B&B Online - February 2014

VOL 66, NO. 2, FEBRUARY 2014

Northwest FCS customer Jeff Schilter and nephew Nicholas

Northwest Farm Credit Services is a cooperative. When you become a customer you also become an owner. You have a voice and a vote in how our association does business. Plus, when we do well we share profits with you in the form of patronage. No bank does this.

You borrow. You own. You earn. You grow. Learn more about the benefits of being a customer-owner at northwestfcs.com.

Efficiency is all about time management.

Inside this issue you will find reminders from greenhouse to SEO efficiency, (Below) Display garden created at Tacoma Home & Garden Show by Marenakos Rock Center, Puget Sound Plants, Earthdance Organics, and in collaboration with local WALP Chapters. WSNLA & WALP also participated in a $25,000 backyard makeover show promotion that received publicity on KIRO TV and radio, as well as print and online via the Tacoma News Tribune.

Contents

Published Monthly By: Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association 34400 Pacific Hwy S., Suite 2 Federal Way, WA 98003 800.672.7711 fax 253.661.6058 Subscription Price: $39 Annually

8 WSNLA Award

Deadlines

News Classified ads Advertising

Recipients

5pm the 1st of the month preceding the first-of-the-month publication.

To place an advertisement, contact Breanne at (800) 672-7711 or breanne@ wsnla.org.

WSNLA honors nursery and landscape leaders for their commitment & dedication.

Photography & The Power of Social Media

WSNLA special session on April 9.

12 Where to Start?

Managing Energy Costs in Greenhouses

16 Take time to Delegate in 2014

February 2014 VOL 66. NO. 2 Editor Breanne Chavez

Features

10 The Art of

The Official Publication of

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association

Columns 4

From the President

5

Legislative Update

6

Executive Director

Departments 7

Member Notes

25

Bugs & Blights

26

Industry News

28

Chapter of the Month

29

WSNLA Marketplace

30

Calendar of Events

Interested in sharing your opinions and comments with B&B readers? If you take the time to share your thoughtful comments, WSNLA will be sure to share them with B&B readers. Please submit to breanne@wsnla.org or by fax at (253) 661-6058.

Deadine: 1st of each month.

WSNLA reserves the right to refuse any ads which are misleading, unethical, contrary to WSNLA policy, or which do not pertain to the nursery and landscape industry.

75 years & Growing

WSNLA www.wsnla.org Executive Director Breanne Chavez e-mail breanne@wsnla.org Finance & Operations Director Holly Osborne, CPH e-mail holly@wsnla.org Industry Advancement Jeanne McNeil e-mail jmcneil@wsnla.org Š 2014, Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 3

[ FROM THE PRESIDENT ]

“Obviously, the highest type of efficiency is that which can utilize existing material to the best advantage.” - Jawaharial Nehru

Megan Pulkkinen, CPH WSNLA President Megan Pulkkinen Landscape Design Bremerton

The quote above describes what many clients on a modest budget expect from landscape designers. They are looking for ideas to solve problems and enhance their environment with minimal disruption and maximum efficiency.

I ask clients many questions to understand preferences and the boundaries of their comfort zone.

What is negotiable to eliminate? What elements are special to them? Are there materials we can re-use? Which activities entice their families to come together outdoors?

Once I have all the details and site parameters in mind, I can have some fun with possibilities. This part of the job is enjoyable, but not very efficient.

It requires time to bounce ideas around, research and re-arrange elements, edit, try and reach consensus with the client, then collaborate with contractors and suppliers.

It is the designers job to propose ideas 4 - The B&B Magazine

the client had not thought of, and to problem solve around their perceived limiting factors. We visualize our way around obstacles, out of muddy corners and steep slopes all the time with great results. Selling the completed vision is the trick.

Knowing what the parameters of any job are and allowing time for the creative process and thoughtful research are essential to an efficient allocation of all resources in the long run.

What garden path am I leading you down today? A similar line of probing questions and negotiating of boundaries are asked of our board and membership on a regular basis. This takes time, energy, and communication by various methods. WSNLA is planning surveys, online discussion forums, and meetings in person to facilitate this dialog.

If we want to continue our work in designing an efficient, effective, and sustainable Nursery and Landscape Association going forward we need members, our valued clients, to share in producing an inspiring vision that we are proud to sell.

We have a membership full of talented and creative people that we can draw ideas from. I believe we have been very efficient with the resources we have,

Grina Landscape Design

but there is always room for new ideas and improvement by taking a closer look at the ways we Serve, Promote, Educate, and Represent our members.

Please consider joining us on Tuesday March 11 from 2-6pm at 21 Acres in Woodinville for a WSNLA Planning Session.

I’ll end with another quote from Jawaharial Nehru. “Action to be effective must be directed to clearly conceived ends.”

Thank You, Megan

LEGISLATIVE

[ Grassroots in Effect ]

Make Your Voice Heard: Legislative Day is February 27, 2014 Myths About Elected Officials Heather Hansen WSNLA Lobbyist

by Rick Longnecker, Bugs & Blades Landscapes

Olympia

Our legislative session is in full swing, and together with WSNLA we are monitoring issues that will affect our businesses, the industry, and most importantly our members at large.

When is a crop not a crop, when it grows in a container or a greenhouse? Unfortunately, too many nurseries have learned this Department of Revenue perspective when they were told they do not qualify for open space taxation if they grow plants in containers.

Ironically, two counties who give lip service to protecting small farms – King and Peirce - are two of the most aggressive at kicking nurseries out of the open space program.

When Representative J.T. Wilcox of Roy got wind of the situation, he set up a meeting with the Department of Revenue. At Rep. Wilcox’s request, the Department of Revenue wrote a bill to clarify that plants grown in containers or under structures, are still agriculture and the ground under them is eligible for current use valuation.

Representatives Tharinger, Buys, Lytton, Vick, Orcutt and Reykdal signed on in support of the House bill (HB 2493). Senators Rivers, Dammeier, Hobbs, Honeyford and Hatfield signed on to support the Senate companion (SB 6286.) If any of these legislators represent you, please let them know these bills are important and thank them for their support.

Mark your calendar for February 27- this is our joint legislative day to share with our elected officials the things that matter to us.

Some myths you may have about our elected officials 1) They are difficult to relate to.

Wrong- they have businesses, work in businesses, have families, care about the environment, drive in the same traffic, and face the same things we do. Having the perspective of their constituents helps shape their positions and gives them better knowledge to do their job.

If everything goes according to plan, both bills should have a public hearing before this column goes to print. The bill will have a fiscal note. That will cause some legislators to oppose it. It is vital that legislators hear from their constituents. Please let them know that this bill is important for the viability of the nursery industry in Washington State.

2) They don’t care about what my business is going through. Wrong, our industry represents jobs, and caring for the environment. They care quite a bit about our businesses and industry.

There are many more bills on my tracking list for WSNLA. They range from changes in commercial motor vehicle regulations, to industrial hemp production. It is still early in session; many more bills will be submitted over the next two weeks. February 5 is the first cutoff date. Any bill that has not been voted out of its original committee by that date dies and the tracking list begins to shrink.

3) They won’t have time for me. Wrong!

It’s very true they have tight schedules, but their staffers are easy to relate to, and work very hard to get you an appointment. It’s true that you get a small slice of their time, but I have never felt like they didn’t appreciate me, taking my time to come talk to them.

I look forward to seeing you all in Olympia on February 27. By that time, we will have a short list of bills to focus on. At the top of the list will be to ensure plants in containers are still part of agriculture.

The last day of the regularly scheduled legislative session is March 14.

Find out more about WSNLA & WALP’s Legislative Day on page 19.

4) I can’t make it, I don’t have enough time, I don’t want to drive. Valid reasons, but don’t be afraid to write them a quick letter or email. They need to hear from you and our industry.

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 5

75 Years & Growing

WSNLA www.wsnla.org

[ FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ]

2MUST things you know...

The first step in efficiency is being present.

1. WSNLA Planning Session: March 11 at 21 Acres in Woodinville. On March 11, from 2-6pm members will gather to review and renew our Association roadmap.

Because WSNLA members are the Associations biggest asset, your participation is needed. I encourage you to attend and participate as we look to the future, analyze needs, explore opportunities, develop priorities, and create a roadmap for WSNLA. To find out more and to RSVP, contact Breanne at breanne@wsnla.org or (800) 672-7711.

2. SPECIAL SESSION “Experts in their Field”: Two great sessions in one evening! Highly regarded experts in their field will present on The Art of Photography and The Power of Social Media. This special session, sponsored by Little Prince of Oregon, is being held April 9 at 21 Acres in Woodinville. To find out more about this great opportunity turn to page 10.

