Green for Life July/August 2014

A Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association member publication

July/August 2014 Vol. 2, No. 4

The Price of Arrogance Employee Incentives: Not Just How, But Why

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Advancing the professional landscape industry.

MANAGING EDITOR | Nigel Bowles LAYOUT & PRODUCTION | Kyla McKechnie EDITOR | Marnie Main ADVERTISING | Erynn Watson

Landscape Alberta Green for Life is a professional publication for the landscape trade in Alberta.

Editorial and Advertising Landscape Alberta 200, 10331 - 178 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1R5 P: 780-489-1991 F: 780-444-2152 admin@landscape-alberta.com

Landscape Alberta does not assume responsibility for and does not endorse the contents of any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Landscape Alberta or its members.

Material may not be reprinted from this magazine without the consent of Landscape Alberta.

ISSN No: 1929-7114 (print) ISSN N0: 1929-7122 (online)

Landscape Alberta Board of Directors Chris Brown, CRS Brown Landscape Services Ltd., Chair Brian Gibson, Green Drop Lawns Ltd., Vice Chair

Arnold van de Ligt, Manderley Turf Products Inc., Treasurer Cody Brown, Tree to Tree Nurseries Ltd.

Phil Paxton, Alpha Better Landscaping Inc. Jordan Voogd, Sunstar Nurseries Ltd.

John van Roessel, JVR Landscape (2006) Inc.

July 5 – 11, 2014 Hort Week University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK ccde.usask.ca/hortweek July 19, 2014 Landscape Saskatchewan Annual Softball Tournament CanLan Ice Sports Centre, Saskatoon, SK Contact Chelsea at chelsea@cnla-acpp.ca July 21 – 25, 2014 Hort Week Olds College, Olds, AB www.oldscollege.ca

July 28 – 29, 2014 IPM in Practice Workshop Olds College, Olds, AB ipminpractice.eventbrite.ca

August 15, 2014 Landscape Alberta Nursery Growers Group Educational Bus Tour Niagara, ON lagrowerstour2014.eventbrite.ca September 10, 2014 Olds College Fall Golf Classic Olds Golf Course, Olds, AB www.oldscollege.ca/golf

September 16, 2014 Landscape Ontario Snow and Ice Conference and Expo Landscape Ontario Head Office, Milton, ON www.snowandiceexpo.ca September 30 – October 2, 2014 Canadian Urban Forest Conference Victoria, BC www.cufc11.ca

October 1 -2, 2014 Canwest Horticulture Show Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC www.canwesthortshow.com

Anita Heuver, Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd. Landscape Alberta Staff Joel Beatson, Executive Director joel.beatson@landscape-alberta.com

Marnie Main, Member Services Director member.services@landscape-alberta.com Erynn Watson, Member Services Assistant erynn.watson@landscape-alberta.com Valerie Stobbe, Trade Show Coordinator valerie.stobbe@landscape-alberta.com

Kyla McKechnie, Admin Assistant & Communications admin@landscape-alberta.com Cheryl Teo, Bookkeeper accounting@landscape-alberta.com

On the Cover Photo Credit: Heritage Tree Foundation of Alberta

Employee Incentives: Not Just How, But Why, Page 7 The Price of Arrogance, Page 12

Follow us on Twitter @landscapeab Green for Life July/August 2014 I 3

Industry and Association News...

Landscape Alberta Announces New Executive Director On behalf of the Landscape Alberta Board of Directors, we are pleased to announce that Joel Beatson, CAE, has been hired as the Association’s new Executive Director. Joel will begin his duties as Executive Director in July 2014 replacing Nigel Bowles, who is retiring at the end of June.

Joel will be familiar to many Landscape Alberta members as he is currently the Manager of Industry and Professional Development with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA), one of several positions he has held over the past 11 years. Prior to joining the CNLA, he was the Marketing & Communication Coordinator for Flowers Canada. He will be moving from Ontario back to his home province of Alberta in June.

Joel brings to the position an extensive understanding of the landscape and nursery sectors and he has a proven track record dealing with industry human resource issues. He has also been involved with numerous political issues at the federal level, which will be an advantage when dealing with municipal and provincial officials.

"This is a very exciting opportunity and I look forward to helping build on the amazing foundation that is Landscape Alberta, and continue to grow both the industry and the association," says Joel.

Joel holds a Certified Association Executive (CAE) certificate from the Canadian Society of Association Executives and is a Landscape Industry Certified Manager with a degree in Communication Studies from the University of Windsor.

