January 2018 Landscape Trades by Landscape Ontario

January 2018 VOL. 40, NO. 1

landscapetrades.com

Charlie Hall’s six trends for the new year

Sales hook 2018: LID

Paybacks of retail staff empowerment Vimy Ridge oaks inspire remembrance

Low Impact Development — a runoff management toolkit — differentiates residential proposals

60 PM40013519

Prosperity on display at Congress

Canadian-made EAB tactic

Fruit trees take a place in pro landscapes

INSIDE: CONGRESS 2018 PREVIEW SECTION

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Contents

JANUARY 2018 VOL. 40, NO. 1

38 See the future at Plantarium

Mega-tradeshow reveals European trends for marketing plants

BY LORRAINE FLANIGAN

54 Pro landscape opportunity: Fruit trees

6 Selling LID Slowing stormwater is an

ecological necessity; some contractors are making it a residential sales tool BY SCOTT BARBER

How to give customers successful, delicious harvests BY SUSAN POIZNER

60 Congress turns January green

Products, people and prosperity converge at Congress

64 Six green trends coming in 2018

Respected economic analyst Dr. Charlie Hall looks into the future

COLUMNS 70 Road to success

FEATURES

Entrepreneurs are simply a different breed of animal

BY ROD McDONALD

72 Management solutions

12 Northcountry spirit captures Chelsea

How paying yourself a salary sets your company on the right track BY MARK BRADLEY

How a designer recreated the Canadian Shield in the U.K., enchanted crowds and earned a gold medal

BY CHARLOTTE HARRIS

Considerations for design consultants in contracts and tenders

BY ROB KENNALEY AND JOSH WINTER

20 New tool to fight EAB

A Canadian-made solution joins the fight against emerald ash borer

BY PAT KERR

28 Front-line staff empowerment

Give retail staff authority to make customers happy, give customers another reason to come back

BY DIANE STEWART-ROSE

36 Canadian connection saves Vimy Ridge oaks

Update on efforts to recreate a grove of special significance

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Lee Ann Knudsen CLM | lak@landscapeontario.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Scott Barber | sbarber@landscapeontario.com ART DIRECTOR Kim Burton | kburton@landscapeontario.com LANDSCAPE ONTARIO MAGAZINE EDITOR Robert Ellidge | rob@landscapeontario.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Mike Wasilewski | mikew@landscapeontario.com

74 Legal matters

90 Mentor moment

Wilbert Ronald left security to breed cultivars — and write a book

INTERVIEWED BY ROD McDONALD

DEPARTMENTS NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR UPDATE 68 CNLA NEWS 76 INDUSTRY NEWS 80 NEW PRODUCTS 84 EVENTS 88 CLASSIFIEDS 88 ADVERTISER INDEX 88

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 CLM, Laura Catalano, Mark Fisher, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Jan Laurin, Bob Tubby CLM, Nick Winkelmolen, Dave Wright

Landscape Trades is published by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Phone: (905)875-1805 Fax: (905)875-0183 Email: comments@landscapetrades.com www.landscapetrades.com LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Darryl Bond, Amy Buchanan, Rachel Cerelli, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, J. Alex Gibson, Meghan Greaves, Sally Harvey, Heather MacRae, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Myscha Stafford, Martha Walsh, Cassandra Wiesner Landscape Trades is published nine times a year: January, March, April, May, June, August, September, October and November. 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 Copyright 2018. 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. ISSN 0225-6398 PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT 40013519 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: TRADES JANUARY 2018| |LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE TRADES| 3| 3 CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT, LANDSCAPE TRADES MAGAZINE 7856 FIFTH LINE SOUTH, MILTON, ON L9T 2X8 CANADA

greenpencil Why reforest the Highway of Heroes?

Living respect Question: How would you like to die? Walter Cronkite: In my sleep after celebrating the outbreak of permanent world peace.

erhaps you have heard that Landscape On-

tario is leading the charge, with others, in the planting of 117,000 native trees on the Highway of Heroes (HOH) in Ontario. Why choose such a hostile environment, when it would be much easier to plant elsewhere, perhaps on agricultural land? First, the busiest stretch of highway in North America, Hwy. 401, provides an opportunity to improve conditions where it is truly most needed. Traffic is a primary source of air pollution, and trees will make a measurable, positive difference by cleaning the air, producing oxygen, filtering toxins and providing a cooling effect for all. This idea was born three years ago out of environmental concerns on the part of 14 not-for-profit tree planting organizations, including the Compost Council of Canada, Tree Canada and Landscape Canada, represented by Tony DiGiovanni. Second, we have an opportunity to engage every Canadian in a unique public acBy Mark Cullen knowledgment of those who have paid the price for peace and freedom. Since Confederation, 117,000 Canadians have been lost at war. Coincidentally, the HOH stretch provides about enough right-of-way space to plant that number of trees. Our commitment to honour Canadians in military service during times of war does not end there. We are planting 1.8 million additional trees on the highway corridor to acknowledge the service of each person who volunteered for military service during times of war. Jean Perdue is one of those. As a young woman living in Toronto in 1940, she saw billboards around town that said, ‘Women, sign up and let our men fight!’ She stood with many others at the recruitment office to do whatever was asked, and served in a munitions factory. An original Rosy the Riveter! A tree will be planted for Jean, of course, and the 1.8 million men and women who did the same: Signed up to help win peace. This is a national magazine. Truth is, every province has a Highway of Heroes. What makes the Ontario Highway special? During the Afghan conflict, 158 Canadians lost their lives. Each of their bodies was flown to CFB Trenton in Ontario and driven down 4 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Hwy. 401 to the Coroner’s Office on Keele St. in Toronto. As each was honoured in this way, Canadians gathered on bridges over the highway to quietly pay tribute to the fallen as they passed by. The numbers swelled each time a procession was formed. The organic phenomenon on the original Highway of Heroes serves as inspiration for our plan to replant it with trees. In the first two years of our campaign, no one has told us this is a bad idea. We have raised over $1.3 million, all from private Canadian donors, including support from TD and Cowan Insurance. Thousands of private citizens have stepped to the plate, donated their hard-earned cash, volunteered for tree planting days and helped to spread the word. Landscape Ontario is committed to plant all the right-of-way trees, and we currently have 12,000 in the ground. We are not content to plant trees in a row. While our plant list includes mostly native species, five landscape architects are providing in-kind services to help us create a plan that will truly inspire highway travelers for generations to come. Think of the transformation that Central Park provides New York City, or Millennial Park in Chicago. Only 18 years old, it is now the largest tourist magnet in that city. The Highway of Heroes will become a tourist attraction, instead of a bland ribbon of asphalt. Clearly we have a long way to go. Our goal is to raise $10 million by 2020, and complete planting by 2022. While we are in discussions with each level of government about support, we need Canadians to help us raise about $4 million of the total. What can you do? Volunteer: We need planting supplies, trees, labour, equipment, mulch and soil. Please call our team if this interests you at (905) 875-0021. Donate: We need cash and would very much welcome any amount you can afford to donate. Donations are tax deductible. Spread the word: Log on to www.hohtribute.ca and sign up for our free monthly newsletter. Pass it on to friends and relatives who are predisposed to this campaign. And finally, thank you. Many readers of Landscape Trades have stepped up and offered in-kind services, products and cash support. Every effort helps. We will plant the Highway of Heroes one tree at a time until we reach our goal of two million trees. Just as our freedom was won, one volunteer at a time, during times of war. LT Mark Cullen C.M., a lifelong horticulture professional, is Canada’s most respected garden communicator.

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Selling Low Impact Development

6 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

BY SCOTT BARBER

Doing the right thing, and turning a profit s water infrastructure across Canada ages and becomes more expensive, and the amount of impervious surfaces grows through housing and commercial developments, the importance of Low Impact Development (LID) for stormwater management and watershed conservation rises. Over the last decade, green professionals, municipal governments and conservation authorities have implemented design strategies, including rain gardens, bioswales, permeable pavements and green roofs to mitigate flooding during peak events and limit the amount of nutrients and metals flowing into watersheds. However, the general public remains uneducated on the topic. If there’s going to be a paradigm shift, with consumers looking to the landscape profession for green infrastructure solutions for their homes and businesses, the industry needs to educate – and sell – their clients on the value of LID. “I think we are on the cusp of people really getting what LID and green infrastructure for water conservation and stormwater management is all about,” says Margaret Abernethy, landscape designer with the Claremont, Ont.-based Cypress Hill Design and Build. While there is a small segment of the population who are very environmentally conscious who understand the value of LID, she says, the majority of consumers have no idea about the how runoff water on their property can impact the watershed in their communities.

Particularly for small residential areas, some clients hear that word and they just shut right down. So you have to be mindful of the descriptors that you’re using when you’re working with someone who doesn’t have a lot of knowledge in the area.” Margaret Abernethy of Cyrpress Hill Design As a landscape professional and Build has supported low impact design who understands the impor- through work with the Toronto Region Conservation Authority and Landscape Ontario’s tance of water management, Fusion Landscape Professional program. Abernethy says it’s her responsibility to ensure that when a hard, impermeable surface is being installed on a property, the water that used to infiltrate in that area needs to be infiltrated in some other way or some other area. “I think we should all be doing LID types of applications regardless of whether a client asks for it or not,” says Abernethy. “As professionals, we should be managing the rainfall, we should be active leaders in that regard. When somebody calls us to put a patio in, it’s up to us to introduce water management principles. Over the next couple of years, I don’t expect that we are going to get a lot of calls from clients looking for that type of design, but we’re hope-

Careful with language With those clients, “You need to be very judicious with the language you use; for example, a lot of people close off as soon as you use the term native plants.

Anna van Maris blends low impact elements into all Parklane Landscapes designs, including native plantings, and permeable pavers seen in this residential project. JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

Rain gardens are small depressions planted with native flowers, grasses and shrubs, designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water from a roof, driveway or open area.

ful that if conservation authorities and governments and trade associations continue to get the message out there, that will change and we will eventually see home owners coming to landscape professionals and asking for those types of projects.”

The tides are turning Anna van Maris of Parklane Nurseries in Beaverton, Ont. has been a leader in promoting LID practices and environmental stewardship through numerous public projects and demonstrations to the public at Canada Blooms. With a passion for the environment and an educational background in environmental studies, van Maris has focused her family business towards green LID and eco-friendly practices over the last 12 years. “When I was in school, I was taught to take water and get it off the property as fast as possible,” recalls van Maris. “I’ve since learned that was a mistake; that’s absolutely the wrong mentality to have when designing a landscape.” She adds, “Municipalities are realizing that we need to reduce water consumption because they’re running out of potable water. Developments are happening too fast and they simply don’t have enough potable water. How can they possibly justify allowing people to use water to irrigate their gardens when the water has gone through so many different processes in order to clean it and make it suitable for drinking?” It’s an expensive process for local governments, van Maris explains, and the problem is compounded by the fact we have so many

What is Low Impact Development?

Low Impact Development (LID) is a set of construction and landscape design strategies that mitigate the potential negative impacts of excess stormwater by managing runoff as close to its source as possible. In simple terms, it’s all about reducing the amount impervious surfaces like concrete and asphalt where water can’t soak into the ground. LID practices often recreate natural or predevelopment hydrology (the way water moves) through the processes of infiltration, evapotranspiration, harvesting, filtration and detention of stormwater. LID often incorporates native plants, which are well adapted to the soils and climate conditions of their region and often require less maintenance, water, and fertilizer than many ornamental non-native plants. LID designs work to remove nutrients, pathogens and metals from runoff, preventing pollutants from flowing into watersheds, lakes and rivers. The goal is to reduce the rate and amount of water running off of a property; with less water moving into watercourses from storm sewers, the risk of flooding (particularly during peak storm events) and stream bank erosion descreases, and water quality is enhanced. LID also provides economic benefits, as less runoff reduces the burden on municipal waste water systems. Treating, pumping and distributing water also uses a large amount of energy, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon footprints. Examples of LID include: rain gardens, bioswales, downspout redirects, rainwater harvesting with barrels or tanks, porous or pervious pavement, green roofs, as well as soakaways and infiltration trenches. 8 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

hard, impermeable surfaces in our communities. The stormwater infrastructure is designed to send water directly into rivers and these systems are getting overloaded during heavy rain falls, resulting in costly backups and flooding. Worse still, is the amount of pollutants and sediments that are moving through the system and ending up in the watershed, van Maris says.

Governments add impervious surface taxes Municipalities like Waterloo Region in Ontario and the City of Victoria in British Columbia have recently implemented measures to tax property owners based on the square footage of impermeable surfaces on their property, in an effort to encourage LID and recoup some of the costs of managing the water infrastructure. Impervious surface taxes could spur consumer demand for LID landscaping. However, van Maris argues that green professionals shouldn’t move towards environmental practices simply to make money. “As landscapers, we are poised to do more than most to improve the planet,” she says. “We are in the industry of being stewards of the land; we are supposed to be taking this seriously.” There are already plenty of homeowners looking for landscapers who genuinely care about the environment, she adds. “There are people out there who want to do their part to protect the environment and the water in their communities; we are attracting them. We’ve been finding ways to keep water on our client’s properties since before rain gardens even had a name.” Like Abernethy, van Maris is careful about how she explains rain gardens and native plantings to her clients. “At first we were putting rain gardens and native plants in without even telling our clients we were doing it,” she recalls. “We did it because it was the right thing to do. We’d convince them to use Rudbeckia for example, because it’s a beautiful yellow flower, not by preaching that it’s native.” It’s not about being sneaky, or tricking clients, Abernethy and van Maris each stressed. Rather, they find ways to emphasize the benefits of rain gardens and native plantings without proselytizing. The language you use is critical.

removal as part of their rehabilitation, unlike the more durable natural designs.”

APPROVALS

Production Artist: Sam

“You don’t want to come across like you’re wagging your finger at them,” says Abernathy. “Just talking about these ideas and being genuine and passionate can go a long way in selling it to a homeowner. You don’t have to lecture people, you can just bring it into the conversation casually. We tend to start in the house with clients, and then we bring them outside, because they get much more engaged when they’re outside. And then it’s easier to point out areas where there may be drainage problems and say, ‘you know, there is a really great way to look after this, and one of your needs and wants is low maintenance gardening, so we can find a rain garden solution that can work towards both your needs and wants.’ “I can tell pretty quickly whether the person is more concerned about their own needs and wants, or the environment. So when I introduce LID or infiltration capacity, we can emphasize that it will save their foundation, or it will be beneficial for the environment. There is a challenge there, when it comes to talking about the added costs of dealing with the water, but we describe it as an important part of the structure.” She adds, “We tell clients, even if they we know they aren’t going to go for it, that these are things that we are passionate about as green professionals and that we want to make sure that everything we do is responsible.” Going forward, it’s clear it will take a combination of financial incentive and environmental altruism on the part of consumers before spending patterns will shift. However, with the right approach, it’s possible to incorporate elements of LID into residential projects and to get clients engaged in water conservation. As Abernethy and van Maris demonstrate, it’s not only the right thing to LT do, but it’s great business, too. JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

Proofreader:

Creative Director:

Account Manager:

NOTES

“In almost every case these sustainable, low impact designs were cost effec-Flat Size: Output Scale: tive over the life of the project compared to traditional pave and convey away methods, while also providing additional environmental and social benefits,” Medium: the report states. “Average annual maintenance costs were consistently lower Date: November 14, 2017 2:27 PM Writer: Designer Social: than the traditional techniques, which often required significant material The report is available at http://gfl.me/h3EO.

