The Scoop Online – January 2010

THE

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Insights and Information for Green Industry Professionals

e p a c s Land sign De tte Chare

Prosperit y Partners Initiative PAG

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 1 January 2010

Hardscapes Certification

ES 27-29

Winter & Spring Education Also in this issue:

Become MNLA Certified Now! PAGES 10-13

Retail By The Numbers PAGE 21

EAB Compliance Agreements PAGE 43

icefe v r Se or Li c i l f r ub een d flye P LA - Grclose N M ent e en Ev Se

THE

Hardy plants with local roots Now with a fresh new look to drive sales.

Instantly wow your customers and drive more sales with Bailey’s new premium look. Great-looking pots, P.O.P. and outstanding plants all combine into a powerful retail display that will stimulate impulse sales and keep customers coming back for more!

Public relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-13 Environmental Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Landscape Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Landscape Contractors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Garden Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22-37 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Government affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39-41 Trade Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44-45 Flower Growers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 arborists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Supplier Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Plant of the Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

ADVERTISER INDEX

(651) 459-9744

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BaileyNurseries.com

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AgStar Financial Services - 41 Bailey Nurseries - 4 Belgard Hardscapes - 15 BFG Supply - 43 Bridgewater Tree Farms - 24 Bullis Insurance Agency - 26 BW Insurance Agency - 45 Carlin Horticultural Supplies /ProGreen Plus - 27 Casualty Assurance - 13 Central Wisconsin Evergreens, Inc. - 35 Cherokee Mfg. - 10 Cook Water Farms - 42 Crow River Greenhouse & Nursery - 13 Crysteel Truck Equipment - 14 Cushman Motor Co. Inc. - 41 D. Hill Nursery Co. - 51 Evergreen Nursery Co., Inc. - 52 Fireside Hearth & Home - 30 Fury Motors - 33 G & B Woodchips - 51 Gardenworld Inc. - 51 Gertens Wholesale - 20 Greystone Construction Company/Cover-All Building - 38

Haag Companies, The - 55 Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies - 7, 26 J.R. Johnson Supply, Inc. - 36 Johnson’s Nursery, Inc. - 37 JRK Seed and Turf Supply - 9 Kage Innovation - 39 Law’s Nursery, Inc. - 30 Lee F. Murphy, Inc. - 18 McKay Nursery Co. - 44 Out Back Nursery - 45 Phyton Corporation - 56 Quarry Creek Nursery - 42 RDO Equipment Co. - 38 Rochester Concrete Products - 2 St. Croix Tree Service, Inc. - 10 Stonebrooke Equipment Inc. - 17 TerraDek Lighting, Inc. - 44 The Mulch Store - 19 The Tessman Company - 14 Trenchers Plus, Inc. - 11 Truck Utilities & Mfg. Co. - 24 Vermeer Sales & Service- 25 Ziegler Cat - 3

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Upcoming Events January 15 – Arborist Certification Training. Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins. For more information visit www.rainbowtreecare.com.

20-22 – Irrigation Contractor Leadership Summit. Tanqueverde Ranch Resort, Tucson, AZ. For more information visit www.irrigation.org/pdf/poc2010_11.11.09.pdf. or contact Joy at joy@irrigation.org.

22 – MNLA Certification Exam. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information see www.mnla.biz.

February 17 – MNLA Landscape Design Charette. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. For more information, see page 23 or www.mnla.biz.

18-21 – St. Paul Home & Patio Show. St. Paul River Center. For more information visit http://www.cenaiko.com/home_patio/homeshowstpaul.html.

22 – Turn Payroll Into Profit. Wilder Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 28 or www.mnla.biz.

23 – How to Make Yourself Competitive in a Low Bid Market. Wilder Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 29 or www.mnla.biz.

24 – JRK Seed & Turf Expo. Mystic Lake Casino, Prior Lake. For more information contact JRK Seed at info@jrkseed.com.

24-28 – Minneapolis Home & Garden Show. Minneapolis Convention Center. For more information visit http://www.homeandgardenshow.com/ME2/Sites/.

March 2 – AWAIR. Presented for MNLA members at e Builders Group in Eagan. For more information, see page 24 or www.mnla.biz.

3 – MNLA Day on the Hill. Kelly Inn and State Capitol, St. Paul. For more information, see page 40 or www.mnla.biz.

4 – Credit Management Network and Idea Exchange. Bailey Nurseries. For more information, see page 30 or www.mnla.biz.

5 – Certification Exam. Dakota County Technical College. For more information, see www.mnla.biz.

6 – Landscape Awards Banquet. University Club, St. Paul. For more information, see page 49 or www.mnla.biz.

8-11 – School of Turfgrass Management. St. Paul/Minneapolis. For more information call 651-226- 7826 or 612-624-0782.

9 – Gertens Expo. For more information visit www.gertenswholesale.com.

10 – Spring Greenhouse Tour. Locations: Green Valley Greenhouse in Ramsey and Malmborg’s in Rogers. For more information, see page 25 or www.mnla.biz.

11-12 – Minnesota Erosion Control and Stormwater Management Conference & Trade Show.

Holiday Inn & Suites in St. Cloud. For more information please visit www.mnerosion.org or call 763-478-3267.

12 – Hedberg Education Day. For more information visit www.hedbergrocks.com.

17 – Perennial Picks for 2010. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 31 or www.mnla.biz.

18 – Low Voltage Irrigation: Troubleshooting Tools & Techniques. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 26 or www.mnla.biz.

22-23 – ICPI Certification. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 32 or www.mnla.biz.

24 – NCMA SRW Certification. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 33 or www.mnla.biz.

25-26 – Pesticide Certification Workshop and Exam. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul.

For more information, see page 34 or www.mnla.biz.

30 – Basic Irrigation & Installation. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 35 or www.mnla.biz.

April 6-7 – Pesticide Certification Workshop and Exam. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul.

For more information, see page 34 or www.mnla.biz.

9-11 – PLANET's 34th Annual Student Career Days. Atlanta, GA. For more information visit StudentCareerDays.org.

If interested in sponsoring or co-sponsoring an MNLA workshop, please call Betsy Pierre, 952-903-0505 ext 1 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

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Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association 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 • GardenMinnesota.com

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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Van Cooley, President Malmborg’s, Inc. 763-535-4695 van@geraniumsbygeorge.com Bert Swanson, MNLA-CP, Vice President Swanson’s Nursery Consulting, Inc. 218-732-3579 • btswanson@gmail.com Debbie Lonnee, MNLA-CP, SecretaryTreasurer - Bailey Nurseries, Inc. 651-768-3375 debbie.lonnee@baileynursery.com Tim Power, MNLA-CP, Past President Law’s Nursery, Inc. 651-437-9119 • lawstim@embarqmail.com Randy Berg, MNLA-CP Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 rberg@smig.net Scott Frampton Landscape Renovations 651-769-0010 sframpton@landscaperenovations.com Heidi Heiland, MNLA-CP Heidi’s Lakeshore Gardens, Inc. 612-366-7766 • heidislake@comcast.net Tim Malooly, CID, CLIA, CIC Irrigation By Design Inc. 763-559-7771 • timm@ibdmn.com Herman Roerick Central Landscape Supply 320-252-1601 hermanr@centrallandscape.com Bob Fitch MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • bob@mnla.biz Staff directory and member services directory near the back cover.

The Scoop is published 12 times per year by the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 1813 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113. Address corrections should be sent to the above address. News and advertising deadlines are the 5th of the month preceding publication.

The Scoop | PUBLIC RELATIONS

MNLA Decorates State Capitol Rotunda With a Harvest Theme for the Holidays

By Sue Flynn, MNLA Executive Assistant embers of the MNLA Public Relations Committee and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities came together again this year to create a holiday season display for the public at the State Capitol Rotunda.

MNLA member Bork Tree Farms in Hinckley, generously provided a beautiful 20-foot Balsam Fir tree to the Capitol.

MNLA member Malmborg's, Inc., in Brooklyn Center, supplied 100 colorful red poinsettias, and two beautiful harvest themed wreaths created by Diane Lee were provided by MNLA member Mickman Brothers, Inc. in Ham Lake. In addition to decorations for the State Capitol Rotunda, Mickman Brothers also provided the wreaths and garland that adorn the exterior of the Governor's Residence in St. Paul during the holiday season.

The MNLA Public Relations Committee partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities to decorate the 20-foot tree in the Rotunda.

Children from the clubs created colorful harvest themed ornaments and representatives from the Boys & Girls

food drive for Second Harvest Heartland with drop sites at Bachman’s and the United Way locations.

The Capitol rotunda is

M

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Clubs were on hand to help decorate the tree. Other decorations for the tree were donated by the Minnesota Beef Council, the Minnesota Soybean Growers, Crystal Collection Reindeer, the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, the Minnesota Corn Growers

Association, the Minnesota Wild Rice Council, Malmborg's, Inc., and the Minnesota State Horticultural Society.

In addition to the beautiful holiday decorations, the Public Relations Committee, led by Karen Filloon, Southview Design, and DeAnne Bennett, Bachman's, Inc., coordinated a

accessible to the public whenever the building is open, so be sure to stop by and see the festive decorations during the holiday season. q

The Scoop | CERTIFICATION

Be a Certified Professional! You Still Have Time to Prepare Exams: January 22, 2010 in St. Paul and March 5, 2010 in Rosemount

By Laurie Robinson, Bailey Nurseries, Inc. n life, education and learning are as significant as completing a task.

Think about it, education and training help facilitate productivity, improve quality of work and better customer service. Knowledge not only makes your job easier, it creates a better work place for all.

I

Did you spend the spring, summer and fall observing and learning? I think you did since it is part of your job. Put that determination to work and devise a strategy that will enable you to get through the information covered on the exam.

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Pull the observations and your knowledge and work through the MNLA Certification Manual. A study program is only as good as your motivation to learn.

It is this motivation that determines whether you pass the exam. We offer you guidelines to follow, but it is your responsibility to keep the momentum going. A comprehensive study program should include the following: Right Now: 1. Review the certification manual before the January 8th training.

2. If you do not have a manual, order ‘A Certification Manual for Nursery and Landscaper Professionals’ from the MNLA Office. The cost is

$75.00 plus shipping and tax.

3. Attend the MNLA Certification Exam Training during the 2010 Expo. This will give you an idea of how to focus your review of the certification study manual. Also, it gives you exposure to the exam format. The training will take place on Friday, January 8, 7:30 am - 2:30 pm. Plant ID materials will be on display on the 100 Mezzanine and will be open for studying from 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, Jan. 5 to 2:30 pm. on Friday, Jan. 8, 2010.

Register in advance online at www.NorthernGreenExpo.org or on-site on January 8th. You must register for education + trade show

and check the MNLA Certification Training box.

Preparation for the Exam: 1. Decide your area of specialization since you will take this part of the exam. Focus your studies on these chapters. Remember, you must take the identification and general knowledge parts of exam also.

• Garden Center: Retail and Rewholesale • Grower: Nursery Grower and Greenhouse Grower • Landscape: Landscape Architecture, Design, Installation, Contracting, Maintenance and Management and Professional Gardening.

2. If you attend the exam training, concentrate on the areas you need. If you do not attend the training, make a plan to study the chapters for the area of specialization and the general knowledge. Once you begin, keep reviewing at a pace that works for you. Get out and study plants in the landscape for the identification part of the exam.

3. Decide which exam you will take.

The first exam is January 22, 2010 in St Paul. Since this is 3 weeks away, are you prepared? Give yourself preparation time and take the exam on March 5th in Rosemount.

Take advantage of every available resource you can and work your way through the manual. Good Luck! q ________________________________ Laurie Robinson is a member of the MNLA Certification Committee and can be reached at laurie.robinson@baileynursery.com.

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The Scoop | CERTIFICATION

Magic From the Manual: Plant Identification and Selection

By Tim Vogel, Bailey Nurseries, Inc.

Plant Identification Plant identification begins with careful observation. Although visual observations of the morphological characteristics of stems, buds, leaves, flowers, and fruits may be the most useful, all human senses should be used in plant identification. See the white, exfoliating bark of the paper birch (Betula papyrifera), the horseshoe-shaped leaf scar of the amur cork tree (Phellodendron amurense), or the large, round, purple buds of the scarlet elder (Sambucus pubens). Feel the prickly foliage of the Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis), the soft, fuzzy or pubescent twigs of the staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), or the sharp ridged thorns of the rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa). Smell the pleasantly scented foliage of the savin juniper (Juniperus sabina), the acrid aroma of the fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica), or the spicy scented blossoms of the clove currant (Ribes odoratum).

Hear the distinctive rustle of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) leaves.

Chew the twigs of the sweet birch (Betula lenta) to discern their distinct wintergreen taste. Many excellent references are available to learn the important identifying characteristics of plants, but also, strive to discover new characteristics, which help personalize the identification. Once familiar with the common plants available in the industry, continue to search for and learn about new plants.

