Colorado Green Jan/Feb 2019

JAN/FEB 2019 | VOL 35, NO 1 WWW.ALCC.COM

Offi Official cial publication publication of of ALCC ALCC serving serving the the green green industry industry in in the the Rocky Rocky Mountain Mountain region region

years 2019

Gross Reservoir meets the water crisis Zak George Landscaping rolls with the unexpected

Fraud & theft

can happen in your business

Industry rolls out first apprenticeship

HIGHEST QUALITY

PRODUCTS FOR

EVERY PROJECT

Complete Hardscape & Landscape Supply

SALES FINANCING AVAILABLE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS!

Visit us usatatthe the2019 2019 Visit ProGreen Expo EXPO ProGreen in Booth Booth 1601 1601 in

M OM N EO N E

LIFE LIFE TIME TIME

EE EE NT NT

ACK GUA YB C K GUARA A RA B Y

With outstanding quality, selection, With outstanding quality, selection, and value, Pioneer’s hardscape and value, Pioneer’s hardscape and landscape supplies are the and landscape supplies are the ultimate choice for outdoor living. ultimate choice for outdoor living.

We manufacture our pavers from We manufacture our pavers from natural, locally-sourced materials natural, locally-sourced materials meant to withstand the elements, meant to withstand the elements, and are able to provide a lifetime and are able to provide a lifetime warranty. Combine our quality warranty. Combine our quality pavers with thousands of other pavers with thousands of other products in the Pioneer catalog, products in the Pioneer catalog, like artificial turf, decorative rock, like artificial turf, decorative rock, flagstone, travertine, mulches, and flagstone, travertine, mulches, and more, to provide your clients more, to provide your clients with a customized solution. with a customized solution.

We’ll help craft We’ll help craft a landscape a landscape vision that fits vision that fineeds. ts your client’s your client’s needs.

PIONEER COLLECTIONS PIONEER COLLECTIONS DECORATIVE ROCK DECORATIVE ROCK GARDEN BED SOLUTIONS GARDEN BED SOLUTIONS PATIO & WALL SYSTEMS PATIO & WALL SYSTEMS OUTDOOR LIVING OUTDOOR LIVING ARTIFICIAL GRASS ARTIFICIAL GRASS GARDEN BORDERS & EDGING GARDEN BORDERS & EDGING PATHWAYS & EROSION CONTROL WINPATHWAYS & EROSION CONTROL WINTERIZATION TERIZATION BAGGED PRODUCTS BAGGED PRODUCTS LANDSCAPE TOOLS & ACCESSORIES LANDSCAPE TOOLS & ACCESSORIES COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

www.pioneerco.com www.pioneerco.com 720.739.3340 720.739.3340 16 locations along the Front Range 16 locations along the Front Range 18PILC044-04-ColoradoGreen-1 18PILC044-04-ColoradoGreen-1

In this issue

January/February 2019 | Vol 35 | No 1

Feature

46

Meeting the water crisis

Gross Reservoir to help quench thirst of drought and benefit environment

BY MATT WITTERN

Profile

34

Roll with the unexpected and stay on target Zak George Landscaping team honed new skills tweaking custom features

BY LYN DEAN

Business Sense

40

Is someone stealing your stuff?

Green industry firms are at risk for employee fraud and theft

BY TROY D. SIBELIUS

42

34

Trusted employees don’t always have your back What an accountant can tell you

BY BRIANA REIDLE

46 6

www.alcc.com

In this issue

November/December 2018 | Vol 35 | No 1

Departments

010 13

Perspective

Green News & Notes

Milestones

23

Colorado Green marks 40 years in print

24

61

ScienTurfic celebrates 50 years

58

Ad Index

Workforce

52

Arborist Apprenticeship launches this year

Equipment maintenance pathway to launch fall 2019

53

Top Plant Picks

56

Shade solution: colorful Helleborus adapts well in Colorado

58

Welby Plant Trials bring fresh color for 2019

40

60

Spotlight on Plant SelectÂŽ

SteppeSuns™ Sunset Glow Penstemon

Parting Shot

62

2019 is a year for milestones and transitions at ALCC

JAN/FEB 2019 | VOL 35, NO 1 WWW.ALCC.COM

Official publication of ALCC serving serving the the green green industry industry in in the the Rocky Rocky Mountain Mountain region region

years 2019

Gross Reservoir meets the water crisis Zak George Landscaping rolls with the unexpected

Fraud & theft

can happen in your business

62 8

www.alcc.com

Industry rolls out first apprenticeship

Cover photo: Hawthorn provides winter color in Colorado

Providing • Quality • Service • Knowledge Since 1972

HARDSCAPES PAT I O PAV E R S FLAGSTONE WA L L S Y S T E M S

AGGREGATES I N S TA L L AT I O N R O C K D E C O R AT I V E R O C K MULCH

SERVICES DELIVERY F R E E E S T I M AT E S S P L I T T E R R E N TA L

303.428.0594 | 6041 Huron St., Denver, CO 80221 | MCSHardscape.com

publication ALCC servingindustry the green in industry in the Rocky Mountain region Official publication Official of ALCC servingofthe green the Rocky Mountain region

Perspective

C O L O R A D O

Stewardship is our calling

C

Official publication of ALCC serving the green industry in the Rocky Mountain region

olorado is known for its landscapes: natural beauty in our open spaces and in our built landscapes. The natural beauty is what drives many to move here.

As members of the green industry, we are presumptive John McMahon stewards of that land, charged with maintaining and preserving Colorado’s landscapes.

Colorado’s tremendous growth increases demand for water, and our industry understands its responsibility to conserve water and practice its responsible use to preserve the many benefits that landscapes provide. Heading into 2019, ALCC will help further that stewardship with initiatives designed to encourage sustainability as well as to interest more young people in landscape industry careers to continue to carry the torch.

Water utilities and community leaders have stressed the importance of sustainability in landscapes, and ALCC has responded by building a program: Sustainable Landscape Management Colorado (SLM). Using the foundation built by our colleagues in Arizona, SLM incorporates GreenCO’s BMPs and the expert industry knowledge of maintaining healthy landscapes in Colorado’s climates. Additionally, we further vetted the program with water utilities and experts from around the state to customize a program that provides beautiful, beneficial landscapes while using fewer resources.

The purpose of SLM is to elevate Colorado industry standards, raise our professionalism, and meet the needs of our state’s growth in a responsible way.

To learn more about this innovative program, I invite you to visit ALCC in the PARC area of the ProGreen EXPO trade show. We look forward to sharing with you the SLM program and our plans to make sustainability and responsible water use part of life throughout Colorado.

John McMahon, ALCC Executive Director

Colorado Green Production Team

C O L O R A D O

EDITORIAL

ALCC Executive Director John McMahon Editor Lyn Dean publication of ALCC serving the green industry in the Rocky Mountain region ManagingOfficial Editor Becky Garber-Godi Circulation and Adminstration Rachael Coleman DESIGN

C O L O R A D O

Graphic Design Tracy Gulden ADVERTISING SALES

Sales Director Amy McCraken Official (303) 478-7895 publication of ALCC serving the green industry in the Rocky Mountain region AmyM@EvergreenCustomMedia.com Sales Director Martha Dickenson (303) 257-6499 Mimi_nwp@yahoo.com

Published by ALCC for the green industry in the Rocky Mountain region

ALCC

President Matt Hiner Hiner Landscapes, Colorado Springs Vice President Michael Moore Diggable Designs LLC, Lakewood Secretary/Treasurer Steve Steele Keesen Landscape Management, Inc. Englewood Past President Mike Ransom Lifescape Colorado, Denver

A FULL SERVICE TREE COMPANY

offering pruning, removals, stump grinding, plant health care, fire mitigation and holiday décor.

A DENVER, COLORADO AREA BASED BUSINESS

with multiple profit centers in the tree care sector.

Established in 1998, the business grosses

$700K - $800K PER YEAR with a net ranging from

$200,000.00 - $250,000.00 PER YEAR

Contact TOM FOCHTMAN at 303.974.7577 tom@ceibass.com 10

www.alcc.com

Colorado Green (ISSN0195-0045) is published bimonthly by the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, Inc., 1660 S. Albion St., Suite 831, Denver, Colorado 80222, phone: 303-757-5611, fax: 303-757-5636. Colorado Green is distributed to contributing members and professionals throughout Colorado and educational and governmental institutions across the state. Subscription rates: $27 per year; $6.75 per copy. Colorado residents only, please add 3.5% sales tax. Postage paid at Denver, Colorado. Publisher assumes no responsibility for safekeeping or return of unsolicited photos or manuscripts, and reserves all rights to edit material submitted for publication. Approval for publication of copyrighted material submitted to Colorado Green is the sole responsibility of the advertiser/contributing authors. ©2019 by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado. All rights reserved. Reproduction of materials contained herein allowed only with permission of the publisher. Post master: Please send Form 3579 to ALCC, 1660 So. Albion St., Suite 831, Denver, Colorado 80222.

For advertising inquiries, please call Amy McCraken at 303-478-7895, or email amym@evergreencustom media.com.

Saralynn Vetter’s students work in greenhouse at Lone Star High School near Otis, Colorado.

Photo courtesy Saralynn Vetters

Green News& Notes

Garden Show proceeds benefit Career Pathways schools

E

ach year, proceeds from the Colorado Garden & Home Show and Colorado Fall Home Show

fund Colorado Garden Foundation (CGF), which supports horticultural and related activities

throughout Colorado. CGF awards grants to organizations and scholarships to individuals and over the past 60 years, organizations have received more than $8.3 million in grants.

This year, CGF and ALCC are developing a partnership which will award grants to high schools in the spring for use in the fall semester. This timely use of funds is a great benefit to ALCC’s Landscape Career Pathways program and high school educators in participating high schools.

A number of Pathways schools have received grants from CGF for greenhouses and to meet other needs.

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

13

Green News & Notes

Backyard on Blake

Two landscape companies receive Mayor’s Design Awards

I

vy Street Design, Denver, and Designscapes Colorado, Inc., Centennial, were honored with three 2018 Mayor’s Design Awards.

