The season of giving has finally arrived, and Cade Howard, owner of The Grounds Guys of the Golden Triangle, recently displayed this facet by taking his team to Corpus Christi, Texas, to volunteer landscape maintenance services at a newly opened church. While the team doesn’t normally work in Corpus Christi, the pastor of Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church, Kaleb Rule, and Howard have prior ...
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Blog Posts in 2012
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THE GROUNDS GUYS® DONATE OVER $30,000 TO RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES® (RMHC®)
November 19, 2012 WACO, Texas (November 19, 2012) The Grounds Guys across North America came together to give the gift of togetherness in honor of Monika Day on Nov. 8, 2012. Throughout the U.S. and Canada, the franchises donated their time, services and household products valuing over $30,000. In 1987, Tim van Stralen and his nine brothers established a landscaping and lawn care company called Sunshine Grounds ...Continue Reading -
Proper Tips to Fall Cleanup
October 11, 2012 Leaves are changing colors, days are becoming shorter, and the air is turning cooler, signaling the arrival of fall. However, with the arrival of this new season comes a list The Grounds Guys® have compiled that will help to ensure a healthy lawn during the winter and spring months. Rake leaves before it snows because when the leaves become trapped underneath snowfall, dead patches appear in the ...Continue Reading -
Rain Barrels
October 11, 2012 From saving money to keeping communities healthier, rain barrels offer a wide range of benefits. A rain barrel is a container that catches rainwater that runs off the roof and stores it for later use. A standard barrel holds between 50 to 80 gallons of water, and homeowners can choose the size barrel they need based on the season or the amount of rainfall their area receives. By reusing the stored ...Continue Reading -
Protect Property with Fire Prevention Tips
October 5, 2012 According to the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) forty-one percent of fires in the United States are outdoor fires. Resulting in approximately 50 deaths, 875 injuries and $154 million in losses. The Grounds Guys® understand the importance of protecting a home or business. Their team has compiled simple tips to help protect your property. Maintain a ...Continue Reading -
Tips to Deter Gophers
September 20, 2012 Gophers can wreak havoc on your lawn, causing severe damage. A simple way to help rid your lawn of gophers is to first locate the main runways extending from the burrow. These usually have two tunnels heading in opposite directions and you can usually guess where those tunnels are by drawing a line from the outermost edge of the debris kicked up by the gopher. Use a metal pole to poke around the ...Continue Reading -
Refurbish Dull Lawns with Aeration and Dethatching
September 20, 2012 Lawns suffer from extended daily use. The grass grows a little less green and rainfall drains a little slower. Aerating and dethatching every year or two will have it growing strong and vibrant again. Aeration involves driving cores or spikes into the ground to bring submerged soil to the surface and introduce fresh air to the lawn. This process helps reduce soil compaction. Aerate in parallel ...Continue Reading -
Lawn Fertilization
September 20, 2012 Like people, a lawn needs adequate nutrients for good growth. That’s why it is important your lawn receive the right amount of water, care, and nutrients to grow strong and lush. Lawns also need regular fertilization to keep the grass growing and weeds out. Determining when to fertilize is an area for concern for most homeowners. Consider these four factors: climate, grass type, fertilizer type ...Continue Reading -
Helpful Fertilization Guidelines
September 20, 2012 Fertilization is a crucial element to a healthy, lush lawn. Every lawn needs nourishment, but how much depends on your grass type and environment. When determining the best fertilization program for your lawn take into consideration some of these simple tips. Many fertilizers on the market today come as a combination, or can be mixed during the same application time with other agents. Fertilizers ...Continue Reading -
Tips to Deterring Deer
September 19, 2012 Hungry deer will eat almost anything. Deer in different regions often have different palates. The deer in your backyard might be the only one in the neighborhood that enjoys gobbling morning-glories. Deer favorites are often smooth, tender and flavorful plants. Try removing these types of plants or camouflaging them around plants that are poisonous, fuzzy, coarse, spiny, bitter or very aromatic, ...Continue Reading -
The Grounds Guys Join Forces With First Lady at Mayport Naval Station
