K & D Landscaping Blog

Episode 23: The New Ambassadors: When the Next Gen Rises to the Occasion With Guests Justin White & Jonathon Goldhill

cmgroup — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:47:00 GMT

2021 NextGens to Watch: An Entrepreneurial Spark

cmgroup — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:34:01 GMT

5 Amazing Landscaping Ideas for Pet Owners

cmgroup — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:48:06 GMT

Your pets are your best friends and loyal companions to the end. However, balancing their needs with those of your landscape can be a challenge at least. Whether you’re worried about maximizing playtime fun with your pet, keeping your pet safe, or creating a garden that fido won’t destroy in his daily digging, there are many factors you have to account for during landscaping before you can sit back and drink in the warmth and beauty of your garden. Landscaping for pets is possible with a little bit of planning.

Artificial Turf vs. Grass: Which Is the Best Choice for Your Landscape?

Holly Petherbridge — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:48:05 GMT

When it comes to designing your landscape, the choice between artificial turf and natural grass often comes down to priorities: appearance, sustainability, and upkeep. Both options can create a beautiful and functional outdoor space, but typically one will align better with your lifestyle and long-term vision for your property.

Seascape Beach Resort and K&D Landscaping: Pioneers in Water Conservation Featured on National Magazine Cover

cmgroup — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:48:04 GMT

APTOS, CA — JUNE 20, 2023 — Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos, in collaboration with K&D Landscaping of Watsonville, has made waves in the field of water conservation. Their remarkable achievement of saving 1 Million Gallons of Water has garnered them national recognition. The duo’s success is the focal point of the latest issue of Irrigation and Lighting, a prestigious national magazine. Read Full Press Release

Dangerous Plants Hiding in Your Backyard

Justin White — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:47:04 GMT

If you are like most people, working in your garden is relaxing. But what if it could also be dangerous? As it turns out, there are actually quite a few plants that could potentially be hazardous for your health. They may be growing right in your own backyard. It is even possible that you planted them there yourself, in pursuit of a beautiful backyard landscaping project.

How Fire Mitigation Services Protect Properties in the Wildland Urban Interface on the Coast

Bryan Cabello — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:47:03 GMT

The Central Coast of California is fire country. The dry summers, the persistent winds, the steep terrain covered in chaparral and dry grass, and the development patterns that push neighborhoods into wildland areas all create conditions where a single ignition can threaten hundreds of homes in hours.

Fire mitigation services are the proactive measures that reduce that risk on individual properties and across communities. They do not eliminate the possibility of fire. They create the conditions that slow fire spread, reduce flame intensity, and give the property and the first responders a better chance when a fire does arrive.

For property owners in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, and the surrounding Central Coast communities, fire mitigation is not optional in the high risk zones. It is mandated by local and state fire codes. And even in areas where the code does not require it, the conditions make it a practical necessity.

What Fire Mitigation Services Include

Fire mitigation is a vegetation management strategy that creates defensible space around structures and reduces the fuel load that feeds a wildfire as it moves across the landscape.

The core components of a fire mitigation services program include:

Creating defensible space zones around structures, with the most aggressive vegetation clearing within 30 feet of the building and graduated management extending out to 100 feet or more depending on the slope, the vegetation type, and the fire code requirements
Weed abatement that removes the dry grass, brush, and dead vegetation that serve as flash fuels during fire season, typically required by local ordinance and subject to inspection
Tree pruning and canopy management that raises the crown height to reduce the risk of ground fire laddering into the canopy, removes dead limbs, and creates spacing between tree crowns that slows fire progression
Brush clearing along access roads, driveways, and evacuation routes to ensure that emergency vehicles can reach the property and that residents can evacuate safely
Ongoing maintenance that keeps the defensible space in compliance throughout fire season, because vegetation management is not a one time task. Growth returns. Dead material accumulates. And the conditions that created the risk in the first place reassert themselves every year.

These services are not landscaping in the traditional sense. They are risk reduction measures that happen to involve vegetation.

Why a Landscaping Company With Fire Mitigation Experience Makes a Difference

A general landscaping company can clear brush. A company with fire mitigation experience understands which vegetation to remove, which to retain, and how to manage the transition between the maintained zone and the wildland beyond it. They understand the code requirements, the inspection process, and the documentation that property owners may need to demonstrate compliance.

On the Central Coast, where the fire risk varies by elevation, slope, aspect, and proximity to open space, the mitigation plan needs to be site specific. A property on a south facing slope with dense chaparral downhill requires a different approach than a property on a flat lot surrounded by irrigated landscaping.

The Work That Matters Before the Fire Starts

Fire mitigation in Watsonville, CA is the work that pays its dividend in the emergency that may never happen, and that protects everything if it does. If your property sits in a fire prone area of the Central Coast, the conversation about defensible space should happen before fire season, not during it. The vegetation does not wait for a plan. It grows. And the window between managed and overgrown is shorter than most property owners realize.

RAISE THE BAR: Perfecting the spring kickoff

cmgroup — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:47:03 GMT

Does your team know the plan ahead? Spring is an opportunity to set the tone for the season, rally the troops and share the vision for where the company is headed. In the past at K&D, we would charge right into the busy season without any formal get-together or meeting. Before we knew it, we were in the dead heat of summer. Then one year, we decided to have a spring launch meeting, and it made a huge difference in engagement and retention. For the last eight years, we’ve made a point to have a celebratory spring kickoff. Let’s dive into some of the components of a great spring meeting.

Read Full Article

Preparing for Wildfire Season Part 2 of 4

cmgroup — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:47:02 GMT

Last week we covered the importance of creating a defensible space around your home for fire safety. Weed through these examples of how you can adhere to these safety guidelines and state laws on your property, starting with (the newly designated,) Zone 0 or otherwise known as the “immediate zone”.

Is Your Landscape Winter-Ready?

cmgroup — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:47:01 GMT

When the temperatures start getting low, it means that winter is close. As soon as there are indications that fall is coming to a close, you should put on your gloves and get the appropriate tools to start winterizing your landscape. After, all, you do not want snow to mess up all your hard work.

Preparing in advance will lessen the landscaping work required in spring too. So, when you take note of the drop in temperatures, make a point of covering your garden. Below are some useful tips on how to prepare your landscape for winter.