Garden Fest Returns to Bakersfield College April 20

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1 March 2013 APRIL 4 Chapter Board/General Membership Meeting. 11:30 a.m. Don Pericos, Hageman Road. APRIL 5 & 6 Landscape Industry Certified testing at Cuyamaca College, San Diego. For more details, visit APRIL 12 Kern County Chapter Beautification Awards applications due by 5 p.m. See story on page 5. APRIL Kern County Chapter Beautification Awards judging. APRIL 20 Garden Fest at Bakersfield College. MAY 2 Chapter Board/General Membership Meeting. 11:30 a.m. Don Pericos, Hageman Road. MAY 23 Chapter Meeting at O. See-em-Bloom Nursery, 1416 Calloway Dr. JUNE 6 Chapter Board/General Membership Meeting. 11:30 a.m. Don Pericos, Hageman Road. JUNE 18 Kern County Chapter Beautification Awards Ceremony at Bakersfield College, Renegade Park at 6 p.m. Dinner provided by Bakersfield College Culinary Arts Programs. Entertainment. JUNE 19 CLCA KC Water Conservation, Green Expo and Vendor Fair at Bakersfield College. 1-4 pm. JULY 8-12 Summer Extravaganza Baja Cruise. Visit AUGUST Bowling Night. Details TBA. Garden Fest Returns to Bakersfield College April 20 Join us on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for GardenFest at the Bakersfield College s Horticultural Gardens, Renegade Park, off of Mount Vernon Ave. north of Memorial Stadium. Garden Fest 2013, an open house featuring Bakersfield College s Environmental Horticulture and Agriculture programs, has become Bakersfield s premier spring garden event for seasoned greenthumbs and novice gardeners alike and draws thousands of visitors annually. The Country Garden Seminars on the CLCA Country Garden Stage will feature talk show hosts Dale Sultan of Sod Edwards and Lindsay The Plant Professor Ono. Along with Edwards and Ono, industry professionals will provide valuable tips and information on gardening, floral design, pet care, cooking, and much more. Buck s Landscape Materials and Pond Shop will provide the popular Build-a-Pond seminar. There will be booths with student crafts and vendors with information on gardening, pets, cooking, outdoor leisure, arts & crafts, and environmentally-friendly home improvement ideas, along with the farmer s market filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Call , if you want to participate as a vendor. CLCA members are free. June 19: Water Conservation, Green Expo and Vendor Fair The CLCA Kern County Chapter will be holding its Biennial Water Conservation, Green Expo and Vendor Fair on Wednesday, June 19, from 1-4 p.m., at Bakersfield College, Environmental Horticulture Gardens at Renegade Park (Mt. Vernon Avenue north of Memorial Stadium, 3974 Mt. Vernon Ave. on Garmin). This year s show will include vendors from all sides of the Green Industry, such as: water conservation, small equipment, large equipment, lighting, fertilizer, rental yards -- anything and everything to do with the Green Industry. We welcome vendors and spectators. Vendor Booths are at no cost this year, on a first come basis. The registration deadline is May 15. Contractors, gardeners, public works, school districts, water districts and many others will be in attendance. Cold beverages will be served and there is a raffle giveaway.

