Uncategorized

American Society of Landscape Architects 2023 Honorees. Photo: ASLA

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has announced its 2023 Honors Recipients. The honorees are selected by ASLA’s board of trustees and represent the most noteworthy landscape architecture practitioners and firms nationwide.

“The 2023 ASLA honorees are changing the world through their approach to landscape architecture—and their work is needed now more than ever,” said ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen. “In the face of increasingly dangerous weather events and biodiversity stressors, our honorees are using their diverse array of talents to design and create a healthier world and more equitable future for all people.

“The ASLA honorees are the best of the best and represent what is possible in the field of landscape architecture. This is the highest recognition ASLA bestows each year,” said ASLA President Emily O’Mahoney, FASLA. “This year’s recipients join a rarified group; we celebrate and congratulate another standout class of honorees on their well-earned recognition.”

“Landscape architects make the best of our world,” said former Senator Patrick Leahy. “During my years in the Senate, I looked out my window at the Washington Mall and could see the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and ending at the Potomac. The landscape architects designed an image recognized throughout the world.”

2023 ASLA Honors Recipients:

The ASLA Medal: Patricia O’Donnell, FASLA, Heritage Landscapes, LLC

The ASLA Design Medal: James Corner, FASLA, James Corner Field Operations

The Community Service Award: Jim Donovan, FASLA

The Jot D. Carpenter Teaching Medal: Sadik Artunç, FASLA, Mississippi State University, Department of Landscape Architecture

The LaGasse Medal — Professional: Charles A. Flink II, FASLA, Greenways Incorporated

The LaGasse Medal — Nonprofessional: Steven N. Handel PhD, Hon. ASLA, Rutgers University

The Landscape Architecture Firm Award: Biohabitats

The ASLA Medal of Excellence: Jack Dangermond, Esri

The Olmsted Medal: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The ASLA Emerging Professional Medal: Abigail Reimel, ASLA

Honorary ASLA Members: Senator Patrick Leahy; Chelina Odbert; Alciblades Tsolakis; Jared Green; Diana Ferguson, Esq.; Kristopher Pritchard; Devon Henry; and Gilbert Holmes. (The eight honorary members inducted by ASLA are non-landscape architecture professionals recognized for notable service to the profession. Since its inception in 1899, ASLA has inducted only 255 honorary members.)

For details about each honoree, click here.

For landscape design articles, see:

Diving In: Integrating Pool & Landscape
Evergreen Enchantment In A Colorado Landscape
Project Profile: A Streamside Farmhouse
These Colorado Firms Are 2022 ELITE Award Winners

By Jay Archer
From the June 2023 Issue

Stormwater is a natural byproduct of life-sustaining rainfall. But it can be greatly problematic when it hits a landscape whose soil and topography have been altered in a way that natural filtering, absorption, and water flow no longer exist. Green Jay Landscape Design, a landscape firm dedicated to ecological practices and Sustainable Site Initiative (SSI) guidelines, strives to find solutions to stormwater problems that work with the processes of Nature, rather than combating them. Here, President and Landscape Designer Jay Archer highlights three project solutions.

(Photos: Green Jay Landscape Design)

As ecological landscape designers, we seek to enhance our clients’ quality of life AND to improve our local environment. Through thoughtful landscape design and construction, we draw our clients out into the natural world, where beneficial biology, fresh air, and outdoor activity boost mental and physiological health. Our predominantly native landscapes create vital habitat for pollinators and birds, while also sequestering carbon into the soil to combat climate change. Simultaneously, our landscapes actively work to combat erosion, manage stormwater, and restore biodiversity.

When we encounter stormwater problems in the landscape, it’s usually a combination of factors that are contributing causes. Three primary considerations are:

Existing infrastructure, particularly impervious space such as patios, walks, walls, driveways, etc;
Surrounding watershed, including uphill sheet flow; and
Soil surface, which is of critical concern.

It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s key to address flow paths at the uppermost height of land. It presents an opportunity to infiltrate, absorb, and redirect stormwater before it gains velocity and volume—and options are often limited at the base or bottom of a slope.

Watershed topography surrounding patios and driveways determines the direction of pitch and flow when designing the hardscape. This can be achieved by planting, bioswales, perimeter drains, or a combination of techniques. With infiltration and absorption of water onsite as the goal, planting native trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials can go a long way to alleviating flooding and erosion problems.

Case Study #1: Rain Garden

When we think of natural, ecological solutions, we start with the soil. In the case study here, we found the natural disposition of the developed suburban landscape presented frequent (or at least seasonal) issues with flooding in impounded or depressed areas. This is not uncommon. Looking over the fence and around the corner from the client site, we found the adjacent homes lacked dry wells connected to gutter/leader systems and had a serious absence of vegetation, particularly the type of plants that evapotranspirate large volumes of water.