Since 2005, these Denver Community Planning and Development awards have honored excellence in architecture, design and place-making and can range from community projects to adaptive reuse of historic structures to single-family residences to major mixed-use downtown buildings.

Ivy Street Design’s project, Backyard on Blake, created a multi-use urban plaza in the heart of Denver’s RiNo neighborhood featuring a roof garden and lounge, a concert stage, water fountains, comfortable seating and lush planting. The space provides a progressive, flexible gathering spot for Denverites and visitors. Owned by Mainspring Developers, the project was designed by Ivy Street owner,

Scott Natter standing at left

Wendy Booth, and Kaylin Kittle.

Designscapes Colorado with architect Kerry White of Urban Play Studio created a non-conventional outdoor play area for Reimagining Learning Landscapes: Garden Place Academy, Denver. The play equipment is custom and includes a tunnel, log wall, synthetic turf hill, sand pit with boulders, patio areas and more. The challenge was to find sustainable materials that allowed for nature play, while being able to hold up to the heavy daily use of the students.

For Steam on the Platte in Denver’s downtown, Designscapes Colorado was a subcontractor to White Construction Group. Designscapes Colorado’s role was mainly site cleanup, minor earthwork, landscape, irrigation and hardscapes/paths.

T

The Flower Bin Garden Center & Nursery

he Flower Bin Garden Center &

Nursery, Longmont, received the 2018

Plant Select® Organizational Partner Award. The award recognizes a company or organization which has made a significant contribution toward the mission and vision of Plant Select®. Locally owned for over 45 years, The Flower Bin is dedicated to helping customers choose the right plant for the right place. As the company helps consumers learn

14

www.alcc.com

Photo courtesy The Flower Bin Garden Center & Nursery

Plant Select® announces award recipients

Photo courtesy Colorado Green Building Guild

Photo courtesy Ainslie O’Neil

Green initiatives panel hosted by Colorado GBG featured L.I.D

T

he Colorado Green Building Guild

(CGBG), Boulder, recently hosted a

panel to discuss green initiatives in the landscape industry. Scott Natter, general manager, L.I.D Landscapes, Boulder, was one of the three panelists.

Natter spoke about landscape practices that limit the impact on the environment such as reusing and recycling waste materials from job sites, limiting use of harmful chemicals and using innovative technologies. He also emphasized the importance of best management practices and techniques.

He also advocated educating the public about weeds. “There is an acceptable level of weed growth in the landscape,” especially when using organic methods. “To destroy all weeds requires an enormous amount of human and machine energy,” he said, adding the money involved is often more than people realize or want to invest.

The event attended by aOcross section C Owas L O R A D of building professionals, architects, suppliers, homeowners and gardeners. Other panelists were Brian Coppom, Boulder County Farmers’ Market and Lauren Kelso, Growing Gardens, Boulder.

C O L O R A D O

the best selections, it also supports growers of Plant Select plants and the pollinators who For information and love many of these plants. rates contact Martha at The Plant Select Hero for 2018 is David Salman, chosen for his abilities to find, grow mimi_nwp@yahoo.com and bring to market unique and trendsetting plants, such as Blonde Ambition grass. He is a A D O strong advocate for low water-use plants, using C O L O R 303.257.6499 them to create beautiful and diverse gardens.

NOW

Green News & Notes

L

Photo courtesy Molly Angel

GCC announces new manager

LeAnn Donahue

eAnn Donahue is the new association

manager at Garden Centers of Colorado

(GCC). Donahue brings 25 years’ experience as an association professional in the nonprofit sector with a commitment to member services.

Donahue most recently worked for the National Conference of State Legislatures, a national association based in Denver.

She received a bachelor’s degree in both marketing and international business from the University of Minnesota, Moorhead.

Donahue says she looks forward to applying her expertise to her new role with GCC. Green News & Notes

S

Photo courtesy Chuy Medrano

now Magazine, in partnership with the Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) named Chuy Medrano, CoCal Landscape Services, Inc., Denver a recipent of one of three 2018 Leadership Awards.

Leadership Awards are presented to individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership within their companies, as well as in the industry and n communities where they live and do business.

This award recognizes Medrano Chuy Medrano not only for leading his company’s success as a full service landscape company, including its can-do probem-solving snow removal abilities, but also for his commitment to the Hispanic community.

P

O’Meara receives Arborist of the Year Award

atrick O’Meara received International Society of Arboriculture Rocky Mountain Chapter’s Arborist of the Year Award. The award acknowledges the service of an individual who has made a substantial contribution to practical arboriculture in the Rocky Mountain Chapter.

As an arborist, O’Meara has worked hard to excel in his field by training with other arborists for the annual climbing contest and each year since he first entered, he has Becky Ditchfield and Patrick O’Meara on 9News been successful in moving higher in the ranks. He frequently promotes the profession by speaking in his kids’ classrooms where he arrives in full gear and talks about his “cool job climbing trees every day.”

O’Meara has also represented the green industry in segments on KUSA 9News coordinated by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado where he shares tips on tree care. Other arborists have complimented him for raising awareness among consumers that they should “hire a pro” when their trees require pruning and related care.

Photo courtesy ALCC

Chuy Medrano honored with Snow Magazine Leadership Award

Correction:

Best Prices and Largest Selection of

Outdoor Tropicals In the Nov/Dec 2018 issue of ColoHibiscus K Oleander K Mandevilla K Eugenia and much more!

rado Green magazine, Becky Ditchfield was incorrectly identified in a photo SAVE TIME AND MONEY! and Patrick O’Meara’s name was misspelled. We apologize for the error.

Wholesale Greenhouse

ONE STOP SHOPPING WITH PLANTS, POTTERY AND

PATIO/HOME DECOR

Six Colorado-based companies score 23 NALP awards

S

ix Colorado-based companies took home 23 awards at the 2018 Awards of Ex cellence presented by National Association of Landscape Professionals at the

LANDSCAPES event in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition, two ALCC member companies that do business in Colorado received awards for work completed outside Colorado.

Designs By Sundown, Littleton

Silver Award: • Commercial Landscape Management Residences at Northcreek 5 Gold Awards: • Commercial Design/Build: South Platte River • Residential Landscape Contracting: Tazi Ranch • Residential Design/Build: Lakeview • Residential Design/Build: Polo Ridge • Residential Landscape Management: Preserve Parkway

• Commercial Landscape Contracting: Grapevine Public Safety Building • Commercial Landscape Contracting: 17Seventeen McKinney • Commercial Landscape Management: One Legacy West • Commercial Landscape Management: Wind Crest Retirement Community • Commercial Landscape Management: Centennial Center Park

Designscapes Colorado, Centennial

3 Silver Awards: • Commercial Landscape Management: Cordillera Community Beds • Erosion Control/Ecological Restoration: Blue River Habitat & Restoration • Residential Landscape Contracting: Zangrilli Residence, Jenga Hillside Gold Award: • Residential Landscape Contracting: Slopeside Retreat

Bronze award: • Overall Safety Achievement

Lifescape Colorado, Denver

2 Gold Awards: • Residential Design/Build: A Twist of Sophistication • Residential Design/Build: High Style in The Pines 2 Silver Awards: • Residential Landscape Management: High Style In The Pines • Residential Landscape Management: A Twist of Sophistication Monarch Landscape Companies/Terracare Associates, Littleton

Bronze Award: • Commercial Landscape Contracting: The Source 6 Silver Awards: • Commercial Landscape Contracting: The REC of Grapevine

Rocky Mountain Custom Landscapes, Inc., Eagle

Timberline Landscaping, Inc., Colorado Springs

Silver Award: • Commercial Design/Build: The Broadmoor Hotel Estate House Two ALCC member companies also took home awards for projects completed by crews outside of Colorado. BrightView received two Silver Awards, one Gold Award, and one Decade Award for projects completed in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and California. The Davey Tree Expert Co. received two Silver Awards for projects completed in Ohio.

10195 Wadsworth Blvd.

Broomfield, CO 80021

303.278.7590 www.TheEmeraldLeaf.com www.alcc.com

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

15

Green News & Notes

GreenCO Association Leadership 2019 Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado President, Matt Hiner, Hiner Landscapes Vice President, Michael Moore, Diggable Designs Past President, Mike Ransom, Lifescape Colorado Secretary/Treasurer, Steve Steele, Keesen Landscape Management At-Large Directors: Brian Carlson, Green Landscape Solutions, LLC Phil Steinhauer, RLA, Designscapes Colorado Zak George, Zak George Landscaping Cindy McCord, Bloom Floralscapes,LLC Daniel Grange, BrightView Landscapes, LLC Brian Levins, Arrowhead Landscape Services, Inc. Luis Estrada, CoCal Landscape Services, Inc. International Society of Arboriculture Rocky Mountain Chapter President Teddy Hildebrandt, T4 Tree Services President-Elect Dana Coelho, Dangerously Collaborative, LLC Vice President Patrick O’Meara, High Country Landscape Past President Natalie McNeill, The Davey Tree Expert Co. Secretary/Treasurer Gil Mitchell, The Davey Institute Directors: Mark James, Arbor Solutions; Luke Killoran, City of Lakewood; Jeff Meyer, City and County of Denver; Vince Urbina, Colorado State Forest Service; Joran Viers, City of Albuquerque State Directors: Colorado, Becky Wegner, Mountain High SavATree New Mexico, Bryan Suhr, University of New Mexico Montana, Patrick Plantenberg, Plants Etc. Wyoming, Mark Lyon, City of Rock Springs

Rocky Mountain Sod Growers President Marc Ruhl, Bittersweet Turf Farms Vice President Shane Markham, Green Hills Sod Farm

CNGA board will be announced in the March/April issue of Colorado Green.

