Rooted in Innovation

California keeps getting hotter and drier, and the rules for how much water a landscape can use are changing with it. For landscape architects, that means recalculating water budgets, rethinking turf and finding plants that hold up to the climate while still feeling lush and inviting to the people who use the space.

Dionisio Roman and Ethan Hartzel sit down with Greg Ross, founder of Contour Landscape Architecture and a lecturer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, to talk about how he balances code, water and beauty on projects ranging from backyard gardens to 92-unit townhome developments. Greg shares how California’s updated evapotranspiration numbers caught him by surprise, why artificial turf rarely solves the problem it promises to, and how he uses “rings of influence” to blend pure natives with hybrids on sensitive coastal sites.

The conversation also takes an honest look at what native planting really means today, how to design for color in every season and what the next generation of landscape architects needs to learn in the field. If you design, install or care for landscapes and want a smarter way to think about native species and water use, this episode is for you.

Timecodes:

00:00 – 01:40 | Welcome and Meet Greg Ross
01:40 – 04:44 | Early Roots: Nurseries, Palms and Cal Poly
04:44 – 07:22 | Why a Small Firm Shaped His Career
07:22 – 08:58 | Opening a Firm and Teaching During COVID
08:58 – 13:02 | California’s ETo Update and the New Appendix C
13:02 – 15:02 | Code Expertise and Using AI to Sort the Fine Print
15:02 – 18:22 | Spending Water Where People Actually Gather
18:22 – 21:03 | Nonfunctional Turf and the Artificial Turf Problem
21:03 – 24:42 | Resilient Lawns and the Barefoot Test
24:42 – 28:48 | Right Plant, Right Place Over Native-Only Design
28:48 – 32:42 | Hybrids, Cultivars and Summer Dormancy
32:42 – 35:31 | Rings of Influence on a 22-Acre Coastal Site
35:31 – 39:02 | Planning Color Across Every Season
39:02 – 43:23 | Design as a Lifelong Practice and Starting by Hand
43:23 – 50:49 | Teaching Over Zoom and Getting Students Into the Field
50:49 – 52:39 | Wrap-Up and How to Reach Greg

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com
Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn
Connect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedIn
Connect with Greg Ross on LinkedIn
Contact Greg at Contour Landscape Architecture: [email protected]
Follow Tree Staple on LinkedIn: [LinkedIn URL: add before publishing]

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Most CAD software wasn't built with landscape architects in mind. In this episode of Rooted in Innovation, host Dionisio Roman, joined by Ethan Hartzel, sits down with Jake Lott, an 11-year member of the Land F/X team who now also teaches AutoCAD for Environmental Design at Utah State, to unpack Land F/X's origin story (built by a landscape architect and his programmer son, now CEO), how a user-driven "wish list" process turns trade-show feedback into shipped features within weeks, where 2D and 3D workflows are headed as Revit still lacks real irrigation functionality, and where AI genuinely fits into landscape design software, from Land F/X's new support assistant Leah and AI-generated plant imagery to why Jake argues AI can speed up a designer's workflow but can't replace the judgment at the center of the job.

Timecodes:

00:00 – 01:10 | Cold Open and Introducing Jake Lott

01:10 – 01:43 | Episode Roadmap: Land F/X, Feedback Loops, and AI

01:43 – 03:48 | Jake's Path From a Landscaping Family to Utah State

03:48 – 05:07 | What Land F/X Actually Is

05:07 – 06:41 | The Workflow Gaps Standard CAD Leaves for Landscape Architects

06:41 – 08:53 | Built By a Landscape Architect and His Son: The Land F/X Origin Story

08:53 – 10:42 | Turning User Requests Into Custom Symbols and a 56,000-Plant Database

10:42 – 12:31 | Scaling to 9,000 Licenses on the Back of Support

12:31 – 14:02 | From Trade-Show Ask to Shipped Feature in Two Weeks

14:02 – 15:14 | Inside the Feature Wish List Process

15:14 – 19:28 | Teaching AutoCAD and the Origin of "Genius Hour"

19:28 – 22:46 | Why Understanding Tools Under the Hood Still Matters

22:46 – 24:51 | Land F/X as a Lead Source and Using the Right Tool for the Job

24:51 – 26:16 | Teaching the Math Before You Teach the Calculator

26:16 – 30:36 | 2D, 3D, and Where Revit Falls Short for Irrigation Design

30:36 – 36:49 | Jake's Many Hats: Support, Training Videos, and the Excel Analogy

