Design-Build: Page 130

Help your landscaping clients make the most of shade

Shade. In the summer, everyone wants a piece of it, but many plants cannot survive in the shadow of trees and clients are left with ugly bare patches of land. Shade gardens are a solution that creates a secluded and much cooler oasis. Among the first things to consider when planning a shade garden, of […]

July 16, 2015

The path through this shade garden is made of flat stone laid on its edge, a nice complement to the ostrich fern that banks its left side. Photo: statebystategardening.com

Texas hopes native plants will check erosion along highways

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the City of Lakeway, Texas, are at work on a pilot project that includes the use of native plants and grasses to improve both the aesthetics and water efficiency of highway landscapes statewide. The project, which has begun along RM 620 between Flintrock Trace and Lohmans Spur, is […]

July 15, 2015

If you’re driving through Texas, be on the lookout for prickly pear cacti.

Sponsor Content

Let our deep industry knowledge become your data-driven insights

Fusable

Success begins with a solid digital strategy. Our team of experts works closely with you to understand your business objectives, target audience, and industry landscape. Leveraging our deep industry knowledge and data-driven insights, we develop customized digital strategies that deliver tangible results.

February 19, 2025

Let our deep industry knowledge become your data-driven insights

RZ Industries pitches latest filtration mask to landscapers

In the busiest season for landscapers – not to mention the hottest and (usually) driest – it may be a good time to check out RZ Industries’ M2-Mesh Air Filtration Mask. Recently introduced by the Minnesota company, the M2-Mesh contains a HEPA, or high-efficiency particulate air, filtration system. The company touts the following advantages of […]

July 15, 2015

The M2-Mesh Air Filtration Mask is lighter than RZ’s neoprene mask. Photo: RZ Industries

Workshop offers chemical-free ways to control invasives

The ELA is holding a workshop to offer chemical free removal options for invasive plants for landscapers. Click here to read more about the workshop.

July 14, 2015

Goatscaping Company co-owner Elaine Philbrick will be on hand to discuss her cost-effective alternative to machines. Photo: gogreengoat.com

Landscaping equipment

Mower powered by pedaling makes its debut in the U.K.

Granted, very few landscapers need to find a way to fit more exercise into their schedules. But, just in case you’ve been spending more time behind a desk than behind a mower, consider the Grazor, a pedal-powered lawn mower based on a tricycle design. Created by London-based design agency Seymourpowell, the bike has five gears […]

July 14, 2015

The Grazor is not yet on the market, but its designers are hoping a manufacturer will take interest. Photo: seymourpowell.com

Season’s gasoline prices moving to lowest level in six years

Whether you’re buying it to move your crew from point A to point B or to run your equipment once you get there, you’re going to buy gasoline. There’s no living without it in the landscaping business. But the government has some good news to share this summer: Chances are, you’re paying less for gasoline […]

July 14, 2015

The average retail price of regular gasoline during the extended summer driving season (April through September) is expected to be $2.67 per gallon, the lowest price since 2009 (in real, or inflation-adjusted, dollars). This decline is mainly the result of a projected 41-percent decline in the average price of North Sea Brent crude oil compared with the same period last year.

Turf-removal rebate funds exhausted, program ends

The popular turf-removal rebate program that many Californians have taken advantage of has come to an end. Hundreds of millions of dollars in rebates have been paid to residents of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California’s service area. Rebates were paid to MWD customers who replaced their lawns with drought-tolerant landscapes. This past […]

July 14, 2015

The turf-removal rebate program fueled tremendous growth for California landscaping company Turf Terminators, which is now cutting its workforce drastically. Photo: TurfTerminators.com

Project EverGreen wants kids coming home with grass stains

Project Evergreen wants kids coming home with grass stains. They are working on several project for outdoor recreational spaces.

July 13, 2015

A volunteer from the Smyrna, Georgia, branch of ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance makes a weed-control application to the outfield of a ball field at Fair Oaks Park during the “Healthy Turf Healthy Kids” renovation project. Photo: Project EverGreen

Texas residents seek OK to landscape with native plants

Several residents in Temple, Texas, have asked the city council to consider changing an ordinance prohibiting the planting of native plant species on properties within the city limits. The regulation currently prevents the the existence of unsightly or unsanitary plant life covering the surface of property. The proposed changes would allow for managed landscapes that […]

July 13, 2015

Research conducted at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin has shown a mix of buffalo grass, blue gama and curly mesquite replicate Central Texas’ short-grass prairies and require less mowing, watering and weeding. Photo: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Water restrictions challenge California’s cemetery caretakers

The statewide reduction in water usage is making things challenging for cemeteries that need to maintain the appearance of the grounds.

