VNLA News - Fall 2021

Fall 2021

The Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association Magazine

Member Highlight on

SHRECKHISE NURSERIES Save the Date for

MANTS 2022

R EGIO NA L C ONNEC T IO N S !

Plus,

Our New Environmental Institute is Working for You! Connecting with environmental groups

Dialoguing with politicians

Spreading the news about our great industry

Pollinator Protection Program

Protecting Sensitive Oceanfront Areas

In 2021, we will distribute 25,000 pollinator-friendly wildflower seed packets – that’s 5 million wildflower seeds that could create a quarter million square feet of new food and foraging space!

In 2021, we are partnering with the City of Virginia Beach to plant 6,000 beach grass plants on critical beach areas. The City wants us to make this an annual event!

AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!

P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 (757) 464-1004 virginiaturf@gmail.com virginiaturf.org

Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association 5101 Monument Avenue, Suite 203 Richmond, VA 23230 Tel: (804) 256 2700 Email: info@vnla.org Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200 • Franklin, TN 37064 Tel: (615) 790-3718 • Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com 2021 Officers and Directors Year indicates start of volunteer service to VNLA Board of Directors EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Seana Ankers 2017 Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscape

14

Vice President Jeff Howe 2016 Windridge Landscaping

18

Secretary Treasurer Chris Dowdy 2020 Bennett’s Creek Nursery Past President / Board Recruitment / Christopher Brown, Jr. 2013 Lancaster Farms Executive Director Shellie Archer DIRECTORS Matt Deivert 2017 MANTS Board Representative South Riding Nurseries Neal Beasley 2019 Certification / VCH* Chair Timmons Group

CONTENTS

| Fall 2021

10 Save the Date for MANTS 2022

12 Guest Column

Into the Garden with Leslie Harris

14 Cover Story

Member Highlight on Shreckhise Nurseries

Jeff Riggleman 2020 Kohler Equipment

DEPARTMENTS 6 Letter from the President 7 Index of Advertisers 8 Legislative Update 19 Calendar of Events 21 Resource Corner

Robin McCall 2020 Williams Brothers Tree & Lawn Service Jason Stern 2021 Bailey Nurseries Warner Winthrop 2020 Website Development Chair Colesville Nursery EX-OFFICIO, VIRTUE OF OFFICE: Non-voting Laurie Fox, Ph. D. VA Tech Hampton Roads AREC

18 Feature Article

David Seward Reynolds Community College Montpelier, VA

4 • VNLA News • Fall 2021

* VCH = Virginia Certified Horticulturist

Regional Connections

Saving America’s Water In just 5 years, over 730 million square feet of TifTuf has been installed on residential and commercial landscapes, golf courses, and collegiate and professional sports fields across our country. As a result, over 11 billion gallons of our precious water resources have already been saved. TifTuf is absolutely changing the face of the American landscape!

www.THETURFGRASSGROUP.com

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

RESILIENT AND INSPIRING

W

ell, we did it! Through a whirlwind of late frosts, drought and ever-changing COVID restrictions, we somehow blinked and have found ourselves in the fall season.

As things have been opening up for more in-person, and less virtual, business and events, there has been an overwhelming sigh of relief from our industry. Through all of it, our members have been resilient and inspiring.

Spring started with record sales numbers and continued plant shortages. Meanwhile, the summer heat and lessening restrictions seemed to bring us back to normal or more accurately, our “new normal”. Just as members have found new ways to conduct

business and creative ways to stay connected, VNLA has been making ground on new and exciting advances.

By the time you have this in your hands, we will have done the soft launch for our new VNLA Website. Shellie and our partners at Leading Edge have been diligently working through any glitches, and we have prioritized sections of the launch to occur first. By prioritizing these very important features, it will enable us to operate more efficiently and interact with basic membership transactions in what we hope to be a seamless manner. We appreciate your patience and understanding through this process and are so excited to hear your feedback once everything is fully launched.

Where agriculture and nature meet

We also have new and exciting things moving forward with the VNLA’s VCH credential. We look forward to the capabilities that will come with our new online CEU reporting system, once launched.

