Colorado Green Mar/Apr 2020

MAR/APRIL 2020 | VOL 36, NO 2 WWW.ALCC.COM

WLM celebrates milestones: 10 years of high-end maintenance and 20 years in business

Small but mighty: LCM Landscape favors slow growth

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In this issue

March/April 2020 | Vol 36 | No 2

Feature

34

A decade of high-end maintenance

Success comes from integrity

and professionalism

BY LYN DEAN

38

Foley Boyz embraces robotic mowers for hybrid landscape service model

BY LYN DEAN

How the business reduced labor needs and grew

35 Profile

20

Small but mighty

BY CHERIE COURTADE

Growing more slowly allows more quality control

24

Grand Junction Pipe flows with the changes

BY LYN DEAN

Western Slope customers remain a priority amid mergers

Business Sense

26

Six ways to outsize your strategy

BY STEVE COUGHRAN

28

38 6

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Elevate your strategy design, implementation and results

What a benefits broker wishes employers knew

Three ways for small businesses to add value for employees

BY KEVIN WOOD

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In this issue Departments 010 13

Perspective Green News & Notes

19

Sustainable Landscape Management

45

Ad Index

13

Workforce

32

Location is everything

Timberline uses Colorado lifestyle to market landscape careers

BY CHERIE COURTADE

Top Plant Picks

42

2019 top performing perennials

44

Fragrant Carol Mackie daphne is drought and sun tolerant

32

3 Questions

46

Industry pro enjoys landscapes on and off the clock MAR/APRIL 2020 | VOL 36, NO 2 WWW.ALCC.COM

WLM celebrates milestones: 10 years of high-end maintenance and 20 years in business

Small but mighty: LCM Landscape favors slow growth

Sustainable LandscapesColorado, Streets at Southglenn

8

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Are you

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You’ll fit right in! alcc.com/joinALCC

44

March/April 2020 | Vol 36 | No 2

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

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

Working for the success of businesses and their communities

A

Colorado Green Production Team

C O L O R A D O

EDITORIAL

John McMahon

s we head into spring, green industry companies are bracing themselves for a hectic season that may become more strained due to talent shortages and the threat of drought.

ALCC and GreenCO are working to prepare the industry to face these challenges and to manage public reaction to the effects of those challenges.

ALCC has multiple efforts focused on bridging the labor gap.

• Irrigation boot camp is helping train technicians to be job-ready in just 32 hours.

• Landscape Career Pathways continues to assist high school and community college instructors in introducing young people to the career opportunities in the green industry.

• ALCC staff and members are collaborating with NALP to develop an intensive, hands-on training program to complement the newly revamped online certification exam for Landscape Industry Certified Technicians.

• With GreenCO, ALCC is working hard to support legislation that helps business owners, including much-needed H-2B visa program reform.

Though we are not responsible for drought—nor can we prevent drought, which is an inevitable part of life in Colorado—we recognize that the green industry has the ability to help mitigate the effects of drought. As responsible stewards of the built environment, we can put systems in place to practice efficient water use and educate consumers on the proper way to sustainably care for their landscapes.

Sustainable Landscape Management Colorado (SLM) has already trained dozens of green industry professionals, from irrigation technicians to water conservation specialists, in proper practices for maintaining our landscapes in a way that reduces water use and helps plants thrive in Colorado’s sometimes challenging conditions.

We believe that spreading the message of SLM, offering aesthetically pleasing examples of sustainable landscapes and teaching consumers the science behind the methods, can benefit the entire community. Landscape contractors can demonstrate their professionalism, clients can have beautiful landscapes and the community can save water and other resources that may be in short supply.

Getting the word out to the public about both—efforts to grow industry talent and efforts to maintain successful landscapes despite the risk of drought and difficult conditions in Colorado—is a crucial part of our overall plan to fuel ALCC’s mission to help landscape companies have successful businesses.

John McMahon, CEO, ALCC

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ALCC CEO John McMahon Editor Lyn Dean Official publication of ALCC serving the green industry in the Rocky Mountain region Communications Director Cherie Courtade Circulation and Adminstration Paige Kelly DESIGN

Graphic Design Hilary Stojak

C O L O R A D O

ADVERTISING SALES

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

Feedback, ideas, address changes (303) 757-5611 or info@alcc.com

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

ALCC

President Michael Moore Diggable Designs LLC, Lakewood Vice President Phil Steinhauer Designscapes Colorado, Centennial Past President Matt Hiner Hiner Outdoor Living, Colorado Springs Secretary/Treasurer Craig Nesbit Timberline Landscaping, Inc.

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: 303-7575636. Colorado Green is distributed to contributing members and professionals throughout Colorado, and educational and governmental institutions across the state. 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. ©2020 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 S. Albion St., Suite 831, Denver, Colorado 80222. For advertising inquiries, please call Amy McCraken at 303-4787895, or email amym@evergreencustommedia.com.

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Green News& Notes

Photo courtesy Travis Yaggie Photo

L-R: Nicole Plese, Keith Wood and Teddy Hildebrandt

Keith Stoner, Arborist of the Year, demonstrated his skills at ProGreen EXPO 2019.

Nicole Plese, Sara Davis, Teddy Hildebrandt

ISA-RMC doubles award recognitions for 2019

L

ast fall, International Society of Arborists-Rocky Mountain Chapter (ISA-RMC) recognized some of its best at the annual awards event. 2019 was an unprecedented year for the awards, as there were two recipients each for Arborist of the Year and the Gene Eyerly Award.

In the past, there has been only one recipient per category. But, when it came to choosing between two deserving candidates in each category, the board of directors chose to acknowledge both. “There is a possibility this may not ever happen again,� noted Nicole Plese, executive director of the organization.

Awards were presented by Nicole Plese and Teddy Hildebrandt, past president.

Arborist of the Year recipients were Sara Davis, City & County of Denver, and Keith Stoner, Truewerk.

Gene Eyerly Award recipients were Keith Wood, Community Forestry Services, and Bryan Suhr, retired, founding member of Think Trees New Mexico.

March/April 2020 Colorado Green

13

Green News & Notes

CNGA announces Mostek as new ED

CNGA 2020 Board of Directors President Dan Wise, Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery Secretary/Treasurer/President-Elect Kerri Dantino, Little Valley Wholesale Officer-at-Large: Mandy Gerace, Welby Gardens

Photo courtesy CGNA

Ex-Officio: Jim Klett, Colorado State University

Directors: Mike Bone, Denver Botanic Gardens Kent Broome, Rocky Mountain Horticulture Services Michelle Cadena, Sunshine Horticulture Matt Edmundson, Arbor Valley Nursery Jeff Jones, Great Garens Harriett McMillian, Echter’s Garden Center & Nursery

Glenda Mostek

T

he Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association (GNGA) has named Glenda Mostek as the association’s new executive director (ED). She began serving in her new role in January 2020.

