TNLA Green September/October 2019

TNLA

Green September/October 2019

Child-friendly plants connect children to nature, create a new market for the green industry

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

TNLA

Green

Sep/Oct 2019

CONTENTS 08. Cover Story: It Pays to Play

Child-friendly plants connect children to nature and create a new marketing opportunity for the green industry.

12. Child-Friendly Plants: Top 25

Take a look at some nontoxic flowers, shrubs, trees, and other greenery children will love.

02. President’s Letter:

The industry prepares for tomorrow with Foundation scholarships.

04. News

The latest industry updates from TNLA.

18. Funding the Future

TNLA Foundation scholarships help grow the next generation of green professionals.

20. Green Vision:

Crapemyrtle Bark Scale & Beautyberry

22. Bugs & Fuzz:

Get to Know Your Pest

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24. Notes From SFA Gardens: Is There Life after Glyphosate and Bacon?

28. TNLA Talks:

Bobby Eichholz, landscape architect, serves as the ASLA liaison to the TNLA Board of Directors.

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08 September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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PRESIDENT’S Letter

TNLA

Green

The official publication of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association July/August | Vol. 22 No. 4

Directors

Chairman of the Board ... Jay Williams, League City Chairman-Elect ... Tim Little, Dallas Immediate Past Chairman ... Joshua Bracken, TMCNP, Dallas President/CEO ... Amy Graham, Austin

DEAR TNLA MEMBERS, For many years soap operas on television were a mainstay. For housewives they were topics of conversation among friends.

One popular soap was Search for Tomorrow. It ran from 1951–1986. As was true with many shows of the time, theme songs were popular. These songs were not just music, they had words.

Search for Tomorrow’s theme song lyrics seem to speak to the mission of the TNLA Foundation, which is featured in this issue of TNLA Green. It reflects the spirit of many projects TNLA and the Foundation have focused on over the past several months.

Search for Tomorrow lyrics: When tomorrow comes, what will it bring?

Will it be winter, or will it be spring?

Will a prayer be answered?

Will the sun rise for you?

Be it pleasure or sorrow, we’ll search for tomorrow.

Through our scholarship programs the industry has been looking toward tomorrow and preparing the industry for what comes next. Each year the trustees come together and do the special work of selecting the exemplary students who will receive the awards.

Special recognition must go to the companies, TNLA regions, and individuals who fund these scholarships.

Through the school-based youth programs curriculum that focuses on the best management practices — outlined in our certification programs and our scholarship programs — TNLA hopes to not only nurture the next generation of horticulture professionals but also the future consumers of our products and services.

Our Search for Tomorrow begins today. Let us know if you are willing to help in our initiatives. There is a place for you!

Amy Graha m Amy Graham TNLA President and CEO

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

Board of Directors

Region I Kevin Grossberndt, Big Foot Region II ... Mike Hugg, TCNP, TCLP, Houston Region III ... Nigel Clark, Winnsboro Region IV ... Craig Duttarer, TCLP, Carrollton Region V ... Jackie Smith, Santo Region VI ... Steven Akers, Slaton Region VII ... Gerry Bower, Weslaco Region VIII ... Brad Seever, Austin Supplier Director ... Jerome Alder, Cedar Park Grower Director ... Kevin Norris, Coppell Landscape Director ... Scotty Rigsby, TCLP, Midlothian Retail Director ... Dean Warren, Kingwood Director At-Large ... Adrian Muehlstein, TMCNP, Carrollton Director At-Large .... Rachelle Kemp, TCLP, TMCNP, Waco Director At-Large ... Bobby Eichholz, ASLA, San Antonio Director At-Large ... Devin Gunn, Dallas

TNLA Staff

President/CEO ... Amy Graham Director of Finance ... Cheryl Staritz Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs… Ryan Skrobarczyk Director, EXPO Exhibits and Membership... Amy Prenger, CEM Director, TNLA & EXPO Marketing/Communications... Sarah Riggins, CEM Director, Industry Education and Certifications…

James Theiss, TCLP, TCWSP, Certified Arborist Business Development/Sales Executive... Mike Yelverton, TCNP & TCWSP Office Operations Assistant... Nancy Sollohub Region Support… Sara Fern Sales Specialist… Jake Kirby Specialist, TNLA and EXPO Marketing/Communications… Ashley Pettibone Administrative Assistant… Debra Allen Specialist, EXPO...Trevor Peevey

Magazine Staff

October Custom Publishing Editor ... Crystal Zuzek Creative Director ... Torquil Dewar Art Director ... Shelley Lai Production ... Monica Valenzuela, Zach Scouras Ad Sales ... Jake Kirby 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, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM CST. Copyright 2018 Texas Nursery Landsape & Association

September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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John Peters, TMCNP (left), winner of TNLA’s Arp Award, and Mark Chamblee, TMNCP (right)

James Theiss, TCLP, TCWSP, Certified Arborist, Texas Nursery & Landscape Association (middle), winner of TNLA’s Young Leader Award, Adrian Thomas Muehlstein, TMCNP Southwest Wholesale Nursery (left) and Kevin Norris, Landmark Nurseries, Inc. (right) EXPO’S EDUCATION CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY:

Keynote Speaker: Thom Singer “Give, Gain, Grow”

TNLA

Green

EXPO’S EDUCATION CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY:

UPDATE

The 2019-2020 TNLA State Board of Directors took the stage during TNLA’s Annual Business Meeting

EXPO Highlights TNLA’S ANNUAL EVENT ATTRACTS THOUSANDS FROM GREEN INDUSTRY Green industry professionals from far and wide gathered in early August for the Nursery/Landscape EXPO at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. The Texas-sized event featured plants, hardscapes, equipment, and more than 450 companies exhibiting thousands of products and services. Attendees talked one-on-one with industry experts and learned about new products to grow their businesses. From the Student Rally to inspirational keynote speakers, this year’s event had something for everyone. EXPO provided access to ample opportunities for professional networking. And EXPO’s Education Conference featured more than 100 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Here are some photos that highlight noteworthy moments during TNLA’s premier event. Don’t miss next year’s EXPO! Visit www.nurserylandscapeexpo.org for the latest news and updates.

