The Scoop Online – March 2010

THE

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Insights and Information for Green Industry Professionals

Also in this issue:

Lean Management in Nurseries PAGE 14

Grassroots Grows Results!

PAGES 38-42

Clearing Up Confusion Over Elms PAGE 46

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 3 March 2010

ADVERTISER INDEX

THE

Arborist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Garden Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Nursery Business Management. . 14 Business Management. . . . . . . 16-19 Hardscapes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 MNLA Certification . . . . . . . . . . 22-24 Landscape Management. . . . . . . . 25 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27- 37 Government Affairs. . . . . . . . . . 38-42 Public Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Leadership Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 MDA Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Sustainable Environment . . . . . . . 49 Landscape Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 MNLA Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Supplier Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Plant of the Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Cover photo from an award-winning project

by Meg Arnosti and Dan Gleeson of Windsor Companies/LAC Enterprises.

AgStar Financial Services - 49 Anchor Block Company - 2 Bailey Nurseries - 10 Belgard Hardscapes - 17 BFG Supply - 37 Bullis Insurance Agency - 16 BW Insurance Agency - 12 Carlin Horticultural Supplies /ProGreen Plus - 20, 45, 50 Central Landscape Supply - 16, 38 Central Wisconsin Evergreens, Inc. - 25 Cherokee Mfg. - 50 Chrysler - 53 Cook Water Farms - 36 Crysteel Truck Equipment - 50 Cushman Motor Co., Inc. - 55 Evergreen Nursery Co., Inc. - 38 Fahey Sales Auctioneers & Appraisers - 24 Fury Motors - 35 Gardenworld Inc. - 44 Gertens Wholesale - 39 Haag Companies, The - 59 Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies - 13, 18

J.R. Johnson Supply, Inc. - 57 Johnson’s Nursery, Inc. - 43 JRK Seed and Turf Supply - 23, 42, 47 Klaus Nurseries - 24 Kubota Dealers - 7 Law’s Nursery, Inc. - 44 Maguire Agency. - 42 McKay Nursery Co. - 22 MN Equipment Solutions, Inc. - 20 MTI Distributing - 19 Out Back Nursery - 11 Premier Boulder Fountains - 18 RDO Equipment Co. - 55 Rochester Concrete Products - 60 Rock Hard Landscape Supply division of Brian’s Lawn & Landsaping, Inc. - 5 TerraDek Lighting, Inc. - 28 The Builders Group - 31 The Mulch Store - 15 Timberwall Landscape Products - 9 Tri-State Bobcat, Inc. - 33 Verneer Sales & Service - 29 Xylem, Ltd. - 28 Ziegler Cat - 3

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 4

www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

Upcoming Events March 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.

9-10 – Irrigation Association Certified Irrigation Contractor (CIC) Preparation Course. Water in Motion, Plymouth. For more information contact Craig Otto at 763-559-1010 or craigo@waterinmotion.com.

10 – Spring Greenhouse Tour. Locations: Green Valley Greenhouse in Ramsey and Malmborg’s in Rogers. For more information, see page 29 or www.mnla.biz. Sponsored

by Syngenta.

11 – Minnesota Grown Marketing Conference. Minnesota Department of Agriculture, St. Paul. For more information, see page 27 or www.mnla.biz.

11 – Hedberg’s Sustainable Landscape Day. For more information, visit www.hedbergrocks.com.

11-12 – Irrigation Association Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA) Preparation Course. Water in Motion, Plymouth. For more information contact Craig Otto at 763-559-1010 or craigo@waterinmotion.com.

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

12 – Irrigation Association Certification Exam Testing Date. Water in Motion, Plymouth. For more information contact Craig Otto at 763-559-1010 or craigo@waterinmotion.com.

16-17 – Shade Tree Short Course. University of Minnesota, St. Paul. For more information visit http://www.cce.umn.edu/Annual-Minnesota-Shade-Tree-ShortCourse/index.html.

17 – Perennial Picks for 2010. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 30 or www.mnla.biz. Sponsored by Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies.

18 – Low Voltage Irrigation: Troubleshooting Tools & Techniques. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 31 or www.mnla.biz.

22-23 – ICPI Certification. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 32 or www.mnla.biz. Sponsored by Anchor Block Company, Borgert Products, Inc. & Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies.

24 – NCMA Certification. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 40 or www.mnla.biz. Sponsored by Anchor Block Company & Borgert Products, Inc. 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.

31 – Bachman's Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes Spring Open House. For more information, see www.bachmanswholesale.com or call 651-463-3288.

April 6-7 – Pesticide Certification Workshop and Exam. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 34 or www.mnla.biz.

22 – PLANET Day of Service. MNLA is an association partner in this national program.

For more information, see www.planetdayofservice.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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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

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 Bert Swanson, MNLA-CP, President Swanson’s Nursery Consulting, Inc. 218-732-3579 • btswanson@gmail.com Debbie Lonnee, MNLA-CP, Vice President Bailey Nurseries, Inc. 651-768-3375 debbie.lonnee@baileynursery.com Heidi Heiland, MNLA-CP, Secretary-Treasurer Heidi’s Lakeshore Gardens, Inc. 612-366-7766 • heidi@BloomOnMN.com Van Cooley, Past President Malmborg’s, Inc. 763-535-4695 van@geraniumsbygeorge.com Randy Berg, MNLA-CP Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 rberg@smig.net Scott Frampton Landscape Renovations 651-769-0010 sframpton@landscaperenovations.com Tim Malooly, CID, CLIA, CIC Irrigation By Design Inc. 763-559-7771 • timm@ibdmn.com Bill Mielke Wilson’s Nursery, Inc. 952-445-3630 bill@wilsonsnurseryinc.com Herman Roerick Central Landscape Supply 320-252-1601 hermanr@centrallandscape.com Bob Fitch MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • bob@mnla.biz 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 | FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MNLA Foundation Brings Focus to Environmental Careers

By Bob Fitch, MNLA Executive Director. ight now, most MNLA members are not struggling to find employees.

Unfortunately, the economy has forced a number of companies Bob Fitch to shrink and even forced some out of business.

Consequently, some good green industry professionals are on the job market.

R

But I hope our memories aren’t too short. It wasn’t that long ago that the economy was roaring along and MNLA members were turning over every rock to find both seasonal workers and career professionals.

The economy will improve and the demand for career professionals will increase again. But there are too few people in the pipeline right now and the likelihood that more people are going to magically fill that pipeline is poor. At colleges offering horticulture and landscape programs, enrollment numbers are typically flat, down, or declining rapidly.

If we want the next generation of green industry professionals to be available when the economy improves, the best time to address this challenge is now. And that’s just what MNLA and the MNLA Foundation has decided to do.

For at least the next three years, the MNLA Foundation has established the strategic goal of educating youth in our region about green industry careers and the environmental benefits provided by these professions. We’re aiming for some lofty measurable outcomes: 1. Within four years, establish formal, 8

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on-going relationships between MNLA member firms and 200 or more grade schools, middle schools or high schools.

2. Within four years, increase enrollment by 25% in horticulture or landscape educational programs at a minimum of four colleges.

The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association has been a national leader in this area by developing TheLandLovers.org, a green industry careers website financially supported by three national and 40 state associations.

Our new strategic initiative will employ multiple tactics to build upon TheLandLovers.org resource as a part of educating youth in our immediate region about green industry careers and environmental benefits provided by these professions. In addition, we’ll build on several other assets such as a new third/fourth grade curriculum being written by Dr. Terry Ferriss, University of Wisconsin-River Falls; continue to find ways to support the Jr. Master Gardener program offered by the University of Minnesota Extension Service project; and enhance the College Student Mentoring pilot project launched by the Landscape Design Committee and Hennepin Technical College. And, finally, we want to build on our excellent existing relationships with all regional collegiate horticulture/landscape education programs.

The key contribution of the MNLA Foundation will be funding a part-time employee who will be devoted to substantially accelerating progress on this project. We’ve hired Jodi Larson, a former MNLA student worker, to fill this position. Jodi is in the process of finishing her degree at the University of Minnesota right now.

Even more important than staff will be the engagement of enthusiastic volunteers. A new task force will take the lead on a number of initiatives. A core component is to create an Adopt-ASchool Program. Personal on-going connections between member firms and elementary/secondary schools will increase interest in our industry and career options. To aid members, we’ll create new tools like PowerPoint presentations and career fair displays.

In addition, we’ll also be connecting with students by actively communicating via Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Finally, the project aims to identify clear career paths in various industry segments to allow for goal setting and measurement of skills for both employers and employees.

Identifying that the industry has clear career paths will increase its desirability among youth.

The Landscape Contractors Committee, chaired by Scott Frampton, Landscape Renovations, Inc., has been the driving force behind MNLA’s workforce development efforts which stand to benefit all of our industry segments. If you’re interested in learning how you can play a part in this exciting initiative, contact Scott Frampton (sframpton@landscaperenovations.com or 651-769-1140) or Jodi Larson (Jodi@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987). q ________________________________ Bob Fitch is executive director of MNLA. He can be reached at bob@mnla.biz.

The Scoop | ARBORIST

Hardy plants with local roots

Doing Tree Care? Know and Control Your Risk

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!

By Peter Gerstenberger, Tree Care Industry Association hen I was cutting my teeth in the green industry, it seemed to me that there were very distinct groups.

There were the tree guys (and a few women), there were landscape management and lawn care companies, and there were commercial nurseries.

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Today, the lines have been blurred and continue to become blurrier. Businesses are motivated to diversify by their competition, by the lure of profits, or by the desire to extend the season to even out cash flow and provide a steadier income to a loyal workforce.

It is a general rule in business that if you don't understand the business you're undertaking, you will likely fail at it. There certainly can be reward in becoming that full-service business, but there is risk as well. Being a "tree guy," I can tell you that failure in tree work can have catastrophic results. Tree work is among the most dangerous occupations in the United States.

So, if you are contemplating adding a tree care profit center to your business or if it already has one, pay particular attention to how your recognize, deal with, and train for the acute hazards inherent in this work.

