June 2012 Landscape Trades

June 2012

VOL. 34, NO. 5

landscapetrades.com

Community and supplier connections pay solid returns Create workable job costing systems Properly fertilized turf improves water quality

OJT

Teach your pros how to train — on the job

PM40013519

contents JUNE 2012 VOL. 34, NO. 5

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

Mark Fisher from The Escarpment Company, Milton, Ont., trains his crew on-the-job.

FEATURES

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

6 Effective on-the-job teaching

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

8 The phosphorus factor

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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.

Goal of new national program is to create confident trainers in every company

BY SARAH WILLIS

Study shows properly managed turf improves water quality

COLUMNS 12 ROAD TO SUCCESS | Putting down roots in your community

BY ROD McDONALD

16 SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING | Going native can be beautiful

BY SEAN JAMES

18 LEGAL MATTERS | When to contest a backcharge

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

20 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS | Simple steps for job costing success 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 MARK BRADLEY

DEPARTMENTS GREEN PENCIL NEW PRODUCTS INDUSTRY NEWS PROVINCIAL NEWS

4 24 26 28

CNLA NEWS COMING EVENTS CLASSIFIEDS WHERE TO FIND IT

30 32 33 34

JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

3

greenpencil

DIY instincts are the enemy of training

Busted, by a teenager When my 19-year-old called me to find out where the broiler was in our kitchen, I knew I’d let my kids down.

My husband and I have raised three hard-working kids who have done well in sports, school and contributed to the family business during peak times, while holding down other part-time jobs. My goal has always been to teach them to be independent — I want their (wayoff-in-the) future spouses to thank me for raising low-maintenance, equal partners.

That fateful phone call pointed out the area where my teaching

By Sarah Willis has come up short. When CNLA’s

By Sarah Willis Joel Beatson mentioned that many owners and supervisors in our industry don’t take time to properly train their workers because, “it’s quicker if I do the job myself,” I had an Aha moment, and counted myself among them.

During years and years of rushing home from work to get them to karate, hockey or soccer, it was always faster for me to shoo them out of the kitchen and get supper on the table myself.

I interviewed Joel for this issue’s opening article on the green industry’s customized job instruction method.

Coined OJT, for On the Job Training, it teaches the industry’s trainers, employers, supervisors and foremen, a groundbreaking, structured method of training employees while they work.

4 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

The seasonal and service-oriented nature of the horticulture industry means most companies deal with some new and/or green employees every year. Crew leaders can’t afford to stop working to teach employees the correct way to do a job, so most muddle along by demonstrating proper procedure as they go, or, as mentioned above, by doing the tricky parts themselves.

However, as Joel says, “Talking isn’t training, and showing isn’t training.”

Brian Clegg, of Allweather Landscape Co., in Toronto, is an industry veteran, with over 47 years’ experience under his belt. Even after decades of experience training new hires, he was pleasantly surprised at the takeaways learned in the OJT workshop. Brian appreciates that OJT is simple, and allows for training to happen on the jobsite — not in hours and hours of training meetings. One of the benefits of the OJT method is that it allows employers to use billable time to train employees as they learn to complete a task.

The ultimate goal is to create an efficient workforce that does the job right the first time, and can be counted on to work with consistent results.

My house is full again this summer, as the kids have all come home from school, so I’ve been given another chance to teach meal preparation 101. This time I’m using the learning theories taught through OJT, and will keep it simple, instruct patiently and explain one step at a time. I’ll know I’m successful if, by the end of the summer, they can make something other than K.D. when it’s their turn to cook. LT

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Teaching quality, speed and efficiency

On the job

BY SARAH WILLIS

National training program makes anyone a confident teacher

The old adage, Those who can, do and those who can’t, teach, doesn’t hold up in the green industry. The fact is that all those who do, teach, and do so on the job nearly every day. However, just because someone has the skills and the knowledge to complete a task, doesn’t mean he knows how to pass knowledge on to a other person. Were this true, Wayne Gretzky would be the greatest hockey coach of all time.

Because labour is the largest expense in most sectors of the green industry, making sure workers are taught to perform work correctly and efficiently directly impacts a company’s bottom line. With this in mind, the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) worked with the Canadian Agriculture Human Resources Council (CAHRC) to develop a method to teach people how to teach. CNLA is pleased to offer all members a two-day workshop that focuses on teaching people how others learn, as well as the best methods of improving skills of trainers.

Coined On the Job Training (OJT), the program uses a method originally devised to train factory workers during WW II. The wartime program was called Training Within Industry (TWI), created to fill the critical production jobs vacated by soldiers. The new workers needed to get up to speed quickly and seamlessly, with no loss to quality or safety. After the war, Gen. MacArthur passed the training method on to the Japanese; Toyota still uses it to train one of the most productive workforces in the automotive industry.

Joel Beatson, professional and business development manager with CNLA, explains that the association rolled out OJT Train the Trainer seminars in 2010, with the goal of setting up a network of master trainers able to offer this proven method for on-the-job instruction to owners and managers in every province.

Keep it simple OJT is a simple four-step program. The first step is to prepare workers to learn. Find out what they already know. Beatson explains that 6 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

almost everyone in the green industry is an adult learner, and brings a spectrum of life experience to the job.

Putting workers at ease and positioning them to learn is fundamental to the success of OJT. Working side-by-side is a key factor in workers learning jobs correctly, says Beatson, who explains that working face-to-face leads to mirroring a task, and not necessarily getting it right.

Step two is to present the operation and demonstrate what you are going to do, one step at a time. Here, the most important thing to remember is to include the whys as students watch you perform a task. If your worker can explain the reason he is doing each step, it’s locked in. For example, students need to understand the reason why interlocking pavers are dropped into place, not put on the screening base and dragged into place.

The third step is to have workers try the jobs out. They should show you they can carry out the task, and at the same time, tell you what they are doing, and why. Here, Beatson says, the key is to correct mistakes as soon as they happen. Don’t let little things slide because you are busy; take an extra minute to fix them right away. Training ends when you are confident workers know the task.

The final step is to follow up. Check back in later, and make sure the worker understood what you were teaching. Create a culture where employees are comfortable asking for help if they need it.

With frequently performed tasks, the need for training will tail off.

However, if a task is performed rarely, recognize that workers may need a bit more follow up.

Live in the moment Beatson explains that giving a new worker too much explanation is a common error for many managers or foremen. He says best results come from training in the moment, for the task you are doing. For example, if mowing a flat lawn with no grade change in sight, don’t

Once the OJT philosophy is adopted, staff can master the systems in a 30-minute hands-on OJT session, and be able to teach others.

start explaining about all the variables and safety issues of mowing on a hill. Teach one task at a time — what workers need to know at that moment.

This way, short training moments will happen throughout the day as a job progresses. OJT trainers recognize that workers can’t be in training 100 per cent of the time — they have to produce as well.

The four-step OJT system should take about 10-15 minutes maximum to complete. Beatson notes that the personalities in the green industry tend to have an ‘it’ll be faster if I do it myself’ and ‘no one can do the job as well as me’ mentality. Recognize that it might take a bit longer to train a worker to do a job effectively, but that time will be paid back in spades.

Real-life results Businesses adopting the OJT program have seen a 50-100 per cent improvement in training efficiency. Once they institute the fourstep training program, they are not having to show workers how to do a job again, or redo work that was performed incorrectly.

