January/February TNLA Green Magazine by Texas Nursery & Landscape Association

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Economic Impact Report PAGE 6

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6 Economic Impact Report

Each year, TNLA commissions a team of researchers to write a report detailing the Green Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contributions to the Texas economy. Check out this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report to learn about the new recordbreaking contributions!

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TNLA is proud to recognize the 2018 Texas Excellence in Landscaping Award winners! See some of the best landscape projects from all around the Lone Star State!

45 GreenVi$ion by Lan Huang and Mengmeng Gu 47 Notes from SFA Gardens by Dr. David Creech 49 Bugs & Fuzz by Dr. Kevin Ong and Dr. Erfan Vafaie 52 52 53 53 54

New Members

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TNL A Green

The official publication of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association January/February | Vol. 20 No. 1 DIRECTORS Chairman of the Board. . . . Chairman-Elect. . . . Immediate Past Chairman. . . . President. . . .

Bill Carson, Austin Todd Kinney, TMCNP, Donna Billy Long, TCLP, San Antonio Amy Graham, Austin

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Region I. . . . Region II. . . . Region III. . . . Region IV. . . . Region V. . . . Region VI. . . . Region VII. . . . Region VIII . . . Supplier Director. . . . Grower Director. . . . Landscape Director. . . . Retail Director. . . . Director At-Large. . . .

Kevin Grossberndt, San Antionio Jay Williams, League City Herman Ray Vess, TMCNP, Edgewood Jason Craven, Dallas Jackie Smith, Santo Steven Akers, Slaton Gerry Bower, Weslaco Jared Pyka, Austin Tim Little, Dallas Kevin Norris, Coppell Scotty Rigsby, TCLP, Midlothian Joshua Bracken, TMCNP, Dallas Adrian Thomas Muehlstein, TMCNP, Carrollton Director At-Large. . . . Rachelle Kemp, TCLP, TMCNP, Waco Director At-Large. . . . Dan Green, TCLP, San Antonio

A Video Message from Amy Graham, TNLA President

TNL A STAFF President/CEO. . . . Director of Finance. . . . Accounting Assistant. . . . Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. . . . Director, Industry Education and Certifications. . . .

Amy Graham Cheryl Staritz Aimee Luna Jeff Stokes James Theiss, TCLP, TCWSP, Certified Arborist Administrative Assistant, Strategic Initiatives. . . . Debra Allen Director, TNLA & EXPO Marketing/ Communications . . . Sarah Riggins ,CEM Director, Expo Exhibits and Membership. . . . Amy Prenger, CEM Business Development/Sales Executive. . . . Mike Yelverton , TCNP & TCWSP Administrative Assistant, EXPO . . . Trevor Peevey Office Operations Assistant. . . . Nancy E. Sollohub Region Field Manager. . . . Nathan Flint Communications Specialist. . . . Molly Wallace Sales Specialist. . . . Amelia Price

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MAGAZINE STAFF Editor. . . . Molly Wallace Graphic Designer. . . . Marie Leonard Ad Sales. . . . Amelia Price

TNLA Green magazine is a member service of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, and is published bi-monthly. Advertising information is available from TNLA, 7730 South IH 35, Austin, Texas 78745, online at www.tnlaonline.org, or by calling (800) 880-0343. TNLA office hours are weekdays, 8:30AM - 4:30PM CST. © 2018 Texas Nursery & Landscape Association

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TNLAGREEN

Economic Contributions

of the Green Industry to the Texas Economy BY DR. MARCO A. PALMA AND CHARLES R. HALL

Acknowledgements This report was made possible by a grant from the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA). The Data were obtained from the Texas Comptrollers of Public Accounts (TCPA), Baseline data from the Green Industry Research Consortium National Nursery Survey. Others who contributed with this report include Daniel Hanselka, Dean McCorkle, Rebekka Dudensing (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service) and Alan Hodges (University of Florida). This report complies with the terms of the TNLA contract. The authors welcome comments or information about the usefulness and implications of these findings.

Introduction

otal green industry sales in Texas increased to an all-time high $20.2 billion in 2016. The production and manufacturing sales decreased from its highest peak of $2.1 billion in 2013 to around $1.5 billion in 2014. Since then, there has been a 16.4% increase over the last two years to a total of $1.75 billion in 2016. Similar to previous years, the Lawn and Garden Equipment Manufacturing sector is substantially lower compared to the levels prior to 2014. Prefabricated Metal Buildings sector increased 10.4% to a total of $20.0 million. The grower Nursery and Greenhouse sector sales increased almost 4% from 1.51 billion in 2015 to the highest all time sales peak of $1.57 billion in 2016. The Horticultural Services sector experienced the largest increase in sales from $4.6 billion in 2015 to an all-time record of $7.1 billion. Wholesale and Retail had a slight decrease of 1.02% to a total of $11.3 billion in 2016. The net margins attributed to the retail sector accounted for almost $3.4 billion. Net margin represents the share of sales attributed to the retail sector and not accounting for the portion of sales included in the production and manufacturing sector. This study measures green industry sales in Texas by sector and then estimates economic contributions to the Texas Economy in terms of output, employment and value added.

