Groundswell - June 2022 by ngivictoria

Volume 33 Number 4 June 2022 PUBLISHER NURSERY & GARDEN INDUSTRY VICTORIA PRESIDENT Simon Gomme CEO Craig Taberner CONTRIBUTORS Simon Gomme, Craig Taberner, Matt Ross, Nan Cleven, Michael Patten, Mathew Plummer, Gerard Tan, Paul Cunningham ADVERTISING NGIV T: (03) 9576 0599 ADDRESS Unit 3, 307 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 2280, Wattletree Road LPO, Malvern East VIC 3145. TELEPHONE (03) 9576 0599 FAX (03) 9576 0431 EMAIL ngiv@ngiv.com.au www.ngiv.com.au FINISHED ART Vale Graphics M: 0409 88 77 06 E: angie@valegraphics.com.au PRINTING Norwood Industries 6 Wedgewood Road, Hallam VIC 3803.

CONTENTS 4 EXECUTIVE UPDATE 6 GROW YOUR HORTICULTURE BUSINESS WITH BIO GRO 9 GREENING CITIES CONNECTS INDUSTRY WITH NEW AUDIENCES 10 NEW OWNERS, SAME FORMULA, FOR TALL TREES NURSERY 12 SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS FOR HELIX AUSTRALIA 15 NEW PLANT SELECTOR TOOL PROMOTES CLIMATE-READY URBAN GREENING 17 HORTITECH CELEBRATES 40 YEARS 20 EVERGREENCONNECT: CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH PLANTS FOR 10 YEARS 22 DNA: STORM RESILIENCE TRAINING 24 NEW PARTNER PROFILE: LYGON ST NURSERY

Our front cover: Grow your horticultural business with Bio Gro

www.biogro.com.au

27 GROWING YOUR OWN: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND COMMERCIALISATION 28 THE WORLD OF RETAIL WITH MARIO DIACO 31 GARDENING FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING 32 READY TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL? 34 VALE: PETER ALAN LAWTON 35 NEW MEMBERS 36 TRADE DAY REPORT 38 NEXTGEN: GINA PRESTON

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Executive update Welcome everyone to our June Groundswell, NGIV's bi-monthly magazine, delivering all the latest news from Victoria’s horticulture industry, along with feature articles, profiles, technical advice, and business tips.

Simon Gomme President, NGIV

Craig Taberner CEO, NGIV

We’re delighted to announce that NGIV have been welcomed to host another Horticultural Showcase in Queens Hall at Parliament House between 29th August – 2nd September 2022. The Showcase will be sponsored by the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas, Minister for Agriculture, a staunch supporter of NGIV and our industry. The event will provide Members of Parliament with a greater understanding of the strength of our industry and its benefits to Victoria’s economy, environment, liveability, and wellbeing. In the run up to the Victorian election, we are busy meeting Members of Parliament, across Victoria, to share our Policy Priorities and vision for Victoria’s horticultural industry. Government funding and support is key to the realisation of these priorities, which will be of enormous benefit to our entire industry. Taking a bi-partisan approach we’ve met with Independents Suzanna Sheed and Clifford Hayes, Advisor to Deputy Leader of the Greens, various Coalition MP’s including Steph Ryan, Deputy Leader of The Nationals, and Government Representatives like the Hon. Shaun Leane, Minister for Local Government, Suburban Development and Veterans and Sonja Terpstra MP, Tafe Ambassador. Taking the time to meet with Members of Parliament in person to unpack our industry and discuss the challenges and opportunities we face, has been enormously beneficial. We’d encourage business owners to connect with their local member and establish relations which may prove beneficial to your business moving forward. In May, NGIV were invited to put a horticultural spin on Committee for Melbourne’s Annual Dinner. Putting horticulture at the centre of such a prestigious event, attended by over 700 of Melbourne’s elite, including the Governor of Victoria, the Victorian Treasurer, was an opportunity too good to turn down. Attendees were wowed, as the venue was transformed into

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an urban forest, courtesy of plantlife supplied by several of our wonderful members. Plant labels invited attendees to connect with Victoria’s horticulture industry for a better Victoria. Our events calendar is back in full swing. Following on from the success of Greening Cities which was attended by almost 200 urban greening professionals, we enjoyed a wonderful evening at our inaugural Horticultural Awards Night on Saturday 28 May. A big thank you to everyone who attended, and congratulations to our 2022 Award Winners:

» Life Membership – Paul Boland, Ball Australia » Recognition of Industry Support – Justin Muhlebach, Flinders Nursery

» Presidents Distinguished Service Award – Nan Cleven

» Horticulture Student of the Year – Joshua Taylor, Peninsula Growers

» Young Horticulture Leader of the Year – Teaghan Faull, Nishiki Nursery And special thanks to the Diaco brothers, Mario, and Ricky, for taking part in a fascinating Q&A about the origins of Diaco’s Garden Nursery. We will be launching an exciting refresh of our award categories at the 2023 NGIV Victorian Horticultural Awards Night. We’ve also got some wonderful and varied Tree & Shrub Grower meetings in the pipeline; including meetings pencilled in for visits to Plant Access, Mansfield Propagation Nursery, Tall Trees Nursery, and Mt Evelyn Garden Centre. If you haven’t attended a meeting, make this the year you come along and connect with your industry peers. We’ve been busy promoting careers in horticulture to Victorian job seekers, with stands at the Young Women in Trades and Tech Expo in Melbourne and the Career and Development Expo in Frankston. A big thank you too to our member, Billabong Garden Complex, who

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represented our industry at their own career expo in Shepparton during May. Contact the NGIV office if you’d like to receive our horticultural careers brochure to promote our industry as an outstanding career choice. A company taking their own approach to securing a skilled workforce is Oasis Horticulture. We attended the launch of their collaboration with Kangan Institute to deliver Certificate lll in Horticulture at Oasis’ Devon Meadows site. They are currently supporting 38 of their existing permanent and casual employees to undertake a pilot of the 18-month course. We’ll include a full article in our next Groundswell celebrating the success of the program.

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Recent Trade Days at KCC Park have been at capacity, with every stand occupied by Australia’s leading growers and allied businesses. We’re exploring ways to attract even more buyers to Trade Day; including the creation of a promotional video and a stand at the largest gifting event Victoria. If your business has a database of suitable retailers, we’d welcome the opportunity to offer them a complimentary visit to an upcoming Trade Day, contact the NGIV office to find out more. Thank you to all our industry partners for their ongoing support. NGIV has more partners than ever before, which is a sign of the strength, solidarity and support of our industry. As an industry we are collectively indebted to our partners and the work they do. A partnership with NGIV not only helps to grow your business, it benefits the horticulture industry across Victoria. Our partners are known as industry leaders, innovators, and initiators of best horticultural practice. By becoming an industry partner of NGIV, you will be joining an elite network of businesses. As the peak industry body for horticulture in Victoria, we know the industry, we have the member base, event calendar and communication channels, to promote our partners better than anyone. Contact NGIV to find out how a partnership with NGIV will not only helps to grow your business but benefit the horticulture industry across Victoria. As ever we are here to serve all our members, if you need our support don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can help. Likewise, if you have suggestions for how we can better represent our industry, we are always open to your feedback. We wish all our members a prosperous and safe winter.

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PROFILE: BIO GRO

Grow your horticulture business with Bio Gro By Michael Patten A Brief History Bio Gro is a family-owned business founded by the late Hans Van Schaik and wife Marjan over four decades ago. The business was built on innovation with Hans pioneering the development of pine bark based growing media. He was able to change the long-held perception of using mountain loam in the nursery industry, and after much experimentation, the tide slowly turned to a point now where it is pretty much the only media used in commercially grown crops. Today, the business is led by Managing Director, Stephen Van Schaik and continues to develop and refine the processes that makes our pine bark based growing media the most sought after in Australia.

Our Sites Our principal composting and manufacturing facility is situated in the middle of the pine plantations of Mount Gambier on 110 acres with an operating capacity in excess of 500,000 tonnes

per annum. The site allows us to recover and source material to consistently produce quality products. We have additional operations in Mount Gambier (South Australia) and Dandenong South (Victoria). The Mount Gambier site contains two fully automated packaging plants with a capacity of producing in excess of 8 million bags per annum. Our operation in Dandenong South is a multi-purpose site which acts in part as a custom blend growing media distribution centre. The facility also operates our green organic receival and processing facility.

