landscaper insurance

Top 20 Business Resources for Landscapers

Where do you get your landscaping industry news, ideas, and inspiration? If you are like us, keeping up to date on the latest industry trends is a must for your business. And it’s never been easier to get information delivered right to your green fingertips. Digital publications, blogs, and social media can serve up the latest landscaping trends instantly to your smartphone and tablet, so you can stay in the loop.

Whether you are a one-man lawn care service or a thriving landscape architecture firm– or rooted someplace between the two– these landscaping and small business resources will keep you in-the-know.

From distinguished landscaping organizations to small business advice and even inspiring backyard gardening blogs, here are our top picks for the resources landscaping professional should know about:

Professional Landscaping Organizations and Associations

Join an association or organization to help you get to the top of your field, cultivate your own business, and connect with other like-minded professionals.

1. American Society of Landscape Architects

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a national professional association for landscape architects. Members get access to professional resources and tools to help expand their business, and connections with other architectural landscape professionals through annual meetings and Expos. You don’t have to be a member to enjoy the award-winning Landscape Architecture Magazine, so be sure to check it out.

You can access the mag through print or digital subscriptions, read the blog online, and follow ASLA on Twitter and Facebook.

2. Association of Professional Landscape Designers

The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) is an international organization that has been promoting the profession of landscape design since 1989. APLD has an international certification program for landscape designers, tools to help you develop and promote your business, and workshops and seminars for members.

Check out the APLD industry resources, and follow APLD on Twitter and Facebook.

3. National Association of Landscape Professionals

The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) is a national organization built by the collaboration of landscape and lawn care industry professionals. NALP encourages peer-to-peer sharing on a national scale, and provides educational resources, industry advocacy, and best practices to help you grow your business.

Read the NALP blog for landscape industry professionals, which covers industry news as well as business advice. Follow NALP on Twitter and Facebook.

4. National Association of Professional Women in Landscape

The National Association of Professional Women in Landscape (NAPWL) was formed to equip women in the landscaping industry with more access, education, and alliances to grow their careers as landscape architects, designers, contractors, engineers, and business owners. The landscaping industry has traditionally been a male-dominated field, but through NAPWL women in the industry can connect with one another to collaborate, learn, and succeed in their careers.

Follow NAPWL on Twitter and Facebook.

5. Irrigation Association

The Irrigation Association and members are dedicated to promoting efficient irrigation and long-term sustainability of water resources. The Irrigation Association members include irrigation equipment and system manufacturers, dealers, distributors, designers, consultants, contractors and end users interested in efficient irrigation technologies, products and services. Water management professionals in agriculture, landscape, and golf can network with other professionals, get education and certifications that give them a competitive edge, and access to industry alerts and newsletters.

Follow the IA on Twitter and Facebook.

6. Ecological Landscape Alliance

The Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA) is a nonprofit, organization of professionals, businesses and members who believe in using environmentally safe and beneficial landscape practices. If ecological landscaping is your thing, the ELA is for you. The ELA advocates for responsible and sustainable landscaping and horticultural practices for professionals and the public.

Read ELA newsletters for the latest in ecological landscaping, and follow ELA on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Can’t-miss Landscaping Publications

These great digital and print publications are tailored specifically for landscape professionals, so be sure to subscribe, read their digital editions online, and follow their social media accounts.

7. Pro Landscaper Magazine

Contractors, garden designers, and landscaping professionals look to Pro Landscaper Magazine for monthly industry updates and breaking industry news. Subscribers have access to a digital and print edition, as well as an app. Based out of England, but with valuable information for professionals on both sides of the pond.

Follow Pro Landscaper on Twitter and Facebook.

8. Turf Magazine

Green industry company owners and landscaping professionals will want to dig in to Turf Magazine to stay up-to-date on industry trends, technical issues, and business best practices. From irrigation to insecticide information, tips for growing great grass and more, Turf Magazine is a must-read.

Get great articles and resources online, subscribe to the digital edition, and follow Turf Magazine on Twitter and Facebook.

9. Landscape Management

Landscape Management is focused on helping green industry professionals grow their landscape and lawn care businesses with great articles and information to take readers to the next level of their career. The Landscape Management blog is full of share-worthy information, and the digital editions of the magazine serves up helpful tips on turf maintenance, landscape and lawncare, smart water management, and more. Even more exciting, Landscape Management is FREE for landscapers!

Follow Landscape Management on Twitter and Facebook.

10. Total Landscape Care

Landscaping industry professionals look to Total Landscape Care for design ideas, landscape maintenance and management tips, industry news, and product information. Contractor interviews and features on landscaping business tips will help you grow your own business to the next level. TLC takes a how-to approach to help landscaping pros solve problems with innovative landscaping ideas, and to help pros run their businesses with more profitability. Check out the reader-submitted before-and-after landscaping project photos for inspiration you can use on your next project.

