FNGLA's May 2016 Greenline

May 2016 | Volume 37, Issue 5

FNGLA’S MONTHLY PUBLICATION: DIGITAL MONTHLY ISSUE LOCATED AT HTTP://GREENLINE.FNGLA.ORG

Florida Flower Trials is This Spring’s “Must Attend” Event: May 12 & 13 Taking place May 12 & 13 in three trial garden locations across Central Florida, Florida Flower Trials offers an amazing two days chock-full of new plants, intelligent conversations and actionable knowledge attendees can put to use to benefit their business and increase their plant sales.

The plants are in place. The breeders will be on hand to answer all questions. There are many new things to see and experience: • Over 100 new color varieties are being tested for Florida’s climate in three amazing garden locations: Walt Disney World’s nursery; Harry P. Leu Gardens; and, the University of Florida/Orange County Extension Service.

• 10 leading breeder companies with representatives on-hand ready to answer all plant, pest and durability questions plus there are industry suppliers too!

• Eight speakers in six “classroom” sessions equipped with the latest details and info to create better color experiences.

The 2015 program participants saw many new plants, great speakers and tons of connections. 2016’s event will take place May 12 & 13 at three Central Florida trial garden locations!

• A tour of the Walt Disney World nursery and admission to the 2016 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival where attendees can explore and see how and what Disney’s staff has used in new and existing color options.

• More connections than even seem possible in just two days of learning and networking.

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Billy Butterfield, FCLC FNGLA 2015-2016 President

Flower Power and Kid Therapy I had the opportunity this month to go out to California to see the California Spring Trials with some of my FNGLA friends. What a sight to see. We landed in Los Angeles, rented a car and we were on our way. Plant breeders from all over the world were showcasing annual and perennial flowers, as well as new varieties and products. The California Spring Trials is an annual week-long event and is not open to the general public. This was truly a plant geek’s paradise and the ultimate in GMO success stories.

We visited Ball Horticulture, Benary, Dummen Orange, Gro Link, Speedling, Syngenta, Proven Winners and many more. We met many of our Florida FNGLA friends out there, including Bonnie Marshall with Speedling and T. Jay Higgins with Sun-Fire Nurseries. The breeders had set up their displays in various locations including greenhouse operations, nurseries, a winery with a vineyard and wine tasting bar, and even a chapel/winery/soccer field where there was a large tent. We were given a first-class tour and education by our good friend Sue Amatangelo with Euro America.

We saw thousands of flowers displayed for the garden center in trays, in containers with thrillers, spillers and fillers, on arbors above us with flowers draping down, and in the ground as landscape plantings. We had the opportunity to speak directly with the breeders, growers and scientists, to find out the growing habits and genetics of many varieties new to the market, some that haven’t hit the market yet, and still some which may never hit the market. I think they got tired of hearing my question, “Will they take the Florida heat and humidity?”

We spent 12 hours flying, 4 days driving nearly 300 miles, to 13 different locations in Central California to see these beautiful displays and talk with these experts. I learned a lot. Many of the breeders are calling poinsettias euphorbia. They are developing pinks for Breast Cancer month and Mother’s Day, yellows for the fall, and oranges for Halloween. They wish to extend this plant’s season from just Christmas to a year-round plant. My favorite new plant this year, though, was the Eckebeckia, a cross between Echinacea and Rudbekia, bringing the strengths of

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both to a new plant. While this plant may not be able to grow either very long or very well in our “Florida heat and humidity,” I did ask to see if it would. I ended up making it my phone screen saver, as that’s as close as I’ll get for a while to have that plant here in Florida.

This was a great trip, but it’s hard to get away for that long, especially in the spring and summer. So we are lucky to have the opportunity to see many of these and other plants right here in Central Florida. The Florida Flower Trials, put on by FNGLA, are coming up on May 12 & 13 right here in Orlando.

Many of the breeders with whom we met in California sent seed and cuttings to growers in Florida this past fall and winter. These were grown out at Speedling in St. Petersburg and Brad’s Bedding Plants in Delray Beach. The finished plants were then installed in the ground at three sites around Orlando. Orange County Extension, as part of their Exploration Garden, built a trial garden with 36 beds and three varieties in each bed. Kelly Greer can tell you what prep work was done prior to planting, the soil put down in the raised beds, the amount of irrigation, spray, fertilizer and time to get these plants grown out to what you will see.

At “The Beautiful” Leu Gardens near downtown Orlando, more landscape style beds were planted, some in sun, some in shade. Robert Bowden and Keri Byrum can tell you what was done to these plantings to impress the many plant enthusiasts who frequent Leu Gardens. And at Epcot, as part of the Flower and Garden Festival, these same plants were installed “back stage” at Walt Disney World’s trial garden under the expert care of Melissa Shepherd. Others were planted “on stage” and mixed in with plants which the Disney experts know to be tried and true. Three different locations, with three different micro climates and three different levels of care and maintenance. All within 20 miles. While there were many reasons to travel to California, you don’t have to! Attend the Florida Flower Trials and see how these flowers really do take the “Florida heat and humidity.”

After seeing all the beautiful flowers and getting back from California, reality set back in. I was having a pretty stressful week. I let my Aquatics Spray License expire because the only place I could get my CEUs was in Coral Springs in the

FNGLA HAPPENINGS Continued from page 1

FNGLA members can register for the conference for $165 and non-members pay $185. After May 9, the prices increase: Register now for best pricing!

Access more program details, including hotel rooms, online: http://www.fngla.org/events/florida-flower-trials or see the complete speaker line-up: http://www.fngla.org/events/florida-flower-trials/schedule.aspx.

late spring, and nobody ever asked me for it. Although I took my BMP test in 2007 when it first came out, I never registered it. Again, nobody ever asked me for it, so it didn’t seem to matter. I received my annual letter from FDACS reminding me I need to renew my pesticide license in June and I need CEUs for that. No big deal with that one. I could do those on line as I’ve done every year for the past 30 years.

But then we were awarded an aquatics contract, and a contract that required the Limited Commercial Fertilizer Applicator license, for which I needed either my BMP number -- or I had to be an FNGLA Certified Horticulture Professional. The stress was building. I have my FCHP which I earned in the 1980’s so I thought I was covered. Then the fine print; you need to be FCHP certified after 2007, since our certification test was updated to include the BMPs for landscape professionals in that year.

So, I pulled out the laptop and started searching. Orange County had an Aquatics exam it was administering the third Thursday of the month. I called and grabbed one of the last available seats so I can retake the Aquatics exam I had taken four years ago. I studied when I could and took the test on that Thursday and passed by two questions, a 78 (a D I’m told), but I still passed.

