Dear Clients and Friends:
As the month of March is coming to a close, it is truly amazing how quickly things are changing around us. First off, there is no question of the uncertainty in our lives. While I know all our lives are affected in one way or another by the outbreak of COVID-19, I sincerely hope no one has had any health-related issues with the virus.
Here at M.J. Design, we are taking extra precautions to safeguard our employees and customers. In addition to stressing the importance of personal hygiene and frequent handwashing, we have also implemented new cleaning procedures at our facility—as well as in our vehicles.
We have educated our team members on best practices as recommended by the CDC, and please know we will continue to practice social distancing within our teams and when working on our clients’ properties. Our design and sales teams will be doing much of our communication with virtual meetings. Fortunately, we are in a day and age where technology allows us to continue to work when personal interaction isn’t possible.
And I just want to emphasize that the health and safety of everyone is what is most important to us.
Secondly, welcome to Spring! It might have gotten lost with everything going on globally, but last week was the first official day of Spring! Yippee! Our lawns are greening up and I have seen forsythia blooming. Spring bulbs, like daffodils and crocus, are starting to bloom and I am hopeful warmer temperatures are right around the corner.
Through this pandemic, our whole team feels very fortunate to work in an industry that allows us to be outside. While our business classification has some gray areas as far as regulations, we believe landscaping is a vital component to all of our well-being. We are certainly not taking Governor DeWine’s orders lightly, and after much thought and discussion with colleagues in our industry, we feel we are an essential service that can continue safely and responsibly.
As we all know, spring is a critical time of year due to the abundance of growth that requires prompt maintenance and care. We anticipate we will begin mowing in the next week. A halt or delay in landscape services during this time of year only magnifies potential safety problems and then also becomes much more difficult to maintain later in the year. So, we will continue to operate with all the safeguards in place for our clients, team members, and the general public.
So, let’s talk gardening! With so much uncertainty and gloom in our new “normal” these days, getting outside can provide some many positive benefits. Fresh air provides relaxation and does wonders for the mind and soul. Being around plants just makes you feel better, while also providing a positive outlook as we watch them progress and grow. Working in your gardens can counteract the current stress and uncertainty—helping people to be calmer and happier. Many believe gardening can even help speed up recovery from an illness with the body movement, extra Vitamin D, and time in nature. The actual act of gardening even supports this new concept of social distancing, allowing people to engage in exercise and the beautification of their surroundings without being in close contact with others.
As we are all spending a lot more time at home, let’s get outside as families. Educate our kids about the value of being outdoors. We know gardening engages all of the senses, enhances fine motor developments and fosters family bonding. We have the opportunity to foster and create environmental stewards for future generations.
As most of you know, Joel and I love plants and have a huge passion for gardening. Amongst this global pandemic, we hope that we can be a calming resource of support by helping our friends, neighbors, clients and community through these uncertain times. We will be here to provide whatever service we can and when we emerge from these uncertain times, we will all be even stronger—and hopefully have a new appreciation for the outdoors and the benefits it brings to our lives.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, as we will be posting ideas of things you can be doing for ‘fun’ in your own backyards.
@MJDesignAssociates
Keep Calm and Garden On,
Molly M. John
