Brick walls and barbed wire enclose the greenery, but the plants are lush year-round, sustained by the toasty Huntsville heat and the people who live behind those walls and wire at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Ellis Unit.

Langley goes by Scooter, in part to differentiate himself from his father, James Langley Sr., who first started the prison horticulture program Scooter runs today. When it began, Lee College was simply trying to figure out which trades could most often lead to careers post-release. Langley Sr. initially became the horticulture instructor by pitching the school on the variety of different jobs an inmate could get after their release. From working in a nursery to lawn care, that diversity in opportunity stuck out to Lee College and Langley Sr. was hired.

For more than 40 years, the Langley family has taught landscaping techniques to incarcerated students. Inmates who agree to take Scooter’s classes are in a classroom or working in the field Monday through Friday for six hours at a time, earning certificates as a horticulture technician and in landscape management. If they complete both – each one takes about six months of class and field work – students can enroll in further academics to earn an associate degree in science and horticulture or business through Lee College, which employs Langley and is still partnered with the prison facility today.

“It’s just like regular school. They’ve got to be there; they’ve got to do the assignments,” Langley says. “We have teachers that come in and teach the same curriculum, the same stuff that they do in the free world. It’s not a ‘give me’ kind of deal. They actually have to go to school.”

That education is not only therapeutic; it’s practical. Langley’s goal – and the goal of similar programs across the country – is to get these inmates a second chance at a career beyond prison walls.

A new life

After his release last May from the Noble Correctional Institution in Caldwell, Ohio, Charles Ellis decided he was going to start fresh.

With a close friend, Ellis started Backyard Detail, a two-man landscaping business. He had just completed three years in prison for his drug trafficking conviction, and he says he wanted to take ownership and be proud in something he created. He was released before he completed his facility’s horticulture course, but he did receive his Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association certification.

Ellis also knew what type of uphill battle he faced after his release. He says some people will never get another opportunity at a career after serving their time in prison. Maybe they had one bad night or made one bad decision that cost them a lifetime’s worth of chances. This is another big reason why he took matters into his own hands and started Backyard Detail.

“To go to a job interview and when they ask you if you have a felony, to have to say yes and to sit there and explain and to hope that somebody could look past that, it was a big fear of mine,” Ellis says. “People make mistakes… but I would like to see jobs actually look past that and see a person for who they are. Give them a chance.”

Robert Scott spent several years teaching horticulture and sustainability at a Midwest prison. Now, he’s the executive director of Cornell University’s Prison Education Program, which serves four prisons and roughly 200 incarcerated students.

Scott says reformed citizens who line up a job after their release are less likely to find themselves back in prison. Studying recidivism can be difficult because there are plenty of scenarios where somebody is reincarcerated based on parole violations that aren’t technically crimes. However, Scott says nuanced analyses show these programs (not just in the horticulture field) are effective at landing good jobs and encouraging social behaviors compared to those in prison who don’t participate in an educational program.

And while Scott never guarantees potential employers that a second chance employee will work out, he says many of them acknowledge their new opportunity and make the most of it.

“Who you were yesterday doesn’t determine who you will be today or tomorrow,” Scott says.

The second chance

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections administrator William Eleby works in the office of reentry and enterprise development, helping connect potential employees with jobs before their release. He organizes interviews and has inmates upload their resumes to a computer database that goes live up to 90 days before their last day in prison.

Eleby says only inmates who exhibit good behavior are allowed to participate in programs like the facilities’ horticulture classes.

He assesses whether a hiring company would be a good match for the person leaving prison. If, for instance, the company is located near a lot of bars and the student went to prison with an alcohol problem, Eleby’s going to advise against hiring that particular employee. He’s also denied companies that don’t want previous offenders to really be a part of their team. If a company isn’t willing to give these employees a legitimate chance at contributing something meaningful, Eleby may turn the company away.

“If you hire someone that is a restored citizen, then they’re restored,” Eleby says. “We don’t need you to say, ‘Well, we’re going to put them in a corner. We’re going to separate them from other employees.’ That’s not a good fit for us and I don’t think that’s the right company that we want to have an agreement with.”

While many lawn care and landscaping companies are having trouble finding reliable employees to hire, those that are connecting with prisons may be uncovering a worker who’s not going to complain about his or her work circumstances. ODRC horticulture instructor David Brennan, also a contractor with Brennan’s Plants in Athens County, Ohio, says his students will often do the physical labor that others won’t.

“We don’t mind getting cold, hot, dirty,” Brennan says. “Sadly, the percentage of the population that wants to do that is 10%, if that. As a contractor, we have a very limited pool we can draw on.”

Brennan also says many of his students will later be appreciative of the second chance, and Eleby says some feel particularly loyal to the companies that afford them the opportunity at a career after they leave prison. Ellis says it was gratifying to have his own company – and freedom – after his release.

