September Landscape Trades 2013 for web by Landscape Ontario

September 2013 VOL. 35, NO. 7

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Analyze jobs, then look at bottlenecks for top profits Update: Newfoundland and Labrador

BELIEVE

in RETAIL

Bob Osborne of Corn Hill Nursery succeeds by following his curiosity

Understand waivers and indemnification

Gear up for Garden Expo 2013 Products, people and pro development take the national spotlight PM40013519

INSIDE: Special GARDEN EXPO Preview section

E N G I N E E R I N G S E R V I C E S N O W A V A I L A B L E !

S E R V I C E S I N C LU D E : Site Visit Site-Specific Wall Design Stamped Engineering Drawings Technical Library Design & Construction Library CAD Files

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contents SEPTEMBER 2013 VOL. 35, NO. 7

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

Focus on

RETAIL

Special issue looks at opportunities for growth in garden centres.

FEATURES

6 The business that passion built At Corn Hill Nursery, it is tough to see where the garden stops and the sale begins BY CAROL MATTHEWS

Landscape Trades is published by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Phone: (905)875-1805 Email: comments@landscapetrades.com Fax: (905)875-0183 Web site: www.landscapetrades.com

10 Understanding today’s gardener

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Shawna Barrett, Darryl Bond, Rachel Cerelli, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Helen Hassard, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Paul Ronan, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

New training program provides business building tools for interior plantscapers

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

14 SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING | Spread the word

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A master retailer’s thoughts on the evolution of garden centre customers BY JIM HOLE

12 Green interiors make sense BY SARAH WILLIS

COLUMNS BY SEAN JAMES

16 LEGAL MATTERS | Construction legalese explained: Waiver and indemnification BY ROBERT KENNALEY

18 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS | Find the bottleneck that limits your company’s growth BY MARK BRADLEY

DEPARTMENTS GREEN PENCIL INDUSTRY NEWS NEW PRODUCTS CNLA NEWS PROVINCIAL NEWS COMING EVENTS CLASSIFIEDS WHERE TO FIND IT

4 22 34 38 40 42 44 46

In this issue: EXPO SHOW PREVIEW Pages 25-32 Main cover photo courtesy Really Local Harvest Co-op SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES | 3

greenpencil Key people can open door to company growth

Superstar service D

o you have your elevator pitch perfected?

What about making your goals accountable ones, and committing them to paper? Is your value proposition clearly defined? Have you delegated or outsourced tasks that bog you down? And, what about setting up the systems within your business that will lead to success? Green industry speakers and consultants are full of advice, recommendations and formulas for business growth, but I think it is service that ultimately sets you apart from competitors. You can have the best plants, the most creative designs or watersaving ideas, but if you can’t deliver on your promises, will your business grow?

Nearly 10 years ago, I had a brief, but memorable, conversation with a busy contractor in May. By Sarah Willis He admitted to simply deleting all the voice mail messages on his office phone in the evening if he was too tired to deal with them, saying, “tomorrow there will be just as many messages from new potential customers I can follow up with if I want to.” That contractor is no longer in business. He had the knowledge clients wanted, at the right price, but the word service wasn’t in his vocabulary. A few days ago my husband and I were looking forward to trying out a new place to eat. After waiting 15 minutes to receive our drinks, we left restaurant number one and walked down the street to a chain restaurant. Strangely enough, we waited too long for service there, and walked out in search of eatery number three. By this time, our patience had been tested, and we ended up leaving the third restaurant after a short wait for service, and cooking at home that evening. Perhaps the restaurants were all short staffed as student servers wind down their summer before going back to school. However, an acknowledgement by the busy server would have kept us as customers. Whatever the case, it was a service fail.

4 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

If service is key, then your front line workers must clearly be charged with its delivery. The employees who work directly with customers need to be personable, articulate, polite and capable of engaging customers. Bonus points if they are good listeners and can problem solve. Wow! Where are these mythical employees and how does your company hire them? In the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin’s character famously says sales success depends on A-B-C. Always Be Closing. With respect to finding outstanding employees, the saying has been adapted to, A-B-R. Always Be Recruiting. Employees are the life blood of any company, and looking for good ones is a never-ending job for business owners. Some green industry companies have a wonderful profile in their community which showcases their business to potential employees. Others may have to work harder, and need to recognize recruiting opportunities when they fall in their laps. You can meet your next service superstar anywhere. Meet a great salesperson when you are buying a new mattress? Make sure you give them a business card and let them know your company hires exceptional people. Perhaps you will experience outstanding service in a restaurant, and can let your server know about opportunities at your company. Another popular quote from GGR is ‘Coffee is for closers.” Next time you close a sale, why not celebrate at your local coffee shop? Who knows, the outgoing barista may be your next superstar. Readers will notice the absence of Rod McDonald’s column, Road to Success, in this issue. For the first time in six years Rod missed his deadline for the happy reason that his name was at the top of the transplant list when a donor kidney became available. Rod is recovering slowly at home, and on behalf of all readers, Landscape Trades wishes him good health. Rod’s columns will return as soon LT as he is able.

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Corn Hill: A reta When Bob Osborne started a cabinetmaking business in Markhamville, N.B., in 1970, he had no idea his future would include Corn Hill Nursery. Neither did his dad, the late Robert Osborne, who purchased the acreage as a retirement farm in 1974. But somewhere along the line Bob Osborne developed a passion for apple trees (some might call it an obsession), and once he discovered grafting, – “magic” is what Osborne calls it – his life took a hairpin turn.

6 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

il experience BY CAROL MATTHEWS

Corn Hill Nursery was born in 1980 on a corner of his dad’s land. Osborne gave up the cabinetmaking business and moved his family to the farm. At first it was just him and his passion. He learned everything he could from books, government departments, other growers, and by trial and error. Corn Hill specializes in disease-resistant apples and historical varieties that are often hard to find. Osborne started by searching for a hardy rootstock that would feel at home in the Atlantic climate. He chose Russian seedlings including ‘Beautiful Arcade’ and ‘Antonovka.’ Then he went on to study varieties he could graft to the rootstock that would do well in the region’s short seasons and cold winters. As a result, Osborne has a private orchard of more than 100 apple varieties, but chooses only 30 to 40 of the best species to sell to his customers. Distractions turn into collections Osborne admits he bores easily, and soon his attention and passion included roses. But Bob being Bob, he couldn’t just import them

to sell; he had to study and learn how to propagate his roses on their own rootstock, something very few nurseries did. During the early 1980s, Osborne began by collecting hardy rose varieties and testing them to obtain the best results. He published his findings in various publications and then went on to write his first book, Roses for Canadian Gardens, published by Key Porter Books in 1991. “Writing the book helped give us credibility,” says Osborne. Today Corn Hill Nursery is known for its hardy roses, as well as those difficult-tofind. Corn Hill roses will survive temperatures of -30°C or colder. Although this limits the number of varieties the nursery carries, there are still dozens to choose from: “a vast array of colours, textures, forms and fruits,” according to its website. The next plant to appeal to Osborne’s passion was grapes. He knew that people were trying to grow traditional Ontario varieties without much success, so he researched hardier varieties that were less well known and planted his own vineyard. He found sev-

Bob Osbourne’s goal is create an environment where visitors can relax.

eral that will survive temperatures of -35°C or lower, with little or no winter injury, and ripen within the region’s short growing season. This year, the nursery lists 16 varieties in its catalogue. Stick-to-it attitude results in success But there were setbacks too. “I’m stubborn,” says Osborne. “Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t still be in business.” When a fire destroyed the old dairy barn in 1984, where the nursery had been located, he moved the business to the other side of the road and built a new structure with the help of friends and neighbours. “About a hundred people came out and we did the barn raising in one day.” When his first crop of rooted cuttings dried up and died, Osborne studied irrigation and installed it throughout the nursery. “We’ve lasted longer than any other grower of perennials in the Maritimes,” says Osborne. Today Corn Hill Nursery grows and stocks hundreds of varieties of trees, shrubs, small fruits, vines and perennials, 98 per

Corn Hill sells 16 hardy grape varieties suited for the region’s short growing season.

Sharing a life-long love of plants SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

A destination garden centre cent of which are propagated on-site and hardy for the Atlantic region. It grows the largest selection of plants in the Maritimes. Yet Corn Hill Nursery is as far from being a big store as you can get. First of all, it is literally in the middle of nowhere (apologies to the inhabitants of Corn Hill). You need a map to find it and there is no drive-by traffic. Walk-in traffic is unheard of. When “location, location, location” are the first three rules of commerce, how does Corn Hill survive? Best advertising is a happy customer “Word of mouth,” says Osborne. “We don’t do a great deal of advertising; we do have the website and the mail order catalogue.” But, he says, it is customers bringing their friends, spreading the word about the nursery’s knowledgeable staff, and the service and quality of product that makes them well-known. The Corn Hill Nursery website, www. cornhillnursery.com, is full of gardening information and eye candy. You can see each rose, apple, daylily or grape, plus learn how to grow it successfully. It is updated at least weekly, showing what is blooming and fruiting. Not only that, there is a phone number where real people will talk to you and help solve your gardening problems. You can also find them on Facebook under “Corn Hill Nursery Cedar Cafe.” Sixty per cent of the nursery’s business is wholesale, although the style of that has changed over the years. In the beginning customers were small, independent retailers and Osborne would jump in his truck and drive around the Maritime provinces selling 8 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

his trees and plants. Then when the big box stores arrived, Osborne sold to them, until the profit margin eventually became “infinitesimal,” he says. Now he supplies landscape contractors and runs his own operation. Corn Hill’s, small, award-winning landscaping business has done public, commercial, and private work throughout southern New Brunswick. Cafe creates destination store The retail end of the business took a jump when it opened Cedar Cafe in 2000. Osborne had noted that European nurseries existed independently by being an attraction, a destination in themselves. So Osborne designed the two-storey, barn-styled cafe. The first floor houses the open kitchen, bar, and luncheon area. Upstairs, through the waterfall of ferns, rhododendrons, and orchids is another eating area, including a vine-laden balcony and display of tools used by farming families in the early 1900s. The menu offers a variety of delicious homemade appetizers, soups, salads, yogurt, hot and cold sandwiches, vegetarian choices and fresh desserts, plus a complete beer and wine list. “It’s the comfort factor,” says Osborne. “People stop for a coffee, take a look at the catalogue, stroll around the gardens, stay for lunch, then choose their purchases.” The cafe space also provides the opportunity for celebrations and weddings, surrounded by the beauty of the gardens. Regular events drawn big crowds Events are another lure for Corn Hill Nursery. Seminars are offered twice a month from April to September, covering topics such as

grafting and pruning, building with stone, and care for roses. Monthly themes bring thousands of visitors to the nursery. June features Rose Weeks where Osborne picks a sample of every rose in bloom each day and displays them on the stone table under the pergola. Daylilies take centre stage in July, and in August more than two dozen craftspeople – makers of jewellery, pottery, and woodworking – set up in the garden. September brings Grapefest, with workshops on grape growing, wine and cider making, horse-drawn wagon rides, and more. Bob Osborne is Corn Hill Nursery. His goal was to create a nursery within a garden. “I wanted it to be so you couldn’t see where the planting stops and the sale begins,” he says, “and there is very little signage.” And so it is. When you arrive it seems there is a very Bob Osborne little retail space, but plenty of flowers and trees and beauty. Inside the cafe and outside in the seating areas are flower arrangements made from whatever is blooming that the day. Osborne gets up at 6 a.m. and works on the arrangements until 9 a.m. when the nursery opens. “I tell people I’ve worked for 30 years so I could be a flower arranger,” he says with a smile. “I want to bring people joy through plants. I want them to experience a way to relax.” Using this as his measure, Bob Osborne’s Corn Hill Nursery LT is truly a success story.

