The Oregonian - A Second Go at Grooming Yards

As seen in The Oregonian article dated April 21, 2005, written by Dana Tims.

 

John Darby’s initial plunge into the landscaping business hardly could be called voluntary.

Darby’s father, a homebuilder in Southern Oregon, thought he knew just ‘the punishment to exact’ when his middle-school-age son misbehaved.  “He made me go out and clean up underbrush, trim shrubs and heap it all into piles to burn,” Darby says.

But in a Brer Rabbit-like turnabout, Darby found that he enjoyed the work.  He soon began anticipating each new assignment.  With the threat of punishment all but nullified, a profession was born.

 

Question:  What sorts of work do you specialize in?

Answer:  We do a lot of different things.  We do water features, lots of different plant materials, paver patios, flagstone work, stone column projects.  We specialize in doing things on hillsides, as well as Japanese pagodas and Asian gardens with bamboo.

 

Question:  How many employees do you have?

Answer:  I have seven regular employees.  We’ll add as many as 30 seasonal workers during the growing season.  Most of them are from Mexico.  They are very loyal, and they are really hard workers.  I always make sure I have at least one worker at every job site who can communicate effectively with the homeowner.

 

Quote:  “I love to see a yard that looks just as good in the dead of winter as it does in spring and summer.”  John Darby