The Growing Concern March 2020

Growing Concern

The

MAR C H 2 0 2 0

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E O H I O L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

23rd Annual Landscape Ohio! Awards Gala March 26, 2020 / Windows on the River / PAGE 12

OLA Education: Spring Training Clinic April 8, 2020 / St. Michael’s Woodside / PAGE 22

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PR ES I DEN T’S COLUM N

WHAT’S YOUR FOCUS?

DOMENIC LAURIA Vizmeg Landscape, Inc.

When it comes to improving something – be it our company, or ourselves – leadership, communication, strategy, innovation, and productivity are all topics that we tend to gravitate towards. Yet, when it comes to discussing the importance of maintaining focus in one’s life, we rarely talk about it. Why is ‘focus’ never thought about in the same category as some of these other topics? I’d make the argument that it’s because ‘focus’ is one of, if not the, hardest things to work on because we all love our distractions!

The Huntington Post recently defined focus as: “the ability to pay attention to things that help, while avoiding the distractions that hurt, our work efforts.” Unfortunately, most of us tend to pay more attention to the things that hurt our work efforts.

Examples of these include; social media, cell phones, emails, and coworkers – just to name a few.

Without focus, every time our minds wander away from our work, we are wasting time. As I spoke about in the February article, time is the most precious resource in the world. It is the one thing that is not re-creatable; that we can’t buy more of. So, it goes without saying, that without placing an emphasis on our abilities to focus that we are wasting our most precious resource.

As you may have noticed, in my first two articles I have written a good amount about two of my favorite influencers, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Prior to becoming great friends, these two titans knew of each other, yet thought they had very little in common. This was until Gates’ father invited Warren to a summer get together and the two had the opportunity to talk.

Many of us try not to waste time by multi-tasking and trying to do multiple things at once. Scientific research has shown that there is actually no such thing as multi-tasking (although my mother and wife will fight me on this). Instead of multitasking, our brains are just switching back and forth between two separate tasks. In fact, studies have shown that “multitasking” can result in a productivity loss of up to 40 percent.

Productivity does not come from an app, or using a cell phone and tablet at the same time. Instead, true productivity comes from focusing on one individual task, giving it the attention it deserves, completing it, and then moving onto the next one.

During the meeting, Buffet openly admitted he knew absolutely nothing about technology (Fun Fact: He still uses a flip phone to this day). He says this to Gates, who at the time is the world leader in technological services. Yet they sit down, start talking, and realize they have a lot more in common than either of them thought. And, what was one of those core common denominators? They both attribute their successes to their abilities to maintain focus.

Distractions are the single greatest roadblock in regards to focus, yet we absolutely love them. As a society, we are constantly... continued on page 6 The Growing Concern | March 2020 | 3

TAB LE OF CON TEN TS M A R C H 2 0 2 0 WWW. OH I OLA N D SCA P E R S. OR G OH I O’ S P R OF E SSI ON A L G REEN I N D U ST R Y A SSOCI AT I O N OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION 9240 Broadview Road Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147 Phone: 440.717.0002, or 1.800.335.6521 Fax: 440.717.0004 Web: www.ohiolandscapers.org and www.myohiolandscape.com DESIGNER / EDITOR Rick Doll, Jr. REGULAR WRITERS Adam Capiccioni, Ohio CAT Michael J. Donnellan, King Financial, Inc. Dr. Jim Funai, PhD., Cuyahoga Community College Shelley Funai, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Sandy Munley, Ohio Landscape Association Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, Bobbie’s Green Thumb COVER: Landscape Ohio! Honor Award winner, in the category of Specialty Gardens, #1 Landscaping.

FEATURES

3 5 8

14 18 24 28 32 34 35

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

What’s Your Focus?

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS PERENNIAL FOCUS

The Relationship between Perennial Garden Design & Maintenance

FISCAL FITNESS

The SECURE Act

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Submission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to the month of publication. For advertising rates and ad specs, please call 440.717.0002, 1.800.335.6521, or email Rick Doll Jr. at rick@ohiolandscapers.org.

DISCLAIMER The Ohio Landscape Association, its board of directors, staff and the editor of The Growing Concern neither endorse any product(s) or attests to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Similarly, the opinions expressed in The Growing Concern are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ohio Landscape Association.

FOR SAFETY SAKE

4 Steps to Creating a Preventative Safety Culture

OFFICERS President Domenic Lauria

OLA STAFF Executive Director Sandy Munley

PLANT OF THE MONTH

President – Elect Dr. James Funai, PhD.

Communications & Events Manager Rick Doll, Jr.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

What is Smart Irrigation?

UPDATES

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4 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Treasurer Brian Maurer, LIC Immediate Past President Adam Capiccioni DIRECTORS Keith Clapper Ryan Drake Stephanie Gray, LIC Cameron Maneri Rob Morel Joshua Way

C AL ENDAR OF EVEN TS UPCO M I N G OLA MEETINGS , EDUC AT I ON SE MI N A R S, A N D OT H E R G R E E N I N D UST R Y EV ENT S

MARCH

MARCH cont...