3. THANK YOU! I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the individuals who were key to accomplishing the activities noted in my column. A huge kudos to: Conference Committee Ryan Carpenter (Sunbreak Nursery), Linda Carroll (Jefferson Landscaping), Jacqui Austin (Garden Center Writer), and Lloyd Glasscock, CPH (NW Flower & Garden Show) Helping with legislative efforts Ingrid Wachtler, CPH (Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery) NW Flower & Garden Show Kirsten Lints, CPH (Gardens ALIVE Design) and Rob Boyker, ecoPRO Certified (Avid Landscape Design & Development), Scott Pringle, CPH (Pardise Lake Nursery), Tim Gray (Pacific Stone Company), Jerry Rosso, CPH (Rosso Gardens) and Megan Pulkkinen, CPH (Megan Pulkkinen Landscape Design), Lara Vyas, CPH (Natural Greenscapes), and Stacy Smith.

6 - The B&B Magazine

Breanne Chavez WSNLA Executive Director What does efficiency mean to you? To me, when applying it to WSNLA, it never ceases to amaze me the power of this community. I’m continually impressed by the strength and efficiency of the WSNLA membership. It is only February, and I have witnessed multiple times the efficiency of WSNLA because of its volunteer teams working to produce large scale projects.

Observing nursery and landscape professionals connect at last month’s Northwest Green Industry Conference is always inspiring. Equally so, is the many hours of volunteer work and time throughout the year that goes into the planning and logistics of this premier event.

Also last month, WSNLA has been working diligently to push legislation through concerning current use valuation for land primarily used for commercial horticultural purposes. WSNLA members, accompanied by lobbyist Heather Hansen and I, attended public hearings to testify in support of this legislation. It is WSNLA members taking time to affect regulations that impact our industry on a large scale.

Most recently, WSNLA expanded its presence at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show. More than a hundred volunteers contributed to the sucess of this year’s display garden, Treasure Island Marketplace and our new Ask a CPH garden bench.

A common thread of all of these efforts has been purposeful communication. On Tuesday, March 11 from 2-6pm, WSNLA members are invited to participate in further purposeful communication about the needs and opportunities of the WSNLA Community. Your participation in communicating your needs and suggestions are integral to creating a effective and efficient WSNLA. Please plan to attend as we set priorities and create a roadmap for WSNLA.

WSNLA

New Members

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association

Bouquet Banque Nursery

Harnden’s Tree Nursery

Judy Zugish & Bill Roeder 8220 State Ave Marysville, WA 98270 360-659-4938 fishsticks@clearwire.net www.twigtwisters.com Regular Member, Retail Caucus Northwest Chapter

Dick Harnden, Mike Harnden 13415 Short School Road Snohomish, WA 98290 360-568-6568 sales@harndensnursery.com www.harndensnursery.com Regular Member, Wholesale Grower Caucus Northwest Chapter

Windpoppy Farm & Nursery Sara Burns, John Burns 3171 Unick Road Ferndale, WA 98248 360-384-6804 grass@windpoppy.com www.windpoppy.com Regular Member Wholesale Grower Caucus Northwest Chapter

Days Worth Garden Services, LLC Day Fire Starter 416 Washington Street #210 Olympia, WA 98501 360-888-8005 daysworthgardenservice@gmail.com Regular Member, Landscape Caucus Mount Rainier Chapter

You Shared With Us...

ON RECEIVING THE WSNLA PIONEER AWARD. I am honored to have been selected to receive the WSNLA Pioneer Award.

I was quite surprised to be included among those who have made “enduring contributions to the green industry”. It has been a joy and a delight to work with, and for, the nursery and landscape professionals in Washington, and in WSNLA who are dedicated to providing quality plants that enhance our living and public spaces while contributing significantly to the economy of Washington State. Thank you so much.

Chirps!!

Sharon J. Collman WSU Snohomish County Extension ON THE NW GREEN INDUSTRY CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS eNEWSLETTER Lovely to see some images from the recent conference. Thanks so much for sending!

Marianna and Bob Metke

Thank you for sending the Highlights of the Conference. It is great to see so many new faces in the industry. Since I am no longer teaching in the Hort Dept at SPSCC, it is even more important that I stay connected through emails from WSNLA. Thank you for all your good work with WSNLA. Hope to see you sometime soon.

Sue Swanson Ingman ON ATTENDING THE NW GREEN INDUSTRY CONFERENCE. Thanks everyone at WSNLA and WALP for putting on a great show. I learned a lot, make good contacts and had fun.

John Evans Carter Evans Wood Concepts

2014 WSNLA Officers Megan Pulkkinen, CPH, President Megan Pulkkinen Landscape Design 360-698-1865 | megancph@hotmail.com Tim Gray, President Elect Pacific Stone Company 425-258-1911 | timg@pacificstoneco.com Bill Raynolds, Vice President My Garden 206-406-3487 | mygardennursery@gmail.com Duane Job, Treasurer Job’s Nursery 509-547-4843 | duanejob@gmail.com Jan Nielsen, Past President Marenakos Rock Center 425-392-3313 | jann@marenakos.com

WSNLA Board of directors Ingrid Wachtler, CPH Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery 253-265-6271 | woodbrk@harbornet.com Mount Rainier President Ryan Carpenter, Sunbreak Nursery 360-384-3763 | ryan@sunbreaknursery.com Northwest Chapter President Stephen Serafin, Quality Landscapes 360-385-6663 | qualitylandscapes@cablespeed.com Olympic Chapter President Kirsten Lints, CPH, Gardens ALIVE Design 425- 318-2971 | kirsten@gardensalivedesign.com Seattle Chapter President Peter Van Well, III, Van Well Nursery 509-886-8189 | pete2@vanwell.net South Central Chapter President Toni Cross, CPH, Toni Cross Seasonal Color Pots 206-781-1060 | toni@seasonalcolorpots.com Design Caucus Chair Gregory Smaus, CPH, Native Root Designs 206-227-4458 | gregory@nativerootdesigns.com Landscape Caucus Chair Mary Ranahan, Cedar Grove Composting 206-963-0428 | mary.ranahan@cgcompost.com Horticultural Supplier Caucus Chair Ben DeGoede, CPH, Windmill Gardens 253-863-5843 | info@windmillgardens.com Retail Caucus Chair Scott Pringle, CPH, Paradise Lake Nursery 206-930-4132 | paradiselakenursery@gmail.com Wholesale Nursery Caucus Chair Chris Smith, Lake Washington Institute of Technology 425-739-8424 | chris.smith@lwtech.edu Horticulture Educator Caucus Chair Shannon Grina, CPH, Grina Landscape Design 425-736-5170 | shannong99@comcast.net CPH Caucus Chair Open Positions: Greenhouse Grower Caucus Chair & Out of State Caucus Chair Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 7

WSNLA

2014 Award Recipients

Nursery & Landscape leaders acknowledged for their commitment and dedication.

Jerry Rosso Involvement Award Scott Hackney (Marenakos Rock Center), Leonard ‘Curley’ Winebrenner (Sawdust Supply Co.), Cyle Eldred (NW Flower & Garden Show) and Bill Hyde (Marenakos Rock Center, not pictured) have all contributed, in various capacities, years of work, support and dedication in creating a vibrant Northwest Flower & Garden Show that represents and promotes the Pacific Northwest horticulture community.

Educator of the Year Cass Turnbull (Plant Amnesty) has tiredlessly provided valuable education to both industry professionals and homeowners for many years. However, in the late 1990s she realize that a change was occurring in the labor demographic for landscapers. Native Spanish speakers were becoming, and have now become, the major source for homeowners and landscape companies looking to hire. In PlantAmnesty’s tireless search for ways to improve the common practice of pruning, they set out to teach the selective pruning technique to America’s newest labor force in Y2K. Since then she has lead the efforts to re-film Plant Amnesty’s standard DVD on pruning and landscape renovation in Spanish; dubbed the tree care TV Public Service Announcement in Spanish and aired it, as well as providing many TV and radio interviews in Spanish; translated Plant Amnesty’s pruning guide and various other printed resources; and hosted handson workshops annually. For her pioneery efforts in providing necessary and professional education to the Spanish speaking community, Cass Turnbull is honored with the WSNLA Educator of the Year.

8 - The B&B Magazine

Supplier of the Year John Evans (Carter Evan’s Landscape Wood) continuously shows support of the WSNLA Community through generously giving his time and expertise as a volunteer, donating and loaning unique pieces for chapter meetings and show gardens, and supporting valuable events and opportunities through sponsorship dollars.

Member of the Year Phil Smith (Scotsco) has been integral in WSNLA’s partnerships with Scotsco that offers a special member discount on equipment. He also has worked throughout the year to bring awareness of WSNLA and its benefits. Because of this, WSNLA has experienced an increase in membership, specifically throughout Eastern Washington.

