How's My Driving?

Why is it that vehicles sporting signage posing a question about its operator’s driving abilities invariably are the ones that need it the most? “How’s My Driving?” Let me tell you …

Drivers of company fleet vehicles, whether it be landscape trailers, produce trucks, etc., need to be extra wary of how they are driving. Safety should be the No. 1 priority on the road, of course. But, fellow motorist and pedestrian well-being aside, the company’s reputation also could be in peril. The vehicle in question might not have a “How’s My Driving?” emblem on the bumper for quality control purposes, but -- most likely, the company’s name, logo, phone number, and website are all in plain sight.

Cutting other drivers off, tailgating, having debris flying out the back, not using turn signals, or any other careless driving-related action identified with that company vehicle not only reflects poorly on the operator, but also the company that employs the vehicle and its occupants. Something of this nature will cost an operation probably more than it really knows, especially since it’s occurring outside office walls.

Image might not be everything for a business, but it sure counts for a lot in our react-fist, ask-questions-later society.

Buckle up, stay in your lane, be courteous, and drive safe.

Sensory Appeal

While sifting through snail mail at work the other day, I came across a postcard from the Florida Department of Citrus announcing its new digital campaign. While the info about its to-come eNewsletter was noteworthy, I was more drawn to the card’s text and main image on the cover. The headline is kitchy, but the scratch-n-sniff orange underneath it is old-school cool. Nowadays, the worlds of marketing and publishing (in particular) strive to give their target audience multiple avenues to access and experience content. While this postcard’s verbiage does enough to whet the appetite for a coming product, and the obligatory URL at the end serves its purpose for finding more info, it’s the odoriferous scratch-n-sniff orange that makes this piece of mail stand out. It’s a simple element, but one that takes full advantage of a much-forgotten sensory tool---smell. Sure, fragrance ad material uses this method ad nauseam, but you don’t see it too much anywhere else. Produce and garden/landscape industries should take note. If there is a simple and affordable way to capture a key essence of what makes a particular piece of fruit, veggie, and or flowering plant unique and deliver it to potential consumers, would you bite? It makes perfect “scents” to me.

Check Please!

OK, here’s an update from the field on my fire ant fight. As I reported in a recent post , a unique approach to controlling fire ants came to my attention and I wanted to give it a shot.

I did, and it looks like it’s back to the drawing board.

Per instruction, I applied club soda (yes, you read that right) on several active mounds around my yard. I conducted the experiment on different days, kept track, even re-applied in a couple cases; but to no avail. Although the carbonated concoction seemed to agitate the ants, that’s about all it did. The mounds remained quite robust [see photo].

So, in the end, this pest management method turned out too good to be true ... at least in my yard. Perhaps I needed a higher proof beverage? Though it appeared my soda had plenty of pop. From now on, I’ll save the club soda for cocktails. Cheers.

The Power Of Nature

Mother Nature often takes center stage of the evening news, particularly when someone or something is incurring its wrath. Hurricanes, freezes, floods, and blizzards, oh my! Examples of each around the globe (some locally) grabbed headlines and major air time all within the last month. These kinds of events are hard to ignore (bloated news feeds or not).
Of course, you don’t necessarily need a large-scale show of power from nature to evoke the occasional ooohh and/or aaahh. Those in the field of horticulture know this well. A simple bloom at the right time can make a grower's day.

Thanks to a recent lunch outing, I can provide a firsthand example of this: The other day, my co-workers and I noticed a strange-looking mark on the side of a landscape tree adjacent to the gas station we had pulled into. While our associate was filling his tires with air, a couple of us got out for a closer look. Upon further review, the mark actually was an open wound revealing remnants of what looked to be a make-shift tree brace … er or garden hose … from years gone by. It does appear the mature holly is winning the battle against its once rubber and plastic shackles though. Hell, blur your eyes a little and it kinda looks like snake-skinned smile. Almost like the specimen is getting the last laugh.

Scanning over a nearby tree, a similar situation was playing out with another type of guying implement. All in all, both trees appeared to be healthy. Not sure if their “permanent additions” will do them any harm down the road. Time will tell.