Jeff Foley of Para Space Landscaping in Burnaby, B.C., is a big fan of the OJT program. “It’s a great program. We were really already using most of the techniques, but OJT has systemized our training and ensures consistency on all our crews. We see our newer staff are a lot more confident when embarking on new tasks now, and feel it has had a positive effect on our company culture. We see results quite quickly now we’re using the OJT system.”

Foley adds that, in regular follow ups his company conducts with new staff members, the new employees recognize and appreciate they are receiving training they haven’t been offered by previous employers. Foley has even extended the OJT system to his office team, who use it when training new staff, too. “The program is quite transferrable,” he says.

Joey Wynberg of Signature Landscape in Moncton, N.B., says the OJT training system is so simple, “We all kind of do it already. Putting it all together into one package was helpful.” Signature Landscape trained its foremen on how to deliver the training system, and

have seen it trickle down naturally to its crews.

“OJT has helped with the whole culture of our company. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that it has helped our hiring process. We can now hire for attitude and fit, knowing our staff are able to train new hires effectively. OJT has improved the quality of our work.”

In Alberta, Ron Francis of Alpha Better Landscaping in Calgary, sums up OJT with a favourite Chinese proverb. “If you tell me, I will listen. If show you me, I will see. But if you let me experience, I will learn.” Add follow up, and Francis says that’s OJT in a nutshell.

Francis notes that previously staff would spend two hours training on the company’s systems in a classroom, and still not know it.

Once the OJT philosophy was adopted, staff could understand and master the systems in a 30-minute hands-on OJT session, and be able to teach others as well.

“It’s a lot easier to commit to a task if you know why you are doing it,” says Francis. “The OJT system requires a lot of work up front , but is well worth it in the end.”

Francis, an experienced trainer adds, “I never realized how much difference it made to make the trainee feel comfortable. Once they are engaged, training is all that much easier and retention is outstanding.”

Invest in success CNLA’s Beatson says that in theory, OJT will pay it forward, as eventually second- and third-generation workers who have been trained the OJT way will use it to teach co-workers.

Many graduates of the program report enhanced work crew consistency with the OJT system. By working consistently, jobs can be costed more effectively, with savings achieved through reduced rework.

OJT training sessions are offered through each provincial trade association. Larger companies can invite a trainer for an in-house training event. Participants receive a copy of the training standards, method outline, quick-review cards and training moment templates. To schedule an OJT training session, contact your provincial LT trade association.

JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

7

The

phosphorus factor

Brian Horgan, University of Minnesota; Pam Rice, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, St. Paul; and Carl Rosen, University of Minnesota

Study shows properly fertilized turf can reduce phosphorus runoff

Runoff research area with collection containers visible

8 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Turfgrass managers continue to face scrutiny on the types of inputs used to manage landscapes and playing surfaces. Questions and comments include: What type of fertilizers are you using, organic or synthetic? Are those fertilizers slow release? Why don’t you just use compost from the local recycling centre? I prefer not to fertilize my lawn because I don’t want to pollute the environment.

As stewards of the environment, turfgrass managers are responsible for proper application of inputs, developing conservation strategies, and communicating those strategies with customers and the greater public.

Perspective Phosphorus is an essential element required for plant growth and development of turfgrass. In soils, it is relatively immobile except in runoff water and erosion of soils. Off-site transport of phosphorous to natural fresh waters can result in accelerated eutrophication.

Eutrophication is a process that increases aquatic plant growth and subsequent reduction of water clarity, habitat loss, and decreased levels of dissolved oxygen.

When properly maintained, turfgrass does an excellent job at minimizing soil erosion. The concern in a turfgrass system results from runoff of dissolved (not particulatebound) phosphorus where there are high amounts of organic residue from clippings and thatch, high soil test phosphorus, or recently applied phosphorus fertilizers.

Research has clearly demonstrated that added phosphorus fertilizer should not be applied following establishment when soil-test phosphorous levels are high.

There is no simple answer Phosphorus fertilizer-use restrictions are popping up across the upper Midwest of the U.S. Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota all have statewide use restrictions on fertilizer applied to turfgrass. These laws typically exempt golf courses and sod farms and provide an opportunity to apply phosphorous when establishing

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a new lawn or when a soil/tissue test states a deficiency.

Minnesota’s fertilizer restriction has been in place since 2004 (metro) and 2005 (statewide). The primary outcome from this law is that the amount of phosphorous fertilizers sold has been significantly reduced and most fertilizer manufacturers have formulated a zero-phosphorus fertilizer. The expectation in Minnesota was that surface water quality would improve now that phosphorous fertilizers applied to lawns have been removed from the market. No changes in water quality due to the Minnesota law have been documented. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple.

Research nuts and bolts A study was conducted on a silt loam soil at the University of Minnesota Turfgrass Research, Outreach and Education Center, with a 5 per cent slope and high soil test phosphorous (27ppm Bray P-1) to evaluate phosphorous fertilization and clipping management effect on phosphorous runoff from Kentucky bluegrass. Phosphorus runoff was evaluated separately under frozen and non-frozen soil conditions. The study was conducted for five years following initiation of experimental treatments in September 2004.

Four fertilizer treatments were compared: (1) no fertilizer; (2) nitrogen and potassium only (0-P treatment); (3) complete fertilizer N + 1xP+ K; and (4) complete fertilizer N + 3xP+ K. For treatments 1 to 3, nitrogen was applied at 147 kg ha-1 (3 lbs. per 1000 ft.2).

Potassium was applied based on soil test recommendations. Phosphorus rates were: 1xP = 49 kg ha-1 and 3xP = 147 kg ha-1 the first year (1 lb. and 3 lbs. P2O5 per 1000 ft.2, respectively) and 1xP= 16 kg ha-1 and 3xP = 49 kg ha-1 for the following four years (0.33 lbs. and 1 lb. P2O5 per 1000 ft.2, respectively).

The 1xP treatment in the first year was equivalent to the recommended phosphorous rate for turfgrass in Minnesota in the establishment year, at the measured soil test level. The 1xP treatment in the following four years was typical of the amount of 10 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

phosphorous commonly applied before the widespread availability of zero P turf fertilizers. Each fertilizer treatment was evaluated with clippings removed or clippings recycled back to the turf for a total of eight experimental treatments.

Data were collected for total phosphorous (TP) and dissolved reactive phosphorous (RP) concentrations in runoff, runoff depth, amounts of TP and RP transported in runoff, turfgrass growth and quality, phosphorous concentrations in plant tissue, phosphorous uptake, and soil test P levels (Bray P-1) at two soil depths. In the fourth and fifth years of the study, TP measurements were not made and only RP was measured in runoff.

Results After five years of data collection, our results can be summarized as follows: l Phosphorus in water runoff, the soil, and turfgrass tissue increased linearly with increasing phosphorous fertilizer application rate l 86 per cent of phosphorus runoff occurred when the soil was frozen l 78 per cent of the water runoff (total volume of water running off the turfgrass) occurred when the soil was frozen l 72 per cent of runoff phosphorous was dissolved reactive P l No clipping management effect was found l In year one, highest phosphorous runoff occurred from the 3xP treatment l In years two to five, highest phosphorous runoff occurred from the no fertilizer treatment l Phosphorous runoff can be reduced without affecting turf quality by not applying phosphorous fertilizers when soil test P levels are high l Properly fertilized turf can reduce phosphorous runoff.

