S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1
GRO UNDWORK
Plant of the Month— Appreciating the Wild Beauty of Ferns How Consistent Lake Management Helps Create More Enjoyable Properties What Now for Landscape Managers After the Brood X Cicada Action Steps for Employee Engagement —DECADE AWARD— Bodkin Point Residence McHale Landscape Design, Inc.
M D•D C•VA
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R S A S S O C I AT I O N
S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1
GRO UNDWORK
CONTENTS Calendar of Events
4
President’s Message
5
Plant of the Month—Athyrium niponicum 6 2020 Grand Award—Bodkin Point Residence
10
How Consistent Lake Management Helps Create More Enjoyable Properties
12
What Now for Landscape Managers After the Brood X Cicada
16
Action Steps for Employee Engagement
19
Advertising Information
22
LCA's 2021
Annual Networking Dinner and Awards Celebration October 28, 2021 Bethesda Marriott | Bethesda, Maryland
Come join the re-envisioned annual event and have more networking time! Enjoy our speaker, a reception, a plated dinner, and the annual awards program!
PLANT OF THE MONTH
DECADE AWARD
See page 15 for more information.
Japanese Painted Fern Athyrium niponicum
Bodkin Point Residence McHale Landscape Design, Inc.
Feature and Plant of the Month articles can also be found online for LCA members under the GROUNDWORK link in your profile home page at www.lcamddcva.org
CALENDAR OCTOBER 2021 28
Annual Networking Dinner and Awards Celebration
16, 17
1–28
Glenstone Tour and Learning Workshops
Paul Jester—President
J&G Landscape Design, Inc.—(301) 476-7600
Aaron Raines—Immediate Past President
Live Green Landscape Associates, LLC —(443) 763-8580
Ron Rubin—Vice President SavATree—(703) 625-4400
Jeff Rossen—Secretary/Treasurer JRossen Landscape—(703) 327-2284
Bethesda Marriott Bethesda, Maryland
DIRECTORS Krisjan Berzins
Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape—(703) 921-9200
Matt Glover, CLT
NOVEMBER 16
2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Wray Brothers Landscapes—(301) 906-1571 Potomac, Maryland
Josh Kane, CLT
Kane Landscapes, Inc.—(703) 803-3146
DECEMBER
Zack Kline
Foremanship Training
James Kole, CLT
FEBRUARY 2022
Kristen Mowery
Pesticide & Fertilizer Recertification
A.I.R.—(240) 772-1639 Level Green Landscaping—(240) 429-3153 McHale Landscape Design, Inc.—(240) 508-8056 Virtual
Barry Schneider
Surrounds, Inc.—(703) 906-7600
Jeff Waters
SiteOne Landscape Supply—(240) 375-7470
LCA STAFF Thérèse O. Clemens, CAE Executive Director Julianne Clarke, Membership Services Manager Julie Hill, Senior Marketing Director Meghan Maker, Marketing Manager Lynne Agoston, Managing Editor Maryia Alenchyk, Production Manager Victoria Baltz, Production/Project Coordinator Barbara Bienkowski, CEM Exhibits/Sponsorship Manager Lynette Randazzo, Meetings Manager Dawn Rosenfeld, Director of Accounting Services Deryck White, Website Manager GROUNDWORK, the official publication of the Landscape
No Matter the Season...
We’ve Got You Covered McCartin Insurance offers liability insurance tailored for landscape contractors.
Contractors Association, MD•DC•VA, is published bimonthly by LCA, 1300 Piccard Drive, Suite LL 14, Rockville, MD 20850. P: (301) 948-0810 F: (301) 990-9771 E: lca@lcamddcva.org W: www.lcamddcva.org. Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–5 pm (EST). LCA is not responsible for opinions expressed and facts presented by contributing authors. Editorial Deadline: The deadline to submit copy is the 20th of the month for the following bimonthly issue and is on a space–available basis. Advertising & Classifieds: All ads must be high-resolution PDF and pre‑paid. Contact Barbara Bienkowski at bbienkowski@msp-amc.com for more information and the deadline schedule. Copyright © 2021: Landscape Contractors Association, MD•DC•VA. Reproduction of any material allowed only with prior written permission from LCA. LCA’s core purpose is to advance the success of its members and provide a community for green industry professionals.
PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS FOR LESS CALL OR VISIT US TODAY TO SAVE!
301-837-1080 / www.mccartin.com GROUNDWORK 4 SEPTE M BER/O C TO BER 2 0 2 1
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Paul Jester, PLA, ASLA 2021 President
Our Mission
Hope you had a great summer! Through the summer heat and rain, it sounds like you all have remained busy and are looking forward to the cooler fall months. While I have enjoyed a few beach weekends, I am excited to start planning for fall camping trips with the family. I hope each of you has been able to create a healthy work-life balance during these hectic months.
the calendar, and we hope to see you all there.
LCA has remained busy exploring options on how best to provide networking and educational opportunities for our members. While it has been an eternity of online meetings and planning for events, we are excited to announce that we are emerging from pandemic life with a calendar that is filling up with both in-person and virtual programs. With this in mind, I thought this would be a great time to review the mission that the LCA board and our members believe in and aim to support:
•
Our mission is to advance the success of members and provide a community for landscape industry professionals. We know that there is no going back to “normal,” but our goal is always to provide the best possible opportunities for networking and education. We have a variety of events on
•
Annual Networking Dinner and Awards Celebration (October 28, 2021) We missed you last year and are excited to celebrate the amazing projects you create. We have revamped the celebrations, so check your email for more information. Can’t wait to see you there. Glenstone Tour and Learning Workshops (November 16, 2021) While still tentative, we are thrilled to have an opportunity to partner with Glenstone for this event. Keep an eye on your email for more details. • Foremanship Training (December 16 and 17, 2021) An LCA favorite returns! A great opportunity to educate and train your crews. •
P e s t i c id e & Fe r t i l i z e r Recertification (Virtual Program, Februar y 1–28, 2022) Well-received as a virtual program in 2021, we are happy to announce that the Pesticide & Fertilizer Recertification will return in 2022 with great speakers and new topics.
LCA continues to monitor all safety concerns and CDC guidelines as we plan these events. We want to provide these opportunities for you and keep everyone healthy and safe. We would love to hear from you on other ideas and training opportunities that would benefit you or your company within the organization. Do not hesitate to reach out to me directly with ideas; I would love to discuss them and make sure we continue offering the best options we can. As always, I want to thank each and every one of our members for supporting this organization and being involved with LCA. As we look forward to in-person and continued virtual events, we hope to be supportive and helpful to each of you and your companies. We are excited to continue providing these networking and educational events moving forward. Have a great fall, and I am excited to see you all at the Annual Networking and Awards Celebration this October. Be safe,
Paul Jester, PLA, ASLA LCA President 2021
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Plant of the Month
Appreciating the Wild Beauty of Ferns By Joe Giglio, Surrounds
I’ve spent a lot of time hiking trails in the Appalachian Mountains and the woodlands of Virginia. I think that is where my fondness for ferns began. Standing in the midst of a forest floor blanketed with ferns makes me appreciate nature even more. They add a soft, warm touch to nature’s canvas that is very inviting to any nature buff and even beckon deer to bed down and rest in them. Ferns are native to many regions across North America in shady woodlands, bogs, and swamps. There are around 380 species of ferns found in North America, and 15 of them are native to Virginia. Some of the most common in Virginia are Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (cinnamon fern), Phegopteris hexagonoptera (broad beech fern), Pteridium aquilinum (common bracken), Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern), and Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern). Ferns are an ancient plant dating to the Devonian period and having a fossil record of about 360
million years old. They are genuinely a tried-and-true plant that has stood the test of time. Ferns are cold hardy and found in hardiness zones 3–8, and they are resistant to many diseases, insects, and deer.
Athyrium niponicum— Japanese Painted Fern The fern I admire most is Athyrium niponicum ( Japanese painted fern). Its luminescent blue-green fronds display dark central ribs that fade to silver at the edges, making this fern a standout with striking character and color. I like to use them in beds as specimens or fillers or sometimes as part of a seasonal arrangement in planters.
