July-August 2012 Landscape Trades by Landscape Ontario

July-August 2012 VOL. 34, NO. 6

landscapetrades.com

Overcome isolation with peer groups Rod McDonald and Mark Bradley on the next generation Research targets boxwood blight

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contents JULY-AUGUST 2012 VOL. 34, NO. 6

PUBLISHER Lee Ann Knudsen CLP | lak@landscapeontario.com Editorial Director Sarah Willis | sarahw@landscapeontario.com Editor Allan Dennis | adennis@landscapeontario.com Web editor Robert Ellidge | rob@landscapeontario.com Art Director Kim Burton | kburton@landscapeontario.com Graphic Designer Mike Wasilewski | mikew@landscapeontario.com Accountant Joe Sabatino | joesabatino@landscapeontario.com Sales Manager, PUBLICATIONS Steve Moyer | stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com COMMUNICATIONS assistant Shawna Barrett | skbarrett@landscapeontario.com Advisory Committee Gerald Boot CLP, Laura Catalano, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Jan Laurin, Warren Patterson, Bob Tubby CLP

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

Landscape Trades is published nine times a year: January, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and November/December. Subscription rates: One year – $46.89, two years – $84.73; three years – $118.63, HST included. U.S. and international please add $20.00 per year for postage and handling. Please make cheque payable to Landscape Trades. 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.

This month Landscape Trades focuses on the challenges of being part of the snow and ice industry, how to profit from it and avoid contract concerns.

Snow Strategies 6 Cover your costs

Costing snow is like costing other landscape services…but harder

BY J. PAUL LAMARCHE

8 Reduce risk and impact on environment

Companies see multiple benefits in ground-breaking Smart About Salt program

BY BOB HODGINS

12 Peer pressure

Peer group members challenge each other to excel

BY SUSAN HIRSHORN

14 Saving a landscape staple

Ontario green industry invests in research on Volutella box blight

BY FANG (AMY) SHI AND TOM HSIANG

COLUMNS

20 SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING | Creative thinking produces some sustainable innovations

BY SEAN JAMES

22 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS | Managing millennials

BY MARK BRADLEY

24 LEGAL MATTERS | Craft a contract that reduces your risk

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

26 ROAD TO SUCCESS | Where have all the young ones gone? ISSN 0225-6398 PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT 40013519 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT LANDSCAPE TRADES MAGAZINE 7856 FIFTH LINE SOUTH, MILTON, ON L9T 2X8, CANADA

BY ROD McDONALD

DEPARTMENTS GREEN PENCIL INDUSTRY NEWS NEW PRODUCTS PROVINCIAL NEWS

4 30 38 44

CNLA NEWS COMING EVENTS CLASSIFIEDS WHERE TO FIND IT

46 48 49 50

JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

greenpencil

Challenging times call for reflection and reinvention Wow, what a roller coaster ride we are on! We are living through some interesting times. Checking in across the country it is apparent that weather wise, one region is always robbing Peter to pay Paul. As I write this, the west coast is wringing out its plants after record rains, while eastern Canada copes with record heat without a drop of rain in sight. Looking back at the weather last winter, snow and ice managers in parts of the country made money By Sarah Willis clearing snow, while plows in other By Sarah Willis regions sat idle as contractors lost money during an exceptionally mild winter. Now that trade show season has begun, I’ve had a chance to attend SIMA’s Snow & Ice Symposium in Buffalo in June, and the OFA Short Course in Columbus in July. Despite everyone airing their challenges and struggles, a take-no-prisoners attitude prevails, and no one is accepting the weather or the recession as an excuse for poor business performance. As one business owner put it, “every season there is some kind of extreme, depending on what part of the country you’re in. But we’re all in this together.” What I’m hearing from the industry leaders is that companies need to reinvent the way they do business. Most companies have already sharpened their pencils in the last few years, and made critical changes to budgets; taking a leaner look at how cash flow, receivables, purchases and overhead are managed, so it’s

4 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

now time to delve deeper in to the psyche of how and why we do business. As I’ve noted before, our trade is an optimistic one, and Mike Betts of WGS Salt in New Haven, Ind., had encouraging words in a recent SIMA industry panel, saying that, “even in the worst of years, there is great opportunity.” He noted that hard times have forced the unsophisticated contractors out of business, so take this opportunity to educate customers on why it’s important to work with a professional who understands the industry and knows their needs. People’s needs and wants have changed, and for the most part we haven’t adapted to the changing markets quickly enough. Green industry consultant Stan Pohmer, of Minnetonka, Minn., says that today’s consumer is entirely different than she was even four years ago. Her purchasing needs, wants and habits have changed since the beginning of the economic downturn in 2008. The fact is, that people are now spending more on consumer goods than they were before the recession, but they are not spending money with us. The green trades are losing market share to other industries that are adapting to the changing marketplace. The good news is that we all sell a product or service that people generally like, so we’ve got a good head start in getting that market share back. More good news is that trade show season has just started; conferences and seminars abound, where you can network with colleagues and kick around some new marketing strategies and ideas. Still more good news is that an optimistic spirit abounds, and new business strategies LT will emerge, even from the roller coaster.

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Sn Editor’s note: J. Paul Lamarche, known as JPL, has helped countless Canadian horticultural business owners find the path toward prosperity by understanding their true business costs. For background, see his article Benchmarks guide your business, in the April 2008 edition of Landscape Trades, available at www.landscapetrades.com/ JPLbenchmarks. Horticultural service companies often get into the snow removal business to generate some cash flow during the off-season, retain staff, and keep their summer maintenance customers happy. But if you don’t keep an eye on your labour overhead and equipment costs through benchmarking, you could be assuming a lot of work and risk with no rewards. This was never truer than this past winter. Labour costs more in the winter We cannot control when snow comes; even predicting snowfall is inexact. But you are certain to bear downtime staff costs between snowfalls. Smart operators understand their true labour costs for snow removal by including a downtime percentage in their cost-oflabour calculations.

What does such a calculation look like? My systems are based on division. I have used a 25 per cent downtime estimate in the example below, although snow removal downtimes can be as high as 42 per cent. Hourly rate + Payroll tax 100 % - Downtime percentage For example: $25 (Hourly rate) + $5 (Payroll tax) 100% - 25% (Downtime) Or, $30 (Hourly rate + Payroll tax) 75% (100% - 25% Downtime) = $40 This illustration really drives a point home; when you have to pay your employees for downtime, your true hourly cost can almost double! Add this to the cost of operating a tractor or truck, and the expense could easily be more than $100 per hour. Know your labour breakeven Build on that valuable number to find the starting-point rate for charging clients — your labour breakeven rate. If you do not know your overhead percentage, see All you need is a calculator, Landscape Trades, June 2005, www.landscapetrades.com/JPLcalculator. Cost of goods sold (Your true hourly labour cost) 100% - Your overhead percentage

6 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

ow business:

Numbers are more important than ever Snow removal is just like any other horticultural specialty — except harder. By J. Paul Lamarche

For example: $40 (True hourly labour cost) 58% (100% - 42%* Overhead) = $68.97 per hour *This is a benchmark property maintenance overhead percentage.

