Raul and Lesly Castro founded Sun Tropic Landscape in February 1994 as a way to bring in extra income. At that time, they opened a garden center in Gretna that they ran for nine years. Eventually, they bought a three-acre plot of land in Belle Chasse that now serves as a wholesale nursery. In addition to growing and selling a wide selection of plants—including palms and other trees—Sun Tropic Landscape also offers materials such as soil, fertilizer, mulch and aggregates. The company offers both residential and commercial landscaping and hardscaping design services, working with partners such as landscape contractors, homebuilders and government agencies.
Being in business for more than 25 years, Raul and Lesly have built their company from the ground up by working closely with their clients to understand their vision, drafting plans that realize those dreams and then exceeding clients’ expectations. “To be an Hispanic owner means that a lot of our customers expect high-quality work and dependability,” Raul says. “Like many Hispanic businesses, sometimes we have to work hard to be comparable. We have been growing over the years and offering many different services that our clients need. Our most popular services include design-and-build landscaping, ground maintenance, paving and irrigation. Our latest [offering] is outdoor kitchens.”
Sun Tropic Landscape usually has a staff of about four to six people (depending on the season and the number of contracts). Over the years, the Castros have taken a number of courses, including horticulture at Delgado Community College, design courses at LSU’s Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, and irrigation and paving seminars. Since the Castros have their own nursery—and their Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and State and Local Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (SLDBE) certifications—they are able to be more competitive when bidding on contracts. The company also is a proud member of the New Orleans Horticulture Society, the Louisiana Nursery Association and the Professional Landcare Network.
Services available include landscape design and installation (such as flower beds, shrubs, trees, irrigation and low-voltage lighting) and landscape maintenance (such as shrub and tree trimming, irrigation repairs, planting seasonal annuals, and mulching and weeding). Sun Tropic Landscape also custom designs the hardscape—such as ponds, waterfalls and fountains; walkways and concrete-paver patios; garden walls; fire pits; and fences, decks and gazebos—to create the perfect outdoor space for clients. Together, the selection of plants, and their placement amongst features like a statue or pond, can create a special and memorable atmosphere. Raul says there are a number of plants that thrive here in our humid, sub-tropical climate. Some that he recommends include azaleas, Indian hawthorn, camellias, lily of the Nile and boxwoods.
With the onset of Covid-19, Sun Tropic Landscape has managed to persevere. “We kept working a lot for our customers,” Raul says. “Many customers stayed at home, and they wanted to do more projects.”
Raul and Lesly continue to push forward by growing their company, providing excellent customer service and attending annual trade shows (as soon as they are able to do so) to keep up with new technology and equipment. Through their membership with the Hispanic Chamber, they’ve also been able to attend seminars, workshops and signature events that have helped build capacity, in addition to completing the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program.
While Raul doesn’t anticipate any long-term changes to his business, he has learned two important lessons through the pandemic. “Everything can change in a minute; it’s always good to have a little cushion,” he says. “It’s also important to spend more time with loved ones, and don’t wait for tomorrow what you can do today.”
