The Buckeye, April 2014 Volume 25, Issue 3

April 2014

The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

Vol. 25, Issue 3

Pay It

Forward

A BRAVE NEW

CAMPAIGN:

PLANT SOMETHING

ONLA_Full page 12-12-10 10:32 AM Page 1

AS MANY STYLES AS THERE ARE POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

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The Buckeye is published 10 times per year by The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. 72 Dorchester Square Westerville, OH 43081 p 614.899.1195 f 614.899.9489 www.onla.org info@onla.org

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING ISSN 1536-7940 Subscriptions: $75/year amandadomsitz@onla.org, editor

April 2014

Vol. 25, Issue 3

OFFICERS David Richards, President South Ridge Farm

President’s Perspective

17

Pay It Forward

Confessions of an ONLA

Evolving the ONLA

Legislative Advocate

10

The ONLA Timeline

ONLA Staff Updates

Jim Searcy, Immediate Past President Hyde Park Landscaping, Inc.

DIRECTORS Jason Bornhorst, Board Member Peabody Landscape Group

25

28 30

36

Plant Something!

21

departments

12

A Brave New Campaign

ONLA Office Update

23

David Listerman, Board Member Listerman & Associates, Inc.

4 9

Mike Dues, President-Elect Dues Nursery & Landscaping, Ltd.

Annette Howard, Board Member Gilson Gardens, Inc.

features

Educational Update Why Host Range Matters

ONLA Receives Association Leadership Award

32

Smarty Parties: Educational

Events to Help You Brand

Yourself Better

34 39

Modernizing BWC

Your Fingertips

Flower Power at

By Design Repetition Equals Unity Landscaper’s Viewpoint Being Proactive for the Upcoming Season Look to the Future Where are they Now? In Memoriam Dorothy M. Warner

Bill Mainland, Board Member Klyn Nurseries, Inc.

April 2014 2014 March Vol. 25, Issue 3 Vol. 25, Issue 2

MEMBERS

WHY

STAFF Kevin Thompson, Executive Director Roni Petersen, Membership & Certification Amanda Domsitz, Communiciations Director Amy Eldridge, CENTS Manager Karen Lykins, Accountant Lisa Larson, Education Director

industry news

The The Official Official Publication Publication of of the the Ohio Ohio Nursery Nursery & & Landscape Landscape Association Association

THE FINE PRINT The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, directors or staff and do not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as members of the ONLA does not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services.

MATTER CENTS WRAP UP

front cover: “Blooming Crabapple Bliss”

Dr. Hannah Mathers, Board Member The Ohio State University Josh Posey, Board Member Buckeye Resources, Inc. Mark Reiner, Board Member Oakland Nursery, Inc.

In the spirit of land stewardship, please consider recycling this publication.

also in this issue

35 Members On the Grow • 36 New Members • 37 New OCNT’s • 38 New LIC’s • 41 Industry Calendar • 42 About The Buckeye • 42 Classified Ads • 42 Ad Index

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President’s Perspective

Pay It Forward: PLANET’s National Day of Service, with a Next-Gen Twist

As I sit in my office on an early March morning writing, the temperature is 14 degrees and there are several feet of frost in the ground, even in the Snowbelt!

It is hard to imagine that by the time this article is read, we will have had enough warm weather that we will all be able to be outside doing productive work.

The topic for this month’s installment of Presidents Prospective is “paying it forward.” Since 2009, one of our partners, PLANET: The Professional Landcare Network has sponsored and helped organize a fantastic event called National Day of Service. This annual event is designed to unite the national landscape industry for a day that is dedicated to giving back to local communities. Each year on or about Earth Day, professionals carry-out volunteer service projects that benefit their own communities.

Hundreds of volunteer landscape projects take place each

Dave Richards South Ridge Farms ONLA President sridgefarm@windstream.net

year at schools, community parks, military memorials, libraries, government offices, and museums across the country. The benefits of participating in this event are plentiful, both for those on the receiving end but almost more importantly for those providing the service.

One possible twist on the idea might be to partner with a local high school in completing a project. A recurring theme in our ONLA Committee meetings in February was “Where is our next generation of leaders coming from?” Partnering with a local high school (or any grade level) might provide companies the opportunity to show off our industry and attract the Next-Gen, and help ease the burden of labor at our busiest. Last Year Auburn Career Center’s Landscape Horticulture class partnered with Yardmaster Incorporated to complete a “Landscape Makeover” of the historic Painesville City please see page 6

4 The Buckeye

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onla.org

April 2014  5

continued from page 4

Hall. This project’s planning began in mid March and with the help of several local ONLA member nurseries, it was completed on Earth Day 2013. Both Auburn and Yardmaster Inc. benefited from newspaper and television publicity that had been facilitated by Painesville City.

The Auburn students had the opportunity to work with Architect Cathy Moran and Yardmasters President and COLP Kurt Kluznik from concept to completion. Kurt has also served on Auburn’s Landscape Horticulture Advisory Committee for ten years. Yardmaster provided assistance with design, transportation of plant material and a two- man installation crew. The Yardmaster personnel worked side by side with the students in a training and supervisory role. Auburn provided student transportation and hand tools needed for the installation.

Auburn students had the opportunity to benefit from a real world hands-on experience and showcase the skills they had learned in and out of the classroom setting. One important side benefit for Yardmaster is they had the

opportunity to observe 23 potential future employees. In fact, Yardmaster ended up hiring a graduating senior from the project who has been employed since graduation in June.

If all of this sounds intriguing to you check out PLANET’s Day of Service website www.dayofservice. org. There is a wealth of information and help available on the site. If you have a story to share about your Day of Service experience why not post it on ONLA’s Facebook page. Please consider paying it forward this year, we have all benefited from someone in this industry who has paid it forward for our benefit!

Have a great spring! B

NEW! from

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CALL YOUR BUSINESS PARTNERS Dick Posey, Josh Posey, Judd Posey or Tony Sciambi www.BuckeyeResources.com

800-443-8203

For complete listing & product descriptions, visit

www.BuckeyeResources.com

6 The Buckeye

onla.org

ONLA Membership: The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association leads, promotes, and facilitates the success and growth of green industry businesses.

Exclusive Member Benefits Credit Collection - Cash Flow Management (CFM) With CFM, a trained collection specialist is assigned to bring in your past-due accounts before they fade away as bad debts.

Credit/Debit Card Processing - Merchant Services

ONLA members can take advantage of credit and debit card merchant service processing program through Merchant Services.

Merchant Services brings electronic processing programs specifically designed to fit the needs of your business.

Energy Program - Growers Energy Solutions (GES)

Grower Energy Solutions (GES) helps manage an energy program designed to help save on your natural gas and electric bill by utilizing the strength of group buying. Average savings between 8 and 15%.

Federation of Employers & Workers of America

FEWA is an internationally recognized non-profit association which provides members with educational and informational services related to cultural and non-immigrant and immigrant labor management issues.

Fuel/Fleet Program - SuperFleet®

Payroll/Human Resource Services - Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP)

(ADP) offers a range of payroll, payroll tax, and human resources services to assist ONLA members with staffing, managing, paying, and retaining employees.

Property/Casualty Insurance - Best Hoovler McTeague

Save on your property and casualty insurance with BHM. BHM’s group program is designed for ONLA members to save at least 15% with the best coverage rates for your liability, fleet and equipment.

Safety Services - American Safety & Health Management Consultants, Inc./American Premier First Aid

Save up to $.05 per gallon on all fuel purchases at SuperFleet® (Speedway, Marathon and Rich Oil) locations with no minimum purchase required.

American Safety & Health Management Consultants, Inc. (ASH) fills the growing need for professional safety and health management services for companies of all sizes. Meet requirements and reduce costs using first aid products from American Premier First Aid, Inc.

Green Industry Education

Shipping Solutions - PartnerShip

Attend ONLA educational events at a discounted rate and learn with fellow green industry professionals.

Health/Life/Income Insurance - TAH Benefits

The ONLA Group Benefit Programs has partnered with various health plans to offer a variety of plans with many optional benefits such as vision, dental, life, and disability.

Legislative Advocacy

Full-time lobbyist, Capitol Consulting Group, is employed by the ONLA to ensure green industry legislative involvement.

Long Distance/Local Telephone

First Communications provides full telecommunications services: long distance, data services, conference calling and toll free service.

Take control of your shipping costs and add profits to your bottom line.

PartnerShip delivers effective discounted shipping services to small- and medium-sized businesses nationwide, save up to 20%.

Soil & Plant Tissue Testing/Ag Hort. Consulting Services CLC LABS

Through CLC LABS, ONLA members receive various laboratory services at a 10% discount off list prices including testing of soil nutrients, soilless media, soil texture, fertilizer solution, plant tissue, irrigation water suitability and dry fertilizer analysis.

Workers’ Compensation - CareWorks Consultants, Inc.

The ONLA Workers’ Compensation Group Rating Program has saved its members over $21.4 million in the last 12 years.

Office Supplies - Friends Business Source

Friends Business Source is a leader in providing office supplies and equipment with ONLA member discounts on over 35,000 products.

Receive 30-55% off list price!

Online Safety Training- LS Training

LS Training offers 23 high-quality online videos; complete with online exams and field checklists to make your employees more efficient. Save 5% off the total invoiced price.

For more information on ONLA member savings visit onla.org or call 614.899.1195

REGISTER TO DAY!

SNOW & ICE SYMPOSIUM

JUNE 18-21, 2014

WWW.SIMA.ORG/SHOW

COLUMBUS

TRADE SHOW , EDUCATION , NET WORKING FEATURING: 21 EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS | 2 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 100+ TRADE SHOW EXHIBITORS | PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKING BRINE & EQUIPMENT CLEANING WORKSHOP | BEST PRACTICES PAVILION

ONLA Office Update

Evolving the

ONLA

Kevin Thompson ONLA Executive Director kevinthompson@onla.org

By now you’ve likely learned of the ONLA’s significant decision to bring management of the educational programming at CENTS in-house as our new “CENTS University.” During the process of making and announcing this decision, our member’s perceptions and interests regarding CENTS have come to light in a new way and I’d like to share them with you this month.

For CENTS, many of the same faculty you’ve learned from and respected over the years will be included in the CENTS University program. We plan to continue to offer all the important Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that were available in the past. We will also continue to grow the business section of the program that has proven to be so beneficial to our members.

For one, many of our members did not fully understand the relationship between CENTS and the OSU Nursery Short Course. Many believed that the short course was already owned and managed by the ONLA. That is quite understandable, considering the ONLA has a standing committee named the Program/Short Course Committee. This committee has always worked closely with our partners at The Ohio State University to develop an outstanding conference. Furthermore, we strived to deliver a seamless trade show and conference so that it came across as a single, big event. It seems we succeeded so much that many didn’t know they were separate.

By assuming full management of CENTS education, we are now able to announce ONLA’s first -ever Education Director, Lisa Larson. Having a professional education planner on staff will allow the ONLA to expand its educational offerings, not only at CENTS, but throughout the year and around the state. This will open up new, meaningful opportunities to ONLA members and the industry.

Historically, CENTS & The OSU Nursery Short Course were two events held simultaneously at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, but owned and managed by separate entities. This business model served both parties well while meeting the needs of our members and Ohio’s green industry for many years.

