August 2015 Landscape Trades by Landscape Ontario

August 2015 VOL. 37, NO. 6

landscapetrades.com

Working the numbers on equipment ROI Plant health: Lawn care’s survival secret Nightmare client, lawsuit, and a happy ending

Energized

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Contents

PUBLISHER Lee Ann Knudsen CLP | lak@landscapeontario.com Editorial Director Sarah Willis | sarahw@landscapeontario.com Art Director Kim Burton | kburton@landscapeontario.com Editor Allan Dennis | adennis@landscapeontario.com Web editor Robert Ellidge | rob@landscapeontario.com Graphic Designer Mike Wasilewski | mikew@landscapeontario.com Accountant Joe Sabatino | joesabatino@landscapeontario.com Sales Manager, PUBLICATIONS Steve Moyer | stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS REPRESENTATIVE Greg Sumsion | gsumsion@landscapeontario.com COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Angela Lindsay | alindsay@landscapeontario.com Advisory Committee Gerald Boot CLP, Paul Brydges, Laura Catalano, Mark Fisher, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Jan Laurin, Bob Tubby CLP, Nick Winkelmolen

Landscape Trades is published by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Phone: (905)875-1805 Email: comments@landscapetrades.com Fax: (905)875-0183 Web site: www.landscapetrades.com LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Darryl Bond, Myscha Burton, Rachel Cerelli, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

AUGUST 2015 VOL. 37, NO. 6

STRATEGY FOR SPRING

Special feature on planning for garden retailers

FEATURES

6 Spring 2016 begins now!

Don’t wait until it’s too late to sharpen your selling skills for next year BY JUDY SHARPTON

12 Coping after the ‘ban’

Lawn care operators deprived of pesticides have adjusted practices, along with customer expectations BY SUSAN HIRSHORN

COLUMNS

16 SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING Best practices for building up soil BY SEAN JAMES

Landscape Trades is published nine times a year: January, March, April, May, June, August, September, October and November.

18 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS Equipment that provides the best ROI BY MARK BRADLEY

Subscription rates: One year – $46.90, two years – $84.74; three years – $118.64, HST included. U.S. and international please add $20.00 per year for postage and handling. Subscribe at www.landscapetrades.com

20 ROAD TO SUCCESS Are box stores giving garden centres a run for their money? BY ROD McDONALD

Copyright 2015. All rights are reserved. Material may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Landscape Trades assumes no responsibility for, and does not endorse the contents of, any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the association or its members, but are those of the writer concerned.

24 LEGAL MATTERS Unavoidable litigation: A case study BY ROBERT KENNALEY 26 MENTOR MOMENT Kevin Nauss empowers employees to create a positive work culture

DEPARTMENTS

ISSN 0225-6398 PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT 40013519 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT LANDSCAPE TRADES MAGAZINE 7856 FIFTH LINE SOUTH, MILTON, ON L9T 2X8, CANADA

Green Pencil Industry News New Products CNLA News Provincial News Coming Events Classifieds Where to Find it

4 28 32 34 36 37 37 38 AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

greenpencil Confidence to cull customers comes from experience

Cutting customers loose T

here is a fine line in customer ser-

vice between exceeding expectations and being used. Those of you who have had a lifetime of working in the service business know what I’m talking about, and I bet you have developed a coping mechanism that allows you to say ‘enough is enough,’ and move on. When I work in my family’s garden centre, I sometimes get caught over-serving a customer. I KNOW this person came to our small store to get good info, and will leave to buy cheap plants elsewhere. After many years, and ‘helpful’ coaching from my husband, I know better, but I still have a hard time extricating myself politely.

Years ago, I used to draw planting sketches for the garden cenBy Sarah Willis tre’s customers. For a nominal fee, I would visit their home on Saturday, take notes and measurements, and set an appointment to meet me at the store the following Saturday to go over the plants I recommended for their DIY project. It was a great deal for them, but even so, some took advantage and I occasionally had a difficult time setting

4 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

limits on the amount of service I was being asked to provide. These are modest examples, but having the confidence to keep only ‘right-fit’ customers comes from experience. And from knowing the wrong customer costs you in the long run. The damage can go beyond dollars and cents, it can spill over into poor staff morale or cause restless nights, worrying about how to get your company back on track. Even worse, if the relationship ends poorly, an unhappy homeowner may be anxious to spread bad news about your company. Legal columnist Rob Kennaley tells about a job that went irreparably sideways in this issue. The contractor went out of his way to keep his client happy, yet eventually ended up in court. Kennaley points out that, unfortunately, there weren’t many early warning signs, so the main takeaway is that good recordkeeping pays for itself. Recognizing right-fit clients comes up again and again when speaking with seasoned professionals; a good business lesson to take to heart. Right-fit customers engage with your company values and your processes, and will be loyal marketing allies. Wrong-fit customers will wear you down. Sometimes it’s OK to tell a customer, “You’re fired!” LT

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Spring 2016 is

NOW! BY JUDY SHARPTON

YOUR CHOICE:

Plan now, or settle for lower revenue

For the record, the Vernal Equinox for 2016 is March 19. Read: First Day of Spring. One of the sentences I hear most often in my work with store development customers is, “Spring just slipped up on us.” Given the absolute predictably of the date of the vernal equinox (not just for the following year, but for centuries into the future), this phrase can be translated as, “We just didn’t get it done.” That store development project that seemed so exciting and doable in August, September or October somehow got back-burnered into yet another year of, “We ran out of time.”

In the current retail environment, where mass mer-

Here’s a great garage sale set up. Just pile it up and don’t spend time on organization. Mark it down deep.

6 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

chandisers continue to take market share, and enthusiasm for gardening has shifted to edibles, organics and container gardening, letting spring slip up on you (again) could be disastrous. I admit there’s a lot of work to be done just to get plant material and other products ready for spring. But, if your store isn’t ready, that product is likely to languish into either a pile of ‘shrink’ or into another year of repacking boxes for storage. Both ‘shrink’ and repacking up unsold merchandise leaves money on the table that you can never recoup. So, Spring 2016 is NOW. Start by making a big poster for your office and the break room that proclaims the date of your planned grand opening next spring, and your projected sales increase for 2016, in bright red bold letters. Put it in writing and it becomes real. Or, in the words of Henry David Thoreau, “Hu-

This grab-and-go container department with adjacent basket wall serves two purposes: It gives the time-starved shopper an easy solution, and helps them anticipate pricing for custom containers.

mans tend to hit what they aim at.” So take aim at Spring 2016. Purchase a monthly planning calendar for 2016 or make your own store development notebook with monthly objectives. Put everything in one storage calendar or notebook. No loose pieces of paper. Once you have the date, the sales objective and a planning workbook, here are the store development projects that you must put on the calendar:

Eliminate aged-out inventory. Many experts will tell you 80 per cent of sales come from 20 per cent of the freshest merchandise. Evaluate every non-plant item that has been in inventory more than a year, and make a liquidation plan now. Decide what goes on the sale table. Decide what you will do with stuff that has been on the sale table for three months or more. Plan an “Aged to Imperfection” sale and put everything over a year old on one big table for ridiculously low prices. If you have Christmas ornaments or other small geegaws, give one to every kid who comes to the store. Anything still in the store in two months goes to charity. Just do it. As you eliminate these items, note what NOT TO BUY when you go to the gift mart or trade shows this fall. Don’t have a sale table? Create one now, and make sure your customers know about it. Place sale areas deep in the store. Creating a year-round sale area can help eliminate our industry’s unique practice of putting the whole store on sale once a year. Ask yourself what that practice teaches your customers. Some stores even brand this department: Lemons and Leftovers or Aged to Imperfection or your own idea.

Yes, these are port-a-potties. They are built into an inviting structure, positioned in a shady and private area of the outside shopping space and feature a plumbed sink on the exterior. Customers love this.

Evaluate vendors. Take a good look at the vendors you work with to find those who are partners, and those who are order takers. You need all the help you can get, and your suppliers should be first-responders to that need. Contact each vendor to alert them you have already begun your planning. What products or services do your vendors offer that can help you get ready for spring? Who has POPs? Which vendors will come to your store to help with product set-up or be on-site during busy days to manage their product? Ask for training programs for your staff. Product knowledge is key to selling. Organize those dates now, before the store down the street takes the limited time salespeople may have to allocate in-store visits. Evaluate product categories. The number one complaint from younger consumers is a confusing array of choices. Eliminate plants that didn’t sell. Then, decide on the best tomato, the best red petunia, the best four Heuchera, the best new introductions. Eliminate everything that isn’t the one (or two) best. Ninety per cent of your customers want to grow one good tomato, not 35 heirlooms. Have you looked at the new grafted tomato/ potato named Ketchup and Fries? Focus on container gardening in all its forms: traditional containers, hanging baskets, interior containers, wall gardens, raised beds and window boxes. For many stores, container gardening is the fastest growing category. Maybe you need to create a space in the store to showcase your container offering. Get your team together over pizza and review all the Big Plans you’ve floated over the past five years for store improveAUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

This container gardening department is organized as an island work station for elbow-to-elbow collaboration. Notice the adjacent water supply, big trash can, broom and dust bin. Soil is in the galvanized container with a lid for minimum mess. This is RETAIL, not a headhouse. Three work surface heights allow for larger and smaller containers. Leave those old Christmas trees in the box and sell them really cheap. Fewer touches save labour.

Still not sure about Spring 2016?

HEAR JUDY SHARPTON IN PERSON Sept. 9 CANWEST, Abbotsford, B.C. Join Judy for Merchandising that Sells, a half-day interactive workshop that adapts merchandising concepts from larger sectors to garden centre retailers. Learn how to adapt to your customers’ demographics, focus their attention to your highest-margin products and encourage add-on sales. Register at canwesthortexpo.com. Sept. 16 GARDEN EXPO, Ancaster, Ont. Judy is keynote speaker at the Retailers’ Breakfast, where she will challenge the ubiquitous black nursery pot, and offer alternative packaging that will change the retail environment — and possibly your customer’s perception of your store. Garden Expo is part of Thrive’15, Landscape Ontario’s new fall event. Purchase tickets at lothrive.com.

ment. Collect all the brainstorming on a big easel tablet. Then, form a three-person store development team to establish priorities and evaluate budgets. You can’t do what you can’t afford. But, a new bathroom won’t break the budget and might just give your entire store a boost. If you don’t have one, create a store site plan. Use a simple 1-in. = 10 ft. scale on graph paper, and map everything from the parking lot to the loading dock. (No loading dock? Where should it be?) Next, get your staff together and ask this question: “Where do customers shop and where do we want them to shop?” Your staff is a wealth of knowledge about store issues. They know where the dead areas are, and where the congestion happens. You will be amazed at the insight from the mixture of a site plan and staff eyes. Photograph the store from the customers’ encounter points. If you really want to see your store in ways you cannot, when you are in it every day for years, photograph the store beginning at the point on the road when the customer first spots your entrance. Then begin in the parking lot and photograph every view the customer has of the store. You’ll see the clutter and the ‘obstructures’ through new eyes — your LT customer’s eyes.

