hortwest_2008-07

CanWest, IGCA Milestone EventsBCLNA members are less than two months away from two milestone-events, which are anticipated to make strides in advancing the profi le of this province’s ornamental horticulture industry.

For the fi rst time in BCLNA’s history, and only the second time in the nation, Canada will host the International Garden Centre Association Congress from September 7 to 12. The itinerary has been fi nalized, and BCLNA member retailers are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the unprecedented opportunity to network with their peers from around the globe.

“We have confi rmed attendees from Japan, South Africa, and all over Europe—I think 16 countries are represented in all;” says the event’s coordinator, Renata Triveri. “Locals

should certainly consider coming for at least a portion of the event, to get a sense of the value of networking with this group. The UK is hosting next year’s event in conjunction with GLEE, and Japan will host IGCA Congress 2010. Those are going to be two superb excursions, which will be made all the more relevant for participants if they connect with this lively group of retailers right away.”

On the heels of that world-class event, is the CanWest Hort Show, which will take place on September 17 and 18, with industry tours to follow on the 19th. The tradeshow will bring back all the familiar elements, along with an enhanced educa-tion program in response to last year’s sell-out sessions.

4BCLNA Board Highlights

6LandscapeClippings

8CanWestHort ShowSpecial Preview

14Green Scene

16 Grower Update

18 Classifieds

Vancouver as seen from the Westin Bayshore, home to IGCA Congress’ international guests for the duration of their week-long garden centre tour. Visible at the right are the sails of the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre (VCEC), where the CanWest Hort Show is held each year; look closely, and you can see construction cranes on the expansion site of VCEC.

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continued on page 4

HortWestJulAug08.indd 1 10/27/08 9:27:07 AM

HortWest JULY/AUGUST 2008

MANAGING EDITOR Renata Triveri

ADVERTISING Barb NelsonPhone: (604) 574-7772Fax: (604) 574-7773

HortWest is the Newsletter of the B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association for the horticultural trade in Western Canada. For further information, contact us at:Suite 102, 5783 – 176A StreetSurrey, B.C., Canada V3S 6S6Telephone (604) 574-7772 Fax (604) 574-7773

HortWest is owned by the B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association, and is published 10 times a year. Views expressed inside do not necessarily refl ect the attitudes of the Association but are those of the writer concerned. Material may not be reprinted from this magazine without the consent of the publisher.

All advertising and editorial material are to be received one month in advance of mail out date.

HortWest is mailed under Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement N. 0288608

This magazine is printed in Canada by Globe Printers.

It’s Show TimeAnd we need

your help!FarWest ShowAugust 21 – 23We need sales-savvy people to help out at the booth for two-hour shifts! Your role is to promote BC nurseries and the CanWest Hort Show.

CanWest Hort ShowSeptember 17 – 18CanWest requires a wide variety talents are required for various tasks. Be part of the team dedicated to making CanWest a world-class show!

For more information, contact Karen at the BCLNA: 604 574-7772 or [email protected].

2008

It’s Show TimeAnd we need

your help!FarWest ShowAugust 21 – 23We need sales-savvy people to help out at the booth for two-hour shifts! Your role is to promote BC nurseries and the CanWest Hort Show.

CanWest Hort ShowSeptember 17 – 18CanWest requires a wide variety talents are required for various tasks. Be part of the team dedicated to making CanWest a world-class show!

For more information, contact Karen at the BCLNA: 604 574-17772 or [email protected].


Fred Giesbrecht, President,B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association

Business of BCLNA in Good Hands

3

Message from the President

Summer in our industry tends to be a business-assessing kind of time. With the rush of spring still fresh in our minds, but its rapid pace slightly reduced, we can

look critically at how our companies progressed, with an eye to improving for next year. This is the case at BCLNA too.

Your board of directors met for a full day of meetings last month, to go over the association’s direction and prioritize strategies for improvement (see Board Retreat, page 4). The meeting was a success, and further helped our new executive director, Werner Knittel, to

get a feel for the association’s current initiatives and challenges. BCLNA members can go to www.bclna.com and download the table of accomplishments and coming tasks from its homepage.

A general meeting of members was held on June 24, to gain permission for the BCLNA, to borrow money towards the purchase of UFG’s share in the CanWest Show and gain 100% ownership. This is a major move for the BCLNA, which will have a positive outcome toward better serving the various specialty areas within the horticulture industry. As you sit back to assess your business, don’t forget to plan to attend CanWest, its education program, and the IGCA Congress—these are events that help us all keep up with a modern and ever-changing industry.

Of course, summer also signals some time to recuperate, socialize, and enjoythe sun—the annual BCLNA golftournament was a great way for everyone to get together for that and a littlecamaraderie too. Special thanks to our American friends who generously donated proceeds of their winnings (which were auctioned off at the banquet) to the BCLNA! We wish all our members a relaxing summer, and we look forward to gathering with everyone again at September’s big events.


4

BCLNA News Bulletins

Board RetreatBCLNA’s directors made strides last month at their annual board retreat. An exercise in visioning, the full day of meetings took the association’s strategic plan into account, and reprioritized its existing focus areas in light of new and emerging issues.

Executive DirectorHaving been with the BCLNA for four weeks, Werner Knittel provided his initial observations of the association. A goal within the office operations is to implement a more effective database, upgrade the accounting program, and offer online registration for events and seminars; efficiencies gained by these updates will free up staff time, which can then be rededicated to higher value member services.

