A Message from the McFall and Berry Team

                            Happy Holidays!

Annual Spotlight: Dianthus

Winter is here, whether the calendar says so or not. You may have noticed that we exchanged spring/summer flowers for hardier fall/winter flowers. One of the flowers in this category is the Dianthus, commonly known as the carnation.

Eye catching and beautiful, this flower will survive the harsh winter weather and even produce new buds in the spring. This species comes in a variety of colors, including floral lace pink, neon star, frosty fire and more.

Do not be fooled by their lacey and delicate appearance because Dianthus will live through the harsh temperatures and precipitation. Although the blooms will recede during the coldest days, they will be back in the spring time.

In the mean time, keep your eyes open to these unique annuals!

Snow Removal Preparation

As the 2010-2011 Winter Season approaches, it would serve us well to remember this past winter’s snow season.  The 2009-2010 season provided us with just about every type of Winter-Weather possible.

McFall and Berry Landscape Management adhere to a few simple principles that would be to the benefit of the residents of each community to follow as well.  These principles are planning ahead, being proactive, and having patience.  It is crucial to plan ahead in the event of a possible snow/ice storm.  The weather services have become very accurate in their forecasting of coming storms, so stock up on the essentials, reschedule any appointments you may have, and be patient.  It is helpful, and important to the safety of all, to allow sufficient time for our employees to clear the drive-lanes, parking lots and walks.  As your snow service contractor, we have coordinated plans  to efficiently and effectively manage the snow clearing services. 

Our priorities are: 

1.       Provide access to the community and all buildings.

2.       Clear parking areas and walkways throughout the community.

As always, we hope to have a safe winter and want to wish all communities a wonderful holiday season.

Staff at McFall and Berry

Leaf Removal Update

As November nears its end, you will notice that the beautiful array of color that defines fall is making its way to the grass, sidewalks and, most likely, your car. McFall and Berry is now in the process of removing leaves from all communities as winter weather creeps in. Team members will be using push blowers, back pack blowers, rakes and leaf vacuums to safely remove excess leaves from yards and common areas.

The first part of the removal procedure began in mid October and will end in early to late December. The second part of the removal process will resume in January, depending on the effects of snow season. Leaf piles will be picked up the same day that they are created, leaving your community clear of leaf obstruction.

 Another part of the ongoing process, where applicable, is the shredding of leaves. This saves time, dump fees, labor and fuel cost.  The recycling of these leaves also reintroduces important nutrients back into the soil, which will help keep the turf beautiful in the coming spring. We thank you for your patience as this process is completed.

Happy Holidays from McFall and Berry

McFall and Berry would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday! Check back next week for an update on leaf removal.

Manager Trainee Program

McFall and Berry is proud to announce the founding of its Manager Trainee Program, a group designed to groom younger team members into managerial positions, while also inspiring them to become key factors in the future growth of the company.

Members of the group will attend seminars and workshops to expand their already budding knowledge of the intricacies of successful landscape management. There are currently three members at the Leisure world division, two members at the Avenal division and three members at the Brookeville division.

At each location, trainees receive a diverse opportunity to work with branch and division managers to better learn the trade and gain hands-on experience.

Team Member News

McFall and Berry is pleased to announce the following:

-Leo Zamora, Renee Ramirez, Mark McFall and Robert Berry are celebrating 35 years of service to the landscaping industry in the D.C. Metropolitan area.

-Edward Zamora now represents the third generation of the Zamora family at McFall and Berry. He follows grandfather Leo, father Onecimo, uncles Gustavo, Raphael and Saul. Leo has worked with Mark McFall and Robert Berry for 35 years. Edward, a member of the Manager Trainee program, is now supervising a crew out of Brookeville.

-Christopher Jones, 24, a 2008 graduate of Virginia Tech, is now a member of the McFall & Berry team. Jones follows father Frank Jones, Vice President of the Virginia division. He is currently involved in the Manager Trainee program at the Avenel branch.

-Danielle McFall, 21, who joined the team in July, is currently training at the Leisure World branch. She follows brother David, cousin Mike, uncle John and father Mark.

Recent Promotions and Other News:

-Second generation team member Kristin Berry has been promoted to Office Manager. She follows father Robert Berry.

-Lana Barger is now the comptroller of McFall and Berry Landscape.

-Adrienne Zaleski has been promoted to the Director of Business Development. She is also a new proud mother of son Kye McPhee Dementi, born August 29^th, 2010 at the Fairfax Hospital.