In an attempt to lighten up the mood around here, I’m going to offer some small tips - essential things I use when I’m teching that I DON’T buy from an interiorscape supplier:

1. SuperShammy or whatever silly name they are selling them under these days. A thick, orange colored rayon cloth made in Germany that soaks up something like 20x its weight in water. Terrific for mopping up spills and drips and cannot scratch a surface. Only downside is they are a bit pricey and wear out too fast. I buy them online in bulk - first saw them at a product demo in Value City, of all places. The ugly orange color enables you to easily find the rag when you set it down among the greenery or on the grey or black office decor.

2. Liquid Bandaid. The only thing to cover boo-boos on the hands that will stay on all day in water to protect yourself from dirt, pesticides, and whatever other nasties lurk in the hearts of planters. Also more expensive than it should be - about 30 cents an application, but one supposedly lasts several days.

3. Yoga classes. My favorite positions are the Legal Lunge (useful for straddling huge mountains of files to reach the plant that is inevitably in the back corner of the office behind the desk); the Socket Stretch (enables you to overextend your arm to reach the basket hanging from the architecturally impressive overly high ceiling); and the Duck and Cover (allows you to quickly remove yourself from the cascade of water released when a malicious hanging plant chooses to pee all over you - does not protect the expensive computer/copier equipment that is brilliantly located below said hanging plant, however).

Anyone else want to play? My rules - gotta be something you can’t get from an industry supplier (nothing against you supplier folks, guess I’m just feeling a bit arbitrary today).

Tilt a bucket fix..For those shallow sinks in office kitchens we use clear flex surgical tubing to slip over the faucet so we can fill with no spill...cheap and works great.

Sorry Jerry...your "out" according to Sheila’s rules.
We have sold for 20 years both the clear flex surgical tubing and also flexable bilge tubing in 3/4" and 1.25" sizes calling it a "Facet Filler"
Rick

Damn Rick...you busted me ..Oh well I think I got the idea from Linnea Newman at a seminar anyway...By the way her seminars are worth the time and money to attend.And you can get a careers worth of info if you’ll call Barb Helfman and have her come see you to do a consultation with you.I highly recommend it.

I went to Lowe’s and bought a utility hose about four or six feet long. One end has a connector like a garden hose and the other is just chopped off hose. Cost about $4. It screws onto a janitor’s sink faucet, or you can slip it over a kitchen faucet like the tubing you guys use.

I also have an awesome two gallon watering can from Akro Mills that fits under most kitchen sinks. Bought that at Lowe’s too. Unfortunately, they changed the model so it now comes with a permanently attached rose on the end that drips. Still available online at a few hardware type stores that have a stock of the older, better model.

Cut a 2 or 3 inch piece of skinny bicycle inner tube and slip it over your water can spout. Perfect anti-skid device. Sorry Jerry, we’ve got a tech tube too.

I’m crying foul since I buy stuff from both you guys.

You’re still using watering cans?

Clem

Clem, on little accounts, sure, nothing beats a watering can! I suppose I could buy a little mini-watering machine...

Maybe it’s a gender-preference thing...all of the male techs I know hate using watering cans. Our female tech loves her watering machine, but she is okay with watering cans for residential accounts.

The machine is great even for small office accounts...all of your tools and paperwork can be carried neatly in the top work bin, and you look like a real pro...plus, no chance of kicking over a 3-gallon watering can full of water. And we even put a large poster (8.5 x 11" full-page laser sticker with our logo, phone, address and ad copy) advertising our goods and services, so if passersby in a building or on the street see the tank, they get a quick snapshot of what we do.

Clem

Sheila..we use cans for our smaller accounts too.Using a mini machine can be a slow down in a small account.We have real men techs down here,Texas you know,that can handle that"heavy" water from the break room sink to those 15 plants in the account.They are attractive too so no one would bother lookin at the can anyway..at least not that can.

I HAVE a watering can ....... but it has dust on it. They aren’t much good for filling Planter Tech stuff ...... so it’s tank all the way. And we keep them sharp looking and with logo and all. You get sick of answering "What’s that have in it ?" So we have small lettering at the bottom that says "Plant Water". I only buy the 12 gallon ..... they fit nicely in most any small car or van and they use a 5 gallon bucket with a bucket skirt for everything you need.