To make my point, I refer you to a recent publication from the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), NIOSH Publication No 2008-144: Fact Sheet Fatal Injuries Among Landscape Services Workers. According to this report, a total of 789 "landscape service workers" died from on-the-job injuries between 2003 and 2006, which is an average of 197 per year. The fatality rate for the landscape services industry, about 25 deaths per 100,000 workers, is similar to that for more recognized high-risk industries, such as agriculture and mining. Although landscape services workers make up 0.8 percent of the U.S. workforce, they experienced 3.5 percent of total occupational fatalities. The statistics are even more sobering when you consider that these accidents are happening in a relative small segment of the landscape services worker population. You guessed it: tree work.

Take a look at the following chart. It is a slightly different representation of the NIOSH/CDC data, and I will provide you with an explanation and a single anecdote for each of the larger sections.

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Landscape Services Fatal Accidents 2003-2006 Transportation . . . . . . . 32% Contact with‌ . . . . . . . 25% Falls from Elevation . . . 22% Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . 16% Other Causes . . . . . . . . 5% Transportation: All green industry employers apparently share a common concern about getting to and from the work site safely each day. Our workers show up in the morning in twoton vehicles, and then leave our yards in 10-13-ton vehicles with trailers and obscured rear visibility! Have we provided enough training to help them with that transition?

the challenges to safety that tree care companies face. It would best be characterized as a safety trainer credentialing program, but it goes beyond the safety knowledge (i.e., what we need to train) and delves deeply into how we train. CTSP teaches safety professionals strategies to be more effective trainers and to change the very "culture" of their organizations. A Certified Treecare Safety Professional not only is able to coach his/her team in safe work practices, but also works to change attitudes about safety and to motivate other employees to want to participate.

"A strong safety culture, important to a landscape business, is imperative in tree care where the hazards are inherently greater."

Contact with: This is mostly workers who are struck by falling trees or pieces falling out of trees.

There is a rule of thumb from tree riggers that says for every foot an object falls, it gains a unit of its own weight plus one.

That means that a 30-pound branch dropped 20 feet hits the ground (or the worker) with a force of 630 pounds.

Falls from Elevation: Tree care standards do not allow the worker to leave the ground without being secured from falling, except to ascend a ladder. And yet, we see unsecured falls from the tops of ladders, out of trees, and out of aerial lifts with alarming regularity.

A strong safety culture, important to a landscape business, is imperative in tree care where the hazards are inherently greater. A culture of safety can only be developed one company and one individual at a time, and, as this happens, our industry will be transformed from what it is today. q _________________________________________ Peter Gerstenberger is the Tree Care Industry Association's senior advisor to the president for Safety, Compliance & Standards. He can be contacted at peter@tcia.org.

The article was printed with permission of author Peter Gerstenberger at the Tree Care Industry Association and PLANET News per Kathy Wemkoff.

A Deeper Shade of Green Local Genetic Origins

TM

Exposure: In this study, exposure really means electrocution. Electricity is so hazardous because it doesn't let you know it's there. Our main problem is we favor aluminum pole saws and pole prunners as well as aluminum extension ladders because they're lightweight, durable, and relatively inexpensive. Utilities favor the same metal in their construction for the same reasons and because aluminum is an extremely efficient conductor of electricity!

So, you made the conscious decision to move into tree care.

Welcome! Be very aware, however, that the moment you decide to ask your employees to leave the ground as part of their daily jobs, you added significant risks, liabilities, insurance costs, and regulatory complexity to your business. To move forward as an industry and become safer, we need an industrywide commitment to a culture of safety. We need management that commits to properly train and equip its field workers and we need employees who understand risks and who look out for one another.

Do you have someone in your organization who is both well versed in the hazards of tree care and highly competent to train others in avoiding these risks? The Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) program was designed to address several of

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The Scoop | GARDEN CENTER

Are Marketing and Advertising Guessing Games?

By Karl Foord, University of Minnesota Extension Service just finished reading Martin Lindstrom’s book Buy-ology – Truth and Lies About Why We Buy. This book suggests that yes; marketing and advertising are guessing games. The reason being, we do not understand how the mind works, and as a result our marketing messages are less effective than they could be. Our attempts to get at what people really want have been Karl Foord ineffective. When people say what they want they are deriving this from a cognitive function. What people actually do seems to be driven more by subconscious forces that are primarily emotionally based. What people say does not reliably account for how they behave.

If this is the case then how might we tap into the nonconscious visceral reactions that drive our actual behavior?

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One approach is to use techniques such as MRI and SST, both of which measure brain activity. In this way we can see if a person is truly attentive to a marketing message or not engaged and the message becomes unimportant background noise.

The logic behind this is that consumers’ memory of a product is the most relevant reliable measure of an ad’s effectiveness and is linked with subjects’ future buying behavior 1. So therefore, compare the strength of subjects’ memories for logos before and after a TV show and see which ads were more memorable.

To test the effectiveness of ads in solidifying memory of a product, an experiment was done with ads placed by Ford, Cingular Wireless, and Coca-Cola on the show American Idol.

Coca-Cola was a part of the program and judges had visible containers on their desks. People were encouraged to vote for their candidate on the Cingular Wireless system. Ford had traditional commercials at breaks during the show.

Participants’ memory was much stronger for Coca-Cola than for Cingular, and the memory for Cingular was much stronger than Ford. The logic being that Coca-Cola was a constantly visible and active part of the show. Cingular had high visibility at voting time, and Ford was ignored because it was in the traditional commercial spot among a host of other sponsors.

This experiment is very interesting but raises a number of other questions. Setting memory aside, did Coca-Cola and Ford see a rise in sales and Cingular a rise in new subscribers?

Did the ads help to solidify the customer base establishing present and future loyal customers? It should also be noted that memory is only one of a series of interacting internal psychological variables affecting buying behavior. The list might also include: attitude, learning, motivation, perception, and personality.

The challenge seems to be how do you apply this finding to your business? The Ford experience suggests that we continue to look for ways to have products and services presented in ways that avoid those venues that people will habitually ignore or avoid – like editing TV commercials with TiVo. Jonathon Pedersen at the recent Green Expo gave the following advice: If your web site is in good shape and is kept up-to-date, consider Facebook. In this way your customers are sharing information about your business. They have sought out information and are not trying to survive the barrage of commercial messages to which most people are exposed.

In spite of technological advances I am still led to wonder, is John Wanamaker’s quote as true today as it was one hundred years ago – “Half my advertising budget is wasted. Trouble is, I don’t know which half.”? Nonetheless, I still recommend the book as a look into what may be the future of marketing. q Ref: 1. Buy-ology, Martin Lindstrom, Doubleday, 2008, p48 ________________________________________________ Karl Foord is a member of the MNLA Garden Center Committee and can be reached at foord001@umn.edu.

The Scoop | NURSERY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

What is “Lean” and Where Do We Start? #1 in a Series by Craig Chilstrom, Prairie Edge Nursery n tough times like the Nursery and Landscape Industry is facing today, more companies start thinking about making their operations “Lean.”

However, in many cases, management is unsure how to accomplish this. The first attempt is to reduce your employee count.

While this definitely may be a necessary short term solution, it is not “Lean.”

So what is “Lean?” Stating it as simply as possible, “Lean” is removing Waste from all areas of an operation. The definition of Waste is anything the customer is not willing to pay for.

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Look around your office, shop, yard, storage area, or whatever area you are in. Is it clean? Is it organized? Think of a specific item; can you go directly to where that item is stored and find it?

Or is it put in a different place each time it is used, or maybe not put away at all? How much time is your operation wasting each day, month, or year, looking for tools, office products, lost paperwork, etcetera?

"Becoming a lean operation is a journey of continuous improvement."

The eight Wastes to start to focus on are: Overproduction, Excess Inventory, Excess Motion, Transportation, Defective Products, Over Processing, Waiting, and Under Utilized People.

As you identify the “low hanging fruit,” which is “the easy to fix low cost solutions,” and start to improve those areas, you will be amazed how many other Wastes become apparent.

Becoming a “Lean” operation is not something you do and then your job is complete. It is a journey of continuous improvement. It is a mindset to which management must make a commitment.

Without management commitment, it will fail and the operation will fall back into the chaos that existed before starting this journey. If you are not committed, do not waste the time and money on this endeavor. If you are committed, the rewards can be great both financially and personally.

So where does an operation start this journey? Start with organizing your work environment. The Tool to use is 14

“5S”: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain, and I like to add a sixth “S”: Safety.

www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

Organize your work vehicles. Create compartments or holding systems for every tool you use. Label where they belong. This needs to be a very visible system so you can instantly see when something is out of place. With a good visibility system, you will instantly recognize when a tool is missing and you can immediately locate it to eliminate the loss of a tool, product and, therefore, dollars. No more leaving tools at a jobsite!

The most difficult part of this journey is to sustain the system that has been created. In the past, you have probably done something similar during slow times, only to let it slide when business levels picked up. Most people are resistant to change, but you must create a new mindset within your organization. A motto that I believe will set the tone for a “Lean” organization is “Lead not by the

example of your power, but by the power of your example” (Bill Clinton).

How can you expect people in your organization to maintain a clean organized workplace, if you do not keep your workspace organized? If you cannot successfully maintain the clean organized work environment that the majority of people prefer to work in, you have no chance of maintaining the operational changes that will be made further along on your journey to a “Lean” operation.

What you must accomplish is to create the discipline that is necessary to maintain the improvements you will be making in the future.

In future articles, I will address each of the Wastes identified at the beginning of this article, what to look for, and suggest possible solutions as it pertains to our industry. Every business is unique and the solutions will be equally unique.

This is a long journey, but the rewards can be tremendous.

The keys to success are management commitment and employee involvement.

Employees are more committed to changes that they create. Leaders can create an environment that encourages employee involvement to create solutions for identified opportunities, and to identify opportunities that you may never have known existed. The people doing the work know the barriers to their success better than management does. Encourage and empower them to create the solutions.

"e keys to success are management commitment and employee involvement."

The best book I have found that incorporates the “lean fundamentals” into the Green Industry is “Systems For Success” by Dwight Hughes Jr. He is still selling the book directly. q

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The Scoop | BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

New Independent Contractor Law

By The Builders Group uilding contractors who hire individuals in a nonemployee capacity are advised that Minnesota law has changed effective January 1, 2009.

