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MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

9 Highlights from the 2026 Summer Tour

Montana Green Expo Keynote Announced

WHAT’S INSIDE 3

2026 MNLA BOARD FROM THE PRESIDENT

HONORING OUR NEW CERTIFIED PLANT PROFESSIONAL UPCOMING CPP EXAM

MEMBERS CORNER FOSTER FLOWER WHOLESALE NURSERY

IN THE BOARDROOM

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

BILLINGS CHAPTER UPDATE

UPCOMING EVENTS

BOZEMAN CHAPTER UPDATE

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

THE DELIBERATE MANAGER: SEVEN STEPS TO SCHEDULING YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2026 SUMMER TOUR

ARE YOU FOSTERING EMPLOYEE INDEPENDENCE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION?

BEST OF MONTANA LANDSCAPE COMPETITION

MONTANA GREEN EXPO KEYNOTE ANNOUNCED

MNLA MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 20353 • Billings, MT 59104 406.755.3079 • www.plantingmontana.org DISCLAIMER: The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, directors or staff and do not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements, or their identification as members of the MNLA does not constitute an endorsement of their products or featured services. REPRINT PERMISSION: Reprints of original articles may be granted upon request. Contact info@plantingmontana.org with requests. MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

2026 MNLA BOARD PRESIDENT

John Spray The Good Earth Works Co. Billings, MT

1st VICE PRESIDENT

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Aaron Mihelish Caras Nursery Missoula, MT

Fellow MNLA Members, As summer begins to give way to fall, I find myself looking back on what has been another busy, challenging, and rewarding season for Montana’s green industry.

2nd VICE PRESIDENT Ali Zackheim Gardenwerks Helena, MT

3rd VICE PRESIDENT Kendra Hinojosa Solstice Landscaping Bozeman, MT

MEMBER-AT-LARGE Joe Sansone Oldcastle Polson, MT

For many of us, this summer seemed to be defined by heat, long days, and full schedules. Here in Billings, we experienced our share of hot and dry conditions, including temperatures over 100 degrees. Other parts of Montana experienced similar stretches of heat, while wildfire conditions and smoke were a reminder of just how quickly conditions can change across our state. For those of us who make our living working outdoors, weather isn’t something we simply talk about—it affects nearly every decision we make. Our crews work through it, our plants and landscapes respond to it, irrigation systems are put to the test by it, and our schedules are often dictated by it. Yet once again, I watched our industry adapt, solve problems, and continue moving forward.

PAST PRESIDENT

One of the privileges of serving as President of MNLA is getting the opportunity to step outside of my own business occasionally and spend time with the people who make up this association. This summer gave me several opportunities to do exactly that.

SECRETARY

The Billings Chapter held its 13th Annual Golf Tournament this year at a new venue, Pryor Creek Golf Club in Huntley. Moving an established event to a new location always comes with a little uncertainty, but it turned out to be a great decision. We had beautiful weather, a strong turnout, a financially successful event, and most importantly, people genuinely seemed to enjoy the new venue.

James Hoiland Green Up Lawn & Landscape Sprinklers Great Falls, MT

Pat Appleby Compost Happens Gardening Florence, MT

EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR Mike Sheets, CPP North Grounds Prop. Maintenance Bozeman, MT

NORTHERN ROCKIES TREE SCHOOL CHAIR Mike Garvey

Garvey’s Urban Forest Billings, MT

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Gina Albaugh MNLA Billings, MT

MT DEPT. OF AG LIAISON Frank Etzler MDA Helena, MT

Congratulations to the winning team from Tvetene Turf! Events like this don’t happen without people willing to put in the work behind the scenes. I especially want to recognize our committee chair, Jason Albaugh of River Ridge Landscape Co., for the time and effort he put into making this year’s tournament successful. I would also like to thank committee members Tim Groener of Pipeco, Bryce Olsen of Stone Works Landscaping, Tisha “Tish” Hague of Tvetene Turf, and Will Bramhill of John’s Home and Yard Service. Their work is a great example of what makes our local chapters and MNLA as a whole successful—members willing to contribute their time for the benefit of the industry. Another highlight of my summer was our MNLA Summer Tour in the Kalispell and Whitefish area. Wildfire smoke was certainly visible and reminded us of the conditions affecting the region, but fortunately it didn’t interfere with what turned out to be a fun, beautiful, and very educational tour. We had the opportunity to visit some outstanding businesses and landscapes and, as always, learn from the people behind them. I continue to believe that cont. on page 4

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relationships are built. Those connections make our association stronger, but they also make each of our businesses and our industry stronger.

one of the greatest benefits of MNLA is simply getting professionals from different parts of our industry together. We all do things a little differently, and there is tremendous value in seeing another operation, walking through a successful project, asking questions, exchanging ideas, and getting to know the people behind the businesses.

As we head into fall and the pace finally begins to change, I hope everyone takes a moment to look back at what your employees and businesses accomplished this season. Our work isn’t easy. It requires knowledge, physical effort, patience, adaptability, and a willingness to deal with whatever Montana decides to throw at us that particular day.

I even took my own advice about slowing down once in a while. My wife and I stayed in the Flathead through the weekend after the tour and enjoyed a much-needed break before heading home and getting back into the grind of summer projects. I think most of us in this industry understand how difficult it can be to step away during our busiest months, but sometimes a couple of days away reminds us why it’s worth doing.

