An ever-growing landscape and nursery business just got a little bigger. Bay Area Landscape and Nursery recently added a five-acre nursery to its facilities at 5902 S. Staples St. in Corpus Christi. It was a big step for Trent and Ester Hoffman, who have been expanding the company since it began in 1998.
“I had always wanted to open a nursery,” Trent Hoffman said. “For the last few years, around spring, I would think, ‘This is the year,’ but it never seemed that the time was right.”
After 17 years of steady growth, 2014 presented the perfect opportunity for a company that started with lawn-mowing side jobs in 1998. A Texas native and graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio, Trent Hoffman holds a degree in biology and was a school teacher and coach when he put his lawn mower to work after hours.
“I started doing residential lawns on the side to make extra cash,” he said.
He eventually took on commercial clients and, by 2000, realized the landscaping business was where he needed to be full time.
“This was not easy,” he said. “Ester and I were both working full-time jobs while the landscape business was taking off, but it did help us to avoid taking on too much debt as we built the business.”
Keeping steady paychecks coming in was key to their initial success, Ester Hoffman said.
“It gave us the capital to reinvest in the business,” she said. “You have to budget, and you have to reinvest.”
In late 2012, they began the process of opening a nursery on Holly Road. When the larger location on Staples became available, the Hoffmans knew it was meant to be.
“We needed more area,” Ester Hoffman said. “We found that we had already outgrown the Holly location. This location has the space we need for the trees and bulk landscape material that we want to carry.”
The new nursery location is more than an indulgence in their passion for landscaping. It has enabled them to take other areas of the business to the next level. Bay Area Landscape and Nursery is now a full-service operation “from installation to maintenance,” says Ester Hoffman.
The expansion has been a worthwhile venture, the couple said, but the ultimate reason for their success has been through customer service and satisfaction.
“Our commitment to our customers and providing them real customer service is what has helped us grow,” Ester Hoffman said.
Building a business is not always easy, her husband added.
“There are a lot of long hours and hard work but also just being in the right place at the right time,” he said. “We feel blessed by what this area has given us. We try to put our morals at the center of everything we do. This includes our commitment to our customers and the environment.”
That concern for the environment translates to an expertise in water conservation essential for a city with exploding population growth during an extended drought.
Bay Area Landscape and Nursery is located at 5902 S. Staples St. in Corpus Christi. For more information, call (361) 826-0680 or visit mybayarealandscapes.com.
Water-wise tips to go green
The hottest months of summer are here, and while water conservation is now the law, saving resources doesn’t mean giving up a lush landscape, according to Trent and Ester Hoffman, owners of Bay Area Landscapes and Nursery.
“To me, you should alway conserve water, whether we are in drought conditions or not,” Trent Hoffman said. “Once you get into the practice of saving water, it becomes a way of life.”
Deep-root watering
Water must reach the root systems of grass and plants to do its job and keep plants healthy.
1½-inch rule
A lawn only requires 1½ inches of water a week to thrive. Try to water the full amount once a week to get to the roots.
Drip or soaker hoses
Proven to efficiently use water, drip or soaker hoses are approved for usage during drought restrictions for lawns and gardens.
Tropical plants
Palms, bougainvillea and hibiscus are just a few of the stunning tropicals well-adapted to life in South Texas.
Bug control
The hotter and dryer the environment, the more vulnerable lawns and gardens are to pests. Remember, too, that pest control for lawns will most likely differ from garden and flower bed pest-control needs.
Fertilizer
Healthy lawns and beds have a greater chance of surviving extreme weather conditions if properly fertilized.
Final words of wisdom from the Hoffmans
You can’t survive without food and water and neither can your lawn and garden. If you want a lawn that pops, then you need to invest the time and give it some care. In return, you get personal pride in your home as well as a bit of home equity.
