Vision goes LEED!

Many people think that the new Hotel Indigo in downtown Athens is the classic city's first LEED certified building.  This new building trend is governed by the  U.S. Green Building Council and is a certification based on  "providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO₂ emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts."
 There are four levels , certified, silver, gold, and platinum, that are determined by the number of points for each of the categories such as site selection and materials.
There are 7 LEED certified buildings currently in Athens of which five are government buildings. In 2004 Athens created a new "sustainable building" policy requiring new governmental buildings to be up for LEED certification. This includes several  police substations and fire stations and the family protection center. 

It wasn't until Hotel Indigo  came into town and achieved the hard to get Gold status did people start talking.
University of Georgia has their little LEED certified baby in the Tate II expansion but only because students campaigned and raised the money for it's certification. There are no immediate plans for another LEED certified building on UGA"s campus. 
The first LEED certified house is currently being built off Pulaski St. by Bork Architectural Design. Vision Landscaping is excited to be doing the landscaping and hardscape installtion. We are looking forward to working with more projects like this in the future.

Got Grubworms?

We've all seen those pesky little grubs rummaging around in our soil and flower beds, but how do you get rid of them?

Beneficial Nematodes offer a safe alternative to chemicals and insectisides.
These bloodthirsty  microscopic worms are natural born killers. Let them loose in your soil and they begin their search for grubs, fleas, termites and many more  pests in your soil.  Once a nematode has found their poor unsuspecting prey, the nematode releases a poison which paralyzes and then kills their target. Nematodes also kill the larvae of the insects which effectively wipe out generations of pests. It takes a few days to see results for some pests , and up to 3 weeks to see results for grubs. With nematodes there are no dead insects left in your soil because nematodes devour the entire insect.

Nematodes are readily available online with different varieties available to suit your climate and soil type. They are easily applied , and do all the work for you. And they are not harmful to humans or animals!

Tips for Saving Water with your Irrigation System

Summer brings water restrictions to Georgia.
Here are just a few tips to help conserve water and money with your irrigation system.
1. Install a master valve: A master valve detects if a zone valve is broken or has a leak and shuts the main system down to prevent severe water loss and damage. These master valves are especially important for irrigation systems for places such as vacation homes where a leak wouldn't be detected for days and therefore running the water bill up high.
2. Install a Rain and Temperature Gauge: These sensors help minimize wasting water. The rain gauge detects if a considerable amount of rain has fallen and shuts off the automatic timer. A temperature gauge monitors the air temperature and humidity to determine the dew point and when the least amount of evaporation will occur. These detectors pay for themselves in about a year.
3. Switch to pop up sprayers: Pop Up Sprayers spray slower and more efficiently than conventional sprayers thus reducing run off water waste.

4. Consider other options for water sources: Rain Barrels are a great way to harvest roof run off  that would otherwise be stormwater runoff.  For a larger capacity, Cisterns can be installed to hold thousands of gallons of water that can then be applied to the landscape.

Athens Farmers Market

With Summer time coming into full swing, we have something to look forward to besides the 100 degree weather.. Fresh Produce!
The Athens Farmers Market brings fresh and local produce into the heart of Athens every Tuesday and Saturday. Not only are you supporting  local farmers but the prices are low and the food is tasty.
On Tuesdays from 4-7pm you can find Little Kings, on Hancock Ave., bustling with vendors, arts, and live music. If you're looking for more of a variety of produce, be sure to catch the Farmers Market on Saturday Mornings 8am to Noon  at Bishop Park off Oglethorpe Ave. for over 50 local vendors!
A variety of prepared food vendors such as Dondero's Kitchen, Luna Bread, and 1000 Faces Coffee  are available as well.
For more information visit their website:

http://athensfarmersmarket.net/