Check out our April newsletter!
APRIL 2020
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FEEL FRESH THIS SPRING
ROBERT’S ADVICE FOR WORK, FAMILY, AND YOUR GARDEN
new season can signify a fresh start, just like a new year. Both are good times to change and recount our goals, but not necessarily to guilt ourselves into changing. It’s good to remember why we make resolutions in the first place. Often, the reason is to improve our quality of life. We don’t always think about our quality of life, or we may make judgments about it based on feelings like guilt. Guilt gets us caught up in actions and feelings that aren’t valuable uses of our time. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and one of the most important things I’ve learned from successful people about how to improve my quality of life is this: Don’t always think about the money. Instead, these successful people are thinking about their daily lives and how to improve how they feel about them.
“AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT ISN’T ABOUT WORK; IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE I SPEND TIME WITH, COWORKERS OR FAMILY.”
outside caring for my own garden, I love to play golf. My son is in golf camp right now, so I’m excited to play more with him. Taking walks with our dog, Teddy, and going to the park are some of my favorite family activities. In fact, I think any physical outdoor activity can create really great memories. This might be because, when it comes to my own quality of life, I always come back to my connection with the outdoors. I like to trust my feelings and senses, and this is why I really enjoy landscaping and gardening. If you’re looking to improve your garden for spring, I’d recommend you consider both appearance and fragrance. Visually, I love a colorful, flower-filled spring. Marigolds, begonias, salvia, and pentas flowers all blossom in gorgeous reds, oranges, and yellows during this time of year. It’s also very pretty to minimize the hard edges in your garden space. To do this, use ornamental grasses; shrubs with thin, grass-like leaves; and flowers to soften your garden’s edges. Flowering plants like gardenias can also be a great touch. They look pretty and smell great! You can also improve the fragrance of your garden by planting fruit trees (such as orange trees) that blossom in the spring and smell amazing.
As a business owner, I get really ambitious. I know that if I focus on doing one or two impactful things — and let everything else fall into place, or divide it up with my team— that can make all the difference. I like to ask myself, “What is going to benefit my day and business the most?” I think if everyone focuses hard on one or two things, that’ll get them through the rest.
I know having focus isn’t always simple; usually, we need to have a certain drive to pursue our goals and really focus. I try not to overthink it, but perhaps my drive has always been the same. At the end of the day, it isn’t about work; it’s about the people I spend time with, coworkers or family. That’s really where I feel my quality of life is the most enhanced. We spend a lot of time with the people we work with. While I’m lucky to say that my workplace is generally not very stressful, I still do my part to make sure everyone who works here has a good experience. I help pay for lunches at least once a week and provide water and ice every day. I also provide uniforms so nobody has to worry about dirtying their own clothes. I truly believe that in order to have good employees who will take care of others, I need to be willing to do the same for them. I work in the trenches as much as I can, and we run a pretty tight ship with 7–8 other people.
I hope you have a great start to your spring, friends! Until next month.
But of course, my family and faith are the most important parts of my life. This time of year, a lot of my family time is spent outdoors. Besides spending time
Robert Burns
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E ven if you aren’t very familiar with golf, you may know that the Masters Tournament is as significant to the sport as it is sentimental and prestigious. But you may not knowmuch about how this competition got its start. The Augusta National Golf Club, the golf course in Georgia where the Masters Tournament is held, is one of the most beautiful greens golfers can play on. Many professional golfers say that at the Augusta, the sun is brighter, the wind is gentler, the pines are more majestic, and the azaleas are more colorful than anywhere else in the world. The course was designed by the acclaimed British designer Alister MacKenzie, and since the club founded the Masters Tournament in 1934, many golfers have considered it among the most prestigious. The course itself has an interesting history. Bobby Jones, an amateur champion golfer of his time, turned the grounds of the Augusta from a plant nursery into a golf course. (Fun fact: Each hole is named after a tree, flower, or shrub!) After a few years, that golf course started hosting the Masters Tournament and drew the attention of loved players like Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus. The Masters has grown ever since.
FROM PLANTS TO PUTTS How Golf’s Most Prestigious Tournament Got Its Start
TEDDY’S CORNER PAW-SPECTIVE BEST CULINARY APRIL FOOLS’ PRANKS
doesn’t mean you’re unable to participate! Some of the best pranks are simply unexpected acts of kindness.
My owners always ask each other about dinner, which got me thinking: What if you told someone that you prepared their least favorite meal, then you showed up with their favorite treat instead? Such as cake? Or a spoonful of peanut butter? And, maybe, some of it fell on the floor? Oh no! That’d be terrible. Just leave it there. I’ll take care of it. What was I saying? Oh yeah ... Another great unexpected act of kindness can be simply pitching in to help out where others don’t expect it or doing favors in an unusual way. For example, you can hang laundry or make food in a silly way! I once heard that centuries ago, in 1998, Burger King released “left-handedWhoppers” that had condiments on
Now, I’m not very old — almost a year! — but I have lots of life experience. I’ve taken long walks, cuddled with humans of all sizes, and recently, I even got potty trained. (Yes, we’re accepting congratulatory cards.) So, I have a lot of advice to share!
Like most kids and pups, I don’t remember my very first April too well. But I have perky ears, and
the left side of the bun to help southpaw eaters. A silly thing you can do at home is put spaghetti noodles in a tree and tell your kids the tree started growing spaghetti. A news channel in Switzerland did this back in 1957. Surprising your loved one with a good meal is always a good go-to move to celebrate any holiday, but there are plenty of ways to be humorous about it. I highly recommend trying these food pranks, and don’t forget to leave some food for me. Get to work, people. And have a fun April!
I’ve heard a lot of great things about April Fools’ Day! In fact, I think more people should have some fun for April Fools’, even if it’s early or belated. However, while some people have great prank-playing relationships with others, not everybody enjoys those kinds of practical jokes. If that’s you, that
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OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST!
It wasn’t until 1949 that one of the Masters’ most famous traditions began: the green jacket. Champions not only get prize money and a gold medal, but they also receive a green jacket that they may keep for one year. After a year, the jacket is returned to the club. Though it remains the champion’s property, it’s stored in the clubhouse for them to wear whenever they visit.
“It was a pleasure to deal with Robert and his team. From the initial design plan to the crew doing an excellent job on the installation, my wife and I were very pleased with the outcome. I was very
Winners also get a silver Masters trophy that is made of actual silver. The original Silver Cup weighs over 130 pounds, and its base is 4 feet wide. It’s a permanent resident at the club, and each new champion and runner-up has their name engraved on it. There are no sign-ups for the Masters Tournament. Only the most dedicated, high-achieving professional golfers are invited to compete. But every year, in one of the world’s most gorgeous golf courses, millions love to sit back and watch these athletes do what they do best.
impressed with the job site being left clean and neat every day when the crew left and with the follow-up Robert did on the project. The new design gave our home a fresh, new look.” —Jim Donlin
EASY OUT
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WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL
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Robert’s Advice for Work, Family, and Your Garden About the Masters Tournament Teddy’s Corner Hear From Our Clients Take a Break The Best Locations for Spring Blooms
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SEE SPRING BLOOM In These Beautiful Locations
Spring is here, which means beautiful flowers are finally showing themselves after a long winter. Here are some of the best places in the U.S. to see flower blossoms and welcome the season.
even inspired the creation of the annualWildflower Festival inmidsummer, which features naturewalks, art, photography, culinary experiences, andmore. For a truly unique experience, you can even ascend the town’s titular Crested Butte to spot some rare alpine sunflowers next to the picturesqueWest ElkMountains.
Great Smoky Mountains
Antelope Valley
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park stretches across North Carolina and Tennessee, and while its scenery is beautiful year-round, the park is especially alluring to nature enthusiasts during the spring. Through this season, miles of lady’s-slipper orchids, irises, cardinal flowers, and lilies dot its lush green landscape. It’s dubbed “Wildflower National Park” throughout this time of year, and you can experience it by car or on foot. The park also offers expert-led tours that weave through the flowers during their peak bloom.
The California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California, is a 1,780-acre park that features sloping hills covered with fields of vibrant orange, yellow, and red poppies in the spring. Warm temperatures and heavy rainfall across Southern California during this time of year create a brief period of thick blooms as far as the eye can see. And while the poppies can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car, the best way to experience them is to walk the leisurely Antelope Loop Trail for a breathtaking, up-close adventure. Spring flora is gorgeous and naturally attracts large crowds of people every year. If you plan to visit any of these destinations, just remember that their ecosystems are delicate. Respect park signs, stay on designated trails, and do your part tomake sure these flowers return year after year for future generations to enjoy.
Crested Butte
Crested Butte, Colorado, is best known for its winter sports and summer hikes. But recently it has drawn the attention of flower enthusiasts for its unique pink, orange, and gold alpinewildflowers that appear in the spring. This natural phenomenon
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