Green for Life Magazine March/April 2017

A Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association member publication

March/April 2017 Vol. 5, No. 2

Designing with Light What are your Big Goals for 2017?

DYNAMIC DUO. The Ditch WitchŽ SK755 and CX16 provide the perfect one, two punch on your jobsite. Both machines deliver class-leading productivity with features like a high-drive track system and enhanced operator station that provide more ground clearance, greater lift capacity, faster ground speed, longer track life, and more operator comfort. SK mini skid steers also send more horsepower to the attachment for a knock-out blow to any competitor. Best of all, every DitchWitch product is supported by Brandt, the best 24/7, after-sales support team in the business. That’s Powerful Value. Delivered.

brandt.ca 1-888-227-2638

CALENDAR

March 8, 2017 Landscape Alberta Spring Workshop & Awards Calgary, AB Advancing the professional landscape industry.

MANAGING EDITOR | Joel Beatson PRODUCTION & EDITING | Kyla Hardon ADVERTISING | Erynn Watson Landscape Alberta Green for Life is a professional publication for the landscape trade in Alberta.

Editorial and Advertising Landscape Alberta 200, 10331 - 178 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1R5 P: 780-489-1991 F: 780-444-2152 admin@landscape-alberta.com

March 10 - 19, 2017 Canada Blooms Enercare Centre, Toronto, ON www.canadablooms.com March 13 - 15, 2017 North American Garden Tourism Conference, Toronto, ON. www.gardentourismconference.com March 16, 2017 Landscape Saskatchewan Spring Workshop Saskatoon, SK

Landscape Alberta does not assume responsibility for and does not endorse the contents of any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Landscape Alberta or its members.

Material may not be reprinted from this magazine without the consent of Landscape Alberta.

ISSN No: 1929-7114 (print) ISSN N0: 1929-7122 (online) Landscape Alberta Board of Directors Brian Gibson, Green Drop Lawns Ltd., Chair Chris Brown, CLM, JLG, CSO, CRS Brown Landscape Services Ltd., Vice Chair Steve Wheatcroft, B. Comm, ULS Maintenance & Landscaping Inc. Cody Brown, Tree to Tree Nurseries Ltd. Jeff Oudyk, CSLA, AALA, JLG, Land Tec Landscape Contractors Ltd. Jordan Voogd, JLG, Sunstar Nurseries Ltd. John van Roessel, CLM, CLT, JVR Landscape (2006) Inc., Treasurer Keith Plowman, CLM, K Plowman Contracting Ltd. Landscape Alberta Staff Joel Beatson, CAE, CLM, Executive Director joel.beatson@landscape-alberta.com

On the Cover Photo Credit: Nigel Bowles

Marnie Main, Member Services Director member.services@landscape-alberta.com

Designing with Light, page 8 What are your Big Goals for 2017?, page 12

Erynn Watson, Events Coordinator erynn.watson@landscape-alberta.com Valerie Stobbe, Trade Show Coordinator valerie.stobbe@landscape-alberta.com Kyla Hardon, Communications Coordinator kyla.hardon@landscape-alberta.com Cheryl Teo, Bookkeeper accounting@landscape-alberta.com

Follow us on Twitter @landscapeab Like us on Facebook @landscapealberta Green for Life March/April 2017 I 3

Industry and Association News...

Landscape Alberta Spring Workshop & Awards Dinner

Workshop: Hilton Garden Inn, 711 4 St SE Awards Night: Telus SPARK Centre, 220 St Georges Dr NE Calgary, AB Join us for our annual spring workshop taking place March 8, 2017 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Calgary. In the morning, we have Jason Cupp speaking on creating a client-centric company and hiring the best team members, and Jackie Hart in the afternoon talking on how to creating brand loyalty.

These sessions are designed to help your business take advantage of and look for growth in tough times. Hot breakfast and lunch included in the ticket price. Landscape Alberta will also be hosting our AGM during the lunch break.

Plus! Don't miss our Landscape Awards Night being held at the Telus SPARK Centre. Walk the red carpet, rub elbows with the best of the best and try to avoid the paparazzi. Register before February 22, 2017 and save!

Register online: www.laspringworkshop2017.eventbrite.ca.

Thank you to our 2017 Spring Workshop Sponsors

Thank you to our 2016 Landscape Award Sponsors!