Carol Matthews is a Nova Scotia-based travel and garden writer.

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Building the future: They don’t make gardeners like they used to BY JIM HOLE

It seems I spend more and more time trying to figure out what makes today’s gardencentre customer tick. I remember back in the ’80s, customers would often bolt into our garden centre – leaf or branch firmly in hand – with an urgent look on their faces. I knew they wanted something ASAP to kill a bug or disease that was attacking their cherished plants, and would think nothing of hauling out large jugs of insecticide to obliterate the pest. Today, that get-me-something-to-killthe-pest look on customers’ faces hasn’t changed. Yet for every customer who arrives with a branch or leaf, another will pull out a cell phone and begin scrolling through digital photos of her distressed plants. And while the choice of chemical controls has greatly diminished, customers still want to eradicate the bugs. I can’t say I foresaw smart phones becoming an essential gardening tool, but I do know that I now spend just as much time enlarging images of plants on a customer’s phone with my thumb and index finger as I do spreading open leaves looking for insects. So as I try to gain a better understanding of the evolution of gardening, I’m continually looking for opportunities to engage

with today’s gardeners. Not surprisingly, one of my big challenges is the large number of competitors in the marketplace. Just a few years ago, I could drive from downtown St. Albert to our family’s store and not pass a single business that sold garden centre products. But today, on that same route, there are at least a half dozen chain stores selling all types of plants and gardening hard goods. And while the quality and selection of products offered by the chain stores may be considerably less than that of many independent garden centres, the proximity and convenience of the chains to a gardener’s home or workplace are irresistible for many. Of course, toss in the fact the chain stores’ product is often cheaper and it’s doubly tough to convince customers that an extra few kilometers of driving is worth the trip. So perhaps many independents have lost the location battle, but there is a silver lining in this crowded marketplace: There is a lot of “information clutter” that gardeners want simplified. For example, I get a lot of customers in the spring who are confused about which fertilizer to apply to their tomatoes. There are dozens of different types of tomato food,

Hear Jim HOLE speak at Garden and Floral Expo Wednesday, October 23 from 12:30. to 2:30 p.m. This is a ticketed lunch event, purchase your tickets at www.loexpo.com. Jim Hole lives in Edmonton, Alta., and works nearby at his family’s state-of-the-art lifestyle facility The Enjoy Centre, in St. Albert. The Enjoy Centre is an internationally-recognized community of partners: a spa, bakery, restaurant, garden centre, whole foods market and convention space. Hole is a popular speaker and author, and a regular guest on local radio and television stations. 10 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

with no rhyme or reason to as to why analyses vary so much from one label to the next. For these confused tomato aficionados, I cut through the clutter simply by pulling my favorite fertilizer off the shelf and saying, “This is the best stuff, and I use it every time I water.” Usually, customers will grab the fertilizer, have great success with it, and be lifelong supporters of that brand. From another perspective, I know that I, like many independent garden centre operators, cringe when I see lost sales of garden centre products to the chain stores. But while I don’t like to lose a plant sale, I choose to view the loss as an opportunity. If somone buys a fruit tree from a chain store in our area, nine times out of 10, that customer will come into our garden centre for advice. So, while I might lament the loss of the sale of the fruit tree, I know I can pick up a lot of sales on the tree service side. A customer who comes into our store with a problem branch (or smart phone image!) is likely to walk out with a pruning saw, fertilizer, pest control products and tree wraps for the winter. So, sure, I lost an initial sale, but I actually gained on the service side by selling products necessary to keep the plant healthy. These are just a few changes in the world of gardening and some of the ways to embrace or, at the very least, live with the changes. The marketplace will continue to evolve and the onus is on independent garden centres to do our best to keep up. In the ’80s, in my home province of Alberta, a notorious bumper sticker adorned many rig workers’ half-ton trucks. It read: “Dear God, please give us another oil boom and this time we promise we won’t p--it away.” Independent garden centre owners, like the rig workers, can pray for a return to past glory, LT but I prefer to embrace the evolution.

Help for interiorscape sales BY SARAH WILLIS

Training program for promoting green interiors

Last year, Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB) introduced its Train the Trainer program, which allows interior plantscapers and designers to build relationships with building professionals by offering Living Walls and Green Roofs presentations. The benefits of interior plants are well documented; this new program will help spread the word that green interiors make real sense for businesses. Chris Raimondi, president of Raimondi Horticultural Group in Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., is a registered GPGB trainer. His presentation at Expo 2013 will preview the GPGB Train the Trainer program. Raimondi says the goal is to get people to recognize and appreciate the value of plants indoors and on roofs. He adds however, that the ultimate goal is to put more money in

industry members’ pockets. The program is part of a larger effort to promote biophilia, man’s natural affinity for nature. Green Plants for Green Buildings has embraced the connection and developed a powerful marketing tool to help its members spread the word. By presenting irrefutable facts learned through biophilic research, GPGB hopes that architects, as well as building owners and managers, will ask for and appreciate plants in every room. By now, most everyone in the industry is familiar with the ground-breaking research done by Dr. Bill Wolverton on behalf of NASA that provided empirical data on the ability of interior plants to remove harmful compounds from the environment. More recent work in this field has been conducted by Dr. Ron Wood, professor Margaret Bur-

Learn about this powerful business tool first hand at Garden and Floral Expo

LIVING WALLS AND GREEN ROOFS: Green Plants For Green Buildings (GPGB) On Thursday, Oct. 24, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., at Garden and Floral Expo, Landscape designers and planners will get a preview of the GPGB Train the Trainer course being offered at Congress 2014 on Jan. 6, 2014. This is a ticketed lunch event presented by Chris Raimondi, CLP of the Raimondi Horticultural Group, in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. The presentation, Living Walls and Green Roofs, has been approved for one CEU. Register at www.loexpo.ca Chris Raimondi opened his business in 1974, and has developed it into a full-service, award-winning interior and exterior landscape company. Raimondi Horticultural Group provides plant maintenance, holiday decorating, plant rentals, and gift baskets to commercial and residential clients. 12 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

chett and others, leading Dr. Burchett to say “...to ensure sustainability of the urban environment, satisfying the ‘triple bottom line’ of environmental, social and economic considerations, it is expected that indoor plants will become standard technology — a vital building installation element, for improving indoor air quality.” Sally Harvey, CLT, CLP, took the GPGB Train the Trainer course earlier this year, and says it is a great way to connect with other businesses. Harvey notes, “This tool is truly key to the future of the interiorscape industry. In my mind it is the best tool developed to date that will enable us to connect with and engage the professional design community.” The GPGB Train the Trainer program will allow industry members to get in front of architects and landscape architects, interior designers, building owners and managers, and LEED APs and educate them about the many health and productivity benefits of indoor plants. No prior teaching or speaking experience is required, just a passion for plants. Time dedicated to speaking tips, and coaching on delivery is planned and class size is limited to facilitate this specialized assistance. Participants will leave with PowerPoint presentations for their own use, Living Walls and Green Roofs white paper, public speaking tips, forms so they can give CEUs after a presentation, credibility and ongoing support including promotion through the GPGB website, www.interiorscape LT industrycoaltion.org

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sustainablelandscaping

Selling BY SEAN JAMES

You’re probably already offering it. You might even think that no one wants it…but are you telling anyone about it? Are your customers seeking green solutions, perhaps even from someone else? Have you asked them? What if they’re looking to leave your company and hire some other company they perceive as being more green? Most folks in our industry are looking to grow their businesses, pardon the pun. What we often forget is that it’s easier and cheaper to keep an existing customer than cultivate (sorry again!) a new one. I was helping staff the Environmental Stewardship Committee’s corner of the Landscape Ontario resource centre at this year’s Congress in January. Several times, people who were just browsing came by and looked at our pamphlets and info. I asked them if they considered themselves a green company. The answer was usually no. I don’t give up easily so I asked if they offer any ecofriendly services. Usually the answer was yes, but that there wasn’t much demand. “Do you tell your customers you offer these alternatives?” I asked. They all hesitated before admitting they have never mentioned it. A strange thing about we landscape companies is that we rarely think to use many of the tools at hand. When I told them of the demand I’ve seen to be green, they were quite surprised. One gentleman even said, “We should put that on our blog!” My jaw dropped. “You have a blog and you don’t publicize these things? You might be surprised at the uptake.” They went away quite excited, muttering about plans to com14 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

municate more about their services. We all have wonderful means of communication at our disposal. Our li’l company has 970 Twitter followers and a good message can reach up to 5,000 people. We post daily on Facebook and Twitter and we distribute a fairly entertaining, monthly newsletter. We note in all our communications that we offer eco-friendly options, just in case new or established customers are looking for them. We let folks know that if they are open to or searching for green products and services, we can help them. The beauty is that you can too. Homeowners, municipalities and conservation authorities are looking for us. We have to let them know we’re out there. It’s surprising that when you ask folks outright if they’re interested in environmental issues, most will say no; they may feel they don’t know enough and that makes them uncomfortable. Yet, if we simply put solutions like rain water gardens, butterfly gardens or permeable paving in the design, they’re extremely receptive, even enthusiastic. They just need to have it presented and explained to them. Most customers want to do the right thing. Here are a couple of tips: If you’re using Twitter and you’re following someone ecominded, turn on “notifications” for that feed, (just click on the head and shoulders silhouette), so you can retweet info. This will gently urge others to retweet you. Seem silly? I secretly agreed, but apparently it works. Tag folks in Facebook if you’re promoting someone, or even just mentioning them. I recently got a good-sized job by posting

about a community concert in Milton, Ont., and tagging the promoters. One of the easiest ways to get on someone’s radar is to say nice, true and relevant things about them or the issue they’re writing about. This works with blogs if you include your blog or website at the end of your message. Don’t make things up of course, but comment on their posts or add to the info they’re offering. Another good way to get the word out is by ensuring all your communications have something like, “Follow us on Twitter – @ seanfernridge – and ‘like’ us on Facebook.” We even have a blog on our website that autouplinks to our Twitter and Facebook feeds, so people who want to read an article get routed back through our website. We consciously follow high-profile, like-minded feeds, and share many of their posts. If you’re active and post decent thoughts, and if you’re a bit patient, you may be surprised at the results. I’m sure you get my drift. Let folks know what you offer and your business will grow without a huge advertising budget. Your customers will be happier with the more complete and sustainable services. Even better, you’ll make more profit by doing the right thing. It sounds too good to be true but I LT write from experience.

