Field Notes

AZEK/VAST Alliance

AZEK Building Products Inc. recently purchased an interest in VAST Enterprises LLC. The agreement opens the door for AZEK to make products from VAST, a materials science research and manufacturing company that patented Composite Masonry, available to AZEK’s exterior product distribution network.

AZEK and VAST will collaborate on sales and marketing initiatives to drive brand awareness among architects and contractors. For more information, visit AZEK Building Products' website at www.azek.com. To learn more about VAST Enterprises, visit www.vastpavers.com.

Profile Products Updates Brand

Profile Products LLC has changed its master brand to better represent its evolving business. The updated logo with the new tagline “Solutions for your Environment” reflects the company’s stronger emphasis on environmental stewardship and the resulting changes in product design and purpose of use. The company website, www.profileproducts.com, has also been redesigned.

Schreder Lighting US Offers Customized Design

Outdoor luminaire manufacturer Schreder Lighting US has begun a new Custom Lighting Program for municipalities and lighting designers. Recent custom projects include laser-cut, dual-purpose light columns and signature poles to create a sense of local identity for one city, and a curvaceous plant-like street lantern and column system for another. For more information, go to www.Schreder.US.

Bobcat Raises Prices

Bobcat Company has raised the price of its power units, attachments and select loader options. Models scheduled to become 2012 Interim Tier 4 (iT4) compliant increased in price 5.25 percent on December 1, 2011. This is the lesser of two planned price inceases for these models. For more information, visit www.bobcat.com.

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Recruits And Ladders

Mahan Rykiel Announces New Hires

Baltimore-based landscape architecture, urban design and planning firm Mahan Rykiel Associates Inc. has hired three new staffers. Morgan Handley, a 2011 graduate of Utah State University with a BLA in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, will work primarily in Mahan Rykiel’s growing retail studio.

Grace Ryan, a 2010 graduate of the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture, joins the firm’s higher education and health care groups.

And Andrew Scott, currently in his fourth year of a five-year program at Purdue University, comes to Mahan Rykiel through Purdue’s Cooperative Education Program. He will be gaining experience in providing graphics support, CAD drafting, and assistance with construction.

For more about Mahan Rykiel, go to www.mahanrykiel.com.

Arboretum Promotes Two

The Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens in North Stamford, Conn., has elevated two employees to executive director. Eric Morgan, PhD, former curator of botany, is the new executive director of Collections and Research. Former director of operations Peter Saverine is now the executive director of Operations. For more information about the arboretum, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org.

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Calendar

January

8-9

National Green Centre Trade Show

Overland Park Convention Center, Kansas City, Mo.

www.nationalgreencenter.org

February

1-2

California Landscape Contractors Association Landscape Industry Show

Los Angeles Convention Center

www.clca.us/lis

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Letters

To whom it may concern:

There was an article in the magazine that I just received about Natural Turf vs. Synthetic Turf (Sept/Oct). I wanted to send a note to the author, Mary Helen Sprecher, and let her know it was an excellent article.

Our firm provides the services she spoke about, and educating the owners of the pros and cons can sometimes be a tough task.

Tim Riordan, P.E. Associate

A. Morton Thomas & Associates Inc.

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Word On The Web

From Twitter:

“Thanks for the great magazine; we appreciate the information.” -- @ParamountLand

About our article “Branching Out” on the Morton Arboretum Children’s Garden:

“A fun, unique concept!” – Nevada ASLA (@NV_ASLA)

From Facebook:

“You guys have a great website and a fantastic online magazine. It's actually the best we've seen in a long time.

We’re launching social media for Landscape Architectural and multi-disciplined design practices amongst other services for events and promotions related to the profession.

We are the fastest-growing page for Landscape Architecture on Facebook. If you ever want to collaborate or refer us to your associates or colleagues, just let us know at office@landarchs.com.”

--Landscape Architects Network

From the Landscape Architect Business website:

On our September/October Project Profile, “Tucked Away” – “Nice quaint, functional outdoor space. The fireplace will really come in handy on those chilly fall nights, making this a great three-season area to enjoy.” – Lisa Beaulieu

On Boyd Coleman’s Week-Ender column “Where Did We Go Wrong” -- Wonderful discussion topic Boyd…one that I’ve asked many a maintenance contractor in the north Texas area. I call the technique: “The poodling of (City) one holly at a time” method of maintenance. I even have a photo collection started with some of the best (worst) examples come upon around these parts, so far.

Some of the reasoning for the shearing of landscapes, I believe, is cultural – who’s doing it, why they’re doing it, how long they’ve been doing it. Much of it is convenience and expediency – time is money (as you suggest) and power tools make quick work of maintenance and, for that matter, any shrub that gets in the way. A lot of it is retailing – city codes can dictate the extent and density of planting, but they often lack long term maintenance requirements…and any retailer out there certainly doesn’t want that darn Oak tree blocking the street view of their “open” sign, so guess what gets “palmed” or “pummeled” into submission and eventually becomes someone’s chimney smoke?

As landscape architects, it will take a concentrated effort on our part to re-educate the maintenance folks employing those undesirable practices (generally speaking of course and seemingly across the southern U.S.). It needs to be an inclusive education between contractors, professionals, developers, property managers, and jurisdictional governments. Personally, by including maintenance specifications in the project manual, and detailed maintenance notes on our plans is our attempt at the “smart growth” maturation of a landscape. You have a great idea on the maintenance award recognition at the state level. Our state chapter has made some effort to reach out to the landscape construction industry, but we realize it will be a long “row to hoe”.

– Tim May, ASLA

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CA Landscape Contractors Honored