Char Farley Chacon, division manager at Denver-based Designscapes, a member of the ALCC’s board of directors and the committee chair for ALCC’s Women in Green, is challenging barriers to the advancement of women in the green industry. Well-known across Colorado for her fierce commitment to ALCC’s LatiKNOWs diversity and empowerment program, which gives people across organizations the tools they need to better navigate the leadership landscape, Chacon is quickly becoming a rising industry star on the national level.
At this year’s Thought Leaders Retreat, held at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach, Florida, Chacon shared the floor with Heidi Dillon, regional manager of DeSantis Landscapes in Oregon, and Leslie Herndon, president of Greenscape in North Carolina. The panel examined the question of differentiation, exploring how landscape companies can deliver unique value if they are all doing the same things, using the same tools and technologies, and applying the same best practices.
Chacon said unique value starts with reducing opportunity inequities through mentoring and advocacy, as well as finding understanding and common ground. The leadership path can only be lit, Chacon said, when everyone speaks the same language. At Designscapes, that means professional development, training and language lessons. The company subsidizes a bilingual education program, with classes held weekly, that has been well received by the employees.
The Designscapes language program builds morale, camaraderie and communication in and out of the field and helps the company attract new employees and assist recipients of the firm’s Permanent Residency Program, which eases some of the uncertainty of H2B. To date, Chacon said, Designscapes has sponsored and helped 60 employees to become U.S. residents. Leadership presents an opportunity and a responsibility for people at all levels to be better role models, Chacon said. Leaders should empower fresh thinking, lift people up and allow every individual to flourish and succeed. Thought Leaders Retreat explores innovation and the future of work.
This year’s Thought Leaders Retreat, an annual event produced by Bruce Wilson & Co., one of the green industry’s largest and oldest advisory firms, broke records for sponsorship and attendance. Colorado was represented by delegates from Designscapes, Fort Collins-based Lindgren Landscapes and Denver-based Lifescape Colorado. Boulder tech firm TeamEngine and Denver-based Scythe Robotics were among the event’s sponsors. Michael Mayberry, customer success lead at Scythe, was a featured speaker on innovation, the guiding theme of the Thought Leaders conference and its focus on the future of work.
Bruce Wilson wrapped up the two-and-a-half-day event with a call to action: “Every organization needs bold inventiveness. But creativity is only half of what gets us to the other side of the box. This time is dedicated to how to create an innovation culture, how to inspire the next great idea and how to improve our capacity to innovate by asking what we would do differently if we knew anything’s possible?”
Most business owners can identify with at least one, if not all, of these statements and often aren’t sure how to get past feeling stuck in the day-to-day. There are countless coaches and programs who promise to help grow your business and fulfill your dreams and goals. What most of these programs are missing is the concept of having an enviable life while growing your business. What if you could enjoy the journey and not feel burned out while achieving your goals?
It’s easier than you think. You simply need to set your vision, stay true to your priorities and take action. The life of your dreams will begin to fall into place.
To achieve your dream, you must first have a clear vision of what it is. Can you close your eyes and clearly see yourself doing exactly what you want to be doing in 10 years? If not, spend some time daydreaming about it.
No two dreams are the same, but if you are going to achieve your dream, you have to be able to see it, feel it, taste it and experience it in detail in your mind. If your goals aren’t specific, they will be hard to achieve.
Once you have a clear vision, write it down, create a visual and keep it somewhere obvious. You want it in front of your face every day. Include a due date for your dream; otherwise, it will always be “someday” and never reality.
The next step toward a more enjoyable life is prioritization. Some common priorities are family, faith, even wealth. Maybe you want to enjoy life while you are still young. What are your top three priorities? Write them down. Now.
When you have a clear vision and your priorities are defined, decision-making becomes almost effortless. Say yes to opportunities that fall in line with your vision and priorities and let other opportunities pass.
Now, let’s get back to how you can avoid burnout and stop delaying happiness. Does this sound familiar?
“I’ll have more time for my family when this project is done.” “If I can just hit that next goal, I’ll finally be happy.”