City of Edmonton Tree Planting Demonstration On May 29, the City of Edmonton’s Forestry Department held a tree planting demonstration at Floden Park to demonstrate the standards that must be adhered to by landscape contractors and nurseries who provide trees and planting services to the city.

Forestry Department personnel planted trees and answered questions, ensuring open communication about the planting standards. Approximately 60 participants were on site to learn what the Forestry department and its inspectors are looking for to ensure proper tree survival. Having this firsthand knowledge will reduce the number of tree rejections at the time of inspection and will ensure the viability of Edmonton’s tree canopy for years to come.

City of Edmonton Forestry Department Reorganization The City of Edmonton’s Parks and Forestry departments are undergoing a reorganization and will be integrated into the Sustainable Development Urban Parks & Biodiversity

4 I Green for Life July/August 2014

Parkland Developer Services department. The new department recently held an information sharing session with developers and landscape contractors and specifically addressed the parks and forestry inspection process. Several changes are being introduced in 2014 that are designed to alleviate some of the past issues relating to the Construction Completion Certificate (CCC) and Facility Acceptance Certificate (FAC). Please contact us for a CCC and FAC inspection briefing note. At the meeting, Landscape Alberta Executive Director, Nigel Bowles, gave a well-received presentation about our association and, more specifically, the nursery growers sector.

Explore Tree Diversity in Edmonton Using yegTreeMap The City of Edmonton has launched a new interactive public tree registry through the Root for Trees initiative.

yegTreeMap is an online map database of trees in Edmonton.

Individuals, community groups, and government can collaboratively create an accurate and informative inventory of the trees in their communities on both public and private property.

Some suggestions for how you can use yegTreeMap: • Add trees in your yard, near your home or in your neighbourhood and help create a more complete inventory of trees in Edmonton.

• Log stewardship activities for trees that you care for.

• Looking for edible fruit trees on public property? You can search for individual tree species using yegTreeMap. • Did you receive an Arbor Day Tree when you were in Grade 1? Upload a photo and share the story of your Arbor Day Tree using yegTreeMap at http://bit.ly/1jIpY5C.

For more information: http://bit.ly/QmQN3D yegTreeMap: www.opentreemap.org/edmonton

National Turf Producers Subcommittee CNLA has recently formed a national committee focused on the needs of turf producers across Canada. Currently operating as a subcommittee under Growers Canada, this group has been holding monthly conference calls in 2014 to develop a national strategy for the sector.

The subcommittee is concentrating on two key items for 2014: finding funding opportunities for members in the sector; and researching and communicating the benefits of turf.

If you have any questions about the Turf Producers Subcommittee, or would like to participate, please contact Julia Ricottone at the CNLA office: julia@cnla-acpp.ca.

Import / Export of Barberry: CFIA Notice Due to problems with the identity of plants labelled as the Aurea Nana variety of Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) imported from the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has voluntarily suspended export certification of all Aurea Nana plants from the United States to Canada. The suspension will remain in place until the issues with this variety have been resolved; it is not known at this time how long this will take.

For any questions, please contact: Élizabeth Powles Horticulture Specialist, Canadian Food Inspection Agency Phone: 613-773-7171 Email: elizabeth.powles@inspection.gc.ca

Late Blight Over the last few years, there has been a great deal of concern in Alberta surrounding a serious disease called Late Blight that mainly affects potatoes and tomatoes.

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (AARD) recognizes that there is a potential threat of yet another outbreak in 2014. In order to try and protect those crop industries in Alberta that could be hurt by Late Blight, and to prevent a repeat of past outbreaks, AARD is committed to increasing awareness of the symptoms and management strategies amongst commercial potato, tomato and bedding plant growers and suppliers, as well as both home and market gardeners.

Educational materials have been prepared detailing the symptoms and general management practices for Late Blight in order to assist you in dealing with this disease. Visit http://bit.ly/QmOSMx for more information and posters on this disease.

If you come across a suspect plant sample, please feel free to contact AARD at 310-FARM (3276) or email robert.spencer@gov.ab.ca for assistance in diagnosis.

Photo Credit: Dr. Khalil Al-Mughrabi, Gov’t of New Brunswick

Late Blight is a community disease, with the potential to infect various types of plants in the tomato/potato family in fields and gardens across the province. Everyone’s participation is required to create a broad public awareness of Late Blight and to successfully manage this disease.