THANK YOU WELCOME PARTY SPONSOR:

THANK YOU TO EXPO’S DÉCOR AND PLANT SPONSOR FOR SPECIAL EVENTS:

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EXPO SPONSORS, SEE PAGE 19

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

Keynote Speaker: John Kennedy “LeaderSHIFT” OPENING CEREMONIES SPONSORED BY:

5th Annual Women In Horticulture Get Together Keynote Speaker Brie Arthur inspired everyone with “Dream a Little Dream.” (A special thanks to this year’s sponsors Roundtree Landscaping, Landscape Art, Magnolia Gardens Nursery, New Earth, Creekside Nursery, and Leaf Landscape Supply.)

Thank you to our TNLA PAC Platinum Member Donors. Left to right: Steve Taber, TMNCP, Mark Rose, Joanne Harden, James Harden, TMCNP, Mark Baxmann, Jim Prewitt and Johnathan Saperstein

Hotchkiss Insurance : Winner of this year’s Summit Award

Congratulations to Tree Town USA for being inducted into TNLA’s Circle of Legends

Congratulations to Texas Green Industry Safety Group for being inducted into TNLA’s Circle of Legends

September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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Best Booth Awards Small Greenline Seville Farms, Fort Worth, TX Best Booth Awards Small Hardline Texas Outdoor Power Equipment (Scag/Echo), Georgetown, TX

Best Booth Awards Large Greenline Creekside Nursery, Hempstead, TX

Best Booth Awards Medium Hardline Austin Wood Recycling, Cedar Park, TX

Best Booth Awards Large Hardline Keystone Hardscapes, Grapevine, TX Best Booth Awards Medium Greenline Leaf Landscape Supply, Austin TX

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

TNLA Foundation Scholarship Donors Announced THE TNLA FOUNDATION awards up to 25 annual college scholarships in amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000. Criteria to receive a scholarship include: • Texas resident • High school senior or returning college student (including seniors and graduates) majoring in horticulture, business, or a related field • Sincere intent to enter or be involved in the horticulture industry • Attend an accredited Texas school for the period covered by the scholarship The next scholarship application deadline is Dec. 15.

Applicants must submit transcripts (if college applicants) of the last semester in college, two letters of recommendation, and a headshot. A video submission is also recommended. Visit www.tnlaonline.org/tnla-foundation for more information.

Endowments Anne C. Muscat Region II Scholarship: TNLA Region II Bernard A. Grimm Memorial Scholarship: Margaret Grimm Grady Wadsworth: Greenleaf Scholarship Jerry Will: Monrovia Scholarship Joe Burks Scholarship: Certified Roses TNLA Green September/October 2019 Advertiser Index Creekside Nursery............................................. inside front cover OHP................................................................................................3 Vital Earth Resources....................................................................5 Texas Mutual.................................................................................6 Spring Meadow Nursery.............................................................25 Hotchkiss Insurance.................................................................... 27 Living Earth......................................................... inside back cover Tree Town............................................................ inside back cover Horizon...........................................................................back cover

Peterson Brothers Endowed Scholarship North Central Texas Region V Scholarship Carey Alan Cornelius Scholarship Paul and Patty Tomaso Scholarship Name of Scholarship Calloway’s Nursery Scholarship: Calloway’s Nursery Dr. David Creech Appreciation Scholarship: Linda and Bill Carson Harry’s Greenhouse Scholarship John & Linda Bracken Scholarship: Wilson Stout Jim Apken Scholarship: Johnette and Meredith Taylor Johnette & Meredith Taylor Scholarship Mortellaro’s Nursery Scholarship Southwest Wholesale Nursery Jack Jones Memorial Scholarship Sterling & Margaret Cornelius Scholarship: Region II The Paul Stanley Memorial/Living Earth Scholarship TNLA Region I Scholarship TNLA Region IV: Judd DeForrest Scholarship TNLA Region VIII Scholarship Wade Loep TNLA Region II Scholarship TNLA Region II Named Scholarship Rick Agee TNLA Region IV Named Scholarship Central Garden and Pet: In Honor of Ray Haynes Scholarship

TNLA’s Newest Event: Product Rodeo & Education Corral

Calling all retail garden centers, irrigation professionals, landscapers, growers, and suppliers. Don’t miss the debut of the TNLA Product Rodeo and Education Corral coming this February 2020. Join us as companies come together to rodeo their products through hands-on demonstrations and take part in high-impact Education Corral sessions. Get the chance to see products demonstrated firsthand, and test drive equipment showcased during the Rodeo, including outdoor hardscapes, power equipment, and more.

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

By Charles Klein Ph.D. Illustration by Caitlin Alexander

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Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) program to combat childhood obesity has expanded into a statewide initiative that not only encourages physical activity but connects children to nature, inspiring a lifelong love of the outdoors. OLE! (Outdoor Learning Environment) Texas improves the outside environment at childcare centers by adding looping pathways and vegetable gardens, as well as more play and learning opportunities via child-friendly plants and landscape elements.

Through active outdoor play, infants to 5-year-olds learn in nature and develop important motor skills. You can find OLE! Texas demonstration sites in Austin, Harris County, Lubbock, and San Antonio. Visit www.dshs.texas.gov/Obesity/OLE for more information.

DSHS partners with other state agencies, universities, and organizations like TNLA to implement OLE! Texas. TNLA serves on the OLE! Texas leadership team, design team, communication team, and heads the plant team, which counts the Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and The University of Texas Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center as members.

September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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Benefits of outdoor spaces

A 2014 study showed a well-designed outdoor space can decrease sedentary behavior in preschoolers by 22 percent. In 2016 more than 30 percent of Texas children ages 2 to 4 were either obese or overweight.

Childcare centers represent an excellent opportunity for combating obesity given the number of children in childcare, where they often spend much of their day and receive most of their meals.