Essentially, any individual hired by a building construction firm in Minnesota who does not have certification as an independent contractor will be deemed an employee of the construction firm, and therefore must be covered for workers' compensation. If you intend to hire an individual as a non-employee independent contractor, the individual must first be certified by the Department of Labor and Industry.

In the fall of 2008, the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry began

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accepting applications for individuals to be certified as independent contractors.

Individuals wishing to be certified as an independent contractor must apply with the Department of Labor and Industry. Instructions on the certification process are available on the DOLI website, (www.doli.state.mn.us).

For the purposes of workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, occupational safety, and tax withholding, an individual performing construction work without an independent contractor exemption certificate (ICEC) will be deemed an employee of the contractor for whom they work.

To avoid adding employees you mistakenly believe are independent contractors, building contractors must request and receive an independent contractor exception certificate. The application for individuals is available at www.doli.state.mn.us/ic_apply.html.

The certificate fee is $150 and is payable with the application.

To operate as independent contractors, individuals must complete and submit the application and must meet the conditions set forth in a 9 Factor Test. An individual who holds an ICEC and satisfies the following nine conditions is an independent contractor: 1. The individual maintains a separate business with their own equipment, materials and facilities.

2. The individual holds or has applied

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

for a Federal Tax I.D. number or has filed business or self-employment income tax returns with the IRS if services were performed during the previous year.

The individual operates under contracts to perform specific services for set dollar amounts under which the individual controls the means of performing the services.

The individual incurs the primary expenses relating to the services to be performed under the contract.

The individual is responsible for completing the services contracted in a satisfactory fashion and is liable for failure to complete the required service.

This individual is paid pursuant to a contract on a commission, per job or competitive bid basis.

The individual has the potential to realize a profit or suffer a loss under the contract.

The individual has continuing or recurring business obligations.

The success or failure of the business

depends on revenues and expenses rather than wages.

In other words, the individual must behave as an independent contractor and not as an employee. It is important to note building contractor licenses do not satisfy the ICEC requirement for individuals.

The ICEC requirement applies to individuals working in public or private commercial and residential building construction. It applies to individuals not business entities such as corporations, LLCs, or partnerships that work as independent contractors. This new law does not apply to construction sales or most landscaping and clean up work.

According to the Department of Labor and Industry this change in the law was required, because as estimated by the Office of the Legislative Auditor, up to 14% of Minnesota employers misclassified certain workers as independent contractors when actually they served as employees.

DOLI provides a checklist of items that should be contained in a contract with an independent contractor, (see www.doli.state.mn.us/pdf/icec_checklist. pdf ).

Good business practices require clarity when hiring, to understand when an individual worker is an employee versus an independent contractor, and to avoid mistakenly hiring employees without taking into account risk management factors including exposure for workers' compensation, unemployment benefits, and withheld taxes. In addition, contractors who fail to comply with the law are subject to a penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation and will be reported to state agencies including workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and the Department of Revenue.

For further questions regarding these new independent contractor certification requirements, please do not hesitate in contacting your insurance agent or The Builders Group. q

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Federal Department of Labor Audits

By Patrick McGuiness, Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC ust because you do not agree with a law does not mean that you don’t have to follow it. I know a lot of people that say “it isn’t illegal unless you get caught.”

Unfortunately, if something is against the law, it is illegal even if you don’t get caught. A more accurate statement might be “the consequences aren’t as bad if you don’t get Patrick McGuiness caught.” However, if you have been getting by and don’t think you will be caught, think again. The government is taking a close look at our industry to make sure that we are paying proper wages to employees.

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The Federal Department of Labor (DOL) conducted many business audits in the past year. When speaking with the investigators our firm learned that there weren’t necessarily any red flags that caused them to audit these particular businesses.

Instead, the investigators were googling “Lawn Service” and then contacting some of the businesses that came up.

So What are They Looking For? In the green industry, DOL was generally looking for wage and hour violations. This means they were making sure companies are paying at least minimum wage, and properly paying overtime. Paying below minimum wage has not been a huge problem in recent years for most of our industry.

Companies have been paying well to attract good help, but DOL still checks on it. Overtime on the other hand has been an ongoing issue for many companies. Some simply do not know the law, while others don’t think they will get caught.

Overtime Requirements The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the federal law which governs overtime requirements. Under this act, employers are required to pay overtime to employees that exceed 40 hours in a set timeframe of 7 consecutive 24 hour periods. Overtime must be paid at a rate of 1.5 times the employees regular hourly rate. Companies are not required to pay overtime for work on weekends or holidays, provided the employee is under 40 hours for the work week. Additionally, there is no limit on the number of hours an employee over the 18

www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

age of 16 can work as long as they are being paid overtime.

Finally, even if the employee says they don’t want or need overtime, by law it cannot be waived.

Exemptions There are several exemptions to the overtime requirements but they are often not understood or applied incorrectly. In the green industry, the two most often misused exemptions are the agricultural exemption and the executive exemption (also known as the salary exemption).

The agricultural exemption only applies to limited areas of agricultural and horticultural production. It does not apply to landscapers, lawn crews, retail operations, tree services, irrigation workers, or most other green industry jobs. Even if a nursery grows their own plants, the exemption will apply only to workers that are actively involved in the propagation and growth of the plants as their sole responsibility.

The executive, or salary exemption is often applied incorrectly as well. There is a misconception in our industry that if you pay someone a salary then they do not need to be paid overtime. If the position is a management position that does not involve any labor, then it may fall under the executive exemption. If the position is an on site position or one that involves physical labor, then no matter how much salary you pay the employee, they must still be paid overtime.

Alternative Payment Plans There are some legitimate and legal ways to pay employees that still involve overtime, but could save a company a significant amount of money. In the coming months I will talk more about these payment plans and how they might help your business.

If you would like to learn more about overtime and DOL audits, I will be speaking at Gerten’s Education and Buying Fair on March 9th and at the Hedberg Contractor Education Day on March 12th. 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 Department of Labor Audits, and overtime issues, please contact Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC at 651-2063203.

Patrick McGuiness is one of the founding partners of Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC. His law practice focuses on assisting contractors & other business owners. He is also part owner of One Call Property Care, LLC a Minneapolis landscaping & property management company. He can be reached at pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com.

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | HARDSCAPES

Everything’s Changing…Do Something Different

By Rob Morse, Morse Landscape s I sit down to write this article, it is six below outside, it’s January 30th, my winter “to do” list keeps getting longer and I am anxious as I know that spring is just around the corner. Yes, it’s the end of January and I feel spring is around the corner. Of course, by the time you read this, spring will be upon us. Are you ready? Did you complete your list? Is it time to prioritize and start Rob Morse crossing off some of your items? For me it seems to be the same thing every year. I have all these plans to take advantage of the winter months and before I know it I am submerged in the spring time rush.

Well, as usual, I attended the Northern Green Expo along with a couple of other manufacturer’s seminars. I intend to go to a few other education days this winter as well. So far, the big message seems to be “do something different!” It doesn’t have to be a major change but maybe a lot of small changes. After all, we know that the economy has changed, our potential customers have changed in many different ways, and our competition has changed. So change with them and do

A

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something different.

Maybe it is a way to store and organize your tools better. Maybe it’s a better way to track hours on the job or how about some creative marketing.

I am hoping that we can all stick to our guns and not compromise on price. “They” always say “sell your company and not your price.” We all know there is that customer that only looks at the bottom line. There is also always going to be that company that will come in, promise the world for minimal money, and take the job away. (that may be a future market...improve and repair the bargain job!) Maybe we just don’t want to work for that customer anyway as they are not looking for quality work from a reputable company with great customer service that will be around for a long time. I feel there is still a lot of work out there. As the customer is looking for a quality contractor, we should focus on the quality customer. I know, sometimes it’s hard to tell until it’s too late!

Anyway, do something different...but stick to the basics!! q ________________________________________________ Rob Morse is a member of the MNLA Hardscape Committee and can be reached at rob@morselandscape.com.

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | CERTIFICATION

Magic from the Manual: Plant Structure Study Guide for Chapter 12

By Laurie Robinson, MNLA CP, Bailey Nurseries, Inc. The numbers listed in this article reference chapters in the MNLA Certification Manual.

Basic Components • Cell is basic unit.

CERTIFIED • Tissues are groups of cells related by structure or Professional function. Tissues combine to form organs such as: stems, leaves, roots and reproductive structures. (12.1) Stems Definition - Site of attachment for leaves, flowers and fruits.

Path for transport of carbohydrates, water and minerals between foots and top of plant.

What are the locations and functions of the parts of stems?

(12.1) • Apical (growth in length) and secondary meristem (growth in diameter or caliper). Meristem- Location of actively dividing cells. (12.1)

• Xylem- Most of conduction of water and dissolved minerals. Where is it in stem? ‘Inside’ the vascular cambium. What is the vascular cambium? (12.1) • Phloem- Transports carbohydrates, organic compounds produced in leaves and inorganic nutrients. (12.1) Where in the stem? What is the Cork cambium? Where is bark and where is it related to vascular cambium?

• Plant stems differ between monocts and diacots. How do they differ? Differ in arrangement of xylem, phloem and cambium. 12.2-4; Figure 3 & 4.

• Monocotyledons- only one cotyledon or seed leaf is present. What other ways are they different than diacots?

What are examples?

• Diacotyledons- Two cotyledons or seed leaves are present.

• What other ways are they different than diacots? What are examples? Questions (yes more): How do plants become classified as woody? What happens in the stem? What is the point of leaf attachment? What happens here? What do lenticels do? What are embryonic stems? How is the current year’s growth measured? List examples of modified stems.

Leaves Definition - lateral structure attached to a stem.

• Function- A principal organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in most plants. Most arise from apical meristems or adventitious buds.12.7 What makes a leaf important to the life of a plant? What is the outer protective layer or layers of cells of the leaf?

How is gas and water vapor exchanged in the leaf? 12.6 What are the parts of a leaf? Blade, petiole and stipule.

Define each part and list why important. How are sessile leaves different? 12.2 & Figure 6.

