April 2015 Landscape Trades

April 2015

VOL. 37, NO. 3

landscapetrades.com

Good design needs great organization Springtime stress; when to laugh, and when to walk away Severance, notice in the legal lexicon

B2B GOES SOCIAL Van Belle Nursery empowers customer connections; Success is all about attitude

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16

Manitoba energy: Green Show and more

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Hydrangeas on the Survival strategies world stage for Echinacea

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Contents

PUBLISHER Lee Ann Knudsen CLP | lak@landscapeontario.com Editorial Director Sarah Willis | sarahw@landscapeontario.com Art Director Kim Burton | kburton@landscapeontario.com Editor Allan Dennis | adennis@landscapeontario.com Web editor Robert Ellidge | rob@landscapeontario.com Graphic Designer Mike Wasilewski | mikew@landscapeontario.com Accountant Joe Sabatino | joesabatino@landscapeontario.com Sales Manager, PUBLICATIONS Steve Moyer | stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS REPRESENTATIVE Greg Sumsion | gsumsion@landscapeontario.com COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Angela Lindsay | alindsay@landscapeontario.com Advisory Committee Gerald Boot CLP, Paul Brydges, Laura Catalano, Mark Fisher, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Jan Laurin, 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 Shawna Barrett, Darryl Bond, Myscha Burton, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Allie McInnes, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

APRIL 2015 VOL. 37, NO. 3

FEATURES 6 Engaging content

Whole-hearted use of social media at Van Belle Nursery both educates and entertains customers.

BY SARAH WILLIS

12 Improving profits at green industry companies

An online guide helps growers understand pricing, and the effects of discounting

BY GREG CLARKE

16 Promoting professionalism for nursery workers

Industry volunteers gather in B.C. to trial the new nursery worker certification test stations

BY RITA WEERDENBURG

Landscape Trades is published nine times a year: January, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and November/December.

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Copyright 2015. 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.

26 LEGAL MATTERS A clear explanation of severance pay and notice of termination

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

28 ROAD TO SUCCESS Defusing difficult customers

BY ROD McDONALD

32 DESIGNER’S NOTEBOOK Landscape designers require soft-skill talents, as well as technical education

BY AUDRIANA VANDERWERF

DEPARTMENTS ISSN 0225-6398 PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT 40013519 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT LANDSCAPE TRADES MAGAZINE 7856 FIFTH LINE SOUTH, MILTON, ON L9T 2X8, CANADA

Green Pencil Industry News Provincial News CNLA News New Products Coming Events Classifieds Where to Find it

4 22 33, 36 34 37 40 41 42 APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

3

greenpencil It starts with you

Teaching patience O

n my morning commute today,

I heard a commercial by one of the big three automakers (can we still call them that?) pitching the desirability of always having the latest car, in a young girl’s voice. Leasing was the given solution, as it provides the newest models on a regular basis. A few kilometers down the road, another commercial from a large mobile phone provider pushed the availability of the newest and latest smart phones, inferring that you can trade in your hopelessly out-of-date, six month-old phone, and get something faster, shinier and obviously better. I had teenagers, I know this is how it works.

We live in interesting times. I recently heard another commercial by

By Sarah Willis a large department store, advertising its layaway plan. Layaway? Who does that anymore? If the average consumer wants something she can’t afford, she has been conditioned to buy it and enjoy it now, on credit. Instant gratification is not a buzzword anymore, it is an entitlement.

How does this tie into the green trades? It got me thinking that horticulture and landscaping is the very antithesis of instant gratification. A beautiful garden or welldesigned landscape improves as the plants grow and mature, and is well worth the wait and journey. Even the design of the garden requires careful thought, consideration and foresight. Foodies think they created the slow food movement, but gardening is the original slow food movement.

Nurture, cultivate, and harvest are timeless words.

4 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

One of the pleasures of working at the garden centre each spring, is witnessing the joy and enthusiasm of children planning a garden. They don’t sit on a bench with their nose in their 3DS; they are active and curious, looking at the labels on the tomato plants, smelling the herbs and flowers and, best of all, putting pots and baskets on their parent’s shopping cart. Planting a garden provides accidental lessons in patience, the value of work and the consequence of care.

On my reading list this year is The Nature Principle,

by Richard Louv, who coined the term “nature deficit disorder.” Louv’s book addresses the gap between man and nature, developed over the last decade or two as technology has become ingrained in our lives. While Louv’s previous book, Last Child in the Woods, addresses the disconnect children have with nature, this time he speaks to adults, saying our connection with nature, “can be restored or created wherever we live, work or play.”

This philosophical outlook requires intentional living, and a recognition that we need to slow down and look for chances to reconnect with nature wherever possible. As an industry, we have the opportunity to effect change on a micro-level with every point of contact; be it the youngster planting his first tomato or encouraging homeowners to consider space for unstructured play in the backyard you create, or helping a condominium owner map out a green space on a small balcony. If a department store can sell gratification on a layaway plan, so can we. Gardening is a long, rich journey and we need to show that it will be worth the wait.

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Social media case

Be real

Not afraid to get a little silly. The creative minds behind Van Belle's social media marketing: Rebecca Gebeshuber, Curtis Friesen, DeVonne Friesen and Kevin Cramer.

8 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

BY SARAH WILLIS

study:

Van Belle engages business-to-business customers cross-continent

“ The thing about social media,”

says DeVonne Friesen, “is that you can’t fake who you are.

Your company’s culture and the personalities on your team all come through. People are looking for authenticity in social media, and you have to believe in what you are doing to get that across.”

Friesen is Vice President of Business Development at Van Belle Nursery, a large wholesale propagator of woody plants and vines in Abbotsford, B.C. Its primary product lines are YoungPlants, liners and starter plants for other growers; and larger, finished woody plants for the retail and landscape market. The company constantly looks for leading-edge plants from top breeding programs around the world.

Equally important as new plant cultivars, staff are always looking for innovations or improvements to help their customers. Van Belle has made significant investments in technology to support its growing and shipping operations; if you follow Van Belle on any of its social media channels, you already know all this.

The company is on the leading edge of social media in the green trades. While many retailers and landscaper con-

tractors use Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter to show homeowners the beauty and benefits of their products, Van Belle uses these channels extensively for business-to-business (B2B) promotion as well.

“We don’t claim to have it all figured out,” says Friesen.

But to the rest of the green industry, it looks like they are doing a darned good job. For several years, Van Belle has recognized the importance of dedicating time and resources on marketing the company through social media. With the help of Van Belle’s graphic designer Rebecca Gebeshuber, who has a passion for online media, the company has expanded its reach, involved staff throughout the company and created a social media presence that has followers looking forward to what’s next. Earlier this year a full-time marketing specialist, Kevin Cramer, joined the team.

COMPANY’S STYLE SHINES THROUGH Friesen credits the culture at Van Belle Nursery for making the social media efforts work. “We are in an industry where there are long days with lots of hard work. We take company culture very seriously, as a healthy culture develops collegiality between team members and bands people

Tweets from Van Belle's team always include a compelling image.

APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

9

together. Our culture here is very intentional and it has been many years in the making. We expect a lot of each other and we all work for a common purpose. But we also know how to lighten things up by being a little silly.” For proof, google ‘Van Belle Christmas sweater.’

Followers of the company’s blog or Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest accounts are educated, entertained and engaged all at the same time. Instagram is the company’s fastest-growing channel.

Friesen says Twitter has the shortest lifecycle for marketing messages, and they have found, surprisingly, that Pinterest has a long life cycle in the realm of social media, “People will search for specific things and we receive questions about our Pins from over a year ago.”

Many of us in the horticultural trades have dabbled in some form of social media. We signed up for the newest social media app, posted enthusiastically for a week or two, then let it slide as the rest of our job got in the way. It’s no secret that consistency is required to successfully market online, and Van Belle keeps the ball rolling by involving its entire team. “We let all staff know we are always looking for content and encourage people across the nursery to contribute.

