March 21, 2019 – Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke has been given a unique endorsement with his likeness carved into a two-acre field near an international airport in Texas. Earth artist Stan Herd created the piece of art the size of two football fields at a location clearly visible by planes taking off and landing.

March 19, 2019 – The new artificial turf field at Cold Lake, Alta.'s Energy Centre will be put to good use this summer as the home field for the Alberta Football League's newest team. Constructed last year, the field will be home to the Cold Lake Fighter Jets' home opening kickoff on May 25.

March 18, 2019 – A significant slash to the city budget in Winnipeg may have a notable impact on the city's future tree canopy, an editorial in the Winnipeg Free Press suggests. A 36 per cent decrease in deforestatation and urban forest enhancement will impact the city's efforts to save its North American-leading population of elm trees and will provide little help in the battle against the emerald ash borer.

March 15, 2019 – The landscaper at Fundy's Cape Enrage in Moncton is the most sought-after person at the tourist attraction among visitors. Tourists target the employee, finding he is intriguing and is willing to answer questions about the local way of life.

Rainscaping – landscaping strategies that reduce rain from flowing off properties and into surrounding bodies of water through stormwater drains or other means – is becoming a hot trend in Canada and around the world. Rainscaping includes the use of simple techniques like rain barrels and rain chains, but also the installation of more complex systems such as rain gardens and permeable paving.

Marketing in the landscaping industry is about belonging, the owner of a Waterloo-based marketing firm says. Belonging isn’t “touchy-feely” but equates to revenue.

Looking closely at how you measure your organization’s safety performance is an important step toward improving it. However, finding the best way to measure safety performance can be difficult. Using leading and lagging indicators to measure safety performance can be an effective way to prevent workplace incidents.

Very impressed. That best sums up my opinion of February’s annual conference of the Western Canada Turfgrass Association in Richmond, B.C. It marked the first time I’ve been to a stand-alone WCTA conference during my tenure with Turf & Rec. All previous conferences I’ve attended were jointly presented with the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.

Feb. 19, 2019 – A new solution has been initiated in the United States that allows dogs to do their business indoors on days when it's just too cold for them to go outside. DoggieLawn is a service that give dogs the chance to answer nature's call inside on a patch of natural turf. So far, the service is not available in Canada.

Feb. 13, 2019 – Regina's efforts to save its city trees are being challenged by an exploding population of rabbits. Deeper snow has resulted in rabbits choosing trees to feast on, resulting in the city taking new measures to control the animal population.

I found myself in the hospital not long ago to be checked over for some pain that was giving me grief. I’m generally a rather healthy guy who’ll usually experience nothing more serious than the common cold. Consequently, I rarely set foot in a hospital.

Research at the University of Guelph into the potential of biosolids as a sustainable alternative to conventional fertilizer products has produced data that could be perceived as encouraging.

Managing putting greens can be compared to running in a marathon. Golf superintendents must do as much as possible during the spring to “train” for the marathon that is typically “run” in July and August, and sometimes into September.

Keeping up with worn goalmouth areas is typically the biggest challenge faced by sports turf managers on soccer fields. It’s the area of the playing surface that sees the greatest amount of wear, and keeping up with that section of the field is often a never-ending task.

A three-year research program aimed at improving turfgrass in residential areas has concluded at the Vineland Research & Innovation Centre at Vineland Station, Ont.

Best management practices for fertilizer application will differ from golf superintendent to golf superintendent, but it’s all about making the optimum use of available resources.

These days, homeowners are being pulled in more directions than ever and their free time is increasingly precious. As they look at how to simplify their lives, more and more of them taking a long, hard look at their lawns – and gardening centres must therefore be ready with both good replacement options and good guidance.

Oct. 2, 2018 – An opinion piece in the Vancouver Courier suggests it's time for city residents with synthetic turf lawns to do away with them and turn toward other natural alternatives if they don't wish to maintain a natural grass lawn.

There are many types of water aeration available on the market, ranging widely in application and price. As a result we are often asked, “How do you choose what is best for me?”

Understanding how fungicides work and knowing what part of the plant should be targeted will greatly assist golf course superintendents with their spraying programs, an audience of superintendents was told in March during a Syngenta-sponsored forum in Milton, Ont.

May 31, 2018 – Landscape professionals may have more choices of plant material than they think. Many imported trees and shrubs care fare well when mixed with native species, adding diversity.

May 17, 2018 – A Kitchener-area lawn care professional says aerating and overseeding lawns is an ideal way to choke out weeds, including dandelions. An a University of Guelph academic adds that regular fertility will produce the best lawns.

March 20, 2019 – Although the migration of the emerald ash borer hasn't yet reached the City of North Battleford, Sask. and the threat of Dutch elm disease is medium to low, the municipality's leisure services director says a risk management plan needs to be in place to protect the city's trees against both threats.

