The Buckeye, Sep/Oct 2018

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 Vol. 29, Issue 5

The Official Publication of Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

INSIDE:

RETAIL ROUNDTABLE: SPRING RECAP SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: WOLF CREEK COMPANY

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September/October 2018 Vol. 29, Issue 5

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 Andy Doesburg, President Ward + Thornton Landscape Josh Posey, Immediate Past President Buckeye Resources, Inc. Tim Clark, President-Elect H. J. Benken Florist & Greenhouses, Inc.

CONTENTS 3

Executive Director's Message

4

ONLA Event Calendar

5

President's Perspective

DIRECTORS James Beardslee Beardslee Nursery Lenny Garrard Bobcat Enterprises Columbus Tom Hilgeman Bower & Branch Ryan Kolb Ryan Kolb Co. LLC Mindy Moore Cardinal Landscape, Tree Service & Lawn Care Steve O’Neal Columbus State Community College Ellen Gallucci Purcell Riepenhoff Landscape Ltd.

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ONLA Golf Outing

9

Legislative Update

11

Clay Shoot ONLPAC Fundraiser

17

MGIX Member Summit

28

ONLA Landscape Awards Program

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ONLA Scholarships

STAFF Ken Fisher, Executive Director Karen Lykins, Accounting Keith Manbeck, Sales Roni Petersen, Membership & Certification Alana Settle, Marketing & Communications Mary Ann Shrum, Education Tracie Zody, MGIX

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Marty Grunder's Summer Takeaways

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Retail Roundtable: Spring Recap

18

Sponsor Spotlight: Wolf Creek Company

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Why Trees Matter

25

Landscape Design: Evaluating an Existing Landscape

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.

onla.org

FEATURE STORIES

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

30

Ohio Certified Nursery Technician Order Form

32 New Members 32

Classifieds

33

Calendar of Events, Advertising Index

September/October 2018

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OHIO NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

L A N D S C A P E AWA R D S 46TH ANNUAL

DEADLINE TO APPLY:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

Arborjet provides cutting edge solutions to the green industry’s insect and disease problems.

From high tech equipment to formulations that change the way we think about plant health care, Arborjet offers the tools you need to save America’s landscapes.

arborjet.com 2 The Buckeye

onla.org

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

Many of you will remember the American Express marketing campaign in the late 1980s-early 1990s touting the benefits of being an Amex Card holder: Membership Has Its Privileges. The strategy was to convince consumers that there are meaningful advantages to carrying the green card—even if it means paying an annual fee. The marketing campaign was designed to be “more of a call to action,” to get consumers to understand the American Express offerings.

At ONLA, we want to serve the entire green industry in Ohio with industry-leading programming, education, events, and advocacy. Over the past several years, we have attempted to expand our offerings to meet the vast and changing needs of our entire industry in Ohio, serving indiscriminately members and non-members alike. An unintentional consequence of this effort has to been to de-emphasize the value of membership in ONLA. However, the important and valuable work we do in the industry—and specifically for members—is predominately supported by members and membership.

We are inclusive of all and welcome everyone in the nursery, landscape, and broader green industry in Ohio to join us as members. We want you to know at ONLA: Membership Has Its Privileges. Our focus is squarely on creating value for our members—and our program changes recently announced are to expand our offerings for members.

What we do together matters—and membership matters.

Examples of our ongoing programming include: • •

Certification: Ohio Certified Nursery Technician, Landscape Industry Certification Continuing education: Diagnostic Walkabouts (ex.

Bowling Green, Akron, N. Olmstead, Westerville), Retail Garden Center bus tour (Cleveland)

onla.org

• • •

Workforce Development: Ohio High School Landscape Olympics Advocacy: PAC fundraisers, supporting Belinda Jones at the State House Industry Support: Sponsoring NGLCO Field Day and the OSU Plant Trials

This December 12–13, we are hosting our first MGIX Member Summit followed by MGIX Training Days in Dayton (March 5, 2019) and Cleveland (March 7, 2019). The Member Summit will welcome 500 of our industry’s most ambitious business owners, managers, and team members. This is the ideal place to develop relationships with fellow ONLA members. The Summit will facilitate connections between sponsors and attendees in an entirely new way. Collaboration will be encouraged through round-table discussions, networking lunches, and events like ONLA’s industry awards. Expert speakers from across the Midwest and beyond will challenge you to change up your status quo. Breakout tracks will dive deep into the best practices and emerging trends surrounding landscape design and maintenance, business management, pest and disease control, and growing, selling and working with plants.

One of our presenting sponsors, Wolf Creek Company, is highlighted in an adjacent article (see page 18) and describes the reason they support the MGIX Member Summit: “Education and Industry Support are two of our core leaves in our platform. The MGIX event fits perfectly within our values and objectives. How could we not want to be part of this?...

Being curious breeds innovation. But innovation is only helpful when action is taken. The changes ONLA is making to MGIX is something we can get behind because we’re a company that’s always moving forward. We want to be part of a thriving industry, so we will do our part to help our industry improve.”

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That is the support and collaboration that will allow Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association to move the industry forward.

Membership Has Its Privileges. Now it’s your turn. If you’re already a member of ONLA—Thank You! If you’re not, I invite you to join us and support the important work we are doing to strengthen our industry. We want you to be a member and I would like to ask you to consider investing in our programming.

•

•

Become a sponsor of the MGIX Member Summit/Training Days. There is a sponsor level to meet every budget and participation level. Sign up to attend the events in Columbus, Dayton, and/or Cleveland.

Sponsor the Ohio High School Landscape Olympics (November 1-2), our industry’s leading workforce

•

development and skill competition for high school students. Or sponsor and participate in the ONLA Golf Outing (September 28) to benefit the Ohio High School Landscape Olympics.

Participate in the ONLPAC Clay Shoot (October 4) to help us expand our advocacy reach on important legislative and regulatory issues.

At Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, we exist to serve our members. And members are at the center of all that we do. Your membership and participation in ONLA events will encourage others to join. I appreciate your continued support of ONLA. Help us get the word out: the industry benefits from a growing ONLA membership.

Because Membership Has Its Privileges. B

EVENT CALENDAR 2018

2019

SEPTEMBER

JANUARY

6 14 20 20 21 28

Diagnostic Walkabout - Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens OHLO Sponsorship Deadline Diagnostic Walkabout - Sunset Memorial Park OCNT Testing, Westerville, OH Landscape Awards Submission Deadline Golf Outing - Sunbury, OH

OCTOBER 4 18 19

ONLPAC Clay Shoot Fundraiser, Medina, OH OCNT Testing, Westerville, OH Scholarship Application Deadline

NOVEMBER 1, 2 15

Ohio High School Landscape Olympics OCNT Testing, Westerville, OH

DECEMBER 12-13 MGIX Member Summit 31 Membership Renewal Deadline

17

OCNT Testing, Westerville, OH

FEBRUARY 21 27

OCNT Testing, Westerville, OH Advocacy Day, Columbus, OH

MARCH 5, 7

MGIX Training Days, Dayton & Cleveland, OH

FOR DETAILS, VISIT ONLA.ORG/EVENTS

PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE Andy Doesburg, Ward+Thornton Landscape

As your summer winds down and you (hopefully) catch a break this fall, consider taking some time to increase your involvement with ONLA. I promise your career and your business will benefit from it.

