G.A. Landscape Design and Associates Blend Creativity With Artistry
By Kerry Law11/9/2009
WESTFIELD, NJ - Kurt Bongiovanni didn’t get into the landscape design profession to get his hands dirty. Bongiovanni was drawn to the profession due to the creativity it offered. "I used to work for another landscape business, but felt like my creativity was being withheld, so I chose to open my own landscape company where I could showcase my artistic talents in landscape design."
Since opening its doors in 1990, G.A. Landscape Design and Associates has served the counties of Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Morris, Essex and Hunterdon. The business staffs five full-time employees and 10 seasonal employees. Bongiovanni named the company after his mother, the late Geraldine Ann Reinfurt Bongiovanni, who inspired her son with her love of nature and generous spirit. The company captures this spirit in their business, the goal of which is to "create magnificent outdoor spaces where clients can enjoy the splendors of nature all year long."
In addition to being the owner and project construction manager at G.A., Bongiovanni is a master gardener, certified landscape designer and attends classes related to the landscape design profession.
Services
"I like to say that we work with earth, water and fire. Earth is clearly the landscape work. Water is usually something along the lines of a soothing waterfall, pool or fountain. The fire aspect generally involves incorporating an outdoor fireplace of some kind," Bongiovanni said.
After an initial consultation, a landscape design plan is put into place. This plan may include details such as an excavation plan, plantscape and hardscape plans, lighting designs, and drainage/irrigation plans. "Many companies call themselves a landscape design company and I respect that. However, in order to be in the design profession, you really need to provide the clients with a design plan. When working on a project, we may offer multiple design plans for clients to choose from," Bongiovanni stated.
From there, Bongiovanni’s team will create a complete landscape solution for the client’s outdoor living space. This includes detailed, hand-drawn renderings of the project.
Bongiovanni stresses that client input is important in every step of the way. "Our objective is to meet and exceed client expectations. Whatever our client has in mind, we want to do that and then take it just a little step further."
Depending on the scope of the project, several landscape construction options are available.
These include:
· Custom stone patios, walks, retaining walls, seating walls and driveways
· Natural stone patios, walkways and concrete block walls
· Swimming pools, ponds, fountains, pondless waterfalls and other water features
· Decorative decks, trellises, pergolas and arbors
· Layout and installation of seed and sod lawns, planting beds
· Selection and planting of trees, shrubs, perennials and ground covers
· Irrigation
· Landscape Lighting Systems
· Drainage including swales, French drains, dry wells and corrective grading
G.A. also offers accent lighting services in order to beautify an outdoor living space. Accent lighting can enhance beauty and showcase different features to create a soft ambiance to the home and yard.
Property management and landscape maintenance services are available at G.A. This includes reseeding, fertilization, edging, mulching, planting and pruning. Bongiovanni added, "Basically, we want people come home to tranquility. When they are home, we want them to feel like they are in their own stress-free oasis."
G.A.’s website highlights many of the designs they have created for their clients and provides a wealth of information on their services.
Their web site can be found at
http://www.galandscapedesign.com/G.A. Landscape Design and Associates can be reached by phone at 908.789.1859 and by e-mail at
info@galandscapedesign.comto view the full article, here's the link:
http://thealternativepress.com/article.asp?news=7796&G.A.-Landscape-Design-and-Associates-Blend-Creativity-With-Artistry