Garden Centres - a Great Contest for your Customers this Fall!

Garden Centres Canada has teamed up with Canada Blooms for the third year in a row to offer members the chance to hold a contest that sends one lucky winner to the next show in style (Canada Blooms is held in early spring). The grand prize winner is treated to three nights at the Intercontinental Hotel, VIA rail passes for two, and daily tickets to the show. This year's contest kicked-off on the May long weekend and runs until October 31, 2014 – still lots of time to get your garden centre signed up. Register your garden centre and give your customers the chance to win a wonderful gardener’s getaway to Canada Blooms!

It’s easy! Register with the CNLA and display the contest poster in your store. Customers simply use your code (provided upon registration with the CNLA) and enter online at the Canada Blooms website.

For information, visit www.cnla-acpp.ca/gardencentrecontest.

Green for Life July/August 2014 I 5

Landscape Alberta Members Help Rebuild Ball Diamonds in High River

Working with the Town of High River Parks Department, Landscape Alberta members helped to restore three baseball diamonds in the Town of High River on May 14, 2014, just in time for minor ball season to begin.

After the flood waters receded last year, the town was left with only one functional baseball diamond. Landscape Alberta and its members committed to providing assistance in rebuilding three baseball diamonds on school grounds in High River: Senator Riley School, Spitzee Elementary School and Ecole Joe Clark School.

“We are extremely grateful to Jays Care Foundation and Landscape Alberta for restoring our diamonds,” said Marlene Nanaquewetung, president of High River Minor Ball Association.

“Because of their help, our league is able to continue offering programs for High River youth.”

A group of Landscape Alberta member businesses volunteered their time, equipment and supplies to this restoration effort spreading new shale for the infields, and aerating and seeding the grass outfields.

The Town of High River received $25,000.00 from the Toronto Blue Jays to help rejuvenate these ball diamonds and ensure kids have a place to play.

We would like to send a huge thank you to the members who helped us on this project. Thank you to Cervus Equipment (Calgary), Wheatland Trees Ltd., 5 Star Trees Ltd. and Bos Scapes Inc. for supplying equipment and manpower to this effort. Also, a thank you to Manderley Turf Products Inc. for supplying the grass seed.

6 I Green for Life July/August 2014

Employee Incentives:

By Mark Bradley The hiring turnstile. That feeling in your stomach as you leave a jobsite bracing yourself for all the things that might go wrong when you take your eyes off the job. That overwhelming frustration of pouring most of your waking hours and energy into a business that doesn’t deliver anything close to the potential you know exists. Sound familiar?

Years ago, we realized that training was a priority if we were going to keep growing. I had too much on my plate, our jobs had too many mistakes, we burned through too many new hires — yet the solution to these problems kept coming back to the same thing: I needed to train my staff more and better if I was going to make this business bigger than myself.

My business was my life. It was how I provided for my family. It’s my future, it may be my children’s future, and I spent most of my waking life thinking about, living and breathing our company. But for my staff, it was not the same. Understandably, for them, this was just a job. Just a way to a paycheque. And all our talk of getting bigger, better, more profitable… it just wasn’t delivering the results I knew it should. The problem though, was obvious.

We were teaching our crews how to do their jobs better, but we were failing to show them why to do their jobs better.

And so we did. We implemented on-the-job training to build new skills in our crews.

We sought out and employed the best subcontractors we could find so we could watch and re-create the systems they used for efficient work or craftsmanship. We implemented, and still use today, an online training program for every staff member that comes aboard to cover the basics of safety, construction orientation, and PPE, as well as courses that taught the language and culture of problem solving and waste elimination.

We saw a difference almost immediately. We quickly grew stronger. I could delegate more.

I could take on more work and bigger jobs without the fear I used to have when I left the jobsite. We were getting better, but we were still lacking something.

Green for Life July/August 2014 I 7

Proper training will solve problems, but it can’t solve the underlying problem that robs companies of their true potential: motivation. If we were going to build a successful business, stop the hiring turnstile, and improve profits on productivity, then there was no other option. We had to show our staff why all this talk about productivity was important to them, not just to our business.

•

Over the years, we’ve been developing and refining a multitiered approach to employee incentives. Some rewards are financial. Others are not. Combined, they work together to create a culture that rewards high achievers and frustrates (and drives out) poor performers.

Going into this season, ask yourself one simple question: If you worked for your company, why would you work harder, faster and better? What’s in it for you?