FinancialsBarring any unforeseen expenses and assuming adequate cash flow, the BCLNA board moved to pay $12,000 toward the BCLNA’s office mortgage by the end of June. Due to unexpected building roof repairs, the association is projected to end the year with a slight deficit.

Landscape CommodityA proposal was received with regard to investigating the feasibility of forming a landscape inspection institute. A land-scape inspector training program was initiated by BCLNA during the 1980s to operate similarly to building inspec-tors, however financing, marketing, and partner participation were barriers to its success at the time. The objective of a landscape inspection institute would be to certify inspectors, who would operate at arm’s length, to assure clients have received quality landscape installations.

CNLA Representation Following BCLNA’s next election of directors (November 13-14, Four Seasons Hotel in Whistler), Past President Peter Levelton will be replaced as the BCLNA representative to the CNLA board. Outgoing President Fred Giesbrecht will assume the liaison role between the provincial and national board; how-ever, Levelton’s departure will leave a vacancy for the Environment Chair position. The BCLNA board is seeking nominees for this committee position, which will be turned over to the CNLA for consideration.

At an extraordinary general meeting held last month, members voted in favour of borrowing $100,000 toward the purchase of United Flower Grow-ers’ share in the CanWest Horticulture Show, giving BCLNA sole-ownership potential. The possibility to expand along with the Lower Mainland’s bur-geoning convention space, means that BCLNA is beginning to develop its own vision for CanWest. This September’s show will be the twentieth and final event under joint-ownership. It is hoped that the purchase will close by December.

Says Karen De Jong, CanWest’s Show Manager, “We have had a long and

extremely beneficial relationship with UFG. It’s been an exceptional collabor-ation, which has afforded the CanWest Show much success and growth over the years. However, BCLNA’s growing involvement in urban landscape initia-tives, labour recruitment, and numer-ous other projects, shows that we have an increased need to look for ways to benefit our extended industry family.”

The former partners will maintain a friendly working relationship. UFG will continue to have a strong pres-ence at CanWest and have agreed to help promote the show to its clientele. BCLNA is grateful for UFG’s ongoing support of the annual fundraising auc-tion as well, donating use of its facility for the next decade.

BCLNA Board Highlights

June 16, 2008

continued from cover

All members are encouraged tocommunicate issues and concerns to the BCLNA board through its directors. For contact information, visit www.bclna.com and click on About BCLNA > Meet the Directors. If you have an interest in serving on a BCLNA committee or on its board, contact us at [email protected].

Board Retreats toAdvance BCLNAThe role of BCLNA’s board of directors has been moving from an operational to a strategic governance model over the past few years. Given the capability and professionalism of the association’s staff, the directors are confident that they will concentrate increasingly on BCLNA’s big-picture role in industry.

To this end, the annual board retreat found directors participating in an exercise in visioning, taking the association’s strategic plan into account to modify its existing areas of focus in light of new and emerging issues.

A propos was a discussion surrounding membership value. Directors empha-sized the need for strong avenues of communication between the association and its constituents, in order to better engage and keep members abreast of developments that affect our industry. Providing a strong education program was an equally important benefit of membership, and of advancing the pro-fessionalism of members. Finally, the board emphasized that industry-direct-ed research, to assist in members’ business health and development, was key, citing the recent useful work by E.S. Cropconsult and others.


5

When asked what the BCLNA needs to look like in the coming two to five years, directors stressed the need for the associa-tion to improve its image and brand with both the public and government, through the development of a media relations strategy. They felt that an improvement in the public’s perception of the horticulture industry would significantly assist the BCLNA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of members. Executive Director, Werner Knittel is expected to shed further light on this important task, bringing his extensive experience with public and media relations from his previous work with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.

When it came to policy, it was no surprise that sustainability ranked highly in an era of increased environmental con-sciousness, but business competitiveness programs to maintain the strength of BCLNA member companies—be they fuel, land use, plant health, or product marketing initiatives—received careful attention as well.

These priorities in hand, the BCLNA staff will look at the organization’s existing policy priorities, programs, and services with a critical eye to improving and enhancing all current initiatives and activities.

Strong Turnoutfrom IslandChapter Islanders packed the house at last month’s chapter meeting at Pacific Horticulture College, where they gained insight on a variety of programs and initiatives offered by the BCLNA, and took in a seminar session. New Executive Director, Werner Knittel, was on hand to reiterate BCLNA’s commitment to engaging and serving member interests, irrespective of region.

“It’s BCLNA’s goal and mandate to ensure our province’s horticulture professionals

can access the services and support of our association, regardless of their loca-tion;” said Knittel. “At the same time, we need the chapter members to assist staff in keeping a finger on the pulse of regional issues. Given this meeting’s turnout, I have no doubt that Island members will continue to do just that—the Island chapter is vibrant and is an excellent vehicle for advancing the local industry.”

Brian Russell of Russell Nursery, explained, “I thought the meeting went extremely well. We saw many new faces, and lots of interesting topics were addressed. There is a general feeling among the executive that the Island Chapter is very up-and-coming, and that we can look forward to renewed presence and participation.”

The audience received a detailed com-modity update from Hedy Dyck, BCLNA’s grower issue specialist, and learned from

First Vice President, Ruth Olde, how the new Landscape Awards of Excellence application system would put applicants on equal footing regardless of project location; they also took interest in a skills, apprenticeship and labour synopsis pro-vided by Treasurer and HortEducationBC Chair, Bill Hardy. Especially engaging, however, was the evening’s educational component delivered by Rupert Evans. Butchart Gardens’ senior arborist, Evans revealed innovative remedies for root girdling and other common tree problems.

