Don't Get Buned...By Bad Contractors Recently, the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Affairs announced that there has been an upswing in the number of people being ripped off by unscrupulous home improvement contractors. In several incidents, people were ripped off for thousands of dollars with little or no work around the homes to show for it. One elderly resident was even taken for $240,000. Here is a link to the article in The Gazette detailing the issue:  Gazette Article How can you be sure that you are dealing with honorable and law abiding contractors? Here is a list of things to check on before you agree to have anyone work done on your property. Insurance - Anyone working on your property should have enough General Liability insurance to cover any damage they may do to your property. The State of Maryland requires that all home improvement licensees carry a minimum of $50,000 in liability insurance. Additionally, to have a pesticide applicators license the state requires $15,000 per occurrence in liability insurance with a $30,000 annual aggregate provision. Of equal importance is that the contractor carry adequate worker's compensation insurance otherwise anyone that gets hurt working on your property can hold you responsible. Any legitimate contractor should be able to furnish you with a certificate of insurance naming you as a co-insured. (FYI: Allentuck Landscaping Co. carries $1,000,000 per occurrence in liability insurance and $500,000 per occurrence in workers compensation insurance. Protecting our clients is very important to us). Licensing - Licensure is one way that the local governments help assure that only legitimate businesses are working in our area. There are several different licenses that are required of any business doing home improvements and landscaping. Montgomery County requires every entity doing business in the county to have a Business License. The State of Maryland requires all contractors, including landscapers, to hold a Home Improvement License. Maryland also requires anyone applying pesticides to hold a Pesticide Applicators License and anyone applying fertilizer to have Nutrient Management Certification. All three of these licenses require several years of experience in the field and the passing of exams. Your contractor should be able to show you these licenses.   References - All good contractors are proud of the relationships they have with past customers and of the work they have done. If you are unsure about them, ask for three references and their contact information. Accurately Written Estimate - If it is not written, it probably will not get done. Estimates should be accurate as to what work will be completed and for what price. Do not accept open ended contracts with no finite dollar amount. Things change on many job sites but only allow them to happen with change orders, again stating what work will be changing and for how much money. Specifics matter and save everyone a lot of headaches in the end. Not every job goes exactly as planned but if you are working with a good contractor and have an open line of communications, most problems can be worked out to everyone's benefit. If you feel that you have been taken advantage of by an illegitimate contractor, there are numerous authorities available to help including Montgomery County Police Department, Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office, Montgomery's Office of Consumer Protection, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.  Let's hope that by taking the above steps, this will never be necessary for you. To find out more how Allentuck Landscaping Co. can create beautiful landscapes for you, please call us at 301-515-1900 or email at info@allentucklandscaping.com.

June Stuff To Do

June Stuff to Do Summer is here and the livin' is easy. But that does not mean there are not chores to get done. Here is a list of Stuff To Do in June. Pinch out the flower buds of fall bloomers like asters and mums to keep the plants full and bushy, and to prevent early flowering. There will be periods of drought so keep those plants watered. Click this link to find our Watering Instruction: Keep It Watered! Spot treat perennials weeds such as dandelions, plantain and clover to control them before they get out of hand. Deadhead annuals as their flowers fade so they'll know to produce more. To discourage mosquito breeding, clean birdbaths at least weekly and don't allow standing water to accumulate. (Did you know that Allentuck Landscaping Co. has a fantastic mosquito and tick control program? Contact us for information). You haven't missed tomato time yet. Go ahead and get them in the ground before it is too late. Stay on top of weeds. It's easiest to pull them after rainfall. June 14 is Flag Day. Hang out your stars and stripes. June 15 is Father's Day! Show Dad some love! To find out more how Allentuck Landscaping Co. can create beautiful landscapes for you, please call us at 301-515-1900 or email at info@allentucklandscaping.com.