Canadian Landscape Standard Recognized by Federal Government CNLA met Minister Judy Foote (Ministry of Public Services and Procurement Canada) and presented the Canadian Landscape Standard (CLS). It was recommend that the Federal Government be consistent in addressing climate change mitigation, and that green infrastructure initiatives be implemented following industry standards like the CLS. CNLA just heard that the Public Services and Procurement

Register for the IGCA Congress Pre-Tour: September 14-17, 2017 The Congress pre-tour is your chance to see more of Canada before the main event begins. Attendees will visit Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston with a tour guide who will take you to some of the best spots in these historic Canadian cities. View the itinerary and start planning your trip to Canada! View the per-tour itinerary at http://bit.ly/2jZrdFV. Still need to register for the IGCA Congress, September 17-22, 2017? Spaces are ďŹ lling up fast, make sure to reserve your spot at www.igcacanada2017.ca/registration.html.

4 I Green for Life March/April 2017

Ministry reviewed the CLS and they have determined the Canadian Landscape Standard reects what they have long aspired to do in the conceptualization and realization of landscape projects across Canada. They are conducting a further review of their policy and CNLA is working with the Deputy General who is the Department's Technical Services Lead to further the discussion related to living green infrastructure and the CLS. The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) (which is a voluntary partnership between federal, provincial and territorial governments) had Red Seal Occupational Standards (RSOS) workshops in Ottawa this January. They

too incorporated the Canadian Landscape Standards into the Red Seal Occupational Standards.

Before You Hire As you begin to prepare for hiring in spring of 2017, we would like to remind you of some valuable resources members can use in their recruitment strategy. First is the relatively new website, https://landscape.jobs/. This is free to members and exclusive to the landscape industry. The more employers that post jobs there, the more valuable it will be to job seekers. We always encourage members to use www.jobbank.gc.ca/ when recruiting as it helps gather statistics for the Canadian government, which with their updated system, is shared with users. This includes average wages in your area, job out look, etc. which is useful when you begin to look at your job postings. Another great resource for our industry is www.wagesurvey.ca. This site collects wage data by position and province – Alberta has some of the best data available.

Landscaper and Allied Worker Survey Job Talks, a research initiative about the work-related values of skilled tradespeople, in partnership with the Government of Canada, George Brown College, and the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, is actively looking for representation from landscapers and allied workers to create a comprehensive picture of Canada’s skilled labour force by completing an online survey.

butterflies, birds, and bats. Protection of pollinators in general, especially bees, continues to be a major concern among the general public and within the green industry. Several culprits have been identified as factors contributing to managed honey bee losses, including Varroa mites, other pests/diseases of bees, loss of habitat and nutrition, and off-target effects of pesticides. Alternatively, wild, unmanaged bee populations are most greatly affected by landscape changes and habitat degradation.

For the full Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Bee Health in the Horticultural Industry, visit the GrowWise, Bee Smart website at http://bit.ly/2ko1FRi. Canadian Shield™ Named Plant of the Year Canadian Shield™, a new rose branded and marketed by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland), is Canada Blooms' 2017 Plant of the Year.

And just in time for Canada’s 150th birthday, Canadian Shield™, the first rose in a curated collection known as Vineland’s 49th Parallel Collection, will be released next year.

The Canadian Shield™ rose has a more than one-metre spread, full, red flowers and glossy green foliage. It’s a repeat bloomer that stays stunning throughout the entire season. Just as its name suggests, Canadian Shield™ is a hardy rose, resistant to black spot and winter hardy.

More than 20 Canadian nurseries are licensed to propagate and grow 50,000 Canadian Shield™ roses in time for Canada Day 2017.

Carbon Levy Rebate Program Announced for Alberta Greenhouse Growers Beginning January 1, 2017, the Government of Alberta has implemented the wellpublicised carbon levy. On 31st December, they announced plans to offer a Greenhouse Growers’ Rebate allowing operators to recoup up to 80% of the carbon

These insights will lead to a better understanding of the skilled trades in Canada, helping CNLA advocate for the issues facing landscaping contractors in Canada.

Take the survey: http://f.canview.com/5262/ BMPs for Bee Health in the Horticulture Industry The Horticultural Research Institute, the research foundation of AmericanHort, is pleased to announce the release of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Bee Health in the Horticultural Industry.

