Spring Letter from Craig

Dear Friends,
I write this letter to you shortly after the vernal equinox, a day when many in human history have looked to the power of the sun for guidance. Since the time change, it has been so nice to see the sun in the late afternoons instead of the gloom of long nights. I have always treasured early spring and listening to the robins singing at dawn as if they were resident roosters. Our mild winter this year has revealed many an early sprout, including our lungworts (Pulmonarias) who seldom show their coral, white, or blue bells until early April. Emergent perennials in the borders are revealing that many delphiniums survived and the lavender didn’t freeze hard back to the ground for once.

Like the newness of spring in the air, there have also been an abundance of changes here at CBLD. A treasured, long-term employee and friend, Linda Hewitt, has left us for new horizons along with welcoming her first grandchild into this world last month. We all wish her much joy and happiness on this new chapter in her life. A valued member of our design team, Jeff Mis, has left the Midwest for a new geography and job specializing in public landscape work in North Carolina. May his new journey bring him happiness and visits on his return trips back home to Chicago so he can share great stories with us.

Spring always stimulates new growth and here at CBLD our team is growing. The Nursery department administrative support team has doubled with the addition of Misty Becker and Marianly Hernandez. They will keep all of us current with a myriad of plant materials we need for the 150+ gardens we install and maintain.

In the Garden Care Department, we have added an already-familiar face to many of you. Erik Dayrell, who has been in the Design Studio for years, has decided to “dig in” and join the Chicago-based crew for all of our growing urban garden needs. We are finding his landscape architecture degree and broad experience benefits our clients in some of the more unusual work we do in Garden Care.

In the Landscape Construction Department we have a new project manager: Matt Synnestvedt (a familiar landscape industry name!) who brings an innate understanding of what it takes to turn drawings into reality on a landscape project. We feel very fortunate to have his family legacy join our team.

Daniel Eisner joins us as our ledger accountant to be the conduit between our purchasing department and accounting. Dan is a whiz kid in Excel and is helping with all of the technological savvy that young minds bring to the work force.

The Design Studio welcomes Lacey Carlson as Associate Designer. After only a short period of time here she has proven herself a talented and valuable team player in this entry-level position. We hope to share many years with her and provide her with growth and hands-on experience.

Watching our pups, Violet and Pepper, sitting in pools of sunshine at my feet as I write this makes me realize, yet again, how simple pleasures can be the best for our well-being. A bright blue sky and crisp, clear air is calling me outside so I can finish some dormant pruning on an espalier, pull some obvious chickweed in the vinca bed and, of course, let Violet and Pepper chase a few chipmunks or squirrels before lunch…

Happy Spring!

Sincerely,
Craig Bergmann
RLA, ASLA, Proprietor