Rick Longnecker

Bruce Briggs Legislative Award Rick Longnecker (Buds & Blades Landscape Co) is dedicated to making an impact in Olympia. Longnecker is always willing to provide thoughtful feedback on issues impacting our industry, and is a solid presence at WSNLA & WALP’s legislative day.

Honorary LIfetime Member Jan & Barry Rodda (Rodda & Sons), both talented landscape professionals, have a career of highlights and commitment to WSNLA and the industry. Most notably Barry served multiple terms as WSNLA Treasurer and has been awarded the Harold Young Lifetime Achievement Award. For this they are honored with a honorary lifetime membership.

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 9

SPECIAL SESSION [ Experts in their Field]

The Art of Photography & Power of Social Media April 9, from 2:30 - 6:30pm | Location: 21 Acres, Woodinville Members, CPHs & Students: $50 Non Members: $75 Limited Space Available

Photography 101: The Art of Photography Whether using a photograph to sell a product, evoke an emotion, or tell a story, the image needs to hold the observer’s attention. To do this you can take advantage of lines, shapes, forms, patterns, colors, and texture to draw the eye and inspire thought. This seminar will cover some of these basic elements of composition and will demonstrate how to use these to achieve your goals. We will also cover some photography fundamentals including methods of exposure, lighting, and how to use a camera to get the best results. This is an opportunity to have fun and learn something useful at the same time. Caution: Having too much fun here could lead to an expensive and timeconsuming hobby.

Art of Photography Presenter: Bill Kristiansen After taking up photography as a casual hobby in 2007, I quickly found myself becoming much more serious, investing time and money in what is still one of my great passions.

Though I have sold some of my work, photography remains predominantly something I do for fun. I also enjoy sharing my knowledge of the art of photography.

I find that good photography is more about what is behind the camera and less about the camera itself. Even today’s hightech, face-finding, color-correcting, vibration-reducing cameras cannot choose a good subject or frame a good composition for you. However, a good working knowledge of the fundamentals and equipment is still important. With a little training and a lot of practice most anyone can grow from taking simple snapshots to compelling photos.

Some of my work can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ blurrypictures/.

EVENT SPONSOR:

www.littleprinceoforegon.com

Social Media for Small Business: The Power of Social Media Strong and loyal relationships will build business growth. Social Media, specifically Facebook, is based on relationships and offers huge marketing potential for anyone in any business.

Effectively using Social Media is a perfect fit for small business owners and entrepreneurs who usually don't have a lot of cash for promoting their businesses. I'll give you real world tips and advice on how to use Facebook for your business and which of the other big social media platforms you could focus on.

What you will learn:

- Why you should use Facebook as a small business - How to setup and maximize your Facebook profile - How to setup a Fan Page for Business, and build a community - Content - what to use and how to use it, and how to harness the power of the “story” in social media - What your objectives should be - How to run an effective Facebook ad campaign - Best practices you can use to ensure your own social media success story - The basics of all the main Social Media platforms (Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube)

The Power of Social Media Presenter: Alison Hawkins. From Facebook to Pinterest, I love to help small business owners capture the power of Social Media! I have 5 years’ experience with social media marketing, SEO, and online community building to raise public awareness, attract clients, increase profitability, and facilitate business growth. I have over 11 years as a team leader, skilled in successfully shepherding long and short term projects for website development.

I’m a successful and patient problem solver with a combination of creative and detailed oriented management skills. I thrive in a collaborative social environment, leading teams of both technical and creative people and am constantly learning new tools to connect in the social media world. http://alisonhawkins.wordpress.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonhawkins/ http://pinterest.com/alison_hawkins http://twitter.com/alisonhawk

10 - The B&B Magazine

GardenWashington Locator Guide Promoting members, CPH and sustainable gardening.

Each year, 15,000 of these handy guides are printed and distributed throughout Washington with the goal of creating a resource for gardeners by connecting customers and clients with WSNLA members.

The Guide also:

- Drives traffic to GardenWashington.com

- Increases awareness of the Certified Professional Horticulurist certification.

- Provides incentives to buy and visit new nurseries via the Green Passport coupon.

- And, this year, the Guide also includes information about sustainable gardening. 5 essential practices of sustainable landscapes, provided by Seattle Public Utilties, Local Hazardous Waste Management and

Saving Water Partnership is an easy to understand steps for homeowners interested in becoming more sustainable.

Here are a few locations you will see the GardenWashington Locator Guide: Tacoma Home & Garden Show: In January, the Guide was handed out at Marenakos display garden that is created with industry support from WSNLA and WALP. In addition, WSNLA members presenting at the show distributed the Guide to their audiences.

NW Flower & Garden Show: The GardenWashington Guide is handed out at the WSNLA display garden and at Treasure Island.

Each year, attendees come looking for this handy resource.

Everett Home Show & Kitsap Home Show: Members participating in this show work hard to expand the distribution of the Guide at this event.

Olympia Home & Garden Show & Pt. Defiance Flower & Garden Party: Both of these events are new to WSNLA and will work to expand our presence in the South Sound area.

Members will help to lead the efforts in promoting WSNLA members and Certified Professional Horticulturists.

Would you like a supply of the GardenWashington locator guide? The discount coupons included inside at 16 nurseries throughout Western Washington are a great way to say thank you to your clients with new and established landscapes.

Contact WSNLA for your complimentary supply today. (800) 672-7711, breanne@wsnla.org.

Green Passport Participants Bainbridge Gardens Bainbridge Island Bremerton City Nursery Bremerton Furney’s Nursery Des Moines Pacific Stone Company Everett Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery Gig Harbor Sunnycrest Nursery & Floral Lakebay Sunnyside Nursery Marysville Christianson’s Nursery & Greenhouse Mount Vernon Tapestry Gardens @ Tsuki Nursery Olympia Roadhouse Nursery Poulsbo Watson’s Greenhouse & Nursery Puyallup The Gray Barn Nursery Redmond West Seattle Nursery West Seattle Sky Nursery Shoreline The Urban Garden Company Tacoma Flower World Snohomish

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association -11

by Chris Guntermann | Horticultural Services, Inc

Energy costs are a fact of life with greenhouses or nurseries. Often considered as “overhead”, these costs can be remarkably affected, and lowered, by following some simple steps.

Even though the U.S. has recently seen Natural Gas costs fall, these costs are still a substantial percentage cost in many production plans. For those without natural gas service, using Propane or Oil puts you at a competitive cost disadvantage…. sometimes a large one.

Efficiently growing plants for market is what greenhouses help to do.

Greenhouses are specialty built structures to maximize light transmission for plant growth, but which are mostly un-insulated. Optimizing both the growing environment and the structure for maximum light and minimized heat loss is the goal.

12 - The B&B Magazine

Very few greenhouses are outfitted with individual fuel meters. Think of it like checking your car’s fuel mileage… small differences can indicate repairs or adjustments are needed well before a problem develops. Electronic monitors are now readily available that allow you to watch fuel use. There are simple ‘hour-meters’, and HOBO data loggers that let you collect information.

Many of the integrated greenhouse control systems can report on ‘runtimes’.

An “Energy Audit” is a formal and complete analysis…. but the word ‘audit’ can be scary.

The best place to start looking for energy savings is to use your own good sense by just walking around and looking at your greenhouse and heat sources. And … to repeat the walk on a very cold night …. in shorts and sandals…. Your toes will tell

the truth about your heating system.

If your toes are not interested; then rent or purchase an infrared thermal imager to find the leaks.

At this year’s Consumer & Electronics Show there were several Smartphone add-on Infrared Imagers on display and soon available.

Shorts and sandals remind me of boating. Your greenhouse is much like an upside-down boat…. it floats your crop and keeps your business alive. Boats develop leaks, and have bilge pumps.

Greenhouses leak in the cold, and have heaters. The goal is to reduce the leaks.

The low-hanging fruit from any walkaround should be to list the obvious leaks that let in the cold or let out the heat. Simple things like rusty shutters, misaligned vents, missing door seals

and thresholds, and worn-out closure strips can cause huge heat losses…… every day and every night. Even the small gaps add up to be big holes in your ‘boat’. Deferred maintenance can too often become ‘the new normal’ and not noticed anymore. Take a fresh look.

Whenever we have an “arctic blast” we get calls about heaters that are not performing as well as they used to, and not keeping the greenhouse up to temperature. It is easy to say they are worn-out or dirty, but it is more likely that the greenhouse has gotten leaky.

simple digital control. Controls not only can provide you with fuel use data, but also contribute significantly to growing better plants, at lower risk.

Choosing the right controller can be difficult; so rely on vendors with years of experience who also know plants, and who represent several brands. Be honest with yourself as to how many of the available bells-and-whistles are actually needed, and what you are committed to use.

When a boat gets leaky, the hull is repaired instead of replacing the bilge pump with a bigger one. First thing to do, before talking about new heaters is to seal up the greenhouse leaks.

Such repairs are usually cheap and easy, and save lots of money.

There is an elegant economic interplay between crop requirements, greenhouse envelopes, fuel sources, burner efficiencies, and heat delivery systems.

Each of these can be improved…. but finding the right sequence of improvement that leads to the highest profit can be hard. It is also beyond the scope of this short article.

Once the existing structure is as good as it can be, then look first at updating your control systems. Thermostats, especially those in the wrong place, actually cost you more in fuel than the expense of a

Note that I said “Maximize Profit” and not “Lowest Cost”. Often, we get obsessed with lowering costs, or chasing “incentives’, rather than maximizing profit.

It is only after you stop the leaks, and log some usage data that you can really know what is going on, and where to invest in the best improvement.

Logged data is very useful to support any Competitive Energy Reduction Grant requests or Incentive Program Applications.

Luckily, much has been studied and written about greenhouse production efficiency. The thermodynamics remain the same as during the 1970’s fuel crisis.

Use Google to find up-to-date research and articles by Universities across the country.

But, be aware that the Northwest has significantly different weather patterns than where much research is done….

Oklahoma, Michigan State, Cornell U, Wisconsin, U of Connecticut, Rutgers, etc….

Remember the “Rule of Unintended Consequences”, and look for local research and experienced advice when considering making changes.

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association -13

WSNLA's Scholarship & Research Charitable Fund

SEO

Search Engine Optimizatio For small business owners

By Michael Fleischner | Marketing Expert, Internet Marketing Secrets*

Invest in horticulture Over $20,000 awarded in 2013.

Application Deadline Feb. 28

The Fund is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and accepts tax-deductible donations from both individuals and organizations. (Please consult your tax advisor for professional advice regarding deductibility of donations.) For information on contributing to the Fund, please contact the WSNLA office at (800) 672-7711.

14 - The B&B Magazine

Small business owners are often limited by small marketing budgets and manpower. But that doesn’t mean they can’t compete against larger businesses or websites when focused on search engine optimization. SEO is a basic marketing tool that everyone should use regardless of size.

been indexed by Google none-the-less.

From my perspective, when this number is less than 3 or 4 million, the particular search term would not be all that competitive in and of itself.

Can the small websites compete with the big guys?

There are a variety of methods to determine true keyword effectiveness (KEI, etc.). However, if you’re just a regular person trying to figure out how difficult it will be to rank well for a particular keyword, consider the following. In addition to the number of sites that contain your keyword, how well optimized are the top 3 sites that appear on the search result. You can determine this by:

I’m often asked by small business owners if they stand a chance against larger websites when it comes to organic search results. My response is that size doesn’t matter. When it comes to improving natural search results, it’s all about the keywords you choose and how competitive those keywords are.

What makes a keyword competitive?

One way to determine the competitiveness of a search term is to simply type that search term into Google and notice the number of web pages that contain that search term. This number appears in the upper right-hand corner of the search results page and appears as, “Results 1 - 10 of about 228,000,000 for [your search term here].”

The large number you see gives you an indication of how many websites contain the keyword term or phrase you’re searching for. Not all of these sites would necessarily be competitors, but have

Determining just how competitive the search term is.

1. Visiting the site and determining the Google PR of the page. This information is available by downloading the Google toolbar and looking in your browser.

You will see a green bar and ranking (ex: PR5), which tells you how Google ranks this page/website with regard to popularity. Any site with a Google PR6 or better is well established and will be difficult to outrank in the near term.

2. Visit Google and type, “link:www. competitorwebsite.com”. Be sure to replace ‘competitorwebsite’ with the website name you are researching.

10 Easy SEO Tips 1. Create Quality Content – Most Important of the Easy SEO Tips.

You should craft unique and well-written content that includes your keywords.

Actual people need to read this stuff, not just search spiders.

on

2. For Keywords, Think More About Phrases and Not Just Single Words. You are better off using “best cotton towels” and not just “towels” for a keyword. Long tail keywords often mean lower competition.

Remember, this should be a website that appears on the Google search result for the keyword term or phrase you’re researching. This will tell you how many sites are linking to this particular website. The larger the number the more difficult it will be to outrank.

3. Keep Your Content Fresh and New. Adding new content regularly can help your ranking, and it will encourage actual human visitors to come to your site much more often.

4. Build Quality External Links. A lot of webmasters get it really, really wrong when they set out to get as many external links as possible, often through spammy comments on other blogs and sites. One link from a trusted site with a good reputation can do a lot more than a lot of poor links.

5. Keep Your Text as Natural as You Can. If your text is bursting with

3. Look at the website code. Simply visit the competitor’s website and go to “View”, “View Source”. Look for the meta tags of “Title”, “Description”, and “Keywords”. Are the meta tags at the very top of the page? Does the website also use h1, h2, and h3 tags? If so, they probably know something about SEO and have applied some on-page optimization techniques.

Using the above will give you a good sense of whether of not you can compete for given keywords. As you’ve figured out by now, a company’s size is no indication of their level of experience in optimizing their own website. You’d be surprise of the type (and size) of companies that call me for SEO advice.

Keep this in mind the next time you think that size matters!

Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert with more than 12 years of marketing experience.

To discover how to improve search engine rankings on Google and other major search engines vist http://www. webmastersbookofsecrets.com.

keywords, you are in for problems both with the search engines and your users.

This is known as keywords stuffing or spamming, and search engines don’t like it. This practice can lower your search rank and will probably drive away visitors since your text will be almost unreadable.

6. Don’t Bother With Paid Links. They won’t help a vast majority of the time because they are tucked on sidebars which aren’t viewed as well by the search spiders. If they are obviously sponsored links, they won’t go as far either and real people won’t be too likely to click them. If you need links, start contacting other webmasters and maybe arrange a trade.

7. Focus Your Pages. If you try to focus on multiple keywords or keyword phrases at once, you are watering down the potency of your work. Think of using one or maybe even two keyword phrases per article tops.

8. Get on Social Media. Your site or blog needs a presence on places like Facebook and Twitter, and feel free to share your pages there. Bookmarking sites like Digg and Stumbleupon can do wonders for your search rank and the number of visitors you receive; don’t be shy about submitting your own pages here every now and then.

9. Don’t Let Yourself Look Like a Spammer to the Search Engines.

When your register a domain, pick a site that doesn’t block ownership information; you want one that is transparent to who buys their sites. This is one of the easy SEO tips that you don’t need to worry about implementing on a regular basis.

10. Don’t Rely of Flash or Java. If you want the search engines to find you based on keywords, it will be mighty tough if you have page after page of Flash or something else the spiders can’t see. Make sure there is text on the page that can be found and indexed, which is an important and easy SEO tip to follow.

Source: Technicallyeasy.net. Author, Kevin Moor writes for various sites on the topic of SEO Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 15

Social Media: Create an efficient plan Plan. Connect. Delegate.

by Jacqui Austin, Garden Center Writer

Two Gifts to Give to You! We just finished THAT time of the year again.

Yep, the time you gave gifts to others.

However, I’m thinking you missed someone who should have been on your list...but probably wasn’t.

How about giving a gift to you? I have two suggestions to give you the gift of time.

No, I’m not saying to take time off (although that would be a good idea!).

This is a gift creating more time and less stress in the upcoming year.

Do you want to know more?

Gift #1: Everyone “knows” they should add more content to their websites, post more frequently in various social media and send out emails or newsletters to their customers. However, I hear wails of “I don’t have time” or “I can never think of what to write about” when I suggest an increase.

Give yourself an “editorial calendar.”

In other words, take an hour or two to sit down (maybe with your staff) and calendar 2014’s subjects. It’s always a good idea to have your communications build upon each other and progress 16 - The B&B Magazine

Here is an example of how February may look in your calendar: MONTH WEB PAGE CONTENT February Article: Winter Gardening

1st Thursday

2nd Thursday

3rd Thursday 4th Thursday March Article: Preparing for Spring

SOCIAL MEDIA (Facebook linked with Twitter)

Weekly Postings (Pinterest picture with link to post) Garden clean-up Planning the veggie garden Starting cool season veggie seeds indoors Early pest detection and management Weekly Postings (Pinterest picture with link to post)

through the year, giving customers the information they can use on a monthto-month basis and coordinating those needs with in-house specials and events.

