F E B R U A R Y 2 014 To t a l L a n d s c a p e C a r e . c o m 2 9
landscaper of the year fi nalist
standing fi rmly behind all of the work his company
performs.
"You have to fi x problems when they arise," he
notes. "It's too easy to ruin a reputation, so you
have to work hard to maintain it.
"I also provide customers with whatever level of
understanding they want for a project," he adds. "If
they want to sit down and talk about a project for
three or four hours, that's what we'll do."
Going above and beyond customer expectations
is critical to repeat business and word-of-mouth
referrals, Hanauer adds. As an example, he cites
one customer who was having a hard time select-
ing a paver-sand color. "So I bought some bricks
and different-colored sands and installed them in
his yard so he could see how they looked next to
his house," he explains. "I could have sent him to a
1
Use the right plant
in the right places.
2
Strive for year-
round color,
which includes
using evergreen
groundcovers and
shrubs with berries
for winter interest.
3
Select hardscape
materials that
also can add
subtle color to
landscapes.
4
Plant early- and
late-blooming
plants farther
away from houses
so homeowners
can see them
better in spring
and fall, when
they're more likely
to be indoors.
Plant summer-
blooming plants
closer to houses
and patios so
owners can more
easily enjoy them
when they sit
outside.
5
Use native plants
whenever possible
to maximize color
and survivability.
6
Consider views
from inside the
house, too; use
plants by windows
that are tall
enough to be
slightly visible,
which makes it
feel like they're
part of a home's
interior, but not
so tall that they
obscure the
window views.
HANAUER'S 6
FUNDAMENTAL
DESIGN RULES
Text
INFO
to
205-289-3796
or
visit
TLC
request.com