Why choose Bio Gro? Our long-standing relationships with suppliers around the world as well as locally, helps us to maintain a steady supply chain of controlled-release fertilisers and raw materials to supply the industry during this challenging time.

“

Bio Gro produce a quality product

and we can always rely on consistent

supply. We grow a very diverse range

of plants and Bio Gro products suit our tubing and potting needs perfectly.

”

Our stock has never looked better.

Raelene

Director/Production Manager Faceys Nursery

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PROFILE: BIO GRO

Wandilo, South Australia

With a resource base in excess of 140,000 tonnes of radiata pine bark we are well placed to support the current and future demands from the nursery and garden industry with premium quality Growing Media, Mulches and Composts. Bio Gro’s expertise lies in creating custom blends and specialist growing media. We supply custom blends to some of the largest nurseries in Australia, particularly in Victoria and South Australia. We work with landscape designers to develop specialist mixes for green walls, rooftop gardens (as pictured opposite top), planter boxes for shopping complexes, and wicking mixes for the rapidly growing wicking bed market. Our laboratory team work closely with our customers to answer any questions or concerns that may arise and can ‘tweak’ a mix at any stage to suit their requirements. From a delivery perspective, we have an extensive fleet of vehicles in Victoria and South Australia to ensure our customers’ products get to them when needed. No matter what product and profile they are looking for, we find the right solutions to meet customer needs. The fact that Bio Gro is a market leader within the Australian horticulture industry is not by chance. We understand that a customers’ success heavily depends on the reliability of

their products. Therefore, we place the highest possible demands on our products in terms of quality, performance, and consistency. All loads of growing media being sent to our customers undergo a series of laboratory testing, so they know what is being delivered is exactly what they and their plants require to achieve the best results possible. To achieve the perfect balance of AFP (air filled porosity), water holding capacity, pH, nitrate, u

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PROFILE: BIO GRO u

The Bio Gro team

and fertilisers, a re-wetting agent and starter fertiliser are included. The ratios are decided on specific crop requirements and pot sizes being used to ensure all plants get off to a rapid and healthy start. All mixes are tested, and a retention sample is kept on-site for future reference checking.

Our Team Our team has grown to over 130 employees who manufacture quality products that are fit for purpose across a range of industries, day in day out. We are continually undertaking more Research and Development activity including field trials, to create the greatest value from our finished products and empowering our loyal staff to create more opportunities in markets we know are critical to a sustainable future.

opportunities to improve the health of soils with long term sustainable outcomes.

What’s next? Our operations will soon include a new Victorian processing facility having secured funding from Sustainability Victoria to encourage increased market development across agriculture, horticulture and the urban amenity markets. This will become one of the largest processing facilities in Australia and create jobs for more than 40 new employees to focus on products for soil and plant health. Bio Gro is investing in the state, this industry, and our customers now and into the future, talk to us about how you can become a part of our journey!

We pride ourselves on the ongoing development of quality products with a team of experts exploring product development

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SUSTAINABILITY: GREENING CITIES

Greening Cities connects industry with new audiences By Matt Ross

Greening Cities

Greening Cities presented by Fleming’s Nurseries and delivered by NGIV and University of Melbourne, took place on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st of April 2022 at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Campus, and was a resounding success. Just under 200 attendees with representatives from 17 local councils, environmental consultant groups, property developers, urban greening consultants, landscape designers, national media, academics, water boards and horticulturalists, enjoyed two days of expert panel discussions designed to educate, inspire and support attendees to get greening. ‘Thank you so much for all your work on the Greening Cities Forum. It was fabulous and I hope theses continue. The conversations that are stimulated through these events are so hopeful for us all working in this space!,’ said Lia De Gruchy. Urban Forester for Maribyrnong City Council. Our sponsors took the opportunity to engage with the wide-ranging audience, educating them about their offerings and the industry at large. ‘It was fantastic to be able to connect with so many relevant and diverse stakeholders. It was a great opportunity for SureGro TreeMax but also the broader horticultural industry,’ explained Bruce Durant of SureGro TreeMax An esteemed roster of speakers from the likes of Royal Horticultural Society, Earthwatch Australia, Greener Spaces Better Places, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects

and Fleming’s Nurseries, discussed topics including Greening the Public Realm, Sustaining the Urban Forest, Novel Approaches to Greening the City, Natural Turf Best Practice, Green Roofs and more. A big thank you to Greening Cities Presenting Partner; Fleming’s Nurseries who took the opportunity to showcase their expertise, services and stock. ‘Congratulations to NGIV and The University of Melbourne on the success of Greening Cities. The two day event provided a fantastic forum for robust discussion about our future urban environments. As a presenting partner, Fleming’s appreciated the opportunity to showcase our new products and engage across multiple industry sectors,’ said Leanne Gillies, Research and Innovation Manager at Fleming's Nurseries. Thank you to Heath McKenzie of Australian Growing Solutions who hosted Greening Cities, and David Reid and Lizzie Earl of NGIV for all their efforts in creating this wonderful event. The appetite for this event from both attendees and industry means we hope to add Greening Cities to our yearly roster of events.

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PROFILE: TALL TREES NURSERY

New owners, same formula, for Tall Trees Nursery By Matt Ross After 34 years at the helm of Tall Trees Nursery in Balnarring, David Vanderuit and Garry Evans, have officially passed ownership of the nursery on to brothers, Joel and Jared Vanderuit. What started out as a small plot of trees out the back of the family’s home, on a quarter acre block, has grown considerably to now encompass over 20 acres and a team of 30 staff. Joel joined the nursery in 2014 and has been General Manager since 2017, when David and Garry retired. It’s been a steep learning curve but proving that he could successfully run and grow the business during that time, has given David and Garry have the confidence that the business is in safe hands, and it was the right time to step aside. The brothers bring their own unique set of skills to the business, which complement one another. ‘I’ve grown up with an interest in technology and business, my strengths lie in the administrational side of running the nursery. Dad was aware that technology was playing an increasing role in running a nursery of this size, and that wasn’t something he felt he could facilitate,’ explains Joel. Jared meanwhile is focused on setting up Cohort Nursery in Somers, a joint venture between Tall Trees and Botanix Plant Supply, which serves as extra growing area, servicing the two nurseries. ‘Jared is extremely practical and hands-on and can look at a field and see a nursery; putting the right infrastructure in place, working with irrigation, machinery, you name it, that is definitely his strength. Combining those different skillsets works well for us.’

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And whilst the brothers may have some new ideas they want to implement, David instilled a strong sense of how things should be done, which they’ll continue to apply. ‘Dad taught me about being good to your staff, treating everyone with respect, he was fastidious about it. We’re not a hierarchical business; if something needs to get done, it doesn’t matter who it is, we muck in and get it done. Dad would jump in the truck and deliver stock up to his last day, and still does from time to time when we’re in a jam. I still like to make sure the bins go out or picking up the milk. There’s no room for egos.’ ‘Not necessarily things you’d learn in a university business class, but practical insights that have stood us in good stead.’ And just as it was during David and Garry’s ownership, growth is very much at the forefront for Tall Trees Nursery. The focus will still be on servicing their commercial customers but expanding that customer base and building on what they know and are good at. Ultimately that means more space and more staff. ‘There is added pressure that comes with being exposed to every element of running a nursery and ensuring the business remains sustainable to employ and support the large and growing team we have at Tall Trees. That really motivates me.’

PROFILE: TALL TREES NURSERY

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David (left) and Joel Vanderuit

‘Keeping it in the family certainly made things easier if that’s an option. I’d also suggest that you engage your accountants early and often. We encountered a few stumbling blocks where if we’d engaged our accounts department sooner, it would have saved us time and resources.’ And what of David Vanderuit? ‘He worked incredibly hard ever since I can remember. Early starts and late finishes were the norm. And when you run a nursery you never fully switch off, there’s always a distraction. He deserves to enjoy his retirement which consists of a lot of golf, fishing, and leisurely lunches with friends.’ And he can do so, safe in the knowledge that the business he built from scratch will be owned by his two sons. ‘It’s a great feeling to be able to pass ownership of Tall Trees Nursery, a business I started over 30 years ago, to my sons; knowing they have the right skills and vision to keep growing the business,’ said David.

