VNLA News - Summer 2024

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bioplex@earthlink.net

Bennett’s Creek Nursery www.bcnursery.com

Bio Plex Organics www.bio-plex.com

Bremo Trees www.bremotrees.com

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

Greene County Fertilizer Co. www.greenecountyfert.com

masLABOR www.maslabor.com

Pender Nursery, Inc. www.pendernursery.com

Phillips & Turman Tree Farms www.PhillipsAndTurmanTreeFarms.com

Rusty Mangrum Nursery www.rustymangrumnursery.com

The Turf Zone www.TheTurfZone.com

Virginia Turfgrass Council www.vaturf.org

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, 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 © 2024 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.

Discover Diversity

What another wild spring!

cross Virginia, nurseries were busy shipping, potting and digging plant material. Landscapers were hard at work designing, planting and doing spring clean ups. Garden Centers were busy helping customers with their plant purchases. Most members with whom I spoke indicated that weather was a big factor this year with multiple rainy weekends throughout the midAtlantic. While reports of spring sales have been a mixed bag, everyone is happy to see summer and a muchneeded reprieve.

Now that we are in the middle of summer, it is a great time to reflect on this year’s busy season to evaluate your successes as well as areas which you can improve upon for next spring. I have often found that collaborating with industry peers is a great way to come up with new ideas. Exchanging ideas is typically a great activity at industry events such as the upcoming VNLA Field Day.

Our VNLA Field Day is a great opportunity to network and as well as collaborate with representatives from across the industry throughout Virginia. This year’s Field Day will be held on

Thursday, July 25th and Friday, July 26th at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) in Virginia Beach. On Thursday, we will meet at the HR-AREC and start the day with tours of the research plots and demonstration gardens. Participants will hear educational talks from Neal Beasley (Timmons Group), Wes Bray (Lawn & Garden Plus) as well as AREC members, on topics including native plants, invasive species and business sustainability. Upon the conclusion of the first day, we will have a Networking Social from 5-8 pm at Elation Brewery in Norfolk. On Friday we will have tours of the Brock Environmental Center and the Norfolk Botanical Gardens! The Brock Environmental Center is an innovative example of environmentally sensitive and smart building; it has achieved one of the toughest building standards in the world—a Living Building Challenge™ certification. Join us for a tram tour of the Norfolk Botanical Gardens; afterwards staff will provide tours for VNLA participants. Round out the day Friday with a picnic lunch or visit to the food truck at the gardens! Find out more about Field Day and the tours, sponsorship opportunities, and register today by visiting our website, www.vnla.org

Finally, VNLA has been monitoring legislation and regulations on your behalf. Read the legislative update to keep abreast of proposed regulations governing the installation of invasive plant species by tradespersons and how this may impact you and your operation.

As usual, if you have any questions, please contact me, our Executive Director Katie Hellebush, or any of our board members. I hope you have a great summer and look forward to seeing you for Field Day!

Jason Stern VNLA President

VNLA Legislative Update

VNLA board members Matt Berry, Cameron Stanley and Executive Director Katie Hellebush recently spoke in front of the Virginia Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services regarding proposed regulations governing the installation of invasive plant species by tradespersons in Virginia Chapter 455. You may recall this legislation from the 2022 General Assembly Session.

Representing nursery growers, garden centers, landscape designers, installation and maintenance contractors, green houses and horticultural suppliers, the VNLA emphasized our mission to bring together the green industry through education and best practices.

The scope of the proposed regulation is the main concern of our broad and varied membership.

This proposed regulation affects “Tradespersons”, meaning any person who, for compensation, proposes plants for installation or installs plants. Tradespersons are then required to notify property owners, managers, custodians and other responsible persons for a property when they propose invasive plant species for installation according to the DCR Invasive Plant Species List.

As currently written, this proposed regulation could impact all horticultural careers, especially landscapers, landscape architects, landscape designers, those individuals working at retailers regulated by VDACS, arborists as well as any other paid consultants who are making recommendations for monetary compensation.

While the VNLA is supportive of educating consumers as well as our industry members on the impact of invasive species to the environment across the Commonwealth, VNLA respectfully requests the Board considers restricting the definition of a tradesperson to any “licensed or certified person who, for compensation, proposes plants for installation or installs plants.” This would specify the intent of the regulation to regulate landscape architects, landscape designers, and those other certified horticulturists, who provide written designs with recommendations for plants, which may or may not include invasive plant species.

Other questions that have arisen in discussion of the impact of the proposed regulation:

• What if companies offer a free estimate as part of their services?

• What if a plan is provided and agreed upon and then plants are changed upon installation?

• What about retailers / nurseries who have installers who install plants, but have not provided any recommendations / written plans?

• What about translation / language barriers?

• What if the homeowner picks out plants & installer picks up and installs?

• What if the homeowner asks for recommendations at a retailer based on photos but a written proposal is not requested or provided?

VNLA thanks the Board for considering these scenarios and challenges when it comes to implementing the proposed regulations.

Please do not hesitate to reach out Katie Hellebush, Executive Director, if you have any questions or concerns.

4-0-2 FloraGreene™ Tree, Shrub, Palm, Plant, Garden & Ornamental Fertilizer

FIELD DAY

Thursday, July 25, 2024

We would love the opportunity to spotlight your organization as an event exhibitor.

$250 EXHIBIT FEE

$100 TO SECURE AN ADDITIONAL SPACE

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• 2 Chairs

• 1 Table

* All staff will need to be registered to staff / attend the event.

Our 2024 Field Day is coming soon and we have many opportunities to spotlight your organization as an event sponsor.

