The goal of the Ghertner & Company sustainability initiative is to encourage the community associations under our management to adopt sustainable landscaping practices. The focus of this effort is to nurture healthy yards and common areas, with a strong emphasis on planting native trees and plants. This approach will increase homeowner’s property values, while also supporting the long-term well-being of people and the planet.

History of the Sustainability Initative

    • Ghertner & Company Sustainability Initiative begins with a pollinator garden at the back of our building to create a habitat for pollinators and birds.

    • Began partnering with Landscaping Services Inc. (LSI)  to change how office landscaping was approached. The goal was to adopt sustainable practices without increasing the budget for landscaping. Changes made included stopping the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and lawn treatments, reducing mowing during dry, hot weather and stopping the planting of annual flowers. These changes reduced costs significantly. The savings were used for planting native trees and shrubs, adding compost bins, adopting hand weeding and adding a rain barrel under the condensate line.

    • Initial tree inventory of existing trees conducted by Bartlett Trees. Over 80 trees and 13 species were identified and valued at over $400,000.

    • Ghertner & Company associates are educated on the benefits of trees, the arboretum and what it would take to be a certified arboretum. Interest in the sustainability initiative increased, with associates organizing to donate trees to reach the first certification goal.

    • An employee tree planting day takes place, with associates donating and planting twelve trees.

    • Forty-six native trees and nineteen shrubs were planted during the year.

    • Biodiversity Project begins.

    • Ghertner & Company Arboretum is certified as a Level 1 Arboretum by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council with over 30 species of trees.

    • Nineteen native trees and forty-three native shrubs planted during the year.

    • The cost savings from sustainable practices is put towards professional care of trees to remove dead and damaged limbs.

    • Twenty-four native trees and twenty-nine native shrubs were planted during the year.

    • A No Mow Meadow was added to the arboretum.

    • Removed invasive species and planted seventeen native trees, thirty-two native shrubs and many native pollinator plants.

    • Ghertner & Company Arboretum is certified as a Level 2 Arboretum by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council with over 60 species of trees.

    • Seventeen native trees and thirty six native shrubs were planted during the year.

  • The Ghertner & Company arboretum has:

    • 190 trees representing more than 60 different native species.

    • 150 shrubs representing more than 20 different native species

    • Many perennials representing over 40 different native species.