JULY

MARCH 5, 2020 OLA MEETING: CREATING AND LIVING YOUR BRAND

MARCH 26, 2020 23rd ANNUAL AWARDS GALA

DATE – TBD PLANT I.D. CLINIC

Join Ohio’s landscape community for an evening out as we reveal the 2019 Landscape Ohio! Award winners. This year, space is available to those who have not entered awards. This is a great opportunity for those of you who have been contemplating entering, but want to know more about the program, or for those of you just looking to spend an elegant night out with industry leaders.

See page 12 for more information.

This clinic is a hands-on training opportunity for you and your crews covering the basics of Plant ID for plants typically used in Ohio. Many of the plants that will be covered are on the plant list for the Landscape Industry Certified Technician’s Test. Sponsored by Davis Tree Farm & Nursery.

Jason Cromley, Co-owner of Hidden Creek Landscaping, discusses how Hidden Creek attained their vision, while offering advice on how to not settle when it comes to creating and living your brand.

MARCH 9, 2020 (NE Ohio) FOREMAN TRAINING Foremen walk a fine line when working side by side with employees: having to direct, motivate and critique them.

This seminar will train them how to effectively manage tight deadlines, tight margins and increase customer satisfaction. Held at Indiana Wesleyan University in Independence, OH. Sponsored by Wolf Creek Company.

MARCH 10, 2020 (Central Ohio) FOREMAN TRAINING Foremen walk a fine line when working side by side with employees: having to direct, motivate and critique them. This seminar will train them how to effectively manage tight deadlines, tight margins and increase customer satisfaction. Hosted and sponsored by Wolf Creek Company in Columbus, OH.

APRIL APRIL 8, 2020 SPRING TRAINING Safety is the key to a running a successful company. This class features sessions on proper equipment utilization & operation, basic first aid, safe hauling and loading procedures, and more. More information to come.

See page 22 for more information.

APRIL 16, 2020 OLA CENTRAL OHIO MEETING Mike Rorie, former owner of GroundMasters, Div. VP at BrightView, CEO of GIS Dynamics and Board Member at GroundSystems will discuss the importance of creating and adhering to your business model.

See page 7 for more information.

AUGUST AUGUST 6, 2020 OLA SCHOLARSHIP GOLF CLASSIC Join us at Bob-O-Link Golf Club for the OLA Scholarship Golf Classic! Our golf outing was created to help generate funding for our scholarship program, targeting qualified students interested in a vocation within the green profession. Call the OLA at 800-3356521 for sponsorship opportunities.

Registration opens in spring of 2020.

AUGUST 20, 2020 SNOW & ICE CLINIC (NE Ohio) Join us at St. Michael’s Woodside in Broadview Heights for our annual Snow & Ice Management Clinic, featuring Industry Experts, our Mini Trade Show, and more. Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities are available. Registration opens in spring/summer of 2020.

OLA’s NEW MEMBERS The Ohio Landscape Association is delighted to welcome the following members:

REGULAR MEMBERS Frieden Landscaping, Inc. 14970 Crimson King Trail Chardon, OH 44024 440-336-1217 Robert J. Frieden

STUDENT MEMBERS Linden Landcare LLC 10130 Beeson Street Alliance, OH 44601 330-238-8543 Aaron Buehler

Ohio State ATI Grant Kessler & Blake Kessler The Ohio State University Kasandra Hernandez The Growing Concern | March 2020 | 5

PR E S IDENT’ S C OL UMN continued from page 3 ...checking our emails, receiving and sending text messages, updating our statuses on social media, checking notifications, or being interrupted by someone or something. Honestly, how many times have you gone to work only to work your tail off, feel like you did so much, yet left realizing you accomplished very little? Could it be you were out of focus? More than likely, you lived your day reacting to everything that was going on around you, rather than focusing on the things that were required to achieve your goal. We all do it.

Personally, there have been many occasions when I’ve been working on something, only to hear my phone buzz with an update about my favorite sports team, or what’s going on in the stock market. And, while I love receiving this information, it really has no true impact on my day. It’s not like I’m going to all of a sudden hate my team (though as a Browns fan I should) or make some impulse decision to sell all my stock. If I made investment decisions solely based off an afternoon notification I’d be a financial wreck. The reality of the situation is that all these notifications do is distract me from focusing on the things that truly matter.

The same can be said for coworkers sometimes. Do they ever distract you or come to you with their emergencies? One of my coworkers, James, always uses the saying, “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.” Preserve your time and stay focused on what your goals are!

So how do we fix this and re-align our focus? I’ve found a few things that have worked for me that might help you as well:

• Try playing background music while you work to drown out the noise outside your office.

• De-clutter your workspace. I know that if I have papers and folders all over my desk I become overwhelmed. A clean workspace is essential for me to focus on the task at hand.

• De-clutter your mind. My mind is always cluttered, so I keep a notebook next to me when I read/work, so that when a thought pops into my mind, I stop, write it down for later, and get back to the task at hand.

While these work for me, one size doesn’t always fit all. I encourage you to try reading about other options that might work for you! There are plenty of resources out there. Be proactive. Stay commitment. Don’t let social media, your cell phones, coworkers, and other unnecessary distractions keep you from reaching your goals.

6 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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Developing Your Strategic Business Model: A Roadmap Your Business Model is the conceptual structure designed to support the successful operation of your business. Among other things, it identifies revenue sources, your customer base, what products & services you offer, details of financing and the expenses involved.