By planning the year in advance, articles and posts are drafted and finalized well ahead of time. Perhaps your staff can write some. (This is a foreshadowing of gift #2) To get double efficiency, be sure to use timesaving links. By linking the Facebook and Twitter accounts, a posting in one will show in the other. Facebook recently added a little clock icon on the left side of the FB share box to schedule posts.

Other scheduling tools include Hootsuite

and PostPlanner. Check out Pinwoot and Pingraphy to schedule pins on Pinterest.

(With Pinterest, please remember to edit the pin to insert the traffic-driven destination URL.) Another benefit is using scheduling tools removes the temptation to browse!

Of course, this pre-set calendar may change throughout the year. Active engagement with your customers is important. If a shipment of a new plant variety comes in, or a weather condition occurs, or some other reason to communicate happens, then by all means, communicate! You probably also want to set aside a few minutes each day to answer questions or comments on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Delegation Tips Getting in the Right Mindset

1. Set Your Ego Aside.

A big mental road block to delegation is that “If you want something done right, then do it yourself.” You’re not the only person in the world who can do it right. You may be the only person who can do it right at this very moment, but if you take the time to train someone, they’ll probably be able to do it right, too. Who knows - they might even do it faster or better than you (gasp!) and this is something you need to not only accept, but invite. Don’t feel ashamed or incompetent because you need help with something - you’re actually being a more effective worker by getting help when you need it You’ll be surprised how much easier it is to keep up-to-date on web content and social media when you have a plan in place. An hour or two now will save countless hours during 2014.

Gift Idea #2: Delegate! Imagine the feeling of relief when you remove one of those many hats you wear. It’s tough work being a business owner but let’s be honest...you can’t really do everything. So, decide what you want done and then delegate it. There is a reason the most common quote about delegating is from Andrew Carnegie, “No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit.”

So, how about meeting with your staff, discover who has the desire and drive to accept a delegated task, and let them run with it? You may find the perfect person to create that editorial calendar and keep it going. Who knows? There may be another person with an idea to save even more time and effort. Wouldn’t that be great?

And, you? You’ll be less stressed and have more time for other important things in life. Be sure to thank yourself for such a great gift!

Happy and Bountiful 2014 to all!

2. Stop Waiting for People to Volunteer. Many people are quite oblivious to what others are going through, and there’s not much you can do to change them. Let go of any frustration you might have over people not offering a helping hand; remember that it’s ultimately your job to communicate your needs.

Delegating Effectively

3. Get the Ball Rolling. The first step is the hardest, but it’s the most crucial. You’ve got to take the plunge and ask someone to help you (or, if you’re the boss, tell someone to help you.)

4. Delegate the objective, not the procedure. This is the key to not becoming a nightmare of a micro-manager. Set clear standards for what kind of results you’re looking for, and show the person how you do it, but tell them that they can do it any way they want, as long as it’s done well and it’s completed on time. Give them enough time not only to learn, but also to experiment and innovate. Don’t train them like a robot; train them like a human being--someone who can adapt and improve. •This is also smart because it spares your time and your nerves. You want to be using the time that you’ve freed up to do something more important, not constantly worrying about how your helper is progressing. Remember, you delegated this work so you’d be less stressed - not more.

5. Allocate the resources necessary to complete the task. You may have resources available that are necessary to complete the task but the person given the task may not be able to access them. Things like password protected data, specialized equipment, and certain tools can be vital to the completion of this task, so make sure your helper has whatever s/he needs to succeed.

6. Be Patient & Say “Thank You.” When someone does something for you, it is important to thank him or her, acknowledge the importance of his or her help, and let the helper know s/he is appreciated.

Source: wikiHOW.com

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 17

18 - The B&B Magazine

WSNLA & WALP LEGISLATIVE DAY! Represent your industry in Olympia

Thursday, February 27, 2014 | REGISTRATION DEADLINE is Friday, February 21, 2014 Be heard in Olympia! Join your trade associations in one of the most important days of the year for the Green Industry!

- Find out how critical legislation coming up in the 2014 Legislative Session could affect the Green Industry in Washington and your business.

- Learn how to become an effective citizen lobbyist - helping you communicate with your elected officials about the issues that matter to you and maximize your impact.

- Visit with your state representatives and let them know what you think about the issues they will be facing this year.

- Help demonstrate the unity and strength of the “Green Industry”.

This year’s event will start at 9am with a briefing by WSNLA Lobbyist Heather Hansen and special presentation by a representative from the Washington State Patrol’s Commercial Vehicle Division, followed by appointments with your legislators that could run into the afternoon. Green Industry ambassadors are also needed to deliver plants to each legislators office.

appointments is my opportunity to begin building a relationship with my legislators. Furthermore, I agree that once I have confirmed my appointment time(s), I will forward that information to the WALP Office (info@walp.org). This will help insure that all legislators receive a visit by a Green Industry representative.

Serve As A Green Industry Ambassador

with my legislators but would like to volunteer as a Green Industry Ambassador – helping deliver plants on Legislative Day to legislators’ offices.

Request A Mentor 3. I would like to shadow a WALP/WSNLA member during Legislative Day.

For more information or to register your participation, contact Breanne at (800) 6727711, breanne@wsnla.org. Carpooling may be available for those traveling South.

2. I will not be setting appointments

MUKILTEO CEDAR PRODUCTS Wholesale to the Trade 425-353-1382

M A D E I N T H E U S A

“CEDAR-TIqUE COLLECTIOn” Mukilteocedar@aol.com

WALP and WSNLA will provide the tools you will need to be effective in conveying messages about Green Industry and other legislative issues, as well as information to give to Legislators during each visit.

Several ways to participate 1. YES, I will participate in the WALP/ WSNLA Legislative Day. I understand that due to legislators’ schedules, it is important that I schedule appointments with my legislators as soon as possible.

I further understand that as the legislators’ constituent, setting these Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 19

(Right) Attendees at the NW Green Industry Conference enjoyed “The Five Best Decisions the Beatles Ever Made... and, why you should make them, too”, a lively presentation by Bill Stainton, executive producer of Seattle’s long-running comedy show Almost Live.

(Below) Pat Nagle, owner of Harmon Brewery Company, addressed the group and talked about all things beer, including how sustainability is impacting his industry and business.

(Right) A packed room of attendee’s enjoyed a plated lunch while waiting for the WSNLA Awards Luncheon to begin. (Below) Thank you to Briggs Nursery for donating plant material for this year’s table centerpieces.

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THANK YOU to our event sponsors & vendors Van Klaveren’s Nursery Environmental Awards Program & Dinner Sponsor Metro Lawn/AmeriGas Friday Happy Hour & Dinner Vibrant Plants Name Badge Sponsor NW Farm Credit Services Friday Awards Luncheon Ragen & Associates Saturday Breakfast Sponsor Abbotsford Concrete Products Saturday Lunch Sponsor (Above) Alison Kutz (Sound Horticulture) talks with Richard Hedahl (Hedahl Landscape Deck & Patio) during a break.

(Right) CPH Caucus Chair Shannon Grina, CPH (Grina Landscape Design) and Seattle Chapter President and 2014 NWFGS display garden designer Kirsten Lints, CPH (Gardens ALIVE Designs) have an opportunity to talk between sessions. (Below) Conference committee member, Ryan Carpenter (Sunbreak Nursery), prepares to introduce Rosalind Creasy to the group. (Below right) Team Fine Foliage, Karen Chapman, CPH (Le Jardinet) and Christina Salwitz work the runway with their Leaf Chic Collection during Project Greenway.

(Bottom) Supplier Speed Dating was a hit.

Event sponsors and vendors enjoyed an interactive platform to connect in small groups with event attendees.

Walker Mowers/Coates Landscape Supply Friday Afternoon Break The Unity Group/Hub NW Thursday Reception Sponsor VPC Sales Saturday Reception Sponsor Education Session Sponsors Carter Evans Wood Concepts Consolidated Landscape Maintenance Grounds Professionals Jefferson Landscaping Jon L. Shepodd Landscaping Mutual Materials TAGRO/City of Tacoma Centerpiece Sponsor Briggs Nursery Stage Sponsor Puget Sound Plants Financial Sponsor McComb Gardens Event Vendors Bishop Red Rock Cedar Grove Composting Everbearing Services Ewing Irrigation Flora & Fauna: Nature Books Landmark Turf & Native Seed OBC Northwest Skagit Gardens Sound Horticulture Tadpole Haven Natives Washington Farm Labor Association Wheat & Associates Insurance Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 21

Sponsorship efficiency Cost effective & targeted marketing with wide visibility Sponsorship provides a great means of broadening your competitive edge by improving your company’s image, prestige and credibility by supporting events that your target market finds attractive.

In recent years, corporate sponsorship has become the fastest growing type of marketing in the United States.