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Methodology In order to estimate economic contributions of the Green Industry to the Texas economy sales by each green industry sector need to be measured. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is used to gather data on total green industry sales, including all sectors related to the green industry. The data used in this report were provided by the State Comptrollers Office, baseline data from the Green Industry Research Consortium National Nursery Survey, and includes industry sales through the end of fiscal year 2016. Every business in the state and the country is classified by North (continued on page 9)

TABLE 1. NAICS Codes for Green Industry Sectors INDUSTRY SECTOR Nursery & Greenhouse Lawn & Garden Equipment Mfg Greenhouse Manufacturing (Prefab. Metal Buildings)* Landscaping Services Landscape Architectural Services Flower, Nursery Stock And Florist Supplies Wholesalers Lawn & Garden Equipment & Supplies Stores Florists Building Material & Supplies Dealers* Food & Beverage Stores* General Merchandise Stores* Farm & Garden Machinery & Equipment Wholesalers*

NAICS CODE 1114 333112 332311 561730 541320 424930 4442 4531 4441 445 452 423820

TABLE 2. Total Green Industry Gross Sales in 2016 SECTOR (NAICS Code) Production/Manufacturing Nursery & Greenhouse (1114) ^ Lawn & Garden Equipment Manufacturing (333112) ^ Prefabricated metal buildings (332311) (Greenhouses) ^* Horticultural Services Landscaping Services (561730) Landscape Architectural Services (541320) Wholesale & Retail Trade Horticulture Products (Gross) Flower, Nursery Stock and Florist Supplies Wholesalers (424930) Lawn & Garden Equipment & Supplies Stores (4442) Florists (4531) Building Material & Supplies Dealers (4441)* Food & Beverage Stores (445)* General Merchandise Stores (452)* Farm & Garden Equipment Wholesalers (423820)* Total All Sectors

SALES ESTABLISHMENTS 1,751,713,457 3,077 1,569,862,699 2,720 161,836,270 323 20,014,489 34 7,134,962,965 58,934 6,648,454,943 56,362 486,508,022 2,572 11,314,789,011 82,500 662,543,804 1,776 5,645,134,435 9,142 544,710,156 13,303 1,717,497,919 7,141 436,784,319 11,208 1,541,729,335 38,951 766,389,044 979 20,201,465,434 144,511

^ Estimated from baseline data from National Nursery Survey, and Texas Comptrollerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office Data. * NAICS represents a portion of Total Green Industry Sales

TABLE 3. Total Green Industry Sales 2009-2015 GROWER

LANDSCAPE

RETAIL (Gross)

RETAIL (Net)

TOTAL

2016

$1,751,713,457

$7,134,962,965

$11,314,789,011

$3,426,422,018

$12,313,098,440

2015

$1,671,472,706

$4,629,433,764

$11,430,636,390

$3,461,503,716

$9,762,410,186

2014

$1,505,326,681

$4,465,856,219

$11,713,810,871

$3,547,256,554

$9,518,439,454

2013

$2,100,242,682

$4,550,424,995

$11,721,100,798

$3,549,464,140

$10,200,131,818

2012

$1,804,926,582

$4,054,303,568

$10,857,786,292

$3,288,029,320

$9,147,259,470

2011

$1,918,432,053

$3,538,719,690

$10,374,997,040

$3,141,827,767

$8,598,979,510

2010

$1,537,061,928

$3,390,016,982

$9,351,749,314

$2,831,960,872

$7,759,039,782

2009

$1,336,866,584

$3,414,177,793

$9,039,697,678

$2,737,463,255

$7,488,507,632

2008

$1,575,251,701

$3,903,651,168

$8,599,018,918

$2,604,013,890

$8,082,916,760

* Green industry represents a portion of overall business activity (Sectors not included in Previous Scope reports).

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TNLAGREEN

(continued from page 7) American Industry Classification System (NAICS). NAICS was developed jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico to provide comparable statistics about business activity across North America. Green industry firms fall within one of the NAICS codes in Table 1.

Green Industry Sales in Texas When reporting sales to the State Comptrollerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, each firm must report all sales, including those with sales taxes and those without sales taxes (wholesale). The reporting system has an area of potential slippage. For example, since wholesale growers do not collect any sales tax (for the state), some small and medium size growers are unaware of their reporting responsibilities. Not all of these firms realize that their services are subject to sale taxes. Therefore, unintended noncompliance has been a source of under reporting, which would underestimate green industry sales in Texas. Due to this this potential slippage problem, additional data were used to supplement this reportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s methodology. Table 2 shows Total Green Industry Gross Sales in 2016, and Table 3 shows sales from 2010-2016 for each green industry sector. Table 3 shows sales for the retail industry including gross sales, and net sales. Net sales represent the margin sales that correspond to the retail sector only. Total industry sales, including grower, landscaping and retailing sales increased 12.2% in 2016 for a total of $20.2 billion in gross sales. The grower sector experienced an increase of 4.5% to a

TABLE 4. Total Green Industry Sales by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), 2016 MSA GROWER Austin 92,159,904 Dallas-FW 396,321,541 Houston 258,563,763 San Antonio 83,919,995 920,748,255 Other Total 1,751,713,457

LANDSCAPE 702,553,732 3,683,918,404 1,479,894,720 423,406,090 845,190,019 7,134,962,965

RETAIL (Gross) 750,481,970 2,596,620,562 1,958,392,097 899,315,558 5,109,978,825 11,314,789,011

TOTAL % OF TOTAL 1,545,195,606 7.65% 6,676,860,507 33.05% 3,696,850,579 18.30% 1,406,641,642 6.96% 6,875,917,099 34.04% 20,201,465,434 100.00%

TABLE 5. Economic Contributions of the Green Industry in Texas, 2016 OUTPUT ($Mn) 3,256 2,973 246 37

