The Buckeye, Jan/Feb 2021

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Vol. 32, Issue 1

The Signature Publication of Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

INSIDE: ONLA Virtual Education Sessions Schedule Bobbie Schwartz' Winter Reading List

January/February 2021 Vol. 32, Issue 1

The Buckeye is published six times per year by Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. 72 Dorchester Square, Westerville, OH 43081 614.899.1195 | www.onla.org

EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING ISSN 1536-7940 Subscriptions: $75/year alana@onla.org OFFICERS Devon Stanley, President Benchmark Landscape Construction, Inc. Emily Showalter, Immediate Past President Willoway Nurseries, Inc. Molly John, President-Elect M.J. Design Associates, Inc. DIRECTORS Jason Cromley Hidden Creek Landscaping, Inc. Patrick Greeson W. A. Natorp Corp.

Michael Hall Harrell's LLC Fred Higginbotham Millcreek Gardens LLC Scott Knowles Wolf Creek Company Genevieve Reiner Mills Oakland Nursery, Inc. Steve O’Neal Columbus State Community College

STAFF Ken Fisher, Executive Director Karen Lykins, Accounting Roni Petersen, Membership & Certification Alana Settle, Marketing & Communications

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.

CONTENTS 5

Executive Director's Message

7

President's Perspective

9

Legislative Update

FEATURE STORIES

11

What I've Learned From My Friend, Chase Mullin

by Marty Grunder

14

The Fireside Reader Book Review by Bobbie Schwartz

18

Sizing Up With Color by Stephanie Cohen

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

2

Virtual Education Sessions

13

ONLA Professional Award Winners

20

Classifieds, Calendar of Events

21

Advertising Index

ON THE COVER: There will be even greater demand for houseplants, such as the kalanchoe pictured, according to Garden Media Group's 2021 Garden Trends Report.

The firm's President, Katie Dubow, shares the report's finding in her Keynote at ONLA's Virtual Education Sessions on January 20 & 21.

REGISTER BY JANUARY 15!

JANUARY 20 & 21, 2021 Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association’s

ONLINE AT ONLA.ORG! signature green industry education provides 10 hours of education in a cost-effective, efficient format.

Virtual Virtual

EDUCATION EDUCATION SESSIONS SESSIONS

Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association’s signature education is going virtual in 2021. Two full days of live education sessions covering a wide array of green industry topics will be offered in an online, live webinar format. Earn up to 10 hours of education! CEUs will be

Credits Available! offered, including:

CEUs will be offered, including OCNT, ISA and more.

Learn more at onla.org • OCNT - 1 credit per day

• ODA • ISA • APLD January 20 & 21, 2021 • NALP SPONSOR SH IP OPP O R TUN I TI E S

• • •

Company logo or name on all emails, ads, mailings, etc.page promoting the event Turn the to check out the schedule!

• •

Verbal recognition during opening session remarks

Logo on event webpage(s) and contact information on online sponsor directory Recognition on ONLA’s social media with links to company profile, website, images/video/ branded content provided by company Access to attendee mailing address list after the event

REGISTRATION

PRESENTING SPONSOR • $2,000 SOLD OUT All registration options include access to live sessions hosted on January 20 & 21, 2021. Sessions will be In addition to the above: recorded and will be available for 60 days after the event. If you need CEUs, you must attend the live all attendees with live video remarks during opening general session on both days sessions•onWelcome January 20 & 21.

• Complimentary full page ad in Jan/Feb Buckeye Per Person digital logo placements throughout thethe virtual event Your attendance will be tracked You will •be Additional emailed one password-protected link to access sessions.

• Company pass for five employees to attend the event ($599 Value) for CEU-reporting purposes.

ONLA Member: $175 • Non-Member Rate: $249 SUPPORTING • $750 Company Group In addition to Discount the above: Register up to five employees who need CEUs. Each employee will be emailed a password-protected link • Live video remarks, or provide a branded slide and remarks for moderator to read, during to access the sessions their attendance will be tracked for CEU-reporting purposes. one session and of your choice

• LogoCompany: placement$599 on one welcome• screen ONLA Member forsession 5 employees Non-member Company: $849 for 5 employees • Two tickets to attend the event on both days ($350 Value) Unlimited Company Group Receive a password protected link to view the sessions with your team. Attendance will not be tracked ADDITIONAL, OPTIONAL MARKETING PERKS:is only for those who do not need CEUs. for CEU-reporting.

This discounted group pricing • Digital “Swag Bag”: Provide a coupon code, link to a free trial, or other discounts or freebies ONLA Member Company:Information $799 (Non-member pricing is not available.) for attendees. will be emailed to attendees the day of the event.

•

Produce your own pre-recorded video content, e.g. product demos, a facility tour, or a

welcome for attendees.

Links to videos be available on the event website.

Register by message January 15, 2021 at: will onla.org/VirtualEDU

Interested?

Visit Presenting Sponsors: onla.org

onla.org or email roni@onla.org for more information.

