The New Jersey Landscape Contractor - Summer 2020

THE NEW JERSEY

Summer 2020

Landscape Contractor

The Official Publication of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association

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Landscape Achievement Award Winners COVID-19 Right Plants for the Right Place You-Proofing Your Business and Much More!

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The New Jersey Landscape Contractor magazine is the official publication of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association, dedicated to the professional landscape industry of New Jersey. NJLCA was founded in 1966 as the Bergen County Landscape Contractors Association, and is today comprised of over 550 member companies throughout New Jersey.

New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association 465 Mola Boulevard, Ste. 4, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 Phone | 201-703-3600 -- Fax | 201-703-3776 E-mail | info@njlca.org Visit our website at www.NJLCA.org Publisher/Editor Gail E. Woolcott Contributing Writers Greg Carpenter | Steve Cesare, PhD | Domenic Chiarella | Consolidated Human Resources | Michele A. Contreras | RJ Curcio | Michael Deo | Patrick Donovan | Ed Dugan | Madeline Flahive Dinardo | Charles H. Gamarekian | Jonathan Goldhill | Richard Goldstein | Nelson Lee | Danilo Maffei | Richard McCoy | Kevin Minton | Matthew Moskowitz | John Raffiani | Jeffrey Scott | Sharon Skibbee | Danny Wood | Gail Woolcott | Steven Yergeau NJLCA Combined Board President | Nelson Lee Vice President | Richard Goldstein, CLT Treasurer | Greg Carpenter, CLT Director | Jeff Baker Director | Joe Bolognese Director | Justin Flatow, CLT Director | John Freitag Director | George Futterknecht, CLT Director | Michael McMorrow Associate Director | Kenneth Cerullo Associate Director | David Gaynor Associate Director | Wade Slover Advisor | Dr. Bruce Clarke, Rutgers University Advisor | Dr. Steven Fischer, Bergen Community College Advisor | Dr. James Murphy, Rutgers University The New Jersey Landscape Contractor magazine is published triennially. 600 print copies are distributed to members and over 4,000 digital issues are sent to professionals in the Green Industry of New Jersey, as well as educational and governmental institutions. Subscription rates: $45.00 per year; $15.00 per copy. New Jersey residents only, please add 7% sales tax.

To advertise in The New Jersey Landscape Contractor, please contact Gail Woolcott at (201) 703-3600 or e-mail gwoolcott@njlca.org.

Article and photo submissions are encouraged and may be sent to NJLCA at the above address. Publisher assumes no responsibility for safekeeping or return of photos or manuscripts, and reserves all rights to edit material submitted for publication. © 2020 New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

PUBLISHED June 2020 Cover Photo: Monello Landscape Industries - 2019

contents

Summer 2020 FEATURES

7 Landscape Achievement Award Winners

24 Landscape AlterNATIVES: Cinnamon Fern

25 American Flag Lighting Etiquette

26 Tomato Paste Leadership: Part One

32 H-2B Visas in the Time of COVID-19

33 Should I Continue to Ask My Customers for

Money During a Crisis?

35 Deer Resistant Plants

36 You-Proofing Your Business

38 Creating Big Benefits from a Small Space Patio

43 The “Sound” of Profit

44 Straw Mulching for Permanent Vegetation Establishment

46 Your Meetings Have Cancelled: Now What?

47 Don’t Let this Opportunity Go

Down the Drain

50 How to Increase Plant Success Rate

52 Right Plant, Right Place Checklist

53 Stay Afloat During the COVID-19 Crisis

54 Now’s the Time to Do Site Analysis Right with 3D

56 Coronavirus Legislation

57 Be Your Company’s Radio Station

58 Today’s Preparation = Tomorrow’s Success

IN EVERY ISSUE...

NJLCA News Briefs 4 President’s Message 4 Upcoming Events 5 Letter from the Editor 30 Contractor Focus: Farmside Landscape & Design 31 Associate Focus: Brock Farms 41 Welcome New Members 59 Advertiser Index

Columns

5 The Buzz: Industry News

23 Turf Talk

39 Employment Matters

40 Safety [Culture] Club

49 Future Shock NJLCA.ORG

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President’s Message Greetings! We sincerely hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe! Who would have thought that after a difficult winter with little snow, the spring of 2020 would be one of the toughest startups in decades? Within weeks following the NJLCA Trade Show, COVID-19 disrupted all of our lives, the United States economy was shut down and millions of businesses were forced to cease operating. Fortunately, the landscape industry in NJ was deemed an “essential business” and we were almost able to carry on 100%, until construction (now permitted to operate) was stopped just two weeks into the shutdown.

As leaders, now is the time for you to lead by example.

Make sure you have safe operating procedures that are understood and followed by all of your employees. Follow the CDC guidelines by practicing social distancing, wearing protective gear, washing hands and sanitizing your workspace and tools often. Check in with your employees regularly to see how they are doing. This will give them a

chance to let you know what they may be dealing with in the workplace, on job sites and beyond.

We also have a major announcement! We are excited to share with you that NJLCA has partnered with MBI Gluckshaw, a NJ lobbying firm, just before COVID-19 hit. The timing was uncanny, and they truly helped us get the information out to you even quicker. This group will assist us in watching every move that the government makes that may affect the green industry and provide us with guidance on how to proceed with possible solutions. Furthermore, they will help us with strategic moves and internal decisions that will better our industry.

From the onset of the pandemic, many members and non-members of our industry turned to NJLCA to provide you with the most up to date and accurate information about what we as an industry can do and what our responsibilities are as leaders to ensure the safest possible work environment for our employees and their families. My hope is that we have done so, and you continue to rely on the NJLCA for guidance throughout this difficult time and beyond. I would like to ask that if you know of other contractors who are not yet members, let them know how valuable we are to you and ask them to join our association.

It seems as though we hear the phrase “the new normal” so often now. What does that mean exactly? No more human interaction, Zoom calls, wearing a face mask the rest of our lives when in public? No one really knows.

The important thing is that we all remain healthy and treat each other with kindness and respect.

Everything else will fall into place. My wish is for you and your families to stay healthy and safe. As always, NJLCA is here for you!

Sincerely,

Nelson Lee, President

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PCOMING EVENTS:

Join us on Zoom for the NJLCA’s Virtual Networking Sessions and Member Meetings throughout the summer! We will resume meeting in person as soon as it is safe for our members to do so.

September 1st - Membership Renewals Due October 1st - Landscape Achievement Award Entries Due December 2nd - Holiday Gala and Achievement Awards Dinner February 24th - Landscape New Jersey 2021 Trade Show and Conference

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The Buzz SOMERVILLE, NJ - Beneath their masks, they were smiling, touched by the generosity of a stranger who wanted to do his part and say ‘thank you.’ Flowers have a way of doing that, especially when they are unexpected.

At 7:54 a.m. April 10th, a few minutes early, Tim Hionis arrived at the front of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital/Somerset driving a 24-foot box truck. Packed inside were carts loaded with trays of Easter lilies and tulips, a total of 2,100 plants intended for the medical staff and support personnel fighting to save lives and provide comfort to patients in the midst of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

The plants were a gift from Hionis and his three brothers, Pete, Spiro and Gerry, owners of Hionis Greenhouses in

Somerset County Freeholder Brian Gallagher, RWJUH/Somerset President Tom Cava, State Senator Kip Bateman and Tim Hionis Whitehouse Station, opened by their parents in 1983.

Jeffrey Carpenter - American Beauty Landscape Design Paramus - 58, of Paramus, passed away on Monday, March 2, 2020. Jeffrey and his brother Greg co-founded American Beauty Landscape Design, Paramus in 1983 after attending SUNY at Farmingdale. He was a member of the NJLCA, NCMA, ICPI and SIMA. Jeffrey was a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church, Ridgewood. Jeff was a huge asset to the NJLCA. Cherished husband of the late Kim Carpenter (nee Halm) (2018). Loving father of Amanda and Lindsey Carpenter of Paramus.

Dear brother of Ronald Carpenter and his wife Odille, Mark Carpenter and his wife Mary, Clyde Carpenter and his wife Janet and Gregory Carpenter and his wife Sonnie.

Beloved uncle and godfather. Jeffrey is predeceased by his brothers Frederick and Kirk Carpenter.

Letter from the Editor I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again...never did I think I would see a global pandemic in my lifetime. It is the stuff movies are made of, not real life! In the early days of the shutdown, it was so hectic...can we continue work, what is the Governor saying today, what are the health experts saying, the need to get all of this information out to our members. And it was scary, I must admit. Now, a few months later, things have calmed a bit. The numbers have slowly receded for infections.

Our industry is mostly able to get back to (outdoor) work, albeit with some changes to PPE and social distancing (have we heard this phrase enough?) So much was lost....human life most importantly. But also employees, time, income, jobs, businesses. We’re all a little different now. Pandemics only happen in third world countries, we said. We were naive (or at least I was). Some are fearful of others giving them the virus, some of giving COVID-19 to loved ones. Some are angry at the slow rate of reopening, others that they have to wear masks in stores. This is how I know we are starting to recover. In the beginning, very few complained...we were shell-shocked. We have now had time to adjust, to learn as much as we can and we are on the road to recovery.

We at the NJLCA did our best to reach out and keep in touch with you. We were just as worried about you as we were our own families. Several of our members actually contracted the virus and were very ill. This made it even more real. But we are a family at NJLCA and I hope that we were able to give you some solace in this unprecedented event. I know we will continue to provide you with the information and connection that you need. If you haven’t already, join us for one of our virtual events. And when it is safe and permitted to do so, we look forward to seeing you all at an in-person event!

Thank you for being strong and being professional. Our members are a true testament to the amazing people in the green industry. Stay strong, stay healthy and we’ll see you soon!

Sincerely,

Gail Woolcott Executive Director / Editor in Chief

NJLCA.ORG

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Feature Story

Blu Sol Pools Wins Two NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards of Excellence

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lu Sol Pools of Bloomingdale, NJ won two Awards of Excellence for projects entered in the 2019 NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards. Both projects were designed

by Jeff Stolarik.

Design/Build: Installation with Pool: $100,000-250,000 Blu Sol entered their “Rockaway Hybrid Pool” project into this category. This client wanted the cost savings of a vinyl pool, but still have the convenience of allowing their dogs to swim in/out of the pool, without them ripping the liner.

Blu Sol decided to create a “hybrid pool”, by connecting a vinyl liner lagoon shaped pool with a custom, wet-laid stone, gunite beach entry. In addition, the client wanted a “special water feature of some sort”. They installed two separate water features, one being a main saltwater feature flowing into the pool with a giant dive rock, and the second being a freshwater, side waterfall that flows into a tiny pond. They also installed a custom fire cave, with a rock acting as a flue behind it.

Design/Build: Installation with Pool: $250,000-500,000 Blu Sol also won an Award of Excellence for in this category for the “North Caldwell Negative Edge” project.

This client wanted to have a unique pool, but their home was located on a very steep mountainside. By tying steel and creating a 1000 sq. ft. gunite pool, they were able to level out the property more efficiently, adding features such as a bluestone patio, spa and lower fire feature/patio.

Blu Sol Pools is an award winning pool design and installation company that has been building, renovating and maintaining pools in Northern New Jersey for fifteen years. They custom design, build, renovate, repair and maintain pools through summer, spring, fall and winter. They pride themselves in our ability to transform rough ideas into the backyard of their clients’ dreams. They are experts in all aspects of pool building and maintenance.

For more information, visit www.blusolpools.com.

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Feature Story

Canete Landscape Wins NJLCA Landscape Achievement Award of Excellence

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anete Landscape of Wayne, NJ has won an Award of Excellence and two Awards of Distinction for projects entered in the 2019 NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards.

Design/Build: Commercial/Industrial Canete entered their “Glenpointe” project, designed by Artisan and Dave DaCosta, into this category. This was a courtyard landscape design/renovation project where the two main entrances to the building needed to remain open for 24 hour access. Canete had to divide the project into two separate work zones. This project included demo, drainage, pavers and plant layout.

Canete Landscape also won Awards of Distinction for the “Weehawken Maintenance” and “The Duchess” projects. See pages 18-22.

Canete Landscape Design and Construction has been a fixture in Northern New Jersey for over 37 years. Tom Canete’s vision was to develop his brand by providing the most comprehensive and highest quality service offerings of any of his competitors. With this in mind, he began to develop a management team consisting of highly-qualified individuals all driven to provide unparalleled services in every area of the business.

Tom has developed the most efficient and operationally superior snow fighting team in his market. He can boast his awardwinning landscape design and construction company, as well as Canete Garden Center, are considered the best in the industry.

For more information, visit www.canete.com.

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Feature Story

CLC Landscape Design Wins NJLCA Landscape Achievement Award of Excellence

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LC Landscape Design, located in Ringwood, New Jersey has won an Award of Excellence, in the NJLCA’s Achievement Awards for their “Backyard Oasis” project in the Landscape Installation with Pool: $250,000-500,000 category.

For this project, designed by Frank Thropp, the homeowners, who had two young children, desired a backyard oasis where they could entertain with large groups of family and friends. With the backyard being very steep and up against a conservation easement, CLC had a narrow space in which to create. They designed and installed a multi-tiered backyard that offered multiple outdoor spaces, a swimming pool, patio/pavilion platform, lawn terrace and an upper deck. The swimming pool features three waterfalls and two dive rocks surrounding a ‘C’ shaped underwater bench. The

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pavilion platform has the effect of being of a tree house with open walls and being 15 feet above the forest floor. In addition, the pavilion features a grand masonry fireplace. The upper deck features an outdoor kitchen.

Since its inception over 40 years ago, CLC Landscape Design has been a leader in design/build landscaping by blending classic design concepts with cutting-edge design ideas. In addition, they consistently incorporate into their landscapes new-and-improved plant varieties, hardscape materials, and installation techniques. With a vast knowledge of landscape design concepts and material options, they tailor each of their landscapes to meet the unique style of each of their clients.

For more information, visit www.CLCDesign.com.

Feature Story

Exclusive Stoneworks Wins NJLCA Landscape Achievement Award of Excellence

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xclusive Stoneworks of Lyndhurst, NJ has won an Award of Excellence, an Award of Distinction and two Awards of Merit for projects entered in the 2019 NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards.

Design/Build: Installation without Pool: Over $100,000 Exclusive won an Award of Excellence in this category for the “Nerlino Residence” project. The project was designed

by Rich Andreu.

This client wanted a walkout firepit and patio that felt open, without restricting the view. She also wanted a covered patio to entertain and stay dry in the rain or snow. This area features a built-in grill with a wall mounted TV. Everything was constructed with large cedar beams with minimal detail because

“less is more” per her request.

Exclusive Stoneworks also won an Award of Distinction for the “Hammer Residence”, and Awards of Merit for the “Hammer Lighting” and “Marino Residence” projects. See pages 18-22.

For over a decade, Exclusive Stoneworks has taken pride in bringing unparalleled professionalism and high quality craftsmanship to an affordable budget. Their team of highly skilled, well-trained and highly motivated craftsman have proven themselves repeatedly, as well as work together to provide a well-coordinated and stress-free professional service to their clients.

For more information, visit www.exclusivestoneworks.com.

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Feature Story

Monello Landscape Industries Wins Two NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards of Excellence

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onello Landscape Industries, located in Wayne, New Jersey has won two Awards of Excellence and an Award of Distinction in the NJLCA’s 2019 Achievement Awards.

Design/Build: Sustainable For the “Marble Rooftop Observation” project, designed

by Joe Monello, they worked hand and hand with the architect to design an outdoor living space on the roof. As certified Live Roof Installers, they designed and installed succulent plants, as well as groupings of container plantings.

Design/Build: Landscape Installation with Pool: Over $500,000 Monello’s “Waterworld Fantasy”, also designed by Joe Monello, features a deck design which showcases a marble pedestal system with glass sills overlooking large freeform gunite pool. The pool is surrounded by marble granite and features a grotto with a twenty-person spa. There are two un-

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derground televisions and a full-service bar with eight swim up bar stools. The landscape showcases a custom fireplace with a one of a kind 13-foot bisectional TV. Monello Landscape Industries also won an Award of Distinction for their “Nighttime Pleasure” project. See pages 18-22.

