Landscaping in the Big Country with Adam Andrews 11/22/25: Leaves, Limbs & Livelihoods.

On this episode of Landscaping in the Big Country, Adam Andrews opens the show with a look at our much-needed rain, a mild forecast heading into Thanksgiving, and why now is prime time for leaf cleanups, winter color, and that “last mow” before putting the lawnmower to bed for the season. Adam also spotlights the Eldarica (Afghan) pine as Plant of the Week — explaining why it’s nearly tailor-made for West Texas and how it can pull double duty as a living Christmas tree you enjoy indoors now and plant in your yard later.Amber is across the street hosting Willow Creek Gardens’ Workshop Warehouse open house, so Adam holds down the fort with special guest Victor Hernandez of Blue Jay Landscaping & Tree Service and climber/arborist Casey Souffle. They dig into what really goes into safe, professional tree work — climbing, rigging, chainsaws in the canopy, and why good gear, training, and planning matter. Victor talks about building Blue Jay from mowing yards at 14 into a full-scale landscape and tree company, why he got out of maintenance to focus on higher-skill work, how he thinks about pricing, advertising, and word-of-mouth, and even how he approaches hiring, training, and (when he has to) firing.It’s a mix of practical seasonal advice, tree care talk, small-business honesty, and a reminder that in West Texas, you can still be in shorts while you’re getting ready for Christmas.