It’s been said by Robin Sharma that “simplicity is the trademark of genius.” Leprechaun southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum ‘Leprechaun’) is the epitome of that trademark for landscapes in the intermountain region. Even as rabbits and deer are becoming a wildlife staple in neighborhoods, they won’t eat Leprechaun southernwood!  

Interestingly, in the Victorian era, this clean-scented, slightly citrus-smelling plant was included in handheld bouquets to mask overripe body odors of the day. Its pleasant, fine green texture enhanced the bouquets, acting as floral filler and showcasing other flowers in the arrangement. We have now found other uses for Leprechaun’s scent, though discouraging herbivory is an important asset.  

Look at a perennial border and imagine the enhanced presentation Leprechaun southernwood could make with its fine, airy texture and dark green coloration behind all the vibrant flowers. Combine it with groupings of Undaunted® ruby muhly grass to set off those red seed heads. This woody perennial behaves more like a shrub and can also be used as an informal or formal hedge by shearing it. Every fall, be sure to its sheared back to 4 inches. This annual maintenance practice will encourage the presentation of fresh emerald green growth each spring, while allowing space for a carpet of early spring flowering bulbs to bloom at its base. 

Dayton is respected by his entire team and a great resource for the leadership team to rely on for anything at ZGL. He sends multiple forms of media to his team including professional coaching and podcasts to inspire them to improve as people. Dayton portrays a very kind-mannered way of supervision. He understands their job and knows how they would like to be treated.  

The retention rate in the maintenance department that Dayton oversees is incredibly high compared to the industry standard – several employees with more than 5 or 10 years of service. This is due to Dayton’s coaching and teaching.  

Chacon demonstrates exceptional customer service with our clients and treats every employee with kindness and compassion. She is always producing the highest quality of work, which inspires others to do their best. She is dependable, responsible, empathetic, trustworthy and excellent at actively listening. The door is always open to Char’s office. 

In her desire to give back to the community, Chacon introduced the “Angels Among Us” program to the company. This program provides Christmas presents to children in need, and the company received an ELITE Award in 2021 for their work on this program. She also was a huge contributor in building and maintaining the Moonbeam Gardens at Clayton Early Learning, a program which provides healthy, fresh food to children, their families, and the community that are located within a food desert.  

Chacon’s co-workers describe her as “the heart and soul of Designscapes Colorado.” She sets the standard for every employee and has set the bar high.  

Under Handy’s leadership, the irrigation service department has grown from approximately $1 million to almost $2.4 million in revenue in two years. Furthermore, his dedication to efficiency has raised the gross margin from 46% to more than 55% in two years.  

Known for his leadership, dedication and professionalism, Handy will never leave someone in the field to struggle. He will rally the entire field team to a small residential service repair at 7 p.m. to help someone who is struggling. He routinely spends time with customer service representatives training them on technical aspects of sprinklers so that we can provide the highest level of service to customers during phone interactions. 

In addition to his many contributions to the company, Handy is also active in his community. Last winter, he spearheaded an effort to organize and collect goods to assist victims of the Marshall fires. 

This task is even more daunting because Phase One’s average project size had increased, and Woodvine has been very busy gathering data and making base plans. The job is grueling and isolating, but he helped Phase One meet goals halfway through this year. In addition, Woodvine also does the 3D modeling and hand renders graphics.  

Phase One says Woodvine leads by example. He sets the tone in the Monday Morning Meeting – where he learns what surveys, models, or renderings he is assigned for the week and prioritizes them. He never complains about increased workload and gets the job done. He’s a key ingredient in Phase One’s recipe for success.