Landscape Ontario - June 2013

June 2013

www.horttrades.com

O NTH T Ne MO O R of th O T PTER

A CH

GOLDEN HORSESHOE plants for the

FUTURE

Chapter members Fiore Zenone and Tim Cruickshanks are flanked by councillor Rick Craven, mayor Rick Goldring and Burlington elementary students Page 7

For over 25 years, Hillen Nursery Inc. has remained dedicated and passionate about the nursery industry.

2  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

Mark Endicott General Manager

23078 Adelaide Rd. Mount Brydges, ON N0L 1W0

Cell: 647.923.5182 • Fax: 519.264.1337 mark@hillennursery.com

hillennursery.com

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Does anyone remember the Adopt-a-School program?

By Phil Charal LO president

M

y friend Terry Murphy CLP, LO’s former education manager, wrote an article last year in this magazine depicting the present state of the horticultural apprenticeship program.

He wrote, “I cannot understand why employers cannot see the value in becoming involved in the horticultural apprenticeship program.”

There is certainly no mistaking that the apprenticeship training program is a hidden treasure that is there to give young people a future and a guaranteed job.

It disappoints me when I hear that colleges are fighting each year to secure apprenticeship enrolments. Employers need to train staff, especially entrance-level employees, so that they can perform to an expected level of expertise and professionally represent their company. Apprenticeship training does all this, through educators

Formerly Horticulture Review

June, 2013 • Volume 31, No. 6 www.horttrades.com Landscape Ontario’s mandate is to be the leader in representing, promoting and fostering a favourable environment for the advancement of the horticultural industry in Ontario.

ISSN 1928-9553 Publications Mail Agreement No. PM40013519

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department Landscape Ontario 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Canada

who are professional and up-to-date on all the latest industry practices.

It appears that since the Adopt-a-School program was developed in 2007, it has been forgotten by industry members, and that is a crying shame. This great program was developed with the help of Terry Murphy.

The concept of the program was designed so that LO members can capitalize on the following areas: allowing students the potential to become future workers, managers, or owners in the landscape industry; cultivating future customers of our industry; and educating the school system to understand what the green industry is all about.

LO has lobbied Queen’s Park for years to establish a province-wide horticultural curriculum for the high school system. One of the positive results of the lobbying efforts was the establishment of HOSTA (Horticulture Ontario Secondary Teachers’ Association). This organization (www.horttrades.com/ HOSTA ) provides a networking opportunity with all teachers involved in horticultural programs. It allows us to share information in local curricula and make delivery more effective in the classroom.

The green industry continues to suffer from labour shortage. We have competition

Publisher Lee Ann Knudsen CLP lak@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-7557 Editorial director Sarah Willis sarahw@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5424 Editor Allan Dennis adennis@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5345 Graphic designer Mike Wasilewski mikew@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5343 Sales manager Steve Moyer stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-0708 Communications coordinator Angela Lindsay alindsay@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5305 Accountant Joe Sabatino jsabatino@landscapeontario.com, 647-724-8585 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Shawna Barrett, Darryl Bond, Kim Burton, Rachel Cerelli, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Rob Ellidge, 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

from more than 150 trades.

Our firm was sold on the concept in 2007. We have experienced several success stories with our co-op students during the past few years. The program allowed us to connect to the high school, where we met teachers and students, and to become part of the community.

It’s easy to get the program started. All it takes is for an LO member to contact your local high school and let them know you are willing to work and mentor students in horticulture through the Adopt-a-School program.

Take these steps to participate

• Select a local high school to adopt and contact the principal or co-op teacher.

• Communicate to them when you are available to help connect our industry with their school. LO can provide posters, literature and brochures.

• Offer to assist the school with beautification projects, or sponsor a scholarship.

• Mail your completed application form (http:// bit.ly/adopt-a) to Ontario Horticultural Trades Association.

The amount of time you spend on the program is up to you. The Landscape Ontario Adopt-a-School Committee is there to assist you. Take a high school under your wing, create opportunities for our young people and build new relationships. The Adopt-a-School program is a great precursor for the apprenticeship program. Don’t miss out on this rewarding two-way benefit program for students and employers.

Phil Charal may be reached at pcharal@landscapeontario.com.

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Views expressed are those of the writer concerned. Landscape Ontario assumes no responsibility for the validity or correctness of any opinions or references made by the author.

Copyright 2013, reproduction or the use of whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Published 12x per year. Rates and deadlines are available on request.

Subscription price: $43.51 per year (HST included). For subscription and address changes, please e-mail subscriptions@landscapeontario.com

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Howard and Lorrie Dunington-Grubb in the late 1930s

During Sheridan’s 50th anniversary in 1963, this photo was taken of eight men who had a total of 276 years with Sheridan.

History of Sheridan Nurseries is 100 years of people growing a nursery

By Larry Sherk

In 1911, two young British landscape architects, Lorrie Dunington and Howard Grubb, married and combined their last names as Dunington-Grubb and immigrated to Canada.

They travelled across Canada on CP Rail, paying their way by writing articles on the various cities they visited. At the same time, they were looking for a place in Canada to settle. Eventually their choice was Toronto, where they opened one of Canada’s first landscape architecture offices.

The couple set out to pursue private and public commissions, but soon found

4 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

a severe lack of herbaceous and woody ornamental plants to use in their designs.

The few Ontario nurseries at that time were mostly based in Niagara and concentrated on growing fruit trees.

Late in 1913, they purchased 100 acres of land near Sheridan, Ontario, which is now part of Oakville. They advertised in the British Gardeners Chronicle for a horticulturist to establish and run a nursery specializing in ornamental plants. Herman Stensson, raised in Denmark and then working at Kew Gardens in England, answered the advertisement. In March 1914, he, his wife Annie and four young sons, J.V. (Bill), Fred, Chris and Howard,

arrived at Sheridan where a drafty farm cottage was provided for them.

Herman hired local farmers to assist in growing. During W.W. I, he also hired women to work in the fields. Constant DeGroot, originally from Belgium, joined the nursery in 1922 as head propagator, a position he held for 50 years. Albert Brown, originally from England, joined the company in 1915 as landscape manager, a position he held for 35 years. In 1950, he became advertising manager, holding the position until he passed away at the age of 85 in 1967.

Other early employees who came from England included Charlie Barnard, Bill Pilgrim, Frank Shepherd, William Clark and John Turnbull. They worked in either the nursery or in the sales stations in the mid1920s.

The nursery continued to grow with 300 acres under production by 1930. In 1923, Herman Stensson returned to Europe to search out qualified nurserymen. From this, numerous Danes joined the company, with many spending the rest of their careers with Sheridan. These included names like Buch, Madsen, Sorensen, Christinsen and Gertsen. Others, such as Bob Nielsen, Jen Peterson and Henry Fuglesang, went on to start their own nurseries after a few years at Sheridan.

During WWII many of the Japanese Canadians, who were forced out of British Columbia, were hired by Sheridan. Some like Mitzi Iwasaki and Sam Kayama stayed on for over 40 years.

During the war, Sheridan also hired young women who became known as “Farmerettes” to work in the fields during the summer. This was a common practice when so many Canadian men went overseas.

All four Stensson brothers worked for the company with J.V. (Bill), who graduated in landscape architecture from Harvard, becoming nursery manager in 1938 after his father died. K.F. (Fred) served

as wholesale sales manager and later vice president of wholesale sales for over 40 years. Chris was nursery office manager for many years. Howard graduated from O.A.C. in 1936 and became a school teacher, rejoining the nursery staff in 1964.

A year later, he became nursery manager and then president in 1972 following the death of his brother Bill. Howard retired in 1992. A sister Betty, born at Sheridan in 1917, would spend her career working in the nursery office.

After WWII, immigrants from Europe included Joe Pokluda, Joerg Leiss, Bill Kegel, Uli Rumpf along with many others who joined the company. Nurseries were added at Sherway in Etobicoke in the late 1930s and close to 1,000 acres near Georgetown in the 1950s and 60s. Today, this is the site of the company’s head office.

Sales stations, now called garden centres, were added in Clarkson (1923), Montreal (1925), near Bay and Bloor in Toronto (1929-1952), Toronto, Yonge Street (1952), Unionville (1967) and Kitchener (1978).

Many post war employees, such as Otto Timm, Les Solty Sr., Joe Below, Ben deBoer, John Putzer, D’Arcy Queripel and Paul Offierski, would go on to start their own successful companies.

The next large wave of post war workers came from Portugal and included Manuel Sobrinho, who has spent over 55 years working in the nursery, then a garden centre and subsequently in wholesale sales.

For the last 40 years, offshore workers from Jamaica and Mexico have joined Sheridan in the nursery, providing much-needed manpower and expertise in the fields.

Howard and Lorrie Dunington-Grubb built a successful practice as landscape architects, designing many large private gardens such as Parkwood in Oshawa, Oakes Garden Theatre and the Rainbow Gardens in Niagara Falls, Ontario premier and agriculture minister Kathleen Wynne said and University Avenue she was privileged to hand out a special award marking Sheridan (1964) in Toronto, which was Nurseries’ 100th anniversary. She is shown here at Canada Howard’s final commission.

Blooms congratulating Sheridan’s president Karl Stennson.

Today, many young spread out into various fields of horticulture Canadians trained in business, horticulture in Canada. Lorrie died in 1945, while Howand other disciplines have joined Sheriard was still president of Sheridan Nurserdan in all areas of the company. Bill Stensies when he died in 1965. son, Howard Stensson’s son, is now CEO. Today Sheridan Nurseries is Canada’s Karl Stensson, Fred’s son, is president and largest combined garden centre retailer Karen Stensson, Fred’s daughter, is sales and grower and this year is celebrating 100 representative for the Atlantic Provinces. years of innovation in Canada.

In 2003, Sheridan Nurseries purchased the Weall and Cullen chain of garden cen— Larry Sherk retired after 32 years as tres. This brought further expertise with chief horticulturist for Sheridan people such as Art VandenEnden, Larry Nurseries. He is the senior author of Parr, Pat Large and Fred Paiva.

Ornamental Shrubs for Canada, and The Dunington-Grubbs started an has been a member of the Garden institution in Canadian horticulture, which Writers Association for 35 years. helped thousands of employees excel and

Nursery staff members who led Sheridan Nurseries to its Grower of the Year Award in 2012.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 5

free time.”