Every landscape completed, every property maintained, every tree planted, every irrigation system kept operating, and every customer served represents the work of people who take pride in their profession. As I said in my summer letter, the work we do matters.

More recently, the Billings Chapter held our annual Field Days, again trying out a new venue this year at Tvetene Turf’s sod farm in Billings. The turnout was excellent. Vendors brought equipment for demonstrations, Montana Outlaw BBQ kept everyone well fed, and members had an opportunity to visit, learn, and talk shop in a relaxed setting. People stayed until the sun went down, which might be the best measure of a successful event.

After another season spent watching MNLA members work, learn, volunteer, and enjoy each other’s company, I believe that more than ever. Thank you to everyone who participated in our events this summer, and especially to the volunteers, sponsors, vendors, committees, and businesses that made them possible. Your involvement is what makes this association work.

Looking back at these events, something stands out to me. MNLA is certainly about education, professional development, and representing Montana’s green industry— but it is also about relationships.

I hope everyone has a safe and productive finish to the season—and that somewhere along the way you find a little time to enjoy the fall.

The conversations on a golf course, walking through a landscape on the Summer Tour, watching an equipment demonstration at Field Days, or simply sharing a meal with another member are where many of those

Sincerely, John Spray, President Montana Nursery & Landscape Association

MNLA Scholarship Deadline to apply:

November 1 Did you know the MNLA offers student scholarships AND professional development scholarships? Full eligibility requirements can be found on our website. Download the application online:

www.plantingmontana.org/scholarships

Questions? 406.755.3079 info@plantingmontana.org MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Members Corner

The Foster Flowers Wholesale Nursery team, Karen Whitby, Falina Lintner, Travis Foster and Lucia Herford recently transplanted seedlings. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)

Foster Flower Wholesale Nursery—One of a Handful Using Biological Controls The greenhouses at Foster Flowers Wholesale Nursery in Whitefish look like most other greenhouses. The floors are covered with trays of young plants and rows of hanging baskets are overhead.

He said the aphid-hunting wasps look more like flying ants and are only a couple of millimeters long.

Upon closer inspection, multiple packages among the plants become apparent. Small plastic boxes on cardboard backings hang from overhead baskets and tea bag-sized pouches on sticks dot the flats of plants on the ground. Each contains about half a teaspoon of what looks like fine sawdust with a sprinkling of dark specks.

Employing bugs to fight bugs is one kind of biological practice – the use of a product derived from natural sources to protect plants from pests. Each of the predatory bugs has a specific pest bug that it likes to eat.

Another sachet holds a beneficial bug that prefers to eat thrips.

“We are the first nursery in Montana to go to a completely biological control of insects on ornamental plants,” Foster said. “We’re one of the first 50 in the country, I’d say, to do this.”

Those specks are what makes this nursery special. They are the stars of the greenhouses, aside from five beloved cats who patrol the grounds, and they are bugs. That’s right, bugs.

Foster calls his method “responsible growing,” which entails rejection of chemicals, including organic sprays, in favor of using biologicals.

“Those are mummies of a little miniature wasp,” Owner Travis Foster said, pointing out the specks which are the cocoon stage of the soon-to-be flying insects. “It doesn’t sting, but it’s in the wasp family, and they hatch over time, and they fly around and they eat aphids.”

cont. on page 6

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mid 80s with the release of the insects to control weeds,” Foster said. “My dad was the first ranch in the state to use the biological control of weeds and worked with Montana State University on the litura bug that eats the seeds of the thistles.”

“I have a problem with even organic chemicals, because some of them are even bad for bees and bad for humans,” he said. “We have this idea that, you hear the word organic chemical, it’s healthy, but that’s not necessarily the case.” Foster said there is a steep learning curve involved in running his nursery this way and admits to experiencing some failures, but he sees each of them as an opportunity to learn.

Foster Flowers are available at Western Building Center and Nelson’s Ace Hardware in Whitefish, Columbia Falls’ Ace Hardware and Glacier Ace Hardware in Evergreen. The nursery is available to local landscapers, who are given 24-hour access to the plants.

“I’ve got cutworms this year that I’ve never had, and they took out quite a bit of the peppers, but we didn’t want to spray them even with organic chemicals,” he said. “The organic chemical that really gets the cutworms is also bad for bees, therefore, probably not the best thing for humans.

“I’m a great choice if they’re in Whitefish and they’re short a few flats,” he said of the landscapers. “They can just come grab it really quick. If they do have a big order, we’ll deliver it for them.”

“So we brought in some more beneficial insects two nights ago and it seems like they knocked down the cutworms,” he said. “We lost a lot of plants, but we learned a lot.”

Between the four greenhouses on the property that’s been in Foster’s family for 100 years, mid-April snow covered hundreds of potted plants including pansies whose bright colors belied the cold temps and grey skies.

Biologicals include not only bugs, but plants, too. “This plant here is what we call a banker plant, and this plant attracts all the thrips, aphids, spider mites, and it brings them here, so there’s a more concentrated place of food,” Foster said, turning aside some of the grass-like leaves to show the tiny bugs. “My good bugs go around and eat everything, then they come on this plant and feed. “

“We grow [our perennials] over two years, so we don’t use any chemicals, like presentation chemicals, that nurseries use to make them look nice and perfect,” he said. “This is letting them grow naturally, so when you put them into the pot, they’ll grow faster, they’ll root in quicker because there’s none of the chemicals on them that slow the growth and force the blooming.”

