Skip to main content

Landscape Ontario - January 2012

Page 1

2  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012


S’ GO te c.)

Formerly Horticulture Review January, 2012 • Volume 30, No. 1

www.horttrades.com

Landscape Ontario’s mandate is to be the leader in representing, promoting and fostering a favourable environment for the advancement of the horticultural industry in Ontario.

4 FEATURES

20 Industry NEWS

St. James Park Terry McGlade Canada Blooms Trial Gardens Owners-only workshop

Publisher Lee Ann Knudsen CLP

lak@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-7557

Bill 119 Green industry budgeting software

Editorial Director Sarah Willis

sarahw@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5424

Editor Allan Dennis

21 COLUMNS

adennis@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5345

Graphic Designer Mike Wasilewski

21 Underground 22 Turf Report 24 Smart about Salt 25 Membership 26 Safety and Training 27 Public Relations 28 Executive Director 29 LO President 30 Prosperity Partners

10 ASSOCIATION NEWS LO welcomes new president IPM Symposium GreenTrade Expo Promoting community projects Growers’ Short Course Community honour In memoriam U.S. Award Certification

mikew@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5343

Sales manager Steve Moyer

stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-0708

Communications coordinator Shawna Barrett skbarrett@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5305

Accountant Joe Sabatino

jsabatino@landscapeontario.com, 647-724-8585

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF

Carla Bailey, Kim Burton, Rachel Cerelli, Paul Day CDE, Lexi Dearborn, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Rob Ellidge, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Helen Hassard, Lorraine Ivanoff, Jane Leworthy, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Paul Ronan, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

25 New Members 32 Classifeds 33 Ad Index

17 Events

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department Landscape Ontario 7856 Fifth Line South Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Canada

ISSN 0823-8472 Publications Mail Agreement No. PM40013519

Views expressed are those of the writer concerned. Landscape Ontario assumes no responsibility for the validity or correctness of any opinions or references made by the author. Copyright 2011, reproduction or the use of whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Published 12x per year. Rates and deadlines are available on request. Subscription price: $43.51 per year (HST included). For subscription and address changes, please e-mail subscriptions@landscapeontario.com

Attention Independent Garden Centres:

CANADALE NURSERIES

GO

wants to help you thrive in the new economy, here’s how: In 2012, your customers will be looking for deals more than ever, Let us help you plan your sale schedule in the winter. Use our Great Sale Plants to plan your weekly sale schedule. You need a Plan to be successful this coming year more than ever! Don’t count on unknown last minute sales.

Differentiate Yourself by Offering Unique Plants! In 2012, set yourself apart with unique plant material. Your customers will still want new and unique plants to make their yards their own. Canadale can help with its Specialty, Unique and New plant lists.

Let us Help You! With years of experience, let us help you to plan your success for next year. We’d love to sit down with you to discuss your plant needs for the entire gardening season of 2012. Call and set up an appointment.

12 r 20l e

foa n a d a E2XPO NEfW r om C 0 1 1

NEW

S

RUB

S TION ODUC INTRa le RY CENT a n a d E ORDINA

G SH

ERIN

FLOW

SPECIALTY PLANTS

TH FROM & REfr o mAPC ART

for Spr ing 201 2

LF

URSE

SET YOURSELF APART

SET YO

GREAT

le se Map ane n Jap Moo ar ord Ced

Whipch

FOR SPRING

hne e Dap Fragranc

2012

Eternal

AND SPECIALTY PLANTS

ms bloo Wine 2-3’ pink illed Semi dwarfpleform leaves, es

Sp r Qty

Autumn

SALE PL AN TS

WITH UNIQUE, RARE

la Weige

Orde

30cm

a

ange Hydr blooms er & Ice e to red grow Firer Qty • Largedy,whitsturdycolo ur Orde

• Har at NEW • Gre m

• k pur e & Ros • Dar rf Win $12.50 • A dwa

2G

$15.00

3G 30c

Wolf Eyes Chinese Dogwood

ress oki Cyp

n Hin

PURCHA SE

Chirime e

ut Ros

Knocko Double

d Rush

Dawn

Redwoo

Gold rangea rry Hyd Strawbe Vanilla

ea Hydrang Climbing ted Variega Miranda le se Map Japane Sunset Oregon

Bristol Cone Pine

Japanese Umbrella Pine

THESE SA LE PLANTS TO:

Create a week ly sale progr am for next Create traffic spring NOW flow in your ! sale plants, business next year by offering week and still achie Be competitive ly ve full margi n! with the Box Stores by offerin g great week Order today, first come, ly sales! first Prices are Net,

a

Little r Qty Orde

• Dwa flower at mer • Gre lific bloo$12.50 • Pro

2G 30c

t

se ckou n Ro sport of Kno me Ru red single, stant Hor Qty Orde

Fax: 519.631. 0818

ange Hydr light Lime Limrfeform of colo ur m

served Plants shippe , while quantities last. d prior to June 1.

Phone: 519. 631.1008

Daub’s Frosted Juniper Standard

18 .08 9.631

resi • True disease y mer • Ver eat bloo$12.50 • Rep m

Fax:

51

Domingo Pine

Weeping White Spruce

08

Venus Hybrid Flowering Dogwood

Briggs Moonlight Daphne Specimen

31.10 9.6 e: 51

2G 30c

on . Ph s Ltd

rserie

Canadale Nurseries Ltd.

Phone: 519.631.1008 Fax: 519.631.0818

269 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 3C4 Phone: (519) 631-1008 Fax: (519) 631-0818 E-mail: tji@canadale.com

le Nu

da Cana

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  3


LO members restore green to Toronto’s St. James Park By Robert Ellidge Just a few weeks after the Occupy Toronto movement was removed from St. James Park, another occupation took place. This time it was over 150 volunteers from the landscaping industry who descended upon the park for two days to restore the original beauty to the three hectare site. Member companies of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association (LOHTA), Nursery Sod Growers Association (NSGA) and Project EverGreen generously donated their time, materials, equipment and professional expertise to put green back into the St. Lawrence area park. In just two short days, Dec. 7 and 8, the park was cleaned, compacted soil was

4  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

aerated and amended, mature trees and shrubs were pruned and mulched and fresh sod was laid throughout the entire park. The approximately $60,000 in materials and labour came at no cost whatsoever to Toronto taxpayers. It was all generously donated by companies and individuals from the green industry. “Shortly after the encampment, the park was basically all a big mud pit,” says local business owner Rachel Young, who cofounded The Friends of St. James Park community group. With the occupation, local residents and businesses could not use the park, which Young says is vital link for the members of the local community. “It is such a blessing to have help arrive to revitalize the park,” concludes Young, who claims, “The park is one of the best gems

in the city.” What many of the surprised local residents didn’t know was the huge effort to rebuild the park was organized in just a few short days after the city called out for help (see Executive Desk column, page 28). Director of Parks for the City of Toronto Richard Ubbens said that after the initial clean-up of the park was done by city employees, “It was very apparent right away the ground had been severely compacted.” It was obvious that what turf remained needed replacing, and soil amenities and aeration were also required. When the job was complete, Ubbens was asked about his thoughts on the job the volunteers had done. “Amazing. That’s the professionalism of the trade coming through. The residents and the local businesses are just thrilled.” The city looked into the costs of replacing the turf via three methods: seed, hydroseeding and sod. The preferred method of sod also came with the hefty price tag of $66,000. This amount was not allocated in the department’s budget. Parks and Environment Committee Chair, Norm Kelly, turned to the media to put the word out for help, and offers started coming in from various companies willing to donate materials. “One of the three credible offers that came in was through Landscape Ontario,” said Ubbens. The offer from Landscape Ontario came about after a casual conversation between two of its members. “This is a classic example of a small idea that just blows up into something massive,” says Kyle Tobin, president of LawnSavers Plant Health Care, Concord,and one of the people involved in that initial conversation. “We’re the true green people in the world. This was the perfect opportunity to showcase the professionalism of our industry. In less than two days, it actually got built and it got built right. This place is going to flourish for years and years to come.” After a few phone calls and some group emails, the call to action was put out to members of the landscape and sod industries. They soon joined forces and acted quickly to pull off a two-day clean-up and restoration of the park. Alan White, owner of Turf Systems, who was also part of that initial conversation with Kyle Tobin, Burlington, was at a loss for words when trying to describe the state of the park upon his first visit a few days before the restoration. “It was similar to seeing a forest that has been cut down,” says White. “This park had no green at all. There was no significant damage to the trees, but the carpet of living turf here was destroyed. That was the biggest shock value when I visited


the site. It was beyond the point of bringing it back, so there was only one solution.” After the word was put out to the industry, within a few hours momentum rapidly grew for the project. Claus Zander, vice-president of Zander Sod, was one of the many volunteers whose company also donated material to the project. “As a member of the Nursery Sod Growers Association, we donated a trailer-load of sod, just as many growers did to help restore this park and bring nature back into the city. Turfgrass is great for the environment and it’s great to see so many volunteers out donating both the product and all the labourers helping out here to restore the park.” One of the many volunteers, Susan Antler from the Compost Council of Canada, said “Landscape Ontario has been so good to the Compost Council of Ontario and they always come to our rescue, so it’s time for us to give back as well. This was a really great opportunity. Everyone coming together is just so typical of members of Landscape Ontario and the Nursery Sod Growers Association.” Local residents Hilda Whincup and Mike Elliott stopped by during the construction with some special baked goodies for one of the event organizers. “Having the park fixed up like this after it was in pretty sad shape a week ago is an amazing thing,” said Elliott. “We are really grateful for all of the work Landscape Ontario members and the Sod Growers have done to fix up the park. It’s a real community asset. This is our front lawn, and now we have it back.” “I just find it a wonderful experience to see this transformation of the park back to its original beauty just before Christmas. It’s just unbelievable to see this and to see everyone pitching in to help out,” commented Beaches resident Richard Anstett. Landscape Ontario has received dozens of emails and thanks. A written comment by local resident Heidi Umstadt stated, “You have no idea how happy I was to see your people at St. James Park this morning, laying new sod. I almost cried! I love this park! It’s so beautiful in the spring, when the first tulips and spring flowers are blooming and as a neighbourhood resident, I am so glad to see it being restored. Thank you so much and BIG HUG to the volunteers for all their hard work and for making this possible.” Alan White was quick to point out, “We are going to come back in the spring and make sure this revitalization has the leg up it needs to carry through next summer.” Editor’s note: For a complete list of written comments, photographs, video and the list of contributors, see page 34, or go to www.landscapeontario.com/st-james-park.

In the top photo, sod disappeared quickly as crews emptied the skids just after being placed on the ground. The entire sod laying process was completed in less than a day on St. James Park’s three acres. An overhead view of the completed St. James Park.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  5


own model of clean and uncluttered — like a magazine spread. With very few exceptions, gardens in magazines don’t even show plants anymore. Gardening is work. You either have to do it yourself, or pay someone else. I don’t think the average person wants a garden anymore. Unfortunately, there are certain age groups who have no day-to- day experience with nature. I’m encouraged by the insurgence of vegetable gardening, but gardening requires a long-term commitment. It’s not a fad.” McGlade’s observation is that people who do garden today tend to be oneor two-person companies. The larger landscaping companies are attracted to large-scale work in subdivisions McGlade and Seferian and commercial properties. “I think featured speakers the landscapat Contractors ing business will continue to grow, Lecture Series but the gardening Wednesday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m. and apartment dwellers, business will not. which led to the develYou can only creToronto Botanical Gardens opment of his second ate gardens with Don’t miss a retrospective of Terry business, Gardens In a certain type of McGlade’s memorable projects at The Sky. As the environclient, and there the 2012 lecture series, sponsored mental movement built a aren’t that many by LO’s Contractors Sector Group. strong following, interest of them around Noted landscape architect Haig in green roofs and roofanymore. Seferian is also featured on the top gardens also grew, “In the beginprogram. and the second busining, I had the ness took over. “I didn’t advantage of Admission is free, RSVP start Gardens In The learning directly appreciated to: Kathleen Pugliese, Sky with the intent of from oldtimers in 1-800-265-5656, ext. 209 shutting down Perennial the industry, who kpugliese@landscapeontario.com Gardens, but looking took the time to ahead, I could see roofpass advice onto top gardening becoming more important.” a novice.” McGlade feels those starting in the green industry today are at a distinct Change in lifestyle disadvantage, as no one has time to stop A health scare and heart surgery necesand mentor the up-and-coming generasitated a change in lifestyle, so McGlade tion. chose to gradually phase out Perenni“The advent of the container culture als Gardens, and accepted an offer from changed the way people in this industry building envelope giant Flynn Canada work,” he explains. People use to take to buy Gardens in the Sky and come time off during the summer.” There was onboard as its green roof authority. “Closmore of a balance to life. In McGlade’s ing down Perennial Gardens has been view, the horticulture trade has become a lament. I loved the idea of making a more commoditized. garden – making something of beauty, McGlade is the first to admit the horselecting plants, stone and making things ticulture industry is full of pitfalls, and it happen. My work with Flynn Canada is can be tough to succeed. At this stage in a different league. It’s a national comin his career, he is happy to give back to pany, where we work on multi-million dolthe industry that has given him so much, lar projects that are great, but it’s a totally and is willing to mentor companies lookdifferent world. ing to construct and maintain green roofs. “People love nature, but they don’t “There’s lots of growth in green roofs and necessarily want to have it,” says sustainable gardening — it is the way of McGlade. “We seem to be working to the future.” change the dynamic of nature to suit our

Plantsman Terry McGlade reflects on 30 years of change By Sarah Willis Terry McGlade has been building beautiful gardens in Toronto for nearly 30 years. He started his company Perennial Gardens in 1982. In the beginning, Perennial Gardens was just that. “I only planted perennials at first. I had a different clientele who were interested in the plants in their gardens.” Gradually, and with the encouragement and advice from industry veterans at the time, McGlade began to incorporate trees and shrubs, along with a judicious use of stone. “I began attracting a certain type of residential client interested in having something of beauty in their garden.” However, he notes, “People don’t interact with their gardens anymore. They are interested in patios, open space and outdoor televisions. You see it in the evolution of Canada Blooms. Ten years ago the feature gardens were half plants and half hardscape, now they are 20 per cent plants and 80 per cent hard surfaces.” McGlade admits to feeling incredibly sad about the way the industry is developing. “You can be really happy in garden – planting, pruning – or just being there is important. One of my clients used to tell me her garden made her heart sing. We don’t hear that about hardscapes. “I had always used environmentally sound practices in my perennial garden work,” says McGlade. “We used organic and sound horticultural practices.” Because of his location within Toronto, McGlade began to field requests for gardens from condominium owners

6  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012


Canada Blooms garden will stimulate senses Beauty and creativity, along with some education, will stimulate all five senses of those visiting this year’s Green for Life garden at Canada Blooms. A joint effort among members of the Landscape Designers and Landscape Contractors sector groups, this year’s display will measure just over 1,300 square feet. The theme of the 16th annual Canada Blooms is City Culture, with doors open from Mar. 16 to 25, in co-location with the National Home Show. Garden project manager Harry Gelderman of Gelderman Landscaping, says the garden will be “a whimsical look at garden traditions and the progression of cultural design. City culture is based on different ideas and agendas being put forth into a plan that benefits the greater good. Designers, contractors, growers, suppliers and volunteers all see the greater good in presenting a space where everyone benefits.”

