President's Message

By Colleen Hamilton

Wow, a month ago we certainly did not have this warm, actually hot weather.  Summer is here, where did spring go?  Our potential clients are coming out of the woodwork and that certainly feels good.  Are you planting the seeds all year long?  Are you doing what it takes to gain the trust and connectedness with your clients?  I believe that we need to take the time to make each client feel special.  When you take care of your clients they will take care of you!  How do you follow-up with clients after the design is complete?  Are you sending thank you cards, a gift?  Do you stay in touch with clients through the installation?  Do you take before and after pictures?  I have found that my clients really feel special when I take pictures of the completed project and show them the before and after photos.  How about your clients, what do you do to make them feel special? 

Find a contractor or two that you know and trust and work with them through the installation.  Many designers project overview/manage on all projects.  Even if you are not formally paid through the installation it certainly pays off when you stay involved in the entire project.  I know that staying with the project is the one thing that has made a huge difference in my design business.  When I stay involved the finished project is better and I make an even better connection with the client.

Have fun with your clients!  Enjoy the process of design and consultation and you will see the results in referrals. I know I have.  I just received a phone call from a potential client who was referred to me and they want me to design for two homes, yea!

Are you planning to attend the APLD Conference in New York in August?  I certainly hope many of you will be there.  Take time to educate yourself, build connections with your fellow association members and become the professional that takes advantage of all that APLD offers.  I know I plan to always be at the conference!  Plus, New York here I come - my first visit!

Your 2008 president,

Colleen Hamilton

DO YOU YAHOO?

Getting the most from the APLD CA Yahoo Group

By Laura Schaub

When we first start to practice landscape design, we are nothing but questions...where, what, who, how, when, why, huh??? And one of the great things about this profession, and those who practice it in California, is the wonderful sense of camaraderie and willingness to share knowledge and resources.

One of the resources I most value these days is the APLD Yahoo Group we set up four years ago. On any given day I learn something new from my colleagues, or have an opportunity to share my own experience with others...and unlike an over-the-fence conversation, all of this knowledge is captured, for us to revisit, research and refer to. It is a living archive and a great resource...thanks to all of you who have made it so.

For those of you who are not members, or new members, or even experienced members, let me introduce myself as one of the moderators for the APLD CA Yahoo group. We have been discussing Yahoo Group issues and processes and have agreed that there are a few things that we would like to communicate to the group regarding proper usage of the site, etiquette etc. So, in no particular order:

MEMBERS & SPONSORS ONLY PLEASE: Please don't invite non-APLD members to join this great group...it is one of the benefits of membership, and those requests will be respectfully denied. We are in the process of purging the yahoo list at this time to remove names of non-renewing members, and will be doing so this time each year as renewals are completed.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the group. Check out the website, see what files and pictures are available, and peruse the archives.

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/APLDCalifornia/

Most importantly, please fill out your profile with your first and last name, and for location, put your APLD district. A user name of "fluffykitty" and an email "iluvfluffykitties@hotmail.com" fails to identify you to the group! Consider a username and email that identifies either you or your business. And while on that topic...make sure the email address you use for your business identifies you properly in your client's inbox...a professional proposal that appears to be sent by your spouse loses a bit of its edge.

BEFORE YOU START A NEW TOPIC: Please search the archive to see if it has already been discussed (because sometimes it has been, at great length!) Simply go to the message page and enter a keyword or two in the search box ("acer griseum" or "metal edging" or "wrought iron contractor" etc.)

BEFORE YOU REPLY TO AN EMAIL: Take a moment to review the responses that may have already come in. If you reply to the latest one you will be adding to the chain in sequence, and may avoid repeating what someone else has already said.

BEFORE YOU THANK SOMEONE FOR THEIR ANSWER: Gratitude is great, but please consider switching to that person's email directly... rather than sending another email to the whole group. Or better yet, wait until you ask your next question, and say something like "thanks to everyone who answered my question about no-mow lawns...today's question is...

BEFORE YOU CHANGE THE SUBJECT: If you reply to an existing post, but wish to change the topic, please take a moment to update the subject line to reflect the new topic. And speaking of subject lines...keep them short and specific "source for pennisetum spathiolatum in the bay area" tells much more than "grass question" and helps us keep our communications clear.

BEFORE YOU EXPRESS AN OPINION: Please read the "terms of use statement" at the group home page... Although we are a members-only group, we are not private. Your words can be forwarded to anyone. Remember that this group is statewide and includes designers, contractors, allied members and sponsors. We want our group to represent the highest level of professional communications at all times.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Tips? Tricks? We plan to send out a monthly communication to group members with these guidelines and anything new that comes up...so please feel free to contact me (laura@schaubdesigns.com) with any thoughts you might have about the group and its management. At some point the Yahoo Group will be integrated with our website...but for now, please help us keep this a great resource for the benefit of all of us.

Welcome to our New Members of California:

Garden Manager, Fine Gardener Job Openings

Established Fine Garden Management company on the Peninsula seeks experienced garden manager and fine gardener. Please follow these links for details:

Garden Manager: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/trd/659627459.html

Fine Gardener: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/trd/659633288.html

Are You Designing With Lighting Yet?

By Jeff Calhoun, FX Luminaire Sales and Technical Services

It is May, the weather is turning warm and the days are getting longer! In the landscape industry we have the pleasure of helping people transform their outdoor environment. In particular, you as a landscape designer or installer have the ability of helping people extend the enjoyment of their outdoor environment hours after dark.

Broadening the function of the property, enhancing the aesthetic value of the plant material and hardscape, and adding a warm and inviting visual display are just the basics of landscape lighting. A well designed outdoor lighting system can create a mood, add calming serenity or embellish the festive entertaining atmosphere of an otherwise dark and unusable space after sunset.

Landscape lighting is also a remarkable way to add value to your business and augment a comprehensive landscape design and installation. On a daily basis I personally assist landscape designers and installers not only increase their profit margins on a project, but provide a comprehensive value to their professional services.

Landscape lighting enhances the outdoor living space and adds personal value to your project owner's home and garden. The outdoor environment is an extension of the home and having professionally designed and installed FX Luminaire landscape lighting products is a fantastic way to add drama, beauty, depth, safety and function to the "outdoor room". For more information regarding FX Luminaire design and technical resources please visit www.fxl.com or contact me directly:

Jeff Calhoun

FX Luminaire

888-711-7124

jeff@fxl.com

Natural Home Natural Garden

In 1999 I moved into my earthquake cottages and slowly began transforming the tiny patches of earth into sustainable garden pockets. At the same time, I worked on the interior design, remodeling the cottage in as green a manner as I could afford. Both are featured in the May/June Natural Home Magazine. The article also covers three of my client's gardens and is linked through http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/2008-05-01/alma-garden.aspx.

Happy reading! Alma Hecht, 415-586-6578, www.secondnature.bz

Project Featured in Sacramento

Joni Wilson, APLD, Inside Out Landscapes, has a project that will be featured in the June issue of the Sacramento magazine.