Horticulture Review - March 2011 by Landscape Ontario

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2 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

Landscape Ontario and industry events

Chapter events

For more chapter event listings, visit www.horttrades.com. March 23 Upper Canada Training Session 698 Station Road, Gananoque Come out at 8:30 a.m. to learn about WHMIS, Bill 168, Lawn Care Equipment Familiarization, Risk Assessment, Managing Compliance and Hazard Recognition. Participants must bring their PPE, everyone on site is to have CSA footwear. Cost is a food bank donation. Lunch will be provided by the chapter. Contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com. March 23 Georgian Lakelands Chapter meeting Innisbrook Golf Course, 2957 Lockhart Road, Barrie Join the Georgian Lakelands Chapter for the annual MTO meeting! Networking and registration will start at 1 p.m., with coffee, tea, and snacks provided. Chapter elections will be held at the meeting. To register or for further information, contact at lexi@landscapeontario. com, or 1-800-265-5656, ext. 2317.

March 24 Golden Horseshoe Chapter meeting Hamilton Builders’ Supply, 1067 Barton St. E., Winona The Golden Horseshoe chapter welcomes you to the annual spring MTO meeting, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The all-day meeting will feature Ian Walters of the MTO and J. Paul Lamarche. Contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@ landscapeontario.com. March 24 Windsor Chapter meeting Dominion Golf Course, 6125 Howard Avenue, LaSalle Join the Windsor Chapter from 5 to 8 p.m. for a presentation on Living Roofs and LEED certification by Xero Flor Canada. Contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656 ext. 354 or helen@landscapeontario.com. March 24 Upper Canada Training Session 698 Station Road, Gananoque Come out to Gananoque at 8:30 a.m. for skidsteer (bucket and forks) certification. Participants will receive laminated certification cards, and must bring their PPE. Everyone on site is to have CSA footwear. Cost is $125 for members and $150 for potential members. Lunch will be provided. Foodbank donations are appreciated. To register, or learn more contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

For more Landscape Ontario and industry event listings, visitwww.horttrades.com. March 16 - March 20 Canada Blooms Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto Canada Blooms celebrates its 15th year with the theme of Rhythms, at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place. For information on this year’s show, or to register as a volunteer at the show, visit www.canadablooms.com. March 17 Contractors Lecture Series at Industry Night Direct Energy Centre, Rm. 103, Exhibition Place Visit Canada Blooms for the day, and take in the popular Landscape Contractors Lecture series from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in Room 103. This year’s presenters are Mark Bradley and Mark Hartley, speaking about the design and construction of private residential gardens in the city and country. There is no charge, but a RSVP is required to Kathleen Pugliese, kpugliese@ landscapeontario.com before March 10. April 6 Building your prosperity seminar Landscape Ontario, 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton The introductory Prosperity Partnership seminars will get you started on to the road of success. This program is intended to help green industry members clarify what they excel at and what components of their business needs attention and improvement. Go to www.horttrades. com to register.

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Landscape Ontario staff LO staff members are committed to member service. Please call with your questions or concerns. Tel: (905) 875-1805 or 1-800-265-5656 Fax: (905) 875-3942 Web: 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. Suffix for all e-mail addresses below: @landscapeontario.com

Executive Board

Windsor Chapter

President

President: Mark Williams Board rep: Garry Moore

Past president

Garden Centre

Tom Intven, tintven@ Robert Adams, robertadams@ First vice-president

Tim Kearney CLP, tkearney@

Chair: Michael Van Dongen Board rep: Bob McCannell, bmccannell@

Grounds Management

Second vice-president

Chair: Mike DeBoer, CLT Board rep: Brian Marsh

Secretary/treasurer

Growers

Phil Charal, pcharal@ Dave Braun

Provincial Board Durham Chapter

President: Greg Scarlett CLT Board rep: Mark Humphries, mhumphries@

Chairs: Mark Ostrowski Board rep: Gerwin Bouman

Interior Plantscapes

Chair and board rep: Stephen Schell CLT

Irrigation

E-mail suffix for all staff members: @landscapeontario.com Executive director Tony DiGiovanni CHTR, ext. 304, tonydigiovanni@ Executive assistant Kathleen Pugliese, ext. 309, kpugliese@ Controller Joe Sabatino, ext. 310, jsabatino@ Manager, education, and labour development, Sally Harvey CLT, CLP, ext. 315, sharvey@ Administrative assistant Jane Leworthy, ext. 301, jleworthy@ Education, labour, and certification project coordinator Rachel Cerelli, ext. 326, rachelc@ Seminar and safety group coordinator Kathy McLean, ext. 306, kathym@ Membership coordinator, Helen Hassard, ext. 354, hhassard@ Chapter coordinator, Georgian Lakelands Chapter Lexi Dearborn, ext. 317, ldearborn@

Chair: Chris Le Conte Board rep: Steve Macartney CIT, CLT

Chapter coordinator, London Chapter Wendy Harry, 519-488-0818, wharry@

President: Michael LaPorte CLT Board rep: Warren Patterson

Landscape Contractors Chair and board rep: Peter Guinane

Chapter coordinator, Ottawa Chapter Martha Walsh, ext. 368, mwalsh@

Golden Horseshoe Chapter

Lawn Care

Manager, information technology Ian Service, 416-848-7555, iservice@

Georgian Lakelands Chapter

President: Fiore Zenone Board rep: Brian Cocks CLT

London Chapter

President: Grant Harrison CLT Board rep: Peter Vanderley CLP

Ottawa Chapter

President: Sarah Johnston Board rep: Bruce Morton CLP, CIT

Toronto Chapter

President: Lindsay Drake Nightingale Board rep: Ryan Heath CLP, CLT

Upper Canada Chapter President: Dan Clost CHTR Board rep: Paul Doornbos CLT, CLP

Waterloo Chapter

President: Rob Tester Board rep: David Wright CLP

Chair: Steve Tschanz Board rep: Alan White, awhite@

Landscape Design Chair: Tony Lombardi CLD Board rep: Paul Brydges

Lighting

Chair and Board rep: John Higo

Snow and Ice Management

Manager, Pesticide Industry Council Tom Somerville, tsomerville@ Executive director Ontario Parks Association Paul Ronan, ext. 349, pronan@ Director of events and trade shows Gilles Bouchard, ext. 323, gbouchard@ Trade show manager Paul Day CDE, ext. 339, paulday@ Trade show manager Lorraine Ivanoff, ext. 366, lpi@

Chair: John Fulford Board rep: Gerald Boot CLP, geraldboot@

Trade show coordinator Linda Nodello, ext. 353, lnodello@

Members at Large

Conference and events coordinator, Kristen McIntyre CLT, ext. 321, kristen@

CNLA Board Rep

Director of public relations Denis Flanagan CLD, ext. 303, dflanagan@ Publisher Lee Ann Knudsen CLP, ext. 314, lak@

Gregg Salivan Bruce Warren

Gerald Boot CLP, geraldboot@

Web editor Robert Ellidge, ext. 312, rob@

Horticulture Review

Art director Melissa Steep, 647-723-5447, msteep@

The Voice of Landscape Ontario

March 15, 2011 • Volume 29, No. 3 Views expressed in Horticulture Review are those of the writer concerned. Horticulture Review and Landscape Ontario assume no responsibility for the validity or correctness of any opinions or references made by the author. Copyright 2010, 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

4 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

Editorial director Sarah Willis, ext. 313, sarahw@ Editor Allan Dennis, ext. 320, aldennis@

ISSN 0823-8472 Publications Mail Agreement No. PM40013519 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses To: Circulation Department Horticulture Review 7856 Fifth Line South Milton, ON L9T 2X8

Graphic designer Mike Wasilewski, ext. 343, mikew@ Sales manager, publications Steve Moyer, ext. 316, stevemoyer@ Communications assistant Angela Lindsay, ext. 305, alindsay@

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

What’s your return on investment from membership? By Tom Intven LO president

love going to the movies. They are a great form of entertainment. There’s a famous line from the movie Jerry McGuire, when Cuba Gooding Jr. yelled out repeatedly, when his agent was negotiating his contract for him, “Show me the money.” For non-members looking to join our association, and indeed for some of us when we renew our membership, this same question is asked when we ratioTom Intven nalize paying our dues: “Show me how my membership pays me back. Show me the money!” Our association exists to fulfill the perceived needs of our members. People remain members, because they see that membership in the association meets their needs and that they benefit from contributing to their association. Your dollars pay the dues, and if you are truly engaged, your time and resources are your investment for which you expect to receive a return or interest in a form that meets your needs. It’s so important for our association to clearly lay out the potential return on investment (ROI) from membership and engagement. Upon examination, there are both tangible and intangible benefits to investing in your LO membership. Tangible benefits People join LO for different reasons. New members usually join for the tangible reasons: when they’ve been ‘shown the money.’ Tangible benefits are vital in a successful member organization for both recruitment and retention. When the return on investment is obvious, member retention is ensured. When the ROI is advertised effectively, membership recruitment should increase. Let’s take a look at the tangible money benefits of belonging to LO. Much effort has gone into negotiating great discounts and deals with our endorsed suppliers to make your membership more than pay for itself. Here are a few examples: • Everyday item discounts include Mark’s Work Warehouse – 15 per cent, Esso and

Petro Canada gas discounts. • Vehicle and equipment discounts from Caterpillar, GM trucks, John Deere are all significant and can more than pay for your membership if you make just one purchase. • Recent negotiations have made our insurance programs very competitive – check them out. • Training discounts from Landscape Safety and LMN. All courses are offered to LO members at a substantial discount. Your membership in LO also includes membership in CNLA. All discounts and benefits offered by CNLA are automatically available to you as an LO member. I encourage all of you to visit our website www.horttrades.com and scroll through Membership Benefits to ensure that you are maximizing your tangible ROI. Intangible benefits The true value of membership in LO, the real return on investment, I believe are the intangible benefits listed below that speak directly to our real needs as successful entrepreneurs. • Access to information and professional contacts: Our association produces two respected trade magazines. We have developed standards for most of our activities. We help to establish wage rates for our various sectors. Our members represent the top professionals in every sector. • Networking opportunities and career resources: Through our chapter and sector meetings, courses, trade shows, tours, workshops, etc., we offer tremendous opportunities for networking. Our members and our staff, through their activities represent the very best career resources. • Opportunities for professional growth and skill development: We offer hundreds of courses. Now all or our educational offerings are aligned with the Prosperity Partners Pillars. Landscape Ontario has invested strongly in certification, and offers training for every sector. Our purpose is to raise the professionalism of our members through education and training. • Opportunities of leadership development: There are numerous opportunities at the chapter, sector or committee level for LO members to develop their leadership potential. One of the most rewarding experiences in business and in life can be

to volunteer to participate in governance of your trade. It’s a real opportunity for personal growth. • Opportunities for professional recognition both among peers and with the public: LO offers numerous opportunities to members to represent their industry to the public, at tree plantings, in schools, or giving talks under the LO banner. Our branding campaign, Green for Life, is our collective effort to bring awareness and recognition to the social, environmental, health and well-being benefits of our activities. • LO provides many opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate your inner pride in what you do: Our Awards of Excellence program is the perfect vehicle for you and your employees to garner recognition for your pursuit of excellence in your company. I believe most of us strive for excellence in our work, as well as profitability. LO provides us with the means to achieve and to be recognized for excellence. • LO is the best vehicle for us to be professionally identified: Most of us should want to be called a professional. Also, we want to be associated with like-minded professionals who represent our collective selves to the public, and industry. Our association with the professionals of LO is the definitive way for us to accomplish this. • Opportunities to shape the direction of our field: Especially for many longserving members, this rings true. They have expressed that this is one of the most rewarding aspects of their membership in Landscape Ontario. It’s an opportunity that allows them to make a difference. Your Landscape Ontario membership develops skills that can enhance job performance, expand contacts, and foster career advancement. Active engagement in LO benefits our trade, profession and ourselves, and strongly influences our perception of our association. I encourage all of you to take the time to seriously review the return on investment from your membership and engagement in LO. Consider both the tangible and intangible benefits. I’m sure you will all agree that the simple process will ‘Show you the money!’ Tom Intven may be reached at 519-631-1008, or tintven@landscapeontario.com.

HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 5

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Canada Blooms raises industry’s image Tony DiGiovanni CHTR LO executive director

anada Blooms Flower and Garden Festival has one purpose: To raise awareness for the economic, environmental, aesthetic, therapeutic, lifestyle, health and spiritual benefits of horticulture and floriculture. There is no better way to stimulate interest and demand for the industry’s creativity, skill, products or services than by inspiring the public emotionally Tony DiGiovanni through the creation of spectacular gardens and floral displays. In the last 15 years, Canada Blooms has directly touched over one million people, creating impressions that last a lifetime. No other form of communication, marketing or advertising has the ability to generate lifetime memories. In addition, Canada Blooms has indi-

Members come together at Canada Blooms.

rectly influenced millions of people through photographs, television shows, media coverage, magazines and word of mouth. Every time an image of a Canada Blooms garden or floral display is viewed, ideas are generated. Many of those ideas are then copied and executed, which benefits the industry as a whole. As a festival, Canada Blooms is much different than other events. It is motivated by passion and service. It enjoys the participation of hundreds of volunteers. In fact, it could not happen without volunteer contribution. It also has a unique business model. Most festivals are for-profit businesses. Canada Blooms is a non-profit organization with a single purpose. Where most shows and festivals sell space to exhibitors, Canada Blooms rents the Direct Energy Centre at the CNE Grounds in Toronto and promptly gives away two-thirds of the space for the creation of the gardens, floral displays, non-profit horticulture groups and educational activities. If the show makes money, substantial amounts are given away to support community-related horticultural projects. In this way, Canada Blooms continues to achieve its mandate to promote the joys and benefits of horticulture and floriculture. In past 15 years, the festival has supported over $600,000 worth of community projects. Not only does the festival provide a conduit for the industry to promote itself, it also “tells the story” of our industry’s generosity and contribution ethic. Canada Blooms is the best vehicle to bring together at one event all those who have a passion for horticulture and floriculture.

6 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

Last year Landscape Ontario’s Green for Life garden experience was one of the highlights of my experience at LO. The garden build illustrated in a microcosm, what the association is all about. Those of you involved in the project know exactly of what I am talking about. The project started with a dream and end goal. The goal inspired hundreds of volunteers to contribute their time, resources, sweat and hard work. Each person brought something unique to the project. Members learned from other members. Tools and ideas were shared openly. Problems were solved collectively. The range in skill, experience and ability was broad and diverse, yet everyone contributed as much as they were able, keeping the end goal in mind. In the process, everyone gained in knowledge, professionalism, mutual mentorship and friendships. Everyone had a great time and a feeling of satisfaction and camaraderie. The resulting garden gave much pleasure and inspiration to thousands of people who walked through. This year Landscape Ontario will build a 9,000 sq. ft. garden. We need all the help we can get. Please call me if you want to pitch-in. Join us in showing the public the many ways in which their lives can be enriched and enhanced through horticulture and floriculture. Canada Blooms is at the Direct Energy Centre from Mar. 16 to 20. Please see www. canadablooms.com for more information. Tony DiGiovanni may be reached at tonydigiovanni@landscapeontario.com.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Partnerships pay off Denis Flanagan CLD Director of public relations

art of the success of Landscape Ontario has been the readiness of the Provincial Board to encourage partnerships with other organizations. A good example of this is our developing relationship with Communities in Bloom — Ontario. The mission of CiB dovetails nicely with the goals of LO on many fronts: connecting with municipalities and local governments, enhancing people’s lives and beautifying our province. The Communities in Bloom name has built a tremendous reputation over the years, well recognized by many groups and levels of government. This provides a valuable conduit for a trade association in order to achieve recognition and connections Some achievements of our partnership in 2011 so far include: • A presentation by the Lieutenant Governor David Onley at Congress in January with

a commitment that he would welcome a meeting with our industry to discuss accessibility issues in parks and gardens. • Presentations at Markham and Hamilton council meetings to celebrate green community initiatives. Both CiB and LO were recognized and thanked by both mayors. • Promotion of Garden Tourism at Canada Blooms, both on a national level through the garden coalition and the garden train route and on a provincial level with the participation of local tourism offices in marketplace. • Organizing an event at Canada Blooms for the Ontario Minister of Natural Resources Linda Jeffrey to launch the Plant Local Trees Challenge. • Promoting the full CiB program that is judged on eight criteria, leading to national and international competitions. • Promotion of the Green for Life community award. This is being sponsored by the LO Garden Centre Sector Group in 2011

and encourages members to partner with community groups on local projects that improve the environment. These projects will be judged this summer and the category winners will be announced at an awards ceremony during Expo in October. This a wonderful opportunity for garden centres, LO Chapters or individual members to be recognized for their community work. For more info or to enter, contact CiB Ontario executive director Lee Rozen at cibinfo@mountaincable.net. Thank you to the CiB Ontario board members, Bob Allen, Janet Anderson, Peter Kamerman and Martin Quinn, for their continued guidance, and to the LO Provincial Board members for their continued support. Denis Flanagan is LO’s public relations director and chair of Communities in Bloom — Ontario. He may be contacted at dflanagan@ landscapeontario.com.

HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 7

PROSPERITY PARNERS

Financial health reality check By Jacki Hart CLP Prosperity Partners program manager

Prosperity Pillar

andscapers are rarely bankers in disguise. Soon you will be entrenched IN your business, working hands-on and wearing countless different hats. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really hard to think and see clearly about how your business is performing financially without solid systems to help you. Typically, we landscapers hate the financial stuff. And, Jacki Hart typically, whether you can follow the logic here or not, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly why we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t/canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay ourselves enough. Running a business requires strength in each of all the Prosperity Pillars â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not just the ones you like to absorb yourself. How do you weigh in? Place a checkmark in the columns as appropriate. The reality is that if you placed a mark in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;avoid when possibleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; column, beware, as this is a blind spot in your business and is absolutely interfering with meeting your best potential. If you fall under lukewarm in any of the pillars, then heads up. These are ones you

Love It

Luke Warm

Sales Success Professional Operations Customers for Life Leadership Financial Health Technical Education

pay attention to either when you feel like it, when you need to, or you delegate it to someone else. Now more than ever, business owners and managers need to be sharp, paying attention to metrics, sales, margins and cash flow. We are experiencing unprecedented pressures in order to continue running sustainable, legitimate businesses from many different directions. For example, our customers are more sophisticated than ever. The economy has changed, forcing us to think differently and sharpen our pencils. The HST has adversely affected consumer confidence, and perceived value. Flash in the pan competitors (those without a sustainable business model) are dropping their prices just to get work, without covering overhead and ROI. And yes, thanks to Mr. McGuinty, many customers want to avoid the HST by dealing in cash.

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One of our Pillars of Prosperity is Financial Health. The buck stops hereâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;without solid financial health in your business, you will face even more challenges than your peers who have solid systems in place. Landscape Ontario offers resources to you to help strengthen the financial health of your business. These resources include: â&#x20AC;˘ Classroom seminars for the CLP Financial Management module â&#x20AC;˘ Endorsement of several estimating and budgeting programs: JPL (www.jplbiz.ca), Landscape Management Network (www. landscapemanagementnetwork.com) â&#x20AC;˘ Various winter financial management based seminars (www.horttrades.com/prodev).

Avoid When Possible

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a few weeks left to grab the bull by the horns, and make a difference in the financial health of your business this year. Go for it! I guarantee if you use the primer below to get you started, and commit to following through on your answers, you will be rewarded well for your diligence. To improve the Financial Health of this company, the most important thing to change is___________________. The consequences of NOT making the effort to change this are: __________________. The result of this change will be _________________________________. The resources I need to use are _________________________________. I am going to contact/access/read this resource by March ___, 2012. When I have done this, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I anticipate will be different and improved: ________________________________. Jacki Hart can be reached via email at prosperity@landscapeontario.com.

THE UNDERGROUND WORLD

Best practices for excavators By Terry Murphy CLP

or the last seven years, damage prevention officers from key organizations such as Bell Telephone, Enbridge Gas, Hydro One, Union Gas, Rogers, sewer and water contractors, municipalities, surveyors, Landscape Ontario and many others, have worked together under the umbrella of the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance to develop Best Practices for excavation contractors. These were developed to give guidance and understanding to contractors to eliminate strikes to underground utilities and other underground facilities. • The excavator should request underground locates by calling the Ontario One Call system. This locate must be present on site during the digging. • The excavator should be aware of any private facilities that may exist on the property by contacting the owners and requesting any mapping drawings. (Private facilities probably will not be marked by the locate company). • If locate lines cannot be located, the excavator should outline the dig line with white paint, prior to advising the locator to come for locates. • The excavator maintains the locator number on the site to prove a locate was requested. • If necessary, the locator and the excavator should meet to discuss any pre-excavation details. • Each excavator working on a site should request their own locates. • 24/7 Access to the One Call Centre. • The underground facility owner notifies the excavator in writing, prior to excavation, with markings or an all-clear notification. • It is up to the facility owner and the excavator to ensure that facilities are marked in an acceptable time to allow for the facility protection. • Prior to excavation, excavators are required to verify the limits of the locate markings to correspond to the limits of the proposed excavation. • Prior to starting work, a competent person reviews the location of the underground facilities with site personnel. All locate documentation is on the project site. • The excavator’s designated competent person at each job site has access to the names and phone numbers of the facility owners and the One Call centre.

• The excavator uses reasonable care to avoid damaging underground facilities. • The excavator adheres to all federal and provincial occupational health and safety legislation and regulations. • The excavator, where practical, protects and preserves the staking, markings or other designations for underground facilities until they are no longer required. The excavator stops excavating and notifies the One Call centre for re-marking if any facility mark is removed or no longer visible. • The excavator has an observer to assist the equipment operator when operating excavating equipment around known underground facilities. • The excavator observes a tolerance zone which is comprised of a width of one metre (39.4 inches) from the centre line of a located cable or conduit and one metre from either side of the outside edge of the underground facility on a horizontal plane. • The excavator notifies the facility owner / operator directly or through the OneCall system if an inaccurately marked or unidentified underground facility is found. • Excavators support and protect exposed underground facilities from damage. • An excavator calls the One-Call centre to refresh the ticket when the excavation continues past the life of the ticket. • An excavator discovering or causing damage to an underground facility, notifies the owner /operator as identified on the locate form. All breaks, nicks, leaks, dents, groves, or other damage to facility lines, conduits, coatings or catholic protection, will be reported immediately • If damage results in the escape of any flammable, toxic or corrosive gas or liquid or endangers life, health or property or the environment, the responsible excavator immediately notifies the appropriate authorities and the facility owner / operator. • In case of an emergency excavation, the excavator notifies the One Call centre and requests an emergency locate. This is normally done within two hours in Ontario. • Contractors installing underground facilities notify the facility owner if the actual placement is different from the expected or planned placement. • Vacuum excavation is defined as a mechanical means of soil extraction though a vacuum when using water or jet devices for

breaking ground. This method of excavation is commonly referred to as soft excavation technology and commonly accepted as being equivalent to or safer than hand digging. • Vacuum excavation equipment shall only be operated by a competent worker, as defined by the OH&S Act regulations. The worker shall have appropriate training as recognized by the industry. • Vacuum excavation can be used to excavate safely around utilities if the equipment has been designed and engineered for vacuum excavating by the manufacturer. • Each utility has specific criteria for safe excavating practices. Some utilities view vacuum excavation as the equivalent to hand digging when exposing their utility and others have restrictions on their use. Excavators must contact the utility owner to determine the extent of restrictions for the use of this method of excavation around their facilities. • Every excavator is responsible for recognizing and ensuring the integrity of the survey infrastructure. • Excavators are responsible for performing all excavations in a safe manner and consider all hazards present. Appropriate safeguards are put in place to protect the public. • All excavator/demolition contractors shall have a process to verify all utility disconnects and termination points, prior to demolition. They shall review the demolition permit and ensure that all utilities are capped or terminated. This may include utility locates, site inspections, obtaining confirmation of as-built drawings from the utility. These best practices were taken from the ORCGA Best Practices Manual, Version 6, Section 4 and are applicable to all contractors who dig in the soil. While I know you may look at this as a labourious exercise, these best practices have been developed to eliminate the dangers of underground strikes. As soon as a landscaper puts a shovel, backhoe or skid steer into the soil, he becomes an excavator and is responsible for following these industry best practices. You may want to use this section as a subject for your safety meeting when your company starts back to work in the spring. Terry Murphy may be contacted at tvmurphy@ca.inter.net.

HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 9

SYSTEMS FOR SUCCESS

A business model for growth and success By Mark Bradley

ith the first month of the year nearly over, and the busy work season fast approaching, Dan knew it was time to sit down for another informative chat with Bill. “Our meetings have changed the way I do business,” Dan said. “My only concern is moving forward. I want to make sure this year is the best year yet.” “I like to look at it this way: every year Mark Bradley presents a new opportunity for growth and succes,” Bill explained. “With the right people, planning, systems and processes in place, you’ve armed yourself with the necessary resources to see your business thrive.” “You can have the best of intentions, but none of that is any good if you don’t know when and how to implement and develop your resources,” said Dan. “I see,” says Bill, pausing to think of the best way to help his friend out. “What if I gave you a quick insider’s look at how I run my business, month by month, throughout the year? I’ll outline the steps involved in planning my business better and working smarter to ensure we’re on the path to profitability, then perhaps you can follow the same model for your own business.” January: Create a budget “January is the start of a new year, which means it’s time to set the wheels in motion for the coming year. Now is the time to sit down and create an operating budget,” Bill explains. “An operating budget will allow you to support your opinions with actual numbers and will insert an element of logic and thought into your business plans, which is absolutely necessary when trying to set accurate goals.” “So you should use your budget almost like a map? Guiding you throughout the year?” Dan asks. “Yes, exactly, but keep in mind that your operating budget is not meant to predict the future. It’s to be used as a map. If you don’t know where you’re supposed to be going, how are you going to get there? When you use your budget as a planning and manage-

Above is a diagram of Bill’s business model. Note that each month contains a different initiative that, when followed year after year, helps keep Bill on track to accomplishing his business goals.

ment tool rather than a forecast that hangs on a wall, you’ll actually drive your projections to become reality. Also, make sure your budget is profitable. If you want to earn a profit, you need to plan for profit,” explained Bill. “What would you classify as a ‘healthy’ budget?” Dan asked. “A 10 per cent net profit margin is a good benchmark. Depending on the year and the state of the economy, it may be lower or higher. Your budget tells you what you need to sell, the labour costs and overhead you can afford, and exactly how to price your work to make your plan become reality.” Dan asked, “Once you have your budget in place, what’s next?” “The right people,” said Bill. February: People plan “The right people?” Dan asked, confused. “But it’s only February, and we don’t usually start hiring until April, when we actually need the guys on the job.” “That’s a problem,” said Bill, “The last thing you should do is wait until you need people to start the hiring process.” “But isn’t that common practice to equate springtime with hiring time?” Dan asked. “It is common practice, but that doesn’t make it smart,” said Bill. “Think of it this way: when you hire new employees in April, you’re already busy. As a result, you end up pushing them out the door and into a truck on their first day. Not only is there no time to train new employees, there’s no time to align them with

10 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

your company culture. And, in April, you’ve likely missed out on the best people, because they’ve already been scooped up by your competitors. “Start planning, interviewing and training in February. That gives you plenty of time to follow the proper hiring process, which includes running new hires through a working interview and orientation to ensure they’re a good fit for the job and a good fit for your company. When you hire in February, you have the opportunity to find and hire the best people. They’re on probation. Put them to work organizing the shop and trucks before the season starts. Test them out before you need them. You may pay for a few more downtime hours, but the cost is minimal compared to working with untrained, unmotivated, unfit workers.” “So I have my budget and team of trained employees, what’s the goal for March?” asked Dan. March: Create systems “March should be all about getting the right systems in place. Imagine your office, yard and shop looking and running like the Home Depot. Every department has a label. Every department has categories and every item in each department is labeled. There is a return section. This concept allows for customers and employees to always follow the same system to easily find what they are looking for. You can and should set up your business in the same way. “Take the time to get your paperwork processes in order, to create job binders for work already sold, or route binders for maintenance crews. Make sure everyone knows the answers to the critical components of your business: what needs to be done, who’s going to do it, and how it’s going to be done. By the end of March, you should be ready for the busy season ahead with your systems in place, explained Bill.” April – June: Run “This time of the year is busiest time for landscapers, so do as much work as you can in these months. You just spent the past few months getting the legwork in order. Put it to good use! Run according to the budget and systems you put in place in the beginning of the year,” said Bill.

July: Assess progress “As the heat sets in and momentum is established, take a step back from your busy schedule and analyze how your business is running. Look at your budget verses your actuals — this includes your sales, labour, expenses, sales to labour ratio, overhead spending and material spending. Look at these numbers and make sure you’re on track.” “What’s the best way to go about doing this?” asked Dan. “A simple report that shows sales and the percentage of sales spent on labour, equipment, materials, subs, and overhead is all you really need to get started. Compare your actual to what you’ve budgeted. Drill into specific problems as they surface. Be sure look for ratios that are too high!” added Bill. August - November: Run, but run smoother “Your focus should be on fixing problems,” Bill said. “Thanks to the adjustments you made when you assessed your progress in July, your company should be running smoother. Fix problems as they happen, instead of finding out about them long after it’s too late.”

December: Strategic planning “As you approach the closing of this year, you should already have your mind set on the year to come,” said Bill. “Take time to reflect on your experiences this year, how can you take what you’ve learned and apply it to the next year? Start by looking at your company and determine what is good to keep in place and what needs to change. Ask yourself the following questions: • Who are your key people returning? • Are you growing or holding steady? • What’s the economic forecast for the coming year? • Do you need to fill any key roles? • Have you lost any key people? • What equipment could make you more productive next year? • What were your biggest bottlenecks, and what systems could help you work around them next year?

ger, faster. You can seize every opportunity with good planning.” Information about Landscape Ontario’s and LMN’s Plan for Profit and Estimating to Win courses are available in the Professional Development Guide, or online at www. horttrades.com under the Professional Development heading. Mark Bradley is president of The Beach Gardener and the Landscape Management Network –www. landscapemanagementnetwork.com.

“And I guess just when it ends, it starts up again!” Dan says with a laugh. Bill concluded his talk, “The only thing that stays the same is change. Get used to it. Every change is opportunity to be better, big-

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HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 11

Growers Group Short Course continues its popularity Nursery growers took advantage of the opportunities at the annual Growers Group Short Course to learn about new research and best practices in the industry. The popular event also provided a chance for attendees to network during the day. Again this year, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington hosted the Short Course. It was held on Feb. 9, with over 200 growers attending the event. Dave Cheung of the University of Guelph opened the event by announcing the launching of the digital guide to nursery and landscape pests of Ontario. Go to www.dkbdigitaldesigns.com/clm. The featured speaker was Charles Gilliam of Auburn University. In the morning session, he presented Weed Control in Container Production: How to Win the Battle, while his afternoon talk centred on Better Weed Control in Field Production. Other presentations throughout the day included Testing and Developing Woody Ornamentals with Rick Durand of Prairie Shade Nursery; Fungus Gnat Biocontrol: Mites vs. Nematodes? presented by Ernie Morimoto of

Letter to the editor

Niagara College; Using Native Plants in Green Roofs with Joanna VanLuttikhuizen, of Niagara College; Root-Pruning Pots for Native Oaks with Jason Wrixon, also of Niagara College; Boxwood Blight and Dogwood Anthracnose by Tom Hsiang of the University of Guelph; Reduced Risk Controls for Insect Pests that Hitchhike on Cuttings presented by Cynthia Scott-Dupree, University of Guelph, The Curse of the Black Vine Weevil given by Michael Brownbridge of Vineland Research and Innovation Centre; Management Strategies for Verticillium by George Lazarovits of A&L Biologicals Agroecology Research, and Under-utilized Trees for the Urban Landscape with Sean Fox, University of Guelph Arboretum. Jen Llewellyn of OMAFRA gave her nursery crops update. The Growers Good Ideas session is held at the end of the day, with everyone staying to learn from their peers. Thanks went to Glen Lumis and Jen Llewellyn for their work organizing this event, and great appreciation to Agrium Advanced Technologies, sponsor of the 2011 Growers Short Course.

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I wanted to send along an email to let everyone know how much I enjoyed Congress and meeting the LO staff and our members. I had the opportunity to meet a number of wonderful gentlemen at Congress. One of the most interesting was John Wright. John was selling tickets for the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation (OHTF) draw, and I thought this was a wonderful opportunity for me to give back, so I bought a ticket. I sat down with John at his booth to hear a number of very intriguing stories about his history in the horticultural industry, and I was able to share with him how I had come to learn about the OHTF. John has encouraged me to share my story with you. So here goes: When I was a student at University of Guelph, I had completed my first three horticulturist courses and I really wanted to move forward with my studies. Face it, I was hooked. We were a young family at this time, having just moved from Toronto to Barrie, and with bills to pay. I was only working part-time, so continuing my university education was just not going to happen. That was until I received a letter from Landscape Ontario telling me I had been selected to receive an award through the OHTF. John Wright presented the award to me (one of my proudest moments) at the Awards of Excellence Night in 2001. With the funds provided through the OHTF, I was able to register for three more university courses. Without the financial support from the OHTF, I would not have been able to achieve my goal, an Ontario Diploma in Horticulture in Landscape Design. That’s my story. I didn’t know at the time how involved I would become in LO. Funny how things happen. Lexi Dearborn Dearborn Designs, Barrie Editor’s note: Lexi Dearborn works part-time for Landscape Ontario, as the Georgian Lakelands Chapter coordinator.

GCU_GoldilocksHORTICULTURE 6x Third Page BW 1 1REVIEW

- MARCH 15, 2011

2/20/11 10:31:31 AM

MEMBERSHIP

Time to break down the barriers By Helen Hassard Membership coordinator

“W

elcome.” It’s just one simple word with such a large impact. Just by saying it to someone, you engage them and open yourself up to many possible scenarios. Maybe the word will start a long conversation about business, landing you a new client. Or, maybe your words of welcome will make that other person come back and bring a friend to whatever event, or meeting. Helen Hassard As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, this article is geared towards engaging each other. One of the many benefits of being a member of Landscape Ontario is that you are automatically linked with a huge network of peers, potential clients and suppliers. Not enough people take advan-

tage of this benefit, and I think it is something that each member needs to start right from day one. As you may know, when a new member joins Landscape Ontario, there is a bit of a procedure to go through. Once accepted, they receive a welcome package from home office. The package explains how to access benefits, order promotional materials and what chapter they are now a part of. If they are an active or associate member, they also receive their membership plaque and certificate. LO held a focus group during Congress 2011 with a range of members in attendance, including several newer ones. One of the discussion items that came out of this meeting revolved around how we welcome new members, and more specifically what we could be doing to welcome those new members. The bottom line is not all people are willing to jump into something new without encouragement; this is especially true of people in horticulture where many work on their own, or with just a few crew members. This is not to say all people in horticulture are wallflow-

ers, only that the average member is likely a bit more reserved than in some other industries. So how do we break down those barriers to entry and make people feel they are a part of something bigger? Well, it can be as simple as that word I used to begin this article; check out the new member list in the back of this magazine. Odds are there may be one from your chapter, town or city. Look them up on www.landscapeontario.com and give them a call. Say, “Welcome to the association, hopefully you can come out to our next chapter meeting, seminar, social event, etc. The date is available at www.horttrades. com/chapter/yourchapternamehere.” LO home office and the chapter boards are also going to be making changes to add the personal touch to welcoming new members, but your help is appreciated, and I’m sure you’ll find it a mutually rewarding experience. Helen Hassard may be contacted at helen@ landscapeontario.com.

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www.winkelmolen.com HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 13

Chapter News London Chapter garden showcased at home show By Daryl Bycraft CHT, London Chapter Correspondent

The London Chapter’s involvement in the 18th annual Lifestyles Show was front and centre this year. Approximately 15,000 visitors attended the show from Jan. 23 to 25, put on by the London Home Builders Association at the Western Fair Grounds in London. The show included 350 booths, 11 of them filled by LO members. Volunteers designed and built an oasis garden and booth, which created a great showcase to promote LO members and the Chapter garden tour on July 9. The garden was also used as an entrance for the Saturday evening Lifestyles Show gala, Party in the Garden, which was a fundraiser for the Cancer Survivors’ Garden being constructed in McKillop Park, in London. The official

The London Chapter booth promoted LO members and the Chapter garden tour this July 9.

opening of the gardens is this fall. For more details on the Cancer Survivors’ Garden, follow the events on the London Home Builders’ Association website www.lhba.on.ca.

The London Chapter has donated money towards the Cancer Survivors’ Garden, and some of members have been involved in constructing the gardens. Thank you goes to Nicola Kamp for designing the garden, Derek Geddes of Coldstream Land Escape Company for constructing the garden, along with many volunteers and local suppliers who donated materials: Canadale Nurseries, Delaware Nursery, Grand River Stone and Fisher Landscape Supply. Denis Flanagan CLD, Landscape Ontario’s director of public relations, was on hand at the Landscape Ontario booth to answer gardeners’ questions. Flanagan highlighted new plants for 2011 and talked about gardening trends.

London Chapter meeting attracts 40 members By Daryl Bycraft CHT London Chapter correspondent

The February London Chapter meeting attracted over 40 members, who enjoyed a luncheon, followed by two guest speakers. Philip Bell, owner of Shutter Studios from St. Thomas, spoke on landscape photography, explaining the type of camera required, using a tripod and the best time to take photographs (before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.). Ray Majoran, ceo of Bark Communications in London, presented information on website development, how it brands a business and provides a great assess point for the public. To register for London winter workshops, go to www.horttrades.com/ seminar. Space is limited. For more information, contact Wendy Harry at wharry@ landscapeontario.com. Volunteers are also needed for the annual London Home and Garden Show on Apr. 8, 9 and 10 at the Western Fair Grounds in London. Contact Wendy Harry if able to help with this event.

14 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

Keeping your chapter connected

Ski Day attracts record attendance Georgian Lakelands Chapter members had what they describe as a fantastic day on the slopes of Alpine Ski Club in Collingwood. The bright sunshine on Feb. 11 brought out the largest crowd ever in the history of the event. With more than 50 snowboarders and skiers, the hills were green with landscapers. Competition was tight with Rob Vogel edging out Nick Solty by 2/100 of a second for the fastest run. Corey Yourkin and Frank

Solty tied for first place in the matched time event and Abbey Lee skied away with the most cautious skier trophy. Congratulations to all those who participated. Special thanks go out to the following for supplying prizes for the event: Alpine Ski Club, Atlas Block, Braun Nurseries, Dufferin Aggregates, Georgian Hills, Gro Bark, Ketchen Sales and Marketing and Vanden Bussche Irrigation. Thank you also

to the ongoing support from our Platinum Sponsors: Atlas Block, JC Rock and Pro Fleet Care. Gold Sponsors: Clearview Nurseries, Permacon, Solty Garden Centre and Unilock, who help make all our events possible. It was nice to see all the new faces along with all the regulars, making this annual event such fun to organize. Ski you on the slopes next year!

GreenTrade welcomes over 1,000 visitors Over 1,000 attendees confirmed that the 18th annual GreenTrade Expo has become a mustattend event for anyone involved in the landscape trades in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. With 85 exhibitors, the Feb. 16 show at Lansdowne Park, Ottawa, focused on creating new industry avenues through business-building, introduction of new products, business seminars and networking opportunities. Over 40 volunteers contributed to the success of this year’s event. “Support and services vital to a vibrant landscaping industry were delivered. It was all about face-to-face quality conversations, and this was echoed by many attendees and exhibitors,” said chapter coordinator Martha Walsh. Seminars were delivered by speakers Sheila James of Workplace, Safety Prevention Services, Joan Johnston of Peter Knippel

Nurseries, Dave Harrington of Full Dimension Group, Mike Lysecki of LMN, and the pruning workshop by Bill Bitz. They all provided leading edge information under one roof. Luncheon keynote speaker was legendary Hockey Hall of Fame member, former head coach and current general manager of the Ottawa 67’s, Brian Kilrea. He provided stories of a hockey career that spans 60-plus years. Kilrea also signed copies of his autobiography, They Call Me Killer, co-written by TSN’s James Duthie. Proceeds from the day’s event were donated to the Brian Kilrea Teaching Room at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. The Ottawa Chapter thanks Brian Kilrea for donating his time in support of our industry. Great hockey stories were had by all. The Chapter also thanks the following sponsors and contributors for their generos-

ity and support: Ginsberg Gluzman Fage and Levitz LLP Chartered Accountants, Bradley’s Insurance, Connon Nurseries NVK Holdings, Smith Petrie Carr and Scott Insurance Brokers, Twin Equipment, The Dominion (Insurance Company of Canada), Landscape Management Network, Agrium Advanced Technologies, Peter Knippel Nursery, Greely Sand and Gravel, Canlok Stone, Dutchmaster Nurseries, B & T MacFarlane, Petersen’s Turf Farm, Gro-Bark (Ontario), Manotick Tree Movers, Yates Custom Lawn Sprinklers, Jim Tubman, Tom’s Air-Cooled Engines, Carswell Custom Employee Handbooks, Full Dimension Group, Geosynthetic Systems, Ottawa Construction News, TGraphics – Tom Lilly, MacFarlane Data Services (MDS) and Koffman Signs. The Chapter looks forward to seeing everyone next year at the 19th annual GreenTrade Expo on Feb. 15.

HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 15

Hillen Nursery Inc Botanical Name

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Botanical Name Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

VINES Ampelopsis glandulosa Elegans 240 8.00 Aristolochia durior 114 Campsis radicans Balboa Sunset 214 8.00 Celastrus orbiculatus Diana 152 8.00 Celastrus orbiculatus Hercules 216 8.00 Hedera helix Thorndale 200 6.00 Hydrangea anomala petiolaris 268 8.00 Parthenocissus quinq. Engelmannii 995 8.00 Parthenocissus quinquefolia 320 6.00 Parthenocissus tricus. Veitchii 1,000 6.00 Polygonum aubertii 863 6.00 Vitis riparia 195 8.00 Wisteria macrostachya Blue Moon. 100 EVERGREENS Azalea Northern Lights 210 Azalea Orchid Lights 250 Buxus Faulkner 100 5.00 330 Buxus microphylla 49 5.00 524 Buxus X Green Gem 259 5.20 515 Buxus X Green Mound 955 5.00 1,000 Buxus X Green Mountain 545 5.00 101 Buxus X Green Velvet 1,000 5.20 1,000 Chamaecyparis pisifera Aurea Sungold 80 5.00 222 Chamaecyparis pisifera Filifera 190 5.00 175 Chamaecyparis pisifera Filifera Aurea 80 5.00 270 Cotoneaster adpressus Compactus 16 5.00 Cotoneaster dammeri Coral Beauty 1,000 5.00 183 7.00 Cotoneaster dammeri Major 205 7.00 Cotoneaster microphyllus 168 5.00 45 Cotoneaster salicifolius Repens 1,000 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Canadale Gold 295 5.00 23 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Coloratus 249 5.00 Euonymus fortunei Emerald Gaiety 1,000 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Emerald ‘n Gold 150 5.00 Euonymus fortunei Goldtip 712 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Sunrise 299 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Surespot 174 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Vegetus 197 7.00 Ilex X meserveae Blue Prince 926 5.00 335 Ilex X meserveae Blue Princess 991 5.00 632 Juniperus chinensis Gold Coast 186 Juniperus chinensis Gold Star 386 5.00 355 Juniperus chinensis Mint Julep 390 5.00 255 Juniperus chinensis Pfitz. Compacta 300 5.00 63 Juniperus chinensis San Jose 250 5.00 137 Juniperus communis Green Carpet 451 Juniperus communis Repanda 260 5.00 Juniperus conferta Blue Pacific 240 5.00 282 Juniperus horizontalis 100 5.00 Juniperus horizontalis Andorra Compacta 986 5.00 422 Juniperus horizontalis Bar Harbor 190 5.00 55 Juniperus horizontalis Blue Prince 166 Juniperus horizontalis Icee Blue 321 6.00 991 Juniperus horizontalis Lime Glow 170 6.50 Juniperus horizontalis Turquoise Spreader 200 5.00 307 Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii 416 5.00 Juniperus horizontalis Yukon Belle 400 5.00 938 Juniperus media Armstrongii 142 5.00 250 Juniperus procumbens nana 160 5.00 242 Juniperus sabina 200 5.00 184 Juniperus sabina Buffalo 228 Juniperus squamata Blue Carpet 150 5.00 272 Juniperus squamata Blue Star 282 Juniperus virginiana Grey Owl 100 5.00 212 Larix laricina 205 7.00

16 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

11.00

12.25

13.50 13.50 11.00 11.00 11.20 11.00 11.00 11.20 11.00 11.00 11.00

9.00

11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 13.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

Metasequoia glyptostroboides 267 7.00 Microbiota decussata 719 5.00 Picea glauca 431 7.00 Picea pungens glauca 552 7.00 Picea pungens glauca StJuan 692 7.00 Picea pungens Globosa 430 Pinus mugo var. mugo 1,000 Pinus strobus 1,000 Taxus X media Densiformis 335 5.00 Taxus X media Hicksii 566 5.00 1,000 Taxus X media Wardii 680 5.00 Thuja occidentalis 222 Thuja occidentalis Brandon 98 5.00 200 Thuja occidentalis Little Giant 325 5.00 70 Thuja occidentalis Nigra 990 5.00 1,000 Thuja occidentalis Smaragd 1,000 5.00 258 Thuja occidentalis Wintergreen 438 5.00 449 Thuja plicata Spring Grove 54 5.00 525 Tsuga canadensis 1,000 5.00 10 7.00 1,000

22.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS Acanthopanax sieboldianus 734 7.00 Acer ginnala 179 7.00 Acer rubrum 834 7.00 Acer saccharinum 604 7.00 Acer saccharum 422 7.00 Alnus rugosa 658 7.00 Amelanchier alnifolia 470 7.00 Amelanchier canadensis 1,000 7.00 Aronia mel. Autumn Magic 222 7.00 Aronia melanocarpa 602 7.00 Aronia X prunifolia Viking 253 7.00 Berberis thunbergii Rose Glow 375 6.00 392 Berberis thunbergii Royal Burgundy 340 Buddleia davidii Black Knight 380 7.00 Buddleia davidii Ellen’s Blue 402 7.00 Buddleia davidii Ile de France 583 7.00 Buddleia davidii Nanho Purple 466 7.00 Buddleia davidii Petite Plum 628 7.00 Buddleia davidii Pink Delight 416 7.00 Buddleia davidii Purple Prince 908 7.00 Buddleia davidii Royal Red 345 7.00 Buddleia davidii White Profusion 300 7.00 Caryopteris clandonensis Grand Blue 271 7.35 Cephalanthus occidentalis 267 7.00 Cercidiphyllum japonicum 197 7.00 Cercis canadensis 580 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Nivalis 387 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Rubra 657 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Texas Scarlet 593 7.00 Chaenomeles sup.Crimson and Gold 211 7.00 Clethra alnifolia Paniculatum 295 7.00 Clethra alnifolia Pink Spire 394 7.00 Cornus alba Elegantissima 1,000 7.00 Cornus alba Gouchaultii 226 7.00 Cornus alba Ivory Halo 849 7.45 Cornus alba Red Gnome 201 7.00 Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire 203 7.00 Cornus stolonifera Kelseyi 1,000 7.00 Corylus americana 197 7.00 Corylus avellana Contorta 186 15.00 Cotoneaster acutifolius 560 7.00 Cotoneaster apiculatus 335 7.00 Cotoneaster preacox Boer 1,000 7.00 Deutzia crenata Nikko 769 7.00 Deutzia gracilis 435 7.00 Deutzia X Strawberry Field 155 7.00 Diervilla lonicera 240 7.00 Euonymus alatus Compactus 1,000 5.00 134 8.00

13.50 13.50

c. Botanical Name

Many More Cultivars and sizes available Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Botanical Name Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

Fagus sylvatica Purpurea 2 7.00 127 Forsythia Kumson 464 7.00 Forsythia ovata Ottawa 490 7.00 Forsythia X inter. Northern Gold 1,000 7.00 Forsythia X intermedia Lynwood 664 7.00 Genista tinctoria Royal Gold 201 7.00 Hamamelis virginiana 207 7.00 Hibiscus syriacus Diana 208 5.00 241 Hibiscus syriacus Lavender Chiffon 224 5.60 Hibiscus syriacus Marina 110 5.00 Hibiscus syriacus White Chiffon 190 5.60 150 Hibiscus syriacus Woodbridge 461 5.00 9 Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle 1,000 7.00 Hydrangea arborescens Dardom 108 7.60 Hydrangea macr. Bouquet Rose 274 7.00 Hydrangea macr. Penny Mac 255 7.30 Hydrangea paniculata Kyushu 472 7.00 Hydrangea paniculata Little Lamb 249 7.60 Hydrangea paniculata Magical Fire 15 8.50 44 Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky 341 7.60 Hydrangea paniculata Tardiva 253 7.00 Hydrangea paniculata Unique 100 7.00 Hydrangea quercifolia PeeWee 168 Hydrangea serrata Bluebird 248 7.00 Ilex verticillata Jim Dandy 170 7.00 Ilex verticillata Afterglow Female 1,000 7.00 Ilex verticillata Southern Gentleman 335 7.00 Ilex verticillata Winterred 143 7.00 Itea virginica Henry’s Garnet 276 7.00 Kerria japonica Pleniflora 160 7.00 Kolkwitzia amabilis Pink Cloud 1,000 7.00 Ligustrum jap. Aureomarginata 193 7.00 Ligustrum ovalufolium 260 7.00 Ligustrum vulgare 286 7.00 Liriodendron tulipefera 268 8.50 Lonicera tatarica Arnold Red 347 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Clavey’s Dwarf 227 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Emerald Mound 822 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Miniglobe 741 7.00 Magnolia stellata Royal Star 164 Magnolia X loebneri Leonard Messel 275 Magnolia x Susan 146 Philadelphus coronarius Aureus 168 7.00 Philadelphus Innocence 732 7.00 Philadelphus Minn.Snowflake Dwarf 154 7.00 Philadelphus Minnesota Snowflake 459 7.00 Philadelphus X Natchez 154 7.00 Philadelphus X virginalis 527 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius 941 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius Diabolo 1,000 7.60 1,000 Populus tremuloides 576 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Coronation Triumph 1,000 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Dakota Sunrise 1,000 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Gold Drop 307 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Goldstar 1,000 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Mango Tango 273 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa McKay’s White 287 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Tangerine 401 7.00 Prunus cistena 1,000 5.00 1,000 7.00 Prunus virginiana 300 7.00 Quercus alba 141 7.00 Quercus bicolor 483 7.00 Quercus macrocarpa 260 7.00 48 Quercus palustris 132 7.00 Quercus robur Fastigiata 1,000 9.00 Rhus typhina 1,000 7.00 Rhus typhina Tiger Eyes 454 Rosa Henry Kelsey 376 7.00 Rosa Bonica 1,000 7.00

8.00

8.00 8.60 8.00

9.50

14.00

11.00 11.00 11.00

8.60

8.00

12.50

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

Rosa Carolina Rosa J P Connell Rosa palustris Rosa rugosa Rosa rugosa Morden Blush Rosa x Champlain Rosa x George Vancouver Rosa x Morden Amorette Rubus odoratus Salix discolor Salix eriocephala Salix exigua Salix gracilis Purpurea Nana Sambucus canadensis Aurea Sambucus nigra Black Lace Sambucus pubens Sorbaria aitchisonii Sorbaria sorbifolia Sem Spiraea alba Spiraea arguta Spiraea betulifolia Tor Spiraea bumalda Gold Mound Spiraea japonica Anthony Waterer Spiraea japonica Crispa Spiraea japonica Dakota Goldcharm Spiraea japonica Darts Red Spiraea japonica Flaming Mound Spiraea japonica Froebelii Spiraea japonica Golden Princess Spiraea japonica Goldflame Spiraea japonica Little Princess Spiraea japonica Magic Carpet Spiraea japonica Shirobana (Genpei) Spiraea japonica White Gold Spiraea nipponica Snowmound Spiraea vanhouttei Stephanandra incisa Crispa Symphoricarpos albus Symphoricarpos chenaultii Hancock Syringa Tinkerbelle Syringa vulgaris Beauty of Moscow Syringa vulgaris Primrose Syringa vulgaris Sensation Syringa X prestoniae Minuet Tamarix pentandra Tilia cordata Viburnum dentatum Chicago Lustre Viburnum nudum Winterthur Viburnum opulus Roseum Viburnum plic. Summer Snowflake Viburnum plicatum Mariesii Viburnum plicatum Shasta Viburnum trilobum Viburnum trilobum Bailey Compact Weigela florida Alexandra Weigela florida Bristol Ruby Weigela florida French Lace Weigela florida Java Red Weigela florida Minor Black Weigela florida Minuet Weigela florida Nana Variegata Weigela florida Polka Weigela florida Purpurea Nana Weigela florida Red Prince Weigela florida Rubidor Weigela florida Rumba Weigela florida Tango Weigela florida Variegata Weigela florida Victoria

1,000 395 150 1,000 221 399 324 152 240 1,000 1,000 1,000 969 1,000 95 271 340 238 1,000 282 235 1,000 1,000 1,000 631 106 645 1,000 343 1,000 1,000 1,000 363 278 336 538 315 1,000 690 650 117 170 15 165 100 345 495 100 137 147 272 190 263 230 243 263 279 295 95 212 421 615 1,000 330 30 385 277 103 170

7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 9.50 30 7.00 7.00 7.00 22 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.25 7.00 324 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.50 7.00 7.00 7.00 107 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 9 7.00 10.00 10.00 7.00 7.00 7.60 7.00 7.60 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00

11.50 8.00

8.00

RR 2, Mount Brydges, ON N0L 1W0 Tel: 519-264-9057 • Fax: 519-264-1337 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 17

Canada Blooms ready to wow the public Canada Blooms has become this country’s largest and most prestigious flower and garden festival. The 2011 version promises to build on that standing. The 15th annual version of Canada Blooms will again have a strong Landscape Ontario presence. The Green for Life garden, which Tim Kearney (see accompanying story) and his team of volunteers are building, will dwarf all previous gardens at Blooms. This year’s version will measure 9,000 square feet. This compares to last year’s garden which required 5,300 square feet. Over 100,000 visitors are expected to pass through Canada Blooms this year. The other major change to Landscape Ontario’s garden is it will be Blooms will call the Direct Energy Centre of years. the entrance point for the estimated 100,000 home. Last year visitors responded with Canada Blooms 2011 will feature six people who will attend the five-day event from overwhelming approval of the new venue, acres of gardens and more than 100,000 square Mar. 16 to 20. after Canada Blooms had called the Metro feet of marketplace, with over 200 hours of This is the second year that Canada Toronto Convention Centre home for a number seminars, workshops and demonstrations, and a special children’s area. The festival’s theme is ‘Rhythms’ as part of the celebration of the Juno’s 40th anniversary. Five celebrity gardens built by award-winning Ontario landscape/designers will focus on the Juno theme. Special nights include St. Patrick’s Day special performances on the evening of Mar. 16, Industry Night and Awards Program on Mar. 17, and Tourism Spain Night, hosted by CTS-TV, on Mar. 18. Juno award-winner Carolyn Dawn Johnson will perform at the Preview Party and on Mar. 17 at 2 p.m. in the Children’s Amphitheatre and 4:30 p.m. on the Green for Life celebrity stage. Other highlights of the show include: Garden Club of Toronto’s Horticultural and Design Competition; vote for your favourite garden in the People’s Garden Award; Skills Canada Student Contest in landscape gardening; Mark Cullen and Denis Flanagan conduct the Canadian Gardening Seminar Series each morning, and the Niagara Wine Garden offers award winning Ontario wine, paired with fine Canadian cheeses by the Dairy Farmers of Canada. Canada Blooms is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wed. to Sat., and to 6 p.m. on Sun. For more information, go to www.canadablooms.com. At-the-door tickets are $18; seniors and students $16, and children 12 and under are free.

18 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

A funny thing happens on the way to Blooms By Tim Kearney CLP

Editor’s note: For the third consecutive year Tim Kearney has taken on supervising construction of the LO garden project at Canada Blooms.His enthusiasm, drive and talent make him an excellent leader for the many LO volunteers taking on the task to build this year’s garden.

ike the first signs of spring, a sense of excitement, panic, nerves, and the famous thoughts of, “We’ll never make it,” creep into our souls and minds. After a winter of 7 a.m. conference calls, countless emails, many, many phone calls and meetings, we are almost there. Our design team from Seferian Design Group has worked, worked, and worked again on finalizing the details needed for each task leader to achieve his or her portion of the build. Haig Seferian has endured countless requests and concerns from a team of passionate installers. The garden will indeed represent some of the cutting edge items our industry is involved with and at the same time provide the public with an experience of education, storytelling, and community that Landscape Ontario represents. Task leaders Province-wide representation proves our advocacy network and its web of influence is working. Calls and emails come when you need it most, from Windsor to Ottawa, Upper Canada to Georgian Lakelands, Burlington to Durham, London and Kitchener, and of course Toronto. Just when you think that it is impossible, a call

will arrive out of the blue from someone who says with passion, “I want to be there and help.” As an example, out of nowhere Nick Torenvliet from Environmental Design Landscaping Contractors offers to create our green roof display with zest, energy and a neversay-die attitude. Barry Hordyk and his talented staff at Shademaster Landscaping each year create what seems to be the impossible. Green walls will take the public’s breath away, while providing a strength and presence to our display that truly represents our industry and our association. James Garfield Thompson calmly and professionally, in a matter-of-fact manner, has guaranteed I won’t lose sleep at night and water feature masterpieces at the LO garden will be second-to-none. This crowd pleaser will truly draw standing-room-only crowds. The tandem of James and Paul Doornbos from the Upper Canada Chapter are a formidable team that makes you simply get out of their way. A talented team from Durham, Brian Marsh and Richard Portelance from Cypress Hill Landscaping, Chris Power from Bellaire Landscaping in Windsor, and Ryan Heath from the Toronto Chapter tackle the huge, complex job of close to 5,000 square feet of pavers with intricate patterns and timelines that approach lunacy. They simply laugh and dare anyone to say they can’t get it done. And then there is Lindsay Drake Nightingale, who said, “I will handle the plants.” This before seeing the design! This task alone would crush many a weaker heart. Her tenacity, professionalism, and get-it-done mentality will be the coupe de grace of our installation. Together

with PAO Horticultural and the generosity of many of our plant suppliers across Ontario they will provide the inspiration needed to kick start our spring. Walk through and under our lit willows, and tell me you don’t feel good. Tony Lombardi couldn’t describe the process any better when he said, “This is like conducting a symphony orchestra. When everything falls into place, beautiful music will result. If one person fails his cue, we have a minor disaster.” So, Tony Lombardi, our orchestra leader, will chart, plot, pull his hair out, and then calmly proclaim, “We’ll make it work.” And of course, as you all know there will be countless foot soldiers adding their piece to the puzzle. Check your ego at the door, this is not about any one person, it is about an industry that cares so much it oozes through their very souls. Never is it said, “We can’t do it.” Instead it is, “Just let me think about it,” —and then it happens. Hundreds of volunteers have committed and dozens of companies have contributed. Our corporate leaders like the Permacon Group want to help the industry, and step up in ways that permit these dreams happen. So when you visit Canada Blooms this year, you will notice a swagger and a sense of pride. It’s a feeling of “This is my industry, my association.” It is truly humbling to be around people who care so much about everything that we are. Our industry owes a great deal to these people. A funny thing happened on the way to Blooms? We became one. Welcome to spring!

As it was last year, teamwork is the key to success to creating the Green for Life Garden.

HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 19

LO STAFF PROFILE

Angela Lindsay

Communications Assistant What is your job description at LO? I coordinate the circulation of Landscape Trades and Horticulture Review magazines, including the prep work for the audits of Landscape Trades. I also provide support for the sales and advertising aspects of the magazines; tracking and proofing advertisements, etc. Another side of my position updates and supports the staff members using our database known as EPIC. What is your background before coming to LO, and when did you begin work at LO? I started with LO in 2006 and have taken some time off since then for the births of my two girls. I graduated with a BA and have worked for a hospital foundation in the special events department, as well as a shipping coordinator at Sheridan Nurseries. When not at work, where can you be found? Renovating my house with my husband and enjoying life with my kids. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A veterinarian.

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info@stamnurseries.com 20 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

What inspires you during your time at LO? My co-workers, their passion for their work, their humour and the smiles on their faces. I have never worked with a group of people who truly care about each other, their families and their work in such a sincere manner. Name your all-time favourite movie, musical group and TV show. I have a really bad memory for movies, but ones that stand out are Gone with the Wind and Dirty Dancing. As for music, I’m pretty easy going and will listen to anything. Some of my favourite TV shows have been ER and Hell’s Kitchen. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Go back to Europe: Denmark and Italy, maybe Monaco? There is so much to see and do and the food, yummm! Too bad it’s so darn expensive. Tell us one thing about you that few of your colleagues know about you. I am petrified of snakes. I almost stepped on a Massasauga rattlesnake with my bare feet and I’ve shared a washroom with a poisonous tropical snake in Tobago. Editor’s note: Angela and her daughter are the faces of Expo 2011.

Rittenhouse family in hall of fame Over 500 people witnessed M.K. Rittenhouse (1884-1980) receive the Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Historical Hall of Fame Award. The awards night took place on Feb. 18 at Sheraton Fallsview Hotel and Conference Centre in Niagara Falls. Born in Vineland, Moses Kensley Rittenhouse continued his family’s legacy in the area as the great great grandson of one of the first settlers in Twenty Valley, and the son of a farmer and Mennonite minister. Lisa Cairns, executive director of Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, said, “When you look at the Rittenhouse story, he comes from a very entrepreneurial family in itself, such as his uncle who he was named after. I think it’s great that the business is not only still running, but it has diversified and is still family-owned and operated.” Moses Rittenhouse left a lasting legacy as the business continues to grow as Rittenhouse Since 1914, located in St. Catharines. The company has been a member of LO since the mid-1980s. The businessman and philanthropist helped establish the area on which Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is located on land Moses Rittenhouse donated the land to the province to create a centre of excellence in horticultural research in 1906. His name is still synonymous with the site, with the heritage building Rittenhouse Hall still in use today. In a Niagara Review article, company president Mark Rittenhouse is quoted, “Everyone is very proud. This is a family business and it is in Niagara, so to be honoured, and have an award bestowed in his name is exciting.” He went on to state, “The strong brand has been key to the business staying in operation for 97 years, and we hope it will continue to flourish well into the future.”

Employee handbook available for garden centres The Garden Centre Sector of Landscape Ontario has created a template that all business owners can adopt and modify for their business. This initiative will help garden centre owners and mangers create consistency of behaviour, training and job safety for garden centre employees. The handbook is a policy manual with distribution to all employees. It contains information about the business such as the mission statement, company history and the service culture of the owners. It reflects the position of management, as it relates to this culture and it includes operational, legal and safety requirements of all employees. Policies in writing are

legally binding and are written to protect all parties. Without a policy handbook for all new and present employees there is a real possibility that staff will impose their own unwritten code of conduct without your input. By having a clearly written professional employee handbook, it sets company standards of behaviour, describes the terms of employment, details conditions of work such as dress code, mobile phones, etc., and clearly states the safety requirements of the job, reinforces standards of customer contact and service. The handbook is recommended as part of the orientation of new hires. The final pages of

Study looks at invasive plants A group of international scientists, including a University of Guelph biologist, are studying some introduced species that dominate new habitats when native plants should technically have the advantage. The findings were published in the journal Ecology Letters. University of Guelph researcher Andrew MacDougall said, “Biological invasions are one of the planet’s greatest threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Invasive plant species present a serious environmental, economic and social problem worldwide.” Despite substantial research, scientists know little about why some species dominate new habitats, when native plants should technically have the advantage. A common, but rarely tested assumption, is that some special behaviour enables these plants to become more abundant in their new homes than in their native communities. “If true, then biosecurity screening procedures should focus on how introduced species behave,” explained MacDougall. Scientists involved in this global collaboration are termed the Nutrient Network, which includes MacDougall’s lab. The group has spent three years collecting data for 26 plant species at 39 locations on four continents. What the scientists found was that what is known as the abundance assumption did not hold for the majority of plant species. Twenty of the 26 species were equally, or less abundant at both new and native sites. “Instead, abundance at native sites can predict abundance at introduced sites, a criterion not currently included in biosecurity screening programs,” said Jennifer Firn of Queensland University of Technology, the

study’s lead author Thirty-six other scientists were involved in the research. “Predicting success of invading species is difficult and uncertain but very important,” said Henry Gholz, program director in the National Science Foundation’s division of environmental biology, which funds the Nutrient Network.

the document are duplicate sign-offs for both parties to demonstrate receiving and accepting the conditions of employment. The policies described in the handbook are in force on garden centre property, or on any company worksite including delivery vehicles. The template is designed for managers to customize fit their own garden centre. It contains hyperlinks to easily move through the document and make changes, additions or deletions. The blue blanks have been left to inscribe with personal business policy or philosophy. The document also includes links to various provincial Ministry of Labour websites for further clarity. The handbook template can be downloaded at www.horttrades.com/retail-gardencentre-temployee-handbook. This resource has been made available to all LO members. For further information on the Garden Centre Employee Handbook, contact: Michael Van Dongen, LO Garden Centre Sector Group Chair, at Michael@vandongens.com, or Bob McCannell, Handbook author, at bmccannell@ cogeco.ca.

HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 21

Owner of Verbinnen’s Nursery is founder of charity group helping to feed world’s hungry For those working within the green industry, Verbinnen’s Nursery is a well-known specialist in growing native tree and shrub seedlings. But many do not know that outside the industry, the nursery’s owner John Verbinnen is the founder of the Ontario Christian Gleaners. And what is a Gleaner? Ontario Christian Gleaners is a inter-denominational charitable Christian organization in which volunteers clean, dice, dry, mix and bag surplus produce such as onions, carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, including, apples and pears, into a nutritious soup mix and fruit snack ready for distribution. The dry mix is donated to reputable relief organizations that distribute the food where it is needed. Food wasted Each year over 210 million kilograms of food is wasted in Toronto alone, and an average of 90 tons of what is termed imperfect produce is tilled under on an annual basis. In 2003, a group of Christians from the Hamilton and Cambridge areas were inspired to start a gleaning operation, enabling the vast amounts of wasted produce to be dried into soup that would, in turn, feed the hungry. Five years later, the Ontario Christian Gleaners started production, and as of today, more than three million servings of soup have been sent over-

seas to combat the statistics that show a child dies overseas every 3.5 seconds due to hungerrelated issues. “I became very interested in it, because a good friend of mine has a farm, and I know the amount of waste that goes on,” recalls John Verbinnen. After traveling out west to observe the gleaning operation for himself, “I felt the Holy Spirit working in my heart about starting one here.” The concept just made sense, Verbinnen says. “The idea of dehydrating vegetables so they have longevity, and making them lightweight so it’s economical to ship; the fact that they hold 85 per cent of their nutrients — it was a no-brainer. I thought, ‘Why didn’t someone think of this sooner?’ ” The Gleaners drive away with truckloads of slightly bruised or off-colour vegetables from the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto. The process helps the terminal, otherwise it would need to pay to dump the rejected vegetables. Other produce is obtained from local grocery distribution centres. Over 150 volunteers Operating from a building just off Highway 8, south of Cambridge, the Gleaners consist of 150 volunteers from across south-western Ontario who take turns to collect, sort, wash

and trim donated vegetables every morning, each week, Monday to Friday. Following morning devotions, vegetables are wheeled out on skids to be washed and trimmed. Once blemishes are removed, the vegetables are tossed into a big bucket, and from there into a dicing machine. The cubes are put into large plastic bins which are rolled to the drier and shoveled onto a conveyor belt and into the drier-chute. Vegetables are evenly spread out onto a five-foot-wide stainless steel belt. Up to 4,000 pounds of produce are dried at once, taking seven to eight hours. Vegetables mixed in bags contains protein Once enough vegetables have been diced and dried, the plant shifts gears for a week and focuses on mixing and bagging the produce, along with protein of some sort—barley, beans or lentils. Sealed three-pound bags are packed into barrels or pails to be shipped out by various organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, Feed the Children (FTC) Canada, and the Mennonite Central Committee, among others. Up to 15 churches are represented on any given day. Gerry Verrips, a retired flower grower, has been a regular volunteer since the operation opened. He sees working at the Gleaners as both a privilege and a responsibility. “I believe it is our duty of man to help.” The dried soup mix is sent to Malawi, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, the Philippines, refugee camps in Ghana, and orphanages in Romania and Albania. Verbinnen’s Nursery was established in the year 2000 when John and Cindy Verbinnen acquired the nursery from Cindy’s father, Henry Groen, who retired from operating Groen’s Nursery. John and Cindy have over 30 years experience in growing tree and shrub seedlings, having worked in the industry for several decades. Verbinnen’s Nursery has been a member of LO since the year 2000. For more information about the Ontario Christian Gleaners, including volunteer opportunities, contact Shelley Stone at 519-624-8245, or visit www.ontariogleaners.org.

22 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

Putting new technology to work for LO By Kristen McIntyre CLT Conference and Events Coordinator

Beta vs. VHS. If you know what a Beta player is, or more likely if you owned one (careful, you are showing your age), you may agree that all of this social media stuff is just hype! Or IS it? Once we embraced the VHS system, along came the DVD. Then the Blu-Ray and next... who knows? My point is that the new technology takes time to become part of the mainstream. But once it is, shouldn’t we give it a chance? Hmm, I still don’t know. I like to hear a real voice on the phone and detect their sarcasm or excitement. I enjoy the meeting-at-the-endof-the-meeting (the best part of any event) and catching up with colleagues and associates. It began with the smart phone revolution. Like most of you, I have a phone in my office with voicemail, an email, which I am permanently working on (which filters in several different accounts), a voicemail at home, a mailbox for the old-fashioned way of sending materials, and failing all of that — an office for face-to-face contact. So what is so important that I need to

know about 24 hours a day? Wasn’t my flashy little flip-phone enough? Sadly, no – I am now a ‘crackberry’ user, as it is so affectionately referred to. But I’m still not on the bandwagon with all of this. A few weeks ago I was speaking to a sizable group of people. As I was highlighting our conference sessions at Congress, a small group asked about the ‘hash tag’ for the conference. I thought it was a joke about marijuana. Once everyone picked themselves up off the ground from laughing, I learned that Twitter has built-in identifiers, so that you can track when your product/event is mentioned (nothing illegal I assure you). The tweeters in the group wanted to first meet online and then in person at the conference. I don’t have a Facebook account. I reluctantly have a LinkedIn profile, which I feel obligated to take a minute and update every so often, and now there’s Twitter stuff? My first impression was it’s for ‘Twits’! However, after a much more educated glance, which has become a journey of sorts, it’s kind of cool. We created a Twitter account for our Awards of Excellence Ceremony held on Jan. 11, as did our esteemed host Haig Seferian, and he tweeted

from the stage, ran an auction during the presentations, and engaged the audience with his smart phone prowess. I also tweeted from backstage, sending a picture or two and funny antics, and watched the tweeters react. Landscape Ontario affiliated Twitter accounts include Green for Life, Horticulture Review, Congress, Expo, Denis Flanagan, and Canada Blooms. It’s almost like tossing handful of fish food into the bowl and watching them race to grab a bite. Only it’s news, trends and buzz being that’s floating on the water. Now I don’t think it works for everything in life, but the microblogging website, turned social messaging platform, added some excitement to our event and has me reassessing my approach. Our industry’s demographic has changed. The leaders are younger and more tech savvy, and we need to embrace them and the way they like to do business. I welcome your ideas on how we can engage our membership through online social media, and what you would like to see at the next LO event. I can be reached at events@ landscapeontario.com .

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Lighting Symposium considered great success

It wasn’t all business at the Lighting Symposium. A free draw saw some lucky attendees win a copy of Jan Moyer’s book, Landscape Lighting. In photo are, from left, Steven VanLochen, David Peters, Jan Moyer, Martin Williams and Byron Hobson.

In just its second year, Landscape Ontario’s Lighting Symposium was considered a great success. Held on Feb. 24 at Grand Chalet in Milton, just over 100 people attended the event organized by the Lighting Sector Group. This year two guest speakers highlighted the program. They included internationally-

known lighting designer Jan Moyer, along with her husband George Gruel, a professional photographer. She covered the topic of LEDs in Landscape Lighting, while Gruel spoke on photographing lighting projects correctly. In the afternoon, the attendees participated in five round-table discussions on subjects such as transformers, marketing/awards,

24 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

LED’s, control technology and job costing. All proved to be a great networking opportunity with other professionals in the room, and provided new perspective and knowledge to those taking part. John Higo, chair of the Lighting Sector Group, said, “The symposium was a resounding success. I felt attendees left with a renewed and reinforced passion for lighting, a new perspective on LED, design and photography, and a richer education in landscape lighting.” He went on to say, “The show was very well organized, and our sponsors were very pleased and looking forward to next year!” “As a first time attendee, the 2011 Lighting Symposium was a great experience. Jan Moyer and George Gruel are amazing for this industry,” commented one of the attendees. The symposium was made possible through generous sponsors: Illumicare, LiteScape Lighting, Kichler Linzel Distributing, Cast Lighting, Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting, X10 Pro, F/X Luminaire, Solutions Aquasol and Copper Lighting. Company representative were all available to meet with the attendees at the mini-trade show following the sessions. The event was very well received and committee members are looking forward to putting together yet another fantastic line-up for next year.

Take a practical approach to prevent workplace violence By Heidi Croot Workplace Safety and Prevention Services

hen Queen’s Park passed Bill 168 on workplace violence and harassment in 2010, a collective groan rose from landscapers and growers across the province. The timing couldn’t be worse. Besides, as some owners said, “Violence isn’t an issue in my workplace.” Or is it? After leading a workplace violence assessment at Sheridan Nurseries, Jim MacLeod, human resources manager, gained new insight into the concerns of employees about the potential for violent episodes. Adam Tyman, operations manager at Clintar — London, believes violence-related risks and hazards are no different in his landscape company than any other workplace. Gerwin Bouman, co-owner of Stam Nurseries, offers examples given by colleagues during Safety Group meetings of how violence at home has followed people to work. In the meantime, consider this statistic: In the 12 months ending in March of 2009, Ministry of Labour inspectors made 417 field visits and issued 351 orders related to violence in the workplace. Clearly, workplace violence is more prevalent than many employers think, which makes lack of awareness a big threat to employee safety. “Some employers view safety as an expense until they realize the cost benefits,” says Sally Harvey, Landscape Ontario manager of education, labour development and membership services. “I talk to them about the business case.” Indeed, criminal charges and financial penalties can put a firm out of business. But as Harvey points out, it’s about much more than that. She notes that a robust health and safety program helps pre-qualify her firm to bid on commercial work. Simple steps to prevent violence Jim MacLeod started the process at Sheridan Nurseries by asking the Joint Health and Safety Committees at each location to perform a workplace violence risk assessment. “It brought to light issues we had not considered,” says MacLeod. “You don’t realize until you ask the question what issues are bothering your employees.” MacLeod also emphasizes the need to manage spending time on the floor, listening and watching your guests and staff to see how they behave. Prepare your staff to quickly recognize violent situations, and respond to and defuse aggres-

sive people and situations. Gerwin Bouman cautions employers to keep the information simple. “Put it in plain language,” he says. “Make it a one-page policy. Don’t do more than what your people can digest. My people say, ‘Tell me what it says and get me out of the office.’” “Bill 168 caught us in our busy season,” adds MacLeod, “so we put together an information package in language everyone could understand, and gave every employee time on business hours to read it.” The package contained an overview of the amendment, definitions, an action plan, and an acknowledgement form for employees to sign and return to their managers. Clintar developed a policy and procedure for the new law and distributed it to its franchises. They followed up with training of crew leads, supervisors and management, and addressed the topic in health and safety committee and biweekly staff safety meetings. “We also attached a payroll notice to employee pay cheques about their rights and our policies,” says Adam Tyman. “The biggest benefit is that it outlines in writing what is and what is not acceptable behaviour toward co-workers.” A survival kit to use today Landscape Ontario is working with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services on several initiatives designed to help landscapers and growers easily and quickly to identify workplace violence and harassment solutions. There is a toolkit available on the Ministry of Labour website. Given the reality of small business needs, here’s a survival kit that will help small business remain true to their nature, while meeting the legal and moral obligations. 1. Understanding your role Provide strong, visible leadership from the top. Successful business owners, supervisors and executives know that health and wellness in workplaces fosters productivity, quality and profitability. They make sure everyone in the organization understands their role, rights and obligations, and they lead by example. 2. You’re on the radar, no matter your business size Some small business owners believe they fly under the radar, because Ministry of Labour inspectors have bigger fish to fry. The truth is that the ministry has more boots on the ground than ever, and inspectors are specifically focused on small business. No matter how small, you are held accountable for keeping employees safe by meeting legislative requirements. 3. Make a difference with quick, bite-sized hits

Be true to what you are. As a small business, it makes sense to keep your health and safety processes simple and informal. Management walkabouts, quick staff meetings, a handwritten memo to file, notes in a log book are strategies that count when inspectors ask if you’ve been meeting your legal obligations. Effective shortcuts for communicating with staff include: • Five-minute huddles or quick talks on health and safety. • Use your safe operating procedures, checklists or MSDS sheets as topic guides. • Make health and safety part of everyday practice. • Perform regular safety checks, such as watching an employee work for two minutes. Reinforce what was done well and coach on improvements. • Send staff on hazard hunts. • Ask a staff member to volunteer as a health and safety champion. 4. Join a Safety Group Joining a Safety Group can reduce your premiums, while it helps make your business safer. A Safety Group puts owners on the same page. 5. Make health and safety part of your everyday operations Give prevention equal status with other topics. Integrate health and safety strategies seamlessly into meeting agendas, job descriptions, budget planning, team meetings, pre-shift checklists, award programs, hiring processes and training. 6. Tap the wisdom of your staff Ask staff in what situations they feel most at risk, and a powerful question: “What do you think will help?” Staff likely know the answer, but might not share it unless you ask. Don’t walk this road alone If you’re struggling with a particular health and safety issue, such as violence and harassment, chances are someone else has, too. Unlike marketing strategies, solutions that prevent injuries and save lives need to be shared freely. Think of Landscape Ontario and WSPS as idea brokers. We can put you in touch with best practices, research, or ideas from other firms. Don’t walk this road alone. Heidi Croot is a writer with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services. WSPS provides health and safety products, training and consulting to Ontario’s agricultural, manufacturing and service sectors.

HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 25

OMAFRA NURSERY AND LANDSCAPE REPORT

Equipment adjustment needed to reduce spray drift By Dr. Jason S.T. Deveau Application technology specialist, OMAFRA

t’s time to consider making changes for this year’s spraying season. Ask yourself a few questions: • Do you want to keep more of your product on target? • Do you want to extend your spray window (a little)? • Do you want to improve the overall effectiveness of your applications? • Do you want to reduce the risk of off-target deposition?

Of course you do! That’s why you need to make adjustments to your spray equipment and reduce the potential for pesticide drift. Spray drift is everyone’s responsibility. Extremely low, and often invisible, amounts of spray drift can be very damaging, even long after the application. While there are many types of agricultural sprayers used for ground application of pesticides, the two most often associated with spray drift are the airblast sprayers (including cannon sprayers) and the boom sprayers (typically horizontal). Generally, the goal is to produce a coarser spray quality and bring the nozzle as close to the target as possible, without compromising coverage, or spray quality. There are a variety of ways to modify your sprayer to accomplish this. For airblast sprayers the potential for drift can be reduced by: • adjusting fan settings to produce the minimal effective air speed throughout the season. High fan speeds early in the season are rarely appropriate • increasing droplet size by using lower

pressures (within the nozzle manufacturer’s ratings), air-induction nozzles or disc-core or disc-whirl nozzles that produce a coarser spray quality • using deflectors to channel air into, not over or under, the target • using towers to reduce distance-to-target and direct air into the target. Be careful not to get any closer than 50 cm • using foliage sensors that turn boom sections on and off to match the size and shape of the canopy • switching to a tangential, recycling, multiduct, or multi-fan sprayer, all of which reduce off-target deposition. Many of these sprayers are rare in Ontario, but they are available. Ask your local retailer for more information. Many eventually pay for themselves in saved pesticide. For horizontal boom sprayers the potential for drift can be reduced by: • maintaining a minimal effective boom height • using low-drift nozzles, such as air-induction, drift-guard, turbo tee jet, etc. • using drop-arms to bring nozzles closer to the target • using the appropriate spray angle. Wider spray angle nozzles (e.g. 110°) create smaller droplets than nozzles with narrower spray angles (e.g. 80°). Although smaller droplets generally increase the chance of drift and reduce penetration in dense canopies, the wider angle nozzles allow the boom to lie closer to the target • using air-assist to direct spray into the canopy • using shrouds to create physical barriers to drift Be aware that the equipment described here can reduce, but does not eliminate pesticide drift.

www.uxbridgenurseries.com

“We keep on growing”

Uxbridge Nurseries

P.O.BOX 400, UXBRIDGE, ONTARIO L9P 1M8

905.655.3379 FAX: 905.655.8544 1.877.655.3379 sales@uxbridgenurseries.com

26 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

Spraying in bad weather and not accounting for the nature of the target increases the potential for drift. Even with the best equipment, weather plays a big role in increasing or decreasing the potential for pesticide drift. Check out OMAFRA factsheet 09-037W How Weather Conditions Affect Spray Application www.omafra.gov. on.ca/english/crops/facts/09-037w.htm. If you’d like to know more about spray drift, methods for preventing it and what to do if you suspect drift damage, keep an eye out for a new OMAFRA Factsheet on Pesticide Drift – it should be available before next year’s spraying season.

Large attendance at turf symposium Attendance numbers put smiles on the faces of organizers at the annual Ontario Turfgrass Symposium (OTS) held on Feb. 23 and 24 at the University Of Guelph. Organizers say it was the largest attendance at an OTS since the program returned to the main university campus several years ago. Opening day saw talks by Dr. François Hébert, University of Guelph, on the efficiency of corn gluten meal inhibiting the germination and survival of weeds and Pam Charbonneau of OMAFRA who gave trial results on two new broadleaf herbicides, Fiesta and Organosol. Other talks the opening morning were by Cynthia Siva and Kathleen Dodson, both of the University of Guelph. Panel discussions included such topics as artificial turf and how municipalities are managing the cosmetic pesticide ban. Talks continued in the afternoon with Dr. Katerina Jordan, University of Guelph, on tips and tools to survive the pesticide ban and by Dr. Ken Carey, Guelph Turfgrass Institute, on what his group had learned about Fiesta. Other areas on Feb. 23 included sports fields and golf courses. The Feb. 24 schedule included new technologies in turf irrigation, overseeding, solarization or steam as a renovation technique for home lawns, a review of non-pesticide based cultural practices; ideal conditions for handling and applying nematodes; update on trials to assess microbial biocontrol agents and other biological materials for chinch bugs; and the issues of voluntary guidelines for sustainable practices.

Ontario sweeps national awards The John Deere Award of Excellence for Landscape Maintenance was presented to The Cultivated Garden from Toronto and the Caterpillar Award of he Awards of Excellence Excellence for Landscape Construction program is designed to help went to Tumber and Associates from members of this great indusOrangeville. try tell their story by showcasing The Garden Centres Canada and celebrating the best of the best. Inspection Program Award of Excellence And, this year Ontario has much was presented to Sheridan Nurseries, to celebrate, winning three of four Unionville. This was only the second National Awards of Excellence at time the award has been presented. this year’s event in Vancouver. Barbara Rosensweig, owner of The The Awards are meant to recCultivated Garden, commented on her ognize and inspire. They also stir Jason Becker of Caterpillar, left, and Randy Tumber president of national award, “It is a huge honour to be the competitive spirit and stimulate Tumber & Associates, winner of the Caterpillar Award of Excellence for recognized by peers. They are not judgLandscape Construction/Installation. advancement, achievement and ing you on emotion, but on the quality of improvement. I heard a member say, your work – that means a lot. They know what it takes, and it is a different level of “We are in the business of enriching satisfaction. As a woman in this industry, lives.” Winners were announced at we could always use more encouragement and this will hopefully show that CNLA’s eighth annual National women can manage a family and run a Awards of Landscape Excellence successful business and achieve excelceremony on, Feb. 9, with more than lence.” 130 industry professionals, educators, garden writers, politicians, Randy Tumber, owner of Tumber likeminded and allied organizations and Associates, said of his win, “We are recognizing outstanding excellence very excited about this. It certainly is a in the green industry, including a highlight for our employees; it means a welcome from B.C. Minister of lot to them. Ya, they get paycheque and Agriculture, Ben Stewart. the feeling of a job well done, but this is Each year, the provincial hor- Barbara Rosensweig of The Cultivated Garden,receives the John tangible. This gives them a real sense of ticultural trade associations hold Deere Award of Excellence for Landscape Maintenance from Jeremy accomplishment and satisfaction. This is annual awards competitions in Vandehaar of John Deere Ltd. what they got into the industry for in the which landscape construction and work that our members across the country are first place.” maintenance contractors enter their recent proj- involved with,” says Joseph Salemi, manager of As well as motivation and a retention ects, hoping to be recognized as the best in the membership services for CNLA. He also com- tool for their employees, Tumber noted that the industry. These competitions, recognizing those mented that “the eighth annual National Awards national win, “adds a sense of creditability to projects that stand out in quality, workmanship of Landscape Excellence was the biggest yet, and our company. To be awarded by a horticulture and design, also act as a means to promote to the next year the landscape construction and mainte- association of CNLA’s calibre is humbling and public the level of skill, quality and workmanship nance categories will be divided into residential satisfying; we are truly flattered.” and commercial.” of which our industry professionals are capable. Each provincial association has the opportunity to submit the top-scoring winning entries into the National Awards of Excellence program, administered by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association. Entrants into the 2011 National Awards of Excellence from Ontario were construction category: International Landscaping, Oriole Landscaping, and Tumber and Associates; maintenance category, Boffo Landscaping, The Cultivated Garden and Water’s Edge Landscaping. Congratulations to all of the members for the great work achieving entrance into the National Awards program. “This is more than just an awards competition; this program highlights the tremendous By Kristen McIntyre CHT Conference and event coordinator

HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 27

CLASSIFIED ADS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

NURSERY STOCK

For Rent Garden Centre with greenhouse. Well established located on County Road 27 just west of Bradford. Rosemary/Paul 705-424-9146

PERENNIALS Large assortment of perennials, ground covers and native plants. Price - Variety list available. FRANK SCHENK PERENNIALS 663 River Road (Belfountain), Caledon, ON L7K 0E5 Tel: 519-927-5415 Fax: 519-927-9084

EQUIPMENT

SERVICES AND SUPPLIES

FIRST NATURE NURSERY LTD Wholesale supplier of native evergreens White Pine......... 80-200cm.......500+ White Spruce..... 80-150cm.......2000+ White Cedar...... 80-250cm.......4000+ Blue Spruce....... 125-175cm.....1000+ Hemlock............ 100-175cm.....150+ Potted, B&B and wire baskets available. Call 519-647-0716 or 905-973-3605 or wayne@firstnaturenursery.com

LARGE TREE MOVING AND SALES 115 inch and 90 inch tree spades available for hire. Largest truck mount machine in Ontario. Call Burkraft Services 905-689-1269

Hofland Gardens Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Ground cover Tel: 905-355-3392 Email: hoflandgardens@phc.igs.net

Hydroseeders and Bark Blowers New and Used All Types of Mulches, Soil Guard (BFM), Erosion Control Blankets, Tackifiers Call Peter 1-888-298-9911 www.fibramulch.com

TREE TRANSPLANTING Transplanting trees up to 9” truck diameter with 10,000 lb. rootball. 44”, 80” & 90” spades to move trees with and can basket up to 90” 100 acres of trees to choose from. BOTANIX OXFORD INSTA-SHADE RR # 2, Burgessville ON N0J 1C0 Tel: 519-424-2180 • Fax: 519-424-2420 Toll Free: 1-800-387-0246 Contact Jan Veldhuizen Email: jan@oxfordinstashade.com www.oxfordinstashade.com FIRST NATURE NURSERY LTD Wholesale supplier of native branches Looking for Willow, Dogwood, or Poplar stems? We supply native cuts from 1ft-10ft. Live stakes, fascines, wattlings and fencing. Native and ornamental species available. Call 519-647-0716 or 905-973-3605 or wayne@firstnaturenursery.com

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Ads must be pre-paid by VISA or Mastercard. Rates: $45.20 (HST included) per column inch Min. order $45.20. 15% discount on ads run for entire calendar year. Box Numbers: Additional $10. Confidentiality ensured. Deadlines: 20th day of the month prior to issue date. (eg: June issue deadline is May 20th). January deadline is Dec. 1. Space is limited to a first come, first served basis. To advertise: E-mail your name, phone number and ad to Robert at classifieds@landscapeontario.com or fax to 905-875-0183. Website only ads are available for $45.20 (HST included). Website ads are posted for 30 days and are limited to 325 words.