Many company owners I’ve met spend more time and energy worrying about how to stop breaking a $50 shovel than how to motivate their staff. But with just a 10% improvement in productivity, you could afford to buy your crews new shovels every day. You wouldn’t… but you could.

•

I don’t believe there is one right answer to this question, and I will share just some of the tools that help us: • Attract superior talent • Produce industry-leading revenue per man hour • Retain and develop long-term employees ŽŶƐƚƌ͘ &ŽƌĞŵĂŶ ; ŝŐ ƌĞǁͿ

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Create a flowchart showing how employees can advance within your company. It inspires your employees along a path toward career growth, and helps you plan to profit from investing in human talent.

Financial motivators • Standardize your wages. Get rid of annual reviews and arbitrary raises and create defined roles in your company. Show the paths to advancement (e.g.

Labourer C, $15/hr.; Labourer B, $17/hr.; Labourer A, $18/hr., etc.). Define your expectations for what it takes to move up the ladder: certification, education,

8 I Green for Life July/August 2014

field-proven skills, clean driving record, perfect safety record, etc. Show your staff the opportunities within your company and define for them how they can progress towards their goal.

Go to salary for better stability. Consider moving key field staff to an annual salary. Seasonal layoffs or reduced income force good staff to look to other trades for more predictable employment compensation. If you’re an upstanding, responsible person trying to build a future and raise a family, you’re going to need job with a predictable, stable income. Talk it over with key staff and agree on a salary based on a conservative estimate of hours worked multiplied by their hourly rate, and make up the difference if you’ve overworked or underworked them at the end of the year.

Bonuses and incentives. Have a bonus/incentive program linked to company success. Keep it simple.

I can’t stress that enough. Our program is based more or less on two simple metrics that are easy to measure, and easy for staff to control: sales and field wages. We have a clear sales goal and we have a clear percentage of sales that we can afford in field wages. If crews beat their production (produced revenue) goal without overspending on wages (as a percentage, not a flat number), it’s bonus time. It’s not a perfect system, but it is perfectly simple. At almost any time of the year, I can pull a very accurate sales and field wage spending report. That’s all we need to know whether we’re tracking to meet, beat, or fall short of our goals.

Give them a future. Offer a pension contribution plan. Most banks and major investment houses will help you set up a company pension plan where your employees can contribute pre-tax income directly off their paycheques. Match their contributions up to a maximum that grows each year. Have your investment agent show your staff what it takes to retire a millionaire. It’s not as much as you and your staff might think. You’ll attract/motivate people who see their future tied to our industry and improve your retention rates.

Paid vacations. Pay your vendors with credit cards (but pay your cards promptly!). Collect travel points.

Attract new, key staff with a paid vacation benefit, or reward your best performers with a pair of flights anywhere in North America during your down season.

Other motivators • Share your goals for company growth. Growth and profitability are not just important to you, they are critical to staff who want opportunities to advance in rank and pay. Stagnant companies can’t offer promotions and raises. Employees see nothing but a dead-end, the same job every morning with no hope for anything greater.

• A scoreboard. Put 12 guys out on a pond to play hockey and they’ll have a blast. Put 12 guys in an

•

•

arena with some fans in the stands and a working scoreboard, and they’re ready to kill each other just so their number can be bigger than the other guys’ number at the end of the game. We use our mobile timekeeping system to show our staff real-time, up-to-the-minute estimated vs. actual hours on every job. When everyone knows “the score,” everyone starts playing to win. It’s simple.

Training and education. Through on-the-job training, industry training events, and online training, we want to offer our staff opportunities to build their skills. It gives them a chance to move ahead in this industry and in my company. It gives our company the opportunity to promote from within. Key roles are assumed by current staff who already know our systems, know our procedures, and know our expectations, rather than trying to fill these roles with other companies’ castoffs.

Company events. BBQs, a company team in a beer hockey league, pro hockey tickets, Christmas parties, a company golf tournament, foreman dinners… Once a quarter, try to host some kind of special event for some/all of your staff to reward and reinforce your direction, your progress, and opportunities available in your company.

Showcase your expertise and creativity...

Enter the 2014 Landscape Awards

Entry forms and guides are available online at www.landscape-alberta.com (open to Active members of Landscape Alberta).

Entry Deadline: October 17, 2014

For more information, contact Kyla McKechnie admin@landscape-alberta.com 780-489-1991 or 1-800-378-3198

Reprinted with permission from Landscape Trades magazine.