“When you come out, first thing in the morning, there are lots of bugs flying around here because they’ve been feasting all night,” he added.

Article originally appeared in the Whitefish Pilot, May 2026.

Foster grew up on a cattle ranch in Choteau and, thanks to his dad, developed an appreciation for beneficial bugs.

Reprinted here with permission.

“I’ve always been curious about the biological control of things because of what my dad was doing back in the

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Packets of beneficial insects are seen on

Art, a Foster Flowers cat, nibbles a banker

Flats of pansies relish the cold at Foster

hanging baskets and in flats of plants at

plant. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)

Flowers. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)

Foster Flowers Wholesale Nursery. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)

Foster Flowers’ Princess Luna keeps a flat

The specks on this leaf are Amblyseius californicus,

Foster Flowers Wholesale Nursery

of nasturtiums warm with a mid-day nap.

one of the beneficial insects used at Foster Flowers.

is full of fresh colors.(Julie Engler/

(Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)

Californicus specializes in ridding plants of spider

Whitefish Pilot)

mites. (Photo provided)

Upcoming Events & Deadlines November 15, 2026

Best of Montana Competition Entry Deadline

January 5-7, 2027

Montana Green Expo - Missoula, MT

January 5, 2027

Certified Plant Professional Exam - Missoula, MT

Find event registration on our webpage: www.PlantingMontana.org 7

the Leaflet - FALL 2026

From the Executive Director

Gina Albaugh MNLA Executive Director

reetings MNLA Members,

It’s hard to believe we’re already well into another Montana Fall! I hope you’ve had a successful season and found a little time to unplug and enjoy a few weekends away. It’s been fun seeing familiar faces at our MNLA events throughout the summer season; thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Summer Tour, golf tournaments, and chapter events. MNLA is at its best when members come together to share ideas and build connections. A special thankyou to all the volunteers, event sponsors, and site hosts who put in the time and effort to make these events happen. Be sure to check out the event recaps and photos in this issue of the Leaflet! Now that the busy season is winding down, it’s time to turn our attention to the Montana Green Expo. We’re heading to Missoula January 5–7, 2027. 1st VP Aaron Mihelish is heading up planning a great conference with lots of fresh ideas and opportunities to learn. From hands-on workshops to 5

MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

tracks of break-out sessions, there’s something for everyone on your team. Check out the Expo details in this Leaflet, then head to www. plantingmontana.org/montanagreen-expo to explore the schedule and register. We can’t wait to see you in Missoula! If you’ve been considering taking the Certified Plant Professional (CPP) exam, or have team members ready to take the next step, mark your calendars for the next exam on January 5th. The quieter winter months are a great time to invest in your team’s professional development. The exam won’t be offered again until next summer. Visit www. plantingmontana.org/certification for more information. We also have two openings coming up in January for our Board of Directors: 3rd Vice President and Memberat-Large. James Hoiland and Joe Sansone will both complete their terms of service this year, which opens up space for two individuals to step in. Serving on the board is a great way to get more involved with MNLA, share your ideas, and help shape the future of our industry. If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved, we encourage

you to consider a nomination (selfnominations are welcome too). Please reach out to any of the current board members if you have questions about what serving on the board involves. And don’t forget about your local MNLA chapters! The Billings and Bozeman chapter meetings offer a relaxed setting to connect, share experiences, and talk through the challenges and successes that come with working in our industry. Whether you attend regularly or haven’t made it to a meeting yet, we’d love to see you there. As always, thank you for being part of MNLA. Your membership, involvement, and willingness to support one another are what keep our association moving forward. If you have questions, ideas, or suggestions for how we can better serve you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m just a call or email away at 406-7553079 or gina@plantingmontana.org. I hope to see you in Missoula at the Montana Green Expo! Until then, stay warm, enjoy a little downtime, and have a wonderful start to the Fall season. Gina Albaugh MNLA Executive Director

Kick off dinner at the home of Brad and Desi Brown, owners of Glacier Nursery.

Highlights from the 2026 Summer Tour in the Flathead

hat a wonderful gathering of MNLA members and friends we had in the Flathead for our 2026 summer tour! It had been five years since our last visit, and it was a pleasure to reconnect and see the amazing work happening in the northern part of our state.

acres with approximately 900 varieties of trees, shrubs, and perennials suited to the challenging growing conditions of the Northern Rocky Mountains. A lively roundtable discussion followed on the growing interest in native plants, how it is changing our industry, and how growers, retailers, and installers can offer natives to their clients. Panelists included representatives from Glacier Nursery, Center for Native Plants, and Great Bear Native Plants. We ended the evening with a hayride tour of the grounds. Thank you to everyone at Glacier Nursery for a wonderful kickoff to the tour!

Glacier Nursery, Creston We gathered at Glacier Nursery, where owners Brad and Desi Brown welcomed us warmly and hosted 50 tour guests to a delicious meal in their yard. For 43 years, Brad and Desi have poured their passion and commitment into Glacier Nursery. They have grown the original 20 acres into a thriving 77

cont. on page 10

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Hay ride and walking tours of Glacier Nursery.

Montana Rockworks, Marion The next morning, we drove out to Montana Rockworks’ saw facility at their McGregor Lake Quarry, just outside Marion. Known for their expertise in natural stone production, they bring the character of authentic Montana stone, quarried in the Northern Rockies, to residential and commercial projects across North America. We learned about their stone harvesting and cutting process.

Saw cutting and site tour at Montana Rockworks.

MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Big Sky Honeyberries, Whitefish Our next stop was a sweet treat: Big Sky Honeyberries, a family-owned farm outside Whitefish. Visionary farmer David Dunn built his 15-acre farm from scratch, and it now includes 8 miles of hedgerows and 10,000 honeyberry bushes. His farm is a testament to patience, perseverance, and a deep respect for the land.

Picking and eating honeyberries at Big Sky Honeyberries.

The Larch House, Whitefish

the rooftop and courtyard landscapes, which required a construction crane and conveyor belts to lift soil, trees, and plant material into otherwise inaccessible spaces. The result is a thoughtfully integrated landscape that enhances the guest experience and showcases the collaboration between architecture and landscape design.

In Whitefish, we visited Stillwater Landscaping’s new landscape at the Larch House, a luxury boutique hotel in the historic Railway District. The hotel blends contemporary mountain architecture with the town’s historic character, and the landscape extends that design, connecting the buildings with inviting outdoor spaces that provide yearround beauty, texture, and a strong sense of place. One of the project’s most unique challenges was installing

Touring the beautiful grounds at The Larch House.

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Foster Flowers Wholesale, Lost Loon Lake We then headed to Foster Flowers Wholesale on the shores of Lost Loon Lake, where we enjoyed a lovely lunch. This family-owned nursery focuses on sustainability, relying entirely on beneficial insects rather than chemical controls to protect its plants. Owner Travis Malone gave us a behindthe-scenes look at this fascinating approach and explained why he is happy to have greenhouses that are “full of bugs.” We also learned about his unique business model, which provides full-service maintenance on wholesale plant sales to local hardware stores.

Center for Native Plants and Forestoration Next, we toured the Center for Native Plants, where more than 200 species of Montana and Intermountain Northwest native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, groundcovers, and trees are grown on site. Forestoration founder Greg Gunderson and lead designer David Noftsinger shared how the nursery came to be: Forestoration needed a source of native plant stock for its restoration projects. Forestoration is a multidisciplinary firm specializing in the planning, design, and management of outdoor spaces, from backcountry natural areas to urban parks and residential landscapes.

MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Forestoration Private Properties We concluded the tour with two private properties designed and installed by Forestoration. The first featured a beautifully designed waterfall streaming down the hillside into a natural swimming pool, with natural stone patios and paths weaving through the landscape. Native plants were transplanted from the site before construction of the house began, cultivated at the Center for Native Plants, and then returned to the site. This revegetation process helps the landscape blend seamlessly into the surrounding native forest. The second property, a two-acre private residence, has been transformed from a large sodded field into a diverse landscape with hundreds of species, thousands of plants, and meandering paths throughout. It is truly one of a kind!

Join us in 2027! If you have never attended a summer tour, we encourage you to join us next year. You’ll meet others in the industry, see inside some of Montana’s best green industry businesses, and come home with new ideas. We look forward to seeing you next summer! The tour will be held mid-summer in Butte, MT.

the Leaflet - FALL 2026

Montana Green Expo Keynote Announced Aaron Mihelish, MNLA 1st Vice President

This year has been incredibly productive, starting with an invaluable trip to Denver for the ProGreen EXPO to learn fresh insights and new technologies directly from national industry leaders. That momentum continued with our highly successful MNLA Summer Tour in the Flathead Valley, where I had a fantastic time connecting with fellow Montana professionals and touring regional operations and landscapes behind the scenes. Now, my focus is shifting back home as we actively prepare to host the 2027 Montana Green EXPO in Missoula this coming January, I am excited to help welcome the industry leaders for networking, education, and setting our local businesses up for a successful year ahead. Exciting news for the 2027 Green Expo! We’re proud to welcome our keynote speaker, James Robilotta. Author, executive coach, and trained improv comedian, James will share his dynamic, practical approach to authentic leadership, team communication, and building strong workplace cultures. James Robilotta, CSP, is a leadership author, motivational speaker, emcee, and trained improv comedian. After years of building, training, and leading teams, James followed an entrepreneurial dream and built two successful businesses. The first is an organization that incorporates freestyle rap into improv comedy (a success story for another day). And the second is his speaking and coaching business (a success story for today).

MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

James has been speaking internationally to willing and unwilling audiences since 2009 and has found that quality humor is the secret to hosting powerful conversations that make a genuine impact. His attendees leave feeling recharged, introspective, and ready to get out of their own way. With years of research (and a few too many real-life case studies within his work), James has learned everything he can about fighting apathy and building strong company cultures. He uses this insight to help leaders manage and retain talent and give feedback that sticks, and to help organizations create community buy-in using curiosity. James’ cornerstone concept is that we as humans can’t learn from people who are perfect, we can only learn from people who are imperfect. And companies like American Express, GE, Accenture, and Afterpay have gravitated toward this message and found the insights to be invaluable in shifting the way their people show up for each other. James is working to bring humanity and community back into the workplace. He is on a mission to ensure that people are seen, heard, respected... and giggling a little, too.

the Leaflet - FALL 2026

Honoring New Certified Plant Professional By: Mike Sheets, MNLA Education Chair

We had three applicants take their Certified Plant Professional (CPP) Exam during the 2026 Summer Tour, hosted by Glacier Nursery in Kalispell, MT. We are excited to announce that one of our applicants passed both sections of the rigorous exam and has now joined the ranks of CPPs! Congratulations to Theresa Bannan of Cashman Nursery, in Bozeman, MT. The CPP Exam is a two-part exam with an ID portion and a written portion. The ID portion consists of accurately identifying 50+ plant cutting samples, as well as listing the genus, species, and common name of each sample. The written portion is a 200-question multiple choice exam with questions ranging from pest life cycles to best cultural practices, to fertilizer rates, and much more. The study manual for the exam is about 3” thick! Achieving your CPP takes time and dedication; we applaud all who have successfully passed this exam. If you are interested in pursuing certification yourself, you can check out the CPP section of our website www.plantingmontana. org/certification for more details and registration links for upcoming exams. Special thanks to Brad Brown and James Prchal of Glacier Nursery, who were incredibly generous with their live plant samples for the ID portion of the exam. And once again, congratulations to Theresa Bannan for achieving this special honor!