36:49 – 40:19 | Why AI Won't Replace the Designer

40:19 – 42:50 | Meet Leah and AI-Generated Plant Imagery With Nano Banana

42:50 – 44:45 | AI as a Design Assistant, Not an Artist

44:45 – 47:47 | Manufacturer Partnerships and What's Next for Landscape Tech

47:47 – 48:50 | Closing and Where to Find Land F/X

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com

Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn

Connect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedIn
Connect with Jake Lott on LinkedIn

Connect with Land F/X on LinkedIn

Learn more about LandFX: https://www.landfx.com/

Listen to the Land F/X CEO's podcast episode on AI: https://www.landfx.com/news/podcasts/7821-tool-or-takeover-ai-in-landscape-architecture

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Most cities manage their urban forests on gut instinct and aging data, and on this episode of Rooted in Innovation, presented by Tree Staple, host Dionisio Roman talks with Josh Behounek, a 25-year consulting arborist at Davey Tree Expert Company, about how that's changing. Josh explains how Davey's partnership with tech company Greehill uses LiDAR scanning and AI to build a full digital twin of a city's tree canopy, why leaf area index and percent dieback have become the strongest predictors of a tree's health, and how a two-year rescan cycle is finally giving city foresters a closed feedback loop on their removal and pruning decisions. The conversation also covers what it takes to build a 20-year urban forest master plan that survives a change in city administration, with real examples from Pittsburgh, Knoxville, Louisville, and Atlanta. If you manage green infrastructure for a city or just want to understand the strategy behind the trees lining your streets, this episode lays it out.

Timecodes:
00:01 – 02:10 | Meet Josh Behounek: 25 Years at Davey Tree's Consulting Division
02:10 – 04:30 | From Pen and Paper to GIS Maps: A Brief History of Tree Inventories
04:30 – 07:41 | Building Smart Tree Inventory: The Microsoft Grant That Started It All
07:41 – 11:31 | The Real Cost of Outdated Data for City Foresters
11:31 – 14:40 | Inside the Scan: LiDAR Hardware, the Greehill Partnership, and Scanning Atlanta
14:40 – 18:19 | What AI Extracts From Every Tree, and Atlanta vs. Louisville's Approach
18:19 – 22:05 | The Metrics That Matter: Leaf Area Index, Dieback, Lean Angle, and Trunk Stability
22:05 – 26:21 | Comparing Cities and Closing the Two-Year Feedback Loop
26:21 – 28:40 | Why Trees Actually Fail: Debunking the Included Bark Myth
28:40 – 31:49 | Who Owns the Urban Forest? Jurisdiction and Private Land Challenges
31:49 – 33:42 | Building a 20-Year Master Plan: Lessons From Pittsburgh and Knoxville
33:42 – 36:44 | Getting Developers to the Table on Tree Preservation
36:44 – 40:12 | Surviving Administration Turnover, Equity, and Rising Heat Priorities
40:12 – 42:06 | The Industry's Storytelling Problem
42:06 – 44:18 | Closing Thoughts and Where to Learn More

Resources:
Connect with Dionisio Roman (Host) on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dionisio-roman-iii-6a228590/
Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-mancini-743b386/
Connect with Josh Behounek on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshbehounek/
Learn more about Davey Tree Expert Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-davey-tree-expert-company/
Follow Tree Staple on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tree-staple-inc

The 2025 LA wildfires exposed a hard truth: most of what we think makes neighborhoods fire safe is wrong. Landscape architect Gary Lai, founder of quixotic Nature Based Solutions and a professor at Cal Poly Pomona, lived three miles from the Eaton Fire and saw firsthand what worked and what failed.

In this episode, hosts Dionisio Roman III and Ethan Hartzel talk with Gary about why 80 years of fire suppression policy set the stage for today's mega fires, why ember driven fires (not the main fire front) destroy most homes, and what a true fire adaptive community looks like in practice, from home hardening to evacuation planning to strong neighbor networks.

If you work near the wildland urban interface or have defaulted to the standard "clear everything" fire safety playbook, this episode will change how you think about the problem. Learn more at quixotic Nature Based Solutions.