Any of our staff is able to take a photo, or spot a trend and send it to Rebecca or Kevin who will get it on all our channels.” Sales staff get involved too — a look at Van Belle’s YouTube channel shows YoungPlant Sales team leader Curtis Friesen in a bowler hat and bow tie, starring in the video series Serving You the Best Plants. It is fun to watch, but informative too.

With multiple staff members contributing by tweeting, posting, filming and replying in real time, Friesen says it is impossible to edit every post. “We have to trust the judgment of our team members.

There is no instruction book, but we have discussed parameters. They will make mistakes, as we all do, but we’re convinced that because of the people they are, and the culture we’ve created, the mistakes will be minor. I remember the Van Belles telling me on my first day here that if I didn’t make mistakes, I was playing it too safe and not being aggressive or active enough.”

EGGS IN SEVERAL PROMO BASKETS The company doesn’t spend all its marketing dollars online. Friesen sees value in printed products that have a long shelf life, advertising in directories, and creating the company’s premium printed piece, its Reference Guide. He says Van Belle’s Reference Guide offers an opportunity to tell stories as well, but adds it is a traditional, one-way conversation.

Engaging content is required for success with social media, says Friesen. “I’ve learned it’s not just a place to post pictures and push information about what we are doing, but

Shot of Van Belle staff shows a group willing to lighten up.

10 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

the value is in providing opportunities for conversation and engagement. That’s where there is real power in social media.”

Friesen relates the engaging content on Van Belle’s social media channels right back to the company’s culture. “I really do believe it is difficult to have an effective presence online if the environment isn’t healthy — that will eventually come out. It is challenging to tell a story from a corporate voice in an authentic way — especially in a way that will engage Gen Y and Millennials. It’s not about perfect polish; it’s about connecting with a real person telling a story in a compelling way.

“We still do all the traditional things wholesale nurseries do: availability lists, updates on orders, featured offers and such. But our social media is a way to keep us on customer’s minds, let them know what’s happening at Van Belle, and brings out our personalities.”

DIGITAL CALLING CARD “We want customers to think Van Belle when they are looking for a great product for a great value, and that when they call, they look forward to talking with us.” Social media is a great calling card, too.

Friesen says he and his colleagues will often run in to someone while in another province or country who recognizes their faces from Van Belle’s YouTube videos. “It’s a connection point and an introduction, and then we can do business.”

In the past, all of the nursery’s marketing was aimed at wholesale customers, but Friesen says they are starting to market the company’s Bloomin’ Easy brand to homeowners to drive sales for their retail customers. “Social media gives us the capability to use digital marketing to target very specific areas. For example, we could run a contest that has people posting photos they have taken of Bloomin’ Easy plants in their garden, and automatically enter to win a gift certificate at the garden centre where they were purchased. Social media allows us to get feedback in a way we couldn’t from print.”

Feedback is one quick way Friesen and his team can tell how successful a post or video has been. “We have access to numbers and metrics, but engagement is really what we are looking for. How many likes, comments and questions do we get? We can tell very quickly if a post resonates with followers.”

Full disclosure — to do a good job with social media means not just working on it between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. “We joke that it is a lifestyle,” Friesen says. Mobile technology has made access easier, but means the user is always ‘on.’ For Van Belle Nursery, social media has allowed an always-on, engaged group of employees to become LT its best ambassadors.

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How much does that plant really cost?

Know your true co$ts

BY GREG CLARKE

Whether you are a grower, landscape contractor or a retailer, there are two critical components to your business: Cost and price. Cost is the amount owners pay to grow, buy or supply goods and services. Knowing (and understanding) cost is integral for owners to properly set prices, which in turn drives profitability.

Although this concept appears to be quite simple, surprisingly, it is not fully considered by all businesses — prompting SB Partners and Landscape Ontario to develop the Profit Improvement Guide for the green industry, www.horttrades.com/PROFIT. This guide is a critical tool to help landscape-related businesses with the concepts of cost and price.

There is no one-size-fits-all method for determining and tracking costs. Growers, contractors and retail operations use a wide variety of methods. For example, growers may use approaches such as: l Computerized tracking These systems are very accurate but are also very expensive. Typically this system is used by very large operators in order to manage volume. l Estimating cost as a percentage of price Although not a true costing method, many operators use this approach. This system is really only an estimation and has no basis for providing an accurate cost. Companies that use this approach are not actually determining true (valuable) inputs for their real costs. l Averaging This method provides a better indication of cost than estimation but it is not as costly or as accurate as a computerized system. This is a reliable method for small to medium businesses. l Doing nothing Obviously this isn’t a costing method but it reflects the wait-and-see approach adopted by some growers who just wait until the end of the year to see if they made any profit. The problem with this approach is it doesn’t allow owners to actively impact the profitability of the business.

Costing doesn’t have to be overly complex but it does have to be a system that

12 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

provides some degree of accuracy, and it must be used consistently.

For the typical operator, the averaging model noted above might be the easiest and best model to use.

The first step to determining product costing is to understand which costs to track. There are two types of costs: l Variable or direct costs. These are costs that fluctuate with sales levels and are incurred directly in the production of the product or service. Examples include field labour, fertilizer, or seeds. l Indirect or overhead costs. These are costs that are incurred regardless of sales. Examples include property taxes, management salaries and office costs.

When starting a costing analysis, it is important to review all costs and determine which ones are direct or indirect. Once this is completed, start the process of allocating costs to products. This can be the difficult part in the costing process, especially with multiple crops or crops that take more than one year to mature. Begin by collecting the direct costs and then allocating them to each crop.

The next step is to allocate the indirect costs, which can be difficult.

For many of these items, the indirect costs are just expensed as incurred, but where the indirect cost relates to an overall farm operation, then there would be an allocation of indirect cost to the cost of the product. An example would be property taxes. Assuming that a farm operation uses 90 per cent of its land for growing and the other ten per cent for the office building and storage, 90 per cent of property taxes would be attributed to the cost of crop production, while the remaining ten per cent would be expensed as an administrative cost. The same type of analysis would be done for utilities, management salaries, repairs and maintenance,

and equipment amortization. Some examples are shown below: l Scenario One: One crop grown over one season This is a simple scenario. The variable costs would be directly attributed to the cost of the product. Allocate a fair share of the indirect costs to the product. Once the overall cost pool is determined, the estimate of the ‘per item price cost’ would be determined by averaging the pool of costs over the expected crop yield. l Scenario Two: One crop grown over several seasons The cost allocation would be the same as in Scenario One, except the pool of costs would be increased by those incurred over the whole growing period — which may be several years in certain circumstances, such as a tree farm. In year one, the majority of

INTERACTIVE PLANNER PROMOTES PROFITABILITY The Profit Improvement Guide was created by SB Partners at the behest of Landscape Ontario. Recognising the market pressures faced by growers, the association wanted a tool to help green industry companies understand their costs and help visualize how discounting affects the bottom line.

As the guide notes, it is simple to improve the profitability of a business, but being willing to do it is the stumbling block. Small changes can make a big difference, and this 16-page guide shows exactly how those changes impact a company’s profitability. There is also an interactive spreadsheet where companies can input their own figures and manipulate them to determine how to improve profit.

The Guide is a free resource and an industry-specific business tool.

Download it at www.horttrades.com/PROFIT.

direct costs would be incurred and allocated. In the subsequent years, the main costs added to the cost pool would be an allocation of indirect costs and field maintenance. l Scenario Three: Multiple crops grown in one season In this example, direct costs would have to be allocated into two groups: direct costs incurred on a specific crop and direct costs incurred for all crops. The direct costs for a specific crop would only be attributed to the specific crop, whereas the overall direct costs are allocated over all the crops, based on a relevant factor such as land area. For example, if one crop took up half the field, then half the direct costs would be allocated to that crop. Indirect costs allocated to the field would also have to be allocated to the specific crops and should be done on the same basis as the direct costs (e.g. as a percentage of the field area). l Scenario Four: Multiple crops grown over several seasons In this scenario, the costs would be allocated in a similar manner as in Scenario Three, but need to be allocated over several seasons to accurately build up the cost pool.

Why is this important? Knowing the cost of the product, along with overhead costs, allows owners to accurately set prices that cover costs and generate profit. Owners that understand true costs can make pricLT ing decisions to manage the profitability of their operations.