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Tips for Employers: Employing Young Workers

Did you know?

• Approximately 7,600 young workers aged 15-24 report on-the-job injuries each year.

• On average each year, 5 workers aged 15-24 die in workplace incidents and an additional 5 die in work-related motor vehicle incidents.

• Over 50% of young workers reported they had not received training before starting a new task.* • Young workers get hurt when they: • do jobs they aren’t trained to do • don’t have adequate supervision • work with hazardous equipment • Employers can be subject to a fine of up to $500,000 and/or a jail term if they don’t comply with • Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and regulations. *Source: Industrial Accident Prevention Association, Ontario

Employers – It’s Your Job Creating a safe workplace takes more than a handout or a video clip at your monthly staff meeting. It’s an everyday commitment. Here are 10 ways to make health and safety a priority in the workplace: • Spend ample time training young and new workers • Provide regular safety training for your supervisors • Lead by example – demonstrate safe work habits • Regularly check that your company’s safety procedures are followed • Provide protective equipment and devices • Teach workers to report illnesses and injuries immediately • Teach workers to report anything that could be hazardous • Keep your workplace health and safety programs up-to-date • Stay aware of the hazards in your workplace and how to handle them • Respond promptly to all health and safety concerns

Adolescents can work a maximum of 2 hours on a school day, a maximum of 8 hours on a non-school day, but cannot work between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Adolescents must be paid at least minimum wage.

Young persons between 15 and 18 years of age Young persons cannot be employed between midnight and 6 a.m. in any retail store selling food or beverage, a retail business selling gasoline or other petroleum products, or in a hotel, or motel.

Young persons may be employed in other workplaces between midnight and 6 a.m. if they work continuously with someone at least 18 years of age and a parent or guardian has provided the employer with written consent.

The law says that employers have direct responsibility for the health and safety of their workers.

For more information about the law and health and safety for young workers, take a look at our X-Treme Safety: A Survival Guide for New and Young Workers at the Workplace Health and Safety website at www.worksafe.alberta.ca.

Source: Work Safe Alberta

Minimum Age Requirements for Working in Alberta Employers need to know the minimum age requirements for working in Alberta. Be sure to ask your potential employees for identification to verify their age.

Adolescents between 12 and 14 years old Adolescents may be employed to make deliveries for a retail store, deliver newspapers or flyers, work as a clerk in an office or retail store, or perform certain jobs in the restaurant and food services industry.

The employer requires written consent from a parent or guardian before an adolescent can begin working.

For any other type of work, permission from the Director of Employment Standards must be obtained in addition to written parental consent before employing an adolescent. For more information, visit www.worksafe.alberta.ca.

Green for Life July/August 2014 I 11

ARROGANCE The Price of

Arrogance is defined as the lack of humility, and humility is defined as being teachable. Being teachable has many rewards, and arrogance has many costs. Of all the sins that we can possess, arrogance is the most expensive. I write that not because I read it, but because I have paid the price for arrogance, and I have benefited by being teachable. The human experience is a shared experience.

Several years ago, the greenhouse and garden centre operators of Saskatchewan gathered in a hotel conference room in Saskatoon. We had brought in an expert on growing hanging baskets from Ohio, at great expense. She was a brilliant speaker with a colourful slide presentation highlighting her speaking points. Seated ahead of us was a grower who, each time our guest speaker made a point, would “beak off.” He always had what he though was a clever retort.

The mood in the room was uncomfortable. People were shifting in their seats. It reached a breaking point. The fellow seated beside me tapped the interrupter on the shoulder, saying, “Why don’t you let her speak without commenting?”

It may have sounded as if it was a suggestion, but that was his Canadian way of saying, “Shut Up!” The interrupter’s response was “I would, if she knew what she was talking about.”

The room went silent. We were in shock. Finally, one of the members said to the speaker, “Please continue. We are enjoying your presentation. There will be no more interruptions.” Her seminar continued and it was filled with valuable information.

12 I Green for Life July/August 2014

By Rod McDonald

Sometimes, a story just writes itself. It was not too long before the rude greenhouse operator was bankrupt, blaming the demise on the price of natural gas. Not once did he take responsibility for losing his company, because he thought he knew everything. Arrogance is costly.

I can tell that story about a seminar in Saskatoon, a story about someone from my province, but it is also a universal story, one that occurs in all locations and all professions. A few years ago, I was in Toronto for the annual gathering of the trade. I was in a seminar room along with many others. Across the room, there was a fellow who had a smirk on his face. He caught my attention, and I watched his body language as the seminar began. I thought to myself, this chap’s behaviour would be similar to my story above. He did not disappoint.