16

www.alcc.com

ASLA Colorado

American Society of Landscape Architects Colorado Chapter

President, Tom Ellenwood, Norris Design President Elect, Jon Romero, N.E.S. Inc. Past President, Craig Stoffel, Hord Coplan Macht Trustee, Robb Berg, Design Workshop Treasurer, Chris Loftus, Great Ecology Secretary, Daniel Morgan, Felsburg, Holt and Ullevig VP Government Affairs, David Sprunt, Sprunt Design VP Programs, Sara Bonacquist, Hord Coplan Macht VP Public Relations, Erica Herrin, Dig Studio

Colorado Arborists and Lawn Care Professionals President, Chris Walton, SavATree Treasurer, Dan Defibaugh, Plants of Distinction Vice President, Rick Roehm, Helena Chemical Co. Directors: Terry Dwyer, SiteOne™ Landscape Supply; Luis Estrada, CoCal Landscape Services, Inc.; Wade Grove, Green Mountain Lawn and Tree Care; Emilie Hudson, Bloom Floralscapes; Will LaPoint, Terracare Associates; Chris Martin, The Davey Tree Expert Co.; Todd Morris, DBC Irrigation Supply; Mark Pickrel, Wilbur-Ellis Company; Thia Walker, Bio AG Sciences CSU

Garden Centers of Colorado President, Trela Phelps, City Floral Garden Center Vice President, Michael Morris, The Flower Bin Past-President, Shelly Breitenbach, Shelly’s Garden Country Treasurer, Julie McIntyre, Summerland Gardens Directors: Will Knowles, Creek Side Gardens Jeff Echter, Echter’s Nursery & Garden Center Associate Representatives: Mandy Gerace, Welby Gardens; Cindy Hertz, The Plant Ranch; Todd McNulty, Van Bloehm; Jim Wilson, Organix Supply; Education Representative Jim Klett, CSU/ Department of Horticulture

Green News & Notes

Intermountain STIHL hosts grand opening

Log-cutting ceremony marks official opening

Photo courtesy Intermountain STIHL

I

ntermountain STIHL, which has a long history of serving companies in Colorado and nearby states, celebrated the grand opening of a new 120,000 sq. ft. regional headquarters and warehouse space in Aurora last November. In lieu of the traditional ribbon cutting ceremony, the building was officially opened in STIHL style by Jim Kneeland, director branch operations using a battery-powered chainsaw to cut through a log.

Intermountain STIHL staff Following opening comments The building not only provides room to

by Bjoern Fischer, STIHL USA president and Jim Kneeland, 80 guests were hosted by expand, but allows the company to offer STIHL team members in small-group tours of enhanced training and technical services on the facility. They saw and heard firsthand from site—for customers as well as employees— the person in charge of each area how tech- with a classroom, workshop and sheltered nology and best practices now synchronize outdoor training. Additionally, the facility uses processes to move an inventory from large energy saving fixtures and appliances and is equipment boxes to tiny screws efficiently out LEED certified.

The new location serves four states outside their door to their customers in five states.

Colorado—Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming—and was selected for its easy access to I-25, I-70 and I-80 corridors. It is located at 21200 E. 36th Dr., Aurora, CO 80011.

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

17

Winger Photography, LLC Landscape Photography

wingerphotography.photoshelter.com

Count on Honnen for all your winter equipment needs, including attachments and rentals.

We can provide the parts availability and service responsiveness that you need to keep up and running all season long.

*

Ask about our 100-Hour Winter Rental Rate Progam today!

1-800-646-6636 www.Honnen.com January/February 2019 Colorado Green

19

better

by nature

Being a member of ALCC has helped me get my foot in the door with other landscape professionals and has provided me a sense of community. It is such a relief to know people who understand my challenges and inspire me to be a better business owner.

In return, I’m ready to support them any way I’m able.

Mike Moore, CEO/Owner

Diggable Designs Landscape Construction, LLC ALCC member since 2010

ALCC is committed to helping landscape companies succeed Demonstrate your professionalism

Show the public that you strive to do business ethically and responsibly.

Build relationships that build your business

Success can depend as much on whom you know as what you know. ALCC can help you make the right connections to grow your business.

Get valuable education and training

Take advantage of educational opportunities that have been designed by landscape contractors for landscape contractors.

Shape the course of the industry Join ALCC and experience firsthand what makes our members better by nature

ALCC influences policy at the local, state and federal level.

The more members we have, the stronger our voice is— and the easier it is to protect and advance your business and the future of our industry.

Visit ALCC.com/membership or call 303.757.5611 to learn more

Milestones

Colorado Green celebrates 40 years in print

By Becky Garber-Godi

In

1979 when ink hit paper to print the

first issue of Colorado Green mag azine, the ongoing chronicle of Colorado’s green industry was born. That issue had 32 pages and only four pages plus the cover had color photos.

This 40th Anniversary Issue has 64 pages with eye-popping color on almost every page.

In that inaugural issue, ALCC President Chuck Fertig wrote in his column about the success of the recent trade show, and he praised the industry’s “spirit of participation.”

In this 184th issue, ALCC executive director John McMahon offers his perspective on shared stewardship as the industry’s calling.

Initially, the magazine offered four issues each year, and in 2007 it grew to six issues per year.

Through it all, Colorado Green has told the industry’s story. It has highlighted countless heroes—the men and women of the hour who stepped up, spoke out and did what needed to be done to make the industry stronger. It has shared coutless stories of community service—pitching in to help a good cause. It has also told how Colorado’s green industry has persisted through droughts and floods, economic growth and recessions, compliance issues, workforce challenges and debates over the best industry practices that would conserve water and protect landscapes.

If you peruse 40 years of the magazine’s pages as I recently have, you will also see common threads woven through those years and realize that while some things inevitably do change, others unavoidably remain the same. Water, dealing with government regulations, honoring the industry’s best efforts with

awards, the importance of “the trade show” that preceded ProGreen EXPO—and much more—have remained consistent.

Our advertisers, then and now, have kept

JAN/FEB 2019 | VOL 35, NO 1 WWW.ALCC.COM

these pages coming into your mailbox. In the first issue, Alameda Wholesale Nursery, Inc., lent its support and has the distinction of having advertised in every single issue to date.

CPS distributors and Honnen Equipment also advertised in that first issue, and they remain regular advertisers today. To these and our many advertisers across the years, we say “Thank you!” We gratefully acknowledge that without you, Colorado Green would not exist.

Loyal readers, thank you for your help to create compelling content by disclosing your experiences and insider insights.

You have helped us know what we need to know so we could share it with your colleagues in the industry. That “spirit of participation” Chuck Fertig praised in our first issue lives on.

During this span of 40 years, many industry leaders and businesses have moved on and in their void others have appeared.

As we begin 2019 with hopes of another 40 years, we look forward to the thrill of discovering the next generations of industry heroes and telling new stories as they unfold about our collective challenges, opportunities and successes. |CG

Offi Official cial publication publication of of ALCC ALCC serving serving the green industry in the Rocky Mountain region

years 2019

Gross Reservoir meets the water crisis Zak George Landscaping rolls with the unexpected

Fraud & theft

can happen in your business

Industry rolls out first apprenticeship

—Becky Garber-Godi has been managing editor of Colorado Green for 15 years.

years 2019

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

yea

23

20

Milestones

Don and Margo Schlup walking by a sod harvester.

ScienTurfic celebrates 50 Years Don Schlup now prefers simplicity over growth

A

sk Don Schlup, “What’s in the name ScienTurfic?” He will tell you that he and another science teacher, Marland Ray, acquired a turf nursery in 1968, and they wanted a name for their new business. The name “ScienTurfic” puts it all together. They wanted to grow a “terrific” turfgrass scientifically. Both Schlup and Ray worked part time until school was out. Ray didn’t return to the classroom in the fall, and Schlup left teaching the following spring. That fall another teacher, Allen Freedberg, joined the company. Subsequently, Schlup and Freedberg bought out 24

www.alcc.com

By Lyn Dean Ray, and Freedberg moved on in 1982 leaving Schlup the sole owner.

In the early days until now

ScienTurfic leased a nursery that grew grass and already had customers. For over 25 years, product was grown on leased land. It was Schlup’s desire to own his own farmland and office-shop facility. His dream became a reality in the mid-1990s, when the family purchased land at its current location northeast of Commerce City.

Make it easy for the customer

ScienTurfic had always provided wholesale and retail sod for pickup, to be delivered or installed. As Denver Front Range development continued, Schlup saw smaller lots and more do-it-yourself homeowners. To make it easier for homeowners to pick up sod, ScienTurfic made sod available at box stores, landscape supply locations and their own stores.

Technology was a game-changer

Back when the company was founderd, harvesting sod was labor intensive, requiring

Milestones

8 to 10 people to cut, hand roll and carry it to a pallet. New sod cutters have completely changed both the way sod is harvested and the balance between labor and equipment.

Though expensive, today’s computer-operated machines reduce labor costs. Only two employees are now needed, not 10, to harvest and stack the rolls onto a pallet. “This is an advantage in the current labor market,” says Schlup.

ScienTurfic’ s mission statement is to grow a quality product and provide excellent service.

Now what?

“I like how the company is right now,” says Schlup. “I like it simple. I don’t feel compelled to get bigger again. The company is a great platform for a new owner at some point.” |CG

“Our growth and success were built with good people. I am fortunate that some have worked with me 10 to 20-plus years,” says Schlup. “Someone once wrote that I am a teacher at heart. I just changed classrooms and ages of students. It is a joy to share with my employees when we have exceptional years.”

Schlup has done his share of learning, too.

Turf varieties have improved through the years. He spends time with seed providers and researchers trying to grow a product that is especially adaptable to Colorado’s climate.

Photos courtesy ScienTurfic Sod

Keep learning and reward employees

Don Schlup

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

25

DETAILS MAKE THE SCAG DIFFERENCE When it comes to commercial mowers, there are a lot of choices. The truth is that not all mowers are created equal, and we are confident that if you take the time to educate your customers about Scag mowers vs. the competition, they will discover that the differences diffe are substantial.

Heavy-gauge, fabricated steel construction throughout every scag mower, not lower-quality, stamped and cast pieces found on other brands Velocity Plus cutter deck delivers an unmatched quality-of-cut Tri-Plate deck construction provides superior strength Heavy-duty Scag spindles are the envy of the industry And much more!

Schedule your demo today!