Case Study #1: A rain garden filled with plants chosen for aesthetics and ecosystem function.

Our client also discharged stormwater onto the lawn within 10’ from the house by gutter/leaders. Compounding the problem, the soil was extremely compact clay. Our suspicion was that building material/fill constituted the sub grade material. (pH tests can sometimes indicate alkaline substrate due to natural causes or from construction.) Finally, the water table was astronomically high as a result of extraordinary rainfall over the last four to five seasons.

The solution involved designing a comprehensive landscape plan for remediation based on site analysis, soil core, and pH tests. The first step of the design involved installing perforated PVC “drains,” with gravel and filter fabric, directing the flow to the corner of the property—which would feature a rain garden. Next, we aerated and amended the soil with gypsum, lime, compost, greensand, and a variety of bio-stimulants, including mycorrhizal inoculants. We seeded with seven seed mixes, dominant with turf type tall fescue. Applying a high-quality starter fertilizer and PennMulch seed accelerator were critical to the success of the new lawn.

Case Study #1: To counteract flooding, perforated PVC “drains” with gravel and filter fabric were installed to direct water to a rain garden.

The second step was excavating to a depth of three and a half feet for the rain garden. The soil in that area was amended with sand and compost mix and blended with the existing soil.

Finally, the planting design featured predominantly facultative native plants—those that can live under more than one specific environmental condition. Trees, shrubs, sedges, perennials, grasses, and ground covers were chosen for ecosystem function and landscape effect. A focal element is the Dawn Redwood tree. While not native, this tree will drink a lot of water, be lower maintenance than a weeping willow, and grow three to six feet a year!

Case Study #2: Post-Hurricane Renovation

This next project involved a landscape plan which featured bioengineering techniques requiring approval by an engineer, as well as local and state regulatory agencies. In projects like this, in addition to our ecological design plan of drawings and text (we use powerfully descriptive, sexy, pro-environmental restoration language), we find it helpful and expedient to also submit a ‘Letter of Intent’ with an Erosion and Sediment Control plan. This involves simple site detailing of the landscape installation, the site protection, and the erosion control devices to be used.

Case Study #2: Failure at this steep slope left several layers of soil exposed and unstable.

At this client site, a steep slope had failed after a hurricane, leaving several layers of soil disposition exposed. We determined that, although located in a residential backyard, the slope was used as a dump site for mostly organic material (leaves, brush) over the course of many years. This resulted in an unstable condition and a lack of root development by the existing vegetation. It didn’t help that the few existing trees were buried above the root flare, which was smothering them!

We removed much of the remaining organic material which, now basically composted, was repurposed onsite but outside the area of disturbance. Starting mid-slope, we rebuilt the existing Unilock retaining wall with a proper footing.

We also installed a locally-sourced fieldstone path on structural fill, leading to a cedar-mulched path which enables access to the river below. We retained the path with log water bars, which we found onsite. Where possible and practical—and if they meet our strict standards and specifications—we try to source all natural, Earth product materials (soils, compost, stone, mulch etc.) from the local area.

Case Study #2: During the construction, the Unilock retaining wall was rebuilt with a proper footing and a locally-sourced fieldstone path was installed. Where practical, local, natural materials are sourced.

The five existing leaders were directed to NDS Flo-Well kits to infiltrate the soil below the new landscape elevation. Working from just above the remaining trees on the slope, we installed Filtrexx Compost Socks and an uneven, interrupted terrace of rip rap boulders. We then began to backfill, regrade, and contour with engineered soil. The boulders protruded just above ground for stabilization and landscape effect.

The plant selection for this project consisted mostly of native three-gallon shrubs and two-gallon perennials. On the steepest parts of the slope, we planted directly into jute netting. Jute secures new plants to the slope as their root mass develops, and eventually biodegrades once plants are established.

For plant installation, we also use a combination of organic natural source products and fertilizers. They include Organic Mechanics BioChar Mix, Ocean Organics GBS, Plant Magic, Quantum Growth, and Yucca.

Case Study #2: The finished product showcases native three gallon shrubs and two-gallon perennials. On the steepest part of the slope, they are planted into jute netting to secure the plants as their root mass develops.

On our projects, irrigation is installed before mulching for the cleanest order of operations. After planting and watering, we then soil drench with microbial and mycorrhizal inoculant, which helps reduce transplant stress, especially during high heat weather. And we make sure to always add deer repellant!

Case Study #3: Terraced Hillside

For the next project, we produced an ecological landscape plan which required review from the building department, the Lake Association, and a waiver for a wetland permit.

Case Study #3: Significant small tree removal and pruning allowed light to infiltrate.

