Chapter Beautification Awards Are Here!

I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s time to start thinking about your Beautification Award entries. April is a good time to analyze which jobs you think will do best in the competition and are the easiest to get ready. When deciding which projects to enter, here are a couple things to keep in mind. If it’s a maintenance job, you have to have had the account for at least one year before the judging. If it’s an installation job, the work needs to be 100% complete before the judging. This year’s judging will take place June 15-17. Click here to learn more.

For those of you who haven’t entered the competition in the past and are looking to do so this year, here are some tips for getting your projects ready.

If you’re entering an installation job, make sure all of your plant heights are correct and that the grading of planters and lawns have positive fall to all of the drains. Make sure all trees are planted correctly and are staked to industry standards. Check the spacing of all sprinklers and ensure coverage is correct. Make sure all valve locations, valve boxes, and quick couplers are located in areas not to impact the aesthetics of the landscape. All drip irrigation should be top dressed to camouflage the piping. Controllers should have a panel schedule in them. All lighting fixtures should be straight and directionally correct, with wires buried. Masonry must be of top quality and have a professional appearance.

If you’re entering a maintenance job, obviously green healthy lawns go a long way. Hedges should be level to grade. Trees pruned, and if needed, staked correctly. All areas should be weed-free and clean of debris. Annual color should have evenly spaced patterns and be graded correctly. If possible, bare dirt areas should have top dressing. All pots should be clean, organized, and healthy. And, the most important thing for ALL projects, installation and maintenance, is that they’re properly irrigated.

Don’t forget to tell your homeowner, HOA, or property manager that you would like to enter their property into the competition. They will be excited about it. Be sure to let them know if there is any cost to them for sprucing things up. In most cases, they will not have a problem paying for it. This should not be a situation that costs you any money. However, if they don’t have the money, or feel you should pay for it, you will need to decide how important it is to enter that project. In my opinion, if it is a nice project that can be used for advertising and helps to give you good exposure, then it IS worth it.

Remember, consistency in anything is a good thing. Being able to tell your customers that you are a consistent winner every year is huge. It also makes your crews strive for a higher consistent quality.

~Sincerely, Dave, 2023 CLCA OC Chapter President