Andrea Mueller discusses topics from sustainability to the family business
Growing Weeders into Leaders
Jeff McManus on cultivating excellence
Are You Profitable?
Pacific Outdoor Living holds the data-driven answer
SOUTHERN BOTANICAL
Inside FutureScape USA 2026
Insights, product showcases and conversations that defined the event
US Pro Landscaper International Awards Winners
Americas heat-winners advance to the 2026 global final in Riyadh
Are You Profitable?
How to solve contractors’ profitability blindness
Readying Your Business Exit
A merger and acquisition specialist explores what landscaping business owners must prepare before a sale
Weeders into Leaders
Landscaping leader Jeff McManus discusses cultivating great teams
Let’s Hear It From
With experience from architecture to interiors, Andrea Mueller’s true design roots are in her family’s horticultural legacy
Bringing the Inside Out
Landscape designer Laura Morton transforms a small coastal plot into a layered, multifunctional retreat by embracing constraint
Xeriscape in Santa Monica
Steven Chavez transforms a Santa Monica yard with water-wise, Mediterranean design for adaptive beauty and minimal upkeep
Sky-high Sanctuary
In Dallas, a rooftop oasis blends Japanese tranquility with Texan pragmatism twelve stories above the urban core
Transparent Aquatic Art
SwimmingPoolWindows.com transforms pools into showpieces
Installing pools in 48 hours
Bayto Pools reveals how landscapers can unlock new revenue by mastering the rapid two-day installation of pre-cast concrete pools
Next-Generation Pools
Discover the newest residential pool innovations
Patio Water Features
Elevate spaces with a kit for self-contained fountains or ponds
The Response Report
Bob Williamson reveals how customer responsiveness, judged through real purchasing experiences, creates a competitive edge
Cetane helps sellers reach their goals. We bring interested, qualified buyers into a customized auction process providing you more choice, strong offers, and smooth transactions. Business owners reach their goals when Cetane navigates. Visit us at www.Cetane.com or call 860-592-0089 for a confidential, FREE business value range estimate.
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Anew year offers an opportunity for both reflection on progress and anticipation of goals we are yet to reach. For Pro Landscaper USA, 2025 was a landmark milestone, marking our inaugural year and the successful debut of the FutureScape USA event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on December 9–10. For those who missed the event, this issue provides a complete recap. We look forward to seeing you at the next FutureScape USA, December 8–9, 2026—save the date! In the meantime, let’s keep learning and the conversation flowing.
This January issue has a notable focus on aquatic design, featuring a curated selection of water features, pond and pool products. Other highlights include expert guidance from Bayto Pools on installing precast concrete pools within 48 hours, and a profile of SwimmingPoolWindows.com showcasing its acrylic pool windows. The edition also addresses business strategy, with merger and acquisition specialist Stump and Company outlining initial steps for a business sale, while columnist Jeff McManus discusses developing future industry leaders. A separate feature profiles Andrea Mueller of Inside Out Landscape Design, who reflects on her 30-year career. It has been a true pleasure to contribute to Pro Landscaper USA and to witness its consistent monthly growth. With 2026 already shaping up to be an exciting year, I eagerly anticipate continuing to engage with the professional landscaping community. Happy reading!
ASSOCIATION NEWS
PHTA announces dates, locations for GENESIS® professional courses
Where in the world is GENESIS®?
School is in session with GENESIS®, the pool and spa industry’s premier construction and design education program. Backed by the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), the trade association representing the swimming pool, hot tub and spa industry, GENESIS® curriculum is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to create extraordinary outdoor living spaces that set you apart from the competition.
Come learn from our expert instructors at locations across the country throughout the first quarter of 2026.
McKinney, TX (January 13-14)
• D180: Drawing for Professionals
• C393: Construction Superintendent
Atlantic City, NJ (January 25-27)
• C201: Concrete Pool Construction
• D211: Elements of Design
• D330: Comprehensive Aquatic Design
Entries now open for the 2026 APLD International Landscape Design Awards
The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) has announced that entries are now open for the 2026 APLD International Landscape Design Awards. This prestigious program celebrates excellence in landscape design and recognizes the outstanding work of landscape designers around the world. Projects are judged across eight categories:
• Residential
• Non-residential
• Small Gardens
• Planting Design
• Show Gardens
• Specialty Projects
• Details
• Outdoor Lighting
San Antonio, TX (February 15-17)
• C201: Concrete Pool Construction
• D231: Color Theory and Its Application
Anaheim, CA (February 17-18)
• C281: Pool & Spa Remodeling Napa, CA (March 16-17)
• D265: Master Designer Methods
Register for an upcoming course today at phta.org/courses.
A panel of experts will evaluate entries based on difficulty, craftsmanship, attention to detail and execution, awarding Gold, Silver and Bronze honors to the most exceptional designs. The program shines a spotlight on creativity and professional achievement, offering designers an opportunity to showcase their work to peers, clients and the global design community. The entry deadline is January 31, 2026.
To learn more about APLD’s Awards Program and to submit your entries online, visit: apld.org/landscape-design-awards Please contact awards@apld.org with any questions.
NADRA News
Get ready for three unforgettable days of connection, celebration, and fun at the 2026 NADRA Summit in Clearwater Beach, Florida—January 7–9, 2026.
This annual event brings together decks builders, manufacturers, dealers, and outdoor living professionals from across North America and beyond to share ideas, make connections and celebrate the best in the industry. It’s the perfect mix of education, networking and good times—NADRA style.
December 9-10. 2025 NADRA was the VIP Lounge Host at FutureScape USA, which took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The NADRA VIP Lounge at the event functioned as a central hub, offering scheduled breakfast discussions, networking opportunities and evening hospitality.
Separately, NADRA held its SoCal Regional Networking Event within the lounge on Tuesday, December 9, open to both members and non-members. Earlier in the day, attendees accessed the FutureScape exhibitions. The NADRA event featured refreshments, networking and organizational updates.
Upcoming Education:
• February 19 and 26, 2026: NADRA’s Decks Done Right Education® Two Day Class. The 10-hour, two-part webinar has been developed for deck construction based on the entirety of the system and concludes with a completion exam.
• March 26, 2026: NADRA Deck Evaluation/Inspection Certification Program. This five-hour program certifies industry professionals to safely evaluate decks using a new APP/mobile form, with a beta version available to certified NADRA members who have completed training on all deck components and safety standards.
For additional information about NADRA events or joining, go to: nadra.org
F2025
utureScape USA is the “best landscape show on the West Coast.” Those aren’t our words. They’re from one of numerous visitors who attended the inaugural event on December 9-10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
It’s arrived in California at an opportune time too. From extensive wildfire recovery projects to the construction and enhancement of venues for global events like the FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the Olympic Games, there’s a growing need for highly skilled landscaping professionals.
That’s where FutureScape USA comes in. The event has been designed to offer practical insights, valuable connections and forward-thinking solutions to help businesses respond to increasing demand. Here are a few of the highlights from this year’s show.
“The event was absolutely outstanding. I’ve attended many events over the years, and I honestly say this one ranks at the very top.”
Jon Benaglio, Deck Masters
“The inaugural FutureScape USA was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to, in fact, I can say it was the best show I have ever been to. The personal connections that I made here both professional and friendly were amazing and the best I’ve ever done at any show ever.”
Michael Bernier, Michael Bernier Design
Top influencers sharing their secrets
Visitors had the opportunity to come face to face with some of the most followed social media influencers in the industry such as Danny Wang, Roberto De Leon and Kevin Choquette through FutureScape USA’s Meet the Creator series.
Thought-provoking talks and panel discussions
Balancing aesthetics with fire-wise decisions, ensuring you have a strong business behind a strong marketing strategy, utilizing Answer Engine Optimization, and the plants that often go overlooked—visitors took away advice on this and more in the seminar theater, in association with Pacific Outdoor Living Academy.
Heat winners revealed for Pro Landscaper International Awards
The five winning projects of the 2026 Pro Landscaper International Awards’ North & South America heat were unveiled. Landscapers and designers from across the
continents presented their awe-inspiring projects in person to an esteemed panel of judges, who then revealed the winners on the second day of the show.