FINISHING

CNLA has made the report available for members “as a tool to assist landscape architects, landscape designers, landscape contractors, growers and N/A G&L retailers to confidently sell their products and services as the environmental Cyan Magenta Yellow Black GNL 35076 Landscape Trades Ad 2018 alternative by quantifying that product’s cost, contributions and requirements 4.625" " over itsx 7.375 lifecycle. As the landscape horticulture industry responds to climate N/A change issues with landscape solutions, knowing what our product is worth, 100% understanding how it contributes and communicatingN/Awhat it requires to live N/A Print and work as living systems and natural solutions is essential for every member in every sector.” COLOUR INFO

PROJECT INFO

While the initial costs of LID are often higher than traditional designs, research shows lower maintenance costs make LID more economical over the life of a project. The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) recently commissioned a report “Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Stormwater Management Meth-Client: ods” by William Marshall of Equilibrium Engineering to evaluate and compare File Name: the long term costs of LID and traditional designs. Finished Size:

COATING

Free life cycle analysis tool now available

Studio Manager: Production Manager:

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Canadian Shield inspires Chelsea garden design 12 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Water, wilderness

and wonder BY CHARLOTTE HARRIS

PHOTOS BY MARIANNE MAJERUS

Editor’s note: The U.K.- based Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show is renowned as the world’s top horticultural event. At Chelsea 2017, a gold medal was awarded to a garden inspired by the crystal water of Canada’s boreal forest. Its designer, landscape architect Charlotte Harris, tells the garden’s story.

This garden

was simply the most perfect opportunity to celebrate the rugged and inspiring landscapes of Canada — and in particular, the iconic Canadian boreal, home to Earth’s largest source of unfrozen freshwater, as well as being the biggest intact forest and freshwater biome on our planet. The garden was sponsored by Royal Bank of Canada, marking the 10th anniversary of its BlueWater Project, and also the 150th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada. RBC’s BlueWater Project highlights the preciousness of freshwater resources; all RBCsponsored Chelsea gardens, including two by my design partner Hugo Bugg, reflect this commitment. Of course, it’s just impossible to bring the scale and grandeur of this spectacular wilderness into a show garden measuring a few hundred square meters, so instead it was my aim to create a garden inspired by that place, rather than in any way attempting to replicate it. I started working on the design in June 2016, and was appointed as part of a competitive shortlist by the Royal Bank of

JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

Canada a month later. They were an incredibly supportive sponsor who took a chance on an unknown designer, based on my passion to explore the idea I had.

I always knew

I wanted the garden to be inspired by the boreal forests and had a strong idea of how it might look. I spent the summer exploring and testing design routes and researching the plants you might find in this area, but it wasn’t until I travelled to northern Ontario in September 2016, and explored the boreal by float plane, on foot and by canoe, that the detail design and plant list really started to take shape. There are no roads or means of transport around that great unspoilt wilderness, other than taking to the water — an experience that will live long in my memory. The unending landscape of deep blues and greens is vast and magnificent, and the flora and fauna was simply breathtaking. As a person from a small island, the scale of the landscape and its endless reaches was

mind-blowing, especially when seen from the bird’s eye view of a float plane. I was incredibly fortunate that Thunder Bay Tourism, and two wonderful outfitters, Wilderness North and Voyageur Wilderness Program, felt inspired by the potential of the Chelsea garden and made it possible to journey into the far reaches of the boreal. It was the gang at Wilderness North that introduced me to an Ojibwe guide, Evelyn Mesengeeshik, who grew up in the area. I had the huge privilege of exploring this remote part of northern Ontario with her, and learning about traditional uses of native plants for food, medicine, ceremony and building materials. The garden included plants Evelyn showed me, although some were pretty hard to track down! But with the help of a brilliant nursery here in the U.K., we managed to include familiar native species such as Ledum groenlandicum (Labrador tea) Anaphalis margaritacea (pearly everlasting), Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) and Myrica gale (sweet gale). Of course, we couldn’t find everything in the U.K. or Europe, so about 30 per cent of the planting was substituted with very similar U.K. or European natives. Most admired in the garden, however, were three grand, 40-year-old jack pines (Pinus banksiana). I fell in love with their gnarled and characterful nature when I was up in Ontario. And I wasn’t the only one! One of the most experienced contractors at Chelsea told me that in twenty years of building show gardens, they were the most handsome trees he’s seen. It was the first time jack pines have been used at Chelsea, and they were as much of a hit with the public, too. They overhung the pool of water, which had a naturalistic feel and was pristinely crystal clear.

Around the garden

Ontario landscape architect Paul Brydges (left) chats with Charlotte Harris.

14 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

were scattered beautiful, muscular, tactile, granite boulders, in their natural forms — I wanted to evoke my own time of clambering over the Canadian Shield. The terrace used the same granite boulders, but again in a Chelsea first, we sliced up the 11-tonne boulders to form a stylized paved terrace, with the design based on the abstracted cellular structure of the Canadian maple leaf. Upon this sat the garden’s pavilion, made of charred larch (another tree species native to the boreal zone) and copper. Copper was used to represent the mineral-rich geology of

Royal Bank of Canada Garden plant list TREES Pinus banksiana

Jack pine

SHRUBS AND SUB-SHRUBS Alnus glutinosa Ledum groenlandicum Myrica gale Viburnum opulus

Common alder Labrador tea Bog myrtle, Sweet gale Guelder rose

HERBACEOUS Ajuga reptans ‘Alba’ Bugleweeed Amsonia illustris Ozark bluestar Anemone leveillei Woodland anemone Aquilegia canadensis Canadian columbine Granny’s bonnet columbine Aquilegia vulgaris Black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa Goat’s beard Aruncus ‘Horatio’ Wood aster Aster divaricatus Lady fern Athyrium filix-femina Blechnum penna-marina Alpine water fern Common camas Camassia quamash Campanula rotundifolia Harebell Sweet fern Comptonia peregrina Cornus canadensis Creeping dogwood Deschampsia cespitosa Tufted hairgrass Snowy barrenwort Epimedium ‘Niveum’ Eriophorum angustifolium Cotton grass Filipendula kamtschatica Meadowsweet Wild strawberry Fragaria vesca Gaultheria procumbens Eastern teaberry, Boxberry Water avens Geum rivale American ipecacuanha Gillenia trifoliata Gymnocarpium dryopteris Oak fern Iris ‘Gerald Darby’ Iris x robusta ‘Gerald Darby’ Soft rush Juncus effusus Lilium ‘Arabian Knight’ Martagon lily Bogbean Menyanthes trifoliata Onoclea sensibilis Sensitive fern Petasites japonicus Giant butterbur Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’ Wood phlox Multiflora rose Rosa multiflora Salix exigua Coyote willow Silene latifolia Campion Starry false lily-of-the-valley Smilacina stellata Narrowleaf meadowsweet Spirea alba Vaccinium myrtillus Bilberry Valerian ‘Sirene’ Valeriana alliariifolia ‘Sirene’ Golden Alexanders Zizea aurea

16 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

the habitat. The pavilion’s 13 louvres represented the 10 provinces and three territories of Canada. It felt very important that all the hard materials had a story that linked back to the vernacular of the boreal. When the garden finally came to be judged by the RHS, it was a pretty nerve-wracking moment for every one of us! There’s a huge and incredible team that work on any Chelsea garden: landscape contractors, nursery people, planting teams, water specialists, lighting, and more — and every single one worked their socks off to make the garden come to life. It was a huge testament to their commitment and hard work that the garden got a gold medal. For me, as a first-time designer to Chelsea, it was an enormous honour and also a very moving moment. It was my mother that fired my passion for gardens, and while she is no longer with us, her birthday fell just a couple of days before the medals were announced. It felt like a wonderful tribute to her, albeit bittersweet for her not to be there. Chelsea and the Royal Bank of Canada Garden has undoubtedly been the high point of my professional career so far. It dominated my life for all of 2017 in a way I have never experienced — tremendous highs and lows, full of trepidation and anxiety about having a garden at the greatest horticultural show on earth. But the opportunity to explore the beauty of the Canadian boreal wilderness and then take its flavour to Chelsea for my first show garden, was a huge privilege and one I will never forget. The icing on the cake, of course, was the gold medal. The garden has since found a permanent home at a large and very beautiful wetland reserve in Lancashire, Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, at Martin Mere, in the “Forest Wetlands of the World” education section. Obviously I am absolutely delighted, as it means it is a LT truly sustainable garden with a learning legacy.

Charlotte Harris is a principal at Harris Bugg Studio, based in London and Exeter in the U.K.

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Emerald ash borer ...no silver bullet BY PAT KERR PHOTOS BY DAN KERR

So much work has been done since the invasive em-

Oobius agrilli has parasitized EAB eggs (the tiny specks on the paper) in the laboratory, and is expected to soon be ready for its first Canadian release.

erald ash borer’s (EAB) 2002 discovery in Ontario. Now we have, “Made in Canada,” the first release of Canadianreared parasitoids. It’s not a silver bullet, but it is another creative way for ash and EAB to coexist. “It would be more exciting if they flew up in a cloud around our faces,” said lead researcher Krista Ryall, as she twisted a wire holding a small ash stick around a nail on an infested ash tree, “But it isn’t like that.” The stick has wasp larvae embedded under the bark, Tetrastichus planipennisi, a tiny, bit of an insect. Under a magnifying glass, the adult T. planipennisi has the standard wasp wing formation, with six yellow legs and big buggy, almost creepy eyes. The bottle I hold up to a light contains the result of thousands and tens of thousands of international research dollars. It’s not magic or a genie, it is hope. The adult’s wings shimmer and shine more than the finest silk as they flit about. The species T. planipennisi is one of four parasitic wasps discovered by teams of U.S. researchers in China during the last decade. Before their search, even Dead in a vial, the emerald ash borer is bland and unimposing. But when alive, crawling across your hand, it shimmers, shines and tickles.

20 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Krista Ryall, lead researcher on the Made In Canada program, with Barry Lyons, retired researcher who started the program, hang the first ash stick containing the Canadian-reared Tetrastichus planipennisi.

Chinese forest researchers didn’t know the wasp existed, even though they were using North American ash in forestry and knew our ash trees would die when EAB reached outbreak levels. Here in North America, extensive testing with long periods of public consultation was done on all four wasps. With high expectations for the successful introduction of these insects, a rearing laboratory was constructed and brought to full production in Michigan. Now a laboratory in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. is successfully rearing the parasitoids. Canada has released U.S.-reared T. planipennisi at 12 sites over four years, and O. agrilli, an egg parasitoid, at nine sites over two years. The site on Ste. Joseph Island, Algoma, is the first release for the Canadianreared parasitoid T. planipennisi. It’s a speck compared to the masses being released over the border. Ryall said, “This is a pilot project. We don’t know if or how it will work, or what impact the parasitoids will have on EAB populations. The objective is to release wasps to create self-sustaining populations.” It is not possible to produce “enough” wasps to try to “control” EAB in the short term. Ryall continued, “This is a very complicated biological system; these parasitoids are extremely difficult and time-consuming to rear. Canadian Forest Service (CFS) has dedicated a significant portion of its research budget to this project. There are always competing priorities for funding. To The team of researchers from Sault Ste. Marie celebrated the release of the first Canadian-reared parasitoids for control of EAB, knowing it is not a solution, but provides hope.

22 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

expand, we would require a considerable input of resources (staff, space, equipment).”

There are holes in the parasitoid programs. The four different wasps don’t cover EAB’s climate range, and the ovipositors on the species being released are short. There is concern there will be no bio control protection for mature ash with its thicker bark. In 2009, U.S. researchers discovered what came to be called “lingering ash.” Of the trees that continued to thrive, researchers now have controlled crosses with Manchurian ash, and lingering ash x lingering ash. Seed was produced; it sprouted and the first early results are in. USDA has seedlings with more, equivalent and less resistance then the parent trees. The genetic mapping is being done. There is high expectation a North American ash with resistance to EAB will be available to horticulture within the decade, and ash with increased genetic variance for forestry soon after.

Jennifer Koch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, “It’s a myth that tree breeding is always long-term. We have learned from both the chestnut and the elm programs.” A native, soil-borne fungus that can kill EAB was discarded as an EAB control option for now, as a safe method of dissemination has not been discovered. Blue ash seems to be less desired by EAB over other types of ash, but once the others are gone, blue ash is also succumbing to EAB. Used according to manufacturer’s instructions, both Imidacloprid and TreeAzin work to protect high-value trees. Imidacloprid does have pollinator issues and must be used correctly and only when necessary. Another idea is to wound bait trees, to attract EAB egg laying. Healthy ash around the perimeter of the bait trees are treated with insecticides. The bait trees are cut and chipped in the winter, stopping egg hatching. The program allows land owners to make the transition gradually while maintaining forest integrity.

Many of the researchers working on the EAB situation in the U.S. live in areas that were hard hit initially. The loss of ash is personal to them, and they’ve become highly creative with concepts that aren’t in the literature, as they work toward long-term solutions. One researcher, watching EAB approach

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The entrance wounds in the ash stick containing Tetrastichus planipennisi are invisible to the human eye.

Crystal Ryall holds up an ash stick impregnated with Tetrastichus planipennisi larvae, the first, (and not to be the last) Canadianreared parasitoid to be released for control of EAB.

her own street, filled a wagon with diverse saplings and went door to door discussing the issue with her neighbours and distributing the seedlings. While some of the seedlings were never planted, others are now shade trees.

Another researcher decided he couldn’t afford to treat all the ash on his property with insecticides. He treated the best and healthiest according to manufacturer’s directions and they continue to provide shade

around his home. The lower-value ash were felled before they became heavily infested, to avoid the challenges of dropping danger trees, and then milled and constructed into a dining room table. His spouse is happy. Another attempt to protect a researcher’s own community is being done after hours. The researcher enters community property and cuts down small dying ash before the root dies. As the sprouts appear, they are pruned to a central leader. Of course, they are reinfested and must be cut again, but the researcher’s goal of maintaining ash as an ecologically important species is being accomplished. Another program planted non-susceptible saplings under the canopy of urban street ash. The saplings were able to establish before it was necessary to cut the ash. There were and are challenges with dropping the ash without damaging the saplings. Living with EAB is a challenge, but creLT ative solutions are being developed.