As far as real men being from Texas ...... mine fish, hunt, ride dirtbikes AND horses ..... and sometimes hunt right off the horses back ...... nuff said.

As far as what I can’t work without -

#1 - My favorite shoes - Dansko .... you can be on your feet all day and they feel great. I wear Wolverines for installs .... they look like a nice hiking boot/tennis shoe and have steel toes .... and they feel like heaven on your feet and they last forever. Wolverines are the best made.

#2 - My am/fm headphones. I love wearing them when zoning and out and doing the few accounts I do personally. I maintain all new accounts for the first year. I used to have an iPod ........ the cord fell and I cut it. End of that.

#3 - Never leave home without it ...... my mini tape recorder. It fits in my bucket skirt, vehicle, pocket .... and if I am driving and on the phone and I need to take something down I will just turn it on and lay it on the seat and repeat what they are saying and write it down later. Or say into it a new building I see going up, or replacements that need to be made, or just stuff that flies into my spinny head that I need to follow up on. It’s my BEST tool. You can also use it to keep track of mileage.

I had typed this all out this morning and then because of all the wind we had the power blipped and it was gone. I hate when that happens.

Have a great weekend.
Debbie

My entries:

Bucket Boss -- Tool organizer made for use with a 5-gal bucket. Open it up, cut in half and attach to Tanks-A-Lot with velcro strips. Holds a mess of tools, bottles and other necessaries. Available from local hardware/building supply or on the web from Duluth Trading.

Transmission funnel -- long-necked funnel from auto-supply or discount store. Fits in Planter Tech openings, fills them fast and is higher on back side to catch splashes. Just drop in watering can between plants.

Is there a prize?

Carl
"The world wasn’t green til the plants arrived."

Debbie... I agree ..those Dansko’s are great for taking a big load off those sunken arches.And those headphones..oh yeah ..I have always felt they lent a great deal of credibility in the workplace,you go girl..But I don’t know about the tape recorder thing..repeating all those words.. people might think I’m trying to be funny or something..hmm.I think I still need my staff for taking messages.

Hard to pin it down to just three, but I don’t want to get DQ’d, so here goes...

1. Aquamate watering machine. ’Nuff said...oh, with a special mention to accessories for same: the faucet adaptor (not the standard issue, short length Aquamate variety, but the longer kind with knurled body for easier attachment and release from the faucet threads, available at good, old-fashioned plumbing supply houses...NOT Home Depot or Lowes) and the Dramm watering wand with its superior vinyl thumb valve construction that doesn’t get burrs or out of shape and leak like the OEM version, and has a larger diameter wand tube for higher volume, faster delivery of water to big plants.

2. Crumb roller...y’know, those little manual rolling bristle brushes used by waiters in fancy restaurants to remove breadcrumbs from tablecloths. Great for any dry mess on carpeting or upholstery, from potting soil to Fiberex or Spanish moss particles to sawdust from sawing off dead canes on Massangeanas.

3. My Samsung cell phone. The calendar feature to set alarms/reminders (for those with C. R. S. disease), camera feature to take snapshots of things (damaged plants at accounts, poor quality plants shipped from Florida, etc.), voice dialing for when I’m on the road, which is all the time.

I’m sure I have left out some goodies...like my Felco pruners, Marathon II insecticide, foam potcollars, CWI’s, etc. The Compleat ’Scaper is a function of many appropriate technologies acting in synergy to produce results that clients love.

Clem

Did Jerry say something ?

Nothing constructive or that mattered anyway.

Clem,
We carry something called an EZ sweep, I’m pretty sure that’s your Crumb roller.

You guys have to re-read the first posting.

"Anyone else want to play? My rules - gotta be something you can’t get from an industry supplier (nothing against you supplier folks, guess I’m just feeling a bit arbitrary today)"

Carl your "out" We have both the "Bucket Boss’ and the Transmission funnel.

Clem your "out" also. The Aquamate is sold by industry suppliers. Primescape carries the Dramm water wands. We have sold the Super Sweeper for 20 years. All items noted in your last paragraph are also sold by industry suppliers.

Sorry guys...go back and start over.
Rick

Oh, what the heck, I’m getting so much good stuff here I’ll bend the rules about stuff available from industry suppliers.

