As I grow older it seems I am taking more time to reflect on where I’ve been and where I’m going. Although I strongly believe in water conversation, I wasn’t always so inclined. Really, most people weren’t. Back in the day water wasn’t really looked upon as a resource. It was, well, just water. This wasn’t the case for my parents who grew up in the Oklahoma dust bowl era but for me, a kid in the 60’s, water was... MORE >
Today is day two of the Irrigation Association’s Advocacy Day in Washington DC. This is running in conjunction with PLANET’s legislative day on Capitol Hill and Renewal and Remembrance, the day PLANET members volunteer manpower and equipment to enhance the beauty of Arlington National Cemetery. Each year, this event draws hundreds of landscape and lawn care professionals from across the country to Arlington National Cemetery to spend the day mulching, cabling, improving irrigation, installing lightning protection for trees, pruning, planting, liming and... MORE >
Smart Water Management Practices ValleyCrest Landscape Companies (@ValleyCrest) & Corona Tools (@CoronaTools) host #landscapechat every Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT on Twitter to discuss the latest tips, trends and innovation in the green industry. On Wednesday, June 20, 2012, ValleyCrest’s Richard Restuccia (@H2Otrends), Director of Water Management Solutions, chatted with special guest Smartscape Arizona (@SmartscapeUA) on #landscapechat about how to adopt the smartest water management practices. Haley Paul, Program Director at Smartscape, shared how the program teaches responsible desert... MORE >
The official start of summer is tomorrow. If you take a look at the record temperatures across the United States you will notice summer has been here for awhile. The first three months of 2012 were 6 degrees higher than average in the lower 48 states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s great to be able to wear shorts in February but there are some potential negative effects. According to Science Daily global temperatures in May were... MORE >
May is water awareness month in California and the majority of people I speak with don’t know about the campaign. The California Water Awareness Campaign is a yearlong effort by organizations in California to heighten public awareness of water. This has been happening since 1989. This year there are over 70 cities and water agencies contributing to the program and approximately 300 water agencies, farm bureaus, and various other organizations throughout California who will participate in this year’s campaign. The... MORE >
As potable water supplies dwindle and the cost per gallon rises, we have to be vigilant about how much we use and how we use it. One way to conserve potable water is to use non-potable water—rainwater, air conditioning condensate, stormwater run-off and treated wastewater—for purposes like landscape irrigation. Initiatives such as the United States Green Building Council’s LEED Program are driving the use of alternative water sources and the development of more efficient irrigation systems. This trend is further... MORE >
Happy tax day! Thanks to Emancipation Day, the tax procrastinators of the Nation were given a couple extra days to file taxes this year. April 15th fell on a Sunday so you would expect the deadline to move to Monday. This year Monday is Emancipation Day so the deadline was pushed to Tuesday, April 17th. Emancipation Day, you ask? It’s a local holiday in the District of Columbia and by law, District of Columbia holidays are treated like federal holidays... MORE >
What is vertical gardening? The best way to maximize outdoor spaces and create drama in your garden. In the book Garden Up! (An Amazon Best Books of 2011 selection) you’ll see many examples, such as growing edibles up a wall or learning which edibles double as ornamentals. Have a landscape eyesore? You’ll find lots of solutions in Garden Up! You’ll get ideas on how to create focal points with arbors. You will see ideas for repurposing materials such as file... MORE >
