The Scoop Online - July 2020

WEBSITE METRICS

MILLENNIAL MARKETING

YEAR-ROUND ADVOCACY

SMART IRRIGATION REQUIRES SMART PEOPLE PLUS:

ALSO INSIDE:

EXCELLENCE IN PLANTING DESIGN

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NICHE MARKET NURTURES WITH NATURE

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E M I N N E S OTA N U R S E RY & L A N DS C A P E A SS OC I AT I ON

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET YOUR JOB DONE! gertenswholesale.com Inver Grove Heights Location | 5500 Blaine Avenue | Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076 | 651-450-0277

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Visit our Brickyard

Hardscape Materials and Rental Equipment

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Rent from Gertens Brickyard today!

We are an authorized dealer of Weber MT compactors.

WHOLESALE NURSERY & HARDSCAPES

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8 Events 30

16 Member Appreciation Day August 5th will be a day to thank our wonderful members with free beer, lunch, and treats at the MNLA office!

20 5 Meaningful Website Metrics Chad Diller says making smart marketing choices means understanding and tracking some key

41

Focus: Smart Irrigation Month

numbers from your website.

36 Niche Market Nurtures with Nature

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Smart Irrigation Requires Smart People President Malooly shares some history behind Smart Irrigation Month and the impact our industry can have on reducing water usage.   

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Sustainable Solutions for Smart Irrigation Systems

47 Year-Round Advocacy in 2020 Minnesota’s green industry can influence policy not just during session, but throughout the calendar year.

Celebrating the People Behind Smart Irrigation

Call Me by My Name Faith Appelquist explains why plants have scientific names, and why green industry professionals have to know a bit of Latin. 

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give you a business opportunity.

efficiency, what’s next?   

for the people behind smart irrigation.   

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their muscles and all five senses, and they may

After serving your customer with an irrigation system running at peak

John Farner offers several ways to make July into a month-long celebration

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Natural playgrounds give kids a chance to use

Looking Through the Eyes of Millennials

48 Time to Renew Renew your membership by the end of July and be entered in a prize drawing!

48 Let’s Golf!

The annual Widmer Golf Tournament has the green light! Support your industry’s future by participating.

48 MNLA Certification Three dates are still open for the green industry

Dr. Chengyan Yue’s research report shows why companies need to meet the

certification that gives you professional

need for tech-friendly products and services.  

credentials and instant credibility.

Excellence in Planting Design Award Winner This project from Urban Ecosystems stood above all other entries in treating plant material as an important feature in the landscape. 

 Landscape & Hardscape Install & Design  Garden Services & Landscape Mgmt  Garden Centers  Growers: Nursery & Greenhouse  Irrigation & Water Mgmt  Arborists & Tree Services  All

54 MNLA Foundation: Growing Pains and Gains The Foundation’s career outreach efforts resulted in partnering with St. Paul high schools to deliver grow kits for virtual learning.

Cover photo: Courtesy of Irrigation by Design. Table of Contents Images: Top Left: iStock.com/MediaProduction. Middle: Urban Ecosystems.

Bottom: Irrigation Association. july 20 MNLA.BIZ

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DIRECTORY

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MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION Successful Businesses Grow Here!

1813 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113 651-633-4987 • Fax: 651-633-4986 Outside the metro area, toll free: 888-886-MNLA, Fax: 888-266-4986 www.MNLA.biz • www.NorthernGreen.org Mission: The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help members grow successful businesses.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tim Malooly, CID, CLIA, CIC, President Water in Motion 763-559-7771 • timm@watermotion.com Randy Berg, Vice-President Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 • randy@bergsnursery.com Matt Mallas, Secretary-Treasurer Hedberg Supply 763-512-2849 • mmallas@hedbergaggregates.com Faith Appelquist, MNLA-CP Tree Quality LLC 612-618-5244 • faith@treequality.com Patrick McGuiness Zlimen & McGuiness PLLC (651) 331-6500 • pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com Mike McNamara Hoffman & McNamara Nursery & Landscaping 651-437-9463 • mike.mcnamara@hoffmanandmcnamara.com John O’Reilly Otten Bros. Garden Center and Landscaping 952-473-5425 • j.oreilly@ottenbros.com Jeff Pilla, MNLA-CP Professional Turf, Inc. (Proturf) 952-469-8680 • jeff@professionalturf.com Nick Sargent, MNLA-CP Sargent’s Landscape Nursery, Inc. 507-289-0022 • njsargent@sargentsgardens.com Cassie Larson, CAE MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • cassie@mnla.biz STAFF DIRECTORY Executive Director: Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz Membership Director & Trade Show Manager: Mary Dunn, CEM • mary@mnla.biz Communications Dir.: Jon Horsman, CAE • jon@mnla.biz Education/Cert. Manager: Susan Flynn • susan@mnla.biz Dir. of Government Affairs: Forrest Cyr • forrest@mnla.biz Regulatory Affairs Manager: Jim Calkins • jim@mnla.biz Accountant: Kris Peterson • kris@mnla.biz Foundation Program Coordinator: Paulette Sorenson • paulette@mnla.biz Administrative Assistant: Lora Sondrol • lora@mnla.biz Advertising Sales: 763-295-5420 Betsy Pierre, Advertising Mgr • betsy@pierreproductions.com Legislative Affairs Consultant: Doug Carnival

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MNLA.BIZ july 20

Bachman’s Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes ............................... 3 BFG Supply ............................................................................................ 14 Borgert Products, Inc. ......................................................................... 40 Brandl Motors ....................................................................................... 12 Bullis Insurance Agency ..................................................................... 49 Carlin Sales / ProGreen Plus ............................................................. 11 Central Landscape Supply ................................................................ 19 Cushman Motor Co. Inc ...................................................................... 50 Edney Distributing Co., Inc. ............................................................... 38 Frontier Ag & Turf ..................................................................................11 Fury Motors ........................................................................................... 53 Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply ............................. 2 Gopher State One-Call ....................................................................... 38 Haag Companies, Inc. ......................................................................... 42 Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies ..................................... 39 Jeff Belzer Chevrolet .................................................................... 28–29 Landscape Alternatives Inc. .............................................................. 12 Maguire Agency .................................................................................... 12 Out Back Nursery ................................................................................. 19 Plaisted Companies .............................................................................. 7 Rock Hard Landscape Supply ........................................................... 49 SMSC Organics Recycling Facility .....................................................39 The Resultants ..................................................................................... 50 The Tessman Company ....................................................................... 46 Tri-State Bobcat, Inc. ............................................................................ 9 Truck Utilities, Inc. ............................................................................... 49 Unilock .................................................................................................... 4 Versa-Lok Midwest .............................................................................. 23 Wheeler Landscape Supply .............................................................. 46 Ziegler CAT ............................................................................. Back Cover

UPCOMING

MNLA is continuing to plan education and events for the green industry. All precautions will be taken to meet social distancing requirements and the guidelines set in place by local and state agencies as well as venues. But, as we all know, there are no promises during these times and we are taking this day by day and will announce any changes as they come if necessary. We also know these are difficult and uncertain times for everyone, so we've made a few adjustments. Should changes occur causing an event to be cancelled due to COVID-19 issues, your registration would be refunded in full.

JUL

11

CULTIVATE 20 — NOW A VIRTUAL EVENT Cultivate is the largest all-industry trade show and conference for the horticulture industry.

Columbus, OH ➽Cultivate20.org

JUL

22



MNLA FOUNDATION WIDMER GOLF TOURNAMENT Mark your calendars and get your foursomes together! All proceeds benefit the MNLA Workforce Development Fund.

Majestic Oaks Golf Club, Ham Lake ➽ MNLA.biz

JUL

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

NAME THAT PLANT: PLANT I.D. SKILLS TRAINING Whether you are new to the industry or a seasoned green industry professional wanting to improve your plant identification skills, this half-day outdoor plant identification skills training event is for you!

Noerenberg Gardens, Wayzata ➽ MNLA.biz

AUG

04 –05 AUG

05



AUG

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Jon Horsman



SALT SYMPOSIUM 2020 This live-stream event shapes the chloride conversation, presenting developments in salt use optimization for people and the environment.

FortinConsulting.com

MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY We appreciate you! Members are invited to stop by the MNLA Office and have a treat.

MNLA Office, Roseville ➽ MNLA.biz

MNLA LANDSCAPE CASE STUDY The MNLA landscape was completed in 2019. The design embodies sustainability in its thoughtful selection of materials, water management, and planting practices. Join project designer, Urban Ecosystems, for an onsite case study of the project.

MNLA Office, Roseville ➽ MNLA.biz

AUG

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The Scoop, July 2020, Issue 7, is issued monthly, 12 times per year. All original works, articles or formats



published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery &

“DRIVE YOURSELF” TURF AND LAWN FIELD TRIP Looking for ideas to diversify your lawn care portfolio? Looking for unique turfgrass species options? This “drive yourself” tour will feature some of the top showcase lawns in the Twin Cities!

