In the two months since it was founded, a landscaping and restoration business called Native Elements already has completed five projects.

The idea for the business started because John Dayberry wanted his son Ty to work in the summer so he wouldn’t have to work the rest of the year. Ty Dayberry is a student and professional telemark skier.

“It sucks having to work and support yourself during the school year,” John Dayberry said.

Ty Dayberry likes the work, because he’s interested in landscape architecture. He has taken classes at Lake Tahoe Community College, which taught him some fundamentals.

Besides the college’s contribution to his knowledge, Ty Dayberry enjoys the artistic aspect.

“I’ve always been into art,” he said. “It keeps me at peace with myself.”

With John Dayberry’s knowledge of BMPs, defensible space and vegetation restoration combined with his son’s artistic talents, Native Elements can provide custom landscaping that fits with Lake Tahoe regulations, Dayberry said.

The most recent job they finished cost their client very little, because they accessed the sod buyback program available through South Tahoe Public Utility District. The client eliminated 1,500 square feet of sod and replaced it with native seeds and mulch.

The new design reduced the client’s water use from 35,000 gallons this summer to 3,000 gallons, Dayberry said.

For more information on Native Elements, call (530) 318-2704 or visit nativeelementsoftahoe.com.

And for more information on the sod buyback program, contact Shelly Barnes at the STPUD office or call (530) 544-6474.

Ralph and Heather Clelan are the new owners of Mountain View Management.

The couple bought the long-term tenant and homeowners association-management business in January and are making positive changes, Heather Clelan said.

“We care about our tenants,” she noted.

The business manages a variety of units, from apartments on Fourth Street to homes in the Tahoe Keys. Maintenance and repairs are a top priority, and staff are available 24 hours a day for emergencies.

The Clelans said they’ve hired new staff, including new property manager Patricia Papp, who starts at the end of August.

Mountain View Management is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is at 3338 Sandy Way. For more information, call (530) 544-4153.

The South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce will meet at 6:30 p.m. today at Murphy’s Irish Pub & Rockwater Restaurant.

The restaurant is at 787 Emerald Bay Road, at the juncture of Emerald Bay Road and 10th Street. For more information, call (530) 542-5060.

– Have information on your business that you’d like to share? Contact reporter Sara Thompson at (530) 542-8009 or sthompson@tahoedailytribune.com.