26 October, 2022 | Announcements, General
We Won the Business NSW Excellence in Small Business Award!
We’re proud to have been announced the winner of The Business NSW Northern Rivers Excellence in Small Business Award 2022!
Dan and his team attended the 2022 Business Awards ceremony which was held at Southern Cross University in Lismore on Saturday 22 October. The awards recognise growth, entrepreneurship and celebrates business success across New South Wales.
‘After an extremely challenging year this is a real honour. In March, we experienced 1.5 metres of floodwater through our premises. As a result, we lost 4 of our 5 vehicles plus equipment/product totalling $250,000+. This disaster temporarily crippled our business. However, the team pulled together, doing what was required to clean up and restore our premises.’ Said Dan.
Dan demonstrated his leadership skills, springing into action to immediately lodge insurance claims and order new vehicles. Hire cars were immediately organised for the interim, so he could operate and support his clients, staff and families to clean up. Due to this swift action, Early Up were operational again within 1 week.
Despite their challenges, Early Up has continued to grow and expand. As a local Tweed business, they are passionately committed to engaging other local businesses at every opportunity. Dan is firmly committed to providing career opportunities for local youth by employing young people as trainees and he hopes to bring on more trainees in the future.
Dan also firmly believes in supporting locals who need help. Early Up proactively supports local charities who feed the homeless and disadvantaged in our community, including Fred’s Place and the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal. After the recent floods, they supported the local recovery process through a competition for a $10K garden makeover for a flood-affected family.
Early Up was up against 18 other finalists within the category of The Excellence in Small Business Award. This particular award recognises a business that has effectively driven growth and is able to demonstrate the specific strategies implemented to achieve business success and/or resilience. Dan and his team will now attend the NSW Business State Awards held in Sydney on November 18.
Early Up were also proud winners of the Home and Garden Improvement category in the Australian Small Business Champion Awards back in March 22.
Related tags: local garden landscapers
8 September, 2022 | General
Photo credit: Tweed Holiday Parks
A move to the Far North Coast from the Big Smoke offers many significant advantages, including a quieter, slower pace of life. With larger homes and extra land, it’s a great gardening opportunity to start backyard landscaping and growing your own raised vegetable gardens.
If you have recently relocated to the Far North Coast and want to ensure your garden survives and thrives, here are some tips from Early Up, your local landscape garden designers.
Garden Tips for New Residents to the Far North Coast
After living in apartments or smaller homes in the city, having a home on the Far North Coast with a backyard is a welcome change. Known for its sub-tropical climate and abundant sunshine, it’s a perfect opportunity to create your dream garden.
At Early Up, we have an experienced team of landscape garden designers who can help you get started. From backyard landscaping to building raised vegetable gardens, let us inspire you with our ideas and expertise.
Based on our knowledge and extensive experience in the local region, here are our garden tips for people who’ve recently moved to the Far North Coast or who are considering relocating to this beautiful part of the world.
Tip 1: How to deal with heavy rain
The Northern NSW region is susceptible to heavy rainfall, especially from mid-December to mid-April. While plants and vegetation generally welcome the rain, too much can cause parts of your garden to become soggy and water-logged.
After a torrential downpour, it’s essential to start the tidy-up process. Here’s what you can do:
- For soggy patches that won’t drain at all, add sand and soil to absorb the moisture
- Deal with damaged plants immediately, cutting the affected areas
- Build a raised vegetable garden where soil can drain adequately
Tip 2: What to do when drought sets in
Our harsh, hot climate makes Australia prone to severe drought conditions, often resulting in strict water restrictions.
To look after your garden during the drought season, here are our recommendations:
- Landscape your backyard with drought tolerant native plants, pebbles and gravel
- Keep your soil moist by adding compost and mulch
- Catch excess water from the shower or the kitchen sink to use on your garden
Tip 3: Addressing lawn grub infestation
Lawn grubs are common Australian pests creating havoc on lawns, destroying leaves and root systems. Prevalent during the warmer months, lawn grubs turn into moths and beetles, creating a relentless cycle.
Prevention is key. Regularly treating your lawn with insecticide will keep it healthy and fertile while keeping lawn grubs away. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and apply cautiously. Should you need a professional to get rid of your lawn grubs, we work closely with the extermination experts at Peace of Mind Pest Management.
Tip 4: Say Goodbye to Funnel Ants
Another pesky insect is the Funnel Ant. Living underground, their funnel-shaped nests create large, unsightly moulds throughout your lawn and making the ground unstable. Living underground, the funnel ant usually emerges after rainfall and excavates soil to dry their nests.
Don’t deal with the stress of lawn grubs and ant mounds. Call for professional help. Peace of Mind Pest Management specialises in pest control, protecting and saving gardens and lawns throughout the Far North Coast of NSW.