Landscape Association, 2020, and may not be used

St. Paul, MN ➽ MNLA.biz

without written permission of MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113. Subscription price is $99 for one year, which is included with member dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Scoop, MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113.

2020 MNLA seminars

Editorial Contributions. You are invited to share your

generously supported by:

expertise and perspective. Article ideas and manuscripts should, whenever possible, reflect real and specific experiences. When submitting an article, please contact

Business

 Skills Training

 Networking

Leadership Development

General

the publisher at jon@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987. MNLA



reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

➽Information on industry events: MNLA.biz/events. Free member-only videos: MNLA.biz/OnlineEducation.

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MNLA.BIZ july 20



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FROM THE PRESIDENT

Smart Irrigation Requires Smart People Tim Malooly CID, CLIA, CIC

Water in Motion

Happy SMART Irrigation Month 2020! Sometime around 2007, as I recall, the Irrigation Association (IA) launched a North American effort to declare and promote the month of July as “SMART Irrigation Month.” It was around this period that I was elected to serve on the IA board of directors. There were several motivations behind the IA effort.

One motivation for launching SMART Irrigation Month was to

help kick-start the industry toward adopting the use of the then, next-generation of water-efficient products and professional practices. Products included the then-new, weather-based, self-adjusting controllers — also known as “SMART controllers,” flow sensing and metering, decoder-based communication, pressure regulating sprinkler bodies, improved rain sensors, water-efficient nozzles, and more.

Another motivation by IA on behalf of the established irrigation (and landscaping) community was to address the real or perceived “threats” to the industry regarding the amount of, and use of (mostly potable) water for landscape irrigation and the amount of water wasted due to use of high-input plant materials and poor irrigation and landscape stewardship practices. US EPA was concerned over aging water infrastructure (among other things) and the cost to repair, upgrade and expand water

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MNLA.BIZ july 20

infrastructure to accommodate “non-essential use” trends.

Green-build certification programs like USGBC LEED® were at the time, building notable momentum among the design community, causing re-evaluation of how we designed, installed and operated our urban buildings and landscapes. Questions like: “Do we have to design our landscapes with high-input demanding plants?” Or, “Could we create landscapes that do not need supplemental water?” were — and still are — among the topics being considered.

You may know that in the 48 contiguous United States, the urban landscape includes over 60 million acres of turfgrass, much of which is irrigated. The urban turfgrass crop vies for leadership with food agriculture as the largest crop in America. There are also millions of acres of complimentary and irrigated plant material in beds, around ➽ CONT'D on page 51

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NEW

SCOOP COMING In January, MNLA will be introducing a redesigned Scoop. Our goal is to provide even greater value to you, the member, through this vital communication service. To do that, we need to know what your current needs are! We would like to gather your feedback on how you read The Scoop, which content you value most, and what you wish we would include. Please take five minutes and give us your opinions via a quick 5-question survey found here: BRIAN FERGASON, CPCUIf http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ScoopFeedback.

651.635.2781 612.247.7346 Cell you’d rather forward your comments via email, send bfergason@maguireagency.com www.maguireagency.com those to jon@mnla.biz.

1970 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 300

Fleet VIP pricing for 1 or 100 vehicles!

14873 113th St. Meet Dick Reineck Fleet and Commercial Manager Dick has been in the Auto Business since 1964. Like most people that have put the time into dealerships, Dick has spent his career working in all departments across several dealerships and shown top level understanding of the Brandl way of doing business...with honesty, integrity, and passion. Buy from the best. He wrote the MNLA program and is the #30 commercial dealer in the nation and has sold over 16,000 Chrysler, Ram, Dodge and Jeep models!

Roseville, MN 55113 WRITERS WANTED We’re also looking for members who love to write – members who want to share useful information, ideas, and innovations with their fellow members in the association’s monthly magazine. Write from the perspective of your industry segment (landscape install, garden center, grower, etc.); share knowledge on business management or human resources; or offer insights via our soon-to-premiere features “Ideas That • Little Falls, MN 56345 • www.brandlmotorscdjr.com Work” and “My Favorite Tool.” To offer your services and/or receive information on deadlines and other parameters, email susan@mnla.biz or call Sue Flynn FRee DelIVeRy or Jon Horsman at 651-633-4987.

Call Dick today, his direct number is 320-631-3230, or email at dickr@brandlmotors.com.

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www.MNLA.biz | ocTober 2012

Call me by my

Name

Faith Appelquist

iStock.com/Biletskiy_Evgeniy, and iStock.com/Ejla

Tree Quality LLC

july 20 MNLA.BIZ

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NAMES

A PERSON’S NAME IS TO THAT PERSON, THE SWEETEST, MOST IMPORTANT SOUND IN ANY LANGUAGE. — DALE CARNEGIE

”

iStock.com/MediaProduction

“

Let’s start with the easy stuff, Homo sapiens. This name comes from the

Latin word homō, meaning ‘man’, and sapiēns which means “discerning, wise, and sensible.” So Homo sapiens is Latin for ‘wise man.’ We are not Homo habilis, or Homo erectus. Do you recognize Canis lupus familiaris? The domestic dog.

Scientific names are used across the world by scientists and other professionals, regardless of the language they speak or write. Latin and Greek provide the universal language basis for scientific names.

Scientific names are standardized, using the same name for the same organism and are always used in published research. Scientific names cannot be changed except by international scientific agreement. It is essential to know scientific plant names if you need to read a plant label to find the exact plant you are looking for on websites, or at nurseries or garden centers. In order to search for or communicate about any given plant, you must know its scientific name.

Scientific names follow a binomial (two name) system developed by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. A scientific name has two parts. The first part represents the genus, and is always capitalized.

The second word is the species name and is always lowercase. For example, Ambrosia psilostachya is the scientific name for a species of

ragweed. Ambrosia is the genus and psilostachyais the species. The genus name is from the Greek word ambrosia meaning “food or drink of immortality”.

There may be several common names for a plant but there is only one unique scientific name. Common names may be totally different from one country to another, even from one state to another. Ask for a sage plant – is that a culinary one, an annual ornamental, or a perennial? Which of about 400 species of Salvia do you mean? And what’s a bluebell? This common name refers to several plants belonging to completely different families, including Boraginaceae, Campanulaceae and Liliaceae.

There are many scientific names we use all the time and may not even realize we are speaking Latin; hydrangea, hosta, ginkgo and iris to name a few. Maybe this is a good place to start and no, you don’t have to be a botanist to use the correct name.

➽FAITH APPELQUIST is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, an ISA Municipal Specialist MN, and an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist®. Faith can be reached at faith@treequality.com. july 20 MNLA.BIZ

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Mem ber

Day

AUGUST

5TH

MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY

11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | MNLA Office

Thank you to our sponsor:

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Hot Dogs, Chips, Soft-Serve Ice Cream with Toppings, Beer & Popcorn (ALL FREE!)

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july 20 MNLA.BIZ

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IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

Smart Irrigation: Technologies That Use Water Efficiently There are many “smart” technologies available today that allow professionals to maintain beautiful landscapes while maximizing water efficiency. All of these water-efficient products can reduce water use and your client’s water bills without sacrificing plant and landscape health. You can still enjoy all of the benefits associated with attractive and enjoyable landscapes on your property while helping to conserve a precious natural resource. Please take advantage of these cost-saving ideas that are good for your company, your customers, and the planet.

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MNLA.BIZ july 20

Pressure Regulation: All sprinklers operate best at a certain water pressure. At those pressures the water distribution is most uniform over the target area. That allows shorter run times because for an entire lawn to be green you basically end up setting a schedule to provide sufficient water to the driest spot. Reducing high pressure also eliminates problems such as misting sprinklers and potential irrigation system damage. And for every 5-point reduction in water pressure you actually use 6 to 8 percent less water. Those savings can add up quickly. Water pressure regulation devices are easily added to valves to control a whole irrigation zone or can be added to individual sprinklers.

iStock.com/grivina

Rain/Freeze Sensors: Rain sensors (which are mandatory to install with irrigation systems in Minnesota) prevent irrigation systems from running when it is raining and right after rain events when irrigation is unnecessary. Rain/freeze sensors add the ability to stop irrigation when temperatures approach freezing to prevent ice on landscapes and hardscapes. These devices can reduce irrigation water usage up to 35 percent and help extend irrigation system life. Sprinkler systems should never run in the rain, and rain sensors can put an end to those wasteful and embarrassing situations.

Weather-Based Controllers: Weather-based controllers actually adjust irrigation schedules based on local weather conditions.

These climate-based systems gather local weather information and some even factor in your exact landscape (types of plants, soils, slopes, etc.) to make irrigation runtime adjustments so your landscape always receives the appropriate amount of water.

There is a wide range of products in this category with various weather input options and landscape-specific adjustment factors.

The water savings can be substantial, and the convenience of these self-adjusting controllers is another great benefit.