EMPLOYMENT (jobs) 28,448 27,562 725 161

VALUE ADDED ($Mn) 1,861 1,764 81 15

Horticultural Services Landscaping Services Landscape Architecture Services

13,858 12,779 1,079

166,054 159,171 6,883

8,247 7,621 626

Wholesale & Retail Trade Horticulture Products Flower, Nursery Stock & Florist Supplies Wholesalers Lawn & Garden Equipment & Supplies Stores Florists Building Material & Supplies Dealers Food & Beverage Stores General Merchandise Stores Farm & Garden Equipment Wholesalers

6,825 212 3,706 529 1,128 229 775 245

60,130 1,036 30,376 8,092 9,242 2,370 7,817 1,198

4,229 135 2,291 325 697 146 482 156

Total (All Sectors)

23,939

254,633

14,336

Production & Manufacturing Nursery & Greenhouse Lawn & Garden Equipment Manufacturing Prefabricated Metal Buildings

*Figures may not sum due to rounding

Please Log In to the Members Only section on TNLA Online to view the entire Economic Impact Report!

(continued on page 10)

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T E X A S N U R S E RY & L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

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2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

$1,505,326,681 $2,100,242,682 $1,804,926,582 $1,918,432,053 $1,537,061,928

$4,465,856,219 $4,550,424,995 $4,054,303,568 $3,538,719,690 $3,390,016,982

$11,713,810,871 $11,721,100,798 $10,857,786,292 $10,374,997,040 $9,351,749,314

$3,547,256,554 $3,549,464,140 $3,288,029,320 $3,141,827,767 $2,831,960,872

$9,518,439,454 $10,200,131,818 $9,147,259,470 $8,598,979,510 $7,759,039,782

Total industry sales, including grower, landscaping and retailing sales increased 12.2% in 2016 for a total of $20.2 billion in gross sales. The grower sector experienced an increase of 4.5% to a total of $1.75 billion. The landscaping sector increased sales by an impressive 35.1% to a total of $7.1 billion. Gross retail sales decreased slightly 1.02% to a total of $11.3 billion in 2016. Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent industry sales for growers, landscaping, retailing (gross) and total gross industry sales respectively broken down by subsectors.

FIGURE 1. Grower Sales 2007-2016

Figure 1. Grower Sales 2007-2016

(continued from page 9)

total of $1.75 billion. The landscaping sector increased sales by an impressive 35.1% to a total of $7.1 billion. Gross retail sales decreased slightly 1.02% to a total of $11.3 billion in 2016. Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent industry sales for growers, landscaping, retailing (gross) and total gross industry sales respectively broken down by subsectors.

Million 2500

Greenhouses (Metal Buildings) Lawn Equipment Manufacturing Nursery&Greenhouse

2000 1500 1000 500 0

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

FIGURE 2. Landscaping Sales 2007-2016

Figure 2. Landscaping Sales 2007-2016 Figure 2. Landscaping Sales 2007-2016

. 4

Billion Billion 88

Landscaping Architectural Services Landscaping Architectural Services Landscaping Services Landscaping Services

2007 2008 2008 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015 2016 2016 2007

FIGURE 3. Retailing Sales 2007-2016

Figure 3. 3. Retailing RetailingSales Sales2007-2016 2007-2016 Figure

FarmEquipment Equipment Farm FoodStores Stores Food Florists Florists FlowerWholesalers Wholesalers Flower

GeneralStores Stores General BuildingMaterials Materials Building Lawn&&Garden GardenSupplies Supplies Lawn

12 12 10 10 88 66 44 22 00

Economic Contributions of the Green Industry to the Texas Economy The net sales data from the previous section were used to estimate total economic contributions of the Green Industry to the Texas Economy. To evaluate the economic impact contributions of the green industry to the Texas economy, economic models were developed using the Implan software system and associated Texas datasets (MIG, 2016). The Implan system includes more than 500 industries. Input-Output models represent the structure of a regional economy in

Billion Billion 14 14

Table 4 presents green industry sales by sector and by major Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). There are 27 MSAs in Texas. The major MSAs are, Austin, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, El Paso, and San Antonio. The economic scope reports sales in five of the major MSAs Dallas and Fort Worth are combined into one area; together, the five major MSAs included in this report represent almost two thirds of the total industry sales as shown in Figure 5. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston hold the largest share of green industry sales in 2016 with 33.05% and 18.30% respectively. Figure 6 is a graphical representation of grower, landscaping and retailing sales by MSA in Texas.

2007 2007 2008 2008 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015 2016 2016

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terms of transactions, employees, households, and government institutions (Miller & Blair, 1985). The economic multipliers derived from the Implan model were used to estimate the total economic activity generated in the state by sales (output) to final demand or exports. This includes the effects of intermediate purchases by green industry firms from other economic sectors (indirect effects) and the effects of green industry employee household consumer spending (induced effects), in addition to direct sales by industry firms. The wholesale and retail sectors use products from the production/ manufacturing and horticultural services sectors; therefore, when calculating the impacts for the wholesale and retail trade horticulture products, output (retail sales) are reduced to reflect only the gross margin on sales to those sectors, otherwise we would be double counting the economic impact stemming from those products. Economic impact multipliers vary based on data about actual relationships in the economy. The total economic contributions of the Green Industry in Texas were estimated at $23.94 billion in output; 254,633 jobs, and $14.3 billion in value added as shown in Table 5. For the production and manufacturing sectors, including nursery and greenhouse, lawn and garden equipment manufacturing, and metal building manufacturers, total output impacts were $3.2 billion; employment impacts were 28,448 jobs; and value added impacts were $1.86 billion. For the horticultural services sectors, including landscaping services and landscape architecture services, total output impacts were $13.86

