Notes from the Executive Director

Greetings, MNLA Members! I hope this newsletter finds you in the middle of a very productive season. We are switching gears over in the MNLA office; with the legislative session now closed, we have turned our attention to planning a summer full of fun networking events. We have quite a few exciting things in store for you this year! We will be holding our 10th annual (that’s right – 10 years!) golf tournament on August 10th, proving that green thumbs CAN indeed golf. This event is an important fundraiser for both our Chapter activities and Scholarship Program. If you’ll be in the Billings area in August, please join us! Even though we are just entering the summer, plans are already well underway for the Fall Tour. We’re headed to Great Falls this year! Mark your calendars for September 14-15th for a behind-the-scenes tour of the area’s finest nurseries and landscapes, with a few surprises thrown in along the way. The Fall Tour is the perfect way to cap off the season and revive your team with inspiration from the sites we visit. The Fall Tour also offers the opportunity to take the Certified Plant Professional exam. Insiders tell us that the Plant Identification is a wee bit easier than during the middle of winter when live plants are hard to come by. Look for registration information for both the Fall Tour and CPP exam in this Leaflet.

Special thanks to James Hoiland and Erin Borland with Greenup Lawn Landscape & Sprinklers for helping plan the Fall Tour!

Don’t forget to take pictures as you work on projects this year –the Best of Montana Landscape Competition and Container Planting Contest entry deadlines will be here before we know it. Mark your calendars for October 15th; the intent-to-enter deadline. We can’t wait to celebrate the work you do!

I hope to see many of you at our events throughout the Summer. As always, I’m just a call or email away; contact me any time: 406-755-3079, or gina@ plantingmontana.com. Have a wonderful Summer!

Gina Albaugh MNLA Executive Director