Pat Kerr is an Ontario-based freelance writer.

24 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Front-li n e flexible

Building retail brand loyalty with value-added service BY DIANE STEWART-ROSE

Competing

on the basis of price and in pursuit of profitability, Big Box stores allow front line staff little flexibility in offering valueadded services for their shoppers. While this likely improves the bottom line in the short-term, it imperils their brand in the long run — but may offer opportunity to independents that compete for consumer attention. Recently, in a chain restaurant, a young ordertaker pleasantly asked if I would like my order delivered to my table. “Lovely,” I thought, and said I was sitting outside on the patio. “Oh, we’re not allowed to deliver out there,” she replied, making it seem like the patio was in a different neighbourhood and I was some kind of experiment in customer relations. To confirm the latitude allowed for front-line salespeople in chain stores, I ask a 20-something commission salesman in a retail environment what latitude he has to offer a settlement to an unhappy customer. Or to ramp things up and add to the ex28 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

perience of a satisfied customer. “Zero!” he says. “There used to be a policy where you could offer free goods on a completed sale, but this policy was stopped because the salespeople were just giving away too much free product! Managers used to be able to offer a volume discount of 10 per cent as directed by the corporate offices, but this practice, too, was discontinued.” Then how can an independent retailer capture this opportunity and turn it into an advantage in the marketplace? Assume the independent garden centre sector retailer chooses not to compete on price, as they simply do not have the buying, marketing and advertising power of the massive international Big Box stores. In that case quality, selection and valueadded service are effective alternate strategies. During the summer of 2017, an acquaintance travelled by boat from her island cottage in Muskoka, docked the boat and hiked to the grocery store in the nearest small town. At the checkout, she

A custom container-planting service makes for happy customers.

became aware she had forgotten her wallet and was unable to purchase bread and milk. “No problem” apparently, the owner of this locally-owned grocery store gave the customer $50 and invited her to shop and pay him back at her convenience. This story combines the elements of generosity and service-minded intent that could elevate the owner to hero status. The decision to give away free cash may be reserved for the owner of the business, but can successful independent garden centres empower their front-line staff, to also make decisions that may even involve revenue? What tools do they have at their disposal? How much structure and policy is required to guide staffers in such circumstances? Are the policies flexible, or do they vary within defined parameters? Do customers come to expect a pervasive attitude of generosity? Could this approach work in either a rural or urban setting and will it work across Canada?

Service starts here I asked owner/operator Paul Reeves of Plant World in Toronto if he and his staff practice front-line flexibility in servicing customers. “We certainly do practice this philosophy,” Reeves explains. “However, not all levels of employees are given the same amount of flexibility. Our seasonal cashiers and carryout staff are not able to make these decisions as many of them they are only here for approximately eight weeks and we wish to have consistency and control, both internally and for our clients. “As in most retail operations, the more senior a member, the more flexibility. Our sales staff are encouraged to keep or make the customer happy when it comes to returns, warranty extensions, etc. If it is reasonable, they go for it. Our managers obviously have more flexibility on anything from comping an item like Myke, discounting a purchase or squeezing in a delivery when our schedules are fully booked.”

What and when Value-added services may take many different forms — from advertised messages to generous return policies and could include any of the following tactics: l Broadly or narrowly advertised “value-added services” may include sale or event previews. l Extending a sale past the set dates or offering the sale early. l Discounting merchandise below standard mark-up as a gesture of recognition for volume purchases. l Extending warranties where the plant is in poor health or growth could be delayed due to a late growing season. l Free services or goods to recognize a customer who has performed a valuable reciprocal service. For example, they allow you to photograph their garden for use in advertising. l Loyalty programs (where a client registers and provides personal contact information) can allow regular shoppers to accumulate credits for future purchases. l A discount may be assigned to an immediate replacement purchase from a particular product category or a partial refund could be assigned towards a future purchase in a non-selective category. (Sorry about the dahlia bulb, but here is something 30 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

towards your next purchase) Assuming there is a paper trail, this practice may be tracked effectively. l Store credits can be applied to an in-house loyalty account for future purchases (compared to an outright refund). I have heard people speak about how plants from independent garden centres cost a little more, but always seem to thrive in the garden. The consumer usually adds, “It is worth it to spend a little extra.” This perception, along with a superior selection in any livegoods category, can be perceived as “value-added service” and be broadly advertised. The best way to express appreciation to loyal customers is to address them as a group by distributing mail over geographic regions known to supply-dedicated customers, or by creating a loyalty program with a private mailing list or even by collecting email addresses. This private distribution list will be useful for widespread offers of sale events, special offers and other privileges. Loyalty programs can also offer a wealth of data about shopping habits such as history, average purchases and frequency of excursions. Front-line managers accessing this information can easily answer the question: Is this customer a regular shopper? When I phone Carleton Place Nursery in rural Ontario, I listen to their telephone message while I wait for the owner. I find they offer an extensive loyalty program which includes early notification of sale events, tracking of purchase receipts, member-only previews, a description of seasonal inventory highlights and store hours. Now I have a good idea of why I could become a regular shopper at Carleton Place Nursery. I feel fully informed; all that service and I haven’t yet spoken to a staff member!

Walk the line Over many years of dealing with consumers on the front line, I have been asked by owners and managers alike: What action is required in these circumstances to make this customer happy? To be asked this question is an empowering experience, encouraging the employee to find a solution that is right for both the garden centre and its customer. In the words of Nelson French, Assistant Manager at Plant World, “This kind of latitude builds confidence, breeds leadership, and instils a sense of ownership among staff, encouraging solutions tailormade to the unique situation at hand.” Owner Paul Reeves agrees. “I absolutely believe this does. If everyone in the company except the manager or the owner must defer a decision, then it constantly chips away at the value the rest of the team brings to the table. It has taken time, but as an owner, I’m

A happy customer seeking and finding value-added services.

discounts on high volume purchases. Employees are comfortable offering this service to customers, because they know what the owner would offer. On warranties and replacements for live goods, frontline workers understand they have full latitude. Analysis reveals that Carleton Place’s live goods replacement costs are very low, making it easy to extend generous service. With just a few simple policies in place, front-line workers at Carleton Place can smile, look the customer in the eye and shake hands knowing the owners will applaud any employee for making a customer happy.

Let’s make a deal for service

fortunate to say that I rarely get asked to address a client’s concerns because we do give that flexibility to our people. I often ask my management team: If the client is looking for more than you are willing to provide and you are calling me in, what am I to do? Good signage and colourful tags help to inform “Should I agree with buying decisions. my team member and perhaps make a customer unhappy? Or override my associate and undermine their ability to do their job? In most cases they know how I will handle it and use their judgement on whether the request is reasonable. It is important for members of our service team to work out a reasonable resolution as circumstances require.” Walking the line between what makes any customer completely happy and reasonable expense to be absorbed by the business can be a tricky affair when this policy is applied on a practical level, requiring patience and diplomacy in pressure situations. In a busy garden centre with rotating staff schedules and a high rate of seasonal turnover, it can be really difficult for employees to identify loyal customers, and tough to train new employees to apply policies with finesse. Dave Flatters, owner and operator of Carleton Place Nursery, has a lean management team between himself and his customers. His experience is slightly different as a result. While he and co-owner Heather have endeavoured to empower their front-line employees to offer extra services and discounts to make customers happy, Flatters finds sometimes front-line workers can “be intimidated by the responsibility.” Perhaps the simple explanation is, “They don’t sign the cheques.” While Flatters notes empowering employees in this way is the current fashion, he has better luck with actual policies supporting the approach. For example, Carleton Place offers structured 32 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Discounting volume purchases can be risky, and even discounting on special sale dates can create ongoing expectations. Although the reasoning behind a sales-driven strategy may be solid, discounting quality product may “foster an entitlement mind-set and an ongoing expectation of special treatment,” according to Nelson French. “In my experience, shoppers can become accustomed to discounting and request discounts on non-sale days and for smaller purchases,” says French. “How do you avoid this mindset? Applying service with equanimity in mind seems to provide a good solution.” Paul Reeves states, “It is important to treat all customers equally, a $40 client is just as important as the client purchasing $1,400 — our offers would be the same for both. We are not a ‘Let’s make a deal’ kind of company; we believe this erodes our reputation and relationships over the long run. In retail, we get asked daily if someone can have a discount. We offer special days every week, like Senior’s Day, but we stick to those days. This is where staying consistent as a team is important. However, extending a sale on an item when the date has expired or there is some cosmetic damage, or adding an extra year of warranty to a previous plant purchase because it seems to be struggling, are all acceptable practices by our managers. “No questions asked is the premise for our return policy. However we try to engage in some coaching to assist the client in being more successful with new purchases. A bill of sale and the item are required for returns unless they are part of our Loyalty Program. “I think it is extremely important to have some common sense. It’s important for our team to think about how they would like to be treated if they were on the other side of the counter. Also, unreasonable requests create opportunities for our team to help in some manner, but not necessarily granting the specific request.”

Counting on Mother Nature In the garden centre business, we are all prepared to add value when Mother Nature fails to co-operate. A cold, wet and late spring can generate a line-up of customers wanting to claim refunds for dormant hydrangeas. A hot, dry summer can stress newly-planted trees and shrubs. A humid and wet summer can produce aphids. For each situation, we need to cover Mother Nature’s back! Service staff may take this opportunity to educate gardeners, although they may not be in the mood to hear about how Mother Nature works in mysterious ways. Education is a value-added service too, available only from garden centres with informed and knowledgeable staff. Additional sales may be achieved through education. When I call Art Knapp in Kamloops, B.C., I get a telephone routing

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system that offers an option to “Choose #1 for the Information Line.” I like the suggestion that informing the public is a high priority. Forward-thinking owner and operator Maury Hik at Art Knapp Garden Centre and Florist recently reviewed his policy for empowering front-line workers. Hik has come to think that, “as a company grows and changes, it looks towards a future where front-line workers can do more and act independently.” Hik draws my attention to Pike Place Market in Seattle. “The entry level job of a fishmonger has gone from a very difficult, sometimes unwanted, job to a front-line exciting job that is world-renowned and represents the level of customer/employee interaction that we are striving for.” He now embraces the concept that staff can add value with service. With typical high turnover, Art Knapp does not enable all staff to add value, but leaves customer recognition to year-round employees. His full-time cashiers, Hik reasons, “really do know and recognize regular customers and are permitted to offer on-the-spot incentives of merchandise rewards such as a free package of seeds or a longstemmed rose. “Requests for heavy discounts flow directly to managers. As a small business, we watch every discount and every dollar,” said Hik.

Experience is the best teacher

While there are obstacles to flexibility, the strategy differentiates independent garden centres as offering value-added service. Independent garden centres should address regular customers as a group with advertising, information services and front-line policies applied with flexibility and equanimity. The clear upside of empowering employees to find creative solutions is that it will build capability, enhance a sense of fairness for all parties and result in reciprocal loyalty from customers. As Maury Hik of Art Knapp says, “We are in the process now of stepping back to look at the whole picture of discounting, working to build brand loyalty in our family-owned business, so we can offer service-oriented alternatives to price discounting, while continuing to develop a positive experience for our regular customers.” Paul Reeves observes the best results are achieved when policies are applied with fairness in mind. “I believe it builds trust and loyalty when there is a consistency amongst the team and departments. There will always be a few customers expecting constant special treatment, but we are honest with them and simply say, unfortunately we can’t do anything extra this time, as we need to treat all our LT customers equally — you are all important to us!”

Diane Stewart-Rose is a Toronto-based freelance writer. 34 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

34 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Acorns from the battlefield A living memorial for the Battle of Vimy Ridge After the decisive battle of Vimy Ridge during the First World War, Canadian soldier, Lieutenant Leslie Miller, gathered acorns from oak trees amongst the rubble and wreckage. Miller brought the acorns back home to Scarborough, Ont. and planted the trees, which stand to this day. In 2015, The Vimy Oaks Foundation launched a project to grow oak trees from cuttings and acorns of those trees, in an effort to promote the memory and legacy of Canadians who fought in the First World War.

Vimy Oaks legacy takes root More than 500 Vimy Oaks saplings have been purchased for war memorial plantings across Canada. The trees are grown by NVK Nurseries in Dundas, Ont., from cuttings and acorns collected from the Vimy Oaks sight in Scarborough, Ont. Trees are available for sale for $125 to organizations that are committed planting them at commemorative sites such as cenotaphs, town squares, memorial sites and parks, heritage sites, schools, military cemeteries, Royal Canadian Legions, public locations associated with the First World War and at sites that communicate messages of universal values and peace. For more information, visit www.vimyoakslegacy.ca.

Centennial Park underway in France The Vimy Foundation Centennial ParkÂ is located on four acres of land adjacent to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial site in Northern France. The park will feature 100 Vimy Oaks, which will be dedicated to Canadians as a fundraising project for the Vimy Foundation. A nearby nursery in France is currently growing the trees from acorns shipped over from the Vimy Oaks in Scarborough, Ont. The park is being designed by Linda Dicaire, Landscape Architect for The Vimy Foundation, with 3D-digital renderings done by CSW Landscape Architects. For more details, visit www.vimyfoundation.com.

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Concept Plants’ Peter Van Rijssen shows off a new Agapanthus.

Houses and Gardens of Inspiration carried through the show’s “story” theme.

eurotrend showcase

The future of marketing plants on display at Plantarium BY LORRAINE FLANIGAN

38 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

he name says it all. Plantarium is all about plants. Now in its 35th year, this European horticultural trade show takes place in Boskoop, longtime hub of Holland’s green industry, at the end of August — just in time to boost fall sales and to kick off a trade show season that encompasses GLEE in the U.K., IPM Essen in Germany and a series of shows in the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy and Russia. In 2017, Plantarium attracted 9,835 garden centre professionals, growers and other trade visitors, primarily from Germany, Belgium and Italy, as well as from more than 40 other countries, including 42 visitors from North America. The public is invited on the last day of the show, increasing the total number of visitors to 15,765. Many horticultural trade shows exhibit plants, but at Plantarium, plants are more than products. They’re the result of innovative breeding, which is rewarded by an internationally recognized awards program with entries prominently displayed on the show floor. Plants

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also represent a lifestyle, many of which have been artfully showcased in six Houses of Inspiration, introduced in 2016 and expanded for the 35th anniversary show. And plants have the power to make you think: for 2017, imaginative display gardens were created to get people thinking and talking about the meaning of plants in our society. But in an industry that is continually being challenged, plants need to lead to profits, too. Therefore, since 2015, Plantarium has partnered with Groen-Direkt, a cash and carry (or select and ship) green market that boasts 500 growers, 200 trading companies and 50 suppliers of related goods, all arrayed in a multi-acre greenhouse complex adjacent to the Plantarium building. There’s a lot of commerce happening here. At Plantarium, the story of plants, from the various perspectives of awards, lifestyle, a thoughtful experience and not least of all, profits, has been respectfully and elegantly told with a consistent look and feel to the overall exhibit space; this high standard lifts the show far above many in North America. 40 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Show space presented a unified look using 1,500 wooden pallets cleverly constructed to create structures at the entrance, in hallways, the Novelties showcase area and the Houses of Inspiration. A team of 10 builders, contracted by Plantarium organizers, took two weeks to construct these elements, much of which will be dismantled and re-used at IPM in Essen, Germany.

