rain-bird « WordPress.com Tag Feed

A Drawing a Day

lottie pencheon — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:23:28 +0000

After spending months working on my latest book (the first part being drawing and the second and third parts being working in InDesign and then the manual labour of printing, cutting and sewing) it seems that i have forgotten how to draw.

So i have started up a ‘Drawing a Day’ project, like every illustrator does, and have put it up over there on the old flickr and connected it to various social media platforms.

Here is my Flickr account if interested: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lottiepencheon/

And here is my first drawing, if interested:

Solutions For Landscape Irrigation Problems.

lawnpros7171 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:09:36 +0000

Lawn Pros Colorado Springs Watering Solutions

No two landscapes are alike. That’s why Lawn Pros has the most diverse, durable and precise irrigation components in the industry.

Whatever landscape problems you might have, be worry-free knowing Lawn Pros has an efficient, hassle-free solution.

PROBLEM: Watering Slopes or Hills

Water can puddle or pool around sprinklers installed at the bottom of slopes or hills, causing soggy areas, which can kill grass or encourage fungus to grow.

LAWN PROS SOLUTION:

Use sprinklers with a Seal-A-Matic™ (SAM) Check Valve stop the problem of low head drainage and eliminate puddling. Or use Rotary Nozzles which deliver water at a lower rate, allowing sufficient soak-in time to prevent run-off.

PROBLEM: Different Plant Types

Shrubs, trees, flowers and grass all need different amounts of water. Delivering the same amount of water to every plant can cause the loss of plant life or you may simply be wasting water on plants that don’t need that much.

LAWN PROS SOLUTION:

Low-volume drip irrigation allows you to customize your water delivery to each plant’s individual watering needs. Designing a system with multiple independent zones allows you to schedule watering according to each area’s unique watering needs.

PROBLEM: Corners, Odd Shapes or Strips

Often it is hard to get complete and adequate coverage in these hard to reach areas, leaving some areas over-watered and others under-watered.

LAWN PROS SOLUTION:

Sprays installed with Variable Arc Nozzles (VAN) efficiently deliver precise, even coverage in any corner or odd-shaped area of the landscape.

PROBLEM: Watering Smaller Yards

Smaller areas can be difficult to water, often sprinklers end up watering sidewalks, driveways or spraying against the house or garage.

LAWN PROS SOLUTIONS:

Low-volume SQ Nozzles precisely water in a square pattern from 2.5 to 4 feet, which results in superior distribution control and uniformity to eliminate over-watering and wasteful run-off. Sprays installed with Variable Arc Nozzles (VAN) efficiently deliver precise, even coverage in smaller yards, any corner or odd-shaped area, or smaller strips of lawn.

PROBLEM: Variations in Exposure to the Sun

Over- or under-watering often results because not every part of your yard and garden requires the same amount of moisture due to exposure to the sun.

LAWN PROS SOLUTIONS:

Easy-to-set controllers with multiple, independent programs, like the ESP-Modular, allow additional watering times to be programmed for areas with more sun exposure. Low-volume drip allows the customization of precise water delivery to individual plants or groups of plants, based on specific watering needs and exposure to the sun.

PROBLEM: Sprinklers Turn On During Rainy Weather

Your system’s watering schedule starts when it is already raining.

LAWN PROS SOLUTION:

A Rain Sensor automatically monitors weather conditions and efficiently signals the controller to turn the system off when it rains, saving water and saving you money.

PROBLEM: Compacted Soil and Run-off

Certain areas of your lawn might have compacted soil, this condition can cause water to run-off onto sidewalks or driveways without giving it enough time to seep into the soil.

LAWN PROS SOLUTIONS:

Choose an easy-to-set controller with multiple programs and start times, or choose a controller with the Cycle + Soak option that allows the programming of multiple start times for shorter, precise periods of watering to eliminate run-off. Or use Rotary Nozzles which deliver water at a lower rate; this allows sufficient soak-in time to prevent run-off. Low-volume drip applies water at an even slower rate allowing the moisture to penetrate into the soil to prevent run-off.

PROBLEM: Water Pressure Issues

High or fluctuating water pressure can cause sprinklers to mist or fog, in this case water is not delivered to your lawn and garden at the optimal rate. A low water-pressure situation can also affect your sprinklers’ performance, leading to areas that do not get proper water coverage.

LAWN PROS SOLUTIONS:

High water pressure can be efficiently controlled at the valve using a PRS Dial valve pressure regulator. At the point of distribution, excessive pressure can be controlled using Spray Rotors with a Pressure Regulating Stem (PRS). For low-volume drip systems, install Inline or Anti-Siphon Drip Control Zone Kits with a pressure regulator.

CONTACT US TODAY TO GET System REPAIR, Retrofit, and Upgrade
Start Up for only $39.00 for 2 Zones and $10 for Each Additional Zone. We charge $75 per hour for Sprinkler Repair.

Why Lawn Pros? We continue to strive to be the best we can be. We invest in our people and equipment. We don’t look for short cuts. We continue to look for the best way to service our customers. We use only the best products. We are the best sprinkler repair company in Colorado Springs.

Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-repair-colorado-springs.html

Glossary of Irrigation Terminology Colorado Springs.

lawnpros7171 — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:25:44 +0000

About Automatic Sprinkler Systems

ANGLE VALVE

A valve configured so its outlet is oriented 90 degrees away from its inlet. In irrigation, these valves are generally installed with the inlet at the bottom of the valve.

ANTI-SIPHON DEVICE

A type of backflow preventer which seals off the atmospheric vent area when the system is pressurized. Should be installed downstream of a control valve in a location which is at least twelve inches higher than the highest point in the lateral which it serves. When system pressure drops to zero, the float and seal assembly drops, opening the vent to atmosphere and breaking any siphon effect. Consult local building codes or your Rain Bird distributor for laws applicable in your area. Synonymous with Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker.

ANTI-SIPHON VALVE

The combination of an angle valve and anti-siphon device in one unit. The anti-siphon device is located downstream of the angle valve.

APPLICATION RATE

A measurement of the volume of water applied to landscape in a given time. (In the United States, usually expressed in inches per week. Its metric equivalent is centimeters per week.)

ARC

The area a part-circle sprinkler irrigates, expressed in degrees of a circle. For example, a 90 degree arc provides quarter-circle coverage, while an 180 degree arc provides half-circle coverage.

AUDIT or IRRIGATION AUDIT

A detailed review of an irrigation system, including tests to determine overall system efficiency, identify problems areas that need correction, and determine an ideal watering schedule.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL VALVE

A valve which is activated by an automatic controller using electric or hydraulic means. Synonymous with Remote Control Valve.

BACKFLOW

The unwanted reverse flow of liquids in a piping system.

BACKFLOW PREVENTER

A mechanical device which prevents backflow. In irrigation, it is used to protect the potable water supply from potentially contaminated irrigation water. There are several types of backflow preventers. The choice of backflow preventer used depends on the degree of hazard and the particular piping arrangement involved. Virtually all regulatory agencies in the United States require backflow prevention devices to protect the domestic water supply from contamination by the backflow of irrigation water. In areas where it is not required, it is highly recommended. Consult local building codes for laws applicable in your area.

CALENDAR DAYS OFF

A controller feature that allows you to suspend watering on a specific date.

CHECK VALVE

A valve which allows water to flow in one direction only. Check valves are used to prevent low head drainage.

COEFFICIENT OF UNIFORMITY (CU)

A numerical expression which serves as an index for the uniformity of water applied to a given area within a specific geometric arrangement of sprinklers (e.g., square or triangular).

CONTROLLER or TIMER or CLOCK

This is the brain of the sprinkler system. The controller automatically opens and closes valves according to a preset schedule. Rain Bird controllers have easy-to-set programs to help you efficiently manage seasonal adjustments. Rain Bird also has sensors that signal the controller to shut off the system when it rains. An automatic controller is usually more water-efficient that operating sprinklers manually.

COVERAGE

The area of landscape watered by a sprinkler or grouping of sprinklers.

CYCLE + SOAK™

Rain Bird ‘s exclusive feature which allows you to break the total irrigation run time into shorter cycles, segmented by breaks or soaks during which the landscape has time to absorb the water. Optimizes the watering of poor drainage sites, slopes, and heavy soil areas. Helps to prevent run-off.

DIAPHRAGM

Rubberized seal which keeps water from flowing through the valve.

DIAPHRAGM VALVE

A globe or angle pattern valve which uses a diaphragm to control the flow of water through the valve.

DISTRIBUTION UNIFORMITY (DU)

A calculated value that shows how evenly water is distributed in a sprinkler system to avoid excessively wet or dry areas in the landscape. It depends on the spacing of sprinklers, type of sprinkler used, wind and water pressure among other factors. High distribution uniformity is obtained when an equal amount of water is placed on all areas of the landscape.

DOMESTIC WATER

Potable or drinking water. It can be used as a source of irrigation water, but once water enters an irrigation system it is no longer considered domestic or potable.

DRAIN VALVE

A valve used to empty water from a lateral or main line, usually for winterization purposes.

DRIP IRRIGATION

A low volume watering method that delivers water slowly and directly to the plant roots for maximum efficiency.

DYNAMIC PRESSURE

The pressure of the irrigation system during operation. Synonymous with Working Pressure.

EMITTER

A small watering device which delivers water at very low rate (measured in gallons per hour) and pressure at the outlet port.

ET OR EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (ET)

The amount of water lost due to evaporation from the soil and transpiration from the plants. ET is used by Smart Controllers to help determine the amount of watering needed by a landscape.

EXTERNAL MANUAL BLEED

A feature which allows an automatic valve to be opened manually (without controller) by releasing water from above the diaphragm to the outside of the valve. Useful during installation, system start-up and maintenance operations.

FLOW

The movement of water.

FLOW CONTROL

A valve which modulates in order to maintain a pre-determined flow rate without drastically altering the pressure.

FLOW SENSOR

A device which actively measures water flow through a piping system and reports its data to the computerized central control system.

FPT

Female nominal pipe thread.

FRICTION LOSS

The amount of pressure lost as water flows through a system. Synonymous with Pressure Loss.

GLOBE VALVE

A valve configured with its outlet oriented 180 degrees from its inlet. In irrigation, these valves are generally installed so that the inlet and outlet are parallel to the ground.

GPM

Acronym for gallons per minute.

HEAD TO HEAD COVERAGE

The practice of placing sprinklers so that water from one sprinkler overlaps all the way to the next sprinkler head. This helps to increase overall system efficiency and prevents dry spots in the landscape.

IMPACT DRIVE

A sprinkler which rotates using a weighted or spring-loaded arm which is propelled by the water stream and hits the sprinkler body, causing movement around a circle.

INFILTRATION RATE

The rate at which water enters the soil, usually expressed in depth of water per hour. (In the United States, usually expressed in inches per hour. Its metric equivalent is centimeters per hour.) Infiltration rate is determined by the type of soil.

IRRIGATION EFFICIENCY

The percentage of irrigation water which is actually stored in the soil and available for use by landscape as compared to the total amount of water provided to the landscape.

IRRIGATION SYSTEM

A set of components which includes the water source (e.g., domestic service or pump), water distribution network (e.g., pipe), control components (e.g., valves and controllers), emission devices (e.g., sprinklers and emitters) and possibly other general irrigation equipment (e.g. quick coupler and backflow preventer).

