"Rock the Ta-Tas"!!!

Stone Forest has created a Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, and would love the participation of all of our Forest Fans!!! During this months "Born to Rock" Festival we will be raising funds by selling "Rock the Ta-Tas" garden rocks, t-shirts, raffle tickets, and much more!! We have also created an online fundraiser in order to support patient needs and treatment through Loving Arms Cancer Outreach Center. All proceeds will be donated towards Breast Cancer Research. We hope to see everyone take a stand against cancer & "Rock the Ta-Tas"!

                           

Senior Citizens Rock (Day)!!!!!!

With National Senior Citizen Day quickly approaching we understand the importance of giving back to our valued senior citizens!! On Wednesday, August 21, 2013 Stone Forest is happy to offer discounted pricing to all Senior Citizens to show our utmost appreciation! Come in and take advantage of this special offer, and make sure to inform all your friends (55 years of age and older). Thank you for your valued business and we hope to see you all on National Senior Citizens Day!!   

Born to Rock

This year Stone Forest will be celebrating a decade of providing customers with beautiful stone, pavers, and great customer service! As a thank you to all of our loyal followers we are throwing a party!! This celebration will be one for the record books because we are going all out to show our utmost appreciation!

As the assistant event coordinator at the forest it is my responsibility to make sure everything is in place and "set in stone" for all of our special guest who will be in attendance. We will be having live music, all you can eat food, prizes, and entertainment for the entire family to enjoy! I hope that you will join my Stone Forest family and I on September 28, 2013 for the celebration that is sure to be the talk of the town!

Make sure to RSVP so we have you accounted for. We can't wait to see you on our special day and we THANK YOU FOR BUYING LOCAL!

I Love Stone Forest

It is not often that a person says that they love their job and actually mean it! I am very fortunate and happy to say that when I tell people I love my job I genuinely mean it because every day is a new adventure. There is not a single day that goes by during my work day that I do not learn something I never knew about, encounter amazing customers, and teach new customers all about Stone Forest!

All of my roles at work offer me new knowledge and experiences that I am fortunate to have and would not be given the opportunity to learn any where else without a college degree. Although I will be graduating in December with a Communication degree and Marketing minor I am able to gain valuable experience on a daily basis at Stone Forest.As the social media coordinator, event planner assistant, and practice my customer service skills to prepare me for what else is to come upon completion of my degree.

If it wasn't for the forest I would not be the same person I have become today and I am more than thankful for the opportunity I have been given! :)

Continued Education

When hearing the word FREE the first thing we think of as consumers is what is the catch, and how much is this FREE for now going to cost me in the long run?? Well at Stone Forest we believe in offering completely free courses to help the DIYer continue their education. During our classes you are able to learn about new products, how to complete various landscape projects, and be able to ask questions while receiving honest answers from a professional!

The classes we offer are as followed:

FEB: Estimating class

MARCH: Flagstone Patio--one mortar and one dry set

APRIL:Pond Clean out & Pond Build

MAY: Natural Stone Wall

JUNE: Belgard Paver & Retaining Wall/ Sealer Class

JULY: Pond Maintenance

SEPTEMBER: Flagstone Patio--one mortar and one dry set

OCT: Fireplace and Fire Pit

We would love for you to attend if any of these landscaping projects are an interest of yours! Make sure to stop by the forest so we can sign you up or feel free to sign up online !

Fresh Off the Truck

As the second edition of my Fresh off the Truck post I would like to introduce these beautiful crab orchard blue gray step treads! These step treads are perfect for a natural stone staircase around your yard or used to create a walkway. Make sure to come check them out at the forest before they sell out because they are sure to go quick!

Also, remember to keep up with our posts on social media by using the hashtag #FOTT .

Why Pavers?

If you are interested in installing a patio, but are not a huge fan of the irregular shapes that natural stone comes in then you may want to consider using Belgard pavers. There are many paver options with multiple color arrangements to choose from and are easier to work with if you are a DIYer. The reason many people choose pavers over natural stone is because each paver has a distinct pattern and will not have to be cut to fit a particulars space. Each individual paver will match the set it belongs to and results in completing your paver patio in no time!

Make sure to stop on into the forest to grab a Belgard paver and wall block catalog, price sheet, and take a tour around our indoor and outdoor showroom to gather awesome ideas for your home!

Fresh Off The Truck

At the forest we love communicating with our customers to make sure they have all of their landscaping needs met! One way we keep in contact with our customers is by posting pictures of our newly received product to the Stone Forest Facebook, and Twitter pages with the hashtag #FOTT so make sure to engage with us on social media! We believe it is important to inform our customers of new product that has arrived incase they have been waiting on it to start their landscape projecct!

Today we received beautiful medium veneer fieldstone all the way from Tennessee!! This type of stone is perfect for building a natural stone wall around garden beds, or even used as a cap for columns and retaining walls!

Pond Maintenance

 

 

Have you recently installed a new pond, but are unsure how to keep it clean and balanced? Are there various fish in your pond that you are unsure how to maintain them? If either of these sound like your current situation you may want to consider attending our pond maintenance class that we will offering.

 

As part of our ProMatch program we require all of our contractors to participate in continued education and teach a class from their expertise. This Saturday, July 20th Andre with White Oak Landscaping will be teaching a pond maintenance class to our homeowners, and inform them how to properly maintain their ponds! The class will last from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and attendees will be able to ask the professional all of their pond questions, get hands on experience with the various pond products, and learn new information! If this seems like the perfect class for you and you would like to attend make sure to come see me at the forest so I can sign you up! 

What's the deal with Mulch?