VISIT THESE FINE SCAG EQUIPMENT DEALERS G & G Equipment - Frederick, CO (303) 255-3227 | www.ggeqpt.com

Craig’s Power Equipment - CO Springs (719) 635-9201 | www.craigspower.com

Broadway Total Power - Englewood, CO (303) 789-4339 | www.broadwaytotalpower.com

DISTRIBUTED BY:

Redefining the Contractor & Supplier Relationship

2M has been an industry leader for over 40 years and understands today’s competitive marketplace. We stock all the major brands you demand in our conveniently located 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse where you’ll also enjoy competitive pricing and efficient delivery.

LEGENDARY SERVICE 2M COLORADO

3254 Fraser St., Unit C, Aurora, CO 80011 | (303) 320-4631

2mco.com

Best Prices and Largest Selection of

Outdoor Tropicals Hibiscus K Oleander K Mandevilla K Eugenia Cactus K Succulents and much more!

Who

lesale Greenhous

e

SAVE TIME AND MONEY!

ONE STOP SHOPPING WITH PLANTS, POTTERY AND PATIO/HOME DECOR

www.TheEmeraldLeaf.com 10195 Wadsworth Blvd.

• Broomfield, CO 80021 • 303.278.7590

BATTERY & GASS POWER OPTIONS

POWER UP YOUR COMMERCIAL LAWN CARE

www.redmax.com

VISIT THESE COLORADO REDMAX DEALERS Craig’s Power Equipment | (719) 635-9201 Colorado Springs, CO

Alamia Inc. | (303) 752-4652 Denver, CO

Aspen Leaf OPE | (719) 591-2816 Colorado Springs, CO

G & G Equipment | (303) 255-3227 Frederick, CO

Broadway Total Power | (303) 789-4339 Englewood, CO

Dan’s Small Engine | (970) 224-4374 Ft. Collins, CO

Colorado Outdoor Power | (303) 733-4651 Denver, CO

All Purpose Rental & Sales | (970) 353-1540 Greeley, CO (970) 353-1540 DISTRIBUTED BY:

FEBRUARY 5-8, 2019

Don’t miss these networking events Women in the Green Industry reception: At this women-only event, professionals can enjoy drinks, appetizers, prizes and networking while hearing personal success stories of Colorado businesswomen. Visit www.progreenexpo.com for details.

Wednesday, February 6, 2019 | 2:30 – 4:30 PM

Join us for the Potting Challenge! In this

fast-paced competition, dueling gardening experts show off their design skills in the creation of beautiful and practical containers. Judges will look for creativity, aesthetics and theme. Sign up early to claim a spot in a qualifying round. Top two contestants from each round will move on to the finals.

Supplies are provided.

Qualifying rounds: Wednesday at 11:00 AM Wednesday at 2:00 PM | Thursday at 11:00 AM Finals: Thursday at 3:00 PM

32

www.alcc.com

ALCC member reception: Join fellow ALCC members for a drink, light bites and some networking after spending a day ProGreen.

FREE to attend—just show your ProGreen badge at the door!

Wednesday, February 6, 2019 | 4:30 – 6:30 PM Hard Rock Cafe, 500 16th St Mall

Presenting Sponsor: CPS distributors, inc. | Event Sponsor: Rain Bird

CNGA industry celebration and happy hour: Be part of this outstanding networking opportunity that brings together friends, experts and industry contacts.

Thursday, February 7 | 4:30 - 6:30 PM Rhein Haus Denver, 1415 Market Street

www.progreenexpo.com

Learn at more than

70 education sessions

Who’s presenting this year?

Earn CEUs for

green industry certification

Keynote Speaker

Todd Ahl

Ahl is an H-2B expert and is co-owner of H-2B Colorado consulting firm Labor Solutions, Inc. After spending 28 years in the construction trade and working with labor issues, he is highly knowledgeable when it comes to the H-2B Visa Program. He stays current with political issues and you can depend on his expertise to help you understand and utilize the program correctly in your company.

Chuck Bowen

You can rely on Bowen for a realistic picture when he speaks about short- and long-term trends impacting the green industry. He spent a decade reporting and writing about the professional landscape industry. Now with Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, he will share equipment innovations and why now, they are even more important for your business.

Amelia Earhart

She shares same first and last name as history’s well-known Amelia Earhart who disappeared in 1937 while attempting to fly around the globe.

The name connection spurred the love of aviation for the modern-day Amelia Earhart who, in 2014, completed her own 28,000-mile flight around the globe, in a single engine aircraft.

The most important lesson Earhart learned during her journey is that to truly succeed and also grow along the way, we have to learn to love the turbulence.

Earhart is a commercial pilot, NBC journalist based in Denver, and speaks internationally about what it means to reach our full potential through bold adventure and a solid flight plan. Through her inspiring story, she will tell us how the journey isn’t all smooth sailing. It is a bumpy ride, so keep your seat belts fastened!

Jeff Rak

Steve Rak

Each of the Rak brothers owns a landscape business in Columbia Station, Ohio. Jeff operates a landscape design/build firm and Steve runs a commercial landscape maintenance company. Based on their combined experiences of building their own businesses, the brothers founded Rak Consulting. They will tell you how to move your company through the stages needed to grow into the first million dollars in sales.

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

33

Profile

Roll with the unexpected Zak George Landscaping team honed

By Lyn Dean

R

enovations often come with unexpect ed challenges related to previous site

work and pre-existing features. And when one-of-a kind elements customized for the site are added to the mix, the level of difficulty can soar to new heights.

That was the case for The Olsen Residence renovation which earned Zak George Landscaping (ZGL), Fort Collins the 2018 ALCC ELITE Award for Design/Build under $200,000. The client wanted an attractive and comfortable outdoor living area for relaxing and entertaining that also incorporated an existing water feature and brick masonry.

“The design for this project was challenging and exciting for me,” says Zach Villegas, landscape designer. “We had to design around existing features that the client wanted to maintain, while tying them all together in this renovation.”

“We created uniquely different outdoor areas with additional seating space in this narrow property,” says Zak George, owner, ZGL. “And it all flowed together.”

Access to the back of the house was not easy. It was a large house and all materials had to go around the home. In addition, the crew didn’t shut down the entire backyard while working so the client could use parts of the existing patios. Furthermore, the two existing patios that had to be connected were at opposite ends of the narrow yard.

Pergola perfection

“We added a third patio with a fire pit and more plants, as well as pavers and brickwork,” says George. “We also built a distinctive custom pergola.”

34

www.alcc.com

Photo courtesy Clear Fork Collective

Not an ideal work setting

Profile

and stay on target new skills tweaking custom features

Custom pergola was an installation challenge January/February 2019 Colorado Green

35

Profile The pergola was significant to Villegas’s design. The two existing patios—kitchen and pool—were being connected and both had covering structures. His design vision “included not only connecting the patios at the ground level—horizontally—but creating cohesion in the vertical dimension as well.”

The pergola is situated between the other two “roofs” creating another outdoor space Villegas calls a nook.

The design of the all-metal pergola had consecutive metal arcs radiating from the source point with increasing size. However, the increasingly larger arcs needed more support than provided in the original design. “We had to modify the design during the construction process,” Villegas says. “We added another beam down the center under all the arcs as well as a crossbar. They added the needed support and the pergola still captures the original

design idea and looks phenomenal.”

Villegas says at the outset, most people on the team, including the welders, thought the design was crazy. “Fortunately, our client allows for crazy ideas!”

The pergola was purposely situated by the water feature. “I wanted to enhance the benefits of the existing bubbling rock so the client and their guests could enjoy the tranquility of water sounds,” he says. “I wanted the new walkway to be as close as possible to the water feature to allow for interaction. With the pergola, bubbling water, courtyard walls and a couple of chairs, it’s a peaceful nook in the landscape.”

The firepit surprise

The copper firepit is another of Villegas’s unique design elements. It was custom manufactured and shipped to Colorado. During

installation, “we ran into another unexpected situation,” says George. “The current gas load on the house was not high enough to support the firepit. When the gas was turned up, we found the existing gas line was cracked and had to be repaired mid-project by a licensed plumber.” It meant more unexpected hours were used and additional subcontractor costs incurred to make it right.

Lessons learned

Unique designs with custom features can add hours to a project and, yes, it happened on this one. Even after adding the modifications and extended time to build the pergola and the hours required to repair the gas line, the project was still within budget. “Due to the custom features of this landscape design, we had accounted for unforeseen challenges on the project,” says George. “The knowledge of

Photos courtesy Clear Fork Collective

Bubbling rock at left, with nearby seating creates a nook.

36

www.alcc.com

the team’s years of experience really made this project a success.”

Unique designs with custom features can add hours to a project.

Reflecting on his experience with the pergola, Villegas notes that what’s in the design is not always so easy to translate to the real deal during construction. “We had to be flexible and modify to get it perfect.”

He is also grateful “the client believed in my vision. They let me express my creativity.”

Says George, “Every project allows the ZGL team to learn and grow. The challenges with the gas lines on this project did exactly that! I am happy to say the completed project presents very well and allows the clients to show off this one-of-a-kind makeover.” They invited ZGL back to continue the transformation of their yard by renovating their kitchen patio. |CG

Zak George

Photos courtesy Zak George Landscaping

Zack Villegas

Custom firepit works well with repaired gas line.

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

37

Business Sense

Is someone stealing your stuff?

Green industry firms are at risk for employee fraud and theft

By Troy D. Sibelius, CIC, CRM, FASLA with support from Doug Karpp

W

ho is stealing your stuff? And more importantly, who is stealing

your stuff bit by bit by bit that you may not even be aware of? In 2016, according to various national insurance carriers and national public resources on employee theft, the industry with the highest targeted sector for employee theft was the financial services sector at 18 percent. Real estate/construction sector came in at fourth place with 10 percent of total cases reported.

No industry is immune from employee theft. In fact, 55 percent of cases reported in 2016 were from companies with fewer than 100 employees. The average age of the perpetrators was 48 years old.

The construction industry trend sees that more theft cases are coming from management and supervisory levels. These folks are much more likely to steal than other employees. While check fraud and direct funds theft are the most common, check fraud was responsible for 3.5 times higher losses than funds theft.

According to Hiscox Insurance, the median cost of an employee theft claim in 2016 for the construction industry was $353,805.