Joe Monello had a vision 28 years ago when he established Monello Landscape Industries, LLC. For nearly three decades, they have continued to uphold the values of innovative artistry and attention to detail that clients have come to expect. Monello Landscape Industries, LLC specializes in residential and commercial landscaping projects in New Jersey and out of state projects, such as Massachusetts. Their projects come in all shapes and sizes. From retaining walls, to outdoor kitchens, fire pits, snow and ice management, commercial site work, and other beautiful hardscape designs.

For more information, visit www.monellolandscape.com.

Feature Story

Scenic Landscaping Wins Three NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards of Excellence

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cenic Landscaping of Haskell, NJ has won three Awards of Excellence and an Award of Distinction for projects entered in the 2019 NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards.

Design/Build: Installation without Pool: $50,000 - 100,000 Designed by Tracy Linton, the “Summit Residence” project was created on a smaller property, but delivered lots of character. Within the limited space, when planned out properly, they were able to achieve the visions of the client. They wanted a covered patio space, a large outdoor kitchen, seating area around a firepit, custom hot tub included, and a freeflowing perennial garden taking up the lawn area. It was not your typical landscape layout, with grade changes needed as well. The backyard became a more whimsical and enchanting property, with many layers and variations of textures and colors in the plant materials selected.

Design/Build: Installation without Pool: Over $100,000 The client at the “Wyckoff Residence”, designed by Matt Jones, was looking to create an outdoor living space that would be ideal for entertaining and relaxing with family and friends. They also wanted a space that could be utilized in each season. By creating a firepit seating area, an outdoor TV mounted to the home, a pergola covered outdoor kitchen

and dining area, this outdoor living room became a great space to use year-round. The backyard space was leveled out to create a play area for children. The overall design was enhanced with plantings and seasonal displays.

Design/Build: Installation with Pool: Over $500,000 The “Bergen County Residence” project, also designed by Tracy Linton, tasked Scenic with designing and building a unique residential landscape plan, unlike anything else they had ever seen. Everything on this property was custom built, which up until this point was virtually unheard of. From a massive overflow perimeter swimming pool, to a fully glass tiled spa, to a spacious patio, multiple gardens and water fountains, every inch of this beautiful estate was carefully curated, designed and executed.

Scenic Landscaping also won an Award of Distinction for their “Westfield Residence” project. See pages 18-22.

Scenic Landscaping was formed in 1975, with just one pickup truck and a trusty lawn mower. It was Mitchell Knapp’s dream to turn his one man show into the respected business that Scenic Landscaping is today. Over the decades that followed, the company continued to expand into a prestigious landscape design company.

For more information, visit www.sceniclandscaping.com.

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Feature Story

Sponzilli Landscape Group Wins NJLCA Landscape Achievement Award of Excellence

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ponzilli Landscape Group of Fairfield, NJ has won an Award of Excellence and an Award of Merit for projects entered in the 2019 NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards.

Design/Build: Installation with Pool: $100,000-250,000 Sponzilli entered their “Pintabona Residence” project into this category. This project was modern transformation. The client wanted to use a small pallet of materials: porcelain tile, lava rock, and bluestone. They created three spaces within this small yard. A dining area that now seats eight people, the living area now seats six people comfortably and the sunbathing area that seats three people. Sponzilli laid the porcelain tile in a running bond pattern for the modern approach, but also to make the spaces appear larger. The client wanted a lawn area, but did not want to have to maintain the area, so they used synthetic lawn. The seat wall was built for

additional seating. The water feature was constructed to give a Zen touch to the yard and to help with blocking the noise pollution from the street.

Sponzilli also won an Award of Merit for their “World Trade Center-Liberty Park-Green Wall” project. See pages 18-22.

Sponzilli Landscape Group is headed by founder Richard Sponzilli and his two sons, Jason and Daniel. Richard began Sponzilli Landscape over 40 years ago and has created a reputation for outstanding quality and service. They strive, throughout all of their interactions, to be positive and progressive experts in their field and community.

For more information, visit www.sponzilli.com.

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Feature Story

Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Development Wins NJLCA Landscape Achievement Award of Excellence

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homas Flint Landscape Design and Development of Waldwick, NJ has won an Award of Excellence and an Award of Distinction for projects entered in the 2019 NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards.

Design/Build: Installation with Pool: $250,000-500,000 Thomas Flint Landscape entered their “Keefe Residence” project into this category. Their design and 3D model of the pool, along with a thorough education on the grade retention and structural benefits to an infinity pool, convinced their clients it was the right move. The structural nature of the pool allowed them to pick up 8 feet of grade change between the dam wall and the catch pool wall, immediately followed up by two five-foot tall structural precast walls. The plumbing and placement of the returns at the floor of the pool eliminate

turbulence for a glass-like look on the water. Large scale boulders flank the ends of the infinity edge, replicating the mountains in the backdrop.

Thomas Flint Landscape also won an Award of Distinction for their “Kunzweiler Residence” project. See pages 18-22.

Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Development was started in 2004 with owner Tom Flint and 2 employees. Their focus was the same in 2004 as it is now, constructing high quality outdoor living spaces and swimming pools while offering the best customer service and experience in the industry.

The company focuses purely and only on construction.

They have grown to 19 employees over the last 12 years, all of which have been hand selected because they have the right attitude and mindset to fit the framework of the company.

For more information, visit www.ThomasFlintLandscape.com.

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Feature Story

And the Award Goes to...

Maintenance: Commercial/Industrial Award of Distinction: Green Meadows Landscaping Project: Mercedes Benz of Paramus Site Supervisor: Froylan Zuniga

This project is on Green Meadows’ annual maintenance schedule for mowing, trimming, irrigation and seasonal flower changes. It is located on an extremely busy route with both pedestrian and vehicle traffic throughout the day. The property is also a challenge to keep free from litter and debris. The building’s position is in extreme heat and sun with floor to ceiling windows.

Award of Merit - Native Fields Landscaping Project: Bear Brook Valley Site Supervisor: Erick Crespo

This project is yearly lawn and grounds maintenance of a newly renovated clubhouse turned high-end wedding venue. It has been entrusted to Native Fields not only for annual care, but also to cater to venue’s clients to ensure the special couples receive the landscape they deserve for memories that will last them a lifetime.

Maintenance: Condo/Townhouse

Maintenance: Residential

Award of Distinction - Canete Landscape Project: Weehawken Site Supervisor: Joe Porta

Award of Merit - Siciliano Landscape Company Project: Sycamore Drive Residence Site Supervisor: Julie Soleil

Maintenance: Residential

Award of Merit - Vander Sluys Landscape Development Project: Leibowitz Residence Site Supervisor: Justin Vander Sluys

Vander Sluys took over this property in 2018. It is now starting to look its best. There were many dead plantings that they had to remove and they re-installed others that were more suitable for specific areas. They also planted seasonal colors, feed them, hand prune, mulch and handle the full property care and maintenance.

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Feature Story Design/Build: Condo/Townhouse Award of Distinction - Canete Landscape Project: The Duchess Designer: Dave DaCosta

For this project, the client insisted that upon completion, the landscape look established. They requested large plant material, so some concrete sidewalks had to be removed as well as plumbing and electrical lines relocated to accommodate the large root balls.

Design/Build: Landscape Lighting Award of Distinction - Monello Landscape Industries Project: Nighttime Pleasure Designer: Joe Monello

For this project, Monello used low voltage, fiber optic, contemporary and rustic lighting throughout. More than 300 fixtures were installed and coordinated with lighting technicians to synchronize all components.

Award of Merit - Exclusive Stoneworks Project: Hammer Lighting Designer: Rich Andreu

This raised patio was constructed to be an extension of the home, so it needed plenty of light. Exclusive Stoneworks achieved that by wiring all post lamps and under the cap lighting to a low voltage system. They also core-drilled well lights into the hearth of the fireplace to reflect off the mantel and around the TV.

Design/Build: Sustainable Award of Merit - Sponzilli Landscape Group Project: World Trade Center-Liberty Park-Green Wall

The 336’ long wall stands at 25’ high and serves as a grand welcome to the people who visit the area of Liberty Park and the underground vehicle security center at the World Trade Center. The 826 panels were installed along this massive wall to hold the six different varieties of plants utilized to make up this artful structure. The varieties of plants used include Goldenstar, Baltic Ivy, Japanese Spurge, Periwinkle, Coral Bells and Winter Creeper. All the plants on the living wall were first cultivated horizontally to ensure that their roots were anchored firmly into the soil. This substantial project required 18 designated drip zones to safeguard against drought and NYC’s heat waves.

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Feature Story Design/Build Landscape Installation without Pool: Up to $25,000 Award of Distinction - Vander Sluys Landscape Development, LLC Project: Missel Residence Designer: Justin Vander Sluys

Vander Sluys installed an updated foundation planting and created a new garden bed in front of the split rail fencing, rather than having lawn. They added ‘Little Lime’ Hydrangeas, Russian Sage and Cat Mint at the roadside. Near the home, they added ‘Summer Snowflake’ Viburnum, Castle Spirea, Holly, ‘Globe’ Blue Spruce, Boxwoods, ‘Little Princess’ Spirea and tons of colorful perennials.

Award of Merit - Exclusive Stoneworks Project: Marino Residence Designer: Rich Andreu

After an interior renovation, the backyard became unusable space. Once Exclusive Stoneworks had the initial meeting with the client, they came up with a solution to create a liveable yard space. They built an engineered wall with SRW block in a custom mosaic pattern, capped with custom fabricated on-site bluestone caps, along with the firepit to match.

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Feature Story Design/Build: Installation without Pool: Up to $25,000-50,000 Award of Distinction - Castle Point Landscape Design Project: Lin Backyard Firepit Patio Designer: Steve Graul

Castle Point had to design a new patio and firepit area without being able to fully see the yard, due to overgrown shrubs and trees. They cleared out what was necessary and had to work around an easement. They built a patio with both standard and large format pavers, a custom indiscernible swale to direct water through the patio, a firepit with custom caps, seating walls, fencing, low voltage landscape lighting, new plantings and drainage work.

Design/Build: Installation with Pool: $50,000-100,000 Award of Distinction - Green Meadows Landscaping Project: Monroe NY Project Designer: Scott Soehnel

This was a total re-design/renovation of the client’s backyard. The project included cutting into the existing slope to gain more usable space to entertain with a new gas firepit, outdoor kitchen and room for a table.

Award of Merit - Castle Point Landscape Design Project: Jennings Property Overhaul Designer: Steve Graul

Castle Point designed and built a three-tiered patio, hot tub, firepit and grill patios. Gas and electric had to be run for the space. They added a custom water feature to the back side of the grill island. They also built a new vehicular-rated paver driveway. Castle Point installed all new plants and low voltage landscape lighting was incorporated into the entire project.

Design/Build: Installation with Pool: Over $100,000 Award of Distinction - Exclusive Stoneworks Project: Hammer Residence Designer: Rich Andreu

Exclusive Stoneworks removed an old wooden deck to make way for this raised living space. This patio has it all: pizza oven, grill, bar area, dining area, fireplace and garden. Everything you could want or need. It started with retaining walls to build the elevation. They built planters on two sides of the patio for garden areas. A lower fireplace area with a standing seam metal roof to stay dry in the rain. This truly is an all-season outdoor living space.

Award of Distinction - Green Meadows Landscaping Project: USR Project Designer: Scott Soehnel

The client hired Green Meadows to redesign their backyard and living space by removing an old deck and replacing it with a raised stone patio.

They were also looking for shade, privacy, an area for a hot tub and an outdoor kitchen. The new layout was designed around a pond-less waterfall that Green Meadows installed over 10 years ago.

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Feature Story Design/Build: Installation with Pool: $250,000-500,000 Award of Distinction - Siciliano Landscape Company Project: Oak Hill Farm Designer: Alan Tufts

This project involved the transformation of an existing pool area. The goals for the project included new stone patios and walkways, new walls, steps, the refurbishment of an existing concrete swimming pool, water features, a new outdoor kitchen and plantings.

Award of Distinction - Scenic Landscaping Project: Westfield Residence Designer: Tracy Linton

Scenic was brought into this modern home with a very challenging site.

They needed to customize the landscape plan to achieve several different goals. For a family that are big on entertaining, they needed several entertainment areas: around the pool patio space, outdoor kitchen, firepit seating and a covered seating patio space. Scenic had to work with the topography to level out a grass playing area for the kids. They came up with a plan that can accommodate all these goals while working with the lot given.

Design/Build: Installation with Pool: Over $500,000 Award of Distinction - Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Devel.

Project: The Kunzweiler Residence Designer: Andy Kosits

This project is a resort style pool. The sloping property lends itself perfectly to an infinity edge pool and provided the perfect amount of grade change for the swim-up bar area. The pool and the full perimeter overflow spa repeats the glass-like look with its 55 linear feet of infinity edge.

The fire bowls adjacent to the pergola covered swim up bar add drama and “wow factor� to the space. The fiber optic lights on the floor of the pool and spa really take this project over the top.

Award of Distinction - DiTomaso Landscape Group Project: Mahwah Residence Designer: Joshua Hampton

This outdoor living space included an 1,100 square foot pool, 100 square foot raised spa, 43 foot long slide, grotto with surrounding waterfalls, fire torches, outdoor kitchen with a Chicago brick oven, wet laid stone patios, firepit area and a variety of plantings for screening and colorful surround.

Award of Distinction - Landscape Techniques, Inc. Project: Stone Eagles Manor Designer: Brian Koribanick

This landscape design is in keeping with old world charm and stature of the manor, but it supplies the modern amenities conducive to the homeowners wants and needs. There is a swimming pool, spa, waterfalls and cabana. The prominent features like the fountain, travertine walkways, custom firepits and grills, along with 5,800 sq. ft of reclaimed Belgium Block in the driveway were masterfully executed by the architect.

22 SUMMER | 2020

Turf Talk

A

s we went into the first week of May, I am sure I am not alone in saying this was the longest 8 weeks of my life.

What a season. The cool weather had really changed the development of the season. I took a picture of a Cherry Tree on February 13th in full flower. Soil temperatures were so warm on Valentine’s Day that you may have needed your crabgrass pre-emergent. Now we all know you cannot even apply that early; but based on soil temps you may have needed it.

Cleanups and mulch weather was great for this season opener – crisp, intermittently damp – perfect weather for cleanups and mulch dressing. But the turf was in a tug of war. The temperatures were above normal in February, but then in March it actually dropped into cooler temperatures. The turf was almost ready to pop and then it didn’t.

I was talking to a colleague from South Jersey and we were ready to start cutting the lawns, but the lawns were still dormant up here. I guess it really proves New Jersey has 5 climatic zones. Down in Toms River they were cutting, yet up North in Paramus it looked like your typical February.

The first week of May has been the best weather for killing weeds in 10 years, maybe a little too cool. But the cooler weather was great for dragging that hose with gloves, a mask and a sweatshirt on for sure.

COVID-19 has disrupted so many lives. I’m so glad we were allowed to work. My goal has been to keep my men safe and working and keep my clients happy. With everybody home, you have 100 Monday Morning Quarterbacks.

It’s difficult to explain to people that have never been around for our visits. All we do on a regular basis is now new to

Jeff and Greg Carpenter in the early years!

News Briefs

them. I am looking forward to them going back to work and leaving the maintenance up to us, the experts.

On a personal note, on March 2nd my brother, Jeff, did not come to work. Later in the day after many unanswered phone calls I discovered he had unexpectedly passed away.

So day one of the 2020 season I lost my brother, business partner and best friend, as if starting off the new season with no snow income wasn’t enough of a gut punch. We started landscaping careers in June of 1977. We both worked for our older brother, Clyde and his partner Artie Bergman, one of the first maintenance contractors in Bergen County.

We started American Beauty Landscape Design in 1982. In my almost 56 years, the longest Jeff and I were apart was 14 days – his honeymoon and then my own.