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INTERVIEW

L ook-at Me Now

DAVID BERTO

No matter which industry you’re working in, there is always a common goal that needs to be achieved – and it’s none other than boosting your company’s productivity, efficiency and sales. For David Berto, owner of KingCal Properties & Maintenance and Aim General Contracting, this goal has become more than achievable – especially within the last few months.

Tell us about Kingcal Properties & Maintenance and Aim General Contracting. Our mission is to provide our customers with professional lawn care, snow maintenance and construction services. In a nutshell, we exist to attract and maintain customers. When we adhere to this maxim, everything else falls into place, and our services exceed the expectations of our customers.

The challenges we were faced with were common to most companies in this line of work…the cost of labour being the largest with equipment costs a close second. With the implementation of LMN software we could fully realize our actual costs versus the adage of “I hope we make enough on this project”. We see how important items such as overhead recovery and replacement budgets for equipment play in our companies. If you peel the onion back far enough, which LMN does in great fashion, transparency does exist; not as a buzz word or punchline in negotiations but in a reliable clear understanding for clients on why you charge what you charge.

Do you have a success story you can share with us? We are now comfortable letting our employees know how we operate and how we make money. We can justify their wages and show them how they can earn more by adhering to our timelines for projects while dramatically reducing the unproductive time. When you have employees subscribe to your vision and projections the company is destined for success. LMN (or what we like to call, ‘Look-at Me Now’) has provided the base and true characterization of Kingcal and Aim General with our makeover or transformation from the ‘Curly, Larry and Moe show’ to a mathematician, statistician and executioner.

Can you describe and list the services that your company specializes in? Kingcal and Aim General proudly provide the following services to our clients: lawn maintenance, irrigation systems, floral arrangements, hardscaping, softscaping, excavation, line painting, asphalt repair, snowplowing and office and industrial renovations.

Please describe some challenges that your company has recently faced, and how you were able to overcome these obstacles.

Our roles have truly been re-vitalized and energized like a shot of Viagra to both Kingcal and Aim General. We went from an outlook of “Freedom 105” to “Freedom 55”.

The success we have achieved is substantial, as we have streamlined our operations by re-focusing our efforts, strategies and long term planning with a solid platform of technology through LMN Estimating and LMN Time.

Changing companies and employee attitudes is difficult. What was the key to your company’s successful changeover? LMN has provided us with the ability to respond to changing attitudes, especially accountability, by specifically zeroing in on our clients’ interests and projections for the aesthetic improvement of the properties. On top of this, we can distinguish our organization from others by guaranteeing our level of transparency, professionalism and proficiency. LMN’s online tools and training modules are fantastic. They illustrated how certain sections of the programs operated with great detail. We have probably logged a few hundred man hours watching the various modules on www.LearnLMN.com – which is “Landscaping porn” as my wife calls it. We attended the No More Guessing 2 day workshop this past February, as well, we signed up for the free LMN Boot Camp at the LMN headquarters. It was extremely well organized and the food was great. We really enjoyed being able to network with other similar businesses while addressing our common issues.

If you could ‘forecast the future’ – what do you see down the pipeline for your company? The future is extremely bright now that we have fully subscribed to the LMN ‘basket of knowledge’. Our fear of bidding for tenders is now gone. We are no longer concerned about job costing as all of the guesswork has been removed. It’s just a matter of illustrating the timelines and costs to clients in a clear transparent and confident way. Our estimating and job costing through LMN has also allowed us to rest comfortably at night knowing that we did it right and the days of dropping your price to get the work are over. ADVERTORIAL BY: LMN

How have the LMN TIME & QuickBooks QuickBooksapp appbeen beenvaluable valuable resources resourcesfor foryour yourcompany? company? The Time and and QB QB Sync Sync The LMN LMN Time modules are incredible. For modules are incredible. the first time in our companies For the first time in our history we are able to see companies history we exact job profitability on every are able to see exact job deal. What an eye opener! profitability on every deal. What an eye opener! The programs merge beautifully and the The programs merge exactness of the time spent, beautifully and the equipment used and material exactness of the time spent, breakdown provide us with used and material aequipment high resolution view of the breakdown provide us with company’s performance. a high resolution view of the Our employees are fully company’s performance. committed to this system. Our LMN employees fully With Time, are we were committed to the this purchase system. able to justify With LMNofTime, we towere of a couple iPhones give able to justify the to key employees topurchase embrace of a couple of iPhones to give

thekeymodule. They love the to employees to embrace reduction of paperwork and the module. They love the the quality of the reports reduction of paperwork and available. the quality of the reports available. The staff and support team has been amazing. I am sure The staff and support team that we took up a substantial has been amazing. I am sure amount of time asking that we took up a substantial questions and figuring out amount of time asking how the Estimating module, questions and figuring out Time module and integration how the Estimating with QuickBooks fit module, together. Time module we and integration Whenever reach an with QuickBooks fit together. impasse, the LMN team are Whenever we reach an quick to jump on line and take impasse, the LMN team are control of our system to work quick jumpyou on very line much and it out. toThank take of our system to LMNcontrol for enduring our beat work it out. Thank you very down. much LMN for enduring our beat down.

Kingcal Properties & Maintenance and Aim General Contracting are Kingcal Properties & Maintenance Aim General are incorporated companies that wereand formed in 1996,Contracting and are owned incorporated companies that Anthony were formed 1996, andBerto. are owned equally by Kevin Comacchio, Garitoinand David David equally by personal Kevin Comacchio, Garito shared his experience Anthony using LMN and and how David it has Berto. helped David shared personal experience and how it has strengthen his his company’s outlook for theusing future.LMN For more information helped strengthen his company’s outlook for the future. For more please visit: www.kingcal.ca. information please visit: www.kingcal.ca. Developed by landscape contractors for landscape contractors, Developed by tools, landscape contractors contractors, LMN’s online systems, workshopsfor andlandscape training modules offer one-of-a-kind accesssystems, to driveworkshops productivity and profit. modules LMN proudly LMN’s online tools, and training offer offers budgeting software, estimating software and mobile one-of-a-kind access to drive productivity and profit. LMNtimesheet proudly software, giving software, business owners thesoftware unique ability to convert their offers budgeting estimating and mobile timesheet company giving into a profitable landscaping business. For more information software, business owners the unique ability to convert their please visit: company intowww.golmn.com. a profitable landscaping business. For more information please visit: www.golmn.com.

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After the

BAN A look at lawn care since Ontario’s Cosmetic Pesticide Ban BY SUSAN HIRSHORN

n April 22, 2009, Ontario’s controversial Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act took effect. Dubbed the “toughest pesticide ban in Canada” by the Toronto Star, the legislation forbids the cosmetic use of more than 250 products containing 95 chemical ingredients on most public and private lawns and gardens — by consumers and professionals alike. Among the banned ingredients is 2,4-D, an effective and fast-acting weed killer considered essential to many in the lawn care business. All of the banned substances, including 2,4-D, are deemed by Health Canada to be safe when applied properly. Six years later the ban is still controversial. “Restrictions on federally-approved pesticides for urban uses do a disservice to communities by taking away important tools that help protect urban green spaces from weed, insect and disease pressures,” says CropLife Canada’s Pierre Patelle. CropLife represents the plant sciences industry, including chemical pesticide manufacturers. Its website offers photos of the proliferation of weeds and neglected lawns since the Ontario ban took effect. Its 2014 poll of 913 Ontario homeowners showed that support for the ban has dropped below 50 per cent, from pre-ban polls that showed 80 per cent support for the idea of a ban. It has been widely reported that some homeowners are bringing in banned

12 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

pesticides (typically products with 2,4D) from other jurisdictions or hiring black market operators in Ontario to acquire and apply it. Ryan Van Haastrect, president of Dr. Green Lawn services in Waterloo,. Ont., estimates that law-abiding Ontario lawn care firms have lost 30 per cent of their clients or more since the ban took effect. “I don’t know where [those customers] went, but I can smell 2,4-D on some lawns. Where is enforcement of the ban?” he asks. Still, the push to end what some consider chemical warfare on our green spaces isn’t likely to let up. Supporters hail not only from the environmental movement but also from such high-

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Sunnybrook’s lawn after the pesticide ban.

Restoring soil health with compost applications.

Sunnybrook’s test plot is weed free after three years.

Sunnybrook tries organic lawn care Sunnybrook Heath Sciences Centre in Toronto has 80 acres of lawn. When they changed lawn care practices after the pesticide ban, they saw weeds explode. So, they set one large area aside and did something different. Rather than applying so-called ‘organic controls’ (which they continued to apply on the rest of the property), they focused on restoring soil health with quality compost applications, made on site. After three years the results were startling. The organically managed lawn was weed-free and lush, while there was little difference with the rest of the property. Rohan Harrison, Sunnybrook’s lead groundskeeper, cautions, “If the practice of applying compost is not continued at least once every two years, there is a chance of re-infestation of weeds and compromised plant health.” A guiding principle of organic lawn care is to nourish the soil; promoting the biodiversity necessary to create and maintain a healthy lawn. It takes a preventive rather than reactive approach to pest control and this makes sense, considering that many control products that are not banned from use nowadays are only marginally effective against weeds, insects and disease — or not effective at all. Corn gluten, for example, might kill germinating seedlings of broadleaf weeds, but not established

weeds. Entomopathogenic nematodes used to kill grubs and caterpillars produce variable results. At Sunnybrook, white grubs and chinch bugs have been reduced through fertility and cultural practices. Adds Harrison, “While we still notice the presence of white grubs, our turf root system is so developed that these insects can coexist without any apparent damage. Turf areas which had chinch damage almost every summer prior to our organic program no longer reflect any insect activity, and are satisfactorily greener during the hot summer months without irrigation. This reflects the benefits of applying compost as top dressing material.” Their organic program also seems labour- and cost-efficient. There’s less need to mow, for example, because of slower, more consistent turf growth. And, by using wood clippings from felled trees on the property in their compost, the facility’s waste management costs are reduced. “In future, we hope to collect the tonnage of coffee grounds from coffee shops on the property to nourish lawn soil,” says Luis Oliveira, Sunnybrook’s Supervisor of Environmental Services.

