WANTED: Sustainable Landscape Services for Savvy Consumers
For decades, Billy Goodnick has been showing people how to create sustainable landscapes – and how to ditch their lawns. But don't think of me as a "bad guy," he says.... more
Latest News
- Business Owners Fined for Illegal Workers
- Contractor Hits Unmarked Power Line
- Eco-Friendly Lawn Mower
- John Deere Introduces GreenFleet
- Was Pittsburgh Hoodwinked?
- Volunteers Now Manage Landscape Maintenance in Detroit
- Researchers Use Graywater for Irrigation
- Landscape Workers Save Man from Burning House
- Snow Sales Forum
Spraders and Sprayers... Essential Tools for Your Business
‘The right tool for the right job’ is an old adage which, when followed, saves dollars and makes a lot of sense. Your arsenal of equipment needs to be fairly extensive, due to the wide variety of services you offer your clients. To keep your company healthy, you need equipment that will do the best job in the shortest amount of time. ... More
Business Articles
Protect Your Equipment From Theft
Off-road equipment theft is a persistent problem in the united states. However, there are many precautions that landscape and irrigation equipment owners can take to discourage thieves and improve their chances of getting their equipment back if it is stolen. ... More
Landscape
Versatility of Geotextiles in the Landscape
The simplicity of landscape fabric belies its versatility. Like a jack-of-all-trades, this product can be used in many different settings, for many different reasons. Whether it’s for filtration, reinforcement under pavers, weed abatement, or even keeping wildlife at bay, this product can do it all. ... More
Irrigation
Irrigating With Graywater
Water. It’s vital to all life. Humans, plants and animals can’t live without it. But the problem is, it’s getting scarcer. And, in many places, more and more expensive. ... More
Brandon Spephens
When Texas-bred Brandon Stephens, 38, signed on with The Décor Group in 2003, little did he realize that he would one day end up as president of the company. Stephens is not one to dwell on accolades; he likes to move quickly and time’s a wastin’ ... More
Waterscapes
Waterscapes: The Most Effective Way to Filter Water
One of the most popular misconceptions homeowners have today about pond ownership is that it’s too high maintenance. They’ve heard myths and horror stories about algae taking over, fish dying, mosquito infestation, smelly water, and more. ... More
Off-road equipment theft is a persistent problem in the united states. However, there are many precautions that landscape and irrigation
equipment owners can take to discourage thieves and improve their
chances of getting their equipment back if it is s
more
You have assembled the best crews and taken great care in employing
honest, loyal workers. You know all your “guys” are on the up and up, so
why should you be concerned with employee theft? Because, according to
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, thr
more
Incentives—rewards meant to encourage and motivate employees to be more productive—all too often backfire and create unintended consequences: internal squabbles, cynicism, distraction, and diminished performance. However, when used correctly, they can
more
A little over a year ago, I noticed that our backyard lawn was turning brown even though we had an automatic sprinkler system. I called in a landscape contractor to find out what was wrong. He discovered that the irrigation system was not working.
While taking a walk in my neighborhood one day I noticed that water was spewing out from everywhere at a nearby home, or at least it seemed that way. Upon closer inspection it appeared that the valves that service the irrigation system were damaged, causi
A POND OR WATER FEATURE CAN be a striking addition to any landscape. It can be sized to fit both the smallest lot and the smallest budget, or built to dwarf an average swimming pool. The problem with ponds is that they're sometimes put in the wrong locati
ADD THE SOUND AND BEAUTY OF A WATER GARDEN TO YOUR FRONT PORCH by creating your own mini water feature.
In May Of 2000, residents living around the subdivision in Pineville,
North Carolina, known as Walden Pointe discovered that their drinking
water had become contaminated with raw sewage. The contamination reached
around 60 homes and more than 100 Walde
What would you do if you got up one morning, went to brush your
teeth and saw yellow gushy stuff pouring from the faucet? Residents
in Woodsboro, Maryland, awoke to just
As the demand for potable water exceeds supply, the responsibility of the irrigation contractor grows. The contractor must protect public water supplies from contamination.
