Landscape & Irrigation

March 2017

Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.

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www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation March 2017 5 VIEWPOINT Editor John Kmitta | jkmitta@epgmediallc.com EDITORIAL STAFF Group Publisher David Voll Associate Publisher, Editor John Kmitta (763) 383-4405; jkmitta@epgmediallc.com Products Editor Steve Noe (763) 383-4407; fax (763) 383-4499; snoe@epgmediallc.com PRODUCTION TEAM Art Director Jean Blackmer Production Manager Angela Scott ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES: EAST Chris Pelikan Senior Account Manager (763) 383-4408 cpelikan@epgmediallc.com MIDWEST Peggy Tupper Senior Account Manager (763) 383-4429 ptupper@epgmediallc.com WEST Leslie Palmer Senior Account Manager (763) 383-4460 lpalmer@epgmediallc.com DIRECT MAIL LIST SALES MeritDirect, Jim Scova, (914) 368-1012; jscova@MeritDirect.com REPRINT SERVICE Robin Cooper, rcooper@epgmediallc.com CIRCULATION For subscription inquiries and customer service questions, please call (763) 383-4491, or fax (763) 383-4497 customerservice@epgmediallc.com business hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST EPG Media & Specialty Information 10405 6th Ave. N., Ste. 210 Minneapolis, MN 55441 www.landscapeirrigation.com P u b l i s h e r ' s N o t i c e : W e a s s u m e n o responsibility for the validity of advertising claims in connection with items appearing in Landscape and Irrigation. Commercial product names are used for the convenience of the reader. Mention of a commercial product does not imply endorsement by EPG Media & Specialty Information, or preference over similar products not mentioned. Getting Prepared, and Getting It Right As I write this, in February, I can't help but come to the realization that we are once again in that odd time of year during which, at least here in northern Illinois, the dreary days of winter are still hanging on, yet the increased daylight hours offer subtle hints of the season to come. On Groundhog Day I watched, for the fi rst time in a long time, the Bill Murray classic "Groundhog Day," and several random observations and questions ran through my head. Things such as realizing that cell phones were not yet prevalent in the early '90s (Murray's character, Phil, is told "all phone lines are down"). Or questioning why Phil doesn't rent a car, drive the opposite direction of the storm, and fl y to a different warm-weather destination each day. Or, of course, wondering how long he was trapped in his time loop (director Harold Ramis said 30 to 40 years, but apparently the original script said 10,000 years). That is a whole lot of time spent on self improvement. But, I digress; as I also thought that this winter wouldn't be such a bad one in which to be stuck day after day. Here, we had a cold December; but since the calendar turned to 2017, it has been relatively pleasant with above- average temperatures. If you are a snow-removal and/or ice-management contractor, an unusual winter such as this has probably done you no favors. In fact, I got a new snow blower this winter and have thus far used it twice. But no matter what landscape industry services you offer, this is most likely that time of year where you are still handling some offseason business management tasks and transitioning from winter jobs, while also preparing your business, crews and equipment for the upcoming season. With that in mind, we spray to a wide range of seasonal topics in this issue of Landscape and Irrigation. For example, NALP jumps right into spring with the cover story on how you can better communicate with your clients and with lawmakers regarding the value of managed landscapes, and why right now is the perfect time to do so. This issue also features our annual Mower Trends focus, in which leading mower manufacturers share their feedback regarding their latest innovations to help you prepare your fl eet for the upcoming season (see page 8). Beginning on page 16 is our overview of new plants for 2017 that merit consideration for planting in your clients' landscapes. We also have a couple articles to help you prepare for spring lawn maintenance (see pages 21 and 24). And the article on page 26 provides insight into equipment fi nancing and helps you determine if the best fi t for your company is to buy, lease, or loan. More and more people with whom I speak are wearing multiple hats within their business these days, and are limited in the amount of time available to accomplish so many aspects of their job. So hopefully we can help you stay informed and get ready for a busy spring. Because none of us have 10,000 years worth of days to get prepared and get it right.

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