Shade, Safety, and Style
As the summer sun kicks into full gear, now is a great time to take a fresh look at how your landscape works for you, especially in terms of comfort, energy efficiency, and visual appeal.
Strategic tree planting is one of the smartest and most rewarding upgrades you can make this time of year. Beyond enhancing curb appeal, thoughtfully placed trees can serve multiple purposes, including the following:
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Framing architecture and walkways
Creating layered privacy Blocking unwanted views
Adding structure and balance to open spaces
But there’s also a deeper value: saving energy. Planting deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves in winter) on the south and west sides of your home can provide much-needed shade during the hottest months, significantly reducing the temperature around your house and lowering cooling costs. In the winter, those same trees allow sunlight to filter through and help warm your home naturally. It’s a beautiful way to combine aesthetics with long-term efficiency. And while trees lead during the day, landscape lighting transforms your property after sunset. Quality lighting enhances the ambiance and highlights the textures, colors, and architectural features that go unnoticed in daylight. It also provides these benefits:
WHY SUMMER IS THE BEST TIME TO ADD TREES AND LIGHTING
GAVIN’S GUYS Grading, Grading, Grading!
Hello, everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying the start of summertime. By the time you read this update, school will be over for me until the fall. Although I’m away from class for the next couple of months, I will be very busy before I start middle school in September. As I mentioned in my last message, I’ve been helping my dad at the farm. And, back in April, he started having me operate a big grading machine, which makes me feel like I’m operating a tank! I’ve driven carts and other smaller stuff before, but working with machinery of this size has been a new and exciting experience. Operating heavy equipment at 11 is a dream come true for me! Right now, we’re working to smooth out about 30 acres of land. We put in 10–12-hour days, including driving an hour each way to the farm. I love being outside and doing meaningful work, and working every day has made me love farming even more. When I go to trade shows with Dad, I give the companies my contact information.
I’ve been getting equipment and machinery magazines sent to me, and I keep them organized in a binder in my room. I update Dad on the equipment we need and how much it costs. Speaking of grading, Dad took me off the machine for a short time before school got out so I could focus more time on improving my math and language grades. At first, I didn’t think I’d need to learn about these subjects much as a would-be farmer, but Dad convinced me that I’d need those skills to handle budgeting and communicating with others in my career down the road. He inspired me to work harder at school, and I was back on the machine in no time! I hope everyone reading this message enjoys the summer! I’ll leave you with a lesson I learned as a farmer: The season can be a lot of fun, but you need to stay hydrated along the way!
I’ll be back with another update in the fall!
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LANDSCAPE - HARDSCAPE - IRRIGATION - OUTDOOR LIGHTING
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