Green Industry Leaders Network

Since Covid first began and work from home became a part of everyday life, the US has seen a surge in new homeowners. Many have fled higher-priced areas with smaller spaces in search of larger homes with more space and property. For those who have moved into new homes, over 55% did work in their landscape. Whether to put in a new landscape from scratch, update an existing one or just adding a few touches to make it their own.When it comes to the workhorse of the landscape, the plants that balance the yard, provide year-round interest and texture, it's the "shrub" that brings it all together. For the new homeowner and existing landscapes alike, finding the right shrubs to reflect your design preference and color choices can be a pretty daunting task.So we've asked Stacey Hirvela, horticultural marketing expert for Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs, what she thinks make the best shrubs for the new homeowner. One great place to start is the Proven Winners guide, Gardening Simplified with tons of great tips, pic

As a green industry professional, it's important to keep up with everything that is effecting our businesses on a day to day basis. We subscribe to numerous industry newsletters, setup Google alerts, read industry reports and research, and network with peers peers and colleagues to learn about new things going on. It's nearly impossible to stay on top of everything.Especially when you need to track many segments across the green industry. Like news and events in horticulture, landscape, irrigation, agriculture and tree care, to name a few. Because our own business tries to keep tabs on what's going on in all of these. It can be overwhelming to say the least.On any given day, we're bombarded with news, bits and pieces of information and conversations with colleagues and peers, that it's likely to miss something that could play a role in how companies do business. So we developed a new podcast format called ICYMI, that will look at some important news worthy topics going in the green industry and discussions wh

If you own a landscape business, having access to quality information based on sound and meaningful research is a tremendous value. Like knowing what's important to customers, what services do they need help with, and whether demand for those services have increased or decreased over time. Having the right tools you need to make informed decisions can also highlight new opportunities to grow your business.Joining us on this episode is Brian Horn, Editor of Lawn & Landscape Magazine. He shares his insights on a recent survey and report called Grow the Market. Released in the April 2021 issue, this report compares the data from the 2016 Grow the Market survey. Brian helps explain how you can use this report to make smart decisions about how you market your services to customers and where to focus your efforts.Brian will also be presenting the survey at National Association of Landscape Professionals' Landscapes 21 session in a free-forum discussion format. It's an opportunity to explore the research directl

In a recent news, the western US has possibly entered into a megadrought, verging on a permanent drought. Annual snow pack and rainfall are at historic lows which means there is less and less natural irrigation and water is in shorter supply. We've been discussing drought and smart water management for over a decade since we began #landscapechat back in 2010. Yet somehow, news stories like this makes smart water management more dire and crucial than ever before.On this episode, our guest is Michael Derewenko, territorial sales and marketing manager of Jain Irrigation. We discuss the latest advancements in smart controllers like the HermitCrab Pro that are easy to for landscape professionals and DIY homeowners to retrofit an irrigation system in minutes.  The cloud-based controller pulls weather-related data from the local cell towers and analyze multiple data points to maximize water efficiency. It goes well beyond the capabilities of standard smart controllers and delivers the right amount of water to lawns.

Our guest host on this episode of the Green Industry Leaders network podcast is David Ellis the  American Horticultural Society Director of Communications and editor of The American Gardener magazine. Since 1953, they have been recognizing excellence in communications for individuals who are effective and inspire others to participate in horticulture.David join us to share some insights on this prestigious award and introduces the 2021 BY Morrison award winner, Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago of Agrochic, based in Puerto Rico. She's a professional communicator with vast experience in radio, television, and newspapers. She's also certified in Horticulture Therapy (2019) from the Chicago Botanic Garden.This episode highlights the how winners are recognized for this award and how Perla's communication skills held educate, inspire and exemplify the its honor.CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTPerla Sofia Curbelo - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. AHS on its  Facebook, Twitter  and Instagram  channelsCONNECT WITH USEnjoy this epi