BMPs are intended to inform horticultural professionals about the green industry's impact on bee health. Through the use of BMP guidelines, horticulture can continue to play an important role in pollinator health.

Pollinators as a whole encompass a diverse population of thousands of different species, such as managed honey bees, wild bees, Green for Life March/April 2017 I 5

levy paid for heating growing facilities. This will be a two year program. The announcement can be found here: http://bit.ly/2k4slIg This is great news as it allows Alberta-based growers to maintain a level playing field with growers in other jurisdictions (including BC, who also have a rebate program for their carbon tax).

The Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association (AGGA) was instrumental in advocating on behalf of the collective horticultural industry. With the services of De Paoli & Associates, AGGA was able to engage the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment & the rural caucus committee to make a strong case for the rebate.

At this time, there are few details available about the administration of the rebate, eligibility (natural gas and propane only), payment frequency, or reporting mechanisms. The government hopes to have these details in place soon.

The AGGA will continue to work with the Government of Alberta on this and will communicate details when available.

If you have comments or suggestions on the program implementation, please direct these to your Landscape Alberta office or board members.

As a reminder, here are the announced rates being added to major fuel types.

Type of Fuel Marked farm fuels

January 1, 2017 January 1, 2018 $20/tonne $30/tonne Exempt

Exempt

Diesel

+5.35 ¢/L

+2.68 ¢/L

Gasoline

+4.49 ¢/L

+2.24 ¢/L

+1.011 $/GJ

+0.506 $/GJ

+3.08 ¢/L

+1.54 ¢/L

Natural Gas Propane

Reminder: Federal Government Reducing EI Waiting Period to One Week The federal government is reducing the waiting period for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits from two weeks to one week, effective January 1, 2017.

Announced earlier this year as part of the 2016 Federal Budget, the change does not impact the number of weeks of paid benefit. Rather, instead of a two-week waiting period followed by 15 weeks of paid benefit, there will be a one-week waiting period, followed by 15 weeks of paid benefit, and one week with no benefit.

Impacted employers will receive a notice from Service Canada advising them of this change.

Changes announced to TFW Program The Government of Canada recently announced changes that apply to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program’s (TFWP) fouryear cumulative duration rule, which will no longer apply to temporary foreign workers in Canada, effective immediately.

An exemption is also being made on the cap for seasonal industries seeking temporary foreign workers for up to 180 days during the 2017 calendar year and will be extended until December 31, 2017. More changes for immigration and the TFWP are expected in the new year.

Prior to the change, the cumulative duration rule forced skilled agriculture workers that were trained in Canada to leave after four years. This was creating a skills deficit for Canadian agricultural employers and was acting as a restrictive barrier for the pathway to permanency for farm and food workers.

Statistics Canada evidence shows that recruitment for agricultural employers is ongoing and continuous. Agriculture and agri-food stakeholders have provided feedback that the industry is dealing with unique workforce issues such as: rural location; handling of live plants and animals; strenuous physical work; and a high degree of seasonality.

Fixing the cumulative duration rule has been a long-standing recommendation of the LTF, comprised of industry representatives from the value chain, including the seafood sector, who have developed the Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Workforce Action Plan to address the critical labour shortage.

This proposed Canadian agriculture employment strategy is led by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) and supported by over 77 agriculture associations (including Landscape Alberta's national partner, the CNLA).

6 I Green for Life March/April 2017

You Dream It We Build It Position: Landscape Foreman

The successful candidate must have previous landscape experience and team leadership experience. The ability to utilize all landscape tools and equipment are a must!

Job Postings

Our landscape division is in its seventh season of successful landscape. We serve St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan, Sherwood Park, Beaumont, and Edmonton.

Applying candidates must supply their contact information on their resume.

Must have vehicle to get to and from work, a clean drivers abstract for when our company truck is used, PPE. Please submit resumes to humanresources@lplgroup.ca

Landscape Maintenance in Edmonton and Area Key Responsibilities: • Perform weekly mowing, line trimming, weed control, garbage collection.

Various other Company standard tasks which will be completed with training.

Skills and Abilities • Time Management skills • Ability to work both independently and with a crew • Flexible working hours; which will include occasional Saturday work.