FIGURE 4. Total Industry Sales 2007-2016

Figure 4. Total Industry Sales 2007-2016

Billion Wholesale and Retail Horticultural Services Production and Manufacturing

25 20 15 10 5 0

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Table 4 presents green industry sales by sector and by major Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). There are 27 MSAs in Texas. The major MSAs are, Austin, Dallas, Worth, Houston, El Paso, Antonio. Theineconomic scope reports sales Figure Ft. 5. Total Green Industry Salesand in San Texas by MSA 2016 in five of the major MSAs Dallas and Fort Worth are combined into one area; together, the five major MSAs included in this report represent almost two thirds of the total industry sales as shown in Figure 5. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston hold the largest share of green industry sales in 2016 with 33.05% and 18.30% respectively. Figure 6 is a San Antonio graphical representation grower,Sales landscaping retailing MSA in Texas. Figure 5. Total GreenofIndustry in Texas byand MSA in 2016sales by10.6% .

FIGURE 5. Total Green Industry Sales in Texas by MSA in 2016 Austin

11.6%

Table 4. Total Green Industry Sales by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), 2016

MSA GROWER LANDSCAPE RETAIL(Gross) TOTAL % OF TOTAL Houston 27.7% San Antonio 7.65% Austin 92,159,904 702,553,732 750,481,970 1,545,195,606 10.6% Dallas-FW 396,321,541 3,683,918,404 2,596,620,562 6,676,860,507 33.05% Other Austin 34.0%258,563,763 1,479,894,720 66.0% MSA 11.6% Houston 1,958,392,097 3,696,850,579 18.30% San Antonio 83,919,995 423,406,090 899,315,558 1,406,641,642 6.96% Houston Other 920,748,255 845,190,019 5,109,978,825 6,875,917,099 34.04% 27.7% Total

Other

34.0%

1,751,713,457

66.0%

Dallas-FW

50.1%

MSA

7,134,962,965 11,314,789,011 20,201,465,434 50.1%

100.00% Dallas-FW

FIGURE 6. Green Industry Sales by Outlet and 2014-2016 Figure 6. Green Industryby SalesMSA by Outlet,and by MSA , 2014-2016 500

Million

Figure 6. Green Industry Sales by Outlet and by MSA , 2014-2016 Million 2015 2014

500

400

2014

2016

2015

400

300

2016

Grower

300

200

100

100 0

0 Billions Billions 4

Landscape

0 3000

Million

Retail

2500

3000 2500 2000 1500

(continued on page 13)

Million 2000

Retail

1500 1000 500 0

Austin

1000

Dallas-FW

Houston

San Antonio

500 0

Austin

Dallas-FW

Houston

San Antonio

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Horticultural Services Landscaping Services Landscape Architecture Services Wholesale & Retail Trade Horticulture Products Flower, Nursery Stock & Florist Supplies Wholesalers Lawn & Garden Equipment & Supplies Stores Florists Building Material & Supplies Dealers Food & Beverage Stores General Merchandise Stores Farm & Garden Equipment Wholesalers Total (All Sectors)

13,858 12,779 1,079 6,825 212 3,706 529 1,128 229 775 245 23,939

TNLAGREEN

(continued from page 11) billion; employment impacts were 166,054 jobs; and value added impacts were $8.2 billion. For the wholesale and retail trade sectors, total output impacts were $6.8 billion; employment impacts were 60,130 jobs; and value added impacts were $4.2 billion. The largest economic impact contributions for individual sectors were landscaping services, lawn and garden stores and nursery and greenhouse. Economic impact results are also reported by major metropolitan statistical area (MSA) as summarized in Table 6. The MSAs with the greatest economic impact contributions to the State’s economy are Houston and Dallas.

166,054 159,171 6,883 60,130 1,036 30,376 8,092 9,242 2,370 7,817 1,198 254,633

8,247 7,621 626 4,229 135 2,291 325 697 146 482 156 14,336

FIGURE 7. Green Industry Economic Output to Output the Texas Economy in 2016 Figure Contributions 7. Green Industry Economic Contributions to the Texas Economy in 2016 Horticultural Serv ice

$13.86 billion

$3.26 billion

$6.83 billion

Production & Manuf actu

Wholesale & Retail

FIGURE 8. Employment Contributions by the Green Industry in Texas 2016 Figure 8. Employment Contributions by the Green Industry in Texas 2016 200,000

Measures Of Economic Activity Sales or output is the dollar volume of a good or service produced or sold. Final Demand is sales to final consumers, including households, governments, and exports. Intermediate sales are sales to other industrial sectors. Income is the money earned within the region from production and sales. Total income includes personal income (wage and salary income, including income of sole proprietor’s profits and rents). Jobs or employment is a measure of the number of jobs required to produce a given volume of sales/production, expressed as full time equivalents, or as the total number including part time and seasonal positions. Value Added is the sum of total income and indirect business taxes.

Marco A. Palma and Charles R. Hall, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M University System, 2124 TAMU. College Station, TX. 77843-2124, mapalma@tamu.edu

166,054

150,000

100,000 60,130

50,000 28,448 0

Production & Manufacturing

Horticultural Services

Wholesale & Retail

Economic impact results are also reported by major metropolitan statistical area (MSA) as summarized in Table 6. The MSAs with the greatest economic impact contributions to the State’s economy are Houston and Dallas.

