LAURINBURG — While the coronavirus pandemic has kept folks at home and sparked a number of home improvement projects, many of those have been inside the home.

But Adam Wilhelm, owner of AJW Landscaping of Laurinburg, says it’s the perfect time of year for some outdoor projects.

“The fall is a great time for doing some easy home improvement projects in the yard,” he said. “If the long, hot summer has stressed out your lawn, overseeding in the month of October with annual rye grass will give you a lush green stand of grass without breaking the bank.

“This is also a great time to plant shrubs and trees, with cooler temperatures allowing them to become established without the threat of extreme heat,” he added. “Once we’ve had our first frost it’s the right time to do some much-needed pruning and shaping of your already established shrubs and trees.”

Overall, Wilhelm thinks homeowners will often overlook the curb appeal of their property when thinking about home improvement projects.

With a background is real estate, Wilhelm said it can’t be overstated how important the concept of curb appeal is when it comes to buying or selling real property.

“Landscaping isn’t simply mowing and weed-eating,” he explained. “There are, in fact, a lot of lawn care companies that offer limited services, oftentimes mowing and trimming. Our business has evolved over the past few years to become more project-oriented. With so many maintenance-centered landscapers available, we’ve willingly taken on some of the other facets of landscaping and created a niche.”

Some examples of creating positive curb appeal include making sure shrubs and trees are pruned and manicured, pressure washing or cleaning the structure along with the walkways and driveways, adding color to the entrance either by painting or planters.

“Making sure your property has proper lighting around entryways and walkways and parking areas is often overlooked and should be addressed,” Wilhelm said. “Be sure your property’s address numbers are clearly displayed in a clean highly visible manner.”

AJW Landscaping services range from mowing and trimming grass to pruning shrubs and trees. The company also does tree pruning during the winter months, as well as offers pine straw, hardwood mulch, pine bark nuggets, landscape rock and most any type of mulch available.

“We specialize in hardscapes, which is basically hard materials used to build structures that are incorporated into a landscape,” Wilhelm said. “This includes walkways, retaining walls, border bed and natural area edging, fire pits and raised beds. These features are constructed of wood, concrete pavers, blocks, bricks natural stone and almost any product found in the building supply industry.

“We take on projects of all sizes, whether it’s a one-time visit to tame an overgrown space or a larger project that might have more than one phase,” he added. “We do everything possible to ensure our clients are satisfied and will go the extra hour to fulfill that expectation.”

How it all started

Wilhelm started his business in early 2017, but his interest in landscaping goes back to his early childhood.

“Both of my grandfathers were active in farming or gardening and showed me what they were doing — and at dinner time they explained why they were doing it,” Wilhelm said. “Yardwork was a staple among my chores growing up and attention to detail was not lost on my father. Whether it was push mowing the cherished front yard, which was a healthy stand of centipede turf grass painstakingly sprigged and nurtured, or raking the fall leaves with my siblings … there was always something to be done and learned.

“My interest continued into the summers during my college years — whether it was working for the city of Wilson and then Arborist Phil Norville or long days on the golf course at Cedar Rock Country Club for Karl Kimball,” he added, “my experience has come from many people and a wide array of jobs. I’ve been very lucky over the years to have worked for or been mentored by several dedicated and knowledgeable professionals in the landscaping field.”

AJW Landscaping is located at 12700 Barnes Bridge Road in Laurinburg. To contact Wilhelm, call 910-271-3777 or email him at ajwlandscaping@hotmail.com.

W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or cvincent@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com. To support The Laurinburg Exchange, subscribe here: https://laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com/subscribe.