January 2011 Landscape Trades by Landscape Ontario

JANUARY 2011 VOL. 33, NO. 1

Workplace insurance protects and prevents Double-take ferns A contractorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seven worst mistakes

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FEATURES

ROAD TO SUCCESS

BY ROD McDONALD

Enhanced events

Partnering with local businesses helps boost events, and sales BY SARAH WILLIS

Lesson learned the hard way

A contractor admits his mistakes

GREEN PENCIL PROVINCIAL NEWS NEW PRODUCTS CNLA NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS CLASSIFIEDS COMING EVENTS WHERE TO FIND IT

6 58 66 75 80 86 87 88

42 dream big and live large BUILDING BUSINESS

71 Let your stars shine BY GEORGE URVARI

LEGAL MATTERS

The high cost of accepting credit

73 new national risk management working group for green industry

BY SUSAN HIRSHORN

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

22 Protecting our workers

HIDDEN GEMS

BY MARK BRADLEY

DEPARTMENTS

contents

Payment by plastic

Industry programs work to improve safety records BY LEE ANN KNUDSEN

nursery research update

Container fertilization using Advanced Granular Technology BY DR. HANNAH MATHERS

32 tap into advisory boards Peers and customers provide valuable insight BY JEFFREY SCOTT

77 Ferns – undervalued, understory plants BY DAVID VAN DE VEN

SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING

78 Volunteer community eco-projects are a pathway to paid work BY SEAN JAMES

36 Hear a needle drop? Four genera of conifers that lose their needles each year

Inside:

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48 a perennial success BY LORRAINE FLANIGAN

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January, 2011 VOL. 33, NO. 1

PUBLISHER Lee Ann Knudsen CLP | lak@landscapeontario.com Editorial Director Sarah Willis | sarahw@landscapeontario.com Editor Allan Dennis | adennis@landscapeontario.com Web editor Robert Ellidge | rob@landscapeontario.com Art Director Melissa Steep | msteep@landscapeontario.com Graphic Designer Mike Wasilewski | mikew@landscapeontario.com Accountant Joseph Sabatino | joesabatino@landscapeontario.com Sales Manager, PUBLICATIONS Steve Moyer | stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com COMMUNICATIONS assistant Angela Lindsay | alindsay@landscapeontario.com Advisory Committee Gerald Boot CLP, Laura Catalano, Hank Gelderman CHTM, Marty Lamers, Bob Tubby CLP

Landscape Trades is published by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Phone: (905)875-1805 Email: comments@landscapetrades.com Fax: (905)875-0183 Web site: www.landscapetrades.com LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Gilles Bouchard, Rachel Burt, Paul Day CDE, Tony DiGiovanni CHTR, Denis Flanagan CLD, Wendy Harry, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Helen Hassard, Lorraine Ivanoff, Jane Leworthy, Kristen McIntyre CHTR, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Paul Ronan, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh Landscape Trades is published nine times a year: January, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and November/December. Subscription rates: One year – $46.89, two years – $84.73; three years – $118.63, HST included. U.S. and international please add $20.00 per year for postage and handling. Please make cheque payable to Landscape Trades. All rights are reserved. Material may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Landscape Trades assumes no responsibility for, and does not endorse the contents of, any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the association or its members, but are those of the writer concerned.

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Plants are a necessity By Bert T. Swanson

Prompted by some recent articles I have read, I felt compelled to start this article with a major issue that has been on the top of my voice and frustration lists for many years: PLANTS ARE NOT ORNAMENTS! Many people agree with this fact, but we are so entrenched with the word ‘ornamental,’ that we cannot seem to remove it from our vocabulary, titles, catalogues and marketing pieces, and therefore are doing a disservice to ourselves and the public. ‘Ornamental’ may mean a nice functional tree to use in the industry, but what does ‘ornamental’ mean to the public and to government agencies and legislators that make the rules under which we must operate our businesses? Is the description ‘ornamental’ going to mean anything when water restrictions are scheduled to shut down the landscape? Definitely not. Webster defines ornamental as “anything serving to adorn; decoration; embellishment; a mere external display.” The late Dr. Marc Cathey, former director of the National Arboretum (U.S.), stated ornamental describes an object you hang on a Christmas tree. A plant is not an ornament. We all know that plants are not ornaments, and that they are much more than ornamental. Why do we keep shooting ourselves in the foot, and in our professional impressions that we present to the public, and subsequently to our potential bottom lines? What fired me up again about this issue was an article in the March issue of Nursery Management and Production. Richard Davis, owner of The Ivy Farm in Locustville, Va., was quoted for his passion for plants and their well-documented benefits, and the fact that he will preach those benefits to anyone who will listen. According to Davis, “Benefits include increased property values, improved health, and reduced crime, and these benefits should be on the minds of all consumers.” I would add that we all know plants also provide many additional very tangible benefits as well, but we are not telling that to our customers. This substantiates Davis’ next quote: “We must make consumers aware that plants are not a luxury, they are a necessity.” He further stated that, “We have to do a better job to impart that value message to the end consumer.” Let me stress that we will not impart that message to consumers and legislators by calling our valued and functional products ‘ornamental.’

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An additional article titled, A strategy for putting plants to work, by Dr. B. Polomski and Dr. S.A. White in the April 2010 issue of the American Nurseryman, which further substantiates the valued and many essential uses of plants. In addition to absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and providing oxygen for us to breathe, plants also absorb high amount of nitrogen and phosphorous from water and soil, thereby demonstrating a high ability for filtering stormwater runoff. The authors use the term phytoremediation, which refers to a collection of technologies that use plants to directly or indirectly clean up pollutants. The ‘phyto’ on phytoremediation acknowledges the direct and indirect roles of plants. And there is more. The authors state: “The phytoremediation ability of certain plants can help to improve soil and water quality, and as a bonus, it may also improve the plants’ marketability.” This is just the tip of the iceberg relative to the real, functional and valuable uses of plants. “Plants are not a luxury, they are a necessity.” Let’s start selling plants for what they really are, and stop selling ourselves short. Let’s click on the delete tab and get the word ornamental out of our business. Replace it with landscape, environmental, energy saving, soil stabilizing, phytoremediation and yes, maybe even sustainable or whatever really describes the good functional valuable use of our products. Davis wants this issue elevated to a national marketing level and this is what it may take, but we can certainly start right here in our own companies. The revised Certification Manual of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association does not use the word ornamental in any of the text. Our legislators and customers need and deserve to know the truth about the multifunctional and valuable uses and benefits of this green industry’s products. “Plants are not a luxury, they are a necessity,” I challenge and invite all of you to take action in this regard, and to delineate all the valuable uses and benefits of your products and get a grassroots campaign off the ground. Bert Swanson is president of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association. This article was reprinted with his permission.

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Sales & Service

Celebrity chef and hometown girl, Anna Olson packs the greenhouse at Vermeer’s Garden Centre for evening tea in support of the March of Dimes.

Wolfgang Sterr, owner and executive chef of Wild Flower Catering is pleased to bring samples of his menu items to Vermeer’s evening events.

A year of event marketing BY SARAH WILLIS

Creativity and partnerships with local companies keeps garden centre customers coming back

Buying locally

is one of the hottest trends around, across all types of business. But for the vibrant co-owner/manager of a garden centre in Welland, Ont., being involved at a local level is something she’s believed in and been practicing for a very long time. Karin Vermeer of Vermeer’s Garden Centre has built a strong social network among businesses in her community, who jump at the chance to partner with her in producing popular events. A mid-sized town, with a population of about 50,000, Welland hasn’t been immune to the manufacturing layoffs in the Niagara Region. Most notably, the Welland John Deere was closed in 2008. Despite recent economic challenges, the town has a strong community spirit, and its citizens are proud to support the efforts of local businesses working together. Vermeer is comfortable being the company’s face and speaking in front of audiences, so the garden centre offers a regular schedule of affordable, hands-on workshops and free seminars throughout the year that bring customers to the store. She invites complementary local businesses to take part in her events, and promotes her own store by setting up displays and giving talks at other establishments.

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These are simple promotions that don’t cost a lot; she affirms that many local companies jump at the opportunity to partner with her family’s successful garden centre. She is always looking for mutuallybeneficial local connections, and will offer display space to party rental companies, for example, in exchange for the use of their product at events. Taking advantage of local connections has paid off well for Vermeer’s. Anna Olson, cookbook author, HGTV personality and Vermeer’s customer, lives in Welland. When she was asked to do a fundraiser for the local March of Dimes, Karin Vermeer was quick to offer her store as the venue, and a successful partnership was formed. “Our retail greenhouse is empty in March, so it was perfect timing,” says Vermeer. She brought in local vendors with products appealing to women, such as jewellery, skin care products, lingerie and chocolate. In March 2009, the greenhouse was transformed for two seatings of Evening Tea with Anna, expanded in 2010 to become After Hours with the Olsons, when Anna was joined by her husband, well-known chef Michael Olson. “After Hours with the Olsons was definitely more food-related, and we had a lot of men come with

Partnering with a local rental company provides Vermeer’s with affordable and beautiful table settings, and helps set the mood at its seminars.

their wives. We invited local restaurants to set up displays, along with an ice cream maker, and offered lots of free samples. To make it fun we printed up a passport guests had stamped at different stations. They entered the fully stamped passport in a draw for prizes.” What garden centre owner wouldn’t want to see 400 customers in their store one night in March? The garden angle Every April, Vermeer’s runs a series of seminars designed to teach customers, get them comfortable in their gardens and expand their product knowledge. Customers learn about lawn care products, water-wise gardening, hydrangea varieties and how to grow patio veggies. Staff and guest speakers from suppliers and the Niagara area conduct the free seminars. Business in May takes care of itself, but Vermeer notes that by June, both the plants and staff at the store are getting tired. She came up with the Summer Solstice Sale to clear out plant material before the heat of summer. “We’ve been doing it for years,” she says. “because it moves lots of plants, and we realized it’s a great way to energize staff after a busy spring. We have a lot of fun with this sale.” The Summer Solstice Sale is an action-

Proud and creative customers display the Christmas decorations they made at a November workshop.

packed, high-energy, three-hour event, from 6-9 p.m. on the longest day of the year. Staff dress up in tropical clothes and a steel band is hired to set the festive mood. Vermeer’s puts trees and shrubs on sale, as well as a selection of tropicals to dress up customers’ patios for the summer. Every customer gets a free hotdog or hamburger, just for showing up. But the real fun, Karin says, are the blue light specials that last only 15 minutes. “We have a great time and bang a garbage pail lid to let people know where the 15-minute deal is. We give customers a coupon saying they were in the right place at the right time to receive the blue light special, which they can use at the checkout to get the deal.

shares a summer dessert recipe. Vermeer charges a nominal fee to cover the dessert, and collects donations of non-perishable food items for the Open Arms Mission. She says this event always sells out. “It’s a great and easy-to-do event for women. We talk to the guests about how to decorate a table with simple vases and whatever is in bloom at the store. We promote things we want to sell. They appreciate the night out, enjoy the dessert and punch. It doesn’t have to be complicated.” Space in the retail greenhouses and outdoor sales yard is very flexible. Few features and display benches are fastened down, which means staff can easily create open space for an event at the store. Simplicity and sharing “This year we tried to think of what we Over the many years Vermeer’s Garden could do in August. It’s a slower time and Centre has been holding events, Karin there’s not a lot of new product at the store. Vermeer has found that partnering with Because so many people are interested in charities and other businesses is a great way growing their own vegetables, we thought to boost the value of all her events. The we’d talk about canning and preserving Evening in the Garden event in July is more food.” Vermeer called the owner of a local tranquil than the Summer Solstice Sale, an pick-your-own farm, who was happy to intimate gathering of 40 customers seated at host the event at the tea room on her farm, formally-dressed tables in the garden centre and teach the guests how to preserve their sales yard. Vermeer’s floral designers show own food. the guests how to set the perfect outdoor “We had a tremendous response to this space for entertaining at home, and a local event,” says Vermeer, adding they ended restaurateur discusses party planning, and up turning interested people away. “For JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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Karen Vermeer is always looking for opportunities to promote her family’s garden centre.

$15, guests learned about canning, sampled some preserves and teas and took home a small jar of jam. We brought some small, easily portable products from the store to sell — placemats, fabric shopping bags, that sort of thing. It was a great success. Women are looking for something to do with their friends.” September brings the fall festival. Says Vermeer, “We’ve always done a fall festival, but for this event to be successful in the Niagara area, where there is such a bounty of food harvested, we needed to appeal to the entire family.” Vermeer’s answer was to have a Fall Garden Day on a Friday, bringing in farm fresh produce, along with seminars on designing with spring bulbs. The following day is Family Fun Day, with lots of activities including scarecrow-making, apple bobbing, pony rides and a fall backdrop for family photos. Vermeer’s invites the local branch of the United Way to host a barbecue at this event and receive proceeds from the food sales. The October event was built around the interest of one of Vermeer’s staff members. “I have an orchid nut on staff, so in October we run an orchid show with talks and a handson repotting station. We also invite members of the Niagara Falls Bonsai Society to display specimens and give talks. People love to come and see the bonsai, and learn more about them.” When less is more The Christmas Open House is a concept Vermeer’s has struggled with over the years. “We used to send out about 7,000 addressed admail pieces to our Garden Club members, and would get 3-4,000 people in one night. It was crazy, and we found our best customers were staying away as it was too busy. “What we decided to do instead was hold a special Premiere Christmas Evening for our best customers to see the new themes for Christmas. We now mail about 600

invitations.” The customers who have spent more than $300 at Vermeer’s in the last two years receive an exclusive invitation to the event, along with a 20 per cent-off coupon for one item. All customers are asked to give back to the community by donating a non-perishable food item when they arrive, and they are the first to see the new merchandise. At the Premier Evening, customers shop to live music while enjoying local wines and cheeses. The following night is the popular annual Christmas Open House. Vermeer’s mails an invitation and coupon to 1,600 customers who have spent between $75 and $300, and emails a general invite to their entire electronic mailing list. Festive treats and cider are served, and this year a local floral wholesaler showed guests how to create fabulous hand-tied Dutch bouquets. Door prizes add excitement to the evening at both events. Vermeer smiles, “The second night is a zoo, but we had a nice increase in sales this year.” The final big event of the year is another ladies night, which sold out in two days in 2010. One of Vermeer’s wholesalers sponsors Sue Warden, a professional designer and HGTV veteran, to talk about some simple holiday decor ideas. “Sue is an incredible professional who ‘gets it’,” says Vermeer. “She takes the time to look around our shop before she starts, and will promote the products we ask her to.” This is another opportunity for Vermeer’s to partner with a local restaurant who show off their wares and local wines. These events wouldn’t be possible without the involvement and engagement of Karin Vermeer’s staff. They welcome customers to the store and throw themselves into the spirit of each event. In 2011, Vermeer’s marks 50 years in business. Watch to see what promotions and events the staff cooks up to keep customers coming back as the store LT celebrates its golden anniversary. JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

WIN A FORD FIESTA! The Endless Summer® Collection launches the 2011 “World’s Easiest Display Contest” Get ready for one of the most exciting display contests ever. And the best part is, it’s exclusively for Independent Garden Center employees. We’re calling on all retailers to put their best display forward. This contest provides retailers a way to boost sales in a fun way, with attention-grabbing Endless Summer displays. It’s just y that easy! Go to EndlessSummerBlooms.com to ﬁnd out how you can participate.

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The seven biggest mistakes I have made in business Lessons learned the hard way BY MARK BRADLEY

A frank and generous gift toward next season’s prosperity, from a pro who has been there ...

Starting business without enough investment capital With a pickup, a wheel barrow and absolutely NO MONEY, my wife and I started our business from our 600-sq. ft. apartment in downtown Toronto. I will never forget our first winter in business, when she took a six-week horticulture course at Landscape Ontario. We had to roll our pennies just to fuel her car to get there — luckily it paid off! However, starting the company on a shoestring budget was a mistake. We actually came close to losing our newly-purchased home that winter, too. We were not prepared for how hard the first five years of business would be. We had huge obstacles to overcome, namely purchasing equipment and maintaining adequate cash flow to support our projects without enough working capital. Had we spent more time on business planning before starting, we would have understood the actual capital needed in advance. I believe that a landscape company needs 15-20 per cent of annual revenues in liquid cash, made up of its own cash and/or a line of credit. We found that the bank was not helpful until we were in business for five years, and showed three consecutive years of positive financial statements. It’s no 12 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

accident that “technicians” start landscape companies — anybody with a business background would run for the hills if faced with the variables in this business! Lesson learned: Start with a budget, and stick to it! Growing the company before the systems were in place We started without the education or experience we needed to operate an efficient business. We simply wanted to be great landscapers. The problem is, you cannot become a great landscape contractor without great systems to follow. With great systems, your company has the means to add additional full-time crews, grow, and still produce optimum results. The transition from being hands-on owners to becoming business owners that hire people to design and create projects at the same quality (while still allowing us to earn the same profit margin that we had made as owners) proved to be more stressful than it needed to be. Creating systems by trial and error, while still managing day-to-day operations and problems, was almost impossible. We should have built the systems first, then grown into them. We found out the hard way that the secret to success in business is

being prepared to do the work before you get the work! Lesson learned: Become a planning organization. Growing too fast We started in a neighbourhood where the real estate values were skyrocketing. We simply didn’t have the working capital to expand at 30-50 per cent each year. Our growth curve continued at such a high pace for the first nine years in business, that we continually struggled with cash flow, despite earning double-digit net profit margins every year. We could have gone out of business many times, had our suppliers not been so supportive during times of cash flow shortage. Unfortunately, most startup small businesses do not fit the lending requirements of the bank, unless the company has a great track record and the owner has a really high personal net worth. The banks are simply not helpful. Being forthright, and explaining our financial situation to suppliers, made a difference. If you find yourself in a bind with vendor accounts, communicate the situation clearly, and never break a promise once you have made arrangements to pay your debt. The best solution to this problem is to ensure you don’t outgrow your working

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capital — you need at least 10 to 15 per cent of annual sales in cash to manage your dayto-day operating requirements, or you will struggle and make bad decisions as a result of cash flow shortage. Lesson learned: Never outgrow your working capital Not identifying superstars soon enough We have had a few outstanding people leave our company over the years, simply because they couldn’t see how this industry or my company would be able to support their future financially. We could have kept these people, and capitalized together on their capabilities, if we had the right system in place. I have developed a way of keeping these superstars, again unfortunately, by trial and error. By leveraging these people and providing a more entrepreneurial environment and pay structure, we have expanded the company beyond my expectations, while reducing my personal workload. Lesson learned: Create an entrepreneurial environment, or forever be surrounded by employees who work for a paycheque

14 | JANUARY 2011

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Trying to operate without the right equipment In the first few years of business, I was deathly afraid of monthly payments. When we really started to watch our spending on labour and equipment as a ratio to gross sales, it was a scary state. We were spending 36 per cent on labour and six per cent on equipment. Most of our equipment was old, we didn’t have a mechanic on staff to maintain it, so we had a lot of downtime, and often we were working harder, longer hours than we should have been, with more people than we needed. I started turning out the older gear and leasing newer versions of the right equipment to ensure labour savings. We found we could do more work in less time with fewer people. We were on to the next project sooner, our sales revenue increased, labour spending dropped to 22 per cent of gross sales within 18 months, and equipment increased to 10 per cent of gross sales. The result was an increase of 10 per cent in net profits, and better yet, our revenue had increased by 82 per cent with the same number of people. That meant we could pay better wages to staff, pay ourselves more, run a more professional company and attract larger, more complex projects with this modern fleet of equipment. Lesson learned: Being cheap is really expensive!

Doing complicated work without the right skilled trades As landscapers we have a short window to make hay. Customers are often buying with instant gratification in mind. We all have crews that are best suited for specific types of work — be realistic about this. I remember one year we had two supervisors; one was incredible, the other not so good. We had two complicated projects to work on at one time. I made the mistake of spending my day with the superstar supervisor, setting up a new job. Meanwhile at the other site, the mediocre supervisor was pouring a concrete pad for a flagstone patio three inches too high — that was expensive! I have had more of these situations happen than I care to remember. Do not overbook your company’s skills, and never take on work that is outside of your skill set. Instead, consider a great subcontractor to manage work outside of your own expertise. Lesson learned: Understand how many hours of work you are selling, and don’t sell more than you have available. Level the workload if you want to work efficiently. Hiring the wrong subcontractors Before we started building our own gunite pools and spas we hired subcontractors. I had a great opportunity to build a landscape project, but it included a concrete spa. I decided to hire a start-up pool company who had a price that was $5,000 less than the others, and he could start right away. He was basically a man and a pick-up, and I should have known better. He built a concrete shell, but in the process he must have either forgotten to install some plumbing lines, or he may have broken them while pouring the concrete. I had paid him $15,000 of $22,000, and he disappeared. I had to jackhammer the spa out and start again. That’s how I started building pools and spas. Lesson learned: Never hire subcontractors based on price. Always work with reputable companies when collaborating, even if there isn’t much LT room for mark-up. Mark Bradley is president of The Beach Gardener and the Landscape Management Network (LMN), based in Ontario.