Celebrating those who are making an impact
This year’s winners of Pro Landscaper USA’s Rising Stars, in association with AIMM, collected their awards in the VIP Lounge of the show. The Rising Stars Awards recognize those who are transforming landscape design and construction. Winners included Evoscape’s Laurel Milton, Down2Earth’s Francisco Leon, Elite Maintenance and Trees’ Amanda Figueroa, and Design Scapes’ founder Sina Kamran.
Recognizing the industry’s movers and shakers
FutureScape USA honored the most influential voices in the industry, recognizing professionals such as Altadena Green’s Stephanie Landregan, K&D Landscaping’s Justin White and Garden Butterfly’s Brandy Williams as part of The Fifty—those who are pushing the boundaries and driving the industry forward.
The NADRA VIP Lounge becoming a hub for networking
From The Fifty and the Rising Stars collecting their awards, to the creators sharing their insights, to Table Talk sessions on sustainability being run by the Association of Professional Landscape Designs (APLD), the NADRA VIP Lounge was buzzing across the two days. Hosted by the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA), the lounge even boasted an afterparty on the first day, with NADRA’s SoCal Regional Networking Event taking place.
Market-leading services and suppliers
From those selling top-of-the-range outdoor living products to those offering
“The best landscape show on the west coast!”
Mike Garcia, Enviroscape LA
“FutureScape is one of the most amazing events I’ve been to in a long time. A lot of networking, a lot of friendly faces, new faces and educational components to this event makes it really exciting.”
Edward Wallace, Mid West Landscaping
leading services such as AI assistance, business management software and marketing, the booths at FutureScape USA showcased the latest trends and innovations from leading brands on the market. Three of the booths took away awards: MotionOps won the Business Service Award, Leadsun took home the Sustainability & Biodiversity Award, and the Innovation Award went to CapillaryFlow.
Demonstrations bringing solutions to life
Visitors were able to watch how products such as exterior sprinkler systems and
vegetation treatment can be utilized for ‘firescaping’, and experience innovative concrete technology being showcased and live deck building taking place in the two demo areas—Zone Zero and Terra Zone.
TNorth and South America Heat
he winners of the second heat of the 2026 Pro Landscaper International Awards were unveiled at FutureScape USA.
Prolific landscape designers and contractors presented their awe-inspiring projects for the North & South America Heat across December 9-10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Eighteen projects were shortlisted, with an esteemed panel of judges deciding the winner of each of the five categories. This included president of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA), Lindsay Ono, Association of Professional Landscape Designers’ director Francesca Corra, and Adam White, past president of the Landscape Institute and director of Davies White.
The five winning projects are now through to the final, which is taking place in June 2026 at FutureScape Global in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The projects will be going up against the winners of the Europe Heat, which took place in London this October, and three other heats that are taking place early next year—Middle East & India, Asia & Australasia, and Africa.
Winners
City Landscape Project
Luna Park, California, USA
Landscape Craft Studio
Commercial Project
ASU Hayden Library Reinvention, Arizona, USA
Trueform Landscape Architecture Studio
Conceptual Project
Scottsdale Ranch, Arizona, USA
Michael Bernier Design
Residential Project Under $500k
Resilience in Bloom, California, USA
Ecogardens Landscape Design
Residential Project Over $500k
Rich Residence, USA
K&D Landscaping
AM I MAKINGany money?
An industry veteran unveils a dual-pronged solution—real-time profitability software and core business education—to solve a fundamental flaw plaguing contractors: not knowing daily if they’re profitable.
For decades, landscape and construction contractors have grappled with a deceptively simple question that can determine their survival: Am I making any money?
Terry Morrill, founder of the multimillion-dollar landscaping design-build firm Pacific Outdoor Living, believes the industry’s inability to answer that question daily is a fundamental flaw— one he is now determined to fix.
In an interview ahead of the launch of his new venture, the Am I Making Any Money (AIMM) Academy, Morrill outlined a dual-pronged mission: to provide contractors with proprietary software that tracks profitability in realtime and to educate the wider industry on the structural business principles he credits for his own company’s success.
‘I am so busy, but I have no idea if I’m making any money or not,’” he recalls. As his design and build company expanded, managing five or six jobs concurrently, Morrill hit the same wall. “I’d wonder; how do you tell if you’re making any money in this business?”
His search for a solution proved futile. Traditional accounting software, he found, wasn’t built for the specific, dynamic cost-tracking needs of construction. “It does not exist,” Morrill states. “The reason it does not exist is there’s some flaws in the available systems that prevents you from being able to determine at the end of each day if you’ve made money or not.”
“I’d wonder; how do you tell if you’re making any money in this business?”
He begins by describing the genesis of the AIMM software which came from Pacific Outdoor Living’s own growing pains and countless conversations with fellow contractors. “I heard people say,
What began as a rudimentary Excel spreadsheet evolved into a sophisticated cloud-based application over nearly two decades. Yet, for years, it remained an internal tool, shared only with a close network for beta testing. Now, Morrill is preparing a full public debute, viewing it not as a
surrender of competitive advantage but as an industry obligation.
“I owe it to the industry. Why would I keep it a secret?” he comments, acknowledging that there are arguments against sharing his company’s “secret sauce” with competitors. “It’s sort of my responsibility. I could retire and have enough money, but I think it’s a contribution I’d like to make.”
Nonetheless, the AIMM Academy represents more than just software. Morrill is adamant that technology alone is not a panacea. Accordingly, the AIMM system will be packaged within a broader curriculum based on what he terms the “nine structural elements” of a landscaping business. At its core is the “law of separation,” a principle involving three critical splits.
“First, you separate the owner from every other post in his company,” Morrill advises. To scale, an owner must shed the
hats of salesperson, crew manager and bookkeeper. The second separation is financial. “All money is not the same,” he stresses. “There’s money that has to be earmarked for one thing or another, and you can’t mix them up. Once you are able to separate all the money, then you can know if you made money today.”
The third separation is among customers. Morrill’s most transformative insight came in 2019, leading to a radical departure from industry norms. Tired of designers wasting 20 hours a week on unpaid consultations and “wild guess” ballpark estimates, Pacific Outdoor Living instituted a paid, data-driven discovery process.
come to our office for a structured two-hour design consultation, for which we now charge $700.” This upfront fee, which has evolved from $195 to its current price, funds the essential discovery phase, ensuring all creative discussions are grounded in accurate, actionable information from the very first meeting.
“Our vision is to make it the way to run a construction business”
“Now I know that any customer who contacts us is a serious buyer,” Morrill observes. Additionally, with accurate data in hand, his team can provide an educated budget range. Only then does detailed, paid design work begin, leading to an “extremely high close percentage” and virtually no sticker shock.
“Every project begins with a critical step: a thorough onsite measurement and data collection,” Morrill remarks. “We tell the customer we can’t provide an intelligent plan just by ‘shooting from the hip.’ Instead, we execute a comprehensive survey—documenting elevations, utilities and property setbacks—and the client receives that detailed data. They then
This model directly challenges the industry’s pervasive culture of free estimates, which Morrill sees as a trap driven by fear of competition. “Businesses are afraid of alienating customers, so they follow everybody else’s practice,” he notes. Yet, he argues this practice attracts unqualified leads and wastes limited resources. His method identifies serious clients upfront, allowing for better service and accurate pricing.
Reception to these ideas from other contractors has been revealing. “When a contractor understands how the system works, they all say, ‘How could I operate in any other way?’” Morrill comments. He concedes that some are initially resistant, particularly to delving into financials. “They go, ‘I don’t want to talk about numbers. That’s why my wife does the books.’ I respond, ‘Well, that’s why you’re in trouble.’”
As the December 9 launch date for the AIMM Academy approaches, Morrill is characteristically busy. His ultimate goal is nothing less than transforming industry standards. “Our vision is to make it the way to run a construction business,” he said, integrating software,
estimating methodology, leadership training and crew development into a single, coherent system.
For an industry often romanticized for its creativity but plagued by thin margins and high failure rates, Terry Morrill’s message is a clarion call back to business fundamentals. In demystifying daily profitability and advocating for structural discipline, the AIMM Academy aims to build more resilient and profitable businesses.