No one plans to fail they merely fail to plan. As landscapers, planning is one of the most important parts of a successful business. I encourage everyone to check with their lawyers and accountants. Make sure everything in your professional and personal life is in order. You can’t plan too much. Something as simple as a password list can prevent hours of anguish that is so easily preventable. It’s going to be a tough season, but I’m ready - I can only go up from here. Oh wait, there’s the pandemic...don’t ever say it can’t get any worse. Apparently it can.

Greg Carpenter, CLT is co-owner of American Beauty Landscape since 1982. He attended the SUNY Farmingdale Turfgrass Program and is the Treasurer of the NJLCA. Greg also serves on the Rutgers Turfgrass Advisory Board and the Bergen Community College Horticultural Advisory Board.

NJLCA.ORG 23

Feature Story

Landscape AlterNATIVEs: A Guide to Native Landscape Plants: CINNAMON FERN (Osmunda cinnamomea)

by Steven Yergeau, Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent - Ocean & Atlantic Counties Native plants are a good way to incorporate sustainable vegetation into yards for clients who are environmentally minded. Native plants are adapted to local climate and soil conditions, requiring less water, fertilizers, and pesticides than non-native vegetation. For landscapers who have property owners looking for native alternatives to non-native vegetation, this column provides options to meet your client’s needs.

Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) is a hardy, deciduous fern that can grow up to 2 – 5 feet high with a spread of up to 4 feet at maturity (Photo 1). It gets its name from the cinnamon-colored stalks of spores that first appear in May and reach maturity by the end of June (Photo 2).

These reproductive structures are often dried and used in flower arrangements. Since cinnamon fern reproduces by spores and not berries or fruits, it is not a good choice for feeding wildlife.

Cinnamon fern does best in moderately moist, medium to fine grained soils. It does not do well in soils with a high amount of clay. Cinnamon fern also prefers acidic to slightly acidic soils.

Cinnamon fern grows well in areas with some to heavy shade. It is considered a deer resistant plant as it is rarely damaged by deer browsing. Cinnamon ferns make good ornamental/decorative plants in shady yards with moist soils that have large deer populations, which is a problem area for other plants to grow successfully. It also grows well in shaded borders, woodland gardens, adjacent to water

Photo 2: Close up of the brown fertile stalks and spores that give cinnamon fern its name (Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org).

features, and at the base of shade trees. Cinnamon fern is a good choice to replace many non-native ferns, such as Japanese netvein hollyfern (Cyrtomium falcatum), and non-native ground cover plants such as any variety of hostas (Hosta species).

You can find nurseries in New Jersey that sell native plants by visiting the JerseyFriendly Yards website at http://www.jerseyyards.org/ jersey-friendly-plants/whereto-buy-native-plants/.

Steven Yergeau, Ph.D. is the Dept. Head and Agricultural Agent for Rutgers Co-operative Extension of Ocean County.

He is also Assistant Professor for Ocean & Atlantic Counties.

For more info visit http:// Photo 1: Several cinnamon ferns in late spring/early summer (Photo Credit: Wikimedia ocean.njaes.rutgers.edu.

Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org).

24 SUMMER | 2020

Feature Story

American Flag Lighting Etiquette Tips Oftentimes I am asked by clients to design a landscape lighting plan that includes illuminating their flagpole. It seems most people know that their flag must be lit if it is to be flown at night, but are not sure of the rules. The rules for American flag lighting etiquette tips include: According to the U.S. Flag Code, Section 6a: “It is universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.”

The Code itself doesn’t indicate what “properly” means.

However, “The American Legion interprets ‘proper illumination’ as a light specifically placed to illuminate the flag (preferred) or having a light source sufficient to illuminate the flag so it is recognizable as such by the casual observer.”

Unfortunately, I have seen “Old Glory” flown after dark with no lighting far too often. I have also come across some interesting makeshift solutions, such as holiday-type temporary flood lights with extension cords running across walkways causing a trip hazard and house-mounted flood fixtures redirected toward the flagpole, causing undesirable glare.

Flagpoles are now available with integrated lighting fixtures, but most installed poles are not. If you have a pole without lighting, or have not previously run electric to the area, and you want to fly the Stars and Stripes around the clock, you have options.

In most residential applications freestanding flagpoles are between twenty and thirty feet tall. Many are located in the turf area of the front yard or have been incorporated into a small planting bed. With this location in mind, there are really only two placement options for lighting fixtures; at the base of the pole directed straight up or tucked off to the sides aimed diagonally.

When considering where to place the fixtures, keep in mind that the flag needs to be illuminated regardless of wind strength and direction. If your flag is five feet wide, lighting must cover the area of a ten-foot diameter circle, with the pole being the center. Also, as with any illuminated subject, consider the main vantage point. From where will the “casual observer” see your flag?

by Michael Deo, NatureScape Lighting

When designing any lighting system, beam spread, distance and power are the characteristics we use to determine the proper lamp choice. Outdoor LED directional fixtures are today’s choice for lighting the American flag after dark. Not only do they provide the bright light required by the flag code, they use less than half the wattage of halogen for greater energy cost savings, especially important when they will be powered from dusk ‘til dawn.

If your flagpole is situated directly in the turf, recessed below-grade fixtures will allow easy lawn care and remain mostly invisible during daylight. If the pole is ‘planted’ within a mulched bed, stake-mounted above ground fixtures should be employed. Either way, fixtures should be placed two to three feet away from the pole. Using more than one luminaire will provide better coverage and a more pleasing effect.

Finally, control systems are relatively simple. Whether you use line voltage or low voltage powered by a transformer, your flagpole lighting should run from dusk until dawn. This is easily accomplished by employing a photo sensor or a selfadjusting astronomical timer. If your intention is to truly follow flag etiquette, no further controls are necessary.

When you fly the Stars and Stripes this Memorial Day be sure to remember and give thanks to all those who gave their lives serving our country in the armed forces.

Michael Deo is the president and founder of NatureScape Lighting and an award winning lighting designer. The company’s sole focus is to help people extend the enjoyment of their gardens after daylight hours through the use of cutting edge lighting technology and techniques.

An active member of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals, he currently serves as President of the board where he is actively involved in the planning of the Annual Conference and educational content. A perennial supporter of the WAMMC, the NatureScape Lighting team has illuminated consecutive Mansion in May designer show houses since 2006.

Michael teaches lighting design at Rutgers Home Gardener’s school and appears as a guest lecturer in residential garden design classes at both Rutgers and the County College of Morris.

He has also spoken for professional landscape groups in several states and Ontario, CA.

NJLCA.ORG 25

Feature Story

Tomato Paste Leadership Part One: The Right Tomato and the Right Leadership Where did a century old recipe for jarring tomatoes originate and why is it so important? And what does this have do with why great leaders do the things that make them so successful?

There is a small town about an hour and half south east of Rome, Italy called Boville Ernica. Boville Ernica is a town in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy.

From a small town came a mother: Mamma Maria and her daughter, Annuciatina. They both lived on a small piece of land and lived and thrived by farming the land.

Life was hard: growing their own food, raising cow, chickens, and goats, for milk, eggs, and cheese. They made money by selling or bartering their eggs from their chicken to enjoy just a little more of life, and surviving the Nazis during World War II. But they were happy. It was a time with very little money but a thirst to eat off the land, help others live, and enjoy family and friends, They left their proud town for a better life. They ended in up Bridgeport, CT. They came to America for the American dream.

But what they brought with them, some 72 years ago, was a vision, a happiness and a recipe....

What was that vision?

She is about to let you in on the secret of jarring one of the greatest Italian tomato paste that one day will be put on her homemade pasta.

Now, I know what you are thinking: “what the hell does that have to do with leadership?”

Think about it, a vision of making the best pasta and the best pasta sauce, year after year. So that your family can have the best!

Like a great business, giving the best service to clients and employees, year after year. So that your clients and employees can have the best!

It is the choices leaders make and how they follow through with leadership.

And Annuciatina made the right choices to bring it here to the USA and to hone it to perfection.

She made the choices over the years to hone her recipe, to use what worked and keep it or change what didn’t; hence, improving it. She discards what doesn’t work. Taking responsibility for correcting the course along the way. She knows what she wants and where she wants to end up.

26 SUMMER | 2020

“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline.”

Jim Collins, Good to Great She communicated what the vision is and helps us get to the success of making the best tomato sauce: Happiness!!!!

Great leaders do the same thing: they have a vision and they teach and mentor to help all of us get to that vision. They make the course changes without pointing and accusing, without ego, without worrying about failure. It is the success of the team that matters to the leader.

There are always the bumps and turns to get to happiness.

One sees the many weak leaders. The ones that look for very little real change and growth. They keep doing the same thing over and over, but still get the same results.

They talk about what they want and when things go wrong, they look for a scapegoat, for the reasons something didn’t work.

Failure to weak leaders is a major blow to their ego, a blow to themselves.

How do great leaders know what they are doing and where they are going?

I have learned the hard way. I thought growing my business was giving to my family by working 24/7 and financially supporting them. I would come home for dinner, spend time with them a bit, put my daughters to bed, then go back to the office to work the rest of the evening.

Growing my business and creating success in my life starts with knowing what I want in life. What is important to me? Where do I want to end up and where you want to be, is it what I really value?

I started my journey by finding my true values, not the ones I want to parade around to show friends and family. The kind of aims that if you read my tombstone, one would have found out just what I was made of: and what was written can be traced back to my primary aims in life.

Feature Story

by Domenic Chiarella, 7 of 7 BEST Business and Life Strategies, LLC

Your Primary Aim in Life

Your Primary Aim is the inner-most motivating strength that drives you in your life. And when you understand your aims, and you are guided by what you really want in life, you can develop your company and your organization.

It is the foundation that gives you your strength and your commitment.

With a primary aim – what you do as a leader, as well as what you do in life – you will do so with a direction and a purpose.

Here is the catch: We must know our primary aim in life BEFORE we write our strategic objective for our businesses.

A Strategic Objective is only an important PART OF OUR LIVES and must satisfy our primary aim in life.

It needs to be only a part of who you are and it must satisfy both personally and spiritually, what you want to do in your life. After all, your business is simply one of many important aspects of your life. NOT YOUR LIFE! This is something that I have wrestled with, “Is my life the business?” or (and I have been there!) “Is this work, this business my whole life?”

I have learned the hard way, but learned that the organization was just the method through which I achieved my primary aims in life. It helped ground me as the leader of the organization, as well as grounded me in my personal life to make the many important decisions.

It helped me make life decisions with a solid understanding of what is and what is not important.

Some example questions for you to start to put down on paper your primary aims in life:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

What do you want your life to look and feel like?

What do you want your life NOT to look and feel like?

What do you value most?

What don’t you value?

What do you want to achieve in life?

What do you want in life?

What do you NOT want in life?

I have had the pleasure to learn many of the “how” and most importantly, the “why” of creating / writing down my primary aims from the great mentors at E-Myth. I have used the Primary Aims for my Life to guide all of my crossroad and my minor decisions.

My primary aims in life were created many moons ago. I have used this document many times over the last 20 years.

Looking at it for guidance and inspiration on what, when, and how to live my life.

It helped me decide to grow a $15M business, so that I can give my triplet daughters a better life and have more time with them.

It helped me decide to sell my partnership at the height of the business, so that I could take care of my mom and my dad, helping them the last years and with passing.

It helped me understand that the business no longer satisfied me as a man.

I knew that my top primary aim was taking care of my family, so mom and dad were first and building my new business was second.

Another example, when my daughters wanted me to drop them off to ballet, I also had a ton of paper work to finish.

I thought about what is important to me: I had a choice of dropping off the kids or staying in my office. I instantly knew which one I wanted to do.

NJLCA.ORG 27

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Now I had to build my business in such a way to be able to accomplish taking the time. But that is another story.

Having a primary aim in life gives you direction and a purpose. Goals are not the same thing as aims. Aims keep you focused on the “what” is important.

The secret Boville Ernica Italian recipe for jarring tomatoes.

One of the aims for Nancy comes down to the right tomato Let me show you how to jar some of the most delicious tomato sauce, the real reason you are reading this article.

Truly, brought 4 generations, from Italy to Connecticut to you.

Nancy needs to scour her garden for the right tomato.

But to make about 120+ jars of tomato paste, you will need about 15 - 20 baskets of tomatoes.

We need more tomatoes. We need the right man to get the right tomato. We just happen to have the right man for the job, Jesus. The man who grew enough tomatoes to satisfy our leader, Nancy.

You remember her, the one with the vision?

Annuciatina needs not only the right tomato, she also needs her team, the services of two willing men, the incomparable multi-talented, Juan and the rugged bearded favorite son-inlaw (her only one), Domenic to transport the tomatoes.

Start by adding 20 bushels of organic, just “picked from the vine”, tomatoes to the mix of a great garden tomato, delivered to la padrone, la maestra, our leader, the lady that creates some of the most delicious Italian gravy (I would say sauce) on Earth.

Lay out paper on the floor of a cool, dry cellar or garage.

The tomatoes need to ripen just right.

Now, we must gather the tools of the trade to get the job done…. Let me list a few...

Basil fresh from the garden.

150 Mason Jars.

Italian Electric Tomato Press, manufactured in Italy from cast iron and stainless steel, developed in Turin, dating back to the 1900s.

And of course, the team, that is willing, ready and able.

Start by washing the tomatoes thoroughly.

Cut and halve the tomatoes. Take as much of the water out of the halves as you can by squeezing them in the colander.

Set up the grinding station.

Grind the tomato halves by putting them into the hopper and pushing them through the hole. This is where we remove the seeds and the skin.

On one end of the auger comes the skins and the seeds.

From the grinding comes the fresh raw tomato sauce.

The process of the tomatoes to the hopper to the bowl skins and seeds and to tomato paste must be repeated 4 times.

There is a so much more to leadership. What do you do with your primary aims? How do you translate the your aims to create a more successful business for all involved?

And there is so much more to finish the jarring tomatoes process. What do you do with all the ground tomatoes? How do get to the successful delicious sauce from the century old recipe?

Want to know more? Do you want to know how to get to those jars in back of us? Stay tuned in the next issue of The New Jersey Landscape Contractor magazine for the next installment of “Tomato Paste Leadership”.

For more than 40 years, Domenic has served as Director of Operations and as Director of Business Development at one of the most creative and collaborative organizations in the New York and Connecticut areas, Ultimate Services Professional Grounds Management Inc. He is what people call, a perpetual student. An alumnus from the University of Connecticut with a BS in Computer Science and the University of Florence, Italy with a BA in Italian. and then at a ripe young age of 53 returning to the halls of higher learning of Fairleigh Dickinson University with a Master Degree in Administrative Services.

NJLCA.ORG 29

News Briefs

Contractor Focus: Farmside Landscape & Design

As hospitals filled up and medical workers battled the novel coronavirus on the front lines, a small but meaningful gesture brightened their days. 500 pansies were planted outside the Emergency Room at Atlantic Health System. Plants were donated by C&C Growers in Augusta, NJ and employees from Farmside Landscape & Design donated time to install the specimens.

C&C Growers had a surplus of pansies and brought it to the attention of Farmside and together they decided that they could use their combined resources to pay tribute to area frontline hospital workers. “Taking on this project was consistent with Farmside’s core values, which include building relationships and showing stewardship through our work.” says Miles Kuperus, President of Farmside.

The project at Newton Medical Center showcased our industry in the community and showed the beauty of what we do for a living. Our work touches people in amazing ways and acts of kindness such as this are imperative to show stewardship. Miles would like to challenge all contractors to somehow have a positive influence in their community by giving back during the trials of this virus and into the future.

Farmside Landscape & Design has specialized in landscape design and construction for over 30 years.

30 SUMMER | 2020

Miles Kuperus began his landscape business after high school graduation while attending courses at Cook College Rutgers to gain more knowledge in his profession. About 10 years later his wife Lisa became partner in the business and the team now runs the company together.