Every year when spring rolls around many homeowners enjoy working in their yards planting flowers, completing landscape projects they planned during the winter, and overall making their yards look beautiful. When searching for the final touches to place around your yard do not forget about your option to mulch. When choosing mulch over other products you are able to create an attractive ground cover that also helps your soil retain moisture for your freshly planted flowers, and help deter weeds!

At the forest we believe in giving customers a variety of products to choose from and have multiple mulches in stock. The options to choose from are hardwood, red flower, walnut brown, dark velvet, pine play safe chips, cypress play safe chips, and shredded cypress. If you are looking for a more traditional look I would recommend the basic non-died hardwood mulch or the shredded cypress. If you are still on the traditional side but enjoy livening things up in your yard I would suggest any of our died mulches which will help add color around your lawn and garden. If you are wanting to place mulch around a playground or a high traffic area for children I would recommend our pine or cypress play safe chips. These two mulches have gone through a special process in order to become play safe certified, and will not cause splinters on a child's skin when they land on it at the playground! Which is awesome because I remember how much splinters hurt when I was younger and the pain I had to endure while my mother picked them out with her tweezers! OUCH!

 

Cypress play safe certified chips

 

Walnut Brown (Our most popular)

 

Now that you know that mulch is a fantastic alternative to pine straw or gravel all you have to do is choose which type or color will be fit your home! 

We Match you with the Pros

Have you started a landscaping DIY project only to realize you are in over your head? If this sounds like you then you may want to join the ProMatch program we offer at Stone Forest! At the forest we pride ourselves on excellent customer service, and helping you complete all of your landscape needs. Since we do not participate in the installation process of patios, retaining walls, or any other landscaping project we are happy to match you with a Pro who would be happy to get the job complete!

The contractors who participate in our ProMatch program must complete a competitive application process which includes: completing our ProMatch training program, provide proof of insurance and industry certification, a business license, customer references, and samples of work they have previously completed. Our ProMatch contractors are also required to to have a minimum of five years experience as a professional contractor, and must participate in continuing education workshops offered at Stone Forest.

So yeah our ProMatch program helps match you with a professional contractor, but whats the catch right? That's just it..There isn't one! If you are interested in our ProMatch program the only steps you will need to take are 1. Fill out the ProMatch Form in order for us to gain insight on what type of project you are wanting to accomplish, budget, and desired start date 2. Pay a $40 deposit which remains as a store credit for you to use at your convenience on needed materials, and 3. Plan which day you want to meet with the contractors!

If this sounds like something you would be interested in make sure to fill out the form or stop in and see my awesome coworkers and I. We will be more than happy to get you started on your journey to finding the perfect Pro for you!!!!

Bye Bye Erosion Problem

Are you sick and tired of all the rain we have been receiving?! Is it causing erosion problem throughout your yard?? Why not try installing a dry creek bed! Not only is this DIY project simple it is also very cost efficient!

The only needed materials are: landscape fabric, river rock, and river gravel. The landscape fabric will be placed down first in order to prevent weeds from growing throughout your dry creek bed, but will still allow enough air and water through to permeate the soil. The river rock will then be placed on top of the landscape fabric as a base for your dry creek bed. If there are larger pieces you may want to consider creating a focal point to make your project more attractive. Once you have your base down you will then place the river gravel on top of the river rock and fill in any gaps within your dry creek bed, and then your project will be complete!

I can assure you that you will not regret taking the time to create your own dry creek bed in order to stop an erosion problem, and add character to your yard!

Say YES to Flagstone

Warm weather and long days make summer the perfect time for homeowners to complete those  landscaping projects they have always imagined! When planning a project for a patio, walkway, or pool deck why not choose flagstone?!

At the forest we have an excellent selection of flagstone such as: Crab Orchard brown and blue/gray tones, Canyon Creek, Cherokee Blue, Chestnut, Ozark Mountain, and Pennsylvania Blue stone.

Our most popular flagstone at Stone Forest is the Crab Orchard with brown tones. This flagstone is very reasonably priced and its natural earth tones allows it to work well with a variety of different backyard surroundings!

Once you have picked the perfect flagstone for your landscape project you can begin the instillation process!! If you are planning a DIY project and are unsure about any accompanying materials or installation don't hesitate to ask a Stone Forest associate!

What is Stone Forest?

When hearing the term Stone Forest for the first time you may wonder what it is and how can they benefit you? As a consumer, you may research Stone Forest in order to familiarize yourself with the company and see what they have to offer. I can assure you that a simple Internet research won't come anywhere near the experience you will receive if you visit Stone Forest!

Stone Forest opened their doors in 2003 in hopes of becoming the largest supplier of natural stone and landscape material throughout the Southeast. Stone Forest offers consumers a variety of stone, gravel, pavers, and mulch selections to meet all of their landscaping needs. With over 12 acres of land Stone Forest has an item for everyone! With so much to observe it can become overwhelming and possibly confusing which is why Stone Forest has a properly trained staff who is willing to help answer any questions you may have!

After noticing what a great team Stone Forest had in place I wanted to be a part of it and in February I became a Forester as a customer service representative. Over the months I have evolved into the social media coordinator/assistant event coordinator/customer service representative and wear all of my hats proudly! When I first became a part of the Stone Forest team my knowledge of types of stone, various mulches, decorative gravels, and pond products was close to none! Now that I have become formally educated on all of the products Stone Forest has to offer I am eager to educate others who may be in my previous position and are unfamiliar with the stone world!

I encourage you to follow me on my journey at Stone Forest in order to become educated on various stone products, DIY projects, gravels, mulches, and learn how we truly are a "Stone Yard Like No Other!"