Theresa Bannan “As an aspiring landscape designer, horticulture is the bridge between people and the natural world. To me, having the knowledge and privilege to improve the places around us, one plant and one sustainable choice at a time, creates a sense of gratitude for the landscapes we have today and responsibility for those we leave behind.

CERTIFIED PLANT PROFESSIONAL Upcoming Exam Date:

Plants also have a unique way of keeping us present. Bloom periods are fleeting, seasons are always changing, and each year we are reminded to slow down and appreciate those moments while they last. Throughout my career, I hope to carry that perspective with me by creating landscapes that strengthen our connection to nature, improve the sites I work on, and give people a reason to stop and enjoy what is growing around them.

January 5 2027

The exam is generally offered twice a year; once in the summer, and again in early January at the Montana Green Expo. The exam is based on the CPP manual, as well as practical information gained from working in the industry. Earning the CPP designation demonstrates a high level of knowledge in the principles and practices of the industry. Learn more: www.plantingmontana.org/certification

Thank you so much!” MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

The Certified Plant Profession (CPP) program was designed as an industry training tool with the goal of improving professional qualifications in the horticulture industry. To pass this rigorous exam, individuals must be knowledgeable in a wide variety of horticulture subjects including plant ID, soils, fertilization, turfgrass, planting techniques, landscape design, and more.

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the Leaflet - FALL 2026

In The Board Room

Board Meeting Minutes July 2026 The MNLA Board met with President John Spray presiding and conducted a review of the association’s financial position, upcoming events, membership initiatives, and organizational priorities. The Board approved the previous meeting minutes and current financial reports and authorized adding funds to the existing certificate of deposit as part of its ongoing effort to maintain adequate operating reserves. The Board also discussed a potential contribution toward the MSU Extension IPM calendar and will gather additional information before making a decision. With a new Third Vice President position opening, the Board is seeking candidates from across the industry and state, while also exploring opportunities for membership ambassadors and additional member benefits. Member feedback will be gathered through a new survey developed by 3rd VP Kendra Hinojosa. Updates were also provided on the Certified Plant Professional program, Leaflets, Expo 2027 planning and sponsorships, and the Northern Rockies Tree School. The Board approved Expo 2027 sponsorship levels and continues to work on securing speakers while carefully managing the event’s budget. Organizational updates included the transition of the Executive Director role from an independent contractor to an employee and continued review of staffing needs. The Board also discussed upcoming golf tournaments, the Summer Tour and plans to promote upcoming MNLA events and sponsorship opportunities. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

also reviewed scholarship opportunities and Certified Plant Professional testing results. The Summer Tour received positive feedback, with planning underway for the 2027 tour, potentially in Butte. Updates were also provided on chapter activities, including Family Fun Night, golf tournaments, and upcoming field days. Planning continues for Expo 2027, with an emphasis on local speakers to help manage the event’s speaker budget, as well as the Northern Rockies Tree School scheduled for October 15–16 in Bozeman. Additional organizational updates included continued development of workforce development partnerships with MUCFA, promotion of the CPP program, and ongoing work to coordinate upcoming events, sponsorships, speakers, and member communications. September 2026 The MNLA Board met with four voting members present and covered a range of topics including regulatory issues, finances, membership, scholarships, chapter activities, and upcoming events. The Board discussed the Montana Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule change to lower the pesticide applicator exam passing score from 80% to 70% and agreed to oppose the change, with Gina researching the upcoming hearing process and opportunities for MNLA to provide input. The Board also approved a $450 sponsorship for the Montana Soil Health Symposium as an opportunity to introduce MNLA to a new audience and evaluate the event’s potential value. Golf tournaments in Billings and Bozeman raised a combined $2,220 for the scholarship fund, and plans were made to promote the November 1 scholarship deadline and short course opportunities to members. Membership renewal efforts were also discussed, along with plans to create a dedicated membership management position focused on membership growth, chapter support, and member engagement. Gina and John will work together on the position description with the goal of filling the role before Expo. Additional updates included Summer Tour planning for 2027, Leaflet digital archives, chapter field days, and Expo preparations. The Board also reviewed Bozeman chapter event finances and discussed developing a longer-term approach for chapter contributions toward association administrative and travel costs. Planning continues for the Green Expo, including new opportunities for the Best of Montana Container Planting Contest, while board recruitment and future strategic planning priorities remain ongoing.