The process of learning plant identification and culture should be an ongoing process. Become excited about plant materials, always observing where particular plants are growing well and where they are not, and under what conditions. Whenever possible, observe 12

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native, undisturbed plant communities to discern site requirements and understand natural plant associations.

Always be on the lookout for new introductions or unfamiliar plant materials.

CERTIFIED Professional

Plant Selection Selection of plant materials should never be conducted in sheer nescience, but rather on a working understanding of site and cultural requirements. When selecting plant material, consider native plants which are adapted to existing environmental conditions. Then consider materials which are found in similar environments from other regions and have been tested locally. However, most urban landscapes, in fact most landscapes in general, have been disturbed and may no longer be appropriate for previously indigenous species. Several factors must be considered when selecting plant materials for specific sites: winter temperature or cold hardiness, summer temperature or heat tolerance, humidity, wind, exposure to sun or shade, air drainage, precipitation or drought and moisture tolerance, soil type, drainage, pH tolerance, disease and insect resistance, pollution tolerance, longevity, salt tolerance, fertility requirements, growth habit including height, form, plus aesthetic characteristics such as foliage color and texture, flowers, fruits, and fall color.

In addition to knowing plant names, it is also important to know the environmental requirements of each plant. It is also vital to be knowledgeable of the cultural requirements of plant materials so this information can be passed on to customers and so plants can be matched with site conditions.

Knowledgeable landscape designers and architects are better equipped to create

naturally aesthetic, functional design concepts that become successful landscapes and that are sustained for years with minimal maintenance. Educated customers are also more likely to have success with the plants they purchase.

Diversity should be an important component in the selection of landscape plants. Diversity is, however, lacking in most landscapes today. Many native plants or introduced species can no longer be recommended or planted because of potential disease problems, large size and perceived characteristics such as being structurally weak or "messy". In fact, some city ordinances prohibit the planting of certain species even though they are ubiquitous in native stands and many existing landscapes. Some plant species are unavailable for landscape use because they are relatively unknown, resulting in low demand, or because their production and cultural requirements are poorly understood which limits their availability. Familiarity and production problems associated with plants that should be incorporated into landscape designs and production schedules can be addressed through education and research. Attitudes regarding particular plant characteristics and the appropriateness of using certain plants in the landscape are more difficult to address. Although new plants become available to growers, to landscape architects and designers, and to the public each year through plant selection and breeding programs, the variety of plant material actually grown and used is quite limited. This lack of diversity leads to "standard" landscape designs that lack uniqueness, and production becomes limited to easily produced species. This results in the exclusion of the more

interesting species, and the planting of near monocultures that increase the potential for serious insect or disease problems such as Dutch Elm Disease.

These concerns should be addressed by increasing plant diversity rather than by limiting it. Yes, cottonwood does produce annoying seeds or “cotton”, and it drops twigs and branches. On the other hand, cottonwood is a native species that is well adapted to the Minnesota environment and is tolerant of tough sites. It has a valuable place in the landscape, perhaps not in the front yard of every home, but a valuable place just the same. Nearly every plant that exists has some characteristic that might be considered undesirable. Even the revered oak produces "messy" acorns and drops leaves late in the season after the raking should be done. The extremes of this trend include the desire for fruitless selections and more recent concerns about pollen production and allergies.

Fruitlessness involves the selection of sterile plants or males forms of deciduous species. Avoidance of pollen favors the selection of female plants. In the absence of sterile forms, this selection process could eliminate some excellent species from landscape use. Rather than excluding plants from landscape use, diversity should be promoted through continued selection and production of new varieties and potentially valuable

species not currently grown. Plants should be matched with site conditions and design requirements. Just because a plant is easy to grow, or has attractive flowers, or doesn't produce seeds, does not make it the best plant, or even a good plant, for every site. q ________________________________

Our goal is to exceed your expectations.

Tim Vogel is a member of the MNLA Certification Committee and can be

or our agency, and Study Questions: 1. T F

All 5 senses can and should be used to help in plant identification.

2. Which of the following are not important considerations when considering a plant for a specific site: A) B) C) D) E) 3. T

Cold Hardiness Ph Tolerance Fall Color Longevity How well the plant is known or used in your neighborhood F

A plant that is easy to grow and has attractive flowers automatically makes it the best plant for the site.

Answers: 1-T, 2-E, 3-F

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Rooted Cuttings, Potted Transplants, Field Liners Arborvitae • Junipers • Flowering Shrubs Container Grown & B&B Minnesota Grown

Crow River Greenhouse & Nursery

Tom Stuewe, CIC 952/556-4864 t.stuewe@casualty-assurance.com

8320 Co. Rd. 33 New Germany, MN 55367

Phone/Fax 952-353-1505 Cell 612-760-1174 january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

What Is Your Carbon Foodprint?

By Elizabeth Wynne, Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens inter is a time for me to relax, reenergize, and plan for next season.

In addition to many outdoor winter activities, I also enjoy catching up on films and reading. Some of my selections for this winter include a documentary entitled Food Inc. and two books by Michael Pollan; The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto. All three of these Elizabeth Wynne got me thinking about the food that we eat and how it affects not only our body’s health but also our environment.

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How does the food that we eat relate to the climate change that we are experiencing?

Our modern agricultural practices emit greenhouse gases in many ways. Most of the emissions are created by the production, packaging, and transport of pesticides and fertilizers alone. When these chemicals are applied to cropland they cause erosion and pollute water sources. Most U.S. livestock are fed grains and oilseeds which need to be refined in energy intensive processing centers that also pollute the atmosphere. After food products are grown or raised, they are then packaged and transported an average of 1,500 miles!

Transporting alone accounts for 30,800 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

So, what does any of this have to do with our industry?

While our nation’s food production may be a part of the problem, the ‘green’ industry can play a large part in the solution! While planting trees, shrubs, and perennials can offset some of the pollution of our environment, I would like to challenge you to take it one step farther by helping to eliminate it by planting, selling, and designing with edibles. Home grown and local foods cut down on “foodmiles,” processing, packaging, fertilizers and just about every other source of greenhouse gas emissions in our food system.

Planting and harvesting edibles is not only fun for you and your customers, but it can also be a great revenue source for your business. The state of Minnesota is showing some of the largest growth in the nation in numbers of new farmer’s markets and attendance at existing markets. I frequent my local farmer’s market in the summer to pick up produce that I don’t grow in my own garden, and while shopping I have run into many people that have no idea that we can grow such an array of edibles here in our own gardens. With the downturn in the 14

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economy, I have found many people are willing to pay to have a garden put into their landscape knowing that their investment will yield healthy food at a much lower price than if purchased in the grocery store.

color ranges from brilliant orange to red. When suggesting an ornamental tree consider an apple, edible crabapple, cherry, plum or hardy pear. All are beautiful when in bloom and some are highly fragrant. If you are looking to add some texture to an existing garden, not many leaves are as bold as rhubarb; and for a narrow, upright texture, asparagus is a tasty spring treat. Strawberries make a great groundcover for a sunny location and grapes are very effective to hide an unsightly chain link fence. There are so

"Planting and harvesting edibles can be a great revenue source for your business."

If an area for a ‘garden’ is not available, suggest incorporating edibles into the landscape. For instance Viburnum denatum – Arrowwood Viburnum is a great shrub for screening but also has edible fruit. Though they need an acidic and well drained soil, blueberries make a great landscape shrub. The flowers and fruits are very attractive and their fall

many other possibilities to suggest for your customer.

With our cold climate, we are obviously not able to enjoy edibles from our yards year round, but every small step that we make helps to take a bite out of climate change! q ________________________________ Elizabeth Wynne is a member of the MNLA Environmental Concerns Committee and can be reached at Elizabeth@bloomonmn.com.

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THE MARK OF A PRO. All of this is in one handy binder to help prepare you for the next MNLA certification exam. The manual also contains information on the three new certification specialty “tracks” available: Garden Center, Grower, and Landscaper. Pick the one that fits your skill set and join us for the next Certification Exam! Manuals are available for $75+tax & shipping.

Get the MNLA Certified Professional study manual and prepare for the exam.

The manual contains: • • • •

51 Study Chapters on CD-ROM Plant Photos on CD-ROM for practice identification Industry Resources / Study Materials Sample Exam Questions

Rapidly changing demographics require today’s green industry companies to have a basic understanding of the Spanish language. This easy-to-understand guide will get you speaking Spanish immediately.

Learn words and phrases in the following categories: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Basics Getting Ready/Clean Up Tools/Materials Requests Job Site Safety Hiring/Scheduling Numbers & Dates Directions & Measurements

This resource was developed cooperatively by Workplaces Languages and MNLA.

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¿HABLAS

ESPAÑOL? For more information, contact Mary Dunn at 651-633-4987 or mary@mnla.biz.

LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT | The Scoop

Preparing to Lose a Tree

By Tom Wawra, Bachman's Landscaping e have all seen this with our own eyes: how homes, streets, parks, etc. have changed as we lost elm trees to Dutch Elm Disease.

Trees that once beautified our streets, shaded our landscapes, and airconditioned our homes are gone. There is the financial impact in the elm removal too. People have spent several thousand dollars just for the removal of the dead tree. The loss of these elm’s shade also made home’s air conditioning bill go up and the shade loving landscape that worked under the elms now struggle in full sunlight and need to be changed.

The impact of losing a big tree is far reaching. Now, as we continue to deal with the last of the surviving elm trees, we begin a new chapter, the loss of the ash!

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"Yard by yard, tree by tree, we need to ask: What needs to happen to this tree?"

Can you put a price on the value of this tree? Remember D.E.D. became a serious problem in the Twin Cities area in the early 1970’s and elms are still dying. That means a lot of years, maybe a lifetime, of treatment. About the idea of just waiting until the E.A.B. kills the tree, again, think, think, think! This ash will only get larger and more expensive

to remove. Is it better to remove and replant? Designers should really evaluate this as they design for homeowners.

The devastation of ash in Minnesota is on our doorstep. We have a little time and should be able to save some ash and can get a little ahead if we plant some other varieties now. We have the ability to address this a bit differently than DED was addressed in the past.

We industry professionals have a big role to play in what happens in the next few years and hopefully we will have a positive impact on this situation. q ________________________________ Tom Wawra is a member of the MNLA Landscape Management Committee and can be reached at TWawra@bachmans.com.

We might say nothing will ever compare to the impact the loss the elms have had on our landscapes. Although, an ash may not be as stately a tree as an elm, losing a big tree is losing a big tree.

Ash has been referred to as ‘Green Trash’ given the problems like Ash Yellows, Ash Flower Galls, and Ash Anthracnose to mention just a few. However, we in the industry understand just how many ash we have planted and how important they have become to our urban forest.

Visualize our homes, streets, and parks without the ash trees, something like 30% gone!

So, what should we be doing? We are about to lose a huge percent of our trees again and we need to apply the skills and knowledge we gained over the years, dealing with the loss of our elm trees.

Yard by yard, tree by tree, we need to ask: WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO THIS TREE? This may appear to be a simple question to answer: treat the tree or remove it when it dies. However, we need to think, think, think! Treating a tree will be a long and costly investment. january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

The Next Step

By Patrick McGuiness, Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC he past year was challenging for everyone. While we hope for a better year this year, the economic outlook is far from ideal. Despite the gloomy forecast, there are still many reasons to be hopeful and many things you can do to take the next step in professionalizing your business.

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Zlimen & McGuiness is the newest “preferred partner” of the MNLA and we look forward to assisting MNLA members with taking the next step for their businesses. Here are a few things to consider every year when addressing the needs of your business.

What is your business entity? Are you still operating as a sole proprietor? If so, you could be putting your personal assets

at risk, including your spouse’s assets as well. If you are an LLC or a corporation, perhaps it is a good time to take a look at your company and see if your current entity still makes the most sense for you, for your business, and for your taxes.

Are your contracts up to date? Every few years it is a good idea to review your contracts and make sure they are up to date. This means making sure they have the proper pre-lien notice, that they address project timelines, utilities, insurance and more. If you don’t have a written contract yet, now would be a good time to start using them.

How would your business hold up in a labor audit? In the past year many green industry businesses have been audited by the federal Department of Labor. The government was mainly looking for overtime violations. These

violations occur when you are not properly paying overtime to your employees. If the Department of Labor were to show up at your shop or office tomorrow, how would your company do?

Are you paying time and a half overtime for any hours over 40 in a week? Are you paying overtime to all employees that mainly perform labor, even if you are labeling them as “salaried employees”?

The winter season is a good time to step back and take a look at your pay practices.

What do you do if you are not paid?