Times change, and business models evolve. The CENTS & OSU Nursery Short Course relationship was so unique that we actually didn’t know of any other convention that operated in this manner. The far more common model is one in which an association manages both its trade show and its educational programs, for good reason. Most associations seek to tap into the best speakers and educators, and to ensure programming aligns directly with their industry priorities, honing these programs over time. The ability to manage association revenue, build the conference brand and leverage technology are also critical factors in having everything under a single umbrella. onla.org

The primary benefits nearly all trade associations provide their members are: Networking; Advocacy and Education. We feel we’ve done a great job with the first two, but saw opportunity for improvement in the third.

By hiring an Education Director, expanding educational programming and streamlining the operations of CENTS Marketplace and CENTS University, we will offer more professional, streamlined and cost-efficient educational initiatives year-round.

We appreciate the partnership we’ve had with OSU and the Extension, Nursery, Landscape & Turf Team for many years – at CENTS, technical training, workshops, publications, webinars, etc. – and we look forward to continuing to grow these relationships.

Look for more updates on CENTS University and new educational programs in the weeks and months ahead.

Please remember – CENTS 2015 will be January 7-9, Wednesday – Friday, not the usual Monday-Wednesday you are accustomed to. Mark your calendar now.

Wishing you a great spring season. B

April 2014 9

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The ONLA Timeline

ONLA Staff Updates

ONLA has made some recent changes in our office we would like to share with our members!

Post ONLA Hires Education Director, Lisa Larson Lisa Larson joined the ONLA team in February of 2014 as Education Director. In this role, Lisa will develop and implement hands-on, online and live professional development programs that meet the diverse needs of ONLA members and attendees at CENTS Marketplace & University.

Lisa used her Bachelor’s of Arts in Business Administration from Kent State University to attain success in marketing and sales in the corporate world and she brings to ONLA more than a decade’s experience developing adult education programs for non-profits and associations. Lisa has collaborated nationally with educators and trade partners to provide online and onsite education programs for adult workforce and GED programs and service coordinators working in the public housing sector.

Lisa resides in central Ohio with her partner Don and their fourlegged children, JR Mouser and lab puppy - Jasper. In her free time, Lisa enjoys exploring and photographing trees, especially varieties of Beech and flowering plants in gardens across Ohio.

ONLA Promotes Amanda Domsitz to Communications Director Amanda Domsitz joined the ONLA team in November of 2012 as a Communications Assistant. She has recently been promoted to the Communications Director. Amanda produces the ONLA print and electronic publications, the ONLA’s websites (onla.org, centsmarketplace.com, and buckeyegardening.com), handles association advertising sales and sponsorships, and promotes ONLA educational seminars through digital and print media. She also manages the ONLA’s scholarship and grant programs and coordinates the annual ONLA Job Fair. Amanda is committed to serving the best interest of members of the association, as well as the green industry.

Amanda is a 2012 graduate of The Ohio State University.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Communications with a minor in Agricultural Business. She resides in central Ohio and enjoys going to Ohio State Buckeye football games and taking her dog Hank to the dog park.

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  Karen holds two Bachelor’s Degrees – Accounting from Franklin   University and Business Administration from Ohio Dominican  

University. Karen says what she enjoys most about her accounting

position with ONLA is, “finding creative solutions to address our  immediate business needs, and applying both the art and the  

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science of accounting to help ONLA gain an even stronger financial  footing.”   

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 Karen resides in Dublin, Ohio with her husband and three  children,   two dogs, a cat, and a fish named Pip. In her spare time she 

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April 2014 11

Educational Update Why Host Range Matters

This article is provided to you as a benefit of membership in the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association.

Understanding the host ranges of pests and pathogens that cause infectious plant diseases is important in plant health management, in evaluating the potential risks of a particular pest or pathogen, and in communicating with our clientele and customers. After all, the host is one of the three sides of the Disease and Pest Triangles (along with the pest or pathogen and the environment conducive to disease or infestation). Here are a few key considerations about host ranges.

Content for this issue provided by:

Host Ranges Are Often Narrow

Jim Chatfield The Ohio State University Extension Nursery Landscape and Turf Team chatfield.1@osu.edu Joseph F. Boggs The Ohio State University Extension, Hamilton County and Department of Entomology, Extension Educator boggs.47@osu.edu

Most plant pathogens have narrow host ranges. The downy mildew of impatiens water mold pathogen (Plasmopara obducens) occurs on Impatiens walleriana, the common bedding plant impatiens and some wild impatiens species, but not on other plant genera, and not on New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri). The rose black spot fungus (Diplocarpon rosae) occurs only on certain roses in the genus Rosa. The plum black knot fungus (Dibotryon morbosum) infects only plants in the genus Prunus, such as cherry, almond, peach, and, of course‌ plum. Bacterial fireblight occurs only on genera in the rose family (Rosaceae), such as apple/crabapple (Malus), pear (Pyrus), and Sorbus (mountainash).

Likewise many insect pests have highly limited host ranges.

The devastating emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) infestation in North America at least occurs

only on ashes (Fraxinus). The bronze birch borer insect (Agrilus anxius) occurs only on birches (Betula). Hemlock woolly adelgids occur only on hemlocks (Tsuga), viburnum leaf beetles damage only Viburnum, and European pine sawflies occur thrive on Pinus. On the other hand‌

Host Ranges May Be Wide In sharp contrast to the fraxinophilic emerald ash borer that we have gotten to know all too well, another borer in the news – the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) has a wide host range, from maples, horsechestnuts, elms and willows as some of their very good hosts to many additional hosts such as birch, planetrees, poplars, goldenraintrees, and many others, a fact that makes it even scarier to contemplate if we do not eradicate those infestations we know about.

Another example, Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) feed on many hosts, from turfgrass (as larval grubworms) to the wider training table for adults that includes everything from roses to lindens, dawnredwoods to primroses.

Similarly, there are pathogens with wide host ranges. The Verticillium fungus infects many plants, both woody and herbaceous, from Acer (maple) to Viburnum, from Impatiens walleriana to fruits and vegetables such as brambles and tomatoes. Botrytis cinerea and its cousins infect almost everything from redwoods in propagation

Program (Photo by: Ken Chamberlain), Image 2 (Bottom Left) Plum black knot disease occurs only on the genus Prunus (Photo by: Joe Boggs), Image 3 (Bottom Right) Bacterial fireblight on Callery pear. The fireblight bacterium is native to the U.S. an dreaded as an invasive in other countries.

to roses and petunias in the landscape. The bacterial crown gall pathogen, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, has a host range of at least 600 plant species in 142 genera and over 90 families, including notably susceptible evergreen euonymus and roses. How does all this play into plant health management strategies?

Well, if a key desire for a customer is a formal rose garden, then planting evergreen euonymus around the house is taking quite a risk. The debilitating effects of crown galls on the vascular health of roses is usually what makes rose gardens fade over time, and it is not easy to do anything about it other than put up with lesser roses or start over; bacteriacides for crown gall are not effective.

Natural Selection Matters We talk a lot about plant selection: “right plant for the right place” is an important mantra for our daily Zen. Host range plays a role here as well. In Ohio with heavy apple scab pressure, it is important to select crabapples which bring good apple scab resistance along with desired horticultural characteristics of flower, fruit, form and foliage. But selection within a differ-

ent time frame is also critical to our understanding of host range. Namely, the role of natural selection with regards to host range matters.

As OSU entromologist Dan Herms points out “no natural selection history pressure – no resistance.”

Asian ashes that have co-evolved with the emerald ash borer (EAB) have greater resistance to this insect than our North American ashes which never encountered them until the past few decades. Thus our native ashes have not evolved through the cauldron of natural selection. Each mutation of Asian ash that provided, for example, plant chemical advantages over EAB made that ash a little more resistant to the effects of this insect. Multiply this over thousands and millions of years and the result is more resistant ashes in Asia.

If only we could wait that long? Hopefully, as horticulturists we can speed up the process through plant breeding efforts.

This story plays out again and again. With birch and the bronze birch borer the story is the same – but in reverse. Bronze birch borer is a North American native insect. Our native birches, such as paper birch please see page 14

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, April 2014

13

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

Captions: Image 1 (Top) Crablandia at OSU Wooster Campus is the most extensive plot in the National Crabapple Evaluation

continued from page 13

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

and river birch have good to great resistance to bronze birch borer due to the eons of natural selection history. It is the European and Asian birches that have not faced this insect until planted here and are more vulnerable because of their lack of natural selection history. Are they worried in Europe and Asia about the bronze birch borer as an invasive species to their birches? Absolutely.

This story unfolds in an interesting way with thousand cankers disease. The walnut twig beetle/Geosmithia fungus combination is not officially classified as an invasive problem because the insect and beetle are technically native to the United States. In Arizona on the native Arizona walnut there, this combination is not a big deal pest, affecting stressed plants and not causing too much overall damage to healthy plants, a typical bark beetle scenario. The problem though, as noted early in the 21st century, by University of Colorado entomologist Whitney Cranshaw and plant pathologist Ted Tisserat was that black walnuts were dying throughout the West.

Black walnuts are native to Ohio and the eastern United States, but were planted out west. However, black walnut had no natural selection history to this seemingly innocuous insect/fungus combination. No resistance. Devastation to black walnut ensued out West and now this new black walnut/thousand canker combination threatens the native range of black walnut here in Ohio and the East from imported from the West wood products. From an invasives biology perspective this is again the same old “no natural selection history – no resistance” story.

This story, told over and over again, is neatly summarized by Mike Raupp and Paula Shrewsbury of the University of Maryland and Dan Herms of OSU in recent articles (see below), in a listing of some of our most familiar and important pest/pathogen and host combinations. The examples in bold are those where the host plants are native to North America and the pest or pathogen is non-native, the non-bolded examples tell the reverse story of a North America pest and non-native plants.

“Documented Examples of Low Host Resistance Where Coevolutionary History is Lacking” • • • • • • • • 14

• • •

Redbay ambrosia beetle and NA redbay American chestnut and chestnut blight Dutch elm disease and N.A. elms

Quite a lineup. Natural selection history matters.

Next month: We will continue with additional host range issues: from stress matters, to ignorance matters, to taxonomy matters. For now, let’s close with the reminder that tests matter. Tests as in trials, trials as in plant trials to assess susceptibility to diseases and insects. Long-term programs such as the International Ornamental Crabapple Society trials and the National Elm trials across the country are essential to good plant health management and communication for growers, landscape architects, designers, installers, and maintenance professionals – and green industry customers. Which roses have resistance to rose rosette virus ? Researchers and rosarians need to know.

Last Month’s Name That Plant Challenge In the March Buckeye there were 20 Name That Plant images with short descriptions. The answers are posted with their images and descriptions at buckeyegardening.com. In next month’s Buckeye we will reveal the winner – and perhaps initiate another contest!

Quote for the Month: “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.

(Sonnet XCVIII)” -William Shakespeare Check out more from Raupp, Shrewsbury and Herms in these excellent references: •

Raupp, M.J., P.M. Shrewsbury, and D.A. Herms (2010) Ecology of herbivorous arthropods in urban landscapes. Annual Review of Entomology 55:19-38.