Part of this growth can be attributed to the increasing numbers of small and medium-sized businesses involved.

Previously, only large businesses could afford to sponsor cause marketing, for instance, as a way of boosting profits as well as establishing goodwill. However, now smaller

companies are sponsoring everything from local volleyball and softball teams to fairs, festivals and clean-ups of parks as an effective method of boosting their visibility in their community. Most of these sponsorships help these companies to enhance their public profile relatively cheaply.

Excerpt from Why Sponsor? www.morebusiness.com

Garden Washington Sponsorship - $450 Garden Washington.com, specifically focused at marketing WSNLA landscape and retail members to Washington gardeners.

Last year, the site noted nearly 3000 visitors between April and June. This year, extensive advertising will continue utilizing radio, print and online mediums statewide ensuring increased awareness of WSNLA members and the industry. In addition, Garden Washington will be promoted in Washington, as well as nationwide through WSNLA’s involvement in the Plant Something campaign. WSNLA has partnered with the Arizona, Arkansas, British Columbia, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Long Island NY, Ohio, Oregon and Virginia nursery and landscape associations in a nationwide marketing effort to promote homeowners investing in their outdoor spaces through the planting of plants and trees.

Sponsorship Benefits: * Custom ad created, with hot link to your website, will appear on the bottom of GardenWashington.com homepage. * An enhanced business listing, which includes a logo, ‘map it’ link providing unique directions, and an opportunity to share more about your business. * Sponsorship acknowledgment in WSNLA Directory GardenWashington.com includes: * Search tool connecting members with customers and clients. * Member gardening/landscape blogs * Member gardening events * Get Inspired - GardenWashington Pinterest page featuring member posts. * Find a member business with a CPH on staff & what is a CPH * WSNLA Award & Landscape Award recipients featured * Hub for consumer gardening & landscape resources (plant lists, horticulture societies, gardening clubs, links and resources with accurate information for gardening success) * Professional Education – Washington horticulture programs.

Career opportunities. *Plant-Something.org - Information on ROI for a new landscape & gardening health benefits 20 - The B&B Magazine

Education Sponsor - $250 WSNLA invites you to join in support of WSNLA’s dynamic industry education program. Sponsoring an educational seminar or workshop is an effective way to receive marketing while investing in current and future clients and customers.

Sponsorship Benefits: * Sponsor acknowledgment and signage at WSNLA seminar. * Sponsor acknowledgement on WSNLA seminar marketing materials. * Sponsor acknowledgement in relevant issues of B&B. * Sponsor acknowledgement on WSNLA.ORG event page. * Sponsor acknowledgement in WSNLA Membership Directory.

Landscape Design Tour - $300 This annual event has increased in popularity and is an opportunity to showcase the work of members and CPHs. We invite you to support this fun event with a sponsorship.

Sponsorship Benefits: * Sponsor signage visible on the bus throughout the tour. * Sponsor logo on all Bus Tour marketing materials and communications. * Sponsor acknowledgement in the B&B Magazine. * Sponsor logo, with hotlink to sponsor website, on WSNLA.ORG bus tour page. * Sponsor acknowledgement in WSNLA Membership Directory.

Legislative Day Sponsorship - $300 This annual event provides a platform for members to build a relationship with their district representatives, creating an opportunity to discuss and promote issues and pending law important to our industry.

Sponsorship Benefits: * Sponsor logo on WSNLA Legislative Day marketing materials. * Sponsor logo, with hotlink to sponsor website, on WSNLA.ORG legislative page. * Sponsor acknowledgement in WSNLA Membership Directory. * Verbal acknowledgement at WSNLA Legislative Day.

Bugs & Blights

by Sharon J. Collman | WSU Snohomish Extention How will that spell of freezing temperature or a warmer winter affect insect populations?

Insects have many ways of surviving low temperatures. Some overwinter as pupae or eggs which are often more resistant to freezing than larvae, nymphs or adults. But these mobile stages can move to find warmer spots in the landscape such as under a dark rock or log, or burrowing deep into the soil. The adult flying stage can migrate to warmer climates (think Monarch butterfly). An underfed insect can tolerate more cold than one that has just filled its belly and some insects produce an antifreeze of ethylene glycol to lower their freezing temperature. There are many survival strategies to survive weather fluctuations. Winter survival of insects by Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State U. Extension: www.colostate.edu/ Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/winter.htm • Tent caterpillars actually overwinter as little caterpillars inside the egg and can survive temperatures as low as -40°F. • Slugs are somewhat sensitive to freezing but they can crawl inside a pot, or hide behind clods or vegetation.

• Snails can seal off their opening and also hide under protective sod or debris.

• Hemlock woolly adelgid in the east is killed when temperatures drop just a bit below 0° • Fleas die at temperatures below 30.2°F for five days (unless of course they find a warmer hiding place).

So, the cold is not likely to seriously reduce many of our insect populations. Some may be killed, or the population may be somewhat reduced. However, mild winters can also affect insects. Like plant seeds, some insects need a period of cold before they can break their winter resting state (called diapause). If winter is too mild, they don’t reach their chilling requirements and may either die or stay in diapause till the next year. So, unless we get an extended deep freeze of several weeks, plan to stay vigilant and monitor your plants. Early intervention will be much more successful than waiting till the infestation is raging and out of control.

(Left) Tent Catapillar. Photo by Sharon Collman, WSU Snohomish Extension.

(Below) Bluebottle fly. Photo provided by wikimedia Creative Commons.

Flies in the house on a warm winter’s day is most disturbing.

Why here? Why now? I’m not talking one fly, sometimes there may be 15 or 30 flies bouncing along the window and flying through the room. Take a close look to see the lovely iridescent green or blue abdomen. This beauty is a bit marred by knowing that they start out as maggots and feed on carrion.

Just where do they come from? Often a dead mouse in a wall – thank goodness the flies digest it all leaving just a bit of skin and bones, then they have the courtesy of flying into your living room to let you know they have helped you. Usually these episodes, though sometimes overwhelming, are brief.

The vacuum works well, or a fly swatter if you are a tiny game hunter. Enlist the kids or grandkids at a nickel a fly. (They are going to get that money out of you anyway.) There are also a number of sticky strips, interior fly zappers, and there is a kit with a funnel trap that is surprisingly effective.

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 23

CPH of the Month

A look into the CPH Community

Toni Cross, CPH Toni Cross Seasonal Color Pots Seattle

How long have you been a CPH? TC: I have been a CPH since 2005.

How do you participate in WSNLA? TC: I sit on the state board for WSNLA and I am chair of the Designer Caucus.

What is your job title/ company?

TC: I am the owner/designer of Toni Cross, Seasonal Color Pots.

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How long have you been in your current position? What other positions have you held?

TC: I started my company in 1999 while working for a landscape design, installation and maintenance company.

I have worked for four landscaping companies. All of them offered design/ installation services and the last one, R. David Adams & Associates, also provided maintenance. I started out by doing fine gardening for large and estate gardens, but I also did container and color work in addition to those tasks. In 2006 I dropped the maintenance side of my company and focused my energies on container/color design. I design, install and maintain both indoor and outdoor container gardens and color.

What is your overall philosophy for being successful in this field?

TC: Perseverance, attention to detail, a high level of quality in the services provided, and excellent customer service keep companies around for a long time.

It is also important to know who your customers are in order to stay focused on your mission. Too often landscaping companies destroy their own reputations by taking on jobs for which they are not qualified. This happens especially during economic downturns because everyone is being financially squeezed.

What is the biggest challenge you face in your job?

TC: One major challenge is the loss of nurseries providing quality color in the Seattle/Eastside area. I first started buying plants from the Sweetbriar near 132nd on the Eastside---now a housing development. Other wholesale nurseries have moved out of the area, due to the cost of land. Many of the remaining ones have very high purchase minimums, which work if you are doing a lot of bed color, but not if you are designing containers.

Finally, and I think this applies to almost every area of our industry, there is very little understanding by the general public of what it takes to do good work. They have not developed their aesthetics at all, and so think if you just jam a lot of plants in a pot then that constitutes “design.”

What is the most common mistake you see in homeowner yards commercial properties?)

CPH Board & Committee Members Andrew Barker, CPH Cloud Garden Landscape Design candrewbarker@gmail.com CPH since 2011

TC: The most common mistakes I see are plantings that are inappropriate for the cultural conditions in which they are planted and inappropriate pruning.

Shannon Grina, CPH Grina Landscape Design shannonG99@comcast.net CPH since 2008

What is your favorite plant? Why?