For the past five and a half years, Mostek was a grant manager and marketing specialist for the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), helping people with innovative visions improve their communities, industries and lives. She managed the Specialty Crop Block Grant, which CNGA has previously received, and looks forward to continuing the relationship by working with the new grant specialist who will replace her at CDA. Mostek’s work at CDA included involvement in numerous programs, including a new Ag Workforce Development internship program, CDA’s strategic planning process, and working with stakeholder staff and leadership on challenges ranging from HR issues to strategic planning. In addition, she oversaw eight nonprofit boards that manage the state checkoff—research and promotion—programs.

Before joining CDA, Mostek worked at Colorado Wheat, which encompasses a checkoff program, member association and research foundation. Prior to that, she was with the National Honey Board.

Having grown up on a cattle ranch in South Dakota, Mostek has been in Colorado for 20 years. She replaces Allison Gault, who served CNGA as ED for five years.

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Construction rendering of new Windsor location.

C O L OtoRopen A D O SiteOne new location TM

S

iteOneTM Landscape Supply will open a new location in Windsor, Colorado in mid-March. The new site will feature a nursery, irrigation products and hardscape products.

The facility will be home to Harmony Gardens, which will relocate from Fort Collins.

Branch manager Travis Rasmussen comes from the SiteOneTM Loveland location, which will also relocate to Windsor. C&C Sand and Stone Company, a SiteOneTM company, will provide the hardscape product line.

A grand opening is planned for May.

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C O L O R A D O

Photo courtesy Civitas, Inc.

Green News & Notes

The 5280 is located at the centerby of Sherman take advantage the onlyofaxial views of the State Capitol a street. of the only axial views of the TheTrail 5280 Trail designed CivitasStreet Inc., to located at theofcenter Sherman Street, takes along advantage

State Capitol along a street.

2019 ASLA Colorado/Wyoming Design Awards ASLA Colorado hosted its annual awards event on October 24, 2019 in Denver. The following companies were recognized in four categories.

Design over $500,000 Construction Budget

Design up to $500,000 Construction Budget

Norris Design for Rain Dance; Wenk Associates for Grand River Corridor; Civitas Inc. for River’s District

HONOR AWARD Connect One Design for Midland Master Plan

MERIT AWARDS DHM Design for Bohn Park; Design Workshop Aspen for Quarry House

Research and Communication

MERIT AWARDS Connect One Design for Aspen Mountain Summer Enhancement Plan; Mundus Bishop for CU Center for Academic Success and Engagement; Connect One for Parachute Battlement Mesa Community Park; Norris Design for Parrish Memorial Park; Stream LA for Washington Park; Design Workshop Denver for Boulevard One Park; DHM Design for Glenwood Hot Springs; Architerra Group for Wonderland Creek

Analysis and Planning HONOR AWARDS Design Workshop Aspen for Envision Shooks Run; Livable Cities for Platte to Park Hill MERIT AWARDS Civitas, Inc. for 5280 Trail; Didier Design for Myrna H Berger Desert Botanical Garden; Design Workshop Denver for Taza Park;

HONOR AWARD Design Workshop Denver for Chinatown Green Streets MERIT AWARDS Design Workshop Aspen for Communicating Wildfire Planning and Design and Design Workshop Aspen for Artful Tech Methods

March/April 2020 Colorado Green

15

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Advocacy Update

E

Colorado green industry establishes 2020 legislative priorities

ach year, GreenCO lobbyists at Hicks & Associates work with Colorado green industry professionals to identify legislative priorities for the next twelve months. For 2020, the alliance of trade associations will pay special attention to six areas: water issues, industry regulation, infrastructure funding, sales and use tax, pesticide regulation, and education.

Below is a summary of issues that the green industry will be monitoring:

Water

• With the passage of the ballot proposal DD for legalized sports betting to fund water needs in Colorado, GreenCO will need to engage with this development process for new revenue to ensure proper use and priorities are met such as water conservation, reuse, storage for both indoor and outdoor applications.

• Continue work with state/local agencies on the Colorado Water plan to ensure conservation, land use planning and sound regulatory development based on science and technology.

• Work to educate legislators and water policy decision makers on the need for implementation and expansion of GreenCO BMPs. • Monitor hemp production water policy and educate policy makers on vital water studies—CSU landscape water usage study.

Industry Regulation—Investment in Colorado Businesses

• Support efforts to find solutions to retainage issues and support efforts to build on 2017 bill for better liability protection for contractors.

• Work with business coalition to address business issues with FAMLI study report and 2020 legislation. Suggest exemptions for federally compliant businesses and other possible solutions.

• Monitor minimum wage issues and wage protection issues before the legislature.

• Support job development legislation that creates opportunity to find and hire necessary work force in Colorado.

• Ensure proper regulatory development for bulk fertilizer exemption bill.

• Work with business coalition to address proposed anti-growth legislation.

Infrastructure Funding

• Continue to monitor SB-267 and SB-01 transportation funding for CDOT projects statewide.

• Work with key legislators on transportation and water funding, Ballot DD measure and other forms of new legislation for revenue.

• Support, as needed, Water Committee interim bills and the State Water Project funding bill.

Sales & Use Tax

• Monitor all legislation related to sales and use tax in 2020 session.

• Continue to support sales tax simplification and the recommendation from the task force to create single point of payment for business.

• Support development of uniform set of definitions for sales and use tax.

Pesticide Regulation

• Oppose any measure to allow for local control when applying pesticides.

• Oppose non-research based arbitrary bans on pesticides.

• Closely monitor and oppose any effort to expand pesticide regulatory burden.

Education

• Fund vocational and adult education programs for the skilled trades and technical career paths that are drastically understaffed in Colorado’s workforce.

• Support tax credits for employers who hire workforce from student populations, returning military or those unemployed or under employed, and provide technical and/or skills training for such hires. | CG Prepared for GreenCO by Hicks & Associates March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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Sustainable Landscape Management

Inaugural SLM trainees show a passion for sustainability

T

By Cherie Courtade

he first group of professionals to earn Sustainable Landscape Management (SLM) certificates attended a training session in December 2019, with additional certificate opportunities held in February 2020. These initial attendees demonstrated an enthusiasm for sustainability and an eagerness to help promote responsible landscape practices in their communities.

Many participants felt they have been using the principles behind SLM in their work for some time, but earning a certificate helps confirm their expertise. For Fernando Complean, owner of North Lake Landscape, the program “lends credibility” to the work he does. “I can point to the manual and show industry standards and back it up with data.”

“Applying sustainable practices each day needs to be our approach from our first meeting with the customer [as well as in] the design, the installation and the management of the project. A sustainable landscape creates a sustainable career,” said John Fugatt, CLIA, CLT, Longleaf Irrigation.

But even if attendees are already implementing sustainable practices in their work, there was still something to learn through the training and the exam. “My company was already implementing some SLM practices,” said Jeff Trafidlo, sales and maintenance operations manager at The Green Fuse. “however, this certification has taught me how to improve upon and add to our current practices.”

“It covered a lot of basic principles I’ve learned in my studies,” said Matt Ward, account manager at Environmental Designs, Inc (EDI). “We’re already doing it [at EDI], but it’s good to talk about it. There’s always room to be more sustainable.”