August 2026 The MNLA Board met with First Vice President Aaron Mihelish presiding and covered updates on association finances, regulatory issues, membership, events, and upcoming programs. The Board approved the meeting minutes and financial reports and voted to move MNLA’s existing certificate of deposit to Bravera Bank for a 12-month term to secure a better interest rate. The Board also approved a $2,000 contribution toward the 2027 MSU Extension IPM Calendar, which will provide an opportunity to highlight MNLA and its members. Regulatory updates included the discovery of Eastern Heath Snails in the Great Falls area, with members encouraged to help spread awareness and inspect plant material before moving it, as well as continued developments related to Japanese Beetle activity and the Billings quarantine area. Membership discussions focused on recruitment, renewal outreach, member surveys, and opportunities to increase member benefits, while the Board MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Billings Chapter Update

continued support. We also raised more than $1,200 for our scholarship fund through mulligan sales. Congratulations to Team Tvetene Turf on their big win! If you have not joined us for this tournament, you are missing out on a great day of golf and fellowship.

Jason Albaugh, Billings Chapter Chair

The Billings Chapter has had a year full of changes, new experiences, and exciting opportunities! We started the year by moving our monthly meetings to Grill 54 at the Den and changing our meeting schedule from the third Tuesday to the first Tuesday of each month. It has taken some getting used to, but we hope this new arrangement will serve us well for years to come. MNLA Executive Director Gina Albaugh with Katie Groener running

With summer activities behind us and our first indoor meeting complete, it is hard to believe how quickly the season has flown by. The earlier sunsets are certainly a reminder that fall is here!

registration and Mulligan sales

Our summer kicked off with Family Fun Night at Dehler Park at the end of June. This is always a favorite event, giving us a chance to connect with members and their families. My crew looks forward to it every year! We hope the City of Billings and the Mustangs can reach an agreement to keep the team here for many summers to come. A special thankyou to Tvetene Turf for being our MVP Sponsor!

Lucky Lager Lawn Care proudly displaying his vendor hat collection

MNLA Family Fun Night at the Billings Mustangs

Next, we moved our annual golf tournament from Briarwood to Pryor Creek Golf Course due to scheduling conflicts. The new location was a great success, and we had the largest number of event-level sponsors in our tournament’s history! Thank you to Agri Organics, Midland Implement, Pipeco, T&E, 2M Co., Rain Bird, Hunter Industries, Bobcat of Big Sky, and Tvetene Turf for your

MNLA President John Spray with the Good Earth Works Co. team cont. on page 20

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represent. These individuals dedicate their time and energy to planning our meetings and events, and their commitment makes a real difference. Our committee members are: • Tim Groener — Pipeco • Tish Hauge — Tvetene Turf • John Spray — Good Earthworks • Will Bramhall — John’s Home & Yard • Bryce Olson — Stoneworks Landscaping • Gina Albaugh — MNLA Thank you all for making time in your busy schedules to help our chapter succeed! I will wrap up by thanking the people and companies who continue to show up, get involved, and invest in our industry. Thank you to everyone who supported the Billings Chapter this year. Your involvement makes these events possible, and together, we can continue to strengthen our industry and build a better future for everyone!

Tournament Champs: Tvetene Turf

Sign up for Billings Chapter meeting reminders: We wrapped up our summer events with Field Day on September 17 at Tvetene Turf’s pivot. Vendors showcased their equipment, products, and services, giving attendees a chance to connect and explore the latest technology. One highlight was an autonomous mower demonstration! It is amazing to see how far our industry has come, and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Vendors and Attendees mingling at the Billings Chapter’s 9th Annual Field Day

Our chapter works hard to provide valuable continuing education, training, and networking opportunities. If you have ideas on other things we can offer, please consider joining our planning committee! Your ideas and involvement can help us create programs that better serve our local industry. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to our Billings Chapter planning committee and the companies they MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

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Bozeman Chapter Update Kristi Browning, Bozeman Chapter Chair

We have had a really great run as an MNLA chapter so far this year. We have had topics from local vendors on fertilizer blends and disease management in bedding plant production (Vissers Greenhouse) and the production of local food-based compost (Happy Trash Can Compost). We also hosted a mental health/suicide prevention clinic, a trends in hardscape clinic, 2-wire irrigation course and a Right Plant Right Place workshop for ISA recertification credits.

MNLA Board Member Kendra Hinojosa & the Solstice Landscaping Team

This year also saw our first Field Day, hosted at Wagner Nursery. Thank you to our sponsors for your continued support of our chapter! It was an honor to spend an evening with you getting to see your products and sharing some delicious catered burgers. Thank you also to FX lighting for showing us how to extend the enjoyment of our hard work into the late hours of the day when the sun decides to leave us before we are done playing.

MNLA Booth Game, Hosted by Past MNLA Education Chair Jennifer Weiss

Field Day, Hosted at Wagner Nursery & Landscaping

Our golf tournament was also a great success this year. It was a beautiful day, and we got to have lots of fun with our fellow teammates and rivals alike. Our tournament raised $980 for the scholarship program. Thank you to everyone who bought Mulligan’s, whether you thought you might need them or not. I am always so proud of our chapter for being able to contribute not just to our present chapter events but to the future of our industry, and to whack a few balls on an amazing course while we are at it! MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

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2026 Golf Tournament Champs (1st Place Net Score): Forever Green Landscaping

And it’s not over yet, we have a soil sampling and analysis seminar still to come in October. With more fun to be had in November and again in December. I hope to see you all there at Bar 3 BBQ in Belgrade for some good learning, good laughs, and some good company. Sign up for Bozeman Chapter Meeting Reminders:

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MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

The Deliberate Manager: Seven Steps to Scheduling Yourself for Success By Kate Zabriskie

Most of us become managers because we excelled at our previous jobs, not because we had a grand vision for leadership. One day we’re individual contributors, and the next we’re juggling endless meetings, urgent emails and lastminute crises while trying to develop our teams in whatever slivers of time we can find. Sound familiar?

with yourself each morning, regular one-on-ones with each team member and dedicated space for team development. One-on-ones in particular deserve a standing spot on your calendar, not just a slot you fill when something goes wrong. The same goes for team development, whether that’s a workshop, a group discussion or time to share skills across the team.

