The Scoop Online – September 2011

MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION . . . SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES GROW HERE!

THE

Insights and Information for Green Industry Professionals

VOLUME 34, NUMBER 9 September 2011

First-ever MNLA Snow Day PAGE 25

Still time to sign up! | PAGE 39

Benefit for Scholarships | PAGE 34

Details online: www.sstree.com

Bachman’s | Gerten’s | Hedberg Aggregates | Southview Garden Center | Heins Landscape d cape Center dscape

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ADVERTISER INDEX

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From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Business Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Landscape Contractors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Garden Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 61 Sustainable Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19, 33, 34 Landscape Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Widmer Golf Tournament . . . . . . . . 22, 24 MNLA Snow Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Snow & Ice Management. . . . . . . . . 26-32 MNLA Shootout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Northern Green Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Green for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Public Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-44 Recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 MNLA Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50, 51-55 Plant of the Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 MDA Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Government Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Membership Renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

AccuSpread, Inc. - 43 Anchor Block Company - 67 Aspen Equipment - 65 Bailey Nurseries - 12 Baker Lake Nursery - 16 Belgard Hardscapes - Northfield - 10 Berger Peat Moss - 27 Bridgewater Tree Farms - 13 Bullis Insurance Agency - 16 Carlin Horticultural Supplies/ProGreen Plus - 22 Casualty Assurance - 15 Central Landscape Supply - 19 Central Wisconsin Evergreens, Inc. - 37 Cherokee Mfg. - 64 Crysteel Truck Equipment - 49 Cushman Motor Co. Inc - 14 D. Hill Nursery Co. - 28 Evergreen Nursery Co., Inc. - 20 Fury Motors - 44 Gardenworld Inc. - 28 Gertens Wholesale - 17 Glacial Ridge Growers - 29 Great Northern Equipment Distributing, Inc. - 26 Haag Companies, Inc. - 7 Hal Tiffany Agency - 29 Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies - 21 Hoffman & McNamara Nursery and Landscape - 32 Jeff Belzer Chevrolet - 5

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www.MNLA.biz | SEPTEMBER 2011

Johnson’s Nursery, Inc. - 42 Kage Innovation - 32 Klaus Nurseries - 40 Kubota Dealers - 45 Maguire Agency - 42 McKay Nursery Co. - 18 Midwest Groundcovers - 41 Natural Industries - 57 North Country Ford - 29 Out Back Nursery - 56 Plaisted Companies - 46 RDO Equipment Co. - 53 RDO Integrated Controls - 59 Rock Hard Landscape Supply division of Brian’s Lawn & Landscaping, Inc. - 50 S & S Tree Specialists - 2 TerraDek Lighting, Inc. - 51 The Builders Group - 52 The Mulch Store - 23 The Tessman Company - 11 Timberwall Landscape Products - 63 Titan Machinery (formerly Carlson Tractor and Equipment Co.) - 68 Titan Machinery (formerly St Joseph Equipment Inc.) - 58 Truck Utilities & Mfg. Co. - 55 Vermeer Sales & Service - 30 Wheeler Landscape Supply - 4 Ziegler Cat - 3

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Upcoming Events September 8 – Green Infrastructure for Clean Water: Trees, Roots, and their Role in Stormwater Management. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska. For more information, see www.arboretum.umn.edu/symposiaandconferences.aspx.

Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association 1813 Lexington Ave. N. Roseville, MN 55113

8-9 – Foster’s Spring Market 2012. Mayo Civic Center, Rochester. For more information or to register call 1-800-747-2756.

651-633-4987, fax 651-633-4986 Outside the metro area, toll free: 888-886-MNLA, fax 888-266-4986

15 – MTGF Field Day. University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus. For more information, see page 66 or www.mtgf.org.

www.MNLA.biz • GardenMinnesota.com

21 – MNLA Foundation Sporting Clays Tournament. For more information, see page 34 or www.MNLA.biz.

The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help nursery and landscape related companies in Minnesota and the surrounding region operate their businesses more successfully.

22 – Green for Life – an MNLA Public Service Event. For more information, see page 39 or visit www.MNLA.biz.

October 12 – MNLA Snow Day. Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul. For more information, see page 25 or visit www.MNLA.biz.

18 – Ornamental Grass Collection Open House. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska.

For more information see page 17 or call 952-443-1447 or e-mail meyer023@umn.edu.

November 3-5 – TCI Expo. Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, CT. To learn more, or register, please visit www.tcia.org.

18 – MNLA/MTGF Pesticide Recertification. University of Minnesota Continuing Education & Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 35 or www.MNLA.biz.

December 12 – Lunch ‘n Learn: PGRs on Woody Plants. MNLA Office, Roseville. For more information, see page 35 or visit www.MNLA.biz.

January 3 – Super Tuesday. Minneapolis Convention Center. For more information, see page 38 or www.mnla.biz!

4-6 – Northern Green Expo. Minneapolis Convention Center. Exhibit contracts available online at www.northerngreenexpo.org or call 651-633-4987.

20 - MNLA Certification Exam. Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park. For more information visit www.MNLA.biz.

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www.MNLA.biz | SEPTEMBER 2011

MNLA Mission

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bert Swanson, MNLA-CP, President Swanson’s Nursery Consulting, Inc. 218-732-3579 • btswanson@gmail.com Debbie Lonnee, MNLA-CP, Vice President Bailey Nurseries, Inc. 651-768-3375 debbie.lonnee@baileynursery.com Heidi Heiland, MNLA-CP, Secretary-Treasurer Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens 612-366-7766 • heidi@BloomOnMN.com Van Cooley, Past President Malmborg’s, Inc. 763-535-4695 van@geraniumsbygeorge.com Randy Berg, MNLA-CP Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 rberg@smig.net Scott Frampton Landscape Renovations 651-769-0010 sframpton@landscaperenovations.com Tim Malooly, CID, CLIA, CIC Irrigation By Design Inc. 763-559-7771 • timm@ibdmn.com Bill Mielke Wilson’s Nursery, Inc. 952-445-3630 bill@wilsonsnurseryinc.com Herman Roerick Central Landscape Supply 320-252-1601 hermanr@centrallandscape.com Bob Fitch MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • bob@mnla.biz The Scoop is published 12 times per year by the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 1813 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113. Address corrections should be sent to the above address. News and advertising deadlines are the 5th of the month preceding publication.

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The Scoop | FROM THE PRESIDENT

Energy in the Work Place

By Bert Swanson, Swanson’s Nursery Consulting

NLA and the Minnesota Legislature has generated and expended significant levels of energy to eliminate government competition in the Bert Swanson green industry. A HUGE “THANK YOU AND WELL DONE” is due to everyone that expended energy in MNLA’s effort to eliminate government competition within our industry – specifically competition from the DNR State Nurseries. It took many long hours of talented and dedicated work by MNLA’s Executive Director Bob Fitch, Senator John Peterson, Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen, Representative Denny McNamara, Commercial Seedling Committee Chair Bill Sayward and his Committee Members Dave Olson, Mike Lane, Nate Maren, Trent Schumacher, and Adam Schumacher, plus Government Affairs Committee Chair Tim Malooly, MNLA Consultants Doug Carnival, John Boland and Tim Power, and a host of additional MNLA members that conducted significant grass roots phone calls and emails to insure that the correct information was provided to the legislators. This was truly an all out MNLA event that made it possible to achieve a victory in making significant progress toward this long-standing goal.

Rest assured that MNLA will continue its vigilance to maintain this goal and to eliminate and prevent any further government competition within the green industry. Thanks again to all of you!

M

This huge energy expenditure by MNLA has already inspired an MNLA member to spend energy and money for expansion of facilities to grow more trees.

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Such energy is crucial to your business, as is a high level of energy within your business. Energy in the work place breeds good actions and results.

Fortunately, most organizations have some real “energizers,” but unfortunately, it is often difficult to avoid some “deenergizers” in any organization.

Although personal “Energy” may indicate mentally engaged, enthusiasm, and willingness to commit, the term can also be highly elusive.

To clarify this concept, R. Cross, (robcross@virginia.edu) University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, W. Baker, University of Michigan Business School, and A. Parker, IBM Institute for Knowledge-based Organizations, published: “What Creates Energy in Organizations?” in the MIT Sloan Management Review, 2003, Volume 44(4):51-56, (Reprint #4445), Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

These researchers found that people that energize other people are also the best performers. Some of their reasons for this correlation include: 1. Energizers are more likely to have their ideas considered and put into action.

2. Energizers get more from those around them.

3. Energizers attract commitments of other high performers.

Plus, not only are energizers better performers themselves, but people strongly connected to an energizer, are also better performers.

How is “Energy” created and how are people energized? Cross, Baker and Parker cite the following ways in which people are energized, and they provide significant additional discussion on these methods in the publication.

1. People are energized by interactions in which a compelling vision

is created.

2. People are energized by interactions in which they can contribute meaningfully.

3. People are energized when participants are fully engaged in an interaction.

4. People are energized in interactions marked by progress.

5. People are energized in interactions when hope becomes part of the equation.

These all seem like straight forward well understood statements, but what is the level of “Energy” in your company?

Have you looked at this important factor as part of your personnel evaluations and the subsequent success of your business?

How do you determine the level of “Energy” in your organization? Cross, Baker and Parker provide the following guidelines and questions to ask of, and within, your company to assess and improve the “Energy” level within your organization.

1. Do you weave relationship development into work and day-to-day actions? Concern for others and connections outside of work-based roles allow trust to develop.

2. Do you do what you say you are going to do? People’s reservations fall away only if they can trust that others will follow through on their commitments.

3. Do you address issues with integrity? People are energized in the presence of others who stand for something larger than themselves.

4. Do you look for possibilities or just identify constraints? De-energizers keep ideas from ever getting off the ground by seeing only obstacles to success.

5. When you disagree with someone, do you focus attention on the issue at

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT | The Scoop

How and When Employee Breaks Have To Be Considered Paid Time

hand, rather than the individual?

Energizers are able to disagree with an idea while not marginalizing the person who presented it.

6. Are you cognitively and physically engaged in meetings and conversations, rather than just going through the motions of being engaged? This is usually much more transparent than deenergizers think. Energizers physically and mentally show their interest in the person and the topic of conversation.

7. Are you flexible in your thinking or do you force others to come to your way of thinking? Rather than force others to accept their way of thinking, energizers draw people into conversations and projects by finding opportunities for them to contribute.

8. Do you use your own expertise appropriately? Too often, experts or leaders destroy energy in their haste to find a solution or demonstrate their knowledge.

Energy in organizations matters for performance, morale, innovation and learning. Also, energizers affect more than just performance. They have a major impact on what individuals and networks as a whole learn over time.

People rely on their networks for information to get their work done, and they are much more likely to seek information and, therefore, learn from energizers than from de-energizers.

Hopefully you can all raise your Energy level, have a positive outlook ahead, and have a busy and profitable Fall Season! q ________________________________ Bert Swanson is president of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association. He can be reached at btswanson2@gmail.com.

By Patrick McGuiness, Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC get many questions from clients about what the law says in relation to paying Patrick McGuiness employees for lunch breaks and other breaks. Both Minnesota Statutes and federal law address this issue. Each source says something different, so when in doubt, apply the standard which is more protective of the employees.

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Federal law does not require coffee breaks or smoking breaks. However, federal law does state that when a company does provide these types of breaks, they must be treated as paid time.

Meal breaks are treated differently by federal law. Once again, there is no requirement that meal breaks be provided. Because meal breaks serve a different purpose than coffee or smoking breaks, they do not need to be considered paid work time.

Generally speaking, if a coffee break is less than twenty minutes, it should be paid time. If a break is greater than thirty minutes, it may be treated as a meal break. This does not mean that an employee can take as many short breaks as they want to and have to be paid.