Stand Out or Blend In Although ferns are a versatile perennial that come in a diverse range of colors, textures, and sizes, they are frequently overlooked for use in landscape plans. This puzzles me because they can easily be used in a specimen plant grouping or mixed among other shade plants. For example, I think ferns would complement the more commonly used shade
Native to the woodlands of Japan, Korea, and China, A. niponicum is an easy-to-grow, maintenance-free perennial. As long as you have moist soil and a shady environment, it will thrive and bring years of enjoyment. Japanese painted fern.
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Colesville Nursery Inc Ashland, VA • 804-798-5472
Northern Neck Nursery Warsaw, VA • 804-333-3981
Country Ridge Nursery Roaring River, NC • 336-984-4050
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Plant of the Month continued plants such as hostas, caladiums, astilbes, and dicentras. Or a group planting around an ornamental tree would accentuate it and add some substance to the landscape. We recently completed a garden enhancement project featuring a living green wall of shady perennials to their outdoor living space that included ferns. The green wall was installed on a stone retaining wall under a nearby pergola. We blended a variety of shade perennials and the ferns to create a striking focal point in the client’s lounge area under the pergola. It was an instant success, and the client raved about their new addition to the landscape. They and their guest can enjoy it during their gettogethers and festivities.
Value, Versatility, and Character Ferns are what I call the “ultimate marvel plant”; this simple plant has so much value, versatility, and character. It has an immediate impact when added to virtually any landscape.
Incorporating ferns into landscapes contributes an inviting, natural, woodsy feel that is out of the ordinary. They can be planted in the crevices of a cascading waterfall feature, around a koi pond, along walking paths, in landscape beds beneath trees or shrubs, and even in hanging basket displays and planters. There are many other applications for ferns. It’s a great plant to turn ordinary and barren shady areas into a haven of lush goodness. I have fun with ferns personally, and on my shaded patio, I have a large strawberry pot adorned with various ferns. Ferns are also practical in helping with areas prone to erosion and slow water drainage on sloped elevations. When planted in rocked dry creek swales, they add character and help with water management. Using ferns in a formal or natural setting is a win-win and should be considered by more professionals and new gardeners alike. The key to having a successful shade garden is simple: have fun with it. Don’t be afraid to try new things or some “ancient” things. Ferns are an ancient ultimate marvel plant!
Woodland ferns along the Appalachian Trail.
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2020 Decade Award
Bodkin Point Residence McHale Landscape Design, Inc.
GROUNDWORK 10 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
Our firm installed a comprehensive design build project in 2006. We began maintenance in 2007. This waterfront property at Bodkin Point, Maryland, requires weekly mowing and detail visits. The client has high expectations and demands that the property is always tidy, clean, and well manicured. We provide all horticultural services, including water management, deer control, hardscape pressure washing, arbor care, and chemical turf applications. GROUNDWORK 11 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
How Consistent Lake Management Helps Create More Enjoyable Properties By Noel Browning, Aquatic Biologist at SOLitude Lake Management
Lakes, rivers, beaches, and even swimming pools have beneficial effects on the well-being of visitors that are hard to define. Water is not only essential for our survival but it also has a profoundly relaxing and refreshing impact on people’s mental health and happiness. Human beings will always be inextricably connected to water physically, mentally, and spiritually. This helps explain why areas near large water systems are common vacation destinations and highly desirable places for residential communities, golf courses, and attractions. It also underscores
the importance of preserving our precious aquatic resources. Maintaining balanced aquatic ecosystems is more important than ever as water scarcity, eutrophication, drought, and increasing demand continue to cause depletion and degradation of water quality worldwide. Water pollution can lead to harmful algal blooms, toxicity, nuisance and invasive aquatic weed growth, bad odors, and even taste issues in drinking water reservoirs, among many other issues. These types of water quality challenges can lead
to diminished property value and will undoubtedly have a negative effect on swimming, boating, fishing, wildlife watching, and overall enjoyment of nature. In many areas, it’s common for water quality problems to shut down lakes and beaches throughout the summer, but few people are cognizant of why these problems occur and how significantly they can threaten our innate connection with the water. Assessing and addressing issues with water quality requires the experience and knowledge of
An unstable shoreline can lead to a host of problems, including nutrient pollution, muck development, loss of volume, and other concerning issues. GROUNDWORK 12 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
How Consistent Lake Management Helps Create More Enjoyable Properties continued experts who focus on optimizing all the benefits that balanced water can provide.
management recommendations and informs the use of eco-friendly tools and advanced technologies.