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The administrative process of buying the business has been time consuming, a six-month process which could have been longer if it wasn’t a transfer of ownership within the family. What advice would Joel give to others who are considering going down the same path?

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And with Garry’s children not looking to be involved, he was also supportive of selling the business to Joel Jared. David will always be around to help out and he continues to show an interest in the nursery, but he tries not to offer advice unless it’s asked for. ‘Considering how long this nursery was dad’s life, he’s done remarkably well to step aside, let me learn, and make my own stamp.’ Says Joel. News of the transfer of ownership has reached Tall Trees customers, suppliers and industry peers, who have been overwhelmingly supportive; congratulating David on a job well done and throwing their support behind Joel and Jared to continue growing Tall Trees Nursery. On behalf of the NGIV Board, team and members, we’d like to wish David and Garry a very enjoyable retirement, and the best of luck to Joel and Jared as they take the nursery forward.

• veg getable & • • GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

PROFILE: HELIX AUSTRALIA

Success breeds success for Helix Australia By Matt Ross Adrian Parsons commenced work in the horticulture industry as a part-time employee with Peter McGain in 1981. At the ripe old age of 17 he discovered that Peter’s considerable faith in him meant that a lot of work and a great deal of responsibility was heaped on his shoulders. Adrian loved it. Working the weekend shift at Peter’s Chadstone store, and in charge by the time he was 18, were valuable formative experiences that continue to prove beneficial even to this day. Adrian completed his Burnley degree in 1986 and then went to work for cut flower wholesaler Impulse Flowers. After a stint overseas, two years working in the flower markets of Holland, the U.S., the U.K. and Israel, Adrian came back to Australia convinced his skills would find an employer ready to make use of him, but no such luck. The obvious solution was to go into business for himself. That was in 1990, and he has been in business ever since! First with Wafex, a leading exporter of cut flowers (fresh and dried) in Australia with warehouse, packing and coolroom facilities in Melbourne, Sydney Perth and California.

And in 2008, Helix Australia, a wholly Australian owned and operated business specialising in the breeding, marketing, and licensing of new and improved Waxflower varieties. We caught up with Adrian to understand a bit more about the Waxflower industry and Helix Australia.

Why did you choose to focus on breeding Waxflowers? Until 1998 Australia dominated the southern hemisphere waxflower cut flower season from July until November. However, when South Africa and Peru started growing waxflower, we saw the only way we could survive was to invest in breeding improved forms of Waxflower that could command premium prices.

Consumer and landscaping plant trends change, how has that shift affected demand for Waxflowers through the years, and where is it currently? Consumer uptake in native shrubs and grasses has grown strongly in recent years and our Waxflower hybrids have benefitted from this trend. Our Waxflower hybrids deliver compact easy to grow native shrubs that flower during winter and spring and can be pruned hard annually to maintain a compact shape.

What do gardeners and landscapers enjoy about Waxflowers? What are their strengths? Gardeners and landscapers enjoy the wide range of waxflower colours and also the extended flowering season which can extend from June until November. Providing planted in well-draining soil with minimal frost, Waxflower provide bold winter colour alongside other mixed native plantings.

Do you work with any NGIV member nursery growers to produce your varieties? Helix Australia has licensed nursery growers in every state of Australia which enables us to provide national purchase options for retail nurseries, big box stores and landscapers. NGIV members who grow Helix Australia varieties include, Native Plant Wholesalers and Humphris Nursery Chamelaucium Moonlight Delight

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PROFILE: HELIX AUSTRALIA

Why should more nursery growers consider growing Waxflowers? Helix Australia waxflower hybrids deliver strong economic returns for nursery growers whilst delivering extended sales and improved cash flow from June until November. The extensive range of Helix Australia waxflower enables growers to provide a wide range of colours across early, mid and late flower varieties. Our beautifully designed waxflower labels also make a very strong presence at the retail point of sale

Do you work with any NGIV member retailers to produce your varieties? No, our hybrids are only grown by wholesale growers but we are keen to develop links with NGIV member retailers to help promote Waxflower hybrids via their current promotional mediums.

Chamelaucium Sarah’s Delight

Why should more retailers consider stocking Waxflowers? Helix Australia waxflower deliver very strong burst of potted colour from June until November. In addition, our varieties provide an extended shelf life and can be sold with no buds, buds and flowering stage from 50 to 100 per cent.

How would you suggest a retailer markets Waxflowers to their customers? Massed displays of waxflower pots in end cap displays or merchandised close to the checkout will assist good stock turns for retailers. Helix Australia can supply high resolution Waxflower images to retailers upon request to use in magazine and social media promotional activities.

Dee’s Delight

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PROFILE: HELIX AUSTRALIA u

If a grower or retailer wanted to stock your varieties, how does that process work? Contact Adrian Parsons (adrian@helixaustralia.com.au) to discuss growers or retailers wishing to stock our varieties.

How have Helix Australia’s varieties of Waxflower changed the market? Helix Australia varieties have greatly expanded sales of waxflower via a much wider range of colours, bud size and extended flowering seasons. Our striking pot labels also enable retail waxflower sales even when not flowering.

Of your current varieties which plants are performing particularly well? Our larger bud waxflower varieties such as Moonlight Delight, Sarah’s Delight and Dee’s Delight deliver strong sales results whilst providing outstanding winter garden colour. Our edible waxflower variety Jambinu Zest marketed under license by Tucker Bush Plants is creating a brand-new sales pipeline outside our flowering waxflower varieties.

What are the future opportunities for Helix Australia and the Waxflowers? Through our strong relationship with Perth based Kings Park & Botanic Garden our somatic fusion breeding program will soon start to deliver a whole new suite of ‘mega’ waxflower hybrids with flowering and bud size double that of current waxflowers on the market. Edible waxflower variety Jambinu Zest

More information Visit helixaustralia.com.au to view their entire range of Waxlower varieties and learn more about their work.

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In addition, we are looking forward to developing an exciting fundraising project with SAS Resources Fund in conjunction with our new waxflower hybrid ‘Local Hero’. The SAS Resources Fund’s mission is to assist current and former members of the Australian Defence Force, and their families, who suffer hardship because of their service with the Special Air Service Regiment. Monies will be collected via the Waxflower Local Hero label.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Greenlife first: New plant-selector tool promotes climate-ready urban greening Local governments, landscape architects and urban greening professionals can now determine which plants will survive where over the next 50 years using a new tool. The initiative is delivered through Hort Innovation, and led by Macquarie and Western Sydney Universities, as part of a fiveyear research project titled Which Plant Where. The Which Plant Where plant selector tool is the first of its kind in Australia Gwilym Griffiths, program manager, Which Plant Where, says the tool will be essential for stakeholders looking to future-proof their urban greening projects. “The Which Plant Where plant selector tool is the first of its kind in Australia. It will become an invaluable resource to ensure we are making the right decisions when it comes to plant selection. Our living green assets play such an essential role in our urban environments, we cannot afford to play the guessing game when it comes to investing in our future,” says Griffiths. “In the coming weeks, we will be running a series of webinars and instructional walkthroughs for potential users, which will dive into the science, functionality, and use of the tool.”

Growers will be able to use the tool to guide their stocking decisions based, it can also be a valuable tool for sales teams at production and retail nurseries, and it will allow customers to make climate-ready purchasing decisions. The tool will provide users with the option of a free or paid subscription. Information on over 2500 plant species, their performance, and climate functionality will be freely available to all users, as will numerous best practice guides covering topics such as plant selection, plant procurement and urban tree management. The subscription version will include plant climate suitability information with maps highlighting changes in climate suitability for plants under predicted climate change scenarios in 2030, 2050 and 2070. The ability to build plant palettes, access information such as carbon and shade values and allow users to directly download a spreadsheet to send to the nursery to check for availability are also added functions of the subscription version.

