Here’s our weekly digest of articles, images and generally cool stuff from the web. Enjoy, and have a great weekend.

• Build your sales pipeline.
• Using sound to build a garden.
• Native plant bingo with CLCA.
• How to irrigate a slope.
• Bummer: Why trees can’t grow taller than 300 feet.
• Employee addiction.
• They’ve got a bit of universe conflation here, but this is pretty good.
• Above: GIFs of plant leaves withering.

I had a great talk today with Richard Restuccia, director of water management solutions at ValleyCrest Co., and a contributor to Lawn & Landscape magazine.

We talked about California’s water conversation in Landscaping Act of 2006, which took effect in 2010.

So why, you may ask, are we discussing state-specific legislation that was enacted two years ago? Well, apart from the fact that I think Richard is just really smart and I just enjoy talking with him, California’s AB 1881 is an example of how legislation seen my many as a threat to the industry could really be an opportunity for contractors. And, as water supplies become more scarce and intense drought becomes more normal, these kinds of regulations are going to spread from California to the rest of the country.

You’ll be able to hear our conversation later this week on the Lawn Care Radio Network.

If you can’t wait, you can read more of Richard here, and ValleyCrest Takes On.

Regardless of your service mix, water has an impact on your business. And, in a world of weirder weather, increasingly tight supplies and even tighter regulations, water is one of the most important resources for anyone in the green industry.

So, to help our readers stay on top of the issue, we’ve brought on the very talented Richard Restuccia, Martha Golea and Alan Harris – all contributors to the must-read ValleyCrest Takes On. Based in San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta, respectively, our three latest contributors will address the most important and pressing issues pertaining to water for the average landscape contractor.

I’m excited to work with these three writers, and proud to bring them to the L&L readers. Stay tuned for your October issue (hitting newsstands soon!) for Richard’s inaugural piece on the future of water, and what landscape contractors need to do now to make sure they’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to increasing regulations. In November, Alan will discuss the seven reasons people hate irrigation systems.

But, if you can’t wait for the mail, you have a few chances to see us in real life.

This week, the team is on the road at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas, where they’re discussing best practices on social media. If you can’t make it out west, we’ll all be at the IA Show in Orlando in early November and you can catch us there.

Special in from Richard Restuccia today is his review of “Watershed,” the latest documentary of water in the American west. Narrated by Robert Redford, the film tells the story of the Colorado River and what the future holds for the most important water resource west of the Mississippi.

Saturday was the film’s Southwest U.S Premier; the sold out event packed The Water Conservation Garden amphitheater at Cuyamaca College. Watershed is one of the best films I have seen about water and definitely hits its goal of making water interesting to consumers. …

This is not only a must-see water management winner, but a great human interest story, too. So if you get a chance to see the movie, I wouldn’t miss it. You don’t have to be a water conservationist to enjoy it.

You can read the full review at ValleyCrest Takes On.

Tomorrow has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to free education. Here are three webinars on offer for you covering a wide range of topics.

Lucky for you, the start times are staggered so you (or your staff) can listen in to all three.

1. The new Facebook

The latest upgrade to the most popular social network automatically goes into effect on March 30 is a big deal for businesses. This webinar, hosted by Lawn & Landscape magazine and presented by social media consultant Chris Heiler, will cover all of the upcoming Facebook page design changes and functionality upgrades. We’ll discuss what is most relevant and important to your green industry business so you’re ready next week.

When: Friday, noon Eastern

Click here to register.

2. Creating Water-wise Community Wins

Taking a proactive, sustainable approach to water stewardship and conservation, Seven Hills HOA Board Members have created a water-wise green oasis for 3,000 homes in Henderson, Nevada. Partnering with ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance to upgrade irrigation systems across the desert community’s common areas and streetscapes with efficient sprinkler heads and internet-enabled WeatherTRAK smart irrigation controllers, Seven Hills has saved more than 45 million gallons of water since June 2010.

Presented By:

• Dr. Joel Davidson, Board Member, Seven Hills HOA, Henderson, Nevada
• Richard Restuccia, Director, Water Management Solutions, ValleyCrest
• Chris Manchuck, Vice President, HydroPoint

When: Friday, 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern

Click here to register.

3. Boxwood Blight Update
Boxwood Blight (Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum) is a new plant disease to the United States, having first been confirmed in the October, 2011. The disease can cause significant defoliation and branch dieback to infected plants. Most of what we know about the disease is from research done in Europe where the disease was first discovered in the early 1990s. However, recent work in the U.S. has shed additional light on disease diagnosis, its reproductive potential and host range. Learn what the scientific community currently knows about this problematic disease and the research priorities they have identified.

When: Friday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern

Click here to register.

Here’s our weekly collection of cool stuff. This one’s got Fibonacci in it!

• A quick guide on how to calculate water use and loss.
• The forgetable equipment in your garage.
• Better than networking: connecting.
• And the next level: How to be remembered.
• Are you an idea monkey?
• Above: Spirals, Fibonacci and the beautiful math of plants. (via @aquatrols)

Here’s the latest cool stuff we found online this week. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

• A good national round-up of water headlines from @EwingIrrigation
• The difference between PR and advertising.
• The secret formula for great customer service.
• Jeff Korhan on personal vs. business social media accounts.
• Design inspiration from Burle Marx.
• Richard Restuccia will speak on how to green your grounds program next week.
• Stewcare has a pretty robust YouTube channel.
• Above: How Bill Murray, tuxedos and a network of chubby rodents made Groundhog Day a national holiday.

Here’s some of the best stuff our editors have found on the Internet this week.

• Plant-able 2012 calendars would make a great gift for your customers this holiday season.
• Do lighting? Send your holiday lighting photos to ValleyCrest by Dec. 14 and they’ll donate trees to American Forests.
• Auburn University seeks input on changes to Toomer’s Corners rolling tradtion. (via: http://gibsonlandscape.typepad.com/)
• Related: Auburn horticulture professors haven’t seen much change in the trees in the last month.
• If you’re a fan of water-wise landscapes, check out Alan Phair’s Long Beach garden. (via @SaveOurWater)
• Santa Ana winds topple trees at the L.A. Arboretum.
• Improve your sales in just two hours a week!
• Houston landscaper enters firewood business to profit from drought. (via @ReedConstrData)
• Above: Awesome seed-to-plant time-lapse videos.

Even if you don’t live in Southern California, water is a big deal. Ever try growing grass without it?

ValleyCrest recently launched a blog on water management. It’s (naturally) well-designed and has a list of contributors that any contractor would be wise to follow: Richard Restuccia, Kelly Duke and Eric Santos, just to name a few.

Ostensibly, the blog is for property managers and other folks ValleyCrest courts for work, but it’s also a great resource for landscape contractors and designers who want to learn more about water use and how it impacts not only their business, but the business of their own customers.

They’ve arranged their content into four areas: innovation, trends, technology and resources, so there’s something for everyone – from the very technical to the less so. So even if it’s raining today – or maybe if it’s raining today – where you are, take a minute and check it out.