A 20-mile drive from Manhattan brings you to a luxurious residential community called Meadowbrook Pointe in Westbury, New York. This expansive property contains over 60 buildings consisting of condos.
Since 2017, Lawn Elements, Inc./Devon Creek Landscaping, Inc. has maintained this exquisite site, leading them to win a 2023 Silver Award of Excellence.
“The recognition of winning a national Award of Excellence was a tremendous accomplishment for us,” says Eric Searles, president of Devon Creek Landscaping. “We are incredibly honored to have been recognized for the Silver Award of Excellence, which we proudly display in our office and in the property’s lobby.”
Since taking over this property, the team’s mission has been clear: ‘Remind the residents why they chose Meadowbrook Pointe.’ This goal is achieved by giving every inch of the property the same level of meticulous detail, ensuring that the high standards are always upheld. For day-to-day tasks, several teams are utilized, including a maintenance team of nine people that consists of multiple three-person crews to oversee ornamental and seasonal displays, while their agronomy team handles any applications for the turf and ornamentals.
As the team began work on this property, they encountered many areas with overcrowded filler plants that were taking a toll on the aesthetics and function of the landscape. With such an ample space, careful attention is given to plants that don’t perform.
“Improving the quality of the plantings has been an ongoing focus for the community since we’ve begun the project,” Searles adds. “Each season, we identify areas throughout the community where changes and updates are to be made. Our goal is to provide consistent elegance throughout the community while creating a more sustainable, vibrant landscape.”
Another challenge was drainage issues, which the team has addressed over the years.
“We’ve worked to manage standing water by installing surface and channel drains, creating stormwater spillways and other subsurface water collection and conveyance systems to manage standing water,” Searles says. “Additionally, we’ve enhanced water penetration and percolation by incorporating turf aeration, soluble calcified limestone, and humic application to areas prone to standing water.”
With so many moving parts, a top field supervisor and assistant supervisor work alongside the Meadowbrooke property management and board of directors to streamline communication with Lawn Elements/Devon Creek management. This continuous process allows management to determine weekly priorities and direct the maintenance/enhancement crews.
“The challenge with a property like Meadowbrook Pointe is that no secondary areas exist,” Searles adds. “We utilize several tools to meet the mark, including mapping crew assignments, scheduled service rotations, and diligent inspections. We also do a significant amount of photo documentation.”
A daily goal for the landscaping teams is to remain inconspicuous, which begins long before the team arrives on-site.
“The teams at Meadowbrook Pointe are vetted and trained before beginning on the property,” Searles says. “Every function, from parking to eating lunch and how to communicate with residents and visitors, is covered before a team member begins working at the property.”
The team also services each building individually to reduce any disturbance and the time spent in each spot.
“To maintain the high quality of life for residents, we work very hard to limit the time noisy operations such as mowing take to complete, working in droves, and processing each area within a small window of time,” Searles adds. “We aim to utilize quieter equipment and train crews to communicate with one another quietly without whistling and yelling.”
One feature that continues to stand out each year is the ornamental displays that dot many areas of the property.
“The client gives us a significant amount of autonomy in the seasonal displays, but all eyes (and opinions) are on us to deliver bigger, more magnificent displays year after year,” Searles says. “Last year, our plant palette was muted pastels, while this year was brighter colors, like oranges, reds, and hot pink. The flower displays at Meadowbrook Pointe are planned eleven months in advance, so we generally will begin the next season’s design process once the installation is complete.”
With higher expectations than any other client, Meadowbrook Pointe brings out the best in Searles and his team.
“Working at Meadowbrook Pointe is a tremendous honor and challenge. It’s a very high-profile project known across Long Island for its beauty and prestige. We’re a competitive group, and for us, every day is game day. Compliments don’t come easy, so we celebrate when we receive one.”
Interested in participating in the Awards of Excellence? Enter your projects by July 29, 2024.