I registered for the BMP program which is six nearly hour long modules each with a short test and then a final exam. I set my

laptop up with my hot spot and kept it going wherever I was.

My hot spot was in my pocket sometimes. I had my laptop next to me at stop lights as I was driving from job to job. I had it on the sink when I was showering, on the table next to me when I was eating, and next to me in bed when I laid down at night. I got through the modules in two days, took the test the next morning, and passed. So, I was now BMP certified again. I applied for the fertilizer license Friday morning on-line and was told I will receive the license by email in a day or two.

I was done and I was late for my regular Friday job -- 5th grade.

I’ve been in 5th grade for a decade or so now. Nearly every Friday from the start of school to the end of the day, every week I can. I started volunteering at Pershing Elementary when my kids went there, and while they’ve both graduated from college, I’m still in 5th grade in the same class room.

When I walked into the office to sign in, the principal was standing there talking to someone about something and I started signing in. She looked over at me and said, “Man, you looked stressed today.” I told her my story about licenses and CEUs and tests and threw in a little grumbling about government over-regulation. She looked at me and said, “You need some kid therapy. Get to class.” She was right. While I do math and spelling and stuff like that with the kids, we’ve also planted woody ornamentals, about 50 trees, a bromeliad garden, a native garden, a tropical fruit tree garden, and our newest -- a landscape nursery and row crops.

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FNGLA HAPPENINGS Continued from page 3

The landscape nursery is courtesy of T. Jay Higgins with SunFire Nurseries in Sarasota and Ty Strode with Agri-Starts in Apopka. They gave me some liners which the kids potted up in 1 and 3 gallon containers. The kids also put down some nursery cloth and glued some irrigation pipe together to water it. These ten-year-olds put their hands in the bags of dirt to fill the containers, hand weed every week, fertilize and clip the young plants so they will be full as they grow up. They clip roses with little bitty thorns. They’ve fixed broken pipes and swept off the mat to keep their “nursery” clean.

In the row crop garden, Robert Bowden from Beautiful Leu Gardens gave us some extra vegetable plants he had grown from seed. We’ve got beets, five kinds of lettuce, artichokes, celery, tomatoes, and some of the hottest peppers you can plant. With Robert’s direction last week, the kids pulled up some of the beets, shook off the dirt, pulled off the roots, wiped them off on their pants and took a bite. Many of us have probably never tasted a fresh raw beet, but they pulled up many more because they were so tasty. This was Robert’s week to talk to the kids about gardening and plants and the kids loved it. He also told them how hot the peppers were, and while they were edible, you should just keep them as ornamentals. I guess that was something you shouldn’t tell a 10-year old boy. Two of them decided they could handle a little pepper so they popped one in their mouths. They went home still holding their tongues and not able to talk quite right. I bet they went right for the milk when they got home.

We always talk about how important it is to bring new people into the industry. These kids are young plant geeks, who may one day be our growers or our nursery or landscape managers. They may be experts in technology who one day could take our industry to the next level.

Penny is already an expert at pruning small potted roses. Taylor and Drew have planted gardens at home with lots of different peppers.

They are all 10 or 11 years old. Just think where they’ll be in another 10 years.

Many of these kids who can, have agreed to come back to school over the summer to tend to the watermelon, squash, muscadine grapes, avocados and pineapples since they won’t be ready until after school’s out for the summer. And while they get a lot out of gardening, I get my weekly dose of “kid therapy.” It relieves the stress, even if there is none that week. I’m getting the good end of the deal. I’m sure there are a lot of kids this age out there who would love to have a plant geek mentor show them the wonders of growing something themselves.

See you at FNGLA’s Flower Trials in May and Convention in June!

Billy Butterfield, FCLC AmeriScapes Landscape Management Services, LLC (Orlando) ameriscapes-landscape@att.net

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THE

SUNTORY® COLLECTION

FNGLA HAPPENINGS FNGLA’s Annual Convention: The Power of Positive Connections, June 16 – 18 in Orlando You’re going to love staying at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando on June 17-18 as part of the FNGLA Convention experience! However, to ensure you receive the low FNGLA rate of only $139 per night, you must make your hotel reservation by May 25. Make your reservation online or call 866-996-6338. This will be a busy week at the hotel and they expect to sell out of rooms, so make sure you get in the FNGLA block by making your reservation now.

Besides enjoying the beautiful and relaxing facilities at Shingle Creek, there are plenty more reasons to attend FNGLA’s Annual Convention.

FNGLA’s Convention offers important business networking, shared industry information and association business for FNGLA members to discuss, as well as time to enjoy the internationally famous Orlando attractions.

New to the agenda at this year’s convention is an FNGLA landscape installation service project.

FNGLA President Billy Butterfield is serving as the bridge between the Central Florida Boys and Girls Club and any FNGLA members who wish to work with Billy to install a new landscape at a Central Florida Boys and Girls Club. Billy is looking for donations of plants and trees (which do well in Central Florida); mulch; volunteers to install the landscape; and, a sponsor for lunch for the volunteers.

One of the highlights of this year’s meeting will be a Welcome Reception at Sea World which actively supports FNGLA and its activities. Famous for its animal care, Sea World, also manages its extensive landscape with equal expertise and passion.

FNGLA convention attendees will have an earlier opportunity to visit the horticulture facilities and then take a grand tour of the park’s gardens led by Sea World’s horticulture team as the reception finale!

Keeping with the “flower power” theme of this year’s convention, a special tour of Leu Gardens is offered to FNGLA attendees at no charge. Part of the tour led by the Leu Gardens horticulture team will include the flowers on trial at the garden as part of FNGLA’s Florida Flower Trials program.

Also included in the Convention schedule is the FNGLA Annual Meeting, complete with a state-of-the-industry report, FNGLA officer elections, recognition of the FNGLA Industry Award Winners (http://www.fngla.org/recognition/industryawards/) and an FNGLA Year-in-Review presentation. The event ends with the President’s Gala, where current FNGLA President Billy Butterfield will pass the “big shoes” to incoming association President Robert Shoelson.

For a complete schedule or to register, visit https://www.fngla.org/events/annual-convention/.

Convention registration includes the Friday Night reception at Sea World; Annual Meeting Continental Breakfast; President’s Gala Reception and Banquet; and, access to the Hospitality Suite. FNGLA members who register before June 6 receive the best price.

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FNGLA HAPPENINGS FNGLA Announces New Slate of Officers for 2016-2017 FNGLA’s Nominating Committee announces its recommended slate for FNGLA’s 2016-2017 officers.