2 2013 Kern County Chapter Board of Directors IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT WAYNE COX (661) Century Landscape Inc. PRESIDENT OLGA SEE (661) O. See-Em-Bloom VICE PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ELECT RYAN HERDT (661) Ewing Irrigation Products VP PROGRAMS/EVENTS JERRY KOOP (661) Alpha & Omega Gardening TREASURER LARRY JACK (661) Grass Masters SECRETARY MEGAN RIOS (661) Rios Design Studio COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE AARON SHAMBLIN (661) Ewing Irrigation EDUCATION COMMITTEE LINDSAY ONO (661) Bakersfield College MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE DALE EDWARDS (661) Old River Sod RESOURCE MNGMT COMMITTEE TOM JONES (661) City of Bakersfield Recreation and Parks ASSOCIATE MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE ANTHONY BLANCO (661) LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE JIM RIOS (661) Rios Design Studio AWARDS & VENDOR FAIR COMMITTEE JAVIER LESACA (661) Lesaca Landscape Company NEWSLETTER EDITOR JERRIE BEARD (530) Beard & Associates fax (530) The CLCA Kern County Chapter newsletter is published monthly. Copy and advertising deadlines are the 10th of the month preceding publication. Materials may be mailed to: Beard & Associates, PO Box 7, Pollock Pines, CA ed submissions are also welcome at For information on advertising and rates, contact Jerrie Beard at (530) CHAPTER WEBSITE CLCA State Headquarters 1491 River Park Drive, Ste. 100 Sacramento CA (916) (800) (916) Fax CLCA State Executive Board PRESIDENT Frank Niccoli (650) The Village Gardener PRESIDENT ELECT Chuck Carr (805) ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Eric Watanabe (818) Majestic Pools & Landscapes Inc. SECRETARY/TREASURER Ted Sandrowski (530) Sandrowski Landscaping Inc. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Jessica Centeno (310) Centeno s Landscaping Company Inc. jessica@centenos-inc.com DIRECTOR OF CHAPTER SERVICES Richard Sheffield (661) Antioch Nursery Landscap e& Tree Srvc. DIRECTOR OF EVENTS Eric Briner (559) Briner and Son Landscape Management DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATION Pete Dufau, CLT (805) Dufau Landscape, Inc. dufauland@aol.com DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Steve Jacobs CLP, CLT (760) Nature Designs Landscaping mail@naturedesigns.net DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP Javier Lesaca (661) Lesaca Landscape Company xabil@aol.com DIR. OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Tom Noonan (916) Ewing Irrigation tnoonan@ewing1.com CO-DIRECTOR CHAPTER PRES. COUNCIL SOUTH Steve Beckstrom (714) Tierra Verde Landscape Inc. CO-DIRECTOR CHAPTER PRES. COUNCIL NORTH Aaron Huxley (408) Hunter/FX Luminaire aaron.huxley@hunteriindustries.com ASSOCIATE MEMBER DIRECTOR Rick Zinn (935) Horizon From the President: Olga See, O-See-Em-Bloom Happy Easter everyone! This is my favorite time of the year -- the Hope of Easter, fabulous weather, and busy, busy, busy! The Spring Home and Garden Show was very well attended this year. Our chapter again hosted a booth to educate consumers on the importance of hiring a LICENSED landscape contractor. We were pleased to find that the word is getting around! Attendees commented on how attractive our booth was, and the kids loved the candy, of course. Wayne Cox, Javier Lesaca, Aaron Shamblin, Megan and Jim Rios, and I went to Fresno to support the San Joaquin Valley Chapter at their kick-off meeting. They had a great turnout at Five, a restaurant with a wonderful outdoor patio and terrific service and food. It was a fun evening getting to meet members in the San Joaquin Valley Chapter. I hope you were able to join us for our meeting at Buck s Landscape Materials and Pond Supplies. They really know how to throw a party! Javier Lesaca is once again at the helm of our Chapter Beautification Awards (see the article on page 5). This is a great opportunity for you to show off your best work from the past year. Entries are due April 12, so get to our chapter website ( download the form and send in. Save the date of June 18, for the gala awards presentation at Renegade Park at Bakersfield College. This is a great time and a wonderful opportunity to see what your competitors have been doing. Bakersfield College will be opening its doors to the public again on April 20 for GardenFest. This is always a great event and a good kick-off to spring. Our Garden Guys -- Lindsay Ono and Dale Edwards -- will be there entertaining guests and providing gardening advice. Plan to attend. I am looking forward to our May 23, meeting which will be held at my nursery. Come out and see what we have been doing all winter in preparation for spring. There is always something new and interesting at the nursery. Wishing you all a wonderful springtime. Olga Water Management Certification Program The California Landscape Contractors Association s Water Management Certification Program helps the green industry reduce landscape water usage by certifying individuals through performance-based water budgeting. This unique program carries the WaterSense Label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is also approved for continuing education units by PLANET, Irrigation Association, the International Association of Arboriculture and American Society of Landscape Architects. For more information, study guides, test schedules, and to register, visit 2 March