You can adapt this formula to find your breakeven costs per day or per snow event. Remember, this is only the starting point on what you must charge your customers; your profit margin begins on top of this number. Equipment: Looking toward the future As with other contracting specialties, my practical formulas can tell you how investing in snow equipment that improves productivity can pay for itself. My Equipment Costing Formula is a tool to help you figure Return on Investment (ROI). This important, often overlooked idea, is to charge your customers for actual equipment costs, as well as an ROI factor — to allow you to buy a new piece of equipment when it needs to be replaced. A sample calculation for a snow blade expected to last four years looks like this: $5,000 (snow blade costing $6,000, less its $1,000 residual value) (Lifespan ÷ 2) x usage

This formula is a powerful, yet simple tool; build a $5 per hour charge into the rates for your blade, protect that cash in a separate equipment replacement fund, and you can write a cheque when you need a new blade in four years! Take a hard look at snow operations Everything I have written in Landscape Trades, and shared in my role as a consultant, applies to the snow removal business — knowing your true costs, your overhead, return on investment and profit margin. However, snow removal by necessity involves extra costs; that means extra risk. Snow removal contractors need 4x4 trucks, while “no removal” companies can operate with six-cylinder, two-wheel drive trucks, at half the cost. Gas, insurance, repair and utility costs are higher, as are equipment, storage and repair shop needs. All these costs drive your overheads up. If your company performs both snow removal and summer maintenance or construction work, it is essential to maintain separate actual and budget numbers, so you have a clear picture of each endeavour’s profitability. A solid understanding of your numbers could actually lead you to conclude that you could do better, overall, by improving efficiency and profitability for your summer operations. On the other hand, there is money to be made in snow — by using the right equipment LT and the right costing strategy.

$5,000 1,000 [(4-year lifespan ÷ 2) x 10 hours x 50 visits, including salting trips] = $5 per hour

For more information on J. Paul Lamarche’s initiatives to improve business management in Canada’s green industry, visit www.jplbiz.ca. JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

Why should you be smart about salt? By Bob Hodgins

In December 2009, the Smart About Salt Council was formed by the Region of Waterloo, Landscape Ontario, BOMA Ottawa and later joined by the Ontario Good Roads Association, to bring about better environmental stewardship when it comes to snow and ice control on parking lots and sidewalks. Since that time, more than 500 snowfighters have been trained in best practices of salt management and winter maintenance; 37 snow and ice control companies have become Smart About Salt certified and 90 other companies have registered their intent to become certified.

8 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

The City of Ottawa has certified five of its facilities and completed its first winter season in the Smart About Salt (SAS) program. Councillor Steve Desroches, who has championed the program, says, “The City of Ottawa is pleased to promote environmental protection objectives that lead to more efficient and less costly salt application on city-owned parking lots and facilities through the Smart About Salt program. This initiative demonstrates the City of Ottawa as a leader in environmental protection and significantly optimizes how we use salt on winter roads, parking lots and sidewalks to minimize the effects of salt on the local environment. By implementing smart salt practices, we will not only achieve environmental benefits, but also reduce winter maintenance costs and extend the capital life of the City’s infrastructure. We are pleased that local contractors, institutions and facilities are following our lead.” Several municipalities in Ontario, as well as GO

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Transit/Metrolinx, require contractors bidding on their contracts to be Smart About Salt certified. Greg Percy, vice president of operations at GO Transit/Metrolinx says, “GO Transit is pleased to be working with Smart About Salt. Their support, advice and training for our contractors and staff have helped to promote and ensure a more conscientious approach to snow removal and deicing at our facilities. Through our continued alignment with Smart About Salt, we hope to achieve further reductions in salt use, helping to save costs and the environment.” Increasingly, large facilities such as shopping malls and universities are seeing the benefits of the program. What is it about this program that is attracting so much interest and attention? Facility owners and snow and ice control contractors are embracing the program because it makes good business sense. The risk of slip and fall lawsuits is the greatest threat to the bottom line for any snowfighting organization or facility owner/manager. Marsh Canada, one of Canada’s leading insurance brokers, recognizes the benefits of the Smart About Salt program in reducing slip and fall risks. Lyne Erwin, managing director at Marsh Canada, says, “We offer a liability premium discount for members who have their Smart About Salt designation.” Waterloo’s Conestoga Mall is the first Ivanhoe Cambridge property to become involved with the Smart About Salt program, recognizing that the program fits well with its Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability initiatives. Craig Walsh, operation manager at the Conestoga Mall, says, “It was an easy decision to get involved with the SAS program when you recognize the benefits, such as, reduced salt damage to the property, and the associated cost savings; management of risks of slip and falls; increased level of professionalism from the snow contractors; and, more importantly, supporting our environmental stewardship goals.” This commitment to environmental stewardship is echoed by Henry Thorogood, supervisor II, operations, in the City of London’s Parks and Recreation department. Thorogood says, “Smart About Salt is a great way to control the use of salt (while helping the environment) and set a best practice for the industry.” The contractors see the environmental benefit as well. Stefan Aichele of Cedar Grounds Maintenance, Mississauga, 10 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

The SAS program sets best practices for the snow and salt industry and improves companies’ environmental stewardship by reducing salt use.

Ont., believes “excessive salt use is the number one reason for losing business, besides not showing up to plow and/or salt in a timely fashion.” The improved professionalism, knowledge of best practices, and dedication to a standard also help companies to stand above their competition and improve their operations. As James Buist of Cedar Springs Landscape Group, Ancaster, Ont., points out, “When talking to our customers, they can feel comfortable that they are in good hands, because we can give them cold, hard facts, all learned from the SAS program. (The program) sets the bar high and…helps us to strive to be the best. I truly believe it has helped Cedar Springs, as a company, become a leader in the industry.” This sentiment is reinforced by Brian Perras of B.P. Landscaping and Snow Removal, Caledon, Ont., who says, “The fact that we have proven to ourselves we can reduce our use of salt without reducing the service, says it is working and worth the time to become SAS certified.” The Smart About Salt training program has been well received because it teaches best practices and has raised the snowfighters’ understanding of these practices. Ryan Harpe of DenBok Landscape and Design, Burlington, Ont., says that, besides supporting their efforts towards obtaining ISO certification, “ultimately what I found to be most beneficial to the company is the fact that SAS allows the employees to be aware and conscious of the impacts they have on the environment. It is a great way to determine a baseline of salt usage and to be able to monitor that usage.” As more purchasers of snowfighting services recognize the benefits of having certified contractors who are properly trained and dedicated to maintaining safe winter conditions, while minimizing environmental and infrastructure damage, the demand for certified contractors and properly

trained staff increases. Several Source Water Protection plans being implemented under Ontario’s Clean Water Act are encouraging better salt management through programs such as Smart About Salt. In summary, the benefits, according to the industry, are: l Better environmental stewardship through adoption of best salt management practices l Reduced slip and fall risk through proactive winter maintenance strategies and the potential for insurance premium reductions l Improved staff awareness of good winter maintenance practices and the implications of their actions with respect to public risk and environmental damage l Lower salt related damage to infrastructure and the associated costs of salt related repairs l Reduced salt use to achieve the same or better levels of safety, leading to less tracking into buildings, better public image, and reduce material costs l Competitive advantage over non-SAScertified contractors when bidding on snow and ice contracts l Ability to meet provincial water quality protection standards. To find out more about the Smart About Salt program, download the application forms and worksheets, visit www.smartaboutsalt.com. LT

Bob Hodgins is executive director of the Smart About Salt Council.

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Peer

POWER By Susan Hirshorn

Business owners can feel pretty alone, especially during decison-making time. Many are turning to peer groups, to both get, and give, valuable perspective. Gelderman Landscaping, a design/build and maintenance firm in Waterdown, Ont., has been operating for more than 50 years. In the last four years it has implemented major changes, including the addition of a water management and irrigation department, a finance manager, new goal-sharing incentives for each department, and restructured compensation plans. To help with these and other improvements, Gelderman’s president Nathan Helder turned to a collection of fellow landscapers called The Leader’s Edge Peer Group. The group meets in person and online to compare financial numbers, deal with each other’s burning issues and share best business practices. Since each member of the group is located in a different geographical market in North America, everyone can speak freely without concern that a competitor will be listening. Helder says their advice and support contributed to his firm’s 25 per cent sales increase during Nathan Helder, Gelderman Landscaping 12 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

the last four years. “Even more important, my business is now structured to be able to grow to the next level,” he adds. Although peer business advisor groups are not new, their popularity has surged in recent years, especially south of the border. With business becoming more complex in an uncertain economy, owners are turning to each other for inspiration and solutions. Peer groups can also ease the stress and isolation of business leadership. Says Helder, “There is no reason why someone needs go through life thinking they are all by themselves, making one mistake after another, scared to ask for help.” Types of peer groups There are generally two types of peer groups: those where member companies come from the same industry but operate in different geographical markets; and those where members come from different, non-competing industries. Industry-specific peer groups have the advantage of letting you benchmark your business, so you can know exactly how you stack up against others in your field and how to close the performance gap. The Leader’s Edge is such a group. So is The Garden Center Pier Group, composed of eight garden centre groups across North America. (It’s called the “Pier” group because it was formed on a pier in Seattle.) With this type of peer group, what works for one member often works for the others, if you make the necessary adjustments for differences in local markets and labour conditions, says Pier Group member Karl Stensson, president of Sheridan Nurseries, Georgetown,

