News from American Academy of Landscape Design

American Academy of Landscape Design September 23, 2008 In This Issue Hungry! APLD Hudson River Valley Quick Links Tim's Blog Newsletter Archive More About Us Greetings! Well, tonight was the first of two teleseminars. Hope you were able to join us and it was worth your time. It was my first time doing one. Please tune in Wednesday for part two. Since we took such a long newsletter break, I've stockpiled a lot of good stuff I want to share with you all. But keeping with one of my main goals of this publication, the good stuff will be delivered in small doses. Here goes. Sincerely, American Academy of Landscape Design 847-657-7900 Hungry! Okay, I haven't had dinner yet, but that's not what I'm talking about. When I first got into this industry, I did a lot of interviewing. Not looking for a job, but interviewing. I wanted to know what it takes to do well in the landscape design business. I got all kinds of good advice. I distinctly remember Ralph Synnestvedt, Jr. (who didn't know me, but agreed to talk to me), who told me to "learn your plants." That, he insisted, was the weak point for a lot of beginning designers. Good advice indeed. But the most important nugget I got in my research, if you want to call it that, was from someone I can picture in my mind, but his name was lost a long time ago. He said simply, "Be a student of the art." That's it. Yes, design is an art. It's also a skill. And there is always something to learn. Recognizing that is step one. Acting on it is another thing entirely. You gotta be hungry! Okay, we're not all Michael Phelps, but he's a good example. So is Ryan Dempster. Gotta work in a Cubs reference! Dempster had an opportunity to make the move from the team's closer to a starting role. He spent the off-season losing weight and training to give himself the best shot at making the club's starting rotation. As of today, he leads the playoff-bound Cubbies in wins and is slated to pitch the first game of the playoffs. He's no CC Sabathia, but he was and continues to be hungry and has taken the tools he has and sharpened them. Many landscape professionals are content to sit on the bench, collect a paycheck and do only the minimum. Others are hungry to improve their games. They are true students of the art. They are the ones who will win the most games and collect the bigger paychecks. How does a landscape designer feed the hunger? Simple, but not easy: Attend industry conferences. Network with others in the industry. And continue to learn. Consider this a challenge. APLD In The Hudson River Valley Wow, what a great time! In August, APLD held its annual conference in the Hudson River Valley. For those who don't know the area, it's a little bit of Connecticut and a little bit of NY, specifically Westchester County. We heard some outstanding speakers, toured some spectacular landscapes*, and did a bit of socializing too! Lots of learning going on (see above!). 2008 APLD president Samuel Salsbury, along with the current board of directors, honored 12 long-time APLD Members by granting them Fellowship status in the organization. I was flattered to be among those honored. You can read more here. *Thanks Beth and Jules for helping w/pics!