Timecodes:

00:00 – 01:13 | Intro and Welcoming Ethan Hartzel

01:13 – 04:07 | Meet Gary Lai and the Fire Adaptive Community Framework

04:07 – 05:48 | How Gary Got Into Fire Ecology and Landscape Design

05:48 – 09:26 | Living Through the Eaton Fire: A Firsthand Account

09:26 – 14:42 | 80 Years of Fire Suppression and Why It Backfired

14:42 – 17:35 | Native Plants, Ember Fires, and Why Oak Trees Save Homes

17:35 – 21:05 | The Landscape Isn't the Villain: What Actually Burns Houses

21:05 – 24:31 | What Is a Fire Adaptive Community

24:31 – 28:36 | Home Hardening, Infrastructure, and Why Community Survival Matters Most

28:36 – 32:29 | The Insurance Crisis and the Real Cost of Rebuilding

32:29 – 38:06 | What Landscape Architects Should Do Differently During Rebuilding

38:06 – 41:10 | Lessons From Greece, Australia, and Other Fire Prone Regions

41:10 – 44:05 | Climate Change, Unpredictable Drought, and Why Insurers Are Pulling Out

44:05 – 48:43 | The Eaton Fire's Impact on Altadena and Questions of Equity

48:43 – 52:52 | Closing Thoughts and Where to Learn More About Gary's Work

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com

Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn

Connect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedIn
Connect with Gary Lai on LinkedIn on LinkedIn 

Connect with quixotic Nature Based Solutions on LinkedIn

Subscribe to Rooted in Innovation

Brandon Comstock went from selling mattresses on commission to building Landscapers by Nature into a 60-person operation serving multifamily and HOA properties in Calgary, then sold the entire business. Now he's building SiteDNA, software designed to solve the exact problems he lived through as an operator.

In this episode, hosts Dionisio Roman and Ethan Hartzel unpack how Brandon went from helping his dad run a small garage-based crew to scaling a specialized landscaping company worth acquiring. They explore the non-negotiable operational systems that made the business sellable, the mistakes landscape account managers make daily that cost them money, and how rethinking property management creates competitive advantage.

Whether you're running a landscape operation or thinking about your own exit, Brandon reveals the principles that made his company valuable and how SiteDNA is building the shortcuts he wishes he'd had.

Timecodes:

00:00 – 00:27 | Intro and Show Overview 

00:27 – 01:22 | Brandon's Background and Journey into Landscaping 

01:49 – 02:31 | Starting from High School and Mattress Sales 

02:31 – 04:16 | The Move to Calgary and First Landscape Crew 

04:39 – 05:50 | Trial by Fire: Learning the Landscape Business 

05:50 – 06:41 | Growing the Business with His Father 

06:41 – 08:15 | Leaving to Prove Himself and Building His Own Company 

08:15 – 09:40 | Landing First Contracts and the Multi-Family Niche 

09:40 – 11:50 | Why Specialization Beats Being a Generalist 

11:50 – 13:40 | Building Systems and Removing Yourself from Critical Path 

13:40 – 15:30 | Account Manager Leverage and Property Management Innovation 

15:30 – 17:20 | The Real Problem with Landscape Operations 

17:20 – 19:15 | How Long-Term Planning Increases Customer Retention 

19:15 – 21:00 | Preparing the Company for Sale 

21:00 – 23:30 | The Exit and What Made the Business Valuable 

23:30 – 25:10 | Life After the Exit and Building SiteDNA 

25:10 – 28:15 | The Problem SiteDNA Solves 

28:15 – 30:40 | How SiteDNA Makes Account Managers More Effective 

30:40 – 35:20 | Product Features and Account Manager Workflow 

35:20 – 39:45 | Spreading Team Capacity and Supporting New Managers 

39:45 – 41:20 | Long-Term Planning and Customer Communication 

41:20 – 43:45 | Making Account Management More Turnkey 

43:45 – 44:52 | SiteDNA Product Launch and Waitlist 

44:52 – 46:42 | Integrations and AI-Ready Architecture 

46:42 – 47:37 | Brandon's Vision and the Shortcut He's Building 

47:37 – 48:21 | Outro

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com

Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn

Connect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedIn
Connect with Brandon Comstock on LinkedIn 

SiteDNA: https://sitedna.ai 

Subscribe to Rooted in Innovation

The landscape industry is at an inflection point. Robotic mowers are being deployed at scale. AI is automating executive-level admin work. And the companies that fail to adapt are not just falling behind on efficiency — they're creating a competitive gap that will be nearly impossible to close in three to five years. The question for green industry leaders is not whether to modernize. It's whether they're moving fast enough.