The story Considering the results just presented, in parts of North America with prolonged fro-

zen soil conditions, the majority of off-site movement of phosphorous from the landscape occurs during the winter when plants are not actively growing and the entire landscape is impervious. Stating this differently, management practices to mitigate or reduce off-site movement of phosphorous from the landscape can impact 14 per cent of the total P lost. Plants that are actively growing and actively managed reduce phosphorous runoff.

Further consideration of these results should also lead you to the fact that turfgrass, when properly fertilized, will actually improve runoff water quality from the landscape. At this research location, properly fertilized would be N and K only, because of adequate supply of phosphorous in the soil after establishment. Soil testing is the only way to identify what “properly fertilized” turf means at your location.

The public should not extrapolate or infer the following: If Phosphorus is bad for the environment then all fertilizer is bad for the environment. This is simply not true. From these results and in a separate five-year study on golf course fairway turf, any strategy to reduce runoff volume will reduce off-site movement of nutrients in runoff water.

These strategies would include hollow-tine aerification to reduce compaction, nitrogen fertilizers to increase plant density, vertical mowing to reduce thatch accumulation, and proper fertilizer selection. When comparing hollow-tine and solid-tine aerification, hollow-tines reduce runoff volumes and phosphorous in runoff by 55 and 44 per cent, respectively (second after aerification).

Follow the water!

With regards to proper fertilizer selection, late season fertilizers should not contain P. There is no published research that suggests any benefit from late-fall or dormant applications of phosphorous fertilizers, especially in parts of North America that experience frozen soil conditions.

Conclusions Properly fertilized turf will improve water quality. Soil testing will determine phosphorous fertilizer needs. Not applying phosphorous when an adequate supply is available in the soil will reduce phosphorous runoff. Any management practice implemented to keep water on the landscape will reduce nutrient LT loading into surface waters.

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roadtosuccess

Community ties and relationship building

BY ROD McDONALD

As you build your business, you should also build ties with your community.

Community is a set of expanding circles. The smallest one is your block, followed by your neighbourhood, your city, and so on. Your expanded community should also include those from the trade in your region and other parts of Canada; but for the most part, the closer to home, the tighter your ties should be.

If you are not involved in your community at some level, then you are missing out on many opportunities. Take a look around and you will observe that the most successful people are involved at many different levels.

I would suggest to anyone who is starting out that you introduce yourself to your business neighbours. Keep it short and don’t overstay your welcome. Don’t spend an hour pitching your talents and abilities to them. A simple ‘I am here,’ will suffice for a start.

Ask around your neighbourhood: What needs to be done? Where do I fit in? What can I do to be a good neighbour? From those answers, take your lead. In 1995, armed with a new snow blower, I began to clear my block of the freshly fallen snow. It soon expanded into a route that includes four city blocks. I have kept that route, as a volunteer, to this day. The benefit is that I have met every one of my neighbours in all directions.

Some entrepreneurs have found it beneficial to join a service organization such as Rotary. Others have found connections in breakfast clubs or the Chamber of Commerce. When you join these organizations, you not only have access to a network of successful men and women, you also have the door opened to people who can guide your career. Many a mentorship has begun within these types of organizations.

A cross-promotion can prove to be beneficial to both parties within a community.

I participated in different ones during my 12 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

business tenure. One year, I organized the local members of the Saskatchewan Nursery Landscape Association to take out a joint Yellow Pages advertisement. I also convinced one of my greenhouse friends, on the other side of town, to share ads with me. The top portion of the ads pitched plants, while the bottom directed the reader to his place on the eastside and mine on the west. Not only did we share in the costs, we benefited from the buzz it created. Two independents were sharing one newspaper ad. Not headline news perhaps, but chat worthy nonetheless.

Cross-promotions can work with complementary businesses as well. I would often run half-page ads and reserve a small block within my ad to promote a company that sold soils and gravels. These situations are win/win and something I would encourage.

I found it beneficial to hook up with different cultural communities within my city.

I organized parties at my garden centre that featured different ethnic communities. I contacted the local consulates and they assisted, as did the various ethnic communities themselves.

Fun now, sales later The parties at my garden centre became a sought-after ticket. They took a bit of work but they built relationships. Good food, good music and, most importantly, no cash registers in sight. My parties and other hosted events were never taken as an opportunity to sell — well, at least not that night. The parties were straight up, good old-fashioned, community socials.

I also hosted events for the Horticultural Society and the Lily Association. These organizations welcomed the opportunity to meet in a greenhouse rather than a school or a church hall. Again, they take a little work and you should donate a door prize, but

your support will be rewarded.

Building relationships with your suppliers is also of utmost importance. Your suppliers, if they are good ones, will assist you in ways not readily apparent. They understand the different marketplaces and what is working within each of them. They should be able to advise you as to directions, products and services. Good suppliers will warn you of roads not to go down, and they can tell you stories of those who ignored their advice.

One of my suppliers asked me if I had ever been to Mill Creek Nursery, near Edmonton.

I told him I had not. He told me I should go, as he was certain the owner and I would get along. He said, “Both of you march to the beat of a different drummer, and I am certain you will click.” He was right. Ken Riske, who owns Mill Creek, and I do get along and I am grateful that we were introduced.

Suppliers can also be of great assistance in promotions. A supplier might not have a program that fits your needs but, with the right pitch, you can often get them to come on board and get involved. I have asked suppliers to host a Saturday, filled with seminars and additional sales people for their product line. They have not only provided the sales people, they have assisted with advertising and promotional material. I have always believed that suppliers should be treated by independents with the greatest of respect. I have seen how the box stores beat up on their sales reps and suppliers. It is not a pretty picture. There is much to be gained by treating wholesalers, growers and reps with dignity.

Involvement with the various trade and professional associations is also very important. It connects you with a larger group of people with shared concerns and a wealth of experience. Through contacts made at trade association functions, I had the opportunity to learn what I needed. Back in the late 70s,

roadtosuccess starting out, I would call Wade Hartwell at Golden Acres in Calgary for supplier advice.

He would growl, “Why are you buying from him? He’s a supplier of last resort!” Then, Wade would provide me with the name and number of a better supplier. All it took was a call to that new number, with a mention that Wade had sent me, and I was in. Wade introduced me to Adrian Byland in 1981. I am still a Byland’s Nursery customer, more than 30 years later.

Success over timE Long-term relationships are beneficial to both parties. The supplier knows how you operate and you learn the product line.

I cannot stress how important it is to build strong, long-term alliances with suppliers.

Sadly, every community is filled with a few businesses that will drop a supplier for a nickel. Those types of business people pride themselves on being hardnosed. In reality, their attitude costs them in many ways. Price is only one factor in a business relationship.

The other equally important parts are quality, service and selection. What does it matter how good a price you secure if the shipments are always late?

I had a greenhouse grower who brought me a large order of gorgeous tomato plants, a week after my season had peaked. What did his price or quality matter when his service was lacking? At the same time, another grower would deliver product anytime I needed it, including 7 a.m. on a Sunday.

Keeping me well stocked was her priority. I always placed much bigger orders with her than with the other fellow.

This story repeats itself in every city, large or small. There is a well-known house builder in my community. The company subs most of its work out to contractors. It is always on the prowl for lower prices. In addition, the builder is always demanding extras from his contractors. He once insisted that a contract painter repaint a room because the customer did not like the colour, even though the customer had chosen the colour.

A sod contractor was made to repair, at no charge, damage caused by a trencher to sod that had been installed earlier. And the list goes on. This house builder never has the same subs for more than two years in a row.