IRRIGATION REQUIREMENT

The quantity of water needed by the landscape to satisfy the evaporation, transpiration and other uses of water in the soil. The Irrigation requirement is usually expressed in depth of water and equals the net irrigation requirement divided by the irrigation efficiency. (In the United States, usually expressed in inches per week. Its metric equivalent is centimeters per week.)

LATERAL

The pipe installed downstream from the control valve on which the sprinklers are located.

LOW HEAD DRAINAGE

Residual flow from low-elevation sprinkler heads in a system after the control valve has been closed.

MAIN (MAINLINE)

A pipe under constant pressure which supplies water from the point of connection to the control valves.

MASTER VALVE

A valve used to protect the landscape from flooding in case of a ruptured main or malfunctioning downstream valve. The master valve is installed on the mainline after the backflow preventer and the control valves.

MATCHED PRECIPITATION RATE (MPR)

Matched precipitation rate (MPR) refers to sprinklers that apply water at the same rate per hour no matter the arc of coverage or part of a circle they cover. For instance, a full-circle sprinkler discharges twice the flow of a half-circle sprinkler and a quarter-circle sprinkler discharges half of what the half-circle unit does. MPR allows the same type of sprinklers, no matter what their arc, to be circuited on the same valve and to deliver the same PR rate. Spray heads have fixed arcs and are matched by the manufacturer, while rotors offer a choice of nozzles to match the Designed arc pattern.

MICROCLIMATE

The unique environmental conditions in a particular area of the landscape. Factors include amount of sunlight or shade, soil type, slope and wind.

MOISTURE SENSOR

A device which monitors the amount of water present in the soil and modifies the watering schedule accordingly.

MPT

Male nominal pipe thread.

NOZZLE

The final orifice through which water passes from the sprinkler or emitter. Nozzle shape, size and placement has a direct effect on the distance, watering pattern and distribution efficiency.

OPERATING PRESSURE

The pressure at which a system of sprinklers operates. Static pressure less pressure losses. Usually as measured at the base or nozzle of a sprinkler.

PERMANENT WILTING POINT

The point at which plants can no longer extract moisture from the soil and die.

POINT OF CONNECTION (POC)

The place where the irrigation submain is joined to the water service line.

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) PIPE

A semi-rigid plastic material used in irrigation systems.

POLYETHYLENE (PE) PIPE

A flexible black pipe used in irrigation systems.

POTABLE WATER

Domestic or drinking water. It can be used as a source of irrigation water, but once water enters an irrigation system it is no longer considered domestic or potable.

PRECIPITATION RATE (PR)

The rate at which a sprinkler system applies water to the landscape. PR is expressed in depth of water per hours of operation. (In the United States, usually expressed in inches per hour. Its metric equivalent is centimeters per hour.)

PRESSURE

The force per unit area measured. (In the United States, usually expressed in pounds per square inch. Its metric equivalent is Bars.) Insufficient water pressure can result in poor sprinkler coverage, while excessively high water pressure may cause misting and fogging leading to water waste.

PRESSURE LOSS

The amount of pressure lost as water flows through a system. Synonymous with Friction Loss.

PRESSURE REGULATOR

A device which maintains constant downstream operating pressure which is lower than the upstream operating pressure.

PROGRAM

The watering plan or schedule that tells the controller exactly when and how long to run each set of sprinklers. Many Rain Bird controllers offer multiple programs which can be useful on sites where different plant groups have different irrigation needs.

PSI

Acronym for pounds per square inch.

PUDDLING

When water gathers in one location, such as at the base of a sprinkler or at a low spot on the site. Can be caused by low-head drainage, over-irrigation, or slow soil infiltration.

PUMP START CIRCUIT

The feature on automatic controllers which supplies 24 VAC, which can be used to activate a pump through an external pump start relay.

PUMP START RELAY

Low-amperage or electric switch designed for use with pump start circuits.

QUICK COUPLING VALVE

A permanently installed valve which allows direct access to the irrigation mainline. A quick coupling key is used to open the valve.

RAIN SHUT·OFF DEVICE or RAIN SENSOR

A device which prevents the controller from activating the valves when a preset amount of rainfall is detected.

RAIN DELAY

Lets you turn the irrigation system off for a specific number of days without having to remember to turn it back on.

REMOTE CONTROL VALVE

A valve which is actuated by an automatic controller by electric or hydraulic means. Synonymous with Automatic Control Valve.

RETRACTION

When the pop-up riser of a sprinkler such as a spray head or rotor returns to the case in the ground. Also called Pop-down.

RISER

A length of pipe which has male nominal pipe threads on each end. Usually affixed to a lateral or submain to support a sprinkler or anti-siphon valve. May also be used underground to connect system components.

RUN-OFF

Water which is not absorbed by the soil and drains to another location. Run-off occurs when water is applied in excessive amounts or too quickly for the soil to absorb.

SCHEDULING COEFFICIENT

A numerical expression which serves as an index of the uniformity of water application to a given area within a specific geometric arrangement of sprinklers (e.g., triangular or square). Used to measure the uniformity of landscape irrigation systems.

SLIP CONFIGURATION

A threadless connection which is solvent-welded.

SMART CONTROLLER

An irrigation control system that uses weather-based calculations and environmental conditions to determine how much water to apply to a landscape based on the plant water needs.

SPRAY HEAD

A type of fixed spray sprinkler that pops up from underground and waters a set pattern, usually from 4 to 15 feet in range. Used for lawns and shrubbery areas.

SOIL TYPE

The texture and structure of the soil particles which affects its ability to take in and store water for use by plants. Soils range from clay to loam to sand. Clay soils take in water more slowly than loam or sandy soils (lower infiltration rate).

SOLENOID

An electromagnet which is connected to a controller and causes the opening and closing of automatic control valves.

SPRINKLER

A hydraulically operated mechanical device which discharges water through a nozzle or nozzles.

START TIMES

When you program a controller, you schedule the precise time you want to begin watering on water days. The start time is the time the first station in a program begins to water. All other stations in the program follow in sequence. Remember, start times usually apply to the entire program, not to the individual stations.

STATIC PRESSURE

The pressure in a closed system, without any water movement.

STATION

A circuit on the controller which activates a single control valve in the irrigation system to control watering for a particular zone.

STOP-A-MATIC® VALVE (SAM)

A spring-loaded check valve used beneath a sprinkler to prevent low-head drainage. The check valve feature may also be built into the sprinkler.

SWING ASSEMBLY

An assembly of flexible swing pipe and fittings that are used to connect a sprinkler to the lateral pipe. Allows you to easily adjust the sprinklers to grade level and also helps to prevent breakage due to force on the sprinkler.

SWING JOINT

A threaded connection of pipe and fittings between the pipe and sprinkler which allows movement to be taken up in the threads rather than as a sheer force on the pipe. Also used to raise or lower sprinklers to a final grade without plumbing changes.

TRANSPIRATION

The process where a plant’s moisture is lost to the atmosphere through its leaves.

UNIFORMITY

How evenly water is distributed over an irrigated area.

VALVE

A valve is like a faucet. Valves respond to commands from the controller. When valves receive a signal to open, water flows to the sprinklers. when they receive another signal to close, the flow of water stops.

VELOCITY

The speed at which water travels. (In the United States, usually expressed in feet per second . Its metric equivalent is meters per second .

WATER BUDGET

A feature of Rain Bird controllers that let you easily change the run times of your sprinklers without having to reprogram the controller. Use water budget to increase or decrease watering in response to changing seasonal needs throughout the year.

WATER HAMMER

A damaging shock wave created when the flow of water in a pipe system suddenly stops. Usually the result of a fast-closing valve.

WATER PRESSURE

The force which is exerted by water. (In the United States, usually expressed in pounds per square inch. Its metric equivalent is Bars.)

WATER WINDOW

The time of day available when watering can take place on a site.

WATERING DAYS

The specific days of the week on which watering will take place. For example, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or every third day.

WINTERIZATION

The process of removing water from an irrigation system before the onset of freezing temperatures. Necessary to prevent damage to the sprinkler system that can be caused by expansion due to freezing water in the pipes.

WIRE GAUGE

Standard unit of measure for wire size. The larger the gauge number, the smaller the wire.

WORKING PRESSURE

The pressure of the irrigation system during operation. Synonymous with Dynamic Pressure.

ZONE

A section of an irrigation system served by a single control valve. Zones are comprised of similar sprinkler types and plant material types with similar water requirements and soil

CONTACT US TODAY TO GET System REPAIR, Retrofit, and Upgrade
Start Up for only $39.00 for 2 Zones and $10 for Each Additional Zone. We charge $75 per hour for Sprinkler Repair.

Why Lawn Pros? We continue to strive to be the best we can be. We invest in our people and equipment. We don’t look for short cuts. We continue to look for the best way to service our customers. We use only the best products. We are the best sprinkler repair company in Colorado Springs.

Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-repair-colorado-springs.html

Water Saving and Lawn Care Tips Colorado Springs.

lawnpros7171 — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 03:00:11 +0000

If you know how to take care of it, your lawn and garden can give you years of enjoyment for surprisingly little effort.

When it comes to watering your yard, you may be able to save yourself some “green” without your lawn turning brown — by using an automatic irrigation system. If that system is correctly designed, installed and maintained, it can keep your landscape looking lush on the least amount of water.

Proper watering is a simple step, but it is one of the most important things you can do to keep your lawn healthy—and experts say a healthy lawn can raise your home’s value by as much as 15 percent. Here are some tips from Lawn Pros.

Divide By Zones

Different plants need different amounts of water. Divide your yard into separate irrigation zones so the grass can be watered separately and more frequently than ground covers, shrubs and trees.

Keep It Balanced

Put measuring cups in various places around your lawn and run the sprinklers for 15 minutes. This will give you an idea of how much water the grass is getting and where. You’re looking for about one to two inches—depending on the soil—evenly distributed. An underground sprinkler system is probably the best way to be sure the lawn is evenly covered.

Waste Not, Want Not

The greatest waste of water comes from applying too much, too often—much of it runs off and is never absorbed. Instead of watering for one long continuous session, try splitting the watering time into shorter periods and take 15-minute breaks in between each session. This will let the water soak in, while minimizing runoff.

Watch The Clock

Water between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.—when the sun is low, winds are calm and temperatures are cool. Midday watering tends to be less efficient because of water loss due to evaporation and windy conditions during the day. Watering in the evening isn’t a good idea either because leaves can remain wet overnight—an open invitation for fungus to grow. By watering in the morning, you give the leaves a chance to dry out during the day.

Adjust The System to the Season and Be Rain Smart

Adjust your irrigation system as the seasons and weather change. You can also install a shut-off device that automatically detects rain or moisture. These devices are inexpensive and let you take advantage of nature’s free watering service.

Water Only What Grows

if you have an underground sprinkler system, make sure the heads are adjusted properly to avoid watering sidewalks and driveways. A properly adjusted sprinkler head should spray large droplets of water, not a fine mist, to minimize evaporation and wind drift.

Consider Drip

When it comes to watering individual trees, flowerbeds, potted containers or other non-grassy areas, you can apply water directly to the roots with low volume drip irrigation. This will reduce water waste through evaporation or runoff and keep weeds from growing.

Do Routine Inspections

Periodically check your sprinklers to make sure everything is working properly. A clogged head or a torn line can wreak havoc on your landscape and water bill.