With the rough economy this past year, have you been paid in full by all your accounts? Make sure you have the right mechanisms in place so that you will be able to effectively collect money that is owed to you. This means having a proper pre-lien notice if you want to place a mechanics lien on a property. It also means having well written contracts that specify how and when payments are to happen, and the consequences if payments are not made. Finally, it means not waiting too long to collect on unpaid accounts. If the property owner didn’t pay you, there is a good chance that they didn’t pay someone else that worked on their property. Generally the faster you get in line for payment, the more likely it is that you will get paid.

So as the new year begins, step back and look at your business. What can you do to improve it and take the next step? q ________________________________ This article provides general information on business matters and should not be relied upon as legal advice. A qualified attorney must analyze all relevant facts and apply the applicable law to any matter before legal advice can be given. If you would like more information regarding any of the issues above, or other legal issues, please contact Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC at 651-331-6500 or info@zmattorneys.com.

18

www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

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The Scoop | LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS

Green Industry: Let's Take Care of Each Other

By Mike McNamara, Hoffman & McNamara Nursery and Landscape et’s hope that aside from our children’s birthdays, weddings, grandchildren being born and family vacations, the last year and a half will be a time that most of us don’t have to relive anytime soon. However, if there is anything that we have learned during the economic challenges presented to us as of late, it is that returning to a time of prosperity and growth for our industry may take more time than we would prefer. In the interim, Mother Nature will probably give us a reminder of who determines the weather. Health insurance and fuel prices may not decrease, sales will still be a challenge and human resource issues will continue to keep us on our toes.

As an industry we need to look after our fellow colleagues. These times can be hard on families, business partnerships, supplier relationships, and employee/management relationships.

We all need to take care of each other with steps as simple as calling a competitor and saying, “I noticed your

L

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www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

company built the wall at XYZ Company and it is great to see you maintaining a standard of quality during these tough times;” or calling on a customer and asking how her or his family is handling the additional stresses the past couple years may have put on them; or a garden center operator calling a fellow operator and filling them in on a new product they have discovered.

Events like the Northern Green Expo and the MNLA Landscape Contractor Networking Nights give us all an opportunity to discuss the challenges we as managers, owners, and employees are facing and more importantly for us to realize that while all of our businesses are unique, many of the issues we are wrestling with are similar. We have a very special group of people in our industry; a group that is willing to learn and grow together. Think about how wonderful it is that we can hold an event at the Expo like the Nursery Committee puts on. One where a panel of successful growers is willing to open up in front of a room full of strangers and competitors and tell many of the practices they have learned for successfully dealing with challenges and issues at their farms.

As an industry, if we take note of the issues that we are struggling with now, we can work on these issues. We have learned from experience that in our company many of the issues we deal with on a frequent basis are just as prone to happen in a prosperous time. The only difference is that everything is much more transparent now. This is why the MNLA’s commitment to educating managers with such seminars as bidding, estimating, and sales is so timely. This is also why developing a reliable labor pool and promoting all the good our industry stands for with TheLandLovers.org website is so essential to the long term viability of this livelihood.

If we as an industry take care of each other and raise the standards in our industry on our own, we can come out of these times positioned to capitalize on the next opportunities. q ________________________________ Mike McNamara is a member of the MNLA Landscape Contractors Committee and can be reached at mike.mcnamara@hoffmanandmcnamara.com.

GARDEN CENTER | The Scoop

Retail by the Numbers

By John O'Reilly, Otten Bros. Nursery & Landscaping, Inc. can’t say that 2009 was the easiest economic climate to do business in… but I think a lot of us made the best of it. Many of us cut labor, found places where over the last 10 years we had become a little heavy. Most of us watched our inventory levels with more scrutiny. We picked the lowest hanging fruit to reduce costs, and we tightened our belts and made the best of it (and if we’re all honest, some of those disciplines will serve us well for many years into the future).

However, we know continuing to reduce labor (past a certain point) and being short of quality product to sell (when it’s time to sell it) is no way to grow our businesses in the long run. So with that in mind, I ask myself – how are we going to approach Spring 2010?

I

Avoid the Shrinking Margin Dollar Trap I remember reading this simple example nearly 2 years ago, and it really affected my thinking on the question of margin dollars – so much so that I kept it in my files to remind me: "The nursery industry has been riding a boom for a lot of years now.

Some markets continue fairly strong while others are turning more sluggish.

We have seen these cycles many times over the last 64 years and, if you haven’t, beware of a simple but costly mistake that all too often happens and ruins your business."

Do not drop your prices! Or if you do, make sure you keep your net margins. And I’m not talking about keeping your same percentage markup instead keep your dollar markup.

Let me explain with an example.

Let’s say a nursery normally sells 500 K.V. Flowering Plums a year for $30 each. They used to buy them for $12 each and mark up 2.5 times. This generated $9,000 cash ($30-$12 x 500).

Now, due to softening of economy they can buy the same K.V.’s for $8 each - lowering their cost. Mark it up the same 2.5 times and you only generate $6,000 cash ($20-$8 x 500). Oops, you lost $3,000 cash flow. If you did not keep your $18 markup, you lost the cash you needed to pay your employees and yourself.

Compound that with selling a few less trees and maybe you need to consider increasing your margins to generate the cash to pay your people. Remember: Keep your cash margins - not the percentage margins. We want you to be around a long time!” (excerpts from a message by Ron Ludekens/ President, L.E. Cooke Co www.lecooke.com - distributed via ANLAConnect in Jan.2008) Ron is right – with the significant softening of the economy over the past 18-24 months, I’m sure this coming spring will give us some products out there that we can pick up for less cost and I think this is a great example to keep in mind so we can keep some of those dollars. This is a year where the buy for less, sell for less trap might be an easy one for some of us to fall into, especially if volume is the same or less than previous years.

Know Why You’re Discounting I know that many of us use promotions to drive traffic and thus other sales. In some of these cases, you have identified a ‘loss leader’ without losing money – that’s great. And sometimes, we’re long on product and just trying to get rid of it. But if you take a look at the numbers, you need to ask yourself if you can truly sell enough ADDITIONAL product (at the discount) to cover your dollar margin (not to mention the cost of promoting the sale): I can’t afford the cost of advertising to sell through product that I’m not making money on!

Here’s a quick example: Hydrangea @ $20 Cost x 2.5 markup = Retail Price $50

sell 100 @ $50: $5000 - $2000 COGS = $3000 profit sell 100 @ “25% off ” ($37.50): $3750 - $2000 COGS = $1750 profit sell 100 @ “40% off ” ($30.00): $3000 - $2000 COGS = $1000 profit I ask myself: can we sell THREE TIMES as many hydrangeas at 40% off to make the same amount of profit (without increased labor or advertising costs?)

Sometimes the answer might be yes (but it’s not a smart idea to do that with the whole shrub lot). Or the answer might be “no, but...” (no, but we can drive enough additional sales of full price items to justify the sale.) I’m not saying that discounts or promotion pricing are always bad -- the key is just to be aware of it and to know the effects of each one.

Without that awareness, the slippery slope of discounting is the one that I have seen demonstrated at Kohl’s (a retailer with significant buying leverage and volume) – they have basically trained their customers to expect discounts on EVERYTHING, every day – essentially, there IS no ‘full price’ at Kohl’s. Is that the kind of garden center that we strive to be?

The Bottom Line The bottom line is the bottom line: we’re entering a season where we’ll most definitely be running leaner stores.

There’s a possibility they will be nogross-growth stores in 2010. But even if that turns out to be true, as long as the NET bottom line is increasing, we’re doing our jobs, and doing them well enough that we will all be able to thrive and see the growth return in 2011 and beyond. q ________________________________ John O'Reilly is a member of the MNLA Garden Center Committee and can be reached at j.oreilly@ottenbros.com.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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Special Thanks

MNLA ACADEMY SPONSORS FOR 2010

TO THE

2 010 SPONSORS

FREE.

Point your mouse to www.MNLA.biz for free online references!

• • • • •

•

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Post a FREE job listing at MN Job Bank Industry Wage Reports Get your guide to starting a business in Minnesota Commercial Truck Regulations Fact Sheets Sales Tax Fact Sheets – Nursery/Greenhouse & Lawn, Garden Care and Landscaping English and Spanish Training Manuals and Safety Tip Sheets

www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

•

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Work Efficiency References for Growers • Utility Locate Information • Landscape Contractor Survey (by Kevin Kehoe) • Container Labeling Guidelines • Irrigation Best Practices • Commercial Flower Grower Reference Material And more!

LANDSCAPE

e MNLA Landscape Design Committee Presents…

A LANDSCAPE DESIGN CHARETTE Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska

|

FEBRUARY 17, 2010 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

8:00-8:30am – Registration 8:30-9:00am – Introduction of Project 9:00 – 10:00am – Team Project Design Work 10:00-10:30am – Short Seminar: Basic Design Aspects/Inspiration 10:30-11:30am – Team Project Design Work

inar m e s s i Th o first t d e t i lim dees! n e t t a 50

that naturally occur during a charette only lead to stronger design solutions and an inspired design team.

At the conclusion of the work period, each team will present their design solution to the entire group. e following is a list of supplies you will need to bring to class with you:

11:30-12:15pm – Working Lunch 12:15–2:00pm – Presentation of Team Designs Looking for some inspiration? New ideas? New techniques? Come and learn from other new and seasoned landscape designers at this landscape charette!

A charette is a collaborative brainstorming session, involving multiple people, used to generate solutions to design problems. Charettes not only produce many design options to evaluate, but they also draw on the strengths and experiences of each contributor.

A single residential project will be presented for the group. en charette participants, new and seasoned designers, will be paired together to tackle a design plan. e ideas created and the system of checks and balances

• • • • •

Colored markers and/or pencils Black pens Pencils and erasers Tracing paper (18-24" wide) Drafting tape • T-square and scales

MODERATOR: Adam Arvidson is a registered landscape architect with more than 10 years of experience in the design and planning of parks, trails, urban plazas, streetscapes, and commercial landscapes. Adam believes that design and communication are inextricable. It is only by discussing land and design that we are able to truly share it with others. He is the founder of Treeline Services which provides design and writing services to assist clients in telling the story of their land and helps designers better understand and tell the story of their projects. He is also a freelance writer focused on sustainable design and a deep understanding of land. His written work appears in Landscape Architecture Magazine, Architecture Minnesota, Metropolis, Garden Design, and Planning. He is editor of _SCAPE Magazine: land and design in the upper Midwest and recently served as interim editor in chief of Landscape Architecture Magazine.

Sponsored by:

Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

MNLA-CP: 3 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

23

e MNLA Commercial Arborists Committee and e Builders Group Presents…

DEVELOPING A WORKPLACE ACCIDENT AND INJURY REDUCTION PROGRAM Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul | MARCH 2, 2010 | 8:00AM – 12:00PM

Registration: 7:30am – 8:00am Program: 8:00am - Noon Did you know having an AWAIR Program is REQUIRED by law?

On January 1, 1991, Minnesota adopted an amendment to the Minnesota OSHA Statutes that requires many employers to develop and use a formal workplace accident and injury reduction program. All Minnesota employers in high injury-rate industries are required to have AWAIR safety and health programs or face monetary penalties.

Because your company is included in this statute, you need to have a written plan in place. erefore, this workshop will teach you the different elements of this program and how to write one!

Save $$ y rb Registe !

Feb. 16

Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

ese key areas will be covered in the document that you will prepare in class. You will walk away with a written plan that you can implement immediately. In this half-day session, you will also learn how to continuously improve and manage this plan.

Attend this course and learn.

MNLA members will learn the purpose and elements of the AWAIR Act, how to develop an effective safety and health program, and how to improve and manage your programs.

Develop your own written safety program.

Who Should Attend Owners, safety directors, supervisors or lead personnel who are involved in accident prevention for your business.

Expert Faculty John Primozich, e Builders Group.

Donuts and coffee are included and parking is free. e Builders Group, Suite 100, 2919 Eagandale Blvd, Eagan, MN 55121 MNLA-CP: 2 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

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Our Trees are Carefully Grown on 400 Acres of Heavy Southern Minnesota Loam Soil.

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800-972-9250 24

www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

We Strive to Provide Exceptional Product and Service.

Please Call for a Price List and Availabilities. We Also Encourage Nursery Visits by Appointment.

Dave or Terry (507) 663-0393 www.bridgewatertreefarms.com

e MNLA Commercial Flower Growers Committee Presents…

GROWERS

2010 SPRING GREENHOUSE TOUR Northwest Metro Area

| MARCH 10, 2010 | 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Join other local growers on this drive yourself tour of several greenhouses in the northwest metro and pick up some ideas that may help you this spring!

Schedule: 10:30 am - 11:00 am Check-in will be at Green Valley $Greenhouse Save $ r 6530 Green Valley Road Registe 4!