When the question and answer part of the seminar was opened up, there he was, holding court. In essence, the subject was how smart he was in comparison to the rest of the room. The question needed to be asked: Why was he there, if he was already smarter than everyone else?

It is easy to listen to advice from someone we hold in high esteem. It is more difficult to listen to people who we do not really care for, and to dismiss them. Yet, I learned very useful information regarding soil-less mixes and fertilizer selections from two different people, who were not my cup of tea. I did not have a great deal of respect for either of those two people but they were the ones who, when I followed their suggestions, increased my success. Sometimes, we have to get past the messenger in order to hear the message.

We need to learn and to keep our learning ability alive no

matter how successful we are in our careers. Learning and adapting is a lifelong endeavour. I used to subscribe to a men’s health journal, a monthly, four-page newsletter for those of us who possess the XY chromosome. One contributor was a highly respected urologist. In an article, the doctor talked about the ability to learn. He told the readers how he was not surprised that his success improved after completing a thousand surgeries. He had expected that improvement.

What he was surprised to learn, was that his surgical success rate increased after he had carried out two thousand surgeries. And as his career approached the three thousand mark, his success rate was higher, yet again. He said he had gotten better by paying attention to what worked and what didn’t. He was not arrogant. He embraced learning, and that is what each of us in the green trades must do as well, if we wish to increase our success.

I found that in my twenties, I was a good sales person. I could speak well and sold people on myself. In my forties, my sales ability increased considerably, because I stopped selling customers on myself and started to listen to their needs. Sales always increase when needs are met. As I grew older, I came to realize that salespeople often talk themselves out of sales as often as into them. No one enjoys arrogance in a doctor, and no one is thrilled with arrogance in a sales person. In both situations, the patient or customer wants to be looked after.

Several years ago, I was sitting in a mediator’s office with my lawyer. I was suing the City of Regina for allowing golf balls from their course to crash through my glass greenhouse. The

court had ordered us to mediation. My lawyer told me he had been in the same room a few weeks earlier. He was representing a woman who had filed a suit against her surgeon. Her ask was for $50,000. As mediation began, the surgeon told his patient, “How dare you waste my time by dragging me down here? Don’t you know who I am?” My lawyer knew as soon as those words were spoken, that there would be a price to be paid for the surgeon’s arrogance. The client immediately announced she was amending her suit from $50,000 to $200,000! The surgeon’s insurance company was not thrilled with his outburst. Arrogance is costly.

“The longer we stay in the trade, the more set in our ways we can become. It has taken so much effort to get where we are, that we are reluctant to embrace a new way of doing things, or an alternative approach.”

I have had a great stock broker/financial advisor. She looks after my account and pays great attention to detail. In short, I am satisfied. My banker wanted me to meet “their” guy. Just listen to what he has to say. No problem. I am always willing to listen. “Their” guy spent the first 15 minutes telling me how smart he was. Never asked me a single question about who I was or my needs, goals or aspirations. Some sales people talk

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Green for Life July/August 2014 I 13

themselves out of sales more often than into them. If you or I or anyone else is really, To finish off this column with a somewhat sad, really smart or talented, we don’t need others to tell them. They will figure that out on yet funny story, I return to the seminar their own. situation, which is a wonderful place to improve skills and to learn. There was a The longer we stay in the trade, the more set in our ways we can become. It has taken seminar leader, teaching us communication so much effort to get where we are, that we are reluctant to embrace a new way of techniques to be utilized with our customers, doing things, or an alternative approach. If we form that wall of reluctance, we close staff and suppliers. The speaker was ourselves off from a changing world. There was a successful greenhouse operator north wonderful, and he backed up his assertions of Regina, in the seventies and eighties. By the time 1992 arrived, his loyal clientele with research. All but one of us were was dissolving at an alarming rate. He came by my place to cry on my shoulder. He fascinated with his information. The one who uttered the all-too-common lament, “People are no longer loyal as they once were.” I was not impressed was another grower who suggested that if he made a few changes, he might win them back and some new thought he knew everything. With each piece customer as well. “What changes?” he demanded. I pointed out that he was still of information, the grower would respond growing his bedding plants in dirt and using paper pots, and most customers were with a comment. The speaker was reluctant to accept that format. “But that’s the way I have always done it!” One more exasperated. He said, dripping with a great time, the story writes itself with no happy ending. deal of sarcasm, “Hey, you’re really good. Do you want to come up here and finish the seminar?” I was sitting with Ron Johnson from Keon Garden Centre out of Moose Jaw. Ron turned to me and said, “Oh no! That was the wrong person to say that to.” Sure enough, the grower left his chair, goes up to the stage, takes the microphone and proceeds to provide the audience with a bizarre lecture.

