Page 128 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2019

128 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • March 2019 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
HOME & GARDEN passion for planting LANDSCAPING THAT ENTICES
All of the Senses
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Live Oak Landscape Group
They say that big things have small beginnings, a phrase that is especially true when it comes to landscaping. After working a summertime job for a local landscape company owned by Doug Blackwell, Ted Roland knew that this was his true passion.
In pursuit of his dream, Roland attended Mississippi State University and graduated with degrees in landscape architecture and landscape construction. He established his business, Live Oak Landscape, in 2003, but faced a startling blow when Katrina hit in 2005.
“Like most of our clients, we lost everything,” he said. “We had to make the hard decision on whether to close the business or put our heads down and work even harder to rebuild after everything was lost. We chose to rebuild.”
Roland and his team believed in their company and knew it was
worth saving. Their art of creating environments that inspire a sense
of family and place was especially important after the destruction caused by the storm, and they knew their work was only just beginning.
“All projects are unique and challenging in their own way,” Roland says. “But my favorite projects are
the ‘clean slates’ where I’m given the opportunity to listen to the client, hear their needs and how they are going to use a space. We develop a master plan that uses multiple plant types, colors, textures, and smells to entice all the senses. All this while using local and regional suppliers.”
These complete outdoor overhauls can make all the difference, turning
a house into a home, but there’s a lot of work that goes into it behind the scenes. “I couldn’t create the spaces and environments without a great team around me,” Roland says. “My brother Grant Roland has been with me since the beginning and is always my sounding board for new projects and directions for the company. Fred Jenkins is my “right hand” supervisor and has been with me since the beginning as well. He has been with us so long he’s considered family. My mother Beverly Roland is our office manager. She keeps the tedious daily tasks in order to keep us on track.”
As a family business, all employees are treated as family regardless of actual familial relation. Their team works well together because of the respect that each member is shown, which affects the overall quality
of their work. Live Oak Landscape clients rave about their quality and dedication, as can been seen in their testimonials.
LICENSING CERTIFICATIONS
• Licensed thru Mississippi Board of Contractors -Certi cate of Responsibility Number: 17344-SC
• MS Bureau of Plant Industry: #35134 Licensed Landscape Installer Licensed Pesticide Applicator Licensed Tree surgeon
• Certi ed Paver Installer
• Certi ed Playground installer
&