Simply Horticulture

09/03/2026

It is with very heavy hearts that we share the passing of a beloved member of the Simply Horticulture family, Ranferi Duarte.

Ranferi was much more than an employee and coworker. He was our friend, and in many ways, he was our company cheerleader.

Ranferi had a way of bringing energy, encouragement, and laughter wherever he went. He worked hard, cared deeply about the people around him, and was always quick to lift someone else up. Whether it was encouraging his teammates, sharing a laugh, or simply showing up with his positive spirit, Ranferi made Simply Horticulture a better place because he was part of it.

His passing leaves an enormous hole in our company and, most importantly, in the life of his wife, Yadira. Ranferi worked hard to provide for their home, and she is now facing the unimaginable loss of her husband and best friend.

Our team has established a GoFundMe to help support Yadira as she navigates the difficult days ahead.

We are asking our friends, clients, colleagues, and community to consider donating or sharing this fundraiser. No act of kindness is too small.

Ranferi spent so much of his life cheering for the rest of us. Now it is our turn to show up for him and the person he loved most.

Please consider helping us support Yadira and honor the life and kind heart of our friend Ranferi.

Donate or share here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-ranferis-kind-heart-en-memoria-de-ranferi

Please keep Yadira, Ranferi’s family, and our Simply Horticulture family in your prayers. 🙏

We will miss you, Ranferi. Your encouragement, your laughter, and your spirit will not be forgotten. 💚

08/18/2026

Good work, Cada Loca!

Our client on Turtle Creek needed the noise from this temporary chiller reduced by approximately 50%. My cousin Curtis, who is a master builder, recommended the appropriate materials. Felipe and I discussed the plan over a good meal, and then he and the guys went to work.

They built a temporary sound barrier using DensGlass and reduced the noise by approximately 75%—well beyond the client’s goal. Great job by Felipe and the crew for finding a practical solution and delivering excellent results!

07/04/2026

Happy Independence Day from the team at Simply Horticulture! We will be closed Monday to observe the holiday. We worked hard on Friday to ensure our properties were well taken care of before the 4th of July celebrations!

06/26/2026

Strangler Fig (Ficus aurea). Signature Palm & Tree Farm cut this remarkable tree into three sections for transport to South Seas Island Resort in Captiva, Florida.

This has always been my family’s favorite destination for our annual beach vacation, so it was exciting to see this project in person. It will be fascinating to watch the tree graft back together over time and restore its canopy.

If you’re not familiar with the hurricanes that devastated Captiva, the destruction was heartbreaking. Two major storms tore through the island, but now, four years later, the landscape is healing and recovery is well underway.

Great job to the team at South Seas Island Resort. The effort being made to restore the island’s natural beauty is truly impressive.

04/11/2026

Sergio and the boys did an amazing job this week installing a surface drainage and preparing the soil at this park in Frisco. Next week, we will have some minor touch ups following the anticipated storms.

Our teams worked very hard to accomplish this job before the weekend. If it rains several days next week, this park would be too wet to work. We are glade it is done for now. It will be ready for hydromulch the following week.

03/25/2026

Sometimes the safest way to remove a tree… is to go up. 🌳⬆️

This project required a crane-assisted removal to safely navigate tight spaces and this beautiful home in Highland Park. Crane work isn’t just about equipment—it takes experienced arborists who understand proper rigging, load dynamics, and how to accurately estimate the weight of green wood to determine safe pick sizes.

Our team follows industry best practices, keeping all lifts within 80% of the crane’s capacity to maintain a strong margin of safety. Proper rigging is critical—it allows us to control movement, manage forces, and execute each cut with precision.

I’m proud of our crew and the professionalism they bring to every job. Special thanks to Guillermo for leading the work, and to our partners Johnny and Juan for providing the crane and expert operator.

This is what collaboration in the tree care industry looks like—skilled people, working together, to safely serve our clients.

03/18/2026

There’s no better classroom than the field.

This morning, Sergio, Alberto, and Mario took time to teach the boys how to properly prepare beds, hand water, and install seasonal color across our communities in Dallas. From soil prep to spacing and planting technique—these are skills they need to know to ensure future plantings are successful.

03/17/2026

Spring break at the Nelson house doesn’t mean sleeping in — it means going to work.

Bradley and Guillermo taught Elijah the basics of ground work — how to tie a line and drag brush like a pro.

Felipe and Mario have been teaching Easton how to prep beds and install seasonal color.

Both of these boys are naturals, and it’s been fun watching them learn from the crew.

I actually started working in this industry when I was 11 years old, so seeing these boys get a taste of hard work early means a lot to me.

And of course… if you hang with me, you’re going to eat well.

Yesterday: Chilosos
Today: Hutchins BBQ

Hard work. Good people. Great food.

03/02/2026

While attending my daughter’s golf tournament, I could not help myself. These bermudagrass greens are showing signs of Take-All Root Rot.

This disease has become increasingly common on bermudagrass putting greens across the southern United States, especially where soils are stressed, compacted, or biologically imbalanced.

Visual symptoms include:
• Irregular chlorotic (yellow) patches
• Distinct circular rings and thinning turf
• Progressive decline that can mimic nematode damage or nutrient stress

Below the surface is where the real damage occurs:
• Shallow, weakened root systems
• Dark lesions on roots and stolons
• Brown-to-black root rot leading to turf failure

The disease is often associated with Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis, but research shows multiple fungi can produce similar symptoms. Because of this, the broader term “root decline” is often more accurate when diagnosing warm-season turf failures.

Key takeaway:
Above-ground symptoms are only part of the story. Without addressing soil chemistry, drainage, organic matter, and root health, recovery will be slow—or impossible.

Early diagnosis and a soil-first management approach are critical to protecting high-value playing surfaces like putting greens.

Healthy roots = playable turf.

02/20/2026