Follow TLC magazine on Twitter and Facebook.

Best Small Business Blogs

Running any business is hard work, but these business blogs and resources can help you dig in deep and plant the seeds for success.

11. Small Business Association

The Small Business Association (SBA) is your your one-stop shop for information pertaining to starting and running a small business. The SBA learning center has online courses to help you start, manage, finance, and market your business. SBA blogs cover topics that range from projecting startup profits, to financial tools for your business, tax planning advice, and even franchise advice.

Don’t overlook this vital resource for your business, and be sure to follow the SBA on Twitter and Facebook.

12. Forbes Magazine

Forbes magazine offers up business, financial, and entrepreneurial news that any business owner will find compelling. From general business news to targeted articles about the landscaping industry, Forbes magazine is a must-read for the savvy entrepreneur.

Be sure to follow Forbes on Twitter and Facebook.

13. Entrepreneur Magazine

Along with advice on starting a business, marketing, finance, and growth strategies, Entrepreneur magazine also serves up a healthy dose of business information for landscaping professionals, including lawn care franchise advice and articles aimed at landscaping business owners. A subscription is a totally justifiable business expense, but there’s plenty of free content available online, too.

Don’t forget to follow Entrepreneur on Twitter and Facebook.

14. Citizens General Blog

We have to indulge in a bit of shameless self-promotion for one moment, because our blog is aimed at helping contractors, including landscaping and lawncare professionals, build and protect the best business possible. That starts with contractor insurance. Citizens General specializes in construction and small artisan trade insurance exclusively, so we know exactly which insurance products will be in the best interest of your landscaping business.

Follow our blog for the information you need to protect the landscaping business you’re working so hard to grow. And check us out on Twitter and Facebook, where we keep you up to date on insurance, contractor, and landscaping industry trends.

 

Must-read Landscaping Blogs, Tweets, and More:

Don’t miss out on these landscaping and gardening blogs and social accounts that will keep you entertained, informed, and overall awestruck with amazingness.

15. LandscapingNetwork.com

An independent resource for the residential landscaping industry, Landscaping Network.com has insights and inspiration for pros and the public. You will enjoy the gorgeous images of landscaping design ideas, and you can submit your own project pics to be featured on the popular site.

Don’t forget to connect with Landscaping Network on Twitter and their insanely popular Facebook page.

16. Garden Rant

Hands down one of the most beloved gardening blogs online, Garden Rant has been around for nearly a decade and amassed a cult-like following of fans that includes garden bloggers, garden writers and editors, and landscaping and nursery professionals. Great information, green inspiration, excellent witty writing, and, of course, the occasional rant.

After you’ve read the blog, be sure to follow Garden Rant on Twitter and Facebook.

17. Garden Therapy

This DIY blog may not look like something you’d find on a list of professional landscaping resources, but hear us out… because over 11k Twitter followers are paying attention to what Stephanie over at Garden Therapy has to say about backyard gardening, weekend projects, and other DIY goodness. That means your customers may be looking to Garden Therapy for ideas to implement in their own backyards. At the very least, Garden Therapy may provide some inspiration for your own landscaping business blog. It’s definitely worth a read.

Be sure to join the legion of fans connecting with Garden Therapy on Twitter and Facebook.

18. Grounded Design

Thomas Rainer is the landscape architect behind Grounded Design, a self-described “horticultural futurist” and author of Planting in a Post-Wild World. When you combine landscape architecture and good writing, you get a blog that commands attention. For example, Rainer praises the planting season of late spring with lyrical prose such as: “In May we are gardening gods. This is the month where the fullness of spring meets the opening of summer, creating a moment in time where the garden in our heads matches reality. May is the month for horticultural hubris. For a few weeks, we are the masters of our plots. Like Midas, all we touch turns to flower.” Feeling empowered yet?

After you check out the blog, be sure to follow Grounded Design on Twitter.

19. Landscape Hub

Who doesn’t love a good industry forum? Landscape Hub is a (free) member run network open to anyone within the landscape and horticultural industry. In addition to the forum, Landscape Hub also offers member submitted blogs, articles, and a photo gallery.

Connect with Landscape Hub on Twitter and Facebook.

20. ValleyCrest

This is the second time the ValleyCrest Takes On blog has made an appearance on our “top blogs to follow” list, because their well written water-management focused blogs are excellent: well written and informative. Commercial landscape company ValleyCrest has multiple writers contributing to their blog, and their solutions and tips for water conservation and drought resistant landscaping are invaluable to professionals.

Read ValleyCrest Takes On, and connect with them on Twitter and Facebook.

Our Top 20 picks are sure to keep you up-to-date, connected, and inspired as you grow your landscaping business. We’ve compiled all of these resources together into one Landscaping Resources List over at our Citizens General Twitter page to make it even easier for you to follow and connect with our Top 20 picks.