Terry Morrill, alongside his sons Trent and Chad, is a principal owner of Pacific Outdoor Living. The California-based company serves as the parent entity for several subsidiaries, such as Pacific Pavingstone, California Waterscapes, Jack’s Turf, and Southern California Swimming Pools. Morrill brings 35 years of experience as a general contractor, as well as an architecture degree from the University of California at San Luis Obispo. aimmsystem.com ABOUT
Collecting awards at
In association with
Amanda Figueroa
Francisco Leon
Innovation:
and Biodiversity: Leadsun
Business
Brandy Williams
Justin White
Mike Garcia
Terry Morrill
Vanessa McQuade
Laura Osteen
Laurel Milton
Services: MotionOps
Sina Kamran
Stephanie Landregan
Selling Your Landscaping Business: ADVISORY FIRST STEPS
Mergers and acquisitions advisor, Stuart Mullens, outlines the essential preparation for landscaping business owners considering a sale, from financial integrity to managing liabilities
For landscaping business owners, the decision to sell is both financially significant and emotionally charged. Successfully navigating the complexities of the transition and acquiring the best deal possible requires preparation and expert guidance. Mullens, a partner at mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, Stump & Company, outlines a clear blueprint for owners contemplating a sale. “Our bread and butter is helping owners sell their business,” she remarks. “We’re there from the time an owner says, ‘I think I might want to sell,’ all the way through to putting money in their pocket.”
The Foundational Pillars: Financials, team stability and legal liabilities
Mullens summarizes the critical first steps and most common hurdles experienced by landscaping companies. For business owners contemplating a sale, she underscores that covering the fundamentals is vital before going to market, with financial integrity serving as the absolute cornerstone. “You really can’t
get a good price for your business if your books and records are in disarray, and that ideally means clean GAAP-compliant financials,” Mullens states.
She adds that a lack of financial discipline is the most pervasive stumbling block, especially for founder-led businesses that scaled quickly without robust financial infrastructure. For those needing to catch up, a third-party Quality of Earnings (QoE) review can provide a credible financial snapshot in about six weeks, leapfrogging initial hurdles.
Beyond clean books, two other pillars are critical for maximizing value and buyer confidence. Firstly, a stable management team. “You also need to have a team, ideally able to at least stay on for a transition period, to give that buyer confidence that the day they buy the business, they don’t lose experienced staff straight away,” Mullens informs. Secondly, owners must proactively resolve any outstanding legal, HR or environmental liabilities. “All these things make it incredibly difficult for a bonafide party to make an acquisition if they’re present.”
Navigating transparency complications
When a business does have a complicating factor—such as a historical compliance issue—Mullens’ guidance is clear: lead with authenticity but layer on crucial context. “You have to be transparent and open, but to the extent possible, draw a box around it,” she says. The calculated approach is to isolate and quantify the issue’s specific financial impact, demonstrating that it does not undermine the core business’ viability. “You have to give the buyer a story and a narrative that they believe and that’s true and that is sustainable.”
Ultimately, a successful and lucrative sale hinges on presenting an authentic, well-documented, and transparent business. “It’s like marriage; you date through the process,” Mullens concludes, underlining that trust, built on rigorous preparation and honesty, is the key to a smooth and profitable transaction.
ABOUT
Stuart Mullens, a Stump partner at Stump & Company since 2019, has nine years at the firm across various sectors, including manufacturing, e-commerce, and landscaping. She previously worked in strategic planning at McKinsey and Company and Georgia-Pacific. A Jefferson Scholar, she graduated from the University of Virginia, where she remains an active alumnus. stump andcompany.com/landscaping-ma
weeders leaders GROWING INTO
From soils to staff: how horticultural principles can grow leaders and transform workplace cultures
“What is a weed?,” Jeff McManus asks a TEDx audience in 2018, quoting the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson’s anthropomorphistic answer: “a weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” While his primary role is executive director of grounds and landscaping at the University of Texas, McManus has become known for a parallel kind of cultivation. He is widely recognized in the landscaping industry as a leadership advisor who nurtures individuals, teams and organizational cultures using the core principles of horticulture.
More Than Weeds and Grass: Reframing purpose
In an interview with Pro Landscaper USA, McManus begins by tracing why his focus has expanded beyond soil and sod to include his new roles as a keynote speaker and author of ‘Growing Weeders Into Leaders.’ Professionally, he attributes this evolution to a deep-seated conviction: that the landscaping industry—and every industry—thrives or fails on the
quality of its leadership. Personally, he also says that this career shift stems from an overarching, consistent passion:
“I love growing things—plants, people and ideas. But what truly gives me purpose is growing people who grow plants. That’s the charge: to cultivate greatness in those who cultivate the earth.”
that 62% of prospective students decide whether to attend a college based on campus appearance,” McManus notes. “That instantly transforms our staff’s identity. They’re no longer just people who pull weeds and cut grass; they are vital partners in recruiting the future greatness that walks our paths—the students who will go on to cure diseases, write great novels and lead industries. They’ve got a profound purpose. They’re a core part of the team.”
“I love growing things— plants, people and ideas. But what truly gives me purpose is growing people who grow plants”
This philosophy, he observes, is born from a belief that many challenges within the green industry stem from a common root. “A lot of our challenges and issues come from the lack of developing great leaders in our organizations.” For McManus, effective leadership is not about commanding from an office but about instilling a shared vision and centering purpose that transcends daily tasks.
He illustrates this by reframing the work of a grounds crew on a college campus. “We know
Translating this sense of purpose into daily practice is pivotal to McManus’ method, which demands a fundamental shift in attention: from an exclusive obsession with outcomes to a meaningful investment in the people who deliver them. He defines the antithesis: “Bad leadership focuses only on wanting results, without focusing on beliefs. You’re just pushing for results, results, results, but if you don’t care about your team, don’t invest in them, don’t grow or develop them, then you don’t really
believe in your people, and you won’t get the results.”
Building a foundation of mutual trust In practice, McManus adds that investing in people is a daily discipline of turning routine situations into learning opportunities. He embodies this by deliberately inviting team members to meetings or bringing them along on-site visits, describing these moments as chances to “hear and see what excellence looks like.” This consistent mentorship aims to foster an internalized drive for quality. The true measure of success, he suggests, is a team that operates on a self-imposed drive—where an individual’s own standards, not a supervisor’s directive, compel them to notice stray grass clippings and see it as a problem to solve.
Building such a culture begins with a foundation of trust, he reflects. “People want to work for people. They don’t want to work for a company. They want to work either for their boss or their supervisor, and they want to like and respect and trust them.”
“Assess practical skill, capacity to learn, foundational trustworthiness and team fit,” he outlines. He concludes with a broader mandate for taking people on: “Hire really good people who are smarter than you are.”
“Hire really good people who are smarter than you are”
He cites research pointing to the top qualities people seek in a leader: honesty, competence, being forward-looking and inspiring a shared vision.
Recruiting the best McManus distills his advice for workplace cultural transformation into two priorities. The initial focus must be on organizational clarity. He warns against institutional complexity, stating, “Don’t overestimate the value of simplification. Distraction and bureaucracy are natural byproducts of growth; your job is to counteract them. Simplification is a direct path to greater ease and success.”
The second priority is talent acquisition, structured around an established framework. He advocates using Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy’s triad— Character, Competency, Chemistry—as a filter.
The incremental path to change To build his own team’s culture, when he led the landscaping department at the award-winning University of Mississippi ‘Ole Miss’ campus, McManus looked outward, drawing lessons from the discipline of the US military. The most concrete result was the “Landscape Creed” instituted at Ole Miss. Mirroring the practice of US Special Forces, his staff collaboratively authored and recited a statement of core values every Monday. “As a result, it transcended being a poster on the wall,” he recalls. “It became our identity—the very DNA of the organization. The goal was to create an intentional culture of belonging that people would choose.”