Even the company colours have evolved down over the years. It began as simply blue. “It didn’t have any impact, so we made it orange and later added white making up today’s colours.”

Over the years OGS has twice won the Dunington-Grubb Award.

This year OGS received an Award of Excellence during Landscape Ontario 40th Award ceremonies for a residential landscape project between $50,000 – $100,000.

Marc and Rene have both spent a great deal of time and energy ensuring Landscape Ontario and CNLA have thrived over the years. Marc is a pioneer member, having served on the committee that founded LO. “I represented garden maintenance at the meetings to discuss forming an association,” says Marc.

Members of the second and third generation of the Thiebaud family operating OGS in 2013. In front, from left, In 1975 he served as the assoDrew Thiebaud, Rene Thiebaud, Marc Thiebaud, and Marc Thiebaud Jr., and in back, from left, Mike ciation’s third president. Marc later Thiebaud, Rich Thiebaud, Stephen Thiebaud, Jonathan Thiebaud, and Jennifer Thiebaud. moved on to the national scene by serving on the CNLA board of directors, taking the president’s chair from 1980 to 1983.

Marc Thiebaud has received an honorary life membership from both Landscape Ontario and CNLA. “Marc was a strong board member with A family business stands out from all Services have evolved at OGS, which very strong convictions. He was never other types of business because of the initially included a garden centre and afraid to speak his mind and always wore passion and pride that are generated natlandscaping services. OGS is divided in his national hat instead of his provincial urally and handed down over the years. three distinct divisions, grounds mainhat,” says fellow LO honorary life member A good example of this is the Thietenance, landscape services and irrigaKarl Stensson of Sheridan Nurseries. baud family at Oshawa Garden Service, tion. OGS also provides customers with Stensson remembers Marc Thiebaud or better known as OGS. This year the Christmas decor, swimming pools, winter as a member of the team which purchased family is celebrating 60 years in business. maintenance and landscape supplies. the first LO building on Matheson Road in In 1953, Rene Thiebaud Sr. had been Marc says the biggest change down Mississauga. “Controversial, but it led to in Canada one year after emigrating from through the years is in the retail sector. where we are today,” says Stensson.

Switzerland, when he put his European He feels that big box stores created a Marc Thiebaud continues to serve education in horticulture and design to slow erosion of the independent garden LO as a member of the building commituse by opening Oshawa Garden Service. centre business. tee and the Ontario Horticultural Trades Working hard to grow his business, He also remembers the huge growth Foundation. in 1957 Rene welcomed his son Marc of the landscape service and design for At this writing, CNLA announced it to OGS. A number of years later, Marc’s OGS in 1970, when the company landed would honour Marc Thiebaud with a ring brothers John and Rene CLP, OALA the McDonald Restaurant contract. “We presentation ceremony at a CNLA execujoined the firm. John passed away in serviced 82 stores every week,” says tive dinner in June, for his countless con2010, and Stephen has now taken over Marc. The full service contract lasted for tributions to the industry.

John’s part of the group. a total of 40 years.

Rene Thiebaud is presently serving as OGS went through a major transforRene feels some of the biggest the 1st vice president of CNLA and as a mation in 1966, when the operation was changes he has seen in the industry conmember of the LO building committee. moved to Thickson Rd., north of Whitby. cern equipment. “The improvements to The next generation of family mem“The cost for 10 acres of land back then equipment have meant huge savings on bers is taking important roles in the was $10,000,” remembers Marc. Another labour over the years.” company. They include three of Rene’s 22 acres was added to the property in 1976.

He says another change is the children, two of Marc’s and two of John’s.

Today that land is very valuable, as increasing number of people who want One of the oldest companies in the it will soon be adjacent to the new 407 a staycation instead of driving to the cotarea, OGS is in good hands to take the extension coming through the area. “My tage. “That change has seen a bump of company into the next era with passion dad had great vision when he bought the higher end projects, as people want to and pride. property back in 1966,” says Marc. create a backyard paradise to spend their

Thiebaud family marks 60 years of success at OGS

6 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

Golden Horseshoe Chapter helps Burlington celebrate Arbor Day Golden Horseshoe Chapter was front and centre when the City of Burlington celebrated Arbor Day. The May 1st tradition took place at King’s Road Elementary School with Golden Horseshoe Chapter president Fiore Zenone of Tumbleweed Landscape Contracting of Binbrook, and Chapter provincial board rep., Tim Cruickshanks of Cruickshanks Property Service of Dundas, joining Burlington mayor Rick Goldring and councillor Rick Craven.

Zenone told the students, “The Golden Horseshoe Chapter is very pleased to donate the ten trees that will be planted in the school yard, along with providing each child with a package of tree seed nuts to plant at home.”

“The Arbor Day tree planting program is a longstanding tradition with deep roots in the Burlington community,” said councillor Craven. “Planting trees today so they can be enjoyed in the future is a valuable experience I’m grateful to be

sharing with the students and faculty at King’s Road Public School.”

Other partners in the project were the Halton District School Board and the Field and Stream Rescue Team.

Connon Nurseries CBV provided the trees.

Said city arborist Rick Lipsitt, “It is important to educate young people on the importance of trees within a community.”

All the students were encouraged to wear green for the special presentation.

The auditorium was filled with every shade of green imaginable. Each child was given a packet containing tree seeds, ready for planting.

Golden Horseshoe president Fiore Zenone explains to students that each of them will receive a package of tree seeds to take home.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 7

ASSOCIATION NEWS

The Skills Ontario competition provides secondary and post-secondary school students with hands-on experience under competitive conditions.

Landscape students show their skills in Waterloo The 2013 Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC), held on May 6 to 8 in Waterloo, featured a number of high school and college students competing in landscape and design categories.

The Ontario event is the largest in Skills Canada with over 1,900 competitors from across the province in more than 60 contests in the skilled trades and technologies. The Waterloo event attracted over 30,000 spectators. Skills Canada has been in operation since 1989.

Landscape Ontario staff once again supported the Skills Ontario competition, including workshops this year. Six classes

8 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

of grade 8 students had the opportunity to try their hand at the trade. An experiential opportunity had students learning about plants, horticulture, and Landscape Ontario. In addition, Permacon provided a fantastic hardscape/paver practical experience for the grade 8 students.

“It was wonderful to see the interest and the level of engagement of this age group. We thank all of our sponsors that enabled this outreach,” said LO manager of education and labour development Sally Harvey CLT, CLP. In addition, LO supported the technical committees of post-secondary and

secondary horticulture and landscape competitions. The association provided a career booth, event administration and handled the competitor job interview and resume reviews, which were required as part of the overall competition score.

This year LO also took on the role of technical chair of the secondary landscape design competition.

Thanks to the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation, the gold, silver and bronze winners of each competition were recognized with awards to support them in their ongoing training and to offset costs for those who advance to the national Skills competition later this month in B.C. “Our appreciation goes out to the numerous industry leaders who provide leadership as volunteers to make these events possible, and also to the teacher and educators who prepare the students, and to the numerous judges and sponsors,” said Harvey. “Without you and your dedication to the students, this event would not be the success that we are able to celebrate.”

Taking top spots in the post-secondary landscape division was the team of Mark Hecnar and Simon Van Raay of St. Clair College in Windsor, with second going to the Humber College team of Marc De Leon and Nathan Faux.

The top secondary school pair in landscape was Mark Dawson and Jacob Holt, representing the Niagara Catholic District School Board, while second went to the team of Cole Mackey and Charles Walsh of Bluewater District School Board. The following teams are in order of placement from third to tenth: Derick Medeiros and Michael Trigiani, DufferinPeel CDSB; Youssef Mroueh and Aidan Topping, Halton CDSB; Pedro Neves and Gabriel Puerta, Toronto CDSB; Zachary Degen and Jacob Hueglin, Waterloo Region DSB; Ciara De Boer and Dallas Dyer, Upper Grand DSB; Matt Anderson and Matthew Patterson, Halton DSB; Dalton Bonneville and Justin Cabrera, Waterloo CDSB; and James Casey and Bryanna Ross, Thames Valley DSB. In the Landscape Design competition, the top student in the secondary division was Mitchell Carter of Halton DSB, with second going to Stephanie Prymak of Grand Erie DSB, and third to Zachary Simao of Halton CDSB. For more information on the competition, go to www.skillsontario.com.

Lawn Troopers wins young entrepreneur award

The City of Brampton’s Economic Development Office and the Brampton Board of Trade honoured Landscape Ontario member Lawn Troopers on May 2 at the annual Brampton Outstanding Business Achievement Awards.

Matt Hill, owner of Lawn Troopers, was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in a special ceremony at the Pearson Convention Centre, with more than 400 business leaders in attendance.

Nominees were selected for a long list of qualities, which included demonstrating excellence in entrepreneurship and business leadership, product innovation and technological achievement, job cre-

Matt Hill accepts the young entrepreneur of the year award from Brampton mayor Susan Fennell.

ation, productivity and quality improvements, promotion, customer service, reliability, community contribution and environmental leadership.

“I am thrilled to have won Young Entrepreneur of the Year,” said Hill.

“Although I started this business by myself, this award was only made possible over the years by all the hard-working employees of Lawn Troopers.”

“The Brampton Outstanding Business Achievement Awards honour and recognize those job creators that have gone above and beyond delivering excellence for their customers. I want to congratulate the nominees, and our 2013 winners,” said Brampton mayor Susan Fennell.

“One of the key things the judges liked about Lawn Troopers is the fact that we are so actively involved in the community. The judges also mentioned that they were blown away by our efficiencies across the company. They were impressed by our systematic, procedural approach to work flow and they thought we were well positioned for future growth,” said Hill.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS A committee of six independent judges representing different business sectors selected the winners.

Hill entered the business of lawn maintenance in 1998 by servicing three neighbourhood customers with a single lawn mower and “a passion for great service.”

What started as a part time summer business has evolved in to a year-round operation with an ambitious team of dedicated lawn maintenance professionals.

“We’re proud to say that Lawn Troopers still services our very first customer from 1998. Building long-lasting customer relationships is what we strive for,” said the award winner.