From there, we will not stop but will focus on updating our study materials, exam and the way in which training and exams are available to our members. Likewise, our new website will continue to evolve to be a strong resource for our members.

We have to put the foundation in place first, but we feel it is important for you to know where we are going.

As you may be aware, there are currently a number of legislative work ing groups that actively strive to work through important legislation. Some of this legislation could significantly impact our industry, and we are there every step of the way, protecting the interests of our members and trying to find effective solutions. We thank each of you who have reached out to your legislators, whether virtually or in person. The collective voice and individual stories help our association and industry immensely. We are also fortunate to have formed strong partnerships over the years with VAC, AmericanHort, Mission H20 and others who help keep us informed and who advocate with our interests in mind.

Shellie, the Board and I thank each of you and the industry partners we have, for your support, patience and inspiration. We have enjoyed being able to see many of you in person and look forward to more opportunities to connect.

Warm Regards,

Seana Ankers 434.842.8733 email@bremotrees.com www.bremotrees.com

6 • VNLA News • Fall 2021

VNLA President Sankers.vnla@gmail.com 571-419-7228

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Bennett’s Creek Nursery.............................11 www.bcnursery.com

Better Bilt Products...............................22, 23 www.bbponline.com

Bremo Trees.................................................6 www.bremotrees.com

Cam Too Camellia Nursery, Inc.................11 www.camtoocamellia.com

Fairview Evergreen Nurseries........................9 www.fairviewevergreen.com

masLABOR....................... Inside Front Cover www.maslabor.com

Pender Nursery, Inc....................................20 www.pendernursery.com

Top Quality Grower of B&B and container, shade, evergreen and flowering trees Since 1986 We use root-pruning containers to produce better root systems.

Pleasant Cove Nursery Inc..........................17 www.pleasantcovenursery.com

Sharp Landscaping......................................13 sharplandscapingrva.com

Shreckhise Nurseries...................................17 www.shreckhise.com

The Turfgrass Group....................................5 www.theturfgrassgroup.com

Tidewater Tree Transplanters.......................7

www.TidewaterTrees.com Info@TidewaterTrees.com 1900 Munden Point Road • Virginia Beach, VA 23457

www.tidewatertrees.com

Twinleaf Native Plants................................17 twinleafnativenursery.com

Virginia Turfgrass Council............................3 www.vaturf.org

Wellmaster Carts......................... Back Cover www.wellmaster.ca

The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, VNLA News, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright © 2021 by the Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association. VNLA News is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association. Third-class postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: VNLA News allows re- printing of material. Permission requests should be directed to the Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information.

Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATES from AmericanHort:

HOW POLITICS ARE AFFECTING YOUR BUSINESS RIGHT NOW Senate Passes Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Laurie Flanagan & Tal Coley On August 10, the Senate passed a $550 billion infrastructure plan that would be the biggest burst of spending on United States public works in decades. The bill passed after a bipartisan 6930 vote and after months of negotiations but still faces hurdles in the House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is currently trying to broker a deal among House Democrats to allow a vote on the reconciliation budget resolution and the infrastructure bill. Nine moderate Democrats, including industry champion Kurt Schrader from Oregon, sent a letter on August 12 urging Pelosi to take up the infrastructure bill immediately. Progressives have indicated they will not vote for the infrastructure bill unless the budget resolution is passed first. The House is due to return from recess on August 23, and it will be interesting to see which viewpoint prevails.

If the infrastructure package does clear both chambers, every state would feel the effects. The package includes approximately $110 billion in new spending for roads and bridges, $73 billion for power grid upgrades, $66 billion for rail and Amtrak, $65 billion for broadband expansion, and $55 billion for clean water.

It also includes $21 billion for environmental remediation projects and $15 billion for electric vehicles among other funding. Some horticulture industry-related priorities are as follows: · Commercial Drivers: A commercial driver pilot program, which is based off the concept of the DRIVE Safe Act bill, is included in the legislation. This program allows for the youngest commercial drivers to travel beyond state lines if certain apprenticeship goals are met. It is seen as a sweetener to entice these drivers to make a career out of commercial driving and increase the pool overall. The DRIVE Safe Act is a legislative priority of AmericanHort. · Inner City Environments: $100 million a year for five years with funding potentially covering the purchase and planting of trees for urban tree canopy plans for inner city environments.