Concepts and 2. Garden, Balcony and Patio Plants. The 27 international journalists who attended the show selected Cercis canadensis ‘Rising Sun’ from Joh Stolwijk & Zn for the top award in Category 2, while FleuraTerrazza climbers, designed for balconies, patios and other small spaces, garnered the Best Concept prize.

plenty of recognition

Each year, the show establishes a theme. For 2017, the storytelling theme inspired the creation of special displays and gardens while providing enough scope for exhibitors to tell their own stories. Many of the more than 300 exhibitor booths included lifestyle displays that incorporated décor to show how plants can enhance and complement our homes. Other exhibitors created displays of insect hotels, beehives and honeycombs to tell the story of pollinator-friendly plants. Yet others paid a premium for one of the six Houses of Inspiration, which provided ideas for displaying plants at retail — an important component for the 27 per cent of visitors who attended the show representing the garden centre and retail sector. De Jong Plant BV worked with celebrity stylist Romeo Sommers to create a striking display house featuring the Magical brand of hydrangeas, complemented by products from 19 other green industry exhibitors. In planning the display house, De Jong engaged

“What’s new?” is a common question at any trade show, and Plantarium answers it with a program that showcases new plant introductions with an awards program that has recognized some of the best perennials, trees, shrubs and vines of the past decades. Winners include Heuchera ‘Chocolate Ruffles’, Dicentra ‘Burning Hearts’, Chasmanthium latifolium ‘River Mist’, Clematis Princess Kate and this year’s Gold Medal Winner, Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Lady Mata Hari’. A whopping 69 plants were submitted for judging in 2017, and the best of the bunch were prominently and beautifully displayed in the Novelties showcase area. The plants were displayed complete with growing information and the name of the grower/ breeder submitting the plant, which must be new to the European market in the last five to six years. Along with the Best Novelty Awards are the Press Awards, which focus on market appeal of plants in two categories: 1.

experience, inspiration and lifestyle

Exhibitor booths showcased plants in lifestyle situations and in appealing point of sale packaging.

thing from orchids and water plants to veggies and snow-sprayed amaryllis. As novel an idea as the Houses of Inspiration proved to be, the show also featured eight themed gardens based on notable people, from Mozart and Salvador Dali to Anne Frank and Nelson Mandela. Garden designers from the Ontwerpinstitut were challenged by Plantarium organizers to create these thought-provoking gardens. “Everyone has a story, and that’s what we tried to tell through these gardens,” explained designer Angela Warmerdam. Using

Sommers to develop and strengthen the brand with a series of hydrangea-themed products that included everything from umbrellas, gloves and trowels to a special tea made from the leaves of Hydrangea serrata. Several other Houses of Inspiration were cooperative efforts, too. Décor supplier Duif International worked with six growers, and floral designer and stylist Judith de Frankrijker, to create the award-winning Theatre of Concepts House of Inspiration. De Frankrijker worked with a team that grew from two on the Friday before the show opened, to eight as Wednesday’s opening approached. Displays were grouped into four themes, and featured Duif’s glassware line combined with every-

plant material donated by growers, the design team started working on-site two weeks before the show opened. Although reaction

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The Houses of Inspiration presented themed display ideas for retailers.

to the gardens was mixed, Warmerdam said, “People don’t always get it. But once they do, it makes you think.”

challenge and commitment Notwithstanding that attendance at Plantarium has been dwindling from a peak of 24,000 visitors in 1992, the takeaways from Plantarium for other trade show organiz-

ers, exhibitors, visitors and communicators add up to what show organizer Jos van Lint describes as the goal of Plantarium: “It’s all about inspiration, experience and innovation.” For an industry that continues to face the challenges of capturing the attention

(and buying power) of a youthful consumer; increasingly competitive pricing; succession planning for an aging management team; and myriad other constraints and limitations, Plantarium’s answer is not to lessen its commitment to the industry by downsizing show space and scope. Instead, it constantly finds new ways to build on its ability to inspire industry innovation through such experiences as the Houses and Gardens of Inspiration, by forging partnerships such as Groen-Markt, establishing the highest levels of presentation for show space and exhibitor booths and encouraging plant breeding innovation through a recognized awards program. Visitors to Plantarium can’t help but leave the show energized by new ideas and optimism for the coming season. Plantarium 2018 takes place August 22 to 25 at the International Trade Centre in Boskoop-Hazerswoude, Netherlands. Be there for the plants, the experience, and for fresh ideas LT that will help you grow your business. Lorraine Flanagan is a Toronto-based freelance writer.

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Congress ’18

JANUARY 9, 10 & 11, 2018

TORONTO CONGRESS CENTRE, TORONTO, ONTARIO FEATURING GARDEN EXPO AND FENCECRAFT

LOcongress.com

Canada’s Premier Green Industry Trade Show & Conference JANUARY 2018

| LANDSCAPE TRADES |

CONGRES An initiative of the Landscape Ontario Designer Sector Group.

Monday January 8, 2018 Delta Hotels Toronto Airport

A full-day event, with keynote speakers, lunch and closing reception. Held in conjunction with Congress ’18. Visit LOcongress.com for complete details.

Monday January 8, 2018

REGISTRATION FEES : $140 for members and $190 non-members, before December 15 $190 for members and $270 non-members, after December 15

Landscape Ontario’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Symposium has been a uniquely respected event since 1965. Attendees will earn 6 CECs from the IPM Council of Canada.

Admission to Congress 2018 Trade Show and Tailgate Party is included with registration. Presenting Partner

A full day event including keynote speakers, lunch, supplier showcase and prizes.

Held in conjunction with Congress ’18. Visit LOcongress.com for complete details. REGISTRATION FEE: $120 per ticket until December 15. $160 per ticket after December 15. Admission to Congress ’18 Trade Show Exhibits and the Tailgate Party is included in registration prices. The Congress Conference and other special events are a separate fee.

Supporting Partners

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Join your fellow Congress delegates for dinner and entertainment. Delta Hotels Toronto Airport, Plaza Ballroom (upstairs), 5:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

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Your trade show badge is your admission ticket. That’s right; no fee to attend!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10th

Entertainment provided in partnership with BY LS TRAINING SYSTEM

JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE Most events are at the Toronto Congress Centre (TCC), unless otherwise noted. Fees apply to conference sessions, pre-trade show events and some special events listed below.

MONDAY, JANUARY 8

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9

TICKETED EVENT

Registration Open

7:30 am to 4:00 pm - Cohen Ballroom

Trade Show Open

IPM Symposium

8:00 am

9:00 am to 5:00 p.m.

TICKETED EVENT

Landscape Designer Conference

8:30 am to 5:00 pm - International Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Airport

CONFERENCE OPENING SESSION! 9:30 am to 10:30 am Cohen Ballroom

TICKETED EVENT

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

9:30 am to 3:00 pm - New York Room Delta Hotels Toronto Airport

10:45 am to 11:45 am - Pinsent Room

Hiring the Opposite Way From What You Have Ever Learned!

Peer to Peer Workshop: The Business of Improving Business

Extreme Weather

MANAGERS

a.k.a. Warm-Up&Monday KEY STAFF This is pre-trade show!

OWNERS

10:45 am to 11:45 am - Waxman Room

Spirit of Stone

10:45 am to 11:45 am - Berton Room

The Art of Growing Food

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm - Berton Room

The $50,000 Presentation LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm - Pinsent Room

SESSION KEY

Symbols below indicate learning opportunities for various industry segments; helping you select sessions for your business needs. Please check out the Congress Guide for session information.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER

Natural Water Features

2:45 pm to 3:45 pm - Pinsent Room

3 Surprising Content Marketing Trends That Will Make a Difference To Your 2018

GROUNDS 2:45 MANAGER pm to 3:45 pm - Berton Room

LIFE LESSONS AT LUNCH MANAGERS OWNERS Why Networking Is In Crisis & KEY STAFF MANAGERS OWNERS12:00 pm to 1:15 pm - Cohen Ballroom OWNERS MANAGERS ALL OWNERS SECTORS ONLY WORKSHOP ALLOWNERS PROFESSI & KEYONALS STAFF Business Success Toolkit: FF & KEY STAFF Strategies to Get More Done, Grow Your ANAGERS OWNERS LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR NAGERS OWNERS Business, and Take Back Your Life STAFF 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Waxman Room YEYSTAFF LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR LANDSCAPE DESIGNER SHOW FLOOR FEATURES - Free with badge Hardscape LIVE! - Hall F LANDSCAPECONTRACTOR CONTRACTOR GROUNDS LANDSCAPE DESI G NER 10:30 am and 2:30 p.m. LANDSCAPE MANAGER ER LANDSCAPE DESIGNER Drive LIVE! - Hall G 11:00 am and 2:00 p.m. GROUNDS MANAGER DESI G NER DESIGNER GROUNDS MANAGER GROUNDS MANAGER Green LIVE! - Hall C 11:30 am and 1:30 pm GROUNDS New Product Showcase - Hall C ALL SECTORS ALLGROUNDS PROFESSIMANAGER OMANAGER NALS 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ALLTICKETED SECTORS EVENT ALL PROFESSI O NALS ALL SECTORS ALS ALL SECTORS ALL PROFESSIONALS Awards of Excellence Ceremony 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm - Plaza Ballroom SECTORS FESSIONALS ONALS Delta Hotels Toronto Airport ALLALLSECTORS ESSI

50 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Conference presented in partnership with WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11

Registration Open

Trade Show Open

TICKETED EVENT

SHOW FLOOR FEATURES - Free with badge Hardscape LIVE! - Hall F 10:30 am and 2:30 p.m. Drive LIVE! - Hall G 11:00 am and 2:00 p.m. Green LIVE! - Hall C 11:30 am and 1:30 pm New Product Showcase - Hall C 9:00 am to 4:00 pm CONFERENCE OPENING KEYNOTE DAY 3 The Economic Forecast for 2018:

8:00 am

9:00 am to 5:00 p.m.

Garden Centre Symposium

9:00 am to 1:30 pm - Sutherland Room

Awards of Excellence Ceremony for Garden Centre and Grower Programs 12:00 pm to 12:20 pm - Sutherland Room

SHOW FLOOR FEATURES - Free with badge Hardscape LIVE! - Hall F 10:30 am and 2:30 p.m.

Drive LIVE! - Hall G

11:00 am and 2:00 p.m.

Green LIVE! - Hall C

8:00 am

9:00 am to 4:00 p.m.

Stormy or Sunny?

11:30 am and 1:30 pm

9:30 am to 10:30 am - Cohen Ballroom

New Product Showcase - Hall C

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Successful Content Marketing

CONFERENCE OPENING KEYNOTE DAY 2

Shade Gardening with New Perennials

Why Gardens Matter...Now More Than Ever! 9:30 am to 10:30 am - Cohen Ballroom CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Recruiting to the Rescue: Find, Attract, Get Onboard and Keep the Right People

10:45 am to 11:45 am - Waxman Room 10:45 am to 11:45 am - Berton Room

Wood: A Designer’s Secret Weapon 10:45 am to 11:45 am - Pinsent Room LIFE LESSONS AT LUNCH

10:45 am to 11:45 am - Waxman Room

Tales from Under the Rim: Canadian Marketing Magic

B4 Gardening - Blooms for Bees, Butterflies and Birds

OWNERS ONLY WORKSHOP

10:45 am to 11:45 am - Pinsent Room

Getting to the Heart of Customer Satisfaction 10:45 am to 11:45 am - Berton Room

What to do with a Downpour

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm - Pinsent Room

Developing a Value Proposition that Resonates 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm - Berton Room

Fundamentals for Long Term Success 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm - Berton Room

Garden Gems...aka: Awesome Colour in Your Displays!

12:00 pm to 1:15 pm - Cohen Ballroom

Meat & Potatoes: Employee Recruiting and Retention 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Waxman Room CLOSING KEYNOTE

Winning Strategies to Build Your Excellent Team

1:30 pm to 3:00 pm - Berton Room

...and that’s a wrap!

Thank you and we hope to see you again January 8, 9 & 10 for Congress ’19.

2:45 pm to 3:45 pm - Pinsent Room LIFE LESSONS AT LUNCH

Get Connected and Stay Plugged In 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm - Cohen Ballroom OWNERS ONLY WORKSHOP

Are You A Fierce Competitor?!

1:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Waxman Room FEATURE EVENT - Free with badge

Tailgate Party!

5:00 pm to midnight - Plaza Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Airport

JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

52 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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January 9 -11, 2018

EXHIBITOR ENTRANCE & REGISTRATION

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JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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The easier way to integrate fruit trees into landscapes

you have been in the landscaping business for a while, you hear it over and over again: clients want a beautiful landscape — and one that’s low maintenance. Over time, you may have found a way to give them exactly what they want. Now some clients are asking for just one more “little” thing. In an effort to live more sustainably, they want their new, beautiful low-maintenance garden to produce an annual harvest of organic fruit. After all, if you are planting trees, why not plant fruit trees? You may want to satisfy your client, but most of us in the landscape profession know that fruit trees that are not properly cared for can be messy and caring for them calls for specialized skills. The good news is that with a little research you can give your clients what they want. In this article, I will explore how to research and source fruit trees that are easier to grow than most of the common “supermarket” varieties. Then direct your client to reliable resources on fruit tree care — or learn those skills yourself, and add fruit tree care to the services you offer.

BY SUSAN POIZNER

harsh pesticides and fungicides. But there are many cultivars that are easier to grow. Some are available only at specialist fruit tree nurseries; choose a source, download their catalogue and you are ready to start doing research.

Choose a fruit tree that will pollinate successfully There is nothing worse than planting a fruit tree that never produces fruit. Once you have a list of potential fruit trees that will survive in your climate, your

Source the right fruit tree Most fruits we find in the supermarket are hard to grow. Almost all of them, like Bartlett pears or Honeycrisp apples, have been bred to thrive with the help of

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Choose a fruit tree that is easily cared for without specialized skills.