In site analysis we determined that over the course of time (as many as a hundred years), the tree canopy grew to shade the slope completely, the deer ate the understory, and the soil eroded and washed down the hillside into the lake below which borders the property.

The scope of work included significant small tree removal and pruning to allow light to infiltrate. Next, lifting, filling, regrading, terraforming, and land contouring the slope was performed to create functional terraces with garden paths. This involved manually spreading soil and placing boulders, logs, and compost socks. The steepness of the slope required us to dig trenches so the boulders wouldn’t roll downhill.

Case Study #3: Lifting, filling, regrading, terraforming, and land contouring the slope was performed to create functional terraces with garden paths.
Case Study #3: 60 yards of engineered soil fill, 30 yards of compost/topsoil blend, 38 yards of boulders, and 11 yards of mulch were brought in.

Fencing at the top of the slope was removed to allow for large-scale material delivery. The raw material included: 38 yards of large, natural stone boulders; 11 yards of triple-ground brown hardwood mulch; five yards of certified playground mulch (for the garden paths); as well as silt, fencing, hay bales, filter fabric, jute, and compost sox.

Stormwater Management For Landscapers

The soil brought in included 60 yards of engineered soil fill (consisting of 80% mineral soil and 20% organic matter), and 30 yards of compost/topsoil blend. Two dry laid stone retaining walls, with a gravel and filter fabric backfill, created terraces at the steepest part of the slope.

Tree wells for hemlock and viburnum were constructed using stone and wood from the property. (The trees and shrubs were located along the property border to provide privacy screening.) The series of paths were constructed using stone steps and logs as water bars to retain the soil and mulch. Logs were also strategically repurposed along mulched pathways in a playground area. This level, mid-slope area—now allowing for exercise and play—was seeded with a no-mow ecoblend turfgrass mix from North County Organics (norganics.com).

Like the previous project, predominantly native trees, shrubs, grasses, perennials and groundcovers were planted in jute to aid stabilization until root development takes hold. Today, a gravel apron along the front foundation enables access and ease of maintenance, while river rock bioswales conduct water cleanly from landscape to lake shoreline, without creating erosion.

In all our work at Green Jay Landscape Design, we strive not only to rectify site problems such as flooding, erosion, and failed slopes, but in the process create beautiful, successful, sustainable, resilient, and native plant filled landscape environments that can be enjoyed by the property owners for years to come.

Archer is the owner, president, and landscape designer of Rye, NY-based Green Jay Landscape Design, an organic, environmentally responsible company that focuses on creating vibrant, life-supporting ecosystems. After studying horticulture and design at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), Archer continued his education at Rutgers Center for Urban Ecology. He returned to NYBG and the Institute for Ecosystem Studies to develop, teach, and lecture on a brand new, one-of-a-kind, ecologically-based curriculum including wetland and ecological restoration, bioengineering, stormwater management, and landscape construction and site development utilizing natural Earth materials. Today, all Green Jay employees are NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals.

For more on stormwater solutions, see:

• Elevating Stormwater Management
• Drainage Solutions For Water Woes

Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, or send an e-mail to the Editor at cmenapace@groupc.com.

With noise abatement regulations in place in many municipalities and gaining traction across the country, landscape contractors are under pressure to ratchet down the decibels. Additionally, many contractors and communities are looking to create less disruption to the natural environments they live and work in, and sound is an important consideration in that equation.

Research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shows sustained exposure to noises above 85 dB can increase the risk of noise induced hearing loss. The typical gas-powered mower operates at around 95 decibels (dB): the equivalent of a motorcycle roaring down the street.

As a result, switching to electric-powered equipment is not just about meeting regulations, but can provide better protections to landscape crews and create a safer, healthier working environment for them, points out Scythe Robotics, manufacturers of the M.52 autonomous electric mower.

At Scythe Robotics, patent-pending blades not only achieve higher efficiency, but reduce the mower’s noise profile when the blades are running. The lack of an internal combustion engine also makes the mower much quieter overall, even without blades spinning.

“For M.52, we have measured the sound intensity to be around 75 decibels – which is roughly equivalent to a passing car – at the operator,” said Rob McCutcheon, senior staff mechanical engineer for Scythe Robotics. “The lower intensity means that the operator can use the machine more comfortably and more effectively as it allows them to be more aware of their surroundings.”

In addition to decreased exposure to potentially harmful noise and vibration levels associated with traditional gas-powered mowers and equipment, electric equipment can provide additional benefits to landscape companies:

An earlier start to the day. The lower sound intensity with electric  equipment enables landscapers to schedule earlier starts and later stops when needed since you will not be disturbing people.
With minimal noise disruption during the day, there is less impact for remote or home-based business clients. Some office parks and school campuses currently prefer to be serviced during off-hours or on weekends, but less sound invasive electric equipment may allow contractors to mow these properties during regular business hours.
Contractors can also tout the increased safety of operation around pedestrians with electric equipment.
Landscapers can submit job bids with the added benefit of saying they operate more quietly and sustainably than competing bids. Corporate procurement departments are placing more emphasis in the RFP process on sustainability and deploying emission-free electric equipment can be an advantage.