January/February 2021

1

7:45 am–9:00 am

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20 OCNT: 1 credit per day

WELCOME & KEYNOTE More Than Just a Job: How to Be a Great Team Player Marty Grunder Credits Available: NALP: 1.0 9:10–10:10 am What Is New With Invasive Species – Insects, Plants, and Disease Amy Stone, Erik Draper, Kathy Smith Credits Available: ODA: 6A: 0.5 6C: 0.5 APLD: 1.0 ISA: Certified Arborist: 1.0; Utility Specialist: 1.0; Municipal Specialist: 1.0; BCMA Science: 0.5; BCMA Practice: 0.5; TW Climber Specialist: 1.0; TW Aerial Lift Specialist: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

Waiting in the Wings: Trees and Shrubs Trying to Break Into the Biz Jason Veil Credits Available: APLD: 1.0 ISA: Certified Arborist:1.0; Municipal Specialist: 1.0; BCMA Science: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

10:20–11:20 am Can You Spot the Spot: Spotted Lanternfly in North America and Ohio Amy Stone Credits Available: ODA: 2B: 0.5 6A: 0.5 APLD: 1.0 ISA: Certified Arborist: 1.0; Utility Specialist: 1.0; Municipal Specialist: 1.0; BCMA Science: 0.5; BCMA Practice: 0.5; TW Climber Specialist: 1.0; TW Aerial Lift Specialist: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

Green Industry Athletes: Taking Care of Your Physical WellBeing Dr. Michael Suplicki Credits Available: ISA: Certified Arborist: 1.0; Utility Specialist:1.0; Municipal Specialist: 1.0; BCMA Management: 1.0; TW Climber Specialist: 1.0; TW Aerial List Specialist: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

11:20 am–12:20 pm: Lunch Break & ONLA Annual Business Meeting 12:30–1:30 pm Right Person, Right Seat Jason Cromley Credits Available: NALP: 1.0

Plant ID for the Most Used Plants in the Landscape Dr. Laura Deeter Credits Available: APLD: 1.0 ISA: Certified Arborist: 1.0; Utility Specialist: 1.0; Municipal Specialist: 1.0; BCMA Science: 1.0; TW Climber Specialist: 1.0; TW Aerial Lift Specialist: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

1:40–2:40 pm What’s New with Annuals?

Pamela Bennett Credits Available: APLD: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

2 The Buckeye

Steps in Plant Problem Diagnoses Kodi Riedel Credits Available: ODA: 6A: 1.0 APLD: 1.0 ISA: Certified Arborist: 1.0; Municipal Specialist: 1.0; BCMA Science: 0.5; BCMA Practice: 0.5 NALP: 1.0

onla.org

7:45 am–9:00 am WELCOME & KEYNOTE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21 OCNT: 1 credit per day

2021 Garden Trends Katie Dubow Credits Available: APLD: 1 NALP: 1.0 9:10–10:10 am OSU Plant Clinic – Case Studies of the Common and Not So Common Plant Diseases Dr. Joy Pierznski Credits Available: ODA: 6A: 1.0 APLD: 1.0 ISA: Certified Arborist: 1.0; Municipal Specialist: 1.0; BCMA Science: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

How Technology is Affecting the Green Industry Lisa Fiore Credits Available: NALP: 1.0

10:20–11:20 am Utilizing Technology: Latest in Irrigation, Lighting and Landscape Chuck Watterson Credits Available: APLD: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

How to Read and Implement a Design Pete Bonette Credits Available: APLD: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

11:20 am–12:20 pm: Lunch Break 12:30–1:30 pm Selecting Plant Materials for Next Season Scott Beuerlein Credits Available: APLD: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

Tree of Heaven (Should I Stay or Should I Go?) Thomas DeHass Credits Available: ODA: 2B: 0.5; 6A: 0.5 APLD: 1.0 ISA: Certified Arborist: 1.0; Utility Specialist: 1.0; Municipal Specialist: 1.0; BCMA Science: 0.5; BCMA Practice: 0.5; TW Climber Specialist: 1.0; TW Aerial Lift Specialist: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

1:40–2:40 pm Creating Sales Volume With Existing Staff Joe Twardzik Credits Available: ISA: Certified Arborist: 1.0; Municipal Specialist: 1.0; BCMA Science: 1.0 NALP: 1.0

From Grower to Install—We Are in This Together Hosted by Willoway Nurseries, Inc. Credits Available: NALP: 1.0

Sponsored By:

onla.org

January/February 2021

3

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11/16/18 9:32 AM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE Ken Fisher, ONLA Executive Director, ken@onla.org

We made it to 2021! It goes without saying that 2020 was a uniquely challenging year. At ONLA, it opened new opportunities for our team to work diligently on your behalf.

We discovered new ways to create value for our members and the industry as we were pushed from “high touch” to “high tech” allowing us to reach more members more efficiently using “virtual” training, webinars, and on-line events. This is exciting and can help transform our member programming.

Despite the challenges, our industry had a “record year”.

We’ve benefited from strong consumer demand and pricing from this work-from-home economy. While there’s not an indication of quick recovery from the pending recession, there are signs that 2021 can be positive again for greenhouse, nursery, landscape, and garden retail.

As we move boldly into 2021, I want to thank you for your membership and support of ONLA. Our industry is important to the state of Ohio and your business is important to all of us at ONLA. We will continue to work hard to provide the programming, advocacy, and employee development opportunities to help your business grow and succeed.

Your continued membership and participation in ONLA events will encourage others to join. Help us get the word out: the industry benefits from a growing ONLA membership.

Because “what we do together matters”.B

2021 promises to hold great progress for ONLA and our industry. On January 20–21, we will be hosting a Virtual Education Event offering excellent programming to grow and develop your team and also offering needed industry credits.

Headliners include Marty Grunder on Building Your Team and Katie Dubow unveiling the 2021 Garden Trends. This is an event you don’t want to miss.

We will continue to use an abundance of caution until COVID is under control, but we’re in the planning stages of this year’s Ohio High School Landscape Olympics and developing new education and industry programming both virtual and in person. We are also working diligently to identify the next Executive Director for ONLA and hope to have more information by the end of the first quarter.

We will continue to do the important advocacy work needed to protect our industry from legislation and regulation that could negatively impact us. Building on our work from 2020, we will keep markets and supply chains open by ensuring our businesses are all categorized as “essential” and stay focused on industry liquidity, ensuring our businesses have access to financial support provided by government stimulus programs, USDA, or the SBA. We are also tracking several new issues affecting workplace rules and the environment to ensure we can manage on behalf of the industry.

