October Hawks Highlights 🎃 Celebrating 150 years!

Plan Now for Spring Installation – Our Calendar Fills Fast!

Proudly celebrating our 150th Anniversary, our team has been working hard all year to keep landscapes looking their best! As summer winds down and autumn arrives, now is the time to plan for next year's four seasons of enjoyment! Thinking about a fire pit this autumn? Or an outdoor kitchen next summer? Fall a great time to get your landscape project in! We still have a few openings in our fall schedule and are already booking for next spring. To be among the first on the list in spring, give us a call at 414-258-5525, send us an email or fill out our contact request form! We'd love to meet with you before the season ends!

Did You KNOW??

• In 1894 Hawks salespeople were greeted each week by a message from their sales leader, Abram Vanderpool, who walked on foot as a traveling salesman for Hawks in the early days. Here are excerpts from his "Monday Morning Message," a 4-page letter, hand written February 5, 1894, mailed from Elkhorn, Wisconsin:

• Gentlemen: I am dull at times and bright ideas do not always come to the front. However I feel happy in the assurance that there are some kernels of wheat sifted out of the chaff. I must say that I always have a curiosity to know how my brother salesmen advance, how many days they labor and how they rest at night. I had hoped that a pleasant exchange of views would be established. "A little humor now and then is relished by the best of men."

• Monday dawns so bright and fair; And days much longer growing are, I feel like one who is elated over great success 'anticipated.' I therefore set-my-pen-a-humming; Lord knows – I don't – what is forth coming.

• We go abroad and dispel trouble, from many homes fell of despair; We cheer and make their joys redouble and make a welcome everywhere.

• All know that congress daily tinkers with a "Wilson bill" or other affairs; and politicians are leaded sinkers on the "Line of Labor" and on farmers wares.

• The farmers grow morose and wary, when sheep are valued for their hides; They feel the need of a "Missionary" amid the ills free-trade provides.

• "Worlds Fair Expense" is a household theme which clouds the farm and every path; It forms the basis for a dreadful dream and sometimes for a daylights wrath.

• We meet these "Tillers of the Soil" in homespun suit or Sunday raiment; Demand no cash – and for a foil Count up the months of deferred payment.

• How blissful 'tis when out in "pasture" among the cows, or in the wood; To take an order from an "Astor" and place it where it does much good.

• Our stock bears fruit and happiness – those Russian trees and roses rare; Our grapevines always bloom and bless the farmer and his household fair.

• With my Hawks Nursery picture book and my legs all oiled for walking; I never take a backward look but watch my turn for talking.

• Orders and wealth from these conditions rise. "Act well your part, there all the honor lies."

• Place this to private or to public use, but do protect me from the boys abuse.

– Yours, the Hawkeyed Saleman, Abram Elmore Vanderpool

October Landscape & Garden Tips

• Select amaryllis, tulips, daffodils, paper whites, etc. for winter forcing.

• Remove warmer season annuals.

• Plant pansies, kale, colorful peppers, mums and asters for late season color.

• Finish planting evergreens by the middle of the month so the roots have time to establish before the ground freezes.

• Keep watering your evergreens and recently planted trees, shrubs and perennials.

• Mound hybrid roses with 12" of soil at the end of the month.

• Empty and cover fountains and water features.

• Begin trimming perennials back at the end of the month. Leave some up for winter interest, such as ornamental grasses and sedums.

• Move your tropical plants indoors before the first frost and apply an insecticide in advance.

• Remove soil from your outdoor pots and store them indoors or cover them for winter.

• Core aerating lawns can be done through October when temperatures have cooled down. Fall aeration preps your grass for the spring.

Please note: the timing of many of these tips is approximate and can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors. If you have any questions, please contact a Hawks Landscape Designer or Maintenance representative at 414-258-5525.

October Turf Tips

We've made it to autumn and the leaves are starting to change. Rake those fallen leaves off your lawn to prevent them from matting down and smothering your grass. I prefer to change my mower to a "mulching deck" to take care of those leaves. A mulching mower chops leaves into small bits that can be left on the lawn where they will break down and add nutrients to the soil. There is nothing like a nice weekend afternoon listening to the game, mulching leaves, to the sounds of "Touchdown!"

Continue to mow and remove leaves through fall. Now is a great time to aerate your lawn, as the soil conditions will ensure that you are able to get good penetration as you pull plugs from the turf. Aerating helps to loosen the soil and allows for better air and moisture absorption as well as reduced soil compaction and reduced water runoff and puddling. It also improves fertilizer uptake and bacterial breakdown of thatch. The end result is an enhanced grass root structure and ultimately a thicker lawn.

Hawks is Hiring - Mechanic Wanted

We are experiencing a thriving season with plenty of job opportunities! If you have a passion for outdoor work, an appreciation for beautiful gardens, and enjoy working with customers, we invite you to join our team! We are especially looking for experienced Landscape Construction Foremen. While having a background in horticulture and/or the landscape trade is valued, we encourage individuals to apply who are friendly, diligent and enthusiastic about joining a dedicated group of professionals! Check out Hawks' Employment Opportunities to browse our available positions and access our employment application. Apply today!

HAWKS LANDSCAPE, INC.

12217 West Watertown Plank Road • Wauwatosa | 414•258•5525 | hawkslandscape.com