Joan Hackett, CPH PlantScapes joaniedidit@comcast.net CPH since 2002

TC: I don’t really have favorites. I guess I would say a “favored” plant is the one that answers the design question I am posing in the most elegant, healthy and reliable way. I use unusual plants as well as very common plants in my designs. I think how you use the plants is more important than what you use.

What is your favorite expression?

TC: “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Any publications or websites you’d like to share?

TC: The Missouri Botanical Garden and Oregon State University have great websites for plant research. I’m sure everyone is aware of the WSU website.

The websites some of our wholesale nurseries run are also extremely informative.

The Missouri Conservationist is sent free to every taxpayer in Missouri and it is a great magazine, although I only get to read it when I visit my family. I also usually read the B&B from cover to cover.

Sharon Collman’s articles are some of my favorites. Pacific Horticulture is also great.

Lucinda McMahan, CPH Lucinda’s Landscapes lucinda31@comcast.net CPH since 2001 Don Marshall, CPH Lake Washington Institute of Technology don.marshall@lwtech.edu CPH since 1983 Mike Davis info@pathwaystoponds.com CPH since 2002 Dana Blaskovich paradisecontained@hotmail.com CPH since 2002 Joseph Weninger, CPH Wight’s Home & Garden josephweninger@yahoo.com CPH since 2012

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 25

INDUSTRY NEWS [ News & Headlines ]

Congress and Horticulture – AmericanHort’s 2014 Agenda by: Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort Government Affairs Director The second session of the 113th Congress is now underway. Soon enough, most attention will turn to the November 4 elections. The midterm elections will decide the fate of all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and one-third of the 100 U.S. Senate seats also will be up for grabs. For the next few months, the legislative process will grind along. Bipartisan cooperation on an omnibus spending bill offers a hopeful sign that some of the nation’s business will get done.

Here are some of the key issues on AmericanHort’s legislative agenda on behalf of our members.

A New Farm Bill Would Mean ProblemSolving Tools We’re Horticulture, not corn or soybeans or milk or food stamps. So why do we care about the Farm Bill? Because it’s providing important tools in our toolkit for solving industry threats.

The 2008 Farm Bill included a new “specialty crop” title, and nursery and floriculture are defined as specialty crops, along with fruit and vegetables.

Funds and programs mostly found in this part of the Farm Bill have proven their worth to our industry. Just one example: “pest and disease management” funding has provided about $1.3 million dollars for a collaborative team to seek lasting solutions to the devastating Boxwood Blight disease. Additional funds have advanced the effort to deal with Impatiens Downy Mildew.

treatment” under the tax code exists for good reasons.

The Specialty Crop Research Initiative is an increasingly important source for leveraging horticultural research. In the new Farm Bill now being debated, AmericanHort has worked to strengthen the review process to ensure that future funded proposals are extremely relevant to industry’s needs. We’re hopeful that during the next few weeks, the House and Senate will adopt a final Farm Bill.

Such is the case with the nursery industry and cash accounting. Many growers avail themselves of the option to do cashbasis accounting, and to not maintain and pay taxes on inventory. Especially with longer-term crops, paying taxes on inventory would be quite a challenge given the lack of standardized practices and all the uncertainties of weather, pest and disease, markets, and so forth.

In part for these reasons, our industry has had unique tax law treatment for the better part of 100 years. There are tradeoffs for this treatment; for example, those who opt for the cash method cannot use accelerated depreciation for assets, but rather must use straight-line depreciation.

Cash Accounting: A Taxing Threat Both the Senate and House have been toiling to transform the tax system.

Their goals of reducing corporate and individual rates can only be achieved if savings can be found elsewhere, by eliminating loopholes, deductions, and exemptions. However, some “special

Legislative proposals in both houses would substantially limit cash accounting, at least for larger operations.

AmericanHort believes it would be unfair to establish an arbitrary annual gross revenues number (e.g., $10 million) and allow for the cash method for smaller businesses but disallow it for larger ones.

It is looking less likely that this Congress will actually get tax reform done this year. Nonetheless, we take the process seriously. Though committee chairmen come and go, professional staff tend to stick around a long time. Ideas that get on paper in the current effort will be the starting point for future talks. For these reasons, AmericanHort leaders are assisting in an “education blitz” and cultivating legislative champions who understand our industry’s unique situation.

A 21st Century Immigration System?

Most anyone in business would agree that America needs a modernized immigration and visa process to serve a 21st century economy. This is certainly true for farms, including nurseries and greenhouses, and for the

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INDUSTRY NEWS [ News & Headlines ]

In Memory Of... landscape sector. A big chunk of the labor force lacks proper papers. The legal visa options, whether permanent or temporary, are limited and way too bureaucratic. Labor scarcity and schizophrenic enforcement present horticultural businesses with huge uncertainties and risk.

AmericanHort is a recognized thought leader on the policy and politics of immigration reform. For instance, AmericanHort’s senior vice president, Craig Regelbrugge, was a panelist on January 14 at a retreat of Compete America, a coalition convening technology companies like Microsoft, Oracle, and Facebook. The purpose was to share political intelligence and coordinate lobbying and grassroots efforts among business sectors.

Provisions of the Senate-passed S.744 legislation would address key needs of our industry. The House has failed to act, but recent signs point to a serious effort

by Speaker Boehner and his leadership team to move immigration reform forward during the next several months.

Affordable Care Act: Expect plenty of rhetoric but little actual progress in terms of Congressional fixes to the law. Republicans will run against “Obamacare” all the way to November; for their part, Democrats aren’t keen on opening up the law for fear of losing control. And with some key elements of the law delayed until after the November elections, there is little hope of legislation to make improvements.

Got a wonderful, beautiful and/or interesting new plant introduction? Submit it for the New Varieties Showcase at the 2014 Farwest Show: National Nursery & Greenhouse Trade Show! Entries are now being accepted, and are due by March 28. Go to www.farwestshow.com/nvs for all the details.

John Humes, who edited the Pacific Coast Nurseryman trade magazine for 32 year passed away Dec. 24, 2013 at the age of 72. A private service was held Jan. 4, 2013 in Beaverton, Ore. Mr. Humes was born July 18, 1941 and graduated from the University of Washington in 1963. He served as the public information director for the OAN from 1973–1976, then became editor of Pacific Coast Nurseryman. He served in that role until his retirement in 2008.

He was well known to industry professionals throughout the country, as he attended association conventions and industry trade show each year, and reported on industry happenings throughout 11 western states and British Columbia.

Humes was a member of the OAN’s Farwest Trade Show committee from the show’s first year in 1975 until 2008. He chaired the show committee in 1985–86.

In 2009, he was awarded an honorary life membership in the OAN for his years of service. He had previously received an OAN Special Service Award in 1987 and 2007, and Distinguished Allied Trades Industry Member Award in 1994. WSNLA also awarded Humes with an honorary lifetime membership for his dedication and service to the industry. He will be truely missed.

Mr. Humes is survived by his wife of 45 years, Bernadette; son David Humes; and daughter Lisa Stanfield. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

The revised version of the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI) rating system—known as SITES v2—was released in fall 2013. Stormwater, The Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals, published a great article titled “The Sustainable Sites Rating System: Landscaping really counts” by Margaret Buranen, that features how developments and projects with landscaping can receive merit credits for sustainable measures with the new rating system. Read the entire article at www. facebook.com/WSNLA.

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 27

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Connect with other nursery and landscape professionals and receive updates on what is going on at WSNLA and your industry.

Real-time Dialogue.

Communicate directly with WSNLA leadership and staff with your questions and comments.

Generate Fresh Ideas.

Do you have a suggestions for an event, seminar, story idea or member program? WSNLA is always seeking ways to serve its membership.

Promote Your Business.

As a WSNLA member you can share special news and events about your business on the WSNLA Facebook page.

Publications & Articles

2014 Chapter Events WSNLA Chapters offer education, networking and FUN! Mt Rainier Chapter February 26, 2014 Location: Urban Garden Company, Tacoma. www.thecreativegardener.com Program: Roundtable discussion on marketing the nursery and landscape industry in the South Sound.

April 23, 2014 Location: South Puget Sound Community College.

Program: Frank Byles will lead a tour of this expansive Japanese maple collection that is located on campus.

For more information or to be added to the email list to receive chapter meeting notice announcements, contact Ingrid Wachtler, Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery at woodbrk@harbornet.com.

Northwest Chapter SAVE THE DATES! March 5, June 4, September 3 & December 3, 2014.

WSNLA provides links to the B&B Magazine and other relevant industry articles so that members can connect with their industry. As a member, you can do the same! Please feel free to share links to industry news and research.

For more information or to be added to the email list to receive chapter meeting notice announcements, contact Toni Cross, Toni Cross Seasonal Color Pots at toni@ seasonalcolorpots.com.

Online Networking.

