Happy New Year.

 If you are like me, 2010 was a marathon on top of a decathlon that seemed like it would never end.   Bring on 2011; my prayer for each of you is that the economic indicators of a stabilized economy improve the situations in all your households and in your professional lives as well. 

In light of economic improvements you will still be making difficult choices.  I spent a lot of personal time this year contacting elected officials who impact the landscape arena and its professionals.  Some of my interests surround professional licenses and the impact of people who operate a landscape business without them.  Choose wisely, hire professionals who are licensed and have the credentials that support the investment you are making.   I have contacted state, local and national legislators on issues like these to continue to advance the professionalism of the landscape industry.   Hopefully you will benefit from all of my angry calls!

 New topic, maybe you can tell that I get a bit grouchy during the winter months.  A number of years ago I told my two boys what I wanted from both of them for Christmas sometime early in the fall. “Do ten nice things for people without being asked and write them down.”  Christmas morning came and I was presented with two lists. As a father, I was overwhelmed at the opportunities they took to become fine gentlemen.  As a man of simple means I think I learned more from the lesson than they did.   I would have asked them to do the same this year but as I watch them over the last twelve months I see that the effect was contagious, I am grateful for their kindnesses all year long.

 As we move into 2011 I want to challenge you to do ten nice things for someone without being asked.  Can’t we drop the iphone, blackberry, laptop, etc long enough to carry in some groceries, clean up some leaves, shovel the walk, or simply stop and have a nice conversation with someone that may have few to talk to?  We all need to be better keepers of our brothers and sisters.  It’s not a new year’s resolution; it’s a conscience decision to make your part of the world a better place than you found it. You may say how hard can it be to do ten nice things, really it’s not, but ten is a starting place if you want to do ten a month I applaud the effort.  I would love to see your lists, if you are willing to share it I will post it in the newsletter and our blog.  You can count on seeing Andrew’s, Sumner’s, and my list, can we count on yours? 

The Top Ten. Our top ten list of why you should be thinking about your garden during the winter. Would you rather be thinking about your garden and what you will see when spring rolls around or how cold it is, wishing there was no such thing as snow and why am I not sitting on an island with a drink in my hand?  (More)

Snow removal on walkways and patios.

Be careful how you remove snow from pavers, concrete, and natural stone surfaces so you don't damage them.  If you are worried about ice read the rest of this article so you don't cause any damage to your walkways and driveway. (More)

No Grilling Required.

Writing this in January I felt it was unfair to ask you to go out and fire up the grill to try a new recipe, therefore we are presenting you with cold cured tequila salmon that is well suited to appetizers or brunch and does not require any cooking, just a few days of preparation. To accompany the salmon consider a Sapphire Dill Ricky, a great pairing for brunch.  If February is as cold as January we may suspend the grilling recipes until March but after that its back outside!