Message from the Director ]

2023 Wsnla Board Of Directors

Executive Committee

Katie Miller

WSNLA President Skagit Horticulture katiemiller@skagithort.com

Trevor Cameron, CPH WSNLA President Elect Sunnyside Nursery trevor@sunnysidenursery.com

Kirsten Lints, CPH WSNLA Vice President Gardens ALIVE Design kirsten@gardensALIVEdesign.com

Megan Pulkkinen, CPH, EPC WSNLA Treasurer Megan Pulkkinen Landscape Design megancph@hotmail.com

Tim Gray

WSNLA Past President Pacific Stone Company timg@pacificstoneco.com

CHAPTER & CAUCUS LEADERSHIP

Peter Van Well North Central Chapter President Van Well Nursery 509-886-8189 | pete2@vanwell.net

Kate Domoszlay

Wholesale Grower Caucus Chair T&L Nursery Kate@TandLnursery.com

Jami Burke

Horticulture Supplier Caucus Chair

Walrath Soil Technologies 253-531-7499 | jami@tewalrath.com

Open Positions:

Mt Rainier Chapter President

Olympic Chapter President

Seattle Chapter President Retail Nursery Representative Landscape Representative

Spring is full of inspiration... of course, it’s full of a LOT of work, too!

From the plants and trees you grow, to the care taken in serving your customers with quality plants and knowledgeable service, to designing, maintaining or building planted spaces, this industry provides inspiration for the world and Spring is it’s showtime!

This year it felt as if Spring weather would never arrive, but sure enough she did - and showed out big for an awesome Mother’s Day weekend. Green spaces transformed almost instantly as flowers bloomed, trees leafed out and gardens began to shine. My smartphone became a tool to capture this beauty that inspired me. Over the past few months, here are a few other ways I have found inspiration.

Visions For the Future

This annual issue of the B&B Magazine always inspires me. As I read through scholarship applications each year, I am taken by the pure excitement, passion, and outlook for possibilities each scholar has for their future career in horticulture. It brings me back to my own excitement as I explored what a career in the communications field might look like for me. Where each scholar will land will be determined by their own professional journey. One thing is clear, our industry will be stronger with their vision, passion and inspiration. Learn more about this year’s scholars on page 12.

I hope you will consider giving to the WSNLA Scholarship Fund. The Fund is built on individual donations, from donors like you, made over the years. Named scholarships can also be established to honor individuals or businesses with a legacy to pay it forward as students pursue their education and develop their skills. Your tax-deductible gift, of any size, makes a difference and goes directly to supporting students and the future of horticulture.

Inspiring Pollinator Purchases – Pollinator Week is June 19 – 25th!

The WSNLA Pollinator Task Force has been working with Rusty George Creative to create a marketing tool kit for your business to promote pollinator plants and practices designed to protect and encourage pollinator habitat. The toolkit includes signage and digital content for your use on social media, eNews, webinars or other customer and client communications. Videos are also in the works. WSNLA will be placing advertising over the next 2.5 years to spread this message and drive customers and clients to your business. Task force members, including Aimee Damman (Swansons Nursery), Nicole Phillips (Sunnyside Nursery), James Raebel (Magnolia Garden Center), Trevor Cameron (Sunnyside Nursery), Justin Robbins (Valley Nursery), have been providing input to ensure the marketing toolkit provides relevant value to a wide array of marketing needs. I’m inspired by their contributions on behalf of the industry, especially since it has carried through a very busy May!

Peers Inspiring Peers

In early May, while you all are busy working in your business, us Association Executives, take a few days to come together at the NLAE (Nursery & Landscape Association Executives). This conference brings together state associations, our national organizations and the associations from the Canadian provinces to learn from one another, share challenges and solutions, and to work together on industry issues to strengthen the entire industry. Each year I return with new resources, new ideas, and yes... a lot of inspiration.

This year, WSNLA will be hosting opportunities for YOU to come together with your peers in August and September. I hope to see you there. Whether you’re seeking new resources, ideas, inspiration or fun. It really does fill the soul to come together with likeminded professionals. Watch for more information to be announced in the coming month.

Industry Research for Your Business

The WSDA Nursery Research Fund awards funding to local research projects each year. An advisory committee made up of your industry peers is committed to funding projects that serve the industry’s best interest. Find out more about the funded projects on page 16.

WSNLA is a conduit for your business needs. In recent months we have received several inquiries regarding industry needs for research. This is exciting as there appears to be an uptick in opportunities to innovate with research, but we need to hear from you! What kind of research would your business benefit from? Are there specific pests or diseases? Biocontrol needs? Plant trials? Efficiencies with your business, such as nursery pots, water management, or other best management tools?

Inspiration is all around us. It’s in our daily work. It’s in the stories we hear from our customers. It can be found from a conversation with your peers or from emerging professionals ready to shape their careers. Inspiration is everywhere. Seek it. Enjoy it. It fills the soul.

WSNLA’s business membership includes a diverse community of large and small growers, garden centers, landscape professionals and suppliers. It is the intent of WSNLA Board of Directors to ensure legislative activities focus in on overarching WSNLA member needs, while effectively balancing the diversity in business scale and location. To that extent, the following priorities have been identified, with member input, to guide and strengthen WSNLA legislative and regulatory activities throughout the State.

WASHINGTON STATE NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Washington Nursery and Landscape Association supports stewardship of the land and the plants and trees that grow upon it.

Our priorities include:

• Promoting a positive business climate for growing and marketing plants and landscape services.

• Protecting our industry from burdensome regulation, taxes and fees.

• Working in a bipartisan manner and focusing on results.

• Ensuring policies are reasonable and based on sound science.

WSNLA will coordinate with other affiliated professional organizations to support our members on agricultural and environmental issues such as:

• Water availability, management & quality

• Urban planning and the inclusion of green spaces

• Pesticide regulation

• Open space taxation

On general business issues, WSNLA will focus on impact to members. Such issues include but are not limited to:

• Labor: availability, training, minimum wage, workers comp, health care, benefits

• Simplifying business regulation including streamlining local jurisdiction business licensing

• Taxes