Seattle Chapter

Get to know your industry colleagues by connecting with them online. The WSNLA facebook page is a resource to grow your professional network.

Join the Conversation.

Olympic Chapter

For more information or to be added to the email list to receive chapter meeting notice announcements, contact George and Jan Bahr, Roahouse Nursery at roadhousenrsry@embargmail.com.

April 16, 2014 Location: Seattle Solstice, www.seattlesolstice.com Program: We will have the opportunity to tour the unique production facility for this fabulous stone sculpture business in our own backyard. Mark your calendars to save the date for this late afternoon event.

For more information or to be added to the email list to receive chapter meeting notice announcements, contact Bill Collins at wjcollins@comcast.net.

Search Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association at www.facebook.com.

WSNLA Marketplace

[ Job Postings, For Sale, Plant Material Available & More! ] HOLLAND-AMERICA NURSERY. Now Available: Van den Akker weeping Alaska cedar 6’ thru 10’. Snowberry 1 gal. & 2 gal. Thuja plicata zebrina 5 gal. Red twig dogwood 1gal. Mahonia aquifolium 1 gal & 2 gal. Mahonia repens 1 gal & 2 gal.

Mahonia aquifolium 5 gal. Rosa nutkana 1 gal. Rosa Rugosa 1 gal.Cornus kousa Milky Way 6’-7’-8’ b&b. List available.

(360) 794-6549, or akker4@gmail.com.

WSNLA MEMBER. Specimen Street and landscape Trees in large Root Control Bags. Year around availability, easier shipping, handling and establishment.

Mount Vernon. (800) 827-4067. Fax (360) 428-1822. www.urbanforestnursery.com.

WSNLA MEMBER. To be listed in the WSNLA Marketplace, contact Breanne at breanne@wsnla.org or

Supplies for Small Growers SEED STARTING - Pots Trays Inserts Plug Trays -____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Labels - large variety size, color & shape blank plant pot & row markers

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Weed control, fertilizer, tapes & ties, watering, and more ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

AAAmercantile.com http://stores.ebay.com/AAA-Mercantile http://www.amazon.com/shops/AAAmercantile Enter promotion code WSNLAJUNE for a 15% discount for a limited time at AAAmercantile.com

MAINLAND FLORAL

BC’s Best Delivered Fresh Specializing in supplying top quality fresh cut flowers and potted plants directly from the best producers in BC to the northwest United States.

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ph (604) 856-1264 fax (604) 856-1273 www.mainlandfloral.com

(800) 672-7711.

WSNLA Preferred Providers Legal Access

Equipment Purchases

Bill Yeager, Association Benefits Corp.

206-948-9379, FAX 425-742-1474 bill@associationbenefits.us

At no charge, members may ask a question or obtain advice. More work will be performed at a discounted Association rate.

Business Insurance

Robert Andre’, Ogden Murphy Wallace 206-447-2252, FAX 206-447-0215 randre@omwlaw.com, www.omwlaw.com

Receive fleet like discounts on high quality commercial equipment at participating dealerships only. Plus, they are committed to giving back to your organization through a rebate program.

Health Insurance

Ken Von Forell, Hortica Insurance & Employee Benefit 360-459-9411, KVonForell@hortica-insurance. com, www.hortica-insurance.com

Credit Card Processing Save money with low processing fees and a variety of related benefits, including gift cards for customers, through Sage Payment Solutions.

Plus, they are committed to giving back to your organization through a rebate program.

Miah Green, Sage Payment Solutions 208-503-0561, jgreen@sagepayments.com www.sagepayments.com/wsnla

Phil Smith, Scotsco, Inc (253) 720-6420, psmith@scotsco.com

Printing & Promotional Products Customized print and promotional products.

Plus, they are committed to giving back to your organization through a rebate program.

Jim Stedman, ProForma 888-546-6028, jwstedman@aol.com

Cash Flow Management Receive assistance in the commercial recovery field.

Office Supplies Order office supplies quickly and easily via phone, fax or online. Guaranteed lowest price, free next-day delivery, 4% instant discount on every invoice. No minimum order.

Jenn Gordon, Association Members Only 800-420-6421 x 234, FAX 800-420-6422 jgordon@goamo.com, www.goamo.com

Bill Bosch, Cash Flow Management 503-774-1399, FAX 503-771-4202, bbosch@ cfmcollect.com, www.cfmcollection.com Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 29

CALENDAR OF EVENTS [ Education & Enjoyment ] february 12-13, 2014. Rain Garden Workshop for landscape professionals. Location: jefferson county. This professional level training will focus on rain gardens and other low-impact development practices. The class will cover site selection, design, soils/compost, new regulations, plant design/selection, costs, maintenance, and more. To register in your preferred location visit www.12000raingardens.org/getinvolved/events/. CPH Credit Available.

February 18-21, 2014. Sustainable Landscape Professional Traning & Exam. Location: Clover Park Technical College, Lakewood. Registration: $350 for training and exam. $150 for exam only. $75 for retest. To find out more about testing requirements and study materials visit WSNLA.ORG. February 26, 2014. CPH Preview Exam. Location: Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland. For more information visit www.wsnla.org.

FEBRUARY 27. WSNLA & WALP LEGISLATIVE DAY. Location: The Capitol, Olympia. For more information contact Breanne at (800) 672-7711, breanne@ wsnla.org.

NEW Calendar Format - find industry events at WSNLA.ORG! March 11, from 1:30pm-6pm.

WSNLA Planning Session. Location: 21 Acres, Woodinville. Help design a roadmap for your Association. Your participation will help drive future of the WSNLA Community and involves looking at strengths, weaknesses, and identifying opportunities. Please RSVP by February 28. For more information contact Breanne at breanne@wsnla.org or (800) 672-7711.

MARCH 12, FROM 7:30AM - 4PM. Smart Water Usage From the Ground Up. Location: South Seattle Community College. Hear about the latest developments in water efficient landscapes. Expert presenters will share practical lessons learned from landscapes that look beautiful and use water sustainably. Topics include: Proven strategies to design, install, and establish low-water use, resourceconserving landscapes; Lessons learned from four water-efficient case studies; An opportunity to participate in a hands-on water assessment. For more information visit www.seattle.gov/util/groups/ public/@spu/@conservation/documents/ webcontent/01_027085.pdf. CPH Credit Available.

March 19, 2014. CPH Exam. Location: South Seattle Community College, Seattle.

For more information visit www.wsnla. org.

APRIL 9, FROM 1:30 - 6pm. THE ART OF HORT PHOTOGRAHY & POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA. Location: 21 Acres, Woodinville. Join experts in their field as they provide you will tools to be successful in photography and social media. This hands on special workshop will include instruction and time to take and access photos with an expert. And, will be followed by gearing up your computers to leverage the power of social media! (Bring your personal computer, tablet or phone to access.) Sponsored by Little Prince of Oregon. Cost: $50 member, $75 non member. For more information turn to page 11. CPH Credit Available.

MAY 12 - 16. StoneFest X: “Build Sacred Space�. Location: Marenakos Rock Center in Preston. This event deserves your attention now as it is among the few such events in the world devoted to the art of working with stone in construction, sculpture, and traditional lettering arts. StoneFest X brings together world renown experts in these trades to teach and work with all the participants in creating projects on the grounds of Marenakos Rock Center.

Promote your event in the B&B Magazine and on WSNLA.org. Contact Breanne at breanne@wsnla.org or (800) 672-7711.

advertisersIndex Anderson Die & Manufacturing....... 30 Biringer Nursery.............................. 30 Mainland Floral............................... 29 Motz & Sons.................................... 15 Mukilteo Cedar Products................. 15 NW Farm Credit Services................... 2 NW Flower & Garden Show............. 30 Ogden Murphy Wallace................... 26 Oregon Valley Greenhouse.............. 32 Stueber Distributing........................ 31 Wetlands & Woodlands................... 29 WSNLA would like to thank our B&B advertisers and encourages our readers to learn more about the products and services they offer.

30 - The B&B Magazine

www.BIRINGERNURSERY.com

WSNLA IS PROUDLY COMMITTED TO OUR ENVIRONMENT

If you’re interested in receiving the B&B Magazine delivered monthly to your email inbox, please let us know! info@wsnla.org | 800-672-7711

View archived B&B Magazines on WSNLA.ORG

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association 34400 Pacific Hwy S., Ste 2 Federal Way, WA 98003 Address Service Requested

Specializing in Heavy Duty structures to cover all your greenhouse needs Standard and Custom sizes available

503-678-2700 * 1-800-347-2701 (outside OR) * FAX: 503-678-2789 www.ovg.com * ivans@ovg.com * 20357 HWY 99E * AURORA, OR 97002