TABLE 6. Economic Impacts of the Green Industry in Texas by MSA

Table 6. Economic Impact Contributions of the Green Industry in Texas by MSA 2016 Output ($Mn) 1,831 7,912 4,381 1,667 8,148 23,939

Austin Dallas-Fort Worth Houston San Antonio Other Total

Employment (jobs) 19,477 84,160 46,598 17,730 86,669 254,633

Value Added ($Mn) 1,097 4,738 2,624 998 4,880 14,336

OUTPUT EMPLOYMENT VALUE ADDED ($Mn) (jobs) ($Mn) Austin 1,831 19,477 1,097 Dallas-Fort Worth 7,912 84,160 4,738 Measures of economic activity. Houston 4,381 46,598 2,624 Sales or output is the dollar volume of a good or service produced or sold. Final Demand is sales to final consumers, including and exports. San Antonio 1,667 households, governments, 17,730 998 Intermediate sales are sales to other industrial sectors. Income is the money earned Other within the region from production and sales.8,148 4,880 Total income 86,669 includes personal income (wage and salary income, including income of sole proprietor’s profits and rents). Jobs Total or employment is a measure of the number 23,939 14,336 of jobs required 254,633 to produce a given volume *Figures may not sum due to rounding

of sales/production, expressed as full time equivalents, or as the total number including part time and seasonal positions. Value Added is the sum of total income and indirect business taxes.

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The Texas Excellence in Landscaping (TEIL) Awards showcase the best work of the State’s landscaping firms! Winning landscaping firms overcame challenges, collaborated with clients and created beautiful outdoor spaces! Projects are juried by a panel of Green Industry experts, and each project is judged on its own merits not against other submissions. Judges can give a Gold, Silver or Bronze award in one or more of the project categories. Notable projects may receive an Honorable Mention in lieu of an award.

IN THE TEIL AWARD PROJECTS, YOU’LL FIND INSPIRATION AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS! u SPONSORED BY:

To see more of these award winning projects, and find out the category winners, be sure to attend the TNLA Awards Celebration at the 2018 Nursery/Landscape EXPO!

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GOLD AWARD Moss Landscaping French Contemporary Terrace RESIDENTIAL INSTALL $50,000-$150,000 Located in the heart of Houston, this fifth story rooftop project took more than six months to design and install. Unique tasks included crane lifting and installing granite countertops for the outdoor kitchen, custom fitting glass for an iron gate/ door, and design of a louvered pergola and privacy screen that could withstand heavy winds. The final product was exactly what the client wanted, and we extended our scope of services far beyond what is normally required of a landscape project.

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GOLD AWARD CleanScapes, LP Pearl Brewery COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE The Pearl Brewery was founded in 1881 and has been a San Antonio landmark ever since. The property now is home to an expansive multiuse development, including apartments, restaurants, retailers, public spaces and more. Issues were addressed by identifying problem areas that were either visually unappealing or functionally wrong, and scheduling and introducing new species of plants into the space, performing proper pruning techniques, as well as implementing watering and fertilization schedules customized to the different micro-climates within the site.

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GOLD AWARD Moss Landscaping East Shore Contemporary Gardens RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE This propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beauty invokes unique maintenance challenges such as Zorro Zoysia lawn joints being carefully cut with a hedge trimmer to maintain the lawn between stepping pads, and boxwood clouds handpruned to shape them into their intended design. The design of the landscape was to marry traditional architecture of the home with contemporary desires of the client in a way that was both cohesive and beautiful. The maintenance plan strives to ensure the landscape grows exactly as intended.

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GOLD AWARD Complete Landsculpture The Gardens by the Mandalay Tower COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION OVER $500,000 The project site is a roof top garden set between two commercial building towers overlooking onto the deck below. The goal of the project was to improve and update the existing landscape and hardscape to enhance the tenant experience. The Clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is to create an outdoor living experience for all to enjoy as if in their own yard, and seamlessly tying the indoor & outdoor together. The project included a 48,000 SF deck of which 30,000 SF was concrete pavers.

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GOLD AWARD Bonick Landscaping Ursala Lane DESIGN CATEGORY This project entailed two phases including a landscape that would complement the hill country contemporary architecture of the home and incorporating the outdoor living space with privacy walls and a fireplace in addition to a large swimming pool with spa. A natural landscape was created using native grasses, cactus, agave, and regionally adapted plants. Materials included limestone paving, block benches, integral colored and sandblasted concrete walks and a mosaic tile for the outdoor shower reminiscent of a hill country sunset.

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SILVER AWARD BrightView Landscape Development Crescent Vision COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION OVER $500,000 This project was a unique project in the UpTown Dallas District where BrightView was contracted to execute all landscape and irrigation aspects to compliment the grandeur of the site. The scale and complexity of this job made it one of a kind.

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SILVER AWARD Native Land Design The Domain COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE The Domain is the most desired place in Austin. The enormous amount of pedestrian traffic and the need to always look good and the custom maintenance of the many planters located on the property make this property a unique maintenance challenge.

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SILVER AWARD Native Land Design Teravista HOA COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE With over 1,000 acres to maintain, Teravista HOA requires a lot of attention. Added to that is the consistent communication required by the property manager including weekly drives and weekly meetings throughout the property, puts Teravista into a category by itself.

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SILVER AWARD Clean Scapes LP San Clemente at Davenport COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE San Clemente at Davenportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges include nearby construction interfering with irrigation lines, numerous insects, rugged terrain, native landscaping and lack of soil structure creates strict regiments of top dressing, insecticides, hand watering, and trimming.