8 • VNLA News • Fall 2021

· Western Water Infrastructure: The bill authorized and appropriates $8.3 billion for FY 2022–2026 for Bureau of Reclamation western water infrastructure. This money is allocated to a variety of priorities to include aging infrastructure, dam safety, groundwater storage, and watershed management programs.

AmericanHort will continue to monitor this bill as it is sent to the House.

Senate Budget Resolution Includes Immigration Craig Regelbrugge Before leaving town for the August recess, the Senate passed its FY22 budget resolution on a party line vote. The resolution, intended to tee up a sweeping, $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” and climate policy package, includes funding and instructions to include legalization of “dreamers,” farm workers and other essential workers, and temporary protected status holders. Presuming the House produces an equivalent resolution, the Judiciary Committees would flesh out the immigration-related details.

The House will return briefly in late August to work on its budget resolution. Ultimately, whether or not legalization provisions advance to become law will depend first on party unity (Democrats cannot lose more than a few votes in the House and cannot lose a single vote in the Senate); and, whether the provisions can be crafted in a way that meets the “Byrd rule” test, which the Senate parliamentarian will determine. All this will make for a lively and interesting September.

Boxwood Pest Seems on the Move Craig Regelbrugge AmericanHort has received unofficial word of the detection of boxwood tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) in several locations in New York State near the U.S./Canada border, just east of St. Catharines, Ontario. This appears to be the result of natural spread from adjacent areas in Canada. USDA and New York State authorities are evaluating response measures.

Landscape and nursery interests in the region are urged to carefully monitor boxwoods and consider applying treatments to boxwoods right away, as the pest’s second generation is likely still feeding but will soon pupate. Detailed information on life cyle, pest identification, and what to do if the pest is detected can be found here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/sa_insects/ box-tree-moth/box-tree-moth Two years ago, AmericanHort and its foundation, the Horticultural Research Institute, began advocating for a proactive research effort on this pest. Recently, HRI hosted a box tree moth webinar featuring science, regulatory, and industry updates as part of its tHRIve Series. You can learn more by visiting the tHRIve webpage.

Very Favorable Greenhouse Taxation Outcome in Ohio Craig Regelbrugge The state and local tax status of greenhouses is a subject of ongoing interest for AmericanHort and our grower members. On this front, a recent Ohio case has delivered some really good news for Buckeye State growers. We asked attorney Jonathan Brollier, with Bricker & Eckler LLP in Columbus, to summarize the decision. Here is what he had to say: Commercial greenhouses in Ohio constitute business fixtures, which are not subject to local taxes on real estate. The Ohio Board of Tax Appeals (“BTA”) reached this determination when it considered an administrative appeal regarding the valuation of a large greenhouse facility outside of Oberlin, Ohio. The County Auditor and the local school board appealed the BTA’s decision.

Earlier this year, the Court of Appeals with jurisdiction over the case upheld the BTA’s decision. The County Auditor and school board again attempted to appeal from the Court of Appeals to the Ohio Supreme Court, but the Ohio Supreme Court decided in late July 2021 not to accept the case for review. This means the lower court and BTA decisions stand, and the greenhouses

at issue in the appeal must not be subject to real property taxes, since the greenhouses constitute business fixtures (which are a type of personal property), not real property (like land and buildings).

The case dates back to the 2015 tax year, and the decision will result in a substantial refund of real estate taxes to the property owner. The property owner in the case had presented appraisal evidence and other testimony to show that the greenhouses would only have been erected if the property owner wanted to grow plants – otherwise, the greenhouses would have been a detriment to the land and would have been disassembled and sold on the secondary market. Because the greenhouses primarily benefited the owner’s horticultural business and would not have been a benefit to the land if the land were used to conduct a different line of business, the greenhouses met Ohio’s statutory definition of business fixtures. A variety of local government organizations had joined the county and the schools in their appeal, but the Ohio Supreme Court opted not to take the case up for review.

