| PROFILE Wildr Places | RAISE THE BAR Guerrilla Marketing, Reframing Sales, Equipment
WORKS Infrastructure, Living Wall, Resilient Gardens | GROUNDBREAKER Paul Lafrance
TECHNOLOGY & WORKING SMARTER | COVER Designers & Fabricators | INSPIRATIONAL Fall 2026
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FALL 2026
VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 4 TECHNOLOGY & WORKING SMARTER
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From the Publisher Building Something Better, Together News Clippings ASLA’s 2026 Awards, Wildfire Design Lessons, Commercial Landscapers and AI, Home Building Spending Rebounds, H-2B Visa Cap, and Orlando’s 20-Year Tree Plan
inspirational works
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raise the bar
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Before You Build, Read the Land What Residential Design-Build Professionals Can Learn from McAdams’ Multifunctional Approach
SYNKD Live 2027 | New Orleans Build a better business. Stop Repeating Yourself Column: Angelica & Matt Norton Open Envelope Studio
FEB. 16-17, 2027 NEW ORLEANS, LA
When a Living Wall Fails: The Portola Hotel Transformation What Happens When Design, Build, and Biology Work Together
BUILD A BETTER BUSINESS.
From Pretty to Powerful: The Rise of the Resilient Garden Callae Gedrose of Honeywood Garden Design is proving that resilient landscapes can be beautiful, biodiverse, and built to thrive.
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LEAD STORY DESIGNER + FABRICATOR = MAGIC A sculptural garden inside Vacheron Constantin’s Miami flagship shows how collaboration between designer and fabricator can push an original idea further.
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Cover photo: Opiary and Rios
GROUNDBREAKER PAUL LAFRANCE HGTV Designer Designs How We Feel
For latest content, to view digital issues & to find out about upcoming events, visit www.synkd.io. Follow us on these social media platforms: @synkd.landscape
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raise the bar continued
FOUNDER & CEO
Angelique Robb
angelique@synkd.io | (337) 852–6318 EDITOR
Hazel Jones
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Company Profile: Wildr Places One Yard at a Time Stop Competing for Clicks: Start Creating Conversations Guerrilla marketing is about creating attention in ways people don’t expect.
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It Ain’t That Serious How Edward Morrow, a former accountant turned arborist, reframed sales, and how you can win the job without the stress Leading Your Team Through a Major Change in Your Family Business Change is never easy, but it can move your business ever closer to the prosperity zone. Benefits of Battery and Gas Equipment in Your Fleet The discussion surrounding gas versus battery-powered equipment is more pertinent than ever. Seeds of Wisdom Short Takes From the Podcasts of Synkd On Air Know More Before You Design How I Built AI Into My Pre-Design, Pre-Site Process PHOTOsynthesis SYNKD Live Phoenix 2026
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Trisha Klaus
WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS Tommy Roberts | pg. 10 Sigita Moran | pg. 10 Sara Donohoe | pg. 14 David Bishop | pg. 18 Callae Gedrose | pg. 22 Angelica & Matt Norton | pg. 29 Paul Lafrance | pg. 30 Jo Hall | pg. 34 Matt Green | pg. 38 Edward Morrow | pg. 40 Brandi Marek | pg. 42 Scott Horoszewski | pg. 44 Matt Benfield | pg. 46 Adam Domurad | pg. 46 Jason Kaniper | pg. 46 Chris Long | pg. 46 Eric McQuiston, PLA | pg. 47 PRINTED BY Modern Litho | www.modernlitho.com Published by ©SYNKD SYNKD is published four times a year and distributed to 10,000 qualified members of the green industry. Postmaster: Send address changes to 323 Polk St., Lafayette, LA 70501. SYNKD verifies information as much as possible. The views expressed by editorial contributors and the products advertised herein are not necessarily endorsements of the publishers. Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden.
Next Issue: SYNKD Winter 2027 Plan for Success Contact Angelique Robb at angelique@synkd.io for more information on how you and your company can be featured in upcoming issues.
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synkd | our community
— FROM THE PUBLISHER —
BUILDING SOMETHING BETTER, TOGETHER Now Is the Time to Join the SYNKD Community Angelique Robb, SYNKD Founder & CEO
-Angelique
Winter 2026
& sust Innovation
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s we close out 2026, I’ve been reflecting on how much our industry is changing—and how important it is that we continue learning from one another. This issue of SYNKD is filled with examples of professionals challenging conventional thinking. From Callae Gedrose’s beautiful, resilient landscapes to McAdams’ approach to treating landscapes as essential infrastructure, we’re seeing what happens when we think beyond the way things have always been done. You’ll also find fresh perspectives on AI, business growth, collaboration, and the importance of designing with long-term maintenance in mind. These stories reflect why SYNKD exists: to connect the design, build and maintain sectors of our industry, share knowledge and raise the bar together. And as SYNKD continues to grow, we’re making an important change. Beginning in 2027, printed copies of SYNKD magazine will be available exclusively to paid subscribers and SYNKD members. We believe in the value of quality industry journalism, and this transition will help us continue bringing you meaningful stories, practical insights and inspiration from professionals who are moving our industry forward. If you enjoy receiving SYNKD in print, now is the time to subscribe or become a member. And there’s an added incentive: Join by December 31, 2026, to lock in our founding membership rates. We would love for you to be part of this next chapter. We’re also looking forward to bringing our community together in person at SYNKD Live 2027! Join us February 16–17 in New Orleans, Louisiana, or September 29–30 in Phoenix, Arizona. These aren’t traditional trade shows. They’re intentionally intimate gatherings designed around meaningful conversations, practical learning and connections that can genuinely change how you do business. Each event is capped at just 150 attendees, so don’t wait to reserve your place! Whether you want to continue receiving the magazine, become a founding member or join us at SYNKD Live, simply scan the QR code to the right to explore your options. Thank you for being part of the SYNKD community. I’m excited about what we’re building together and can’t wait to see where 2027 takes us. Let’s keep raising the bar!
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