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Will that be cash or credit? BY SUSAN HIRSHORN

Many businesses these days could not keep their customers without accepting plastic. As much as 75 per cent of retail garden sales are transacted with credit or debit cards, according to Anthony O’Neill, chair, Garden Centres Canada (GCC) and owner of O’Neill’s Gardenland in Spaniard’s Bay, Nfld. While cheques are still the most popular form of payment with landscapers, this might change. “I really hate paying by cheque and I don’t expect my customers to,” says James Summers-Gill, landscape designer and owner of Creative Reflections Landscaping in Kelowna, B.C. 16 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

“Credit cards are convenient. They help people to manage their cash flow. I find that customers are quicker to fork over that deposit for a landscape project with a credit card than if I insist on a cheque.” Credit card transactions are more secure than cheques because the issuing bank agrees to pay the merchant the moment the card transaction is authorized (except for legitimate disputes, which can result in charges back to the merchant). However many in the horticultural trades are unhappy with what they consider unfair fees imposed on merchants by the credit card industry. The result,

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4 according to O’Neill, is that businesses who accept credit cards are raising their prices across the board in order to cover the fees. Some firms have stopped accepting credit cards altogether. At garden centres, “fewer and fewer of our suppliers allow us to pay with credit cards,” O’Neill says. “This is a problem because we buy our plants a month or month-and-a-half before we start selling them. If we pay by credit card, that gives us up to 30 or 40 days to keep a good cash flow before we sell them. Now, with our suppliers not accepting credit cards, we lose that cash flow.” In recent years, thousands of businesses

across Canada have protested the fee policies and practices of the credit and debit card industries, resulting in a review by The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce. The Committee’s report, issued in June 2009, prompted the federal government to install a Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry. Enacted in August 2010, the code is voluntary, but those who adopt it are required to abide by it. To date, the code has been adopted by all payment card networks. Here’s a roundup of merchants’ concerns and how the Code addresses them:

Keeping debit transactions affordable Debit card transactions via Interac Direct Payment (IDP) are hugely popular among Canadian consumers and merchants. In fact, Canada has the second-highest level of debit usage in the world, after Sweden. Consumers trust IDP because their bank accounts are protected from unauthorized access and their liability is limited in the event that funds are taken without the account holder’s permission. Merchants like it because it’s the lowest-cost method of payment to a merchant. A 2008 Bank of Canada survey reported the median per-transaction fee for debit cards is 12 cents. Using a $36.50 base case transaction, the Bank calculated the variable per-transaction costs to the merchant at $0.19 for debit cards, $0.25 for cash and $0.82 for credit cards. As well, IDP payments are guaranteed and irrevocable, “one of the reasons debit cards are rated by merchants as the least risky payment method to accept,” stated the Stop Stickin It To Us Coalition’s submission to the Standing Senate Committee. “The irrevocability of debit card transactions is unlike the policies of Visa and MasterCard organizations, that force merchants to accept a chargeback of a credit card transaction up to several months after the transaction is completed in the store.” When Visa and MasterCard announced plans to bring their own debit products into Canada (e.g.

18 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

Visa Debit and MasterCard Maestro), merchants feared that all debit fees would rise once the foreign card giants gained control of the market. Says Ruth Thorkelson, vice president, public affairs, Retail Council of Canada, “In the U.S. and Europe where Visa and MasterCard have introduced debit — the debit fees are increasing.” Adding to this concern was a negative optioning tactic which attempted to automatically enroll merchants in the new Visa Debit program, unless they took action to opt out. Merchants also worried about proposed co-badged debit cards that can have access to more than one debit network on a card, such as Interac and Visa Debit or Interac and Maestro. According to the CFIB, MasterCard had plans to install priority routing, which would cause all debit transactions to automatically be routed through the Maestro network (instead of Interac) once the merchant’s machine was programmed to accept it. Under the new Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry, merchants scored a clear victory. It prohibits negative optioning and priority routing. It also prohibits debit and credit card functions on the same card, as occurs frequently in the U.S. Additionally, merchants no longer have to abide by the honour-all-cards rule when it comes to debit. So merchants who accept Visa or MasterCard credit cards will not be obliged to accept their debit cards.

Premium card pain The increased use of premium credit cards started the avalanche of merchant protests. These gold, platinum, corporate and other seemingly prestigious cards offer lucrative travel and other rewards for consumers, but the merchant transaction fees associated with them are higher than those of regular Visas and MasterCards; as high as three per cent of the sales transaction. The Canadian Bankers Association told the Standing Senate Committee that what it called true premium cards — those entailing higher interchange fees — represent about nine per cent of all bank credit card accounts. However, merchant lobby groups, such as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) and the Stop Stickin It To Us Coalition (headed by the Retail Council of Canada), accused the payment card industry and issuing banks of flooding the market with premium cards. In the Senate Committee’s report, the Coalition stated that the proportion of credit card purchases made with premium cards at one of its larger member’s stores increased in one year from 0.7 per cent to more than 35 per cent. Merchants are compelled to accept premium cards because of Visa and MasterCard honour-all-cards rules. Sometimes a consumer’s spending habits will automatically upgrade his or her credit card to premium status, without the consumer’s knowledge. “The card looks the same — the consumer doesn’t actually know anything is different — but the card automatically becomes a high-spend card and the merchant ends up getting charged the higher fee,” Dan Kelly, CFIB’s senior vice president of legislative affairs, told Landscape Trades. Under the new Code of Conduct, the card industry may now only issue premium cards to consumers who apply for and consent to them. Moreover, the Code requires that cards must be targeted at individuals who meet specific spending and/or income levels. The CFIB and Coalition believe that suitability for premium cards should be determined by income, not spending pattern. In many cases, premium cards are issued to low- and middle-income families, they argue. Adds GCC chair O’Neill, “We have not seen a

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correlation between premium cards and increased spending at garden centres. In many cases, the premium cards don’t even give the consumer a higher credit limit!” De-mystifying fees Beyond the higher fees associated with premium cards, merchants have complained about unexpected and incomprehensible fees on their monthly credit card processing statements. A 2009 survey conducted for the CFIB revealed that 68 percent of 7,198 smalland medium-sized business respondents had difficulty understanding their credit card fees. Phil Fluit, retail manager at Sunshine Express Garden Centre in Niagara-onthe-Lake, Ont., warns of extra fees when you manually key in a credit card number instead of swiping the card. He got hit with such fees when processing card transactions taken over the telephone. There may also be added fees when credit card payments are processed over the internet, adds CFIB’s Dan Kelly, because card processing companies consider phone and Internet transactions riskier than in-person transactions. The new Code requires card networks to work with merchants to “ensure that merchant-acquirer agreements and monthly statements include a sufficient level of detail and are easy to understand.” The code also requires card networks to “ensure that merchants will receive a minimum of 90 days notice of any fee increases or the introduction of a new fee related to any credit or debit card transactions.” Since it might take some time for card networks to 20 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

clarify their paperwork, it pays to plough through your card processing statement, contact your card processor and ask him to explain the purpose of the charges that show up. Reducing card processing costs Although the new Code did not embrace all of the Standing Senate Committee’s recommendations, such as allowing merchants to refuse certain credit cards or to add a credit card surcharge, it does contain provisions that might help to lower your processing costs. For example, merchants may now offer discounts for lower-cost forms of payment — cash, debit or lower cost credit cards — without being dropped or otherwise penalized by their credit card network. Additionally, card networks must ensure that following notification of a fee increase or the introduction of a new fee, merchants will be allowed to cancel their contracts without penalty. This opens up opportunities for negotiating fees with your present card payment processor or switching to another firm. As the new Code takes effect, expect to see changes in the way that credit card networks and banks market their products. Deloitte, a national financial advisory services firm, has predicted that loyalty programs will increase significantly between card issuers and retailers. Such a program has been negotiated already between the Canadian Nursery and Landscape Association (CNLA) and the

national card processor, Chase Paymentech. The program offers CNLA members lower-cost merchant fees (1.66 per cent for Visa and 1.74 per cent for MasterCard), waived application fees, competitivelypriced point-of-sale terminals, deposits to your bank of choice without additional charges and flexible gift card programs suited for businesses of any size. For further information, call 1-888-317-9532 or visit www.chasepaymentech.ca. Landscape designers, design-build firms and others who make big ticket sales to consumers might benefit from offering their customers an alternative to managing their cash flow with a credit card. By spring 2011, a new financing program will be launched through a partnership of the CNLA and RBC Bank’s Home Renovation loan program. According to Joe Salemi, CNLA’s member services manager, the program will allow businesses to offer their customers $40-50,000 worth of credit at a preferred interest rate. “It’s a perfect fit,” he says. “There’s no cost to the landscaper, garden centre or other business. They get paid up front. Plus an attractive borrowing rate for the consumer. Not zero financing, but closer to line-of-credit interest rates.” Although consumers’ love of premium cards may have some selling advantages, such as, “reminding a potential customer who is considering a $30,000 landscape project that the card points she earns from the project will get her a free patio set,” according to James Summers-Gill, most businesses would be more inclined to educate their customers about the benefits of lower-cost payment methods. Dan Kelly says the CFIB is exploring ways to educate consumers about the cost of credit cards, such as posting signs that say, Are you aware that Visa or MasterCard costs my business a lot of money? Would you be willing to pay with your debit card or with cash? Kelly says, “Consumers are completely unaware that when they use their credit cards it’s the merchant who pays the bill. They think it’s consumer interest charges and the annual fees they pay for the card, but the vast majority of dollars that are in the credit card industry come from LT merchant transaction fees.”

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A century of protection

BY LEE ANN KNUDSEN

Workers compensation insurance provides important protections, and has gone beyond that mandate to promote safety

Every day across Canada, workers go on the job, worrying about everything under the sun except work-related injuries. Employers, by and large, are free to address all kinds of challenges, without fear that a worker’s on-the-job injury could put them out of business. Workers’ compensation insurance has worked so well, for so long, that it only seems to come to mind when the premiums are due. The idea originated in the late 1800s, when German chancellor Otto Von Bismarck introduced a compulsory, staterun accident compensation system. The idea had its Canadian beginnings in 1910, when Justice William Meredith was appointed to a Royal Commission studying workers’ compensation. His 1913 Meredith Report outlined a trade-off in which workers relinquish their right to sue, in exchange for compensation benefits. Meredith advocated for no-fault insurance, collective liability and exclusive jurisdiction. These cornerstones, along with security of payments and independent, nonpolitical governing boards, have survived to today’s business environment. “We are fully funded,” says Warren Preece of the Workers’ Compensation Board of Manitoba; typically, employer premiums, not tax money, finance the operations of 22 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

Canada’s provincial workplace insurance boards. Industries are typically assigned rate codes based on accident history, and enjoy premium reductions industry-wide if safety performance improves. Several employment sectors in Manitoba have formed safety associations to collect fees within their rates codes, to fund safety training programs. Further, individual companies committed to safety may take advantage of programs offered in most provinces, generally called “experience rating,” that can adjust rates based on their safety records. Just under 3,000 Ontario green-industry employers, for example, get percentage points off their rates through the Merit Adjusted Program, according to Christine Arnott of the province’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Of course, experience rating can cut two ways, and provincial programs also rate employers up if their performance is poor. Creative prevention Two Ontario programs, partnerships between the WSIB and industry, go beyond insurance coverage to proactively promote safety for workers. The WSIB launched the Safety Groups Program as a pilot in 2000, with approximately 400 employer members.

Landscape Ontario has sponsored Safety Groups since 2001. The idea was launched to provide an incentive for members to invest in and implement effective health and safety and return-to-work programs in their workplaces. In the program, firms volunteer to form a group with a collective purpose: to learn from each other’s experience in implementing injury and illness prevention programs. Participants select five safety elements they will implement or improve upon, from a list provided by the WSIB. Representatives from the firms attend meetings, share ideas and pool resources, learning from each other how to put the initiatives into place. Success is rewarded with premium rebates — the amount depends on the degree of success the Safety Group has in incorporating and improving its chosen prevention programs. Safety Group participation has grown significantly. In 2010, there are approximately 3,700 employer members representing more than 6,000 workplaces across all Ontario sectors. Endorsed by industry While the benefits of Safety Group participation can be measured in real dollars, do they actually improve safety on-the-job? “Absolutely,” says Angela Good,

This Ontario Safety Group split a $32,000 rebate cheque — tangible return for its cooperate efforts to promote safety.

safety committee head at BP Landscaping, Caledon, Ont. “Last year we had 24 injuries, and this year, after implementing the new programs, we had only four. It was a phenomenal turnaround.” The groups helped BP implement intensive training programs, backed up with manuals for all procedures. “The huge hazard manual is our bible,” Good says. BP actually shares detailed,

specific safety data with all employees, and credits that policy as part of its success in improving safety culture. Another forward-thinking Ontario initiative is the Safe Communities Incentive Program, offering free training opportunities. Landscape Ontario has partnered with WSIB since 2003, to help horticulture industry members learn about

their compliance roles and responsibilities according to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, as well as how to manage their health and safety risks to prevent injuries, illnesses and interruptions to their businesses. Approximately 350 firms have benefited from participation. SCIP and Safety Groups have improved overall rates in the Ontario landscape sector, from about 9.8 per cent, to the current four per cent. This has resulted in annual savings of over $15-million for the province’s landscape industry, about equal to its current rate payments. So while workplace insurance is yet another required cost of doing business, it is in its second century of serving Canada’s businesses and employees well, and can take pride in actually preventing accidents. LT

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Comparison of fertilizers

Using advanced granule technology with industry standards in nursery containers

BY DR. HANNAH MATHERS, LUKE CASE AND JASON PARRISH

From 2007 to 2008, spring nitrogen prices increased by a third, phosphate prices nearly doubled, and potash prices doubled. Many factors continue to affect the fertilizer markets including a wide growth in demand, a decrease in capacity, especially in the U.S., increases in natural gas prices and record-high freight costs. The Anderson’s Company was interested in using the Advanced Granule Technology (AGT) for fertilizers to potentially create less expensive, yet effective, slow-release formulations for the nursery industry. Another saving in labour could be found in applying fertilizers in the fall versus the traditional spring application time. Application method was also examined in this experiment. Incorporation is reported to be the best method for nursery fertilizer applications. Topdressing increases fluctuation in temperature and inconsistent moisture (humidity) availability. On the surface of the container the fertilizer is subject to the day- and night-time temperature changes and drying effect of direct sunlight, which reduces availability of nutrients in the timetable that the plant requires. Topdressing also increases potential for fertilizers to be spilled onto the nursery floor and weed growth in the container. However, the practice of topdressing still occurs in many nursery operations. Objectives With this study, our objective was to assess experimental DG (AGT) formulations performance on container-grown 26 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

ornamentals under nursery conditions, compared to standard nursery fertilizers using two application timings and methods. Materials and methods Three types of formulations were selected, a 3-4 month, 5-6 month, and 8-9 month, with two application timings, one application starting in the fall, and the other starting in the spring. Fertilizers consisted of three-, six- and nine-month formulations of 15-9-12 (15-4-10 actual) Osmocote Plus, three-month formulation of Harrell’s 16-6-13 (16-2.6-10.8 actual), six-month formulation of Harrell’s 16-6-11 (16-2.69.1 actual), nine-month formulation of Harrell’s 15-6-12 (15-2.6-10 actual), AGT 15-9-12 (15-4-10 actual) three-month formulation, AGT 15-9-12 (15-4-10 actual) six-month formulation, and two, ninemonth formulations of 15-9-12 (15-410 actual), one with monoammonium phosphate (MAP), and the other with triple phosphate [or super phosphate(SP)]. The three-month formulations and triple phosphate formulations were not used in the fall trials. The amount of fertilizer per container was determined by using the medium rate of the Osmocote formulations, and the other two types (Harrell’s and AGT) were put on at the same rate of the actual amount of nitrogen applied based on weight and formulation of the product. Four test locations were selected, two in Ohio and two in Ontario. The locations

in Ohio were at Klyn Nurseries, Perry, and Decker’s Nursery in Groveport. The locations in Ontario were at Willowbrook Nurseries, Fenwick, and J.C. Bakker & Sons Ltd. Wholesale Nurseries (spring start only at Bakker) in St. Catharines. Species selected for testing consisted of Juniperus scopulorum ‘Wichita Blue, Buxus x‘Green Velvet’, and Spiraea x bumalda ‘Goldmound’ from Willowbrook, Potentilla fruiticosa, Juniperus chinensis, and Thuja occidentalis from J.C. Bakker, Fothergilla gardenia, Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’, and Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltoni’ from Klyn, Buxus x ‘Winter Gem’, Spiraea x bumalda ‘Goldflame’, and Microbiota decussata from Decker’s. Evaluations consisted of growth index at intervals throughout the trial, and pH and electrical conductivity (Ec) using the pour through method. Only growth index [(height+width)/2 or (height+width+width)/3 or height only depending on species] at the end of the trial will be presented. Visual ratings were also taken at Klyn based on a 1-5 scale with 1 being dead and 5 being perfectly healthy. Treatment means were separated using LSmeans in Proc Mixed with SAS (SAS, Inc., Cary, N.C.) software with α=0.05. Results and discussion Fertilizers behaved differently at each of the locations from the fall start, although at each location, a nine-month formulation was the best treatment for growth (Table 1). Across species, the best growth at Decker’s occurred with Harrell’s nine-month

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outandaboutwithHannah Table 1. Growth index averaged across species of different fertilizer treatments from Decker's Nursery, Klyn Nursery, and Willowbrook Nursery planted in October 2008. Treatment AGT 6 Mo. AGT 6 Mo. Inc. AGT 9 Mo. MAP AGT 9 Mo. MAP Inc. Harrells 6 Mo. Harrells 6 Mo. Inc. Harrells 9 Mo. Harrells 9 Mo. Inc. Osmocote 6 Mo. Osmocote 6 Mo. Inc. Osmocote 9 Mo. Osmocote 9 Mo. Inc.

Decker’s 50.3 48.9 50.5 47.4 54.9 51.9 54.9 56.6 53.2 50.4 49 51.4

cdez de cde e ab bcd ab a abc cde de bcd

Klyn 38.2 39.7 38.5 36.6 37.7 36.7 36.1 36.7 36.5 37.9 42.6 38

b ab ab b b b b b b b a b

Willowbrook 30.1 33.8 31.9 33.8 35.6 32.9 37.1 37 34.9 36.7 33.8 34.3

e cd de cd abc cd a ab abc ab cd bcd

z = Growth indexes followed by the same letter at each nursery are not significantly different, based on LSmeans (α = 0.05)

incorporated. At Willowbrook, Harrell’s nine-month top-dress gave the best growth and Osmocote nine-month top-dress was the best fertilizer at Klyn. By species, Buxus preferred the Harrell’s nine-month topdress at Decker’s and Willowbrook. At Decker’s and Willowbrook, the Harrell’s nine-month formulation was preferred by all species (incorporated or top-dressed). At Klyn Nursery, Fothergilla and Juniperus showed superior growth with Osmocote nine-month top dressed; however, Ilex had the best growth with AGT six-month incorporated. In most instances, the AGT treatments provided average growth to not significantly different from the best treatments. It was in Buxus growth, however, that the AGT treatments performed below average with decreases growth. The ninemonth MAP AGT formulation provided the worst growth for six of the nine species, including incorporated and top dressed applications. Electrical conductivity values taken from Klyn in May and July 2009 indicate that all fertilizers fell within the desired range for controlled release fertilizers (0.2-1.0 dS/cm) (Fig.1 and 2). However, in May and July, the values indicate that the AGT fertilizers provided little, if any, increases in electrical 28 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

conductivity which probably accounted for their poor performance in increasing growth. The pH values ranged from 5.2 to 6.6 in May and 5.2 to 7.1 in July. Normal pH values should be between 5.4 and 6.2 for soilless media. At both dates, the pH of the irrigation was above any of the fertilizer treatments. The AGT treatments provided the highest pH values next to water in May. Averaged across species, the spring start Osmocote six-month top-dress formulation provided the best growth at J.C. Bakker and Klyn (Table 2). At Decker’s, the incorporated Osmocote nine-month formulation was the best, and at Willowbrook, the AGT sixmonth top-dress provided the best growth. When averaged across species, the AGT nine-month formulation (incorporated or top dressed) provided the worst growth at three of the four locations (Table 2). Only the Buxus, behaved similarly between Decker’s and Willowbrook growing best with the Osmocote nine-month top-dress formulation. The Juniperus species tested differently at three locations, but the species and cultivars were different between locations; however, at two locations, a sixmonth formulation was preferred. Spiraea also tested differently at the two locations where it was evaluated. At Decker’s, Spiraea

performed the best with the Osmocote nine-month incorporated treatment, and at Willowbrook the AGT six-month top-dress provided the best growth. The AGT six-month top-dress treatment also provided the best growth for the Thuja at J.C. Bakker Nursery. For seven of the 12 species/cultivars, the AGT nine-month super phosphate treatments (incorporated or top-dressed) provided the worst growth, with incorporated worse than top-dress. When comparing super phosphate and monoammonium phosphate nine-month formulations, there is virtually no difference when topdressing, but when incorporated, the monoammonium phosphate formulation if far superior to the super phosphate formulation. The lowest visual ratings collected at Klyn and Decker’s for Juniperus, Buxus, and Spiraea occurred with the AGT super phosphate formulation. The AGT six-month top-dress treatment, however, was not significantly different from the best treatment for seven species/ cultivars and provided the best growth for two species/cultivars. Electrical conductivity values differed greatly between the three species tested at Klyn and all treatments provided Ec values above 0.2 dS/cm for all three test

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outandaboutwithHannah Table 2. Effects of fertilizer on growth index averaged over species at J.C. Bakker Nursery, Decker's Nursery, Klyn Nursery, and Willowbrook Nursery planted in May 2009. Treatment AGT 3 Mo. AGT 3 Mo. Inc. AGT 6 Mo. AGT 6 Mo. Inc. AGT 9 Mo. MAP AGT 9 Mo. MAP Inc. AGT 9 Mo. SP AGT 9 Mo. SP Inc. Harrells 4 Mo. Harrells 4 Mo. Inc. Harrells 6 Mo. Harrells 6 Mo. Inc. Harrells 9 Mo. Harrells 9 Mo. Inc. Osmocote 3 Mo. Osmocote 3 Mo. Inc. Osmocote 6 Mo. Osmocote 6 Mo. Inc. Osmocote 9 Mo. Osmocote 9 Mo. Inc.