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

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legalmatters

A glossary of construction legalese:

Waiver and indemnification BY ROBERT KENNALEY

As discussed

in a previous article, many legal or contractual concepts, terms or conditions used in tender packages, contracts, insurance policies and legislation can be confusing or incomprehensible. Accordingly, here is the second installment of my glossary of construction law and contract legalese. Waiver Many contractual obligations appear to be in place for the benefit of only one of the parties. For example, the contract might require that all changes, or extras, be approved in writing before they are performed, failing which the contractor will not be paid for the additional work. Similarly, the contract might require the contractor to give notice if he requires a schedule extension. Other clauses might require the owner to give the contractor notice of default under the contract, before he will be entitled to terminate the contract or take over the work. Similar clauses exist under subcontracts. Waiver occurs where one of the parties says, “Even though I have a contractual right to insist on something under the contract, I

will waive that right.” For example, an owner might waive the requirement for a written approval of changes in the work, or extras. This often occurs where both the owner and the contractor agree the change needs to be performed and they don’t want to delay the work while the paper work is formalized. Waiver often arises by the “conduct of the parties.” Where one of the parties, by his conduct, has verbally approved and paid for extras throughout the life of the project, the court will often find that he has waived his entitlement in that regard such that, at a later date, he cannot then go back and say, “I don’t need to pay for the extra work because there is no approval.” With respect to notice provisions, the court might also look at the circumstance and waive the formal requirement if the party complaining about the lack of formal notice had actual notice of the situation, and wasn’t prejudiced. Many contracts (and most standard form contracts) will contain “non-waiver clauses,” which allow the parties to waive a formal requirement without waiving the same or other requirements in the future. Even the non-waiver clause, however, can be less than

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effective: In some cases, courts have determined that the parties, by their conduct, have “waived the non-waiver clause.” The lesson to be learned in relation to waiver is this: Contractual obligations might not be as clear as they seem. Even though a contract might, in clear language, require the other side to do (or not do) something, the overall circumstances and conduct of the parties will often have to be assessed to determine whether or not a party is actually entitled to rely on the contract language in that regard. Indemnification Indemnification occurs where one party reimburses the other for costs or damages incurred as a result of a certain claim or event. Indemnification generally involves claims against an owner or contractor by third parties or obligations owed by them to third parties. Indemnification should be distinguished from the circumstance where one party under a contract must pay damages or costs to the other side, directly. For example, if a contractor hits his client’s building with a machine, the contractor must pay his client the cost of repairing the building, directly. If a contractor hits the neighbour’s building – and the neighbour pursues the contractor’s client – the contractor may have to indemnify his client for any amount his client has to pay the neighbor to satisfy the claim. Similarly, if a contractor has a contractual obligation to clean up the site, and he doesn’t do it, he will probably be liable to pay his client directly for the cost of doing so. If, however, he doesn’t clean up the sidewalk and boulevard, and the city ends up doing it and adds those costs to his client’s taxes, the contractor may have to indemnify his client for those costs. 16 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

In the winter maintenance context, if you are hired to perform winter maintenance services and there is a slip and fall, you might be liable to the victim directly if he or she sues you. However, you might also be required to indemnify your client, if the victim sues him or her. In many circumstances, of course, the indemnification will cover not only the amounts claimed by the third parties, but your client’s costs of defending or administering the claim. It should be understood, of course, that parties don’t generally need indemnification clauses in their contracts to pursue indemnification. If, again, you hit the neighbour’s building and the neighbour sues your client, chances are you will be made to reimburse your client even if your contract is silent on the issue. Indemnification clauses, however, can be important, as they can limit the scope of the indemnification. It is common, for example, for the contract to state that the owner will only be indemnified to the limits of the contractor’s insurance (so the contractor is not assuming a risk that he or she is not insured for). In addition, indemnification clauses will often limit the scope of the indemnification to damages for property harm or personal injury, thereby removing purely economic losses from the scope of the indemnification. As an example, if you are constructing a retail mall and you are delayed, the indemnification might not cover the claims made by the retail tenants against your client, for lost profits arising from deLT layed opening of the mall.

Robert Kennaley has a background in construction and now practices construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ont. He speaks and writes regularly on construction law issues and can be reached for comment at 416-3682522 (Toronto), 519-426-2577 (Simcoe) or at kennaley@mclauchlin.ca. This material is for information purposes and is not intended to provide legal advice in relation to any particular fact situation. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard. SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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Better profits – Part II:

Beware the bottleneck

BY MARK BRADLEY

If there was one simple number you could use to help make better business decisions consistently, wouldn’t you want to know it? There are thousands of numbers and indicators that give you feedback on your company or your jobs. Gross profit, net profit, sales by month, sales per customer, sales by salesperson, revenue per hour, overhead ratio, and many more. They are all worthwhile metrics; however, every company has one simple metric they should be focused on, and here’s why. Picture a simple assembly line that makes cars. Our line has four stations: Frame and body assembly [30] Paint booth [35] Engine and drive-train assembly [15] Finishing and quality assurance [55] In brackets, beside each station, is the number of cars that can be completed per hour. The paint booth, for example, can paint 35 cars per hour. Looking at our line, the maximum number of cars we can build – start to finish – is 15 per hour. It doesn’t matter that we have enough finishing and inspecting capacity to do 55 cars an hour, or that we can assemble 30 frames per hour; we can only assemble 15 engine and drive-trains per hour and, therefore, we can only build and sell 15 complete cars per hour. If you were the manager of this line, your job is obvious. You need to get more production out of your engine and drive-train section. You would likely be ready to invest sizeable amounts of money to improve station three, since enhancements there would directly increase total sales, without investment being required elsewhere. (We could 18 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

produce and sell up to 30 cars per hour before we had to improve other stations.) Somewhere in your landscape company exists this same weak link. It’s your own “engine and drive-train assembly” station. Picture your company like a funnel. Your funnel neck will only allow so much work through at once. Your company’s production/sales are limited by the amount of work that can pass through the thinnest portion of your funnel. It’s called your bottleneck. Although there is no specific bottleneck that applies to every company in the industry, most companies share a common one. Skilled foremen, who can get jobs done independently on time and on budget, are the most common weak link in the landscape industry. Whether it’s a single owner-operator who can’t seem to pull back from daily operations, or a multi-national franchise that depends on many managers and foremen to hit sales targets, the bottleneck for most companies is the skilled people who can independently manage a job through to completion. Therefore, sales per foreman-hour, or sales per owner-hour if you’re actively managing the field work, might be a single metric you

could use to make better, more profitable decisions. It’s nice to know how the other stations in your assembly line are functioning, but your company’s success or failure is largely determined by your bottleneck. Let’s take a look at how that metric would affect the way decisions are made in real life. Picture two landscape companies. They each have stonemasons who install 100 square feet of stone each day. They have both agreed to do 100 square feet of stonework for $2,000. Company A measures success by cost savings. Rather than spend $150 to have the stone delivered by the vendor, they send their foreman to pick it up. After all, two hours of wages is less than the $150 delivery charge. Company B uses the bottleneck approach. They only have a few masons who can independently run a job. They look at the cost of the delivery, not based on the cost of the stonemason but on the overall cost to the company. Two hours of their stonemason picking materials is 20 square feet of stone that doesn’t get installed. At $20 per square foot, that’s a cost of $400. Company B gets the materials delivered and happily pays the $150 charge so their bottleneck, their fore-

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managementsolutions man, stays focused on generating revenue (finished stonework). Who comes out ahead? The big difference is that company A spent a little more in fuel (to pickup the stone), but saved the delivery costs. However, they lost 20 per cent of their available production hours that day while they picked up stone. That loss of production cost them dearly. Not only are they far less profitable than company B, but company B will be finished and starting the next job sooner, giving them a further advantage. Better profit lesson: The cost of working on non-revenue generating tasks is not the cost per hour of the bottleneck, it is the cost of lost company revenue. Most landscape companies could improve profit by looking at owner/foreman-hours the same way. The best decisions are the ones that get the most production out of your bottleneck, even if it means it increases the cost of production (up to a limit, of course). Common examples where costs increase as do profits, include: getting your vendors to deliver; buying materials pre-processed to reduce prep time; buying or renting equipment to improve productivity; more detailed designs and project planning before the start of a job; and, using specialized crews — so specialized foremen are dedicated to tasks that require specialization.