More times than not, the company’s subs are inexperienced. As one contractor put it, “Working for them is almost a rite of passage. If you survive that experience, you get to stay in the trade.” You do not want to be that house builder or his equivalent. You do not want to work for him either.

You want healthy, long-term relationships and beneficial ties to your community. Those are the things that will give you a better life and allow you to feel good about yourself. And as always, those connections LT will keep you 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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sustainablelandscaping

The deep end of the pool

BY SEAN JAMES

Our local gene pool is important to us. This is the United Nations Decade of Biodiversity, so it seems like a good time to speak about using native plants in the landscape, not just for their beauty and ease of care, but because they support so many different kinds of life.

The trick to using any palette of plants is to consider beauty first. Combining plants is a question of mixing foliage textures. I’m a big believer that flowers come and go, but texture will make or break your landscape.

When I’m designing a garden, I create a list of every type of plant within the chosen restriction (edible, native, drought tolerant, etc.) that suits the soil, sun exposure and other on-site factors; then I figure out how to use them together for the best-possible visual effect. I try to use trios of bold, feathery and grass-like textures, often aiming for different foliage colours as well. If the plants flower, that’s a bonus. Using natives in drifts or as single accents takes the ‘wild’ out of the look by giving it more impact.

For example, a drift of Prairie Blues little bluestem backed by several tall purple coneflower, and fronted with, say, three golden Canadian juniper, is a dramatic combination that offers multiple seasons of interest.

It feeds the birds, shelters predators, and offers support for pollinators. A nice exclamation point behind this planting would be a Joe Pye weed or Diablo ninebark. (You could

A planting of natives on very sandy soil, functional yet beautiful.

16 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

even sneak this combination into a ‘traditional’ landscape and, because it’s so beautiful, no one would be any the wiser.)

In the shade, Christmas ferns, Solomon’s seal and Canada wild ginger complement and contrast each other. (Mulching your plantings with composted pine mulch helps natives establish better, which is important since they often take a bit longer to get their feet in the ground.)

Always try to live within your soil and moisture types. Don’t fight it and you’ll have greater success. Planting for clay, sand, moist or dry will create a landscape that shines out in a world of conformity that seems to prefer to flatten the hills and fill in the valleys. So many customers want to have a swale filled in or clay soil removed and replaced with ‘good’ soil. It can be tough to change their minds since they are set on that idea. But the possibility of saving money may convince them. (The technique of landscaping within your environment is often cheaper.) Also, the thought of having a landscape different from what most people have will often win them over. Planting a moist swale with drifts of blue flag iris, Carex grasses, blue or red lobelia, sparkleberry and dogwood or sageleaf willow is far more interesting than more yews, euonymus and daylilies.

If you need groundcovers, some great examples include Canada anemone, bush honeysuckle, bearberry and flowering raspberry.

Using native plants in drifts takes the ‘wild’ out of the look.

They are aggressive in the wrong place, but amazing in the right one.

With all the available new cultivars — ninebark, non-invasive goldenrods, Purple Dome and Vibrant Dome aster, Tiger’s Eye sumac, even an Ontario native Heuchera ‘Stainless Steel’ — adding the local gene pool to your garden is easy and, in fact, desirable. In some cases such as sandy soil, our local plants even allow you do that which is perceived as nearly impossible. We designed and installed a beautiful (if I do say so myself) cottage garden on pure sand in a very urban area of Toronto. Folks thought it couldn’t be done.

Even just finding room for a couple of drifts of ornamental natives would be better than nothing and more interesting than the common non-native palette. They also make the landscapes you design stand out from those of your colleagues, which is good for business. Better yet, they bring birds and butterflies to the garden, making you look LT like a magician!

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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legalmatters

Of backcharges, deficiencies, warranties and guarantees – Part II

BY ROBERT KENNALEY, McLAUCHLIN & ASSOCIATES

Last month, we offered our first installment of a discussion on how back charges, deficiencies, warranties and guarantees differ from one another, and of how they relate to one another in construction.

In the conclusion of this two-part series, we will discuss whether or not an owner or contractor can always backcharge for deficient work. In addition, we will discuss the difference between deficiencies and warranted work, as well as when, if at all, a contractor or subcontractor is required to respond under warranty. Finally, we will discuss the context in which “guarantee” might differ from the concept of “warranty.”

Consider the circumstance where the owner or contractor who hired you decides he or she no longer wants you on site to rectify deficiencies. Consider also the circumstance where the owner or contractor owes you a significant amount of money for the work performed, and you have refused to address deficiencies because what you are owed greatly exceeds the value of the deficiencies. In these circumstances, can the owner or contractor apply a backcharge

against you, to set off against what you are otherwise owed, for the cost of correcting the deficiencies?

These examples point to a common problem in construction: where the contractor is willing to correct deficient work but is either not given access to do so, or has not done so because of the amounts owed under the contract. The contractor would argue that, in these circumstances, the deficiencies would be corrected at no cost to the owner if the owner would only allow the access, or pay his bill. The contractor would also argue that the owner should have no ‘backcharge’ for the cost of rectifying deficiencies, as no costs should ever have been incurred by the owner in that regard. (Similar arguments and issues arise, of course, as between the contractor and subcontractors, or between subcontractors, further down the construction pyramid).

Court sided with contractor There is quite a bit of logic to these arguments. Indeed, they have been recognized

by Canandian courts. In a recent case of the construction lien court in Ontario (Wo-

Build Inc. v. Sangster, [2011] O.J. 2781), for example, the contractor agreed that there were deficiencies in the work and that the owner had corrected them. The Court held, however, that the owner had stepped in prematurely to correct deficiencies, at a time when the contractor was entitled to address them as part of his contractual obligations.

The Court also found that the contractor, through its subtrades, would have corrected the work at no cost to the owner, such that the owner could recover none of the costs incurred in that regard.

The arguments put forth in Wo-Build should be considered where an owner seeks to apply a backcharge for correcting deficient work: unless the contractor refused to correct them and/or the owner had a contractual right to take over the work, there is a strong argument to be made that the owner will have corrected the deficiencies at his or her own cost. The same arguments apply to disputes further down the construction pyramid.

Deficiencies should also be distinguished from warranted work. Deficiencies are generally those items of work which must be

BULK WINTER SALT

PERMACON

18 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

corrected before the owner will accept the work as being complete, and deficiency free.

Warranted items, however, are generally those items which the contractor or its trades must return to correct if they arise after the work has been accepted by the owner. The distinction can be important, as the warranty generally has conditions attached — whether expressly under the contract or by implication. First, for example the warranty might not apply if the contractor has not been paid for the work. Other examples include the typical warranty of plant material: if the owner does not properly maintain and water the material, the contract might (and probably should) provide that the warranty will not respond. Similarly, where a landscape design is altered by the owner, the landscape designer’s warranty of the suitability of the design should be void.

There are two points to take from this discussion of warranties. First, if you wish any conditions to be placed on your warran-

ties, you are best to set them out in the contract. Second, you should keep in mind that these conditions might not apply to your obligation to correct deficiencies before the owner has accepted the work. This would be the case, for example, with respect to the standard plant material warranty: it would be difficult to blame the fall-back of plant material on the owner’s lack of maintenance during a time when the contractor still had control of the site!