Farmside, like many NJLCA members, has been affected significantly by the virus. With the new challenge of social distancing it has changed the way they complete their daily work. From travel to jobs to team meetings to obtaining necessary PPE they have had to learn flexibility within their company. Additionally, the construction side of the business has slowed down due to concern over the economy. Naturally people are being careful with their money and at this time are not ready to invest in their landscape project, in turn putting several projects on hold. We have seen a reduction on enhancements but overall things are remaining consistent.

Coming off of a light winter without much snow removal to profit from, they are preparing themselves for the future months and the effects of the virus itself. Miles is anticipating a definite challenge in the industry due to set backs within the economy. However, with the continuation of social distancing in the future he sees an increase in demand of outdoor living space. “These spaces give people the opportunity to entertain with the safety and comfort of open air while reconnecting with friends.” he says. Miles is also foreseeing new business expansions into sanitization of outdoor spaces with the new demand to keep areas as safe as possible for public use in a hopeful future of normalcy.

When asked about why he feels being a part of an association is important, Miles says, “Being part of the association helps build a network of business connections where we can: • Share with each other best practices of the industry.

• Build relationships and show the importance of safety and certification.

• Keep us well represented in the eye of lawmakers.”

He also notes that “State Associations and The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) are doing an AWESOME job representing the landscape industry as a whole.”

To learn more about Farmside, visit www.farmside.com.

Photos courtesy of Farmside Landscape & Design

News Briefs

Associate Focus: Brock Farms care, ensuring a healthy and bountiful addition to any home and garden.

For over 60 years, Brock Farms’ commitment has always been to the customer. “Our customers’ individual and specific needs are the main focus at Brock Farms, and we are always working hard to exceed all expectations. The Brock family is continuously researching, developing and utilizing the latest techniques in the landscape industry to serve you better. We take great pleasure in providing our customers with the best products available.” says Ed Brock, Jr. Ed Brock Sr. started his business by picking and selling blueberries at a roadside stand when he was only eight years old. His parents encouraged his love of the land, farming and gardening. In later years, he opened the current Brock Farms’ Route 34 location in Colts Neck. The business grew in popularity, as area residents knew they could purchase the finest produce, bedding plants and flowers at Brock Farms.

In 1958, he opened the Freehold location on Route 9 and both locations enjoy a fine reputation for supplying area homeowners with the finest garden supplies and equipment. Nursery products were added in the early 1960’s.

The Brock’s farm over 700 acres of land in Freehold, Smithburg, Deerfield, Bridgeton and Colts Neck where their own nursery products are grown. As long-time, local experts in the horticultural area, they take tremendous pride in their homegrown products. All of their plants are nurtured with

While Ed Jr. concentrates on the gardening aspects at the Colts Neck location, Linda uses her talents and welltrained eye in selecting collectibles, gifts and adornments for their Freehold location. During the growing season, both stores offer lush sights, fragrant smells and peaceful sounds along with acres of verdant greenery - from new and classic vegetables, annuals and perennials to specimen shrubs and trees.

Brock Farms offers everything from lawn care products to landscaping and pond materials. From plants and flowers to shrubs and trees. From statuary to bird baths and beyond, they have everything that can help in creating an amazing outdoor space for your clients’ homes.

For more information, visit www.brockfarms.com.

Photos courtesy of Brock Farms.

NJLCA.ORG 31

Feature Story

H-2B Visas in the Time of COVID-19

by Michele A. Contreras, Esq. The 2020 H-2B season has proven to be yet another difficult season for employers who depend on the H-2B process to provide them with essential staff for their landscaping season. Only about one-third of the employers who submitted petitions for an April 1 start date got in under the cap to get visas, leaving two-thirds of all employers scrambling to figure out how to staff their businesses.

On March 5th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its intent to release 35,000 additional H-2B visas for the summer season of Fiscal Year 2020. While we were all waiting for regulations to be published in order to release the visas, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now, it is unclear whether DHS will release any additional H-2B visas at all for the current season.

Many suspect that DHS will not.

COVID-19 and H-2B Visas The COVID-19 pandemic has created other obstacles for H-2B employers. As countries tightened their borders and consulates closed for interviews, it became increasingly difficult for employers who have approved visas to get their workers into the U.S. In addition, on March 20, USCIS announced that it would suspend all premium processing services. Petitions for in-country transfers for H-2B workers to transfer from one employer to another H-2B employer previously took 15 days or less for approval. Now, without premium processing, it could take months, leaving the workers in limbo without employment authorization.

For those employers who were fortunate to get their H-2B workers, questions have arisen about their responsibilities as H-2B employers in a time when many are restricted from working or business is slow. The Department of Labor has made it clear that H-2B employers are still bound by the ¾ guarantee rule, even during government imposed shut-downs. This requirement states that “[t]he employer must guarantee to offer the worker employment for a total number of work hours equal to at least three-fourths of the workdays in each 12-week period (or 6-week period for job orders lasting less than 120 days).” If an employer needs to lay off an H-2B worker, they should consult with their attorney to make a request to DOL to do so. The employer must be granted permission from DOL before laying off the worker.

Alternatives to H-2B and Ways to Beat the Cap As it becomes increasingly difficult to get H-2B visas each year, employers are looking for alternative ways to get their workers.

Some employers may be able to take advantage of the H-2A program, which is for agricultural workers. The main benefit of the H-2A visas is that there is NO CAP, which means that there are always visas available. Landscapers who operate nurseries might qualify to bring H-2A workers to work in the nursery, which would be considered agricultural work. Those workers would not be allowed to install landscaping materials for customers or perform other landscaping tasks, but some employers may benefit from this extra source of employees.

32 SUMMER | 2020

For the two-thirds of employers who petitioned for H-2B visas this year and did not get visas, another option to consider is submitting a petition for an October 1, 2020, start date. While the workers would only be able to work for a couple of months before the season ends, the main benefit is that those workers would then be exempt from the cap in the Spring of 2021. For example, let’s consider a landscaping company that usually brings in 10 H-2B workers from April 1-December 15, but did not get visas this year due to the cap being reached. That company could petition for those 10 workers to work from October 1 until December 15. The workers would then return to their home countries. The employer would petition for the workers for the spring of 2021 and those 10 workers would be able to return without problem because they have already been counted under the cap. While this option is not perfect, it is one way to make the best of a negative situation.

PERM- Green Cards for H-2B Workers As the H-2B process becomes more and more difficult each year, many employers are turning towards the PERM process to petition for green cards for their workers. This process is available for unskilled workers, like landscape laborers. One main requirement is that the employer must have a year-round position available for the worker that is the beneficiary of the petition. The process may take between one and two years to complete, but once it is done, the workers will have a green card and no longer be subject to the yearly struggle of applying for H-2B visas. In addition, they can bring their spouses and children to the U.S. as well.

In conclusion, the H-2B process has become more and more difficult each year, as the number of applicants increases, and the number of visas stays the same. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the process even more difficult. While there are no easy, clear alternatives to H-2B, some of the suggestions above may help some employers. All H-2B employers should consult with an immigration attorney if considering any of the above options.

Michele Contreras, Esq, is the founding attorney of the Law Office of Michele Contreras, LLC, an immigration law firm in Cherry Hill, NJ. Ms. Contreras represents H-2A & H-2B employers all over the US in their H-2 visa petitions, applications for Green Cards for H-2B employees, and in H-2B audits. She is the national co-coordinator of the H-2 Interest Group for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She can be reached at mcontreras@h-2visas.com.

Feature Story

Should I Continue to Ask My Customers For Money During a Major Crisis?

by Matthew Moskowitz, American Profit Recovery For many of us in the business world, it seems like we have hit a brick wall…and fast. There is no doubt that for most of us until very recently, the economic conditions were working in our favor and business was good. We had a thriving economy and many businesses had a pretty healthy outlook for the year 2020.

And in the blink of an eye, many were closing their doors, laying off our dedicated workforce and staring down the barrel of debt when most of us never saw it coming. We’ve gone from positive projections to applying for small business disaster loans from the government.

For the small business world, this is a perfect storm. Depending on your industry, you may be unable to bring in any future revenue and, you are now in doubt about whether you’ll get paid for work you have already done for a customer. Our current conditions are not sustainable for many who rely on prompt payments from our customers unless we get paid.

The question I have been asked countless times in the past few weeks is if it is alright to contact their customers about past due invoices. The short answer is yes, it is still fine to be contacting your customers to try and get them current on their obligation to your business. However, as you might imagine, times like these call for a little strategy, extra care and understanding.

What should you take into consideration when collecting during uncertain times?

Laws: First, before you make any call about a past due account, make sure you understand any laws that may have been temporarily passed in your region. Many states have enacted some type of extra consumer protection such as altering existing debt collection laws as well as rent and eviction protections. While most laws are geared toward the debt collection industry, it makes perfect sense to be extra careful by checking the Attorney General website in your state.

Be Understanding and Empathetic: If there was ever a time to be extra nice, this would be it. Your business may be taking a major hit right now but there are also families that are wondering how to put food on the table. Being nice and communicating with customers that owe you money with tact is something that should just be standard, but you should double down on communicating respectfully with them. Keep in mind that there a lot of people able to work from home with no or little disruption to their income.

Stimulus package… hopefully! Then, there are some that have been laid off or hours reduced…simply knowing their situation and working with them will go a long ways.

Is it possible to experience someone’s anger and hostility?

Possibly, as tensions are running high and anyone calling to ask for money could be on the receiving end of some anger and frustrations. However, if you do not take it personally and handle them with kindness and empathy, the result will most typically be positive. We are living in a different world for the time being and we must adjust our methods and attitudes.

Cash Flow IS Important! The fact is that cash flow is the life blood of most businesses, and without it, there is no business.

The question I like to pose to these business owners is this, are

you expecting to not pay your bills? The answer is always NO, I expect to pay my bills. Then why would you think your customers should not have to pay you or for you to not ask for payment on a legitimate invoice. Some consultants are stressing even more the importance of keeping your receivables in good shape, as opposed to letting them get behind. There is a fine line between customer care and collections, but unless your business is healthy, you can’t provide the best possible service to the customer.

Know When To Move On: You are going to encounter customers that just cannot pay you at the moment and you need to understand that. You never want to put anyone in a position that puts their family and livelihood into jeopardy and demanding money when it just isn’t there is counterproductive to say the least.

Understand that there will be times when you have to decide that a payment is not an option at the time of your call. Make a note and communicate that you will follow up after a period of time to see if they can resume paying you.

Stay in Communication: How are you doing? How are you hanging in there? Is everyone doing ok? We are all in this together, and to show you truly care about them and their families is huge in today’s world. You need the ability to stay in communication with customers so you can gently remind them that there is still an outstanding balance on their account. By communicating, we can help them create a way to pay off what they owe. You can work together to come up with a resolution and you can keep the relationship intact. Maybe it’s a payment plan or some other type of arrangement. Without communication, nothing will get resolved.

You need to stay in touch somehow with your customers because the longer a bill goes unpaid, the more difficult it will be to collect. You have done nothing wrong by communicating with your customer. You provided a service and then a worldwide crisis hit us. But you still serviced your customer and you should get paid. It may just take longer during this time.

Stay Positive: There is no playbook for what is happening right now with the Coronavirus crisis. Most of us have never seen anything like this in our lifetimes and we are all trying to stay on top of our businesses and keep our families safe and sound. You’ve had to make hundreds of quick decisions in the past several weeks and you have no doubt been at your wits end at times. It’s perfectly acceptable to be anxious, exhausted, confused and more. Staying positive with your customers, vendors, staff, etc. will go a long way in this crisis.

You would be surprised just how many times we hear “Thank you”, “I appreciate you working with me”, “thanks for your patience” and many more positive comments from consumers…. And we are a collection agency! Always treat people with Dignity and Respect.

Matt Moskowitz is one of four partners who founded American Profit Recovery in 2004. Since that time the company has grown to serve approximately 4,000 clients. The firm has offices in Michigan and Massachusetts and APR specializes in the collection and resolution of debt in industries such as medical/dental, banking, trades, schools, heating oil delivery, lawn care and other professional services. 1-800-711-0023 and their web address is www.americanprofit.net/

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Feature Story

Deer-Resistant Plants

by R.J. Curcio, New Jersey Deer Control Deer-resistant plants are one of the most debated topics in the landscaping industry. Some swear particular plant species are never eaten while some make the claim that if they’re hungry enough, deer will eat anything. What even makes a plant deer resistant though? Why are some plants like tulips, hostas, and daylilies so sought after but species like daffodils and lavender are virtually never eaten?

Believe it or not most herbivores, including deer, are pretty choosy about what they eat. Over time, plants have adapted different attributes to protect themselves from herbivores eating them such as toxins, scents, tastes, or textures. Plants like the aforementioned tulips, hostas, and daylilies don’t retain any of these qualities and are high in nutrients resulting in the heavy deer damage we all experience.

habitat has made it so it is the only food available to them.

The size of the local deer population, as well as the amount of local resources available to the deer, both influence the deer’s decision on what they are willing to eat on your property.

Some traditionally deer-resistant plants like monarda, echinacea, lilacs, and even green giant arborvitae have experienced significant deer damage in communities with high deer populations. It can be quite the up-hill battle trying to create a “deer-resistant” landscape. There are, however, some plants that have been resilient in some of the most deer-dense areas of the state.

Though not every plant with a strong scent is enough to keep deer away, some plants with intense scents like lavender, catmint, russian sage, and allium are all too much for deer. When you smell a plant, it is hard to imagine what it would be like to a deer because their sense of smell is 80 times more powerful than ours. That catmint might seem subtle to you, but to a deer it is quite overwhelming.

Some plants like daffodils, foxgloves, and milkweeds are too toxic for deer to consume. If they do choose to nibble them, the sickness that follows is enough to keep them from returning to that plant. Most deer learn from a pretty young age what is and is not edible through trial and error.

There is a common misconception that deer don’t like plants with thorns. Anyone who plants roses knows how little the deer are phased by them, as they have been known to chew right down the stems.

There are some textures deer do stay away from. The hairs on the leaves of lamb’s ear and dusty miller is likely to get caught in their throat, keeping these plants safe from damage.

When communicating with clients about their landscape plantings it is always a good idea to remind them deerresistant does not mean deer-proof, and though the plants that were mentioned in this article are great options, we just don’t know what the next plant to come off that list will be.

Now that the industry has realized the necessity of deerresistant plants here in New Jersey, more and more of them have been put out into the environment. Deer being an animal that thrives in the suburbs have adapted to the landscape that we humans have continued to change. Not long ago, anything that had a strong scent was enough to keep the deer away.

Now, with inedible plants like andromeda and boxwood R.J. Curcio is the staff ecologist at New Jersey Deer Control®, LLC. being planted so abundantly and the deer populations being so high in our communities, they have had to settle for less R.J. has a degree in neuroscience from Drew University where he desirable food. Even though some of these traditionally deer- concentrated his studies on wild mammal behavior. For questions resistant plants are less desirable, the destruction of their about deer biology, deer-resistant plants, or deer repellents, reach out to R.J. at admin@njdeercontrol.com.

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Feature Story

You-Proofing Your Business: How to Make Your Company Less “You” Reliant and Build Value in the Process

You may be the creator, leader, and chief innovator of your company, but as brilliant as you are, without even realizing it, you might be doing yourself—and your company—a disservice.

The truth is, if your business is wholly dependent on you, its value diminishes. Should anything happen to you, the entire operation would grind to a screeching halt, and that’s not an attractive place to be, especially if you hope to sell one day.

around, and it is also a way to gauge how efficiently your enterprise is running.

When you are creating your procedures, get as detailed as possible. Deconstruct each process into a fool-proof, stepby-step operating system that anybody can understand. That way, tasks can be completed consistently, done just the way you would do it, but without needing your direct input.

Create Value by Stepping Away Getting your company to a point where it can function without your constant input has many benefits.

For example, if you wanted to take some time off to travel the world, or enjoy some of the milestones of life, you can do so without having to think twice about it. If you had a family emergency or an illness, your world would not come crashing down around you just because you couldn’t operate the day-to-day.

These are just a couple of scenarios, but they happen. You should not think that you are immune just because you have a business to run.