President-Elect Robert Shoelson (Getting Green Plant Service in Fort Lauderdale and Betrock Information Systems in Hollywood, FL) automatically advances to FNGLA President. FNGLA’s Nominating Committee nominates Ed Bravo (Big Trees Plantation, Inc. in Ocala) as FNGLA’s President-Elect. Will Womack (Tampa Bay Landscaping in Tampa) is nominated as FNGLA’s Secretary/Treasurer.

Current FNGLA President Billy Butterfield (AmeriScapes Landscape Management Services in Orlando) automatically advances to FNGLA Past President for this membership year.

Incoming FNGLA President Robert Shoelson grew up in the nursery and landscape industry starting with Betrock Information Systems in 1992 and Getting Green Plant Service in 1998. He is active on FNGLA’s Certification, Short Course and Budget Committees. Robert has served on FNGLA’s Board of Directors as Woody Division and Broward Chapter Board Representatives. He was president of FNGLA’s Broward Chapter three times and is active in several industry groups, including the Landscape Inspectors Association. Robert is a Certified Landscape Inspector and has earned two FNGLA professional certifications -Landscape Contractor and Horticulture Professional. Robert is the owner and president of Getting Green Plant Services in Fort Lauderdale and the COO of Betrock Information Systems in Hollywood, FL. Nominated to serve as FNGLA President Elect, Ed Bravo was born in Santiago de Cuba and immigrated to the United States one year later.

His family lived in Miami until Ed was nine years old when they then moved to Gainesville. Ed earned an A.A. degree from Santa Fe Community College in 1985. His nursery and landscape career began six years earlier when he started working as a landscape laborer. Within just two years, he became the production manager at a Gainesville area nursery and was the sole proprietor of Moonlight Landscape. In 1996, Ed became the General Manager of Big Trees Nursery and in 2001, he became a partner of Big Trees Plantation in which capacity he continues. He has been a longtime board member of the

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Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Spring Garden Festival. Ed has served FNGLA Frontrunners Chapter in many roles, including president. He represented the Frontrunners Chapter on the statewide FNGLA Board of Directors from 2009 to 2013. Ed is a member of the FNGLA Endowed Research Fund Steering Committee advising the UF/IFAS Dean of Research which industry research projects are worthy of FNGLA funding.

Nominated to serve as FNGLA Secretary/Treasurer is Will Womack.

Will initially considered being a prosecutor and worked briefly with then line attorney Pam Bondi.

In 2002, he started Tampa Bay Landscaping. Will has been active in the Tampa Bay Chapter of FNGLA and the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau serving in a variety of leadership roles. He has served on the FNGLA Board of Directors, FNGLA’s Marketing and Membership Committee, the Budget Committee, Certifications Committee, holds two FNGLA certifications and has served as a judge for certification exams. He is also an ISA certified arborist.

Will is a graduate of the UF/IFAS Wedgworth Leadership Institute and continues to sit on many local advisory boards and committees.

Billy Butterfield automatically moves from president to FNGLA Immediate Past President. Billy became active in FNGLA through his interest in its landscape certification programs. He has served on FNGLA’s Certification Committee and is one of the most experienced and rigorous certification exam judges. Billy served FNGLA’s Action Chapter in many capacities, including president. He has served on the FNGLA Board of Directors as an officer and as Action Chapter’s Board Representative. Billy has been on FNGLA’s Membership Committee, The Landscape Show Committee and FNGLA’s education committees. He sits on many local advisory boards and committees and is a graduate of the UF/IFAS Wedgworth Leadership Institute. Billy owns AmeriScapes Landscape Management Services in Orlando.

FNGLA officer elections take place during FNGLA’s Annual Meeting on Saturday morning, June 18 in conjunction with the 2016 convention in Orlando.

FNGLA HAPPENINGS FNGLA Announces Industry Award Winners FNGLA has many valuable resources, the most significant of which is its talented members who generously give their expertise, time and passion for the industry.

With many deserving members nominated for consideration, the Industry Awards Selection Committee has the challenge and the honor to select the best of the best for FNGLA’s top six industry awards. The winners for 2016 are as follows:

Outstanding Chapter Leader

Heather Blake, Chestnut Hill Tree Farm, Inc., Alachua, FL | Frontrunners Chapter Heather is the current president of the FNGLA Frontrunners Chapter and has done an outstanding job of planning and organizing new and different monthly chapter meetings. She has championed two community landscape projects which she and her fellow chapter members executed with great enthusiasm and success.

Outstanding Chapter Leader

Jenn Helms-Shelley, Railroad Nursery, Inc., Homestead, FL | Miami-Dade Chapter Jenn has served in several board positions of the FNGLA Miami Dade Chapter including president in 2013-14. Jenn has been very effective connecting the FNGLA Miami-Dade Chapter with several other local groups in which she is involved, including Farm Share and Homestead Chamber of Commerce.

Outstanding Educator

Cindy Griffin, Broward County Schools, Sunrise, FL Cindy is a Resource Teacher for Agriscience for Broward County Public Schools, serving as a conduit between county education resources, Ag teachers and students. She has been a driving force in helping students prepare for the FCHP exam, as well as generously volunteering on the local FNGLA and Farm Bureau boards.

Outstanding Volunteer Member

Julie Forrest, Stallings Crop Insurance Corp., Lakeland, FL When someone is seeking volunteer help, particularly in the FNGLA Royal Palm and Manasota Chapters, Julie, aka “Hootie,” Forrest is the go-to person. Whether it is helping with a fishing tournament fundraiser, serving on the state convention committee, or delivering survival supplies following a natural disaster, Hootie is the first to say yes and get the job done.

Farm Credit/FNGLA Young Nursery Professional

Tristen Bowen, Marriott Vacation Club, Orlando, FL A 2004 UF horticulture graduate, Tristen made her mark early as horticulture manager at the Gaylord Palms Resort and now oversees the landscapes of several Marriott Vacation Club properties. Tristen not only is a regular at FNGLA conferences and

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How Do You Nominate a Peer For Industry Recognition?

As a member-based and member-valued association, FNGLA honors a select group of individuals each year. Some awards are based upon one’s service to FNGLA, whether it be specific chapter-level involvement or state-level activities. Some awards are given based upon industry service in general, and yet there are others designed to highlight actions benefiting the industry/association. Each award has specific criteria for which nominees are evaluated.

The awards committee, which determines the winners, looks at each nominee’s level of involvement and contributions before deciding which nominees are selected as honorees for each particular year. While FNGLA begins to seek nominations each February, we are always happy to accept a nomination!

