Apr/May 2015 Issue

April/May 2015 • Volume 33 • Number 2

Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association • Serving Colorado & New Mexico

The Annual Lists Issue –

Quick Reading, Great Reference

10 Marketing advice 11 Inventory ideas 13 Customer service tips ...and lots of guidance on fresh plants, intimidated buyers and dedicated employees

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Cary Hall – Hall– 303-702-1063

888-777-8199 Emmett, Idaho | baxternursery.com LooseLeaf April/May 2015

Our Mission To create opportunities for horticultural and associated industry professionals to collaboratively grow their businesses through fellowship, education, advocacy and certification.

Cover Photo Courtesy of Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprises

In This Issue

Serving Diverse Customers Well

4 Message from the Board: Presenting your Best

5 CNGA – Here for the Members: CNGA Creates Opportunities

6 Member Profiles: Center Greenhouse, La Garita

Removing Barriers for Intimidated Buyers Cultivating Dedicated Employees

Mountain Nursery, Tagawa Garden Center

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16 Green Management Practices:

Integrated Pest Management 17 Letter to the Editor: Neonicotinoids – Another View

Presenting Our Best

18 Funding Research & Education:

Foundation Supports Professional Growth

Market When You’re Busy

19 Safety Corner: Top Ways to a Healthy Business in 2015

Displaying the Right Inventory

20 CSU Update: Why Tree Diversity?

Keeping Display Plants Fresh

22 Calendar & New Members 23 Classified Ads & Advertisers List

Board Of Directors

Ex-Officio Members

Bill Kluth, President Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprises, LLC 303.659.1260 x205 bkluth@tagawas.com

Stan Brown, CCNP Alameda Wholesale Nursery, Inc. Phone: 303-761-6131 stan@alamedawholesale.com

Sarada Krishnan, Ph.D. Denver Botanic Gardens 720.865.3601 krishnas@botanicgardens.org

Jesse Eastman, CCNP, Vice President Fort Collins Nursery 970.482.1984 j.eastman@fortcollinsnursery.com

Dan Gerace, CGG Welby Gardens Company, Inc. 303.288.3398 dangerace@hardyboyplant.com

Kirby Thompson, CCNP Britton Nursery, Inc. 719.495.3749 info@brittonflowers.com

Levi Heidrich Heidrich’s Colorado Tree Farm Nursery, LLC 710.598.8733 levi@coloradotreefarmnursery.com

Kerri Dantino Little Valley Wholesale Nursery 303.659.6708 kerri@lvwn.com

Dan Wise, CCNP, Secretary/Treasurer Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery 970.484.1289 dan@ftcollinswholesalenursery.com

Publisher

Editorial

Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 959 S. Kipling Pkwy., Ste. 200 Lakewood, Colo. 80226 303.758.6672 Fax: 303.758.6805 info@coloradonga.org coloradonga.org

Allison Gault, MBA Executive Director Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 303.758.6672 agault@coloradonga.org

Printer

Jim Klett, Ph.D. CSU Dept. of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture 970.491.7179 jim.klett@colostate.edu Allison Gault, MBA Executive Director Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 303.758.6672 agault@coloradonga.org

Contributing Writers

Staff

Fred Berns Mike Bone Jesse Eastman Allison Gault Chris Hartung Joe Haskett Dr. Jim Klett Bill Kluth Sharon Harding-Shaw

Mindy Carrothers Kelly Grummons Tanya Ishikawa John Williams Krystal Keistler-Hawley

The LooseLeaf feature writer and editor is Tanya Ishikawa of Buffalo Trails Multimedia Communications at 303-819-7784 and office@tanyaishikawa.com.

The LooseLeaf is published six times a year with issues scheduled for February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November, and December/January.

Visit coloradonga.org for classified advertisements, plant publications, upcoming events, a member directory, and much more!

Colorado Community Media 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Ste. 210 Highlands Ranch, Colo. 80129 coloradocommunitymedia.com

Display Advertising Michelle Muñoz, CNGA 303.758.6672 mmunoz@coloradonga.org

coloradonga.org

Allison Gault, MBA

Michelle Muňoz

Ben Northcutt

Executive Director

Administrative Coordinator

Membership Manager

agault@ coloradonga.org

mmunoz@ coloradonga.org

bnorthcutt@ coloradonga.org

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MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

By Bill Kluth CNGA Board President

“Are you relying solely on the standbys or are you stretching out with the booming market to include some new offerings?”

Presenting your Best Remember going to the prom? All that teen angst preparing for the big night? I enlisted my mom and had her take me shopping for a very groovy light brown leisure suit and a 100% polyester dark blue shirt with a very wide collar.

I needed a blue shirt because my date (later to become my wife) was wearing a light blue, long dress, cut pretty low (WOW!) that (somehow) incorporated a hood.

Dinner reservations at just the right restaurant, negotiating with parents to stay out late (no post-prom in those days), and deciding with friends whose house would be serving breakfast the next morning. Weeks of preparation, anticipation and then execution of all the “just right” details. The goal is that everyone at the prom is awed by you and your date’s amazing look and coolness.

Spring is our industry prom. The BIG season.

It happens every year. And every year is different.

How are you getting ready to present your best for this spring? Are you planning, preparing and prepping using your favorite leisure suit and shirt with a very wide collar? Or are you looking into the latest trends and information to provide the very best varieties, latest colors, newest species and interesting containers? Have you updated your store layout to help guide your customers to your focal points? Have you updated your sell sheets to add color or layout

For plants that feel perfectly at home, look for...

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to help to prioritize your best offerings? Are you working with your staff to make sure they are well trained, positive and ready to respond to questions and concerns? Are you actively working to expand your demographic and reach out to the millennials while keeping your faithful returning customers happy?

Some of you have been preparing for this spring for years, planting, pruning and growing a crop without knowing the mood of the market. Are you relying solely on the standbys or are you stretching out with the booming market to include some new offerings? Are you looking at your yard and delivery area to offer convenience – not just service?

The problem with prom (and spring) is that everyone is also trying to be the best and look the grooviest. How can you stand out from all the standouts? Find your look/niche and keep it fresh and updated. Provide your customers with outstanding product and service quality. Don’t be afraid of change that still keeps your core values. Try something new – maybe a little, maybe a lot – in proportion to your knowledge of your business.

Just like my prom leisure suit, it is the details that make the difference. Make sure you know what the details are so you are able to address them and make sure they are perfect.

By the time you receive this LooseLeaf, spring will be in full swing. And just like prom night, there is still time for some last-minute adjustments to unforeseen circumstances or events like weather. Plan for those adjustments ahead of time and rehearse so any required changes appear seamless and natural to your customers and staff.