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Ont. For example, Sheridan’s success with container gardens was emulated by other members of the group and their strategies for sale events and email marketing are working for Sheridan. Peer groups composed of members from different industries may be tailored to the needs of CEOs (e.g., CEOs International Inc.), female business leaders (e.g., Women’s Presidents Organization) or to specific business issues and challenges. The Centre for Family Business runs the Next Generation Business Owners peer group for family firms in the Waterloo, Ont., region who are in various stages of transition. This group “was a great fit for me because, at the time I joined, I was in the middle of gaining control of my parents’ business,” recalls Dave Wright, president, Wright Landscaping Services. “The transition of power from the founder to the next generation is difficult for both parties. The money part is the easy part. It is all about the emotional side. [The group] showed me other options that may have made things work more smoothly.” He also values the insights that come from exposure to other industries in his local market. His peers include companies in the construction, fitness, insurance, fast food and travel fields. “People are changing the way they buy things and what is important to them. I think that having a foot in a bunch of industries really allows me to see what is happening out there.”

accountability. Recalls HelStensson says the Garder, “My peer group helped den Center Pier Group me make the tough deciis composed only of sions that many businesses multiple-store outlets don’t want to make. They with a similar infrahelped me create plans of structure “so we can get action and expected me to accurate comparisons.” stick to the plans.” According to Helder, Although some groups the landscape firms in require members to sign his Leader’s Edge group confidentiality agreements, have revenues of $4- to opening up still can be $15-million. tough for some business A good facilitator. A owners. There is also the peer group’s facilitator Karl Stensson, Sheridan Nurseries question of time. Groups should create an environment where people can be open, honest can meet in person anywhere from twice a and comfortable. Equally important, he or year to once a month and regular attendance she must keep discussions relevant and on is required if you want your peers to take track. Jeffrey Scott, a Connecticut-based you seriously. Groups that meet through video conferlandscape business consultant who runs The Leader’s Edge, uses a process he calls peel- encing might save time and travel expenses, ing the onion. “What you do is avoid giving but many groups consider in-person meetknee jerk responses. Instead you keep ask- ings essential. Pier One members, for exing questions until you get to the member’s ample, visit and critique each other’s stores. underlying issue.” He recalls an instance “These visits make our staff aware of what where a member asked what type of incen- others see. As well we get new ideas and the tive plan would be needed to motivate his benchmarking we need,” says Sheridan’s operations manager to perform better. But Karl Stensson. He and Helder agree that business ownfurther questioning revealed that the operations ers who truly commit themselves to peer manager really wasn’t a group participation are usually pleased with good fit for the product the results. Adds Helder, “Of all the things mix or the position. The that I have gathered from my peer group, the solution? Find another most important concept learned is that we operations manager and are in business first, horticulture second. We transfer the former man- have a common goal: to make money and LT ager to another position. have time to enjoy life!” If Scott had encouraged the group to take the iniWhat to look for tial question about incen- Susan Hirshorn is a writer, editor and Size matters. Peer groups tive plans at face value, communications coordinator based in seem to work best when they would never have Montreal, Quebec, and Boca Raton, Florida. there are at least six but discovered and solved the not more than 16 memreal problem. bers. With less than six, For all their benDave Wright, Wright Landscaping Services a variety of perspecefits though, peer groups tive might be lacking. With more than 16, aren’t for everyone. First, there are annual members probably won’t have enough time fees, often in the thousands of dollars. This to adequately address everyone’s issues. As might be a barrier for small firms. Also, if well, member companies should be in the you cannot take criticism, a peer group is same general size range in order to relate to not for you. Constructive criticism is what a similar set of problems and opportunities. makes peer groups tick. So is a culture of

14 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Figure 2. Black streaks on petioles and stems caused by Volutella blight

Figure 1. Yellow boxwood leaves infected with Volutella blight

Volutella blight of boxwood

By Fang (Amy) Shi and Tom Hsiang, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph

In 2008, an outbreak of boxwood blight was seen in southern Ontario. We received funding from Landscape Ontario to research this. Diseased plants had symptoms ranging from yellow leaves on green stems (Figure 1) to entirely dead shoots. Pink spots were found on abaxial (lower) surfaces of leaves (Figure 3) and some on stems. Infected leaves and stems became yellow and dried out, but usually other parts of the infected plants remained green. Black streaks were also sometimes observed on petioles and stems (Figure 2). Five boxwood cultivars commonly grown in Ontario nurseries, ‘Green Mound’, ‘Green Gem’, ‘Green Mountain’ and ‘Green Velvet’, were all found to be susceptible to this disease. In 2009 and 2010, the same disease was also found in some nurseries in British Columbia. In addition to ‘Green Velvet’, the following cultivars commonly grown in B.C. were also found to be susceptible: ‘Chicagoland Green’, and ‘Green Beauty’. To determine the cause of the blight, symptomatic boxwood plants were obtained from nurseries in southern Ontario. From over 80 samples collected in 2008 and 2009, more than 300 fungal strains were isolated, and among these, eight major fungal cultural types were observed. These cultural types differed in growth characteristics and colour in Petri plates, and were separated into group16 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

ings called morphotypes. Representatives of the eight morphotypes were subjected to DNA sequencing of a conserved genetic region (ITS of ribosomal DNA) to confirm identity. The morphotypes, their frequency of isolation, and tentative DNA identification were as follows: pink-orange (46 per cent, Volutella buxi also known as Pseudonectria buxi), red (seven per cent, Fusarium tricinctum), black with black dots (three per cent, Phoma herbarum), pure white (11 per cent, Acremonium sp.), red-grey (eight per cent, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), white-yellow (seven per cent, Bionectria ochroleuca), light purple (10 per cent, Fusarium oxysporum) and yellow-orange (eight per cent, Epicoccum nigrum). Representatives of each group were then tested on detached boxwood leaves for their ability to cause disease. Only V. buxi was found to be pathogenic, confirming its role as the causal agent of Volutella leaf and stem blight, hereon referred to as Volutella blight. The optimal temperate for growth of nine isolates of V. buxi was tested in the lab; they were found to grow fastest between 20 to 25o C. On detached wet leaves, spore germination tubes were seen 18 hours after inoculation on the leaf surface. After three days, verticillate branching structures of the fungus were seen on leaf surfaces. The practical implication is that at the optimal temperature for growth,

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V. buxi needs at least 18 hours under wet conditions to germinate on leaf surfaces, and infection can occur over the next two days while the leaf surface remains wet. To better understand the interactions of boxwood with Volutella blight, inoculation tests were conducted. We found that: (1) one-month-old boxwood leaves were more susceptible to infection than one-year-old leaves; (2) ‘Green Gem’ was the most susceptible cultivar, ‘Green Velvet’, ‘Green Mound’ and ‘Green Mountain’ were moderately susceptible, and ‘Pincushion’ was the least susceptible among these tested; (3) wounding was required for infection; and (4) adaxial leaf surfaces were much less susceptible to infection than abaxial (upper) surfaces. The life cycle of Volutella buxi and the disease cycle of Volutella blight have not been thoroughly investigated. Based on published details of the disease cycle of V. pachysandrae (Safrankova 2007, Plant Protection Science 43:10), and observations of Volutella

Box blight (Cylindrocladium buxicola) Another disease called box blight, caused by the fungus Cylindrocladium buxicola, has recently been found in British Columbia and Ontario, after first causing issues in the American eastern states and Oregon. This box blight disease differs from Volutella blight in being much more aggressive, attacking, infecting and killing plants that are not wounded (unlike Volutella blight, which requires wounds for infection, and has slower disease progression). However, both diseases can be found together on the same plant tissues, and even the fungal growth and spores of both can be mixed together. There are similarities between the two in symptoms in terms of black streaking, and white fungal growth on leaves, but Volutella blight has pink-orange fungal growth often in clots, rather than white, spikey growth with box blight. Also, the black streaking with Volutella blight is much less frequent and found in much longer lines along flat or rounded portions of the stems, whereas box blight causes more abundant, shorter, black streaks, particularly along the square edges of stems. Note: Landscape Ontario is funding research at the University of Guelph on this disease .