• Eye for Detail • Excellent oral and written communication Wages • Starting wage $16 - 18 per hour-will negotiate with qualifications for work experience • Training will be provided to suit company standards

Come Join Our Team Wholesale Tree Nursery Worker Located just outside of Armstrong, B.C. in the picturesque North Okanagan Valley, Purple Springs Nursery Inc. is a progressive wholesale producer of high quality deciduous and coniferous trees. We pride ourselves in high quality standards both above and below the ground.

We are looking for motivated, innovative individuals, who have a passion for trees, horticulture, and sustainable agriculture. As part of our team you will have the desire to constantly learn, the opportunity to be creative, and the ability to adapt as our nursery moves forward.

Related education or experience is an asset.

Wage to be negotiated.

For more information please contact us at: info@psnursery.com (250) 546-8156

Position: Nursery Field Production Manager

Sunstar Nurseries Ltd.

Position: Garden Centre Sales Personnel Both Seasonal Full Timeand Part Time are available Duties: • Customer sales and service • Assembling Orders • General maintenance of sales area including restocking • Watering of sales area • Keeping sales area neat and tidy by weeding, organizing, pruning Qualifications: A good work ethic/willingness to work • Exceptional interpersonal skills • • Can work alone or as part of a team • Horticultural training is an asset but not a requirement Wage: $16 starting wage but negotiable, dependent on qualifications To apply visit our Website: sunstarnurseries.com

Job Requirements • Ability to develop and execute production programs.

• Minimum 5 years Greenhouse and Nursery management.

• Strong leadership skills.

• Dynamic personality with the ability to motivate and influence others.

• Team oriented and ability to work across departments.

• Strong organizational skills.

• Demonstrated desktop computer skills.

Responsibility: • To manage day to day production programs.

• To set and achieve production and maintenance goals.

• To manage day to day irrigation requirements.

• To organize and manage staff.

• To identify and manage crop pests.

Wage: to be negotiated.

Send resume to: colint@cheyennetree.ca

Landscape Crew Lead Duties: • Spread topsoil, gravel, and mulch • Plant trees, shrubs, perennials • Install all areas of Landscape construction • Lifting 50 - 100 pounds • Ability to work in all types of weather • Take direction from Supervisors on tasks needing to be completed • Flexible working hours Wages to be Negotiated on experience Please email resumes to courtney@greensideupinc.com

Peter Hughes Landscape Ltd.

1 year experience or some knowledge of grounds maintenance Please email resumes to courtney@greensideupinc.com

Location of work: 810·167 AVE NE Edmonton TSY 6K9

Position: Assistant greenhouse and container production manager

Job Requirements: • Ability to develop and execute production programs, • Minimum 5 years production Nursery management.

• Strong leadership skills.

• Dynamic personality with the ability to motivate and influence others.

• Team oriented and ability to work across departments.

• Strong organizational skills and ability to read and interpret data reports.

• Demonstrated desktop computer skills.

Mechanically inclined.

• Responsibility: • Manage day to day field operations • Manage insect and disease issues.

• Manage field fertility.

• Manage irrigation schedules, design, construction and maintenance • Organize and manage field staff.

• Activity participate in Mgt. meetings.

• Manage maintenance of equipment.

Wage: to be negotiated.

Send resume to: jeffw@cheyennetree.ca

is currently accepting applications for full-time Labourers to join our Landscape Construction and/or Maintenance team. Responsibilities include, but not limited to: • Assist in the construction of residential and comercial landscapes • Spread topsoil and lay sod, Plant trees, shrubs and perennials • Building patios, decks, retaining walls • Concrete work (prep, pour and finish) • Operation of snow equipment (Toros, gravelys, backpack blowers, etc.)

• Ability to read landscape plan • Landscape Maintenance Qualifications Needed: • Previous landscape, construction and snow removal experience is an asset.

• Outgoing personality, works well with others, team player • Work outdoors in all kinds of weather conditions (hot & cold) • Ability to lift, carry, push and/or pull weights up to 100 lbs.

• Punctual, dedicated and highly motivated • Alberta Class 5 Drivers License with a clean driver abstract Wage: Starting at $16/hour, depending on experience. Location of work: Calgary, AB Email resumes to info@peterhugheslandscape.ca (Only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Thank you for your application.)