Nevertheless, he cautions that lasting change is a gradual process, measured by small, successive achievements. This is exemplified by his current initiative:
“Longhorn Landscape University,” an internal
certification program at the University of Texas aimed at enhancing both skill and morale. “First, you find a small win, like finalizing the curriculum,” he explains. “Then you build on it with levels and badges.” The ultimate goal is a selfsufficient team. “I need staff who can make informed decisions independently in the field based on their own assessment and expertise,” he asserts. Jeff McManus’s message to the landscaping industry is ultimately one of elevation. By investing in leadership that sees hidden potential in its staff, businesses can sow more than beautiful landscapes—they can grow resilient, passionate and high-performing teams where excellence is not an instruction, but an ingrained habit.
ABOUT
Jeff McManus is executive director of grounds at the University of Texas. He transformed the University of Mississippi into a nationally awardwinning campus, earning recognition from Forbes, The New York Times, Huffington Post, PGMS, Newsweek and USA Today. A speaker and author of ‘Growing Weeders into Leaders,’ he teaches how to develop management leadership and team cultures. jeff@jeffmcmanus.com jeffmcmanus.com
“I WAS ALWAYS INTRIGUED BY THE IDEA THAT SPACES SHOULD BE AN EXTENSION OF ONE ANOTHER. SO, THE OUTSIDE SHOULD BE AN EXTENSION OF THE INSIDE,
AND THE INSIDE AN EXTENSION OF THE OUTSIDE”
Andrea Mueller’s design experience covers everything from architecture to interiors, but it’s her family’s background in horticulture that drew her back in
There was always a high chance that Andrea Mueller would end up working in horticulture. As a child, her father had owned what was then the largest nursery in Kentucky, and she’d worked there alongside him. But she wasn’t quite ready to admit that it was her fate at the time.
“As an angsty pre-teen and teenager, I honestly didn’t love working in the nursery—it was more of a rite of passage in a family business.”
What she pursued instead was another one of her father’s passions— architecture. “My dad always loved design and architecture, and it was evident in every part of our lives. I always loved going in my dad’s designer’s office as a child and was mesmerized with the markers, drafting tools and drawings.”
But when she went to school to study architecture, she ended up switching to graphic design and then switching again to interiors.
“I knew towards the end of my interior design degree that I did not want to do that, and that I wanted to do landscape design, but my dad was about to kill me because I had already changed my degree and college three times,” she laughs. So, she finished her degree and then went to work at the nursery, with more of a focus on design than plants.
“I’m glad I had the opportunity to work for other architects and interior designers because working in all those design disciplines helped me to become the designer that I am”
“I’m glad I had the opportunity to work for other architects and interior designers because working in all those design disciplines helped me to become the designer that I am and helped me to learn more about space planning, requirements and what is comfortable for a space—all which can be used outside. But the plant knowledge came through my dad and grandmothers, who were keen gardeners.”
It also came from working under her dad’s designer, Paula Doane. “She taught me a lot about plants and design—I would just absorb all this
information. And then I developed my own style. She was a great designer, but in the 80s and 90s, they used a lot of invasive plants. So, I had to teach myself to use more native plants, and I learned that a lot of the planting palette that I was taught was not what should really be used.”
When her father died, her stepmother took over the nursery, so Mueller needed to figure out a different path from working in the family business. In 2007, she took everything that she’d learned and set up her own company with her husband, Michael. It focused on design at first, both interior and exterior—hence the name, Inside Out Landscape Design.
“I was always intrigued by the idea that spaces should be an extension of one another. So, the outside should be an extension of the inside, and the inside an extension of the outside.”
They were flipping rentals in their spare time too, doing most of the work themselves. “We’d discussed having a home building construction company at some point early on, so we were trying to decide what to do.”
Mueller quickly learned that she wanted to go back to her roots, though,
“Outdoor living has really become a component of a lot of people’s lives, even if it’s not a pool or a patio. It could be edible gardening, for instance; there’s some component that can fit into anyone’s life, no matter who they are.”
There are a range of benefits to offering both design and build too, says Mueller. “You have the designer overseeing the build and making sure it fits the vision; that the design can come to fruition in the way that it was envisioned originally. And on the client side, it’s a lot easier to work with a designer and the estimating is all correct. We know exactly what the design is going to take to build.”
Without Michael, though, Mueller says they probably wouldn’t have gone into
and Inside Out turned its attention to offering exterior design and build only. “Now it takes on the meaning of bringing the inside out with livable outdoor spaces. In the consultation, we always look inside the home to get a sense of style, taste and views—it’s so important to consider the whole house, interior and exterior architecture, to create good design.”
Part of the reason Inside Out added the build side was because of the growth in the outdoor market. “It wasn’t super popular when we started, but as time has gone on, outdoor living has really expanded and blown up. There are so many cool products and features that people are putting into projects.”
This includes outdoor cabinets that used to be solely stainless steel but now have the appearance of wood, for instance, or pergolas that were once limited to cedar now being available in aluminum with louvered roofs.
hardscape construction, which is an integral part of the business that she now loves. He’s the “risk taker,” whilst she jokes that worrying might be her superpower.
“We are complete opposites in many ways, which is needed for different perspectives and to balance each other out. But we’re both also very visionary, always thinking about what’s next. We’re both always on the move, and we love building things together. He’s very off the cuff and will just go and do, whereas I’m more like, ‘Let’s think about it and make sure it’s the right decision.’ So, it was always an interesting dynamic.”
After three decades or so in the horticulture and landscaping industry, Michael left the business several years ago to pursue local politics. “He’s a great leader and has taught me and many others how to lead effectively. It’s pretty incredible to watch him, just the way he would handle any issues that would arise, whether it be with a client or an employee or vendor.”
Together, they shaped the company values: first-class service, pride in craftsmanship; grow and glow for personal and professional development; enrich lives; and eco-centric. The latter has become Inside Out’s calling card, and it’s one that has developed over time, starting from when Mueller was in college.
“William McDonough, a famous architect, came and spoke to us. I was really moved by his talk and his presentation. He’d written a book called ‘Cradle to Cradle’. That was my first ‘aha’ moment; that whatever you’re designing—whether it’s architecture, interior, exterior, a product—should be designed to last, and you should think about the lifecycle. That really empowered me.”
So, as soon as Inside Out built its office, Mueller ensured it was geothermal,
designed to be an earth berm, with three quarters underground. Since 2015, it has been entirely solar powered. “Even on just the operations side, being sustainable was very important to me.”
A slower economic period recently gave Mueller the opportunity to create a space at their own office for clients to see what Inside Out can do and to use as a learning and building opportunity for the crews. There’s a pool, a hot tub, a sauna, with permeable hardscape around these and thousands of native plants and perennials.
“It’s such an important part of the design process to make sure that the hardscape and landscape nestle in together. A lot of the time, hardscape is overdone and not softened enough with the landscape, but they don’t need to be huge.”
the summer. It’s really hard to explain the impact that a space can have, but when you are standing inside of it, it’s a completely different experience. It’s a beautiful area. There’s a bald eagles’ nest right across the creek, which I grew up walking along with my grandmother. It’s a special place for me.”
“That was my first ‘aha’ moment; that whatever you’re designing... should be designed to last, and you should think about the lifecycle”
The whole idea of the design is how spaces can improve your everyday life and contribute to ecology, says Mueller. “There’s like a cloud of butterflies in
Though Mueller had been using native plants for most of her career, it was a client who really changed the direction of her designs around 15 years ago when he asked for only natives to be used. “I had never done a solely native design. That got me interested in native plants and how we can use them and them still be aesthetically pleasing— but also the importance of using natives to be host plants and all the ecological services that they provide.”
Entomologist Doug Tallamy was another “big influence” in this area. Mueller now plants a variety of natives and non-natives but will typically use at least three quarters native. “And no invasive; that’s always been a rule. Even if the client sends us a list with invasive species on it, we’ll bid on the project but say that we’re not going to plant those. If they’re not flexible on that, then that’s fine, but we won’t do the project.”