J.C. Bakker 24.9 dz 25.7 cd 31.2 ab 26.8 bcd

20.6 24.6 27.4 24.1 29.9 26.7 32 27.6 28.5 26.5 32.1 25.3 29.5 25.9

e d bcd de ab bcd ab bcd bc bcd a cd ab cd

Decker's 51.1 fgh 49.2 h 51.2 fgh 52.6 defgh 51 gh 55.2 abcd 49.8 h 39.8 i 53.6 cdefg 51.4 efgh 55.1 abcde 54.1 bcdefg 54.7 abcdefg 56.6 abc 54.3 bcdefg 54.2 bcdefg 54.8 abcdef 57.8 ab 57.5 ab 58.1 a

Klyn 37.4 33.5 33.7 39.9 39 42.6 37 27.1 35.4 40.3 38.7 39.7 39.9 41.4 34.3 32 45.3 42.3 36.2 40.7

abc bc bc ab ab ab abc c abc ab ab ab ab ab bc bc a ab abc ab

Willowbrook 34.5 abc 32.2 de 35.9 a 32.8 de

35.3 33.3 33.2 32 33.1 31.3

a cd cd de cd ef

30.2 35.2 32.9 35.1 33.6 35.8 34.5

f ab cde ab bcd a abc

z = Growth indexes followed by the same letter at each nursery are not significantly different, based on LSmeans (α = 0.05)

dates. At Klyn, pH values were above the desired range in most instances, with the lowest values recorded in May. The ninemonth super phosphate AGT formulation provided the highest pH values in May for each of the species tested but were not above desirable. Conclusions From these studies, it can be concluded that the AGT nine-month super phosphate formulation does provide detrimental effects to some species, especially when incorporated. The other AGT formulations, in most cases, perform better when topdressed as opposed to incorporated. AGT formulations also gave better growth when top-dressed and applied in spring as opposed to fall application. For example, Spiraea and Buxus both performed better from AGT applications in spring. The top dressing of AGT formulations are comparable to industry standards in most 30 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

cases. No winter injury was observed in fall up-shift and fertilization of plants. The best treatments over species for the fall start were Harrell’s nine-month incorporated at Decker’s, Harrell’s ninemonth top-dress at Willowbrook and Osmocote nine-month top-dress at Klyn. In the fall start by species Harrell’s ninemo. top dressed performed well for Buxus and Spiraea and incorporated for Potentilla, Spiraea, Juniperus and Microbiota. Osmocote 9 mo. top dress was best for Fothergilla. The best treatments in the spring start over species were Osmocote six-month top-dressed (Bakker and Klyn Nurseries), Osmocote nine-month incorporated (Decker’s) and AGT 15-9-12 (15-4-10 actual) six-month from The Anderson Co. (Willowbrook). In the spring start by species Osmocote nine-month performed well with Buxus, Spiraea and Potentilla. Osmocote six-month was best for Juniperus chinensis

and scupulorum, Harrell’s six-month was best on J. horizontalis. Osmocote sixmonth also performed well with Fothergilla and Microbiota. The AGT six-month performed well with Juniperus scupulorum LT and Spiraea. Dr. Hannah Mathers is an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University (OSU), Columbus, Ohio, and works under contract with the Ontario-based Vineland Centre for Research and Innovation to help the nursery and landscape industry with research initiatives, industry projects and extension activities. Luke Case is a research associate working with Dr. Mathers, and Jason Parrish is a graduate student at OSU.

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Rich source of priceless advice can help grow your company to the next level

Tap into advisory boards

BY JEFFREY SCOTT

What is holding your company’s growth back? Why are you not making the profits you had hoped for? The best companies make use of outside guidance — this article explains the five different types of advisory boards available to landscape contractors.

It is often difficult

to see what is hindering your success. Sometimes the solutions are complex, and sometimes they are right in front of you. Either way, it helps to get outside eyeballs looking at your issues; this is why outside advisory boards can be so useful to owners, operator or CEOs running businesses — regardless of the size! There are several types of effective advisory boards. Below is an overview of the five options available to you. Customer advisory board You spend most of your time focused on customers. But how much do you really know about them, and what they think about your business? What your customers think and say about your business — to their friends, neighbors and other tradespeople — is crucial to your success and growth. A customer advisory board will give you priceless insight to your customer’s world and how they perceive you. It is a place for them to give you feedback on your marketing, sales, products, service and business plans. When a client drops you, or stops coming to your store, it is important to know the reasons. Many will say price …. but it is possible that something is askew with your business practices. A customer advisory board

32 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

will help you figure out what is working well and what needs attention. Done right, this type of board will help you improve your marketing ROI, your sales training, your paperwork flow, your service standards and your flow of referrals. You can either hire someone to facilitate, or you can jump in and do it yourself. I believe in the magic of food: it opens people up and helps them relax. So try having this meeting over lunch or dinner; you will get better results.

some of the restructuring in my company that we discussed … Thank you.” There are two ways to set up a peer group. Join an existing group that is professionally facilitated, or try your own hand. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Formal boards of advisors Sometimes a company needs to set up a formal board of outside experts to guide its decisionmaking process. This is helpful, for example, when you have multiple shareholders (such as Peer groups a second-generation nursery) and need outside You have plenty of friends in the industry, but guidance and a steadying hand to balance how many of them know your balance sheet, each owners’ concerns. These advisors can be your actual P&L and the internal company financial professionals, successful CEOs from issues holding you back? A peer group meeting other industries, and of course, the owners in will allow you to address burning issues, share best practices and benchmark your key ratios. Practical advice in action When tightly facilitated, it is a productive way to accelerate your understanding of your Jeffrey Scott will moderate a Congress own business opportunities, and how to best Conference panel discussion capitalize on them. among industry leaders who have successfully used outside advisory Dave Wright, a member in my Leader’s Edge boards. Hear from your peers firstpeer group, said it best: “It is tough to tell a hand about what works, what doesn’t bunch of strangers about the things you know work, and how to best take advantage of an advisory you are doing wrong in your own company. board. Learn the pros and cons of each type of board, And even tougher to ask for help. I learned the common pitfalls to avoid, and the keys to running a that everyone around the table had a lot to successful and profitable advisory board meeting. The offer, sharing their successes as well as their session takes place in Toronto on on Tues. Jan. 11 at mistakes. I have already begun to implement 1:30 p.m. To register visit www.locongress.com.

the business. Such formal boards can meet either annually or up to four times a year. Sometimes they volunteer their time, and sometimes you pay them. Often you will meet for a full day, so you need people who will be prepared — and of course, you need to be very organized and prepared yourself, to make best use of everyone’s time.

It can also include a client. I have seen it happen where someone sets up an informal board and the board ends up working on each person’s issues. Keep in mind, this type of informal board is not a lead-sharing group. But having said that, at the end of your dinner meeting, you can still ask for a referral or introduction to prospects. It never hurts to plant that seed.

Informal dinner boards You are trying to make a name for yourself Family business groups in your town, so you invite three or four This type of board or group can be very movers and shakers, to give you advice helpful to a growing family business, on moving your business forward. This whether husband and wife-run company or informal board can include the local multi-generational business. These groups influencers in your town: the local supplier, give you a chance to befriend and vent with All_Treat_Fert_Ad_FINAL.pdf 11/17/10 8:14:08 PM the local builder and the local success story. other business owners who are experiencing

CMY

34 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

similar emotional family dynamics. Often these organizations offers sub-group meetings, made up of either founders or second generation business owners. In Canada you are lucky to have the family business association, www.cafecanada.ca. Go there to learn about options available in LT your town. Jeffrey Scott built his family’s landscape business into a $10 million enterprise, and is now a landscape business consultant and author of The Referral Advantage and The Leader’s Edge. To learn more visit www.gettheleadersedge.com.

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Deciduous conifers

By Larry Sherk

Tamaracks, dawn-redwoods, golden larch and bald-cypress offer unique seasonal interest â&#x20AC;&#x201D; these four conifer genera are also deciduous, losing their needles every fall as they go dormant for the winter.

Larix, larch, or tamaracks are members of the family Pinaceae. Most species are native to cooler, northern regions and most are quite hardy and useful in the colder regions of Canada. They are of interest in spring when leafing out, in summer because of the light shade cast by larger specimens, and in fall with their good yellow colouring. Many species are found naturally on wet sites but are successfully cultivated provided the soil is not too dry.

36 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

Larix decidua (European larch) Zones 3b-9 Photo 2 This is a tall tree, 15-25 m, with horizontal, spreading branches and deciduous branchlets. The new pale green foliage is attractive in early spring, the yellow foliage in the fall.

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Larix decidua ‘Pendula’ (weeping European larch) Zones 3b-9 Photo 3, 4 A weeping form, most often top-grafted on a 125-cm stem. Some specimens are grafted at ground level and trained up and staked, often reaching a height of four metres. The soft green, pendulous foliage turns a bright yellow in October before the needles drop. A most interesting specimen for smaller gardens. Larix eurolepis ‘Varied Directions’ Zones 3-9 Photo 8 A most unusual specimen with robust twigs that send the branches up and outwards, eventually arching down and covering the ground. The foliage is a fresh green in the spring, bright yellow in the fall. Young specimens are rather grotesque, but soon grow into a most unique specimen.

Larix kaempferi (Japanese larch) Zones 2b-9 A tall tree (12-25 m), fast-growing and ideally suited for use in large gardens or parks. ‘Diane’ is a cultivar of interest because of its twisted branches. Larix laricina (eastern larch, tamarack) Zones 1-9 Photo 11 This larch (12-25 m) is native to much of Canada far into the north but not on the Prairies or most of British Columbia. In the wild it is found mostly on wet sites, but can be successfully cultivated provided the soil is not too dry. Growth is open and pyramidal; fall colour is a good yellow. Larix sibirica (Siberian larch) Zones 2-9 Photo 1 This is a fast-growing,15-25 m, wider spreading tree. Fall colour a good, bright yellow. Metasequoia glyptostroboides (dawn-redwood) Zones 5b-9 Photo 5, 7, 9 This is one of the oldest known trees still found growing, having been first described from fossil records. Living trees were first found in China in 1945. In 1948 the Arnold Arboretum received viable seeds and distributed the seedlings to many organizations, including Sheridan Nurseries. This 15-20 m “fossil tree” is a fast-growing deciduous conifer, similar in foliage to the bald-cypress, Taxodium distichum. One of Sheridan Nurseries’ original seedlings turned out to be considerably narrower than the typical habit of most specimens and was named ‘Sheridan Spire’(Photo 10) introduced in 1976. Although not widely available it does deserve greater use because of its narrower width. Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’ Zones 5b-9 Photo 6 A recent introduction, pyramidal in outline with golden spring foliage that deepens to a yellow chartreuse and gold again in the fall before the foliage drops. Ultimate height is around 10 m, with a spread of two metres. Young specimens are more open and can be pruned to help shape them. Colour is best in full sun.

7 38 | JANUARY 2011

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Pseudolarix amabilis (golden larch) Zones 5-9 This is not a true larch, but rather a Pinaceae, and more closely related to Abies and Cedrus. This tree is rarely cultivated as it grows quite large, 10-12 m across and up to 30 m tall. This deciduous conifer also has an attractive golden fall colour.

Taxodium distichum (bald-cypress) Zones 5b-9 This deciduous conifer is rarely cultivated in Canada but is best known where it is seen in its native habitats in the southeastern United States. There it grows in swampy areas, and is most famous for its woody knees; large woody growths that come up from its roots. Two unusual cultivars are currently available: ‘Cascade Falls’ is noted for its unusual weeping habit. Specimens are upright (5 m) and individually spreading (4 m). The deciduous foliage turns golden yellow in the fall.‘Falling Waters’ has graceful, cascading branches that weep straight down, while the leader continues to grow straight up for five m. The foliage turns LT orange to bronze before dropping in the fall.

Ontario-based writer Larry Sherk has been a member of the Garden Writers Association for 36 years. The senior author of Ornamental Shrubs for Canada retired in 2001, after 32 years as chief horticulturist for Sheridan Nurseries.

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roadtosuccess

Dreaming big

BY ROD McDONALD

“If the dream is not big enough to share, then you need a bigger dream.”

It was the winter of 1982,

and the sales rep from Van Vloten Nurseries was sitting at my kitchen table. I did not yet have a permanent office so I was working out of my house and my kitchen table was the centre of the operation. Also at the table was my assistant manager, Heather Lowe. The sales rep had shown us his lineup of nursery stock for the coming season and then we drifted into a general conversation regarding the garden center/greenhouse business. The sales rep told us about a local business that had set a goal of $250,000 for May, and we were flabbergasted. We were so far away from those numbers that we had difficulty imagining that volume. I mustered up my bravado, turned to Heather and said, “Someday, we will do a quarter of a million for May as well.” Heather was incredulous. “Do you really think we can?” I answered in the affirmative, but my answer was supported only by a dream and a desire, not by any set of facts. Flash forward a few years and Heather asked me what our goal for May was going to be. I reminded her of our conversation regarding the $250,000 mark a few years back. She smiled in remembrance. I said, “If we only do $250,000, we will be bankrupt!” Times had changed, and they had changed quickly. We had grown in volume, the physical plant had expanded and there were a lot more staff. “Two-fifty would now be a disaster.” Confidence deficit One of the major mistakes that I made in my early years was not to dream big. As many of the readers here will understand, my first few years were spent in a survival struggle. I had few assets, a very small line of credit, and a list of customers that was not very long. I had 42 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

not yet arrived on the scene. I spent most of my time treading water to stay afloat. And because I was looking ahead only a few weeks at a time, I did not plan for five, ten or twenty years down the road. In essence, I did not plan for the success that I would eventually achieve. Up until 1985, I had rented the land for my struggling garden centre. It was a rough lot adjacent to a popular restaurant. The restaurant owners had purchased the lot in case they needed to expand their parking. The main problem with renting land, is that all improvements belong to the landlord. I was reluctant to spend any money on major improvements. In essence, renting land was holding me back. I realized that sooner or later, I had to make a leap of faith and purchase a parcel of land if I were ever to build my dream. Finding a reasonably-priced parcel that allows for greenhouses and garden centres has never been an easy feat, in any market. Eventually, an odd-shaped parcel that had been used as a snow dump site became available. Its price was half of fair market value because of its shape and the highly-restrictive zoning bylaws placed on it. Fortunately for me, a greenhouse was one of the permitted uses. The parcel was three acres in size and at the time, it appeared to be massive. I felt as if I had just purchased Disneyland! It was more than adequate for my needs of the time, and in the first few years, I only fenced half of it. But success arrived and it was not long before we had filled up the three acres with buildings, greenhouses, parking lot and nursery. What had appeared to be more than adequate at first, proved to be a limiting factor in my growth, within seven years.

In order to grow my numbers, we had to become extremely organized with our arriving shipments. There just was not that much room to store inventory. Staff had to start parking on the street, two blocks away, as there was room only for customer parking. At our busy times, we had to have two students directing traffic to keep some semblance of order and traffic flow. I had outgrown my land base and there was not a lot I could do about it. There was a small park across the street from my garden centre, and I did approach The City about either selling the green space to me or renting it out as a parking lot. They had a really good laugh over that request at City Hall. I learned an important lesson. The number one factor that controls growth for a retail operation is the size of your parking lot. If customers cannot find a place to park, they will go elsewhere. That is a cruel fact. I heard from friends that they had come by to pick up some lawn fertilizer or a basket, and the parking lot was so full, they drove elsewhere. I had lost them not because of quality, selection, service or price … but because the parking lot was full. Limiting capacity Bert Rutman, who owned the highly successful Lyndale Garden Center in Minneapolis, was so protective of his three-hundred-car parking lot that he hired off-duty policemen (in uniform) to direct traffic. Bert was the first one that I know of who would acknowledge that the size of the parking lot determined the volume of the store. Having the 20/20 vision provided by hindsight, I know better now. There is a young man in my community who wants to

roadtosuccess build a landscape nursery/greenhouse/garden centre. He and I set out to find him the right piece of land to develop. After a two-year search and looking at many different parcels, the right one appeared. It was a twelve-acre piece on a main highway just two miles from town. I talked to the owner and the price was reasonable. We were giving serious consideration to this parcel when I found out that the owner owned the entire quarter section, which is 160 acres. He planned to farm the remaining 148 acres. I made him an offer to buy the entire quarter even though right now my friend only requires the twelve acres. Why? The answer is simple. I have seen companies outgrow their lots again and again, myself included. And when they wanted to acquire surrounding parcels, the price doubles and triples as they are no longer in a position to negotiate. We ran the math. We calculated the interest payment it would take to purchase the extra land and then we subtracted the amount we could rent it out to a farmer to crop, subtracted the taxes, and the math was still in our favor. And the land is there, when it is needed for expansion. Takes money to make it Another mistake that I made when starting out in this trade was that I was overwhelmed by the amount of debt one had to incur in

order to build up a business. In retrospect, I should have looked at it from the viewpoint, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is the debt serviceable?â&#x20AC;? Debt and interest payments are a cost of doing business, and when the math is right, there is nothing wrong in borrowing money. I often held back acquiring something that would have improved my business, until I had the money to pay for it outright. While I could be commended for my Scottish thriftiness, I held myself back by several years with my reluctance to borrow. Now I view debt as just another tool in a business arsenal. I use it when it makes sense to use it. My adage is, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If the math works, do it.â&#x20AC;? Back to how much land one should purchase. I knew a very successful restaurateur here in Regina. He owned several operations. I noticed that whenever he could, he would always purchase the houses on either side of his shops. I asked him why? His answer made sense. He told me that it is in his best interest to be his own neighbour. He could expand when he wanted and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have as many complaints when you have that buffer zone around your operations. I told my young friend that story. It was in his best interest to be his own neighbour, as well. When I have been out on my travels, speaking to Aubin Nurseries, Vanderveenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greenhouses and Pan American Bulbs, all three of them admit that they never dreamt

how large their companies would be one day. Calvin Vanderveen told me that when he got to be 300,000 sq. ft., he thought he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grow any bigger. Today, he is running 900,000 sq. ft., and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what tomorrow will bring. All of us would have done things differently, had we known the size our operations were to reach one day. My friend Cary Rubenfeld, who owns Caryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wholesale in Winnipeg, told me the best story in terms of outgrowing your dream quickly. His first warehouse was in an old building with a freight elevator. He got in a shipment of clay pots, loaded the elevator with the clays, and pressed the button to go up. The elevator went down. It was too heavy. He had to take half of the order out of the elevator in the basement, in order to take the rest of the pots to the upper story. He knew then that he had dreamt too small. I like what Will Rogers said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buy land. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not making any more of it.â&#x20AC;? Dream big. Plan for the future. Stay on the road to LT success. Rod McDonald owned and operated Lakeview Gardens, a successful garden centre/landscape firm in Regina, Sask., for 28 years. He now works full-time in the world of fine arts, writing, acting and producing in film, television and stage.

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Walters Gardens: Perennial winners STOry aND PhOTOS By LOrraINe FLaNIGaN Plant sorting and grading at Walters is hands on. “Our people know the roots better than the tops,” says greenhouse manager Jeff Westendorp.

Hybridizer Hans Hansen is one of four hybridzers on staff at Walters.