Connecting with industry peers is another important benefit of ONLA membership and we are working with our Board and key stakeholders to create new opportunities for our members to meet and network across the state as soon as it's safe to do.

We hope to be announcing additional ways to connect with others in the coming weeks. onla.org

Ken can be contacted at ken@onla.org

January/February 2021

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2021 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Membership Renewal Fees were due by December 31, 2020.

If you've overlooked your invoice, renew today! Otherwise, your membership will expire on March 31. Questions? Contact Roni Petersen at roni@onla.org or 614.899.1195 For more information about ONLA Membership, visit onla.org/join

GREEN INDUSTRY OHIO

Advocacy Day

FEBRUARY 24, 2021 Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, OH Meet with state legislators and make your voice heard on issues critical to your business.

Your participation in this grassroots effort is more important than ever before!

The State of Ohio has stretched resources in a myriad of ways and there is a good chance that some agencies will resort to raising fees. And, since 2021 is a budget year, this even is the perfect time to influence discussions.

There will be a wave of new faces in the House and Senate due to term limits and the influence of the unprecedented turn out of voters this election. It is up to us to "show up", introduce ourselves, and reinforce our support.

Learn more at onla.org/advocacyday 6 The Buckeye

onla.org

PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE Devon Stanley, Benchmark Landscape Construction Inc. Wow! What a year! With 2020 being a year that held so many changes to how we live, work, socialize and just function in daily life, there are two things that most of us are in the process of doing: “reflecting/evaluation” and “pressing forward”. The pandemic has brought one positive for most of us: the opportunity to pause, reflect, evaluate, and emerge pushing forward with adjusted plans, new motives, and new perspectives on how to accomplish our goals.

My personal self-reflection during this time has reminded me of my childhood and parents who encouraged me to follow my passion of being outside, loving plants, and building things. I remember my time at The Ohio State University (‘98) honing horticulture and business-specific academics which have served me well. I am also reminded of the specific opportunities by two business owners who have graciously employed me for the last 25 years. Their dedication and trust has allowed me to train and learn while helping grow a business. My career roles, beginning as first field employee, to construction/maintenance crew leader, Production Manager, HR Coordinator, Maintenance Division Manager to my current role as Business Developer have all taught me how to handle adversity, how to fail, and thankfully how to succeed as well. Last but not least, I've reflected on my support system of family, specifically a wife and four daughters that keep me in line, humble, and grounded to what is important in life.

Reflecting also draws me to include a big THANK YOU to Emily Showalter of Willoway Nurseries, Inc. Emily led the ONLA as its 2020 Board President through the hardest part of this pandemic, focusing on how we will operate and partner with others moving forward. She has led with unmatched professionalism and foresight and I look forward to continuing to work with her this year.

I am also grateful that we are considered an industry to be “essential” to the support of infrastructure through this pandemic as well. We have had the opportunity to continue to do what we are passionate about, at least in Ohio, fairly uninterrupted.

ONLA is committed to pressing forward with you and I am humbled and honored to serve ONLA as Board President in 2021. We want to listen to your challenges and hear your successes all in order to promote and provide the best support possible for industry advancement. On behalf of our Board, including new President-Elect Molly John, M. J. Designs, and new board members: Genevieve Reiner-Mills, Oakland Nursery, Patrick Greeson from Natorp’s, and Fred Higginbotham III with Millcreek Gardens, I am excited for the year ahead. What an opportunity awaits. Join us today. B Devon can be contacted at dstanley@benchmarkohio.com

We have all spent time evaluating the way we operate, communicate, train, sell, conduct meetings, grow and ship material—to name just a few. In those evaluations we have probably found things we didn’t expect, things that we thought we could never do because we had always done it a different way. In my short career, I have seen the professionals of this industry handle the changes to the world around us with innovative solutions and steadfastness. onla.org

January/February 2021

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onla.org

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Belinda Jones, Capitol Consulting Group.

ELECTION TAKEAWAYS Unofficial results indicate that Ohio set a record for voter turnout. It was also a monumental election because it broke the historical and oft referred to quote, "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation". President Trump made the Buckeye State a little more red and once again proved the pollsters wrong who had predicted a "neck and neck" race.

As for the Statehouse, democrats had high hopes that Biden would do well here and that the indictment of former republican House Speaker Householder would result in flipping some districts "blue". With a net pick up of four seats, the House republican caucus in the upcoming 134th General Assembly matches an historic high mark of 65 republican seats to 34 democratic. Democrats flipped only one seat in the District currently held by republican Rep Dave Greenspan (R; Westlake). Thus, the remaining blue areas in Ohio continue to be the urban areas of Cuyahoga County, Franklin County, and Hamilton County.

Democrats had hoped to flip the Franklin County Senate seat currently held by State Senator Stephanie Kunze (R; Hilliard).

Kunze's name may be familiar to you because she is a recent ONLA Legislator of the Year. We also hosted a fundraiser for Kunze's campaign this fall at M. J. Designs. We knew it would be a close race: Kunze won by 116 votes.

A heartbreaking loss for the democrats was the defeat of Senator Sean O'Brien (D; Bazetta). Republicans cleverly ran a republican candidate named Sandra O'Brien against Sean O'Brien. The loss of Senator Sean O'Brien gives Senate republicans an even stronger majority.

passed both chambers. The bill was vetoed by the Governor and at this writing, we are waiting to see if the House and the Senate will override the veto.