This seems like a huge sum, but often these schemes are carried out for many years by someone who handles money and whom the employer feels is trustworthy.

The most common remark from business owners is: “Why didn’t I see this sooner?”

Who wants to suspect someone who’s worked with you for years and appears trustworthy and loyal? Nevertheless, owners and managers should pay attention to typical warning signs that include: • Intelligence and curiosity. They pick up things quickly and are eager to learn how everything works in the office. Once they

40

www.alcc.com

Business Sense

Who wants to suspect someone who’s worked with you for years and appears trustworthy and loyal?

Case study of plant theft

An employee of an interior plantscaping company had a scheme whereby he put holiday plants at a client’s location and later, sold some for personal gain. After the holiday period was over, when he was supposed to return the plants to the company, he took a few plants here and there, sold them on eBay and pocketed the money. The number of missing plants was small enough that the company did not seem to take notice, but over time it added up to thousands of dollars of lost inventory.

Maintain counts of your returned plants, returned holiday lights and returned equipment every day when crews come back from a job site. You should have multiple employees confirming the number of trees, 5-gallon containers and annuals that were delivered and planted on a job site. These items disappear and over time, the losses rob your bottom line.

Inside the building

The most common types of embezzlement in the office space include the following: • Funds theft accounts for 35 percent of cases, and 56 percent of the perpetrators are women. They take cash or bank deposits and transfer portions of the funds to accounts they control.

• Check fraud occurs predominantly with smaller companies. Checks are altered or forged to pay the perpetrator.

• Vendor invoice fraud and false billing cause significant losses. It happens when invoices for vendors are fabricated and vendor companies are invented by the perpetrator.

• Payroll fraud occurs when the perpetrator pays fictitious or terminated employees and diverts the funds into personal accounts.

• Other forms of inside theft include merchandise/property theft and expense fund fraud.

Stay tuned for an upcoming article in Colorado Green about cyber theft and cybersecurity threats facing your industry. |CG —Troy D. Sibelius, FASLA, CIC, CRM, is an Executive vice president and client adviser at The Buckner Company. He also has a landscape architecture degree and works extensively with landscape contractors and landscape architects on their risk management and commercial insurance programs.

Troy D. Sibelius

Insurance carriers are very specific about how they might pay out on a potential claim even if you have that type of coverage on your insurance policy. Employee dishonesty claims are very hard to prove. If you suspect an employee is stealing, here are things you should do and not do.

Do:

• Create a team of trusted individuals to investigate and share information on a need-to-know basis only.

• Keep notes on everything.

• Review records discreetly and determine if you can confirm or refute your suspicions. Review your financial, payroll and personnel records.

• If an employee works in the finance area and may be stealing, restrict their access.

• Develop a list of potential witnesses, but don’t share any information about the investigation.

• Figure out what went wrong and fix the internal controls so that it won’t happen again.

• Consider bringing in help such as a forensic accountant.

• Report the crime to your insurance carrier and to law enforcement – you must be willing to press charges.

Don’t:

Acknowledgement: Special thanks to Doug Karpp at Hiscox Insurance for providing much of this information in their 2017 Embezzlement Study.

Photo courtesy The Buckner Company

know, they manipulate for their own gain.

• Extravagance. Watch for employees whose lifestyle appears out of proportion of their salary.

• Risk-takers. They are often rule breakers in and out of work life, such as excessive speeding tickets or overusing sick time.

• Diligence. They may come in early and leave late, and never take vacations, all done to appear dedicated to the company when the behavior is an effort to not be found out.

• Disgruntlement. An employee who feels he/she is being treated unfairly may be tempted to steal to get even.

Almost 30 percent of employee theft schemes persist for more than five years, and the most long-running schemes typically involve employees who are often left to work alone and don’t have someone watching over them on a consistent basis. These conditions create opportunity. As a precaution, do you have your financials audited by a third-party accountant every year? If not, you should. Do you keep careful records of your inventory? If not, you should.

Dos and don’ts if you suspect fraud or theft

• Don’t jump to conclusions – falsely accusing an employee of a crime can cause permanent damage to the individual and leave your company exposed.

• Don’t conduct group interviews where potential witnesses are questioned together.

• Don’t interview an employee by yourself – have an HR person with you and take good notes during the process.

• Don’t rush to confront the suspicious employee. You have one chance to question someone for the first time so be prepared with evidence.

• Don’t interfere with law enforcement. Cooperate and if you are worried about any exposure, hire an attorney to maintain privileged communications.

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

41

Trusted employees don’t always have your back What an accountant can tell you

By Briana Reidle, CPA

Embezzlement • The act of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion (theft) of such assets by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes.

• The misappropriation of funds placed in one’s trust or belonging to one’s employer.

42

www.alcc.com

W

hile employers think this may

never happen to them and their

staff wouldn’t ever do this, embezzlement happens. Sometimes it goes on for months or even years without detection.

Small-business owners who fail to uncover embezzlement can suffer financially and may even lose their business. Employers who suspect embezzlement must identify and handle the issue as quickly as possible.

Business Sense

Don’t be one of those unfortunate business owners who learns the hard way and finds out after significant theft has occurred.

True stories from our files

We have had clients who found themselves in these situations—for real!

One client had an employee who was “paying” 941 payroll taxes in the accounting system, but never sending the payments to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The client began getting notices that their payroll taxes were not being paid. After the owner looked closely into this situation and asked for our help, we discovered that the entries were being made into their software but nothing had been remitted for several quarters. The actual checks were being written to the employee, not the IRS. Another client had a staff member who was pilfering supplies. The employee ordering office supplies was ordering extra and taking them home as well as using the business owners credit card points for personal items. Theft doesn’t have to be all dollars and cents--it can be goods too.

Time theft is another horror story. Employees can steal massive amounts of time.

One client had an employee pad time on his timesheet and was caught because the company vehicle had a GPS tracker that recorded start and stop times of the vehicle. When our client suspected time theft was happening, he looked at the logs to see where this employee was during the day in the GPS history. He found out that not only was he lying on his hours, he was going home for periods of time during the day!

Many business owners are so busy running their business, they may be less attentive to what’s actually happening to their business.

Don’t be one of those unfortunate business owners who learns the hard way and finds out after significant theft has occurred.

What you can do

It is not a certified public accountant’s (CPA’s) duty to detect and prevent fraud.

Nevertheless, CPAs can make suggestions to business owners about safeguards to detect and help prevent it. Following is a checklist of suggestions we share with our clients: • Analyze financial statements and other accounting documents for unexplained changes in profit. Look

for unexplained expenses recorded on the books. Expenses reduce the amount of net income. Check expense reports turned in by employees to verify all reimbursements of expenses are approved by authorized personnel.

• Look at recent and past bank records and credit card statements. Bank and credit card records show all of a company’s payments made to vendors. A sign of embezzlement is if your accounting records fail to balance with the information listed on your bank and credit card statements. Also look at the back of checks for proper endorsements.

• Pull accounting documents and look for any unexplained changes. Look for changes in vendor information and additional unapproved vendors. Check the address of vendors and employees to see if any match.

• Analyze accounts receivable records for too many past due accounts. If a large number of accounts receivable

accounts are past due, it may indicate that an employee in accounting is not posting payments received to customers’ accounts.

• Review vehicle tracking records weekly.

• Implement an electronic system to replace manual timesheets.

Hire an outside accountant to take a larger overview of financials and make it known. If someone inside is aware that an outside pair of eyes is reviewing their financials, it could deter embezzlement.

Internal controls

Internal controls are another important aspect of a fraud prevention program and are designed to protect a company’s assets. A company’s internal control system should be examined for weaknesses. When controls are weak, then the assets are not safe. Typical controls that help prevent embezzlement include segregating duties, regular or programmed transfers of employees from department to January/February 2019 Colorado Green

43

department and mandatory vacations.

In a small business, some of these controls may not be possible due to a smaller staff.

Nevertheless, you can at least try to segregate duties. For example, the person writing checks should not be the same person reconciling the bank account. Work with your accountant to set up controls that fit the size of your business and your staff.

What you as an owner discover on the surface may go much longer or deeper than originally suspected.

Forensic accountants go deeper

Although detection of fraud is not our job as CPAs, if fraud is detected, a business owner can hire a forensic accountant. Not only is their job to use accounting and auditing skills to investigate fraud but also to use their inves-

tigative skills to determine what events actually took place in a financial setting. What you as an owner discover on the surface may go much longer or deeper than originally suspected.

In the investigation, forensic accountants can calculate and quantify losses and economic damages. If a dispute reaches the courtroom, the forensic accountant may testify as an expert witness. They have knowledge of the legal side as well as the financial side, which is what sets them apart. Forensic accountants present the facts of economic issues related to existing or pending litigation. During this time they quantify damages sustained by parties involved in legal disputes and give expert evidence. Sometimes this can all be done before the case goes to court.

Engagements relating to criminal matters typically arise in the aftermath of fraud. They frequently involve the assessment of accounting systems. A forensic accountant is usually hired after a company suspects theft, fraud or embezzlement. There is no better time than now to review and/or set financial controls. |CG

Photo courtesy Accounting & Tax Solutions, Inc.

Business Sense

Briana Reidle —Briana Reidle, CPA can be found at Accounting & Tax Solutions, Inc., Lakewood.

Winger Photography, LLC Landscape Photography

wingerphotography.photoshelter.com

44

www.alcc.com

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

45

Meeting the Gross Reservoir to help quench thirst of drought and benefit environment

Photo courtesy Denver Water

By Matt Wittern

With 100 years of history under its belt, Denver Water has seen plenty of good years and bad in terms of snowpack and water supplies.

46

www.alcc.com

water crisis

M

ore than 1.4 million residents today

depend on Denver Water to deliver

safe and reliable water, as will many of the projected 7.7 million who will call Colorado home by 2040. The Gross Reservoir project, expected to be complete in 2025, will raise the height of the existing dam by 131 feet, which will allow the capacity of the reservoir to nearly triple and store 119,000-acre feet of water.

The ebb and flow of water

With 100 years of history under its belt,

Denver Water has seen plenty of good years and bad in terms of snowpack and water supplies.