Ramsey, MN 55303 .2 Phone: 763-753-1621

by Feb 11:00 am - 11:45 am Tour of Green Valley Greenhouse Green Valley Greenhouse, Inc. was founded in 1977 and worked its way into the industry through area farm markets. e company soon found customers asking for more. Each year greenhouses have been added to keep up with demand. at demand has continued, positioning Green Valley as a major grower in the Twin Cities area. ere are now 12 acres of indoor growing space and 7 acres of outdoor space.

Currently, Green Valley concentrates on flowering potted Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

plants, foliage plants, lilies, spring annuals, fall garden mums, spruce tips and poinsettias. e company is open year-round.

11:45 am – 1:00 pm: Lunch on your own 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Tour of Malmborg’s, Inc. 20045 Cty Rd 81, Rogers, MN 55374 Malmborg’s, founded in 1958, was purchased by George Lucht in 1972. Lucht expanded the business when he purchased the Rogers location in 1976 and has rebuilt all the greenhouses since that time as well as added a retail garden center to the site. Malmborg’s also grows in its own greenhouses nearly all the products sold at retail as well as providing finished material for other independent garden centers. Currently listed as a root & sell for Syngenta, Fides, Suntory, and Plant Source International, Malmborg’s has been expanding the offerings available as starter plants. ere are now over 800 items available in the liner program. e newest program added for this year is the Garden Mum program from Yoder/Syngenta.

Malmborg’s will be offering rooted cuttings of Garden Mums beginning in spring 2010.

MNLA-CP: 2 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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IRRIGATION

e MNLA Irrigation Committee Presents…

LOW VOLTAGE IRRIGATION: TROUBLESHOOTING TOOLS & TECHNIqUES COURSE qUALIFIES FOR PLT RELICENSURE Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul | MARCH 18, 2010 – 7:30 A.M-5:00 P.M. is class provides eight hours of continuing education residential/commercial irrigation as a lead service technician, credits for the Power Limited Technician license, with ultimately owning and operating a service oriented irrigation material orientated specifically towards the irrigation company. Otto has focused on promoting high efficiency specialist. irrigation as an instructor and curriculum advisor for a e 8 hour class will contain: two clock hours of major manufacturer, teaching nationally and Save $$ y b r e specific national electrical code training; and 6 internationally. His specialties include system design, t s i g Re hours of hands-on training. consulting, and auditing. !

4 March e six-hour, hands-on training will consist of Andy Lindquist: Lindquist is a graduate of the University topics such as: covering, wiring, irrigation of Minnesota with a degree in horticulture with troubleshooting of the irrigation controller and specialization in turfgrass science. He has 30+ years experience circuits, wire location, and grounding. in the landscape industry and 10 years as an instructor at a Walk away with greater knowledge about electrical Minnesota vocational/technical college as lead instructor in the troubleshooting techniques, national electrical code violations, wire grounds and golf course maintenance and irrigation design, types/sizing, and two-wire systems. installation and maintenance programs. Former positions held: Certified Golf Course Superintendent and general manager; INSTRUcToRS irrigation and golf course designer; area manager and educator with a craig otto - CWCM, CID, CIC, CLIA, EPA WaterSense Partner: leading irrigation/landscape supplier. Lindquist is also active in Otto is a water resource consultant for Water in Motion. He brings a various state professional associations and community organizations. wide range of irrigation experience in his 18 years in the industry. He Lunch is included and parking is free. started in the golf course industry as a superintendent, and moved to Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

MNLA-CP: 3 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

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www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

EDUCATION | The Scoop

2010 Prosperity Partners Initiative BONUS FOR BUSINESS MEMBERS! Recognizing that many members will have their backs against the wall again during the coming year, the MNLA Board of Directors wants to help you position your company for greater success in 2010. Use the special voucher enclosed with this mailing for a $100 discount o the Feb. 22 or 23 programs (one voucher redemption per business member).

Turn Payroll Into Profit February 22 For Grower-Garden Center Owners and Managers More information on page 28 Registration fee - $125. Fee after $100 voucher discount - $25.

How to Make Yourself Competitive in a Low Bid Market February 23 For Owners, Designers and Salespersons at Contracting Firms More information on page 29 Registration fee - $125. Fee after $100 voucher discount - $25.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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GROWER/GARDEN CENTER

e MNLA Garden Center Committee Presents…

TURN YOUR PAYROLL INTO PROFIT PART OF MNLA PROSPERITY PARTNERS PROGRAM Wilder Center, St. Paul

| FEBRUARY 22, 2010 | 7:30AM – 3:00PM

Registration: 7:30am – 8:00am Program: 8:00am - 3:00pm In one activity-packed day, you will receive a truckload of essential tools to take your business to new levels of professionalism, productivity and profit!

Take away practical information on recruiting and hiring so you can attract and select the right people for your business.

• How can you "screen out" unwilling, uncooperative, incompetent or disruptive people?

• Transform dysfunctional work groups into aligned, prosperous teams.

• 5 critical ways to build trust on your team.

• e power of nonverbal communication and how to read body language.

• How to masterfully shift unwillingness into cooperation.

• Introduce ways to prompt desired behaviors with positivity!

$ SAVE $$ r Registe !

8

by Feb.

• How to manage behavior; not “attitudes.”

• e principles of communication; showing respect and cooperation.

• Communication activities and listening improvement tools.

• How to delegate and have it done “right.”

• Create highly energized work environments where individuals feel purposeful and valued.

• Learn how your front line staff – sales associates, cashiers and customer support can sell more plants and other merchandise.

• Learn fresh and effective ways to connect with customers, make them comfortable and build credibility right from the start.

• How to develop service skills - from greeting to thanking the customer, inviting them to come back and loading their vehicle with care.

• Innovative follow-up strategies that customers love. is training will be 100% interactive with a great combination of discussion, group activities, collaboration and simulation where participants learn from each other. Everyone will receive their own workbook so they can easily implement the tools where it counts – in their own business! BoTToM LINE; YoU WILL TURN YoUR PAYRoLL INTo PRoFIT! INSTRUcToR Kathryn Dager, MA, President of Profitivity Inc., is an internationally recognized speaker, consultant and trainer for small and large organizations. She has authored two books, “More an A row-Away Job” and “Are You Ready For Work & Life?” published several articles and is considered a dynamic, enlightening and entertaining business development expert. In her years of management, Kathryn consistently turned dysfunctional work groups into aligned, productive, profitable teams. She founded Profitivity in 1985 and for over 20 years has successfully created highly productive work environments where individuals feel inspired, focused and valued. Kathryn presents information with insight and humor while she enthusiastically shares tools to maximize human potential and leverage payroll dollars into profit.

Lunch is included and parking is free.

is program partially funded by: www.rma.usda.gov Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

MNLA-CP: 3 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

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www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

BUSINESS/MARKETING

e MNLA Commercial Flower Growers Committee Presents…

HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF COMPETITIVE IN A LOW BID MARKET PART OF MNLA PROSPERITY PARTNERS PROGRAM Wilder Center, St. Paul | FEBRUARY 23, 2010 | 7:30 AM – 3:00PM

Registration: 7:30am – 8:00am Program: 8:00am - 3:00pm

Instructor

$Save $ by r Registe !

Feb. 9

is past year has been a challenge!

Clients have reduced services, asked for lower prices and it is harder than ever to grow sales. Welcome to the new economy!

Managing your time, meeting worthwhile business goals, and building your team is a never ending challenge. What worked a short time ago no longer seems effective. Business owners like you are searching for low cost ways to keep one step ahead of the competition. Good news has arrived!

You can become a more effective business leader, sales professional and team builder. Your success starts with a well prepared plan.

You need a simple plan to teach your team, a plan detailed enough to be truly effective and a plan proven to focus efforts on high payoff activities.

Discover the overlooked, low-cost, proven methods for adding clients, increasing sales, and gaining repeat buyers even in a down economy. Tony Bass of Vander Kooi & Associates shares Super Successful marketing and sales strategies that turn new start-up, struggling, stuck or plateaued businesses into multi-million dollar companies. No theory; here’s how you get it done!

Tony Bass is a successful entrepreneur, inventor, author, consultant and speaker whose purpose and passion is helping green-industry small businesses achieve their fullest potential.

A 1987 graduate in Agricultural Mechanization at the University of Georgia, Tony founded Bass Custom Landscapes. Innovating business practices he shares with others today, he built a multimillion dollar enterprise and ultimately sold that business in 2006 for a significant seven-figure profit.

In 1998, Tony authored “e Money Making Secrets of a MultiMillion $ Landscape Contractor,” a three-book management, marketing and planning system for contractors. He also produced a number of audio and video training programs for the entrepreneur who wants to improve his business performance. ousands of copies have sold, generating high praise.

Since then, Tony has written five books and training programs to help green-industry business owners, such as: "10 Marketing Secrets for Landscape & Irrigation Contractors"(2001), "Growing Your Landscape Irrigation, Tree Service or Snow Removal Business" (2006), "Preparing to Retire or Sell Your Contracting Company for Maximum Value" (2006), "50 Ways to Find, Recruit, Hire and Retain SuperStar Employees" (2007) and “Business Building Strategies” (2008).

Since 1999 Tony has worked with Vander Kooi and Associates leading seminars and working as a consultant with green-industry business owners on improving financial performance. To date, he has delivered more than 150 seminars to 20,000 green industry professionals, once again to rave reviews.

Lunch is included and parking is free.

Location: Wilder Center 451 Lexington Parkway N St. Paul, MN 55104 (Approximately 1 block north of I-94 on Lexington behind White Castle.)

Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

MNLA-CP: 3 pts.

Sponsored by:

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

mSponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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BUSINESS/MARKETING

e MNLA Member Services Committee Presents…

CREDIT MANAGEMENT NETWORK & IDEA EXCHANGE

coming March 4, 2010 Mark it on your calendar Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

MNLA-CP: 3 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

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GROWERS

e MNLA Commercial Flower Growers Committee Presents…

PERENNIAL PICKS FOR 2010 Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul | MARCH 17, 2010 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Registration: 9:00 am – 9:30 am Program: 9:30 am - 3:00 pm Our local area is blessed with a cadre of experts on perennial plants. Take $advantage of this education day to hear Save $ by the latest from these nationallyrecognized perennial professionals. egister !

R During the course of the day, write down 3 March your questions and our expert panel will share their knowledge in the forum at the end of the day.

9:30am – 10:30am A Garden through the Seasons is seminar will present plants and plant combinations that will provide interest throughout the seasons. A garden of continuing beauty and interest should change with each season. Carmichiel will give her thoughts on putting together perennial combinations that change with the seasons and still look good. is talk will provide you with a multitude of ideas to help you make successful, interesting choices in perennials combinations.

Arla Carmichiel, Noerenberg Gardens/ree Rivers Park District Carmichiel has been a horticulturist with ree Rivers Park District for 30 years. She is responsible for the garden design throughout the park district. She teaches classes in garden design and has a keen interest in new or unusual plants.

10:30am - 10:45am – Break 10:45am – 11:45am Reconsidering the Tried and True: Reflections on a Few Underused but Noteworthy Perennials I can’t tell you the number of customers whose first question each spring is – “what’s new?” Yet, so often in their pursuit of the latest and hottest perennial, they neglect some of the good old standbys that possess great merit. I can think of more than several perennials that garnered wide and glowing press, that were purchased by multitudes of Midwesterners before these plants had a chance of being tested in our area, and that subsequently failed to prove garden worthy in our climate. At the same time, dozens of great perennial varieties sit on nursery benches. I will go to bat for some of those forsaken, but valuable perennials.

Steve Kelley, Kelley & Kelley Nursery and Landscaping: Having grown up in the family nursery/landscaping business, Steven Kelley has had his fingers in the horticultural pie all his life and is now the fourth generation family member involved with the firm. He began working full time at Kelley & Kelley in 1970 and took over the reins in 1992. He has lectured and given seminars for the MNLA, the Minnesota Horticultural Society, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the Perennial Plant Association, and a host of garden clubs and plant societies. Annually, Kelley’s nursery hosts numerous tours from across the Midwest and has received awards for its unique character.

11:45am – 12:30pm – Lunch 12:30pm – 1:15pm Ornamental Grasses Find out what’s happening with ornamental grasses both new annuals and perennials. Learn about care through the seasons for grasses, and what works best in Minnesota. Also, find out which new grasses have Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

worked well at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Mary Meyer, University of Minnesota & Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Dr. Meyer joined the Horticultural Science faculty of the University of Minnesota in 1993 and has primarily an extension/outreach and research appointment. Her research interests include native and ornamental grasses, especially Miscanthus, Schizachyrium, and Pennisetum. She is interested in propagation and production of grasses including cold hardiness, and sustainability of grasses for landscaping, especially in northern climates. She also conducts research on alternative low maintenance turfgrasses. She has studied Miscanthus, and where it has escaped in the United States and authored the website entitled Miscanthus: Ornamental and Invasive Grass.