Join an ONLA Committee ONLA Committees help guide the direction of ONLA so it may best serve its members' evolving needs. Committees represent the various programs and initiatives of ONLA in addition to the industry segments that make up our membership, so there is something for anyone who want to be involved. ONLA will host its annual committee meetings in October. If you’re interested in attending, contact ONLA at info@onla.org or call 614.899.1195 for details.

Support the ONLPAC. ONLA can’t take a passive approach to legislative advocacy.

While ONLA’s advocacy team works hard to monitor legislative activity, provide input on current issues, introduce legislation, and maintain strong relationships with legislators, one of the most proactive ways we can make our voice heard is through a political action committee (a PAC). A PAC financially supports political candidates who have shown a commitment to understanding our industry and the challenges our businesses face. They may have a voting record and positions on issues impacting the green industry or have relevant committee assignments or leadership roles.

ONLA manages the Ohio Nursery and Landscape PAC, which raises funds through individual donations from ONLA members and our industry allies, and makes contributions to political candidates who can beneficially influence legislative issues related to Ohio’s green industry.

ONLA recently hosted a small reception to distribute PAC funds. Members of ONLA’s board of directors, legislative committee, and past PAC contributors were invited to join the small reception. Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Ryan Smith and several state Representatives were in attendance and spoke to the group about the issues important to our industry—immigration, labor, and Lake Erie water quality to name a few.

onla.org

If you’d like to be involved in these types of PAC events in the future, consider making a donation to the PAC. ONLA offers several ways you can contribute.

ONLA will host a Clay Shoot on Thursday, October 4, 1–4pm in Medina to raise funds for the PAC. A PAC donation of $75 includes your admission to the 16-station clay shoot course and dinner. Sign up online at onla.org/clayshoot. Even if you don’t consider yourself a huntsman, you can join us for dinner or sponsor the event.

ONLA is also planning a silent auction to raise PAC funds at the MGIX Member Summit on December 12–13. If you’d like to donate a prize for the auction, please contact ONLA. Otherwise, plan to bid in December!

You can also make a PAC donation online at any time by visiting onla.org/ONLPAC. Save the Date for ONLA’s Biggest Networking Event of the Year ONLA has not missed a beat since announcing the new format for our annual conference. This December’s MGIX Member Summit is going to be a premier networking and professional development event for our members featuring two full days of education and unique networking opportunities for sponsors and attendees.

If you have questions about ONLA’s programs and initiatives, I’d like to hear from you. Thank you for your continued support as a member of ONLA.B

Andy can be contacted at adoesburg@wtland.com

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E m P lOy E E b E n E f i T s mA n Ag E r s A n D A D v i s O r s

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Let's talk. Contact us with your health care insurance questions, and be on your way to peace of mind.

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ONLA GOLF OUTING FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 • BENT TREE GOLF CLUB • SUNBURY, OH Benefits the Ohio High School Landscape Olympics

$100 per player 10 am: Shotgun start 3 pm: Cookout & awards

Registration Deadline: September 7, 2018

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES RECOGNITION All event sponsors receive: One golf foursome and meals at event ($400 Value) Logo on event t-shirt and event signage. Recognition on ONLA’s website, social media, and in The Buckeye PRESENTING SPONSOR Welcome golfers & distribute awards during cookout $2,000 HOLE SPONSOR CONTEST SPONSOR Company name on tee sign at hole.

Longest putt $650​ Longest drive Closest to the pin ​GAME SPONSOR $750 Conduct corn-hole game ​ $750 ​COOKOUT SPONSOR ​ Company advertisement on signage during cookout BEVERAGE CART SPONSOR $850 Ride in beverage cart with company signage displayed DOOR PRIZE SPONSOR - Donate an item of your choice! $750

REGISTER: ONLA.ORG/GOLFOUTING QUESTIONS? Contact Karen at karen@onla.org or 614.899.1195

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     

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Belinda Jones, Capitol Consulting Group NEW DRAFT RULES DECLARING "WATERSHEDS IN DISTRESS" ARE CAUSING STRESS IN THE AG COMMUNITY In the last edition of The Buckeye, we shared that the agricultural community was opposed to a draft "omnibus bill" that had been circulated by the Ohio EPA. While there were several issues of concern, one of the major problems was the inclusion of the word "fertilizer" in the statutory definition of "agricultural pollutant". At deadline for the last article, we speculated as to the direction the administration might take given the fact that they had not been successful in getting a legislator to introduce the bill. One route we predicted was the "Executive Order".

The power of the pen is mighty in Ohio as it is at the federal level. As predicted, Gov. Kasich attempted to accomplish his water quality goals via Executive Order. See the press alert posted on onla.org/legislativeupdates Basically, the Executive Order declares that a "nutrient is a nutrient” and directs the Director of the ODA to seek consent of the Soil and Water Conservation Commission to designate eight sub watersheds in the Maumee River Basin as "watersheds in distress". Upon designation as a distressed watershed, farmers in those watersheds would be required to develop and adhere to a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) the requirements of which are dictated by rule (the Ohio Administrative Code).

In sum, the order of actions are: 1) executive order; 2) the declaration by the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission of the eight sub watersheds as "watersheds in distress"; and, 3) ODA rules to direct how farmers may act in the newly declared distressed watersheds. That is how the order should have gone; however, there was yet another wrinkle in time.

At the most recent meeting of the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission ("the Commission"), things did not go according to plan. Five days prior to the Commission meeting, during which the declaration of the distressed watersheds was to be discussed, Governor Kasich made two new appointments to the Commission. The assumption was that the two new appointees would be in lock-step with the Governor's approach. That may have been the case, but when time came for the vote of the Commission, it was clear that Commission members and ODA staff were too rushed to adequately explain the process. The end result is that the Commission appointed a task force to take a deeper dive into this discussion and process. onla.org

In the meantime, ODA is moving forward with the changes to the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC). A stakeholder meeting at deadline asked for a quick turnaround for stakeholder comments to draft rules. Subsequently, the rules will go through the CSI process and the JCARR process affording all parties a chance to weigh-in.

We will be reviewing and commenting on the rules not just from the perspective of the Maumee River Basin but also what impact the rules could hold in the future if they were to go statewide.

One major concern is the following language: "In watersheds in distress...owner, applicator or person responsible for applications... shall not apply manure or nutrients between December fifteenth and March first without prior approval..." The ONLA will voice objection to the use of calendar dates for applications. We will also express concerns about lack of designated resources to affect the desired changes.

In conclusion, the ONLA Legislative Committee and Board will be reviewing the rules and providing comments and you can, too! Visit onla.org/legislativeupdates to find a link to the rules on the ODA website.

SPECIAL ELECTION RESULTS IN OHIO'S 12TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT State Senator Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville) narrowly won the 12th Congressional District special election, according to unofficial results. His challenger, Franklin County Recorder Danny O’Connor has not conceded yet due to the fact that more than 8,000 ballots still need to be counted. Balderson currently leads by less than 1% (1,754 votes), though it is unlikely that uncounted ballots will allow O’Connor to close the lead. It is possible that uncounted ballots could push the race into recount territory (less than .5% margin), however, it is doubtful that a recount would change the outcome.