3 It Was a Really BIG Spring Home and Garden Show! This year s Spring Home & Garden Show at the Kern County Fairgrounds was a huge success. We had perfect weather, sunny and cool, and with spring in the air, the Bakersfield community was ready to shop! Over 21,000 people attended -- the largest crowd in many years. With more than 300 exhibitors, Joaquin Rodriguez and Jamie Williams of G & G Productions (CLCA members and Bronze Sponsors) were able to open the arts and crafts building behind Building 3 to accommodate all the exhibitors. This was a great year, said Jamie. Friday, we had a much bigger crowd than in the past. We had RVs lined up along the east KC Lane and along Main Street. The CLCA Kern County Chapter has been participating in the Home & Garden Show for the past two years. This year, we were located out under the Bolthouse Tent near the Koi ponds. As in the past, our chapter was there to promote to the public and residential consumer the importance of hiring licensed landscape contractors. Many of those who stopped at the booth were happy to get a list of all the licensed members and associates. The initial draw to our booth was no doubt either the Old River Sod Carpeting or the beautiful plants supplied by O. See Em Bloom Nursery. In addition, Bakersfield College was essential in providing a continual video loop showing the beauty and value brought to a home by landscape improvements. We also highlighted the chapter award winners from the 2011 Beautification Awards. The Board would like to personally thank the suppliers and decorators of our booth, Dale Edwards of Old River Sod for the sod, Lindsay Ono of Bakersfield College for the backdrop, video projector, and screen, and O. See Em Bloom Nursery for the beautiful plants, pots, and garden bistro set up. None of this can be accomplished without the help of those who so generously gave their time to man the booth. The Board thanks, Larry Jack of Grass Masters, Javier Lesaca of Lesaca Landscape Company, Richard Sheffield of Antioch Landscape and Nursery, Olga See of O. See Em Bloom Landscape and Nursery, Mike Henson of Maranatha Landscape, Megan Rios of Rios Design Studio, and Stormy Storm of West Coast Forest & Cinder Products. There was a lot of traffic, said Stormy. Many of the people who came to our booth were seeking business cards from the landscape contractor members. Richard thought it was lots of fun. I was there Friday evening, he said. Our aisle was very busy. It was great to see so many people with questions about landscaping. Larry was the first to man the booth on Friday afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a big crowd, he said. I enjoyed talking to the attendees and answering their questions. I was surprised about the amount of people that came by the booth and showed interest in improving their yards, said Mike. I might consider my company exhibiting again. Above: Joaquin Rodriguez of G & G Productions, a chapter sponsor and promoter of the Bakersfield Home & Garden Show. Top right: Mike Henson of Maranatha Landscape was impressed by the number of people stopping by the CLCA booth. Bottom right: Richard Sheffield and his wife had fun manning the CLCA booth on Friday. CLCA Kern County advertised in the show program. The program included an article on the importance of hiring a licensed landscape contractors for any work installed at one s residence. We really want to expand the show to include more Garden than just Home in the future, said Joaquin Rodriguez. We are looking to partner with CLCA to meet the requests of our attendees. We want to promote only licensed contractors. The Fall Home & Garden show will be coming in October -- typically the third weekend of the month. CLCA Kern County will again participate. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with potential clients looking for landscape advice and help, please contact Megan Rios. CLCA Kern County Chapter March

4 Olga See, Ramon Simpson, Megan Rios and a San Joaquin Valley Chapter friend. SJV Chapter Starting Up Again! Update Your Company Profile on the State Website Through CLCA s Contractor Search at potential clients are be able to find you quickly and easily. Please make sure your profile is updated. Look under Membership >> Update Member Information and update your listing, plus add a brief paragraph about what you do. Be sure to update your participation points! On March 13, five of the Kern County Chapter Board members attended the 2013 Kick-off Meeting for the CLCA San Joaquin Valley Chapter. The meeting was held at the swanky Five Restaurant, an Italian Eatery in Fresno. The approximately 40 people in attendance enjoyed a warm and balmy evening on the patio with a wine bar, plentiful and tasty heavy appetizers, and a good dose of socializing. It was a perfect evening, said Olga See, President of the Kern County chapter and owner of O. See Em Bloom Nursery and Landscape. There were lots of people, the food and wine were great, and I had a lot of fun. San Joaquin Valley Chapter President Marcus Fiero of Preferred Landscape Services started the evening introducing Fresno City Council Member, Steve Brandau who spoke on promoting the City to privatization of maintenance of City Parks and Parkways. In addition, a