Unauthorized extensions of work breaks, or unauthorized breaks which do not follow company break policies do not need to be counted as payable work time if the employer has expressly communicated to the employee the break time parameters and stated that unauthorized extensions or breaks will be punished.

Differing from federal law, Minnesota

law does require that employees are given breaks. For every four consecutive hours of work performed, employees must be given a break and permitted to use the nearest restroom. Once again, shorter breaks of up to twenty minutes must be paid time for the employee. Minnesota law also provides meal breaks for employees who work eight or more consecutive hours. The meal breaks do not have to be considered paid time, if they are at least twenty minutes long and the employee is free from all work tasks during that time.

Bottom Line: If your company performs work in Minnesota, you must give employees a chance to use the restroom once every four hours and that break should be paid. If your employees work eight hours or more at a stretch, you must provide them with an unpaid meal break. Meal breaks do not have to be paid if they are longer than twenty minutes. q ________________________________ This article provides general information on business matters and should not be relied upon as legal advice. A qualified attorney must analyze all relevant facts and apply the applicable law to any matter before legal advice can be given. If you would like more information regarding contract law or other legal matters, please contact Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC at 651-206-3203 or pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com Patrick McGuiness is one of the founding partners of Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC. His law practice focuses on assisting contractors & other small business owners.

He is also part owner of One Call Property Care, LLC a Minneapolis landscaping & Property Management Company.

SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | IRRIGATION

Seasoned Veterans

By Rick Walters, Northway Irrigation

and out of irrigation. Over the years we have invited many people who have never came to the event because of one reason or another. I think they might not want to see someone who just might be

'm writing this after meeting with a bunch of "Old Timers" for lunch.

This is a small group of long time irrigation professionals who not only have been in the irrigation business a long time, but are well seasoned. Some are retired or semi-retired and some are still active in irrigation or in some other type of business. We meet three or four times a year, and have been doing this for several years. Sometimes there are only four of us and sometimes 10. We have no official name and have no dues or agenda. This is just a group of friends meeting and having a good time talking Guess who these people are... mostly about the good old days in

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www.MNLA.biz | SEPTEMBER 2011

there. That is too bad, but that is their choice. There was one who first said he did not want to be involved with any organization that had regular meetings and paid dues. We explained that this was not the case. He finally came to a get together, and now asks when we are having the next one, because he really enjoys the time together, There is a lot of experience and knowledge in this group, so I thought I would bring up the topic of licensing of irrigation contractors and get their thoughts on the matter. I mentioned that the MNLA Irrigation Committee was thinking of bringing this up to Continued on page 12

SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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Continued from page 10

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the state legislators before they do it on their own (this was before the government shutdown). There are many states that are licensing landscape and irrigation contractors because of shady work some sell to the public. You know that might be here next. That subject always comes up in our group; how do these companies get away with installing such poorly designed systems, and stay in business? The MNLA and IA have been trying for years to get the contractors, through education, to install the right way, but the economy has set the industry back. That is another story, so back to the group.

They naturally had different opinions about the licensing, but they all expressed their worry about enforcement. Most agreed that licensing without enforcement is kind of what we have now. We have a rain sensor that is, by law, supposed to be installed on a new system, with no way to enforce it. There are a lot of systems being installed without one just to keep the price down. There again, the customer just looks at the low price and does not realize what he is getting. The back flow is supposed to be installed by a licensed plumber. Although some cities do a good job with this, it is wildly abused. In some cases, the contractor (I use this term loosely) has the homeowner pull the permit and will do the plumbing after inspection hours.

The PLT license that is policed by the state is not a priority of the Electrical Board, and is not enforced even when there is a reported abuse. With the problems that the State of Minnesota has with the budget and not being able to get any of their regular work done, this might not be the right time to bring this up before them. I have been in a Linkedin discussion about government involvement with water related issues, and as Andy Smith stated: "The inefficiency and lack of understanding of government seems to always create more problems than it solves through regulation and mandates."

The Old Timers group had no real answer to the problem but suggested we try to police ourselves. Like I said, we have tried to teach the industry to give the customer a good product at a reasonable price so we can pay our employees a good wage and make a small profit, and be able to sleep at night. There is nothing wrong with making a profit. After all, isn’t that what we are in business for? You see every day that another contractor goes out of business. Why? I’m sure glad I’m not a supplier selling to these people and trying to collect money they don’t have. With the cost of business going up every day, we don’t understand how these people stay in business bidding so low on these projects. I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but it might reach some. The MNLA offers classes on installation and general business but the people who really need this are not there. One way to get them there is licensing. Then they have to attend these classes to get their CEU’s. If there are any other ideas you might have, please let us know. This industry is out of hand and needs help. q

(651) 459-9744

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BaileyNurseries.com

www.MNLA.biz | SEPTEMBER 2011

________________________________________________ Rick Walters is a member of the MNLA Irrigation Industry Committee and can be reached at rick@northwayIrrigation.com.

The Scoop | LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS

Rain … Rain … Rain!!

By Tim Oberg, Southview Design think if I were to say it had been a somewhat wet year, most people would say that was an understatement. We have had our share of rain and it has caused problems trying to get work done, but we all agree we need the rain to be able to do our work. A drought makes it very difficult to put in shrubs, trees and plants as well as try to Tim Oberg cut grass that doesn’t grow. So we need rain.

Our problem this year has been how we have been getting the rain. It doesn’t seem like we get a nice soaking rain once a week (that would be too much to ask), but we get several inches of rain in a matter of a few hours. That causes several problems. The rain doesn’t get a chance to soak into the ground because it is falling so fast, so the majority of it runs off, leaving many plants needing more water.

The water that runs off puts a strain on our stormwater systems and causes local flooding. Homeowners that have never had water in their basement have had a real problem this year, and that can be very costly to clean up. The water that runs off also has many pollutants that it picks up along the way and gets warmer as it runs over the concrete curbs and down the asphalt streets. This hot dirty water enters our lakes and streams and causes the pollution and fish kills that we all dread. So what do we do? Do we just shrug our shoulders and say, “This is Minnesota, if you don’t like the weather stick around it will change,” or do we take advantage of Mother Nature and try to grow our businesses?

Stormwater management is a great way to help our businesses grow. We can manage stormwater several ways, and all of them will keep us working. We need to make sure we talk to homeowners about the importance of stormwater management and how it can help them. The day is coming when it will be mandated that all

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water that falls on a property must stay on the property. Let’s not wait until then to be prepared. What can we do as an industry to help with stormwater management? We have many options. I would like to discuss a few.

We can install rain water gardens to help collect water on a property and allow it to infiltrate back into the soil. We can install trees (vertical rain water gardens) to help use the rain water that falls on a property. We can use rain barrel and rain box systems to collect the water off of roofs to be used for watering when it is dry. We can install large rain collection systems (cisterns) in the yard to collect water, and then use it to irrigate the lawn. And for those of you that know me, you know I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that we can install Permeable Paver Systems to allow water to infiltrate back into the ground, to collect water for irrigation, or to simply clean and cool the stormwater before we let it go back into the storm sewer system to head to the lakes and streams.

Most of you know I would also be remiss if I didn’t say that before you go out and try to do the right thing by installing stormwater management systems, be sure you know what you are doing. Get the education you need to properly install these various stormwater management systems to make sure they last for years to come. The MNLA offers a lot of classes on various stormwater management systems, and I know there will be a lot of information at the 2012 Northern Green Expo, as well as a good chance of upcoming webinars. Take advantage of these classes and learn how to help our lakes and streams and help our businesses grow.

So the next time you see it raining or hear a weather report that says it is going to rain, just think of it as pennies from heaven and LET IT RAIN!!! q ___________________________________________________ Tim Oberg is chair of the MNLA Landscape Education Committee.

He can be reached at toberg@southviewdesign.com.

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The Scoop | GARDEN CENTER

Customers are our Friends

By Amanda Clark MNLA-CP, Malmborg’s Garden Center & Greenhouse

s I sit down to write this article, I must smile. Two hours ago, I was sweating and now I’m soaking wet and cold.

Hhhhmmmm, oh the FUN of working in the garden center world. So many people Amanda Clark think that we are crazy to do what we dofrom the long hours we work, to having no personal life (at least in the spring), to dealing with all of the weather thrown our way, and with customers and some of their interesting idiosyncrasies.

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I say, bring it on! We have all chosen this profession for many different reasons, and with this profession we have to be willing to deal with whatever comes our way. So, “Let’s have FUN” and enjoy working/managing/owning our independent or locally owned garden centers. One of the most important things that we need to be able to do is interact with a positive, happy attitude with our customers and then be able to understand their needs and wants, and realize how we can fulfill them.

I touched briefly on the term “locally owned” and I would like to expand on that a bit more. A while back I attended a presentation by Alec Charais from Bailey Nurseries who talked about using the term "locally owned" instead of "independent garden center." Using "locally owned" relates more to our customers, as it appears they don’t truly understand what an "independent garden center" is. They see a locally owned garden center as one of their own and they would rather, to a point, shop with one of them. "Independent garden center" is a saying that I have been using for a long time, but I am working to get into the pattern of always saying “locally owned.” To be on the same page as our customers is a must, and to have them understand who we are and where we come from is also a must!

Our customers are our friends. Yes, some are a bit like the in-laws, but like them we must. Even when a customer is being negative and complaining, we must keep that smile upon our faces; be bright, happy and hopeful with them and see if we can turn their day around. I am always amazed at the little things I can pick up on with someone who is always complaining.

Sometimes their complaints are a little out there, but there are other times where they really do make sense and we can learn from them. They have the right to feel that way, but then I, also, have the right to respond with a smile and a word of encouragement! My goal is to always make them smile before they leave the store.

Remember, whether your paycheck is signed

by Dale, George, Forrest, Jerry, etc., your paycheck actually comes from the customer, your friend.

Our customers expect answers immediately due to today’s technology. If we can’t give them the answers now, they will go elsewhere to find the answers. Keep this in mind as you hire your team for the season and as you gather resources for your team to be able to use. The team must be able to think on their feet and be able to find what the customers want. Without this available to your team, you will lose some of your friends - I mean customers. q __________________________________ Amanda Clark is a member of the MNLA Garden Center Committee and can be reached at amanda@Geraniumsbygeorge.com.

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SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT | The Scoop

Making Business Sustainable

By Nick Sargent, Sargent's Landscape Nursery, Inc.

s chairperson of the Sustainable Environment Committee, I would like to take this Nick Sargent opportunity to share with you what we have been working on for the last year. First of all, I would like to communicate to the MNLA membership that our committee takes seriously our mission which is to help MNLA businesses operate more successfully by opening opportunities to them through environmental stewardship (a paraphrase of our mission statement). We are focused on the areas

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of environmental stewardship that affect nursery and landscape businesses.

With this in mind, our number one priority is the development of an online resource within MNLA.biz that gives guidance to those in the green industry regarding sustainable practices that you can use to A. Sell installation jobs, B. Sell products, or C. Save your business money. These resources cover different topics and give you a brief, high-level synopsis of the topic. They also provide member reviewed online and/or paper resources that we feel are best for our geographic zone, as well as grant money or tax incentives available for the topic.

There are currently 5 completed resources located at MNLA.biz → Business Resources → Sustainable Environment Resource. We are pushing

to put a new resource topic online once every month. I feel these resources are very useful and informative and I suggest MNLA members go online and check them out. I feel confident you can improve your business by doing so.

The committee’s second priority has been to get our education component back on track after a two-year break.

With this in mind we are working toward a very exciting roundtable event we are naming “Reducing Runoff Roundtables.” Look for it on Friday at the Northern Green Expo. With this event we hope to re-invigorate a history of successful education events this committee has put forward.