Barring something exceptional, Balderson will be declared the winner— Candidate Votes Percentage O’Connor (D) 99,820 49.29% Balderson (R) 101,574 50.15% Balderson Margin +1,754 +.86% *as of 8:30am on August 8th Both sides were quick to claim a victory in this race.

Republicans celebrated the fact that despite the “blue wave”, they held on to a seat that has been in GOP control for more September/October 2018

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than three decades while Democrats pointed out that Trump carried the 12th district in 2016 by 11% and Balderson garnered less than 1%. Links to several articles with some good analysis of the results are available on onla.org/legislativeupdates.

Both Balderson and O’Connor will face off again in November for a full term. Generally, boards of election have 10 days to count all ballots and certify the results.

Let us know if you have any questions or would like more detail. B

Belinda Jones Capitol Consulting Group bjones@capitol-consulting.net 614.224.3855

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ONLA Sept-Oct_SMN Ginger Wine.indd 1

10 The Buckeye

7/24/18 10:10 AM

onla.org

ONLPAC

CLAY SHOOT 2018 Fall Fundraiser Thursday, October 4, 1–4:30 pm Hill ’n Dale Club 3605 Poe Rd Medina, OH 44256

Co-hosted by:

Enjoy a day with friends and get to know your fellow colleagues in the green industry while raising money for the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Political Action Committee.

The afternoon includes a 16-station clay shoot course, dinner and raffle prizes.

Bring your own shotgun and ammunition. A limited number of shotguns will be available for rental. Ammunition may also be purchased onsite. Ear and eye protection are mandatory and are also available to purchase.

Proceeds benefit the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Political Action Committee, an important component of Ohio's green industry advocacy efforts.

To Attend:

$75 PAC donation includes 16-station course and dinner $35 PAC donation for dinner only Pre-registration is required. Registration deadline: Friday, September 14

Register: www.onla.org/clayshoot

About the ONLPAC Ohio’s green industry can’t take a passive approach to advocacy.

A political action committee strengthens our collective story with proactive leadership.

The Ohio Nursery and Landscape PAC financially supports political candidates who have shown a commitment to understanding our industry and the challenges our businesses face. These candidates can beneficially influence legislative issues related to Ohio’s green industry.

Consider your PAC donation an important investment to protect your business and ensure our continued successes. A strong PAC means a larger impact.

Learn more at: onla.org/ONLPAC

Sponsor This Event!

All sponsoring companies receive: • Admission and dinner for four attendees • Recognition through signage onsite and in ONLA and OLA digital and print marketing Purchase sponsorships online at onla.org/clayshoot

onla.org

PRESENTING Welcome attendees and distribute prizes during dinner

DINNER Company logo on table signage during dinner

STATION Company logo on signage at one station

$1,500

$750

$550

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2018 Diagnostic Walkabouts Walk, Talk, & Learn

Upcoming Events

Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists lead in-depth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics, and control of landscape pests. These interactive, hands-on, in-the-moment experiences provide a unique alternative to traditional classes or passive reading.

7:30 to 9:30 am at:

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

To Attend: $45 for ONLA members $65 for non-members Pre-registration is required.

www.onla.org/walkabouts

Sunset Memorial Park Thursday, September 20

MAKE 2018 A YEAR TO REMEMBER ALONGSIDE OUR TEAM OF TURF PROFESSIONALS

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onla.org

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

SUMMER TAKEAWAYS Marty Grunder, Grunder Landscaping Co.

With September here, many of us landscape pros are finally able to begin to catch our breath after a very busy season. I always like to take this time to look back over the summer and think about what I learned, and this year what’s struck me the most has been the wisdom I’ve gleaned from others—from my mentors, from my peers, and above all from my team. Here are my top takeaways: Be careful not to spread your effort, energy, and people too thin.

This reminder came from my friend and mentor Joe Calloway, an accomplished business author whom I spent a couple days with in August. Joe drove up from his hometown of Nashville and I headed south from mine in Dayton so we could meet in the middle, in Louisville, to work on our businesses rather than in them. Like most entrepreneurs, I am always eager to chase after the next new idea. On the one hand, this has helped me to succeed; on the other, this can also cause all sorts of problems if you don’t stay focused on what matters most to your business. Joe’s words were the nudge I needed to stay disciplined and to avoid overtaxing my team with too many new paths to run down, no matter how tantalizing they may seem.

Energy and grit are not how you’ll grow your company.

Processes and systems are. These wise words came by way of Mark Thompson, a stand-out business advisor who helps keep me on track, both at Grunder Landscaping and at my greenindustry consultancy. Though Mark’s background is in engineering, his management experience rings true to the green industry, too. So many landscaping companies—mine included—start out thinking they can outrun the competition through sheer effort, but the most successful know it is processes and systems that enable you to get ahead. My landscaping company is in its 35th year of business and this is still useful to hear. Every time you find yourself overwhelmed or struggling to do all that you think you need to within too small a window of time, ask yourself what kind of processes or systems you could come up with to change it. Then find a way to design and implement them. Trust me—this is some of the best time you’ll spend.

Plants are cheap; opinions are priceless.

if we’ve let them down. Conversely, if we exceed their expectations, we just might have a customer for life and an effusive referral source. Which would you rather have?

Progress is finding solutions.

My right-hand man Seth often repeats this to our team at Grunder Landscaping, and to me it very neatly sums up the changes we’ve made this past year and summer and where we’re headed in the future. We’ve undergone enormous change in 2018, with my passing the day-to-day reins to Seth and his assuming the crucial role as general manager. This has enabled me to focus on business development for my landscaping company as well as on the work of my growing consultancy. Just as important, it has enabled my team at GLC to realize their strengths and to have the authority—and the responsibility—to put them into practice. For Seth, it doesn’t matter where you fit on the org chart; if you think there’s a way we can improve our efficiency, increase our profitability, or strengthen our team, speak up. But the deal is you can’t just complain. Or, as Seth puts it, “If you think there’s an issue, come with a solution.”

What all of this combined wisdom demonstrates is that there are good ideas all around us, if we have the confidence as an owner to listen to them and the courage as an observer or team member to share them. Seth’s right—that really is how you make progress.

If you want to see for yourself how we’re implementing these insights at Grunder Landscaping Co. and go behind the scenes of our operations, join us for one of our annual Fall Field Trips this September and October. Learn more at martygrunder.com. B

Contact Marty at marty.grunder@ grunderlandscaping.com

I heard Dalton, my newly promoted director of design-build at Grunder Landscaping, tell this to a group of landscape business owners we had in for a tour of our facility this summer.

He was explaining to them why we provide our clients with a one-year warranty on our plants, and I just love the way he put it. Because he’s right: We can easily replace our plants, but it’s much harder for us to replace our reputation in a client’s eyes onla.org

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RETAIL ROUNDTABLE

SPRING RECAP ONLA's Retail Committee weighs in on a new topic each Buckeye. Have something you'd like to see the committee tackle in a future issue? Email alana@onla.org.

