Groundswell | January 2021 by ngivictoria

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CONTENTS

Volume 32 Number 1 January 2021 PUBLISHER

NURSERY & GARDEN INDUSTRY VICTORIA

PRESIDENT Simon Gomme CEO Craig Taberner

CONTENTS

CONTRIBUTORS Simon Gomme, Leigh Siebler, Craig Taberner, Matt Ross, Gabrielle

3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Stannus, Belinda Tardini, David Robin

4 CEO’S MESSAGE

Boughen, Nan Cleven

5 VSGA: STAR OF THE SEA ENSURES GARDENING SHINES BRIGHTLY

ADVERTISING NGIV T: (03) 9576 0599

8 AUSTRALIAN HORTICULTURAL TRIALS WEEK

ADDRESS Unit 3, 307 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145.

12 MELBOURNE IN FULL BLOOM

MAILING ADDRESS

13 116TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

P.O. Box 2280, Wattletree Road LPO,

15 MATTHEW MILLS: SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION

Malvern East VIC 3145.

16 LET THE PAST COLOUR THE FUTURE

TELEPHONE (03) 9576 0599

19 CULTIVATING THE NEXT GEN

FAX (03) 9576 0431

23 OASIS GARDEN WITH PETER RABBIT

EMAIL ngiv@ngiv.com.au

24 TRADE DAY REPORT

www.ngiv.com.au FINISHED ART Vale Graphics Our front cover: Star of the Sea Ensure Gardening Shines Brightly for Students www.vsgp.org.au

M: 0409 88 77 06 E: angie@valegraphics.com.au PRINTING Norwood Industries 6 Wedgewood Road, Hallam VIC 3803.

Exhibit at Australia’s largest and a most lov ve ed hortic culture event e t.

In 2021 the Melbourrne International Flowerr & Garden Show, presen nted by Lawn Solutions Australia, proudly o returns to the Royal a Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens. dens Th he d dates are set s for Wednesda d d y Mar M ch h 24 to Sunda Sun y March 28 inclusive and this year, when Full NGIV membe ers book a site at the Show they’ll receive an exclusive Mem mbers Beneﬁt Package including a site fee discount, complimentary Show tick kets, enhanced online Ex xhibitor listing and more.

Book your retaiil site today and get set to sh ho owcase your products & servic ces to an impressive, engaged audience on this unique platfo orm. Visitt melbﬂowershow.com.au/exh hibiting g or contact Kat Rushforrd at IMG e: Kathl thleen.Rushf R hford@ d@ @ @i @img. com | t: t 03 9864 1111. 1111

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Simon Gomme President, NGIV Welcome to the first issue of Groundswell in 2021. I trust you all took the opportunity to enjoy time with loved ones and recharge those batteries. Reflecting on 2020 it was a year full of contradiction for our industry. On the one hand we all had to grapple with the personal challenges of a global pandemic; the change it brought about and the emotional toll it took. On the other hand, ours is an industry whose stock rose significantly and experienced a swell of public enthusiasm and demand. We move into 2021 with a genuine sense of optimism and a belief that we all have an opportunity to elevate the industry and crossover into the mainstream audience. The onus is on us, collectively, to educate and inspire new gardeners to succeed, retain longstanding gardeners through access to outstanding plantlife, share the many benefits of gardening with our communities, and be willing to share and learn from one another and embrace new ways of operating. Congratulations to everyone who took part in the 2020 Australian Horticultural Trials Week. It’s testament to all those involved that amidst a year of uncertainty and challenge, you were able to adapt to showcase the latest plant and allied innovations to local and national industry figures. I spoke to some exhibitors who suggested the increased reliance on digital content and sharing was a positive step that they will continue to offer in future years.

I’d also like to appeal to all members to make this the year to get behind MIFGS and support the event. After the disappointment of having to cancel MIFGS 2020, it’s vital that we return with an event that exceeds public expectation. Whether that means having a stall, exhibiting a garden, or promoting the event through your communications channels. This is an event that exposes the public to the wonder of plants and gardening, the benefits permeate the entire industry; let’s all make it our business to support this wonderful event. I’d like to extend my gratitude to Glenn Fenton, who after 10 years of outstanding service to the MIFGS Board, has retired as Chair. I’d like to welcome Michael Warner to the role and am excited to tap into his considerable wisdom. It’s at this time of year that we would ordinarily be seeking applications for our industry-based awards, in preparation for our Annual Gala Dinner in February. Due to the pandemic and the requirements around COVID-safety, we have decided to delay the event and are now working towards a date in May or June 2021. The NGIV Board and team, are committed to representing the interests of, and promoting, the Victorian horticulture industry to a broader audience, this year and beyond. I’m excited to be part of this wonderful industry and look forward to a year of collective prosperity and growth.

Simon Gomme President, NGIV Powerplants Australia

Making g the most of a precious i resourrce.

