Rick and Nicole Longnecker opened Buds & Blades Landscape Company in July 2005. They founded it on the premise that the landscape market, primarily homeowners, was underserved. Busy homeowners weren't getting timely, knowledgeable or courteous service.

It is the absolute aim of the company to provide prompt, well informed, detailed, and above all friendly service. It is a pleasure to say that we still serve many customers we've had since day one, and have added several along the way.

As we grow, we want to also provide a challenging, safe, environment where employees can train as well as expand their careers.
 
 
About Rick
 
Rick's life has been all about lawns, lawn mowers, almost everything in your yard. In fact one of his first pictures is with his Fisher-Price bubble mower! In the 6th grade, he picked berries, had a paper route, and did yard work for people. He loved yard work the best. About the same time his dad also started a power equipment business, so it was a natural fit.
 
For the next several years, his parents drove him around from customer to customer, in the then sleepy little town of Sumner, Washington. They couldn't wait for him to get his driver's license. In high school, while others bragged about car stereos, Rick took pride in his Honda lawnmower.
 
After high school, Rick attended Clover Park Technical College and studied landscape construction and grounds maintenance, and ran his first company, Longnecker Lawns. After a few years, he chose to join the family in the equipment business, both in Sumner, and then in Olympia. However, even after meeting Nicole on e-Harmony, and then whisking her away from Spokane to Olympia; he just couldn't weed out the landscape bug. So, he returned to his "roots" and started Buds & Blades.

Affiliations

Professional Landcare Network
PLANET is an international organization serving lawn care professionals, exterior maintenance contractors, installation/design/build professionals, and interiorscapers. It emerged when PLCAA and ACLA united to form a more comprehensive association.

WALP

WALP is the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals. Established in 1984, the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals (WALP) is a non-profit organization of landscape rofessionals dedicated to providing opportunities that promote professionalism, integrity, and education to a thriving membership within the Green Industry and the communities served.