Other research, pioneered by the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) at North Carolina State University, has documented the many benefits of outdoor activities, including contact with plants and other natural elements. They include increased concentration, reduced nearsightedness, and fewer allergies. Well-designed and programmed outdoor learning environments can help children be active, socialize, explore, be inquisitive, and enjoy the many benefits of nature and natural settings.

After years of research, NLI has identified these 12 best practice indicators (BPIs), or design principles that help promote physical activity, food awareness, and social skills among children:

1. Ten or more play-and-learning settings: Popular features include sand, water play, mud kitchens, climbing logs, tunnels, and secret spaces.

2. Looping, curvy pathway: This can form the centerpiece around which the play-and-learning settings are situated.

3. Multipurpose lawn: Design mounds for kids to roll down, climb up, or recline on as they watch the clouds.

4. Shady settings (other than trees): Use child-friendly plants to provide children with a quiet place to rest and get out of the sun.

5. Natural loose material: Create an area filled with sand or mulch that’s surrounded by log seating.

6. Wheeled toys, portable play equipment and materials: Ideal play materials include leaves, pinecones, sticks, branches, boards, tarps, and old bicycle wheels.

7. Support for gross motor skills: Give children places to climb, crawl, balance, and jump with manufactured play equipment, large logs, sloping rock retaining walls, or recycled pipes.

8. Sufficient trees: It’s hard to replace the evaporative cooling effect of trees.

9. Edible fruiting species: Plant fruit trees, vines, and shrubs so children will learn to appreciate the taste of fresh fruit and where it comes from.

10. S hrubs, vines, and ornamental grasses: Designs can incorporate pollinator gardens, which open a completely new world of exploration and experiences.

11. D esignated vegetable garden: Children learn how their food is produced and begin to develop healthier choices in their diet.

12. E nclosed outdoor storage and classroom space: This area allows for the convenient storage of supplies as well as activity space.

Six out of the 12 indicators directly involve plants in some way. It is never too early to help kids appreciate our natural world.

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

A professional's role Putting all these elements together into a workable, usable space that supports the childcare center’s learning philosophy is probably the most important role a designer can play. With a childcare center there are many players, so the OLE! Texas participatory design process is crucial.

It involves identifying stakeholders, advanced planning activities, the participatory design workshop, completion of a master plan for improvements, action planning, and support for implementation of the final OLE! design.

Consequently, the designer will often need to take on the role of facilitator, working in partnership with the childcare center to coordinate the entire process.

Stakeholders include administrators, teachers, parents, children, and supporters from the local community, such as the mayor, city council members, master gardeners, and donors. Involving stakeholders also helps create buy-in for what can be radical changes to a traditional playground.

A survey will help everyone, especially the designer, understand the intended use and expectations for the new playground. Before the design workshop, a public presentation is held to inform stakeholders and to start building consensus.

The design workshop follows the public event and includes a representative cross-section of stakeholders.

A prepared base plan is used to arrange construction paper cutouts of site features and options. Construction paper is familiar to most childcare providers and is less intimidating than

drawing and sketching on trace paper — the traditional tools of most designers. Most importantly, it builds trust and a certain amount of ownership of the results.

At the conclusion of the design workshop, the team members begin action planning by choosing priorities and identifying resources to complete installation. These might include parent volunteers, scouts, members of 4H and FFA, local businesses, and funding sources. Following the workshop, the designer will complete a final rendered master plan and present it at another public meeting of teachers, parents, and stakeholders to build support and enthusiasm.

A probable cost of construction is prepared and will often show how funds can be leveraged through volunteer support. The designer should

also provide continued support through the staged implementation of the project. It is this part in the process where a design/build firm can help with the heavier construction while advising on volunteer projects.

The OLE! Texas design process is dependent upon designers with skills beyond design. DSHS is sponsoring training for designers that includes an NLI online certificate course and a design workshop practicum facilitated by Texas Tech University. For more information about the training, call (806) 834-8409 or email charles.klein@ttu.edu.

CHARLES KLEIN, Ph.D., is associate professor of Landscape Architecture at Texas Tech University. He works in collaboration with the Texas Department of State Health Services on the OLE! Texas initiative.

Marketing Child-Friendly Plants

Need some help determining which plants are child-friendly? TNLA has you covered with its Best of Texas online plant database, which features a child-friendly icon.

Visit bestoftexas.tnlaonline.org and select the child-friendly sort button to easily search the list. You can use this information to market child-friendly plants to clients and customers and to transform gardens and landscapes into areas that connect youth to the outdoors.

A survey was sent to plant and nature facilities across the U.S. that feature child gardens on their grounds. The survey allowed the team to gather information about the characteristics of child-friendly plants.

The surveyed facilities reported these plant characteristics:

• Plants children could interact with and play on or in; • Nonpoisonous; • Edible plants and veggies; • Sensory elements such as scent and unique feel; • Plants that either had movement or brought in insects that provided movement; • Plants or parts of plants that could be used as building materials; • Low-maintenance plants; • Durable plants children could play in or around; • Seasonal foliage or flower variation; and • Easy to identify.

These 10 elements were then applied to all Best of Texas plants, generating a list of about 50 childfriendly plants. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to educate your customers and clients about plants that are safe for children.

September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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5 2 p o T Child-Friendly Plants Nontoxic greenery connects children to nature

TNLA

is part of an initiative that inspires a lifelong love of the outdoors among children. TNLA heads the OLE! (Outdoor Learning Environment) Texas plant team, which counts the Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and The University of Texas Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center as members.

Common Name

Bota nical Name

Texas Sage

Leucophyllum frutescens

The team surveyed U.S. plant and nature facilities that feature child gardens on their grounds and determined child-friendly plants are nonpoisonous; edible; low-maintenance; easy to identify; durable; feature sensory elements

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Characteristics NOT present

such as scent and unique feel; either have movement or bring in insects that provide movement; can be used as building materials; possess seasonal foliage or flower variation; and offer interactive play for children.

Peruse this list of beautiful plants that are safe for children to play around and touch while immersing themselves in nature. You can access even more child-friendly plants by visiting TNLA's Best of Texas plant database, bestoftexas. tnlaonline.org. Select the child-friendly sort button to easily search the list.

