Landscape Architect Articles

News06-01-05 | News

PLANET Changes Summer Leadership Meeting

Members of PLANET will meet in the nation?EUR??,,????'???s capitol to discuss current issues about the green industry. PHOTO COURTESY OF ieci.orgs

The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), formerly Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA), has recently announced that it will be changing the date and location of its 2005 Summer Leadership Meeting. The event is now scheduled for July 14-17 in Washington, D.C. and was changed to allow the meeting to be held prior to PLANET?EUR??,,????'???s Legislative Day on the Hill and Renewal & Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery events.

The leadership meeting is an opportunity for PLANET?EUR??,,????'???s Board of Directors, committee members, and other leadership to discuss current initiatives, develop plans for the future of the association, and network with their peers.

The Legislative Day on the Hill, which will take place from July 17-19, is held in association with the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA). It offers professionals in the green industry a chance to meet with legislators to discuss pertinent issues. Participants in this day are also invited to attend events at the Renewal & Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery, a community service event that allows volunteers to use their skills and/or equipment to beautify the cemetery in honor of America's veterans.

For more information go to www.landcarenetwork.org

Nevada Proposes Rebates for Turf Reduction

Cutting back the amount of turf on school campuses and in parks could free up funds for education and safe play areas.

Legislation intended to utilize funds from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) has been introduced in order to expand the popular ?EUR??,,????'??cash for grass?EUR??,,????'?? program to public institutions. A $200 million conservation initiative to help public agencies remove turf and save water was announced Dec. 16, 2004 at the conference of the Colorado River Water Users Association. Currently, Southern Nevada Water Authority customers?????EUR??,,?EUR can participate in the ?EUR??,,????'??Water Smart Landscapes?EUR??,,????'?? rebate program?????EUR??,,?EUR that pays $1 per square foot of turf removed from an existing landscape and replaced with xeric landscaping. So far, the program has paid out more than $13 million dollars to participants, and there is a waiting list for individuals who want to participate.

The new legislation would direct $200 million in proceeds from SNPLMA into a Southern Nevada Water Authority program to provide a financial incentive for public institutions to remove unnecessary turf. Participants, such as school districts and area parks, would be encouraged to remove turf that is not critical to sports and recreation. Estimates indicate that as much as 247 million square feet of turf would be removed, permanently saving 42,000 acre feet of water per year. It will also save the schools and parks money that can be better used for educating children and creating safe spaces for them.

Francis ?EUR??,,????'??Sully?EUR??,,????'?? Sullivan Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

It was Sully who developed the stamp for Disney World decades ago, which has become not only one of Bomanite?EUR??,,????'???s most popular patterns, but one of the most often used patterns in the industry.

Francis ?EUR??,,????'??Sully?EUR??,,????'?? Sullivan, owner of Sullivan Concrete Textures in Costa Mesa, Calif., was honored for his lifetime of achievement at the Bomanite Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony in Anaheim earlier this year. Sully has been a Bomanite Franchise Partner since 1970, and throughout his affiliation has contributed immeasurably not only to the successful establishment and evolution of the Bomanite organization, but to the architectural concrete industry worldwide. Sully is credited with several contributions to the decorative concrete industry as a whole, not just to the evolution of Bomanite. Sully has a special relationship with landscape architects as well, having worked closely with the Southern California Chapter of the ASLA Class Fund, which benefits landscape architecture students with scholarship awards.

People lined up at the podium to sing the praises of Sullivan at the Bomanite Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony. ?EUR??,,????'??They came from all over the world,?EUR??,,????'?? said Sully. ?EUR??,,????'??Friends from long ago and far away, and I was humbled not just by the award, but the surprise, too. I didn?EUR??,,????'???t expect that at all.?EUR??,,????'?? At the conclusion of this moving tribute, a special award, a shadow box that showcased highlights from his long relationship with Bomanite was presented. ?EUR??,,????'??My greatest achievements have also been my greatest joys,?EUR??,,????'?? he told LASN. ?EUR??,,????'??I got acquainted with wonderful landscape architects and contractors, they helped make me a success, and I was instrumental in bringing concrete into the profession.?EUR??,,????'?? Sully still belongs to many architectural committees and associations working together to achieve what has always been his vision. At the moment he is part of a group of landscape architects doing a study aimed at promoting the use of pervious concrete so that parks can be created in the former railroad yards along the Los Angeles River. ?EUR??,,????'??I always had the vision,?EUR??,,????'?? he says, ?EUR??,,????'??and I still have it.?EUR??,,????'??

Hydroseeding Association Formed

There is a new association in town that you may not know. It?EUR??,,????'???s the International Association of Hydroseeding Professionals (IAHP), Penn Hills, Pa. It is contractor-run and was incorporated in June 2004 to provide assistance and information to those in the hydroseeding field. The IAHP reports it has extensive educational information in its newsletters and features an active hydroseeding discussion forum (www.hydroseeding.org).

