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Trees: Growing a Forest at Ground Zero

Posted by Chris Sabbarese on Wed, Jul, 09, 2014 @ 03:07 AM

On 9/11, 2001 the whole world stopped to watch in horror, the events that took place at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Flight 93.  After the twin towers fell, the massive business center hub was reduced to rubble and became known as Ground Zero. Having been devoid of life in the years since the attacks, trees now stand in sections of the space, bringing renewed life and hope to all who visit the 9/11 Memorial.

911 Tree Memorial on landscapechat

Following the amazing journey of the lone surviving tree to the introduction of the 9/11 forest into the Ground Zero, producer/ director Scott Elliot has been documenting the story. Audiences will see the planning and building of this truly remarkable forest which took place over the past 5 years.  His documentary, Trees: Growing a Forest at Ground Zero is schedule for release in November 2014 and it's our topic on this week's #landscapechat!

You're Invited to Tweet 

Join @CoronaTools along with chat partner and host, Andrew Spiering, a landscape designer and founder of @Land8. Joining the discussion will be producer/director of @TheTreesFilmScott Elliott. The live chat begins Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at 11 a.m. PST / 2 p.m. EST.  This is the Twitter chat where we come together with green industry experts and fellow landscape tweeps, each week to discuss all things related to landscape, since 2011.

Discussion Overview

Documentary Overview - Discover what this incredible story and journey is about and the stars who bring it and the hallowed ground back to life. 

Documenting the Process  - Explore how this documentary came about from the producer/ director and will bring this piece of the 9/11 Memorial site into the spotlight.

Design and Construction - Hear about those involved in the project and their featured roles in the film. 

Bringing the Film to Everyone  -  Learn about how where you can see the film when it's released and take part in supporting the film so that many others can enjoy and benefit from it. 

Join the Conversation

Corona Tools Landscapechat

Don’t miss out on this exciting topic and join the conversation via Twitter. Just sign into #landscapechat with your Twitter ID and you can follow the conversation and share with the community. Be sure to add the hashtag to all your tweets or join us in the landscapechat room on Tweetchat.  They will automatically add it for you and it's easy to watch the conversation as it happens!

If you do miss the live event, you can still access the Storify recap, accessible 24/7 that will be posted following the live chat. The transcript includes all the information and links shared during the discussion. 

About Landscapechat

Connect and share with the green industry leaders live on Twitter and 24/7 to learn and share about hot topics in the green industry. Now landscapechat is part of the Green Industry Leaders Network (GILN) presented by Corona and its partners.  We are an alliance of professional organizations who are advancing the horticulture, tree care, and landscaping industries.  Register now to get weekly updates of upcoming chats, links to transcripts, chat reminders and more!  Register now on the GILN website!

9/11 Memorial photo featured in Scott Elliot documentary

Topics: #Landscapechat, sustainability, Urban Forests

LoveYourLandscape.com on #Landscapechat with Corona Tools

Posted by Chris Sabbarese on Tue, Feb, 18, 2014 @ 18:02 PM
LoveYourLandscape 2 19 14

While winter storms keep pounding the northeast late into the season, southern states like California and Florida are basking in 80F weather.  Let's face it, no mater where you live, folks are looking forward to warmer days when they can get outside to enjoy the Spring and some time in their gardens and landscapes.  It's time to think about showing your landscape some love!  Whether cleaning up after winter storm damage or doing some late-winter pruning on your trees, this is the perfect time to start planning that perfect landscape.  And PLANET has all the resources you need to inspire or help you find a certified professional to make a landscape paradise that you will love all year long.

You're Invited to Tweet 

Join @CoronaTools #landscapechat as we team up with @PLANET2005 Director of Public Relations, Lisa Schaumann, who will lead the Q & A via Twitter on February 19 at 11 a.m. PST/ 2 p.m. EST.   Lisa will introduce PLANET's consumer website, LoveYourLandscape.com and explore it's vast recources available to everyone. 

Discussion Overview

 There are five key takeaways that will be covered during the live chat. 

  • LoveYourLandscape.com Overview - Get information from the experts to help people care for their lawn & landscape, including lawn Care Tips, tree care tips and seasonal care tips. 

  • Designing Your Landscape Oasis - Find design tips such as outdoor living, pet-friendly yards, outdoor lighting and water features. 

  • Help for DIYer - Learn about creating sustainable landscapes from the pros who know with info including, water saving tips and information on green roofs.

  • Locating a Certified Landscape Pro: Discover what to look for when hiring and information on LandscapeIndustry Certified Professionals.

  • Bringing the Outdoors In - Understand the benefits of landscapes and indoor plants, including improved physical and mental health and benefits of indoor plants for homeowners and in commercial buildings.

PLANET, Professional Landcare Network, is the national trade association representing more than 100,000 landscape industry professionals, who create and maintain healthy, green living spaces for communities across America. PLANET members are committed to the highest standards in industry education, best practices, and business professionalism.