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bi-colour blooms all summer and fall. Flowers deepen to a bright red and green swirl, and keep transforming into new variations throughout autumn. Tilt-A-Swirl is a colourful ride that just won’t quit! Awarded a Gold Medal from Holland’s Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society, it’s now set to make its mark on North America. Youngplants available for Spring 2016 exclusively from Van Belle Nursery. Contact us at 1-888-826-2355 or vanbelle.com.

14 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

profile health organizations as the Canadian Cancer Society. Their website states: “Although the links between pesticide exposure and cancer are not yet conclusive, the body of evidence is persuasive enough to warrant the adoption of significant protective measures to limit public exposure to pesticides wherever possible.” Not surprisingly, lawmakers throughout Canada are reacting on the side of caution. Since 2009 many other provinces and municipalities have enacted, or are considering, some form of cosmetic pesticide ban. Without the chemicals that offer a quick fix for weeds and other turfgrass pests, Van Haastrect and other lawn care firms have changed their horticultural practices. At the same time, they have been trying to change customer expectations about what constitutes a healthy lawn. Their services now emphasize such sustainable practices as aeration, overseeding, fertilization, and proper watering and cutting techniques. “We focus on thickening the turf as much as possible to out-compete weeds,” says Van Haastrect. “That’s our number-one defense against weeds.” He has also been experimenting with Fiesta, a federally approved alternative for killing broadleaf weeds derived from iron chelate — a naturally-occurring substance. Although it doesn’t work as quickly or as effectively as products with 2,4-D, he found that results improve with several applications. “For customers who are willing to pay two or three times the price, we come back and spray Fiesta every two or three weeks,” he says. His firm’s website explains: “..it is important to realize that controlling weeds naturally is more difficult than when using traditional products. You should expect to see a 75 per cent reduction in your weeds after each treatment and with more treatments the effect will be compounded as the year goes on. This means that providing you with a healthy lawn and much fewer weeds can be expected, but it will be a work in progress.” Even in provinces with more lenient pesticide rules, proactive firms are weaning themselves off chemical inputs. For example, when New Brunswick’s new rules, passed in June 2009, required lawn care providers to restrict their use of chemical pesticides to a maximum of 50 per cent of turf area to any one property per season, Brent Ayles of AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

Moncton, N.B. took it one step further. “If we have to, we’ll go in and hand-pull 10 weeds a week or do a one-time control treatment on 10 per cent of the property,” says Ayles, who is president of Ayles Natural Landscaping. “But unless we’re managing their total property — beds, pruning, garden — we’re not going to do their lawn care. Because a big part of organic and natural — the better way — is monitoring all the greenery you’re trying to manage. And if you’re there only once a month or every two months things get away; you don’t get control of it.” Ayles is seeing a trend towards smaller lawns, or no lawn at all. “So, if they have a backyard that’s full of trees we suggest they don’t try to grow grass, that they consider having another outdoor living area or shade area,” he says.

homeowners are rushing to give up their lawns. And, judging from the vast number of consumer articles about sustainable or organic lawn care, public interest in turf may be growing. Van Haastrect admits he was surprised at the degree of customer acceptance to his sustainable approach. “I think a lot of our customers have been very patient with us and have adapted their expectations over the years. They’re more interested in having an overall general green look on the property; as long as the weeds don’t get out of control. I’m still of the belief that the banned products are ok to use; that they make the industry better and they make our customers happier. However we still have a good customer LT base and we’re going to be okay.”

For firms specializing in lawn care this trend offers cold comfort. There’s also the environmental problem of urban flooding to consider. Lawns help to reduce urban flooding by absorbing runoff (See landscapetrades.com/runoff-2). Fortunately, there is no evidence yet that

Susan Hirshorn is a Montreal-based writer, editor and communications consultant.

AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

sustainablelandscaping

Soil shepherding

This is the

United Nations Year of Soils, so let’s talk about how we can treat soil better… and why. We’re learning a lot very quickly, and best practices are changing month by month. To till, or not to till? When, or even IF, to fertilize? What kind of mulch to use, if any? These are all important questions. Cristina da Silva is a horticulturist and soil enthusiast, which has led her to start #groundchat, a tweetchat on soil-related topics on Twitter (Fridays at 2 p.m.) and to blog at therealgardener.com. When asked about tilling soil, she says, “Generally I would say tilling is a bad idea. Tilling breaks down soil structure. There are, however, times that tilling is appropriate. For example, surface soil crusting, or breaking up a hardpan. Do it once, and then start adding compost, mulch and/or growing ground covers to cover bare soil.” So, tilling or turning of soil should now be a rarity. The whole soil microecosystem is incredibly important to plant health. When we use cultivators or rototillers, we kill millions of beneficial bacteria and chop up the mycorrhizal fungi which help plants absorb water. These microbes enhance soil structure and health. They also have a role in making nutrients available to be easily taken up Adding composted pine mulch is an by plant roots. The excellent and cost effective way to better alternative to reduce maintenance and enhance tilling is to mulch the soil. with organic matter such as composted pine mulch, and let the worms and insects work it into the soil naturally. It’s easier! In addition, not turning soil reduces erosion, which protects our waterways. 16 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

BY SEAN JAMES

Build the soil naturally We think a lot about fertilizing lawns and gardens, but if over-applied or done at the wrong time of year, this can contaminate runoff and pollute our rivers and lakes. Adding composted pine mulch is a better alternative since it provides all nutrients, not just nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Compost also increases fungal and bacterial populations. Promoting bacterial growth through composting actually releases the phosphorous that already exists in the soil, and there’s plenty of it. Composted mulch (where pine bark or chipped hardwood is mixed with leaves and then turned to kick-start the breakdown process) or even just compost, is better than wood chip or bark mulch since it feeds the soil and the creatures that live in it. There is still debate about whether straight wood chips or bark used as mulch deprive the soil of nitrogen, since the bacteria that break down organic matter need nitrogen to survive, and wood is mostly carbon. Recent studies suggest that this is true only in the zone of interface between the mulch and soil, which suggests we should only be concerned in annual beds or vegetable gardens. Alternatively, just to be safe, simply mulch up leaves in the fall and spread them directly on the garden. Work with soil, not against it Finally, old gardening text books usually start with a chapter on amending soil. This was recommended so we could plant whatever we wanted. Modern wisdom revolves around planting the right plants for your existing soil type. If you feel challenged by sandy, clay or even wet soil, there are amazing plant lists (easily found online) for each of those situations. Many plants love clay. For example, roses, coneflowers and ornamental grasses thrive in it. For sandy soil, go to any beach to see what does well naturally. Use Mother Nature as a guide. She’s been doing it longer

than we have. Working with existing soil takes a bit of learning, but saves work. When asked, “What’s the most important thing landscapers don’t know about soil that they really should?” Cristina replied, “I suspect many gardeners and landscapers are confused about soil texture and soil structure. You can’t change soil texture, but you can improve the structure of any soil. Yes, that includes clay. Don’t add sand. Just add compost. And it takes three years before you start to see any noticeable changes. The wait is totally worth it!” The question, “What is the most exciting thing we’ve learned about soil?” was put to da Silva. She replied, “Land heals! That’s the most exciting thing I’ve learned about soil. We have the tools and techniques to make it work. Landscapers interested in remediating soil should pick up Leila Darwish’s Earth Repair. The book has a number of grassroots bioremediation techniques to heal soil.” When customers approach us for landscaping, the first request is “low maintenance.” The methods to protect soil mentioned here are less work than the old ways we’ve been taught. Protecting the soil protects our watersheds, helps plant health and even preserves our food security. It’s been said that it takes 100 years for nature to make an inch of soil, so it’s worth looking after. Once, we took it for granted, but we are finally waking up to how to work with soil. Learn all about which plants like your soil, and the soil on your customers’ properties. Now, go have fun in the garden. Yes, it’s a job, but it can still be fun. LT

Sean James is owner of an Ontario-based environmentally-conscious landscape design/build/maintenance company, an eco-consultant and a popular speaker.

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managementsolutions

Horsepower for productivity Equipment can offer instant returns to your bottom line Anyone who has seen our yard will agree: we are well equipped. But I don’t buy equipment because I like having it. I buy equipment because it helps our bottom line. Sure, there’s the cost of ownership, maintenance, and insurance — but don’t forget about the benefits equipment can deliver to your bottom line. You will save labour hours, labour costs, and you don’t need as many staff. You will finish jobs sooner, which frees up more days for more jobs and builds happier customers. By doing more jobs in the same time, your overhead costs shrink as a percentage of sales; and your crews are happier and safer, and turnover is reduced. With those benefits in mind, let’s look at some examples of equipment that, dollarfor-dollar, can provide the best returns for typical landscape companies. Construction equipment Right-sized trucks: Everyone needs a truck, but the right size truck is key for productive companies. Too many contractors worry too much about up-front costs and having to find or train crews to get a higher-class driver’s license. Trucks with smaller payloads mean inefficient mobilization and delivery and supply of materials. Over the course of a year (or five or 10!), these inefficiencies add up to a lot of costs and lost sales opportunity. When buying your next truck: l Start with the largest truck that makes sense. Estimate how many trips the 18 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

truck could save a year in deliveries and equipment mobilization. Can the time savings justify the extra costs? l Versatile rolloff trucks can be like Swiss army knives for your operation. With a back-end that can be a bin, a flatbed, dump box, water tank and have a crane equipped, these trucks can really help smaller contractors (with a limited fleet budget) compete with larger contractors with larger, more versatile fleets. l Partitioned dump boxes give you the flexibility to carry two types of materials at once; ideal if you’re working on jobs that don’t require full loads. Work tools and attachments: whether you are big on skid steers or mini-excavators, attachments can provide big returns for relatively small investments. Hydraulic thumbs for excavators. Imagine how much less you’d get done without opposable thumbs. Great tools for brush clearing, setting rock or demolition work. Hydraulic tilt buckets for excavators. Great for reducing time when working in confined spaces and making faster work of fine grading and/or swale work. Augers, especially for mini-excavators that can get into tight spaces. It’s no secret that planting work has some of the better margins in our industry. An auger will help you compete (and pay for itself) by making short work of planting trees and larger material.