LEADERSHIP CHANGES In the last edition of The Buckeye, we told you that Rep. Bob Cupp (R; Lima) was elected Ohio House Speaker replacing former Speaker Householder who was indicted on bribery and corruption charges in the amount of $60 million. It is both noteworthy and unbelievable that Householder was reelected to his house seat.

Meanwhile, Speaker Cupp has put together his leadership team: Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Tim Ginther (R; Salem); Majority Floor Leader Rep. Bill Seitz (R; Cincinnati); Assistant Majority Floor Leader Rep. Rick Carfagna (R; Westerville); Majority Whip Rep. Don Jones (R; Freeport); and, Assistant Majority Whip Cindy Abrams (R; Harrison).

Democrats retained Rep. Emilia Sykes (D; Akron) as Minority Leader; Rep. Kristen Boggs (D; Columbus) Assistant Minority Leaders; Minority Whip is Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D; Toledo); and, Rep. Richard Brown (D; Canal Winchester).

With current Senate President Larry Obhof being term limited, Ohio Senate Republicans have already selected their leadership slate. Serving as Senate President will be Sen. Matt Huffman (R; Lima); Senate President Pro Tempore Senator Jay Hottinger (R; Newark); Majority Floor Leader will be Sen. Kirk Schuring (R; Canton) and Assistant Majority Floor leader will be Sen. Robert McColley (R; Napoleon).

Because of term limits, we have 21 brand new faces in the House with only two who have served previously—Jean Schmidt and Dan Troy. This means we have an opportunity to make some new friends!

The Senate Democrats will continue to be lead by Minority Leader Sen. Kenny Yuko (D; Richmond Heights), Assistant Minority Leader will be Sen. Cecil Thomas (D; Cincinnati); Sen. Nickie Antonio (R; Lakewood) and Sen. Tina Maharath (D; Canal Winchester) will be Minority Whip and Assistant Minority Whip.

DEWINE AND COVID There is a great divide in the republican party regarding how Gov. DeWine has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Many republicans are refusing to wear masks and the most conservative arm of the House republicans has actually introduced bills and resolutions calling for DeWine's impeachment.

It will be interesting to see how the House and the Senate get along with each other now that Cupp and Huffman are the leaders. Fun fact: This is the first time in Ohio history where BOTH chambers are lead by officials from the same home town!B

The rub is that many conservatives think the Governor and the Director of Health have usurped their authority by closing businesses, etc.

In fact, one bill, SB311 (McColley, Roegner), which would limit Director Of Health order-issuing authority to modify the law governing public health orders, quarantine, and isolation, onla.org

Belinda Jones can be contacted at bjones@capitol-consulting.net or 614.224.3855 January/February 2021

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PLANT HEALTH CARE

NEWSLETTER Seasonal information on plant health care problems and suppression techniques emailed right to your inbox every two weeks! ONLA’s Plant Health Care Newsletter provides timely education on the identification and treatment options available for the pests, diseases, and abiotic disorders seen in landscapes and nurseries.

RECEIVE 16 ISSUES MID-MARCH THROUGH OCTOBER (Back issues will be provided for mid-season subscribers)

$40 ONLA Members, $50 Non-Members $2 for each additional subscription within the same company

SUBSCRIBE: ONLA.ORG/PHCNEWSLETTER

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10 The Buckeye

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WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM MY FRIEND, CHASE MULLIN Marty Grunder, Grunder Landscaping Co. One of the best ways myself and my team have learned how to improve Grunder Landscaping Co. is by visiting other successful landscaping companies all over the country. In my role as a coach and consultant at the Grow Group the last 25 years, believe it or not, I have visited over 200 landscaping companies, and in each visit, I have learned something that has made not only my own landscaping company better but has armed me with lessons to share with landscaping companies that we work with.

On February 24–26, we will host the GROW! Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA. The event will follow every social distancing guideline, and we’re excited to be based at a beautiful hotel right in downtown New Orleans. There will be plenty to learn during the conference sessions, but nothing is better than getting an inside, confidential look at our host company, Mullin.

Chase Mullin founded Mullin in 2003, and the company now has annual sales over $13 million and over 100 team members. They’ve been named one of New Orlean’s Best Places to Work for four years straight.

As we all know, it’s hard finding and keeping people, and while Chase is way too humble to ever say he’s got it all figured out, he’s doing something right. Chase and I met when he came to Grunder Landscaping Co. for one of our field trips, he was young and new to the industry, and will admit that seeing a professionally run company helped him see what could be possible for his own company. As many of us were in our early years, Chase wasn't always focused on all the right things. He's grown so much in the years since, and now I see him doing many things better than my own company does.

A recent Mullin job site.

People matter. As we all know labor is a major issue in our industry. In response, the Mullin team focuses on hiring for attitude and training for skill. They have extensive training in place for their team members to ensure an even quality of work.

They value their people and show appreciation through team events, training programs, and development plans for their team. They’ve created career paths so that their team understands their future with the company and have created a culture of humility.

He’s hyper-focused on:

Profits matter. Chase is focused on where their team can be successful and is using Aspire to keep tracking and driving results. Growth without understanding your numbers is a recipe for disaster, as it’s easy to take on projects that you can’t make money on. You don’t triple in size and do it well without a keen understanding of your profit margins, and Chase and his team have navigated this growth well. They’re a great model for other companies who want to grow their business.

Quality. One look at Mullin’s website, mullinlandscape. com, and you see it clear as day. They do beautiful work, they have awesome designers, and they pay attention to details.

They’ve won contracts for huge jobs including installations at the New Orleans Musuem of Art and the famous Oak Alley Plantation and have executed each one brilliantly. Their skills are varied: this team tackles both residential and commercial work, design-build and bid-build, and services properties big and small.

