure E was the result of pressure […]
The photo above is breathtaking reminder of the toll our rainy season has taken on San Francisco Bay Area residents. El Niño surprised us with a ferocious encore performance. Many of our properties, roads and highways are still recovering. Highway 37 is an extreme example of what happens when drainage fails. Five feet of water […]
Interior plants are good for your health! A ton of research proves it. Interior plants help improve air quality, and office productivity. Research published by NASA explains how plants clean toxic chemicals from the air such as: benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. These chemicals are emitted by paint, computers, carpeting, cleaning fluids, etc. A few […]
About Bamboo Adorning the perimeter of many commercial buildings, the willowy Bamboo stands, in containers and planter beds, providing screens and landscape focal points. Its reputation as a renewable resource for flooring to furniture and even fabric, make it emblematic of the sustainability movement. We maintain several sites in San Francisco with Bamboo plants and […]
This confirms what we expected after a ferocious rainy season that wreaked havoc throughout much the state. Key facts: Just one year ago only 5% of the state was drought free Sierra snowpack stands at 179% of its historic average (the biggest in 22 years) San Joaquin Valley and most of Southern California remains in […]
What’s new in landscape and gardening? Every year there are numerous reports on the latest trends in plants, hardscape, irrigation and even color. From technology to outdoor living. Designers, Landscape Architects and Green Industry pundits weigh in on what’s hot. There are several sources for this article. The people at Gardeners’ Guild have chimed in […]
San Francisco Bay Area – The California Department of Water Resources reminds us that it’s time to turn off your irrigation! The rains we have had and forecasts for more are sufficient in the short term. Remember that trees, shrubs and flowers use less water in the winter. One inch of rain is enough moisture […]
Gardeners’ Guild is obsessed with weather. Well – we are a landscape contracting company and we must adapt on a moment’s notice to rain, high winds and unseasonable heat or frost. We also stay on top of long term forecasting because our clients depend on us to help them manage their resources. I personally […]
Below are five plants you can grow in containers this fall and winter. Arugula Delicious peppery taste! Nutritious and good in salads combined with lettuce, mixed in pasta. Fast growing. Container should be at least 8” deep and 6” in diameter per each arugula plant Light Requirements Likes 6 hours of sunlight […]
Forest Pathologist with UC Berkeley and expert in Sudden Oak Death Matteo Garbelotto reported that the number of Bay Laurels infected by Sudden Oak (SOD) has increased by 30% in Marin County in the past year. They anticipate that percentages in all bay area counties will be similar. Some experts say that the drought is […]
Indicators for the Northern California rainy season are uncertain. Although we’ve had heavy rain early in the season, and more is predicted in the next week, none of the long range weather modeling has been conclusive. We can only hope for a wet winter. You can bet that there will be high winds, and […]
How A Neighborhood Drainage Problem Was Solved I live in a semi-rural unincorporated neighborhood in North Marin. Our houses are built on a steep hillside. When it rains the water runs down the north side of the street and into a gutter with an underground pipe. No sewers. When the water flows unobstructed all […]
The holidays are coming! Now is the time to order your Poinsettias from Gardeners’ Guild. Get your commercial building in the holiday spirit. Our interior division services San Francisco, East Bay including Richmond, Emeryville, Berkeley, Oakland; as well as Marin, Sonoma and Napa Counties. Our nurseries grow limited quantities so order by second week in […]
Summer May be Over but Fall’s Bounty is Upon Us. A profusion of colorful fall plants both annuals and perennials are now available from our suppliers! Their brilliant colors will make an impact on the landscape of your residential or commercial property. They come in bright colors like pink, red, purple, white and yellow. 10 […]
Just a little knowledge can help prevent big problems. What to look for Dead branches: an accident waiting to happenBranches that cross or rub: This usually means there is a weak spot that should be pruned off.Signs of decay: visible wounds, cavities, disfigurations could be a signHow to tell when a tree is in ill health?Experts […]
Whether you own or manage a commercial property, an association or a residence, healthy trees add value to your property and community They can increase a property’s value by 20%. They break the cold winds to lower your heating costs The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air […]