Warranty, not guarantee Lastly, we should discuss how a warranty might differ from a guarantee. In some ways, they might not differ at all: this is because the warranty or guarantee will be whatever you say it is in the contract, and will be subject to whatever conditions you set out in that regard. The concept of guarantee, however, should probably be avoided. This is because the concept implies that the item is guaranteed to perform, regardless of what

happens, unconditionally. We suggest you are better off using the term warranty as the term is more commonly understood as being subject to conditions. Even then, of course, it is important to set out what those conditions are in the contract. If you do not, an owner might interpret the warranty to be a guarantee in the usual sense of the word. LT

Rob Kennaley practices construction law in Toronto. He speaks and 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. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard.

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managementsolutions

Jobcosting:

the secret of successful landscape businesses

BY MARK BRADLEY

“ Tell me how you measure me, and I’ll tell you how I behave.” – Eli Goldratt The quote above tells us a lot about how human beings behave, whether it’s in school, in work, in life, or even in love. If 50 per cent of our school grade had been based on whether we came in the next day with our homework done, we likely all would have spent more time doing homework. But we weren’t marked on that; our marks were based on tests that we were given every so often. And, if you were anything like me, you never did your homework; but the night before the test you buried your head and tried to cram a month’s worth of work into about four hours of studying. Why? Because that’s how we were measured — test scores.

Tell me how you’ll measure me, and I’ll tell you how I behave.

Is your company showing your employees how they are being measured, or are you all out playing in the dirt like it’s pond hockey, hoping for the occasional breakaway or glorious moment? Is anyone playing defence? Playing their assignments? Finishing their checks when the chips are down? If you’re not jobcosting and reporting results regularly, then you’re not measuring. If you’re not measuring, your company isn’t trying hard enough.

It doesn’t take a CFO to setup jobcosting. Anyone can do it. The secret is keeping it simple enough for it to work. Make sure you’re using an accounting package that can do jobcosting. It’s worth the small extra cost.

Step one: Set up your accounting First, decide what exactly you need to know.

This is critical. But your decisions on how to track time and costs must not only fit your needs, fundamentally they must be

20 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Sample construction cost codes

Sample maintenance cost codes

101 Excavation/Earthwork

201 Lawn mowing + Weekly maintenance

102 Hardscape installations

202 Spring cleanups

103 Softscape installations

203 Fall cleanups

104 Irrigation + Lighting installations

204 Fertilizing

105 Woodwork + Carpentry

205 Enhancements

simple enough for everyone in your company to use and understand.

If all you care about is whether the job made or lost money, then all you really need is one cost code to handle all your work. But most owners want a little more information.

You probably want to break down your costs by work type. In Quickbooks, for example, these work types are set up as cost codes called Service Items. A sample list might look like the chart above.

Each job will have one (or more) of these cost codes assigned to the different tasks on the job. The cost codes help you standardize your work types from job-to-job, so that whether you call it a Front Patio on Job A, a Back Patio on Job B, or an Entrance Driveway on Job C, they can be viewed individually by job and their combined results can be viewed under 102 - Hardscape Installations.

It is extremely important to keep it simple! This is the golden rule of jobcosting and I can’t emphasize it enough. Jobcosting is only ever going to be as good as the information you get back from the field. In a perfect world, you might like 100 cost codes to track each different task, but your crews would never be able to track their time accurately against all those codes. With such a system, you would be worse off than you were without jobcosting—a complicated system that nobody actually uses will not be accurate!

There are two ways to get to the top of

a cliff. You can climb the face or you can take the stairs. Sure you could climb the face faster, but only the most experienced climbers make it. The rest of us, being amateurs, would probably fall. It’s no different in jobcosting. Start simple. Take little steps. It takes longer to reach the top, but it’s so much easier to get there, and nobody gets hurt.

If you’re reading this, doubting that your foreman is going to be able to manage even a simple list of cost codes, then perhaps it’s time to question whom you have as foreman.

Remember — all you are asking is which address they were at and which simple tasktype the crew worked on. If they found their way to the jobsite in the morning, I’m sure they can follow this system.

How do they know how to track their tasks? Read step two.

Step two: Set up your estimates If you think of your estimates as being just a price for your customer, you’re selling your company short. The estimate is one of the most important systems for any contractor.

The estimate builds a plan for the job that is not only for costing and pricing the work, but for setting the production goals. A good estimate breaks down the hours, equipment, materials and subcontractors needed, and quantities for each. You can’t ask a crew to get a job done in $12 a square foot, but you can ask them to get it done in three 10-hour days.

A good estimate sets the goals for each job for your crews, especially hours. Assign each major work type on your estimate(s) to one of the standard cost codes you set up in accounting. No matter what you call the work on the estimate, it will be standardized by the cost code.

Print a version of the estimate for the crew. Don’t include prices, but do include the major work types on the estimate, the cost codes assigned to each, and the estimated hours for each. This is why it is so important to keep the system simple. One hundred cost codes mean the crews have to record their day’s work, hour-by-hour, against 100 different cost codes. The data won’t be accurate and you’ll know it, therefore you won’t use it.

So, if you’re working on a patio for the Jones Residence, the crew’s copy of the estimate needs to clearly show that the cost code for the patio is 102. As timesheets are filled out, the crew can mark these with the site address (or job name) and code 102.

They know the cost code, because it’s on their estimate. All they need to know is what site they’re at and what task they’re working on. Simple.

Step three: Back to accounting With the information coming back from the field recorded by job and code, accounting can enter all times and costs to both the job and the appropriate cost code. Simple, quick reports out of your accounting will show you exactly how many hours were spent at each job and on each major task. You can then compare it to the estimate, to make sure things are happening on schedule.

Vendor invoices should be reviewed by the owner, or someone equally ‘in the know,’ before they are entered into accounting. Every material invoice should have the jobsite written on it (the crew can do this), then the owner must write the expense account the invoice items should get booked to. This gives accounting the information they need to enter the invoice correctly.

So many owners look at their numbers at the end of the year, and know they are wrong—or don’t understand them. This is because someone else is deciding where

JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

21

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managementsolutions expenses get allocated It’s unreasonable to expect bookkeepers and accountants are going to be able to accurately allocate expenses the way the owner expects to see them. The owner must take a proactive role in coding expenses before they are entered. Once they are coded, they can be entered accurately

and when the end-of-year statements are generated, your company’s numbers will be accurate, and useful to you, because you were the one who classified them.

Step four: Share the information Imagine school without tests. No report cards. No way to know what you were good

Fresh Ideas

The Farwest Show is THE trade show for ideas. Exciting ideas fresh from nursery and retail experts delivered straight to you. With hundreds of exhibitors, thousands of plants and products, and dozens of valuable seminars, you’re sure to leave energized and ready to go. Join your fellow

at and what you needed to work on. They just asked you to do your work, and all you got at the end of the school year was an invitation back next year—or not. Sounds like a great place to have fun with your buddies, but that’s about it.

Stop and think about your company.

What are your measurements? Who’s handing out the report cards? Who’s telling your staff when they’re winning and when they’re behind? Without a score, it’s no wonder most employees are in it only for the pay cheque and don’t respect the little details and mishaps that drive you crazy and drive your profits into the ground? Without any report cards, your company is just a great place that cuts them a cheque every two weeks, but not a place they’re invested in.

In order for jobcosting to have any impact on your bottom line, results must be shared, and shared regularly. Regular reviews clearly demonstrate the importance of getting jobs done on time (you’re measuring it) and they also will help you build systems that differentiate, evaluate, reward, and improve your staff’s performance.