Chase and the whole team at Mullin are so impressive, and I am looking forward to all that we will learn from touring their operation. If you haven’t already registered, I encourage you to check out GROW! 2021. It will be a fantastic three days of learning specific, actionable ways to move your business forward. Learn more: growgroupinc. com/grow-2021 B

As is clear by their website, they also do a fantastic job of photographing their completed projects and letting their work sell the next job. onla.org

Contact Marty at marty.grunder@ grunderlandscaping.com January/February 2021

11

Welcome New Members!

The following companies 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:

Valerie Cummings Cummings Floralscaping 3302 Brantford Rd Ottawa Hills, Ohio 43606

Michael Kramer MJK Unlimited LLC PO Box 334 Novelty, Ohio 44072

GET CERTIFIED IN 2020!

Become an Ohio Certified Nursery Technician WHY? • Improve your skills and increase your worth as an employee •

Gain recognition from the public, colleagues and competitors

•

Provide professional development for your employees

2021 TEST DATES January 14, February 18, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15, August 19, September 16, October 21, November 18, December 16 SPECIALIZATIONS: GROWER The grower is the base of the green industry. In order to have healthy plants to sell, the nursery employee must be knowledgeable in a wide variety of subjects including plant identification, development and health; growing and harvesting techniques; plant nutrients; pest and disease elimination; plant maintenance and more.

GARDEN CENTER The retail garden center is the information center on

12 The Buckeye

which homeowners have come to rely for dependable horticultural expertise. In order to provide sound scientific horticultural advice to customers, garden center employees must be knowledgeable in a wide variety of subjects including proper plant usage, plant health, soils, turfgrass management, landscape design, proper planting and maintenance of nursery stock and more.

LANDSCAPE The public, architects and contractors have come to rely on landscape contractors and installers for dependable landscape construction techniques and horticultural expertise. In order to provide sound scientific horticultural advice and proper installation, the landscape installer must be knowledgeable in a wide variety of areas including plant identification, plant usage, plant health, soils, turfgrass management, use of pesticides, construction techniques, design, sales and more.

CORE Core is important to all aspects of the Green Industry.

Plant ID, Professionalism, Safety & First Aid are examples of the Core chapters of which all nursery and landscape professionals should have knowledge.

READY TO TAKE THE TEST? REGISTER AT ONLA.ORG.

onla.org

Professional Award Winners CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2021 HONOREES:

Bob Couch Distinguished Contribution Award

Pam Bennett Service Award

Dan Struve Educator & Public Service Award

Hernie Rosado Young Professional Award

onla.org

January/February 2021 

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THE FIRESIDE READER BOOK REVIEW Bobbie Schwartz, Bobbie's Green Thumb

Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard Douglas W. Tallamy Those of us in the green industry are more aware than the average homeowner of the environmental threat posed by climate change. I’ve recently read frightening statistics that demonstrate that we are losing species of flora and fauna at an alarming rate due to climate change.

While various government entities are slow to move, Doug Tallamy posits that we, as individuals, can turn our yards into conservation corridors that will provide habitats for wildlife. Most habitat now is too fragmented to sustain one species, much less biodiverse species. “Creating biological corridors will enlarge the populations of plants and animals within protected habitat, enabling them to weather normal population fluctuations indefinitely.”

Tallamy tells us that the conservation approaches of the twentieth century, i.e. preserves and national parks, are not nearly enough to save biodiversity. Conservation has to be everyone’s responsibility. We need to redesign public and private landscapes that convert at least half of the area now in lawn to attractive landscapes that are packed with plants and contribute to local ecosystems instead of destroying them.

Changing the lawn mindset will not be easy because, for three hundred years in America, lawn has been a status symbol that signified wealth and good citizenship. Doug believes that two factors can help us change the lawn culture: the cost of irrigation and ecological landscape design that reduces lawn, adding native plants wherever possible, and, eventually, using lawn as pathways only.

This ecological landscape should not be confined to the back yard. Good design is acceptable to everyone.

It could be as simple as adding one oak tree to the 14 The Buckeye

front yard. Although there are studies about ecosystem functionality, most of us do not realize that the stability and ability of this functionality is related to the number of species in it and the coevolved relationship between the flora and fauna. It is imperative, therefore, that we designers create ecosystems, not just landscape decoration.

Most people are disdainful of insects even though they sustain the earth’s ecosystems by sustaining the plants and animals that compose the ecosystems (Tallamy elaborates on this statement). When native plants are destroyed and/or replaced with introduced plants, insect populations are greatly reduced. Tallamy cites many different studies in his book but one that I was particularly interested in was about the difference in the fat content of berries that birds eat in the fall to make up for the loss of insects. Those of introduced plants had far less fat (necessary to survive the winter) than those of native plants. One of the native plants cited in the study was Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa), a plant that I love and use in many of my designs for its site adaptability and its seasons of interest. Sadly, this dogwood is not used nearly enough. Although the species is quite large, there are several cultivars that I find quite useful.

We need plants to sustain insects and animals but which ones do we need the most? Tallamy says that we should focus on enhancing the populations of insects that have the greatest impact on terrestrial ecosystems: those that are the most edible and most nutritious and those responsible for most of the pollination required by plants. Therefore, we should be focusing on caterpillars, sawflies, and native bees. Since caterpillars are the mainstay of most bird diets, we need to know which plants are the best hosts for caterpillars. This will vary by locality but fortunately, there are tools that we can all use. This will vary by locality but fortunately, there are tools that we can all use. We can go to the National Wildlife Federation's Native Plant Finder website: nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/. The ranked list of plants that support the most caterpillars, both woody and herbaceous plants, will pop up for your zip code, wherever you are in the country. The Audubon Society has created a similar database at audubon.org/nativeplants. onla.org

The research has found that there are a few “keystone” genera - Quercus (Oak), Prunus (Cherry), Salix (Willow) – that remain the same across the country.