Preserving and enhancing water quality calls for successful proactive management with long-term results in mind. Lake and pond management is a science, and taking all variables into account is the only way to address water quality issues at their root causes. Aquatic biologists pay close attention to detail and consider the entire aquatic ecosystem when collecting sound physical, chemical, and biological data.
Depending on the challenges your waterbody faces, it may require a combination of solutions. Fountains and submersed aerators are excellent at increasing healthy dissolved oxygen levels in the water while circulating different areas of the water column. Likewise, new aeration solutions like oxygen saturation technology are changing the game by making it possible to directly inject oxygen into the water to correct deficiencies, eliminate bottom muck, and potentially end reliance on herbicides.
Water quality assessments are a common starting point to uncover this important information and identify potential nutrient imbalances, pollutants, watershed inputs, algal populations, or other problems. With every visit to your waterbody, aquatic biologists can learn more from each new water sample. This data creates a basis for
In the event that herbicides are required to achieve lasting aquatic weed control, advanced drone technology is now available to efficiently and precisely target affected areas. Drones also aid in surveillance, making it easier than ever to identify problems such as eroded shorelines,
Beautiful lakes and ponds can help enhance a golf course’s reputation. GROUNDWORK 13 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
How Consistent Lake Management Helps Create More Enjoyable Properties continued which can be rebuilt with innovative mesh technologies that integrate seamlessly into the landscape for lasting stabilization. These efforts are often paired with sediment removal strategies like hydro-raking and the application of nutrient management products that prevent future algae and aquatic weed growth. These steps can be further supported with the introduction of deeprooted native vegetation, which form beneficial shoreline buffers that prevent undesirable nutrients and pollutants from entering the water. These solutions provide immediate benefits, but they are not permanent. Lakes and ponds require year-round care for long-term success. An annual management program comprehensively supports aquatic ecosystems with many of these solutions and others that nurture waterbody health and functionality. When an annual plan is uniquely tailored to the individual characteristics of your waterbody, you can maximize the many physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of time spent around the water. Noel Browning is an aquatic biologist with SOLitude Lake Management, a leading environmental firm specializing in sustainable lake, pond, wetland, and fisheries management solutions. Learn more about this topic at www.solitudelakemanagement.com/knowledge.
Consistent aquatic management is key to maximizing the use and enjoyment of a lake or pond.
New technologies like drones are making surveillance and herbicide applications safer and more efficient than ever. GROUNDWORK 14 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
LCA's 2021
Annual Networking Dinner and Awards Celebration Re-Envisioned
Sponsors:
October 28, 2021 Bethesda Marriott | Bethesda, Maryland
Bloom Newsom Seed, Inc. Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements SavATree SiteOne Landscape Supply
Come join the re-envisioned annual event and enjoy more time networking! An annual awards program task force has worked to enhance our annual celebration experience! We’re holding the program in late October rather than a later month. We’re starting at 4:00 pm to get ahead of traffic. We’re providing one drink ticket for all who register, and the cash bar will be open. We’re welcoming sponsors who are supporting our program and joining us for the evening. We’re printing a program featuring our award winners and thanking our sponsors. We’re having a plated dinner and a dessert buffet. We’re providing a photographer and station for pictures with LCA leadership. We’re live-streaming portions on social media. We’re featuring slides of all winning projects, and special slides highlighting the submitting companies. Finally, we’re planning a special recognition of an industry leader and LCA founder.
Schedule 4:00 pm
Pre-function speaker (To be announced)
4:30–5:30 pm Reception (1 drink ticket included. Cash bar.) 5:30 pm
Dinner begins
6:00 pm
Awards program begins
Scan the QR-code or go to www.lcamddcva.org/page/2021Celebration
This not-to-be-missed networking dinner is for all members and their guests!
