Most days, Level Green Landscaping managers, supervisors and crews are hard at work for clients — laying pavers, planning projects, ordering 11,000 liriope plants.
But some days, they take their time and talent out into the community.
They help kids plant an herb garden for a senior center. They teach affordable housing residents how to plant a rain garden. They landscape a student-built house — no charge.
They do good. And feel good.
“We get a great deal of satisfaction from it, especially when we work with kids,” says Bill Hardy, managing partner at Level Green.
Here’s a look at some of the good that happens.
Sprucing Up Student-built Houses
Every year, high school students in the Prince George County Public Schools build a house, from start to finish.
But a house isn’t really finished without landscaping. So Level Green crews volunteer to plant the trees, shrubs and perennials that add fresh green curb appeal.
“Our suppliers provide the plants, and we do the landscaping,” Hardy says. Hardy is on the board of directors for the project — the Foundation for Applied Construction Technology for Students, also known as FACTS.
The FACTS board buys and sells the houses, with proceeds going to fund the next year’s house, as well as for student scholarships for trade school.
Learning To Plant — And To Care
At Edgewater Elementary school in Edgewater Md., students have formed a close bond with the residents of the South River Health and Rehabilitation Center across the street.
Each year the students spend an afternoon planting vegetables and flowers in an ongoing gardens project for their neighbors.
This year Level Green donated tomato, pepper, basil and marigold plants for the herb gardens and lots of begonias, spirea and daisies for the flower beds, along with lending expert help from a number of employees.
“We work side by side with the kids,” Hardy says. “To see the kids’ faces light up as they’re planting— our guys get as much out of it as anybody.”
Afterwards, it was snow cones and popcorn for everyone.
Level Green helps out at a number of similar projects at several area schools, Hardy says.
Digging, Teaching, Creating Cleaner Water
Level Green’s construction division recently worked with Copeland Manor Apartments, an affordable housing property in Southeast Washington DC, to install a rain garden, a shallow depression that’s planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses.
Plant one near a water runoff source like a downspout, roof or driveway and water soaks into the garden rather than gushing straight into the stormwater system.
The garden’s soil filters the oil, grease and other pollutants before slowly releasing the cleaner water into the water table.
The best part: Copeland Manor residents grabbed trowels and work gloves and dug in, planting and learning how rain gardens help the environment.
“People don’t get outside very much,” Hardy says. “The residents dug holes and got dirty right next to our guys. Our employees get excited about the chance to teach other people what they know. We love sharing our knowledge with people.”
Lending Ruritan A Hand
Level Green volunteers help with the big citrus sale organized by the Lothian, Maryland chapter of Ruritan National, a civic service organization.
Fresh oranges and grapefruit are shipped to the Level Green office from Florida. They store them, organize them onto one of their company trailers and a Level Green crew member drives the trailer for delivery of the fruit to customers. Proceeds from the citrus sale go to scholarships and community programs.
Helping Clients, Doing The Right Thing
Level Green also partners with various clients on their community events, from walkathon fundraisers to yard sales or community pool openings.
Mingling with community members, Level Green staff answer questions and share knowledge about landscaping.
“It’s easy to get our people to do these things,” Hardy says. While some of it happens on the clock during the work day, some projects fall on the weekends, he says. People always show up.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Hardy says. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the Level Green company motto.
“It’s posted everywhere around here,” Hardy says. “It’s important to us that we not just talk about it, but lead by example.
“It’s rewarding,” he says. “You feel good.”
Want to Join the Team?
At Level Green Landscaping, “Do the Right Thing” isn’t just a company motto. It's a way of life.
We’re always looking for hard-working, talented people to join our team — and our community causes.
Are you ready to work for a company that encourages you to share your time and talent for a greater good?
