Looking for a job in Landscaping? Well, we are hiring.

WikWorks, Inc is now Hiring for the upcoming season.

We are looking to hire 2-3 new employees for the spring, summer and fall season.

Job Description/Requirements:

Preferred Qualifications:
Carpentry & Masonry skills.
Experience in driving a dump truck and/ van with a clean driving record.
Experience in operating equipment. (mini-excavator, power tools, etc.)
Prompt, hardworking and take pride in his/ her work.

Required Qualifications:
Minimum High School diploma and/ or industry certification.
Must possess a valid Massachusetts Drivers License and U.S. Citizenship.
2+ year experience in all types/ phases of landscape construction.
Capable of lifting 80+ lbs. and performing routine physical labor.
Willing to work outside regardless of weather conditions.
Consistent attendance and prompt arrival in the morning.
Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
Basic reasoning and time management abilities to effectively complete tasks.
Must provide minimum (2) professional references and pass a basic background check.

Please respond to this Ad with your resume and cover letter (including hourly wage expectations)

You will be working on the Maintenance of Properties as well as Installation of Walls, patios, walkways, plantings, irrigation, lighting and more.

Experience in these fields is a bonus, not a must.

You must be a team player, self motivated, energetic and have the stamina to work 10 -12 hour days.

All new hire recieve performance reviews in first year as follows:

After 1st day, after 1st week, after 1st month, after 6 months and after 1 year.

Continued employment is determined by each review.

WikWorks, Inc employs all correctly documented and legalized citizens of the United States.

Looking for employment?.....

Contact Ryan Wikman, the owner of WikWorks, Inc, also visit our contact page or visit our website

Trees Leaves....Take a guess and Win!!!

If you can name the genus/common name of each leaf that I have pictured below, you will win a company sweatshirt (see previous blog regarding sweatshirts).

  Each tree is used only once. All must be correct for a sweatshirt to be won. Write your answers in the comment section for a chance to win.

Here are the trees you can choose from:

Acer/Maple, Betula/Birch, Fagus/Beech, Fraxinus/Ash & Quercus/Oak

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Contest will run until 5 winners have been chosen.

Need help with the answers?.....

Contact Ryan Wikman, the owner of WikWorks, Inc, also visit our contact page or visit our website

Landscaping,Logos,Marketing and Sweatshirts....What?

What in the world does Landscaping, Logos, Marketing and Sweatshirts have to do with each other? Well, let me explain. Ever since the company began, I have always searched for ways in which I could differentiate my company from others. One of the ways that I have accomplished this goal of mine was by tying together Landscaping, Logos, Marketing and Sweatshirts. First we have "Landscaping" and basically that's the type of work my company does. Next are Logos. Most companies have a single logo and when designed properly for your industry it's priceless (make it memorable). So when it comes to branding/marketing, having a recognizable and memorable logo that clients, whether existing or potential, will not forget.   

Do I have that?...... You be the Judge.

Now that I had my logo, I wanted everyone to see it. I had my trucks, signs & equipment lettered. I then realized how unprofessional I looked without WikWorks logo attire. Now is where the fun begins. I had t-shirts, long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts printed up and created my uniforms.

Here's how my mind works..... I have an idea (actually many of them pop up in my mind everyday, must mean my mind is working or something) and the hardest part is trying to decipher whether that idea will work for my company. The ideas are usually marketing related, so let me tie this all together. Now that I have my logo, another idea "popped up."

Here it is:

Since I work in the "green" industry and we are required to work with, around and through each changing season, (thus our slogan "Work with the Earth") why not have a logo for each corresponding season.

Here they are......

Now that I have my seasonal logos, what am I to do? Change all my lettering every season for each truck and piece of equipment? No way!!! much to difficult. How do we use each logo? We have seasonal uniforms. Each season, all employees of WikWorks,Inc. change their uniforms. They have winter, spring, summer and fall uniforms. Our summer logo is our permanent logo, but for uniforms, websites and signage, we seasonally change.

Let me bring it all together now.

Because I work in the landscaping industry, am able to have seasonal logos and print them on our uniforms (see sweatshirts above and sorry for poor photos), I now needed a way to market each logo.

Simple.... After each job, I offer free sweatshirts to all our clients. You choose your favorite season & size and I supply the sweatshirt. Kids sizes will be available this spring

If you didn't know about our sweatshirt promotion, contact me and I'll hook you up.

Contact Ryan Wikman, the owner of WikWorks, Inc, also visit our contact page or visit our website

A variety for every shade garden

I have always been a fan of the Hosta, a tough, shade-loving perennial that produces lush mounds of handsome, often variegated leaves and racems of trumpet-shaped flowers. There are roughly 70 species and over 4,000 varieties or cultivars. Leaves range from heart shaped, nearly round to a lance shape. The most amazing aspect to this perennial is the huge variations in shades of greens, blues yellows and whites. The hosta is one of the hardiest of all perennials when planted in the correct location. Plant in light to full shade with rich, evenly moist soil. Morning sunlight to afternoon shade is best.

                  

                                           

                                                                                  
                                                   


For help placing Hosta in your Landscape...

