March 2012

The giving trees of the 9/11 Memorial

March 14, 2014By

A cold rain fell on the 9/11 Memorial the morning of Feb. 25. Then a thick fog rolled in, engulfing the New York City skyline in a sea of gray. The dreary weather was a fitting backdrop as visitors perused the names of more than 2,700 people who perished in New York on September 11, 2001. Some of them took pictures.... read more

My Biggest Mistake: Denise Putnam

March 11, 2012By

Denise Putnam, owner of Hands to Work Hearts to God in metropolitan Detroit, knows she lost potential business simply by the way she handled cold calls. So she changed her whole approach. “Whenever I got a cold call, the first thing they always wanted to know was how much I charge per hour,” says Putnam. “In the beginning, I made... read more

A Cut Above: John Catapano

March 11, 2012By

By Tom Crain Western Horticultural Services, Houston, TX, makes safety job No. 1. It has been recognized as a leader in the annual Safety Recognition Awards Program sponsored by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) for maintaining a consistent accident-free and “no days lost” work record for its crews. “We stress safety every day,” says owner John Catapano. “We bring our... read more

Landscape company finds container gardening to be full of possibilities

March 11, 2012By

Container gardening has proven to be a successful add-on service for Christensen Landscape Services, LLC in Northford, CT. In fact, container gardening has brought to light some additional opportunities, such as container storage and seasonal plant displays, in which the company can continue to drive revenue in the off-season. With all of the service possibilities container gardening brings to the... read more

2012 California spring trials preview

March 11, 2012By

By Jamie J. Gooch When Glenn Goldsmith opened his greenhouse to show off his new varieties to customers in 1967, he could not have predicted it would start the ball rolling on what would become the California Spring Trials. Visitors who preregister for the trials can make their way from Gilroy, CA (where the Goldsmith family began the trials and... read more

How to determine a homeowner’s landscape budget

March 11, 2012By

Question: How do you get homeowners to tell you what they want to spend on a project without being pushy ?    — Amanda Bell, Landscape Designs by Amanda, Red Lion, PA Answer: One common problem for landscape designers and contractors is trying to find out what a client is budgeting for a particular project. Clients are hesitant to throw... read more