Wrapping Up

An automatic underground sprinkler system can help you with all of these things, without making you have to uncoil the hose every time you need to water your lawn. It’s easy to install and even easier to operate, and can save you hours of work just in the first few months after installation.

Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-repair-colorado-springs.html

Benefits Of An Automated Sprinkler Systems.

lawnpros7171 — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 02:47:14 +0000

An automatic sprinkler system is a home improvement project worth considering. Not only will it help maintain a healthy beautiful landscape which you can enjoy with your friends and family, but it’s the most convenient and efficient way to ensure your landscape gets the water it needs without over-or under-watering. When it is properly installed and maintained an automatic sprinkler system will help conserve water too.

In fact, a professionally installed automatic sprinkler system from Lawn Pros is one of the best investments that you can make for your home. Just ask anyone who has one. There is no easier or more cost-effective way to beautify your home, increase its value, and save yourself time and money.Keep in mind, however, that there is more to a sprinkler system than just sprinklers. System design and installation are critical factors that will affect your system’s performance and longevity. Along with ensuring your system is properly designed and installed, Lawn Pros can install rain shut-off and moisture sensing devices that can help you realize even more water and cost savings over the lifetime of your sprinkler system.

So put away your garden hose and let Lawn Pros do your watering for you — automatically! You’ll have greener grass, healthier plants, and much more free time to smell the roses instead of watering them.

Sprinkler Repair Colorado Springs

As your landscape matures, you’re Colorado Springs irrigation system may become inefficient. Plants grow and cover-up sprinklers. Heads may become clogged with mineral deposits. Pipes may start to corrode or break. If you’re looking to upgrade or retrofit your system, we can offer our expertise in making your system work right. If your looking for sprinkler repair companies in Colorado Springs we are your people.

• Retrofit spray heads with water saving rotating nozzles
• Upgrade your existing controller to a new state of the art model
• Replace your existing system with a new water saving drip system
• Replace corroded pipes
• Maintenance and sprinkler repair

Your Colorado Springs irrigation system will require plenty of maintenance to keep it working optimally. Heads, controllers, and valves will all need constant adjustments. Eventually something will break. A broken pipe or sprinkler can waste hundreds of gallons of water and lead to plant death. We can provide fast, reliable service that in the long run can save you money.

We offer a full range of irrigation services. Whether you’re looking to retrofit an existing system or just need a quick sprinkler repair in Colorado Springs, we can help. Our experienced staff can handle just about any situation. We have all the tools to handle the job. We stock high grade, brand name parts from Rain Bird, Hunter, and Toro. We never use low grade parts or make short-cut repairs.

Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-repair-colorado-springs.html

Electrical Troubleshooting Your Sprinkler System

lawnpros7171 — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:08:15 +0000

If some or all of the sprinkler zones do not come on, you may have an electrical problem.

The most common problem that we find is bad connections at the valves. Always replace any connections with waterproof wire nuts. Most are black and cost about ten cents each. Good connections will last for decades.

Sprinkler Repairs/Upgrades and Installations

lawnpros7171 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 12:12:53 +0000

Now is the time to have us make any changes, add-ons, or upgrades. Landscaping changes and matures over time, which means the sprinkler system needs to be changed and adjusted as well. Sprinkler heads need to be moved to accommodate new or over grown shrubs, and some need to be raised and straightened over time.

Some upgrades can be made to your system to either save on water, give better coverage and water distribution, or just to be more user friendly. There are rain sensors to turn off the system when there has been enough rainfall, “smart” controllers that adjust the watering schedule according to the weather, easier to use controllers than some of the older models, and newer heads and nozzles that water more efficiently.

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-repair-colorado-springs.html
Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

Sprinkler Sytem Parts You Don't Want To Freeze

lawnpros7171 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 11:41:17 +0000

In Colorado Spring there are two of the most critical parts of the sprinkler system that you do not want to freeze. Your system may have one or the other, or something else a little similar. These are safety devices called backflow preventers. They protect your drinking water from getting contaminated. They are also very expensive to replace when they crack from freeze damage. And when the ice thaws out, water can then continuously run out of the broken components and possibly flood your home or basement. Please be careful and either drain your sprinkler system at night during the spring, or heavily wrap these and any exposed above ground pipes and valves with heavy blankets or insulation. Freezing water will expand and crack any exposed copper, brass, galvanized steel, PVC or any other pipe or parts.

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-blowout-colorado-springs.html

Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

Sprinkler Installation Colorado Springs

lawnpros7171 — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:12:35 +0000

Looking for an efficient and affordable way to keep your landscaping looking its best? Need to repair or modify an existing sprinkler system? Call for a FREE estimate or schedule a service 719-963-6267
You can be assured THAT Lawn Pros is very reasonably priced and knows the needs of irrigation in our city. A few of the state-of-the-art performance features standard on every Lawn Pros are:

Lawn Pros Colorado Springs

Fully adjustable sprinkler heads:
Save water and provide maximum versatility
Precise head spacing:
Ensures consistent coverage throughout your yard
Brass backflow control device:
Keep your water supply contaminant-free
High-tech rain sensors:
Conserve water through moisture-detecting sensors
Remote control operation:
Allows a technician to activate your system remotely for your convenience

We have extensive experience with sprinkler systems. Our fleet of service trucks is outfitted with top-notch tools to make sure we are prepared for any situation. We are committed to providing outstanding customer service and we offer free estimates on all services. All service trucks are equipped and ready to work on Hunter, Rain Bird, Toro, Irritrol, Weathermatic, and just about any other manufacturer’s parts.

We use top-quality, commercial-grade products by Hunter® and Rain Bird®. We install flexible piping to minimize wear and tear, remote harnesses to allow serviceability, brass back-flow devices for long-term stability, and a host of other upgraded parts.

Your sprinkler system will only be as good as the quality of its components, which is why our expert sprinkler specialists use top-of-the-line materials and stand behind them with the best guarantee in the industry!

719-963-6267

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-repair-colorado-springs.html

Lawn Sprinkler System Contractor in Colorado Springs

lawnpros7171 — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:41:19 +0000

If your Colorado Springs irrigation system won’t work,
here are a couple of possibilities:
The first thing to check is the water supply. Make sure nobody shut the water off. Another thing is that the outlet which your timer is plugged into can be on a GFI breaker. If you have power, then the problem could be out in the yard. Was there any work done on the house or in the yard recently? If so, somebody may have have damaged the wire to the system. Either way, it’s time to give us a call so we can come out and fix the problem.With proper maintenance and a watchful eye, sprinkler systems can save you a lot of time and money.

Adjusting the spray heads and/or rotors annually will give the best performance and return on your investment.For example: Now that that bush that you planted several years ago has grown into a stunning specimen maybe the grass on one side has started to look bad, is the bush in the way of the spray pattern? It may only need a simple adjustment to the nozzle to clear the bush, or it may need to be moved several feet.
Give your sprinkler system a little attention and you’ll have a beautiful, happy and beautiful lawn.

Start Up for only $39.00 for 2 Zones and $10 for Each Additional Zone.
Why Lawn Pros? We continue to strive to be the best we can be. We invest in our people and equipment. We don’t look for short cuts. We continue to look for the best way to service our customers. We use only the best products.

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-repair-colorado-springs.html

Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

Choosing An Irrigation Contractor

lawnpros7171 — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:57:03 +0000

719-963-6267

Choosing an Irrigation Contractor

A Very Important Decision

The success of your irrigation system depends largely on the contractor you choose to design and install it. A contractor’s expertise and skills will affect your system’s efficiency and reliability. In fact, how your irrigation system is designed and installed will make the difference between a system that continues to keep your lawn healthy and green, and one that creates problems by wasting water and leaving your lawn unhealthy and brown. Choosing the right contractor is a big decision, but it is not as difficult as you may think. Here are a few tips that will help you select a contractor who will guarantee a job well done.

What to Expect :

An efficient, well-organized contractor will be happy to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed choice. First, the contractor will want to view your property in order to determine soil conditions, water sources and pressure, and planting materials. He will then present a formal estimate detailing what he plans to do and the total price for design, materials, and installation. Along with the estimate, the contractor should clearly explain all the project specifics. Generally, there should be little disruption to existing foliage, and the average job should take less than a week.

Questions to Ask

The best contractors will encourage you to ask many questions. By asking questions, you will know what type of sprinkler system you are getting for your money and what to expect from your new system. Here are a few important questions to consider:

What type of products will be used and why? A professional should tell you what type of controller, valves, rotors, or spray heads are best for your landscape.
Is after-sale service provided? A professional should be willing and able to provide after-sale service.
Is there a system warranty? A professional’s work should be guaranteed — a one-year warranty is typical.
Does he/she have references available? A professional should be willing to provide you with the names and telephone numbers of recent satisfied customers, so you can call and check his references.

You Get What You Pay For

When choosing a contractor, you should be wary of those who offer to charge you significantly less than others. Low bidders may not be licensed or insured and may often use cost-cutting techniques that can jeopardize your lawn and shorten the life of your system.

Watch out for these commonly used, undesirable short-cuts:

Not including a backflow preventer: This is often required by local codes to protect your drinking water.
Installing sprinklers too far apart: This makes it impossible for certain areas to receive enough water and can cause brown spots during the hot summer months.
Mixing sprinklers with different application rates on the same line: This causes one area to be over watered in order to sufficiently water another.
Not using special watertight connectors and a protective valve box: These components are necessary to safeguard the electrical elements, guard against short circuits and prevent corrosion.

Confidence Counts

Above all, you should choose a contractor you trust and in whom you feel confident. It is also important that he installs professional series products such as those manufactured by Hunter and Rain Bird. For over 70 years, professional irrigation contractors have used Hunter and Rain Bird products to provide the industry’s most cost-effective and reliable irrigation systems. Choosing a contractor who uses professional series products is the best way to ensure that your project will be done right.

Your sprinkler system is a complex network of pipes, valves, sprinklers, and electrical connections. Because it serves as the circulation system for your entire yard, the design and installation of your sprinkler system is critical. This is a complicated process that requires specialized tools and equipment, as well as a strong knowledge of landscape design and hydraulics. This is why it is so important to have a professional contractor design and install your system.

Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

httlotml

How To Chose A Sprinkler Repair Company

lawnpros7171 — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 04:07:28 +0000

How To Chose A Sprinkler Repair Company.

The Importance of Choosing an Irrigation Contractor:

How do you choose an Irrigation Contractor?

The success of your irrigation system depends largely on the contractor you choose to install it. A contractor’s expertise and specialized skills are crucial in determining your system’s efficiency and long-term reliability. In fact, how your irrigation system is designed and installed will make the difference between a system that is reliable and one that is constantly troublesome. It’s a big decision, but choosing the right contractor isn’t as difficult as it may seem.

What you should know:

There are several things you should think about and be prepared for, when choosing an irrigation system….

What to Expect
An efficient, well-organized contractor will be happy to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed choice. First, the contractor will want to view your property in order to determine soil conditions, water sources and pressure, planting materials, etc. He should then present a formal estimate detailing what he plans to do and the total price for materials and installation. Along with the estimate, the contractor should clearly explain all the specifics to you. There generally should be little disruption to existing foliage, and the average job should take less than a week.

What Questions to Ask
The best contractors will encourage you to ask a lot of questions. By asking questions, you will know exactly what you will be getting for your money and what to expect from your new sprinkler system. Here are a few important questions to get you started.