In 2020 there were and estimated 16-20 million new gardeners in the US who took up the activity for the first time. We saw an explosive demand for plants and supplies from home-bound residents who wanted to be active outside, grow fresh food and take advantage of time spent at home to work on projects. With all those new gardeners and DIY homeowners, many enjoyed it but weren't necessarily sure what to do or had the skills to be successful.Seeing there was a need on a national level for quality content and information born out of the pandemic, LaManda Joy, owner of City Grange garden centers based in the Chicago suburbs, and founder of the Peterson Garden Project, a non-profit victory garden, rose to the challenge. She and her team put together the Great Grow Along, a virtual learning series.For a one-time fee, people across the country, from all growing zones and garden interests could participate in the live event and ask questions of the well-recognized pool of presenters and experienced horticulturists. I

There is something to be said for colorful flowers in a landscape. A punch of color, being a focal point, attracting bees, butterflies and other wildlife. Flowers can be incorporated in every garden, big and small and the provide a homeowner with seasonal beauty in their yard. If you are a new homeowner just starting out or need some inspiration for ideas to plant, our guest on this episode literally wrote the book on it.Award-winning author and landscape designer, Jan Johnsen joins me to talk about her new book, Floratopia - 110 Flower Garden Ideas for Your Yard, Patio or Balcony. She shares some great tips and insight from the book that is designed for everyone, whether you have a large space or small space, it's a great way to add flowers and color to your life.CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTJan Johnsen - Twitter, Facebook and InstagramCONNECT WITH USEnjoy this episode or have questions? We want to hear from you. Connect with Chris Sabbarese at Corona Tools on Twitterand our new GILN Facebook Group. This closed gro

Without a doubt we saw many people turning to gardening this past pandemic year as a way to deal with stress and growing their own food. That also included a lot of families, who made gardening a family pastime with the kids, which translates into a lot of kids experiencing the activity.Having more children exposed to gardening at an early age can help develop a keen interest and a love for working outdoors and in the soil. It's one reason we are such big supporters of kids gardening. Hoping that if they have a good experience at a young age, so they might explore opportunities in horticulture, landscaping or tree care.On this episode, we welcome back Christine Gall, program director at KidsGardening.org to share some insights on their organization, their Youth Garden Grant program and the Kids Gardening community they are launching to support those educating and inspiring what could become our future green industry leadersCONNECT WITH OUR GUESTChristine Gall - KidsGardening.orgCONNECT WITH USEnjoy this episo

Without a doubt, video plays a vital role in today's content strategy. As someone who needs to create branded videos like how-tos, product demo videos and live video formats such as Instagram and Facebook, there is a lot of planning, preparation and editing that goes into it. All to create a video that people will watch and engage with.On this episode we invited back, YouTuber and back yard orchardist, Cameron Akrami, aka The Busy Gardener. His growing channel has nearly 9K subscribers, over 150 videos with audience that enjoys his how-to videos about growing fruit trees and gardening-related topics. Cameron shares some insights on the equipment he uses, editing programs including DaVinci Resolve and Snappa for creating captivating thumbnail images.If you're a video content creator and challenged to make engaging videos, stay tuned for some solid advice and experiences that can help with your video content strategies.CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTCameron Akrami - The Busy Gardener YouTubeCONNECT WITH USEnjoy this epi

We continue our strategy focus on this episode with a look at creative ways to get your audience to engage with your content. Things like special promotions, giveaways or creating games to tap into your audience's competitive nature. While you are creating fun and excitement that your audience wants to participate in, it's also a great way to create awareness for your brand and to learn about your products or services.On this episode, we've invited Natalie Carmolli, Advertising and PR Specialist with Proven Winners, to share some insights about their "Shrub Madness" promotion. It's and interesting look into how they have gamified their shrubs, creating a fun and engaging way to spread awareness while educating their audience. For more information about this promotion, check out the Shrub Madness website.There are some great takeaways that any content creator and marketer can learn from episode. So keep your mind open, get those creative juices flowing and find ways to get people talking and engaging with your

