Welcome to a new weekly post you’ll be seeing on the LM blog: “What I’m Reading Wednesday.”

I’m a fan of food blogs, and many of my favorite foodies share “What I Ate [on any given day]” posts. I wanted to borrow this concept, but I didn’t think our readers would like to hear about my morning oatmeal or lunchtime leftovers. Instead, I’ll be curating a weekly list of reads relevant to business owners and managers in the landscape industry.

I hope you find the links interesting, too, and please tip me off to what you’re reading (email me at mpalmieri@northcoastmedia.net). I’d love to take a look.

“Thoughts from Mainscape CEO: Why Grow?”
Mainscape blog
To grow or not to grow is a question many landscape business owners face. I like how Mainscape CEO Dave Mazanowski 1). Takes the time to reflect on his company’s growth year, and 2). Considers growth to be essential to his employees’ success. “Stagnant organizations lose momentum and confidence, resulting in an exodus of a company’s best people,” says the chief of the nearly $50 million company that ranks No. 22 on the LM150. “Mainscape wants to provide our people with the opportunity to grow and excel, to reach their potential. For this reason, we strive for growth.”

“Do Most Flowers Have 5 Petals?”
The New York Times
Our plant expert readers probably already know the answer to why most flowers have five petals, but I did not. It’s fascinating. Hint: It’s all about sex.

“Nearly two in five workers can’t do their jobs without government approval”
Washington Post’s GovBeat blog
About 29 percent of workers in the U.S. need state licenses to work, compared to 5 percent in the early 1950s or 18 percent in the 1980s. One expert calls occupational licensing a new form of unionism. Do you agree? Where do you fall on the licensing fence for the landscape industry?