Don’t treat your business like a hobby; contracting is like a sport. To win, and to build a team, you need to keep score. Done simply, any company can do it. I guarantee it will not only improve your estimating, but it will improve your field productivity, your profits, and the respect your employees have for their work.

No jobcosting? Your employees won’t see success as important. And without jobcosting, who are you to argue with them? LT

Mark Bradley is president of The Beach Gardener and the Landscape Management Network (LMN), based in Ontario.

green industry professionals and fill your head with electrifying, practical and innovative ideas to invigorate your business. Register now!

August 23-25, 2012 www.FarwestShow.com

22 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

22 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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newproducts Diesel zero-turn mower Gravely’s new Pro-Turn 400 diesel zero-turn mower features a 25 hp Kubota engine, and is available with 60- or 72-in. deck sizes.It features Gravely’s airsuspension seat for maximum operator comfort. For landscape professionals looking for a high-performing, fuel-efficient alternative to gasoline mowers, the Pro-Turn 400 diesel has a 13.4-gal. fuel capacity and large flat-free front tires. The seven-gauge fabricated and welded X-Factor Deck features an easy-to-operate lift system aimed at reducing operator fatigue. The unit features a dial-adjust cut height system and maintenance-free XL spindles.

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24 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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industrynews Snow show returns to Buffalo

Boxwood blight: Beware of “free from” claims

The Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) will hold its 15th annual Snow & Ice Symposium in Buffalo, N.Y. from June 20 to 23, 2012. The fourday event features a trade show, speakers, educational sessions, and networking events for professionals in the snow and ice industry.

New for the 2012 Symposium will be two pre-conference workshops featuring industry speakers. Mark Borst will speak on sales and marketing and Canadian expert J. Paul Lamarche presents a workshop on budgeting and estimating. A new educational session track, CEO to CEO, will cover highlevel business and management topics.

The Symposium will be held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, and will also feature a two-day day trade show with the latest equipment and services from over 100 exhibitors. “Reaching Resonance: Engaging Employees through Emotional Intelligence” with Cindy Maher and Carol Grannis of Leading Edge Coaching and Development is the keynote, and 21 educational sessions cover budgeting and contracts, technology, deicing, sales and marketing, operations and more. “Snack & Chat” roundtable discussions are planned on varied snow and ice topics, where attendees can network and share tips of the trade. networking receptions include a closing event dinner at Niagara Falls and the SIMA Awards and Recognition Night, honoring the best in snow and ice.

Registration and a full schedule of events are available at www.sima.org/ show. For more information, contact Martin@sima.org, or call 414-375-1940.

The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association reports that some growers of boxwood are claiming to be “free” from C. buxicola or boxwood blight, based on negative test results supplied by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspectors.

Growers that have been inspected by CFIA, and have received all-negative results, may receive documentation to that effect from their CFIA inspector.

However, it is important to note that this documentation does not verify that the grower is “free from” boxwood blight, but rather that the samples taken were negative. There is no program or process in place to guarantee 100 per cent freedom from boxwood blight. CNLA recommends growers use the wording, “apparently free from boxwood blight.”

Chances are extremely small that your plants will contract boxwood blight if you buy from reputable growers who have been tested, and continue to test, their crops for the disease. Boxwood is still an important plant in the landscape, and by asking suppliers for their written assurances, you should feel safe in knowing that the chance of boxwood blight showing up in your garden centre is slight.

We move and supply big, beautiful trees

Expo 2012 is Growing Green Landscape Ontario’s Expo, formerly Garden & Floral Expo, will be held Oct. 17 and 18 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The growing green theme for this year’s show is about how to develop and nurture sustainable thinking within the business environment. Retailers are invited to look at their current business processes, and discover how to make them more efficient, effective and relevant.

Emphasis will be on the plants, flowers and exquisitely merchandised displays, designed to impress, capture imaginations and provide inspiration that can be replicated in stores, florists and garden centres.

In addition to the exhibits and new product presentations, Power Breakfast events and a dynamic keynote presentation will be offered, making this year’s Expo the industry event no one should miss.

Additional information on Expo 2012 can be found at www.loexpo.ca

Online fuel calculator launched

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Landscape contractors and maintenance supervisors are struggling to keep fuel expenses from eating into their profits and budgets. To that end, The Grasshopper Company announces a new online tool designed to accurately calculate fuel costs and impacts of commercial mowing equipment on the bottom line.

In addition to determining annual fuel expenses and savings, the Fuel and Emissions Calculator, available at www.grasshopperfuelsavings.com, quantifies greenhouse and smog-forming gas emissions per hour of mowing, trade-in values and overall profitability comparisons for each of the three most popular fuel choices for commercial mowers: gasoline, propane and diesel.

The result is a robust tool that provides a comprehensive analysis of the impacts each fuel type has on budgets and the environment.

Due to the volatile nature of fuel prices, the calculator is designed for individual customization which allows users to revisit the program and calculate LT new totals any time prices fluctuate.

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26 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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How to build the Ultimate Zero-Turn Mower.

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Fortunately, your John Deere dealer already has that machine: the ZTrak™ PRO 900 Series Z925A EFI with Mulch On Demand.

See him today about how you can own the ultimate zero turn mower.

Accept Nothing Less *Offer valid from Mar 01, 2012 until Jul 31, 2012. For personal or commercial use. No down payment required. For example, on a new John Deere Model 970A PRO, basedon a selling price of $17,153 (selling price in example is based on MSRP as of 30 November 2011 and may change at any time without notice. Dealer may sell for less) plus a $50 documentation fee, less a down payment of $0 results in a balance of $17,153 to be financed for a maximum of 3 years with 36 monthly payments of $476.85 totalling $17,166.72 based on 0.00% AIR with a cost of borrowing of $13.72. A $50 documentation fee may apply. Subject to John Deere Financial approval and dealer participation. In the event you default on this or any John Deere Financial Multi-Use Account transaction, interest on all outstanding balances on your Multi-use accounts (including on this and all special Term transactions on your Multi-use Account) will begin to accrue immediately at 19.75% AIR from the date of default until paid in full, and you will be required to make monthly payments on your Multi-use Account equal to 2.5% (personal use); 3.0% (commercial use) of the original amounts financed plus interest. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight, and preparation charges not included and may increase price or monthly payment(s). Minimum purchase and finance amount may be required. See your dealer for details.Program subject to change, without notice, at any time.

JohnDeere.com/MowPro 52588

saskatchewanupdate Landscape Trades devotes space in each issue to provincial association news.

This month features the Saskatchewan Nursery Landscape Association.

The Saskatchewan Nursery Landscape Association (SNLA) held its annual Conference and AGM March 15 and 16, 2012 at the Saskatoon Inn.

Approximately 40 people attended from across the province.

Presentations the first day consisted of: Dr. Karen Tanino of the University of Saskatchewan on A Brief History Through Time — A Recap of Past Projects and Current Activities; Owen Vanstone from Vanstone Nurseries, speaking on New Plants and Trends for the Prairies; and Bill

SNLA’s Conference and AGM was well-attended, with participants from across the province.

Stensson from Sheridan Nurseries finished off the day with his presentation on Strategic Planning and Succession Planning for the Green Industry.

On Friday, members had the opportunity to spend the day with Mike Lysecki of The Beach Gardener and Landscape Management Network, in a fullday Build a Better Landscape Business workshop.