Knittel and the BCLNA team look forward to future work with both the Island and Interior Chapters; in the meantime, they continue to search for a person to relieve Anthony Krakau as Interior Chapter Chair. Any BCLNA member interested in representing the Interior region is strongly encouraged to contact the BCLNA for details; [email protected] or 604 574-7772.

Levelton to Serveon IAF ExecutivePeter Levelton, Past President of BCLNA, has been appointed to the Investment Agriculture Foundation executive, and assumes the role of Secretary. Levelton joins the IAF’s chair, Stuart Wilson (semi-retired, formerly of Sun-Rype, Dairyland, Lipton, and CFIA), vice chair, Derek Janzen (poultry sector), and Bar Hayre (BC Raspberry and Blueberry Councils).

“IAF is committed to supporting eligible projects all along the agriculture and agri-food value chain to enable the industry to innovate, proactively seize new opportunities and deal with emerging issues,” said incoming chair Stuart Wilson. “It is imperative that the interests of the entire agri-food sector are reflected in our decisions, therefore it is critical that our leadership—our board and our executive—have broad industry representation.”

BCLNA News Bulletins

BCLNA members on Vancouver Island convened at Pacific Horticulture College at Glendale Gardens & Woodland for last month’s chapter meeting. BCLNA thanks Sandra and Stephan Cranz for hosting the event, and Rupert Evans, Senior Arborist at Butchart Gardens, for providing the evening’s educational component.

Not a BCLNA member?Have an Island Chapter member sponsor

you to attend these very informative,

monthly industry meetings, then visit

www.bclna.com to find out how you too

can join the association!


6

Landscape Clippings

On the Same Pagefor Tree CareBCLNA educational programs are most often geared to business owners specifi-cally, or developed for the training of their staff. When it came to Tree Care 101, a free session sponsored and hosted by East Richmond Nurseries Inc. (ERNI), landscapers made sure their entire team was on hand to learn how their tree installations could assure optimum survival and growth.

There are varying schools of thought on proper techniques for planting, staking, mulching and pruning trees; ERNI’s owner, Peter Levelton, identified the need to bridge the training divide, so he drew on the expertise of his long time nursery associates from J. Frank Schmidt & Sons.

Sales representative Toby Schamberger said that the most common problem he sees in tree planting is that people tend to plant too deeply. “Find the natural soil line on the tree you are planting and make sure you don’t plant any deeper than that line. Remember, if it is a con-tainer grown tree, there is composted bark used as the media and this will fur-ther decompose and settle so you’ll want to plant a couple of inches higher to compensate for the settling. And, if the roots are tight in the pot and appear ‘pot bound’ cut them to allow them to spread

properly. Be sure to keep the tree well watered but don’t drown it!”

Jodi Patterson, also with J. Frank Schmidt, added to the session by intro-ducing new and underused varieties; the entire audience went away with a handy reference guide from the company.

Southcoast Horticultural Services’ Kev-in O’Higgins remarked that taking the time to bring employees to BCLNA training programs was a great way to expose them to the scope, ethics, and professional attitude of people in the industry. “It is very inspiring to look at all the plants available, and usually only one member of our company gets to take advantage of that inspiration. So we all went! It resulted in some excellent discussion about what to plant on a cur-rent project, and it was a good chance for more isolated staff (like my wife who is involved but works another full-time job) to meet a few industry players and connect with our work a little more.”

Urban ForestCouncil FormedBCLNA’s new arborist committee met to define its short and long term goals, and create an identity for themselves under the BCLNA “commodities” umbrella. Officially the Urban Forest Council, the committee’s immediate tasks are to establish a meeting with arborists and urban foresters to introduce them to the BCLNA and outline the benefits of becoming a member, and to make plans for an educational session relevant to BC’s arborists and urban foresters.

The council is off to a strong start, having already met with WorkSafeBC to provide input on the proposed new guidelines for driven-feed chippers. Officials with Work-SafeBC say the new guideline is intended to set out some criteria around appropriate design, maintenance, and use of panic bars for this category of chipping machines.

If you missed Tree Care 101, it’s time to sign up for the Landscape and Grower Friday Files! Drop Krista Manton (landscape) or Hedy Dyck (grower) an email to subscribe: [email protected] or [email protected]. Friday Files are open to all BCLNA members regardless of commodity, and are great “snapshot” reminders!

Catch the next series of educationalevents at the CanWest Hort Show this September: turn to page 8 for info. Retailers should be sure to participate in the International Garden Centre Association Congress to take advantage ofa world-wide peer networking opportunity!


7

Greg Ward, Chair of the Urban Forest Council, was encouraged by the commit-tee’s initial meeting. “The tree care and urban forest industry is looking forward to working with the BCLNA through the Urban Forest Council in addressing the many challenges and issues the industry is facing. Our goal is to bring the industry together into one cohesive body that will work collaboratively and cooperatively in furthering a wide variety of business and community interests,” said Ward.

MacDonald, Foleyto Represent BC at National SummitA first for the Canadian Nursery Land-scape Association, landscapers from across the country are convening to discuss common issues at a national summit. The BCLNA is pleased to announce that Col-leen MacDonald of Sage Green Projects Inc. and Jeff Foley of Para Space Land-scaping Inc., have agreed to represent BCLNA members at this important event. Landscape members with specific indus-try concerns are encouraged to contact Colleen or Jeff, or Krista Manton at the BCLNA ([email protected] or 604 574-7772) to ensure your issues are represented.

