Tuesday, March 17, 2009

How our online process works

Some people love that we are now offering the same customized design and consultation services at much lower prices. By moving everything online we are able to reduce our operating costs -- our past fuel bills were dizzying!!! Some people, however, are unsure how it all works. It's so simple, really. All we need is a little information, some photos, your survey or plat plan, and the fee to get started. When we have finished your project, we mail and/or email the final product, and then set an appointment to review by phone. More specifically:
  1. New client questionnaire -- available as a word document on our blog near the bottom-right of the homepage. Download, complete, save and return as an attachment by email.
  2. Upload photos to snapfish.com and invite us to view your photos -- send the link to nativedaveinc@gmail.com. We will need approximately 10-15 photos of the front yard or 15-20 of the back, or a combined 25-35 of the entire property. Remember, you and your camera are our 'eyes.'
  3. Survey or plat plan -- scan and save as jpeg or pdf. Make sure your image is legible, especially the scale and directional information. Send by email.
  4. Fee -- PayPal is best. I will send an invoice requesting funds after you decide which service suits you best. If you prefer to mail a check, use the address at the top of this page (15521 Palmira Ave Unit A Corpus Christi 78418).

Upon receipt of all of the above we will get started. Turnaround times vary according to season (spring is super busy, naturally), but on average we can get your design back to you within 7-10 days. Sketches take about 4-7 days. As mentioned above, we will send your finished product by mail and email. Next, we will request a meeting by phone. (We are also toying with the idea of video calls via Skype, so let us know if you prefer to 'see' us while discussing your product.) During the meeting David will take you through all of the elements of your design or sketch. He will direct you to photos of the plants, either ours or another website. This will help to bring your plan to life! Of course, he will also allow plenty of time for you to ask questions.

It's super simple. Still not sure? Feel free to drop us an email with your questions, etc. We are always happy to help!

Seeding a Healthy Community

Please join us for the City of Allen's first-annual "Seeding a Healthy Community: A Festival for Healthy Living." The event, which is hosted by Watters Creek, will take place on Saturday, April 4th, 8am to 3pm, at Montgomery Farm located at the SW corner of Highway 75 and Bethany Road, Allen. We will have a booth there and will speak at 10:30 at The Lofts at Watters Creek.

"Spend a Saturday enjoying the great outdoors and a healthy way of life! Bring the family for nature walks, bird watching, kayaking, canoeing, cooking demonstrations, and more! Meet "Seedfolks" author Paul Fleischman at Borders. Shop at a Farmers Market. Take part in garden presentations. Let the children roll up their sleeves and explore their passion for the outdoors through hands-on activities!

This event is a collaboration between Allen Reads, Alliance for a Healthier Allen (Market Street, Presbyterian Hospital of Allen, City of Allen Parks and Recreation and Allen ISD), and a community based EE Consortium (Keep Allen Beautiful, Allen Garden Club, Ecoliteracy Project, Montgomery Farm and Connemara Conservancy.)"

Recap: NPSOT Garland meeting

Our program at Rohde's on Sunday went beyond the allotted time (ha) but everyone seemed to enjoy the experience. David brought Sage in at the end. We have spoken to this group several times and we wanted to introduce Sage to 'the family.' Neat, isn't it, when you love what you do and get to know so many wonderful people? We are always so grateful to be surrounded by incredibly intelligent, supportive or at least open-minded folks who truly want to join our cause to conserve, preserve, restore and celebrate Texas' natural beauty. Thanks to Derrell, May, Susan and the rest of the NPSOT-Garland family. Looking forward to many more years of continued friendship! :-)

It's still dark out as I write this. David is driving, Sage and Folsom the Dog are quietly sleeping. Radio Margaritaville plays softly in the background as we chug along I-35, south toward Austin and beyond to Corpus Christi. (I want to personally thank the inventor of mobile broadband technology!) It's back to the beach to finish up some designs and sketches, then back to North Central Texas in a few weeks. I'll make a separate announcement for the City of Allen event. Hope to see you there.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Meet us at Rohde's tomorrow!

We will be speaking tomorrow, Sunday, March 15th, at 1pm at Rohde's Nursery in Garland. Our audience is the Garland chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas. Meeting is free and open to the public. After, browse the many fine native plants available at Rohde's!

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Meet us in Garland!

We will be speaking to the Native Plant Society of Texas-Garland on Sunday, March 15th, at 2pm, at Rohde's Nursery in Garland. Free meeting and open to the public. Hope you can attend!

Temp Stop

I promise, I promise. I'm working on the 'real' website and should have it up soon. Meanwhile, please feel free to peruse the blog and learn more about us, our mission and our penchant for native plants. Leave a comment, too, if you like!