Some old adages you may have heard, such as don’t buy equipment until you can pay for it in cash, are sound, conservative approaches to running a business. However, when you look at those decisions from the bottleneck point of view, they are not necessarily the most profitable. The examples above increase sales — the upper half of our sales-per-foreman equation. But don’t stop there. You also need to look at the bottom half of the equation and focus on reducing foreman-hours spent on tasks that don’t drive revenue. Take a hard look at your operations and see where you might offload non-billable tasks from your bottlenecks, so they can stay focused on production-related work. l Washing trucks, maintaining equipment: Could this done by others – even outsiders? l Picking up or moving materials: Can your vendors deliver? Would it make sense to have your own dedicated delivery truck? l Waiting for instructions or planning: Could you spend more time designing or planning jobs to reduce questions/confusion/mistakes on your jobs? l Loading/unloading vehicles/equipment and fueling: Could an “evening” yardperson do this for all the trucks? Could you outsource your fueling to a mobile fueling company? Finally, to keep things interesting, bear in

mind that your weak link changes over time. Imagine improving your engine and drivetrain station so it can complete 60 cars per hour. Now it’s no longer the bottleneck. There is a new bottleneck that needs your attention. It’s time to start this process all over again. Where do you start? Here are a few places you can begin: l Divide your job prices by estimated foreman-hours. Get a feel for the ranges of “good” and “bad” jobs (Hint: the lower the sales per foreman-hour, the worse the job). l Ensure your payroll and jobcosting systems are linked. Every payroll hour should be tracked to a task, whether it is billable or not. It’s critical that you know how much time is spent unbilled. When estimating, take a few minutes to look at different ways to complete the job. As we’ve seen, an increase to job costs doesn’t always mean less profit. We call this “valueengineering” a job and it’s a critical step to LT improving profitability. Mark Bradley is president of The Beach Gardener and the Landscape Management Network (LMN), in Ontario. LMN provides education, tools and systems built to improve landscape industry businesses.

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Blackwood Crossing Greenhouse – Cleveland, AL • Tree House Farm & Nursery – Northport, AL • Warren Family Garden Center – Birmingham, AL • Buttonwillow Nursery – Reedley, CA • Evergreen Nursery – San Leandro, CA • King’s Nursery & Outdoor Living – Taft, CA • Miller Farms Nursery – McKinleyville, CA • Mission Hills Nursery – San Diego, CA • Westurf Nursery – Modesto, CA • Windmill Nursery – Buellton, CA • Wyntour Gardens – Redding, CA • Aspetuck Gardens – New Preston, CT • Gledhill Nursery – West Hartford, CT • Peter’s Home & Garden – Brookfield, CT • East Coast Garden Center – Millsboro, DE • Sullivan’s Garden Center – Milford, DE • Wigert’s Bonsai – North Ft. Myers, FL • Autumn Hill Nursery & Landscape – Woodstock, GA • Best Nursery & Outdoor Equipment – Fortson, GA • Bloomers Garden Center/Triple Creek Farm – Carrollton, GA • Miller Hardware/Seasons Garden Center – Valdosta, GA • Sanderlin Greenhouses – Appling, GA • Savannah’s Secret Gardens – Savannah, GA • Moss Greenhouses – Jerome, ID • Alsip Home & Nursery – Frankfort, IL • Barn Nursery & Landscape Center –Cary, IL • Bella Home & Garden – Bloomington, IL • Bishop Ace Hardware – Springfield, IL • Four Seasons Garden Center & Creative Landscaping – Salem, IL • Goebbert’s Farm Market – South Barrington, IL • Grand Street Gardens – Chicago, IL • Green Thumb Florist & Greenhouse – Schiller Park, IL • Langton Nursery & Landscaping Supply, Inc. – Woodstock, IL • Linton’s Enchanted Gardens – Elkhart, IN • Lizzie’s Garden – Naperville, IL • Lurvey Landscape Supply & Garden Center – Des Plaines, IL • McAdam Landscape & Garden Center – Forest Park, IL • My Garden Greenhouses – Sullivan, IL • Niestradt Landscaping – Shelbyville, IL • Prairie View Garden Center & Farm Market – Hampshire, IL • Red’s Garden Center – Northbrook, IL • The Barn Nursery & Garden Center – Cary, IL • The Corner Garden – Tonica, IL • The Garden Kingdom – Glen Carbon, IL • The Growing Scene, Inc. – Marengo, IL • Turner Tree Service – Jacksonville, IL • Wasco Nursery – St. Charles, IL • Casey’s Outdoor Solutions – Lawrenceburg, IN • Eagle Creek Nursery – Indianapolis, IN • Family Roots – Dale, IN • Four Seasons Landscaping Nursery – Valparaiso, IN • Garden Goodies – Indianapolis, IN • Gardens on the Prairie – Jamestown, IN • Gooseberry Creek Gardens – Lebanon, IN • Gooseberry Creek Gardens – Kokomo, IN • Gooseberry Creek Gardens – New Castle, IN • Hubinger Landscaping & Garden Center – Crown Point, IN • Neuhouser Garden & Gifts – Fort Wayne, IN • Neuhouser Nursery – Fort Wayne, IN • Rosie’s Garden Center & Hughes Landscaping – Indianapolis, IN • Ross Lawns & Landscaping – New Castle, IN • The Flower Pot Garden Center –Garrett, IN • Wasson Nursery – Muncie, IN • Wellfield Botanic Garden – Elkhart, IN • K & K Gardens – Hawkeye, IA • Brady Nursery – Goddard, KS • Loma Vista Nursery – Olathe, KS • TreeScapes - Andover, KS • Twin Oaks Nursery – Ruston, LA • Lex Plant Farm & Garden Center – Shreveport, LA • Bru_Mar Gardens, Nursery, & Gifts – Annapolis, MD • George’s Green Thumb Garden Center – Easton, MD • Meadows Farms Nursery – Burtonsville, MD • Meadows Farms Nursery – Frederick, MD • Meadows Farms Nursery – Germantown, MD • Meadows Farms Nursery – Leonardtown, MD • Meadows Farms Nursery – Severna Park, MD • A.J. Tomasi Nurseries – Pembroke, MA • Cottage Gardens – Haverhill, MA • Lancaster Agway – Lancaster, MA • McCue Garden Center – Woburn, MA • Sixteen Acres Nursery – Springfield, MA • Weston Nurseries – Hopkintown, MA • Weston Nurseries – Chelmsford, MA • Begick Nursery & Garden Center – Bay City, MI • English Gardens – Ann Arbor, MI • English Gardens – Brighton, MI • English Gardens – Clinton Township, MI • English Gardens – Dearborn Heights, MI • English Gardens – Eastpointe, MI • English Gardens – Royal Oak, MI • English Gardens – West Bloomfield, MI • Flowerland – Comstock Park, MI • Flowerland – Kentwood, MI • Flowerland – Wyoming, MI • H & M Landscaping – Swartz Creek, MI • Meldrum Brothers Nursery & Garden Center – New Baltimore, MI • Robson’s Greenhouse - Belleville, MI •Roy Kutchey’s Greenhosues – Midland, MI • Beier’s Greenhouse – Grand Rapids, MN • Mound True Value – Mound, MN • Otten Brothers Nursery & Landscaping – Long Lake, MN • Nature’s Collection – Hernando, MS • Nature’s Collection – Oxford, MS • Brandt & Sons Ace Hardware – Maryland Heights, MO • Rick’s Ace Hardware – Kirkwood, MO • Schmittel’s Nursery – Maryland Heights, MO • Springwater Greenhouses & Garden Center – Marshall, MO • Chadwick Nursery – Helena, MT • Churchill’s Gardens – Exeter, NH • Garden Shop Nursery – Reno, NV • Flagg’s Garden Center & Landscaping –