Not being an entomologist, it never occurred to me that caterpillars crawl off their host plants before pupating and that we need to provide a safe space for that developmental stage. Caterpillars evidently need leaf litter in which to spin their cocoons but if they drop off a tree surrounded completely by lawn, they need to crawl further. The answer is surrounding our trees with groundcover or shrub and perennial beds.

Native bees need nesting sites, flowers in bloom throughout the seasons from which to gather nectar and pollen, and water. The majority of native bees nest in the ground but, if you believe as I do that the notion of fall cleanup is antithetical to nature’s cycles, you will be doing a favor for the bees that nest in the pithy stems of perennials.

Going back to the notion of ecological landscape design, Tallamy envisions a Homegrown National Park that is composed of multitudinous properties, many of them in the suburbs and quite small. A starting place has been the National Wildlife Federation program of certified wildlife habitats. To be eligible, one must be able to check off a list of attributes. However, this does not mean that the gardens are well designed. I believe that is the next step and, in many instances, it means changing the regulations of homeowners associations.

What can we as individuals do? Tallamy lists ten steps that each of us can take.

This book is a mere 254 pages but not one that you can breeze through. It is quite thought provoking and one you should definitely read if you want to be involved in making our world a better place - for us and for future generations.

Planting the Natural Garden Piet Oudolf & Henk Gerritsen Two early advocates of the naturalistic garden, Piet Oudolf and Hank Gerritsen, are wellknown to those of us in the perennial world. This book was originally printed in 1990 but has now been updated and revised according to the experience gained since then. Both men are garden designers who believe that careful selection of plants is needed in order to create a palette of reliable plants that look wild but require minimal maintenance. They also believe that we should use plants that are ecologically onla.org

sensitive to the site while enhancing or hiding architectural features and/or creating an emotional atmosphere.

The first half of the book is an encyclopedic list of the perennials and grasses that they believe are most useful in naturalistic gardens. The list has been revised to focus on lower maintenance plants. The second half discusses plants that can be characterized by particular traits and used to achieve specific effects. Each section is followed by a list of perennials and grasses that epitomize these traits and effects. I love the addition of “Scatter Plants” that give a garden a spontaneous appearance, thus helping to give a sense of rhythm.

In all their designs, great emphasis is placed on using the structure of plants, both in and out of flower, as well as contrasting textures with foliage and flower or inflorescence. One of the hallmarks of their design is the use of plants with excellent winter silhouettes as well as structure and seedheads for wildlife.

In addition, they point out that color establishes mood and they give examples to demonstrate that a tranquil scheme does not have to be boring. Masses of perennials frequently have “weight” that can be alleviated and contrasted with the lightness of masses of ornamental grasses.

Many gardeners are enthused in the spring but lose interest by late summer. Oudolf and Gerritsen supply a list of late summer and fall bloomers and encourage planting them among spring bloomers so that the space does double duty. They firmly believe that gardens should not be boring in the fall. Near to my heart is their admonition to avoid the gloom of autumn by eschewing the notion of fall cleanup, i.e. cutting everything down.

At the end of the book, some of Piet’s and Henk’s planting plans are included with plant lists. They are both an insight into their methods of design and demonstrate some of the combinations that they love. The combinations make use of plants that flower at the same time and that have the same ecological requirements.

Throughout the book, all points are beautifully illustrated with excellent photographs. This book, like their others, is quite inspiring and applicable to all of our gardens.

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The Modern Cottage Garden: A Fresh Approach to a Classic Style Greg Loades What is a modern cottage garden? Greg Loades defines it as a mix of the best of the traditional cottage garden and the best of the new perennial garden. I love his secondary definition: a gardener’s garden, one for the person who can’t resist plants. The traditional cottage garden speaks of romance and nostalgia while the new perennial garden (epitomized by Oudolf and Gerritsen) incorporates ornamental grasses and perennials that offer interest long after their petals have fallen.

The Loades garden is both classic and contemporary and celebrates diversity through love of plants rather than through deliberate design. I am reminded by that comment of a visit in the early 1990’s to England. I was conversing with a nursery owner’s wife. Their house was on the nursery property and she was talking about the garden that, to my eye, was quite wild. She characterized it as a typical English cottage garden that was not the American romanticized version—no design, merely the result of happenstance. A friend would give her a plant and she would stick it in wherever she could find space.

Loades speaks of the traditional cottage garden as a pastel, organized chaos where plants are allowed to seed willy-nilly and the peak season being the intersection of spring and summer. It is also a wildlife- and pollinator -friendly garden so full that herbicides are not needed to control weeds. This is not a garden for those who need an ordered garden; rather, it is low maintenance because plants are allowed to mingle. It is not, however, a no maintenance garden because the seeders need to be edited and vigorous perennials need to be divided.

Without this early maintenance, charming becomes messy and aggressive plants will dominate to the point where diversity will be eliminated. Keep in mind that this garden includes bulbs, roses and shrubs, not just perennials.

In contrast, the new perennial garden doesn’t come into its own until mid-summer and fall. It undulates and offers the contrast of wispy foliage, tough perennial seedheads and structure, and more striking color. Although it looks naturalistic, it is actually painstakingly designed, at least at the beginning, to emphasize structure, form, shape, and texture. It also stays intact through most of the winter. Elements of the 16 The Buckeye

chaotic cottage garden do assert themselves eventually, thus fostering the notion of naturalism.