Here’s the hard truth: great management doesn’t happen in the margins of your day. It requires deliberate time and attention. But here’s the good news — you don’t need a management degree to get it right. With a few practical steps, you can carve out the time to lead effectively and still keep your sanity.

Ask yourself: Is my calendar reflecting my role as a leader or am I letting other priorities take over?

Step 3: Learn to Let Go You can’t do it all, and you shouldn’t try. Delegation isn’t about offloading work you don’t want to do. It’s about empowering your team while freeing up your own time to focus on higher-level priorities. Before you delegate, think through a few things: What tasks are you currently doing that someone else could handle? Who on your team is ready for more responsibility? Are you providing clear instructions and expectations? And how will you check progress without micromanaging?

Step 1: Figure Out Where Your Time Actually Goes Before you can fix anything, you need to know what’s broken. Start by tracking your time for one week — every single thing you do, from impromptu hallway chats to late-night email marathons. Look honestly at how much time is going toward reactive firefighting, how much is lost to email and admin work, how much of your meeting time is actually productive and how much of your day is spent in real, meaningful conversations with your team.

Done well, delegation is one of the most powerful tools in a manager’s toolkit. It builds capability on your team and gives you back the time you need to lead.

The results might be sobering. Many managers discover they’re dedicating little to no time to actual leadership. That’s okay. This exercise isn’t about guilt; it’s about identifying the problem so you can fix it.

Ask yourself: Am I delegating effectively or am I holding on to tasks my team could manage?

Step 4: Stop Playing Whack-a-Mole with Problems

Ask yourself: Where am I spending time that doesn’t align with my priorities as a manager?

Reactive management is a time and energy drain. It’s like bailing water out of a boat without plugging the leak — you stay busy but never make real progress. The antidote is proactive management: looking for patterns in recurring problems, building systems or processes to prevent issues from arising in the first place and fostering a culture where team members feel safe raising concerns early, before they cont. on page 26 become crises.

Step 2: Block Your Calendar Like You Mean It Once you know where your time is going, it’s time to reclaim it. Treat management time as non-negotiable, just like a critical client meeting or a project deadline. That means blocking time for weekly planning (30 to 60 minutes to review priorities and get organized), brief daily check-ins 25

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The Last Idea

This shift takes time to build, but it pays dividends. Every fire you prevent is time you get to spend actually leading.

Becoming a better manager isn’t about working more hours or saying yes to everything. It’s about being intentional with your time and energy. Start small. Block time for one-onones. Carve out 30 minutes each week for planning. Build from there.

Ask yourself: Am I spending more time fixing problems or preventing them?

Step 5: Make Development Conversations Count Conversations about growth aren’t just nice to have. They’re essential for your team’s success and, over time, for reducing your own workload. When your team is developing their skills, fewer fires land on your desk.

Your team doesn’t need another firefighter. They need a leader who knows how to manage time, build trust and drive progress. The first step is deciding to be deliberate about it. Ask yourself: What’s the first thing you’re going to block time for this week?

Come to one-on-ones prepared. Review recent work, know your team members’ goals and ask about their aspirations and challenges. Set clear, actionable next steps and follow up on them — show that these conversations aren’t just lip service. At the team level, encourage peer learning, share skills across the group and give stretch assignments that challenge people without overwhelming them.

Kate Zabriskie is the president of Business Training Works, Inc., a Virginia-based talent development firm. She and her team provide onsite, virtual and online soft-skills training courses and workshops to clients in the United States and internationally.

Ask yourself: Am I dedicating enough time to helping my team grow?

Step 6: Guard Your Time Your time is one of your most valuable resources, and it’s your job to protect it. Let your team know when you’re available and when you need uninterrupted focus time. Clearly define what counts as an emergency, set boundaries for interruptions and train your team to handle certain situations on their own. This isn’t about being inaccessible. It’s about being intentional so that when you are present, you can give your full attention to what matters most. Ask yourself: Am I setting and enforcing boundaries that allow me to focus on high-priority work?

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Step 7: Check Your Progress Regularly Management is a constant learning process, and regular selfassessment is essential. Schedule time to reflect on what’s working, what isn’t and what needs to change.

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Ask yourself: Are you consistently holding to your management time? Is your team performing better? Do you feel more in control or are you still overwhelmed? These questions don’t have permanent answers — check in on them often.

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Are You Fostering Employee Independence in Your Organization? If you are frequently frustrated by having to constantly answer questions that your team members should be able to address on their own, you could be dealing with the pitfall of inadvertently teaching employees to be passive, rather than proactive.

“Autonomy is a growth multiplier,” Phelps says. “I have always believed that the group that learns faster wins, and true innovation cannot come from a single voice. When employees are empowered to think critically and take ownership, the company will experience faster problem solving, more innovation from diverse voices, reduced turnover (since ‘culture is king’ and autonomy increases engagement), and greater capacity to scale because the owner is no longer the only decision-maker.”