Sensor-Based Controllers: Sensor-based controllers rely on soil moisture sensors placed below ground in the root zones of lawns and landscapes to determine if and how long to water. Soils may be maintained between lower and upper target moisture levels for optimal plant health. Alternatively, a simpler decision is to schedule the regular irrigation program to run based on the soil moisture. Weather-based and sensor-based control products are available as standalone controllers or add-on devices to existing controllers. Each has been shown to reduce irrigation water usage up to 70 percent without sacrificing the quality of your landscaping.

Low Precipitation Rate and High-Efficiency

Nozzles: Many great sprinkler nozzles are on

the market today that use lower precipitation rates to reduce run-off or offer improved water distribution uniformity. Distribution uniformity is very important to reducing watering run times. Again, you want the entire area being watered to receive sufficient water to maintain green lawns and colorful plants, so the more uniform the water distribution, the shorter the watering run time will be for the driest spot. Be sure to inquire about these critical considerations when selecting sprinklers and nozzles.

Drip Irrigation: Drip irrigation systems are very different from pop-up sprinkler systems.

Rather than spraying wide areas, they generally utilize point emitters to deliver desired volumes of water to particular locations at or near plant root zones. Water drips slowly from emitters either onto the soil surface or below ground. Less water is lost to wind and evaporation as a result, and weeds can also be reduced. Drip irrigation systems are very water-efficient and customizable for even different plants in a small area. ➽ARTICLE PROVIDED to the Irrigation Association

by Rain Bird Corporation.

AFTER SERVING YOUR CUSTOMER with an irrigation system running at peak efficiency, what’s next?

You’ve hired a certified landscape irrigation auditor to conduct a site inspection and irrigation system audit. You’ve discussed the findings, identified opportunities for potential water savings, and completed the appropriate system enhancements, repairs and upgrades with new water-saving technologies based on the system evaluation. Your irrigation system is outfitted with check valves, water-efficient rotating sprinklers or low-volume drip irrigation, a smart controller or soil moisture sensor, and a rain sensor. You’ve implemented a regular system maintenance strategy to ensure proper adjustments, run times and seasonal changes take place. You’re all set – with a top of the line, truly “smart” irrigation system that is running at peak efficiency, saving water and money on your client’s water bill. Now what?

GET ALL YOUR CONTRACTOR SUPPLY NEEDS! CALL US FOR THE BEST SELECTION IN THE INDUSTRY

There are plenty of additional considerations you can explore to complement your smart irrigation system and contribute toward a truly sustainable landscape.

• Soil testing. Submit a soil sample to a testing laboratory for an inexpensive report explaining its balance of nutrients, which will assist with selecting the appropriate fertilizer and application rate.

• Permeable pavers. An alternative to concrete or asphalt surfaces, permeable pavers allow rainwater to filter naturally down into the underlying soil to recharge valuable groundwater aquifers. They help prevent flooding and protect the quality of our water supplies by eliminating pollutant-laden runoff from entering natural waterways.

• Rainwater harvesting. Rainwater harvesting refers to the capture and storage of water, which can then be used as a supplemental water source for irrigating a landscape. Rainwater harvesting can take many forms, including above-ground rain barrels or cisterns, below-grade catchments or combined systems that incorporate simple or advanced water features. Be sure to check local regulations before exploring this option.

• LED lighting. LED technology, or “light emitting diode,” is the most efficient light source available, rivaling halogen in brilliance and intensity at one-fifth of the wattage. Though not suitable for all applications, the lamp life rating is excellent – upwards of 80,000 hours.

• Green walls. A vertical, vegetative “living wall,” a green wall can be freestanding or part of a building and can help reduce the overall temperature of the building, improve the aesthetics, and can even aid in water reuse, purification, and retention.

• Aerification, amendments and mulch. Implementing a regular aerification schedule and base layer of organic matter or calcined clay products will aid in water and nutrient retention and allow deeper infiltration into the soil profile to promote deeper root growth and help plants resist disease and better withstand drought conditions.

• Slow-release fertilizer. The use of coated, slow-release fertilizers, which have lower salt indexes than other quickly-available nitrogen fertilizers, means less watering when compared to their non-coated counterpart products.

• Fertilizer injection systems (fertigation). Fertigation, derived from the combination of fertilization and irrigation, allows you to fertilize and irrigate a section of turf in one simple step, making it easier for nutrients to infiltrate plant root zones and eliminate the need for watering above and beyond the irrigation system’s scheduled program run time.

For more information on these or other complementary solutions, consult your local landscape supplies distributor, or find a Certified Professional near you by visiting the Irrigation Association’s web site at http://www.irrigation.org/hirecertified. ➽SMART IRRIGATION MONTh is an initiative of the Irrigation Association, a non-profit industry organization dedicated to promoting efficient irrigation.

Learn more at www.smartirrigationmonth.org. This article was provided to the Irrigation Association by Ewing Irrigation Products, Inc.

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Call us first for all your native planting needs july 20 MNLA.BIZ

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WEBSITE METRICS

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MNLA.BIZ july 20

METRICS 5 Meaningful Website

TO UNDERSTAND & TRACK

Chad Diller Landscape Leadership

I’VE BEEN IN YOUR SEAT…scratching my head at meetings with a local digital agency, begging them to just make some sort of sense of it to me. I’m not naturally a “numbers guy.” If you throw too many website analytic figures and percentages onto a report, my brain turns to mush. Give me the big picture then tell me how to fix it!

Although I’ve learned how to understand more of these numbers over the years, I’m still amazed at how many digital marketing experts and landscaping professionals are still content with mushed brains. You should be able to more easily understand what really matters to grow your business. Whether you geek-out at numbers, understand a few of them, or are completely clueless, there are some important metrics that you should track and understand. Smart, future marketing choices will lead to more money on your bottom line. Let’s take a look at them.

iStock.com/filo

1. Keyword Ranking

It’s pretty typical for a company to do some of their own keyword investigation. You may type in “landscaping yourtown” and try to see where you are showing up. FYI, your company should be attempting to rank for hundreds of keyword phrases. Some may be minor alternative versions to the obvious, but others could be things you may not think of at first such as, “how much does an outdoor kitchen cost”? july 20 MNLA.BIZ

21

WEBSITE METRICS

There are many keyword tools out there, with paid versions having the most insights about how your website is showing up in search results. Monitor these hundreds of keyword phrases. Rankings will ebb and flow from week to week, but over time, this number should increase to show more and more of your website in the top 10 results of your target keyword phrases. And if these numbers are not moving in your favor, it will affect part of the metric we’ll cover next.

2. Website Traffic by Source

Before we dive into website traffic and the metrics to follow, there is a basic (and crucial) principle to always keep in mind. Your website will get all sorts of visits, but knowing the total number of visits is not enough. It’s important to have a way to track the sources of website traffic. Tools like Google Analytics (or my favorite, HubSpot), can show you not only the quantity of visits but exactly where they’re coming from. These include: • Organic: If someone enters a phrase in a search engine, there will be results aside from the pay-per-click (PPC) ads that may appear at the top and bottom of the page. These are classified as organic search results. This category of visits typically increases as your keyword ranking (#1 metric on my list) increases. The more relevant your website pages or blog posts are to that search phrase, the more likely it will appear in results.

• Paid: If your company uses Google Adwords to place PPC ads, the result22

MNLA.BIZ july 20

ing visits would be separated into this group.

• Referral: If your company has links on other websites (such as in an online article or a business listing profile) and a searcher clicks the link and is brought to your website, that is considered referral traffic.

• Social: Likewise, any links you would have natively on social media sites (both in your profile and news feed), that drive traffic to your website are considered in this group of visits.

• Paid Social: If you are placing any paid ads on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. some analytic tools can separate out this segment of social traffic.

• Email: If your website receives visits from a link in emails (through email marketing or even a link in your email signature), these website visits also get their own segment.

• Direct: When someone directly enters “yourwebsite.com” exactly into your browser’s search address bar, that becomes a direct hit. That often occurs as of a result of branding activities where people see your website address and remember and enter it exactly.

Again, the source is extremely critical in your analysis of the metrics I’ll cover next. You will notice trends by source.

Over time, it will become more clear which ones perform better, directing you to make better marketing decisions to drive people to your website, which leads to the next resulting metric.

3. Quantity of Qualified Leads

Traffic is great and all, but if those visitors

aren’t converting into qualified leads, it won’t result in a great ROI on whatever you’re doing to increase website traffic.

A qualified lead is, by simple definition, someone in your service area that is interested in a service your company offers.

Website forms are the best way to capture lead information. If you’re using a reporting system like Google Analytics or HubSpot, you should be able to see how many visitors (for each traffic source) actually fill out a form and become a lead. Adding fields to your form such as, “How did you hear about us?”, can help to give a deeper level of detail for how all of those direct traffic leads are coming in. Did they see your truck or a particular ad? As traffic increases, so should your leads. If this isn’t happening, then there’s a lead conversion problem. Some of the potential problems could be: • Confusing or outdated website layouts • Poor or missing calls to action • Images or videos that aren’t very compelling • Poor copywriting and messaging Keep track of historical trends of the number of leads for each traffic source.

What are your leads in Q4 of this year versus Q4 the last two years by source?

What are your visit-to-lead ratios? This can lead to conclusions such as, “Yeah, we’re getting a lot of traffic from X source, but barely anyone converts to a lead. Let’s reallocate that money or fix the conversion problem on our website.”

4. Number of Proposals Delivered

How many of your qualified leads actually turn into an opportunity for you to propose services? There are always going to be some people who lose interest or don’t call you back. There may also be a segment of leads that have no clue of what your services cost, and you may then disqualify them in your initial conversation for this or another reason.

However, a large portion of your qualified leads should turn into opportunities to deliver a proposal. But there are a number of factors that can influence your success in this area. These include: • How your website’s positioning and messaging matches your ideal buyer profile • The amount of time it takes for your company to initially respond to leads

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• How long a prospect has to wait to talk or meet with a salesperson This metric is not easily measured with Google Analytics. For this reason, I recommend an integrated CRM like HubSpot, which can connect the traffic source while also separating leads from these opportunities for business.

Otherwise, you’re going to need to spend a lot of time manually entering this information into spreadsheets and doing your own calculations. It’s important to follow-up as soon as possible and to make the process very meaningful for your prospective customer. Refine your process as much as you can to get legitimate business opportunities out of your incoming leads. Then you’ll get an

opportunity to measure the following metric.

5. Resulting Sales

How many of your opportunities for business actually sell? As you look at the traffic sources, you may observe trends that indicate where you should spend more of your marketing budget.

For instance, you may be able to identify which traffic source brings you the most sales opportunities. This can help you consider if your strategy is working and how much your cost per new proposal opportunity is.

Then again, if sales aren’t resulting, it could point to not a marketing problem, but a sales problem. Some of the factors

that influence sales closing can include: • Time it takes to get a proposal/design to your prospect • Quality of sales presentations • Diligence of follow-up if presentations don’t immediately close • Ability to handle common sales objections such as price, timeline, solution quality, etc.

Taking a good, hard look at sales can help you identify training opportunities and processes that may need to be improved.

Informed & In Charge As a lawn or landscaping professional, your only job isn’t to just create beautiful lawns and landscapes. It’s also to improve your business. But getting the results you want out of your website and other marketing requires you to play an active role in your company’s success. Will you continue to be passive and in the dark? Or will you make a firm decision to understand these metrics and make decisions based on data versus gut feelings?

CHAD DILLER is Director of Client Success at Landscape Leadership, a sales and marketing agency for lawn, landscape and tree service companies.

Find out more at www.landscapeleadership.com.

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EYES Looking Through the

OF MILLENNIALS Dr. Chengyan Yue, Associate Professor, Department of Horticultural Science and Department of Applied Economics, Bachman Endowed Chair in Horticultural Marketing, University of Minnesota. Shuoli Zhao, Ph.D student, Department of Applied Economics, University of

iStock.com/Moyo Studio

Minnesota. Dr. Alicia Rihn, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida.

july 20 MNLA.BIZ

25

MILLENNIALS

Figure 1. Important online features when purchasing floral products

MARKETING TO MILLENNIALS USING MOBILE DEVICES AND ONLINE INFORMATION Millennials are a tech-savvy consumer segment

with distinct preferences for technology platforms (mobile, online) that vary from previous generations. While they are the key players with huge purchasing powers in the floral industry’s future, reaching this cohort can be complicated. To identify the opportunities for businesses to utilize smart phones and other mobile/online devices in their marketing strategies, an online survey was conducted with 3,011 U.S. millennial consumers.

Importance of Mobile-Friendly Device Options Unsurprisingly, a mobile-friendly website was the most important factor to millennial consumers. A mobile-friendly website literally gives consumers access to the company’s information, location, products and services with a swipe of their finger. This increases ease of use, access, understanding, efficiency, and awareness. Mobile coupons, payment options, and apps were also important to consumers due to creating incentives and improving ease of use. Other important mobile options included the option of receiving text message coupons and discounts, coupons/ promotional alerts when a consumer is near the florist, and QR codes with care information.

26

MNLA.BIZ july 20

Mobile Apps Mobile apps allow businesses to tailor their promotional materials including available information, customer experience, and purchasing (pre-, post-, during) involvement.

Each component has several elements that merge together to formulate the customer’s total experience. Their experiences in turn influence their company/brand perceptions, loyalty, and future purchasing behavior.

Available Information For information features, respondents were most interested in information about the flowers themselves. They wanted built-in care instructions, information related to flower types, or a flower dictionary option. They were also interested in daily flower-related updates, communication forums (with buyers or florists), and QR codes.

Customer Experience From an experience aspect, millennials were most interested in features that allowed customization and the ability to identify a flower through a mobile picture. Fun quizzes and games were also of interest. Additionally, they were inclined to have the option to share their purchases via social media platforms.

Purchasing Involvement At a stage of pre-purchasing flowers, respondents were very interested in app features that provide them financial or ease of purchase benefits. Specifically, they were interested in

incentives for downloading the app, built-in loyalty programs, a search for nearby floral shops, and time-sensitive coupons. They were also interested in a scheduling option or in-app chat with the floral retailer. During flower purchase, respondents were very interested in an app that allowed a 360o picture of the product.

If the product is ordered as a gift, the app should allow the gift giver to view the product prior to delivery to insure it aligns with expectations. Respondents were also interested in convenient check-out, drive thru options, and viewing the flower arrangements or store layout using virtual reality or 3D. Lastly, the highest interest shown in a post-purchase feature for a mobile app is having a real-time order/delivery tracking option. Respondents were also interested in having customized digital greeting cards, personal reminders to take care of the flowers, and an option to record/send a voice message or video.

Online Shopping The most important feature of floral websites for millennials was upfront prices with no hidden fees (Figure 1). Often millennials have strict budgets they need to stay within.

They could become frustrated if they have selected and/or designed a product then realize it is outside their budget. The second most important feature was accurate product pictures, followed by detailed description of product attributes, convenient check-out, and clear care instructions. Other important online features included a visually appealing,

easy to use website, customer reviews, simple flower quality rating system, and online arrangement customization options.

Summary Millennial consumers utilize technology in their everyday interactions and purchasing decisions; in order to reach this customer segment, companies need to match their need for tech-friendly products and services. For mobile devices, millennial consumers indicated that a floral app that allows customization, provides incentives, offers product pictures, and allows for real-time delivery tracking would be well received. Additionally, any online floral options should be mobile-friendly, easy to use, accurate (in terms of pricing and product descriptions), and professionally designed.

Takeaways

b. Provide accurate pricing and product information (e.g. pictures of the actual products instead of model products, detailed descriptions, product dimensions, etc.). c. Allow online order/pay and offer convenient check-out (e.g. drive thru). d. Provide clear online care instructions.

2. Millennials use their mobile phones as quick, easy information sources.

a. Improve the firm’s presence on mobile devices. b. Ensure the company’s website is mobile compatible. c. Offer coupons and mobile payment options (i.e. mobile credit/debit card services, etc.). d. Provide a mobile app with relevant content.

3. Millennials often use mobile apps that have

d. customization options (design your own bouquet, customized coupons, personalized digital greeting cards, etc.) e. fun flower quizzes and games f. built-in loyalty programs g. 360o pictures of flowers h. real-time order/delivery tracking option i. incentives for downloading the apps.

➽ CHENGYAN YUE holds the Todd and Barbara Bachman Endowed Chair in Horticultural Marketing, Professor at the Department of Horticultural Science and Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. By better understanding consumers’ and other stakeholders’ preferenc-

relevant content and features. Develop a

es, Dr. Yue’s research provides guidance and

selecting products/stores, which makes an

floral mobile app with desirable features:

implications for marketing horticultural products

online presence essential.

a. built-in care instructions b. flower dictionary c. flower recognition function

in strategic ways, which help increase the

1. Millennials use online information when

a. Take actions to improve the firm’s online presence.

products’ success in the marketplace. Photo credit: David Hansen

Grab Your Camera and Capture Your Best Shots Begin preparing your Landscape Awards entry now!

If you want to put your landscape project’s best foot forward, you’ll need to enter wellcomposed, eye-catching photographs. Plan now to take those photos you’ll need for your entry, and remember these tips: 20 1. Tidy up. Take care of neglected pruning, snip off bad leaves, edge the lawn, sweep paved areas, straighten blinds and curtains, and make sure to pull visible weeds.

Show off your attention to detail!

2. Make your picture suggest that there is much more “just around the bend,” such as a wall that disappears around a corner, foliage from an invisible tree, or light from an unseen opening.

3. Include people discreetly to show scale of important elements.

4. Accessorize completely to give the view a “lived-in” feeling.

5. Show the details of hardscape construction, both in the structures and rest of the landscape.

6. To capture the transformation of your project, take some shots before, during, and after your work.

7. If at all possible, take your photos when the plants in the project look their best.

8. Consider investing in professional photography, as the images you’ll receive will be useful in marketing beyond your award entry.