What type of product will be used and why? He should tell you what type of controller, valves and rotors or spray heads are best for your landscape. Is after-sale service provided? A professional contractor should be willing and able to provide after-sale service.

Is there a warranty on the system? His work should be guaranteed; a one-year warranty is typical. Also, be sure to ask him for names and telephone numbers of recent satisfied customers, so you can call and check his references!

Some Words of Warning

You Do Get What You Pay For
When choosing a contractor, you should be wary of those who offer to charge you significantly less than other contractors. Low bidders may not be licensed or insured and often use cost-cutting techniques that can jeopardize your lawn and shorten the life of your system.

Watch out for these commonly used tricks of the trade:

Not including a backflow preventer, this is required by local codes to protect your drinking water supply.
Installing sprinklers too far apart, this makes it impossible for certain areas to receive enough water and causes brown spots during the hot summer months.
Mixing sprinklers with different application rates on the same line, which causes one area to be over watered in order to sufficiently water another.
Not using connectors and a protective valve box to safeguard the electrical elements, this helps guard against short circuits and prevents corrosion.

Quality Counts
Above all, you should choose a contractor you can trust and with whom you feel comfortable. It’s important that he install professional series products such as those manufactured by Rain Bird, Toro, and Weathermatic. Choosing an irrigation contractor who uses quality professional series products is the best way to ensure the job will be done right.

How To Chose A Sprinkler Repair Company.

The Importance of Choosing an Irrigation Contractor:

How do you choose an Irrigation Contractor?

The success of your irrigation system depends largely on the contractor you choose to install it. A contractor’s expertise and specialized skills are crucial in determining your system’s efficiency and long-term reliability. In fact, how your irrigation system is designed and installed will make the difference between a system that is reliable and one that is constantly troublesome. It’s a big decision, but choosing the right contractor isn’t as difficult as it may seem.

What you should know:

There are several things you should think about and be prepared for, when choosing an irrigation system….

What to Expect
An efficient, well-organized contractor will be happy to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed choice. First, the contractor will want to view your property in order to determine soil conditions, water sources and pressure, planting materials, etc. He should then present a formal estimate detailing what he plans to do and the total price for materials and installation. Along with the estimate, the contractor should clearly explain all the specifics to you. There generally should be little disruption to existing foliage, and the average job should take less than a week.

What Questions to Ask
The best contractors will encourage you to ask a lot of questions. By asking questions, you will know exactly what you will be getting for your money and what to expect from your new sprinkler system. Here are a few important questions to get you started.

What type of product will be used and why? He should tell you what type of controller, valves and rotors or spray heads are best for your landscape. Is after-sale service provided? A professional contractor should be willing and able to provide after-sale service.

Is there a warranty on the system? His work should be guaranteed; a one-year warranty is typical. Also, be sure to ask him for names and telephone numbers of recent satisfied customers, so you can call and check his references!

Some Words of Warning

You Do Get What You Pay For
When choosing a contractor, you should be wary of those who offer to charge you significantly less than other contractors. Low bidders may not be licensed or insured and often use cost-cutting techniques that can jeopardize your lawn and shorten the life of your system.

Watch out for these commonly used tricks of the trade:

Not including a backflow preventer, this is required by local codes to protect your drinking water supply.
Installing sprinklers too far apart, this makes it impossible for certain areas to receive enough water and causes brown spots during the hot summer months.
Mixing sprinklers with different application rates on the same line, which causes one area to be over watered in order to sufficiently water another.
Not using connectors and a protective valve box to safeguard the electrical elements, this helps guard against short circuits and prevents corrosion.

Quality Counts
Above all, you should choose a contractor you can trust and with whom you feel comfortable. It’s important that he install professional series products such as those manufactured by Rain Bird, Toro, and Weathermatic. Choosing an irrigation contractor who uses quality professional series products is the best way to ensure the job will be done right.

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-repair-colorado-springs.html

Sprinkler Repair Colorado Springs

Sprinkler Repairs Colorado Springs

Sprinkler Activation Colorado Springs

Sprinkler Start Up Colorado Springs

Sprinkler Companies Colorado Springs

Sprinkler Company Colorado Springs

Sprinkler Contractor Colorado Springs

Sprinkler Contractors Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs Sprinklers Start Up

lawnpros7171 — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:00:22 +0000

Sprinkler Start Up includes the following:
• We make sure all solenoid valves are completely closed.

• Open irrigation or water valves

• Inspect for breaks or damage.

• Activate the controller, Install new battery when applicable set watering schedule.

• Test all valves in the system.

• Inspect and adjust all sprinkler heads for proper water coverage

• Repair line breaks and broken sprinklers if needed. Repair charges may be an additional billing.

• Check cleanliness of all lines, heads and nozzles. Trim sod from around all heads and flush sprinkler lines as necessary.

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-blowout-colorado-springs.html
Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

Sprinkler Blowout Colorado Springs

lawnpros7171 — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:54:06 +0000

Sprinkler Blowout Colorado Springs :

Blowing out sprinklers is where a professional will attach an air compressor to the system and literally “blow out” the water from the lines, pipes and other parts.

A professional knows how much volume and pressure to use when blowing out sprinklers, as many do-it-yourself typically use an insufficient volume of air and after having forced some water out, the air will ride over the top of the remaining water. This results in the remaining water draining into low spots and subjecting the system to freeze damage.

Sprinkler pipes and backflow assemblies are at risk of freezing and breaking when temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Immediate damage can occur to exposed pipes and sprinkler apparatus with the first freeze of winter. Further damage can result as extended freezing temperatures and wind chill conditions cause the soil to freeze at the same depth as the underground pipes. In many cases, homeowners are not aware that their pipes have sustained damage until they begin watering in the spring and discover leaks in their yards!

A properly winterized sprinkler blowout can be the difference between an easy spring start up and weeks if not months of problems the following season

http://www.lawnpros.biz/sprinkler-blowout-colorado-springs.html

Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

Landscaping Colorado Springs

lawnpros7171 — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:43:04 +0000

Landscaping Colorado Springs :

From concept to completed project, Lawn Pro’s can handle the design and installation of your new landscape.After initial consultation with our designers, we will develop a unique landscape design for your property. With your input, we will then tailor this design to your specific likes. Once the design aspect has been completed, our properly trained and equipped crews will install your new landscape to your satisfaction.For those who have a pre-design project, Lawn Pro’s will deliver a quote and continue through the installation process.

At Lawn Pros we pride ourselves on professional, dependable and exceptional services and expertise. From landscape design and installation to maintenance and management, we are ready to improve the appearance and value of your property. Our landscape architects, designers, project managers and certified professionals work together to create, install and maintain the perfect outdoor space for your home.

Lawn Pros offers comprehensive, innovative and creative solutions for all your landscape and outdoor living needs – Creating a Complete Outdoor Experience.

http://www.lawnpros.biz/landscaping-colorado-springs.html

Lawn Pros
719-963-6267
3335 Landmark lane Colorado Springs CO 80910

Innovation management

rightways — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 19:14:50 +0000

Steve Denning RETHINK

Because it is its purpose to create a customer, any business enterprise has two – and only these two – basic functions: marketing and innovation.

The June issue of Harvard Business Review is—happily—about one of a business’s two basic functions: innovation. The cover title is “How Great Leaders Unleash Innovation”. The “Spotlight” inside includes four articles on product innovation:

How Procter & Gamble [PG] has gone from achieving 15% of the profit and revenue objectives in 2000 to 50% today by setting up an “innovation factory” (p. 64)
How the “ambidextrous CEO” at Misys (and elsewhere) manages the tension between innovation and core products (p.74)
How Scott Cook at Intuit [INTU] catalyzed his employees to innovate (p. 82).
How Rain Bird (among other firms) discovered hidden gold in its reject pile (p.88).

Three other articles also bear on the topic of innovation:

The birth of outsourcing back-office services in India at Genpact [G] (p. 45)
How customers can inspire employees (p. 96).
How firms can compete against free (p.104).

The alarming state of innovation in business today

The seven articles are presented as illustrations of management excellence and thus exceptions to what is happening in organizations more generally. As it happens, the articles collectively give us an illuminating picture of the normal state of innovation in business today—perhaps even more illuminating than the editors and authors intended.

Before we get to evaluate the recommendations contained in the seven articles (which I will do in later parts of this article), let’s first take stock of what the articles say about the general status of innovation today. In this way, we will be able to see whether the recommendations in the articles are responsive to the problems that business enterprises face today.

The picture is not pretty.

Innovation is consistently assigned low priority

Given that innovation is one of the two basic functions of an enterprise, it is strange to learn that in business today:

“competition for resources and attention usually gets resolved in favor of the established business.” (p.77) (emphasis added)

Innovation is viewed as “an irritating drain on resources.”

Just think about that for a moment. Instead of innovation being one of only two main functions of an organization, in the world of business today innovation “usually” gets no look-in at all. Rather than being the main function of the firm, management is typically hostile to innovation.

For instance, at one company, when the CEO asked his senior executives to prepare a plan for coping with global economic crisis in 2008, their response was a proposal to cut a $3 million investment in disruptive innovation.

Remarkable! Is this unusual? No. As the authors say:

“It’s a familiar story.” (p.75)

In an example from another firm:

“A new innovation emerged: the portable handheld scanner. A small team, several layers down within the scanners unit developed a portable scanner. They believed the innovation would revolutionize the market, but they couldn’t get the attention from managers whose focus was winning market share for the flatbed [scanner].” Then a senior executive “intervened with $10 million of funding to validate the portables business, but within months, the scanners had diverted the funds to plug a hole in its budget. The portables R&D team was left with no funds and no authority.” (p. 78)

And why is that? We learn that

“executives almost always bow to the more pressing claims of the core business, especially when times are hard. Innovations … face an uphill battle to secure a share of the firm’s capital. They lack scale and resources and are usually underrepresented at the top table. At best, the leaders of the established business units ignore such projects. At worst, they seem them as threats to the firm’s core identity and values. Often innovation’s only friend is the CEO.” (emphasis added)

Extraordinary! This is after all 2011 that HBR is talking about, not 1911. This is the world of global competition and whitewater technological change, where innovation is crucial to the future. Future is apparently not management’s problem. It’s the lone CEO versus the entire management structure.

“At the best of times, innovation investments can be painful. Typically success rates are low and returns on investment far from assured. The returns that do materialize moreover rarely do so in the short term. That makes innovation hard to justify when cash is tight—even when everyone knows it’s essential to the long term success.” (p.89)

Where innovation teams do exist:

“most consisted of part-time members—employees who had other responsibilities pulling at them.” (p.71).

Even the CEO often ducks responsibility

And what is the role of our CEOs? We learn that

“often … the CEO pushes the key decisions about the right balance between investment in new and core businesses down into the units, ceding much of his or her own power and creating a collection of feudal baronies.” (emphasis added) (p76).

Amazing! Now innovation doesn’t have a single friend.

Communications are poor and cynicism is pervasive

We learn also that communications are far from open and authentic:

“when leaders attempt to deliver inspiring messages, many employees react with skepticism, question whether leaders are just trying to work harder.” (p.98)

As a result:

“In many companies the majority of frontline employees are cynical about leaders’ motives and intentions.”

The lack of transparency is a two-way street. Following one presentation to the C-suite, one CEO questioned the presenter:

“When I pressed him, he admitted that he didn’t agree with anything he had just said and that he was presenting what he had been told to present.” (p.79).