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CEO’S MESSAGE

Craig Taberner CEO, NGIV There’s something very exciting about a new year, it arrives with a sense of optimism and opportunity. I move into 2021 knowing that our industry is capable of enormous resilience, adaptability, creativity and positivity. We’ve shown that when called upon we can embrace change, I’d like to challenge you all to keep looking for opportunities to evolve, beyond those changes that are forced upon us. As you may be aware, we have learnt that there will be a significant change to NGIV’s monthly Trade Day. After more than 40 years of calling the Caribbean Gardens site in Scoresby ‘home’ to our trade market, the Caribbean management team have exercised their right to serve us with a six-month period of notice. Whilst we have many great memories of bringing the industry together at Caribbean Gardens, we’re excited about the opportunity that comes with change, to do things differently and create something special together. Our membership will be key to that process. We want to build not just an event, but an experience, that meets the needs of our current standholders and buyers, whilst attracting, a new, and larger audience. The NGIV Board, Management and a newly formed Working Committee, will commence an exhaustive consultation and engagement process in January, to ensure we understand the diverse needs of our membership.

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We are committed to exploring different opportunities to evolve from what we currently offer at Trade Day and the NGIV Board is very openminded about what that will look like; its frequency, timing, location and format. Those are all criteria that our working committee will address in consultation with our members. As an industry we showed in 2020 our capacity to evolve and adapt to change. This is an opportunity to deliver a new event, with an elevated experience, to a larger industry audience; and in doing so create something that is the pride of the Australian horticultural industry. The NGIV Board has signed off on our advocacy plan for the next three years. We have already engaged with key Ministers to share the success of the Victorian Schools Garden Awards in December 2020. Overall, the response was glowing, with many of them keen to learn more about the program, NGIV and the Victorian horticultural industry as a whole. This year we are working closely with Buchan Primary School to assess whether we can support them and their community to establish a healing garden. The town community are experiencing various levels of trauma as a result of bushfires. If we can assist, we hope to activate a regional horticulture showcase, similar to our Parliament House activations, and invite key Ministers to share with them the importance of the Victorian horticultural industry. I wish you all a wonderful year ahead and look forward to working with you all to celebrate the industry and grow it together.

Craig Taberner CEO, NGIV

VSGA: AWARD WINNER

Star of the Sea Ensure Gardening Shines Brightly for Students By Matt Ross In December’s Groundswell we announced the winners of the Victorian Schools Garden Program’s (VSGP) 43rd annual Victorian Schools Garden Awards ceremony. The virtual event was brought to life by VSGP advocates Costa Georgiadis and Jane Edmanson, for the many children and teachers in attendance. Minister for Education, James Merlino, also made a guest appearance to talk about the importance of gardening, outdoor learning environments and the Victorian Schools Garden Awards. “Sharing the importance of sustainable living and fostering a love of gardening is vital to ensuring that the next generation takes a hands-on approach to caring for the environment,” said Minister Merlino. We caught up with Kerryn Sells, Principal, and Sue Constable. Sustainability Leader, at the grand prize and Perpetual Shield winners, Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School, Ocean Grove, to understand the importance outdoor learning, gardening and the VSGP, and what they plan to achieve with their prize money.

sustainability and caring for our planet. A sense of achievement and belonging is a wonderful effect of learning outdoors. The gardens provide the perfect learning environment to aid in the understanding of sustainability principles such as biodiversity, waste, water and energy systems. The benefits of growing our own food, identifying plants, knowing how to grow, harvest and utilise the plants, and using the gardens as a micro representation of the entire world relating to interconnected systems and communities. To be in awe, wonder about and question our natural world and the intricacies of its systems are all important for the u future of society and our planet.

Why are you passionate about exposing your pupils to gardening and outdoor learning? Sue – The many benefits of outdoor learning and gardening have been identified and widely promoted in recent years. Here at Star for the Sea we incorporate outdoor learning into many aspects of our curriculum and see the positive results across all year levels.

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Kerryn – COVID-19 has taught us all the benefits of slowing down, this is something we have always focused on when in the gardens. Garden lessons both formal and informal are kept at a “no rush” pace. There is time to stop and observe plant growth and changes, time to notice the bees and hoverflies busily working in the gardens, the worms converting our fruit scraps into nature’s high quality soil conditioner. Over the past three years we have embraced outdoor educational options to promote “being outdoors for learning” and how this benefits the lives of all. Along with taking many aspects of daily learning outdoors, other activities we leave the classroom for include: meditation, reading, lunchtime and recess gardening activities, school walks, local bush and beach walks, circle time, nature studies, art, quiet contemplation and short brain breaks. Commencing in 2021 we will be embracing Environmental Science as an outdoor-based specialist subject across most year levels.

Can you provide an example of something you witnessed in your school day that confirmed your belief that gardening is beneficial for children? Kerryn – Witnessing the engagement, joy and confidence of students when working in the gardens is so rewarding, providing continued evidence that the gardens and outdoor learning are highly beneficial.

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The number of students who flock to the gardens at recess and lunch times is continually increasing. Seeing students across all year levels working together and taking on responsibilities and guiding other students on the roles and responsibilities of the gardens is such a pleasure to witness.

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Watching students who rarely raise their hands or participate in classroom discussion openly sharing their curiosity and asking questions while in the gardens is such a joy. Having the time to chat and answer questions and encourage curiosity is a huge benefit of learning outdoors. Similarly, many students who may rarely show the confidence to help or guide others will often step up in an outdoor environment. It is truly wonderful to witness the growing confidence and sharing of new-found skills and awareness among their peers.