Mayor Susan Fennell said, “I’m proud to serve as mayor of a city that is home to hard working and innovative entrepreneurs, who produce groundbreaking ideas and services. The job-creating investments made by businesses in Brampton help strengthen our local economy, create excit-

10 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

ing employment opportunities and elevate Brampton’s unrivalled quality of life.”

A video that was shown at the presentation may be found at http://bit.ly/lawntroopers.

Membership survey reveals majority pleased with LO

A survey developed by CNLA in conjunction with Landscape Ontario and the other provincial associations has provided a clear picture of which specific programs members are using, as well as which member benefits they find are the greatest value.

The survey was sent out on Apr. 15 to the 1,941 members of Landscape Ontario who are entitled to use endorsed supplier discounts. A total of 148 members responded, representing all nine chapters and all ten sector groups.

When asked the question, “If you were asked to renew your membership

to this association right now, would you choose to do so?” The answers resulted in 95.6 per cent saying yes they would renew. Comments returned included, “The value far exceeds the yearly fee.”

“Absolutely. We have used so many of the benefits and I would continue using them.” “Yes, I like staying informed and enjoy the interaction with fellow members and learning new things.”

When asked, “Would you recommend to a friend or colleague to join this association?” The overwhelming majority — 96.4 per cent — said yes. Members commented: “So many benefits, such as networking with others whom I consider to be mentors to me.” “The more the merrier.”

“For the same reasons I keep renewing my membership.”

Members were asked to select the endorsed supplier discount programs they had taken advantage of. Mark’s Work Warehouse discount was cited most often.

Respondents were then asked to identify the member benefits that they found valuable. As noted in the charts, valuable benefits were opportunities to

meet and network with people in the association, educational offerings, publications and conferences/symposiums.

Respondents were then asked how they found out about Landscape Ontario. The answers confirmed what LO staff has observed over the past four decades, that most members are recruited to the association from an existing member.

Overall, when asked how satisfied they are with member benefits, the vast majority (57.2 per cent) said they were very satisfied or extremely satisfied.

Helen Hassard, LO membership coordinator stated, “It is our hope that by continuing to monitor the tone of the members with regards to benefits, and by benchmarking our successes and areas of improvement with our fellow provincial associations, we can improve our association offerings and the green industry accordingly.”

We welcome all Commercial and Residential Landscape Contractors

Backyard Glam Tour features LO members

Landscape Ontario members from Georgian Lakelands and Waterloo Chapters will showcase their work in The Backyard Glam Tour on July 5 and 6 in Georgian Lakelands and July 6 and 7 in Water region (Hanover).

Described as a one-of-a-kind event, the Glam Tour will feature 15 professionally decorated backyards. Also featured during the event are breakfast seminars with complimentary coffee and pastries, Neustadt Brewery serving beer at The Ground Effects site, and workshops taking place at both host venue sites.

LO’s director of public relations Denis Flanagan will speak,

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M. PUTZER HORNBY NURSERY LTD We are located only minutes from Toronto and Hamilton You will find product listings, map, phone and fax numbers as well as email addresses on our website.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS along with information from host venue sites and outdoor stylists talking about how to achieve a completed look in the backyard.

A portion of the proceeds will go towards two local projects selected by the Chapters and a donation will be made to two charities, Beaver Valley Outreach and Hanover Hospital Foundation.

LO members are being offered a special tour rate of $30; the regular ticket price is $50. One ticket handles both regions.

The Backyard Glam Tour is being organized and promoted by Georgian Lakelands Chapter coordinator Deborah Lalande through her company Bleu Venue and former LO trade show manager Paul Day. For more information, go to www.backyardglamtour.com, or contact Deborah Lalande at dlalande@landscapeontario.com.

London Chapter well represented at home and garden shows

London Chapter members have had a busy time at home shows this season.

Two of the events saw the Chapter’s brightly painted new trailer on display.

It was a drawing card to the Chapter’s booth area, where Green for Life pamphlets and Garden Inspiration magazines were handed out to passersby.

In early April, Chapter members took the trailer to the Sarnia Home Show at Clearwater Arena. It was the first time that the London Chapter has been represented at the show. Volunteers at the booth were busy all weekend, as visitors walked the two arenas of displays and wares of the exhibitors.

Volunteers who helped man the booth over the weekend were Gord Shuttleworth, Shannon Martin, Wendy Harry and Peter Vanderley CLP, with representatives from Windover Nurseries and Leaf

Garden Design, both from Petrolia, and SS Greenhouses in Sarnia.

There were four members with booths in the show. They include Leaf Garden Design, Line x Coatings - London, SS Greenhouses and Windover Nurseries.

This was the sixth year that the London Chapter has had a booth at the London Spring Home and Garden Show. This year the show was held from Apr. 19 to 21 at the Western Fairgrounds.

The aisles were filled with people for all three days of the show. Over 800 Garden Inspiration magazines were handed out, along with postcards promoting the annual Landscapes of Excellence Garden Tour and Green for Life brochures.

Denis Flanagan was a speaker at the show and also did a great job promoting the Chapter. Many people stopped by the booth for advice, or to say hello. It seems that six years at the show are finally paying off, as people are now aware that Landscape Ontario is not a landscaping company, but a non-profit association that represents members across Ontario.

There were 19 Landscape Ontario members with booths in the London Spring Home and Garden Show. They include Baseline Nurseries and Garden

Stam

Nurseries Inc. Growing quality shade trees and evergreens New plants arriving daily

P. 519-424-3350 F. 519-456-1659 593836 Highway 59 Burgessville, ON N0J 1C0 info@stamnurseries.com

www.stamnurseries.com 12 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

scaping, Ed’s Concrete Products, Fisher Landscape and Golf Supplies, Leaf Landscape Solutions, TLC Professional Landscaping, Turf Pro Landscaping and Bobcat of London.

Many thanks to the following volunteers who helped man the booth over the weekend: Peter Vanderley CLP, Jerry Hakkers, Eric Wright, Keenan Andrews (student), Cindy Buelow, Jan Hunter, Dave Chmarney, Devern Chmarney, Hetty Teuber, Paul Snyders, Bob Allen, Mike Lunau CLT, CLP, Jason Zehr and Shannon Martin. Thanks go to Derek Geddes and Jerry Hakkers for bringing the trailer and setting up the booth.

Great list of summer activities planned

Paul Snyders of PGS Landscape in London, Jan Hunter of Hunter Home and Garden, also of London, Cindy Buelow and Dan Lizmore of Leaf Landscape Solutions, Belmont are proud of the Chapter’s new trailer.

Centre, Echo Power, Escapes Outdoor Living, Grand River Brick and Stone, Huron Tractor, Lobo Landscape, Nicola’s Garden Art, Rural Roots Landscap-

ing, Triple H Landscape Supplies, Tydan Landscape Design, V&Ps Topsoil and Landscape Supplies, Blue Jay Sprinkler Systems, Brown’s Enterprises Land-

It’s the time of year to start thinking about golf, baseball and barbecues. We have compiled a list of the exciting line-up that our dedicated volunteers and chapter staff have put together.

July • Windsor Baseball Tournament, date and location to be confirmed • Waterloo Golf Tournament, Wed., July 24, location to be confirmed • Toronto Golf Tournament, Thurs., July 25

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

September • Waterloo Chapter Annual Baseball Tournament, Date and location to be determined • Golden Horseshoe Chicken Roast, Thurs., Sept. 12; location to be confirmed • London Golf Tournament, Fri., Sept. 13 at Pine Knot Golf Course in Dorchester • Windsor Golf Tournament, Sat., Sept.

21 at Roseland Golf and Curling Club in Windsor For more information about any of these events, please go to www. horttrades.com/comingevents, or keep your eyes peeled for the weekly e-news, LO This Week. If you would like your staff added to our e-news mailing list, all you need to do is ask.

All events have a range of sponsorship options available, so check out the website or contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

Western Landscape Services encourages students to plant trees Some great summer social and sports activities, such as the golf tournament in Ottawa, are all lined up for Landscape Ontario members.

at Nobelton Lakes Golf Club in Nobelton • Upper Canada Golf tournament, Fri., July 26 at Loyalist Golf Club in Bath August • Golden Horseshoe Golf tournament, Details to be confirmed • Windsor Chapter Tigers Game, Sat., Aug. 17 Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Mich.

• Toronto Baseball Tournament, Sun., Aug. 18 at Richmond Greens Sports Centre and Park • Durham Chapter Annual Barbecue, Thurs., Aug. 22 at Sheridan Nurseries in Whitby • Ottawa Golf Tournament, Wed., Aug. 21 at the Canadian Golf and Country Club in Ashton

Western Landscape Services of Elginburg marked National Arbor Week by launching its sixth annual Plant a Tree, Make our City Cool school program on May 2.

Since the program started, Western Landscape Services’ arborist and his team have delivered fun and educational sessions to nearly 1,400 students in 40 schools in Kingston and area.

During the 2013 growing season, each of the ten schools selected received a 45 mm caliper tree that was planted with

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the help of grade 6 elementary school students. “Students put this newly developed skill and appreciation for trees into practice by taking a seedling home to plant at a location of their choice,” said Western Landscape Services manager Carol VandenEngel.

“We are passionate about encouraging the general public to plant trees. We see the need to go one step further and educate the future generation, our children, about the benefits of trees in an urban environment,” says VandenEngel.

LO members like Deere discounts

“The program that Landscape Ontario initiated with John Deere has worked very well for me receiving great discounts on new equipment,” says LO member Richard Clark of Clark Property Maintenance in Port Perry. “I hope Landscape Ontario keeps promoting discounts, as they have been doing, as it works very well.”

Yves Desrosiers of Yves Landscaping in St. Albert says he’s pretty pleased with all the discounts through Landscape Ontario.

A new member of LO this year, he is satisfied with the endorsed supplier program and hopes to receive more information on some of the other programs.

The savings program is for members engaged in providing both soft and hard landscaping services, nurseries, and independent garden centres. The discounts available are dependent on the equipment type.

The discounts on John Deere equipment are off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, so that members do not need to haggle at the dealership. The discount is also greater than what non-members would receive.

Landscape Ontario members may take advantage of 15 to 25 per cent discounts on John Deere equipment.