LCA will follow Montgomery County mask guidelines, which require masks to be worn when individuals are not actively eating or drinking. This event will be rescheduled if government restrictions are imposed. GROUNDWORK 15 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
What Now for Landscape Managers After the Brood X Cicada Stanton Gill, Extension Specialist in Nursery and Greenhouse IPM, Central Maryland Research and Education Center, University of Maryland Extension; Professor with the Landscape Technology Program, Montgomery College
The noise of the Brood X periodical cicadas has ceased. You may hear some noise from the Dog-Day cicadas in August, but fortunately, they will not be as destructive as the Brood X periodical cicadas. Most nurseries in Maryland did not suffer damage, but the ones that did all reported rather severe dieback of branches in which female cicadas oviposited. In the landscape, the damage was rather severe in many parts of D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland. In landscapes that suffered damage to the tip branches, in most cases, the damaged branches have been either broken off by wind and rainstorms or pruned off. Many of these small dead tip branches are laying scattered about in the landscape. The female cicadas concentrated most of their egg ovipositing into thinner branch tips. Unfortunately, there is a fair amount of damage that occurred on large-diameter branches further into the canopy of the landscape trees. When the female cicadas oviposited into the branches, they also laid down a chemical that acts as a growth hormone that keeps the wound area from closing over completely. This damage will be very apparent this fall and winter when the foliage drops off the tree. Some customers may find this damage unacceptable. The damaged tissue will be apparent for several years. Pruning it off is the best action you can take.
Acerrubrum.
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What Now for Landscape Managers After the Brood X Cicada continued
Cicada damage on Ilex glabra.
Crabapple.
The good news for Maryland growers and managers is that, while the rest of the United States has been under heat and drought stress for the last two months, here in Maryland, we had an overall cooler than normal July and frequent rains. Plants tend to regenerate new growth under these weather conditions. While cutting back a tree to what Steve Black calls a “hat-rack” may look bad, it will likely fill in if the cool weather remains and frequent rains continue.
Female cicada and egg slits on Heritage Birch-June 3, 2004-CMREC-Suzanne Klick.
The interesting thing is that, while visiting several nurseries and in landscapes, I noticed that Ginkgo trees in each of the nurseries were basically devoid of any Cicada ovipositional damage. No doubt about it, your field workers certainly got a real workout this summer, but on the positive side, their upper body muscles should be in fantastic condition after this summer exercise.
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Available Throughout February 2022
2022 | ON DEMAND
Pesticide and Fertilizer Applicator Recertification Conference Register by February 25, 2022 ALL SESSIONS MUST BE COMPLETED BY 11:59 pm, FEBRUARY 28, 2022, TO EARN CREDITS OFFERED. Weather, social distancing, travel time, and parking headaches no longer pose difficulties! Learn ONLINE at your home or office. Preserve winter snow removal work opportunities and complete your recertification study at your own pace. Confirmed Instructors • • • • • • •
Ron Alexander, Principal, R. Alexander Associates, Inc. Ray Bosmans, University of Maryland Extension Richard J. Buckley, Rutgers University Lori Chamberlin, Virginia Department of Forestry Dave Clement, University of Maryland Extension Margery Daughtry, Cornell University Stanton Gill, University of Maryland Extension
2022 Credits Credits for multiple categories from Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, Delaware, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania for pesticide and fertilizer applicators as well as for BCMAs and LIC technicians are applied for and will be posted on the LCA website when approved.
2022 Participant Fees Registration Category LCA Members Nonmembers
Through Jan. 16 to Jan. 15, 2022 Feb. 26, 2022 $ 95 $135 $145 $185
Sponsor the Recertification Conference Reserve your sponsorship at LCA’s 2022 Pesticide and Fertilizer Applicator Recertification Conference to gain visibility for your company and promote your products or services to conference attendees.
Sponsorship Fee: $300 LCA members/$325 non-members • Logo on introductory welcome slide with all sponsors. • Three-minute pre-recorded video at beginning of sponsored segment; 30-second thank you at end of sponsored session. • Logo hyperlinked on LCA website, and name listing in promotional emails. • Recognition in LCA Gram & Groundwork Magazine. • Sponsor may provide a 1-minute video for LCA’s Facebook page, in addition to LCA’s thank you to our sponsors recognition. • Attendee list for post-conference follow-up (provided registrant opts-in.) •
One free ad in LCA Gram.