Kyle Trembley, a senior landscape designer at EDI, added, “As our clients and Colorado as a whole shift more to green and sustainable practices, we as an industry need to evolve to offer more sustainable services…. Many of our clients expect this, but it is another way to set ourselves apart from some of the competition.”

That ability to distinguish a company as a sustainability leader was echoed by

Kevin Hartley, a water conservation specialist at City of Greeley. “It helps my credibility greatly to have certifications from local, state and national organizations to back up the information and recommendations I give during audits and classes alike. SLM provides accreditation in an area of conservation I haven’t had in my arsenal until now.

This is yet another great tool to let our customers know what credential to look for in a landscape and irrigation company.” Hartley earned an SLM certificate and even noted

that he learned a few new things about sustainable landscaping.

For 2020, “the goal of the program is to cultivate a large group of professionals trained in SLM principles,” explained ALCC’s Melissa Emdin, director of the SLM initiative. Once a significant number of professionals have earned the SLM certificate, there will be an effort to educate the public about SLM and encourage them to look for a company with certificate holders on staff when hiring a landscape company. | CG

SLM Colorado sponsors

March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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Profiles

Growing more slowly allows Landon Malave more quality control

By Cherie Courtade

Malave’s passion is water features, and he structures his projects so that he can be on-site and hands-on with their construction.

I

n just eight years, Landon Cole Malave, owner of LCM Landscape & Design, Peyton, has established a reputation for quality work and excellent customer service. While that reputation could help him grow into a larger business, he prefers to keep things smaller, allowing him to ensure quality control and intimately know his production and margins on projects.

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Finding his calling in the landscape industry

His route to the landscape industry wasn’t a straight line. Malave spent his youth working on the family farm, where his parents’ values were instilled in him—a strong work ethic and a belief in the value of honest work. In high school, he participated in FFA, studied plant ID, and

was even FFA president. Yet his first passion as a young adult was not working in the green industry; he played baseball for several years in school.

Eventually, he decided to seek a long-term career but knew that a four-year school was not for him. He enrolled in the horticulture program at Front Range Community College (FRCC). He credits the knowledge and dedi-

Profiles

Small but mighty Growing more slowly allows more quality control

Photos courtesy LCM Landscape & Design

By Cherie Courtade

While he specializes in water features, LCM offers full-service landscape design and installation.

cation of his instructors at FRCC with inspiring him to pursue a career in landscape design.

“FRCC has great people like Ray Daugherty, Dan Bacheler, and Wendy Booth [of Ivy Street Design]. I was impressed with my instructors and their dedication,” Malave recalls.

“I had a job before I even left FRCC,” Malave notes. He began as an apprentice de-

signer with Pinnacle Landscaping in Brighton and earned two seasons of experience before he was ready to start his own business.

Developing his core passion

LCM Landscaping & Design started out by offering landscape design and installation, but what excited Malave most were water features.

His parents saw that passion, and introduced their son to Rick Pursell, whom they had met through an ad for a tractor they purchased from him. Pursell had been building water features for nearly 50 years and became Malave’s mentor.

Together, they built 40 waterfalls in three years. Pursell would offer tough feedback, but it served Malave well. “It’s taken me eight

March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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"Each job, regardless of cost, should be treated the same."

— Landon Malave

Landon Malave

years to grow and understand why he works the way that he does,” Malave admits. “But his approach—keep it small, maintain quality control and know your production—means he knew his profit margins and knew what was happening each day.”

Once LCM was established and he had built a strong construction team, Malave knew he could let his team handle landscape installation work while he focused on landscape design duties. Yet, he still enjoys hands-on work and you can still find him on site, helping build ponds and waterfalls.

“Being on the job is great. It helps me know my projects.” That dedication to being on site also affects his growth rate—something he accepts gladly. Being hands-on, overseeing construction of water features, and still allowing time for work-life balance and family time are welcome trade-offs to rapid growth of his business portfolio.

Balancing work and family has multiple rewards

“I grew up with a big family, and I think family is important,” Malave explains. With a wife and three small children, he values having time with them. That has “propelled me to stay smaller, not stretch myself too thin, and have more control over my time.”

Having time with family also influenced a side project. When thinking of ways to use 22

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A desire to repurpose materials leftover from hardscape projects like this one, led to a side business creating container gardens called Little Creations by the Maldaves.

scraps and many leftover materials, rather than throw them away, Malave came up with an idea. He would use leftover water feature materials as succulent containers and involve his children. “Work ethic is huge and helped me get where I am today. I want my kids to learn that as well.”

His five-year-old daughter loves working with her father, helping with the containers and learning about trees on their home property. Even his three-year-old daughter joins them for a bit while they add succulents to the small containers. “It’s fun to spend time with them and get them involved. I absolutely would love to get them involved in my business and pass it down to them when it’s time, but I don’t want to pressure them.” In a few years, we might see another family member involved. Last year, his family grew when his son was born.

Outside of running a business and being an involved parent, Malave enjoys working with young people to show them the opportunities and the satisfaction they can get from a career in landscaping. He volunteers with local

school programs in his community, like FFA, and has donated his time and skills to improve the landscape at the local high school campus.

Slow and steady is working

Malave continues to grow his business at a pace that allows him to remain involved in hands-on construction and still maintain some work-life balance. He has built a strong client list and at times has a wait list for new projects to ensure his existing clients get the attention they deserve.

“I hate to turn down work and I don’t want customers to feel like their job is not worthwhile to me. Each job, regardless of cost, should be treated the same.” he says. He also prides himself on lots of follow-through. “I don’t leave clients hanging after the job is finished or the warranty is up.”

By working with integrity and offering excellent customer service, Malave helps elevate the landscape industry. And he is not done growing yet, but will continue at a comfortable, steady pace that has worked well for the company. | CG

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Profiles

Grand Junction Pipe flows with the changes Western Slope customers remain a priority amid mergers

M

By Lyn Dean

ergers and acquisitions are trending in the business world, and the green industry is no exception. Large corporations have set their sights on Colorado customers, and local, established businesses are adapting by keeping small-business connections while offering big-business resources.

Grand Junction Pipe & Supply (GJ Pipe) has experienced many successes and multiple changes in its 55 years on the Western Slope. Rich Coltrinari, general manager and longtime GJ Pipe employee, shared with Colorado Green some of the company’s history and its ability to keep a local, small business reputation despite those changes.

The genesis of GJ Pipe was in 1965 when Grand Junction Concrete Pipe (GJ Concrete), a concrete manufacturing company founded in 1958, purchased a small local pipe and supply company. The new company became GJ Pipe, a DBA company of GJ Concrete. GJ Pipe was the distribution arm of the original manufacturing company, which saw an opportunity to sell pipe and valves.

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Photos courtesy Grand Junction Pipe & Supply

Profiles

GJ Pipe retail locations continue to serve the Western Slope.

GJ Pipe employee at work.