Green for Life March/April 2017 I 7

Designing with Light By Kevin Smith During the initial customer consultation about landscape lighting, ensuring clear communication between you and the customer will help drive a successful outcome. When “talking tech” along fellow lighting designers, it is great to use geeky language and technical terms, but it is easy to lose the customer with the lingo.

Understanding your audience is extremely important. Learning to convey your thoughts and design concepts in a nontechnical way will pay off in the end. Starting your initial consultation by asking your customers some critical questions is key to a successful project.

Why light? Why did the client call me here? What are we trying to accomplish? In most cases, the customer has no specifics in what they are looking for in a lighting system. They may have a general idea, but no details. Are they looking for lighting for beauty? Do they have safety and security concerns? Or, might their needs be a combinations of all those things? Asking some lifestyle questions will also help you design something that will be readily favorable to your customer. How do they use their outdoor spaces? Do they entertain frequently? Is outdoor dining important to them? Do they have children who play outdoors?

Are they walking pets outdoors at night?

Once you have a good understanding of their needs, you can start thinking about technique. For example, it is helpful to observe an object you wish to illuminate from multiple angles; move around the area, indoors and/or outdoors, with the customer. If you are lighting around a body of water, an object that is surrounding it may be reflected into it during the day. Pointing out this feature and explaining that when this object is illuminated it will be seen in the water at night will give the customer a better understanding of the effect that can be achieved.

Defining the space to be illuminated is also important. Public spaces such as front walkways may need to be defined with several styles of effects, the most important being traverse lighting or pathway lighting. Backlighting will be needed to show depth of area, and features such as signatures trees can be 8 I Green for Life March/April 2017

illuminated to directional changes or the flow travel. Private spaces such as swimming pool areas or hot tub areas will need a calmer, subdued effect. Light screening can also be employed.

If the proposed area to light is small, it might feel even more cramped if you only light architecture and plants within that area.

A method used to make small spaces feel bigger is to capture objects that are farther away but still in view. This will help create a background to this small area. It is important to be aware of “light trespass”; if the object you wish to light is on a neighboring property, seeking permission from that owner. It could very well lead to another project.

Layering light with landscape lighting plan is very useful to achieve a dramatic look with many features. This can be achieved by using different lighting methods such as up lighting, down lighting, back lighting and path lighting.

Another technique that aids in a well-thought-out lighting design is building hardscape features to accept the lighting you plan on installing. For example, use a large capstone for a knee wall to help disguise the light source. Or, provide space to install an LED light strip underneath the ledge of an outdoor kitchen by planning a slightly larger overhang. The options are endless when designing the hardscape around a lighting plan.

Proceed with a lighting plan as an artist. Instead of paint and brush, use the beam angles of projection lamps and reflections off of walls washing fixtures and path lights as your tools. A beautiful landscape painting a background, a foreground and a focal point. Keeping this in mind, as well as your customers’ feelings about light, will allow for a remarkable design.

Kevin Smith is national support and trainer for Brilliance LED LLC, one of the original landscape retrofit LED companies that is dedicated to the landscape lighting industry.

Reprinted with permission from Irrigation Today.

Communicating to Clients Using Email

By Josh Hayter

Email is easy and affordable. But how do you make sure your message stands out, and gets read, in a crowded inbox?

We all know it is much easier to sell to an existing customer than to go out hunting for a new one. If you don’t communicate with your customers, they may forget about you, or move on to a new provider. Email marketing, when done properly, can be a very cost-effective way to communicate.

However, it is very easy to turn this great marketing tool into a disaster that will anger your customers, and turn away potential sales.

Email marketing doesn’t have the greatest reputation these days due to the excessive amount of unsolicited spam people receive.

This is why it is so important to carefully plan what you want to send to your hard-earned customers. To help cut through the clutter, let’s discuss what types of email you should be sending, what you should include in your message, and how frequently you should be corresponding with your customers. To get started, let’s discuss three different types of email marketing.

Promotional email This email is essentially a coupon or marketing hook to pique interest in your products right away. They contain discounts and limited-time offers to help drive immediate action. They are typically used in a retail environment and are sent to customers who have specifically requested to be notified of product and price promotions.

Newsletters Email newsletters are typically an information source for your customers. The more relevant information you can include, the more likely your customers are to read, appreciate, and forward your message.