Landscapers now comprising the most rapidly growing commodity within the CNLA, the association has identified a need for a Landscape Sector Priorities Specialist, who will act as a catalyst to take the landscape sector to the next level of industry development and maturity. The specialist will liaise with landscape industry stakeholders, specifiers, bureau-crats and government to ensure that links and formal relations are developed and nurtured, and co-ordinate and develop government-industry partnerships and projects to further the landscape sector. It is hoped that the new position will be filled in time for the National Landscape Summit. For complete details of this new position, visit the CNLA website: www.canadanursery.com.


CanWest Hort Show Special Preview

8

Owen Dell, County Landscape Designwww.owendell.comExcerpted from Pacifi c Horticulture Magazine

So, what’s a better way? How does a sustainable garden actually work? What are some of the nuts and bolts of this evolving approach to gardens? Catch Owen’s cutting edge seminars, Sustainable Landscaping Materials, and Fossil Free Landscaping, on September 18.

Imagine a garden that rarely needs pruning, watering or fertilizing. One where natural controls usually take care of pest problems before the gardener even becomes aware of them. A peaceful garden

where the sound of blowers, power mowers or chain saws never intrudes. Imagine a garden that also serves as a climate control for the house, keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter, a garden that traps rainwater in an attractive stream bed to deeply irrigate the trees and recharge the ground water, one that provides habitat for wildlife and food for people. Imagine a garden that truly works. This is the sus-tainable garden, not barren or sacrifi cial, but as lush and beautiful as any other without all the struggle and waste. Yes, it is just that simple.

Southern California landscape consultant Randall Ismay has calculated that 80% of the total cost of a garden over its lifespan is maintenance labor and materials. Only 20%, then, goes into its design and construction. That is often partially attributable to unrealistic limitations on the designer’s time and corner-cutting on the installation, but for the most part, that 80/20 split is due to poor design that creates a permanent maintenance burden

far greater than is necessary. It is through ignorance and carelessness that we create gardens that are needlessly needy.

On another front, most of the materials that go into the initial construction of the landscape—the concrete, lumber, stone and gravel, and all the rest—are either non-renewable or severely damaging to their environment of origin. Consider decom-posed granite, a popular granular paving material that is attractive, inexpensive, easy to install and permeable to rainwater. On those counts it is a sustainable material. Yet, it is a soil type that is strip-mined from once-pristine mountains.

It is unfortunate that even proponents of sustainable landscaping have for the most part ignored these off-site impacts and satisfi ed themselves with creating gardens that, while they may be internally more sustainable than conventional ones, pillage nature in the course of their development and so are mere symbols of sustainability. Indeed, their hypocrisy does violence to the idea of sustainability.

Have a ProductiveFirst HourAnn Max, Productive to the Maxwww.productivetothemax.com

Be more productive! Learn how with Ann Max on September 18 as she presents Control Your Worklife.

The fi rst hour of your day should really be the most productive. Do you stop to chat, have several cups of coffee, read the paper and socialize fi rst thing in the morning?

That costs you extra time that can be spent elsewhere. If possible, try get in to

the offi ce an hour earlier a few times each week so you can work uninterrupted. Close the door.

Ideally, you should have already planned out your day before you come into the offi ce. It should have been done before you left the previous day so you could get a good night’s sleep without worrying. However, that is not always possible, so the fi rst task of the day is to go over your daily calendar. Print it out, analyze the contents and ensure that you have enough time to complete all the tasks. Clean up and organize your desk. Go through all your emails, inboxes, mail etc. Eliminate the small to do’s from your list. Either ‘delete’ or ‘delegate’. Plan everything out on your calendar. Create a structure and schedule forthe day.

Get rid of any pesky tasks that have been bothering you. Plan out and write down diffi cult scenarios you will have to deal with today. Take steps to complete them. Clean anything that is left over, dirty or dying (i.e plants) on your desk. Take a deep breath, congratulate yourself and now go for that cup of coffee. You are ready to start your day!

Pricing—It’s aMatter of Supply & Demand Kip Creel, Standpoint Marketing Researchwww.standpointgroup.comExcerpted from his study, Pricing—It’s a Matter of Supply & Demand

Improve your bottom line and take in Kip’s seminar sessions on September 17: Where Have the Gardeners Gone? and Becoming a Garden Centre Crossover.

Towards A Sustainable Garden

Show Stopping Lineup!Stellar Speaker Panel

Insightful TopicsRegister by August 29 for best rates!

www.CanWestHortShow.com


Most industries pass along stealth price increases by making changes to the packaging or quantities. Have you noticed at the grocery store that package sizes have gotten smaller while prices

have remained constant? It happens more than you think. As we all know in the green industry, package size and pricing go hand-in-hand. Consumers readily expect bigger plants to have bigger price points.

The burning question, then, is this: are we under pricing our products?

Pricing is an important issue for several reasons:1. Industry growth is slowing. While it is projected that the industry will con-tinue to outpace growth in the overall economy for the next fi ve years, growth rates may not match those of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

2. For independent retailers, long-term profi tability is a key issue. To improve profi ts, you either sell more or reduce expenses. Selling more is a function of increasing customer visits or the average transaction. Increasing customer visits can be done—but it cost money to do so.Another way to raise the average trans-action is to take a serious look at pricing.

3. Consumers place limits on the amount of plant material they buy at each store visit. The most important factor infl uencing transaction amount is time. When consumers want to garden, they have allotted a fi nite amount of time to purchase and plant. Getting them to buy more plants can be hard if they only have four hours that weekend to garden.