Read more from Scythe about Sound, Safety and Sustainability.

For more Turf coverage of battery-powered equipment, see:

Gas Vs. Electric OPE: Real World Costs
Creating Charging Infrastructure For OPE
Charging Landscape Trailers
Get Equipped: New Battery-Powered Landscaping Solutions 2023
What’s In The Market For 2023?

Opening Photo Credit: Adobe Stock by auremar.

By Bryce Carnehl
From the June 2023 Issue

Whether your clients’ water is sourced from a well, pond, municipal system, or rooftop, it’s crucial to understand the responsibility of managing such a valuable resource. We are more concerned than ever about protecting our water supplies and ensuring they are used for only the most necessary of purposes. So is irrigation necessary?

To answer this question, imagine what life would be like in a city without green spaces. What if there was no Central Park in NY, no National Mall in DC, no Golden Gate Park in San Francisco? Irrigation is an essential part of the green spaces in which we live, work, and play.

Conducting regular audits of the irrigation system helps ensure efficiency. Here, voltage is being checked at the solenoid with a multimeter. (Photo: Hunter Industries)

Recent years have seen reinvigorated interest in both public and private outdoor spaces. To maintain those green spaces in our urban environments requires supplemental rainwater in the form of irrigation. Our green spaces provide us tangible benefits such as shade to cool, and oxygen and fresh air to breathe. They also supply carbon sequestration and stormwater filtration. Designing, sustaining, and irrigating them properly can create a healthy landscape, with deep roots and a structure that is more resilient to drought conditions.

Landscape Irrigation: A Balancing Act

How do we balance this need for supporting our vital greenspaces with the need to preserve our most precious natural substance, fresh water? We must ensure that as irrigation professionals we are treating the responsibility of using a scarce natural resource to the highest effectiveness possible. Or, as my grandmother always said, waste not, want not.

Colorado Landscapers Incentivize Water Conservation

Using alternative water resources is one option, but even those resources can be limited. Having an efficient irrigation system is one part of responsible water use and helps to create a more drought resilient landscape.

Here are several steps you can take to ensure the most responsible use of our sacred green spaces and fresh waters:

1. Conduct regular irrigation audits.

The most basic maintenance can help prevent catastrophic losses. Ensuring that leaks and clogs, overspray, runoff, or broken parts are repaired or replaced as soon as possible reduces potential plant losses, water waste, and extensive system damage. Auditing the irrigation system seasonally, or as appropriate for your area, can alert you to potential issues and identify opportunities for upgrading equipment to more efficient components.

2. Know the pressure.

It’s well known in our Industry that operating pressure must be just right. Too high and you experience misting, water drift, and damaged components; too low and you could be over-irrigating to compensate for poor performance, causing flooding and runoff. The use of pressure regulated spray bodies is now required in 13 states and more are on the way.

Carry a pressure gauge and learn how and when to check the pressure of client systems. It changes over time and should be part of seasonal maintenance. Check valves go hand in hand with pressure regulated spray bodies, but can be used in other places in the system to prevent low head drainage. Low head drainage is not only responsible for water waste, but can also damage the landscape, cause localized flooding issues, and exacerbate other hydraulic problems in a system.

MTMS nozzles operate at lower flows with greater coverage than standard spray nozzles. (Photo: Hunter Industries)

3. Use MTMS nozzles.

Multi trajectory multi stream nozzles mimic gentle rainfall, operate at lower flows, and provide greater coverage than standard spray nozzles. They revolutionized the industry when introduced as MP Rotators twenty years ago, and continue to dominate the market in high performance overhead irrigation. With a range of matched precipitation nozzles, they can retrofit almost any application, and simplify the design of new projects.

4. Convert to micro irrigation.

As the popularity of lawns give way to other types of plant material, overhead irrigation is not always the ideal way to provide water where the plant needs it most. Using micro irrigation applies water directly to the soil. In the case of subsurface irrigation, water is applied directly to the roots. This reduces atmospheric losses of water. Massive water savings can be achieved, while simultaneously improving plant health, reducing weed pressure, and minimizing green waste.

5. Choose the right plants for the right place.

Obviously, growing papaya in Alaska, or blueberries in Arizona presents several challenges. While we may be willing to jump through hoops for food crops, we need more sustainable options for our green spaces. As many know, climate adapted plants require fewer inputs and accommodations. They have greater pest resistance, require less soil amendments, and generally survive local weather conditions. They also need less supplemental water.