Email blast An email blast is similar to a newsletter but far shorter, typically no more than a

paragraph, with a link to more information back on your website. This allows your customers to quickly skim your email to see if they are interested in the content.

One of the most common questions I am asked is, how often should I send email communications to my customers, and when should I send them? As a general rule, promotional emails should be sent during your busiest season when you are likely to

Growers of Quality Nursery Stock:

Specimen Caliper Trees Pot-in-Pot Trees Specimen Evergreens Container Evergreens Container Shrubs Perennials

403 - 934 - 3670

1 - 866 - 805 - 5007 sales@eaglelakenurseries.com eaglelakenurseries.com Located 5 kms east of Strathmore, AB on Range Road 245 Green for Life March/April 2017 I 9

attract customers. During peak growing seasons, you could send promotions as often as weekly, and scale back to monthly through slower seasons. They are also an effective tool to promote over-stocked items that are priced to move.

Due to the amount of time required to read a lengthy newsletter, it is best to avoid bombarding your customers. In an effort to avoid newsletter fatigue you should be planning your campaigns quarterly. Several studies have shown the highest readership for quarterly newsletters will be in February, May, August, and late October/early November. An email blast can be sent on a more frequent monthly basis. You are going to get a far greater open rates on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, for all types of email communication.

Now that we have established the best times to send out a newsletter, we come to a more important question. What are customers and potential customers looking for?

The number one rule when sending any type of email marketing is to make sure you are providing value to your customers. The people who receive your email are not really interested in what is going on with your business, unless it can help them in some way. If your communication provides value to them, it will get read. If it does not, your emails will likely find their way to the trash bin or to the unsubscribe button.

Now, let’s have a look at promotional emails, and what they can do to drive traffic to your location or website. When you are sending out a weekly promotion make sure to plan out several different promotions. Different people are interested in different types of promotions. By keeping them varied, you will be able to hit a broader market and track the effectiveness of different campaigns. The best way to track effectiveness is to include a link back to a coupon. (If you are selling via e-commerce you can use a promotion code.)

Most modern email newsletter programs allow you to track not only how many people open your email, but also how many people clicked links within the newsletter. If you are sending promotions that many people are opening, without clicking the link, then it’s time to rethink the promotion. A great way to create a sense of urgency and provide value at the same time is provide a coupon for a limited giveaway. As an example, you could provide a coupon that entitles the first 50 or 100 customers who spend “X” to receive a book about gardening or a gardening tool.

Now, to contradict everything any marketer will tell you, when you send your quarterly newsletters, try not to sell. This all comes back to providing value to your customers. Most of them will have no interest in reading a lengthy advertisement for your company. You may be the best at what you do, but your customers don’t want to hear it. They want to know why you are the best. Hand out your knowledge freely to show that you are an expert. Give out information that they will be able to use when planting next year’s garden, or for the long 10 I Green for Life March/April 2017

cold winter months, talk about indoor plants as a great way to beat the winter blues. People buy from people they trust.

It is your job to ensure that you are, and remain, your customers’ trusted advisor. A few years ago I bought a house during the winter.

When summer arrived, much to my dismay, I discovered a hard-packed dirt farm where I expected to find a lawn. Not wanting to admit that I knew nothing about lawns, I went out and bought a big bag of seed, some soil and went to work.

The result was a slightly smaller dirt farm by the end of the summer. This continued throughout the next few summers.

Then last March the answer came to me, not from doing research, or admitting that I had a problem and asking for help. No, help came in the form of an email. About one third of a newsletter I received from a major retail outlet was dedicated to tips on how to plant and maintain a good lawn.

This year I have a lush green back yard and I am once again proud to have people over for the summer BBQ season.

Where do you think I purchased the grass seed, soil, fertilizer and several other plants, including a tree, for my front yard?

Building on the theme of providing knowledge and value to your customers, you can also send a monthly email blast with helpful hints. Because you are sending email blasts on a more frequent basis, it is best to keep them short and provide links to more information. This will allow you to track which hints are most often read, without overwhelming your recipients with too much information. As an added bonus, when you do drive customers to your website to read the tip of the month, you can feature promotions that could lead to further sales.