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ABOUT GIS DYNAMICS GIS Dynamics is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) company. In early 2009, a project for a New Jersey landscaper was the catalyst for what their company now focuses on, Software as a Service applications; Go iLawn (www.GoiLawn.com) and Go iPave (www.GoiPave.com). These web-based applications help lawn and landscape, snow removal and pavement maintenance contractors measure properties online to expedite the estimating and proposal process.

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PEREN N I AL FOCUS

BOBBIE SCHWARTZ, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb Geranium ‘Rozanne’ is one of the longest blooming perennials in the garden, but requires plenty of room to grow, as it is a wide-spreading perennial.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERENNIAL GARDEN DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE Now that the catalogs are arriving and we are starting to dream, it’s time to think about the relationship between garden design and the amount of maintenance that will be necessary. I’m trying to cut down on maintenance time because there never seems to be enough. We all know that the most beautifully designed and installed garden can become the garden from hell if not properly maintained.

One of the first considerations is the nature of the perennial you have or wish to use. Is it a clumper, a runner, or a seeder?

If it’s a runner, how fast does it run? Epimedium, for instance, is a lovely, drought tolerant groundcover for shady areas.

Although rhizomatous, it spreads very slowly. On the other hand, Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, a tall, stately perennial for the back of the border, will quickly overtake everything in its path.

I love many seeders but the most important question is whether the seedlings are easy to pull. This is known as editing. Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ is widely grown because it will grow almost anywhere but the seedlings will inundate a garden. Aquilegia, however, is a moderate seeder and the seedlings are most welcome because the parent plant is often besieged with leaf miner, leaving behind unsightly plants. continued on page 10

8 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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P EREN N I AL FOCUS continued from page 8 In order to space plants appropriately, one must also know the habit of the perennial. Is it an upright plant that will not need staking, or is it a flopper that will take up more space than you had imagined. Digitalis has strong stems but Centranthus, if grown in part shade instead of sun, will flop as it leans toward the sun and will also be only 12 inches high instead of 24.

(The catalogs never tell you that.)

Aster novae-angliae ‘September Ruby’

Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Double Purple’

Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’

Although Tracy DiSabato-Aust’s book, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden, was written over 20 years ago, it is still the best guide on this subject. In addition to the specifics for each perennial, the appendices are extremely helpful. They include lists, among others, of Lower Maintenance Perennials, Perennials That May Require Division Every 6-10 Years, and Perennials with Self-Cleaning Flowers.

Perennials such as Eupatorium purpureum (Joe Pye), Aster novae-angliae, and Cimicifuga (Actaea) make an impact but need virtually no attention. At most, they need to be cut to the ground in early spring if the stalks have not already fallen to the ground. One of my favorite perennials is Baptisia. I love the leguminous foliage, its June bloom, and its green, then black pods that last through the winter. Because it has a deep tap root, it does not take kindly to division or transplanting.

Just cut the stalks down in spring.

If a perennial has self-cleaning flowers, no deadheading will be required, a chore that entails time and repetitive motion that can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. The hardy Geraniums have self-cleaning flowers, a boon to all gardeners. Most are relatively short so this also means that we don’t have to bend over.

Digitalis ferruginea

Newly installed gardens often look sparse. Take advantage of annuals to fill the empty spaces. If you use seeding annuals, the garden will benefit from additional color and structure.

Also, keep in mind that while there is no such thing as no maintenance, this might be the year you decide to remove a perennial that requires too much maintenance and replace it with one that doesn’t require as much of your time.

Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, owner of Bobbie’s Green Thumb in Shaker Hts., Ohio, is a landscape designer, consultant, freelance writer, and lecturer whose specialties are perennial gardens and four season landscapes. In addition to being an Ohio Landscape Association (OLA) member, she is an active member of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) and Perennial Plant Association (PPA). Bobbie is a Past President of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).

Bobbie’s new book, Garden Renovation: Transform Your Yard into the Garden of Your Dreams, was published in November 2017 by Timber Press.

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LANDSCAPE OHIO! AWARDS GALA

EVENT INFO THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2020 WINDOWS ON THE RIVER 2000 SYCAMORE ST, CLEVELAND, OH 44113 AGENDA REGISTRATION/COCKTAILS 5:30PM - 6:45PM DINNER 6:45PM - 7:30PM PROGRAM 7:45PM - 10:00PM COST MEMBER: $75 PER PERSON * Includes champagne toast, dinner and awards show. CASH BAR.

MEMBERS ONLY EVENT

* Members in attendance may bring non-member guest

LANDSCAPE ENHANCEMENT AWARDS GALA

The Landscape Ohio! Awards Program is an annual landscape competition, created by the Ohio Landscape Association, in effort to increase awareness of quality landscaping and how it improves our environment. In conjunction with this program, the OLA hosts a prestigious Awards Gala to recognize our designers, installers, and property owners.

The 2020 gala will be held in the breathtaking Bridge View Room, at Windows on the River, in the heart of Downtown Cleveland. It is a semi-formal event inclusive of a cocktail hour, dinner buffet and awards presentation. It is also an excellent chance for industry professionals to get dressed up and celebrate the work being done by their teams and their peers.

This year, the OLA is happy to announce that we will be able to offer a limited number of tickets to those who did not enter this year’s competition. This is a great opportunity for those of you who have been contemplating entering, but want to know more about the program, or for those of you just looking to spend an elegant night out with industry leaders and get inspired for spring.