April Stuff To Do - Breath

April Stuff To Do

Wow. I do not ever remember a year when we were this far behind garden-wise. It is time to get busy! Here is a list of Stuff To Do in April. 

• It is safe now to plant hardy perennials, shrubs and trees but the word from the nursery industry is that they are running 2-3 weeks behind on getting plants in, especially from the south. Look for full nurseries and garden centers around mid-month.

• It is also safe to plant the cool season annuals like pansies, dianthus and primrose. Add some color to your gardens!

• Lawn mowing will begin as cool season grasses respond to ideal temperatures and spring rain. Most lawns will need to be mowed weekly. Keep lawns between 2-3 inches in the spring. Don't forget to change the oil, spark plug and add fresh fuel.

• Transplant cool season vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks and onions.

• As plants leaf out, aphids will begin showing up too. Use an insecticidal soap to control this pest.

• Slugs continue to increase in size and numbers this month. Spread organic slug bait around the garden.

• Don't forget to turn on your outside water to water new plants adequately.

• This is a good time to clean out flower pots, add fresh soil and fertilizer. This way they will be all ready to plant next month.

• The late season also means there is less for wildlife to eat. Re-stock those bird feeders.

• Grilling season is upon us! Clean the grill with soap and water. Replace briquettes and check propane hoses for damage and leaks.

• Go to the Cherry Blossom Festival. Here is a link to there website: http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/
• BREATH. ENJOY. That is spring air out there!   

Spring - Fourth Time's A Charm

Spring - Fourth Time's A Charm

Maybe this time spring is for real? With the spring, snow, spring, snow pattern we have had this year, it has been hard for anyone to even contemplate their landscape or getting any outdoor project moving. We are confident that we have seen the last of snow (famous last words) and are now 100% in spring landscape mode!

Which brings me to reminding you that Allentuck Landscaping Co. has three outstanding maintenance programs to fit your needs.

• TotalScapes is our all inclusive program for caring for your lawn, gardens and plants. We will take care of it all so that you do not need to.
• GardenScapes takes care of you garden and plants as only our experts can. Your plants will get the TLC they deserve.
• TurfScapes will give you the lushest lawn in the neighborhood. Fertilization, weed control and seeding are all included.

In addition, we are happy to introduce two new services to our customers:

• Deer DeFence is an organic approach to keeping deer away from your plants.
• Mosquito & Tick Shield will keep the dangers of biting and stinging insects away from you and your family so you can enjoy the great outdoors.

Both services use organic products that are safe for pets, children and the environment.

Give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to tell you more about our great services.

Composting 101

Want to be more green? Here is Compost 101. A simple guide to what can and cannot go into your compost pile.

Stuff To Do In March - Heads Are Gonna Roll Mother Nature

March Stuff To Do As you are receiving this email , the Washington DC area is cleaning up from yet another snow storm. Heads are gonna roll Mother Nature. We are tired of this and we have gardening tasks to get done! Here are some things to put on your To Do List for March:     Early season weeds will start to grow (chickweed, henbit, knotweed). Pull them while they are young and small. The good news is that they will burn off quickly when it gets hot. Here is a link to help you identify these weeds: Weed Identifier It is a good time to divide and transplant perennials before they get too leafy. Plants such as hostas, daylilies and astilbe all do well by division.  Spring clean up time. Clean out the garden beds of leaves and debris. Put a nice shovel edge on them. And yes, it is not too early to put down a layer of mulch.  Prune roses just before they start to bud out. Here is a link to David Austin Roses' instructions on how to do this: Rose Pruning Instructions Attend to your indoor plants too. They've just come through a long winter and need a bit of fertilizer. Repot those that are root bound. Avoid overwatering as weakened plants are more readily subject to disease and root rot.  Plant early spring vegetables and flowers. These include spinach, lettuces, peas, and leeks as well as sweet peas.  Get out and enjoy the start of spring!  To find out more how Allentuck Landscaping Co. can create beautiful landscapes for you, please call us at 301-515-1900 or email at info@allentucklandscaping.com.