I’d like to share a quick tip about subject lines. Even though they are one of the most important parts of your email, subject lines are often overlooked. The best way to get people to read your email is to tell them what they can expect and how it will help them. Here is an example of a bad subject line: “ABC Corporation Quarterly Newsletter.” This subject line tells you who the email is from and what it is, but there is no call to action that makes you want to read it. To make it dynamic and get your readers’ attention, give them a glimpse of what is to come. “Let ABC Corporation teach you how to turn your dirt farm into a lush green lawn.”

Email client vs. deployment system A common misconception is that you can achieve the same effect by doing a mass email broadcast from Outlook or other mail programs as you can using a proper deployment system.

This is not the case. I will focus here on three specific reasons.

Tracking: Most email clients, like Microsoft Outlook, have a notification feature. However, research shows that many people find it annoying and most people decline it. As a matter of fact, many computers now have settings to automatically decline any read receipts without the user ever knowing one was requested. Any proper deployment system tracks whether the email was sent, opened, bounced or if any

links were clicked on, thus giving you all the information you require to move forward.

New Members

Rich HTML emails: Presentation isn’t everything, but it can go a long way to help get you recognized. With most email programs, formatting options are very limited. They mainly use plain text. Using a deployment system, you can include imagery that will help create the mindset you are looking for, as well as showcasing your corporate branding with detailed information.

EVL Nursery Blaine McDonald 5317 - 22 A Street Langley, BC V2Y 2M2 (604) 514-5060 Fax: (604) 514-5068 sales@evlnursery.com | www.evlnursery.com

Welcome to our

Canada Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL): This law came into effect in 2014 in an effort to battle spammers. A good example of a privacy violation would be if you were to send an email where you see everyone who is in the “copied to” field. With a proper deployment system, the person’s actual email address is used and nobody else has access.

In addition, a proper deployment system will automatically remove bounced emails and “remove from list” requests. One of the most important thing to remember with CASL is that you MUST get permission from you customer in order to add them to your email list. For a full look at this legislation, visit: http://fightspam.gc.ca/

Basin Environmental Ltd. Darren Rath 115 Nottingham Road Sherwood Park, AB T8A 5M3 (780) 910-5248 darren.rath@telus.net | www.basinenvironmental.ca

RCLcanada Landscape Contractors and Supply Sean Lukian 9757 62 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB T6E 0E4 (780) 910-3046 info@rclcanada.com | www.rclcanada.com Three Sisters Landscape Company Andrew MacDonald 139A Hubman Landing, Canmore, AB T1W 3L3 (403) 678-1193 threesisterslandscape@gmail.com www.threesisterslandscapecompany.ca

Reprinted with permission from Landscape Trades.

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Green for Life March/April 2017 I 11

What are your Big Goals for 2017? By Jeffrey Scott With 2017 now here, it is the time to set your big goals for the year.

stressed out. It was the year of “no fun,” burn out and mediocre results. Never again!

The trick is to not set too many, otherwise you will get overwhelmed trying to push "too many small stones forward just a few feet". Instead pick just a couple big inspirational rocks, and push them a mile down the road.

Now, when I work with my coaching clients, I ask them to set a single company wide financial success metric, two at the most.

And then identify the 3 (4 at the most) big rocks i.e. initiatives for the company to accomplish throughout the year in order to achieve their financial success metric.

I learned this the hard way 20+ years ago, when we brought in a consultant to help us, and he steered us towards setting far too many goals, metrics and actions. We became inundated and

Your ability to think big and bold--and your ability to boil down your vision for 2017 into the 3 big rocks--will help ensure a successful and fun year.

Take this a step further, and set a theme for each quarter that will drive the actions of that quarter and help them come alive.

I agree with my friend, Verne Harnish, author of Mastering The Rockefeller Habits: you can pick a theme based on your company values, or on overcoming a challenge, or on a big idea that represents your top action for the quarter. Make it visual and exciting and get your team on board.

Jeffrey's Breakthrough idea: Strategy is meant to be simple, not complex. Leadership is showing your team what is priority and then keep them focused to it through all 4 seasons.

Take Action: • With your team set your 1-2 financial success metrics, and 3-4 big rocks (goals) for the year • Set a theme for the first quarter, and have each team member identify 3-5 actions they will drive forward in order to support the theme and the company's big rocks.