If you are the be-all-end-all of your company, and if it’s not your intention to work yourself into the grave, it is time to get real. It’s about freedom for you and an increase in value for your company, because that’s the ultimate goal.

Here are some tips and suggestions to get you started on your you-proofing adventure:

What do you know about your operations that your employees do not?

Every company has its peculiarities. Think long and hard about “those little things” that come up from time to time and what you do to handle it.

Maybe it’s a specific approach that you use with demanding or skeptical customers, or perhaps it’s the settings you use on one of your machines to make it stop doing x-y-z.

Whatever those little secrets are, don’t keep them to yourself.

Make them known and include them in your SOPs so your team can keep the ship afloat in your absence.

Another valuable exercise is to write down the top 20 or 30 most common questions people might ask about your business. These questions should be based on issues or objectives your customers, vendors, or suppliers have. Think of every possible scenario, especially the most out-of-left-field kind. It’s these kinds of questions that put staff on the spot, so developing scripts around these issues will ensure nobody is caught off-guard.

While you might at first be a little overwhelmed at the idea of creating systems and responses for every eventuality, you’ll find that once you have it in place, it takes a lot of pressure off the entire team.

Create standard operating procedures (SOPs) Consistency is the cornerstone of any successful business, but that does not mean you have to oversee every process.

Having a standard playbook for your day-to-day operations is critical. It is a flagpole for your employees to rally

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Feature Story

by Jonathan Goldhill, The Goldhill Group went wrong. Usually, the lapses fall into one of three categories: Outright errors.

This is where things went wrong in one way or another, resulting in a negative outcome.

What you should do: Solicit feedback from your team to see what went wrong in the process and how the situation can be remedied so that it does not happen again. Ask the team to develop new processes and checklists to ensure that the proper procedures are in place going forward.

Blockages.

What projects stalled out while you were away simply because you were not available to provide input or feedback?

Make your team part of the decision-making process When your team has a hand in decision-making, it’s a surefire way to get them to own their work. You can still have What you should do: Make sure your employees know the last word but do solicit feedback on what is working and what items need your direct approval and which do not. Give what’s not working. Ask for suggestions about how policies them the autonomy to take the initiative as appropriate. and procedures can be adjusted to correct course.

Remove bottlenecks One of the most significant barriers to building value in your business is, oddly enough, you.

If your managers and employees feel that they must come to you for approval for every little thing, it is a bottleneck that could impede productivity, innovation, and progress in general.

Some larger issues might still require input on your part, but the more your team understands how you would handle things, the less they will feel the need to consult you before moving forward. More autonomy equals fewer bottlenecks. Empower your team to act.

See what really happens when you are not around Plan a vacation.

Leave your team to run the show while you are gone. Tell them you will be back a day later than you plan to return.

Once you are back in the office, use that extra day that you are not “officially” back to assess where things

On hold.

Projects on hold are matters that could not be completed because you are the driving force behind them.

What you should do: reassign or delegate non-strategic projects to employees who have the skills to complete them.

If you don’t feel confident that anyone on your staff can handle certain tasks, think about bringing in a consultant to complete the project and mentor one or more employees through the process. Next time a similar situation comes up, they will be ready to take the reins.

Rounding up You are the boss, there’s no denying it. But if your goal is to sell your company or leave it to the next generation, be sure you’re leaving a legacy. Don’t stand in your own way.

If you would like to learn more about how to drive value in your business, reach out today.

Jonathan Goldhill is an adviser, coach, consultant, trainer, facilitator and business therapist with 30 years experience in his craft.

The Goldhill Group provides strategic thinking, execution planning and accountability coaching to businesses. Based in the Los Angeles metro area, he serves closely-held and family business clients in the lower to middle market nationwide.

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Feature Story

Create Big Benefits from a Small Space Patio

by Charles H. Gamarekian, Cambridge Pavers It’s easy to feel limited in possibilities when a smaller outdoor space is all you have to work with when planning a backyard patio for a customer. But the truth is you may not have to give up many of the things that add up to a rewarding and well-designed backyard paradise. My simple approach is to create eye-catching zones in smaller spaces while drawing on existing architectural and natural surroundings for a sense of continuity. Decide if your customer would like to have privacy, a place for scaled-down outdoor entertaining, or a sun- splashed space.

After the overall style and use has been determined, now is the time to develop a plan wherein the area is carefully measured and a floor plan drawing is made in scale taking into account what is projected to be used in the final outcome. You may be surprised to learn that today’s wide range of hardscape materials can offer stylish, space-efficient and functional results. The Boutique Collection, which is made up of fireplaces and seating benches with a smaller foot print is a perfect example of components that will work wonder-

38 SUMMER | 2020

fully in smaller spaces.

Similar to how banquette seating saves space in a small kitchen, a built-in bench of durable wallstones from Cambridge is perfect for a small patio because it doesn’t require extra space even adjacent to an outdoor table. The notchedin bench can be tied into a perimeter landscape wall of the same material. It is very possible to coordinate color and style of the wall units with the facade of the house and continue the wall and steps around the perimeter of the patio for a cozy vibe for family and friends. Factor in a pavement of Cambridge Pavingstones for a fully integrated look.

Paver size and color An advantage over large patios, small patios can feature bright colors without overwhelming the eye. A simple, soothing design incorporating elements from nature is often ideal for a small patio, as an overly elaborate decor may overwhelm the space. Cambridge Pavingstones with an impressive array of long-lasting ArmorTec® colors, can provide the

Employment Matters Why Businesses Are Never Too Small for HR Function When we think of human resources function, we typically think of companies with at least a few hundred employees served by a dedicated HR department. HR for smaller businesses tends to be left to business owners and a couple of key managers. Still, that might not be the best way to go. Having designated HR functions in place from the get-go might be more advantageous to business owners.

Without established functions and staff members in place, HR can wind up being left to a single business owner or a family member willing to lend a hand. But know this: HR function is as much about compliance as it is about keeping employees happy. Leaving it in the hands of someone who does not fully understand the implications of compliance could lead to problems.

Compliance Isn’t Simple The first thing every HR worker learns upon graduating and entering the real world is that compliance isn’t simple. What was learned in school does not even begin to scratch the surface. Indeed, the real world is fraught with compliance issues at multiple levels.

Compliance with federal regulations is the starting point. Such regulations are codified in legislation like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Complying with just those two acts alone can put a tremendous burden on companies.

After federal regulations come state and local regulations. Needless to say, some states are heavier in their regulations than others. At any rate, whoever oversees HR in any given company must be familiar with each and every regulation that affects how that company does business.

Getting Caught Off Guard is Not Good Along with compliance comes enforcement. In other words, the only way government has to ensure that companies are complying with the various regulations is to enforce those regulations by means of civil litigation and fines. Far too many business owners are caught off guard by enforcement efforts that reveal they have not been compliant.

New business owners go into it with the understanding that their businesses will grow over time. With growth comes more complicated HR. Not having HR functions in place ahead of time could lead to a company being caught off guard by enforcement actions. If for no other reason, business owners are wise to set up HR function right from the start so that surprises do not pop up down the road.

Other Things to Do Typically, HR is a lot like payroll in the sense that it is highly specialized. Company owners and managers are specialists in whatever it is they do. They are not HR specialists. Thus, the time they spend on HR functions is time taken away from more important things.

Here at BenefitMall we are specialists in payroll and some HR functions. We can handle both more efficiently and effectively than our clients. So that is what we do. We might have a client who specializes in residential construction. That client’s expertise is in building homes. We are no better at home construction than they are at payroll and HR. We work together, with each of us handling our own specialties.

Building HR function into a business from the ground up does not mean having to hire a dedicated HR team before bringing anyone else on board. It does mean establishing policies and procedures that are capable of adapting as the business grows.

Once HR becomes even the slightest bit taxing on ownership and management, it is time to consider either hiring a full-time HR team or contracting HR to a thirdparty provider. It’s best this way.

Sharon Skibbee of BenefitMall can be reached at 908-310-8797 or sharon.skibbee@benefitmall.com.

Feature Story

color palette that’s right for your desired effect. For your customers who lean toward one-of-a-kind colors you may want to consider one of our new paver colors; Blue Lagoon, Stone Harbor and Oceanside will add the perfect pop of color to any project. The right size and shape of the pavers can also go a long way to improving your patio’s perceived size, keeping large format pavers in the central field works best.

Adding Special Features and Amenities Add-ons from Cambridge such as a modular grill island, portable smoker, water feature, bistro table, fire pit and a versatile pergola — fully-assembled or in kits — bring welcome convenience paybacks without taking up more room than necessary in your customers backyard.

Add Extra Space Later If they have the outdoor space for a much larger patio but choose to start small, it is encouraging to know that with Cambridge hardscaping, they can begin with a modestly-sized patio; in the second year add an adjacent area with a fire pit; a fullkitchen the third year; and even a pool or spa the following year, without compromising uniformity of color and style. However, it makes good sense to address this approach with a professional in the planning stage. Start small, but think big!

Charles H. Gamarekian is the Chairman/ CEO of Cambridge Pavers Inc. He is one of the founders and a current board member of the Interlocking Pavement Institute. Organized in 1993, ICPI is the North American trade association representing the interlocking concrete paver industry and considered by peer associations around the world as the leader in development and dissemination of technical information for design professionals and contractors. Mr. Gamarekian is recognized worldwide as an expert in his field and is a frequent speaker on the proper installation of pavingstones, wallstones and many outdoor living products.

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News Briefs

Safety [Culture] Club

Drive Right, Pass Left: Unless you are driving a truck over 10,000 pounds of course. Then don’t do that.

I

cannot tell you how many times I am driving around this state and see large trucks driving in the left lane. I have no way of knowing if the driver is aware he or she is in violation or just decided to commit the violation anyway. Either way, they are in jeopardy of receiving 2 points minimum and a fine of between $50.00-$200.00, imprisonment for up to 15 days, or both. I should mention, I have never seen as many violations as I have lately since the Coronavirus started. It almost seems like traffic laws do not exist anymore. It is only a matter of time before the Police start making contact with drivers again. When they do, LOOK OUT! It is your responsibility as the operator of a motor vehicle to know the laws you are regulated by. No one else’s, yours. The statute reads as follows:

NJSA 39:4-88 When a roadway has been divided into clearly marked lanes for traffic, drivers of vehicles shall obey the following regulations: a. A vehicle shall normally be driven in the lane nearest the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway when that lane is available for travel, except when overtaking another vehicle or in preparation for a left turn. b. A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from that lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety.

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c. Upon a highway which is divided into 3 lanes, a vehicle shall not be driven in the center lane except when overtaking or passing another vehicle or in preparation for a left turn or unless the center lane is at the time allocated for traffic moving in the direction the vehicle is proceeding and is signposted to give notice of that allocation. d. The State Highway Commissioner may by regulation or local authorities may by resolution or ordinance with respect to highways under their jurisdiction designate right-hand lanes for slow moving traffic and inside lanes for traffic moving at the speed designated for the district as provided under this chapter, and when the lanes are signposted or marked to give notice of the designation a vehicle may be driven in any lane allocated to traffic moving in the direction in which it is proceeding, but when traveling within the inside lanes the vehicle shall be driven at approximately the speed authorized in such lanes and speed shall not be decreased unnecessarily so as to block, hinder or retard traffic. e. When such roadway had been divided in such a manner that there are 3 or more lanes for traffic in any one direction, no truck of 10,000 pounds registered gross weight or over shall be driven in the farthest left-hand lane, except when and to the extent necessary to prepare for a left turn, or when necessary to enter or leave such roadway by entrance or exit to or from the left lane or when reasonably necessary in response to emergency conditions.

Amended by L.1951, c. 23, p. 83, s. 47; L.1968, c. 432, s. 1, eff. Feb. 11, 1969 If your company name is proudly displayed on your vehicles, do you really want this kind of publicity? It’s not what you do when everyone is looking that counts, it’s what you do when no one is looking. That is when it counts. Let’s elevate ourselves to the top 10 percent of the industry, not the bottom 10 percent. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Patrick Donovan is the owner of Classic Landscaping and Environmental Services. He is a retired Port Authority of NY/NJ Police Officer. Pat is also the Chairman of the NJLCA Safety Committee.

News Briefs A warm welcome to our newest and returning members...

Alexanders Landscaping, LLC Sandro Nuñez Raritan, NJ

Drew’s Pondscapes Drew Stolz Wyckoff, NJ

MDT Landscaping, LLC Joseph Tallerico Wantage, NJ

B. Koth Landscape Contractors, LLC Brandon Koth Oradell, NJ

Edge Landscape, Inc. John McIntyre Pearl River, NY

Oleski Landscaping, Inc. William Oleski Hamburg, NJ

Bayview Garden Nurseries, LLC Bruce Cummings Northfield, NJ

Evening Shade Landscaping George Contrino Califon, NJ

Rock Lane Services, LLC Kyle Spicer Boonton, NJ

Bolvito Lawn Care, LLC Amanda Bolvito Metuchen, NJ

Exclusive Contracting Anthony LaRosa Woodridge, NJ

Sharper Image Landscapes PJ Riley West Caldwell, NJ

Bruin & Sons Landscaping, LLC Michael Bruin Mendham, NJ

Florio Landscape Contractor, Inc. Michael Florio Park Ridge, NJ

Terra Firma of Avon, LLC Christopher Bache Avon by the Sea, NJ

Bruno Design Associates Tracy Bruno Chester, NJ

Grasskeepers Landscaping, Inc. Larry Turco Pompton Lakes, NJ

Turf Tender, Inc. Kevin Robinson Tenafly, NJ

Cape Atlantic Landscaping, Inc. Shawn Genovese North Cape May, NJ

Greenleaf Landscape Systems & Services, Inc. Scott Laurence Eatontown, NJ

Warrick Properties Group David J. Warrick Hamilton, NJ

Carela Landscaping Cesarina Baez Clifton, NJ CedarScape Landscaping Gilbert Asch Midland Park, NJ Cloverland Landscape Co. Joseph J. Siervo Hackensack, NJ Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs Tim Schipper Bridgeport, CT Davitt Landscaping William Davitt Union, NJ Double D Landscaping Co. Dino Dipasquale Dumont, NJ

International Swimming Pools Brad Korbel New Brunswick, NJ J & R Landscaping See Green, LLC Jose Rodriguez Nyack, NY Joe’s Landscaping & Maintenance Joseph Habeiche Franklin Park, NJ M. ERBS Fine Gardens Keith Wallock Denville, NJ Manzer’s Landscape Design & Development, Inc. Chapman Manzer Peekskill, NY

Wickizer Landscape, Inc. Doug Wickizer Palmyra, NJ Winters Landscaping, LLC Ryan Winters Rumson, NJ Woodstock Landscaping Michael VanValkenburgh W. Hurley, NY WP Landscaping Dan Plasket Mt. Laurel, NJ Wright Brothers Landscaping Brendan & Jessica Wright Warwick, NY

NJLCA.ORG

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Feature Story

The “SOUND” Of Profit

by Kevin Minton, Coastal Source

T

hroughout my 30 plus years in the design/build industry, I have worked as an exhibitor and walked as an attendee through an incredible amount of Landscape Construction and Green Industry trade shows. I have met some extremely talented contractors and some very innovative manufacturers throughout these shows across the country. In all my conversations at these shows, I often ask the attendees how they find the show and the one response that I almost always get is, “I’m here just looking for something different, something to offer my clients that my competition doesn’t offer and something that I can make a good profit margin with, the silver bullet.” I have found this response to be very intriguing because most often when I meet with a contractor one-on-one and suggest something new, it is often met with much resistance and a litany of excuses as to why that product or why that method could not be incorporated into their everyday business model. The fear of change takes over. It is interesting that we live in a society where it is most common for everyone to have or want the latest version of the iPhone, laptop computer, drone, or flat screen television, but in the Landscape Design / Build business, change or new is almost always met with some level of resistance.

