With a company the size of Heritage Professional Landscaping, consistency, track- ability and accountability are crucial.

“Sometimes a customer will say to me, ‘Jeff, I couldn’t believe it. Your guys were in and out of here in five minutes.’ I’ll reply, ‘You mean it took them that long?’

Don’t let the rainbow pastel sneakers fool you. “I’m just an old farm girl,” says LaVon “Dolly” Roll. “I used to drive tractors, ride horses, and even helped raise a couple of baby foxes when I was a kid. I have always loved being outdoors and around animals.”

“I’m just an old farm girl,” says LaVon “Dolly” Roll. “I used to drive tractors, ride horses, and even helped raise a couple of baby foxes when I was a kid.

by Tim Cromley, Marketing Manager

I began working with the Walker Talk project in 1995 and, even though I had a lot more hair back then, what I didn’t have was a clue about how unique the opportunity was that I was beginning to experience. See, the way stories are gathered for Walker Talk is usually by an interaction Bob Walker or one of our staff had with a customer, whether in the field or by correspondence. Then, as we get to know these people, we realize that their stories would be great to share with others. Typically, this means that we hand off the story to our editor, Rod Dickens, and he contacts the customers, makes a visit, gets to know them by listening to their stories, takes photos and then writes their stories.

Filoli Center puts a different twist on the old saying: The only thing constant is change. Since appearing 22 years ago in Walker Talk, Volume 6, this historic country estate, located in Woodside, California, has evolved to ensure its preservation. At the same time, it has expanded its role as a place for the public to learn more about and enjoy early 20th century cultural traditions and natural history.
What hasn’t changed over the years is the magnificent beauty of the 654-acre property that includes 16 acres of formal gardens and a 43-room mansion, both of which are open to the public for self-guided and guided tours. There’s still approximately four acres of turf to mow once a week during the growing season as well, a task that’s charged to the estate’s Walker Mower and a Honda push mower. Two of 14 horticulturists, Justin Brown and David Shippy, share mowing duties on Mondays when the house and gardens are closed to the public.