The middle of May brought perfect weather, including Mother’s Day week, and we had weekend-like crowds for at least two weeks straight. 6-8 weeks of business jammed into 3-4.

Mark Reiner, Oakland Nurseries Bright vibrant color continues to sell as usual. We saw a continued bump in annual sales overall. Along those lines, customers continue to find the value in buying Florida Tropical color for annual purposes. We also saw an increase in customers willing to spend a little more for a finished product/large annual patio container—14-20” in diameter in a decent looking pot. Spend the money, bring it home and drop it on the porch and you are done. In trees and shrubs, customers continue to look for smaller patio or topiary trees, and more compact dwarf material overall. It may be baby boomers moving into a new condo, more people living in urban settings, or just people wanting less maintenance overall. House plants and succulents continue to grow as a category for us as well.

Tim Clark, H. J. Benken Florist & Greenhouses, Inc. First, it’s important to start off with weather. Weather trumps just about everything. When you have good weather and a good plan, then good things can happen which is the way Spring unfolded this year. It’s been a long time since we had a string of consecutive days together that were ideal for garden sales the way they were this year. With that said, some of the trends we saw this year were continuation of past years. We saw increasing sales in every single category with more than average increases in container gardening and edibles. Our transaction count was up significantly however our average sale was down slightly. All in all it was a great spring and now the real work begins with how to retain the margins and keep inventory fresh and manageable.

Our Average Sales vary slightly from store to store, but the average register ring for Spring was around $65.

It is hard to gauge our customer counts considering they were down approximately 50% in April and it’s hard to get all those visits back, but I can tell you heading into August that our overall customer counts are flat year over year and up slightly in two of our four locations.

Ron Wilson, Natorp’s Nursery Outlet A Spring 2018 Recap, eh? Well, after experiencing the most unusual, yet exciting, crazy, in and out of control, unpredictable, frustrating weather, loads of mini-challenges, and definitely the most physically / mentally demanding spring that I recall in my lifetime of garden center retailing, here’s our recap of what turned out to be one of the best springs ever. Or was that the recap?

Just like everyone else, we found the Spring weather to be extremely challenging in March and especially April. We make a valiant effort to get Spring off the ground early at Oakland.

We bring dozens of truckloads of fresh plant material in from the West Coast, bring our staff back early, and run promotions and events all based on trying to capitalize on the promise of nice early Spring weather. Some years you look pretty smart and have the ability to get a leg up on the competition. This was certainly not one of those years. March is usually a tossup weather-wise, but personally I have never experienced anything like this April in the retail garden center biz. We had 4 measurable snows in April and heading into May had dug a hole it was hard to imagine getting out of. However, May was beautiful. It was a little warmer than average in Columbus but definitely a welcome sign for most people considering March/ April. At time the traffic was unmanageable, and it definitely wore out our staff, but we made it all back in four crazy weeks.

The weather’s rollercoaster ride in late March and April took its toll, with end of April year-to-date figures down in every sales category, down 40% in customer count, and down 8% on the average sale. But then the light began to shine and the retail flood gates opened. The excellent weather late April and most of May handed us a “May for the records” (which may never be repeated), with year-to-date totals now showing us as “up” in every sales category and customer count by double digit percentages, and up 4% on the average sale! Truly an unbelievable comeback and more! Unusually hot days moved in late May and rolled on through June, but timely rainfalls kept lawns and landscapes looking good, containers and gardens looking good, the soils good for planting, and sales continued on. Sure those hot days made it tough to go out and plant, spend time in the garden, and even shop in the greenhouses (thank goodness for cold bottled water!), but our “determined to garden” customers and our outstanding Natorp team

14 The Buckeye

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continued to persevere, ending June with excellent sales as well!

Bottom line: we ended the 2018 spring season up double digit percentages in all but one sales category (which was still up), up 10% in spring customer count, and up 5% on the average sale.

We also ended the spring season with an outstanding Natorp team who was totally spent—physically and mentally. What a spring it was; somebody please knock on wood.

When the month of May finally arrived, it hit with a bang. It was everything we had dreamed of with sunshine, 70 degree days, and anxious customers sprinting through our doors.

They were purchasing EVERYTHING! No sooner a product was put out for sale, it disappeared as though it never existed!

Our suppliers had trouble keeping up with the demand! They were in the same predicament as we were!!

2018 Spring Trends: Too busy to notice, but I do remember lots of young adults involved in edibles. Things that move in the garden were hot along with galvanized metal containers.

Requests galore for low maintenance, deer resistant, pollinator plants, succulents, and pre-made / custom planters.

Contemporary was very big with our shoppers along with bold colors and specimen pieces. Succulents were flying out the door, exceeding our expectations. Our customers were loving all the natural, earthy, and wood products that were available.

Tony Sciambi, Buckeye Resources In one word—Challenging! A U.S. trucking shortage that has pushed up freight costs for everything from cereal to toothbrushes is about to get worse. This spring, police nationwide began enforcing rules requiring most big rigs to use electronic logging devices to record driver hours. While truckers have long been barred from driving more than 11 hours a day, the new ELDs prevent them from fudging their times on paper logs. That means more trucks are likely to be parked when drivers hit their limits.

It depends on who you talk to, but the U.S. is from 60,000 to 100,000 drivers short and it doesn’t look like it is getting better.

This means that Garden Centers have to start taking mulches & soils in the fall in order to guarantee delivery.

April sales were down because of the cold wet weather. May was very good and ran into June.The trend of black colored mulch is continuing, now 60% to 70% of all mulch sales. Premium soils and OMRI listed soils are very strong.

Jodi Dawson, Oakland Nurseries Columbus The Spring of 2018 was one that we will place in the memory books. It took a while to get started but once it hit, we were sorry that we were impatient. There is usually a week or two that mentally prepares us for what is to come. This was not the year.

April was cool and rainy. We were still anticipating spring.

Truckloads of plants arrived filled to the brim on a daily basis.

The adrenaline that disguises pain had not kicked in yet. The whole month came and went with no sunshine in sight. onla.org

We greeted an average of 54,142 patrons per store from April 15 through May averaging $70.00 per sale.

Just as we thought we couldn’t continue another day, it slowed to a reasonable pace where we could enjoy our hard work.

This spring felt as though we were in a boxing match. We kept getting sucker punched, knocked down, and knew we had to get up again. We went the full ten rounds and came out a winner.

Jeremy Newell, White Oak Gardens Our story for this spring's sales at White Oak Gardens will probably echo others in our region due to weather. We saw a cool April resulting in a slow start to spring sales. We promoted tree sales in April (as typical) but the weather overrode our best marketing efforts. When spring did hit, it hit in a big way. May saw record sales for Mother's Day week. Sales stayed strong well into and through June. Average sale and customer count were slightly up in spring. Best categories include annuals, tropicals/ houseplants, and pottery. Trees are down, looking to increase tree sales with fall marketing strategies. Trends include increased interest and sales in houseplants. This has been kind of a struggle with us in the past because of space. We always decreased houseplant inventory in spring to almost nothing due to limited greenhouse space. With a large retail greenhouse project completed in 2017 we now have better space to keep a houseplant inventory even in "spring annual season". The interest in plants for interiors is strong and we are now able to supply that interest during spring. Other trends include small pottery (hand-in-hand with houseplants/succulents), "experiences" such as Make and Take workshops, and edibles. B September/October 2018

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MIDWEST GREE N I N DU STRY EX P E RI E N C E

Member Summit December 12–13, 2018

Hilton Easton Columbus

It’s What You Know

It’s Who You Know

Grow your business with education that dives deep into best practices and emerging trends.