Greg Clarke, a partner with SB Partners in Ontario, has worked extensively with growers helping them make informed decisions by developing costing models to properly price their products to support profitability.

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Tim Loewen, Pine Meadows Tree Farms, B.C., ponders the task of demonstrating his grafting skills, while judge Nick Winkelmolen, Winkelmolen Nurseries, Ont., looks on.

Brian Kemash, Pine Meadows Tree Farms, B.C., prepares to demonstrate his knowledge in field harvesting for the benefit of judge Devon Beck, Parkland Nurseries, Alta.

gap

Bridging the skilled worker

T

he landscape construction, landscape maintenance and retail garden centre sectors of Canada’s ornamental horticulture industry have benefited from an industry worker certification program since 1995. Originally known as the Certified Horticulture Technician (CHT) program, and more recently rebranded as the Landscape Industry Certified (LIC) program, this worker certification program has as its core objective a process that allows the sector to recognize the professional skills that have been achieved by employees through on-the-job learning. There have been many improvements to the program over the years as it, and the sectors, have matured. However, the basic premise of verifying skills through a series of practical test stations remains. Today’s Landscape Industry Certified program is now recognized by the industry in both Canada and the U.S., through a unique and model relationship

16 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Certification for nursery workers boosts training and professionalism

BY RITA WEERDENBURG

between each country’s leading landscape sector organizations, CNLA (Canada Nursery Landscape Association) and PLANET (National Association of Landscape Professionals).

More recently, Canada’s wholesale nursery sector has started to take a closer look at this worker certification model as a possible template to address some of its own labour and worker issues. With funding support from Employment and Social Development Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program (SIP), an industry advisory group was formed, a work plan was developed and the challenge of designing a nursery-specific program was underway.

Step one was the development of a sector-specific National Occupational Standard. Employing a tried and true government-developed methodology, the Industry Advisory Group (IAG) convened in mid-December 2014 for an intensive one-day facilitated workshop session. Under the

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The set-up day included a thorough review of each of the testing stations and related training for the judges, left to right are Nick WInkelmolen, Steven Folkerts, Devon Beck, Jason Levelton, Jeff Foley and Cable Baker.

Shelly Murley, (back to camera) provided her considerable horticultural and certification expertise to ensure good judging criteria for each station.

guidance of Kwantlen Polytech horticulture instructor Bruce McTavish, a comprehensive NOS was developed. The process begins with identifying all of the tasks performed within an occupation and then goes on to describe in detail how those tasks are performed and the knowledge and skills that an individual must possess in order to perform those tasks.

TRUE TEST OF COMPETENCE As the core of the certification process is focused on the actual demonstration of competence at test stations that seek to emulate actual on-site working conditions, the next part of the project was to identify those key skills that could be demonstrated. Upon completion of that list, a full script detailing the methodology for each test station must be written. Skills and knowledge not easily demonstrated through practical test stations are confirmed through a written exam.

The most important task in the establishment of a workable certification program is to actually test the test. The Industry Advisory Group accomplished this undertaking with considerable assistance from CNLA’s certification team and Kwantlen Polytechnic University instructional associates Shelly Murley and Rob Welsh in late February of this year. In a pilot program set up at Kwantlen’s certification testing site, a willing group of B.C. growers set out to prove their skills to the members of the Industry Advi18 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

sory Group in their capacity as judges.

As expected, the entire pilot process resulted in considerable upgrades to each of the various test stations. In addition to many recommendations for improvements, several stations were removed entirely, while suggestions were made for the inclusion of new stations. It was determined, for instance, that although budding and grafting are very important, they are nonetheless specialized skills that are required by too few nurseries to expect they would be available to a broad base of nursery workers.

One of the more significant challenges encountered within the pilot program — and expected to be a challenge into the future as well — is a direct result of the diversity of the sector itself. With no two nurseries being similar, and as many production practices are unique to each operation, with none being right or wrong, it was challenging to provide adequate training to judges on how to provide fair scores to the candidates.

WHY CERTIFIY? Why nursery worker certification and why now? One of the fundamental drivers for the original certification program was the need to promote professionalism of the landscape construction and landscape maintenance sectors to the general public, which is generally not seen as a need within the nursery grower sector.

The members of the Industry Advisory

Group provided a good cross-section of reasons of why they chose to support a nursery worker certification project.

Noted Ashleigh Munro of Kiwi Nurseries, Spruce Grove, Alta., “For our company, it’s all about making the job real. All of our workers are seasonal and most of them, including myself, have chosen on-the-job learning as our preferred method of training. With a certification program in place that leads to an industry-recognized designation, we can acknowledge to our employees that we value them and their skills.

I believe that certification will enhance the value of the job in their own eyes.” Munro added that keeping and retaining employees in a sector that must compete for workers with the nearby oil industry is always a challenge. “We’ll never be able to compete with oil on wages and still maintain a profitable company and we see certification as being a selling feature to them and to us.”

Several of the group acknowledged the added value of the training manuals that have become an integral part of the Landscape Industry Certified program, especially as they also provide industry-accepted minimum standards of training. Noted Steven Folkerts of Linnaea Nurseries, Langley, B.C., “With all other things being equal, as an employer I would most likely give preference to a potential employee that had a proven industry certification.” When asked about the possibility of other companies “poaching” employees that their company had taken the time and expense to certify, he merely shrugged. “I guess it could happen,” he acknowledged, “but if we provide a good working environment and a decent wage, including access to a certification designation, I don’t think we would be overly concerned about poaching. It happens, but there are usually more than one reason when an employee chooses to leave.”

Changing worker demographics topped the list of why Nick Winkelmolen of Winklemolen Nurseries, Lynden, Ont., chose to support this certification initiative. “Of

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The successful pilot project for the nursery worker certification program was made possible through the combined efforts of a very dedicated group of industry volunteers from across Canada, including the CNLA’s Industry Advisory Group and the National Certification Committee. Particular thanks to those B.C. companies and individuals who took time to participate in this project on a beautiful early spring day at Kwantlen Polytech University in Langley, B.C.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS course nursery growers are always going to have a need for offshore workers,” he concedes. “But there is also a real need for skilled workers to fill that critical area between our offshore workers and the owner-managers.

That gap is getting bigger every year as our older workers retire, and we need to have some solid strategies in place to fill those gaps. The training and verification of skills through programs such as this will be very important to our company in the near and mid-term future.”

The pilot test program resulted in a wealth of great input from both the Industry

20 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Advisory Group in their role as station judges and the local volunteer candidates. This information will be used to further improve the training manuals and testing procedures.

Upon completion, the nursery worker certification program, under the label of Landscape Industry Certified, Nursery Horticulturist (or LIC Nursery Horticulturist) will be available to the trade across Canada through their provincial associations. Stay tuned to your local association publications LT for additional information.

Rita Weerdenburg is Growers Manager at the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.

Thanks to the instructors at Kwantlen Polytechnic University for hosting and assisting with the pilot testing program. CNLA is also grateful to the members of its Industry Advisory Group for testing the test: Steven Folkerts, Linnaea Nurseries, B.C.; Aaron Mathies, Cannor Nurseries, B.C.; Jason Levelton, East Richmond Nurseries, B.C.; Arnold Heuver, Arnold Heuver Consulting, Alta.; Devon Beck, Parkland Nurseries, Alta.; Ashleigh Munro, Kiwi Nurseries, Alta.; Andrew Ronald, Jeffries Nurseries, Man.; Adam Kobes, Kobes Nurseries, Ont.; Rob Albrecht, John’s Nurseries, Ont.; Nick Winkelmolen, Winkelmolen Nurseries, Ont.

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industrynews New landscape degree in Calgary This fall, the University of Calgary will be home to Canada’s newest graduate program in landscape architecture. Offered by the Faculty of Environmental Design, it will be the first program of its kind in Canada since 1980, and the only one in Alberta.

Dean Nancy Pollock-Ellwand says, “We are interested in improving the quality of our neighbourhoods, cities, and regions. Landscape architects deal with issues of development, from the design of better streets and public spaces to planning regional landscapes.” The three-year program will offer students real-world design experience with a focus on preparing future leaders in the landscape architecture profession that can contribute globally.