“Time is money, and employees who can’t or won’t proceed because they are waiting for direction from above are not generating profit,” says Roger Phelps, owner of Roger Phelps Consulting, LLC. Phelps argues that employee independence directly increases a company’s ability to grow because it removes the owner as the bottleneck and distributes decision-making across the organization.

The Cost of Passive Employees Phelps compares owner bottlenecks to how ocean waves will eat away at a sandcastle’s foundation. It’s very gradual, but eventually the structure falls as this dependency slows down decisions, prevents scalability, increases turnover and cont. on page 28 leads to burnout.

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When clients want answers now, delayed response times can impact customer satisfaction, trust and retention.

and initiative. When I empowered him to lead the program, we immediately saw improvement.”

“There are numerous examples of hotels and restaurants empowering their employees to immediately respond and address customer needs,” Phelps says. “Landscaping is not the hospitality industry, but customer care is the same in any business.”

Phelps says this can also occur when leaders opt to promote individuals without developing them first. While they may have been exceptional in one role does not guarantee they’re ready for the next step. “Owners need to be sure that there is training and development in place, and that we are teaching critical thinking and providing ownership-based projects,” Phelps says. “Otherwise, we are setting our employees up for failure. Since no one wants to fail, these employees will take the ‘safe’ route and wait for the owner to tell them what to do.”

It is also impossible to scale the business when everything is routing through one person. “Owners should be setting the vision for the company, but ideas for executing on that vision should come from everywhere in the organization,” Phelps says. “We should be hiring people not only for their ability to do the job, but for their ideas and then encouraging them to contribute. When this doesn’t happen, the owner is basically the jockey getting in the way of the horse.”

Fostering Autonomy If you want to encourage more proactive contributors in your organization, you have to encourage critical thinking. “It requires a deliberate choice that when approached by an employee we as leaders a) ask open ended questions like “What do you think we should do?”, b) guide the discussion with “Have you considered…?” questions, c) before providing feedback determine if the planned response is making the idea better, or just different, d) let them run with their plan unless there are ‘serious issues’ that would create damage to the company’s operation or brand image,” Phelps says.

Additionally, when employees feel micromanaged or undervalued, they are far less likely to stay at an organization long term. Allowing them to feel they actually have a part in growing the business will keep you from losing team members to ‘quiet quitting’ or outright resignations. Lastly, when owners opt to maintain this level of control in their company, they often find themselves enjoying their work less as they only have the bandwidth to address all the constant small fires cropping up.

Phelps notes that while everything may feel very important and very immediate, this isn’t the case in reality and you do have the time to develop your employees in this way without sacrificing operational efficiency.

Phelps says he encountered this personally in his role with STIHL.

One key to empowering employees is assigning low-risk ownership projects that let them practice their decisionmaking. This task will vary based on the individual and the situation but having them run a meeting, provide customer follow-ups, identify a process improvement and take the lead in rolling it out or having them represent the company at an industry event are all examples of where an employee can rise to a challenge.

“I was acting like a thermometer, reacting to situations, instead of a thermostat and setting expectations for the team,” Phelps says. “When I started empowering my people, I found that not only did they perform better, but we all were all enjoying our work more.”

What Drives Employee Dependence No one sets out to train their team members to be passive. Rather, it comes about when an owner’s instinct is to solve the problem for their employees instead of asking, ‘What do you think we should do?”

Phelps says 30-60-90-day growth plans can also help employees become more comfortable and confident with autonomy. He adds that when team members understand what a company stands for culturally, they are better able to exercise independence as they know what boundaries to operate within.

Phelps says he experienced this firsthand when he started the social media program at STIHL, and he hired a social media manager to stay on the cutting edge. However, he quickly found they weren’t staying ahead of trends, and his social media manager was unhappy.

“Use recognition systems to reward initiative,” Phelps says. “These can be tangible employee recognition and reward programs, but often I find that a sincere moment of appreciation from leadership is more impactful.”

“I finally realized that my passion and sense of ownership in this area was forcing him to clear everything through me,” Phelps says. “In a way, I was training him to be incompetent and not only was I not getting the benefit of his expertise and creativity, but I was also slowly killing his motivation MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Seek out employees’ ideas on a regular basis. During your oneon-ones, start with the questions “What do you think we should do?” and “What do you need from me to make it happen?” 28

“This single shift builds critical thinking, reduces dependency, reveals hidden talent, sets the tone for ownership, and costs nothing,” Phelps says. “For me, it’s the simplest lever with the biggest cultural impact.”

“People are inherently afraid of failure, but it is essential to growth and development,” Phelps says. “The idea is to acknowledge the failure, identify the reasons for it, and engage the employee in the corrective actions.”

Addressing Accountability and Mistakes

Phelps says you should also avoid taking the task back unless absolutely necessary, as this builds accountability, resilience and confidence.

One fear that may hold you back from empowering your employees is how to handle instances of mistakes while holding employees accountable.

“People follow leaders they know care about them,” Phelps says. “Passive teams often reflect leadership attitudes and habits, not employee limitations. Change the habits, and the team will rise to the challenge.”

“Accountability is essential but should feel like a partnership, not policing,” Phelps says. “It starts with clearly defined and mutually agreed upon objectives and guidelines. Then regular communications that allow for updates and feedback, and avoid surprises.”

Originally published on the NALP blog The Edge April 2026.

How you deliver your feedback matters as well. Treat mistakes as a learning opportunity instead of something an employee should be punished for.

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