6. Use hydrozones.

It’s not just about picking the right types of plants, as stated above, but also grouping them together by their needs. Avoid planting oaks in turfgrass, or ceanothus in a bog collection. By planting species together by water needs, or hydrozone, irrigation systems are better able to water just what is needed, where it is needed. Hydrozones eliminate over-irrigating drier plants to provide for thirsty plants.

7. Conform to local restrictions.

There are increasing regulations and restrictions on outdoor watering. Often, these can actually be healthy for a well-maintained landscape. For instance, watering during nighttime hours can help with disease resistance and reduce water loss to evaporation. Watering only a few days a week means deep and less frequent water cycles which encourages deep root growth and greater drought resistance in many plants. Many areas that have watering restrictions also have rebate programs to install efficient irrigation systems, so be sure to check with the local agency for available funding to incentivize clients.

Smart controllers help conserve water by adjusting irrigation schedules based on environmental input. (Photo: Hunter Industries)

8. Use the latest in controller technology.

Be smart and use smart controllers. The weather changes nearly every day along with the water requirements of a landscape, so should irrigation schedules. When paired with efficient irrigation application devices, smart controllers can help conserve a tremendous amount of water by adjusting irrigation schedules based on environmental data inputs. Cool, overcast, and damp; irrigate less. Warm, sunny, and dry; irrigate more.

Weather-based smart controllers use on-site sensors or data from nearby weather stations to modify irrigation schedules based on atmospheric conditions. Soil-based smart controllers employ sensors to measure soil-moisture content to modify schedules helping to ensure overwatering does not occur.

Drought Resistant Plants & Solutions

Always consider including an on-site rain shut off device with any smart controller to ensure watering is not occurring when it is actually raining. In addition, flow sensors and flow management can detect system leaks, prevent catastrophic failures, and even create reports on water consumption. Combine these tools, grow your service offerings, and give your customers the confidence that their landscape irrigation is indeed smart.

Preserving Landscapes & Water

Remember, when irrigation is working perfectly, it’s invisible. We rarely look at a beautifully maintained and healthy landscape and reflect, “wow, what a great irrigation system.” In that sense, irrigation managers are the invisible heroes of the landscape industry, and with that comes great responsibility.

Managing a scarce resource to sustain landscapes, supporting biodiversity in built environments, and creating moments and memories for people in outdoor spaces is no small task. Use the tools mentioned here as they match your irrigation projects and site conditions, while understanding the needs of your customer. Take the opportunity to find the balance between supporting green spaces while preserving our most precious resource.

Carnehl, specification marketing manager with Hunter Industries, has been in the landscape industry for over 20 years working in construction, landscape architecture, sales, corporate social responsibility, and marketing. Throughout these years he has dedicated himself to promoting the value of green spaces. Every project begins with a plan, and better planning leads to project success. Carnehl now works to create business opportunities for landscape partners through design, planning, and specification efforts. He believes that together we can build business prosperity, increase the value of landscapes, and ensure healthy communities in which we all live, work, and play.

Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, or send an e-mail to the Editor at cmenapace@groupc.com.

Ground has broken on one of the most sustainable affordable housing developments ever constructed in New York City—including an outdoor landscape meant to nurture the mind, body, and spirit of people of all ages. The mixed-use project at 326 Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville has been designed as all-electric passive housing that uses zero fossil fuel for heating and operations, and includes a rooftop solar array to offset energy use. It will provide 216 permanently affordable apartments to formerly homeless young adults and their families, as well as for low-income New Yorkers.

For the outdoor design, Slate Property Group appointed OSD, a multidisciplinary design group, to create a welcoming, warm haven for those in need. OSD’s scope of work includes a 7,000 square foot courtyard on the ground floor, a 4,500 square foot public frontage, and a 2,000 square foot rooftop garden on the fifth floor. The design imagines the outdoor spaces as the heart of everyday community life. From within the private outdoor spaces, a community hub takes shape as a series of urban farm beds, orchards, play areas, and social spaces inspired by the neighborhood’s historic farmlands.

Rockaway was once comprised of Dutch farms.

“At 326 Rockaway Avenue, we’ve worked with RiseBoro [Community Partnership] and our designer partners, including OSD, to build not just affordable housing, but a true community. Together, we’ve put thought not only into where children will play, but also where families will gather on holidays and where members of the surrounding community can connect with one other. This is a project that’s going to make its residents and its neighbors here in Brownsville proud,” comments David Schwartz, principal, Slate Property Group.

