clca north coast journal january 2011
DESCRIPTION
January 2011 Edition of the CLCA North Coast Chapter NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
North Coast Journal CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION Two chapter events in January
CLCA North Coast Chapter www.clcanorthcoastchapter.org JANUARY 2011
January North Coast Dinner Meeting Tuesday January 18, 2011 Rooster Run – Petaluma – 6:00 PM Drought Tolerant Plants and Edible Landscapes
Ed Laivo from Devil Mountain Nursery will talk about their “Drought Devil” Program which is in direct response to the problems facing the State of California. Dave Phelps of Cagwin & Dorward will address Edible Landscape Design, Maintnenance Irrigation, Crop Rotation and Succession Planting
SEMINAR – Tuesday January 25, 2010 9:00AM – 4:00 PM (includes lunch)
INCREASING SALES
Learn what causes sales to happen in your company, and learn how to get better control over this part of your business
Come with sales issues you would like to solve and leave with action items for solutions.
Rooster Run Golf Club in Petaluma $55 for CLCA Members ($60 non-members)
CLCA North Coast Chapter P.O. Box 1621 Sebastopol, CA 95473
RESPECT THE EARTH… RECYCLE
January 2011
In this Issue
PAGE 2 ………….…New North Coast Sponsorship Program PAGE 4……………..State Trophy Awards – Our Chapter Winners PAGE 5….................6 Secrets to Creating an Amazing Website – Carolyn Higgins PAGE 8………….….Stormwater Capture on K Street PAGE 12……………Marin Landscape Materials – Associate Member Spotlight PAGE 15…………….Edible Landscapes are Looking Good!
PAGE 16…………….Bay Friendly Program PAGE 20…………....Invasive Garden Plants Presentation @ SCWA
This Publication is Printed on Recycled Paper
North Coast Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association
PRESORTED STANDARD
MAIL U.S. POSTAGE
PAID PERMIT #105
PETALUMA, CA
New sponsorship program
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North Coast Chapter Board Members
Immediate – Past President Charlie Thompson Cagwin & Dorward
(415) 892-7710 [email protected]
President
Charlie Thompson Cagwin & Dorward
(415) 892-7710 [email protected]
Secretary Lyndsey Kornmaier
Coast Landscape Mgmt. (707) 332-8999
Budget Committee Chair Lisa Stratton
Cagwin & Dorward (415) 798-1753
Web Guru & Golf Guy Michael O’Connell
O’Connell Landscape (707) 462-9729 [email protected]
Associate Member Chair Kevin Kohl
Ewing Irrigation (707) 457-9530 [email protected]
Membership Co-Chairs
Jeff Hausman Gardenworks, Inc.
(707) 974-5799 [email protected]
CLT State Committee Liaison
Dave Iribarne City of Petaluma (707) 778-4591
Programs Chair Ben Kopshever
Sonoma Mountain Landscape (707) 695-2429
Legislative Chair Kjell Kallman Grab n’ Grow (707) 333-7694
Education Chair Salvador Ledezma Jr.
Gardenworks, Inc (707) 974-5800
Chapter General Board Members Jeff Jones
John Deere Landscapes (925) 595-6115
Luis Lua Cagwin & Dorward
(415) 720-6624 [email protected]
Will Jenkel Lampson Tractor
(707) 206-2294 [email protected]
Owen Mitchell
Mitchell Landscapes (415) 717-6214 [email protected]
Tyler Doherty
Cal West Rentals (707) 694-9108 [email protected]
North Coast CLCA Executive Director
& Journal Editor
Connie Salinas
P.O. Box 1621 Sebastopol, CA 95473
Phone 707-829-5487 Fax 707-829-5487 [email protected]
CLCA 2010 State Officers
PRESIDENT
Robert Wade, CLP,CLIA Wade Landscape
Phone: (949) 494-2130 [email protected]
PRESIDENT-ELECT Eric Watanabe
Majestic Pools & Landscape (818) 831-1390
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sharon McGuire
Phone: (800) 448-2522, ext. 13 FAX: (916) 446-7692
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2010 State CLCA Trophy awards President’s Trophy – Frank & Grossman Herb Frank Memorial Award – Bertotti Landscaping
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Our Chapter made a very good showing in this year’s Trophy Awards. We are
very proud to have such amazing landscape companies in our midst and we
congratulate you all on your well deserved WINS!!!
Special Awards
President’s Trophy Award
Frank & Grossman
Herb Frank Memorial Award Bertotti Landscaping
Category Awards
Medium Residential Installation 1st Place – Frank & Grossman
Large Residential Maintenance
1st Place – Bertotti Landscaping
Residential Estate Installation 1st Place – Frank & Grossman
Residential Estate Unlimited Installation
1st Place - Cagwin & Dorward
Water Features Bertotti Landscaping
Announcing the North Coast Chapter
2011 Achievement Awards
Applications: Available the 1st week in March Entries Due: Friday, April 22rd
Judging: Wednesday, May 18th & Thursday, May 19th Awards Dinner: Friday, June 24th
We can’t wait to see your work!!!!!