What are the different leaf arrangements? 12.6. List examples of each.

How does a simple leaf differ from a compound leaf? List examples of each.

Roots Definition - The organ typically located below the ground.

• Function - Anchors and supports a plant, serves as a storage site for carbohydrates and other plant products, absorbs moisture and inorganic nutrients or minerals from soil.

What happens in the late summer or fall in relation to?12.8 How are roots and stems similar?

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Where does root primary growth take place? 12.7 What is the main site of water and mineral absorption?

12.8 What is the difference between a fibrous root system and a tap root system? What is a limitation of tap root system?

List examples of each.

An adventitious root is a root produced on stem if injury or cuts occur. How do we use this? What are examples?

Roots that form adventitious roots on a root section include?

Flowers Definition and function - Modified stem and reproductive organ of angiosperm.12.8 Two types – Complete and incomplete • Complete flower (or perfect) is composed of stamen (male) and pistil (female). Sepals, petals, stamens and pistil are attached to the receptacle.

Which structure carries the pollen? Where is the pistil located on the flower?

• Incomplete flower (or imperfect) lacks one or more these organs.

• Monoecious plant – have both male and female flowers on same plant. What is an example?

• Dioecious plant- has male and female flowers on separate plants. What is an example?

• Sexual reproduction involves pollen from one plant fertilizing flowers of another. Self-pollinated? Or cross pollinated? Explain.

Fruits Definition - Mature or ripened ovary plus other flower parts associated with it. It contains any seeds or ripened ovules contained in the ovary.

• Angiosperm fruit types – Nuts, pods, berries, pomes (apples) and drupes (peaches or plum).

• Gymnosperms fruit types – cones like pine or fleshy fruits like ginkgo or juniper.

• Fruit production -Why is pollination important? 12.9 Dioecious need cross-pollination. What are examples?

Monoecious plants are self-pollinating. What are examples?

Seeds Definition - Ripened ovules composed of a seed coat, an embryo and usually a storage structure for food reserves. A miniature plant in an arrested state of development.12.9 • Storage structures – Cotyledons and endosperm. Diocots vs. monocots. How do these differ?

• Germination process – What are the physiological requirements that must be met for seed to germinate? 12.9 • Seed viability – Why is package dating important? Why are storage conditions important?

• Life-cycle id divided into two phases. 12-10 What is the vegetative phase? The two stages?

What is the reproductive phase? q MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

23

The Scoop | CERTIFICATION

Congratulations! New MNLA Certified Professionals Passing the Certification Exam January 22, 2010

CERTIFIED Professional From left to right: Constance Kratzke, Kahnke Brothers, Inc.; Jennifer Zoch, University of Minnesota - Crookston; Kristine Neu, University of Minnesota - Crookston; Teresa Ohm, Flying W Gardens; omas Trzynka, Arteka Companies; Jane Crompton, Retreat Lanscapes; Joshua Lynn, Bailey Nurseries

We offer

CONTAINER TREES

and…

Field Direct Pricing Selection Quality Satisfaction Service From

N U R S E R I E S Growers of QUALITY B&B and container evergreen, ornamental and shade trees

(651) 437-5017 24

www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT | The Scoop

Landscape Contractors, a FREE Method to Cut Your Workload and Phone Calls While Making Customers Even Happier

By Steve Hoogenakker, Concierge Enterprises get about 10 new ideas every day. Nine are usually pretty bad, but one has some merit. is next idea is definitely a #10.

I

As I was cleaning out emails from 2009, I noticed I had about 100 emails from a commercial account from this summers’ service. Wow, I thought, I didn’t realize we Steve Hoogenakker had that much back and forth communication; besides, this didn’t count the 40-50 phone calls over the 7 month period or my attendance at a few board meetings. In addition, when I looked through a few of the emails, it wasn’t uncommon to find that 3-5 people had been in the loop on each email!

An example might be a request to salt/sand a slippery area in a parking lot. e process started with a client or homeowner with a call to the president, to the property manager, to me. I would write up our work order, it would come back completed, then I’d email back to the property manager again, and he’d contact the homeowner or the client. e inefficiency of this madness is amazing once you think about it, but what can we do?

If it were possible to cut out 1/4 of the emails and time from beginning to end, it would be a fantastic creation, but I’ve found a way to cut out over half, and it’s free (for now).

To do this, we’d have to have a single place where the information resides. A single place accessible by the property manager, the contractor and (optionally) the client or board.

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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We developed a method that works today and it’s free!

1. A spreadsheet is created for a commercial site. e spreadsheet would have 6-7 COLUMNS listed across the top 1. ASSOCIATION NAME, 2. WORK ORDER #, 3.

DATE, 4. SERVICE REQUEST DESCRIPTION, 5. WORK ORDER RECEIVED (by contractor). 6.WORK ORDER COMPLETED, and 7.

COMPLETION NOTES. 2. e file is uploaded and converted into Google Docs (free). You can then share it with whomever you wish. It’s easily done by inviting people to join using email addresses.

Maybe the head of the grounds maintenance committee, president, property manager and contractor. If you want it available to the clients or the whole board, you can easily set permissions that allow the primary people to edit and update it, or just to view it.

3. You can set up notifications so that any time a change is made you can be notified once a day or immediately. It works like this: a. e property manager enters in the work order request using your internal work order #. e notification automatically goes to contractor. b. Worst case, our office prints up the work order, marks the spreadsheet so everyone else knows that the work order was received with the date and sends it out to the field the next day.

When completed, the office can enter it in as complete the following day, automatically updating everyone, or the same day if the crew calls it in. Best case scenario is if my operation manager or foreman has a minilaptop in his truck, he can enter in the completion the minute it’s done! We can immediately mark up the spreadsheet, along with

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any notes. Instead of the client or homeowner calling the president to the property manager, property manager to me, they can view it on the web, and it’s not 9 to 5.

It’s 24/7. c. Everyone can view that the work order was sent, received, date done (or not) and any information. No phone calls were made, no emails were sent. A complete record of all work orders can be kept all year long, although that would be a pretty long spreadsheet.

We saved all of the emails and phone calls. If I have mobile computing, I probably got the work order out into the field and the completion back 1-4 days sooner, and again it’s your favorite price, it’s FREE! It’s a V-8 slap in the forehead moment. Why hasn’t this been done before?

Google Docs is just releasing a method to upload all kinds of documents. Instead of a spreadsheet, maybe the property manager has an electronic work order. It might be uploaded, shared and updated by me, the contractor the same way as a spreadsheet.

As property managers start to customize this idea, I’d love to hear from you and collaborate a method to really tweak this solution to meet your needs. Call me at 763-213-2410 or email me at Steve@Landscape.Pro. q ________________________________ Steve Hoogenakker is a member of the MNLA Landscape Contractors Committee and can be reached at Steve@Landscape.Pro.com.

Five Companies Recognized For 50 Years of Membership 010 marks the 85th anniversary of the founding of MNLA. Every five years, MNLA recognizes companies who have been members for 50 years or more. e following companies joined the Minnesota Nurserymen’s Association between 1956-1960 and have maintained their membership in MNA and MNLA since that time.

2

Farmers Seed & Nursery, Faribault Member since 1959 Green Value Nursery, Hugo Member Since 1959 (Green Value is the successor company to Phalen Landscape Co. and Phalen Park Nursery.)

Grussendorf Nursery, Germantown Member Since 1956 Law’s Nursery, Hastings Member Since 1956 (Law’s is the wholesale successor to Law’s Valley View Nursery.) e Tree House, Hastings, MN Member Since 1956 (e Tree House is the retail successor to Law’s Valley View Nursery.)

A commemorative plaque was presented to each company during the Awards Luncheon at the Northern Green Expo. Outgoing MNLA President Van Cooley thanked all five of these companies for their long-time faith in this association.

Thursday, March 11, 2010, 9:30 – 2:30

About Jane “Whethering” the New Economic Climate

“Get Up to Speed on the Internet Superhighway”

Register online at www.mnla.biz

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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Special Thanks

2 010 SPONSORS

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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

MNLA ACADEMY SPONSORS FOR 2010

TO THE

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 ve $$ a S 6530 Green Valley Road r 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 plants, foliage plants, lilies, spring annuals, fall garden mums, Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

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 Sponsored by: 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.

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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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.

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IRRIGATION

e MNLA Irrigation Committee Presents…

LOW VOLTAGE IRRIGATION:

TROUBLESHOOTING TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

COURSE QUALIFIES FOR PLT RELICENSURE COURSE: #081028.02

(Note: MNLA offered this course in March 2009. If you've already taken this course during your current renewal period, you cannot get credit for it a second time.)

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 h c r Ma 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.

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

31

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 | MARCH 2010

e MNLA Hardscapes Committee Presents…

HARDSCAPES

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

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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 to reinforce national standardized installation Registe 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 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.

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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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 (Attending this study course does not guarantee passing the Category A & E exams.) If you wish to take the test, you must submit your Commercial or Noncommercial pesticide applicator license application and pay the license application fee to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture before you take the certification exams (this is a separate fee than the registration for the class). You may apply for a new Pesticide Applicator License electronically online at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture web page at www.mda.state.mn.us or by bringing a check or money order made payable to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at the time of the exam. Cash will NOT be accepted! e cost for a Commercial or Non-Commercial License is $58.25 with the exception of a Non-Commercial Pesticide Applicator License for a Government employee which costs $10.00. 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.

MARCH 25-26 OR APRIL 6-7, 2010

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Save $$ y rb Registe or March 3 3!

March 2

Register online at www.mnla.biz or call 651.633.4987

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 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 | MARCH 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.

| MARCH 30, 2010 – 8:30 A.M-4:00 P.M.

components. It would also serve as a good review course for returning entry level employees.

Save $$ y rb Registe 6!

March 1

Topics that will be covered include: • Introduction to irrigation • Product identification and terminology • Basic hydraulics and design concepts • Installation techniques and tools is class is intended for employees who are new to the irrigation industry or those looking to get an up close look at

Presenter: Craig Otto, CWCM, CID, CIC, CLIA, EPA WaterSense Partner Otto is a water resource consultant for Water in Motion. He brings a wide range of irrigation 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.