Join the Conversation

Don’t miss out on this exciting topic and join the conversation via Twitter. Just sign into #landscapechat with your Twitter ID and you can follow the conversation and share with the community. Be sure to add the hastag to all your tweets or join us on the landscapechat Nurph channel that adds it for you and provides 24/7 access to past chat replays!

If you do miss the live event, you can still access the Storify recap, accessible 24/7 that will be posted following the live chat. The transcript includes all the information and links shared during the discussion. 

Topics: Corona Tools, #Landscapechat, sustainability, #Landscapechat PLANET LoveYourLandscape.com, consumer

Corona Tools Welcomes Rodale Institute to Landscapechat

Posted by Chris Sabbarese on Tue, Jan, 14, 2014 @ 17:01 PM

Rodale Institute Joins Landscapechat

CoronaTools landscapechat RodaleWhat do call it when you cross people who are passionate about organic principles and sustainability, with a 333-acre farm in Kutztown, PA? Why the Rodale Institute, of course!

For more than 60 years the Rodale Institute has been researching the best practices of organic agriculture. Not only do they share their findings with farmers and scientists from around the world, they will share some of what they do, on this week’s #landscapechat community.

Chat LIVE on Twitter

Join @CoronaTools and #landscapechat co-partner, Aaron Kinsman, media relations specialist @RodaleInstitute as we introduce them to chat and how their research projects are working to provide organic and sustainable landscapes everywhere.

The live chat begins 1/15/14 at 11AM PST via Twitter, where we come together with green industry experts and fellow landscape tweeps each week to discuss all things related to landscape, since 2011!

Discussion Overview

Some of the key takeaways that will be covered during the live chat include;

CoronaTools landscapechatRodale Institute Overview: Understand the principles that the institute was founded on and why the organization was formed. 

Sharing Research Findings: Hear about some of the ways they share their extensive research finding with the world based on tried and true, organic and sustainable policies. 

Research Projects: Learn what projects are in the works and how they can be applied to the green industry. 

Excellence in Leadership: Rodale shares it’s insight on the team that helps make the institute an authority on organic and sustainable best-practices.

Join the Conversation

Don’t miss out on this exciting topic as we welcome the Rodale Institute to the #landscapechat community! It's easy to join the conversation via Twitter by searching for the #landscapechat hashtag.

If you do miss the chat, you can still access the Storify recap, accessible 24/7 that will be posted following the live chat. The transcript includes all the information and links shared during the discussion.

Come share with us on this great introduction and we look forward to chatting with you live on #landscapechat!

Topics: #Landscapechat, landscape, Landscaping, sustainability

5 Easy Garden Projects for Memorial Day Weekend

Posted by Chris Sabbarese on Thu, May, 23, 2013 @ 10:05 AM

Memorial Day weekend is time to raise the stars and stripes and to honor the American service men and women who gave their lives while defending our freedom. It’s also the first long holiday weekend in Spring and a time when many Americans take advantage of the extra day off to get projects done. We’ve put together a list of 5 garden and landscape projects that are easy to start and finish over the weekend.

Set Up a Compost Pile

Corona Tools composterOne of the best things you can do for your garden is to save your brown and green wastes and make nutrient-rich and organic soil right in your backyard. Whether you use a readymade composter or put together a basic cage, your plants and vegetables will love it. It so simple to do and it’s always a good time to get started. Check out the Organic Gardening website for some great composting tips.

Check Sprinklers for Leaks

corona tools leakWhile you’re out in the yard this weekend, do a quick check for any leaking sprinkler heads. A leaky sprinkler is easy to spot, whether a gusher or that slow and steady leak that keeps the sidewalk wet, it’s an easy weekend fix. Sprinkler heads can wear out over time so it good to check them periodically and replace them when you detect a leak. It will save you some green on your monthly water bill and help to conserve water.

Mulching Planters

corona tool wheelbarrowAs summer months get hotter and drier plants need to maintain proper hydration. Many people think that means add longer watering cycles, however, spreading a layer of mulch is a much better option. Mulch will help keep moisture in the soil and prevents weed growth which means more moisture for your plants and less watering. Just think of what you can do with the time saved weeding and money saved watering!

Organizing Your Garden Tools

corona tools organizeHow many times have you headed out to the garden and realized you’ve misplaced the tool you need? You spend 30 minutes looking for it, give up and have to run to your local garden center to find a replacement. The long weekend is a great time to organize your tool shed to maximize your space, make it easy to find and store your tools, and easy to spot when something is missing which helps remind you to replace your tools when finished. There are many racks available in local hardware stores, a simple peg board and hooks or come up a creative way to organize them. And next time you head outside you will be so glad you did!


Green Up the Yard

corona tools epaDuring the long weekend it’s a great time to assess how efficient your garden and landscape is. If you are putting new plants in this season, look for native species that require less water. Ensure that your lawn mower is adjusted to its highest setting which helps to reduce the amount of water needed to keep it green. Or add a smart controller to your irrigation system to automatically turn off the system during rainy days. You’ll spend less in water while conserving this precious resource. And for more great ideas to green up your yard, spend some time this weekend on the EPA WaterSense website to learn how to make your landscape greener.

