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Industry Resources

Business

U. S. Small Business Administration and its counseling services, including SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives).

Taxes

State income, withholding, and estimated taxes; sales and use tax; employer identification number

  • Georgia Department of Revenue
    270 Washington St SW
    Atlanta, Georgia 30334
    404-656-4015

Federal income, withholding, and estimated taxes

  • Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
    404-522-0050

Cost estimating and job bidding

Available through the Georgia Urban Ag Council

  • Hort Scape: For Landscape Installers
  • Hort Management: For Landscape Managers
  • Cost Estimator & Job Bidding Software

Available from Professional Grounds Management Society, 720 Light Street, Baltimore, MD, 21230-3816, Ph: 410/223-2861

  • Grounds Maintenance Estimating Guidelines
  • Grounds Maintenance Management Guidelines
  • Grounds Management Forms and Job Descriptions

Available from Nilsson Associates, 374 Hart St., Southington, CT 06489

  • Labor Time Data Handbook
    • Information on how to bid contracts and labor times for various services, both installation and maintenance.

Pricing for the Green Industry (2nd Edition)

  • by Frank Ross for PLANET
  • Written by one of the nation’s most highly regarded green industry consultants, this popular pricing publication features hands-on explanations, how-to examples and formats, and more insight into how to deal with today’s competition. Topics include packaging your prices, valid pricing methods, and the tools you need to price successfully.
  • (1997, 200 pages)

The Complete Estimating Book (3rd Edition)

  • by Charles Vander Kooi
  • Wouldn’t you like an effective system for setting prices that are fair and profitable? This book provides just that, and you’ll also learn about the importance of a strategy, different methods to allocation overhead, production rates, contracts and change orders, work flow, overhead recovery, equipment costs, and much more.
  • (2004, 141 pages)

Training

Super Crew Employee Training Videos, UGA Cooperative Extension Service

  • The following employee training videos are available in both English and Spanish and come with an instructor’s manual that includes discussion questions and multiple choice exam: Order through the Georgia Urban Ag Council. $49.95 each.
    • Annual Bed Preparation and Installation
    • Equipment Use, Safety and Field Maintenance
    • Job Safety for the Professional Landscape Employee
    • Making Every Drop Count: the Employee’s role in Water Conservation
    • Planting Procedures for Woody Ornamentals
    • Installation and Establishment of Turfgrass
    • Quality Landscape Management:
    • The Employee’s Role
    • The Employee’s Role in Landscape Problem Solving 

Trade associations

Plant and pest info

University of Georgia

Other universities

Recommended books

  • A Field Guide to Woody Landscape Plants in the Southeast
    The author is long-time horticulture instructor Rex Bishop, who is now Vice President for Economic Development at Chattahoochee Technical College. This book is a pictorial guide to identifying woody landscape plants in the southeast. ISBN: 0-725343-0-X
  • Armitage’s Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-hardy Perennials
    Written by Dr. Allan Armitage of the UGA Dept. of Horticulture, this book contains over 500 pages on identifying characteristics and cultivars of most herbaceous plants found in southeastern landscapes. Timber Press, Inc., ISBN: 0-88192-505-5
  • Armitage’s Garden Perennials: A Color Encylopedia
    A pictorial guide to perennials. Timber Press, ISBN:0-88192-435-0
  • Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
    Written by Dr. Michael Dirr of the UGA Dept. of Horticulture, this book is a companion pictorial book to Dr. Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Over 400 pages of photos and descriptions of common landscape plants. Also includes reference tables on plants for different landscape situations (i.e. full sun, shade, fragrant flowers, fall color etc.), Timber Press, ISBN 0-88192-404-0
  • Pruning and Training: A Fully Illustrated Plant by Plant Manual
    By Christopher Brickell and David Joyce, the nice thing about this how-to book is that it is loaded with illustrations on how to prune trees, shrubs, vines, roses and fruiting plants in the landscape. DK Publishing, ISBN: 1-56458-331-7
  • Month-By-Month Gardening in the South By Don Hastings
    This is a what to do when in the landscape book for the calender year. A good basic reference. Published by Longstreet Press. ISBN 1-56352-329-9
  • Georgia Gardener’s Guide by Walter Reeves and Erica Glasener
    An easy to understand basic book on landscape plants and how to’s.
    Published by Cool Springs Press. ISBN 1-59186-044-X
  • Allan Armitage’s Photo-Library of Herbaceous Plants on CD-ROM.
    Available from Plant America, P.O. Box 589, Locust Valley, NY 11560, Ph:1-888-Plant CD, web site: ww.plantamerica.com
  • Michael Dirr’s Photo-Library of Woody Landscape Plants on CD-ROM.
    Available from Plant America, P.O. Box 589, Locust Valley, NY 11560, Ph:1-888-Plant CD, web site: ww.plantamerica.com

Other publications

Vander Kooi and Associates

  • Books, tapes, videos, magazines

R. S. Means Company, Inc.

  • Construction cost information

American Nursery and Landscape Association

  • Reports, guides, handbooks

J. R. Huston Enterprises, Inc.

  • Business management, pricing

UGA AG Business Office

  • Rm. 215, Conner Hall, the University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. Make check payable to Cooperative Extension Service. Please provide complete shipping address when ordering – can not ship to P.O. Box.
  • Pest management, plant and reptile ID

Trade magazines

Most offer both online and print versions; many are free to landscape professionals.