Don’t underestimate the power of networking to advance your career and business goals.

• • • •

• • • •

Landscape Design & Maintenance Business & Marketing Plant Trends & Best Selections Pests & Diseases

Networking Lunches Meet Member Summit Sponsors and attendees during "speed-networking" style lunches on both days.

Sponsor Displays Networking Lunches Industry Awards Breakfast Roundtable Discussions

Keynote Speaker Te r r i M c E n a n e y President, Bailey Nurseries

Awa rd s Ce l e b rat i o n And Breakfast! Featuring the ONLA Board of Directors elections, Professional Awards, and 46th Annual Landscape Awards.

Registration Opens September 15 $295 per attendee. Includes: Two days of Breakout Sessions, Keynote, Awards Celebration, Roundtables, access to sponsor displays, and coffee, breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

Don't Wait! Space is limited to 500 attendees. Registration will open to non-members in mid-October.

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September/October 2018

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Sponsor Spotlight

WOLF CREEK COMPANY Take a minute to learn more about one of our MGIX Member Summit Presenting Sponsors, Wolf Creek Company.

Tell us a little bit about your company.

Wolf Creek was incorporated in May of 1961. Starting in Dayton, Ohio, we now have over 60 employees in eight locations—five locations in Ohio, one in Pennsylvania, and two in Kentucky. Wolf Creek’s contractor and market development programs have been a key part of the rapid growth of landscape irrigation over the past years. The several awards hanging on walls around the company attests to our success. We are unique in that our staff has a deep level field experience.

Most of us have been “in the trenches”, literally!

What kind of products or services do you offer?

Our first task is to always make our customer’s life easier. In 1978, Rain Bird approached Bud Knowles, our founder, about becoming the Rain Bird landscape and golf irrigation distributor for southwest Ohio. We still have a strong irrigation focus.

We started carrying lighting products since the early 90’s and have expanded in the 21st century. We’re the largest lighting supplier in the region and arguably one of the largest Kichler distributors in the U.S. We’ve also moved into drainage, water features & pond building, and stepped into outdoor living where it’s made sense based on what we’re known for. And, of course, we carry a number of tools and supplies contractors need to install and maintain the items we carry.

We’re also known for education, one of the reasons we’re proud to team up with ONLA for MGIX as a Presenting Sponsor.

When it comes to your company’s products, services, or ethos, what are you most proud of?

What sets you apart from similar businesses?

Curiosity and risk taking are two key traits our founder, Bud Knowles, had in his favor. Bud knew most potential customers would not know how to use his products. Education became a key growth tool. He would teach people how to make or save 18 The Buckeye

money using the products he sold. He gave the facts, figures, and the method of how to apply the products to make money.

Even today, there are contractors who become emotional talking about all that Bud did helping them get into the irrigation business.

Wolf Creek’s contractor and market development programs have been a key part of the rapid growth of landscape irrigation over the past years. Taking what got us here, we now face a maturing market place with more competition. Conditions have changed, but the core values of old still apply: • • •

Make Customer Lives Easier Build Opportunities for WC Team Good ROI for Owners

Until we make our customer’s lives easier, they will not reward us with their business. Customer’s business is where all the money comes from that we have to work with. When customers reward us our team prospers. No matter how good we think we are, customers make the real determination and their business is the market’s testament. Good ROI means more money can be invested to Make Customer’s Lives Easier.

This fuels the success cycle for customers and staff. That’s why it’s a win-win-win condition. Everything goes full circle.

Are there any specific ways you can help ONLA members succeed in their business or career goals?

Helping our customers succeed is a key value at Wolf Creek.

As stated, we intend to Make Customer’s Lives Easier. That’s not just a statement; it’s a way of life for us. The first and surest way to be valuable is to learn about our customer’s goals.

Only then you can find ways to help them succeed.

Running a business is hard. It’s risky and full of non-ending pesky problems. It means long hours and missed family time.

onla.org

We want to do what we can to help to add value to what they do. That means education, troubleshooting, support, and programs that save time, like our new eStore (www.wolfcreekco. com) and our delivery service. We get orders faster and supplies to the jobsites saving time, which saves money.

We do classes in the winter on design and technical topics.

Far from product pitches, everywhere we can we build in hands-on work to help teach a lot of useful information in a short time. We also have an extensive offering or technical and business classes on our Education portal, available 24/7 for our customers and their staff. We offer our education content to associations both regionally and nationally. A few of our staff teach for the Irrigation Association and other national associations.

"...MGIX is something we can get behind because we’re a company that’s always moving forward. We want to be part of a thriving industry so we will do our part to help our industry improve."

Beyond that, we take our education to the field to show and teach landscape professionals how to successfully do installations and service for our products.

Why did you choose to sponsor the new MGIX series of professional development and networking events?

Education and Industry Support are two of our core leaves in our platform. MGIX fits perfectly within our values and objectives. How could we not want to be part of this? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Being curious breeds’ innovation. But innovation is only helpful when action is taken. The changes ONLA is making to MGIX is something we can get behind because we’re a company that’s always moving forward. We want to be part of a thriving industry so we will do our part to help our industry improve.

right is core. Those who know more simply do better.

Do you have any tips for MGIX Member Summit attendees? How can they get the most out of their networking experiences with sponsors?

Be there! Jump in. Only by trying does anything happen.

Learn all you can and talk with as many others as possible.

Great transformative ideas often come from the weirdest places.

Anything else you’d like to share with our Buckeye readers?

Labor is a problem we’ll be living with for many years. Yes, changes to the H2B program offers some short term relief, but the long term answer is to draw people into our industry.

Support ONLA's Ohio Landscape Olympics (OHLO) and any other program that promotes us to young people.

Because labor is now so dear, efficiency is critical. Learning how to get more productivity for the hours already being paid for is on the mind of all the better operators. We can help with a variety of tools, such as our online ordering and account management system www.wolfcreekco.com. And our managed inventory program called WolfDens.

We also have partnered with HindSite software to build in interconnections between their program and our system.

Such innovations will help reduce office time and eliminate opportunities for mistakes. Our goal is to make customer’s lives easier and we have many other tools coming along.

Learn more about Wolf Creek Company at wolfcreekcompany.com Learn more about MGIX Member Summit Sponsors at onla.org/MGIXSponsor

The MGIX Member Summit this December will have top-notch education sessions, sponsor networking lunches, roundtable discussions, and more. What are you most looking forward to?