The IAHP says its member benefits include discounts on supplies, rental equipment, fuel and software. The IAHP expects to hold regional meetings beginning this fall for contractors to meet with hydroseeding suppliers and learn more about the industry.

The IAHP executive director is Jennifer Redick, CPA, MBA.

William Murphy of Murphy Seeding Company, Murphy, N.C., is president; Mike Brown of Green with Envy, Fenton, Mich., is vice president.

Other leadership:

Rob Schock, S&S Hydroseeding, Carleton, Mich.
Steve Thomas, Better Lawns and Landscapes, Berkley, Mass.
Mark Felder, Lush Lawns, Harshaw, Wis.
Gregg Suver, Plant Health Care, Pickerington, Ohio
Ray Badger, Turbo Technologies, Beaver Falls, Pa.
Bill Lockwood, Planet Landscaping, Oxford, Conn.
Brad Hudson, Space City Hydroseeders, Houston, Tx.

For more information:
412-241-2340

hydroassoc@yahoo.com

www.hydroseeding.org

Landscaping Increases Property Values

With so much emphasis on skyrocketing property values and investments in real estate outstripping more traditional stocks and bonds, it helps to know where to spend one?EUR??,,????'???s money. Apparently, good landscaping can increase the value of a homeowner?EUR??,,????'???s property by up to 15 percent, according to research done by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET). A landscape architect, designer or contractor can offer the expertise to design and install landscaping that would end up recouping 100 to 200 percent of the seller?EUR??,,????'???s initial investment.

Average Landscape Contractor Yellow Pages
Display Ad Generates More than $248,000

The ?EUR??,,????'??Landscape Contractors?EUR??,,????'?? Yellow Pages heading is referenced 71.5 million times per year, according to the 2004 Yellow Pages Industry Usage Study conducted by Knowledge Networks/SRI. The study found 88 percent of ?EUR??,,????'??Landscape Contractors?EUR??,,????'?? look-ups result in a purchase, surpassing the 79 percent average for all Yellow Pages headings. These figures lead to $27 of revenue and $7 in profit for every $1 spent on Yellow Pages advertising, according to research by certified marketing representatives (CMRs) of the Yellow Pages Association. CMR data estimates landscaping is an $11 billion industry (residential and commercial landscaping combined) and is growing 13 percent annually. ?EUR??,,????'??The average landscape contractor Yellow Pages display ad generates more than $248,000 in revenue,?EUR??,,????'?? said Larry Small, director of the Yellow Pages Research Institute. The ?EUR??,,????'??Landscape Contractors?EUR??,,????'?? heading ranks 35th out of more than 4,000 headings, according to Knowledge Networks/SRI. The top 12 most frequently referenced headings are: restaurants, physicians-surgeons, automobile parts, automobile repairing-service, pizza, attorneys-lawyers, automobile dealers, dentists, hospitals, beauty salons, plumbing contractors and insurance.

For more info on these findings, visit the Yellow Pages Research Institute at www.ypassociation.org/research/index.cfm

Man Is Fined For Illegal Tree-Trim

Dana Point, Calif. resident Arthur Warren will pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that Warren hired a crew to chop the tops off seven city-owned pine trees to improve his ocean view. The landscape contractor involved was not at fault in the incident. The settlement was approved by the Dana Point City Council in early May. Warren, 75, also wrote a letter of apology. The agreement was reached through mediation that began in January, said Madison Spach, Warren?EUR??,,????'???s attorney. The city filed a lawsuit in July against Warren. It alleged illegal landscaping destroyed the trees, which an arborist estimated were worth about $50,000 each. Warren had asked the city to top the trees, according to the suit. But the city told him that doing so was against proper trimming procedures and could damage the trees. Of the settlement, $110,000 will be used to replace the damaged pines. ?EUR??,,????'??+The Orange County Register

Lawn, Garden and Power Equipment Expo Coming

The exposition is set for October 14-16 in Louisville, Kentucky. It showcases outdoor power equipment, lawn and garden products, outdoor leisure items, light construction and landscape equipment used by general contractors, landscapers and superintendents. Besides the opportunity to operate new equipment, landscape professionals can attend five free seminars:

This year?EUR??,,????'???s expo features an entertainment venue free to all EXPO attendees and exhibitors.The Charlie Daniels Band is the headline act. For registration and general info, visit www.expo.mow.org

Fertilizer Prices on the Rise

The costs of fertilizer production are on the rise, the result of price increases in natural gas, an important element in most lawn fertilizers. Of course, transporting fertilizer is also more expensive, a double whammy for the industry. The increasing prices of fertilizer is an international concern. Sodsolutions.com advises landscape professionals to know exactly what and how much fertilizer needs to be put down, to soil test to determine correct levels of phosphorus and potassium, and to keep soil pH in proper ranges to maximize turfgrass absorption of nutrients.