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SILVER AWARD Lanson B Jones Landscape Architecture Renfroe Project RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION OVER $150,000 Located in Houston, this backyard called for a low-maintenance Modern English design that offers tranquility and a safe entertainment space for children and adults. Our installation incorporated the veranda, the pool and fireplace seating area, and the parterre garden.

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SILVER AWARD Lambert Landscape Company Stately Pastoral Garden RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE The overall design intent of this two-acre estate blends an assortment of plants including warm season turfs, carefully selected and grown annual and perennial color, groundcovers, vines and climbing roses, precisely maintained large screening hedges, hand-pruned accenting shrubs, and majestic trees.

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SILVER AWARD Complete Landsculpture The Gardens by the Mandalay (deck) UNIQUE FEATURE The project site is a roof top garden set between two commercial building towers overlooking onto the deck below. The goal of the project is to improve and update the existing hardscape to enhance the tenant experience while retaining the existing infrastructure.

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NewEarthCompost.com SAN ANTONIO

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SILVER AWARD Lanson B Jones Landscape Architecture Wetmore Project DESIGN CATEGORY This manor boasts two grand outdoor-scaled rooms with each centered on two separate lawns allowing the entire space to be visually and physically tied together. The project includes a pavilion complete with built-in outdoor kitchen and adorned with a French-inspired cupola.

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Scholarships Make The Foundation part of the conversation! It can impact your future, and the future of many others! TNLA Foundation Scholarship Applications will be available online beginning January 15, 2018. on www.TNLAonline.orgâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;look under Scholarship & Career Tab. NEW this year! TNLA Foundation Scholarship Applications will be submitted online rather than through the mail or email. You will be able to review and edit before finally submitting your application. New this year! Want to really get your message across to the TNLA Foundation Trustees on why YOU should get a scholarship, submit a video with your application and upload it with your other information.

Deadline for submission is May 15, 2018. Notification of scholarship winners will be by June 30, 2018. W W W.T N L A O N L I N E . O R G

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BRONZE AWARDS

Research Park V

Research Park III & IV

Clean Scapes

COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE

Bulverde Oaks

Clearfork Edwards Ranch

Clean Scapes

COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE

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BRONZE AWARDS

Domain Northside

Cinco Ranch

Clean Scapes

Native Land Design

COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE

Barnard Residence

Trout Residence

AJ’s Landscaping & Design

RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE $50-$150K+

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BRONZE AWARDS

Private Residence

Heritage Park of Flower Mound

Wilhite Landscaping

SPSD, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE

UNIQUE FEATURES

Rosedale Modern Courtyard

Stonebriar Garden Renovation Design

Native Edge Landscaping

Whimsical Designs

DESIGN

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HONORABLE MENTION 7500 Rialto Clean Scapes

Stonebriar Garden Renovation Installation Whimsical Designs

COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION UNDER $100K

RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION $150K+

Dallas LDS Temple Site Improvements BrightView

Midtown Commons Courtyard Native Edge Landscaping

COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION $100-$500K+

DESIGN

Research Park Plaza I & II Clean Scapes

Brentwood Family Escape Native Edge Landscaping

COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE

DESIGN

SPECIAL THANKS to the judges who generously donated their time and expertise to scoring the Texas Excellence in Landscaping Awards, this program would not be possible without them!

Blue Diddley

Vitex

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Contact Amy Howard 616-223-3365 www.springmeadownursery.com 800-633-8859 ext.1105 TNLA-Jan_Blue Diddley.indd 1

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Closer Mowing Heights Superior Turf Density

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G R E E NV I$ IO N

So What Is Biochar? BY LAN HUANG AND MENGMENG GU Lan Huang is a graduate student working on her master’s degree in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University. Dr. Mengmeng Gu works at the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension.

How I Got Started With Biochar?

y first encounter with biochar was not planned but purely accidental. I was in my previous position at Mississippi State University and the Plant and Science Department is in a building right next to the building housing the Ag. and Bio. Engineering Department. I don’t remember why I was meeting with a colleague there in the first place, but we started talking about what his work was. About 10 years ago, there was a huge push in renewable energy research. Corn was converted to bio-ethanol and soybean bio-diesel. Biomass rich in cellulose such as pinewood and switchgrass was sought after to make bio-gas and bio-oil through pyrolysis or gasification, essentially burning biomass under high temperatures and high pressures with little or no oxygen.

With enough oxygen, almost all biomass will be burned to useless ash. Without oxygen the long carbon chain of cellulose is broken down under high temperatures and high pressures to molecules with smaller numbers of carbon (biogas and bio-oil). The solid from the processes is called biochar. With then ever-increasing gas price, Mississippi has lots of timber to be used to generate bio-gas and bio-oil, or at least in research. To him, biochar was the by-product that he wants to get rid of or add value to get rid of. “Can I have some of your biochar to grow plants in containers?” That question initiated my years of journey of pursuing the possibility of using biochar as container substrate. We started slow with two types of plants, replacing 10%, 20% and 30% (volume) of peat-based commercial substrate with biochar. Plants responded positively with biochar incorporation. We got ‘greedy’ in the next experiment, four plant species (chrysanthemum, tomato, lettuce and basil) and six biochar rates (0, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%). We not only incorporated the six rates of biochar in peatbased, but also in pine bark-based substrate. chrysanthemum plants in the pure biochar grew as well as in conventional peat-based and pine barkbased substrate. The other plants did just as well in as high as 60% and 80% biochar.