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Raupp, M.J., P.M. Shrewsbury, and D.A. Herms (2012) Disasters by design: outbreaks along urban gradients. P. Barbosa, D.K. Letourneau, and A. Agrawal (eds.), Insect Outbreaks Revisited. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, West Sussex, UK. B

See page 15 for more photos.

Bronze birch borer and Eurasian birches Emerald ash borer and N.A. ashes Pine needle scale and Eurasian pines Hemlock wooly adelgid and N.A. hemlocks Balsam wooly adelgid and N.A. firs Beech bark scale and N.A. beech Grape phylloxera and European grape Viburnum leaf beetle and NA viburnums The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, April 2014

smudgy diffuse lesions) and leaf yellowing and frogeye leaf spot (darker more defined lesions) at Crablandia. He apple scab fungus has a narrow host range; Image 6: Black spot of rose. The pathogen Diplocarpon rosae has a narrow host range, occurring only on certain susceptible roses; Image 7: Bacterial crown gall on euonymus. The pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens has a very wide host range.

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The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, April 3/10/14 2014

11:44 AM

15

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

Captions: (Clockwise From Top Left) Image 4: Black walnut is threatened by thousand cankers disease; Image 5: Crabapple scab (note

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CAMPAIGN Developed by the Arizona Nursery Association and adopted by partners across the country, the Plant Something! marketing program has built momentum by starting from the ground up.

It’s a Simple Statement, But It Packs a Powerful Message: Plant Something!

In just two words, the tagline for a relatively new, but rapidly growing, green industry marketing campaign says it all. Plant anything, really—tree, shrub, perennial, annual—and you can help to improve the environment, your personal economy and even your well-being. It’s the sort of short-but-sweet motivating phrase that piques consumers’ curiosity and starts them thinking … then talking … then acting. And it appears to be just the sort of promotional campaign the green industry is ready for.

If you attended any of a number of trade shows and conferences this year, you’ve probably seen Plant Something material, whether you picked up a brochure and a bumper sticker or visited the booth. Although the program began a few years ago in Arizona, it’s reaching out across the country to recruit more partners in this grassroots endeavor.

What Is It? On the surface, the Plant Something campaign may look like a simple public awareness campaign. It’s somewhat similar to “Got Milk?” in that its generic tagline doesn’t promote any single producer or individual product. Aimed at consumers, the ostensible goal is to catch their attention and encourage them to, well, plant something.

At its core, however, the program is intended to increase sales for its member growers and garden centers and, by extension, help to grow the greater green industry.

In fact, because it is supported by funding through the USDA Farm Bill Specialty Crop Block Grant program, its function must be to work toward increasing the consumption of a specialty crop—in this case, ornamental plants. onla.org

Hasn’t this been tried before? Let’s back up a bit.

Remember “Plants for America,” the proposed promotion order that was sowed in the early 1990s but never took root? It had a similar goal—to place ornamental plants front and center in the mind of the consumer, thus driving up sales to benefit growers. The funding, though, was the sticking point. As Plants for America was structured, support dollars would come from the industry in the form of nominal levies on containers and plant sales.

The program ultimately failed, primarily due to the proposed funding scheme. It was viewed by many as a form of taxation, leading growers across the country to sign a petition of nonsupport that was published in this magazine.

But Plant Something takes a different approach, and although the funding does come from a government grant, the program itself was built from the ground up.

please see page 18

THE BRAND STATEMENT The Plant Something brand statement delivers the spirit of the campaign without relying on heavy-handed “sales-speak.” It takes into consideration the admonition that the industry no longer can afford to sell beauty alone: The economic, environmental and health benefits of gardening will drive participation—and sales—through to the hands of a new generation. Here’s how the Plant Something brand presents its mission: “Embracing the ‘New Normal’ realities in people’s lives, the ‘Plant Something’ movement is a fun, semiradical groundswell that motivates all to enrich their private and public environments by encouraging simple, rewarding acts that can grow to a canopy of value and beauty for a richer world.”

April 2014 17

continued from page 17

A Real Grassroots Movement About four or five years ago, Arizona Nursery Association board members approached executive director Cheryl Goar with a challenge. “When the economy was absolutely at its worst,” Goar recalls, “our board came to me and said, ‘We need some help here; we need something in the form of marketing.’ Because Arizona was so construction-based and the economy had basically tanked in 2007, 2008, things were really tough.”

Something had to be done to encourage sales, Goar explains, “So we came up with this idea for [a promotional campaign] and to apply for a specialty crop grant” to fund it. Such grants are a part of the greater Farm Bill, which distributes funds to the department of agriculture in each state, proportionate to the percentage of specialty crops grown there. Every state is different, and funds are distributed differently in each state. In Arizona, Goar says, “They actually believe in getting all the money out to the specialty crop growers in the state.

No one producer alone can apply; it can only benefit groups of producers. So the vegetable association can apply [for grant money], and the nursery association can apply—anyone who’s doing something that benefits a broad group.”

She emphasizes that a project funded by this type of grant “has to increase the consumption of that specialty crop. That’s kind of the bar. And our state takes education, marketing and research proposals,” but the ANA concentrated on a marketing proposal.

“The nursery industry has turned down marketing

campaigns over the years,” Goar admits. “Without a common product, no one’s been able to dissect that puzzle and figure out how that would work for our industry. But what we’re trying to do is work from the grassroots up. If everyone is promoting the same message, maybe we get that momentum for the nursery industry, but we’ve come at it from the ground up rather than the top down.”

The ANA turned to Park&Co, a full-service advertising agency in Phoenix, for help. The firm had created the award-winning “Water—Use It Wisely” campaign (www. wateruseitwisely.com) that began in Phoenix and quickly spread nationwide. “We realized that we’re a bunch of nursery owners; we’re not an ad agency,” Goar explains.

“They knew the right questions to ask. They kept nursery people in a room all day long—that was a feat in itself.

What it really taught me is that our industry had all these answers, but we didn’t know the right questions to ask to get the right information.”

The ad pros returned to the group with only two promo ideas, but, as Goar says, one was “head and shoulders above” anything the board had imagined. The graphic featured a vacant lot between two high-rise buildings in Phoenix, with an enormous plant stake stuck in the barren ground. The stake said, very simply, “Plant Something!”

The message was clear: No matter where you start, you can make a difference if you take that one simple step.

Posters and ads emphasize the economic, environmental and lifestyle benefits of planting … well … something. The graphic presentation was designed to allow partners to customize ads by inserting nursery or garden center names and contact information at the top.

(Images courtesy of Plant Something; Arizona Nursery Association)

Instead of blowing money on air conditioning, invest in some shade trees to cool and insulate your house and yard naturally.

With the right plants surrounding your home, you can cut up to 25% off your energy bill. Uncover a wealth of cool tree ideas at plant-something.org

18 The Buckeye

Who says money doesn’t grow on trees? Have you seen what a beautiful yard can do for your property value? By adding a quality landscape to your home, you can boost its resale value by up to 15%. Learn how green investments pay high returns at plant-something.org

Turn your yard and community into an inviting oasis. Before you pour a tall cool one, try planting one. The right trees and plants will transform an ordinary space into a memorable experience. Unearth a wealth of exterior decorating ideas at plant-something.org

onla.org

It’s Not Just About “Pretty” With the guidance of Park&Co, the Arizona growers came to understand not only how consumers see the green industry, but how we need to connect with them in order to sell. Goar explains, “The other advice that I think is really critical to our industry right now is the agency told us we just don’t have the luxury—and remember, this was in a down economy when we started, but it’s still applicable today—we don’t have the luxury to talk about our product as something ‘pretty.’ We just don’t have that anymore. You have to promote the environmental, the financial and the health benefits.”

Yes, the plants are beautiful and they brighten up a yard, but consumers want to know what else they stand to gain. “Everything in this campaign talks about increasing your property value, getting out and exercising in the garden, and basically cleaning the air,” Goar says. “We don’t talk about ‘it looks good.’ We know we’re competing with HGTV every day on ‘let’s paint the bedroom and get a new bedspread rather than redo the landscape’. And we’re talking about that long-term value.”

The team developed a number of products that help to educate the public—in a short-attention-span manner—on the benefits of planting. Bumper stickers and window clings urge consumers, “Don’t Just Stand There, Plant Something!” Posters and magazine ads briefly describe economic, environmental and health benefits. Take, for example, the “Cash Money” ad featuring a seed packet that touts, “Large Bloom, Fast Growing C-Notes.” The copy at the bottom states, “Who says money doesn’t grow on trees? Have you seen what a beautiful yard can do for your property value? By adding a quality landscape to your home, you can boost its resale value by up to 15%.

Learn how green investments pay high returns at plantsomething.org.”

Where Arizona stresses environmental and financial gains, the Idaho Nursery & Landscape Association has chosen to emphasize healthy living. “They have billboards all over Idaho that say, ‘Gardening Eases Stress’ and ‘Gardening Grows Good Health’,” Goar says. “They’re absolutely beautiful, and they tied it in with a buy local/plant local program as well. [The INLA] actually wrote an entire grant on the health benefits and were successful in getting it” on that basis.

All of the products, including 30-second radio spots, can be customized by partner associations—those groups that have bought into the program through a specialty crop block grant of their own. The Plant Something plant stake—the green and yellow graphic presentation that represents the campaign—is protected under Federal trademark, but otherwise, plant tags, ads, radio spots, bumper stickers, buttons and so on—all can be tailored to fit. In fact, partners share the products they’ve developed through a Dropbox application administered by the ANA. onla.org

PLANT Two of These ANd cALL us iN The morNiNg

want to improve your quality of life?

PLANT someThiNg. seriously. how’s a plant or tree possibly going to make my life better, you ask? By lowering your heart rate, providing beauty and shade, improving your property value, lowering your energy costs, cleaning the air and water, and creating a more inviting yard and community.

Try NAmiNg someThiNg As eAsy ANd iNexPeNsive ThAT cAN PuLL ALL ThAT off.

Captions: (Top) The Arizona Nursery Association provided member nurseries and garden centers with rolls of 200 printed plant stakes; the companies are free to order more at their own expense. Bumper stickers, window clings and banners are all part of the promotional materials offered by Plant Something campaign partners. (Images courtesy of Plant Something; Arizona Nursery Association) (Bottom) The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association adapted Plant Something materials to create an ad for Midwest Home magazine. A similar ad was used to support the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s “Minnesota Grown” program. (Image courtesy of Plant Something; Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association)

They are free to adopt and adapt, as long as the trademark is honored.

The program has a website (www.plant-something. org) that features a 30-second animated video called “Imagine That.” Animation is used to help keep the message generic; no particular location or plant can be identified. The voice over relates how planting can “raise your property value and lower your blood pressure.”

This landing page is where partner states link to their individual sites.

please see page 20

April 2014 19

PLANT SOMETHING PARTNERS The Plant Something campaign started with the plea of a few growers in Arizona—we need help with marketing— but it has since grown to include 13 partners, and counting.

For now, partnership is limited to organizations in order to comply with the grant, so if you’re interested in participating, check with your state nursery association.

