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At Pears to Perennials, they share a passion for growing food in an ecologically responsible manner. They offer full service garden design, installation and maintenance, as well as irrigation and tree care.
Their focus is on helping people get the most out of their garden and making sure that their techniques work within the Colorado ecosystem. They believe the methods we choose to grow plants matters. In their off-season, they dedicate themselves to learning how to be an eco-friendly business to serve clients and staff better.
We spoke with Jessi Burg, owner/president about Pears to Perennials’s commitment to creating healthy, sustainable landscapes benefiting people and planet.
Best for Colorado: Tell us more about your company in general. What do you do? What is your mission? What makes you different?
Jessi Burg: Pears to Perennials is an edible and sustainable landscaping company focused on reducing water and maintenance costs for our clients. Our focus on “right plant, right place” as well as ongoing education and maintenance support after planting ensures that our landscapes thrive for years while reducing summertime water bills by up to 90 percent.
We work with homeowners, HOAs, municipal governments, non-profits, and other industry organizations to promote ecologically appropriate landscapes for Colorado. This increases wildlife habitat, reduces erosion, and helps maintain cleaner waterways in the Denver metro-area.
On the business side, Pears to Perennials offers an above-average starting wage, paid training and drive time, as well as a clear method for advancement and increased pay. These, plus a culture focusing on transparency and inclusivity, has resulted in near zero staff turnover for the past two years.
BFCO: What is a challenging aspect of your work?
JB: Hiring staff for a manual labor position is consistently difficult. While we hire both experienced and new landscape professionals, both the dwindling emphasis on the trades in education and the hard nature of outdoor work make staffing a challenge.
BFCO: What is an achievement your company is proud of?
JB: Over the last four years, we have diverted over 100 tons of organic matter from landfills into composting facilities.
BFCO: Would you recommend joining Best for Colorado to other companies?
JB: Best for Colorado is about highlighting actions companies are either committing to or already doing. The more focus we, as a community, have on good work, the more momentum and resources we have to enact greater change.