And above all, have fun. Spring (prom) is too big not to enjoy.

All the best!

LooseLeaf April/May 2015

CNGA Creates Opportunities Greetings from the CNGA offices!

At the January board meeting, the CNGA Board of Directors approved a new mission statement for the organization. The new mission statement for the association is: “CNGA creates opportunities for horticultural and associated industry professionals to collaboratively grow their businesses through fellowship, education, advocacy and certification.”

The board had a long and thought-provoking discussion about the key benefits of the organization. They identified the core values of fellowship, education, advocacy and certification.

These four pillars sum up the organization and each of our benefits fall under at least one of these areas.

Fellowship – Time and time again, we hear how valuable networking and connecting with each other is and how much our members learn from each other. CNGA offers time to connect during ProGreen, Member BBQs, Women in Hort., the CHREF Golf Tournament, and the Owners & Managers Leadership Retreat.

Certification – Managing or working in a nursery, garden center or greenhouse requires an in-depth knowledge and understanding of plant growth, development, propagation, pruning, media, disease, and insect control.

CNGA’s certification programs were designed to meet this need and elevate professional standards throughout our industry.

CNGA — HERE FOR THE MEMBERS

By Allison Gault, MBA CNGA Executive Director

During the conversation, the board focused on the word “collaborative”. They felt this word best described the CNGA members. There is a strong session of community where members are willing to problem solve with each other, share their experiences, and support new industry professionals.

As you move into your busy season, please know that CNGA is here to support your needs and we’re always just an email or phone call away.

Education – One of our most valued benefits is the variety of educational opportunities for everyone involved in your business.

We pride ourselves on the variety of education we offer. From our face-toface education (ProGreen, Women in Hort., O&M Leadership Retreat) to the weekly E-Leaf emails and bimonthly LooseLeaf magazine, you can find the latest industry happenings at CNGA. Advocacy – Whether its advocacy at the state level or the federal level, CNGA has you covered. Through our involvement in GreenCO and with the assistance of our lobbyists, we’re providing feedback on bills important to our industry. Our membership with AmericanHort provides you access to the most recent federal legislation that impacts the green industry and we keep you up to date via the Lighthouse emails.

coloradonga.org

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MEMBER PROFILE

Multigenerational Grower Ramps up for Increased Business Interview with Brian Yantorno, General Manager

Center Greenhouse, Inc. 1550 E. 73rd Ave. Denver, Colorado 80229 tel 303.288.1209 fax 303.288.4522 centergreenhouse.com office@centergreenhouse.com

Please tell us a little about your company’s staff.

We have been a family owned and operated business since 1950. I am the third generation of Yantorno’s to run the greenhouse, and we’ve actually had five generations of our family in the agricultural industry on this property.

15 years, first as our floral shop and greenhouse manager at our retail store in Westminster and then as our wholesale sales manager. My uncle, Darrell Lombardi, has mostly run shipping and maintenance for the past 25 years, and will step down from shipping and focus on maintenance after this season.

What makes your business stand apart?

Our finished plant program, branded under the Power Flowers trademark, is sold within a 300-mile radius of us. We have strong ties to the independent garden centers and have evolved our program to fit their needs. We pride ourselves on an excellent product selection and customer service. During the heat of it, even in our busiest weeks, we will turn orders around and deliver in 36 to 48 hours.

Also under the Power Flowers program, we serve landscapers, cities and other government clients. We offer quite an array of products, and help landscapers with their bed designs and spacing requirements. We try to present ourselves as a full service wholesaler and more of a brand management company.

While we do a good job of employee retention, our staff has gone through quite a makeover in the last two to three years. Our business has been expanding both in finished products and in young plant sales, and our recent focus has been to build the infrastructure to grow our business even further.

Our new head grower, Diana Shull, came from Ball Horticultural Company where she was the greenhouse manager for their proprietary genetics and nucleus stock. We just hired a new sales manager, Bill Jameson, who was previously the CEO at Master Nursery Garden Centers and the chief financial officer and chief information officer for Monrovia Nursery.

Dean Waterman has been with us for more than 20 years, first as our retail nursery manager, and then for the past 15 years as our CFO and office manager. Patti Pfeifer, my cousin, is retiring after this season after working here for

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We self produce 98 percent of everything we grow from seeds or cuttings. The young plant side of our business is on a national level, where we pride ourselves on growing products that will transplant well for our customers who are growers and help ensure success for the timing of their programs. We have a variety of tried and true plants, and we trial and finish everything we grow to ensure quality and overall success.

Which CNGA programs have helped you become more successful?

The most beneficial programs to us have been the affinity programs: the workers compensation insurance program through Pinnacol and the credit card processing through Heartland.

Combined, those two programs have helped us save quite a bit of money.

LooseLeaf April/May 2015

Friendly Staff Gets to Know Customers & Plants

MEMBER PROFILE

Interview with Peg Varoz, Co-Owner

Who are the people powering your company?

My husband, Phil Varoz, and I with our two children, Amy and Matthew, started La Garita Mountain Nursery 16 years ago with a few shrubs behind our house in the San Luis Valley. After building a new home, we realized it was difficult to find trees, shrubs and other plant material in the valley. At the start, Phil and I worked as educators, farmed and ran the nursery.

With the help of Dick Brady and Larry Watson, the nursery continued to expand and is now located on Highway 160 near South Fork, Colorado. Phil and I have both retired from education and farming and work solely at the nursery.

We had help from many people throughout the plant industry. Plant people are the best! We knew we needed to find cold-hardy plants that would survive in the harsh, high mountain desert environment of our valley. We get extreme colds, very little moisture and terrible winds.

What is your focus and customer service philosophy?

Our nursery is about quality plants and service. We want people to come and visit about their plant struggles and successes. We have many customers who come in every week to see what is blooming in our flower beds. We help plan out new gardens with customers by actually pacing off the space and pulling plants so customers can “see” their new garden. Our staff enjoys getting to know not only our customers’ plant needs but also what is going on in their lives, and our customers care a great deal about our family and staff. We have a small-town family atmosphere.

because we have them outside. Our staff knows that part of everyday has to be spent deadheading and checking plants so everything is in great shape for our customers. This helps them understand the growth habit of a plant, which can be valuable information for them to pass on to our customers.

La Garita Mountain Nursery, LLC 45030 County Road L Center, Colorado 81125 719.754.3630 peg.varoz@gmail.com

What is important in your communication with customers?