She is the author of the publication Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates which can be purchased from the University of Minnesota -Extension. In addition, Dr. Meyer became the Interim Director of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in July 2008. She has taught Herbaceous Plant classes as well as classes in International Horticulture.

1:15pm – 1:30pm – Break 1:30pm – 2:15pm New Perennial Varieties for 2010 Whether it was purposely bred for improved qualities, or hunted down in the wild, or found as a sport or mutation in production, there are hundreds of new varieties of perennials introduced into the market each year. Which are the best for upper Midwest gardens? Lonnee will bring you the newest varieties to choose from for your garden center shelf, or landscape plan.

Debbie Lonnee, Bailey Nurseries, Inc. For the first thirteen years of her career, Lonnee worked in the retail garden center business, managing a large Twin Cities garden center. For the last seventeen years, she has worked as a production coordinator at Bailey Nurseries, working primarily with the perennial and bedding plant crops, as well as roses and woody plants. She was promoted to manager of the Planning and Administration department in 2006 and is actively involved in new plant introductions. Lonnee holds a B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota.

She is an avid gardener, and has a collector’s garden full of hostas, daylilies and perennials, as well as many new annuals. She just considers herself a ‘plant geek’! You won’t find too much lawn in her yard!

She is a member of the Perennial Plant Association, the Ohio Florists Association and is the Vice President of the board of directors of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association, as well as chairing its Publications Committee. Garden writing is her second job; she is the horticultural editor for Northern Gardener magazine, and also writes the ‘Plant to Pick’ article for each edition.

2:15pm - 3:00pm – Ask the Experts Got questions on varieties, production practices or landscape maintenance questions? Ask e Experts!

Panelists • Arla Carmichiel, Noerenberg Gardens/ree Rivers Park District • Steve Kelley, Kelley & Kelley Nursery and Landscape • Mary Meyer, MN Landscape Arboretum Sponsored by: • Debbie Lonnee, Bailey Nurseries, Inc. Lunch is included and parking is free.

MNLA-CP: 2 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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ICPI Level I Concrete Paver Installer Certification Program The path to a more prosperous future Date: March 22-23, 2010 Time: 8 am-5 pm (both days)

10 Reasons for ICPI Level I Concrete Paver Installer Certification 1.

Meet industry guidelines-Learn how to meet or exceed industry established guidelines for paver installers.

Sponsor: Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association

Location: Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center 1000 Westgate Drive St. Paul, MN 55114 Ph: (651) 203-7243

About the Program The two-day classroom course is designed to enhance the knowledge of individuals involved in the construction of interlocking concrete pavements. The following topics are addressed in the curriculum:

Material and labor estimating

Edge restraints

Job planning and layout

Base material selection and compaction

2.

Reduce costs-What you learn will help you reduce or eliminate costly call backs.

Soil classification and compaction

Contract basics

Soil compaction

Safety

3.

National promotionICPI promotes certified paver installers in its literature, website and videos.

Bedding and joint sand

Maintenance and Management

Paver selection and installation

Specialty Applications

Use of labor-saving specialty tools

Estimating and job costing

4.

5.

6.

7.

Supplier promotionMany ICPI manufacturer members promote certification to the general public.

Meet customer expectations-Today’s consumers are more sophisticated and demanding. They expect trades people, including interlocking pavement installers, to have trade certification.

Meet designer/specifier expectations-Design professionals specify installation by ICPI Level I Certified Concrete Paver Installers.

Benefit your bottom line -Professional instructors will show you how to increase your bottom line through greater efficiency.

8.

Evaluation process-ICPI developed guidelines will show you how to increase your bottom line through greater efficiency.

9.

Dispute resolutionAdherence to ICPI guidelines means you have the weight of the industry on your side in the event of a dispute.

10. Justify your price Being able to demonstrate to your customers that you are installing interlocking concrete pavements consistent with industry developed guidelines can help you support your pricing and explain why it might be higher than others not following those guidelines.

Why Should You Attend?

Knowledge-Industry professionals share knowledge of industry guidelines, practices and advances applicable to the construction of interlocking concrete pavers.

Recognition-Installers and owners will receive Level I Concrete Paver Installer Certificates and non-installers such as sales staff, manufacturer and dealers reps will receive Level I Graduate Certificates.

Promotion-Paver installer program training and certification can be a powerful marketing tool for your business by further establishing your credibility as a knowledgeable installer, contractor or industry professional.

On-going support-ICPI reinforces your knowledge by making available technical literature, guide specifications, marketing support, website listings, press releases and advanced level certification programs.

Who should attend?

The ICPI Level I Certified Concrete Paver Installer Program has been designed for all companies and individuals involved in the residential and commercial installation of interlocking concrete pavements, including: Company owners and principals Job superintendents Forepersons and supervisors Crew leaders Crew members (with one year minimum experience)

Why a certification program?

Several thousand companies throughout North America engage in the manufacture of and/or installation of interlocking concrete pavements. Your company may be one of them. These companies work with landscaping, segmental retaining walls, and concrete pavers. Their backgrounds represent a wide range of technical, business and marketing skills. To focus this diversity of experiences, the ICPI Level I Certified Concrete Paver Installer Program imparts the requisite knowledge, experience and industry guidelines required to build pavements using concrete pavers.

Sponsored by: 32

www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

e MNLA Hardscapes Committee Presents…

HARDSCAPES

NCMA SEGMENTAL RETAINING WALL INSTALLER EDUCATION PROGRAM Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul

|

MARCH 24, 2010 – 7:30 A.M-5:00 P.M.

ose successfully completing the classroom seminar and passing a written examination become recognized as a NCMA Level I SRW Installer. e Segmental Retaining Wall Installer $ $ Furthermore, your learning doesn’t end when the Save Education Program is a seminar series designed y program is completed! is program includes a b r e t to reinforce national standardized installation Regis 0! wealth of valuable course information and and site practices within the SRW ch 1 r reference material that attendees take back to work a M installer community. for implementation as money-saving and profitLevel I is structured for all making ideas! employees involved in Participants will take the NCMA exam at the end of SRW installation and training. Presenters are NCMA Certified instructors. provides fundamental Coffee & lunch are instruction on minimum included. Parking is free! installation guidelines, material and system component Sponsored by: properties, soils and compaction, site practices and equipment selection.

Registration: 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Seminar: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

MNLA-CP: 3 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

33

PESTICIDE CERTIFICATION

e MNLA Landscape Management Committee Presents…

PESTICIDE CERTIFICATION WORKSHOP & EXAM A Review of Pesticide Applicator Certification Training Materials in Preparation for Taking the Category A & E Exams

Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul

Program Description Prepare for the category A and E Pesticide applicator certification exam by attending this 1 ½ day study program. e workshop can also be viewed as a refresher course for those already certified.

Topics to be Covered: • State Laws and Regulations • Integrated Pest Management (Insects, Diseases and Weed Control) • Pesticide Formulations • Health and Safety Issues (Toxicity, Heat Stress, Personal Protective Equipment) Taking the exam on day 2 is optional. If you wish to take the test, you must submit your license application and pay the license application fee before you take the certification exams. You may apply for a new Pesticide Applicator License electronically on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture web page at www.mda.state.mn.us, by sending a completed paper application form and check to the MDA by mail, or by bringing a check for $75 made payable to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at the time of the exam. License application fees are not refundable.

Attending this study course does not guarantee passing the category A & E exams.

Please note: is instruction program is intended to be a review of information in the study manuals. e instructors strongly recommend that you consider purchasing the following three study guides prior to attending the course: 1. Category A-1: National Pesticide Applicator Core Manual (New 2007) 2. Category A-2: Minnesota Supplement for Category A (New 2007) 3. Category E: Turf & Ornamentals Pesticide Manual (1997) ere are two options for ordering (note, when ordering, it will take approximately 1 week to receive your order so plan ahead!): 1. Order online at www.bookstores.umn.edu/ genref/ (click on Extension Publications).

2. Call 612-627-0108 to place your order.

Note: Manuals are no longer available at the St. Paul Campus Bookstore.

Vera Krischik is an associate professor in the department of entomology at the University of Minnesota and performs research and extension on insects of interiorscapes, woody plants, and turf.

She is interested in developing integrated Pest management (IPM) programs that reduce pesticide use, encourage biological control, and use of biorational pesticides when appropriate. She

MARCH 25-26 OR APRIL 6-7, 2010

|

Save $$ y rb Registe or March 3 3!

March 2

Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

teaches a course on landscape IPM that is open to participants in the green industry.

Mike McDonough is a research fellow in the department of entomology at the University of Minnesota. He has worked in Ascerno Lab, researching and conducting education programs in greenhouse pest management since 1999. McDonough holds an undergraduate degree in business and a master’s degree in agriculture from the University of Minnesota.

DAY ONE SCHEDULE 7:15 am - Registration 7:45 am - Introduction 8:00 am - Integrated Pest Management – Vera Krischik 8:45 am - Customer Education and Professionalism – Mike McDonough 9:00 am - Certification and Licensing - MDA 9:30 am - Pesticide Laws & Regulations - Vera Krischik 10:00 am - Break 10:15 am - Emergency or Incident Response - Mike McDonough 10:30 am - Transportation and Storage of Pesticides - Mike McDonough 10:45 am - Language of the Green Industries - Mike McDonough 11:45 am - Lunch 12:15 pm - Plant Health Care - Mike McDonough 12:45 pm - Plant Diseases and Nematodes - Vera Krischik 1:45 pm - Weeds and Vertebrates - Vera Krischik 2:30 pm - Insects & eir Relatives - Vera Krischik 3:30 pm - Pesticide Labeling - Vera Krischik 4:00 pm - Conclusion DAY TWO SCHEDULE 8:00 am - Pesticide Labeling - Vera Krischik 8:30 am - Pesticides and Pesticide Formulations- Mike McDonough 9:30 am - Personal Protective Equipment - Mike McDonough 10:00 am - Break 10:15 am - Health, Safety, and First Aid - Mike McDonough 10:45 am - Planning the Pesticide Application - Mike McDonough 11:15 am - Pesticide Application Procedures and Equipment & Soil Fumigation - Mike McDonough 11:45 am - Environmental Concerns; Urban Sustainability - Vera Krischik 12:15 pm - Short Review – Vera Krischik & Mike McDonough 12:30 pm - Lunch 1:00pm - Pesticide Applicator’s Exam, Categories A & E Coffee & lunch are included. Parking is free!

MNLA-CP: 4 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

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www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

IRRIGATION

e MNLA Irrigation Committee Presents…

BASIC IRRIGATION & INSTALLATION Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul Registration: 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Program: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Water conservation has become increasingly important. Every person involved in landscape irrigation plays an important role in ensuring the system will preserve water, a precious natural resource. is introductory irrigation course will provide a basic overview of the irrigation process.

Topics that will be covered include: • Introduction to irrigation • Product identification and terminology • Basic hydraulics and design concepts • Installation techniques and tools

returning entry level employees.

Presenter: Craig Otto, CWCM, CID, CIC, CLIA, EPA Save $$ y WaterSense Partner b r e t s i Otto is a water resource consultant for Water in g Re !

6 1 Motion.

He brings a wide range of irrigation h Marc experience in his 18 years in the industry. He started in the golf course industry as a superintendent, and moved to residential/commercial irrigation as a lead service technician, ultimately owning and operating a service oriented irrigation company. Otto has focused on promoting high efficiency irrigation as an instructor and curriculum advisor for a major manufacturer, teaching nationally and internationally.

His specialties include system design, consulting, and auditing.

is class is intended for employees who are new to the irrigation industry or those looking to get an up close look at components. it would also serve as a good review course for Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

| MARCH 30, 2010 – 8:30 A.M-4:00 P.M.

Lunch is included and parking is free.

MNLA-CP: 3 pts.

Level: Fundamental to Advanced

Sponsorships are available for this seminar. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 / betsy@pierreproductions.com.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

35

THE SCOOP | MINNESOTA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Jan/Feb Minnesota Horticultural Society Classes he following classes are sponsored by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, but are held at various locations, as noted. Enrollment is limited, and preregistration is required. To register, call 651-643-3601 or 800-676-6747, ext 211, or visit their website at www.northerngardener.org.

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How to Pick the “Perfect” Plant Tuesday, January 12, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Location: MSHS Classroom, 1755 Prior Ave. N., Falcon Heights.

taking cuttings from your window-sill garden, starting new plants from seed, and transplanting outside during the summer.

Instructor: Mark Armstead is the Assistant Retail Manager and Grower at Linder’s Garden Center. He has been in this industry for 22 years as a grower and retailer, and has a degree in Botany.

How Trees Die: The Past, Present, and Future of our Forests Tuesday, January 26, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $20 members, $30 nonmembers. Location: MSHS Classroom, 1755 Prior Ave. N., Falcon Heights.

