Keeping It Beautiful

SEBRING - Green isn't the only color cultivated and prized by Highlands County groundskeepers.

Eileen Beck, groundskeeper supervisor, oversees a crew of three county employees who trim, plant, irrigate, mow and maintain the 40 county-owned building sites, from nearly end-to-end.

"We like to have color," Beck said, "and something is always in bloom."

All three municipal libraries, the health department, the courthouse and the Agri-Civic Center are just a few of the rotating stops the crew hits at least once a week, or sometimes twice weekly during the rainy summer months.

The landscaping around the sign at the Highlands County Government Center recently got a sprucing up from the crew.

Marigolds, croton plants, Indian hawthorns and crepe myrtles, separated by mulch, surround the county marker.

Groundskeeper Juan Hernandez talked on Thursday about the planning process that led to a different look at the gateway to one of the county's landmark structures.

"We talked together about what we're going to do and came up with an idea all together," said Hernandez.

More than just the creation of a pretty vista was discussed before the 200-square-foot island was replanted, said Beck.

"Plants had to be low enough to see the sign," said Beck. "We wanted to fill in, but stay with a low type of edge."

Installation is just one part of the process. Upkeep is a major portion of the landscaping team's regular routine.

Any weeding needed is performed, air pockets that might stunt growth are corrected, irrigation microjets are regularly checked, grass is mowed and trees are trimmed back, according to season.

"We like everything to look manicured, but for it to also look good," said Beck. "We like it to look nice, in a pretty place.

Beck noted that if the crew suddenly stopped regular upkeep at even a single site, landscaping would soon grow out of control - it would take two months during the winter months and just four weeks during the summer.

"It's a full-time job to keep it looking like this," said Beck. "We learned a lot from experience. We check to see if there is a lack of water or nutrients, or if there is a fungus."

David Flowers is the county's director of facilities and said the crew is "efficient" and uses several cost-saving measures.

The crew works with a $2.5 million annual budget, which covers all costs, including grass mowing, employee salaries, new plantings, trimming and equipment purchases.

One way, Beck said, the groundskeepers save taxpayers cash is by cultivating and propagating new plantings at the Agri-Civic Center, rather than by purchasing everything outright from nurseries.

"It's cheaper, but also a learning process," said Beck. "We try to save the county money, and in return, it's also a good learning experience."

Employees learn which beneficial nutrients help young cuttings mature faster before they are displayed to the public, how to best nurture different varieties and how to best root a planting.

When rain puts a damper on outdoor work, Beck uses DVDs and conventional teaching methods to inform groundskeepers of proper safety and landscaping tips. The crew's equipment is also maintained regularly, including sharpening mower blades when the rain falls.

The crew has been down by one employee since November, with a new worker scheduled to start next week. Beck hopes for a bit of a breather and a chance to improve the existing plantings even more.

One hundred and twenty six applicants were considered for the single opening, which typically attracts 30 to 40 candidates, said Flowers.

"It's a good steady job with good benefits - retirement and insurance - and this is a great place to work."

The crew took the job vacancy in stride, said Beck.

"We work as a team," she said. "We're all team players. We just keep on going. We'll get a little bit more detailed - not just rushing around."

Groundskeeper Dustin Keefe recently joined the crew and said he owns no house plants, but loves doing yard work. Keefe and the rest of the crew enjoy receiving compliments.

"When you're trimming a hedge and someone says, 'good job,' you feel great," said Keefe's co-worker, Hernandez.

With a wide smile, Beck said she is often complimented by an invitation to a resident's home to do personal landscaping.

"When you do good work out here, you put your signature on it," said Beck. "You take pride and when people compliment you, it really makes you feel good."

During his two and a half year tenure, Hernandez became proficient with hedge trimmers. Several county topiaries on the courthouse grounds were marginalized due to lack of care until Hernandez took a personal interest and slowly and painstakingly restored the finely trimmed art into eye-catchers.

"Specimen plants take a lot of care," said Beck. "We don't have a lot of time, but it's nice occasionally to be unique."