“It was something to be taken away from your entire life and your entire world, to be able to come out of that and say, ‘I can do this for myself,’” Ellis says. “It means a lot. It made my life different.”

Good for the soul

These prison horticulture programs aren’t just about lining up jobs for convicts – they’re also about establishing the right path to recovery. The Insight Garden Program is largely based in California, and Executive Director Beth Waitkus has placed her program into several facilities on the West Coast and another in Indiana.

Insight Garden places an emphasis on the therapeutic element of the program, liberating the incarcerated by allowing them to design and nurture their own gardens. What’s most important to Waitkus is that her program’s students feel like they can take control of their own reformation and have a spot outside that allows them to express creativity and take pride in what they create. Their year-long curriculum covers environmental literacy in the first semester, then follows up with permaculture gardening, leadership and reentering society.

“People learn to respond rather than react, which is often the reason some of these people end up incarcerated,” Waitkus says. “They may (be) under stress and not think of their consequences before they happen. This whole curriculum is woven together with the idea of mindfulness.”

The Insight Garden Program is less traditional than horticulture programs in most prisons. There’s not as much of a classroom as there is a circle in which students sit to hear facilitated discussions. They ask students questions to see what they think rather than tell them what they need to know. They spend a lot of time meditating and base their program on action-based learning, including art, skits and other presentations. The focus is on themselves, not their career.

“Gardening is the metaphor,” Waitkus says. “How do you garden yourself? How do you weed out the things that no longer serve you?”

But even for programs that are more traditional, the byproduct of learning about horticulture is treatment. Langley’s program in Texas is based on Christian ministry and emphasizes the importance of helping others in their therapeutic garden. Scott mentions the profound importance of watching the incarcerated accept responsibility for their career out of prison. And in Ohio, Brennan says working out in the field allows for restoration that can’t be taught in a classroom.

“Correction is the bars. Correction is the order,” Brennan says. “But (this is) rehabilitation. We are taking people who have the desire, who want the job to go out, get a job, and turn away from a life in prison.”

Getting involved

Eleby recommends that companies reach out directly to prison facilities if they’re interested in hiring who he calls “reformed citizens.” Employers should define what type of worker they’re seeking and what kinds of previous history would not be acceptable at their company. For example, some companies may be willing to take on somebody who went to prison for drug possession but not someone who was convicted of stealing from a past employer.

And for companies interested in aiding the programs by volunteering instruction or resources, Eleby says reaching out and asking questions about that facility’s specific horticulture programs will help. Often, it’s beneficial for both potential employers and inmates to connect while they’re still serving out their time in prison. Eleby says he also educates companies on how convictions work, which he hopes eliminates potential stereotypes. Still, he also recognizes that sometimes, it’s best for companies to meet these people firsthand.

Additionally, Eleby says he can’t guarantee one of his students will work out, but he advises each of them to not blow their second chance. Any slipups could cost not only themselves but others dearly.

“You don’t want a company or a business to have a bad taste in their mouth because of your selfishness,” Eleby tells students. “You’re representing every restored citizen and every offender regardless, because others will be judged based on their interactions or relationship with you.”

Langley says that in the 11 years he’s served as an instructor in the horticulture program, he’s heard from several former students who have gone on to establish better lives. Dozens have lined up jobs or started their own successful companies, and Langley says recidivism with the horticulture program is the lowest among other trade programs Lee College offers inmates. Maybe students saved up to buy a new house or car, or they earned promotions at the companies they started with after their release. Those calls, Langley says, are the most rewarding part of the job.

“A lot of these guys have never had an actual career, an actual full-time job,” Langley says. “That’s why they’re trying to find these trades that sound interesting to them, so that when they get out, they can better themselves, better their family, and give back to society.”

The author is assistant editor of sister publication Lawn & Landscape magazine.

The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis, is native to China, Korea and Japan, and was discovered in Europe in 2007. The insect has spread profusely and is now present in over 30 countries. How did this insect get to Europe from China? It has been suggested that the movement of infested boxwood plants from China through the nursery trade may be responsible for the introduction of the box tree moth into Europe. In 2018, the box tree moth was detected in Ontario, Canada, which is the first detection of this insect in North America. Again, the movement of infested boxwood plants may be how the insect arrived in North America.

The box tree moth is known to feed exclusively on boxwoods, but the insect will feed on many boxwood species and cultivars. Therefore, because boxwoods are widely grown in nurseries and incorporated into landscapes throughout the United States, the potential economic impact of this insect could be substantial.

During a trip to the Netherlands in May 2019, I was able to observe, first-hand, the destructive nature of this insect pest feeding on the common boxwood, Buxus sempervirens. It was striking the extent of the damage in localized areas—with complete defoliation. Consequently, due to the potential for the box tree moth to ruin the aesthetic value of boxwoods in landscapes; people may start using plastic boxwoods.