BY MARK BRADLEY

Material handling arm is an inexpensive attachment that’s great for placing trees and more with skid steers. Stump grinder: If you’re frequently wasting hours removing stumps, these will get you past removal and into installation much faster. Snowblower: Great for servicing parking lots with limited piling space. Trencher: Takes a lot less time and moves a lot less material than digging with an excavator bucket. Covered, stocked van trailers: Whether you store your tools and small equipment in a box truck, or a pull-behind trailer, you can’t afford not to have an organized, wellstocked inventory in your truck. A typical covered trailer can be leased for approximately $200 per month. Without one, you’re likely spending that every week in lost production hours: hunting for tools, driving back to the shop to get tools or materials (or having to get someone else to deliver them) and making extra trips to vendors to pick up small parts and materials to finish the job right. Some quick tips for inventorying your trailers: Stick to the same brand of small tools and equipment. Sometimes, you pay a bit more upfront for a tool, but you can save thousands of dollars by keeping spare parts for one specific brand or model in inventory. Be sure every trailer has extra highwear parts, such as lube, recoils, filters and small parts. It’s far cheaper to invest in a

bit of inventory, than to have to stop work and drive somewhere every time something wears out. Stock each trailer with miscellaneous consumable materials such as marking paint, string line, pencils, garbage bags, PL premium, pencils, screws and hardware, and more. Again, it’s far cheaper to invest in some inventory instead of losing production time to track down these materials when they are needed. Make sure to have a labelled space for each item so they are easy to find, and stock can be easily measured and maintained. Use hooks, racks and labels to organize larger tools like shovels, rakes, and power tools. Maintenance equipment Maintenance is a very competitive game. No one wants to win based just on price, so you have to be the most efficient if you want to do well in maintenance. Right-sized mowers: It’s vitally important to have the right mowers for the jobs you want to bid. If you are going after larg-

er commercial, municipal or institutional work, you are not going to win many bids trying to make the numbers work with equipment designed for smaller jobs. Focus on improving speed and efficiency with the right equipment, instead of just cutting your price. Covered trailers/ and box trucks: Similar to the construction example above, covered trailers and box trucks pay their premium costs back quickly: Morning load and afternoon unload times are reduced, if not eliminated. Saving a three-man crew just 10 minutes in the morning and 10 in the afternoon adds up to 10 crew hours per month of extra production time. If you could fill this time with productive work, it represents approximately $1,350 per month in increased sales opportunity. You can inventory more small parts, filters, string line, pruners and other small tools and equipment required in your day-to-day work. Labelled, specific positions for all your tools and equipment will reduce theft and

improve employee care. Redundant tools and small engines: The cost of carrying extra trimmers, blowers, and small mowers on your trailer cannot be underestimated. For a few hundred dollars each, you can recover from onsite breakdowns almost instantly. Crews can finish up their day without losing significant production time, and you can deal with repairs when the work is complete. Remember, in most circumstances, the cost of inefficiency and lost productivity is far more expensive than the cost of equipment itself. Not only will a good set of equipment improve on-time delivery of your jobs; when managed correctly, equipment will improve the culture, attitude and bottom line of your company. LT Mark Bradley is president of TBG Landscape and the Landscape Management Network (LMN), based in Ontario.

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roadtosuccess

Good and not-so-good news

BY ROD McDONALD

In the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s chain stores ventured into the retail plant market. They included Sears, Woolco, Zellers and Safeway, at least here on the Prairies. The industry dismissed this attempt as a joke. “No one will buy from them! They don’t know what they are doing, and they don’t know anything about plants! Hah!” Even garden centres, which were new phenomena, were dismissed by traditional nurseries and greenhouses as seasonal oddities that would never amount to serious competition for the ‘old boys.’ One Saskatoon nurseryman told me in 1978 or ’79, “Garden centres will never replace nurseries as the traditional choice for consumers.” My, my, how times do change. In fairness to those ‘old boys,’ who were not so accurate in predicting the future of retailing, I have my own confessions. In 1971, a friend told me he was working on a new genre of music. “It’s called Country Rock, and it will be the next big thing.” I laughed at him. Soon, the Eagles were number one on the music scene. Need I write more? Along with my failed attempts as a predictor of music, I also predicted box stores would never sell orchids (blew that one) or water plants (I have to stop being a futurist). There comes a time when even the sharpest in the trade have to admit they just don’t know what the future will hold. So, that is another one of my 300- word introductions. Here is the real story. This past spring, I made a concentrated weekly effort to visit the box stores. I checked out Rona, Walmart, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Lowes and Superstore 20 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

(Loblaws). With my hat pulled down to my ears and my darkest shades hiding my eyes, I adopted sleuth-like movements to enhance my abilities as a spy. “Bond. Rod Bond.” Sometimes my beleaguered wife would accompany me on one of my covert missions, as my ‘beard.’ I considered it a ‘date night’ and had to bribe her with a good restaurant afterwards. This long-suffering woman does not suffer in silence. The good news, in short, is the box stores’ garden centres are poorly run. The not-so-good news is, they do not lack for customers. Very few areas of the box stores’ garden centres are organized. Now and again, someone has made an obvious attempt to bring order to the chaos, but rest assured, chaos is the norm. There are sun and shade plants mixed together. There are vines sitting on the same shelf with herbs, tomatoes with Ipomeas, and best of all, there are dead plants sitting right alongside live ones. That is what strikes me the most when I conduct my visits: The dead and the dying plants. They are the casualties of people who do not know how to maintain plants. I watch as three employees hastily water plants after a hot day, but it is 8:00 in the evening, and those plants really needed water at 7:00 in the morning. There are the racks and pallets of plants, row after row, recently arrived from growers, and no place to display them. They remain in their shipping containers. Those plants suffer the most. Even a dedicated employee with a hose has trouble reaching the interior of those racks and pallets.

The plants suffer. They flag, they crisp, and they dry up. One of my gardening friends, while not from the trade, is a dedicated plant lover. He cannot resist walking through a greenhouse, anytime he has the chance. When visiting a Regina box store, he noticed that all the perennials were flagging. He found the manager and told her that if the perennials were watered right away, they would recover; “If you wait until tomorrow, they will be finished.” She complained to him about a shortage of qualified labour, and that was it. End of the conversation. The basics do not get covered in the chain stores due to lack of qualified staff as well as a shortage of labour. One hot afternoon, I was in a parking lot garden centre. The temperature was around 36 degrees C and there was a pallet of dead plants. A store manager, identified by his white shirt and tie, was watering some of the plants hurriedly. He instructed an employee to give the dead plants, “an extra shot of water to revive them.” Plants do not return to the living world once deceased, and that is Hort 101. The story carries on a predictable and believable trajectory. I ask staff at home centres for information and I receive mumbles, “I don’t know.” I watch as customers attempt to obtain answers at the box stores, and the staff read the tags — and that only occurs when a staff member can be found. Of all of the box stores in the Regina market, only Rona had any semblance of order. ‘Junky’ is the best word one can use to describe the rest, and I use the word with no apologies. One note: If the weather is cooler, as in

roadtosuccess the 20 degree range, box store plants do look better. Once the heat hits and moves daytime temperatures into the 30s, box store stock deteriorates immediately. You and I could go on how box stores lack gardening expertise, but we would be like those ‘old boys’ who said nothing would ever change. It has. The not-so-good news is that garden centres at box stores obviously have customers and sell product. They move lots of product. They have line-ups at their tills and customers are attracted to one thing, the lower prices. In early spring, when many nights of frost are still to come, you will see homeowners, with their half-tons, loading up a dozen pyramidal cedars to plant along their decks and fences. Now, you and I both know that a cedar that is ultra-green in April came from a much warmer climate. We also know that frost will probably claim many of those cedars, yet there goes another truckload, to be planted this weekend. I have watched the customers in the box stores and I must admit, they are cautious regarding their hanging baskets. They carefully pick out the better ones, leaving the ‘bowsers’ on the rack. After all, customers purchase bedding plants every year. They are particular and know what is worth buying. When it comes to trees and shrubs, the customer lacks knowledge and is easily duped into purchasing something that looks good but will not last. One of the stores no longer lists variety names on apples and flowering crabs; their tags indicate only pink flowering crab or red/green eating apple. They are, of course, selling varieties that are not prairie-hardy; they handle the situation by telling customers that the trees have a guarantee. Great, a guarantee, but the customer never gets a tree that grows. How frustrating! I was at a supermarket and listened as an employee told a customer that a nonhardy hydrangea would survive the winter, “if you give it lots of water.” The same situation occurs with roses; hardy roses and non-hardies are not distinguished. So I complain, to you, but there are still 22 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

22 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

cart-loads of plants going out the door. Cart-loads that should be going out the independents’ doors. To dismiss the box stores for their incompetence is to be foolhardy, and more of an ostrich than an eagle. There are fewer and fewer of us independents , and I have to wonder how many will be left in 20 years? Those independents that survive are outcompeting the box stores with quality, service and selection. They have adapted. Those who are doing well, have no dead plants on their benches, they have identifiable people, with name tags or aprons, to answer customer questions intelligently, and they offer up real choices. The staff members teach the customers the differences amongst the species and how to garden. There are independents who continue to thrive, not just exist, because they are paying attention to what the customer is looking for and needs. Let’s face it. Most customers do not know what they need, and they turn to us for advice and direction. We know that potentilla grows in the sun and fuchsia belongs in the shade. I have preached the benefits of seminars many times before and I am doing it again. This spring, a former employee of mine, who has a new greenhouse, asked me to do a seminar on container gardening. He not only had an excellent turnout but he was really pleased with the line-up at his till after the seminar. Information is one of those things that set us apart, and it is also one area where the box stores have trouble competing. To beat the box stores, you have to be noticeably different and better. Keep on the road to success and the rewards will be worthwhile. LT

Rod McDonald owned and operated Lakeview Gardens, a successful garden centre/ landscape firm in Regina, Sask., for 28 years. He now works full-time in the world of fine arts, writing, acting and producing in film, television and stage.