Informs and excites

The LO garden committee is looking to create a garden that informs and excites the public in a fairly compact area, compared to previous LO gardens. The final design team is Paul Brydges and Matthew Hooker, both of Brydges Landscape Architecture; Fred Post CLD, Your Designer Landscapes; Catherine Geraats, Aphrodite Design Group; Jodie Munshaw CLD, Reeves Florist and Nurs-

ery and Ron Swentiski CLD, Trillium Associates, assisted by Heather Cullen. Brydges notes that the group is very focused on creating excitement for those visiting this year’s Canada Blooms. The garden will promote consumer awareness of roses and turf. “From the steadfast Concept design for 2012 Green for Life garden. Canadian rose family, we delight the sense of smell,” Landscape Lighting; Rick Van Den Berg, says Brydges. “Visual appeal through fire Gerrick Carpentry, and Harry Gelderman. and reflections catches the eye. Listen Discounted tickets to the magic of the wind and the delicate LO members will again be eligible to trickle of water.” buy the discounted tickets for Canada Landscape contractors contributing Blooms, which will also give access to to the build include Brian Marsh, Earth the National Home Show. The special Art Landscapes; Regine Marsh, Earth Art LO member bar-coded ticket cost is $12, Landscapes; Barry Hordyk, Shademascompared to the regular price of $20. ter Landscaping; Peter Guinane, Oriole Many members purchase entrance tickLandscaping; James Garfield Thompson, ets to give to their clients, staff and famJ. Garfield Thompson Landscapes; Paul ily. For more information, go to www. Doornbos, CLT, CLP, Thornbusch Landhorttrades.com/canada-blooms-2012. scaping; Janet Ennamorato, Creative The Canada Blooms website is Garden Designs; Arthur Skolnik, Shibui www.canadablooms.com. Landscaping; Carl Hastings, Moonstruck

Two Great Stores. One Great Source 175 Wyecroft Rd., Box 313. Oakville, Ontario, L6J 5A2 Fax: (905) 845-9109

One Telephone Number • (289) 644-2250 One E-mail • fmackenzie@lockwoodchrysler.com

270 Oak Park Blvd. Oakville, Ontario, L6H 0G3 Fax: (905) 845-5772

l cia per e p S sca d Lan Rates Let Fran MacKenzie Peacock put her 25 years of dedicated fleet expertise to work for you. Great products, great selection. Delivered to you, on your schedule, guaranteed. Enjoy professional service delivered with a smile, Fran will do whatever it takes to provide you with a seamless, hassle-free buying experience.

Fran MacKenzie Peacock, Fleet Manager • (289) 644-2250 ☺• Affiliate Chair - NAFA Ontario Chapter WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  7


Vibrant Dome aster

3-D osteospermum

Whispers Star Rose petunia

Trial favourites listed by garden manager By Rodger Tschanz University of Guelph Trial Garden manager For professional gardeners and landscapers out there, 2012 promises a bright selection of new and reliable bedding plants and perennials to try out. Based on our trial results in Guelph, Milton, Vineland and the Royal Botanical Gardens, here are a few suggestions of plants worth trying in the new year.

Annuals

New Guinea impatiens (NGI) is often called sunshine impatiens, but in reality, it does best under conditions of part shade to part sun, and should never be allowed to dry out. This year, for the first time ever, we had the Sunpatiens series of NGI from Sakata in the trial gardens. This series has been around for a number of years, but new colours are constantly being added and different levels of vigour are selected as well. The relative vigour of this series was one characteristic that stood out when compared with other NGI cultivars. Some in the greenhouse industry find this plant challenging to grow because of its rapid growth rate. This same characteristic makes it an ideal selection for use in the landscape. The height and spread of these plants (up to 28 in. x 36 in. for Vigorous Magenta) gives it the ability to readily fill in ground space in containers and beds. This extreme vigour has prompted Sakata to come up with some more compact types with heights only of 14-20 inches, making it still ideal for the landscape. Osteospermum: In the past was commonly called cape daisy. It had the reputation of only blooming well under the cool conditions of spring and fall. Consumers would purchase these beautiful, bloom-covered daisy-like plants from garden centres in the spring, only to have the bloom fail as

8  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

the heat of the summer advanced. Breeders have done well by including heat tolerance into some of the new offerings. One example of this, the 3-D series of osteospermum from Selecta did very well in the 2011 trials. The 3-D refers to the fact that the traditional blue button of disc florets in the centre of the daisy has been replaced with petals, giving it a doubled anemone flower form. Petunias: Few annuals can top the petunia’s growth and bloom performance under warm, sunny conditions. As long as it receives adequate fertilizer and irrigation, the petunia will bloom well into the fall. Breeders continue to release new flower sizes, plant habits and colours to add to this versatility. In 2011 the first black petunia, Black Velvet, was released to the marketplace. This past summer we trialed its improvement, Black Satin. Some of the improvements include a more stable flower colour and better flower form. Quite by accident at one of the trial sites, I planted the Black Satin next to White Russian, a new petunia from Proven Winners. The solid black (really dark purple) of Black Satin and the white with black throat of the White Russian contrasted well in combination. A third petunia worth mentioning is Whispers Star Rose. This is a new vigorous, trailing small-flowered petunia has great rain tolerance and striking dark pink stripes on a light pink background. This plant had great performance in both containers and beds. Combinations: Over the past five years, breeders and plant suppliers have been making your mixed container design work easier by creating the mixes at the propagation stage of production. You, as the end-user, don’t need to worry about which plants grow well together, as that has already been determined by the breeder. Plant breeder Dummen sells its combos under the Confetti Liner banner, while Syn-

genta calls its mixes Kwik Combos. There is a wide assortment of combos for different colour and cultural needs. You may easily see these by searching the Internet for the above combo names. The year 2011 was the first time we have trialed these combos, and we did so in both containers and ground beds. Most of the combos did well in containers, but only a few of the vigorous types did well in the beds. Kwik Combo Fire and Ice caught my eye this season, because of the way it responded to different growing temperatures. During the heat of the summer, the yellow bidens and red petunias predominated, while in the cool of the fall the yellow bidens and blue lobelia were more prominent.

Perennials

The evaluation of perennials in the trials is a multi-year process. Winter hardiness and disease resistance are a few of the characteristics of interest. In 2010, we planted a white Eupatorium (Joe Pye weed) called Ivory Towers. In 2011, it bloomed in midto late-summer and reached heights of as much as six feet in well-watered plots. In 2009, we planted a new perennial aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) from Blooms of Bressingham, called Vibrant Dome. This plant is compact and mounding unlike the wild type of New England aster, reaching a maximum height of 20 inches. After two growing seasons it appears to be powdery mildew resistant. When it blooms in late summer, it is covered with eye-catching purple flowers. With over 500 different plants in the 2011 trials, it is not possible to describe all the new colours and forms that are available to you for this coming season. Visit the Guelph Trial Garden website www.plant. uoguelph.ca/trialgarden for complete ratings on all trial plant materials. Contact Rodger Tschanz at rtschanz@ uoguelph.ca.


Jeff Mowatt

Monroe Porter

Mark Bradley

Bill Arman

New opportunities at owners-only workshops By Kristen McIntyre CHT Conference and event coordinator When you own a landscape company, you’re a business-person first and a landscaper second, although it may not always seem that way. Tasks that require your time the most scream the loudest, leaving you focused on daily problems and operations instead of looking at the big picture. In the 39th edition of Congress, four Owners-only workshops are offered each day of the trade show, Jan. 10 to Jan. 12, from 9 a.m. to 12-noon. The first workshop, entitled, ‘Leading a Customer Focused Team,’ is on Jan. 10, presented by Jeff Mowatt from JC Mowatt Seminars in Calgary. An award-winning speaker, he has written best-selling books, Becoming a Service Icon in 90 Minutes a Month and Influence with Ease. As Mowatt says, “If you try to enhance service and sales behaviour without looking at culture, you are just painting over rust; the underlying problems eventually reoccur.” Get ready to laugh and learn with Mowatt in this rare opportunity. Day two of the trade show and conference sees Monroe Porter from Proof Management Consultants, Richmond, Va., present ‘How to Succeed and Prosper as a Landscape Contractor.’ A columnist, speaker and consultant, Monroe is renowned for his innovative and practical solutions to problems that businesses face. His entertaining and insightful presentations have earned him an international reputation as a top speaker, while his problem-solving skills have made him an in-demand consultant for businesses hoping to improve operations or open new opportunities for growth and marketing. Thursday offers two relevant and timely workshops. The first is ‘Do What, When?’ and ‘The Ultimate Business Management Calendar for Landscape Contractors’ by

Mark Bradley, Landscape Management Network. Bradley is founder and president of The Beach Gardener, a design-buildmaintenance and snow and ice control company in Toronto. He is well-known for management skills that helped him grow his business from start-up to an industry leader in 14 years. He also founded the Landscape Management Network, a collection of tools, systems and education born out of his business. Bradley’s session breaks down a simple business management calendar for landscape contractors, and details the tasks that provide the best return on investment of your precious time. Attendees take away a month-by-month management calendar for owners of landscape businesses, systems critical for success and growth in the landscape industry, and ideas and frameworks to ensure you spend more time planning, and less time fixing. The alternate Thursday workshop, ‘Ten Best Practices that All Businesses Need to Know,’ is by Bill Arman from The Harvest Group in California. He started a 30-year career with the Valley Crest Companies (VCC), which today is a $1-billion landscape business known throughout the U.S. During his stay at VCC, he spent two years as VP of human resources, serving as primary architect of its national training program, performance management system and recruiting for this 10,000 employee company. In 2007 he co-founded The Harvest Group. The session reviews the top ten best practices to help build your company with sound, fundamental, simple-to-implement processes to accelerate your journey to success. Attendees not only learn how to recruit, retain and grow the right employees, but how to attract and retain the right customer. If you are an owner of a landscape based company, these sessions are not to be missed. Register at www.locongress.com. WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  9


ASSOCIATION NEWS LO welcomes Charal as new president For the next two years Phil Charal will accept the role of president of Landscape Ontario board of directors. “I look forward to the presidency and hope to bring relevance to Landscape Ontario members in these trying times,” said Charal. The new president’s involvement with LO goes back to 1983 when his company Allweather Landscape joined the association. Charal began his volunteer work in 2003 as a member of the Toronto Chapter board, and starting in 2006, served as the chair of the Landscape Contractors sector group. He became treasurer of the association in 2009, and then second vice president in 2010. He also served as co-chair on Canada Blooms board for three years. Phil Charal has been principal of his company since 1981. He describes the Toronto company as a “design/build firm offering residential and commercial landscape site development services as well as year-round maintenance.” Allweather includes among its 30 employees stone masons, carpenters, horticulturists, designers and machine operators. The company has won numerous

10  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

awards for landscape excellence from Canada Blooms, Unilock and Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence program. Phil has been married 29 years, with two daughters. The new board was named on Nov. 23. Members will attend the AGM at Congress, when members at the meeting will vote two members at large to the board of directors. As well, a representative on the board is needed for Georgian Lakelands Chapter and the Landscape Designer Sector Group. Members of the 2012-2013 board of directors are: president, Phil Charal, Allweather Landscape; first vice president; Dave Braun, Braun Nursery; second vice president, Warren Patterson, Botanix - Barrie’s Garden; treasurer/ secretary, Paul Brydges, Brydges Landscape; past president, Tom Intven, Canadale Nurseries, and directors, Gerald Boot CLP, Boot’s Landscaping, Snow and Ice; Gerwin Bouman, Stam Nurseries, Growers; Brian Cocks CLT, Brian Cocks Nursery and Landscaping, Golden Horseshoe representative; Paul Doornbos CLT, CLP, Thornbusch Landscaping, Upper Canada; Peter Guinane, Oriole Landscaping, Landscape

Contractors; Grant Harrison CLT, Escapes Outdoor Living, London; Ryan Heath CLT, CLP, Ryan Heath Professional Landscaping, Toronto; John Higo, Turf Care Products, Lighting; Mark Humphries, Humphries Landscape, Durham; Steve Macartney CIT, Raintree Irrigation and Outdoor Systems, Irrigation; Brian Marsh, Earth Art Landscapes, Grounds Management; Bob McCannell, McCannell Consulting, Garden Centre; Bruce Morton CLP, CIT, Greenscape Watering Systems, Ottawa; Stephen Schell CLT, The Plant Lady, Interior; Donald Tellier CLT, ODH, CLIA, CIC, CID, CL, St. Clair College, Windsor; Alan White, Turf Systems, Lawn Care, and David Wright CLP, Wright Landscape Services, Waterloo.