July 13, 2015

Mulch and other materials are being used to keep cemetery grounds presentable in the face of water restrictions. Photo: Randall Benton, Sacramento Bee

John Deere: Don’t let the heat compromise mowing safety

Message to landscaping professionals across the country, John Deere spokesman talks about safety while operating your mower in tricky landscapes.

July 13, 2015

John Deere offers advice on mowing safely when the heat gets downright distracting. Photo: John Deere

Use of gardens, landscapes as therapy is ancient, ‘awesome’

Ninja master, bed tester, tequila taster … and then there’s horticultural therapist. The landscaping profession was given a nod in a recent list of “almost-too-awesome-to-be-true” jobs compiled by Refinery29, a newsletter-format website that covers lifestyle, entertainment, fashion and beauty. “To us, the ideal career is one with flexible hours, abundant opportunities for travel and the […]

July 10, 2015

The Sensory Garden at St. John Neumann Nursing Home in Philadelphia is one of many therapeutic designs by Design for Generations, a firm based in Medford, New Jersey, and headed by landscape architect Jack Carman.

Fire interrupts, but doesn’t destroy, landscaper’s new business

An Arizona landscaper is getting help from clients and friends to rebuild his business after his truck and equipment were destroyed by fire late last month. Dennis Hernandez told the Ahwatukee Foothills News he loaded his still-hot tools into the bed of his truck, where there were also some dry leaves and a gasoline tank. […]

July 10, 2015

By the time Hernandez could get to the shoulder of the freeway, the fire was blazing. Photo: Ahwatukee Foothills News

Outdoor Power Equipment Institute chooses leaders

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) elected its 2015-16 officers and directors during the organization’s recent annual meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here’s a rundown of the new leadership: OPEI Chairman: Lee Sowell, president of outdoor products with Techtronic Industries Power Equipment. “I am proud to be part of the outdoor power equipment industry, […]

July 10, 2015

Lee Sowell, president of outdoor products with Techtronic Industries Power Equipment, is OPEI’s new chairman.

Here’s one way to grab landscaping clients’ attention

Related story here. Some folks don’t see the point in a small truck. They’ve got things to do, people and things to carry and can’t abide a four-foot bed thank you very much. But even the most utility-mindful truck fan couldn’t dislike the Bugtruck, or at least want to know what it’s like to cram […]

July 10, 2015

The Bugtruck took home some hardware from its first show.

Landscapers bring their best to Arlington National Cemetery

Some 400 members of the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) will come together at Arlington National Cemetery on July 20 to beautify and improve more than one-quarter of the cemetery’s historic grounds. Because of capacity restrictions at the cemetery, NALP’s 19th annual Renewal & Remembrance event is limited to volunteers who are NALP members. While […]

July 9, 2015

NALP volunteers are shown here at the 2014 Renewal & Remembrance event. Photo: National Association of Landscape Professionals

New water ordinance rules will affect more California landscaping

Proposed rule changes in California could soon mean that much smaller sites will fall under the jurisdiction of the state’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. The changes recently moved one step closer to finalization. The public comment period on the revisions ended June 26 and they are now slated to go before the state’s Water Commission […]

July 9, 2015

The revised ordinance will place further restrictions on water use. Photo: www.water.ca.gov

Landscape, interior designers collaborate for a cause

Landscapers and interior designers volunteered at the former home of late filmmaker John Hughes at an annual benefit put on by Chicago’s Infant Welfare Society.

July 8, 2015

Mariani Landscape and Frank Ponterio Interior Design worked together on the garden areas of the Lake Forest home. Photo: Linda Oyama Bryan

Page 130 of 229

Christmas Post

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from Total Landscape Care. We thank you for being a loyal reader and hope you are enjoying your holiday.

Getty Images 117836073

Mastering objections: Six-step path to sales success

Hilltip Extended Auger Spreaders ldo Ark Bl Ba

Hilltip intros extended-auger spreaders that better fit truck beds

Equip Expo

Equip Exposition introduces a new attendee experience for 2026

Bobcat L95

The right fit for your jobsite? – Compact Wheel Loader Buyer's Guide 2025-26

The Attachments Idea Book

Landscapers use a variety of attachments for doing everything from snow removal to jobsite cleanup, and regardless of how often they are used, every landscaper has a favorite attachment.

Attachments Idea Book Cover