This episode is part two in a series of strategy topics geared towards taking advantage of seasonal down time in the green industry. For many there may never be a downtime, however these are critical functions we should be doing daily, especially when it comes to creating content for digital media.Whether it's diving into Google Analytics for making sound business decisions with your website and content, or optimizing your content so it will be found by search engines, which is where we focus today's discussion. Our guest is Stacey Hirvela, of Proven Winners and Spring Meadow Nurseries. She has some great insights for developing content for your website and tips for having it rank high in search engine results.While this is one of our longer episodes, there is a lot of great information shared and it could easily have gone longer. If this episode whets your appetite for optimizing your content check out her live Gardencomm webinar to get into the weeds of optimizing your green industry content. SEO: Rising to

As a marketers, many use Google Analytics for basic monthly reports like  traffic and general sales data to measure their website. However it also provides insights on how they are getting there, what they are viewing, how they are moving through your site and what they are looking for. It helps guide marketers to create more relevant content and informed decisions based on your audience's behaviors.It's something I haven't spent much time digging into so I made a commitment to invest in an online course, "Google Analytics for Marketers" and so far it's been worth the investment of time and money. This episode isn't going to be a comprehensive overview but something to get you thinking about using analytics and optimizing your site and content. If you work with websites and measure them Google Analytics is treasure trove of data and capabilities including;Google Analytics and  Google Analytics 4 - why you need them and what are the key differencesProper Setting up - important things to look for such as Views,

Throughout the past year, we've been sharing how gardening is an ideal way to relieve stress and anxiety. Now approaching a year-long pandemic, many people have suffered greatly causing lasting stress on their bodies and minds. Getting out and gardening is certainly a way to help, but horticultural therapy takes it a step further to focus on specific needs, whether physical or emotional.For those who have experienced trauma, horticultural therapy can be used to help learn new skills or rebuild skills that were lost. It helps improve memory, cognitive skills, language and socialization skills. Used In physical rehabilitation, its been demonstrated to  help strengthen muscles and improve coordination, balance, and endurance. Horticultural therapists are professionals with specific education, training, and credentials in the use of horticultural for therapy and rehabilitation.Our guest on this episode is Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago of Agrochic, based in Puerto Rico. She's a professional communicator with vast e

The beginning of a new year is often a time when we reflect on the past but also look to the future with enthusiasm for things we can change. In the midst of a pandemic year, this is an excellent opportunity to evaluate what's working, what's not and learning new technologies that can better guide our strategies.This episode shares some tips for things we could be doing during the colder winter months, while work-from-home gives us more time to explore them. It's been nearly a year since the pandemic hit, and we may not have been unprepared for it then, we've learned a lot as a result of it. It's given us the ability to adapt to the new normal and adjust our strategies. Which is important, as we're nowhere close to being out of the woods with this pandemic.Things that can help professionally and personally include:Diving into Google Analytics and Google Analytics 4 to understand your website trafficOptimizing current content for better SEODeveloping quality content, faster and more efficientlyReviewing your s

It's a new year which is already off to a rough start, yet it somehow feels a little different than 2020.  Many are optimistic that we will see a sense of normalcy in the coming months and perhaps travel to 1-2 industry events later in the year. All signs are indicating that late-winter and spring will keep the green industry busy, but also keep homeowners  busy around the house and in the yard. With so many new homeowners, it's a great time to look at the landscape and spruce it up with new plants or a putting in a vegetable garden.On this episode, our guest is Natalie Carmolli, Advertising and PR Specialist with Spring Meadow Nursery and Proven Winners. She shares some of the new plants being introduced this year like the new Quick Fire Fab® panicle hydrangeas, featured in the  shown in the episode image, with Tim Wood, Proven Winners® ColorChoice® New Product Development Manager. Natalie has an inside look at other new plants that are making their way to garden centers and online, to create the perfect out