By establishing our "ideotype", the ideal for the plant we want to work with, we understand what we are looking for and what to value when we shop. This ideotype continues as we grow this plant in our garden and make choices on where to locate, prune, fertilize, and otherwise care for it in order to persuade it to conform to the ideal. It sounds straightforward, but takes practice. The process is fun as we learn to partition out traits and decide how to prioritize them in different situations. Instructor: Dr. David Zlesak is an Assistant Professor of Horticulture at the University of WI, in River Falls.

Join us as the author of How Trees Die: The Past, Present, and Future of Our Forests examines the outstanding story about the longevity of trees. He takes us on a fascinating journey through time and place, explaining how trees age and the many ways they die. The death of a tree is as important to understanding our environment as how it lives. Copies of How Trees Die will be available in our gift shop, and Jeff will sign books after class. Instructor: Jeff Gillman, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Dept. of Horticulture Science at the University of MN where he researches plant production and teaches courses on nursery management and pesticide use.

Growing Herbs Indoors Tuesday, January 19, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $15 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Location: MSHS Classroom, 1755 Prior Ave. N., Falcon Heights.

Natural Shorelines -How to Avoid a Rough Landing Monday, February 1, 6 to 8 p.m. $26 members, $36 nonmembers Location: MSHS Classroom, 1755 Prior Ave. N., Falcon Heights.

Growing herbs for their fragrance or for culinary use is a great way to brighten up a Minnesota winter. Find out how to keep your herbs thriving all year round with the right growing requirements indoors and out. Find out how to save money by

Do you have lakeshore property or live adjacent to a wetland or stream? Do you wish you had a shoreline that is more beautiful, easier to care for, and more environmentally sound while maintaining views and access? If so, this class will help you learn how native plants and other design elements can be used to create more natural shorelines that are attractive and stable, reduce erosion, and deter geese without resorting to hazardous rip-rap rock piles. Instructors: Douglas Owens Pike, Energyscapes and Jim Calkins, Horticulturalist, University of MN. Sowing Seeds outdoors in the Winter Tuesday, February 2 or Thursday, February 11, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Location: MSHS Classroom, 1755 Prior Ave. N., Falcon Heights.

Winter sowing is an inexpensive, easy germination process that uses recyclables to make mini-greenhouses. The greenhouses are placed outside in the winter and spring months. Because Mother Nature controls the germination of winter-sown seeds, plants are hardier than artificially forced indoor plants. This method is fun, rewarding and takes a much leisurely pace than inside sowing. Sign up early, we filled this class 3 times last year. Instructor: Michelle Mero Riedel is a professional photographer and a Washington County Master Gardener.

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www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM | The Scoop

MN Landscape Arboretum 2010 Gardening School Session 1: January - Starting Plants Indoors earn from expert instructors in the Midwest’s largest and most spectacular classroom – the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Through lectures, demonstrations, on-site garden visits and hands-on activities, the Gardening School offers rich opportunities for lifelong learning on a full range of topics for home gardeners, horticultural industry professionals, Master Gardeners, and other interested individuals.

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Classes are held on four consecutive Saturdays, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fee: $30 member / $40 non-member (per class in each series) To register, call 952-443-1422 or visit www.arboretum.umn.edu/learn.aspx.

Building and Using Grow Lights Saturday, January 9; 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $30 member / $40 nonmember. Snyder Auditorium.

Get a jump start on growing seedlings without a greenhouse.

Learn how to build your own grow light and how to use it to maximize your growing season. Don Guggemos is a gardener who grows many of his seedlings for his large garden in Winsted, Minnesota.

Sexual Reproduction: Working with Seeds Saturday, January 16; 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $30 member / $40 non-member. Snyder Auditorium.

Understand the biology of seeds, germination techniques, scarification, stratification and more. Jim Calkins, Ph.D. is a horticulturist. Formerly he taught the semester-long propagation class offered by the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota.

Asexual Propagation: Cuttings, Layering & Specialized Structures Saturday, January 23; 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $30 member / $40 non-member. Snyder Auditorium.

Dividing your plants is only one way to asexually propagate your favorite plants. Learn how to make cuttings, layering and the role of specialized structures in certain plants. Jim Calkins, Ph.D. is a horticulturist. Formerly he taught the semester-long propagation class offered by the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota.

Asexual Propagation: Grafting Saturday, January 30; 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $30 member / $40 non-member. Snyder Building Auditorium.

Gain the understanding of the different methods of grafting and why some grafts work and some don’t. Much of the class will be spent on practicing and making a number of grafts with various plant materials. Jim Calkins, Ph.D. is a horticulturist.

Formerly he taught the semester-long propagation class offered by the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota.

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

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator. q

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

37

The Scoop | SAFETY

Maximize Your Building Investment With Cover-All®.

• Naturally bright interiors • Better air quality • Pre-engineered clear-span designs • Available in widths from 18’ to 160’ Greystone Construction Company

952.496.2227 888.742.6837 www.coverall.net Cover-All ® buildings is an ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturing facility COVER-ALL IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COVER-ALL BUILDING SYSTEMS INC/ STEEL TUBING SUPPLIED BY ALLIED

CPR and First Aid Courses Available at TBG

by Jake Leoni, ARM, CHST, CRIS – TBG Loss Control Representative

he Builders Group Loss Control department is now offering Heartsaver CPR and First Aid courses at a preferred rate for all MNLA members. Both courses will be taught in accordance with the American Heart Association guidelines. Upon successful completion of the courses a certification will be awarded and will stay current for 2 years. Each CPR/AED course is approximately 3 hours in length and each First Aid course is approximately 2 hours in length depending on the number of participants and prior knowledge of the course objectives.

Depending on demand, we can combine the two classes or do them separately.

We can also conduct training for a specific company if needed to help create a more personalized and comfortable learning environment for class participants. The cost of the CPR course and associated learning materials will be $50/person and the cost for the First Aid course and materials will be $35/person.

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One of the goals of our training is to provide real world scenarios that are unique to the construction industry. By being certified in CPR and/or First Aid you will not only show your dedication to employee health and safety, but may also set your company apart from others during the bidding process in this tough market. More importantly, when an emergency occurs, you will have the knowledge and skills to competently address the situation. Since the initial course offering in June of 2008 several TBG members have taken advantage of the classes offered and all have been well received. If you have any questions with regards to this training feel free to contact Sandy Wilson at 651-389-1047 for class registration. q 38

www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

The Scoop | GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Precinct Caucuses

By John Boland, Boland & Associates Inc. here is a well worn saying in politics that "the power belongs to those who show up." This is particularly true in the way Minnesota picks their candidates for state office. It begins at the voting precinct level. On February 2nd this year all around the state both major political parties will hold meetings called caucuses. These meetings are the beginning of the process in which the parties will ultimately pick their candidates for the legislature and state-wide office. The caucuses are usually held in your immediate neighborhood. If you want to have a major say in who the candidates are for your particular political party you MUST show up at this meeting.

To find out where this meeting is being held you can either call the county clerk's office in your county or access the Secretary of State's web site at www.sos.state.mn.us. Simply find the appropriate citation and enter your address and your political party preference and it will tell you where to go.

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How involved you want to get in the rest of the process is entirely up to you.

One of the responsibilities of the precinct caucus is to pick delegates to go to the next meeting, which is the legislative district convention.

In most cases if you express interest in going on you will likely be elected.

It is at the legislative district convention that candidates for the Minnesota Senate and the House of Representatives are screened and endorsed. Both bodies are up for election this year. Another function of the legislative convention is to pick delegates to the Congressional district convention and for the State convention.

At the Congressional district convention, candidates for Congress will be screened and endorsed and at the State Convention, candidates for state wide office will be screened and endorsed. These include: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State and Auditor. This convention is usually held at the

beginning of the summer and runs for three days. You can run for delegate to all or part of these conventions. The important thing for MNLA is having people in this process that can voice their opinion on issues that affect your business. Obviously, the further you go in the process the more impact you will have. But you will be surprised at how much candidates are interested in your help and your opinions on issues, even if you just go to the precinct caucus and no further.

For example, as of this writing, there are 18 announced candidates for Governor, 11 Democrats and 7 Republicans. All of them from your party will be contacting you if you go to the precinct caucus. It's a great opportunity to voice your opinion.

This could be a bell weather election for Minnesota. Why not get in on the fun by going to your precinct caucus.

Contact me if you have questions at johnboland@usinternet.com or 651-776-7511. Good luck. q ________________________________ John Boland is the MNLA Legislative Consultant and Lobbyist and can be reached at johnboland@usinternet.com.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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TAKE PART IN THE

GREEN INDUSTRY DAY ON THE HILL Wednesday, March 3, 2010 Kelly Inn / State Capitol, St. Paul All Minnesota green industry professionals are invited to attend this event.

MNLA will be coordinating appointments, please contact us no later than Feb. 24th.

“I’ve never done this before. What can I expect?”

• A friendly face-to-face conversation with someone who can make a real impact in your business • To partner with other experienced green industry professionals • To be equipped with the information you need to talk intelligently about the issues

DAY ON THE HILL SUCCESS STORIES • Green Acres status for nurseries, greenhouses protected.

• EAB rapid response money.

• Scientific/economic review of alleged invasive plants prior to potential regulation.

• No new pesticide notification requirements.

• No anti-business immigration enforcement measures.

Please RSVP by Feb. 24th for the Mar. 3rd event.

Call Bob Fitch at 651-633-4987 or toll-free 888-886-6652 or e-mail bob@mnla.biz.

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www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

The Scoop | GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

McGuire seeks District 25A House Seat ong-time MNLA member Mick McGuire, McGuire Landscaping, is seeking the DFL endorsement for the District 25 House of Representatives seat. McGuire is a fiveterm mayor of Montgomery, Minn., and is a member of the MNLA Government Affairs Committee.

Seeking to reclaim the seat once held by his father, McGuire has been involved in local government for nearly two decades.

McGuire views education and infrastructure as building-block issues he would prioritize in the Legislature. As a small business owner, he knows the importance of quality education, good roads and bridges, and reliable public services in strengthening the state’s economy.

A lifelong resident of District 25A, McGuire graduated from MontgomeryLonsdale High School and earned a degree in agronomy from the University of Minnesota. He served on the Montgomery City Council from 1993 until 2000, when he was elected Mayor.

McGuire has been a member of the Montgomery Volunteer Ambulance Service for more than 25 years and has represented Le Sueur County cities on the Region Nine Development Commission for more than 10 years. He currently serves as the secretary-treasurer of the queen of Peace Foundation Board and also as treasurer of the Minnesota Mayors Association. q

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january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | DC UPDATE

I-9 AUDITS - BEWARE, AND PREPARE ese articles are provided by MNLA and ANLA as a Lighthouse Program partner benefit. ast summer, the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it would conduct a record number of employer audits focusing on immigration compliance. Just before anksgiving, ICE announced another 1000 audits, to be conducted in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Information ANLA has obtained from ICE officials suggests that the largest number of audits will take place in the states of Texas, California, Florida, New York, and Arizona although all states will be affected.

Agricultural and green industry operations have already been hit, including a production nursery and roughly nine other farm-related businesses in California, a landscape contracting firm in Illinois, and five dairy operations in Vermont.

Regardless of an employer's diligence, an audit can have serious consequences. An audit can cost a business tens of thousands of dollars in legal and consulting fees alone. Even worse is the economic penalty that can result from losing experienced and valued employees. If you have not recently reviewed your I-9 Form and recordkeeping practices, now is the time to do so.

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H-2A RULES STEADY...FOR NOW ursery and greenhouse growers using the H-2A temporary and seasonal agricultural worker program fear uncertainty and even chaos in the coming year, as major changes to the program have been proposed by the

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Trees & Shrubs Perennials Rock & Wood Mulches Retaining Wall Block Pond Supplies

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www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

Department of Labor (DOL). While new rules are expected perhaps as early as January 1, DOL recently extended until June 1, 2010 the "transition rules" for H-2A applications, which took effect January 17, 2009. e regulatory chaos underscores the need for Congress to act on immigration reform that includes the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act or AgJOBS. AgJOBS would establish a fair, streamlined, balanced, and stable program framework.

HRI, USDA-ARS FILE JOINT PATENT he Horticultural Research Institute, Inc., the nonprofit research and development corporation of the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) filed a joint HRI/USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) patent application on October 27, 2009 in support of collaborative research efforts to develop degradable/biodegradable plastic resins for the nursery, greenhouse and landscape industry. e "Biodegradable Products from Poultry Feathers and Methods of Preparation ereof" patent is based upon research done by Dr. Masud Huda, HRI Research Associate and Dr. Walter Schmidt, USDA ARS research scientist at Beltsville, MD. Preliminary discussions are currently underway with interested plastic resin compounders to license the keratin based formulations. A commercial pot production run of 300 to 500 "#1" containers is planned for December. ese containers will be distributed to cooperating ANLA/HRI member nursery and greenhouse crop producers and to three USDA ARS research facilities for evaluation.