The author regards the new cottage garden as an evolving garden. To me, that is what a garden should be. Gardens are not meant to be static although many people pay a lot of money for sterile landscapes that involve a great deal of maintenance. Heaven forbid that they get the least bit messy! (This is my opinion, not the author’s.) Loades suggests that the underlying principles of creating the new cottage garden are designing for spontaneity, curiosity, embracing change in the garden, planting in small groupings if the space if small, and planning for all seasons.

I was surprised that Loach questioned the need for lawn but Doug Tallamy would probably hug him. If it isn’t needed for athletic endeavors, he suggests reducing it to a network of paths among planted areas, particularly curvilinear paths that add a natural flow and make the garden look larger.

There is a whole chapter on using and planting containers as a way of augmenting a garden or of having a garden above ground instead of in ground. Loach sees container gardening as a great way to experiment with combinations and as a way to combine plants that don’t have the same cultural needs.

The second half of the book consists of “A Year in the Modern Cottage Garden” in which Loach delineates the beauty of each season and the chores entailed to keep it looking good. That is followed by his list of fifty essential plants for this type of garden. My only caveat is that Loach is English and some of the plants he mentions are not hardy for those of us in northern Ohio. I think you will enjoy this well-illustrated book.

Lots of food for thought in these three books. So, fix yourself a delicious drink, find a comfortable chair, and settle in for a good read. B Loades, Greg, The Modern Cottage Garden: A Fresh Approach to a Classic Style, Timber Press, Portland, 2020.

Oudolf, Piet and Gerritsen, Henk, Planting the Natural Garden, Timber Press, Portland, 2019.

Tallamy, Douglas W., Nature’s Best Hope, Timber Press, Portland, 2019.

Bobbie may be contacted at bobbie@bgthumb.com. Photos courtesy of Bobbie Schwartz.

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Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you this past year! It has been a very trying year, with a lot of uncertainty and together we made it through it! We are looking forward to growing our relationship next year, and we are constantly ‘growing’ for you!

Check us out on the web at www.davistreefarm.com sales@davistreefarm.com

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Restoring the native landscape

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7463 West Ridge Road P.O. Box 189 Fairview PA 16415 800.458.2234 Fax 800.343.6819 e-mail: info@FairviewEvergreen.com FairviewEvergreen.com

January/February 2021

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THE PERENNIAL DIVA'S

SIZING UP WITH

Color

Color creates a mood that is subjective. How do you want to think about your designs? “Small but stylish”, “cool and comfortable”, “hot and happening”, “large and exciting” are all choices.

Usually, a gardener’s first love is pastels. The soft, soothing colors, a la English gardening, blend easily and it is simpler to design with them. Without bright colors, a garden tends to look bigger.

If a bigger garden is your goal, a monochromatic design works well. For instance, a white garden, with nothing jarring and following the rules for texture, is pretty, but it can be less than exciting. If the textures of the leaves are fine, that too makes a small garden look bigger. You still need one or two bold foliages for contrast, but this is one way to make a rather small space look larger.

Gardening is great because not only do our gardens evolve, but we evolve. This is a glorious attribute! If you get bored, don’t despair. It’s simply time to go shopping.

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18 The Buckeye

Every year, Pantone (a company who is perhaps best known for its Color Matching System utilized in print and fashion design, among other industries) picks their Color of the Year.

In 2012, the Color of the Year was Tangerine Tango. Described

by Pantone as a “a spirited reddish orange”, it showed up in clothes, kitchen accents, and furniture. One of the gardener’s least favorite colors became exceedingly popular. Everyone fell in love with hot colors for flowers, foliage, and vegetables.

Using really warm and bright colors and tons of bold texture can help a large garden feel like a smaller, vibrant liveable space.

A few years later, Pantone chose Marsala, a red-brown shade that turned out to be less than popular. Gardeners couldn’t figure out if it bordered on neutral or just dull. Remember your reason for choosing your color and texture scheme.

In 2016, Pantone chose a blending of two colors: Serenity and Rose Quartz. I found this to be a rather strange combo, unless you are choosing colors for a baby’s room or a wedding! This is about as tranquil you can get without taking a nap.

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Pantone’s Color of the Year becomes an influencer in all sorts of things: fashion, home décor, etc. but we are interested in plants and garden accessories.

In 2020, because some of the usual topics were overshadowed by the election and our concerns about the pandemic, I don’t think the Color of the Year received the attention it usually does. Pantone’s Classic Blue was chosen. It is considered a color to instill “calm, confidence and connection”. I think this is just what we needed.

Paying attention to color and design trends outside of our industry can help you get your clients and customers excited about the planting season. Plug it in your blogs and show it on your websites. Pantone’s Color of the Year is just one place to start. Paint companies also promote trending colors. One paint supplier picked bronze as their 2020 color of the year. I personally thought it was depressing and dull. To each their own.

Blue flowers, annuals, perennials, and vines are plentiful. The glorious textures and mixtures of blues and green blues in foliage could be used as well. As the name suggests, choosing this color as a backbone for your designs could allow for classic or trendy combinations for years to come.

2021 is close at hand and another Color of the has been announced: A combination of Ultimate Gray and Illuminating.

Will it be popular? Only time will tell. If it’s unusual enough, it can change how we design our gardens. This is what challenges all of us to stay current and get our clients and customers excited. Make gardening fun for clients and customers and it will show on your bottom line! B

Why not choose the Color of the Year as your accent in containers and annual garden designs? I think this could be a selling point for designers, especially those who design for commercial sites.