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INDUSTRY NEWS u

“By industry investing in the use of the tool, it provides supporting funds to add further research and keep the tool updated. This will ensure industry is armed with current and correct information to future plan for urban green spaces,” Mr Griffiths said. Hort Innovation Head of Research and Development Byron de Kock said the Which Plant Where was one of the foundational projects in the Hort Innovation Hort Frontiers strategic research partner initiative, and it is great to see the release of this valuable tool. “This project is essentially future-proofing the urban plant palette to be resilient to climate change to 2070 and beyond.” Professor Michelle Leishman, Lead Researcher from Macquarie University, said “It is really exciting to see five years of research come to fruition. We are very proud of the Which Plant Where plant selector tool and hope that it will become the ‘go to’ urban greening resource for the industry.” To access the tool, check out the new Which Plant Where website (whichplantwhere.com.au) or sign up to the mailing list (whichplantwhere.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe). To book a demonstration on how to use Which Plant Where contact whichplantwhere@mq.edu.au

More information Which Plant Where is funded by the Hort Frontiers Green Cities Fund, part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from Macquarie University, Western Sydney University and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and contributions from the Australian Government

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PROFILE: HORTITECH

Hortitech Celebrates Forty Years in the Industry By Ashley O’Hara This year, Hortitech are celebrating forty years in the industry. That’s forty years of providing quality cover and crop protection solutions to the Australian horticulture industry; using Aussie smarts and technologies to combat our unique Aussie growing conditions. But far from slowing down, we’re aiming to open sites in every State in a bid to supply Australia’s horticulture industry with all their cover and crop protection needs. Michael Arnott established Hortitech [Pty. Ltd.] in 1982, following a move back to Victoria from the ACT where he had been working for 20 years. Returning to the state he was born and raised in, he settled with his family on a property in Monbulk; the heart of Victoria’s green-life industry. “At that time, I didn’t know what direction to take, so to get an idea of business opportunities in the area, I took jobs working locally on flower farms and nurseries and it soon became pretty apparent to me that one thing that was needed was growing houses. At that stage, they had very poor crop protection.”

And after he spent some time getting a better feel for the industry, Michael says he began to see the enormous potential in the market and the improvements that could be made to greenhouse design. Since then, Hortitech has grown and flourished, seeing a few changes along the way including our new owner James, and most recently our name; we’ve always been Hortitech [Pty. Ltd.] trading as Monbulk Rural, so it’s not entirely a name change, it is more a case of going back to our roots. With increasing demand for our products Australia-wide, we have begun to phase-out the name Monbulk Rural, a title tied to our Victorian location, and have replaced it with the portmanteau Hortitech; Horticultural Technologies.

Dekker’s Flowers, VIC

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PROFILE: HORTITECH

Murray Valley Nurseries, VIC

We encourage our loyal customers, as well as new, to grow with us as we are building on what we’ve already accomplished here in Victoria. We’re still the same business; providing the same great customer service and quality products as before, now with an extended and national focus. Hortitech’s immediate future sees us looking to expand our premises; the search for new sites in Victoria, as well as Tasmania, is underway. We’ve already begun work with the erection of commercial greenhouses in Tassie, and supply of greenhouse plastic and nursery equipment in Queensland and the Northern Territory. We are hoping to grow our team and

resources to be in a position to send our crews interstate for construction. We have outgrown our current grounds in Monbulk, which comprises of a manufacturing workshop, rolling shed, showroom and office space. We have found a strong demand in the Tasmanian market for what we do, and are excited to supply their horticulture industry with all their cover and crop protection needs. We have already established some solid relationships in the area, and with the addition of a permanent site, we’ll only continue to grow with these businesses and nurture their crop needs.

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PROFILE: HORTITECH

Grandview Monbulk, VIC

With our sister-company Horticraft already established and based in Gatton, Queensland, we have found that we are able to effortlessly and directly supply our goods to the State’s growers who would otherwise have to wait weeks, or even months, for large shipments to arrive onsite. The success of Gatton has proven to us that there is a need to have a warehouse in each state, something Hortitech aspires to achieve within the next 10 years.

More information Follow Hortitech on Instagram (@hortitech_au) and Facebook (@HortitechAU) to learn more about the team, their work and their growth. Or visit hortitech.net.au

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt across the horticulture industry in a myriad of ways, some good, some challenging. We are no exception, and have been hit hard by astronomical rises in stock and shipping costs, as well as an unparalleled shortage in stock availability and lengthy delays. This has led to us think on our feet and change the way we order and import stock from overseas, as well as beginning to source more local materials where we can. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers, as these blows are being felt across the whole industry. By working together with our suppliers of many years, we are able to maintain the lowest possible costs of products, something that would be near-impossible for businesses starting out in the industry. As we move into our next forty years, Hortitech are excited to share our journey with our customers, and hope that the robust, long-term existing relationships we already have will continue to grow, alongside the new businesses and contacts we’re making in this new chapter. As a special way to say thank you to our loyal clientele in helping us to achieve and maintain a successful forty years in the industry, we are offering discounts of up to 10 per cent on selected products. You can view this deal on our website or contact our office on 9756 6355 to place your order. Change isn’t always easy, but sometimes it’s necessary and we’re looking forward to expanding the business throughout Australia.

natives / exotics / grasses ornamentals / contract grow specialists

INFO@TALL A TREES.COM.AU (03) 59830 166 | TALL TA TREES.COM.A T U GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

PROFILE: EVERGREENCONNECT

EvergreenConnect: Connecting people with plants for 10 years By Mathew Plummer 2022 marks a decade of operations for EvergreenConnect and what a decade of growth the business has seen. Director and Owner, Mathew Plummer, shares the journey with us as he reflects on the past ten years and what the next ten might hold. In 2012 we represented the product of 100 production nurseries predominantly located in Queensland and Northern NSW. Now the platform connects businesses across Australia with over 155,000 items from over 540 production nurseries. EvergreenConnect started as a greenlife database. A tradeto-trade conduit of information between retail nurseries, designers, landscape contractors, and production nurseries designed to provide a comprehensive database listing of currently available plants and full plant lists from production growers across Australia. Ten years later, the platform retains the comprehensive listing of plants and has evolved into a tool that provides inventory management, online ordering and Ecommerce. Whatever the business type, EvergreenConnect prides itself on being able to offer a variety of solutions to improve business operations. Our database provides up to date information on who’s got it, where it is, and how to get it. Customers are able to order from any supplier they choose to. Whilst in a lot of cases these relationships may already exist, it’s what we achieve with our platform, its simplicity to use and the data integration, that provides the mutual benefits. Our growers benefit from a massive reduction in their administration costs via our automation, and we have custom built integration to a large number of platforms, from complicated ERP systems down to the more common MYOB/Xero interfaces. When growers report their payback period from labour savings against the cost of their annual subscription, it’s about two weeks and we think this represents outstanding value. Our goal for EvergreenConnect when we commenced operations was to make life easier for nurseries. The integration between nurseries and their customers via the EvergreenConnect platform, has meant we’re achieving that time and time again.

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The addition of a versatile inventory system, from production planning to invoicing, as part of their program allows production nurseries to reduce their administration labour by fully automating their incoming orders from receival to invoicing with minimal data handling. All orders can be processed automatically, whether they are coming from other EvergreenConnect members, non-members or even orders received via Bunnings, all flow back into a nurseries order system for easy processing. EvergreenConnect has been built from the ground up from the owners experience in the nursery and landscape industry and from feedback from existing and potential clients. Each addition to our platform is immediately available to our entire customer base meaning the product is in a continual state of development and improvement supported by a range of different nursery types. The flexibility within EvergreenConnect allows users to use what they want, how they want. We don’t try and change businesses, instead we work with nurseries on a one-on-one basis to fit our systems into their business, so they don’t have to change, making it a whole lot easier to implement with a minimum of training and minimum of change.

Over the years we have researched a lot of different software

for nursery use. We find EvergreenConnect ticks a lot of boxes. As one of the early adopters in Victoria we have followed the

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evolution of EvergreenConnect from a ‘plant search’ tool to a

comprehensive tool which is well suited to our business needs.

Joel Vanderuit Tall Trees/Cohort Nurseries

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

PROFILE: EVERGREENCONNECT

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Using EvergreenConnect saves us countless hours each week. We are able to communicate with our

whole client base as needed, pull all of our orders in with minimal data entry, produce all our relevant

paperwork, from picking lists to invoices. We have been able to integrate EvergreenConnect into our

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existing business processes and computer software with minimal outlay or change. Christina Gnezdiloff and Mathew Plummer

Elaine Duncan Flourish Plants

What does the next decade hold for EvergreenConnect? The business will continue to build on its pillars of incorporating additional performance features into the platform and delivering outstanding customer service. Put simply we will continue to build good tools and ensure there is plenty of help and support for those that need it. We are about to add more tools, solutions and integration to enhance our product further and our design list is continuing to grow with our own ideas and feedback from our loyal customer base. We will keep building on what we do, where-ever the nursery industry takes us. With a business credo of hard work, flexibility, attention to detail and listening to our customers, it appears that the success of EvergreenConnect is not ephemeral but indeed ever-green. Here’s to another decade of growth in connecting business to business in the greenlife industry.