18 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

blight and V. buxi from the current work, the putative life cycle of V. buxi in an outdoor environment is described as follows. As temperatures warm up in the spring, spores of V. buxi are produced by overwintered mycelium in dead tissues such as fallen leaves and attached dead tips and shoots. These spores are produced throughout the spring and dispersed by air or splashing water (rain or irrigation). They can infect boxwood tissues, especially younger, new foliage, which is more susceptible than older, overwintered foliage. The fungus will grow through foliar tissues and into woody tissue. In summer with drier, warmer conditions, spore production is reduced, but with wet weather of several days’ duration, the fungus can grow out from infected tissues, produce spores, and cause more infections when plant surface wetness periods exceed 18 hours. In the fall, with wetter, cooler conditions, the fungus is again active and will produce spores to cause more infections. In winter, the fungus becomes dormant in fallen leaves and in stems of dead tissues until the following spring. The disease cycle under controlled environment conditions may differ, because enclosed environments offer protection from desiccation and provide more humid or wet and warmer conditions that are favorable for plant growth, but also for fungal growth. During this propagation cycle, there are various stages where Volutella blight might enter the system and even become enhanced by cultural operations: (1) For rooted cuttings, mother plants that have non-symptomatic infections may carry hyphae of V. buxi inside plant tissues, even if care is made to remove visibly diseased tissue. (2) When cuttings are dipped in fungicides before propagation, the foliar portions are not protected. However, V. buxi is almost completely restricted to entry through wounds, so if wounding of above ground parts is minimized during these controlled environment operations, infection levels might be decreased. (3) With latent or non-symptomatic infections, V. buxi still can grow out from infected live tissues, produce spores, cause infections, and be transported by air and

Figure 3. Pink dots found on lower surfaces of leaves of infected boxwood associated with Volutella blight

splashing water. The infection process is faster in controlled environments between 20 and 25° C and under high humidity in propagation rooms, than it is in the external environment. In lab studies with detached leaves, the entire disease cycle from infection to spore production can occur in three days. Furthermore, we found that from dead dried leaves, the fungus is still viable after six months under dry storage conditions at room temperature, and hence debris can be a source of infection, in addition to infected non-symptomatic live tissues. (4) In cases where there is a high risk of disease, repeated applications of fungicides are likely needed, because spores will be constantly produced and released under the moist, warm growth conditions in controlled environments. No fungicides are registered for control of Volutella blight on boxwood. The following six fungicides, which are commonly used against woody ornamental diseases in Ontario, were tested on whole boxwood plants: Phyton-27 + Nova 40W (0.3 g/L water + 0.3 g/L water); Dithane DG 75WP (3 g/L water); Daconil 2787F (2.4 mL/L water); Rovral Green 240 g/L (24 g/L water); Senator 70WP (0.14 g/L water); and Banner MAXX 14.3 per cent (0.35 mL/L water). Whole plants were treated with the solutions until runoff, and 1.5 ml was applied per leaf for detached leaves. For the pre-inoculation treatments (i.e., fungicide applied before the fungus), the fungicides all reduced disease by 80 to 95 per cent, while fungicide treatments at seven or 14 days after inoculation gave disease reduction between 57 and 88 per cent. All six fungicides tested here have the potential to be used in an integrated control program to reduce infection by V. buxi and losses due to Volutella blight. However, more field and growth room fungicide testing is required under commercial operating conditions. LT

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sustainablelandscaping

Innovative eco-solutions

BY SEAN JAMES

I’m forever amazed at the creativity of the human race. From machines that blow air into the soil to fracture it to reduce compaction around tree roots, to Myke which is packaged spores of mycorrhizal fungi, we’re always discovering new ideas that we can develop. At our yard, we have no access to power, and water is difficult to get. Our solution? We set up two 275-gallon plastic, portable cisterns on raised platforms. We harvest rainwater from the barn roof to fill these (although I admit that in the heat of summer we do have to fill them from the well). We built two large flood trays lined with pond liner, each with a sump pit towards which the trays slope gradually. We found low voltage pumps, like those that would be used for a bilge pump on a yacht. We set up a small solar panel and use it to charge two marine batteries that are stored inside the barn. We simply open the cistern and fill the trays and let the water sit for an hour or two. Then we attach the leads from the pump to the battery. The pumps move the water back into the cisterns so it’s a very time- and water- efficient process. In the fall, when it’s dark in the barn, we use the batteries to run a lowvoltage lighting system. Many bangs for the buck! Low cost. Easy to set up. It was a team effort and blending of brains that make me proud of my staff. Another fascinating idea that’s gaining traction is the Envirolok Vegetated Soil Bag system. The gist of it is that you fill bags made of heavy duty landscape fabric with soil or soil mixed with biochar (we just used the sandy loam that was on site). The bags are attached together with a spike/disk arSoil bags are a new method for building intricate walls and stabilizing banks, creating a vegetated wall that can last for 120 years.

20 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

rangement. Once the wall is built, it can be vegetated by hydroseeding or planting plugs in small holes cut into the bag. Any type of plant can be used, although deep rooted natives or drought tolerant perennials and trailing shrubs are best, in my opinion. Once the wall is vegetated, it’s rated for 120 years. It can be used to create incredibly intricate curving walls of amazing heights and complexities. It can also be used to stabilize stream banks and even line creeks to deal with erosion issues. This system seems amazing, but since many things in life don’t perform as well as they are advertised, it was with some trepidation that I used it in a design. I planted it in a rock wall with a mix of perennials and shrubs: creeping phlox, blue rug juniper, edging candytuft, hens and chicks, rockcress, stonecrops and more. This spring I kept meaning to stop by to check it out. I think I put it off because I was afraid it might not have worked. I finally went to check on in and, when walked around the corner to see it, I scared my crewmember. I whooped! I have almost never been that happy! ‘Ecstatic’ might be a better

word. Only installed a year ago, in June 2011, it was already mostly filled in. I’m going back to plug a few holes that are my fault. I didn’t take into account the rate at which some plants would spread. Even beyond the ease of installation and the fact that you can use soil from on-site, in a kind of cut and fill method, considering that to build the wall, no stone was blasted out of a quarry and no diesel was used hauling heavy things around the countryside. This product has so many levels of ‘green’! There isn’t even any heat-island-effect cast from it, since it’s vegetated! How cool is that?! It just goes to prove that when we put our minds to something we can solve many of the world’s problems, especially if we work LT together.