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legalmatters

Unavoidable litigation:

When cooler heads won’t prevail

You may have heard us say that if you don’t end up with a problem client from time to time, you probably don’t have enough clients. This is a story of just such a business reality. In 2011, a CNLA member contracted to install a landscape design for a homeowner, who began to question the contractor’s methods. He demanded the right to approve the work, to instruct the contractor’s workers, to have work ripped up and reinstalled his way, and to have additional work performed at either no cost, or at his unilaterally-proposed rates. Although stunned, the contractor did his best to accommodate the homeowner, in the hopes of avoiding a protracted dispute. The homeowner then (with the straw that broke the camel’s back) insisted that a 1012 ft. retaining wall be constructed out of natural stone, at no additional cost. The contract clearly specified pre-engineered pre-cast, that no engineering had been included in the price and that the wall could not be built to code out of natural stone. Upon it becoming clear that the wall could not be built as the homeowner wanted it (and when the contact was ap-

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

proximately 50 per cent complete), the homeowner terminated the contract and accused the contractor of bad faith, in addition to a wide range of contractual breaches and negligence. He also accused the contractor of damaging his property and advised that he would be suing for substantial damages. The lawyers got involved, but the homeowner reiterated that he had years of experience in construction and would prove a substantial claim against the contractor at trial. With litigation on the horizon, the contractor liened for the balance owing, to protect his security in the property. The homeowner then counterclaimed for $500,000. The counterclaim included for the completion of the contract, (complete with natural stone wall), even though the contract had not been invoiced in full. To protect his cost position, the contractor offered to accept 50 per cent of what was owing, if the homeowner would drop the counterclaim and call it a day. The owner refused, and for over three-and-a-half years insisted that he required a substantial payment to settle.

Lump sum from insurer Perhaps thankfully, the homeowner’s laundry list of complaints included allegations that the contractor had damaged his front door, garage floor and barbecue, along with existing trees. The contractor was thus allowed to call on his liability insurance policy, to defend the allegations. Rather than appointing a lawyer to defend the property damage claims, the insurance company preferred to pay a lump sum payment to the contractor, to pay the anticipated defence costs as well as a healthy premium to cover any possible liability to the homeowner. Shortly after litigation began, it was revealed that the homeowner had been secretly recording his conversations with the contractor about the wall and his various other complaints. Although the homeowner insisted that they would help him at trial, the recordings revealed (as did the written communications between the parties) that the homeowner had not raised the vast majority of his laundry list of complaints until he issued his counterclaim.

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Unpredictable, litigious homeowner The homeowner retained an ‘expert’ who was neither a P.Eng. nor a Certified Engineering Technologist (CET), and who based his conclusions for the most part on what the homeowner had told him. He then gave mere ‘approximate estimates’ of what the complaints were worth and fired his lawyer — about a week before trial. The homeowner’s motion for an adjournment (for a year-and-a-half) was denied. His new lawyer didn’t see many prospects for the homeowner’s case and reasonable settlement discussions finally ensued. A deal was for the most part struck. Even then, it had been discovered in the weeks before trial that the homeowner had already sued his builder in 2010, for many of the same items he was now suing the contractor for. This had not been disclosed. The homeowner insisted that he should be able to force the contractor to settle without any assurance that the contractor would not be dragged into the builder action. In the end, it appears the homeowner ended up paying between $350- and $370,000 to get out of the litigation. This included an agreed-upon 75 per cent of the contractor’s claim, an amount paid to the contractor as costs (which was three times the amount paid on the claim) and the amounts paid to his own lawyers (about $150,000). He paid this when he could have paid half the claim, and nothing more, at the onset of litigation. The contractor, on the other hand, ended up with approximately twice the value of his claim in his pocket, and after legal fees were paid in full. This was only possible because the contactor had accepted a lump sum payment from the insurance company to defend and assume the risk of the homeowner’s property damage claims. Still, the contractor would have happily taken half his claim to avoid the whole nightmare. He might even have walked away with nothing. He experienced firsthand how litigation can be time-consuming, all encompassing, stressful and uncertain — and how, sometimes, the other side will force you to engage. I’m not sure there is much of a moral to this story, but it is worth telling. Sometimes you get a live one. Sometimes, you

can’t get out of it. It is, unfortunately, part of life in the big city of business. Even more so, perhaps, in the construction business. The moral is that it can happen to anyone — so be prepared. Good contracts and good record keeping will help. So will good advice. In this case, the pressure of the lien and the offers to settle eventually did their job. Finally, the contractor in this case had to have patience, because sometimes these things just have to run their course … LT

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Robert Kennaley has a background in construction and now practices construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ont. He speaks and writes regularly on construction law issues and can be reached for comment at 416-368-2522 (Toronto), 519-426-2577 (Simcoe) or at kennaley@mclauchlin.ca. This material is for information purposes and is not intended to provide legal advice in relation to any particular fact situation. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard.

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mentormoment

Positive work culture empowers employees This month’s mentor is Kevin Nauss CLP of Price Landscaping Services in Moncton, N.B. His leadership roles include a board position with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, advisory service with the Landscape Horticulturist Red Seal program and governance for the New Brunswick Landscape Horticulture Training Institute. Q. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to work in the green trades?

Kevin Nauss, Price Landscaping Services

A. When I was younger, I worked in a variety of government jobs in Nova Scotia, including agricultural research. I took advantage of an op-

26 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

portunity to move to Toronto for a season to work for ChemLawn, where I got my feet wet in the green industry. Moving back to Nova Scotia, I first worked for a landscape company as its lawn care manager (and sales force and crew!), and in 1990 I applied for a job as a manager with Price Landscaping. Right from the start of the interview I was impressed with the innovative approaches taken by Kent Clarke, the owner, and have grown with the company ever since. While I was working, I went back to school and did a year’s training at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, now Dalhousie University, and in 2001, Kent sold his company to three key employees (including me). We restructured Price Landscaping oneand-a-half years ago, and I am now the managing partner. I also have my Certified Landscape Professional designation. Because Kent, my mentor, was one of the founding members of Landscape New Brunswick, I have supported our industry as-

sociation from day one. It works to raise the bar for all of us. I value professionalism and have the ultimate appreciation for our customers. At the end of the day, we’re in a service business and no matter what task you do, it’s worth doing to the best of your ability. Q. Companies often seem to win enough work, but never make a profit. What are they doing wrong? A. I think a lot of companies don’t know their costs. I’ve always believed in having strong accounting support. You need to know where you stand every month, so you can make adjustments as you go. They are not always going to be easy decisions — you can’t make your guys work harder than they already do — but you can make operational decisions during the season or set new sales goals. I have never looked at what someone else’s price is in order to bid on a job or get work. You have to base your work on what it costs your company to produce. Knowing costs isn’t as simple as it sounds — there are a lot of variables in this industry, so you are always learning, learning, learning. And, if you think you are in trouble, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Q. How can landscape companies find the time and money to provide training? A. Along the line of not being afraid to ask for help, our company has hired consultants to engage fresh ideas from outside our circle. A few years ago we finally made a leap of faith and committed

What we say to customers

to do more training. Without a doubt, I can say the investment we made in both time and money has enhanced the company environment. We committed to Jim Paluch’s Working Smarter program a few years ago, which provided us with the framework to train staff and improve our processes. We have kept up the momentum and training, and when the economy bottomed out a couple of years ago, the training and attitudes of our staff carried our company through a tough time. Our employees were more engaged, and acted on ideas. In turn, as they saw their ideas being implemented, it prompted more great ideas. Committing to the Working Smarter Training Challenge was a bit scary, both in the cost and amount of time it required of staff. We also worried our key, long-term employees wouldn’t buy into the concept, but in the end, our good people became great, and our borderline staff left. We really made the program our own, and have kept it up for over two years. Now we find we are looking for things to meet about, so we run Safety Tailgates, discuss a plant or insect of the week, and give out accolades as a company every Wednesday morning. There is a considerable amount of prep time required for the meetings, but it is a great exercise to get our maintenance and construction divisions together in the same room. They hear and appreciate each other’s successes and struggles. Our crews have bought into the positive culture. This is a hard business, and we need hard-working people. There are lots of challenges, but I try and keep a positive atmosphere. continued on page 28

What they hear

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mentormoment Q. Which business problem keeps you up at night? A. Before we invested in company-wide training, I would have said 50 per cent worrying about customers and 50 per cent worrying about staff, but I can honestly say I now worry about our employees less. It’s no secret customers are be-

coming more demanding, and we put a lot of effort into educating our customers. They expect good service; some customers need hand-holding, and when I have a lot on my plate, it is worrying about customer demands that keeps me up at night. When I first started with Price Landscaping, the owner pointed to the lock on the door and told me to leave my work

problems behind me at the end of every day. They will be waiting for me in the morning … I’m still working on that. Q. How do you avoid wasting time on dead-end calls? What is a professional way to prequalify customers? A. Hmmm, someone could probably teach me the answer to this question. I am better than I used to be, but still struggle with this. My personality is such that I want to please people, and treat people the way I want to be treated. Over the years I have learned to ask a lot of questions, and find that spending an initial 10-15 minutes on the phone is a lot cheaper than driving to the potential client’s home to find out we aren’t a good fit. In sales, or any service business, the skill of listening can’t be emphasized enough. There are no magic answers, and I learn from every homeowner I listen to. I book up my weeks, just like everyone else, but I have committed myself not to leave for the weekend until every phone call has been returned from that week. I shut my office door to return phone calls, and listen. Sometimes I spend five hours on Saturday in the office just returning calls, but my office has let the homeowner know I will call back by the end of the week, so I am working to meet their expectations. Some people don’t like to give ballpark figures on the first client contact, but I’ve developed some unit figures I use as ballpark numbers, only to help prequalify some clients. A lot of people don’t have any idea of the true value of landscape work. We’ve done is put together a list of other contractors homeowners can call if we feel the work isn’t suited to our company. Some might see it as giving away work, but we know what works for our company. We see this as good customer service! Ultimately, what works for me is treating customers the way I want to be treated. LT

If you have suggestions or questions for a leader to be featured in an upcoming issue, please email editor@landscapetrades.com

28 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

industrynews Ontario re-imagines fall events With the launch of Thrive’15 on Sept. 16-17, Landscape Ontario has fused several popular fall events into a fresh new format and a new location, the Ancaster Fairgrounds. Garden Expo, now in its 16th year, will anchor the event. Also featured is LO’s annual Industry Auction, the Golden Horseshoe Chapter’s Chicken Roast, Snowposium trade show and conference as well as the Retailers’ Keynote Breakfast, judging and auctioning of the Growers Awards of Excellence winners and the presentation ceremony for the Garden Centre Awards of Excellence. Landscape Ontario created Garden Expo to be a one-stop shop for garden centres and forward-thinking green industry professionals. Exhibit space at Garden Expo has sold out, with more than 100 industry leaders and innovators showcasing their newest, on-trend products. Admission to Garden Expo is free if you pre-register by Aug. 28. And, every registration includes lunch, thanks to sponsor Fafard et Freres, who is presenting the Buds n’Suds tent.