Leading the way in Western Colorado

the same,” says Coltrinari. Both GJ Pipe and GJ Concrete retained their names and, for the most part, continued business as usual in Western Colorado.

More changes came in 2018, when GJ Pipe, with its distribution branches, was spun off from Summit and GJ Concrete.

It was then purchased by Ferguson, a giant multi-billion-dollar, multi-national company with a large presence in waterworks and plumbing supplies.

“GJ Pipe has the irrigation piece and Ferguson wanted to increase [its] irrigation footprint in this country,” say Coltrinari. GJ Pipe provided Ferguson a well-established irrigation presence on the Western Slope.

During the 1970s, GJ Pipe’s product offerings expanded to serve the irrigation needs of a growing customer base, which included commercial and residential properties, agriculture, and utilities and waterworks.

Regional demand for irrigation pipes and valves was strong enough in 1990 that GJ Pipe opened its first branch in Carbondale. Over the next 11 years, additional demand prompted expansion of the company’s physical presence to other Western Slope towns. By 2001, branches had been opened in Gypsum, Durango and Montrose, for a total of five stores.

Spotting new growth potential

In the same way that GJ Concrete recognized a need for pipe and supply distribution, GJ Pipe saw the need to offer irrigation design services for many of its customers. In the late 1990s, GJ Pipe “formalized irrigation design as a department within the company,” says Coltrinari.

The need for design help came from both landscape contractors and retail customers who wanted help with residential sprinkler design.

“GJ Pipe was an early leader—early to consolidate the various needs of customers, especially in the Western Slope market,” remarks Coltrinari. “Offering irrigation design was a natural progression. We want to sell products and services that better serve our customers.”

Going corporate – Parts 1 and 2

GJ Concrete—the entire company including GJ Pipe—was acquired in 2011 by Summit Materials, Inc., a large publicly traded company providing aggregate, cement and asphalt, as well as construction and paving services.

Summit Materials centralized the company’s safety, accounting functions and human resources, but operations remained local. GJ Pipe did not lose employees, and customers may not have noticed much of a change. “Employees stayed because operations remained

Brand strength counts

Through both acquisitions, corporate buyers recognized and preserved GJ Pipe’s brand strength. As Coltrinari said, “keeping our brand name was important. We want to keep the local feel.” | CG

March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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Business Sense

Six ways to outsize your strategy Elevate your strategy design, implementation and results

By Steve Coughran You can follow the lead of these companies by subscribing to the following six strategy principles.

1. Eliminate bias

Biases break down the strategic process.

Focused, effective strategy starts with a clean slate on which an unbiased view of the problem or opportunity at hand is developed.

Work to eliminate biases in strategy design by: • Involving a mix of levels and personalities: Oftentimes, companies prioritize the C-suite’s opinions and miss out on the thoughts and ideas of those interacting with suppliers or customers on a daily basis. Adding in some people from sales or the field can help you obtain a well-rounded view of your company and meaningful strategic moves.

• Fusing a mix of communication styles: Some people are comfortable sharing their thoughts verbally. Others, however, process by writing or are more at ease sharing their ideas within small groups.

To strengthen the voice of each participant, try incorporating activities that activate a variety of communication styles.

Photo by ESB Professional

W

hy do some companies thrive while others struggle to survive? We all know the importance of a well-defined strategy, but what are the key ingredients that separate the bad from the good from the exceptional?

Over the past few decades, I have worked with companies of all sizes from a variety of industries. I have witnessed half-baked strategies, and I have seen good strategies catapult companies to extraordinary success. I have 26

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researched these successful organizations for roughly a decade, seeking to understand the levers they pull to outpace the market. I indentified six key focus areas that when mastered, enable companies to design and deliver strategies that raise them to new levels of achievement. In my book, Outsizing: Strategies to Grow Your Business, Profits, and Potential, these strategies eliminate boundaries, spark creativity and creation, and ultimately outsize the success of their companies.

2. Power Customer Centricity

In our experience economy, the ability to create and capture value hinges on an organization’s ability to connect with and deeply understand their target customer. Companies outsize by customizing their strategies to unique customer values comprised of needs, passions, circumstances and motivations.

To design customer-centric activities, clearly define your ideal customer, one who understands your company’s value proposition and is

Business Sense willing to pay for it. With a clear view of your target market, gather data via interviews, surveys and market research to understand their values and craft strategies to best serve them.

Define ideal customer and get specific Needs: Identify surface level and deeper needs that provoke them to buy a product or service.

Passions: Learn what customers love and hate about the buying experience. Intense emotion, either positive or negative, manifests as a feeling of conviction.

Circumstances: Recognize how a customer’s lifestyles, impulses and situation impact how, when and what they buy.

Motivations: Understand the biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that actuate behavior.

3. Build from Advantages

After determining what is important to the ideal customer, great companies engineer advantages—distinct value-generating differentiators—to deliver the strategy. These positional, asset, and capability advantages allow companies to create value for the customer while capturing value for the company.

Creating value is the simple part. For example, landscape contractors create value every time they install a beautiful outdoor escape for their clients. But capturing value is the trickier side of the equation. It entails monetizing the value created so your company can grow and generate cash flow. How do you ensure the landscape install produced the right amount of profit and cash to fund your business?

Delivering value to customers while capturing value within your company is the essence of strategy. There are three key ways to capture value: • Charge more: Ensure that your pricing and estimating strategy is competitive and reflects the value provided. By commanding a price premium, you can increase the value captured by your company.

• Do it for less: Lower your cost structure by maintaining revenue while reducing

expenses through cost and capital efficiencies. For example, landscape companies that can maximize their labor efficiency have huge upside to their bottom line.

• Grow strategically: Increase top-line earnings by differentiating and forming brand equity, making your company the go-to for your customers.

4. Convert Advantages into Value

Because strategic success is quantified in monetary terms, strategy is inherently tied to finance. While strategy is often a gray, cryptic puzzle, financials provide a clear-cut diagnostic. Strategic outsizers support business decisions with a holistic view of their financials.

To become a financial powerhouse, look beyond accounting profit, the default (yet limited) measure of value and incorporate other, more comprehensive measures of value into your key performance indicators (KPIs). For example, balance short-term accounting profit with the longer-term lenses of economic profit and intrinsic value.

Delivering value to customers while capturing value within your company is the essence of strategy.

need is by asking them. Implementing an employee satisfaction survey can provide you with a baseline understanding of how your employees feel, but it’s important to go deeper by asking them open-ended questions: What are they looking for in their employer? What’s one thing they would change about the company, and what’s their proposed solution? What training and development opportunities are they seeking?

6. Forge Patterns

Finally, strategic outsizers know that competitive advantage is unsustainable, and that strategic efficacy is achieved through consistency and cumulative improvement. They view strategy as a journey, not a destination, regularly revisiting their how-to-compete and where-tocompete approaches to ensure they are remaining relevant to the customer and, if publicly held, meeting shareholder expectations. These companies establish strategic patterns and internalize the process. To outsize your strategy, approach it methodically, defining clear initiatives, actions and desired results. Build accountability structures to ensure that you’re either making progress toward achieving your overarching goal or switching up your plan.