Our most important philosophy is to take care of our customers. If someone is looking for a particular plant, I want to find it for them. If a plant is struggling in their garden, I want to figure out why. Our nursery has grown simply from word-of-mouth advertising.

Which CNGA services are most useful to you?

CNGA and the ProGreen Expo have helped us learn about plant production, displays and new plant varieties. CNGA LooseLeaf magazine helps us discover new nurseries and growers. This helps our continual quest for exciting new things to try at our nursery.

How do you ensure plants on display are fresh and healthy?

Most of our stock is stored outside, which can lead to interesting days when the weather is difficult. If we have high winds, we run around to get hanging baskets off the pergola and on the ground. Our customers appreciate the fact that our plants have already been hardened off coloradonga.org

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MEMBER PROFILE

Experienced Staff Supports Customer Know-How Interview with Beth Zwinak, Manager

Tagawa Gardens 7711 S. Parker Road Centennial, Colorado 80016 303.690.4722 tagawagardens.com

What are the backgrounds of your staff members?

The Tagawas were a farming family in Colorado before they started their greenhouse businesses. Jim Tagawa, Tagawa Gardens general manager, was a physical education teacher before coming to work here almost 40 years ago. Beth Zwinak, manager, is a geologist and worked in the oil business before joining the garden center 30 years ago. Chuck Hoover, associate manager, worked in service and landscaping businesses before coming to Tagawa 27 years ago. Each staff member has a unique professional background, including TV news, engineering, teaching, nursing, the military, retail and horticulture jobs, and many others.

Please describe what makes your company stand apart.

We have a lot of absolutely wonderful garden centers in Colorado, each with its own specialty and niche. We are honored to be associated with all of them. Our mission statement is to provide an enjoyable experience for our community, as well as the highest quality service, products and education, along with respect for our environment.

We march to the beat of our own drum by offering an extensive amount of education through classes, hands-on seminars, webinars, online how-to videos and events.

Our unique community outreach goes offsite to private and public groups to teach about gardening and provide fundraising opportunities for nonprofit groups.

The Tagawa Gardens staff is well-versed in gardening and has more than 900 years combined experience. Our buyers work hard to find unique

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and relevant items that are useful, fun, and when possible, sustainable. We have very lenient return guidelines as we want our guests, especially new gardeners, to be successful with our products.

What does your staff do to remove barriers for intimidated buyers?

Besides our many on-site and online learning opportunities, we have lots of handouts in the store and on our website. We use extensive signage to educate our guests. We are working to avoid “garden jargon” when speaking with our guests. We have displays that show people how to make a project easily.

What is your philosophy about changes to your marketing program?

The focus of our marketing is always community – being a good steward by taking care of our community as it has taken good care of us. We try to emphasize the benefits of having plants and gardens indoors, outside or in whatever home space one has. We change up our marketing often, yet keep several solid and successful promotions that we annualize.

We include many fundraising and awareness opportunities and events for local nonprofits, especially those involving children, animals and veterans.

Which CNGA programs have helped you better market your products?

Much of our staff attends the ProGreen Expo, and we have attended the Owners & Managers Meetings. We have also attended insect and disease seminars to keep up with information to pass along to our staff and guests. We always take away good ideas from each event we attend.

LooseLeaf April/May 2015

P r e s e n t i n g

CNGA’s Annual Spring Lists

O u r B e s t

Welcome again to our springtime LooseLeaf issue, where we try to complement your busy, exciting season with a helpful group of short articles to support your business efforts. The CNGA staff and Communications Committee realize your time is even more precious in the spring so we are providing the six lists in the following pages as quick, easy reading. This year, we have once again brought together an experienced cadre of your peers in the CNGA membership to contribute to the articles. We believe their insights will not only provide you with reminders and even discoveries of several useful ideas, but we hope you’ll be inspired to tear pages out, make copies and post them to bulletin boards as valuable tips for your staff members to implement in coming months.

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Market When You’re Busy So the Phone Will Ring When You’re Not Busy Too many green industry companies

P r e s e n t i n g

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use warmer weather and crowded calendars as reasons to put marketing on hold. Bad idea.

By Fred Berns

As spring approaches, many owners of greenhouses, nurseries and related businesses have a lot on their minds other than promoting their services. But, busy times are the best times to think about slow ones. Prime the pump and perpetuate the pipeline with these simple low-cost and no-cost, busy-season marketing and sales maneuvers.

• Write a Blog: Share your expertise in posts once a week, every week, and you’ll enhance your search engine rankings, build a buzz and boost your business.

• Focus on the Future: Pre-sell, cross-sell and up-sell during the “honeymoon period” with new clients. Talk about Phase II of the project before you’ve completed, or even started, Phase I.

• Build your Base: The most financially successful green industry pros have the biggest databases. Grow yours by offering videos, special reports, e-books, tip sheets, or other freebies, in return for contact information.

• Focus on Feedback: Comment cards, evaluation forms and periodic focus group meetings can provide you with invaluable insights and ideas for future growth.

• Maximize your Message: Update and upgrade your voicemail, email signature and social media branding statements on a regular basis.

• Sell Yourselves: It’s easy for customers to get products and services similar to yours elsewhere, but they can’t get you and your team elsewhere. Use professional profiles on your website and social media to promote your collective experience and expertise.

• Give your Website a Once-over: Does the home page include a call to action? Does it include a search box or other interactive feature? Is the service and product list complete? If not, a few timely tweaks may be in order.

• Pinpoint and Promote your “Only”: Tell them what only you can do, and they’ll buy only from you. This milliondollar marketing word is your ultimate differentiator.

• State and Solve the Pain: Text, talk, tweet, write, comment and communicate in other ways about remedies to the most pressing challenges your clients face.

• Get Quoted and Promoted in the Media: Offer yourself as an interview resource to writers, bloggers, editors, TV correspondents and others who report on the green industry.

• Spread the Good Word: Distribute media releases on what’s new, now and newsworthy at your company.

• Smile and Dial: Play the numbers game. Reach out daily to five prospects, current or former clients, industry experts and others, and ask for leads and referrals.

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• Make your “Net” Work: Get involved with and give presentations to Meetups (groups organized online) and other networking groups and service organizations whose members are potential clients or could refer you to prospects.

Whether or not it’s included in your company job title, marketing and sales director is one of your responsibilities.

The good news is that you can carry out that responsibility, even in the busiest of times, in 30 minutes a day or less, by following the kinds of steps outlined above.