SPONSOR

$1,500

• Logo @ Lunch Signage

• Logo in all Communications

• 1 Exhibitor Table

* Limited to 1 Sponsor

SPONSOR $1,000

• Logo in Signage

• Logo in all Communications

• 1 Exhibitor Table

SPONSOR

$600

• Logo in Signage

• Logo in all Communications

SPONSOR $450

• Name in Signage

• Name in all Communications

By Eddie Anderson, Founder of McDonald Garden Center

A Member Highlight

simple green leaf fuels the imagination and drives the passion behind McDonald Garden Center. It was established as our emblem in 1973 when Sara and I took over the nursery in Hampton. It’s an ode to the lush plant tapestry that forms our enterprise’s backbone. But it goes beyond that—it’s a salute to the leaves that grace our dinner plates, purify our air, and even offer a subtle nudge to our well-being, from lowering blood pressure to boosting our moods. We’re not just in the business of plants; we’re in the business of enriching lives. Our mission is to sow the seeds of a gardening lifestyle throughout our community. Those who join our “Green Team” are more than plant lovers; they’re horticultural zealots building lives around their plant obsession. Whether it’s the sheer joy of enlightening customers or the artistic thrill of creating visual presentations of plants and products, there’s something for every kind of green thumb here. Our green team thrives with the rewarding experience of grooming, watering, and growing plants to the peak of perfection. We are ever grateful for our garden of talents cultivated over generations. Our experienced managers make the job look so easy you would think anybody could do it. Their organization and management skills are so good that problems are minimal, and successes occur daily. I am deeply proud of our virtuoso team members who make this horticultural symphony possible. Undoubtedly, our team is the heart and soul of McDonald Garden Center.

Great Neck Road Location

The Anderson Family L-R Top Row: Sara, Mark, Angie, and Eddie. Second row: Alex, Justin, and Colton.

In the early years, we worked to establish high-quality standards. The garden center continues to use the original core competencies of garden supply, trees and shrubs, annuals, houseplants, decoratives, and perennials. We also operate two other divisions, landscape and growing. This structure allows managers to dive deep into these critical garden lifestyle segments. Positive public response has enabled the company to expand its product selection and our people to grow in the profession.

In 1979, we began to explore business expansion. We opened the second location on Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach in the fall of the following year. The 3.5-acre site was the former home of a riding stable. Virginia Beach was experiencing an extended drought at that time. The city did not have enough water to supply homes and businesses. Water rationing went into effect, and the Public Works Department was advocating no new planting and no water for landscapes. The industry was unprepared for such drastic measures. Fortunately, growers, grounds maintenance companies, arborists, landscapers, and garden centers came together to advocate for better policies. As a result, I was appointed to The Mayor’s Water Conservation Commission. This appointment involved monthly meetings with the Director of Public Works and the Chief Engineer. We provided the City of Virginia Beach with the Seven Steps of Water Wise Gardening within three months. The city adopted the program and applied its $100,000 marketing budget to advocating the program. They distributed thousands of Water Wise Gardening brochures, advertised mulching, recommended proper planting techniques, and urged landscape design to minimize water consumption. We did not get water relief until the Lake Gaston Pipeline became operational. We did turn a negative into a giant advocacy for our industry. We have a neverending search for promotions to attract customers. Fred Huet, the Parks Director and founder of the Norfolk Botanical Garden had, for years, sponsored the use of Crepe Myrtles. He valued the tree for its durability and long flowering period during the summer. The colorful tree is at its peak of color in early August. Thus was born the Crepe Myrtle Festival and our famous Myrtle Money, which rewarded customers for shopping with us during the spring season. Each year, we can celebrate the beauty of the “Tree of a Hundred Days” by introducing exciting new varieties.

In the fall of 1983, Sara and I met with four other couples in Morristown, Pennsylvania. The discussions around the kitchen table were the beginning of ECGC, a group of independent garden centers. Our purpose for the meeting was to share best practices, financial information, and advice with each other. That association has served as a guide for our members’ continued growth and success. It was not long before we began including the key members of our management team in our three meetings per year. The development of conference calls, computers, and email has facilitated the growth and value of the program. One of the members had an apple orchard and was having success with building giant scarecrows in the garden center and the wagon trail to the orchard. We duplicated their success in our stores. Our customers saw what our team was doing and wanted to participate. Our team marketing was looking for a way to support the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters.

Independence Boulevard Location

We partnered with them to raise funds to support their work and provide a way for our customers to have fun creating their scarecrows. To date, this event has raised over $350,000 for the health care of youth.

The great recession of 2008 was impacting our company, sending us in search of a growth vehicle. Our son, Mark, was intrigued by our concept of a seasonal garden center. In the spring, we launched a test market. It achieved enough success to encourage further re fi nement and expansion. Thanks to the skill and ingenuity of many members of our Green Team throughout the year, we have overcome the many hurdles and I am proud of the 10 Garden Markets we run for 120 days each spring.

After 48 years of managing garden centers, I remain passionate about the future opportunities to serve the gardening public. We have received many awards, including GCA Garden Center of the Year, Nursery Retailer Magazine Retailer of the Year, VNLA Nurseryman of the Year, and many community service and beautification awards. It takes the energy and enthusiasm of youth to drive us forward into the future. Mark had experienced the many areas of the business and was ready to take charge of the company. 2018 began a new era for McDonald Garden Center. Today, the company consists of two garden centers in Virginia Beach, the Landscape Division and the McDonald Garden Market Company. I am thrilled with the success the company is enjoying and the leadership Mark is providing. •

Garden Markets