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Moorestown, NJ • Reynolds Garden Shop – Manahawkin, NJ • Rohsler’s Allendale Nursery & Florist – Allendale, NJ • 111 Farms & Nurseries – Central Islip, NY • Adams Fairacre Farms – Lake Katrine, NY • Amodio’s Garden Center & Flower Shop – White Plains, NY • Bay Gardens – East Moriches, NY • Constantine Farm – Loudonville, NY • Country Way Garden & Design Center – Fairport, NY • De Ruyter Farm & Garden Co-Op – DeRuyter, NY • Faddegon’s Nursery – Latham, NY • GreenScapes Garden Center & Landscape – Whitesboro, NY • Harvey’s Home, Pet, & Garden Center – Johnstown, NY • Lilac Hill Nursery – Victor, NY • Massi’s Garden Center – Painted Post, NY • Russell’s Tree & Shrub Farm – East Amherst, NY • Sorbello’s Gift & Garden Center – Chittenango, NY • Van Putte Gardens –Rochester, NY • Garden Secrets – Charlotte, NC • Green Outdoors Landscaping & Nursery – Asheville, NC • Homewood Nursery – Raleigh, NC • Kenyon Bailey Supply, Inc. – Elizabeth City, NC • Hills Farm & Garden Center – Thomasville, NC • Roger’s Trees & Nursery – Lewisville, NC • Sugartown Flowers & Greenhouses – Yadkinville, NC • Albyn’s Landscape & Nursery Center – Newark, OH • Arnold’s Garden Center – Mansfield, OH • Black Diamond Nursery – Toledo, OH • Cahoon Nursery – Westlake, OH • Creekside Gardens & Gifts – Strasburg, OH • Deborah’s Garden Market – Wooster, OH • Don Mould’s Plantation – Amherst, OH • Don Mould’s Plantation –North Ridgeville, OH • Donzell’s Flower & Garden Center – Akron, OH • Fackler Country Gardens – Granville, OH • Farm Home & Hardware – Wellington, OH • Feasel’s Garden Center – Findlay, OH • Gale’s Westlake Garden Center – Westlake, OH • Gilson Gardens – Perry, OH • Hannah’s Garden Center – Greenville, OH • Lake Cable Nursery – Canton, OH • Lowes Greenhouse – Chagrin Falls, OH • Nature’s Corner At Glass City Landscape – Holland, OH • Natures Green Nursery – Fort Recovery, OH • Nature’s Wonder Feed & Supply – Wellington, OH • North Brand Nursery – Pemberville, OH • Petitti Garden Center – Avon, OH • Petitti Garden Center – Bainbridge, OH • Petitti Garden Center – Boardman, OH • Petitti Garden Center – Mentor, OH • Petitti Garden Center – Middleburg Heights, OH • Petitti Garden Center – Oakwood Village, OH • Petitti Garden Center – Richmond Heights, OH • Petitti Garden Center – Strongsville, OH • Petitti Garden Center – Tallmadge, OH • Pinehaven Greenhouse – Avon, OH • Renck’s Landscape & Garden Center – Hamilton, OH • Rhoads Garden Center – Circleville, OH • Rice’s Nursery – North Canton, OH • Robben Florist & Garden Center – Cincinnati, OH • Schoenbrun Landscaping – Dover, OH • Springlake Nursery – Perry, OH • Starder’s Garden Center – Columbus, OH • Stutzman’s Lawn & Landscaping – New Philadelphia, OH • Summershades Nursery – Swanton, OH • The Greensmith Garden Center – Hinckley, OH • Uncle John’s Plant Farm – Olmstead, OH • Western Ohio True Value – Minster, OH • Willo’Dell Nursery – Ashland, OH • Wilson’s Garden Center – Newark, OH • Dennis’s 7 Dees – Lake Oswego, OR • Dennis’s 7 Dees – Portland, OR • Dennis’s 7 Dees – Cedar Hills, OR • Dennis’s 7 Dees – Seaside, OR • Farmington Gardens – Beaverton, OR • Ferguson’s Fragrant Nursery – St. Paul, OR • Flora Pacifica – Harbor, OR • Shonnard’s Nursery, Florist, & Landscape – Corvallis, OR • Behmerwald Nursery – Schwenksville, PA • Best Feeds – Gibsonia, PA • Brodak Greenhouse – Carmichaels, PA • Brodak Greenhouse – Masontown, PA • Brodak Greenhouse –Millsboro, PA • C & A Trees – Clarion, PA • Carlisle Agway – Carlisle, PA • County Line Nursery – Harleyville, PA • Country Cupboard – Lewisburg, PA • Green Arbor Flower & Shrubbery Center – Waynesboro, PA • Miller’s Ace Hardware – McMurray, PA • Pine Creek Country Gardens – Friedensburg, PA • Primex Garden Center – Glenside, PA • Shady Brook Farm – Yardley, PA • Soergel’s Garden Center – Wexford, PA • Sun Blessed Garden & Gift – Leechburg, PA • The Market at Del Val – Doylestown, PA • Waterloo Gardens – Exton, PA • Wheatfield Nursery – Centre Hall, PA • Wilmot Nursery & Landscaping – Lake Ariel, PA • Young Family Farm – Little Compton, RI • Cold Creek Nurseries – Aiken, SC • Shady Grove Nursery – Pickens, SC • Dutch Garden Center – Humboldt, TN • Gardens on Main – Lebanon, TN • Jensfarm – Manchester, TN • Meadow View Greenhouse & Garden Center – Lenoir City, TN • Riverbend Nurseries – Thompsons Stations, TX • Beyond Paradise – Cypress, TX • Bratcher’s Nursery & Landscaping – Detroit, TX • Brumley Gardens – Dallas, TX • Cristina’s Stone & Garden Center – Frisco, TX • The Garden Center – Dumas, TX • McCoard’s Garden Center – Provo, UT • Tony’s Grove Nursery & Garden – Hyde Park, UT • P.J. Bushey Landscape & Garden Center –East Wallingford, VT • Countryside Gardens – Hampton, VA • Earthganic Greenhouse – Wytheville, VA • Greenworks Nursery – Chantilly, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Annandale, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Charlottesville, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Chantilly, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Culpeper, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries –Fredricksburg, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Great Falls, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Leesburg, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Manassas, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Fredericksburg, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Herndon, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Falls Church, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Stafford, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries –Warrenton, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Winchester, VA • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Woodbridge, VA • Moneta Farm & Home Center – Moneta, VA • Shenandoah Valley Landscaping – Verona, VA • White’s Garden Center – Chesapeake, VA • Macs Garden Center – Pasco, WA • McAuliffe Valley Nursery – Snohomish, WA • Ritter’s Garden & Gift – Spokane, WA • Colonial Nursery – Ladysmith, WI • Garden Mart – Mukwonago, WI • Ivy Trails Garden Center – Green Bay, WI • Moraine Gardens – Plymouth, WI • Restoration Gardens – Kohler, WI • Winter Greenhouse – Winter, WI • Meadows Farms Nurseries – Harpers Ferry, WV • Scots Landscape – Vienna, WV • Canada – The Big Greenhouse – Spruce Grove, AB • Kayben Farms – Okotoks, AB • Lougheed Gift & Garden – Lougheed, AB • Minter Country Gardens – Chilliwack, BC • Mother Nature Garden Center – Powell River, BC • John’s Garden Center – Riverview, NB • Dean’s Greenhouses & Flower Shop – Botwood, NL • Glendale Nurseries – Mount Pearl, NL • Hickey’s Greenhouse & Nursery – Dunville, NL • Hickey’s Greenhouse & Nursery – Kelligrews, NL • O’Neill’s Gardenland – Spaniards Bay, NL • Pat’s Plants & Gardens – Bay Bulls, NL • Shand Nurseries – Pouch Cove, NL • Down to Earth Landscaping – Wolfville, NS • Doyle’s Farm Market & Greenhouses – Kentville, NS • Oceanview Garden Center & Landscaping – Chester, NS • Burley’s Gardens – Peterborough, ON • Canadale Nurseries – St. Thomas, ON • Coles’ Garden Centre – Grimsby, ON • Cottage Gardens – Norwich, ON • DeGroot’s Nurseries – Sarnia, ON • Dwight Garden Centre – Dwight, ON • Fern Forest Gardens – Washago, ON • Glass House Nursery – Chatham, ON • IVCO Tree Farms Nursery & Garden Centre – Tilbury, ON • Hollandale Landscaping & Garden Centre – Trenton, ON • Laporte’s Garden – North Bay, ON • Masfrankc Garden Centre – Lucan, ON • Tom’s Eldon Landscaping – Stratford, ON

industrynews Learn to price snow and ice services at Snowposium The Snow and Ice Sector Group of Landscape Ontario presents Snowposium on Thursday, Sept. 19 at the Landscape Ontario site in Milton, Ont. The Snow & Ice Conference and Expo is a one-

day event for snowfighters who want to learn more about pricing their services, managing risk and proven plowing techniques. After lunch, take the opportunity to network with peers and test some of the latest equipment and technology for snow and ice control in the outdoor trade show. Outdoor demonstrations include calibration and maintenance of your spreader, ice melters and liquid unit, as well as a truck and trailer load and hook-up demonstration, with representatives from

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Lots of opportunity at the CanWest Hort Show The CanWest Hort show has been the meeting place for buyers and sellers of B.C.’s nursery, floriculture and landscape industry for over 30 years. This year the show runs on September 18 and 19, from 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. at the Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building. Attendees can visit with over 300 exhibitors at the show, and take in a first class educational program, with lots of ideas to help your business thrive in 2014. Retailers have the opportunity to learn from respected speakers, including Steve Bailey on Financial Management for Garden Centres and It’s a Hanging Basket with garden centre owner Jonn Karseeboom. On Sept. 19, B.C. researcher and crop advisor, Mario Lanthier is giving a clinic on leading edge research on soil biology and compost tea. His studies were well received at an international conference on biostimulants in France in 2012. The Landscape Designers Symposium is held on Sept. 17 and offers five speakers, including Jo Thompson, a top designer from the United Kingdom and a four-time medalist at the Chelsea Flower Show. Registration and more information is available at www.canwesthortshow.com

First worldwide meeting of the nurserystock industry calls for action on promotion Representatives of the nursery industry around the world have called for greater action on the promotion of nurserystock as well as the promotion of the benefits of trees and plants to society. The first Worldwide Round Table for the nurserystock industry was organized by the European Nurserystock Association (ENA) in Italy on June 25, 2013. Speaking after the inaugural meeting, Maurizio Lapponi, president of ENA and the representative from Anve, Italy, said, “Nurserymen across the world are facing similar challenges and opportunities. ENA recognized this fact and decided to arrange the first worldwide round table, where nurserymen could come together to discuss those challenges and consider a way to address them.” He continued, “With 19 countries present, and messages of support from many other countries around the globe, this has been a very positive start in bringing the worldwide nurserystock industry together. I am very 22 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Rita Weerdenburg, CNLA’s growers’ manager, on hand to represent the Canadian nursery grower sector, noted that, “from phytosanitary regulations to bordercrossing issues and access to water and crop protection products, challenges faced by Canada’s growers are virtually identical to challenges faced by nursery growers in all other countries. Working collaboratively on important initiatives such as the benefits of green spaces will Rita Weerdenburg (right), CNLA’s growers’ manager, represented the advance not only our collective industries Canadian nursery grower sector at the Worldwide Round Table for the but the quality of life of our citizens around nurserystock industry. the world.” pleased that we have reached agreement to call on At the conclusion of the roundtable a formal governments, authorities, and all those involved in statement from the delegates was agreed to and the supply chain to make greater efforts to promote issued. Along with acknowledging the benefits of the benefits of nurserystock.” plants and trees to society, the statement calls on

the world’s governments to help educate people on the benefits of plants, and invest additional public funds in plants and our industry, because this will play a key role in the long-term health of our environment.

Recognizing snow warriors More than 30 companies and individuals were recognized recently for their achievements in the snow and ice industry. The recognition came at the industry awards night, held in June during the Snow and Ice Management Association’s Snow and Ice Symposium in Minneapolis, Minn. Canadians honoured at the awards night include Ian Ashby of Arbutus Landscaping, Calgary, Alta., for volunteer of the year, and Paul Vanderzon of Amenagements Paysagers Vanderzon, St. Bruno, Que., for top recruiter. Safety awards

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industrynews went to: Markham Property Services, Markham, Ont.; Amenagements Paysagers Vanderzon, St. Bruno, Que.; Contour Landscaping, London, Ont.; Edmonds Landscape and Construction Services, Halifax, N.S.; Precision Landscape Group, Ottawa, Ont.; and Total Facility Solutions of London, Ont.

Dramm Corporation has announced that it is passing the rain wand to the next generation. Receiving the rain wand from Kurt and Marlene Dramm (pictured right) are Hans Dramm and Heidi Dramm Becker.

Hardscape project awards now accepting entries Hardscape North America is now accepting entries for the 6th Annual HNA Hardscape Project Awards to be presented during HNA 2013 Awards Breakfast being held Friday, Oct. 25, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Louisville in Louisville, KY. The HNA Hardscape Project Awards recognize the contractorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to create outstanding hardscape projects. Twenty-four award categories include residential and commercial applications using a variety of products including concrete pavers, clay pavers and segmental retaining walls, as well as projects of different sizes. The deadline to submit entries is Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. The entry fee is $140 for members and $240 for non-members. Projects for consideration must

have been completed between Nov. 1, 2009 and June 30, 2013. The HNA Hardscape Project Awards are produced by the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, National Concrete Masonry Association and the Brick Industry Association. For more information about the 2013 HNA Hardscape Project Awards, visit www.hardscapena.com.