About the writer: Fred Berns is a Louisville, Colorado-based coach, promotional copywriter and speaker for the green industry. He’s the author of the book, “Sell Yourself! 501 Ways to Get Them to Buy from YOU”. For more information, go to whatsyouronly.com or contact Fred@ Whatsyouronly.com or 303-589-3013.

Photo Courtesy of La Garita Mountain Nursery, Center, Colo.

LooseLeaf April/May 2015

P r e s e n t i n g

Displaying the Right Inventory Good sales are not generated by happenstance. They are the result of having the right inventory by properly planning purchasing, merchandising and marketing. Here are

By Krystal Keistler-Hawley Retail Store Manager Echter’s Nursery & Garden Center

some keys to ensuring your inventory is well-planned.

• Know your customer. If you can’t answer these three basic questions, chances are you won’t have the right inventory at the right time for your customers.

• What do they want to buy from you?

• What do they expect you to stock?

• When do they plan to purchase?

• Plan for profit, using the following practices.

• Plan who you will buy from and what you need to reorder, whether you’re purchasing gifts or seeds, to have the appropriate stock level for the time frame in which you plan to sell it.

• Keep displays filled. No one wants to buy from displays that appear to be picked over, nor can you sell what isn’t there.

• Remove dead plant material from displays promptly.

We refer to this as “removing dead puppies from the store window.” Why would people buy plants from you if they see damaged or poor quality plants in your displays? Removing problem plants from the retail areas removes perceived obstacles for customers to purchase from you. coloradonga.org

• Build inspiration. Demonstration gardens and water features sell products for you. They are the equivalent of a department store mannequin.

• Use outlandish props in displays to draw attention to areas that might otherwise be overlooked. Giant topiaries, ferris wheels, old bicycles, or anything that seems improbable can generate store interest and create a buzz on social media sites. People will promote your place for you if you provide them with something to share.

• Make it obvious why they should buy. Signs providing information about the features and uses of a plant or product act as silent salespeople and are an important component of effective displays.

• Keep it clean. Remove empty flats, trash, dirt and debris from sales areas. Dust and sweep regularly. Clean dirt from the side of pots. No one wants to get dirty while shopping.

• Put items where customers can reach them so they are more likely to commit to the purchase. This also reduces the likelihood of something being broken in the display.

Don’t make customers reach over or through plants with thorns or products that have sharp edges. Your goal is to remove physical barriers to purchasing from a display, not create them.

Photo Courtesy of Echter’s Nursery & Garden Center, Arvada, Colo.

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• Know what sold and what didn’t sell before you commit to new products. If entire categories are not moving as well as they once did, evaluate their relevance to your customers and consider what current trends are. It may be time to make some changes.

• Dedicate space to feature specialty items. Plant Select® is a program that lends itself well to a feature display.

Gift area items like Vera Bradley® or Yankee Candles® are other examples of feature displays that become shopping destinations.

O u r

• Use a point of sale (POS) system to track what you’ve sold, when you’ve sold it and project when you will need more. While you might think the answers are obvious, tracking inventory will expose more detailed information and generate reports for improved inventory management. If a POS system isn’t part of the plan, take inventory at key selling times in order to track sales history.

• Plan to change displays at least every two weeks. This draws attention to items your customers may not have noticed before and generates the perception of having new inventory or a new purpose for the product.

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Keeping Display Plants Fresh Keeping your plants looking their best when they are in front of the customer can take more

P r e s e n t i n g

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planning when they are grouped for display, rather than production.

While similar container sizes and species are grouped to optimize production, more often than not, different container sizes and species are combined when on display for the customer.

Tips for Maintaining Plants on Display • Know when your shipment is scheduled so you can be prepared with a place to display it well among your existing inventory.

• Water properly; all plants should be watered twice if not three times a week.

• Give the plants a good soaking; do not just wet the top of the soil.

Once processed, we calculate that inventory has a five-day shelf life and we

By John Williams have to keep the product Quality Assurance Manager Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprises in sellable condition. Let’s take a look at good practices to prepare the product for shipping and how to keep the product looking its best until it goes home with the customer.

• Set a watering schedule for each week.

Tips for Processing

• Rotate the product; keep fresh, top quality plants on display.

• Make it standard procedure to: • water the plant before it is shipped, • clean the plant of dead leaves and flowers, and • check to ensure the plant is free of disease insects.

• Groom all plants at least three times a week. Use scissors and your fingers to remove all brown or yellowing leaves, dead leaves or broken stems from your plants.

• Keep the area clean; the appearance of your display area is your first in-store advertising tool.

• Work through the plant department to make a wellorganized presentation, at least three times per week.

• Make sure that each area has proper signs for prices and descriptions.

• Consider removing plants that appear to need fertilizer.

If fertilization is required, there is a good chance the plant has been there too long.

• Pay attention to how you process the plants.

• Look for old, dead or dying plants and remove them. If you wouldn’t buy it, get rid of it.

• Always be focused and aware of how you are handling the plants.

• Laminate your requirements for employees to carry in their pocket and help keep them on track.

• Make sure that the order is correct.

Make a good plan, pay attention to the details and implement for success. Following these simple tips can help maximize your sales, which help maximize your profits.

Photo Courtesy of Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprises

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LooseLeaf April/May 2015

Being Effective as a Combined Wholesale/Retail Business • Make it convenient for wholesale customers who want to pick out plants on their own or accompanied by their clients to take care of business at the retail garden center.

We want retail customers to take their time, relax and look at plants so they can be inspired to purchase both what they came in looking for plus other items that spark their imaginations. For wholesale customers, it’s all about saving them time and how quickly they can make and get their orders.

• Provide staff with enough cross-training so they can go back and forth between the two areas when a busy schedule or line up of customers on one side or the other demands it.

Property Layout • Create two separate areas to provide service to the two different customer types.

• Serve retail customers in a garden center and wholesale customers in a separate building set up with the wholesale division.

• Set up cashiers in both areas so customers can pay in either place.

• Try to set up each area in ways that accommodate customers’ different needs.

• Create lots of display areas and an environment that invites browsing for retail customers.

• Provide wholesale customers with the ability to drive up to where orders are pulled and loaded, so they can sign their tickets and get on their way. coloradonga.org

• Make it easy for those wholesale customers to identify and set aside their plant selections.

• Have a combined customer point of sale system that allows wholesale customers to pay in both the wholesale area and the garden center.

Staff • Train staff for specialization in either wholesale or retail sides of the business operation.

• Ensure owners and managers are offering adequate, hands-on support to staff and customers.

• Make sure experienced managers are available by cell phone to other staff members during all business hours.

• Realize that having the two sides of the business (or even three when you have a growing operation as well) requires an extra bit of effort from management, who may have less time for their own daily agendas.