As we close out 2020, there is hope on the horizon that we will eventually return to in-person industry events. Across all channels, these events were either canceled, postponed or in some cases, went virtual.As you will learn on this episode, taking an annual in-person event virtual, is no small feat. But when it's the largest tree care industry event that arborists attend, for continuing education units, hearing about what's new in the industry and seeing what the latest and greatest equipment, it's hard for the industry to cancel for a whole year.Our guest on this episode is Tchukki Andersen staff arborist for Tree Care Industry Association. She has an inside look at what went into pulling off this virtual event, what sets it apart from other virtual events and more. For more information about attending the event, check out their website.CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTTchukki Andersen at TCIA - the VoiceofTreecare, on Twitter and Facebook.CONNECT WITH USEnjoy this episode or have questions? We want to hear from you

This is a special year-end episode of the Green Industry Leaders Network podcast. In this historic and pandemic year, we've overcome so much and ready to face whatever comes next. We've learn a lot over the past 9 months as will continue to do into the new year, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.On this episode we're bringing together some of the most-recognized leaders from our industry and those of us who work tirelessly to towards what this industry does best; making this world a greener and more enjoyable place to live.We wanted to share some thoughts about what they've learned as a result of the pandemic, what they can't wait to move past and what they're looking forward to most once we have a handle on it. They offer some great perspectives and one thing we've all learned, is that we can adapt to whatever comes our way.As a industry, this pandemic cast a spotlight on us, we rose to the occasion and seized the opportunity to shine. We've all been effected by this pandemic in one way or anothe

While we have some really great things coming up on this podcast, if you are a new listener, you may not have taken the time to browse some of the many great episodes we've done over the years.We are grateful for all of our listeners tuning in to hear topics from great guests and partners like Richard Restuccia at Jain Irrigation, Stacey Hirvela with Proven Winners, Warren Gororwitz of Hunter Industries, David Ellis of American Horticulture Society, Tchukki Andersen of Tree Care Industry Association, Kate Spirgen with GIE Media, and so many others.Since we're heading into the end of an historic year, I wanted to highlight some of the Best of GILN from the most popular to the some of the most intriguing, and downright informative. In this episode, I'll highlight a few episodes, what makes them great and why people are still downloading them.E1 - Gardening for Wildlife  and E62 - Fall Gardening for Wildlife. National Wildlife Federation's David MizejewskiE41 - Growing in Containers  with Stacey Hirvela of Prove

Abana Jacobs was a friend to gardening and passionate about getting people outdoors. Always teaching others about sustainability, giving back to the community and connecting other leaders who could bring about change. On 11/23/20, Abana passed away from complications due to Covid 19.On this Thanksgiving weekend, we are reminded how much this industry has been blessed with a surge in interest in gardening and landscaping services being deemed essential. We're thankful for industry leaders like Abana who always gave of herself, stood behind the scenes and made a big impact on the world around us.As leaders in the industry and our communities, we should take the time to be thankful for all the amazing things we have the opportunity to do. Take time to appreciate those in your network. Offer someone help and hope when they need it most. While inspiring others to work towards good in this world.This episode was not produced by or for Subaru. Most of those who knew Abana, knew that she represented the bland well an

It's the middle of November, almost the end of 2020 and a it's been a year that most will not forget, anytime soon. When we look back at all the things that have happened, we'll be telling these stories for many years to come. Including how the green industry was fortunate to see a surge in the interest in gardening as one of the ways to make through quarantine.Many were brand new to gardening and while some did it to pass the time, others were all in to start pandemic gardens to have fresh food in the backyard for the family. As an industry, we may never see this level of interest in gardening come again. So how do keep them engaged in gardening after the pandemic?My guest on this episode is Teresa Speight of Cottage in the Court, blog and podcast dedicate to promoting the good of gardening. A fellow Gardencomm member, Teri is a regional director based in the Washington DC area where she is always out building community and teaching others about the joys that gardening and being in nature provides.CONNECT WI