To reserve your sponsorship, please contact Barbara Bienkowski, bbienkowski@msp-amc.com, (240) 404-6481. GROUNDWORK 18 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
Action Steps for Employee Engagement By Robin Clayton
The definition of employee engagement is “the level of an employee’s commitment and connection to any organization.” If that sounds too “bookish” to you, think of the opposite: an employee who doesn’t “connect” with his/her workplace. They are there, but they only do as they are told. Never an extra effort, never an extra moment. No business can “suffer” with very many of these employees. But a small company will absolutely sink with employees who aren’t engaged—those who don’t feel like they “fit in” or “belong.”
ness. As an owner or manager, you set the tone. How? Here are several suggestions that seem like common sense, but you need to make them happen and not assume that they are already in place.
Making Engagement Happen
2. Ask them some questions and then listen. Listening is an active choice. You hear some things whether you want to or not—we can’t turn off our ears. But you have to make an effort to listen, and it’s an effort that will pay off. When you get better at listening, you will hear things
How does employee engagement happen? At the very beginning, it’s all about hiring the right person. But that topic is for another article altogether. The next step is creating the right environment at your busi-
1. Know your employees. You’re not there to be their best friend or parent, but you need to know a little about them. What’s important to them? What are their goals? Are they “passing through” or do they want to stay? What special skills do they have?
that make you ask a follow-up question. Then your employees will really know you are listening. When you hit the “master” level of listening, you can listen between the lines. This will help you really understand and know your employees better. 3. Build trust. This is so much easier said than done! You build trust by living up to your word and by telling employees that you treat the trust issue as a twoway street. If they trust that you are there for them, they’ll even tell you when they’ve really messed up. Imagine this scenario: An employee ships a product to the wrong address. If he/ she feels trusted and trusts his/ her boss, if the employee feels engaged in the work, they’ll let the manager know as soon as possible. And the boss would
Another look at Employee Engagement SLIDESMANIA.COM
Robin Clayton SHRP
GROUNDWORK 19 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
Action Steps for Employee Engagement continued
Here’s what we know Only 30% of employees are engaged
52% are just “showing up” SLIDESMANIA.COM
17% are disengaged
say something like, “that’s a real problem, how are we going to fix it and make certain it doesn’t happen again?” Where there isn’t trust, the employee may try to hide the mistake and the boss’s first awareness of the problem will be an angry call from the customers—one without a product and one with a product not ordered.
“If you could change just one thing about our company, what would it be?”
The three points above are good ideas, but maybe something more actionable or demonstrable would help you start on your objective of improving or maintaining employee engagement.
Don’t expect serious answers at first. You may hear things like, “Double our pay” or “Give us all company trucks” or “Keep beer in the breakroom.” Dig a little deeper. Not all of their answers will be actionable. All of them, however, deserve to be heard; and many will be worth investigating.
There is a single question you can ask employees that will (1) help you know your employees better, (2) give you an opportunity to show your listening skills, and (3) build trust.
One Good Question The question is: “If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about our company, what would it be?” Or, if the magic wand image doesn’t fit your “style,”
This question was suggested to me for use in exit interviews. It is helpful because it will give the employer things to look for in the future. However, I think it is better used before exit interviews because the answers you get can be put to use to avoid exit interviews.