• Hire adequate crews to deliver wholesale and retail plants and products as needed.

• Use a two-man crew on a truck with a lift gate to unload deliveries for retail customers or small wholesale orders, and offer plant installation as an add-on service handled by the same delivery crew.

• Send one driver on a truck pulling a trailer with the wholesale orders and equipment for unloading, and ask the wholesale clients to have their crews unload and move the products on their site.

Photo Courtesy of La Garita Mountain Nursery, Center, Colo.

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B e s t

• To help direct both types of customers to the right service location, either have separate entrances, driveways and parking lots or at least good signage directing them to the right locations.

• Create demonstration gardens and sample plant arrangements to help their clients visualize their projects.

O u r

Operating wholesale and retail operations in the same business is not so much about offering different products to each market, but more about meeting the different expectations of each type of customer. Any product at Harding Nursery is available to both retail and wholesale customers. Whether direct from the field or arranged by our staff into special containers,

By Sharon Harding-Shaw we don’t care who buys it. Our Owner, Harding Nursery philosophy stays the same for either type of customer: we try to get them the best plant for their situations and to match their specific needs.

P r e s e n t i n g

Serving Diverse Customers Well

B e s t

Removing Barriers for Intimidated Buyers For many consumers, plants present something of a mystery,

P r e s e n t i n g

O u r

and for first-time buyers, shopping for plants and related supplies can be an intimidating prospect.

By Jesse Eastman Owner, Fort Collins Nursery

As a retailer, eliminating the intimidation factor is an important challenge and can mean the difference between a one-time customer and a customer for life. How do you provide all the information the customer needs without overwhelming them?

Greet your Customers

• Remember that we’re not in this business to show off – we’re in it to sell plants and supplies.

• Let your customers know you’re there to help.

Make Information Easy to Find

• Make an effort to say hi to every customer and see if there is anything in particular they need. This can often lead to a productive conversation that creates sales opportunities.

• Give intimidated customers a way to find what they need without saying a word. They may not want to approach you with questions and may even be too shy to ask when you engage them.

• On high traffic days, consider putting a greeter by the front door.

• Make signs in your store highly visible, easy to read and clearly worded.

• Make sure customers can see a helpful staff presence from the moment they arrive.

• Avoid the mistake of making the wrong font choice on signs. That stylized font with swirls and loops may look neat, but is it easy to read?

• Be careful; too much help can be off-putting. Many of today’s consumers feel they can find better information through their smart phones than by asking a real live human being.

• Don’t be too insistent on talking to someone who would rather research with their thumbs, or you might just scare them off.

• Make yourself known and then step away and let them shop.

Avoid Technical Jargon • Check the technical terms at the door and talk to your customers at their level.

• Don’t intimidate customers by using only Latin plant names or other industry jargon. Why talk about glyphosate when your customer has only heard of Roundup®?

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• Go for big solid block letters that contrast nicely against the background color of your signs.

• Hang signs where they are easy to see from main thoroughfares.

• Make printed information easily available, especially for more detailed information such as how to treat pests or how to prune trees.

• Print and redistribute fact sheets for FREE from the Colorado State University Extension website (www.ext.colostate.edu).

• Set up a magazine rack with sheets that address commonly asked questions to help timid customers find the information they need as well as save your staff valuable time!

Photo Courtesy of Fort Collins Nursery, Fort Collins, Colo.

LooseLeaf April/May 2015

P r e s e n t i n g

Cultivating Dedicated Employees

By Joe Haskett President, James Nursery Company

1) Choose the Right Staff

4) Open up about the Company’s Status

If monthly budgets and sales reports are shared, employees have a much better understanding of where the company stands. Was it a good month, quarter or half year? Sharing these numbers helps reinforce the direction the company is headed. When employees can see where everything stands at all times, it’s easier for them to further invest themselves into the company.

2) Set Clear Expectations

5) Create a Family Atmosphere

3) Communicate

Employees can make better decisions when they are given the pertinent information. If important information is not exchanged between employees, mistakes are bound to happen. When the right hand doesn’t know where the left hand is, things can become tricky very quickly.

In most companies, more time is shared with fellow employees than one’s own family. Therefore, getting your staff to feel at home will help them feel better about coming to work everyday. Have a potluck lunch every other Thursday when employees bring food to share. Have a breakfast burrito Friday here and there.

Maybe have a bowling night. It’s important to build and maintain close personal relationships, as staff members are more likely to keep invested if they feel part of the family.

Photos Courtesy of James Nursery Company, Denver, Colo.

coloradonga.org

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B e s t

Having clear expectations is vital for employees.

Knowing exactly what is expected of them and knowing exactly what to expect from other staff members is a crucial part of success. In baseball, a pitcher cannot play any other position at the same time. The pitcher must rely on other players to do exactly what they’re supposed to, in order for the team to be successful.

O u r

Ask more behavioral types of questions when interviewing, such as, “describe a time when a customer was unhappy and you had to resolve a situation” vs. “have you worked in the industry before?

If so, how long and where?” While it is always good to know a person’s abilities, strengths and background, it is equally important to make sure they fit in with the current staff.

GREEN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Integrated Pest Management How IPM is Done at Desert Canyon Farm & Timberline Gardens

By Chris Hartung & Kelly Grummons

Many consumers and growers want more benign plant pest control measures.

Desert Canyon Farm has been certified organic for 19 years with year-round greenhouse production. Timberline Gardens, although not certified organic, also uses organic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods. Here is our approach to pest control.

Photos Courtesy of Desert Canyon Farm

Our pest control breaks down into two different seasons: spring through summer (March to September) and fall through winter (October to February). We use weekly sprays approved by OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) in spring and summer and beneficial insects in fall and winter. Using beneficial insects during less busy and lighter production times of the year allows us to use fewer insects, but still break the cycle of pesticide resistance, which builds during spring and summer. This saves us money, particularly when inventory and plants are larger in spring and summer. Good IPM strategies such as good sanitation, a healthy growing environment and pest monitoring are always important.

Our spraying regime utilizes three-week cycles of Impede® and Neemix® 4.5, then switches to a cycle of a paraffin-based oil (Stylet oil) and Neemix 4.5 for the next rotation. These cycles are repeated back and forth unless we need a quick knock down for fungus gnats, shore flies or other hot spot problems. In these situations we can use PyGanic®, which can only be effective in three consecutive applications, as with most pesticides except Neem, which appears more effective as a longer term treatment. Regularly skipping a week or two in the spray cycles can be disastrous, as inevitably there will be hot spots, which can become large problems if left unchecked.