2019 MAJOR EVENT SPONSORS

The following companies have provided instructors, equipment and/or training materials to make this course possible:

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES * Opportunities to sponsor this year’s event are still available and we are always happy to accept the donation of door prizes. For more information, please contact the OLA office at 440.717.0002.

ALL ROADS

2019 CATEGORY SPONSORS

Alvord’s Yard & Garden, Bedford Glens Garden Ctr., Belgard Hardscapes, Bigfoot Landscape Supply, Cascade Lighting Inc., Cleveland Magazine, Consumer Builders Supply, Davis Tree Farm & Nursery, Great Big Home & Garden Show, Klyn Nurseries Inc., Kurtz Bros., Inc., Lake County Nursery, Premier Plant Solutions, Snow & Ice Management Association, Unilock Ohio Inc., Valley City Supply, Wolf Creek Company

Cancellations made 14 days prior to the event date will be subject to a 30% cancellation fee. NO refunds will be issued for cancellations 13 or less prior to the event, no shows, or cancellations on the day of the event. If, for any reason, the event is cancelled, attendees will be notified, and fees refunded in full.

2020 LANDSCAPE OHIO AWARDS DINNER GALA / REGISTRATION CLOSES 03/12/20 Company Contact Address City State Phone (______)

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MICHAEL J. DONNELLAN King Financial, Inc.

THE ‘S.E.C.U.R.E.’ ACT The SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act was signed by President Trump before the end of the 2019 year. But what does it mean for you?

This new law focuses on three key areas of retirement planning:

• Modifying Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) rules for retirement plans • Expanding retirement plan access • Increasing lifetime income options in retirement plans The most immediate impact will be felt by those nearing or in retirement. If you are an investor in a retirement plan or looking at setting up a plan for your business, here are a couple ways the SECURE Act may affect you.

potentially such a long period of time, was often referred to as the “stretch IRA” rule. The new law, however, generally requires any beneficiary who is more than 10 years younger than the account owner to liquidate the account within 10 years of the account owner’s death unless the beneficiary is a spouse, a disabled or chronically ill individual, or a minor child. This shorter maximum distribution period could result in unanticipated tax bills for beneficiaries who stand to inherit high-value traditional IRAs. This is also true for IRA trust beneficiaries, which may affect estate plans that intended to use trusts to manage inherited IRA assets.

NOTE: provisions took effect on or after January 1, 2020, unless otherwise noted.

ELIMINATION OF THE “STRETCH IRA” Perhaps the change requiring the most urgent attention is the elimination of long-standing provisions allowing non-spouse beneficiaries who inherit traditional IRA and retirement plan assets to spread distributions — and therefore the tax obligations associated with them — over their lifetimes. This ability to spread out taxable distributions after the death of an IRA owner or retirement plan participant, over what was

In addition to possibly reevaluating beneficiary choices, traditional IRA owners may want to revisit how IRA dollars fit into their overall estate planning strategy. For example, it may make sense to consider the possible implications of converting traditional IRA funds to Roth IRAs, which can be inherited income tax free. Although Roth IRA conversions are taxable events, investors who spread out a series of conversions over the next several years may benefit from the lower income tax rates that are set to expire in 2026. continued on page 16

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BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS On the plus side, the SECURE Act includes several provisions designed to benefit American workers and retirees.

• People who choose to work beyond traditional retirement age will be able to contribute to traditional IRAs beyond age 70½. Previous laws prevented such contributions.

• Retirees will no longer have to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from traditional IRAs and retirement plans by April 1 following the year in which they turn 70½.

The new law generally requires RMDs to begin by April 1 following the year in which they turn age 72.

• Part-time workers age 21 and older who log at least 500 hours in three consecutive years generally must be allowed to participate in company retirement plans offering a qualified cash or deferred arrangement. The previous requirement was 1,000 hours and one year of service. (The new rule applies to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2021.)

BENEFITS TO EMPLOYERS Another provision of the SECURE Act will make it easier and less expensive for small business owners to set up retirement plans for employees. The new rule will let small businesses band together to offer what are called Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs). Also, part-timers could be included in the new plans. However, it could be a few years before the Department of Labor will clarify the rules and these provisions don’t take effect until 2021.

REVIEW TRUSTS People used trusts as beneficiaries of IRAs and 401(k)s with a “pass-through” feature that let the beneficiary stretch out the tax benefits of the inherited account. The benefit of the

16 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

trust was, in part, to help manage the inherited retirement account and provide protections from creditors. However, many of these trusts only provided the beneficiary or heir access to “only the RMD due each year.” But with the new 10-year distribution rule, it is now important to review the language in the trust to deal with beneficiaries.

We’ve been advising many clients about how beneficiaries should be listed on retirement accounts since the SECURE Act was passed. The SECURE Act represents the most sweeping set of changes to retirement legislation since the Pension Protection Act in 2006. Many of these rule changes require proactive planning. Make sure you speak to your financial, tax and legal advisors to determine a plan of action for your situation.

Michael J. Donnellan is President of King Financial, Inc. specializing in stock selection and retirement planning. Feel free to contact him with any questions or comments at the M3 Wealth Management office at 17601 W. 130th Street – Suite 1 in North Royalton, Ohio. Phone number (440) 652-6370 Email: donnellan@m3wealthmanagement.com.