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Sue – Regular feedback from parents and carers about their children’s positive experiences in the gardens and information they are bringing home to share and teach other family members is so rewarding to hear. It has become a regular

VSGA: AWARD WINNER

occurrence to hear stories of children requesting garden beds or tools for birthday and Christmas gifts.

Why is a Program like VSGP so important in today’s society?

Students who may otherwise be disengaged in learning in the classroom seem to flourish outdoors with the physical and hands on experiences and problem solving that comes with time in the gardens.

Kerryn – We saw during COVID-19 the importance of the food chain and the need to be self-sufficient and sustainable.

What will you be able to achieve at the school with the prize money? Sue – The prize money we gratefully received from VSGP will be of great benefit by contributing towards our ultimate goal of designing and relocating our main kitchen-garden area to a currently underutilised area of our school grounds.

The value and benefits of unprocessed, unpackaged and locally grown food cannot be overstated and teaching this to our younger generation is absolutely critical if we are going to make inroads into modern-day health and environmental issues. With children generally spending less time outdoors due to many reasons it is so important for schools to incorporate outdoor learning into their everyday routines and expose students to the opportunity of being in tune with nature and providing time for them to wonder and learn about natural processes.

This prize will enable us to commence our journey of: >

Ensuring the garden is well designed and planned from the outset including sustainable and practical principles suitable for a school environment.

Embedding the principles of reuse and recycle by integrating features such as a chicken coop, compost bays, worm farms, a small orchard and use of tank water in the new area.

Establishing a productive and educational garden area where students can learn about seasons and their relationship to life in the garden, how to take care of so many elements within the garden, growing and harvesting for tasting, cooking and selling, with the possibility of generating funds to feed back into the garden program. Complementing the adjoining Indigenous bush tucker garden and our new outdoor classroom and BBQ area.

SCHOOLS ARE NOW VERY BUSY PLACES AND TO HAVE THE VGSP PROGRAM TO PROMOTE GARDENING AND GUIDE STAFF AND PARENTS IS INVALUABLE. The support from VSGP has been hugely beneficial. The opportunities to meet with staff and parents from school garden programs throughout the state each term is both beneficial and hugely rewarding. It is not about how large or how productive your garden is, it’s just about getting the kids outside and enjoying the spaces, everything they learn in this informal environment is an added bonus and just via their curiosity and questioning they are continually learning, without even realising it.

You can view the entire ceremony at vsgp.org.au. Thank you to all the Program sponsors that make the Awards and the Program possible.

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

EVENT: AHT2020

Australian Horticultural Trials Week By Gabrielle Stannus

Turning adversity into opportunity, the 2020 Australian Horticultural Trials Week looks set to grow new audiences for its exhibitors as it moves into a brave, new digital world.

“The general sentiment was that the 2020 Australian Horticultural Trials Week was a great week. There were some beautiful exhibits, stunning new plant lines, and the weather was fantastic,” says Matthew Ross, Communications and Marketing Officer, Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV), “The week started off as it traditionally does with Tuesday’s Trade Day. Then, having come out of lockdown recently, industry members enjoyed the opportunity to relax and socialise at the Wednesday Trials Week celebration dinner, sponsored by Garden City Plastics.” Whilst overall visitor numbers were down due to COVID-19, there was a new type of attendee at Trials Week: the virtual visitor. Exhibitors used NGIV’s online Trials Week platform and their own digital channels to encourage this new group of visitors, who were able to view nurseries’ offerings without having to leave ‘home’.

Ball Australia COVID-19 safety was front of mind when Ball Australia decided to proceed with their on-site display. Visitors to Ball Australia’s Trial Week display had to pre-register their attendance. Upon arrival on site, visitors had their temperature tested, completed a Quick Response (QR) code check-in and were then given a yellow sticker to show they had successfully signed in before entering the display areas. “Sometimes out of adversity comes the insight to realise doing something a different way actually improves business,” says Kate Grant, Ball Australia’s Marketing Manager. Kate set up virtual appointments with prospective customers using Microsoft Teams, receiving very positive feedback from them regarding the ease with which they were able to view product. Ball Australia’s display, ‘You Can’t Stop the Flowers – Nobody Can Stop the Colour’’, was a riot of colour, even when viewed online. A new double-flowering Petunia Blueberries and Cream bred out of Japan and the Petunia Famous Circus Sky, a constellation type petunia that looks great on masse in bedding, pots or baskets, caught my eye as did Hydrangea Schroll Popcorn Candy. “We have not done hydrangeas before, and this is the second in the series we are doing,” says Kate, “It starts at a soft blush pink, before darkening to a deeper pink.” Other varieties in this series include Hydrangea Schroll Red Purple Romance, Pink/Blue Sunset and Deep Purple.