IPM SYMPOSIUM COVERS TREES AND TURF

Landscape Ontario’s IPM Symposium on Mon., Jan. 9 at the Toronto Congress Centre, Cohen Ballroom, is more relevant than ever. The committee that puts the program together is comprised of lawn care operators and government officials who help regulate policy and suppliers to the lawn care/tree care industries. They ensure that the information delivered will help those working in IPM in the coming year, and will deliver ‘Managing Turf, Trees and Expectations’ for 2012. This full-day event will lead off with ‘Turfgrass Culture,’ presented by Dr. Parwinder Grewal, Ohio State University. Attendees will hear about the science behind cultural practices for turf, and how IPM saves money, biological pest controls work and sound cultural practices to reduce chemical inputs. An important and timely update from the Ministry of the Environment on the cosmetic pesticide ban, including a summary of compliance and enforcement activities, will be delivered by Crystal Lafrance.


Jim Chatfield, of Ohio State University, will present a better understanding of diagnostics, good horticulture and best practices. Chatfield’s has extensive experience as a horticulture educator, plant pathologist, horticulturist, plant pest survey coordinator and plant disease clinic diagnostician. After lunch attendees will be treated to a presentation on ‘Living Dirt’ from noted New York author Bill Logan, who wrote Dirt: the Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, which was also made into a movie. Before the day ends, Pam Charbonneau from OMAFRA will report on research results that were obtained in the 2011 field season with the product Fiesta. The trials looked at the effectiveness of Fiesta as a post-emergence control for crabgrass, prostrate knotweed, chickweed and creeping charlie. The keynote presentation is by Jeff Mowatt, noted author, service authority, and award-winning speaker. His presentation ‘The Art of Customer Service: Influence with Ease’ applies to everyone. He will reveal easy-to-apply tips, tools and phrases that generate significant results, including stronger customer loyalty, increased customer spending and recharged team spirit. The event wraps up with a networking reception. Door prizes will be drawn and the winner of the 2012 IPM Person of the Year Award revealed. This award recognizes leadership in providing hope, looking to the future and contributing to the healthy growth of the industries represented in the IPM symposium. Operators are required to obtain IPM Council of Canada CECs. The 47th edition of the IPM Symposium earns attendees eight CECs. Registration fees are $115 for both members and non-members. Admission to Congress 2012 trade show exhibits, which starts the following day, is included in registration prices. Online registration is avail-

This year’s GreenTrade Expo moves to Ottawa’s new CE Centre.

able at www.locongress.com. Net proceeds are donated to lawn care research or a suitable alternative. — Kristen McIntyre CHT, Conference and event coordinator.

EXCITING New home FOR GreenTrade Expo

The excitement and momentum is growing for the Ottawa Chapter’s 19th Annual GreenTrade Expo, with exhibitors and visitors alike showing interest by signing up earlier than normal for the Feb. 15 show. “We’ve got a lot of new people expressing interest, new exhibitors who are booking space, and many of our larger equipment suppliers are taking additional space. We even already have visitors from as far away as Montreal registered for the show, and we haven’t even announced our new, bigger, pre-registration prizes,” says Martha Walsh, the GTE 2012 show manager. “We are really excited about the enthusiasm everyone is expressing about us being in the new CE Centre facility this year. It’s like we are growing up and joining the big leagues.” CE Centre is a brand new state of the art

facility which opened in December 2011, close to the Ottawa International Airport. Proudly presented by the Ottawa Chapter, this Eastern Ontario green industry and product showcase features over 90 exhibitors. Last year’s attendance exceeded 1,200 industry trade members. “GreenTrade Expo has become the must-attend, don’t miss it business-building, new products and networking event for eastern Ontario and western Quebec green industry and landscape professionals,” says Bruce Morton, GreenTrade Expo committee chair. Beginning with a contractors’ breakfast, attendees can meet, reconnect and network with their industry colleagues, take in one of the free educational seminars, and meet and greet, new and potential suppliers to get everyone off to a strong start this spring. Show attendance registration, which is free of charge, again this year, is now open and everyone is encouraged to register early to take advantage of the preregistration door prizes. All the information you need to attend, exhibit or register is available at www.greentrade.ca.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  11


ASSOCIATION NEWS Promote your community projects through LO LO executive director Tony DiGiovanni CLT recently asked members to reveal the great causes and projects their company has been involved with over the past year or two. The response was overwhelming. Over 45 replies containing a vast variety of community-building projects were received. “I am always amazed and inspired by the contribution ethic of our members. Many participate in organized events through the Chapters, while many more contribute to their own special causes,” said DiGiovanni. “The reality is the good

works reflect a company’s culture and individual character, while also reflecting well on the entire industry.” Each month Landscape Ontario magazine will feature a number of projects our members have performed in their community. This issue we feature four members. Any members who have completed a project, but have not sent the information to the LO home office, may do so to adennis@landscapeontario.com.

Native Plant Source greens K-W

Native Plant Source of Kitchener was

recognized recently for its generous contribution to the newly constructed Living Roof at the University of Waterloo Environmental Studies Building. Owner Jeff W. Thompson, says, “Our own charity, Trees For Learning, has operated for the last ten years, planting ball and burlap shade trees in Waterloo regional school yards for the benefit of children.” Thompson says that over 200 trees have been planted during this period of time.

Greentario: Strong Hamilton community supporter

Award-winning LO member Greentario of Hamilton has supported a number of great causes in its community. One cause is the Bob Kemp Hospice, where along with suppliers, Greentario was able to donate around $40,000 of material and labour. Another is a local retirement home, Villa Italia, where Greentario donated $25,000 in support

Safety Group reaps benefit of WSIB rebate

It was a day of celebration in late November at the LO home office in Milton, complete with cake, when the 2010 Safety Group Program participants surpassed last year’s amazing achievement with a 5.74 per cent score out of a possible 6. A group rebate is shared according to each company’s WSIB contributions. In photo, Lawrence Medas of the WSIB joins company representatives with the group rebate cheque of $60,726.08. Companies taking part in the 2010 Safety Group include Woodhill Greenhouse, Kelly’s Tree Care, Municipal Maintenance, Courtland Gardens and Landscape, Lets Landscape Together, Appleby Landscape, Yorkshire Garden Services, Markham Property Services, V. Kraus Nurseries, Husky Landscaping, Services, Heritage Green Landscape, Stam Nurseries and Elm Landscaping.

12  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012


of the facility. “Today it is at capacity with a waiting list to get in,” says Carmine E. Filice CLP, partner in Greentario. Filice also volunteers on the home’s management board, the steering committee for the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, and is on the board of the Sons of Italy non-for-profit Housing Corporation. He has served as president of the Order Sons of Italy Trieste Lodge, Hamilton, for two years. Over the past 20 years, this lodge donated over $300,000 to local charity through its fundraising efforts. Company vice president Lou Filice is currently on the executive of the lodge and is seeking the position of vice president in the June election. Elementary school Immaculate Heart of Mary built a peace garden in memory of two students who passed away from cancer. Greentario donated and built the stage facade at $5,000. Greentario is proud supporters through sponsorship of the following: Newman Youth Basketball, Saltfleet Go Ahead Soccer, C.Y.O. Hamilton, annual Bishop’s Dinner, annual Trillium Dinner at Liuna Station in Hamilton, Good Shepherd, and St. Elizabeth Home Society for Seniors.

Yates Custom Lawn Sprinklers irrigates kids hospital

News, archives, Source Book and more at

LandscapeTrades.com

Chuck Yates, general manager of Yates Custom Lawn Sprinklers in Manotick, says, “The past two years — and we intend to continue to do so — we have contributed an installed irrigation system to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Lottery Dream Home in Ottawa. It provides our staff with a boost, knowing the company they work with is giving something back to a great cause. And, we get a cool plaque to display at the office.

Allens busy beyond their business

Bob and Ruby Allen of RW Allen Horticultural Services in St. Thomas have been involved in Arbor Week for many years. They are now working on its 140th anniversary for next spring. As well, they have donated their services to the local women’s shelter for over 15 years, the local little theatre group for 20 years, as well as the church. Currently Bob Allen chairs the local housing corporation. “Just a few things to keep busy with besides the business,” he writes.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  13


ASSOCIATION NEWS Growers’ Short Course moving back to Guelph

The annual LO Growers’ Group Short Course has a new home this year. The Feb. 8 event will take place at Royal Canadian Legion, 57 Watson Parkway South, in Guelph. The popular annual event still promises to provide nursery growers an opportunity to network, share information and learn more about important issues affecting the sector. This year’s Short Course has a great line-up of topics, covering everything from insect pests, weeds, trees, fungi and more. Again this year, there will be several exhibitors who supply products used by the nursery industry. As always, the day concludes with the always-popular Growers’ Good Idea session. The New Products Showcase returns. Plant Products is this year’s Short Course sponsor, and Gro-Bark will sponsor the lunch. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., with the scheduled beginning at 8. The day is expected to conclude at 4:45. Some of the subjects on the agenda include Beneficial Nematodes, Managing Black Vine Weevil, Biocomposites for the Greenhouse and Nursery, Using Native Species for Green Roofs, Are

Fungi Having Sex?, Water Quality for Plant Production, Automated Irrigation and Acidification in the Nursery, Wetland Biofiltration in the Nursery, Management Strategies for Verticillium, Impacts of Organic versus Conventional Pesticides and Stinkbug Identification and Detecting Invasive Pests. Register online at www.horttrades.com by Feb. 3 to take advantage of pre-registration fees: $65 for LO members, $75 for potential members and $25 for students. Onsite registration is $90. Register online (locc.ca), or download the form from www.horttrades.com, and mail or fax to Kathleen.

In memoriam

Wilfred (Bill) Schreiber

A pioneer of the horticulture industry in Ontario, Bill Schreiber died on Dec. 8, 2011 at the Milton District Hospital. Bill Schreiber was a man of many talents. He operated a successful landscape business with partner John Northwood, Lakeshore Landscaping, which was recognized as an innovative and leading edge landscape company for many years, before being purchased by Aldershot Landscape Contractors. During his retirement, his garden, carpenter friends, church and commu-

nity kept him occupied. His love of wild and natural places, such as the Niagara Escarpment and Georgian Bay were captured by his camera and paintbrush for all to see. He is sadly missed and much loved by his wife Audrey, children Carol (Rob), John, Vicky, Janet (Dave), Craig (Joanne, Kathy (Keith) and Mark (Trish); grandchildren Susan and Mark Hartwell, Lauren and Evan Roberts, Emma, Julia and Wil Schreiber, Benjamin, Thomas and Joanna Schreiber Costa, Travis andTucker Schreiber. A memorial gathering was held at Boston Presbyterian Church, Milton, on Dec. 11.

Sean James receives community honour

Sean James of Fern Ridge Landscaping in Milton received the Community Partner of the Year Award from Halton Ecopartners. Halton Ecopartners describes itself as an organization that promotes “environmental awareness, builds community, practice permaculture, plants trees, practices sustainability, connects environmentally conscious communities, gives garden tours,” and more. Sean James is the chair of the Landscape Ontario Environmental Stewardship Committee. He also writes columns for Landscape Trades. “What an amazing evening and an amazing group of people. I’m extremely honoured to receive the Community

Letter to the editor On behalf of all the members of Landscape Ontario, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation and congratulations to all those involved with the St. James Park restoration project. In particular, I would like to recognize three people for the key roles they played in the project, Kyle Tobin, Alan White and Peter Guinane. We were all truly amazed at the spirit of volunteerism and generosity that the members of LO, Ontario Sod Growers and Project EverGreen demonstrated in mid-December. Watching the news clips, I was so proud to see, not only the incredible generosity of time and resources of these volunteers, but also the level of professionalism that came through loud and clear to the public. The St. James Park restoration project crystalized our Green for Life message and concretely demonstrated it to millions of people. This project encapsulated the very heart of whom and what we are. It brought out the societal importance of our activities. It clearly demonstrated the environmental, social and community benefits of green spaces, parks, lawns, trees and gardens. This message was repeated numerous times through the positive appreciative

14  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

feedback from local government, community groups, local businesses and residents. The huge importance they placed on their parks and green spaces was acknowledged by your generosity and professionalism. I believe that the St. James Park restoration project will be remembered as one the greatest highlights in our industry’s history in Canada. The seizure of the opportunity, the speedy organization of partners and rapid completion of the project was truly spectacular. The incredible amount of good will and good press that was generated will be felt for many years to come. The professionalism that was demonstrated raised the level of appreciation and confidence the public has in our industry. Most significant, however, was the amazing benevolence that all those involved showed. Their overwhelming generosity has made us all proud and thankful to be associated with the green industry. Thank you for all your contributions.

Tom Intven Past president, Landscape Ontario


Partner of the Year Award, and I hope I can use it to show others how valuable networking, working in the community for the environment and, especially Halton Ecopartners is to everyone,” writes Sean James on the Ecopartners website. He is co-founder of the Halton-Peel BioDiversity Network and sits on the board of the Halton Environmental Network and the Perennial Plant Association’s Environmental Committee. He is active with Milton Green, and the Ontario Invasive Plant Council’s Horticultural Outreach Collaborative.

Tumber wins U.S. award

AQUA Magazine, a monthly U.S. publication dedicated to the pool and spa industry, announced that Landscape Ontario member Tumber and Associates of Orangeville received an AQUA Choice Award. The award honours the best in residential pool and spa design. Each of the winners will be profiled in an upcoming issue of AQUA Magazine. Tumber and Associates with Randy Tumber CLD will be featured in the July 2012 edition. Tumber and Associates are well known from winning awards at Landscape Ontario’s Award of Excellence. The company won the prestigious Dunington-Grubb Award in 2010. This award goes to the most outstanding and highest overall scoring project in the construction categories.

