TALES FROM THE LANDSCAPE SIDE

In the mid-summer of 2020, I reached out to our members to ask about their most memorable customers. I expected horror stories of the worst, most demanding, craziest and funniest customers. What I ended up receiving was truly amazing. Most of the stories you sent in to us were heartwarming and spoke of your favorite customers, those that took time to reach out and tell you what an impact you had on their lives, those that became like family and those that became lifelong friends. I also received some funny and wacky customer stories, but even those didn’t talk of the angry and discontented customers I had expected. I decided that instead of creating one story, I will include a few in each issue of The New Jersey Landscape Contractor. So, keep those stories coming to me, the good, the bad and the ugly. You can send your story to gwoolcott@njlca. org (along with pictures if applicable) and I will include them in this column in future issues. Thank you all for brightening our days with some of your tales from the landscape side!

~ Gail Woolcott, Executive Director

by Mark Graser, Custom Groundskeeping

I met the Ploof’s, transplants from Long Island, almost 20 years ago (here in Central Virginia). Initially, he was mowing his own lawn and I provided all the other services; turf and ornamental care etc. At some point he decided to have me mow his yard, while he continued to roughmow the area along the street. (I should mention that we live in “the country”, about 20 miles northwest of Richmond, where most houses are on 10 acre lotsthe minimum required by law). Anyhow, one day as I was finishing up he comes out and asks “Hey, you want a bee-yah?” [Told you he was from L.I.!] Of course my reply was “Yes!” It was the end of the day and I lived only 7 minutes away.

Well, that beer turned into a weekly thing, with both of us alternating “buying” each other beers. [Some of Virginia’s best craft beers as we are home to almost 300 breweries now!] Soon it became apparent that he was a “hop-head” - IPA’s, while I preferred everything else but, particularly the dark ales,porters, and stouts (which he called “Motor Oil!”

Well, bottles turned to frosty mugs, which turned into cheese and crackers, which eventually included his neighbor Harvey and his wife Laura. A full-blown Thursday evening cocktail party!!!

Unfortunately, as he passed through his 70’s his health began to deteriorate; with visits/stays in the hospital becoming all the more common. His last stay was caused by a minor stroke, with a stint in re-hab. I showed up Wednesday morning at the house and found a ramp leading up to the front door; he was finally home. I left that day to get the last few days of black-powder deer hunting in, but before I left I texted him that I was glad to see him back and couldn’t wait to share another beer. That Saturday, I received word from my wife that he had passed that Wednesday afternoon, at home where he belonged.

Every Thanksgiving I visit his grave, and pour an IPA over it in memory of a great friend, and customer!

I’ve been meaning to write this for 2 1/2 years; alas, I just attended Laura’s funeral this week-technically from Dementia, but realistically from a heart broken after 56 years of marriage.