Author: csDevTeam

Starting out as teen entrepreneurs in Sahuarita, these landscape pros have built a thriving business.

By Elena Acoba
Photography Submitted by Santa Rita Landscaping

Chalk one up for a hard-work ethic, the driving force behind three former Sahuarita teens who grew up to be leaders in Arizona landscaping.

The Arizona Landscape Contractors Association (ALCA) gave its 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award to Santa Rita Landscaping owners Brian and Garrett Ham and Richard Spross. The annual award recognizes their professionalism in the industry

Brian was pursuing a University of Arizona bachelor’s degree in watershed hydrology when youngest sibling Garrett — a high school senior — decided to open the landscape business in 1985.

“Sahuarita being next to the retirement community of Green Valley allowed lots of opportunity for small side jobs doing landscaping,” Garrett recalls. “I briefly thought about exploring a career in law enforcement, but quickly realized I like the landscaping industry.”

He got his Arizona contractor’s license at age 18, and used money from his landscaping gigs and selling livestock in 4-H to buy a truck and some tools.

Brian soon joined the company, which initially offered residential landscape maintenance. Its headquarters were in the family’s barn, and their mom answered the business phone.

Two gardens that have received ALCA awards, 2016 (left) for Award of Distinction — Single Family Residence Installation, Hutchings Residence; and 2019 (right) for Award of Excellence — Model Home Installation, Mattamy Homes Vistoso Trails Community.

Residential landscaping requests have changed a bit since the Hams and Spross got into the landscaping business.

Then: large grass lawns.
Now: small swaths of artificial turf.
Then: tropical plants in a California-style landscape.
Now: natives and desert-adapted plants.
Then: enclosed barbecues out in the backyard.
Now: grilling kitchens as part of the flow of indoor-outdoor living.
Then: brick pavers and flagstone.
Now: concrete pavers and travertine.
Then: gray gravel.
Now: gravel in a variety of colors.
Then: laying plastic for weed control.
Now: pre-emergents (early-use herbicides).
Then: incandescent bulbs for lighting outdoor spaces.
Now: Energy-saving LEDs.

By 1988 they had a construction yard, plant nursery, and office space in Green Valley. Larger jobs, more work from Tucson residents, and the addition of commercial clients eventually led to a central Tucson location. Today the company has five divisions, 215 employees and more than five acres for their headquarters and operations.

Besides custom landscapes for residents, Santa Rita’s work can be seen in new neighborhoods by 15 developers, including homes by Lennar, Pepper-Viner, Sombra, Pulte and Robson Homes Communities.

The Hams didn’t grow up surrounded by knowledge of landscaping or gardening but learned a lot about hard work.

“When I needed to make some spending money, it was easy to get small jobs trimming plants and watering,” says Garrett.

That work ethic also influenced Richard Spross, who knew Brian when they were teens. “When I was in high school, I seriously wanted to just work hard and make money to save and buy a house,” Spross says.

Armed with an architecture drafting degree from Pima Community College, the Tucson native landed a position with a landscape architect. “I was exposed to the industry and saw a need for commercial landscape contractors in Tucson,” says Spross.

After learning the ropes with other contractors, he opened his own company, Southwest Enviroscapes Inc., in 1992. “The general contractors were really encouraging me to go out on my own,” he says.

Spross’s expertise in the commercial realm and the Hams’ thriving residential business turned out to be complementary when they were weathering the Great Recession. “In the recession, we were looking for ways to expand and survive,” says Garrett. “We were very strong in the custom residential and homebuilder market but needed some help and expansion in the commercial construction arena. Richard and Southwest Enviroscapes brought that to us.”

“It was easier to merge these two companies than try to enter each other’s markets,” Spross says.

Their companies combined in 2012 under the Santa Rita Landscaping name. The owners wanted to make sure all employees embraced professionalism, integrity, and constant improvements so they developed a continuous training program.