The tray of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Langtrees’ was one of hundreds growing in the 500,000 square feet of greenhouses at Walters Gardens one spring day in 1997. That’s when an eagle-eyed employee spotted something a bit unusual. The sport of ‘Langtrees’ that stood out from the rest would turn out to be one of Walters Gardens’ best-selling perennials, ever, says Walters’ director of marketing communications, Susan Martin. It was ‘Jack Frost’. It’s this kind of attention to detail that has helped Walters Gardens grow from its five-acre farm roots back in the 1920s to the multimillion-dollar business it is today – the leading wholesale perennial grower in the United States. Since 1974, Walters has been serving the Canadian market with the same dedication to detail, from ensuring premium, virus-free products to providing a quality of customer service that has won 48 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

them the Michigan Agriculture Exporter of the Year award for 2008. “They have phenomenal customer service,” says Bob Stadnyk, merchandiser with Hole’s Greenhouses in Alberta, who has been dealing with Walters since “the early days.” It’s vital for customers like Hole’s to get plants across the border from Walters’ operations in Zeeland, Mich., quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. “Within 48 hours,” adds Carolyn Hardie of Maple Leaf Nurseries in Jordan, Ont., “we have our shipments, with no problems clearing the border, because all the details of the paperwork are accurate – it really helps make things go smoother.” Walters’ Canadian customer service staff members Heather Verdoorn and Nancy Windemuller are the ones who make it easy for Canadian customers to receive their orders on time and in good

From Walkways to Roadways, Magnum Has You Covered. With a complete line of rugged, contractor-grade broadcast, tailgate and insert hopper spreaders, Magnum Spreaders makes it easier than ever to choose the right spreader for your application. B R OA D CAS T S PR E A D E R S r 3 models available r Capacities from 70-100 lbs. r Come standard with sidewalk deflector and see-through cover r Constructed using carbon or stainless steel frames r Polypropylene hoppers resist corrosion

TA I LG AT E S PR E A D E R S r 6 models available r Most 575 & 1075 Series feature ½ hp direct drive motors r “Blast” feature grinds though chunks of salt or sand r 7 mounts to fit almost any vehicle r Options for 575 and 1075 series include vibrator kit, flow gate control kit, light kit (includes brake and work lights)

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I N S E R T H O PPE R S PR E A D E R S r 6 models available r Capacities from 2.0 cu. yards to 4.5 cu. yards r Gas powered insert spreaders come standard with wireless controller r Hoppers constructed from either one-piece polyethylene or stainless steel To see the complete line of Magnum Speaders, contact:

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The display and trials gardens form an important part of the plant evaluation program.

condition. Stadnyk recalls once working with Heather to find a way to reduce freight costs. “They’re always trying to find ways to help – they listen.” “It’s all about no delays,” says Maple Leaf’s Carolyn Hardie, who is also impressed with the way shipments arrive on customized wooden racks, ready for unpacking. About six years ago, Walters developed this innovative shipping system to replace conventional cardboard boxes, which took time to unload, unpack and were much bulkier than the racks. The boxes also took up more space in transport trucks. Shipping in open racks also means less stress for the plants. “With the boxes,” explains Wentworth, “it would take more time and effort to pack and unpack them. It meant they would be in the dark, without water, for about four or five days, instead of one or two.” “They have a very good track record,” says Stadnyk. “They’re very passionate about what they do and they’re always innovating and changing with what the customer wants,” he adds. At Maple Leaf Nurseries, known and respected in the industry as a premium perennial grower, Hardie knows she can rely on Walters’ virus-indexing program, for example, which ensures clean stock of high-risk perennials such as hostas, phlox and dianthus. “There are enough challenges in growing perennials,” says Hardie, “let alone having to worry about infected plugs. We know if there’s a problem, Walters won’t release it.” Walters is committed to testing all of the 50 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

plants in its catalogue for common viruses, starting with those that pose the highest risk, and the company has a zero tolerance standard for hosta virus X. On guard against disease Virus-indexing is only one way in which Walters ensures healthy plant stock. Throughout its greenhouses, staff continuously checks for pests, treating infestations early. During last summer’s Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association Field Day, greenhouse manager, Jeff Westendorp pointed out one of the screened-in greenhouses meant to keep out Japanese beetles, saying, “It’s back to the future here at Walters.” The low-tech solution is the most effective way of keeping the pests away from valuable nursery stock. The same diligence is at work in the fields, where daylilies, hibiscus, Baptisia and Amsonia as well as native plants are grown for bare-root sales. Field managers walk the rows weekly, scouting for insect damage as well as weeds, which are hand pulled or tractor-cultivated, depending on plant tolerance. Walters is moving more and more of its production, though, into the greenhouses, which results in lower input costs and increased efficiency. In 2006, Walters installed Elle plug equipment to replace more conventional plastic pot production methods. The company claims that some crops finish almost 60 percent faster in Elles than in plastic pots. “Walters is known for growing quality,

full-sized [Elle] plugs,” says Maple Leaf Nurseries’ Carolyn Hardie. “And they’re ready to ship at the ideal stage so they’ll respond quickly when we transplant them.” As good as they are, though, Walters never stops listening to its customers. In response to grower feedback and concern about problems with the smaller, 72-plug trays, in 2010 Walters redesigned them to allow for a larger root zone. “These are easier to transplant,” says Hardie, “and have more vigour. It’s a huge improvement.” Appeal of the new In a market that’s always looking for the next big thing, innovation counts now more than ever before. “Over the last several years, the perennials industry has had to come up with new varieties,” says Hole’s Stadnyk. With an in-house team of four plant breeders, Walters “goes one step further than working with a network of breeders,” adds Hardie. “Their commitment to their own breeding program is absolutely necessary. They are truly passionate; we can feel their excitement.” Because of the growing demand for new plant varieties, the industry has suffered some setbacks with the premature release of new cultivars that have failed to perform in the long-term. “The trial beds [at Walters] are an important part of my buying process,” admits Hardie, who relies on Walters to evaluate new cultivars for disease-resistance

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Crops planted in the acres of fields are bar-coded and tracked with GPS technology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Edwardâ&#x20AC;? the modified mower, trims rows of product in the greenhouse.

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Strong marketer All of these are qualities that drew marketing giant Proven Winners to Walters. In an announcement made last fall, Proven Winners executive director, Mark Broxon, pointed to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Walters Gardensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strong perennial plant varieties, dedication to breeding, and superior production practicesâ&#x20AC;? as key reasons for a partnership that will introduce 30 Waltersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; varieties to the market in July, 2011. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We needed a way to highlight our breeding program and quality,â&#x20AC;? adds Wentworth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, we can introduce them to a broader consumer market.â&#x20AC;? The partnership with Proven Winners complements Waltersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own strong marketing program. In 2009, the company redesigned and updated its industry and consumer websites, which garnered Walters several awards from the National Agri-Marketing Association. The website also features an upgraded online ordering system where customers can place orders around the clock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Approximately 30 percent of our orders come in online after business hours,â&#x20AC;? explains Waltersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Susan Martin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Customers really like being able to order when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convenient for them.â&#x20AC;? Walters Gardensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dedication to customer service, plant breeding and testing and overall quality service adds up to plenty of LT benefits for the Canadian growers. Lorraine Flanigan is a Toronto-based garden writer.

52 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

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match natural stones in various parts of the country. It is also built to withstand the harshest weather and age naturally like real rocks and stones. RocLok www.RocLok.com

Compost-based lawn care

The RocLok Hide a Key is the first key hiding system to incorporate the security of a combination lock box with the benefits of the traditional inconspicuous faux-rock key hider. With no batteries to change and a built-in combination lock with 1,000 combinations, the RocLok provides homeowners peace of mind for less cost than one visit from the locksmith. The RocLok is a realistic size and weight, and the cement-based material blends naturally with its environment.Â RocLok ranges in weight from four to 12 lbs., and comes in five rock types to

All Treat Farms introduces three new pelletized lawn care products for the retail and lawn care industries. Pelletized top dressing is made with compost derived from leaves and yard clippings. Apply twice a year to add organic matter to lawn soil, and to improve microbial activity. Especially effective in new housing developments. Pelletized lawn top dressing with fertilizer 10-0-6 is a unique blend of pure leaf and yard compost, with nitrogen

and potash fertilizer, allowing for top dressing and fertiliziation in one step. The phosphate-free fertilizer component supplies immediate nutritional benefit to the lawn for improved greening and growth. Compost-based lawn fertilizer 24-0-7 is a unique blend of pure leaf and yard compost with 50 per cent slow-release nitrogen, potash fertilizer and one per cent iron. All Treat Farms www.alltreat.com

Front tool pack The Ribz front pack is for anyone who wants essential gear and tools in a fast and easy-toreach location. Capable of carrying more than 600 cubic inches of gear (smaller 400 cubic inch model also available), Ribz fits comfortably and securely around the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ribcage, position-

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newproducts ing the contents so that they do not impede torso or arm movement and can be accessed from the front. Heavy duty but also lightweight, the Ribz Front Pack is made from 210D waterproof rip stop nylon and weights 11 oz. (18 oz. water resistant 600D nylon also available). The pack features external zippered pockets, and four additional internal pockets, providing plenty of storage options. Ribzwear ribzwear.com

Powerbroom Shindaiwa introduces the PS344 PowerBroom, designed with patented H4 technology. This model has lower emissions, runs cleaner, with higher torque and uses less fuel, according to the manufacturer. The 34 cc engine lets the powerbroom blast through snow, sand, rocks or gravel. The manufacturer claims a task that took a crew all afternoon can be completed singlehandedly. The broom has multiple brush heads and up to 1.5 hp of power. Shindaiwa www.shindaiwa.com

Seaweed-enhanced fertilizer

Trees: Caliper, Bare Root, B&B, Wire Basket, Container Grown Shrubs: Container Grown Broadleafs: Container Grown Evergreens: Field Grown, Container Grown Perennials, Grasses, Vines, Ferns

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Phone: 905-878-7226 • 1-800-377-3363 Fax: 905-878-8737

Quality • Service • Selection 56 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

Ferticare offers new unique fertilizers containing NPK (macro nutrients), micro nutrients (manganese, zinc, iron, etc.) and soluble seaweed (improves yield, plant health, root and plant development, resistance to environmental stresses and enhances nutrient levels). These high nutrient levels and seaweed allow for better plant nutrition and growth. Formulations include FertiCare KickStarter 9-45-9 + micro nutrients + seaweed, a water-soluble fertilizer to promote root development and growth in early spring for seedlings and young plants, or to restart plant processes after stress periods. FertiCare Maintenance 18-18-18 + micro nutrients + seaweed is a water-soluble fertilizer for improving the overall growth and vigour of plants. And FertiCare Bloom and Fruit 1-25-35 + micro nutrients + seaweed is a water-soluble fertilizer promoting blooming, fruiting and longevity of indoor and outdoor plants and flowers. FertiCare www.nutriag.com

LED outdoor lighting Kichler announces an expanded line of energy-saving landscape lighting solutions with the introduction of the Design Pro LED Hardscape, Deck, Step and Bench accent light. With a slim two thirds-in. profile and low heat output, 56 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

newproducts these versatile linear fixtures can be installed on virtually any surface, including wood, with just two screws. For hardscape applications, two types of accessory brackets allow for mounting on flat ledges and vertical surfaces. The low-voltage LED system uses 75 per cent less energy than traditional incandescent/halogen lighting, according to Kichler. The wet-location-approved fixtures are available in aluminum, copper and brass finishes, and three sizes (6.9 in., 12.9 in. and 18.9 in.) with three, six and nine LEDs respectively. Kichler www.landscapelighting.com

The Stretch Tie is an expandable twist tie for fastening plants, trees and vines. Developed by nursery professionals who claim using it is 50-60 per cent faster than hand tying, and is available in LT three sizes. Stretch Tie www.stretchtie.com

Expandable twist tie

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W E N Sectional snowplow Arctic offers its HD Sectional Sno-Plow line, designed for maximum productivity, and compatible with a variety of large pieces of equipment. The HD plows include several unique, patented features designed to increase pushing efficiency and fuel savings, greatly reduce salt usage and eliminate follow-up plowing. Constructed of durable steel, the patented moldboard design features individual 32 in.-wide sections, equipped with independent, spring-loaded AR-400 hardened steel trip edges. Sectional Sno-Plowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s patented Slip-Hitch system is included on every HD plow, which automatically and continuously adjusts the plow to the pavement grade, resulting in fewer missed areas and less follow-up plowing. And because it adjusts to the pavement mechanically, less operator time and effort is required to position the plow, making it ideal for inexperienced operators. Arctic Snow and Ice Control Products www.sectionalplow.com

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JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

novascotiaupdate Landscape Trades devotes space in each issue to provincial association news. This month features Landscape Nova Scotia. A new staff member joined the Landscape Nova Scotia office in October. Tracey Gilbert was hired as project administrator to help out LNS executive director, Pam Woodman, while she enjoys a new addition to her family expected in November. Welcome Tracey in her new position. Update: Congratulations to Pam Woodman and Stuart Carson, on the birth of their daughter, Evelyn, born Nov. 18, weighing 7 lbs.

2010 Horteast The 2010 HortEast Trade Show and Conference took place at the Cunard Centre in Halifax, N.S. on Nov. 23-24, with pre-show events on Nov. 22. This year’s trade show and conference is the best one yet! The 2010 HortEast committee worked hard planning an industry tour, two workshops for landscape construction and maintenance companies, certification opportunities, networking opportunities, a trade show with 120 booths, and a wide variety of speakers to benefit all members of the horticulture industry in Atlantic Canada. HortEast is an annual trade show for industry members in Atlantic Canada and surrounding areas focusing on seminars and exhibits for: landscape construction professionals, landscape maintenance professionals, greenhouse operators, nursery operators, tree specialists, garden centre operators, lawn care specialists, turf producers, golf course professionals.

LNS events On July 17, 2010, Landscape Nova Scotia held its first annual softball tournament in Enfield N.S., on a beautiful sunny Saturday. CNLA’s executive director Victor Santacruz even made it to throw the ceremonial first pitch. In August, LNS hosted its biggest annual golf tournament yet! With 14 teams and great sponsors, the members had a great time, and finished off the day with a steak barbecue dinner. The 2010 Landscape NS AGM took place Nov. 17, 2010. This was an important event, because LNS members had the opportunity to vote on contributing to a legacy fund for the new ACLE (Atlantic Centre of Landscape Excellence) building. The vision is to develop Centres of Landscape 58 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

HortEast wraps up the season for the green industry in Atlantic Canada, and offers workshops, seminars, an industry tour and great networking opportunities at the trade show.

The team from Shaw Brick was the triumphant winner of Landscape Nova Scotia’s first softball tournament.

Excellence across Canada. The Atlantic Centre for Landscape Excellence will be the signature innovation centre for landscape horticulture in Atlantic Canada. It will parallel and support Nova Scotia Agricultural College’s (NSAC) continued leadership in landscape horticulture training and education. NSAC will align its educational programs and services outcomes with landscape industry certification, and specialize in the provincial Red Seal-approved Landscape Horticulturist trade program. This integrated learning environment offers a uniquely efficient combination of theoretical and practical hands-on training and testing for both students and industry professionals.

Certification 2010 was one of the biggest years ever for certification in the Atlantic Region, as well as across the country. The Landscape Industry Certified Technician (formerly CHT) exam held on April 24 at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College had our highest registration ever, with 46 candidates. Great job everyone!

Awards of Excellence Our Awards of Excellence committee has been

working hard to improve participation in the Awards of Excellence program, and to create improved judging criteria. These changes are to encourage transparency for all award submissions and to streamline with the National Award judging criteria. Details are posted on the LNS website.

2011 Garden and Patio Show The 2011 Halifax Garden and Patio Show is scheduled for April 1- 3, 2011. Last year’s event was sold out, so if you were an exhibitor last year, we encourage you to contact the LNS office to reserve your spot for the 2011 show. The Garden and Patio Show enables our members to showcase their companies to large crowds and potential customers. For many of our member companies, participation in the Garden and Patio Show represents the beginning to another season. This is an opportunity for business owners and their employees to talk to prospective buyers about their products and services, and ultimately build their businesses. Participants celebrate an end to a long winter and embrace a unique opportunity to jump-start the season with early sales and new LT prospects.

Connect with the industry’s sharpest professionals at Congress Conference 2011:

R E ! T S AY I G D E R TO

January 10, 2011 Corporate Financial Management CLP Study Group IPM Symposium - One location only Irrigation Conference Landscape Designers Conference January 11-13, 2011 Congress Conference January 12, 2011 OPA’s Educational Forum

Canada’s 38th International Horticultural Lawn and Garden Trade Show and Conference

January 11-13, 2011 Toronto Congress Centre Toronto, Ontario, Canada An initiative of

In partnership with

the

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Sponsored by:

Koppert Canada Limited

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G.C. Duke

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John Deere Landscapes Ltd.

*Must be present to win door prize

Certified Landscape Professional Corporate Financial Management: CLP Study Group

Landscape Designer Conference Networking Creativity Innovation

Monday, January 10, 2011 Full day seminar – Lunch included 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. CLP Module Examination Berton Room - Toronto Congress Centre - New for 2011 Tickets pricing: $115 for LO members & non-members are $200 until December 22, 2010 $140 for LO members & non-members are $220 after December 22, 2010 Gain insights on: sçCore accounting principles sçUnderstanding and managing financial statements sçSeasonal and cyclical business fluctuations sçCapital and financial planning for your business Note: Participants must purchase the study manual at least 30 days in advance. www.clp.canadanursery.com

Monday, January 10, 2011 Full day design seminar – Lunch and Reception included 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. International Ballroom – Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel Networking reception to follow. Ticket pricing: $135 for LO members & non-members are $185 until December 22, 2010 $185 for LO members & non-members are $265 after December 22, 2010 Sponsored by: Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Visit the Landscape Ontario booth for more information on becoming landscape industry certified.

CONGRESS 2011 | show preview |

face2face Congress 2011 Tuesday, January 11 7:30 a.m. Registration Opens 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Trade Show Open Special Events 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. KEYNOTE – Judy Urquhart Lighten Up, It’s Only Work: The Power of Levity

Wednesday, January 12 Special Events 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Ontario Parks Association’s 55th Educational Forum Parks: Connecting the Community Ticketed Event – Waxman Room

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Landscape Ontario Legacy Celebration Patcher-Karsh Room 11:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Green Communities, Parks and Partnerships Waxman Room – Ticketed Event

8:00 a.m. Registration Opens

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Trade Show Open

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

W Landscape Ontario’s Annual General Meeting International Ballroom - Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel

7:30 a.m. Registration Opens

Thursday Conference Seminars 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. sçManaging Your Company in a Tight Economy sçDevelopments in Sustainable Sites sçFrom the Trenches: Starting a Landscape Company from the Ground Up sçChemical-Free Plants Sell sçConstruction Techniques and Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement (PICP) Systems

Feature FeatureGardens Gardens The The display display gardens gardens atat Congress Congress 2011 2011 are are designed designed and and constructed constructed byby students students from from Bendale Bendale Business Business and and Technical Technical Institute, Institute, Fanshawe, Fanshawe, Humber, Humber, and and Niagara Niagara Colleges Colleges and and Ridgetown Ridgetown Campus Campus ofof the the University University ofof Guelph. Guelph. The The gardens gardens demonstrate demonstrate the the concepts, concepts, talents talents and and skills skills ofof aa new new generation generation ofof horticulture. horticulture. 62 | CONGRESS 2011

| show preview

1 s s s s s

1 s s s s

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Trade Show Open

Thursday, January 13

1 s s s s

1 s

s s s

Congress Conference offers 32 sessions from the greening of the trade to specialized technical education tailored to make you, your employees and your business a success. Everything from heavy equipment built for your office or managing your company in a tight economy to green roofs, sustainable gardens and plant growth factors is covered. All conference and trade show events take place at the Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Rd. unless noted otherwise.

Tuesday Conference Seminars 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. sçThe Sustainable Garden sçSuccession Beyond the Family sçPlant Growth Factors sçSocial/Business Networking: How to Schmooze Like a Pro sçProductivity Benchmarking for Landscape Contractors 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. sçJob Costing: Financial Fundamentals sçTrees and Construction sçLandscape Safety: Are You and Your Employees Job-Ready? sçUsing Outside Advisory Boards to Ensure Sustained Success

Tuesday Evening - Special Events 4:45 p.m. Landscape Ontario President’s Reception 5:15 p.m. Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence Ceremony Ticketed Event: Plaza Ballroom - Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel Canadian Fence Industry Association’s Annual General Meeting Ticketed Event: Location TBA

Wednesday Conference Seminars 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. sç Closing the Communication Gap: Is Your Vision Being Understood? sçOrnamental Grasses in the Landscape sçWinning Companies Need Superstar Employees sçGreenroofs, Greenwalls and Rain Gardens

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. sç A Career That’s Great for Life! sç Technology: Heavy Equipment Built for Your Office sç Techniques and Issues in Greenroof Installation and Maintenance sç If it’s Landscaping, Shouldn’t There Be Plants?

