Buckle up y’all, this installation was a BIG JOB – our biggest yet! We were so excited to get an extra large team of our industry professionals together to take on our largest installation so far. We’ve taken on some unique challenges along the way on our smaller jobs (things like installing large balled and burlapped trees and laying a patio) but the challenge of this installation was entirely in the size and scope of the job! For us though, the bigger the transformation, the more exciting the work is! Bring it on!
Here’s the rundown of the big numbers for this installation:
356 plants
7 tons of large river stone
2.5 tons of pea gravel
52 cubic yards of mulch
The sweet homeowners are actually family and next-door-neighbors to a client we installed for last fall. We were so excited to see what Fawn Renae Designs would create for their dream landscape, designed just for their needs and tastes. (Not to mention we could check in the progress of our previous installation while we were there – looking good, btw!) For this landscape, Fawn brought in plenty of blooms and a variety of color while keeping things easy and low maintenance. A major feature in this design was a request by the homeowner to create a buffer between their property and the surrounding woodlands. We installed a mix of blooming and evergreen shrubs and trees along the woodland borders to create a manicured look between the lawn and the woodlands. Keep scrolling to see the original home photos and the design for the landscape!
Because of the size of this installation, we brought in all the manpower (or womanpower!) and equipment power we would need. We brought two augers for this installation (of course, we broke one on the second day of work…) and all the tools and hands we could find.
Day One
Our first day crew was a team of 11 amazing, butt-kicking women who knocked out every bit of work we had planned for our first of two 12-hour workdays. We even finished just a few minute early for a quick dip in the nearby lake!
During that first workday, we got all of the plants installed and mulch along the front and sides of the house, including around the mailbox. The biggest job we tackled on this day was laying all the rock that would be needed for this project. Moving and placing that large river rock is no joke!
We tried so many approaches to moving this river stone. This was our second project using river stone of this size (peep the first one here) so we’re starting to figure out the tricks to getting this material laid just right. For the bulk of the material, our fearless leader, Fawn, was able to put the Avant 630 Loader – aka The Green Machine – to use in a tight space, picking up as much as she could with the bucket attachment. After that, it was a lot of wheelbarrows, buckets, shovels, and hands that moved the remaining stone into place. River stone is definitely more time consuming than wood mulch but it can serve a functional and aesthetic purpose in certain landscape applications.
The end of our first day was probably the best we have ever felt at the end of an installation! It’s not unusual for us to finish up a few minutes late or to need to return for those last finishing touches. Not on this day! We checked every box and finished early! Even though we had another full day coming at us, we were so, so, so proud of how hard our team worked, of how much we accomplished, and especially of the positive attitudes and true joy our team brought to the job. It was super hot (hello, 90+ degrees!), the ground was extra hard, the rocks were so dusty, and did we mention it was hot?! But our team came to knock this project out while crushing the stereotypes that manual labor can’t be fun and that women can’t thrive in our industry.
Day Two
Our second day of work was all about those woodland borders the homeowners were passionate about having installed to separate their manicured yard from the woods around the edges! Check out Fawn introducing the team to the design for the day and getting us ready to get it planted.
The backside of this property had 30 shrubs, 13 trees, and 90 perennials to get planted! And the ground did not get any softer or less rocky overnight. It was a full morning and early afternoon of planting, planting, planting and mulching, mulching, mulching.
The best part of day two was our volunteer who came to join us, Caroline! We’re passionate about giving women the opportunity to come and learn alongside our professional team so that they can be inspired, educated, and empowered when tackling projects in their own yards and landscapes. Most of the work of any installation is done by our paid professional crew but opening that door for other women to join us feels true to us and to our mission; it’s the heart of who we are.
Caroline brought some much needed fresh energy and enthusiasm to our crew and we are so, so happy that she is forever a part of our plant lady community! Each of our volunteers receives an exclusive TPL-Crew only t-shirt and a goodie bag with some of our very favorite products inside. Caroline wanted her hands in everything and was so eager to learn all she could and we are here for it! She ran the bededger, the Green Machine, the auger, and every hand tool in between, asking the best questions along the way. THAT is why we open our door to volunteers. We know there are so many women who are eager to get outside, get their hands dirty, and tackle this kind of work with passion and excitement but the world so often tells us that we can’t. We want to not only tell you that you can but show you that you can and walk by your side so that you can feel confident and strong!
We asked Caroline to share a little bit about her experience and here’s what she had to say:
“I heard about Those Plant Ladies from a friend and was able to see some of what they do through social media. I loved and wanted to support their message about empowering women to get out there and get out there and get their hands dirty, so I signed up to help with an installation in Taylorsville. I had no idea what to expect. I was just hoping for a day spent outside doing what I love and being able to learn a bit along the way. What I came away with was a new community of friends who share the same passion and love for all things plants. Fawn, Heather, and the entire team made me feel right at home. They encouraged me to ask any questions I thought of and to try my hand at new machinery. After being educated and actually driving a front-end loader tractor, I’m convinced the world is now my oyster. I had such an amazing experience and can’t wait to get back out there with Those Plant Ladies again soon!”
Caroline | 2021 volunteer
So do YOU want to volunteer with us on an upcoming project? We would feel like the world is our oyster if you come hang with us; just fill out this form.
We finished this day with some smaller circular beds in the front yard. This is the only place where we installed brick/concrete edgers. We didn’t capture too many pictures of this part because, frankly, it was the end of day two and all hands were on deck to get us cleaned up and out of there! You can see these edgers in the design images below. They lay flush with the ground and turf for a really high-end, designer look.
That’s a wrap on this project and for all of our spring 2021 installations! We’ve got plenty of new stuff coming at you over the summer so stay tuned and we can’t wait to see you in the fall for more installations!
THE HOUSE TRANSFORMATION | Fawn Renae Designs
You probably know that all of our landscape installations start with a digital blueprint from Fawn Renae Designs and this one was no different! Everything was customized based on their vision and preferences and they even came outside to check the progress regularly. We just love it when the homeowners are involved to whatever level they want to be!
The design was created to highlight the architecture of their home and incorporate blooms from every angle. With some wooded areas, they were looking to see a more manicured look to border the natural. Once you have the design from Fawn, you have the unique experience to have your designer on-site and bring in us to create the look in real life. If you want to learn more about the how the whole process works, we’ve outlined everything on our website.
Are you ready to see your home transformed? Start here!