Biology and damage

Mature larvae are about a 1/2-inch long, dark green on top, with dark stripes that extend down the sides of the body. The larvae have black heads, hairs protruding from the sides of the body and two black spots on each abdominal segment. They may be difficult to see because they hide during the day within the plant canopy. Young larvae feed on the lower leaf surfaces whereas older larvae feed inside loose strands of webbing and skeletonized leaves with only the mid-ribs remaining, which causes leaves to turn brown. The extensive webbing is generally filled with frass and cast skins and is very apparent on infested plants.

In addition to feeding on leaves, larvae will also feed on the bark, which can kill a boxwood plant. The larvae undergo five to seven instars and then pupate within the canopy of a boxwood plant. Adult moths emerge from pupae and live approximately two weeks. Box tree moth overwinters as a larva in a cocoon between leaves that are tightly bound by silk. There may be two to four generations per year in Europe.

Management

There are no known natural enemies (e.g. parasitoids and predators), and even birds and animals will not feed on box tree moth caterpillars because they harbor an alkaloid toxin that protects them from predation.

Insecticides such as pyrethroids, spinosad, chlorantraniliprole and Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki may be effective against the box tree moth. However, timing of application is important, as well as thorough coverage of all plant parts. Physical removal by hand picking the larvae has been suggested as an option to reduce damage from the box tree moth; however, this can be time consuming and expensive.

It is important that we do the best we can, from a regulatory standpoint, to prevent the box tree moth from entering the United States. If not, then we will be dealing with another invasive insect pest on a plant that is extensively grown in nurseries and planted in landscapes throughout North America.

About the author: Raymond A. Cloyd is a professor and extension specialist in Horticultural Entomology/Plant Protection with the Department of Entomology at Kansas State University. rcloyd@ksu.edu

Everyone has experienced this at one time or another: What you thought was going to be a simple everyday transaction for a product or service, turned out to be an experience that earned your lifetime loyalty as a customer. Sadly, it doesn’t happen very often. Which is exactly why it’s so surprising when it does happen.

Today’s consumer-driven environment is intently focused on instant availability, and for good reason. More than ever, customers want immediate access and lament any speed bumps between them and the conclusion of the transaction. Immediacy has become the golden calf of customer satisfaction. Customers continually worship the quickest solution with frequent patronage, but at a painful price. The line blurs between optimization and innovation as the customer experience is often sacrificed on the altar of speed.

Escaping this cult of self-satisfaction where likes pass for loyalty requires you to rewrite the rules of comparison. Don’t allow the value of your product or service to be determined by an outside metric. Instead, change the game and redefine what the word “value” means to your customer. Here are 10 commandments of value creation and earning a customer for life.

1) Technology reduction

In today’s world of technology immersion, the human touch matters more than ever. Each escalation of technology reduces human interaction. Each reduction of human interaction is a missed opportunity to earn a lifetime customer who judges the value you provide by metrics that you define…not just speed. When someone takes real time to provide personal enhancements to an individual experience—that's impressive. You can’t cut through the white noise with more white noise. Remember, innovative technology is usually meant to optimize our lives. Therefore, you can purchase service optimization but not service innovation. Real service innovation comes from the people within an organization, which brings us to number two.

2) Focus on front-line staff

Your front-line staff who interact directly with your customers are the most important people in your organization. Not the owner or the VP; it's the front-line employee who is friendly and patient, who smiles all the time and who remembers the customers' names and business needs. That person will ultimately make or break a company. Make sure your culture emphasizes treating them with the time and attention they deserve, and they will treat your customers the same way.

3) Have a real relationship with your customer

Recognize that the relationship you have with your customer should not be transactional. Of course, it’s important to look for opportunities to make the transaction simpler, easier and more pleasant for the customer. But it’s also imperative that you add value to their lives in ways that are unrelated to the transaction. Look for ways to be a resource, not just a provider.

4) Develop a customer-first culture Culture is binary

5) Cultivate reciprocity

We are hardwired to do more for those who do things for us. When it rains, Chick-fil-A employees wear ponchos and run to people’s cars when they pull in. They hold an umbrella over them while they walk inside and escort them back to their cars when they have finished their meal. It's no wonder their average unit volume is three times the average of most QSRs while only being open six days a week.

6) Eliminate policies

“I’m sorry, ma’am. That’s just our policy.” These words should never be uttered in business. They reveal to your customer that your culture values adherence to arbitrary rules more than customer satisfaction. You should have only one policy, which is: Do everything within your power to exceed your customers’ expectations.

7) Empower your team

If you’ve followed the second and fourth commandments, , then this one should be easy. Every team member should feel empowered to do what is right in each specific situation. “Let me ask my manager” tells your customer that you don’t trust your employees’ discretion or decision-making. And if you don’t trust the people you hire, why should your customers trust that they will have a consistently great experience?