Greenhill’s Propagation Nursery “PlantFest is so important for us because this is when people can come and see what is available and put in their expression of interest as to whether it would suit their business,” explains Leah Opie, Director of Greenhill’s Propagation Nursery. 2020 also marked the 20th anniversary of Greenhill’s Touch of Class Plants brand. Key highlights from the PlantFest display included experimental lavenders with very silver foliage and the Hebe hybrid ‘Bloomin Hebe’™. “This Hebes never stops flowering,” claims Leah, “It has got a really nice deep purple flower. Hebes are usually susceptible to heat and humidity, but not this one.” Greenhill’s Propagation Nursery are also growing a golden variegated golden form of Pittosporum Golf Ball. Keeping with the golfing theme, this new pittosporum variety is called On Par. Leah says that if you are looking for a more retail friendly lomandra, look no further than Lomandra Bananarama. 08

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

Haars Nursery Haars Nursery, who were exhibiting for the first time, are repositioning old favourites including pelargoniums and begonias. modernising plant habits and colour palettes. “We have not seen anything like this in the Australia market for a couple of generations,” says Brendan Haar, Director of Haars Nursery, “We have been working with the leading begonia specialist and their material is of exceptional quality. It is coming through the supply chain as clean tissue culture, being virus tested and virus indexed, and maintained in an elite house. Motherstock is replenished every two years, so it is good for growing, true to type, resilient and virus free.” Check out the BK Collection (Begonia elatior), with bold colours including Vermillion Red. Haars also has new genetics of PAC pelargonium material from (write name here) and zonal Crispin centred material. “None of this material has been in Australia before,” says Brendan, ”The last time this particular breeder sent material to Australia was over twenty years ago.” Other highlights from Haars included the Dahlia LaBelle® Maggiore range, and new additions to the FanciFillers range, Lisimachia ‘Karat’ and ‘Outback Sunset’, and an edible Indian mint (Satureja hybrid). These FanciFillers plants are perfect for hanging baskets. “The smell of the Indian Mint is amazing, and it puts on a metre and a half in a season,” says Brendan.

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

EVENT: AHT2020

JD Propagation “We had quite a few customers from Sydney because the borders have reopened now,” says Dan Patience, Managing Director of JD Propagation. For customers unable to make the trip, Dan showed them around the JD Propagation display using Zoom or WhatsApp video calling. “We have new dianthus series called Constant Beauty®’ and Constant Cadence®’ from Green Fuse® Botanicals in the USA. They are the first breeders to produce the first true tri- colour carnation. They change from white to pink and then finish at scarlet,” says Dan. Other highlights included the Adorable pot carnation series from Snow Brand in Japan, Fuchsita fuchsias from Volmary and bi-coloured Osteospermum Popeye from NuFlora in Sydney. With garden sizes getting smaller, customers may also appreciate JD Propagation’s new series of drought- and frost-tolerant dwarf Buddleia, produced from cuttings and available in six colours including white and blue.

Majestic Young Plants Unsure whether COVID-19 restrictions would ease in time, Majestic Young Plants decided to exhibit online only this year. “We built a whole new website for Trials Week to enable people to have a look at our new products,” says Joel Crameri, Nursery/Sales Manager from Majestic Young Plants, “All of our products are now listed online.” “We pride ourselves on being first to the market and innovative, certainly in the indoor category,” adds Joel, saying that his team keep up to date with online trends via Instagram and Facebook. The Monstera karstenianum ‘Peru’ (large, leathery puckered leaves), Piper crocatum (metallic leaves) and Schismatoglottis wallichii (heart-shaped coloration on oblong leaves) coming from Majestic Young Plants will no doubt attract the houseplant enthusiasts. 10

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

Meanwhile, if you are looking for new product for your home vegie garden range, check out Tomato Record Breaker. This indeterminate tomato produces round fruit weighing up to 450 grams, maturing at around 75 days. One specimen produced 155 kilograms of fruit on the one plant!

Mansfield’s Propagation Nursery “This year we predicted smaller visitor numbers due to COVID-19, so we planned a minimal display compared to the larger displays we have had in previous years,” says Julie Graham, Marketing Coordinator at Mansfield’s Propagation Nursery, “For this reason, we participated on the NGIV’s online Trials Week platform to provide those unable to attend an opportunity to explore the event virtually. We had a range of Ozbreed, Austraflora and general lines on display. New lines will be coming through sometime in 2021 and will be promoted at the 2021 Trials Week.” Visitors to the Mansfield’s Propagation Nursery were given a tour of their facilities which includes an expanded production shed housing all this nursery’s automation which they now use to produce plants in their new Grownet liners.

Allied exhibitors The Allied exhibitors’ displays during Trials Week were pared back, partly in response to COVID-19, but also because many of the exhibitors have been experiencing an absolute boom in the industry that means they have been especially busy (good news indeed!). Nonetheless, five exhibitors made use of the Trials Week online platform to communicate their new offerings: Evergreen Connect, Norwood, Recycled Colour, Super Starters and Powerplants Australia. Recycled Colour is a new product from Garden City Plastics, which for the first time means they can offer every customer a pot made from recycled PP5. Previously they could offer recycled pots only in black, whilst coloured pots were made from virgin material.