As your local Gardenologists, contact us for any questions regarding caring for your garden during extreme weather conditions. Our team provide expert gardening and landscaping design for residents and families in the lush and beautiful areas of Murwillumbah, Tweed Heads, Tweed Coast and across the Far North Coast of New South Wales.
No one knows Northern NSW gardens like we do! Trust us with yours. Enquire today – Call 0448 300 736.
1 July, 2022 | Garden Tips, General
Creating an edible garden can provide a sense of joy and a great reward for both the young and the young at heart. This may consist of a simple garden bed or a raised vegetable garden and possibly an irrigation system installation. Let us give you the inspiration to get started!
Here’s Your Simple, Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Own Edible Garden
Setting up your edible garden can be easy and is a great way to create fun for the entire family. All it takes is some space, sunshine and a little planning. Follow our simple guidelines and watch with pride as your favourite vegetables, fruits and herbs grow and thrive, ready to feed your family.
Step 1: Which Plants to Use?
Before getting started, think about what types of fruit and vegetables you’d like to plant in your edible garden. Consider the types of fruit and veg your family enjoys eating – there’s no point in growing something you don’t like eating.
Are you keen on growing a lemon tree? How about harvesting carrots or broccoli to encourage your kids to eat them more often? Your salads will taste fresh and healthy with parsley and lettuce from your own backyard, or whip up a tasty pesto with your own fresh basil.
Step 2: Choosing a Suitable Container for Your Edible Garden
Get creative with pots and containers. Wheelbarrows and old bathtubs are becoming a popular trend and add a unique touch to your backyard.
Building raised vegetable gardens makes a great weekend project for the kids. Painting it will also guarantee hours of fun for the little ones.
Step 3: Location in Your Garden
After deciding what you would like to grow, choose a suitable location. Make sure that the ground is flat with good sunlight exposure.
Easy access to water is essential. An irrigation system installation will ensure your thirsty crop of vegetables, particularly carrots and beans, have adequate water at all times.
Step 4: Using the Right Soil
Healthy, sustainable soil is crucial for a thriving edible garden. Here are our suggestions for maintaining the ideal soil type:
- Add compost regularly to keep it rich in organic matter
- Try to keep your soil at neutral pH to slightly acidic (ph6 to 7)
- Ensure there’s a consistent balance of moisture and nutrients
- Keep soil healthy and vibrant with living organisms like earthworms
- Use organic fertiliser
Step 5: Ongoing Maintenance
You can enjoy fresh produce whenever you want by keeping your edible garden sustainable all year round. This will take a little effort, yet at the same time prove to be extremely rewarding. Here are our recommendations to keep your garden in tip top condition:
- Crop rotation:
Even for small gardens, planting different produce every season or every year will help your soil retain its nutrients. It will also reduce the risk of plant diseases.
- Compost:
It’s easy to make compost by mixing kitchen scraps with old garden leaves, then spread it around your plants for optimal garden growth.
- Weeding:
Keep plants and soil healthy by regularly weeding your edible garden. Bending down for hours at a time can cause back problems. Consider building a raised vegetable garden to make it easier on your back.
With all these useful tips, there’s no need to wait. Start your fruit and vegetable garden today!
The Early Up team are your local Gardenologists. We love helping our clients create their ideal edible garden or backyard. Contact us for expert gardening landscaping designs. Our services are available in Murwillumbah, Tweed Heads, Tweed Coast, and right throughout the beautiful North Coast region of New South Wales.
Love the thought of having an edible garden but don’t have the time to create it? Speak to us at Early Up – Call 0448 300 736. We’ll get it growing for you.
8 April, 2022 | General
Amidst the turmoil of the North Coast flooding, we have been crowned the winner of the Home and Garden Improvement category in the Australian Small Business Champion Awards!
Flood affected Landscape Garden Designers
Like so many businesses on the North Coast of New South Wales, we were severely affected by the recent flooding. The flood water levels reached 1.5 metres within our workshop. We lost thousands of dollars in tools and machinery, including several brand-new utes.
After the flooding, Dan White, owner of Early Up, pulled together with his team to salvage what was left of his business. They spent days cleaning out the toxic sludge. Dan managed to source temporary hire utes, and amazingly within one week they were back up and running.
After the devastation of the floods, it was so uplifting to receive a phone call about the re-scheduled awards… a real ‘pick-me-up’ that we all desperately needed. Early Up’s Operations Manager Vanessa and Dan flew down to Sydney for the award presentation at The Star Casino on Saturday. As you can imagine, it was a very emotional moment for us when we were announced the winners.
