Recently, the industry had a major victory in the fight to allow professionals to manage landscapes according to best practices and federal and state regulations and not at the whim of local cities, townships or counties. Two years ago the industry was rocked by a ban in Montgomery County, Md., that forbid the use of commercial pesticide applications by lawn... read more
What shrubs are your favorite to install and why? Seth Ambrose President, Whiskey Creek Landscapes & Hardscapes Ridgely, Md. “We like the Nandina ‘Fire Power,’ ‘Otto Luyken,’ and ‘Shamrock’ holly, primarily for their attractiveness in the landscape. When properly placed, we’ve found them to make a landscape pop. In addition, we’ve had no issues with any Nandina or the ‘Shamrock.’... read more
Want to make all your managers self-conscious at one time? Talk to them about business etiquette at a company meeting. That’s what our CEO did last month at our annual sales and editorial training meeting. I know his intent was to inform—not to make us squirm—but nothing ever has made me flash back through my career history and wonder what... read more
Chris + Sarah Coleman Four Seasons Nursery & Landscape Services Bel Air, Md. LM: What’s your approach to an employee handbook? SC: The handbook was one of the first things we wrote up when we purchased the company from my mother-in-law four years ago. I took what I knew from being in a totally separate industry and the experiences and... read more
Jay Long Vice president of human resources, Ruppert Landscape Laytonsville, Md. LM: What’s your approach to handbooks? JL: Developing our policies and procedures and getting them down in an official handbook has been, and continues to be, an ongoing process. The first few years we were in business we were focused on the basics of our everyday business—keeping customers and... read more
Tom Pilon Owner, Perfect Earth Landscape Louisville, Ky. LM: What’s your approach to an employee handbook? TP: Our employee handbook is not just a one-time use document that’s handed out to each employee upon hiring. It has been very helpful throughout the seasons when an issue comes up. We have kept it detailed, simple and clear—without being a micromanaged procedure... read more