If you run or lead a green industry business and you're trying to figure out where technology fits, how to lead your people better, or how to get out of your own way, this is a blueprint worth your time. Learn more about The Disruptors at jwhitegroup.com.

Timecodes:

00:00 – 00:27 | Welcome to Rooted in Innovation 
00:27 – 07:02 | Guest Introduction and K&D's Origin Story 
07:02 – 10:02 | The Three Pillars That Started the Turnaround 
10:02 – 13:12 | Community Partnerships and the Leo's Haven Project 
13:12 – 16:55 | The $1.5M Tech Mistake of 2021 
16:55 – 21:19 | Skin in the Game: Jim's Subcontractor Ownership Model 
21:19 – 27:31 | Intentional Tech: Robotic Mowers and the 30-40% Pricing Advantage 
27:31 – 32:45 | The Fifth Pillar: Why Every Landscape Company Needs a Tech Leader 
32:45 – 35:22 | Where Technology Pays the Most in the Field 
35:22 – 40:15 | Robotics by 2030 and What's Coming for the Green Industry 
40:15 – 43:32 | Automating 80% of CEO Admin and Getting Back to People 
43:32 – 46:21 | Why Justin Built The Disruptors 
46:21 – 53:54 | The 90-Day Vision Exercise for Leaders Who Feel Stuck 
53:54 – 54:19 | Outro and How to Stay Connected

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com

Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-mancini-743b386/
Connect with Dionisio Roman III on 

On this episode of Rooted in Innovation, we sit down with Joseph Marker, owner of Marker Elevated Landscapes, to explore what it really means to lead a residential landscape firm with vision.

From his signature 3-2-1 design process to his hybrid use of drone imagery and hand-drawing, Joe walks us through the artistic, technical, and deeply personal aspects of designing meaningful outdoor spaces. We also hear the story behind a 144-acre Tuscan-inspired estate, why Vastu Shastra shaped its layout, and how Joe honors the legacy of his family business while pushing the boundaries of what modern landscape design can be.

Whether you’re a designer, contractor, or homeowner, this episode will challenge the way you think about space, communication, and the role of technology in the design-build process.

Timecodes

00:00 – 01:21 - Intro: Meet Joseph Marker and Marker Elevated Landscapes
01:22 – 03:16 - The 3-2-1 Design Process: From Concept to Master Plan
03:17 – 05:12 - Inspiration Sources: Travel, Books, Social Media & Gardens
05:13 – 07:06 - Drone-Backed Hand Drawings: Communicating Clearly with Clients
07:07 – 10:14 - The Role of Process in Avoiding Miscommunication
10:15 – 13:32 - Flexibility, Late Nights & Sunrise Site Visits
13:33 – 16:04 - Designing a 144-Acre Tuscan Estate in Pennsylvania
16:05 – 17:35 - Applying Vastu Shastra Principles to Landscape Design
17:36 – 20:00 - Flat Lots, Rolling Hills, and the Role of the Client
20:01 – 22:06 - Maintenance: Growing Slowly and Preserving Quality
22:07 – 24:49 - Family Legacy: Honoring His Father’s Company & Vision
24:50 – 27:11 - Leadership, Hard Work, and What Joe Learned from His Dad
27:12 – 29:21 - Low-Maintenance Design, Deer Pressure & Plant Strategy
29:22 – 32:06 - Golf Course Inspiration & Finding Creativity Outdoors
32:07 – 34:49 - Designing Par-3 Greens for Clients (and for Fun)
34:50 – 37:19 - Tree Favorites, Annual Preferences, and Unique Palettes
37:20 – 39:58 - Final Reflections: Communication, Creativity, and Vision

In this episode of Rooted in Innovation, we sit down with Rob Ambler, founder and owner of Ambler Industries, LLC, a design/build and maintenance firm based in Pennsylvania. Rob shares his deeply personal story of burnout, renewal, and the business transformation that followed. From restructuring his leadership team to adopting Aspire software, Rob rebuilt his company around culture, clarity, and faith-driven leadership. We explore what it takes to attract great people, make bold software investments, and lead with purpose in a fast-moving, often chaotic industry. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the growth cycle, or questioned how to scale without losing your soul, this episode is for you.

