Jill Odom says farewell to Total Landscape Care

Photo: Husqvarna

If you told a younger version of myself that one day, I’d grow up to become the editor of a trade magazine for professional landscapers, I wouldn’t have believed you. Better yet, I probably would have asked what a trade magazine is.

And yet here I am, having been with Total Landscape Care for almost five years. During that time, you could say I’ve truly drank the Kool-Aid when it comes to being passionate about the green industry. My eyes have been opened to many aspects of landscaping that I would have never considered if I hadn’t taken this position.

One of my co-workers used to always joke that all my stories could be summed up with ‘Grass is green, and flowers are pretty,’ but there is so much more to it than that.

In this job, I have been able to travel to many parts of the country, test out equipment and learn something new every single day. The landscapers I have talked to love what they do, and they have passed that love on to me. The green industry is multi-faceted and comes with an abundance of career paths.

I have taken a position as the content manager for the National Association of Landscape Professionals, so I am thrilled that I will be able to continue to cover this industry, just in a different manner.

My final day with the publication is March 23. Beth Presley will remain on as the associate editor and Total Landscape Care will be hiring a new editor in the near future.

I don’t want to take up too much of your time, but here are some quick thank yous.

Thank you for tolerating me as I got on my “Crape murder is wrong” soapbox every February and confirmed it bugged you as much as it did me.

Thank you to the many landscaping companies I got to visit in person and share your stories about what sets your companies apart.

Thank you to the many landscapers and product managers I’ve interviewed over the years who let me ask the dumb questions as I learned about this industry but never made me feel foolish for asking them.

Thank you to the readers who took time out of their day to comment or email and let me know that they enjoyed one of my articles, that something I’d written had been interesting or helped in some way. It may not seem like much to you, but it meant a lot to me to get that occasional encouraging note.