There are some people you just can’t insult, no matter how hard you try. It took us several minutes to convince the grower that he needed to sit down and allow the seminar leader to continue.

Being teachable is a very important habit to develop in a changing world, where any one of us can fall behind and never recover if vigilance is not maintained. Humility keeps us on the road to success.

Reprinted with permission from Landscape Trades magazine.

New Members Welcome to our

Elite Lawn & Snow Inc. Darin Thera 10933A 166A Street Edmonton, AB T5P 3V4 Phone: (780) 758-7669 Fax: (780) 758-7670 elitelawnandsnow@outlook.com www.elitelawnandsnow.net Final Grade Tree Nursery Inc. Ken & Tammy Ludwig 50168 Range Road 244A Leduc County, AB T4X 0P3 Phone: (780) 818-3000 ludwig.ken01@gmail.com www.finalgradetrees.com 14 I Green for Life July/August 2014

NEW PRODUCTS

Distressed Wooden Display Unit This distressed wooden display unit has ample display area with 6 trays. Get creative with your signage using the two chalkboards at the top. Great for giftware or plants, it’s sturdy, double sided for center displays, and folds up for ease of storage when not in use. It measures 50 1/4”H x 37 ¾”L x 13”W. Florists Supply Ltd. Contact: Colleen Hemmingway, (780) 424-4576 Ext 302 or Toll Free (800) 465-8878 Ext 302 www.floristssupply.com

Prairie Skyrise Aspen - Populus tremuloides 'Prairie Skyrise' PBR4582 PPAF Fast growing, upright columnar form with very compact branching habit and deep green foliage. Leafs out earlier than Swedish Aspen. Golden yellow fall colour. Excellent for screens and windbreaks.

Perfect for small yards. Best in a moist, well-drained soil. Full sun to partial shade.

Ht: 12-15m Sp: 1.5-2.1m. Zone 2.

Bron & Sons Nursery Co. Ltd. Contact: (800) 831-9611 www.bronandsons.com

Weigela Maroon Swoon™ One look at the extravagant maroon blooms, and this new Weigela will make your heart beat a little faster. Maroon Swoon™ blooms an abundance of gorgeous bell-shaped flowers, and has rich, green foliage that contrasts for a stunning effect. It's a product of the top Weigela breeding program in the world, and an exceptional performer for grower and end consumer alike. This mid-sized flowering shrub is perfect as a focal point in your garden design, or at the back of your landscape bed. Brought to you by Van Belle Nursery's Bloomin' Easy® line of plants - "Plant, Water, Relax."

Van Belle Nursery Contact: Head Office, (888) 826-2355 www.bloomineasyplants.com

Baited Insecticide Dust or Spray (Diatomaceous Earth) 1. Use as Dust or a Spray; 2. 100’s of gardening uses; 3. Fantastic Slug Killer as a Spray; 4.

Indoor/Outdoor Uses; 5. Excellent Control of all crawling insects; 6. Great for Bed Bug control; 7. 90% Silicon Dioxide; 8. Two Food Grade Attractants; 9. Available in 2 sizes 200 Gram and 1 KG.

New products: Residual Barrier Tick & Flea Killer, Residual Barrier Spider Killer, Pyrethrin Powder, Foaming Residual Outdoor Ant Eliminator, No Bite Wild and Domestic Animal Deterrent & Training Aid, and the Dustin Mizer - a tool to dispense powdered gardening products. Fantastic for use in greenhouses.

Doktor Doom Insecticides Contact: (800) 452-0023 www.doktordoom.com

Green for Life July/August 2014 I 15

NEW PRODUCTS

BURNCO BabyBags BURNCO’S new BabyBags are ideal for those smaller jobs, or when you don’t need a full yard of any one product on a jobsite. The BabyBags are half the size of BURNCO’s original BigBags; they contain approximately one-half cubic yard of product. BabyBags can be ordered for any bulk product including soils, mulches, sand, gravel or decorative rock. If you want to avoid having small piles all over the site, the BabyBag is a great solution. The BabyBags are also great for cleanup and can be used for waste removal. BURNCO BabyBags are easy to order online or by phone.