Dramm announces new family ownership The Dramm Corporation of Manitowac, Wis., announces a planned succession in family owner-

ship. Kurt and Marlene Dramm have transferred ownership to their son, Hans Dramm, and daughter, Heidi Dramm Becker. Kurt and Marlene Dramm will remain on the board of directors and Kurt will continue at the company on a daily basis as chairman emeritus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Dramm Family has been in continuous businesses including meat, flowers and manufacturing since 1853,â&#x20AC;? said Kurt Dramm, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Therefore I am exceptionally pleased and proud that my children Heidi Dramm Becker and Hans Dramm will continue the tradition of a family owned company.â&#x20AC;?

Bobcat appoints G.C. Duke as Western Canada distributor Schiller Grounds Care, the parent company of Bobcat, is pleased to announce that G.C. Duke Equipment of Burlington, Ont., has been appointed the exclusive distributor for Bobcat Commercial Mowers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. G.C. Duke has been the exclusive Ontario Distributor for both Bobcat and Ryan Turf Renovation products for more than 40 years. The Bobcat commercial and homeowner mower range will complement the existing products already represented by G.C. Duke in Western Canada.

Sidhu buys U.S. nursery

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24 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Sidhu & Sons Nursery of Mission, B.C., has purchased Briggs Nursery of Elma, Wash. Sidhuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winning bid of $12.05 million bought the B.C. grower 400 acres in Washington State, as well as Briggâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trademarked plants. Early this year, Briggs entered into receivership and a bankruptcy court forced the sale of the property. Sidhu is a 600-acre producer of broadleaf evergreens, conifers, deciduous shrubs, trees and perennials. Both companies have a lot in common, including tissue culture labs. The purchase of Briggs LT opens up the U.S. market to Sidhu & Sons.

24 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

www.loexpo.ca

Inspiration for

New Retail

Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fall show for the garden and f loral industry

Wednesday, October 23 and Thursday, October 24, 2013

Show Preview

EARLY B SAVE ON Register IRD REGISTRATIO by N See insidOctober 4, 2013 e for det ails

Toronto Congress Centre, North Building, Toronto, Ont., Canada Call 1-800-265-5656 x323 Produced by

In partnership with

Endorsed by

Sponsored by:

Destination nspiration Theatre

Learn from some of the industry’s best designers, retailers and florists, on hand to share ideas, trends and advice that will help grow your business.

Plant DChallenge

Have fun and test your horticulture knowledge! 

New for 2013 – Demonstration Platform

Don’t miss the vendor demonstrations featured in the Expo Café. EXPO 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES SPECIAL PREVIEW

New Product Showcase

Discover the innovative new plants and products that your customers demand! Be sure to visit the New Product Showcase featuring hundreds of stylish products and re-engineered plants.

Exhibitor List ACTIVE PRODUCTS FOR MINI GARDEN .......................................... 350 ALL TREAT FARMS LTD ..................................... 422 AQUAMATSYSTEMS ........................................... 621 AQUASCAPE, INC .................................................252 ASSINIBOIA RUBBER RECYCLING INC... 360 ATLAS POLAR COMPANY LTD ..................... 249 AUCLAIR SPORTS .................................................419 AVK NURSERY HOLDINGS INC.................. 440 BAYVIEW FLOWERS .......................................... 362 BLUE SKY NURSERY LTD ................................ 243 BOREAL AGROMINERALS INC.....................356 BRADFORD EXCHANGE...................................735 BRAUN NURSERY LTD............................... 221,122 BROOKDALE TREELAND NURSERIES LTD ................................................. 401 BROWNRIDGE GREENHOUSES ................ 637 BURPEE CANADA .............................................1006 CAMPANIA INTERNATIONAL .....................635A CANADA BLOOMS ...............................................753 CANADALE NURSERIES LTD ........................1123 CANADIAN HYDROGARDENS LTD ......... 605 CANADIAN WOODENWARE MANUFACTURERS (THE) ...............................418 CHRISTMAS TRADITION - CT LIFESTYLE DIV .......................................... 301 CMC WHOLESALE WAREHOUSE .............. 716 COMPOST COUNCIL OF CANADA (THE)..............................................743 CONNON NURSERIES/ NVK HOLDINGS INC........................................ 642 COSMIC PLANTS INC.........................................663 CULTIVO EUROFLOR .......................................640 DENBRO RETAIL CONVENIENCE SOLUTIONS INC..................................................457 DIVERT RECYCLING INC ................................... 718 DODD'S GREENHOUSES...............................634 DOWNHAM NURSERIES INC.......................456 DRAMM CORP ......................................................... 311 ECO WOOD PRODUCTS LTD ......................365 ED'S CONCRETE PRODUCTS LTD.............563 EUROPA LANDSCAPING PRODUCTS ......641 EVERBLOOM GROWERS, INC..................... 306 EVERGARDEN IMPORTS ................................609 EVERGREEN PROPAGATORS LTD ............406 FAFARD ET FRERES LTEE ................................230 FAIRFIELD TREE NURSERIES INC...............449 FERNLEA FLOWERS LTD................................ 240 FIRST CONCRETE LTD .......................................414 FLORAL DIMENSIONS ......................................307 FLORIDUS DESIGN IMAGES ......................... 623 FLOWERS CANADA (ONTARIO) INC.........................................200,303 FOLIERA......................................................................757 FOX HOLLOW FARMS ......................................507 FREEMAN HERBS INC .......................................549 FRENSCH (C) LTD ................................................ 509 GARDEN CITY GROWERS................................518 GARDEN MAKING MAGAZINE......................302 GARDENA CANADA LTD ..................................144 GARDENAWAY INC .............................................520 GARDENS CENTRAL MAGAZINE (CORNWALL PUBLISHING CO)................... 421 GENERAL SEED COMPANY ............................ 241 GLOBAL ARCH INC ..............................................337 GOLD HILL NURSERY SALES ....................... 453 GREEN PLUS NURSERIES INC .....................548

as of August 1, 2013

GREENSTAR PLANT PRODUCTS.................222 HARMAN INC..........................................................1129 HENRI STUDIO BY STONECASTERS.........201 HILLEN NURSERY INC ...................................... 264 HOME GRACE ..........................................................721 HORTA-CRAFT LTD ............................................. 514 HORTICOLOR CANADA INC...........................318 HORTICULTURAL MARKETING AND PRINTING .................................................... 352 HORTICULTURAL MARKETING INC ......................................635, 636 HORTPROTECT - THE INVESTMENT GUILD & MARSH CANADA........................................... 739 HOWE PRODUCTS - 9132-8302 QUEBEC INC ............................ 519 INLINE NURSERIES (2010) INC.................... 263 IRON GRASSHOPPER MACHINERY INC ................................................320 J & R ENTERPRISES............................................... 341 JC BAKKER & SONS LTD ................................... 622 JILL JENSEN BOTANICAL SPECIALTIES ...500 JRT NURSERIES INC ............................................348 JVK LTD ...................................................................... 450 KAM'S GROWERS SUPPLY INC................... 260 LAGUNA (A DIVISION OF ROLF C HAGEN INC) .........................................237 LAMBERT PEAT MOSS ....................................... 136 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO RESOURCE CENTRE ........................................648 LANGENDOEN NURSERIES INC................ 530 LECHUZA CANADA INC ...................................662 LEO GENTRY WHOLESALE NURSERY INC.......................108 LIGHTHOUSE SALES GROUP................................209,207,208 MAPLE LEAF NURSERIES LTD...................... 342 MAPLE LEAF NURSERY (DIV OF PBN) .....434 MAPLE LEAVES FOREVER ............................... 541 MAR-CO CLAY & STONE.................................. 462 MARSOLAIS ENTERPRISES INC .................. 234 MARTIN FARMS LTD.......................................... 540 MASSARELLI'S ....................................................... 652 MAYNOOTH NATURAL GRANITE................ 719 MCP MFG LTD .........................................................158 MEX Y CAN TRADING .........................................1131 MIAMI TROPICAL PLANTS ............................. 306 MIDE PRODUCTS, LLC - FENCE HOOKS & ACCESSORIES............714 MIYACH INTERNATIONAL INC ......................745 MORI NURSERIES LTD.....................................508 MULTIPOST RETAIL SYSTEMS ..................... 552 NATURAL INSECT CONTROL....................... 430 NATURAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN MAGAZINE..........................................100 NINCOMPOOP FARMS INC............................. 451 NORTH SHORE IMPORTS .............................. 562 NUTRITE .................................................................... 335 OMEGA PLASTICS INC ......................................220 ONTARIO SEED CO LTD ...................................619 ORCHARD PARK GROWERS LTD ............... 314 ORCHID GREENS..................................................618 ORGANIC OUTDOORS SUPPLY CANADA LTD .........................................................461 OUTDOOR RESEARCH .....................................737 OUTFRONT PORTABLE SOLUTIONS - A DIV OF ALL COVER PORTABLE SYSTEMS....................................... 556