We like professional development activities. Not only to participant in but to see the positive impact made in people’s lives. We want our industry to thrive, knowing how to do it onla.org

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19

WHY TREES MATTER

THE OAKS Jim Chatfield, Ohio State University Extension, chatfield.1@osu.edu

July 14 was Bastille Day, the National Day in France marking the storming of the Bastille prison in July, 1789, considered to be the commencement of the French Revolution. So, let us raise our glass from oak-barreled and oak-corked wines to our friends across the Atlantic and our French-speaking les amis up north. And to remembrance of things past, as we still await the release from quarantine of the European pedunculate oak (Quercus petraea) that French President Macron gave the United States during his visit this past April.

Why all this talk of oaks? We are getting many calls about oaks and some of their problems in OSU Extension offices these days and even had over 100 attendees at an Oak Wilt Disease conference held by the Ohio Independent Arborists Association in Strongsville in June. Before talking about oak wilt and other problems, both large and small, let us first consider an oak overview.

Over 600 species in the Northern Hemisphere, including in Ohio, our familiar bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) and pin oak (Quercus palustris). Oaks are related to beech and the largely

Oak leaf and frogs 20  The Buckeye

gone American chestnut in the Fagaceae family. Over 90 species of oaks are native to the United States. Old sailing ships, whiskey/wine barrels of white oaks, timber, and furniture all come from many different oaks.

Oaks are divided into two main groups: the white oak group and the red oak group, and these differences are important. The white oak group includes such oaks as the Eastern white oak, bur oak, and swamp white oak, and the red oak group includes such familiar oaks as black oak and pin oak and the increasingly popular shingle oak.

Species in the white oak group sometimes hybridize with each other and species in the red oak group sometimes hybridize with each other but never the twain shall meet. Species are supposed to be reproductively isolated from each other, you may be saying, but Nature is often messier than our constructs and trees do not read our books, after all.

Another difference between the red oak group and the white oak group is that acorns (the fruits of oaks) in the white oak

Oak Overcup at Secrest Arboretum

group take only a single year to mature; red oaks take two years. White oaks have rounded leaf lobes; red oaks usually have sharp lobes. Some red oaks have no lobes, but red oaks without lobes do have bristle tips: an example is shingle oak.

The xylem that conducts water and minerals inside oak stems also differs: with larger, more open tubes in red oaks than in white oaks. This distinction is important. First, the tyloses, little bubbles in the cell walls of white oak xylem, mean that barrels made from oaks leak less, so it is various types of white oaks that are used for bourbon and wine barrels. Second, these open xylem vessels in the red oak group result in faster plugging of the water-conducting system of red oaks if a fungus is spreading in this xylem.

Which brings us to oak wilt disease. Oak wilt is caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum. It is related to the Dutch elm disease fungus, but fortunately is less widespread than Dutch elm disease because the insect vectors are less efficient. The Dutch elm disease fungus is spread by elm bark beetles, especially the European elm bark beetle, specialized for elm trees. The

Swamp White Oaks planted at 9/.11 Memorial, New York City onla.org

oak wilt fungus is spread by several types of insects, but most commonly picnic beetles, those pesky little black and orange beetles that show up looking for our cantaloupes.

Picnic beetles love sweet smells. Fruits, plant sap, and the fruity aromas of pads of the Bretziella fagacearum fungus. Therein lies one of the key lines of defense against oak wilt disease. If clusters of oaks affected by oak wilt are identified in an area, then it is important to not prune during the growing season to avoid sap exudation. If you have to prune or if trees are damaged, for example by storms, spray the wounds with pruning paint. Not gummy stuff, but pruning paint that counters the fruity aromas from sap exuding from the wounds.

We do have nodes of oak wilt disease in northwest and northeast Ohio and scattered elsewhere. Arborists are adapting their practices to prune outside the growing season and to use pruning paint for pruning and other wounds. This is the only time we recommend pruning paint in modern arboriculture. Otherwise, we would rather trees have enough oxygen to develop callus tissue to wall off pruning wounds, insects, and diseases.

Oak Bristle Tips September/October 2018 

21

We suspend this modern-day restriction of pruning paint use in this case due to the greater threat of oak wilt. Remember, this problem is not as serious as Dutch elm disease, because of the relative inefficiency of picnic beetles compared to elm bark beetles, but be aware.

What does oak wilt look like? On red oaks, it is the bronzing discoloration of oak leaves, tip downward, sudden leaf drop sometimes with still-green leaves dropping, sudden limb dieback and tree death, often within weeks or months. It is much more severe on red oaks. Check with your trusted certified arborist and other horticultural professional if you have questions. There will be many foolers diagnostically.

If oak wilt is diagnosed, in rare cases rather draconian measures are used, including trenching between affected and unaffected trees with use of soil sterilants in the trenches (the fungus will spread through the conjoined roots of red oaks). Fungicides that course through the conducting system inside the trunks can help, but only preventively, if the oak is not yet affected.

This approach is used when oak wilt is rampant in a particular cluster of trees.

Do not panic. There are many other minor problems on oaks that do not warrant treatment: from oak shothole leafminer to oak anthracnose, from oak leaf blister to simply leaf scorch due to droughty conditions. Pests and diseases are natural relationships between organisms; few are serious.

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Let us close with a poem and then just a few lines of the conflict inherent in nature, including from an oft-neglected song of conflict between the oaks…and the maples. As for the latter, check out the full lyrics of “The Trees” by Rush.

“A song to the oak, the brave old oak, Who hath ruled in the greenwood long; Here’s health and renown to his broad green crown, And his fifty arms so strong.

There’s fear in his frown when the sun goes down, And the fire in the west fades out; And he showeth his might on a wild midnight, When the storm through his branches shout.”

- Henry Fothergill Charley “There is unrest in the forest There is trouble with the trees For the maples want more sunlight And the oaks ignore their pleas…”

-Rush B

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LANDSCAPE DESIGN

EVALUATING AN EXISTING LANDSCAPE Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, bobbie@bgthumb.com

As landscape designers, we are often called upon to help homeowner evaluate their properties. I love doing consultations and clients are willing to pay for them, realizing that what we are doing is sharing our experience and expertise with them. Consultations often lead to design but not always. Nevertheless, we will have performed a valuable service.

As landscapes and gardens matured, many of the elements within changed. The client’s lifestyle may also have changed and that usually means that the landscape needs some renovation. For instance, if children are no longer young, the need for a swing set or climbing apparatus has probably evaporated. Then the question of disposal or re-use arises.

If an interest in vegetable gardening has developed, such a structure could be used as a support for vining edibles like tomatoes, squash, or cucumbers; it could also be used as a trellis for a flowering vine such as clematis. If no one plays basketball now, what can be done with a basketball pole

and hoop? Remove it or disguise it with a climbing vine like Schizophragma.

To start re-inventing a garden or landscape, we and the homeowner should take a hard, honest look at what is there.

Because changes often happen subtly over the years, it is easy for a long-time homeowner to overlook them or become unaware of them but the fresh eyes of the designer often see these, usually undesirable, changes immediately.

Encourage the homeowner to pretend that he or she is a new home owner, looking at the landscape with as much objectivity as possible.

Does the landscape have an orderly look or is it just an accumulation of projects over a period of time? Even before you meet with your new clients, encourage them to have some ideas, possibly even pictures torn from a magazine or photographs of landscapes they’ve seen, so that you the designer understand what the clients have in mind for their

This is a typical and forbidding foundation planting; a multitude of dark evergreens hide the entrance and windows.