Overall, the 2018 water year was the 10th driest for stream flows across Denver Water’s 4,000-square-mile collection system. The amount of water in the streams flowing past measurement gauges was 63 percent of normal during 2018. The driest year in Denver Water’s history books was 2002, when stream flows were only 31 percent of normal. Last year’s snowpack was lopsided; more snow fell on the northern parts of the state, while drought con-

ditions that started in February in the southwest corner of Colorado expanded north and east last fall.

All of this is cause for concern, and one of the reasons Denver Water is proceeding with plans to expand Gross Reservoir in Boulder County, which stores water collected from watersheds on the Western Slope in Grand County.

When the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project—which is in the final stages of approval after nearly 15 years of permitting—is complete, Denver Water will have more flexJanuary/February 2019 Colorado Green

47

People like to say that in the west, whisky is for drinking and water is for fighting, though that sentiment is changing.

ibility throughout its system to react to yearto-year changes in snowpack levels, extreme weather swings and natural and human-caused disasters.

The expansion is a major component of Denver Water’s long-term, multi-pronged approach of promoting water efficiency, developing recycled water and responsibly sourcing new supply in order to deliver safe, reliable water. The additional water storage will help prevent future shortfalls during droughts and help offset an imbalance between Denver Water’s North and South water collection systems, which creates a vulnerability that concerns water planners.

New era of cooperation

Collaboration on Colorado water issues is a relatively new phenomenon. It’s why people like to say that in the west, whisky is for drinking and water is for fighting, though that sentiment is changing. The viability of the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project is aided by the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement—an unprecedented, collaborative agreement that went into effect in 2013 between Denver Water and 18 West Slope water interests.

These traditional foes have agreed to settle water disputes not in court, but at a conference table. Going forward, they will work collaboratively instead of competitively.

Environmental benefits

Photos and graphic courtesy Denver Water

One beneficiary of this new era of cooper-

48

www.alcc.com

ation is the environment, as the Gross Reservoir expansion includes more than $20 million in environmental commitments and outlines unprecedented steps to enhance and improve the watersheds of South Boulder Creek and the Fraser, Williams Fork, Blue and Colorado rivers and provide better protection than they are receiving today. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found in its study of impacts to water quality that the Gross Reservoir expansion will have a “net environmental benefit” to water quality in Colorado.

The expansion will enable Denver Water to help stressed streams during hotter and drier times in Grand County.

“Denver Water has worked to ensure that there are temperature safeguards built into the agreement,” said Jon Goldin-Dubois, president of Western Resource Advocates. “So, if the temperature rises in Western Slope waters, Denver Water can release additional water.

The project ensures better river health on the Western Slope.”

Stream health improvements also extend to the Eastern Slope because Denver Water, in partnership with the cities of Boulder and Lafayette, will include space for a 5,000-acre-foot environmental pool in the enlarged reservoir.

Strategic water releases during the typically dry winter months into South Boulder Creek will help those cities improve stream health in a 17-mile stretch of South Boulder Creek below Gross Dam.

“Bottom line, these environmental commitments are significant points of pride for us,” said Denver Water CEO/ Manager Jim Lochhead. “They—along with the relationships we’ve built during the nearly 15 years of this project’s development—are part of Denver Water’s commitment to be a responsible community partner and to do the right

thing. We’re proud that this project will help us achieve our goals of providing a secure water supply for our customers while providing net environmental benefit to state water quality.” |CG

—Matt Wittern is community relations liaison at Denver Water

Gross Reservoir will have a “net environmental benefit” to water quality in Colorado.

Existing dam will be raised 131 feet January/February 2019 Colorado Green

49

In tough climate come see us!

Harding Nursery, Inc. 721 N. Powers Blvd | Colorado Springs, CO 80915

719.596.5712 Colorado has a challenging climate for growing...

Our knowledgeable sales staff can help you with all of your plant and landscape questions.

We supply trees, perennials, shrubs & evergreens to Colorado and surrounding areas.

www.hardingnursery.com

50

VISIT THESE FINE WRIGHT MANUFACTURING DEALERS:

G & G Equipment - Frederick, CO (303) 255-3227 | www.ggeqpt.com

Craig’s Power Equipment - CO Springs (719) 635-9201 | www.craigspower.com

Broadway Total Power - Englewood, CO (303) 789-4339 | www.broadwaytotalpower.com

www.alcc.com

DISTRIBUTED BY:

PREMIER COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER D O I N G B U S I N E S S F O R 25 Y E A R S EXCELLENT SERVICE & TURN AROUND TIME

w w w. g geqpt.com | ( 3 03) 255-3227 | F rederick , Colorado

Workforce

Arborist Apprenticeship launches this year

Photo courtesy ALCC

Photo courtesy ISA RMC

Many groups worked to make it happen

Among task force members are (L to R), Ray Daugherty, Front Range Community College; Adrian Camacho, City of Aurora; Josh Morin, Taddiken Tree Company; and David Vine, SavATree.

O

ne needs a cheat sheet to sort out

the acronyms of all the associations

and educational partners that came together to launch Colorado’s first green industry apprenticeship program. The three-year Arborist Apprenticeship will launch at Front Range Community College, Westminster, fall 2019.

Meet the players:

• The international Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) scoped out the apprenticeship and obtained U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) approval in 2018.

• Front Range Community College (FRCC) with Ray Daugherty as point person, worked with TCIA to develop curriculum.

• In June 2018, TCIA turned over the apprenticeship to local organizations to refine details and secure the administrative sponsor DOL requires be in place prior to offering an apprenticeship. Volunteers from Asso-

52

www.alcc.com

Luke Glines

ciated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) and International Society of Arboriculture, Rocky Mountain Chapter (ISA RMC) comprised the task force.

• Colorado Community College System (CCCS) agreed in late 2018 to assume the role of administrative sponsor. ALCC will serve as the industry partner to promote the apprenticeships among Landscape Career Pathways high schools statewide and to solicit resources.

• ISA RMC provides the benchmark qualification via the ISA Certified Arborist designation for grandfathering Journeyworker Arborists who will train apprentices. ISA members will continue to offer direction on journeyworker and related requirements.

The three-year program will provide a career pathway for aspiring arborists to earn nationally-designated status as Journeyworker Arborists. The apprenticeship will involve

a combination of classroom education and hands-on experience at FRCC in addition to one-on-one work with a designated journeyworker who also works at the apprentice’s place of employment. The program has been designed so that class hours will be user-friendly to both employers and apprentices.

Projected tuition cost per person for all six semesters of the three-year program is approximately $6,000 total ($1,000/semester).

Scholarships available to FRCC students and funding from local Workforce Centers may help with costs.

Green industry pros serving on the task force include: Adrian Camacho, City of Aurora; Sara Davis, Denver Parks & Recreation; Becky Garber-Godi, ALCC; Stan Holat and David Vine, SavATree; Matt Mayo, Preservation Tree Care; and Josh Morin, Taddiken Tree Company. Educators Ray Daugherty, FRCC and Michael Womochil, CCCS also participated.|CG

Workforce

Equipment maintenance pathway to launch fall 2019 People who work behind the scenes servicing and repairing equipment literally keep the industry rolling.

L to R: Andrew Heesacker, Arvada Rent-alls; Seth Reed, Intermountain STIHL; Mike Smith, Honnen Equipment Co.; Marty Cirbo and Sarah Kaminsky, Wagner Equipment; Will Giefer, G & G Equipment, Inc.; John Bertsch, The L.L. Johnson Distributing Co. Not pictured: Jake Potestio, Potestio Brothers

Additional training beyond high school is not necessary for initial employment as employers typically provide the next level of training. Many manufacturers and distributors have training programs and/or scholarships in place that offer ongoing training leading to upward mobility.

A task force comprised of equipment manufacturers and distributors met in August 2018 to determine whether this Career Pathway would be of value to the industry. Consensus was “Absolutely!” In a subsequent meeting, they identified key skills that should be taught.

Photo courtesy ALCC

J

ust as landscape companies struggle to

build boots-on-the-ground workforce,

the equipment support side of the industry is in similar need. People who work behind the scenes servicing and repairing equipment literally keep the industry rolling and without enough skilled technicians, landscape jobs could come to a screeching halt.

This is why ALCC’s Landscape Career Pathways Program is expanding in partnership with Colorado Community College System (CCCS) to offer the Compact Equipment Certificate whereby high school students can learn and demonstrate proficiency in equipment maintenance skills.

Many high school Ag/Ed programs throughout Colorado already have shop areas where students learn equipment-related skills.

Industry support via the certificate program will help schools align curriculum more closely with current industry needs. Students will focus on foundational skills applied to engine, electrical and hydraulic systems related to all types of equipment. They will also explore the variety of career options available to them.

Students will also spend time in a real-world company honing skills and demonstrating mastery as determined by an outside evaluator. Those who are successful in completing the certificate will be prepared and pre-qualified to step into entry-level jobs after high school graduation.

Work will continue in 2019 to finalize skill sets, evaluation procedures and more.

The task force includes the following individuals: John Bertsch, The L. L. Johnson Distributing Co.; Marty Cirbo and Sarah Kaminsky, Wagner Equipment Co.; Will Giefer, G & G Equipment, Inc.; Andrew Heesacker, Arvada Rent-Alls; Jake Potestio, Postestio Brothers Equipment, Inc.; Seth Reed, Intermountain STIHL; and Mike Smith, Honnen Equipment Company.|CG

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

53

Workforce

Build skills with certification

2018

Landscape Industry Certified Technician Testing

L

andscape Industry Certified Technician

testing gives industry professionals the

opportunity to validate knowledge and skills they have learned. In 2018, 18 Colorado organizations had 40 team members successfully complete testing, which is a combination of written and hands-on test problems.

Written tests are offered several times per year, including at ProGreen EXPO, and hands-on tests are offered on two test days in the summer at Pickens Technical College, Aurora—ALCC’s permanent testing site.

During hands-on testing, certification candidates show their skills one-on-one with qualified test judges. They rotate through test stations in their chosen module of maintenance, irrigation or installation.