Gotta agree with the above comments about loving my crumb roller and my cell phone. I carry an old fashioned notebook (8" long reporter’s style with a stiff cardboard back) into which I write notes about replacements, mileage, and anything else I might forget (I have CRS too!).

We have a male tech who doesn’t use a watering can on small jobs, he uses a 5 gallon bucket. I tried that for about 30 minutes once. Total disaster. Too heavy and way too spill prone. Give me my 2 gallon watering can any day. Most of our female techs feel the same, except one very petite one who uses a quart pitcher on little accounts - too much running back and forth to the sink for my taste but it works for her.

Rick, I must insist on a mulligan under the Americans with Disabilities Act...remember, I said I’m a victim of CRS disease, so by law you have to cut me some slack...by the time the thread got to where I jumped in, I forgot the rules.

1. Okay, I’ll default to the faucet adaptor for FILLING the Aquamate...the one I use doesn’t come from them, but from a plumbing supply house in Summit, NJ.

2. Actually, the crumb roller is available in Linens and Things, Target, A&P, etc. Not just "industry suppliers".

3. The cell phone passes muster.

Now I believe I’m in compliance.

Clem

Here are three things I can’t work without ( although some people can adapt if they have to):

My hands-I use these to check my plants for moisture, to clean them with, lift equipment and to talk with since I tend to express my ideas with my hands-like demonstrating the size of a plant etc.

My eyes- I use these to check the plants for insects or disease and to check for any area’s that I may have missed cleaning.

My mouth-I use this to provide outstanding customer service and to answer my customers’ questions and inquiries. After all, it’s all about great customer service!



The other two senses I can do without:

My sense of smell-I do not have a fine tuned sense of smell

My sense of hearing: I usually turn this of when someone refers to me as "waterboy".

Jim:
Gee, where can you purchase extra eyes, hands and mouths. Sheila’s rule’s were items you can purchase from non industry suppliers, and then she added industry suppliers also. I will have to agree that these three items are indispensable however.

Clem - You can have a mulligan. I forgot you were disabled. If Jack had known he wouldn’t have rushed to judge you so harshly last week.

An here is a shameless plug...Yes the crumb roller is available lots of places, however our Supper Sweeper out performs EVERY other sweeper on the market and it is half the price of the least expensive one available. (end of free plug).
Rick

Rick,

I think I deserve a mulligan on this thread, too. Apparently, you’ve overlooked that I am (self-diagnosed) ODD. That’s Oppositional Defiant Disorder -- which fits me to a "T".

Carl

Carl:

GRANTED!!!!!

(Now I’m wasting bandwidth that I complained others were wasting last week.)

Okay here is my picks:

#1: Hazelnut or French Vanella Coffee.
Keeps you going.

#2: A wife that is very supportive (or in some of your cases a husband)

#3: Dependable employees who put in an honest effort and show up every day.

#4: Industry peers that I can go to for advice and feedback.

#5: A good digital camera for digital imaging designs.

#6: Refer to #1 again.

#7: Boxes that plants are delivered in. You can use, re-use and abuse: Ship plants out in them, wrap ’em up as gift packages for decor projects, use them to store decor projects, the list is endless.

#8: How about the internet. ’nough said.

#9: I don’t know what people call them, but those little long reaching grabers with the pistal grip handle. Great for picking up trash that you don’t want to touch in planters/plant beds and for reaching those hard to reach yellow leaves.

#10: Refer to #6 again.

#11: Windex, great for quickly cleaning planters, and any windows that you might have over sprayed onto.

#12: Speaking of spraying ... Spring loaded little clamps that you can use to clamp tarps up to things when spraying.

#13: A 1 gallon shop vac. A brush attachment is great for sucking leaves out of plant beds, vac is good for cleaning up after installs, sucking water etc.

#14: Thank you cards. For sending to clients, prospective clients and employees.

John

Sorry for my previous long winded post. I just realized that three items were asked for. Guess I need another cup of coffee so I am more alert ... or is it that I’ve had to much?

John

Rick,

Here is what Sheila said on her post:

In an attempt to lighten up the mood around here, I’m going to offer some small tips - essential things I use when I’m teching that I DON’T buy from an interiorscape supplier:

Anyone else want to play? My rules - gotta be something you can’t get from an industry supplier (nothing against you supplier folks, guess I’m just feeling a bit arbitrary today).

I didn’t see anything about the items having to be necessarily purchased.

