Building Sustainable Landscapes, Communities & Teams

HortiCULTURE: Building Sustainable Landscapes, Communities and Teams

By Damon Abdi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Landscape Horticulture – LSU AgCenter

When thinking about the landscape industry, the first thing that often comes to mind is plants. Matt Knick, founder of WillowGrove Landscape, thinks about people first. The complete design, build and maintenance company based on the banks of Lake Pontchartrain provides these services throughout the Northshore area of Louisiana, with every project exemplifying the core values with which the company is driven by. These core values have been cultivated by a lifetime of experiences and are deeply rooted in a belief in guiding principles that extend beyond the individual.  

Integrity: Honesty is a driving force for WillowGrove operations. Taking ownership of the work that is performed and communicating the reasons why things are done a particular way creates a transparent, honest way of doing business that focuses on building trustworthy teams and transparent operations. 

Passion: Understanding what drives people is crucial to WillowGrove’s success. Identifying team members that buy into the company culture leads to a level of purpose-driven professionalism that manifests in the projects that are installed. 

Relationships: Challenges in landscaping, life and everything in between are unavoidable. The proactive, solution-oriented focus to tackling these trials is exemplified by WillowGrove’s willingness to offer the support necessary to overcome these challenges.  

Service: Designing and building landscapes is one way to improve communities; being part of the bigger picture creates an even longer-lasting effect on the people around us. Those living on the Northshore will commonly see WillowGrove trucks around their neighborhoods, but they also often see team members at events supporting the community, such as local Autism Awareness Days and outreach efforts with their church.   

WillowGrove Landscape at Autism Awareness Day

These core values have been developed through Knick’s own experiences and the experiences he gained through growing up in a contracting household and working with several landscaping firms over the years. When the opportunity arose for him to put his stamp on the landscaping industry, putting people first was at the top of the list. Creating an environment that allows both plants and people to grow was priority No. 1. 

“Being a man of faith, I truly believe that it is when you give, that you fully receive the blessings in life,” says Knick. It is by this belief that WillowGrove continues to serve the community, creating a lasting impact that extends beyond the landscape.