Outdoor audio systems are “New” to the Landscape Design / Build industry and offer an opportunity for the Landscape Design Build professionals to make very good margins on a product that requires very little overhead to incorporate into their business. I don’t believe there are many people that don’t enjoy listening to their favorite music playlist while enjoying the beautiful swimming pools, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and pool pergolas that Landscape Design / Build contractors are creating in client’s backyards every day. A very simple, high fidelity audio system can be installed utilizing two to three of your team members, a pickup truck, some edging spades, post hole diggers, or shovels, and a cordless drill, that’s it. You have the opportunity to get in and get out of the job quickly with very little disturbance to your clients property and get paid promptly while making very good profit margins. Some of the other functions of a Landscape Design / Build contractor do not offer the same efficiency and profitability with the opportunity to get paid quickly. For example, a hardscape installation most often requires a big-

ger crew size, bigger trucks to haul material to and from the site, more logistics to schedule deliveries and labor, and most often heavy equipment to excavate the project and move material around on the project. The typical hardscape project will also last several days and sometimes up to several weeks, causing a bigger time lapse for getting paid while yielding smaller profit margins.

A common rebuttal I hear from the Landscape Design / Build contractor is most of their clients have an inside guy that handles all of their audio and video and their client will probably contract them to do the outside audio work. A plan is agreed upon with your client, the Landscape Design / Build contractor should have or should take ownership of their client’s property. After all, you had the vision and the creativity to develop the plan for the incredible beautification process that your clients property has gone through or is about to go through.

You, as the Design / Build contractor know the intent of the development of that property and all of the logistics that go with it, where utilities are located, where the client will spend most of their time enjoying, relaxing, and using their property. The outside grounds of that client’s house is your territory and you should do your best to protect it and keep all of the work that is performed there under your umbrella. High fidelity outdoor audio systems are designed to simplify outdoor audio installations for Landscape Design / Build contractors and built to withstand the elements of the great outdoors. If you are interested in a new and profitable channel for your Landscape Design / Build Company and have the clientele that present the opportunity to offer outdoor audio systems, then reach out to Coastal Source to discuss becoming a dealer and hear how good profit can SOUND. Kevin brings 30 plus years of hands on experience in the High End Residential Landscape Design Build industry along with 10 years of manufacturer sales in the unit concrete business. Kevin’s knowledge of best design and construction practices offers Coastal Source dealers a different perspective when designing and building their own projects with the inclusion of outdoor lighting and audio. Kevin is responsible for the development of the Coastal Source dealer network and job site technical support. Contact Kevin at kminton@coastalsource.com or on his cell phone at 609-781-0562. www.coastalsource.com

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Feature Story

Straw Mulching for Permanent Vegetation Establishment Stabilization of disturbed soils is of paramount concern for sediment and erosion control issues. Oversight of establishing permanent vegetation on disturbed soil sites falls under the purview of the NJ Soil and Conservation Districts.

In 2014 they revised and published a comprehensive set of recommendations referred to as “Standards for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control in New Jersey”. This document covers a myriad of topics from Dune Stabilization, Slope and Channel Stabilization and Construction Site Erosion and Sediment Control Measures. The document also covers a topic that many landscapers deal with and that is Permanent Vegetative Establishment.

By Definition: Establishment of permanent vegetative cover on exposed soils where perennial vegetation is needed for long-term protection.

“Many Soil Conservation Districts when performing final inspections on the site will require the seed tags and empty bags of lime and fertilizer to insure the proper product specifications and amounts were used on the job.”

Purpose: To permanently stabilize the soil, ensuring conservation of soil and water, and to enhance the environment.

Water Quality Enhancement: Slows the over-land movement of storm water runoff, increases infiltration and retains soil and nutrients on site, protecting streams or other storm water conveyances. Where applicable, on exposed soils that have a potential for causing off-site environmental damage.

The standards outline specific recommendations for soil prep, grading and top soiling sites and includes installation of temporary erosion control measures. Specific top soil guidelines can be found in Standards for Top Soiling section. In simplest terms, stockpiling and saving existing top soil already on the site is the best method for meeting the standards.

In many instances, the landscape contractor is brought on to the site after the soil prep stage has already been completed and is often responsible for only establishing the final

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Seedbed preparation. Though most Soil Conservation Districts have general recommended rates for fertilizer and lime, it is highly recommended that a soil test be performed to determine the actually needed additives for obtaining optimum growing conditions. Typical recommended rates per acre are 2,000 lbs. of lime and 500 lbs. of a starter fertilizer (typically 10-10-10). Lime and fertilizer should be incorporated into the soil to a depth of 4 inches.

Seed specs can vary by county and / or region. For instance in Northern and Central NJ, the following specs from Hunterdon County are commonly used.

SEEDING MIXTURE FOR GENERAL SEEDING - (example: lawns) 40% turf-type tall fescue, 50% Kentucky bluegrass, 10% creeping red fescue.

OR 30% turf-type perennial ryegrass, 30% chewings fescue, 10% Kentucky bluegrass, 30% turf-type perennial ryegrass.

SEEDING MIXTURE FOR HIGH TRAFFIC & CRITICAL AREAS (examples: athletic fields, waterways, diversions, etc.) 80% turf-type tall fescue, 10% Kentucky bluegrass, 10% turf-type perennial ryegrass.

Optimum seeding period for Hunterdon County is from March 1 to May 15 and August 15 to October 1. Outside of those periods, the seeding rates are to be increased by 50% (i.e.: 300 lbs. per acre of perennial seed instead of the required 200 lbs. per acre during optimum periods Seed specs for counties with sandier type soils will emphasize seed mixes with higher rates of tall fescues. For instance, Mercer Co. SCD Preferred Mix for LAWNS AND DETENTION BASINS 70% turf-ype tall fescue, 20% perennial ryegrass, 10% Kentucky bluegrass.

After determining the appropriate seed mixture and quantities of fertilizer and lime, it is recommended that the products be applied mechanically to the bare and graded soil.

Lime and fertilizer should be incorporated into the soil to a depth of 4 inches.

After all materials are spread evenly and incorporated into the soil properly, the last and extremely important step in the seeding process is mulching the disturbed soils. Proper mulching of the site ensures the soil retains needed moisture levels.

Maintaining soil moisture is a key element in ensuring even and full seed germination. In addition, mulching helps prevent

Feature Story

by Ed Dugan, Northeast Bowie Sales soil erosion from wind, rain or runoff. In NJ, straw mulching should be applied at the rate of 1-1/2 to 2 tons of mulch per acre. A typical square bale of mulch will weigh between 40 and 50 lbs. depending on moisture content. So your application rate will be approximately 40 to 50 bales per acre. Straw mulch needs to be applied evenly over the area avoiding bridging or clumping. The best method to produce an even distribution of straw that provides good straw to soil contact is through the use of a piece of equipment designed to chop straw and distribute it evenly though a blower system.

Commonly referred to as Straw Mulchers or Straw Blowers, these units can be configured with different engine horse power and blower impellor sizes to accommodate the needs of the contractor and the typical size jobs they encounter. These units can typically spread between from 100 to 120 bales and hour up to 5 to 7 tons for the larger models.

Once the straw is evenly distributed across the site the last step, as required by NJSWCD specs and good horticultural practices, is for anchoring the mulch to minimize loss from wind or rain. The two most common and cost efficient anchoring methods is crimping or the application of a liquid mulch binder.

A straw crimper is a towed piece of equipment that utilizes vertical discs to impregnate the straw into the soil. It is a fast and efficient method but is best reserved for large areas which are not finely graded as tractor tire ruts can be left behind.

Liquid mulch binders are usually applied using a specialized piece of equipment called a hydroseeder. The tackifier is mixed in the tank, usually with a quantity of fiber mulch and then sprayed evenly over the strawed area. The tackifier acts as a glue adhering the straw to itself and to

the soil preventing straw loss. Good mulching practices help to insure good results for your seeding project.

Important note: Many Soil Conservation Districts when performing final inspections on the site will require the seed tags and empty bags of lime and fertilizer to ensure the proper product specifications and amounts were used on the job.

So be sure to save the used bags and seed tags until the job has been signed off on. This site approval is necessary for obtaining the Certificate of Occupancy, final approvals or the release of a construction bond.

A copy of the Standards of Soil Erosion and Sediment Control can be found online at: https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/anr/pdf/2014NJSoil ErosionControlStandardsComplete.pdf Ed Dugan is the owner of Northeast Bowie Sales LLC. The company specializes in the sale of Bowie Hydromulchers and Straw Blowers as well as hydroseeding supplies and erosion control products. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Hydroseeding Professionals. More information on hydroseeding and straw blowing can be found on the company website at www.nebowiesales.com.

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Feature Story

Your Meetings Have Cancelled: What Now?

by Danny Wood, Sandler Training by Danny Wood Enterprises The global pandemic has caused salespeople and business owners to face a sobering reality. Scheduled meetings with decision makers have been cancelled leaving sales professionals facing the same daunting question: “What am I going to do to replace my lost meetings?”

Short answer: Adapt a remote sales model. Make sure it’s one that takes the “new normal” into account; one that prioritizes personal outreach to prospective buyers who haven’t heard from you before; one that is quantifiable. Update your cookbook so that it supports your remote model and execute on it daily.

Here are three ways to make that happen.

STEP ONE: Accept that this is a different time. In the “new normal,” many of our old assumptions about how to launch and sustain business relationships will simply no longer stand.

Understand things have changed, embrace that change, and prepare to step out of your comfort zone. For instance, there will need to be multiple personalized digital touches, before you connect with a single decision maker on a voiceto-voice call.

Assume that each one of those touches matters and must be tracked.

Assume that you will have to stand out quickly and dramatically from a crowd of salespeople who are in the same situation you are.

Last but not least, assume that you are responsible for generating your own leads. It doesn’t matter whether you are used to having someone else do the up-front work. It’s time to hold yourself accountable for the attitudes, techniques, and behaviors that produce conversations with first-time buyers. Often, salespeople are used to receiving, rather than generating, qualified opportunities. The ones who prosper in 2020 – and beyond – will take personal responsibility for the entire sales process, including initial contact.

Guess what? This may require a shift in mindset!

STEP TWO: Do your homework…and create the right collateral. Each market segment can be defined by distinct business “pains” that decision makers are experiencing. Pain is the gap where the buyer is now and where he or she wants to be. Pain is what leaves the buyer frustrated, uncertain, distressed, worried, anxious, concerned, or angry. It’s what we want to resolve.

Forget about features. Do the homework necessary to identify the specific pain that exists or will exist, based on what’s happening in your prospect’s world today. Determine what carries a powerful emotional impact…and then create

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messaging that you can use effectively on platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook to start a discussion about that pain.

STEP THREE: Interrupt the pattern. One of the challenges 2020 has dumped in the laps of professional salespeople, is the reality that a wave of amateur salespeople – aggressive, desperate, and disrespectful of other people’s time – is, right now, assaulting your prospects.

Don’t be like those amateurs! Interrupt the pattern people expect from the typical sales call. There are dozens of ways to do this in a remote selling situation. I’ll share one with you here: Open your voice-to-voice call with a new contact by using some variation on this opening: “Hi Joe, it’s Walt calling from XYZ Company. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

(If Joe sounds particularly harried, you can revise it as follows: “My guess is I am catching you at a bad time. How bad is it?”)

If Joe tells you yes, it’s a bad time, say, “No problem – should we reschedule, or should I take thirty seconds to tell you the reason for my call, so you can decide whether it even makes sense for us to be talking?”

If Joe says it’s not a bad time, simply say, “Great. Would it make sense for me to take thirty seconds to tell you the reason for my call…and then you can decide if it even makes sense for us to be talking?”

How much better is that than what most salespeople open their calls with? (“If I could save your company a million dollars over the next 72 hours, would you be interested in learning more?” Click.)

We can’t be perceived as better unless we are first perceived as different, and we can’t be perceived as anything unless we first get their attention. The opening I’ve just shared with you does that in a way that is different from the typical, pushy, aggressive salesperson.

Your meetings may have been cancelled, but your personal sales goal certainly hasn’t. If you follow the steps I’ve shared with, you’ll prosper during the tough times that will separate the sales amateurs from the sales professionals.

Danny Wood, sales expert and certified Sandler trainer, helps individuals, business owners and companies to implement proven processes that create a customer-centric sales organization driving revenue and increasing the bottom line. This is achieved through a sales methodology that incorporates training, coaching, and reinforcement based on the psychology of human behavior and continual development. Danny has helped thousands of individuals to become proficient with the strategies, techniques, behaviors, and beliefs to help them improve the results of their sales efforts.

Feature Story

Don’t Let This Opportunity Go Down the Drain

by Madeline Flahive DiNardo, County Agent/Associate Professor, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

R

ain, rain go away‌..but not directly into the storm sewers!

Rain Gardens can be used on commercial, residential and public sites to capture, filter and recharge stormwater runoff into the soil, instead of overwhelming storm sewers.

These gardens can lessen the discharge of non-point source pollutants, such as fertilizers, motor oil and sediment into water bodies, and help with local flood control efforts.

The use of rain gardens is often recommended by Rutgers Cooperative Extension to municipalities and property owners as a green infrastructure project to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff. The Rutgers Water Resources program, www.water.rutgers.edu has extensive information about rain gardens, including the Rain Garden Manual for New Jersey and other green infrastructure options for reducing stormwater runoff.

Rain Gardens are designed to capture stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as parking lots, driveways, streets or rooftops. Rain water from these surfaces is directed into the garden by using curb cuts in a street or parking lot situation. Roof top gutter drains can be extended by using PVC pipe to direct the flow of water into the garden. Where water enters the rain garden is called the intake.

The profile of a rain garden can be compared to a saucer.

Photo: Rain Dog Designs, Gig Harbor, WA

The rim of the saucer would be the berm of a rain garden.

The inclining sides of the saucer are referred to as the slope of the rain garden and the flat bottom of the saucer would be the base in a rain garden. The base is the largest area of the garden as its purpose is to temporarily hold the water as it is filtered by the plants in the garden and recharged to groundwater. Rain gardens also need an outlet for excess water to flow out of, should the garden reach capacity. The outlet could direct excess water into a well-draining turf area away from the foundation of a building or to a storm drain.

The size and depth of the rain garden depends on the size of the area stormwater is being collected from and the texture of the native soil. Gardens in clay soil conditions would have a final depth of three inches and will need to have the soil amended with course river bank run sand to help improve drainage. A silty loam soil garden would be 6 inches deep and a sandy soil 8 inches deep. For example, if you are capturing rain water from the gutters of a 500 square foot section of a residential roof top, the garden would need to be 200 square feet if the soil in clay, 100 square feet for a silty loam soil and 75 square feet if the soil is sandy. Sizing recommendations can be found in the Rain Garden Manual of New Jersey.

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Feature Story Flat, well-drained areas are the ideal locations for rain gardens. The rain garden should be at least 10 feet away from the foundation of a building with a basement or two feet from the foundation if there is not a basement. Since your goal is to capture stormwater runoff – do a reconnaissance mission. Visit your client’s property on a rainy day and observe the flow of stormwater runoff.

Once the soil has dried, visit the site again and do a percolation test to check the drainage rate of your proposed rain garden site. The rain garden should drain completely within 24 hours to avoid problems with mosquitoes. Avoid placing the rain garden in an area with a high water table or shallow bedrock. Stay away from septic leach fields and water supply wells. Rain gardens and tree roots don’t do well together, so the garden should be outside the dripline of the tree canopy to avoid damage to tree roots.

To create the “saucer” shape, excavation will need to be done. Be sure to contact NJ One Call at 811 or 800-2721000 three business days before your proposed excavation.

It’s helpful if you can mark the area you are planning to excavate with white mark-out paint. For more information visit https://www.nj1-call.org/. Have your One Call ticket on-site during the excavation in case of any issues.

Rain gardens can be an attractive addition to residential and commercial properties. Native plants are often used in rain gardens, as they are adapted to New Jersey’s soils and have deep root systems for filtering water. A well-designed garden can have seasonal interest year round, by planning for growing season bloom times and winter can feature evergreen leaves, berries, seed heads or pods and bark features.

When selecting shrubs, perennials and grasses for the design, keep in mind the plants soil moisture preferences.