More information about the program can be found at evds.ucalgary.ca

Best Way Stone celebrates anniversary Best Way Stone was established when the father and son landscape construction team of Angelo and Paolo Pignatelli, recognized an opportunity in manufacturing landscape building products. The pair made their own patio stones and concrete building products in the 1950s and early ‘60s, but gave the business their fulltime attention in 1965 by starting Best Way Stone in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Partner Frank Pacitto joined the company in 1974, and the company began servicing the brand-new interlocking paving stone industry market. Relocating to Woodbridge, Ont., in 1986, the company has grown along with the industry and boasts automated start-of-the-art production facilities. Over the years Best Way Stone has been quick to recognize and adapt to new trends, including segmental retaining walls; tumbled, or distressed pavers; and permeable pavers. In 2000, Remo Pignatelli joined the partnership.

Now celebrating 50 years of growth, Best Way Stone is still a family-run business, in its third generation of family management.

Plant Watch inspections expand The Plant Watch program has completed another successful year of protecting plant patents, Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) and branded programs. In 2014, over 300 inspections were carried out from New York to British Columbia and from Ontario to Florida.

Nurseries across the U.S. and Canada have hosted inspections by seasoned Plant Watch representatives to document the degree growers respect patents, PBRs and trademarks. The expense of establishing a plant brand is well known in our industry. Growers who comply with patent, PBR and branding requirements are at a disadvantage when infringers under-

.

Best Way Stone's paving slab production line in the 1970s. This year, the company celebrates its 50th anniversary

22 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

cut prices. In order to support their network of compliant growers, Spring Meadow Nursery, Bailey Nurseries, Conard-Pyle and Plant Development Services have used Plant Watch services since 2011 to monitor and inspect nurseries and collect fines for unauthorized propagation where warranted.

Natalia Hamill, Brand and Business Development Manager at Bailey Nurseries, notes that there is now greater industry acceptance of brand compliance and plant patent law. Companies like Bailey Nurseries appreciate the growers who take time to become familiar with brand requirements and follow the rules.

Plant Watch has successfully intervened with infringers to curtail illegal activities for over nine years. According to Plant Watch executive director, Sylvia Mosterman, “Protecting the investment brand owners make in marketing and product development with nursery inspections makes it fairer for growers who are playing by the rules and ultimately benefits the consumer.”

Nurseries found to be non-compliant are assessed a significant fine based on the number of unauthorized plants discovered, and the destruction of those plants is required. Growers are reminded that varieties covered by plant patents and Plant Breeders’ Rights require permission to propagate, and trade names are protected.

For more information, visit www.plantwatch.org.

Landscaping to reduce allergies A new book will be a valuable reference for allergy sufferers looking to enjoy the outdoors with minimal discomfort. The Allergy-Fighting Garden by Tom Ogren is a guide to help people select the best plants for their garden, and design the landscape to reduce pollen’s proximity to allergy-prone people.

The increase and ease of asexual propagation has led to a rise in dioecious pollen producers (separate sexed plants), meaning today’s gardens have significantly more pollen floating around than gardens of 50 years ago.

Based on the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS), this book summarizes and presents over 20 years of research in an easy-to-use format. Some plants cause no allergy and some have a significant effect on allergy sufferers.

OPALS assigns all plants a rating of 1-10 based on their allergy ranking.

Ogren’s book covers landscaping techniques to minimize the impact of pollen and molds in

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industrynews the garden, offers an informative look at plant sex and allergies, and provides a comprehensive listing of landscape plants, along with their OPALS rating.

With the help of Tom Ogren’s new book, landscape designers, contractors and garden retailers will be able to help allergy sufferers create a garden they can enjoy with minimal effects. The Allergy-Fighting Garden is a 248-page paperback published by Ten Speed Press.

Phoenix Perennials tours South Africa Phoenix Perennials of Richmond, B.C., is excited to announce an upcoming alumni UBC botanical tour led by Phoenix Perennials owner Gary Lewis to see the floral wonders of South Africa. The tour will travel the Cape of South Africa, taking in the carpets of spring wildflowers in Namaqualand — said to be one of the great floral wonders of the world — and the blooming

24 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

fynbos vegetation, including the exotic protea family and South Africa’s national flower, the king protea.

“This fantastic itinerary to the Cape of South Africa will take in three of my top botanical bucket list destinations,” explains Lewis, “Namaqualand during its spring bloom, the Succulent Karoo, which contains one third of all known succulents, and the Cape Floral, which is one of the most unique floral regions on Earth. All three of these areas offer some of the most exciting floral adventures in the world including visual spectacle, biodiversity, and endemism. I’m excited to share this trip with UBC alumni and friends.”

The tour will also take in Cape Town, diverse flower reserves and gardens including the famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, wineries, charming resorts, southern right whales, penguins, and other birds and wildlife.

The tour is offered as part of the alumni UBC

Travel Program and is open to UBC alumni, their friends and family, and anyone from the wider community beyond UBC who wants to share in the travel experience.

Registration for the trip remains open. More information can be found on the tour website at worldwidequest.com. For more information, please contact Gary Lewis at 604-202-0920.

Chicago Pneumatic appoints distributor Chicago Pneumatic Construction Equipment (CPCE) announces the appointment of International Power Systems (IPS) of Oakville, Ont., as its exclusive distributor of walk-behind compaction equipment for the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba.

International Power Systems is Ontario’s exclusive Honda industrial engine distributor for 20 years, and provides additional products including generators, water pumps, pressure washers and air compressors. With a developed network of over 300 dealers in Ontario, IPS was CP’s first choice.

As an exclusive CP distributor, IPS will provide current CP customers with additional access to the parts and service network, while IPS dealers will enjoy a new selection of compactors, rammers, rollers, power packs, related parts, and accessories.

Aquascape sets date for Pondemonium Aquascape will present Pondemonium 2015 from August 5-8. This year’s Pondemonium will

be held at the Q Center in St. Charles, Ill. Distributors, contractors, and retailers can attend Aquascape’s training event designed to help grow their water feature businesses.

Pond construction, business and marketing seminars, new product showcases, pond tours, and a special awards ceremony complete the list of events. Pondemonium 2015 offers something for everyone, whether you’re just getting started with water features or have many years of experience under your belt. To learn more, log onto www.pondemonium.com.

Conference focuses on hydrangeas

Pondemonium will be held in August this year and offers a great hands-on learning environment for anyone creating water features.

For three days this summer, the Heritage Museums and Gardens of Sandwich, Mass., on Cape Cod, will host Hydrangeas 2015. The international conference, taking place from July 14-16, will feature leading horticulturists and experts in the cultivation of this iconic flowering plant. Renowned tree and shrub expert, author, and hydrangea hybridizer Dr.

What we say to customers

Michael Dirr will deliver the keynote lecture. In 2015, Dirr was made a Fellow in the National Academy of Inventors; the only ornamental plant breeder to ever receive this distinction.

The conference will promote the exchange of cutting-edge information on hydrangeas and cover a diverse array of critical topics. Hydrangea lectures will be held each morning, with garden tours to follow in the afternoons. Tuesday and Wednesday lectures will be held at the Cape Codder Resort and Spa followed by tours featuring significant private gardens on the Cape. Thursday will be a full Heritage Day dedicated to tours of all garden areas including the Hydrangea Collection. Hydrangea macrophylla, the crown jewel of the genus, will be at their blooming peak in July.

Full information is available at heritagemuseums.org/hydrangeas2015.

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legalmatters Severance and notice in the employment context

Glossary of legalese, Part 3

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

As discussed in a previous columns, there are many legal or contractual concepts, terms or conditions used in tender packages, contracts, insurance policies, legislation and litigation which can be confusing or incomprehensible. Accordingly, the third instalment of our glossary of construction law and contract legalese!

Severance pay Where an employee/employer relationship is terminated, for whatever reason, we often hear people talk about “severance pay,” from both sides of that table. In by far the vast majority of circumstances, however, severance pay has no role whatsoever upon the termination of an employee/employer relationship. This is because a terminated employee will only be entitled to severance pay in limited circumstances which depend on the size and number of employees involved.