For more details on FNGLA’s Industry Awards program, visit http://www.fngla.org/recognition/industry-awards/index.

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FNGLA HAPPENINGS Continued from page 8

events, but is often helping behind-the-scenes or sharing her knowledge as a speaker or group leader. She currently is treasurer of the FNGLA Action Chapter and is an integral part in the planning of the chapter’s monthly meetings.

Hall of Fame Inductee

P.J. Klinger, Brantley Nurseries, Longwood, FL P.J. Klinger is considered one of the industry’s foremost plantsmen. Not only does he have extensive knowledge of a wide range of plants, P.J. developed several new cultivars including Florida City Series Coleus, Syngonium ‘Red Butterfly’, Viburnum ‘Halfabuki’ and Loropetalum ‘purple zirconium’. During his 31-year career at familyowned Brantley Nurseries, P.J. has been active on several industry boards and generous in sharing his expertise and passion for plants with all who have interest.

Wendell E. Butler Award Winner

Bob Cook, Southern Agricultural Insecticides, Inc., Ft. Myers, FL Bob Cook has spent most of his adult life in Southwest Florida as both a student and teacher of plants and landscapes. A true plant geek, Bob shares his horticulture passion and expertise in every area of his life. He has taught the FCHP program with two sessions a year since 1999, as well as master gardener classes. He was host to a live gardening radio show for several years, writer of articles for the local paper as well as gardening magazines, and currently writes a horticulture blog and maintains an instructional website. He has been an active member of FNGLA’s Royal Palm Chapter since the early 1990s, serving as president twice and as the chapter’s representative to the FNGLA Board of Directors. Bob also served on FNGLA’s Marketing Committee, Budget committee and was one of FNGLA’s Outstanding Educators.

JUNE 3RD AND 4TH 2016

Dick Fuhr Memorial Fishing Tournament Postcard.indd 1

FNGLA’s Industry Awards are presented to the winners on Saturday morning, June 18 during the FNGLA Annual Membership Meeting, as part of the FNGLA Convention at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando. The FNGLA Annual Membership Meeting is open to all FNGLA members and does not require registration.

The FNGLA Industry Awards Committee is comprised of the eight most recent recipients of the Wendell E. Butler Award and were: Janice and Roger Brooks; Buck Wurster, FCLC; Jerry Frye; Sylvia Gordon; Gary Hennen; Nancy McDonald; Chet Peckett; and, Theresa and Kevin Riley, FCHP.

1/6/2016 4:35:57 PM

FOR DETAILS, CONTACT: CHRIS OPPENHEIMER 305-345-3529 WALTER HOFFMAN 305-458-4257

Dick Fuhr Memorial Fishing Tournament Postcard.indd 1

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PMA Fresh Connections: Floral Event Discount for FNGLA Members The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) is hosting its Fresh Connections: Floral networking event in Miami, July 14, 2016.

This event brings together floral buyers from supermarket and mass market retailers with floral growers, shippers, processors and service providers to forge business opportunities and gather industry insights.

As a courtesy to FNGLA and its members, PMA is extending its PMA membership rate for this event to current FNGLA members. Use this form to register as an FNGLA member: http://www.pma.com/~/media/Pma%20Files/Floral/2016-FCFloral-Miami-Reg-Form-for-FNGLA. For more details, visit Fresh Connections:Floral Miami at http://www.pma.com/events/fresh-connections-floral-east or contact ladams@fngla.org.

National Foliage Foundation

Enhancing the Industry Through Research NFF strives to fund research that specifically deals with green industry related issues.

Throughout the years, over $500,000 has been given to the industry to support projects in the areas of production, marketing, utilization and distribution. Whether understanding how to improve plant quality and longevity during transportation, spur purchasing motivation of consumers to increase demand for foliage products, NFF seeks to support research with positive outcomes and a greater return on investment for the green industry.

Research proposals are accepted from academic institutions across the country. If you wish to apply for an NFF research grant, please fill out and submit the forms to the National Foliage Foundation. For questions, please contact Linda Reindl at lreindl@fngla. org or by phone at (407) 295-7994.

www.nationalfoliagefoundation.org

The Florida Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is a non-profit organization committed to serving the needs of Florida’s professional arborists and tree-care consumers.

NFF is administered by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association. For more information contact Linda Reindl, lreindl@fngla.org

FNGLA HAPPENINGS FNGLA’s Landscape Awards: Submit Best Projects by July 14 Celebrate “the best of the best!” in Florida landscapes: FNGLA’s Landscape Awards program is accepting nominations now through July 14.

FNGLA’s Landscape Awards bring excellence and prestige to your business portfolio. The entry categories and applications are straightforward and submitted on-line. And, you can now even submit twice as many digital images of your landscape entry! Florida landscape projects installed and completed since January 1, 2013 are eligible for submission.

Submit New Installations; Redesign/ Renovation; and, Maintenance projects in the following categories:

• Residential Single-Family • Residential Community • Commercial • Theme Park • Institutional/Public

Are you one of the BEST? FNGLA’s 2016 award–winning landscape projects will be showcased on the main stage at The Landscape Show in Orlando, September 15 - 17. Higher-level “special recognition” awards will be revealed.

Submit your very best landscape projects as this is a grand opportunity for FNGLA to help promote and position your landscape firm as one of the very best in the state!

Submit New Installation; Redesign/Renovation; and, Maintenance projects in the following categories: Residential Single-Family; Residential Community; Commercial; Theme Park; Institutional/Public; Interior Project; Special Project; Student Project; and, Environmentally Sustainable Site. Special Awards include: FNGLA S.J. Blakely Award; FNGLA Floriculture Award; FNGLA Florida Friendly Landscape™ Award; and, FNGLA Roy Rood Award.

Projects must be submitted by Thursday, July 14 for this year’s program.

Contact FNGLA at 800.375.3642 for more details or access details online at http://www.fngla.org/recognition/landscape-awards.

• Interior Project • Special Project • Student Project • Environmentally Sustainable Site Special Awards include:

• FNGLA S.J. Blakely Award • FNGLA Floriculture Award • FNGLA Florida Friendly Landscape™ Award • FNGLA Roy Rood Award

Winning projects from the 2016 awards will receive their plaques at The Landscape Show’s trends stage. Last year’s big winner was Landscape Contractor Landform Design Group and Landscape Architect Malcolm Miller, ASLA who won top honors for their work on Overyonder Cay, a private 72-acre island in the Bahamas.