12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m. sçSustainable Design Using Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement (PICP) Systems sçCreating a Customer-Focused Culture sçAre We Putting On the Right Face? sçWork-Life Balance

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. sçSeven Things Contractors Always Ask Me sçThe REAL Goods on Solving the People Problems in Your Business sçHorticulture as Therapy for Specialized Populators sçSustainable Urban Forest Management Planning sçBenchmarking Your Overhead

Prosperity through Engagement Landscape Ontario is focused on your professional development. The prosperity partnership program offers you unlimited opportunities and resources to engage your employees and encourage them to grow. Visit the Landscape Ontario Resource Centre, participate in conference sessions, talk to staff and learn how to prosper from the basic elements of business success: Sales, Financial Health, Operational Excellence, Leadership and Technical Education. Get involved with Landscape Ontario today, boost your prosperity tomorrow. CONGRESS 2011 | show preview |

| show preview

Badge Holders Only

ENTRANCE

Registration and Badge pick-up

MAIN ENTRANCE

Compliments Compliments of of

Free Free Hotel Hotel Shuttle Shuttle Drop-off/Pick-up Drop-off/Pick-up

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EXPLORATIONS EXPLORATIONS

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FENCECRAFT FENCECRAFT

Featuring Featuring

Toronto Congress Centre

January 11 - 13, 2011

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ENTRANCE ENTRANCE

64 | CONGRESS 2011

SP SP

CONGRESS CONFERENCES ENTRANCE

SECURITY / RECEIVING

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CONGRESS 2011 | show preview | DIXON ROAD

NO ENTRANCE TO SHOW FLOOR

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CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

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Congress 2011

Save time and money! Register online at locongress.com

Featuringng FENCECRAFT

the

green

EXPLORATIONS

forum

TRADE SHOW and CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM First name

Please tell us about yourself: Your primary area of business: (Check one only)

Last name

Company Mailing address City

Prov.

Postal code

Phone

Fax

E-mail

Please check ( )

Associations you are a member of: LO

CNLA

CFIA

OPA

Wish to receive information on membership for: LO CNLA CFIA OPA Certification level achieved: CHT CLD CLT CIT CLP To receive information to exhibit at: Green Trade Expo Canada Blooms 2011 Expo 2011 Congress 2012 Pre-register by December 22 to receive your badge in the mail. Registration fees after Dec. 22, 2010 and onsite are more expensive. All ticket prices include admission to exhibit halls.

Please check ( ) choices and total your costs ADVANCE

ON-SITE

Full Conference Pass

Member............................................................. $135 .................... $185 Non-member ....................................................$195 .................... $270

One-day Conference Pass

Member............................................................... $85 .................. $115 Non-member ....................................................$125 .................. $170

One-Session Conference Pass

Member............................................................... $60 .................... $85 Non-member ...................................................... $95 ................... $120

OPA Conference

Member............................................................ $165 ..... ............... $235 Non-member.....................................................$195 ..... ............... $270 Luncheon & Keynote Only ................................................................... $55

Green Connections: Communities, Parks & Partnerships .................................................................................................... $45 Trade Show Only Pass

Member...............................................................$15 ..... ..................$25 Non-member.......................................................$20 ..... ..................$30

Pre-Congress and Special Event Purchases – Pre-Congress Symposiums include free trade show pass IPM Symposium One location only - Monday, January 10, 2010 - Toronto

...............................................................................$90 ...................$110

Landscape Designer Conference

Awards of Excellence

Member............................................................... $135 ...................$185 Non-member........................................................$185 ...................$265 Member............................................................... $115 .....................$200 Non-member ...................................................... $140 ...................$220 Member..................................................................$75 .................$95 Non-member........................................................$100 ............. ......$120 ............................. ... ...............................................................................$35

Tailgate Party XV

............................. .... .....................................FREE with delegate badge

Irrigation Conference

Student with valid Student ID (must be pre-registered by school) by December 1st Three day Trade Show pass .............................................................................N/C ..................$10 Three day Conference pass ............................................................................. $30 ...................$40 Member pricing: Landscape Ontario, Canadian Fence Industry Association, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association and Ontario Parks Association members are entitled to member pricing. See page 2 for complete list. Badges: The first mailing of badges will be in early December.

Grand Total

$_______________________

Congress Trade Show Passes: Passes are for entry to the trade show only and have no commercial value. Pass requests must be mailed, faxed or entered online at locongress.com prior to December 22, 2010. If you have a pass and would also like to attend a conference session, the above prices apply.

Payment Options: All fees are non-refundable. Payment must accompany registration form(s). HST is included in all prices. (HST Reg. No. R119005049)

Cheque, payable to Landscape Ontario Congress, is enclosed, or Credit card: AMEX

Credit card number

Cardholder name

Expiry Date

Signature (required)

66 | CONGRESS 2011

| show preview

MasterCard

Primary Job Responsibility 1 Ƒ Owner/Partner/General Manager 2 Ƒ Foreman/Supervisor 3 Ƒ Government official 4 Ƒ Field technician 5 Ƒ Office/Administration 6 Ƒ Purchasing 7 Ƒ Sales/Marketing 8 Ƒ Educator/Student 9 Ƒ Other: _________________________________

Congress Conference Sessions

Monday January 10

Corporate Financial Management - CLP

1 Ƒ Arborist/tree moving contractor 2 Ƒ Consultant 3 Ƒ Equipment dealer – rental and service 4 Ƒ Federal, provincial, municipal, private parks and cemeteries 5 Ƒ Fence contractor and others allied to fence trades 6 Ƒ Golf course designer/maintenance/superintendent 7 Ƒ Greenhouse grower/distributor 8 Ƒ Grounds management 9 Ƒ Irrigation supplies/service 10 Ƒ Landscape architect/designer/ design-build contractor 11 Ƒ Landscape contractor – interior and/or exterior 12 Ƒ Lawn care 13 Ƒ Media – editor/publisher 14 Ƒ Retail garden centre 15 Ƒ School board/institution/association 16 Ƒ Non-exhibiting dealer, distributor, MFR, MFR rep and supplier allied to the trades 17 Ƒ Snow contractor 18 Ƒ Wholesale nursery grower/distributor 19 Ƒ Educator 20 Ƒ Other: ___________________________________

VISA

Seating at sessions, including pre-Congress sessions on Monday, January 10th, is limited to first come, first served. Events with separate fees are listed on the left-hand part of the form.

Policies and Information

Registration Information: Register online at locongress.com or use this form. You will save money if you pre-register by December 22, 2010. All conference passes include admission to the trade show. Badges will be held for pick-up for registrations received after December 22nd. Discount Eligibility: Members of Landscape Ontario, the Canadian Fence Industry Association, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, Ontario Landscape Architects Association, Master Gardeners and the Ontario Parks Association are entitled to member pricing. Early Bird Deadline Policy: No extensions to the deadline of December 22, 2010 will be granted. Registration fees after this date and on-site are more expensive. Refund Policy: No refunds will be issued unless Congress 2011 is cancelled by Show Management. NOTE: Registration lines can be long early in the morning. If you are attending a morning conference session and need to register or have a name badge printed, leave extra time.

locongress.com Mail: Landscape Ontario Congress c/o CONEXSYS 7050B Bramalea Rd, Ste 34 Mississauga, ON L5S 1S9 Canada Register online: locongress.com Fax back: 1(800)628-8838 or (905)405-9870

List of Exhibitors A

A M A PLASTICS LTD................................................... 1417 A&R GEOSYNTHETICS INC.......................................... 314 ACO SYSTEMS LTD..................................................... 1629 ACORUS RESTORATION NATIVE PLANT NURSERY ............................................................... GF31 ACTI-SOL INC.............................................................. GF33 ADAMSON’S HERITAGE NURSERY LTD................... 1216 ADVANCED EQUIPMENT SALES / TREBRO................................................................... 1465 AERWAY ......................................................................1543A AGGMIN EQUIPMENT LTD. .......................................... 335 AGRIUM ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES .................... 1302 AIM ATTACHMENTS ........................................................ S7 ALFA PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL ......................... OP19 ALL SEASONS FENCING LTD ...................................... F02 ALL TREAT FARMS LTD................................................. 460 ALLIANCE AGRI-TURF INC......................................... 1118 ALLSTONE EQUIPMENT LTD MEYER PRODUCTS ................................................. 670 ALLSTONE QUARRY PRODUCTS INC...................... 1570 ALMAR VINYL PRODUCTS........................................... F32 ALPINE PLANT FOODS CORPORATION................... 1727 ALTURNAMATS, INC...................................................... 133 AMAIZEINGLY GREEN VALUE PRODUCTS ULC ................................................... GF51 AMERISTAR FENCE PRODUCTS ................................. F22 AMETHYST HORTICULTURE LTD............................. GF21 APPRENTICESEARCH.COM-H.I.E.C. ............................ E1 AQUA MIX ..................................................................... 1326 AQUASCAPE, INC.......................................................... 304 ARBORICULTURE CANADA TRAINING & EDUCATION ........................................ E55 ARBOURDALE SALES WIRELESS IRRIGATION SYSTEM............................................... 452 ARBRUX LIMITED ........................................................ 1516 ARCTIC EQUIPMENT MFG CORP ............................... 644 ARIENS/GRAVELY .......................................................... 172 ARTIFICIAL GRASS & LANDSCAPING INC (AGL) ....................................... 378

Green Communities, Parks and Partnerships

As of October 29, 2010. Subject to change.

ASB GREENWORLD LTD ............................................ 1405 ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO ROAD SUPERVISORS .............................................. 611 ATLAS BLOCK CO LIMITED.......................................... 538 ATLAS POLAR COMPANY LTD................................... 1737 ATLAS ROLLING ENTRY SYSTEMS ............................ F06 ATPONDS - DIV OF A&T INDUSTRIES INC .................................................... 1206 AWC MARKETING INC. ................................................. 308

BAG-O-SAND INC........................................................ 1560 BAKKER (J.C.) & SONS LTD ........................................ 1542 BANAS STONES INC ..................................................... 750 BANNERMAN LTD.......................................................... 333 BARBER, STEWART, MCVITTIE & WALLACE INSURANCE BROKERS ..............................................77 BARKMAN CONCRETE LTD ....................................... 1634 BARRACUDA INC ........................................................ 1243 BARRETO MANUFACTURING....................................412A BARRETT MARKETING GROUP .................................. 570 BARRETT MARKETING GROUP LTD................................9 BARTELL MORRISON INC ............................................ 171 BATTLEFIELD EQUIPMENT RENTALS......................... 766 BENCO MANUFACTURING ......................................1543B BEST WAY STONE LTD ................................................. 268 BIOFERT MANUFACTURING INC ............................. GF51 BLUE SKY NURSERY LTD .......................................... 1217 BOBBEX INC................................................................. 1406 BOBCAT COMPANY .........................................................99 BOSMAN HOME FRONT INC ....................................... 129 BOT AGGREGATES LIMITED........................................ 436 BOTANY BAY ESTATE PERENNIALS ......................... 1335 BOULDERS STONE SUPPLY INC .............................. 1632 BOUNDARY FENCHING + RAILING SYSTEMS INC......................................................... 1513 BRADSTONE ................................................................ 1121 BRAUN NURSERY LTD................................................ 1235 BRICKSTOP CORP ........................................................ 537

C & M AQUATICS LIMITED......................................... GF32 C PINE ASSOCIATES INC ........................................... 1124 CADMAN POWER EQUIPMENT LTD ........................... 247 CALCO SOILS ................................................................ 340 CALHOUN SUPER STRUCTURE ............................... 1425 CAN AM PRECAST PRODUCTS LTD ........................ 1343 CANADA POWER TECHNOLOGY - CPT .................... 548 CANADALE NURSERIES LTD ..................................... 1212 CANADIAN COBBLE SYSTEMS................................. 1149 CANADIAN EQUIPMENT OUTFITTERS ..................... 1621 CANADIAN FENCE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION ............................................................. F5 CANADIAN NURSERY LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION ............................................................. 5A CANADIAN RESTORATIONS GTA INC....................... 2106 CANADIAN SALT COMPANY LTD. (THE) ..................... 169 CANNOR NURSERIES LTD ......................................... 1408 CASE IH DEALERS......................................................... 282 CAST LIGHTING LLC ................................................... 1132 CENTRAL IRRIGATION SUPPLY OF CANADA INC..................................................... 1108 CHEROKEE MFG ......................................................... 1250 CHRYSLER CANADA INC ..................................................3 CJ BLOWERS ................................................................. 167 CLARITY FOR THE BOSS/JUMP-POINT................... 1107 CLASSIC RECREATION SYSTEMS INC..................................................... OP27D CLOTURES DIRECTES INC .......................................... F12 CMG BUILDING SOLUTIONS ....................................... 449 COMMANDER INDUSTRIES......................................... 250 COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM - ONTARIO .................... GF15

CONGRESS 2011: 4 SHOWS IN 1

One of North America’s largest horticultural, lawn and garden trade shows and conferences. You will see, test and purchase leading suppliers’ products and services all under one roof. Plus you can attend highly informative educational sessions focusing on green initiatives.

Presented by:

the

green

forum

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 New date and location for 2011 Full day program – OPA’s Past Presidents’ Luncheon and OPA Awards Presentations included 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Waxman Room, Toronto Congress Centre Ticketed event

Plan to Attend the Green Industry’s Main Event:

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 Half day seminar – Lunch included 11:00 a.m. – 5:15 p.m. Waxman Room, Toronto Congress Centre Tickets: $45

Ontario Parks Association’s 55th Annual Educational Forum Parks: Connecting the Community

BROOKDALE TREELAND NURSERIES LTD ....................................................... 453 BROOKLIN CONCRETE .............................................. 1512 BROWN MANUFACTURING .....................................1546B BROWN’S CONCRETE.................................................. 364 BROWN’S FUELS ........................................................ 1102 BSG ROCK.................................................................... 1207

The Green Forum See innovative green products in construction, recycling, composting, waste management, native plants, organics, energy efficiency, electric or energy efficient equipment and vehicles, bio-fuel and beneficial green space management practices. EXPLORATIONS 2011 Explorations, the Ontario Parks Association’s 55th Annual Parks, Grounds and Recreation Facilities Trade Show, is a unique event dedicated to parks, private and public green space management. Here you’ll discover leading edge new products that offer better efficiency, improved productivity, cost savings and solutions to the challenges of sustainable green spaces. FENCECRAFT 2011 The Canadian Fence Industry Association will host a fence focused showcase dedicated to high quality fence products and related services. A wide selection of aluminum, bamboo, chain link, steel, wood, or vinyl fencing will be displayed by leading fence wholesalers and manufacturers.

CONGRESS 2011 | show preview |

List of Exhibitors CONNECT EQUIPMENT........................... 712. 1502. 1506 CONNON NURSERIES/AVK NURSERY HOLDINGS ........................................... 2101 CONNON NURSERIES/CBV HOLDINGS LTD ......................................................... 560 CONNON NURSERIES/NVK HOLDINGS INC .............................................1456, 1469 CONTRANS GROUP INC .............................................. 234 CORIX WATER PRODUCTS .......................................... 541 CREW TRACKER SOFTWARE.................................... 1617 CUB CADET .................................................................... 632 CURV-RITE INC ................................................................ S9

DAKOTA TREE TRANSPLANTER ................................. 667 DAY & CAMPBELL LIMITED........................................ 2109 DECK MASTERS OF CANADA ................................... 1602 DEER FENCE CANADA INC....................................... GF39 DEERBUSTERS .............................................................. F00 DEL EQUIPMENT LTD.................................................... 104 DELAWARE PUMP AND PARTS LTD ........................... 165 DELGARD........................................................................ F31 DEN-MAR BRINES ......................................................... 477 DEVTRA INC ................................................................... 820 DFK EQUIPMENT SALES INC ...................................... 874 DIAMOND SYSTEMS INC ........................................... 1660 DICKSON EQUIPMENT ................................................. 334 DITEQ CORPORATION .................................................. 551 DOMAX CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT ..................... 212 DONWAY FORD ........................................................... 1366 DRIVETEC ....................................................................... 246 DUKE (GC) EQUIPMENT LTD ..... 1543, 1546, 1642, 1756, 1762 DUTCHMASTER NURSERIES LTD............................. 1566 DYNAMATRIX - DIV OF GAGRO CORPORATION......................................................... 377 DYNAMIC PLAYGROUNDS .................................... OP27C DYNASCAPE SOFTWARE........................................... 1218 DYNE INDUSTRIES INC ................................................ 546

EARTHWORKS ............................................................. 1232 EASTERN FARM MACHINERY LTD.............................. 382 EASY PRO POND PRODUCTS..................................... 141 EASY-FLO .................................................................... GF44 ECHO POWER EQUIPMENT (CANADA).....................................................8, 718, 1470 ECO SOLUTIONS (MILTON) INC ..................................GF8 ECO WOOD PRODUCTS LTD....................................... 543 ECOMAT DISTRIBUTION INC ....................................... F23 ECOSYSTEMS GROUT .............................................1149A ECOVAL HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS INC..................................................... GF46 ED’S CONCRETE PRODUCTS LTD ........................... 1136 ELIET USA INC ............................................................... 412 ELOQUIP LTD .....................................................1272, 1366 ENGAGE AGRO............................................................ 1352 ENVIROBOND PRODUCTS CORP............................. 1113 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR INC / EFI....................... GF42 ENVIRONS WHOLESALE NURSERY ......................... 1526 EVERPLAY INSTALLATION INC .................................... 432 E-Z-GO ........................................................................1762A EZ-GRASS, INC. ........................................................... 1252

FAIRFIELD TREE NURSERIES INC............................. 1142 FAIRGREEN SOD FARMS LTD.................................... 1431 FANSHAWE COLLEGE ............................................E38, 34 FEDERATED INSURANCE ............................................. F01 FENCAST INDUSTRIES LTD ......................................... F21 FENCE ARMOR .............................................................. F18 FENCOR CONCRETE SYSTEMS ............................. F2115 FERRIS INDUSTRIES INC.............................................. 518 FIBRAMULCH....................................................................24 FIRST CONCRETE LTD.................................................. 468 FLAGPAVE INC ...............................................................S10 FLAMBEAU FLUID SYSTEMS ...................................... 569 FORD TRUCKS - OAKLAND FORD..........................1642B FORTRESS IRON RAILING AND FENCE SYSTEMS ..................................................... F26 FOUNTAIN PLACE CO. LTD. ......................................... 473 FOUNTAINHEAD GROUP INC .................................... 1527 FOX HOLLOW FARMS................................................. 1324

68 | CONGRESS 2011

| show preview

As of October 29, 2010. Subject to change.

FRENSCH (C) LTD ........................................................ 1139 FS PARTNERS, A DIVISION OF GROWMARK, INC. ........................................... 1203 FUTURE ROADS SOLUTIONS......................................GF9 FYFE (ALLAN) EQUIPMENT LTD................................... 361

G & B PORTABLE FABRIC BUILDINGS ....................... 157 G R DISTRIBUTORS INC ............................................... 553 G&L GROUP OF COMPANIES.................................... 1567 GARDENLINK INC.......................................................... 464 GARDENMEDIA............................................................ 1426 GEHL CO......................................................................... 708 GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA ..................................32 GENERAL SEED COMPANY ....................................... 1204 GIANT VAC MANUFACTURING................................1543E GLENN WALTERS NURSERY ..................................... 1428 GLOBAL ARCH INC ....................................................... 418 GREEN ROOFS FOR HEALTHY CITIES .................... GF40 GREENHORIZONS GROUP OF FARMS LTD (THE) ................................................................. 1260 GRO-BARK (ONTARIO) LTD .......................................... 328 GROUNDS GUYS (THE) .............................................. 1329 GROWER’S CHOICE ..................................................... 577 G-TRAX WEAR PARTS INC ........................................... 175

HANES GEO COMPONENTS ....................................... 860 HANSON HARDSCAPE PRODUCTS ........................... 648 HARKNESS EQUIPMENT LTD .................................... 2018 HARSHA STONE INDUSTRIES................................... 1732 HILLTOP STONE & SUPPLY........................................ 1251 HISTREE.NET INC ........................................................ 1346 HIWAY.......................................................................... 1543F HOLDER OF NORTH AMERICA.................................. 1506 HOLLAND IMPORTS INC .............................................. 533 HORST WELDING / AMI ATTACHMENTS...................... S7 HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATES OF ROCHESTER ..................................................... 1205 HORTICULTURAL MARKETING INC................1158, 1159 HORTPROTECT INSURANCE ........................................5B HUDSON ENTRY & AUTOMATION............................... F28 HUMBER COLLEGE ...........................................E49, GF60 HUNTER INDUSTRIES INC./FX LUMINAIRE ............... 434 HUSQVARNA CANADA CORPORATE ....................... 1652 HUTCHESON SAND & MIXES ................................... OP22 HVP CANADA INC.......................................................... F14 HYDRO-RAIN.................................................................. 243 HYDRO-SOURCE SALES LTD ...................................... 481

INCLUDE SOFTWARE ................................................. 1231 INCRETE SYSTEMS; DIV OF EUCLID CANADA ......... 339 INFRASTRUCTURES ........................................................69 IN-LITE DESIGN CORPORATION ............................... 1625 INNOVATION INITIATIVE COOPERATIVE INC.............. E27 INNOVATIVE SURFACE SOLUTIONS ........................ GF52 INSTONE LANDSCAPE COMPANY LTD...................... 413 INTELLIGENT OFFICE ................................................... 637 INVESTORS GROUP FINANCIAL SERVICES - TORONTO.......................................... 2010 IRON EAGLE INDUSTRIES INC .................................... F11 IRRIGATION DIRECT .................................................... 1624 ISUZU COMMERCIAL TRUCK CANADA........................15

J & J TRAILERS .............................................................. 578 JACOBSEN - DIV OF TEXTRON .............................. 1543G JAMBETTE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT................. OP16 JB&D COMPANY LTD .................................................. 1266 JDJ TRAILER MANUFACTURERS INC ........................ 772 JOE JOHNSON EQUIPMENT INC ................................ 653 JOHN DEERE LANDSCAPES LTD................................ 132 JOHN DEERE LTD .............................................728A, 728B JPL VEHICLE LEASING SERVICES ............................ 1116 JRT NURSERIES INC. .................................................. 1661