Brollier summarized by suggesting that other owners of commercial greenhouses in Ohio may want to evaluate how their county auditors are classifying their greenhouses; it’s possible that similarly situated owners of greenhouses in Ohio may be able to prove that their greenhouses also constitute business fixtures, which are not subject to tax under Ohio law. •

The finest Taxus and Boxwood in the industry ...and so much more.

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7463 West Ridge Rd. P.O. Box 189 Fairview PA 16415 800.458.2234 e-mail: info@FairviewEvergreen.com

Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association

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MANTS 2022 ®

Business to Business • Face to Face

Means business

the masterpiece of trade shows™

January 5-7 As always, MANTS MEANS BUSINESS. It is the one show where buyers know that they can find all the plants, products, and services their business needs. Exhibitors can count on meeting a steady stream of well-qualified current and new customers.

And when the business day is over, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor area offers a wide variety of hotels, restaurants, and attractions. So make your plans now to attend MANTS. 10 • VNLA News • Fall 2021

Baltimore Convention Center

mants.com

P.O. Box 818 • Brooklandville, MD 21022 410-296-6959 • fax 410-296-8288 Social icon

Circle Only use blue and/or white.

For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.

@mantsbaltimore #mants2022 and #mantsbaltimore Social icon

Circle

Only use blue and/or white.

For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.

On-line Registration is available 24/7 beginning October 1.

Smithfield, Virginia Locations in Smithfield, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and Currituck, NC Local: (757) 483-1425 www.bcnursery.com Toll Free: (800) 343-4611

TO DISCUSS ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT Leading Edge Communications

615-790-3718 888-707-7141

Cold Hardy Zone 6 | Cold Tolerant Zone 7 | New Hybrids Zone 8 & 9 Liners and 1, 3, 5, 7 | 15 and 20 Gallons Available | Wholesale Only

(800) 758-8121 | CamTooCamellia.com 805 OAKBURY COURT | GREENSBORO, NC 27455

sales@leadingedgecommunications.com www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com

Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association

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11

GUEST COLUMN

Leslie Harris’s

Photo by Sari Goodfriend

INTO THE GARDEN PLANT OF THE WEEK

What’s in a name? In this case, not the cure that some people may have been looking for back in the day from the beautiful Lobelia siphilitica, or more pleasantly, the Great Blue Lobelia.

Sorry about that. But it does cure many other ills by being deerresistant, native to the Eastern US, a wonderful pollinator, attractive to hummers, and a pretty blue flower at a time of year when there is a bit of a lull, at least in my garden, of color. Tiny tubular flowers on a 2' stalk can bloom in sun or some shade, and this perennial loves wet soil. And, it self-sows!

Sounds easy, but if you know Bunny’s work, you know that she has a gift for creating visual beauty that we can strive to emulate, but we may not quite get there. However, I feel closer to a higher aesthetic after chatting with her, and, after finding out that her manicurist laments her fingernails.

I hope you participated in the giveaway of Bunny’s book (running August 14th and 15th on my Instagram) by liking the Giveaway post, commenting on what you love about gardening, and tagging someone else that you think may be interested, but if you didn’t, or didn’t win, check out this great article on One King’s Lane on Bunny’s garden ideas. And here’s a link to Bunny’s blog – articles that deal specifically with gardening.

THE PLAY LIST

Spider Mites – you can make your plants quite inhospitable for them by using a hard hose, or even the kitchen tap on houseplants, to get rid of their little spider-mite webs.

Brown grass may not mean dead grass. Remember, its roots may survive what the blades may not, and it will rain again, someday!

Are your annuals flagging? Ugh, some of my petunias are woeful… here’s what to do: pinch them for new growth feed them for new growth go shopping! :)

LISTEN

GUEST

Bunny Williams is an icon of interior design, and as many of her fans know, her interest in gardens is deep and enduring also. Her book On Garden Style not only inspires one through gorgeous photos of her and others’ gardens but additionally it breaks down simple design elements for all to learn from. My chat with her was equally inspiring because of her simple philosophies such as letting nature lead you, dealing naturally with pests, and using symmetry and design elements to enhance your garden.