What We Have Achieved So Far? Seeing the potential of biochar, I continued my biochar substrate work. An army of graduate students and visiting scholars have been working on various aspects of using different biochars as container substrate to grow plants. For example, one of my graduate students, Lan Huang (aka ‘Traffic Director’ at the November 2017 TNLA board meeting at College Station), presented her research on biochar at the 2017 IPPS-North American Southern Region in Dallas and wrote (continued on page 46)

Pinewood biochar

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TNLAGREEN (continued from page 45) two articles in the 2017 Nov./Dec. issue of TNLA GREEN magazine. So far we have also tried to grow Easter lily, poinsettia, bell pepper, and many bedding plants (including petunia, torenia, portulaca, salvia, vinca, celosia, zinnia, and marigold) in containers with biochar, and to use biochar as part of germination mix on eleven different seeds from as large as corn to as small

as radish. The results are very promising. Adding some ‘secret amendments’, we could incorporate the biochars as high as 60% or 80% in containers.

So What Is Biochar? Biochar (BC) refers to carbon-rich material derived from pyrolysis or gasification of biomass. Lots of biochar research are looking at benefits of

using it as soil amendment, and biochar could increase water and nutrient holding capacity, sequestrates carbon, mitigate greenhouse gas emission, ameliorate soil acidity, provide a suitable environment for microbial activity and improve crop yield. However, the added value is probably ‘dirt cheap’ when biochar is used in soil. Different from ten years ago, the current gas price is ‘depressing’ for the renewable energy sector, and biochar people are looking for alternative biochar uses, which may bring them returns better than ‘dirt cheap’. Using biochar as container substrate may be one way to go.

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Are all biochar suitable for container substrate? Absolute not. For example, cow manure biochar has very small particle size and looks like black flour. Biochars made from animal manures probably have similar particle size. I have not tried them, but I could imagine that it would be hard to use them in containers. My experience has been mainly with pinewood-based biochars, with majority of particles size between 2 mm and 5 mm. Particle size in this range provides good drainage and the enormously porous nature of each biochar particles provides plenty of surface area to hold water and nutrients. The next biochar I will include in the trials will be sugarcane biochar. It doesn’t have the bigger chunks in the pinewood biochar, but this smaller size may eliminate peatmoss completely from container substrate. More to talk about biochar next time.

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N OTES FRO M SFA G A R DE NS

Horticulture in a Changing World BY DR. DAVID CREECH

W Dr. David Creech is Regents Professor Emeritus at Stephen F Austin State University and the Director of SFA Gardens.

ith every Southern Region International Plant Propagation Society (IPPS-SR) annual conference, I learn something. IPPS-SR is a unique blend of likeminded academics, nurserymen, landscapers, and plantsmen. We gather once each year in locations across the South for a terribly busy mix of lectures, bus tours to local nurseries and gardens, banquets, a live plant auction, a silent auction and the Question Box, the latter a freewheeling exchange between those who have questions and those who have answers. This year’s conference was held October 28 to November 1 in Dallas, Texas. Since we are at the western edge of the Southern region, the general thinking was attendance might be low. It wasn’t. When the dust settled, we brought in over 200 registrants. Laura Miller, TAMU, Dallas and Jonathan Berry, JBerry Nursery, and I managed the local site committee work (speakers, AV, tour and hotel arrangements, etc.). If you like dealing with an ocean of details, this job’s for you. The end result was some really great lectures, lots of socializing, and plenty of learning. Everyone left inspired. The only glitch was a tour bus stuck miserably in the Athens Tree Farm sand but that challenge was overcome in fine fashion. One buzz this year and in years past is where are the students? Most Texas nurserymen and landscapers report that business is booming, inventories are short and it’s hard to fill open positions. Students graduating now are in the driver’s seat. It’s no secret that horticulture enrollments have never returned to the peak experienced in the late 1970s. For instance, the enrollment at TAMU was over 600 in the late 1970s; it’s a third of that now. At SFA, we’ve gone from 99 majors in 1977 to about 35 today. Low enrollments mean loss of classes. Skip the idea of Cacti and Succulents 1, 2, and 3.

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Perhaps the drop in enrollments is just a generational change? As we transition from the Baby Boomers (1946-1964) to Gen X (19651980) to Millennials (1981-2000) and the coming impact of the Gen Z (1995-2012) and Gen Alphas (2013-2025), there are bound to be changes in everything. From the workaholic goal-centric competitive baby boomer generation to the tech savvy, civic conscious life/work balance tone of recent graduates, times are a changing. To attract millennials, academic institutions are adding specializations in the area of foodscapes, entrepreneurship, business, sustainable productions, environment and natural resources, and Cannabis growing. (continued on page 48)

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TNLAGREEN (continued from page 47) This generation coming into the work force has higher expectations than in years past. A few years ago I had a student come by for an office visit. He was looking at several job opportunities. His resume had the usual biographical, academic and extracurricular history we all expect. At the very top, he had listed his career objective as “upper level management.”

I said, “Gee, the fellow interviewing you is upper level management, you just got here and now you want his job?” I nudged him to rethink this a bit; perhaps he really wanted “an entry level position, the opportunity to work hard and determined to make a contribution to the company’s bottom line.” He got the job.