The first thing to understand is that severance pay is a creature of statute. Unless a statute requires that it be paid, it need not be paid. In Ontario, for example, the Employment Standards Act, S.O. 2000, c.41, provides that severance pay shall be paid to the employee if he or she was employed for five years or more and the severance occurred because of a permanent discontinuance of

26 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

all or part of the employer’s business where 50 or more employees are terminated within a six-month period, or where the employer has a payroll of $2.5 million or more. In Ontario, few employers and terminations meet this test. Again, unless the statutory test is met, we don’t worry about the concept of severance pay.

“Notice” of termination in the employment context On the other hand, an employee’s right to be compensated upon termination, in some circumstances, is not a creature of statute.

Rather, at least in Canada’s “common law” jurisdictions outside of Québec, the principle that an employee is entitled to be paid money in lieu of notice upon termination goes back to old Kings in England. In Québec, these same “common law” concepts have been entrenched in the Québec Civil Code going back to its original forms.

The principle recognizes that, in certain circumstances, an employer will be entitled to terminate an employee, without cause. In that circumstance, the question becomes: How much notice of the termination is the employee entitled to, to look for other employment and get his or her affairs in order? Without an agreement to the contrary,

courts and common law jurisdictions have suggested that employees are entitled to as much as one month of notice for every year they have served, perhaps up to as much as 16-20 months, depending on the seniority and job description of the employee.

The starting point, however, is to understand that the employer who wants to terminate the employee can give actual notice of that intention, and avoid the need to pay money in lieu of that notice. The employer

can thus go to the employee and say, “I am going to give you sufficient and adequate notice of the termination.” If the appropriate notice period is 12 months, the employer can say, “Your job will be terminated 12 months from today.” In that circumstance, and so long as the notice period was properly assessed, the employee would not be entitled to any payment in lieu of notice.

Many employers don’t want to give actual, working notice that the termination is coming. They don’t want to expose the business’s assets, etc., to the employee during the notice period, don’t believe the employee would be productive with termination hanging over his or her head, or don’t believe the employee’s continued attendance in the workplace would be good for morale. In those circumstances the employer might decide to give the employee “notice pay,” in lieu of actual notice. In that circumstance, the employer would say, “I am going to terminate you today. I calculate that the appropriate notice period would be 12 months. Accordingly, I am going to give you 12 months’ pay (inclusive benefits), in lieu of that notice.”

Legislation will also often provide minimum notice periods.

The Ontario Employment Standards Act, for example, generally requires that one week’s notice be provided for every year, or partial year, of service – up to eight weeks. In addition, the legislation sets out circumstances (many of which are relevant in the construction industry) where no notice would be required.

The common law generally allows the employer and employees to agree on what notice will be appropriate. The legislation, after all, only sets out minimum requirements. It is for this reason the many employers will ensure that their contracts with their employees adopt the notice provisions established by the legislation, and set out that no additional further notice, or payment in lieu of notice, will be provided. Where such clauses do not exist (or are not enforceable), the employee may pursue his or her rights to “common-law notice,” which (as above) might amount to much more than they are entitled to under the applicable legislation.

Notably, there has to be consideration for any contractual provisions to be enforced. Accordingly, when an employer goes to current employees and asks them to sign a new or updated contract, which limits or restricts the rights to common-law notice, the clauses will often be not enforceable. This is because the employer has not given the employee anything in exchange for this contractual change. In such circumstances, it is often recommended that the employer give appropriate consideration (i.e. money or other valuable compensaLT tion), in exchange for accepting the new contractual terms.

Robert Kennaley has a background in construction and now practices construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ont. He speaks and writes regularly on construction law issues and can be reached at 416-368-2522 (Toronto) or 519-426-2577 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. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard.

APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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roadtosuccess

WHO, and WHAT,

BY ROD McDONALD

I was hanging out

with a group of my friends, one night, several years ago.

I told them how this customer had given me a hard time, earlier that day, and that I didn’t handle it very well. “You would think that after all of these years of working retail, I would have a thick skin, but I don’t. I can handle most situations but, every now and again, one person will slip through my defence perimeter and get to me.” I don’t think I am the only one who shares that feeling.

I was listening to a fellow who owns a chain of furniture stores speaking at a convention. He told us this story which resonated with most of the listeners. “You have a hundred customers in a day. Ninety say very little and just buy what they came into buy.

Nine stop to tell you how great your store is and the last one rips into you, telling you how terrible your product, your store and your service are. It is now 4:00 a.m. and you are supposed to be asleep. Who is in bed with you besides your wife?” The audience

stresses you?

laughed because it was so true. The power of negative energy can overwhelm anyone, if we let it.

I wish that I was really smart, on a guru level, and that I had a sure-fire way of dealing with difficult people and situations. Rest assured, if I did, I would try to bottle the product and no doubt, make millions selling it to people, just like you and me. I don’t. I don’t have any guaranteed way of preventing myself from being upset when my buttons are pushed in their right order. What follows are a few ideas, some from me and some from others, on how handle those tough ones each of us has to face.

Michel Touchette from Jeffries Nurseries and I were talking about the all-too-common comment, “I can buy it cheaper at this other store.” Michel said his best response is, “That is an excellent price,” and then he shuts up, waiting for the other person’s response. Michel said that quite often, the other person will after a moment of reflection add, “It’s probably not as good as yours,” and carry on with shopping.

Stay the course When carrying out estimates for landscaping jobs, I would on occasion, encounter someone wanting me to match another company’s alleged price.

I never cut my price, as I felt it was a terrible habit to develop and that more

Fortunately, the majority of clients and customers are easy to please.

28 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

often than not, you would risk losing the respect of the customer. When presented with another’s lower price, I would simply say, “Each of us is free to set our price, based upon what our work is worth and each of us is free to choose the company we think will do the best job for us.” I never ever slammed the other company. That does not impress a customer because they almost expect that you are going to say something along those lines. I believe that I was better off to take the higher road, even if it meant not getting that job. You might think that the people who I delivered an estimate to would proceed with the lower-priced competitor, but they did not. I signed four out of five of those customers and at my price.

They were testing me, and I assume that I passed their test.

Gerry Schroer was a legend as a salesman for Bailey’s Nursery out of Minnesota; at least he was here in the western part of the country. He taught me this technique: It was Christmas time and we were selling Zygo (Christmas) cacti. Ours were in a four-inch pot with three cuttings, full and in bloom. We had a few customers come in claiming that Walmart had the same thing for a dollar less. I went to Walmart, bought one of their plants and put it on display right beside mine. I posted the sales slip as proof of purchase. The plant from Walmart was in a three-inch pot, had one cutting and it was much smaller and insignificant compared with ours. After doing that, I never had a single person mention the dollar difference again.

Having written a few paragraphs about price comparisons, let me write this: If you have an above-average number of customers wanting to compare your prices with chain stores, then I would suggest that you need to

upgrade your customer base. Walmart and you should not be sharing a customer base.

If you are sharing that base, you are going to lose. Walmart is very good at selling cheap goods cheaply. Your market is selling the best goods with real service at a higher price.

I fully recognize, having learned from experience after experience, that stress is a one hundred per cent internally-generated emotion. On a good day, I handle everything. On a bad day, I handle very little. There were days when a rude customer would make me laugh and the next day, the same behaviour would get to me. I really don’t have any sage advice except to say, take a deep breath, relax, and remember that when you open your doors to the public, you have to accept what walks through those doors.

Sometimes best to walk away My friend, Jimmy Moore, owned a Dairy Queen here in Regina. One night, a dad with his wife and three kids were having Royal Treats. The man flagged Jimmy down and let him have it because the week before, the fellow had been to McDonald’s for ice cream cones and it had cost him five bucks. Now, at Jimmy’s DQ, it was costing him fifteen bucks. Jimmy tried to be rational and point out that they had purchased five items, each of which had cost three dollars and were not an eighty-five cent ice cream cone. The dad didn’t buy Jimmy’s assertion. Jimmy pointed out that his prices were clearly posted, that he didn’t trick people into buying an item only to pull a fast one at the till. The dad still didn’t buy it. Jimmy realized that the fellow was going to vent and no amount of discussion was about to change that. “Enjoy your Royal Treats,” and with that, Jimmy walked away. Sometimes, there is nothing you can do if the other person is on a roll.