False assumptions about motivation

This may be because of wrong assumptions about motivation:

“In national surveys, over the past three decades, the majority of American shave identified meaningful work as the single most important feature they seek in a job.”(p.98)

But:

“Rarely do executives suggest imbuing the work with greater meaning and purpose. Fewer than 1% say that managers should show … how [employees'] work makes a difference.” (p.98) (emphasis added).

“Most executives start from the assumption that employees are ultimate self-interested, proposing performance incentives such as pay increases, promotions, recognition, food and breaks—interventions that… managers had already tried to no avail.” (p.99). (emphasis added)

The problems are systemic

The problems are not just a few individuals straying from the way. The problems are structural and systemic:

“In many companies, innovation units find themselves measured against the performance standards of the core business. This puts the innovation unit at a disadvantage as it struggles to a well-established business that has proven itself.” (p. 79)

The constraints are embedded in the very systems by which firms are being run.

“One obstacle is the profit center structure which makes it impossible to consider a product’s revenues and costs separately. Another is the cost accounting system which is not good for identifying the actual expense of generating new offerings.” (p.138).

It should not be surprising therefore that given these management practices and attitudes

“some think it’s foolish to even attempt to create innovative-growth businesses.” (p.72)

The disastrous results of these management practices

It should hardly be surprising therefore that the results of these management practices are dismal. As shown by Deloitte’s magisterial study of 20,000 US firms between 1965 to 2010,

The rate of return on assets is only one quarter of what it was in 1965.
The life expectancy of firms in the Fortune 500 has declined from around 75 years half a century ago to less than 15 years and continuing to decline.
Executive turnover is accelerating.
The topple rate of leading firms is increasing.
Only one in five workers is fully engaged in his or her work.

Nor should we really be surprised at the finding by the Kauffman Foundation that between 1980 and 2005 in the US, firms older than five years created practically no new net jobs. Almost all of the 40 million net new jobs were created by firms younger than five years.

And should we really be surprised to find that the US economy is undergoing a series of jobless recoveries, while most people’s incomes remain flat?

The lowly status of innovation today

The disastrous picture of the typical big firm that emerges from these articles is extraordinary:

Instead of innovation being regarded as one the firm’s two main functions, management typically assigns innovation low priority.
Both CEOs and mid-level managers exhibit pervasive attitudes and behaviors that are hostile to innovation.
Innovation receives inadequate resources and staff.
Managers do not communicate authentically to inspire staff to innovate.
Processes and accounting systems conspire to undermine innovation.

According to the articles, we are not dealing with a few ineffective managers or a few minor problems amid basically sound management practices.

In effect, the problems of innovation are systemic and structural and common to most large organizations.

Systemic problems require systemic solutions

To deal with systemic and structural problems, effective solutions need to be systemic and structural.

For the most part, however, as we shall see in later parts of this review, the recommendations contained in the various HBR articles are based on one-shot actions by individual CEOs or managers. These single-fix solutions deal with symptoms of the problem, rather than the underlying disease.

The apparent short-terms gains from these one-time individual single-fix solutions are unlikely to survive the relentless antagonistic pressure of embedded managerial attitudes, habits, practices, processes and systems.

In effect, the leash from which “Great Leaders” need to “unleash” their organizations is none other than management itself. For innovation to flourish on a sustained basis, individual one-shot actions are not enough. Management itself must be transformed.

Solving The Innovation Enigma:

Image via Wikipedia

As noted yesterday in part 1 of this article, the June issue of Harvard Business Review puts a spotlight on product innovation with four separate articles:

“P&G’s Innovation Factory”: How Procter & Gamble [PG] has gone from achieving 15% of the profit and revenue objectives in 2000 to 50% today by setting up an “innovation factory” (p. 64)
“The ambidextrous CEO”: How the “ambidextrous CEO” at Misys (and elsewhere) handles the tension between innovation and core products (p.74)
“Intuit’s catalyzing employees”: How Scott Cook at Intuit [INTU] helped catalyze his employees to innovate by hiring a lot of innovation coaches (p. 82).
“Gold in the reject pile:” How Rain Bird (among other firms) discovered hidden gold in its reject pile (p.88).

The four ideas are presented separately like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that has not been put together.

None of the articles attempts to explain why the typical corporation systematically undermines innovation, as discussed in the first part of this article, namely:

Instead of innovation being regarded as one the firm’s two main functions, management typically assigns innovation low priority.
Both CEOs and mid-level managers exhibit pervasive attitudes and behaviors that are hostile to innovation.
Innovation receives inadequate resources and staff.
Managers do not communicate authentically to inspire staff to innovate.
Processes and accounting systems conspire to undermine innovation.
Organizational structures (“profit centers”) and traditional cost accounting get in the way of innovation.

The articles offer no coherent explanation of the innovation enigma, i.e. why do most managers—highly intelligent, well-educated and well-paid—think, speak and act in a way that undermines innovation and thus the future of the organization and ultimately the economy. In the articles, it is taken for granted that this is what “often” happens in “most organizations.” It’s the way things are. There is no attempt to explain why this is the way things are. Without understanding why things are this way, the proposed solutions risk not dealing with the real problem.

None of the articles for example explains that these beliefs, attitudes and behaviors reflect a mental model of management that was dominant in the 20^th Century and is still pervasive in the Fortune 500 today.

The main principles of this mental model can be seen in most management textbooks and many business school teachings. They comprise:

The goal of the organization is to produce goods and services through a supply chain that makes money for the shareholders.
The role of the manager is a boss, namely, a hierarchical controller of individuals.
The coordination of work is achieved through rules, plans and reports, i.e. bureaucracy.
The predominant value of the organization is efficiency, principally by saving money and economies of scale.
Communications are hierarchical in nature, through commands and instructions.

The principles are interlocking, so that attempts to change any one by itself will be undermined by the other principles.

These interlocking principles also help explain why innovation has such a hard time in organizations today.

They also explain why the separate innovation ideas in the four HBR articles are by themselves unlikely to provide a lasting solution to the enigma of innovation.

The ambidextrous CEO

Thus the “ambidextrous CEO” (p.74)—who, the article says, is often the “only friend” of innovation in the whole organization (p,78)—will be pitted against the perceived goal of the organization to make money and the role of the managers to get the supply chain moving ever more efficiently. Even if the occasional CEO succeeds in encouraging innovation in the short term, eventually the systemic forces of the mental model of traditional management will cause the organization to revert back to its “normal” mode of operation—grinding out the core products and services to make money for shareholders. Since managers are rewarded for making money in their “profit center”, they will be tempted to focus on making money and neglecting innovation. The chances of a single “ambidextrous CEO” consistently winning battles against this array of systemic forces are low.

The “ambidextrous CEO” is thus likely to be become another management casualty. More seriously, the firm itself will become another organizational casualty as it fails to innovate fast enough for today’s marketplace, where continuous innovation is a necessity.

A single ambidextrous individual is not enough to generate continuous innovation on a sustainable basis. What is needed instead is for everybody in the organization to become ambidextrous in managing the tension between core products and innovation. The article, alas, gives no hint that this might be possible or how to accomplish it. With everything resting on the heroic shoulders of a single individual—the “Great Leader”—the system of traditional management will be the inexorable winner. Systems are more powerful than individuals.

Catalyzing staff

Similarly the excellent idea of Scott Cook at Intuit to use coaches to catalyze staff to get on with the task of innovation through rapid experiments with customers (p.82) may get short term results, as one can see from the rapid rise in share price of once Intuit succeeded in generating continuous innovation to delight its customers.

Over time, however, unless Intuit changes the fundamental assumptions of traditional management, managers, financial controllers and consultants will question the substantial resources being spent on “innovation coaches” (“What’s the rate of return?”) and prove in detailed spreadsheets that the company would be more profitable if it focused more sharply on making money for the shareholders. If the principles of traditional management remain in place, eventually the firm will succumb to the arguments and declare success and fire the coaches so that it can improve the bottom line with tighter control of employees, more elaborate plans, more frequent reporting, and clearer instructions to become more efficient. In effect, the system of traditional management will eventually defeat the individuals trying to do things differently.

P&G’s innovation factory

In the Procter & Gamble article (p.64), we see a more ambitious effort over ten years to graft an “innovation factory” on to the structures and processes of traditional management. Managers of “profit centers” are now assigned new-growth goals. Processes are put in place to achieve the new growth through sustaining innovations, commercial innovations, and sustaining-transformational innovations, as well as disruptive innovations that undermine existing businesses. The processes include training on disruptive innovation, innovation manuals, innovation guides, an innovation college and a FutureWorks division. The impressive results over ten years include a doubling of Tide’s revenues over ten years, new products such as cheap razors for developing countries and even a new-style dry cleaning business.

Whereas in 2000, P&G’s new growth efforts were achieving only 15% of their targets, now they are accomplishing 50% of their targets. The progress is impressive. P&G has doubled its share price over ten years and is doing better than traditional stalwarts like GE, Wal-Mart or Cisco. But this progress leaves open the question: why is P&G only half-way towards meeting its new-growth goals?

The answer is not difficult to detect if one reads the HBR article carefully. The large-scale innovation effort is in tension with the underlying assumptions of traditional management which the article indicates are still largely intact at P&G. The goal of the firm is still perceived to be that of making money for shareholders with each “profit center” responsible for achieving its part of the goal. Innovation is seen as another way of making money. In the “innovation factory”, the managers still act as bosses or controllers of individuals. The work of the “innovation factory” is still coordinated with the familiar bureaucracy of traditional management through “stage gates”, reports and financial targets. In such an environment, it is not surprising that, despite the massive management effort and support, innovation still has a hard time fully thriving.

Solving the innovation enigma: systemic change

What would it take for P&G to achieve 100% of their growth targets? What would it take for firms like Misys and Intuit to achieve innovation on a sustained basis like firms such as Apple, Amazon or Salesforce.com with exponential growth in their respective share prices over many years?

To accomplish these kinds of exponential gains on a sustained basis, single-fix ideas of the kind presented in these HBR articles will not do the job.

Resolving the enigma of innovation entails recognizing that the problem is systemic. To solve it, the solution itself must also be systemic. In effect, the underlying principles of traditional management need to be transformed. Management has to be reinvented.

Reinventing management: five basic shifts

A number of books point to the principles of the transformation of management, including my book, The Leader’s Guide to Radical Management (Jossey-Bass 2010), The New Capitalist Manifesto by Umair Haque, The Power of Pull by John Hagel, John Seely Brown and Lang Davison Reorganize for Resilience by Professor Ranjay Gulati, The Responsible Business by Carol Sanford, and Leadership in a Wiki World by Rod Collins. There are five major shifts:

The firm’s goal (a shift from making money for shareholders to delighting the customer through continuous innovation).
The role of managers (a shift from controller of individuals to enabler of self-organizing teams).
The mode of coordinating work (a shift from bureaucratic control to dynamic linking).
The values practiced (a shift from economic value to the values that will grow the firm: radical transparency and continuous improvement).
The communications (a shift from top-down command to adult-to-adult conversation).

“Delighting the customer” is an operational business objective, not some vague, abstract or subjective chimera. Measurement is central.

Individually, none of these shifts is new. What is new is doing them together as systemic change. When only one or two of these shifts is pursued without the others, the change tends to be unsustainable because any improvements are undermined by conflicts with the principles of traditional management.