But-that said-I can be bought for a good price-ha ha!
JIM

I find it absolutely hilarious that none of us can play by the rules. What a renegade industry we are!

Julie

One of my absolute favorite things I use over and over again for my business is a small flatbed that I purchased from an office supply store. I fits nicely into my van or car and helps so much. I just purchased several new ones, one for each employee to carry in their vehicles from an "odd lot" store, they are very light weight and can be opened in several configurations, from a flat bed to a hand truck. I remember in the "old days" lugging plants by hand into all my accounts unless I could find a cart there to use.
Another great tool, especially for Holiday decorating is scaffolding. You can really go to town hanging garland over head with one of these things.
For my third item, I would have to say garbage bags. I love big garbage bags. When you want to replace a plant, or protect a new plant or clean up a big mess, there is nothing like a big garbage bag. If it’s raining you can even wear them!
So those are my 3 items. Have I followed the rules?

My three things are:
1) Old bathmats (that we are fortunate to be able to buy from one of our clients a luxury hotel @ 50 cents each!) We use these dozens of ways: to protect the floor when we clean or trim, just roll it up and unfurl into a garbage can. To roll our carts or machines over if we have dirt or water on the wheels as we come in from a wet loading dock or outside We place between ceramic pots on route to a jobsite - over poly as a safe pathway for the night spray crew. To catch drips that seem to flow down from big Broms when you water them
2) Small cosmetic squirt bottles available from any drug store- small enough to float inside the watering can, filled with soap or shine.
3) Swiffers especially the extension handle model and rotating head - worth every penny to be able to dust to
8’ easily.

And from our installation and production department
1) Advil
2) Duct tape
3) Tim Hortons Double double (Canadians eh!)

Ann:
I wonder just how many are wondering what a "Tim Horton Double Double" is?

If it wasn’t for Google I would still be wondering also.
Rick

To save a goggle search I will translate. Here that is a cofee with double cream and double sugar
Ann

They don’t let me water unless they’re desperate, But I love to groom and prune. so for plants my 3 favorites are:
1. swiffers, There are those who love thier flip up’s but I love to dust and toss.
2. 5 gallon bucket. Holds tools and garbage, can be a step stool (not OSHA approved) and coffee break seat.
3.Electric carving knife for cutting upholstry foam into collars ( or scupltures, maybe this is why they don’t like me to water).

For display work it’s had to narrow it down to 3 but here goes:
1. With out question-Cable ties. I never leave home without them.
2.Duct tape-needs no explanation.
3.Pipe and drape hardware. For setting up backdrops, quick, easy, secure

Sorry to color outside the box, but I’ve been waiting for someone to mention my all time favorite accessory--the Electrostatic Sprayer. Saved me beaucoup $$$$$, man hours, late night man hours and miles of plastic sheeting. Best $2,000 my company ever spent. Check it out. Barb

OK, had to jump in with a few of my own

1) Turkey basters , great for maintaining intricate orchid arrangements or getting H20 out of overwatered 6" or 8" pots

2) Surgical Gloves, if you’re dealing with non-sterilized soil or maintaining plants in super public environments, keeps the ’yeech factor’ down

3) GPS for us directionally challenged folks

Looks like Rick zinged all those who posted with industry available items and then the rules changed. Totally in agreement with Julie, we are a bunch of Lone Rangers!

New product I like from PAW is the Super Absorbent Poly Throw (or something like that). All of our techs have them, great for spraying or replacing a wet plant, it is a crazy material you can pour H20 on and it doesn’t leak.

And I agree with Jerry, I discourage the use of any Ipods or anything like that with our techs, what if the client has a question? It makes the tech appear unapproachable.

Be careful Matthew..Somebody has come up with a study that says how much more focused and productive people become while wearing headsets a Clem is searching for it right now !!

Whoops! Forgot to mention my third item:

"Fiberglass Magic" for cleaning/restoring plastic cylinders. We use it on TopSider and NewPro basic cylinders. It was created to clean gel-coated fiberglass bathtubs, surrounds and sinks (which a really bad experience convinced me should NEVER be cleaned with abrasive cleaners -- ruined the tub). Comes in aerosol which foams up when you spray it on, then wipe it off -- stubborn marks require a little elbow grease. Works great and leaves the finish looking like new. Get it in hardware store; right next to the Counter Magic and other "Magics."