representative from the University of California Central Valley Friendly Landscaping promoted the next 2013 Landscape Awards for residential and commercial improvements. A project qualifies if it meets seven basic landscape principles which are noted on the web at: The Awards are sponsored by the Cities of Fresno and Clovis, UC Agricultural and Master Gardeners Extensions, Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District, and Clovis Botanical Garden. The awards applications are due in May and awards are presented in October. The winning gardens will display a sculpture or plaque to celebrate their achievement. There was a generous raffle with many prizes including: $100 worth of labor and materials from Horizon Service Center; two $100 gift certificates to the Five Restaurant; $150 gift certificate to Ruth Chris Steakhouse; $150 Visa Gift Card; a waterfall kit; and a St. Patty s Day nut and beer basket from LCIS. This is a great beginning, said Ramon Simpson of Oak Creek Insurance & LCIS, Membership Chair. We had lots of donations for raffle prizes, and it seemed like everyone really enjoyed themselves. We appreciate Kern County Chapter members coming to support us as well. Glen Bennett and Wayne Cox at the CLCA San Joaquin Valley Chapter Kick-off. 4 March

5 Thank You to Our Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors whose generous support helps make our events possible. Support those who support our chapter! Gold Level Get Ready to Show Your Best Work Silver Level Bronze Level CLCA Member Benefits Did you know that your CLCA membership entitles you to a plethora of invaluable benefits? Check out this short list than visit >> Membership >> Why Join? for the complete list. Group Insurance through LCIS Human Resources Hotline Certification/Water Management Marketing Your Business Credit Card Processing Attorney on Retainer Customizable Employee Handbook The Beautification Awards are coming! The Beautification Awards are coming! It s time to go over your project list and consider which ones you want to enter in the 2013 Kern County Beautification Awards. Remember, only Regular Members can enter. For those who qualify for membership under the Freshman Program, it s just one of the many benefits you receive for just $100. Other benefits include great cost effective insurance, updated business training through classes and affordable webinars, vendor contacts, meetings and networking opportunities, as well as, legislative updates on items that could affect your business. The Kern County awards program presents the opportunity to compete for the coveted Award Winning title which you can add to your marketing materials and radio spots. I mention I am an award winning landscape contractor in my radio spots and on banners at my nursery, says Olga See of O. See Em Bloom. It really makes a statement to the public that I am an expert in my industry. Javier Lesaca of Lesaca Landscape Company, and Chairman of the event says, I have my plaque in my office and always mention it to my clients; it the kind of recognition that really sells. This year s awards program includes seven installation categories: Residential, Commercial, Residential Renovation, Commercial Renovation, Water Feature, Landscape Lighting, and Xeriscaping. Under the maintenance categories there are four divisions: Small Residential, Small Commercial, Large Residential, and Large Commercial. The Sweepstakes Award recognizes the best of the best of all the entries presented. The awards committee is looking for additional sponsors. Hunter Industries and FX Luminaire, Birch Financing and Gold Oak Insurance, Ewing Irrigation, KernTurf Supply, Hydrorain, Old River Sod, Performance Nursery, and Netafim are all on board, but we need additional support. If you are interested in sponsoring an award, please contact Javier. All winners and sponsors are added to the PowerPoint presentation which is shown at the chapter booth at the Spring and Fall Home & Garden Shows at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Applications are due Friday, April 12, by 5 p.m. No acceptions. Entry forms and sponsorship forms are available on our website at or contact Javier Lesaca at or jl@lesacalanscape.com. Judging will take place April 19-20, by impartial CLCA members from other chapters. Make sure you get permission from property owners to have judges visit the site and take pictures. The Beautification Awards Ceremony will be held at Bakersfield College, Renegade Park on June 18, at 6 pm. Dinner is provided by Bakersfield College Culinary Arts Programs. Be sure to enter early and often to ensure your bragging rights to your work! CLCA Kern County Chapter March

