A Trip to the Desert

Recently Ashley and Kleck were invited to visit the Rain Bird pump manufacturing facility in Tuscon, Arizona.  Rain Bird manufactures a full range of landscape and irrigation materials. They are the only company that supplies a complete irrigation system, from the pump to the irrigation heads.

In addition to touring the Rain Bird facility, Ashley and Kleck enjoyed a Jeep tour of the surrounding desert, sponsored by Rain Bird. 

The landscape was a little different from South Carolina...

Ashley and Kleck came back even more knowledgeable of the systems provided by Rain Bird. Next time you see one of them, ask them about their trip. 

Thrifty Roots

A common groundcover that produces a blanket of purple flowers in the spring, creeping phlox or "thrift" has a special connection to Heritage. As we mentioned in our company history, Robert has fond memories of  working on his uncle's thrift farm in Clinton, S.C. When going through some family papers recently, Robert came across this newspaper article from the 1960s that describes the family farm as one that, at the time, produced the largest thrift fields in the world. You can click on the image below to read the article. 

If you want to learn more about this beautiful (and easy to grow) plant, visit: http://www.gardenguides.com/69043-plant-creeping-phlox.html. 

We hope you're enjoying the spring weather. Our crews have been busy making sure your landscapes are green, well-groomed, and ready for spring flower installation. 

Going Green for St. Patrick's Day

For Heritage, "being green" has a lot of meanings. We're part of the "green industry" because our work focuses on keeping landscapes green and growing. We hold our "green certification" because we make environmentally responsible decisions. 

So it makes sense when there's a holiday where everyone wears green, we would be sure to join in. The McLeod and Harman crew gathered this afternoon for lunch and we snapped this quick picture of Robert, Kleck and Ashley with all the kids in their green. 

We hope you enjoyed this great weekend of weather as the Midlands greens up for spring. 

Transition to Propane Power

In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, Heritage Landscape Services is in the process of converting all of our lawn mowers to run on propane. We have already noticed while working on the conversions and cranking the units in our shop, there is virtually no odor and the noise level is lower when running a propane-powered lawnmower. The conversions are costly, but will have many benefits in the long run.



Several of the benefits of using propane to power our equipment include:

1. Reduced Emissions — Propane burns much more efficiently (around 90-95% efficient) than gasoline and produces less carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases. 
2. Cleanliness — Propane is not spilled like gasoline when refueling. Spilled gasoline can catch on fire when in contact with hot engine parts. 
3. Extended Engine Life — Although it takes more propane than gasoline to power an engine, less energy is wasted in combustion of propane. Engines run on propane run cooler, which means less stress on internal engine parts and extended engine life. 

These benefits summarize an article found in Mother Earth News. Read the complete article here: http://www.motherearthnews.com/safety-and-benefits-of-propane-small-engines-over-gasoline.aspx#axzz2M6VDuuV3

If you haven't already, you'll soon see our propane-powered mowers on your property. We continue to look for ways we can be a "greener" green business. Please share your suggestions.

Track Sod Installer

Heritage has recently purchased a new Track Sod Installer. It is a rubber-tracked unit with a load capacity of 2,500 lbs. and installs big rolls of sod 24" - 48" wide. It is able to lay sod very fast yet smooth because of the track's help with load displacement. The end result is new turf that looks like it has been established for years.