One of my pet peeves, no doubt shared by most greenhouse and garden centre operators, was on that gorgeous day in May, when the customers were lined up six deep at the cash registers, a yahoo would shout, “This place is nothing more than a licence to print money!” I would always think, to myself, where was this fellow when it was twenty below a month ago, and every furnace that I owned was running full blast around the clock. While the gas company was rubbing their hands in glee, there was not a customer to be seen.

APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

29

Disarm with humour Another time, when we were swamped with customers on one of those warm May weekends, a fellow asked in a loud voice, “Why are your prices so high?” Now, my answer was not text book professional, but I thought to myself, “If you want to play rough, let’s go.” I said, equally as loud as we now had an audience, “I keep my prices up to keep the riff raff from shopping here. You don’t want to shop with the riff raff do you sir?”

He thought he was going to embarrass me

but his listeners were now laughing at him.

Perhaps I lost him, but some days in every retailer’s life, that price is worth it.

It is difficult to make every customer happy when we have so many in such a short period of time. We try our best to have the right products, the right price and the right service available at all times, but, and it is a big but (no pun intended), we fall short.

The senior who was yelling at me because, “Everything I wanted in white singles, you only have in white doubles and everything I

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roadtosuccess wanted in blue doubles, you only have in blue singles.” I really wanted to ask, “Do you think I planned it that way, sir? Do you think I sat down to make up my bedding plant order and I thought of how I could irritate you and only you?” I didn’t. I told him, “I’ll try harder next year to have what you want.” I wasn’t appeasing him. I just wanted the conversation to end. It was a long day and I was tired.

I wasn’t the best at responding to customers and I don’t pretend that I was. One of my heroes for customer response was my friend Jan Pederson at Shelmerdine’s in Winnipeg.

Jan had that uncanny ability to say to an irate customer, “Let’s make it right for you,” and the situation would resolve itself with Jan’s guidance.

I had a staff member named Natalie who worked in the greenhouse and she equalled Jan in his customer skills. One night, a woman calls out from many feet away, holding up a pack of zinnias, “Why are these so small?”

Natalie moves in closer to the woman, and quietly says, “Those are the perfect size to

transplant. Any taller and they would fall over. You don’t want them any bigger than these.” The woman immediately calmed down, thanked Natalie for her assistance and carried on shopping. Now why don’t I know that is what I need to say?

Dealing with customers, staff and people in general, is always going to have its moments.

The majority are going to be easy to satisfy, to make happy, for lack of better words. There are always going to be those who question you, using hostile words, but they settle down with the right response. Then, there is always going to be that one out of a thousand that no matter what you say and do, will never be happy. You can offer to cut off your right arm and they will still not be satisfied. I started out in this trade in 1977 and I have finally figured out that those people, you cannot appease.

They were not happy long before they ever walked into your place of business. They are equally unhappy when they are in the grocery store and the drycleaners. You will never change them.

My funniest story of a person that you could never make happy is this one. I prided myself on having the best selection of fall bulbs in town. Each September, a woman would arrive to inspect our selection and announce, “Your selection is disappointing so I have to go elsewhere.” After a couple of years, we looked forward to her arrival as it was the kickoff to the bulb season.

All of us are supposed to keep our proverbial balance when it comes to difficult customers. If we can keep some semblance of that balance, then we will stay on the road LT to 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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Mastering planning for master planners

Landscape design requires many soft-skill talents

BY AUDRIANA VANDERWERF, BA. Ed., CLD

When I excitedly strode out of my college doors for the last time, I was armed with a diploma and all the knowledge ever needed for a long, rewarding career as a landscape designer. Or so I thought.

I could name and identify thousands of plants by their botanical names, survey the heck out of any problematic site, solve problems via beautiful designs, develop a business brand, and even market it. Yup, I was on my way to landscaping Easy Street.

But the path was laden with detours and speed bumps, requiring more than a scroll and imagination to proceed. To really excel, a designer needs many soft-skill talents, rarely found in horticulture programs. Incomparable communication talents to sell ideas, detailed project coordination abilities and productive time management skills all help pave the way to success.

Stop, look and listen The ability to sell is a career requirement often overlooked by horticultural design students. Ellen Ruddick of Price Landscaping, Moncton, N.B., couldn’t agree more. “A huge part of the design process is to be able to explain the plan concepts in a way that the clients can visualize.”

Even with technological advances like colour and 3D CAD software, nothing replaces, “effective and articulate communication skills … when presenting designs and proposals to clients,” says Chris Mace of Gelderman Landscape Services, Waterdown, Ont. While most of us left school armed with a list of questions for clients, the knack is in the listening and interpreting of clients’ answers: the detection and use of their hidden clues, identifying the pulse of their passion, and turning that into the one element that will show you heard.

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“The ability to listen to the clients’ wishes is probably one of the best skills learned after my schooling,” states John Van Roessel of Greater Landscapes in Calgary, Alta. “The resulting success though has to do with both remembering the details and actually incorporating them.”

Get organized Equally important is project coordination.

Incorporating superior logic and organization skills, the ability to coordinate and stay on top of details, is essential for anyone intending to direct the execution of their designs (which have sold, thanks to your honed communication skills!). Designers with a job on the go may need to effectively organize the crew, the subs, the equipment rentals, the deliveries of soil, mulch, stone, rock and plants. Then, because we live in the real world, we may need to RE-organize the above due to illness, forgetfulness, clients with a mind-change, etc. Meanwhile, we may need to carry on with our other clients’ measures, contract signing, designing and presentations. Then there’s the paperwork.

The ability to handle this without calling in the stress brigade is an entrepreneurial quality that may not be mastered by all. Indeed, underestimating the need for strategic coordination skills can lead to poor execution, and in the end is the difference between surviving and thriving.

Mind your time Finally, if you have ever wished for a few extra hours each day, take heed. Our daily lives blend into each other as yesterday’s tasks become today’s, and then tomorrow’s.

On honest reflection, additional hours to the day would not solve the problem. The dilemma goes deeper than a shortage of time,

but rather a mismanagement of it. A daily planner used relentlessly helps keep focus on immediate tasks. And what of distractions that devour our energy? Telephone interruptions, crises management, drop-in visitors, or over-dependent staff use up time we don’t schedule at the start of the day.

But let’s not just blame them. Some very common self-developed time wasters, and their antidote, include: l Disorganization: teach yourself or hire someone to de-clutter your space, file and schedule logically, and to use a daily planner. You’ll need to clarify objectives and determine the difference between important and urgent. l Poor communication: we touched on this already, but being clear saves time and money by preventing mistakes. “For employees, it (effective communication) helps when teaching new policies and procedures, installation methods, safety instructions, etc.,” says Mace. l Procrastination: the best way to teach yourself not to ‘put it off’ is to treat your daily planner like a rule book: if it’s written down, you must do it! l Inability to say no: the path to hell is paved with good intentions, as they say!

Know yourself and your staff, and what is manageable. Ensure what you do, you do well because haste precedes poor work and errors.

Mastering these hidden soft-skills will find you maximizing sales, performing with composure and yes, a enjoying a bit of spare time. LT Audriana VanderWerf, CLD, of Essence Design in Barrie, Ont., has worked as a landscape designer and management skills trainer both overseas and in Canada.

novascotiaupdate Landscape Trades devoted space in each issue to provincial association news. This month features news from Landscape Nova Scotia Horticultural Trades Association.

This winter has been a challenging one for members of Landscape Nova Scotia. Those involved in clearing snow and keeping our roads safe have been working ‘round the clock to manage the winter storms. While those involved in organizing industry activities and educational sessions have had their hands full cancelling, postponing and rescheduling numerous events.

tenders. Smart About Salt educates snow removal contractors, property owners and the community about maintaining safe winter conditions while minimizing the use of salt. More information about the program is available from smartaboutsalt.com.