Characteristics present

Edible

Movement

Building Material

Durability

Seasonal Variation

Low Maintenance

Easy to Identify

American Beautyberry

Autumn Sage Salvia greggii

Monarda didyma

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Bur Oak

Coreopsis

Crossvine

Callicarpa americana

Bee Balm

Quercus macrocarpa

Coreopsis lanceolata

Bignonia capreolata

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Frogfruit

Gold Star Esperanza

Gregg’s Mistflower

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Gulf Muhly

Muhlenbergia capillaris

Hibiscus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Inland Sea Oats

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Phyla nodiflora

Tecoma stans

Conoclinium greggii

Chasmanthium latifolium

Jerusalem Sage

Little Bluestem

Little Gem Magnolia

Phlomis fruticosa

Schizachyrium scoparium

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Mexican Bush Sage

Mexican Feathergrass

Mexican Plum

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Salvia leucantha

Nassella tenuissima

Prunus mexicana

Ornamental Kale/ Cabbage Brassica oleracea

Portulaca oleracea

Hesperaloe parviflora

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Redbud

Texas Persimmon Diospyros texana

Turk's Cap

Malvaviscus arboreus

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Edible Movement Building Material Durability Seasonal Variation Low Maintenance Easy to Identify

Cercis canadensis

Purslane

Red Yucca

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS

Adams Wholesale Supply, Inc. Federation of Employer & Workers of America (FEWA) Garden-Ville Harry’s Greenhouse Landscape Art, Inc. Mortellaro’s Nursery Nicholson-Hardie

Orora Visual Horticultural Peerless Farms Plant Development Services, Inc. Roundtree Landscaping Silver Creek Materials The Ground Up TNLA Regions I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII Wilhite Landscape & Lawn Care

Funding the Future TNLA Foundation scholarships help grow the next generation of green professionals

By SUSAN JOHNSTON TAYLOR

APRIL HERRING first got interested in horticulture because her mom worked at a tissue culture facility and Herring did summer work there. She started college as a biology major but found she preferred the hands-on work and outdoor aspects of horticulture, so she switched majors.

While studying horticulture at Texas A&M University, Herring heard about other students amassing huge student loan balances. Not wanting to start her own career in debt, Herring applied for and received a scholarship from the TNLA Foundation.

“Through various scholarships, I was able to pay for my full college without taking out any student loans,” she says. “I did do some part-time work, but [the scholarship] was helpful in getting my career started.”

April Herring (left) and Amanda Brown (above)

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

Help making it to graduation Back when he was a horticulture student at Texas A&M, Scott Evans, current chair of the TNLA Foundation, also received a TNLA Foundation scholarship.

“I paid for college myself, so I had to work and save for college since I was a kid,” he says. “For my very first job, I worked at Walker Seed and Garden Center at age 12. I saved all I could for college, but summer garden center job pay just goes so far. If I hadn’t had that TNLA Foundation scholarship, I could not have completed my senior year and graduated from Texas A&M cum laude in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in horticulture.”

Evans now owns Rancho Encino Tree Farm in Bay City and served as the last state president of one of TNLA’s predecessor organizations, the Texas Association of Landscape Contractors (TALC).

“TAN [Texas Association of Nurserymen] and TALC merged to form the current organization, TNLA. My entire life I had always been active in TAN, so I knew both organizations should be together.”

TNLA Foundation scholarships are entirely supported by member donations. “People are always happy to give money to have better educated employees,” Evans says.

The Foundation recently introduced a Legacy Society to provide several ways for green industry community members to leave a legacy gift to the Foundation in their estate.

Scott Evans (right)

Opening doors

Like Evans, Herring also stayed active in the industry after receiving her scholarship. She graduated from Texas A&M in 1998 and worked as production manager of tissue culture at Magnolia Gardens Nursery, earning a master’s degree from Texas A&M along the way. In January 2012, she relocated to California to work in new product development for Pacific Plug & Liner.

“I’ve always wanted to move out west because I’m super outdoorsy and like to bike and hike,” Herring says.

She’s now marketing director of Pacific Plug and Liner, based in Watsonville, Calif. “I’ll still work on new products and then do the marketing for the company,” she explains. “I get to look at all the cool new stuff that’s coming out on the market and meet with breeders from all around the world.”

Herring says TNLA “helped me out as a student, and then after I graduated, I became heavily involved with TNLA in the region.” She adds that “it was great to interact with different members of the industry whether it was landscape, production, retail. Later I got involved [in TNLA] at the state level.”

Building a better green industry Herring is happy to see the Foundation is continuing the scholarship program that helped give her a start in the industry.

“There are lots of people working hard to help continue that program,” she says. “It’s good that we’re able to do that, because it’s not getting any easier with college.”

Another scholarship recipient, Amanda Brown, studied horticulture and landscape management at Tarleton State University and graduated in December 2011. Over the course of her college career, Brown received several TNLA scholarships, including the John & Linda Bracken Scholarship, Jim Perry Scholarship, and a Region 5 Scholarship.

Brown’s father works in the lawn and garden industry, so she grew up around the industry and loved being outdoors.

“TNLA has always been part of my life,” she says. “[The scholarship] definitely helped with the costs of school and supplies. It opened a lot of resources to finish my degree also.”

While finishing her horticulture degree, Brown interned at Calloway’s, a connection she made in part through TNLA. She’s since made other connections through the organization, including at Fowlkes, Norman & Associates Landscape in Fort Worth, where she’s now a landscape consultant/seasonal color manager and enjoys the creative freedom of design.

“TNLA is a great resource in the industry, from providing continuing education courses, sharing information on new plant material, helping college students excel, and even posting job opportunities within the industry,” Brown says.

Evans believes the Foundation’s programs are a way to “pay it forward” and help ensure the green industry’s future.

“It’s important to me to try to build a better green industry,” Evans says. “Long after I’m long gone, there will always be trees and plants to make the world a more beautiful place and new green industry professionals to help nature along.”