Her “dream project” is one the company finished last year for a
Left to right: Wellness retreat includes creative screening, sauna, hot tub and native plantings; Outdoor renovation for display and family fun, surrounded by masses of native plants; Beaver creek Hydrology outdoor breakroom Images on
hydrology company, where water needed to be central to the design. At Beaver Creek, there’s a pergola that’s supposed to mimic stream restoration, where logs are placed across the creek for the wildlife and stream health. The logs reflect this but also act as gutters, with rain chains dangling down from them.
The planting palette is entirely native, allowing the garden to be used by the onsite biologists and ecologists for educational purposes. Plants were incorporated from a list of those usually used in the company’s restoration projects, and around 150 trees were planted. “It incorporated everything I love.”
in design to determine sustainability. These programs are so powerful. We use Vectorworks, and we can grade a project and have so much more information about cut and fill; like, what would be least impactful way to the land?
There are so many features that help us make better design decisions.”
For four years, Mueller served as a member of the sustainability committee for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD). She continues to be the first and only APLD-certified designer in Kentucky, calling the association “instrumental” in her growth.
business. She’s now looking for Inside Out to continue growing its client base and commercial accounts, but is also considering the succession of the company, looking at the possibility of employee ownership.
“I love the idea of people who helped to build the company having more of a stake in it and being able to reap the benefits of being an owner. Obviously, there are hard parts too, but it’s important to offer that opportunity to the people who helped to build it.
“I also love the idea of a circular model, rather than building the business and me working until I’m in my grave and taking everything. We have several people who have been with us for a long time and still have young kids and will probably be in it for a decade more. So, it’s a special way to carry on the small business feel and our values.”
Sustainable and resilient landscapes such as this are taking precedence more and more over the last few years, something which Mueller says is only going to grow due to climate change and “wild weather patterns”—and design software can help to create these.
“Vectorworks and other companies are already implementing calculations
“The professional development, peer groups, recognition, and certified status are invaluable, and the conferences and educational opportunities always leave me inspired. Being part of the APLD has pushed me to achieve more and contributes to raising the bar for our entire profession.”
Together with other design and build companies, she created a peer group within the APLD so they could discuss the ins and outs of owning this type of
Mueller might not have envisioned herself working in horticulture when she was a teenager, but the family business mentality seems to have rubbed off on her, and her passion for plants and creating sustainable landscapes is inescapably inherited—and I don’t think she’d have it any other way.
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BRINGING THE INSIDE OUT
Aconfined, overgrown hillside property with a sliver of an ocean view posed a compelling question: how to craft a multi-functional outdoor space from constraint. For landscape designer Laura Morton, this project was centered on spatial optimization, transforming a limited plot into a layered coastal retreat that feels both expansive and intimately personal. The client’s brief was to maximize every inch while reclaiming the obscured vista, a task complicated by an ongoing expansion of the second-floor balcony that would cast more shade on the limited area below.
By embracing the philosophy of “bringing the inside out,” Morton reimagined the exterior as a series of intentional outdoor rooms. She replaced the narrow, broken brick patio with two distinct levels connected by a short stairway. From the main living areas, one steps onto an upper entertainment terrace with built-in seating and a fire pit. Descending a few steps leads to a private “spa room” oriented off the master bedroom, creating an intimate “boudoir atmosphere.” Skillfully, this division organized the garden’s functions, framed an unobstructed coastal view from above, and enhanced the ocean vista from both tiers.
Creating this flow required conquering a formidable logistical hurdle: access. A five-foot-wide side passage, crowded with utilities, was the only route to the rear patio. Morton notes the difficulty of maneuvering equipment and crews through such a tight squeeze, a common challenge in dense residential sites. Ultimately, this constrained zone was imaginatively converted into a sleek storage solution, featuring a custom hanging wall for surfboards and a vertical closet for wetsuits.
A defensive strategy shaped the planting on the steep, outward-facing slope. Morton employed a combination of large, immovable boulders and spiky agaves interwoven with native flowering plants. This “defensive planting,” she explains, naturally discourages intrusion while supporting local hummingbirds and butterflies, maximizing privacy and security without an austere fortresslike aesthetic. Every plant serves a broader purpose to the property and
REFERENCES
Tile Malibu Ceramic Works malibuceramicworks.com
Fabrics for upholstery Perennials perennialsfabrics.com
Spa
RHTubs Santa Monica rhtubs.com
Glass for fire pit
Diamond Fire Glass diamondfireglass.com
environment, blending practicality with ecological function.
Fragrance and personal utility defined the planting within private patios. For the avid gardener clients, Morton curated a sensory palette that included an olive tree, a ‘Pink Lemonade’ lemon, a classic Meyer lemon, culinary herbs, and pollinator-friendly flowers.
Vibrant Bougainvillea along the railings provides privacy and acts as a living stained-glass window, its papery bracts glowing in the evening sun.
“It enhances that relationship to the sunset,” Morton observes.
Grounding the project in sustainability was essential, particularly on a California hillside. With limited options for ground infiltration, the focus shifted to capture via installed rain barrels. Permeability was prioritized elsewhere, using pavers laid on sand to allow water to seep through. Morton views biodiversity as a core tenet, “packing in” life both horizontally and vertically.
Current page left to right: Gentle curves in seat design help blur edges and relates to the shoreline; Hot tub with focus on the view with steps leading to seating deck; Corten steel ribbons and Malibu boulders provide small terraces for reducing runoff and topsoil loss; Entrance with cobble wall and water feature
Her approach to vines exemplifies this layered thinking. “I weave in a couple of different vines, rather than just a monoculture,” she says, creating a tapestry of jasmine and trumpet vine that builds habitat for pollinators, birds and bees. This fosters a system where plants can intentionally compete, with mindful editing rather than rigid control. In Morton’s view, a garden is never a finished installation. She maintains
a “fine garden service” for clients, conducting regular check-ups rooted in skilled observation. This ongoing oversight involves asking “why” when a plant shows stress—is it irrigation, a pest or a natural cycle? Such attention ensures the garden evolves as a healthy, balanced ecosystem.
Just as a garden matures, so does the designer’s relationship with it. Morton finds deep satisfaction in stewarding a
landscape into what was first envisioned. This project, transforming clutter into a cohesive retreat, stands as a testament to a collaborative ethos. “We’re not creating nature,” she reflects. “We’re working with nature and the client’s personal expression.” Ultimately, this hillside haven reveals how constraint can spark creativity and how a small space, thoughtfully crafted, can expand and find renewed purpose.
ABOUT
Laura Morton Design and Associates LLC, founded by artist and certified landscape professional Laura Morton, FAPLD, creates award-winning outdoor spaces that elevate daily life. Based in Los Angeles since 2002, the studio crafts tailored landscapes rich with texture, color and thoughtfully integrated water, fire and plant elements. With a holistic, environmentally sensitive approach, Morton designs outdoor rooms that enhance lifestyle and property value. Her work has been featured in major publications. lauramortondesign.com
Top to bottom: Front entrance; Grill and cabinetry with a custom tile counter and repurposed antique teak doors
In 2018, landscape architect Steven Chavez was contracted to renovate the front yard for a retired couple in Santa Monica. The clients specified a landscape that was aesthetically pleasing, required minimal water and needed little upkeep, all within a Mediterranean style. The completed project, which utilized a climate-appropriate design methodology, demonstrates how sustainability in
landscaping is achieved by adapting to local environmental conditions rather than opposing them. Santa Monica’s coastal Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild, wet winters and long, dry summers, naturally lends itself to a specific ecosystem.
As a result, Chavez says the core principle of the renovation was to emulate that resilient, sun-drenched
ecology, not recreate a water-intensive English garden.
First to go was the thirsty traditional turfgrass lawn, which was replaced with Sandy Yellow decomposed granite and Yosemite pebbles to reduce water demand and maintenance. Chavez states that this created a clean, modern plane that supports broader planting layout and reinforces the Mediterranean
ambience. This was paired with a resilient and regionally appropriate plant palette, including golden jade, Swan Hill olive trees, African iris and foxtail agave. Flanking the olive trees, perfectly circular rings of custom-bent steel edging were put in place, defining the trees’ space, creating a crisp architectural finish. According to Chavez, achieving a flawless circle was one of
PLANTING
• Swan Hill Olive Trees
• Flapjacks
• Gazania
• Dymondia
• African Iris
• Golden Jade
• Blue Agave
• Foxtail Agave
the project’s key technical challenges. Standard, prefabricated edging couldn’t provide the precise curvature and clean line required. The solution was a collaboration with a local metal fabricator, who custom bent the steel to specification, ensuring both durability and a high-quality appearance.
