The JOYS of Lavender

This fantastic herb has so many great qualities that it's no wonder people love it. It's easy to grow, smells great, is deer resistant, bees love it but snails don't, and it has uses in the home from cooking to fragrance. It is also easy to grow in Sonoma County and if planted correctly, will last at least 4-5 years.

There are three main types of lavender and over 40 named varieties. Spanish lavender is the first to bloom in the spring, the English has a daintier flower with the most popular variety being the Hidcote and the French lavender from Provence has the sweetest scent and is mostly what is used in the cosmetic industry. Regardless of the type of lavender, they all need good drainage and shun soggy areas. Mixing compost with the soil is also suggested and these plants do very well on a sloping area of your garden. The other requirement for this plant to thrive is sunshine-these herbs require at least 6 hours of direct sun a day. 

Lavender is harvested twice a year, June/July and again in September/October. Sonoma County has several festivals that celebrate this ancient and beautiful herb so check them out.

It's that time of year-Weed Abatement!

Weeds...we all hate them but as property owners we are all responsible for their elimination. This year, more than ever with drought conditions making us all increasingly susceptible to the high cost and damage of fire, high weed abatement is more important than ever. The defensible space should extend at least 30 feet from your property in all directions and here are some other precautionary measures to take:

• Create common areas between structures
• Remove dead tree limbs that overhang any part of a structure
• Clear pine needles and debris from your roof
• Clear flammable vegetation near storage containers and wood piles

Sonoma County requires all high weeds to be cut down by June 1st or you will be fined. We're here to help with this labor intensive task so please contact Bob Cerri at 707-578-2657 to schedule service.

5 Landesign Employees Graduated from the WHEEL Program!

WHEEL is an acronym for Worksite Held Employee English Learning sponsored by the Farm Bureau in partnership with the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. The purpose behind the program is to increase English language skills. This is an 8 week program that provides benefits to both the employer and the employee. Safety, self confidence, higher productivity, and enhanced community life are just a few of the benefits.

Landscape believes in the importance of workplace development to the community as a whole. That's why we're excited and proud to announce that 5 of our employees have recently graduated.



Here's why it's such a great program. Employees average a 15% gain in life skills and reading assessment during their first 8 week session of English classes. Employees that completed 8, 8-week sessions increased their basic English skills by 88.9%. When students were asked where they have applied their new-found English skills here's what they said. As business owners we benefit from having happy, successful and engaged employees so all in all, the WHEEL Program is a win-win.

Great Careers Begin Here

What a beautiful Spring! There's lots going on that's keeping all of us busy on work sites and in the office training new hires that will be announced in upcoming newsletters throughout the summer. In addition, we are also on the lookout for good people to work in both our maintenance and construction divisions.

At Landesign Construction & Maintenance, Inc. we are always anxious to meet skilled, qualified people who share our enthusiasm for landscape excellence. We place a high priority on training and professional growth and if you continue reading you'll learn more about one of the local programs in which some of our employees have been active participants.

Get out there and enjoy the clean air and beautiful landscapes that surround us in the beautiful North Bay. If you love working outdoors, consider us a place to help build your career or, the career of someone you know.

 www.landesign-inc.com/about/careers.php