12 • VNLA News • Fall 2021

Paul Tukey’s book The Organic Lawn Care Manual, which I have ordered and await, makes me want to end the understanding I have with Husband that the lawn is only his domain. I think our lawns, all of them, become everyone’s domain if the chemicals applied to them go on to impact nature outside of our property lines.

Listen to Tukey’s interview with Joe Lampel (Joe Gardener – I mentioned him on Episode 24 because of his work with Brie the Plant Lady) on growing a greener world here. He was recently on Tom Christopher’s “Growing a Greener World” talking specifically about what your lawn weeds may indicate about your soil. And here’s an interview with Molly Hill of Maison Pur sustainable living podcast. •

TO LEARN MORE AND LISTEN TO PODCASTS, VISIT: https://www.lhgardens.com/blog

COVER STORY

Member Spotlight on

The

SHRECKHISE NURSERIES

Shreckhise family has been growing trees and shrubs in the soil of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for more than 130 years.

Over four generations, they’ve learned that their native region produces plants hardy enough to survive and thrive across climate zones and in the most demanding applications, whether in suburban front yards or along busy city streets.

Anne Little runs a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining a vibrant urban forest in the Northern Virginia city of Fredericksburg. Over the last 15 years, her group, Tree Fredericksburg, has planted more than 8,000 trees in city parks, along streets, and other places around the historic city, achieving a 95% survival rate.

Many of those trees were provided by Shreckhise Nurseries in Grottoes, a family-run grower that has served independent garden centers and landscapers since 1936. Since Little does root-planting to achieve high survival rates and healthy growth of urban trees, she needed a nursery willing to offer service above and beyond the usual. As a small, nimble grower committed to customer satisfaction, Shreckhise could help.

“They’re fabulous people,” explains Little. “I work with about a dozen different nurseries and the difference is customer service.”

Unlike some companies that Little has had to contact multiple times to confirm an order, Shreckhise is always proactive in communicating with her as the customer at every stage of a project.

“When I have a question, if they don’t know the answer, they’ll get the information and then call me right back,” she adds.

“Anne at Tree Fredericksburg asked us to pot their trees in a fabric container to help prevent root circling,” explains Matt Shreckhise, the fourth generation of the family to help run the business. “Once the trees established themselves in the container, we pulled the soil away from the trees’ root collar to prevent stressed adventitious roots. Both of these practices help the longterm health of the tree.”

While few customers have the need for, and the budget to cover, such labor-intensive work by their nursery, Shreckhise was pleased to have a chance to flex its creative muscles on the Fredericksburg project. “Anne cares only about the roots.

Their trees’ growth and survival rates are remarkable,” adds Matt.

14 • VNLA News • Fall 2021

Innovation is in the company’s DNA, built, perhaps surprisingly, on a foundation of tradition. Though the current company was founded in the 1930s, the family has been in the nursery business in the Shenandoah Valley since patriarch Noah Shreckhise started growing in the late 1880s. In that time, as the industry has changed, the company has changed with it.

Anne Little in Fredericksburg credits much of her success to the flexibility, skill and commitment to high quality of Shreckhise Nurseries. So do other customers of the company including Rich Barfield of Area Landscaping in Fairfax, Virginia, who has done business with Matt’s father Danny Shreckhise for 42 years.

Shreckhise has always offered “old fashioned customer service” and high-quality products. “They won’t ship marginal material.

If something’s not ready, they won’t put it on a truck until it is.

Their word means something,” says Barfield.

Barfield has also seen the company introduce innovations, for example, shipping partial loads and smaller quantities, providing more finished product and changing their catalog in response to trends. “There’s a huge demand for native plants, and they’ve really stepped up,” says Barfield.