KAFKO POOL PRODUCTS ......................................... 1403 KAGE INNOVATION LLC.............................................. 1670 KAM’S GROWERS SUPPLY.......................................... 510

KATO’S NURSERY (2007) LTD .................................... 1224 KAWARTHA ROCK QUARRY INC .............................. 1145 KEN BEGG NURSERY SALES INC............................. 1133 KESMAC BROUWER TURF EQUIPMENT ................... 571 KING CITY TRAILERS .................................................... 260 KING PACKAGED MATERIALS CO .............................. 635 KIOTI TRACTOR - DIV OF DAEDONG USA, INC .............................................. 1750 KLEINBURG NURSERY............................................... 1228 KNECHT LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES LTD ................ 1327 KOBES NURSERIES INC............................................. 1313 KOOY BROTHERS LAWN EQUIPMENT LTD .............. 111 KOPPERT CANADA LTD.............................................. 1423 KRAUS NURSERIES LTD ............................................ 1556 KROWN RUST CONTROL SYSTEMS.......................... 854 KUBOTA CANADA LTD .................................................. 686

L&R SHELTERS INC ..................................................... 1230 LAHMAN PRECAST CONCRETE INC........................ 1209 LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT NETWORK................... 166 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO RESOURCE CENTRE ................5 LANDSCAPE SAFETY ASSOCIATES ..............................72 LANDSOURCE ORGANIX LTD...................................... 547 LANING (ROBERT H)& SONS LTD................................ 868 LASTEC MANUFACTURING .....................................1543H LAWN SOLUTIONS ....................................................1546D LAYFIELD GEOSYNTHETICS & INDUSTRIAL FABRICS LTD ..................................... 609 LEDEX IND./AVALANCHE.............................................. 508 LEMAR TREE SPADES ................................................ 1248 LIGHTHOUSE SALES GROUP ..................................... 663 LIGHTNING EQUIPMENT SALES INC ...........................N1 LIMBERLOST STONE INC .......................................... 1525 LIMESTONE TRAIL COMPANY LTD ............................. 147 LINNAEA NURSERIES LTD ......................................... 1419 LINZEL DISTRIBUTING................................................ 1507 LUBO LIGHTING INT’L INC ......................................... 1842

MACCAFERRI CANADA LTD ...................................... 1105 MAKITA CANADA INC.................................................... 563 MANCHESTER PRODUCTS ....................................... 1434 MANKAR DISTRIBUTING INC..................................... 1101 MAPEL LEASE FINANCIAL SERVICES ........................ 862 MAPLE LEAF NURSERIES LTD .................................. 1453 MAR-CO CLAY PRODUCTS INC.................................. 138 MARTEK SUPPLY......................................................... 1414 MASONAL STONE INC................................................ 1517 MASSARELLI’S............................................................. 1154 MASSEY FERGUSON.................................................... 712 MASTER HALCO CORP ................................................ F19 MCCLOSKEY INTERNATIONAL ................................. 1766 MCCONNELL-SPADAFORA INC .................................. 561 MEDALLION FENCE LTD................................................. F4 MEEKER’S MAGIC FISH MIX ..................................... GF49 MEGADOME / HARNOIS INDUSTRIES ..................... 1130 MERCEDES-BENZ ...................................................... GF17 MERSINCO INC............................................................ 1725 MERV’S PATIOS & SHEWANS ORNAMENTS ........... 1202 MESHWEAR TECHNOLOGIES INC ............................. 228 MILLER COMPOST - THE MILLER GROUP................ 346 MILLGROVE PERENNIALS ......................................... 1432 MILLROAD MANUFACTURING .................................... 768 MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT .......................... GF38 MISKA TRAILERS ..............................................................35 MITSUBISHI FUSO TRUCK OF AMERICA, INC .............13 MOBILE MATTS ............................................................133B MODERN FENCE TECHNOLOGIES............................. F25 MORI NURSERIES LTD.................................................. 428 MORSELLI...................................................................1546E MS SPRAYER INC ; DIV. OF RAD TECHNOLOGIES INC ............................................. 1255 MULCHIT INC ............................................................... 1412 MULLIGAN MARKETING GROUP ..................................5C MULTI SHELTER SOLUTIONS .................................... 1420 MUNGER LAWNSCAPE INC...................................... GF43 MYKE PRODUCTS...................................................... GF53

NAPA AUTO PARTS ..........................................................74 NATIONAL CONCRETE ACCESSORIES...................... 568 NATIONWIDE INDUSTRIES ........................................... F13

NATURAL INSECT CONTROL ................................... GF26 NEBS PAYweb.ca ........................................................... 312 NEW HOLLAND NORTH AMERICA ............................... 3A NEWROADS NATIONAL LEASING ..................................71 NEWTONBROOK BLOCK & SUPPLY CO LTD ............ 446 NIAGARA COLLEGE ...................................................... E51 NIAGARA PARKS COMMISSION SCHOOL OF HORTICULTURE................................ E52 NINCOMPOOP FARMS INC....................................... GF12 NISCO NATIONAL LEASING ........................................... 5A NLS PRODUCTS ......................................................... GF23 NORLEANS TECHNOLOGIES INC ............................... 187 NORTON ABRASIVES O/A SAINT GOBAIN ABRASIVES CANADA INC ..................... 1628 NURSERY SOD GROWERS ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO ..................................... E2 NUTRITE........................................................................ 2008

OAKS CONCRETE PRODUCTS ................................... 320 OGILVIE IRON WORKS ................................................. OP5 OLYMPIA FABRIC STRUCTURES ................................ 655 OMAFRA - ONTARIO MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS .................................... E4 OMEGA II FENCE SYSTEMS ........................................ F08 ONTARIO FEDERATION OF ANGLERS AND HUNTERS ........................................................... E7 ONTARIO FOOD TERMINAL BOARD ......................... 1246 ONTARIO MINISTRY OF TRAINING, COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES .................................... E3 ONTARIO PARKS ASSOCIATION............................... OP21 ONTARIO REGIONAL COMMON GROUND ALLIANCE (ORCGA) ............................................... 1214 ONTARIO RUBBER INDUSTRIES .................................GF2 ONTARIO SAWDUST SUPPLIES LTD........................... 341 ONTARIO SEED CO LTD.............................................. 1134 ONTARIO TREE SEED PLANT - MINSITRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES ....................................................... 343 ONTARIO TURFGRASS RESEARCH FOUNDATION GUELPH TURFGRASS INSTITUTE ......................... E10 OREGON DISTRIBUTION LTD .................................... 1606

ORGANIC EXPRESS INC .............................................. 451 OUTDOOR SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT INC.......... 1265 OUTFRONT PORTABLE SOLUTIONS - A DIVISION OF ALL COVER PORTABLE SYSTEMS ........................ 528

PACIFIC RIM BRACKETS LTD .................................... 1320 PARK PETS & BOULDERS .......................................OP27E PCI ............................................................................. 1150 PEBBLEMAN NATURAL STONE (THE) ........................ 615 PEETERS (JM) NURSERIES LTD ................................ 1353 PERENNIAL PLANT ASSOCIATION (PPA) ................... E54 PERMACON INC .......................................................... 1532 PERMALOC CORPORATION ........................................ 613 PESTICIDE INDUSTRY COUNCIL - PIC....................... E57 PHOENIX MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS INC............. 153 PICKSEED CANADA INC............................................. 1520 PINENEEDLE FARMS .................................................. 1131 PJ CANADA INC. .......................................................... 2111 PLANT PRODUCTS CO LTD ...................................... GF47 PLEASURE-WAY POOLS .............................................. 649 PLS INSOLES ............................................................... 2108 PONDBUILDER, INC. ................................................... 1146 POOLS, SPAS & PATIOS................................................ 647 PORTABLE WINCH CO. ................................................ 818 POWER SOURCE CANADA........................................ 1612 PRICELESS PRODUCTS LANDSCAPE DEPOT ......... 717 PRO FLEET CARE .......................................................... 822 PRO LANDSCAPE BY DRAFIX SOFTWARE ............... 417 PRO TECH ENGINEERING INC .................................. 1858 PROFESSIONAL LAWN CARE ASSOCIATION OF ON .......................................................................... E9 PROLINE EQUIPMENT: DIVISION OF HERITAGE OAK FARM, INC...................................................... 1427 PRONOVOST MACHINERY INC................................. 1666 PRO-POWER CANADA INC.......................................... 482 PUTZER (M) HORNBY NURSERY LTD....................... 1424

Q & Z NURSERY INC ................................................... 1562 QUALITY FERTILIZERS INC .......................................... 476 QUALITY SEEDS LTD................................................... 1433 QUEST AUTOMOTIVE LEASING SERVICES ............... 224

R&D CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS LTD............................. 1468 RAYCO .......................................................................... 1756 RAYCO WOOD & DEBRIS PRODUCTS ...................1756A RBC GROUP FINANCIAL SERVICES ............................. 5F RECREATION PLAYSYSTEMS................................... OP27 REDBUD SUPPLY INC................................................. 1357 REGION OF PEEL........................................................... 474 REIST INDUSTRIES INC ................................................ 372 RESOLVE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS INC................... 1333 RIGBE’S QUARRY........................................................ 1529 RIGHTDRIVE INC............................................................ 146 RITTENHOUSE SINCE 1914 ....................................... 1533 RIVERBEND FARMS (ONTARIO) LTD ......................... 1258 RIZMI STONE AND AGGREGATES INC..................... 1127 ROB-ENS EQUIPMENT INC.......................................... 179 ROMA FENCE LTD .................................................F30, 564 ROTODAIRON ............................................................1543D ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS.................................... E39 RTF TURF PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION ................... 1418 RTS HOME ACCENTS ................................................ OP25 RYAN ...........................................................................1546C

SABLE MARCO INC..................................................... 1128 SALSCO ...................................................................... 1543J SAN JUAN POOLS....................................................... 2004 SANTERRA STONECRAFT ......................................... 1312 SCHAFFER LOADERS ......................................................78 SCHILLER GROUNDS CARE....................................1546A SCP DISTRIBUTORS ..................................................... 137 SEAL KING INC ............................................................ 1643 SESTER FARMS INC.................................................... 1247

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL GENERAL

MEETING Prosperity through Engagement Wed. January 12, 2011

Doubletree Hilton Toronto Airport, International Ballroom, 655 Dixon Rd., Toronto, ON

Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. AGM at 8:00 a.m. An RSVP is not required but would be appreciated. Contact Kathleen Pugliese at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 309 Fax: 905-875-3942 kpugliese@landscapeontario.com

Tuesday, January 11th at 5:15 p.m. Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Airport, Plaza Ballroom (Ticketed event, includes Presidents Reception)

Join Landscape Ontario members at this popular event acknowledging the talent and creativity of landscape construction and maintenance contractors, designers and interior plantscapers. This is the place to be if you appreciate professional standards and quality. Join the president of Landscape Ontario, Tom Intven, in a warm, friendly atmosphere to toast the entrants at the Presidents’ Reception, 4:45 p.m. preceding the ceremony.

To see work examples of previous years’ Award winners, visit www.loawards.com.

CONGRESS 2011 | show preview |

List of Exhibitors

As of October 29, 2010. Subject to change.

SGI LIGHTING............................................................... 1226 SHERIDAN NURSERIES .............................................. 1342 SHIN BIO CANADA INC............................................... 1402 SHIRLON PLASTICS ...................................................... 109 SHORELINE STONE & GARDEN CENTRE LTD .......... 407 SID’S PONDS & GARDENSCAPES INC....................... 439 SLOAN’S NURSERY AND CHRISTMAS TREES ....... 1221 SMALE (WR) CO (1979) LTD .......................................... 128 SMITHCO ....................................................................1543K SNAP EDGE CANADA ................................................... 552 SNOW & ICE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION INC ..... 567 SNO-WAY INTERNATIONAL .....................................1642A SOLUTIONS AQUASOL............................................... 1233 SOMERVILLE NURSERIES INC .................................. 1565 SOMERVILLE SEEDLINGS .......................................... 1462 SPAARGAREN (WJ)....................................................1142A SPECIMEN TREES WHOLESALE NURSERIES LTD... 2104 SPORTS TURF ASSOCIATION (THE) ............................. E5 ST CLAIR COLLEGE - LANDSCAPE HORTICULTURE PROGRAM ................................... E58 ST WILLIAMS NURSERY & ECOLOGY CENTRE...... 1409 STAM NURSERIES ....................................................... 1328 STENS CANADA ...............................................................84 STEWART’S EQUIPMENT LTD ........................N3, N5, 101 STIHL LIMITED ............................................................. 1826 STONE DECORATIVE .................................................. 1626 STONE-LINK CORP ....................................................... 608 STONEMEN’S VALLEY INC......................................... 1337 STONESAVER................................................................. 549 STONESCAPE QUARRY INC ........................................ 534 STRONGCO EQUIPMENT............................................. 660 STRUCTURE STUDIOS ............................................... 2107 SUNNYWEI (STONE) INTERNATIONAL INC .............. 1242 SUREFOOT HARDSCAPE PRODUCTS..................... 1229 SURE-LOC ALUMINUM EDGING / WOLVERINE TOOLS.............................................1357A SWEEPSTER............................................................... 1543L SWP INDUSTRIES INC .................................................. F10 SYLVITE AGRI-SERVICES LTD...................................... 276 SYNLAWN CANADA .................................................... 1117 SYNTHETIK SURFACES CANADA/ECO-FLEX .......... OP9

TANDESKI ASSOCIATES INC...................................... 1123 TD RETAIL CARD SERVICES ........................................ 514 TECHNISEAL .................................................................. 744 TECHNO METAL POST ENGINEERING....................... 236 TECHO-BLOC INC ....................................................... 1742 TEREX CORPORATE AMERICAS ....................................90 TERRAFIX GEOSYNTHETICS INC................................ 529 THAMES VALLEY BRICK & TILE/ BUILDING PRODUCTS .......................................... 1466 THE CHECKER .............................................................820A THERMA GREEN INC ................................................. GF19 THRESHOLD INC ........................................................... 864 TIANJIN BOTEDA INTERNATIONAL TRADE CO., LTD ....................................................... F16 TORO COMPANY (THE).........................................112, 116 TORONTO SALT & CHEMICALS LTD......................... 1219 TOTAL EQUIPMENT RENTALS ........................................86 TRACKLESS VEHICLES LTD......................................... 160 TRADEWINDS INTERNATIONAL SALES CO INC ..... 1321 TRAILER RACKS ............................................................ 232 TRANSPAVE INC .......................................................... 1761 TRAVALE TIRE & SERVICE INC. ......................................81 TRECAN SNOWMELTERS .......................................... 1618 TREE ISLAND INDUSTRIES LTD................................... F09 TREEGATOR - SPECTRUM PRODUCTS, INC. ........ GF35 TRENCH’N EDGE TRENCHER ................................... 1303 TRIPLE H CONCRETE PRODUCTS LTD ................... 1166 TRIPLE M SERVICES ..................................................... 472 TRUCK CRAFT INC........................................................ 159 TRYSTAN........................................................................... S4 TS BENEFIT SOLUTIONS............................................ 2011 TSC STORES ................................................................ 1503 TUFF TECH BAGS....................................................... GF29 TURBO TECHNOLOGIES.............................................. 719 TURF CARE PRODUCTS CANADA..............216, 218, 317 TURF REVOLUTION.............................................. 618, GF1 TURFCO MFG ...........................................................1543M TURFMAKER CORP ...................................................... 479 TWIN EQUIPMENT LTD ............................................... 1724 TYMETAL CORP ............................................................. F29 TYNE MOULDS AND MACHINERY CO LTD ............. 1151

U, V, W, Z

TAKEUCHI MANUFACTURING US............................. 2014 TALK WIRELESS INC (ORGANETRICS.COM) ............. 173 TALL GRASS ONTARIO ................................................. E50

UPPER CANADA STONE CO LTD .............................. 1361 URE-TECH SURFACES INC....................................... OP14 UXBRIDGE NURSERIES LTD ...................................... 1234 VAN NOORT BULB CO LTD .......................................... 347 VANDEN BUSSCHE IRRIGATION ......................... 350, 351 VENTRAC BY VENTURE PRODUCTS INC ................ 1502 VERBINNEN’S NURSERY LTD.................................... 1316 VERMEER CANADA INC ............................................... 440 VERSAMATS .................................................................133A VERTI-DRAIN ..............................................................1543C VIA TRAILERS LTD ......................................................... 810 VINELAND RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTRE .. E11 VISSERS NURSERY & SOD FARM............................. 1332 VOTH SALES & SERVICES INC .................................... 884 VRE GREENHOUSE SYSTEMS .................................... 360 WACKER NEUSON LTD ................................................ 184 WAJAX INDUSTRIES ..................................................... 142 WALKER EQUIPMENT LTD ........................................... 408 WALLENSTEIN BY: EMB MFG INC .............................. 676 WATER ARTS INC ........................................................ 1347 WATERPLAY ............................................................. OP27B WATSON BUILDING SUPPLIES.................................. 1447 WATSON WHEEL ........................................................... 367 WEBER MT (WEBER MACHINE, INC) .......................... 103 WHITEOAK FORD LINCOLN SALES LTD .................. 1112 WILLIAM WALLACE GARDEN FURNITURE INC ........ 454 WILLOWBROOK NURSERIES INC............................... 760 WINKELMOLEN NURSERY LTD ................................. 1308 WOODBRIDGE EQUIPMENT PARTS INC ................... 447 WORKPLACE SAFETY & PREVENTION SERVICES formerly FARM SAFETY ASSOCIATION INC ........ 1172 WRIGHT COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS.......................... 150 X-CCENT ....................................................................OP27A XERO FLOR CANADA LTD ......................................... GF13 YORK REGION EQUIPMENT ........................................ 670 ZANDER SOD CO LTD................................................. 1336

UNILOCK LTD .......................................... 1331, 1356, 1404 UNIQUE LIGHTING SYSTEMS ..................................... 566 UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH -KEMPTVILLE CAMPUS ....E56

landscape industry

certified

11 QTV *QVGN ARY 12, *2KNV0QP 6QTQPVQ #KTR AY, JANU D[ G TG GV DN WEDNESD QW & N $CNNTQQO Ŗ r entry +PVGTPCVKQPC e required fo ck from de Show Badg d Classic Ro Congress Tra ned band es, Motown an d renow R&B, Blu rn section, an recreation of s. five piece ho An authentic nadian band band, with a Ca ce ry pie da n en ve an ele with leg have played o wh rs be mem

Are you landscape industry CERTIFIED? Show your pride at Congress! Stop by Landscape Ontario, Booth 5, and pick up a ribbon for each certification credential you hold — attach it to your show badge with pride.

Hosted by

70 | CONGRESS 2011

ommittee the Show C

| show preview

PLUS, get info on how certification can benefit both you and your company.

buildingbusiness

What is a great employee worth? By GeoRGe uRVaRi

I love to look at hockey for great he is worth every penny he gets. analogies. Consider the value of Sydney A similar story is also true of Alexander Crosby to the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey Ovechkin. These two guys are worth every team. Before his arrival they’d be lucky if the penny they are paid, and more! stadium was half full. As a matter of fact, the As I have observed over the years about team was close to bankruptcy. His arrival many small companies, one of the most sparked a number of positive changes. He common elements of the successful ones brought out the best in the rest of his team; has always been their employees. No one can he personally scored an unbelievable number steal them, because they are paid more than of goals. Everywhere he goes, people want everyone else. The employees themselves to see him play. He won Canada Olympic never look for another job, because they feel Gold. He won the Pittsburgh Penguins the valued and are rewarded for their efforts. Stanley cup. He sells tons of merchandise … A great foreman knows how to do the 

work, solve problems, eliminate warranty, motivate others, thrill your customers and eliminate tons of stress for you. let your stars shine Imagine you are a small business owner and have two crews. Both your foreman are so good, you really do not even need to show up the site. They deal with your customers. You literally can just collect the cheque. Yes, there are companies like this. They all make lots of profit and pay their best employees well, and in fact, these employees usually

the ultimate green industry experience

Un-Conventional!

February 2 – 4, 2011 • Wednesday, Thursday & Friday Boston Convention & Exhibition Center • Boston, Massachusetts

Ecological Landscaping Social Media Perennial Diseases CLIMBING & RIGGING Customer Retention BARE ROOT TRANSPLANTING Retail Success Landscape Design Water Management ALB & EAB Native Plants & so much more!

Special registration offers starting as low as $30.00 per person! www.NewEnglandGrows.org (508) 653-3009

New England Grows is produced by the industry, for the industry. Proud partners: New England Nursery Association •

M E D I A PA R T N E R

Massachusetts Arborists Association • Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals • Massachusetts Nursery & Landscape Association … and a network of more than 30 allied green industry organizations.

JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

buildingbusiness

Above and Beyond Expectations

Your Landscape Contractor Insurance Specialists

only work five days a week because they are so productive. They are not working playing catch-up or doing warranty. Most of us usually try to save money to make money. We give these great people obstacles to success. Again, back to hockey … the top lines always have the top players. Watering down second and third lines with second-rate players only frustrates those that are the best. Why do we sometimes give our best employees the worst co-workers? Have you ever tried to cut a piece of wood with a dull saw? Equip your people with the best tools so they can work productively. Frustrating top performers is a great recipe for losing them, and at the same time damaging productivity. The one overriding character of great individuals is that they are winners, and winners find a way to win. They make stuff happen. The bottom line is, winners attract winners. Make sure you remember this when you review your staff. Consider the cost of training a new employee. Two lead hands do not equal a great foreman. Great foreman are great leaders, and leadership is a very scarce commodity. Leaders don’t just do, they inspire. I have discovered in my years that a great lead hand rarely equates a great foreman. When the passes are perfect it’s hard not to score! How do i get great people? Admittedly, it’s easier for a larger company like mine to get great employees, right? This is true to some degree but, if you already have good employees, do not let them look over the proverbial fence to see if the grass is greener on the other side. Make sure your awesome projects win awards by submitting them in your provincial awards of excellence program. Guess what? The best students want to work on the coolest projects. It’s not size that matters, but rather quality. Teach, teach, teach. Get involved within the landscape community, and offer your services by volunteering or teaching courses at your community college or trade association. Sign up for your association, and volunteer as a director. Networking is one of the best ways to let people know you are in the market to hire. Many a great landscaper has folded his or her tent and gone to work for others. Guess what? They usually end up working for a peer they know. The old adage It’s who you know, not what you know, that makes the difference is also true to some degree. Believe it or not, my networking allows me to get other companies to refer great candidates to my company when they are not hiring! Get out of your bubble, get involved and you, too, will benefit like I LT have by learning from my peers. George Urvari has been a partner in a Toronto-based landscape design-build firm for over 20 years.

www.SouthlandOnline.com

1-888-263-0990 72 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

72 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

legalmatters

What you don’t know can hurt you — our column goes national!

By Robert Kennaley, McLauchlin & Associates

For those of you who don’t already know us, allow us to introduce ourselves. We are a construction law boutique firm with offices in Toronto and Simcoe, Ont. Combined, our firm has over 100 years of experience in the construction law field, on issues ranging from contract drafting and bidding and tendering, to occupational health and safety, dispute resolution and construction related claims of all kinds. We joined Landscape Ontario and CNLA in 1998, and first wrote a column for Landscape Ontario’s monthly publication, Horticulture Review, in March of 1999. Since that time we have covered many a legal, contractual and practical issue, moving to a monthly column

in 2005. We have watched your industry grow and, along the way, watched contractors, designers, consultants and suppliers become more professional, more sophisticated, more risk-management-savvy and more active in pursuing the opportunities and benefits a vibrant trade association can provide. As we move into 2011, our column has been moved to Landscape Trades, to help members of your industry to better protect themselves as they grow their businesses.

In this, our first article in Landscape Trades, we would like to start with a discussion about the work of a relatively new CNLA committee, the CNLA Risk Management

Council, of which we are a member. The Council is a subcommittee of the CNLA Insurance Committee, whose mandate is to implement a sustainable risk control program for all sectors of the landscape and horticulture industries. The Council’s focus is on risk management, education, awareness, and communication. Its membership does and will include representatives of CNLA and members of the insurance industry, as well as industry experts and stakeholders from various sectors and provinces. Currently, the Council is actively (and very proactively) involved in addressing insurance issues as they relate to snow and ice maintenance work and the insurance

JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |



The grass is

      

over here! Free Pre-Pricing Colourful Labels Environmental Practices P.O.P Material “Just in Time” Blooming Programs and more!

Nursery Sales RR #4 – 12302 10th Line Georgetown, Ontario Tel: 1-888-676-2020 Fax: 905-873-9591 E-mail: sales@sheridannurseries.com

74 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

risks faced by winter maintenance contractors. To put the issue into context, eight to ten years ago winter maintenance contractors faced an insurance crisis: the number of insurance companies who would insure contractors was decreasing and premiums were escalating rapidly, all in response to an increasing number of slip-and fall-claims, and insurance settlements in that regard. In response, CNLA took a number of steps, including a lead role in creating and marketing HortProtect (an insurance product that offers members discounted insurance premiums based on the sheer volume of members that need the insurance), the development of a standard form contract for winter maintenance services in the commercial context and a substantial push towards educating member contractors about how to manage the risk of slip and fall. Recently, problematic insurance issues have again arisen. HortProtect’s original carrier imposed significant coverage restrictions, and many winter maintenance contractors faced an inability to obtain insurance. In response, CNLA has taken steps to revise and update the Landscape Ontario Standard Form Winter Maintenance Contract, which has been widely used since 2002. Also, and importantly, CNLA announced that Marsh Canada had been named as the new insurance broker of record for the Hort-Protect program. CNLA is on the verge of placing that program with a new insurer and everyone involved with the Council believes the revised program will lead to better risk management for winter maintenance contractors, fewer claims and ultimately lower insurance rates for the industry. We anticipate that CNLA will be rolling out the new winter maintenance standard form contract, shortly. In fact, CNLA will be rolling out four new standard forms, each based on a different but commonly used fee structure for services rendered. In addition, CNLA and the Council will be working with CNLA members, its broker, its insurance company and industry members to assess risks, educate members and develop a strategy for efficiently and economically resolving claims. The Risk Management Council, of course, will deal with a wide range of risk management issues which CNLA members might, and do, face in their businesses. As risk management is a critical part of all businesses, we hope you will keep an eye on what the Council is doing, and lend your participation where it would be helpful. After all, the more CNLA members of CNLA can work together to advance the interests of their industry, and collectively manage the risks they face, the better for all concerned. We hope you will look for us in this LT space, next issue, as well. Robert Kennaley, McLauchlin & Associates, practices construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ontario. He speaks and writes regularly on construction law and contract issues and can be reached for comment at 416-368-2555 or at kennaley@mclauchlin.ca. This material is for information purposes and is not intended to provide legal advice in relation to any particular fact situation. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard.

74 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

cnlanews Many members of provincial landscape horticulture industry associations are unaware that they are also members of CNLA, through their membership with their respective provincial association. One of the reasons for CNLA’s existence is to provide the provincial industry associations across Canada with value added benefits and services that they can pass along to members. CNLA specializes in putting together high value discount programs that have a direct positive affect on your bottom line. All association members should have received the Mark’s Work Wearhouse discount cards. With membership in CNLA, there is a 15 per cent discount off regularly priced goods at the retail store. Any member who has not received a discount card, or requires additional cards for staff members, should contact your provincial association, or CNLA office. An emerging trend in the landscape maintenance sector is accepting Visa and Mastercard as forms of payment. A new program is now available through CNLA with Chase Paymentech Solutions (CPS), the merchant services provider for Scotia Bank. The program allows participants to still bank with their financial institution of choice, while still using CPS services at no additional charge. A national committee of industry volunteers and association staff review all vendor proposals. The committee also continually looks at new discount programs, as well as examining improvements members suggest to existing programs. When developing discount programs that benefit the member, the committee also attempts to develop tools that will attract and reward good employees. Any member may contact CNLA, toll free 1-888446-3499, or by email info@canadanursery.com.

Landscape Industry Certified deconstructed In 2010, the Landscape Industry Certified brand was launched. While the names of the designations changed, the content of the program and certification criteria remain the same. There were 90 new Landscape Industry Certified people across Canada in 2010. Now all green industry certification specialties are consolidated under one umbrella. The purpose of this rebranding was to help explain certification to consumers, and to create greater recognition of CNLA’s certification programs. Everyone certified under CNLA’s programs will be identified with this universal title. Landscape Industry Certified tests will fall under these categories:

Technician (formerly CHT) A combined written and hands-on evaluation for employees in the industry, who are involved in the technical application of skill and knowledge. This program has five classifications: softscape installation, hardscape installation, turf maintenance, ornamental maintenance and interior landscaping. Candidates can complete any one of these classifications to earn their certification. Retail Horticulturist (formerly CHT-Retail) A written test and hands-on evaluation, focusing on knowledge and tasks specific to the retail garden centre sector. Designer (formerly CLD) A written exam and portfolio review of three design projects must be successfully completed to earn this certification. Manager (formerly CLP) A seven-part written exam focusing on the skills and knowledge for owning and managing a business. Study manuals are available for most exams. Visit www.youtube.com/cnla for videos of parts of the Landscape Industry Certified Technician exam. If interested in becoming Landscape Industry Certified in any of the above disciplines, contact Julia Ricottone at the CNLA office, 1-888446-3499, ext. 8615, or julia@canadanursery. com.

Having people problems?

to The Club.

Discover the disconnect between the boss and staff at your workplace Unlock the huge hidden potential of everyone you work with.

Second Atlantic Green Forum a huge success Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador hosted the second annual Atlantic Green Forum on Nov. 8 and 9, in St. John’s. Delegates came from throughout Atlantic Canada to take part in a number of thought provoking seminars, surrounding the theme of Sustainable Landscapes: The New Reality. Keynote speaker Owen Dell shared information on fossil-free landscaping, sustainable gardening and watershed friendly landscaping. He gave delegates a glimpse into the future of the green industry and ideas on meeting the needs of both customers and our planet. Another speaker was local St. John’s celebrity, landscape architect Philip Pratt, known for designing The Rooms, a provincial museum, art gallery and archives. Other speakers included Gerhard Weilend, Christene LeVatte, Clinton Pinks, Sean Kelly and Dr. Nancy Tout. Ed Buckingham, legislative assistant to the Newfoundland Minister of Environment and Conservation, spoke to delegates over lunch during the second day of the conference. He emphasized JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

FREE “People” Tools! We Build Effective Teams Simple. Convenient. Fun.

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www.clarityfortheboss.com JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES | 75

the importance of the landscape industry and the positive impacts in local communities. A diverse combination of delegates included municipal planners, architects, government officials, related associations, industry suppliers, students, academics, and members of the green industry. The committee expressed appreciation to its generous sponsors, including Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Department of Environment and Conservation, Sheridan Nurseries, Mori Nurseries, Connon Nurseries, Kubota, Syngenta and O’Neill’s Gardenland. More information on Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador is available at www.landscapenl. org, or to get involved in the 2011 Atlantic Green Forum, contact Rebecca at 1-866-383-4711 or LT rebecca@canadanursery.com. The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is the federation of Canada’s provincial horticultural trade associations. Visit www. canadanursery.com for more information.

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Ferns for the professional landscape BY DAVID VAN DE VEN

Many of the professionals our nursery works with every day are quite simply confused when it comes to selecting ferns suitable for their professional installations. Typically, they select what has always worked — ostrich fern (Matteucia struthopteris). Now don’t get me wrong, ostrich fern is a fantastic garden fern, but it is a little aggressive and can take over entire gardens if left unchecked. In late fall or winter I have many conversations with plant professionals wanting to pick my brain for alternate fern selections; just a little familiarization with this group of plants can go a long way. When I decided to greatly increase our fern selection many years ago, it took a lot of research and trials to finally come up with a line-up that I could feel comfortable selling to my customers as reliable, garden-worthy plants. Ferns are a huge group of plants, typically found in woodland settings. They are also unique because they do not form flowers. Without boring most with lengthy ramblings on plant biology,

ferns produce spores on the underside of their fronds (some do form a “stalk”). When the spores mature the wind carries them away, much like a very tiny seed. Only until fairly recently have we seen new fern hybrids or varieties. Some are crosses (Dryopteris x australis, Dixie wood fern, is a hybrid between the log fern and southern wood fern), while others are selected from naturally occurring oddities such as foliage colour or height variances. Ferns will always add another layer of interest to the professional garden design, whether it is the interesting and unusual fiddleheads in spring, plant textures that only a fern can add or even some extra height in a shady section of the design. Ferns are definitely a useful addition to the professional landscape; just do a bit of research to look for something different. Here are a few great selections: LT David Van de Ven is a perennial grower in Mount Albert, Ont.

Adiantum pedatum Northern maidenhair fern

Osmunda cinnamomea Cinnamon fern

Phyllitis scolopendrium Hart’s tongue fern

The northern maidenhair fern is a unique choice most professionals overlook. It is a delicate-looking plant, but don’t be fooled, it is rated at Zone 2, and tolerates extreme cold temperatures. It and may not look its greatest in a heatwave, but will surely rebound with great success. It grows 20 cm tall, but does not tolerate extreme wet or dry conditions, which certainly limits its use in commercial situations. It prefers partial or dappled shade over deep shade. Plant the northern maidenhair fern as single specimens or large groupings amongst stone features and I think it looks its best; this delicate foliage softens up hard stone surfaces. Another great selling feature to be sure to mention to your client is that it is a North American native; always a bonus for plant selection.

This, in my opinion, is one of the best tall ferns (grows 100 cm) available to the professional trade. Another native North American native plant, rated for Zone 2 and tolerant of moist areas, which makes it better for gardens with irrigation. This fern will stand out in the shady garden. Emerging fronds in spring are similar to the ostrich fern’s fiddleheads, and not too long afterward, a tall brown stalk will appear (its fertile spores) that resembles cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon fern will stay within its clump and does not send out runners, so plant it in large or small groupings for maximum effect.

Hart’s tongue fern is a strange-looking fern; its fronds are atypically smooth and uncut. I haven’t seen this plant used much at all, professionally or otherwise, and can’t figure out why. It is hardy to Zone 2, which covers a lot of the country. It grows 40 cm tall, stays in a nice tidy clump and its moisture requirements are similar to most other ferns. We have had it in production for quite some time, but it always needs to be pointed out; perhaps no one recognizes the name. The typical response: “That’s not a fern,” but it really is! It looks great after a rainfall or heavy dew, regardless of planting style. I do like hart’s tongue fern planted amongst other shadeloving plants like Heuchera or Solomon’s seal; it seems to add contrast with its rich green foliage and wavy-edged fronds. Give it a try — dare to be different!

JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co.

sustainablelandscaping

Networking: Good for the environment, and business By sean JaMes

Today, I’ve joined the Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition, which should be fantastic for getting the word out and learning more about what people are doing, and how they are doing it. Networking with others who are like-minded will also be a giant benefit, both for businesses like ours, and for the planet. It all got me to thinking. Some of the greatest leaps forward for expanding my business and my knowledge have had nothing to do with classical advertising or the traditional green industry. Many of our so-called advertising dollars have gone into the creation of community gardens, put in

motion by local horticultural societies and eco-groups. This has several advantages. Not only do garden clubs and their relatives often lead the curve in eco-friendly landscaping but, frankly, there’s nothing like an army of (forgive me) little old ladies to sell your business to the community. It doesn’t take a huge cash input to make these gardens happen, especially if you work with your range of suppliers to equip the garden with everything from soil to plants. Interestingly, every time I’ve gone in to suppliers with a prepared speech on why they should

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help, I’ve never had to give it. Folks line up to help, eager to tie their company with something worthwhile in the community, and their town and horticultural societies are very grateful. Between learning from the members of those clubs and needing to expand my knowledge to make the project happen, awareness of what can be done and what needs to be done grows in leaps and bounds. That snowballs into more opportunities for growth. Proud and productive legacy In my hometown, we’ve created habitat, rainwater gardens, plantings with a significant percentage of natives and xeriscaped projects. We’ve also advised on landscapes, requiring no cash outlay on the part of my company, for schools and the town itself, each of which came with unasked-for publicity. As you get known in the community as a doer, especially an ecofriendly one, you get talked about more and more and are asked to be involved in more projects. It is often the case that community groups, as well as homeowners, have been looking for a more sustainable landscaper for some time, but have been unable to track one down. Demand outstrips supply, making actual money-paying jobs more profitable since the resulting customers are less concerned with the lowest price than with finding a contractor they want to work with. It’s also a good opportunity to educate people. I’ve lost count of the number of homeowners and contractors I’ve taught about mulching leaves into the grass instead of removing them from the yard. It costs me no money, helps the environment and raises our profile. I’m pretty sure it’s not politically advisable

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A speech on behalf of the Master Gardeners at Canada Blooms got us on the radar for HGTV’s Green Force. It allowed us to create this amazing public garden for Carson Arthur at the Lansdowne Subway Station, greening the lives of many in a less fortunate neighbourhood and giving us phenomenal public exposure. These projects also give our crew something to be very proud of, inspiring them to be long term employees.

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to preach about how doing the right thing is good for the bottom line, but hey, as business people, we need to justify our expenses to ourselves and to others. In the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, the rich dad said that whenever things got tough, he put into the community and he always got it back. This has been my experience also. Time is money As an aside, much of my company’s advertising budget is more in the way of time. Pretty much any charity group that asks can have a Certificate for a Consultation donated to their silent auction or other fundraiser. It costs me only time and the people that go to these charity events appreciate communityminded companies, and they usually have the money for landscaping themselves. It is very targeted advertising money. Usually, the buyer or winner of the certificate isn’t interested in consultation, as much as they are in having a landscape installed. This just primes the pump. Making it clear that you’re an eco-friendly landscaper sweetens the deal even further. On top of everything else, most groups even give you a receipt for taxes in exchange for your donation. This ever-expanding loop seems to me to be the best example of how doing the right thing is also good for business. Getting in on the ground floor helps, but don’t worry if you’re late to the game. I think that working with community horticulture groups is one of the biggest untapped ways to do the right thing and help grow your business. As always, your feedback and questions are most welcome to LT sdjames@on.aibn.com. Sean James is owner of an Ontario-based environmentally-conscious landscape design/build/maintenance company.

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TIMM ENTERPRISES LTD. Mail: P.O. Box 157, Oakville, Ont., L6J 4Z5 Ofﬁce & Warehouse: 5204 Trafalgar Rd., Milton, Ont., L0P 1E0 Phone (905) 878-4244 - Fax (905) 878-7888 Sales 1-888-769-TIMM (8466) www.timmenterprises.com sales@timmenterprises.com JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

industrynews Monitoring program finds illegal propagation

Tens of thousands of calibrachoa cuttings, propagated without permission, were discovered last year by COPF in Canada. The Most-Effective Monitoring Program, started by COPF in 2007, inspects growers within a specific time frame, based on their shipping date and plant format. The varieties monitored belong to 34 flower breeders around the world. Millions of cuttings were monitored from fall 2009 to the spring of 2010 with hundreds of growers visited. Ten per cent of Canadian growers who were visited were fined for illegal propagation. COPF president Philip Thompson said, “The Most Effective Monitoring Program allows monitoring of practically every cutting shipped into Canada. We have an upward trend in discoveries. There were more growers found with illegal cuttings in the spring of 2010 compared to 2009. The goal of this program is to ensure a level playing field. We believe this is how our industry will develop strong and equitable market prices. When you play the right way, it’s a win-win all around.” COPF works with infringing growers to reconcile the situation in consultation with breeders. Plants

covered by the monitoring program include calibrachoa, New Guinea impatiens and petunia, among others. Illegal cuttings were found in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec. Greenhouse growers are reminded that many annuals are not allowed to be propagated without permission, even sticking tip cuttings. The best way to keep informed on what you can and cannot propagate is to be a member of. For as little as $25 per year, growers can be well informed and avoid fines for illegal cuttings.

Congress offers lots of opportunity

Pre-show symposia include one on corporate financial management, a module of the Certified Landscape Professional program, the Landscape Designers Conference, the Irrigation Conference and the one-of-a-kind IPM Symposium. There’s lots to do before and after the tradeshow hours. Presentations of Landscape Ontario’s Awards of Excellence begin on Tues., Jan. 11 at 5:45 p.m. The Landscape Ontario’s Annual General Meeting is held on Wed., Jan. 12 at 7:30 a.m. Also on Wednesday, Tailgate Party XV begins after the show and runs ‘til midnight. For more information and to register online, visit www.locongress.com.

Nursery raises funds for cancer research

Congress 2011 takes place Jan 11-13, 2011 at the Toronto Congress Centre. Come prepared with a plan of action, as the seven-acre show offers a chance to meet with over 600 vendors to learn about new tools, tricks of trade and test new products that will help grow your businesses. Over 30 educational sessions during the show focus on topics from productivity benchmarking for contractors, business succession planning, new green roof technology, managing urban forests and interlocking paving installation. A complete list of speakers is available at www.locongress.com.

Willowbrook Nurseries is raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society through the sale of its plants. The Fenwick, Ontario-based grower was deeply affected by the death of co-owner Jocelyn Langendoen in 2009, due to cancer. Staff member Mike Della Valle came up with a plan to raise funds for cancer research by partnering with customers. Della Valle’s plan is that participating garden centres sell Willowbrook plants at event-driven fundraisers that stores can customize to their own needs. Willowbrook will donate five per cent of the wholesale cost of its plants sold at each event. To help retailers sell plants for a cure, the nursery has created pink pot wraps that promote the theme. Della Valle explains that because the pot wraps are generic, garden centres can choose

the

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industrynews the plant promotion to suit their own particular business. Retailers are encouraged to create a plant festival around the fundraising. Examples of events that could be used as a fundraiser include a grass festival in the fall, a pink perennial sale in summer – the sky’s the limit, and he hopes retailers will encourage their staff to get creative and have fun with a promotion this year. Della Valle also suggests stores contact their local branch of the Canadian Cancer Society, who may be willing to help promote the event. Willowbrook hopes all their customers will plan a promotion for their worthy cause. The nursery will make a cheque presentation to the Canadian Cancer Society at Expo 2011, October 19-20 in Toronto.