More information Find out how NGIV Industry Partner, EvergreenConnect, can make life easier for your horticultural business. Contact Mathew Plummer m: 0407 212 316 e: info@evergreenconnect.com.au

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

BUSINESS NEWS

Storm resilience training for your horticultural business By Matt Ross Storm damage is an ongoing threat to the welfare of horticultural business throughout Victoria. In June 2021, a number of NGIV member businesses received significant damages to their properties and many were unable to continue operating due to power outages, stock, infrastructure, water damage and crop loss. One member nursery received $200,000 worth of damage. Numerous large trees came down damaging poly tunnels, the shade-house, drainage, irrigation systems, vents, stock and more. They were also without phones and internet for several days, which meant no sales or dispatch, and temporary closure.

‘Even though I’ve been using a chainsaw all my life, I learnt so much during the course, and only now appreciate I wasn’t using it in a safe or efficient fashion. Since the course I’ve been using the chainsaw to manage trees which were encroaching on our crops,’ enthused John.

Horticultural businesses are then faced with the lengthy and potentially costly clean up in the aftermath of a storm. Businesses will sometimes tackle felled trees themselves with a chainsaw in a bid to get up and running.

And it’s not just businesses who see the sense in receiving accredited training in chainsaw use. Mitchell Shire Council started a community program to develop a ‘Storm Resilience’ training group, now in its second year of running up at the beautiful Tallarook State Forest. Women from rural properties undertook DNA Training’s a 3-day ‘Storm Resilience’ training course to learn how to use a chainsaw and chipper safely, as well as vital first aid skills.

However, it’s vital that chainsaws are used in a safe and proper fashion and without receiving accredited training it’s always a risk to the health and safety of the operator. And that’s where NGIV Partner, DNA Training, comes in. With decades of experience in delivering tailored training solutions to the horticulture industry, DNA Training believe that upskilling horticultural employees with one of their chainsaw operator courses is an asset to the business. ‘We frequently here from horticultural business who need to remove felled trees in order to continue operating. Having an employee who is trained to use a chainsaw can help save time, money and personal injury,’ explains Belinda Tardini of DNA Training. John Suckling of Graham’s FacTree, who grow and import fruit tree cultivars for commercial fruit orchardists, underwent DNA Training’s ‘Operate and Maintain Chainsaws’ course.

One student, Genevieve Spiteri, attended the Mitchell Shire Council ‘Storm Resilience’ training group in May last year. Geneviene said, ‘I would really like to commend the women’s chainsaw course. Hugh and Simon were the perfect trainers, they were positive, thorough, and patient. Using a chainsaw is not easy but they made me feel reassured and confident. After the training I had such adrenaline and felt pumped! I’m so excited to practice the skills that I’ve attained. My husband was so impressed with all the knowledge I have using and maintaining a chainsaw, I even taught him a thing or two. Thank you for the opportunity I really appreciate it’ Councils throughout Victoria are now taking a step in the same direction and creating their own ‘Storm Resilience’ plan, nominating grounds staff, parks and garden maintenance teams, to complete training in Chainsaw, Chipper/Mulching and First Aid, so that they are prepared for the next storm in their region. Michael Tregonning, Coordinator Parks and Bushland, at Manningham Council recently placed 35 staff through chipper and chainsaw training with DNA Training Solutions to prepare his team for storm damage in their municipality. ‘The safety of my staff is the highest priority and the use of arboricultural tools, such as chainsaws and chippers, are one of my highest risk areas. With increased storm activity brought on by climate change it is imperative that my entire Parks team are ready to undertake the clean-up of fallen trees and branches if required.

Women in Chainsaw – Mitchell Shire Community Group

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

BUSINESS NEWS

‘The last thing I want is a member of my team be sent out to use equipment they are not familiar with as this could result in an injury. We have encountered some significant storm events of late and one that comes to mind was in the Dandenong Ranges last year. During that event we deployed staff to help Yarra Ranges with the clean-up, however, some of the staff that went could not undertake chainsaw or chipper operation due to not being certified. I am now comfortable that everyone has the experience and knowledge to use this equipment safely and we are ready for future events in Manningham and other municipalities if required.’ At DNA Training we believe the right equipment is essential to training so we use the STIHL MS261 Chainsaws and VERMEER BC700XL Chipper for our students. We offer the ‘Storm Resilience’ training course, which was developed using our trainers and assessors’ expertise, having worked in the State Emergency Services (SES), and as paramedics, nurses, and arborists. The program is specifically tailored to help those from beginner to intermediate level, to help build their independence and confidence so that they can clear away storm damage and provide first aid to family, friends, and neighboring properties in an emergency.

Manningham Council Chipper and Chainsaw Team

With many horticultural grower sites located on large, rural plots surrounded by trees and forests, DNA Training’s course in ‘Storm Resilience’, including safe and efficient use of chainsaws and chippers, and first aid, can save businesses time, money and most importantly look after the health and safety of their employees.

More information To find out more about our ‘Storm Resilience’ training course contact DNA Training on (03) 9070 1111 or admin@dnatraining.com.au.

Adelina Carnevale (Director of DNA Training) presenting gift packs to the Women in Chainsaw Group

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

PROFILE: LYGON STREET NURSERY

New member profile: Lygon Street Nursery By Matt Ross

As Victoria’s peak industry body, we are committed to helping our member businesses grow. We caught up with one of our new members, Lygon Street Nursery, to understand more about their business, what makes them unique, and why they chose to become members of NGIV. What makes Lygon Street Nursery unique?

What is your stock range?

We pride ourselves on our boundless service for all our customers’ needs. Lygon St Nursery is also the home of Lygon St Landscapes, offering a holistic landscape service for any space whether for the home, office, or landscape project.

We stock essential gardening tools, fertilisers, potting mixes, and products for pest and diseases. We stock reputable products from Australian owned suppliers, including, Organic Crop Protectants, Grow Better, Harrys Garden Products, Seasol, Bokashi Composting Australia, Green Magazine and many others. We are also pleased to be able to stock Burgon and Ball tools and gifts, endorsed for quality by the Royal Horticultural Society. A selection of garden, landscape, indoor care books. We also stock a wide range a local ceramist pieces, including, Ella Reweti, Chris Erlandsen and Leath & Thread.

Could you tell us a bit about the history of the nursery? Since 2014 we have been passionately sharing our love for indoor plants, gardens and gardening. We started our humble little shop at 135 Lygon St and we’ve now grown into our new home at 245 Lygon St, formerly Lygon Hardware.

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

PROFILE: LYGON STREET NURSERY

Who is a typical Lygon Street Nursery customer?

More information

We endeavour to appeal to all demographics, offering a wide range of garden products and services to achieve this. Having said that we subsequently inherited a lot of the former hardware customers which has really helped us.

Lygon Street Nursery, 245 Lygon St, Brunswick East VIC 3057 t: 03 9080 1242 e: info@lygonstnursery.com

How do you market yourselves to your customers?

www.lygonstnursery.com

We try to use a number of methods. We’re very active on social media and find this to be a powerful tool. We also regularly update our websites, distribute a newsletter, and use local radio advertising.

Do you have any longer-term plans for the nursery? We’re always making minor tweaks to the business as we go. We’ve been trading nearly 10 years and made the move to our bigger store three years ago, just before Covid hit.

Tell us a little bit about your core team and skills Owner Michael Khalil comes from a Horticulture/Landscape background with 17 years in the trade. All five other staff members have studied horticulture and two have landscape design/architecture skills.

Why did you decide to choose to become a NGIV member? I think it’s important for any industry to have a body that represents and offers the support to its members in good times and bad. Becoming a member ensures the NGIV can keep doing this and continues to drive the industry from strength to strength.