Here’s who’s on board today: • Arizona Nursery Association, the founding partner; www.azna.org • Arkansas Green Industry Association; www.argia.org • British Columbia Landscape & Nursery Association; www.bclna.org • Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association; www.coloradonga.org • Idaho Nursery & Landscape Association; www.inlagrow.org • Long Island Flower & Growers Association; www.lifga.com • Massachusetts Nursery & Landscape Association; www.mnla.com • Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association; www.mnla.biz • New Jersey Nursery & Landscape Association; www.njnla.org • North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association; www.ncnla.com • Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association; www.onla.org • Oregon Association of Nurseries; www.oan.org • Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association; www.wsnla.org Other state associations currently are reviewing grant proposals and are exploring the benefits of partnership; as of late August 2013, the Plant Something group expected the combined Canadian provincial associations to consider making the program a national priority.

20 The Buckeye

continued from page 19

Does It Work?

The bottom line sometimes can be a moving target, and given the twists and turns of a recovering economy, it’s difficult to pinpoint the specific effects of a young promotional campaign. And a formal survey hasn’t yet been conducted in Arizona. But Goar points out that growers there reported a 10 percent increase in plant sales between 2010 and 2011. “I would love to say that the increase was the result of my campaign in Arizona, but the economy did continue to improve in those years,” Goar says. “Was it all due to Plant Something? No. But are we starting to be recognized? Are we starting to get people to think and talk about planting? Absolutely.”

Looking Ahead It may have started in Arizona, but the association’s board is eager to see this campaign grow well beyond the borders of the Grand Canyon State. “Our board is forwarding thinking,” Goar says, “and they’ve been very altruistic in this venture. It became obvious that we had something, and why would we not share it for the betterment of the industry?”

So what does the future hold for Plant Something?

Plans for the next few years include adding new promotional materials, such as truck wraps and a Plant Something app for Smartphone use, as well as a revision of the website as more partners come on board. But growth beyond the products has been the plan all along.

Eventually Plant Something very well might become a separate entity, no longer administered by the Arizona Nursery Association. “It could be its own company,” Goar explains, “because it’s on the brink now. Our goal is for this to outgrow us. The ultimate goal is, at some point, that Plant Something is too large for us to manage, and that’s a good thing. That’s a very good thing.” B Sally Benson, Editorial Director American Nurseryman sbenson@mooserivermedia.com Originally published in American Nurseryman, September 2013.

onla.org

Confessions Feature

of an ONLA Legislative Advocate

My first experience at “Legislative Advocacy” occurred in 2006 when someone asked me to visit with a State Representative and walk her around our Nursery Field Day in Northeastern Ohio. “What am I supposed to say?” I asked, nervous and perplexed. A helpful friend provided a laundry list of topics and issues, which I promptly forgot. I met our Legislator at the registration tent and we walked two laps around the exhibits talking about kids, books, nurseries, the weather…everything but politics. I introduced her to a number of growers, which was probably my main job. In the years that followed we ran into each other at fundraisers, Industry Advocacy Days and other events. We became friends. She called me once for information about Immigration Reform. Another time she asked me to write a supportive article for her local paper. Eventually she left the Statehouse, termlimits, but resurfaced as our County Treasurer. We’re from different parties and different ends of the County, but she still attends our nursery functions and takes an active interest in our industry. I’m proud of that.

Since then I’ve met many other legislators from the Statehouse as well as Congressmen, Commissioners and three U.S. Senators from Ohio. In every case I come away tremendously impressed. We like to complain about our elected leaders, but by and large I find them bright, committed, articulate professionals who care deeply about our country, our communities and our people.

Since my first experience, I’ve never felt tongue-tied, mainly because our legislators know how to communicate and make others feel comfortable.

Nowadays I’ve got plenty of issues on my mind, but I like to begin with a smile and a personal connection.

During roundtables with elected leaders, I like to ask at some point, “What else should our industry be doing?”

Last year was a busy one for nursery issues. In April, Jeff Hyrne (Lake County Nursery) organized a lunch with Congressman Dave Joyce. Local growers including Angelo Petitti (Petitti Group), Karl Losely (Herman Losely and Son), and Bob Lyons (Sunleaf Nursery) asked questions about Immigration Reform and congressional gridlock. Two weeks later we organized a breakfast round-table and nursery tours for State Senator John Eklund to discuss phosphorus legislation. Local growers onla.org

from Arcola Creek Nursery, Stropkey Nursery and others lend their voices at these informal gatherings. I’ve met the Senator many times at NGLCO, ONLA and Chamber gatherings so my job at the breakfast table is to keep the conversation going and introduce others. Later in May Veronica Dalberg, local Hispanic Advocate, and I had breakfast with Chase Stelzer, key staffer for Congressman David Joyce, before he headed off for more local nursery tours. In June, Bob Lyons hosted Caryn Candisky, North East Ohio Coordinator for Senator Rob Portman, and several growers for a conversation about Immigration Reform. We mentioned that we would like to meet the Senator face-to-face, and two weeks later Caryn was able to put it together. I was privileged to join Bob Lyons and Tom Demaline (Willoway Nursery) at a round-table with the Senator in Cleveland Playhouse Square at which Bob and Tom provided information regarding nursery immigration matters. The entire group recommended that he vote for the Senate Immigration Bill. Ultimately the bill passed the Senate, but without his vote.

Four days later, I was back in Cleveland for another round-table, sponsored by Global Cleveland, this time with Congressman Joyce at the historic Greenbriar Suite in Terminal Tower. Immigration Reform dominated the discussion once again, and it became obvious very quickly that a “comprehensive” bill was unlikely to emerge from the House of Representatives.

In early July, we ran into State Senator Eklund at Ohio Chautauqua and enjoyed an amicable conversation on a hot evening over beer. A month later, we took local sweet corn on our visit to Liberty Schindel, a former staffer for Congressman Steve LaTourette, niece of former State Representative Carol-Ann Schindel, who now works in Economic Development for the city of Bedford Heights. During the Congressional Recess in August, we got help from Craig Regelbrugge (ANLA/AmericanHort) in putting together another meeting with Congressman Joyce regarding Immigration Reform. Tim Brotzman (Brotzman’s Nursery), Tim Kline (NGLCO President, Kline Nursery Sales LLC), and Nate Hicks (Cottage Gardens) joined Bob Lyons and me for a local meeting with the Congressman and key staffers. Afterwards we walked down the street and met with the Cleveland Legal please see page 22

April 2014 21

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Aid Society enlisting their help on H2A matters.

During September, Bill Hendricks (Klyn Nurseries) organized an event in his bamboo garden for County Commissioner Judy Moran to meet with a dozen growers and tour several nurseries. The nursery tours are a great tool for educating elected officials and building relationships. Later in September, I ran into Congressman Joyce at a local Metroparks dedication at which we were both speaking. By now we know each other pretty well and joke about another opportunity to cross paths. I’m very impressed with his staffers who not only get him to engagements on time but assist him through the crowd. I’ve already learned that conversations with staffers can be very productive.

In early October, the high-point of my legislative advocacy career occurred when Bob Lyons and I joined over 600 representatives of business, law enforcement and clergy for a Washington DC fly-in to promote Immigration Reform. The event was organized by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, and NY City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. I provided a YouTube interview (which never got played) and a lot of great people. We listened to Orville Norquist and representatives from U.S. Chamber of Commerce before heading off to visit with Republican Congressmen. Small groups from each state met for amicable meetings in Congressional offices with the goal

of moving the House towards a debate of immigration reform prior to yearend. Despite glimmers of hope, that did not happen. It’s anyone’s guess whether the topic will come up in 2014.

Back at home, I had some letters published and participated in a national media conference call, but nothing seems to advance our cause in the House. Calls and emails from local growers helped put off the deportation of a local nursery worker scheduled for New Year’s Day. Deportations continue at record levels under the current administration. Perhaps our efforts in the grass roots are as important as those in the national spotlight.

Clearly, Legislative Advocacy is a “team sport” for ONLA. We need many faces and many voices! That’s my primary message to our membership. We are fortunate to have Belinda Jones and her husband Dan (Capitol Consultants) on our side, as well as our partners at OLA and AmericanHort.

How do you get started with Political Advocacy? Just jump in! Or get pushed in…like me! Stop hollering at the TV and get involved. (I still holler at the TV) B Mark Gilson, Gilson Gardens ONLA Legislative Committee 2014 ONLA Legislative Advocate of the Year mark@gilsongardens.biz

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22 The Buckeye

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onla.org

Norman Goldenberg Receives Lifetime Leadership Award from PLANET; ONLA Receives Association Leadership Award

Feature

PLANET presented its Lifetime Leadership Award to Norman Goldenberg, Landscape Industry Certified, and past-president of PLANET at the executive-level conference, Great Escape, in Anaheim, California.

PLANET’s Lifetime Leadership Award is presented annually to a member of the association who has demonstrated leadership, service, and commitment to both PLANET and the landscape industry. It honors individuals who have improved the landscape industry and inspired others throughout their careers with their pioneering spirit and demonstrated inventiveness.

Goldenberg has had an impactful career in the areas of pest management and lawn care. He is a former president of the National Pest Management Association, and the Florida Pest Management Association and is the current president of Project Evergreen.

Goldenberg has served on PLANET’s Board of Directors in many roles, including president, as well as on many PLANET committees. He is extremely active in PLANET’s government affairs work.

Goldenberg was CEO of his own pest management company and was senior vice president at Terminix and TruGreen.

“Through his knowledge, commitment, dedication and support of many national and state associations, Norman has greatly impacted our industry in a positive way. We are better people, better organizations and a better industry as a whole thanks to his involvement,” said Sabeena Hickman, CAE, CMP, CEO of PLANET.

ONLA Executive Director, Kevin Thompson (center) receives the Association Leadership Award on behalf of ONLA from PLANET President Glenn Jacobsen (left) and Roger Phelps from STIHL (right)

“ONLA has been a great supporter of landscape education for college students,” Sabeena Hickman, CAE, CMP, CEO of PLANET. “It makes a big impact in the landscape industry in Ohio, and it is a great partner with us on a variety of programs, including PLANET Day of Service.”

The awards were presented at the Breakfast for Business Success sponsored by STIHL, Inc. For information about the PLANET awards program, visit www.landcarenetwork.org/awards.

About PLANET

The second award was presented to the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA), which received the Association Leadership Award. ONLA has been an active state association member of PLANET for many years. It was the first State Association Ambassador of PLANET AEF, which provides educational scholarships to college students in the landscape industry. ONLA is the single largest contributor to the Foundation; to date it has contributed $358,000.

PLANET is the national trade association representing more than 100,000 landscape industry professionals, who create and maintain healthy, green living spaces for communities across America. PLANET members are committed to the highest standards in industry education, best practices and business professionalism. Many of PLANET’s professionals have attained the status of becoming Landscape Industry Certified, achieving the greatest level of industry expertise and knowledge. Visit PLANET at www.landcarenetwork.org. B

ONLA is also a certification licensee, providing opportunities for Ohio landscape professionals to become Landscape Industry Certified.

Lisa Schaumann Phone: 703-456-4217 lisaschaumann@landcarenetwork.org

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Stand Out

Ohio Landscape Industry Certified Technician Test Partnership

By earning your Landscape Industry Certified Technician certification, you send a message to your clients and/or employers that you’ve met and achieved the industry standard, and have demonstrated a thorough understanding of all the facets of your job.