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TAMU’s David Reed, Mike Arnold, Dan Lineberger, and Tim Davis looked at horticulture enrollment in depth with a 2016 article on the “Challenges of higher education in the US – what will horticulture of the future look like?” (Acta Hortic. 1126, 205-218). Gathering data from across the nation, they reported horticulture enrollments have been trending downward. They listed possible reasons for this as “ineffective or no recruiting, not attracting as many female majors, increasing admission standards, bad publicity primarily based on jobs and low starting salary, and not appealing to the new Millennial student.” Further aggravating the trend is the dissolution of Horticulture into plant, soil and/or environment departments. For instance, they found that in 2014 only 31% of the universities offering horticulture degrees have departments with horticulture in the department name. They noted that increasing enrollments cannot be achieved by academe alone. What may be needed is partnering with public horticultural institutions, horticultural societies, and leading horticultural and allied industries. Total faculty numbers are decreasing slightly and there’s a trend to hiring more adjunct faculty, lecturers, instructors, or part-time faculty. With declining enrollment and so few new faculty hires, the end result is an aging faculty, perhaps less in tune to what students want, need or expect. Then there’s the research and project funding problem. Faculty find themselves without state appropriated funding and must generate their own operating funds via submitted proposals to cover research, graduate students, technical support staff, travel, operating expenses, and often a portion of their own salary to maintain 12-month appointments. It’s a changing world. Let’s keep planting.

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B U G S & FU ZZ

To Use Or Not To Use: Assessing Benefits Of Plant Protection Practices BY DR. KEVIN ONG AND DR. ERFAN VAFAIE

W Dr. Kevin Ong (top) directs the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Erfan Vafaie (bottom) is Extension Program Specialist (IPM) at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

e are always on the lookout for methods, programs, tricks or practices which would be the “silver bullet” to pest and pathogen problems. Unfortunately, there is not a single program or practice that will address all plant diseases and pest issues. This is partially due to the fact that the culprits of plant health problems come in many shapes, sizes and behaviors. To complicate this, environmental conditions play a large role in the epidemics or outbreak of pest or disease problems. So how does one go about making the decision whether to use a plant protection product? An obvious answer to this question is whether the product will contribute to protecting or increasing profitability.

EIL can be calculated based on several variables, such as the cost of management per unit of production, price of the commodity and injury caused by the pest or pathogen. To address situations where economics does not dictate management decision, the Aesthetic Injury Level (AIL) calculation was developed where aesthetic injury, rather than economic injury, was used in the calculations. [To learn more about the math and statistic models, see side box]. Researchers use these sorts of mathematical models to help produce decision making tools of when to treat to manage plant health issues. On the practical side, let us explore some of the current practices that are applicable in greenhouses, nursery operations and the landscape.

Many years ago, when the concept of integrated pest management was developed, an important component to the decision-making rules was this thing called “Economic Injury Levels” (EIL). The

Programmed Treatment Applications Programmed applications are predetermined, scheduled treatment applications, also commonly referred to as calendar applications. Pros: This sort of practice reduced the need for decision making and established a routine. It can be an event that is scheduled, thus labor cost has been predetermined.

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Cons: Treatments may not always be necessary during application period. This practice could also introduce a false confidence in the ability to protect the crop or planting, and my result in slower response if an outbreak occurs. When best to use: Programmed applications are most useful in chronic pest/pathogen type situation. If a disease or pest issue is known to occur consistently in the growing environment, then scheduling treatment application to closely (continued on page 50)

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TNLAGREEN (continued from page 49) match calendar and/or environmental cues can help to reduce risk of an outbreak.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) IPM is a management approach that to takes a holistic view of the production (or landscape) when determining what and how to treat for plant health issues, and to have a plan of action in place for when a pest or pathogen incident is detected. Pros: Successful implementation of IPM would result in early detection of pest or pathogen. This would translate to reduced and effective use of plant protection products. Developing a successful IPM program often forces one to have a greater knowledge of their crop and the environment surrounding that crop or planting.

Cons: Requires trained workers to be able to identify potential onset of plant health problems. In some cases, initial cost may be elevated due to initial preventative inputs such as biocontrol agents or practices that does not favor the pest/pathogen.

Cons: If a plant health issue should arise, there may be a scramble to get a diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Depending on the pest or pathogen and level of the problem, treatments may not always be successful.

When best to use: IPM is considered a low-impact or environmentally friendly approach to growing healthy plants. Decisions that are made by taking the holistic approach helps to reduce unintended consequences (Example: treatment to reduce a particular pest might result in increase of another).

To successfully grow a crop or to maintain an aesthetically pleasing landscape, contingency planning that include targeted approaches should be made. Whether it is a programmed treatment application approach or an IPM approach, the key to developing successful program is to know your enemy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; This include the likes and dislikes of the pest or pathogen, from desired host plants to conducive growth environmental conditions.

The Reactive Approach This approach relies on the availability of methods and products that are curative.

When Best To Use: Never!

Pros: No plans needed. Little, if any initial inputs.

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R E SO U RCE S

The research plant management decision making is a fascinating one with lots of math involved. Here are a few links to research articles that you might find interesting. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3495174 A brief review of the decision-making considerations made for insect pest on ornamentals.

http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1673/031.014.59 Modelling economic injury level in relation with commodity prices and using that information to inform future practices.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025556412001848 A â&#x20AC;&#x153;heavyâ&#x20AC;? article on plant disease models with economic thresholds. Read this if you are really into math (differential equations).

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NE W ME MB E R S

Welcome!

TNLA would like to welcome its new members. If you would like to become a member, or if you have anyquestions or concerns about your current membership, please contact us at 800.880.0343. Visit www.tnlaonline.org to learn about the benefits of becoming a part of TNLA.

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January January 1 TNLA Offices Closed January 9 6:00-9:00pm – TNLA Region IV General Meeting at Southern Botanical, Inc. January 16 6:00-8:00pm – TNLA Region V General Meeting at Pinnacle Bank January 30 TNLA Board of Directors Nominations Deadline

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