Shreckhise grows about 14,000 deciduous container trees in 15-gallon containers each year. The company also grows a wide array of shrubs in 3-gallon and 7-gallon containers. They ship their plant material on their own trailers for delivery into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

Chuck Captain, of Stadler Nurseries in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC, appreciates that Shreckhise has their own trucks which gives them more flexibility about supplying what customers want, when they want it and in the quantities they need. “They offer a good garden center mix with a lot of red and yellow plants that pop,” Captain says. “I always joke with Danny that if I wanted to get into the nursery business, I’d buy them out. Not many companies are so organized and so clean.”

Danny has been involved in agriculture his entire life. He grew up on a dairy farm, and along with running the nursery and a related landscaping business, his family also managed a beef herd and manufactured wooden chicken coops. When Danny and his generation took over the business in 1977, he focused it on nursery wholesaling and soon potted the first basket-grown trees.

Today, nearly all plants at Shreckhise are grown in containers.

Danny and Matt Shreckhise

L – R Matt Shreckhise, Danny Shreckhise, Jimmy Shifflett, Donald Shifflett, Sam Johnson, Bobby Shifflett, Trey Jarrels, Teresa Bergey

Noah Shreckhise in the 1880s

COVER STORY • continued Danny has been active in the industry, serving on the board of the Virginia Agribusiness Council and as its chair in 2014, and also on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show.

Matt too has been active in the industry, with service on the board of the Shenandoah Valley Nursery & Greenhouse Association, the Southern Nursery Association and on the Virginia Tech Department of Horticulture Advisory Board. Both Danny and Matt served terms as president of the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association.

Matt knew he wanted to work in the family business since he was a kid, but his dad Danny insisted that he spend some time away exploring other things so that Matt could make an informed decision about his career. After earning a business degree at Virginia Tech, Matt did a stint in sales management in Washington DC. Then, just as he’d planned, he returned to the nursery.

“How could I do anything else? I love everything about this business, from the chance to help make our communities more healthy and more beautiful to the friendships with customers and colleagues,” Matt explains.

As the company continues its tradition of family leadership, so it also continues to innovate. To help its customers in garden centers and landscapers meet the demands of a changing market, Shreckhise has recently developed its first new plant variety, Emerald Squeeze.

The Emerald Squeeze™ Arborvitae is a more compact version of the popular Emerald Green variety. Growing to a mature height of around eight feet and a width of about four feet, it’s a perfect choice for smaller gardens and hedge spaces. It has excellent foliage color and a dense habit that favors a single leader, resulting in a tidy looking plant. Although compact, this variety does not take longer to finish in production.

“We’re excited to work with Star Roses and Plants to introduce this new cultivar to the industry, and we believe it has the potential to be a household name because of its many desirable attributes,” Matt explains.

In an industry where staffing is always an issue, Matt attributes much of the company’s success to the hard work and dedication of long-term employees.

“Brothers Bobby, Jimmy and Donald Shifflett along with Sam Johnson have served nearly 40 years,” Matt explains. “Also, our office manager Teresa Bergey has been with us for 27 years.

She’s basically our CFO but she’s also the one who answers the office phone so she’s really the voice of our business, if you will.

Almost three years ago we hired Trey Jarrels as our grower and production manager and he immediately fit in. We are excited about his future with our company.”

After four generations of family running the business, the fifth generation could be rising. When visiting his grandfather Danny, Matt’s son Mason made an unusual observation for a ten-yearold: “Wow Papa, your hard work has really paid off. Your yard looks awesome!”

Even the youngest generation clearly has a discerning eye for gardening.

And that could be a signal that Shreckhise Nurseries will be producing trees and shrubs while branching out with innovations for the next 130 years. After all, growing just seems to be in their limbs. •

16 • VNLA News • Fall 2021

Plants staged for loading and delivery

Limelight Hydrangeas in Bloom

RedPointe Maples in the fall

Shreckhise Nurseries

Growers of quality trees and shrubs in the Shenandoah Valley since 1936 shreckhise.com 800-628-5871

TO DISCUSS ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT Leading Edge Communications

615-790-3718 888-707-7141

Twinleaf

Native Nursery

Lovingston, VA

434-260-0386 www.twinleafnativenursery.com sarah@twinleafnativenursery.com

sales@leadingedgecommunications.com www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com

Wholesale grower of native perennial plugs.