Utilizing beneficial insects begins in the fall and consists of a two-prong approach. First is controlling fungus gnat and thrip eggs and larvae in the soil or media and the greenhouse floors, using a mix of beneficial nematodes. We use regular introductions every three weeks in previously treated areas, and more frequent introductions to make sure that newly planted

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inventory has been treated. Care must be taken to properly handle and apply nematodes to get satisfactory results.

The second element of our approach is to utilize beneficials, which prey on insects above ground.

The options are numerous depending on what type of pests you have, as well as what your day and night temperatures and relative humidity are. Chris prefers using lacewing larvae as a good overall general predator for thrips, aphids, mites and mealy bugs. If white fly populations are problematic, Encarsia formosa wasps do a good job. Introductions of lacewing larvae are weekly or biweekly at a recommended rate of 1,000 larvae for 250 square feet. Two or three times that rate may be required for very large plants or when hot spots are discovered. Since our primary winter pests are aphids, alternating lacewing introductions with lady bugs works well.

If we have mealy bugs or scale, we typically throw those plants away since older stock plants are the ones that usually become infected with these pests. We also plant fresh stock plants regularly to avoid these pests. Other pest problems, which sometimes arise, are root mealy bugs on older plants. These are controlled with a root drench of Mycotrol®.

Occasionally, powdery mildew will be an issue. Erase (jojoba oil) works well for this.

Shore flies can become an annoying problem since none of the controls except PyGanic work for them. Using large strips of yellow sticky tape under benches and along base boards of greenhouses helps to catch adults. Hypoaspis mites may control shore fly larvae, and they control fungus gnat larvae, but these beneficials require higher temperatures than those found in our winter greenhouses.

Sluggo® controls slugs and snails. Grasshoppers are controlled by spraying Nemix 4.5 on plants to deter feeding, followed with Nolo Bait™ as a food source for the grasshoppers.

We hope this short overview proves useful. This approach provides a healthy and environmentally conscious approach to pest management, and we hope that as an industry we can share more of our “greener” pest knowledge with each other, and more importantly, with our customers.

LooseLeaf April/May 2015

Neonicotinoids – Another View

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

By Mikl Brawner, Owner, Harlequin’s Gardens

Neonicotinoid pesticides are now the most commonly used pesticides in the industry. They have significant advantages for human and animal health and for the ease of pest management.

One application can last for months or more than a year. It is a nerve toxin that has a powerful effect on almost all insects including bees, earthworms and beneficials. Since it is systemic, all parts of the plants are toxic. It is a problem for the environment because it is broad spectrum, long lasting and water soluble. Therefore, it doesn’t work in an IPM program.

Henry I. Miller, whose article appeared in the DecemberJanuary issue of the Looseleaf, made a passionate defense of neonicotinoids. His arguments, that without neonics production would go down and toxic chemical use would go up, are all based on the assumption that the only alternatives to neonics are organophosphates or doing nothing. Organic growers are all aware of alternatives that are non-toxic. Because I have been managing Harlequin’s Gardens without toxic pesticides for 23 years, I also know there are safer alternatives.

• Where neonicotinoid use is suspended, IPM methods can protect crops.

The second source is The Journal of Applied Ecology, with the following quotes: • Dissipation time in soil for Imidacloprid is from 35 to 1250 days.

• Use of neonicotinoids appears to pose a particular threat to pollination services and also to soil health which depends on soil invertebrates that play major roles in nutrient cycling and maintaining soil structure.

• The adoption of prophylactic use of neonicotinoids… has led to the abandonment of the long-established principles of IPM. Let’s not close the door on this subject, one way or the other, but encourage an open exchange of information, particularly when based on personal experience.

But I am not interested in taking away anybody’s tools or blaming anybody. I know how hard it is to produce high quality plants that are free from pests and diseases. Neonics have been an important step since they are so much less toxic to humans and animals, improving worker safety and re-entry times.

We, as an industry, want to practice IPM (Integrated Pest Management). We want to be green, as much as we can, and we need to be prepared to shift tools if necessary. What if bee survival significantly improves under the European ban? What if new science shows convincing evidence that neonics really are at the heart of Colony Collapse Disorder?

Here are two science sources on the subject of neonics: The Bio-Integral Resource Center has worked since 1979 to provide growers with practical information on the least-toxic methods for managing pests. Their 2014 Special Issue on Neonicotinoids, Bees, Birds and Beneficial Insects cites 85 scientific studies. Here are a few quotes from that issue: • Insecticides are normally applied in ways to mitigate their impact on bees, but mitigation strategies are not possible with systemics because they are always present in the plant.

• Neonics can impact bee populations through direct mortality and through sublethal effects...such as impaired memory, learning and foraging…impairing bee immune systems making them more susceptible to diseases…interfering with brood development and shortening life spans of adults.

• Neonics are more toxic than older pesticides to some beneficials, and toxicity is cumulative for insects ingesting aphids and other pests that have been poisoned with neonics. Imidacloprid is toxic to earthworms and ladybugs.

• The toxicity of neonicotinoids to birds is underestimated by the EPA due to variations in toxicity to different species. coloradonga.org

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FUNDING RESEARCH & EDUCATION

Foundation Supports Professional Growth I have been employed in the green industry in Colorado for the last 20 years, 13 at the Denver Botanic Gardens where I am now the curator of the Steppe Collections and a propagator. Much of my success I attribute to hard work, integrity and the support of a unique and engaged horticultural community.

By Mike Bone CHREF Volunteer

I was born and raised in Westminster, Colorado and received my horticultural training at Front Range Community College (FRCC). While studying under the expert tutelage of Ray Daugherty, I was introduced to professional groups like the International Plant Propagators Society, Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association, and Colorado Nursery Research and Education Foundation (CNREF), which is now merged with Colorado Floriculture Foundation (CFF) to form the Colorado Horticulture Research and Education Foundation (CHREF).

I was a nontraditional student and only able to afford one, sometimes two classes at a time.

Before attending FRCC, I was an apprentice millwright and built machinery. While that work taught me a lot of valuable life skills, it was not my true passion. In my second year as an apprentice, our local union struggled to keep millwrights on the job, but I was in a financial situation where I could no afford to be out of work.

Luckily for me, my friend was able to get me a job at what was then Miller Landscaping Company in their greenhouse as a sort of jack-of-all-trades. This is where I was first introduced to the combination of machine and nature that is greenhouse work. From that point, I was hooked and decided to try and get some fancy school learning.

While I was attending school, I was encouraged

by Ray to apply for CNREF scholarships. I didn’t really think that I deserved one or would even qualify. I was working then as a section grower for Green Acres Wholesale Nursery and they were very supportive of me attending school. I received multiple small scholarships from CNREF, which helped me to finish my training and become comfortable and confident in my horticultural skills.

These scholarships help so many students like me to be and feel engaged in the horticultural community. From being a scholarship winner, I went on to serve on the board of CNREF up until it became CHREF. I am still a volunteer with the CHREF golf committee to help raise funds and awareness for this very important foundation that really is one of the few ways that we as a profession can show future horticulturalists that this is a viable and wonderful career option. For many of us, horticulture is not a job nor a career but it is a lifelong pursuit and all-encompassing obsession.

Through supporting this foundation, you can assure the research is relevant to our industry and the students feel supported, which can produce a lifetime of results.

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LooseLeaf April/May 2015

Top Ways to a Healthy Business in 2015 If you’re like us, each year you resolve to eat better, exercise more and stress less. In other words, take better care of yourself. So, why not do the same for your business by injecting a little health and wellness there, too? Here are five easy ways to do just that.

1. Invest in ongoing safety programs: According to OSHA, employers can see a return of $6 for every dollar invested in safety and health programs. A focus on safety can reduce workers’ compensation costs, medical expenses and other benefits spending, while increasing productivity, improving morale and reducing turnover.

2. Start a wellness program: An intentional focus on wellness can help employees stay focused, contributing to your bottom line.

Encouraging employees to move more can increase productivity and de-stress the work environment. Start a walking club, plan regular stretching sessions or challenge employees to fitness competitions. Provide water and nutritious snacks instead of sweets and junk food.

5. Plan ahead: Studies show that reporting an injury promptly can help your employee get back to work safely and quickly while keeping claims costs in check. To prepare for an injury, designate medical providers ahead of time, ask employees to report an injury within 24 hours and make sure you have the tools to follow up on an accident. Consider printing out an Employee Accident Report and an Accident Investigation Report to have handy on every job site.

SAFETY CORNER

From Pinnacol Assurance

Pinnacol is here to help you with your 2015 safety resolutions. Refer to our Resources on Pinnacol.com or call our free Safety On Call hotline for answers to your questions. Safety consultants are available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 888.501.4752 or 303.361.4700.

3. Take inventory on risks: Whether you are in an office or on a construction worksite, an assessment of hazards can help you manage risk for your employees. Perform sidewalk inspections, an equipment check to ensure proper maintenance, or an ergonomic assessment to assess your staff’s working positions.

4. Engage with the community: Make a New Year’s resolution to find a cause that matters to you and your organization and get involved. Maybe you or your employees can serve on a committee, volunteer or make regular donations to an organization in your community. Not only does this provide your employees with goodwill, it associates your business with giving back.

coloradonga.org

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CSU Research UPDATE

By James E. Klett, Ph.D. Professor and Extension Landscape Horticulturist Colorado State University

Why

Tree Diversity?

In the last 50 years in Colorado, we have observed several devastating problems with certain species of deciduous and evergreen trees. In the early 1970s, most urban foresters and horticulturists were not prepared for the fast movement of Dutch elm disease. Thousands of elms were killed and removed along the Front Range and elsewhere in Colorado due to Dutch elm disease. Prior to this time, planting monocultures of trees in a given area was very popular.

The question is often asked, “Why not plant the same tree?” Some felt Ulmus americana (American elm) was the “perfect street tree” since it was readily available, easy to plant, fast growing, and thought to be fairly pest free.

While this disease was decimating our parks, tree-lined boulevards and residential properties, many began to think about the importance of tree diversity.

Researchers at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. came up with a 10-20-30 formula for planting trees, especially in urban areas. What this means is: 1) no more than 10% of any single species e.g. species = Fraxinus pennsylvanica, green ash;

Acer saccharum

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2) no more than 20% of a species in any tree genus i.e. genus = Fraxinus, ash; and 3) no more than 30% of any family i.e. Oleaceae. This suggested formula is not perfect, but could create a tree population that could minimize the effects of an invasive pest like Dutch elm disease or currently emerald ash borer.

Today, many factors need to be considered when choosing woody plants for a particular area. Often the choice is made based only on availability, aesthetics, growth rate, hardiness, maintenance required, and uniformity. Hopefully, tree diversity should now be considered.

Horticulturists, urban foresters, landscape architects and designers are looking more at a new standard for plant choice: Planting the right tree in the right place. It is critical that green industry personnel help educate the less informed about the benefits of tree diversity.

Possibly consider this 10-20-30 formula, which may need to be modified given different site considerations.

Some municipalities have adapted some diversity criteria for tree planting given the number of trees planned for a given site.

Generally, the larger the number of trees to be planted at a particular site, the greater diversity required, possibly following the 10-20-30 formula. Some cities suggest that this should be followed if planting more than 50 trees at a site.

Cercis canadensis

LooseLeaf April/May 2015

Lesser numbers would require less diversity but not planting monocultures.

Numerous members of the green industry met in a collaborative effort a couple years ago and agreed on some recommended trees for the Front Range of Colorado (available online at http://coloradonga.org/perch/resources/ fr-tree-rec-list-2014.pdf ). In this publication, numerous genera are listed with many species recommended within those genera.

One example in the published list is the family Fabaceae (pea family), which has 236 genera and many species that can be combined for more diversity. Some common tree genera within this family include Gleditsia (honey locust), Gymnocladus (Kentucky coffee tree), Cladrastris (yellowwood), Sophora now Styphnolobium (scholar tree), and Cercis (redbud). For even greater diversity, do not just combine different members of Fabaceae but add genera from other plant families like Aceraceae (maples) and Tiliaceae (lindens).

If tree diversity is kept in mind in future tree plantings, the effects of our next tree epidemic hopefully will not have as serious of an impact on our tree populations as we have observed in the past.

Cladrastis lutea

Tilia cordata Corzam

QUALITY WHOLESALE PERENNIALS

We are a wholesale grower of excellent quality Colorado-Grown herbaceous perennials & ornamental grasses. After experiencing the beauty of our plants and the convenience and personal touch of our service, we hope you will consider Britton Nursery your first Wholesale Nursery choice for all your flowering perennials and ornamental grasses.

Britton Nursery, Inc.

7075 Wyoming Lane Colorado Springs, CO 80923 Office: 719.495.3676 Fax: 719.495.3749 . info@BrittonFlowers.com www.BrittonFlowers.com

Proud Member

coloradonga.org

Licensed Propagator

Licensed Grower

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CNGA calendar

SAVE THE DATES for these events, and mark your calendars now!