HortEast 2014 HortEast was held at Exhibition Park in Halifax from November 17-19, 2014. This show is Atlantic Canada’s premiere tradeshow, educational and networking event. A full line-up of speakers included Carson Arthur and Peter van Stralen.

Ideal Garden and Patio Show

Certification continues to grow

Some members of Landscape Nova Scotia were able to get a jump start on spring by taking a booth at the Ideal Garden and Patio Show, held from March 28-30 at Exhibition Park in Halifax.

This is the only consumer show of its size for the green industry in Nova Scotia, and gives members great exposure to homeowners planning renovations and landscaping projects. LNS worked with member volunteers to create an outstanding new show entrance feature to get people thinking about landscaping and garden renovation as they entered the hall.

Certification continues to grow in importance, as companies recognize the value in this credential. Opportunities to challenge the exam and practical stations are offered in spring and fall at the Dalhousie Agriculture Campus in Truro. This year’s dates are April 24-25 and November 6-7.

Smart About Salt In response to a request from Procurement NS, LNS offered a Smart About Salt (SAS) workshop to snow and ice managers, building managers and salt suppliers. LNS highly recommended its members participate in the workshop as, in future, Procurement NS will look for SAS training from companies bidding on snow removal

Visionary plan to solve labour issues The Dalhousie campus is the future site of the Atlantic Centre for Landscape Excellence (ACLE).

The centre has been planned to answer the increasing need for trained, qualified labour in the green industry. The ACLE Committee has turned to the industry to help support the construction of this environmentally-sustainable training and research facility. Over $150,000 has been raised; however, an additional $100,000 is needed to put this plan into reality.

LT

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cnlanews Garden Days Now is the time to prepare your Garden Days activities! Happening on the Father’s Day weekend, June 19-21, Garden Days are a chance to celebrate gardening, gardens and of course the industry that makes it possible. Last year, the many Garden Days events taking place across the country generated 16.7 million media impressions, which garnered an estimated media and public relations value of $2 million. Don’t miss the boat on this exciting initiative. Mu-

raisers. Get involved; register your Garden Days event at www.gardendays.ca

Human resource support Stacey Porter and Sally Harvey are two association staff members dedicated to providing industry support on human resource issues.

As part of their mandate, they have gathered a bank of resources specific to HR issues in our industry. The CNLA website now has information on apprenticeship, funding, government statistics, forms, TFWP, SAWP and FARMS. The association encourages members to visit the site for information on topics important to them. If you do not see your HR issue listed, simply let Stacey know what you would like more information on. Please visit www.cnla-acpp.ca/industryhr to access the content.

During Garden Days 2014, members of Landscape Ontario were formally recognized by the Mayor of Ottawa for their volunteer work maintaining the Ottawa Cancer Survivor's Park.

nicipalities across Canada are recognizing their own official garden days during that weekend, and there is a private members bill in the House of Commons to declare a National Garden Day. In the past, CNLA members have participated by holding sales, festivals, barbeques and fund-

Reduce your insurance premiums

“We were able to cut our insurance premiums in half!” Aren’t those words you would love to speak? A member who visited the HortProtect booth at this year’s Congress was surprised and pleased to relate this news. Having an individual policy for himself and family, he was very concerned with the increasing annual cost and minimal coverage and wondered what HortPro-

tect could offer. As the plan is designed to cover groups with only one employee, by switching to HortProtect, he was able to reduce the monthly premium by $300 and provide more enhanced Health and Dental coverage, in addition to a Long Term Disability benefit. So if you currently have an individual policy, visit hortprotect.com for a free, no obligation quote — you might be pleasantly surprised at the savings you could enjoy. Alternately, contact Patrick Malloy at Patrick.Malloy@healthsourceplus.com

Grower of the Year; new look, new schedule Based on member feedback, the application process for CNLA’s Grower of the Year Award has been modified to make it easier for nursery growers to participate in this program. The new process will see judges select up to three nurseries from preliminary applications, who will be invited to compete as a finalist by completing the full application form.

The change is complemented by a change to the deadline schedule, to both the CNLA Awards program and the subsequent international AIPH Grower of the Year Award. The winner of the 2015 Grower of the Year Award will be invited to receive his award at CNLA’s National Awards of Landscape Excellence gala in Winnipeg this August.

The CNLA’s Grower of the Year Award will also be submitted to the AIPH Grower of the Year Award, which will be presented at the

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IPM trade show in Essen, Germany in January 2016. Return airfare and hotel accommodations will be made available to the top entrants to this prestigious international event.

Update to National Master Specifications The Landscape Canada Committee is currently conducting its third review of the National Master Specification’s landscape industry-relevant sections.

The National Master Specifications is a reference document that serves as a framework for writing construction and renovation contracts.

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) owns NMS and coordinates its review through standards organizations and the construction industry. This document is used by tendering authorities in government, public organizations and the private sector.

The last review by LCC was in 2010 and included eleven sections with the main focus being the inclusion of contractor qualifications, product and installation innovation and the updating of the Canadian Standards for Nursery Stock reference to the 8th Edition.

This most recent review includes fourteen landscape sections with the addition of sections concerning LEED, environmental procedures, unit paving and tree pruning and preservation. The focus for this NMS review will be to update the Contractor’s Qualification clause to include the Journeyperson/Red Seal Certified and to cross reference technical standards and verbiage for green infrastructure product and service to support the recent and proposed changes to the Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist NOA. Green infrastructure typically includes such environmental solutions as bio-swales, green roofs, living walls, permeable paving and tree planting.

This initiative, as part of the Landscape Canada Tactical Plan, works toward ensuring that tendering authorities, owners, landscape architects and allied trades always have a current and aligned industry best practices base from which to specify projects that include our product and services.

Landscape Canada would like to thank Stan Kochanoff, Phil Paxton CLT, CLP, Cable Baker CLT, CLP, Christene LeVatte CLP, David Stenhouse CLT, Peter Guinane, and Barry Paxton CLT, CLP for their work on this important industry review process.

LT The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is the federation of Canada’s provincial horticultural trade associations.

Visit cnla-accp.ca for more information.

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manitobaupdate Landscape Trades devotes space in each issue to provincial association news. This issue features an update from Landscape Manitoba.

Manitoba Green Show attendees got to connect with industry suppliers.

Manitoba Green Show The Manitoba Green Show is the event of the year for Manitoba’s horticultural industry, where we bring everyone in the business together in one place. This year’s Conference and Tradeshow was held Feb. 9 and 10, in the newlyrenovated Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre in Winnipeg. Attendees had two full days to connect with suppliers, take part in industryrelated seminars and network with fellow business owners.

2014. Our first practical certification test since 2009, it was a busy day for our candidates, volunteers and judges.

With access to the Greenspace Management facility at Red River College, practical certification testing will be an annual event. Classroom space in the Landscape Manitoba office will allow for regularly schedule written testing each month.

Awards program expanded

In June 2014, the provincial government passed a law that will affect what Manitobans can use to control weeds on lawns effective January 1, 2015.

Landscape Manitoba has been working with the government on this file for a number of years and while we have not been successful in stopping the legislation entirely, we feel we have had considerable impact on the new regulations.

Landscape Manitoba has asked the province to introduce a public education campaign that will inform Manitobans what can be used to replace the banned products and how to maintain a healthy lawn. Links to Landscape Manitoba will appear on the Province’s website that will allow consumers to obtain information about member companies.

The Landscape Manitoba Awards of Excellence Program has been expanded to represent all segments of the horticultural industry in our province. Award categories now include Landscape Construction, Landscape Feature, Landscape Maintenance, Design, Grower of the Year and Garden Centre of the Year.

CNLA changed its presentation date for the National Landscape Awards to occur with its Summer Board of Directors and Committee Meetings beginning in 2015. Excited to host the CNLA summer meetings in Winnipeg in August 2015, Landscape Manitoba will present the 2014 Awards of Excellence during the same ceremony.

Fun in the sun on the links Landscape Manitoba members gathered together on Aug. 28 at the Bel Acres Golf and Country Club for a great day of mixing and mingling while getting in a round of golf.