We’re delighted to have Lygon Street Nursery join the NGIV as a full member. As Victoria’s peak industry body, we are committed to helping our member businesses and the State’s horticulture industry to grow. Find out how you can become a member – ngiv.com.au

Providors of quality legal services to the horticulture industry Are you looking to expand your business and you need to buy or lease more land? Are you thinking about buying another business, or have you been approached to sell yours? Are you having a dispute with any of your employees, or do you have health or safety issues? Are you having difficulties with a supplier or customer – eg. payment, or quality of goods or services? Do you need to lock in a key supplier or customer, or update your terms of trade? We can help you with all of these. For NGIV Members we offer a 1 hour initial consultation without charge. Michael Coker Corporate, Commercial & Property T +61 3 8665 5588 M +61 0417 334 232 E mcoker@piperalderman.com.au

Piper Alderman Level 23, 459 Collins Street, Melbourne Vic 3000

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

BUSINESS NEWS

Growing your own: Intellectual Property and commercialisation We sit down with Andrew Hallinan, Nurseryman and Senior Examiner Plant Breeders Rights at IP Australia, for an overview on intellectual property (IP) and how plant breeder’s rights can help grow your business. What is intellectual property? “Broadly speaking intellectual property, or IP, is a type of intangible asset, or ‘good will’ as it is often called in business. It is a product of your own creativity. It could be a new invention or plant variety, an artwork, literary work, branding or many other things. For nurseries, plant varieties and branding are probably the most relevant forms of IP.

What kinds of IP are there? “IP can be broken up a few ways. Firstly, rights and non-rights. An example of intellectual property that is not a right is a trade secret, like a secret recipe. The only protection you have with a trade secret is keeping it secret. Once it’s not a secret, you lose control and ownership. Alternatively, IP rights such as copyright, patents, trade marks, designs, and plant breeder’s rights give you legally enforceable controls to protect your idea or asset. IP rights can be further divided into registered and nonregistered. Plant breeder’s rights, trade marks, patents and designs are all registered rights that are registered through IP Australia.

Why is intellectual property important to our industry? “Intellectual property is an important consideration for all businesses. For most successful businesses, IP assets are worth more than the physical assets owned by the business, like buildings, land, machinery etc. IP also gives you an opportunity to get recognition for, and derive profit from, your own ideas and your own work. Intellectual property rights themselves can be used to grow your business by accessing new markets through licensing

arrangements or reinforcing brand recognition, and as a result, increasing revenue streams – opening up markets that you couldn’t necessarily access by yourself. You can also sell the property rights as an asset, and sometimes they can be worth a lot of money.

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It is important for people to understand the basics of intellectual property rights, particularly plant breeder’s rights in the nursery context, regardless of whether you’re a breeder or a grower.

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If I’m a plant breeder, what do I need to consider? “If you are breeder, plant breeder’s rights give you the opportunity to profit from your plant breeding work. It gives you control of how a new variety is commercialised. It allows for the breeder to not only control who grows the variety but allows you to more easily access other markets that were not necessarily open to you before, using licensing arrangements. Alternatively, you can sell your rights as an asset, just like you would sell a house or building, and make money that way – potentially allowing you to just focus on plant breeding.

If I’m not a plant breeder, what do I need to know? “If you are not a plant breeder but are still part of the industry, it’s in your interest to know about plant breeder’s rights as well. The reason is, if you commercialise plant varieties without permission, you may be liable for both criminal and civil action, and penalties through the courts. This could lead to fines of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, it’s well worth doing your due diligence and knowing what you can and can’t do with regard to protected plant varieties.”

More information This is the first in a series of Q&A on how IP can support your business. You can submit questions for Andrew to answer in the next issue of Groundswell via e: Outreach@ipaustralia.gov.au. In the meantime, head to the IP Australia website for more information: www.ipaustralia.gov.au

Andrew Hallinan

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

RETAIL: UPDATE

The world of retail with Mario Diaco By Matt Ross We caught up with Mario Diaco, Managing Director of Diaco's Garden Nursery, for an update on what’s been happening in the world of retail. With three generations of experience, he brings a wealth of knowledge. ‘Sales have been really positive across our stores and up on the same quarter last year. We’ve noticed that whilst shopper numbers aren’t necessarily higher, on average they’re spending more per visit.’

‘In terms of plant trends, we’ve noticed that customers are increasingly turning to bay trees in place of more traditional hedging. Bay trees grow into a dense shade tree and are also suitable for topiary as it responds well to pruning.’

‘Part of that might be down to a level of routine and structure with COVID making less impact on our ability to trade and staffing. Buyers are now confident that we are there for them, on-hand to deliver valuable, practical advice for their gardening needs.’

‘If I could offer one piece of advice to other retail garden centres it would be the need to understand who your customer is, why they are visiting your store and make it as easy as possible for them to make their purchasing choices.’

‘I also feel like the successful return of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show has had a knock-on effect. There were over 100,000 attendees and I’m sure many will have been inspired to get into the garden and try to recreate what they saw, they’ll share their successes with their families and friends, and the impact is significant.’

Diaco’s Garden Nursery have stores in Mornington, Heatherton, Geelong and Keilor. We believe in the value of local garden nurseries, where staff have the time and the passion to chat with you and offer valuable, practical advice for your gardening needs. Our team lives and breathes plants and gardening.

‘We also took part in NGIV’s Visit Your Local Nursery campaign, which provided $10 vouchers to spend in our stores. After checking our figures it was clear that customers redeeming those vouchers, went on to spend significantly more. We also gained a number of first-time customers who we hope to convert into long-term customers.’

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

We’ll be catching up with Mario regularly to understand what is happening in the world of retail. Next time we want to learn a bit more about how retailers can successfully work with growers and vice versa. diacos.com.au

ENJOY A COMPLIMENTARY VISIT TO NURSERY & GARDEN INDUSTRY VICTORIA’S MONTHLY TRADE DAY NGIV Trade Day is more than just a market, it’s: Australia’s largest wholesale plantlife event A monthly industry networking event The biggest monthly coming together of Victoria’s growers and plant and garden retailers

Whether you’re a garden centre, plant, or giftware store, don’t miss out on: The finest quality greenlife and garden products The best wholesale prices The convenience of everything under one roof An unparalleled range of plants, gardening products and giftware Network with Australia’s leading growers and garden retailers

Held at the impressive KCC Park in Skye, with 4,500sqm of undercover facilities and ample parking.

NGIV Trade Day is the perfect showcase of Victoria’s horticultural industry!

Scan the QR code to experience NGIV Trade Day for yourself with a complimentary visit.

CONTACT

T: +61 3 9576 0599 E: ngiv@ngiv.com.au

RETAIL STATE OF PLAY

SPONSORED BY:

Talk is Cheap Yes, talk is cheap but action from words is great. Now is a good time to sit down with staff, suppliers too, have discussions and then put words into action. The last two years have been amazing and there is no reason why the next two shouldn’t be amazing too. Sure, some of the economic and political conditions are challenging but sensible planning and action will take care of them. Step back a little from your business and look at it with new eyes. Ask your manager/s to suggest honest ideas for change. You might be surprised with what they say. As I write, inflation and some other key pointers for our economy are a little gloomy but we all know that our industry thrives during down times. Have you had a holiday? It is important that you do.

Fabulous UK Winter display

Follow GCA on Facebook for updates www.facebook.com/gardenreleafaustralia Leigh Siebler Garden Centres of Australia | e: leigh.siebler@bigpond.com

www.gardenreleaf.com.au

Gardens and plants are therapy for body and mind 30

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

INDUSTRY NEWS

To your health! Gardening for health and wellbeing By Gerard Tan Since its arrival in Victoria in 2020, COVID-19 has decimated businesses and upended countless lives. During the months of lockdown, many people sought refuge in gardening. Many said their gardens meant a great deal to them during this time. Some went so far as to emphatically state they would not have made it through but for their gardens. Gardening has significant health benefits. It promotes dexterity through the exercise of fine motor skills, and encourages moderate physical activity, which may reduce risk of dementia. In fact, gardening has been found to be more protective against dementia than walking, education or maintaining alcohol intake at moderate levels. Whether at home, or in community or therapeutic contexts, most gardening is done during the day. It increases exposure to sunlight, which boosts Vitamin D and reduces blood pressure. Research suggests that gardening is associated with lower depression and anxiety symptoms, stress, mood disturbance, and as well as improved

cognitive function and quality of life. Indeed, nearly three quarters of respondents in the National Pandemic Gardening Survey, indicated that gardening significantly or greatly improved their mental health and wellbeing. As one gardener explained it: ‘There is such positivity in gardening – birdsong, sunshine, physical activity – that it is a perfect antidote to the stress, negativity and restriction of not only the pandemic, but of modern living.’ Growing food was an important aspect of pandemic gardening, many people had to contend with reduced incomes due to work disruptions. Edible gardening allowed people to access food with

dignity, trim their expenditures, increase their peace of mind about food. Outside of the pandemic, edible gardening has been associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake. Now that restrictions are a thing of the past, gardening promotes social connection and interaction. Friends and family visit markets and nurseries to purchase plants together, and make excursions to gardens of renown. Neighbours discuss growing tips, share home-grown produce with one another and participate in community plant swap events. The health benefits of plants are not limited to those engaging in outdoor gardening. Indoor plants are said to improve air quality by removing toxins, dust and microorganisms. Having plants inside the home or office supports a sense of connectedness with nature, which is related to better mental health and vitality. Simply viewing plants (and even pictures of plants) helps lower blood pressure, ease stress, pain, anxiety, and fatigue. For our retail members, make sure you communicate the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening to your customers. For our growers, why not ‘sell it’ as a perk of the job during the recruitment process.