That business strategy has paid off with work that has been recognized within the industry. Santa Rita Landscaping has earned more than 30 ALCA landscaping awards over the years, including the top Award of Excellence wins.

Creating the perfect backyard landscape involves incorporating elements of color, architecture, design, and more to create the ideal aesthetic. When it comes to landscaping your backyard, the possibilities are endless. You can utilize various architectural elements and accents such as fireplaces, gazebos, gardens, and more to create a symbiotic space that you can use to relax, party, or engage in any other activity that you desire.

Take the time to think about your core artistic inspirations before coming up with a backyard landscape idea so that you can infuse your sense of personal style. Making your space your very own can be tricky; some people choose to go the route of creating an area that is centered solely around their design preferences. In contrast, others prefer to create a space that will increase the overall value of their property.

To help you get a better idea of all the various paths you can take in designing the ideal backyard landscape, we’re going to provide you with a detailed guide below.

Popular Backyard Landscape Ideas

Backyard landscaping doesn’t have to be complicated, merely adding pavers to your backyard space can enhance its appearance and aurora. It would be best if you always handled your hardscaping duties before anything else in your landscape design to use it as a basis for the rest of your backyard landscape design. Hardscaping commonly refers to laying infrastructures like parking areas, decks, fencing, arbors, patios, porches, etc.

You want to complete all of your hardscaping tasks before anything else because these tasks tend to compact your soil. Once that’s complete, you must begin the process of amending your soil by adding in organic matter such as mushroom compost, peat moss, leaf mold, and more.

Here are some popular backyard landscape design ideas:

• Install fencing around your outdoor space to enhance security
• Set-up a dining area that will allow you to enjoy sizeable outdoor family gatherings & parties
• Configure a deck that’ll give you a view of your entire backyard from an aerial perspective
• Add a grilling station or fireplace to your backyard
• Integrate a kitchen garden to your outdoor space

Plants are an essential element of any backyard landscape, and by adding them into your outdoor space, you can significantly enhance the overall ambiance and aurora of your backyard. When planting trees in your backyard, you must ensure the trees’ sizes are proportional to the size of your backyard.

Utilize textures, shapes, and objects in your backyard landscaping to accent any particular ideas or primary concepts you have for your backyard. Consider adding furniture and other decorations that will bring out the real ambiance you’re striving for in your backyard space.

Creating the Perfect Backyard Landscape for Your Home

After you’ve got the main elements of your backyard landscape design setup, you can begin adding the finishing touches. You can add decorations such as hanging baskets, windows boxes, and planters to your outdoor space to enhance its uniqueness and personalized feel.

A cool backyard landscape design accent is low-voltage lighting used; you can use it to highlight specific areas of your outdoor landscape so that none of your hard work goes unnoticed. A well thought out backyard landscape design can go a long way in increasing the inherent value of your property while also giving your family a beautiful outdoor space that they can enjoy on any occasion.

Once your backyard landscape has been set up, you mustn’t forget about regular maintenance as it’s the only you’ll keep up the appearance of your newly designed space. You can even hire a professional landscape maintenance company to help you keep the appearance of your newly created outdoor space.

As long as you take the time to plan out a strategic approach to your desired backyard landscape idea, you will seamlessly integrate all areas of your style and personality with ease.

People Also Ask

How can I landscape my yard cheaply?

There are several ways you can landscape your yard cheaply, some of the most popular techniques include creating clusters with planters, mix your soil with homemade compost, and using community mulch.

What is the cheapest rock for landscaping?

Some of the cheapest rocks you can buy for river rocks, pea gravel, crushed granite, and Mexican Beach Pebbles.

How do you simplify a landscape?

The best way to simplify a landscape is by hand-scaping your garden, using seasonal colors, and prioritize quality over quantity.

Conclusion

If you have any questions about the tips and information, we’ve given you in this article to make an educated decision about how to implement your backyard landscape design ideas. As long as you take our advice, you will be able to create a perfect outdoor space designed for your interest.