2014 Landscape Industry Certified Technician Written & Hands-on Test Dates Registration deadline for the hands-on test is May 20, 2014.

July 23 - WRITTEN TEST (Ohio State ATI in Wooster) July 24 - HANDS ON & WRITTEN TEST (Ohio State ATI in Wooster)

REGISTER TODAY! Deadline to register for the hands-on test is May 20, 2014. For additional information about the test, registration information or study materials, visit LandscapeCertifiedOhio.org, or call The Ohio State ATI at 330-287-7511 or 330-287-0100.

By Design

Repetition EqualsUnity

Most of us have visited new clients only to discover a hodgepodge of designs and landscape elements. In that instance, it becomes our mission to find a way to unify the property. The end result will be comfort and beauty.

Repetition may be the most useful tool to achieve unity of a house and its landscape. There are six permutations of which we can avail ourselves. They are theme, line, form, structure, color and hardscaping material.

Repetition of Theme If you were asked to design a landscape for a castle or chateau, you might want to reiterate the theme by creating parterres but not by including Japanese-style cloudpruned plants. Designing the landscape for a Tuscan-inspired home or development? Include grape vines. I once visited a garden that told me what the theme was before I even entered because the fence and small garden outside it were Japanese in style. Inside was a simple Japanesestyle house and a garden and pool designed by a Japanese master.

Split rail fences are very attractive in the right setting but they shouldn’t be installed in front of an English Tudor. On the other hand, they look just right with ranch or country homes in either suburban settings or on the prairie. Selection of plant material can also repeat the ar-

chitectural theme. A Columbus designer has used prairie grasses extensively to accentuate her rustic cabin-style home.

Repetition of Line Some homes do not lend themselves to repetition of theme but almost all can benefit from repetition of line.

Look to architectural details for inspiration. If, for instance, the portico covering the front entrance is arched, this line can be repeated by choosing curvilinear urns to flank that entrance. When designing a path which will lead from the public sidewalk or driveway, look at the architecture of the house. If there are beautiful fanlights, use their line as the basis for designing arced steps into the path when there is a grade change. Or, if the porch of the house is distinguished by a large arched entrance, design an adjoining patio so that it repeats the arch in the patio itself and perhaps in a large step which accesses the patio. These architectural lines could also be repeated in swimming pool design, especially when the pool is close to the house and both will be viewed at the same time.

If the roof line or that of the portico is triangular, it could be doubled to become a diamond pattern in the path that leads to it. A few years ago, as I was driving to one of my favorite nurseries, I passed a home with distinctive

please see page 26

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diagonal paneling. That line theme was repeated in the diagonal stairs that led to the front door. Line theme can also be repeated in bed outlines. Most houses have rectilinear doors and windows but pitched (diagonal) roofs; try combining both themes on the ground plane in walls, paths and beds and you will have a very unified design.

Parking aprons and overflow parking spaces can be very problematical. They consume a lot of space and usually detract from the overall design. If you are designing this type of area for a linear or contemporary house, try using grid systems, either brick or concrete, with grass between. The repetition of line and color can help create the integration we seek and improve the environment by diminishing the area of nonporous pavement.

Architectural lines can also be repeated with careful selection of plant material. Accentuate the verticality of a narrow townhouse with pillars but also with fastigiate trees such as Quercus robur. Accentuate the horizontality of a shingle-covered, long, low house with one of the Juniperus horizontalis cultivars or a contemporary linear house with linear stone steps set into the lawn and a fence with horizontal pieces instead of vertical ones.

When houses are very tall, we can try to repeat that height with tall plants that emphasize their height by their vertical form. Some of the plants, such as upright junipers can be planted in the ground while others could be planted in containers which automatically add height. If a house has a vertical element, perhaps a many-windowed tower that serves as a studio or office, that verticality could be repeated through the use of obelisks as well as fastigiated or upright plants.

Curvilinear lines can be treated in the same manner.

Start with a curved walk. Draw attention to the entrance with a curvilinear container; line the walk with globular

26  The Buckeye

boxwoods; and then accentuate the line with an arching spider plant or fern on top of the wall that marks the end of the path.

Repetition of Form Repetition of form is somewhat similar to repetition of line but generally refers to something three dimensional rather than one dimensional. If, for instance, the roof line is very diagonal or triangular, consider repeating that line with pyramidal conifers.

Ornament can also be used to repeat form. If the doors and windows are rectangular, select containers that are square or oblong. The most used curvilinear ornament is the glass gazing ball set on a pedestal but why not be different and use a series of concrete balls or old, colorful, bowling balls set in the lawn adjacent to arching ornamental grasses and a curvilinear patio? Instead of a ball, you could set a circular basin birdbath within a grouping of arching ornamental grasses.

Repetition of Structure Similar to repetition of line and form is repetition of structure. A compatible fence goes a long way toward integrating house and landscape. A fence is often the first thing that viewers notice, particularly if the house has a porch or balcony fence. When the two patterns are different, there is a subconscious feeling of unease even if the color is the same. If attention is paid to the finials as well, so much the better.

Arches, arbors, and pergolas will hopefully echo some of the architectural lines of the house. I cringe when I see an arch and gate at the entrance to a home and the design of these structures bears no relation to the architecture of the house. It is painfully obvious that no thought was given to this aspect of the landscape. onla.org

Repetition of Color Repetition of color is probably the easiest way to marry a house and its landscape, even if the house is a boat. A colored window blind or curtain and matching geraniums are as simple as it gets but very effective. Yellow is a very cheerful color, one that some people are bold enough to use on shutters and garage doors and then repeat in the landscape. There are many yellow-foliaged plants but choosing the quantity is when the designer’s eye is crucial. Too many yellow plants will be overwhelming but too few will be ineffective.

We don’t use enough color in our hardscapes, perhaps because most of our clients are somewhat timid. Don’t be afraid to suggest changing the color of house trim, window frames and doors, or structural additions such as pergolas, arches, and walls. Madoo Conservancy, the personal garden of Robert Dash, is one of the most interesting and colorful gardens I have ever visited. This is the garden of a man who loves color and has painted everything, including the chimneys. One of the outbuildings has a bright yellow chimney that is echoed by golden Chamaecyparis in the surrounding landscape. Color is a great way to call attention to a space or an architectural element. Distinguish one property from another by painting the entrance gates a beautiful medium blue, repeat that blue in the screen door frame, and again in the door of a garden wall. Then you have something special before even installing the first plant. Spruce up an old Victorian with creative use of color and echo those colors with plants in similar colors as “decoration” in beds lining the front walk.

Color can also be used to blend houses into their surroundings instead of calling attention to them. I think this is especially true of houses constructed in woodland settings. This concept was espoused and followed by the American designer James Rose in the 1930’s when he built his house in New Jersey. He painted it a light green and fabricated his rooftop arbor and patio benches out of dead tree limbs so that they would fade into the woods that encompassed the house.

Repetition of Material One of the reasons that house and landscape so frequently seem divorced is that the materials used in construction of the house are not repeated in the landscape.

When they are repeated, the outdoor space and the building merge into a satisfying unity. We should also pay attention to the texture and patterns used in the building.

Most of our clients live in areas where brick is a common material. In the West and Southwest, terra cotta tiles are frequently used as roofing material. How easy it would be to pick up that color by designing brick walks and walls that match the roof color. When additions such as swimming pools are made to the landscape, they onla.org

become an integral part of the whole space if one or more of the existing materials is used. A few years ago, I saw a brick and stucco house in Philadelphia that had a beautiful old brick wall with a stone cap. The new pool coping was stone and the decking was brick; it was a marriage made in design heaven.

Repeating hardscape material can do even more; it can serve as a visual differentiation of spaces. Take a white frame house with gray window trim and vertical brick strips by some of the windows. Then lay a formal sandstone terrace at the back of the house for entertaining and further into the back yard, lay an informal brick patio for sunning. There is an immediate, visual map. We can also differentiate spaces by using the same type of material in varied forms. Cut stone adjoining the house denotes a somewhat formal area but pebbles or gravel can denote an informal area as people move away from the house.

Bits of each can be interspersed with the other to create interesting patterns.

Be sure to avail yourself of the myriad aspects of repetition to unify designs and marry houses to their landscapes. B Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb bobbie@bgthumb.com

N U R S E R Y

Quality and Service G A R D E N C E N T E R is the Nature L A N D S C A P E of our Business

Call Us for all your nursery needs including Quotes, Availability or a Catalog

1-877-722-7337 411 N. State Route 235 Fax 937-845-9731

New Carlisle, OH 45344 www.scarffs.com

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Landscaper’s Viewpoint

Being Proactive For the

Upcoming Season

With winter finally coming to a close, landscaping crews everywhere are probably back to the grind of working from dawn until dusk. Hopefully this winter, you did not sit back and relax on the successes of last year, but looked at what you can improve upon this upcoming year. The Spring is our busy season with more work than we know what to do with, but it is also the time we use to set up the remainder of our year. If done correctly, you will have a prosperous and successful 2014. The companies that refine their skills and procedures are the companies that succeed over time.

I came to Grunder Landscaping over eight years ago and there are many things I know now, that I wish I would had known then. Here are three items you can improve upon this year and I guarantee you will see a difference!

Networking Do you have trouble finding leads and building relationships? When I first started at Grunder Landscaping, I was new to the area and had few contacts.

I joined BNI (Business Networking International) as a way to meet business professionals. Not only does this group allow you to build relationships, it helps with your speaking and presenting as you stand up weekly to let your peers know what you are looking for in regards to leads and referrals. I am also a member of our local optimist club. This is a service organization that meets weekly for lunch and yet again, it gives me another opportunity to network and represent Grunder in a positive light. Another suggestion I have would be giving

Listen to Your Client or Prospect Have you ever finished an appointment with a client or prospect and on the way back to office, tried to remember what you discussed? Early in my career I admit this happened to me from time to time and the end result was not getting the job. During the appointment, you think you are listening, but have other tasks on your mind, like lunch, or taking the kids to soccer practice that night.

Listening doesn’t mean hearing it with your ears as much as writing it with your pen. At all times I have a note pad and pencil on me. This not only lets the client know you are prepared, but that you are listening and taking their thoughts and ideas seriously. If you already do this, as most of you should, this is great, but the next step is what makes all of the difference. When my appointment is complete, I read back to the client the line item notes that I have taken during our appointment. This drives home the fact that I was truly listening and it gives my client a chance to add to their list of wants and desires. If the client is not already impressed, when I get back to the office, I send a follow-up e-mail to that client restating what their priorities are and what they told me they want as an end result. If you do this, you will save time and increase sales.

28 The Buckeye

Pound’s Nursery Balled and Burlaped Evergreen Trees Norway Spruce 6ft-14ft Colorado Blue Spruce 6ft- 9ft You dig or we dig.

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talks to local garden clubs and rotary meetings. This may be outside of your comfort zone, but the more you do something, the better you become at doing it and it may lead to work in the future. When you have a client or a prospect think of any landscape work, you want them to think of you. Get out there and build those relationships and take the time to get to know people. People do business with people they know, like and trust. It will take some work on your end to build a good networking base, but over time it will be well worth the time and investment.