Lunch is included and parking is free.

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.

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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THE SCOOP | MINNESOTA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

March Classes at the Minnesota State Horticultural Society lasses are sponsored by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, but are held at various locations, as noted. Enrollment is limited, and pre-registration is requested. To register, call 651-643-3601 or 800-676-6747, ext 211.

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Natural Shorelines—How to Avoid a Rough Landing Saturday, March 6, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Harriet Alexander Nature Center, 2520 Dale St. N., Roseville.

Proper pruning is essential to maintain healthy trees and shrubs. Find out why you should prune your trees, the right time of year, which tools work best, and several basic steps to get the job done. Meet at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center for the classroom section, then we will go over to the Roseville Arboretum and mark trees to practice the best pruning methods. Bring warm clothes and boots to work outside.

Instructor: Kent Honl, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, Rainbow Tree Care.

Must Have, Can't Live without Annuals and Perennials Tuesday, March 16, 6:30 to 8 p.m.. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. MSHS classroom, 2705 Lincoln Dr., Roseville.

Add perfect plants to your garden. Discover which plants bloom over a period of time and continue to look fantastic all season. The instructor will introduce you to her favorite annual and perennial plants. View more than 75 professionally photographed images envisioning how these plants may look in your own garden. Plant details will be discussed including care, height, color and other qualities during the presentation. You’ll

be eager for spring with your new list of must-haves. Detailed handout provided. Instructor: Michelle Mero Riedel is a photographer and a Washington County Master Gardener.

Emerald Ash Borer—What You Need to Know Wednesday, March 17, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Drummers Garden Center & Floral, 281 Saint Andrews Drive, Mankato. Price: $5, Registration through MSHS. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an insect that destroys ash trees—and it has arrived! EAB only kills ash trees, but in great numbers, and is expected to have a huge effect on Minnesota's 937 million ash trees. Early detection and isolation are vital to slowing its spread. Find out why EAB is a problem for our trees, which trees are at risk, who to contact if they suspect their tree is infested, develop a strategy for dealing with the infestation, know who is responsible for removing trees infested with EAB, and how to protect your trees. Presented by a volunteer Minnesota Tree Care Advisor who has successfully completed training through the University of Minnesota.

Instructor: Mimi Hottinger, Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor, degree in Urban and community forestry.

Design Ideas for Eco-Friendly Gardens Tuesday, March 23, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. MSHS Classroom, 2705 Lincoln Dr., Roseville.

Design a more sustainable, useful, healthy, and comfortable landscape with these simple lawn-shrinking ideas from gardens around the country. See examples of Slope Gardens, Veggie & Herb Gardens, Tree Islands, Secret Gardens, and more.

Guaranteed to inspire you! Instructor: Evelyn Hadden gardens in Minnesota and travels across the country speaking to other gardeners about ecological gardening, lawn alternatives, and ideas for shrinking your lawn. She founded the informational website LessLawn.com in 2001. Her most recent book is the awardwinning SHRINK Your Lawn: Design Ideas for Any Landscape.

Design a Lawnless Garden Tuesday, March 30, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. MSHS Classroom, 2705 Lincoln Dr., Roseville.

Consider natural places as role models for lawnless areas of your landscape. Learn how various design elements can shape people's experiences and moods. Explore different ways to choreograph a journey through your garden. Instructor: Evelyn Hadden gardens in Minnesota and travels across the country speaking to other gardeners about ecological gardening, lawn alternatives, and ideas for shrinking your lawn. She founded the informational website LessLawn.com in 2001. Her most recent book is the award-winning SHRINK Your Lawn: Design Ideas for Any Landscape. q

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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

The Scoop | MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM

Arboretum Gardening School – March 2010 magine learning gardening techniques from expert instructors in one of the state’s largest and most spectacular outdoor classrooms — over 1,000 acres of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Through lectures, demonstrations, onsite garden visits and hands-on activities, the Arboretum’s Gardening School provides opportunities for lifelong learning on a full range of topics, indoors and out.

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Classes are seasonal, allowing you to take the knowledge, tips and techniques you learn and immediately apply them in your own garden. Each class series is held on four consecutive Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the arboretum. Single Classes: $30 for Arboretum members; $40 for non-members.

Planning a Garden, March 2010 Which design principles and plants work best for Minnesota gardens? Find out in time for spring with this series focusing on the planning and plant selection process.

Saturday, March 6. Basic Landscape Designs. Instructor: Jim Van Slyke. Snyder Auditorium.

Saturday, March 13. Gardening in the Shade. Instructor: Shirley Mah Kooyman. Snyder Auditorium.

Gardening School class fees include Arboretum admission, as well as handouts, materials, and something special to take home from each class, such as a plant or a gardening tool.

To register, call 952-443-1422, or visit www.arboretum.umn.edu.gardeningschool.aspx .

Documentation of 2.5 Professional Development Hours (PDH) will be issued upon completion of each class. Use these documentations to submit to your professional association for approval for educational certification or submit them for all 24 classes to the Arboretum for a Certificate of Completion in the Arboretum Gardening School.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the largest public garden in the Upper Midwest and a premier northern arboretum, is part of the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and serves 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 Chanhassen. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator. The Arboretum is disability accessible; the buildings and terraces are smoke free. q

Saturday, March 20. Ornamental Grasses. Instructor: Steve Horan. Snyder Auditorium Saturday, March 27. Perennials Through the Seasons.

Instructor: Neil Bealka. Snyder Auditorium.

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Members to Benefit from MNLA Stormwater Involvement

By Tim Power, Law’s Nursery Inc. hope you noticed the article in the February issue of e Scoop about the new MNLA Stormwater Management Task Team. is is a highTim Power profile group, reporting directly to the MNLA Board of Director. It has the significant mission of helping MNLA members operate their businesses more successfully by identifying, promoting and providing education on environmentally responsible and beneficial stormwater management solutions offered by green

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industry companies.

So why is this stormwater management issue emerging so quickly and involving so many industry leaders? Let me give you my personal perspective on how this happened.

I served for eight years on the Afton Planning Commission and for six years as Afton’s representative to the Lower St. Croix Watershed Management Organization (LSCWMO), all during my 14-year tenure on the MNLA Board

of Directors. In each of these organizations, I was faced with an interlocking matrix of state laws, local ordinances and government and non-governmental organizations involved with groundwater and surface water management.

One thing became crystal clear to me while I served on the planning commission. If an Afton development proposal involved or abutted water and met certain thresholds, we needed to consult the Watershed District (WD) or Watershed Management Organization (WMO) where the affected parcel was located. We came to rely heavily on WD/WMO expertise on water issues, often making WD/WMO approval a

precondition for recommending approval of proposals. is continues to be common practice in many municipalities throughout the Twin Cities metro area.

As my own WMO wrote its watershed management plan in 2005, we looked for outside expertise, as do all WD/WMO’s when they write or update their plans. One of the best sources of credible information we found was the Stormwater Manual, a document written by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in 2004. is document was considered the “bible” of accepted practices relating to surface water management in Minnesota. It became apparent to me that the way to gain acceptance for new and innovative practices was to get them included in the Stormwater Manual as Best Management Practices (BMPs).

As communities develop, impervious surface area increases, creating new runoff that must be managed properly to avoid flooding and water quality issues, and to stay within the hardcover or impervious surface limits imposed by local ordinances. Traditional stormwater management practices included holding ponds and rate and volume control of overland discharge. Recently, stormwater experts have exhibited a preference for infiltration techniques, where stormwater is held and absorbed on site wherever practicable. Some of these infiltration techniques, like rain gardens, are

addressed in the 2004 Stormwater Manual, but pervious interlocking pavement systems are not.

Consequently, many municipalities grant hardcover credits for rain gardens and other infiltration systems currently in the manual, but few are granting them for permeable interlocking pavement systems.

MNLA’s hardscape contractors, distributors and manufacturers recognized this situation and have led the way for MNLA’s involvement in this issue on a regulatory level.

MNLA’s new Stormwater Management Task Team is our next step in influencing the state’s stormwater management process. We are happy to announce that Mike Kelly, Environmental Agronomics, will be MNLA’s representative to the Stormwater Steering Committee, sitting on their MIDS (Minimal Impact Design Standards) panel. Craig Otto, Water in Motion Inc., will be our alternate representative. e MIDS Board will eventually make recommendations to the full committee for changes to the Stormwater Manual. See http://pca.state.mn.us/water/

stormwater/mids.html for a one-page description of the MIDS Board’s process and scope.

As additional stormwater-related opportunities arise, MNLA’s Stormwater Management Task Team will make recommendations of MNLA members to help meet those opportunities. MNLA is pleased to announce that Robert Race, C.E., of DeltaLok USA, will be our representative on the Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework Domestic Use Technical Team, which will develop 10- and 25-year plans for sustainable water usage and conservation in the state.

"e Stormwater Manual is considered the 'bible' of accepted practices."

Over the years, MNLA has offered educational programs on stormwater management from Blue umb and shoreline programs from the DNR. With our renewed emphasis on stormwater issues, there will be a full-day stormwater session offered as a part of Super Tuesday at the 2011 Northern Green Expo. Look for this issue to continue to receive major emphasis by our association over the next few years. q ________________________________ Tim Power is a member of the MNLA Stormwater Management Task Team. He can be reached at tim@lawsnursery.com.

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Green Infrastructure, Tree Care Registry at Center Stage for MNLA in Legislative Session

By Bob Fitch, MNLA Executive Director hile many will be in angst over budgetary matters during the 2010 Minnesota Legislative session, all signs point to a potentially positive session for the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association. Two tree-related issues are at the top of MNLA’s docket: (1) Green infrastructure; and (2) Professional tree care registry.

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First, MNLA will advocate for state investment in green infrastructure.

Chances appear good that funds will be approved in this year's bonding bill to remove and replace diseased or infested shade trees on public lands. e House bonding bill has $3 million; and the proposals from Governor Pawlenty and the Senate include $2 million. During the Dutch elm disease battles in the 1970s and 1980s, annual funding for tree replacement cost-share programs peaked at $30 million. Obviously, the $2 million to $3 million that may be approved this year represents a fraction of the anticipated need to respond to emerald ash borer. However, adoption would set a precedent that community forests and shade trees are truly part of the state's infrastructure and are appropriate to include in the bonding bill.