Grouping species of plants together makes for a bigger show

of color and attracts pollinators. Plants that can tolerate wet soil conditions such as Cardinal Flower, Cranberrybush Viburnum, Joe Pye Weed or Rose Mallow would do well in the base area of the rain garden. Sedges, soft rushes and Blue Flag Iris can also take wet conditions and are good choices for the inlet to the garden as they can help steady the flow of water into the garden. Good candidates for the slope are plants that can take fluctuating wet/dry conditions like Big Blue Stem grass, Coreopsis, and New England or New York Asters. The buffer, outer rim area, is the driest part of the garden and should be planted with plants that prefer dry soil conditions. For example, Black-eye Susan, Wild Indigo and Bee Balm would do well in the berm. Avoid planting these facultative upland species in the base area as some are susceptible to water borne fungal diseases and foliar diseases like powdery mildew.

A three- to four-inch layer of good quality triple shredded hardwood mulch is recommended as it performs several jobs in the garden. It captures sediment, slows the flow of water and helps suppress weeds.

Rain Gardens do require maintenance, so consider that aspect as you prepare a bid for potential customers. It will be important to visit the garden a few times after rainfalls to make sure the garden is draining properly and make any changes to correct problems with drainage or erosion in the garden. Mulch may need to be removed if sediment builds up, but look on the bright side – that shows the garden is working – the sediment is not in the storm drains or a body of water. Mulch may need to be replenished on an annual basis. Shrubs will need to be pruned and perennials divided once they are well-established, just as with any other garden.

Gutters and pipes leading into the garden will need to be kept clear of excess debris and the intake and outlet as well.

So with every successful rain garden, the rain, rain has gone away and you have contributed to mitigating flooding issues and improving water quality in New Jersey.

Madeline Flahive DiNardo is the County Agricultural Agent / Associate Professor with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County. She has developed training programs for professional landscapers and volunteer Master Gardeners in cooperation with the Rutgers Water Resources Program.

Madeline has experience with the planning, installation and maintenance of 21 rain gardens.

Image: Superior Watershed Partnership & Land Trust

48 SUMMER | 2020

Future Shock In 1970, Alvin Toffler and his wife Heidi penned what he thought would be the changes we all would be facing as technology accelerated its intrusion, whether we wanted it or not, into our everyday lives. He was a businessman, an associate editor at Fortune magazine and considered a futurist par excellence. The Toffler’s book Future Shock introduced us to what he thought was coming in the realms of communications and digital technology and how these changes might play out to the people on the street. He also coined the term “information overload”, delved into cloning, mass communications and entertainment along with mobile phones (it seems he watched Star Trek also!) and humanity linked up in a worldwide net of sorts (maybe Al Gore thinks he heard this here first-maybe not).

This power couple did not stop there as they went on to pen two more highly influential and futuristically themed works, 1980s The Third Wave (not the TV sci-fi series) which went further into how society might react to all these changes and the more chilling 1990 release of Powershift-a telling look at the effect these technologies would have on the destructive capabilities of military hardware and the intelligence such systems may have. They would further chill their readership with the vision of proliferation of the new found killing technologies coupled with the ability of the state to hold sway over its citizens (something we have acquiesced to for some time now by buying into our government as our “protector” of first and only choice).

Their works were translated into dozens of languages and read by a who’s who of world leaders, military planners, the general public and the business community. They got many things correct, but also many wrong. One of their most glaring faux pas was that people would be unable to adapt to the changes coming. Their prediction was that social isolation rather than community enhancement would be the new normal. Toffler himself later admitted in an interview in 1993

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that he may have overemphasized the coming social isolation but we all now know that there have been those that retreat into an online world and those that use the same venue to reach out to like-minded individuals. It would seem he and his wife were both right and wrong, as people are just that unpredictable.

Thus, this brings me to the next part of this article-where do current events now leave us? How will this COVID-19 scene play out for our beloved green industry? Where do we go from here and-most chilling-do we trust our leaders to get us there?

I will attempt to look at this as a futurist specific to our green industry. The Tofflers assumed that we would be so overloaded with information that we all would retreat into some sort of anti-social cocoon. Turns out some of us did but most of us are able to use information and technology to our advantage and profit. All manner of new tech is available that does our accounting, schedules our routing, calculates costs by division and even specific projects. We can fly over properties and see what we will encounter before even calling a client back. We can design landscapes with drop and drag menus, measure and design irrigation, lighting, drainage and set grades, plus get an accurate measurement for simple functions such as measuring for mulch. Software is out there that will measure whole properties, show details and features such as beds, hardscapes, access points, street views-you name it and it is at our finger tips (some for free, others at a cost).

My thoughts in this area are leading up to what changes we may see due to our current unprecedented situation-government lockdown of sections of our economy and social and societal changes brought on by fear mongering. Fear is a powerful force-it is a basic animal response that in some ways we cannot control (though some of us are more in control of our fear response than others). I personally have been out there and see people driving in their vehicles with masks on-what do they possibly have to fear alone in their cars and trucks?

Nothing-yet their fear brought on by the daily drone of news casts has them convinced that either they could catch COVID-19, spread it or die from it. I fully understand those at risk due to an underlying condition, but that is a small part of the population. On the flip side, some party on as if the world is ending or gather in religious services with reckless abandon.

Our governor has seen fit to cut off landscape construction as “non-essential” even though it is a part of the economy that could and should continue. Simple protocols such as masks (which is PPE we should be wearing regardless, considering what some of our activities produce) and social

NJLCA.ORG 49

Feature Story

How to Increase Plant Success Rate

by Richard McCoy, McCoy Horticulture Prior to starting McCoy Horticultural, I was a property manager whose charge it was to maintain estate gardens and properties. The initial steps of a project included the design phase, where my colleagues would create masterful sketches, true works of art on paper with remarkable attention to detail. Due to the high quality of the drawings I believe it was easy to sell to clients without regard for what materialized post installation. However, once it came time for the practical and functional side of the landscape to takeover, the maintenance of the newly installed and visually pleasing, yet unfortunately short-lived gardens became exceedingly difficult.

What was not seen by the creators of these ‘masterpieces on paper’ was the struggle we experienced keeping the properties up to a standard of quality meant for an estate residence.

It is inherent in the nature of plants that are misplaced to be problematic. High plant mortality, increased replacement costs, and unnecessary pesticide usage all became needless expenses to the contractor during the allotted guarantee and the homeowner after the guarantee has expired.

Regardless of whether you are designing a grand formal estate garden or a diminutive informal garden space, the most important step you can take is choosing the right place for your plants. Without a proper assessment of a site, plants can end up either needing to be replaced or sprayed repeatedly due to stress, which gives way to pest outbreaks and other issues.

The “Right plant, right place” method requires knowledge of the specific cultural needs of each plant you intend to use, as well as the impact of site conditions, seasonal changes, and the plants’ full size at maturity. Secondly, and almost equally

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as important, is the implementation of proper planting and mulching techniques, although even optimum planting practices will not help a plant to thrive if it is poorly suited for a specified site.

The following course of action is from a professional’s perspective. These steps are also applicable for DIY projects and homeowners seeking a designer or landscape architect.

Initial site analysis should include: Soil testing (both a complete soil bioassay and chemical test are preferred – these are the most common tests, however there are many others that can be used to gather as much pre-data as possible). If a project’s budget does not allow for a combination of soil tests, a chemical analysis of organic matter levels should be performed at minimum. A perk test should also be undertaken to determine the drainage of a specific site. A small-scale perk test may be completed using just a manual posthole digger in multiple locations on a property.

Identification of invasive species: During the first phase of construction the identified invasive plant species should be removed as practical. Once a project is completed, a site should be monitored for the reoccurrence or emergence of new invasive species and will need to be removed.

Some other considerations in the initial site analysis and design phase should be avoidance of monocultures, “design to do no harm,” water management, wildlife management, and of course using native plants and respecting local and neighboring natural/native areas.

Trees, shrubs and perennials obviously differ greatly by genus, species and even cultivar, and each plant contains a unique ability to adapt to different site conditions. It is

Feature Story

critical not only to choose plants to match the existing growing conditions of the site, but also to match the cultural needs of the plants that will be planted together. When describing a plant’s specific cultural requirements, I suggest using the word “adapt” which has a more pleasing tone than phrases like “will tolerate full sun” or “can take sitting in water.”

These types of phrases have negative connotations and imply the forced application of a plant in an improper location, not a plant adjusting naturally to a location properly suited for it.

The “Right Plant Right Place Checklist” on the next page is intended as general guidelines, individual results and experiences will differ.

Ignoring these guidelines, in most cases, will lead to increased maintenance, a failure of plants to thrive, and a majority of times result in a high mortality of installed plants.

Nothing could have more of an impact in the overall care and maintenance of a property than this approach in the initial stages of a planting project. Why not select plants that will thrive in the conditions that are present on your property? Instead of changing the naturally occurring landscape to suit your taste in plants, select plants that will thrive in the present conditions of your property: this approach will not only benefit you or your land care specialist in the form of time and money, but it will enrich the local ecology, including insects, pollinators, other wildlife, and more.

I would encourage those who are in the process of designing a landscape to do some research on the plants that your “design professional” is proposing before installation. This will lead to restful weekends with more time spent enjoying the landscape as opposed to toiling in it (not to mention the financial savings over the long term).

We all know that gardens and landscapes are ever-changing, and with every season new challenges arrive for us to adapt to. Plants that have been dependable and durable in the past, for one reason or another, may not survive after a particularly difficult season. Within these guidelines, you are encouraged to experiment with plants and their locations and realize that selecting the most well matched, right plants for the right places will pay off in the long run.

Photos courtesy of McCoy Horticultural Services. Richard is a 30year green industry professional. He is the visionary behind Richard A. McCoy Horticultural Services Inc.. which he established in 1993. To learn more, visit www.mccoyfinegardens.com.

Future Shock (Continued)

distancing will keep us safe-and infinitely safer than gathering at food markets with the general public. He doesn’t see it that way and this just adds to the “Future Paranoia” (heythere’s a book title for ya!) that will shape our future interpersonal dealings with our clients.

In particular, I truly believe that we as an industry may have to avail ourselves of less personal contact and more video interactions. FaceTime, Zoom, Skype and GoToMeeting are some methods we could employ to limit direct contact on a person-to-person basis coupled with various overview services such as Google Earth View, Nearmap, and Maps and Directions Online to name a few.

I predict that fear of pandemics in general will not only see these changes but even the age-old handshake is in trouble and headed for extinction. Another change I see on the horizon is an accelerated move away from cash and checks as payments towards more digital payment solutions. This has been happening for a long time, but the fear of touching something that another has pawed sends shivers up and down the spine of the very fearful-and that has become a large portion of the general population.

So, everyone-be prepared for many changes to come-not just in our industry but in everything around us. Be ready and understand that you will encounter more of this… …because the times they are a-changin’. All my best to everyone for better things to come.

John Raffiani has been involved with the Green Industry dating back to the late 1950s when as a child he learned horticultural from working in his grandfather’s greenhouse and on his shrub farm. Since 1966 he has installed more than 16,000 irrigation systems along with numerous lighting, drainage and landscape projects. He is also a National Irrigation Association Certified Regional Instructor and has taught for the IA, IANJ, CICA and the NJLCA plus presented topic specific webinars for the NJLCA. His focus is on HOA and Residential maintenance with an eye towards water conserving upgrades to existing systems and drainage remediation.

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Feature Story “Right Plant Right Place” Checklist:

•

Consider how much sun or shade your site receives • Match plants to light conditions (availability of sunlight, direct intensity and length of exposure) • Plants that require full sun will not thrive in shade • Plants that require shade conditions that are planted in full sun will undergo stress and will require pesticide applications to control opportunistic pest infestations • Current state of soil • Soil type, drainage, compaction and level of organic matter • Match plants to existing soil and moisture conditions • Group plants together with similar watering requirements • Do not force plants into conditions they will not adapt to • Other circumstances to consider • Hardiness zone • Competition from existing vegetation • Exposure to wind and temperature extremes • Select plants for insect and disease resistance • Aesthetics of “finished” plants – mix up plantings so plants in a less attractive phase are disguised by plants in a more attractive phase • Proper spacing of adjacent plants for ample air flow to eliminate fungicide applications • Above and below ground wires • Proximity to structures • Plan for the future • Placement of deciduous trees and large evergreens should be placed for maximum seasonal efficiency • Shade trees (large deciduous) planted where the sun will shade the structures in the summer months, heat in the winter • Evergreens to provide wind break from prevailing winter winds • Take into consideration the plant size at maturity – proper spacing of young adjacent plants to allow for future growth Benefits of the “Right Plant Right Place” approach: • Decreased plant stress caused by the impacts of severe weather changes • Reduces the effects of disease and pest pressures, and ultimately eliminates the use of synthetic pesticides and fungicides • Long term plant care such as supplemental watering during times of drought may be minimized as a plant’s natural ability to adapt and overcome weather extremes is also elevated • Larger, healthier and more colorful, robust plants • Less expense on maintenance efforts to keep poorly performing plants looking good • Less expense on call backs for plant replacements

Photos courtesy of McCoy Horticultural Services

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Feature Story

Stay Afloat During the COVID-19 Crisis As every business owner knows, the economic position of a business fluctuates over time. There are ebbs and flows that require strategic decision-making to weather the negative impact on the overall operations. However, with such planning, most of these negative economic patterns generally do not substantially challenge the life of the business and companies can bounce back relatively quickly.

Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 virus outbreak that has severely crippled the country’s economic stream, many businesses have found themselves in unprecedented circumstances that require drastic adjustments to their operations and practices to facilitate any chance of survival.

While the government has implemented many rules and regulations to help decrease the spread of the virus and allow some businesses to remain open, e.g., work from home, social distancing, etc, the majority of businesses are feeling the crunch of loss of customers and will have to make critical decisions to continue, even on the most elementary levels.

Laws Are Still In Force: While the government may have relaxed somewhat due to the crisis, it is important to keep in mind that enforcement through the Department of Labor, who administers the Fair Labor Standard Act, is still operating and requires businesses to continue to follow the minimum payment, and wage and hour laws. In addition, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), among many other laws, are still in place to prevent discriminatory practices and other unlawful business behavior.

Reducing Staff: Staff reductions remain one of the most uncomfortable choices that any business owner might need to make. Deciding to reduce staff should be done in an articulate, objective manner with a well thought-out plan that can defy any claims of discrimination. If your staff reduction has the optics of being discriminatory, for example, certain groups are more affected than other groups, e.g., male vs. female, you can face a claim of wrongful termination and be subject to an investigation and if found unlawful, possible penalties, fines and backpay exposure, and in some instances, punitive damages. Furthermore, depending on the size of your business and how many employees are being laid-off, you may be subject to the WARN Act and as such, specific processes and notifications are required.

It is always best practice to seek the guidance of an HR or legal professional to walk you through the steps of such a process before affecting anyone’s employment.

Wage Reduction: In accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, there are two types of wages. There are wages that are paid to employees exempt from overtime, and those which are paid to a non-exempt employee. To be exempt from overtime requires a fact test to see that certain elements are met, and is not merely determined by how you pay someone (i.e., paying someone a fixed salary each pay period does not by itself exempt that person from overtime). You are also required to meet minimum wage standards as well, as determined by the Department of Labor. Additionally, while a non-exempt employee is only required to be paid for hours worked, an employee classified as exempt, is paid by the week and the salary cannot be reduced due to quality or quantity of work done in that week. For example, if an exempt employee has a salary of $1000 a week. That $1000 per week should be paid to the employee regardless as to the number of hours worked. Therefore, the salary cannot be reduced by the number of hours worked.

There are some specific ways that an employer can implement a salary reduction for an exempt employee and still meet the laws. However, employers must be very careful in doing so. Therefore, if you decide you need to reduce the salary of an exempt employee, it is suggested you reach out to an HR or legal professional for guidance to ensure that you maintain compliance with the labor laws.