In the Spring of 2003, Horticultural Printers, Swanson Russell Associates and Standpoint Research completed a market study in Dallas. The purpose of the study was to determine if consumers

9


CanWest Hort Show Special Preview

10

would pay more for a branded product. A fi ctitious brand was created, the brand promise was clearly communicated and it was sold in close proximity to an iden-tical, unbranded version. The elements of the study included the following:

Each plant was sold in a 4.5” potThe branded product was given more prominence in the store.The branded version had a larger plant stake and a white pot.The unbranded version had a larger plant stake and a brown pot.The branded version was mer-chandised on an end-cap and was supported with signage, bench wrap and header panels.

To make the market study more chal-lenging, we charged more for the brand-ed product. At two independent garden centres, $2.49 was charged for the

branded and $1.99 for the unbranded. At two home improvement stores, $1.59 was charged for the branded version and $1.20 for the unbranded. Pricing was set so that the marketing costs were passed on to the consumer, earning both the grower and retailer additional margin. Pricing for both the branded and unbranded products was higher than typical retails for similar products.

It was quite clear that an additional 50-75 cents per unit was a non-issue to most customers. During April, consum-ers want nice looking plants. Actual pricing and how the price compared to last year were not important. And yes, in terms of volume, the branded ver-sion outsold the unbranded version by 40%. Consumers like the brand prom-ise, saw added value in the purchase, and the merchandising did its job.

A common question I get from inde-pendent retailers is, “Will this research prompt Home Depot or Lowe’s to raise their prices?” The research suggests that we may be leaving some money on the table. Independent retailers are rightful-ly concerned about pricing themselves too far out of the customer expectations.

My guess is that Home Depot and Lowe’s are taking a hard look at their garden centres too. Recent research sponsored by the trade magazine ‘Do it Yourself Retailing’, suggests that the overall productivity of the lawn and gar-den department (a function of turns and gross margin) lags behind that of other departments like paint, lumber and electrical. Price increases are, of course, risky, especially in this era of overall price defl ation. But, are we under-pric-


11

ing lawn and garden products? During times of high demand, the answer is still probably. If I owned a garden centre, I’d be experimenting with pricing. To me, that is one of the key benefits of a POS system—maximizing gross margins by analyzing and adjusting prices in rela-tion to turns. As my grandfather used to say, “What matters is not how much you make, but how much you keep.”

In the end, it is the consumer’s vote that counts. When you think about it, what is the difference between $2.00 and $2.25 for a 4” annual? For the retailer it is a 12.5% price increase. To the consumer it is only 25 cents.

Show Theme: Nursery Rhymes

Trade Show & Seminars: September 17 – 18

Show Hours: 11:30 am – 6:00 pm

Industry & Garden Tours: September 19

CanWestHortShow.com


Retailers may recall the BCLNA-Tree Canada partnership, which provided funds for tree replacement in the Vancouver area, after 2006’s devastating storms. This year, the organization is providing funding to help homeowners in BC’s Interior replace trees lost to Mountain Pine Beetle.

Homeowners with beetle-killed trees in their yards have the opportunity to apply for an $80 rebate towards the purchase of a $150 tree. Garden retailers in the designated area are encouraged to accept these vouchers and redeem them for the $80 by mailing them to:

Tree Canada Pine Beetle Re-Leaf402 – 222 Somerset Street WestOttawa, ON K2P 2G3

It is imperative that participating retailers make their nursery and cashier staff aware of the program to avoid point-of-sale frustrations.

Retail Reminder

Tree CanadaSupportsBeetle-KillReplanting

12

Watch for vouchers like this at your garden store’s check-outs. For more information on Tree Canada and its Re-Leaf programs, visit www.treecanada.ca.

point-of-sale frustrations.


13

BCLNA Social Events

Hole SponsorsAbbotsford Concrete Products Ltd.BC Landscape & Nursery AssociationBMO Financial GroupBrandt Tractor Ltd.CanWest Hort ShowCorix Water ProductsDenbowFinning (Canada)HortEducationBCHUB International TOS Ltd.Inline Nurseries Inc.KPMG LLPKT ProductsKwantlen Polytechnic UniversityRONA Inc.Schmunk Gatt Smith & AssociatesTerraLink Horticulture Inc.

Prize DonorsBlue Pine Enterprises Ltd.BMO Financial GroupBrandt Tractor Ltd.Canada Wide Media Ltd.ComPro Business Solutions Ltd.Corix Water ProductsCreative EmbroideryEddi’s Wholesale Garden Supplies Ltd.Florenco Sales Ltd.HortEducationBCHorticultural Marketing & PrintingJ.M. McConkey & Co. Inc.Kato’s Nursery Ltd.Mertin Chevrolet CadillacNorthwest Landscape & Stone Supply Ltd.Redwoods Golf CourseRONA Inc.The Chartwell Financial Group

Congratulations to…Dick Turner (Magic Landscape), Sam Agresta and Jeff Theda (Plants Northwest Inc.), and Charlie Anderson (A-Z Landscape Inc.) who took this year’s Best Overall trophy; in a very sportsmanlike fashion, the team auctioned off their winnings—two Redwoods passes plus a pair of hockey tickets—in order to donate the proceeds to the 2009 BCLNA Golf Tournament fund!

