Editor’s Letter: Shifting Gears
Autumn is a time of transition. Even more so for landscapers. For many, it means getting ready to run a completely different seasonal business—from one based on mowing, maintenance, and plants (Pricing Fall Clean-ups) to one based on snow, salt, and plowing. If we were tempted to be trendy, we’d call it “pivoting,” but landscapers have been doing it far longer than the buzzword has been grabbing business headlines. It’s more about shifting gears. And in 2020, shifting gears isn’t just seasonal, it’s a near daily occurrence.
So in the Fall 2020 issue we focus on transitions and handling them successfully. Think the COVID remote work trend doesn’t apply to you? Think again. A WorkWave software exec points out the increasing importance of virtual consultations, online payments, and digital marketing. In other business advice, find out why an EPL insurance policy is the new must-have for evolving pandemic liabilities.
Even pest/disease control is in a state of flux as more clients become concerned about toxicity. Ever heard of EIQ? If not, you need to read why this number can help you make the right decisions about pesticides and environmental impacts.
Of course, one can’t talk about shifting gears without the biggie: our climate. As weather extremes become more common, stormwater management is being rethought. Landscape architect Gabriela Cañamar Clark shares how this construction byproduct is being redefined into landscape amenities. Embrace this trend and you’ll be better positioned to win high-end contracts as part of a sustainability team.
Thankfully, not all transitions involve major change. Award winning lighting designer Michael Deo offers his tips on beautifying the simple daily transition from day to night with landscape lighting designs informed by plant knowledge.
Indeed, change is inevitable. It’s how you meet it that counts. And you work in an industry that practically invented the “pivot.” You got this.
Managing Editor, Turf
Fall 2020 Issue Table of Contents
Coverage When It Counts | Revisit insurance policies regularly—and if your services or circumstances change.
Remote Strategies To Keep Business Moving | Check out four ways to connect with customers from a distance.
Applying Pesticides? | Here are eight things landscapers should know after licensing.
Do You Know Your EIQs? | These numbers can help if seeking to green your pesticide use.
Elevating Stormwater Management | Create landscape design opportunities from site engineering necessities.
Bright Ideas | Incorporate landscape lighting like a pro.
Snow & Ice Services Standards | Here’s a look at two programs that could impact how you carry out winter weather work.
My Landscape: A Platinum Certified Green Site | In Pittsburgh, the 2.9-acre landscape surrounding the Center for Sustainable Landscapes at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens achieved SITES Platinum certification.
Get Equipped | Snowplows & Attachments
Tree Services Special Section | Evolution Of The Tree: Grower picks for the future. Fall Fertilization: Analysis, application & amendment. A Clean, Controlled Fell: Cuts, care and safety from Husqvarna.