Contact Ryan Wikman, the owner of WikWorks, Inc, also visit our contact page or visit our website

The Art of Working with Stone

Designing with Stones

This was the title of the seminar that I attended today by Lew French, an amazing stone artisan and naturalist. I would have to say that he is a purist (that which I am striving to be) when it comes to working with the beauty of natural stone. Lew's philosophy is to use stone in its natural form keeping any cutting or hammering to an absolute minimum.

Lew searched throughout New England's abandoned quarries to find the magnificent, majestic and colossal granite pillars that he used on the above project. The way he integrates the large stone with the smaller field stone is superb. If you can't already tell, I love this guys work. 

 

 I am just amazed at how he so intricately works with such varying sizes of stone to create such layers and depth. Lew hand selects his stone and when possible, uses stone from on site.

 Lew's design eye is amazing, his love for stone is undeniable and his passion to educate others is impeccable. Check out his book, Stone by Design to see more of his amazing work.

For help creating beautiful stone art in your Landscape...

Contact Ryan Wikman, the owner of WikWorks, Inc, also visit our contact page or visit our website

Specimen Trees in the Landscape

Specimen Trees in the Landscape

With any planting design, you have multiple layers to work with. One layer is the ceiling or canopy (this layer also can contain your wall) of which your trees are a part of. Next you have the understory or subcanopy of which your smaller trees and shrubs are contained in and one of the final layers is the floor containing perennials.  When I work with the ceiling/canopy/wall layer of a design, the placement of a beautiful specimen tree is crucial to adding the "wow" factor to the final product. One of my main ways of adding the "wow" factor to a design is by choosing certain specimen trees that can hold their own no matter what the season.

Acer griseum

Paperbark Maple

This is an uncommon plant in american gardens due to propagation issues, but in a winter landscape, it has few peers. The rich cinnamon to reddish brown exfoliating bark commands center stage, especially when framed by snow. It is a small tree, ranging from oval to rounded in outline. Bluish green leaves turn brilliant red in fall. When it comes to specimen trees, no finer tree could be recommended.

Cedurus atlantica

Atlas Cedar

Atop the class of evergreens is the magnificent Atlas Cedar. In youth, the habit is pyramidal and sparsely branched. With age the tree becomes denser with broadly horizontal branches, giving the Atlas a grand and noble appearance. It is tolerant of acid and alkaline soil conditions and once established it is quite tolerant of heat and dry soils. When planted in a crowd, this form shouts for attention. 

Crataegus viridis 'Winter King'

Winter King Green Hawthorn

No other hawthorn selection has received as much attention as "Winter King'. The beautiful rounded habit, almost vase-shaped branching structure, and distinct gray-green stems provide ideal architecture. The lustrous dark green foliage, white flowers and red fruit are outstanding. It is an excellent choice as a small ornamental tree or for use against an evergreen background.



 

Stewartia pseudocamellia

Japanese Stewartia

If you are and avid gardener and have never seen one of these trees before, upon seeing this, you will have one in your landscape shortly. Flowers and fall foliage can be memorable, but the exquisite lightning-bolt pattern of the exfoliating bark is the real show, bringing pizazz to the winter garden. In youth it is pyramidal-oval, then becoming more open and rounded with maturity. White Flowers open in July adding more interest to an already superb specimen.

 

For help choosing specimen trees for your Landscape...

Contact Ryan Wikman, the owner of WikWorks, Inc, also visit our contact page or visit our website

Favorite Summer Flowering Perennials

In almost every planting design I put together, I try to incorporate my top five summer flowering perennials. Four of the five thrive in full sun to part shade conditions, leaving the astilbe to control the shade.

Enjoy! 

Aquilegia caerulea

Rocky Mountain Columbine

Columbines thrive in full sun or partial shade with rich, average to light, evenly moist, well-drained soil. Plants in full sun bloom more and are more compact than those grown in shade, but in hot climates dappled shade or afternoon shade provides essential heat protection. The only down fall to this beautiful perennial is that they are not long lived. 2-4 years is about average, although they can last much longer in good conditions.

Astilbe hybrid

Hybrid Astilbe

Astilbe prefer rich, constantly moist, well-drained soil. Partial shade is best. A site with sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon is ideal. Astilbes should be fertilized annually in spring by top-dressing with compost or a balanced organic fertilizer.

Campanula persicifolia

Peach-leaved Bellflower

Bellflowers generally thrive in full sun to partial shade and average to rich soil that is moist but well drained. Most bellflowers do not tolerate heat well and grow best in areas where temperatures routinely dip below 70 degrees at night in summer. This genus contains over 300 species with flowers shades ranging from blue, lavender, purple and white. To extend the bloom period, deadhead and water deeply during dry spells.

Iris Sibirica

Siberian Iris

Named for the Greek goddess Iris who rode to earth on a rainbow, Iris is a vast genus containing roughly 300 species along with thousands of cultivars. The Siberian Iris grow well in full sun to light shade and evenly moist, well drained or constantly wet soil. They also grow with up to 2 inches of standing water. When the plants become over crowded, divide them in early spring or early fall.

Platycodon grandiflorus

Balloon Flower

The Balloon flower is a dependable, clump forming perennial with inflated flower buds that split open into broad, shallow, bell-shaped flowers. They love full sun or light shade and average to rich well-drained soil. By deadheading spent blooms, the plant will continue to bloom all summer long. 

For help choosing perennials for your Landscape...

Contact Ryan Wikman, the owner of WikWorks, Inc, also visit our contact page or visit our website