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MDA UPDATE | The Scoop

Three Things You Need To Know About Compliance Agreements firewood of any hardwood (deciduous) species.

By Mark Abrahamson, Minnesota Department of Agriculture f you are a tree care professional, firewood dealer, or hauler, you’ve probably heard about Compliance Agreements for the emerald ash borer (EAB) quarantine. Three main points about Compliance Agreements are especially worth remembering: what a Compliance Agreement is, what it does, and which items are currently being regulated.

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First of all, a Compliance Agreement is simply a regulatory tool that allows companies and professionals who work with wood to move or ship regulated articles out of the quarantine area after certain agreed-upon conditions are met.

The following items are the three categories of quarantined articles: 1) the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), 2) ash trees, ash limbs and branches, ash stumps and roots, ash logs, ash lumber, ash chips, and ash bark chips and 3)

Secondly, a Compliance Agreement serves as a written agreement between a company and the regulatory agency (the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and/or United States Department of Agriculture) that says to the regulators: “We will only ship regulated articles out of the quarantine areas under specific conditions.” Some of these conditions might involve (but are not limited to) treating regulated articles with kiln drying, chipping, or fumigation before movement of the articles is legal.

Thirdly, the two types of articles that require Compliance Agreements are 1) ash trees and ash wood material (e.g., wood chips, logs, branches, etc.) of any size, length, or shape and 2) all hardwood firewood.

For the purpose of the EAB quarantine, the MDA definition of

“firewood” is cut wood pieces less than four feet in length. So does this mean that an ash tree stump needs a compliance agreement? Yes, because it is ash. Does it mean that a ten-foot long oak branch needs to have a compliance agreement? No, because it is oak and it is not cut into firewood. Does that same 10-foot long oak branch cut into threefoot firewood pieces need a compliance agreement? Yes, because all types of hardwood (i.e., deciduous or nonconiferous) firewood are regulated.

We hope the above description is helpful as you communicate with your staff and clients. If you have any further questions related to EAB, the quarantine, or compliance agreements, contact us at Arrest.The.Pest@state.mn.us or 651201-6684 (Metro) or 888-545-6684 (Greater MN).

You can also visit www.mda.state.mn. us/invasives/eab/quarantinefaq.aspx for more information that is specific to compliance agreements. q

Coco-lined Baskets 14" Queen Isabella Parasol ower’s Basket 12"/14"/16" Gr

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Must mention ad to receive 5% discount.

14" Standing Flo or Planter

22" Long Floor Planter

24" or 36" Horse Trough

Minneapolis, MN 800-798-2891 • Adel, IA 888-693-1473 • Brookfield, WI 800-269-8816 january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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TRADE TALK | The Scoop

100 Anniversary th

Anchor Celebrates Centennial Anniversary nchor Block company celebrates 100 years in business as a Midwest manufacturer of construction and landscape materials. Founded in 1909, this Minnesota-based company manufactures traditional concrete masonry blocks, architectural masonry blocks and veneers, retaining wall blocks, pavers and other landscape products. e company's products are found in many of the metro's iconic buildings including: Target Field, TcF Bank Stadium, Mall of America, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and Target center. http://www.anchorblock.com. q

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Reinders, Inc. Moves Minneapolis Location to Plymouth einders, Inc. has announced it has relocated its Minneapolis, MN store from Brooklyn Center to Plymouth. The new store is located off of I-494 and Highway 55 at 2724 Fernbrook Lane North. The phone number remains the same, 763-503-0200.

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Reinders is a member and supporter of various Minnesota green industry associations including the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents Association and Minnesota Sports Turf Managers Association. The company is a full service distributor of landscape supplies, commercial turf equipment, irrigation products, and ice melt supplies. They have another store in Rochester, MN, six locations across Wisconsin, three in Illinois and one in Missouri. q

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www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

A Deeper Shade of Green Local Genetic Origins

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

www.outbacknursery.com

Call us first for all your native planting needs

Interlock Concrete Products, Inc. and Rochester Concrete Products, LLC Announce Business Agreement ffective January 1, 2010, Interlock Concrete Products (Interlock) will transition all sales and marketing functions to Rochester Concrete Products (RCP). e sales team at RCP will provide customer service and support to Interlock customers in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Interlock will focus on continuing to provide customers quality products and outstanding service. ere will be no changes to the production team or ownership at interlock.

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is partnership will provide Interlock's customers access to more product choices, such as Rockwood Retaining Walls and Silver Creek Stoneworks' line of wetcast products. In addition, RCP's customers will now have access to Interlock's complete paver and retaining wall line, as well as access to their slab line, site furnishings, and the Rosetta retaining wall system (in select markets). As a result, RCP and Interlock will now have the most complete hardscapes product offering in the industry. q january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | FLOWER GROWERS

U of M Flower Trial Reports Available University of Minnesota report on flower trials at multiple sites across the state is now available at www.MNLA.biz in the "industry resources" section. Also included are the top ten annual cultivars from three sites, St. Paul, Morris, and Grand Rapids.

Plants from 14 breeders were trialed.

Color photographs are included.

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Top Performing Annuals for 2009 Neil Anderson, Steve Poppe, Shengrui Yao: University of Minnesota, Department of Horticultural Science Note: Trial data will no longer be at www.florifacts.umn.edu St. Paul (USDA Winter Hardiness Z4; Heat Z5; 169 growing days) http://horticulture.cfans.umn.edu/ 1. Colocasia ‘Heart of the Jungle’ 2. Millet ‘Jade Princess’

Morris (USDA Winter Hardiness Z3/4; Heat Z4; 144 growing days) http://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/ Horticulture.html 1. Petunia ‘Ray Purple Vein’ 2. Lobelia ‘Techno Heat Upright Blue’ 3. Petunia ‘Suncatcher Red’ 4. Geranium ‘Calliope Scarlet Fire’ 5. Petunia ‘Supertunia Vista Bubblegum’

Garden Center Secret Shopper Program Sign-up deadline: January 25 More information available at www.MNLA.biz or call 651.633.4987

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www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

6.

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3. Petunia ‘Debonair Lime Green’ 4. Petunia ‘Pretty Much Picasso’ 5. Petunia ‘Sophistica Antique Shades’ 6. Ornamental Pepper ‘Black Pearl’ 7. Osteospermum ‘Asti White’ 8. Gaillardia ‘Mesa Yellow’ 9. Dianthus ‘Bouquet Rose’ 10. Carex ‘Graceful Grasses Toffee Twist’

Diascia ‘Flirtation Orange’ Coleus ‘Trusty Rusty’ Begonia ‘Braveheart Rose Bicolor’ Viola ‘Skippy XL Red-Gold’ Verbena ‘Superbena Coral Red Improved’ Grand Rapids (USDA Winter Hardiness Z3; Heat Z3; 109 growing days) http://ncroc.cfans.umn.edu/ Horticulture.html 1. Petunia ‘Pretty Much Picasso’ 2. Petunia ‘Supertunia Vista Bubblegum’ 3. Ipomoea ‘Illusion Midnight Lace’ 4. Delphinium ‘Diamonds Blue’ 5. Lobularia ‘Snow Princess’ 6. Cyperus ‘Graceful Grasses King Tut’ 7. Verbena ‘Lanai Royal Purple’ 8. Colocasia ‘Heart of the Jungle’ 9. Cleome ‘Senorita Rosalita’ 10. Rudbeckia ‘Denver Daisy’ q

When will the pilot program begin? e pilot program will run from March 2010 – October 2010 and is limited to the first 25 garden centers who sign on! e application deadline is January 25, 2010.

How do I participate and is there a fee?

In order to participate, you simply need to fill out the Garden Center Secret Shopper Application which can be found online at www.mnla.biz. (Once on the website choose “Industry Resources” from the top navigation and then choose “Garden Center & Nursery” from the drop down menu.) e Pilot Program will be limited to the first 25 Garden Centers! e application requires a $100 participation fee which will help to cover postage and administration costs for the program. To participate in a corporate secret shopper program is often ten times this expense – so sign on today! q

IRRIGATION | The Scoop

The Future of Irrigation Sales-A Conservative View

By Damian Zawacki and submitted by Mark Kenzler, John Deere Landscapes ant to know where your next big revenue opportunity for irrigation is coming from?

Want it to be advertised and promoted for free by national, regional and local media? Want it to be targeted right at your existing customers? Want it now?

It’s here, right under our noses, and in our newspaper, and on our TVs and radios… it’s water conservation!

Water conservation is a red-hot topic and one that is dominating the media and news today. It is on the minds of every American consumer and this especially includes your past customers.

They have irrigation systems and they know it’s time to get serious about conserving one of our most precious resources, water. Are you responding or waiting for someone else to respond? If you don’t respond, someone else will (and they may not be an irrigator).

Get in the business of selling conservation and do it now. You can target your existing and past customers and they will welcome it. No, they may not all say yes but they’ll listen now more than ever. Go after every existing system owner you know or can identify. Need some specific ideas to get the creative marketing juices flowing?

The most obvious is to offer audits and/or irrigation system tune-ups. Car mechanics, heating and cooling contractors, local computer stores, etc. offer tune-ups. Why not offer an irrigation system tune-up service? Repair broken heads, straighten leaning sprinkler heads, adjust sprinklers that are overthrowing walks or pathways (don’t use the nozzle retainer screw too much, as this distorts the sprinkler distribution) and make sure the sprinklers have head to head coverage.

Second, replace inefficient or outdated sprinkler heads. The most obvious upgrade is making sure the sprinklers have match precipitation rate (MPR) nozzles in them. You must have uniform coverage and MPR nozzles will help accomplish this. Next, spray heads have a tendency to “mist” or have an extremely high precipitation rate.

Replace them with a stream rotary

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nozzle. They will have a less tendency to mist and will lower the sprinkler precipitation rate.

Rotors and sprays should never be installed on the same zone, but if they are, then installing a rotary nozzle will help bring the precipitation in-line with each other. Most manufacturers have developed better and more efficient nozzles for sprays and rotors; replace the old nozzles with the new ones. If you have sprinklers that leak water after the zone is shut off, install a sprinkler with a check valve. This will prevent low head drainage.

Excessive pressure is always a problem, especially with spray heads. Spray heads don’t operate at the same pressure as a rotor, so install Pressure Compensating (PC) Bodies, or PC Nozzles, PC Valves, etc. Bring the pressure down to the appropriate 30 PSI operating pressure and the spray heads will operate more efficiently, not to mention this will lower the homeowners’ water usage, too.

Third, install sensors. One of the quickest returns on investment are sensors that prevent the irrigation system from turning during a rainstorm or heavy winds, or when the soil is still wet.

Only irrigate when conditions dictate the need.

A flow sensor reads excessive flow.

Excessive flow typically happens from a broken sprinkler head or a leaking pipe.

Obviously, you should not irrigate in either scenario until the problem is fixed.

Fourth, drip irrigation is highly efficient compared to traditional irrigation system techniques. Most planting beds contain mulch, which absorbs and holds moisture. It’s better to irrigate from beneath it with drip irrigation, than from above where the water will have to seep through it. Also, drip irrigation allows you to pinpoint the water at the base of the plant in lieu of over-spraying the entire planting bed with spray head irrigation.

Fifth, use an ET-based irrigation controller. ET stands for evapotranspiration, which is the sum of water loss through evaporation and the plant. If your controller is based on evapotranspiration rather than timed increments, your irrigation system scheduling will be much more efficient.

The traditional timer controllers can’t change with the weather conditions, but an ET-based controller can and produces considerable water savings.

Six, offer other services. Irrigation might be your primary business, but some other business units fit nicely into the irrigation realm. For example, rain water harvesting collects rain water and uses it for irrigation. Connect the gutter downspouts to a common pipe. The common pipe will lead the rain water to a cistern or a holding tank. The cistern can distribute the water or just be a collection point. The holding tank collects the rain water and a small pump delivers this water to the irrigation system.

Another example is collecting excessive rain fall from the gutters, then directing that rain to a depression in the soil called a rain garden. This waterholding garden will allow the rain to soak into the ground slowly. The holding garden is planted with plants that can sustain the excessive moisture for a few days.

There are many opportunities available with your existing clientele, as well as new ones. Marketing and peaking interest is the key, and there has never been a better time to start. Water conservation is a value-add service, it’s green and it can provide a great revenue opportunity. The future is here and it’s all about conservation because no one wants the well to run dry.