PACIFIC NORTHWEST PROPAGATORS.................................................. 503 PACIFIC RIM BRACKETS LTD .......................... 515 PALACE PERENNIALS ........................................ 343 PAN AMERICAN NURSERY PRODUCTS INC ........................... 415 PARIDON HORTICULTURAL (1979) LTD ............................................................... 501 PEETERS (JM) NURSERIES LTD .................... 542 PEFFERLAW PEAT PRODUCTS INC ........... 214 PESTICIDE INDUSTRY COUNCIL - PIC......741 PICKSEED CANADA INC .................................. 140 PIEPER NURSERIES INC...................................438 PINEBUSH HOME & GARDEN....................... 521 POTERIES BARRO INC ....................................1024 POTTERS ROAD NURSERY INC .................. 553 PREMIER TECH HOME & GARDEN - IGC ..................................................322 PRIME NUTRIENTS............................................... 361 QMT WINDCHIMES............................................1101 QUALITREE PROPAGATORS INC.................218 R2B XTREME INC ..................................................1125 RAVENSBERGEN (P) & SONS LTD ................715 RTF WATER SAVER (GRASS SEED) CANADA................................. 256 SANKO INTERNATIONAL (PRIVATE) LIMITED............................................. 354 SECOND NATURE DESIGNS LTD .............. 504 SESTER FARMS INC .............................................537 SHERIDAN NURSERIES .................................. 330 SLAPPENDEL GREENHOUSES ............... 1008 SOMERVILLE NURSERIES INC..................... 534 SOURCE ID .............................................................. 535 SPEARE SEEDS ..................................................... 410 SPECIMEN TREES WHOLESALE NURSERIES LTD...................614 ST WILLIAMS NURSERY & ECOLOGY CENTRE ........................................357 STAM NURSERIES (2009) INC .................... 206 STAR ROSES AND PLANTS / THE CONARD-PYLE CO ................................436 SUN GRO HORTICULTURE CANADA LTD ........................................................448 SUSTA: THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES TRADE ASSOCIATION.................................... 306 SYLVITE AGRI-SERVICES LTD....................... 455 TANDESKI ASSOCIATES INC .........................538 TAPIS WAVES CARPETS INC ......................... 353 THOMAS ALLEN & SON................................... 259 TROPICAL EXPRESSIONS............................... 452 TSC - COUNTRY PRO SERVICES ................336 TSURUMI CANADA............................................ 304 UNITED FLORAL DISTRIBUTORS INC ..... 253 VALLEYBROOK GARDENS (ONTARIO) LTD ....................................................248 VAN BELLE NURSERY INC .............................. 543 VAN NOORT BULB CO LTD ............................ 531 VANHOF AND BLOKKER LTD ........................ 615 VASERIE PLP CANADA LTD............................649 VERADEK INC.......................................................... 631 VRE GREENHOUSE SYSTEMS.................... 630 WATERDALE INC ..................................................1133 WESTLAND GREENHOUSES .......................638 WILLOWBROOK NURSERIES INC............. 130 WINKELMOLEN NURSERY LTD ...................522 WIRECRAFT INTERNATIONAL......................643

LANDSCAPE TRADES SPECIAL PREVIEW | EXPO 2013

2013 Registration Form

Your badge will be available for pickup on-site. PRIORITY CODE: DM13

COMPANY NAME: ____________________________________________________________________________ FIRST NAME: __________________________ LAST NAME: _________________________________________ ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________________________________ CITY: _______________________________ PROV./STATE: ______________ POSTAL/ZIP: ______________ BUSINESS PHONE: ____________________________

BUSINESS FAX: _____________________________

EMAIL: _______________________________________________________________________________________ I am a member of:

m Landscape Ontario m Flowers Canada Retail m Canadian Nursery Landscape Association m Send information on membership with Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association

PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITY: m 1. Owner/Partner/Senior Manager m 2. Supervisor/Manager/Foreman m 3. Sales/Marketing m 4. Administration m 5. Purchasing m 6. Field Technician m 7. Government Official m 8. Teacher m 9. Student m 10. Other : _________________

PRIMARY AREA OF BUSINESS: m 1. Event/meeting planner m 2. Gift store or boutique m 3. Greenhouse grower/operator m 4. Hardware department, mass merchandiser, convenience or discount store m 5. Horticulturist m 6. Interior designer m 7. Interior plantscaper m 8. Landscape contractor m 9. Media m 10. Others allied to the trade m 11. Retail florist m 12. Retail garden centre m 13. Supplier to the trade m 14. Wholesale nursery grower/distributor m 15. School/Institution/Association

Three ways to register ONLINE:

www.loexpo.ca MAIL: Please make cheques payable to Landscape Ontario and mail to: Expo 2013 c/o CONEXSYS, 7050B Bramalea Rd, Unit 34, Mississauga, ON, L5S 1S9 or FAX: (905) 405-9870 or (800) 628-8838 LOCATION INFORMATION: Toronto Congress Centre, North Building 650 Dixon Road, Toronto ON, M9W 1J1 Canada

TICKETED EVENTS INCLUDE TRADE SHOW ADMISSION All fees listed include HST ( #R119005049) EARLY-BIRD RATES Until October 4

AFTER DEADLINE & ON-SITE After October 4

Member Fee

PRE-TRADE SHOW TICKETED FULL DAY EVENT Oct. 22 CONNECTING EDUCATORS Includes: lunch and trade show admission for Oct. 23 & 24 m $99.00 TRADE SHOW PASS OCTOBER 23 & 24 EXPO EXHIBITS ONLY (NO TICKETED EVENTS) Includes: Daily Stage Presentations m $10.00 TICKETED LUNCH EVENT Oct. 23 BUILDING THE FUTURE, Jim Hole Includes: Awards Of Excellence Ceremony trade show admission for Oct. 23 & 24, and daily stage presentations m $55.00 WELCOME RECEPTION EVENT Oct. 23 TOP TEN TIPS, Moderated by Karl Stensson TICKETED LUNCH EVENT Oct. 24 LIVING WALLS AND GREEN ROOFS, Chris Raimondi Includes: trade show admission for Oct. 23 & 24, and daily stage presentations m $55.00 ALL INCLUSIVE PASS Includes: trade show admission Oct. 23 & 24, ticketed lunch event Oct. 23, ticketed lunch event on Oct. 24, welcome reception and daily stage presentations m $90.00

Non-Member Fee

m $99.00

m $129.00

Non-Member Fee

m $129.00

m $15.00

m $20.00

m $75.00

m $65.00

m $85.00

Included with trade show pass

m $75.00

m $130.00

m $65.00

m $110.00

m $85.00

m $150.00

TOTAL $ PAYMENT OPTIONS m Cheque m Master Card

m VISA

m AMEX

CARD #: ___________________________________________________________________ EXP. DATE: _______/_______ CARDHOLDER NAME: ________________________________________________________________________________

Hotel Accommodation Make direct reservations, by September 19, 2013, with your preferred hotel. Quote “Expo 2013” to receive special rates. You may cancel your reservation until 6:00 p.m. on your scheduled arrival day with no penalty. Reservations cancelled after 6:00 p.m. on the scheduled day of arrival or no-shows will be billed one night’s room and tax charges. International Plaza Hotel (formerly Doubletree by Hilton) Rate: $144 Single or Double Reservations: 416-244-1711 655 Dixon Road, Toronto, ON M9W 1J4 Group Code: GARDEN EXPO 2013 Group Name: EXPO 2013 Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport Rate: $115 Single or Double Reservations: 416-675-1234 33 Carlson Court, Toronto, ON M9W 6H5 Group Code: Landscape Expo Radisson Suite Hotel Toronto Airport $125 Deluxe or $145 Executive Deluxe Suite Reservations: 416-242-7400 640 Dixon Road, Toronto, ON M9W 1J1 Group Code: Expo 2013

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: __________________________________________________ DATE: _________________ CHEQUE – Please make cheques payable to ‘Landscape Ontario’ and mail to: EXPO 2013, c/o CONEXSYS, 7050B Bramalea Rd, Unit 34, Mississauga, ON L5S 1S9 or FAX: (905) 405-9870 or (800) 628-8838 Your badge will be available for pickup on-site. REFUND POLICY: No refunds will be issued unless event is cancelled by Landscape Ontario Show Management. EARLY BIRD DEADLINE POLICY: No extensions to the deadline will be granted. EXPO 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES SPECIAL PREVIEW

www.loexpo.ca

newproducts Flower box holders Mide Productsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new flower box holders and corner plant shelves can be used to add potted plants or flower boxes to any fence or deck. The holders fit most wood, chain-link, vinyl or aluminum fences and railings, install in seconds and are easy to move. They require no tools or fasteners that might damage fences. The holders are made of heavy-duty aluminum, with a durable powder coat finish in four standard colors. Mide Products

www.mideproducts.com

Garden hose This all-season, premium water hose (5/8 inch diameter) is available in 50 and 100foot lengths. Its triple layer construction, rayon braided re-enforcement, spring-end protectors, and resistance to UV rays, oil and chemicals, ensure its durability and flexibility. High quality, long-neck, crushproof octagonal couplings and fittings allow for easy connection with any faucet. Kink-resistant and extremely light weight (20 per cent lighter than traditional hoses in the same category).

Fish protector Bird-B-Gone offers the Pond Defender, to protect koi and other fish in garden ponds. An ultraviolet-protected polypropylene disc, the Pond Defender provides protective cover for fish while maintaining the aesthetics of the pond. Each package of Pond Defender features twelve discs that can be snapped together to fit the size and shape of any water garden or pond. The discs create a barely visible ring around the outside edge of the pond or water garden, leaving the centre open while creating cover from predators.

Crispo Canada Inc.

www.crispocanada.com

Bird-B-Gone

www.birdbgone.com

Soil mixes Now available in Canada, Black Gold is one of the most successful garden centre brands in the U.S. Five new Black Gold soil mixes and five new natural and organic garden fertilizers are now available â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all formulated with the highest quality ingredients by professional horticulturists. Sun Gro Horticulture

www.sungro.com

34 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

String trimmer Commercial landscapers have a new 21.2cc professional grade trimmer option from Shindaiwa Outdoor Power Equipment. The T235 design inherits popular traits of the Shindaiwa brand such as a solid shaft drive, comfortable and ergonomically correct grips, premium two-stage air filtration, and full-wrap tank stand. Add to these a 20-inch cutting swath, easy re-loading higher capacity speed-feed 400 head and a high-torque gear box, and the T235 becomes a powerhouse trimmer. Shindaiwa Outdoor Power Equipment

www.shindaiwa-usa.com

PROTERRA TM The next generation of engineered commercial retaining wall systems from OAKS is here! Standard, Double and Triple units bring modular stability to the most challenging projects, while Proterraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available smooth and textured surfaces provide

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beautiful aesthetics in any setting.

Introducing Proterra Wall System TM

Features: Gravity or Grid Designed for mechanically installed walls

OAKS has you covered for Engineering Design Services, too. Visit www.OAKSpavers.com/engineering-services to download a digital, fillable request form.