August 29, 2012 WACO, Texas (August 28, 2012) - On August 22, The Grounds Guys of Jacksonville owner and veteran, Rick Santo, joined forces with First Lady Michelle Obama at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida for the announcement that more than 2,000 companies had hired or trained 125,000 veterans and military spouses since the initial launch of the Joining Forces White House initiative in 2011. The ...Continue Reading -
The "Undercover Boss" Episode Featuring The Grounds Guys to Rerun August 10
August 7, 2012 WACO, Texas (August 7, 2012) – Dina Dwyer-Owens, chairwoman and CEO of The Grounds Guys parent company The Dwyer Group , will re-appear on CBS’s hit reality show “ Undercover Boss ,” on Friday, August 10 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. The two-time Emmy nominated show, “Undercover Boss”, originally aired The Dwyer Group episode during its third season on January 22 nd , but is now re-airing the episode. ...Continue Reading -
A Guide to Buying Sprinklers
August 2, 2012 Effective watering is crucial to your lawn’s health. First, decide how much water your lawn needs, factoring in the amount of rainfall you receive. Most lawns need an average of an inch of water per week, including rainfall. Your grass may need the most amount of water, while vegetable and flowerbeds need a constant amount of moisture during their growing seasons. An easy way to determine your ...Continue Reading -
Yard Water Conservation Tips
August 2, 2012 During a drought or general water conservation, it’s important to conserve water as much as possible. But you don’t want to let your beautiful lawn go to waste. Try some of these simple tips to conserve water, while still maintaining a lush lawn. Mulch Landscape mulch helps limit the amount of water that evaporates from the soil. While organic mulches, such as grass clippings or wood chips, are ...Continue Reading -
Pet Friendly Ground Cover
August 2, 2012 We love our pets and our plants, but what do we do when the two don’t get along. Some inventive options for ground cover, that can withstand your pet, are: Asparagus Densiflorus Sprengeri grows about 10 inches to 20 inches tall, can be trimmer and can fill an entire portion of a yard if not trimmed back. Asparagus fern is an almost indestructible fern/ground cover that can take full sun, part sun, ...Continue Reading -
Easy Steps to a Natural Lawn
July 9, 2012 Try these simple steps to achieve a naturally healthy lawn: Water Correctly – Deep, infrequent watering encourages deep roots that are more tolerant of drought and disease. Mow Smart – Do not mow short and be sure to sharpen your mower blades to prevent damaging the grass. Build up Your Soil – Use natural fertilizers in the spring and fall, reseed bald patches and top-dress annually with compost. ...Continue Reading -
Drought Preparation
July 5, 2012 Homeowners, armed with a weather forecast predicting severe drought can take proper preparations that can greatly improve the chances of their home lawn surviving, even with very limited water. The Lawn Institute in suburban Chicago has assembled the following tips to manage turf during a drought. Reduce or eliminate nitrogen fertilizer because at this time of year it overly promotes leaf growth, ...Continue Reading -
Tips to Proper Mowing
May 23, 2012 Mowing is an important factor in creating a thick, healthy lawn. However, removing more than one-third of the lawn’s height can be detrimental to the health of your lawn. Use this chart to help determine how tall your grass should be and how often it should be mowed. Grass Type Height Range Optimal Height Mowing Frequency Buffalo Grass: 1 to 2 inches 1.5 inches 7 to 14 days Centipede Grass: 1 to 2 ...Continue Reading -
When to Over-Seed a Lawn
May 23, 2012 Over-seeding is one of the most important lawn care tasks, yet few people do it. After five to six years, grass plants will slow down their reproduction rates. As this process occurs, the grass will begin to thin out, making it more susceptible to weeds. Over-Seeding compensates for that natural slow down of the turf’s reproduction and helps keep your lawn healthy and flourishing. Consult with The ...Continue Reading -
Light the Way to a Beautiful Property
May 22, 2012 Regardless of the season or setting, there is always hidden beauty waiting to be discovered in your landscape. The evening hours alone present you with countless opportunities to uncover visually stunning effects of your home or business. With correctly positioned landscape lights, ripple effects in a pond or base of a waterfall can glamorize a rather unexciting spot in the still of the night. ...Continue Reading -
Benefits to Water Features
May 17, 2012 If you're thinking about adding a pond, waterfall or other water feature to your landscape, consider some of the benefits that are associated with them. Promote a Healthier You! Water features provide soothing sights and sounds that help promote relaxation and de-stress. Through relaxation you can lower your blood pressure and improve physical and mental health as you prop your feet up and enjoy ...Continue Reading -
Pine Wilt: Is That Tree at Risk?