New names added to industry certified list

A total of 38 individuals have their names added to the list of industry certified, after they completed the qualification requirements in 2011. Watch for a brochure mailed with this issue of Landscape Ontario magazine. The following received their certification in 2011. CLT: Steven Alexander, John Allison, Casey Anderson, Karinthia Battig, John Baxter, Michael Bellingham, Adam Booth, Derek Bradfield, Adam Braun, James Brydges, Edwin Buitrago, Evanne

A total of 38 names were added to the list of industry certified.

Casson, Brandon Fleury, Rob Gelineau, Martin Ince, Ryan Jones, Jay Ladell, Dan Lanthier, Sue Laurin, Todd Lynch, John McCollum, Jamie McMurray, Ryan O’Reilly, Joe Periera, Ricky Samyn, Richard Schives, John Spanninga, Fred Steiss, Victor Traicus, Dave Vickers, Richard Vos. CLD: John Allison, Adele Courville, Tyler Spiers. CLP: Rob Crysdale, Robert Chris Cumming, Brenda Luckhardt, Vincent Sequeira. The next written certification testing opportunity is on Jan. 31 at Algonquin College, Ottawa.

Waterloo helps KidsAbility

The Waterloo Chapter had a very successful golf tournament this past summer, and from that event, it was able to share proceeds with a number of charities. One such charity is KidsAbility, which received $2,600 from the Chapter. In photo, from left, Richard Burch, Chapter director, Rob Tester, Chapter president, Gillian Flanagan, development officer KidsAbility, and Jason Dietrich, chair of Waterloo Golf Committee. The Chapter will also provide funds to its education fund and school greening project.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  15


VOLUNTEER PROFILE Gerwin Bouman believes in value of LO association work President of Stam Nurseries in Burgessville, Gerwin Bouman’s volunteer work with Landscape Ontario began in 2006 when he went on the annual growers’ tour. “I met many great people, one being Bart Brusse of Sheridan Nurseries, who then was co-chair of Growers’ Sector Group. It was his kind insistence that led me to participate in this association,” remembers Bouman. He notes that he began in a passive mode working with the growers’ group. “But as time went on I became more active.” Today he serves as vice-chair of the growers’ group and more recently the “honourable and responsible role” of growers’ representative on the provincial board. He also sits on the group’s subcommittees, research, safety and summer tour. His involvement with LO began when he acquired Stam Nurseries. “At first I thought that LO was just another industry association. To be honest, we ‘inherited’ the LO annual membership status with the purchase of the business.” He remembers hearing a comment from then-employee, saying that LO was “a good thing to be part of, since they do

16  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

a lot for the industry.” He says, “How true this is! Beside paying the membership fee and displaying the LO signage, we also joined LO’s Safety Groups in 2008.” One of Bouman’s favourite memories is his time spent with fellow active LO members at the annual growers’ short courses, auction and tours. “These are all great memories. I would not be active in LO if they weren’t. One of the most recent great experiences being involved with LO was hearing finance minister Jim Flaherty speak to the LO board at Parkwood Estates this past summer.” He believes the greatest benefit is his personal development. “There is a wealth of knowledge to glean and it’s great to have the mentorship of association members at large, many of whom have been around for much longer than I have. I try to learn something new all the time, if possible on a daily basis. The networking opportunities are many and there is hardly a time when I drive home after a meeting or event, and say that I haven’t learned something. Bouman believes that an association is only as good as its members. “We need to look to ourselves to make a difference. The old saying many hands

make light work, means all of us need to step up to the plate and take our turn, even if it is twice. It’s easy to say we are too busy (I have to fight that excuse frequently), especially when times are not like they used to be.” When asked if he was involved in any community volunteer activities Gerwin Bouman said, “Webster’s definition of the verb to volunteer is ‘to offer to give or enter into some service of one’s free will.’ That hopefully covers a lot of what we do in life. I guess between Stam Nurseries, Landscape Ontario, and a family with five younger children, there is not much more time in the day left for anything else; at least not at this time.”


EVENTS

February 8

Growers Group annual short course

Bookmark www.horttrades.com/comingevents for up-to-date event information.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AND INDUSTRY EVENTS January 17

Ottawa Chapter AGM

Royal Canadian Legion Branch, 641- 3500 Fallowfield Rd., Ottawa Join the Ottawa Chapter for its Annual General Meeting featuring speakers executive director and president of Landscape Ontario. Pre-register with Martha Walsh at mwalsh@ landscapeontario.com for a free lunch and to qualify for the Sen’s ticket giveaway. January 26

Windsor Chapter meeting

Dominion Golf Club, 6125 Howard Avenue, LaSalle The Windsor Chapter begins a new year with its first meeting of 2012, starting at 12-noon, and running until 3 p.m. Hear Philip Bell of Shutter Studios teach how to create fantastic photos. January 31

Certification written tests

Algonquin College, Ottawa All Certification designation written tests can be written at Algonquin College, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. Be sure to fill out a registration form and send it in at least two weeks prior to the test date. Contact Landscape Ontario 1-800-265-5656 or email certification@landscapeontario.com. February 1

Waterloo Chapter meeting

Knights of Columbus, 145 Dearborn Place, Waterloo Members of the Waterloo Chapter invite you to the Feb. 1 meeting, entitled, Landscaper’s Round-Table Rant. It starts at 7 and runs to 9 p.m. Contact Rob Tester at rob@ tntpropertymaintenance.com for more information.

February 2

Toronto Chapter meeting

4077 Highway 7, Unionville One of Toronto Chapter’s most popular meetings of the year is the annual MTO meeting, whiuch will take place at Sheridan Nurseries in Unionville. Check www.horttrades.com for more information as it becomes available. February 7

Durham Chapter meeting

Quality Suites Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn), Bloor St., Oshawa The February Durham Chapter meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and will feature an informative presentation on conversational sales. RSVP by contacting Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or hhassard@landscapeontario.com. February 7

London Chapter meeting

Best Western Lamplight Inn, 591 Wellington Road South, London Join the Chapter for a buffet lunch at 12-noon, followed by a seminar on website development and taking perfect photographs to showcase your business. Cost is $25 per person, with lunch included. Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Carla Bailey at cbailey@landscapeontario.com. February 7 - 9

Damage Prevention Symposium

Blue Mountain, Collingwood The 9th Annual Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance Damage Prevention Symposium will take place at Blue Mountain. To find more information, or to register, go to www.orcga.com.

Royal Canadian Legion, 57 Watson Parkway South, Guelph The LO Growers Group short course moves back to the Legion in Guelph. To locate more information on the course, or for registration, go to www.horttrades.com. February 10

Landscape Ontario Snow Day 2012 Craigleith Ski Club, Collingwood Georgian Lakelands Chapter is proud to host Snow Day 2012. Register for LO Snow day at Congress (Booth E23) when you will have the chance to win your Snow Day Pass! For more information, contact ldearborn@ landscapeontario.com, or Jeff Lee at jeff@leeslandscaping.com. February 15

19th annual GreenTrade Expo

C E Centre, 4899 Uplands Drive, Ottawa Now in its 19th year, GreenTrade Expo moves to a new location, the C E Centre. For more information go www.greentrade.ca. February 16

Landscape Lighting Conference

Piper’s Heath Golf Club, Milton This annual event will feature a keynote speaker in the morning, lunch and round-table discussions in the afternoon. Lighting products will be on display for your opportunity to see what’s new. Limited sponsorship opportunities are available. Registration opened January 9. Contact Kristen@landscapeontario.com for more information, or go to www.hortrades.com/ lighting2012 February 22

Landscape Lecture Series

Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Ave., East, Toronto The annual Landscape Contractor Lecture Series features Haig Seferian, CLD, LA, and Terry McGlade of Flynn Canada. There is no charge for this event. Registration begins at 6 p.m.

Landscape Ontario Snow Day, 2011

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  17


Botanical Name

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

VINES Ampelopsis glandulosa Elegans 422 8.00 Campsis radicans Balboa Sunset 417 8.00 Campsis radicans ‘Flamenco’ 165 8.00 Celastrus orbiculatus Diana 260 8.00 Celastrus orbiculatus Hercules 315 8.00 Celastrus scandens 412 8.00 Hydrangea anomala petiolaris 52 6.00 453 13.00 Lonicera x Mandarin 198 8.00 Lonicera brownii Dropmore Scarlet 270 8.00 Lonicera heckrottii Goldflame 213 8.00 Lonicera japonica Halls Prolific 300 6.00 260 8.00 Parthenocissus quinq. Engelmannii 172 6.00 844 8.00 Parthenocissus quinquefolia 1,000 6.00 Parthenocissus tricus. Veitchii 1,000 6.00 Polygonum aubertii 1,000 6.00 Vitis riparia 355 8.00

EVERGREENS

Azalea Golden Lights 276 13.50 Azalea Mandarin Lights 231 13.50 Azalea Northern Lights 180 13.50 Azalea Orchid Lights 504 13.50 Buxus Faulkner 246 5.00 759 11.00 Buxus microphylla 441 5.00 Buxus X Green Gem 704 5.20 890 11.20 Buxus X Green Mound 1,000 5.00 957 11.00 Buxus X Green Mountain 847 5.00 1,000 11.00 Buxus X Green Velvet 1,000 5.20 1,000 11.20 Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Pygmaea’ 215 15.00 Chamaecyparis pisifera Aurea Sungold 130 5.00 271 11.00 Chamaecyparis pisifera Filifera 172 5.00 284 11.00 Chamaecyparis pisifera Filifera Aurea 120 5.00 300 11.00 Cotoneaster dammeri Coral Beauty 1,000 5.00 688 7.00 Cotoneaster dammeri Major 376 7.00 Cotoneaster salicifolius Repens 726 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Canadale Gold 635 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Coloratus 1,000 5.00 Euonymus fortunei Emerald Gaiety 1,000 5.00 1,000 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Goldtip 233 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Sarcoxie 390 7.00 Ilex X meserveae Blue Prince 475 6.00 240 13.00 Ilex X meserveae Blue Princess 805 6.00 588 13.00 Juniperus chinensis Gold Coast 160 5.00 317 11.00 Juniperus chinensis Gold Star 270 5.00 340 11.00 Juniperus chinensis Mint Julep 390 5.00 338 11.00 Juniperus chinensis Pfitz. Compacta 205 5.00 583 11.00 Juniperus chinensis San Jose 130 5.00 412 11.00 Juniperus communis Repanda 386 5.00 283 11.00 Juniperus conferta Blue Pacific 540 5.00 170 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Andorra Compacta 247 5.00 332 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Bar Harbor 289 5.00 244 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Icee Blue 1,000 6.00 735 13.00 Juniperus horizontalis Lime Glow 170 6.50 119 13.50 Juniperus horizontalis Prince of Wales 419 5.00 5 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii 335 5.00 980 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Yukon Belle 355 5.00 Juniperus media Armstrongii 122 5.00 408 11.00 Juniperus procumbens nana 272 11.00 Juniperus sabina 276 5.00 109 11.00 Juniperus sabina Buffalo 241 6.00 227 13.00 Juniperus squamata Blue Carpet 96 5.00 244 11.00 Juniperus squamata Blue Star 275 11.00 Metasequoia glyptostroboides 1,000 7.00 Microbiota decussata 330 11.00 Myrica pensylvanica 1,000 7.00

18  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

Botanical Name

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

Picea abies 269 7.00 125 11.00 Picea glauca 627 11.00 Picea glauca Conica 431 13.00 Picea pungens Globosa 40 7.00 257 22.00 Pinus mugo var. mugo 270 11.00 Rhododendron ‘Nova Zembla’ 195 13.00 Taxus cuspidata Aurescens 438 15.00 Taxus cuspidata Monloo 350 18.50 Taxus X media Densiformis 1,000 6.00 437 13.50 Taxus X media Hicksii 951 6.00 1,000 13.50 Taxus X media Hillii 630 6.00 80 13.50 Taxus X media Wardii 637 6.00 1,000 13.50 Thuja occidentalis 513 11.00 Thuja occidentalis Brandon 27 5.00 180 11.00 Thuja occidentalis Nigra 697 5.00 472 11.00 Thuja occidentalis Smaragd 611 5.00 1,000 11.00 Thuja occidentalis Wintergreen 1,000 5.00 574 11.00 Thuja plicata Spring Grove 680 11.00 Tsuga canadensis 205 5.00 192 11.00 Tsuga canadensis Jeddeloh 344 13.50 Tsuga canadensis Pendula 235 13.50 Yucca fil. Golden Sword 35 5.00 120 11.00 Yucca filamentosa 22 5.00 335 7.00 20 11.00

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS Acanthopanax sieboldianus 392 7.00 Acer ginnala 469 7.00 Acer rubrum 1,000 7.00 Alnus glutinosa 210 7.00 Amelanchier canadensis 91 7.00 200 Amelanchier humilis 442 7.00 Aronia mel. Autumn Magic 207 7.00 Berberis thunbergii Aurea nana 90 6.00 321 Berberis thunbergii Concorde 190 9.50 100 Berberis thunbergii Rose Glow 250 6.00 579 9.50 30 Berberis thunbergii Royal Cloak 601 6.00 82 9.50 100 Berberis x Emerald Carousel 270 9.50 Betula alleghaniensis 200 7.00 Betula nigra 460 7.00 Buddleia davidii Black Knight 255 7.00 Buddleia davidii Ellens Blue 445 7.00 Buddleia davidii Ile de France 699 7.00 Buddleia davidii Nanho Purple 327 7.00 Buddleia davidii Petite Plum 400 7.00 Buddleia davidii Pink Delight 460 7.00 Buddleia davidii Purple Prince 773 7.00 Buddleia davidii Royal Red 336 7.00 Caryopteris clandonensis Dark Knight 226 7.00 Caryopteris clandonensis Grand Blue 417 7.35 Caryopteris clandonensis Worchester Gold 244 7.00 Celtis occidentalis 778 7.00 Cercis canadensis 370 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Nivalis 407 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Rubra 946 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Texas Scarlet 465 7.00 Chaenomeles sup.Crimson and Gold 218 7.00 Clethra alnifolia Hummingbird 193 7.00 Clethra alnifolia Pink Spire 461 7.00 Cornus alba Elegantissima 997 7.00 Cornus alba Ivory Halo 194 7.45 Cornus alba Red Gnome 440 7.00 Cornus alternifolia 642 7.00 Cornus kousa chinensis 360 7.00 Cornus racemosa 809 7.00 Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire 399 7.00 Cornus stolonifera Kelseyi 594 7.00