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1.800.876.OAKS (6257) OAKSpavers.com * PATENT PENDING

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newproducts Mirrored garden trellis This new 3-D Trompe L’oeil garden trellis is made from solid wood. Rounded sections are steam bent, not glued strip laminations, so there are no worries of delamination due to wet weather. Handmade in Ontario, “Trompe L’oeil” means to fool the eye. The mirrored centre adds the illusion of depth and provides a unique focal point to any garden. J and R Enterprises

rgwhite9678@yahoo.ca

Rotating D-rings Buyers Products introduces new rotating D-rings with mounting brackets. The D-rings have a 1-inch diameter and are forged from strong carbon steel with a 15,586-pound working load limit. The rings are ideal for use on side rails and decks of heavy equipment trailers, and they rotate to provide the best angle to secure loads. Application load limits may vary per installation. The rotating D-rings are not designed for overhead use. Buyers Products

www.buyersproducts.com

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Walk-behind drop spreader TurfEx introduces the TS95 walk-behind drop spreader that distributes material in a controlled pattern to reduce waste and prevent material from being applied to unwanted areas. The TS95 features a corrosion-resistant, polyethylene hopper with a 120-pound capacity. It can spread a variety of granular materials including fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide and seed in a 28 inch-wide pattern. Equipped with large pneumatic tires, the TS95 requires minimal effort to push on any terrain. TurfEx

www.turfexproducts.com

 “Genuine Clay Brick Pavers”-

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36 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Chain saw Echo Power Equipment (Canada) introduces its CS-620P, a 59.8cc high power professional chain saw targeted to arborists, loggers and professional firewood operations. The CS-620P is based on the proven CS-600P, but with a modified engine to produce 13 per cent more power. Available in 18-, 20-, 24-, and 27-inch bar lengths. A companion model, the CS-620PW, features a wrap handle to give the user more options when felling a tree. Other user-friendly features include: tool-less air filter cover, G-Force Engine Air Pre-cleaner, two-piece air filter and LT see-through fuel tank. ECHO Power Equipment (Canada)

www.echo.ca 36 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

GROW YOUR PROFITS WITH SMART & STYLISH SHRUBS FROM THE EXPERTS AT HGTV

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cnlanews Let’s celebrate National Tree Day! CNLA members, like many Canadians, are getting ready to celebrate National Tree Day on Wednesday, September 25. Members across the country are participating in a variety of ways, from holding sales to planting trees. Many will be visiting their local schools and community centres to lead a planting demonstration, teaching the proper care and benefits of trees. A map of participating members has been posted on the CNLA website at www.cnla-acpp.ca/nationaltreeday. If you would like to have your event listed, simply register online or email Anne Bowering at anne@cnla-acpp.ca. Registering your event also gives you access to Tree Canada’s National Tree Day contest, for a chance to win a grant for your community. If you are interested in holding a planting demonstration and would like to be connected with a school in your area, let us know and we will help to match you up. Tree Canada has prepared a raft of materials to help you lead a successful event; visit www.nationaltreeday.ca for more information. This will be Canada’s third National Tree Day. Created in 2011, when a private member’s bill was passed in the House of Commons, it is a day set aside each year to celebrate the many benefits that trees provide. Let’s celebrate together and show Canadians that trees matter!

Fall certification opportunities Ever wondered how you could set your company apart from the competition? Consider having your staff Landscape Industry Certified. Don’t worry if you missed the summer test dates, there are lots of exam dates scheduled this

SUPPLYING YOU MORE THAN JUST SALT AT THE RIGHT PLACE, THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE RIGHT SERVICE. Visit www.saltdepot.ca for a list of new products and services or call 905.479.1177 | 416.399.2006 (24 hrs)

38 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

fall across the country. Register now for early bird pricing and extra preparation time. September 26 to 27, Kemptville, Ont. October 18 to 19, Langley, B.C. October 31 to November 1, Milton, Ont. October 23, Garden and Floral Expo, Toronto, Ont. (written exams only) November 1 to 2, Truro, N.S. November 20, HortEast, Moncton, N.B. (written exams only)

Free business listing on HGTV.ca CNLA and casaGURU have partnered to offer members a FREE business listing on casaGURU.com and its partner sites. This is a great way to promote your residential landscaping services or garden centre to homeowners actively searching for landscaping pros using the Find-a-Pro service on www.HGTV.ca, which reaches 3.4 million Canadians. This opportunity is exclusive to CNLA members as HGTV will not list any businesses other than those from its partner casaGURU, and casaGURU will only list CNLA members in the landscaping pro category. Add your business today by calling casaGURU at 1-877-798-9771 or emailing cnla-offer@casaguru.com. More information is available at www.cnla-acpp.ca/casaguru.

P.E.I. or bust for Pink Days in Bloom Landscape New Brunswick and Landscape PEI executive director Jim Landry cycled across P.E.I. earlier this summer. His goal was to raise $3,000 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Atlantic Region in support of Pink Days in Bloom. Through the generous support of industry members across the country, he surpassed that goal! CNLA extends its congratulations to Jim and thanks to all LPEI members who helped along the way, including Ian Simmons of Kool Breeze Farms, in Summerside, and Red Oak Landscaping of Winsloe. There are many Special thanks to Mike Gallant (right) of Beyond the Garden Landscaping in Rustico, P.E.I., who dropped Jim off ways you can take at one end of the island and picked him up at the other. part in Pink Days in Bloom. Every week pick a pink-blooming plant and promote it, with a portion of sales going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation; host a garden party or tour and charge admission; have a barbecue; or plant a pink-blooming tree for National Tree Day. These are just some of the things you could do to bring awareness to this great cause. For more information, check out the LT Pink Days in Bloom page on Facebook. The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is the federation of Canada’s provincial horticultural trade associations. Visit www.cnla-acpp.ca for more information. 38 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Free 5 years Extended Warranty*

23 HP Kubota Diesel • 2 Range HS • 2WD or 4WD Selectable • 745 lbs loader lift capacity 6' Backhoe digging depth • Higher ground clearance for easy trailer loading

QUALITY BUILT. PRECISION MADE. Hurry! Sale ends soon.

*Available at participating dealers. $299 is calculated based on an MSRP of $20746.00 and a down payment or trade of $2806.00 with 0% financing for 60 months. 5 Years free extended warranty is standard for this promotion and valid for a limited time. Minimum 10% down payment required to qualify for 0% financing. MSRP of $20,746.00, price include Turf Tires R3 18x8.5-10 R3 OTR Bias SR and 26x12.00-12 R3OTR Bias SR. **Freight, PDI, registration, dealers fees and applicable taxes not included. Offer applies on BX25D only. Dealer may sell for less. Quantities limited, dealer order or dealer trade may be required. See dealer for more details. Offer ends October 31, 2013. OAC means On Approved Credit.

newfoundlandandlabradorupdate Landscape Trades devotes space in each issue to provincial association news. This issue features news from Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador. Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador has had a busy 2013 so far. With a new executive, changes on the political scene and new ventures in member services, LNL’s directors have been hard at work. In April, LNL bid farewell to its president, Doreen Layman of Mr. Turf in St. John’s, and welcomed Jeannette French of Daisy Design, St. Phillips, to the helm. French has big plans for the province, and wasted no time in taking to her new role. As chair of the National Certification Committee, she has placed a renewed focus on certification, along with Red Seal, in an effort to continue professionalizing the industry. This comes at a good time as we see an increase in the number of new landscape maintenance start-ups. Certification and Red Seal Endorsements are a way to set a business apart from the competition. French has also introduced a new program for

SINCE

1962

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

Fall is Coming! Special discounts on wire baskets bought by the skid. We also have burlap liners, sisal rope and plastic twine.

 40 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

cessfully challenged the Landscape Horticulture Red Seal exam in Newfoundland and Labrador. While the industry is prepared to mentor new apprentices, the announcement for the Landscape Horticulture Apprenticeship Program remains on hold. Recent provincial budget cuts have forced the College of the North Atlantic to reassess its trades program offerings. LNL is continuing to impress upon the college the importance of the program and the economic value of the industry, while reaching out to alternative educational institutions Doreen Layman, past president of Landscape who may be interested in filling the gap. Newfoundland and Labrador, presents the association’s Pink Days in Bloom, in support of the Canadian Award of Excellence to LNL’s current president, Breast Cancer Foundation–Atlantic, continues to Jeannette French of Daisy Design. be a major campaign for garden centres across member recruitment. Each week, a member of the the province. Promoting social responsibility, buildboard and LNL’s executive director will meet with ing community profile and encouraging employee a potential member to discuss the many benefits participation makes hosting the event a win-winLNL and CNLA have to offer. The executive commit- win. This year, there are 14 garden centre events tee is also working on a new menu of services for scheduled. Follow this year’s schedule on Faceexisting members, intended to increase the value of book by searching Pink Days in Bloom. Landscape membership and to take the association closer to NL is proud to be part of such a successful enbecoming a self-sustaining entity. New services will deavour and we are thrilled that Landscape Nova include social media training and support, business Scotia and Landscape New Brunswick/Prince Eddevelopment services, and a new B2B program. ward Island have joined us. Details will be announced later this year. LNL partnered with MUN Botanical Garden, On the political front, the provincial Department Friends of the Garden and NL Horticulture Society of Environment and Conservation has a new min- to host the first annual Mystery Garden Tour on ister. Since his appointment, the Hon. Tom Hed- August 3 and 4. This tour featured 12 metro-area derson has met with LNL informally on several gardens of varying sizes, styles and themes, as occasions. Not only did he attend the 2012 Atlan- well as five garden centre destinations within the tic Green Forum last fall and perform a tree plant- same geographic area. A Gala Launch was held ing on Arbor Day on August 2 at MUN Botanical Garden. The planning June 3, he presented committee is already talking about a tour in spring LNL with the Environ2014, with possible destinations outside of metromental Award for Inpolitan St. John’s. Sponsorship opportunities are dustry Leader during still available. Contact Sherry Ryan at LNL, 855Environment Week. 872-8722, or Liz Klose at MUN Botanical Garden, Minister Hedderson 709-864-3326. has invited the assoThe Atlantic Green Forum and Design Charciation to meet with rette is scheduled for October 20 to 22. This year’s him later this year theme is Green Building – Inside and Out. Speakto discuss enforceers this year include documentary filmmaker, ment of legislation, writer and meteorologist Richard Zurawski; Ted integrated pest manCallanan of Memorial University’s Department of agement practices, Psychology; and Neil Dawe from Tract Consulting. LNL received a provincial climate change and For the second time, the conference will include environment award in June, 2013 green infrastructure. a design charrette. This portion of the conference LNL recently spoke at the Municipalities NL an- was a huge success in 2012 and municipalities nual symposium on integrating green space in all are vying for the opportunity to participate. municipal development plans. To keep up to date on all the happenings, follow LT More than a dozen trade qualifiers have suc- us on Twitter @LandscapeNL. 40 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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