May 14, 2012 Wilt Pine has been active in the Midwest for more than 20 years and is the leading cause for killing Pines. The explosive summer heat and droughts play a role in the demise of Pines. The environmental stresses Pines are enduring create an opportunity for pathogens. Pine Wilt begins with the Pine Sawyer Beetle feeding on Pine twigs. The feeding itself causes little damage. However, The Pine Sawyer ...Continue Reading -
Maintaining that Groundcover
May 13, 2012 Ground covers such as English Ivy, Euonymus Coloratus, Vinca (Mrytle) and Pachysandra need special attention in order to flourish and spread. In order for these tender plants to become established and spread, they must be watered every other day for the first month and then once every week thereafter for the next two months. If planted in late Spring (after May 15 th ) or during the summer, water ...Continue Reading -
Proper Water Guidelines for New Plants
May 11, 2012 Once new plants are installed, proper watering is especially important, especially during the first full growing season of plants. Try not to over water as this can cause the plant to die, just as much as under watering. When determining if your plant needs water, use the touch and feel method at first. For best results check four to six inches with your hand, underneath the mulch line to the ball ...Continue Reading -
Trimming versus Edging a Lawn
May 10, 2012 Trimming you lawn is like icing on the cake. It’s not necessarily needed, but it makes for a much prettier display. Trimming will help add that manicured touch to your lawn. Edging is a vertical cut and trimming is a horizontal cut. Trimmers generally use heavy nylon string that rotates in a circular motion, parallel to the ground. However, edgers use short metal blades similar to a lawn mower ...Continue Reading -
Bring the Spring Cleaning Outdoors
May 9, 2012 Your home’s interior isn’t the only area that needs a little TLC after a long, cold winter! Revive your lawn from its winter hibernation with these simple tips. When the winter snow begins to melt off, it doesn’t always happen in a nice, uniform fashion. Straggling snow piles can be a problem for the health of your lawn. Having some areas of grass getting sun, and others under the shade of snow ...Continue Reading -
The Grounds Guys Receive Franchise Business Review 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Award
May 8, 2012 WACO, Texas (February 28, 2012)—The Grounds Guys® received the Franchise Business Review 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Award, part of a national project that looks at franchisee satisfaction at some of the country’s most popular franchise brands. Now in its 7th year, the “FBR50” is the only awards program to look at actual franchisee satisfaction data and rank companies based on that. Based on a ...Continue Reading -
Benefits of Mulch
May 3, 2012 Adding mulch to your flowerbed or garden is one of the best things you can do for the life of your plants, and for your wallet. A layer of mulch retains moisture better than bare soil, minimizing the need for watering. It also helps prevent soil erosion by acting as a barrier and lessening the force of impact when water hits the ground. Not only does mulch keep soil nutrients from being washed ...Continue Reading -
Maintaining Ornamental Grasses
May 1, 2012 Watering ornamental grasses to get them established is the same as for your newly planted trees and shrubs. The one difference being, if grasses begin to look a little dried out, simply cut them back and new growth should emerge. Once plants are well rooted little or no supplemental watering is required, except during periods of drought.Continue Reading -
What is Deep Root Feeding?
April 25, 2012 Trees are a valuable investment to your property. Research has shown that mature trees can increase the value of your home or business up to 20 percent. They are also an important natural resource. So it’s important to insure they receive the nutrients it needs to grow strong and healthy. A trees needs are constantly changing due to weather and environmental factors. Deep root feeding helps ensure ...Continue Reading -
Retaining Walls and Its Benefits
April 12, 2012 Retaining Walls can be both decorative and functional. Retaining walls are typically installed to hold back soil and help prevent water from eroding a hillside. Many people find retaining walls to be a great addition to their landscape as well. If you have a steep hillside, it can be difficult to plant gardens and shrubs going down a grade. A retaining wall is a great way to add additional level ...Continue Reading -
Common Causes of Brown Spots in Lawns
April 9, 2012 Identifying the cause of brown spots and discoloration in your yard is tough to do online, but The Grounds Guys™ have compiled a list of the most common causes to help get your lawn back to a healthy, green color. Brown spots will develop on nearly every lawn, and can be one of the greatest annoyances in lawn care . Even though these spots may look similar, each one may be caused by a different ...Continue Reading -
The Grounds Guys Participate in "GreenCare for Troops" To Support Local Military Families
February 21, 2012 The Grounds Guys of Central Virginia Beach is participating in “Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops in Virginia Beach, Va. “GreenCare for Troops” is a nationwide outreach program initiated by Project EverGreen that connects participating local lawn and landscape firms with families of the men and women currently deployed in the Armed Forces. In announcing the new program, Mark Taylor, Owner ...Continue Reading -
The Grounds Guys on National Hit Reality Show
January 19, 2012 Contact: Chrissy Ronje, 800.490.7501, ext. 0681 The Grounds Guys on National Hit Reality Show The Grounds Guys®, will appear on CBS’s hit reality show “ Undercover Boss ” on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. “Undercover Boss” viewers will get to see The Grounds Guys and its sister companies Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric® and Mr. Rooter® Plumbing, as Dina Dwyer-Owens, CEO and chairwoman of ...Continue Reading -
The Grounds Guys Receive 2011 Best of Holland Award
January 4, 2012 The Grounds Guys Receive 2011 Best of Holland Award TOLEDO, Ohio (January 4,2011) – The Grounds Guys® has been selected for the 2011 Best of Holland Award in the Retail Landscaping category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA). The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, USCA identifies companies they believe have ...Continue Reading