9.50 13.50 13.50 13.50 13.50


Many More Cultivars and sizes available

Botanical Name

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

Cotinus coggygria Royal Purple 326 Cotoneaster apiculatus 488 7.00 Cotoneaster horizontalis 217 7.00 Cotoneaster preacox Boer 1,000 7.00 Deutzia crenata Nikko 718 7.00 Deutzia gracilis 877 7.00 Diervilla lonicera 691 7.00 Euonymus alatus 255 5.00 731 8.00 Euonymus alatus Compactus 1,000 5.00 495 8.00 593 Fagus sylvatica Purpurea 513 7.00 Forsythia Kumson 472 7.00 Forsythia ovata Ottawa 835 7.00 Forsythia X inter. Northern Gold 1,000 7.00 Forsythia X intermedia Goldtide 443 7.00 Forsythia X intermedia Lynwood 795 7.00 Fothergilla gardenii ‘Mount Airy’ 285 Genista tinctoria Royal Gold 309 7.00 Gymnocladus dioica 20 8.00 180 Hibiscus syriacus Aphrodite 299 5.00 70 Hibiscus syriacus Collie Mullins 147 5.00 80 Hibiscus syriacus Diana 445 5.00 302 Hibiscus syriacus Minerva 134 5.00 20 Hibiscus syriacus White Chiffon 67 5.60 187 Hibiscus syriacus Woodbridge 385 5.00 179 Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle 1,000 7.00 1,000 Hydrangea paniculata Kyushu 192 7.00 Hydrangea paniculata Pink Diamond 364 7.00 Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky 346 7.60 Hydrangea paniculata Tardiva 345 7.00 Hydrangea paniculata Vanille Fraise 248 9.00 Hydrangea serrata Bluebird 430 7.00 Ilex verticillata 596 7.00 Ilex verticillata Afterglow 1,000 7.00 Ilex verticillata Southern Gentleman 477 7.00 Itea virginica Henrys Garnet 751 7.00 Kolkwitzia amabilis Pink Cloud 708 7.00 Ligustrum ovalufolium 243 7.00 Ligustrum vulgaris 333 7.00 Lindera benzoin 395 7.00 Liriodendron tulipefera 290 8.50 Lonicera tatarica 227 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Claveys Dwarf 548 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Emerald Mound 1,000 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Miniglobe 555 7.00 Magnolia stellata Royal Star 252 Magnolia X Butterfly 223 Magnolia X loebneri Leonard Messel 286 Nyssa sylvatica 325 7.00 Philadelphus coronarius Aureus 494 7.00 Philadelphus Innocence 853 7.00 Philadelphus Minnesota Snowflake 321 7.00 Philadelphus Natchez 238 7.00 Philadelphus X virginalis 285 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius 1,000 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius Dart’s Gold 1,000 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius Diabolo 1,000 7.60 Physocarpus opulifolius Luteus 300 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius nanus 786 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius Seward 587 9.85 Populus deltoides 446 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Coronation Triumph 1,000 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Dakota Sunrise 782 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Gold Drop 909 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Goldstar 243 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Mango Tango 493 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Pink Beauty 160 8.00

11.00

10.00

13.00 9.50 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.60 10.00 10.50

15.00 15.00 15.00

Botanical Name

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

Potentilla fruticosa Tangerine Prunus cistena 309 5.00 Prunus virginiana Quercus macrocarpa Quercus robur Fastigiata Quercus rubrum Rhus typhina Ribes alpinum Rosa Bonica Rosa J P Connell Rosa John Cabot Rosa ‘Morden Centennial’ Rosa rubrifolia Rosa rugosa Rosa William Baffin Rosa Winnipeg Parks Rosa x Champlain Rosa x George Vancouver Rosa x Royal Edward Salix bebbiana Salix eriocephala Salix exigua Salix gracilis Purpurea Nana Salix repens Sambucus canadensis Sambucus canadensis Aurea Sorbaria aitchisonii Sorbaria sorbifolia Sorbaria sorbifolia Sem Spiraea alba Spiraea betulifolia Tor Spiraea bumalda Gold Mound Spiraea japonica Anthony Waterer Spiraea japonica Crispa Spiraea japonica Dakota Goldcharm Spiraea japonica Flaming Mound Spiraea japonica Froebelii Spiraea japonica Golden Princess Spiraea japonica Goldflame Spiraea japonica Magic Carpet Spiraea japonica Shirobana (Genpei) Spiraea japonica White Gold Spiraea nipponica Snowmound Spiraea vanhouttei Stephanandra incisa Crispa Symphoricarpos albus Symphoricarpos chenaultii Hancock Syringa meyeri Palibin Syringa patula Miss Kim Syringa vulgaris Syringa vulgaris Beauty of Moscow Syringa X prestoniae Donald Wyman Tilia americana Viburnum dentatum Viburnum dentatum Chicago Lustre Viburnum nudum Winterthur Viburnum plic. Summer Snowflake Viburnum plicatum Mariesii Viburnum plicatum Shasta Viburnum trilobum Bailey Compact Weigela florida Bristol Snowflake Weigela florida French Lace Weigela florida Java Red Weigela florida Nana Variegata Weigela florida Purpurea Nana Weigela florida Victoria

367 1,000 266 468 623 641 1,000 623 365 246 340 136 357 395 210 300 425 120 695 740 231 250 731 313 1,000 1,000 495 1,000 125 1,000 245 1,000 365 662 511 1,000 1,000 968 1,000 1,000 246 478 260 577 691 1,000 250 1,000 1,000 520 51 165 258 415 641 409 341 338 420 624 336 332 185 911 385 211

7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 41 9.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 8.00 297 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.25 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 8.00 8.00 7.00 9.00 195 9.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 9.00 9.00 9.00 7.00 7.00 9.60 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00

8.00

9.50

13.00

19 RR 2, Mount Brydges, ON N0L 1W0 • Tel: 519-264-9057 •WWW.HORTTRADES.COM Fax: 519-264-1337


INDUSTRY NEWS Bill 119 compliance at least a year away A number of questions have been raised about changes to Bill 119, which extends the scope of mandatory workers compensation insurance to include executive officers, partners, and independent operators. Health and Safety Ontario has issued a statement on the issue: “In 2008, the Ontario Legislature passed an amendment to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act intended to make workers compensation coverage mandatory for independent operators in construction. “When does the amendment takes effect? The short answer is probably not in 2012. The amendment is still awaiting proclamation, and as stated in the amendment mandatory compensation coverage would come into effect a year following proclamation. “Who exactly is affected? The amendment appears to apply only to independent operators with no employees who perform “construction” work. Self-employed individuals who do contract work are not currently required to register with WSIB. An independent operator is defined as ‘a person who carries on an industry included in Schedule 1 or Schedule 2 and who does not employ any workers for that purpose.’ “What constitutes construction? The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act defines construction as any industry listed in Class G of Schedule 1. Still unclear at this point is whether, for the purposes of this amendment, “construction” includes deck and fence installation and swimming pool installation or paving stone, retaining wall and concrete work. A landscape contractor may do some of this type of work as part of a landscape project. “Note: Home renovation work to a private residence is exempt from the amendment, and by extension independent operators and sole proprietors who perform home renovation work.” “Landscape Ontario and Workplace Safety and Prevention Services are continuing to work together to clarify exactly how the amendments may apply to our stakeholders,” says Sally Harvey CLT, CLP, manager of Education and Labour Development for Landscape Ontario. For more information, read the amended Workplace Safety and Insurance Act online at http://bit.ly/ssBXHL, or access the amendments and background information at http://bit.ly/shwydV.

Free green industry budgeting software JPL Consulting is offering all members of Landscape Ontario its proprietary software, JPL Budgeting for Success 3000 Lite Version. The software is for all service trades, retailers, growers and wholesalers at every level. Landscape and maintenance companies are offered the JPL Estimating Lite Version and all companies will benefit from the JPL Fleet Cost Management Lite Version. This is a limited time offer; download the program for free from www.jplbiz.ca.

20  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012


THE UNDERGROUND WORLD Ontario One Call Act By Terry Murphy CLP

A

t the Provincial Legislature at Queen’s Park on Dec. 2, the Ontario One Call Act, or Bill 8, received all party support on second reading. It will now be sent to committee for an in-depth review and discussion before it is presented for debate and the third and final reading. This is expected to take place in the spring of 2012. I was in attendance to listen to and support the presentation by the two MPPs, Bob Bailey, Sarnia-Lambton, and Paul Miller, Hamilton East, who co-sponsored Bill 8. It was reassuring to even see Liberal MPPs speak in favour of the Bill. One key Liberal supporter, Donna Cransfield, Etobicoke East, not only supported the proposed legislation, but reminded her colleagues of the seven people who were killed in a gas explosion in 2003 in her riding due to lack of locates. She indicated that if this Bill was in place at that time, these people would

still be alive. She reinforced her commitment to the Bill by naming the seven members of her riding who needlessly lost their lives. Earlier this year, the same Bill, then under the same name, Ontario One Call Act, but known as Bill 180, also passed the second reading, only to be cancelled when Premier Dalton McGuinty called a provincial election. Any legislation before the house is automatically cancelled when an election is called. This means we had to start from day one and reintroduce the Bill in the new session. This Bill affects all of us in the landscape industry. It requires that all municipalities, utility firms, locate companies and other companies who have utility infrastructure in the ground be part of the One Call process. Once the legislation is adopted, all the above-noted companies will be required to register and assist Ontario One Call with providing locates. To determine a locate will require only a telephone call to Ontario One Call. Presently, before digging commences,

some landscape and excavation companies need to make as many as 13 calls to ensure that all underground wires, pipes, cables, gas mains, etc., are located. This is a major endeavour by the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance to unite the industry to support efforts to create an efficient, cost effective and simple system. We need all Landscape Ontario members to write their local MPP and request that he or she support this legislation, and to end this totally inefficient system. This legislation will save lives, make workers safe and provide an effective cost-efficient process to provide locates for all who live and work in Ontario. In the U.S., all 50 states have One Call systems. Why not Ontario? Estimates in New York State show that damage costs were reduced by 70 per cent in the first year of the new One Call system. There are no downsides to this legislation. It benefits all politicians and the public. Let’s do our part by letting our provincial MPPs know that we support this legislation. This is a bi-partisan, non-political issue that should be a major gain for our province. There are no reasons to not pass Bill 8. Send your comments or questions to tvmurphy@ca.inter.net.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  21


TURF REPORT Weed re-growth with Fiesta herbicide By Pam Charbonneau OMAFRA Turfgrass Specialist

W

hen Fiesta received Canadian registration in spring of 2010, there was not a lot of information available on its efficacy on common Ontario lawn weeds.

Some of my duties include validation of turf research for our local conditions. Based on preliminary research in the fall of 2009 on Fiesta, when we were only able to make a single application, we found there was significant re-growth of dandelions at the 200, 400 and 800 mL per 100 sq. m. rate. The re-growth of black medick after

Dandelion re-growth

Untreated Control Fiesta 1x

Dandelions (%)

Fiesta 2x

one application of Fiesta in the fall was rate dependent and the highest rate (800 mL per 100 sq. m. had the least amount of re-growth, and the lowest rate 200 per 100 sq. m. had the most re-growth). There was very little re-growth of narrow-leaved plantain, regardless of the rate of Fiesta.

Experimental design 2010

To add to our knowledge about this product, we initiated a tagged weed trial of individual weeds (30 of each species) of clover, narrow-leaved plantain, broadleaved plantain and dandelion. For narrow and broad-leaved plantain and dandelion, we removed all but one weed per 20 cm x 20 cm frame, and applied one application of Fiesta to ten individual weeds, two applications of Fiesta to ten individual weeds and ten individual weeds went untreated. For clover, we chose patches of clover and put the frames over a patch as it was difficult to determine what constituted an individual plant. Fiesta was diluted according to the label (one part Fiesta to 24 parts water) and applied with a backpack sprayer until the weeds were thoroughly wet. The two applications of Fiesta as a spot treatment on individual weeds is the common method of application adopted by the lawn care sector. The percentage of weed cover within the frame was visually estimated and recorded at each rating date.

experimental design 2011 July 5/10

July 19/10

Aug. 4/10

Figure 1. Re-growth of dandelions with one or two applications of Fiesta compared to the untreated control. Bars within each rating date that have the same letter are not significantly different from one another.

Re-growth of broad-leaved plantain Untreated Control Fiesta 1x

Broad-leaved plantain (%)

Fiesta 2x

In 2011, we initiated a tagged trial of individual weeds of common chickweed and patches of prostrate knotweed (30 of each species) and performed a similar trial to the one conducted in 2010 to determine the susceptibility to Fiesta where ten weed frames received one application of Fiesta, ten weed frames received two applications of Fiesta and ten were left untreated. Fiesta was diluted according to the label (one part Fiesta to 24 parts water) and applied with a backpack sprayer until the weeds were thoroughly wet. The percentage of weed cover within the weed frame was estimated visually and recorded at each rating date. Only the data from July 11, 2011 will be reported, because it represents that collected after the two applications of Fiesta.

2010 results

July 5/10

July 19/10

Aug. 4/10

Figure 2. Re-growth of broad-leaved plantain with one or two applications of Fiesta compared to the untreated control.