About TNLA Foundation Scholarships EACH YEAR, THE TNLA FOUNDATION awards 24 or 25 college scholarships in amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000. According to the Foundation, applicants must be a Texas resident, a high school senior or returning college student (including seniors and graduates) majoring in horticulture, business, or a related field. They also need to have a sincere intent to enter or be involved in the horticulture industry and attend an accredited Texas school for the period covered by the scholarship.

The next scholarship application deadline is December 15, and applications must submit transcripts (if college applicants) of the last semester in college, two letters of recommendation, and a headshot. A video submission is also recommended. Visit www.tnlaonline.org/tnlafoundation for more information.

“The judges generally look at the future goals, video, letters of reference, awards and activities, explanation of why the applicant thinks they deserve the scholarship, and the overall application,” according to an emailed statement from the Foundation.

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GREEN Vision

By Mengmeng Gu, Ph.D.

Crapemyrtle Bark Scale & Beautyberry IF YOU THINK crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS) only gets on crepe myrtles, think twice. In 2016 CMBS was confirmed on an American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) next to a CMBS-infested crepe myrtle in a park in Texarkana. Shortly after, Dr. Dave Creech’s wife shared pictures (See Figures 1 and 2.) of CMBS-infested American beautyberry from Red River National Wildlife Refuge at the southeastern part of Shreveport, La. In 2015 I planted two crepe myrtles in my backyard. In May 2017 I found CMBS on one of them. I didn’t do anything until two months later. By then about the top one-third (about 2 feet long) of the branch was covered with white egg sacs. I cut off the top infested branch, but I’m sure there were some crawlers (immature stage) somewhere.

I don’t know when, but a little bird dropped an American beautyberry seed next to my crepe myrtle, and it had grown to a 3-foot-wide bush. That fall I found white egg sacs and crawlers on the beautyberry (See Figure 3.). In this picture, “C” refers to the CMBS crawler with some waxy hair developing on its body but still showing dark maroon color. “A” refers to ants often associated with CMBS, and “E” refers to CMBS eggs sacs covered with white wax.

Is there a difference in CMBS preference to different beautyberry species and cultivars? As a good horticulturist, we always ask ourselves when situations like these occur. To Photo 1 answer that question, I obtained several

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

Figure 1

Figure 2

F C

M A

E

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

GREEN Vision

Figure 7

Figure 8

beautyberries from Dr. Gary Knox, my collaborator at the University of Florida.

We had Chinese (C. rubella, Figure 4), Formosan (C. formosana, Figure 5), Mexican (C. mexicana; Figure 6), and purple beautyberry (C. dichotoma Duet, Figure 7), in addition to the Native American (Figure 8).

We tied a one-inch-long CMBSinfested crepe myrtle branch to the lower branch of all the beautyberries (See Figure 8.). We observed multiple white egg sacs on all of them (See Figures 4–8). Look closely on Figure 4, and you may be able to tell the difference between the female (F) and the male (M) pupa.

What we did in this last experiment was a test run to answer a simple question: Would CMBS infest beautyberries? The answer was yes. We moved on to our next phase to answer the next question: Would CMBS infest them differently?

We included nine beautyberry species in this study (See Figure 9.): C. pilosissima, C. acuminata, C. americana Bok Tower, C. bodnieri Profusion, C. dichotoma Issai, C. japonica var. Luxurians, C. longissima Alba, C. randaiensis, and C. salicifolia.

Who knew there were this many beautyberry species?

My graduate students are actively counting the number of male and

female pupae every other week. We are seeing some difference, but we also included some crepe myrtle species (Lagerstroemia spp.) in the same cage. I want to assure you of one thing: CMBS is not thriving on beautyberries as it does on crepe myrtles. For now, beautyberry is “pardoned” to a certain degree.

Even better news: When we look back on my beautyberry next to the infested crepe myrtle, I must look very closely to find some CMBS egg sacs. The number has never surpassed five. This would be the third season, and I hope it stays low like this. The crepe myrtle is a different story. I haven’t applied any insecticide, but I’m hoping pruning off the infested branches will keep the infestation source down.

We will continue monitoring the situation and share information with you. We also have a lot of information on our crepe myrtle bark scale Facebook page and at www.stopcmbs.com. As always, please don’t be shy to share your comments with me.

MENGMENG GU, PH.D., is associate professor/extension specialist in the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Department of Horticultural Sciences. Her email address is mgu@tamu.edu.

Figure 9

September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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BUGS FUZZ

Focus on disease and insects

By Kevin Ong, Ph.D., and Erfan Vafaie

Get to Know Your Pest

This is an image of a dead adult spotted latternfly.

THE ONG FAMILY TOOK A TRIP to Pennsylvania to visit family in July. One evening while sitting around and enjoying barbecue with my folks, and an insect flew onto the table. I looked oddly familiar, so I caught it. The coloration of this insect quickly caught my eye, and I realized I had a spotted lanternfly in my grasp.

A bunch of things went through my head, and Internet research confirmed that I had caught this insect in a quarantined county. What that means is that the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture was aware and had confirmed the presence of the spotted lanternfly in the county where my parents reside.

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

My next action was to reduce the population of this insect in this county by one. The very next day, we visited a cousin who lives approximately 20 miles from my parents (in a different county).

While walking up to the front door, I noticed a bunch of insects crawling around. I had a suspicious feeling that they were spotted lanternfly nymphs.

I took some photos of them, and sent these photos to Erfan Vafaie with the message: “Are these what I think they are?”

My cousin’s husband knew what it was, and he is not a in the plant or insect field. I was curious as to how he was aware of the situation. Apparently, it had been on the news, but he sought

more information because these insects had killed a tree on his property and were a nuisance by their sheer numbers.

Many times, invasive insect pests and pathogens go unnoticed because people are not aware that there is such an issue or don’t recognize the signs and symptoms. The spotted lanternfly has not been found in Texas and hopefully will not find its way down here anytime soon. We do, however, have several pests and pathogens that are of quarantined concern in Texas.