Turf Magazine - February, 2014

NORTH FEATURES

The Greatest Gift

Allentuck Landscaping nurtures a sense of community in Washington, D.C.By Mike Ingles

Click image to enlarge.

Allentuck Landscaping Company offers a complete palette of services. 
Photos courtesy of Bruce Allentuck.

Bruce Allentuck, president of Allentuck Landscaping Company, Clarksburg, Md., says his company has a symbiotic relationship with Washington, D.C. "We are grateful to the community for the success of our business and believe it is important to give back to the community in kind. It has given us a great deal of satisfaction to be able to donate time and expertise to many nonprofit organizations throughout the area."

Allentuck founded the company when he was a Montgomery County high school student and his employees then were all classmates. Allentuck incorporated his business in 1986 soon after graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in landscape horticulture and design. Now, with 30 full-time employees and a business portfolio including outdoor builds and maintenance on some of the most prestigious homes in Washington, D.C., Allentuck would rather talk in terms of what his firm has been able to give back to his community, and not what he has received.

Click image to enlarge.

Bruce and his daughter Tara at PLANET's 2013 Renewal & Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery. Bruce chaired this past year's event.

"Each year we have what is termed Company Day, a day set aside for all employees to participate in our giving program. The day begins with breakfast and continues with work on a large landscape project to benefit the community. After completing the project, the staff enjoys a picnic lunch and an amazing soccer game. This day is a chance for everyone to share in a special event that greatly enhances the community," says Allentuck. The company has participated in many different civic projects, from improvements to local schools to PLANET's the Renewal and Remembrance event at Arlington National Cemetery.

Allentuck Landscaping Company

President: Bruce Allentuck

Founded: 1986

Headquarters: Clarksburg, Md.

Markets: Washington, D.C.

Employees: 30 full time

Website:http://www.allentucklandscaping.com

Philanthropy: Children's Inn at NIH, Winter Growth, Stepping Stones Shelter, National Center for Children & Families, Hospice Cottage, Ritchie Park Elementary School, Wayside Elementary School, Ivymount School, Eastern Middle School, Manna Food Center, Jubilee Association of Maryland, Silver Spring National Guard Armory, Arlington National Cemetery

"Last year we held Company Day in April to coincide with our 25th anniversary. We donated a Children's Garden to Hospice Caring of Montgomery County. Hospice Caring has been helping terminally ill adults, children and their families by providing practical and emotional support when they need it the most. It has been an honor to partner with Hospice Caring for many, many years and to be able to create this garden for them."

The garden was dedicated to the memory of David and Helen Allentuck, Allentuck's grandparents.

"Hospice Caring of Montgomery County had cared for my grandparents, so it was personally very meaningful," says Allentuck.

This past July also saw Allentuck chair PLANET's Renewal and Remembrance service project at Arlington National Cemetery. Even though his and his employees have volunteered each of the past seven years, this past year's experience touched him deeply, he admits.

"Abraham Lincoln called it 'the last full measure of devotion.' He said this in the Gettysburg Address and was referring to a soldier giving his life for his country. It was in respect of his words that we took part in 'Renewal and Remembrance' at Arlington National Cemetery last summer," he recalls. The annual event sponsored by The Professional Landcare Network attracts 450 landscape contractors from all across the country for a day of service each July. The come to Washington D.C. at their own expense.

"We had 11 employees and their families help us do some pretty amazing work. The volunteers limed and aerated a massive acreage of turf, installed a lightning protect and support cables in trees, upgraded irrigation systems and planted two gardens to protect drainage swales. Suppliers donated three tractor-trailers of lime and dozens of pieces of equipment. While we worked, children of our volunteers enjoyed tours of the facility, a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and planted tree saplings and ornamental grasses. We (the 400-plus contractors, their employees and family members) completed close to $250,000 worth of work in one morning. To say I am proud of my staff, our peers and our industry would be an understatement," he says.