Second, MNLA will advocate for the addition of a voluntary professional level within the state's Tree Care Registry.

Tree care companies could choose to pay a fee to be listed in a new "professional registry" provided they have certain credentials, which would include certifications from several green industry organizations. e new registry would provide a means for consumers to identify who is qualified for their tree 40

www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

care or tree removal needs. See sidebar article on page 41 for more information.

Other issues that MNLA will be monitoring and potentially lobbying on: • MNLA will be on alert for any efforts to extend sales taxes to construction labor.

MNLA opposes the removal of sales tax exemptions unless there is a corresponding cut in other business taxes. Extension of sales taxes to construction labor would hinder local economic recovery. In addition, companies would incur additional staff and administration costs to process collection, filing and payment of the sales tax.

• MNLA may join forces with other constructionrelated organizations to seek restoration of funding to the Department of Labor & Industry Construction Codes and Licensing Division. Loss of these funds is hampering enforcement of licenses and codes. During the 2007 session, the Legislature required the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) to transfer $1.6 million in 2008, and $1.5 million in succeeding years from Construction Codes fund to the General fund. e reduced funds lower staffing which leads to reduced enforcement

actions creating safety risks for workers and the public. Services that contractors have come to expect their fees are paying for are being diminished or eliminated.

• MNLA will oppose H.F. 2628 which would limit bidding on prevailing wage jobs to contractors with apprenticeship programs. is is a bill that would essentially put a fence between those who hire union labor and those who don’t. It has the potential to eliminate the ability for most landscape contractors in Minnesota to not bid on government projects since there is not common apprenticeship program in landscaping.

• MNLA will be watching H.F. 2595 which would provide a special exemption to the method of continuing education for power limited technician licensing to satellite providers. If this bill gains any momentum, MNLA would seek to augment the bill with exemptions for irrigation and landscape lighting professionals. q

"Chances are good that funds will be approved to remove and replace diseased or infested shade trees."

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS | The Scoop

Tree Care Registry Would Aid Consumers and Recognize Industry Professionalism NLA will advocate for the addition of a voluntary professional level within the state's Tree Care Registry. Tree care companies could choose to pay a fee to be listed in a new "professional registry" provided they have certain credentials, which would include certifications from several green industry organizations. e new registry would provide a means for consumers to identify who is qualified for their tree care or tree removal needs.

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Currently the state maintains the “Tree Care and Tree Trimming Company Registry.” It includes a list of all persons and companies that provide tree care or tree trimming services in Minnesota. If you perform this work, you are required to register. e basic registry has been free, but it is now proposed to charge $25 annually. All tree care providers, tree trimmers, and persons who remove trees, limbs, branches, brush, or shrubs for hire must be registered. e new proposed “professional registration” would be provided to identify those companies with qualifications to treat trees for pests or diseases; or to identify those companies with qualifications to prune, trim or remove trees from above the ground. e professional registration would have a $250 annual fee. In addition to basic company contact information, tree care or tree trimming companies would be able to obtain annual professional registration by providing the following to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture:

International Society of Arborists (ISA), and/or (1c) a complete list of persons in the business who are certified by the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association; and/or (1d) evidence of accreditation of the company by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) (2) a complete list of persons in the business who are licensed pesticide applicators in Minnesota if the company is applying restricted use pesticides;

information would be posted on a consumer-friendly page on the MDA website, this registry would be an easy means for consumers to verify that they were hiring a legitimate tree care company who has secured the proper credentials, and through #1, is a company that has additional appropriate professional credentials.

As the government and industry prepare for the increasing negative impact of EAB, both MDA and MNLA hope to help consumers avoid fly-bynighters and/or scam artists who will prey on unsuspecting homeowners.

MNLA believes that companies who chose to be on this registry would be helping to minimize the potential black eye our industry could get from shady operators. q

(3) Verification by the company that they maintain a Minnesota workers’ compensation insurance certificate.

Companies that prune or trim trees from above the ground must be covered by classification 0106 of the workers' compensation insurance codes and that the company maintains a certificate of liability insurance and has a Minnesota sales tax identification number.

(1a) complete list of persons in the business who have an associate's degree or greater in arboriculture, forestry or horticulture and/or

In layman’s terms, to be on the professional registration, (1) you would need to be able to verify that you had at least one of the credentials listed in 1a/1b/1c/1d; and, (2) if you were treating trees for pests such as EAB, you would need to have a pesticide applicators license; and, (3) if you were trimming or removing large trees, you would have to have the correct worker’s compensation insurance.

(1b) a complete list of persons in the business who are certified by the

Obviously #2 and #3 are already covered by law. However, because this

CERTIFIED Professional MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | DC UPDATE

Immigration Reform: Ag Leaders Meet with Ag Secretary is article is provided as a service of the Lighthouse Program, a partnership of MNLA and the American Nursery & Landscape Association.

delegation of state agricultural leaders, farm worker advocates, and employer representatives met recently with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to discuss the farm labor crisis and the outlook for comprehensive immigration reform. e diverse and bipartisan delegation, which included the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform (ACIR) and the United Farm Workers (UFW), met with Vilsack at the mid-year meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) in Washington, D.C. NASDA president and Delaware agriculture secretary Ed Kee presented examples of why the current farm labor crisis and immigration is a serious issue

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affecting the industry. He described the tough choices some farmers have to make in order to stay in business. For example, he spoke of a Delaware vegetable farming family that has been resisting the pressures of urbanization but labor concerns could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

“Agriculture utterly depends on a foreign-born workforce,” said Craig Regelbrugge, co-chair of ACIR, describing the worsening situation facing farmers who need labor. “Even in this recession, few Americans are seeking jobs on the farm. As our nation has become more urban and better educated, we’ve lost the culture of agriculture,” he continued.

Arturo S. Rodriguez, president of the UFW, described how the deplorable status quo is hurting farmers and farm workers, and how both sides came together to negotiate balanced, bipartisan federal legislation known as AgJOBS. “Either Congress acts to bring a solution, or we

will continue to see our food production move to other countries,” Rodriguez said. “e United States depends on these farms and farm workers for food. AgJOBS secures America's food supply and is the most practical and equitable solution in addressing grower concerns about labor shortages.”

Vilsack reiterated his administration’s strong support for Congressional action to repair America’s broken immigration system. He outlined the challenges, ranging from widespread public misperceptions to the serious implications inaction will have for our food supply.

But, he also emphasized that political leadership for this issue must be bipartisan.

He said respected leaders on both sides will need to stand up and counter the voices from the extremes on both sides. Finally, Vilsack made it clear that strong support from the grassroots is critical to the political leadership needed11/6/06 to get to 9:18 PM solutions. q

and Nationwide Agribusiness

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PUBLIC RELATIONS | The Scoop

Garden Minnesota Yearbook Promotes MNLA Members! ncluded with this month’s mailing is a copy of the 2010 Garden Minnesota Yearbook. is annual publication provides information on landscaping and gardening to consumers. e goal of publication is to inspire homeowners to invest in their outdoor living environment and to help connect them with the resources, products and services available from MNLA members.

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Garden Minnesota Yearbook is published by the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, the region’s largest green industry trade organization with more than 1,600 members dedicated to creating and caring for the outdoor living environment.

MNLA’s members include nurseries; greenhouses; garden centers; landscape designers and contractors; lawn and landscape management professionals; irrigation professionals; and tree and garden services.

Estimated circulation for Garden Minnesota Yearbook is 100,000.

Approximately 50,000 copies will be mailed to a targeted demographic of homeowners in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. ousands of copies will be distributed at the St. Paul Home & Garden Show and the Minneapolis Home & Garden Show - thanks to the Minnesota State Horticultural

Society. ousands of copies will also be distributed at the Minnesota State Fair as well as via members of the Minnesota Realtor's Association." roughout the publication, there are numerous references to visiting GardenMinnesota.com as a vehicle for discovering the MNLA members who can help consumers with their garden, landscape, lawn, tree or irrigation needs. q

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | LEADERSHIP PROFILE

Helping Grow Industry Professionalism Name: Cory J. Whitmer Company Name: The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Center Positions at Company: Design/Sales Manager and Partner Company description and your duties: The Mustard Seed is a Christian based landscape and garden center whose mission is to enhance their client’s lives and lifestyles by developing positive relationships and experiences integrating unique ideas, plants, and landscape services. As a partner in the company my duties cover a vast array of different areas. My primary focus is on design and sales. I also spend a fair amount of my time reviewing and approving other’s designs and proposals. Another part of my job is the numbers side of the business which is setting and tracking sales goals, evaluating closer rates, tracking average sales, etc.

Family and background: I was born in April of 1969 in Moline, IL. I lived there until attending College in 1991 at Eastern IL University, which is located in Charleston, IL. While attending college for Botany and Environmental Biology I worked as an assistant grower at a local nursery and fell in love with the plant side of the industry. After college in 1995 I moved to Southern IL for a position as a Designer/ Crew Manager. After several years I moved throughout the Midwest and took several

other positions from Nursery Manager to a General Manger of a garden center.

Years in green industry: 19 Years at current company: 6 Current MNLA position: Chair of The Nursery Committee Current and past MNLA committees/volunteer activities: Member of the Nursery Committee for 7 years, Leader of the Nursery Committee Expo Task Force, Day on the Hill, and State Fair.

Why do you volunteer your time to MNLA? To stay current and updated with what is happening in the industry, to help grow the professionalism of the industry, and for the free State Fair tickets!

What part of the green industry do you find most difficult / challenging / disappointing? The lack of professionalism is the most difficult for me to handle. This includes but is not limited to designers or crews showing up late or not at all for appointments, price cutting below cost, and recommending plants that will not survive just because they have them in stock. I believe strongly in the motto of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

What’s the best part of working in the green industry? The people. The majority of the people in this industry are wonderful to know and to be associated with. q

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | NURSERY

Clearing Up Confusion Over Elms Submitted by Kendall Klaus, Klaus Nurseries Information provided by Dave Jarrell at Robinson Nursery and Chad Giblin, University of Minnesota

being hardy to zone 5). It may be ok in a sheltered environment. He prefers Cathedral, which is widely available.