BURNCO Rock Products Ltd. www.burncolandscape.com

Parkland Pillar® Asian White Birch Betula platyphylla ‘Jefpark’ Parkland Pillar® is an outstanding columnar Asian White Birch with white bark and dense, dark-green summer foliage that turns golden in late fall. Parkland Pillar® was selected by Parkland Nurseries owner Dwayne Beck. Hardy to zone 3, Parkland Pillar® is a fast-growing tree with a mature size of 30’ x 6’. Although Parkland Pillar® shows some susceptibility to Bronze Birch Borer under dry conditions, mulch at the base of the tree will help maintain soil moisture levels and provide a cooler root system. Parkland Pillar® Birch promises to be a suitable choice for privacy screens in the residential landscape.

Jeffries Nurseries Ltd. Contact: (204) 857-5288 www.jeffriesnurseries.com

Moss-Aside Moss Killer Moss-Aside Moss Killer works quickly to eliminate moss, algae, lichens, liverwort, mold, mildew, and green slime. This non-staining formula can be used on lawns, golf courses, turf, parks, playgrounds, and a wide variety of other sites.

Moss-Aside is residue exempt, which means that the active ingredient is exempt from the requirement for a tolerance when used in or on all food commodities, increasing flexibility when exporting to many countries. Moss-Aside will not harm adjacent plants when used according to directions, will not increase soil acidity, will not darken grass, and will not damage painted and metal surfaces.

Neudorff North America Contact: Tim Tripp, (519) 803-3261 www.neudorffpro.com

Indus leadin ad g workshops f LANDSCAPE C TU TURF TREE NUR SER GREEENHOUSE E AND GARDEN CENTRE PRO FESSIONA and an exceptio nal 2 40 boot h t rade sho

16 I Green for Life July/August 2014

Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation

Does your company send emails, social media indicating a wish not to receive unsolicited messages, and the message is messages or text messages to client or relevant to the recipient’s business, role, functions or duties. prospective lists? If so, you are required to follow the Canada Anti-Spam Legislation You have gained valid Express Consent when you have all of the following: (CASL) strict regulations for sending • The purpose for obtaining consent is clearly and simply stated. commercial electronic messages (CEM).

• The sender is identified by their name, mailing address and either a telephone Canada's new anti-spam law enters into force number, email address or web address. on July 1, 2014.

• The recipient is informed that they can unsubscribe at any time.

• Consent must be opt-in, not opt-out.

How do you make sure your business is • The evidence of express consent is retained. compliant with CASL regulations? There are • Consent cannot be bundled with consent for Terms and Conditions. three simple rules to follow: 1) Obtain consent, 2) Identify who you are, and 3) While both forms of consent are valid under CASL regulations, Express consent is the provide an unsubscribe mechanism. best kind as it does not have an expiry date. Implied consent has a time limit of 2 years, after which you must remove the contact from your email list, unless you are able to gain express consent. It is important to retain proof of consent for both Implied and Express. It is suggested to keep records including whether the consent was verbal or Consent written, the date consent was given and the manner in which it was obtained.

You must have express or implied consent to send a message.

Identification You must clearly and simply identify yourself and anyone else on whose behalf the message is sent.

Unsubscribe Mechanism In every message, you must provide a way for recipients to unsubscribe from receiving messages in the future.

1. There are two kinds of consent: Implied and Express. You have gained Implied Consent when you retain proof that one of the following applies: • The sender has an existing relationship with the recipient, since the recipient has either purchased a product or service within the past two years, accepted a business or investment opportunity within the past two years, entered into a written contract within the past two years or inquired or applied for a product or service within the past six months.

• The recipient has “conspicuously published” their email address in a publication that is relevant to the sender’s message, and the publication is not accompanied by a statement that the person does not wish to receive unsolicited messages.

• The recipient has disclosed their email address to the sender without

2. CEMs must include information on the sender. You must clearly and simply identify yourselves and anyone else whose behalf the message is sent. The sender must be identified by their name, mailing address and either a telephone number, email address or web address.

3. All CEMs must include the option to “unsubscribe” from the mailing list. The link or process to unsubscribe must be user-friendly and able to be readily performed.

For more information on CASL, visit www.fightspam.gc.ca.

Green for Life July/August 2014 I 17

A look back at our association

18 I Green for Life July/August 2014