This 2011 season will mark my 25th year landscaping in London and the 15th Anniversary of Nature’s Image. At 44 I still plan to landscape another 25 years with maybe the last 5 or 10 having a golf club in my hands more than a shovel.

Nature’s Image enjoyed an increase in clients in 2010 reflecting Londoners confidence that the recession is over and better times lay ahead. We continue to see interest in renovating gardens, water features & patios in which enables people to enjoy their backyard more. Tracey continues to expand our lawn & garden maintenance division and our snow removal services certainly kept us busy this winter. Although there seems to be more new landscape businesses every year I am so grateful that our past clients continue to give us referrals as well as hire us to do more work on existing properties.

On a personal note, this was my last year coaching hockey and as Ocean enters high school it makes you realize as parents how we mark the passage of time thru our kids. ……
And I know techno gadgets are the rage, but I must admit I would still rather talk to a person face to face or on the phone versus texting, but at least I answer my emails now! The idea of a landscaper with an I phone in his hand instead of a shovel seems unnatural to me.
I want to say “Thanks again for all the support over the years, hopefully we have an early Spring & a long summer and that should put a smile on everyone’s face.”

Good Luck & Good Gardening

The Small Business Centre Vertex Award
is one of several categories for the year 2002, within the London Chamber of Commerce's  Outstanding Business Achievement Awards event, which is now in it's nineteenth year.

The Vertex award honors the Small Business Centre's client company - current or past - that exemplifies the best in new venture development.

The Vertex award for the year 2002 honors Natures Image Founder Steve Check graduated from one of the Small Business Centre's training programs in 1996 to launch his landscape design and building company. Starting with only one employee, the company now employs 4 construction crews, 2 designers and the staff at 2 garden centres - a total of 24 people. Natures Image sales growth has averaged 60% annually since the company's first year.

Nature Image Garden and Landscaping centre has enjoyed "phenomenal success," co-owner Steve Check says that landscape construction sales rose more than 300 per cent, instantly transforming the small company into the second or third largest company in the city. Sales reached $400,00 this year and the centre is undergoing a large expansion that will triple its retail space. Crafts will give way to a new focus on garden art and ornaments and outdoor plants. Check has 10 employees up from 6 last year.

Joanne Marchant and Steve Check, owners of Natures Image Garden and Craft Centre on Exeter Road, have enjoyed "phenomenal success" during the past year. The centre is undergoing a renovation.

London Free Press
Monday December 29, 1997

London Free Press Monday, April 27 1998April 1 was an anniversary this husband and wife team had no trouble remembering.
  For Steve Check, who received training under the SE program, and Joanne Marchant  it marked the first full year in business at their Exeter Road commercial location. They celebrated it in grand style with an ambitious expansion of the outlet.
   " We were able to over the winter increase our retail space by 30 per cent on  the garden centre," says Steve.
More displays and a selection of water garden accessories were added. There are 10 people on staff, including a recently appointed general manager.
   The business is an expanded version of what was a flourishing home based garden and landscaping enterprise.
   They started selling perennials in the early spring from their North London home.
   From their new commercial base, the couple runs a garden centre and a construction design business catering to the residential market, including high-end jobs that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Because of the over head involved in the retail outlet, the construction company is currently "carrying" the garden centre, Steve says.
   Their goal from the start was to revive the small garden centre, despite the expansion of chain stores.
   They're satisfied with their progress to date.  " I certainly didn't think we'd grow so quickly," says a delighted Steve. He's a former construction foreperson with a large landscaping company; she's a graduate of Fanshaw College's landscape design course. " I don't do much advertising. It's almost all referrals says Steve.

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At an upscale lunch at the Sheraton hotel in Toronto this week Londoner Steve Check looked around at the business elite he was dining with, at the plaque he had just won and muttered, "Not bad for a guy who digs in the dirt."
The owner of Nature's image is one of the businesses named to a list of the 100 fastest -growing companies in Canada by profit magazine, finishing 63rd and the lone company in the construction category
"I have to admit, getting national recognition is pretty cool. I am very proud of this," Steve Said
he is well known among London gardeners for his community involvement. His charitable work sees more that $150,000 a year go to about 15 different causes in the city.
" I didn't get rich, not right away anyway, but I am trying to build something long term here."
Nature's Image was also nominated a Chamber of Commerce small business award, finishing third in 2001 but winning the Vertex award for businesses formed in the Small Business Centre Natures Image in 1996 with two employees and $120,000 in sales. It has grown to 27 staff and $1.3 million in sales from two garden centre on Exeter Rd. and Fanshawe Park Rd, a growth rate of 1,024 per cent.
But much of Steve Check 's business comes from the design-build landscaping firm he operates out of the garden centres. He also has a presence on television and radio with gardening and landscape shows and is a speaker at the annual home and garden show at Western Fair grounds.
The top 100 list is based solely on sales growth, not profit. Companies nominated for the award are nominated for the award are interviewed and their financial records closely scrutinized, said Steve Check

 "Pretty Cool": Nature's Image owner   Steve Check Says being  named to Profit magazine's list of the 100 fastest - growing Canadian companies "is pretty cool."