To foster a sense of connection to place, the design takes inspiration from Brooklyn’s iconic landscapes, from Brownstone stoops to Dutch farms. The result is a series of areas that evoke a sense of community, belonging, and playfulness through outdoor seating, farming, play, and exercise. The adult zones are adjacent to the urban farms and fitness area to the west, while young children and toddler zones are hugged by soft vegetation and ample seating to the east. From one end of the courtyard, the landscape is conceived to honor the social history of Brooklyn’s iconic stoop culture.

Play area for older children.

Materials and furnishings used in the courtyard farmyard and the stoop sidewalk reference the textures, color palettes, and material that would have been found in Dutch farms, including reclaimed native locust wood benches and fence posts, wood chips, and earth tone colors. The planting palette recalls food that would have been harvested in the early farms of Brooklyn, from serviceberry to black cherry and crabapple.

“At a time of much needed affordable housing in New York City, 326 Rockaway looks beyond conventional housing models, investing in design that nurtures a strong sense of both home and community for formerly homeless New Yorkers. To do this, our design grounds itself in historic Brooklyn landscapes–from Bed Stuy stoops to Dutch farms–reinventing life outside as a network of social spaces that includes urban farming, nature play, exercise, pollinator gardens, and outdoor gathering suitable for everything from working to birthday parties. In this way, residents gain not only a roof over their heads but a connection to place, each other, and activities that nourish the mind, body, and spirit,” says Simon David, founding principal and creative director, OSD.

Completion on the innovative project is scheduled for summer 2025 with leasing anticipated to begin next year.

All images: OSD

For more Turf Design-Build® articles, see:

Managing An Eco-Campus In The Heart Of A City
Landscape At 10 World Trade Receives SITES Precertification
Landscape Design-Build Trends: Best Of Times, Worst Of Times

SiteOne Landscape Supply announced its partnership with Automated Outdoor Solutions, or AOS, to expand SiteOne’s robotic mower product offerings. Together, they will create a robust national model to provide aftersales and service support, installation, and financial solutions for robotic turf care equipment.

AOS is a leader in the outdoor Robotics as a Service (RAAS) industry and expert in service model mowing. The company supports automated mower brands such as ECHO Robotics, Husqvarna, MowFleet, and Ambrogio. The partnership expands SiteOne’s robotic mower offerings and further solidifies its position as a knowledgeable supplier of robotic equipment. The partnership will also launch AOS’ Automated Ball Wash and Management System for golf course superintendents.

“I believe automation will allow landscape professionals the opportunity to take the next step in providing the most customer-focused mowing solutions,” said Joe Langton, CEO of AOS. “We plan to assist professionals in the robotics journey by providing the aftercare that is needed for the successful deployment of these automated systems. It is important for professionals to understand AOS joined together with SiteOne because our values and visions are aligned.”

SiteOne & Mosquito Control

In other news, SiteOne now offers select In2Care products through its partnership with the sustainable pest control products manufacturer. The In2Care Mosquito System uses the female mosquito to spread a potent larvicide to cryptic breeding sites.

Due to its unique auto-dissemination technology, mosquito larvae in and around the In2Care Station are prevented from emerging as adults. In2Care products are restricted to licensed pest management and lawn care operators.

For more recent news from SiteOne, click here.

For more on robotic mowers and the shift towards electric-powered fleets, check out Turf Magazine’s April 2023 Sustainability Issue by clicking here.

Kyle Daniel and Lindsey Purcell lead the 2019 Women of the Green Industry tour. (Photo provided by Kyle Daniel)

The Women of the Green Industry will hold two meetings in June and July focused on professional development. The first meeting will take place virtually Tuesday, June 20, at noon, spotlighting turf and landscaping expert Beth Berry. Berry is the vice president of sales for Advanced Turf Solutions and has 30 years of experience in technology, operational management, regulatory compliance, and commercial sales. Her presentation will cover why the Green Industry is an attractive path for female entrepreneurs.

The second meeting will take place in-person Tuesday, July 18, after Purdue University’s Turf and Landscape Field Day, at 3:30 p.m. Kyle Daniel, Purdue Extension nursery and landscape outreach specialist, will lead a group tour of departmental facilities during this meeting. The full-day event includes various educational activities and a trade show relevant to the industry.

Daniel says, “There is a lot of excitement from the members to be involved and for developing a network of females in the industry. We encourage men and women to join the group to gain a deeper perspective of your fellow colleagues’ experiences within the green industry.”

In addition to this year’s meetings, the Women of the Green Industry meet regularly on the first Tuesday of every month via Zoom. The organization offers free networking, educational, and leadership opportunities to retain and attract more female professionals to the Green Industry. The meetings are open to both women and men. More details regarding the organization, meetings, and registration can be found on the Purdue Landscape Report website. To attend the July 18 meeting, email Daniel at daniel38@purdue.edu by June 21 to RSVP.