March 20, 2019 – The City of Guelph's new waste management bylaw means grass clippings will no longer be collected by the municipality. A recent survey showed 76 per cent of respondents agreed clippings should no longer be collected.

March 14, 2019 – The Town of Redcliff, Alta. has agreed to loan $315,000 to the Riverview Golf Club to keep the golf course open. The club has faced financial difficulties in recent years yet members have been fighting to keep the facility open.

March 12, 2019 – Kelowna's city council agrees that warnings and fines are warranted for anyone who allows his dog on the playing surfaces of Marshall Fields. Council has been debating for some time how to resolve the issue of off-leash dogs running on playing fields used annually by thousands of soccer players.

March 8, 2019 – The City of Peterborough, Ont. has temporarily suspended its permitting process for cutting or trimming trees on private property. The bylaw that was enacted in 2017 is expected to be overhauled, but for now homeowners can cut or trims trees on their property without a permit.

Feb. 26, 2019 – A new bylaw has been initiated in Kensington, P.E.I. that will give the town more authority to go after those who keep their properties in unsightly conditions, including unkempt lawns.

Feb. 26, 2019 – City staff in Guelph has changed direction in how it figures the city should be involved in redeveloping the Guelph Innovation District which includes the former Guelph Turfgrass Institute property on Victoria Road.

Feb. 25, 2019 – Victoria's beloved cherry blossoms may become a distant memory in the near future as the Vancouver Island city proceeds with a plan to replace the aging non-native species with native species. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said climate change is playing a role in the decision to replace the trees.

Feb. 14, 2019 – Delview Park in Delta, B.C. will soon become the new home of a cricket pitch, complete with safety netting. The pitch is being created in response to the sport's growing interest in the area.

Feb. 7, 2019 – Users of the trails at Windsor, Ont.'s Black Oak Heritage Park are confused and frustrated by the shutdown of several trails and the removal of many trees while the city undertakes a study to create a management plan for the park.

Feb. 7, 2019 – The family of a Montreal piano teacher and musician who died two years ago felt slighted last year when the city honoured her legacy by naming "a very small patch of grass" after her. But current Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said a much larger city park has been approved to bear the name of Daisy Peterson-Sweeney.

March 14, 2019 – John Deere Golf has added two new E-Cut™ hybrid fairway mowers to its 6000A Series: the 6080A and 6500A.

March 14, 2019 – Toro has launched its new Greensmaster® 1000 Series fixed-head walk greens mowers, designed to eliminate variability in the walk mowing process by integrating operators of all sizes and skill levels to work in harmony with the machine.

Feb. 26, 2019 – Dog owners in Canada looking to train their puppies or keep them warm inside when nature calls, have a natural turf solution available to them. Sourced from Ontario turfgrass growers, Pooch Patch is vet-recommended and is an eco-friendly fix for a dog's natural needs.

Feb. 25, 2019 – A robotic mower equipped with all-wheel drive and smart home connectivity has been released by Husqvarna. The AI-enabled machine can climb slopes with inclines as much as 70 per cent.

Feb. 6, 2019 – Kubota Canada Ltd. has unveiled its lightest and most maneuverable compact track loader to date. The SVL65-2 is positioned in a lighter rated operating capacity weight class than previous models in the series.

Jan. 25, 2019 – Toro's Infinity® Series of rotors offer innovative features and benefits to help bring outstanding irrigation results to superintendents and grounds managers. Features include the SMART ACCESS™ feature that allows crews quick and easy access to internal components, including solenoids, pilot valves, two-wire control modules and wire splices – all without digging to provide significant labour and operational savings.

Jan. 25, 2019 – John Deere's 2700 and 2750 PrecisionCut™ triplex mowers and the 2700 and 2750 E-Cut™ hybrid triplex mowers have been designed to meet customer needs at a time when quality labour availability and tightening operating budgets continue to be challenges.

Jan. 25, 2019 – Cub Cadet's Infinicut™ now offers a fixed head for top value and uniform quality of cut and appearance on playing surfaces. The unique design and flexible setup allows for precise operator tuning, providing height-of-cut adjustments within .10-millimetre increments.

Dec. 10, 2018 – Several maintenance customers of landscape contractors have lawns not set up for irrigation. When moisture is necessary to keep a lawn in optimal health, these customers may attach a garden hose to an oscillating sprinkler, but the proper coverage is seldom delivered. Consequently, the sprinkler must be moved about several times and it becomes a burden for the homeowner.

Dec. 3, 2018 – Caterpillar's newest backhoe loaders provide top lifting performance, high breakout forces and improved operating comfort and ergonomics. The Cat 440 and 450 centre pivot models have recently been added to the company's backhoe loader lineup.

Dec. 3, 2018 – A municipal-quality cutting edge system extends snow blade life and decreases downtime for contractors. Winter Equipment has launched a snow plow cutting edge system designed for medium- to light-duty trucks that brings large plow technology to the contractor marketplace.