21

Sub De N

The MNLA Landscape Awards is a program of recognition for installed landscapes.

Submitting companies must be MNLA members who offer design, installation, design/build, bid/build, or other landscape specialty to their clients.

Entry Portal Opens: Oct. 1 | Submission Deadline: Nov. 18 Find out more at www.MNLA.biz/landscapeawards.

LandscapeAwards2021-half-page-July-Scoop.indd 1

july 20 MNLA.BIZ

6/22/2020 8:49:52 PM

27

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302 302 302

www.jeffbelzerchevy.com Version # 4 Version # 4 Version # 4

Document Name GMC1-12-FCO-03178-302_v4.indd Document Name GMC1-12-FCO-03178-302_v4.inddLinked Graphics Art Director Control Document Name GMC1-12-FCO-03178-302_v4.indd 12KTFLCHEV032.tif Linked GraphicsRGB

Retail Planning Flyer Control Art Jarret Petsch •Mechjpetsch@jeffbelzer.com Scale 100 8.75”952-469-7063 x 11.25” Bleed Chevy CopyDirector Writer TBD

RGB

12KTFLCHEV032.tif RGB HD CC with Dump_psd.psd Linked GraphicsRGB Control Art Director 11CHSL00054.jpg RGB Mech TBD Copy Print Scale Scale 100 12KTFLCHEV032.tif RGB None BusinessCentral_KO.ai ProjWriter Mgr csenn HD CC with Dump_psd.psd RGB 11CHSL00054.jpg RGB Scale Please 100 GM_business_choice.ai TBD Copy Writer Jeff Belzer Lakeville,Mech MN. call the Commercial Department at 952-469-4444.

Print Scale None BusinessCentral_KO.ai csenn Proj Stock None HD CC with Dump_psd.psd RGB Acct Mgr Svc kdenmark cube_0758.jpg RGB GM_business_choice.ai Print Scale Trim None 8.5” x 11” BusinessCentral_KO.ai csenn Proj Mgr Family_shot cube_exprss_slvrdo_a6.tif RGB All Rebates & incentives to dealer, must qualify for same, prices subject to change.

Stock None Live None 8.25” x 10.75” kdenmark Acct Mgr Svc afinnan cube_0758.jpg RGB Folded Size Prod GM_business_choice.ai RoundStep_3in_Chevy_Silverado.jpg RGB Family_shot cube_exprss_slvrdo_a6.tif RGB Stock Live None 8.25” x 10.75” kdenmark Acct Svc cube_0758.jpg RGB Tonneau_Chevy.jpg RGB Folded Size None afinnan Mgr TBD 1 RoundStep_3in_Chevy_Silverado.jpg RGB Finishing Buyer To qualify, vehicles must be None used in day-to-day operations of your business and notArtProd solely for transportation purposes.

Must provide Family_shot cube_exprss_slvrdo_a6.tif RGB Family_Option_a3.tif RGB Tonneau_Chevy.jpg RGB None Folded Size None afinnan ProdBuyer Mgr TBD RoundStep_3in_Chevy_Silverado.jpg RGB 4320G_cs.tif CMYK Finishing Art Family_Option_a3.tif RGB Colors Spec’d 4C TBD Copy Edit Visit gmbusinesschoice.com or your Chevrolet or GMC dealer for details.

Tonneau_Chevy.jpg RGB 4320Gss.tif CMYK 4320G_cs.tif CMYK Finishing None TBD Art Buyer Colors Spec’d Family_Option_a3.tif RGB 4C TBD 1PROCS.tif CMYK Copy Edit nminieri/pm Mac with Business Central Special Instr.

4320Gss.tif CMYK 4320G_cs.tif CMYK 1PROSS.tif CMYK Colors Spec’d 1PROCS.tif CMYK 4C Business Central TBD CopyMac Edit nminieri/pm Special Instr. with 4320Gss.tif CMYK BasePkg_ss.tif CMYK Publications None 1PROSS.tif CMYK 1PROCS.tif CMYK 12KTFLCHEV021.tif RGB Mac nminieri/pm with Business Central Special Instr. None BasePkg_ss.tif CMYK Publications

CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT

Job Description 8.75” Chevy Retail Planning Flyer 11.25” Bleed Trim 8.5” x x11” 8.75” x 11.25” Chevrolet, 50Bleed & Cedar, Box 965, Trim Live 8.5” 8.25”x x11” 10.75”

Publications None

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proof of business.

ma-klane Mechd By: nminieri ma-klane Mechd By: nminieri

TITANRTVd By: None TITANRTVd By: None

Mechd By: nminieri

RTVd By: None CD/ACD

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COPYWRITER

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PROD

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AD AD

©2019AD General Motors COPY EDIT

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4-20-2012 1:48 PM4-20-2012 1:48 PM 4-20-2012 1:48 PM

Job # GMC1-12-03178 Job # GMC1-12-03178 Job Description Chevy Retail Planning Flyer JobJob #Description GMC1-12-03178

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PROJECT PROFILE

Corpora Ca

BY URBAN ECOSYSTEMS & NELCO LANDSCAPING

20

20

Excellence in Planting Design Award Project Profile

rate ampus july 20 MNLA.BIZ

31

PROJECT PROFILE

T

his project was chosen by our judges for the Excellence in Planting Design Award.

This special designation was created to promote projects that showcase outstanding planting design. The goal is to encourage landscape designers to feature plants in their plan while incorporating artistry, proper horticultural practices, and appropriate installation in their project. Any project entered can win this award, and it is given in a similar fashion as the Judges’ Choice Award. At the end of reviewing all projects, judges submit their top picks for both the Excellence in Planting Design award as well as the Judges’ Choice Award.

This year’s winner of the Excellence in Planting Design Award is the project “Corporate Campus” by Urban Ecosystems / Nelco Landscaping. The Design Lead and Project Manager was Michael Keenan, PLA, from Urban Ecosystems. The general contractor was Brian Nelson, Nelco Landscaping, and the concrete flatwork was subcontracted and completed by Pietig & Sons.

Judge’s Comments • A commercial site usually does not lend itself to a memorable landscape. This project changes that notion, and stands above all others in terms of treating plant material as an important feature in the landscape, and thinking carefully about plant communities, habitat, and landscape performance.

• Beautiful design and a unique sense of place. All of the plantings work amazingly well together and provide spectacular views and impact.

NEWS & NOTES

32

MNLA.BIZ july 20

• The prairie plantings blend well with the horizontal “prairie” style architecture and materials of the building.

• I applaud the effort to meet the client’s design to reduce inputs of a traditional corporate campus lawn with an “Urban Meadow”. The mowed edges provide landscape users unfamiliar with prairie landscape aesthetic a sense of intention.

• It looks as though the corporate campus was built into the native landscape instead of the landscape being built around the buildings. Great job!

Project Description This corporate office landscape keeps wild nature front and center. The client’s company embraces modern design that is built to last and never goes out of style. Their commitment to sustainability, natural materials, and environmental protection was a driving force in making this landscape.

Our team developed the landscape master

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plan for the major renovation of this 12-acre site. Our process considered the diverse species and microclimates present on site and developed custom plant communities that look beautiful, are low-input, and provide habitats for people and wildlife. These communities were described in more detail in planting typology document provided to the client.

Within this master plan, we developed a new approach to creating natural meadows that outperform traditional prairie restoration methods. Our team oversaw their installation, establishment, and maintenance. Urban meadows replace sprawling lawns with seeded flower meadows.

The urban meadow is a designed plant community that produces season-long flower displays that are beautiful to people and attract pollinators. The seed mix contains 87 different flowering perennial and annual forbs with a maximum height of 36". This is seeded into a clear germination media to minimize early establishment competition

06

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PROJECT PROFILE

34

MNLA.BIZ july 20

from weeds. The diverse planting of native, cultivar, and non-native flowering species produces a dynamic array of color, texture, and contrast that persist throughout the growing season.

The master plan also improved the entry experience to both entrances by creating formal groves and border plantings to draw visitors and employees into the building.

The parking lot and stormwater areas were

re-wilded through the addition of native grasses and shrubs. Likewise, to improve the health of the surrounding forests, wetlands, and meadows, the client committed to ongoing invasive species control.

This project features a host of sustainable site elements such as stormwater infiltration areas, invasive species management programs, local materials, smart irrigation techniques, and urban meadows. The project

was awarded LEED gold certification and shows our passion for plants, wildlife, and the living parts of our landscape.

âž˝ Photos courtesy of Urban Ecosystems. july 20 MNLA.BIZ

35

PLAYGROUNDS

NATURE Contractors diversify into natural playgrounds.

Indira Kannan This article was originally published in Landscape Trades,

Photo: Matt Jacques

Canada’s premier horticultural trade publication.

ABOUT A YEAR AGO Garnet McLaughlin and his wife Alexia, co-founders of outdoor recreation company Cobequid Consulting, based in Economy, N.S., received a video from a family in New Brunswick. McLaughlin said, “The mother is like, ‘I can’t thank you enough, it’s amazing what happened’,” as he recalled her emotional message.

36

MNLA.BIZ july 20

Pam West Photography

NICHE MARKET NURTURES WITH

Natural playgrounds give kids a chance to use their strength, muscles and five senses.

The woman was referring to one of Cobequid’s

installations, a cedar bird’s nest swing that can seat up to five children. One of her children was autistic, non-verbal and had always shunned all contact with his siblings.

The mother told the McLaughlins, “He’s 12 years old, they have no relationship and we’ve tried everything. But we went to that park, he climbed in that swing and his brothers and sisters sat with him and I can’t tell you what that meant. And they’re there every day now, and it’s the whole aroma of the cedar, the wood surface, and the swing ... I can’t thank you enough.”

“You can’t get that with a play structure that’s been assembled out of plastic and steel,” agrees Dave Milburn, founder of Focal Point Landscape Design. His Fredericton, N.B.-based landscaping company ventured into the natural playground space only recently, but has already struck a chord. “The proof always comes a couple of days after we finish, with the emails and the calls saying we can’t get the kids inside; they show us videos of what the kids try to do,” says Milburn. For Milburn and his wife, who helps run their family business, the spark for their new venture was right at home: a daughter who just turned one. As part of their landscaping business, Milburn had worked with schools and was shocked to see the change in how kids play now. “We waited many, many years to have our daughter, adopted from Nunavut,” says Milburn. “We had spent so many years knowing what we wanted for our daughter, and that is to be exposed to nature. That’s the way we grew up and that’s the way we want our lives, and all of a sudden there was a place to put it in our business which

Focal Point Landscape Design

Natural playgrounds incorporate topographical features like slopes, streams, stumps and logs.

15 years ago. Now, having grown to a company with about 80 employees, it deploys over 50 of them in its playground business. Laura Hilliard, the company’s spokesperson, says, “All the things we build have very detailed engineering that goes into the design and construction. They are all built with natural materials and they are often in a setting that is designed to be more natural looking.” She has a shorter, kid-friendlier term for their award-winning structures: “epic.” In fact, Earthscape, which gets three-quarters of its business from the United States, is among

Changing behaviors The demand is coming from various quarters, including residential customers, municipalities, and early childhood learning centers and daycares. A big push for the idea has come from child development experts. Milburn, who counts Bienenstock as a mentor, points to research in his pitch. “Not every kid wants to run and jump and hang, some may just want somewhere to sit quietly, maybe read or play a game together like role playing. So, we look at how to create somewhere for fine motor skills, somewhere for auditory skills, social skills like imagination or problem solving, and try to engage all five senses as much as possible.” He believes natural playgrounds can be helpful in treating behavioral issues.

“Sometimes kids have not been exposed to something they can use their senses on, use their muscles, their grip strength — so all of a sudden what was kind of pent up behavioral issues in the classroom can change when exposed to a different natural environment,” Milburn says.

Ironically, the playgrounds also aim to change the behavior of parents. As Hilliard explains, “Parenting has become more handson, you hear about helicopter parenting where parents want to bubble-wrap children.

But there’s been a counter recognition to that, which says children actually are more likely to injure themselves or not develop fully physically when they don’t have opportunities to play and take risks. So, building play structures and outdoor spaces that are really, really safe, where playground safety becomes the driving concern — when you do that, it actually becomes a negative experience for children.”

That doesn’t mean natural playgrounds are a free-for-all field where anything goes. Companies adhere to federal and local regulations that may differ in different regions. “In Canada, the Day Care Act has regulations about childcare spaces, school boards have their own rules. There are a lot of limitations that you have to creatively work within to design really interesting play spaces,” said Hilliard.

There are also the Canadian Standards As-

Cobequid Consulting

only a handful of companies worldwide working at this scale in the natural play spaces sector. Their projects have ranged in size from just 60 square meters to over 4,000. Another leading Canadian company in this field is Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, founded

by Adam Bienenstock, widely regarded as a pioneer in the industry.

Natural playgrounds are suited for all weather types, built with natural materials.

Bedford Carp

was really, really neat.” Focal Point’s natural playground venture is still in an “early stage,” according to Milburn, having completed a couple of very basic projects and working on two more. One involved sawing an existing playhouse in half, and moving one part to the top of a natural hill, from where kids could use a slide to exit.

While definitions vary, a natural play space is loosely understood to be one that uses natural materials and often incorporates natural topographical features like slopes, streams, stumps, and logs. The idea is to correct what is widely recognized as this generation’s nature deficit disorder. As more communities discover the benefits of providing natural playgrounds for children, or at least incorporating natural elements into conventional play spaces, new business opportunities are opening up, often filled by companies that already have expertise in landscape design and build.

Earthscape, based in Elmira, Ont., started as a typical landscape design and build firm

Natural playgrounds can be an impressive undertaking and contractors must adhere to federal and local regulations.

sociation (CSA) guidelines for children’s play spaces and equipment. Cobequid’s McLaughlin says, “If you’re a playground installation company, you would or should have your own licensed inspectors on staff. A lot of municipalities have their own inspections as well, so two inspections are done.” Accessibility is important, too. Cobequid has a staffer who is clinically blind, to advise on issues like color perception and surface transitions. Adds McLaughlin, “Every site we do now has stainless slides because of kids with cochlear implants, and the static risk from plastic.”

Understanding the value in costs As fast as this business is growing, if it’s not growing even faster, one reason, according to McLaughlin, is community buy-in — especially regarding costs. For instance, Earthscape’s projects can range from $100,000 to over a million dollars. As Milburn explains, “People have to buy in to the value of development and the cognitive change and benefits for the kids this presents, in order to understand the costs.” Steel and plastic have long been mass-manufactured and are cost effective.

“But we’re looking at components that are hand manufactured, hand carved at times, from naturally occurring materials like wood and stone that takes a) craftsmanship, and b) the installation knowhow so it’s not going to decompose or rot,” says Milburn. “But the july 20 MNLA.BIZ

37

PLAYGROUNDS

 Benefits of natural playgrounds Several studies have noted that exposure to nature and natural play spaces is highly beneficial during children’s early development years, providing better outcomes than conventional playgrounds constructed of plastic and steel. Some of the benefits include: • Visual skills and balance by playing on loose and flexible surfaces • Auditory skills from listening to the sounds of nature • Motor skills and strength through physical activity • Improved attention spans through discovery of natural elements • Social skills • Respect for the environment • Problem solving and creativity • Emotional health from exposure to nature

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MNLA.BIZ july 20

beauty of most of this is that it doesn’t get hot, so there’s a big change in the sensory engagement.”

As the world tries to move away from plastic, the demand for this field can only grow, especially with a helping hand from the world of social media. McLaughlin says he hasn’t “spent a dime,” but gets inquiries for fabricated products from around the world, just by being found online. Cobequid is usually booked a year in advance, with plans including branching out beyond the Maritimes. Hilliard says Earthscape works on anywhere between 50 to 100 projects every year. Milburn aims to grow enough to have a team dedicated to natural playgrounds. Companies in this field are also looking to hire workers ranging from welders and carpenters to CAD users. Looking even further ahead, Milburn quotes Bienenstock to say natural playgrounds can be an investment towards tackling a persistent complaint of the landscaping industry — the shortage of skilled labor. Children exposed to nature early, the theory goes, will grow into adults interested in landscaping — as employees, employers and clients. Child’s play, it seems, is not quite child’s play. ➽ INDIRA KANNAN is a Toronto-based freelance writer.

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IRRIGATION

SMART IRRIGATION CAN MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. To some, it means simply irrigating less; to others, it means investing in a new controller; and to some it may mean using all of the latest technologies and practices available to ensure no water is wasted. No matter how you define smart irrigation, nothing would be possible without the people behind the technologies, practices and management of irrigation.

Though this year has brought our industry

and society many challenges, the irrigation, agricultural and landscape industries rose to the occasion. In many areas throughout the United States, horticulture remained an essential service and irrigation professionals continued their work in ensuring our landscapes remained vibrant and healthy, while protecting our nation’s water supply.

Not since World War II have we seen such pride taken in our landscapes. From Victory Gardens to kids’ play areas, our landscapes now mean more than ever before – a critical component to our happiness and well-being.

We have also seen heroes come in different forms than what we are historically used to. In the past, we have celebrated the military after fighting for our freedoms at home and abroad, and we have celebrated first responders after local and national tragedies. Now, we celebrate our doctors, nurses, grocery workers and others who are putting themselves in harm’s way in the midst of a pandemic to provide us with the critical services we need to survive. Our industry also has heroes. While they may not receive national recognition, they are out in the public, doing work essential to our happiness and livelihood. Those behind smart irrigation, including our landscapes and agriculture should be celebrated.

When the Irrigation Association (IA) decided to dedicate July 2020’s Smart Irrigation Month as a celebration of the people behind smart irrigation, we had no idea we would face the challenges of a global pandemic. july 20 MNLA.BIZ

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“

WE NEED TO DO MORE AS AN INDUSTRY TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK EVERYONE INVOLVED.

However, recognizing the role everyone plays in our industry means more now than ever before. Our manufacturers are still innovating and making products, our distributors are still bringing these technologies to the marketplace and our contractors are still providing the services needed to customers — saving them water and money, while growing a healthy landscape.

We need to do more as an industry to recognize and thank everyone involved. We have come a long way over the years — we have driven innovation, we have embraced state of the art technology, and we are providing more water management tools to our customers than ever before. We have talented people in every nook and cranny of our industry – from the management of manufacturers to the technicians installing systems, we need to celebrate every last person in our industry.

This is why we are recognizing the people behind smart irrigation this July during Smart Irrigation Month. Here is how you can join us: Wear blue on Technology Tuesday, July 7, 2020. Show your irrigation pride by wearing blue to kick off Smart Irrigation Month!

Share your story with the IA. Go to smartirrigationmonth.org to share your stories.

You may be featured via IA’s social media as a thank you for everything you are doing!

Post photos of you and your colleagues wearing blue on Technology Tuesday and

”

throughout Smart Irrigation Month. This is a great way to showcase your work.

Ask your local radio station to play a public service announcement on the importance of efficient irrigation technologies and practices.

We have several scripts and prerecorded messages for you to use at smartirrigationmonth.org.

Finally, while we need to hold each other accountable to celebrate Smart Irrigation Month this July, let’s remember that smart irrigation does not begin on July 1 nor end on July 31. We need to celebrate all smart irrigation brings throughout the year. Smart irrigation can be in action at any time and at any place. We need to grow the opportunities that exist to not only employ these best practices but also shine a light on them as the way irrigation should be done. The tools available at www.smartirrigationmonth.org and www. irrigation.org are a great start in making this happen. Smart irrigation can be celebrated in July, but it can be put into practice all yearround.

You are on the front lines of irrigation in action. Thank you for all you do and happy Smart Irrigation Month. ➽ JOHN FARNER is the Government &

There are 1,080 trays per pallet, and the size of each pop-up tray is 16 x 12 x 3.

The pallets can be delivered for a small additional fee or you can save delivery charges by picking them up at the Brooklyn Park location. Visit MNLA.biz or contact Mary at 651-633-4987.

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They understand what green industry business owners face on a regular basis: Contracts, Construction Law, Mechanics Liens, Business Formation, Collections, and Employment Law. MNLA members receive a discounted rate.

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Public Affairs Director for the Irrigation Association, and can be reached at johnfarner@irrigation.org. july 20 MNLA.BIZ

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GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Year-Round Advocacy in 2020 Forrest Cyr

MNLA Government Affairs Director

Minnesota’s green industry is a respected voice at the Minnesota State Capitol, advocating for pro-business, pro-environment policies to ensure that members of the green industry can effectively run their businesses.

In 2020, the goals of the government affairs team at the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) adapted to meet the needs of the industry in response to COVID-19 and economic strife. As these efforts continue, it’s important that members should continue to engage in MNLA’s grassroots and political efforts.

Working with a dedicated group of volunteer experts from a variety of different green industry specialty fields, the importance of the industry is known to legislators, stakeholders, and the public through sustained communication, advocacy, and networking. This visibility serves the members well now and positions the Green Industry to succeed for years to come.

To further strengthen our government affairs program, the Minnesota Green Industry Political Action Committee (“The PAC”) should be a priority for the association’s membership and leadership. Advocacy doesn’t stop at the end of the legislative session, and the work done in the interim leads to more influence and more legislative victories in Saint Paul. 2020 is unprecedented, and the Green Industry must maintain contact and relationships with legislative allies throughout the year.

The PAC, through its bylaws, contributes to Minnesota legislative candidates on a non-partisan basis, supporting those who support the green industry in Minnesota. A

strong, well-funded PAC, just like an engaged membership, demonstrates how invested the members of the green industry are, and how closely they watch policy decisions in Saint Paul. Individuals know that when giving their hardearned money to the PAC, their contributions will only go to candidates who are friends of the green industry.

Our legislative accomplishments (including successfully advocating for the green industry’s stay-at-home exemption) demonstrate the current policy influence of the green industry and MNLA. However, some priority issues, such as the salt liability bill and the backflow reform legislation, remain a work-in-progress. Increased member participation in Green Industry advocacy is critical to future policy victories and industry success.

We as an industry can do more to strengthen our advocacy outreach; advocacy is a year-round endeavor. Through both grassroots and electoral activities, Minnesota’s green industry can influence policy not just during session, but throughout the calendar year. The Minnesota Green Industry PAC should be central to this effort. ➽ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN ADVOCACY can help your business and the green industry in Minnesota, contact Forrest Cyr at forrest@mnla.biz, or visit www. mnla.biz.

july 20 MNLA.BIZ

47

MEMBERSHIP

LET’S GOLF!

TIME TO RENEW!

Great incentive for online renewal! The first part of June you should receive an email about renewing your 2020–2021 MNLA membership.

Renew online by July 31, 2020 and be entered in a drawing for $150 CASH! (Does not apply to delayed payment option.)

Contact the MNLA office if you need assistance with the renewal

Did you know?

process or information on any of our products and services at

You can delay

651.633.4987 or mnla@mnla.biz. Your continued support and

your dues

involvement as a member of MNLA is greatly appreciated! Providing

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8/15/2020.

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PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION WORKSHOP

Widmer Golf Tournament will be held on July 22 at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake.

All precautions will be taken to meet social distancing requirements and the guidelines set in place by local and state agencies. We have added a few “fun” events too! It’s going to be a great day!

To register, go to www.MNLA.biz/events or call 651-633-4987.

This Workshop Meets MDA’s 6/23/2020 Commercial Pesticide Applicator Requirements For: Category A (Core), E (Turf and Ornamentals), and optional category J (Forestry, Rights-of-Way and Natural Areas).

Golf-is-a-Go-2020-one-sixth.indd 1

This is the last opportunity to renew your Pesticide Applicator License in 2020.

• Licensed pesticide applicators who attend a workshop in their needed category fulfill their recertification requirement.

• If you are not sure you need to recertify, check the “recertify by date” on your applicator’s ID card or review your license Information on the MDA website: www.mda.state.mn.us

REGISTER AT WWW.MNLA.BIZ

November 20, 2020 | New Brighton Community Center

Category A & E: 8:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. | Category A, E & J: 8:00 a.m.–4:15 p.m.

48

MNLA.BIZ july 20 November2020-Pesticide-MNLA.indd 1

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2020 Model Year Exclusiveve Allowance. Saon up to $9,000 . select models

Rebates up to $9,000 on your choice of Dodge, Jeep, and RAM vehicles. Available to all MNLA members!

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CERTIFICATION

MNLA CERTIFICATION WHO | WHEN | WHERE | WHY WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

To register for the exam you must meet the following requirements: • Have either two years of study in an accredited post-secondary nursery and/ or landscape program that includes a structured internship, OR • A minimum of 2,000 hours in nursery or landscape-related employment.

A signature of an educational advisor or work supervisor is required on the exam registration form to verify completion of the prerequisite.

Your One Tractor Solution

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• Identifies you as a professional.

TIFIE • Gives you credentials ER and proves your qualifications.

• Provides you instant FE SSIO credibility with your clients, and increases opportunities for advancement with many employers.

• Demonstrates your commitment to your profession.

• Distinguishes you from the competition.

• Qualifies you to do expert work and give expert advice.

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WHY DOES IT BENEFIT MNLA MEMBERS?

MNLA member businesses that employ certified professionals enhance their professional image, increase customer recognition and respect, provide a consumer marketing tool, and offer an additional tool for employee motivation, evaluation, and advancement.

WHY DOES IT BENEFIT ME IN MY CAREER?

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• Identifies you as a professional.

• Gives you credentials and proves your qualifications.

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• Demonstrates your commitment to your profession.

• Distinguishes you from the competition.

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EXAM FORMAT

The exam is given in an electronic format with inline photos and videos and immediate results. It is a two-part exam: you must pass a Basic Knowledge Exam and a specialty of your choosing (Landscape, Garden Center or Grower) to become MNLA Certified.

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MNLA.BIZ july 20

To maintain certification status, all individuals must compile at least 18 continuing education points every three years, and pay a $15 recertification fee. NOTE: The recertification process is now done online at www.MNLA.biz.

UPCOMING EXAM DATES

When: Oct. 23 (FULL), Oct. 30, Nov. 6, Nov. 13 Where: The MNLA Classroom 1813 Lexington Ave. N, Roseville, MN 55113 Only seven seats are available for each test date. Please apply early!

HOW TO PREPARE:  ONLINE STUDY CHAPTERS  PRACTICE TEST  PLANT I.D. WEBINAR

FROM THE PRESIDENT

➽ CONTINUED from page 10

“

OUTCOMES IN LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION ARE AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN DICTATED BY BEHAVIOR, MORE SO THAN MANY OTHER SEGMENTS OF THE GREEN INDUSTRY.

beds, around foundations, etc. The general discussion in 2007 was that over 50% of the water used for landscape irrigation was wasted due to poor design and installation practices and also due to poor maintenance and scheduling practices. That same assumption is in place today, despite good efforts over time to increase awareness of water-efficient irrigation products and practices.

It was during this period that the US EPA launched its WaterSense® Partnership program, which then envisioned a goal to save 20% of the water used in cities and suburbs without negatively impacting our daily lives.

The savings were envisioned to come largely from repairs to old infrastructure and new, water-efficient plumbing and landscape irrigation products. Such savings EPA reasoned, could help put-off the need to expand our water infrastructure and ease concerns over the availability of freshwater, especially in drought-prone population centers.

What EPA quickly realized is that unlike other water-using industries, the landscape irrigation industry is largely unregulated, un-standardized, and widely dependent on behavioral choices of the boots-on-the-ground individual; relegating new, water-efficient irrigation components to second-class citizenship in its goals to realize improved water-efficiency in the landscape.

Here’s some (broad-based) perspective: Thinking about those 60 million mostlyirrigated acres of landscape referred to earlier, using the “rule of thumb of 1-inch per week in summer”, that’s one trillion, six hundred twenty-nine billion, two hundred forty million gallons of freshwater applied every week. If 50% is wasted, that’s 800+/million gallons of water wasted every week.

Thinking about an average 1/3 acre suburban residence with a “traditional” landscape and the “rule of thumb 1-inch per week” supplemental irrigation in summer, the landscape may receive about 2,000 gallons

”

per irrigation or, 7,000 gallons per week. Fifty percent of waste is 3,500 of those gallons.

If an irrigation system is poorly designed or poorly operated, even more water will be used to overcome deficiencies or lazy behavior.

Outcomes in landscape irrigation are and always have been dictated by behavior, more so than many other segments of the Green Industry. An irrigation system is a confluence of parts. The layout, assembly, and use of those parts is 100% dictated by the behavior of the person who designs, installs and maintains the system. This is the key factor to the comments you may have heard about SMART irrigation controllers like “…they don’t work…”.

On the contrary, SMART controllers work so well that the soils and design and maintenance deficiencies of an irrigation system are magnified when a SMART controller is properly programmed.

An acceptably designed broadcast sprinkler-based landscape irrigation system is generally thought to be 65% water-efficient. A july 20 MNLA.BIZ

51

Courtesy of Irrigation by Design

FROM THE PRESIDENT

similar system that achieves the WaterSense goal will be 81.5% efficient. Is it possible to install a perfectly designed irrigation system?

Not really. Can we as an industry achieve the original WaterSense goal of 20% improvement without negatively impacting our daily lives? Yes, if we as an industry are willing to do our jobs properly, professionally. Most of the product improvements necessary already exist. But more than parts, it will require a decision to behave in ways that have been long established but, are often ignored.

Best Practices in Design, Installation, Maintenance, and Operation The professional practices (behaviors) that were and still are, the focus of professional certifications and concurrently, SMART Irrigation Month include a reaffirmation of best practices in design, installation, maintenance, and operation. Some new practices have emerged since the establishment of SMART Irrigation Month but, the practices listed below are examples of best practice behavior goals that have existed for a long time: Design

• Placing and piping sprinklers in areas of similar characteristics (known by some as “hydrozoning”) including sun/shade, slope, soil and plant type; • Place sprinklers to avoid throwing over sidewalks and other hard surfaces. You can water concrete all you want; it won’t grow, wastes water, and is a court-proven pedestrian safety liability to the owner; • Require pressure-regulating sprinklers and pressure-compensating components.

• Simple rain-sensing technology is required by law in Minnesota and, is among the lowest-hanging fruit to reduce water waste. Thinking 52

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back to a rainy day at the 1/3 acre property mentioned earlier, a single rain event interrupted by simple rain-sensing technology saves 2,000 gallons of water. Multiply that savings by thousands of 1/3 acre homes and the water saved in one day is striking! Multiply that by all irrigated landscapes and we are talking about some extreme water savings.

Installation

• Sprinkler spacing within manufacturer recommendations (Water in Motion generally designs broadcast sprinklers to 80%–90% of manufacturer spacing recommendation to ensure sprinkler-to-sprinkler coverage) • Avoid “serpentining” drip pipe around plants. Drip irrigation is designed to water the soil, not the plant. A serpentined drip tube installation is one of the most common misapplications of otherwise highly water-efficient equipment and results in a complete waste of resources.

To be efficient and effective, drip emitters are to be placed in grids.

Installation/Maintenance

• Perform matched application rate exercises on broadcast sprinklers.

Maintenance

• Conduct regular, periodic, proactive walk-through of the system. Spring start and autumn close alone is not proactive maintenance.

Operation

• Avoid set-and-forget schedules. Use the long-available scheduling tools of cycleand-soak and reference weather to water efficiently based on soil type and weather patterns.

• Install and properly program SMART irrigation controllers and contemporary

rain-sensing equipment. When system deficiencies are revealed by the use of these products, don’t abandon the technology, address the problem!

• For installation and maintenance proposals, illustrate to your client the long-term savings of a properly operated, water-efficient landscape irrigation system. The savings extend beyond water to include reduced labor, electricity, fertilizer, and a healthier, more resilient landscape.

Everything I’ve listed in the bullets above is included in good quality irrigation education and certification programs. Everything I’ve listed in the bullets above is preached by the manufacturing community that spends millions of dollars annually producing water-efficient irrigation components. But, unlike say, a water-efficient showerhead whereby the technology is contained in the product, irrigation components are only components – parts of a system. Without conscientious behavior by the designer, installer, and operator, the finished system will only be as good as its weakest point.

You likely know the following statement differently but, I’ll say it anyway — irrigation systems don’t waste water; people waste water.

Whether you are a landscape professional looking for an irrigation company to partner with, a consumer looking to make a good choice, or an irrigation practitioner building a career or practice, I encourage you to consider this information and make choices to embrace industry best practices and water-efficient products as the ONLY smart choice when choosing to assume the responsibility for the single largest water-using appliance at most properties. ➽ I WANT TO KNOW YOUR COMMENTS! Please write to me at TimM@watermotion.com.

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MNLA FOUNDATION

Growing Pains and Gains Paulette Sorenson MNLA Foundation Program Coordinator

The MNLA Foundation has been out promoting horticulture careers, and much has been achieved. Opening doors is half the battle to make people realize we are here.

The industry is coming together; we have been talking to teachers, children, students, parents, and adults about the wonderful world of horticulture and landscape. Then COVID-19 happened. We are re-learning how to do business, teach students, and promote future careers. The good news is that we are making strides even in this time of change.

In partnership with St. Paul high schools, the MNLA Foundation was called upon for assistance with virtual teaching by helping brainstorm ideas to identify opportunities to assist during the end of the 2020 school year.

Unfortunately, virtual teaching was new to both teachers and students. Teachers were telling us that less than half of the students were doing their work, actively participating, or even showing up.

The MNLA Foundation set out to help. Brainstorming ideas was the easy part. Together with MNLA members, we organized supplies for grow kits and delivered them to five St. Paul high schools. Students picked up the grow 54

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kits curbside. We armed the kits with activities from our MNLA Horticulture Curriculum which they could use to explore and report back in their virtual classes. “With COVID-19, it’s been really hard to engage students when you are teaching virtually. MNLA helped us get grow kits out to families, and they had fun learning about growing plants.” said Andrea Nolte, agriculture teacher from St. Paul Humboldt High School.

Through the pains of dispelling myths about the green industry, growing concerns about college debt and giving back to the environment, we are gaining serious traction for horticulture careers. We need to be louder about the green industry profession; to sing its praises and diversity; to be confident in our relevance; and to tell anyone who will listen why they should feel that horticulture and landscaping are careers to be proud of.

A special thank you to Carlin Sales/ProGreen Plus, GardenWorld, Inc., and Gerten’s Wholesale for donating the supplies for the grow kits!

Upcoming Classes & Events WIDMER GOLF TOURNAMENT

JUL 22

MAJESTIC OAKS GOLF CLUB

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JUL 28

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MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY

MNLA LANDSCAPE CASE STUDY

AUG 5

AUG 11

MNLA OFFICE

“DRIVE YOURSELF” TURF & LAWN FIELD TRIP

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SEP 22

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NOV 20

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Go to www.MNLA.biz/events to sign up for these events and more!

JAN 12-14

MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER For these events, all precautions will be taken to meet social distancing requirements and the guidelines set in place by local and state agencies as well as venues. Should changes occur causing an event to be cancelled due to COVID-19 issues, your registration would be refunded in full.

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