For more on women in the Green Industry, read:

Groundbreakers: Women In Landscaping

Why Recruiting Women Is Your Next Power Move

Mission Unstoppable: Women In Trees

By Dyle A. MacGregor, CLP
From the June 2023 Issue

As owner of NJ-based Keep It Green Landscaping, Dyle A. MacGregor and his crew earned a “Best of the Best” Safety award from the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) last year. To achieve this, Keep It Green maintained the “Overall Safety Achievement Award – Gold Level” status for the past three years. In fact, they’ve been winning multiple safety awards fairly consistently every year since 2000! Here, MacGregor shares his perspective on creating a culture of safety for a landscaping crew.

What is safety? Is it driver safety? Machine operator safety? Jobsite safety? The safe application and storage of pesticides and protecting the environment? I think it’s all of the above—and a whole lot more. When I look up the word “safety” in the dictionary, it reads: “The state of being safe from risk or experiencing or causing injury, danger, or loss.” Injury, danger, and loss are all serious. Yet injury could also be a simple cut on a finger, or a sting by a wasp. No problem, we can take it, we’re tough. We’re part of the Green Industry, right?

When I was a kid, 300 years ago, I played little league baseball. When you were up at bat, you pretty much put your life at risk. So when you were inevitably hit by a pitch, the game stopped, the coach ran out, and it was generally decided you were not dead or going to die. Next—and you know what I am going to say here—you were told to “walk it off.” So you did and it worked for Little League.

However, injury in the Green Industry can be quite a different story. Injury in the Green Industry can be loss of fingers, toes, eyes, hearing, and in some cases, it could very well mean loss of life.

(Photos: Keep It Green Landscaping

Recognizing Danger In The Green Industry

In examining safety, danger was part of the definition. Can we mitigate danger? Do we have procedures in place to lessen and reduce the many dangerous tasks that we, as an Industry, perform? Do we even fully recognize a task for its true danger when it’s commonplace?

For example, if I were to ask a room of Green Industry pros, “How many of you own or use a chainsaw?” I can imagine most hands going up. But if asked, “How many have safety chaps and enforce their use?” I can imagine the number of hands raised greatly declining. Yet of the hands that did not go up, I’ll bet many could tell you the saws’ model numbers, how many they own, and what they like or dislike about each model with great specificity.

I live and work in northern New Jersey. Income levels are on the higher side and the economy is usually pretty good as banking, insurance, pharmaceutical, and high-tech industries dot the area with well-paying jobs. Your average customer here has high expectations.

As a result, you might think all contractors would be held to extremely high standards, and in many respects they are. You will see new trucks, new trailers, new machines, wonderful graphics, and glossy marketing pieces in mailboxes. What you often don’t find, although I think it is getting better, is a high degree and focus on safety.

So while a shiny truck and trailer with a nice graphic wrap might look really good, when you take a hard look behind the curtain… well you remember the Wizard of Oz? Far too often, you can find a lot that could be improved from a safety point of view.

So what is the point? Are we, as owners, focused on the wrong things? Are we truly focused on safety? Ask yourself. Then ask your managers. Then ask your field technicians. You may be surprised.

Safety Sources

Are you doing all you can to reduce hazards? If you’re unsure, here are some resources to look into.

Insurance Companies. When thinking about your insurance policy, loss may be the first thing that comes to mind. (I recommend you take a look at your policies and read them from time to time.) But you will actually find a lot of the words “risk” and “hazard” as well. It’s because hazards create a risk of a loss. Insurance companies have a vested interest in reducing hazards and potential loss, so they often have information available regarding safety.

OSHA. Naturally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has information, but they also conduct safety training classes. My team and I were able to attend OSHA safety classes. They were offered through the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA). There was a small fee, but it was well worth it.

Landscape Organizations. As mentioned above, your state landscape organization can be a great resource too. If you are not a member, I highly recommend that you join. There will be a cost to attend meetings and network, but you will meet other contractors and business people that are like-minded and willing to share their thoughts and expertise in many cases. National organizations like NALP have safety information and programs of which you can take advantage. The benefits of membership far exceed the cost.

Common Safety Practices

What are some common safety measures your landscape employees should be practicing every day? Let’s start simply, like safety cones. The word safety is in the product’s name. Safety cones! They should be on every rig. If you don’t have them on every rig, why the heck not? A truck and trailer set up is $75,000 to $150,000 nowadays. Why wouldn’t you want to protect it—and more importantly, your crew? These people are your lifeblood. Safety cones are about $50.00 each and you need three or four per truck.