The election of the 2012-2013 Board of Directors was held the afternoon of March 15, with the following results: president, Aaron Krahn; vice president, Leslie Cornell; directors: Robin Adair, Lloyd Trask, and Luke van Duyvendyk. The SNLA board consists of volunteers who are dedicated to the association and the industry. The board would like to thank Norm Altrogge for his dedication during his term on the board.

No awards were given out this year in the SNLA Landscape Awards program. Members are encouraged to make sure they have their cameras with them this year, and to take quality pictures of their work throughout the season for submission into next year’s awards program. The Landscape Awards of Excellence program encourages land-

growing green OCTOBER 17 & 18, 2012 TORONTO CONGRESS CENTRE, NORTH BUILDING, TORONTO, ONTARIO CANADA

www.loexpo.com 28 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

saskatchewanupdate scape contractors, designers and maintenance companies to continue their efforts to raise the industry’s image by consistent use of quality materials and competent workmanship. Entries are judged anonymously by industry experts. National Award of Excellence winner, Christene LeVatte of Highland Landscapes for Lifestyle in Sydney Forks, N.S., advises members to read the award criteria now, pick your project and category(s) for submission early in the season, so you are prepared.

Let’s play ball! July 28 has been set aside as the date for this year’s SNLA annual softball tournament, which will take place at the Dr. Seager Wheeler Park in Saskatoon. This is a fun day for

members, prospective members and their families, and another great opportunity to network with other industry members. The Saskatoon Shrine Club will provide barbecue services for the event.

If you are interested in entering a team and participating in this year’s softball tournament, contact christine@canadanursery.com.

The member recruitment campaign will take place once again this year during the spring and summer months. We are encouraging all SNLA members to promote our association to nonmembers; quite simply, there is strength in numbers and many benefits of being a member of the SNLA and CNLA. LT

Mike Lysecki conducted a full-day workshop at the recent SNLA Conference and AGM.

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cnlanews New website and online directory CNLA has a new online home at www.cnlaacpp.ca. The user-friendly layout allows members to find the information they want fast. Click on the member services tab to explore the savings programs and publications available to active members. Each commodity group (Growers, Landscapers, and Garden Centres) has its own areas with the latest news and information relating to each sector. Want to become landscape certified,

but don’t know where to start? The Landscape Industry Certified section will give you all the information you need. There is a lot to see and explore on the new site, including detailed industry event calendar, industry news, online publications, research, and more. Come and visit!

Recently, CNLA made the decision to move from a printed version of the Membership Directory to a completely online version. The online member directory allows users to search for pro-

fessional industry members across the country, narrowing their search by province, business type, business name, contact information, and city. To prevent spammers from misusing membership information we have opted to exclude fax numbers and have created an online form that the user must complete in order to email a company in the search results. The CNLA website receives more than 200,000 hits on average per year, with traffic from all over the globe. Be sure also to check out CNLA on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

Employer HR Toolkit Recruitment and retention are two words that ring heavily in this industry. We need to focus on attracting and retaining skilled labour to the industry, especially students (our future workforce) and creating awareness about the potential for a positive, lucrative and rewarding career that awaits them.

Landscape Ontario, in partnership with Humber College and Ontario Parks Association, received funding from the Ontario government to develop a human resources manual for employers in the landscape industry, called the HR Toolkit. Although the Toolkit was developed in and for Ontario, the principles apply across the country. The resulting online manual has been made available to all members courtesy of Landscape Ontario and can be viewed or downloaded at www.horttrades. com/HRtoolkit.

The manual consists of four sections: Policy and Procedure Manual, Employee Handbook, Recruitment and Selection, and Retention. The entire document can be edited to suit the needs of any employer. The Recruitment section provides members with valuable information on questions an employer may and may not ask on application forms, as well as samples of job descriptions, interview questions and evaluation forms, reference checking (an important part of hiring) and letters of offer to future employees. The Toolkit, written by a respected HR consultant, provides over 100 pages of human resources information, specifically tailored to the green industry, all downloadable and ready for customization.

Research CNLA, along with the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance (COHA), has invested in an Ornamental Horticulture Research and Innovation Cluster. This was accomplished with the support of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (VRIC).

30 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Research from this cluster is concentrated on six themes: individual plant micro-climate in the greenhouse; enhancing the diversity and efficacy of pest and weed control agents; investigation and application of water use reduction technologies; product quality enhancement during shipping and point of sale; innovation in ornamental plants; and analysis and reduction of nutrient runoff.

Beyond this partnership, CNLA is invested in a few other research projects.

In 2010, CNLA partnered with AAFC to invest in rose breeding research.

This new alliance allowed for the transfer of genetic material from AAFC to CNLA and on to the centre of our breeding research program, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Research continues to develop hardy roses designed for cooler climates. The revenues generated from the new rose va-

It’s about power. It’s about profit.

It’s about time.

Visit your local dealer or learn more at masseyferguson.us C. L. Benninger Equip. Ltd. Chatham • 519-352-8070

www.clbenninger.com

Connect Equipment Corp Alexander MacKenzie rose

Morden Sunrise rose

rieties generated will be reinvested to perpetuate research not only at VRIC, but other places, which will help propel innovation in the industry. Some other smaller projects underway include establishing a gene pool of ornamental shrubs with breeding potential for commercialization; assessing the value chain and market for roses and woody ornamentals; and delivering traits for impact in the horticulture sector.

Visit www.vinelandresearch.com to learn more.

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

www.connectequipment.com

Hawley’s Garage

Belleville • 613-969-5525

Reminders National Plastics Recycling Event is happening June 22 to July 1, 2012. Visit www.cnla-acpp.ca to find a garden centre near you to drop off old plastic gardening pots and trays.

Take advantage of the benefits available through the Retail Council of Canada. Get your username and password from the CNLA office and visit www.retailcouncil.org.

Stay up-to-date on Landscape Industry Certified test dates, exam tips and more, by following @ldscpcertified on Twitter.

Interested in what’s going on in the industry in your area? Check out our LT online events calendar.

McKeown Motor Sales

Springbrook • 613-395-3883

www.mckeownmotorsales.net

Redtrac International

Vineland • 905-562-4136

Shantz Farm Equipment Ltd. Alma • 519-638-3317 www.shantzequipment.com

Todd Equipment Ltd.

Millbrook • 705-944-3333

www.toddequipmentltd.com

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

Massey Ferguson is a worldwide brand of AGCO. © 2012 AGCO Corporation, 4205 River Green Parkway, Duluth, GA 30096 (877) 525-4384

JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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comingevents June 20-23, 15th Annual Snow and Ice Symposium, Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, Buffalo, N.Y. www.sima.org

July 30-August 3, Turf Producers International Summer Convention, Ashville, North Carolina. www.turfgrasssod.org

August 23-25, Farwest Show, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Ore. www.farwestshow.com

June 21, Darwin Perennials Day, The Gardens at Ball, Chicago, Ill. www.darwinperennials.com

July 31-August 2, Penn Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks, Penn. www.pantshow.com

August 23-26, Pondemonium, St. Charles, Ill. www.pondemonium.com

July 5-6, Hydrangea 2012: international symposium for professionals and lovers of hydrangeas, Terra Botanica Park, Angers, France, www.hydrangea2012.com

August 11-15, ISA Annual Conference and Trade Show, Sydney, Aust. www.isa-arbor.com

June 25-28, Garden Centres of America Summer Tour, Detroit, Mich. www.gardencentresofamerica.org July 4-10, 30th Annual Perennial Plant Symposium, Boston Park Plaza Hotel, Boston Mass. www.perennialplant.org July 14-17, OFA Short Course, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio. www.ofa.org

August 12-15, CGTA Fall Gift Show, International Centre and Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.cgta.org August 21-23, Canadian Fertilizer Institute 67th Annual Conference, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. www.cfi.ca August 21-23, Independent Garden Center Show, Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill. www.igcshow.com

August 26-31, IGCA Congress, Bonn, Germany. www.igcacongress.com September 2-4, Spoga-Gafa 2012, Cologne, Germany. www.spogagafa.com September 17-19, GLEE, Birmingham, U.K. www.gleebirmingham.com September 19-22, IPPS Western Region Meeting, Ventura, Calif. www.ipps.org September 19-20, CanWest Hort Show, Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, Vancouver, B.C. www.canwesthortshow.com

LT

August 22-25, Plantarium, International Trade Centre, Boskoop, Holland. www.plantarium.nl

FIND IT: at

www.LTsourcebook.com

Looking for green industry products and services — available in Canada?