Years after installation, the landscape reportedly maintains its performance with little intervention. The long-term sustainability results are clear and ongoing. These include a significant drop in water usage, accomplished by eliminating turf in favor of droughttolerant plants, which aligns with California’s critical need for water conservation. Maintenance, too, has been
radically reduced to sporadic pruning and grooming, thanks to the combination of durable hardscaping and self-reliant flora. The design also accounts for the coastal climate; selected materials like rust-resistant steel edging, compacting decomposed granite and native plants are all suited to withstand the saline air.
ABOUT
This Santa Monica renovation is more than a simple aesthetic upgrade. It is a thoughtful, forward-looking reflection on the local environment. It demonstrates that by embracing designing with nature, a landscape will continue to mature gracefully alongside its owners, requiring little but giving much.
Steven Chavez Landscape Architecture (SCLA) is a Los Angeles–based practice led by Steven Chavez. Chavez holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Washington and an MFA in Photography—specializing in urban landscape studies— from the University of Ulster. His professional foundation was shaped under the mentorship of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol. In addition to running SCLA, Chavez teaches landscape architecture at UCLA Extension and serves as the founder and executive director of the National Association of Minority Landscape Architects (NAMLA). stevenchavez.la
Tile-ready Pools & Spas Water Features Luxury Custom Indoor & Outdoor Bath Fixtures
SPECIALIZING IN
Builder: Turner Construction Photographer: Jimi Smith Photography
Value $1.24m
Build time 15 months Size
Rooftop 17,000 sq ft
Ground level 9,200 sq ft
Awards
2025 National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Awards of Excellence – Gold
2025 NALP Awards of Excellence – Judges’ Award
2025 Texas Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA) Texas Excellence in Landscaping (TEIL) - Gold
Sky-High Sanctuary
In the heart of Dallas’ urban core, where skyscrapers are juxtaposed against the Texan sky, a unique perspective of an oasis was planted—not at ground level, but 12 stories above the street. In 2021, Harwood International commissioned the commercial and residential landscape company, Southern Botanical, and the landscape architecture firm, Halff, to design and build the exterior areas of a new building in its “trophy portfolio,” the corporate office Harwood No. 14.
The client sought to create more than a visually pleasing terrace; they envisioned a tranquil, immersive natural space, capable of dissolving the frenetic energy of a busy commercial building. Inspired by the contemplative romanticism of Japanese gardens— influenced by Harwood International’s own extensive collection of Samurai armor at The Ann and Gabriel Bar
bier-Mueller Museum—the design team centered the concept on the principles of calm and restraint.
Winding stone pathways guide visitors through the space, framed by sculpted evergreens and layered plantings. Overhead, canopies of live oaks, star magnolias and Japanese maples create dappled shade and seasonal variation, ensuring the garden evolves as a dynamic, living entity throughout the year. According to Southern Botanical, each design choice was made to fulfill the client’s vision for a refined and tranquil environment that feels distinctly separate from the urban pace below.
While the project’s aesthetics evoke the spirit of Japanese gardens, its planting palette is pragmatically adapted to the Texas climate. Evergreen structure comes from boxwood, dwarf palmetto, juniper and nandina, whereas Texas
REFERENCES
Tree supplier
Moon Valley Nurseries moonvalleynurseries.com
Drainage supplier
SiteOne siteone.com
Mulch and soil mix supplier Living Earth livingearthtechnology.com
Tree supplier
Twin Lakes Nursery twinlakesnurseryltd.com
Lone Star Trees Lonestartrees.com
Plant supplier
Rubial’s Plants of Texas ruibals.com
Plant material supplier
Priority Trees and Shrubs plantant.com/nurseryavailability/1010894
sage and abelia contribute softness and seasonal rhythm. Southern Botanical reports that these elements are intentionally layered to create shadow, depth and a sense of calm along the pathways. Furthermore, at the tower’s base, curated beds extend the garden to the streetscape, using textures and sculptural pruning to echo the building’s architectural style.
The elevated, exposed rooftop location required specialized horticultural strategies to ensure long-term viability. Southern Botanical engineered a custom irrigation system integrated with subsurface drainage to precisely manage water delivery within the lightweight soil mix. To further mitigate heat and
wind stress, the team applies Hydretain, a soil additive that retains moisture and reduces watering frequency. Ongoing maintenance is tailored to the microclimate, with careful monitoring to support the garden’s resilience. Installation demanded meticulous logistical planning and craftsmanship, with all work selfperformed by Southern Botanical to maintain quality control. Materials, including mature specimen trees and custom stonework, were sourced nationwide. The main challenge was elevation: nearly every component required craning or hoisting to the 12th floor, requiring precise sequencing, equipment coordination and communication with other companies
ABOUT
working on the tower.
Operating within an active construction site, the team implemented phased installation plans and utilized overnight work windows to stay on schedule. Deliveries were synchronized with crane availability, and the site was rigorously organized to ensure safety in confined quarters. The landscaper states that this disciplined approach allowed the intricate design to be realized without compromise to quality or design intent.
Harwood No.14 illustrates the potential of landscape architecture to create meaningful, sustainable retreats within dense urban environments. By integrating Japanese design with Texan horticultural pragmatism and smart engineering solutions, the project transcends a mere rooftop terrace. It stands as a testament to the fusion of artistic vision and technical execution, establishing a high benchmark for elevated, immersive green spaces in the heart of the city.
For over 30 years, Southern Botanical has served Dallas–Fort Worth as a full-service landscape firm. Specializing in high-end residential and commercial properties, the company provides comprehensive design, construction and maintenance. Its in-house expertise spans horticulture, irrigation and tree care. It has been recognized on the 2025 LM150 list of top North American landscape companies. southernbotanical.com
BUILT-IN GRILLS • COMPONENTS • FIREPLACES • PARTS • MORE
Aquatics IN VIEW
A 30-year journey from aquariums to infinity pools defines SwimmingPoolWindows.com, where engineering meets artistry to turn acrylic into a pool’s most stunning feature
For commercial and residential designers seeking to elevate a pool from a standard amenity to a showstopper, often the solution lies in merging aesthetics with advanced engineering. This is the specialty of SwimmingPoolWindows.com. Operating from St. Augustine, Florida, the company is a fabricator and installer of acrylic pool windows, serving as an experienced project partner in transforming aquatic spaces into immersive star attractions.
Mathew Roy, owner and manager of SwimmingPoolWindows.com, describes his company’s product as an advancement over glass alternatives. “You are limited on sizes of glass sheets; you are not limited on acrylics,” he says. Roy further noting that the choice by designers for high-grade acrylics over glass is usually a choice driven by aesthetics, versatility and longevity.
The material allows for concept malleability, fabricating into “different lengths, heights, thicknesses, radiuses, angles and cylinders,” Roy explains. “There are so many things that you can do with
acrylic that you could never attempt with glass.” This capability is central to the company’s mission of blending functionality with artistry.
Roy’s career traces a clear arc of specialized expertise. Over 30 years, his work with acrylic windows evolved from public aquarium projects to the luxury pool market—a shift he calls a “natural progression to bring the technology to the swimming pool industry.” He officially channeled this expertise into his venture, SwimmingPoolWindows. com, nearly 10 years ago.
His authoritative standing in the field of custom acrylic fabrications was validated by an appearance on National Geographic WILD’s Fish Tank Kings. The TV series, which ran for three seasons starting in June of 2012, put the intense, high-stakes process of constructing
high-end aquariums on display, from panel fabrication to client reveals, reinforcing his profile as a leading industry specialist.
Today, this specialization defines his company’s approach.
SwimmingPoolWindows.com operates on a model rooted in partnership and engineering. Roy emphasizes a “deeply collaborative” process, working alongside architects and contractors from the start. This close coordination is vital because every installation is an engineered system.