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September/October 2018

25

new landscape. You can use these images as a starting point, not necessarily accepting in toto what they show you because the pictures may show a landscape or plants that are not appropriate for the setting or the particular ecology of the site.

While evaluating the existing garden, it will probably be apparent to you, the professional, that some plants don't seem to be performing as well as they should. If they just need more or less light, try to find a more appropriate part of the garden to which they could be transplanted and select new site appropriate plants to replace them. This is advice that clients need because most of them are not horticulturists and don’t realize what a difference the right light or moisture can make in a plant’s appearance. If you are asked to turn your advice into a design, these changes will become part of your design.

Above: After his children left home, this homeowner created two beds at the bottom of the swing set poles that then allowed clematis to grow up and over it.

Below: Once my sons moved away, I planted Schizophragma ‘Moonlight’ at the base of the basketball pole around which I tied chicken wire. Now the pole is totally covered and so is most of the hoop.

"I’m a firm believer in using as much of the existing landscape as possible so that the renovation doesn’t scream 'new'."

As we know, overgrown shrubs can often be trimmed back. On the other hand, if the client hates them, they can be removed entirely. As much as it hurts emotionally and as much as it can be visually unattractive for a while, severe trimming (almost to the ground) can often rejuvenate old and woody shrubs. There are many books and web pages that can walk a do-it-yourself client through the process of rejuvenation pruning. The alternative, of course, is to hire your company to do it.

I find that the easiest part of renovating a landscape is deciding what’s worth keeping. However, since we are designing for our clients, we as designers, need to ask our clients which elements they like so that we can try to work them into our designs. I’m a firm believer in using as much of the existing landscape as possible so that the renovation doesn’t scream “new”.

Deciding what to change is often more difficult because it entails getting clients to define what in the landscape makes them unhappy. Landscape designers are also advisers and we need to let our clients know that they don’t need to keep elements of the landscape just because they are there.

26 The Buckeye

onla.org

You and they should look at the landscape as if starting from scratch and only keep what really works. All too often, large conifers have been planted too close to the house or in front of windows, thus impairing water and sewer lines and shading the house so much that there is no light inside. Transplanting such huge trees is rarely an option, being costly and having no guarantee that the transplanting will be successful. I hate to throw large plants away but, visually, that is often the best option.

If clients are not prepared to undertake a major redesign, perhaps you can engineer a minor renovation with a coordinated color scheme. Repetition of color can really pull a landscape together and refresh one that may have gone stale.

Think about the colors that are already in the landscape; is that combination pleasing? What colors are present in the interior of the house? What colors do your clients wear? Ask them which colors make them feel good. Explain to them that bringing the inside colors outside will create a sense of unity, thereby making the outdoors feel like an extension of their home.

Renovation doesn't always have to be a major undertaking. Remember that old cliché “Addition by subtraction”?

Sometimes, just removing a plant or a feature that isn’t liked is a vast improvement. At the end of a consultation, I recommend looking through your notes and then helping the clients prioritize their goals. Once they have this list, they will be energized, knowing the order in which to tackle each task. At some point in the future, when they are ready to undertake a major renovation, they will remember that you are the one who set them on the right path.B

Do you have a great before and after shot of a recent project that utilizes some of Bobbie's tips?

Send us your photos and we'll share them in the next issue of The Buckeye and on ONLA's Facebook Page.

Yellow is repeated throughout my left garage bed with Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls', Hakonechloa 'All Gold', Corydalis lutea plus Ipomoea 'Margarita' in the hayrack.

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Tuliptree canopy

September/October 2018

27

46TH ANNUAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association hosts the annual Landscape Awards program to reward skilled landscape professionals who have executed outstanding workmanship. The program encourages landscape architects, contractors, and designers to continue their efforts to raise the industry’s image through consistent use of quality materials.

Deadline to Apply: Friday, September 21, 2018 Awards will be announced on Thursday, December 13, 2018 as part of the ONLA Awards Celebration & Breakfast at the MGIX Member Summit in Columbus, Ohio. For more information about the Summit, visit onla.org/mgix TIPS FOR A WINNING ENTRY

Tell a captivating story.

Write your description as a narrative. Describe the project, your design and installation process, or the quirks or conditions imposed by the client and your creative solutions to challenges.

Invest in High Quality Photography The only way judges can evaluate your project is through photos, so make sure to submit the highest quality possible. Hire a professional if needed.

Plant selection.

Materials should be well adapted and properly used. For example, a plant requiring full sun used in shade is an obvious flaw.

Project maturity.

Projects may be up to five years old at submission. In general, a more mature job will make a better display.

Client driven designs.

Client objectives are an important component in landscape design/ build and judges take into account how you have incorporated your client’s wishes.

Submit projects in multiple categories If you enter the same project in more than one category, tailor your photos and written description. You are encouraged to submit your entries in other state and national competitions as well.

THANK YOU, SPONSORS!

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28 The Buckeye

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570 T.R. 2152 Loudonville OH 44842 800-364-6229 • 419-368-8110 fax hobbynursery@zoominternet.net www.hobbynursery.com

dependability...always

Call your Business Partners at: Buckeye Resources 1-937-462-8346 or Email Orders to: orders@buckeyeresources.com

Up to $10.00 CONSUMER REBATE

ONLA SCHOLARSHIPS Applications are now being accepted for the ONLA 2019 Scholarship Program.

ONLA's Phil Kozel Memorial Scholarship Program provides assistance for college students and high school FFA students pursuing degrees in horticulture and related fields.

Deadline to Apply: October 19, 2018

TO APPLY, VISIT: WWW.ONLA.ORG/SCHOLARSHIPS

onla.org

September/October 2018

29

GET CERTIFIED IN 2018!

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

2018 TEST DATES September 20, October 18, November 15 SPECIALIZATIONS: 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.

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 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.

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.

A program of:

TRAINING MANUAL ORDER FORM NAME: COMPANY: ADDRESS:

CITY:

STATE:

PHONE #:

E-MAIL:

Check enclosed Check #:

Card Number: Exp. Date: Card Holder:

3-digit:

VISA

MasterCard

ZIP:

MEMBER RATES (Call for non-member pricing) * Landscape + Core ______ x $125.00 = $_______ Garden Center ______ x $75.00 = $_______ Grower ______ x $75.00 = $_______ All Manuals ______ x $250.00 = $_______ Replacement CD Rom ______ x $25.00 = $_______ Total = $_______ * Written Manual and Computer Based Training CD Rom for each

Signature:

Return to: The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association • 72 Dorchester Square • Westerville, OH 43081-3350 Ph: 614.899.1195 • 800.825.5062 • F: 614.899.9489

30 The Buckeye

onla.org

NEW! OCNT ONLINE PROFILES Managing your certification just got easier.

View your records, add credits, and print your OCNT certificate online at onla.org. Just follow the instructions below or download a visual guide at onla.org/ocnt

To Access Your Online OCNT Profile:

1. Log in to ONLA.org with your username and password (Please contact roni@onla.org if you need this) 2. Under the My Profile area, select Manage Profile 3. Scroll down to the Content & Features area and select Professional Development

Journal Entries Tab

Under the Journal Entries Tab, you can add and keep track of the education credits that will go toward your OCNT renewal.