Securities and advisory services offered through L.M. Kohn & Company, Registered Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB, 10151 Carver Rd. Suite 100 – Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, (800) 478-0788 * King Financial Inc. does not provide legal or tax advice, consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation. The information herein is general and educational in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. ** Scenarios illustrated are hypothetical in nature, results may vary. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

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F OR SAFETY SAK E

4 STEPS TO CREATING A PREVENTATIVE SAFETY CULTURE Hitting a thumb with a hammer or dropping a two-by-four on a toe are common workplace injuries. These represent the roughly 3 million nonfatal incidents enterprises reported yearly, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But chalking up more severe incidents as accidents and not doing anything about them creates a much more dangerous threat—lack of a safety culture.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration recently released a study detailing results from the first year of its severe injury reporting program, and the outcome looks bleak. OSHA believed that although roughly 10,000 severe injuries were reported, nearly 50 percent of these types of accidents went unreported in an era where the spotlight is on improving employee safety by preventing predictable injuries.

Workplace safety has come a long way since the industrial era, and even more so with the inclusion of Safety Management

18 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Software in various industries. But to effectively stop injuries in their tracks, prevention should be at the top of every safety manager’s mind.

1. DEVELOP AN ALL-INCLUSIVE CULTURE You can’t keep employees safe without getting them on board. It’s a difficult task for a safety manager revising the perception of a workplace riddled with oversight and rampant violations. Injury prevention isn’t possible if the people experiencing problems don’t want to make a change. continued on page 20

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continued from page 18

What exactly is a safety culture though? A study from the Safety and Health At Work journal identified five pillars:

protocol, such as the absence of machine guards or methods that expose workers to danger.

• • • • •

Make internal injury reports public; most of the external data on severe injuries already is. This allows the safety manager to work with employees to understand which practices carry the most risk, where most employees are injured and how company safety lines up with the national standard.

Visible, public commitment for safety from management.

Safety valued above costs.

Unified decision-making on safety.

Employees consistently reviewing safety performance.

Safety integration in every aspect of the organization.

Implementing this culture carries financial value as well.

The Vermont Department of Labor reported that for every $1 invested in a program like this, a company can expect to yield $3 to $10 through direct and indirect savings for expenses like workers compensation, legal fees and hiring.

Key takeaway: A strong culture of safety is the foundation to preventing injuries.

2. ANALYZE WHAT YOU KNOW When building this program, employee input should be highly encouraged, Chief Executive magazine reported. This facilitates a relationship where it’s OK to point out flaws in

20 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

There are a number of incidents that can be easily prevented, but if no one sifts through the data to see their trending significance, they’re easily forgotten. Liberty Mutual’s Workplace Safety Index is an excellent barometer of the most pressing injuries facing the workforce at large. For example, overexertion accounts for roughly 24 percent of the most disabling workplace injuries, and these types of injuries often come from outdated techniques or use of manual equipment.

Key takeaway: There must be a simple process in place to report and view reports so employees can learn through means other than trial by fire. continued on page 23

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This year’s topics of dicsussion will include: • Stretching: Starting Your Day Off Right • Travel Safety: Pre-trip Inspections & Proper Loading/Hauling Practices • Equipment Utilization, Operation & Safety

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- Small Engine Equipment • First Aid: ‘What to do in Emergency Situations’ & ‘How to Deal with Cuts, Lacerations & Heat Stroke’ • Post Trip Work: Dumping, Cleaning & Equipment Maintenance Best Practices Having a trained crew is the key to fostering a culture of safety within your company. Owners, Crew Leaders, Crew Members – anyone working in the Green Profession – is encouraged to attend!

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FOR SAFETY SAKE

continued from page 20

3. CREATE A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY In a preventative safety culture, an entry-level employee needs to feel safe walking up to the CEO and handing him or her a hard hat to wear on the worksite. This heightened level of accountability is key in stopping injuries before they occur. Chief Executive magazine reported there are three different types: • Individual.

• Peer-to-peer.

• Organizational.

From a safety manager’s perspective, organizational accountability should be the first task accomplished. This refers to internal training procedures, seminars on new occupational methods and an overall understanding from top to bottom that safety comes first. At the individual level, employees should understand safety methods and procedures pertaining to their work. This starts with the hiring and onboarding process, where workers should learn and be tested on everything they need to know to prevent accidents. Peer-to-peer accountability is self-evident and it can be extremely effective for work in remote locations.

Key takeaway: Empower employees with the ability to rectify any potentially dangerous situation.

Consider this: An employee falls off a scaffold and suffers a severe injury because of it. One of the first reactions is to check the equipment. A missing bolt is identified as the main culprit behind an uneven platform, causing a worker to lose balance. Another scaffold is ordered and the problem is solved.

Upon further review, however, the safety manager finds the flaw wasn’t in the equipment itself, but rather how it was set up. In this case, simply ordering a new platform won’t solve anything— employees must be educated on the proper procedures for setting up this apparatus on site. This idea that there’s a root cause of each injury is what makes a good preventative safety culture an excellent one.

Key takeaway: By investigating past incidents, safety managers can identify potential future risks and remedy these issues through directed employee training.

Preventative safety starts with a heightened awareness of the potential dangers and a collective effort to avoid running into them and in the end can save an organization millions of dollars.

4. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Historical revisionism is a powerful tool when it comes to safety.

Hindsight is always 20/20 and often leaves organizations in disbelief a risk wasn’t identified beforehand. Determining the contributing factors of incidents and accidents can help safety managers identify pertinent areas for improvement, such as training or equipment upgrade.

This article was written by Harold Gubnitsky and appeared on the ProcessMAP web-blog located at https://blog.processmap.com. ProcessMAP was created to help businesses overcome the complexities of managing their Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS), and risk data. ProcessMAP helps customers across the globe optimize processes and performance, while mitigating risk.

The Growing Concern | March 2020 | 23

PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH

JIM FUNAI, LIC Cuyahoga Community College Buddleia davidii: Butterfly-bush

SHELLEY FUNAI, LIC Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

BUDDLEIA DAVIDII BUTTERFLY-BUSH

There are an awful lot of opinions out there surrounding this month’s plant. Opinions vary from “love, or hate” to “invasive, or essential ornamental.” Some states have banned the plant. Others have it listed on the official invasive database (Virginia, California, Delaware, Kentucky, Oregon, and Tennessee). It makes you wonder how a plant can be faced with such fervor to eradicate (in some states), yet breeders continue to crank out new varieties left and right. This month, we hope to clear up some of the myths surrounding Butterfly-Bush and shed some light on the value it may still have in our modern landscapes.

Let’s start with the name. You may have seen the name spelled as “Buddleja,” and in fact, many reputable sources, such as the Missouri Botanical Garden and the International Botanical Congress, list it as such. While there is a really interesting story behind this spelling tracing back to Linnaeus himself, after careful research, we are confident the correct spelling is sans “J.” Dr. Dirr cites the namer of Buddleia as a French botanist named Adrien Franchet (born in 1834). Franchet though cannot be the person who named this plant, as we found record of the name dating back to 1737 (when Linnaeus was

24 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

30) in his publication “Genera plantarum.” In this publication he gives credit to William Houstoun, who spelled it “Buddlea.”

Linnaeus changed it to Buddleia, publishing it this way in his annual update, from 1737 on. The typesetters that printed these books – trying to be fancy – used the “j” in place of “i” and “v” in the place of “u” in the main text, but never in the index. Each year, in the update of the book, the main text would show Buddleja and the index would indicate Buddleia.

There are other plants that fell into this trap, but Buddleia is one of the few to still be fighting off the habit.

Regardless of spelling, it’s clear the genus is a nod to Reverend Adam Buddle (1660-1715), an English botanist. The specific epithet is a nod to Pere David (1826-1900), a French naturalist.

Note: If by chance you enjoy these kinds of worm-hole ramblings about botanical history, one of our main research sources is the Biodiversity Heritage Library which has an insane amount of rare and historical texts searchable on all kinds of biology topics.

Now, let’s talk about how this plant causes confusion when it comes to its hardiness. Some of you may have had trouble getting Butterfly-Bush to survive the winter. And, many of you likely won’t plant them, or won’t offer a warranty, for that reason.

Buddleia is actually incredibly hardy and a nearly indestructible plant. The downfall that most face in Ohio are heavy, wet clays.

The plant prefers the gravelly side of a mountain or the crack of a sidewalk compared to wet, heavy soils. Many die in winter from rotting in the root system or suffocation in the roots.

Planted in full sun in well drained soils, these plants will survive any winter thrown at them. In the worst of winters they’ll die back, perhaps to the crown, but will jump back up in the spring.

Typically we prefer to prune ours to about 12 inches or so in the fall to early spring, while thinning the branching a bit. These plants are rather deer-resistant and can handle some occasional continued on page 26 munching without a negative impact.

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PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH

continued from page 25 When under heavy drought stress, you may have a crop of spider mites show up, but under normal growing conditions a happy plant can fend for itself quite well.

Some garden advisors will tell you to remove the spent flowers in effort to maintain proper blooming. We’ve never found that to be the case, having no issues with several months of continuous blooms on our plants. We’ve also heard tell of the plant actually being bad for butterflies, though when pushed, it seems there is a misunderstanding concerning butterfly life cycles. The flowers do provide a great nectar source for both butterflies and moths (especially the hawk or hummingbird moths, so cool!) in the adult form. They are not a food source for caterpillars, which is OK, as long as you provide other plants to serve this purpose.

In recent years, the brand with white pots has taken this species under their marketing powerhouse and produced some interesting cultivars, as have a number of other plant factories. It would be silly to start naming cultivars, as even the most recent rendition of the Dirr manual dedicates over eight full pages of text to the hundreds of cultivars out there. Our best suggestion is consult the cultivar description for ultimate size, shape, and

26 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

flower color. Expect plants in a range of below 18 inches to over 8 feet tall. Some can be little, ground-hugging, mini-shrubs and others can be giant, vase-shaped, shrubs. Colors tend to be in the pastel pinks, purples, lavenders with more bold yellows, reds, and deep purples, or even pure whites.

This is a versatile shrub that we find pretty valuable in an urban landscape that will have to become adaptable to the changing climactic conditions it will face in the decades to come. Will the plant reseed? Sure, likely some. But not any worse than the Red Maples we’ve been planting all over the place! Times are changing and our understanding of the urban ecosystem needs to change as well.

Jim Funai, PhD. is full-time faculty at Cuyahoga Community College, a NALP accredited associate of applied science in hoticulture degree program.