More information Gerard is NGIV’s dedicated mental health clinician/consultant. NGIV members and staff can connect with him at gerard.tan@each.com.au, or book a time for a chat on https://shorturl.at/itMUX.

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

BUSINESS NEWS

Ready to take your business to the next level? How a Virtual CFO can elevate your business. By Paul Cunningham, SMART Business Solutions Most business owners would be familiar with the adage, you need to take time to work on your business rather than in it. Whilst we are familiar with the concept and we can appreciate its sentiment, actually implementing the time and work necessary to abide by the sentiment can be difficult for many small to medium business owners. Award-winning SMART Business Solutions, Mornington Peninsula’s leading accounting and business advisory firm, have a reputation for their strong technical and advisory skills.

things that SME owners often miss out on, like time with family and friends.” says Paul

As one of the Associates at SMART Business Solutions, Paul Cunningham knows the difference between a good business and a great business is ensuring you take some space to step out of the business on a regular basis to look at everything subjectively.

“First you need a business plan. This should entail what you want your business to look like in 12 months, and what you want to get out of it, both in terms of financial gain but also how it can positively impact your personal life, like ensuring there is time allowed for a holiday. In writing down your plan, you are going to come up with a list of goals for your business. These goals can then be extended out into action items.” says Paul.

“When business owners dedicate the appropriate time to work on their business the results can be phenomenal. These results don’t necessarily need to be growth. It’s about taking the time to ensure the business owners are getting what they need from the business. Importantly, this could also mean ending up with more time back to spend on

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

So where do you start?

“Dedicate time each month to work solely on the goals and actions identified in your business plan. Take 2 to 3 hours that are set aside solely for this. This is not a time where you are available to staff,

customers or suppliers. Block out the time in your calendar to prioritise it, and make sure you are doing this at a time of the day where you are most productive. For example, if you’re most effective before lunchtime, don’t leave this important time till after the kids are in bed and you’re tired. You must treat yourself as your most important customer.” “In the time you allocate consider the following items for review and action: >

Start with your goals – Are you on track? Do some goals need more attention to detail? Can you mark some goals as successful and create new goals?

Have some form of financial reporting – speak with your accountant or bookkeeper to understand basic concepts in terms of turnover, gross profit margin and break-even points.

BUSINESS NEWS

Schedule additional time for larger projects when needed. Your monthly meeting with yourself should not be disrupted by day-to-day business or operational commitments.

“At SMART Business Solutions, we recommend engaging with a Virtual CFO (vCFO) to really get into the guts of your business. It’s crucial to having full visibility on what's really happening.”

Set out your 30-day action list and adjust your goals accordingly every month to ensure you have clear set of actionable items to achieve before the following month.

“A vCFO should offer regular mentoring and reporting, either monthly or quarterly, which should give you better visibility on your revenue streams, help you benchmark your performance, set budgets, and improve your business value by identifying and repairing operational leaks.”

Arguably, the two of the most difficult parts of the process is accountability and time. As a business owner, who do hold yourself accountable to? And how do you make that time commitment to yourself and your business? “Most successful entrepreneurs and business owners have an accountability partner who meets with them regularly. No matter who you are, where you’ve come from, or what you have achieved, a good mentor is an invaluable asset to your business.” says Paul.

“As humans first and foremost, we’re more likely to take action when we’re financially invested in a third party whose sole responsibility is helping you understand your business, create action items, check in with you and make sure you’re staying on track. That’s why having a business coach that’s also an accountant and a financial advisor is the best decision you can make to elevate your business.” says Paul.

QR code to scan and read vCFO case studies

More information Paul Cunningham, Associate SMART Business Solutions www.smartbusinesssolutions.com.au

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

INDUSTRY NEWS

Vale Peter Alan Lawton 1928 – 2022

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Peter Lawton (8/8/1928 – 11/5/2022). Peter came to the nursery industry from a very successful engineering background, he saw an opportunity to develop a business in growing advanced trees, this resulted in a new business model using innovation and technology collaboratively in an industry still using the same methods from previous generations. When it came to trees Peter was passionate about getting it right. The trees he developed had to perform and last the distance in the hostile environments they went into. He was fastidious about how roots developed and their performance and applying new methods to make that happen. Peter worked collaboratively with others in the industry, he wanted to develop a business that all could profit from, that everyone did well out of, and, it changed the industry forever. There was a proliferation of businesses that started growing and supplying Ronneby Trees, some of whom are still involved and became important members of our Association, providing young, well-educated professional motivated horticulturists opportunities in our industry. Ronneby came and went but you can’t keep a good man down for long and he started focusing on technology and new ideas and started Trentcom and the Rocket Pot systems of growing trees, further innovation in growing and handling trees all with the ultimate vision of ensuring that quality trees grew and grew well in their new environment.

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

The development of RocketPots was a major advance for the business, recognising that the way to perfection begins with the germination of a seed, particularly in Eucalypts. Peter discovered that the root system determines the shape of the tree and that this process starts on the day of germination. RocketPots are therefore designed specifically to overcome the problems in propagating Eucalypts (Eucalyptus angophora and corymbia) by improving calliper and yielding elegant root systems. Peter’s generous nature and collaborative style ensured a massive network around the country linking significant areas of the wider green industry together, nursery, arborists, government departments, botanic gardens and landscapers, all new who Peter was and what he was about, continual improvement, quality and performance of trees in landscapes, long before that was a fashionable thing to do. Peter was a trail blazer within our industry, he changed it dramatically and permanently, he believed that he could make a difference and did something about it, earning the appreciation of a grateful industry along the way. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather and companion.

On behalf of the Nursey and Garden Industry of Victoria Board, staff and members, we offer our deepest condolences to Peter’s family and friends.

INDUSTRY NEWS

New members A big welcome to our latest members, who have joined the NGIV and our growing community of horticultural businesses. We look forward to helping you build your business through a long and fruitful relationship. Everun Australia (Allied) Everun equipment sets the standard for industry. The Everun product line of Loaders, Telehandlers for Farming, Construction & Mining reflects our increased focus on customer success. We are committed to helping our customers meet their needs with durable and reliable heavy equipment, distribution and product support while specializing in electric environmentally friendly alternatives. www.everun.com.au

Roy Roberts Landscapes (Allied) Landscape and Garden specialist including horticultural consultancy, maintenance, and planning. www.royrobertslandscapes.com.au

Vaughans Australian Plants (Production/Retail) Specialist unusual native plant growers. Australia's largest range of native Plants. New range of Grafted Corymbias (20 varieties including Bi-colors) Vaughan’s Australian Plants Teesdale – Home | Facebook

Avalon Nursery (Retail) Avalon Nursery is located 10km west of Ballarat in Haddon. We have a huge range of plants, garden accessories and pots set in a beautiful garden settings. With knowledgeable horticulturists and landscapers on site we can help you fulfil all your gardening questions www.avalonnursery.com.au

Blue Gum Garden Centre (Retail) Garden Centre, Nursery & Supplier to Landscaper of Soil, Mulch & Stones. Merchant for Jetmaster fireplaces. Agent for Melbourne brick and supplier of pavers, bricks and slate. www.avalonnursery.com.au

As Victoria’s peak industry body, we are committed to helping our member businesses and the State’s horticulture industry to grow. Becoming a member of the NGIV is simple. As a full member you’ll have access to many benefits, here are just a few: • Networking – Learn and connect with the best, our members are the country’s leading professional horticultural businesses. • Promotion – Let us promote your business and our industry, we’ve got the communication channels and the audience to do it; whether it’s our monthly industry magazine , our weekly e-newsletter with an engaged audience of over 4,500 industry professionals or our social media channels that speak to the consumer. • Advocacy – We regularly engage with Government to represent your interests, and that of our industry, educating them on issues including COVID-19, biosecurity, employment, water security, climate change and many more. • Trade Days – Whether you’re a retailer or a grower, whether you want to trade or network; experience the largest regular gathering of horticultural businesses in Australia. • Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) – As the owner and operator of MIFGS we welcome your participation in Australia’s largest consumer marketing horticultural platform and offer a significant saving on exhibiting. • Technical Advice and Education – Your NGIV membership is a gateway to discounted industry training, support from our knowledgeable team and a wealth of member only online resources. • On-Site Visits – We look forward to visiting you, to learn more about your business and how we can help to grow it. • Free Professional Support – You’ll receive complimentary access to industrial relations, legal, business, marketing, accountancy and insurance advice, from expert professionals. And don’t take our word for it, here’s what our member business owners had to say about how their NGIV membership helps them.