Top areas of certification were: irrigation at 35 percent, turf maintenance at 28 percent and softscape installation at 21 percent. Ornamental maintenance had approximately 14 percent of certificants and hardscape installation about 2 percent. Native Edge Landscapes, Boulder, had the greatest number of people certified with seven earning one or more designation, including one who earned certification in two areas. |CG

54

www.alcc.com

Organizations gaining certified team members in 2018 All Phase Landscape, Aurora | Levi Kowalenko, Ornamental Maintenance

Diggable Designs Landscape Construction, LLC, Lakewood Christopher Wightman, Softscape Installation

All Terrain Landscaping, Fort Collins Timothy Steven Whitby, Irrigation

Douglas County Parks & Trails, Littleton | Drew Davidson and Morgan Morehart, Softscape Installation

Aurora Public Schools | James Wright, Irrigation

Fisk Lawnscapes, Colorado Springs Connor Hee, Irrigation

City of Englewood | Jake McClure, Softscape Installation

Hermec Landscaping, Inc., Colorado Springs | Israel Castaneda Hernandez and Luis Castaneda Martinez, Softscape Installation; Carlos Hernandez Martinez, Irrigation

City of Thornton | Jeffrey Bollard, Rafael Caldera and Landon Iverson, Irrigation CoCal Landscape Services, Inc., Denver | Benjamin Ott, Turf Maintenance Colorado Stoneworks Landscaping LLC, Colorado Springs | Trevor Kipp and James Wagner, Turf Maintenance

Highlands Ranch Metro District | Devin Dreiling, Ornamental Maintenance; Dallas Thul, Turf Maintenance Korby Landscape, LLC, Wellington Francisco Javier Lopez Reyes, Irrigation

Workforce

Changes to certification testing coming in 2020

T

he National Association of Landscape Professionals recently announced changes to the Landscape Industry Certified Technician-Exterior program. On Jan. 1, 2020, the current testing format of written and hands-on test problems will be replaced with an online-only exam.

ALCC will be accepting new and retest candidates for 2019 test dates in Colorado.

It is strongly encouraged for those currently working toward their Landscape Industry Certified Technician certification to complete remaining test problems in 2019. If candidates currently in process do not gain certification by Dec. 31, 2019, you will be required to start over in the new testing format—none of your completed test problems will carry over to the new format.

ALCC strongly believes that hands-on skills are vital for landscape industry technicians, and the board of directors, certification committee and staff are looking at opportunities to develop additional training and testing programs. Candidates currently pursuing the Landscape Industry Certified Technician designation through ALCC will receive more information about how this change impacts them individually. Anyone with questions can contact Melissa Emdin, programs and education director, at 720 307-5092. More information and FAQs can be found at www.alcc.com/lict-testtransition-faq.

Photos courtesy ALCC

NEW LOW PRICES FOR ALL RUBBER TRACK NEWBELTS! LOW PRICES FOR ALL 2019 Test dates RUBBER TRACK BELTS!

Written Feb. 6, Feb. 7, March 27, May 29 and July 31 Wagner wants to Edge track Landscapes, your CompactBoulder Track Loader, Multi Terraintests: Loader, Native r Mini Hydraulic ExcavatorTurf Maintenance; Kurt Brumbaugh,

Hands-on tests at Pickens Technical College in Aurora

th the work season well underway be the Thomas first to take advantage of new low prices on our entire line of Cat® replacement rubber tracks David Cissell–and Cooper, your Compact Track Loaders, Multi Terrain Loaders, and Mini Hydraulic Excavator machines. We know your work demands tracks you can Softscape Mallory unt on for control and durability,Installation; and now you can get the best forDuncan, less! Get your rubber belted machines ready for the long season ahead – ll or stop by a Wagner Equipment Co. location or a Wagner George Rents store for a free quote!

Ornamental Maintenance;

Wagner wants to trackJune your Compact Track10 Loader, Multi Terrain Loader, 8 and Aug. or Mini Hydraulic Excavator the work season underway be thebrands, first to including: take advantage of new Deere, low prices on our entire line of Cat replacement rubber tracks e offer Cat heavy-duty idlers,Muns, rollers,With sprockets, and other well components for– many Cat, Bobcat, Gehl, Furkorubber andtracks, Casey Irrigation; 2018 Test Sponsors for your Compact Track Loaders, Multi Terrain Loaders, and Mini Hydraulic Excavator machines. We know your work demands tracks you can ®

bota, New Holland, Takeuchi, Yanmar, and more!

William Cary Thrash, Hardscape count on for control and durability,Strategic and now you Sponsors can get the best for less! Get your rubber belted machines ready for the long season ahead – us, Wagner is offering to remove and install your rubber tracks for FREE*! This is a limited time offer and some restrictions may apply – call or stop by a Wagner Equipment Co. location or a Wagner Rents store for a free quote!

Installation and ntact a Wagner representative today for Softscape complete details.Installation We offer Cat heavy-duty rubber tracks, idlers, rollers, sprockets, and other components for many brands, including: Cat, Bobcat, Deere, Gehl, otect yourself with Rubber Track Warranty Coverage Kubota, New Holland, Takeuchi, Yanmar, and more!

Pristine Landscapes, Avon • Compact Track Loaders – 12 Months/1,000 hours Plus, Wagner is offering to remove and install your rubber tracks for FREE*! This is a limited time offer and some restrictions may apply – Clinton Irrigation • Multi Terrain Loaders –Read, 12 Months/1,500 hourscontact a Wagner representative today for complete details.

• Mini Hydraulic Excavators – 12 Months/1,500 Protect hours yourself with Rubber Track Warranty Coverage

Rocky Mountain Trees &•Landscaping, Compact Track Loaders – 12 Months/1,000 hours Inc., Crested Butte | Gail •Barto, Multi Terrain Loaders – 12 Months/1,500 hours Ornamental Maintenance; Nicole • Mini Hydraulic Excavators – 12 Months/1,500 hours ll 1-877-654-1237 visit www.WagnerEquipment.com Krieger, Daniel Moebius and Chevy Mohr, Irrigation; Elizabeth Plum, Turf Maintenance ee labor removal and installation applies to new purchase of rubberCall tracks onto your 1-877-654-1237

Ewing Irrigation and Landscape Supply

The LL Johnson Distributing Company

k machine in a Wagner shop. Offer good through December 31, 2014. contact Or, Please visit www.WagnerEquipment.com r nearest Wagner Equipment Co. location or Wagner Rents store for complete details.

ndd 1

Terracare Associates, Littleton *Free labor removal and installation applies to new purchase of rubber tracks onto your Joshua Sander, Irrigation

Wagner Equipment/Wagner Rents

track machine in a Wagner shop. Offer good through December 31, 2014. Please contact your nearest Wagner Equipment Co. location or Wagner Rents store for complete details.

Timberline Landscaping, Inc., Colorado Springs | Douglas Shawn Brewer, Jake Jarvis and Ashley Stoever, 1 Turf Maintenance;July-August.indd Jared Smith, Ornamental Maintenance Weisburg Landscape Maintenance, Colorado Springs | Zachary Jordahl, Ornamental Maintenance and Turf Maintenance; Cody Manchester and Blaine Marcoulier, Turf Maintenance

5/22/2014 9:55:14 AM

Signature Sponsor SECURA Insurance Program Sponsors Alameda Wholesale Nursery Hunter/FX Luminaire

Tools and materials provided by: Alameda Wholesale Nursery All Phase Landscape Aurora Public Schools 5/22/2014 9:55:14 AM CPS distributors, inc.

DBC Irrigation Supply Ewing Irrigation and Landscape Supply High Country Landscape Horizon Turf Nursery Pickens Technical College S&B Porta Bowl Restrooms The LL Johnson Distributing Company Wagner Equipment/Wagner Rents January/February 2019 Colorado Green

55

Top Plant Picks: CSU Research Winterbells

Gold Collection® Snow Fever

Shade solution: colorful Helleborus adapts well in Colorado

A

robust, relatively new group of perennials to many Colorado gardens belongs to the genus Helleborus. These plants are a great addition to any shade or part-sun garden. Thick, textured dark green leaves are mainly evergreen and common names like Christmas Rose or Lenten Rose give hints to these plants’ unusual bloom time—often very early spring. In Colorado, they frequently have gorgeous blooms from January to May. Flower color is quite diverse, ranging from deep purples to creamy whites to even lime greens. The petals persist for months allowing for color through-

56

www.alcc.com

out the spring. Mature Helleborus are long lived and can grow to about 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide.

The plants are native to temperate forest regions of Eastern Europe and West Asia. Most Helleborus sold in garden centers in Colorado are hybrids, making them more vigorous, colorful and adaptable.

In the trials, we have observed one pest problem on the Helleborus—aphids.

The plants looked healthy all summer

Photos courtesy Colorado State University

Mahogany Snow

with several flushes of new foliage. When aphids were spotted in late September, we cut back the foliage. Plants came back quite vigorously. In fact, many earlier blooming varieties even re-bloomed after being cut back to ground, extending their season.

If Helleborus plants look a little ragged after a severe long winter, we found cutting back resulted in a nice, rejuvenated plant. In severe winters where there is little snow cover or rainfall, some leaves will die back to the ground unless plants are irrigated. However, after first

Top Plant Picks: CSU Research

Gold Collection® Merlin

spring snow and or rain they start to bloom.

In our three-year perennial trial, the Gold Collection® series obtained from Skagit Gardens has had a winter survival rate close to 100 percent since 2013. Noteworthy is these plants were planted in an area with no winter irrigation available except snow cover and had about six hours of winter sun daily.

In 2017, one of the Top Performer Helleborus in our three-year perennial trial was ‘Winterbells®’ from HilverdaKooij. It was selected for its vigor, numerous blooms, and interest-

Gold Collection® Camelot

ing foliage. The plants seem to be adaptable to our alkaline clay soils as long as they are well drained.

Considering Helleborus if you are looking for an unusual early booming perennial.