He has a PhD in Landscape Engineering and Forestry and is a Licensed Arborist. Shelley Funai is Grounds Manager at Stan Hywett Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio, which offers a historic estate designed by Warren H. Manning and a beautiful manor house museum. She is Landscape Industry Certified in Ornamental Plant Care.

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F EATURE ARTI CLE

WHAT IS SMART IRRIGATION? In the United States, outdoor water use alone averages more than 9 billion gallons of water each day, mainly for landscape irrigation. As much as 50% of this water is wasted due to overwatering caused by inefficiencies in traditional irrigation methods and systems. Smart irrigation technology is the answer.

Smart irrigation systems tailor watering schedules and run times automatically to meet specific landscape needs. These controllers significantly improve outdoor water use efficiencies.

Unlike traditional irrigation controllers that operate on a preset programmed schedule and timers, smart irrigation controllers monitor weather, soil conditions, evaporation and plant water use to automatically adjust the watering schedule to actual conditions of the site.

For example, as outdoor temperatures increase or rainfall decreases, smart irrigation controllers consider on site-specific variables, such as soil type, sprinklers’ application rate, etc. to adjust the watering run times or schedules. There are several options for smart irrigation controllers.

28 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

WEATHER-BASED VS. SOIL MOISTURE SENSORS Essentially there are 2 types of smart irrigation controllers: weather-based (ET) and on-site soil moisture sensors. The right solution depends on your geographic location and landscape environment.

Weather-based smart irrigation controllers Weather-based controllers, also referred to as evapotranspiration (ET) controllers, use local weather data to adjust irrigation schedules accordingly. Evapotranspiration is the combination of evaporation from the soil surface and transpiration by plant materials. These controllers gather local weather information and make irrigation run-time adjustments so the landscape receives the appropriate amount of water. continued on page 30

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FEATURE ARTI CLE

continued from page 28 ET weather data uses four weather parameters: temperature, wind, solar radiation and humidity. It’s the most accurate way to calculate landscape water needs.

There are three basic forms of these weather-based ET controllers: •

•

•

Signal-based controllers use meteorological data from a publicly available source and the ET value is calculated for a grass surface at the site. The ET data is then sent to the controller by a wireless connection.

Historic ET controllers use a pre-programmed water use curve, based on historic water use in different regions. The curve can be adjusted for temperature and solar radiation.

On-site weather measurement controllers use weather data collected on-site to calculate continuous ET measurements and water accordingly.

Soil moisture sensors used with smart irrigation controllers Soil moisture sensor-based smart irrigation controllers use one of several well-established technologies to measure soil moisture content. When buried in the root zone of turf, trees or shrubs, the sensors accurately determine the moisture level in the soil and transmit this reading to the controller.

There are two different soil moisture sensor-based systems available: •

Suspended cycle irrigation systems, which are set like traditional timer controllers, with watering schedules, start times and duration. The difference is that the system will stop the next scheduled irrigation when there is enough moisture in the soil.

•

Water on demand irrigation requires no programming of irrigation duration (only start times and days of the week to water). It has a user-set lower and upper threshold, which initiates irrigation when the soil moisture level fails to meet those levels.

SMART CONTROLLERS SAVE WATER & MONEY The experts agree that smart irrigation systems and controllers versus traditional irrigation controllers conserve water across a variety of scenarios. Several controlled research studies indicate substantial water savings anywhere from 30 to 50 percent.

Tests by the Irrigation Association (IA) and the International Center for Water Technology at California State University in Fresno, have shown smart irrigation controllers to save up to 20 percent more water than traditional irrigation controllers.

Another study tested a prototype controller/receiver system consisting of a traditional irrigation controller modified to receive a signal broadcasted via satellite. Outdoor water savings were calculated based on 2-years of pre-installation usage and were adjusted for weather conditions. The reported average outdoor savings is 16 percent and it is also reported this represents 85 percent of potential savings based on reference ET. A water efficient irrigation study of the Saving Water Partnership, a coalition of 24 water purveyors, was conducted in Washington State’s Puget Sound. Water savings were calculated based on historical consumption and adjustments were made for weather conditions. The reported water savings were 20,735 gallons per year per site for sites with rain sensors controllers and 10,071 gallons per year per site for sites using traditional controllers.

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30 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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The Growing Concern | March 2020 | 31

UP DATES

DRIVING RULES DELAYED After giving the industry, state and federal agencies four years to prep for the new CDL requirements, rather than roll out the entry-level driver training rule in phases – as proposed last year – the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has opted to punt the implementation of the entire rule for two more years.

The final rule detailed the curriculum for individuals seeking Class A and Class B CDLs to drive trucks and/or buses.

Additional curriculum segments were included for specialized niches like hazardous materials. That final rule was later amended to ease the transition from Class B to Class A licenses in May 2019, reducing some of the theory curriculum requirements.

The rule did not include a specified amount of time required for behind-the-wheel training for either the range or on-road training. Instead, the agency opted for a proficiency-based approach that would accommodate individuals who learn at different paces.

The agency blamed the inability to quantify the benefit of requiring a set number of hours behind the wheels, but said it would study the results of training without a requirement and make adjustments in the future, if necessary.