Looking ahead to 2021 “There may be a shift in the coming years as businesses continue to invest in digital content and appointments,” says Matthew from NGIV, “Some exhibitors suggested that it actually created a new normal. There were processes that they will continue to adopt in future Trials Weeks. Virtual tours and appointments will likely increase audiences, allowing more nterstate and international visitors to ‘attend’ and experience Trials Week.” “We had a lot of plants pegged for these trials to reveal for the first time. However due to COVID-19, we have not been able to travel and import has been hard,” says Leah from Greenhill’s, “Next year’s trials are looking like they will be a real bumper because a lot of what should have come through for this year will be pushed into next year.” This article is republished with permission from Greenlife Industry Australia

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

INDUSTRY NEWS

Melbourne in full bloom By Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

Melbourne’s Florists & Victorian Flower Growers have been the talk of the town over the last two weeks, thanks to the City of Melbourne’s ‘Urban Blooms’ initiative, transforming the city’s most iconic landmarks into floral havens. Dazzling displays burst forth from shopfronts, windows and facades in a feast for the senses. Visitors were able to follow a themed trail of large-scale horticultural handiwork from Arts Centre Melbourne to the North Melbourne Post Office, Lygon Street to Hosier Lane and a dozen blossoming locations in between. The aim being to rediscover iconic landmarks, laneways and boulevards in full bloom, as Melbourne’s florists & Victorian Growers staged a spectacular take over. Sourced from local growers with a mix of native plants and exotics, Urban Blooms has been a fabulous floral celebration of our city for you to enjoy.

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

Down the garden path The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show’s installation ‘Down the Garden Path’ was an installation set on the forecourt of the Old Treasury Building, one of Melbourne’s finest 19th century buildings. We were proud to collaborate with leading floristry training provider, Melbourne Polytechnic, to create one of the key features of Urban Blooms. The installation invited visitors to wander through a secret garden and be swept away for a moment in time among a lush oasis in the heart of the bustling city. NGIV members Tall Trees and Warner’s Nurseries both came to the rescue by providing some of their quality grasses and trees.

INDUSTRY NEWS

116th Annual General Meeting By Simon Gomme, President, NGIV The 116th AGM was held online on 17 November 2020. NGIV President Simon Gomme opened with a reflection on the year. “This year has delivered a number of challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it’s the cancellation of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, the ongoing struggles to deliver Trade Day or the limited trade options for our retailers. However, I’ve witnessed the resilience and adaptability of our industry to meet those challenges and seek out new opportunities. I’d like to extend my gratitude to NGIV’s members for operating at the highest possible COVID-Safe standards. Ours is an industry that did the right thing and as we look towards a bright future, we do so with our reputation intact.” Simon then reflected that his job is made easier by having the right team around him, thanking his fellow directors for their support and encouragement as well as the NGIV team led by CEO Craig Taberner. He highlighted that, during the year, the Board and he worked closely with the CEO and the NGIV team to review the strategic plan, and in February this year the Board signed off on the plan and priorities to 2023. We continue to focus on growing a united and sustainable industry providing services and solutions to support the growth of greenlife, which recognises our contribution to the health and well-being of the Victorian economy, environment and community.

The advocacy work that NGIV has undertaken in previous years stood the industry in good stead this year. A strong focus on engaging Government and exposing them to the essential nature of our industry meant that those relationships were already in place when we really needed them this year. NGIV were able to state the case for growers and allied businesses to remain open throughout the pandemic and have consistently provided support and advice for the early reopening of retail garden centres.

He then thanked and acknowledged a number of industry contributors: >

All members who are the foundation of our industry

Representatives on our national Board, incl Chair Glen Fenton

All those who served on committees, such as Trade Day, Education Committee, VSGA, NextGen, Tree and Shrub Growers and Events for their dedication, hard work and u resultant benefits these committees provide

ESTABLISHED 1998

The Key Strategic Themes are: (1) desirable membership – attract and retain members because our membership offer is desirable

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(2) building better businesses – support our members to improve their business' professionalism, performance and profit (3) viable and sustainable industry – in a changing environment, effectively advocate for, promote and educate all stakeholders on behalf of our members. Simon went on to outline some of the year’s highlights, including: >

Tree & Shrub Growers 3-day Tour of Mt Gambier

Lean Leaders Program

Two Days of Trees attracted almost 200 participants

Rediscover Your Garden Campaign

Record breaking grant applications for our schools program; with over 450 entries from 265 schools and kindergartens across the State.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Our former and current industry partners

My fellow MIFGS directors, Glenn Fenton, David Howard and Michael Warner Congratulate some of our Award winners who rightfully received their due accolades at NGIV’s gala dinner in February 2020.

He then handed over to CEO Craig Taberner who provided the following financial report: “We now move to consider the Financial Statements, Balance Sheet and Trading Accounts of the Company together with the Reports of the Directors and the Auditors in respect of the year ended 30 June 2020. The operating profit for the financial year was $660, compared to $137,005 in 2019. This figure was severely impacted by the cancellation of the 2020 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) due to COVID-19. As joint event owners, and with the cancellation occurring only two weeks out prior to the scheduled event, NGIV had to contribute $187,500 towards the show’s operating loss for 2020. Our contribution was not recorded in NGIV’s statement of comprehensive income for the financial year but was recognised as a decrease in equity from the MIFGS Reserve. The Directors made the decision to use the funds from the MIFGS Reserve to cover these losses, due to the unprecedented nature of the cancellation, and the circumstances satisfied the purpose use of the reserve. To offset the significant reduction in income, NGIV received almost $100,000 from the available State and Federal Government stimulus packages.”

focus to the board table, notwithstanding his desire to support members and particularly retailers. He voiced strong opinions re the national scene, taught us all the covid handshake (pre-covid)and tested our thinking. We’d love to see James return to the NGIV Board one day.” Before announcing the new board and welcoming Matthew Mills, National Sales and Marketing Manager at Garden City Plastics. It’s a wonderful coup to have someone of Matthew’s reputation, passion and progressive thinking join the board, and his knowledge around sustainability within the horticultural industry will be most welcome. And announcing that Carl Soderlund and Mike Callaway will continue as Directors for a further three-year term. Simon closed out the meeting with the following sentiment: “In closing, I’m optimistic that we are entering a phase of significant industry growth. Gardening’s stock has risen this year; there is a new audience to nurture and develop that will breathe new life into our industry for years to come. The onus is on us to provide them with the support they need to succeed, share the benefits of gardening with them and celebrate the wonder of plantlife. Many businesses have used the year to focus on their digital offering, engaging with their customers through social media channels or launching online shopping functionality. Those capabilities will stand them in good stead as our industry moves confidently towards the digital age and engages a younger consumer demographic.

Craig then thanked James Wall who after completing two terms must stand down.

It’s an exciting time to be part of the industry and as we move forward together, I believe NGIV will continue to represent the needs of our industry members with distinction and I look forward to being part of it.”

“James has contributed a lot during his four years on the board, coming from a grower background, he’s a passionate and knowledgeable horticulturist, who brought a commercial

Thank you to all those who attended the 116th AGM.

WINNERS

2021 NURSERY & GARDEN INDUSTRY VICTORIA

A ANNU AL GOLF DAY CLASSIC

FRIDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2021 SE T TLERS RUN, 1 SE T TLEERS RUN, BOTANIC RIDGE 3977 GOLF: 7.00AM – 1.00PM (8.00AM SHOTGU UN START) LUNCH: 1.00 – 3.00PM

T&SG MEMBERS: $135pp FULL NGIV MEMBERS: $160pp

FOR MORE INFORM ATION VISIT NGIV.COM.AU 14

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

INDUSTRY NEWS

Matthew Mills: sustainability champion Matthew Mills, Marketing Manager of long-time industry supporter Garden City Plastics has won the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation’s (APCO) 2020 Sustainability Champion Award. The award recognises individual commitment for a range of criteria, including dedication to embedding sustainability into organisational practice, leadership, outstanding performance, standout achievements and personal growth. Matthew was recognised for his determination ‘to build commitment to a new industry-wide approach at all levels of the Horticultural Sector, to enable and further improve recycling rates for plant packaging produced and placed on the Australian market.’ On winning Matthew said “I am so humbled to be recognised for this award. The work that I have done as a part of the GCP team has really been on behalf of so many proactive Nursery Industry operators from every part of Australia who were asking how they could be sure theirs was a more sustainably focused operation.” “The chance for me to connect people with ideas and bring a simple but meaningful, straightforward, approach to closing the Polypropylene loop in Horticulture has been incredible. People from every part of our industry and its peak bodies have been tremendously supportive and this idea has now grown to have its own working group through GIA and APCO as well as a fully funded product stewardship grant from the Federal Government of almost $550,000” The citation also recognised Matthew’s efforts for demonstrating ‘that industry-led Closed Loop Recycling can be a reality and that a circular economy for horticultural packaging is emerging as a rallying point for in greenlife production throughout Australia, for Horticulturists, Industry Peak Bodies, Retailers and Consumers alike.’ Garden City Plastics were also acknowledged as finalists in the Industry Sector Awards for their performance against the

Packaging Sustainability Framework criteria. They kept very good company across the nine award sub-categories amongst a competitive field which included Qantas Airways, Kellogg (Aust), Telstra, Keep Cup and Proctor and Gamble Australia. The online awards ceremony was attended by over 170 guests. GIA were invited to attend the annual APCO Awards ceremony on 18 November 2020 following the successful joint submission with APCO to the National Product Stewardship Fund. The APCO Awards recognise and celebrate Australian organisations that are leading the way in sustainable packaging design and innovation; and organisational commitment to delivering the 2025 National Packaging Targets and building a national circular economy approach to packaging. Visit apco.org.au for a full list of finalists and winners.

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH

We are excited to announce the launch of the SureGro TreeMax newly designed website. We hope you enjoy a more informative and easy to use on-line purchasing portal.

T: 1800 550 000

www.suregrotreemax.com.au GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

PRODUCTION NEWS

Let the past colour the future By Matt Ross On 22nd October, the Tree & Shrub Growers held an online meeting to discuss Recycled Colour™, an exciting new product development by Garden City Plastics, that will help close the loop on recycling of Polypropylene. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from Matthew Mills, National Sales and Marketing Manager at Garden City Plastics. The session was expertly hosted by Heath McKenzie of Australian Growing Solutions. Whilst plants may be the hero of our industry, the pot it inhabits is pivotal. Garden City Plastics (GCP), Australia’s largest supplier of pots and containers for wholesale nurseries, landscape and gardening industries, have developed a process whereby they can fulfill any customer order using recycled materials. GCP have just launched their Recycled Colour™ range. Having previously worked with virgin materials to supply customers with coloured pots, Recycled Colour™ uses 100 per cent recycled materials collected from Australian homes. This is a big step towards closing the loop on the recycling of Polypropylene. With the quality of curb side collected recyclables increasing, due to the public being more educated around sorting waste and more engaged with sustainability practices, the time is right for Recycled Colour™. The onus now is on the industry to support this fantastic initiative and opt for recycled pots. And why wouldn’t customers opt for recycled pots rather than virgin pots?

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

Matthew explains that they expect some customers to resist the transition because many of us are creatures of habit, “there’s a perception that it’s easier to do things as we’ve always done them, in this example, to continue to order virgin plant pots.” The other perceived drawback is that not every colour in the spectrum is available, due to the predominance of blue in collected household recyclables the Recycled Colour™ range offers darker shades of ten colours. This logic is purely superficial and is dwarfed by the environment benefits it delivers. In fact, the darker coloured pots perform better because there is virtually zero light penetration and the roots grow in the dark as they should, this is not the case with the virgin coloured pots. And it turns out that our industry are already a leader in recycling and sustainability practices, and have been for decades. In 2019, GCP recycled 10million kgs of PP5 in their Melbourne factory alone. That’s an awful lot of plant pots for our industry and an incredible amount of plastic diverted from

PRODUCTION NEWS

landfill. Once you multiply those figures across the entire country, you begin to understand the scale of the sustainability gains GCP and the horticulture industry are delivering. Another beauty of manufacturing pots from recycled Polypropylene (PP5) is that, if treated correctly, PP5 can be recycled over and over again. With the latest Government Budget outlining that recyclables being sent from Australia to overseas will cease, we now have a material, in plastic, that will always exist, we can ignore the problem or we can look for ways to ensure that rather than sending it to landfill we find alternate uses for it. GCP also have the capacity to ‘turn off’ the production of pots made from virgin materials at any time, and if the customers stop demanding it, they’d be delighted to do so. As ever, the consumer has the power to make informed choices that can have a positive impact on the health of our people and planet. And GCP do not draw the line at their work with recycled pots, their sustainability efforts are embedded throughout their business. The cardboard packaging they use is sourced from VISY with a high level of recycled board grade. They work with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) to highlight the great sustainability measures adopted within our industry and to create a set of packaging guidelines that

are tailored to the horticulture industry. They also work with APCO and Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) to close the loop on packaging across Australia by recalling and reintroducing black and virgin coloured PP5 into the recycling system. They work with Biological Services on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and organic integration. They work with COIR for protective cropping and have found a partner in Sri Lanka whose values are aligned with their own. There is no doubt that GCP are leading the way in sustainability, it’s now up to the horticultural industry in Australia to follow and choose to choose recycled. Find out more at recycledcolour.com.au A big thank you to Matthew for sharing his time, passion and knowledge with the attendees. The Tree and Shrub Growers of Victoria is the largest sectional interest group of the Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV). The group consists of members of the NGIV involved with nursery plant production and allied trade and provides fantastic networking opportunities across all areas of industry. Contact NGIV to find out more and learn how to become a member of the Tree and Shrub Growers of Victoria.

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

Family owned Australian manufacturing business, established in 1975 Suppliers of customised quality potting media to our customers’ requirements

PREMIUM GROWING MEDIA

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SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS FUELS

ORGANIC RESOURCE RECOVERY

Committed to providing sustainable ecological soil health solutions Using sustainable forestry residue along with other organic resources to supply to the horticulture and landscape markets Supplying the Nursery and Garden Industry of South Australia and Victoria for over four decades with quality products and technical services

Mount Gambier Office: (08) 8724 5555

Melbourne Office: (03) 8788 1700

Toll Free Number: 1800 Bio Gro (1800 256 476)

biogro.com.au

BUSINESS NEWS

Cultivating the Next Gen By Belinda Tardini and David Robin Boughen

DNA Training are leading the charge to promote our industry to the next generation of recruits.

And of course, it wasn’t just the environmental events that shook the nation, the COVID-19 pandemic added another layer of challenge and uncertainty. During this time, educating the next generation of green space workers ground to a halt due to restrictions imposed on the education sector, leaving a large deficit in an industry already experiencing a skills shortage. The extremes in climatic events have highlighted a need for the next generation of trained green space professionals to help, not only recover from these devastations, but to innovate and collaborate new ideas to manage future events. Action needs to be taken to stabalise the damage caused by recent environmental and health disasters and boost the already significant staff shortage to assist in the recovery. Joshua Gregory, the Senior Supervisor at Summit Open Space Services, was tasked with making King Like National Park safe again following the ‘Black Saturday’ fires that caused devastation to the park and the community.

How can we encourage the next generation of green space workers? The DNA Training Solutions team have been working closely with Lynda Green, Training Package Content Officer for the Australian Apprenticeship and Traineeship Pathways (AATP), to uncover why the next generation are often overlooking the rewarding work on offer in the green space industry. The new government School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship initiative has been focused on guiding the next generation in choosing their career pathways. Industry Coordinators for the Victorian South Eastern District at HEADSTART, Kellie-Ann Darlington and Haritini Nikolaou, support the action of filling the gap in our Green Space Industry, by working closely with DNA Training Solutions to build the awareness of the opportunity to undertake a Traineeship in Conservation and Land Management, Arboriculture and Horticulture. “We understand the need for building the workforce in Horticulture and Arboriculture, however the students do not know that this career pathway is an option or what they do,” said Haritini. Photo: Alicia Bonaffini, DNA Training Solutions

Australians are a resilient bunch, in 2019-20, we endured devastating droughts, ravaging bushfires, severe flooding and storms.