6 It s Time to Think Smart According to Cal Water Service, it s time to think SMART when it comes to outdoor irrigation. Cal Water Service in Bakersfield is promoting a new opportunity for homeowners and licensed landscape contractors -- rebates on SMART controllers and new irrigation heads. Cal Water is promoting the use of SMART controllers to conserve water in the landscape by having irrigation systems water to the actual needs of plant material based on real-time weather conditions. The professional installation and scheduling of these devices can create real water savings in the landscape. In addition, the installation of new irrigation heads by licensed landscape contractors can improve the efficiency of existing irrigation systems and save water. The Cal Water rebates apply to both commercial and residential properties and a broad range of qualified irrigation products listed on their website. Residential customers can receive up to a $125 rebate for a new SMART controller. Commercial and multi-family properties can receive a rebate of up to $25 per station. Rebates are capped at the purchase price and do not include tax or shipping. Rebates can be as high as $50,000 per calendar year, depending on the property. Cal Water has partnered with FreeSprinklerNozzles.com to provide rebates for upgrading to high efficiency sprinkler nozzles. Eligible customers can receive a voucher for free high-efficiency nozzles at participating locations. Residential customers receive up to 25 free nozzles. Commercial and multi-family owners may receive up to the full number of nozzles needed for their site. Details are at The Fine Print The program is effective in Projects expected to yield rebates of $5000 or more must be pre-qualified to ensure sufficient budget in each district. Please note: Cal Water rebates are not available within the Bakersfield City Water System. Licensed Landscape Contractors applying for rebates on a project should complete a program application including the customer address and account number along with proposed quantities of irrigation improvements. You can pre-qualify at calwatereligibility@rsgrp.com. Contractors may receive labor costs of $8 per installed head and $12 per installed spray body with check valves. Tax and shipping costs are not included. Payment of installation of equipment and labor will be rebated after the application is reviewed and approved. Funds are reserved for a period of 30 days once confirmation of prequalification is provided. This is a great way to upgrade your favorite customers projects and even make new ones. Apply for qualification at Applications are available in writable PDF format or call BRUCE CASON (559) (888) S. Fowler Ave., Selma CA Growers of Quality Fescue & Bermuda Sod Take Your Website MOBILE! Add a mobile-friendly site to your web presence, and make it even easier for clients to find you. We can help. Jerrie Beard & Associates info@beardassociates.com 6 March

7 Bakersfield Life Spotlights Chapter Members in Landscape Business Article Recently, the Home and Garden issue of Bakersfield Life, a magazine published by the Bakersfield Californian newspaper, featured three CLCA Kern County Chapter board members who were interviewed for a local Landscape Businessmen article. Interviewed for It s a Guy Thing were Dan Monji of Monji Landscape Co., Wayne Cox of Century Landscape Inc., and Javier Lesaca of Lesaca Landscape Company -- all local licensed landscape contractors -- and Jim Rios of Rios Design Studio, a local Landscape Architect. Each of the landscape contractors started in the landscape industry at a young age with a couple following a family member who was involved in the landscape industry. Each discussed the joys of designing and installing landscapes, as well as, working with nice clientele. We are fortunate to have three of these men as current Board members. The article can be found at: The Value of a CLCA Membership By Javier Lesaca I first joined CLCA for the insurance program. I soon realized this association had more to offer than affordable insurance. I saw they had many programs to help members become better business owners. These programs help shorten your learning curve and help you become a successful contractor with fewer trials and errors. These programs include Legal Forms and Contracts, an Employee Handbook, How to Make Money in a Landscape Business and the Peer Counseling Service. CLCA members have access to the California Association of Employers HR hotline for human resource questions, and an attorney on retainer. If you use any of these programs and services you will definitely see a return on your membership investment. Networking Friendships Networking is defined as a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups with a common interest. As a CLCA member, you can also add friendship to the definition. In my early landscape career, I would use my local contractor contacts and vendors as my support system. Then I began to network with members from around the state at events such as the LIS show, Legislative Conference, Summer Family Extravaganza, Annual Convention and chapter events. These events provide an opportunity to meet and talk to landscape contractors from all over the state. What I found was people willing to share their knowledge and wisdom. Behind the Scenes Larry Rholfes and the legislative committee under the guidance of CLCA s lobbyist Parke Terry, are continually working behind the scenes on Capitol Hill in Sacramento. Whenever there is a decision or potential new law that will affect our members, CLCA is there to ask the right questions and fight for our interests. CLCA s influence in the state legislature is well known. CLCA membership has a value beyond what you pay in dues if you take full advantage of the programs, services and new friendships you make. CLCA Kern County Chapter March

8 CLCA Kern County Chapter PO Box 7 Pollock Pines, CA CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED