2 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
Chapter events
Landscape Ontario and industry events
For more chapter event listings, visit www.horttrades.com. July 9 Gardens of Distinction Tour Don’t miss the London chapter’s third annual Gardens of Distinction Tour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event has doubled in attendance over the past two years and we expect it to increase again. There are many opportunities to get involved, including advertising in the passport, entering a garden in the tour (you must be an LO Active member to enter a garden) and purchasing tour tickets for your friends, family and clients! Contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354 or helen@landscapeontario.com. July 15 Upper Canada Golf Tournament Briar Fox Golf Club, Marysville Take a break from your busy season and join the Upper Canada Chapter for a fun day on the links at Briar Fox Golf Club, Marysville. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with tee off at 10 a.m. The day will conclude with a steak dinner and prizes. Cost is only $100 per golfer, which includes 18 holes of golf, a cart, steak dinner and prizes. If you register your foursome before June 30, you will receive 10 per cent off the cost of golf. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com. July 28 Dick Sale Memorial Golf Tournament Nobleton Lakes Golf Club, Nobleton The Toronto Chapter is returning to Nobleton Lakes Golf Club for the annual Dick Sale Memorial Golf Tournament. This shotgun tournament will start with registration and lunch at 11 a.m. and tee off at 1 p.m. Pricing and sponsorship information will be available shortly.
August 14 Toronto Chapter Baseball Tournament Richmond Greens Sports Centre and Park Bring your staff, family and friends to the Toronto Chapter’s annual baseball tournament. This slow-pitch tournament will run from 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with trophies and a barbecue lunch included in the fee of $550 per team. Each team is guaranteed two games. Ideally, mixed teams should include five women/10 men. Registration information will be available shortly.
For more Landscape Ontario and industry event listings, visit www.horttrades.com.
June 11 - June 12 TBG annual garden tour Toronto Toronto Botanical Garden’s 24th annual garden tour will include 23 gardens with views of Grenadier Pond, Humber River, Brule Pond and High Park. The tour will take place both days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A one-day pass is $35 for TBG members and $40 for non-members. Tickets are limited, so advance purchases are recommended. This tour is an important fundraising event for the TBG. To purchase a ticket call 416-397-1357, or go to www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca.
August 17 Golden Horseshoe Golf Tournament Willow Valley Golf Course, Mount Hope Come enjoy a social outing with fellow industry members at the Golden Horseshoe Chapter Golf Tournament. Pricing and registration information will be available shortly. August 25 Durham Chapter’s Annual Barbecue T. Arnts Loam Supply, Pickering The Durham chapter has started planning its annual summer barbecue. This year’s event will take place on Thursday, August 25 at T. Arnts Loam Supply from 3 - 7 p.m. This event will feature a supplier showcase, dinner provided by the Chapter and much more. If you are a supplier looking to participate, contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.
July 14 Growers Research Auction Blue Sky Nursery, Beamsville Join us in Wine Country for the Growers Group annual fundraiser. Bid on top quality plant material, while helping raise funds for industry research and scholarships. All bidders will be entered into a special draw. Sample local wine at the tasting tent and bid on silent auction items. All industry donations will be accepted for auction: such as plant material, related hard goods, garden giftware, silent auction items, etc. Contact Kristen McIntyre at auction@landscapeontario. com or 1-800-265-5656, ext. 321.
September 9 London Golf Tournament Pine Knot Golf Course, Dorchester Treat yourself to a great day on the links! Support your association and take a well-deserved break! Our sponsors have been very generous, and we invite everyone to come out to this event. Contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.
ELOQUIP Ltd. is pleased to announce its 25th anniversary. Fri., June 3 from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. at ELOQUIP A celebratory OPEN HOUSE is planned for all Landscape Ontario members, present and future customers and suppliers. This gala event will feature a free barbecue lunch/supper.
Thank you all for your support over the years! 6915 Wellington Rd. 7 Elora, ON,
519 846 0914
www.eloquip.com
HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 3
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@
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@
Chair: Michael Van Dongen Board rep: Bob McCannell, bmccannell@
Manager, education, and labour development, Sally Harvey CLT, CLP, ext. 315, sharvey@
Grounds Management
Administrative assistant Jane Leworthy, ext. 301, jleworthy@
Second vice-president
Chair: Mike DeBoer, CLT Board rep: Brian Marsh
Secretary/treasurer
Growers
Provincial Board
Interior Plantscapes
Membership coordinator, Helen Hassard, ext. 354, hhassard@
Irrigation
Chapter coordinator, Georgian Lakelands Chapter Lexi Dearborn, ext. 317, ldearborn@
Phil Charal, pcharal@ Dave Braun
Durham Chapter
President: Greg Scarlett CLT Board rep: Mark Humphries, mhumphries@
Georgian Lakelands Chapter
Chairs: Mark Ostrowski Board rep: Gerwin Bouman Chair and board rep: Stephen Schell CLT Chair: Chris Le Conte Board rep: Steve Macartney CIT, CLT
Education, labour, and certification project coordinator Rachel Cerelli, ext. 326, rachelc@ Seminar and safety group coordinator Kathy McLean, ext. 306, kathym@
Chapter coordinator, Ottawa Chapter Martha Walsh, ext. 368, mwalsh@
President: Michael LaPorte CLT Board rep: Warren Patterson
Landscape Contractors Chair and board rep: Peter Guinane
Golden Horseshoe Chapter
Manager, information technology Ian Service, 416-848-7555, iservice@
Lawn Care
Manager, Pesticide Industry Council Tom Somerville, tsomerville@
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
Trade show manager Paul Day CDE, ext. 339, paulday@ Trade show manager Lorraine Ivanoff, ext. 366, lpi@
Snow and Ice Management
Trade show coordinator Linda Nodello, ext. 353, lnodello@
Chair: John Fulford Board rep: Gerald Boot CLP, geraldboot@
Members at Large Gregg Salivan Bruce Warren
CNLA Board Rep
Gerald Boot CLP, geraldboot@
May 15, 2011 • Volume 29, No. 5 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).
Conference and events coordinator, Kristen McIntyre CLT, ext. 321, kristen@ Director of public relations Denis Flanagan CLD, ext. 303, dflanagan@ Publisher Lee Ann Knudsen CLP, ext. 314, lak@ Editorial director Sarah Willis, ext. 313, sarahw@ Editor Allan Dennis, ext. 320, aldennis@ Web editor Robert Ellidge, ext. 312, rob@ Art director Melissa Steep, 647-723-5447, msteep@
The Voice of Landscape Ontario
4 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
Director of events and trade shows Gilles Bouchard, ext. 323, gbouchard@
Chair and Board rep: John Higo
Horticulture Review
For subscription and address changes, please e-mail subscriptions@landscapeontario.com
Executive director Ontario Parks Association Paul Ronan, ext. 349, pronan@
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
Spring is a time to be off balance on purpose By Tom Intven LO president
O
h spring: in our businesses it’s such a double-edged sword, isn’t it? We are pulled a thousand different ways, stretched and stressed to the max. There aren’t enough hours in the day. No matter how well we plan, it never works out exactly as how we thought. Everyone’s patience is tested. On the other side of the coin, spring provides us with the opportunity to reach our full potential. We wait for it the entire year. We make most of our money from April to June. Spring excites us, enlivens us. And despite all the stress and strain, it is our favourite time of the year. We all have heard much (and been lectured to) about achieving balance in our lives. We are told to work less, spend more time with our family and Tom Intven friends, and to de-stress. I hear this especially from many of my friends, who have retired, or are about to. And, while my wife, family and friends certainly push me to make more time for them during spring, sometimes it’s just not possible. So, instead of feeling guilty about it, I’ve decided to accept the lack of balance during spring and rationalize it intellectually by thinking in terms of being “off balance – on purpose.” I first heard this term a couple years ago from Dan Thurmon, a motivational speaker who recently wrote a book, Off Balance On Purpose – Embrace Uncertainty and Create a Life You Love. Being off balance Dan contends that we will never achieve perfect balance. We are in a constant state of being off balance, making adjustments in one area of our life that impact other areas of our life. In fact, being off balance is the desired method of operation for many of us, especially if we are driven to achieve our business or personal goals. On purpose has two very important definitions. First, our actions must be intentional and deliberate. This means taking responsibility for what we do and making conscious choices about how we invest our time, energy and money. The second definition of on purpose is that our decisions and actions are directly linked to our values, beliefs, mission and goals. Instead of living a life of activity, by living off balance – on purpose, we build a pattern of action that comes from the very core of who we are. Thurmon’s line of thinking is empathetic to the way most of us live our lives during the hectic spring months. We purposely work long hours and stretch ourselves so that we can achieve our business goals, either sales targets or measured business growth. But for many of us, by living off balance on purpose, we can fulfill some of our personal objectives in life as well. I have observed that many of us have true passion for our work. Passion drives us. And fulfillment of passion is best achieved by pushing ourselves to the limit. We grow personally when we work hard at achieving goals that reflect our passion. Another way to say passion is ‘I love my job.’ I envy the lucky people who can say this honestly. I have heard that comment frequently from many of our members and from our executive director who often sends out minutes of meetings and emails after hours and on weekends. When you love your job, it doesn’t feel like work. The effort and time spent fulfills a need, doesn’t cause stress and in fact energizes.
Self-motivation is the key The biggest hurdle we face as we grow older is to re-establish our goals so that living off balance still has relevance for us. In other words, if the end results of living off balance are no longer worth achieving, then the appeal of long hours and stressful times diminishes. Self-motivation is the key. We must continuously re-assess our goals and our passion and find ways to keep them alive and meaningful. An important counterbalance to living off balance is re-establishing our sense of homeostasis. Homeostasis is that sense of equilibrium or calm for which all living beings strive. In the case of our spring rush, it refers to both the physiological and psychological components. I believe that the time spent living off balance should be compensated with down time that recharges our psychological batteries. We all have different tolerance levels for working too long without a break. You need to know your own limits and ensure that you take me-time to keep your sense of calm, and your homeostasis. In our off balance lives, we also have to keep in mind and respect the wishes of those who are important in our lives: spouse, family and friends. This is probably the most difficult area to juggle and satisfy – enough said. Perhaps this spring you will take the time to reflect on your off balance on purpose life. Hopefully for you, it’s all worth it. Tom Intven may be reached at 519-631-1008, or tintven@landscapeontario.com.
Soil experts know that the problem with most soils is that they just aren’t porous enough. Roots need air, water and drainage. Unlike top soil or triple mix, Gro-Max™ provides the right balance in a complete blend that will endure.
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HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 5
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Great appreciation for members’ vision and leadership Tony DiGiovanni CHTR LO executive director
Y
ou inspire us! At this time of year, you have very little time to read this magazine, so I will keep this month’s comments short. I have always been inspired by the business owners, who are the majority of our membership. You shoulder a heavy burden. You have purposefully forfeited the safety nets enjoyed by most employees. You are responsible for Tony DiGiovanni finding and keeping customers. You create the work that creates prosperity. You direct complex operations and processes. You keep the records, pay the bills and collect the money. You create jobs and you add value. Many people rely on your entrepreneurial spirit. The government exists on the taxes generated by you, your business and staff, even as it keeps increasing the regulatory burden and makes it more difficult for you to operate. Doesn’t seem fair, does it? The public benefits from your hard work because wonderful social programs are paid for by the economic activity generated by your activities. Landscape Ontario would not exist if
you did not participate in funding the association and activities. We owe you a great deal of thanks for your vision and leadership. In this busy spring time, all of us at Landscape Ontario wish you and your employees the very best in personal, family and financial prosperity. We also hope you will find some time to “smell the roses.” Landscape Ontario exists as your col-
lective voice, your partner, your advocate, your professional development provider and sometimes your protector. Please use us if we can help enhance your life, as you go about enhancing the lives of others. Have a great spring! Tony DiGiovanni may be reached at tonydigiovanni@landscapeontario.com.
Green roof industry grows by nearly 30 per cent Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) announced that its annual survey of corporate members has shown that the green roof industry grew by 28.5 per cent over 2010, up significantly from 16 per cent growth recorded in 2009. Chicago led the way for the seventh year in a row, with more than 500,000 square feet installed. “Government investment in green roofs for the stormwater, air quality, green space and city cooling benefits largely fuels the growth of our industry,” said Steven Peck, founder and president of GRHC. “Cities lead the way with incentives and regulations that recognize the many benefits from green roofs.” This year Toronto requires green roofs on new commercial, institutional and residential building larger than 2,000 square
FINALSAN
metres. Starting Apr. 30, 2012, the bylaw will require green roofs on new industrial development. Peck says that as the green roof and wall industry develops further, costs will come down. He also foresees today’s empty roof and wall spaces turned into urban farms, habitat, recreational spaces, horticultural therapy centres, energy conservation, green energy production, and stormwater management infrastructure. Said Jeffrey Bruce, GRHC chair, “The industry is also benefitting from the more than 425 accredited green roof professionals in the market. We are committed to driving future industry growth through professional development with courses in, green wall design, integrated site and building water management, and rooftop urban agriculture.
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PUBLIC RELATIONS
The power of local marketing Denis Flanagan CLD Director of public relations
L
ast month’s Horticulture Review focused its cover and over five pages on the incredible Canada Blooms show. The national festival attracted most of the mainstream media. Because of this, the event did an amazing job of promoting the joys of gardening to consumers. Following Canada Blooms, I was on a road trip to southwestern Ontario, representing Landscape Ontario and Denis Flanagan our Green for Life message. It struck me, while I was on the road, how powerful local marketing can be and the exposure it can give to our members. The Sarnia Home Show, now in its 28th year, does an amazing job at attracting over 8,000 visitors, the majority of whom are anxious to renovate their homes and start a landscaping project. By agreeing to be involved in the show, our logo appeared prominently on the home show’s website, in local newspapers and it allowed us to promote horticulture on radio station CHOK’S Gardening Show with Adele Richards. In between phone-in calls, we were able to promote local members like Windover Nursery in Petrolia, which has had the same booth location in the show for over 20 years and
Adele Richards, left, and Jean Windover join Denis Flanagan at the Sarnia Home Show.
relies on the show to promote the nursery’s open house. Public starting to connect the dots At the London Home Show, our local Chapter once again built a fantastic display with large posters showcasing many of the community projects in which they have been involved. Again, as part of our partnership, we had the opportunity to promote Landscape Ontario on the local Rogers TV Station and on the seminar stage. The public is starting to connect the dots. They see the Green for Life brand/logo in newspapers, TV, in hand-outs and displays, and then they see it on members’ trucks, signs and websites. In St. Thomas, Canadale Nurseries has found a formula for success with its annual spring show. Once again Canadale had a packed house, despite the cold weather. The formula combines fun, good value, interesting displays, a good cause (in this case the local hospice) and education.
Not all as it appears It seems that I always come away with an interesting memory from this show. Pauline Intven had asked me to give a seminar on new plant varieties during the Saturday portion of the show. As I weaved my way through the booths in the greenhouse, I spotted some samples on a plate. This piece of chocolate seemed a great idea after a long road trip. As I was getting up on stage and turning the mike on, I popped the tidbit in my mouth for a little energy, only to discover it was a small sample of soap! Now what? Should I explain to the crowd what happened, remove the soap, suck on a candy and get on with the show? I’m still trying to remember if I cursed that day. It definitely gave me a bit of energy. Denis Flanagan may be contacted at dflanagan@landscapeontario.com.
Committed to Helping
Gardeners & Landscapers
GROW
call us at 416.789.4749
earthcosoils.com
HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 7
THE UNDERGROUND WORLD
Private backyard locates are necessary By Terry Murphy CLP
T
wo recent incidents resulted in two deaths that could have been prevented. Life is a learning experience, and these two situations may be good lessons for the landscape industry. Both cases involved utility lines between the street and residences. When you call Ontario One Call for locates, the locate markings are from the street into the house. Both of these accidents and deaths resulted from private work on private property that nobody asked about, nor determined if locates were required. Many residences have yards with private services to barbecues, swimming pool heaters, change rooms or other items or structures that may have gas or electric services. Contractors have installed these private service lines in good faith and have completed their work as required. The only problem is that the landscaper or excavator may not know that these services exist. You need to make it your business to know. These two cases demonstrate that it is imperative that the landscaper or excavator ask the home owner if there are any private services on the property. If the owner has taken over the property in a resale, there may not be any records available. The person or company that excavates has the responsibility for mak-
8 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
ing sure that there are no underground services. Therefore, if the owner doesn’t know, then the contractor should request that the owner obtain locates to protect everyone involved. If you see a swimming pool, change room structure, or backyard barbecue, then you can probably assume that there may be utility service running to each. To protect yourself, get the owner to obtain locates before you dig. You, as the excavator or construction firm, will be held responsible and accountable. Aecon Construction Group (an experienced company) was fined $225,000 in one case and a Niagara Falls contractor was fined $180,000 in the other. Both were private yard/ private property accidents involving propane gas utility lines. Both were highlighted on the Ministry of Labour websites. Both involved deaths. Both could have been prevented if private yard locates had been requested. Make sure all your personnel know about these potentially dangerous situations and ask the home owner if there are any private utility services in his backyard, before you start any construction projects. This is another great subject to discuss in your next safety meeting or tailgate session. Terry Murphy may be contacted at tvmurphy@ ca.inter.net.
Home gardeners have early peek at Proven Winners The plant branding giant Proven Winners has been holding its Outdoor Living Extravaganza events at various cities in North America for several years. The Extravaganza is a one-day gardening seminar to drive demand for PW-branded products to homeowners. Each event features a PW staff member, with some local gardening experts to round out the program. The promotional tour wrapped up its spring 2011 roadshow, with a stop at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham on Apr. 15. John Gaydos, director of product development and promotion at Proven Winners, opened the day’s events. Gaydos was PW’s first employee, and ran through the company’s plant breeding and selection process and talked up the year’s new introductions. Beckie Fox, editor of Garden Making magazine, then took the podium, and presented a thoughtful and personal approach to garden design. Her 15 tips were well illustrated with slides, and had the audience asking many questions. After lunch, Toronto Botanical Garden’s Paul Zammit gave an energetic and enthusiastic presentation on creating dramatic containers. His collection of photographs encouraged gardeners to use their imagination when it comes to plant combinations. Mark Cullen concluded the day’s events with a look at how his 10-acre garden has evolved, and his sustainable approach to gardening. An appreciative audience enjoyed an early look at the plants that will be on sale at independent garden centres this spring. Plants and gardening tools were given away as door prizes at intervals throughout the day, and attendees were given a chance to purchase PW plants at a pop-up store in the lobby.
PROFESSIONAL AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Prepare for summer safety issues By Sally Harvey CLT, CLP Education and Labour Development Department
S
oon enough, this cool spring weather will leave and the sweltering summer heat will arrive. Ontario’s real hot spells seldom last long enough for workers to acclimatize, so common sense and training are critical to prevention. Make sure you organize adequate training for your staff in advance of the heat wave season. Don’t get caught off guard. The sooner the better, and then repeat it in a safety tailgate talk as soon as the weather turns warm. It is essentially impossible for an employer to protect his employees from heat stress without each employee learning to recognize the early stages and symptoms. That requires training. If at all possible, it is recommended that workers learn to listen to their bodies, and understand and know the effects of their medication in extreme heat. They also must understand to alter their pace of work, take rest breaks and increase fluid intake in response to early symptoms they may experience, when heat stress is a risk. Make sure workers have access to at least 240 ml of fluid every 20 minutes. Supervisors will need to manage and adjust the pace of work and exposure. Quick reference tool There is a great heat stress reference tool available online. It contains a summary of heat stressrelated disorders, causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention. Everyone should copy this easy to read summary to have on site, in case there are questions about heat stress. For more information on how to guide workers to properly cope with heat stress and a description of heat stress disorders and symptoms and preventative training tools, go to www. labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/gl_heat.php. To view an excellent humidex-based heat response document with four pages of information and a plan to adapt to your workplace, go to www.ohcow.on.ca/menuweb/hhrplan.pdf.
pletely covered by a massive tent. Skills Canada – Ontario is completely committed to providing jugs of drinking water for all of the competitors. Interestingly, one of the competitors, keen to do well and a bit nervous by the entire process, received a small hand injury. Although it was minor, the injury led to a sequence of events that could have easily been avoided. The student was showing symptoms of shock and was treated by the onsite First Aid team. As per contest rules, a competitor must be escorted to washrooms. Our injured student wanted to wash his hands, intending to return to the competition. While I waited, I noticed that time spent in the washroom was not very long. On the way back to the competition site, the student didn’t look well, and was not steady on his feet. We laid him down, asking if he had urinated that day. He admitted that he had not. He also admitted to not having anything to drink. This excited and engaged young person was so focused on doing well at the competition, that he felt if he didn’t drink, then he would not need to take time to use the washroom. He also felt that because he was working under the tent, he didn’t need to worry about the sun. Well, it did not quite work that way. After he drank about eight glasses of water, and ate, he still was unable to return to help his teammate complete the competition. He spent the rest of the day in the First Aid station trying to re-hydrate. His teammate decided to complete the project, despite knowing that they were disqualified. The organizers went to every team thereafter to make sure this would not happen again. After this, water bottles were re-filled and bathroom breaks requested. Luckily, our patient will return to compete this year.
I know that youth are not unique when it comes to ignoring messages from one’s body and understanding its needs. The landscape industry is certainly on the radar of the Ministry of Labour, particularly with the new and young worker enforcement blitzes. These unexpected spot checks will include questions to staff about your heat stress training and prevention strategies. New and young workers are considered vulnerable, as they try so hard to impress, and neglect simple principles. Get your plan in place and make sure you communicate it and train the workers. All staff who work in the landscape horticulture industry must be properly trained and have a solid awareness of heat-related risks and prevention strategies. Every work site must provide access to drinking water. As our student found out, heat stress can even take place on a cloudy day. Wearing shorts in the workplace I am asked often by employers and employees if shorts are permitted in the landscape workplace. Yes they are, as long as they do not pose risk for injury or disease. Employers protect yourselves and staff by setting a policy that makes sense. Some firms allow shorts, but require that all staff have an extra pair of pants in case a task may require them. Some firms set policy that pants are required on the job – and no shorts are allowed. I know for me, when I am on a job site on a warm summer day, shorts are it. I wear dry-fit pants that I can zip off the leggings to create shorts, or zip the legs back on to return to pants. The bottom line: Use common sense to prevent risk to your staff. Sally Harvey may be contacted at sharvey@landscapeontario.com.
A first-hand case of heat stress My personal experience provides a good example of heat stress. At a Skills Canada – Ontario competition, we had 36 exceptional secondary school students competing in teams of two in the construction of a garden. They had a specific time period to complete the task. This was the first year that the competition was held outdoors, although the area was comHORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 9
PROSPERITY PARNERS Professional operations:
The glue that holds your work together
A
pril has been most unkind in the weather department. At least here in Muskoka, where I run my landscape business it sure has been nasty! We’ve jumped from 70 degree F sunny days and emerging bulbs to sub-zero windy days with a disheartening blanket of snow for weeks on end. With the inconsistent weather comes unpredictable scheduling Jacki Hart changes, logistics juggling, and lots of re-scheduling work, materials, equipment and people. We all work in a weather dependent industry, and last minute changes can turn the best laid plans upside down – and stresstest your operational procedures and systems when you least expect it. It’s with the topsy-
turvy April we’ve just navigated that I’ve been jerked back down memory lane and assessed some of my systems and operational set-up. And I’ve found cracks in the armour, which makes it well worth my time to address this now rather than later. As May bursts wide open along with the frenetic pace of the spring rush, I’m asking you to also force yourself to pause for a moment. Take stock of how you’re going to keep it all together without service failures in the hectic weeks to come. What are you doing differently this year and how well are your systems working for you and your company? Below is this month’s Prosperity Primer to help you get you started on thinking smarter about what goes on behind the scenes to successfully run a smooth and consistent operation: What promises did you quietly make yourself last year to improve the way your company performs? Try this short primer to get you going on improving your professional operations: To improve the professional consistency and operations 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 June ___, 2011. (Or, I’m going to file this in my November File, and will work on it next winter). When I have done this, here’s what I anticipate will be different and improved: ___________________________. Having a professional operation means making a consistent impression, providing exceptional value, delivering on promises (and on time), and being a proactive, clear communicator with your clients. Every cli-
10 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
ent, every time. This requires each employee to be equally consistent and aligned with the company image, and understanding his role in delivering on promises, while exceeding expectations. Similar systems If you ask everyone you know who has worked on improving their professional operations, my guess is you will come with several important similarities: • Professional systems take the daily accountability of proper task completion off the shoulders of the owner, and places it equally into the hands of all staff. • When you have operational procedures in place, staff will hold each other accountable — and the owner can say goodbye to babysitting. The added bonus is that staff takes the procedures, tweaks and improves them, and suggests new ones. • With right fit professional operations in place, customers will experience more consistent service delivery. Word-of-mouth referrals become common. • Professional operations lead to more consistent profit management. • Professional operations contribute significantly to improve the longevity of your equipment and tools. The Prosperity Partners program and staff are here to help you on a continuous journey of business improvement. Check out www. horttrades.com/prosperity to learn about the many resources available to you through this unique and effective program. As the tulips and forsythia give way to annuals and lilacs, please make sure you carve time EVERY DAY to pause, step back, and reflect on what went well, what needs to be tweaked, celebrate your successes (with your team) and take those less successful moments as an opportunity to learn and improve. I wish you the BEST May your business has experienced. Keep your stick on the ice, and breathe. Jacki Hart may be contacted at prosperity@landscapeontario.com.
SYSTEMS FOR SUCCESS
Solving problems…for good By Mark Bradley
Bill advised Dan how to get some key areas of his operational systems in order. That meant creating procedures, policies and systems, allowing Dan’s business to run effectively, without Dan needing to constantly be there to put out fires. Dan spent the month implementing the most urgent systems, communicating new policies and procedures to his employees and training them to effectively use his new systems.
W
ork season is in full swing at Danscaping. Things are starting to run smoother, but Dan is still noticing mistakes. Now, they bother Dan more, because he knows how much they cost him and that his people should know better. These mistakes are different, but regardless, they’re costing Dan extra time and money. Mark Bradley These are two things he’s no longer willing to ignore. He knew Bill would have a strategy to fix the little mistakes. After a stressful day of dealing with his crew, who had to make two extra trips to vendors because of forgotten materials, Dan decided to give Bill a call to see what he did when he ran into similar situations. No foolproof method “Glad to hear things are on the up,” said Bill. “Of course, having systems in place is not a foolproof method. Your guys are still going to make mistakes, but as these mistakes happen, it’s best to deal with it in a way to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.” “Agreed,” said Dan, “but it’s hard to imagine that the little things, the basic common sense things, are permanently fixable.” “Well they are,” said Bill, frankly. “The trick is fixing the source of the problem, rather than just always fixing the problem itself.” “What do you mean?” asked Dan. “Simply ask ‘why’ every time you encounter a problem. Doing this you will discover the root of the problem. If you just focus on solving problems, you will forever spin your wheels. There’s always an underlying reason to every problem, and it often has a simple solution. “Let’s take the problem you encountered
onsite earlier today,” said Bill. “You mentioned that your guys were running around chasing after things that were forgotten. What happened?” Dan explained, “Yesterday, the guys cleaned out our yard’s supply of bagged concrete. We always have a skid in the yard inventory, so we can take it when we need it. No one had the common sense to let us know we were out yesterday, so the guys who needed it today had to make an extra stop on the way to site to pick up some concrete . It was half-an-hour of wasted time. When I later dropped in at site, the truck and another guy were missing. He’d run to the supply store, because they’d run out of string line. String line! I’ve got $20 worth of materials costing me at least $100, because some guy had to stop working on site to head over to the supply store, when he should be getting through billable work on site.” “Right… so you fixed the problem (missing materials) by picking up more. What did you do to find out why it happened? Unless you go to the root of the problem and figure out why it happened in the first place, you’re just going to have to clean up the mess again. That the same problem will continue over and over again. Do you get what I’m saying?” “Yes, I think so,” said Dan. “How do you suggest I get to the root of the problem?” “By using what many experts refer to as the ‘Five Why Technique.’ It’s so simple, you can teach everyone in your crews to use it. Simply continue to ask the question ‘why’ when a problem occurs, until you find yourself at the source of the problem. You don’t just fix the problem, you solve the cause of the problem, so it doesn’t happen again,” explained Bill. “I believe you, so how do I get started?” “Start by writing your problem down,” explained Bill. Next, ask why the problem happened and write that down. Now ask why that reason occurred. If it doesn’t identify the root problem, continue to ask why until it does. Repeat this process until you identify the root cause. Let’s take a look at your case. The problem is that you had a set production goal and you didn’t meet it. Why #1: “Why did the crews not have the materials they needed?” “We were out of stock in the yard,” answered Dan. Why #2: “And why did nobody re-order new stock?” “Nobody knew we were out. The crew who took the last bags didn’t let us know we needed more.” Why #3: “Why didn’t they let anyone know?”
“The foreman said he thought we still had some in the shop.” Why #4: “Why would he think you still had some?” “Sometimes we keep some in the shop, and there were a few bags on a skid over on the other side of the yard, but they’d gone hard.” Why #5: “And why don’t you have one, single location for your material types – labeled so that everyone knows what’s belongs there? Why do you have bags that have gone hard still lying around your yard?” Dan went quiet. He knew why; it was because the yard wasn’t very organized. It was also because materials arriving at the shop got put wherever there was space, and there weren’t really assigned spaces for anything, just general areas. A realistic plan Bill didn’t let Dan think about it much longer. “You see. Now that you’ve determined the problem, come up with a realistic plan to address it. Then put the plan into action asap. Train your people on the new system, and hold people accountable for keeping it going. “And on that point, you really should have everyone involved in the whole process. The next time a problem occurs, get your crew together and trace the problem back to the source. With your whole crew involved in the problem-solving process, you’ll get the full story on why the mistake happened and a better indication of what you can do to prevent it. You’ll train your people on how to solve problems themselves, and you’ll learn a lot more about the inefficiencies in your operations as you engage in these discussions.” “Short term pain for long term gain,” said Bill. “Everyone would rather stick his head in the sand and not have one more thing to deal with each week. But imagine how much easier your work life will become, as one by one these little problems stop happening. Imagine building a company where you’re not the only one on the lookout for these problems and where your employees are actively solving problems, resolving that they will never happen again. Ultimately, the end result is more profitability, which results in greater rewards for your people.” Mark Bradley is the president of The Beach Gardener and the Landscape Management Network. For more information, check out the website at www.landscapemanagementnetwork.com. HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 11
NEW MEMBERS Durham
Pro-Turf Irrigation Jamie Tripp, CIT 5127 Halstead Beach Rd, PO Box 31 Bewdley, ON K0L 1E0 Tel: 877-554-8873 Membership Type: Active Terravision Interlocking Rick Thomas 221 - 27 - 1300 King St E, Oshawa, ON L1H 8J4 Tel: 905-571-4711 Membership Type: Active Van Dyke’s Tree Care Ltd. Larry Van dyke 3415 Bethesda Rd, Stouffville, ON L4A 7X5 Tel: 905-888-1166 Membership Type: Active Yard-All Tree Service Inc Warren Ray 1934 Liverpool Rd, Pickering, ON L1V 1W5 Tel: 905-831-1706 Membership Type: Active Alex Mitchell Oshawa, ON Membership Type: Horticultural Kee Rowan Oshawa, ON Membership Type: Horticultural James St. John Chelmsford, ON Membership Type: Horticultural Suzanne Sutherland Port Perry, ON Membership Type: Horticultural
Georgian Lakelands
On Site Management Inc. Michael Black 208 Ontario St, PO Box 758 Stayner, ON L0M 1S0 Tel: 705-716-3896 Membership Type: Chapter Associate Gary Driuna Innisfil, ON Membership Type: Horticultural
Golden Horseshoe
Adamson Lawn Care Shane Adamson 659 Ellengale Rd, Burlington, ON L7T 3N9 Tel: 905-639-2984 Membership Type: Interim Ciscon Construction Inc Paul Cisterna 64 - 4055 Forest Run Ave, Burlington, ON L7M 5B8 Tel: 905-315-9217 Membership Type: Active Country-side Landscaping Ltd Wesley Zantingh 205 South Cayuga St, Dunnville, ON N1A 2C5 Tel: 905-701-7429 Membership Type: Active Greensview Carl Virgo 22 Verona Pl, Hamilton, ON L9C 1S7 Tel: 905-385-7781 Membership Type: Active Transpart Inc. Don Farmer 12 McGregor Ave, Brantford, ON N3T 5L7 Tel: 519-753-8400 Membership Type: Associate Woolverton Nursery John VanRyn 202 Woolverton Rd, Grimsby, ON L3M 4E7 Tel: 905-945-4098 Membership Type: Active
London
Leaf Landscape Solutions Dan Lizmore 182 Washburn St, Belmont, ON N0L 1B0 Tel: 519-476-4367 Membership Type: Active
Ottawa
ProScape Canada Inc Konrad Miarecki 45 Clydesdale Ave, Kanata, ON K2M 2G7 Tel: 613-693-1814 Membership Type: Active The Canadian Salt Company Ltd. Gus Kotsakis 700 - 755 St Jean Blvd, Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 5M9 Tel: 877-330-7258 Membership Type: Associate Kevin Powell Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC Membership Type: Horticultural
Toronto
Balsam Promotions Andrew Orr 1135 Ringwell Dr, Newmarket, ON L3Y 8T8 Tel: 905-830-1827 Membership Type: Associate Burl-Oak Landscaping Lou’ay Sulaiman 5449 Remington Crt, Mississauga, ON L5V 2E7 Tel: 905-399-7934 Membership Type: Active
12 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
Christopher Clayton Landscape Architect Christopher Clayton 178 Cranbrooke Ave, Toronto, ON M5M 1M5 Tel: 416-488-7709 Membership Type: Active Cooper Lighting John Bouls 5925 McLaughlin Rd, Mississauga, ON L5R 1B8 Tel: 905-501-3000 Membership Type: Associate Island Pools and Landscaping Joe Rego 42 Hillsburgh Dr, Brampton, ON L6X4Z4 Tel: 905-450-5596 Membership Type: Active Jackson Pond Management Inc. Phil Jackson 74004 - 260 Guelph St, Georgetown, ON L7G 4B0 Tel: 416-997-5543 Membership Type: Active Jade Construction Group Kalung Vincent Ho 53 Country Glen Rd, Markham, ON L6B 1B6 Tel: 416-835-4889 Membership Type: Active Leisure Design Inc John Burrows 2111 McCowan Rd, Toronto, ON M1S 3Y6 Tel: 416-298-4427 Membership Type: Associate Niche Organic Garden Design Patricia Kelly 193B - 1 Beverley St, Toronto, ON M5T 1Y9 Tel: 416-595-1939 Membership Type: Interim Royal Stone Interlocking & Concrete Pino Prizzi Unit 7, Suite 56707, 5289 Hwy 7, Woodbridge, ON L4L 9S7 Tel: 416-928-9996 Membership Type: Active Sid’s Ponds & Gardenscapes Inc Imtiaz Mustapha 6000 Ninth Line, Hornby, ON L0P 1E0 Tel: 905-824-5104 Membership Type: Associate Tuscan Property Maintenance Marco Beltrame 30506 - 10660 Yonge St, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 0C7 Tel: 416-300-0810 Membership Type: Active Urban Green Building & Landscaping Supplies George Cappello 450 Birchmount Rd, Toronto, ON M7K 7N8 Tel: 416-694-6444 Membership Type: Chapter Associate Western Toronto International Trucks Inc Josie Martini 7450 Torbram Rd, Mississauga, ON L4T 1G9 Tel: 905-671-7600 x3346 Membership Type: Associate
Upper Canada
Earthworx Landscape Products Corey Shea 1571 John Counter Blvd, Kingston, ON K7M 3L5 Tel: 613-547-5713 Membership Type: Active Kingston Nurseries Inc Randall Wieting 150 Lakeshore Blvd, Kingston, ON K7M 6R5 Tel: 613-389-7071 Membership Type: Active
MEMBERSHIP
Sometimes it’s better to wait for the perfect wave By Helen Hassard Membership coordinator
I
know this is the time when most of you members are scrambling to get back into the swing of things, so I want to share a quote with you that I recently heard, which may help you feel a bit calmer, make your summer a bit more Zen-like and bring some greater mindfulness to your work life. Consider the surfer, the surfer doesn’t paddle out to sea and ride every ripple that he comes into contact with; instead he bides his time, waiting patiently for that perHelen Hassard fect wave. During this waiting period, he does not sit idly by, hoping that when the big wave comes along he will be prepared. Instead he visualizes how he will ride, strengthening muscles so they will have the
power to ride, and he remembers past mistakes in order to improve his time. But, if he had chosen to ride every ripple that came along, he would have lost focus for the end goal and what is truly important, and likely would find himself unprepared for ‘the big wave.’ Now you might wonder where I’m going with this, so I’ll leave the surfing analogy for now, and fill you in on why I thought it was important. This analogy struck home with me, because I see it everywhere. I hear members talk about taking jobs where “they would have saved money by staying in bed.” I know money isn’t always the objective, so if your reason for taking that job was to keep your crew working in order to not lose good people, build a relationship for a bigger job down the road, or some other reason that will bring you towards your end goal, then go for it. I also see within my own life, so I imagine I’m not the only one, how things sometimes cause you to want to act right away. And, sometimes immediate action is necessary. But
most often you are having a knee-jerk reaction, and if you had sat to think about it, or look at it with an objective eye, you might have seen it differently! So next time you find yourself getting frazzled, and not making any progress, or something happens that makes you want to instantly react, consider the surfer. Or maybe, just spend the day in bed. Helen Hassard may be contacted at helen@landscapeontario.com.
Create a profile Landscape Ontario members (active, intro and satellite) are strongly encouraged to create or update their free member profile to advertise their company and services to thousands of consumers on www.landscapeontario.com. Go to http://bit.ly/GFLprofile to learn more.
HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 13
Chapter News Waterloo Chapter taking on Great Tree Hunt Twenty years ago, the Great Tree Hunt took place in Waterloo Region under the direction of the Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists. Now, three LO Waterloo Chapter members and professional arborists, Phil Dickie, Mike Hayes and Greg Templeman, have undertaken the task to initiate the project with The 2011 Champion Tree Hunt of Waterloo Region. The purpose of the hunt is to locate and identify champion trees within the Region of Waterloo and to raise awareness of the value of tree preservation. The hunt began on May 2, and will close Sept. 30, 2011. Landscape Ontario is assisting the committee with setting up and running a website and with help from some potential key sponsors. The Chapter hopes the Champion Tree Hunt will generate an interest and involvement from residents within the Region of Waterloo.
14 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
To locate the website, go to http://bit.ly/ treehunt. In 1992, when the original Great Tree
Hunt was held, a total of 430 nominations were received.
Waterloo greens another school Landscape Ontario’s Waterloo Chapter celebrated Earth Day by supporting a school yard greening project at Waterloo’s Elizabeth Ziegler Public School in conjunction with the Toyota/Evergreen Learning Grounds Program. For the past five years, the Waterloo Chapter has chosen a school that is in need of plantings within its playground. The choice is made in concert with Dennis Wendland, Evergreen School Ground Greening consultant, who supports school
greening plans for local school boards. Waterloo Chapter members again demonstrated their ongoing support of school ground greening projects with assistance from Landscape Ontario. These Chapter businesses, located throughout Waterloo Region, provide their expertise, time, and landscaping materials to ensure local schools are great places for children to play, learn and grow.
Garden Tourism hands out awards Canada’s Garden Tourism Conference held a new awards ceremony at the closing event of its biannual gathering in Toronto in mid-March. The Garden Tourism Awards honoured organizations and individuals distinguishing themselves in the development and promotion of the garden experience as a tourism attraction. Peter Kent, Canada’s Environment Minister, was at this year’s conference to congratulate the winners. He said, “Montréal Botanical Garden and Vancouver Island’s Butchart Gardens are natural treasures and must be protected and preserved and, most importantly, enjoyed by Canadians and visitors alike.” The first Garden Tourism Awards include: Garden of the Year, Butchart Gardens, B.C.; Person of the Year, Alexander Reford, Que.; Festival of the Year, Canada Blooms; Event of the Year, The Magic of Lanterns, Montreal Botanical Garden, Que.; Initiative of the Year, War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden Trail, USA/Canada; Achievement Award, Parks Canada, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. International awards went to Garden Tourism Event of the Year, Taipei International Flora Exposition, Taiwan; Achievement Award,
RHS Garden Wisley, London, U.K.; Person of the Year, Pascal Garbe, Garden Policy Manager, Moselle Region, France and Director, European Garden Tourism Conference. Named the top five North American gardens worth travelling for: Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Ariz.; Kingsbrae Garden. St. Andrews, N.B.; Longwood Gardens. Kennett Square, Pa.;
New York Botanical Garden. New York; Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton. The Garden Tourism Awards are supported by Ontario and B.C. Garden Tourism Coalitions, Associations des Grands Jardins du Québec, Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association and Communities in Bloom.
Cuddy Gardens open tour is in June This year’s open tour of Cuddy Gardens, north of Strathroy, will provide the opportunity to view several rare and endangered plants such as the yellow trillium (Trillium luteum), the cucumber magnolia (Magnolia accuminata) and the Ben Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha), the most northerly grown Franklinia. The annual open garden event will take place on June 4 and 5. The Cuddy Gardens have evolved since the early 1950s, developing from a rural Ontario farm into the current estate referred to as the A.M. (Mac) Cuddy Garden. The gardens today are a
park-like landscape under the care of Fanshawe’s Horticulture Technician program. A member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the gradens are under the directorship of Michael Pascoe. A large dry stone wall built by students creates the dividing line between the borders and the Canadian Rose Garden which will see expansion in 2011. The development in the garden is proceeding at a rapid pace, providing many new features each year. The open garden is on Saturday from 10 to 4, and on Sunday from 11 to 4.
Miller Group among 50 best managed LO member, The Miller Group was among the 50 Best Managed Companies in Canada in 2010. Established in 1993, the award recognizes excellence in Canadian-owned and -managed companies with revenues over $10 million. Organizers of the award say they recognize overall business performance, sustained growth and efforts of the entire organization. Miller Group provides service in road construction, paving, engineering, waste management and recycling services, transit operations, winter maintenance services, aggregate-based materials, cement and ready-mix concrete. The program sponsors are Deloitte, CIBC, National Post, and Queen’s School of Business. The entire list of winners can be found at www.canadas50best.com.
HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 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 241 8.00 Aristolochia durior 114 Campsis radicans Balboa Sunset 194 8.00 Hedera helix Thorndale 200 6.00 Hydrangea anomala petiolaris 271 8.00 Lonicera per. Serotina 78 8.00 Parthenocissus quinq. Engelmannii 995 8.00 Parthenocissus quinquefolia 248 6.00 Parthenocissus tricus. Veitchii 1,000 6.00 Polygonum aubertii 831 6.00 Wisteria macrostachya Blue Moon. 100 EVERGREENS Azalea Northern Lights 198 Azalea Orchid Lights 239 Buxus Faulkner 100 5.00 330 Buxus microphylla 49 5.00 524 Buxus X Green Gem 74 5.20 299 Buxus X Green Mound 845 5.00 1,000 Buxus X Green Mountain 90 5.00 51 Buxus X Green Velvet 1,000 5.20 1,000 Chamaecyparis pisifera Aurea Sungold 35 5.00 183 Chamaecyparis pisifera Filifera 190 5.00 175 Chamaecyparis pisifera Filifera Aurea 80 5.00 258 Cotoneaster dammeri Coral Beauty 1,000 5.00 162 7.00 Cotoneaster microphyllus 168 5.00 45 Cotoneaster salicifolius Repens 1,000 7.00 Euonymus fortunei `Emerald n Gold` 1,000 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Canadale Gold 305 5.00 171 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Coloratus 185 5.00 Euonymus fortunei Emerald Gaiety 1,000 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Emerald ‘n Gold 165 5.00 Euonymus fortunei Goldtip 266 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Sunrise 279 7.00 Ilex X meserveae Blue Prince 891 5.00 298 Ilex X meserveae Blue Princess 951 5.00 527 Juniperus chinensis Gold Coast 186 Juniperus chinensis Gold Star 366 5.00 343 Juniperus chinensis Mint Julep 390 5.00 233 Juniperus chinensis Pfitz. Compacta 300 5.00 63 Juniperus chinensis San Jose 250 5.00 89 Juniperus communis Green Carpet 451 Juniperus communis Repanda 260 5.00 Juniperus conferta Blue Pacific 200 5.00 279 Juniperus hor. Turquoise Spreader 200 5.00 297 Juniperus horizontalis 100 5.00 Juniperus horizontalis Andorra Compacta 841 5.00 13 Juniperus horizontalis Bar Harbor 190 5.00 27 Juniperus horizontalis Icee Blue 261 6.00 959 Juniperus horizontalis Lime Glow 170 6.50 10 Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii 416 5.00 10 Juniperus horizontalis Yukon Belle 400 5.00 938 Juniperus media Armstrongii 142 5.00 250 Juniperus procumbens nana 95 5.00 210 Juniperus sabina 200 5.00 182 Juniperus sabina Buffalo 228 Juniperus squamata Blue Carpet 150 5.00 272 Juniperus squamata Blue Star 217 Juniperus virginiana Grey Owl 90 5.00 43 Metasequoia glyptostroboides 247 7.00 Microbiota decussata 697 5.00 Picea glauca Conica 565 Picea pungens glauca 375 7.00 Picea pungens glauca StJuan 632 7.00 Picea pungens Globosa 399 Pinus mugo var. mugo 1,000
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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 11.50 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 22.00 11.00
Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price
Pinus strobus 1,000 Taxus X media Densiformis 305 5.00 Taxus X media Hicksii 516 5.00 1,000 Taxus X media Hillii 431 Taxus X media Wardii 690 5.00 Thuja occidentalis 179 Thuja occidentalis Brandon 98 5.00 188 Thuja occidentalis Golden Globe 100 5.00 Thuja occidentalis Little Giant 325 5.00 48 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 5.00 513 Tsuga canadensis 1,000 5.00 10 7.00 1,000 Yucca filamentosa 121 7.00 35
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DECIDUOUS SHRUBS Acanthopanax sieboldianus 679 7.00 Acer ginnala 141 7.00 Acer rubrum 551 7.00 Acer tartaricum Bailey Compact 133 7.00 Alnus glutinosa 126 7.00 Alnus rugosa 458 7.00 Amelanchier alnifolia 445 7.00 Amelanchier canadensis 770 7.00 Amelanchier laevis 147 7.00 Aronia mel. Autumn Magic 222 7.00 Aronia melanocarpa 542 7.00 Aronia X prunifolia Viking 253 7.00 Berberis thunbergii Rose Glow 335 6.00 380 Berberis thunbergii Royal Burgundy 316 Berberis thunbergii Royal Cloak 134 6.00 Buddleia davidii Black Knight 359 7.00 Buddleia davidii Ellens Blue 392 7.00 Buddleia davidii Ile de France 582 7.00 Buddleia davidii Nanho Purple 465 7.00 Buddleia davidii Petite Plum 612 7.00 Buddleia davidii Pink Delight 396 7.00 Buddleia davidii Purple Prince 907 7.00 Buddleia davidii Royal Red 343 7.00 Buddleia davidii White Profusion 278 7.00 Caryopteris clandonensis Grand Blue 271 7.35 Caryopteris clandonensis Worchester Gold 130 7.00 Cephalanthus occidentalis 257 7.00 Cercidiphyllum japonicum 137 7.00 Cercis canadensis 498 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Nivalis 387 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Rubra 647 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Texas Scarlet 583 7.00 Chaenomeles sup.Crimson and Gold 184 7.00 Chaenomeles sup.Pink Lady 120 7.00 Clethra alnifolia Hummingbird 136 7.00 Clethra alnifolia Paniculatum 295 7.00 Clethra alnifolia Pink Spire 373 7.00 Cornus alba Elegantissima 1,000 7.00 Cornus alba Gouchaultii 218 7.00 Cornus alba Ivory Halo 412 7.45 Cornus alba Red Gnome 201 7.00 Cornus stolonifera Kelseyi 1,000 7.00 Corylus americana 157 7.00 Corylus avellana Contorta 186 15.00 Cotoneaster apiculatus 323 7.00 Cotoneaster preacox Boer 1,000 7.00 Deutzia crenata Nikko 769 7.00 Deutzia gracilis 404 7.00 Deutzia X Strawberry Field 152 7.00 Euonymus alatus Compactus 1,000 5.00 102 8.00 90 Forsythia Kumson 459 7.00 Forsythia ovata Ottawa 480 7.00
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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
Forsythia X inter. Northern Gold 1,000 7.00 Forsythia X intermedia Lynwood 650 7.00 Genista tinctoria Royal Gold 191 7.00 Hamamelis virginiana 197 7.00 Hibiscus syriacus Diana 198 5.00 204 Hibiscus syriacus Lavender Chiffon 189 5.60 Hibiscus syriacus White Chiffon 180 5.60 108 Hibiscus syriacus Woodbridge 451 5.00 Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle 1,000 7.00 Hydrangea macr. Bouquet Rose 274 7.00 Hydrangea macr. Penny Mac 245 7.30 Hydrangea paniculata Kyushu 462 7.00 Hydrangea paniculata Little Lamb 222 7.60 Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky 303 7.60 Hydrangea paniculata Tardiva 253 7.00 Hydrangea quercifolia PeeWee 158 Hydrangea serrata Bluebird 232 7.00 Ilex verticillata Jim Dandy 169 7.00 Ilex verticillata Afterglow 1,000 7.00 Ilex verticillata Southern Gentleman 329 7.00 Ilex verticillata Winterred 143 7.00 Itea virginica Henrys Garnet 276 7.00 Kerria japonica Pleniflora 118 7.00 Kolkwitzia amabilis Pink Cloud 1,000 7.00 Ligustrum jap. Aureomarginata 193 7.00 Ligustrum ovalufolium 160 7.00 Ligustrum vulgaris 286 7.00 Liriodendron tulipefera 233 8.50 Lonicera tatarica Arnold Red 318 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Emerald Mound 822 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Miniglobe 741 7.00 Magnolia stellata Royal Star 142 Magnolia X loebneri Leonard Messel 248 Philadelphus coronarius Aureus 155 7.00 Philadelphus Innocence 670 7.00 Philadelphus Minn.Snowflake Dwarf 129 7.00 Philadelphus Minnesota Snowflake 375 7.00 Philadelphus Natchez 154 7.00 Philadelphus X virginalis 527 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius 697 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius Diabolo 1,000 7.60 750 Populus tremuloides 199 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Coronation Triumph 1,000 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Dakota Sunrise 1,000 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Gold Drop 295 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Goldstar 1,000 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Mango Tango 273 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa McKays White 261 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Tangerine 147 7.00 Prunus cistena 970 5.00 1,000 7.00 Prunus virginiana 345 7.00 Quercus bicolor 383 7.00 Quercus macrocarpa 80 7.00 48 Quercus palustris 127 7.00 Quercus robur Fastigiata 1,000 9.00 Rhus typhina 1,000 7.00 Rhus typhina Tiger Eyes 15 10.50 87 Rosa Henry Kelsey 330 7.00 Rosa Bonica 1,000 7.00 Rosa Carolina 1,000 7.00 Rosa J P Connell 385 7.00 Rosa rugosa 1,000 7.00 \Rosa rugosa Morden Blush 179 7.00 Rosa x Champlain 362 7.00 Rosa x George Vancouver 324 7.00 Salix discolor 1,000 7.00 Salix eriocephala 1,000 7.00 Salix exigua 1,000 7.00 Salix gracilis Purpurea Nana 964 7.00
8.00 8.60
14.00
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
Salix nigra 70 7.00 Salix repens 57 7.00 Sambucus canadensis Aurea 1,000 7.00 Sambucus nigra Black Lace 85 9.50 28 Sambucus pubens 251 7.00 Sorbaria aitchisonii 340 7.00 Sorbaria sorbifolia 22 7.00 Sorbaria sorbifolia Sem 238 7.00 22 Spiraea alba 1,000 7.00 Spiraea arguta 281 7.00 Spiraea betulifolia Tor 213 7.00 Spiraea bumalda Gold Mound 1,000 7.00 Spiraea japonica Anthony Waterer 1,000 7.00 Spiraea japonica Crispa 1,000 7.00 Spiraea japonica Dakota Goldcharm 631 7.00 Spiraea japonica Darts Red 106 7.00 Spiraea japonica Flaming Mound 635 7.00 Spiraea japonica Froebelii 1,000 7.00 Spiraea japonica Golden Princess 343 7.00 Spiraea japonica Goldflame 1,000 7.00 Spiraea japonica Little Princess 1,000 7.00 Spiraea japonica Magic Carpet 1,000 7.25 Spiraea japonica Shirobana 325 7.00 Spiraea japonica Shirobana (Genpei) 324 Spiraea japonica White Gold 278 7.00 Spiraea nipponica Snowmound 316 7.00 Spiraea vanhouttei 459 7.00 Spriaea vanhouttei Golden Fountain 5 8.00 90 Stephanandra incisa Crispa 293 7.00 Symphoricarpos albus 1,000 7.00 Symphoricarpos chenaultii Hancock 690 7.00 Syringa meyeri Palibin 50 7.00 Syringa patula Miss Kim 583 7.00 Syringa Tinkerbelle 640 7.50 Syringa vulgaris Beauty of Moscow 97 7.00 Syringa vulgaris Monge 1 7.00 20 Syringa vulgaris Primrose 150 7.00 Syringa vulgaris Sensation 35 7.00 34 Syringa X hyac. Pocahontas 35 7.00 Syringa X prestoniae Minuet 164 7.00 Tamarix pentandra 78 7.00 Tilia cordata 270 7.00 Viburnum carlcephalum 32 10.00 Viburnum dentatum 83 7.00 Viburnum dentatum Chicago Lustre 485 7.00 Viburnum farreri nanum 31 7.00 Viburnum nudum Winterthur 50 7.00 Viburnum opulus Roseum 7 7.00 19 Viburnum plic. Summer Snowflake 96 7.00 Viburnum plicatum Mariesii 252 10.00 Viburnum plicatum Shasta 180 10.00 Viburnum rhytidophyllum Alleghany 51 7.00 Viburnum trilobum Bailey Compact 228 7.00 Weigela florida Alexandra 208 7.60 Weigela florida Bristol Ruby 241 7.00 Weigela florida Bristol Snowflake 83 7.00 Weigela florida French Lace 279 7.60 Weigela florida Java Red 285 7.00 Weigela florida Minor Black 85 7.00 Weigela florida Minuet 202 7.00 Weigela florida Nana Variegata 398 7.00 Weigela florida Polka 615 7.00 Weigela florida Purpurea Nana 1,000 7.00 Weigela florida Red Prince 310 7.00 Weigela florida Rubidor 20 7.00 Weigela florida Rumba 385 7.00 Weigela florida Tango 147 7.00 Weigela florida Variegata 73 7.00 Weigela florida Victoria 170 7.00
11.50
8.00
8.00
9.00
8.00 8.00
8.00
RR 2, Mount Brydges, ON N0L 1W0 Tel: 519-264-9057 • Fax: 519-264-1337 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011  17
Committee develops list of trees for urban landscape The urban landscape in Ontario is changing. Promoting the production and use of a broad selection of city-tolerant trees is becoming an important issue in the quest of greening our cities. Meanwhile, emerald ash borer is eating its way through white and green ash (Fraxinus americana and F. pennsylvanica), while Norway maples (Acer platanoides) are being discouraged because of reseeding into wild areas. Landscape Ontario’s Growers’ Sector Group obtained Farm Innovation Program funding to undertake a research project. One goal of of the project was to develop a list (see below) of urban-tolerant trees that could be offered to the Ontario landscape industry. The project team is led by Thelma Kessel of Lacewing Horticulture, and includes Sean Fox, assistant manager, University of Guelph Arboretum, Jennifer Llewellyn, OMAFRA nursery crops specialist and Dr. Glen Lumis, Professor Emeritus, University of Guelph. Since urban tree planting sites are quite variable and often extreme, the committee felt it was important to carefully match tree tolerances to site conditions. Factors such as availability, response to transplanting, invasive potential,
18 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
growth rate, genetic diversity and aesthetics also influenced the choices. Factsheets featuring the trees on this list are being prepared for publication and to appear on the Landscape Ontario website. Look for that detailed information soon. The committee’s plan is to have the tree factsheets on the LO website in about a month or two, as well as in future publications in Horticulture Review and other magazines. Common names will be clearly listed on the factsheets The list of urban tolerant trees is the result of extensive searches in the international literature as well as consultations with nursery growers, landscape contractors, urban foresters and landscape architects in Ontario. The trees listed below are possible replacements for Acer platanoides, where it and its cultivars have the potential to become invasive, and for Fraxinus americana and F. pennsylvanica, where the tree and its cultivars are threatened by emerald ash borer. Trees were chosen based on tolerance to urban situations, importance to the urban forest, aesthetics and relative freedom from pests and diseases. “By choosing from this broad list, we
Amelanchier arborea.
can look forward to a vigorous, beautiful and more biodiverse Ontario urban landscape,” stated the committee. Acer campestre Acer x freemanii Acer ginnala (A. tataricum subsp. ginnala) Acer platanoides only cvs.: ‘Columnare’ ‘Crimson King’ ‘Globosum’ ‘Royal Red’ Acer triflorum Aesculus flava (octandra) Amelanchier spp. Carya cordiformis Carya ovata Celtis occidentalis Fraxinus quadrangulata Ginkgo biloba Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis cvs. Gymnocladus dioica Maclura pomifera Malus spp./cvs. Ostrya virginiana Phellodendron amurensis and/or sachalinense Pyrus calleryana cvs. Quercus bicolor Quercus ellipsoidalis Quercus macrocarpa Quercus muehlenbergii Quercus shumardii Syringa reticulata and/or pekinensis spp./cvs. Taxodium distichum Tilia americana Tilia cordata Ulmus americana
Contractors deal with new financial realities By Arthur Skolnik Contractors Sector Group
T
he housing market has been all over the place the last number of years. First, it is rising from the dead and pulsing with new life, then parked in neutral, with continual predictions of its pending decline. But, even in times of recession, people will still buy luxury. Most landscape professionals, who I know, offer the same sentiments. One of them reflects a sense of optimistic caution — like walking on thin ice. No one is looking to break any sales records, but there seem to be dollars out there ready to be spent on landscaping and home remediation. Two major anomalies compared to the prime years are: 1. Clients are scrutinizing design and pricing more than ever by obtaining parallel quotes (the same design priced by other installers) and 2, larger jobs are being split into smaller segments, each over the next one or two years. Regarding #1, years ago I was mentioning to a very experienced landscape business owner that I felt I was very good at selling jobs. I told him that even when I was bidding against another contractor or architect, I very often won the job. He wasn’t impressed and his comment opened my eyes. “You’re not charging enough,” he said. He was right. From that day on I changed how I looked at pricing jobs. And even with the tough times, I didn’t budge on price. If clients couldn’t afford to have high quality design/build, I couldn’t compromise on price. I learned long ago that costs associated
with doing business don’t change in lean years. Although the ‘hit’ ratio (jobs we bid on and won) was lower, there were so many prospects to bid on, I didn’t lose any sleep. Some clients bought designs and employed relatives, friends or brand new landscape companies who charged much less for installation. On several occasions, when I heard (and was surprised at) how much we were undercut, I warned clients to keep my phone number handy. We do repairs! Regarding issue # 2, I’m not fond of tackling jobs which have been split into segments. Going back to complete a project next year means the
sum of the parts will cost more than the original whole. But I too am a homeowner, so I understand that for some people this is the only way to digest the cost of some jobs. Drop me a line if you see other differences in the market this year. How did you adapt your rules to the new game plan? How much has your bottom line been affected, if at all? Arthur Skolnik is co-owner of Shibui Landscaping in Toronto. Four times a year, he contributes columns to Horticulture Review on behalf of the LO Contractors Sector Group. You may contact him at shibui@rogers.com
Expo’s new look moves to new home Landscape Ontario’s Expo has gone through some minor transformations over the years, but the 2011 version has some major changes. Taking on a new name and modern look, Expo 2011 will take place in a new location, with what LO’s show committee hopes are more suitable dates and show hours. Expo this year will call the Toronto Congress Centre’s North Building home. The modern design of the building, combined with enhanced lighting effects, provides the opportunity for unique
merchandise displays. Beth Edney CLD, of Designs By The Yard, is the new chair for LO’s show committee. She takes over from former chair Brian Lofgren. “We are excited about the new direction the show is moving towards. With the new North Building and the ambient lighting, the focus will be on products and the overall atmosphere. This setting will provide exhibitors a new means of connection to build business relationships,” says Edney. Expo will take place on Wed., Oct. 19 and Thurs., Oct. 20.
HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 19
Lawn care sector still searching for tools after pesticide ban Members of the lawn care sector are well into a new season, and still looking for a product that will improve the industry’s business climate. It’s been a slow process for the industry that had traditional and effective products taken away with the 2009 pesticide ban in Ontario. Left with corn gluten and nematodes, lawn care companies were hopeful when Sarritor and Fiesta come along after the ban. Both products ended their inaugural season to subdued reviews. Pam Charbonneau, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs turfgrass specialist, says she isn’t sure how widely distributed Sarritor is going to be this season. A brand new product, Organo-sol, has received its registration from PMRA, but as of mid-April it had not yet been classified by the Ontario Pesticide Advisory Committee. This product is made from dairy products fermented by lactic acid bacteria. The future of Organosol is also uncertain, as the section of Saputo
20 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
that developed the product is shutting down. In response to questions about tight supplies of Fiesta, manufacturer Neudorff said it made a commitment to meet the needs of the market. “We expect an increase in sales of Fiesta this year. We also expect even better results because applicators have had a season of using Fiesta under their belts,” said product manager Tim Tripp. Tripp is himself new to Neudorff this year. He says, “The uptake of Fiesta last season made it clear to Neudorff that they needed someone on the ground in Ontario to help manage the product.” He is based out of the Kitchener area. A criticism of Fiesta after its first season was that the process required two applications. “In response to applying Fiesta more than once, research has shown that for best results Fiesta may require another application due to weed re-growth,” says Tripp. Watch Horticulture Review for news throughout the season as the latest products hit the market.
Niagara students noticed at U.S. Career Days The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Student Career Days in the U.S. is a four-day annual competition among students enrolled in horticulture college programs. This year a team from the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture was the lone Canadian team among the 800 students from 68 colleges in 28 individual and team competitions at the 35th annual competition held at Joliet Community College, in Joliet, Ill., from Mar. 17 to 20. A small team of three Niagara students made themselves well known by winning the coveted “Best School Cheer” at the opening ceremonies. With props and poem, the trio let the U.S. students know that Team Canada had arrived. John Deere awarded the winning cheer with a donation that will allow Niagara Parks Commission School to send an additional student to next year’s event. It was reported that all the U.S. students rose and applauded the selection. Individually, first year student, Leslie van de Ven, competed in leadership skills and exterior landscape design; second year student, Garret Van Santen, competed in the sales presentation and skid steer operations events, while second year student, Laura McCaul competed in the construction cost estimating event. The Niagara crew also entered team competitions for landscape plant installation, arboriculture techniques and paver installation. The students are already working on fundraising and seeking sponsorships to send a larger delegation next year, at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., near the end of March. Anyone interested in sponsoring a student to the competition, contact Darrell Bley at dbley@niagaraparks. com, or 905-356-8554, ext. 252. For more information on the Student Career Days, go to www. studentcareerdays.org.
Living wall installed at Loyalist College LO member Nedlaw Living Walls completed the installation of a three by eight metre living wall at Loyalist College in Belleville. The installation is part of a new student lounge linking the college’s main building with its Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre. “We were very excited to be part of this project, which will have a positive impact on student life on campus,” said Chris Johnston, marketing and sales lead with Nedlaw.
April Chamberlain, vice president of student life with Loyalist College Student Government, says the inspiration for the project, of which the living wall is a part, came from the students themselves. “As part of our 2008-2009 survey, students indicated a desire for more quiet space and a place to relax and the living wall is a part of creating that space.” The living wall in the lounge is made up of approximately 345 plants.
Bienenstock wins business award Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds received the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievement Award in the small business category. The company is well-known for its designs and playground construction that uses natural and recycled materials, such as boulders, native trees and shrubs and giant logs, instead of the plastic, steel and asphalt of traditional playgrounds.
Adam Bienenstock said his company is more a social enterprise than a traditional business. “We are dedicated to reconnecting kids with nature.” The panel of judges noted how impressed they were with Bienenstock’s creativity. Winners of the Hamilton event are considered for provincial awards through the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 21
LO STAFF PROFILE
Steve Moyer
Sales manager, publications What is your job description at LO? I’m responsible for advertising revenues for Landscape Trades and Horticulture Review, as well as special projects. What is your background before coming to LO, and when did you begin work at LO? Hard to believe, I’ve been with LO for 18 years. Prior to this, I was with Baxter Travel Media in Toronto. When not at work, where can you be found? Down by the lake at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington with my three-year old granddaughter, Tessa, or in the kitchen with a new recipe, or container gardening, which I
22 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
need a lot of help with. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher, particularly of young children. What inspires you during your time at LO? The people who volunteer their time – I truly admire it. Name your all-time favourite movie, musical group and TV show. I’m not a big movie fan, nor a TV watcher. Musically, I’m in a time warp. I still enjoy good rock, especially from the 70s – a tremendous period for that kind of music. I, do, however, enjoy Buble, Sinatra, Bennett, etc., but I cannot listen to any kind
of country; opera, as well. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Southeast Asia, again. I was there numerous times while working with Baxter in the 80s early 90s. It’s a fascinating part of the world. Tell us one thing about you that few of your colleagues know about you. I enjoy doing stained glass, and like Angela wrote in her profile, I cannot even look at a snake!
Canada Skills adds design as part of contest A second landscaping skill was added to the highly popular Skills Canada program. Through initiation by Landscape Ontario and Dynascape, landscape design was a pilot contest at this year’s Skills Canada - Ontario on May 2 and 3, in Waterloo. Ten secondary school teams from across Ontario competed in the inaugural contest, which required students to use CAD software as a design tool for a small residence. The design was required to include elements such as walkways, patio and planting beds. Students learned to choose plant symbols and types, solve problems, and understand the requirements that go into a design plan. The Waterloo Skills event saw 1,800 student participants, competing at elementary to post-secondary levels. More than 30,000 spectators watched, at over 60 skilled trades contest areas. Landscape Ontario was pleased to see the introduction of the Landscape Design demonstration. Sally Harvey CLT, CLP, manager of education, labour development and membership services, says the significant youth participation in the landscape gardening competition is truly a sign that the Ministry of Education and Skills Canada - Ontario have recognized that youth have the potential for a successful career in the landscape industry.
VOLUNTEER PROFILE
Dan Clost CHTR
Nursery manager at Connon Nurseries CBV Holdings in Trenton President, Upper Canada Chapter What inspired you to join Landscape Ontario? There were, and still are, three main reasons why I became active in LO. I saw many hardworking people in our trade who were struggling with their new businesses. They had drive, talent and pride in their work, but few had strong business skills. There was, and still is, a need for well-trained knowledgeable workers. Our trade needs a strong organization that represents our interests to the government and to the public. Landscape Ontario is best suited to address those three points. Where do you volunteer within the association? At the chapter level; I was there as a founding
member and have been cluttering up the place since. At the moment, I’m finishing a stint as Chapter president, but my primary focus has been education. The reason I can do this is because of the immensely dedicated and talented folks on our board of directors. Do you have a favourite memory during your volunteer experience? Absolutely. In spite of her youth, Diana Cassidy-Bush is a mentor to me. I was in the audience when she was presented with the Frank Ewald Jr. Award. What benefit do you receive from volunteering? Immeasurable, since each benefit is attached to a person. The people I meet through LO are examples of what is good about people. That doesn’t mean I like them all, but I sure do respect and admire their dedication.
What suggestions do you have to improve the association? I doubt if I’m qualified to answer that but I can make two suggestions. First: everything we do, every endeavour that we begin, must be directly related to the association’s mandate. Second: our association will soon have to deal with its success. It may mean restructuring; it may mean expanding upon the existing framework. However it is accomplished, times of transition are seldom conflict-free. So my suggestion here is for folks to “keep their cool” whilst everything sorts itself out. Do you perform other volunteer work outside of Landscape Ontario? Yes, on several other boards such as East Central Ontario Training Board and committees. The best is that I’m a member of a folk/gospel group, The Lenses, that puts on concerts for extended care facilities and charities (such as Soldier On).
HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 23
OMAFRA TURF REPORT
Study evaluates solarization for weed control By Pam Charbonneau, OMAFRA turfgrass specialist
T
his experiment on solarization was dreamed up at the lunch table at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute. We were considering non-selective vegetation control treatment options for home lawn renovation, following the Ontario pesticide ban. What were the viable options for home lawn turf? There was research underway (conducted by Cynthia Siva, supervised by Dr. Katerina Jordan) that was comparing propane flaming, acetic acid and sodding to glyphosate as a home lawn renovation technique. This study was intended to add to the alternatives. Solarization (burning off) is often talked about as an alternative for non-selective control vegetation. Preliminary research revealed that solarization has been used successfully in climates where high temperatures and many hours of sunshine are the norm. What is soil solarization? Soil solarization is an environmentally friendly method of using solar power to control disease agents and weeds in the soil, usually in the form of a transparent polyethylene cover. References to the process go back as far as the mid-1800s, when glass frames were used.
The modern take on solarization was described in 1976 by Katan et al., for controlling soil-borne pathogens and weeds, mostly as a pre-plant soil treatment. It was achieved by covering soil with transparent polyethylene during the hot season. In the short term, clear plastic is thought to work better than black. However, black plastic may work to kill vegetation in the long term (more than one growing season) by effectively starving perennial plants of light as opposed to superheating the soil and killing plants with high temperatures. Objectives Our research objectives were: • Determine the duration of solarization needed for total vegetation control of a mixed stand of turf and weeds (two weeks, four weeks and six weeks). • Determine the best cover: Clear polyethylene, which rises the temperature of the plants and soil above optimum, or black polyethylene, which starves plants of light and hence photosynthates. • Compare solarization to steam (will be covered in future Horticulture Review article by Rodger Tschanz). • Evaluate how effective solarization and steaming were at killing weed/grass seeds in the soil seed bank (will be covered in
a future article in Horticulture Review by Kathleen Dodson) Materials and methods This experiment was conducted at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute in 2010 on a low maintenance mixed stand of turf, containing mainly Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, dandelion, black medick, clover, narrow-leaved plantain, chickweed, birds’ foot trefoil, thistle and field bindweed growing on native soil, maintained at 8 cm mowing height and unfertilized. All polyethylene covers were removed on Aug. 26. The steam treatment was applied on Sept. 14 (steam results will not be reported here). Eight randomized point quadrants, measured 60 cm x 60 cm with 25 points in each quadrant (points 10 cm apart) for a total of 200 points in each plot were used to quantify all plant species in the plots before the polyethylene was put in place. The same technique was used on Aug. 30, Sept. 13 and Oct. 7, to quantify the vegetation three days after poly removal, 18 and 42 days after poly removal. Even though there was a wide range of weed and grass species, only those present in high percentages are reported here, namely dandelions, total weeds, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. In addition, only the final rating date after the polyethylene was removed will be reported (Oct. 7, 2010). Dandelions After removing various polyethylene covers on Aug. 26, it appeared that many of the dandelions were dead. By the time the final rating was conducted on Oct. 7, most of the dandelion tops were killed, but the tap roots survived and roughly two months after the polyethylene was removed, the dandelions had grown back. None of the solarization treatments were successful in controlling dandelions. This is not surprising, given the fact that dandelions are a perennial weed with a deep tap root. None of the treatments were significantly lower than the untreated control. One surprise finding was that clear poly that was on for four weeks, seemed to increase the number of dandelions. It is known that if the tap root has been cut or damaged, additional plants will develop. It is possible that the four-week poly treatment damaged the dandelion root, but stimulated the development of additional plants. If a site has a high number of dandelion plants growing,
24 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
solarization, whether a four- or six-week duration, or black or clear poly, will not control dandelions. The clear four-week treatment actually significantly increased the population. Looking at the effect of the solarization on the total weeds, the black two weeks, clear two weeks, black four weeks and black six weeks all gave the same level of weed control. The clear six weeks was significantly better than the clear two weeks and the black six weeks. There is something happening with the clear fourweek treatment. It might be a reflection of the increase in dandelions for the clear four-week, because they constitute a large part of the weeds found in the plots. Perennial ryegrass All of the solarization treatments significantly reduced the percentage of perennial ryegrass cover. The black two weeks was significantly better than the untreated control, but the remaining treatments were significantly better than the black two week. This is not surprising. Perennial ryegrass is a bunch-type grass with no below-ground structure to help it survive adverse conditions. Kentucky bluegrass Kentucky bluegrass is well suited to survive adverse conditions, because of its underground rhizomes. In fact, many of the solarization treatments increased the percentage of Kentucky bluegrass cover. This was the case for all of the treatment combinations, except for the clear six-week and black six-week treatment. If Kentucky bluegrass composes a large part of the vegetation that you wish to control through solarization, then a minimum of six weeks is
The polyethylene was put in place and the sod strips were placed over the edges of the poly and anchored in place using sod staples.
needed and clear and black polyethylene work equally well. Conclusion Looking at all of the data, the clear six-week treatment significantly reduced dandelions, total weed, perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. Combining the percentage coverage for total weeds and the main grass species, the clear six-week treatment resulted in 11.5 per cent of live plants, with the remaining vegetation dead. All other treatments fell short in the ability to control one or more of the species of vegetation in the plots, given the environmental conditions that existed throughout the study. Research will be repeated in the 2011 season. The timing of poly cover placement will be different. In 2010, the timing of the of the poly covers
placement was staggered. The six-week cover was put in place on July 11, the four week cover on July 26 and the two-week on Aug. 10. All covers were removed on Aug. 26. In 2011, all covers will go on the beginning of July and removal will be staggered. This will take advantage of the higher day and night temperatures during July. In addition, thermocouples will be added to one replication of each treatment to track the soil temperature at the 2.5 cm depth to determine what temperatures are achieved under the poly covers. Thirdly, the plots will be broadcast seeded after treatment to determine the success of a total renovation using solarization. Pam Charbonneau may be contacted at 519-824-4120, ext. 52597, or by email at pamela.charbonneau@ontario.ca.
Riverbend Farms (Ontario) Ltd. 51240 John Wise Line Aylmer, ON N5H 2R5
1980-2011
Award winning evergreens and broadleaf evergreens
O
u
us rB
iness is
Growing!
Flowering shrubs Perennials Phone (519) 765-2130
Fax (519) 765-3171 E-mail riverbendfarms@amtelecom.net HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011  25
By Kristen McIntyre CHT Conference and event coordinator
T
he new season is upon us and so is Ontario’s spring weather. As I write this (third week of April), I have watched a blinding snowstorm, the sun shine through a wind-powered rain event and an intense dispersing of hail – and that was just this afternoon! It takes a lot of fortitude to be in this industry, and those who spend many years perfecting their craft know this weather will pass and consumers will soon be clamoring for a professional’s knowledge, time and expertise. So how can you set your company heads-above other businesses, and be the one that they call? LO’s Awards of Excellence program provides the opportunity to showcase talent. This industry is alive with creative, skilled and enthusiastic people, and it allows us to shine a light on the best of our best. The awards are important not just for recognizing projects that stand out in quality, workmanship and design, but they also promote our industry’s high level of skill and professionalism to the public. LO offers several programs, including Retail Garden Centre with 14 categories, Growers with 11 categories and Construction, Maintenance and Design with an astounding 39 categories. “Award-winning projects consistently show outstanding design sophistication and horticultural knowledge, says Denis Flanagan, Landscape Ontario’s director of public relations. “Our members continue to reach new levels of craftsmanship and the award winners consistently raise the bar for the rest of the industry. “
Eco Landscape Design
Overcast day is best Taking great photographs that showcase the true
depths of your landscape takes time and practice. Did you know that most landscape photography experts say that an overcast day is prime for taking vivid landscape shots? A bright sunny day does not capture the hues and deeper shades in a landscape (often results in a washed out looking photo). Also recommended is keeping shadows in mind. They detract from your picture. And, remember to take more shots than you need, because that way you have more choices. For more tips and to learn more about how to maximize the visual potential of your own creativity and gain a greater understanding of the elements that make a powerful photograph look for information on upcoming Landscape Photography Seminars at www.horttrades.com. Winning entries are viewed each year by thousands of people — both consumers and the trade. Award-winning projects have been featured on HGTV, in Garden Inspirations magazine, dozens of newspapers and media publications, Canada Blooms and at Congress. Photographs have also been used to illustrate articles on numerous websites and in The Toronto Star, the Ottawa Citizen, the London Free Press, the Toronto Sun, and many more – not to mention the numerous trade publications, including Landscape Trades. Award-winning projects and companies are also frequently profiled in Horticulture Review. A recognition ceremony for the garden centre and grower award winners is held during LO’s Expo trade show in October, and a ceremony with more than 600 industry professionals, media and special guests in
26 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
Naturally Maintained Ltd
Photographs are important when entering LO Awards of Excellence program
attendance is held in January in conjunction with LO’s Congress trade show for the construction, maintenance and design programs. So, while you’re out working this season and wonder if anyone will notice the extra hours put into re-designing end cap displays, facing the stone or re-positioning every annual and shrub exactly into place — if you submit into LO’s Awards of Excellence program, the judges will! Best wishes to everyone for a great season, and remember to take lots of photos on your job sites and at your retail operations this summer. ‘Before’ shots really help to sell your work. Photographs from projects that have won in the past are available for viewing at www.loawards.com. Entry online opens July 1. Deadlines for three programs are as follows: Growers, July 14 (enter at auction), Garden Centre, Aug. 15, Construction, Maintenance and Design, Oct. 3. For more information on the Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence programs, please feel welcome to contact me directly, or visit www.loawards.com. Kristen McIntyre may be contacted at kristen@landscapeontario.com.
Rhythm in Harmony, Landscape Ontario’s signature garden at Canada Blooms 2011
THANK YOU to the following builders and suppliers — a team to admire and respect
Milton District High School
Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School
TRADE MEMBERS’ LOGO
Vanderley Landscaping CONSUMERS’ and TRADE MEMBERS’ LOGO
&KULVWRSKHU - &OD\WRQ /DQGVFDSH 0RRQ 6KDGRZ /LJKWLQJ 5- (OHFWULFDO 6HUYLFHV (i.e. Garden Centres, Website Print/Media, etc.)
HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 27
CLASSIFIED ADS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
NURSERY STOCK
SERVICES AND SUPPLIES
Greenhouse Business 2.5 acres of land, 38,000 sq. ft. under glass. Currently set up for growing annual plants. Close to major highways and towns. Includes a barn 60’ x 35’ with 2 walk-in coolers and large sorting/working area. Ideal location for retail/ landscape business. Well established clientele and outlet. 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom brick bungalow with finished basement on the property. Please contact us at hermanschakel@yahoo.ca
Hofland Gardens Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Ground cover Tel: (905) 355-3392 E-mail: hoflandgardens@phc.igs.net
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
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES LANDSCAPE COMPANY REQUIRES EXPERIENCED LANDSCAPERS Candidates must have at least 5 years experience in all aspects of landscaping including interlock, flagstone and retaining wall work. The candidates must also possess bobcat and mini excavator experience and be at least 25 years of age. Please forward your resume via e-mail to mario@homelandgardening.ca or call Mario at (905) 565-2410
NURSERY STOCK Scenic Grove Nursery Linden ‘Glenleven’ 50-70mm Linden ‘Greenspire’ 50-70mm Lynden, Ontario Email: marty@scenicgrove.com Fax: (905)-648-6395
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING INFORMATION
All classified 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. Online advertising: Website only ads are available for $45.20 (HST included). Website ads are posted for 30 days and are limited to 325 words. View these ads and more online at:
www.horttrades.com/ classifieds 28 HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011
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 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 TREE SALE 8’ - 14’ Colorado, White and Norway Spruce trees in heavy soil in Northern Michigan. We can dig until late May. Call Jerry (989) 255-8733
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 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
EQUIPMENT
EMPLOYMENT WANTED EXPERIENCED DESIGNER I am an experienced award winning Landscape Designer (and have a diploma in Horticulture), with my own company, serving the GTA and Golden Horseshoe. I am looking to provide designs to Landscape Companies and their clients in these areas. I currently use a program called Landscape Pro and very knowledgable in zones 4-7a planting. I have run my own company and crews for 12 years and have a class G license. My prices are competitive and designs are easy to read and follow. If you are interested please email me at alicadusil@yahoo.com or call (905) 333-3683
FINN Hydroseeders & Bark Blowers New and Used: • Flex Guard FRM • Soil Guard BFM • Erosion Control Blanket Seed & Fertilizer Toll free: (888) 761-1101 Fax: (905) 761-7959 www.fibramulch.com JAPANESE MINI TRUCKS for sale staring at JUST $7,499. Don’t miss out on the latest trend in the landscape world. See what all the buzz is about at WWW.RIGHTDRIVE.CA.
Get INSPIRED Get CONNECTED
New bill will change underground locate system Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey saw his private member’s bill Call Before You Dig Act receive all-party support during debate on Apr. 21, and pass unanimously through second reading in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The next step on the legislative journey is an in-depth review in one of the Assembly’s standing committees, before receiving a final third vote. Dubbed Bill 180, if passed it will establish Ontario One Call Ltd. as a not-for-profit call centre, a single point-of-contact for all underground utility location services in Ontario. The proposal is that all owners of underground assets would be required to join the not-for-profit Ontario One Call network, giving excavators access to a free, single point-ofcontact for comprehensive underground locate information. Some areas of the province have experienced great delays in the system.