On Sept. 16, Judy Sharpton presents a breakfast keynote looking at the retail revolution that has happened in the past 20 years. Sharpton will offer an alternative that will change the retail environment and possibly your customer’s perception of your store. The breakfast keynote is a ticketed event. Order yours at lothrive.com. Landscape Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe Chapter Chicken Roast Social is a long-standing fall tradition for members and their families. The Chapter will bring its huge barbecues to Thrive’15, and invites all to come for the fun, food and fellowship. Purchase tickets at lothrive.com. Retailers and landscape contractors looking to pick up outstanding plant material at one-off prices should attend the Industry Auction held the morning of Sept. 17. There will be live bidding on everything from caliper trees, to skids of deciduous and evergreens shrubs, to perennials, fertilizer and tools. The Growers Awards of Excellence will be judged the day before and then auctioned off during the bidding. Plants are top-quality, and you pay on-site with credit card, debit or cash and take them with you. Auction

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industrynews registration is free and includes lunch, this year courtesy of Canadale Nurseries. All proceeds are directly allocated to scholarships and research. Thrive’15 also includes Snowposium, LO’s popular Snow and Ice Management Conference and Expo. The outdoor equipment and trade show takes place Sept. 16-17, and snow and ice management professionals and property managers can take in the conference on the morning of Sept. 16. Information, registration links and directions are available at lothrive.com. Early bird pricing is in effect until August 28.

New look and location for CanWest 2015 The buzz is building for CanWest 2015, taking place Sept. 9 - 10. It will be an expo-style event in a new location, featuring an expanded show that will include Outdoor Equipment Demo,

Greenhouse and Retail Zones. After 34 years in downtown Vancouver, CanWest is moving 60 minutes east to Abbotsford, B.C. The show’s new home is Tradex Exhibition Centre, situated in the heart of the Fraser Valley. This venue is close to the hub of B.C.’s horticultural industry, is a large facility with easy access, has space that allows the show to grow both indoors and out, and is adjacent to the Abbotsford International Airport. Exhibitors are excited about this move; booth sales are up by almost 30 per cent. Attendees are equally excited. There are over 1,000 landscape and garden centre businesses located within a 65 km stretch from Surrey to Chilliwack, and Abbotsford’s Tradex is right in the middle. CanWest is expanding to include an Outdoor Equipment Demonstration Zone. Both small and large equipment will be showcased in this professionally designed space, that will feature visibility, lift and suspension tests, loads of dirt piles

and a Rodeo Challenge. You’ll also find lots of green space for the small equipment and tools. The new Greenhouse Zone will feature the latest technology for greenhouse growers, while the Retail Zone features hands-on sessions with Judy Sharpton of Growing Places Marketing, focusing on merchandising and garden centre design. This year’s show theme is Backyard Barbeque. The Tailgate Party takes place Sept. 8 at 6:00 p.m. in the Backyard Lounge. The education program will feature an Urban Foresters Symposium, Landscape Designers Symposium, half-day power clinics, hands-on workshops and a number of savvy sessions geared to greenhouse growers, landscapers and garden centre retailers. Food trucks will be onsite. Participate in the Plant ID contest for a chance to win $250. Vote on the Best New Product and check out this year’s Container Competition entries. Exhibitor information, hotel details and special travel offers can be found at www.CanWestHortExpo.com.

AgriStability participation no longer required for APP

The new venue for CanWest 2015 provides space for outdoor equipment demo opportunities.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will not require nursery and sod growers to participate in the AgriStability program in order to qualify for the Advance Payments Program (APP). The reversal to this decision is was a result of a letter sent by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) to AAFC, and a subsequent conference call meeting which

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included representatives from industry, CNLA, Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC) and AAFC. In its announcement to CNLA, AAFC acknowledged that industry would have insufficient time to apply for the AgriStability program under 2015 application deadlines. AAFC cautions that this change is effective for 2015 only, and will advise the industry further on any decisions made for 2016. It is hoped that program changes within AAFC will allow for other forms of security to support applications for 2016 and beyond. CNLA acknowledges Agriculture Credit Corporation for its assistance in presenting the industry’s position to AAFC. Thanks are also extended to J.C. Bakker Nurseries and Eagle Lake Sod Farms for representing industry needs on this important conference call with AAFC. For more information on how your nursery can access interest-free operating funds through the Advance Payments Program, visit agcreditcorp.ca.

Advanced snow manager training To help companies and individuals who remove snow and ice from parking lots, parking garages, and sidewalks, the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) has launched a comprehensive online training system, called the Advanced Snow Management (ASM) Training program. In conjunction with this launch, SIMA has unveiled a new industry designation, the Advanced Snow Manager. The ASM program was developed with snow professionals from across the U.S. and Canada, and includes these four online certificate courses: Core Principles: This certificate course covers

standardized basic safety for snow, interpreting a site map, instruction on the variables of winter weather, and standards for onsite documentation of service. Plowing Operations: This certificate focuses on training for plowing, hauling, and blowing, including preparation and maintenance of equipment, safe operation of snow plowing equipment, and more. Ice Management: This certificate trains on complex ice management techniques, including calibrating spreading equipment, understanding deicing chemical properties, and applying deicing solids and liquids safely and efficiently. Sidewalks Operations: This certificate relates essential skills and techniques for managing snow and ice on sidewalks, including identifying pedestrian areas, proper shoveling techniques, proper deicing application techniques, and more. Each of the four certificate training courses will be delivered online, including an assessment at the end. A passing score secures the official certificate for the individual, and industry professionals can gain certificates in one or more of the courses. Completion of all four certificate courses earns an individual the Advanced Snow Manager (ASM) designation from SIMA. The program is a standardized certificate training program, and should not be confused with a certification. Companies and organizations can purchase individual training courses for ASM or they can create a company-specific training account to train multiple individuals simultaneously. For more information or to start training, visit www. sima.org/resources.

Dwyer Group acquires The Grounds Guys Dwyer Group, one of the world’s largest franchising companies of trade service brands, has acquired The Grounds Guys of Canada. Originally founded by 10 brothers in 1987 as Sunshine Grounds Care in Orangeville, Ont., the company became a successful family business operated by the van Stralen family, offering comprehensive landscape management services. Sunshine Grounds Care began franchising the concept in Canada and looked at ways to expand the business. In 2010, Dwyer Group entered into an agreement to market the franchise in the United States under a new brand name, The Grounds Guys, which was also adopted across the Canadian locations. The brand was a perfect fit for Dwyer Group’s growing organization of service trades and quickly became an award-winning franchise network and industry leader with rapid growth across the U.S. The full acquisition of the Canadian franchisor includes 34 franchisees representing 40 locations across Canada. They join 194 locations across the United States under the direction of Chris Elmore, president of The Grounds Guys. Dwyer Group will maintain an office for The Grounds Guys in Canada. In addition, the van Stralen family will remain consultants for the brand and stakeholders in the company as equity investors with Dwyer Group. Peter van Stralen will also become a director of Dwyer Group Canada. LT

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newproducts Hepa filter dust mask RZ Industries introduces its M2 Mesh Air Filtration Mask with Hepa Filtration System. Innovations that accompany this new design include an abrasionresistant mesh exterior that allows for easier air flow and elastic side straps for a more precise fit to multiple head shapes and sizes. The mask is lighter than the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neoprene mask; dual directional exhalation valves expel breath out and away from glasses or goggles. Its HEPA filter allows for 124 per cent more breathability than a standard paper mask; it is 99.9 per effective at stopping particulates .1 micron or larger. RZ Industries www.rzmask.com

Hover mower Jacobsen claims its all-new HoverKing is the lightest hover mower on the market at just 26 lbs. (16-inch version) and features advanced design and superior ergonomics, making it easy to operate in difficult areas. The 20-in. version weighs only 36.5 lbs. The HoverKing offers a three-in. cut height and three cutting system options: metal blade, metal edge with nylon blade or nylon string. Jacobsen www.jacobsen.com

Decorative water feature Aquascapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new decorative Spillway Bowl, Basin, and Stand is hand-casted in glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC). The Spillway Bowls have the appearance of a formal handcrafted stone fountain at a fraction of the weight, making the decorative water feature extremely easy to install. The Spillway Bowl and Basin can be installed as a standalone disappearing water feature, or several bowls can be linked together in a single display. Aquascape www.aquascapeinc.com

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Line trimmer The new Husqvarna 525L professional trimmer is designed specifically to enable professionals to complete demanding jobs with optimal efficiency and effectiveness. This robust, sturdy and durable machine is built for demanding trimming. Intuitive controls make choke and purge easy to reach and understand, and Husqvarna’s Smart Start gets the engine running with minimal effort. It features advanced X-Torq engine technology that combines high performance with fuel economy and lower exhaust emissions; and the LowVib antivibration dampener system that maximizes user comfort with a floating throttle handle. Husqvarna www.husqvarna.ca

LED truck and trailer lights New additions to Buyers Products’ line of LED truck and trailer lighting options include LED strobe lights, LED marker/strobe lights and an LED five-function strip light. The strip light features 40 red and 20 clear LEDs. With functions for running, braking, turning, reverse and hazard, the strip light is ideal for multiple applications including trucks, trailers, RVs and boats. The 60-in., self-adhesive strip light is prewired with a four-pin, flat trailer connector for simple hook-up.