SFPUC Local Regulations 10% voluntary reduction in water use compared to 2013 – all SFPUC customers. 25% reduction of landscape watering lifted as of July 1, 2016 Revert wastewater flow factors back to their original adjustments, effective July 1, 2016. Prohibited water activities (State Requirements) Watering outdoor landscapes that causes runoff to sidewalks, streets, and hardscapes […]
If you are a Property Manager, you are likely knee-deep in budget season Remember that landscaping can increase the value of a house from 5% to 12.7%. On a $400,000 home 5.5% is $22,000; 12.7% adds $50,800.* Conversely, a degraded or disorganized collection of plants detracts from a home or commercial building’s value. Bob Vila says that […]
The Difference Between Landscapers From mom and pop operations to large national companies, there are a million different types of landscapers. Because education and training is not a prerequisite the degree of knowledge and professionalism varies from company to company. A landscape installation is a major investment and the new landscape’s lifespan depends on how […]
The California Landscape Contractor’s Association’s North Coast Chapter (CLCA) recognized Gardeners’ Guild for four awards at their annual awards ceremony in Santa Rosa. The four honors presented to Gardeners’ Guild were for Spring Lake Village, a large retirement community in Santa Rosa. Two of them were for first place: First Place: Unlimited Commercial Landscape Maintenance […]
Imagine for a minute. You go to the store to buy strawberries. There you discover that strawberries are not available – ever. It could happen. Not likely, but it could. Not just berries, but apples, oranges, lemons, limes, carrots, avocados, cantaloupes, cucumbers, alfalfa and almonds – all gone. No more guacamole. Goodbye apple pie. How […]
The State Water Resources Control Board, responding to pressure to relax water rationing from June 2015, is allowing water districts to set their own conservation targets based a projected additional three-year dry spell. An important caveat: the state will have oversight and each district will be required to submit a monthly water use report. And, […]
Simple Irrigation Fixes That Can Save $$$$ Consider this first: 80% of plant problems are due to over-watering. (Source Sunset Magazine) Gardeners’ Guild saved a residential community client 53% off their water bill by rigorous monitoring of their system and simple repairs. Fixing Irrigation Leaks and Breaks* Capping irrigation in places that didn’t require watering […]
Much of my weather wisdom is gathered from Daniel Swain from his blog weatherwest.com. The Climate Scientist and Phd. candidate for Stanford’s Department of Environmental Earth Science coined the term – “Ridiculously Resilient Ridge” after the obstinate high pressure system that ushered in much of our drought. His most recent post summarizes El Niño’s impact […]
Every year journalists in the industry forecast what is new for the next year. What I saw when digging around (no pun intended) were subtle offshoots of similar themes over the past few years. This post tries to make sense of what experts are forecasting and why homeowners and property managers should be interested. Trends […]
Their Place in Nature Weeds are not all bad. They provide some benefits (listed below). The definition for weeds is “a plant out of place”. But considering most people welcome weeds as much as they do taxes, this definition seems more fitting: “plants whose undesirable qualities outweigh their good points.” (Taken from Penn State’s website) […]
We have not seen the last of El Niño. Episodes of heavy rain and winds will likely continue over the next few months. If your landscape on a slope, there are some actions you can take now to prevent the damaging effects of erosion. Short Term Actions (Your can do […]
Your trees can suffer a lot of damage and can also do serious damage to your home or vehicle. They can also knock out power. Drought stressed trees are more vulnerable to the high winds and heavy rain of an El Niño winter. Limbs can break off and go flying. The bigger the tree, […]
Seeking landscape CREW LEADERS for two prestigious public park locations in San Francisco. The ideal candidate is an experienced green industry professional with a minimum of 2-3 years of experience working as a CREW LEADER in a commercial setting. You will manage employees under the direction of the Account Manager while implementing a contractual scope […]
San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Alliance is an important organization whose mission is to grow and maintain the Yerba Buena neighborhood. Every year the Alliance holds a gala to raise much needed funds to support their numerous community programs. A tradition of the gala is to present the “unsung hero” award. This year’s award went to […]