The tension between innovation & core products dissolves

Once these principles replace the principles of traditional management, it becomes clear why traditional management systematically fails at innovation as well as how the separate and seemingly unconnected ideas of the articles in HBR fit within a coherent set of interlocking management principles. As a result, innovation has the possibility of being sustainable. Innovation is no longer fighting with the firm’s own DNA. Innovation has become part of that DNA.

Specifically:

Once the goal of the firm is to delight the customers, the CEO is no longer “the only friend of innovation” (p.75). Now everyone in the entire organization is focused on delighting the customers with a clear line of sight to customers so that everyone knows whether and to what extent customer is being delighted. Innovation becomes part of everyone’s job.
Now it is no longer a big deal whether it is the CEO handles “the tension between innovation and core products” or whether this is delegated to middle managers because now everyone in the organization is tasked with resolving the tension in the way that best delights the customer.
Now the middle managers are evaluated not just on how much money they are making the shareholders, with the temptation to shortchange innovation to plug holes in the budget for core products (p.78). Now the middle managers are evaluated on whether they are delighting the customers, for which innovation is essential. Merely grinding out the core products won’t get the job done.
Because the firm is consistently measuring progress in delighting customers, there is much less temptation for individual managers to divert money from innovation to core products: the impact of any such diversions will be systematically revealed by the firm’s measurement systems.
Because delighting the customer is much more profitable in today’s marketplace than grinding out the firm’s core products, there is no longer any tradeoff between innovation and making money. Innovation becomes hugely profitable.

Innovation stops being “an irritating drain on resources” or “a threat to managers”, because the goal of delighting the customer makes it part of everyone’s job.

Because delighting the customer and continuous innovation are now central parts of everyone’s job, there is little temptation for middle managers to staff innovation activities with part-time assignments, as happens in traditional management (p. 71). When customer delight is the firm’s goal, innovation becomes the most important task, requiring the best people.
Because the organization adopts the values of radical transparency and horizontal communications, along with the processes needed to support those values, managers and employees stop saying things they don’t believe (p.79). As a result, impediments to innovation are identified and problems get solved earlier.
Because managers communicate transparently and horizontally rather than through top-down commands, the risk of apathy and cynicism is drastically reduced. (p. 98).
Because the organization adopts throughput accounting techniques, in addition to rudimentary cost accounting (cf. p. 138), managers can see clearly what how financial resources relate to the goals of innovation and delighting customers.

Because the firm sees its mission as delighting customers, rather than making money for shareholders, it looks at its divisions as “customer delight centers” rather than merely as “profit centers”. As a result, the organizational structure doesn’t get in the way of promoting innovation (cf. p. 138).

Coherent management principles for innovation

Once the principles of radical management are adopted, the ideas for innovation mentioned in the HBR articles can be seen for what they are: good single-fix ideas that will only work sustainably if they are adopted as part of a coherent set of management principles that are very different from traditional managment:

The ambidextrous CEO who can reconcile the tension between innovation and core products (p. 74) is not a bad idea. It’s just not a big enough idea to resolve the enigma of innovation. For innovation to flourish, everyone in the organization must be ambidextrous. And that will only happen sustainably if the basic management assumptions change.
The idea of catalyzing staff at Intuit through coaching to accelerate innovation (p. 82) is a good idea. Self-organizing teams are a central feature of innovation. But by itself, delegating to staff is not enough. For such innovation to flourish sustainably, the goal of the firm, the role of managers, the processes for coordinating work, the values of the firm and the communications also have to change.

The idea at P&G of putting in place systems and processes to promote innovation (p.64) is a good idea, but implementation will be hobbled, if the systems and processes are grafted on to the principles of traditional management, which are inherently antagonistic to innovation.
The idea of looking through the reject pile to find usable innovation (p.88) is a good idea, but it would be even more powerful if it wasn’t just a one-off initiative, but rather the job of everyone every day. For instance, at Toyota, employees come up with around a million innovation suggestions every year.
The idea of using customers to inspire employees (p.96) is an excellent idea, but again, implementation will be hobbled unless the goal of the firm shifts from making money for shareholders to delighting customers, and work is coordinated by dynamic linking so that customer feedback is built into everyone’s job.

Tomorrow, in part 3 of this article, I will talk more on the significance of dynamic linking, and show how it resolves the false dichotomy between chaos and bureaucracy.

Bureaucracy, anarchy & innovation amnesia:

Image via Wikipedia: Thomas Edison

P&G’s innovation factory

In the June 2011 HBR article on P&G, (p.64), we learn that after ten years of effort, massive investments of financial and human resources, and the strongest possible top management support, Procter & Gamble [PG] has been able to improve performance from achieving only 15% of its new-growth profit and revenue targets in 2000 to around 50% today. This progress is impressive. But the question remains: why after all this effort is P&G still only half-way towards meeting its new-growth goals?

First disconnect: the factory image

P&G is a large old organization (127,000 employees, founded in 1837). It is perhaps not surprising that its leaders set out to build an innovation “factory”. According to the article, it was designed to be a combination of the creativity of Thomas Edison’s industrial research lab (circa 1870) and the speed and reliability of Henry Ford’s production line (circa 1910).

The thinking and imagery are thus early 20^th Century in provenance and industrial in nature. The assumption seems to be that the way to succeed in business is to invent something (Edison) and then deliver it (Ford). The thinking is inside-out: “we make it and customers will take it.” The crucial question whether any customer will actually buy your invention is not explicit.

This thinking and imagery were valid for much of the 20^th Century when big oligopolies were in charge of the marketplace. But it is out of sync with the 21^st Century marketplace reality where there has been a power shift from seller to buyer: the customer is now the boss. The customer now has good information as to what is available and many options to choose from. Whether the firm can invent and build new products has become less important than whether customers will actually buy them. Unless customers are delighted, they won’t.

In practice, we learn in the article that the customer is very much present in P&G’s innovation activities. Thus in addition to the $2 billion spent on research and development, P&G spends “$400 million in foundational consumer research, conducting some 20,000 studies involving more than 5 million consumers in nearly 100 countries.”

There is also a recognition at P&G that “there needs to be an emotional component as well—a source of inspiration that motivates people. At P&G, that inspiration lies in a sense of purpose driven from the top down—the message that each innovation improves people’s lives.”

But when innovation is managed by “profit centers”, it is clear that the message about improving people’s lives is subordinated to the dominant management message: make money for the shareholders.

When a company does one thing, while telling people to do another, the risk of organizational dysfunction is significant. It can lead to the introduction of processes and systems that don’t fit what the work of innovation requires.

Second disconnect: bureaucracy

In fact, the processes that P&G set up to handle innovation as described in the article sound like bureaucracy. The managers of the profit centers are assigned new-growth goals. To help achieve those goals, processes have been put in place that include formal training, manuals, guides, a “robust stage-gate process”, portfolio management, an innovation college, courses on entrepreneurial thinking and disruptive innovation and a FutureWorks division.

Such arrangements provide a sense or order, comfort and familiarity to managers steeped in a culture of 20^th Century manufacturing. The arrangements might be appropriate for activities whose parameters and dynamics are largely known and predictable. It is less obvious that they are good fit for the complex, mercurial, inherently unpredictable world of disruptive innovation in the 21^st Century, where new business models and platforms are rapidly transforming apparently mature sectors.

This is not to say that innovation can’t happen in a bureaucracy. The experience of P&G has shown some remarkable individual successes. But the fact that P&G is only attaining 50% of its new growth objectives after ten years of massive effort suggests that there is still room for improvement. Whether bureaucracy is the right way to manage innovation is perhaps one of the avenues that P&G management might want to explore.

Genpact: “light a fire and see what happens”

At the opposite end of the spectrum, in the same issue of HBR, there is an account of a non-bureaucratic startup (p. 45). As head of GE Capital in India, Pramod Bhasin tells how he set out in the late 1990s to offer back-office services across GE Capital. He created a division that was eventually spun off as a separate company, Genpact [G], thus giving birth to an entire outsourcing industry.

Bhasin explains:

“I didn’t do any business plan modeling or studies to prove that an opportunity existed. To me it was obvious. I knew that if we could get sophisticated technology to support us… we had the raw talent to offer our services at a small fraction of the cost elsewhere…

We couldn’t just sit down and do the proper analysis to plan it, because this was uncharted territory. We did draw up a business plan, but there was so much finger-in-the-air stuff that I don’t think it had much credibility. We didn’t even know at the start how big the venture could be. We just said: “Let’s light a fire and see what happens.”

Bhasin was ultimately successful in growing the idea into a separate organization with 45,000 employees and sales of $1.2 billion that was spun off from GE. It operates 39 facilities in 13 countries and serving 400 other companies.

Bhasin’s non-bureaucratic approach of “lighting a fire and seeing what happens” was successful in part because of his energy and entrepreneurial spirit, and in part because the nature of the services to be provided was already known and Bhasin had a large existing customer for the services of his division.

Looking across the broader field of innovation today, where the key issue is whether customers will buy the innovation, the approach of “lighting a fire and seeing what happens” has not been consistently successful, as it tends to lead to anarchy. Big investments end being made for products that no one will buy. Since such experiences are anathema in a large organization, organizations tend to re-introduce the controls of bureaucracy.

Often managers often think that these are the only two alternatives: bureaucracy or anarchy. Since the firm doesn’t want anarchy, it is stuck with bureaucracy.

In reality, a quarter of century ago, we learned in the pages of Harvard Business Review itself that there is a third alternative.

What works in innovation: dynamic linking

In 1986 in a famous article entitled, “The New New Product Development Game,” Professors Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka described how a range of firms had been successful in innovation. Some of the examples were in Japan, like Toyota, Fuji Film, and Honda, and a couple were American firms like HP, 3M, and Xerox. They showed how these companies had set up teams that became extraordinarily innovative and productive—without bureaucracy.

Typically the companies set up self-organizing teams. They analyzed the competitive threat and then pulled together a team of their very best people. It was generally a cross-functional team, with people from R&D, engineering, finance, sales, marketing, and support.

They would then give the team a challenging mission. At Honda, for instance, the challenge was to design a car that would appeal to young people and yet be cheap and of high quality. Then they would step back and let the team figure how to make it happen.

At first, the people on the team would be concerned that this was a new form of layoff. After a while, they would settle down and would socialize with each other. And then they would wake up and realize that unless they got cracking, they would never finish by the deadline. So the team would suddenly grasp the urgency of the situation and start to work together.

Takeuchi and Nonaka noted that when this happened, the well-documented phenomenon of self-transcendence within the group would occur. Self-transcendence is a big word, but it simply means that the individuals started to feel that the goals of the team were more important than their own part in it, their own careers, their own preferred position, their prior attitudes. If they were thinking only about themselves—their own goals and their own interests—the team would get locked into suboptimal patterns of work. Takeuchi and Nonaka noted, “A project takes on a self-organizing character as it is driven to a state of ‘zero information’—where prior knowledge does not apply. Ambiguity and fluctuation abound in this state. Left to stew, the process begins to create its own dynamic order.”

The psychology of this phenomenon was described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his classic book, Flow. He wrote about those times in our lives when, instead of being buffered by anonymous forces, we “feel in control of our actions, masters of our own fate. On the rare occasions that it happens, we feel a sense of exhilaration, a deep sense of enjoyment that is long cherished and that becomes a landmark in memory for what life should be like. . . . The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to the limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

Dynamic linking

Since 1986, the approach sketched by Nonaka and Takeuchi has been developed much further, particularly in software development, in a family of practices known as “Lean”, “Agile”, “Scrum” “Kanban” and “Lean Startups”. See for instance my article: “Scrum is a major management discovery.”