Final Approval

BCLNA welcomes the following new members:

CRD Water Services, Monique Van den Boomen, Victoria, Associate

Gidge Contracting, Kevin Gidge, Port Coquitlam, Active Landscaper

Outside Design, Kyle Yakimovitch, Surrey, Active Landscaper (Interim)

Wajax Industries, Mike Bottom, Langley, Associate

With Impact Enterprises Ltd., Tracey Bureyko, Richmond, Active Landscaper (Interim)

Amanda Gibb, Langley, Active Landscaper (Interim)

Tentative Approval

The following companies will be approved BCLNA members at the July 21 board meeting unless a member provides a valid reason for not accepting the application:

Big Trees Today, Inc., Terry Hickman, Hillsboro, Out of Province

Flower Power Garden Design, Char Power, Vancouver, Active Landscaper

The Green Man Landscape Services, Jeff Sakari, Maple Ridge, Active Landscaper (Interim)

Kitimat Landscaping & Contract-ing Ltd., Stan Pucelj, Kitimat, Active Landscaper

Zerra Landscaping Ltd., Mike Valiant, Kelowna, Active Landscaper

City of Surrey, Greg Ward, Surrey, Individual

NewBCLNA Members

Annual Golf TournamentBCLNA members took advantage of a sunny June afternoon to play a round at the association’s annual golf tournament and social. This year’s event was generously supported by numerous BCLNA members and associates. Special thanks to spon-sors, Langley’s Redwoods Golf Course, and course manager Doug Hawley, for hosting of an exceptional event!


14

Business owners on both sides of the carbon tax debate are contemplating just how to manage the 2.4-cent premium that was added to BC’s gas pumps on July 1. Said Cable Baker of RCB Gar-den Services, “I really don’t think most of us have quite fi gured out exactly what we’re going to do to handle these increased costs.” But with incremental tax hikes scheduled to add as much as 7.2 cents to the per-litre price by 2012, it’s clear that everyone will need to be a lot more frugal with their fuel consump-tion—and that thriftiness will translate to savings for both business owners and the environmental cause.

Brian Ramor of Think Green Landscaping Inc. is beginning to work the numbers. A management brainstorming session generated a dozen or more ways his company could become more fuel-effi cient (see below), several of which involve honing travel routes and time of day to minimize both the kilometers clocked, and the idling time and gas take-up caused by slow traffi c. United Parcel Service (UPS) went so far as to institute a no-left-hand turn rule to reduce idling and expedite travel times—a system that requires a goodGPS unit, which can not only tidy up travel routes but also track fuel mileage, letting you know when your vehicle isn’t performing optimally.

Be conscious of where you work, quoting jobs in a local area. Hire local staff—especially useful for companies that pick up workers en route to jobsites. Purchase a tidy tank to reduce labour costs on refueling equipment (be sure it’s double-lined as new regulations are on the horizon). This also allows you to track how much fuel the equipment is burning in comparison to the vehicles. Run equipment on marked fuel. Use the CNLA’s fuel discount program. Buy locks for tanks to stop siphoning, which is an increas-ing problem. Increase charge-out rates for new customers, and apply a fuel surcharge to existing clients. Maintain equipment and trucks so they

run effi ciently. Ensure proper tire pressure. Fill dump trucks to maximum capacity before disposing of waste to reduce trips.

Direct staff to turn off vehicles and equipment instead of idling them. Fuel vehicles and do errands during off-peak traffi c times or after hours. If space permits, have a storage tank for fuel so it can be delivered to your shop

(contact your munici-pality to fi nd out what is permissible).

Hypermilers are a new breed of drivers who have turned fuel economy into a science. Here are just a few hypermiling tips:

Schedule travel during non-peak times to escape rush hour traffi c.

Green Scene

Fuel Conservation Key toGas Price Woes

July 20-26Perennial Plant SymposiumSheraton City Centre HotelPhiladelphia, Pennsylvaniawww.perennialplant.org

August 10-14CGTA Fall Gift ShowToronto International Centre & Congress Centrewww.cgta.org

August 14BCLNA Landscape Commodity MeetingAmes Tile & Stone2229 Beta Avenue, Burnabywww.amestile.com

August 18-21ANLA Landscape Operations TourKansas City, Kansaswww.anla.org

August 21-23FarWest ShowOregon Convention CentrePortland, Oregonwww.farwestshow.com

September 7-12IGCA Congress 2008Westin Bayshore Hotel & Resort1601 Bayshore Drive, Vancouverwww.igcacongress.com

September 17-18CanWest Hort ShowVancouver Trade & Convention Centre999 Canada Place, Vancouverwww.canwesthortshow.com

September 21-23GLEEBirmingham, United Kingdomwww.gleebirmingham.com

October 3BCLNA Landscape Commodity MeetingSpecimen Trees Wholesale Nursery18598 Advent Road, Pitt Meadowswww.bclna.com

October 3-4CHT, CLD, CLP Exam DayKwantlen Polytechnic UniversityLangely Campuswww.bclna.com > Professional Development

October 8-9Canadian Greenhouse ConferenceToronto International Centrewww.canadiangreenhouseconference.com

October 17-18CHT Island Exam DayPacifi c Horticulture College at Glendale Gardens & Woodlands505 Quayle Road, Victoriawww.bclna.com > Professional Development

October 21-22Garden ExpoToronto Congress Centrewww.gardenexpo.ca

BCLNA OFFICE: 604-574-7772; 800-421-7963

Industry eventsand programs

How the Pros Slim Fuel UsageFrom Brian & Paula Ramor, Think Green Landscaping


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Brake sparingly: braking signals that you’ve let acceleration-energy go to waste, so slow down to maintain a more consistent and safe speed, don’t tailgate, and think ahead so you can plan to decelerate instead of braking hard at traffic stops and slowdowns (this also reduces fuel-consuming idling at stoplights). While it’s most people’s impulse to get out from behind a big rig, draft-ing safely can shave dollars off your gas bill. Without tailgating, maintain a consistent speed a few car-lengths behind larger vehicles, and let them forge a path through wind resistance. This also helps control inconsistency and speeding. Avoid jack-rabbit starts: if your gas pedal is on the floor and your speed is below 40 kmph, you’re just dump-ing gas. Get rid of the junk. Hypermilers tell you to stop hauling around extra unnecessary weight. For landscap-ers, that may mean planning your day more efficiently so your truck is carrying just what you need when you need it (and not the leftover concrete pavers from last week’s job).