The increase was approved in 2013 but it is now in effect. The 9.5% increase is the second highest increase in two years. EBMUD (East Bay Municipal Utility District) says the reason for the increase is for pipe and equipment maintenance that has been deferred since 2008. Many of the districts pipes are more than […]
We are especially proud of our construction division this year. Gardeners’ Guild received three awards for a construction project in Mill Valley. National, State and Regional landscape trade organizations have recognized our exceptional work! The National Recognition was first place. The property is situated on a steep slope overlooking the Mt Tam. The homeowners wanted […]
The Village at Corte Madera is taking steps toward more sustainable practices in their landscaping! We recently performed some landscape renovation work to planter beds on the east and west sides (against the buildings) of the shopping center. Drought resistant plantings including Ornamental grass (Fescue), Limonium, Phormium (New Zealand Flax), Cistus (Rock Rose) and Alstroemeria […]
Do you drive into San Francisco regularly through Marin? I do – often enough to watch the progress of the Doyle Drive project. Initially it annoyed me. The traffic and the construction mess. Now I’m in awe of the magnitude of the tunnel, new road and the engineering genius it took to make this happen. […]
A group of dedicated Richmond residents are working hard to beautify their community park called the Solano Playlot. Located at the corner of 38th and Solano Avenue, the park has been successful in getting the support of the city for improvements. Gardeners’ Guild got involved earlier this year when we volunteered to develop a plan […]
For those of you who have lawns, you know they are time consuming to care for in terms of water, fertilization and weed abatement. Does the grass feel spongy under your feet? Do you notice it has brown patches? The brown patches can be an irrigation problem, pest or a cultural issue. Or – it […]
New State of California legislation will affect a large number of building owners. Assembly bills 1103 and 541 adopted by the California Energy Commission December 2012 will begin phasing in this July for nonresidential buildings. It requires owners of nonresidential buildings to disclose energy consumption through the Energy Star Portfolio Manager software as part of […]
Below are photos of our sheet mulching project on Carlson Blvd, Richmond Annex! Located between San Pablo Avenue/El Cerrito to the east, Carlson Boulevard is the main thoroughfare through what is referred to as the the annex, connecting downtown Richmond with downtown El Cerrito. Some sheet […]
Richmond Annex is a neighborhood in southeast Richmond. It is mostly residential and located between San Pablo Avenue/El Cerrito to the east. Carlson Boulevard is the main thoroughfare through the annex, connecting downtown Richmond with downtown El Cerrito. This corridor is experiencing a rebirth and Gardeners’ Guild won the bid to install the landscape into […]
Upon being told that the Cherry trees were in bloom at UC Berkeley, I made sure to head over there the very next day and take pictures. What Cherry trees? And, where? They are located at the Westgate entrance at UC Berkeley. Gardeners’ Guild planted them – thirty-five of them! It is a project to […]
This is Phase 1 of a complete landscape renovation project in Emeryville, for a condominium association. It is being done in conjunction with a building renovation This phase includes an irrigation upgrade, excavating all the soil in planter beds, new shrubs, trees and ground cover. It is scheduled for completion around the end of February […]
This year, Gardeners’ Guild has been honored with two prestigious awards this year for its work on a full-scale landscape renovation for a home in the Oakland Hills. The national award, presented by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) is a first-place award in its category. The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) presented the state award […]
Recently I drove along with our President and Director of Business Development to one of our current landscape installation projects in the East Bay. It’s the West Gate Cherry Tree Project in Berkeley. In fact, it is right outside of the west entrance to UC Berkeley. The purpose of the project is to recognize the […]
An irrigation audit – essentially – is an evaluation of an irrigation system’s performance. The results provide a road map on how to improve irrigation performance. It takes a trained professional, knowledgeable in irrigation and the audit process, to develop an effective irrigation audit. There are three steps in developing an irrigation system […]
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