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

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managementsolutions

Engaging the next generation BY MARK BRADLEY

It’s been said a lot, studied a lot, and if you’ve hired under-30 workers, you’ve seen it a lot. This younger generation is different. Generations going back years have always seen the differences in the way they were raised, compared with the current generation, but perhaps none more so than now. So how do you deal with this generation of workers in your company and on a jobsite? The fact is, they’re here and they’re not going anywhere — and you’re going to have to depend on them for results. You have a simple choice: You can continue to do things your way, and they’ll do things their way, and you can fight it out while your business suffers. Or, you and your foremen can learn to manage and motivate differently — and get more out of these young employees. It’s critical that you, as an owner, and just as importantly, your foremen, learn to get the most out of the people who work for you. Wishing for the old days and complaining that this generation doesn’t work like you worked isn’t going to change a thing; but here are a few tips that might: Be honest when hiring Start off on the right foot. This generation works so they can have fun. If you expect long hours, weekend work and hard labour, be straight up at the beginning. If you misrepresent the job before they start, they’ll get frustrated, they’ll resent their job and your company, and they’ll underperform until they quit or are terminated. Engage them from day one Throw them in headfirst on day one. Give them responsibilities, but be realistic. Make them the VP of trailer operations or jobsite cleanups, and advise them that their job is to keep things neat and organized. Let them know they will be held responsible and be clear about the standards. A checklist and/or regular evaluations are key — you can’t expect them to know what you want if you don’t tell them. Don’t tolerate helplessness, stomp it out. Don’t feed into it by answering questions they can figure out for themselves. Force them to think through and answer their own questions. For more on power questions, reread the article, Train your staff to think solutions, not problems! in the May 2012 issue of Landscape Trades. Be a bull when it comes to company systems Bulls don’ t mess around. They know one way — head down, horns up and straight forward. You need to be the same with company systems and procedures. If you dance around your rules or take them lightly, your younger workers will have absolutely no respect for them. They have short attention spans and they’ve been wired 22 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Work with the next generation and learn how to get the most out of your employees.

since the age of two to filter out non-essential information, even when it’s directed at them. They’ve grown up with 1,000 commercials a day spouting what comes out of the other end of the bull. Don’t let your words get lost in the filter. Be ultra serious about your systems and expectations. Imagine if life depended on your employees following systems. You simply couldn’t put up with workers who don’t. It’s not that you can’t get better respect for your systems, it’s that you don’t try hard enough. For an example of a nice lesson served up cold to a Gen Y crew member by his firefighting comrads, go to http://www. firefighternation.com/article/command-leadership/managing-generation-y-firehouse-part-2. I couldn’t put it any better. Short attention spans need short-term goals This generation gets information in quick doses. From commercials to video games to YouTube and Facebook/Twitter, information comes fast. They deal with it; then it’s out of sight, out of mind. Convey your goals and expectations the same way. Three quick meetings a day will help. Start of day: Set the goals, review what’s missing/needed (materials, equipment, info, etc.) Mid-day: Review the goals. Are we on track, has anything changed? End of day: Did we hit the goals? What’s needed for tomorrow? Recognize hard work or give constructive criticism. It’s one or the other, but don’t be fake either way.

managementsolutions Use the daily meetings to coach future superstars Gone are the days of the mindless labourer, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Young workers today like to understand the who/ what/when/where and whys. They want set goals and clear direction on where they’re going. They get bored with tasks that seem to have no objective or provide no feedback. After all, most of this generation grew up with video games rather than television. In video games, every screen has a goal, a score, and a way to advance (‘level up’). All of this can be good for your business — but you have to give these employees what they need. Give them a task, explain how to do it and why it’s done that way. Expect questions and answer them without being insulting. Give them the results (their score) at the end of each day and each job. Are we on track or falling behind? Where is their job taking them? Can they advance/level up in your company? How? Ask for feedback in the meetings: i.e., What could have made your job faster/easier today? Explain why you’re doing your work in that order? Show me how you inspected that equipment before using it. The secret to success in almost any business, or in any role for that matter, is simple: Be the best teacher. If you’re good at your job, and if you can teach people to do it as well or better than you, you’re indispensable and you’re sure to be successful.

formers is the easy way, and the lazy way. Great companies and great foremen face the tougher challenges head on and deal with hard issues straight away. And that’s exactly LT what makes them great.

Mark Bradley is the president of Landscape Management Network and TBG Landscape. He writes about lessons learned in running and growing his own landscape business.

Sub-par performers are for golf Be quick to pull the trigger on those who are hurting rather than helping your productivity. Their attitudes and work ethic will spread like cancer through your company. This generation in particular will resent the fact that under-performers are rewarded as well as good performers and they will reduce their standards to meet the lowest acceptable level of performance. Sooner than later, the lowest level of performance will become your company’s standard, while you shake your head saying, “I just can’t find good people.” It’s been said that all employers get the employees they deserve. Keeping poor perJULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

legalmatters

Defining responsibility

Creating a clear snow contract will avoid disrupted work BY ROBERT KENNALEY

Disagreements and claims relating to changes in the work can lead to significant disputes under all contracts, and winter maintenance contracts are no exception. Since such disagreements and claims can arise in many different ways, managing the risk of change is something contractors should think about from the time they start negotiations through long after they have completed their work and services. As a starting point, many disputes over “changes” arise because the original scope of work is not clear: the client says the disputed work is “included,” while the contractor says it is an “extra.” Where the original scope of work is not properly detailed, a resolution of the dispute can require a “he-said-she-said” analysis, which can generally go either way. Also, any ambiguity in a contract will generally be interpreted against the person who drafted it. Pursuant to the legal doctrine of contra proferentum, if the contractor has drafted the contract and presented it to his client, any vagueness or ambiguity will generally be interpreted in favour of the client, so long as the client’s proposed interpretation is reasonable. It is accordingly important for contractors to make sure their contracts are sufficiently clear and detailed to leave no question about what the contractor is, and isn’t, required to

Reduce your risk with standard form contract To help snow and ice contractors reduce exposure to risk, Rob Kennaley has prepared sample standard form snow and ice contracts. The contracts contain terms and conditions that can generally apply to all projects, and can be customized if needed. Several forms are available, including different options for ice melter applications. Download the forms free at www.horttrades.com/standard-formsnow-and-ice-maintenance-contract.

24 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

do. With respect to winter maintenance, this is particularly true in relation to who decides when, where, and how much ice-melting product is to be applied in any particular circumstance. As a starting point, winter maintenance contracts should clearly specify who is to make these decisions. Contract must specify who assumes risk If the contractor is to assume risk, he or she should be given the discretion to make decisions, without limitation, unless the contract says otherwise. In the case of winter maintenance, the contractor should be paid for all ice-melting product used. Contractors should not let owners pass on the risk of the slip and fall to them, nor limit their ability to manage that risk by applying ice-melting products as they see fit. If the owner wants to limit, in any way, the contractor’s ability to apply ice-melting products, the contract should require the owner to assume the risk of that decision. Where the contractor is to be “on-call” with respect to the application of ice-melting products, or where the application of these products is to be an “extra,” the client generally “makes the call” as to when and how they are to be applied. This should be made clear in the contract. The contract should include terms and conditions that confirm the client retains the sole responsibility to monitor the weather conditions in the vicinity of the premises and determine if and when a request for the application of ice-melting products should be made. The client can choose to specify, in advance, that the contractor will apply ice-melting products only in certain circumstances: for example, when the contractor attends to clear snow. Also, the contract can treat other requests for the application of ice-melting products as an extra under the contract, on a request-by-request basis. (Once a request is made, the contractor should have discretion to put down as much of the ice-melting product as he or she believes is appropriate). The on-call/extra request process should be outlined in the contract and should require that the request be submitted in writing, prior to the work being performed. While in previous times this might not always have been practical, in this day and age email and text technology should be available to meet this requirement. Requests should also be clear and unambiguous. Utilizing a pre-arranged format for the form of the request is advisable.

legalmatters

Set out reasonable response time The contract should generally only require the contractor to respond to such a request within a reasonable period of time. The contract should not guarantee or imply that the contractor respond within a specified time frame unless the contractor is being paid to be on-call, 24/7, in that regard. This is because the contractorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response time will generally depend on the timing of the request, the weather and driving conditions, and the volume of work the contractor is committed to elsewhere. Contractors who are concerned that they may not be able to meet the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs upon such a request should immediately advise the client (preferably in writing) that they cannot respond reasonably until a certain time. Often, owners who are concerned about the cost of winter maintenance services under an all-inclusive contract will approach the contractor with a request to limit the application of ice-melting products to particular quantities or circumstances. When this occurs, the contractor should only agree to such a change if the client agrees to then assume full responsibility to decide when and if the ice-melting products should be applied. The contract should then be formally amended to impose this risk on the client. Also, the contractor should be aware that, generally speaking, he or she will be entitled to the lost profits that would have been earned had the services not been removed from the contract. Last, in relation to extra work and as is the case with all winter maintenance services, the contractor must prepare and engage a reasonable system to meet his contractual obligations in this regard and keep good records to be able to prove, if necessary, that his or her LT contractual obligations were met.

writes regularly on construction law issues and can be reached for comment at 416-368-2522 or at kennaley@mclauchlin.ca. This material is for information purposes and is not intended to provide legal advice

in relation to any particular fact situation. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard.