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Wolf River is an apple cultivar resistant to common fruit tree diseases like scab and cedar apple rust. It’s also moderately resistant to fireblight and mildew.

Compatible disease-resistant apple trees Here are three disease-resistant trees that cross-pollinate well and produce a nice harvest. Find them at specialist fruit tree nurseries or ask your local wholesale nursery to order them. Liberty This apple tree produces red apples that are delicious fresh or dried. Liberty is resistant to scab, cedar apple rust, mildew and fireblight. To ensure pollination, plant this tree with another compatible cultivar like the ones below. Liberty can be grown successfully in zones 4 to 7. Harvest is mid-October. Freedom Freedom is another productive and easy-to-grow tree that cross pollinates well with Liberty. Freedom produces a sweet and juicy red apple that is great fresh, dried or baked. This tree is resistant to scab, mildew, cedar apple rust and fireblight. Freedom can be grown in zones 4-7. Fruit ripens late September or early October. Nova Easygro Developed in Nova Scotia, Nova Easygro has an unexciting name but it’s a great apple cultivar. The apples are crisp and juicy, and delicious fresh. They are also great for baking. The tree is resistant to scab, fireblight and powdery mildew. It can be grown in zones 4 to 7. Harvest is mid-October.

next challenge is to ensure your tree will pollinate successfully. Many types of fruit trees are “cross-pollinating.” That means you need to plant two different (and compatible) cultivars if you want your tree to produce fruit. For example, McIntosh apples are cross-pollinating trees that need to be planted with another cultivar in order to produce fruit. If you buy two McIntosh apple trees and plant them side-by-side, they won’t produce fruit. Instead, choose another apple cultivar that flowers at the same time, so cross pollination can take place. For example, plant a McIntosh apple tree not far from a Golden Delicious tree. Search for apple tree pollination charts online to check that your selections will successfully cross-pollinate. If you are worried about getting it wrong, you can also search your nursery catalogue for a “self-pollinating” tree. Many types of apricot, peach, sour cherry and Asian pear trees are self-pollinating, and will produce a beautiful harvest even if they are the only fruit tree in the landscape.

Choose a disease-resistant tree One of the most important things to consider when choosing a fruit tree is to select one that is resistant to the most common fruit tree diseases we see in our landscapes. Disease-resistant trees are easier to grow for both beginner and advanced organic growers. These cultivars may not be famous, but they taste great! Some examples of disease-resistant apple trees are: Liberty, Freedom, Wolf River, and Sweet Sixteen. When perusing your fruit tree nursery’s catalogue, look for information about disease resistance in the cultivar descriptions. If you know there is a problem with cedar apple rust in your community, make sure you buy a tree that is resistant to rust; the same goes for fireblight. Or, if you want to hedge your bets, find trees resistant to as many diseases as possible, and recommend them to your client.

Stagger the harvest Finally, if you are planting more than one tree, consider the harvest times for each cultivar. This will also be included in the cultivar description. continued on page 58

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An orchard in Toronto’s Downsview Park. In the foreground is an old, transplanted apple tree, behind is an orchard of over 200 fruit trees.

If you plant five fruit trees that all produce their harvest in September, your client will have far too much fruit in September, and none at all during the rest of the growing season. Instead, select trees that produce fruit at different times. For example, cherries ripen in July, plums in August, apples in September and pears in October.

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learn. I teach them online at www.orchardpeople.com/workshops or you can buy a good book to learn the basics. If you get your clients started on the right foot, they will be delighted with their new garden and will continue to enjoy it year after year. It will be beautiful. It can be relatively low-maintenance. And in addition, it will also provide your client with an abundance of deliLT cious and nutritious local organic fruit.

Even well chosen, easier-to-grow fruit trees need hands-on care. They need correct annual pruning from the first year of planting. They need annual feeding in the spring and, ideally, monthly monitoring for pests and disease problems. These aren’t hard skills to

Susan Poizner, based in Toronto, teaches homeowners, arborists, master gardeners and landscapers fruit tree care skills online at www.orchardpeople.com.

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Congress 2018

turns January green Where landscape pros shop, learn, play — and boost profitability

Is boosting productivity to meet brisk demand your toughest challenge? Or is it attracting new talent so your company can grow? Either way, Congress has plenty to offer. Held each January since 1973, Congress is Canada’s leading green professional trade show and conference. In fact, it is one of the top five landscape shows in North America. The show features over 600 exhibitors, all competing against each other to solve your company’s problems. Efficiency solutions on display at Congress get more creative and intriguing each year. Don’t assume exhibits are for large operators only; show products on display are targeted to serve landscape companies of all sizes.

While Congress is a dream shopping venue for business owners, it offers plenty of value to employees as well. Many landscape companies bring managers and front-line staff to the show — it boosts morale and inspires employees to grow personally and professionally. Exhibitor Joe Salemi of Dynascape travels to 22 trade shows

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each year, and he says Congress is special — and awesome. Salemi said, “What separates Congress from every other show out there is the commitment and care for each segment of the professional landscape industry, including landscape designers, which very few conferences remember. From the CEO, to the account manager, to the designer, to the crew member, Congress has something for everyone during the largest professional landscape event in the country.”

of Excellence ceremony. This is where Ontario’s top projects are revealed and recognized. For those who have never attended, production values are first-rate. So sit back, enjoy a beverage and feel the pride. If you bring your team on Wednesday, be sure to plan for that evening’s Tailgate Party. Tailgate’s vast buffet dinner is truly amazing, topped off with live entertainment — all free with your Congress badge.

Congress Conference sessions are known as targeted, best-inCongress runs over three days, Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 9-11, 2018. If you want to impress your team with the landscape profession’s sophistication, invite them to the Tuesday evening Awards

The facts

on Congress 2018 WEBSITE: LOcongress.com DATES:

LOCATION:

Jan. 9-11, 2018, with Warm-up Monday events preceding the show on Jan. 8. Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Rd., convenient to major highways and Toronto Pearson Airport.

ACCOMMODATION: Visit the Congress website for hotel information.

See more information in the Congress Preview section starting on page 47. Parking at Congress is free.

Visit our booth #551 at Landscape Ontario Congress

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Canada education opportunities. For 2018, more than 30 landscapespecific presentations will be offered. Some of the offerings include daily keynote addresses, others are more specialized and informal sessions with interactive opportunities. Conference facilities at the Congress venue are first-rate. “I had a blast at Congress Conference last year, and I just signed up for two days in 2018,” said Alex Matheson of Yards Apart in Estey’s Bridge, N.B. Matheson enjoys the opportunity because he says he wants to better himself, and he rates the professional level of Conference sessions at “five stars.” Conference passes entitle attendees to enjoy a delicious buffet lunch. “Lunch is important because it is all on-site, you don’t have to leave or cross the road,” said Matheson. On top of the sessions, several specialized or sector-specific educational events take place around Congress. Choose from the IPM Symposium, Landscape Designer Conference or Peer-to-Peer Workshop on Mon., Jan. 8, ahead of the show. The Garden Centre Symposium is set for Wed., Jan. 10. Registration for all special events is handled through the Congress website.

Congress has something for everyone involved in the green industry, and attendees agree on the importance of face-to-face opportunities at the show.

The show floor features several teaching and demonstration highlights, as well. Two presentations are planned each day at Hardscape Live, now in its third year. Presentations feature live-build demos on paving business topics, presented by ICPI-certified instructor Frank Bourque. Nursery growers will present Green Live in 2018, also featuring two demos each day on promoting success with trees. And Drive Live offers safe vehicle refresher demos, presented by Ontario Provincial Police and Toronto Police officers. Participation in all live demos is free.

The Congress smartphone app makes it easy to navigate the show, plan your show strategy and keep track of favourite exhibitors. It also ties in with social feeds to enhance the “people” aspect of Congress. People, in fact, are key to the great Congress reputation. The show

is produced under the umbrella of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, one of the world’s most vibrant and active horticultural trade associations. A volunteer committee is responsible for the show’s success, and volunteers take their roles seriously, personally looking after exhibitor and attendee experiences before, during and after the event. “Congress is pivotal; it provides opportunity for networking, sharing and learning. Each year I take away ideas and turn them into actionable tasks that grow profits,” says Congress Committee chair Nathan Helder. As Salemi noted, Congress has something for every sector, and every level of professional participation. It also offers solutions for specific business challenges. Why wait? Join the landscape commuLT nity for its annual January bash; register for Congress today.

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Charlie Hall: Six economic trends to watch in 2018 Dr. Charlie Hall is a leading voice on the economic forces affecting the green profession. An economist by training, Hall grew up on a nursery in North Carolina, and his passion for green business shines through his teaching and international speaking engagements. He is a professor in the horticultural sciences department at Texas A&M University and holds the Ellison Chair in International Floriculture. Landscape Trades recently connected with Hall from his office at Texas A&M to get some insights into trends as we enter the New Year.

Gradual recovery continues “We’re not quite back yet, believe it or not,” says Hall. “Since the recession of 2008, the U.S. lost about 14 per cent of its growers, though capacity didn’t fall nearly that much, because many overleveraged firms were purchased by competitors. The retail sector is still down a bit as well, while there has actually been significant growth

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in the number of landscape firms entering the marketplace. Overall economic growth in both Canada and the U.S. has been steady over the last few years, says Hall, but we could see a slight slowdown (from three per cent to 2.25 per cent) as we move into 2018. The reason, Hall explains, is that household spending is projected to dip, as well as what people are spending on houses.

The housing connection “The green industry is strongly correlated with the housing market; whenever we build a house or a condominium or a duplex, we landscape them in some fashion,” says Hall. “You get more bang for the buck when a single family home is built versus an apartment complex, because each and every home is going to have plants around it. That’s why we like to see new housing developments.” As economic indicators and figures come in at the close of 2017, Hall expects to develop a detailed outlook for the 2018 housing market in Canada and the U.S. which he will include in his keynote at Landscape Ontario’s Congress on Jan. 11, 2018.

Boomers are retiring; it’s a good thing As Boomers (people born between 1945 and 1965) get older, they often look towards professional help for landscaping and gardening. “Boomers are retiring to the tune of about 10,000 a day here in the States,” he said. “That means you have a bunch of folks from about 53 years of age up to about 72, and of course as people get into their 70s they garden a little less on their own, but they still want those landscape services. They don’t love plants and gardens any less, they just might not have the ability to get out there like they used to.” That’s a big plus for the green profession.

Sell more than aesthetics to the younger crowd Hall is also bullish about economic opportunities on the flip side of the age spectrum. “Millennials have a much greater appreciation for the work-life balance and quality of life dimension than the boomers did,” he explains. Horticulture can pitch a compelling message to the younger generation because its products and services really do improve the environment and enhance lives. The key going forward will be to market that message effectively. “We can’t just rely on

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plants being pretty anymore. We need to talk about all of the environmental, economic and health benefits,” says Hall.

greenhouses. As the demand goes up, we could very well see prices jump as well, which would make things a bit tougher for growers in LT our industry.”

Minimum wage increase hasn’t been rosy Having studied the impact of significant minimum wage increases in California and cities like Seattle in the U.S., Hall has insight into its potential impact on the Canadian market in the years ahead. “It hasn’t all been positive,” he explains. “The net effect on those lower wage-earners the policy is trying to help, is they often see their hours cut back. That leaves them scrambling to try to find a second job to get their hours back up, and actually see an increase in their incomes.” For business owners, “Obviously, the cost of doing business increases,” says Hall. “In California it works out to about a $10,000 tax per full-time equivalent.” He adds, “It can also have an impact on inflation. In our industry, labour is about 35-40 per cent of total cost, and wage pressures would have an inflationary impact. And so we could see the central banks in both Canada and the U.S. manipulating interest rates accordingly, so the cost of capital may increase in addition to that.”

Catch Dr. Charlie Hall at Congress Hall will deliver the keynote on Jan. 11 at Landscape Ontario’s Congress, speaking on the economic forecast for green sectors in 2018. To register to see Hall at Congress, visit LOcongress.com/register.

Ripple effects of cannabis legalization Hall has also examined the impact of cannabis legalization in numerous American jurisdictions, and has seen some unexpected ripple effects. “The cannabis industry is growing dramatically in both countries and there is a lot of investment going on,” says Hall. “There are spillover effects, including on the availability of peat moss, and of

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newfoundland&labradorupdate Andrea Rowe (left) and Jennifer Olah of Airo Landscape Design.

screens. Their favourite aspect of the project was seeing it all come together. However, this project was not without challenges. There was a four hour drive between their office and the worksite, which left the team unable to visit the site frequently. They had to rely on client photos and measurements, in addition to phone calls and emails with the contractor to ensure all areas of the design went according to plan.

2017-2020 strategic plan

Airo Landscape Design wins National Award of Excellence The prestigious 2017 National Award of Excellence for Landscape Design was awarded to Andrea Rowe, Principle Landscape Designer for Airo Landscape Design, a member of Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador Horticulture Association (LNLHA), for her project ‘Bristol Place’. With a background in Environmental Design, Landscape Architecture, combined with a degree in Linguistics and Mathematics, Rowe prides herself on the ability to analyze spaces using the language of design to tie the landscape seamlessly with the existing architecture

to connect people with their outdoor space. Co-designer Jennifer Olah B. Env. Des. (Land. Arch.) has been with Airo Landscape Design since 2013. With a background in Environmental Design, Landscape Architecture, as well as a focus on permaculture practices, she recognizes the various elements of landscape for both the aesthetic function as well as the integral role it plays as a part of a diverse healthy ecosystem. The inspiration behind the award winning Bristol Place Garden Design focused on creating a space the whole family could enjoy and entertain in comfortably. Some of the details they drew were unlike anything they have done before including angled wood for privacy

On January 23 and 24, the LNLHA Board of Directors, members and its Executive Director met to develop a new strategic plan for 2017-2020. The association is actively working on the strategic goals that were developed at the meeting, with the main goal of membership growth. In June, the new strategic plan received the approval of LNLHA members at the 2017 annual general meeting.

Landscape horticultural program Currently LNLHA is working on a landscape horticultural program with College of the North Atlantic. This program will provides residents who currently work in the industry or those who have the desire to become part of the landscape horticulture workforce, to complete the landscape horticulture apprenticeship or certification programs.

Michael Murray receives President’s Award Michael Murray received the President’s Award during the 14th Annual National Awards on Aug.

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Michael Murray received the President’s Award from Bruce Hunter (right) for his excellence in government relations work.