Click image to enlarge.

The company, one of the most respected in the Washington, D.C., market, offers a comprehensive array of landscaping services - from customized conceptural plans to ongoing site maintenance.

Allentuck Landscaping Company is a 50/50 company, with revenues split pretty evenly between commercial and residential. Residential services include maintenance and design/build. With 16 service trucks, the company is one of the largest landscape companies working in the D.C. area.

"We have a good mix of business and our mow teams are separate from the application side, just as our build teams are separate from the maintenance side," says Allentuck.

Going the Extra Mile. Or Two. Or Three

Click image to enlarge.

Bruce and his daughter Nellie at the 4.4-mile Great Chesapeake Bay Swim.

So what does Bruce Allentuck do when he's not building his business or giving back to his community? He stays active - very active.

When his school days rugby career came to an abrupt end he turned to running marathons, which quickly morphed into ultra-marathons and triathlons.

"I've done several Ironman competitions and in the last few years have participated in some really hard events like Death Race and The Suck (extreme training)," says Allentuck.

This past year he ran the Rim2Rim2Rim across the Grand Canyon and back. This is a 40-plus-mile hike (or run) from the Grand Canyon's South Rim to its North Rim and back to the South Rim. While the scenery is stunning and unlike anything else in the world, the annual test is not for the unfit - or for the faint of heart. Obviously. Participants experience more than 22,000 feet of elevation change in attempting to conquer the Canyon trails.

"We did it in one day with some very good friends," says Allentuck as if were as commonplace as a Sunday afternoon hike on a state park trail.

But he says a memorable experience this past year was the 4.4-mile Great Chesapeake Bay Swim that he and his 16-year-old daughter tackled. "She crushed me," he admits, adding "more very hard events are coming in 2014 if I get the time."

The design/build segment has been good for the growing company this year. Outdoor fireplaces and outdoor kitchens were especially popular. But no matter what the project, Allentuck says, "I get the most satisfaction from just creating a space that I know a family and friends are going to use together."

Although business is good now, it's somewhat dependent upon the government. For example, the government shutdown in 2013 caused some real concerns for the business. "A lot of our customers either work for the government or some related businesses. Our cash flow came to a virtual stop as people were not paying bills. They didn't know how long they would be out of work," recalls Allentuck.

Despite this, Allentuck says the his market is pretty much like any other large metro area, with the same challenges of meeting customers' expectations and dealing with traffic. With 16 service trucks and employees operating throughout the D.C. area, logistics and traffic remain a problem for all service companies.

"The traffic in D.C. is killer and can really beat up our productive time. Along with timely service, we are probably not different than any other area of the country," he says.

Because the company does not maintain government facilities, the impact of Homeland Security in D.C. does not greatly affect them.

Click image to enlarge.

The design/build segment of Allentuck Landscaping has been good for the company, with outdoor fireplaces and kitchens being especially popular.

"We are really not in the government sector, so security has not been an issue for us. However, we did do a roof terrace on a building that overlooks the White House this summer. We were required to notify Secret Service that we were up there. Turns out they were listening to us through parabolic microphones the whole time," says Allentuck. "We also had to shut down a main road on a Saturday in order to crane everything up to the roof. That gets exciting."

Mike Ingles is a freelancer writer living in Columbus, Ohio, who writes articles about business and the green industry. Contact him at duckrun22@gmail.com.

February Stuff To Do

   February Stuff To Do

  

We are just about there, can you feel it? Spring is knocking on the door. Here are some garden tips to help you get ready for the busy season ahead.