There you have it…Corona Tools' 5 easy projects to get your yard and tool shed into shape this weekend! All things that you can complete in a weekend, cost you a little time or a few pennies, and guaranteed to reward you all season long. These are just a few ideas, what kinds of garden projects are on your list?

Topics: landscape, gardening, sustainability, planting, tools, watering

Corona Tools GroBot Giveaway

Posted by Chris Sabbarese on Tue, Jul, 17, 2012 @ 17:07 PM
Corona Tools GroBotLast month I did a post about a fun project I did with my daughter during her last week of 2nd grade.  It was so much fun (and educational) that Corona decided it might make for a fun giveaway to our friends and followers throughout our social networks.  It’s a great project that anyone can do, costs you virtually nothing, helps the environment and it might just win you a $200 personalized shopping spree on coronatoolsusa.com!

What is a GroBot

A GroBot, is made up of at least 90% recycled materials; bottles, cans, wood, paper, plastic…you name it.  If it can be recycled, you can use it to build your GroBot.  When completed they should be 24” or less, have at least one container to support a plant, and able to stand on its own.  And most importantly, a GroBot requires some creativity so let you imagination run wild on this one.  

Rules for Building Your GroBot

Begin by raiding your recycle bin and cranking up your imagination.  You’ll be surprised how even the simplest recyclables can make a cool GroBot.  Use things like nuts and bolts, hot melt glue, string, etc. to hold everything together.  As long as it meets the definition of a GroBot mentioned above, you are good to go to enter it in the GroBot giveaway.

Entering Your GroBot in the Giveaway on Pinterest

Once you have your GroBot put together, it’s time to share your inner-creativeness and share it with the world.  Just click the button below for the details whether you are on Pinterest or not.

Enter the Giveaway

GroBot Giveaway Details
  • You can enter one or more GroBot on the Pinterest board between 7/17 through 8/15/12.
  • The entry with the most repins and comments on 8/16 will win the $200 personalized shopping spree on coronatoolsusa.com.
  • The $200 includes shipping costs to any continental US address, AK & HI
But don’t put off building your GroBot!  The sooner you post your entry, the more likely you are to get more people to pin or comment on your post and the more likely you are to win!  Feel free to enjoy the project with your kids and teach them a little about recycling along the way (they won’t know they are learning…) or do it yourself just to test your creativity and ingenuity.

Most importantly, it gives you the opportunity to think about how many items we use and recycle each day and our impact on the Earth’s environment. Let’s all find a way to reuse some of the trash we produce and together we can all make a difference, one small GroBot at a time.

Topics: Corona Tools, gardening, sustainability, planting, recycling

What a 2nd Grader Can Teach Us About Sustainable Gardening

Posted by Chris Sabbarese on Wed, Jun, 27, 2012 @ 11:06 AM
Just before the school year ended, my daughter received a fun project from her 2nd Grade teacher.  The assignment was aimed at teaching kids about recycling and how they can be stewards of the environment.  Each student was asked to build a robot made of recycled materials and write a story about their “recyclobot”.Corona Tools Growbot

Meet Tom the Grobot

We stated putting aside all of our bottles, cans and anything else that could have been used to make a recyclobot.  Once we had plenty of items to choose from, I helped my daughter put some of the items together as outlined in the assignment.  It was at that point, my daughter’s 8 year old imagination kicked into overdrive.  She decided she wanted her recyclobot to be a “grobot”.  Okay to be fair, she had just watched the movie Wall-e, but she decided she wanted her recyclobot to be able to grow something inside of it and further challenge her dad! But I liked that she was giving 200% to her assignment so I went with it.

She developed and wrote her story about Tom the Grobot, and I helped put him together.  I thought why not push the envelope and teach her a little bit about sustainability in the garden while I was at it? I thought I would utilize some of the knowledge I impart from our weekly #landscapechat and introduce her to the concept of collecting rain water and proper irrigation techniques.  Tom was not only made of 95% recycled materials (the other 5% were some HotWheels borrowed from my son) but he was designed to harvest rain water and to water the tomato plants he was nurturing.

Corona Tools Growbot Story 2Corona Tools Growbot Story1

The Grobot Story

My daughter came up with an amazing story about Tom the Grobot and Doug the Dumpster.  And when she presented it to her class, both her story and Tom got the biggest round of applause from the classroom.  What impressed me the most was at 8 years old she understands the importance of; recycling, its impact to our landfills, a broad concept of sustainability and turning trash into something that gives back fresh grown food.

I loved what she came up with so much that I decided it would make a great blog post and awesome project to work on with kids this summer.  So start saving those bottles and cans share your creativity with us on Corona Tools Facebook!


Topics: Corona Tools, gardening, sustainability, Summer, tools, recycling, Kids

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