We look forward to covering the issues that matter most, from the daunting but not so bad problem of finding good people to workers’ compensation and OSHA, the strong economy is generating a need to expand and deal with the forces of labor. LCN’s “Labor Issues” column and ongoing news coverage will assist you in making better decisions and capitalizing on the most current tools available…

Read about what Tom Kimmell, executive director of the Irrigation Association, calls SWATs, or smart water application technologies in LCN’s “Inside Irrigation” column.

You will also notice a couple of new regular columns in this LCN, starting with “Tree Care” (p. 20) and “Landscape Lighting” (p. 22). We get so many requests to start a column about this or a column about that, but we figured that virtually everyone of you deals regularly with trees and some form of landscape lighting… So now you’ll get a bit more on both of those topics in the months ahead. If you want to know about a particular element or subject just let us know by using the response card on page 11.

LCN has expanded the research department and renamed it “Research Statistics and Information Services.” LCN has linked its vast database of landscape professionals with a team of research specialists and are now providing everything from the tidbit statistics you see in this magazine to analysis of the economic indicators affecting the business. They think they know just about everything there is to know about the landscape trade…

The truth is, you keep changing things on them so don’t be surprised if they end up contacting you for some reason or another. Give them a minute and your voice will get its chance to be heard above the fray…

At the same time we are beginning to expand our list of associate editors, those folks listed in the next column over…We call on our associate editors to check our facts, keep us up-to-date and point us in the right direction in regards to their specialties. If you know of an expert in some area of landscape contracting and feel we should be in touch with that person, please let us know by using the response card on page 11, or by calling us at (714) 979-5276.

Don’t forget to check out landscapearchitect.com…With daily news coverage, expanded directories of landscape contractors and equipment suppliers, with increasing and up-to-date research and editorial, free classified ads and a nationwide calendar of events, you can use LOL at your leisure or in an emergency…

So, anyways…As LCN continues to improve and expand and improve and expand we look forward to just improving and expanding what we bring to you every month…Don’t be afraid to let us know what we missed…

God Bless…