These regulations would also restrict those who can train entrylevel drivers to those registered with the agency. The registry

32 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

would allow the agency to track successes, and failures, of training providers. Trainers with substandard performance could face removal from the registry and would no longer be permitted to train new drivers.

Those provisions led to the initial proposal in July to postpone parts of the final rule.

Two provisions in the rule – the date for training providers to upload entry-level training certification information into the Training Provider Registry and the date for state driver licensing agencies to receive driver-specific entry-level driver training information – were to be extended two years to Feb. 7, 2022.

Following a review of the public comments regarding these rules, FMCSA has confirmed that they have postponed the entire rule for 2 more years. This extension is reflective of the their continued efforts to develop a secure, efficient and effective electronic trainer registry. The agency remains committed to making the implementation of the rule as effective as possible.

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The two-year delay does, in turn, present some opportunity for improvement in the rule.

OOIDA has supported national driver training standards and has been an active participant in the rulemaking process.

“While the regulations that were expected to take effect next year would have undoubtedly improved highway safety, the rulemaking still did not include any behind-the-wheel instruction necessary for acquiring a CDL. This is difficult to comprehend when you look at some industries with far less public safety implications that require hundreds if not thousands of hours of training before licensing individuals,” Spencer said.

“The December 2016 final rulemaking established a 3-year compliance period that should have been sufficient for the agency and the states to prepare for this year’s implementation.

Any further extensions will only delay the safety benefits that come from more comprehensive entry-level driver training requirements,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said.

“Even within transportation, commercial pilots typically need at least 250 hours of actual flight time before they can be licensed.

If the regs are delayed another two years, OOIDA will continue working with Congress and FMCSA in order to establish substantive, mandatory minimum standards for behind-thewheel training before the next implementation date.”

“Delaying the rule directly contradicts FMCSA’s mission of reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks. Truckers will tell you the best way to promote safety is improving the driver training requirements and right now too many new drivers enter the industry without the basic skills or knowledge to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle.”

This article, written by Jami Jone, appeared at LandLineMedia.com. Land Line Magazine is the go-to news resource for all professional truckers who want to know how the news will affect them.

As part of the OLA’s mission, we continually offer training opportunities for your landscape business. In regards to the delay in implementing this program, we will be looking into the viability of offering our CDL Training Clinic in the coming months, and/or potentially next year.

For the most up-to-date list of these clinics & programs, please visit https:// www.ohiolandscapers.org/calendar.html.

D I RECTI ON S

OLA GARDEN 2020 GREAT BIG HOME & GARDEN SHOW OLA members never cease to amaze me with their volunteer efforts and generous donations of time and treasure. The OLA had a garden at the Great Big Home and Garden Show again this February. And, as has happened for many years, competing companies joined together for the greater good and created a masterpiece garden to benefit the entire membership.

We received a lot of compliments on the garden from attendees concerning the accessibility of our garden, the colorful plantings, the workmanship, and the fact that we labeled our plants. We gave out a few thousand copies of Landscape Ohio! Magazine promoting the use of OLA members and our consumer website referral system. And, we were able to do all this with little monetary investment, thanks to those who volunteered their time and donated materials and use of equipment.

In addition, this year we again included a colorful and interesting display about the great careers in the green industry. This display featured three banner stands with the main headline, “Love what you do! Do what you love!” Isn’t that a great message?

This display was strategically placed where everyone who visited the garden area would have to pass by as they exited the garden area. Our goal was that patrons of the show would be inspired by all the beautiful gardens and then be inspired to consider working in our profession. With the workforce development display, we had two different brochures as take-homes. Our PR and Marketing Committee, Board of Directors, and Rick Doll (staff) did a fantastic job with the messaging and are committed to expanding on this idea by creating additional Workforce Development resources. As always, your ideas are welcomed!

2020 GREAT BIG HOME & GARDEN SHOW TEAM Our sincere appreciation to the following people & organizations that made this year’s garden possible: GARDEN DESIGNERS Ken Sasak, Sasak Landscaping, Inc. Kevin Sasak, Sasak Landscaping, Inc. PROJECT MANAGER Ken Sasak, Sasak Landscaping, Inc. ASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER Kevin Sasak, Sasak Landscaping, Inc. GARDEN CONSTRUCTION TEAM Cahoon Nursery & Garden Center Empaco Equipment J.A.G. Lawn Maintenance & Landscaping Ohio Landscape Association Sasak Landscaping, Inc. Working With Nature Yard Smart, Inc.

MATERIALS AND TRANSPORTATION Bedford Glens Garden Center Pete & Pete Belgard Hardscapes Phoenix Corporation Boyas Excavating Pioneer’s Pride Carvings by Chris Pond Supplies of Ohio, Inc. Davis Tree Farm Sasak Landscaping, Inc. Empaco Equipment Corp.

Site One Landscape Supply Iron Image Design Smith Bros., Inc. Italgranite, LLC The Great Big Home & Garden Show Mason Steel Vermeer All Roads Ohio CAT Willoway Nurseries

Again, many thanks to everyone involved in the garden! We appreciate all the people who came out to staff the garden as well. This is always a great opportunity to speak with the public. And a special thanks to Sasak Landscaping for going above and beyond to handle all the details and create a beautiful garden for the OLA!

34 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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SAVE THE DATE 08.06.20 THE

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Encouraging Professional Standards and Promoting the Green Industry