For potable water, life is a series of one-way streets. Safe drinking
water depends on all “traffic” within a water system to move in the
direction it’s supposed to. Fresh water flows one way. It isn’t supposed
to turn around and travel in the
Weeds, weeds, weeds— those pesky patches of unwanted growth that mar the most perfectly manicured lawn and can create an endless series of headaches for you, your clients and your crews.
AS A LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR, AS IN ANY BUSINESS, YOU’RE constantly looking for ways to increase your client base. Of course you provide the very best in design/build and maintenance services, or just maintenance itself, but so does your competition.
While much of the country is still
digging out from under mountains of snow, it’s hard to imagine that
spring is just around the corner. Believe it or not,
warmer temperatures will be with us quite soon, and with them will also
begin the emergence o
THE RESIDENTS OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, typically take pride in what their town has to of fer—gorgeous mountain scenery, numerous swimming and fishing spots, a rich and vibrant array of wildlife—but when fall cankerworms began devouring the town
‘The right tool for the right job’ is an old adage which, when followed, saves dollars and makes a lot of sense. Your
arsenal of equipment needs to be fairly extensive, due to the wide
variety of services you offer your
The modern commercial mower is an awesome beast. The things it can do, the power it has, the technology that goes into it are truly remarkable. You probably own several of them. As you know, this much mowing “firepower” doesn’t come cheap.
The last five years have been no piece of cake, but you’ve successfully stayed afloat by running a tight ship. That includes watching your pennies and trimming the fat. The bright side is that things are improving. Last year indicated that we’ve botto
Water. It’s vital to all life. Humans, plants and animals
can’t live without it. But the problem is, it’s getting scarcer. And,
in many places, more and more expensive.
more
Remember The Flintstones? The “Modern Stone-Age Family” that powered
their cars with their feet and used dinosaurs as power tools? That was a
great little cartoon, but it has nothing to do with anything happening
today, right? Well, if you’r
more
There’s a low, rumbling sound off in the distance. Can you hear it?
That’s momentum building. It’s the sound of something caged that can
hardly wait to be let out. It’s the sound of one era coming to an end
and a new one just beginning.
more
It’s no secret that smart controllers are the future of irrigation. Increasingly, that future is now. Smart water, smart irrigation—whatever it’s being called at the moment—is being mandated by more and more governmental entities, especially as ch
more
No matter what our occupation, there are some tasks within it that we enjoy, and some we don’t. The tasks we like are usually the things we’re good at. We find them easy. If you’re an experienced contractor, you could probably install an irrigation
more
When Hurricane Sany tore through the East Coast during the last week of October, it left so much damage in its wake that the total tab, when it’s finally tallied, will be in the billions. The superstorm severely affected seven states, with New York and
more
The simplicity of landscape fabric belies its versatility. Like a jack-of-all-trades, this product can be used in many different settings, for many different reasons. Whether it’s for filtration, reinforcement under pavers, weed abatement, or even keepi
Color is one of those topics on which everyone has an opinion and no one agrees. What’s garish
and gaudy to one person is bright and cheerful to the next. Our color
preferences depend upon our life experiences, our cultural backgrounds
and even the p
There's nothing quite like a hand-drawn landscape design, slaved
over for many hours, beautifully and meticulously drawn. You can put
many hours into it, rendering every plant, every piece of stone, every
water feature just right. When you get done,
High-end landscape work is a whole different universe. Contractors who work with clients for whom money is no object get to see breathtaking visions take shape, and they have the privilege of being the ones who shape them. At this level, it’s not just l
North Carolina native Kim Lewey always wanted to be on a fast track.
Willing to do the work, she wanted to know that if she had the
ability—and she knew she did—she could move up in the business world.
WILDFIRE! The very word sends terror through the hearts of homeowners,
particularly those who live in “fire country.” Homes turned to ashes,
miles of blackened earth...stunned families huddled together, trying to
make sense of the tragedy.
Irrigation & Green Industry Network
Phone: 818.342.3204
fax: 818.342.0731
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