These practices, which may be collectively called “dynamic linking”, have in common that (a) the work is done in short cycles; (b) the management sets priorities in terms of the goals of work in the cycle, based on what is known about what might delight the client; (c) decisions about how the work is to be carried out to achieve those goals are largely the responsibility of those doing the work; (d) progress is measured (to the extent possible) by direct customer feedback at the end of each cycle.

In dynamic linking, one meshes the efforts of autonomous teams of knowledge workers who have the agility to innovate and meet the shifting needs of clients while also achieving disciplined execution.

As The Power of Pull points out, one proceeds “by setting things up in short, consecutive waves of effort, iterations that foster deep, trust-based relationships among the participants… Knowledge begins to flow and team begins to learn, innovate and perform better and faster.… Rather than trying to specify the activities in the processes in great detail.., specify what they want to come out of the process, providing more space for individual participants to experiment, improvise and innovate.”

It’s not bureaucracy and it’s not anarchy. It gets the best of all worlds. It has the decisiveness of a hierarchical bureaucracy but without its inflexibility, its rigidity and its tendency to de-motivate workers and frustrate customers. It creates an environment that is radically more productive for the organization, more congenial to innovation, and more satisfying both for those doing the work and those for whom the work is done.

It’s been implemented for over fifteen years in organizations large and small with great success. It’s discussed in detail in chapters 6 and 7 of The Leader’s Guide to Radical Management: Reinventing the Workplace for the 21st Century , along with the specific practices needed to make it operational.

Management amnesia

Intellectual disciplines that advance systematically keep track of the evolution of the subject. Writers are careful to give credit to predecessors, signal alternative viewpoints and demonstrate sensitivity to the evolution of the subject as a whole.

By contrast, in subjects that don’t advance, journals systematically eliminate traces of earlier thinking about the subject at hand. It is as though the articles have “a virgin birth” and emerge into the world without any legitimate parentage.

Thus you could read the articles on product innovation in the June issue of HBR without being made aware of the famous 1986 HBR article, “The New New Product Development Game,” Professors Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka, which paved for the way for the later management discoveries of Agile, Scrum and Kanban, and Lean Startups. There is a lack of historical perspective in the writing.

As a result, P&G ‘s “innovation factory” can be presented as “a big new thing”, when in reality more advanced thinking about innovation was available in HBR itself some twenty-five years ago.

At the same time, some amnesia might be valuable. It could be useful for instance to forget about the romanticized version of the hierarchical bureaucracies of Thomas Edison (circa 1870s) and Henry Ford (circa 1910).

With a suitably clear mind, one could then focus on the world of 2011 and examine how companies like Apple, Amazon and Salesforce.com are getting exponential gains from innovation by radically transforming management.

In effect, the leash from which “Great Leaders” need to “unleash” their organizations is none other than management itself.

See earlier post for more:

Radical management: it’s happening! make more money!

Newscribe : get free news in real time

Maxicom Maximizes Water Savings in Schools

thegreenschoolhouseseries — Tue, 17 May 2011 01:17:22 +0000

Green Schoolhouse Series Partner Rain Bird is helping schools save water.

The University of Michigan recently announced that its installation of Rain Bird’s Maxicom2 Irrigation Central Control System, designed for multi-site commercial or industrial irrigation applications, has helped the school reduce the amount of water used on irrigation by 68 percent, saving an estimated $141,000 a year. According to an article in Landscape Management, the annual water savings equates to approximately 22 million gallons of water, which is enough to fill 33 Olympic swimming pools.

With the Maxicom2 System, hundreds of sites and weather sources can be controlled and monitored from one location through telephone, cellular modem, radio, modem, Ethernet device server, Wi-Fi, and more. This feature makes it an appealing system for sites with a lot of landscaping and few groundskeepers, such as the Littleton Public Schools system in Colorado.

The Maxicom2 Systems were installed in the 24 public-school complexes in Littleton, which span an area of approximately 30 square miles. According to Rain Bird’s site report on the project, just two irrigation specialists were responsible for watering “an area of turf that has nearly tripled in the last 15 years.” The installation and use of the Maxicom2 resulted in an almost 30 percent cost savings (more than $690,000 over five years).

Read about other Maxicom projects, such as Legoland in Carlsbad, CA, and Infinity Park in Glendale, CO, and check out the other cost- and water-saving services Rain Bird offers on its website.

Google and gardens

poisedpen — Fri, 06 May 2011 06:13:53 +0000

: Sydney Gunnell of Arizona submitted THE EARLY SPRING for this year’s DOODLE 4 GOOGLE contest for K-12 students

National Public Gardens Day is being celebrated May 6, 2011 thanks to The American Public Gardens Association and Rain Bird. It’s designed to raise awareness about public gardens and their role in promoting environmental stewardship. Also to promote plant and water conservation — something we’ve yet to master here in Arizona.

I was struck, while browsing this year’s submissions by K-12 students for the “Doodle 4 Google” contest, by how few of the drawings with plants and flowers feature specimens native to the desert Southwest. Still, I can’t really complain — because it’s taken me more than two decades to develop my own appreciation for Arizona flora and fauna.

I grew up in Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii and California — with nary a Saguaro in sight. But my son, born and raised in Arizona, patiently prompts me in the ways of xeriscaping while doing his best to forgive my forays into plants of other regions that I still keep in my garden to remind me of my childhood.

We’re longtime members of the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, but I was pleased to learn recently that Arizona is home to several other public gardens as well. (My personal garden feels public when neighborhood dogs leave their mark, but it doesn’t technically qualify.)

Those noted on the “National Public Gardens Day” website include not only the DBG, but also two public gardens in Tucson — Boyce Thompson Arboretum (affilated with UA) and Tohono Chul Park. Also The Rose Garden at Mesa Community College and Wallace Desert Gardens in Scottsdale.

We know of other gardens in Arizona as well, including the Japanese Friendship Garden in Phoenix, The Arboretum at Flagstaff and The Arboretum at ASU Community Garden in Tempe. All make for fun adventures with a camera or sketching materials in hand.

We dabbled in gardening as my children, now 17-21, were growing up. It taught them that the best food comes from the earth rather than machines. That growing good things sometimes takes time. That it’s okay to play in the dirt. That living things need tending to on a regular basis.

Encourage your little ones to try their tiny hands at gardening, and keep the care of Arizona’s natural bounty top of mind with garden-related day trips, garden-inspired art projects and explorations of garden-related books and activities. Maybe someday the winner of a “Doodle 4 Google” contest will feature the early morning bloom of a Saguaro cactus.

In the meantime, there’s plenty of amazing “Doodle 4 Google” artwork to explore on the Google website — which features submissions by K-12 students from around the country. You can vote online for your favorite through May 13. And watch for next year’s contest if your child might like to enter his or her own masterpiece.

Judges who selected this year’s 40 finalists include an astronaut, two Olympic gold medalists, several cartoonists and authors of beloved children’s books, a couple of museum professionals, an award-winning actor and others who grace the world with their own unique bits of art.

The winning “Doodle 4 Google” will be displayed on the Google homepage for 24 hours on May 20, 2011 — and the artist will receive prizes that include a $15,000 college scholarship. The 40 regional finalists win a trip to NYC and will have their work exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

For the rest of us, a simple parenting pearl still holds true. Refrigerators make the best exhibit spaces.

– Lynn

Coming up: Arizona school earns Grammy Foundation award

Celebrate National Public Gardens Day This Friday

Lauren — Wed, 04 May 2011 19:30:14 +0000

[worldnow id=5817033 width=420 height=315 type=video]

STUDIO CITY (CBS) — National Public Gardens Day is Friday, May 6 and KCAL got a sneak peak of a new garden opening for students with developmental needs.

Lisa Kurstin of Descanso Gardens and Alex Nathanson from Rain Bird, a water conserving sprinkler company, visited the KCAL 9 studios Wednesday to talk about the new Secret Garden at Descanso which is opening Friday.

Build a wonderful garden sprinkler with pvc pipe and Rain Bird nozzles

John Schulz — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:00:41 +0000

Building a portable spray sprinkler with pvc pipe and Rain Bird irrigation parts from Home Depot.

Several years ago I got tired of buying garden sprinklers that just didn’t work. One day, while installing an underground sprinkler for a client, I thought, “If someone would just use this wonderful sprinkler technology for building a portable, hose connected sprinkler…” Then I asked myself one of my favorite questions, “I wonder what would happen if…” That’s when I got busy and designed this sprinkler. It’s easy to build, and it really, really works.

Ms. Micky loves her new sprinkler

I’m going to give you instructions for building an inexpensive, light weight, versatile sprinkler that shoots out a fine spray. A list of materials will appear at the end of this article so you can copy, print, and take it to the store for help. One of the good parts of this sprinkler is that you can move it around while it is running without getting wet. Assembly time is approximately 30 minutes start to finish.

You will need a ten foot piece of ¾ pvc pipe (not pictured) and the parts in the picture. I will show you how to use them one at a time. You may use fancy rachet pipe cutters (pictured, cost about $10) or you may use a hack saw. There is only one cut to be made. I’m sure they will cut it at the store for you if need be. You will also need a flat work surface. I use a patio here, being sure to use newspaper to catch any dripping glue. Here are the parts:

Parts and materials for building a sprinkler with pvc pipe and Rain Bird nozzles.

The nozzle, Rain Bird 15h (fifteen foot, half circle) will come in a package that looks like this. Be sure it has the pipe adaptor and filter with it:

Package for Rain Bird 15H spray nozzle with shrub (pipe) adaptor

The nozzle, adaptor, and filter will look like this:

Rain Bird spray nozzle with shrub (pipe) adaptor and filter

A swivel hose adaptor -1/2 female pipe thread (fpt) by 3/4 female hose- looks like this

1/2 inch female pipe thread by 3/4 swivel hose adaptor

Sometimes it’s called a “combo tee” but, specifically it is a 3/4 slip by 1/2 fpt (female pipe thread) tee.

3/4 slip by 1/2 female pipe thread tee--showing half inch threads

And then, there is a “combo ell”, or 3/4 slip by 1/2 fpt elbow.

3/4 inch slip by 1/2 inch female pipe thread elbow

You will need a can of pvc cement. I use the rain or shine blue glue. It works well.

There are many kinds of pvc cement. I like Rain r Shine blue glue

These are nice ratchet cutters and only about ten dollars. You may also use a hack saw, or smile real nice at the guy at the store and he’ll cut it for you.

Rachet cutters are nice, a hack saw will do, or a big smile to the man at the store will also suffice, he'll do it for you.

To start the project, cut the ten foot, 3/4 pvc pipe in half. This will give you two 5 foot pieces if my math is correct. You may use shorter pieces if you wish.

Cut the pipe to 2 five foot pieces--You may use 3 or 4 foot pieces, it really doesn't matter.

Screw the 1/2 inch riser into the tee and then screw on the hose adapter. It will look like this:

combo tee, riser, and hose adapter put together

Paint some glue on one of the pipe ends and stick it into the tee. Note the newspapers spread out to keep glue from dripping on the work surface.

gluing the pipe into the tee

Glue the second piece of pipe into the other end of the tee.