Nope and nope. There is freedom in working to live rather than living to work. Delaying happiness now in the pursuit of a dream leads to burnout and dread of the day-to-day.
Systemize Your Business
Take the following action steps to start systemizing your business so you have time to enjoy your life outside of work. Set boundaries. Time and physical boundaries are important to a balanced life. Try setting your own work hours and sticking to them. Fill your non-work hours with your personal priorities: family, health, hobbies, etc.
Delegate and outsource.
Create a plan to delegate or outsource anything you aren’t good at, anything you are good at but don’t love, and anything that takes you away from working on your business instead of in it.
Try this exercise: Have a central place where you write down every single task you do for your business over the next month. Track the hours it takes to do these tasks. As you can afford to delegate or outsource, you know how much you can off-load because you know the time requirement of the task.
Capture videos of your processes.
There are services like Loom that allow you to store screen-capture videos to the cloud. Start capturing videos of your regular tasks on the computer that you can use as a training tool to easily delegate tasks “only you know how to do.” This leaves more time for you to do the more important tasks and strategize for business growth.
Plant Select honors growers, educators and designers for promoting sustainable plants
Every year, Plant Select recognizes individuals, organizations and demonstration gardens that have gone above and beyond to advance Plant Select’s mission of offering low-maintenance, low-water plants that flourish in the Rocky Mountain region.
The 2023 winners are:
Individual Partner Award
Dale Kiyota
At Kiyota Greenhouse in Fort Lupton, Dale Kiyota grows more than 50 Plant Select perennials that he sells to garden centers up and down the Front Rangeand to landscape contractors.
Individual Partner Award
Lauren Springer
Lauren Springer, author of The Undaunted Garden: Planting for Weather-Resilient Beauty (Chicago Review Press, 2011), has brought many drought-tolerant plants to Plant Select since its inception.
Organizational Partner Award
Echter’s Nursery & Garden Center in Arvada has a designated area for Plant Select plants that it promotes with information and programming.
Organizational Partner Award
Perennial Favorites
An early participant in Plant Select’s Propagation Committee, Perennial Favorites of Layton, Utah, grows a long list of Plant Select favorites.
Showcase Garden Award
Idaho Firewise
In the aftermath of the Marshall Fire, Moscow, Idaho-based Idaho Firewise is helping to educate Coloradans about plants with low amounts of volatile oils and other flammable chemicals and plants that produce less litter that can fuel flames.
Golden Shovel Award
Treasure Island Demonstration Garden
The Treasure Island Demonstration Garden, next to a bike trail in Windsor, exhibits several different gardening styles featuring Plant Select plants.
Golden Shovel Award
Aurora Water-wise Garden
The City of Aurora’s demonstration garden helps community members discover new plants that will thrive in a city with some of the state’s strictest water restrictions.
A tree climber first and foremost, Forrest Bullard, owner and operator of Bullard Tree and Garden in Arvada, developed his skills as an arborist working for the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon and Swingle Lawn, Tree & Landscape Care in Fort Collins.
At Swingle (now SavATree), Bullard realized arborist services were in high demand, and he took on extra jobs on weekends. He earned his arborist certification in 2013, and he left Swingle to found Bullard Tree and Garden in 2015. He worked with other arborists until 2018, when he fully transitioned to being in business on his own.
“Initially, we were installing tree rings by removing grass around trees and putting in mulch. This progressed to making recommendations on replacing turf near fence lines,” he says. Soon Bullard and his two-person crew were replacing grass with water-wise plants as they learned more about landscape installation and xeriscape principles. He uses Procreate to help clients visualizesimple design projects.
Irrigation and conservation
“When planting trees, it’s not uncommon to damage irrigation systems,” Bullard says. “I learned how to fix breaks in irrigation systems out of necessity.”
He recentlyparticipated in ALCC’s Irrigation Boot Camp and receivedQualified Water Efficient Landscaper(QWEL)certification.
