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16 LC DBM Summer Forecast Hopefully the snow blowers have been stored for the summer (with fuel tanks left dry or with stabilizer added to the leftover fuel) and all hope turned to- wards a bright season. Various forecasts point to just that. According to LAND, the official e-newsletter from the American Society of Landscape Architects, "consumer demand remains strong for attractively designed residential landscapes that are perfect for entertaining and relaxing." This is based on ASLA's 2014 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey. The following breakdown shows the combined percentages of "popular" and "somewhat popular" ratings for the most in-demand features in each category. SOurce: http://www.aSla.Org/land/landarticle.aSpx?id=42527 Outdoor Design Elements Gardens/landscaped spaces – 94.2% Outdoor living spaces (kitchens, entertainment spaces) – 92.0% Outdoor recreation amenities (pools, spas, tennis courts) – 75.8% Sustainable design practices – 74.2% Outdoor Recreation Decorative water elements – 86.1% Spa features (hot tub, Jacuzzi, whirlpool, indoor/outdoor sauna) – 76.4% Swimming pools – 73.8% Landscape/Garden Elements Low maintenance landscapes – 95.4% Native plants – 84.5% Fountains/ornamental water features – 83.9% Food/Vegetable gardens (including orchards/vineyards etc.) – 76.4% Xeriscaping or dry gardens – 69.1% Organic gardens – 64.0% Outdoor Structures Terraces/patios/decks – 97.7% Fencing (includes gates) – 88.5% Pergolas – 82.8% Decks – 82.3% Ornamental water features – 81.6% Arbors – 81.1% Steps – 77.7% Porches – 74.4% Kitchens/ovens – 71.4% Art (sculptures, murals etc.) – 64.4% Outdoor Living Features Lighting – 98.3% Seating/dining areas – 97.7% Fire pits/freplaces – 95.4% Grills – 94.3% Installed seating (benches, seatwalls, ledges, steps, boulders) – 89.6% Outdoor furniture – 84.1% Counter space – 75.5% Utility storage – 65.5% Sustainable Design Elements Native/adapted drought-tolerant plants – 88.0% Drip/water-effcient irrigation – 84.5% Permeable paving – 78.9% Reduced lawn – 72.6% Recycled materials – 65.1% Rainwater/graywater harvesting – 60.6% One area of volatility is the long- term weather forecast for June and early July by the Farmers Almanac for some parts of the nation: North Central - A chilly and dry start to June, then rainy, then hot and dry, followed by the threat of severe thunderstorms and cool temperatures before ending hot and humid giving way to a fairer start to July. Northeast - Showers and thunderstorms in the beginning of June, then cooler, then more rain and again cool, followed by clearing but still cool giving way to increasing heat and humidity and more thunderstorms before becoming cool and dry again, then ending the month with thunderstorms, heat and humidity, and a tropical storm threat along the Mid-Atlantic coast. July is predicted to start off as unstable as June. Southwest - A hot and dry June (no surprise) but a hot and wet start to July. Included in the results was this outlook for the overall economy in 2014: 48% – Moderately Improve 45% – Stay the Same 4% – Get Worse 3% – Greatly Improve The respondents were also asked to predict how 2014 would affect their company's revenue: 37% – Grow by 6-10% 23% – Grow by 11-20% 20% – Grow by 1-5% 13% – Grow by 20+% 6% – Stay the Same 1% – Decrease by 11-20% Staff Size: 32% – Grow by 1-5% 27% – Stay the Same 20% – Grow by 6-10% 14% – Grow by 11-20% 6% – Grow by 20+% Prices (raise?): 69% – Yes 31% – No Equipment/Software Expenditures: 31% – Stay the Same 30% – Increase 1-5% 18% – Increase 6-10% 8% – Increase 11-20% 7% – Increase 20+% 3% – Decrease 1-5% 2% – Decrease 20+% 1% – Decrease 6-10% The 2014 Green Industry Benchmark Report was conducted by Hind- Site Software, a provider of business management solutions for the irrigation and lawn care industries among others. According to the organization, they surveyed hundreds of green industry businesses throughout North America ranging in size from one-person opera- tions to 100-plus-employee operations. SOurce: http://www.hindSiteSOftware.cOm/2014-green-induStry-benchmark-repOrt.cfm 016-017.indd 16 3/25/14 4:16 PM