Robert Kennaley has a background in construction and now practises construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ontario. He speaks and JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

roadtosuccess

Where have all the young ones gone? I was talking to Ron Boughen recently. Ron is the third generation of his family to head up a 100-year-old, prairie institution, Boughen Nurseries in Valley River, Man. Our topic was: What will happen if we do not train young people to become plant people/horticulturists? There was a time when a father handed over the nursery business to his children, as Ron’s father, Russ, did for him. Perpetuation of the trade was almost guaranteed. Today in western Canada, there are several outstanding plant people who know the nursery trade inside out. Names that come easily to mind include Jan Pederson, Garfield Marshall, Wilbert Ronald, David Vanstone, Michel Touchette, Ken Riske, Frank Van Noort and Han de Jong. That is the good news. The not so good news is that all of us are in our 50s and 60s. Something has happened, other than us getting older. There is a crop of younger landscapers in their 20s and 30s. Their stonework, timber construction, grading and other related ‘hard’ landscaping is impeccable. They have honed their skills to a degree that was only dreamed of 30 years ago. What is missing from their skill set is the knowledge of the plant world. I suspect that over the last few years, both the homeowner and the contractor have viewed trees, shrubs and perennials as decoration, instead of the backbone of the garden. In essence, the plants have become the throw pillows of a landscaping project. I get it. When there is a $100,000 project on the table, the plants are often only one or two per cent of the money being spent. I have actually heard both parties say something such as, “I suppose we can put some type of a tree over here, in the corner.” In my design process, the tree is never an afterthought. It is the anchor of the space. The careful selection of the plants is what sets a beautiful yard apart from a bland one. 26 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

STORY TIME: In 1979 or ’80, I was hired to landscape a new home. The original owner still resides there and she asked me to rebuild her garden this summer. The backbone of her garden is three trees including a green ash, a ‘Thunderchild’ and a ‘Hopa’ flowering crab. The trees were planted 32 years ago and were in dire need of pruning. The ‘Thunderchild’ was a five-foot, two-year-old when planted. The price was $19.95, on sale. When I climbed inside the ‘Thunderchild’ this spring, I said to the tree, “You don’t know me, but I am your daddy.” Corny to some, but every nurseryperson I tell this story to understands my sentiment.

Michel Touchette of Jeffries Nurseries in Portage la Prairie and I have spent a similar amount of time in the nursery business. Michel is a great guy and gives much thought to any topic. I corresponded with him recently and asked him for his take on the absence of new people in the trade. Here is his answer: “How do we attract young people to our greenhouse and garden centre? As a production manager, who works with ten Mexican men due to the shortage of Canadian workers, the question takes on an urgent matter. “As a father of four adult children I realize I might be the biggest stumbling block for my children to follow in my horticultural footsteps. Young adults have different values and approach to a work life. Working 12 hours a day for six and seven days a week does not interest them. What we saw as a duty, they simply see as crazy.” Michel’s take on the long hours is accurate. This factor was also a deterrent for my children. I have three adult children and at one point, I asked if any one of them had an interest in taking over the garden centre. My oldest one put it bluntly, “You work too hard for your money.” That is one side of the coin. Here is my sales pitch to any young

BY ROD McDONALD

person who is considering this industry. It is difficult not to write this as a love story to the trade. I have spent the bulk of my adult life in this trade. I could write thousands of words, but I can also sum up by simply saying, “I have enjoyed it thoroughly.” It has never been a career or a job. It has always been a life, my life. My suppliers have always been my friends, never my enemies. When Les Vanderveen calls from his greenhouse in Carman, Man., it is always a welcomed call. He is as fine a fellow as one can meet. Our trade is populated with good people, both men and women. Jenny Huisman was a tough businesswoman at her nursery in Rosedale, B.C. She needed to be tough. She had to deal with bullheaded truckers who didn’t want to listen to her instructions because she was a woman. She had to make them listen. Everyone in the trade knew you didn’t cross Jenny, yet there was a fairness to Jenny that ran deep. Jan Pederson operated Shelmerdine’s in Winnipeg for many years and now he reps for Bylands Nurseries out of Kelowna, B.C. He sent an email to all of his customers telling them he was available around the clock through the Victoria Day weekend. Jan knows from years of retail that garden centre operators, whether large or small, need assistance with reorders during their busiest time. He was there for them. It is what we do for each other. Frank Van Noort out of Langley, B.C., will sit down with people just starting out in the green industry and teach them how to be successful, if they are willing to learn. Certainly, part of Frank’s sales pitch on being a winner includes buying nursery bulbs from him, but that’s how he makes his living. He gives something back to our trade besides tulips. All of the people within the trade, from

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roadtosuccess plug tray growers to the caliper tree farmers, understand that the more successful we make our customers, the more successful we become ourselves. To throw out a fancy word, we are involved in a ‘symbiotic’ relationship. So, where does this lead? This is an industry that is still alive. It still has vibrancy to it. It still holds opportunity for those who have the passion. It is also one of the last trades where your handshake means much more than signing any legal document. In our business, your word is everything. It is your most valuable asset. I have never minded the long hours or the weather driven drama of this trade. It is all a part of the process. STORY TIME: In 1980, I had just met my

wife. She knew nothing about the trade. One May morning at four o’clock, Paul Fowler called from Carrot River, Sask. Paul had a greenhouse and he was coming to Regina shortly. He had room for two racks of bedding plants and he wanted to know if I needed anything. I sat up in bed, cleared the fog from my head, and told him what I could use. We discussed the colours of petunias he had and the varieties of tomatoes that looked good. He said he would be at my place by 9 a.m. I thanked him and closed my eyes for another hour of sleep. To my way of thinking, Paul did me a favour by waking me up. To my

wife’s thinking, Paul was crazy and I was even more insane for accommodating him. “It’s just the way we do business,” I explained. She is a nurse. You would think she would understand that just as a hospital runs 24/7, so does a greenhouse. Why she has stayed with me all these years is a good question. I assume it is for the free bedding plants and because I take out the garbage without having to be asked.

We all want to live a life of interest. Why would anyone choose a life that is boring? As entrepreneurial horticulturists, we are not cut from the bureaucrat’s cloth. God made us special because this trade needs special people. Not everyone can be one of us. I think we need to be recruiting (if that is the right word) young people to the greenhouse and garden centre and nursery part of the trade. We need to mentor them so that they become successful. We can’t sugarcoat the life, but we can and should point out the positives. There is much joy in planting a small tree and seeing what it has become 30 years later. There is happiness in placing seven plugs into a hanging basket and then watching it walk out the door 10 weeks later, lush and lovely, with its new, proud owner. Chains dominated the restaurant business for many years. The independents were not doing well. In the last 10 years, a new generation of chefs has taken on the challenge and is opening new cafes and bistros

across the country. These chefs are being creative, cooking up a storm. They have followed their passion and now they have a supportive audience for their dishes. Chefs in their 20s and 30s are now making a good living following their dreams. We can do the same thing in our trade. Ours is an unusual business and we often have difficulty with balance. Our lives do not run evenly. This is not a nine to five job, but then again, we are not nine to five people. We are life affirming in what we do. You see it in our eyes. You hear it when we speak. We never lose the passion for our plants. Many nursery people live well into their 90s. They enjoy a full and blessed life. Our roots lie in the positive energy of this trade. We need another generation of plant people for all of LT us to stay on the road to success.