Your Entries • OCNTs are required to earn five Education Credits within a three-year period.

• In this tab, you will also see two listings that ONLA adds to your account: Your Renewal Date and, after ONLA has received payment, a listing for your Renewal Payment. Do not delete these entries.

To Add A Credit: Click on Add Entry. A pop-up form should appear.

• Certification/Program – Select your certification: Landscape, Garden Center, Grower, Master. (If you have more than one certification, but not a Master certification, you will need to enter the credit for each certification separately) • Credit Type – Select Education Credit • Entry Date – Add the date of the event • Description – List the title or a short description of the program you attended • Credits – Type 1 (or the number of days you attended a multi-day event) • Credits Expire – Leave blank, ONLA will complete this field • Score – Leave blank • Activity Code – If one is provided at an event • Click Submit Credits will be listed as pending until approved by the ONLA office.

Certifications/Programs Tab

Under the Certifications/Programs Tab, you’ll find an overview of how many credits you have on file for your upcoming OCNT renewal.

When your OCNT requirements of five approved Education Credits and your renewal payment are fulfilled, you may print your certificate using the icon to the left of your certification listing.

Questions?

Contact ONLA at 614.899.1195 or email Roni Petersen, Membership and Certification Manager at roni@onla.org.

onla.org

September/October 2018

31

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

The following companies are applying for ACTIVE COMPANY Membership: Aquilla Springs Garden Services LLC Ada Pitstick 12728 Aquilla Road Chardon, Ohio 44024 Buckingham Gardens Benjamin Vucelich 2218 Green Cook Road Johnstown, Ohio 43031

Park Operations Coordinator of Turf and Facilities Capitol South CURC Columbus, Ohio Hardcape Foreman/Landscape Crew Leader First Impressions Lawn & Landscape Co. Sunbury, Ohio Crew Leader/Foreman Allison Landscaping Cincinnati, Ohio For details, visit onla.org/careers.

Ads listed here were current as of press time. For details, or to place a classified ad, visit onla.org/ careers

LandscapeHub Molly Keating 231 S. LaSalle Street Chicago, Illinois 60604 Rush Truck Centers Jim Ray 3950 Parkwest Columbus, Ohio 43228 Sustainable Transformations Michael Gill PO Box 1402 Pataskala, Ohio 43062 The following person is applying for PROFESSIONAL INDIVIDUAL membership: Donald Adams, Ground Systems Cecilia van Raders-Brace, Lowes Greenhouse & Gift Shop, Inc. These companies and individuals have been approved for membership, pending the completion of the application process, which includes requesting comments from the ONLA membership regarding the qualifications and/or dues classifications of applicants. Please submit comments within three weeks of receiving this issue to info@onla.org, or call 614.899.1195.

We’re committed to supplying you with the best products and services all at a great price.

Custom Seed Mixtures

Erosion Control

Equipment & Rental

Need a quote or have questions?

866.530.7333 NEW!

32 The Buckeye

Sediment Control

info@evergreenseedsupply.com

EvergreenSeedSupply.com onla.org

UPCOMING EVENTS

ADVERTISER INDEX

View www.onla.org/events for more information.

O designates qualifying OCNT recertification events.

Arborjet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens Diagnostic Walkabout 9/6/2018 Akron, Ohio onla.org/walkabouts Sunset Memorial Park Diagnostic Walkabout O 9/20/2018 North Olmsted, Ohio onla.org/walkabouts ONLA Landscape Awards Submission Deadline 9/21/2018 onla.org/landscapeawards Cleveland Grows! GWA Regional Meeting O 9/21–22/2018 Cleveland, Ohio Golf Outing 9/28/2018 Sunbury, Ohio onla.org/golfouting Clay Shoot ONLPAC Fundraiser 10/4/2018 Medina, Ohio onla.org/clayshoot ONLA Scholarship Application Deadline 10/19/2018 onla.org/scholarships Ohio High School Landscape Olympics 11/1/2018–11/2/2018 Wooster, Ohio onla.org/ohlo Native Plant Symposium O 11/30/2018 Cincinnati, Ohio cincinnatizoo.org MGIX Member Summit O 12/12/18–12/13/18 Columbus, Ohio onla.org/mgix Green Industry Advocacy Day 2/27/19 Columbus, Ohio onla.org MGIX Training Days O 3/5/19 & 3/7/19 Dayton, Cleveland, Ohio onla.org

O

arborjet.com Bobcat Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 bobcat-ent.com Buckeye Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 buckeyeresources.com Ernst Seeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 ernstseed.com Evergreen Seed Supply.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 evergreenseedsupply.com Fairview Evergreen Nurseries. . . . . . . . . . . . 16 fairviewevergreen.com Green Velvet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 greenvelvet.com Hobby Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 hobbynursery.com Horizon Plants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 horizonplants.com Medina Sod Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 medinasodfarms.com Millcreek Gardens LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 millcreekplants.com Oberfields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 oberfields.com Premier Plant Solutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 premierplantsolutions.com Spring Meadow Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 colorchoiceplants.com TAH Benefits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 tahbenefits.com Unilock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC unilock.com

Ad Rates & Info Contact Alana Settle, alana@onla.org, 614.899.1195

M I DWE ST GR E EN INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Member Summit December 12–13, 2018

Hilton Easton Columbus

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Join Us D E C E M B E R

1 2–1 3 ,

2 0 1 8

MGIX Member Summit Hilton Columbus at Easton

THE SPONSOR EXPERIENCE Gone are the days of passively waiting for attendees to talk to you. ONLA will help you form meaningful connections, throughout the day, with 500 of the most ambitious business owners and managers who are invested in improving and growing their business.

One of just 50 sponsors.

Every attendee will know you’re there.

Warm, inviting atmosphere of a modern and upscale hotel.

Quick and easy set up of marketing materials in premium display space.

Joining in on roundtable discussions, education sessions, networking lunches and more.

Personalized marketing opportunities and guaranteed brand exposure.

Contact Us!

Benefits B U I L D R E L AT I O N S H I P S

• •

Receive a complimentary, full-access pass. Join in on education sessions, special events, and meals with attendees.

Participate in networking lunches and roundtable discussions.

P R O M OT E YO U R B U S I N E S S

•

Showcase your business in an on-site marketing display.

•

Receive the attendee email and mailing list after the event.

MARKETING PERKS

•

Recognition on promotional materials, MGIX webpage, on-site signage, and post-event recap articles and press releases.

•

Shout outs on ONLA’s social media with links to your social profile or website Company listing with logo in event programs.

•

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS ( va r i e s p e r s p o n s o r l eve l )

• • • • •

KEITH MANBECK keith@onla.org 614.899.1195

Additional Sponsorship at one or both MGIX Training Days in March, 2019 Complimentary admission for additional company representatives Complimentary advertising in ONLA’s Buckeye Magazine.

Complimentary advertising in program.

Choice of additional sponsorship of one MGIX Member Summit program or attraction.

ONLA.ORG/MGIXSPONSOR