looking for green landscaping maintenance co in Tempe

[drmeow]

I converted my yard to partial desert landscaping a few years ago. For the first few years the company that did the install was maintaining it using predominantly green/organic techniques. Unfortunately, the owner moved to Colorado and the company he referred us to was problematic so I've been trying to do the maintenance myself. However, the reality is that I don't have the time to devote to it and I'm not necessarily very good at it I'm looking for a company to maintain the yard (at least partially) using similar green/organic techniques. I live in Tempe. Any recommendations?

[Kali]

1. maybe check with the Desert Botanical Garden

[phone]

[drmeow]

2. I believe I did before

with no success - although that might have been when I was looking for someone to do the conversion.

[Kali]

3. I sent an email to my sister, who lives up there

let's see if she and her cohorts have any ideas. I know she has a crew that comes through and does the grass and some trimming/clean-up at her place near ASU, but don't think they do chems or fertilizers for her and I doubt if they are organic for thier other customers.

who knows? maybe you could just request no chemicals and all trim/waste to a compost pile? what else makes them particularly "green"?

[drmeow]

4. Thanks

The grass is the easy(ish) part - I don't care as much about the weeds in the grass and organic fertilizer is relatively easy to come by. It is keeping the xeriscaped part reasonably weedfree that is a challenge. I'd be happy to find someone who will weed that area and take responsibility for fertilizing when it is needed and "clean-up" (rake, blow - I don't want to buy a blower but not having one is sorely missed) and compost the stuff other than the grass clippings (with Bermuda mulching is the best route). My last guy used electric rather than gas equipment, recycled fish something for fertilizer, and hauled away the compost materials (I have limited use for compost right now). He also never sent out a crew without a lead gardener who was trained in horticulture which I really appreciated (there are a lot of fly-by-night outfits here and most of them don't really know what they are doing - the guy who works on the property across the street keeps trimming the frost damaged plants right after they are damaged ... you are supposed to leave the damage on the plant till after the last threat of frost).

[Kali]

5. didn't want you to think I forgot

but there hasn't been much response to my e-mail other than jokes about goats...sorry

if you are just wanting mechanical weeding, I would think any kind of crew could handle that...

I know what you mean about the fly-by-night companies, LOL both my sons have worked for various of them. one son is still interested in the trade, but he is in Tucson or I would try to set you up (and I am not sure he would be as green as either you or I would wish! - I use a horse to mow the lawn and corral dirt/chicken coop cleanings for fertilizer)

[drmeow]

6. Thanks, Kali

My last landscaper was full service - he had done the original installation, warrantied the plants, and was really a personal gardener rather than just someone who took care of my yard. We paid through the nose for the service but the yard looked beautiful all the time. I'm willing to pay that price again (once I get a full time job) but not if they are going to use chemical pesticides and herbicides. And it just keeps raining (especially on the weekends) so I can even get the weeding caught up even though I'm only working part time! If I could get the whole yard fully weeded, I could probably do the basics myself but once I get a full time job again, I'm not sure that's how I want to spend my free time.