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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industrynews Domoney to keynote Expo 2012 Garden centre owners and managers are invited to join David Domoney, noted U.K. gardening guru, October 17, at Landscape Ontario’s Expo 2012. He will highlight innovative ways garden retailers can draw customers through personality and identity. His high-energy presentation, Diamonds in the Rough, includes stunning visuals showing real-life transformations of garden centres that became compelling destinations. Domoney’s experience of more than three decades in the gardening industry includes heading a buying team for more than 300 gardening David Domoney super stores, scouring the world for plants and products. His current TV show pulls more than three million viewers. He combines sound business acumen with a polished show business touch. He has lectured to gardening audiences, both amateur and professional, at venues around the world including Moscow, Berlin, Brussels, Vienna, Hong Kong and Las Vegas. In the U.K. he writes for House Beautiful magazine, U.K. Landscape Today and Garden News, and his garden expertise has appeared in The Times, Daily Mail, Sunday Mirror and The Telegraph. The event is hosted by Landscape Ontario’s Garden Centre Sector Group and sponsored by Landscape Trades magazine. It takes place Wednesday, October 17 at 7:30 a.m. at the Toronto Congress Centre’s North Building. Tickets include breakfast, David Domoney’s presentation, the Landscape Ontario Garden Centre and Grower Awards of Excellence presentation, and admission to the trade show floor — a great value. Visit www.loexpo.ca to register.

Students from Cardinal Carter Secondary School helped to gather seed from several native species last fall. In the spring they cleaned the seed and sowed it into Ellepots donated by AMA Plastics, under the supervision of park staff. The propagation in the school’s greenhouse was very successful and, despite the rain, the transplanting on June 1 went quickly with about 90 students, school and park staff and six AMA staff members participating. Park staff were pleased with the germination rates of these plants, which included flowers and grasses; they also appreciated the easy transplanting. AMA staff enjoyed working with interested young people and the company is looking forward to helping out again next year. Point Pelee is a National Park at Canada’s southernmost tip, and a local treasure.

Ontario Legislature passes critical ‘One Call’ legislation Bill 8, the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, has been officially passed into law. Bill 8 was introduced November 24, 2011, by MPPs Bob Bailey and Paul Miller. It proposed to make participation in a province-wide ‘one call’ system mandatory for all owners of underground assets. The previous voluntary system has resulted in numerous strikes to the province’s critical infrastructure network, during excavation, construction projects and routine renovations. The Act will enable any excavator to call just one number in order to receive all required under-

ground locates at no cost. This corrects the previous system that forces excavators to call as many as 13 different numbers, which has contributed in part to the thousands of accidental strikes that occur each year.

Sun Gro acquires Conrad Fafard Sun Gro Horticulture of Vancouver, B.C., has acquired Conrad Fafard of Agawam, Mass., the growing media products business of Syngenta. Sun Gro is one of the largest producers of peat moss and peat-based growing media products for the professional plant grower market in North America. Under terms of the agreement, Sun Gro has acquired all of the U.S. and Canadian assets of Fafard, including its employees and production facilities. The acquisition of Fafard by Sun Gro is expected to create the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of professional growing media products available in North America.

Low impact development construction guide wins award Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) water resources specialist Robb Lukes, along with his colleagues at CVC in Mississauga, Ont., and environmental design firm Emmons and Olivier, have brought home an international award recognizing CVC’s Low Impact Development Construction Guide. The award, recently announced by the Minnesota Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, recognizes excellence in communicating techniques and technologies used in landscape architecture.

AMA Plastics assists in species restoration project

AMA staff were on hand at Point Pelee National Park, Leamington, Ont., to help with a native species restoration project. AMA’s John Vezina initiated his company’s involvement in the project last year; this year the project grew to more than 5,000 plants. 30 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Corny Katler and John Berg, AMA Plastics employees, help plant native species at Point Pelee National Park.

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industrynews First production Brouwer Sod Harvester on a Massey Ferguson tractor, 1972.

(far right) Brouwer RoboMax JD automatic roll Sod Harvester, 2010.

CVC’s guide provides design guidance and specifications for designers, architects and contractors who are interested in incorporating Low Impact Development (LID) techniques into their developments. LID is a rapidly developing field in water management that uses advanced techniques such as rain gardens and permeable pavement to help rain water filter into the ground, reducing polluted runoff and lessening the likelihood of erosion and flooding. “We’re so pleased to see more builders, designers and municipalities getting onboard with

LID,” said Lukes, “CVC has been at the forefront of LID technology in Canada and we have a growing suite of great resources to help make LID a reality in communities across the country.” Several organizations on both sides of the border are already using CVC’s LID Construction Guide to improve their environmental performance. For more information about CVC’s Low Impact Development work, visit www.bealeader. ca. From there you can follow the LID Guidance Documents link to find the guide and other helpful resources.

Brouwer Company celebrates 40th anniversary Forty years ago, Gerry Brouwer revolutionized the way sod was harvested around the world. This year, the Brouwer Company celebrates its 40th anniversary. Brouwer’s vision changed the industry from cutting sod with a Ryan sod cutter and stacking it onto pallets or trucks by hand to a Brouwer sod harvester that cut sod, transferred it onto a conveyor, rolled it and put the rolls on a pallet — all in one operation. Producers were able to reduce labour (by six to

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eight workers) when they switched from the Ryan sod cutter to the Brouwer sod harvester. In some operations, Brouwer harvesters have replaced as many as 25 workers. Over the last four decades, the Brouwer sod harvester has harvested trillions of sod rolls and slabs worldwide, saving producers millions of dollars. Brouwer’s first sod harvester was manufactured in a shop at Brouwer Sod Farms in 1972. In 1974, Brouwer built a factory in Keswick, Ont., — the same location where the equipment is manufactured today. The first Brouwer sod harvester sold for $9,600 complete. Over the years, Brouwer has developed additional products for the turf industry and invented the patented automatic big roll system now used by Bucyrus. The company also introduced improved models of conventional sod harvesters including the successful automatic small roll Robomax sod harvester, a response to the growing trend toward automation and a cost-effective, labour-saving unit. When asked about his company’s milestone anniversary, Gerry Brouwer said, “It has been a great pleasure to have been part of this industry. I couldn’t think of better people to work with and have appreciated their business and loyalty.”

Francis Meilland rose wins 2013 AARS honours All-America Rose Selections (AARS) has named the Francis Meilland rose its 2013 winner. The Francis Meilland™ rose is named to commemorate the centenary of Francis Meilland’s birth, the breeder behind the historic Peace rose and, most recently, the Drift series of groundcover roses. It is the first hybrid tea rose to win under no-spray conditions. AARS members recently voted to stop all fungicidal spraying of test roses, ensuring that the winners can perform without any added chemicals. Francis Meilland is a tall hybrid tea rose with a very large bloom, good exhibition form and strong fragrance. It is also a multiple-award-winner in Europe, where it excelled in disease resistance and aesthetics. AARS winners are chosen after an extensive two-year testing cycle in a series of 10 trial gardens. Roses are judged on characteristics including disease resistance, flower production, colour and fragrance. The Francis Meilland rose will be available to consumers in spring 2013.

JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

The Best Fleet Program just got Bigger & Better. The newly updated Fleet Advantage® Program rewards your commitment to ECHO and Shindaiwa quality with product discounts and “no-hassle” financing. This flexible program allows you to combine equipment, attachments and accessories. With two levels of discount you will save more as you bundle your purchases - including BOTH ECHO and Shindaiwa products.

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products, attachment and accessories. Once qualified the savings get even bigger. Enjoy Fleet discounts on all ECHO Bear Cat units and accessories. • Low qualifying purchase – only $2,500 – higher discounts apply at $5,000. • Fleet discounts apply up to 12 months.