Jeffrey Scott, MBA, author, business coach, hall-of-fame consultant, is the expert in growth and profit maximization in the lawn & landscape industry. He grew his company into a successful $10 million enterprise, and he's now devoted to helping others achieve profound success. Over 6000 read his monthly newsletter. To sign up go to www.jeffreyscott.biz . He facilitates the Leader’s Edge Peer Group for landscape business owners; his members achieved a 27% profit increase in their first year. To learn more visit www.GetTheLeadersEdge.com.

12 I Green for Life March/April 2017

Landscape Onsites Lesson: Snow Removal Objective: to familiarize crew members with the basics of snow removal.

Training Materials: site plan, snow blower, plow, shovel, sample snow removal contract for the site.

Personal Protective Equipment: insulated work boots, warm gloves, hat, layers of clothing, sunglasses, safety glasses, eye and hearing protection (for snow blower).

Lesson: Snow removal contracts are extremely specific documents created so there are no misunderstandings about the responsibilities of the property owner and the snow removal contractor. They outline when and how often the contractor will be on site to remove snow. The contract also specifies which ice melting products are to be used.

The bulk of snow removal is completed using a blade mounted onto a truck, tractor or skid-steer loader. Snow blowers are used in smaller spaces where the truck or skid steer can’t reach, and shovels are used only in the tightest areas or in the case of a light snow fall.

Before the snow falls, it is important to familiarize yourself with the sites you will be plowing. Note any obstacles that could get in the way or be damaged by the plow. Marking the edges of curbs or unusual configurations in parking lots with flags in the autumn will help operators and save time and reduce accidental property damage during snow clearing.

Fire hydrants should be marked so they are not buried.

Take note of the best places to pile snow. Wherever possible snow should be piled in a low area near a drain.

blade is raised and the plow driven up to the building, where the blade is then lowered and the operator backs up, dragging the snow away. Backdragging is less effective than plowing forward, so should only be used to clear snow from small areas until the vehicle or plow can be driven forward.

When finished, the cleared area should be checked for icy patches and to make sure fire hydrants are buried and that storm drains are not covered with snow.

•

•

Discuss the appropriate safety equipment that should be contained in the truck, including cell phone, first aid kit, flares, spare socks and gloves, flashlight, shovel, ice scraper, jumper cables, food and water, windshield washer fluid and appropriate repair kit specific to the blade you are operating.

Careful and accurate record keeping is critical during snow removal. Accurate records helps evaluate the success of particular products, timing or techniques, but may also be valuable in the case of a lawsuit due to a slip and fall claim.

Source: Landscape Onsites. Visit the CNLA website at www.canadanursery.com to view other lessons from this manual – you can download individual lessons or order the full Landscape Onsites manual.

Industry Training As a member of your provincial association, you qualify for member savings programs with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA). Take advantage of these training programs to keep you and your staff safe.

Several different plowing techniques are used in different situations:

Employers First: Members receive a 10% discount on over 40 landscape and safety training courses.

Windrowing is used to clear large open areas. The driver makes repeated passes across the area with blade of the plow angled to throw snow forward and off to the side.

Greenius: Members receive 5% savings on published rates for training modules.

Backdragging is used to pull snow away from buildings. The

Visit www.cnla-acpp.ca/benefits for more information.

Green for Life March/April 2017 I 13

L-R: unknown, Tony Heuver

Michael Kato, 2006 Growers Auction

1974 Landscape Awards. L-R: unknown, unknown, Vidal Travassos, Ernie Koch

1990 LANTA Executive. L-R back: Nigel Bowles, Bil Jansen and Bob Andrews.

L-R front: Pete Fryzuk and Joe Supino

A look back at our association

2005 Landscape Industry Certified Exam at Olds College

1976 Landscape Awards. L-R: Tony Leenheer, unknown and June Cavanagh

2005 Landscape Award Winners

2005 Landscape Alberta Board. L-R: Mike Haberl Jr, George Yeaman, Dwayne beck and Adele Goodwin

Arbour Day Edmonton 14 I Green for Life March/April 2017

2002 Meeting in the Mountains, Bob Brown

The people in these photos have been identified to the best of our ability. If we have made an error or if you are able to identify someone in a photo, please email admin@landscape-alberta.com, so we can update our records.

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