Strategic outsizers commit to continual learning and growth. They push the boundaries of business performance and successfully navigate the changing market by focusing relentlessly on the customer. The Outsizing guidebook can help us all extend our abilities and boldly enter new territories to outpace the market. | CG

5. Unlock the Potential of Your Talent

While the financials are the engine of a company, people are the heart. Strategic outsizers emphasize the importance of hiring for fit, empowering employees through training and development, and enabling teams. Amid an intensifying labor and skills shortage, few aspects of strategy are as important as recruiting and engaging a motivated, loyal workforce.

How can you foster a positive culture of learning and growth to elevate and engage top talent?

• Expand your team’s horizons: Keep people on their toes by changing the pace of work.

Surprise your team with a group field trip to learn something new, move outside the office, and build relationships with peers.

Encourage job shadowing, so employees can learn new skillsets. By keeping every day fresh, employees will grow and be excited to discover what’s next.

• Solicit employee feedback: The easiest way to understand what employees want and

Steve Coughran is founder of Coltivar, a business strategy platform that helps companies grow profitably. He is passionate about solving complex and challenging problems, and has advised and served clients across many industry sectors. He is the author of two books including his newest one, Outsizing: Strategies to Grow your Business, Profits, and Potential.

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Business Sense

What a benefits broker wishes employers knew Three ways for small businesses to add value for employees

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Business Sense

By Kevin Wood

C

olorado Green asked Kevin Wood, an employer benefits broker with experience working in the green industry, to list some of the things he wishes employers knew about offering benefits.

The benefits of group benefits

Group benefit plans allow employers to access more insurance options at better pricing than individual market plans, especially when it comes to health insurance. That’s a plus for the employee, but there are benefits for the employer as well: • • •

Employees are attracted to and stay with companies that offer benefits.

Employer contributions toward their employee benefits are tax deductions for the company.

The costs of providing benefits to employees may be less burdensome and costly than employers realize.

Don’t forget about mental health

Mental health support is a growing area of concern and need for people. Supporting the mental health of employees and colleagues is not only an individual responsibility but a communal one as well. Small businesses are a major part of their comminutes and therefore the support they offer their employees supports the community. There are a number of insurance companies that offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) that may be offered for little or no cost to the employer.

Typically, an EAP allows employees a few free in-person consultations with a counselor or therapist as well as unlimited telephonic support services. In some cases an employer who offers benefits may already have access to an EAP plan for free and they just don’t know about it.

If you are an employer and you offer a benefits plan that doesn’t include an EAP, call your broker to find out how you can begin offering this valuable service to your employees. It’s an easy way to take better care of your team.

Help your employees save

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to offer Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Accounts (HSA), which allow employees to set aside pre-tax money. A key difference is that HSA funds can roll over to a new year, while FSA funds are “use it or lose it” each year. However, there must be a high-deductible health insurance plan in order to take advantage of an HSA. Both options have versatile uses and tax advantages when used according to legal requirements. HSAs, for example, can remain with an employee even if they leave their company. The account balance can even be invested, and at the time of retirement can be withdrawn like a 401k.

HSAs and be used for non-medical purposes.

Access to benefits like mental health support, and FSAs or HSAs are just a few of the items an employer should consider. For employers who already offer benefits: When was the last time you reviewed the competitiveness and overall offerings of your plan?

For employers without benefit plans, it’s well worth exploring how offering benefits can help your company and your employees grow and prosper. | CG

Kevin Wood, M.S., is a partner-broker at Quandary Insurance in Littleton.

March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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POWERING YOUR BUSINESS With the Best Brands!

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

Workforce

Location is everything Timberline uses Colorado lifestyle to market landscape careers

Timberline employees on the job 32

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Workforce

Timberline offers a risk-free trial in the landscape industry.

Photos courtesy Timberline Landscaping, Inc.

T

The GAP Year Program offers real-world learning as well as employment.

By Cherie Courtade

he green industry faces challenges with communicating the benefits of a career in the industry. As unemployment drops and the labor market continues to tighten in Colorado, it becomes increasingly more difficult to cut through the noise of professionals marketing their industry to young people and to experienced adults who might be looking for a career change. Employers must find creative ways to recruit and retain employees.

At Timberline Landscaping, Inc., Human Resources Manager Chris Loncar, SHRM-CP, looks to the lure of the Colorado lifestyle to attract people to the state and, in turn, to a career with his company.

Based Colorado Springs, Timberline has developed a GAP Year Opportunity program.

Launched in 2019, the program began with three interns who joined the company in summer 2019. Those interns, who came from Utah and Northern Colorado, worked for three and a half months with landscape construction division.

As the program moves forward, Timberline is making a nationwide recruiting effort that will bring new team members for the 2020 season, spring through fall.

“Many people are looking to take a structured break from education or a career path to pursue goals related to their self-development and service to others,” says Loncar.

“Timberline is giving those individuals an opportunity to work good jobs while having Colorado adventures. We want to be able to give participants the chance to gain greater clarity on what they want to do in life while working for a company that is com-

mitted to their personal and professional success. We hope, that for many, this will translate into a passion for horticulture through landscaping.”

To find GAP Year participants, Loncar explains, “We’ve really had to go all-in on relationships.” He has built close relationships with universities across the country and with local high school programs. Working with Careers in Construction, a program from the Homebuilders Association (HBA), they’ve made in-roads to get in front of high school students in their region, like Falcon High School. Falcon students have previously worked with Timberline through the ALCC Landscape Career Pathways program.

In addition to visits to colleges and universities, Timberline uses social media promotion and advertising to reach young adults. Their recruitment efforts aim to lure participants with a full Colorado experience.

“We realize that we should promote all that we have to offer, which means our state as much as our companies,” Loncar explains.

The program will offer participants opportunities outside the workday to have the outdoor experiences that make Colorado unique, like backpacking, rafting, and climbing. It will also offer life skills training, such as financial management and community service project opportunities. Each of these offerings will also be available to current Timberline employees.

But most importantly, the program is a great way to give the landscape industry a try without a long-term commitment. “We hope that we can help someone discover a passion in landscaping,” says Loncar. One goal of the GAP year is to help participants understand that the green industry pays well, is fulfilling, and could become a career. That career could begin with Timberline. | CG March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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A decade of

high-end property maintenance Success comes from integrity and professionalism

“Y

ear-to-year contract renewals are not guaranteed for landscape maintenance companies,” says Eric Moroski, co-owner with Jeff Weisburg, at Weisburg Landscape Maintenance (WLM), Colorado Springs. “We are fortunate to be entering our 10th year with La Bellezza at Peregrine HOA.” WLM was referred to Peregrine—and a second La Bellezza property—by a couple of different property managers, and WLM was chosen for both.

Constant attention to detail for this high-end development

WLM’s relationship with the property began in 2008, when Peregrine was about half built. WLM had a relationship with the builder as well as the HOA and property manager. Moroski believes the then-young company’s reputation was built primarily on its employees’ large number of professional certifications.