Meet With Your Best Clients Now is a great time to follow-up and set up appointments with your top 25 clients. If you have not started meeting with clients, you should, and you should start right now. As important as it is to generate new clients, it is even more important to keep your existing clients happy. In this day and age of e-mail and technology, it is easy to e-mail your client when a face to face meeting is far more personal. It is also beneficial to sustain a good relationship. When I meet with a client, I ask them three questions. The first question is, “What could we do better for you?” If you never ask what you could do better, how do you expect to improve?

The second question I ask is, “What do we do well as a company?” Hopefully, your client goes on and on about what you do well. It gives you an opportunity to expand on what you do well and offer additional services. Lastly, I ask, “What would you have us do different next year?”

This question serves two purposes. First and foremost, it allows the client an open forum to discuss improvement and it lets them know that we value what they think.

Secondly, it gives you an outlet to discuss future work which is always a great topic.

Hopefully, you are already implementing these items and not just sitting back hoping for a successful 2014.

Now is the time to better yourself and your processes for the upcoming season. Be proactive and start meeting with clients and asking the tough questions you may or may not want to hear. If you do not ask the tough questions, how do you expect to improve? B Brent Ogburn Landscape Contractors’ Committee Grunder Landscaping brent.ogburn@grunderlandscaping.com

Online Availability klynnurseries.com Visit our website Sales Staff Availability* Hot List* Klyn Catalog 2014* Quote Form Photo Gallery E-mail addresses About Us Directions *Contact us for user name and password

KLYN NURSERIES, Inc. 3322 SOUTH RIDGE RD. • P.O. BOX 343 PERRY, OHIO 44081

TELEPHONE: (440) 259-3811 FAX: (440) 259-3338 1-800-860-8104 Web Site: klynnurseries.com E-Mail: klyn@klynnurseries.com

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Look to the Future

Where are they Now? It’s always a thrill to run into graduates from our Landscape and Turfgrass Management Program at Owens Community College. I had the opportunity to see some of them over the course of last weekend. Let me tell you about it.

Jennifer Stamm (2002), garden center manager from Nature’s Corner at Glass City Landscape in Toledo, OH created Peter Pan. They built a great pirate ship floating in a sea of blue and Tinkerbelle’s hideout. I also met Jennifers’ two young children.

The Toledo Zoo sponsored its first ever “Spring Alive” event the first weekend in March. Nine different displays based on a fairy tale or a fable theme were designed and built by local landscape companies, florists including one from New York City, the Toledo Zoo horticultural staff, and our student landscape club from Owens. The idea was to create a beautiful display that would get people excited for spring in a 15’ X 20’ space. Five of the seven displays were done by local companies and were either designed or constructed by Owens graduates. These included:

Michelle Williams (1999), horticultural staff from the Toledo Zoo, helped create Hansel and Gretel. Being a zoo employee, she ended up helping many of us one way or another. This display included a gingerbread house and an oven along with plenty of forced woody plants. She also brought her two young children to the show on Saturday.

David Sheidler (1996), manager of the landscape design and construction department and Tyler Kitzler (2013), landscape crew member, both from North Branch Nursery in Pemberville, OH created the Three Little Pigs. Their display included the three houses and wolf, (of course) and beautiful plant material including several forced tree witchazel.

John Nieset (1996), the Landscape Forman at Nil Gallagher Landscape in Sylvania, OH, helped to design and build Alice in Wonderland. They built a top notch display including the tea table, a shed built from old caboose wood, tons of forced woody plant material, and some really neat mushrooms. I got to meet John’s teenage daughter and son.

30 The Buckeye

Kathleen Dollman (2007), bed maintenance crew member, Jon Koder (2009), landscape crew member, and Jennifer Hoffman (2010), bed maintenance crew leader, all from Nilsson’s Landscape Company in Waterville, OH, helped create a Jack and the Beanstalk display. It was very creative, artistic, and included many woody and cut flower materials.

I see many of these graduates at other events such as the CENTS show, Owens Summer Session (the first Wednesday of August at Owens), and our Owens Student Career and Job Fair. I also meet with some of them when they hire our students as interns. However, this was a unique opportunity to see them in a creative environment and meet their families. After 23 years in higher education, I can honestly say that days like these truly are the best rewards of what we do.

Oh, by the way, if you were wondering, our Owens Landscape Club created the Wizard of Oz. Our display onla.org

included multiple scenes from the movie that started in Kansas and in gray scale. After entering through a large book we had a really cool tornado and the house on top of the wicked witch of the east. Walking under the rainbow, everything changed to color and you were in munchkin land. There was more to see after that including: the lion, scarecrow, and tin man, the emerald city and the smoldering remains in the castle of the wicked witch of the west.

Our display included a few forced woody plants but the main color came from a variety of 250 potted flowering bulbs. We used fifty 4.5”potted tulips to represent the poppy field. We also had the movie playing through the front window of the house. One of our students created 3 audio recordings using a few lines from the moving that then went into songs. Yep, you guessed it, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” brought us all back to our childhood. A painted canvas on one side forced people to walk down the yellow brick road through the display to see and hear everything.

Needless to say the project took a lot of work. Twenty students and I had been working on it for the last couple of months on weekends and evenings after class. If you want to see a homemade video of our Oz display, go to YouTube.com and search “Owens Builds Oz” and enjoy.

A project like this is something these students will remember for years to come as I will remember them. Now, as these students graduate, I look forward to seeing what they end up doing with their degrees and where. So in a few years I can write another “Where Are They Now?” B Chris Foley Assistant Professor/Facilitator Landscape and Turfgrass Management Program Owens Community College christopher_foley@owens.edu

Manage m™re with less… with Soil Moist™ Nothing helps stretch budgets like Soil Moist Water Management Polymers and Mycorrhizal Products: to reduce water maintenance and plant stress, increase growth rates, improve soil porosity and do more with less… beautifully.

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Whether it’s original Soil Moist, Soil Moist Mycorrhizal for strong root development, or Soil Moist Plus nutrient blends, there’s never been a better time to call for technical data and expert advice.

JRM Chemical, Inc. 4881 NEO Parkway, Cleveland, OH 44128 1-800-926-4010 • 216-475-8488 fax: 216-475-6517 www.soilmoist.com

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April 2014 31

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Feature

Smarty Educational Events To Help You Brand Yourself Better

Parties

“Your premium brand had better been delivering something special, or it’s not going to get the business.”

– Warren Buffett

you and your customers because of the intimate and immersive “you can’t get that online” atmosphere they create.

If you have ever attended any of my marketing seminars, then you know that I teach the art of modeling perceptions. A great marketer is similar to a sculptor: they both work directly and indirectly to impart immaterial ideas and feelings to an audience through materials that affect the senses. Efficiently and effectively brand the hearts and heads of your current and future customers by modeling perceptions through utilizing a mix of new and traditional media advertising tools of different sizes, frequencies and channels (especially those impressions that maintain a similar identity). Remember to evaluate every campaign by the traffic, ticket and talk it generates. These factors are the key indicators of engagement.

On Earth Day (Tuesday, April 22nd) throw a “garden party” for your customers and help them collectively explore more sustainable options that, when chosen, reduce their environmental impact and guilt. Help your customers understand the physical, chemical and biological aspects of their local soil since soil is the key carbon filter and support for vigorous plant life, fresh water and clean air. In preparation for this event, check to see if it is clear to your customers (on billboards such as your website) that you offer sustainable services such as recycling containers.

The current challenge I have made to my clients is for them to get “4 More In ‘14”; wherein they successfully identify and inspire the top 20% of customers (that account for 80% of their business) to do four more projects with them this year. A goal for incremental growth like this is the kind of achievement that any savvy sales or marketing professional strives to accomplish.

As you consider the following marketing suggestions keep the above foundational concepts in mind.

There are three obvious consumer event opportunities that, in more than 15 years of working with nurseries, garden centers, landscapers and growers, I think are very underutilized: Earth Day, Arbor Day, and one’s own local business’ anniversary.

Now, more than ever before, these community-oriented celebrations have great potential for highlighting your store’s story, staff (relational marketing) and product selection to today’s target customer… ladies who tend to shop at value-added department stores, like Target.

If handled with care, these “Smarty Parties” will end up being positive and memorable experiences for both

32 The Buckeye

The recent trend in edible gardening sprung from the success of farmer’s markets and cooking shows. Consider offering “Grow Your Own Food” classes to your customers. I recommend that you offer a fruit tree seminar and/or tasting on Arbor Day (National Arbor Day is on Friday, April 25th). In the retailing of fruit trees and containers, the gift card and certificate sales is the easiest thing to quickly do, but don’t forget the power of the punch/stamp cards to induce and reward frequent purchases for smaller ticket items.

As for celebrating your store’s anniversary, I’ve noticed that more and more IGC’s are hosting Ladies Nights, Wine/Cheese/Tomato Tastings, Celebrity Cookoffs and Container Planting Days, which I think are all great ideas. Remember that older folks typically don’t RSVP until later because they are not sure how they are going to feel until shortly before the event. However, I might suggest that your staff choose another local business or area in town to “adopt”, so your goodwill in the community can be seen by customers throughout the year.

Because some of these educational events occur during the busy time of year, it is important to plan ahead by creating a marketing calendar to schedule your social media onla.org

posts, tweets, and other marketing and advertising duties.

Make sure you send out regular updates with pictures. I highly suggest that you start by forming a consistent identity for your campaign(s) to be used in radio, print and online. And always get three quotes and see three drafts before moving ahead with any design.

Here are a few last tips: • Ask your vendors to get involved in providing you with advertising funds to help monetize the “free” events and services to your customers.

• Consider hiring a visual merchandising expert to teach your team how to implement an event theme and build some outstanding vignette displays.

• Schedule a presentation by a 3rd party expert and create a package kit deal with them to offer to attendees that you can order supplies for in advance.

• Visit www.pinterest.com/gardenmarketing to see more ideas relating to events, signage, and other marketing ideas.

By using a mix of digital and analog brand impressions to promote more “Think Global, Act Local” face-to-face, educational events like Earth Day, Arbor Day and your business’ anniversary, you can positively model the per-

ceptions of your customers to obtain measureable results.

These are some ideas that will grow your independent business and promote the sale of your premium brands. B

About the Author: Jonathan Matteson has been working in the horticultural industry for more than 15 years helping independent nurseries and garden centers as a sales, merchandising and marketing professional. Jonathan is the founder of Garden Marketing, which exists to help the lawn and garden industry successfully reach the highly valuable and tech savvy X & Y Generation customers that he represents. Jonathan has given powerful presentations to many state associations for their membership, as well as numerous helpful private consultations, primarily throughout the Western United States.