New last season was the Green for Life program, which is back for its second year. If you did not participate last year, I urge you to take a look at this program. For the simple cost of a donated tree to a local school and roughly 2 hours of your labor you can achieve fantastic goodwill with school kids and their families, as well as a good chance for you and your company to get publicity in your local newspaper. Plus, when many companies band together for the Green For Life Day, it gives our industry a huge PR boost in bigger media outlets and in the entire state.

Please feel free to contact myself or the MNLA office for more information on this highly successful program.

Our goal is to exceed your expectations. or our agency, and Auto-Owners Insurance, 99.9% just isn’t good enough...we want to provide our customers with 100% service!

Contact our agency about our “Super Outstanding Service” today—we’ll work hard to exceed your expectations!

We have coverage for growing stock!

Also on our committee’s agenda every meeting are updates on the MNLA pot recycling program spearheaded by this committee many years ago.

With a name such as ours, it would be easy to stray into broad, allencompassing topics. As you can see, the Sustainable Environment Committee is staying focused on those topics that can improve your business and our industry statewide. q ________________________________ Nick Sargent is the chair of the Sustainable Environment Committee and can be reached at NJSargent@sargentsgardens.com.

Henry Gallagher, Commercial Specialist 952/448-3800 h.gallagher@casualty-assurance.com

Casualty Assurance of Chaska, LLC 101 West 3rd Street Chaska, MN 55318 SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | CERTIFICATION

Certification Training:

Magic from the Manual

By Lance Barthel, Greenleaf Nursery he MNLA certification program has been under a lot of changes the past couple of years and we will continue to work hard to make this program as successful as possible.

As a committee, we believe in educating our industry to the highest standard. Our goal is to certify as many people in the MNLA family as possible and build this green industry to the strongest level. We want to figure out how to improve the test and prepare you for the exam. So we go back through the test and analyze the questions people answer incorrectly. We look at how the question is worded, and if necessary, we rephrase it or throw it out. In addition, we are working on our training programs and have gone back to a printed manual so people have a visual image of the information that is important. We want you to succeed and have the edge on your competition by becoming a certified professional or hiring a certified professional! So this month on Magic from the Manual, I have decided to look back at the past couple of tests and pull out some of the test questions that have been answered incorrectly.

Test yourself on the following questions, where do you need to brush up on things?

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True or False Questions: 1. T or F - The plants within a Family share more genetic and anatomical similarities than the plants within a Genus.

2. T or F - Containerized stock is field grown and then placed in a container.

3. T or F – Cold air accumulates on high elevations, causing the lower elevations to be warmer.

4. T or F – Herbicides should be applied at a lower rate to sandy soils than clay soils.

5. T or F – A virus causes fire blight.

6. T or F – A mosaic pattern on leaves is most common with leaf spot diseases.

Multiple Choice Questions: 1. Cottonless cottonwood trees and seedless green ash trees do not produce seeds or fruit because: A. They are deciduous trees B. They are dioecious plants C. They do not flower D. The soil PH is to high E. They are self-compatible plants

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2. Plant all budded roses with a bud union….

A. 6” above the soil surface B. 1” above the soil surface C. at the soil surface D. 1” below the soil surface E. 6” below the soil surface 3. Sun scald commonly occurs on: A. Ginkgo B. Oak C. Honeylocust D. Hackberry E. Ironwood

CERTIFIED Professional

4. Visualize the cross-section of a stem. Select the item that represents the accurate sequence of tissues within a stem, starting from the center and moving outward to the edge of the stem.

A. Endodermis, cambium, xylem, phloem, bark B. Pith, xylem, cambium, phloem, epidermis C. Pallasaide parenchyma, cortex, cambium, epidermis, bark D. Phloem, cambium, xylem, epidermis, cuticle E. Xylem, endodermis, phloem, cambium, bark 5. This plant hormone has a role in leaf senescence.

A. Auxin B. Gibberellins C. Cytokinins D. Abscisic Acid E. Ethylene Answers: True or False – 1-F, 2-T, 3-F, 4-T, 5-F, 6-F Multiple Choice – 1-B, 2-D, 3-C, 4-B, 5-D q ________________________________________________ Lance Barthel is the Chair of the MNLA Certification Committee and can be reached at lance_barthel@greenleafnursery.com.

Ornamental Grass Collection Open House at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Wednesday, October 12, 2011 our the Ornamental Grass Collection and see over 30 new grasses and sedges that have been planted this year.

View the collection at the peak of fall color for native grasses such as switchgrass, Indiangrass, and prairie dropseed.

Compare 30 different miscanthus, along with several new annual and perennial pennisetum, and purple moorgrass. The ornamental grass collection open house is Wednesday, October 12th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. For more information contact Mary Meyer, meyer023@umn.edu; 952-443-1447. q

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The Scoop | ARBORETUM CLASSES

September Events and Classes at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum eptember means "back to school" for all ages! Check out these September classes at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. To register for any classes/conferences, visit www.arboretum.umn.edu/learn.aspx or call 952-443-1422.

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Clean Water Summit: Green Infrastructure for Clean Water. Thursday, Sept. 8, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Oswald Visitor Center. This public policy conference will focus on trees and the role they plan in protecting and achieving clean water.

Presentations will cover the technical aspects as well as policy and planning issues related to using trees in stormwater management. Fee: $50 Arboretum member/ $60 non-member.

Ornamental Grasses. Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Snyder Building. View the Arboretum's Ornamental Grass Collection at its peak and learn which grasses work best for your landscape. Instructor is Mary Meyer, University of

Minnesota professor and manager of the collection. Fee: $35 member/$45 non-member.

Apples for Minnesota Gardens. Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Horticulture Research Center (HRC). Learn the basics of growing apples, suitable varieties and cultivars for Minnesota, cultural aspects, pruning, insect and disease control, when to harvest and how to store your harvest. Meet at the HRC near the Apple House (1-1/2 miles west of the Arboretum entrance). Instructor Peter Moe is the Arboretum operations director, a horticulturalist and former orchard owner. $35 member/$45 non-member.

Walks for the Curious. Wednesday, Sept. 7, and Saturdays, Sept. 10 & 17, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Enjoy a walk through the Arboretum prairies and natural areas with an experienced Arboretum naturalist. $7.50 Arboretum member/ $15 nonmember.

Plant Dyes: Color from the Garden. Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Learning Center. Plants offer rich and luscious pigments for dyeing textiles. The trick is in knowing which ones produce what color. Learn the essentials of plant dyes.

Explore the gardens to identify plants for dyeing. Experience fiber preparation and mordanting as you cook up dyestuffs to reveal colors. Take home two skeins of wool dyed in class, a color card with samples made from plants, and recipes for making them. $85 member/$90 non-member.

Auxiliary Fall Harvest Sale. Saturday, Sept. 24, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 25, noon-5 p.m. Snyder Building. A popular sale of handmade botanical treasures - all created by Auxiliary crafters. Includes dried floral arrangements and wreaths, potpourri, fabric arts, decorations and more! All proceeds benefit the Arboretum.

For more information on Arboretum events, visit www.arboretum.umn.edu or call 952-443-1400. The Arboretum is open 363 days a year; admission is $9 adults and free for ages 15 and younger. It is always free for members.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the largest public garden in the Upper Midwest, is part of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota and a community and national resource for horticultural and environmental information, research, and public education. It is located nine miles west of I-494 on Highway 5 in Chanhassen. q

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The Scoop | MSHS CLASSES

Sept. Classes at the Minnesota State Horticultural Society lasses are sponsored by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, but are held at various locations, as noted.

Enrollment is limited, and pre-registration is requested. To register, call 651-643-3601 or 800-676-6747, ext 211.

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Transitional Containers: Summer into Fall. Tuesday, September 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers.

Location: MSHS classroom, 2705 Lincoln Drive, Roseville.

Planters and baskets can easily be transitioned from summer to fall. Find out how to stretch your dollars from one season to the next, and have a beautiful container to last into the next season.

Instructor: Mary Beth Gullickson with Cedar Brook has 35 years of experience in horticulture. She is a master designer and worked at Bachman’s for many years.

Composting 101. Wednesday, September 14, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Location: MSHS classroom, 2705 Lincoln Drive, Roseville.

Everything you need to know to begin your own composting system at home. Find out how you can turn your kitchen food scraps and yard waste into a humus that will help your plants grow and reduce the need for fertilizers, water and pesticides. Ask questions of an expert and share your experiences with other composters.

Instructor: Ginny Black works for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as its organics recycling specialist. She assists the private, public and non-profit sectors in reusing and recycling food residuals and nonrecyclable paper. She also works with compost facilities to develop markets for high quality compost. She has served as a Board member of the U.S. Composting Council board of directors since 1995.

chance to ask the chef or growers questions one-on-one. For more information: www.mplsfarmersmarket.com.

Instructor: Marty Bergland is a lifelong gardener and Master Gardener in Wright County. She is owner of Heirloom House-MN and co-owner of Grow-Harvest-Eat. Tree and Shrub Pruning You Can Do Now! Tuesday, September 27, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers.

Location: Harriet Alexander Nature Center, 2520 Dale Street North, Roseville, with walk to Roseville Arboretum, Proper pruning is essential to maintain healthy trees and shrubs. Find out why you should prune your trees, the right time of year, which tools work best, and several basic steps to get the job done. Meet at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center for the classroom section, then we will go over to the Roseville Arboretum and mark trees to practice best pruning practices. You will take home a useful handout for future reference.

Instructor: Kent Honl, ISA Certified Consulting Arborist, Rainbow Tree Care. q

Mulching 101. Tuesday, September 20, 6 to 7:30 p.m. $5 per person. Location: MSHS Classroom, 2705 Lincoln Drive, Roseville.

Mulch provides several benefits to the garden. Which type of mulch should you choose, and how should you apply it? Learn the basics of mulching to retain soil moisture, prevent weeds and feed the soil as well as how to mulch for winter protection and when to remove it in spring. We will share a list of resources, including some that are free, or from your own yard.

Instructor: Amy Caldwell has a degree in Urban Forestry from the U of MN. She is an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist, and an arborist with S&S Tree Care.

Abundant Harvest—Using All Those Zucchini, Green Tomatoes and Apples. Saturday, September 24, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Free. Location: Minneapolis Farmers Market, 312 East Lyndale Avenue, Minneapolis, next to the Market’s office (coffee shop).

Part of the Market Talk Learning Series. The class starts with a demonstration of how to cook or use the featured product. Each class ends by giving the crowd free samples, recipe cards, and a SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | LANDSCAPE EDUCATION

Crazy Weather

By Tim Huinker, Anchor Wall Systems, Inc.

his has not been your typical summer in Minnesota.

Extreme rain early in the season delayed projects for many. Extreme heat in June and July cut days short to minimize exposure. While we get conditions like this from time to time, it is unusual to see such prolonged periods of crazy weather. One thing is for certain, these conditions are not unusual across the country.

Networking with different contractors and dealers throughout the country is a great way to get new ideas for handling situations like crazy weather. A great opportunity to do just that is coming in October. The 5th annual Hardscape North America (HNA) trade show runs from October 27th to the 29th in Louisville Kentucky. This is the only national tradeshow devoted to the hardscape industry. This is three days of tools, products, equipment, and education aimed at making your company more money.

I have been able to attend the past 4 years and I can say there really is no show like it for hardscaping anywhere in the country. A highlight for me every year is “Breakfast with Champions.” You can pick a table with a topic in which you are interested and a ‘champion’ moderates a discussion for about ninety minutes during breakfast. This is a great way to meet and interact with your peers from other parts of the country. I have been both a champion and a participant and I have learned a lot each time. Oh by the way, the breakfast is pretty good too.

Last year the HNA combined with the PLANET Green Industry Expo so if your area of expertise is plants and maintenance this is a great show for you as well. There are

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several acres of open field where equipment manufacturers allow you to try before you buy. From log splitters to loaders, and mowers to mulch blowers you can operate pretty much any piece of equipment you can think of.

I believe the educational opportunities provided at this show are too good to pass up and will be the key to success for your company. I am instructing two NCMA wall certification classes. There are ICPI and PLANET certification courses as well. Numerous national speakers will have courses on business management, selling in a down economy, estimating projects and many more. There is also an eye on demonstration area to learn hardscape installation techniques from experts throughout the country. A Hardscape Project Awards breakfast will feature the best hardscape projects in the country.

Personally, I think some of the best projects in the country come from Minnesota but we have been under represented the last few years. If you think you have a stand out project, there is still time to get your entry in and have a chance to have your work nationally recognized.

Overall, I really feel this is a great experience for any company large or small. There are classes and events that can benefit anyone in your organization, from crew personnel and foremen, to owners and office staff. For more information you can go to www.hardscapena.com. This has been a crazy season already, so do something different and attend a national show. q ________________________________________________ Tim Huinker is a member of the MNLA Landscape Education Committee and can be reached at thuinker@anchorwall.com.

Help your customers “come alive outside� in custom outdoor living spaces using quality materials and advice from Hedberg.

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WIDMER GOLF TOURNAMENT Longest Putt

Sponsored by Bachman’s Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes George Chappius, Faribault Growers, Inc.

First Place Team

Closest to Pin

Sponsored by Bailey Nurseries, Inc. Left to Right: Don Swenson - Bachman's, Kevin Pendley, Doug Spelbrink - Bachman's and Mike Bonk - Bachman's

Sponsored by Linder’s Greenhouse Angela Prenzlow, Anchor Block Company

Longest Drive Sponsored by Plaisted Companies Derek Harwood, Ground One Enterprises

Second Place Team Left to Right: Gary Anderson, Mike Kling, and Eric Van Thomme – Gary Anderson Landscaping and Scott Hertzenberg - Belaluma LLC

Thank you to those who donated raffle prizes: The Builders Group • The Credit Card Dr. Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies Hyatt Regency Minneapolis • Malmborgs • Millennium Hotel • Quality Insurance Service • Todd Salsman

October 12, 2011 | 10am—3:30pm | MN State Fairgrounds

MNLA Snow Day Equipment, Supplies & Education to Gear Up for the Next Snow Season!

H E L P I N G Y O U R B U S IN E S S S U C C E E D A N D P R O F I T D U R I N G T H E N E X T S N O W S E AS ON !

Schedule-at-a-Glance 10:00-3:30—Exhibits Open 10:00-11:30—Trade Show Time, Donuts, and Drawings (must be present to win) 11:30-12:30—Lunch (included with attendee registration) 11:30-12:15—Bidding & Estimating Snow Removal, Mike Anderson, Snow and Ice Pros, Inc. Join Anderson to learn how to measure parking lots, and factor in other things like speed bumps, recessed truck docks, cart corrals, plant islands, asphalt vs. concrete vs. brick pavers, and time completion deadlines to determine an accurate bid. Should you bid it per push, per event or seasonal? What about multi-year contracts? There's a lot to consider before getting back to the potential customer.

12:30-1:00—Understanding Chemical Deicers 101, Scott Koefed, Cargill Salt How do we make sense of the enormous variety of di erent packaged deicer products available today?

The options available for sidewalk, driveway, and parking lot deicing are often far more complex than those for highway deicing. This session will provide a simple, easy to understand explanation of how all

chemical deicers work, how the commonly used ingredients Only $39 for compare in their ice melting M N L A performance, how blending member di erent chemicals a ects s! performance, what are the inherent limitations in deicer performance (i.e. what is possible and what is not), how the common performance enhancers (e.g. corrosion inhibitors, freeze point depressants) work and what their limitations are.

1:00-1:30—Dedicated Trade Show Time 1:30-2:15—How to Make Your Operation as E cient as Possible, Mike Anderson, Snow and Ice Pros, Inc. E ciency = Pro tability. Come and learn tips on how to keep your business streamlined for maximum pro tability, in the o ce, back in the shop and out on the road.

2:30-3:00—What Are Your Legal Responsibilities When it Comes to Snow/Ice Removal? – Liability and Contracts, Patrick McGuiness, Zlimen & McGuiness Do you know what your snow contracts say? There are many important elements to make sure are in your snow contracts, including addressing snowfall triggers, haul out, timing, seasonal caps and much more. Find out the best way to protect your company with well written contract language!

3:00-3:30—Dedicated Trade Show Time. Social hour. Drawing for grand prize (must be present to win).

Exhibitors (as of August 15) AccuSpread, Inc. Aspen Equipment Central Turf & Irrigation Supply Fertimix Gertens Wholesale Great Northern Equipment Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies

JRK Seed & Turf Supply Niebur Tractor & Equipment Inc. North Central Truck Equipment Reinders, Inc. Specialty Turf & Ag Truck Utilities

Event Sponsors

To exhibit contact Betsy at 763-295-5420 | betsy@pierreproductions.com.

Register online now at www.MNLA.biz!

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The Scoop | SNOW & ICE

Basics of the Snow & Ice Bid

By Brian Birch, Assistant Executive Director, Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA)

idding on work in the snow and ice industry can be a time-intensive and challenging part of the business. In order to sustain a successful, growing snow business, it can also be the most important aspect of your snow strategy.

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One of the first struggles is simply determining how to price the work, and there are many models, including seasonal bidding, per push, per inch, or even per hour. Determining this, however, should be secondary to your overall bidding process. The ultimate goal is to develop a method that allows you to price in any structure you need to, either because of the market you are in or at the request of an important client.

The Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) has broken down the basic bidding process into four core concepts: • Know Your Financials • Production Numbers & Measuring

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• Event History • Customers Are Key Know Your Financials As in any other business, understanding how your company generates revenue, controls expense, and grows equity is paramount. If you don’t have a solid foundation and set plan for analyzing financial statements, controlled and strategized growth of your snow business will be extremely difficult. In terms of bidding, at the most basic level a contractor should grasp a number of items: • Basic Financial Statements: Being able to create, read, and understand a balance sheet and profit & loss statement are very important in bidding for snow removal work. A company with a strong process for bidding is able to pull all the needed financial information from previous years into the bidding process for the current year. Planning for the future, including planning for growth, cannot be accomplished without a solid foundation and understanding of the financial position of the company.

• Job-Costing and Overhead: In order to bid on work, you must understand the basic costs your company incurs while clearing snow and ice. For example, bidding on work with one plow truck and one spreader entails understanding all of the costs it takes to run that equipment, which could include the cost of the truck for one snow season (this involves itemizing the cost of the truck over an estimated number of years), cost of the plow/spreader for the season (again itemized over an estimated number of years), maintenance for the season, insurance for the season, and loan interest over the season.

Production Numbers & Measuring Production Numbers: SIMA defines a production number as the number of units produced in a given period of time or the time required to produce a single article. Another way to describe it is the average amount of time it takes a piece of equipment, a person, or a material to finish a measurable job.

While there are many similarities, these production rates need to be built over time for each company, specific to the weather in the region, the equipment being used, and the employees operating the equipment. Production numbers at their best are an accumulation of recorded data history, tracking lows and highs with the use of averages. What do you need in order to begin tracking your own production numbers?

1. A duration of time 2. The man hours involved (crew size)

3. An amount of work produced 4. The equipment that is being used 5. Any materials that are being used 6. A measurement of an area Measuring: Measuring is a basic element that is essential to an accurate estimate. There are many devices and methods that can be used to measure a property, including a measuring wheel and range finder. Other ways to measure include a tape measure, counting parking spaces, using satellite images of the lot on the internet, or pacing the lot. SIMA recommends the use of a measuring wheel or range finder as the most accurate methods for measuring. After measuring, developing a system that allows you to assign a level of difficulty for each property will be a highly useful tool in estimating a bid.

Event History Event history, in this context, relates to the type, duration, and strength of snow and ice events each year in a region. Snow contractors must manage the risk that comes along with the unpredictability of weather, as it is challenging to predict the amount of winter events a given region will experience each year. A good bidding process should include steps to help manage and minimize the risk a company is financially exposed to during either a very low winter or a very high snowfall winter.

Continued on next page

Minnesota, North/South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa Distributor: J.R. Johnson Supply, Inc. Derek: (651) 636-1330

Wisconsin Distributor: Hsu's Greenhouse Supply Company Jon: (715) 675-5856

Call: Doug Laubenstein, Account Executive • Berger Peat Moss Office: (218) 435-2775 • Fax: (218) 435-2776 • Mobile: (218) 280-0741 www.bergerpeatmoss.com • E-mail: dougl@bergerpeatmoss.com

SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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In order to bring event history into play in your bids, you must once again use averages to help manage risk and create a solid bidding foundation. Here is a simplified example: Let’s say that for the past three years the averages have been: • 15 events at 2” . . . . . . . . . .Normal • 7 events at 4”-5” . . . . . . . Medium • 3 events at 6” or higher . . . .Heavy Once these numbers are reviewed, and once production numbers for the company have been established, a contractor can then put them together to determine a more accurate understanding of how many hours or minutes a season/property/area will take to plow. For example: 15 Normal Events x 45 minutes for 30,000 square feet (size of property) = 675 minutes to plow this property over a season during ‘Normal’ events. This is based on a 45 minute production time estimate for a ‘Normal’ property at 30,000 square feet. (This is an example to illustrate the process, and not based in real-time production).

Doing the same process for ‘Medium’ and ‘Heavy’ events, then adding the ‘Normal’, ‘Medium’, and ‘Heavy’ event estimates together, can yield a good foundation for the amount of time it will take to clear a property for a season.

Tying it All Together The next step is calculating a burden or break-even rate for the site, defined as: The estimated amount of money it will cost a company to do a job over a period of time after taking equipment, labor, materials, the site, the weather history, and overhead into account. Once the burden rate is calculated, it can be used to determine pricing in a number of different pricing structures, but don’t forget to add in profit before you present the bid to the customer!

Customers Are Key The final aspect of bidding in snow and ice, and perhaps the most important, can have a profound affect on the snow and ice business. Forming a consistent bidding process is null and void if the process goes out the window when you are selling a contract to a customer. Understanding your costs but not analyzing your profit margins by customer/by zone/overall will not alone grow the company. It’s the combination of the first three bidding concepts, pulled into the customer framework, that allow us to meet the customers needs, while not overextending and sacrificing service in the process. This includes: Qualifying the Customer: Before you bid, it is very important to determine whether a customer or potential client is a good fit for your snow removal service. Qualifying them with a series of direct questions, as well as internal questions, will provide the information that can help you make the decision whether to bid or not bid on the property. Areas to consider include: • Logistics: Fits with existing routes, size of property, unique challenges and special needs, high priority areas, building hours etc.

• Customer Expectations: Desired level of service, past 28

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experiences, communication with client, contract negotiations (signing their contract or yours?), decisionmaking process, etc.

• Strategy: Support goals of growth vs. just taking on more work, fit your company’s niche/target market, etc.

Delivering the Bid: So you have a price, just email it on over, right? Wrong! There are a number of things you can try and do to ensure that you are at the front of the line when being considered: • Meet in person with the client to deliver the bid, if possible • During the conversation, establish your vision of where you would like the meeting to end • Plan the meeting, and understand what your strategy is, as well as who will be involved in the meeting • Work to establish rapport and trust with the client • Do your best to show them that you understand their special needs • Know beforehand what you will agree to, and what line you won’t cross • Ask for the sale! q

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________________________________________________ This article made possible by SIMA member volunteers: Rich Arlington, CSP, Phil Harwood, CSP, Bob Smart, CSP, and Mike Mason, CSP. For more information related to bidding in snow and ice, contact SIMA at Brian@sima.org or visit www.sima.org.