8) Celebrate

Everybody loves a winner, and nobody wants to be on the losing team. Customers want to feel like the money they spend is making the world a better place. Publicly celebrate your wins, your anniversaries, your employee accomplishments (both in and out of work), your growth, your community engagement, your awards and your achievements. Did one of your employees just get her master’s degree? Have a baby? Compete in a triathlon? Celebrate it. This commandment has the added advantage of developing employee loyalty as well as customer loyalty.

9) Raise the stakes

Service innovation inherently means that you are challenging the assumptions of traditional expectations. On the flip side of this coin is the realization that doing something new is also a new opportunity to fail. Fortunately, studies have shown that customers value your effort nearly as much as the result. As such, they are incredibly forgiving of failure so long as every effort was made to succeed. Challenge your team and yourself. Raise the stakes. Go big. Consistent yet average is still unimpressive.

10) Have a mission

People are not motivated by ‘what;’ people are motivated by ‘why.’ If the goal is to make tons of money and eventually go public, then you have missed the point of this exercise entirely. Where you spend your money is a major part of your identity. Customers align themselves with organizations that mirror who they are, or at least who they’d like to be. Therefore, the motives that drive your organization also drive your customers’ loyalty. Without a mission, you and your customer have no ‘why.’

Embrace these commandments. Carve them into stone and bring them down from the mountain. If when you arrive you find your team obsessed with the golden calf of immediacy, tell them this: In today’s world of instant gratification, do not worship speed. When speed becomes the only metric by which you judge service, then true service becomes irrelevant. Instead of conjuring new ways to complete a transaction faster, make the experience so amazing that the customer will never want it to end.

About the author: Tra Williams is the author of the forthcoming book “Feed Your Unicorn.” He is a nationally recognized thought leader in small business, franchising, leadership and entrepreneurship. www.TraWilliams.com

Biophilia is our instinctive love of nature and it is influencing a design movement in commercial and public buildings that make people healthier, improve their mental state and make them more productive. Plants – both inside and outside the building – play a starring role in biophilic design. The green industry has the chance to let plants be an everyday part of peoples’ lives, including where they work, live, heal and learn.

Biophilic design brings elements of the natural world into the built environment for improved well-being. Biophilic designed buildings incorporate things like natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features and other elements for creating a more productive and healthier built environment.

According to Green Plants for Green Buildings, (GPGB) companies like Etsy, Microsoft, Amazon and Airbnb “are bringing green office design to a new standard.” Those are certainly big names in commerce, but this principle can be adopted by small- and medium-sized businesses and commercial buildings of all sizes and types.

GPGB reports that introducing plants to the workplace lowered tension and anxiety levels by 37%, while reducing feelings of anger by 44%. Plants in the workplace also reduced fatigue by 38%. The green industry – from breeders and growers to retailers and landscape contractors – must share this information with building contractors, interior designers, business owners and the general public. Garden centers might consider hosting a class on the importance of plants in the workplace and include tips on how to keep plants alive on your desk. Breeders and growers could arm themselves with this information and attend an economic development meeting or speak to a group of contractors, explaining why plants inside and outside increases the value of their properties.

GPGB suggests incorporating biophilia into the workplace by:

• Adding greenery, potted plants, living walls or flower gardens
• Design outdoor spaces, including staff gardens
• Maximize natural lighting
• Using natural materials and colors
• Incorporating water features, as well as naturalistic shapes and forms.

Terrapin Bright Green, an environmental consulting firm based in New York City, reveals that biophilic design can be simple and not require a complete renovation, such as providing employees access to plants, natural views and daylight. These measures provide healthy returns that have a direct effect on a company’s bottom line. According to Terrapin, integrating views to nature into an office space can save more than $2,000 per employee per year in office costs, while more than $93 million could be saved annually in healthcare costs as a result of providing patients with views to nature. The company’s publication “The Economics of Biophilia: Why designing with nature in mind makes financial sense” notes that productivity costs are 112 times greater than energy costs in the workplace.

“We believe that incorporating nature into the built environment is not just a luxury, but a sound economic investment in health and productivity, based on well-researched neurological and physiological evidence,” according to the report.

Terrapin also reports that biophilia can re-engage losses from unproductive operating costs. “More than 90% of a company’s operating costs are linked to human resources, and financial losses due to absenteeism and presenteeism account for 4%,” Terrapin writes. “Commercial spaces that give occupants access to nature serve as a release to outside stresses and tend to cause less environmental stress themselves. It makes fiscal sense for companies to try to eliminate environmental stress that cost them thousands of dollars per year in employee costs.”

Healthier people, whether they’re in an office, hospital or school, equates to healthier profits. Leverage this vital information to get more plants inside and outside spaces throughout your community.

For more: www.gpgb.org; www.terrapinbrightgreen.com