Stephanie Cohen is a Garden Communicators 2020 Hall of Fame honoree among other accolades, and founder and 12/9/2020 first director of an arboretum at Temple University, Ambler Campus. Contact her at perplants@aol.com

2:18:59 PM

Pantone's Colors of the Year, left to right: 2012: Tangerine Tango 2015: Marsala 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity 2020: Classic Blue 2021: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating

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January/February 2021

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The 78-page, fullcolor Landscape Plants for Ohio features key terminology & planting info for popular evergreens, ferns, grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees.

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mounde d. of the gard Best if planted in camoufl en where folia an area ge age fade. Grea d or hidden onc will be e settings t for borders and blooms . naturaliz ed

Anemon e ‘Marga rete’ Grows to 2’ tall and flowers on multi-br has double pink anched stems.

Campanula poscharskyana ‘Blue Waterfall’ Serbian Bellflower

Campanula carpatica ‘White Clips’ and ‘Blue Clips’ Bell Flower Have deep blue (‘Blue Clips’) or white (‘White Clips’), cup-shaped flowers in the summer and grow 8” tall in a compact mound. Makes a good groundcover or plant for the front of the garden border.

Campanula glomerata Clustered Bellflower This plant grows 12–18” tall and has deep purple flowers in early summer that are arranged in upward-facing clusters. Tolerates wet soil. Divide every two years to promote vigor.

Caryopteris ‘Dark Knight’ Blue Mist Shrub

Blue Mist Shrub is aptly named as its gray-green foliage is shrouded in a cloud of blue from mid to late summer.

Arabis cau It is a well-behaved garden plant that Rockcre casica ss is very attractive to butterflies. Dark Knight has deep purple blue flowers Arisaem Tolerate Anenom a s heat and closely spaced on elong stems.

Jack-in- ‘Green Dragon ‘Honor poor, dry drought the-Pul ine Job ’ soil. Gra as well as pit ert’ y-gr in a mou Grows 3nd 10–12” een foliage grow Campanula punctata ‘Cherry Bells’ Large leav 4’ tall and flow tall. s ers cove es has dark Bell Flower ge that Cassia folia marilandica r the plan Fragrant white 2’ tall. Flow with three part Good for t in earl for the grac makes a beautifu green s a border y Wild Senna spring. on a shor er is a fleshy gree grow to garden. plant or in Septem eful, white, silk- l backdrop t in a rock Long red bell-like flowers appear in appearing stalk beneath the n spike like flow ber. ers late spring to early summer. Blooms are flower is April through Juneleaves, This dramatic tropical-like plant grows enclosed . The about 18” above the ground-cover-like called a 4–5’ tall and makes a great accent plant spathe (thein a modified leaf Anemon plant and droop down like bells. Cut be red or e sylv or placed along the estr back of a border.

Snowdr reddish-v “pulpit”) that may ‘Maflowers back to the foliage after blooming. crantha op Ane 6” is bright red iolet. A The yellow, pea-like, monlong ’ cluster of e Vigorous spreader.

Good for berries appears appear in August and September, in the fall. woodlan Beautifu d areas. l, 2” accenting the yellowish-green foliage. wide, whi flowers te, with fragrant Very drought tolerant. yellow in early Caryopteris x clandonensis spring. The stamens appear Artemisia tall. Whi plant grow Blue Mist Shrub te s 1–2’ These pere summer wooly fruit pers . A low-gro ists Centaurea silvery-g nnials are best spreads macrocephala wing pere into the kno ray, soft quickly.

A dense, mound-forming 3’ shrub that nnial that Armenian foliage and wn for growing.

Great for wooded Basketflower Smaller the edg areas. grows as a perennial or tender shrub. cultivars ease of in the land es of can be used Plant has gray-green, lance-shaped The blooms of this plant make great and larg scape as a bord e cultivars er plant leaves and blue or purple-blue flowers cut flowers. The 3” wide yellow flowers specime Aqu n plants are excellent for ileg in late summer and early fall. Great for Colu or as back other pere grow onia34’ tall plants and bloom mbine drops for attracting butterflies. cultivars nnials. Cut bran in late spring to early summer. They Armeria ches make grea maritim and wre are bright and beautiful but appear t dried arra of some Pride’ This a ‘Duesse aths. genus enco ngemen ldorf almost thistle-like. ts mpasses Sea Pink of somewhat plants withmessy, Drought tolerant. bloom coloa wide variety rang e and rs in the pastel Great on the cult various heights plants for dep the fron used for ivar selected. Flow ending or rock t of garden. cut arramontana ers can Centaurea ngemen Grows into the border mound be ts. Plants abo a cushiony ut 6” tall.

Mountain Bluet are pop up on 6” stem Rosy-pink flow ers s in earl y summer This aggressive plant has 2” wide .

2019 Lands cape Plants bluish-purple flowers on 2’ tall plants. for Ohio.i ndd Blooms May24through June. Also known Full Sun as the “perennial bachelor button.”

Full Shad e Tolerant of poor, dry soils. May require Partial Shad e 24 staking.

PERENNIALS

A low-growing vigorous habit makes this a great ground cover or candidate for the mixed border. Grows 8–10” tall with low mounds of light green foliage covered with dark blue bell-shaped flower in the summer.

Full Sun

2019 Landscape Plants for Ohio.indd 28

Full Shade

Partial Shade

28

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Aquileg ia Origami x caerulea ‘Ori gami Mix Columbi ne ’ Numerou s of red and pendant flowers in shad yellow cove spring. r the plan es t in late

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This semi-evergreen plant grows 18– 24” tall. Flowers appear in summer and are 1–1 1/2” in diameter and saucershaped. Makes a good cut flower.

Best grown in cool sites and neutral to alkaline soils.

After bloo ms stems back have faded, clip flow er attractive to the foliage for an accent plan the sum t for the mer. rest of

PERENNIA

Campanula persicifolia Peach-leaved Bellflower

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