Giblin said, “American elms are tetraploid, implying that they can’t freely hybridize with Asian and European elms. Researchers the world over grow elms from seed all the time, they just aren’t reliably DED-resistant.” The selection process researchers use finds those that are DED-resistant.

“Many growers and researchers have successfully grafted and/or budded many different scion types onto clonal DED-resistant American elm rootstock, Giblin said.

A quick rundown of the main varieties for MN: American Selections: Princeton – Zone 2a-9 Arching Vase 70’-90’ x 50’-70’ Valley Forge – Zone 3b-8 Broad Arching Vase, 70’x70’ Asian Selections: Accolade® - Zone 3b-9 Upright Vase, 60’x40’ Discovery – Zone 3-7 Oval, 45’x35’ New Horizon® - Zone 3-8 Compact Upright, 40’x25’ Patriot – Zone 4-7 Arching Vase, Adaptable, 60’x45’ Triumph™ - Zone 3b-8 Upright Oval, 60’x40’

t doesn’t take long after looking at a few liner catalogs to realize that there are way too many cultivars of elm on the market. With the introduction of the Emerald Ash Borer into the Midwestern states and the absence of ash trees, nurserymen have come to the realization that elm may fill part of that gap - but which ones to grow?

Not every introduction does well in Valley Forge every location, due to temperature, zone, site conditions or other pests present in the area such as Japanese beetle. We try to be accurate on the descriptions Discovery based on research and what has been reported from our sales staff as well as many of our customers. It is still a learning Most elms are excellent urban process but a few that have performed trees, easily thriving in the harsh well in multiple geographical areas are: condition. They grow well in acid or Princeton, a true DED resistant alkaline soil, and are drought tolerant.

American Elm; Frontier, an excellent Time will tell us which will win the grower with good fall color; Valley Forge, elms race. q another American Elm with a good and _____________________________ broad vase shape; and Patriot, a very sturdy upright growing cultivar.

Kendall Klaus is a member of the However, according to the University of MNLA Nursery Committee and can be Princeton Minnesota’s Chad Giblin, Frontier is reached at Klausnurseries@aol.com. unreliably hardy (USDA released it as All photos courtesy of Chad P. Giblin, University of Minnesota.

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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

The Scoop | MDA UPDATE

Check Certification Documents When Receiving Perennials From Out-of-State This Spring By the Minnesota Department of Agriculture uring the 2009 growing season perennials sold at several Minnesota retail sites were found to be infected with virus. Hostas in particular were found infected with Hosta Virus X, Tobacco rattle virus, TRV or Impatients Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV). Because perennials are defined in Minnesota and most other state statutes as nursery stock, our inspection staff asked for certification documentation to document the source of all plants offered for sale. The infected plants were removed from sale pending negative results of laboratory testing.

In this particular case, it was determined that a common source of many of the infected plants was a grower in Iowa.

Because the required certification documentation did not accompany the plants to the Minnesota retail sites further investigation led to the fact that the plants may had not been inspected by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and therefore were not certified free of serious plant pests. Minnesota statutes require all nursery stock including perennials to have been inspected and certified at origin. As such these plants were not eligible for shipment into the state.

Upon review, we alerted IDALS of the situation so staff could conduct growing season inspections in 2009 for spring 2010 shipments. We took no regulatory action in 2009 due to the timing of our findings and the overall uncertainty of an effective regulatory response. One certainty we agreed upon was that we wanted to develop a course of action for 2010.

Because most of the Iowa-grown perennials we found without corroborating certification came from one Iowa grower, a company representative was contacted and the regulatory situation and our expectations explained. We followed this up with a formal “incident report� to IDALS, a copy of which was sent to the Iowa perennial grower.

The reciprocity statutes allow nursery stock from other states to be sold in Minnesota provided it meets the same standards we apply to Minnesota-grown nursery stock. Perennials must be inspected and certified to have been found free of serious plant pests within 12 months of sale regardless of origin.

It is important that firms planning to receive nursery stock, including perennials, in 2010 from other states confirm the plants were inspected and certified at origin. It is standard procedure for nursery inspectors to request certification documentation during nursery dealer inspections for all stock found at the site. Special attention is given to stock originating from other states.

In the case of Iowa-grown perennials you can confirm certification by requesting proof of inspection and certification by the IDALS within the preceding 12 months prior to your purchase. A company can also confirm certification by including

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a copy of their inspection report with their shipment(s). A third option is that appropriate certification language is included on a 2010 nursery license. In this case, no separate documentation is needed but at this time it is not clear if IDALS will provide this option. Most importantly, perennials found lacking acceptable certification documentation will be placed off sale and ordered returned to origin or destroyed.

Though the incidence of virus has declined, it remains a common occurrence at many retail sites across Minnesota.

Many growers have been testing for virus and have been very careful when selecting sources of perennial stock. This effort has resulted in a marked reduction in losses to virus-infected stock.

However, a recent study found that as much as 30% of perennials, hosta in particular, shipped from the Netherlands were infected with virus. Much of the virus detected over the past several years has been traced back to sources overseas. Price seems to be the catalyst for the continuation of this problem.

Losses will continue until source plants are routinely tested throughout production and guaranteed to be virus free. q

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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Green for Life 2010: Planting Trees at Schools On September 16, 2010, MNLA members will seek to educate students and the public about the environmental benefits of trees, plants and other healthy components of a quality outdoor living environment through planting events at schools in member’s local communities. Sign up today at MNLA.biz!

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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

The Scoop | SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

Are ‘Organic’ Landscape Practices Practical?

By Sarah Hartung, Landscape Renovations was recently searching the web for some information on organic fertilizers and stumbled across an article titled How to Choose a Landscaping Company Sarah Hartung (this article can be found at www.naturalchoice.net/articles/landscapi ng.htm and I would encourage you to read it). My interpretation of the article is that the author does not approve of non-organic landscape practices and skewed information to get his or her agenda across to readers. When I read this article the hairs on the back of my neck went up immediately. So much for that spirit of collegiality that I’ve always admired among members of the green industry. Some of the implied ‘facts’ in this article are just plain false. Here is an example:

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impact on the environment when used responsibly. Responsibly. When these practices are not used responsibly, they have no less impact on soils and water than conventional chemical treatments.

For example, excessive amounts of cow or turkey manure (whether on your garden beds or in a farm field) do the same thing in a heavy rainfall as excessive amounts of granular fertilizer: they end up in the nearest body of water. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going all organic and eliminating chemical controls from your arsenal if you so choose, but don’t bad-mouth someone else because they are not all organic.

Some situations are very difficult to achieve noticable results with solely organic options. What organic options do we have for treating Emerald Ash Borer, for example? Cutting the tree down, I suppose.

Responsible use of all types of pest control is a great solution. Developing a Plant Health Care (PHC) program and/or an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for your company is key to creating awareness among your crews and your clients. Make it the base of your crew training program. Use it as a sales tool when speaking with clients.

Print a copy of it up on your letterhead and hand it out to clients at the initial meeting. Creating a step by step process that you use starting with low impact options and moving up in intensity based on the specific situation will save your company time and money. If you can speak confidently about your approach to dealing with pest problems in the landscape, it won’t matter what that approach is as long as the client can tell that you know what you’re talking about and can see that you’re

“Fertilizers with high Nitrogen or high Phosphorus formulations, such as 30-0-0 or 20-20-20, contain too much nitrogen (the first number) or phosphorus (the second number).”

These guaranteed analyses contain too much nitrogen or phosphorus for what situation? Clearly you can’t slap that kind of generalized label onto every site or project. The fact of the matter is that there may not be enough nitrogen or phosphorus in these formulations for your specific situation or there may indeed be too much. The only way to know is to have the site’s soils tested.

Organic gardening practices, when implemented properly, are a very useful tool. As we all know, using organics is based more on the philosophy of reuse and recycle, lower input, and typically less harsh treatments for our lawns and planting beds, which can result in lower MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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implementing it. It’s very easy to develop these programs and you can tailor them specifically to your company’s core valuesleaning mostly toward use of organics or using a more aggressive site monitoring schedule, for example- if you so choose. If you develop a program and tell clients about it, make sure you follow through with it. If you’re just falling back into old habits of pest management, it gives IPM, PHC, and other companies who are genuinely trying to implement these strategies a bad rap, so don’t do it.

Organic gardening practices can have a place in everyone’s pest management arsenal. If you haven’t tried them out yet, don’t worry about it, I suspect you’re not alone, but make a point to give it a shot. Let’s work together as an industry to develop and promote Integrated Pest Management and Plant Health Care as a part of all of our pest management programs.

More importantly, don’t isolate those who don’t do things exactly the same way as you do. If you feel the need to verbalize your opinion, speak with the ‘offender’ directly. You never know, you may learn something that you had never considered. Most importantly, continue to respect and be proud of the spirit of collegiality that we have in this industry.

It makes going to work every day a lot more enjoyable. q ________________________________________________ Sarah Hartung is a member of the MNLA Sustainable Environment Committee and can be reached at shartung@landscaperenovations.com.