Landscape Manitoba president, Ryan Kindret, and teammates, Ternell Luhowy, Mark Reimer and Chris Spicer, took home top prize with the best team score. Prizes were also awarded for the Most Honest Team, Straightest Drive: Men, Straightest Drive: Women and Closest to the Pin. A chipping contest supported our friends at the Never Alone Foundation.

Landscape Industry Certification Landscape Manitoba held Landscape Industry Certified Technician written and practical testing for both Hardscape and Softscape on March 5, Practical certification testing will become an annual event for Landscape Manitoba.

36 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

New rules for pesticide use in Manitoba

Pesticide applicator courses Landscape Manitoba hosted two separate pesticide applicator workshops. The first, held June 16, provided the workshop and testing required

for those in lawn care and golf course maintenance. The second, held Nov. 12 and 17, focused on the licensing requirements for garden centres and greenhouses.

Strategic planning Landscape Manitoba held its first strategic planning session Oct. 7, where the mission, vision and objectives of the association were reviewed and updated. Strategic planning sessions will continue following the orientation of the new board of directors elected during the annual general meeting in February.

Team Manitoba brings home silver June 5 and 6, the 65-member Team Manitoba converged on Toronto with more than 500 other enthusiastic competitors from across the country for the 20th Annual Skills Canada competitions. Sponsored through the Landscape Manitoba Horticultural Foundation, Andrew Tutte and Dexter Bracken, two current Red River College Greenspace Management students, worked hard and proudly brought home silver in the Landscape Gardening Competition.

LT

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Loaders The new Cat 297D and 297D XHP Multi Terrain Loaders feature a dual suspension undercarriage, completely new modular cab, redesigned vertical lift loader linkage with Cat Intelligent Leveling, larger engines and enhanced performance compared with C Series models. The new machines excel in applications where high power, high traction and limited ground disturbance are needed, such as residential construction, landscaping operations and snow removal work.

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Walk-behind mower The new Ferris FW35CC commercial walkbehind mower is a dual hydrostatic machine built to meet the demands of professional mowing crews. It is available with 48-, 52- or 61-in. mowing decks.

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newproducts Paver joint sealant Wet Look Joint Stabilizing Protector (JSW) is a sealant specially designed to stop the movement of aggregates and sand in paver joints, while protecting and enhancing the colour of the pavers. This new gloss-finish protector gels and solidifies aggregates, as well as sand, in a near permanent state. It is the only environmentally-friendly water-based product on the market that provides a true wet look.

Pole saw The Wicked Pole Saw is compact and heavy-duty. Available in two lengths, 12- and 15-ft., the saw folds to a compact 32 and 42 ins. respectively, for easy transport.

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Linear paver Transpavé introduces its new Cassara paver, a multi-length paver ideal for linear patterns. The peripheral interlocking technology of the paver provides long term stability, which the manufacturer claims is unique to the market. Available in amber beige, graphite black and shaded grey.

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Case Construction Equipment introduces the new F-Series line of compact wheel loaders, the 21F, 121F, 221F and 321F, completely redesigned to provide improved maneuverability, versatility and performance, according to the company. The new compact wheel loaders offer increased breakout force and lift capacity compared to previous models. With ratings between 58 and 74 hp, these loaders are ideal for work in general construction, landscaping and supply yards. Compact wheel loaders provide improved lift capacity, ground clearance, cab height/visibility and application versatility.

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Modular construction grid Permacon’s new Tandem modular grid maximizes an area’s landscaping potential through the creation of a series of outdoor spaces that are integrated in perfect harmony. The system consists of an assembly of structural blocks and stone veneers that can be connected to a grid screwed to a wooden frame. It’s an ingenious solution when building outdoor living components, such as outdoor kitchens and furniture, as well as vertical structures, including camouflage screens, fences and stoop covers.

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comingevents April 11-16 California Spring Trials, www.springtrials.com

June 24-27 18th Annual Snow and Ice Symposium, Schaumberg, Ill. www.sima.org

August 9-12 Toronto Fall Gift Show, International Centre and Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.cgta.org

July 11-14 Cultivate '15, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio. www.cultivate15.org

August 16-19 Fall Alberta Gift Show, Northlands, Edmonton EXPO Centre, Edmonton, Alta. www.cgta.org

July 14-16 Hydrangeas 2015: An International Conference, Heritage Museums and Gardens, Sandwich, Mass. www.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org

August 16-20 Canadian Fertilizer Institute 70th Annual Conference, Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, B.C. www.cfi.ca

June 20 Bees to Butterflies...and Beyond, Mulmur, Ont. www.notsohollowfarms.ca

July 29-30 Penn Atlantic Nursery Trades Show (PANTS), Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Penn. www.pantshow.com

August 18-20 Independent Garden Center Show, Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill. www.igcshow.com

June 25 Sixth Annual Canadian Water Summit, Vancouver, B.C. www.watersummit.ca

August 8-12 ISA Annual Conference and Trade Show, Orlando, Fla. www.isa-arbor.com

June 21-24 Garden Centres of America Summer Tours, Milwaukee, Wisc. www.gardencentresofamerica.org

August 4-6 IGC Show East, Baltimore Convention Centre, Baltimore, Md. www.igcshow.com

April 24-May 10 Arbor Week May 20-23 Canadian Society of Landscape Architects 2015 Congress, Hilton Mexico City Reforma, Mexico City, Mex. www.csla-aapc.ca May 21-24 Leading With Landscape Conference, Toronto, Ont. www.tclf.org June 13-15 Garden Days

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where to find it COMPANY

PAGE

PHONE

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404 Stone Ltd. 20 905-877-3404 sales@404stone.com Allstone Quarry Products Inc 42 800-263-1270 info@allstonequarry.com AMA Plastics Ltd 26 800-338-1136 ama@amaplas.com Beaver Valley Stone 34 416-222-2424 info@beavervalleystone.com Best Way Stone Ltd 15 800-BESTWAY info@bestwaystone.com Bobcat 23

infocenter@bobcat.com Compass Creative Studio Inc 40 855-318-4101 info@compasscreative.ca Ebert's Tree Farms 41 226-377-6321 anna.ebert@bell.net Greenhorizons Group of Farms Ltd 27 519-653-7494 info@justsodit.com Gro-Bark (Ontario) Ltd 14 888-GRO-BARK keith@gro-bark.com Husqvarna Canada Corp 19 800-HUSKY62 Hustler Turf Equipment 35 800-395-4757 sales@hustlerturf.com John Deere 11 Kubota Canada Ltd 39 905-294-7477 info@kubota.ca Mahindra 13 Miller Compost - The Miller Group 30 866-887-6457 compost@millergroup.ca Miska Trailers 43 800-306-2111 sales@miskatrailers.com National Leasing 37 866-586-5501 sales@nationalleasing.com Neudorff North America 24 250-652-5888 tim.tripp@neudorff.ca Oaks Concrete Products by Brampton Brick 2 800-709-OAKS info@oakspavers.com Permacon Group Inc 44 800-463-9278 Pro Landscape by Drafix Software 25 800-231-8574 sales@prolandscape.com Pro-Power Canada Inc 31 800-361-0907 info@propowercanada.ca Proven Winners ColorChoice 21 800-633-8859 sales@springmeadownursery.com Star Roses & Plants 33 800-457-1859 Stihl Limited 5 519-681-3000 info.canada@stihl.ca Thames Valley Brick 41 905-637-6997 info@thamesvalleybrick.com The Cultural Landscape Foundation 35 202-483-0553 The Toro Company 17 800-348-2424 LCEproducts@toro.com Unilock Ltd 6,7 800-UNILOCK georgetown@unilock.com Zander Sod Co Ltd 29 877-727-2100 info@zandersod.com

42 | APRIL 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

WEBSITE

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1056 Hwy 6 N, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

BUY FACTORY DIRECT

AND $AVE!

Where Quality and Value Meet The Road.

1.800.306.2111

www.miskatrailers.com

EXCLUSIVE PRODUCT

TANDEM SYSTEM ®

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