6 Secrets to Creating an Amazing Small Business Website Carolyn Higgins - Fortune Marketing Company Finally, small business owners everywhere realize they need an online presence if they are going to compete in today’s world. Small business owners who just a year ago adamantly argued that their customers aren’t using the web are now jumping on board and admitting – yes, indeed they are. But slapping up a website just for the sake of having a website can defeat the purpose – and can even harm your image if it isn’t done right. If you’re thinking about creating a website – or even if you already have one – follow these 6 rules to make it the effective and powerful marketing tool it should be:
1. The website is not about you. A prospect is not looking for information about you; they are searching for a solution to their unique problem or need. THAT should be the focus of your home page. Use words and phrases they would use to describe their pain and then outline the solution you have to solve it.
2. Have an offer. Get the most out of your website by using it as a lead generation tool. If someone
spends time on your site, don’t just let them click away without engaging them further. Offer a newsletter, a free report, or even a free consultation. Do something to get them to act so you can find out who they are and market to them further.
3. Be Unique. Beware of canned website services; you know - the ones that offer websites for CPAs or
Chiropractors or Attorneys. They all the look the same, they all have the same content, and they make it really hard to differentiate you from your competition. Invest a little bit more in a site that allows you to stand apart from the crowd.
4. Your website is your online storefront. Your website is very
often going to be the first impression people get of your small business. Make it visually appealing. Make it interesting, informative and engaging. Make it different – add some fun elements, or news stories or free tips that your target market would be interested in. Make sure it’s professional- and PLEASE check your grammar and spelling!
5. Use testimonials and case studies. Yes, your home page should
be about the prospect and their problem – but once you’ve engaged them and gotten their attention, they will want proof that you can deliver as promised. Having a page of testimonials and case studies is a great way to demonstrate that you can deliver as promised.
6. Make it easy for a prospect to contact you. Have a contact
page that is easy to find, with your email address, and/or phone number. Put your phone number on the home page (some experts recommend having it on every page of your website). Finding a way to contact you should not be a game of “Where’s Elmo?” If it takes more than a second or two – you risk losing them – and they could mean a lost sale.
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A Big Thank you to our
CASINO TABLE SPONSORS
Landscapes Unlimited
FX Luminaire / Hunter Industries
WaterSavers
Cal West Rentals
Sonomarin Landscape Materials
John Deere Landscapes
Wheeler Zamaroni
Sonoma Compost
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Many Thanks to the following for Donating Raffle Prizes for
our Casino Night:
Sweetlane Nursery Vine & Branches Nursery Lagunitas Brewery Thompson Quarter Horses Hunter Industries Princess Rose Parties
Tuesday November 25, 2011 Day Long Seminar with Vicki Suiter INCREASING SALES Learn what causes sales to happen in your company, and learn how to get better control over this part of your business Come with sales issues you would like to solve and
leave with action items for solutions. SEMINAR 9:00 – 4:00 (includes lunch) Rooster Run Golf Course in Petaluma $55 for CLCA members - $60 for non-members
Stormwater Capture on K Street
The west sidewalk is pressed concrete block pavers (downtown D.C. standard) with 8x12-in. granite curb and brick gutter. The exterior bioretention planter seatwalls are constructed of Jerusalem gold honed stone with Rugo granite caps. The planter at the northwest corner of the building incorporates the water feature, which spills into an interior walled infiltration basin, then to the underground cistern. Filter fabric lies between the soil and walls. The side slopes are planted with 3-in. pine mulch. Washed river stone (6-8-in. dia.) sits atop a geotextile fabric layer. A perforated hope underdrain with sock leads to the cistern.
During the recent ASLA annual convention of landscape architects in Washington, D.C., one of the field sessions was “Streetscape Innovations in D.C.” One of the stops on that tour was at 1050 K. NW Street, an example of landscape architects leading a team in developing and implementing a stormwater system whose collection apparatus is part of the streetscape.
This was not the only group to tour the site. Staff members from the EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, the Office of Wastewater Management and the Office of Science and Technology also wanted to take a look at how the building at 1050 K. Street was handling urban stormwater. After their visit, Lisa Hair, PE, EPA Office of Water, commented: “Your building design has stormwater management features that will help achieve improved water quality in our streams, bays and other surface waters. A full suite of tools employed at the building provide the ‘treatment train’ approach of incremental stormwater capture and on-site use. It is great to see how the green roofs, sequential bioretention and cistern are integrated to provide the most efficient use of the stormwater that falls on the site. The green roof and bioretention plantings are highly aesthetic, attractive features, even in the middle of December.