“You just can’t simply place an acrylic window into a concrete pool wall,” he remarks, detailing the precision concrete channel, thermal spacing calculations and injected sealant required—each tailored to the site’s “annual delta temperature.” Ultimately, the end-product acrylic window serving as the elegant facade for this rigorous, unseen technical work.
Material quality is a firm priority for Roy, underscored by his company’s role as a certified Reynolds Polymer Technology dealer. He uses only their industrial-grade, UV-stable acrylic, citing its documented performance. “They have exterior exhibits around the world. You can inspect acrylic that’s over 30 years old, and it still looks incredible,” he says. He contrasts this with substandard products. “A lot of cheaper material on the market eventually turns yellow due to its inadequate manufactured process.” To guarantee their performance, SwimmingPoolWindows.com also offers a 10-year warranty on a product built for decades of use.
would look that stunning.” The installation functions as a dynamic design element, serving to amplify natural light by day and become a radiant architectural feature by night. Roy mentions the technical basis for this effect: “When lit at night, the top polished edge of the window glows with LED color because acrylic holds light comparative to acrylic fibre-optics”.
“The most frequent feedback we hear is that the client never imagined it would look that stunning”
Customer feedback often highlights a profound sense of surprise and visual impact. Roy summarizes a common response: “The most frequent feedback we hear is that the client never imagined it
A transformative ability to redefine a space—from a private residence to an upscale hotel— is central to the company’s appeal. Encapsulated by the slogan “Clearly Beautiful,” the work balances dramatic aesthetics with robust functionality. Beyond a simple fixture, the acrylic panels serve as interactive features, offering a distinctive visual engagement with the water. According to Roy, the value lies in this duality: “It’s not merely functional; it’s interactive. It allows someone to watch swimmers on the other side, functioning as both an artistic architectural feature and a practical viewing window.” This is especially true when the acrylic is used as the luminous edge of a vanishing-wall pool.
For SwimmingPoolWindows.com, innovation is not in reinventing acrylic but in reimagining its possibilities. The
evolution takes shape in sweeping curved panels, seamless mitered joints and dramatic fountain walls. In a landscape of increasingly similar luxury amenities, the company offers a signature statement. Its trajectory mirrors a larger shift toward uniting engineering rigor with creative vision. With a compact, expert team, the business shows how deep specialization can transform a field—proving that clarity of purpose yields both literal and figurative impact. As Roy’s path from aquariums to elite pools reveals, meaningful advancement often comes from seeing familiar material through a new lens.
for installing pre-cast concrete pools
How to install a pre-cast pool in 48 hours, creating major new
revenue streams
Carl St-Jean, a second-generation pool expert and co-owner of Bayto Pools, believes precast concrete pool systems offer a distinct revenue opportunity for landscapers. Here, StJean details the rapid installation process and makes the case for why this pool fabrication model represents a practical addition to a business’s service offerings.
What is the installation process for precast concrete pools?
St-Jean begins by setting the ground for a smooth installation, which he says hinges on-site prep and an appropriately sized crane. “The process begins by excavating the site, removing the material and then laying a level, six-inch base of threequarter-inch crushed stone. Once that’s prepared, the crane can be brought in.”
At this stage, he stresses the importance of crane logistics. “It’s crucial to involve a crane company on-site during planning. They need to know the exact weight of the pool shell and its placement. For instance, lifting a pool 40–60ft could require moving from a 60-ton to a 120-ton crane.” Underestimating these requirements, he notes, can lead to cost overruns and project delays.
How is a 48-hour schedule for full installation achieved?
The 48-hour workflow timeline requires precise coordination, StJean outlines, where the crane and pool delivery must be synchronized with other key trades. “The electrician needs to be there as soon as the crane leaves,” he says, allowing bonding wires to be run before backfilling and avoiding rework. He adds that the system is designed to streamline complex tasks. “Our pools come pre-plumbed into
the shell—we call it plug-and-play,” St-Jean explains. This extends to a preassembled equipment package: “The guys just run the lines from the pool to that unit.” This standardization significantly cuts on-site plumbing time and complexity.
What is a pre-installation step that contractors should manage?
Secure all permits and finalize site access before scheduling delivery. “There are a lot of moving parts,” St-Jean comments, citing client adjustments and municipal approvals. While Bayto
What makes these prefabricated models a compelling business opportunity?
A simplified pool installation’s value extends well beyond convenience, directly tackling industry pain points. “It solves the issue with labor shortage,” St-Jean argues, as the process requires fewer workers for less time, boosting profit margins and scalability. By keeping the installation in-house, landscapers eliminate the time coordinating with separate pool builders. The result, he says, is a better outcome for everyone: “You dig on Monday, set the pool on Tuesday and swim on Wednesday.”
provides engineering documents, the installer must ensure the city has signed off and the site is ready. “Manufacturing is typically not the time constraint, we can have it delivered on the exact day they want it,” he underscores—prompt start-to-finish execution depends on the organization of the contractor and client.
ABOUT
With 40 years of family expertise, brothers Dave and Carl St-Jean founded Bayto Pools in 2024. Their signature work—a precast concrete plunge pool installed in 48 hours—is expanding across North America, transforming how pools are built and enjoyed.
baytopools.com
EVOLUTION SOAKING IN
Introducing the latest innovations in residential pools: from space-saving fiberglass designs to pre-cast concrete options and a revolutionary app that simplifies installation
Latham Astoria 12
Latham has expanded its Astoria series with the new Astoria 12, a 12’ x 28’ fiberglass pool and spa combination. Designed with a compact footprint, this model includes a built-in spa, a tanning ledge, and swim-up ledges. It targets homeowners seeking a resort-style experience in limited space. Featuring integrated amenities, it represents a premium, space-conscious solution. Made from fiberglass, the unit promises durability and faster installation. lathampool.com
Latham
MeasureGo
MeasureGo is Latham’s new mobile app for digitally measuring pools for safety covers. Leveraging Apple’s LiDAR scanner, it captures millions of data points to create an accurate project map. This technology allows a single technician to obtain precise measurements efficiently. Enabling real-time drawings and instant accuracy verification, the app streamlines the entire quote process. Designed for iOS devices, it serves as a user-friendly counterpart to Latham’s professional MeasurePro system, which handles complex custom covers and liners. Reducing measurement errors, the tool modernizes and speeds up the fitting workflow for covers. lathampool.com
Latham
Fiberglass Plunge Pools
Blending practical function with stylish design, Latham’s plunge pools are versatile installations. Ideal for smaller yards, these models also serve as luxurious accents in larger landscapes. Marketed for convenience, they offer faster installation and easier maintenance with less chemical use. New models like Milan and Enchantment provide both luxury and longevity. Measuring 10’ x 16’, Milan features slipresistant steps leading to a four-foot-deep soaking area. Enchantment measures 9’ x 17’ and boasts a built-in tanning ledge, reaching a depth of 4ft 9in. lathampool.com
Bayto Pools
Pre-cast concrete pools
Bayto Pools manufactures its pre-cast concrete pools in three compact sizes. The single-piece design prioritizes structural integrity and aims to minimize common issues like cracking. Each complete pool system includes a variable-speed pump, filtration, LED lighting and a salt system. A key feature is installation flexibility, allowing for fully in-ground, partially recessed or fully aboveground placement. baytopools.com
Flow and form
A selection of water feature kits for patios and ponds, from self-contained fountains to customizable bowls and filtration systems
Atlantic-Oase
Aura Vase Fountain Kits
Aura Vase Fountain Kits provide a method for adding a decorative element to water features. The kits feature vases made of hammered brass. They are installed onto separate fountain basins. Installation is described as straightforward – it involves placing the basin, connecting the vase to a submersible pump using included plumbing components and filling the reservoir. atlantic-oase.com
Aquascape
Atlantic-Oase
FiltoClear and AquaMax pumps
Oase has released a new generation of its FiltoClear pressurized pond filter. The unit provides combined mechanical and biological filtration. Enhancements include more powerful UVC bulbs, a revised handle and sponge system, and new two-way valves. It offers a “Clear Water Guarantee” too, when the filter is used with a specified AquaMax Eco pump. atlantic-oase.com
