While growing up, I always enjoyed working in the garden with my parents. My father, an avid gardener and trained Master Gardner, devotes many hours each week to the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Service. My mother is a self taught painter and flower arranger. Both were important influences for me. I remember my father buying a lawnmower for me so that I could make some extra money cutting my neighbor’s lawns. It is here that I learned how much I hated the boring repetitious nature of lawn maintenance.My first real job, not counting my small venture into the lawn mowing business, was working for a retail plant nursery, where for five years I did everything from plant maintenance to sales. From time to time, the owner, who specialized in Japanese style gardening, took me out on installation projects. It was that job that I credit with solidifying my love of plant material and garden design. With my appetite wetted, and seeing no room for advancement, I went in search of a new job. I found what I was looking for at an upscale multi-faceted company that had divisions specializing in landscape construction, tree pruning and also a wholesale nursery. Here I was able to expand my knowledge of plant material as well as learn about proper tree maintenance, and the basics of landscape construction. For seven years I worked within this company. From my early start working as a laborer, my experience and knowledge grew. These were also my college years, where I worked summers while attending SUNY college of Environmental Science & Forestry. In 1979 I was graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies, and two years later I received my advance professional degree of Bachelor of Landscape Architecture. After graduation, I moved from field laborer to Landscape Architect. My job consisted of the initial client contact through getting paid for the job. I was responsible for the design, the cost estimate, the sale, plant and material selection, and job site supervision and troubleshooting.I loved it! In 1985, with no room within the company for advancement, I left to open my own landscape design and construction business. Knowing how much I hated lawn maintenance, I vowed not to cut lawns and instead concentrate on my love of design and installation. This was also the year that New Jersey began licensing landscape architects. I became the one of the first Landscape Architects to be certified by the state of New Jersey. When I began, my company name was B. Greenberg Landscape Architect. Even though I spent the days working in the field and my evenings and weekends going on appointments, designing and estimating, I hoped this name was would emphasize the design focus of my company. I ran into a slight problem about five years into business. I had plenty of work and my yearly sales were rising, but my two laborers left me in September without giving me warning. One moved away, and one went off to college. I was lucky to find a well-respected landscaper to work with me, doing my installations. I could now concentrate on design and sales, while he took care of the installations. The partnership worked well that fall, so we formalized the arrangement, joining forces and changing the name of our combined company to Birch Hill Landscaping. Four years later, realizing that the attempt at a partnership didn’t work out, we split. I credit my former partner with teaching me how to run a landscape crew without being at the job-site all the time. With each completed project, I expanded my client base and the respect I received from my colleagues. In 1997, along with my wife Becky, opened The Garden Path, a landscape accessory showroom and retail center. Becky, who I met at college, is also trained as a landscape architect. The Garden Path, located in Millburn, NJ has become a great success on it’s own, and continues to add value to the Birch Hill name. I was a two-term president of the Springfield Garden Club; I have lectured at many landscape conferences, and also appeared as an expert in a documentary focusing on the vegetative regeneration of an abandoned quarry going through natural plant succession. I have won awards for my design and installation projects. Let my passion for what I do work magic on your property. Contact me! barry@birchhillinc.com |