Timecodes:

00:00 – Welcome to Rooted in Innovation

01:05 – Meet Rob Ambler of Ambler Industries

02:25 – The mission: build a values-driven landscape company

04:01 – What culture looks like in practice: hiring, retention, clarity

06:14 – Burnout at $5M: sleepless nights, high anxiety, tough calls

08:52 – Replacing great-but-misaligned leaders

10:47 – How Rob found his new leadership team through divine timing

12:29 – Creating a no-turnover workplace through vision & loyalty

14:55 – The ripple effect of servant leadership at all levels

17:08 – Aspire software: from sticker shock to game-changer

19:36 – Tracking labor variance and tying it to performance

21:44 – Addressing pushback: “You only care about money”

23:03 – Gamifying incentives and linking data to growth paths

25:22 – Leading with faith and integrity: what it means on-site

27:00 – The story of one foreman’s transformation

28:38 – Rob’s personal “why”: faith, family, and making an impact

30:02 – Reflections on Plumstead Christian School and giving back

32:14 – Final takeaways on growth, leadership, and long-term vision

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com

Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn

Connect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedIn

Connect with Rob Ambler on LinkedIn

In this episode of Rooted in Innovation, the team sits down with Emily Bell, a landscape designer and founder of Emily Bell Landscape Design, to talk about real-world challenges—and smart solutions—in site planning. From stormwater management to tree stabilization, Emily shares the tools she actually specifies, including TreeStaple, Silver Cells, CarbonSmart wood, and ProFlow pavers. They also tackle the realities of budget constraints, developer resistance, and the all-too-common spec-and-switch problem. If you're in urban planning, landscape architecture, or product development, this is the episode to rethink what belongs in your design toolbelt.

Timecodes:

00:00 – Welcome and introduction to Emily Bell

01:10 – Core site challenges: drainage, trees, and materials

03:08 – Developer pushback and the value engineering dilemma

04:20 – What makes TreeStaple so useful in the real world

06:05 – ProFlow pavers: where they fit and why they matter

08:20 – Cost vs benefit in spec decisions

09:33 – CarbonSmart wood and circular material sourcing

12:22 – Specifier considerations and contractor habits

14:04 – Urban vs rural: where these tools shine

15:35 – Silver Cells explained and why they’re needed

18:11 – When it’s too late for root management

19:07 – Personal design inspiration from transit and urban systems

21:24 – How travel shapes Emily’s landscape perspective

23:08 – What makes a product worth advocating for

25:21 – Examples of product trends that don’t work

27:00 – Collaboration between specifier, contractor, and client

28:31 – The spec battle: why holding the line matters

30:04 – Final thoughts on tools that elevate site performance

31:08 – Closing remarks and call to advocate smarter tools

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com

Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn

Connect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedIn
Connect with Emily Bell on LinkedIn

What does it take to bring a brand-new building product to market and actually make it stick? In this episode, veteran market developer Taron Young shares insights from 20+ years in the construction and building materials industry. From code compliance to product education, distribution channels to holding spec, Taron breaks down what it really takes to go from unknown to industry standard.

This one’s for builders, specifiers, product manufacturers—and anyone trying to launch something new in an old-school industry.

Timecodes:

00:00 – Intro to Rooted in Innovation and guest Taron Young
01:45 – Taron’s background and current role in building materials
03:00 – Why most product launches fail: market research mistakes
06:15 – Finding early adopters and incentivizing them the right way
08:45 – The role of distribution and channel development
10:00 – Tariffs, pricing strategy, and maintaining integrity
16:25 – Understanding and influencing specifiers and builders
21:45 – Holding the spec: how to protect your product from being swapped
25:05 – What true market development looks like (vs. sales)
27:00 – Why you need trust and long-term relationships in this business
30:00 – How technology has changed sales—but not relationships
34:45 – Advice for launching new products: don’t skip the research
38:30 – Final thoughts: check your ego, listen, and partner well

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com
Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn
Connect with Taron Young on LinkedIn
Connect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedIn