This is the start of a long story! After 4 years of hearing about Rakow Road being widened along side of our offices and garden center we received our official letter from McHenry County. Since our offices are only 2' 3" from the present right of way and the county is taking 20 more feet it looks like they will take our building, our silo (booo! This is the only remaining structure from the original barn and namesake.) and all of our greenhouses along the north side. Never a dull moment at the Barn!
So, the process of condemnation has just begun. This is our 3rd condemnation in about 20 years. Many of you have watched these changes over the years. When Rakow Road was built, we lost 100 ft, leaving the road mere inches from our windows. (Give a wave while waiting for the light!) A few years later, the state widened Rt 31 and took another 10-20 ft of the front of our property. We do hear the occasional rumors that "The Barn is closing." We want to reassure our customers that despite what you hear, "The Barn is NOT closing" despite this major inconvenience and the huge costs involved with re-building and moving our garden center. It will cost us 1000's of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars, but we are committed to coming out of this better than ever. So, you will be seeing some major changes over the next couple of years. Please wish us luck and I will keep you posted.
TKSR
Monday, January 18, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
What to do with all this snow?
Fluff time is here! When is is 26-30 degrees and it snows we get the wet, high moisture heavy snow. But these last few snows have come with cold temps and that gives us a dry, fluffy snow. Now is when I dont mind shoveling. Not so much because it is easier, because I dont mind the heavy work out that comes when shoveling the heavy stuff. But the fluffy snow is snow I can use to bury my plants without breaking their branches. I actually go around and bury all my sensitive plants or give the trees extra insulation over the root systems. Snow is the best insulation there is. Evern after all the super cold weather, under 12" of snow or more there is still no frozen ground, just nice cool, moist soil.
If you need to apply Wiltpruf or "anti-dessicant" material to your sensitive plants, especially senstive evergreens or broadleaf evergreens now is the time to start watching the weather. You will need a temp of 45 degrees or higher for 4-6 hours to successfully apply this product, so keep a lookout. Anytime this can be applied before March 1st it will really protect those senstive needles and foliage. Some plants that benefit from this are Rhododendron, azalea, arborvitae, spruce and pine, yews, boxwood and false cypress especially when these groups are exposed to heavy west winds, lots of south or west sunlight or are in any road salt & spray.
TKSR
If you need to apply Wiltpruf or "anti-dessicant" material to your sensitive plants, especially senstive evergreens or broadleaf evergreens now is the time to start watching the weather. You will need a temp of 45 degrees or higher for 4-6 hours to successfully apply this product, so keep a lookout. Anytime this can be applied before March 1st it will really protect those senstive needles and foliage. Some plants that benefit from this are Rhododendron, azalea, arborvitae, spruce and pine, yews, boxwood and false cypress especially when these groups are exposed to heavy west winds, lots of south or west sunlight or are in any road salt & spray.
TKSR
First!!!!
Welcome to Rob’s first posting. Aren’t you excited? I know I am! Now I know you are probably asking yourself what in the world does a landscape designer do during the winter that anybody would care about? Well, the answer is not much, but we’re going to give this thing a go anyway.
This January has already been pretty busy for me. Obviously there was New Years Day and all of the football games (Go Big Ten), the Orange Bowl the 5th (Go Hawks), the National Title Game the 7th (I love college football if you haven’t caught on), a 10 inch snow that I plowed for 14 hours over a 2 day period, and my car is in the shop after someone backed into me while I was parked in our lot at work. Some good, some bad.
Through all of that though I am actually getting some work done around the office. I am currently helping to make our website bigger and better. We are adding more pictures, changing some of the layout, and maybe putting in a few surprises. So make sure to check it out to see what’s new.
I am also helping to work on some new advertizing ideas and layouts. You may see some of these new ideas in the new edition of the Quintessential Barrington.
Another thing that I am helping to work on are monthly newsletters that will be emailed out to all of our Barn Nursery customers. Each month will have a new topic that will feature either current landscape ideas or projects that we are working on or have completed. Hopefully this will be educational if not at least interesting.
Even with all of that I am still working on designs and bids. Most people think they need to wait until spring, but actually this is the best time to get started. Getting started now means that we have more time to work on the designing and planning, which is the most important part. The other benefit is scheduling. If you want to get your job installed before June I would recommend contacting me before April.
Well, that wasn’t so bad. And for those who thought that we had a 3 month vacation once the snow started to fly, think again.
Rob Baughman
Landscape Designer/ Project Manager
This January has already been pretty busy for me. Obviously there was New Years Day and all of the football games (Go Big Ten), the Orange Bowl the 5th (Go Hawks), the National Title Game the 7th (I love college football if you haven’t caught on), a 10 inch snow that I plowed for 14 hours over a 2 day period, and my car is in the shop after someone backed into me while I was parked in our lot at work. Some good, some bad.
Through all of that though I am actually getting some work done around the office. I am currently helping to make our website bigger and better. We are adding more pictures, changing some of the layout, and maybe putting in a few surprises. So make sure to check it out to see what’s new.
I am also helping to work on some new advertizing ideas and layouts. You may see some of these new ideas in the new edition of the Quintessential Barrington.
Another thing that I am helping to work on are monthly newsletters that will be emailed out to all of our Barn Nursery customers. Each month will have a new topic that will feature either current landscape ideas or projects that we are working on or have completed. Hopefully this will be educational if not at least interesting.
Even with all of that I am still working on designs and bids. Most people think they need to wait until spring, but actually this is the best time to get started. Getting started now means that we have more time to work on the designing and planning, which is the most important part. The other benefit is scheduling. If you want to get your job installed before June I would recommend contacting me before April.
Well, that wasn’t so bad. And for those who thought that we had a 3 month vacation once the snow started to fly, think again.
Rob Baughman
Landscape Designer/ Project Manager
Monday, December 28, 2009
A girl, a shovel and about 10,000 bulbs*
My New Years Resolution as it applies to garden projects: Plan ahead, Slow down and rely on my friends at the Barn.
At my old job, there were two schools of thought on business personalities. You were either "Aim, Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire" (kindof how my brother hunts) or "Aim, Aim, Aim, Aim, Fire" (kindof how my husband approaches a home improvement project). I was always more like my brother, but I am thinking when it comes to gardening a little more Aim could be a huge help.
So, long after a sane person would plant bulbs, after the first minor snowfall, I decided we absolutely, positively needed to plant the front of the garden center with bulbs to add some color for spring. After consulting with no one, I set out Saturday morning with the idea that I would knock this project out quickly and feel like a real landscaper!
I gathered my supplies, roped a yard boy into helping me and went to work. Both he and I quickly realized our project was in trouble. First, I had no plan. My assistant realized this almost immediately and quickly disappeared, never to return. I always thought he was a pretty smart guy, but this proves he is much more intelligent than I originally gave him credit for. Looking back, the incredulous looks pretty much everyone gave me as I announced my plan was a polite heads up I chose to ignore. And I think I did start crying when I told Heather I was done and she sweelty informed me that there was an entire cart of tulips left.
A number of hours later, I was able to collapse on my couch and I realized although I was tired, I felt good. It wasnt as hard as I thought, and while I am scared of the results, and a little nervous for next spring, I learned a lot of lessons that I can apply to next year.
First, the Barn has some great people with a lot of experience, and I should have relied on that. Second, if I had spent about 10 minutes deciding where and how to plant the bulbs, before I just started digging, it would have been a lot easier. Third, don't bother using anything else besides a good old fashioned shovel. Seriously.
*slightly exaggerated!
At my old job, there were two schools of thought on business personalities. You were either "Aim, Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire" (kindof how my brother hunts) or "Aim, Aim, Aim, Aim, Fire" (kindof how my husband approaches a home improvement project). I was always more like my brother, but I am thinking when it comes to gardening a little more Aim could be a huge help.
So, long after a sane person would plant bulbs, after the first minor snowfall, I decided we absolutely, positively needed to plant the front of the garden center with bulbs to add some color for spring. After consulting with no one, I set out Saturday morning with the idea that I would knock this project out quickly and feel like a real landscaper!
I gathered my supplies, roped a yard boy into helping me and went to work. Both he and I quickly realized our project was in trouble. First, I had no plan. My assistant realized this almost immediately and quickly disappeared, never to return. I always thought he was a pretty smart guy, but this proves he is much more intelligent than I originally gave him credit for. Looking back, the incredulous looks pretty much everyone gave me as I announced my plan was a polite heads up I chose to ignore. And I think I did start crying when I told Heather I was done and she sweelty informed me that there was an entire cart of tulips left.
A number of hours later, I was able to collapse on my couch and I realized although I was tired, I felt good. It wasnt as hard as I thought, and while I am scared of the results, and a little nervous for next spring, I learned a lot of lessons that I can apply to next year.
First, the Barn has some great people with a lot of experience, and I should have relied on that. Second, if I had spent about 10 minutes deciding where and how to plant the bulbs, before I just started digging, it would have been a lot easier. Third, don't bother using anything else besides a good old fashioned shovel. Seriously.
*slightly exaggerated!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Give a wave to your snowplow guy!
Hey, this storm looks like trouble and for those of you whose snowplowing we do, look for us in your driveways, ahead of Santa's arrival, salting, plowing and shoveling a path for your familys safety and comfort. I have to admit, the first big snow storm of the year is always a big rush of excitement around here. The phones are buzzing with customers getting signed up, renewing contracts and making sure we will be there. The rush wears off though, as we and our families realize we might not make those holiday parties or will arrive, late, cold and tired, as soon as we can.
In the meantime, we are taking good care of our customers and are proud to do it. We wish you all a very safe and merry Christmas and if you happen to see us in your driveway, give us a wave!
TKSR
In the meantime, we are taking good care of our customers and are proud to do it. We wish you all a very safe and merry Christmas and if you happen to see us in your driveway, give us a wave!
TKSR
Sustainability?
Due to a lack of material from Tom & Tom, this blog will feature a guest blogger - me, Julie, Tom's daughter and Tom's sister. I figured I might as well post myself, rather than ghost write for them because as anyone who knows them both would have to admit, you can tell the difference.
Sustainability is a big buzz word in our industry this year. You are going to be hearing a lot about sustainability, and I have to speak on behalf of most of us here: we are a little confused.
Personally, my husband works from home, with no commute, and I didnt even buy my first car until I was practically 30 years old. Professionally, I feel at least partly responsible for the fact that the Barn sells about 10K trees and shrubs per year - and what is more sustainable than that? Unfortunately, I am guessing many of our customers are claiming those trees towards minimizing their own carbon footprints, so I suppose my green self-esteem is a little exaggerated.
But back to our confusion. Can we be more "sustainable"?
In order to get our heads wrapped around this thing, we are dedicating our winter, our educational classes, training and time to make sure we can be as sustainable as possible. As a company, we know we should lead the green movement - not lag behind, because we do this job out of love and with passion and that love is a job benefit that not many people get to experience.
Some of this is simple and you will see it at the garden center. Look for plant labeling to include drought tolerance, notes on natives and more. Check out our organic selection of fertilizers and pesticides. Our landscape team is ready to design your rain gardens and outdoor living areas to work with nature, not against.
We have two upcoming projects in our Sustainability initiative. First, an all day sustainability conference, including classes, as part of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association's annual winter conference. The second is joining MELA - the Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association. We are all very excited about both and I look forward to sharing what we learn with our customers in 2010.
JJ
Sustainability is a big buzz word in our industry this year. You are going to be hearing a lot about sustainability, and I have to speak on behalf of most of us here: we are a little confused.
Personally, my husband works from home, with no commute, and I didnt even buy my first car until I was practically 30 years old. Professionally, I feel at least partly responsible for the fact that the Barn sells about 10K trees and shrubs per year - and what is more sustainable than that? Unfortunately, I am guessing many of our customers are claiming those trees towards minimizing their own carbon footprints, so I suppose my green self-esteem is a little exaggerated.
But back to our confusion. Can we be more "sustainable"?
In order to get our heads wrapped around this thing, we are dedicating our winter, our educational classes, training and time to make sure we can be as sustainable as possible. As a company, we know we should lead the green movement - not lag behind, because we do this job out of love and with passion and that love is a job benefit that not many people get to experience.
Some of this is simple and you will see it at the garden center. Look for plant labeling to include drought tolerance, notes on natives and more. Check out our organic selection of fertilizers and pesticides. Our landscape team is ready to design your rain gardens and outdoor living areas to work with nature, not against.
We have two upcoming projects in our Sustainability initiative. First, an all day sustainability conference, including classes, as part of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association's annual winter conference. The second is joining MELA - the Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association. We are all very excited about both and I look forward to sharing what we learn with our customers in 2010.
JJ
Friday, December 18, 2009
Winter Plans - is spring already around the corner?
Every April, we are bombarded with calls and emails from customers looking to get plans in place and jobs on the schedule. We LOVE to hear from you guys, but I would love to suggest adding "Call the Barn." to your To Do list this winter! There is nothing I would love more than to come out, get a plan together and have your home on our schedule first this spring. It is disappointing to us and to new and old customers to hear that we can't get to your project as soon as you would like - so don't delay. We work year round and are waiting to hear from you.
As for some personal updates, The Barn had a fun filled potluck at the store yesterday. The biggest surprise - all the kids!! How did it happen that in just 2 years it seems like everyone had babies. It adds a lot of fun and energy to the party. Next year, we will have to see if Santa can stop by. We also do a beer swap - the highlight of many of our landscape guys day. It was great to see all our employees and wish them Happy Holidays.
Happy holidays and best wishes for a prosperous and happy 2010 to you!
TKSR
As for some personal updates, The Barn had a fun filled potluck at the store yesterday. The biggest surprise - all the kids!! How did it happen that in just 2 years it seems like everyone had babies. It adds a lot of fun and energy to the party. Next year, we will have to see if Santa can stop by. We also do a beer swap - the highlight of many of our landscape guys day. It was great to see all our employees and wish them Happy Holidays.
Happy holidays and best wishes for a prosperous and happy 2010 to you!
TKSR
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