It’s Not the End: We will get through this, certainly not unscathed, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and a variety of resources that have been recently made available to all business types, including sole proprietors and independent contractors. When we do, it is imperative for businesses to plan for the future and have a Crisis Management Plan in place to help lay the foundation of what to do in any situation that can hamper the ability of your business to run as usual. Plan for the impact on your business, your customers and your employees. What are the critical needs? How quickly can you communicate these needs to keep your business running as much as possible? Who is in charge? How do you get this message to the people that need this knowledge?

The COVID-19 outbreak is hopefully an anomaly and we will not experience such a widespread catastrophe and disruption to our way of life again. What it has exemplified, however, is that businesses must have plans in place and acute adaptation skills to continue to have the ability to function (at best) under the most menacing of situations.

We hope that with some economic relief, many of our great businesses can come alive again and be prosperous. Be Safe…

Stay Healthy.

Consolidated Human Resources is a New Jersey-based full-service payroll, insurance, benefit and human resources consulting firm that provides customized business solutions. CHR can be reached at (877) 801-8400.

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Feature Story

Now’s the Time to Do Site Analysis Right with 3D

by Danilo Maffei, FAPLD, PCH, Maffei Landscape Design, LLC There are many variables in the outdoor environment, especially when it comes to landscape design. Soil type, solar aspect, water requirements, slope, plant hardiness and more.

But, thinking about 3D in particular and aspects like slope, solar aspects, solar analysis and viewshed analysis is critical from an aesthetic standpoint. At some point, if you just model the existing conditions, then you can plop yourself into any one particular location on the site and have a very realistic view of what’s actually there. In this article, I’ll share the top reasons why you need to incorporate 3D into your workflow. I’ll also share strategies for beginners through advanced designers for taking your 3D skills to the next level. enter 3D data as it does 2D data but modeling custom objects will take longer on the front end. Instead of thinking how long a model takes to build, realize that you’ll produce your documentation in a fraction of the time. For the final project, designers can use the same 3D model used for analysis in the presentation and sales process. Another benefit comes at the end of the project with easier and more accurate document output.

For all designers, once you start using 3D for your projects, you’ll be able to easily collaborate with other design professionals. You can ask architects for building models they have in progress or already completed for the project, and you can request that surveyors provide files with 3D terrain data.

3 Reasons Why You Need 3D If you’re hesitant about incorporating 3D into your workflows, first consider the financial implications of not analyzing the site properly. Analyzing a site just a little bit better can save a company a significant amount of money.

The cost of the investment in 3D software and training can be recouped through increased sales and reduced callbacks because of more accurate documentation. With 3D analysis, you can determine if a proposed placement of plants, which require more shade, might fail because they’d be exposed to too much sun. Thankfully, you can forecast this by using a geopositioned light source which emulates the sun throughout the day. Additionally, it can predict the lack of shade in that area where shade-loving plants were being specified informing the designer to either add more shading elements such as trees, canopy, pergola, or revise the planting to be more sun-loving plants.

Additionally, 3D for site analysis shifts your perception of time. Laying out a 2D plan is faster, but you still have to make multiple models of your design to get the viewpoints—which is time-consuming. It takes about the same amount of time to

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3D Tool of Choice for Better Modeling To have a successful 3D workflow, you need to have a supportive, versatile software. For me, it’s Vectorworks Landmark. My practice focuses on horticulturally intensive design and construction detailing sympathetic to the architecture and site. It can be difficult for clients to visualize how plants will look or integrate with the buildings on the site.

Vectorworks enables previsualization of both the planted and constructed aspects of the landscape, as well as reporting and construction documentation.

Further, Landmark allows designers to build an entire landscape if they chose to with just a few tools, but here are some of the key tools I find most important: • Site Model: Without a site model, you’re not building on anything.

• Heliodon: Offers ability for sun and shadow analysis.

• Plant tool: Defines and places plant objects.

• Landscape Area: This is the coolest tool yet. You can do various plant combinations and percent of coverage.

• Hardscape: Align and conform hardscape objects into 3D polygons, grade objects, roadways or other hardscapes.

Feature Story

I previously used SketchUp, and as a 3D modeling tool it is more than capable, especially for buildings and the built landscape. The challenge came in site modeling and native support for landscape design. For me personally, I needed more support in designing landscapes. Vectorworks’ tools for managing, visualizing and documenting plant data is robust and highly integrated with the software. Likewise, the ability to create and modify site models quickly and accurately from a wide range of source data is a point of excellence in Vectorworks.

Another great aspect of Vectorworks is interoperability.

A number of architects I work with do their 2D work in AutoCAD and 3D work in SketchUp. When they send me their SKP files, I can simply take the model of the house and import it into my model of the site, and that’s extremely nice. It saves me from having to model the building again.

which client you built it for in the first place. Also, automate documentation workflows with tags and worksheets. I use worksheets to achieve these insights: • Real-time cost estimating • Impervious coverage • Site disturbance • Materials schedules • Maintenance manuals

Build-it-first Strategy for 3D Workflow My advice and strategies for those who are apprehensive of using 3D for landscape analysis is simple. For beginners, stop thinking in terms of drawing lines and shapes to represent landscape objects and start thinking in terms of building the landscape object in the virtual space. Get everything out of your head, build it first and then it’s there.

For more advanced designers, build your own object and data library for your 3D workflow. When creating an object for the first time — such as a plant, a light fixture, a pavement or a wall style — do it in a library file and then import it to your client’s file. The next time you need that object you can get it from the library rather than trying to remember

Danilo Maffei, FAPLD, PCH works with residential, corporate, public and hospitality clients who share a common vision that the outdoors deserve as much consideration as the indoors. Projects range from compact to expansive in area. With a background in public horticulture, landscape contracting, education and civic leadership, he brings to each project a positive and practical perspective on the way gardens enrich our experience and engagement with people and places. He specializes in conceiving and creating outdoor places that are meaningful, relevant and responsive to the specific conditions in which they are set with an emphasis on plant selections that complement the natural and built environment. When not at the drawing board, you might find him walking his dogs through the neighborhoods of Kennett Square, leading the board of directors of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers or teaching landscape design at Longwood Gardens. Images courtesy of Maffei Landscape Design.

The time is now to further your 3D workflow capabilities and see how beneficial it is for your projects. I always do planting designs, and it’s difficult for me to visualize my work without 3D, even if it’s just a simple solar analysis modeling.

It’s a no-brainer for me and can be for you too.

For more advice and better workflow suggestions, I can be reached at maffei.danilo@gmail.com.

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Feature Story

Coronavirus Legislation

by Steve Cesare, Ph.D., The Harvest Group Recently-passed legislation related to the Coronavirus has a significant impact on all companies with fewer than 500 employees. The Emergency FMLA Expansion Act and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act will be implemented on April 2nd with a sunset of December 31st. The following is a brief summary of both Acts.

EMERGENCY FMLA EXPANSION ACT This legislation provides 12 weeks of job-protected leave of absence related to Coronavirus, when an employee is unable to work because s/he needs to care for a child if the child’s school is closed, or childcare provider is unavailable, due to a public health emergency. With minor exceptions, this job protection applies to any employee who has worked for an employer for at least 30 days.

The first 10 days of Emergency FMLA leave is unpaid.

During this time, employees may elect to substitute accrued paid leave (e.g., vacation, PTO, or sick leave) to cover some or all of the 10 days. However, after the 10-day period, the employer must pay employees at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate for the number of hours the employee would normally be scheduled. Paid Emergency FMLA leave is capped at $200 per day and $10,000 in the aggregate per employee. Employers with 25 or more employees must return the employee to the same or equivalent position after taking Emergency FMLA leave. Employers with 24 or fewer employees are not required to return an employee to the same or equivalent position if the employee’s position no longer exists due to an economic downturn or other changes in operating conditions caused by a public health emergency during the period of leave.

EMERGENCY PAID SICK LEAVE ACT This legislation requires employers to provide full-time employees with 80 hours of paid sick leave, while part-time employees must receive the average number of hours worked over a 2-week period. Once granted, the employee may use paid sick leave immediately. This paid sick leave does not carry-over into next year. Employees may take paid sick leave if the employee is: 1. Subject to a federal, state or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19; 2. Advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19 concerns;

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3. Experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking medical diagnosis; 4. Caring for an individual (not limited to family members) subject to a federal, state or local quarantine or isolation order or advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19 concerns; 5. Caring for the employee’s child if the child’s school or place of care is closed or the child’s care provider is unavailable due to public health emergency; or 6. Experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor.

The amount of pay depends of the reason for sick leave.

• If leave is taken for reasons (a), (b), or (c) above: ◆ Employees are paid their regular pay rate not to exceed $511 per day and $5,110 in aggregate.

• If leave is taken for reasons (d), (e), or (f) above: ◆ Employees are paid two-thirds their regular pay rate not to exceed $200 per day and $2,000 in the aggregate.

The employer may not: (a) require the employee to search for or find a replacement to cover the hours the employee will be out on sick leave, (b) require an employee to use other paid leave options the employer provides before using federal paid sick leave, or (c) discharge, discipline, discriminate, or in any other manner retaliate against any employee who takes sick leave, filed a complaint or instituted a proceeding against the employer related to sick leave, or testifies in any such proceeding.

The Secretary of Labor has the discretion to exempt healthcare providers and emergency responders from taking emergency leave, as well as businesses with fewer than 50 employees if either Act would “jeopardize the viability” of their business.

Also, employers are entitled to a refundable tax credit equal to 100% of the qualified family leave wages and/or qualified sick leave wages paid for each calendar quarter.

Steve Cesare has a Ph.D. in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology and more than 25 years of human resources experience. Recently, Steve serves as The Harvest Group’s expert for Human Resources and Safety. Prior to joining the Harvest Group, Steve gained several years of experience in the green industry serving as the HR Director with Bemus Landscape in southern California. Steve has also worked with Jack in the Box, Citicorp, Sentara Health Systems, and NASA in a variety of capacities aimed at improving the quality of their human resources programs. Steve can be reached at steve@ harvestlandscapeconsulting.com or 760.685.3800.

Feature Story

Be Your Company’s Radio Station

by Jeffrey Scott, Jeffrey Scott!

Over the past two months, I have been coaching leaders on how to inoculate themselves from the predictable bad news. Your employees need the same.

If you have watched my videos you have heard me talk about becoming a radio station for your employees.

They hear so much bad and confusing news…they need a constant source of constructive and believable news.

Many of you have told me this advice has been extremely helpful, so here is a follow up on why it’s so critical and how to implement it.

Why it’s important: 1. Facebook is full of conspiracy theories, political potshots and fake news that can distract and shake one’s faith.

2. The news outlets fight for eyeballs by using headlines that scare and create fear.

3. Your team’s lack of knowledge can create fear of the unknown. These are stressful times for your team.

What it means to be the radio station: • Be on the air every day; don’t let a vacuum get filled by nonsense.

• Use a variety of ways to communicate: video, email, or group text. Get creative by using them all. Mix fun and serious.

• Share the communication duties among all the leaders of your team. A good radio station always has different announcers. Too much of one announcer can get boring.

• Share facts and figures about how you are doing. People would rather know the truth than have to guess. And their guesses are usually slightly or terribly wrong.

• Keep future focused plans on track, and share updates.

(Are you experimenting with automowers? Keep on that plan, and tell us how it’s going) • Describe the sacrifices you are making, in line with what you are asking of your team.

• Share the new goals and protocols you have set for productivity, and also tell them why it’s important.

• After your weekly leader’s meeting, share a few relevant decisions or discussions. They have seen you meet behind closed doors and always wondered and even worried about what you discussed. So tell them!

• Emphasize your staff ’s most important radio station WIIFM (“What’s in it for me”.) Let them know how all this impacts them, and ultimately helps them. Connect the dots for them.

Your challenge: You are super busy selling and managing, and so you usually communicate just enough to keep things moving. Yet poor communication is the biggest issue I am asked to solve by employees in their companies.

The true proactive leaders out there understand that communication is actually your main job.

So treat your entire team as your inner circle, and they will begin to step up and act like it.

Of course, you do have to parse out certain information carefully, so have different reports for different groups as you grow larger.

Give out trust and respect to all, and you will get it back in abundance.

The leading expert on achieving unprecedented business growth, Jeffrey specializes in building profitable, valuable contracting companies—from the inside out. With decades of experience as an entrepreneur, owner and consultant in the landscape and general contracting industry, he has an inside view of the unique challenges and opportunities faced by his clients.Jeffrey combines the systems thinking and structure from his engineering studies, together with the human resource and financial acumen gained from his MBA, to help his clients rapidly organize and grow their businesses.Jeffrey is known for establishing strong accountability, innovation and financial literacy within organizations. His proprietary systems and programs are customized to enable each client to fast-track their path to a dramatically better business. For more information, visit www.jeffreyscott.biz.

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Feature Story

Today’s Preparation = Tomorrow’s Success

by Richard Goldstein, CLT, Green Meadows Landscaping and Vice President of the NJLCA My name is Richard Goldstein. I am the President and CEO of Green Meadows Landscaping, Inc. in Oakland, NJ and Vice President of the NJLCA. I started my business in 1982 and have experienced several recessions, and now a pandemic in my life. While we are never prepared for the unknown, since it is in fact the unknown, we certainly can take steps to help navigate ourselves through these times. Proper planning can be the difference between seeing tomorrow or not.

So, is it the COVID 19 or is it you that has brought you to this point, good, bad or indifferent? Why do I ask this? All our business and personal lives have been affected one way or another by this horrific pandemic that has attacked our world, but were we prepared? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves, both mentally, physically and monetarily.

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Running a business is by no means an easy task, nor for the faint at heart, the responsibilities are endless. Every day we wake up, go to work and make sure that we can pay our employees, pay our bills, and most importantly send our employees home in the same condition they came in...safety, safety, safety!

Clearly, all of this has been a rude awakening. I believe that most people, both in their personal life and business life will now look at their budgets and business models differently. They will be paying more attention to detail and financially securing their future, should such a horrible thing like this ever happen again.

While I was and always have been prepared for a down market, I realized that my estimations were old and needed to be adjusted. So I too will be looking at my budgets and finances.

Some of the things I will be looking at: • Budgeting for a down market (increasing my reserve - if you don’t have a reserve fund, you should immediately start one) ◆ Put a percentage of all sales to into a reserve fund ◆ Put any unexpected refunds into reserve fund

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◆ Make savings automatic (use an automatic weekly or monthly transfer to reserve fund) Maximizing on my labor force (reduction in staff and still producing same workload at the same quality) ◆ Automate anything you can – software, timesheets, billing ◆ Hire the right people for the right job and give them the right tools ◆ Use the right equipment for the right job ◆ Reward success Limiting windshield time for all crews (better routing) ◆ Use GPS fleet tracking and routing ◆ Do equipment checks before leaving the shop ◆ Consider on-site or delivery fuel service ◆ Assess current routes and build density in those areas Updating our employee handbook and making sure all employees have a complete understanding of the book (the rules of the company, follow them) ◆ Define clear goals ◆ Prepare employees for what will happen in the situations of natural disasters and pandemics ◆ Explain what the company is, does and expects Pay more attention and control unnecessary spending within our company (we all have this, staying organized will help eliminate most of it) ◆ Reduce unused equipment inventory ◆ Review the materials you purchase vs. what you actually use ◆ Look to your associations for learning opportunities and savings

While I am sure many more things will come to mind as I move forward in preparing my own company, it is important to recognize through this pandemic that if you’re struggling with this issue, was it you? If you have planned your business properly and you have saved for these times, maybe you are ok. But if you didn’t, maybe this is the time to revisit your business model as well.

There are many articles and books out there to read to help you financially, but above all, common sense plays a major role. Can we do this? Can we buy this? Do we need another employee? All great questions that only you can ask yourself regarding your personal and business life.

I love what I do, and I love the rewards of my hard work.

So, for me this is a wake-up call to revisit my business model that is 38 years old. It is never too late to plan, and you are never too old to learn. Use this time to plan and be ready for the future! Best of luck to all and most importantly, stay safe!

Richard Goldstein is the owner of Green Meadows Landscaping in Oakland, NJ. He is a Landscape Industry Certified Technician and the Vice President of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association.

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