Spillway Bowl and Basin Fountain Kit
Aquascape
Stacked Slate Urn Fountain Kit
Designed for versatility, the 24” Stacked Slate Urn Fountain Kit can be installed in various locations. Made from a lightweight fiber-resin composite, it is crafted to resemble natural stone. aquascapeinc.com
This kit is set-up as a recirculating water feature, available in two diameters: 32” (81 cm) for the spillway bowl and 40in (102 cm) for the basin. Both components are made from glass fiber reinforced concrete with a natural patina finish. It uses an AquaBasin® 45 reservoir, which has a capacity of 98 gallons and is made from high-density polyethylene, backed by a lifetime warranty. Included is an Ultra 2000 water pump, along with the pipe and fittings for assembly. aquascapeinc.com
Aquascape
Stacked Slate Sphere Fountain Kit
The Stacked Slate Sphere Fountain Kit is a complete water feature system. It includes an AquaBasin® 30 reservoir, plumbing, and an Ultra 1500 pump. Its primary sphere is made from a lightweight, durable fiber-resin composite that mimics stacked slate. Water is devised to rise through the center and flow over the textured surface. The spherical shape is promoted as versatile for various settings. An optional Fire Fountain Add-On Kit is available to combine flame and water effects. aquascapeinc.com
Aquascape Fountain Bowls
The Fountain Bowl system is engineered as a customizable water feature for contained gardens. It can be placed on surfaces such as decks, patios, porches and balconies, or integrated into existing water features. Users can personalize the bowl by adding elements like fountain spitters, aquatic plants, and small fish species. The product is constructed from a lightweight, durable fiber-resin composite with a finish resembling earthenware. The round Fountain Bowl is available in three color options and four size variations. Available in 32”, 40”, 50” and 60” diameters. aquascapeinc.com
Atlantic-Oase
Color Changing Colorfalls Bundle
Atlantic Oase introduces its Color Changing Colorfalls Project Bundles, a water feature solution for new or existing hardscapes. Each kit provides necessary Atlantic components, including a color-changing waterfall unit, a formal spillway basin, a pump and essential plumbing. Designed for versatility, the kit accommodates various engineered stone sizes and offer three spillway widths (12”, 24”, 36”) to fit any design. atlantic-oase.com
Atlantic-Oase
Hammered Brass Bowl Kits
The Hammered Brass Bowl Kits are presented as a complete solution for a simple water feature installation. The system’s efficiency is attributed, by Atlantic Oase, to a redesigned Eco-Rise configuration, which incorporates Small Eco-Blox, a pump vault, and specialized diverters to minimize excavation. Key components include a diverter that supports high-flow 1” PVC pipe with single union valves for simplified adjustments. Each kit is supplied with necessary installation parts. atlantic-oase.com
Atlantic-Oase
Basalt Columns
Atlantic Water Gardens’ Basalt Kits provide the components for a natural stone water feature, emphasizing simplified installation. A key design feature positions the plumbing atop the basin within recessed channels to prevent tube damage during setup. The product line offers configurations including single columns at 24” or 30” heights, as well as triple-column kits with varying heights for different spaces. An optional lighting accessory, Fountain Lights, can be added to produce an illuminated effect after sunset. atlantic-oase.com
What’s up next for
DESIGN • BUILD • MAINTAIN
Get involved in our February 2026 issue
Our second edition of the year will highlight Tools, Kit and Equipment, Resin and Natural Stone—there are lots of ways to get involved. We’ll also feature an overview of who is going to this year’s NAHB International Builder’ Show, the largest light construction show in the world, which is taking place on February 17-19 at Orlando, Florida. You’ll find business advice and opinion pieces from industry experts too, as well as three inspiring portfolios.
For editorial inquiries:
Edward Brown Deputy editor
Want to see yourself in Pro Landscaper USA? Reach out today!
edward.brown@eljays44.com
For sales inquiries:
Dan Green Sales manager dan.green@eljays44.com
How well do you Respond to Business?
Bob Williamson grades businesses on their customer responsiveness, using recent personal purchasing experiences to illustrate a critical competitive advantage
Ihave experienced so many companies that are slow to respond when I show interest in doing business. Over the past three weeks, I attempted to make the following purchases, with very different levels of success. Here’s how each went, and my grade so far:
Car Detail – Grade: A+
I texted a local young man, Jake, who started his own car detailing business. He replied within 10 minutes and scheduled the job. Despite my wife’s initial reluctance to spend money, she was thrilled and even told me my car needed the same service.
Jake followed up with a personal text to make sure I was satisfied. No arduous surveys, no hoops to jump through, just prompt service. This is exactly the kind of responsiveness that builds trust and keeps customers coming back.
Remote Starter for a 2015 Honda Odyssey –
Grade: F
I initially called a local car radio shop, where the previous owner was a friend of my wife. The new owner put me through
phone-tree hell, and after leaving a message, I received nothing. When I pressed zero for a human, they informed me that they no longer offer the service, despite their website saying they do.
Next, I called another local provider with a great website and pictures of fancy cars. A very nice young woman promised her boss would call back in 15 minutes – nothing.
Finally, I tried my local dealership. Great website, great showroom – zero response to the website form I dutifully filled out and submitted.
All this effort yielded only one definitive “no,” despite repeated attempts.
Small Landscape Addition – Grade: C
I wanted a small prayer garden around a meaningful statue in my backyard. I sent pictures to the guy who mows my lawn, He had expressed interest in doing more than just mowing.
He ended up forgetting all about the project when the fall clean-up season got busy. He is reliable during mowing season, so he earns a C rather than a lower grade.
But spring will likely be the same.
iPhone Cleaning – Grade: A+
I drive by a small phone repair shop in an old strip mall almost daily. I filled out their online form and received a text within five minutes explaining exactly how they would handle it.
I stopped in the next day, and my phone was fixed in under 10 minutes. I had been prepared to buy a new phone. I didn’t need to but now I know exactly where I’ll go when that time comes.
“Being responsive is simple, yet so many businesses fail at it”
Do You Know
How Your Business Scores?
You should. Being responsive is simple, yet so many businesses fail at it. Clear, timely communication is enough to put you ahead of most competitors.
Bob Williamson, pest and lawn director at Cetane Associates, brings decades of expertise in residential services like lawn care and plumbing. Having overseen 40+ acquisitions, he provides strategic growth guidance and shares industry insights through publications, offering clients expert advisory support. bwilliamson@cetane.com
Interviews Little The
Other than the US, which country’s landscape inspires you?
Mexico, especially South Mexico is gorgeous.
You’re on vacation— lounge on the beach or explore a new city?
Beach all the time, Maui is my happy place.
Best piece of advice?
Be curious, not judgmental.
Dream project?
Building a training and leadership academy for the green industry, a place where people from every background can rise, learn and find purpose.
One thing that you think would make the industry better?
More investment in people! Tools evolve, software changes, tech improves, but nothing grows without people!
Trend you’re tired of?
Chasing Shortcuts.
Other than the US, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?
I really enjoy seeing the landscape designs in Morocco. They can be so tranquil while still incorporating unique and bright tiles.
You’re on vacation—lounge on the beach or explore a new city?
I love to have the best of both worlds. Split the day exploring in the morning, then relax on the beach once things get busy!
Dream project?
Designing a compound for my friends and family to live at.
One thing that would make the industry better?
Better plant maintenance after the project is complete. Ongoing care really makes or breaks how the softscape is meant to look over time.
Trend you’re tired of?
AI designs that are impossible to build.
Other than the US, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?
Italy, the way Italian landscapes integrate architecture, agriculture, and long-term planning combined with the variety of plants used across different regions is impressive.
You’re on vacation—lounge on the beach or explore a new city?
I’m naturally curious about outdoor spaces and how people interact with them, so I would choose to explore.
Best piece of advice?
Take care of the fundamentals, and the growth will follow.
One thing that you think would make the industry better?
Continuing to invest more in our people. When crews and managers are well trained and supported, retention improves, enhancement pipelines grow, culture improves, and clients feel the difference.