You can connect with Mr. Garden Marketing at the following sites: www.Facebook.com/FollowGardenMarketing www.Twitter.com/GardenMarketing www.YouTube.com/GardenMarketing www.Pinterest.com/GardenMarketing

Restoring the native landscape

ernstseed.com sales@ernstseed.com 800-873-3321 814-336-5191 (fax)

The Wilds, Cumberland, OH onla.org

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Feature

Modernizing BWC The plan to optimize the premium collection model

BWC is transitioning to a billing system that will provide more flexibility for employers while reducing overall system costs. This change aligns BWC with standard industry practice and enables us to collect premiums before extending coverage. This transition becomes effective July 1, 2015, for private employers, and Jan. 1, 2016, for public employers. This conversion is part of BWC’s ongoing efforts to modernize its operations and provide better service to Ohio’s employers.

The Benefits of Prospective Payment A switch to a prospective billing system could provide the following benefits to Ohio employers: • • • •

•

•

•

well as the first two-month’s (July and August) prospective premium; A new payment schedule – Employers will receive their invoice in June and begin paying premiums before July 1. While that is earlier than before, all employers will be able to make at least quarterly payments, and some employers will be able to pay up to as many as 12 installments; A true-up process – Because BWC is providing workers’ compensation insurance coverage based on estimated payrolls, we will ask businesses to report or “true-up” their actual payroll for the prior policy year. This begins in August 2016. B Provided by CareWorks Consultants, Inc.

Overall base rate reduction of 2 percent for private employers and 4 percent for public employers; Opportunities for more flexible payment options (up to 12 installments); Better opportunities for BWC to provide quotes online or via the phone; Fewer costs from employers who either don’t pay premiums timely or have workers injured without coverage being mutualized among employers in good standing; Increased ability for BWC to detect employer noncompliance and fraud.

How It Will Work Ohio employers will see a few modest changes as this transition takes place. They are: •

•

Earlier opportunities to sign up for incentive programs – Beginning in the fall of 2014, employers looking to participate in programs such as group rating, group-retrospective rating or other rating plans will have the opportunity to make those selections sooner; A one-time credit in July 2015 – An average employer will enjoy a one-time premium credit, as BWC will cover his/her August payroll report (covering the January to June 2015 premium) as

34 The Buckeye

"Ohio Grown PROUDLY for over 50 years!” onla.org

Members on the Grow The ONLA would like to extend “Congratulations” to the following companies that experienced growth in the last year! They have reported to us on their ONLA membership renewal form that they have moved to a higher dues category (based on the gross dollar volume of all sales for the previous fiscal year.)

New Category 1 Members: Creekside Gardens Warren, Ohio Graf Growers Akron, Ohio Green Valley Seed Canfield, Ohio Green Vista Water Gardens Springfield, Ohio Landscapes by Terra, Inc. Plain City, Ohio

New Category 2 Members: Clean Cut Landscape & Lawn Bellbrook, Ohio

BCF Lawn & Landscape Seven Mile, Ohio

Lyons’ Pro Lawn Care Bellefontaine, Ohio

Black Rock Landscape Construction LLC Delaware, Ohio

McWhorter’s Landscape Co. New Albany, Ohio

Detillion Landscaping Co., Inc. Chillicothe, Ohio

Caroselli’s Outdoor Living & Landscape, LLC Reynoldsburg, OH

Pam’s Perennial Plant Farm Norton, Ohio

Kah Nursery Botkins, Ohio

Cedar Lane Farm Corp.

Wooster, Ohio

Landscape Design Solutions, LLC Plain City, Ohio

Green Ridge Tree Farm Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Post Excavating and Landscaping, LLC Coldwater, Ohio

T. L. C. Landscaping & Garden Centre Evendale, Ohio Werbrich’s Landscaping Cleves, Ohio

Lowenoak Landscape Development Findlay, Ohio

Yard Smart, Inc. Grafton, Ohio New Category 3 Members: Martin’s Nursery, Inc. Perry, Ohio

North Coast Perennials, Inc. Madison, Ohio

Oak Leaf Landscaping Danville, Ohio

The DiSanto Companies, Inc. Cleveland, Ohio

Oberlander’s Tree & Landscape, Ltd. Bucyrus, Ohio

Tinkerturf Lawn & Landscape, Inc. Cincinnati, Ohio

Wholesale Stone Supplies Columbus, Ohio New Category 4 Members: Acme Tree & Landscape, Inc. Cincinnati, Ohio

onla.org

Klotz Flower Farm, Inc. Bowling Green, Ohio

ProScapes of Dublin Hilliard, Ohio B

7463 West Ridge Road P.O. Box E Fairview PA 16415 800.458.2234 Fax 800.343.6819 e-mail: info@FairviewEvergreen.com FairviewEvergreen.com

April 2014 35

In Memoriam: Dorothy M. Warner Welcome New ONLA Members The following firms and individuals have been approved for ONLA membership, pending the completion of the application process, which includes requesting comments from the current ONLA membership regarding the qualifications and/or dues classifications of applicants within three weeks following receipt of this issue of The Buckeye.

The following companies are applying for ACTIVE membership: D. Wolfe Landscape 1190 Elm Street Grafton, OH 44044 Dan Wolfe, Category 5 Flores Landscaping & Nursery, Inc. P.O. Box 39 Painesville, OH 44077 Jorge Cabrera, Category 5

Dorothy M. Warner died on Feb. 12, 2014, at Breckenridge Village in Willoughby. She had celebrated her 96th birthday on Nov. 18, 2013. Dorothy graduated from The Ohio State University where she met her late husband, Zophar Warner. They started Warner Nursery in Willoughby Hills and operated the business from their home from 1946 to 1980. Retirement took them to Mountain City, Tenn., with more time during winter months in Islamorada, Florida. Born in 1917 in Mechanicsburg, Dorothy was the daughter of James Culver and Cora Edith (Mumma) Miller. Surviving are her daughters, Sally (Gail) Ruckel of Florida and Cynthia (Tom) Goodrich of Nashville, Tenn.; five grandchildren, Collin J. (Jessie) Ruckel, formerly of Chardon, Marni J. Ruckel of Willoughby, Noal C. Ruckel of Kirtland, Christy G. Kinnison of Virginia Beach, Va., Jared W. Goodrich of Nashville, Tenn.; and ten great-grandchildren. Her brother, James Culver Miller Jr. and sister, Ruth M. Clark are deceased. Memorial contributions may be made to Breckenridge Village, Attn.

“Life Care Fund” 36855 Ridge Road, Willoughby, Ohio 44094; or to The Holden Arboretum 9550 Sperry Road, Kirtland, Ohio 44094. B

McKenzie Lawn & Landscape 5926 State Route 128 Cleves, OH 45002 Brant McKenzie, Category 5 Premium Green LLC 342 Delaware Drive Westerville, OH 43081 Mark McConnell, Category 5 For more information on membership with The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, contact Roni Petersen at 614-899-1195 or ronipetersen@onla.org. B

36 The Buckeye

onla.org

New ONLA Certified Professionals Garden Center Jessica Bell, Thomson’s Landscaping Robert Duritza, Petitti Garden Center Steve Grimm, Spring Grove Cemetery Jack Hollerich, Nationwide Children’s Hospital James Hoskins, Noble Correctional Institution Andrew Howland, Viox Services, Inc. Victor Hribar, Petitti Garden Center Abigail Hunter, Meadow View Growers, Inc. Kelly Kall James C. Middleton, Cudda & Co. Landscaping Christian Moore, Parks Garden Center Louis Morales Christopher Norman, Acorn Farms, Inc. Vickie Pfeifer, Petitti Garden Centers Richard Plastow Greg Routt, Denny McKeown, Inc. Jessica Schaefer, A & J Landscape Center Matthew Schumacher, GreenScapes Landscape Co. Michael Salomone, Petitti Garden Center Matthew Stanford Gary Stevens Chase Williams, Franklin Park Conservatory Grower Julie O. Clark, Millcreek Gardens, LLC Sandy Curtis, Berns’ Greenhouse & Garden Center, Inc. Jason Fleming, Willoway Nurseries, Inc. Lori Hixson, Franklin Park Conservatory Patrick Hoehn, Franklin Park Conservatory Jack Hollerich, Nationwide Children’s Hospital David Kay, Breezewood Garden Center, Inc. James C. Middleton, Cudda & Co. Landscaping Brian Moody, Pinecrest Nursery, Greenhouse & Landscaping Co Christopher Norman, Acorn Farms, Inc. Charlene Richardson, Franklin Park Conservatory Jessica Schaefer, A & J Landscape Center

onla.org

Landscape Jack Bowles, Spring Grove Cemetery Cory Despins, Reichle Brothers Josiah Detwiler, SB Landscaping Blair Elliott, Casto Landscaping Jack Hollerich, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Mark Hopka, Petitti Garden Centers Justin Hubbs, Liapis Landscape & Design Tyler Kitzler, North Branch Nursery, Inc. J. Paul Koloszar, Spring Grove Cemetery Jon Lightcap, Household Services James C. Middleton, Cudda & Co. Landscaping Michael Murry, Kleinhenz Landscape Michelle Nichols, Warstler Bros. Landscaping, Inc. Christopher Norman, Acorn Farms, Inc. Ken Paros, Ponzani Landscape Co. Christy Potter, Acorn Farms, Inc. John Russo, Oberson’s Nursery & Landscaping Jessica Schaefer, A & J Landscape Center Jason Sessor, Five Seasons Landscape Management, Inc. Colin Shea, M. J. Design Associates, Inc. Kasey R. Stayner, ProScape Lawn & Landscape Services, LLC Marcus Tackett, Webber’s Landscaping Leanne Unger, Greenleaf Landscapes, Inc. Luke Varvarosky, Franklin Park Conservatory Master Sandy Curtis, Berns’ Greenhouse & Garden Center, Inc. Steve Grimm, Spring Grove Cemetery Patrick Hoehn, Franklin Park Conservatory Jack Hollerich, Nationwide Children’s Hospital James Hoskins, Noble Correctional Institution Andrew Howland, Viox Services, Inc. David Kay, Breezewood Garden Center, Inc. James C. Middleton, Cudda & Co. Landscaping Christopher Norman, Acorn Farms, Inc. Jessica Schaefer, A & J Landscape Center Chase Williams, Franklin Park Conservatory B

April 2014 37

New Landscape Industry Certified Professionals Certification is an important tool for all landscape companies and individuals in the landscape field.

That’s why the Landscape Industry Certified Technician – Exterior program deserves your attention. A Landscape Industry Certified Technician is a proven landscape professional who has been certified through an internationally supported testing program that is administered by PLANET and licensed to Ohio – a partnership of The Ohio State ATI, Ohio Landscape Association and Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association.

Hardscape Installation Andrew Brookbank, Viox Services Inc Randy Collins, The Pattie Group Jeremy Holmberg, Radick’s Landscaping Inc Brian Knauer, The Pattie Group Brian Maple, Exscape Designs Ken Thiergartner, Brookside Construction Service Inc

Ornamental Maintenance Jarod Emerson, Davey Tree Company Andy Istenes, The Pattie Group Roy Reynolds, The Pattie Group Softscape Installation Andrew Brookbank, Viox Services Inc. Bruce Flege, The Brickman Group LLC Josh Fullenkamp, Environmental Management Inc. Brian Knauer, The Pattie Group Garrett Lang, Greenleaf Landscapes Inc Emily Main, Hocking College Rory Tormey, The Brickman Group LLC Joseph Wheeler, Hocking College Justin White, The Pattie Group Turf Maintenance Tyler Clemans, The Brickman Group LLC Doug Eversman, The Brickman Group LLC Kevin McCausland, Turfscape Inc .