22  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

The data in Figure 1 shows that one month after the first application of Fiesta, the dandelions had significant re-growth and were back to the same per cent of weed cover within the squares as the untreated control. One week after the second treatment of Fiesta, dandelions were almost


Re-growth of clover Untreated Control

Untreated Control

Fiesta 1x

Fiesta 1x

Fiesta 2x

Fiesta 2x

Clover (%)

Narrow-leaved plantain (%)

Re-growth of narrow-leaved plantain

July 7/10

July 19/10

Aug. 4/10

Figure 3. Re-growth of narrow-leaved plantain with one or two applications of Fiesta, compared to the untreated control.

completely dead. By the last rating date of Aug. 4, 2010, dandelion cover was up to ten per cent within the weed frames. This indicates that two applications of Fiesta are needed for dandelions. Even with the two applications within four weeks of each other, there was re-growth up to ten per cent of the weed frame. This represents an 80 per cent reduction of dandelion over the untreated control. Results in Figure 2 show that one application of Fiesta on broad-leaved plantain had very similar results to one application on dandelions. The second application of Fiesta on broad-leaved plantain was not as effective as the second application on dandelions. There was still roughly seven per cent broad-leaf plantain cover in the individual frames of tagged plants. By the last rating date (Aug. 4, 2010), the broad-leaved plantain was up to 13 per cent cover within the individual frames, which represents an 80 per cent reduction of weed cover, compared to the untreated control. In general, Fiesta is less effective in controlling broad-leaf plantain than dandelions. Results in Figure 3 show that one application of Fiesta significantly reduced the per cent of narrow-leaved plantain well over 50 per cent, and there was no significant re-growth over the three rating dates (July 5, July 19 and Aug. 4, 2010). In addition, two applications of Fiesta reduced the per cent of narrow-leaved plantain to a point where the weed was almost undetectable. Again, results of the individual clover squares were similar to the broad-leaved

July 5/10

Aug. 4/10

Figure 4. Re-growth of clover with one or two applications of Fiesta, compared to the untreated control .

plantain. One application of Fiesta on clover had almost no effect at all on the percentage of clover within the frames (Figure 4). One week after the second application of Fiesta, the per cent of clover was significantly reduced, but at the time of the final rating date (Aug. 4, 2010), the clover had re-grown to just under 30 per cent cover, which is a 68 per cent reduction of weed cover from the untreated control.

Results 2011

Results obtained on common chickweed show that one application of Fiesta rated six weeks after the first application (on May 30) reduced the weed cover by roughly 50 per cent and two applications rated two weeks after the second application (June 27), reduced the per cent cover to five per cent, which is an 88 per cent reduction. Results for prostrate knotweed were very similar. Fiesta herbicide applied once, reduced the per cent of weed cover in the weed frame from 86 per cent to 54 per cent, which is a 36 per cent reduction. The second application of Fiesta reduced the percentage of weed cover in the weed frame to 18 per cent.

Conclusions

July 19/10

Data from 2010 on individual tagged weeds of dandelion, broad-leaved plantain and clover shows a significant re-growth of these weed species with a single application of Fiesta. Narrow-leaf plantain is more susceptible to Fiesta, and a single application gives control significantly better than the untreated control, while two applications of Fiesta gave almost 100 per

cent control of this weed species. Patches of clover treated once with Fiesta did not show a significant reduction in clover within the weed frames. After the second Fiesta application, there was significant reduction in per cent of dandelion cover, and per cent of broad-leaf plantain, which represented an 80 per cent reduction over the untreated control, but did represent re-growth from the ratings that were taken within a week of the second Fiesta application. After the second Fiesta application, there was an immediate reduction in the per cent of clover, but by the Aug. 4, the per cent of clover cover was up to 27, showing there was also re-growth of clover. In 2011, it was demonstrated that two applications of Fiesta were necessary to control both prostrate knotweed and common chickweed, but that the control was much better on the common chickweed. As with all of the weeds tested in 2010 and 2011, with the exception of narrow-leaved plantain, two applications of Fiesta were necessary to control dandelion, broadleaved plantain, clover, prostrate knotweed and common chickweed. Even with the two Fiesta applications, these weed species are not completely eliminated from within the weed frames. This demonstrates that control of these weeds may take more than two applications per season, or more than one season. Pam Charbonneau may be contacted at 519-824-4120, ext. 52597, or by e-mail at pamela.charbonneau@ontario.ca.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  23


SMART ABOUT SALT City of Ottawa takes leadership role in salt reduction Bob Hodgins Smart about Salt executive director

T

he City of Ottawa hosted a Smart about Salt summit on Nov. 29 to foster greater public and private partnerships in promoting efficient salt use in the city. Ottawa is working in partnership with local public and private sector organizations, snow removal contractors and other key stakeholders to move forward with salt management best practices as a means of protecting the environment and being fiscally responsible. “The city is committed to being an environmental leader and steward through the adoption of innovative ways of reducing the amount of rock salt spread over the winter season,” said mayor Jim Watson. “We are pleased to be working in collaboration with other jurisdictions to make smart choices about how and when we use salt to improve safety, while ensuring our actions are in the best interests of our residents and the environment.” The Smart about Salt Summit brought together public and private sector groups, Landscape Ontario, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of

Ottawa, the Ontario Good Roads Association, and the Smart about Salt Council to discuss best salt management practices and the city’s ongoing work to better manage the use of de-icing chemical on its roads, parking lots and sidewalks. The event was widely attended with representation from local colleges, universities and school boards, the National Capital Commission, both federal and provincial governments, commercial real estate and the snow removal contracting industry. “Salt is a necessary tool for keeping our roads and sidewalks clear of ice during the winter, but excessive use of this important resource can lead to negative impacts on our environment,” said Ottawa councillor Steve Desroches, who chaired the summit. “By implementing smart salt practices, we will not only achieve environmental benefits, but also reduce winter maintenance costs and extend the capital life of our infrastructure.” John Manconi, general manager of Public Works for Ottawa, outlined how the city has significantly optimized its use of salt on winter roads and sidewalks to minimize the effects on the local environment, while still maintaining safety. He explained how the municipality has had many of its internal staff, who maintains city facilities, take the Smart about Salt training. There are plans to pilot the program this year at five city facilities.

From left, Ottawa Councillor Steve Desroches, Bob Hodgins, Smart about Salt, Tony DiGiovanni, and Dean Karakasis, BOMA, after a successful Smart About Salt Summit.

24  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

“As responsible members of the community, we at BOMA recognize the need to take a leadership role in advocating smart rock salt usage among our members as a means to protect our environment and the people we serve,” said Dean Karakasis, executive director of the BOMA, Ottawa Chapter. “We are pleased to work closely with the city on this worthwhile initiative.” Several BOMA members attended the summit to learn how they can become Smart about Salt. Tony DiGiovanni, executive director of Landscape Ontario, speaking on behalf of the contracting industry, said, “Landscape Ontario is endorsing the Smart about Salt program for five interconnected reasons.” He outlined those reasons as; the program raises the level of professionalism within our sector; begins the process of encouraging standardization; promotes environmental stewardship; promotes safe operations and risk management; and gives Smart about Salt certified contractors a competitive edge where clients require SAS Accreditation. “The Smart about Salt program raised the professionalism of our industry, and helps us to better manage our risk.” The risk management benefits were reinforced by Luke Pallister, risk consultant for Marsh Canada, who said, “The Smart about Salt program enables certified companies not only to use less salt, but to manage and mitigate winter related risks. For this reason, the Smart about Salt Winter Salt Management Program is being promoted by Marsh Canada through the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) HortProtect insurance program.” In addition, Marsh will provide premium discounts to Smart about Salt certified contractors within the CNLA HortProtect insurance program. Brian Stratton, of the Mississippi-Rideau Source Water Protection Region, explained the Ontario-wide initiative to protect Ontario’s drinking water from contaminants, including road salts. He explained how his region is developing policies that draw on the Smart about Salt program to help protect vulnerable drinking water sources. I congratulate the City of Ottawa for its leadership in promoting public safety and environmental stewardship by hosting the Smart about Salt summit, and look forward to working with the city and the many attendees to implement the program. The Weather Network covered the summit, so keep your eye out for future stories about the program. You can learn more at smartaboutsalt.com or email Bob Hodgins at smartaboutsalt@bell.net.


MEMBERSHIP

just needed that extra push. Inheritance: There are times when a person takes on a business, either from their family or by purchasing it, where the previous owner had a membership, and the new owner more or less inherits a membership. Sometimes the new owners will need to learn the value of a membership, but quite often they respect the success of the previous owner and follow his or her advice. In addition, sometimes an employee at a member company will transition to a new company, only to plant the membership seed (pun intended) at the new business. Generosity: Recently a wonderful mom named Debbie purchased a horticultural membership for her son. He hasn’t been in business long enough to qualify for a full membership, but she wanted to sign him up and register him for some courses and purchase certification books for him as his Christmas gift. This mom did her research, reading through the website and knew all about LO and what we do. When she phoned me, she already knew what she needed. Her only question was how can we do this and keep it a surprise. It was a pretty simple solution: we prepared all the

information she needed, along with some great information pieces, and gave Debbie a package to give her son on Christmas morning. So, next year don’t get your loved ones another pair of socks or box of candy, get them something that will help their business prosper. Conversion: Often companies will come to us to register for a seminar or certification, put a booth in one of our trade shows, or they will be looking at utilizing an endorsed supplier and quickly see that by purchasing a membership, they’re saving money with all the member discounts. Once we get them for that first year, those who take advantage of the benefits and engage with other members, quickly see the value of continuing on with Landscape Ontario. Six degrees of separation: Six degrees of separation is the theory that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person through a chain of acquaintances. In this example, we all know someone, who knows someone, who has found success and has achieved the goals that we want to achieve. This doesn’t change with age; we are constantly setting new business and personal goals, even if we are not aware of it. Human nature is to emulate those successful people. It doesn’t take long for people to learn through the chain of acquaintances that LO will benefit their business. Overall, everyone has a unique story of how they became a member, and we would love to hear your story. Feel free to let me know, email me at helen@landscapeontario.com.

Living Architectural Contracting Inc Rick Buist 17 - 1550 Yorkton Court, Burlington, ON L7P 5B7 Tel: 905-639-5454 Membership Type: Active

Breeze Property Maintenance Inc Michael Platt 28 Hallmark Crt, Thornhill, ON L4J 3A4 Tel: 905-731-7280 Membership Type: Active

London Punt Installation Ltd Steven Punter 59 Hwy 2, Princeton, ON N0J 1V0 Tel: 519-458-4588 Membership Type: Associate

Burdi Horticultural Inc Michael Burdi 216 - 14 Langstaff Rd, Woodbridge, ON L4L 9A8 Tel: 905-856-9110 Membership Type: Active

How did we hook you? By Helen Hassard Membership coordinator

L

ately there has been a lot of interest in how companies become members of LO. The membership department here at LO has come up with a few typical situations that describe how most of you became members. If you have another great recruitment story, we’d love to hear from you. Conscription: Some became members, and then went on to become a board member as a result of conscription. Either their friend kept bringing them to events, leaving them membership applications, or just plain old phoning them to demand they sign up. Either way, eventually the person’s resolve wore down, or they became a member. In this case, most of the people I talked with fondly recall that day many years ago when they were forced to join Landscape Ontario. We eventually managed to win them over, but they

NEW MEMBERS Durham Westney Landscaping Steve Handley 51 Patterson Cres, Ajax, ON L1S 6P5 Tel: 905-427-6240 Membership Type: Active Georgian Lakelands Lake Country Group Inc Peter Head 24 Ironwood Trail, RR 3, Coldwater, ON L0K 1E0 Tel: 855-623-5853 Membership Type: Associate Golden Horseshoe Balfour Greenhouses Ltd Gord Sherwood 1396 Balfour St, Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 Tel: 905-892-5744 Membership Type: Associate

Ottawa Cohen and Cohen Natural Stone Andrew Colautti 92 Bentley Ave, Ottawa, ON K2E 6T9 Tel: 613-225-9111 Membership Type: Associate Toronto Tony Ficicchia 80 Beachville Circ, Brampton, ON L6X 0V2 Tel: 416-803-8067 Membership Type: Horticultural

Caledon Hydroseeding (1733699 Ont Inc) Michael Kovach 125 Magnum Dr, Schomberg, ON L0G 1T0 Tel: 877-880-9099 Membership Type: Active Upper Canada LS Tractor Gary Pitcher 108 Pitchers Rd, Frankford, ON K0K 2C0 Tel: 613-398-7647 Membership Type: Associate

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  25


SAFETY AND TRAINING Planning for a prosperous 2012 By Sally Harvey CLT, CLP Education and Labour Development Department

I

t is the time of year that many of us take time to reflect on the good, the bad and the not-so-good within our business over the past year. This helps with plans to make improvements for the coming year. Often improvement requires that we embark on professional development to guide us in the right direction and to help prevent repetition of the not-so-good. As we prepare for 2012 within the framework of our businesses, may I suggest that you kick-start your year by attending Congress 2012. As a business owner, and now your staff, Congress has always and continues to inspire and motivate me in the annual planning process. The trade show, the networking and the conference seminars have provided me with a steady foundation to get going after the holidays. Congress always energizes me about the possibilities: • New products, tools and equipment that can help us to perform work smarter and safer. • The environment of the show allows me to re-connect with many friends and colleagues who I do not see or hear from regularly, as the life of a business owner can at times be isolated.