Safety vests are a simple and inexpensive way to keep employees safe when working near roadways. )

Here is an interesting one. I have driven by landscape crews where the crew is deployed and doing their respective mowing, trimming, or whatever. The safety cones are still inside the trailer. Your first thought might be to chuckle, but this is not a laughing matter. So did they forget to put the safety cones out? Do they not care about their own safety? Is there no real safety policy in place? (More on this in a moment.)

Let’s talk about safety vests. In New Jersey, if you work within 25′ of a roadway you must, by law, wear reflective clothing. Again, while it’s getting better, the reality is that roughly every other truck I pass (or 50%) has either no safety cones or no safety vests. Sometimes I will see a crew and only one of the two- to three-man crew is wearing a vest. This really has to get better, and it can, with simple focus and intention. A vest costs about $25. How many people are in your company? Can you, as an owner, afford not to keep your people protected?

Besides cones and vests, some safety practices we regularly employ/have on hand include:

Proper PPE for the task at hand;
Safety tailgate sessions (try to keep them short but lively);
First aid kits;
Fire extinguishers;
Safety handouts to put in the company handbook;
A safety bonus, paid monthly; and
A driver’s safety bonus paid quarterly.

Landscape Employee Safety Buy-In

Despite all other elements, the most important aspect, the foundation of all safety, is buy-in. If safety is not the absolute company culture, it’s highly likely you’re going to experience some kind of injury or loss. It may be small; it may be great. Is it a dented truck fender or a fatality because wearing a seat belt was not stressed?

How Ruppert Landscape Creates A Culture Of Safety

If you own or manage a company, it’s incumbent upon you to make sure that safety is a top priority, not 16th or 17th on that long list. When your team sees how important safety is to you, when you emphasize it and put money into training, policies, and equipment, they will want to follow those policies. Safety is everyone’s job. Everyone, from office staff to truck driver to crew member, must be on board. Great buy-in equals great safety.

I think buy-in starts at the very beginning of the hiring process. Find out where a new hire is “at” from a safety standpoint. Asking how many years or hours a candidate has on certain machines doesn’t tell you how safely they operated them. Some candidates look great on paper and can run twenty different machines; they may also drive excessively fast and not wear safety glasses.

I suggest putting all your policies in writing in your handbook. If you don’t have one, make one. All employees, your whole team, needs to read it. We have everyone sign a letter that they have received a handbook and were given time to read it—as well as time for asking any questions. Every state has different laws regarding employment, so make sure you are following state laws.

Let’s all do our part to make sure we keep our companies, and the Green Industry, safe.

MacGregor is Owner of Keep It Green Landscaping, based in Fair Lawn, NJ, and has been working actively in the landscape field since its establishment in 1981. A state and national award-winning company, Keep It Green is recognized for high quality workmanship and offers complete landscape maintenance, lawn care, landscape design and construction, as well as commercial snow and ice management.

Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, or send an e-mail to the Editor at cmenapace@groupc.com.

Read the full article “The Foundation Of Landscape Employee Safety” on Turf Magazine.

Hunter’s Mini-Clik® Sensor has gone wireless! Over time, Hunter has fielded numerous customer requests for a product like this. It’s now easier than ever to include a rain/freeze sensor on new and retrofit projects.

Once installed, it saves water with two shutoff options: Accumulated Rainfall for shutdown after ⅛” to ¾” of rain is detected or Quick Response® Technology for instant shutdown. Built-in freeze sensing halts system operation at 37°F to protect plants and keep roads and walkways ice-free.

No Weather Or Wire Worries

The Wireless Mini-Clik® Sensor is designed to help manage constantly changing weather without the need for troublesome wires. Here are a few ways it can improve your next project:

Increase design flexibility: With an 800′ line-of-sight wireless range, you can locate the sensor nearly anywhere on a project site.
Protect the landscape: Innovative sensor technology stops irrigation during inclement weather to prevent overwatering in rainy climates, which can lead to nutrient loss, plant disease, shallow roots, weeds, and an increased need for fertilizer.
Simplify installation: Wireless communication eliminates the need for costly, labor-intensive wire runs during installation.
Comply with water regulations: As more agencies require rain shutoff devices on controllers, the Wireless Mini-Clik Sensor is a simple solution to keep your project ahead of the curve.
Prevent tampering: The wire-free design makes it possible to install the sensor in places that deter vandals.

The Wireless Mini-Clik® Sensor is compatible with all Hunter AC-powered and Hydrawise® enabled controllers. Install the sensor on any eave, wall, fence, or gutter.

Look for Turf’s just-released June issue highlighting Water and including an article on Balanced Irrigation by Hunter’s Bryce Carnehl. Click here.

For charitable news from Hunter, see “Hunter & Its Customers Donate To Aid Earthquake Relief Efforts.”

Read the full article “Hunter Announces Wireless Mini-Clik® Sensor For Water Savings” on Turf Magazine.