About the Australian Small Business Champion Awards
The Australian Small Business Champion Awards is a prestigious and comprehensive program that supports and recognises small businesses across Australia. Offering a unique opportunity to highlight Australia’s most outstanding small businesses, the awards seek to recognise the hard work that business owners contribute to the local community in generating employment for millions of Australians, as well as their contribution to the Australian economy. The awards are the pinnacle of business success. They recognise the values associated with successful businesses.
We’re back out helping the clean up through Backyard Landscaping
It will take months to fully recover from this natural disaster. However, we feel incredibly grateful that we’re up and running again. We’re also thankful to be able to be able to work on projects helping flood victims who have lost everything. Plants and gardens play an important role in the recovery process. They are scientifically proven to enhance one’s mood and lower stress and anxiety. Every little bit helps.
We can all do our part to help small businesses bounce back after the flooding. Your business will help others get through these difficult times. If you need any lawn, garden care, or landscaping for your property, please contact Early Up. Together as a community, we’ll get through this.
See us in the news!
As your local Gardenologists, we provide expert gardening and landscaping design in Murwillumbah, Tweed Heads, Tweed Coast and across the beautiful North Coast of New South Wales.
Do you need help cleaning up your flood affected garden? Let us help you recreate the garden of your dreams. Call us to learn more on 0448 300 736.
17 March, 2022 | General
Image credit Bruce Mackenzie
As the recovery process begins, the Early Up team shares tips to help you care for your garden after flooding. We understand there’s a big job ahead in the clean-up for many. If you need an extra helping hand with your backyard landscaping, don’t hesitate to contact our Early Up team.
In the meantime, here are our 9 expert tips on how to rebuild your garden by saving us much of it as you can, post-flooding.
Tip 1 – Assess the damage
It’s best to wait for the weather to settle and when it’s safe to do so, take the time to inspect your garden to check on the impact of flood water. Make sure you thoroughly check plants, leaves, roots and the soil.
Some plants may require immediate removal. You may need to replant the plants that have come out of the earth.
Tip 2 – Is your soil waterlogged?
It’s essential to check how much waterlogging is affecting your garden. Excess water in your soil replaces much-needed oxygen and traps any flow. Waterlogged soil damages root growth, potentially causing diseases.
Tip 3 – Remove the mud
It may seem overwhelming at first sight but removing as much of the mud as possible is ideal. This process will help plants start the photosynthesis process and thrive again.
Carefully scrape the mud from roots, trunks and shrubs. Alternatively, you can use a high-pressure water cleaner.
Tip 4 – Compost!
After the floods, adding compost into your garden will balance out the fine silt of mud. Creating piles of leaves and branches will also provide your soil with the organic matter it needs to recover.
Tip 5 – Encourage Drainage
When excess water turns your lawn into a swampy field, it’s time to grab the garden fork. Aeration will help oxygen to penetrate the soil and revitalise grass growth. To drain your garden, dig ditches or furrows, creating pathways for the water to escape to other areas.
Tip 6 – Water Your Plants
You may think more water is the last thing your plants need. However, watering your plants will dilute the concentration of pollutants and toxins, making them less harmful to your environment.
Clean water will also help speed up your garden’s recovery from the extreme weather.
Tip 7 – Prune Prune Prune
Once you’ve assessed the damage, it’s time to remove snapped or bent branches. It’s essential to clean up and throw out damaged plants and broken leaves. You can also cut back stems to the next potential new shoot.
Pruning is vital to enhance the future growth of your garden after flooding.
Tip 8 – When to Apply Fertiliser to Your Garden After Flooding
We strongly recommend holding back on the fertiliser for gardens with saltwater flooding exposure. The salts found in fertiliser can increase damage to your soil.
Soil repair is essential after extreme flood conditions. Allow 3-4 weeks of recovery before applying a water-soluble fertiliser.
Tip 9 – Safety first
To avoid water-borne diseases created from contaminated floodwater, always wear protective gear when tending to your garden. Use waterproof gloves to prevent infection or injury. Never walk through your yard in bare feet or thongs, and wear sturdy, waterproof boots or shoes.
Sewage and contaminated, polluted water can also harm your garden after flooding. Be sure to throw out any produce exposed to floodwater. Do not eat any raw food from your garden.
This year’s flood damage has been the worst ever, devastating our local communities. At Early Up, we understand how challenging this time is for recovery and repair. Let us assist with the clean-up and your backyard landscaping needs.
Early Up is your experienced team of Gardenologists. Proudly local, we can provide expert advice and knowledge for landscape garden design and backyard landscaping services in Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, the Tweed Coast, and the beautiful Far North Coast of New South Wales.
Don’t handle the flood damage to your backyard by yourself. Let our team of experts take on the tasks and get your garden back to tip top shape. Let us help! Call us today to make an appointment on 0448 300 736.
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