A trend reported among Ontario land-scapers is charging a mileage recovery fee for quotes outside a set boundary, or eliminating free quotes entirely. BCLNA members may also participate in fuel savings programs offered by the Canada Nursery Landscape Association. Petro Canada offers applicants 2.4 cents per litre off the posted retail price on any retail location (minimum 400 litres per month); the program also entitles mem-bers to a 5% discount on maintenance at all Certigard locations, 15% off car wash-es, and 3% off propane. A similar program through Imperial Oil (Esso) takes 2.9 cents off the posted retail price at any Esso location in Canada. To apply, complete the application form in this issue’s Extras, or go to www.canadanursery.com.

How the Pros Slim Fuel Usage


Research SnippetsDave Woodske, BCMAL Industry Specialist

Seasonal Variation in Growth, Nitrogen Uptake and Allocation by Container-grown Evergreen and Deciduous Rhododendron Cultivars (HortScience 42(6):1440-1449) – The use of stored nutrients enables rhododen-drons to be partly independent of nitrogen (N) supply for new growth in the spring.

Even though N uptake began in May, supplemental N did not influence stem elongation or leaf production, and had little effect on biomass accumulation until late summer (August). N uptake, however, did have a positive effect on root growth. Fall uptake made a significant contribution to the quantity of N in the plant. N uptake continued up to early November. In late fall, N was reallocated within the plant from new leaves/stems to old stems/roots. The evergreen cultivars stored more N in

new leaves whereas the deciduous cultivar stored more in the roots. Plant N reserves declined over the winter, possibly due to leaf abscission and root turnover. Based on their results, the authors concluded that N applications to transplanted liners should include fertilizer with low N availability after transplanting, followed by high N availability in mid to late summer. Applica-tion of foliar urea in autumn may also be useful to increase N reserves, which are important for spring growth.

BCMAL Report

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H.M. EddieFoundation Looks for New LifeFittingly named for BC’s most notable plant breeder, the Henry M. Eddie Foundation was established more than 20 years ago to support local growers in the breeding and selection of improved plants for the local climate. The foundation began with nearly $400,000 as a result of growers’ concerted fundraising efforts, and was originally formed as a partnership with the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre Plant Research, but low interest rates mean the money hasn’t generated much activity.

“When we established the foundation,” says Bill Van Belle of Van Belle Nursery Inc., “the interest rates of the day generated enough money for the program to operate successfully, but at four percent, the fund hardly pays for researcher’s wages, let alone the research, today. This is why we need to come up with another model.”

Approximately half a million dollars now sits in the foundation’s kitty, and Van Belle has suggested a new way to put the funds to their intended use, based on a program underway at the University

of Georgia and McCorkel Nurseries Inc. in Dearing, Georgia. If accepted, the proposal would allow the Henry M. Eddie Foundation to hire a plant breeder, who would work under contract to supervise breeding programs at four or five participating nurseries, from May to October. The remainder of the year, the breeder could add to the brain trust of the University of British Columbia. Van Belle and Dr. Andrew Riseman of UBC are investigating possibilities.

BlueberriesRequire Sampling for Scorch The USDA has implemented testing requirements for blueberry scorch virus strains BC-1 and BC-2 in all Vaccinium species exported from Canada to the USA. A testing program by E.D. Cropconsult Ltd. is considered to meet the USDA requirements, and is recognized by the CFIA. Growers exporting blueberries should download the full information package available at www.bclna.com.

Blueberry scorch virus is an aphid-borne Carlavirus that causes a serious disease of highbush blueberry in North America and Europe. Symptoms of infection range from symptomless to chlorosis,

to necrosis of leaves and flowers depending on virus strain and blueberry cultivar. In ornamental Vaccinium and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), the virus may produce no symptoms yet the plants could be carriers of virus.

Growers’ Commodity Chair Tim Loewen (Pine Meadows Tree Farms Ltd.) welcomes members at a recent meeting, generously sponsored by TerraLink Horticulture Inc. BCLNA thanks TerraLink, and the evening’s speakers who offered valuable insights: Dave Woodske, BCMAL, for his statistical report on the state of the industry; Bill Van Belle for his H.M. Eddie Foundation report; Sandy Mathies on agriculture and the cost of the Carbon Tax; Gord Mathies who reviewed progress on crop insurance products being investigated at the national level; and Burce Johnson and Gregorio Lopez, on the Spanish-language safety training program now available for agricultural workers.

Grower Updates


17

It has been an exhilarating and reward-ing eight weeks since I took the reigns of the BCLNA. Through my initial interac-tions with the board, BCLNA members and staff, I have been struck by BCLNA’s incredibly solid foundation. From the depth of the commitment of those serving as your board members, through to the expertise and professionalism of the staff, BCLNA is today a vibrant and responsive organization. The engagement of the membership is clearly evident through their involvement on the board, key com-mittees, as well as in our programs. This is a fitting testament to my predecessor, Jane Stock, and her legacy of collabora-tion and developing valued services.