Let’s tour 1050 K. Street ourselves. First, this is an 11-story building in the central downtown, just a short walk west from the convention center. Before the stormwater improvements, the building site was typical of D.C. streetscapes and urban environments in general—97 percent impervious. The project design reduced that number to 67 percent. That’s a 30 percent improvement, which means only a major storm will allow runoff from the property. LEED stormwater credit 6.1 requires a 25 percent reduction in peak flow rate and volume of stormwater leaving the site. Continued on next Page………
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Stormwater infiltration is via two levels of green roofs and three bioretention planters on the ground. Excess water from the green roof tray systems, plus water from the building’s air conditioning, collects in a 12,000-gallon underground cistern on site. Cistern water is filtered and pumped through the plaza water feature. The water, via drip lines, is distributed to the three bio-retention basins and to the green roofs. About 66 percent of the cistern’s volume is allocated for irrigation using ET referenced programming via satellite. In the event of a major rainstorm, the cistern has drains to release overflow into the storm sewer.
Rooftop Stormwater Capture Stormwater on the roof is infiltrated via two tiers of green roofs. The lower tier green roof (an 8-inch soil tray system) is an outdoor terrace for people to enjoy. The upper tier green roof (with the 4-inch trays) is only accessed by maintenance personnel.
Excess water is slowly released through small openings in the Hydro-tech green roof trays and go to the 12,000-gallon underground cistern on site. Voids within the rigid trays are greater than the volume of a one-year storm event. If there were a greater storm, the overflow would go to the cistern.
Engineered Soil For the upper and lower tier green roofs, the American Hydrotech “Garden Root” layered system was chosen. The company’s record of success (more than 500 projects and years of technical data to support its use), plus a single source warranty that included the plants were deciding factors.
“Lite Top,” a lightweight engineered soil was specified. It consists of:
1/16”-3/8” Lite Top Lightweight Aggregate: 45-70% Course to Medium Sand: 0-30% Perlite, Sphagnum (soil additive): 0-30% Composte: 5-30%
Water from the cistern passes through a filter, then flows over a two-foot weir to feed three interconnected bioretention areas framed by low walls. The bioretention areas at street level are not large enough to handle all plaza hardscape runoff alone, however, the combination of the bioretention and the cistern do the job, plus accommodate any overflow from the green roofs.
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7596 Redwood Blvd. Novato, CA 94945 phone (415) 897-1337 / 897-5455 | fax (415) 897-3600 | [email protected]
HOURS: Mon. – Sat. 8 am – 5 pm Sun 10am – 3 pm
Marin Landscape Materials has been serving the Bay Area since 1959. Originally known as Colored Gravel, our trucks still carry the lively logo that has become a well-known icon. Locally owned and operated, we are committed to providing our customers with outstanding products and prompt service.
Whether you are a landscape designer, homeowner or a contractor, we know that your time is valuable. That's why we stock our yard with the products that you need. Our long standing relationships with our manufacturers and suppliers ensures that we can get what you need - quickly.
Our experienced staff is ready to help you with your next landscape project. We'll do everything we can to make sure that it's a success. Send us an e-mail or give us a call. We'll be happy to give you our suggestions on which products to use, quote prices, share tips, recommend landscapers in your area, and answer any of your questions. Bark ■ Boulders – per ton or per pound ■ Brick ■ Cement - 94lb Bags Concrete ■ Fertilizers and Lawn Seed ■ Firewood - By Cord or Half Cord
Glaze and Seal ■ Gravel (Cubic yard or cubic foot) ■ Landscape Materials Manufactured Stone ■ Retaining Walls ■ Rock ■ Sand ■
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MARIN LANDSCAPE MATERIALS
Colored GRAVEL
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Edible Landscapes are Lookin’ Good!!! Edible landscaping, simply put, replaces plants that are strictly ornamental with plants that produce food. Edible landscaping will allow you to create a multi-functional landscape that provides returns (fruits, vegetables, etc.) on your investment of water, fertilizer, and time. An edible landscape can be just as attractive as a traditional one; in fact, the colorful fruits and foliage of many edibles are quite beautiful.
The Edible Garden at The New York Botanical Garden. Photo credit: PRNewsFoto/The New York Botanical Garden
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In the night the cabbages catch at the moon, the leaves drip silver, the rows of cabbages are a series of little silver waterfalls in the moon.
- Carl Sandburg
.