16, 2017. Murray received the award for his work in government relations initiatives such as presenting the Canadian Landscape Standard to various municipal and provincial government departments within the province. Murray has also served as CNLA Human Resources Chair, where he was one of the founding members of the Canadian Agriculture Human Resources Council (CARHC). He presented the rationale to have the landscape sector as an integral part of plant health care, and pest management to address front line defence for pest risks in the urban landscape. Currently Murray is the Government Relations Chair, leading CNLA in engagement of the federal government on issues that include: - Industry human resource development - Employment Insurance Reform - Canadian Landscape Standard - Raising awareness and importance of the industry in community sustainability,

environmental accountability and climate change mitigation Now President of the Canadian Ornamental Horticultural Alliance (COHA), Michael helped the organization establish a seat on the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) Board of Directors and participates in policy discussions. He also helped to develop CNLA’s membership in CFA, at considerable value. When Bruce Hunter presented the award to Michael Murray, he said in his speech “This year’s recipient is a true cornerstone of the profession, a tireless volunteer in his home province, nationally through CNLA and internation-

ally through his involvement in the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance and the International Association of Horticultural Producers.”

2018 Spring Landscapes & Garden Show LNLHA is planning a “2018 Spring Landscapes & Garden Show” taking place May 5-6 at the Re/Max Centre, St. John’s. This will be an opportunity for the public to meet with members of LNLHA and discuss their upcoming landscaping and gardening needs. Details to follow in the months ahead. LT

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Cut from the same cloth BY ROD McDONALD

“I yam what I yam” was written in 1933 as the signature phrase of the Popeye the Sailor song. Those words could also be utilized today as the theme to the entrepreneurs’ song. Many of us, from the green trades, are cut from the entrepreneurs’ cloth. We are what we are and it serves us both as a blessing and occasionally as a curse. I love telling the following story. The first sign that the stewards at a race track look for when they suspect that a horse has been held back in order to lose a race is excessive sweating (on the horse, not the jockey). A race horse is trained to run. The horse loves to run and to race; it is in its breeding and its nature. To hold a horse back goes against generations of genetic selection and the horse’s temperament. A race horse, held back, works harder than if it is allowed to run. Most of my readers are similar to a race horse. They want to run and not be held back. Going at half speed is more difficult than full out and they, similar to the race horse, sweat more when held back. We, including myself within this group, have a need to run. Not run wild but run the race. It’s who we are. Ten years ago the medical team at our local kidney clinic held a conference. I was there as the patient. My wife was there as well as a few doctors and nurses, a social worker and a pharmacist. The lead doctor began: “It is now to the point where we must start you on dialysis. Your kidneys can no longer keep you alive. Along with dialysis, we must advise you that it is that time in your life when you have to slow down and take it easy.” I nodded my head and said “I understand.” All of those from the medical team nodded their heads in return and the doctor resumed speaking. My wife interrupted. She said, “Hang on 70 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

now. You saw him nod his head in agreement but all of you know who he is: He’s not going to listen to you. He’s not going to slow down. He’s going to say he will but that is just to get you to end the meeting so he can go back to doing what he always does.” She was right. She knows me only too well. I, like you, am cut from the same cloth. I have to run the race. There are no ribbons, in my world, for those who walk the race. In fairness, I certainly don’t run near as fast as I used to, but I am moving as fast as I can go. On my tombstone, they can write, “he got here quickly” or some other quip. I am not alone, nor are you. Wade Hartwell, the legendary founder of Golden Acres in Calgary, Alta., would go nonstop for days before he would crash. He wore out assistants who were half his age. Dieter Martin, regarded as the foremost horticulturalist in the prairies, is 85 and still going strong. He is in the greenhouse by 6:30 a.m. or the plants come to get him, or so he claims. Russell Boughen, from his namesake nursery in northern Manitoba, would state he was “more or less retired.” When I asked Russell how many potentilla were in a certain field, he responded 5,150. I said to Russell, “You seem to know a lot for someone who claims to be more or less retired.” He smiled, gently, and we continued our walk around the nursery. We have more ideas than we do time. Our problem is that we need to ensure the projects we start are finished. To be a truly outstanding entrepreneur, we not only have to have cutting edge ideas, but also the ability to see those ideas through to success. All of us know several people who have the greatest ideas, but never quite get around to making them work. Their nurseries, greenhouses, stores and shops all need obvious maintenance. They finish very little of what they start and it does cost them money. We

need to remind ourselves that we get paid for our production, our completions, not for our starts. I was on a local committee for a community project. There was a woman who continually suggested ideas, projects, and things for us to do, but she never volunteered to do any of the work herself. I reached my breaking point and commented (in reality I snapped) during a meeting “you sure have a lot of ideas, but you don’t seem to want to follow through.” Not nice, I know, but I had reached that point where being nice had left the building. She laughed and said, “I am an idea person not an implementer.” That is the problem with most committees. There are too many “idea people” and not enough implementers. As business owners, to be successful we have to be both a creator and a finisher. No first place ribbons for being just one or the other. Again, we are paid for our completions not our attempts. My younger brother, who is cut from the same cloth as you and I, loves to get things done. His wife was ticked at him one day and she volunteered him for a committee at their local high school. The committee was to raise funds for the band to travel to Europe. My brother, who has an incredibly sharp business brain, was on a committee where no one else had any business acumen. Does this story write itself? One meeting was spent arguing, for an hour, about pennies. Not dollars, but pennies! The experience of being on a committee with no comprehension of time management aged him quicker than raising his teenagers. You and I have a need to get things done. We measure our day’s work in what we accomplish. Each of us might have a slightly different yard stick for measuring, but we all have a yard stick.

My friend from the first grade is highly intelligent. He worked most of his career for the provincial government and as brilliant as he was, he could never understand my need to work hard and to finish tasks. He could not fathom that need to succeed. I acknowledge there are hard working and dedicated employees within the civil service. However, the bureaucratic process stymies their endeavours. While there are many rewards for us, there are few rewards for hard working government employees. No one ever gets fired from a government job for moving too slow. Many years ago I had a greenhouse manager who had, at one time, worked in a government funded greenhouse. He lasted only four months there. Another employee had warned him to ‘quit working so hard’ because he was making his coworkers look bad. “We all get paid the same no matter how hard we work,” the worker added. My greenhouse manager was cut from a different cloth and he could not handle that mentality. He had been trained, by his father, to run the race. When we are trained to run the race we don’t leave at quitting time when there are hanging baskets that need water. Quitting time is something we have difficulty comprehending. That mentality of slow or non-productive work explains why costs can escalate. The

City of Regina closed down their long standing production greenhouses. Why? The city commissioned an accounting firm to conduct an audit of the greenhouse. The conclusion: A six-inch pot mum that I could purchase for six dollars cost the city $18 to grow. Some people get the math and some do not. When I am at a green trades conference I am surrounded by men and women who understand we get paid for our finishes and not our starts. The adage ‘skid row is filled with sales people who could not close’ needs no explanation when there are a dozen garden centre operators in one room. We get it and all of us want to develop our skill set so we are better closers and better project managers. Hold a convention, a conference or a seminar for the people from our trade and there is always a buzz in the room. The electricity is palpable with all of us talking at the same time, amped with adrenaline and pumped with new ideas. We are charged because we are in a room with people who understand how we feel and how we think. We are not alone and we are grateful for that camaraderie. A young man returned recently from a conference and trade show in Banff, Alta. He told me it was as if he were drinking from a hose turned up full blast. “The informa-

tion, the ideas, and the debates were all so invigorating and arriving quicker than I could drink.” I understand. I have been in Banff and Winnipeg and Saskatoon and Edmonton and Calgary and Toronto. The same thing happens each and every time. I want to implement each and every new idea. I want to tell everyone about the new plants and products I have found. Time, of course, governs all of us, but if we use it wisely, we achieve more than we could if we had no dream at all. We are dreamers who run the race and we run it well. Staying on the road to success is so much easier when we are cut from right cloth. I don’t have to explain this statement because LT you understand. Of course you do.

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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managementsolutions

Pay yourself first:

How-to guide for business owners BY MARK BRADLEY

Paying yourself. It’s one of, if not the, single biggest reason we all get up to go to work every day. It’s great to have a business that’s also your passion, but you can’t do what you love every day if you don’t get paid. So why do so many owners of contracting and other small businesses struggle with paying themselves? It starts with starting the business, I’m sure. As you get your business off the ground, you continuously inject your own money to keep it running. In return, you use its money to pay bills, put food on your table, etc. And while that’s a necessary evil for most small companies getting off the ground, the problem is that, years later, many owners still run their business the same way — where they hope for a paycheque instead of count on one. It’s vital the business pays you a fair wage. Why? You should be the highest-paid employee in your company. Plain and simple. You shouldn’t hope there’s money left to cover your salary. You must count on it. You take enough risks running a business — paying yourself shouldn’t be one of them. For personal credit, it’s helpful to demonstrate a consistent wage history. Banks are much more wary of those with variable salaries.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PAY MYSELF? How to best pay yourself depends on some factors that are too complicated to discuss here. But you should definitely consult with an accountant or financial professional to determine the best method to pay yourself wages out of the business. This is best left up to the experts. There are many generally accepted (and even exceptionally creative) ways to draw income with fewer tax implications than a standard salary. But again, that 72 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

should be done in close consultation with an expert. There are still the all-important questions of what you’re worth, and how to recover it. That we can answer.

WHAT IS A BUSINESS OWNER WORTH? Again, there are a variety of factors here. Do you have a day-to-day role in the business, or do you show up once a week and spend the rest your time playing golf? I don’t know too many of the latter in this profession, but it is a consideration. Owners should be able to target 10 per cent of the company’s gross revenue as their salary. For instance, if your company does $600,000 in revenue, the business should be able to pay the owner a $60,000 annual salary or wage. If you are in a partnership, that does not mean 10 per cent each. Partnerships, given two parties with vested interest in the business, should be able to do twice the revenue. The target for the ownership group (if there are multiple parties) is 10 per cent. Once a business starts selling over $1 million (especially around $1.5 million) that 10 per cent rule starts to drop off a bit. As the business grows in size, you will need to surround yourself with smart, capable (and somewhat expensive) people. And you will likely use some of your raise to pay those people. But once you’re making $150,000 per year, you have some flexibility to do so. For instance, a $2 million business might pay the owner 8.5 per cent. That’s still a $170,000 salary, and it frees up $30,000 to help you surround yourself with good, motivated people. Is that all? What about profit? No, that’s not all, and yes — profit can and will be used to reward you for the success of the business. Your salary is what pays you to do the work

of running the business. Profit is a reward for a job well done. Think of profit like a bonus. Profit is used for a few important purposes: l To give owners a return on their investment in the business — you have likely got your money, and untold hours, tied up in growing the business. Profit is what pays you back. l To reward exceptional and key employees. l To invest in growing the capacity of the business (equipment, technology, yard space, etc.). l To help cash flow, additional materials, etc., required by expanding businesses.

HOW DO I KNOW MY COMPANY CAN COVER MY SALARY? Planning for your wage is simple. Start by calculating what you’re worth to the business. You can estimate that number using the 10 per cent rule above. If your company is very small, or just getting off the ground, you can start with a fair hourly wage. You might decide the business should pay you $30 per hour for the time you put into it. Next, plan for how the business is going to pay you. This is where a company budget is essential, motivating, empowering, and even stress-relieving. If you spend time actively working on jobs in the field, you will budget two ways to pay yourself. The first comes from the time you spend in the field. Let’s use fictional owner “Doug” as an example. Doug has got a new, but growing business with about $600,000 in sales. He’s often working on job sites, but also has his hands in sales, marketing, invoicing, hiring — and he’s fixing equipment on the weekends. He is paying himself out of the business, but

he pays himself when the money is there … and doesn’t pay himself when it’s not. Doug wants to remedy this situation, and he should. Doug starts by figuring he spends 1,250 hours per year physically on job sites running the jobs. He targets $30 per hour as a fair wage, and therefore plans on a $37,500 salary for his time in the field. But Doug also spends time estimating, selling, meeting clients, fixing everything that breaks — and he shouldn’t be doing any of that for free. Looking at the 10 per cent rule, Doug figures he should be able to pay himself about $60,000 per year out of the business. If he is getting paid $37,500 for his time in the field, he needs to budget $22,500 in overhead salary to get him up to a total of $60,000 per year. So when Doug estimates hours worked on jobs — and charges those hours to clients — that is how he recovers the ‘field work’ portion of this job. His budget is going to make sure his overhead salary gets recovered in his overhead markups. This way, there is

no guessing or hoping; Doug has a plan and a formula to pay himself what he is worth.

WHAT IF MY BUSINESS CAN’T AFFORD IT? It would be too easy to insist you should look elsewhere for a job! If your business can’t afford to pay you a fair wage, why would you put yourself through all the stress, risk and investment? You should go work for someone else who can pay you what you’re worth — and you will have less stress and risk! But every business owner knows there are times when things are tight. Capital and cash are required, and your paycheque is the easiest one to skip. Just be sure these times are an exception, not a rule. Again, having an operating budget and an estimating system is essential to ensuring you can (and do) pay yourself fairly. Your budget gives you the ability to play with scenarios before the end of the year — so you can forecast what will happen, instead of learning the hard way.

If your company forecasts show you can’t afford to pay yourself what you had hoped, the problem is not your salary — it’s your business. In most cases, you should be charging more for the work you do. Or you need to grow your sales volume until it can afford to pay you a fair wage. If you have never built a budget before, use this winter to do so. Once you get started, you will wonder how anyone ever ran a business LT without one.

Mark Bradley is CEO of LMN, based in Ontario. If you have a suggested topic for this column, please send it to comments@landscapetrades.com.

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legalmatters

Considerations for the design consultant

BY ROBERT KENNALEY AND JOSH WINTER

This month we revisit a topic we have not written on for some time: the role of the design consultant, with respect to contractual relationships, the tender process, and review and inspection responsibilities. Many design consultants want to control the quality of their work. Accordingly, they either hire the contractor directly or insist a contractor of their choosing be employed. Design consultants, however, should never hire the contractor or perform the physical work themselves unless they are prepared to meet all of the contractor’s obligations. They must have the proper insurance, be responsible for the contractor’s defaults and be prepared to ensure that all applicable laws are followed on site, including the many requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. TAKING ON ADDITIONAL ROLES The owner, and not the consultant, should generally contract with the contractor for the physical installation of the consultant’s design. The designer may also offer other services, including the administration of a tender process for the selection of a contractor and contract administration services, including payment approvals, the review and approval of change requests, and the review and inspection of the work. Through these services, the consultant can play a role in ensuring the quality of the finished product. In administering a tender process, the design consultant generally acts as the agent of the owner and must therefore understand the owner’s legal obligations in that regard. If the consultant breaches the owner’s obligations to one or more bidders in the process, the owner may have recourse against the consultant in the event of a claim. The law of tendering in Canada is developing, and it is not possible to review in this 74 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

space the many issues that can arise with respect to a tender. However, there are general principles which consultants in those administrative roles should review. If the process involves any suggestion that those providing quotes are bidding on the same scope and are expected to hold their prices capable of acceptance for some period of time, for example, a tender process is likely

the instructions of the consultant in making the work available for inspection and correction of deficiencies. Consultants who administer a tender process on behalf of an owner, should never themselves award the contract, but should only make recommendations to the client. In that regard, only compliant bids should be accepted for consideration. Bids which

“ Consultants who agree to perform review and inspection responsibilities will be required to exercise reasonable care and skill in that regard. This generally involves being on site to ensure key elements of the work are installed properly.” established and tendering obligations would arise. We will briefly review these below.