Swivel hose connectors Flexaust has launched a new line of swivel connectors for joining long lengths of Flex-Tube hose to help prevent twisting and improve flexibility and user maneuverability in longer applications. Ideal for leaf collection, mulch blowing, sandblasting, and similar applications, Flex-Tube Swivel Connectors come in 2, 2-1/2, 3, 4, and 6 in. diameter sizes. When used with Flex-Tube coextruded polyurethane hose, these swivel connectors reduce twisting and flex fatigue, making the hose more effective than heavywall PVC hose. Flexaust www.flexaust.com

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Modern outdoor chair The Orca chair is designed in the likeness of a killer whale. Lightweight, comfortable and made of weather-resistant fiberglass resin, Orca is easy to transport for beach blanket parties and days of lounging in the summer sun on the dock. Orca’s contoured clean lines create a custom look for this upscalelooking, resort-worthy chaise. Available in 43 exterior colours with white as the primary interior colour. Decorpro www.decorpro.ca

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cnlanews Come to Vancouver in March 2016 and be inspired The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association will be hosting the 2016 International Green City Conference in Vancouver, B.C., next March 14 -18. Join delegates from around the world to learn about the importance of incorporating green design into urban development. Our line-up of international speakers will share practical examples and the strategies of real green cities. The goal of the conference is to equip delegates with the tools to support local green city efforts. During the week, you will discover why urban greening is so important, how to achieve practical and affordable solutions, and the ability to experience it in action. Presenting at the International Green City Conference will be Egbert Roozen, the Director of the VHG Association in the Netherlands, who will discuss society and green spaces. Roozen will bring real life examples from challenges he has faced from his experience with Green City Holland and the Floriade organization, and the green solutions that were used to overcome them. He believes that greenery can no longer be considered for decoration only, but as a contributing factor to the quality of our environment, biodiversity and human health. This is a talk you will not want to miss. Canadian native Steven Peck, from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC), will shed some light on the green roof industry not only in North America, but around the world. As the founder and president of GRHC, Peck brings a lot of knowledge to the table. His portfolio includes research to improve the green roof and wall industry, numerous advocacy

Egbert Roozen, Director of VHG Association, Netherlands.

events, and co-founding the World Green Infrastructure Network. He has written and Steven Peck, from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC). lectured extensively on the interrelationships between public policy, research and the socioeconomic benefits of living architecture, as well as on the topics of urban sustainability and industrial ecology. After a day and a half of listening to influential speakers, delegates will be taken into the city for a day and half of tours. Walk on green roofs, explore the eclectic Granville Market, see the longest green wall in North America, explore the treetops of the coastal temperate rainforest 15 metres in the air, taste the rich cuisine of the city and so much more. The International Green City Conference is hosted around the world each year, giving delegates a chance to see innovations in urban green infrastructure and planning on a global scale. In 2016, the conference will be held in conjunction with the International Association of Horticultural Producers spring meeting, the European Landscape Contractors Association spring meeting and the CNLA Landscape Canada Summit. By attending the conference, you will place yourself at the heart of this important discussion. Registration is available at cnla-acpp.ca/greencity, along with information on sponsorship opportunities and our speaker program. A big thank you to Landscape Trades for being our official media sponsor. See you there!

FCA Canada joins savings line-up This June, CNLA added another huge partner to its Member Savings programs. FCA Canada, which includes Dodge, Ram and Jeep vehicles, is now offering significant fleet discounts to CNLA members. Operating like the other vehicle and equipment programs, members will be required to pay a $100 administration fee per vehicle to CNLA, to receive a membership confirmation letter for the dealership. However, until September 30, 2015, FCA Canada will cover the administration costs for all vehicles. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t delay, upgrade your vehicles today!

National Awards happening this month CNLA is excited to be hosting the National Awards of Landscape Excellence this month in conjunction with the Manitoba Nursery and Landscape Association Awards of Excellence. The National Awards celebrate excellence in the industry, showcasing the best projects from coast-to-coast. Come and celebrate with us on August 19, at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Winnipeg. If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t purchased your gala ticket yet, there is still time to at cnla-acpp.ca/awards. 34 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

34 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

TThe Skills Canada National Competition provides an opportunity for over 400 students from across Canada to show off their talents, and investigate careers in the trades.

Legal Expense insurance for members CNLA has teamed up with Group Bid Protect, to offer members an inexpensive way to secure legal expense insurance. Legal help can be expensive and time-consuming for any business, that’s why this is essential for business owners. The more members who purchase legal expense insurance through Group Bid Protect, the lower the price becomes for everyone. Group Bid Protect predicts that your savings on insurance through this program will recover a significant portion of your provincial association membership fee. Interested? Send an email to CNLA@rdainsurance.com for a unique user ID that will allow you to join the program. For more information about Group Bid Protect and legal expense insurance, please visit www.groupbidprotect.com.

Speed up apprentice EI processing A spring 2013 internal review has shown that employment insurance (EI) processing for apprentices is faster than the program overall. On average, roughly 85 per cent of apprentice EI claims are processed within 28 days, and over 60 per cent are processed within 14 days. Some of the causes identified for the delays include erroneous or late Records of Employment (ROE) and lack of use of reference code by apprentices. Employers can help by submitting ROEs promptly and by using Code J (apprentice training) in Block 16 on the ROE when your employee is leaving work for the sole purpose of attending full-time technical training.

Garden Centres Canada gift cards The Green for Life Garden Gift Card program is picking up steam. Garden Centres Canada members are teaming up to offer this universal gift card, which allows customers to purchase the card online and redeem it at any participating garden centre across the country. This is not only a great gift idea for gardening enthusiasts, but it is also a great way to promote independent garden retailers. The more garden centres that sign up, the more valuable the program is. Check it out at gardengiftcard.ca.

Congratulations to Skills Canada contestants This spring, Team Alberta won gold at the Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) in Saskatoon, Sask. Jeff Oostlander and Joshua Van Hierden from Lethbridge, Alta., competed against teams from Manitoba, Quebec

and Ontario in the Landscape Gardening category. SCNC provides industry an opportunity to interact with youth and promote careers in the trades. Attracting over 500 young Canadians to compete in more than 40 skilled trade competitions, it is a great place to reach the next generation workforce.

New Red Seal endorsement for journeypersons The administrator of the Red Seal Program, the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA), announces the “RSE” (Red Seal Endorsement) acronym for qualified skilled journeypersons. The CCDA believes that an officially recognized acronym for professionals in the trade provides qualified individuals with a way to easily reflect their qualifications while creating prestige for their credentials, in this case, the Red Seal endorsement. The RSE acronym is to be used by journeypersons who have obtained a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial or territorial Certificates of Qualification and Apprenticeship by successfully completing a Red Seal examination. Anyone holding a Red Seal endorsement may begin using RSE on business cards and promotional materials today. The implementation of the RSE acronym meets the CCDA’s longterm vision for the Red Seal Program by continuing to raise the image of the skilled trades, to recognize the professionalism of the skilled trades and to recognize the standard of excellence offered by the Red Seal Program. LT The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is the federation of Canada’s provincial horticultural trade associations. Visit cnla-acpp.ca for more information.

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newfoundlandandlabrador Landscape Trades devotes space in each issue to provincial association news. This issue features an update from Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador. Wow, time is just flying by. Landscape NL has had a great year, and is well on the way to another one! On November 3 and 4, 2014, Landscape NL hosted another very successful Atlantic Green Forum and Design Charrette. The theme for the event was “Growing a blue-green city: Seeking solutions for integrated watercourses within an urban landscape.” The Atlantic Green Forum draws attention to the value of open spaces within our communities and the importance of green space planning. The 2014 Forum focused on the value of better integrating our watercourses within our increasingly urbanized landscape. On Monday, the Design Charrette looked at how the City of Mount Pearl could incorporate green infrastructure as a component of plan development. Working groups analyzed one of four sites along the Waterford River corridor and conceived design models to propose integrated watercourse solutions based on the pillars of sustainable development: environment, social and economic. Speakers from across Canada took the podium on Tuesday, as Landscape NL members, municipal representatives and the general public listened to presentations regarding water.

36 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Bart Brusse from Sheridan Nurseries, Ont., spoke of the development of a 32-million gallon pond that was built to catch rainwater and recapture runoff from the nursery operation. Gerald Crane from the Office of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Nfld., discussed the effects of climate change on our environment. Kevin Mecer, of RainGrid, Ont., spoke of urban waters, the innovation and implementation of resilient and sustainable urban storm water infrastructure, and the growth of smart cities that respect our water from where it falls to where it meets its watershed. Dr. Youbin Zheng, University of Guelph and Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, talked about his extensive research in green roofs, biological water treatment systems, plant physiology, nutrient managements and more. Adam Campbell, Ducks Unlimited Canada told us about his involvement in wetland restoration efforts in all of the Atlantic Provinces. The City of Mount Pearl was the municipal partner for the 2014 event and the sponsors were the Department of Natural Resources, Sheridan Nurseries, Department of Environment and Conservation and HortProtect Insurance. Throughout the year, great progress has been made by Landscape NL, as it advocates on behalf of its members to government officials for a Landscape Horticultural program in the province. In recent months, Landscape NL representatives have meet with the Assistant

Deputy Minister of Works, Director of Advanced Training and Education, Director of Planning and Protective Services, Deputy Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, MHA Cartwright — L’Anse au Clair, Assistant Minister of Works Services and Transportation, MHA Trinity — Bay de Verde, MHA, District of Virginia Waters, MHA, District of St. George’s-Stephenville East and the Leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party. Landscape NL hopes to soon be able to offer residents the opportunity to obtain the Landscape Horticultural Red Seal. The 2015 Atlantic Green Forum will take place Oct 19-21, with the Town of Portugal Cove – St. Phillips as this year’s municipal partner. “Your Green Community” will be the theme of the event. Landscape NL is currently in the process of putting together the final details for the event. Mark your calendar and save the dates! On April 23, Landscape NL hosted its annual Awards of Excellence ceremony at O’Neill’s Gardenland, Spaniard’s Bay, honouring excellence in the landscape industry. Government representatives brought greetings to those in attendance. The evening started with tour of O’Neill’s Gardenland, followed by a lovely wine and cheese reception and then it was on to handing out the awards. The following awards were presented during the evening: Award of Excellence for Landscape Design, Daisy Design; Award of Excellence for Commercial Landscape Maintenance Bowering Gardens; Award of Excellence for Residential Landscape Maintenance, Atmosphere Landscape Construction; Award of Merit for Residential Landscape Construction Under $25k, Atmosphere Landscape Construction; Award of Excellence for Residential Landscape Construction Over $25k, Murray’s Landscape Services; Award of Excellence for Commercial Landscape Construction Over $25k, Murray’s Landscape Services; Volunteer of the Year, Peggy Head of Pat’s Plants and Gardens. Sponsors for the event were Newfoundland Kubota, HortProtect Insurance and Hickman Automotive Group. The Awards of Landscape Excellence are a way to recognize companies that have actively participated in significantly raising the level of professionalism in the landscape industry. Congratulations to all of the winners who truly represent the high calibre of work and expertise the public has come to expect from this industry. LT 36 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

comingevents August 9-12, Toronto Fall Gift Show, International Centre and Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.cgta.org