To take advantage of this discount, contact the CNLA member services team at 1-888-446-3499, memberservices@cnla-acpp.ca with the name and contact information of your John Deere dealership.

A listing of all the LO endorsed suppliers may be found at www.horttrades.com/endorsedsuppliers.

LO helps to demonstrate value of compost

LO’s public relations director Denis Flanagan proved he is not just another pretty face, when he took on the task improving the soil at Compost Awareness Week at a site in downtown Toronto.

Landscape Ontario was joined on May 6 by Environmental Commissioner of Ontario Gord Miller, Toronto Master Gardeners, Master Gardeners of Ontario, and The Compost Council of Canada in downtown Toronto to celebrate International Compost Awareness Week.

The event took place at 1075 Bay Street, where participants aerated the lawn behind the office tower and spread the compost to improve the quality of the soil. Representing Landscape Ontario was public relations director Denis Flanagan.

The site of the demonstration is managed by Canderel Group. Flanagan says, “We had a positive conversation regarding property managers and the landscape industry.”

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

The London Chapter Landscape of Excellence Tour has become a very popular event in the city, featuring some great work by LO members.

London tour ready for fifth year

Landscape Ontario’s London Chapter is preparing for another season of hosting its unique event, Landscapes of Excellence Garden Tour.

Featuring ten gardens designed and installed by London Chapter members, the public has an opportunity to view the creations and speak with LO members about the gardens.

The Landscapes of Excellence Tour will take place on July 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the fifth consecutive year the tour has taken place.

The Chapter charges $10 per person for

tour passports. Proceeds will go to the Veterans Memorial Parkway and future community projects selected by the Chapter.

More information on the tour can be found at http://bit.ly/118SAqR, or contact Wendy Harry at wharry62@gmail.com.

Foundation’s scholarship inspires student Editor’s note: The following is a letter of thanks from the the 2011 and 2012 winner of John and Ruth Wright Scholarship.

Dear John and Ruth Wright, and members of the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation, I am writing to thank you for selecting

me for your generous scholarship. It is a great honour to be selected as a recipient of your scholarship.

With your assistance, you have lightened the financial burden of being a graduate student, allowing me to focus more on my research and education. Receiving this award for the second year in a row has allowed me to cut back on my teaching assistant hours for next semester. This reduction in teaching hours will allow me to focus on completing my manuscripts for publication and my dissertation. I will also be able to attend two conferences, which are an important part of learning and relaying information that I have gathered with my research. Meeting and talking with people who will be assisted by my research is stimulating and renews my love of turfgrass and horticultural science.

The generosity of this scholarship is inspiring and makes me proud to be the recipient for this year.

I hope in the future that I will be able to give back to the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation and will always remember your kindness and generosity in the future.

Kathleen Dodson, MSc Guelph

Filice proud of Hamilton garden project

Carmine Filice CLP of Greentario Landscaping in Hamilton had a project near and dear to him as a board member of City Housing Hamilton (CHH).

A community garden project helps CHH tenants to access healthy food they can afford and that is culturally appropriate.

The initiative began in 2010 with seven gardens and and expanded this year to 22 sites with over 300 residents participating.

“As a landscape professional, I was thrilled to see CHH turn an unused urban

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space into a productive garden. As a CHH board member, seeing the virtues of this project become reality is testimony to the vision and dedication of the CHH staff. Furthermore, the benefits to the tenants are many. Outdoor activity, gratification of seeing the fruit of one’s labour and most importantly, providing affordable fruit and vegetables,” says Filice.

He feels that as the industry leader, it is important for Landscape Ontario to recognize and applaud community projects like this for its many merits. Filice added, “I believe in doing so that it will encourage other organizations like CHH to implement similar concepts.”

Training opportunities in Huntsville and Barrie

A landscaping program operated by St. Lawrence College has attracted strong interest in the Huntsville area.

The eight-week program from May 27 to July 19 is providing participants with the hands-on skills in landscaping. Huntsville YMCA Employment and Literacy Services is administering the program with a maximum enrollment of 25 people between ages of 15 to 30. Those taking part in the program also were required to be out of school, out of work and not receiving employment insurance.

The program includes practical skills, certifications in WHMIS, first aid/CPR, transportation of dangerous goods and safety training.

According to administrator Tera Alexander, wage incentives are available for employers interested in hiring graduates of the eight-week program. She invites any LO member to contact her at 705787-0349, or tera_alexander@ymca.ca.

Meanwhile a committee has been formed in the Georgian Lakelands Chapter working towards having Georgian

College in Barrie provide a horticulture apprenticeship program.

All green industry members were asked to show support by downloading a form letter, and sending it to Sally Harvey, Landscape Ontario manager of Labour and Education Development, at sharvey@landscapeontario.com. The website to download the letter may be found at www.horttrades.com/georgian-lakelandshorticulture-apprenticeship.

“We are about half-way to getting the number of member and non-member companies signed up that we need to show support for apprenticeship,” says Lexi Dearborn, a member of the Chapter committee working on achieving the apprenticeship program at Georgian.

Garden and Floral Expo promises exciting additions

Canada’s fall trade show Garden and Floral Expo, produced by Landscape Ontario, promises some exciting additions this year, while maintaining the basics that have made it popular with so many trades people.

The show takes place Oct. 23 and 24, in the North Building of the Toronto Congress Centre.

Landscape Ontario is celebrating 40 years of horticultural leadership with a reformatted program guaranteed to meet your personal and professional needs.

“To connect you to the leaders, topics and

ideas that will inspire you to meet the challenges of today’s new retail environment, Expo offers an exciting lineup of events,” says Heather MacRae, director of events and trade shows.

Two new lunch events will be launched this year. On Wed., Oct. 23 enjoy lunch, a keynote and the Awards of Excellence ceremony for garden centre retailers and growers, hosted by LO’s Garden Centre Sector Group. Don’t miss the second lunch, sponsored by the Interior Plantscape Sector Group, on Thurs., Oct. 24.

Looking for quick tips and tricks to ignite your creativity? Be sure to visit Destination Inspiration Theatre for insights on merchandising, design, technology and consumer trends.

Back by popular demand is the Plant ID Challenge where horticulturists are challenged to provide names of popular and unusual plants.

Year after year, retailers say the number one reason for attending Expo is to see new products. This year, to add clarity, vendors will demonstrate their new products.

For better ideas, creative stimulation and a fresh perspective, come to the launch of Landscape Ontario’s Top Executive Forum. The primary focus at Expo 2013 is to connect retailers, growers and the design community to industry leaders and forward-thinking organizations. A panel of international retail executives will be assembled to share their future growth

Find what you need to know LO This Week now features reference links to important government legislation affecting your business. Just scroll to the bottom of every e-news broadcast, and look for What You Need to Know. If you’re not receiving Landscape Ontario’s electronic newsletter, contact Angela Lindsay at alindsay@landscapeontario.com.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS strategies. Hear what the future holds on Wed., Oct. 23 at 5 p.m.

For more information on the show, go to www.loexpo.com.

Many saddened by Gerry Ginsberg’s passing

Many in the industry were saddened by the news that former Canada Blooms general manager Gerry Ginsberg died at his Naples, Fla. home on May 3.

Ginsberg took on the leadership of Canada Blooms in 2007, after working in senior management positions with major Ontario municipalities and private corporations in the areas of special event planning and sponsorship development. Prior to joining Canada Blooms, Ginsberg was the executive director of the Edison Festival of Lights in Florida, and general manager of the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival.

“Gerry will be remembered and celebrated for his dedication, commitment and professionalism,” said Tony DiGiovanni, Landscape Ontario executive director. “He worked tirelessly for the benefit of Canada Blooms and the horticultural industry.”

Landscape Ontario is a founding partner of

Canada Blooms.

Administrative coordinator at Canada Blooms, Lisa Pascoe, said, “For the past six years, to many when you thought about Canada Blooms: The Flower and Garden Festival, you thought of Gerry Ginsberg.

He was so dedicated and full of life that it is hard to take in that he is no longer with us.

He will be greatly missed by all of us here at Canada Blooms. Our thoughts go out to his family at this time.”

He lived with his wife Barbara in Thornhill, and is survived by two daughters Rachelle and Julie and two grandchildren.

Ginsberg was born in London, Ont. A graveside service was held in London on May 10. A tree was planted as a living memorial to Gerald Ginsberg.

Tailgate Talks is great safety tool

Landscape Ontario Safety Tailgate Talks is described as a simple tool for trainers and staff to include safety on the job, in the classroom or shop, or in the truck.

Developed by Landscape Ontario in collaboration with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services, this book promotes workplace safety by providing relevant topics to help trainers create awareness and compliance through the interactive training framework.

To order a copy, for only $20, go www. horttrades.com/tailgate.

Golden Horseshoe has new coordinator

Gerry Ginsberg

of Communities in Bloom — Ontario.

After leaving that position, Rozon had more time to spend on her accounting and income tax practice. She has served as Parks Development Supervisor for Tourism in Haldimand County. She also has a passion for horticulture, with a diploma in the Floral Techniques and Design Program from Mohawk College.

Rozon was responsible for developing strategies to enhance and promote local parks, assisting Communities in Bloom groups, Chambers of Commerce and volunteers.

As the executive director of Communities in Bloom, she organized provincial Lee Rozon award ceremonies and events and networking opportunities with municipal council, staff and community volunteers across Ontario.

As coordinator for the Golden Horseshoe Chapter, Rozon enthusiastically looks forward to helping the chapter enjoy the many events it holds throughout the year and encourages members to forward ideas and suggestions to her directly at lrozon@ landscapeontario.com.

A mixed bag of weather

Spring weather in Ontario has been all over the board this year. Former LO president Tom Intven sent this photo taken on Mother’s Day by one of his customers at Canadale Nurseries in St. Thomas. A few days later, the weather brought some warm and sunny conditions until May 24, when

Lee Rozon has been busy over the past few months working to help improve the Golden Horseshoe Chapter. Many may remember Rozon as the executive director

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the high temperatures across the province reached only 12 C, followed by frost in some areas on May 25. Environment Canada is calling for above-normal temperatures this summer for southwestern Ontario.

CHAPTER OF THE MONTH

be the success it is, as it continues to expand. The board chooses community events that demonstrate this heart, drive and commitment.

How do you attract and retain members to events? The board has found that one of the best ways to attract and retain members to events is to personally ask and encourage them to attend.

Let the individual know that you will meet Summer events them at the venue; it is more comfortable The Toronto Chapter has made great knowing that there is at least one person strides to encourage local industry memthey are familiar with and they usually bers to become involved at meetings and end up knowing a lot more people. events. The Chapter The board has meetings throughout developed a great Toronto Chapter snapshot the winter saw a high formula now with a Number of Members: 953 level of attendance, as consistent venue, Number of Active members: 601 well as very engaged dinner, drinks and Chapter Board members. a guest speaker.

Arvils Lukss, President Responding to the The opportunity Allan Kling, First Vice President Stuart Knight presenfor members to Jonas Spring, Second Vice President tation in April, one network with each Lindsay Drake Nightingale, Past President member wrote, “This other at the beginRyan Heath CLP, CLT, will be a fantastic talk ning of the meeting Provincial Board Rep. and I am happy to see and through dinSabrina Goettler CLP, Treasurer LO organizing it.” ner is great. It’s a Janet Mott CLP, Secretary Paulo Domingues CIT, Director This summer, the nice way for everyJanet Ennamorato, Director Chapter is offering a one to connect Shawn Foley CIT, Director July golf tournament with others, meet and a very popular new people and August baseball tourstay up-to-date on nament. This year’s golf tournament will what’s happening at LO. It’s also importake place July 25 at Nobleton Lakes, tant to let suppliers know about the meetwith the baseball tournament on Aug. 18 ings and encourage them to spread the at the Richmond Green Sport Centre and word. Also, bring employees to the meetPark. Registration information is available ing. It’s important to get them involved at www.horttrades.com. and see this side of the business, and makes them feel more important and a Chapter relevance part of something much bigger than a Landscape Ontario’s second vice presicrew of two or three people in a truck. dent Warren Patterson requested LO’s What do you feel is critical to runmembership department ask each of ning a successful event? Planning and the Chapters to answer three questions. organizing and then re-organizing again Some of the answers concerning chapter and again. Being able to adjust on the relevancy follow. fly and doing it with a sense of humour.

What is working in your chapter?

What the board feels is critical to running The camaraderie in the group is a great a successful event is to be completely stimulus to the sharing of new ideas. organized. Even if something goes When each board member makes a point astray, you have a backup plan available. of discussing the chapter meetings with Clear delegation of tasks is also very others and encouraging feedback from important, so that the board members potential members, this helps with the can create an event and rely on each process of creating a vibrant, effective other, rather than one person having to meeting; engaging people so that they do everything. feel part of the group.

“I really like the group we have and The events are most successful when appreciate the enthusiasm, ideas and those that attend feel that they have support that we all bring to the table. I learned or profited in some way from the look forward to working with our new meeting. The biggest thing that is workboard members this year too,” says ing for the Toronto Chapter is the coheChapter secretary Janet Mott CLP of sive drive, heart and commitment of the Christine’s Touch Gardening in Stouffville. entire board of directors. Without their collective spirit, the Chapter would not

Toronto Chapter forges partnerships The Toronto Chapter has built a successful network of connections and recognition forged through various community projects.

One such connection was the recently held first annual Gladstone Grow Op. Hosted by the Gladstone Hotel, the event was a public forum on how play can shape one’s experience of landscape. The garden show featured horticultural elements in an extremely creative and modern way.

Toronto Chapter board member Jonas Spring, owner of Ecoman, participated in this inaugural event. Spring also assisted in connecting Landscape Ontario members with this event by promoting it at a Toronto Chapter meeting and connecting home office with the event conveners (The Gladstone Hotel and the Landscape Architect Canada Foundation).

Making these new and exciting connections will assist Landscape Ontario to reach out to a variety of demographics in the Toronto downtown core. Victoria Taylor, OALA architect, said the event will be open to any LO members who wish to participate next year.

Connecting with government

Projects such as the St. James Park rejuvenation and Celebrate Yonge Street are two more important connections for the Toronto Chapter. The Chapter’s first vice president Allan Kling CLP, president of Urban Garden Supply, explained how recognition from these projects has led city councillors to contact Landscape Ontario.

He says it’s likely as a result of public citizens/community groups demanding green space, attempts to resolve public land usage issues and different attitudes at city hall. Kling has met with city councillors such as Kristyn Wong-Tam, who with the Downtown Yonge BIA, brought Celebrate Yonge to life. There are rumblings of a similar event taking place in the near future, so keep an eye on your emails for volunteer opportunities.

City councillors have also reached out to Landscape Ontario regarding the Pan Am games in 2015. Kling, along with Tony DiGiovanni and Denis Flanagan, have met with event conveners to discuss what role Landscape Ontario may play.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 19

VOLUNTEER PROFILE For a buck, Bob Hodgins improves salt practices For the past two years Bob Hodgins has moved Smart about Salt (SAS) into the forefront of the winter maintenance industry. And, he’s done it all as a volunteer.

As executive director of the Smart about Salt Council for the past two years, Hodgins has developed and delivered the SAS training program since the program’s beginning. He jokes, “I took on the job for a buck.”

The Smart about Salt program began in the Region of Waterloo where city officials were concerned over rising levels of sodium and chlorides in the municipal drinking water supply. It was among the first large municipalities to take affirmative action. Landscape Ontario also recognized the significance of such a program, and joined with Waterloo to form the Smart About Salt Council. They were soon joined by the Building Own-

ers and Managers Association of Ottawa and Ontario Good Roads Association.

A leader in salt management for over a decade, Hodgins was a natural to take over Smart about Salt. He had earlier helped to design the program with the Region of Waterloo.

“I am committed to making the Smart about Salt program the flagship program for private snow and ice control contractors,” says Hodgins. “Our partnership with dedicated contractors, facility managers

EVENTS

July 25

Toronto Chapter’s Annual Golf Tournament

Georgian Lakelands The Backyard Glam Tour tour is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gain VIP access to 12 professionally landscaped backyards in the Georgian Bay and Southern Grey County regions. Visit www. backyardglamtour.com for full details.

Nobelton Lakes Golf Club, 125 Nobleton Lakes Drive, Nobleton The Toronto Chapter will host its annual golf tournament on July 25. The shotgun-start begins with registration and lunch at 11 a.m. and tee-off at 1 p.m. This event is a great opportunity to network with fellow industry members, meet some local suppliers and have fun. For more information, or to register, contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

July 18 - 19

July 26

Landscape Ontario home office, Milton Landscape Ontario is hosting a Landscape Industry Certification test opportunity. Prove your professionalism and competence in the industry. Already Certified? Earn Continued Education Unit (CEU) points by judging for the day. For more information contact the certification coordinator, certification@landscapeontario. com, or 1-800-265-5656, ext. 326.

Loyalist Golf Club, 1 Loyalist Boulevard, Bath Take a break from your busy season and join the Upper Canada Chapter for a fun day on the links at Loyalist Golf Club. Registration starts at noon, with tee-off at 1 p.m. The day will conclude with a steak dinner and prizes. Cost is only $120 per golfer, which includes 18 holes of golf, a cart, steak dinner and prizes.

For more information contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

Bookmark www.horttrades.com/comingevents for up-to-date event information.

June 15 - 17

Dry stone walling course and certification day

LO home office, 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton Landscape Ontario and Dean McLellan Stonework present the inaugural dry stone walling course and certification day at the LO home office, with two master craftsmen from the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain.

For more information, or to register, go to www. horttrades.com/dry-stone-walling-course-milton.

June 22 - 23

Dry stone walling course

Maxwell Stone Supply Yard, 9257 Beechwood Rd., Collingwood Some of the finest wallers and workers of stone in the world will be in Collingwood to teach this two-day course.

20 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

and the insurance industry has improved snow and ice control practices, better managed risk, and reduced winter maintenance costs and environmental damage.”

This past winter Hodgins conducted a number of workshops. For snow and ice contractors there is a complete range of certifications, education and training programs skills. “We had a noticeable increase in attendance this year,” says Hodgins.

He hopes to see the certification spread throughout the country. More and more municipalities and corporations are requiring certification in order that service providers may qualify for a contract.

Bob Hodgins is ready to ease back on his duties as executive director of Smart about Salt. “It will be hard to let go,” he says.

No doubt the Smart about Salt Council will find it even harder to let go of the man who as a volunteer brought it so far in such a short time. Leanne Lobe of the Region of Waterloo has taken over the duties of executive director. Bob Hodgins will continue to sit on the Smart about Salt Council and present workshops.

July 5 - 7

The Backyard Glam Tour

Landscape Industry Certified Testing

Upper Canada Golf Tournament

NEW MEMBERS Durham Distinctive Designs Landscaping Kurt Byres 104 Oceanpearl Cres Whitby, ON L1N 0C3 Tel: 416-895-0144 Membership Type: Active Energized Surroundings Michelle Kent 2093 Concession 9 Blackstock, ON L0B 1B0 Tel: 905-243-7990 Membership Type: Interim

Georgian Lakelands Hutcheson Sand & Mixes Cindy Summerfeldt Madeley 8 West St S Huntsville, ON P1H 1P2 Tel: 800-461-5521 Membership Type: Associate North Country Property Maintenance Inc Patrick Corrado 1945 Lockhart Rd Innisfil, ON L9S 3G1 Tel: 800-263-1398 Membership Type: Active

Golden Horseshoe Newport Leasing Limited Max Brown 2377 Fairview St Burlington, ON L7R 2E3 Tel: 905-637-5208-x122 Membership Type: Associate

London Byron Roots Inc Justin D’Aoust 431 Boler Rd PO Box 20074 London, ON N6K 2K0 Tel: 519-636-4459 Membership Type: Active Disher’s Landscaping Ltd David Disher 102 Martinet Pl London, ON N5V 4B5 Tel: 519-455-8454 Membership Type: Active Elgin St. Thomas Second Nature Land Design Kyle Vachon 39364 John Wise Line St. Thomas, ON N5P 3S5 Tel: 519-670-6665 Membership Type: Active Pinewood Horticultural Services Inc Patrick Wood 57 Timber Dr London, ON N6K 1Y8 Tel: 519-471-9100 Membership Type: Active