Water is just one resource Bullard doesn’t want to waste. His company seeks to reduce its use of all materials andminimize the environmental impact of its work. “We sell what works best for the customer,” he says. “We measure accurately, minimize material waste and don’t lay siege to the property.”
Bullard enjoys networking, collaborating and learning from people at other companies. In time, he hopes to broaden his company’s offerings—but that’s a bit tricky. “Right now, about two-thirds of our income is from tree care,” he says. “It’s a balancing act because we want to add professional services but not dilute the base. Tree care is my primary skill set.”
He wants to keep the work honest. “I won’t take on projects that we can’t do,” he says.
Expanding the business will require hiring someone with skills he doesn’t have, which likely won’t happen until at least next spring.
“Right now, I still want to keep it simple. I’ll continue to learn more skills, but I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew.”
Throughout Colorado, water shortages are impacting how urban landscapes are cared for and the cost of landscape maintenance. To better steward water resources and provide high-quality, conscientious landscape maintenance, Associated Landscape Contractors (ALCC) of Colorado offers Sustainable Landscape Management (SLM) certification.
The SLM program provides foundational education about the natural and constructed systems that comprise the urban landscape, as well as how the different systems relate and the interdependence that exists between them. Topics include soil, irrigation, planting trees and integrated pest management.
Because the urban landscape is an interdependent system, the context of one element is dependent on the success of many others. For example, a healthy tree depends on proper planting, staking, irrigation and soil conditions. Each element needs attention and awareness so the overall landscape can be healthy, water conscious, long lasting and beautiful. Teaching professionals about what the elements are and how they affect one another generates a more holistic awareness, allowing them to make good decisions in the field.
Janet Waibel, a registered landscape architect at Tempe, Arizona-based Waibel & Associates Landscape Architecture, began preparing standards for care in Arizona during the economic downturn of 2008, when her workload dwindled, and she had time to write. Her goal was to share better ways to take care of Arizona landscapes, promote sustainability and enable landscape designs to reach their full potential in urban settings.
In 2017, Waibel partnered with ALCC to create a book, curriculum and testing for ALCC’s SLM program, which is available with membership. The book includes chapters on a variety of topics, including urban soils, planting composition, trees, shrubs, turf site drainage, irrigation, composting and integrated pest management.
The Urban Landscape Sustainability collection of materials includes books, curriculum and testing items. The premise is regional focus for simple, practical methods about how to help every element in the landscape system thrive. Plants and trees are more sustainable and require less care when irrigation is appropriate, soils are beneficial and site conditions are monitored.
The program includes:
Sustainable Landscape Management – Standards for Care in the Desert Southwest (English and Spanish)
Sustainable Landscape Management – A Guide to More Sustainable Landscapes in Colorado
Sustainable Landscape Construction (available later this year)
Women in Green committee hosts inspiring speaker & What's next
“We’re sprouting,” claim those on ALCC’s Women in Green (WIG) committee. WIG continued their momentum with a second networking event in lateApril.
Megan Townsend, COO and Co-Founder of Altitude Arborist in Broomfield,was the guest speaker. Townsend presented a condensed version of her presentation,How to take 50 vacation days a year. Charlene Chacon, WIG committee member and residential team manager at Designscapes Colorado, Inc. shares, “Megan was very inspirational as a business owner, mom, and someone who knows what it is like to be a woman in the landscape industry.”
This event had a great turnout including several students from CSU’s Design and Contracting program. Event sponsors Ewing Irrigation &Landscape Supply and Designscapes Colorado, not only sponsored but also were represented by women in attendance.
Date: Tuesday, September 19 Time: 11:30- 1:00 PM Location:Fisk Lawnscapes 7135 Templeton Gap Road Colorado Springs, CO 80923
The Women in Green networking series is designed to celebrate women's contributions to the industry while creating a space for women in landscaping to come together, network, and acknowledge the unique attributes and skills that women bring to the industry.
This event is designed for women working in any role within the green industry. Dress is casual, please come as you are. Boxed lunch will be provided. Las hispanohablantes son bienvenidas!
Register and watch for new event postings on alcc.com/events-calendar.
Hicks & Associates reviewed every bill that was introduced to determine the possible effects it could have on GreenCO and business.
GreenCO tracked over 40 bills this session and with the help of the Legislative Committee were able to take a deep dive into the bills and take positions on multiple pieces of legislation.
GreenCO collaborated closely with the General Assembly but also with the agriculture industry, construction industry, and general business groups, throughout the session on multiple pieces of legislation.
This session the top priority for GreenCO was the Pesticide Applicator Sunset bill. Pesticides has been a hot topic at the Capitol for the past few sessions, especially as it pertains to local preemption. GreenCO continues to work with CRPA (Coloradoans for Responsible Pesticide Application) and other industry partners on all things pesticide related. As we continued to be proactive, GreenCO helped host a Pesticide Applicator Advocacy Day at the Capitol, where we spoke with members of the legislature to discuss the Sunset bill/pesticide regulation as well as educate them on who we are. This proved to be very beneficial as we were engaged on the two pieces of legislation regarding pesticides.
SB23-192 Sunset Pesticide Applicators’ Act was up for renewal this year. GreenCO and CPRA have been working on this sunset over the last year. In working with the coalition, we kept our messaging pointed and fact/science-based on the issues. As we stood together, we attended multiple stakeholder meetings, both prior to the session and during the session, and were able to get this bill passed without local preemption.
The conversation around water has been ongoing over the past few years but the General Assembly hasn’t passed a great deal of legislation to address the ongoing water issues in the state. Coming into the session water was a top priority and there were multiple bills introduced and passed to try and get a grip on the water issues throughout the state.
SB23-178 Water-wise landscaping in Homeowners’ Association Communities will remove barriers to water-wise landscaping in HOA communities. This will allow for more landscaping options within HOA’s along with helping with the water issue by allowing drought tolerant plants and landscaping. The bill requires an association to permit the installation of at least 3 garden designs that adhere to the principles of water-wise landscaping.
Each year there are more and more pieces of legislation that address climate change and our greenhouse gas emissions within the state. Thank you to all the members on the GreenCO Legislative Committee for your hard work and involvement in this session.
Matt Akabane, operations manager at Hughes Landscaping, Inc., Parker, recently moved to Parker from California with the hope of applying his extensive knowledge of plants and trees to landscapes in Colorado. He and his family were attracted to the state for its scenery, culture and lifestyle.
Akabane grew up in his father’s landscape business, working along with his brother and mother. His father, who immigrated from Tokyo, was a Bonsai specialist. “My father taught me about designs and creativity” Akabane shares. “He always said to make sure plants have dimension, vibrant color at different times of the year, and balance.”
After attending California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, Akabane continued to work in the family business where he operated the retail, and landscape and maintenance divisions. He credits his experience in this business with gaining his extensive knowledge of plants and trees that enables him to create beautiful landscapes. He has designed more than 2,500 projects for clients, friends and companies.
After 40 years of providing quality plants and knowledge to the community, the family sold the land and business in 2019, prompting Akabane to consider new options.
Adopting another ‘family’ – family business that is
With Hughes Landscaping, Akabane is working for another family-owned and operated business. Hughes Landscaping has been in business since 1988, installing landscapes and providing the year-round maintenance services to sustain their beauty.
Coming from the industry, Akabane’s 35 years’ experience seemed like a great fit for owners Angie and Kurt Hughes, who thought his skills were well-suited for the company’s landscape division where Akabane could help with design and sales. He began his work at Hughes Landscaping in July 2022.
“I love what I do and wanted to get back into landscaping and create beautiful landscapes for clients,” he says. He now realizes that the Hughes family owns and operates other businesses including Pine Lane Nursery, Bonnie Blues Wedding Venue, and The Sod Guy, now in Parker and Colorado Springs.
“I want Hughes Landscaping to be a household name and for people who need landscape design or installation to think about Hughes Landscaping first for consultations, professional designs, installation, irrigation, hardscapes and maintenance. Visit www.hugheslandscapinginc.com to learn more.