MAINTAINING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD Tender documents themselves can be lengthy and complicated or limited to a set of drawings and a request for quotations. All relevant information which might help the bidder’s price the work and which is known to, or in the possession of the owner or the consultant, should be disclosed as part of the tender package. Bidders must also be given equal access to all available information. Thus, where one bidder seeks a clarification of the tender documents prior to submitting its bid, clarifications or further information should be provided, if at all, to all bidders. Consultants should also ensure that the contract between the owner and the contractor, (whether it is put out to tender or otherwise) requires the contractor to follow

contain clarifications should generally be rejected. Rather than submitting a clarification with the bid (to state, for example, that the price does not include for fiber-based filter cloth), bidders should request clarification before submitting the bid (to ask, for example, what quality of filter cloth is to be used). Also, any bid which could be interpreted as a ‘counter-offer’ should be rejected. This occurs where a bidder suggests the work would be cheaper or better if a certain change to the drawings or specifications were approved. Bids should only be evaluated on the basis of criteria disclosed in the tender documents. If in evaluating the bids, the consultant or owner wants to consider their history of working with the bidder, or the bidder’s qualifications, location or experience, or any factor other than price, the bidders should be told of this fact when they are asked to submit a bid.

In addition, there is an overriding obligation on owners and their agents who administer the tender process to treat all compliant bidders fairly. What must be done to meet this obligation will, of course, vary under different circumstances. Consultants should keep this obligation in mind when the owner indicates it would like to negotiate a better price after bids have been received. A failure to treat all bidders fairly could result in a claim against the owner. In the end, if a consultant wishes to recommend a bidder who did not submit the lowest price, they should have a good reason for doing so based on criteria which was disclosed in the tender documents. Where a bid is so low as to suggest the bidder has made a mistake, inquiries should be made to the bidder to determine why the bid was so low. This avoids the situation where the bidder later objects he had a different, but appropriate, method of work which made their bid cheaper.

REVIEW AND INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITIES Moving along in discussing the role of the consultant, and absent expressed terms to the contrary, consultants may be expected to inspect the work. Consultants who wish to avoid inspection responsibilities should therefore expressly exclude them in their design services agreements. Consultants who agree to perform review and inspection responsibilities will be required to exercise reasonable care and skill in that regard. This generally involves being on site to ensure key elements of the work are installed properly, which usually involves ensuring important stages of the work have been inspected before it is covered up. The scope of the inspection responsibility should be made clear in the consultant’s agreement to avoid confusion. Consultants should not agree to provide “supervision” of construction because consultants will not be ‘looking over the contractor’s shoulder’ as the work is performed. Limiting the responsibility to inspection, rather than supervision, is generally suffiLT cient to meet the client’s needs. JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

Rob Kennaley and Josh Winter practice construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ont. They speak and write on construction law issues and can be reached for comment at 416-700-4142 or at rjk@kennaley.ca and jwinter@kennaley.ca. This material is for information purposes and is not intended to provide legal advice. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstances are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regards.

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cnlanews Changes to EI for 2018 This past September, the Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) announced the Employment Insurance (EI) premium rate for 2018 is $1.66 per $100 of insurable earnings. This represents a three-cent increase for employees over the 2017 rate, and a four-cent increase for employers that pay 1.4 times the employee rate. The premium is set each year by the CEIC, based on a seven-year breakeven rate. This rate is forecasted to balance the EI Operating Account over a seven-year period. The increase to the 2018 rate has been caused by new EI measures, introduced in Budget 2017, as well as by revised cost estimates for elements of Budget 2016, to help Canadians in affected regions. The increase has, however, been offset partially by the performance of the Canadian economy, which fared better than previously predicted. Starting January 2018, self-employed Canadians who have opted into the EI program will see a $59 increase in the annual earning to

qualify for EI. The earning rate for self-employed Canadians to be eligible for EI special benefits is indexed annually to growth of the Maximum Insurable Earning (MIE). The MIE for 2018 will increase to $51,700 from $51,300 in 2017. The MEI is indexed on an annual basis and represents the ceiling up to which EI premiums are collected and the maximum amount considered in applications for EI benefits. It is important to note the increase of the premium rate of $1.66 per $100 of insurable earnings, up from $1.63 in 2017, still represents a reduction of 22 cents from the 2016 rate of $1.88 per $100.

Earn your CLM this winter Earning the Certified Landscape Manager (CLM) designation is a self-study process that gives candidates flexibility to challenge exams at their own pace and convenience. It is the perfect choice for busy professionals aiming for work, study and home balance. Candidates become CLMs up successful completion of a series of seven multiple-choice

exams: corporate finance, human resources, leadership and corporate citizenship, sales and marketing, risk, law and contracts, strategic planning, and technical exterior landscaping. The set of seven recently-updated business management manuals for landscape professionals are an invaluable resource for preparing to challenge the exams. The winter season presents an excellent opportunity for landscape workers, business owners and managers seeking a fast-track to prepare to earn their CLM designation. This designation distinguishes candidates as having certified their knowledge, skills and professional competence. Exams can be scheduled at the candidate’s convenience. Candidates may also take advantage of test days set by their local provincial association to challenge exams. Visit landscapeindustrycertifiedmanager.ca for more information or contact Edith Oyosoro at 1-888-446-3499 ext. 8650 or email edith@ cnla-acpp.ca.

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Delegates from 21 countries toured Ontario garden centres and nurseries in September 2017.

Prestigious CLD designation offers grandfathering provision The Certified Landscape Designer (CLD) designation is for practitioners who have demonstrated professional competence through years of experience and a body of work in landscape design. In collaboration with Landscape Ontario, the application under the grandfathering provision was recently streamlined. The provision recognizes practitioners with full membership in relevant professional associations, and those with 12 or more years of full-time work in landscape design, by exempting them from written tests and certain components of the portfolio submission process as determined by the review committee. Estab-

lished landscape designers are encouraged to participate in this improved process to earn their CLD under the grandfathering provision. Visit certifiedlandscapedesigner.com, or contact Edith Oyosoro at the number or email above.

Highlights from IGCC 2017 CNLA and Garden Centres Canada had the privilege of hosting the 2017 International Garden Centre Association Congress (IGCC) in Niagara Falls, Ont. last September. Nearly 250 delegates from 21 countries attended the Congress and toured the region’s garden centre and nursery operations. The planning stages were a true collaborative effort. CNLA and Garden Centres Canada would like to thank IGCA Con-

gress sponsors for making the week-long event possible: Sheridan Nurseries, Proven Winners, Napoleon, Ram Commercial, Nurseryland, TerraLink, Fafard, Spoga-Gafa, the Government of Canada through Growing Forward 2, Ball Seed, 99 Nursery and Florist, Foodland Ontario, Sipkens Nurseries, and Kubota. Volunteers from across Canada led five coach buses on the tour. To encourage some healthy competition between delegates, each bus represented a Canadian hockey team. Bus leaders were busy all week providing helpful information, fostering team spirit and leading topic discussions. We would like to recognize Robin Godfrey, Peggy Head, Anthony O’Neill, Denis Flanagan, Bill Hardy, Terry Vanderkruk,

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cnlanews IGCA attendees enjoyed speakers, a gala event and tours of Ontario attractions.

Brad Rooney, Warren Patterson, Michelle Pain and Mark Sipkens. Behind the scenes, a dedicated committee made important decisions varying from décor at the gala, to entertainment, to all of the various stops, and so much more. Thank you to committee members: Michael Van Dongen (Congress Chair), Theresa Calver, Len Ferrangine, Andrew Pepetone, Blair Groen, J.R. Peters, Terry Vanderkruk, Harry DeVries, Karl Stensson, Art Vanden Enden, Brittany Doleman, Pat Shaw,

Jeff Bokma, Valerie Stensson, Ans Winkelmolen, Tom Intven, Barry Benjamin, Mark Sipkens, Nick Winkelmolen, John Zaplatynsky, Peggy Head, Michelle Pain, Anthony O’Neill, Jennie Pepetone, Paul Reeves, Amanda Vandermeer, Lorraine Mennen and Angie Allen. The tour included stops at many locations. Thank you to our hosts for their generosity and accommodation of the Congress delegates – the sheer number of attendees required a lot of planning. Hosts included: Cole’s Florist, Connon

Nurseries CBV, Sheridan Nurseries (Georgetown and Toronto), Winkelmolen Nursery, Terra Greenhouses (Milton), Holland Park Garden Gallery (Burlington), Van Dongen’s Garden Centre, Humber Nurseries, Pathways to Perennials, Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Nursery, Toronto Botanical Garden and Bradford Garden Gallery. Social media was widely used by delegates during the event with event hashtags used more than 3,000 times during the week. View pictures on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IGCACanada2017. Congress 2018 will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, September 16-21. Registration is now open at www.igca2017.cz.

The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is the federation of Canada’s provincial horticultural trade associations. Visit www.cnla-acpp.ca for more information.

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industrynews Canadian gardens feted by AAS In 2017, All-America Selections (AAS) challenged AAS Display Gardens to create designs based on the theme “Foodscaping — Interspersing Edibles in the Ornamental Garden.” Daniel A. Seguin garden of Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., placed second, and Shell Park in Oakville Ont., placed third, in the 10,001-100,000 visi-

tors per year category. Norseco at the Botanical Garden of Montreal, Que., placed second in the over-100,000 visitors per year category.

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Ottawa looks forward to GreenTrade Expo With over 1,400 green professional attendees and 120 industry exhibitors, GreenTrade Expo 2018 is the buying, idea-gathering and networking event of the year for the horticultural and landscape sector in Eastern Ontario. The show will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Feb. 14, 2018, at the EY Centre in Ottawa, Ont. The event features an MTO/contractors breakfast and educational seminars as well as contests and prizes. Landscape Ontario’s Ottawa Chapter will also hold their fourth annual Awards of Distinction gala and casino night in conjunction with the show on Feb. 13. For more information, visit greentrade.ca or call 613-796-5156.

Bobcat donates equipment to Conestoga College Bobcat North America has donated equipment to four regional vocational schools for their service technician training programs, including Conestoga College’s Guelph, Ont., campus. The training programs provide top instruction for service technicians and students on how to troubleshoot, service, repair, and rebuild compact equipment, and learn advanced equipment

GreenTrade Expo celebrates 25 years of networking for the Eastern Ontario horticulture industry in 2018.

technologies. By focusing on vocational schools, Bobcat has been able to support and nurture individuals’ aspirations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related studies by helping to energize a future pipeline of skilled professionals.

2018 at the Canad Inns Destination Centre in Winnipeg, Man. The show provides opportunities for both attendees and exhibitors to update their skills, widen their business knowledge, and stay on top of industry issues and trends. For full details, visit www.grow.mbnla.com

MBNLA hosts green industry at Grow18

Blue Jays nix natural turf

The Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association is set to host Grow18, the province’s premier green industry show and conference Feb. 15,

Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro recently made clear the ball club is not moving forward with plans to install natural turf at the Roger’s Centre. In 2015, the organization com-

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industrynews JCB was honoured for its efforts to improve the environment.

company’s work throughout the past year to improve the business environment for the equipment manufacturing industry. JCB was also praised for its efforts to advocate for pro-manufacturing solutions, and for its participation in AEM’s “I Make America” grassroots program.

Sarnia council quashes tree removal bylaw Sarnia, Ont., city council voted down a proposed bylaw that would have slapped fees and a permit requirement on tree removals on private property. During a public consultation process, 83 per cent of residents surveyed opposed the bylaw. The bylaw was proposed in response to clear-cutting by developers on a number of high profile properties in the Southwestern Ontario city. missioned the University of Guelph’s turf grass institute to conduct a feasibility study on the costs and challenges of replacing the artificial turf in the stadium with grass. However, Shapiro recently told multiple media outlets the cost of installing drainage for natural turf would be high, and the ball club would rather put the

money towards other renovation priorities at the 28 year-old stadium.

JCB honoured by AEM JCB was honoured with a Pillar of the Industry award by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), reflecting the Savannah-based

AT T E N T I O N

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PROUD MEMBER OF LANDSCAPE ONTARIO 82 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Briggs and Stratton moves production to U.S. Briggs and Stratton announced it will move production of its V-Twin Vanguard engines from a joint venture partnership in Japan to its manufacturing facilities in Statesboro, Ga. and Auburn, Ala. The increased production in North America will create approximately 50 new jobs at each of the facilities.

Caterpillar enters UTV market Caterpillar announced plans to enter the utility vehicle market by entering into a manufacturing and supply agreement with Textron Specialized Vehicles. The Textron line currently includes the Cushman utility vehicles, Textron side by sides and ATVs, Arctic Cat snowmobiles, Jacobsen turf equipment and E-Z-Go golf carts. Caterpillar will offer UTV models sold through participating Cat dealerships starting in 2018.

New turf technology director at Toro The Toro Company named Edric Funk director of its Center for Advanced Turf Technology (CATT). He succeeds Dana Lonn, who retired in June of 2017 after 48 years with the company. In his new role, Funk will have responsibility for 82 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

The Knowing and Recognizing reference manual has been updated with new information, photos and illustrations of life cyles for diseases and pests in horticulture.

leading a team of engineers, agronomists and product development professionals to identify emerging industry trends, while bridging future technologies that drive sustainability, productivity and efficiency. The CATT team works alongside customers, academic institutions and leading researchers to make progress in a number of areas, including autonomous operations, labor productivity, environmental concerns, such as emissions and alternative fuels, and precision turf management, including irrigation efficiency and soil moisture sensing.

Pest reference guide receives update Knowing and recognizing, Koppert’s renewed reference book on pests and their biological solutions was launched at the ABIM in Basel,

January 2018 VOL. 40, NO. 1

landscapetrades.com

Charlie Hall’s six trends for the new year

Sales hook 2018: LID

Paybacks of retail staff empowerment Vimy Ridge oaks inspire remembrance

Low Impact Development — a runoff management toolkit — differentiates residential proposals

60 Kopperts Managing Director Paul Koppert presents Willem Ravensberg, President of IBMA, with renewed edition of Knowing and Recognizing.

