We all have our winter routines. Some people look forward to fishing out the Christmas decorations from the attic to put up around the house. Others cherish dressing up in mittens and knit caps to go play

who want to make a good visual impression. It can cut into their bottom line. “Obviously, you lease more and rent more apartments whenever you have green turf instead of splotchy brown turf,”

Water always comes from somewhere, usually the municipal supply, and although it is a renewable resource, it is finite. If the rains go away for long enough, any region can run dry, and when that starts

That was the lesson Mike Mason, CEO, and Brodie Bruner, executive vice president of Weathermatic, took away when a colleague they had worked alongside for 20 years passed away in 2012. “It really

These days, it seems like the few parts of the country that aren’t running out of water are being overrun with it. Hurricanes and unseasonably wet weather are overwhelming the water infrastructure

Droughts that are designated as long-term cover all of California, half of Nevada, all of Arizona and weatern New Mexico, with central Utah taking a bit of a beating. California looks better than it did

Of all the living plant material most affected by prolonged, extraordinary drought, trees are among the most vulnerable. The historic parched condition that hit Texas so hard, beginning in 2010 and continuing

Back in 2011, Austin Water in Austin, Texas, began a ‘cash-forgrass’ program. It paid $10 for every 100 square feet of turf removed. The Southern Nevada Water District picked up on it and started

Whenever there’s a natural disaster, the government responds. When floods are imminent, the National Guard is mobilized to build sandbag dams. After hurricanes and earthquakes, FEMA steps in to provide

The reality of drought continues to impact our communities, as the landscape industry is forced to make tough decisions when faced with drought management measures. We’ve seen existing urban landscapes

It’s been a year since we last talked with many contractors across the country about how droughts are affecting their business. We’re all a year older, hopefully a year wiser, and while some

Like most of the major technological advances, remote control quickly brought changes to seemingly unrelated industries. The TV remote also found a use in irrigation systems before too long. Radio frequency

Like many people my age, the first time I heard the label ‘smart’ applied to a device, it was a bomb. The media was all in a clamor about these fancy new weapons and waxed eloquent about their

At the front of every text book on ancient Egypt is the famous quote by Herodotus that “Egypt is the gift of the Nile.” His message is a simple one, but it bears a profound meaning that still

Every morning in cities across America, devoted joggers step out into the weak light of dawn and set off for their morning exercise. Most of them will pass by dozens of lawns along their route, and many

When you hear the phrase “low-volume irrigation,” what picture pops into your head? Small spray heads, staked over plantings? Rotating heads, putting out multiple streams of water? Burbling

No contractor wants to get that “911”call from a client. Usually, it comes right after, or even during, a big rainstorm. And after you get off the phone, you might just let out a groan. That’s

The joke’s funny because you can’t picture the Stones’ lead guitarist doing anything more to prepare for winter than maybe, adding more scarves. Non-rock stars, however, who live where

Have you noticed lately that things have started running dry? If you’re an irrigation or landscape contractor living and working in one of the current drought states—California, Oregon, Washington,

Irrigation control is one of many automated processes now joining the Internet of Things. With the proliferation of WiFi-enabled controllers, the industry is entering a unique point in defining its market.