Ottawa Annis O’Sullivan Vollebekk Ltd Dan Vollebekk 500 - 14 Concourse Gate Nepean, ON K7E 7S6 Tel: 613-727-0850 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Karma Creative Solutions Jo Riding 2302 Horton St Ottawa, ON K1G 3E8 Tel: 613-252-1884 Membership Type: Chapter Associate Mountainview Golf & Athletic Turf Specialists Jared Hamilton 4790 5th Concession Quyon, QC J0X 2V0 Tel: 819-458-2632 Membership Type: Associate Ottawa Turf Inc Shawn Pederson 2530 Kearns Way Greely, ON K4P 1R9 Tel: 613-821-0853 Membership Type: Chapter Associate Terra Illuminati Ralph Ramsey 223 Bradwell Way Ottawa, ON K1T 4J5 Tel: 613-558-0334 Membership Type: Active Total Fence Glenn Loubert 1740 Queensdale Ave Ottawa, ON K1T 1J6 Tel: 613-733-9303 Membership Type: Active

Toronto Cedarcroft Landscape & Design Zach Koolen 302 Broadway Ave Orangeville, ON L9W 1L3 Tel: 519-217-6735 Membership Type: Active Chloris Landscaping & Design Ltd Zhuojia Guan 159 Galbraith Cres Markham, ON L3S 1H5 Tel: 416-569-1109 Membership Type: Active Kramer Lawn Care & Hydroseeding Ron Kramer PO Box 459 Gormley, ON L0H 1G0 Tel: 416-543-4278 Membership Type: Active Lipani Turf Group Santo Lipani 2374 Holborn Rd PO Box 181 Queensville, ON L0G 1R0 Tel: 866-354-7264 Membership Type: Active Nick Pasquino & Sons Landscaping Inc Joe Pasquino 11 Misty Well Dr Richmond Hill, ON L4E 4J2 Tel: 905-884-2885 Membership Type: Active Permalock Inc Jordan Marton 35 Millbank Crt Vaughan, ON L4J 6C1 Tel: 416-909-4359 Membership Type: Active

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P: 519-688-0437 • F: 519-688-6359 info@pottersroadnursery.com

Pottersroadnursery.com WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 21

INDUSTRY NEWS

media, plastic signage and a poster template to help promote the service.

Members may sign-up with the program any time before the June 21 start date. To confirm that you will participate as a recycling drop-point, email Julia Ricottone at julia@cnla-acpp.ca.

Research team looks at biopesticides for lawn care industry

The National Plastics Recycling Event takes place from June 21 to July 1.

Plastics recycling event begins June 25 The 2013 National Plastics Recycling Event is set to begin on June 21, and will run until July 1.

Garden Centres Canada, in partnership with CNLA is coordinating the event.

The program encourages gardeners to bring their clean, dry garden plastics such as pots and trays, to garden centres that have signed up for the program.

Julia Ricottone, CNLA’s landscape and garden centres priorities manager, says as of the end of May the number of garden centres registering for the program was disappointing. She said that in Ontario only 15 centres had signed into the program. This compares to about 25 Ontario garden centres taking part last year.

22 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

A contributing factor for fewer garden centres this year is the fact that a number of municipalities this past year have included garden plastics in the blue box program. Three communities known to collect garden plastics are Halton, Windsor and Ottawa.

In 2012, eight provinces and over 56 garden centres collected an estimated 91,229 lbs. of plastic. It was a 40 per cent increase over the 2011 event.

CNLA has developed an online tool kit that includes resources for garden centres, including a map to showcase participating centres across Canada, a list of Canadian recyclers, a press template for garden centres to send to the local

The latest research project, entitled Functional Biopesticides for the Lawn Care Industry, addressed the problem of white grubs and chinch bugs in lawn turf.

Landscape Ontario applied for and received funding from the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC). Laura Sider served as the program coordinator.

“There is a real need in the lawn care industry for pest management tools that are sustainable as well as being effective,” says a researcher on the project, Dr. Michael Brownbridge from Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. European chafer and hairy chinch bug were the two main turf pests examined.

The research team looked at different methods to determine whether biopesticides would be effective in Ontario’s climate and conditions. There was also evaluation on the influence that time of application has on effectiveness.

“With bio-based products, you have to use them under conditions where they’ll be most effective. For example, if the outside temperature is too high, it kills them and if it’s too low, it makes them inactive,” explained Brownridge.

“With the chafer, the older the larvae, the less susceptible they will be to the control product. So timing is absolutely critical,” said Brownridge.

Tests found that the most effective nematodes against European chafer were Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema glaseri, which are registered under a variety of trade names.

Even so, the best control using optimal timing and targeting the most susceptible stage of the grub resulted in a kill of only about half of the population. Brownbridge says this shows the need for additional work to determine treatment thresholds and highlights the importance of taking an integrated management approach to maintaining a healthy lawn.

Researchers also found that treatments applied in the spring and fall provided different levels of grub control.

Those applied in the spring, when soil temperatures were less than ideal for the nematodes and the larvae were too old, were largely ineffective.

The fall treatments, which targeted younger larvae and soil temperatures were higher, provided about 50 per cent control. “Interestingly,” adds Brownbridge, “when experiments included a chemical treatment as a comparison, not once did the chemical controls show better results than the biological ones.”

In 2012, nematode (H. bacteriophora and S. glaseri) sprays targeting young European chafer grubs in infested turf (late August) reduced populations by 50 per cent. Spray adjuvants used with the nematodes were generally compatible (Slither 0.02 per cent, Yucca 0.8 per cent), although survival was poor in Termitafoam. “Use of Termitafoam is therefore not recommended together with nematodes,” reads the report.

Rhizomatous tall fescue (RTF) and regenerating perennial ryegrass (RPR) plots were established at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute; both out-performed the standard home lawn mix (HLM) in terms of improved survival through the drought of 2012, faster establishment and reduced weed ingress. Bird feeding damage was also observed exclusively in the HLM plots, which were right alongside RPR and RTF plots; soil core samples showed that more grubs were present in the HLM plots than the RPR plots.

In greenhouse trials, chafer grubs showed a preference for grasses in the HLM, and larval growth (as measured by weight gain) was lower in both RTF and RPR grass pots. These data indicate that the fescue and rye grasses could play an important role in mitigating white grubs in lawn turf.

Several biopesticides were tested against chinch bugs, but none provided the level of control seen in previous years. “This may have been a result of the extreme weather conditions (drought, heat) which affected chinch bug behaviour, causing the insects to seek refuge in the soil to escape effects of the heat.

As a consequence, they would have been protected from biopesticide sprays; all of the products tested rely on direct contact to be effective,” says the report.

“Results from the trials show that microbial biocontrol agents can successfully impact chafer grub populations, but use of these strategies alone is likely to be insufficient to provide the levels of control required to eliminate feeding damage. “It will be imperative for the industry to incorporate use of these control tools with cultural practices that promote growth of a healthy lawn, together with the introduction of new grass varieties that can complement pest manage-

At for ovyour servic er 40 e years !

ment efforts which contribute to a more sustainable lawn,” says the report.

Results have provided information on chafer control tools that can be used by the lawn care industry, in terms of product efficacy and application considerations. “The products are available from commercial producers and can be purchased by turf professionals. From this perspective, the project has achieved its goal. However, additional tools are still needed for chinch bug management, so additional work in this area seems warranted. In addition, integration of complementary tactics — how to achieve the best results with the combined use of cultural, i.e. grass selections, and biological pest management approaches — would be worthy of further investigation.

A simplified report may be found at http://bit.ly/turfresearch.

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Green roof industry up 24 per cent

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) says its annual survey shows a 24 per cent growth rate in installed green roofs in 2012.

“On the heels of a huge 115 per cent growth rate in 2011, the green roof industry still grew by 24 per cent in 2012,” said GRHC founder and president Steven W. Peck. “Green roofs are being embraced around North America by policy makers, designers, building owners and developers,” he added.

In 2012, Washington, D.C. installed the most green roofs in North America with 1,326,872 square feet. Washington adopted a number of public policies that support green roof investment. Other North American metropolitan regions installing the most square feet were Chicago, New York City, Toronto and Philadelphia.

GRHC recently hosted Grey to Green: A Conference on the Economics of Green Infrastructure, in Toronto, on May 21 and 22.

MGS announces purchase of Plant Products

MGS Horticultural, a supplier of fertilizers, pest control products, seeds and substrates in North America, together with Haifa Chemicals, a global supplier of potassium nitrate for agriculture and industry, specialty plant nutrients and food phosphates, announced in late April plans to purchase Plant Products.

The deal closes June 21.

Plant Products is a member of Landscape Ontario and Canada’s largest supplier of fertilizer and pesticides in the

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INDUSTRY NEWS specialty horticulture market.

MGS plans to use both names (MGS Horticultural and Plant Products) in all communications going forward. MGS has said it will maintain locations in Leamington, Brampton, Laval, Que.; St. Hyacinthe, Que.; and Detroit, Mich.

Chris Stickles, ceo of MGS, said, “MGS is excited to have many talented individuals join our team. Plant Products staff will bring years of knowledge and experience to our growing company. We look forward to maintaining and enhancing relationships with the customers, suppliers, and strategic dealers of Plant Products.”

Haifa will acquire Plant Products’ high-performance complementary fertilizers including the Plant-Prod and Plantex lines of solubles and the Acer controlled-release fertilizer line. All the acquired business will be merged into Haifa group as a new company operating under the name of Master PlantProd. Haifa will also acquire the blending facility in Brampton.

London tree planting project funded

Ed Holder, Member of Parliament for London West, announced in early May funding from the EcoAction Community Funding Program of $55,000 over three years to support local action to protect wildlife and natural habitat.

“ReForest London has as its goal to plant one million trees in our City of London, the Forest City.,” said MP Holder.

Landscape Ontario London Chapter has worked with ReForest London.

EcoAction Community Funding supports community groups willing to take action through on-the-ground environmental projects.

As part of this project, community volunteers will improve woodland areas and wildlife habitat by planting native trees and shrubs that will improve 2.5 hectares of land at public parks and natural areas across London. These activities will be done with the help of at least 500 volunteers, who will be trained in effective tree planting techniques. The volunteers will also learn about the value of trees to local ecosystems and to human and environmental health.