Some are already present in the state, such as citrus canker and citrus greening, which affect growers, retailers, and landscapers. Parts of Texas are quarantined for one or both of these diseases. Regulations imposed include restriction in movement of the plant material and procedures to produce pathogen-free plants. For the growers, it means more planning and effort, which cost more money, to grow and distribute the plants in a manner compliant with the quarantines in place. Retailers and landscapers have an obligation to inform their customers these plants can’t be moved out of any quarantined zones. Details about these diseases, the regulations, and quarantined zones are available from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Pest and Disease Alert webpage, www.texasagriculture. gov/RegulatoryPrograms/PlantQuality.

Citrus canker is generally much easier to recognize because of the distinct leaf spots it produces. Foliage symptoms of citrus greening mimic nutritional deficiency, making it difficult to diagnose by observation alone.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was first reported in Harrison county (on the

Focus on disease and insects

BUGS FUZZ

ONLINE PEST RESOURCES The Texas Department of Agriculture Pest and Disease Alert has information on all state quarantined pests and pathogens, as well as regulations related to the quarantines.www.texasagriculture.gov/ RegulatoryPrograms/PlantQuality First Detector is an outreach program that provides information and training on recognizing some pests and pathogens of concern and on reporting a new sighting. www.firstdetector.org Based at the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health based at the University of Georgia, invasive.org focuses invasive plants, insects, pathogens, and other species affecting the southeastern U.S. www.invasive.org State and federal agencies, conservation organizations, green industry professionals, academia, and other private and public stakeholders provide resources to help the public manage nonnative invasive plants and pests in Texas. www.texasinvasives.org The USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine program within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service safeguards U.S. agriculture and natural resources against the entry, establishment, and spread of economically and environmentally significant pests, and facilitates the safe trade of agricultural products. www.aphis. usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ plant-pest-and-disease-programs On Twitter #Knowyourpest #KnowtheDifference @bugwood @NPDN @TXPlantClinic

This spotted latternfly nymph appears to be challenging me (or the camera).

border with Louisiana) in 2016. Some surveillance work by the Texas A&M Forest Service resulted in confirming the presence of this insect in Tarrant county.

TDA’s Pest and Disease Alert webpage has more details on the regulation and history of EAB in Texas.

Sudden Oak Death, aka Ramorum blight, is a disease caused by Phytophthora ramorum. Earlier this year, some states were notified of an interception of rhododendron plants harboring this pathogen in Indiana.

These plants were sold in retail stores before a recall was issued. This situation affected Texas. Phytopthora ramorum can attack many different plants, but only some will exhibit distinct symptoms. Some inspectors in Indiana recognized the scorch and discoloration symptoms on some wilted plants, and they submitted those for further testing.

To learn more about this disease, visit the

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website, www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-anddisease-programs/pests-and-diseases.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides fact sheets on issues relevant to Texas. TDA and USDA are also good resources that will help keep you up to date on pests affecting the state. (See Online Pest Resources.)

BUGS (ERFAN VAFAIE) and FUZZ (KEVIN ONG) work for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Vafaie is an extension program specialist (IPM) located at the Texas A&M Research & Extension Center in Overton. Ong is the associate department head for extension programs in the Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology based at Texas A&M College Station, where he also directs the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab

September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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NOTES FROM SFA Gardens

By David Creech, Ph.D.

Is There Life after Glyphosate and Bacon?

I WAS IN THE LOCAL feed store, and a friend remarked that it wouldn’t be long before glyphosate would be off the shelf. At home as I watched the local news, an ad asked viewers if they had non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had been exposed to Roundup. Those who answered yes were asked to join a class action lawsuit.

Then I was eating breakfast with mom, and she had seen the news, noticed the ads, and was worried about her son.

Thus, I’m writing this column.

For many years I prepared students for the real world of commercial horticulture. I spent a good amount of time on pesticide handling and safety.

Students learned LD50 is the lethal dose in mg/kg to kill 50 percent of a batch of test animals. There were oral, dermal, and inhalation toxicity issues to cover. There’s a difference between acute and chronic toxicity. Most high exposures happen when filling the tank while working with the raw product.

Wearing protective masks and gloves, spraying when the wind is low, and just being cautious around chemicals make common sense. Well, move forward 30 years, and the topics are much the same.

Enter the Roundup controversy.

Introduced in 1974, glyphosate is long off patent, and there are generics everywhere. It’s the most commonly used herbicide worldwide, with both residential and agricultural uses. As for acute oral toxicity, glyphosate comes in with an LD50 of 5,600 mg/kg. That means a 175-pound human would have to ingest about a pound to have a 50

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

percent chance of living or dying. It’s less toxic than caffeine or table salt.

Suicide by drinking glyphosate is a poor idea.

Of course, it’s not acute toxicity that has gotten glyphosate into the news; it’s chronic toxicity. That is, the impact of low, modest, and high levels over a short, medium, and extended period. While numerous studies have failed to find statistically significant associations with glyphosate use and cancer, everything changed in 2015. A report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” noting “strong mechanistic evidence and positive associations for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in some epidemiologic studies.” This conclusion is an outlier in a world of international agencies that have concluded the opposite. Still it opened the door for the lawsuits and settlements making the nightly news.

The argument continues. In the article, “Glyphosate Use and Cancer Incidence in the Agricultural Health Study,” Gabriella Andreotti and her coauthors updated a previous evaluation of glyphosate with cancer incidence from registry linkages (Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2018) 110(5):djx233).

This long-term follow-up study tracked 54,251 chemical applicators, of which 83 percent used glyphosate. The results indicated glyphosate was not statistically significantly associated with cancer. They concluded there was no association between glyphosate and any solid tumors or lymphoid malignancies overall, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma and its subtypes.

While not statistically significant, however, there was an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the highest exposure quartile compared with the “never users” group, and the increased risk of AML in this subset requires confirmation.

Still counter arguments emerged, and the judgments continue. Google “glyphosate and cancer” and you’ll find a bevy of class action lawsuits and jury verdicts awarding millions of dollars to victims. Those cases are making their way through the courts. Bayer bought Monsanto in 2016. Since last July, Bayer has seen its shares drop by about 40 percent. Shareholders are worried.

