When Garden Elementary students returned from their spring break, they discovered a professionally designed garden and outdoor learning area that rocked their world. ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design donated hardscapes, plant material, design, labor and more (approximately $25,000) to make Garden Elementary School leadership's dream of a hybrid garden/playground come true. The garden, located in Venice, Fla., spanned four months of planning, consultation and execution.

 
The project took off like a rolling stone after ArtisTree read about the school's vision to create a local "Venice Rocks" campaign (modeled after "The Kindness Rocks Project" launched nationwide). They met with principal Amy Archer and offered assistance.

A special space was needed, so ArtisTree presented a landscape plan complete with tropical plantings, cap rock boulders, white river rock, mulch and artificial turf.

"Our goal was to create a fun, inviting space that would be kid-friendly and low maintenance," said ArtisTree General Manager Joe Mantkowski. "We purposely stayed with neutral hardscapes and lots of greenery in different textures so that the kids' painted rocks would really stand out."
A week before the big reveal, crews trimmed the garden's majestic live oak before beginning five days of landscape installation - lifting, digging, moving, pouring, spreading, raking and watering. While students were away with family and friends, a little piece of magic was happening at Garden.

Finally, when Monday rolled around, the buses rolled in just like they did every weekday. But that day was different. What a joy it was to see the kids' faces light up, bus load after bus load, as they stopped in their tracks to marvel at a vibrant new landscape dotted with their own hand-painted rocks.

As seen in LASN magazine, February 2020.