PLANET | Landscape Management

65 teams compete at 2015 PLANET Student Career Days

March 24, 2015By LM Staff

In its 39th year, the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Student Career Days drew 800 students to North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., last week. Sixty-five teams, including three National FFA Organization high school teams, participated in 27 individual and team competitions. The events included, among others, tree climbing, hardscape installation, wood construction, plant identification, sales presentation, exterior/interior design, irrigation... read more

DHS resumes H-2B processing, new rule to come by April 30

March 18, 2015By LM Staff

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will resume reviewing H-2B guest-worker visa applications, the agency announced March 17. Its premium processing service remains suspended. Earlier in the week, the Department of Labor (DOL) filed an unopposed motion to freeze the March 4 order of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Perez v. Perez until April... read more

To the point

March 12, 2015By Marisa Palmieri

Maybe it’s the reporter in me, but I always prefer plain language over complicated descriptions. In journalism school, they teach you to treat euphemisms like clichés—“avoid them like the plague” is the old joke. For example, someone doesn’t “pass away.” He or she dies. Workers aren’t “downsized.” They’re fired. The company doesn’t sell a “business solution.” It manufactures software. Euphemisms... read more

Backstory: National Association of Landscape Professionals

March 12, 2015By LM Staff

National Association of Landscape Professionals History Associated Landscape Contractors of America 1961 Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) incorporated City, Calif. 1969 ALCA’s Environmental Improvement Awards launched (Now called the National Landscape Awards of Excellence) 1977 Student Career Days founded as ALCA Field Days 1990 Green Industry Conference premieres in Nashville 1993 Certified Landscape Professional (CLP) designation created (Precursor... read more

Big Picture: Seamless expansion

March 12, 2015By LM Staff

Photos: John W. Hession Advanced Digital Photography

LOCATION: New Hampshire COMPANY: Pellettieri Associates, Warner, N.H. THE DETAILS: When the client purchased an adjacent property, the challenge for Pellettieri Associates was to create a landscape that integrated the newly acquired lot with the original lot. First, the team calculated the area needed for each lot to accommodate an addition to the main house, while meeting the requirements... read more

Issue brief: Meet legislators on their home turf

March 12, 2015By Sabeena Hickman

Building relationships now with your representatives at the city, county, state and national levels is the best way to set yourself up to have a real impact on issues that may help or hurt your business. The best way to make a difference is to make your case directly to the people who make the laws and regulations. As a... read more