My own vision is to use this foundation as the springboard to create an even more

agile and responsive organization, which will be able to quickly identify emerging issues and attend to the comprehensive spectrum of member business and profes-sional needs. Together with our capable staff team, we will be working to create an even stronger organization, one that serves the needs of all of our members, irrespec-tive of their commodity or their geograph-ic location. I envision that this will include enhancing our communications with members, the media and the public to bet-ter convey our leadership role with regard to sustainability and the public’s desire for a ‘green’ environment. We will also be focusing more on effective advocacy and streamlining office operations, services and programs to better serve our mem-bers’ needs. An integral part of this plan includes growing the CanWest Hort Show.

It was exciting and gratifying to watch on June 24th of this year, as BCLNA mem-bers’ unanimously endorsed the purchase of UFG’s 50% share in the show. As one of our key member service vehicles, sole ownership of the tradeshow will allow us the flexibility to take advantage of chang-ing markets, forge new partnerships in areas of growth, and realign its functions with our members’ specific areas of focus.

I am extremely pleased to be part of the BCLNA team, and I look forward to work-ing within such a dynamic industry.

Werner Knittel, Executive DirectorBC Landscape & Nursery Association

Low enrollment—which some attribute to a job market so fierce that employers have been known to recruit workers out of school parking lots—has forced the closure of Capilano University’s Landscape Horti-culture Certificate Program. The program closure is a tremendous loss for the indus-try, which relies heavily on post-secondary institutions to attract young people to the field of horticulture. A further toll is the industry-institution liaison and support provided by Rob Welsh, the school’s well-respected program head and BCLNA award-winning instructor.

Bruce McTavish is an educator at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, an industry consultant, and HortEducation-BC board member. He remarked, “I think this shows why apprenticeship is so impor-tant. At the wages the industry pays, most young people can’t justify taking one or

two years out of their lives to get a diploma in horticulture. Also, our most trainable people are those who are already in the industry, are turned on to it, and want to stay—thus the apprenticeship model.”

Anne Kadwell, CEO of HortEducation-BC, went on to say that industry continues to demand skilled workers, and in today’s market, employers need to go the extra mile. “The loss of Cap’s program just goes to show that we need stronger industry support for apprenticeship so we do not lose it as well, and our stakeholders—employers, institutions, and HortEduca-tionBC—all need to make a greater effort to let young people know that horticulture is a vibrant, rewarding, and long-term ca-reer option if we hope to maintain existing institutional training.”

Shelley Kean, Manager of Public Affairs at

Capilano University stated “A hot econo-my has meant that many potential students for this long-running program have been able to find jobs in that field without hav-ing to attend school. A reduced number of students mean the Capilano program cannot meet the utilization targets set by the ITA, which is ultimately responsible for setting funding requirements.”

Kean adds, “While employers hiring work-ers without additional skills may work as a short term solution, it will have long term repercussions as training institutions close, leaving no options for those workers who eventually will want and need upgrading.”

Colleagues of Rob Welsh at HortEduca-tionBC, together with those at BCLNA, wish to express their appreciation to the faculty and staff at Capilano for the many years of dedication to delivering well-trained students to the industry. Their passion and ardent belief in both the stu-dents and horticulture education’s value, have contributed greatly to both associa-tions success over the years.

Message from the Executive Director

HortEducationBC

Building on BCLNA’s Foundation

Capilano University Suspends Hort Program


Dinesen Nurseries Ltd. AldergroveHas an opening for F/T or P/T sales assistant and offi ce assistant. Duties would include: sales,purchasing and working with shipping and production crews. Previous experience in a wholesale nursery preferred. We offer competitive wages ($15-20/hour). Please fax or mail resume to Dinesen Nursery Ltd., 2110 – 272 Street, Aldergrove, BC V4W 2R1 or Fax: 604 856-2243.

Business Opportunity!Exciting agri-tourist based business to launch for Christmas season 2008 and/or Spring 2009 in the major populous of the Okanagan Valley. Looking for an investor(s) or supplier contract to help with initial start-up. Involvement negotiable according to your interests. Contact 1 877 420-3255 or email [email protected].

Business and Home for saleIn a much desired area of Princeton. Turnkey operation with very successful small nursery (no competition) on 1/6 acre parcel. 36 x 20 double poly house with propane heat. Large perennial stock gardens to draw from. Three bedroom three bath home recently renovated and updated. 40 x 20 shop with attached glass house and many more extras. Call for details and pictures 250 295-0629, fax 250 295-1690, email: [email protected]. Asking price $525,000.

Luscious Lawns Ltd. for SaleWell established lawn care company. Run indepen-dently or a great addition to existing landscape/maintenance business. Serving White Rock, Surrey, North Delta, Langley. Turn key operation...ready to go! See ALL details at www.businesssell-canada.com/80623006.htm

Industry Bits

The Hunter family gathered to honour 65 years of marriage for David and Margaret Hunter, BCLNA pioneers who once hosted the fl edgling association’s head offi ce in their garden shop.

Garden industry pioneers, David and Margaret Hunter, recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with a dinner among family. Dave and Mar-garet were founding members of what was to become the BCLNA. The couple served the association in many roles over the years, and have each been awarded BCLNA’s top honour, the Pacifi c Coast Nurseryman Outstanding Member Award, for their tireless contributions to the industry. Today, David Hunter

Garden Centers thrive under a third generation of family ownership.65 Years for

Industry Leaders


hortwest_2008-07

Documents

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worldclass event

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