With more varieties being introduced yearly, it may become a staple for Colorado perennial gardens. |CG Contributed by James E. Klett, professor and extension landscape horticulturist and David McKinney, undergraduate horticulture and environmental horticulture student, Colorado State University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

January/February 2019 Colorado Green

57

Top Plant Picks: Welby Summer Trials

Welby Plant Trials bring fresh color for 2019

T

By Debi Borden-Miller

Photos courtesy Welby Gardens

he flower trials give us a chance to get a sneak preview of what will be available for the next season. At the Welby trials this summer, Welby Gardens celebrated 70 years of growing flowers in

Colorado and gave over 400 industry people a chance to vote for their favorites from over 1,100 new varieties. The following are some of the top choices that will be available this season. |CG

Calibrachoa Chameleon Atomic Orange The unique bright orange and yellow bicolor blooms that change continually through the season made this plant a top 10 choice. The mounding habit of this plant, growing 6-12” x 8-12” is great for baskets and containers in full sun. Being both heat and light frost tolerant makes it a season extender. It is an easy-to-grow variety that also attracts pollinators.

Geranium Calliope Large Lavender Splash and Large Rose Mega Splash Both are new additions to the famed series. Growing 14-16” x 20-24” the vigorous, supersized plants are great for large containers or in combos. The mounded, upright spreading habit with large flowers has lots of wow factor in beds, too. Geraniums will take cool season temps, but not frost, as well as heat of the summer, showing great performance all season.

Petunia Crazytunia Cosmic Purple This top 10 pick has purple and black duo-tone flowers all summer. The 6-10” x 18-24” mounding, semi-trailing plant habit is outstanding in landscape beds or in baskets and containers in full sun.

It is beautiful on its own or mixed with other colors. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all love it, too.

Dahlia Citylights Purple Another top 10 pick, this 16-18” x 12-16” tall, dark-leafed plant is a powerhouse in the garden or as a center in sun to part sun containers. Bold bi-color blooms last all season and attract butterflies and birds.

Citylights series also has lavender pink, red and golden yellow blooming plants.

Begonia I’Conia Portofino Citrix The extra-large, unique, soft yellow with apricot flowers sit above dark foliage, making a nice contrast. These begonias grow 8-10” x 10-12” with a mounding, semi-upright habit. All flowers are double and upright facing above the foliage creating a colorful showing.

Great in shade containers, hanging baskets or pots.

Petunia Headliner Starry Sky Burgundy The newest sister to Night Sky has dramatic dark burgundy flowers with creamy star center and spotting pattern that is more pronounced in cooler weather. The trailing-mounding habit, 10-16” x 20-30”, is perfect for beds or spilling from containers in full sun.

Two plants not in the trials but worth noting The Zinnia Zesty series grows 18-24” x 18-24” tall. These well branched, vigorous plants with fully double flowers in bright, bold colors have excellent garden performance.

58

www.alcc.com

The Impatiens Imara XDRs is the first downy mildew resistant walleriana-type impatiens to come to the market. They show reliable flowering all summer in high density plantings in the shade. The 10-12” x 10-12” plants in red, orange, rose, violet, white and a mix will allow you to take back the shade!

Dingo

IT’S ABOUT

PRODUCTIVITY

LIFT MORE • MOVE MORE • REACH MORE • DO MORE COMING SOON! DINGO TXL2000

DINGO TX1000

DINGO 525

DINGO TX1000

Toro’s Dingo Compact Utility Loaders minimize hand labor and increase productivity, tackle any task with a multitude of attachments, work with a light footprint in tight spots. Fits through most 34” gates.

POWERING YOUR BUSINESS With the Best Brands!

CALL LL JOHNSON FOR MORE PRODUCT INFORMATION (800) 793 -1270 | (303) 320 -1270 | www.lljohnson.com

Photos courtesy Emily Goldwin

Photo courtesy Panayoti Penstemon

Top Plant Picks: Plant Select®

SteppeSuns™ Sunset Glow Penstemon

P

lant Select® is excited to add SteppeSuns™ Sunset Glow, a new orange penstemon, to the palette in 2019. The unique orange and yellow penstemon brings a soft and delicious cantaloupe melon color to landscapes.

Red and yellow pineleaf penstemons have been staples in western and xeric gardens for decades as designers and gardeners enjoy growing these hardy and reliable plants. Pollinators are drawn to the nectar-rich flowers. Plants thrive on very low water with the ability to adapt to moderate and drought tolerant conditions.

The origins of SteppeSuns™ Sunset Glow began when Ray Daugherty, now Front Range Community College horticulture faculty, took notice of a pineleaf penstemon at former Green Acres Nursery in. Mike Bone, Denver Botanic Steppe

Garden Curator, continued work on that plant, propagating seedlings, breeding and making selections in pursuit of a unique flower color and compact growth habit.

The SteppeSuns™ name was suggested by Mike Bone and it officially takes the stage in 2019 with Sunset Glow Penstemon.

This penstemon accents Colorado buff flagstone and larger boulders extremely well and is suited for wildscape gardens as well as formal garden designs. Its low maintenance, water saving qualities and well-behaved manner should please many landscape professionals and gardeners.

See mature specimens of SteppeSuns™ Sunset Glow penstemon woven through the steppe garden at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms in late July. It will be available in spring 2019 at Plant Select® garden centers in Colorado. |CG

For more information, explore www.plantselect.org 60

www.alcc.com

Size: 12-18” tall x 15-24” wide Form: Blooms summer through fall with a melon color on the outside and yellow on the inside Leaves: soft evergreen needle-like Form: perennial, herbaceous evergreen Light: full sun Culture: adaptable to most soils, prefers drier conditions Hardiness: USDA Zones 4-9 Habitat value: food for birds and beneficial insects Rabbit resistant: yes Design/maintenance tips • It provides winter interest in the garden.

• Trim spent flower heads a couple of inches in fall or spring.

• Use in mass to define borders or to punctuate or accent in garden designs.

• Pairs well other sun-loving perennials such as Turquoise Tails blue sedum, mat-forming veronicas, hyssops, salvias, Gold on Blue prairie zinnias and more.

Ad Index 2M Company, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 www.2mco.com Alameda Wholesale Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . 44 www.alamedawholesale.com Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 www.alcc.com Bobcat of the Rockies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 www.bobcatoftherockies.com Ceibass Venture Partners, LLC . . . . . . . . . 10 www.ceibass.com Colorado Materials, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 www.coloradomaterialsinc.com DWF Grower Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 www.dwfwholesale.com Emerald Leaf Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 www.theemeraldleaf.com Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply . . 4-5 www.ewingirrigation.com Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery . . . . . . . . 11 www.ftcollinswholesalenursery.com Front Range Community College . . . . . . . 25 www.frontrange.edu/horticulture G&G Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 www.ggeqpt.com GMCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.gmcocorp.com Harding Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 www.hardingnursery.com Honnen Equipment Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 www.honnen.com Horizon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 www.horizononline.com Hunter/FX Luminaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC www.hunterindustries.com | www.fxl.com Irritrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 www.irritrol.com The L.L. Johnson Distributing Co. . . 26, 30, www.lljohnson.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50, 59

2 BILLION...

$

...the green industry’s annual contribution to Colorado’s economy

Get in front of landscape professionals with

PURCHASING POWER via your ad in Colorado Green

5,000 COPIES each issue printed and distributed 6 times per year

MCS Landscape Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.MCSHardscape.com Pioneer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 www.pioneerco.com Proven Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.provenwinners-shrubs.com Rain Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 www.rainmaster.com SavATree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 www.savatree.com/consults.com Siloam Stone, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 www.siloamstone.com Toro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 www.toro.com Wagner Rents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 www.WagnerRents.com Wagner Equipment . . . . . . . . . . Wrap, OBC www.wagnerequipment.com Winger Photography, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 wingerphotography.photoshelter.com Woerner Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 rmota@woerner.com

LARGEST REACH of any comparable publication serving Colorado

2019

Advertise in the leading magazine targeting the green industry in the Rocky Mountain region

Contact Martha Dickenson | Senior Account Representative 303.257.6499 or email mimi_nwp@yahoo.com January/February 2019 Colorado Green

61

Parting Shot

2019 is a year of milestones and transitions for ALCC

By Cherie Courtade

years

years

2019

Photo courtesy Winger Landscape Photography, LLC

ALCC founders were there for Colorado Green’s beginnings

ust as ALCC’s former leaders have moved on, transitions continue as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Colorado Green magazine. To kick off Colorado Green’s 40th anniversary year, we spoke with Becky Garber-Godi, who is stepping down as managing editor after 15 years. She will remain involved with the magazine as a contributor to the Workforce column and covering other topics as needed.

In looking back at her time at the helm of the magazine, Garber-Godi says what she has enjoyed most is the industry it serves. She noted that if you looked at the magazine in the 1980s, you’d see landscape professionals talking about the same key issues they face today: water issues, conservation and drought.

Her favorite issues of the magazine have been those that educate the green industry about matters they may not know they need to understand. Company owners are not always

62

www.alcc.com

There’s always something new to learn and share. aware of every law or new regulation that can impact them.

“Delivering information about the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act or OSHA requirements can help companies through a compliance issue they didn’t know they had,” Garber-Godi says. “If it helps in that way, then our work has served a purpose.”

“Always be learning” is a motto that has kept her passionate about Colorado Green. “An ALCC member may make a suggestion that sends me down a trail that leads to something productive,” she says. There’s always something new to learn and share.

“I always wanted to write, but I didn’t think I had anything I felt passionate enough to write about,” she remembers. A decade be-

fore she came to work at ALCC, she looked at a magazine and thought, “How cool would it be to be an editor of a magazine.” It felt fulfilling.

It wasn’t until she was working on an issue of Colorado Green years later that she realized “my wish was fulfilled, and I didn’t even realize it. How can you not be passionate in and around the green industry?”

Becky Garber-Godi

Photo courtesy ALCC

J

2019

GET CONNECTED with Hunter and FX Luminaire

HydrawiseTM Connects with Irrigation

Luxor® Connects with Lighting

WHETHER YOU USE HUNTER IRRIGATION PRODUCTS, FX LUMINAIRE LIGHTING, or both, you can count on us to provide the most innovative products incorporating the latest technology. We’re proud to help you build a vibrant landscape during the day, and to bring it alive at night. As always, we stand behind every product we sell with the service and support you need.

Visit us at ProGreen Booth #711

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL IRRIGATION Built on Innovation ®