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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

2010 Landscape Awards Grand Honor Awards Category: Residential Rear Yard Installation Name: Jon Slama Company: Mom’s Landscaping & Design Location: Magnusson Residence Category: Residential Rear Yard Design Name: Pat Weiss Company: Ground One Enterprises of Minnesota Location: Nelson Residence Category: Commercial Design Name: Jim Hagstrom Company: Savanna Designs Location: Advance Corporation

Category: Residential Full Yard Design Name: Mary Lou Clymer Company: Gertens Location: Residence

2010 Landscape Award Sponsors CMYK

Category: Perennial Garden Management Name: Diane Cutler Company: Sarah’s Cottage Creations

e enclosed issue of Garden Minnesota Yearbook includes photos of all award winners

Merit Awards Residential Front Yard Design Nathan Anderson – Ground One Enterprises of Minnesota – Rekenthaler Residence Residential Rear Yard Design Jodi Axel – Axel Landscape – Edina Limestone Terraced Patios & Backyard Fireplace Jack Dorcey – Bever Landscaping – Myhre Residence Alyson Landmark – Outdoor Environments, Inc. – Wilds of Prior Lake David Kopfmann & Lincoln Danforth – Yardscapes, Inc. – Haugerud Residence Residential Front Yard Installation Don Felix – Signature Patio & Landscape Residential Full Yard Design Christopher Ochs – Windsor Companies – Jordan Residence Residential Full Yard Installation Scott Frampton – Landscape Renovations Commercial Design Clarissa Cooper – Scenic Specialties Landscape Center – Clara's House Children's Garden Commercial Installation Jerry Romero – Margolis Company – Bloomington Central Station Park Commercial Management Michael Graham – Landscape Concepts Management – Lake Calhoun City Apartments Shannon O’Halloran – Field Outdoor Spaces, Inc. – Oak Ridge Golf Club Specialty Projects Design Clayton Johnson – Yardscapes, Inc. – Simmons Residence Specialty Projects Installation Daniel Wellens – Mom’s Landscaping & Design – Idea HomeMPLS Home & Garden Show Specialty Projects Management Jim Walsh – Vineland Tree Care – Hazeltine National Golf Club Sustainable Environments Design Bob Renaud – Southview Design MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

The Scoop | MNLA FOUNDATION

Junior Master Gardener Program Successfully Introduces Youth to the Green Industry

By Dave Moen, University of Minnesota Extension Service

From May through October, local sites created and implemented their pilot youth gardening programs.

he Junior Master Gardener Program pilot project, partially funded by the MNLA Foundation, gave more than 100 youth an introduction to gardening, landscaping, and horticulture. Goals of the program were to:

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• Get youth excited about gardening.

• Provide an opportunity for active engagement in the outdoors.

• Increase young peoples’ knowledge and skills in science, technology and life.

• Introduce youth to the opportunities that abound in the horticulture industry.

MNLA Member Sponsors Seven of the eight pilot projects obtained a local MNLA member as a sponsor for the project. The intent of having a sponsor was to connect MNLA members with a local project funded by an MNLA Foundation grant. It was not intended that a sponsor provide monetary support, but work with the project leaders to determine how they could support the project.

At one site, a local business became a new member of MNLA so they could sponsor the group. Four MNLA sponsors provided tours of their business or spoke to the youth about the green industry.

One sponsor provided plants for the project; others provided discounts on plants and supplies. Another sponsor assisted in answering questions during the growing season. Many of the

Evaluation from all pilot sites reveals that outcomes were achieved.

Project Overview The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Program collaborated with Extension’s youth development program, Minnesota 4-H, in developing and implementing the project. Specifically, Master Gardeners worked with the 4-H Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) initiative. The partnership was a good match. Each program partner brought to the project its content expertise – horticulture and youth development.

Master Gardeners provided teaching and education; 4-H provided the group organizational structure.

Each of eight pilot sites received the Junior Master Gardener leader curriculum, JMG student manuals for each youth participant and a $125 grant to cover the cost of garden supplies and additional curriculum materials.

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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

Results and Outcomes Youth Participation A compilation of data from the eight JMG 4-H SET pilot project sites shows that in total: • 125 youth initially enrolled in the project • 97 youth completed the entire project • Age range varied based on individual site focus; participants ranged from elementary-aged youth to one project working with high school ESL students • 30 percent of youth participants were non-white/persons of color • 70 percent of youth participants were white/Caucasian • 87 youth were new to the 4-H program

sponsors benefitted from retail sale of plants for project sites and from purchases by parents of the youth participants.

Leaders were asked to share what youth learned about the nursery and landscape industry. Some were uncertain, but several were confident that youth in their project learned about the scope of work and jobs, the seasonal work

opportunities in the industry, and the process and timeline for growing plants from seed to retail.

Future of JMG Youth Gardening Programs The MNLA Foundation grant provided funding that allowed the State Master Gardener program the opportunity to construct a comprehensive youth gardening model using the Junior Master Gardener curriculum. The initial goals of the grant and program effort were achieved. As a pilot, there were important lessons learned about what made the model successful and where revisions should be made to limit challenges. It was clear from the pilot that: • Youth are enthusiastic about and engaged in gardening with hands-on activities • Youth increase knowledge about horticulture, the plant industry and they gain science and life skills • The JMG curriculum is engaging to youth and is easy for volunteer teachers to use • The use of gardens enhanced the experience for youth • Connections with MNLA businesses provided a link to see horticulture applied to career and business Areas where revisions would be beneficial include: • Reduce the time and labor intensity for volunteer leaders and teachers • Utilize technology tools that are most useful and then provide more training for volunteers • Examine alternatives to using community garden-type plots to reduce labor and time intensity The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Program intends to support continuation of the programs at the pilot sites and extend the model to other county/local Master Gardener programs across the state. We will host an additional training session to introduce the revised model and train volunteers to use the Junior Master Gardener curriculum. We will continue to partner with 4-H and will explore partnerships with other youth-serving organizations and schools. q 116226 MN LA Burnsville ad.indd 1

10/30/09 3:53 PM MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz 55

The Scoop | SUPPLIER PROFILE

Proven Reliability, Productivity, Versatility Company Name: Cushman Motor Company, Inc. Website address: www.cushmanmotorco.com Year company was founded: 1949 by Gerald & Dolores Commers Key people at company (owners, managers, sales reps): • • • • •

Tim Commers, Owner, Sales & Marketing Valerie Palan, Owner, Office Manager Steve Gerber, Parts & Services Manager Steve Scanlan, Sales Jon Ziegler, Sales

Business location(s) and areas served: 2909 East Franklin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55406. Serving: Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and the Dakotas Way your company is involved with MNLA or other industry/community organizations:: As a supplier of products such as utility vehicles and tractors that are used by many of our fellow MNLA members, we feel that those relationships are an important part of our long term success.

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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

Description of company and its products/services: Cushman Motor Company provides the sales, parts and service for several brands of specialized vehicles and tractors along with other turf maintenance equipment, including Cushman vehicles, Ventrac, Steiner and Holder tractors, Toro mowers and Ryan turf care equipment.

Is there a product or service you’ve recently introduced that you’re particularly proud of? The Ventrac tractors and attachments provide a particularly good return on investment to owners through the equipment's proven reliability, productivity and amazing versatility.

What do you think the future holds for the segment(s) of the industry that you serve? I believe that within the industries we serve, people involved are looking for reliable partners to do business with and will continue to value quality and integrity.

In what ways has MNLA helped you and your business? We consider the Northern Green Expo to be the best annual event of its type and believe MNLA's role plays a large part in its ongoing success. MNLA always provides excellent member services that we have enjoyed in the form of group buying rates and to strengthen our own knowledge base through the various educational programs. q

The Scoop | PLANT OF THE MONTH

Aronia melanocarpa ‘Morton’ Iroquois Beauty

This variety has no real problems with pests or diseases. The one possible negative to this plant is that it will sucker. That is why I usually recommend using this plant in naturalized areas or mass plantings where its suckering growth habit does not need to be controlled.

Iroquois Beauty™ will spread over time.

By Cory J.Whitmer, CP, The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Center selected this variety of Aronia (chokeberry) for several reasons.

The first reason is because of its small compact stature. The second reason is for the exceptional all year around performance. Iroquois Beauty™ is a versatile shrub that will add a bit of excitement to any landscape.

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This wonderful selection is easy to grow and can tolerate very versatile conditions. Are you looking for a shorter plant that gives you year round appeal? If you love to see birds feeding in the winter time; if you want a plant your clients won’t kill, plant Iroquois Beauty™ and enjoy the year round show. q ____________________________

This variety was selected from Morton Arboretum because of its compact size in comparison to other chokeberries. Iroquois Beauty™ grows to a height of 2’-3’ while most other varieties of Aronia will reach a height of 5’-6’. While keeping this smaller stature also seems to make this a less leggy variety than the other selections.

This wonderful zone 3 plant offers something for all seasons. It only blooms for about 1-2 weeks in the spring of the year. It usually blooms in Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries, Inc. the middle of May, but does vary from late April-Early June depending on sun and wind exposure. During the summer this plant has exceptional foliage. The elliptical leaves are shiny dark green on the upper surface and a light green on the lower surface. The leaves are usually about 1”-3” long with slight serrations along the margin. In the fall these beautiful green leaves turn into an orange, burgundy, and purple color show, which is quite a spectacular sight. During the beginning of the color show, around September, this variety starts to produce berries. These purplish-black berries form in cluster throughout the plant. These clusters of berries will usually stay enacted thru December then the birds will start to devour them over the winter.

This is a very versatile shrub that will adapt to many locations. It tolerates both dry and wet soil conditions. This selection will also thrive in a wide pH range. Chokeberries can also handle a partial shade situation, but will flower better and have a more spectacular fall color in full sun. This plant is usually used in mass plantings, naturalistic plantings, or for borders.

Plant of the Month

Cory Whitmer is the chair of the MNLA Nursery Committee and can be reached at coryw@themustardseedinc.com.

(800)328-9221 - www.jrjohnson.com

MARCH 2010 | www.MNLA.biz

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CLASSIFIED FOR SALE

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Call 320-491-4932 Save 50% Off wholesale bare root trees.

Oregon grown, same grade & quality.

Check out our web site for weekly hot deals www.cheapbareroot.com or Call 507-289-3741.

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Contact Bob 612-597-5753.

WANTED Wanted - Wooden tables or benches wanted for nursery stock and pottery.

Must be in excellent condition.

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www.MNLA.biz | MARCH 2010

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

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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HELP WANTED

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

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Baldwin Lake Perennials, Lino Lakes, MN - Turnkey business opportunity including all nursery stock, mechanical equipment, outbuildings, greenhouses + a gorgeous, updated home. $750,000.00 Contact Rick Piper, Coldwell Banker Burnet, 612-309-2366, rick@rickpiper.com

Executive Director Bob Fitch • bob@mnla.biz

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651-633-4987

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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

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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.)

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

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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!

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

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

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