Gardens of the Wine Country Inc. provides complete landscaping services for high-end residences, estates, inns, and wineries in all of Sonoma, Napa, and Northern Marin Counties. The company focuses on the landscape management, maintenance, enhancement and design of large residential properties. It installs planting, irrigation and landscape-related “hardscape” construction such as decks, arbors, stone work, concrete, patios, walls, and water features.
President Torrey Lincoln says one of his first loves has always been helping his clients realize their artistic visions. “Our clients are generally very busy, sophisticated, professional people who want their outdoor environments to reflect their tastes and match the quality found inside their homes.”
Following the devastating wildfires of the past few years, Gardens of the Wine Country is committed to the concepts of “Sonoma/Napa Strong” and “Rebuild Wine Country.” Since the original 2017 fire, the company has helped countless customers with rebuild designs and installations and follow-up management. “We think of ourselves as a small, personally connected group of professionals whom clients can feel comfortable communicating with on a first-name basis,” says Mr. Lincoln. “We help them reestablish their homes.”
“We involve our clients as much as they desire, but we also recognize that we’re hired to manage their projects for them. We communicate clearly, complete work on time and on budget, and never declare a job complete until the client tells us they’re satisfied.”
Take simple steps to turn your patio's old concrete surface into acid etch stained concrete.
There are numerous choices when it comes to outdoor patio surfaces, including decomposed granite, concrete, pavers, flagstone, slate and tile. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost and design, so it’s important to determine your exact patio needs before making a decision. A relatively new choice has been gaining popularity in recent years: acid etch stained concrete. “Acid etch stained concrete is one of the most cost-effective, highly stylized patio surfaces available,” says Alan Kostelnik, owner of Gardens of the Wine Country. “It’s so attractive that it’s become common to see it used for interior flooring and countertops.”
Acid etched stain applications work best on newly poured or installed concrete, but the process can also be applied successfully to old concrete. The key to refurbishing old concrete is an extremely clean surface, free of all stains, oils, grease and sealers. The acid etch chemicals must be able to react with the chemicals in the concrete, so it’s important to remove any foreign materials that might contaminate the process. If you can’t get the surface sufficiently clean, you can pour a thin concrete veneer over it. It also may be necessary to sand or pellet blast the surface.
After you’ve thoroughly cleaned your old concrete surface, consider the following tips for applying acid etched staining:
• Make sure you move, cover and tape off any surrounding vegetation to limit overspray damage from the acid etch coloring agent.
• Wear protective clothing, including safety glasses and rubber gloves and boots. Mix the acid etch coloring agent in a plastic bucket.
• It’s best to apply the etching agent with a garden sprayer. Keep the spray wand about 18 to 24 inches from the surface and keep it moving. You want the surface thoroughly wetted but not puddling.
• Let the surface dry for about an hour. If you want it darker, spray again after the first drying period.
• After the floor has dried completely, neutralize the surface by spraying it with a solution of one part ammonia to four parts fresh water.
• Once you’re completely done, you can spray the entire surface with a sealer to give it vibrancy and depth.
Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it's even more important for landscape contractors that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. Gardens of the Wine Country upholds its reputation for customer satisfaction by offering personalized service to each of its clients–a highly detailed approach rarely seen in the industry. "Each customer is different, but what they all have in common is a desire for us to design, manage and maintain their landscapes," says owner Alan Kostelnik. "We're a boutique company, which allows us to be very hands-on with our customers. Our goal is to serve them with quality designs and workmanship."
A 36-year veteran of the landscaping industry, Mr. Kostelnik established Gardens of the Wine Country in 2001 to supply North Bay homes and businesses with landscaping design, management and maintenance services. "I really enjoy helping my clients realize their artistic visions," he says. "They want and expect their outdoor environments to reflect their tastes and match the quality found inside their homes, and that's exactly what we provide for them."
Unlike larger landscaping companies that understate the importance of delivering timely jobsite reviews and inspection reports, Gardens of the Wine Country provides email and paper versions of both on the same day of service. Mr. Kostelnik explains that this business practice ensures immediate communication with clients and alerts them to any problems and proposed solutions. "In turn, the process creates a document that both we and the customer can work from and refer to as the project proceeds."
Another distinguishing feature of Gardens of the Wine Country is its highly experienced employees, many of whom have been with the firm for years. "Everyone who works here understands both my and our customers' expectations," says Mr. Kostelnik. "I do a lot of hands-on supervising, but that's only to give our clients an extra level of confidence. Our workers are dedicated and self-managed."
