Crowder Landscaping and Lawn Care, LLC

06/09/2026

Next Project Results Loading…..

06/05/2026

Post topic: Do thorough research on plants OR hire a professional 😉😁

Preface: We did want to try and keep this mature, well established oakleaf hydrangea in the landscape on our current project. It likely had decades of growth.

Reality: This is just NOT the plant for the space.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas get MASSIVE. And they do so by spreading pretty rapidly (1-2 feet per year). They also have a tendency to put off dozens of shoots all over the place making it quite a messy growth. They are hard to maintain and contain. This means they aren’t the preferred hydrangea/shrub for enclosed, close to the home landscape beds.

Where would these be best placed if you are adamant on having them? Natural scapes along the edges of yards. Largest enclosed beds away from structures. Berm beds also away from structures.

Hydrangeas are an amazing shrub that has different shades of greens, textures of leaves, and variations of types and colors of flowers that holds its structure through the winter months. There are A TON of different hydrangea types, so make sure you do your research on size, soil, and planting zone before you choose one!

What did we put in its place? A Fireside Ninebark. Why? It will still fill the space we wanted it to fill (roughly 6’x6’) BUT it stays more upright, neat, and compact. It also has some of the coolest color additions to a landscape bed with fiery bright red leaves in the spring to mahogany in the fall before falling and exposing reddish tan branches through the winter. And it blooms the softest looking blush pink to white florals.

Google is a great place to find plant suggestions if you know what you’re searching for. We highly discourage AI because in our experience so far trying it ourselves as well as being on the tail end of our customers using it, AI does NOT have the correct answers or information. 😂 Many nurseries and plant suppliers know their stuff and are willing to discuss with you options and suggestions (tip: take and bring pictures with you to plant shop). And our favorite, ask a landscape professional. Be sure you vet that professional for their past projects and experience so you know they know what they are talking about. Some will even charge a smaller fee to come meet with you and offer a consult on landscape plans and plants if you want to DIY your project.

06/03/2026

Raising little workers 🩷💪🏻

06/03/2026

Lucy was on the job today. She’s been asking since the season started when she would have the chance to “work with dad” and today she got that chance. She helped move soil, water plants, and sweep sidewalks.

Thank you for choosing to hire small, locally owned businesses and allow our family these moments together 🥰

06/02/2026

I mean… the longing, the admiration… 😂

05/08/2026

A shift is coming soon! It’s been a long winter and spring and a glimpse of summer is on the horizon….

PATTERN CHANGE INCOMING: Have you been waiting for "real" spring? Ya know... the spring that sticks around for several days without the 50° fluctuations? If so, this post is for you!

An "omega" blocking pattern (note how the pattern looks like the Greek omega symbol!) appears to be setting up beginning next week through a good chunk of the second half of May. This type of pattern effectively blocks weather systems from moving west to east. The result: prolonged days of quiet weather with mild temperatures.

Get ready... we deserve it!!

Thank you to South Shore Line for powering the update (and powering our rides to & from Chicago!)

04/12/2026

Hang tight everyone! We still aren’t to project season yet….

We know… we too get ants in our pants when the sun starts shining and the temps go up, but rein it in. It just isn’t time yet!

In case anyone was wondering... no, you still shouldn't plant your garden yet. Our typical last frost of the year is still a couple weeks away yet. Be patient!

04/05/2025

There are many factors taken into consideration for all of our services, especially the beginning of the season.

One of them is the final frost date. We live in a part of the country where temperatures fluctuate quite a bit when the seasons are changing. Although we are astronomically and seasonally in the spring, we still have not seen the last of freezing temperatures. This determines when we can apply preventatives, plant new material, prune, and even for some grasses mow!

03/29/2025

We are still in very much in the back and forth time of the spring season… the warmer days want to fool us, but there are still a few cold days (and snow flurries, even) ahead.

Spring clean ups are slowly starting. Early spring projects are underway. Send us a message if interested in any tree work, pruning, spring clean up, or landscape repairs!

03/27/2025

Hello everyone! Stephanie, Dan’s wife, here…

Another season is getting started and as we get going on our big projects, small projects, clean ups, and regular maintenance, I wanted you to keep in mind what all is behind the landscaper Dan is today. I find it common to not truly see the bigger picture of another’s career when it isn’t something you have dived deep into yourself. And I wanted to share a little bit about what Dan has experienced in his landscaping history that makes what he does day in and day out so incredibly special and set apart.

Dan started his early landscaping career in the late 90s. He was on a mow crew in high school, as most teens looking for extra summer work might have been. Dan has always enjoyed being outdoors in the summer and there has always been something Dan enjoyed about taking nature and making it art. Dan’s enjoyment for these things are what fueled his passion to give his customers his best results from the very beginning. There was no cutting corners or skipping steps even as a teenage mow guy.

When he moved up north to attend Central Michigan University, he accepted a job position on another mow crew for a small local company. This company is where he studied under a certified plant expert, a certified arborist, a certified chemical applicator, and worked his way up to supervisor and manager. It’s where he learned to build relationships and expand his knowledge. He attended annual conventions for products, equipment, and practices. He worked hands on with these specialists and gained invaluable knowledge and experience that he still applies to his services today. He always asked questions and knew the only way to continue improving was to continue learning.

It was in 2014, after our son was born and we found out we were pregnant with our daughter, that Dan left that company for the steel factory in town. And that same year we filed our paperwork and started Crowder Landscaping, LLC. Although only taking jobs on the side for years, Dan knew deep down where his purpose and passion belonged and that was providing the utmost design, installation, care, and upkeep for lawns and landscaping.

From his first mow crew job at 16 years old to now, 2025, owning and operating his own company full time and supporting his wife and three kids, Dan has invested all of himself to this labor of love. It truly is who he is.