• Colleagues and peers spark my attention towards improvement after listening to their stories of success and challenges over the past year. • Conference seminars fill gaps and help me and my staff pack more tools in the business tool box for the coming year. • And oh, do not forget, the Awards of Excellence ceremony! This event has been another educational opportunity for me for many years. I am always amazed at the skill and expertise demonstrated by our industry at the awards night. Learn from the great photos of the amazing projects that depict the many and growing talents of this industry. Awards won are also a great marketing tool. My suggestion is to check out Congress Jan. 9 pre-trade show events: IPM Symposium, Landscape Designers Conference, and CLP Study Group, and of course the trade show and Conference seminars presented on Tues. to Thurs., Jan. 10-12. New this year is the morning professional development sessions aimed at all audiences. Attendees will be able to use their time effectively by attending professional development and the trade show all in one day. Conference attendees have the advantage of networking lunches, entitled Life Lessons, which are included in their package. This raises the value of learning for you. You will notice concentrated professional development in the mornings, some Owners-Only seminars, followed by Life Lesson or networking lunches. Then feel

free to head to the trade show, or stay around in the afternoon for any of the free sessions listed. Free sessions are available to all trade show and conference badge holders. Sessions focus on introducing attendees to various programs and development opportunities available to industry and youth, with focus on general content and benefits. They include: • Prosperity Journey with Jacki Hart will allow you to understand the benefits of the one-day Building your Prosperity seminar offered at LO home office. • Human Resources for the Future makes the SHSM in horticulture and landscape program work for employers, industry parents, students and educators of all levels. Find out how you can benefit from the secondary school industry-related training programs. • Landscape Industry Executive Program allows participants to take the LIEP to business excellence. Understand the advantages of this amazing program developed for our industry and achieve better results with recognized processes that you will learn to apply to your own business. • On the Job Trainer Primer Session will introduce supervisors and those involved in training to better, quicker, more effective methods to train staff in the industry.

Reminders

As of Jan. 1, 2012, all employers in Ontario who provide goods and services are required to be compliant with Accessibility Standards for Customer Service issued under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Employers have a legislated obligation to accommodate customers with disabilities. The province has a website http://bit.ly/vdAhk3 explaining the new rules. There is a new human resource tool for employers, the Labour Market Partnership project, funded by Employment Ontario by the Province of Ontario. One of the products of the project is the Employer HR tool kit. This is available free for industry employers at www.horttrades.com/HRtoolkit. The tool kit includes a policy and procedure guide, along with a recruitment and retention tool to help employers manage human resources more effectively. A sample employee handbook will be available as well. All documents will be free to industry and can be downloaded in entirety, or in sections based on individual need. Contact Sally Harvey should you have any questions at sharvey@ landscapontario.com.

26  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012


PUBLIC RELATIONS Practical hints on telling our story By Denis Flanagan CLD Director of public relations and membership services

A

s a result of all the wonderful community work performed by our Chapters and individual members, and also because of the success of our Green for Life branding efforts, we receive numerous requests for media interviews, articles, etc. We handle the majority of these requests through your Milton office. Each inquiry from the media is an opportunity for you to gain exposure for your company, your chapter, your association and for the original green industry. A great way to market your company and set your services apart from the competition is by winning an Award of Excellence. Contact local media about your award, and it’s more than likely they will print or broadcast the information. The following are some tips that may help to make your experience with the media as positive as possible.

industry through a group of companies that are not only experts in the field of horticulture, but who also take great pride in giving back to the community.

The interview

• Be prepared. In advance, find out what questions are going to be asked. • Try to avoid questions that could be controversial, or political. • Think about the logos you will be wearing during the interview. • Think about the professional image you portray. • Have lots of props on hand and speak with confidence showing that you are the expert. • When writing for print or online interviews, ask to see a final copy before it is published in order to check facts and credits. Ask how to access copies of radio

Be prepared when speaking with the media.

or TV interviews. • Please forward a copy of your news story to your Milton office, so that we can post them online.

Support

We have a library of articles, a series of how-to sheets and thousands of high quality photographs that may be utilized by any of our members. Please contact us when you need assistance in promoting your industry and your association. Denis Flanagan may be contacted at dflanagan@landscapeontario.com.

Need-to-know information

• Where possible use our full title, Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, for credits and contact info. I know it’s a mouthful, but it helps to promote the industry. • Promote the website www. landscapeontario.com for further information and to connect with professional members. The media love to end interviews with this tag. • Explain that we are a not-for-profit association representing over 2,000 companies across Ontario, and that our members work in every aspect of the green industry. This includes everything from growing plants, to the creation and care of private gardens and commercial properties. We know our industry does infinitely more, but this works as the 20-second elevator sound bite. • If asked to explain the Green for Life tag, explain that we represent the original green WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  27


EXECUTIVE DESK St. James Park extreme makeover Tony DiGiovanni CHTR LO executive director

I

have just been through an amazing and inspiring experience. It’s something I will not soon forget. Occupy Toronto spent a rainy month camping out at St. James Park in the St. Lawrence area of Toronto. The result was a compacted and muddy mess of carpets, rubber mats, mouldy straw, tent pegs and garbage. Very little turf remained. Kyle Tobin, of LawnSavers Plant Health Care, heard a plea for donations on the radio. The city was in the middle of a budget crunch. Officials there estimated it would require $60,000 to bring the park back to an acceptable condition.

Restore DAMAGED park

Kyle sent out an email to a number of lawn care group members, suggesting we should help restore the park and at the same time raise the profile of turf in the environment. This was on Thurs., Dec. 1. An immediate positive response came back from Alan White of Turf Systems and Project EverGreen, Gavin Dawson of Green Lawn, Steve Tschanz of Turf Management Systems/Weed Man, and Brad Vanderwoude of Brad Vanderwoude Sod Farms. A project of this magnitude would give the industry an opportunity to demonstrate the environmental, social and community importance of turf, trees and green space, especially in the middle of the downtown core. However, we needed to mobilize the support of many members. The window of opportunity was very narrow. It required it to be done immediately, or not at all. Our first phone call was to Pat Lamanna of Earthco Soil Mixtures (G&L Group). We needed 350 yards of topsoil, plus slingers. Without hesitation, Pat generously said yes. Brad Vanderwoude, a member of the Nursery Sod Growers Association of Ontario, said he was not sure if it was possible to supply

28  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

the required seven tractor-trailer loads of sod. The members’ fields were either wet, or covered with snow. He would call around. The same day, an email offering to restore the park was sent to city councillor Norm Kelly, chair of Toronto Parks and Trees Committee, and director of the parks department Richard Ubbens. On Saturday at 7 a.m., Alan and Brad met onsite to survey the scope of the project. Another onsite meeting then took place on Monday morning, when it was determined that the only way we could take this project on was if sod was available. That afternoon, Brad Vanderwoude informed us that the Sod Growers would supply the sod. Work would commence Dec. 7, and be completed by Dec. 8. That meant we had Monday and Tuesday to mobilize the membership; it would require hundreds of people to get this job done. Kyle Tobin and Alan White assumed the role of project coordinators. Peter Guinane, of Oriole Landscaping, thankfully added his seasoned experience to the mix as the third coordinator.

PHENOMENAL RESPONSE

On Monday afternoon we called Jorg Hermanns, of Hermanns Contracting, who offered his blower trucks to spread the mulch, plus grading equipment and an operator. On Monday night a plea for help was sent to the membership. As usual, the response was phenomenal. Many members offered to lay the sod. Scotts Canada donated one full truckload of 24 skids of mulch. Davey Tree offered to renovate the tree canopy to assist the healthy growth of the new sod. We are blessed with the most caring, contribution-oriented, passionate and professional members in the world. The members’ generosity is inspiring. The work began Wednesday morning. Hundreds of members prepared and aerated the site, spread the soil, pruned and mulched, and laid the sod. The entire job was finished in just two days. The size of the park is just under three acres. The city and local residents were very grateful. We received many heart-felt

thank you letters and positive comments. One woman wondered what all the activity was about. When told we were volunteering to restore the park, tears came to her eyes. Another resident learned that Kyle Tobin had a tree-nut allergy; she baked some tree-nut-free sweets for him and the whole crew. Thank you letters were posted on the Gazebo. One letter said, “I want to scream thank you!”

WONDERFUL LETTER

Mary Battaglia, acting parks manager for the district, sent a wonderful letter. An excerpt follows: “The professionalism, determination and willingness of the number of companies and staff who came out to support this initiative were nothing short of aweinspiring. I truly felt privileged to be a part of this effort, as did our entire staff team. “The contribution made was not only to physically and aesthetically restoring the park, but most importantly to helping to turn the entire city’s attention to the generosity of giving back. What had been an ugly reminder of the damage done is once again a gem. “I have never seen so many people smiling in downtown Toronto!”

LOCAL APPRECIATION

A friend of Alan White, Michael Butler of Blaenne Capital arranged for Tim Hortons and TD Bank to have coffee and water always available for the volunteers. The St. Lawrence Market BIA provided a hot lunch. A local organization (Camaraderie Co-working) donated portable toilets. A number of other businesses came by to offer facilities if required. I parked at a nearby hotel. When the attendant saw my Landscape Ontario sticker on the window, he refused to charge me. The goodwill was quite remarkable. All the major press outlets covered the event. The outpouring of emotion from the municipality, residents and businesses reinforces the importance of the work our industry performs. Our work can be difficult, but the result enhances the lives of the community for generations. We make a positive difference. I am very proud to be associated with such a great group of caring professionals. To see a complete list of sponsors, suppliers, volunteer companies and support go to pages 34 and 35. Tony DiGiovanni may be reached at tonydigiovanni@landscapeontario.com.


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE An opportunity for prosperity By Phil Charal LO president

A

s your incoming president, I wish to start my very first column with encouraging news regarding the potential for a prosperous and profitable year in 2012. Despite everything else, the good news is that in tough times, our association is here to support you with meaningful programs. Our industry is facing significant challenges. Not only must we deal with the perennial issues of seasonality and weather dependence, but also we now face a worldwide, fiscal fiasco. Our customers, surrounded by financial turmoil and governments addicted to debt are understandably reluctant to part with their hard earned income. There is more competition out there today and it is not amongst ourselves, but for the disposable dollar. Our customers are increasingly more informed; I am often surprised at their knowledge of landscaping. I am sure many of you have noticed a significant change in your clients’ attitudes towards the perceived value of our products and services. They also demand a more detailed understanding of how our services will benefit them. As a result, excellent customer service has become the foundation on which we conduct business.

HARD TO PREDICT

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to predict business cycles and trends in our economy. The cost of doing business today is definitely on the rise, with significant increases in insurance, fuel, labour and taxes. Regardless of these challenges, there is still opportunity and long-term growth potential for our industry. Today, a company needs to be well organized and managed with attention to all detail. Our ability to be creative and flexible is becoming essential. We have a changing demographic coming up in the near future with the 45 and under age group making up a large percentage of growth. We need to appeal to this group, who will become the

future for our business as the baby boomer population moves into decline. Now is a good time to embrace your association with all it has to offer. This winter attend a chapter or sector group meeting. You may find it more beneficial than you think. I attended a Toronto Chapter meeting in November and really enjoyed meeting suppliers and my business peers. So many relevant topics of concerns were discussed, and I found it very informative. I would also encourage you to take part in the Prosperity Partners. This six-hour program guides you through assessing your business using the five-pillar framework of the Prosperity program. The next one is Jan. 9 at LO home office in Milton. To find out more about this program, go online at www.horttrades.com/ prosperity, or visit Congress for a special free session is offered on Jan. 10. Certification is a great way to establish credibility with your firm by registering yourself or your employees in this program. The goal is to create a system where all landscape professionals, right across North America, will be easily identified by consumers. To find out more information on certification, go to www.horttrades.com/ landscape-industry-certified. There are numerous programs offered at LO’s professional development seminars. Most of the seminars are conducted at head office in Milton, but many are also available at the Chapters. Check out www. horttrades.com/seminars to find the Professional Development Guide 2011-2012, along with seminars in your Chapter area. A health and safety program is a must for all firms with or without a safety policy firmly in place. The LO website contains a great deal of information on all aspects of the safety issues. Go to www.horttrades. com/safety-4 where you will find the latest news, legislation, training and resources. Landscape Ontario is your association. It is here to help you prosper and enhance your business well being. There are numerous facets within LO that can help you along your deserved path of prosperity and success. Don’t miss your opportunity. Phil Charal may be reached at pcharal@landscapeontario.com.

Kennedy Johnston, Peter Knippel Nursery Ottawa

“ The program makes

you realize that it doesn’t matter what personality type you are, you can still be a success. What it really drives home is that you had better understand your core values, and where your natural talents lie, so you know where you are really strong, and where you have blind spots that may need help in order to achieve your business and personal goals.”

www.horttrades.com/prosperity WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  29


PROSPERITY PARTNERS Connecting the dots By Jacki Hart CLP Prosperity Partners program manager

W

ithin the community of governance at Landscape Ontario, there’s a movement afoot to ‘connect the dots’ between members and the value they receive from belonging to the association. With approximately 2,500 member companies, it’s a pretty tall order to figure out who expects what from the association, and who benefits from which services and events As a result of recent strategic planning initiatives by the board of directors, Tim Kearney spearheaded an initiative to ‘connect the dots’ between individual Chapter boards, and the various levels of gover-

Ornamental Growers Safety Program:

Protect your workers and reduce your risk!

e?

ration?

nities!

Announcing a new health and safety program specifically for ornamental nursery growers Workers compensation insurance rates for nursery growers are going up! The trend will continue, unless industry commits to an injury prevention program. Landscape Ontario and Health & Safety Ontario can help you implement a simple, workable health and safety program for your nursery. This program includes training materials and participant workbooks. The seminars are offered: Jan. 30 in Whitby Feb. 29 in London March 30 in Vineland

Sign up today:

www.horttrades.com/seminar 30  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

nance, staff and resource allocation. This is exciting news. Because ours is such a broad membership base, we have a need to redefine how we coordinate efforts in each of the regions to ensure maximum value delivered to members through relevant programs, initiatives and goals – and integrate it with new technology and interests. Similarly in every member business, there’s a need for continual strategic planning and to step back to figure out how to connect the dots. Just like Landscape Ontario, the business you work in has many moving parts. At times it may start to drift apart and function independently unless there is a finger on the pulse of the whole company, checking in to make sure there isn’t a duplication of effort and resources. The Prosperity Partners program is an integral step toward creating a road map to navigate the various moving parts in your company, and to create a way to connect the dots. This is done by establishing a path to work along, with a clear set of goals. In my experience working with hundreds of business owners, the biggest challenge for the boss to connect the dots in an objective way is to have a set of tools to help make an objective assessment of what strengths each person on the company team brings to the table, and what may be missing. We call this the Prosperity Partners Gap Analysis. It is the single most effective way that I’ve ever seen to connect

the dots in a business. In the Build Your Prosperity seminar, business owners and managers work through a very simple and revealing method of connecting the dots, regardless of what type of services or product the company provides. Just imagine how cool it would be to have the owner, managers and team leaders all on the same page, understanding who is doing what, when and why. Key people hold themselves accountable to their role and responsibilities, while everyone watches each other’s back looking for balls that are dropping, and picking them up before they hit the floor (and cause a service failure). The Prosperity Partners Build Your Prosperity seminar is the next step to connecting the dots in your company. If you’re an owner, sign up by going to www.horttrates.com/prosperity. If you’re on staff in a company, where you wish there was a clearer road map for you and your career at work, then get your boss or manager to sign up! If you’re an owner wishing you had better staff and more permanent staff, guess what? This seminar is an eye opener to help you figure how and who to engage in your business team. Your association has developed this unique business tool box for you. It’s simple, effective, and easy to access. Join us at the next Build Your Prosperity seminar: Feb. 16 and Mar. 7 at your home office in Milton. To register, or for more info, call Kathy McLean at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 306, or email prosperity@landscapeontario.com, or go to www.horttrades.com/ prosperity. Jacki Hart may be reached at prosperity@ landscapeontario.com.