Contract growing available.

Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association

•

17

FEATURE

REGIONAL CONNECTIONS M

embers are thrilled to be able to meet in person again and catch up with colleagues. Many recent events have been filled with education, new product introductions and networking. While we are not able to capture every moment, we wanted to highlight how our colleagues have been connecting as things are starting to open back up.

CVNLA Summer Picnic, Colesville Nursery-South Anna Farm – Front Right, CVNLA President, Elizabeth Fogel, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Scholarship Recipient L – R Rose Austin, David Seward Hort Department Head J. Sargent Reynold’s Community College NVNLA Members led in a tour by Historic Mount Vernon’s Director of Horticulture, Dean Norton

NVNLA kicked off their in-person events with an after-hours walking tour of Historical Mount Vernon, led by Director of Horticulture, Dean Norton. PGMS and VSLD Members joined them for the educational tour and networking time at the wharf.

18 • VNLA News • Fall 2021

Scholarship Recipient L – R Andrew Hynson, David Seward Hort Department Head J. Sargent Reynold’s Community College

CVNLA members were able to get together at Colesville Nursery’s South Anna Farms for their Summer Picnic. Two scholarships were awarded, as they continue to encourage education and youth outreach in our industry.

(from Cultivate) L – R Robert Saunders, Saunders Brothers Inc; Jay Meadows, Meadows Farms; Art Parkerson, Lancaster Farms Photo courtesy of Doreen Meadows

Cultivate Attendees Pack the House for Keynote Speaker Jon Petz. Photo Courtesy of AmericanHort

Many members traveled to Ohio for AmericanHort’s Cultivate show.

From educational opportunities and new plant and product introductions to priceless networking and updates, members felt that it was worth the trip.

VAC held their NOVA Connections Meeting at Locust Hill Farm, in Middleburg, hosted by Delegate Mike Webert and his wife, Rebecca. Members met for industry updates, had a brief farm tour and enjoyed a tasty meal and networking on the beautiful grounds of the farm.

Left – Right: Adria Bordas, Fairfax County Unit Coordinator Extension Agent; Dr. Cindy Smith, GMU Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center / MowCow Lawn and Landscape; Delegate Mike Webert (18th District), Locust Hill Farm; Seana Ankers, VNLA President, Meadows Farms; Delegate Wendy Gooditis (District 10); Brad Copenhaver, Commissioner VDACS; Kyle Shreve, Executive Director VAC.

We love hearing from out members in the different regions, as well as from the organizations that we partner with. With all of these events, the overwhelming feeling seems to be excitement for what is to come for our industry!

UPCOMING OF EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 20 – 22, 2021

OCTOBER 11 – 13, 2021

AmericanHort Events & Education Impact Washington Summit

Finished Plant Conference

WA S HINGT ON, DC

GRA ND RA PIDS, MI

Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association

•

19

FEATURE • continued

NVNLA – VNLA Networking Social and 25th Anniversary VNLA Field Day Sneak Peek, hosted by Community Landscape Services and The Farm Brewery at Broad Run.

VNLA – NVNLA Networking Social and 25th Anniversary VNLA Field Day Location Sneak Peek

On

July 28, VNLA joined NVNLA for a Networking Social and 25th Annual VNLA Field Day Sneak Peek, at The Farms Brewery at Broad Run and Community Landscape Services.

This event gave members of both organizations a chance to see all the venue has to offer for our next field day and to catch up with old friends and make new connections. The geography of the property, with CLS and The Farm Brewery adjacent to one another, promises us a spacious and unique experience to celebrate our landmark anniversary. Stay tuned for information on Field Day, as we get closer to next year.