How risky is glyphosate? Well, it depends who you ask. What ultimately happens to glyphosate in the marketplace will be determined in the next few years.

What about bacon? In 2015, the World

NOTES FROM SFA Gardens Health Organization declared processed meat as carcinogenic to humans based on evidence that consuming processed meat causes colorectal cancer. This is not a probably. Twenty-two experts from 10 countries reviewed more than 800 studies to reach their conclusions. They reported that eating about 2 ounces of processed meat every day increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent.

That’s the equivalent of a few strips of bacon or one hot dog daily.

For red meat, there was evidence of increased risk of colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. Overall, the lifetime risk of someone developing colon cancer is 5 percent. Eating 2 ounces of

processed meat per day would raise the average lifetime risk to about 6 percent.

My mom is 101 and enjoys a couple of slices of bacon with her breakfast.

She’s of German stock out of a farming community near Scribner, Neb. As a child, I can remember Scribner as a town of 800 with eight bars, wonderful watering holes for farmers to gather after a long day’s work. Mom remembers when electricity came, when cars arrived, and what the real depression in 1929 was all about. She’s quite lucid, plays a mean hand of bridge, gets around well, and gives me advice every day.

During breakfast the other morning, she had seen some news and asked if I

was being careful with Roundup, and I said yes. I pointed at her bacon, eggs, and toast breakfast and asked her if she knew that bacon was a proven cancer causer, and I said I thought she needed to quit bacon. She remarked, “David, don’t you know that everyone loves bacon?” Let’s keep planting.

DAVID CREECH, Ph.D., is regent’s professor emeritus at Stephen F. Austin State University and the director of SFA Gardens.

TNLA supports the ability of green industry professionals to use chemicals according to their approved labels and which have been certified by the appropriate government authorities for health and safety standards.

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7/16/19 9:07 AM September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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NEW MEMBERS TNLA would like to welcome its new members. If you would like to become a member or if you have any questions 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 member of TNLA. REGION 1 Educator Anna Vogler Palo Alto College 2320 Encino Cliff St. San Antonio, TX 78224

Landscape B&D Contractors Bill Thorne 37 Lyerly St. Houston, TX 77022 www.bdcontractors.com

Retail – Branch Rigsby’s Garden Center Scotty Rigsby 3080 Shady Grove Road Midlothian, TX 76065 www.rigsbysgardencenter.com

Government Michael Baldwin City of San Antonio 5800 Enrique Barrera Pkwy.

San Antonio, TX 78227

Jesse Jones & Associates, Inc. Jesse Jones P.O. Box 963 Seabrook, TX 77586

Student Daniel McGuire El Centro Community College 1033 N. Bishop Ave., Apt. C Dallas, TX 75208

OUT OF STATE Retail Landscape and More Paulette Owens 11464 Highway 70 Madill, OK 73446

Supplier Greensmiths, Inc. Jim Montgomery 1419 Upfield Drive Carrollton, TX 75006 www.greensmiths.com

Supplier H&H Farm Machine Co. Jennifer Wilds 7916 Unionville Brief Road Monroe, NC 28110 www.hhspray.com

REGION 5 Educator David Bulpitt Tarrant County College 2917 Termaine Drive Flower Mound, TX 75022

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America Michael Eads 1400 S. Douglass Road Anaheim, CA 92806 www.isuzucv.com

Landscape — Individual Teresa Wonka Wonka Horticultural Services 1278 Justin Road, Ste. 109, Box A4 Lewisville, TX 75077

NurserySource Jeni Lee Shewell P.O. Box 191 Boring, OR 97009 www.rediroot.com

Supplier Kubota Tractor Corporation Stuart Morris 14855 FAA Boulevard Fort Worth, TX 76155 www.kubota.com

Lumien Lighting Kalyn Gairhan 1791 West Oak Parkway, Ste. 1 Marietta, GA 30062 www.lumienlighting.com

Mark Lawson City of San Antonio 403 E. Vista Ridge San Antonio, TX 78260

Skyler Design Build, LLC Chris Gray 6922 Careywood Drive Houston, TX 77040 www.skylerdesignbuild.com

Grower West Farms Artisanal Grower and Nursery Lon West 346 Winding Way Drive East Victoria, TX 77905

Nonprofit – Individual Daniel Millikin Memorial Park Conservancy 7575 N. Picnic Lane Houston, TX 77007

Landscape Eternal Eden, LLC Rachel Klug 10535 Weathering Run San Antonio, TX 78254 www.eternaledentx.com Kaufmann Property Care Connor Kaufmann 436 Mount Joy Dr. New Braunfels, TX 78130 Nature’s Way Yardscaping Clay Holliday 825 West Bitters Rd., Ste. 205 San Antonio, TX 78216 www.natureswaytx.com Supplier Chemjet U.S. Tree Injector Karen Rockoff 885 Spicer Loop Kerrville, TX 78028 www.chemjets.com Lone Star Truck and Equipment Joshua Hime 5919 Bicentennial St. San Antonio, TX 78219 www.lonestartruck-equipment. com

REGION 2 Government Kimberly Terrell City of Sugar Land 12007 Doubletree Drive Houston, TX 77070

Supplier Cure Agritech Eddie Eskola 1823 Shoreline Drive Seabrook, TX 77586 www.cureagritech.com Dynamic Green Products, Inc. Scott Porter 11757 Katy Freeway, Ste. 1300 Houston, TX 77079 www.nvearth.com

REGION 4 Educator David Castagno North Central Texas College 6633 Manitowoc Drive Plano, TX 75023 Grower Taylor Specialty Farms Roger Taylor 1708 Walnut Springs Drive Allen, TX 75013 Landscape C3 Group Landscape Solutions Christopher Cole 11700 Preston Road, Ste. 660-523 Dallas, TX 75230 Retail Petromax Operating Co., Inc Jonah Hall 603 Main St. Garland, TX 75040