“I’m very happy that the other parties have seen the value in this important bill,” said Bailey, following the vote. “This bill isn’t just about streamlining a confusing system to make it easier to dig in your backyard; it’s about preventing accidents and saving lives.” Failing to locate underground and overhead utilities prior to construction has led to property damage totaling nearly $33 million each year. This represents a significant loss of revenue, as well as productivity and efficiency for businesses of all sizes. “A mandatory one-call system has four major benefits,” said Paul Rietdyk, vice president of distribution operations for Union Gas. “Most importantly, it reduces risk and will save lives, it’s more cost-effective than a voluntary system, it’s business-friendly in that it will improve productivity for excavators and it works effectively. For instance, in the U.S.,
AD INDEX COMPANY
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PHONE
WEBSITE
ACO Systems Ltd.................................................9........... 877-226-4255.................................... www.acocan.ca Agrium...................................................................2........... 800-461-6471.................................... www.prohort.ca Caledon Hills Perennials.....................................14.......... 905-473-1145......... www.caledonhillsperennials.com Cerka Industries Ltd............................................14.......... 877-876-3344....................................... www.cerka.ca Dutchmaster Nurseries Ltd.................................32.......... 905-683-8211......... www.dutchmasternurseries.com Earthco (G&L Group)..........................................7........... 416-789-4749......................... www.earthcosoils.com Eloquip Ltd............................................................3........... 519-846-0914................................. www.eloquip.com Estate Lighting Supply Ltd..................................20.......... 905-874-1022...........................www.estatelighting.ca Gro-Bark (ONT) Ltd..............................................5........... 905-846-1515................................ www.gro-bark.com Ground Covers Unlimited...................................18.......... 705-277-3005..... groundcoversunlimited@gmail.com Helmutz Landscape & Interlock..........................24.......... 519-888-9536................................ www.helmutz.com Hillen Nursery Inc.............................................16-17.......519-264-9057 Kobes Nurseries Inc . .........................................23.......... 905-263-8814.................... www.kobesnurseries.com Landscape Safety ..............................................13.......... 877-482-2323...................www.landscapesafety.com Legends Landscape Supply Inc.........................22.......... 905-336-3369....................... www.landscapestore.ca Limestone Trail Company Ltd.............................23.......... 905-563-8133........................www.limestonetrail.com M Putzer Nursery................................................31.......... 905-878-7226....................putzernursery@primus.ca Mankar Distributing Inc........................................8........... 647-309-7826.................................... www.mankar.ca Newroads National Leasing................................10.......... 416-587-1021................. www.newroadsleasing.com Neudorff North America.......................................6........... 519-939-6063....................................www.jbdcoltd.ca Nisco National Leasing.......................................19.......... 888-634-9559...............lcatalano@niscocanada.com Potters Road Nursery Inc...................................30.......... 519-688-0437.............. www.pottersroadnursery.com Riverbend Farms (Ontario) Ltd...........................25.......... 519-765-2130......... riverbendfarms@amtelecom.net Sipkens Nurseries Ltd.........................................21.......... 866-843-0438................. www.sipkensnurseries.com Stam Nurseries....................................................13.......... 519-424-3350.................... www.stamsnurseries.com Uxbridge Nurseries Ltd.......................................12.......... 905-655-3379................www.uxbridgenurseries.com Winkelmolen Nursery Ltd....................................15.......... 519-647-3912.........................www.winkelmolen.com
mandatory one call systems have been successfully implemented in all 50 jurisdictions. In a four-year period, damages have dropped by 70 per cent.” In the next issue of Horticulture Review Terry Murphy will have more to say about the new bill in his column The Underground World.
In Memoriam Desmond Rice Des Rice passed away suddenly in Naples, Fla., on Thurs., Apr. 14 at the age of 62 years. With his wife Brenda, Des co-founded Weed Man in 1970, and became head of one of Canada’s leading franchise organizations, That Franchise Group. He was the father of daughters Charlie and Samantha Rice, father-in-law to Jeffrey Robins, and grandfather of Ella Rice-Robins. A memorial was held in Oakville on May 13. Dr. Leslie Laking Dr. Leslie Laking died peacefully at The Carpenter Hospice, Burlington, on Apr. 16. Laking spent most of his career as director of the Royal Botanical Gardens, retiring in 1981. Upon retirement, he was appointed honorary president of the RBG Auxiliary, and more recently director emeritus of the RBG. He received honorary doctorate degrees from University of Guelph and McMaster University and the Order of Canada in 1979. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Royal Botanical Gardens, on May 17. John Ferreira John Ferreira, president of Don Valley Landscaping in Thornhill, passed away suddenly on Apr. 8. A funeral mass was held on Apr. 12 at St. Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church. He is resting at Holy Cross Cemetery in Thornhill. Donations were made to Canadian Food for Children.
Zander Sod Co Ltd..............................................21.......... 877-727-2100............................www.zandersod.com
HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 29
MEMBER PROFILE
Windermere Garden Centre celebrates 35 years of success in Muskoka By Allan Dennis
T
They started with two small hoop houses near Windermere, which became the site of the present-day garden centre. Now there are 15 greenhouses where the Emmons grow 80 per cent of the plant material sold at the garden centres.
o find the District of Muskoka’s largest indoor garden centre, one must drive 42 kilometres west from Huntsville, along the meandering two-lane Highway 141. After 20 minutes of doing this, you begin to ask yourself, how can a garden centre survive in what seems like the middle of nowhere? A few minutes later, upon arriving at Windermere Garden Centre, in Utterson, Ont., it doesn’t take long to realize this business is more than surviving. As a matter of fact, it’s thriving to the point that this year, while celebrating its 35th anniversary, Windermere is opening a second location in Port Carling. And, despite the impression of being in the middle of nowhere, it’s actually in the centre of cottage country paradise; the summer playground of the famous: Goldie Hawn, Martin Short, the late Ted Rogers, Eric Lindros, and more, on Lakes Colleen and Rick Emmons. Rosseau and Joseph. Today the business includes Rick’s brother, Owners Rick and Colleen Emmons are John, who will take over the new Port Carling third-generation family members in the business. garden centre, under the name Windermere Rick’s parents, Joan and Marshall Emmons, Garden Centre Too. Rick’s sister, Sharon Timms brought their vast knowledge of horticulture and their mother manage the office. from Welland. They had taken over Marshall’s father’s greenhouse business in the Welland area. Hardy plants grown locally The love of the Muskokas drew them to move, The attraction of high quality locally grown where Joan began working part-time in the small plants keep customers coming back year after garden centre on Lake Rosseau that was owned year. “The fact that we can provide hardy plants by an older couple ready to retire. It wasn’t long grown in the same region (zone four) in which before the purchase occurred, and the Emmons our customers will plant them, has been a real and their four children began operating their attraction for our clients,” says Colleen. And, it’s not cheap operating greenhouses family business.
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in Muskoka, with winters that see many days of -20°C and colder, heating is an expensive process. “We did heat with propane, but found that too expensive, so now we use oil,” says Rick. The garden centre is well off the beaten path of the natural gas line, so that isn’t an option. Most of our customers hear about the garden centre through word of mouth,” says Rick. “They know they will receive quality plants that aren’t fertilizer junkies.” Over the years customers have been split 50/50 between permanent residents and cottagers. The Emmons agree that the past year or two that ratio has changed to 70 per cent cottagers. There is more to the business than the garden centres and greenhouses. Windermere Garden Centre also has two landscaping crews, three garden maintenance crews, two annual planting crews and a barge crew. Ya, how many garden centres in the LO family have a barge crew? But with the two above-noted lakes containing hundreds of islands with high-end structures, a barge crew is a necessity to move material and employees onsite. The other unique aspect of landscaping in the Muskokas is the time of construction. Because clients use the cottages as summer retreats, the crews must have projects completed and ready before the client arrives for summer vacation. Rick Emmons points out that scheduling requires the renovation projects be done by late June. During the rest of summer the crews are kept busy on new construction, as the client can’t take a vacation until the new construction is completed. “It gets tricky scheduling everything,” says Rick. The Emmons have a staff of 45, six of them year-round. To help fill in the winter months, they have developed a successful winter maintenance business and manufacture unique wooden garden benches. Windermere Garden Centre has been a member of LO since 1988. The Emmons family has found the secret of success is the same everywhere, even in the remote playground of the rich and famous: provide quality product and good service at a fair price. It’s been a family tradition for three generations.
Many fronts open in fight against EAB The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has invoked a ministerial order that empowers the agency to regulate the movement of all ash tree materials and all firewood from specific areas of Ontario and Quebec. Those moving these materials from the regulated areas without prior permission from the CFIA could face fines and/or prosecution. The regulated area for Ottawa and Gatineau has been expanded to include the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville in Ontario, and all of Ottawa. In southern Ontario, it was determined that the most effective way to regulate moving ash tree material is to amalgamate into one regulated area. The amalgamated regulated area in southern Ontario includes Hamilton, Toronto, the Regional Municipalities of Chatham-Kent, Durham, York, Peel, Halton, Niagara and Waterloo and the Counties of Brant (including the City of Brantford), Elgin, Essex, Haldimand, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Norfolk, Oxford, Perth and Wellington. Regulated areas for Sault Ste. Marie and the regulated area, which includes the Municipalities of Carignan, Chambly, Richelieu, Saint-Basilele-Grand and Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, in Québec remain unchanged.
Growing today for a greener tomorrow
Toronto to cut and spray In other EAB news, Toronto voted to cut down some ash trees and spray others to deal with the invasive insect. It is estimated that EAB could affect 8.4 per cent of Toronto’s trees, estimated at a value of $570-million. Toronto Councilor Paul Ainslie says, “The worst part is there is nothing we can do to stop it.” It is estimated most of the Toronto’s ash trees will die within ten years. Toronto parks and environment committee recommended the use of the insecticide TreeAzin. “It’s very expensive and we don’t really have money set aside in this year’s operating budget,” said Ainslie. Ottawa cutting 700 trees In Ottawa, forestry staff members are removing approximately 700 trees from 23 city properties. It is estimated that 20 to 25 per cent of Ottawa’s urban forest cover consists of ash trees. Built-in anti-freeze Meanwhile, in Sault Ste. Marie scientists are looking into why the invasive insect survives Canadian winters, despite originating in eastern Asia. Sault Ste. Marie is the sole northern Ontario city to experience an EAB outbreak, although it’s not as heavy compared to southern locales. Scientists have discovered that emerald ash borer pupae do not survive past temperatures of -30oC, which is not uncommon in Sault Ste. Marie. Researchers have installed devices to record temperatures on trees in communities such as Ottawa, North Bay, Kingston, London, and the Sault. Barry Lyons, of the Great Lakes Forestry Centre, is among a group of researchers studying the effects of winter temperatures on the emerald ash borer. The majority of the borers survive winter as pre-pupae, due to high levels of glycerol which works like antifreeze. “This is the first time it (glycerol) has been demonstrated in the group of insects the emerald ash borer is in, so that’s quite a significant finding,” said Lyons. Scientists also believe that because of the cold temperatures, each stage of the insect takes longer to develop. The warmer it is, the faster they develop. In the colder climates, it takes the emerald ash borer two years to complete a cycle, but just one year in the south.
Trees: Caliper, Bare Root, B&B, Wire Basket, Container Grown Shrubs: Container Grown Broadleafs: Container Grown Evergreens: Field Grown, Container Grown Perennials, Grasses, Vines, Ferns
We have it all!
M. PUTZER HORNBY NURSERY LTD 7314 Sixth Line, Hornby, Ontario L0P 1E0
Phone: 905-878-7226 s 1-800-377-3363 Fax: 905-878-8737
Quality • Service • Selection HORTICULTURE REVIEW - MAY 15, 2011 31
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