From Mother's Day to Memorial Day, there are no shortage of reasons to have some fun outdoors in May. With the extra hours of light, comes possibilities for adventure, excitement, and days out in the sun with friends and family. Not to mention, locally there are so many activities in Indy in the Spring as the weather FINALLY warms up. While our crews take advantage of the good weather to work diligently on completing projects and maintaining landscapes, we try to make some time for some of these moments too. So with a month of potential ahead, what memories will you make this May?
If your home hasn't had landscaping updates in over 10 years, it might be time to think about an giving your yard an instant facelift. In less then a week, our enhancement design crew can remove tired bushes and replace with ones that fit the space just perfectly. If full replacements aren't needed, we can trim new growth on existing bushes that just need some TLC. While properly caring for your landscape helps your plants, over time the plants may outgrow their space with root systems that prevent attractive growth above ground, and could even cause foundation issues for your home. If you feel your old landscaping is in need of a spruce up to enhance your curb appeal, call us to schedule your enhancement design consultation today.
Sunny days call for fun activities bopping around town! Volunteer, donate, learn something new, or just have some fun; If you find yourself with time on your hands this May, check out these local landscaping events around Indy:
  • Through May 8 - Decorator's Show House and Gardens Supporting Eskenazi Health - A great event for lovers of design. Our very own Tracy Cox is representing as one of the landscape designers for the show, but there is plenty more amazing work by talented designers to see inside as well. Get tickets. Find out more.

  • May 7, 14, & 21, 1pm - Wines and Vines Container Garden Party - Sip on something good from Mallow Run Winery while you work on a beautiful spring planter. Get tickets and find out more.

  • May 18 & 25, 5-7pm - Landscaping and Lagers Help the Indy Cultural Trail group clean up some of the 8 miles of the Trail they maintain. They bring the tools, provide a brief orientation, and of course, beverages! Feel free to bring questions about your own garden and plants too! Find out more.

  • May 21, 8am - 3pm - Hamilton County Master Gardener Association Annual Plant Sale Shop from a large-selection of plants, plus find free gardening information and expert planting advice. Free to attend, find out more.
For those of our maintenance clients who are used to seeing Maintenance Leader, Renee Bailey's smiling face around your properties, we have some news! Renee is moving on to an exciting new opportunity at American Dream Nut Butter. We are sad to see an amazing employee leave our team, but we are so happy that Renee has stepped into a new role she is excited about. Have no fear, Jessie, Sara, and Rocio comprise the remainder of our amazing Estate Maintenance crew, and they will continue to provide quality landscaping for your properties. Rocio worked with Renee for 2 years and Sara for one. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out with questions.
Congratulations to our Employee of the Month, RV Peter!
This month we are happy to congratulate Production Superintendent, RV Peter as our May employee of the month! RV stepped up last month as Josh, Jeff, and Daniel were out on a business trip. He helped manage our project schedule despite heavy rains interrupting our work plans, keeping the crews on task, and went above and beyond with his communications to our clients and team. Clear communication is one of our core values, so this really goes a long way to the Pros. In addition to all of his help managing the crews, he has worked hard to allocate equipment appropriately as we've acquired Ken-Cut's team. Thank you for all you do for us RV!
Grilled Chicken with Coconut Rice and
Chile-Lime Sauce
With the weather warming, it is the perfect time to fire up the grill! For a little more complexity to your cook-out meal, marinate the chicken in advance and add some flavorful pairings.
Ingredients
  • 3 small white onions
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 5 large garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more
  • 1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken, skin scored at 1-inch intervals, cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 1 small tomato, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons finely chopped red Fresno chiles (from 2 large chiles), divided
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
  • 1 cup water
  • Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
  1. Coarsely chop 2 of the onions to equal about 2 cups. Thinly slice remaining onion to equal 1 cup; set onion slices aside. Reserve any remaining onion for another use.
  2. Place chopped onion, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic in a blender. Process on low speed, gradually increasing speed until mixture is smooth, about 15 seconds. Stir 1 tablespoon salt into onion marinade. Transfer to a large ziplock plastic bag. Add chicken pieces to bag; seal bag, and toss to coat. Chill at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
  3. Place unopened can of coconut milk in refrigerator for 15 minutes to let coconut cream thicken. Open can and spoon off thickened coconut cream (about 1 cup) from top of can, and transfer to a small saucepan. Reserve remaining coconut milk (about 2/3 cup) for rice. Place onion slices in pan with coconut cream; add tomato and 2 tablespoons chopped chiles. Bring to a boil over medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour mixture into blender; process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a small serving bowl, and stir in lime juice, sugar, and remaining 2 teaspoons chopped chiles. Spoon 1/3 cup coconut-chile sauce into a small bowl, and reserve for brushing.
  4. Place rice in a bowl and, using fingers to agitate rice, rinse under cold running water. Pour off water as it becomes opaque, and continue rinsing until water is no longer cloudy, 3 or 4 times; drain. Bring rice, 1 cup water, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and reserved 2/3 cup coconut milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
  5. While rice stands, preheat grill. Open bottom vent of a charcoal grill completely. Light charcoal chimney starter filled with briquettes. When briquettes are covered with gray ash, pour them onto bottom grate of grill, and push to one side. Adjust vents as needed to maintain an internal temperature of 400°F to 450°F. (If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high [400°F to 450°F] on one side.) 
  6. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Pat chicken dry, and season with a pinch of salt. Place chicken on oiled grates over side without coals (or unlit side of gas grill). Grill, covered, turning and brushing with reserved 1/3 cup coconut-chile sauce occasionally, until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 165°F and skin is crispy and charred in spots, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter. If desired, season chicken with salt to taste. Serve grilled chicken with coconut rice, lime wedges, and remaining coconut-chile sauce.
KNOW SOMEONE WE SHOULD KNOW? TELL THEM TO APPLY!

Property Pros is still hiring! Check out our open positions and tell those you know who may be interested.

  • Hardscape & Construction Crew
  • Irrigation Technicians
  • Residential & Commercial Mowing Crew
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL: