The Scoop Online – October 2014

How to Win Over Difficult Clients

Also Inside

Top Ten Performing Annuals

Plant of the Month Member Profile Collection Tips

Path & Passage Innovative design delivers an interesting landscape along the way.

Vol: 37 No: 10 Oct 2014 t h e o f f i c i a l p u b l i c at i o n o f t h e M i n n e s o ta N u r s e r y & L a n d s c a p e A s s o c i at i o n

Join us for a full day of education prior to the Northern Green Expo.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 Register online at MNLA.biz! There will be NO onsite registration. Please note that registration fees are separate from those for the Northern Green Expo.

LOW VOLTAGE IRRIGATION TROUBLESHOOTING (PLT RELICENSURE) 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center

Cost: $129 for MNLA & MTGF members (includes lunch) Instructor: Andrew Lindquist This class provides a total of eight hours of continuing education credits for the Power Limited Technician license, with material orientated specifically towards the irrigation specialist. Lindquist will focus on the following topics: wiring, troubleshooting of the controller and circuits, wire location; and grounding.

Take away greater knowledge of irrigation troubleshooting and get continuing education credits for your PLT license.

THE FASTEST GROWING LANDSCAPING TREND: EDIBLES! 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center

Cost: $119 for MNLA Members (includes lunch) Landscape design, professional gardening services and garden center professionals should attend.

This day will be all about food! Rosalind Creasy, pioneer in the field of edible landscaping, awardwinning professional photographer, and author of the Complete Book of Edible Landscaping, will discuss beautiful edible plants for home gardens, provide an overview of the wide variety of edible landscapes, as well as the principles of landscape design particular to edibles.

Emily Tepe, University of Minnesota fruit researcher and a former exhibit designer and mural artist, will discuss how to creatively incorporate edibles into containers and home landscapes.

The day will end with a panel of experts discussing the hottest trends in fruit and vegetables on the horizon for 2015.

CEO SYMPOSIUM: WHAT I WISH I KNEW… 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Millenium Hotel

Cost: $129 (includes a social hour, dinner and presentation) The MNLA CEO Symposium has become the “place to be” on Tuesday night. This is an opportunity for CEOlevel members to connect and network. The evening includes a social hour, dinner, and a presentation.

This year, in coordination with the MNLA 90th anniversary celebration, our presenters will be the veterans of this great industry. They will share what they wish they knew when they were first starting out, lessons learned, and ‘aha’ moments from their careers.

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Volume 37 No. 10 Oct 2014

contents AL

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IN THIS ISSUE 8

Events

10 From the President From the little acorn to the mighty oak.

39

13 Plant of the Month Aster ‘Wood’s’ Series is a favorite of Jerod Fehrenbach.

14 Member Profile Midwest Groundcover – Express Blower Service

17 How to Win Over Difficult Clients Seven different types of challenging clients and what to do about them. 

21 2014 Top Ten Performing Annuals Steve Poppe and Esther Jordan from the U of M West Central Research and Outreach Center are back with their annual top annuals report.   

26 Path and Passage Expo speaker Julie Moir Messervy writes about the paths that link the different destinations in your landscape. 

34 Why Isn’t Willow Amsonia More Popular?

It’s tough and reliable with good form and season-long value, so what’s holding it back from widespread use?    

39 Landscape Design: Potential and Opportunity Expo speaker Greg Pierceall expounds on many principles of good landscape design. 

50 Proposed MNLA Governance Changes This Task Team report offers an overview of the current structure and the proposed changes.   Landscape & Hardscape Install & Design  Garden Services & Landscape Management  Garden Centers  Growers: Nursery & Greenhouse  Irrigation & Water Management  Arborists & Tree Services  All

47 Tips on Collecting as a Subcontractor To help you get paid on all your jobs, lawyer Bryan Zlimen recommends you follow these guidelines.

54 Call for Entries: MNLA Landscape Awards 56 The “Save Your Ice” Challenge Jay Siedschlaw challenges us to connect, serve and give to the MNLA Foundation.

59 The Value of MNLA Certification The why, how, who, what, when, and where of becoming an MNLA Certified Professional.

63 Expo Speaker Highlight Bios and topics for two can’t-miss landscapefocused presenters.

The Scoop, October 2014, Issue 10, is issued monthly, 12 times per year. All original works, articles or formats published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 2014, and may not be used without written permission of MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113. Subscription price is $99 for one year, which is included with member dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Scoop, MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113.

Editorial Contributions. You are invited to share your expertise and perspective. Article ideas and manuscripts should, whenever possible, reflect real and specific experiences. When submitting an article, please contact the publisher at jon@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987.

MNLA reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

october 14

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Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association Successful Businesses Grow Here!

1813 Lexington Ave. N. Roseville, MN 55113 651-633-4987 • Fax: 651-633-4986 Outside the metro area, toll free: 888-886-MNLA, Fax: 888-266-4986 www.MNLA.biz • www.NorthernGreenExpo.org

MNLA Mission: The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help members grow successful businesses.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

heidi heiland, mnla-cp, president

A Top Notch Equipment ................................................................................... 42 Arborjet .............................................................................................................. 4 Aspen Equipment ............................................................................................. 11 Bridgewater Tree Farms ................................................................................... 61 Carlin Horticultural Supplies/ProGreen Plus ..................................................... 16 Central Landscape Supply ................................................................................ 45 Cushman Motor Co. Inc ................................................................................... 48 Edney Distributing Co., Inc. ............................................................................. 61

Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens 612-366-7766 • heidi@BloomOnMN.com

Everris ............................................................................................................... 29

herman roerick, vice-president

Frontier Ag & Turf ............................................................................................. 29

Central Landscape Supply 320-252-1601 • hermanr@centrallandscape.com

scott frampton, secretary-treasurer

Landscape Renovations 651-769-0010 • sframpton@landscaperenovations.com

debbie lonnee, mnla-cp, past president

Bailey Nurseries, Inc. 651-768-3375 • debbie.lonnee@baileynursery.com

randy berg, mnla-cp

Frost Services ................................................................................................... 16 Fury Motors ...................................................................................................... 38 Gardenworld Inc. .............................................................................................. 16 Gertens Wholesale ........................................................................................... 37 GM Fleet and Commercial ................................................................................. 3

Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 • rberg@smig.net

Great Northern Equipment Distributing, Inc. ................................................... 31

tim malooly, cid, clia, cic

Haag Companies, Inc. ...................................................................................... 36

Water in Motion 763-559-7771 • timm@watermotion.com

patrick mcguiness

Zlimen & McGuiness PLLC 651-331-6500 • pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com

mike mcnamara

Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies ........................................................ 18 Jeff Belzer Chevrolet .................................................................................. 32–33 Klaus Nurseries ................................................................................................. 37

Hoffman & McNamara Nursery & Landscaping 651-437-9463 • mike.mcnamara@hoffmanandmcnamara.com

Landscape Alternatives Inc. .............................................................................. 57

jeff pilla, mnla-cp

Minnesota Propane Association ....................................................................... 31

Bachman’s Inc. 612-861-7600 • jpilla@bachmans.com

cassie larson, cae

MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • cassie@mnla.biz

Staff Directory

executive director:

Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz

membership director & trade show manager: Mary Dunn, CEM • mary@mnla.biz

communications director: Jon Horsman • jon@mnla.biz education/cert manager: Susan Flynn • susan@mnla.biz government affairs director: Tim Power • tim@mnla.biz administrative assistant: Jessica Pratt • jessica@mnla.biz accountant: Norman Liston • norman@mnla.biz mnla foundation program director: Jodi Larson • jodi@mnla.biz • www.TheLandLovers.org

advertising sales: 952-934-2891 / 763-295-5420

6

ad list

Volume 37 No. 10 Oct 2014

➾ section title

MTI Distributing, Inc. ....................................................................................... 16 Out Back Nursery ............................................................................................. 45 Plaisted Companies ............................................................................................ 7 RDO Equipment Co. ........................................................................................ 20 RDO Equipment Co. - Vermeer ........................................................................ 55 Resultants for Business, Inc. (RFB) .................................................................... 20 Specialty Turf & Ag ........................................................................................... 49 Sterling Arbor, LLC ........................................................................................... 35 The Builders Group .......................................................................................... 11 Tri-State Bobcat, Inc. .................................................................................. 12, 46 Truck Utilities & Mfg. Co. .................................................................................. 57

Faith Jensen, Advertising Rep • faith@pierreproductions.com Betsy Pierre, Advertising Mgr • betsy@pierreproductions.com

Versa-Lok Midwest ........................................................................................... 53

legislative affairs consultant: Doug Carnival

Ziegler CAT ......................................................................................... Back Cover

mnla .biz

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➾ calenda r

oct 22–24

MNLA Event

oct22

GIE+Expo / Hardscape North America

Category P Only pesticide Recertification Workshop

➾

➾

St. Paul, MN MNLA.biz This 2.5 hour class will provide recertification for Category P (Vertebrates and Pest Control) only.

This class is for those who wish to maintain Category P certification and received credit for categories A and E last year or at the 2014 Northern Green Expo.

MNLA Event

jan13

Generously supported by:

CEO Symposium: What I Wish I Knew…

➾

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Millennium Hotel MNLA.biz The MNLA CEO Symposium has become the “place to be” on Tuesday night. This is an opportunity for CEOlevel members to connect and network.

The evening includes drinks, dinner, and a presentation. This year, in coordination with the MNLA 90th anniversary celebration, our presenters will be veterans of this great industry. They will share what they wish they knew when they were first starting out, lessons learned, and ‘aha’ moments from their careers.

Louisville, KY gie-expo.com Two tradeshows co-located in one central location, provide your No. 1 opportunity to see what your industry is buzzing about. The 19 acre Outdoor Demonstration Area, within easy walking distance of the indoor exhibits, and the New Products Showcase make these prestigious shows an exceptionally efficient, productive marketplace.

MNLA Event

jan 14–16 Northern Green Expo

➾

Minneapolis Convention Center Northerngreenexpo.org Attend the premier event for green industry professionals in the northern region. Exhibit Contracts are available.

Generously supported by:

2014 MNLA seminars generously supported by John Deere Landscapes

MNLA Event MNLA Event MNLA Event

NOV19

NOV21

jan13

jan13

Low Voltage Irrigation Troubleshooting (PLT Relicensure) (pending DOLI approval)

➾ Minneapolis Convention

Key:

Pesticide Recertification Workshop TIES Conference Center, St. Paul MNLA.biz This workshop meets the MDA Pesticide Applicator Recertification Requirements for categories A (Core) and E (Turf and Ornamentals).

This is the last opportunity to recertify in 2014.

Generously supported by:

➾

5:00 pm MNLA Office 651-633-4987 MNLA.biz Entries in the 2015 MNLA Landscape Awards program will be accepted up until 5:00 p.m. on this day. Submitting companies in this program of recognition for installed landscapes must be MNLA members who offer design, installation, bid/build, design/build, or other landscape specialty to their clients.

➾

➾ LANDSCAPE AWARDS DEADLINE

Center 651-633-4987 MNLA.biz This class taught by Andy Lindquist provides a total of eight hours of continuing education credits for the Power Limited technician license, with material orientated specifically towards the irrigation specialist. Lindquist will focus on the following topics: wiring, troubleshooting of the controller and circuits, wire location; and grounding. Take away greater knowledge of irrigation troubleshooting and get continuing education credits for your PLT license.

The Fastest Growing Landscaping Trend: Edibles!

Minneapolis Convention Center 651-633-4987 MNLA.biz This day is all about food! Rosalind Creasy, a garden and food writer, photographer, and landscape designer with a passion for beautiful vegetables and ecologically sensitive gardening will talk about edible landscaping and the new American garden. Emily Tepe, author of The Edible Landscape, will discuss how to incorporate edibles into containers.

We’ll also hear about the hottest trends in fruits and vegetables from local experts.

Event Education ➾ ➾

All information on these and other industry events are online at MNLA.biz.

Did you miss a webinar? ALL of our webinars are recorded and available for viewing afterwards. Login to MNLA.biz to learn more! october 14

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➾ fr om the PRESIDEN T

From The Little Acorn To The Mighty Oak I am very proud to be a small part of an impressive association like the MNLA, an (almost) 90-year-old oak whose beginnings are celebrated this year in photo flashbacks in The Scoop.

Heidi Heiland

Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens

check it out Turn to pages 50–54 for more information on governance.

we have cultivated new opportunities, fertilized future leaders and pruned out what was crowding the core.

One such canker has become the length of service required for a typical Board member. My predecessor, Debbie Lonnee, will have served 16 years by the time her Past President term is completed, which is longer than most of our members work at one job! The Board of Directors collectively decided to make us more viable into the future by adapting our Governance process and creating a Board development process. Primary goals include: prioritize an ongoing development process to elevate potential candidates; negate an automatic rise to the Executive Committee; and encourage MORE members to participate at the Board level.

Moving forward, the average Director will serve four years. This shorter time horizon will make service more attractive to more people. Because the overall length of service is less, the hope is that more total members will become involved in governance via the Board of Directors. Look for more details in the following pages.

As we prepare the soil for future generations, your Board of Directors is sowing the seeds of change. Thank you for your faith in us and please consider becoming more involved. We are all little acorns, yet collectively become the mighty oak.

MNLA President Heidi Heiland

can be reached at:

612.366.7766 or Heidi@BloomOnMN.com

Official Notice to Members The 2015 Board of Directors election will be conducted via an electronic ballot. The primary contact of record, which each member has provided to MNLA, will receive access to the ballot via a notice which will be e-mailed between December 1–5, 2014.

If you have an e-mail address on record with MNLA, but do not receive the ballot

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electronically by December 5th, please contact MNLA Executive Director Cassie Larson at cassie@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987.

MNLA Election 1813 Lexington Ave N Roseville, MN 55113

If your company does not have an e-mail address on record at MNLA and you wish to vote in the election, please mail or fax (651-633-4986) a request for an official ballot

by December 5, 2014 to:

Results of the election will be announced at the MNLA Annual Membership Meeting to be held at 4:30pm on Wednesday, January 14, 2014 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

➾ plant of the month

plant month of

the

Aster ‘Wood’s’ Series

color that can be a little bit elusive for perennial beds. Most people think of plants like sedum, rudbeckia, and grasses as their staples for color in the cooler fall months, but the vibrant and clear color of these perennials will remain showy for years to come.

In the series, you have a couple of great choices in color: light blue, pink, and purple. This compact plant only gets from 12 to 18 inches tall and is very similar in appearance to fall mums. The color pallet of all three goes very well with yellows, reds, and browns in the landscape. These plants continuously turn heads during their entire bloom time from mid-September until frost. right now and you’re looking around your landscapes and wondering what to do next; but fear not because the Aster Woods series is here to save the day.

They are great additions to fill in that fall

Winter is approaching far too fast

Their versatility includes their use in fall pots as well as in the landscape. Give them lots of sun when in containers and in the garden and they will remain disease free and happy. Try using them in a darker

colored pot along with things like rudbeckia, echinacea, lysamachia, Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’, and various heucheras.

One more thing to consider when planting is, “How does this benefit our insect friends and in particular the dwindling bee population?” These asters, along with other fall blooming plants, are really great attractants and food sources for pollinators. This is especially true when considering that very little else is blooming in the landscape. These plantings provide a great last boost of food for the bees before winter.

Chances are pretty good you have heard of these asters before, but maybe you haven’t actually used them yet in landscapes. Consider all the benefits of these perennials when picking out plants to use this fall and give the Aster Wood’s series a shot.

Jerod Fehrenbach of Twin Orchards Nursery can be reached at jfehren@aol.com.

Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries.

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➾ Member Profile

member profile Midwest G r o undcove r – Ex p r ess Blowe r S e rvice Molly Altorfer

Photos courtesy of Midwest Groundcover

M idwest G r o undcove r

Owner: Justin Crandall Date company started: Spring 2014, after transitioning from lawn care business Pro Turf Landscape Maintenance, LLC, founded in 2005 Location: Plymouth, Minnesota Key Employees: Justin Crandall Number of Employees in Peak Season: 2 Areas Served: Minneapolis and St. Paul Metro areas, Duluth Member Focus Area: Garden Services & Landscape Management, Landscape & Hardscape Install & Design Website: www.midwestgroundcover.net

Justin Crandall understands and appreciates quality customer service. As a result, he has made it the cornerstone of his business, Midwest Groundcover. “I want to make sure people are happy,” says the one-man owner-operator of the Express Blower Service, which installs landscape and playground mulch.

Question: Justin, thanks for taking the time to talk with The Scoop. Can you tell us what kind of business Midwest Groundcover is?

Answer: “We are a service of express blowers. We operate one truck that can carry 60 cubic yards of mulch at a time. Our competition has trucks that carry only 15, 30 or 40 cubic yards at a time. So most of our projects can be completed in one or two hauls. We like that we can save people time and money because we can do a quality job quickly. We install landscape and playground mulch. There is a high demand for mulch in the metro area, and I started Midwest Groundcover because I know mulch.”

Question: Why is mulch often one of the best options for landscaping and playgrounds?

14 mnla mnla mnla .biz .biz august .biz january october 14 13 14

“Customer service is our key. As an owner-operator, I can’t always pick up the phone, but I will always call back.”

because we are out on the airfield with jets landing 100 feet from us.”

Question: What kind of training do you have to enable you to operate the express blower truck?

Answer: “I have a Class B license to operate the truck. And the trucks are pretty rare – there are only three in the Metro area. But I like having the capability to haul so much mulch for our customers.

I’ve spent several days training on the truck and this fall the manufacturer is coming from Oregon so that we can do additional training and maintenance.”

Question: How have you positioned Midwest Groundcover to be a service to larger contractors?

Answer: “Financially it is the best option.

Playgrounds, for instance, need to be top-coated each year, but mulch offers an absorption and safety factor for children that other substances, like pea gravel, cannot. Mulch offers a safer landing if the child should fall on the playground.”

Question: Have you faced any challenges during your first season of business with Midwest Groundcover?

Answer: “The record rainfall made it hard, but our mulch color did not wash out like other providers’. Our mulch is always dry from our supplies. So it was nice not to have to worry about disrupting jobs or plans during that rainfall. We always try to keep on our schedule for the customers’ sake.”

Question: What colors of mulch does Midwest Groundcover offer?

Answer: “We offer several product colors, including mink, acorn, brick red, cedar,

hardwood, playground mulch, pine bark, and western red cedar. They come at various price points.”

Question: Can you offer some examples of professionalism or ethical operations that help distinguish Midwest Groundcover from its competitors?

Answer: “I pride myself on our customer service. Several people have called our competition and they never receive a call back, regardless of the size of the project.

I will always call someone back. Customer service is our key. As an owner-operator, I can’t always pick up the phone, but I will always call back.”

Question: Is there a recent commercial or residential project that has been memorable or of which you are extremely proud?

Answer: “We have made ourselves available for sub-contracting for other landscaping companies, and this strategy has been really good so far. They hire me because they want me to do the job, they know it’s a quality job and product, and it frees up their crews to focus on other areas.”

Question: How has the MNLA helped Midwest Groundcover in its first year of operation?

Answer: I joined the MNLA in 2014. It’s good to be a part of an organization like this because it helps customers and companies alike. The networking that MNLA provides has allowed me to talk with other landscape companies. I was encouraged to join MNLA because of the great reputation of the companies that are also members — they are established and fully-insured.”

Interested in being profiled in The Scoop?

Answer: “One of my favorite projects is doing the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.

We load the mulch on site and it’s cool

Our writer is always looking for a good story. Email jon@mnla.biz and we may add you to our interview list.

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Seven Types of Difficult Clients and

How to Win Them Over

Early in my consulting career, I had a client who slowly became downright abusive. When we first met he was relaxed, confident, professional, and even charming. But underneath that veneer he was a mean-spirited tyrant. As time passed, he became ever-more demanding and even vicious. One day, I walked into his office with a three-page memo I had written to summarize our conclusions. He noticed a typo on the second page and began angrily yelling at me. “This is shoddy, unprofessional work,” he shouted across the table, his eyes bulging and face turning red. “How could you show this to me? This is totally unacceptable!” His rant continued for a full minute. I was only 28, and felt utterly trapped in the project.

Andrew Sobel

➾ seven types of diffic ult clients

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his man was an extreme case, and I have fortunately only run into a few like him during the ensuing 25 years. But the fact is, you encounter difficult clients all the time.

Here are seven types of tough clients you need to be aware of, and the strategies for dealing with them. I have listed these roughly in order of severity, from the most manageable to the least tolerable.

Seven Types of Difficult Clients

Insecure: These clients are highly insecure and unsure of

#1

themselves. They are difficult to work for because they tend to micro-manage you. They find it hard to trust outsiders, and won’t let you build relationships with their boss or other executives in their organization — they keep you for themselves. Insecure clients may have difficulty trusting you to do new and different things for them, and they review your work over and over.

The Prescription: Build more trust and reduce their perception of risk. This means investing in more face time, reassuring them about your product or service delivery, showing them what you’re doing at key stages of the engagement, increasing communications, and demonstrating utter reliability and consistency. Convince them that you should go together to see their boss, so that you will also have a relationship with him or her.

Explain how this will ultimately help them and the program you’re working together on.

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PLYMOUTH 763.512.2849

STILLWATER 651.748.3158

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#2

No Boundaries: Clients like this perceive no boundaries around you and your work. They will call and email you at all hours of the day and night, expecting an immediate response. They don’t distinguish between something that’s truly important and urgent and a task or issue that’s just a simple “to do.” They invade your personal life and leave you feeling swarmed and even overwhelmed.

The Prescription: Explain your boundaries at the very start of the relationship, especially if you suspect this may become an issue — e.g., “On workdays, we respond to emails within four hours unless it’s clearly urgent, in

which case we’ll get back to you within the hour. If something comes up over the weekend, unless it’s an emergency we’ll respond Monday morning.” When this becomes a problem, you can begin to establish boundaries by your behavior rather than direct confrontation. Simply answer the email you get on Saturday on Sunday night or Monday morning; or, write a one-liner back that says, “Steve, I’ll respond first thing Monday when I’m at my office.” Also, regularly prioritize with your client. Say: “Mary, right now my priority is getting that analysis that we discussed in shape. Can this wait until Thursday?”

Carefully set expectations with a client like this.

#3

Do Nothing: There are some clients who just never move ahead and get things done. You meet with them, you talk, you agree to next steps, and so on — but then, nothing.

This is more of a frustrating than a “difficult” client. In fact, you might have a very good and pleasant relationship with a Do Nothing executive.

The Prescription: Explore what’s behind your client’s inaction. Is it insecurity and fear (see type one)? Are they being hemmed in by their boss or another executive who is blocking them? Do they work in an organizational culture that is risk averse and prizes survival above all?

There are many different reasons why a client doesn’t act, and you need to diagnose why so that you know how to address the inaction. Can you work with them to reassure them about your approach — perhaps even having them talk to another client? Can you help them manage the stakeholders that may be getting in the way?

Can you increase their sense of urgency by illustrating the costs of not acting? Also, ask yourself if the problem or issue you’re addressing is truly an urgent, important one.

Maybe the client’s priorities have shifted.

#4

Know-It-All: This client thinks they know more about what you do than you, and is constantly telling you how to do your job. They give you way too many suggestions in areas that are really outside their expertise. They are overly directive. I’ve had clients, who themselves were terrible at group facilitation, try and tell me how to facilitate a training workshop. Others would try and impose their own models for client loyalty, having just hired me to give them mine.

The Prescription: Re-establish your respective roles. If gentle rebukes don’t work (“Through many years of doing this, I’ve found this is the most effective approach…”) you have to put your foot down with a Know-It-All client. Confront them. Tell them they have hired you because of your expertise and experience, and that they need to give you the proper berth to exercise it on their behalf. Twice I have had to say this to clients (this was suggested to me by author Alan Weiss): “Let me ask you something: When you buy a Mercedes Benz car, do you tell the salesman that you want to travel to Germany to inspect the production line and make suggestions to them

about how to assemble your car? I didn’t think so, because you know Mercedes is a great brand and understands how to make cars. Similarly, you need to let me do my job for you.” In both cases, the client laughed and backed off. If a Know-It-All client won’t stop their behavior, you should either resign the engagement or finish your contract and never work for them again.

#5 Aloof: Some clients treat you like a vendor and resist all efforts to build a real relationship. They are often very professional, and can be perfectly pleasant when you’re with them. But it’s a purely arms-length relationship.

The Prescription: Learn more about their agenda and help them accomplish it. You may not have truly understood this client’s priorities — their underlying needs and goals. What’s important to them right now? What are they trying to accomplish this year? Everyone has a hot button — have you discovered what it is for this particular executive? Once you do, you’ll be in a better position to help them and go “above and beyond” the letter of your contract. Also, try and find out how your client views the relationship — it may just be that he or she feels the relationship is perfectly fine and doesn’t need to be anything more than what it is now.

#6 Insatiable: This type of client feels the work is never, ever

good enough, and they also micro-manage everything you do. Their behavior can absolutely wear you down.

You never feel like you’re succeeding. This individual may themself suffer from feelings of inadequacy—but, who knows what can be behind such behavior!

The Prescription: Carefully calibrate expectations at the beginning of each engagement or transaction. IT firms have “service level agreements” (SLAs) — maybe you need to go deeper in agreeing to more specifics around the type, quality, and format of your output for the client. Don’t become overly needy about getting compliments and positive feedback — this is a client, not your spouse, and as long as you’re doing a good job for them and achieving the agreed upon goals, you shouldn’t worry about getting a constant stream of praise. Ultimately, however, you may choose to simply move on and work with clients who are more appreciative and supportive.

#7

The Tyrant: They have personality and emotional issues and treat their people — and perhaps you — terribly.

Everyone who works for them hates them. Sometimes, this is directed against you — the supplier or advisor.

Sometimes, it’s directed against the people in the client’s organization and their own team members. Who knows why someone acts like this — there are many possible reasons. They could be good-hearted but have an anger management issue, or they could be genuinely mean — like my client from years ago.

The Prescription: If the client is nice to you, but tyranni-

cal with their team, you may be able to coach them and october 14

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➾ seven types of diffic ult clients

If the client is nice to you, but tyrannical with their team, you may be able to coach them and influence them to change their behavior. … If the client is treating you badly, move on. Life is too short to spend time in abusive relationships, be they at work or in our personal lives! influence them to change their behavior. Unless you’re specifically in a coaching relationship, however, they may not be open to that kind of personal feedback.

If the client is treating you badly, move on. Life is too short to spend time in abusive relationships, be they at work or in our personal lives!

In summary: When faced with a difficult client, think about these four steps:

#1

Assess. Diagnose why the person is acting that way. What’s behind the behavior?

#2

Make an action plan. Identify remedial actions you can take to address the underlying dynamic.

(E.g., if a client is micro-managing you because of insecurity, what steps can you take to build greater trust?)

#3

Confront. If appropriate,

#4

Fish or cut bait. Decide what

confront the client with their behavior. (E.g., point out they are second-guessing your expertise and experience, and ask them to stop). your boundaries are, and if you’ve had enough, move on and focus on more fruitful relationships.

Andrew Sobel helps

his clients build enduring relationships with their clients and other important individuals in their lives. Find out more at www. andrewsobel.com.

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2014 Top Ten

Performing Annual Flowers University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center

Steve Poppe | Horticulture Scientist, and Esther Jordan | Communication Specialist

 Torenia ‘Summer Wave Bouquet Deep Blue’

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➾ 2 0 1 4 top ten annu als

In the past, no other part of the floriculture production industry has enjoyed such great public interest and use of its product than annual flowers.

Annuals are an important element for garden design, offering an array of flowers and foliage that add color and texture to the landscapes of homes, businesses, shopping malls, public buildings, city streets and parks.

R

esearch and extension personnel at the University of Minnesota support this growing industry in a variety of ways, including the annual flower trials carried out at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) Horticulture Display Garden in Morris, Minnesota. In 2014, cultivars from 18 major plant breeding companies from around the world were evaluated based on unique characteristics, exceptional performance, color and vigor under regional conditions. Only the highest rating cultivars earn the distinction of a Top Ten Performing Annual.

The goal of evaluating this vast array of cultivars is to develop recommendations for Minnesota. The WCROC is part of the National Plant Trials Database, which serves as a central data collection pool for plant breeders that choose to participate. The Horticulture Display Garden, along with 27 other trial gardens, has committed to standardized trialing protocol with standardized scoring procedures.

At the end of the trialing season, each trial manager updates the database with their scores and other trial data. The site is administered

by All-America Selections, and is accessible to industry professionals at www.planttrials.org. The Horticulture Display Garden is open for self-guided tours throughout the growing season.

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 Angelonia ‘Archangel™ Dark Rose’ features beautiful spikes of rose pea-like flowers with crimson eyes rising above the foliage from late spring to late summer. The plant reaches 14 inches tall with a spread of 12 inches, and gives the best effect when planted in groupings. Its small fragrant narrow leaves remain green throughout the growing season. Butterflies are attracted to this plant, but deer tend to stay away from it. Grows best in full sun.  Geranium Interspecific ‘Sarita Dark Red’ is a new type of hybrid geranium that is a cross of the well-known zonal geranium and the ivy-geranium. The Sarita Dark Red is a true bright red color with tremendous vigor, which makes this Geranium stand out above the others. Interspecifics grow best in full sun or part shade.

 Impatiens Interspecific ‘Big Bounce™ Lilac’ is part of the Big Bounce™ series, which is known to be highly resistant to downy mildew. Unlike New Guinea impatiens, Big Bounce™ has a nice compact habit and numerous flowers, making it an excellent choice for shade gardens. As the name implies, watch it “bounce” back after wilting without losing blooms or buds. > Lantana ‘Beach Cities Malibu’ features an abundance of brightly covered blossoms through late summer and early fall. This plant tolerates drier conditions, and needs full sun. Beach Cities Malibu attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and is deer resistant. It’s easy to grow and performs best in containers.  Lobularia ‘Tetraploid White’ emits a sweet aroma as expressed in its common name: sweet alyssum. Sweet alyssum is typically grown as an annual bedding plant for edging, ground cover purposes and containers. Tetraploid White produces the some of the biggest flowers we have seen on an alyssum. The vigorous, 6 inch tall plants are compact, and have extended garden performance.

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➾ 2 0 1 4 top ten annu als

 Pennisetum ‘Graceful Grasses™ Sky Rocket’ is an attractive variegated annual grass with graceful arching foliage. This ornamental grass is an excellent counterpart to the showy red-leaf varieties featuring fluffy flower heads in late summer/fall. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous brick red in the fall that last into winter.

This is a relatively low maintenance annual plant which grows about 24 to 36" in height. It is most effective when planted in groupings. > Petunia ‘Supertunia™ Indigo Charm Improved’ is a fantastic container plant that will spill over the edges of the container. It is also an incredible landscape plant because of its densely branched plant habit. This plant is self-cleaning with no deadheading required. The purple colored flowers of Indigo Charm will highlight your container combinations.

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 Purslane ‘RioGrande™ Orange’ has big, bold, orange blossoms that open on sunny mornings that cover the plant. Plant habit is trailing and can be grown in containers or in landscape beds as a ground cover. These durable low maintenance plants should be grown in full sun and are drought tolerant.  Torenia ‘Summer Wave Bouquet Deep Blue’ is a profuse blooming annual with rich, blue flowers accented with violet that starts flowering early in the season through fall. Prefers containers over ground plantings, and does best in partial shade. This Torenia forms a compact mound that eventually trails down the sides of pots. Torenia is deer resistant and very attractive to hummingbirds. > Zinnia ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’ is an All-America Selections winner with stunning white flowers and rose stripes. It is known for its resistance to mildew and leaf spot and its nonstop blooms. Starlight Rose is the first bicolor Zinnia bedding plant. Mature plants reach 12 to 18 inches tall and wide and abound with colorful large blooms all season long.

For more information on

annual flower research at the WCROC, please visit wcroc.cfans.umn.edu.

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➾ PAT H AN D PASSAGE

PATH AND PASSAGE

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Julie Moir Messervy

AGE Like a hallway that connects the different rooms of your house, a path through the landscape links the different destinations on your property. A formal entry walkway leads from the sidewalk to the front door; a semi-formal cut-stone path joins your dining terrace to the grill area; an informal stepping-stone path links your gardens while keeping your feet dry and out of the mud; and a soft footpath defines the well-traveled route from the kitchen to the compost bin.

A handsome “zipper� path created of thick wedges of bluestone marries traditional materials to innovative design, thereby creating a harmonious link between a Georgian-style main house and a modern pool house. The tree trunks have been limbed up, and shade-loving groundcover perennials are planted in bands of varying shades of green, in a forested landscape both soothing and vibrant. Design and photo: Nicholas McCullough.

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➾ path and passage

D

epending upon its purpose, a path can be wide or narrow, straight or meandering, ramped or stepped, long or short.

What’s important is to make the journey through your property as interesting as the destination itself.

Formal Paths

A mown path curves through a wildflower meadow of daisies, enticing us to sit awhile before following. Design and photo: AJ Miller Landscape Architecture.

Without a paved walkway underfoot, we would track mud and debris right into the house. Choosing a walkway surface that is durable, not slippery, and easy to maintain (and shovel in northern climes) is essential to moving between the parts of our property that should be easily accessible throughout the year.

A formal path delineates the best route to our front, back, side, garage, or shed door.

Often built wide enough for two people to walk side by side, a front walk can be curving or straight, depending upon aesthetic preferences and the destinations that need to be linked.

Natural cut stone, brick, poured concrete, or concrete pavers are just a few of the possibilities available to homeowners when they seek to build a formal path. The choice of material can either match or contrast with the materials of the house — with the former, a sense of continuity is established and with the latter, a more dynamic landscape is created. Planting shrubs and ground covers along the sides of a formal path can soften its edges and create a lovely garden experience along the way.

Semi-Formal Paths

Brick pavers link driveway to front entryway through a welcoming gardenscape. Despite a thick wall and privacy hedge, the open gate beckons a visitor to enter. Photo: Mark Lohman.

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Semi-formal paths are useful when we want to keep our feet dry but don’t need a continuous surface underfoot to do so.

Cut stone or dimensional concrete pavers, separated by gravel, plantings, or grass, offer a less formal way to link house to garden or different parts of the garden to each other and can be fun to design and to use.

Depending upon your manner of walking, you might choose bigger or smaller stones and then space them so that it’s easy to walk at a normal gait. Because the pavers are cut (usually into a square or rectangular shape), make sure that you place them so that they visually relate to the geometry of the main house.

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➾ path and passage

The kitchen entrance of this contemporary concrete house is reached by a handsome path of cut bluestone rectangles, punctuated with squares placed point to point like a diamond. Lush plantings, including Grapeleaf Anemone (Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’) and Coral Bells (Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’ and H. ‘Citronelle’) flourish. Design: JMMDS. Photo: Susan Teare.

Informal Paths

Sometimes we want a simple way to move from one place to the other that offers an individual contemplative experience as we do so. Stepping stones, like natural-cleft flat fieldstones or quarried granite or limestone, are easy to assemble and fun to follow. Spaced several inches apart, and often sized to fit an average foot, each stepping stone should be placed the way you walk: right foot/left foot/right foot/pause. For ease of maintenance, sink each stone into a low groundcover or a lawn, so that a machine can easily mow right over them.

Soft Paths

Not all paths need to be paved. Sometimes merely mowing a way through a wildflower meadow or repeatedly tramping a trail through the woods is enough to link areas of our landscapes. A soft path offers an inexpensive, easy-care choice for busy homeowners on properties large and small. Good alternatives include grass, bark mulch, pine needles, stabilized soil, and pea gravel. New “steppable” groundcovers are also available, but for occasional use only.

Landscaping Ideas That Work

by Julie Moir Messervy (Taunton Press, 2014), pp.

114–125. Julie is a featured speaker at Northern Green Expo 2015. Learn more about her background, and read about her Expo sessions on page 63 of this issue of The Scoop.

Text and photos from

A carpet of pink ajuga (Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’) makes this stepping stone path experience special. A rule of thumb is to space 18 in. stones about 2 in. to 3 in. apart in a slightly staggered pattern to make strolling easy. Design: JMMDS. Photo: Susan Teare.

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➾ r esea rch fo r the r eal wor ld

Why Isn’t Willow Amsonia More Popular?

A recent study shows that scarification of seeds raised the success percentage and speed of germination, showing great promise in overcoming difficulties in propagation.

Dr. James Calkins

Research Information Director MNLA Foundation

RESEARCH FOR THE REAL WORLD

Information compiled by the MNLA Foundation to help the success of your business today MNLA.biz _________ The Scoop _________ MNLA eNews

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willow amsonia (Amsonia tabernaemontana Walt.), an underused member of the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae), is a tough, reliable herbaceous perennial with good form and season-long landscape value that deserves to be planted more often than it currently is.

Other common names include bluestar, eastern, common, woodland, and willow bluestar, and blue dogbane. In the wild, willow amsonia is found in multiple environments, but is most often found in moist woods or meadows and is often associated with riparian areas adjacent to streams or other waterbodies.

Plants prefer moist, well-drained, humus-rich soils, but once established are quite adaptable and will tolerate drought and grow in just about any soil. Like other members of the Apocynaceae, the leaves and stems produce milky sap when cut or injured. From a landscape perspective, willow amsonia is well-behaved, forming attractive, upright, distinctly multi-stemmed mounds of clean, willow-like foliage topped with clusters of tubular, star-shaped, light blue to steel-blue flowers in late May and early June in Minnesota. Unlike many other spring-blooming herbaceous perennials, the willow amsonia remains attractive and in good condition throughout the growing season and into the fall when it develops very good, yellow to golden-yellow fall color.

Plants perform best in full sun, but will tolerate part shade; plant form, flowering, fruiting, and fall color are best in full sun. The species is cold hardy to USDA Cold hardiness Zone 3, has no serious insect or disease problems, and is avoided by deer and other mammalian herbivores. Almost every hosta in my yard has been eaten by deer this year, but the willow amsonia remains untouched. As a result, plants tend to be long-lived and

october 14

generally trouble free. Adaptable, attractive, well-behaved, low-maintenance, and long-lived; what more could a gardener or homeowner ask for?

The willow-like leaves of Amsonia tabernaemontana are typically three to six inches long, about 3/4 of an inch wide, and alternately arranged along the tough, but smooth (glabrous) stems. Depending on genetic variability and site, individual clumps will reach a height and width of one to three feet. From a landscape design perspective, willow amsonia can be planted individually or in groups and can be especially effective in masses.

Plants can be used effectively in flower borders or woodland gardens and are a good choice for raingardens. The elegant, blue flowers are borne in terminal cymes and last for about two weeks. The petals of the flowers are fused at the base to form a tube that is topped by five horizontal lobes resulting in a star-like appearance when viewed from above. The flowers are visited by hummingbirds and a variety of bees, butterflies, and moths.

The fruit consists of a pair of long (3 to 6 inches), slender, bright green, cylindrical follicles (a dry, dehiscent fruit that develops from a single ovary and opens along a single suture) that are born in distinctly upright clusters and can be somewhat showy. The follicles turn light brown at maturity in September/October and each follicle typically contains 8–16, cylindrical, tan seeds with angled ends that resemble small, broken bits of twigs or long-grained rice. The seeds are arranged end-to-end within the follicles until they are released.

Given the many desirable traits associated with willow amsonia, it is interesting that the species isn’t more widely grown or planted. That few landscape-superior selections have been made and the species is fairly

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Figure 1. Amsonia tabernaemontana is a well-behaved, underused herbaceous perennial that deserves to be used more often in designed landscapes. Desirable characteristics include: attractive, willow-like foliage, elegant blue flowers, interesting fruits, and yellow to golden-yellow fall color; the ability to grow on a variety of sites, having no serious disease or insect pests, and deer resistance are also notable characteristics. (Photo Credit: Jim Calkins)

difficult to propagate from seed are the primary reasons for this absence. Shorter-statured, highly floriferous plants with superior flower color would be desirable and would seem to be a reasonable outcome for breeding and selection efforts with willow amsonia. Unfortunately, however, germination percentages are typically low, germination tends to be sporadic, and complete germination can take several months to a year which hampers commercial production from seed and efficient breeding and selection efforts. It should be noted that willow amsonia can also be propagated by division and stem cuttings, but division is slow from a commercial standpoint and genetic diversity, and, thus, the ability to produce large numbers of plants from seed, is important when plants are to be used in native plantings.

In an attempt to better understand the dormancy and germination requirements of willow amsonia seeds with the goal of developing a germination protocol that promotes enhanced germination over a shortened germination timeframe, a recent study investigated the effectiveness of several seed treatments on the germination of Amsonia tabernaemontana seeds.

In part, the research was based on the idea that Amsonia tabernaemontana seeds have impermeable seed coats that inhibit the movement of water into the seeds and delays germination. In an attempt to overcome this physical dormancy, the research explored seed scarification and imbibition of the seeds prior to planting as means to enhance germination. To begin, a number of seeds were dissected to observe their internal morphology and understand how the embryos were positioned within the seeds. These investigations revealed that a small section (1–2 millimeters) could be removed from either end of the seed without damaging the embryo and could serve as a method of scarification. While it might be preferable to damage the cotyledons of an embryo rather than the radicle, the difference could not be determined and it ultimately didn’t matter. Using this information as guidance, six seed treatments were included in the study: 1) control (no scarification or imbibition), 2) scarification with no pre-plant imbibition, 3) no scarification with pre-plant imbibition for 48 hours at 24°C (72°F), 4) scarification with pre-plant imbibition for 48 hours at 24°C (72°F), 5), no scarification with pre-plant imbibition for 48 hours at 38°C (100°F), and 6) scarification with pre-plant imbibition for 48 hours at 38°C (100°F). Each treatment

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âžž resea rch fo r the r eal wor ld

Figure 2. Amsonia tabernaemontana has glossy, dark green willow-like foliage and produces unique fruits (paired follicles) that turn light brown when mature and open along a single suture to release their seeds; germination tends to be sporadic and is enhanced by scarification.

(Photo Credit: Jim Calkins)

was replicated four times using 38 seeds per replication for a total of 152 seeds per treatment. The seeds were planted in 38-cell plug trays and placed under mist for germination. Germination was followed for 28 days and emergence of the cotyledons was used to signify that germination had occurred.

Mechanical scarification followed by pre-plant imbibition for 48 hours at 24°C (72°F) proved to be the best treatment (70.4% germination in 28 days) and was nearly twice as effective as the next best treatment (scarification without pre-plant imbibition).

Untreated, control seeds exhibited 0% germination over the same period. Although it was observed that the radicles of some of the seeds had, indeed, been damaged by the scarification treatment, the damage was inconsequential. It was also noted that the control seeds imbibed a similar amount of water as the scarified seeds which suggests the dormancy caused by the seed coat is mechanical rather than physical (seed coat mediated inhibition of imbibition).

In summary, mechanical dormancy imposed by the seed coat wherein the seed coat acts as a mechanical barrier to prevent germination, was determined to be the cause of dormancy for Amsonia tabernaemontana seeds. Mechanical scarification can be used to overcome this dormancy and when combined with a pre-plant imbibition treatment can significantly improve and hasten the germination of Amsonia tabernaemontana seeds. These findings should be of interest and value to those interested in propagating willow amsonia from seed for production or plant breeding and selection purposes.

Citation: Martin, M.T., Jr., M.R, Chappell, and L.R. Opie. 2013. Scarification and Germination of Amsonia tabernaemontana (Walt.) Seeds. Journal of Environmental Horticulture 31(1):54-58. (available by subscription only)

To comment on this research update, suggest research topics of interest, or pass along a piece of research-based information that might be of interest to your industry colleagues, please email us at Research@ MNLA.biz.

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Landscape Design:

Potential and Opportunity Landscapes are individual and personal. While art and beauty are individual preferences, there are basic things to consider when designing and developing a landscape and site design.

Greg Pierceall | Professor Emeritus, Purdue Landscape Architecture

➾ planting design

Figure 1. Conceptual spaces.

T

oday with our plethora of information on the internet, in class rooms, and in the public eye, it is important to get to “basics” in sorting information for application. With the “wow” factor an often primary concern, the foundation and practices of good site and landscape design can be overshadowed.

The key to a great professional is the ability to take a complex process and distill it into the basics. Landscapes, landscape clients, and sites require an individual evaluation and delivery of information.

This front line response is the interaction of training, experience, and practice of the professional with their client.

Solid landscape and site design is functional and attractive. All too often the attractive supersedes the functional aspects of a landscape.

A key to good site and landscape design is to understand function and find the fun in fundamentals.

Over the thirty plus years I have taught, I have changed along with the landscape industry and the evolving “green” industry. I often mention that thirty years ago landscape design was exclusively planting design — that is the selection, placement, and installation of plantings. Today our “landscapes” include plants as well as pavements/surfacing construction, grading/landforms and water as a resource and feature.

Through teaching, practice, and experience I have learned that the basics of landscape design is the understanding that we should design BIG and detail small (Figure 1). Take the big picture and utilize the potential of a landscape concept to help order, organize, and define the need for details. Details are defined by the client, site, context, and budget — not the designer. Designers have clients and artists have emotions. Both are needed, yet the client starts the design process.

Landscape mistakes happen when you omit items. The discussion below covers the areas to check during the process of developing a site and landscape design.

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Figure 2. Circulation design.

They are derived from my years of experience. The list falls into three categories — design practice, composition, and client-specific management.

Design practice

This should include things such as looking at circulation, open space and bed masses in the initial review of the property, house and surroundings. I have developed this process through time, practice, trial and error, and applications in the classroom and projects. These three conceptual parts, “C.O.B.” are the working parts of a site and landscape.

Circulation (C) is the movement into and from a site for people,

vehicles and things. Access to the bigger surrounding is the start, from the street, road, lane and/or alley. From these external links, all things enter and exit the site/landscape. On site, the drive and walks connect and make the site functional. Circulation is an imperative and the structure for all the other design aspects (Figure 2).

Circulation design issues:

• The drive width, car parking, and opening car doors: Is there a place to step out to and walk toward the door? These can be a walk and/or added impact areas. Simply draw a scaled car in the drive and open the door. This tells you what’s needed in the landscape. What is the amount of pavement and the potential to make the drive/parking a landscape, multi-functional use area?

• Walk widths: A primary walk to the front door is at least five

feet to six feet wide — enough for two people to walk side by side. Other concerns are steps versus a ramp and lighting needs by the client. Secondary walks depend on the site situation and the needs of the client and are driven as well by choices of materials, from stepping stone to gravel and pavers.

Figure 3. C.O.B.

• Outdoor living spaces and patios: The “builder special”

is a gracious 8' × 10' patio which looks good but does not function. Why? With a three to four foot table and chairs you need as a base a 12' × 12' area at a minimum to walk around, push chairs in and out, and utilize a patio. This is the basic standard to know and use in evaluating design.

From the basics we then add the design form and details.

The options and alternatives are unlimited.

• Garage/drive turnarounds: If you have a long drive into a

garage the potential exists to add a turnaround. The basics for this is that the car has to be completely out of the garage before it can start to turn, thus the turning area needs to be some 15' plus from the garage door. The depth of the space is dependent on the width of the drive itself. If you have a double wide drive, the depth can be 12'–16'. If it is a single lane, say 12' wide, the depth of the turnaround space should be deeper than 12' to allow depth to the turnaround.

Open Space (O) is the void area or spaces and places within a

landscape site. This can be the lawn, outdoor spaces, and places.

The shape/form of this open space is the result of the edge and element that outline it. All too often the landscape beds are outlined first and the resulting open space can be an awkward form. If at all possible look at the relationship between the open space and the defined beds. Also look at the geometry and edge between the beds and turf. Avoid narrow acute lawn pieces, as needle nose mowers are expensive. The bed/turf edges are critical design details to evaluate and edit for function and form (Figure 3).

Open space design issues:

• Look at the geometry and scale of the site and house placement. What are the resulting site/landscape spaces?

Figure 4. Tree canopy.

The shape of the lot and structure placements define the site spaces you have to work with. The landform and grade also influences and effects the ground forms and patterns that can functionally work. Look to the site and space geometry for the basic structure and forms that connect the site and structure together.

• Within the site geometry start with a form style that is given by the site. If a rectangular site and structure, start with a grid. From this, try a diagonal the 45 degree variation to the grid. The smaller the site and situation the simpler the overall forms and patterns should be. This does not say fewer details, just the overall structure of forms. Curves are hard in a small space. If you’re aware of the Mike Lin design approaches, there are six potential approaches to site design. Rectangular, diagonal, curvilinear, radial, arc and tangent and irregular/ broken glass. Note that all of these approaches work only if the site is flat, so the vertical aspect plays a part in your choices.

• Edges. These relate to open spaces and beds as the bed edges

often define the open space with the boundaries of the site/ property. Work to connect and edit edges to be simple yet complete.

Bed mass (B) is the borders and beds that edge property lines and/ or areas between open spaces and the area surrounding the structure.

These concerns relate to the planted landscape, plant forms, placement, planting combinations, planted layers and compositions within a landscape and/or garden.

Bed Mass issues:

• The structure plantings (often called the foundation plantings): Remember, no “Velcro” plants. Those are plants placed october 14

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➾ planting design

Figure 5. Trees and shrubs.

and positioned like stickers along the structure. Plantings should have depth when viewed from the front and side.

Use masses of plants, not just lines of plants unless a hedge/ bracket form is defined and needed as an enclosure to a space.

• Structure plants — corners and niches: Avoid placement

and positioning of vertical, pointed forms on the corners of a building and/or structure. More rounded forms help transition the vertical corners better. If a cone form is used, placing a grouping of plants as a background to the corner is more desirable. In niches or front corners, avoid placement of a feature plant in the corner or center of the space. Typically if you have a corner area or niche, the plant is needed in the opposite area of the corner to define a space rather than an object in a space.

• Plants alone may not be the solution. For shade, screening and privacy, consider constructed features (perhaps with vines) rather than plants alone for your solution.

• Plant forms: usually plants are background and not a feature

with the exception of specimen plants, plants used as focal points. Focal plants usually have a shape, form, texture and/ or color that make them special. Manipulated forms, like those “sculptured” plants most likely should be a potted accent and not a permanent feature in a landscape. There can always be exceptions to the rule but site, use and client specifications limit applications.

• Consider plant management for selection, establishment, care and feeding: These are the cultural needs of plants in a growing and living environment. When selecting plants, consider hardiness, the site-specific micro climates, and needs of the client and program. Plants need care to become established and watering and feeding are critical. Pest and insect awareness and actions are critical to the overall success of plants and their function within a landscape and/or garden.

Figure 6. Ground plane.

Composition

Form and function are key design concerns in a living composition such as a garden and landscape. The function of the plant is a key factor in design. Is the plant to serve an architectural, engineering, climate control, or aesthetic purpose? Select for purpose first. Consider cultural needs next, and then select for size, form, texture and color.

There are three layers of plants to consider within a planted landscape and/or garden — canopy, understory, and ground plane plants. C.U.G. is the abbreviation for the layers.

• Canopy elements are selected first for their space and place definition as well as shade, enclosure and framing (Figure 4).

Canopy may be used in larger site and as the site get smaller the understory may be the largest layer in the planted layers.

Conversely in a larger site the ground plane can be reduced or limited due to the physical area to be covered. Performance is key and this related to the scale, size of the site and/ or property.

• Understory plants tend to be the middle median layers approximately equal to the size of people standing and above eye height yet not a roof size plant (Figure 5). These understory plants enclose, screen, separate and provide privacy, sound and light abatement and/or a focal point or specimen by size, shape, form and/or color.

• The ground plane plants are the most critical as they cover the most areas and are seen as the “carpet” to the space and place (Figure 6). The ground plants and ground plane are critical as this is the layer that engages and physically is walked on.

The ground layer is the first layer seen as you look into any new space and/or room. You always glance down to see the surface before you look up.

• Ground layer plants can be from inches to feet in height.

These plants are lower than the canopy and may parallel some of the understory plants. Ground plants can continued on page 58

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➾ gove rnment affai r s

Cash Accounting Update MNLA relies on its national partner organization AmericanHort for information on national issues. MNLA members receive periodic updates through AmericanHort’s Lighthouse Program, which MNLA subscribes to for its members.

Tim Power

MNLA Government Affairs Director

the issue i would like to highlight in this article is the cash accounting method that our grower members enjoy, largely through the efforts of AmericanHort and its predecessor organization, the American Nursery and Landscape Association. The two updates below were provided by Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort’s VP for Government Relations and Research. Craig’s take-home messages, explained below are 1) if you use cash accounting for your grower business, you must use straight line depreciation methods for the costs of crops in production, and 2) the cash accounting method may be under threat if and when Congress ever takes up meaningful tax reform.

A New Appreciation for Depreciation

By Craig Regelbrugge

Nursery growers and turfgrass sod farms operate under a somewhat byzantine set of tax rules, many of which date back nearly 100 years and are quite specific in their application to these types of farming operations. Given the many challenges inherent in valuing and capitalizing growing inventory, many growers opt to use the cash method of accounting, rather than accrual, and in doing so, are not required to capitalize or inventory crops in production.

Where does depreciation come into play? As a result of a change imposed upon us by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, those opting to use the cash/no inventory method must make an “election” to forego using accelerated depreciation for other farm assets to avoid a requirement to capitalize the costs of crops in production. Rather, 44

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they must use straight-line depreciation for such assets.

Once upon a time, there was a check-box on IRS tax forms indicating this election. However, the check box was removed some years ago, likely resulting in increased confusion and compliance challenges since the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) judges your compliance by your actions.

AmericanHort has learned of several recent IRS audits of nursery growing operations in which farm assets have been depreciated using accelerated depreciation. Under these circumstances, in the view of the IRS, the taxpayer may be “deemed to have failed to make the election” and therefore must capitalize the costs of growing crops. Members practicing cash accounting would be wise to review their accounting and tax filing practices especially with respect to depreciation, and to seek the advice of their tax counsel on remedial steps if and where needed.

AmericanHort also urges members who are audited by the IRS to inform staff on a confidential basis.

AmericanHort retains tax counsel expert in tax rules as they apply to firms in the horticultural industry.

Cash Accounting: A Taxing Threat

By Craig Regelbrugge

Both the Senate and House have been toiling to transform the tax system. Their goals of reducing corporate and individual rates can only be achieved if savings can be found elsewhere, by eliminating loopholes,

deductions, and exemptions. However, some “special treatment” under the tax code exists for good reasons.

Such is the case with the nursery industry and cash accounting.

Many growers avail themselves of the option to do cash-basis accounting, and to not maintain and pay taxes on inventory.

Especially with longer-term crops, paying taxes on inventory would be quite a challenge given the lack of standardized practices and all the uncertainties of weather, pest and disease, markets, and so forth.

In part for these reasons, our industry has had unique tax law treatment for the better part of 100 years. There are tradeoffs for this treatment; for example, those who opt for the cash method cannot use accelerated depreciation for assets, but rather must use straight-line depreciation.

Legislative proposals in both houses would substantially limit cash accounting, at least for larger operations. AmericanHort believes it would be unfair to establish an arbitrary annual gross revenues number (e.g., $10 million) and allow for the cash method for smaller businesses but disallow it for larger ones.

It is looking less likely that this Congress will actually get tax reform done this year. Nonetheless, we take the process seriously. Though committee chairmen come and go, professional staff tend to stick around a long time. Ideas that get on paper in the current effort will be the starting point for future talks. For these reasons, AmericanHort leaders are assisting in an “education blitz” and cultivating legislative champions who understand our industry’s unique situation.

When you encounter a regulatory or legislative issue that affects your MNLA business, get in touch with MNLA Government Affairs Director, Tim Power. Call 651-633-4987, or email tim@mnla.biz.

ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS

A Deeper Shade of Green Local Genetic Origins

TM

Nominations for Todd Bachman Award due November 14 Nominations are now being accepted for the annual Todd Bachman Award for Innovation in Horticultural Business. Created by the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association and the MNLA Foundation, the award annually recognizes a young individual whose innovation in private enterprise has positively influenced horticulture and/or the green industry in the region.

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

Qualifications for Todd Bachman Award • Owner or employee of a horticultural business in the north central region (MN, WI, IA, ND, SD).

• Recipient of an associate’s or bachelor’s degree or greater in horticulture, business or related field from an accredited institution of higher learning.

• Demonstrated innovation in business, marketing, horticultural production, floral, or landscape practices.

For all details and nomination instructions, visit MNLA.biz.

Native Minnesota Woody & Herbaceous (651) 438-2771 • Fax (651) 438-3816

www.outbacknursery.com

Call us first for all your native planting needs october 14

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➾ legal issues

Collecting as a Subcontractor: Tips You Need to Know One of the most common types of collection matters our firm sees is subcontractors who aren’t getting paid on a job. If you work as a sub, knowing who you can collect from, what collection tools are available to you, and taking care to reduce disputes can make a big difference in your bottom line.

Bryan Zlimen

Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC

Collecting from the General Contractor

1) Get it in writing. If you are hired by a general contractor to work on a project, you need to have a written agreement for your services. This agreement should include, at a minimum, the scope of work to be performed, any deadlines for performance, and payment terms. It should also allow for recovery of collection costs and attorney’s fees if you aren’t paid. A written agreement will also reduce disputes about scope of work or fees, provide leverage if the general is slow in making payments, and make collection feasible by allowing you to recover costs incurred. I understand that many subs feel that using written contracts are too much hassle on small jobs. Just keep in mind that if the amount you’ll invoice is enough to be missed if you’re not paid, then it’s enough to justify using a written contract.

2) Keep up with changes. Always update the agreed scope of work as the project changes. One of the most common problems we see is when a sub is hired to perform a certain task, but is later asked to do more and more work. Too often, this additional work is not accompanied by a change order or any written record of what was actually requested or authorized. This leads to disputes when the sub presents an invoice for more than the initial estimate. It is very difficult to recover for those undocumented work requests. Ask yourself: is the value of what I’m doing worth five minutes to fill out a change order or send an email confirming the request?

3) Insist on prompt payment. When the general has invoiced the customer for your work, the general must pay you within 10 days of receiving the funds from the customer. If the general fails to do so or applies those funds to pay someone else, Minnesota law allows the subcontractor to bring a claim against the general for all sums owed, interest at 1.5%, and costs associated with collecting the amount owed. The general can also face criminal and licensing sanctions for failing to turn over funds paid for the subcontractor’s work. Finally, misappropriating those funds can be used as a basis to prevent your claim from being discharged if the general declares bankruptcy.

Collecting from the Property Owner

Often there is no contractual relationship between a subcontractor and a property owner, so a mechanic’s lien is your best option for collecting from the owner. A mechanic’s lien gives you a security interest in property that you have provided improvements for. That lien is good for one year and will have to be paid before the property can be sold or refinanced during that period. Within that timeframe, you can also use the lien as the basis for a lawsuit that can result not only in a money judgment (including attorneys’ fees), but also the ability to force the sale of the property to collect amounts owed to you.

Mechanic’s liens are available to contractors, suppliers, design professionals, surveyors and others who provide a permanent improvement to property. It is important to note that maintenance work such as mowing or plowing is not considered a permanent improvement. october 14

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➾ legal issues

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THANK YOU

to these companies who donated time and materials to the MNLA State Fair garden this year:

Bachman’s, Inc. Bailey Nurseries Dakota County Technical College Dundee Nursery & Landscaping Co. Gardeneer, Inc.

Grove Nursery

The Mustard Seed Landscaping and Hennepin Technical Garden Center College Pine Products, Inc. Hoffman & McNamara Nursery Twin Orchards and Landscape Nursery Irrigation by Design Waconia Tree Farms LLC Landworks Design A full list of companies Group that have donated to this

Gertens Greenhouses and Garden Center, Inc. Maddell Companies

garden since 2006 is inside the garden’s gazebo.

One change to the statutory pre-lien notice, one error in the lien statement, one day late on a service or filing deadline can invalidate your lien. It is highly recommended that you work with an attorney in placing your lien to ensure that one small mistake doesn’t cost you your chance to collect.

In order to be eligible for a mechanic’s lien, you will generally need to provide the property owner with a valid pre-lien notice within 45 days of your first contribution of work or materials. Also, you will need to serve the owner with a lien statement and record that lien statement with the county within 120 days of your contribution to the job. The requirements for mechanic’s liens are extraordinarily strict. One change to the statutory pre-lien notice, one error in the lien statement, one day late on a service or filing deadline can invalidate your lien. It is highly recommended that you work with an attorney in placing your lien to ensure that one small mistake doesn’t cost you your chance to collect.

If you work as a subcontractor, be sure to that you’re taking the steps to help you collect for the work you do.

This article provides general information on business and collections 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 business law, collections, or other legal matters, please contact Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC at 651-331-6500 or info@zmattorneys.com.

Bryan Zlimen is one of the founding partners of Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC. His law practice focuses on assisting contractors & other small business owners. He has 12 years of experience working in residential construction and landscaping. He can be reached at bzlimen@ zmattorneys.com.

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➾ gove rnance

Overview of MNLA

Proposed Governance Changes In MNLA’s latest strategic plan, Task Teams are appointed as a flexible, project-specific, and timelimited work group. The Governance Task Team has completed its work, and presents this report.

Bylaws changes related to these recommendations will be presented at the 2015 MNLA Annual Meeting for a vote.

Why is change needed?

• Because the current typical length of time spent on the board is so long (12–16 years), service on the MNLA Board of Directors will become increasingly unattractive to upcoming generations who are less likely to make such a long-term commitment.

• While board members have typically been first-rate, there has been a haphazard nature to the selection of candidates.

Sometimes they are chosen because of commitment, sometimes because of leadership skills, and sometimes they are self-nominated.

• The MNLA Nominating Process is not easily explained or justified. This lack of transparency is troublesome.

Proposed Change

• The Nominating Committee will be retired in favor of a new “Board Development Committee.” The Board Development Committee will serve a broader function of not only nominating board candidates, but also active recruitment of new candidates, as well as promoting evaluation, training, and development of the current board. The Vice President will chair the Board Development Committee.

2. Past President Serves on Board Development Committee, Not on Board Current

• The immediate Past President serves on the Board of Directors.

Proposed Change

What changes are being proposed?

1. Nominating Committee Becomes Board Development Committee Current

• The Nominating Committee performs the narrow function of nominating board members and is chaired by the Past President once removed.

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• The immediate Past President no longer serves on the Board of Directors but is an important member of the Board Development Committee, facilitating the selection of the next Vice President and the next at-large board members.

3. Board Reviews Candidate Slate Before Presentation to Members Current

• Members interested in serving on the board must complete an application which is reviewed by the nominating committee. continued on page 52

Looking Forward:

How does an MNLA member get elected to the MNLA Board of Directors?

#1 Meet minimum requirements.

#2 Complete an application by the deadline.

4 Business member status (no industry affiliate, academic affiliate or student members can serve on the board).

4 8 years of MNLA membership preceding the election.

4 Appropriate dues paid (meaning the dues you pay match the gross volume of sales schedule set by the Board of Directors).

Board members select the vice president for the slate based upon leadership skills, not seniority.

The Board Development Committee will seek the input of the sitting Board of Directors for recommendations on potential candidates and what special skills the Board currently needs.

• Any member meeting the minimum requirements can request an application.

An announcement of the election and the application deadline will be made in The Scoop and MNLA eNews.

• The Board Development Committee may choose to recruit members as prospective candidates.

• The application form will ask prospective candidates to provide background information about themselves, their leadership and industry experience, and their aspirations for the MNLA.

#3 Applications reviewed and draft ballot created.

The Board Development Committee will review all the applications and may choose to interview prospective candidates. The most qualified candidates who meet the current leadership needs of the association will be placed on a draft ballot that will be considered by the Board of Directors.

#4 Final ballot set.

The Board of Directors will review the recommendations of the Board Development Committee, consider any possible changes, and vote to approve the final list of candidates/ballot to be presented to members.

Write-in candidates.

Members voting in the election may choose to write in a candidate of their choice, provided the person meets the minimum requirements outlined in #1.

#5 Business members vote.

All members in good standing in the “business” category will have the opportunity to vote for the Board of Directors.

#6 Election results announced.

The results of the election will be announced at the MNLA Annual Meeting.

Board members select the treasurer from among at-large directors elected by the membership.

➾ gove rnance

Task Team Final Report

Proposed Change

• Members interested in serving on the board must complete an application which will be reviewed by the Board Development Committee. The slate of candidates created by the Board Development Committee must be approved by the Board of Directors before the slate is presented to members for election, which will create a check and balance approach.

4. Vice President Becomes “President Elect” Current

• The Vice President and President are elected separate from one another with no assumption of succession and serve one-year terms.

Proposed Change

• The Vice President will be considered the “president-elect,” with the assumption that he or she will move into the presidency. A change to two-year term limits to provide continuity is suggested.

5. Board Nominates “President Elect” Current

• The Nominating Committee selects officers for the slate based only on their outside knowledge of performance.

Proposed Change

• The Board of Directors will nominate the Vice President and, therefore eventually, the President from among sitting board members and will then be affirmed by a vote of the membership (e.g. similar to the process currently used by the MNLA Foundation). As the directors work intimately together, it is assumed they will be the best judge of who would be the best leader.

6. Board Members Serve Far Fewer Years as At-Large Directors Allowing More Members to Participate

Governance In MNLA’s latest strategic plan, Task Teams are appointed as a flexible, project-specific, and time-limited work group. The Governance Task Team has completed its work, and presents this report.

Background At the beginning of 2014, The MNLA Board of Directors commissioned a Governance Task Team and set its focus as streamlining and modernizing the MNLA governance model in order to meet the challenges of the future and be the most effective and responsive association possible. The goal is to create an association whose governing and operating structures are nimble and agile enough to seize opportunities and respond to challenges in an extremely timely fashion.

Summary of Activities Beginning in the spring of 2014, the Governance Task Team conducted surveys of stakeholder groups and interviews with members on the composition and competencies necessary for service on the MNLA Board of Directors. They also did outside research on best management practices and reviewed like-minded association models. As a result of this feedback and in-depth study the team recommended several changes to the current governance model for members to consider.

The following is the high-level scope of the work performed: • Creation/documentation of job descriptions for both at-large members and officer positions.

• Make-up, title, and job description for the Nominating Committee.

• Outlining of a recruitment process for at-large and officer positions.

• Defining a set of characteristics desired for board member service.

• Reducing the overall term limits for board service.

• Institution and execution of a board evaluation process.

The Governance Task Team will present their recommendation for bylaws changes, based on the scope of work above, for a vote at the 2015 Annual Meeting during the Northern Green Expo.

Current

• If re-elected, an at-large board member can serve up to ten years as a director prior to moving into an officer position.

Proposed Change

• At-large board members can serve a limit of two consecutive two-year terms (for a total of four years). After two terms at-large, one is either selected to become Vice President or rotates off the board.

7. Treasurer Selected Based On Qualifications Current • There is a secretary-treasurer position elected by the members

and succession to another officer position is the assumption. continued on page 54

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Task Team Members: A big thank you to the members of this task team for volunteering their time to this important process. If you have a chance, please thank them for the hours they invested on behalf of the green industry!

Tim Malooly, Water in Motion Scott Frampton, Landscape Renovations Heidi Heiland, Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens Patrick McGuiness, Zlimen & McGuiness PLLC Dean Engelmann, Tangletown Gardens John Daniels, Bachman’s, Inc. Van Cooley, Malmborg’s, Inc. Doug Carnival, McGrann Shea

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➾ gove rnance

Proposed Change

• The “Secretary-Treasurer” position will become simply “Treasurer.” The Treasurer will be elected by the Board of Directors from among sitting board members as a person with particular insight and knowledge of financial plans, controls and results rather than someone who has no interest or experience in the matter. There is no assumption that the Treasurer will advance to the Vice Presidency or Presidency, although, if elected they may ascend.

8. Executive Committee Only Acts In Emergency Situations Current

• The Executive Committee meets semi-regularly prior to board meetings to conduct association business.

Proposed

• The duties of the Executive Committee will be more clearly defined as acting only in the case of the need of “emergency” decisions.

What is the bottom line?

Because the overall length of service is less, it is the hope that more total members will become involved in governance via the Board of Directors.

• Those persons elected as Vice President/President will serve a maximum time of eight years on the board vs. the 12–16 years of current service.

• Identifying directors is an ongoing “development” process vs. a once-a-year 90-minute nominating meeting. With the application, clearly-defined qualities and skills are outlined and sought.

• The Board of Directors has the final say on the ballot vs. an unelected committee.

• The nomination/election process is more straight-forward and transparent.

• Those people closest to the action — sitting Directors — will nominate the person to be Vice President/President based on first-hand witness to board performance. This recommendation will then be voted on by the membership.

• The Treasurer will be chosen based on financial knowledge vs. seniority.

• The average Director will serve 4 years ­— the shorter time horizon making service more attractive to more people.

It’s time to enter your project for MNLA Landscape Awards 2015

20

15

You will find the link to the online entry form on the home page of www.

MNLA.biz. The entry process will be completely online, making it more streamlined, and saving a trip to the mailbox or the MNLA office. Full entry rules will be posted on the entry form.

DEADLINE:

NOV. 19

As a reminder, there are no categories in the new program. Entrants won’t have to choose where their project fits, and entries will not be judged against each other; every entry will be judged solely on its own merits. Each winner will receive a plaque, marketing materials, a ticket to the MNLA Gala, a crest to display in print and for posting on their website, a link to a video of their project, and a bound photo book displaying the winning entry.

The online entry portal is now open and the deadline for entry is November 19, 2014. MNLA Landscape Awards is a program of recognition for installed landscapes. Submitting companies must be MNLA members who offer design, installation, bid/build, design/build, or other SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: landscape specialty to their clients.

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JOB BOARDS at the 20 1 5 N o rthe r n G r een Ex po

Please list only one job description per posting to ensure that your posting can be put under the correct category heading.

Expo staff will place empty acrylic holders on the boards along with category headings at the beginning of the show. Feel free to bring several copies of the posting which will allow potential employees to take a copy of your posting with them for response after the Expo. Acrylic holders will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Once they are full, a single posting can be tacked up to the board, but multiple copies cannot be left.

Guidelines for posting positions on the Job Boards at Expo There is no official form for job postings. Bring your own job posting (no larger than a 8 1/2 × 11 sheet of paper) to place on the boards any time after 7 am on Wednesday, January 14th.

The Jobs Boards are located in the Hall D Lobby.

It is your responsibility to keep tabs on the job posting. If your copies run out, Expo staff will not be responsible for filling them.

However, if you’d like to make additional copies, there is a Kinko’s available onsite.

Note: Please do not include confidential information that you might not, for any reason, want available to the general public.

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➾ mnla fo undation

mNLA FOUNDATION Save Y o ur I ce C hallenge Jay Siedschlaw | Hennepin Technical College

As I write this article, my attention is divided between thoughts of excitement about the MNLA Foundation and watching endless “ice bucket challenges” on Facebook. If only we (the MNLA Foundation) could create a “viral” challenge to our members that could equal the spread of the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Association message. I mean really, one year prior, the ALS had raised two million six hundred thousand dollars with their campaign message.

Compare that to the fifty three million dollars raised due to the ice bucket challenge. If you’re like me, you have to ask yourself “what makes it so popular?” The answer is simply this, peer pressure.

Because really, who wants to be publicly called out in front of hundreds and not participate in a great cause? It’s not easy to not do something good in front of your friends. Plus, if you don’t take the challenge and donate, you will forever live in shame on Facebook.

Diverting my attention back to the MNLA, I’m very excited about the work that’s being done. It’s not an exaggeration. I’m really excited. I agree the past years have been a challenge, both for education and the industry. But through hard work, creativity and innovative thinking; we’ve pulled together and weathered the storm.

I know this because my students are reporting back to me daily that they have been involved with some really fun projects while working for some of the kindest, smartest industry partners anyone could ask for. So on a side note, I want to personally thank those of you that have recently hired students from any of the two or four year colleges with Landscape and Horticulture programs. It is appreciated.

One example of creative work done by the MNLA Foundation Board is that of the idea behind this summer’s Garden Party.

Through the gracious invitation sent by Wally Marx to the MNLA Foundation to use his garden as a site to host an event, Dean Englemann presented the board with a plan for the event. With the coordination assistance of Jodi Larson and several other key players the event became a success. Mainly a success in allowing members to socialize with each other and network, but also a success in the money raised for efforts to increase the awareness of green industry careers.

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Diverting my attention again: Here is my MNLA Foundation “Ice Bucket Challenge” idea. First, let’s save the ice and water. I’m sure we can put those to better use!

So my challenges to you this fall are the following:

Connect. Make a connection with a local school. It can be an elementary school, middle school, high school, college, etc. Our Adopt-a-school program is set up to assist you with this challenge.

We have resources for you to use in the classroom, which can be found at www.MNLASchoolhouse.org.

(As you have probably noticed, I didn’t list making a donation as number one on my list. Why? Because I feel that sharing your knowledge and passion about what you do with the youth of our industry is by far the most valuable thing you can give.)

Serve. Volunteer to help at an MNLA event. Get involved. We need your excitement and time.

Give. I saved this for last. My fear with this article is that I would seem like a cable TV salesman walking up your driveway. And that’s the last thing I want to appear as. But in all sincere honesty, we need members to donate. We’ve made it easy to do. There is a link on the MNLA.biz website under the Foundation tab that guides you to the link for giving online. It takes just a few minutes, it is tax deductible and it makes a big difference. Every dollar makes a difference.

So there you have it. You’ve all been challenged to my “MNLA Save Your Ice Challenge”. Consider yourself challenged. If you’re reading this, you have 24 hours (give or take a couple of weeks) to complete your challenge!

Thank You from the MNLA Foundation Board of Trustees.

Sincerely, Jay Siedschlaw

NEW

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

garden party

WRITERS WANTED We’re also looking for members who love to write – members who want to share useful information, ideas, and innovations with their fellow members in the association’s monthly magazine. Write from the perspective of your industry segment (landscape install, garden center, grower, etc.); share knowledge on business management or human resources; or offer insights via our soon-to-premiere features “Ideas That Baccalaureate Level: Work” and “My Favorite Tool.” To offer your services Countryside Gardens, Inc., Instant Green Tree Planting, Inc. and/or information on deadlines other Irrigation By receive Design, Inc., JK Garden Design, LLC, Kellyand Green Irrigation, Ostvig Tree Care, Southview Design, Swanson’s Nursery parameters, email susan@mnla.biz or call Sue Flynn Consulting, Inc., The Builders Group, Wilson Trees or Jon Horsman at 651-633-4987.

Associate Level: Monrovia

Thank You to those who helped support the MNLA Foundation by sponsoring the Garden Party!

Doctorate Level: Bailey Nurseries, Horticulture Services, LLC, Karen and Ken Heithoff, Tangletown Gardens Masters Level: Bachman’s Nursery & Wholesale, Gertens, Hoffman & McNamara, HSP Garden Buildings, Wagner Greenhouses, Inc.

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We would also like to thank: Wally Marx for inviting us into his garden for a wonderfully refreshing summer’s day among friends.

Dean Engelmann of Tangletown Gardens, for the incredible amount of time, energy and produce that he poured into the making of this event, and for lending us Christine Chovan to help with the planning and networking.

Jay Siedschlaw and the crew of Hennepin Technical College students that lent a hand to help the event run smoothly. Jenny Nguyen, Sue Lyon, Janice Swanson, Emily Norling, Elise Eide, Scott Herbst and Dan McCullough all put in a lot of work that day and were a valuable addition to our team.

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➾ planting design

continued from page 43

include turf, meadow, low shrubs, medium shrubs and taller shrubs. The low, medium and tall categories are relative to the site and situation. In a small space the size measurements will vary from a more public, larger space.

• Plants at this layer can be deciduous, evergreen, needle, and/or broad-leafed. They can be herbaceous and/or woody. They can be annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs and/or fruiting as well. This layer has the greatest diversity and importance in the garden and site design.

• The ground layer has to work with and be responsive to the other site design aspects of gardens and landscapes, the landform, pavements/surfaces, construction and water.

Client-specific management

In the development of garden and landscape plans the basics of good design is to communicate and convey the two- dimensional and three-dimensional aspects of the space, place and case (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Conceptual master plan.

• The space is the actual site situation or the lay of the land as it exists — it’s context, surroundings, environment and conditions. A site has length, width and heights. A site and landscape has a context, an inward, and an outward view.

A site has a primary and secondary view from and into the street access. Remember property lines are invisible and only articulated on a plan. Always design from the vantage of how a client sees the site. Turn the drawing around and view it from multiple vantages.

• The place is the existing conditions that will stay as is and those that can and should be changed. Soil, existing trees, structures, drive access and the like are often the “fixed” features. Good site design that creates a “wow” often is the result of limits and/or conditions specific to a site and/or situation. “Design by limits or constraints” are terms coined by myself from practice.

Mid-century modern by Pierceall; green steps and terraces.

• The case is the last site and landscape design consideration.

Who is the client? What do they want and need? When will they use it? Where is the best location for and links to the uses and needs? And why do they want it? A good designer has the right questions, not necessarily all the right answers.

The best response to a question you don’t have the answer is, “That’s important enough for me to research and find the right answer.”

Landscape and garden drawings are scaled drawings, so remember to include a scale as well as directional graphics for orientation.

Plans are symbolic representations, not a realistic work of art. Plan your work and work your plan. Design — don’t just decorate!

Mid-century modern by Pierceall; a composition of canopy, understory, and ground plane.

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Greg Pierceall’s academic career was built at Purdue University, West Lafayette in the department of Horticulture/Landscape Architecture. Greg’s expertise is site scale design and residential landscapes. He has authored five text books and was the Illinois Landscape Contractor Association’s Man of the Year in 2009. Greg is a registered landscape architect in Illinois and Indiana, and will be speaking at the 2015 Northern Green Expo on “Small Sites/Big Ideas — Landscape Design Concepts.”

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Prove what you know.

Become a Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association Certified Professional.

Who is eligible?

Who?

You are eligible to register for the exam if you meet the following requirements: • Have either two years of study in an accredited post-secondary nursery and/or landscape program that includes a structured internship, OR • A minimum of 2000 hours in nursery or landscape-related employment.

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

When & Where?

When and where are the 2015 exams?

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January 27, 2015, and March 10, 2015. Both will be held at the TIES Event Center, 1667 Snelling Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.

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MNLA CERTIFICATION SAME VALUE, NOW IN A NEW FORMAT Why is it worth my time to become an MNLA-CP?

Why?

How does it benefit me in my career?

How?

Achieving MNLA certification status benefits individuals by: • Instilling pride and confidence.

• Establishing your ability to bring greater value to the nursery and landscape industry.

• Demonstrating commitment to the nursery and landscape industry.

• Enhancing employability within the industry.

• Makes you distinct.

• Sets you apart.

• Identifies you as a professional.

• Gives you credentials and proves your qualifications.

• Provides you instant credibility with your clients and employers.

• Contributes increased opportunities for advancement with many employers.

• Demonstrates your commitment to your profession.

• Distinguishes you from the competition.

• Qualifies you to do expert work and give advice.

Become MNLA-certified and advance your career!

How does it benefit MNLA member companies?

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

What’s new?

What?

A brand new electronic format with immediate results and integrated photos and videos. The MNLA Certification Exam is still a two-part exam: you must pass a Basic Knowledge Exam and a specialty of your choosing (Landscape, Garden Center or Grower) to become MNLA Certified. To maintain their certification status, all individuals must compile at least 18 continuing education points every three years.

HOW TO PREPARE USE THESE RESOURCES TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAM

• • • •

Online chapters Practice test Plant I.D. webinar Watch for more online training modules coming soon!

➾ networking news

networking news CEO Networking

Top Takeaways:

Date: 8/13

• Most business values are based on profitability.

Location: Wild Onion, St. Paul

• There are several different valuation methods.

Meeting Topic: Business Valuations

• A management team in place makes a business more valuable and attractive to a potential buyer.

Next Meeting: October 29; Park Tavern,

St. Louis Park. RSVP at MNLA.biz.

Top Takeaways:

Rochester Area Networking Date: 8/13 Location: Dunn Bros., Rochester

Nursery Networking Date: 8/21 Location: Bailey Nurseries, St. Paul

• We mostly discussed employment issues and difficulty in finding employees. Since it was a small group the conversation was not focused on any particular subject for long.

• The attendees did feel that the group will get larger as we get later into the season.

• We also felt that it would be good to have a focus of each group meeting, perhaps invite the new city forester to join us?

The meeting went very well. The group was not large, but we had a number of veterans of the nursery industry, including Bert Swanson, Ken Olson from Happy Land, Charlie Bork from the old Bork Tree Farms, Will Almendinger from Rum River Tree Farms, and a number of their employees, along with a few other companies.

Take-aways from the afternoon tour of Bailey’s Mogren Farm: • Bailey’s continues to learn about their own tree program and continues to improve as they go along. They are starting with better liners for each of several container sizes, then scheduling more consistent production and sales cycles to ensure that plants are fully rooted in the pots but not pot-bound when sold. This is easier to accomplish when sales are good.

• Those better liners of hard-to-grow species like hackberry are often grown bare-root at Bailey’s Oregon farms, then shipped to MN for a final season of growing in the container.

• Container-grown pot-in-pot trees are a whole different ball of wax than containergrown shrubs. Socket pots allow trees to be held over winter in the ground within the normal scheme of production. One caveat is that trees scheduled for longer-term growing often need root-pruning to avoid roots growing through the drainage holes of both pots and anchoring in the surrounding soil.

• MN Container Production Manager John Fisk made the point that Bailey’s is being pulled into greater numbers of pot-in-pot trees by increased customer demand, rather than by Bailey’s conviction that this is the only or the best way to grow trees. Bailey’s continues to actively experiment with other tree production techniques, but pot-inpot is what is selling well at this point.

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From the government affairs update given at the meeting: • Ag Commissioner Frederickson is likely to sign an order in September to list Japanese barberry as specially regulated, beginning a three-year phaseout of 25 of the seediest cultivars on January 1, 2015. After 2017, those 25 cultivars would be added to the Restricted List, meaning they would not be able to be imported, sold or transported within the state of Minnesota. This listing would not require landowners with any of those 25 cultivars growing on their land to remove them.

• Minnesota’s Noxious Weed Advisory Committee is likely to recommend listing four species of Asiatic bush honeysuckles (including the Lonicera tatarica cultivars Arnold Red, Honey Rose and Freedom) as Restricted this fall, with an effective date at the end of 2016. Like with the seedy Japanese barberry cultivars, this listing would make it illegal to import, sell, or transport these plants. This is the same noxious weed category that buckthorn is in.

• MDA continues to work on initial implementation of the new nursery labeling law concerning pollinators and pesticides. Take home message for MN plant sellers is that if you can’t be certain that plants have not been treated with systemic insecticides, don’t advertise or label them as pollinator-friendly. For more information on this new law from MDA, see http:// www.mda.state.mn.us/ protecting/bmps/pollinators/ labelpollstatute.aspx.

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âžž last wo rd

photo flashback Flash b ac k : L AN D SC APE D E S I G N

The year 2015 marks the 90th Anniversary of the association, and we want to celebrate our past and energize our future! This series of photo flashbacks in the Scoop during this year help to celebrate our history.

The Evolution of Landscape Design 1979: A hand-drawn black and white landscape plan from Bloomington Garden Center prepared by Janice Haugen.

2014: A CAD-drawn color plan submitted by Tim Heelan, Stonepocket, Inc. as part of his winning MNLA Landscape Award entry.

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Your best educational value of the year is at Northern Green Expo – just look at these speakers!

There are many more great seminars and speakers to look forward to at the 2015 Northern Green Expo! To view the entire preliminary schedule-at-a-glance, visit www.NorthernGreenExpo.org.

DESIGN/BUILD: IT’S NOT THE ECONOMY IT’S YOU How would you like to learn the ultimate process for selling landscape design/build/ installation services? I will walk you through “The 5D’s to Successful Selling”, step by step, and teach you how to not only sell installation work, but up-sell your projects for more than the original contract.

• Develop the Program • Determine the Priority • Discuss the Budget • Design the Dream • Deposit the Check CREATING THE UNBIDDABLE LANDSCAPE PLAN If you’re tired of clients taking your plan, shopping it to the competition and getting a lower price, then this topic is perfect for you. We will show you what you must include in your landscape

GARDENS AND SPIRITUALITY Contemplate the transcendent power of landscape as seen through the eyes of awardwinning landscape designer and author Julie Moir Messervy. She will explore the deeply personal process of designing a beautiful landscape and reveal how spirituality can inform garden design and the landscapes we create on the earth.

HOME OUTSIDE: CREATING THE LANDSCAPE YOU LOVE In this inspiring lecture, Julie Moir Messervy demystifies the art and practice of landscape design. Using beautiful images, together with helpful tips, case studies, befores and afters, diagrams, and plans, she walks you through the process of turning any property into the “home outside” you’ve always dreamed of. She highlights many of the ideas introduced in her book, Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love, illustrating

Generously Supported by:

1914 ·CENT ENNIAL·2 014

plan and what you should never, ever, ever put on your drawings. Finally, a way to make your competitors do their own homework.

• Learn how design buildable concepts • Plant lists are for proposals not plans • The drawings are to scale, they just need to measure it • Apples to oranges is the only way to go • It’s all in the details, so leave them out As far as I’m concerned, “bid” is a four-letter word!

DESIGN/BUILD: HOW TO PERFORM THE PERFECT KITCHEN TABLE PRESENTATION When it comes to presenting a landscape plan, most of us end up doing it at the client’s kitchen table. This is not an easy task.

that good landscape design does not have to be overwhelming or expensive.

LANDSCAPING IDEAS THAT WORK In the age of ubiquitous digital devices and screens, time and space in the out-of-doors are essential to our physical, mental, and even spiritual health. One way to engage with nature is to create a landscape around your house that draws you and your loved ones outside. If you build it, they will come—to bask with a cup of coffee in the early morning rays, to play hopscotch on the driveway, to harvest the ripest tomato along with a snip of basil for a fresh caprese salad, to plant a rose bush, or to catch fireflies in the grassy meadow under the stars.

It’s just not that hard to create a landscape that works. In this inspiring lecture, you’ll see a host of visual ideas as well as design tips, before and after images, case

The kids are crying, the dog is barking, cell phones are ringing and everybody is distracted.

Learn how to manage the chaos to perform the perfect “Kitchen Table Presentation” and your closing rates will go through the roof, not your client’s blood pressure.

• Practice makes perfect. SO practice!

• Make sure to keep your head on straight.

• This magic trick will make their checkbook appear.

• Start at the beginning and finish at the end.

• KICS - Keep it conceptual, stupid.

• You gotta’ be in it to win it.

Learn these “trade secrets” and your clients will sign every time!

BIO Jody Shilan, MLA is an awardwinning landscape designer, and

studies, and essential information to get you started. Julie Moir Messervy walks you through the process her firm JMMDS uses, from thinking ‘big picture’ about your property all the way down to the details. Across a wide range of projects, from luxurious spaces to those that were built with sweat equity on a shoestring, you’ll come away with more knowledge about how to create comfortable living spaces in the out-of-doors.

BIO Julie Moir Messervy’s vision for composing landscapes of beauty and meaning is furthering the evolution of landscape design and changing the way people create and enjoy their outdoor surroundings. With over three decades of experience, eight books, and numerous highprofile lectures, Messervy is an innovative leader in landscape and garden design theory and practice. An acclaimed author, Messervy’s most recent is a landscape inspiration book,

Now one week later!

JANUARY 14–16, 2015

Jody Shilan former landscape design/build contractor, who has sold 10’s of millions of dollars of design and installation work. In his last position, Shilan increased sales at a local design/build company from just under $2,000,000 to well over $6,000,000.

Today, he uses his 35+ years of experience to teach other landscape contractors how to dramatically increase their sales by following his uniquely simple landscape design/build sales process.

Julie Moir Messervy Landscaping Ideas That Work, (Taunton Press, January 2014).

Messervy studied landscape design with eminent Japanese garden master Kinsaku Nakane in Kyoto, Japan, first as a Henry Luce Scholar, and then as a Japan Foundation Fellow. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College and Master of Architecture and Master in City Planning degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Messervy is the principal of Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio (JMMDS) in Saxtons River, Vermont.

Minneapolis Convention Center

www.NorthernGreenExpo.org