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INDUSTRY NEWS UF Researchers Go High Tech to Advance Industry

By Jack Payne, University of Florida senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of IFAS, jackpayne@ufl.edu | @JackPayneIFAS I recently bought a $30,000 pair of glasses for one of my scientists. They help him read minds. Actually, what they do is track eye movements. Hayk Khachatryan downloads data from the glasses, and it tells him where the wearer looked, for how long, whether she returned to a spot repeatedly, and what she was looking at when she expressed a thought.

The data even tells him where she was looking when she said she’d buy.

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has long addressed the human dimensions aspect of science. Khachatryan is an agricultural economist, so he studies how people make choices.

There was a time when producers drove the agriculture business. I scarcely need to tell you how consumers have grabbed the wheel. Access to information has put them there.

Lamentably, so has access to misinformation.

So economists like Khachatryan have abandoned the classical economic assumptions that our decisions are rational and consistent. Perception and emotions rule, informed or not. The glasses are a way to get a better handle on linking cognitive building blocks to economic behaviors.

Tracking eye movements helps us get past what consumers say they want and closer to what they actually do. In his experimental economics lab at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, Khachatryan teases out what information on a label, for example, is most compelling to the beholder.

In the nursery business, Khachatryan can tie visual attention measures to whether consumers will pay more for certain designations on a label, such as locally grown, certified organic, or pollinator-friendly. And with a wall of eight 75” screens, he can put a subject with the expensive glasses at the curb in front of a virtual yard. Then, by changing the composition of the landscaping – playing, for example, with the traditional turfgrass lawn vs. native plants mix -- he can detect at what point a consumer decides a landscape looks like too much work, a critical consideration in homeowners’ decisions.

Khachatryan is one of the few scientists in Florida with these kinds of tools and the know-how to use them. His cutting-edge investigation exemplifies how IFAS can sometimes best help producers by focusing on consumers. He’s scarcely got his screens and glasses out of the box, but he’s already talking about big ideas for the future. He has aspirations to work with UF’s brain institute to measure brain activity and link it with eye movement to study shopping behavior.

He even talks about the prospect of exploring neuroeconomics as a way to better understand why and when people’s decisions are driven by something more than logic. By figuring out which areas of the brain are active as people make certain choices, economists can begin to account for the role that things like emotion and social factors play.

That’s the kind of aspiration our faculty bring to their work. I’m not paying for his use of a functional MRI, though, until I’ve seen more of what the glasses can show us!

Jack Payne is the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

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INDUSTRY NEWS Big Changes Implemented with the Garden Writers Association The Garden Writers Association has adopted GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators as its brand name and has unveiled a new logo. GWA also recently appointed Kellen, a global leader in association services and communications, for full-service management of the 1,500 member professional society.

For over 55 years, GWA has been dedicated to providing leadership, education and development opportunities for professionals in the field of gardening communication. The purpose of GWA’s rebrand is to position the association to reflect the diversity of its members. While historically, GWA’s membership has consisted of primarily writers, in recent years it has grown to include photographers, speakers, landscape designers, television and radio personalities, consultants, publishers, extension service agents and more.

To help usher the association into this new phase, Kellen will support GWA’s growing membership needs, offer a higher level of professional resources, and bring important innovations to fulfill its mission.

“Kellen’s depth and breadth of services as well as vast experience and working knowledge of organizations in the communications space will bring exciting new opportunities to GWA,” said President Kirk Brown. “This is a big, new step for us and we look forward to working with the Kellen staff to help bring GWA to the next level.”

GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators, formerly the Garden Writers Association, is an organization of professional communicators in the green industry including authors, bloggers, staff editors, columnists, freelance writers, photographers, speakers, landscape designers, television and radio personalities, consultants, publishers and more. No other organization in the green industry has as much contact with the buying public as GWA members.

GWA’s mission is to provide leadership and opportunities for education, recognition, career development and a forum for diverse interactions for professionals in the field of gardening communication. FNGLA is a long-time participant in garden writer events and has established relations with many of the association’s leaders. At TPIE 2016, FNGLA gave an open-invitation to GWA members and hosted 18 on a tour to promote Florida’s plants to the group.

Greenness Around Homes Linked to Lower Mortality Women live longer in areas with more green vegetation, according to new research funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. Women with the highest levels of vegetation, or greenness, near their homes had a 12% lower death rate compared to women with the lowest levels of vegetation near their homes. The results were published recently in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The researchers found the biggest differences in death rates from kidney disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. The researchers also explored how an environment with trees, shrubs, and plants might lower mortality rates. They showed improved mental health and social engagement are the strongest factors, while increased physical activity and reduced air pollution also contribute.

The study was conducted by scientists at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and examined greenness around the homes of 108,630 women.

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INDUSTRY NEWS Florida Adds More Jobs Florida added 18,600 private-sector jobs in March, a fairly strong performance with a solid segment of the additions among blue-collar industries such as construction. While any growth is good, this is actually lower than February’s growth figures but still an indicator Florida’s employment is on the rise.

A movement to raise the minimum wage is growing nationally and is already beginning to have an effect in Florida.

Gov. Rick Scott is working to convince businesses to relocate to Florida.

Florida’s minimum wage is currently $8.05 which is an attractor for businesses located in states required to pay the $15 minimum.

On a recent trip to California, Scott said, “My goal, one-hundred percent, is to get individuals and companies to move to Florida,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “By raising the minimum wage in California, 700,000 people are going to lose their jobs, there are a lot of opportunities for companies to prosper in Florida.”

Scott said Florida also adds increased benefits with access to ports. Supporters of the $15 minimum wage increase argue it could help lift people out of poverty but critics warn it could actually hurt the very people it’s supposed to help. Employers could be forced to cutback on their workforce or raise prices to overcome the added cost of labor.

Florida’s Leaders Celebrate Ag Literacy Day Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam recognized the 13th annual Florida Agriculture Literacy Day at a meeting of the Governor and Cabinet. Florida Agriculture Literacy Day is sponsored by Florida Agriculture in the Classroom Inc. (FAITC), a nonprofit organization that trains teachers and agriculture industry volunteers to educate students on the importance of agriculture.

“Florida Ag Literacy Day is a fun and entertaining way to bring agriculture into the classroom,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.

“It’s important to educate Florida’s next generation on where our food comes from and how important the agriculture industry is to all of us.”

This year’s Ag Literacy book, Drive Through Florida: Vegetables, is the second book in a new series of non-fiction books and highlights Florida’s robust vegetable industry. The book is geared toward children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Books and materials will be provided to readers for free thanks to FAITC which is funded by sales of the license plate known as the “Ag Tag,” and a donation from the Florida Farm Bureau’s Women’s Committee.