By giving their answers a respectable “hearing,” you will be building trust and will be showing respect. These are two major aspects of engagement. Remember, most surveys/ studies of employee engagement show that the most important aspect is respectful treatment of employees at all levels. You can use this question in one-onone meetings or an employee group meeting. Make certain if you use it in
a group, you set ground rules, including no negative comments about another employee’s idea, no interrupting, and constructive comments only. Used with a group, this can be a brainstorming meeting. One person’s idea can feed off another person’s suggestion. Try asking this question. Even if you don’t get the next world-changing idea, you will be demonstrating your interest in what you employees are thinking. They may point to a problem you don’t know exists. Your employees, whether they answer the phone or operate equipment, are your eyes and ears. Employee engagement is one of those things that’s hard to describe, but you “know it when you see it.” It does, however, take some reminders and some planning. Managers and owners get busy on the day-to-day events of running a business and don’t always remember the extras. You need to be aware that all employees need a manager who listens and who recognizes their accomplishments, big and small, on a regular basis. Don’t make it a one-time thing. Work it into your schedule, note any differences, and adjust your
GROUNDWORK 20 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
Action Steps for Employee Engagement continued
Did you know? Engaged Employees mean 81% less absenteeism 41% less quality defects 10% higher customer satisfaction SLIDESMANIA.COM
23% higher profitability
efforts until you find what works with your team; and then repeat! Robin Clayton is a human resources professional with more than more than 20 years of experience. Her work histor y includes assignments in specialty and general human resource subjects. With experience in both small and large
companies, most recently, Robin has led classes for the American Management Association. These courses cover topics such as Successfully Managing People; Skills for New Managers; and Doing It All, How to Stay Focused and Engaged. She particularly enjoys helping managers learn how to get results through their staffs by understanding and utilizing knowledge of personality and management styles.
Landscape
Specification cape Specification Guidelines Guidelines 6 th edition
ay at
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Kindle
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Robin is a certified Senior Human Resource Professional (SHRP) and has been active in her local SHRM chapter. She holds an M.A. in business and human relations and a B.S. in mass communications.
E-Books Available on 6th edition
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Part 1: Exterior Landscape Installation Part 2: Exterior Landscape Maintenance Part 3: Interior Landscape Installation and Maintenance Part 4: Irrigation Part 5: Non-Tidal Wetland Planting Part 6: Seeding and Sodding Part 7: Soils Part 8: Tree Preservation
Order THE PRINT VERSION Online Today: www.lcamddcva.org GROUNDWORK 21 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
ADVERTISING INFORMATION Advertisers Index Babikow Greenhouses...................................................................... 24 Chief Mountain Farms, LLC............................................................. 23 Manor View Farm.............................................................................. 22 McCartin............................................................................................... 4 The Perennial Farm............................................................................ 9 Spring Meadow/Proven Winners................................................... 7 Walnut Springs Nursery, Inc............................................................ 2
Delivering the Confidence You Desire and the Value You Deserve for over 40 years * Our Landscape Distribution Center has an Extensive Selection of Quality Plant Material Available for Pickup or Delivery * Field Grown Material Available for Personal Selection * Potted Liners
General Information Classified • Scan the QR-code below or go to Advertising www.lcamddcva.org/page/Adv_Exhib_Spons for current Media Kit. • Signed contract must accompany ad copy. Artwork can be changed monthly, provided contract is paid in full. • When change of artwork is not received by artwork closing date, publisher reserves right to print ad from previous issue. • There are no refunds of advertising payments. • Payment is due with signed contract and artwork by final closing date for each issue. Publisher Indemnities: Publisher reserves the right to mark “advertisement” on copy that readers might confuse with editorial content and to refuse copy that offends good taste or takes unfair competitive advantage. No rebates made for errors in key numbers or for omissions or errors in Advertisers Index.
Classified ads are a great way to find new employees, announce business opportunities, or buy and sell equipment. Payment must accompany copy. Number of Words
LCA NonMembers Members
Up to 200 words
$50
$125
Each additional 100 words thereafter
$25
$40
Advertising on the Web Banner advertising is available to members only on the website.
Display Advertising Deadline Nov/Dec 2021 Issue: Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Contact BBienkowski@msp-amc.com for information.
15601 Manor Rd, Monkton, MD 21111 410-771-4700 fax 410-771-8246 sales@manorview.com
www.manorview.com
GROUNDWORK 22 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1
CHIEF MOUNTAIN FARMS, LLC
Providing Native & Wetland Plants to the Industry From Plugs to Containers We Grow It All Grasses · Sedges & Rushes · Perennials · Ground Covers · Shrubs · Trees · Vines 116 Chiefs Mountain Lane Port Deposit, MD 21904 Tel: 410-658-7331 * Toll-Free: 866-530-8902 Fax: 410-658-7333 info@chiefmountainfarms.com www.chiefmountainfarms.com