The first priority at Peregrine has always been detail. To assure a high level of care for the property, the builder initiated an annual ‘Standing Tall Inspection’ in which the property manager, an HOA rep, a builder rep and a WLM 34

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Photos courtesy Weisburg Landscape Maintenance

By Lyn Dean

Attention to detail earned WLM The ELITE Award for Maintenance in 2019 for their work at La Bellezza at Peregrine.

landscape expert would walk the entire property together, observing and recording what worked and what didn’t. Moroski was the original account manager and participated in the Standing Tall walk for several years. He realized during the first few years that some changes to the original landscape design had to be made to ensure the property would successfully meet the high standards of landscape appearance and health expected by the HOA and property manager during and after build-out.

After each walk, WLM created an extensive report documenting identified deficiencies, suggesting changes and pricing out items to correct or mitigate problems. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, the work we proposed was approved,” says Moroski, who completed many of these reports. “Some deficiencies were incorporated into the design of new landscapes being installed with the construction of new homes. In this way the property was improved year by year. The Standing Tall Inspection has created a very proactive process involving the various stakeholders.”

Getting watering right

Maintaining this property has been a challenge for Moroski and the WLM team. The characteristics of the property—rocky, hard soils with slopes—make it tough to get irrigation right for all the plants. The irrigation system, first installed in 2006 and finished in 2017, was composed of standard valves, rotors and spray heads as well as two types of drip systems, for a total of with 111 zones using three standard controllers (which were eventually upgraded to smart controllers). Moroski says Netafim technology in the mid-2000s had not yet evolved to include check valves on each emitter, and he observed several examples of plants dying at the bottom of slopes from overwatering, while uphill plants were not getting enough water.

In some downhill areas, the team removed some plants and irrigation that were not suited to the placement or irrigation technology of the original design. The HOA reps, builder rep and property manager came to trust WLM’s recommendations when they saw property improvements.

As the buildout continued, technology caught up. Newer Netafim pipe included check valves at each emitter. Older Netafim grids were modified with inline check valves. “We saw visible improvement in plant health when maturing plant root systems could uptake more water on slopes,” says Moroski.

Utility rebates made a difference

Existing controllers were replaced with ET smart controllers in 2011 using utility rebates.

“To this day, though many human adjustments are made, the controllers are proving to be a key component in the success of property,” Moroski says.

Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) offers generous rebates for commercial irrigation taps, smart controllers, check valve head conversion, low volume nozzles as well as more creative solutions such as conversions to Xeriscape and native areas. “We utilized the controller rebate early on and have continued with head and nozzle upgrades for maximum rebates and water savings.”

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"To this day, though many human adjustments are made, the controllers are proving to be a key component in the success of property."

—Eric Moroski

WLM learned that personalized attention, communication and professional eye can go a long way to customer satisfaction.

Irrigation techs keep eyes on and hands on weekly

Making sure irrigation delivers enough water but not too much is an ongoing process.

Irrigation inspections are performed weekly, accompanied by custom reports submitted to the HOA. Due to the size of the property, inspections are divided into two groups and phased weekly whereby each zone is inspected every second week. However, irrigation technicians and other crews keep their eyes open every week in all areas, which is especially critical in hot, dry months, to achieve the HOA expectation of green lawns without overwatering.

Develop and maintain relationships with homeowners

Building relationships with homeowners is key, according to Moroski. “We do this by going to board meetings, especially annual meetings. With the high turnover of property managers, and the usual turnover of board members, we can become the constant for changing boards. You never know when a board member is waiting to get what he wants, which could mean getting rid of us! If we are the reliable constant, hopefully the boards will be too scared to venture out to see if the grass is greener with another contractor.”

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The hiccup of 2013

“Our contract was not renewed for 20132014,” says Moroski. “I think a couple of factors influenced this decision on the client side. One was the drought in 2013 when CSU restricted watering.” Also that year, Moroski was passing on the torch to a newly promoted account manager so when Moroski attended an HOA board meeting in the fall, the board requested that he be on the property once a week. Moroski declined. He needed to spend more time on the business rather than in the business.

A year later, the property was back with WLM. The partners decided that Weisburg, not Moroski, would mentor the new account manager while Moroski remained heavily invested in business development. In less than a year, the property was fully released to the account manager. It was a win for all: the client, Weisburg, Moroski and the new account manager.

“As a company, we leave our clients on good terms, which is what we did with Peregrine,” say Moroski. “We are still going strong with the client.”

Employee retention is key to a happy client

The on-site crews interact mostly with homeowners and can sometimes be found in the beds adjacent to homes. Homeowners have no decision-making authority, but some want something specific for ‘their’ landscape. Moroski says the typical golden rule of HOAs is not to interact with homeowners. In contract, his team “will do little things that will make a more pleasant day for all.” As such, employee retention is important, and turnover can forfeit those relationships.

Moroski points out that some maintenance activities can be frustrating to crew members for multiple reasons, not the least of which is when equipment breaks down. He understands how frustration leads to negative energy, which others including homeowners can sense. He gets that happy employees lead to happy customers.

“This project has been a learning experience for me and our team,” says Moroski. “We have become more efficient on the property, and we have upped our game with client communication and improved our professional eye and maintenance skills as a team. And I think the client has learned from us. After all, when we were ‘fired’ one year, they wanted us back the following year!” | CG

Eric Moroski and Jeff Weisburg

WLM credits 20 years of success to their remarkable people Jeff Weisburg, who moved to Colorado from Michigan in 1991, and Eric Moroski, a native Coloradan, first met when they worked for the same company while in their late 20s. Weisburg, who earned a business degree from University of Michigan, stopped working for others in 1999 when he founded Weisburg Landscape Management (WLM) after buying a small landscape maintenance company with a handful of clients.

Moroski joined Weisburg as a partner in 2003 and claims “we broke the rule that friends should not become business partners. Jeff and I have slightly different personalities and different roles in the business, and it works. We have had no major disagreements that have shaken the foundation of our friendship or the business.”

“People can make or break any organization,” says Weisburg, and both partners agree that the culture developed in the company, intentionally and unintentionally, brings out the best in people. Weisburg says the “’signature’ of their people is: tough, quick, caring, smart and respectful.” Moroski puts it very simply, “It’s a culture of happiness, which starts with Jeff and me and trickles down to the crews.” Their friendship is strong and their appreciation for each other is reflected through the culture.

How does this culture translate to teams and customers? “It’s awesome being part of a team that truly wants to be famous for caring. To us, caring is a commitment to excellent quality and excellent relationships,” explains Weisburg. “Getting your landscape game on” means to “cherish the joys of being attentive, truthful and showing genuine concern for your clients and coworkers.”

That caring and commitment has paid off in client referrals. Moroski says they don’t advertise; their business comes from their reputation through property managers and others. For him, “’sales’ is simply educating people about landscape care and sustainability, being authentic and developing relationships.” Moroski, who earned a degree in horticulture from Colorado State University, is passionate about sharing the science and data about what works best. He does this to help people “get rid of the emotions caused by fear” when they don’t know the best way to handle landscape challenges.