Free templates to build your business Templates are available for download for those who have completed the Best Practices seminar of the Prosperity Partners Program. Each of the templates will assist you to implement the key principles of the program into your business culture and many can easily be customized to adopt to your specific business needs. To access the website, go to http://bit.ly/v5iDns. This month, we feature some of the Health and Safety templates, one of nine categories available on the website. Health and Safety

2008 Health Safety Policy.doc Accident Investigation and Reporting.doc Artificial Respiration and CPR Poster.pdf Back Injury Prevention.pdf Early and Safe Return to Work Policy.doc Emergency Response Plan.doc Emergency Telephone List.doc

First Aid Policy.doc Health and Safety Objectives.doc Health and Safety Policy Template.doc Health Safety Manual 2008.doc Housekeeping Policy.doc Joint Health Committee Policy.doc Letter to Practioner for Injured Worker.doc OHSA Self-evaluation Templates.doc


Looking for Ways to Grow Your Business in 2012?

Attend this ‘DON’T MISS IT’ event…

Sure to be the BEST Expo Yet!

Come to GreenTrade Expo 2012 in Ottawa and learn about the latest products, make valuable contacts, and gain landscape industry & business ideas… the tools you’ll need to make quantum improvements this season. Here’s just a hint of what awaits you…

 The trade show – With 100 exhibitors, you’re sure to find at least one who’ll give you that priceless, ‘ah-ha,’ business-changing ‘nugget.’

 Great brand new exhibition facility – The CE Centre, located right next door to the Ottawa Airport

 The educational sessions – With the MOT Contractors Breakfast, complimentary pruning, lifestyle and marketing seminar sessions, and much more… you’ll surely find one to suit your needs.

 Landscape Ontario – Once again LO is hosting their Training & Resource

Centre – so you can explore the benefits & services available to you with your LO membership. Warning: If you’re not a member, you may choose to become one after visiting their booth.

 Great industry networking – The last two years, GreenTrade Expo has drawn

February 15th 9 am – 4 pm CE Centre Ottawa Airport,

Ottawa

on Circle the date your calendar…

between 1,200 & 1,400 attendee’s from all over Ontario & Quebec, along with a good representation from the other 8 Provinces, and even a few from the good ole’ US of A. So, whether you’re looking for a great, business-changing idea or strategy, a joint-venture opportunity, someone who understands your challenges, or just to reconnect with someone… you’ll be able to network to your heart’s content at GreenTrade Expo 2012.

 Great, new and exciting door prizes – Only when you register online. Be sure to register today!

 And lots, lots more… Need more information? Visit our website… www.GreenTrade.ca Or give us a call at… 613.796.5156

Register on-line TODAY for your FREE admission to GreenTrade Expo 2012…

Brought to you by the Ottawa Chapter of

www.GreenTrade.ca

Don’t Miss it! Be there February 15thWWW.HORTTRADES.COM 9 am - 4   pm 31


CLASSIFIEDS

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

All classified ads must be pre-paid by VISA or Mastercard. Rates: $50.85 (HST included) per column inch Min. order $50.85. 15% discount on ads run for entire calendar year. Box Numbers: Additional $10. Confidentiality ensured. Deadlines: 20th day of the month prior to issue date. (eg: June issue deadline is May 20th). January deadline is Dec. 1. Space is limited to a first come, first served basis. To advertise: E-mail your name, phone number and ad to Robert at classifieds@landscapeontario. com or fax to (905) 875-0183. Online advertising: Website only ads are available for $67.80 (HST included). Website ads are posted for 30 days and are limited to 325 words. View ads online at www.horttrades.com/classifieds

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Tree farm 15 minutes from Ottawa for sale Hundreds of landscape-quality trees of various species available for wholesale and retail sales including Colorado spruce, red oak and maple, etc. Late model equipment: tracked loader, tree spades, tractors, etc. available. Secure, fenced yard available for rent. Perfect for landscape or tree company wanting to add general tree planting/ash tree replacements to their services. Email for more information: forest99@bellnet.ca

Get INSPIRED Get CONNECTED

nursery stock

Over 1000 varieties of perennials, grasses and groundcovers. Rooftop custom growing. Job-site deliveries. T. (905) 689-1749 F. 1-888-867-1925 E. info@millgroveperennials.ca

32  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012

WANTED -- Landscape Design Tech and Experienced ForEperson An opportunity awaits for the right individuals to join our established landscape design/ build firm! One needed with experience in landscape design and drafting, with hands-on landscape experience as an asset. One position available for an experienced Foreperson. Responsibilities include over-seeing an on-site crew. Both positions offer benefits, RRSP’s, great opportunity for advancement. Please forward resume to Rich@ogslandscape.ca

equipment

FINN Hydroseeders & Bark Blowers New and Used: • Flex Guard FRM • Soil Guard BFM • Erosion Control Blanket Seed & Fertilizer Toll free: (855) 761-6649 Fax: (905) 761-7959 www.fibramulch.com

SERVICES AND SUPPLIES

Landscape Ontario’s Green for Life brand is designed to promote your professional business

Macuto Nurseries Experienced farm workers required to perform manual work. Hand cultivating, digging and tree planting. Hourly rate $10.25. Also required Driver - Class A licence, Z Certificate and Mobile Crane Operator 0-8. Driver hourly rate $17.50. Seasonal employment starting April 1, 2012 to Nov 30, 2012. Job site Keswick, Ontario Fax resume (905) 898-0360 or call (905) 898-6856

LARGE TREE TRANSPLANTING Transplanting trees up to 10” trunk diameter. We have a 44”, 80”, 90” and 100” spade to move trees with. Large trees up to 25’ tall for sale. BOTANIX OXFORD INSTA-SHADE RR#2, Burgessville ON N0J 1C0 Tel: (519) 424-2180 • Fax (519) 424-2420 Toll Free: 1-800-387-0246 Contact Jan Veldhuizen E-mail: info@oxfordinstashade.com www.botanixois.on.ca

Lakeside Garden Gallery is now accepting applications to fill positions in all areas of our retail garden centre • Cashiers • Nursery sales and service • Greenhouse sales and service • Annuals sales and service • Pond sales and service • General yard help • Delivery drivers Knowledge of Windows XP, Excel, Pos and basic SQL knowledge is an asset. All positions will be filled as seasonal, full-time or part-time opportunities. Enthusiastic applicants must enjoy working with the public, provide superior customer service and be able to work days, evenings or weekends as scheduled. We offer competitive wages, an enjoyable work environment and an opportunity for long term growth. Lakeside Garden Gallery 10753 Heart Lake Road Brampton, On L6Z 0B7 (Just north of Sandalwood Parkway) Fax: (905) 846-1828 E-mail: Employment@lakesidegardengallery.com


advertisers COMPANY

PAGE

PHONE

Aco Systems Ltd.

26

877-226-4255

www.acocan.ca

Braun Nursery Limited

29

800-246-6984

www.braungroup.com

Canadale Nurseries

3

519-631-1008

www.canadale.com

Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Inc.

36

905-628-0112

www.connonnurseries.com

Draglam Salt (G&L Group)

30

416-798-7050

www.draglamsalt.com

33

905-845-1515

www.gro-bark.com

Gro-Bark (Ontario) Ltd Hillen Nursery Inc

WEBSITE

18-19 519-264-9057

Hub-Sinclair Cockburn Financial Group

2

905-948-0377

Kobes Nursery

21

905-263-8814

darren.rodrigues@scfg.ca

Landscape Safety

15

877-482-2323

Legends Landscape Supply Inc

13

905-336-3369

Newroads National Leasing

9

416-587-1021

Oakville Dodge Chrysler

7

289-644-2250 fmackenzie@lockwoodchrysler.com

: lawn

r y onge wn. L www.kobesnurseries.com alth ht tant la too long -resis ig a he g

he . ught Cuttin for ing ss dro ”) ing. Tips ideal mo9 wcm (2.5 toor 3.5t roots ands afr leom germin thate turf standaf b. lade

Turf tools for today Colour brochure from the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation, offered to LO members for only $15 per 100 copies.

use can I ario? s t c u t d n On i h pro Whic wn pests lthy lawn a l n a hea o r fo s Tip plus

www.landscapesafety.com

in tain n 6 and the le t in sh d seed g with Main l is betwee ort will resul revents wee and shadin third (1/3) of

ea • Id ing too sh cool and p petition e than one om il • Mow s keeps so ill lead to c ove mor er. em as g mow gr -10 cm) w . Do not r ulchin 9 ly se a m (> frequent ing. g or u ow ow M m all). sharp. e owin • singl er blades n after m s luding rainf a s in e w ow s on la str eek (inc ep m ght or w • Ke e clipping drou m (1”) per pplied. f leaf wetness t av n a e c • Le er. prev ount is 2.5 e total waterng periods o ve wat r to am in lo conser o Watecommended e to determ to prevent t t e gh eparat ly fall e drou • Re a rain gaug rly morning ar four s xtrem 2 ft ) in summer/e es of e • Use er in the ea ration. 00 tim 10 e n 2 (4lbs/ er, lat • Wat from evapo dormant i m m y 0 um o rtilit is 2 kg/10 ing, mid-s loss w turf to g en te fe pr qua e of nitrog m2 in late s • Allo e d a arly rat . vent en/100 ember) tain ye nd pre Maincommended f 0.5 kg nitrog — early Nov and, a t. er the st • Re ications o e October icken works bes g and eith pl at to th in ap late fall (l ssible grass seed ry cultivat d po if an ye ll nd fa erennial r ith weeds, t a d ng e ing. P rse ed w e spri Ove rseed in th germinat avily infest be om should • Ove d seeds fr e bare or he r and il laye atch. wee rge areas ar ying sod. up th la and so la • If eeding or grass breaks e n the -s r, and g to remov ee ai h w s re et ot thatcy material b the ro wer rakin s l o ve gi po tr Conatch is spong cm (1”). cores. This m, consider il • Th below 2.5 emove so than 2.5 c r pt e ke e aerate to ess is mor uickly. back. . l q grow • Cor atch thickn of materia y hand weed will seed. em b th e ss • If e amounts ove th plant or th st and gra , rem larg weeds s with the ith compo d he w stablis the root weeds d Wee larger, well-e are taking oving the r em • Fo re that you eated by r su cr • En the holes ll Fi •

www.landscapestore.ca

www.newroadsleasing.com

Potters Road Nursery Inc

9

519-688-0437

Riverbend Farms (Ontario) Ltd

16

519-765-2130 riverbendfarms@amtelecom.net

www.pottersroadnursery.com

Sipkens Nurseries Ltd

11

866-843-0438

Stam Nurseries

10

519-424-3350

V. Kraus Nurseries Limited

20

905-689-4022

Winkelmolen Nursery Ltd

27

519-647-3912

Zander Sod Co Ltd

20

877-727-2100

www.sipkensnurseries.com www.stamsnurseries.com www.krausnurseries.com

and ation n ound rch F oundatio by esea F nted grass R Trades se l rf Pre rio Tu rticultura o Onta rio H Onta

www.winkelmolen.com www.zandersod.com

To order, contact Jane Leworthy at jleworthy@landscapeontario.com

Landscape Lighting Conference

February 16, 2012 NEW LOCATION - Pipers Heath Golf Club, Milton Network with your industry peers at this annual event Featuring a keynote presentation and round table sessions. Exhibits Highlighting new and exciting landscape lighting products on display - an opportunity to see them up close and talk to the suppliers. Early bird pricing until February 2 $90 LO member, $110 non-member Register at

www.horttrades.com/lighting2012 WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  33


Toronto's St. James Park revitalization volunteers,

THANK YOU for elevatin DEVRIES LANDSCAPING

BP lANDSCAPING

BLAENNE CAPITAL

CAMARADERIE COWORKING INC.

BOFFO

LANDSCAPING INC. “Improving Your View”

BRAYFORD SOD FARMS PANTONE 574C PANTONE 407 C BLACK

DECORPRO 34  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012


TRADE MEMBERS’ LOGO

Dec. 7 and 8, 2011

ng the entire industry! TURF MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS/TRULY NOLEN CONSUMERS’ and TRADE MEMBERS’ LOGO (i.e. Garden Centres, Website Print/Media, etc.)

ST. LAWRENCE MARKET BIA

ETOBICOKE

URBAN GARDEN SUPPLY CO. LTD.

BURLINGTON

TRADE ASSOCIATION LOGO

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  35


If you haven’t received your FREE copy of our 2012 catalogue contact our office today!

1155 Dundas St. W. (Hwy. #5), West Flamborough, Ontario • Tel.: 905-628-0112 • 905-523-0442 Fax: 905-628-3155 • www.connonnurseries.com • email: mail@connonnurseries.com

36  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY, 2012


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Landscape Ontario - January 2012 by Landscape Ontario - Issuu