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Hunter Introduces Simple, Economical DUAL Two-Wire Control System San Marcos, CA—November 16, 2010—Hunter Industries announced the release of the DUAL, a two-wire control system for its I-CORE controller platform. The release is the latest entry in the fast growing “decoder” or “two-wire” segment of the irrigation control market, and stands to be an extremely helpful piece of equipment for jobs both large and small. Two-wire controls send both power and signal to multiple irrigation valves over a single pair of wires, with the ability to activate any individual valve. Due to their simplicity, ease of expansion, and long distance performance two-wire decoder systems have been making major inroads in the commercial control market. Until now, they had primarily been associated with higher-end, large-scale irrigation control systems. Enter the DUAL. The DUAL plug-in for the I-CORE controller combines simplicity and economy to create a two-wire alternative for designers and installers who may have shied away from more exotic control systems. DUAL is presented with the tag line, “Connect and Go”. A Two -Wire System for All The DUAL product family is a new generation of Hunter designed control products, which target smaller systems and first-time installers of decoder technology. A DUAL output module can be inserted in the output slots of any I-CORE controller. The module then provides up to three two-wire paths to the field for two-wire valve control via individual decoders in the valve boxes. The DUAL decoder module may even be combined in the same controller with conventionally wired valves. The DUAL system can operate up to 48 zones via a single pair of wires, at distances up to 7500 feet (2.3 km). The 48 zones can all be installed on a single path, or divided over multiple paths to take advantage of pipe trenches. “The DUAL system is designed to be more affordable and easier to understand than complex commercial systems.” said Jeff Kremicki, Senior Product Manager at Hunter Industries. “DUAL is also more forgiving of field wiring conditions.” Kremicki explained that an I-CORE controller is priced in the upper residential controller range. “With the addition of a DUAL output module, we can offer a very full-featured two-wire controller at a truly affordable list price,” said Kremicki. “This puts it in the range of smaller projects without sacrificing the performance benefits of two-wire technology.” Kremicki pointed out that this base package included capabilities to add “smart” climate-based irrigation, wireless remote control, real time flow monitoring, and includes multi-language capability. The DUAL system includes the DUAL48M decoder output module, which is added to the I-CORE controller, plus two new field decoder modules (DUAL-1 and DUAL-2) and a surge suppression module (DUAL-S) for lightning protection. The decoder output module is also used to program the station numbers into field decoders. Field decoder modules are completely waterproof and designed to survive in the same environment as the valves. “Everything was designed for plug and play, color-coded, plain language operation,” said Kremicki. DUAL decoders are also compatible with Hunter’s patented ICD-HP wireless handheld programmer, which allows programming and diagnostics through the case of the decoder. “Now you can program the decoders after you install them, and renumber them at any time,” said Dave Shoup, Product Manager for central systems at Hunter. “Without disconnecting a single waterproof connector, you can operate and diagnose the decoder and the solenoids.”
The products are part of the Hunter “Institutional” series and carry a 5-year warranty.
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Logo Patches
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ORDER FORM
CLCA North Coast Chapter
COMPANY NAME____________________________ PHONE #____________________ # ordered circle color & size: _____LOGO PATCH: small $ 20 _____LOGO PATCH: large $145 _____HATS: $25 Green, Black, or Pale Burgundy _____GOLF SHIRT: $35 Green or Black /Sm, Med, Lg, XL _____FLEECE sm.Logo on front: $65 Green or Black /Sm, Med, Lg, XL _____FLEECE lg. Logo on back: $170 Green or Black /Sm, Med, Lg, XL _____FLEECE lg. & sm. Logos: $210 Green or Black /Sm, Med, Lg, XL _____VARSITY JACKET sm Logo: $180 Sm, Med, Lg, XL _____VARSITY JACKET lg Logo: $300 Sm, Med, Lg, XL _____VARSITY JACKET lg & sm Logos: $325 Sm, Med, Lg, XL (XXL Available at a slightly higher price)
Call or Fax to Connie @ (707) 829-5487
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LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED NURSERY
4330 Bodega Avenue, Petaluma, CA 94952 Phone: (707) 778-0136 Fax: (707) 778-0633
HAPPY NEW YEAR • A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year
and out the other. ~Author Unknown
• Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever. ~Mark Twain
• People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas. ~Author Unknown
• Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. ~Oscar Wilde
• New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time. ~ James Agate
• Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to. ~ Bill Vaughan
• Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility. Breaking them is part of the cycle. ~ Eric Zorn
• May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions! - Joey Adams
• Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average… which means, you have met your New Year's resolution. ~ Jay Leno
• Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. ~Unknown
• A dog's New Year's Resolution: I will not chase that stick unless I actually see it leave his hand! ~Unknown
• A friend asks his friend for a cigarette. His friend says, "I think you made a New Year resolution to quit smoking". The man says, " I am in the process of quitting". Right now, I am
in the middle of phase one. What's phase one? I've quit buying.
• It is better to spend money like there's no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money. ~ P. J. O'Rourke
• Every New Year is the direct descendant, isn't it, of a long line of proven criminals? ~ Ogden Nash
• Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin
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