September 2017

Step by Step: How to build a retaining wall

October 16, 2017By
illustrations: David Preiss

Retaining walls can add beauty to a landscape, enhance the value of a property and retain slopes to create usable, level ground. For stability, all retaining walls should be constructed with the thickness equal to one half of the wall’s overall height and should be built leaning back toward the slope about 2 inches per foot of height. For walls... read more

How one company is using VR to sell more jobs

October 9, 2017By
Photos: Neave Group Outdoor Solutions

How an emerging technology helps one landscape company sell more jobs. There’s no question that a 3D design rendering can close a deal. Without a picture, many clients struggle to visualize what you’re proposing. But even a picture has its limits, according to Neave Group Outdoor Solutions, which is using an emerging technology—virtual reality—to bring its landscape designs to life... read more

Design software to-do’s

October 4, 2017By
Photo: Patrick DuChene, DuChene Design Solutions

Landscape professionals offer tips and tricks for getting the most out of design software. To Patrick DuChene, choosing the right landscape design software program is only half the battle. “The software is important, but it’s more about how you use it,” he says. Landscape design software can be a costly investment, so it’s important for contractors to make sure they’re... read more

Tips for determining your ideal maintenance crew size

September 25, 2017By
Photos: U.S. Lawns

Follow these guidelines from U.S. Lawns to help determine your ideal maintenance crew size. As you plan the future of your landscape management business, it’s important to recognize that crew size drives profitability. If your crews are too big, you don’t make money; if they’re too small you don’t make money. Setting up your crews for the right size influences... read more

Growing green industry careers

September 21, 2017By
Photo: ©istock.com/DNY59

When I was graduating from college in 1984 with my undergraduate degree in business and marketing, I had no clue that I would have a career in the green industry. I was simply looking for a company that would provide me with an opportunity, that would invest in me and provide me career potential. In return, I would give the... read more

Why one man traded in his temporary gig for a long-term career

September 20, 2017By
Photos: Lawn Plus

Rodney Creech turned his accidental lawn care business into a long-term, sustainable career. Rodney Creech always thought he would be a farmer. After all, his family farm goes back four generations. So it was a surprise when after college he found himself knee deep in the green industry. “I technically had a lawn care business and didn’t even know it,”... read more