Colorado Certified Nursery Professional (CCNP) Seminars Fort Collins Area (Locations TBD) CNGA’s certification program was designed to promote high quality standards and professionalism for the Colorado nursery industry. The certified employee receives the satisfaction of being recognized as a professional by industry owners, their peers, and by the public. Take all four seminars and the exam and get certified, or feel free to enroll in a seminar or two just for the education!

Perennials, Gulley Greenhouse – Tuesday, July 21; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Trees, Fort Collins Nursery – Tuesday, July 28; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Shrubs, Fort Collins Nursery – Tuesday, Aug. 4; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Landscape Design, CSU – Tuesday, Aug. 11; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Exam, CSU – Tuesday, Aug. 25; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Summer BBQs Join your CNGA friends at our free member BBQs around the region.

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the host locations and see what’s new!

Spencer’s Lawn & Garden Centers, Colo. Springs – Thurs., Aug. 27 Denver – Location and Date TBD Eagle Crest Nursery, El Jebel, Colo. – Wednesday, Sept. 2 Harmony Gardens, Fort Collins, Colo. – Thursday, Sept. 10 New Mexico – Location and Date TBD

Women in Horticulture Luncheon Lakewood Country Club Thursday, Sept. 17; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

An annual tradition for women in the green industry – come and enjoy a great speaker, lunch, gifts and networking with your peers and friends.

CHREF Golf Tournament Location – TBD Monday, Sept. 21; noon shotgun CNREF and CFF merged this past year and became the Colorado Horticulture Research & Education Foundation (CHREF). Your sponsorship and participation in this golf tournament increases CHREF funds. Each year, CHREF awards research grants to local colleges and universities and scholarships to local college students majoring in horticulture. These students are your current and future employees and actively participating in the industry. By participating in and sponsoring this event, you’re making an investment in your company and your industry. So get out of your office, relax and play a round of golf.

Owners & Managers Leadership Retreat Location and speaker – TBD Friday & Saturday, Nov. 6 & 7 Mark your calendars to attend this meeting designed for decision makers to share experiences, ideas, and practical information both in the meeting and during the social events.

new members City of Golden Parks Department 1300 Catamount Drive Golden, Colorado 80403 Angela Cargill, General Manager 303.384.8142

Oregon Pride Nurseries 5380 SE Booth Bend Road McMinnville, Oregon 97128 Mark Van Hoef 503.472.914

Register for calendar events with CNGA unless otherwise noted.

Tel: 303.758.6672 • Fax: 303.758.6805 • Email: info@coloradonga.org CNGA is the host of calendar events unless otherwise noted. For more information, registration forms, and directions to programs, go to coloradonga.org and click on the Events tab to view the Calendar.

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LooseLeaf April/May 2015

classified ADS CNGA offers free posts of online classified ads to members, including items for sale or lease and job openings. For more details about the help wanted listings below and to see other current postings, visit coloradonga.org, click on the Resources tab and click on Classifieds.

Help Wanted Shrub and Tree Grower

Silver Sage Garden Centers, 9010 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, Colo. 80125, is looking to hire a grower to head up an expanding production line of shrubs and trees. Please email resume to teddy@silversageco.com.

Client Relationship Manager

Plant World, Inc., 250 El Pueblo Rd. NE, Albuquerque, N. M. 87113, is seeking a client relationship manager to maintain and develop client business relationships. Email resumes to Veleta Clay at vclay@plantworldinc.com.

Various Positions in Denver

Key To Life, 3881 C Steele Street, Denver, Colo. 80205, is an organic nutrient and fertilizer company looking for qualified applicants who share a passion for organic nutrients and making our food supply and planet healthier. Please send resumes to sharen@keytolifegarden.com. Website: keytolifegarden.com.

Horticulturalist and Landscape Architect

Steve Koon Landscape & Design, Inc., 2301 W. Oxford Ave., Englewood, Colo. 80110, has flower department opportunities for a crew leader and gardeners. Please send resumes and inquiries to: SteveKnLandscape@aol.com.

Sales Associate and Facility Maintenance/Delivery Positions

Dreamscapes Landscape Center, 6100 E. 104th Ave., Northglenn, Colo. 80233, is looking for motivated individuals interested in all aspects of the green industry. For more information, please contact Rachael Shuler at rachael@dreamscapesdenver.com.

Various Positions in Fort Collins

Harmony Gardens, 4315 E. Harmony Road, Fort Collins, Colo.

80525, has a variety of open positions including inside sales, delivery driver, sales/office manager and sales associate. Please contact Brennan Babbitt by email at bean@harmonygardens.biz.

Garden Center Position

Pinnacle Gardens, 13431 Sable Blvd, Brighton, Colo. 80601, seeks to hire a person with good customer service experience and also good knowledge of trees and shrubs. Please email your resume to traci@pinnacle-gardens.com.

Seasonal Job Openings Welby Gardens, 2761 E. 74th Ave., Denver, Colo. 80229, has part-time and full-time seasonal job openings, available right away.

Please contact the Human Resources Department in person at 2761 E. 74th Avenue, Denver, between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Various Positions in Idaho

Webb Landscape Inc., 162 Glendale Road, Bellevue, Idaho 83313, is currently hiring for division managers, nursery supervisorwholesale representative, maintenance account managers, construction project managers, construction project manager assistants, arbor technicians, special projects-property services, construction laborers, and a garden center retail assistant manager.

For information, visit webbland.com/the-webb-story/careers/.

Customer Service/Inside Sales

The Plant Ranch, 5468 Carr Street, Arvada, Colo. 80002, seeks a full-time inside sales person with customer service skills in the horticultural industry. Please email your resume to cindy@plantranchco.com. No phone calls please.

Professional Gardener

Gardening By Tess, 1669 Hoyt Street, Lakewood, Colo.

80215-2913, seeks qualified gardeners with a good sense of humor to join the team. Please send your resume to tess@gardeningbytess.com.

Retail Nursery Sales

W.W. Wilmore Nurseries, 711 E. County Line Rd, Littleton, Colo.

80122, is looking for qualified candidates. Please apply in person.

Various Positions in Longmont

The Tree Farm, 11868 Mineral Road, Longmont, Colo. 80504, is now accepting applications for the 2015 season including nursery professionals, cashiers and sales associates, For more information, please email mike@thetreefarm.com or stop by in person.

coloradonga.org

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Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 959 S. Kipling Pky, #200 Lakewood, CO 80226

Don’t Just Sit There!

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LooseLeaf April/May 2015