Jordan Ouwerkerk, Turfscape Inc.

Yuki Cherry Blossom™ Deutzia Pink Deutzia ‘Nikko’! It’s covered with soft pink flowers in spring, making it perfect for spring impulse sales. A neat, mounded habit and excellent fall color make Yuki Cherry Blossom a fantastic plant for landscapers, too.

It’s just one of the over 200 Proven Winners® shrub varieties available from Spring Meadow Nursery. We have 2¼”, 4” and Quick Turn™ liners available for 2014.

Contact: Sara Gordon Ohio Account Representative

100c / 0m / 81y / 66k

45c / 15m / 90y / 20

616-223-3376 www.springmeadownursery.com Digger_Half-Pg_YukiCherry.indd 38 The Buckeye

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2/12/14 8:44 AM

Feature

Flower Power at Your Fingertips!

Armitage’s Greatest Perennials & Annuals Mobile App World famous Dr. Allan Armitage has developed a new gardening app for Android and iPhone platforms.

Armitage’s Greatest Perennials & Annuals app spans the gap between the horticultural industry and consumers.

•

Dr. Armitage selects his favorite annuals and perennials, letting readers know why he chose them and provides hints for success in the home landscape. iPhone users can filter annuals or perennials and select sun, shade or USDA zones. A unique and popular feature is the deer browsing rating for all plants. Numerous photos and videos supplement the plant-specific information.

•

Even the Experts Agree “Having Allan Armitage’s app on Greatest Perennials and Annuals is the next best thing to having Allan personally by my side (or yours),” said Joe Lamp’l, Executive Producer & Host: Growing a Greener World® “If you’re a fan of Armitage, you won’t be disappointed by this app. His voice is evident all throughout this handy resource. More than just a database of plant information (which alone would be worth it), there’s a listing of great garden centers around the country, Allan’s tips for deer control, video links, Armitage words of wisdom and plenty of opportunity to leave comments or ask questions.

Don’t be surprised if you even get a personal reply from Dr. Armitage! One of my favorite and must-have apps for any gardener!

• • • •

•

Language is non-intimidating, written as if you were sitting with Dr. A on your porch or balcony.

The confusion about hybrids and cultivars disappears because Dr. A makes specific recommendations on what plants perform well.

Over 500 photos of plants he recommends so you can see what they look like.

Love the entertaining, brief, instructional videos that are available for many plants recommended.

Garden Centers that carry the plants recommended are easily found.

Recognized by New England Grows and the National Garden Bureau as a top gardening app.

Available on smart phones and tablets for only $4.99

IGC’s- What Would We Do Without Them?

Independent garden centers are struggling to maintain market share. The phone app features an index of independent garden centers nationwide. This can help drive plant sales as it lists where Dr. A’s recommended perennials can be purchased.

Top 10 reasons why IGCs are listed on the Armitage App: •

Independent retail garden centers can be featured FREE on the app = drive traffic to your store location. please see page 40

Top 10 Reasons Why Gardeners Like the Armitage App: • • •

Finally, easy to use information useful for gardening and decorating our home on our phone and tablet = more success in the garden.

App is easy to download and use and is immediately available.

The app is constantly updated so information is always current.

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continued from page 39

About Allan Armitage

•

Allan M. Armitage is an Emeritus Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia. He teaches, conducts research and runs the University’s Horticulture Gardens.

Dr. Armitage travels widely as a lecturer and industry consultant. He has received numerous awards from nursery trade groups and horticultural organizations. For more information on the app, contact Allan Armitage at amarmitage@earthlink.net.

• • • • •

• • •

Apps are attractive to a younger generation who are attached to their cell phones or tablets.

The app is a 24/7/365 sales person and “expert” in the sales person’s back pocket.

Turns employees into educated sales people at the swipe of a screen.

Merge app promotion and plants your store carries into your website, social media and marketing campaigns.

Demonstrates your garden store “is with it” from a technology standpoint.

Garden center staff using the app and promoting it to customers fosters a higher probability of gardening success, which means less returns and repeat business.

Recognized by New England Grows and the National Garden Bureau as a top gardening app.

Confidence for sales team and consumers they are choosing the right plant for the right place.

Available on most smart phones and tablets for only $4.99 B

Maria Zampini UpShoot LLC maria@upshoothort.com

• Perennials • Herbs • Ornamental Grasses • Hardy Ferns

• Edibles • Stepables® • Peonies • Annuals • Vines

Premium Quality Container Plants

Millcreek Gardens LLC

15088 Smart Cole Road • Ostrander OH 43061 P (800) 948-1234 • F (877) 964-6446 www.mgohio.com • sales@mgohio.com

40 The Buckeye

onla.org

Industry Calendar

View www.onla.org for seminars, events, trade shows and more! O designates qualifying OCNT recertification events April 22, 2014 PLANET Day of Service, The Day of Service is organized by PLANET, the national trade association representing more than 100,000 landscape industry professionals, who create and maintain healthy, green living spaces for communities across America.

PLANET members are committed to the highest standards in industry education, best practices and business professionalism. planetdayofservice.org June 18-21, 2014 Snow & Ice Management Association Presents the 17th Annual Snow & Ice Symposium, Columbus, Ohio, The 2014 Symposium will include over 20 educational sessions (including two keynotes), a 100+ exhibit Trade Show Floor, three snack & chat roundtable discussions, an off-site Brine Making Workshop, receptions, networking, and more.

Visit www.sima.org/show for details on every aspect of this exciting show!

O June 5, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Cleveland, Ohio, Join ONLA, OSU & AGI for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O July 10, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Huron, Ohio, Join ONLA, OSU & AGI for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O August 14, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Akron, Ohio, Join ONLA, OSU & AGI for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O August 28, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Toledo, Ohio, Join ONLA, OSU & AGI for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O September 11, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Westerville, Ohio, Join ONLA, OSU & AGI for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim

Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O September 25, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, North Olmstead, Ohio, Join ONLA, OSU & AGI for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O January 7-9, 2015 CENTS Marketplace & CENTS University, Attend CENTS Marketplace & CENTS University, with over 225,000 square feet of exhibition space and world class education.

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O July 31, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Columbus, Ohio, Join ONLA, OSU & AGI for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O August 11, 2014 NGLCO & ONLA Grower Bus Tour, Lake County, Ohio, Join the Nursery Growers of Lake County Ohio and the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association for the 2014 Ohio Grower Bus Tour. More details to follow.

August 12, 2014 NGLCO Field Day, Perry, Ohio, The NGLCO Summer Field Day is a long-standing tradition for green industry professionals. Mark your calendar and attend the 2014 event!

onla.org

www.claypaver.com

800­334­8689 April 2014 41

Advertisers’ Index

The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

The Buckeye is the nursery and landscape industry’s authoritative voice in Ohio.

Second to none in editorial and graphic quality, The Buckeye publishes a wide range of editorial features on the green industry’s key issues.

The Buckeye is another example of how the ONLA leads, promotes, and facilitates the success and growth of green industry businesses.

The Buckeye is published 10 times each year with a circulation of over 5,000 each issue and an

estimated readership of over 10,000. Advertisers benefit from an industry-specific audience, with distribution to professional nursery, landscape and independent garden center businesses and individuals, certified green industry professionals, educators/researchers, and subscribers.

Access Ohio’s $4.9 billion industry. Contact Amanda to learn how your business can benefit from becoming an advertiser in The Buckeye.

800.825.5062 amandadomsitz@onla.org

ONLA Classified Advertising: onla.org

The online classified service can be found on onla.org along with the complete postings. New ads will be added as soon as they are submitted to the ONLA. For more information, please contact the ONLA office at (614) 899-1195. The ONLA reserves the right to refuse ads. As we go to press, here are the ads posted on onla.org’s online Classified Section: •

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Crew Leader/Assistant Foreman, 9 Trees Landscape Construction, Hilliard, Ohio Garden Center Positions, The Greensmith Garden Center, Hinckley, Ohio Grounds Mower, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, Ohio Horticulture Technician, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, Ohio Inside Sales Consultant, A.M. Leonard, Piqua, Ohio Landscape Construction Foreman, Lanhan Landscaping & Design, Willoughby, OH Landscape Crew Members & Crew Leaders, Environmental Management Services, Plain City Landscape Designer, Wilson Landscape Associates, Columbus, Ohio Landscape Foreman, Environmental Management Services, Plain City, Ohio Landscape Foreman/Maintenance Foreman, The Greensmith, Hinckley, Ohio

42 The Buckeye

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Landscape Maintenance Account Manager, Vizmeg Landscape, Stow, Ohio Landscape Maintenance Foreman, Chores Unlimited, Oakwood Village, Ohio Landscape Opportunities, The DiSanto Companies, Inc, Cleveland, Ohio Lawn Technician, Klamfoth, Canal Wichester, Ohio Maintenance Crew Leaders, Environmental Management Services, Plain City, Ohio Product Manager/Merchandising, A.M. Leonard, Piqua, Ohio Seasonal Color Manager, Graf Growers, Akron, Ohio Used Trees Spades For Sale, A. Brown & Sons Nursery, Phillipsburg, Ohio Wholesale Sales/Customer Service, Scarff’s Nursery, New Carlisle, Ohio

Boulders Direct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 330.324.5336 Buckeye Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 buckeyeresources.com Ernst Seeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 ernstseed.com Everris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 everris.us.com Fairview Evergreen Nurseries, Inc.. . . . . . . . . 35 fairviewevergreen.com Hobby Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 hobbynursery.com JCB of Ohio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 jcbohio.com JRM Chemical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 soilmoist.com Klyn Nurseries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 klynnurseries.com Landscape Industry Certified . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 landscapecertifiedohio.org Medina Sod Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 medinasodfarms.com Millcreek Gardens, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 mgohio.com Oberfield’s LLC .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC oberfields.com ONLA Publications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OBC onla.org ONLA Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 onla.org Pine Hall Brick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 claypaver.com Plant Something. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 buckeyegardening.com/plant-something Pound’s Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 poundsnursery.com Scarff’s Nursery, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 scarffs.com SIMA Snow & Ice Symposium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 sima.org/show Smith’s Gardens, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 smithsgardensinc.om Spring Meadow Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 colorchoiceplants.com Studebaker Nurseries, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 studebakernurseries.com Unilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC unilock.com

Ad Rates & Info Contact Amanda Domsitz 614.899.1195 amandadomsitz@onla.org

Ohio Manufacturer DesignPAVE速 Premium Pavers Kit Options Precast Products Rosetta速 Wall Collection Select Cut Travertine Versa-Lok速 Retaining Walls New Design Software

800.845.7644 www.oberfields.com

Get Customers dreaming about their outdoor living spaces! full color catalogs and indexed “how-to-garden” encyclopedia: • RESELL IN YOUR STORE • SUPPLEMENT YOUR CATALOG • LEAVE BEHIND WITH A PROPOSAL • STAFF TRAINING features: space on the cover to promote your brand, available in small quantities, beautiful images to inspire customers and assist staff

Visit onla.org or call 614.899.1195 to order

Choose the ONLA publication that sells the beauty of outdoor living!