Our main takeaway as we drove back to the office: Nature finds a way. Whether it’s a Sabal palm punching its fronds up through sealed blacktop next to the roadway, a runaway jasmine vine that totally engulfs a fence, or a tree that literally covers up a landscape mistake, it’s impressive---even if it’s not headline news fodder.

Bartender’s Guide To Pest Control

For anyone who’s ever been bitten by a fire ant or two or three … knows 1. how much it stings, 2. how unsightly the mounds make a yard or grove look, and 3. how difficult it is to get rid of them and keep them at bay.
I have tried the conventional route of spreading commercial agrichemical bait/granules all around my yard. Despite mild success employing this method, the red devils have come back with a vengeance each time --- even quicker now after every application. Treating the mounds individually with the bait or powder has yielded the same results. Pure frustration and desparation has led me even to pour boiling water down the holes. Nothing. Believe it or not, banging the mounds with a shovel and yelling didn’t do the trick either. Go figure. At least that failed exercise is a good stress reliever.
Recently, I received a newsletter in the mail from a landscape company I featured on the cover of Ornamental Outlook a little more than two years ago. Winter Garden, FL-based Biosphere Nursery has made its mark by taking a softer approach to gardens and landscapes through promotion of native plantings, basic landscape design principles, and other water-saving/sustainable techniques. I enjoyed learning about the company then and after perusing its latest newsletter, I am really happy to still be on the mailing list. Why? I spotted a little tidbit about a new possible fire ant control method. According to the blurb, University of Georgia ag department researchers have a recommendation for a concoction to possibly control fire ant colonies that is safe enough to drink. Really? So, what is it you ask? Brace yourself (insert drumroll)….club soda. Yep. Apparently, the CO2 released in the beverage kills the queen. That’s all the damage you need to mow over any fire ant mound.
OK, I’m game. Verbiage from the newsletter says to pour two capfuls of club soda directly into the mound. And that’s it. Sounds easy enough.
Not surprising, I have several active mounds ready to experiment on.
I will mark them, pour (shaken, not stirred), track what I hope is the demise of that particular colony, and report back.
In the mean time, bottoms up!

Sugar, Spice, And Everything Nice

Ahh, the holidays --- it’s the perfect time for giving. It’s not bad for receiving either. The other day, I was notified via eMail by Fresh From Florida that I had won a prize [pictured] they were giving away on their blog. Sweet! …Or, in this case, spicy. The package arrived yesterday, much to my delight. Having been (and being) a big fan of Everglades Seasoning products, I knew this “Gift Shack” had found a good home.
With this kind of luck, perhaps I should have gone out and purchased a few lotto tickets, too. Lucky or not: In this case, I was handsomely rewarded for simply following and leaving a comment on a blog of interest that was highlighting one of my favorite spice-rack staples. Not too shabby.
Rewarding loyal customers and/or followers is a great way to maintain and build upon the base of any business. It’s easy to look past your existing clientele and expend all your energy to entice new blood. But those actions can and will drive away the people that got you there.
Giveaways --- especially during this time of year --- are a slam dunk in customer relations and PR. Everywhere you turn around, someone seems to be giving away an iPad. Hell, I even gave away something on this blog earlier this year. Done not so much for the intent of building a blog-follower empire (obviously), but just for fun.
What you give doesn’t really matter. The point is: People like to get things. And if you can offer them something, even a little something, expect that to come back to you in some way—hopefully what would be considered a good return on investment.
Happy holidays!

Pocket Full Of Shells ...

Landscaping projects – whether on a professional scale or homespun – usually draws its energy from an inspired vision. If the final product can look anywhere near what the computer-generated renderings, hand sketches, or images in your head are, then you are doing something right. Of course, it often happens where things stray from an original plan for one reason or another.
Pictured with this post is an image that is quite contrary to the title. What you are seeing there actually is roughly one ton of crushed shell. This is the basis for a front-yard landscape project that I’ve had in mind for a while now. I have/had the inspiration. The hard part was finding the time and getting the material.
The project is under way and coming together. However, borrowing a line from one of my all-time favorite movies: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Well, in this case, I’m going to need more shell. Good things take time, and so far, so good.
Stay tuned. More to come …