Reclaiming The Yard--Part II

The last time we checked in on my latest DIY home landscape project, it was just a concept in my head vs. a big mess of vegetation choking out valuable real estate in my back yard. While other duties called and the "rainy season" lived up to its name, any work intended toward this challenge was delayed.

Recently though, there was enough of a break to allow Phase I (clearing and cleaning out) to get under way. The displaced bugs and snakes are a little confused, but they'll get used to it.

The clearing will continue and eventually give way to Phase II (tilling of the soil and plant selection that can complement the big oak, take away attention or conceal the chain-link fence, cope with the shade and other conditions related to my Zone 9B location, and most of all--look good).

No amazing discoveries digging through this jungle yet. I have found a few stray balls that undoubtedly found their way over from my neighbor's some time ago and got lost in my outback out back.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel and it's finally penetrating this area.

Well, one thing at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day and reclaiming this part of my back yard certainly won't be either.

Stay tuned.

Whatever Works ...

Given all the new high-tech gadgets being thrown at us today, it's hard to choose which one or ones to go with. However, sometimes simplicity is the best solution. With that being said, a press release about a new landscape product passed on to me by a colleague caught my eye. No, it was not a new ultra-modern looking mower or a gps-guided edger for those precise cuts. The featured product in the release was .....(insert drum roll here) a white board. A white board? Yep.According to the release, the 31-Day Crew Schedule from Magnatag is a fused-printed magnetic whiteboard system that's available in 4 sizes to accommodate 4 to 16 crews for up to 4 months. It includes magnetic cardholders to show job locations and specifications. Magnet circles in 10 colors for special job detail codes. Magnetic month and date sets and write-on tools are included, too.

Pretty neat little organizational tool that doesn't have to re-invent the wheel.

I love digital doo-dads as much as the next guy. But, practicality can be cool, too. Despite all the modern conveniences of high-speed digital communication and cell-phone reminders, we still use a big white board here at the office, I have two white boards up around the house, and have a plethora of sticky notes in both locations. You can never be too organized.

Now if we can only figure out how to populate that big crew schedule white board with lots of landscape jobs. I wonder if that comes included?

Social Media Madness

It's all the rage right now: People who barely know each other or who haven't seen each other for a long time are connecting, becoming friends and exchanging ideas and thoughts. It's happening all over the world at an astounding pace and is still growing. This phenomenon I speak of is the social media craze that has taken over as a primary means of communication.

Digital-based forums like Facebook and Twitter have led the way in this social media revolution. Yes, it is true that these sites are social communities, but that doesn't mean relevant information isn't there. More and more businesses have come to realize this and are taking advantage of the reach and immediacy of this technology.

An interesting study just came out confirming that those in the ag industry are quite plugged in (even more than what people probably think) to today's digital media tools.

According to a newly released Agriculture New Media Usage Study (corn and soybean segment focus), 85% of respondents indicated that they visit websites related to their farm operation and 76% check manufacturers' websites. The study also explored the presence of crop producers actively engaged on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites. The study goes on to details growers' usage of blogs, forums and/or message boards, and search engine usage and preference also were explored. For more details on the research, click here.

This research confirms what we already know. Information is power, and if there is a faster, more efficient way to get it and disseminate it, then people will follow.

Ornamental Outlook will be exploring this topic further in our upcoming September issue and featuring an article on social media opportunities and what they can do for your business. From what we've learned so far, a growing amount of Florida nursery and landscape professionals are taking part in these social networking circles. More will follow. If you haven't checked out these sites, do it now. You might be missing out.

Gator Tale

Man, I should have saved my alligator photo for this blog post. Oh well. Just recently, another instance of man vs. nature (or in this case woman vs. nature) reared its ugly head here in Florida. A landscaper pulling weeds out of decorative pond in Sanibel was bitten on the hand by a six-foot alligator. The gator did a pretty good number on her hand. Though shaken, the landscaper will be OK. The gator, on the other hand, didn't fare so well with the subsequent meeting it had with Fish and Wildlife.

This news piece is an interesting story (click here to go to OrnamentalOutlook.com to read it) and a painful lesson learned for the landscaper. Shortly after we posted this news item to our website a few days ago, the comments started rolling in from our subscribers. About a dozen so far have come in (BTW--this is much above the average we receive for other articles). Reading through the feedback, I was pleased to see such interactivity from our readers. I also am a little surprised to see how many comments were in favor of the alligator and blaming the victim for invading the reptile's territory.

To me, this is simply a case of wrong place, wrong time. The landscaper probably did know better. People who live here and work here-- especially outdoors -- are aware of the natural risk factors out there. A previous blog post of mine touched on this very subject matter. The Orlando Sentinel had a front-page article earlier this week about the hazards Floridians live with every day.

Plain and simple: Landscaping (especially in Florida) is not an easy job, but somebody's got to do it!