These 20 years have “been an exciting endurance test,” reflects Weisburg. “A unique pleasure of landscape contracting is that it constantly requires changing gears and steering through new terrain.

There are many good times and races ahead to challenge us!”

20 {years}

March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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Foley ELITEBoyZ embraces robotic mowers Wiesburg

How the business reduced labor needs and grew

By Lyn Dean 38

www.alcc.com

Photos courtesy Foley Boyz

for hybrid landscape service model

Lane Foley installs perimeter wire on a new landscape.

D

ana Foley bought an existing lawn care business for his sons, from a fellow Berthoud resident, and founded Foley Boyz, LLC in 2013. Both Dana’s sons were in school—Lane in middle school and Luke in high school. Since that time, both have finished high school, and Lane now runs the business as president and chief operating officer, and Dana is chief marketing officer. Luke is pursuing another career but helps in the business when needed. All three are co-owners.

The former owner, who ran his business for about 12 years, introduced the Foleys to his existing clients and also helped educate the boys on the basics of lawn maintenance including mowing, trimming, aeration, and sprinkler adjustments and blowouts. Because Luke and Lane, the primary workers, were still in school, the business stayed small for the first few years.

Enter robotic mowers

Dana has always been a technology geek, so when he first saw a robotic lawn mower in someone’s yard, he wanted one. He began using one on this own lawn in 2007. Dana saw the potential these mowers could bring to their new business, and within a year of its founding in 2013, Foley Boyz was using robotic mowers with customers. His interest and excitement in the technology led Dana to becoming a local Husqvarna dealer.

Foley Boyz offers clients three options: pay a fee for mowing and lawn care services; or lease or buy a robotic mower from them.

Installation is required for all automatic mower users, whether customers lease, buy or pay for mowing, and Foley Boyz provides this service. The company installs the perimeter wire, which is typically buried, though burying is not required. Once installed, the mower knows where the mowing boundaries are. The

Lane Foley

newer GPS models also ‘learn’ where there are obstacles on the lawn, such as trees.

“Customers who lease or buy don’t have to be tech-savvy,” Dana assures. “Once the machines are set up with the perimeter wire and the charging station, there is not much they have to do for the unit to do its work.”

Labor and time savings helped grow client base

From the perspective of managing labor, the automatic mower does the mowing, while Lane handles services that require a human. “We don’t pay wages or workers comp for robots, and they don’t call in sick,” says Dana. Not only do the mowers know what to do, “if one has a problem, the new GPS units call for help, and we find out what the problem is.” GPS units can be run by a smartphone from mostly anywhere, which means a human does not necessarily have to be present to troubleshoot.

March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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has grown, and so far, Foley Boyz has not had to hire another person to assist him. Fortunately, during very busy times, Luke has chipped in.

Dana also points out to those who want to use robo mowers in their landscape business that other savings could be realized from using smaller trucks. Since there aren’t larger conventional mowers to transport, they may not need trailers either.

Lease benefits Mower charging station as a landscape element

Currently, the company owns three robotic mowers used for full-service landscape maintenance clients. Foley Boyz installs the wire on the property for the robotic mower, and the unit mows daily. The mower and the charging unit reside on the client’s property.

As for human labor needs, Lane visits each property every two weeks to trim, and do sprinkler checks and other landscape tasks.

He also checks out the mowing unit and replaces the blades when needed.

Time saved not mowing translates to serving more clients. The client base serviced by Lane

Foley Boyz services the machines for those who lease, which means updating firmware, replacing blades, and other maintenance. At the end of the lease period, customers have the option to buy the unit or upgrade to a new model and renew their lease. Of course, like all new technologies, robotic mowers keep improving.

The company has added to its own fleet by acquiring some formerly-leased units—as well as purchasing some new units—to use with their regular lawn care customers. And, as a dealer, Dana also refurbishes and sells the used units.

Lawn and environmental perks

Lightweight automatic mowers clip a small amount of growth each mowing, which

leaves clippings even smaller than those of a mulching mower. They return nutrients to the soil quickly, which benefits the lawn and makes clients happy.

Furthermore, the units are battery-operated—with no emissions when operating—and run very quietly, at a decibel range in the 60s, depending on the model. This allows clients to have their lawn mowed outside of usual operating hours, when pets and people aren’t using the lawn and without disturbing neighbors with noise after sundown.

Robo mowers are gaining popularity

Last year, 2019, was a record year in all areas of the business—landscape services, unit leases and unit sales. Growth of Foley Boyz’ customer base and growth in use of the robotic mowers has occurred through wordof-mouth so far, which works well in Berthoud, a small community. Three years ago, the company sold only two mowers, and in 2019 Foley Boyz sold 20 units.

Dana also says that he looks forward to partnering with other landscape contractors who want to use and/or learn more about adding robotic mowers to their offerings. | CG

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Our Business is“Growing” Those who do business with Alameda know exactly how it works. In tight times and in good times, we look after and support our customers— regardless of their size. We have been proud to support the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) through their ELITE awards program, the Landscape Industry Certified Technician program, the ProGreen EXPO, and their magazine Colorado Green for too many years to count. For three generations, Alameda has treated its customers with courtesy, and provided premium plants, and fast, efficient deliveries. If you would like that kind of long-term respect and service from your nursery, come talk to our friendly staff.

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March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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Top Plant Picks: CSU Research

P

2019 top performing perennials

lants in the perennial trials at Colorado State University (CSU) continue to grow in number each year. With 115 new entries, there are now 270 perennial trial entries. Plants are evaluated for plant vigor, uniformity, floriferousness and tolerance to environmental and biotic stresses. The following six perennials have been awarded the 2019 “Top

Performer” perennial designation for superior performance over three growing seasons and two winters in the Fort Collins trials.

Visit the gardens at 1400 Remington Street in Fort Collins or see the complete report on perennials trials at www.flowertrials. colostate.edu under Perennial Trials menu. | CG

Delosperma ‘PJS02S’ — Granita Orange Ice Plant from Plant Select®

Dianthus x hybrid a Kahori® ‘Scarlet’ — Kahori® Scarlet Border Pinks from Dümmen Orange

The pink flowers were a favorite of many bees and butterflies. The flowers combined well with the clean foliage and uniform growth habit of this compact plant. Blooming was long-lasting, and flowers did not lodge, even with overhead irrigation.

Bright iridescent orange flowers blanketed the plant, creating an impressive show of flower power. Large flowers bloom over a long period. Vigor is excellent, and the plant makes a good spreader. Cold hardy and well suited for this area.

Very showy in the spring with vibrant colored flowers and attractive plants. Flower color was not a true scarlet but a beautiful shade of hot rose or cherry. Plants were attractive even when not in bloom with their tidy, compact growth habit.