• Spring bulbs are emerging this month. Exposed leaves may get burned a little by the cold temperatures. This will not harm the flower buds.
• Spread wood ashes around vegetable gardens, flower bulb beds and non-acid loving plants.
• Continue to feed wild birds. Black oil sunflower seeds and suet cakes are a good choice for a wide variety of birds. Keep bird feeders clean and provide water.
• Trees can still be pruned now. You may notice excessive sap bleeding from pruning cuts on elm, maple, birch, dogwood, beech, walnut, magnolia, tulip poplar and redbud. This bleeding is harmless to the tree.
• Cut back overgrown shrubs. They will leaf out more quickly if you do any hard pruning at this time of the year.
• Trim ornamental grasses, mondo grass and liriope.
• Plant asparagus crowns when the soil is dry enough to work.
• If starting vegetables and herbs indoors, set up fluorescent growlights and gather needed materials.
• Order flowers for your sweetheart - Valentine's Day is right around the corner!

To find out more how Allentuck Landscaping Co. can create beautiful landscapes for your projects, please call us at 301-515-1900 or email info@allentucklandscaping.com.

My Day Cooking for The Dwelling Place

My Day Cooking for The Dwelling Place

There are not too many days that move me as yesterday did. I had the opportunity to take part in an even sponsored by The Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County (https://cvc-mc.org/) , an organization that Allentuck Landscaping Co. has been active in for many years. The event was to work with The Campus Kitchens Project at the Universities at Shady Grove (https://www.facebook.com/UMES.CK) to prepare meals for the families served by The Dwelling Place (http://tdp-inc.org/) . Our company and our customers had donated food to The Dwelling Place in the past so I was very pleased to be more involved

.
A little background on these excellent organizations:

The Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County is an organization that educates businesses on how to partner with and support non-profit organizations by helping create successful volunteer/charitable programs that positively impact the business, its employees and the local community.

The Campus Kitchens Project is a national leader in community service for students and is the future of hunger relief. It is active in 34 schools across the country. In many schools, the students work to recover extra food from their cafeterias. In the case of this chapter, the students in the hospitality program actually prepare the meals and distribute them. A true win-win stuation.

The Dwelling Place is a nonprofit organization that helps low income families in Montgomery County achieve housing and financial stability.

The afternoon started with a presentation by the head chef/instructor and students at The Campus Kitchens Project. They told us that they prepare 600 meals each month through monetary and in-kind donations, in all, 13,000 meals in the last 6 years. Very impressive. We also listened to the director of The Dwelling Place and learned more about their mission and challenges. We have poverty and people struggling even here in Montgomery County.

Next it was on to the kitchen. We would be preparing three different recipes for sixteen families of four. We worked in teams on the different recipes removing fat and bones from chicken breasts, cutting up broccoli, mixing ingredients and putting together the final meals to go into the oven. It was a lot of hard work but very enjoyable.

One of the nice things about the activity was the opportunity to get to know some of our fellow members a little better. I also got to be fully impressed by the students as well. These kids had their act together; they ran the commercial kitchen like seasoned (no pun intended) restaurant professionals and totally got the mission of service to others. I really enjoyed talking to them one on one and learning their stories and goals.

The day ended with a new group of volunteers who would be partnered with students to make deliveries to the families.

By the way, if you are interested in helping The Campus Kitchens Project, they are holding Dining With The Chefs on Monday April 21, 2014. It sounds like another fantastic event. Check http://tinyurl.com/moettsq or their facebook page for more information.

To learn more about Allentuck Landscaping Co.'s involvement in the community, please visit http://www.allentucklandscaping.com/our_community.html.

Allentuck Landscaping Co. is a leading landscape contractor in Montgomery County, Maryland

Benefits for Your Landscape Compliments of the Polar Vortex.

From Lawn and landscape Magazine:

Some good news for Maryland landscapes - there is a benefit to be gained from the polar vortex! Say adios to some bad pests. 

One upside to the deep freeze

INDUSTRY NEWS

Experts say the extreme cold temeperatures are a chance to kill off invasive species.

| January 9, 2014

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While some people were cursing a canceled flight or wishing they had donned an extra layer on Tuesday, when temperatures in the region took a deep dive, entomologists, foresters and naturalists were rooting for the mercury to drop even lower. That is because the extreme cold has the potential to beat back some of the invasive insects threatening treasured local tree and plant species.

