What are the key ingredients for making a great arboricultural salesperson? I have seen surefire, can’t-miss candidates crash on the rocks of life. On the other hand, I’ve seen people I thought had no shot become stars. I have had [...]

A "stolen" seedling. All photos courtesy of the author. I was a few years into my career, working for Olde Colonial Tree and Landscape, then in Dedham, now in Hingham, Massachusetts, when the owner and my first mentor, [...]

For many years, shears have been the popular choice for trimming shrubs. Whether performed by a homeowner, a landscaper or an arborist, shearing is faster and easier, and it seems like the logical choice. The problem with electric shears is, [...]

As a hard-core, self-proclaimed tree nerd, I love to talk, read and write about all aspects of tree care. I guess you may be guilty of the same obsession if you are reading this. Unfortunately, most people aren’t. Most of [...]

  A mentor of mine would always say to me, “You are what you put up with. You are not your safest job, you are your least safe job. You’re not your best employee, you are your worst. You [...]