The following is a statement from Kat Weismiller, deputy section chief for Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Water Supply Planning Section.
The Urban Landscape Conservation Task Force (CWCB) was created tohelp the state think about how we,at CWCB,build and support climate-appropriate landscapes. Colorado is getting warmer with projections of up to 4.2oF (2.3oC) warmer by 2050.
We live in a semi-arid state and are heavily dependent on annual snowmelt and runoff from the mountains to the plains for our water supply. Colorado averages only 17 inches per year of precipitation with high variability across the state. Climate change is making our water supply more variable, and less dependable and predictable. As a result of climate change and longer term aridification, we are increasingly weighingthe value trade-offsregarding water use and how we want to allocate it across competing community needs like economic development, housing, parks, river health, recreation and more. Outdoor water use, including the functionality and aesthetic design of urban landscapes, is at the crux of this discussion. Irrigation of outdoor landscapesaccounts for 40-50% of Colorado’s municipal water demand. The 2023 Colorado Water Plan notes the need for “transformative landscape change” – water conscious and attractive urban landscapes that can be sustained on as little as one-day per week watering. Though past water conservation measures have decreased statewide per capita water use by 5% between 2008 and 2015, we have a long way to go to meet the ambitious goals of the Water Plan.
Water-wise landscaping and land use practices can play a critical role in providing substantial and permanent water savings while minimizing water waste in Colorado communities. Urban water conservation requires water providers and other groups to work together in ways that extend beyond turf removal to advance the broader concept of landscape transformation to provide lasting water savings, while sustaining healthy communities.
The Task Force arose at the direction of the Governor who charged CWCB with facilitating a task force discussion to evaluate the best practices for advancing outdoor water conservation. Recognizing that this topic is critical,and several efforts are currently underway to find policy solutions and best practices for urban landscapes, the Task Force plans to offer leadership and guidance at the state level by exploring where there are both opportunities and challenges for achieving sustained outdoor water savings. The Task Force will look into ways of implementing practical landscaping changes that increase water use efficiency and achieve sustained water savings, while supporting vibrant and beautiful communities.
The 21-member task force includes eight water utilities, two water conservation and/or conservancy districts, two environmental nongovernmental organizationrepresentatives, and several single seats including a seat dedicated to the landscaping industryfilled by ALCC president, John McMahon. McMahon willrepresent ALCC membership interests in these critical conversations. The team aim plansto meet four times in2023, aiming to wrap-up provide a set of concepts to be considered by January 2024.
Each year Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC)grants scholarships to studentspursuing careers in the green industry who attend Front Range Community College (FRCC), Colorado State University (CSU) or University of Colorado.
Ben Stickland received the JBK Scholarship in 2023. Ben Stickland is a junior at CSU, double majoring in horticulture with a specialization in landscape design and contracting and environmental horticulture with a floriculture concentration. He hopes one day to own a business using locally sourced materials and native plants to design sustainable landscapes.
Ciera Clawson received the Todd Williams Memorial Scholarship in 2023. Ciera is a sophomore at CSU, majoring in horticulture with a specialization in landscape design and contracting. Ciera is a member of the SOLDAC organization (Student Organization for Landscape Design and Contracting) and recently competed with the CSU team at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition. She is interested in working with sustainable landscapes in the future.
Stephanie Fewsmith received the Tom Trench Memorial Scholarship in 2023. Stephanie attends FRCC majoring in horticulture. After moving of from the nonprofit sector and overcoming health challenges, Stephanie is pursuing a new career in horticulture focusing on growing food and sustainability.
Olivia Mosbarger received an ALCC scholarship. She is a sophomore at CSU majoring in horticulture, with a specialization in landscape design and contracting. She competed with the CSU team at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition earlier this year. Olivia is interested in a career in landscape management and design.
Emily Beeson also received an ALCC scholarship. She is a graduate student in the landscape architecture program at the University of Colorado-Denver. She would like to pursue a career in sustainable landscape architecture.