The annual reading event is made possible by volunteer readers including Florida farmers, growers, ranchers, Florida Farm Bureau members, Florida Cattlemen and Cattlewomen members, FFA students and teachers, 4-H students and teachers, and University of Florida IFAS extension agents and master gardeners. More than 1,600 volunteer readers will read in 3,000 elementary classrooms to more than 70,000 students.

For more information on Ag Literacy Day and Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, please visit FlAgintheClassroom.com.

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INDUSTRY NEWS Florida Releases New “Forever Stamp” Image The U.S. Postal Service will honor the Florida Everglades with a setting-sun photograph of Florida’s native pinelands and grasses as the sixth of 16 Forever Stamp images revealed over a three-week period to celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary. The stamp was recently previewed in Washington, D.C. and will be available in June.

APHIS Protection & Quarantine Touts 2015 Successes In many ways, 2015 was extraordinary for plant health protection. More new pest detections and higher numbers of pest outbreaks were reported than in previous years, including the first-ever detection of old world bollworm in the continental United States and a record-setting 12 fruit fly outbreaks. Despite increased pest pressures, 91% of outbreaks were detected before they spread beyond the area of original colonization. More than 190 people were deployed and more than 30,000 work hours were invested responding to plant health emergencies.

2015 was an impressive year for agricultural trade. The value of U.S. agricultural exports exceeded the value of imports again, making the last 7 years the strongest period for American agricultural exports in the history of our country. APHIS was integral to this success. Using astute diplomacy and sound technical expertise and working closely with U.S. international trading partners, APHIS reached critical plant health agreements and eliminated trade barriers to sustain and expand U.S. export markets valued at more than $2.4 billion.

APHIS’ ability to effectively safeguard agriculture and facilitate safe agricultural trade is grounded in it’s commitment to continuously evaluate and constantly improve our work. This commitment is reflected in the Strategic Plan published 1 year ago. The plan established three goals for the next 5 years:

Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S. It contains 1.5 million acres of sawgrass prairies, tropical hardwood hammocks, pine rocklands, mangrove forests and marine and estuarine waters. The park is also home to an array of wildlife including threatened species such as the American Alligator, Sea Turtle, Florida Panther, Manatees and a variety of birds such as the snail kite, woodstork, woodpecker and bald eagle.

“I enjoy exploring new corners of the Earth but the Everglades will always be where my heart lies,” Miami photographer Paul Marcellini said. “It’s one of the most unique and endangered habitats in our part of the world.”

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• •

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Goal 1: Strengthen Plant Protection and Quarantine’s (PPQ) pest exclusion system.

Goal 2: Optimize PPQ’s domestic pest management and eradication programs.

Goal 3: Increase the safety of agricultural trade to expand economic opportunities in the global marketplace.

With 2016 nearly half over, more successful pests and disease protection has been underway. See USDA APHIS’ stories of success at https://www. aphis.usda.gov/publications/ plant_health/2016/ report-program-successes.

INDUSTRY NEWS Florida Citrus Industry in Flux: Grant Monies Available The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of $22 million in grants to help citrus producers fight Huanglongbing (HLB), commonly known as citrus greening disease. This funding is available through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program (CDRE), which was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and is administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

USDA has invested more than $380 million to address citrus greening between fiscal years 2009 and 2015, including $43.6 million through the SCRI CDRE program since 2015.

HLB was initially detected in Florida in 2005 and has since affected all of Florida’s citrus-producing areas. A total of 15 U.S. states or territories are under full or partial quarantine due to the detected presence of the Asian citrus psyllid, a vector for HLB. Those states include Alabama, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

USDA has employed both short-term and longer-term strategies to combat citrus greening. Secretary Vilsack announced a Multi-Agency Coordination framework in December 2013 to foster cooperation and coordination across federal and state agencies and industry to deliver near-term tools to citrus growers to combat Huanglongbing. The Huanglongbing MAC Group includes representatives from the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), USDA NIFA, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Environmental Protection Agency, State Departments of Agriculture from California, Florida, Texas and Arizona, and the citrus industry.

The HLB MAC group is charged with quickly putting practical tools and solutions into the hands of producers, allowing them to remain economically productive while longer term solutions continue to be developed. The Group invested $20 million into more than 30 projects over the past two years. The funding supports projects by universities, private industry, state and federal partners. Today, growers are benefiting from the use of thermotherapy, soil acidification, biocontrol and other tools funded through the first round of HLB MAC investment. The HLB MAC Group is now considering the best use of an additional appropriation from 2016 of more than $5 million.

Last year, the University of Florida and Washington State University received NIFA support for research on growing the putative pathogenic bacterium in artificial culture, which will greatly facilitate research efforts to manage HLB. Another project at the University of Florida will develop bactericides to reduce or eliminate pathogen populations in citrus trees, with the goal of recovering fruit production in orchards affected with HLB. Research at the University of California will use virulence proteins from the pathogen to detect its presence before symptoms appear and to develop strategies for creating citrus rootstocks that are immune to HLB. Information about all of the projects funded to date can be found online.

NIFA will give priority to CDRE grants projects that are multistate, multi-institutional, or trans-disciplinary and include clearly defined ways to communicate results to producers. Successful applicants will be expected to engage stakeholders to ensure solutions are commercially feasible. Projects should also include an economic analysis of the costs associated with proposed solutions. Based on consultation with the Citrus Disease Sub-committee of the National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEE), only applications that deal with the HLB or its management will be considered.

Pre-applications that include a Stakeholder Relevance Statement are due on May 16. Applicants who are invited to submit full applications based on an industry relevancy review of the pre-applications will be required to submit full applications by Aug. 18. See the request for applications on the NIFA website for more information: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/viewopportunity.html?oppId=283048.

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INDUSTRY NEWS Florida Chamber Celebrates 100th Anniversary The Florida Chamber of Commerce is celebrating a big birthday in 2016, commemorating 100 years of representing businesses and the economy in the Sunshine State.

The Florida Chamber was officially created April 29, 1916 in an effort to save Florida’s business community -- specifically the state’s agriculture industry -- from a parasite (the invasive cattle tick) which was threatening the state’s leading “economic engine.” The Chamber continued its work to help Florida’s economy get back on its feet after the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression. The Chamber says its number one goal has been to “encourage a business-friendly climate” that allows job creators to create private-sector jobs.