“We are thrilled with the funding from Environment Canada to plant 3,500

24 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

trees and shrubs in 10 London parks.

We’ll work with Londoners who care to green our community and contribute to London’s Million Tree Challenge,” said Julie Ryan, director of programs for ReForest London.

EAB regulated areas expanded

As of May 7, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has expanded its regulated areas for the emerald ash borer (EAB) in Ontario.

The changes in regulated areas, which are intended to slow the spread of the EAB by restricting the movement of ash materials, result from new detections of the beetle.

Bruce County has been added to the existing regulated area, which includes Hamilton, Toronto, Chatham-Kent, Durham, York, Peel, Halton, Niagara and Waterloo and the Counties of Brant (including the City of Brantford), Elgin, Essex, Haldimand, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Norfolk, Oxford, Perth, Wellington and the Ottawa area.

All other regulated areas remain unchanged. A map of regulated areas in Ontario may be found at http://bit.ly/EABarea.

The movement of all ash tree materials and all firewood out of the regulated areas will be restricted. Those who move these materials from a regulated area without prior permission from the CFIA could face fines and/or prosecution.

CFIA says it is continuing to work with its partners and stakeholders towards slowing the spread of the emerald ash borer. Efforts@LOMembership are underway to develop a revised management @LOeventsapproach, which will take effect in 2014. The federal agency says details will be shared in the coming months.

Meanwhile in Oakville, hundreds of trees have been removed over the past months. Town manager of forestry services John McNeil said the trees being removed are infested and are dead or dying. McNeil says the infested trees are a threat to public safety.

In Oakville’s McCraney Park alone, there are approximately 1,853 ash trees.

It is confirmed 70-80 per cent must be removed. McNeil says similar scenarios will take place throughout Oakville.

Oakville has 280 woodlot parks, cov-

ering 848 hectares and containing around 44,000 ash trees. It estimated 180,000 ash trees are on private property. The town recommends that residents hire certified arborists to treat their trees.

Oakville is considered a leader in EAB management, with one of the most aggressive ash treatment programs in Canada. Last year, the town treated 3,000 municipal ash trees with TreeAzin.

In Hamilton, municipal council voted to cut down every ash tree on city property within the next 10 years.

The city approved a $26.2 million plan that will gradually see the felling of the 22,738 ash trees belonging to the municipality.

The City of London will spend over $14-million to remove and replant trees taken by EAB. Approximately 10 per cent of all trees in London are ash. These will be replaced with other species. Some ash trees deemed integral to their area have been treated with TreeAzin injections.

The city has approximately 10,000 ash trees on boulevards and in manicured portions of parks.

Homeowners in London are encouraged to look after their own ash trees, either by paying for TreeAzin injections or removing infected trees. TreeAzin is available only to certified professionals.

Landscape Ontario has included an information site for consumers at http://bit.ly/LOeab.

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OMAFRA REPORT Committee continues work to help turf

By Pam Charbonneau OMAF turfgrass specialist

T

urf stakeholders in Ontario are consulted each year by the Turf Technical Working Group of the Pest Management Research and Services Committee to put together a turf minor use list of insect, disease and weed management priorities.

This stakeholder committee is made up of researchers, extension personnel, rep-

European chafer

Chinch bugs

26 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

resentatives from Landscape Ontario Lawn Care Sector Group, Ontario Golf Superintendents’ Association, Nursery Sod Growers Association and representatives from crop protection companies.

The process is duplicated in every province across Canada. The national priorities are presented at a meeting hosted by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency.

In conjunction with this meeting, there is also a national bio-pesticides workshop.

If a crop pest is deemed a significant problem, but there are no pesticides currently available in Canada to control that pest, then the Pest Management Centre will fund pesticide trials to determine if there is a product that can handle the problem.

In 2012, Ontario was successful in obtaining funds to perform a bio-pesticide trial for the control of hairy chinch bugs in turf. The product that was tested for this purpose is the bio-pesticide Grandevo, Marrone BioInnovations. Four trials were conducted — two in Ontario, one in Quebec and one in Ohio. Results of these trials were varied, mainly due to the very dry conditions experienced in Ontario and Quebec during the test period in 2012.

There are plans to repeat the trials in 2013.

The hope is to provide sufficient data to support the addition of hairy chinch bugs to the Grandevo label.

Grandevo, hopefully should qualify as a Class 11 pesticide under Ontario’s Cosmetic Pesticides Ban. At the 2013 National Biopesticide Workshop, held during March of this year in Gatineau, Que., funding was obtained to perform a biopesticide trial for the control

of European chafer grubs in turf. The product that has been selected for this purpose is Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae, Grubgone from Phyllom BioProducts.

Trials will begin in the summer of 2014 on this product. Trials on an older formula were conducted in Ontario in 2009 with modest results. The hope is that the new formulation will be more effective, and that this product will qualify as a Class 11 pesticide under Ontario pesticides ban.

There was an update from Dr. Karen Bailey, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist, who has been developing the fungal herbicide Phoma macrostoma with the Scotts Company. This herbicide received registration in 2012, but production issues have held back its launch. Plans call to have it in the marketplace by 2014.

Marrone Bio-Innovations has a new bioherbicide called Opportune, or MBI 005.

It is a heat killed Streptomyces with good pre-emergent control against Poa annua. It is supposed to have efficacy against crabgrass when applied to bare soil, but the company is not sure if it will work when applied to turf. Trials on this product will be conducted this summer at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute to determine its efficacy against crabgrass in established turf.

An interesting observation at this meeting was the number of crop protection companies increasing the amount of research and development into bio-pesticides. For example, BASF has purchased BeckerUnderwood, the U.K. supplier of insect parasitic nematodes. Bayer has purchased a bio-pesticide company based in California, called AgraQuest. This company will now be called Bayer Biologics. In addition to these companies, there were at least a dozen other bio-pesticide companies that presented information on new products being developed for the Canadian market.

On the subject of pesticides, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs have published a 2013 Supplement to the Turfgrass Management Recommendations, Publication 384.

The supplement can be found online at http://bit.ly/13tud98. It contains recommendations for the turf pesticides that have been registered in 2012 and early 2013.

For anyone interested in the presentations made by the various crop protection registrants, they are available at the Pest Management Centre’s website ftp://ftp.agr. gc.ca/pub/outgoing/pmc_sa/. This will take you to a directory of the meeting organized by the day the meeting was held.

Pam Charbonneau may be reached at pamela.charbonneau@ontario.ca.

PUBLIC RELATIONS Strategic plan in action

By Denis Flanagan CLD Director of public relations and membership services

E

ach year at the provincial board and governance meetings, the direction of Landscape Ontario is discussed and a strategic plan put in place. This document serves as as a reference tool and useful guideline for staff, as we plan and participate in meetings and events throughout the year on your behalf.

Our participation in these recent events was aimed to fulfil some of the goals of the strategic plan.

Meaning something to the public

On May 3, when the spring showed signs of arriving, we celebrated the fact that retail garden centres would soon be brimming with customers. To show the action, we shot the mid-day news segment with CTV on site at Tree Valley Garden Centre in the Durham Chapter.

The live cut-ins, with weather host Anwar Knight, gave us an opportunity not only to showcase one of our members, but also give gardening tips to the viewers on planting techniques, protecting tender annuals and colour trends, with of course a plug that customers should seek professional advice from LO members when shopping this spring.

Connecting with the government and other associations

We partnered with The Compost Council of Canada on May 6 at a site on 1075 Bay St. in the Toronto Chapter. The downtown lawn area was in need of some repair and it was a great way to celebrate compost awareness week and exchange thoughts and ideas with others. The site is managed by Canderel Group, and we had a positive conversation regarding property managers and the landscape industry.

Miller Waste Systems was a sponsor, along with the Region of Peel. Miller was promoting the new commercial application/supply service.

The event was opened by the guest of honour, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario Gord Miller. This was followed by participants, including the grounds crew, tenants and Master Gardeners, aerating, top dressing and seeding the lawn.

We will follow-up with all participants in regards to future discussions on behalf of our members.

Denis Flanagan may be contacted at dflanagan@landscapeontario.com.

Networking

In mid-April, Silverthorn Landscape Supplies in the London Chapter held a contractor appreciation event. Owner Hetty Teuber hosted a lively event that included each guest receiving a gift and a passport-style questionnaire. This encouraged them to circulate and talk with all the the suppliers on site.

After a tour of the facility, a roast beef supper was served, partnered with a pint of locally brewed Iron Spike Ale. This was followed by presentations on cost savings for small businesses, trends in landscaping and the benefits of LO membership. We thank Hetty Teuber for the invitation and opportunity to talk with members and potential members.

Silverthorn Landscape Supplies in St. Thomas hosted a contractor appreciation event. From left, Janet Peters, Hetty Teuber, Sherri Stiep and Deanne Tillotson.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  27

PROSPERITY PARTNERS Profit doesn’t grow on trees her results. It speaks greatly to the benefits of being engaged in the LO community of peers, expertise and the Prosperity ear no evil, see no evil, speak no Partners concept. Here’s our interview evil. Breaking the barrier between conversation.

Jacki How has Prosperity language helped you and the financial health of your you be intentional about how you run your business starts with Prosperity Partners. business?

With almost 500 Lindsay I tend to refer back to the Pillars member companies (Professional Operations, Sales Success, engaging and benefitFinancial Health, Leadership, Customer ting from using the Relations) much more frequently in my Prosperity Partners day-to-day business activities. concept and lanJacki Can you give me an example of the guage in their busitype of questions you ask yourself, as a nesses, a common result of the Prosperity Partners’ tools? factor exists among Lindsay How can I be more efficient? our industry’s comHow does this potential client meet my munity of business owners. We will lean company’s core values and vice versa? away from all things financial at every posHow can I encourage my potential client to sible opportunity. become a Customer for Life?