The exclusive Landscape Trades Online Source Book is the first place to shop. Search by product category or company name ... Online Source Book listings are comprehensive, up-to-date and specific to your industry.

www.LTsourcebookcom 32 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

classifieds SERVICES AND SUPPLIES

SERVICES AND SUPPLIES

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

BRENT QUARRIES MUSKOKA GRANITE PRODUCTS • Black and Pink Clearstone • • RIP-RAP • Armour Stone • • Rail Ballast • Golf Course Sand • (705) 765-6447 www.brentquarry.com Email: inquiry@brentquarry.com

LARGE TREE MOVING AND SALES 115 inch and 90 inch tree spades available for hire. Largest truck mount machine in Ontario.

Call Burkraft Services (905) 689-1269

BUSINESS FOR SALE Owner retiring from growing seedlings and 1-5 gallons pots for over 27 years. Formally of Waterford, Ont. Must sell all equipment, or all nursery stock or both. Retail on the nursery stock is approx. $20,000. Call Lana at: (817) 718-7038 or (519) 443-4444 Email trees@execulink.com www.mcguireevergreen.ca

EQUIPMENT

TO ADVERTISE:

Payment: All classified ads must be prepaid by credit card. Rates: $62.15 (includes HST) per column inch (approx. 25 words).

Annual rates also available. Deadlines: 10th day of the month prior to issue date. (eg: June issue deadline is May 10th). Jan. deadline is Nov. 10. Space is limited to a first-come, first-served basis. To place an ad: E-mail your name, phone number and ad to Robert at classifieds@landscapeontario.com. You will be sent a proof/confirmation/payment form by e-mail. Online advertising: All paid ads are posted to our website at www.landscapetrades.com/ classifieds for the corresponding calendar month. Website only ads are available for $67.80 (HST included) and are posted for 30 days. Additional charge for ads over 325 words.

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

ProLineGRABBER Ball & Pot handlers.

Ideal for moving & loading trees & plants.

Complete Line of Attachments for Skidsteers, Loaders, Excavators & Tractors.

Toll Free: (877) 625-9677 Website: shawbros.ca

WHOLESALE TREE NURSERY Growing caliper shade trees and evergreens.

Custom tree basketing.

Contact us for availability and pricing.

STAM NURSERIES INC. 593836 Hwy 59, RR 2 Burgessville, ON N0J 1C0 Ph. (519) 424-3350 • Fax (519) 456-1659 E-mail: info@stamnurseries.com www.stamnurseries.com

Advertise your products and services in

JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

33

where to find it COMPANY

PAGE

PHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

ACO Systems Inc 24

877-226-4255

info@acocan.ca

www.acocan.ca

AGCO Corporation 31

800-767-3221

na.marketing@atl.agcocorp.com

www.agcocorp.com

AMA Plastics Ltd 33

800-338-1136

ama@amaplas.com

www.amaplas.com

Atlas Polar Company Ltd 14

888-799-4422

info@atlaspolar.com

www.atlaspolar.com

Beaver Valley Stone 34

416-222-2424

info@beavervalleystone.com

www.beavervalleystone.com

Becker Underwood Inc 19

306-373-3060

request@beckerunderwood.com

www.beckerunderwood.ca

Caledon Treeland 26

800-268-9516

treeland@treeland.ca

www.treeland.ca

Cut Above Natural Stone 25

888-557-7625

www.cutabovenaturalstone.com

Dutchmaster Nurseries Limited 32

905-683-8211

sales@dutchmasternurseries.com

www.dutchmasternurseries.com

Echo Power Equipment Canada 21

877-324-6660

info@echo.ca

www.echo.ca

Fertilec 9

888-831-1085

gosselin@fertilec.com

www.fertilec.com

G & L Group 28

888-907-7258

seany@gandlgroup.com

www.draglamsalt.com

General Motors of Canada Ltd 23

800-GM-DRIVE

www.gmcanada.com

Hanson Hardscape Products 36

800-265-6496

www.hansonhardscapes.com

John Deere Landscapes 17

800-347-4272

www.JohnDeereLandscapes.com

John Deere Limited 27

www.johndeere.com

Kubota Canada Ltd 13, 35

905-294-7477

www.kubota.ca

Munger Lawnscape Inc 30

519-738-2571

www.mungerlawnscape.com

Oaks Concrete Products by Brampton Brick 2

800-709-OAKS

www.oakspavers.com

Oregon Association of Nurseries 22

800-342-6401

www.oan.org

Permacon Group Inc 5

800-463-9278

www.permacon.ca

Pro Landscape by Drafix Software 29

800-231-8574

sales@prolandscape.com

www.prolandscape.com

Stihl Limited 11

519-681-3000

info.canada@stihl.ca

www.stihl.ca

Stonemen’s Valley Inc 18

905-841-8400

info@stonemensvalley.com

www.stonemensvalley.com

Thames Valley Brick 33

905-637-6997

info@thamesvalleybrick.com

www.thamesvalleybrick.com

Unilock Ltd 15

800-UNILOCK

georgetown@unilock.com

www.unilock.com

hardscapes@hanson.com

info@kubota.ca info@oakspavers.com

Join us on Sat. June 16th, 2012 for our annual 'Ask the Experts Day' and No Tax Event!

On select materials

Your one stop shop for pond and waterfall kits and accessories A wide selection of natural stone and precast concrete products • Flagstone • Interlocking • Cultured Stone • Masonry products

• Retaining walls • Aggregates • Accessories • Bulk/bag road salt

Office and yard: 25 Langstaff Rd. E., Thornhill, Yonge & Hwy 7-407 Manufacturing plant: 12350 Keele St., Maple 416-222-2424 or 905-886-5787 Fax: 905-886-5795

34 | JUNE 2012 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

ne of Visit o’s largest a Canador displays outdo

www.beavervalleystone.com

out of the ordinary

Explore the extraordinary world of Hanson Hardscapes. Our innovative hardscape products are remarkable both for their beauty and their versatility. Products like Terramo™, an elegant new paving stone system with outstanding texture and three naturally inspired colours that will appeal to even the most discerning customer. At 80mm thick, Terramo is ideal for both residential or commercial projects. Used alone or as a complement to our StoneTile Abruzzo architectural tiles, Terramo will make an ordinary space extraordinary.

Whatever your project, choose Hanson Hardscapes for results that are truly out of the ordinary.

Visit hansonhardscapes.com to learn more about this and other extraordinary products.

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