Glue the second pipe to the other end of the tee

The project will look like the picture below. The reason for doing this first is to orient the pipe so that the other pieces will be straight up.

The pipe and tee should look like this

Screw one of the 1/2 inch risers into one of the combo elbows

Screw a riser into the combo elbow

The next step is tricky. Be sure the hose adaptor is flat on the work surface as you glue the elbow onto the pipe. Make sure that the riser in the elbow is as straight up as possible. If it’s a little crooked, it’s ok, but the straighter the better.

glue the elbow so that the riser is straight up.

If you look at the top of the Rain Bird nozzle, you will see little lines in part of it. This shows you where the water will go. When you install it, make sure that the lines are pointing away from the hose hookup. They can always be adjusted by turning.

The marks on the Rain Bird nozzle show where the water will go.

Screw the nozzle with the adaptor onto the pipe at both ends

The Rain Bird nozzle with shrub (pipe) adaptor. Screw them on the risers

And the nozzle, installed, should look like this

Each end of the pipe should have a riser and a nozzle

Hook it up to the hose and turn the water on. You may adjust the spray by turning the nozzle. It doesn’t have to be way tight.

Your new sprinkler. Hook up the hose and turn it on

Micky is delighted with her sprinkler. The grass seed was up in a week. For timing, you may wish to try 20 minutes in one place for sufficient water. It may vary.

Ms. Micky says, "My new sprinkler wonnnderful, and so easy to move around"

There are lots of different Rain Bird nozzles to choose from once you get started watering, and they may be easily changed. On my front bank, I use the sst nozzle which throws a rectangular pattern and covers a space of 30 feet by 4 feet. It waters the flower bed without soaking the street. Then there’s a 15 foot adjustable nozzle that gives you all kinds of patterns after you fool with it a bit. Check them out.

Here is a list of materials that you may copy, print, and take to the store:

1 – 10 foot piece of 3/4 inch pvc pipe. (you may wish to get it cut in half at the store)

1 - 1/2 fpt (female pile thread) by 3/4 swivel hose thread adaptor.

3 – 1/2 inch by 6 inch threaded risers (may be called nipples)

1 – 3/4 inch slip by 1/2 inch fpt (threaded) tee

2 – 3/4 inch slip by 1/2 inch fpt elbow

1-small can pvc cement

2 – Rain Bird 15H nozzles with pipe adaptors (sometimes called shrub adaptors)

That’s it! Have fun with the sprinkler.

********************

If you live in or around the northwest Georgia area and would like to have a consultation with johntheplantman, you may contact John Schulz by email at

wherdepony@bellsouth.net . Do not send pictures or attachments as they will be deleted.

These articles are brought to you by John P. Schulz, author of the novel, Requiem for a Redneck . Maybe you should try a copy of this award winning southern literature.

http://www.amazon.com/Requiem-Redneck-John-P-Schulz/dp/0981825206/

Try “see inside the book”

Or you may visit our website:

www.requiemforaredneck.com

You can “see inside” at Amazon.

The Advantages of Fertigator Fertilizer

irrigationsupplies — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:08:17 +0000

What is Fertigator fertilizer and what are the advantages of it? Fertigator fertilizer is something more than just organic fertilizer. This is a specially made formula that releases nutrients into soil gradually. They are made for use with FertiGators automatic fertilizer injection systems. These systems attach in-ground sprinkler systems and can feed your garden whenever it’s time to water. Fertigation delivers small amounts of fertilizer through an irrigation system, in contrast to traditional landscape irrigation, which pours down tons of nutrients at once and then starves the plant life for several weeks.

What types of Fertigator fertilizer is there? The Fertigator Company has named their special blend FertiGro, and consumers to only use the blend with the suggested product, whether it be a Mojo Feeder or Pro Feeder. The reason being, that the formula corresponds to the injection system being used. Using ordinary organic formula may drastically throw off the timing of the system.

What should you know about these Fertigator fertilizer Mojo formulas? First its review some of the types of formulas available. The FertiGro TLC with GatorGuard is Total Lawn Care fertilizer that works all year round. This fertilizer helps to make one exquisite yard, through its blend of nutrients. It is recommended for an already established lawn. Though it can work all year round, it is most popular during the spring and fall season. The FertiGro TSC with GatorGuard is for Total Summer Care, and is made with less nitrogen than usual. This allows the control of excessive growth, which as you know, can be harmful. In this Fertigator fertilizer, iron and sulfur are added in order for plant life to give off a rich, green color. There is also added potassium, which makes your greenery stronger. This is ideal for the summer season and for lessening your mowing responsibilities. Fertigator Fertilizer TGC with GatorGuard is for Total Garden Care and contains extra phosphorous elements as well as many essential micronutrients. These are the vitals that make flowers and plants all the more beautiful.

You may be wondering what GatorGuard is, as it’s prominently mentioned in all three available formulas. This is an organic supplement designed as a natural repellant for pests. This includes all sorts of pests, insects and animals, including: mosquitos, ants, fleas, ticks, rabbits, deer, geese, moles and even armadillos in some parts of the country.

Fertigator fertilizer is made from fully organic materials, and also includes bio-stimulants for enhancement, and water saving surfactants. What are the benefits of using this fertilizer and the superior Fertigator systems? Using this spoon-feeding method of irrigation, plants can thrive in a nutrient-rich and environmentally clean area. There are no chemicals to compromise the quality of plants. Because of the presence of nitrogen, plants grow with stronger roots and are not as susceptible to diseases. Plants also grown lightly, with not too much growth on top, could be a sign of overfeeding.

Just Words...

kittyp — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:13:45 +0000

I always get accused of being “citified”. I readily admit this to be true. I haven’t ever run around town without shoes or fallen into a huckleberry patch or chewed on the end of a piece of hay while floating on some homemade raft while the cicadas swarm overhead. I’ve never had occasion to make out in a hay loft and run from a farmer’s pitchfork. I don’t like bugs – least of all, the bitey, stingy kind. I do, however, watch shows like Survivorman or Man v. Wild and think to myself, by gum, I think I could survive. I do – and I’ve mentioned this in previous posts. I have complete confidence in my survival skills. I know not to sweat too much. This will pose a problem for me. You’re not supposed to sweat or you’ll lose vital body liquids and will dehydrate and maybe even catch hypothermia – weather providing. But I digress. Being called citified is some kind of a put down. It means you’re lame. I was called citified recently – right before a country lady with a pig thrust a stranger baby in my arms and told me I looked like a natural.

My friend Grover grew up in Marietta, some small town outside Hotlanta. It’s right next to a big chicken statue, I guess. Sometimes he says some strange things. I decided I had to make an inventory of these weird words. It all started with rooty toot.

Rooty toot. n. The cardboard tube inside a roll of paper towels or toilet paper.

Ok..WTF.

Really? I do like it though – very colorful. Sounds fruity and strangely thirst-quenching. Here are a few more:

Rain bird. n. Lawn sprinklers that rotate and spit water.

Donkey dick. n. The spout on a gas can. (As per Grover’s wife’s suggestion, a call will soon be placed to a Georgia hardware store to verify this technical term)

Snake doctor. n. A dragonfly.

Titty biscuits. n. 1. Smegma. 2. Funky dirty skin pills that form on the body when one is unshowered and basically pretty grimy.

All nouns all the time. Anyhow, I’ve always been sort of enchanted by the way southerners talk. They’re very colorful people. They don’t just say, “it’s hot in here.” No. They say, “it’s hotter’n two rats humping in a wool sock.” A gal isn’t just “unattractive.” No. “She’s so ugly, she makes a train want to take a dirt road.” There are a lot of these, you see. Hyperbole. Exaggeration. Suddenly everything in life is far more exciting. I think we need to spice up our use of the English language. Remember when they tried to get ebonics recognized as a language in California schools? It didn’t really get very far, otherwise, shoot, I’d have an advanced ebonics degree by now. Damn you Bill Cosby!

The other night Mario had us watch a wonderful and uplifting HBO documentary called “Cat Dancers.” Sounds cute right? Sounds sweet and full of cutesy little fluffballs in stupid costumes and maybe people like me making them dance like idiots, right? Not so much. Basically, it was the most gut-wrenching shit I’ve ever had to sit and watch. Mario is scarred as well. Basically, dancer boy meets dancer girl. Boy moves away to New York; girl soon follows. Boy and girl get real famous doing adagio acrobatic dance. But they need to take it to the next level, of course. So, they decide to incorporate wild cats like panthers and tigers into their routines. This, obviously, proves to be a massive, fatal mistake. These people apparently crave spice. Girl (well, at this point, old lady) finds some young hunky circus conductor to join their act—on stage and between the sheets! Yes. This is a true story. They also get some exotic white tiger but these jerks tend to be inbred and a little nuts and prone to violence.

Of course the tiger attacks the young hunky circus conductor and kills him dead. And five weeks later, the now suicidal old woman (who has since decided to quit eating and bathing) gets killed by the same jerky tiger. The old man (who is super fond of wearing really bad wigs) is now left alone with no love and no animals and at the end, the animal preserve that had housed his remaining cats goes under and he euthanizes them. It was not a happy movie. I think we had to turn on something funny to try to undo that whole trauma. On that note…happy new year!

Leaking Birds

Luis Vasquez — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:40:25 +0000

Who isn’t familiar with the Rain Bird 1800 series pop up spray head? It’s a black plastic sprinkler that has a pop up stem with a nozzle on top. While you many not know them by name, you definitely have seen them somewhere at some time. If you haven’t, then you need to get out more. We have thousands upon thousands of these heads spread across all of our properties. It’s been the most commonly used sprinkler over the past 15 years. These were fantastic heads when they first came out. They replaced the old inefficient Champion brass heads that everyone was using at the time.

However; as time went on we began to notice two recurring problems with this product. First, we started to see split seams. Along the side of the 1800 is a seam that would split when there was too much pressure to the head. We’ve replaced many of these sprinklers due to this problem. The second and more serious issue is due to the deteriorating plastic around the stem. There is a white plastic ring around the stem on what is called the cover. It is designed to create a seal so the head will not leak when it pops up. Over time this plastic begins to degrade and eventually the head would leak. If enough heads leaked on a circuit, it would cause a severe pressure loss.

We’ve replaced more of these covers than I would ever care to count. We buy bags of 25 at a time and they never seem to last. While the cover itself is inexpensive. The labor in replacing these is not. We began to notice this problem more than 10 years ago. I spoke to a Rain Bird representative about the problem and he told me that they were aware of it.

Apparently the plastic resin they had used was susceptible to sunlight. He said that they had come up with a new resin that was much more durable and that it was being used in all the new heads. This was approximately 10 years ago! However, even to this day we continue to replace these heads. For many years we all continued to use the Rain Bird heads because there was no real alternative until recently. This contributed to the problem.

During a meeting with a supplier of mine I mentioned these issues to him. He was also aware of the problems and recommended the Hunter Pro-Spray as an alternative. Basically the same sprinkler with a few important changes.

First, no side seam! This eliminates the problems we’ve had with the Rain Bird heads splitting at the seams. Second, the plastic around the stem doesn’t deteriorate with sunlight. We’ve never replaced a Hunter head for this problem. The stem will accept a Rain Bird nozzle so we were able to use our existing stock. It’s a top notch product. If you have a need for a commercial grade pop up spray head, I highly recommend the Hunter Pro-Sprays over the Rain Bird 1800′s.