A lot has happened in Florida over the last 100 years -- to put it in perspective, the state’s population has skyrocketed from just over 900,000 (around the same number of people just living in Jacksonville in 2010) in 1916 to more than 20 million people. Over the last year, one in 12 jobs nationwide were created in Florida. Florida’s population boom has been so significant that if Florida was a country, it would have the 18th largest economy in the world. By 2030, Florida is projected to be the home of six million new residents.

This year has been a monumental year for the Florida Chamber, and it’s been celebrating its centennial anniversary since January. The Chamber will be solely focused in 2016 on spreading the word about it’s contributions to Florida and for highlighting the growth of business in the Sunshine State. Each year, the Florida Chamber works with all branches of government to set change into action for the annual Florida Business Agenda, which it says is critical to securing Florida’s Future.

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MEMBER NEWS UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County Agent Awarded $2.67 Million Contract to Train Inmates More Florida inmates will have an opportunity to leave prison with real job skills and likely reduce their chances of being reincarcerated, thanks to a contract between the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Lloyd Singleton, an extension agent with UF/ IFAS Extension Sumter County, was recently awarded a $2.67 million contract to expand a vocational training program.

Singleton leads a program to teach horticulture and culinary arts at the Federal Correctional Center in Coleman, Florida.

The five-year contract will help organizers expand a current program that offers horticulture training, Singleton said. Heading the program for five years, he has offered horticulture training to approximately 80 inmates a year. Now, the new contract will include culinary arts and allow organizers to train more inmates.

According to the National Institute of Justice, within three years of release, about twothirds (67.8%) of released prisoners were rearrested. Also, Florida pays approximately $30,000 a year to house and feed a prisoner, Singleton explained. “The training we offer is a huge economic benefit to the state, because we are helping inmates to leave with real skills,” he said.

“In the past five years, we have trained 415 inmates, 195 of whom have been released. Only seven of those released have been re-incarcerated,” Singleton said. “The recidivism rate of four percent is substantially lower than the national average, which shows that giving inmates training before they leave prison helps them to become productive citizens.”

Inmates studying horticulture prepare for two types of certification: Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMP), and Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association – Certified Horticulture Professional (FNGLA FCHP). For each type of certification, prisoners learn hydroponics and seed germination, planting, maintaining, scouting and harvesting vegetables in raised beds, and planting the landscape areas in the compound, including maintenance and scouting for problems. Inmates who achieve either certification can look forward to careers in landscaping services, nursery and greenhouse production, small or large farm work, and irrigation design, installation and maintenance, Singleton said.

Singleton will work with Chef David Bearl to teach culinary arts. Bearl trains program assistants in the UF/IFAS Family Nutrition Program, who then train Florida families on healthy cooking techniques. Chef Bearl also works with the Farm to School and Farm to Table programs.

Walsh Named Sanibel/Captiva “Business Person of the Year” Bob Walsh, RS Walsh Landscaping, was recently named the Business Person of the year by the Sanibel Captiva Chamber of Commerce. Mark Anderson, the chamber’s chairman said no other business of which he is aware had a bigger impact on the island after Hurricane Charley than RS Walsh Landscaping. Congratulations Bob!

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MEMBER NEWS Cherry Lake Tree Farm Chosen as Commissioner’s Agricultural Environmental Leadership Award Winner The Agricultural Environmental Leadership Award has been presented annually since 1994 and recognizes nominees from all parts of the industry committed to protect and preserve Florida’s resources while providing agriculture products. Three Florida-based agriculture entities were selected and FNGLA member Cherry Lake Tree Farm is a winner!

Cherry Lake Tree Farm of Groveland has been in business for more than 30 years, and uses a soil-moisture sensor and evapotranspiration-based irrigation system. Over the past five years, the farm has reduced its water consumption by 15%, while simultaneously increasing production by 15%. Nursery trees and plants with similar irrigation needs are strategically grouped together to further reduce irrigation, and the farm is converting to a new irrigation system to save an additional 70 to 80 million gallons of water per year.

The winners will be recognized at the Florida Farm Bureau’s Convention at the Commissioner’s Ag-Environmental Leadership Breakfast in October. Congratulations Cherry Lake Tree Farm on winning this prestigious award!

FNGLA Saddened by Industry Deaths Bob J. Plyler, 84, passed away on April 7 surrounded by his family at South Miami Hospital. An extraordinary and admirable father, grandfather and friend. A humble man who was genuine and true to himself. His kind, gentle heart and generous spirit was enjoyed by everyone he met. Bob served in the USAF from 1950 to 1954. He relocated to Miami in 1954.

Bob was owner of Arvida Nurseries-- joining FNGLA as on original charter member in 1952 and was an initial stakeholder in the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE). He was a past MiamiDade Chapter President and was inducted into the FNGLA Hall of Fame in 2003-- among his many honors.

Broward County Pioneer, Cornelius Romaine “Neal” Vinkemulder, 82, of Coconut Creek, passed away Friday, April 1 at North Broward Hospital in Pompano Beach. He proudly served in the 82nd Air Division of the US Army, as a paratrooper. In 1959, he founded one of the first successful nursery and landscaping companies in north Broward County, Wooden Shoe Gardens, Inc., which is still operating to this day.

Neal was a passionate, talented, and creative landscape designer who was an extraordinarily dedicated business owner. He continued to work and operate his business until his recent hospitalization.

Timothy Allen Crawford, 45, of Gainesville, passed away Sunday, April 24. Tim was a true plantsman, extremely knowledgeable and passionate about plants and growing them.

Tim was on staff at Grandiflora and worked briefly as manager for Forest Grove Palms until the business closed. Tim was active in FNGLA’s Frontunners Chapter and served as its president in 2011. He could be found at many industry events, such as The Landscape Show.

These industry members will be missed!

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MEMBER NEWS The Mission of FNGLA

1. Action 2. Big Bend 3. Broward 4. Central East Coast 5. Coastal Springs 6. Miami-Dade 7. Frontrunners 8. Highlands Heartland 9. Polk

10. Manasota 11. Northeast 12. Palm Beach 13. Panhandle 14. Pinellas 15. Royal Palm 16. Space Coast 17. Tampa Bay 18. Treasure Coast

FNGLA’s mission is to promote and protect the interests of Florida’s nursery and landscape industry. The following core principles guide the governance and management of FNGLA: Organizational Excellence; Member-Focus; Collaboration and Partnerships; Leadership in Agriculture; and, Continuous Improvement. Don’t just read the newsletter. Be a part of FNGLA!