REGION 6 Landscape Dreamscapes Turf & Landscape Properties, LLC Richard Dora P.O. Box 53553 Lubbock, TX 79453 REGION 8 Government Tanya Thornhill Travis County Parks P.O. Box 354 Martindale, TX 78655 Retail Graystone Gardens Nursery & Landscape Supply Melissa Middlebrooks 1067 W. Highway 71 Bastrop, TX 78602 www.graystonegardenstx.com

Student Lauren Croft Brigham Young University-Idaho 260 W. 1st N., Apt. 2111 Rexburg, ID 83440

Parliament, LLC David Greenberg 4201 Collins Ave., Ste. 2301 Miami Beach, FL 33140 www.parliamenttutors.com Smiths South-Central Sales, LLC Robert Smtih P.O. Box 578 Springhill, LA 71075 www.smithssc.com Specialty Tag & Label, Inc. Paul Plumlee P.O. Box 1500 Flowery Branch, GA 30542 www.specialtytag.com Tree Hugger Solutions, LLC Farrell Gerber 2900 Glades Circle, Ste. 700 Weston, FL 33327 www.treebrace.com

NEW TNLA CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS TCLP Texas Certified Landscape Professional Brian Cooper - Prestonwood Landscape Robert Goldstein - ECO Systems Landscape Services Brandon Fojt - ECO Systems Landscape Services Hector Escobar - ECO Systems Landscape Services Abraham Gonzalez - ECO Systems Landscape Services

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

TCNP Texas Certified Nursery Professional Rebecca Hewett - Blooming Colors Nursery & Landscaping Melinda Harding - Calloways

Green QUIZ TNLA

According to the article Is There Life after Glyphosate and Bacon?, glyphosate comes in with an LD50 of 5,600 mg/kg. Select the description that best represents what Dr. Creech meant in saying this. a. A grown person weighing 175 would have a 50% chance of living or dying if they were to ingest 1 pound of glyphosate. b. Glyphosate is less toxic than caffeine. c. Glyphosate is less toxic than salt. d. All the above

According to the article It Pays to Play, a 2014 study showed a(n) can decrease sedentary behavior in preschoolers by 22 percent. a. Well-designed indoor space b. Well-designed outdoor space c. E laborate research-based curriculum d. Energetic teacher

According to the article It Pays to Play, putting all the child-friendly elements together into a workable, usable space that supports the childcare center’s learning philosophy is: a. The most important role a designer can play b. The hardest part of child-friendly design c. J ust a piece of the puzzle d. The easiest part of child-friendly design

According to the article Is There Life after Glyphosate and Bacon?, ultimately how does Dr. Creech describe how risky glyphosate is? a. Very risky b. Slightly risky c. Not risky d. It depends.

According to the article Funding the Future, TNLA Foundation scholarships are entirely supported by: a. Member donations b. A trust c. Anonymous donations d. None of these According to the article Funding the Future, each year, TNLA Foundation awards 24 or 25 college scholarships in amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000. a. True b. False According to the article Get to Know Your Pest, the spotted lanternfly has not been found in Texas. a. True b. False According to the article Get to Know Your Pest, retailers and landscapers have an obligation to inform their customers that citrus purchased in or planted in quarantined areas can’t be moved out of any quarantined zones. a. True b. False According to the article Get to Know Your Pest, Sudden Oak Death can be spread by rhododendron plants harboring this pathogen. a. True b. False According to the article It Pays to Play, in 2016 more than __ _ of Texas children ages 2 to 4 were either obese or overweight. a. 10% b. 20% c. 30% d. 40%

September/October 2019 TNLA Green

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TNLA

Talks

serve as a liaison reporting for Amy if she can’t attend the meeting and as a sounding board for issues that

affect each industry. I am also serving as the speaker

coordinator for our state conference, where I hope to incorporate TNLA staff into the equation to diversify our speakers. ¶ How does that partnership benefit the green industry? ASLA knowledge and staff at

a national level bring a great deal of new insight to

Bobby Eichholz, a landscape architect and partner in Rialto Studio, Inc., serves as the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) liaison to the TNLA Board of Directors. Since 2001, he has been an active member of the Texas Chapter of ASLA, having served as its president in 2017. He recognizes the interconnected relationship between TNLA and ASLA and works to share information between the organizations, from market trends to regulatory developments and more. ¶ How long have TNLA and ASLA been partnering, and how did the partnership come about? TNLA

President and CEO Amy Graham has been joining

ASLA’s calls and attending meetings for at least five

years, maybe longer. The affiliation between ASLA and TNLA made perfect sense to us with the alignment of our respective fields and interests. Last August, I volunteered to sit on the TNLA board as I was

exiting my past president role on the ASLA Board.

My knowledge of recent ASLA national and regional

interests was and continues to be important to share with both groups.¶ What

does TNLA’s partnership with ASLA entail? I am a voting member

of the TNLA Board and serve on the EXPO Oversight Group. On

the ASLA Executive Committee I

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TNLA Green September/October 2019

the TNLA Board. Issues with the national and local legislature regarding water resources and green

infrastructure are important topics that are under

scrutiny. Strength in numbers is mutually beneficial when dealing with legislative issues. I’m hoping to

partner with other allied professionals through TNLA, such as the arborists. We’re exploring relationships

with horticulture professors and college students in

the green industry. We are expanding the partnership to new areas that we hope will grow and strengthen both organizations and solidify a partnership with a common goal in mind. ¶ What do you value most about your membership in TNLA? I would have to

say the people I’ve met. I’ve met some talented and focused individuals on the board and at regional

TNLA meetings. Their drive to grow the relationship with ASLA and aligned partners has given me a

new focus. As I serve my three-year term I hope to strengthen my relationship with members of both

organizations and facilitate partnerships wherever

possible. The goal is to strengthen our relationship and pursue our common agendas. ¶ What does

it mean to you to serve on TNLA’s board? This is

an incredible opportunity and honor to be the first

to serve in this capacity. I am honored to meet and work alongside the exceptional staff and members of TNLA. In the short time I’ve been on the board

I’ve been welcomed and treated like a member of

the family. I am humbled by the level of acceptance I’ve been granted in such a short period of time

and look forward to working with members of both organizations in the coming years.

D

TNLA Green September/October 2019