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

TRADE DAY REPORT

Trade Day report By Nan Cleven

May Trade Day was once again at capacity with every stand occupied by leading growers and allied businesses at Australia’s premier plantlife wholesale trading market.

« The Ausflora Pacific team got behind the pink theme which must have inspired the shoppers, as they sold out of all their stock early in the day. A big congratulations to Linda Sijpkes who completed the gruelling 100km Oxfam Trailwalker in 34 hours in April. She raised an impressive $8,500 along the way

Our final autumn Trade Day was full of seasonal colour, with and sprinkling of pink to celebrate Mother’s Day and raise funds for the Breast Cancer Network. Thanks to all our generous stand holders for supplying prizes for our raffle. A big thank you to Cancer Council Victoria who were on hand to offer complimentary advice on bowel cancer screening and Peninsula Health for delivering a pop-up COVID vaccination hub.

« Our May Trade Day was proudly sponsored by Industry Silver Partner, Hortitech, who are celebrating 40 years of supplying the horticulture industry with the best cover and crop protection solutions.

And with Mother’s Day just around the corner, it was another sell-out for Wright’s Nursery’s stand, their stunning range of chrysanthemums did not last long. Here’s nursery manager Chintan proudly displaying the fruits of their labour.

Trade Day ever-present Robert Plechinger of Yackandandah Valley Nursery took cover amongst his stunning range of indoor plants, always a hit with the buyers.

Here’s Ric from Hortitech ringing the bell to welcome the buyers in from the cold. They wasted no time in filling their trolleys with the finest quality greenlife and allied products.

« Never one to miss out on an opportunity to dress up in pink, here’s Chris Merrywood with some of his ever-popular espaliers.

Another stand holder whose wares were perfect for a Mother’s Day audience was The Pot Dealer, a Melbourne based distributor of indoor and outdoor pots and all things house and garden. You can view their stylish range at thepotdealer.com.au

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GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

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TRADE DAY REPORT

Experience the benefits of NGIV Trade Day for yourself and take advantage of:

• The finest quality greenlife and allied products

Amongst our stand holders were Vaughan’s Plants who made their first outing to Trade Day. Phil Vaughan runs a small family business specialising in Australian native plants; rare, unusual and grafted varieties. Phil’s stand proved to be extremely popular with buyers eager to secure his stock.

• The best wholesale prices • The convenience of everything under one roof • An unparalleled range of plants and gardening products

‘Our first Trade Day was fantastic, it was a wonderful opportunity to put our plants in front of so many buyers and we’re already looking forward to the next one in June,’ enthused Phil.

• Network with Australia’s leading growers, allied suppliers and other retailers • Up to 80 stand holders If you’re part of a plant, gifting or garden retail business, and you haven’t attended an NGIV Trade Day before, contact ngiv@ngiv.com.au to find out how you can enjoy a complimentary visit.

« There were no shortage of winners on the day, with stand holders and buyers both happy with a busy day’s trading, but don’t forget the raffle winners. Here’s Ash from Hortitech handing over vouchers to Facey’s Nursery and Top Ten Trees.

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

NEXTGEN: GINA PRESTON

Interview with NextGen

GINA PRESTON Oasis Horticulture

Where do you work and what is your role? I’m an Assistant Grower at Oasis Horticulture.

How long have you worked there and how has your role progressed in that time? I’ve worked here for about seven months in the seed sowing area whilst studying full time. Now that school has finished, I’m learning different areas around the nursery starting with plug propagation, irrigation, and sanitisation.

What/or who inspired you to choose horticulture? I started my working life as a chef but after 10 years I explored a career in horticulture which, upon reflection, was better suited to my lifestyle and interests. My grandparents inspired my love of horticulture. Gran always had a lovely garden including a shade house for all her ferns and all kinds of plants around the house. My Parp used to have his own veggie garden down on the farm. We would camp there in summer and enjoy the fresh produce from his veggie garden.

What do you enjoy most about working in horticulture? I enjoy been able to work outside, doing something different daily, and working with plants.

What are your ambitions within the industry? I’d like to be able to make the industry a little greener and environmentally friendly. I think there’s a great opportunity for like-minded colleagues within the industry to connect and have an impact here. As I learn more, I would like to progress through the ranks into senior management or perhaps own my own retail nursery one day.

Who has inspired you on your journey? Everyone I work with at Oasis Horticulture. The team here are motivated and hard-working and have many years of knowledge to draw on.

What is a typical day like for you? I often start early to take part in our spray program. Then I undertake training in different areas of the nursery. Most recently I’ve been getting involved in our plug propagation area preparing for our transition to autumn lines. I’m learning a lot about sanitisation, pest, and disease control, in readiness for the coming autumn season.

Are any of your family members in the horticulture industry? My grandfather used to work in agriculture which has many synergies.

Why should more young people choose horticulture as a career? You get to work outside every day, with like-minded people and spend all day around plants. What’s not to love!

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve received on your journey? To always produce something you’re happy with and never take shortcuts.

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

Are you/have you studied a horticultural course? I studied Certificate III in Horticulture at Chisholm which I finished in Dec 2021. I plan to do further study in the future.

What was the most enjoyable element of your study? The hands-on trials and experiments to learn the basics.

Tell us a bit about you; what you enjoy doing and where your passions lie.

INDUSTRY PARTNERS MAJOR CORPORATE

My passion lies within horticulture. I enjoy tending to my indoor and outdoor gardens, helping friends and family with their horticultural questions, and cooking them up a storm with fresh produce from my garden. I also enjoy staying fit and attending live music events with friends.

Proudly sponsored by

PLATINUM

PRICE UPDATE GOLD Increased by $81.75per tonne (4.17 cents per litre) Prices effective 1st-31st July 2022 (inc GST) Cat

Cents per litre

Melbourne Geelong

Other

Mildura

Base Price

110.25

110.80

111.90

112.34

Usage below 2,500 litres

100.90

101.45

102.44

102.99

Usage between 2,500 – 5,000 litres

100.35

100.90

101.89

102.44

Usage between 5,000 – 10,000 litres

98.70

99.25

100.24

100.79

Usage between 10,000 – 30,000 litres

97.60

98.15

99.14

99.69

Usage between 30,000 – 50,000 litres

97.05

97.60

98.59

99.14

SILVER

BRONZE

GROUNDSWELL JUNE 2022

Groundswell - June 2022

Articles inside

GARDENING FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING

READY TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

THE WORLD OF RETAIL WITH MARIO DIACO

TRADE DAY REPORT

GROWING YOUR OWN: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND COMMERCIALISATION

EVERGREENCONNECT: CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH PLANTS FOR 10 YEARS

GROW YOUR HORTICULTURE BUSINESS WITH BIO GRO

NEW PARTNER PROFILE: LYGON ST NURSERY

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS FOR HELIX AUSTRALIA

NEW PLANT SELECTOR TOOL PROMOTES CLIMATE-READY URBAN GREENING

GREENING CITIES CONNECTS INDUSTRY WITH NEW AUDIENCES

HORTITECH CELEBRATES 40 YEARS

DNA: STORM RESILIENCE TRAINING