KAMARAH TREE FARMS Quality Wholesaler of Specimen Trees SPRING CLEARANCE Sugar Maples.............. 50mm....................$90 Shingle Oak................. 50-70mm..............$80 Ornamental Pear......... 50-60mm..............$80 Serviceberry................ 50-60mm..............$90 Honeylocust................. 50-60mm..............$70 Ivory Silk Lilac............. 50-60mm..............$80 Linden.......................... 50-60mm..............$80 Blue Spruce................. 150-175cm............$95 Serbian Spruce............ 150-175cm............$80 White Cedar................ 250cm...................$70 Black Cedar................. 175-225cm............$60 (London) Lakeside, ON Ph 519-349-2617 Fax 519-349-2686 Email: kamarah2@msn.com

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FORESTELL DESIGNED LANDSCAPES We are growing again and require a dedicated, talented individual in the position of: Landscape Construction Crew Leader For a full description of the job please visit our website @forestell.com\careers Commercial Landscape Company Estimator Experienced in complete tendering process. Quantity takeoff through to final tender completion. Required by Exel Contracting Inc., serving Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Established in 1989. Pay dependant on experience. Year round work and benefits. Fax or email resume to: Exel Contracting Inc. Ian Rowbotham Fax: 613-831-2794 Email: ian@exelcontracting.ca

28 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Nursery Sales Support Immediate opening for a permanent Full Time Sales Support person to handle quotes, orders and picks for nursery product sales. Duties also include assisting with recording and tracking field inventory. Knowledge of plants and nursery operations is essential. Must have advanced computer skills and be physically fit. Shipping Coordinator Immediate opening for Full Time Seasonal position to cover Leave of Absence Job includes organizing and scheduling all shipments for busy Perennial division. Knowledge of perennial plants is essential. Must be highly organized and possess advanced computer skills. Supervisor & Lead Hands – Container Growing Division Immediate opening for several full time positions to supervise the growing and maintenance of a large division of nursery products. Must have experience in growing containerized nursery products with a min. of 3-5 years, hands-on experience with Integrated Pest Management programs, possess advanced computer skills and have horticultural knowledge to record inventory. A horticultural degree preferred. Working knowledge of Spanish an asset. Please send resume to: Mori Nurseries Ltd. 1695 Niagara Stone Rd. R.R.2, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S1J0 Or email: resumes@morinurseries.com EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES We are currently seeking competent, energetic persons for the following positions: Lawn Care Technicians Irrigation Service Technicians Nursery and Garden Centre Labourers Marketing Student Landscape Labourers Licenced Mechanic All positions would require: • Valid ‘G’ driver’s license with clean abstract. • Entlhusiastic and hardworking attitude. • Organized and detail oriented. • Must be willing to work extended hours and some weekends, throughout the busy season. We offer competitive wages, an enjoyable work environment and an opportunity for long term growth. Please apply to: P.O. Box 356 Hanover, Ontario N4N 3H6 Fax: 519-364-4228 Email: tkraemer@bmts.com

View these ads and more: www.horttrades.com/ classifieds

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Commercial Landscape Company Forepersons Required by Exel Contracting Inc., serving Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Established in 1989. Pay dependant on experience. Year round work and benefits. Fax or email resume to: Exel Contracting Inc. Ian Rowbotham Fax: 613-831-2794 Email: ian@exelcontracting.ca PROPAGATION ASSISTANT MANAGER The tree seedling division of Somerville Nurseries is experiencing continued and rapid growth. The company is looking to add to their management team. Responsibilities would include participating in the management of a growing 200 acre propagation nursery supplying quality seedlings and transplants to the forestry and conservation communities of Ontario. The successful candidate will have an appropriate educational background in forestry or horticulture, strong leadership and communication skills and significant experience in a related job capacity. Somerville Nurseries Inc 5884 County Rd 13 Box 1445 Everett Ontario. L0M 1A0 Paulfraser@somervillenurseries.com 705-435-6258, ext. 102

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Klomp’s Landscaping is a design build contractor serving residential and commercial clients throughout southwestern Ontario. Are you looking to advance or begin your horticulture career? Are you one of the assets we are looking for? Can you show up for work daily with a super BIG smile? We will pay you. Accepting applications for the following positions: LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS/ ARCHITECT SALES PERSONS OFFICE MANAGER LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISORS/ FOREMANS LANDSCAPE LABOUR Interested applicants can submit their application: MAIL: RR7 St Marys, ON N4X 1C9 FAX: 519-284-0359 EMAIL: inquiries@klomps.ca Questions can be addressed at 519-284-0254

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES MAINTENANCE FOREPERSON Alpine Sodding & Landscaping in Bolton is seeking a seasonal Landscape Maintenance Foreperson. Applicants should have a minimum of 5 years experience, a valid ‘G’ class driver’s licence with experience towing a trailer is mandatory, although a valid ‘DZ’ class licence would be preferred. The successful applicant will be responsible for the daily activities of a landscape maintenance crew (3-5 people). Please send resume to paul@aslgroup.ca or fax to 905-951-9311 SALES REPRESENTATIVES Martek Supply is a Burlington based wholesale supplier of construction and landscape materials and is looking for experienced sales representatives: Outside Sales Representative We are seeking an independent, self-motivated individual to promote our complete line of products in the GTA and Golden Horseshoe. Experience in landscape lighting and water gardens an asset. Inside Sales Representative Responsible for all aspects of account management, including: direct customer contact, sales order processing, preparation of quotes, purchasing and logistics management. Please send resume to martek@marteksupply.ca

AD INDEX COMPANY

PAGE

PHONE

WEBSITE

Aco Systems Ltd.................................................27.......... 877-226-4255.................................... www.acocan.ca Agrium...................................................................2........... 800-461-6471.................................... www.prohort.ca Braun Nursery Limited.........................................6........... 800-246-6984......................... www.braungroup.com Canadale Nurseries Ltd......................................31.......... 519-631-1008............................. www.canadale.com Cerka Industries Ltd............................................11.......... 877-876-3344....................................... www.cerka.ca Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Inc.................32.......... 905-628-0112.................. www.connonnurseries.com Draglam Salt (G&L Group).................................3........... 416-798-7050......................... www.draglamsalt.com Dutchmaster Nurseries Ltd.................................18.......... 905-683-8211......... www.dutchmasternurseries.com Estate Lighting Supply Ltd..................................21.......... 905-874-1022...........................www.estatelighting.ca Ground Covers Unlimited...................................12.......... 705-277-3005... groundscoversunlimited@gmail.com Helmutz Landscape & Interlock..........................22.......... 519-888-9536................................ www.helmutz.com Hillen Nursery Inc.............................................16-17.......519-264-9057 Landscape Safety ...............................................7........... 877-482-2323...................www.landscapesafety.com Legends Landscape Supply Inc.........................14.......... 905-336-3369....................... www.landscapestore.ca Limestone Trail Company Ltd.............................11.......... 905-563-8133........................www.limestonetrail.com Mankar Distributing Inc........................................8........... 647-309-7826.................................... www.mankar.ca Newroads National Leasing................................13.......... 416-587-1021................. www.newroadsleasing.com Riverbend Farms (Ontario) Ltd...........................24.......... 519-765-2130......... riverbendfarms@amtelecom.net Sheridan Nurseries.............................................30.......... 888-676-2020 ...............www.sheridannurseries.com Sipkens Nurseries Ltd.........................................23.......... 866-843-0438................. www.sipkensnurseries.com Stam Nurseries....................................................20.......... 519-424-3350.................... www.stamsnurseries.com Uxbridge Nurseries Ltd.......................................26.......... 905-655-3379................www.uxbridgenurseries.com V. Kraus Nurseries Ltd.........................................7........... 905-689-4022.....................www.krausnurseries.com Winkelmolen Nursery Ltd....................................13.......... 519-647-3912.........................www.winkelmolen.com Zander Sod Co Ltd..............................................23.......... 877-727-2100............................www.zandersod.com

Introducing the Great Ontario Garden Guide The Master Gardeners of Ontario have created a wonderful, concise brochure on gardening in Ontario. It’s called the Great Ontario Garden Guide and is available RIGHT NOW for the low cost of only $20 per hundred copies. Please contact John Craw at jonbon@bell.net for further details or if you would like a free copy.

HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 29

MEMBER PROFILE

Designer’s passion results in new landscape magazine By Allan Dennis

ave Maciulis CLD is a passionate man. He’s passionate about landscape design. He’s passionate about business. He’s passionate about certification. Now he is combining those passions, by creating a new magazine, Natural Landscape which will communicate to consumers the need to hire qualified professionals to create outside living areas. “I want to advocate to consumers the importance of hiring qualified professionals in the landscape industry,” says Maciulis. “I believe that the certification system raises the bar in our industry. By doing this we separate ourselves from those who don’t have the high standards that this industry needs to promote.” He also believes that the industry must market the issue so that consumers understand that certification means they will receive a high standard of service. The new magazine had its inaugural printing on Feb. 16. It will be published twice a year, featuring tips for homeowners on best practices in landscaping, professional photos of innovative and creative designs, and an advice column by Maciulis, geared towards consumers, ‘Just Ask Dave.’ The publication will also be available online. The first issue is 38 pages and features a full page story by Landscape Maciulis shows off his first magazine. Ontario’s director of public relations Denis Flanagan, who outlines how to on subjects of pavers, synthetic grass, drainage issues, favourite plants, choose a landscape professional. courtyards, natural trends, outdoor kitchens and more. “I want to educate   The first issue also includes articles and lots of colourful photographs and touch people in real life on the pages of our magazine,” says Maciulis. The new publisher also intends to place advertisements from only those who are industry-related. He says it’s been difficult to crack the national advertisers, but he has had great support from the Golden Horseshoe and GTA area landscape industry businesses. Dave Maciulis first thought of the magazine idea six years ago. After receiving positive responses from other professionals in the industry, he decided to seriously pursue the creation of the magazine. The initial publication will have 30,000 copies distributed directly through Canada Post, with another 10,000 at the Ideal Home and Garden Show in Hamilton, and 10,000 to professional offices. “I hope to attract subscribers as we move along,” said Maciulis.

Leaders in Growing Industry Trends

30 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

Began working at Harper’s Garden Centre In 1990 Dave Maciulis began working at Harper’s Garden Centre in Ancaster. “I started by sketching designs for customers, which helped increase plant sales at the garden centre. Soon, I was getting calls from people asking me to come to their homes to design a plan for their landscape. I started charging $50 for the service.” It wasn’t long before he was working part-time as a designer at Harper’s. He enrolled in Niagara College, taking landscape design. He also became interested in using computers to create his designs. “I started to create my own system with the Auto CAD system,” says Maciulis. Today he has his own computer design system, unique to his business, Natural Landscape Custom Design and Development, which he began in 1999. Maciulis has been a member of LO since 1995, and obtained his CLD in 2000. His company won an Awards of Excellence for design in 2010, and he has conducted seminars at the designers’ sector group symposium at Congress. He also writes a blog that can be found at http://landscapedesignforum.blogspot.com/. Look for Maciulis in his new venue, Natural Landscape, where he hopes to pass on his passion about his industry.

NEW MEMBERS Durham Total Tree Service Inc. Brad Watts 224 Wellington St Whitby, ON L1N 5L8 Tel: 905-862-2525 Membership Type: Active Georgian Lakelands Pinnacle Rockscapes Limited Steve Schepers 2466 Rainbow Valley Rd W Minesing, ON L0L 1Y0 Tel: 705-623-3448 Membership Type: Active Precision Septic & Earthworks Ltd. David Hartle 555631 6th Line, RR 1 Ravenna, ON N0H 2E0 Tel: 519-599-2666 Membership Type: Active Golden Horseshoe Ashlar Landscapes Daimon Ferguson 4332 Longmoor Dr Burlington, ON L7L 1X5 Tel: 416-889-6872 Membership Type: Active Wetlands Irrigation Inc. Len Harsevoort 1538 Brock Rd, RR 4 Dundas, ON L9H 5E4 Tel: 905-689-0613 Membership Type: Active London Jay Mckinnon Company Jay Mckinnon 319 Strathroyal Ave Strathroy, ON N7G 3G5 Tel: 519-854-3368 Membership Type: Active Ottawa Deer Fence Canada Inc David Davidson 2470 Dunrobin Rd Ottawa, ON K0A 1T0 Tel: 613-832-0879 Membership Type: Associate Toronto Black Diamond Construction Colin Breckenridge 167 Dawlish Ave Aurora, ON L4G 6R2 Tel: 416-878-4315 Membership Type: Interim Green Circle Gardens Inc. Kevin Foster 329 Davisville Ave Toronto, ON M4S 1H1 Tel: 416-918-7632 Membership Type: Interim Lawn Troopers Matt Hill 164 Treeline Blvd Brampton, ON L6P 1E7 Tel: 416-320-8491 Membership Type: Interim

Tersigni Landscape Construction Inc. Steve Tersigni 31 Parkfield Crt Woodbridge, ON L4L 9E5 Tel: 416-936-2320 Membership Type: Active Terri Ting Toronto, ON Membership Type: Horticultural

Upper Canada Stinson Builders Ltd Brad Stinson 360 County Rd 3 Belleville, ON K8N 4Z7 Tel: 613-962-6626 Membership Type: Active Waterloo Burnett Farms Ltd Alex Burnett RR 4 Belwood, ON N0B 1J0 Tel: 519-843-2892 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Attention Independent Garden Centres:

CANADALE NURSERIES

wants to help you thrive in the new economy, here’s how: In 2011, your customers will be looking for deals more than ever, Let us help you plan your sale schedule in the winter. Use our Great Sale Plants to plan your weekly sale schedule. You need a Plan to be successful this coming year more than ever! Don’t count on unknown last minute sales.

Differentiate Yourself by Offering Unique Plants! In 2011, set yourself apart with unique plant material. Your customers will still want new and unique plants to make their yards their own. Canadale can help with its Specialty, Unique and New plant lists.

Let us Help You! In season, we offer weekly deliveries to the GTA, weekly emailed availabilities, tagging and pre-pricing, colour picture signage and posters, and much more to help you be successful.

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HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011 31

32 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MARCH 15, 2011

1155 Dundas St. W. (Hwy. #5), West Flamborough, Ontario /i °\Ê äx ÈÓn ä££ÓÊUÊ äx xÓÎ ä{{Ó >Ý\Ê äx ÈÓn Î£xx www.connonnurseries.com email: mail@connonnurseries.com