Tips & Tricks: Spent blooms can be

Tips & Tricks: Plants make a very

Tips & Tricks: Plants had superior winter

Photos courtesy Lauryn Schriner

Allium hybrid ‘ALLMIG1’ — Millenium Ornamental Onion by Eason Horticultural Resources and Stonehouse Nursery

removed to result in some repeat blooming or they can be left for winter interest.

Zone 4 42

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attractive ground cover, as the beautiful green foliage forms a dense mat that tightly hugs the ground.

Zone 4-5

hardiness that was consistent over three years with no die out in the center, which occurs for many other Dianthus.

Zone 4-5

Top Plant Picks: CSU Research

LEGEND Full sun

Useful for containers

Adapts to part shade

Xeric

Prefers shadier conditions

Requires moisture Requires more moisture

Contributed by James E. Klett, Ph.D., professor and extension horticulturist, Colorado State University, department of horticulture and landscape architect, Fort Collins

Lamium maculatum ‘Dark Purple’ — Lami™ Dark Purple Spotted Deadnettle from Danziger

Miscanthus sinensis ‘NCMS2B’PP29460 — Bandwidth Maiden Grass from Darwin Perennials

Large, two-tone blooms were captivating with their striking combination of pink and white. The plant is a great choice for providing color late in the season. Plants were relatively low maintenance, as the old blooms were self-cleaning. Foliage, with shades of dark red, is maintained throughout the season.

Dark purple flowers combined with dark green foliage and a very uniform growth habit make this plant a very impressive ground cover. Plants have superior vigor and a long period of bloom.

The plants maintain a uniform growth habit that is only 3 to 4 feet in height, making it a good selection for today’s smaller gardens and landscapes. Plants did not bloom, but flowers are not needed for interest. Foliage is attractive, with yellow stripes running across the blade. The yellow and green contrast in the leaves is very showy.

Tips and Tricks: Plants also had a nice

Tips and Tricks – This versatile plant did

Tips and Tricks – The variegated foliage did

Photos courtesy Lauryn Schriner

Hibiscus x hybrid ‘Cherry Choco LattePPAF — Summerific® Cherry Choco Latte Rose Mallow from Walters Garden, Inc.

growth habit that did not lodge, and the midsize height made them a good balance with the flower size.

Zone 4-5

not burn in the sun and did well in the shade.

Zone 4-5

not revert and was impressive all three seasons.

Zone 4-5 March/April 2020 Colorado Green

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Photo courtesy Nate Fetig

Top Plant Picks: Plant Select®

Fragrant Carol Mackie daphne is drought and sun tolerant

C

arol Mackie daphne (Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’) was one of the first tough, beautiful and underutilized landscape plants to be promoted by Plant Select in 1997. After 20 years, many mature specimens now dot Colorado landscapes, demonstrating how valuable this shrub choice is. Carol Mackie daphne is drought tolerant, low maintenance, sweet-smelling, has lovely variegated leaves and will grow in full sun or partial shade. In the past, many gardeners in our region took one look at its variegated leaves and assumed the plant needs protection from winter sun or cold temperatures. As a consequence, most mature plants we see were planted around the east side of building foundations or under shade trees. But contrary to that popular belief, this shrub performs very well in our full sun steppe climate. It adapts well to shaded conditions but will benefit from annual shearing to prevent flopping. However, plants grown in full-sun will be more compact and not flop, resulting in less maintenance. Re-

gardless of full or partial sun, site Carol Mackie daphne near windows and walkways to take in its fragrant blossoms late April through May. The plant is named for gardener Carol Mackie who discovered this unique plant in New Jersey. Its round habit with cream-green variegated leaves offers year-round interest for companion plants of all colors and bloom times. Its low maintenance and tidy appearance make it perfect for HOA planting beds, medians and commercial landscapes that require a neat but low maintenance shrub.

There are over 70 daphne species worldwide, but this species is typically slow to grow in containers. Hence, they are not as popular in the nursery trade. Plant Select is on the lookout for more selections of fragrant, unique daphnes for growers to bring to market. In the meantime, start your daphne collection with this oldy but goody. | CG — Contributed by Ross Shrigley and Emily Goldman for Plant Select®

Learn more at www.plantselect.org 44

www.alcc.com

Size: 3-4 feet tall and wide Form: shrub Flowers: fragrant masses of small, pale pink flowers Leaves: creamy-edged variegated oblong leaves that are nearly evergreen Light: full sun to part shade Culture: loam soil Deer resistant: no Hardiness: USDA Zones 4-9 Design/Maintenance tips 1. Shear plants, if needed, in late May after it has bloomed.

2. Leaves may drop in early spring. Unless it was an extremely bad winter, new leaves will appear and it will bloom in May. 3. Plant with Mini Man™ dwarf Manchurian viburnum, manzanitas, Corsican violet and Dalmatian daisy.

Ad Index 2M Company, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 www.2Mco.com Alameda Wholesale Nursery, Inc. . . . . 41 www.alamedawholesale.com Bobcat of the Rockies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 www.bobcatoftherockies.com Colorado Materials, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 www.coloradomaterialsinc.com CPS Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC www.cpsdistributors.com DWF Grower Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 www.dwfwholesale.com Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply . . 2-3 www.ewingirrigation.com Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery . . . . . . 41 www.ftcollinswholesalenursery.com GMCO Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.gmcocorp.com Harding Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 www.hardingnursery.com Honnen Equipment Company . . . . . . . 41 www.honnen.com Horizon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.horizononline.com LL Johnson Distributing Co. . . . . 5, 16, 30 www.lljohnson.com Potestio Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 www.pbequip.com Siloam Stone, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 www.siloamstone.com Unilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 www.unilock.com

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Contact Martha Dickenson | Senior Account Representative 303.257.6499 or email mimi_nwp@yahoo.com March/April 2020 Colorado Green

45

3 Questions

Photo courtesy Zachary Jordahl

Industry pro enjoys landscapes on and off the clock

Jordahl captured these beautiful landscapes while hiking Ice Lake Basin Trail in Uncompaghre National Forest.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Zachary Jordahl, CLT Weisburg Landscape Maintenance Field Account Manager

1

How did you find your way into a landscape industry career?

During my time at Front Range Community College I discovered that I wanted to be a part of the landscape industry. The instructors’ enthusiasm and in-depth knowledge of landscaping rubbed off on me, and now I often find myself the one teaching peers about industry practices.

2

What do you get from your ALCC membership?

Being an ALCC member has benefited me in many ways. ALCC has helped me network with other landscape professionals in my community. Learning opportunities have led me

46

www.alcc.com

to obtaining multiple certifications. Having multiple ALCC certifications [Jordahl earned Landscape Industry Certification in ornamental maintenance and turf maintenance from NALP as well as a certificate in Sustainable Landscape Management from ALCC] allowed me to promote my experience of industry standard practices to customers.

3

What is your favorite Colorado landscape to visit?

Hiking up to the Ice Lakes in Uncompahgre National Forest, during mid-summer, is an incredible landscape to experience in Colorado. It is a long hike filled with a profusion of wildflowers, wildlife, and uncompromised views of the surrounding mountain peaks. | CG

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