Author’s note and disclaimer – This paper is intended for the sole purpose of getting irrigation contractors to start thinking about new ways to market themselves and grow their revenues while simultaneously helping conserve water consumed in the irrigation of landscapes. It is not intended to be scientific or based on science. It is intended to inspire those that have lead the way in irrigation to keep leading the way, professionally and profitably. We must devise new services that are in demand, conserve water, and fortify the path we have created in this great industry known as irrigation. q ______________________________ Mark Kenzler is a member of the MNLA Irrigation Industry Committee. He can be reached at mkenzler@johndeerelandscapes.com.

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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Central Landscape Supply Irrigation by Design John Deere Landscapes JRK Seed and Turf Supply

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Mickman Brothers, Inc. Midwest Stihl, Inc. Pumptec, Inc. Rainbow Treecare

S&S Tree Specialists Wilson’s Nursery, Inc. Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC

You’re Invited…

Join us for a semi-formal evening of cocktails and dinner to help us honor the 2010 Landscape Award recipients.

LANDSCAPE AWARDS BANQUET 2010

LANDSCAPE AWARDS PROGRAM SPONSORS

WHEN: Saturday, March 6, 2010 6:00 Social Hour/Cocktails 7:00 Dinner 8:00 Awards Program FEE: $60.00 per person $550 for a table of 10 WHERE: University Club Downtown Clubhouse 340 Cedar St., St. Paul

RSVP online at www.MNLA.biz or by calling 651-633-4987.

The Scoop | ARBORISTS

Arborists Provide Service to Ft. Snelling Cemetery

Power up your digital marketing with MNLA! Target green industry professionals via MNLA websites & eNews MNLA.biz The Online hub of MNLA, www.MNLA.biz has averaged over 3,800 visits per month. A great option to reach MNLA members and industry professionals. Ads start as low as $150.

MNLA eNews The monthly MNLA eNews goes to over 1,700 industry professionals each month. Advertisers are limited to two and receive both an ad and a coupon in the eNews.

NorthernGreenExpo.org This site highlights the vital details of this premier industry event and averages 3,000 visits per month in the months leading up to the Expo.

Contact Betsy Pierre, Industry Advertising Representative today! • 952-903-0505 ext 1 • betsy@pierreproductions.com 50

www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

rborists from the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture and the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association donated time and expertise on Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, to tree trimming and other green infrastructure improvements at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. An annual event, more than 50 professionals took part this year. Domino’s Pizza donated approximately 30 pizzas to feed the crews! Participants included:

A • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Northeast Tree Service Ostvig Tree Central Minnesota Tree Service Andy Hovlan Tree service Majestic Tree Service Rainbow Tree Care S & S Tree Specialists St. Croix Tree Service Bartlett Tree Service Vineland Tree Service Landberg's Tree Service Living Sculpture Tree Service Amberwood Tree Service Minnesota Department of Transportation - Paul Novotony City of Golden Valley Bert Swanson, Swanson’s Nursery Consulting Inc. q

january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | SUPPLIER PROFILE

Integrating Sustainable Sites Coming in the Future Company Name: Midwest Ground Covers LLC Website address: www.midwestgroundcovers.com Year company was founded: 1969 Key people at company (owners, managers, sales reps): Owners: Peter & Irma Orum, Christa Orum-Keller President: Gary Knosher Sales Rep: Brent Gustason Business location(s) and areas served: Sales & Distribution Center - St. Charles, Il Regional Midwest Grower & Wholesaler - Il, IN, MN, MI, WU, IA, MO

IN MEMORIAM n October 31, 2009, John Timberg, one of the owners of the Tessman Company, passed away as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Survivors include his wife and partner of 21 years, Kathleen A. McEnaney; three children, William Reid (10), Peter James (7), and Louis Charles (7), all of Mound, MN. A Memorial Service celebrating John's life was held ursday, Nov. 5, 2009 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Mound. e Tessman Company will continue to be jointly owned by John’s wife, Kathy McEnaney and Terry Reiten, General Manager, who has managed the day-to-day operations of the Company since 2001.

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Long time MNLA Member Garry Switzer passed away December 2nd, 2009, at the age of 77. Garry was a member of the original MNLA Certification Committee when it was formed.

Switzer's Nursery and Landscaping Inc. is a third generation owned and operated business that has been members of the MNLA for 59 years. He strongly believed in the organization and its practices. He served on the Dakota County Technical College Landscape Advisory committee for many years also.

Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Anne; 3 children: Carole Hlavay of Farmington; James and wife Vickie of Northfield; Glenn and wife Michelle Millenacker of Dundas; granddaughter, Tami; brothers: John and wife Joyce of Apache Junction, Arizona; Dale and wife Marilyn of Farmington; sister, Joan and husband Norman Torbenson of Northfield; nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation was Saturday, December 5th, at the Benson & Langehough Funeral Home, 201 East 4th Street, Northfield, MN, 507-645-5123. Funeral services were held December 6th at the United Methodist church in Northfield, MN, followed by Military honors and refreshments.

Memorials are preferred to Garry Switzer Memorial Fund.

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Company Description: Growers, Propagators, Wholesalers, Goundcovers, Native Plants, Green Roof Plants, Perennials, Shrubs, Grasses, Roses, Conifers Is there a product or service you’ve recently introduced that you’re particularly proud of?

American Beauties Native Plants™ Midwest Solutions® What do you think the future holds for the segment(s) of the industry that you serve? Integrating concepts from the sustainable sites initiative into the mainstream landscape industry. Distinguishing your brand.

Service.

In what ways has MNLA helped you and your business? Advertising, Events, Publications q

The Scoop | PLANT OF THE MONTH

Harvest Gold Linden Tilia x mongolica ‘Harvest Gold’ (PP12,232)

a Mongolian linden. It is commercially propagated by budding on littleleaf linden root stock by licensed growers. It was granted a patent in 2001. Since it has been marketed for several years, availability is generally good.

By Craig Chilstrom, Prairie Edge Nursery arvest Gold linden is very similar in size and shape to Tilia cordata or littleleaf linden varieties, with an upright shape when young, becoming more oval at maturity and reaching a mature height of about 35 to 40 feet and width of 25 to 30 feet. The growth rate is slightly slower than littleleaf linden. It is a tough, durable, and dense tree which does not produce messy fruit. It has improved cold hardiness to Hardiness Zone 2, and it has high resistance to sun scald, leaf gall mites and fungal leaf spot. However, the foliage is susceptible to feeding by gypsy moth caterpillars and Japanese beetles.

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Photos Courtesy of Prairie Edge Nursery

When seeking diversity in trees for the urban landscape, Harvest Gold linden should be considered, as its many attributes make it an excellent selection. q ________________________________

Because of its shape, it is useful as a street tree or shade tree in parks and suburban yards. Attractive features include its upright growth habitat with reduced crown spread, and its exfoliating gray-brown bark. Its attributes of glossy medium green coarsely-toothed leaves, that consistently turn golden yellow earlier in the fall than littleleaf linden cultivars, and its large golden colored buds in late fall and early winter, provide a year-around attraction.

Harvest Gold linden grows best in full sun and prefers moist, well drained, medium textured soils. However, it is adaptable to partial shade and other soil types where moisture is adequate. It will not tolerate locations where standing water is present for extended periods of time. It will tolerate pH levels up to 7.5,

Plant of the Month

Craig Chilstrom is a member of the MNLA Nursery Committee and can be reached at

and it will adapt to most urban landscapes.

Harvest Gold linden was selected by Dr. Wilbert Ronald and Rick Durand at Jeffries Nurseries, Ltd. in Manitoba, Canada from an open pollinated seedling of a littleleaf linden from Manchuria and

Photo Courtesy of Harold Pellett january 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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CLASSIFIED FOR SALE Rooted Cuttings: Athens Select Collection, Flower Fields Annuals.

Oglevee Geraniums-Zonal and Ivy, Scented Geraniums, Spikes and more!

Hilltop Greenhouse and Farm, 83204 30th Street, Ellendale, MN 56026 P(507)889-3271, F(507)889-3272, www.hilltopgreenhouse.com

Dansplants.com your one stop source for great container grown nursery stock from Northland Farms, Alta, Kraemer's, Stockdale, Barr Evergreen and Van Meter Nurseries. dflotterud@aol.com, P:612-867-5728 or F:888-396-8733

Garden Center/ Nursery/ Floral located West Central Mn. 16,000 sq.ft. greenhouses, 2 acres prime real estate highway frontage. Prosperous community, county seat, lakes area.

Call 320-491-4932

651-633-4987 Executive Director Bob Fitch • bob@mnla.biz

Order forms or links for many of the services listed below can be found at www.mnla.biz Companies endorsed by MNLA:

Membership Director & Trade Show Manager Mary Dunn • mary@mnla.biz

Business Legal Services (Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC) 61-331-6500

Education & Industry Advancement Director Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz

Business Succession (AgStar) 507-386-4620

Communications Director Jon Horsman • jon@mnla.biz Executive Assistant Susan Flynn • susan@mnla.biz Accountant Norman Liston • norman@mnla.biz Receptionist Jessica Pratt • jessica@mnla.biz Advertising & Sponsorship Sales Pierre Productions & Promotions 952-903-0505 Betsy Pierre, Advertising Manager, betsy@pierreproductions.com Erica Nelson, Advertising Sales, erica@pierreproductions.com Government Affairs Consultant Boland & Associates John Boland, Legislative Affairs McGrann, Shea, Carnival, Straughn & Lamb Doug Carnival, Regulatory Affairs

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In addition to association activities, the MNLA staff provides management for:

Credit Card Processing (Approval Payment Solutions) 763-521-7851 Fuel Discount Card (Speedway/SA/Marathon) 651-454-7776 ext. 203 Fuel Savings (Holiday Stationstores) 952-830-8889 Horticultural Books (MN State Horticultural Society) 651-643-3601 Small Business Resource Group 651-783-5754 Workers Compensation Insurance (The Builders Group) 651-203-6793 Contact the MNLA office at mnla@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987 or toll-free 888-886-6652 for information on the following products or services.

Catalogs/Outdoor Living publication series Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge Fleet Program Educational Programs/MNLA Academy Employee Recruiting/ Greenworks On-Line Job Board Employee Training Manuals (PLANET)

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Over 2,000 industry professionals receive THE SCOOP each month. Put your message in their hands!

Display ad as low as $190.

Classifieds $3 per word ($30 min). Call Betsy today 952-903-0505 ext 1 or betsy@pierreproductions.com 54

www.MNLA.biz | january 2010

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Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association 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.GardenMinnesota.com www.TheLandLovers.org www.NorthernGreenExpo.org

Garden Center Plant Posters Garden Center Carryout Trays Irrigation References. (“industry references” at www.mnla.biz.)

Northern Green Expo Trade Show Booths MNLA Certified Professional manuals, exam Sales Tax Rules / Nursery-GreenhouseLandscape (“industry references” at www.mnla.biz.)

Spanish Pocket Reference Guide

magnuson sod 5901 Nicollet Ave. S. • Minneapolis, MN 55419

(612) 869-6992 • Fax 612-866-8398

SOD, BLACK DIRT, MULCHES DECORATIVE ROCK Pick Up or Same Day Delivery Large or Small Orders For Field Pick Up at Elk River Farm, Please Call!

(612) 869-6992

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LANDSCAPE & CONCRETE CENTER 313 West 61st Street • Minneapolis, MN 55419

(612) 866-0430• Fax 612-866-6181 Your one-stop shop for all your concrete and landscaping needs!

• Keystone Retaining Wall Systems • Borgert Pavers • Boulder Creek Stone Product • Real Stone Product • Natural Stone • Stucco Product • Decorative Rock • Cement Block • Concrete Tools • Landscaping Tools • Jackson Wheel Barrows • Ames Tools • Wacker Power Equipment • Stihl Power Equipment

The HAAG Companies Compan ies

KLIER’S NURSERY

5901 Nicollet Ave. S. • Minneapolis, MN 55419 (612) 866-8771 • Fax (612) 866-2156

Wholesale & Retail: Sod • Topsoil • Decorative Rock • Mulches • Landscaping Tools • Firewood & Accessories • Garden Chemicals • Mowers • Trimmers • Other Power Equipment • Concrete Steppers • Boulders • Natural Stone • County Retaining Walls

SCHAFER EQUIPMENT COMPANY

6025 Pillsbury Ave • Minneapolis, MN 55419 (612) 861-2268 • Fax 612-869-8021

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: Bartell Power Equipment • Gilson Mixers Masonry Tools & Equipment Partner Concrete Saws Target Masonry Saws • Diamond Blades Jackson Wheelbarrows

PICK UP OR SAME DAY DELIVERY

• FORMS • LARGE SELECTION OF CONCRETE STAMPS & CONCRETE TOOLS

SERVICE & REPAIR OF EQUIPMENT

RENTAL EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE

• Toro • Lawn Boy • Echo

SERVICE & REPAIR OF EQUIPMENT

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Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association 1813 Lexington Avenue North Roseville, MN 55113-0003

GardenMinnesota.com www.MNLA.biz