Welcome New Members The following are new FNGLA members from February 22, 2016 - March 21, 2016

ACTION On Call Landscaping Jaime Espasas 5028 Demott Ct Orlando, FL 32821 407-489-3233 BIG BEND Graco Fertilizer Co. Thad Le Gette (Associate) 8 Alton Hall Rd PO Box 89 Cairo, GA 39828-0089 229-377-1602 COASTAL SPRINGS Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Sean Cyphert (Supportive) 7454 CR 614 A Bushnell, FL 33513 352-279-3027 Sumter County Extension Camille McAvoy (Supportive) 531 CR 48 Groveland, FL 34736 352-262-2031 VOLT Lighting Steve Parrott 15486 N Nebraska Ave Lutz, FL 33549 813-978-3700 INTERNATIONAL Dart Realty Cayman LTD Sherlan Christie 10 Market St Grand Cayman, Ky1-1201 Cayman Islands 345-323-0875 LAKE REGION VERTPAC LLC Stefanos Stamos 1901 Longleaf Blvd Ste 200 Lake Wales, FL 33853 863-845-5539 Rec’d by: Larry DeWitt, DeWitt Co., Inc. MANASOTA Palm Trees Plus, Inc. Christina Vazquez 1119 78th St NW Bradenton, FL 34208 407-431-8733 MIAMI-DADE AmeriGas Mary Duffy 705 South Krome Ave Homestead, FL 33030 305-240-9583

Arango Billboard & Construction Co., LLC Lazaro Arango 7915 NW 60th St Miami, FL 33166 305-219-5964 Monroe County Schools Brian Flanigan (Supportive) 2100 Flagler Ave Key West, FL 33040 305-293-1400 OUTSIDE FLORIDA Pace, Inc. Jen Ambrose 739 S Mill St Plymouth, MI 48170-1821 734-453-6258 Scott Wylie (Supportive) 92 Greenwich Hills Dr Greenwich, CT 06831 203-869-8733 PANHANDLE Collum Auto Transport, LLC Lee Collum 8013 Hwy 90 Milton, FL 32583 850-623-8125 Rec’d by: Keith Sylvest, Coastal Machinery Co. DDC, Inc. of Walton County David Cook 6739 US Hwy 331S Defuniak Springs, FL 32435 850-892-6780 Rec’d by: Keith Sylvest, Coastal Machinery Co. Hayden Enterprises of NWFL, LLC Hayden Murphy 5637 Churchill Downs Ct Pace, FL 32571 850-380-5566 Rec’d by: Keith Sylvest, Coastal Machinery Company Junes Concrete Regino Quizon 231 N Old Corry Field Rd Pensacola, FL 32506 850-384-3697 PALM BEACH DeAngelo Brothers, LLC Tedd Kenny 851 W 13th Ct Riviera Beach, FL 33404 561-881-1291

ROYAL PALM Coastal Irrigation Inc. Of SWF Rob Stalvey 5781 Lee Blvd #208 Lehigh Acres, FL 33971 239-368-6862 Rec’d by: John Schwind, Steele Truck Center, Inc. Gardenside Landscaping Services, LLC Tracie Walker 6908 Lone Oak Blvd Naples, FL 34109 239-777-0954 Rec’d by: Tom Scott, Steele Truck Center Weatherbee, Inc. Carolyn Weatherbee 3949 Evans Ave Ft. Myers, FL 33931 239-437-9808 Rec’d by: Brian Creel, Creel Tractor Company TAMPA BAY ADIA Wealth Network Karin Klaassen 600 N Westshore Blvd #200 Tampa, FL 33609 813-732-3071 Bellevue Landscapes LLC Eric White 320 Belleview Ave Temple Terrace, FL 33617 813-629-1639 Champion Residential Services David Riley 10425 Flagstaff Falls Riverview, FL 33578 813-585-7437 Charles Brusovich Jr. Charles Brusovich (Suportive) 14731 Morning Dr Lutz, FL 33556 813-632-0938

As an integral part of Florida’s $15.3 billion environmental horticulture industry, FNGLA is a vibrant network of professionals who strive to make Florida’s nursery industry successful. Through FNGLA, growers, landscape professionals, brokers, retail garden centers, allied suppliers and other industry members are provided an avenue to work together to strengthen the future of the nursery and landscape industry.

Not already a member?

Join now at www.fngla.org.

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Calendar of Events

Contact Us

See and submit events at http://www.fngla.org, under calendar

FNGLA

May 6:

Tree and Landscape Care Seminar, Leisure Services Department in anama City

10:

Right-of-Way Pesticide Training Class & Exam, John D. Campbell Ag Center, Homestead

11:

Best Management Practices for Protection of Water Quality (GI-BMP), UF/IFAS Osceola County Extension Services, Kissimmee

11:

2016 CEU Day, Mid-Florida Research & Education Center, Apopka

11:

Right Plant, Right Place, Pinellas County UF/IFAS Extension, Largo

11:

Plant Health Care For Trees, Ringling Museum of Art’s Chao Lecture Hall, Sarasota

12-13:

Florida Flower Trials, 3 Locations across Orlando

18-19:

Florida Water Star Accredited Professional Training and Exam, Alachua County Health Department, Gainesville

24: Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance “Roundup License” &

Limited Lawn and Ornamental Seminar and Exam, Twin Lakes Park, Sarasota 24-28:

RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, U.K.

June 3-4:

32nd Annual Dick Fuhr Memorial Fishing Tournament, Hilton Key Largo Resort, Key Largo

Phone: 407.295.7994 Toll-free: 800.375.3642 Fax: 407.295.1619 E-mail: info@fngla.org Web: www.fngla.org

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Ben Bolusky

GREENLINE EDITOR Jennifer Nelis jnelis@fngla.org

2015-2016 STATE OFFICERS

President Billy Butterfield, FCLC AmeriScapes Landscape Management Services, LLC PO Box 568762 Orlando, FL 32856-5041 (407) 872-0855

President-Elect Robert Shoelson Getting Green Plant Services & Betrock Information Systems PO Box 840107 Pembroke Pines, FL 33084 (954) 680-1819

Past President Sandy Stein The Jungle Nursery 29100 SW 162 Ave Homestead, FL 33030 (305) 246-5324

Secretary/Treasurer Ed Bravo Big Trees Plantation, Inc. 104 SW 131 St Newberry, FL 32669 (352) 332-2150

Connect with us: About FNGLA This publication is produced by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) as a service to its members and the industry at large. The statements and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Association, its staff, Board of Directors, Greenline or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers or their identification as members does not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services.

The mission of the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association is to promote and protect the interests of Florida’s nursery and landscape industry.

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Read the latest FNGLA news inside & visit Greenline online at http://greenline.fngla.org