The Deep End

Florida may be a peninsula, but it often feels more like an island when it comes to water issues. A combination of population explosion, drought-like weather patterns, and environmental water quality has allowed water consumption to swim its way to the hot-topic surface. Nursery and landscape professionals know this all too well. Water restrictions impact their very livelihoods.

Water restrictions around the state, especially in South Florida, have finally eased lately thanks to tropical-moisture fueled storm systems that have dumped nice amounts of precipitation in the last couple of months. Though the regulations might have softened, the problems are still bubbling. South Florida is coming off the worst drought since 1932 (since recordkeeping began). Recently, the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties launched an online discussion and survey to get the pulse of people's attitudes on water conservation. This comes on the heels of a study on water resources in the future. I'm curious to see what the banter and the survey dredge up. After all, this water problem runs deeper than just nursery and landscape businesses. This is not just an industry issue, this is a community/lifestyle issue.

Is there enough water to go around? Well, the water management districts say no. However, I get a different message when I drive by and see irrigation systems in commercial parks and even residences running at full tilt in the middle of a downpour (especially disheartening, during last year's four-day soaker, aka--Tropical Storm Fay). There is plenty of technology out there to prevent such ignorance from happening. There's even low-tech ways like looking out the window to see if it's raining.

Either way, progress and solutions need to be discussed now and put into action before the next "drier-than-normal" season rolls around. The Florida nursery and landscape industry have made great strides to promote smart plant purchases and install more Florida-friendly landscapes. This has been a good start, and needs to continue to make up for those who are not so water wise and those who refuse to be.

Hurricane Hunting - Microsoft Style

Mother Nature beware. Bill Gates is after you. According to news reports, the master of Microsoft is looking to put a hurting on hurricanes and tropical storms. He, along with a list of other inventors/contributors, submitted applications to the U.S. patent office that offer a way to weaken or break up the monster storms. For those who live and work in a hurricane-vulnerable state like Florida, this is interesting news.

In short: It sounds like the plan would consist of fleets of barges to ride out ahead of the storm and chill the sea temperatures by dumping and stirring up cold water in the storm's path thus depleting it of its main fuel source.

Hmmm. I understand the reasoning behind the effort and applaud the creativity, but but you have to wonder about some of the effects this kind of climate control would have.

Some of the questions that come to mind:

• By eliminating these storms, does that mean Florida's rainy season should change its name to the drier muggy season?
  
• How much lead time will these barges have on the storms? Storms can develop and diminish pretty quickly; and I wouldn't necessarily put the words "fast" and "barge" in the same sentence.
  
• How will fish and other marine life react to all this cold water being dumped into the warm currents?
  
• When it comes to really large storms like Andrew, Katrina, and Ike, how much water displacement are we talking about?
  
• Can this really work?

If this concept has any legs whatsoever, these questions, along with the multitudes of others, will be addressed in time. This is not the first time an idea has been pitched to disrupt hurricanes, and I'm sure this won't be the last. Of course, none of those ideas were powered by Microsoft. So, watch out sun. You might be next.

In the meantime, we'll watch the tropics this hurricane season and -- like always -- rely on preparation and good judgement to deal if disaster does indeed make a threat.

Reclaiming The Yard

In these budget-crunching times, more people are spending time at home and in their yards. Outdoor living is a way of life in Florida and a well-planned "staycation" starts and ends in the yard. This a good thing for local garden centers, growers, and landscapers. Whether it's DIYers looking for plant and hardscape material or those with a larger budget looking for a professional to do the heavy lifting, there is opportunity.

As a homeowner and someone who covers the Florida nursery and lanscape industry for a living, I understand the value of a well-groomed landscape. Click here for more reasons to love landscaping.

Documented research certainly can help with the marketing of plant products and landscaping services in an environment where buyers are weighing the value of their investments more than ever.

My family and I enjoy doing things like hanging out, grilling, and playing in the yard. I'm sure I'd love it even more if it were a tropical oasis--but I do what I can, when I can. There's a budget and timeframe out there for everybody. BTW-Like most, mine is limited on both accounts.

But I digress. Indeed, there are some areas around my yard that I'd like to address. Case in point:

This mess is located along my back fence under the cover of a live oak tree. Overgrown with ferns, lilies, and other assorted items planted by the previous owner--not to mention all of the live oak seedlings that have sprouted up from the mother tree -- this part of my back yard is unusable. I'd like to reclaim this part of the yard by clearing it out and laying some sod to extend the main lawn and maybe carve out a planting bed around the base of the oak for contrast and to soften the fence area.

This has literally become no man's land. A little breathing room would be nice.

Instead of a space I can enjoy (let alone even get to), this area is a haven for snakes, a hangout for mosquitoes, and a hiding place for other creepie crawlies. Believe me, I've seen enough of all of them to know. It's going to be fun digging through this jungle.

Can anyone say hodge podge?

Yep. This is going to take some time. Got any ideas on what I can do with this space? Feel free to leave a comment. Feedback is welcome as I come up with a gameplan to try and tackle this project. Check back as I give updates as things progress. Wish me luck. I'm going to need it.