PM40013519

Switzerland, Oct. 23. The first edition of the book was published 25 years ago, with the last update published in 2003. The book received a massive makeover and now counts 443 pages of revised and updated information, dozens of illustrations on the life cycles, and 700 photographs of the most prevalent pests, diseases and their natural solutions. LT JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

Prosperity on display at Congress

Canadian-made EAB tactic

Fruit trees take a place in pro landscapes

NUMB ER

INSIDE: CONGRESS 2018 PREVIEW SECTION

Meet the staff at Congress ’18

ONE

IN CA NADA

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Landscape Trades is a proud sponsor of Congress 2018.

JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

newproducts Auger attachments

Lawn mower blade

Expanding its lineup of Worksite Pro attachments, John Deere is introducing upgrades to its planetary auger models. The new PA15B and PA30B augers are designed for longer product life and are optimized to work with John Deere skid steers, compact track loaders (CTLs), compact excavators and compact four-wheel-drive loaders, along with most competitive models.

The new LaserEdge Eversharp lawn mower blades from Fisher Barton are designed to stay sharper longer, leading to a better cut, increased fuel efficiency and less maintenance time. Fisher Barton www.fbblades.com

Telehandler

John Deere www.deere.ca

Building on the success of prior Bobcat telescopic tool carriers, Bobcat Company has expanded its line with the new V723 Versahandler. The new telehandler is in the 7,000- to 8,000-pound size class, and features the Power QuickTach attachment mounting system to increase utility. Bobcat www.bobcat.com

Helping your business GROW. SUPPLIER TO LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS SINCE 1975

Engine series Briggs and Stratton Commercial Power recently launched an upgraded and expanded line of Commercial Series V-Twin engines. The light-duty commercial line now includes nine models, ranging from 16 to 27 gross horsepower. Enhanced features for structural integrity include a commercial-grade liquid sump gasket — the same gasket engineered for the Vanguard 810 V-Twin — as well as a third dowel pin to ensure a rigid, lasting seal at the sump joint. For added versatility, a wide range of muffler options are also available for repowers. Briggs and Stratton www.vanguardengines.com

Visit us at Congress ‘18

BOOTH #1312

Turf Equipment | Irrigation Products | Landscape Lighting Parts & Tools | Service | Consultation

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Products Canada Limited

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Visit: turfcare.ca Call: 1-800-561-TURF 84 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Watch the live build with Hardscape Pros on the show floor.

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Learn proper tree planting techniques, preparation and maintenance.

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The Canadian face-to-face event like no other for Green Industry Professionals.

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JANUARY 9, 10 & 11, 2018

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newproducts Compact track loader Takeuchi-US introduces the TL6 compact track loader (CTL) to its lineup. The TL6 is an agile, compact machine that is easy to transport, and features outstanding stability and performance. Powered by a Kubota 2.4 litre, 65.2 horsepower engine, the TL6 features a radial lift loader design with a maximum lift height of 9 ft.6.4 in., and a rated operating capacity of 1,841 lbs.

Tractor-UTV hybrid

Takeuchi-US www.takeuchi-us.com

Toro www.toro.ca

The new Toro Outcross 9060 combines the features of a tractor with those of a utility vehicle to bring a level of simplicity, versatility and efficiency to maintenance tasks that have long been cumbersome, difficult and inefficient. The Outcross is scheduled for release in 2018.

Reciprocating saw blades Lenox recently introduced two new carbide tipped reciprocating saw blades designed for difficult to cut metals including stainless steel and cast iron, and demolition of tough nail-embedded wood. The Laser CT (for metals) and Demolition CT (for nail-embedded wood) blades are engineered for durability and offer 10 times the product life, according to Lenox. Lenox www.lenoxtools.com

Snow plow The new Quattro Plow HD from SnowWolf is a versatile snow plow for heavy equipment such as wheel loaders, tractors and backhoes. The Quattro Plow HD is a larger version of the Quattro Plow, which SnowWolf introduced in 2016 for skid steers, compact wheel loaders and smaller tractors. Like the Quattro Plow, the Quattro Plow HD gives operators the power to efficiently tackle four distinct with one piece of equipment. It’s a high-capacity, hydraulic angle snowpusher, angle plow with wings, wide-angle plow with wings and back drag plow, all in one. SnowWolf www.snowwolfplows.com

86 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Telehandler Merlo debuts the new Panoramic P27.6 Plus with a 75 horsepower Kubota engine, class 1 hydrostatic transmission and automatic quick attach with hydraulic tack lock, 2,700 kilogram capacity and six metre reach. New features include axles with pericyclic reducers and reinforced rotation joint, and four dry disc brakes and parking brake with automatic engagement when the engine is switched off. The P27.6 Plus also has separate hydraulic and hydrostatic circuits and is able to haul 12,000 kg. Manulift www.manulift.ca

Screening plant screen Lake Erie Portable Screeners introduces the heavyduty Pitbull PB148 Static Grizzly screen. The new screen pairs well with the Pitbull 2300 screening plant and is an economical option for applications where sorting oversize material before screening or crushing is necessary to prevent equipment damage. It is designed for a wide range of industries, including landscaping.

Tripod light Dewalt introduces the 20V Max cordless tripod light built with LED technology. The light is compatible with all Dewalt 20V Max and Flexvolt batteries and has a maximum output of 3,000 lumens. Its telescoping design sets up in seconds and collapses for easy portability and storage.

Lake Erie Portable Screeners www.pitbullscreeners.com

VISIT US AT CONGRESS BOOTH #540

Dewalt www.dewalt.ca

GET SERIOUS ABOUT SNOW

Compact track loaders JCB launches its 210T and 215T compact track loaders, offering the power and performance of large-platform compact track loaders in small-platform, easily towable machines weighing less than 10,000 lbs. The 210T and the 215T are powered by the 74 horsepower (55 kW) JCB Diesel by Kohler engine.

NOW 2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU MISSISSAUGA: 3165 Unity Dr. 905-569-2055 HAMILTON/DUNDAS: 368 Mill St. 905-628-3055

JCB www.jcb.com

sales@WPEequipment.ca

WPEequipment.ca JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

advertisers where to find it COMPANY

PAGE

WEBSITE

A.M.A. Plastics Ltd 56

www.amaplas.com

Allstone Quarry Products Inc. 46

www.allstonequarry.com

Arborjet Inc 42

www.arborjet.com

Atlas Polar Company Ltd 63

www.atlaspolar.com

Bailey Nurseries 23

www.baileynurseries.com

Beaver Valley Stone Limited 71

www.beavervalleystone.com

Best Way Stone Limited 15

www.bestwaystone.com

Bobcat Company 61

www.bobcat.com

Brooklin Concrete Products 41

www.brooklin.com

Coivic Specimen Trees 73

www.coivic.com

Consulting by Hart 34

www.consultingbyhart.com

Cub Cadet Pro 17

www.cubcadet.ca

DEWALT Canada 43

www.dewalt.com

Dutchmaster Nurseries Limited 66

www.dutchmasternurseriesltd.com

Echo Power Equipment Canada 37

www.echo.ca

Exmark Manufacturing Co Inc 31

www.exmark.com

Ferris Industries 55

www.ferrismowers.com

G & L Group 9

www.gandlgroup.com

Gateway Chevrolet Buick GMC 45

www.gatewaychevrolet.ca

Gravely 91

www.gravely.com

Gro-Bark (Ontario) Ltd 29

www.gro-bark.com

Hino Motors Canada 67

www.hinocanada.com

Horst Welding 76

www.horstwelding.com

Isuzu Commercial Trucks of Canada Inc 77

www.isuzutruck.ca

LMN

www.golmn.com

10, 11

M Putzer Nursery 81

www.putzernursery.com

Makita Canada Inc 78

www.makita.ca

Miller Compost – The Miller Group

www.millergroup.ca

44, 69

Miska Trailers 59

www.miskatrailers.com

National Leasing 62

www.nationalleasing.com

Neudorff North America 39

www.neudorffpro.com

Oaks Landscape Products 2

www.oakspavers.com

Permacon Group Inc 92

www.permacon.ca

PRO Landscape by Drafix Software 25

www.prolandscape.com

Pro-Power Canada Inc

64, 65

www.propowercanada.ca

Proven Winners ColorChoice

26, 27

www.provenwinners.com

Rinox Inc 57

www.rinox.ca

Sakata Seed America Inc 75

www.sakataornamentals.com

South Oakville Chrysler Fiat 82

www.southoakvillechrysler.com

Stihl Limited 5

www.stihl.ca

Stonemen’s Valley Inc 68

www.stonemensvalley.com

Techniseal 35

www.techniseal.com

Thames Valley Brick & Building Products Ltd 80

www.thamesvalleybrick.com

The Salt Depot 24

www.saltdepot.ca

The Toro Company 21

www.toro.ca

Turf Care Products Canada Ltd 84

www.turfcare.ca

Unilock Limited

www.unilock.com

18, 19

Walters Gardens Inc 33

www.waltersgardens.com

Winkelmolen Nursery Ltd 86

www.winkelmolen.com

WPE Equipment (Windmill)

80, 87

www.wpeequipment.ca

Zander Sod Co Ltd

www.zandersod.com

88 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

events January 9-11, 2018, Landscape Ontario Congress, Toronto, Ont., www.locongress.com January 10-12, The Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, Baltimore, Md., www.mants.com January 16-19, The Sports Turf Management Association Conference, Fort Worth, Texas, www.stma.org January 17-19, The Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. January 22-24, The Great Lakes Trade Exhibition, Lansing, Mich., www.gtle.org January 31- Feburary 2, The Illinois and Wisconsin Landscape Show, iLandscape, Schaumburg, Ill., www.ilandscape.com February 12-15, The International Education Conference and Field Day, TPI, Tuscon, Ariz., www.turfgrasssod.org February 14, GreenTrade Expo 2018, EY Centre, Ottawa, Ont., www.greentrade.ca LT

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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING INFORMATION:

All classified ads must be pre-paid by credit card. Rates: $62.15 (HST included) per column inch (approx. 25 words). Minimum charge $62.15. Deadline: 10th day of the month prior to issue date. 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. Website only advertising: Minimum cost is $67.80 HST included for association members and $90.40 HST included for non-members. Website ads are posted for 31 days. Visit www.landscapetrades.com/classifieds. Post employment ads for free at landscape.jobs.

18 0 2 39 19

Don’t Miss Eastern Ontario’s Premier Trades-only Landscape & Construction Show…

Our 25th Anniversary Show

Here’s a taste of what we’ve got planned for you at GreenTrade Expo 2018…  Special 25th Anniversary Beer Tent – Don’t miss! The celebrations begin at 1 pm.

 Great Industry Networking – With over 1,400 attendees and over 110 exhibitors you can network to your heart’s content.

Ottawa Chapter of Landscape Ontario

The night beforew! the sho

 The Educational Workshops – The ticketed MTO Contractors Breakfast and FREE business building seminars.

 New & Exciting Door Prizes – To be eligible, pre-register on-line TODAY!

 The 4th Annual Awards of Distinction Gala & Casino Night – This ticketed event, the evening before the show, recognizes & inspires excellence among our industry suppliers and Chapter members.

February 14 , 2018 • 8 am - 3 pm EY Centre • Ottawa Airport th

Brought to you by the Ottawa Chapter of

GreenTrade.ca

mentormoment

Dr. Wilbert Ronald: Creator and believer Imagine, sitting down to write a book, knowing sales potential would be low and the chance of being compensated for all your time was nil? Yet Dr. Wilbert Ronald and Dr. Philip Ronald soldiered ahead. They did so because their book needed to be written and it needs to be read by nursery people, garden centre operators, landscapers and dedicated gardeners in the great Canadian north. Their new book is titled Trees for Northern Landscapes and I have read it. The front part is a history lesson featuring pioneers and founders of tree breeding and production in zones two, three and four. This book not only discusses zones as to cold temperatures but it also acknowledges the importance of soil types and soil alkalinity. Many horticultural books discuss the importance of cold temperature zones, but not the importance of soil type and pH balance. It is easy for a first-year student of horticulture to read, and it contains enough information to keep a 40-year veteran turning page after page. While this article features Dr. Wilbert Dr. Wilbert Ronald Ronald in his role as a mentor, he is quick to point out he is neither sole nor the lead author of this brilliant book. “Philip was the one to get things going and he should get much of the credit for getting the book completed and published.” Wilbert eschews the title of Dr. except in the most formal of situations. He is well known as one of Canada’s most prolific plant breeders. Working out of his nursery, Jeffries Nurseries near Portage la Prairie, Man., was not always the case; he was employed by the Federal research station at Morden Manitoba from 1968 until 1982. Copies of Wilbert and Philip’s new book, Trees for the Northern Landscapes, can be ordered at jeffnurs@ mts.net. It is also available in Saskatoon and Winnipeg at McNally Robinson Book Store, including online. Why did you leave the security of a government job to carry on your work in the private sector? “I had a desire to work with family and an entrepreneur’s spirit inside of me. I did not have the funds or time to work on plant 90 | JANUARY 2018 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

INTERVIEWED BY ROD McDONALD

breeding when I left my research job, but gradually, as time permitted and needs became apparent, I was able to spend more of my time on cultivar improvement.” Was leaving the security difficult, considering you had a family? “The first years getting going were tough, but with my wife’s support and the addition of good staff such as Rick Durand, Mike Touchette and others, the nursery thrived. My three children all have good horticultural interests and largely put themselves through college. All of them work full- or part-time for the company.” Was it the right choice for you? “It has been a good choice and there are no regrets. I enjoy going to work every day and still feel I have lots to contribute.” Who was the largest influence in your career when you were in your 20s and needing direction? “I had many positive role models. Bill Cummings at the Morden Research Centre took me under his wing, when I was 22 years old. Bill gave me room to work and helped me to plan the road ahead.” What was your favourite introduction, your best introduction and your most successful introduction? “My favourite introduction was ‘Northern Treasure’ ash and it is also my best work. My most successful introduction, as in best seller, is ‘Amber Jubilee’ ninebark. Will there be any smaller independent growers and retailers in 20 or 30 years, or will it all be large growers and box stores? “Yes, there will be independent growers and retailers in the future. These successful companies will involve themselves in the community and will be innovative and efficient. There is a tremendous business serving landscapers, cities, and other growLT ers and this is where we show potential growth.”

If you have a question to suggest, or a mentor to recommend, please write to editor@landscapetrades.com.

See the latest snow removal and lawn & garden products at

Ariens & Gravely Booth #620 at Congress January 9-11, 2018.