Too bad we can only submit three items here.

Carl

1. Fiskars DIAMAEDGE scissors. Takes a licking and keeps on tickin’.

2. The superhot water faucets at the clients sink used for preparing tea. Sterilizes my scissors in a heartbeat and leaves no residue on the blade. Helps prevent transference of nasties. Maybe not 100% true sterilization but psychologically helps me think this is the case for peace of mind.

3. Canning Vale towels for cleaning. The king of towels. Impossible for me to find now. I think made in australia.

Zip lock sanwich bag
Sponge
Plant paws

We store a sponge soaked with alchohol and plant plaws in a zip;ock to keep the paws clean and the sponge comes in handy for those little spills.

One item.
Turkey baister!
Extract over watering mistakes by employees or well meaning care of outside
indiviuals.

How fun is this???

#1....have to agree with the turkey baster and add to that my other related tool which stays in the truck usually...

#2 the manual bilge pump for pumping out a boat...has a long tube and works like a big turkey baster for getting stink water out of the bottom of huge planters

#3 My Geeco quart-sized watering can that hangs off the nozzle of my Dramm can and WON’T DRIP! Use it for reaching high, or for small plants that require a lighter touch. If anyone knows where to find these, please let me know! I think it’s a British brand, perhaps became, or was sold to Haws. I left it at an account once and drove 30 minutes back in the other direction to retrieve it knowing I would never be able to replace it!!!

For hanging plants, I use a large plastic quart size drinking cup and wrap my super shammy around the outside to catch any drips. This helps preserve my shoulder (bad rotator cuff that is not helped by hoisting a 2 gallon watering can overhead repeatedly!).

Another entry (I’m way over three things now!) - the Cab Commander by Duluth Trading Company. It’s a large organizer for your truck or van - hangs over the headrest and has lots of pockets for all the gear you just have to have in your vehicle. When it’s time to turn the van into family transportation again, I just swing it around behind the seat. I used to have to throw all my junk in the back and then tidy it all up again later. Worth the $30!

This is one of the coolest threads yet.....so leave it me to turn this thread mundane.


1. A pH meter.

2. A soluable salt meter.

3. A field guide to diseases.

Love the idea of using hot water to sterilize scissors. Clients would probably wonder what the heck you are doing to their tea spout, but can’t believe I never thought of that one!

Oh boy a game! Can I play? Can I ? Huhn? During staff shortages I get to do a bit of maintenace myself. Evne when I’m making sales calls of random inspections I have these on hand.

1) My Swiss Army knife is always on my belt. Perfect for installing wall mounted pots (when the screwdriver was forgotten), great for emergency trimming or cutting something. Plus you never know when a bottle of wine might pop up (just kidding).

2)A one foot piece of 1/4" bamboo with a notch cut into the tip as an inexpensive moisture probe. Not such a big deal when they get left behind either.

3)I also wrap lots of self adhering velcro tape (sold for staking tomatoes) on the other end of the moisture probe as my tape dispenser instead of carrying a whole roll.

4) a 4 x 6’ tarp from the dollar store.

I love the repoire(did I spell that right?). I laughed so hard and learned just as much. My three-that can’t be bought-are the patience, positive attitude, and sense of humor that makes going 30 mins. back for something forgotten taken with a "grain of salt." I love my job!

P.S. I don’t consider any of those "small" tips.
May God bless us all.

1) Rubber mallot to get plants out of pots when repotting.
2) Rubbermaid bin (deep) for carrying my water buckets so I can have water at accounts where water pressure seems to take forever, and I like having water when I first walk into an account.
3) Dog treats, I have had some scary dogs become my best buds due to treats!
I have enjoyed this thread. I am so proud to be associated with this industry.

Bonnie,

I LOVE my Rubbermaid cart. I can use it to repot one or two plants on site (at my van), and I also use it to bring in samples for a presentation meeting ....... samples of plants, color plants, containers, color chips etc. It’s also great for when twice a year we scrape the top two inches of soil off all the plants (subirrigation) and add back in fresh soil. The cart easily holds the buckets of fresh soil and the buckets for the old soil.

I really like the hand towels that I buy (bulk and in green) for wiping containers and hands and tools.

We also carry small spray bottles of rubbing alcohol for use in cleaning pruning tools.