Winter Greetings!
from Robins Nest "Peeper 
"
We hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday season and this cold weather finds you warm and healthy.
Welcome to our winter edition. We hope you enjoy our newsletter, and look forward to speaking with you all very soon. This newsletter is a commitment to our customers to keep them up to date on pond, water garden, and natural swimming pool maintenance, new products, and happenings around our ponds. We hope it will become valuable to you all, so it's up to you to give us feedback and content ideas.
Client Corner
Sam and Elissa Gifford, Raymond, Maine
Sam, retired business man and two time spy novel author, and Elissa, a very avid gardener, have a beautiful cedar cabin near the water tucked amongst the pines and extensive self made gardens. They were fortunate to have some great pieces of granite from an old barn foundation on their property, which has now been reused around their home, particularly around their new water garden at the entrance to the home. Their water garden, like so many that we design, solved a few drainage and run off issues, very important when working so close to natural bodies of water.
Elissa, a Cumberland County Master Gardener, has been a dedicated volunteer for many years at the Portland Flower Show, held in March. She is looking for some help in the form of a volunteer auctioneer to help the ever dedicated Dick Brzozowski at the end of the Portland Flower Show, when they auction off items from exhibitors and vendors. This money goes to some great programs to encourage gardening in Cumberland County, and also supports many public gardens around Cumberland County.
the giffords would like to share that there is a restaurant in Cape Neddick they'd love to have you try should you ever be in that area. It's called Roost Cafe & Bistro. The chef is their Cordon Bleu educated son in law, Logan Apple. He, their daughter, and their 10 month old son moved to York from Indiana in November just two weeks after he was offered the Executive Chef position. The restaurant is newly reopened and has been very busy.
Tom Lanucha and Avery Pierce, Buxton, Maine
Owners of Bunting Hill Arts
In its third year after construction, Tom, a pharmacist by profession, but really in love with gardening, was able to spend more down time on his raft enjoying a glass of wine in their natural swimming pool. Just like any perennial garden, the natural swimming pool takes about three years to come into balance, real beauty, and sustenance for the soul. Until then, it can be a challenge to help it on its way to this end. This is not to say that Tom and Avery weren’t busy. They have a couple of acres of the most stunning gardens that they labor over with their bodies and hearts. These gardens are rarely static, as Avery has a wonderful knack for flow in the garden. It’s a special eye that few have.
Those same eyes spend hundreds of hours making some very stunning glass jewelry, and hundreds more offering them to the public at the top jewelry shows in Maine and throughout New England. In her cool shop, she is set up to make glass beads and other items I know nothing about, other than the fact that the result is always a stunning pair of earrings or a gorgeous, one of a kind necklace.
Stuart and Ellen Crocker, Bethel, Maine
Owners of Crocker Pond House
Stuart and Ellen, just featured in the last issue of Maine the Magazine, are truly dedicated business owners who run the most beautiful bed and breakfast we have ever visited.
While not customers yet, we hope to be able to infuse a little sound and movement into their one and one half acre pond, aptly named Crocker Pond, in the near future. This B&B is a great place for all four seasons and can accommodate skiers, as well as weddings in a stunning environment.
We visited last fall and were treated like old friends as were the other guests. Stuart, a well respected architect, has built this house from scratch, and it’s obviously a labor of love for him. Truly exquisite detail from window sighting, to the lines, it’s gorgeous. Finishes exude care and love of work and art.
We extend our gratitude to our clients as each one blesses our lives in their own unique way, and we hope that many of you will share what's going on in yours with the rest of us. Anything you want people to know, just e-mail us and we'll include it in the next newsletter.
thank you.
Back at the Farm
We finally have moved our office out of our production kitchen and into real space! It's much more functional and bright. It was also a chance to reorganize. Terri works so hard in this space, the least she deserves is function and a little comfort.
Did you know that Robins Nest does a lot of other home improvement projects for many of our customers? At this time of year we are able to do many home inprovements like complete or partial kitchen or bathroom remodels or home additions. Maybe you just need a little cleaning and painting? Our Customer Rewards program applies to these projects as well. If you, or someone you know, needs top notch tile or carpentry work, please give us a call.
A new bath with hand made sink and extensive tile
In order to serve our clients more effectively we have added three programs to our services;
Early Buy Program
Service Contracts
Customer Rewards
All of these programs are to help us to serve you in a timely manner and allow you to be prepared for the season to come.
Early Buy
Buy any quantity of the products you use most before Feb. 19th, 2010 and save 10%!!!
Save 10% more with an annual service contract!
Service Contracts
At Robin's Nest, we strive to provide prompt, efficient services. During the first of spring and the last of fall we are at the mercy of the weather and under the gun to open/close more than fifty ponds in a very few short weeks.
We believe that organization and preparation are key to maximizing our time and efficiency in serving our clients. To achieve this we would like to know in advance who we have on our roster to open and close before the season breaks. The best way we feel the we can accomplish this is to offer reduced rate service contracts for the peaks of the season and to extend an early buy program for water maintenance products at a 20% discount.
Our service contracts breakdown into 2 categories:
****Water Gardens with 1 submersed pump in a single skimmer box covering:
This contract includes 1 hour for pond opening, using 2 people for net removal, quick cleanup, and treating with water maintenance products.
1 hour pond closing using 2 people for net installation, leaf removal, winter water bacteria installation.
****Water garden or pool with more than 1 skimmer or an above ground pump covering:
This contract includes 1 hour for opening using 2 people for pump installation and priming, and adding seasonal water maintenance products.
1 hour for pond closing with 2 people to disconnect pump and blow out plumbing lines with compressed air, adding any winter water maintenence products.
Any additional time for cleaning will be billed at $45/hour per person.
Any additional time for mechanical service will be billed at $75/hr.
Travel will charged at .50/mile
Any products required for water maintenance for the season will be billed out at the going retail rates, less 10%.
Customer Rewards
Free one year service contract, free lilies, or free lighting?? How????
Just refer us to a potential customer and, if they buy a project from us, you get $300 in customer rewards to spend at our store or for our services.