Joshua said, “it was strange working at King Lake seeing the damage and how the locals responded to the removal of the damaged trees that had become a hazard. They now support arborists to visit regularly, maintaining the National Park and surrounding areas, removing potential fire hazards or vegetation that could fuel possible threats in the future, and helping to re-establish the natural habitats for our wildlife.” Adelina Carnevale, owner of DNA Recruitment, agrees that there is a high need for new entrants in the industry, “there is a huge need for arborists in Victoria and for more women in the industry. We are inundated with employers chasing us for qualified people in arboriculture and horticulture to fill the skills shortage”. The Australian Government has also recognised that there is a significant skills shortage in arboriculture, horticulture, agriculture, retail nursery and landscaping. The question I dare to ask is if we struggle to attract new entrants into the industry what will happen to our beautiful land.

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GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

Photos: Alicia Bonaffini from DNA Training Solutions

BUSINESS NEWS

We caught up with Kellie-Ann Darlington and Haritini to understand how we can cultivate the next generation of greenspace employees. How can you help us to attract the next generation of green space workers and show the benifits of this wonderful industry? We encourage green space workers to share photos and/or videos of themselves in the field, performing tasks they love, on their social media pages with #DNAGreenSpace Searching #DNAGreenSpace gives young people a glimpse into the working life of a multitude of green space career opportunities. It’s a way of communicated the varied and dynamic nature of the work. Lynda Green has agreed to help boost awareness of careers within the industry by launching a “Job of the Month” on the Australian Apprenticeships and Traineeships Information Service website. The ‘Job of the Month’ campaign, which will run from December 2020 to January 2021, will feature podcasts, videos, blog posts and social media content, featuring industry experts who are working in a mixture of roles, communicating to the next generation of entrants their passion for the industry.

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

BUSINESS NEWS

David Reid, NGIV’s Policy & Technical Manager is keen to support industry growth and would like to see more young people enter this rewarding career, “I have organised passes for students to trade shows and took them to meet industry experts in Victoria to give them a true insight of the nature of the work. NGIV will continue to promote the industry as an attractive career choice to the next generation.” Thoughtplanters, who provide theory and practical training in all aspects of horticulture, arboriculture and utility line-clearance industries, have come to the table by backing a program to provide further options for VET in VCAL, with new entrant courses in Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management, to be released in Victoria. Perhaps the best advocates for the industry are students and young people who are having their first taste of the industry. We caught up with Bailey McIntosh (aged 20), Kyle Selby (aged 27), and Indie De Silva (aged 39), who are currently completing the specialised vegetation management course in UET20319 Certificate II in ESI – Powerline Vegetation Control and asked them what they would say to people who were on the fence regarding a career in the Green Space industry.

What attracted you to work in this industry? Kyle – “I wanted to work outdoors, in different locations and experience different challenges everyday - it's really exciting.” Bailey – “If you want to use cool equipment day in day out, this is the perfect job. You get trusted to use chainsaws all day and it’s the most fun you'll ever have.”

What are some of your daily tasks? Bailey – “Everything from plant maintenance, checking over work, pruning trees or removing trees for resident safety. We work closely with the greenscaping team to prune the trees to the right specification depending on the area. We also do site clearing, mostly for Government properties.” Indie – “Working in coordinated teams, building a great work environment and supervising the work off site.”

Why should people enter the arboriculture industry? Kyle –- “If you loved climbing trees as a kid, like I did, then it’s perfect. I get to do it as an adult and make a good living.” Indie – “It is important to highlight that there are many career pathways available within the Green Space that can lead to management roles. You don’t have to stay on the tools.”

Irrigation Booms

We need your help to promote the industry to the next generation by sharing a valuable insight into the Green Space industry by sharing your photos and videos of your daily tasks and projects to #DNAGreenSpace

GROUNDSWELL JANUARY 2021

RETAIL STATE OF PLAY Welcome to a new year There’s no doubt we will all be delighted to see the end of 2020, so make sure you celebrate with your staff and customers to show your appreciation. Holidays mean relaxation, entertaining and parties so be sure you are set up to cater for all three. We all know that plants and gardens help us relax so you are right there, but you will need to think about how you grab some of the available leisure dollars from the other areas. Plants are perfect gifts and decorations so that’s a great start but it’s how you display them that will separate you from the masses.

Garden Releaf dates announced Independent garden centres across Australia will once again be supporting the Garden Releaf on Sunday 21 March 2021. The event focuses on the benefits of plants and gardens to enrich our lives. Participating garden centres will be exploding with colour, fun activities and informative events. The aim is to encourage people to get into their garden and get planting – or take someone to a garden to just enjoy.

Groundswell | January 2021

Articles inside

Cultivating the Next Gen

Let the past colour the future

Matthew Mills: sustainability champion

Star of the Sea Ensure Gardening Shines Brightly for Students