September 9-10, CanWest Hort Show, Tradex Exhibition Centre, Abbotsford, B.C. www.canwesthortshow.com

August 16-19, Fall Alberta Gift Show, Northlands, Edmonton EXPO Centre, Edmonton, Alta. www.cgta.org

September 13-15, GLEE, Birmingham, U.K. www.gleebirmingham.com

August 16-20, Canadian Fertilizer Institute 70th Annual Conference, Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, B.C. www.cfi.ca August 18-20, Independent Garden Center Show, Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill. www.igcshow.com August 25-28, Plantarium, International Trade Centre, Boskoop, Holland. www.plantarium.nl August 27-29, Farwest Show, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Ore. www.farwestshow.com

October 7-8, Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, Ont. www.canadiangreenhouseconference.com

September 16-17, Thrive '15, Ancaster Fair Grounds, Ancaster, Ont. www.lothrive.com

October 21-23, Green Industry and Equipment Expo + Hardscape Expo, Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky. www.gie-expo.com

September 25-28, IPPS Eastern Region Meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio. www.ippseastern.org

October 28-30, Expo-FIHOQ, Place Bonaventure, Montreal, Que. www.expofihoq.com

September 30 – October 3, Communities in Blooms 2015 National Symposium on Parks and Grounds and Awards Ceremonies, Kamloops, B.C. www.communitiesinbloom.ca

November 4-5, Penn Atlantic Nursery Trades Show (PANTS), Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Penn. www.pantshow.com

October 5-8, CitiesAlive, 13th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference, New York Marriott, New York, NY. www.citiesalive.org

November 19-20, Green Industry Show and Conference, BMO Centre, Calgary, Alta. LT www.greenindustryshow.com

classifieds BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

SERVICES AND SUPPLIES

3 Guelph-Area Business Opportunities! TURN-KEY GARDEN CENTRE FOR SALE: on 9 acres of owned land, with on-site luxury home for owner/manager. Established in 1988; market leader in the Guelph area; profitable with potential to become much more so in the years ahead. A true once in a lifetime opportunity for the right buyer! NATURAL STONE Sales and Construction: well-established, excellent reputation and located just minutes east of Guelph. Sale includes business and property. Seller is willing to train the buyer and assist in the transition to new ownership. Tremendous opportunity for significant growth - built on word-of-mouth, no advertising to-date. LOST HORIZONS PERENNIALS NURSERY: Renowned throughout Southern Ontario and beyond as THE go-to source for rare perennials — over 3,000 varieties in-stock. 5.53 acres including 2.5 acre public display gardens and upgraded heritage residence. Original owner will assist in the transition. For details on any of these great business opportunities, go to prosper.ca or phone Steve Dawkins, Sales Representative with REMAX Real Estate Centre Inc, Brokerage Toll Free: 1-855-95-REMAX

30’ ALUMINUM IRRIGATION PIPE (Used) • Wade rain 3” & 4” pipe • $50.00 each Call Frank 905-727-3666

ONTARIO’S LARGEST LANDSCAPE LIGHTING SUPPLIER 190 Bovaird Dr. W. Unit 53-55 Brampton, ON, L7A 1A2 Tel: 905-874-1022 • Fax: 905-874-0095 www.estatelighting.ca

View more online

landscapetrades.com

EQUIPMENT

Ultra-Low Volume Herbicide Applicators • Control drift • Reduce labour costs • Reduce herbicide waste Simple, lightweight, durable sprayers 647-309-7826 • info@MankarULV.com www.MankarULV.com

FINN Hydroseeders & Bark Blowers New and Used • Flex Guard FRM • Soil Guard BFM • Erosion Control Blanket Seed & Fertilizer Prefilled and Unfilled Filter Sock Toll free: (888) 298-9911 • Fax: (905) 761-7959 www.fibramulch.com

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: All classified ads must be pre-paid by credit card. Rates: $62.15 (includes HST) per column inch (approx. 25 words). Deadline: 10th day of the month prior to issue date. January deadline is Nov. 15. Space is limited to a first-come, first-served basis. To advertise: E-mail your name, phone number and ad to Robert at classifieds@landscapeontario.com. Online advertising also available. Minimum cost is $67.80 HST included for association members and $90.40 HST included for non-members. isit www.landscapetrades.com/ classifieds for full details. AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

where to find it COMPANY

PAGE

PHONE

Allstone Quarry Products Inc 32 800-263-1270 info@allstonequarry.com Arborjet Inc. 28 781-935-9070 ajinfo@arborjet.com Beaver Valley Stone Ltd 30 416-222-2424 info@beavervalleystone.com Gro-Bark (Ontario) Ltd 9 888-GRO-BARK keith@gro-bark.com Hino Motors Canada 21 905-670-3352 info@hinocanada.com Hustler Turf Equipment 29 800-395-4757 sales@hustlerturf.com Isuzu Commercial Trucks of Canada 31 905-612-0100 tony.parravano@isuzutruck.ca JCB Inc 5, 8, 24 John Deere 39 800-465-9825 Landscape Management Network 10, 11 888-347-9864 info@landscapemanagementnetwork.com Munger Lawnscape Inc 36 519-738-2571 jmunger@mnsi.net Neudorff North America 26 250-652-5888 tim.tripp@neudorff.ca Oregon Association of Nurseries 22 800-342-6401 info@oan.org Permacon Group Inc 40 800-463-9278 PRO Landscape by Drafix Software 27 800-231-8574 sales@prolandscape.com Pro-Power Canada Inc 35 800-361-0907 info@propowercanada.ca Sakata Seed America Inc 25 408-778-7758 info@sakata.com Star Roses & Plants 29 800-457-1859 Stihl Limited 2 519-681-3000 info.canada@stihl.ca Thames Valley Brick & Building Products 38 905-637-6997 info@thamesvalleybrick.com Unilock Limited 13, 33 800-UNILOCK georgetown@unilock.com Van Belle Nursery Inc 14 604-853-3415 bill@vanbelle.com Vanhof & Blokker 34 800-387-2852 info@vanhofandblokker.com Winkelmolen Nursery Ltd 15 519-647-3912 sales@winkelmolen.com Zander Sod Co Ltd 19 877-727-2100 info@zandersod.com

YOUR SOURCE FOR HIGH QUALITY CLAY PAVING BRICKS

WEBSITE

www.allstonequarry.com www.arborjet.com www.beavervalleystone.com www.gro-bark.com www.hinocanada.com www.hustlerturf.com www.isuzutruck.ca www.jcb.com www.johndeere.ca www.landscapemanagementnetwork.com www.mungerlawnscape.com www.neudorff.ca www.oan.org www.permacon.ca www.prolandscape.com www.propowercanada.ca www.sakataornamentals.com www.starrosesandplants.com www.stihl.ca www.thamesvalleybrick.com www.unilock.com www.vanbelle.com www.vanhofandblokker.com www.winkelmolen.com www.zandersod.com

INTERNATIONAL GREEN CITY CONFERENCE, MEETINGS AND TOURS

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www.ThamesValleyBrick.com 38 | AUGUST 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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E R S AV I N G S

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It’s summertime and adding a new ZTrak R Series mower is easy. If you’re wondering if now is the best time to buy a new ZTrak R Series mower, then you’re getting more than just warm. Because from now until August 31, 2015, we’re offering $600 off 1 every ZTrak R Series, including our 997R. And we’re combining this savings with 0% APR fnancing for 48 months.2 Better yet, you’ll also get our exclusive NeverStop Loaner Guarantee: if your ZTrak R Series needs a warrantable repair, we’ll provide you a loaner machine at no charge.3 See your John Deere dealer today for the best deal of summer.

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Offer valid from June 16, 2015 until August 31, 2015. Get $600 off the agreed upon purchase price of a new ZTrak R Series Riding Mower. Attachments and implements sold separately. Some conditions may apply. See your participating dealer for details. Offer subject to availability and may be discontinued or modifed. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight and preparation charges not included. Offer cannot be combined with GreenFleet Loyalty Rewards discounts. 2Offer valid from July 1, 2015 until August 31, 2015. 0% APR purchase fnancing for 4 years on select new John Deere Commercial Mowing equipment. Down payment may be required. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight, preparation charges and a $50 documentation fee will apply. Representative Amount Financed: $10,000 at 0.00% APR, Monthly payment is $208.33 for 4 years, total obligation is $10,000, cost of borrowing is $0. Monthly payments/cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/down payment. Minimum fnance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee offer applies. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Additional dealer fees may apply. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. See dealer for details. Limited time offer which may not be combined with other offers. Discounts or other incentives may be available for cash purchases. By selecting the purchase fnancing offer, consumers may be foregoing such discounts and incentives which may result in a higher effective interest rate. 3 NeverStop Guarantee program available on Ztrak™, QuikTrak™ and Walk-Behind Mowers only at participating dealers and dealer participation will vary. Loaners used for commercial purposes provided within 24 hours, residential purposes within 72 hours. Some conditions and restrictions apply. Additional program offerings available for an added cost. See participating dealer for complete details and program offerings.

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MELVILLE COLLECTION With its smooth surface, subtle hues and sharp edges, the Melville collection has a refined appeal. Available in pavers, slabs, walls, curbs, steps and copings, the Melville collection gives that modern twist to your projects! Visit permacon.ca for all the details.