A common challenge In what ways can I thank my with business entreprereferring sources to make neurs who are talented at them Customers for Life, too? the technical skills on which How can I serve this client/ their businesses are based, customer better? What would is they never seem to make make me a better leader to enough money. Time and my employees? time again, with hundreds Jacki How does what of business owners, I hear you’ve learned through the the same story. Sound Prosperity Partners program familiar to you? help to rejuvenate your Well, here’s an epiphinterest and passion, and any: If you’re aiming at keep you engaged? nothing, you’ll hit it with Lindsay Drake Nightingale Lindsay The biggest element huge accuracy. is that the program encouraged me to If you don’t manage the math of your tighten up on all of my best practices... business, it will manage you. Profit doesn’t by becoming more organized. I stopped grow on trees (pun intended), so stop lookfretting about the small stuff which allowed ing for it there. I can safely say after workme to look at the bigger picture. My vision ing with close to 1,000 business owners cleared, which has allowed for the creation over the past eight years, that upwards of of a company vision.

95 per cent absolutely lean away from the Jacki What is it about being involved with numbers of their business, until the numyour Chapter that helps you in your bers back them into a corner. business and/or maintaining a healthy For this month’s article I interviewed work-life balance?

Lindsay Drake Nightingale, owner of YorkLindsay I have truly loved being on the shire Garden Services serving the GTA. board of the Toronto Chapter. The Lindsay hit the nail on the head when networking opportunities are terrific. I have it comes to shifting your thinking as an a strong network of colleagues who I am owner/manager about getting the math of able to call upon with questions, referrals, your business. She seized the opportusupport. Relieving my mind of the unknown nity to use a simple mode that Prosperity business things by utilizing my fellow Partners presented. It was relatively painboard members, and in turn other Chapter less, and has taken her business and her members, has made growing the business lifestyle to a whole new level. I’m proud for

By Jacki Hart CLP Prosperity Partners program manager

H

28 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

a great deal more enjoyable. This in turns gives me more freedom at home.

Jacki What does being involved with your Chapter’s governance do to enhance your career and interests?

Lindsay My involvement with Toronto Chapter’s governance allowed me to learn about business. We all come to the table with different perspectives. I try to glean as much information from others in order to help me run my business more smoothly and efficiently. Also, the Chapter’s community involvement events have renewed my passion for grassroots volunteering, so I am now involved in volunteer opportunities within my small town.

Jacki What specifically has the Prosperity Partners program done to help you most recently with your business and work-life balance?

Lindsay Most important is adhering to the Best Practices of all five pillars, but more specifically around Financial Health. The other four pillars can be a cakewalk for me compared to Financial Health. Once I follow the best practices checklist, the whole financial process becomes a whole lot less stressful.

Jacki Can you give me an example?

Lindsay I have a wonderful accountant and a fantastic bookkeeper, BUT it is still my business to make it succeed. NOW I make a concerted effort to understand my cash flow, my receivables, staff wages, etc., and how they all greatly influence the future of YGS. Jacki If you could start your business all over again, would you include the Prosperity Partners program in your learning and business development plan?

Lindsay Absolutely. I think the Prosperity Partners program is crucial in the development of every young business.

Knowledge up front sure makes the road easier to travel.

Jacki Going forward, will you continue to engage in the Landscape Ontario Chapter community, and if so, why?

Lindsay Currently, I am past president of the Chapter. It is a nice place to be after multiple years of involvement. I look forward to continuing my involvement within the Landscape Ontario community.

Right now, I’m examining a couple of different opportunities at the sector level.

Jacki Hart may be reached at prosperity@landscapeontario.com.

MEMBERSHIP A time to work and a time to play

By Helen Hassard Membership coordinator

I

’ve been sitting here in my office in Milton thinking about which membership benefit to remind you about, or which learning experience I have had at an event that would be valuable information to pass on.

The thing is, now that I’ve been at LO for three years, I understand that you’re probably super busy with your business. Now is not the time for me to fill your to-do list with completing member profiles, ordering decals and signing up for discount pro-

grams. That’s all good stuff and all available at horttrades.com, and through my twitter account @LOMembership, but I know you’re busy this month, so I’ll cool it for now.

I have a picture hanging beside by desk that reads, “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

So this month’s article is not a call to action, but a reminder that you are a part of a thriving and important industry; if you’re reading this you’ve chosen to be a part of one of the largest horticultural trades asso-

EXECUTIVE DESK Debating a regulated trade Tony DiGiovanni CHT LO executive director

F

or years, many members have expressed the opinion that the landscape industry should have mandatory regulation like plumbers and electricians. Supporters say regulated trades have a better image, receive higher income and enjoy greater respect.

Approximately 20 years ago, we were asked by the government if the trade wanted to be regulated. We spent a year studying the issue and decided, based on member wishes, not to proceed. Ten years ago we had the same opportunity. Members were split 50/50. At a recent Waterloo Chapter meeting, I asked for an informal vote and was surprised to learn the majority in the room wanted us to pursue this direction.

We now have another opportunity to study the issue of mandatory regulation.

There are regulatory examples, particu-

larly in California and Europe, that give us a glimpse of the advantages. We need your viewpoint. As a starting point, I have listed possible advantages and disadvantages from an industry and consumer perspective.

Advantages from an industry perspective • Protects the consumer from shoddy work • Protects the health and safety of consumer and employee • Improves the image of the industry • Improves the quality of competence • Prevents the “race-to-the-bottom” that many experience • Makes it easier to make a decent living • Increases barrier to entry and therefore increases prices and revenue • Encourages trade as a career choice Disadvantages from an industry perspective • Makes it more difficult to enter the industry • Stimulates the underground economy • Promotes the do-it-yourself market, because of higher costs • Increases barrier to entry, therefore less people in the industry Advantages from a consumer perspective • Helps the consumer evaluate the difference between good and bad work

ciations in the world. And, right this very moment you are working to strengthen your business.

That quote has gotten me through some challenging times. I’ve sent it on to others as a great reminder that whatever happens around us is manageable because...well, because we’ve gotten this far, haven’t we?

Anyway, just in case my favourite quote and a bit of mindful reflection didn’t bring your blood pressure down, my next piece of advice is to come out golfing, or to a barbecue, or get your crew out to one of the chapter baseball tournaments taking place across the province. There are tons of opportunities to let loose and have fun.

Go to horttrades.com, or check your weekly e-news.

Feel free to give me a call at 1-800-2655656, ext. 354, or by email to helen@landscapeontario.com, or tweet me about it at @LOMembership.

• Greater possibility of receiving quality work • Protects the consumer’s investment Disadvantages from a consumer perspective • Increases cost • Some studies have shown that quality does not necessarily result from regulation.

There are also some alternatives to regulation that addresses the quality and public protection issues. They should also be discussed.

Alternatives to regulation • Certification programs offer a low cost alternative to government regulation of the trade. The consumer has greater freedom of choice and can control the risk.

• Develop and promote standard warranties and guarantees to protect the consumer • Encourage government to enforce appropriate health and safety standards • Develop consumer reporting programs • Awards of Excellence programs • Develop an “Approved Landscape Contractor Program” • Output Monitoring — This is a unique idea based on the premise that your work speaks for you. We could develop a process of peer-to-peer monitoring that gets publicized to consumers • Registration requirements Let’s start the discussion. Let me know your views at tonydigiovanni@landscapeontario. com. You can also access the group discussion on LinkedIn. If you are not a group member, go to this site and request permission to join, http://linkd.in/18Igyku.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 29

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www.sipkensnurseries.com

866-843-0438

Page 17

Potters Road Nursery Inc. Sipkens Nurseries Ltd.

An initiative of

Stam Nurseries Uxbridge Nurseries Ltd.

30 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

Garden Centre awards program ad for LO magazine.indd 4

Over 1000 varieties of perennials, grasses and groundcovers.

Rooftop custom growing.

Job-site deliveries.

T. 905-689-1749 F. 1-888-867-1925 E. info@millgroveperennials.ca www.millgroveperennials.ca

View these ads and many more online at www.horttrades.com/classifieds

Braun Nursery Limited

GARDEN CENTRE

NURSERY STOCK

5/29/2013 9:39:41 AM

www.stamnurseries.com 519-424-3350 Page 12 www.uxbridgenurseries.com

877-655-3379

Page 18

New ZTrak™ Z900 Series Mowers The strongest, most durable decks in the industry, stamped from 7-gauge steel.

Z915B ZTRAK™ ZERO-TURN MOWER W/ 60” DECK

Starting at

8,541

$

Better equipment for a better day’s work.

You’d be hard-pressed to find any other equipment with the innovative features and common-sense design of John Deere. But to get the complete experience of how a John Deere will perform all day, every day, just get in the seat and drive one at Green Tractors.

*

648R QuikTrak™ Stand-On Mower

27D Compact Excavator

Stand up for increased productivity, and easier loading and unloading at job sites.

Zero tail swing lets it rotate fully without banging its tail into something.

0

% FOR

36 MONTHS**

GREAT FINANCING AVAILABLE

Our Solutions. Your Success.

BRAMPTON

905-846-2511

NOBLETON

800-367-0608

EARLTON

705-563-2134

OMEMEE

800-563-5601

MILTON

905-878-2121

PORT PERRY 888-818-9400

GreenTractors.ca *Offer ends 7/31/2013. Prices are suggested retail prices only and are subject to change without notice at any time. Dealer may sell for less. Taxes, setup, delivery, freight and preparation charges not included. Attachments and implements sold separately. See dealer for details. **Offer valid from 3/1/2013 until 7/31/2013. 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, setup, 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. For purchases on your Multi-Use Account for personal, agricultural and commercial use. For eligible purchases of goods and services: 1) minimum monthly payment required (see example below); and 2) finance/credit charges will begin to accrue immediately on amount financed at 0% per annum. No down payment required. A statement of account will be provided monthly. For example, on a new John Deere ZTrak™ 997/72 Mower, based on a cash selling price of $21,158 (selling price in example is based on MSRP as of 2/15/2013 and may change at any time without notice. Dealer may sell for less) less a down payment of $0, to be financed for a maximum of 36 months with 36 monthly payments of $587.72 totaling $21,158.00 based on 0% AIR with a cost of borrowing of $0.

GTI-8X100615LOM-4C

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 31

Harmony is

GREEN, COLOUR is Expression.

32 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JUNE, 2013

1155 Dundas St. W. (Hwy. #5), West Flamborough, Ontario Tel.: 905-628-0112 • 905-523-0442 Fax: 905-628-3155 email: mail@connonnurseries.com www.connonnurseries.com