“You do think, ‘Oh great, maybe some of those nasty insects are going to get zapped today,’” says Mark Fisher, director of conservatories and horticultural programs at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. “It’s Mother Nature’s way of dealing with this issue.”

The insects, whether introduced pests like the hemlock woolly adelgid or native ones like the southern pine beetle, have weakened forests from Cape May, N.J., to Litchfield County in Connecticut. They are uncannily adept at surviving the winter, but most have a breaking point. And this week, that point was nigh.

“The lethal temperature for the woolly adelgid is minus 4 or 5 degrees Fahrenheit,” says Richard S. Cowles, a scientist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, a state research center. “I was cheering a couple of days ago because most of the adelgids will be dying from the temperatures we saw.”

Dr. Cowles, an entomologist, admitted to rejoicing that temperatures for the early morning hours of Saturday had ranged from 3 degrees to minus 9 in the state. Then came another deep freeze on Tuesday. “At that temperature, ice crystals start forming in the woolly adelgid’s body, and it kills them,” he says.

But entomologists cautioned that once an invasive species has arrived, it is almost always a matter of managing the population, not eradicating it. Some will inevitably survive. Dr. Cowles said that the adelgid population could still rebound within two years.

An aphid-like insect, introduced to the United States in the 1950s from Japan, the woolly adelgid has killed hundreds of thousands of Eastern hemlocks in Connecticut alone since arriving there in the 1980s. The pest, about the size of a period, can pierce the base of needles and suck out the tree’s nutritional supply. The adult can survive the winter on a branch.

Extreme cold is a fortuitous management tool. But with a warming climate, it is one that scientists cannot count on. “The weather will give them a temporary setback, but as soon as the weather warms up, they will take off again,” says Jan Nyrop, a professor of entomology and senior associate dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

In the Pinelands in southern New Jersey, state foresters have been battling the southern pine beetle. The beetle can tunnel through a tree’s bark, eating a layer of tissue that supplies the tree with critical nutrients. Until recently, the beetles, which are native to the southern United States, did not survive north of Delaware, because of the cold. But that has changed as winters have turned milder.

The past century in New Jersey has seen a warming trend of 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit. More important than average temperatures in the beetles’ spread is the lack of periodic cold snaps in which the temperature plunges to minus 8 degrees.

The Pinelands have not experienced that kind of cold since 1996, and the first southern pine beetles were detected several years later. Whether the recent deep chill was enough to thwart their progress remains to be seen. The temperature for the past week in Chatsworth, N.J., in the heart of the Pinelands, reached a low of minus 7 on Saturday.

Ron Corcory, the project coordinator for the southern pine beetle with the New Jersey State Forestry Services, said that “sustained, very cold” weather was a powerful weapon. “We’re certainly optimistic that this will have some impact, but we won’t know until the spring,” he says. “We’d want to see a lot of green tops of trees.”

Emerald ash borers need even colder temperatures to succumb. The insects were first detected in 2002, after they arrived on wood pallets from China, and have since killed tens of millions of ash trees in more than 20 states. Studies suggest that temperatures must plummet to minus 30 degrees in order to achieve widespread mortality, and foresters and scientists in Minnesota and Illinois, where it was that cold this week, were hoping for a die-off.

But in New York, scientists were setting their sights on other targets. Amy Berkov, an assistant professor of biology at City College of New York, said she was hoping for some downward pressure on ticks, some of which spread Lyme disease. She recalled a field trip during the unusually mild winter two years ago when one of her students came back bearing a tick.

Dr. Berkov, who specializes in tropical ecology, said that she was warmed by this week’s cold. “Even though I work in the tropics, I like a seasonal climate,” she says. “I think it does tamp down some of these things that we’d rather not be seeing more of.”

Source: NY Times