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The Scoop | SNOW & ICE

Creating the Crew: Amassing Your Legion of Plow-Armed Snow Movers

By Brian Birch, Assistant Executive Director, Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) he removal of snow and ice during winter months in North America can be some of the most difficult and stressful work maintenance or facilities supervisor will manage throughout the year. The seasonal challenges range from managing a crew or number of crews and large storms with significant snow and/or ice to fatigue from long hours and hazardous conditions for both employees and patrons/visitors to the location. Of course, a good supervisor will be asked to tackle these problems all while staying within or below budgeted constraints. Even with budget considerations, snow and ice management at your facility must be examined with the overall goal in mind;

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maintaining a safe environment for pedestrians and vehicles, allowing people to go about their daily lives and limiting risk for your employer.

Before going head on with a storm, a number of items should be evaluated to ensure you are making informed decisions that will work with your budget and with the desired outcomes specified above.

In-House vs. Contracted Work You may have already made the decision to do all the work in-house, not subbing work out to professional snow and ice management companies. Either way, there are some pros and cons by each method, and some things you should take into account:

In-House Pros: • More control over crews/timing of removal • Possible cost savings, but only if your crews are properly trained • No outsourcing of risk to a third party • No contracts to sign with a third party for Snow and Ice Management Association Inc. • No bidding procedures Cons: • You must have proper equipment and more importantly, back-up equipment in case of equipment failure • Purchasing of de-icing or anti-icing materials must be made in advance for at least portions of the season to ensure you do not run out midstorm • Implementation: you must coordinate one or more crews to ensure you are adhering to all state and federal laws governing this type of work • Training: you are responsible for proper training and planning for snow and ice events • Potential of property damage that your employer will be responsible for repairing • You will be responsible for monitoring the weather and determining the needed staff/equipment is prepared • Added risk if safe conditions are not provided for patrons of the grounds (exposure to slip and fall claims) Working with a Contractor Pros: • You are hiring a specialist to do the work, so you don’t need to be the expert. Questions to ask include: Is the contractor a Certified Snow Professional? Are they a member of the Snow and Ice Management Association?

• In the long term, you may result in possible cost savings for the organization if you form a strong

relationship with a solid, dependable contractor. Locking in a good contractor for a two- or three-year contract with defined costs will make budgeting for snow and ice much easier.

• Risk management: if you hire and sign a contract that defines the relationship between you and the contractor, it will outline specific guidelines of who is responsible for what, meaning a certain degree of risk will be passed to the contractor.

This could be a key factor in cases of slip and fall claims or property damage claims.

Cons: • Loss of some control • Hiring/bidding process can be time consuming • Costs can be high depending on pricing structures, amount of winter weather, etc.

If or when you decide to outsource all or portions of your snow removal operations to a contractor, you should always require a formal bid, a defined contract agreeable/amended by both you and the contractor, and proof of all insurances including general liability insurance.

The Tools of the Trade Working through a winter storm will be one of the most difficult events you’ll manage throughout the year. A large winter storm bringing significant snow or ice will result in long hours, fatigue, equipment breakdowns, and potentially hazardous situations for the people on your grounds. Add to that the desired level of service that most individuals are accustomed to in our culture, and you are faced with removing snow and ice in the most efficient and clean method possible in order to perform and meet your defined goals.

Matching equipment to the work load is critical. First and foremost, you always need to be prepared for equipment failure; there is nothing worse than being stuck in the middle

of a large storm and losing one or more of the tools you need to get the job done. The students at the university won’t stop going to class (at least not for snow), the hospital won’t close down and the businesses in your office buildings won’t be okay with starting work late because they can’t get in the parking lot.

Generally, the equipment used for snow and ice removal includes: • Pick-up trucks • Skid steers/compact equipment • ATV’s • Front end loaders/large equipment The snow plow manufacturing industry has made significant advances in construction and design of plows, and now in general the following plows, along with proper techniques, can help you make your operation more efficient.

When you have a straight plow, angle the blade away from the building as you make your first pass. Subsequent passes should be made away from the building and toward the outer perimeter. The general rule is to never angle your blade towards a building.

The goal is to get the snow as far away from the buildings as possible.

When using the transforming Vblade, use a V-position to make an initial break through; the V-position is also effective for hard packed snow, ice and deep drifts. For general, wide-path plowing or stacking, set the blade in the straight position or angled position.

Finally, use the scoop position for clean-up and carrying snow with minimum spillage.

When using a snow pusher, be sure it’s attached according to the manufacturer’s specifications. These specs are designed to provide the best performance, wear tolerance and safety.

A snow pusher on a loader, backhoe, skid-steer or compact utility tractor can quickly and efficiently move large Continued on next page SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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volumes of snow. Snow pushers contain snow and don’t create as much of a windrow, which eliminates the need for repeated plowing of the same area to clean up spillage. By utilizing the loader’s lifting capabilities, snow pushers can be used to stack huge piles of snow. And, by removing the snow pusher attachment you’re left with a loader capable of loading trucks in case the snow must be hauled away.

Scraping off the Icing Historically, snow and ice removal has been achieved with over-use of chemicals and the use of shovels, plows, and other equipment. In recent times, granular materials have become a popular and effective method for maintaining safe conditions during and after a storm.

De-icing is the reactive application of ice control products to driving or walking surfaces, to melt existing snow and ice.

De-icing is performed after snow removal operations to melt any remaining snow and ice. Anti-icing is the pro-active application of ice and snow melting products to driving or walking surfaces prior to a snow or ice storm. Anti-icing helps prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement, allowing snow and ice to be cleared more easily. When used effectively, anti-icing can create some of the safest conditions in the winter, and be a cost-effective alternative to de-icing.

Understanding the difference between anti-icing and deicing can yield insight into the different approaches utilized by professional snow removal services.

In general, materials used in de-icing and/or anti-icing include: Sand: Although sand can provide some amount of traction, it technically is not a de-icing material, since sand in no way melts snow or ice. A common misperception is that sand is the best alternative for snow and ice control due to its low cost and common use. Sand may also have environmental impacts related to drainage that must be considered. Salt: Sodium Chloride, or rock salt, is the most common de-icer in use today. Generally this product is effective, though not at all conditions. In very cold conditions (typically less than 23 degrees F), salt begins to lose its effectiveness and is either not used or is overused in an attempt to make up for reduced performance. Sand/Salt Mix: Another common practice is to mix sand and salt together for de-icing. This method is effective in maintaining some traction, due to the sand, but it will reduce the amount of salt that can be applied to an area, so less de-icing occurs while environmental concerns and cleanup costs associated with sand rise.

There are many other products in use in today’s market, and each of these differ in effectiveness, cost, availability, and environmental impact. Talk to your in-house snow removal specialist or private contractor to determine your needs. These products include: • Calcium Chloride • Magnesium Chloride • Potassium Chloride • Urea • Calcium Magnesium Acetate • Potassium Acetate. q 32

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The Scoop | MNLA TOURS

MNLA Summer Tours Provide Learning & Networking Opportunities

By Cassie Larson, MNLA Associate Director Once again both the Garden Center Tour and Landscape Design Tour provided great learning experiences and networking opportunities for attendees this summer.

Landscape Design Tour attendees at the Thomas Landscape of Minnesota Limited site looking at all e Garden Center Tour took place on August 4 with 64 the unique spaces created in one yard. participants attending. Special thanks to the following garden centers all located in Minneapolis for opening their locations for the tour: • Bachman’s, Inc • Tangletown Gardens n Fransen n A u L • Mother Earth s e M.A. Rosk welcom o, FO . rs ner, right, e g n a g W a W la Gardens o to N D s e esign Stud X 9 filming with Dav e d n e tt a r u ios at his to e Sonka, L to and the • Sunnyside Gardens an July 28. ur site for the mornin dscape g show on • Wagners Greenhouses Also, thanks to Garden Center Committee member Judy time to prepare a site Zierden, Bailey Nurseries, Inc., for her work in coordinating for this year’s tour: the tour locations.

• Dustin Halverson, Village Green Landscapes e MNLA Landscape Design tour took place on July 28 • Jim Hagstrom, Savanna Designs with over 47 attendees looking to tour sites in the southeast • Patti Simons, Simons Landscaping metro area. e tour had a wide variety of landscapes • Debbie Lonnee, Bailey Nurseries, Inc. including creative concepts such as a putting green and • John omas, omas Landscape of Minnesota Limited backyard chess board.

• Bob Palmer, Landscape Renovations Members of the • Sarah Hartung, Landscape Renovations MNLA Landscape • David Sonka, Landscape Design Studios Design Committee, MNLA Communications Director Jon Horsman including Jan Klaus, was also able to make a successful media pitch to JK Garden Design, M.A. Rosko at Fox 9 who came out to cover a couple and Jim Calkins sites on the tour. Tour sites and attendees were worked diligently featured 4 times during the morning news on FOX 9 throughout the on July 28. If you’d like to see one of the spots, as well winter months to as more photos and videos from these events, visit the ensure that the Judy Sha rpton, Gro MNLA Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MNLA1) wing Pla sites for this tour the Bachm ces addre an’s, Inc. to see what you missed out on! sses atte s im hipp p were exciting ortance o ndees in f invento ing/receiving are Don’t miss your chance to jump on the bus to tour a about th ry contro and beautiful. l on store e some great sites in 2012. Watch for information in the design.

Special thanks to the Scoop and at www.mnla.biz. following MNLA firms and designers who took the SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | SAFETY

Comprehensive Safety Analysis - CSA 2010

Updated Motor Carrier Regulation Program

By Adam Tripp, TBG Loss Control Representative ave you heard of the new Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010? If you are operating a vehicle or a combination truck and trailer that is considered a commercial motor vehicle, then this pertains to you. There is a new program regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that focuses on reducing accidents, injuries, and fatalities that commercial motor vehicles (CMV’s) are involved in. In particular it aims to be a tool to proactively address and correct commercial motor vehicle safety issues before they turn into an accident, injury, or fatality.

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In the spring of 2009 the CSA 2010 included Minnesota as a test state for the program. Since its trial run, Minnesota has adopted the program in order to produce a safer system of roadways. The CSA 2010 attempts to: • better use current resources by adapting to an ever-changing transportation environment • identify/fix risk taking behaviors • use new technology to constantly update safety performance data • be fair and unbiased towards all those affected by the program There are three major components of the CSA 2010 program.

First, the old SafeStat program is replaced by a systematic Safety Measurement System (SMS). The SMS identifies particular carriers/drivers in need of a safety intervention based off of data collected by the CSA 2010 program.

Data is collected in a number of ways including but not limited to; roadside inspections, safety-based violations, state-reported crashes, and the Federal Motor Carrier census that quantifies a performance in the BASICs program (Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories). The BASICs program identifies and measures unsafe driving tendencies, evaluates hours-of-service related to fatigued driving, driver competency/fitness, use of controlled substances/alcohol, vehicle maintenance schedules, proper cargo securement/handling, and crash indicators.

A scaled rating is given to each carrier that is the summation of the scores in each category. This safety fitness determination (SFD) will lead to a rating that is indicative of their safety performance and will place the carrier in one of the following categories; safe/continue to operate, safety deficiencies, marginal, or unfit. This will be based on a continual evaluation process and will determine appropriate levels of intervention.

In the second component of the CSA program, the information will then be used to evaluate which carriers need what type of safety intervention. If a carrier is deemed unfit to operate they will need to correct the deficiencies before resuming operations.

From the information collected during the evaluations, the third and final stage of intervention takes place if necessary. There are three categories of intervention including early contact (warning letters, evaluation of BASICs scores, and roadside

inspections), investigation (offsite and onsite investigations to varying degrees), and follow-on (cooperative safety plan, notice of violation, notice of claim, and out-of-service orders). Depending on the severity of a carrier’s deficiencies, appropriate actions will take place on a systematic basis.

The foundation to being a safe carrier/company is to be proactive and educate yourself about how the new changes affect you. A good way to do this is to tap the resources available to you and have a detailed fleet safety program in place.

Resources for this article and further details about the CSA 2010 can be found at: • http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov • http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/ Documents/DriverInfoforCarriers.pdf • http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov /images/Model_FullSize.gif. q ___________________________________________________ The Builders Group (TBG) is a self-insured workers’ compensation insurance fund that has been protecting Minnesota’s construction industry for more than 10 years. For more information, go to: www.tbgmn.com.

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The Scoop | PUBLIC RELATIONS

Spreading the Word to the Masses

By Paul Hugunin, Minnesota Grown Program, Minnesota Department of Agriculture he last article I wrote for this publication focused on very targeted marketing strategies like pay-per-click, smart phone apps and electronic newsletters. While these things get all the buzz, there is still tremendous power in being able to reach a large audience through traditional media.

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WCCO-AM radio is one of those traditional mass media stations that those of us over 30 years old probably heard regularly in our homes as we grew up. I have very vivid childhood memories of Ray Christensen broadcasting Gopher sports on WCCO, including one particular Gopher basketball game when Ray wasn’t pleased with the officials. With his voice filled with emotion for his beloved Gophers he made a comment something to the effect of “I’m sure these officials are fine upstanding citizens in their community but you’d never know it by the way Steve omsen, WCCO Radio personality, Jon Horsman, MNLA Communications Directhey’re calling this game!” tor, and Mark Stennes, S & S Tree Specialists arborist and show host

We’re digging EVERGREENS and offer…

Field Direct Pricing Selection Quality Satisfaction Service

While WCCO isn’t nearly as dominant as they once were, they still command a large audience throughout the state. Thanks to Steve Sylvester and the efforts of MNLA Communications Director Jon Horsman, MNLA’s GardenMinnesota.com website receives a significant amount of promotion on WCCO every Saturday afternoon from 1-2 pm during the S&S Tree Specialists Yard and Garden Program. Hosted by Steve and Mark Stennes from S&S, this weekly show is a great forum for talking with the general public about issues that matter to MNLA members. S&S has been partnering with MNLA to book some guests and help

From

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www.MNLA.biz | SEPTEMBER 2011

Paul Hugunin, Minnesota Grown program, shared tips on why and how to buy local, and what's in season now.

Horsman provides the weekly "Green Industy Update" from GardenMinnesota.com. shape topics that benefit the whole green industry. Steve Thomson is the regular WCCO personality who serves as the show’s co-host to keep things on time and as Mark says “out of the ditch.”

I had the pleasure of being a guest on the show on July 30 to talk about my role promoting local foods and plants through the Minnesota Grown Program. It was a great opportunity to reach out to a large audience in a long format instead of the traditional 30-second advertisement or 3-second sound bites that get used during a news story. Mark and Jon did a great job of preparing topics for the day so we all knew the general direction of the program going in.

innovative plant solutions for tough landscape situations

I do have to confess one moment of panic – while I was sitting in the studio just prior to the start of the show I realized that I left my camera in the waiting room where we met for show prep. I mentioned it to Jon and he said I had enough to time to get the camera before the show started. Of course, he had no way of knowing that I would get turned around in the narrow hallways and myriad of unlabeled doors outside the studio! So after I got my camera and started back to the studio, it became apparent that I was not headed the right way. Unfortunately, on a Saturday afternoon there is literally no one in the station other than people who are in the broadcast studio so I had nobody to ask for help.

To make matters worse, I can hear the broadcast through the station’s speaker system so I know that Mark has started the show and is just about to ask me to introduce myself! Fortunately, about the time I was considering giving up and yelling for help I stumbled upon the studio and was able to get the headphones on in time to join the program. Being out of breath and having a panic-induced adrenaline rush is not the ideal way to enter an interview!

All of the programs are available via podcast on iTunes and at feed://podcastrss.play.it/yard-and-garden-show_mp3_128.xml. q ___________________________________________________ Paul Hugunin is a member of the MNLA Public Relations Committee and can be reached at Paul.hugunin@state.mn.us.

P.O. BOX 748 • ST CHARLES, IL 60174 847.742.1790 • FAX: 847.742.2655

www.midwestgroundcovers.com

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The Scoop | AWARDS

Nominations Open for 2011 Friend of the Environment Award and Todd Bachman Award

and Nationwide Agribusiness

ominations are now being accepted for the fourth annual Todd Bachman Award for Innovation in Horticultural Business. Created by the University of Minnesota, MNLA, and the MNLA Foundation, the award annually recognizes a young individual whose innovation in private enterprise has positively influenced one or more horticulture and/or green industry businesses in the region.

The award recipient will receive a plaque and will be recognized in trade and consumer publications. In addition, the MNLA Foundation will make a $1,000 cash award in the recipient’s name to his or her alma mater.

Nominations are also open for the MNLA Friend of the Environment Award, which honors an MNLAaffiliated company or individual for outstanding environmental efforts, a personal commitment to environmental protection and enhancement, or demonstrated leadership on a specific environmental issue in their field of work.

Both applications are now available online at www.MNLA.biz. If you have any questions, please read all the details at www.MNLA.biz, or call 651-633-4987. q

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The Scoop | AWARDS

5 Tips When Preparing a Landscape Awards Application

by Jon Horsman, MNLA Communications Director re you currently working on a design, installation, or management project that you think is worthy of an MNLA Landscape Award? Here are five tips to help you submit the best application possible.

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1. Write a good project summary and photo descriptions Take time to write these ahead of time so you have time to reread them and ensure that they convey the message that you want it to convey. This is your opportunity to verbalize everything that the pictures and site plan may not emphasize. You can spell out the highlights of your project. Keep it clear and concise. Don’t forget – the judges will be reading many summaries and photo descriptions during the judging day. Make yours stand out!

Emphasize the best aspects of your project as simply and directly as possible, making sure to answer all the questions specified in the entry guidelines. Put the most important information first.

2. Create a clear site plan A site plan should give a clearer perspective of the project to the judges. This is another opportunity for you to demonstrate your professionalism. The plan should be clear, easily read and professional looking. If the judges are only judging one portion of

the overall plan, be sure to make that clear. The plants should be indicated correctly on the site plan. Be sure that your plant list is professional – i.e. has Latin (and common) names spelled correctly. It gives the judges a very bad impression when names are misspelled.

3. Make the judge’s job easy The judges are only able to “see” your project through the information that you give them. So, take a moment when you complete your package to step back and try to view the project through the eyes of someone who is not familiar with it. Just from the materials you’re sending in, does the beauty and expertise of the project come through?

4. Start early The deadline is Wednesday, November 16, 2011. Submissions must be in the MNLA office by 4:30 p.m. Give yourself a chance to review your application before you drop it off.

5. Be thorough The application requirements will be strictly enforced and any applications that do not meet the rules of entry will not be judged. So please take the time to read the application thoroughly!

• Pay exactly what you owe with monthly self-audited billing • Competitive up-front rates • All profits and investment income are returned to the members

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s the summer winds down and kids are heading back to school, now is the perfect time to start planning a visit to your local school. School visits are a great way to teach kids about the joy of caring for the outdoor living environment. These visits also benefit your company by expanding your consumer base, promoting your business in the community and also helping to plant seeds for your future workforce.

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For help in planning your next school visit or to find out about more resources available from the MNLA contact Jodi by email at Jodi@MNLA.biz or by phone at 651-633-4987. q

The MNLA Foundation and The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association encourages members to volunteer in schools and has a variety of tools available for you to use, free-of-charge. For elementaryaged students, this includes coloring sheets and the curriculum Hooked on Horticulture.

The Hooked on Horticulture curriculum was developed under the leadership of Terry Ferris, Ph. D of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, through funding from the MNLA Foundation. Intending to give kids a fun introduction to horticulture, the curriculum also educates kids about a variety of rewarding careers available in the industry.

Lessons vary in subject from plant parts identification to plant propagation to planning pavers and walkways. The lessons align with Minnesota Academic Standards for 3rd and 4th grade classrooms.

They include step-by-step instructions, a lesson plan and handouts. Units A & B are currently available on the MNLA.biz website, by entering the keyword ‘curriculum’ in the search bar SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Imprelis Situation Did you apply the herbicide Imprelis this year? Are you seeing damage?

What do you do next? www.MNLA.biz has the latest updates from: • Dupont • Minnesota Department of Agriculture • University of Minnesota Extension Service

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NURSERY | The Scoop

Cold Hardiness of Five Asian Maple (Acer) Species

By Steve McNamara and Stan C. Hokanson, Department of Horticultural Science University of Minnesota, St. Paul Introduction As the size of single family residential landscapes decreases due to escalating land Steve McNamara costs, there is a growing need for smallstatured landscape trees that are in-scale with smaller lot footprints. For northern U.S. landscapes, the challenge of broadening the range of available small trees is complicated by the harsh climate. Depending on the location, plants suitable for use in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 and 4 (U. S. National Arboretum, 2003) must be capable Stan C. Hokanson of withstanding minimum winter temperatures of -20 to -40° F. From a size perspective, numerous Asian maples (Aceraceae) represent a potentially valuable source of germplasm for developing small, ornamental trees. However, relatively little is known about the cold tolerance characteristics of many of these species. As a first step towards identifying useful germplasm for our breeding program, we conducted laboratory freezing tests on five Asian maple species (Table 1 & Fig. 1) to assess their cold tolerances.

visually (Fig 2D.) with the aid of a dissecting microscope.

Results and Discussion e five maple species evaluated differed substantially in maximum mid-winter hardiness levels and timing and rates of cold acclimation and deacclimation (Fig. 3). Acer pseudosieboldianum and A. triflorum were the hardiest species overall and withstood -36 and -35° F, respectively in midJanuary. e two A. palmatum cultivars, Bloodgood and Emperor I, purported to be among the hardiest Japanese maples in cultivation (Dirr, 1998; Lyon, 2005; Shirazi, 1998), were the least hardy taxa on most sampling dates and lacked sufficient midwinter hardiness to survive average winters in USDA Zone 4a. Japanese maple; however, is in the same taxonomic section (Palmata) as A. pseudosieboldianum (van Geldern et al., 1994) and may prove useful for hybridizing with

Materials and Methods In 2008, 4-6 year old containerized plants of Acer barbinerve Maxim, Acer mandshuricum Maxim., Acer palmatum unb. (cultivars ‘Bloodgood’, and Emperor I), Acer pseudosieboldianum (Pax.) Komar., and Acer triflorum Komar.

[Arboretum seed source (MLA) and Heritage Seedling seed source (HSI)] (Table 1 and Fig. 1) growing outdoors at the Horticultural Research Center in Excelsior, Minnesota (USDA Zone 4a) were allowed to acclimate in the fall under ambient, outdoor conditions. e trees were subsequently moved into a minimally-heated overwintering structure (Fig. 2A) in November to protect them from lethal cold temperatures.

Containers were covered with wood chip mulch to protect the root systems. Minimum air temperatures inside the structure were maintained at or above -5 F throughout the winter. Cold hardiness of 4-cm internodal stem sections (Fig. 2B) of each species was determined on 5 dates in 2008-2009 using a programmable freezer (Fig. 2C) as described previously (McNamara and Hokanson, 2010). Cold injury was assessed SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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Table 1. Species, taxonomic section, native range, general description and ornamental attributes of maple taxa evaluated for cold hardiness at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in 2008 – 2009.

Species

Taxonomic Section

Native Range

Size and Ornamental Attributes

Associated Figure

Acer barbinerve (Red-twig Korean maple)

Glabra

China, Korea

A shrub or multi-stemmed small tree 10 m tall. Yellow fall foliage color. Bright red twigs in winter.

1A

Acer mandshuricum (Manchurian maple)

Trifoliata

China, Korea, and Siberia

A tree growing to 10 m or taller. Trifoliate leaves sometimes emerge red before changing to medium green. Smooth, gray bark. Rose-red to red foliage color develops early in the fall.

1B

Acer palmatum (Japanese maple) Two cultivars: Bloodgood and Emperor I

Palmata

China, Japan, and Korea

A shrub or small tree 5-8 m tall with similar spread. Reddish purple flowers in spring.

Hundreds of cultivars with green, purple, or red foliage. Branches provide a layered effect.

Yellow, orange, and red fall color (variable).

1C

Acer pseudosieboldianum (Korean maple)

Palmata

China, Korea, Manchuria

A shrub or small tree 5-8 m tall with similar . spread. Reddish purple flowers in spring followed by soft green foliage that changes to medium green.

Yellow, orange, and scarlet fall color (variable).

1D

Acer triflorum (ree-flower maple) Two populations: MLA and HSI

Trifoliata

Northern China and North Korea

A tree growing to 10 m tall. Dark green, trifoliate leaves. Moderately exfoliating bark on young trees.

Yellow, orange, and red fall color (variable.)

1E

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Figure 1. A-E. Asian maples evaluated in this study.

(A). Acer barbinerve; insets depict stem and leaf characteristics.

(B). A. mandshuricum; inset depicts three lobed leaf similar to A. triorum.

(C). A. palmatum; insets depict green- and red-foliage varieties (D). A. pseudosieboldianum insets depict fall color and multiple lobed leaf similar to A. palmatum.

(E). A. triorum; insets depict three lobed leaf and exfoliating bark.

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also relatively slow to acclimate in the fall but had better mid- and latewinter hardiness than A. palmatum or A. mandshuricum.

In addition to the differences in cold hardiness measured between species, intraspecific variation in acclimation and deacclimation was detected in A. palmatum and A. triflorum, the only two species represented by Figure 2. (A) Overwintering structure used to protect containerized trees from lethal cold. e inmultiple terior air temperature was maintained at or above -5 F. Inset depicts branches, internodal stem samclones/populations. e ples and the thermocouple devices used to monitor the temperature during the programmed freezer results of this preliminary run. (B) Freezer in which the cold treatments were applied to internodal stem samples. Inset depicts study suggest that a more undamaged (left) and cold-injured (right) stem samples following treatment. Note the difference in extensive evaluation of the color of the vascular tissue of the two samples. range of genetic variation for cold tolerance extant within these and other small statured maple species endemic this species to create cold hardy new cultivars (Fig. 4). to northern Asia is warranted. Identification of additional Although hardier than A. palmatum, A. mandshuricum’s limited hardy maple germplasm will facilitate efforts to breed new midwinter hardiness, delayed acclimation in the fall and rapid small landscape trees for colder regions of the United States. deacclimation in late winter would likely predispose it to substantial cold injury in central Minnesota. Acer barbinerve was Figure 3. Stem cold hardiness of 7 Asian maple taxa tested on 5 dates in laboratory freeze tests in the winter of 2008-09.

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Literature cited Dirr, M. A. 2009. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. eir Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation, and Uses. Stipes Publishing, Champaign, Illinois.

Lyons, Ed. 2005. Marvelous midlevel maples. Colorful Acer offers texture, structure, and beauty to the middle layers of the landscape. Amer. Nurs.

201:40-42, 44-45.

U. S. National Arboretum Web Version of the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. 2003. Website: www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html. van Gelderen, D. M., P. C. de Jong, and H. J. Oterdoom. 1994.

Maples of the World. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.

Shirazi, A. M. 1998.

Stem cold hardiness, leaf heat tolerance, growth, and performance of six Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) in northern Illinois. HortScience 33:512.

McNamara, Steve and S.C. Hokanson. 2010.

Cold hardiness of weigela cultivars. J. Env. Hort. 28:35-40.

Figure 4. Depiction of three stages in the maple interspecific hybridization program.

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The Scoop | PLANT OF THE MONTH

Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus)

Plant of the Month

By Kendall Klaus, Klaus Nurseries

astern White Pine (Pinus strobus) is my favorite conifer. It is truly one of our most beautiful native pines. I just love the rustling sound the needles make as the wind blows through the White Pine’s branches. It’s no wonder the Haudenosaunee Native Americans called it the “tree of peace.”

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White Pine is a native tree to Minnesota, is hardy well into zone 3 and very fast growing. It grows in nearly all soil types from fairly infertile, sandy soils to clay, or poorly drained soils.

The White Pine also tolerates shade fairly well. The bark on younger White Pines is grayish green, changing to dark grayish brown. On very old trees, the bark is deeply furrowed and brown.

The needles of a White Pine are in fascicles (bundles) of five, rarely three or four. They are bluish-green, finely serrated and 3”5” long. The cones are slender, 3”-6” long with a round apex and slightly flexed tip. Cone production peaks every 3 to 5 years, with male and female cones present on the same tree.

White Pines transplant extremely well due to their wide

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spreading and moderately deep root system. The preferred method of transplant is B&B or machine move. Fall transplanting should take place before September 15th and care should be taken to water this species right up to Thanksgiving – as long as the ground is not frozen. White Pines do not tolerate salt spray, so they should be kept a safe distance from highly traveled roads.

White Pine forests originally covered much of northeastern North America, though only 1% of the original trees remain untouched by massive logging operations. Near Blackduck, Minnesota, one such area remains and is called the Lost Forty.

Several years ago, my family and I attempted to find the Lost Forty, but as a result of road construction, bridge construction, detours and muddy, rut-riddled dirt roads, we were forced to turn back. Hopefully, by the time you read this, we will have found it!

I encourage you to take a closer look at this magnificent tree and incorporate some into the Minnesota landscape. q __________________________________________________ Kendall Klaus is a member of the MNLA Nursery Committee and can be reached at Klausnurseries@aol.com.

e Cones of the Eastern White Pine.

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Closeup of needles shows fascicles of five.

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THE SCOOP | MDA

Reports from the Public Continue to Help Agencies Identify New Infestations MDA's Status Update of the Asian Longhorned Beetle and Emerald Ash Borer

By Robert Koch, Mark Abrahamson, and Lucy Hunt, Minnesota Department of Agriculture nvasive species pose a continual threat to Minnesota’s tree and forest resources. Over the years, you have likely heard much about the Asian longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer. With this article, our intent is not to provide an overview of the biology, potential impacts, etc. of these species, but instead to provide an update on current status of infestations of these pests and highlight the importance of reports from the public about potential infestations.

The Asian longhorned beetle attacks various species of trees, but has shown a preference for maples, elm, willow, and others. Fortunately, this pest has not been detected in Minnesota, but it has persisted and is spreading in other parts of the country. Asian long horned beetle has sprung back into the spot light.

More recently, an infestation of Asian longhorned beetle was detected in southwestern Ohio. On June 13, 2011, USDA confirmed an infestation of Asian longhorned beetle in Clermont County, Ohio. The initial report was made by a property owner who noticed unusual damage on three maple trees. As of July 25, 2011, survey efforts in Clermont County have identified 436 infested trees. Currently, 56 square miles are quarantined, including Tate Township and an adjacent state forest.

The value of reports from the public is a reoccurring theme throughout the history of Asian longhorned beetles in the United States. Established populations of the Asian longhorned beetle were first detected in the United States in 1996 in New York, when a

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property owner noticed large holes in his trees and reported what he thought was someone drilling holes in the trees. The drill holes turned out to be beetle emergence holes. In 1998, a Chicago parks worker found the pest in firewood cut by a coworker. In 2002, in New Jersey, a citizen reported a beetle seen on a tree. Infestations were found in a total of three New Jersey counties. In 2008, in Massachusetts, a citizen reported an unusual beetle seen in a tree. The Massachusetts infestation was found to be very large, with nearly 100 square miles quarantined in the central part of the state and nearly 2,000 trees found to be infested. A small infestation was also found near Boston. Federal, state and

local efforts have resulted in the eradication of the infestations in Chicago, Illinois and Hudson County, New Jersey. However, efforts continue to contain and eradicate the other infestations.

Another example of the importance of public reporting is the recent emerald ash borer find in Shoreview.

An emerald ash borer infested tree was discovered in northwest Shoreview July 21 after a homeowner noticed symptoms consistent with EAB and contacted the City of Shoreview. A city official visited the site and recovered a beetle that resembled EAB and promptly notified the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The beetle was confirmed by

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Update: Quarantine prevents import of walnut trees and wood from states with thousand cankers disease temporary exterior quarantine announced in February was made permanent this week by Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Commissioner Dave Frederickson. The quarantine was issued as a preventative measure to help stop thousand cankers disease (TCD) from coming to Minnesota.

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Products covered by the quarantine include live walnut trees, walnut logs, walnut lumber, walnut nursery stock, wood chips and mulch made from walnut wood, walnut branches and roots, packaging materials made from walnut wood, and all hardwood firewood. The quarantine does not apply to walnut nuts, nutmeat, walnut hulls, finished products made from walnut wood without bark, or processed lumber that is 100 percent bark-free, and kiln-dried with square edges. Several other states within the native range of eastern black walnut have similar exterior quarantines in place. Announcement of the quarantine comes within a month of the detection of TCD in the state of Virginia, the second state within the native range of eastern black walnut to report the disease.

If suspect trees are spotted, please contact MDA’s Arrest the Pest Hotline (1-888-545-6684). More information about TCD and the quarantine can be found on MDA’s website at www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/plantdis eases/1000cankers.aspx <http://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/ plantdiseases/1000cankers.aspx> q

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MDA as EAB and subsequent visits to the site resulted in the capture of several more beetles from the tree and the discovery of an EAB gallery – visible with binoculars through a bark crack in the upper stem of the tree.

After confirming the tree was infested, MDA met with City of Shoreview and Ramsey County representatives and laid out a plan of action. As soon as Friday, the day after the tree was confirmed, the city was able to send out a letter to residents in the area informing them of the find and alerting them that state and local inspectors would be in the neighborhood soon to scout for more infested trees. The following week, an assessment was made of all ash trees within a half mile of the infested tree.

At this point in time, the only tree in northwest Shoreview that can visually be determined to be infested is the very first tree to be discovered. While this does not mean that there are not more infested trees in the area, it may indicate that the tree discovered was also the first to become infested in the area. It may also mean that this is a fairly recent infestation, providing further credit to the owner who noticed the symptoms.

How the tree became infested is not known, though it is worth noting that the tree is only half mile from interstate highway 35W and in other states the principal spread of EAB has been along travel corridors.

Once beetle activity has stopped for the year, the city and MDA will arrange for the removal of the known infested tree. MDA also plans to do some sampling of other trees in the area to get a better idea of the extent and age of this infestation. At this point in time, the quarantine boundaries for EAB (meaning wood being taken out of Hennepin, Houston, and Ramsey Counties is regulated) remain unchanged as this infestation does not appear to extend beyond the quarantine boundaries. If the situation changes, the quarantine boundaries may be extended.

Although it is disappointing to have EAB appear in a new location, it is fortunate that this appears to be a relatively recent infestation, giving ash tree owners in the area the opportunity

to treat their trees if they want or to begin preparing for their eventual removal if not.

Early detection of any new plant pests can make the difference in a successful response effort to slow the spread and delay economic harm. MDA appreciates the help that green industry professionals and the general public provide by keeping an eye out for new pests.

Some invasive species are very difficult to find and can cause major damage for years sometimes before they are identified. Others, like the gypsy moth, have a simple, effective and relatively cheap detection tool that is used throughout the country to find and track moth populations. MDA has been monitoring gypsy moth activity since 1973 and uses the latest technology and science so the program doesn’t rely so heavily on chance reports from citizens.

July of 2010 marked the first time in Minnesota a citizen properly identified a gypsy moth caterpillar and reported it correctly to the Arrest the Pest Hotline.

Thousands of caterpillars have gone unnoticed in forests and neighborhoods until then, but the network of traps across eastern Minnesota lures and catches adult male moths, triggering ground searches and treatment plans.

The gypsy moth program historically trapped each county in Minnesota at least once every four to five years.

Recent budget cuts have allowed the program to operate only in eastern counties where the threat of gypsy moth infestation is greatest so we are counting on citizen reports more and more to fill in the gaps. All reports are investigated and the majorities are native, but nuisance, species.

As a major pathway of spread, Minnesota’s nurseries play an essential role in finding gypsy moth when it is first imported from infested areas. Nursery staff are encouraged to protect existing stock by reviewing shipping certificates from infested areas, inspecting stock during unloading, holding that stock separate from other items, and contacting MDA with any suspicious caterpillars or moths. We are very proud of our nursery managers who stand as a first line of defense against gypsy moth.q

GARDEN CENTER | The Scoop

MNLA Retailers Report In:

Weather a Dampening Factor for 2011

By Cassie Larson, MNLA Associate Director MNLA retailers overwhelmingly report that the poor weather played the biggest role in sales decline in 2011. In July, we asked MNLA member-retailers how their spring went . . . everything from which categories trended upward/downward to how their sales held up to expectations.

Outside Forces e majority of participants reported that they believe stagnant sales were due to “two things working against us: a wet, cold spring and a bad economy.” Many reported that they never recovered from the exceptionally bad weather in April and May and that this year was overall worse than they expected it would be at the start of the season.

Attracting Customers Due to the uncertain conditions, garden centers are working hard to attract customers to their stores this year including in-store events, placing advertisements, and delving into new social media avenues. e chart above shows what has been working!

What is Selling?

So when people do come out what are they buying? About half of the retailers surveyed reported that sales of perennials were up, but sales of annuals, evergreens, trees, and shrubs were down compared to their 2010 numbers.

On the other hand, gift items and hardgoods are reportedly even with last year or even trending upward a bit.

Overall, results indicate that retailers had high expectations for 2011, but, unfortunately weather and economic conditions forced declining sales this spring/summer. Many are hoping the fall season helps traffic and sales! q

Twenty-eight companies participated in the 2011 MNLA Garden Center Industry Pulse survey and a 41-page detailed report was provided only to the 28 participating companies.

Watch for the next survey and be sure to participate so you can get detailed results that will help your business!

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The Scoop | GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Stormwater Opportunities

By Tim Power, MNLA Consultant ith all the partisan politics and gridlock in Washington and St. Paul, it is counter-intuitive to think about the business opportunities offered or enhanced by government, but Tim Power they do exist, and some of them offer exciting potential. Federal, state and local regulation of stormwater discharge require specific measures to be taken in exchange for permission to construct or modify structures or for other development.

Those businesses that understand stormwater regulations can build successful profit centers by helping consumers comply with those regulations while fulfilling customer expectations.

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Background (and Alphabet Soup) Since the Clean Water Act (CWA) was passed by Congress in 1972, tremendous progress has been made in cleaning up point source pollution in our waters. Sewage treatment plants and industrial enterprises, among other point sources, are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), whereby the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), as delegated by EPA, requires permits to discharge pollutants into state waters. There is room for improvement in eliminating further pollutants from discharges by point sources, but the vast majority of the remaining pollutants entering our waters are from non-point sources like stormwater runoff from production agriculture and from urban and suburban impervious surfaces.

The Clean Water Act does not regulate specific nonpoint pollution sources, but rather sets quality standards for “receiving waters,” and requires that those receiving waters that do not meet standards are declared to be “impaired.” For waters that are considered impaired, a study of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL’s) must be conducted, and standards set for those water quality parameters that are considered impaired (Total Suspended Solids, Total Phosphorus, etc.). TMDL studies then allocate pollutant removal goals to individual cities or watersheds, who respond over time with projects designed to help meet those TMDL goals.

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The two paragraphs above are a highly-condensed version of the water quality piece of stormwater regulation in our state. For a much more detailed description of the issues, go to www.mnla.biz, click on “Business Resources,” then “Water Management and Irrigation.” Click on “Stormwater Management in Minnesota – Current Status and Emerging Issues” and then the .pdf file it contains.

This 30-page document was commissioned by the MNLA Stormwater Team and written by Dan McGuiness and Associates in 2010. In this study, Dan outlines current stormwater issues and regulation, the agencies and organizations involved, and the ways in which MNLA and its members might help the process and profit from the system today and as it evolves. Reading and understanding this outstanding study would be an excellent first step for an MNLA member interested in providing products or services in the Stormwater Management field.

Recent Developments In his MNLA study, Dan McGuiness highlights Low Impact Design (LID) and the Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS) process. MNLA is an active participant in MIDS, along with a wide variety of additional water issue stakeholders from government, industry and the non-profit world. See http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/component/option ,com_docman/task,doc_view/gid,10516 for a description of MIDS. As indicated in the document, MIDS will be voluntary, but it will provide a comprehensive package of credits and ordinance language that municipalities can adopt if desired. Two major products emerged from MIDS Phase I, which ended in June 2011: A single volume-based performance standard, as follows: “For new, nonlinear developments that create more than one acre of new impervious surface on sites without restrictions, stormwater runoff volumes will be controlled and the post-construction runoff volume shall be retained on site for 1.1 inches of runoff from impervious surfaces statewide.”

A beta-version of the draft MIDS Credits Calculator, based on the new performance standard. When further

refined to Version 1.0, this calculator will allow a developer and/or a regulator to compare notes in a common language about what credits might be appropriate for specific BMP’s, such as rain gardens or permeable pavement systems (PPS).

MIDS Phase II will start in fall 2011 and will address linear development and redevelopment, along with further work on the Credits Calculator. MIDS is a process, and its ultimate product will be changes and additions to the state’s Stormwater Manual, which is a primary source that watershed districts and cities consult when developing or updating their Watershed Management Plans. The major benefit of this to MNLA members is that, eventually, the Stormwater Manual is likely to recommend specific credits for a variety of stormwater BMP’s. Members that have expertise in those stormwater BMP’s will be prepared for the long-term ordinance changes that MIDS will precipitate.

How Can Businesses Benefit?

Are you taking advantage of the trend toward rain gardens? A number of watershed districts (WD’s) already offer hardcover credits for correctly-installed and maintained rain gardens, and many of those WD’s and/or soil and water conservation districts have grant programs to help defray costs. As with many stormwater BMP’s, the secrets to success in rain gardens are in the proper installation of subgrade elements and in an effective maintenance program. You may sell only plant material, subgrade materials and mulch to do-it-yourself consumers, or you may be able to offer design and installation services as well.

Permeable pavement systems (PPS) offer an ecosystemfriendly alternative to traditional concrete, asphalt or pavers. As the MIDS process moves forward, I predict that hardcover credits for PPS will become more accepted. One great thing about PPS is that the surface areas of the system can be used for parking, driveway, patio, etc., while the subgrade elements provide the stormwater retention and filtration/infiltration that justify hardcover credits.

MNLA’s Stormwater Task Team has developed a PPS brochure that is designed to educate elected and appointed city officials about the many benefits of PPS, proper installation techniques and the need and timing for appropriate maintenance. The PPS brochure will be a takeaway item that city officials will receive at the end of PowerPoint lunch-and-learn sessions by MNLA-trained presenters, starting soon.

Want To Learn More?

Other aspects of MIDS that may generate new business opportunities include an emphasis on trees as an integral piece of Green Infrastructure (GI). There is extensive existing research that describes the stormwater mitigation benefits of trees, but there is insufficient research to date

that quantifies those benefits. MIDS II is likely to at least develop a comprehensive list of research needs in this area, if they cannot recommend specific credits for the trees themselves. Certainly the subgrade elements of bioretention facilities including rain gardens and tree trenches will have recommended hardcover credits attached in the Credits Calculator.

One way to jump-start your GI knowledge would be to attend the 4th annual Clean Water Summit at the Arboretum on September 8th. Titled Green Infrastructure for Clean Water: Trees, Roots, and Their Role in Stormwater Management, the conference will highlight current technical practices along with policy and planning issues in this arena. See http://www. arboretum.umn.edu/greeninfrastructureforcleanwater.aspx for a detailed conference description and registration information. MNLA is a co-sponsor of this event, and MNLA members Itasca Greenhouse and North Central Reforestation are providing complimentary tree seedlings to conference participants. I hope to see you there! q ______________________________________________ Tim Power is a member of the MNLA Government Affairs Committee and can be reached at timpower@powerconsults.com.

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MEMBERSHIP | The Scoop

Renew Membership Online, Drive Traffic to Your Company t is now easier than ever to renew your membership online! Go to MNLA.biz, login in the upper right corner, then click “Membership Renewal” in the left column. This year, you can also save 10% on your membership dues by requesting a quote on workers’ compensation insurance from TBG! Email mary@mnla.biz for a quote form.

New! Purchase a powerful enhanced directory listing when you renew and drive more traffic to your business from GardenMinnesota.com. The new enhanced listing is available at an introductory offer of $40, and includes these upgrades:

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• • • • •

Colored background Full company description Listing floats to the top of searches Larger type for company name Logo or photo upload (maximum size: 180w x 150h pixels)

Example of enhanced listing appearance

• Graphics for map, contact, and website You can purchase an enhanced listing in the Store on MNLA.biz or when you renew your membership online. Just look for “Enhanced Directory Option” during your renewal process. q Never signed in to MNLA.biz before?

Simply click “Forgot your password.” and if you have an email address on file with MNLA it will step you through the process.

Need help? Call 651-633-4987.

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Each poster includes many beautiful color photos of plant species found in the northern landscape.

Thirteen titles of woody & herbaceous plants.

Visit the MNLA.biz Store or call Sue at 651-633-4987.

Submit Nominations for MNLA Board Now usiness members of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association who are interested in serving on the MNLA Board of Directors should request a "Nomination Commitment Form" from the MNLA office.

The signed form, along with a biography and photo, must be submitted to the MNLA office

by September 30 to be considered by the MNLA Nominating Committee. Board and officer elections are conducted in December.

Results are announced at the MNLA Annual Meeting on January 4, 2012 during the Northern Green Expo.

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To be considered by the Nominating Committee, a member must: (1) Be an owner or employee of a business that has been an MNLA member for at least eight years immediately preceding the election; (2) Have business member status and have paid appropriate dues; (3) Have a history of service to MNLA, which is defined as having successfully served in a leadership

role in MNLA (i.e. committee service); (4) Persons nominating themselves, or being nominated by someone other than a member of the Nominating Committee, shall provide at least three written references from MNLA business members in good standing with not greater than one of the three references originating from a current Board member. Valid write-in candidates must meet requirements #1 and #2.

The nine-member Board of Directors is the governing body of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association. Five at-large members are elected for two-year terms. Officers (president, vice president and secretarytreasurer) serve for one year, but most often run for a second term. The Board sets general association policy and oversees the on-going operations of the association. For a detailed set of Board responsibilities and the Nomination Commitment Form, call MNLA Executive Director Bob Fitch at 651-633-4987 or, outside the metro, call toll-free 888-866-6652. q

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