We are very thankful to board members from both associations who did the planning and to our wonderful sponsors who made this event possible:

EVENT SPONSORS Bennett’s Creek Nursery Ingleside Plantation Nursery Saunders Brothers Inc. South Riding Nursery

APPETIZER SPONSOR Landscape Hub Merrifield Garden Center Takeoff Monkey

DOOR PRIZE SPONSORS

Rediscover PENDER NURSERY

PHONE: 800-942-1648 FAX: 919-773-0904

ONLINE: www.PenderNursery.com 2620 Wall Store Road 20 • VNLA News • Fall 2021

•

Garner, NC 27529

Country Springs Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscape Waynesboro Nurseries Williams Brothers Virginia Cooperative Extension

RESOURCE CORNER M

any companies and organizations provide information and support to nursery and landscape professionals, from national trade organizations to local educators. VNLA members have access to a vast array of experts who can advise and provide tools to help bolster the Virginia Nursery and Landscape industry and its workforce.

VNLA encourages all members to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge, information and expertise available from the organizations listed below.

AmericanHort www.americanhort.org Virginia Agribusiness Council (VAC) www.va-agribusiness.org

National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) www.landscapeprofessionals.org Landscape Contractors Association VA MD DC www.lcamddcva.org

Mission H 2O Virginia www.missionh2ovirginia.com Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP) www.cblpro.org Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) www.mants.com VA Tech Agricultural Research and Extension Centers www.arec.vaes.vt.edu

Central Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (CVNLA) www.cvnla.org Northern Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (NVNLA) www.nvnla.org

International Plant Propagators’ Society www.ipps.org Piedmont Landscape Association (PLA) www.piedmontlandscape.org Mid-Atlantic Horticulture Short Course www.mahsc.org Southern Nursery Association (SNA) www.sna.org The Virginia Horticultural Foundation www.vahort.org Virginia Native Plant Society (VA NPS) www.vnps.org Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) www.deq.virginia.gov Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) www.vdacs.virginia.gov

Virginia Society of Landscape Designers (VSLD) www.vsld.org International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) www.isa-arbor.com Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association

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Earth Anchor Tree Kits

• Heavy holding capacity • Avaiable in bulk packs and bagged tree kits

protective tubing tree collars

Drive anchor into the ground at a 45° angle (approx. 24 to 30 inches)

Easy Anchoring: • Helical flights cut through the soil 3” or 4” for every 360° rotation • Solid steel shaft with chiseled lead edge and welded closed eye

• High holding capacity: up to 3500 lbs • Easy to remove and reuse • No power tools needed to install

Anchor is "set" when it is perpendicular to the securing cable.

Turnbuckles for easy adjustment

Helical Auger Anchors *3 models available: 15” to 30”

Tree Ball/ Rock Carts

Engineered for maximum strength and durability.

Brute 65

Brute 100

• 1200 lb. capacity • Cart size 34”x61” easily fits through gates • Up to 65 gal containers/32” ball

• • • •

1600 lb. capacity Cart sizes 45”x61” Up to 100 gal containers/44” ball Multi use: boulders, bags, timbers

Diablo B&B Tree Ball/ Container Cart • • • •

1200 lb. capacity Cart size 34” x 61” easily fits through gates Up to 32” ball, 23” depth on lip Tow/lifting loop

Better people. Better quality. Better Bilt.

www.BBPonline.com Serving the Needs of Nurseries, Landscapers, Arborists, and Garden Centers Since 1946

888-642-9914

BETTER BILT PRODUCTS ARE PROUDLY MADE IN THE U.S.A.

1494 Bell Mill Road, P.O. Box 456, Tillsonburg, ON, Canada, N4G 4J1 P.O. Box 2663, Buffalo, NY, USA, 14240-2663 Phone: 519.688.0500 • Toll Free: 800.387.9355 Fax: 519.688.0563 • Online: wellmaster.ca/vnla

Introducing Wellmaster’s Hand Sanitizer Pump.

Visit wellmaster.ca/vnla for our demonstration video!

4 Wheel Steering Nursery Wagons (Standard and Custom Sizes Available) • For transporting a wide variety of products from the field to the nursery, greenhouse or garden center.

Visit wellmaster.ca/vnla to learn more!

44” x 46” Nursery Cart

43” x 48” Folding Cart

• For shipping a wide variety of products including pots, perennials, and hanging baskets.

• For shipping a wide variety of products including pots, perennials, and hanging baskets.