Visit your local ECHO® or Shindaiwa® Dealer to get started. For more information, visit our websites: www.echo.ca www.shindaiwa.ca JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

industrynews Canadian site a winner in International Parking Institute Awards of Excellence The International Parking Institute (IPI) has recognized seven of the industry’s most outstanding parking facilities and operations with its 2012 Awards of Excellence, citing innovation, efficiency, sustainability and user-friendliness as key factors in the selection. Winners were announced during the 2012 IPI conference and expo, held in June in Phoenix, Ariz. “The 2012 winners exemplify the fact that our industry is no longer just about parking cars; it’s about being part of transportation solutions, relieving traffic congestion, taking a leadership role in reducing our carbon footprint, and so much more,” said IPI Executive Director Shawn Conrad, CAE. “We have a responsibility to encourage and support the use of alternative forms of transportation, from bicycles and light rail to electric vehicles, and each of our winners demonstrates that commitment. They all combine sustainability, aesthetics, and efficient technology, and support the concept that ‘getting from here to there’ should be a good experience.”

Best design/implementation of a surface parking lot Award of Excellence: 573 Gerrard Street East with Zhong Hua Men Archway, Toronto Project Team: Louis K.C. Cheung Architect Inc., Architect; Dale Cheung, Chief Designer, Chairman, Archway Organizing. Toronto’s only traditional Chinese archway, the 43-space Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) surface parking facility (known as Carpark #146 when it opened in 1984), was redeveloped to include the Zhong Hua Men Archway. This gateway to Toronto’s East Chinatown was constructed to symbolize Chinese contributions to Canada, and includes a tribute to the 17,000 workers who built the transnational railway. Far from being a run-of-the-mill parking facility, it functions as a catalyst to raise cultural and economic awareness, and encourage the area’s development.

Government announces funding for Rouge National Urban Park The federal government has announced funding from Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012 toward the establishment of Rouge National Urban Park

Weather or Not.

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Dutch trade fairs GrootGroenPlus and Expo TCO form marketing partnership Nursery trade fairs GrootGroenPlus and Expo TCO have formed a partnership focused on attracting international visitors. The dates of the fairs overlap, so the purpose of the cooperation is to expose national and international visitors to the Dutch nursery stock range including woody plants and large street trees. The 22nd edition of GrootGroenPlus will be held October 3 to 5 in Zundert, Netherlands. Expo TCO is an initiative of the Vereniging Boom- en Plantenbeurs Opheusden en Omgeving, which is supported by all tree nurseries in the region of Opheusden. This new trade fair runs from October 2 to 4. More information regarding participating in or visiting these fairs can be found at www. grootgroenplus.nl and www.treecentreopheusden.nl.

Canadian Gift & Tableware Association Launches Kids Health Gift Challenge

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in the Greater Toronto Area. More than $140 million has been committed over the next 10 years and more than $7.5 million will be ongoing to help develop a ‘people’s park’ in the GTA. “Our Government is proud of the outstanding collaboration with so many provincial, municipal, Aboriginal, youth and community partners as we move forward in creating this unique protected area in the heart of the GTA,” said Peter Kent, Canada’s environment minister and minister responsible for Parks Canada. “We are also pleased to share the proposed Study Area for Rouge National Urban Park, which fulfills the original vision for a contiguous network of lands reaching from Lake Ontario in the south all the way north to the Oak Ridges Moraine.”

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The Canadian Gift & Tableware Association (CGTA) has launched an industry-wide challenge to raise $100,000 for SickKids Foundation, to benefit paediatric health research. This campaign will enable CGTA, an industry that benefits from gift-giving, its members, and the extended gift community to give back the best gift of all — health and happiness to children. For more information, visit: www.cgta.org/ LT Assoc/Home.aspx

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newproducts Multi-position snowplow Blizzard’s new Speedwing Plow thinks for itself, with wings that automatically angle forward or back, based on blade position, to maximize plowing efficiency. When angled for windrowing, the trailing wing folds back in line with the moldboard, while the leading wing retains its forward position to capture more snow, reduce spill-off, and allow use of the entire blade. Blizzard claims its Speedwing Plow is the cost-effective, multi-position plow that’s as easy to use as a straight blade. Blizzard

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Fleet tracking device The PinPoint Plug-and-Play unit from PinPoint GPS Solutions is a fleet tracking device that samples data from onboard sensors. The system can create custom reports that indicate such information as time at the customer address, for service and billing verification, driving behaviour, and real-time information about vehicle location. PinPoint GPS Solutions

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Bulk salt Draglam bulk salt sacks hold one cubic yard or 1.24 tonnes of salt each and offer less waste. This is the most cost-effective option for commercial property management. Less labour is required with bulk bags — fewer bags to open. Empty bags can be refilled with general or construction waste and picked up for disposal. Delivered direct to greater Toronto area sites, these clean, water-resistant bulk bags are easily stored. Draglam Salt

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Dual trip snowplow Boss unveils the all-new Power-V DXT featuring a dual-trip, multi-position designcombining the best in trip-edge and full moldboard-trip technologies. The dual-trip design of the DXT delivers enhanced plow protection when striking hidden obstacles.To minimize blade twisting, the 10-foot plowfeatures heavy-duty push frames, cross-bracing and reinforced moldboards. The Boxx SmartHitch2 attachment system comes standard. Boss Snowplows

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TIMM ENTERPRISES LTD. Mail: P.O. Box 157, Oakville, Ont. L6K 0A4 Office & Warehouse: 5204 Trafalgar Rd., Milton, Ont. L0P 1E0 Phone (905) 878-4244 Fax (905) 878-7888 Sales 1-888-769-TIMM (8466)

Your headquarters for specialized supplies and equipment for the green industry. Please visit our website at: www.timmenterprises.com 38 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

38 | JULY-AUGUST 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Asset tracking device DeWalt’s Mobilelock is a completely self-contained, portable, wireless alarm system and GPS locator that protects your valuable assets by enabling you to monitor and locate them 24/7. Built-in alarm sensors provide you with a flexible and customizable security solution.The system is managed and controlled through a secure web page or from your smart phone. An internal rechargeable battery provides approximately 30 days of run-time. Optional extended run-time kits and permanent power adapters are available. PinPoint GPS Solutions

www.pinpointgps.ca/products/dewalt

Store landscape documents in the cloud PlanGrid was created to save contractors time and money. The iPad app is easy to use, easy to setup, and can benefit every project, big or small. With PlanGrid, all project drawings are stored in the cloud so there is no more tracking down plan sets and leafing in changes. Publish once on the web and update everyone. Reduce rework by getting timely drawing updates to the field. PlanGrid

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Skid steer box plows The Boss’s B-8 and B-10 family of skid steer box plows are built to maximize snow-moving efficiency while providing durability and reliability. Each model features Boss’s unique bolt-on wings, which are replaceable should a severe impact occur while plowing. A universal coupler fits all skid steers, and built-in float and pivot features keep the blade on the ground while negotiating rough terrain. The trip-edge design minimizes impact from obstructions such as manhole covers and curbs. Boss Snowplows

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Connect Equipment Corp Mildmay • 519-367-2648 Chepstow • 519-366-2325 Kitchener • 519-696-2568 Stratford • 519-273-1740 Bradford • 905-775-6269 Innerkip • 519-469-3883 Rockwood • 519-856-9512 Lucknow • 519-528-3426

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Salt storage Draglam salt storage domes will help you achieve the highest level of success in your winter de-icing business. Save money by buying in bulk and stockpiling yourself. Save time by storing supplies on or closer to properties you service. Be ready when stock supplies start to run low during the season. Draglam salt storage domes are available in a variety of sizes and options. Draglam Salt

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Articulating 4WD tractor The new Steiner 440 Tractor offers a power delivery system with an assortment of high horsepower engines (32, 34 or 40 HP gas or 24.9 HP diesel).The go-anywhere and do-anything 440 utilizes 4-wheel drive and all-wheel traction to tackle any terrain, and articulating power steering with an oscillating frame to maintain its compact footprint and agility. Switching attachments is still a snap with Steiner’s simple (no tool) front Steiner Quick-Hitch system. Schiller Grounds Care

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