In celebration of the Masterpieces theme, art student Fiona Moes created a painting in Linnaea Nurseries’ booth during the show.

the green roof of the stunning new Vancouver Convention Centre. The show offered a chance to meet 400 vendors and take in 16 educational sessions presented by horticultural professionals. A popular feature of western Canada’s premiere horticultural trade show is the post-show tour day. This year, attendees could sign up for one of four different tours, to see the landscapes of Whistler, specialty nurseries, sustainable landscapes or take new employees on the Hort Basics Industry Sampler, to show them the many different facets of the green industry. Next year, Can West celebrates its 30th anniversary. Dates for the show are Sept. 28-29, 2011.

Willowbrook staff donned pink ties to promote their new fundraising initiative at Expo 2010 in October. From left to right: John Langendoen, Johnny Veldman, Michael Della Valle, Greg Ross, Brenda Flikkema and Rob Bouwers.)

Can West enjoys new venue

Colour and ideas at fall buying show

The theme for the 2010 Can West Horticulture Show was Masterpieces, which was evident after taking one step onto the trade show floor. Exhibitors got into the spirit of the theme and decked out their booths and themselves in many versions of masterpieces. This year, the show, which took place Sept. 29-30, moved under

The 275 suppliers at Expo 2010 (formerly known as Garden and Floral Expo) offered garden centre owners and floral and landscape designers plenty of eye candy, along with practical products to sell, and ideas to help them display their merchandise to best advantage. A popular feature of Expo is always the new

product showcase, which featured over 100 new products, attractively merchandised within the display. Gardens Central magazine received the most votes at the showcase, to win the People’s Choice award. Expo also offered educational and networking opportunities with the full-day Garden Centre Symposium, held on Oct. 18, the Landscape Designers Breakfast, held before the show, and the Interior Plantscape Breakfast on Oct. 20. Mark your calendars for Expo 2011, which takes place Wed., Oct. 19 and Thurs., Oct. 20. The show will still be held at the Toronto Congress Centre, but moves to the North Building at the far end of the parking lot.

Canadians winners at green roof awards Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is pleased to announce the winners the 2010 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence. The Awards were presented at CitiesAlive: 8th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference at the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel in Vancouver, B.C., on Thurs., Dec., 2. Diamond and Schmitt Architects won the Green Walls award for the Thousands of visitors to the Camilla and Peter Dalglish Atrium, Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington, Ont. PWL Partnership Landscape Architects won the Green Roof Extensive Institutional award for the Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion Project, Vancouver, B.C. and Scott Torrance Landscape Architect won the Green Roof - Extensive Industrial / Commercial award for ESRI Canada, Toronto, Ont.

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industrynews International Landscaping wins water-design award International Landscaping of Hornby, Ont. competed with companies from four continents to win gold in the traditional residential category at the Global AquaTekture Visionary Awards (GAVA), held in November in Las Vegas. GAVA is an integrated world-wide competition open to design professionals of all genres dedicated to influencing and creating thought-provoking solutions. All GAVA finalists will be included in a full-color book published by Schiffer Publishing, due for release in early spring 2011.

Shirley Wong of International Landscaping, accepts the gold award from Virginia Martino (left) and Mary Vail (right) of Three V Enterprises.

Echo Canada recognized with distributor award

achievements in sales growth, increased market share, outstanding fill rates, service training and overall dealer satisfaction. Ed Zynomirski, the company’s president, responded by saying, “Such an award not only speaks volumes about the products and programs we offer, but also about the quality of our people and the dedicated team. Our success is driven by the efforts of the entire staff and this award is in recognition of the service that they continually to offer our customers.”

Accepting the award on behalf of Echo Power Equipment (Canada), left to right, Mike Best, Echo vice president of sales and marketing, Dan Obringer, Echo president, Ed Zynomirski, president of Echo Power Equipment (Canada), Laurie Workman, national marketing manager of Echo Canada, Yasuhiko Kitazume, president and CEO of Yamabiko Corporation and Joe Fahey, vice president of marketing for Echo.

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Deere and Company has introduced a new name, John Deere Financial, for its business unit that offers credit and other financial services. The change is being made to better represent the full breadth of products and services offered by the business. It had previously been known as John Deere Credit. John Deere Financial will continue to serve equipment customers worldwide by offering retail, wholesale and lease financing to facilitate the sale of John Deere equipment in agriculture, construction, forestry, and turf care. The company also will continue to provide revolving credit and crop insurance for customers while assessing other products that could help customers whose work is linked to the land. The transition to the new name will take place over the next few months.

Plant a tree, reduce crime

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Rain Bird’s Intelligent Use of Water Awards program is granting over $50,000 to outdoor water conservation projects that need funding. Anyone can submit their project to one of three funding categories ($1500, $5000, and $10,000) and then share it in social media. Users can then vote and the projects with the most votes are awarded the grant on World Water Day, March 22, 2011. To submit a project, visit www.iuowawards. com.

Deere chooses new name for credit unit

Echo Power Equipment (Canada) was recently honoured with the Distributor of the Year Award for North America. The award recognizes its

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Scientists with the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest (PNW) and Southern Research Stations have published a new study that suggests certain types of city trees may help lower property and violent crime rates. Their study, which is posted online in advance of its appearance in a forthcoming printed issue of the journal Environment and Behavior, is the first to examine the effects of trees and other factors on crime occurrence in Portland, Ore. Geoffrey Donovan, research forester with the PNW Research Station, and his colleague Jeffrey Prestemon, with the Southern Research Station, obtained crime data from the Portland Police Bureau from 2005 to 2007, and grouped the incidents into seven categories. Their sample of 2,813 single-family homes experienced 394 property crimes and 37 violent crimes. The researchers then conducted statistical

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industrynews analyses to explore the relationships among crime and more than two dozen variables, including the number and size of trees on a lot and the size of trees on surrounding areas. Of the tree variables analyzed, canopy size of both street and yard trees and the number of trees growing on a lot had the most effect on crime occurrence — large trees were associated with a reduction in crime, while numerous small trees were associated with an increase. “We believe that large street trees can reduce crime by signalling to a potential criminal that a neighbourhood is better cared for, and therefore, a criminal is more likely to be caught,” Donovan said. “Large yard trees also were associated with lower crime rates, most likely because they are less view-obstructing than smaller trees.” “We wanted to find out whether trees, which provide a range of other benefits, could improve quality of life in Portland by reducing crime, and it was exciting to see that they did,” said Geoffrey Donovan, who led the study. “Although a burglar alarm may deter criminals, it won’t provide shade on a hot summer day, and it certainly isn’t as nice to look at as a tree.”

AAS Winners for 2011 announced

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All-America Selections (AAS) is pleased to announce the first seven of the 2011 AAS Winners. Following a trial period where these new, never-before-sold varieties are “Tested Nationally and Proven Locally,” the AAS judges have submitted their evaluations and selected only the best performers as AAS Winners. Bedding plant winner, Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Red’; Cool season winner, ‘Glamour Red’ ornamental kale and Viola ‘Shangri-La Marina’ F1; Flower winner, Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’; vegetable winners are: ‘Hijinks’ pumpkin and ‘Lizzanao’ and ‘Terrenzo’ tomatoes.

Invention helps water plants in dry areas The Groasis Waterboxx, named by Popular Science magazine one of the top ten global inventions, may be the answer to global warming, water shortage, hunger and deforestation. Seeds or saplings can be planted in arid areas with the Waterboxx and need never be irrigated or hand-watered again. The Waterboxx is the size of a tire, and produces and captures water from air through condensation without using energy. Water condenses on the uniquely designed top and is stored to hydrate 84 | JANUARY 2011

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the seed or sapling planted underneath through a candle-like wick protruding from the bottom of the box. This leaves the roots thirsty and forces a primary root to grow deep to the water table. After one year or less, the box is easily removed and used again. Dutch inventor and a former grower and exporter of lilies, Pieter Hoff, has developed Waterboxx plantings around the world, in the high and low deserts of California, drought-ridden Kenya, fire-ravaged mountains of France, in strip mining residue and depleted agricultural soils of Spain and in the sands of Morocco’s Sahara desert. In 2011, projects are planned for China, Afghanistan, Egypt, Chile, Brazil and more in Africa. The invention can be used anywhere, under any conditions, in rocks, deserts, strip mining residue, ash, eroded or drought-ruined land, and the inventor claims a plant survival rate over 88 per cent.

Therma Green wins sustainable product award Therma Green Innovative Foam Technologies received the Gold Award for Sustainable Product or Service at this year’s Ontario Waste Minimization Awards, held in Toronto. Presented by the Recycling Council of Ontario, the award reflects Therma Green’s philosophy and commitment towards environmental responsibility. Therma Green Innovative Foam Technologies is a subsidiary of E.F. Walter, a fourth-generation company established in 1893. Therma Green recycles and converts post-industrial, crosslinked and closed cell polyethylene foam waste into fully functional, high value foam composite products. The company develops and markets its products to environmentally sustainable and focused industries, for applications including green roofs and eco-islands, water treatment lagoons and landfill, odour control, thermal and LT digester covers.

Connecting Face-to-Face On the Path to Success

Grow and prosper from the connections made at our events Increase brand recognition Discover new customers Capitalize on new markets Source new suppliers

Canada’s International Horticultural Lawn and Garden Trade Show and Conference Industry Trade Event January 11 – 13, 2011 Toronto Congress Centre,Toronto, Ontario

locongress.com

GreenTrade Expo

The Green Industry’s Products & Services Showcase for Eastern Ontario Industry Trade Event February 16, 2011 Lansdowne Park – Ottawa Civic Centre Ottawa, Ontario

greentrade.ca Canada’s Premier Garden and Flower Festival Consumer Festival March 16 – 20, 2011 Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place Toronto, Ontario

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Canada’s fall show for the floral and garden industry Retail Trade Event October 19-20, 2011 Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, Ontario

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For exhibitor or visitor information call: 1-800-265-5656

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michael sheardown freelance incorporated estimating solutions for landscape contractors • Quantity and area takeoff. • Earthwork volume calculations. • Project estimating/pricing. • Design and development of spreadsheets. Michael Sheardown 9 Bristow Creek Drive Elmira ON N3B 3K7 e: michael.sheardown@gmail.com www.msfreelance.ca

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COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE COMPANY ESTIMATOR Experienced in complete tendering process. Quantity takeoff through to final tender completion. Required by Exel Contracting Inc., serving Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Established in 1989. Pay dependant on experience. Year round work and benefits. Fax or email resume to: EXEL CONTRACTING INC. Ian Rowbotham Fax: (613) 831-2794 E-mail: ian@exelcontracting.ca

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Payment: All classified ads must be prepaid by VISA or Mastercard. Rates: $56.50 (includes HST) per column inch (Approx. 25 words). Min. order $56.50. Annual rates also available. Deadlines: The 10th day of the month prior to issue date. (eg: June issue deadline is May 10th). Space is limited to a first-come, first-served basis. To place an ad: E-mail your name, phone number and ad to Robert at classifieds@ landscapeontario.com. You will be sent a proof/confirmation/payment form by e-mail. Online advertising: All paid ads are posted to our website at www.landscapetrades. com/classifieds for the corresponding calendar month. Website only ads are available for $45.20 (HST included) and are posted for 30 days. Additional charge for ads over 325 words.

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SEARCH THE SOURCE BOOK ONLINE Exclusive listings of who sells what to the Canadian lawn and landscape industry. Search by product, company name, product category or search the entire Source Book database. The Source Book is your comprehensive guide to who supplies what for Source Book Canada’s green industry. ONLINE www.LTSourceBook.com

comingevents January 5-7, The Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, Baltimore Convention Center, Md. www.mants.com January 5-7, Northern Green Expo, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minn. www.minnesotagreenexpo.com January 10-12, Great Lakes Trade Exposition (GLTE), DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Mich. www.glte.org January 11-13, Congress 2011, Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.locongress.com January 17-19, Indiana Green Expo, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Ind. www.indianagreenexpo.com January 19-21, The Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE), Greater Fort Lauderdale/ Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. www.fngla.org/tpie

January 19-21, Mid-Am Trade Show, McCormick Place West, Chicago, Ill. www.midam.org January 24-26, CENTS, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio ww.onla.org January 25-28, International Plant Fair, Essen, Germany www.ipm-messe.de January 25-28, ANLA Management Clinic, Galt House Hotel, Louisville, Ky. www.managementclinic.org January 30- February 3, Toronto Spring Gift Show, International Centre and Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.cgta.org February 1-5, Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals Annual Conference, Chaparral Suites, Scottsdale, Ariz. www.aolponline.org

February 2-4, New England Grows! Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, Mass. www.newenglandgrows.org February 8-9, Manitoba Green Show, Victoria Inn, Winnipeg, Man. Contact Rebecca Doutre at 866-383-4711. February 9-11, Southern Alberta Landscapers and Contractors Expo, Roundup Centre, Calgary, Alta. www.landscapingexpo.net February 15-17, Salon du Vegetal, Parcexpo, Angers, France. www.salon-du-vegetal.com February 16-17 BC Landscapers and Contractors Expo, Tradex, Abbotsford, B.C. www.landscapingexpo.net February 20-23 Alberta Spring Gift Show, Northlands, Edmonton Expo Centre, Edmonton, LT Alta. www.cgta.org

February 2-3, Northern Alberta Landscapers and Contractors Expo, Edmonton Expo Centre, Edmonton, Alta. www.landscapingexpo.net

JANUARY 2011 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

where to find it COMPANY

PAGE NUMBER

PHONE

WEBSiTE

All Treat Farms Limited

800-265-7612

alltreat@alltreat.com

www.alltreat.com

AMA Plastics Ltd

76, 87

800-338-1136

ama@amaplas.com

www.amaplas.com

Bailey Nursery

10, 11

800-829-8898

peggy.montgomery@baileynursery.com

www.baileynursery.com

Barkman Concrete Ltd

800-342-2879

Beaver Valley Stone

416-222-2424

info@beavervalleystone.com

www.beavervalleystone.com

Becker Underwood Inc

306-373-3060

request@beckerunderwood.ca

www.beckerunderwood.ca

Best Way Stone Ltd

800-BESTWAY

info@bestwaystone.com

www.bestwaystone.com

Bobcat

Brooklin Concrete Products Ltd

Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Concrete Products Limited

Clarity for the Boss/Jump-Point

Connon Nurseries - AVK Holdings Inc

Cooper Lighting Canada

www.barkmanhardscapes.com

infocenter@bobcat.com

www.bobcat.com

800-655-3430

brooklinsales@brooklin.com

www.brooklin.com

800-461-4888

info@brownsconcrete.com

www.brownsconcrete.com

jacki@clarityfortheboss.com

www.clarityfortheboss.com

519-647-3997

plants@connonavk.com

www.connonavk.com

905-507-4000

www.cooperlighting.com

Drafix Software

800-231-8574

prolandscape@drafix.com

Echo Power Equipment Canada

877-324-6660

info@echo.ca

www.echo.ca

Environmental Factor Inc

888-820-9992

sales@environmentalfactor.com

www.environmentalfactor.com

Esso (Imperial Oil)

800-835-4601

www.essofleetoffers.com/ET2

Exmark Manufacturing Co Inc

402-223-6300

www.exmark.com

Ferris Industries

800-933-6175

Gravely

800-472-8359

88 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

www.drafix.com

www.ferrisindustries.com info@ariens.com

www.gravely.com

EXPO 2011 is packed with prospects and sales potential f 'HOLYHUV RYHU SURVSHFWLYH FXVWRPHUV ZLWK EX\LQJ DXWKRULW\ f 2IIHUV DQ XQWDSSHG PDUNHW RI TXDOLW\ OHDGV f (IIHFWLYHO\ FRQQHFWV \RX WR \RXU FXVWRPHUV f 5HDFKHV KXQGUHGV RI SRWHQWLDO FXVWRPHUV LQ WZR VKRUW GD\V f $WWUDFWV GHFLVLRQ PDNHUV ZKR SUHIHU VKRZV DV D SXUFKDVLQJ PHGLXP

Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fall show for the garden and floral industry October 19-20, 2011

Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, Ontario 5HVHUYH \RXU H[KLELW VSDFH WRGD\ &DOO [ RU HPDLO VKRZLQIR#ORH[SR FD

www.loexpo.ca An initiative of

In partnership with

where to find it

COMPANY

Greenhorizons Group of Farms Ltd

PAGE NUMBER

PHONE

WEBSITE

519-653-7494

info@justsodit.com

www.justsodit.com

Gro-Bark (Ontario) Ltd

888-GRO-BARK

keith@gro-bark.com

www.gro-bark.com

Hanson Hardscape Products

800-265-6496

hardscapes@hanson.com

www.hansonhardscapes.com

800-459-8990

HortProtect

Isuzu Commercial Trucks

www.hortprotect.com

JM Peeters Nurseries Limited

905-892-4627

Kemptville Truck Centre Limited

613-546-0567

www.ktctruck.ca www.kubota.ca

www.isuzutruck.ca

jmpeetersnurseries@sympatico.ca

Kubota Canada Ltd

23, 55

905-294-7477

info@kubota.ca

M Putzer Hornby Nursery Ltd

905-878-7226

putzernursery@primus.ca

Modern Power Products

800-567-6775

www.mppcanada.com

New England Grows Inc

508-653-3009

mary@newenglandgrows.org

www.newenglandgrows.org

lcatalano@niscocanada.com

Nisco National Leasing

888-634-9559

Nutrite (div of Fertichem)

800-265-8865

www.niscocanada.com www.nutriteturf.ca

Oaks Concrete Products by Brampton Brick 2

800-709-OAKS

info@oakspavers.com

www.oakspavers.com

Permacon Group Inc

888-permacon

www.permaconpro.ca

Pro-Power Canada Ltd

800-361-0907

propower@on.aibn.com

Proven Winners

46, 47

800-633-8859

www.propowercanada.ca www.colorchoiceplants.com

Pygar Sales Ltd.

800-825-9646

felcousa@aol.com

www.felco.com

Rockwood Forest Nurseries

888-833-0473

info@rockwoodforest.com

www.rockwoodforest.com

Roma Fence Ltd

416-798-7566

sales@romafence.com

www.romafence.com

Sheridan Nurseries Ltd

888-676-2020

sales@sheridannurseries.com

www.sheridannurseries.com

Snapedge Canada Ltd

800-720-7627

info@snapedge.ca

www.snapedge.ca

Southland Insurance Service

800-263-0990

info@southlandonline.com

www.southlandonline.com

Specimen Trees Wholesale Nurseries Ltd 76

604-465-7122

inquiry@specimentrees.com

www.specimentrees.com

Stihl Limited

519-681-3000

info.canada@stihl.ca

www.stihl.ca

Stone-Link Corp

800-854-0072

sales@stone-link.com

www.stone-link.com

Techniseal

800-465-SEAL

info@techniseal.com

www.techniseal.com

Techo-Bloc

877-832-4625

info@techo-bloc.com

www.techo-bloc.com

The Toro Company

800-544-5364

wendy.peskar@toro.com

www.toro.ca

TIMM Enterprises Ltd

905-878-4244

sales@timmenterprises.com

Total Equipment Rentals

877-954-7368

www.totalrentals.ca www.unilock.com

www.timmenterprises.com

Unilock Ltd

800-UNILOCK

georgetown@unilock.com

Winkelmolen Nursery Ltd

519-647-3912

winkelmolen@sympatico.ca

www.winkelmolen.com

Zander Sod Co Ltd

877-727-2100

info@zandersod.com

www.zandersod.com

NISCO: THE LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY LEASE SPECIALISTS Committed to professionalism

Nisco National Leasing has the vehicle you need:

• • • • •

Any make/model of truck including cab and chassis New and used vehicles Equipment used by landscape industry Terms as flexible as necessary Over 20 years in the automotive and equipment leasing business 13-3245 Harvester Rd., Burlington, ON L7N 3T7

We go anywhere in Ontario — from Windsor to Ottawa Laura Catalano is available to find the right equipment for your job — just call

1-888-634-9559 90 | JANUARY 2011

| LANDSCAPE TRADES

Ph: 905-634-9559 Fax: 905-634-8219 e-mail: lcatalano@niscocanada.com

Endorsed supplier of Landscape Ontario

Distributed by 1SP 1PXFS $BOBEB *OD 1SP 1PXFS $BOBEB *OD t t

Kensington™

AquaPave® Permeable On-Site Stormwater Source Control System

a paving system we can all live with® Introducing AquaPave ®, a modern, innovative stormwater management and pollution control system. Much more than just another permeable paver, AquaPave is a complete system that virtually eliminates runoff and removes up to 99% of pollutants from rainwater. With water harvesting and geothermal capabilities and a life expectancy that far exceeds other paving materials, AquaPave is a truly sustainable solution for responsible development we can all live with. hansonhardscapes.com/aquapave To learn more about these new products and other innovative solutions from Hanson Hardscapes, visit us in Booth 648 at LO Congress.

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