Staying nimble was the constant challenge for the Lifescape Colorado team as they navigated this project’s evolving commercial codes for rooftop outdoor living spaces. “The final outcome of this rooftop double-patio project with its outdoor living amenities and beautiful plants is impressive,” says Mike Ransom, project manager. “The plants are like the frosting on the cake.” Of course, as with most complex projects, the beauty and functionality mask the behind-the-scenes challenges. As Rachelle Folsom, Lifescape marketing director noted, “The plant design had to address many challenges not related to the beauty of the finished project, yet many of the solutions enhanced the beauty.”
Commitment to communication
A complex mix of people and organizations were involved in creating the evolving design, submittingpermits and researching codes, as wellproviding input for ideas to modify designs to meet approval and codes. Players included the homeowners, general contractor, Lifescapeteam – including the landscape architect, Ariel Gelman, who partnered with Lifescape – the builder and builder subcontractors, the city and more.
“The commitment of the diverse team to coordinate communication through multiple means – email, phone, in person – was crucial to project success,” shares Ransom. “Issues were resolved as quickly as possible. I give credit to all the players. People had their tasks and deadlines they made it happen!” He likens the coordination to an ant farm.Everyone knew their role and what to do, and were committed to the same outcome.
Penthouse neighbors shared a goal
Owners of both penthouse condos shared the vision of creating “a crown jewel of mountain, stadium and city views from this new condo tower,” according to Folsom. Since owners of both units were Lifescape clients, they and the Lifescape landscape professionals were excited to team up and turn a 600 square foot space into an overall 2,200+ square foot “container landscape”with seating areas, outdoor cooking areas, firepits and the desired views.
Almost weekly, new, updated presentation materials kept clients informed of evolving code changes to help them understand both the limitations of some design components, but more importantly, the possibilities and options for overcoming the limitations.Throughout ongoing design tweaks, the clients came to trust the Lifescape team’s expertise and understanding of the complexities they were working through.
Plantselection and other rooftop challenges
Plants were container-based and there were weight restrictions and city ordinances. Much of the plant material used in the design was dictated by multiple and evolving codes for rooftop landscapes. Of course, all plants – tree, perennials and annuals – had to be hardy enough to withstand conditions including harsh winds at the top of a 14-story building, as well as provide beauty and vibrancy.The design also needed to address codes and ordinances including solar reflection, night sky requirements, permeable ground, and weight restrictions.
Getting supplies to theroof required ongoing coordination. Whereas some material could be brought up the service elevator to 14th floor and taken up the stairway to the roof, containers and trees has to be craned to the roof.
Creating cohesion with two designs
Though the singular vision of creating “the view” was shared by the two homeowners, they had differing goals for their separate spaces. The spaces have a “cohesive aesthetic thread” beyond the mountain and city views. They both have containers filled with plants and blooms, and some hardy trees chosen to create shade.
A four-foot wall of metal containers with boxwoods creates a natural privacy screen, yet the spaces can be connected, if desired.
Riding the wave of challenge
When Ransom, who has been in the industry of a long time, reflects on this project, he says, “I loved it! There were new challenges for all. We need to ride the waves of challenge, not fight them. It’s how we learn the possibilities.”
Lifescape Colorado received ALCC’s Gold ELITE Award for Residential Plant Design for this project,Rooftop Doubleheader.
Front Range Community College is currently looking to hire an instructor for the Landscape Design I fall semester Larimer Campus. One of their long-time instructors is relocating but willing to help the new instructor navigate the content. The course shell is already built, so no need to re-invent the wheel. The fall semester is coming up fast, so please send out feelers or apply for this position if interested. Please email Molly McDonald directly for more details.
Submit your 2024 ProGreen EXPO session proposal now
We invite you to submit your session proposal for the 2024 ProGreen EXPO in Denver, Colorado, taking place January 30 - February 1, 2024. This annual conference allows green industry professionals in the Rocky Mountain region to gain vital knowledge and skills to improve business, educate employees and discover the latest trends for the upcoming season.
Submissions will be accepted through August 15, 2023.
