spring issue of the dirt 2015-web.pdf

8/9/2019 Spring Issue of The Dirt 2015-web.pdf

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The VNLA Quarterly Newslet

Volume 40, Issue

Spring Issue 201

2015 VERMONT FLOWER SHOW

SPRING REFLECTIONS


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Inside this Issue

president’s lett

Board of Directors 2

New Green Works

Members & VCH

3

Green Works Summer

Meeting

4

The 2015 Vermont

Flower Show

5

The Vermont Flower

Show Committees

9

Green Works 2015

Winter Meeting Recap

10

Green Works Award

Winners

11

Portrait of a Spring

Garden

12

News from the U 13

VT Agriculture

Businesses Face Audits

14

SOUL Program

Educates Tree

Enthusiasts

19

Understanding

Vermont Sales and Use

Tax

20

Lowe’s Joins Home

Depot in Phasing out

Neonics

21

Holiday Decor from

the Back Yard

22

Montreal Botanic

Garden & Jean Talon

Market Tour

23

Industry Calendar 24

2015 Vermont Flower

Show Sponsors

25

The 2015 Vermont Flower show isbeginning to feel like a distant memorybut it’s impact on all who were involved

and those who attended will certainly belong lasting and far-reaching. I believethat this year’s show truly has takenGreen Works to a whole new level withregards to the public’s perception of ourindustry and our name recognition as aprofessional association. The credit goesto so many who selflessly contributedtheir time, talents, plants, and passion topromote our industry. The creativity,dedication, and vision of the GrandGarden Display Committee, theorganization and competency of their

chairperson, and the spirit of cooperationand collaboration amongst thenumerous volunteers resulted in awonderful experience for everyoneinvolved and a truly stunning landscapeddisplay and well-rounded and well-received show.

As we look ahead, the challenge will bein how we continue to cultivate andgrow the momentum of the flower showto continue to enhance our namerecognition and the promotion of our

members. This was a topic of discussionat our recent board meeting as weexplored ways to use social media andpossible additional events gearedtoward the general public to furtherpromote the association and our industry.The willingness of our members tocontribute to these efforts will be criticalto our continued success. The financialsuccess of this year’s show will allow usthe flexibility to increase our marketingefforts as we develop programs with thisgoal in mind. As always, we welcomeyour ideas and input.

On a personal note… as many of youalready know, after more than twodecades in the nursery business I havehung up my nursery spade and plungedhead first into a new career in theindustry. A variety of circumstancesprompted this decision. Change is nevereasy and it’s something that so many ofus resist in our personal lives and in ourbusinesses. Yet, change is inevitable and

can result in opportunities that challenus and serve to expand our skills andknowledge. During the past several

weeks I have been challenged in manways as I am learning new skills andtaking on new responsibility each day.is at times daunting and overwhelmingbut is also reassuring as I am finding thayou can in fact ‘teach an old dog newtricks’. My new career has allowed mesee some beautiful properties, meetmany interesting people, and share mypassion for plants and their care with thclients that I serve.

While this new path will likely take me

away from the regular interaction withmany of you, I will be working hard tomaintain the relationships that I have bover the years with so many in ourindustry. With regards to the VNLA I willcontinue to fulfill my role as Presidentthrough the end of my term in Februaryand plan to remain VERY active in theassociation for many years to come.After all, the VNLA is my ‘tribe’ as my wwould say.

Spring has finally arrived and the chanof season will have everyone scramblinand working long hours. The new seasowill likely bring new challenges andchanges. I hope that you will embracethe challenges, be open to change anthat you will learn and grow from it alothe way. I wish you all the best for a productiveand prosperous season.

VJ Comai, Green Works/VNLA/Presid


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PRESIDENT

VJ ComaiBartlett Tree Experts184 Tamarack RdCharlotte, VT [email protected]

VICE-PRESIDENTEd BurkeRocky Dale Gardens806 Rocky Dale RoadBristol, VT [email protected]

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Nate Carr Church Hill Landscapes, Inc.287 Church Hill RoadCharlotte, VT 05445802.425.5222

[email protected]

DIRECTORS

David BurtonGinkgo Design, LLC22 Pearl StreetEssex Junction, VT [email protected]

Carrie ChalmersQuoyburray Farm239 Lawrence Hill RoadWeston, VT 05161

[email protected]

Hannah Decker Fairfax Perennial Farm, Inc.7 Blackberry Hill RoadFairfax, VT [email protected]

Maryls EddyVermont Technical CollegePO Box 500Randolph Center, VT [email protected]

Shannon LeeSisters of Nature135 Phyllis LaneWaterville, VT [email protected]

Ashley RobinsonAshley Robinson Landscape Designer PO Box 28Charlotte, VT [email protected]

ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY

Kristina MacKulinGreen Works-VNLAP.O. Box 92 * N. Ferrisburgh, VT 05473Toll Free: 888.518.6484; 802.425.5117Fax 802.425.5122Kristina@greenworksvermont.orgwww.greenworksvermont.org

COMMITTEES

BUDGET AND FINANCECOMMITTEE CHAIRNate Carr Church Hill Landscapes, Inc.802.425.5222

INDUSTRY AWARDS COMMITTEE CHAIREd BurkeRocky Dale Gardens802.453.2782

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRShannon Lee

Sisters of Nature802.825.1851

MARKETING & EDUCATIONCOMMITTEE CHAIREd BurkeRocky Dale Gardens802.453.2782

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIRVJ ComaiBartlett Tree Experts802.425.6222

PROGRAM COMMITTEE CHAIRVJ ComaiBartlett Tree Experts802.425.6222

RESEARCH & AWARDSCOMMITTEE CHAIRVJ ComaiBartlett Tree Experts802.425.6222

VERMONT CERTIFIED HORTICULTURISTCOMMITTEENate Carr

Church Hill Landscapes, Inc.802-425-5222

board of directors

For information on

Advertisingin The Dirt

contact

Kristina at the

Green Works Office

888.518.6484

Are you and your

employees

certified?

Now is a great time to order VCHmanuals for yourself and/or your employees as theseason gets underway. Prove your level ofprofessionalism and commitment to excellence toyour clients. Order a VCH manual and take the testhis Summer to become a Vermont CertifiedHorticulturist. Contact Kristina MacKulin for orderingand test information.

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Ground Level LandscapeMelanie Acker101 Elder Hill RoadLincoln, VT [email protected]

Category: Landscape Install MaintenanceActive Member

Ideal Concrete Block Rick Mazur45 Power RoadPO BOx 747Westford, MA 01886781-894-3200F: 978-692-0817info@idealconcreteblock.comwww.idealconcreteblock.comCategory: Hardscaping

Associate Member

Precision Work, Inc.Steven Fregeau75 Harbor RoadPort Washington, NY 11050516-883-2002F: 516-883-1400

[email protected]: Supplier Associate Member

Studio Roji

Samy Wyatt495 Quaker StreetLincoln, VT 05443802-349-0991studioroji98@gmail.comwww.studioroji.comCategory: Landscape Design Build

Active Member

Thanks for joining and welcome!

New Green Works Members - 2015

New Vermont Certified Horticulturist - 2015

Lisa Hoare

UVM Medical Center111 Colchester Avenue

Mailstop: 112EN3

Burlington, VT 05401

802-847-2873

[email protected]

www.uvmhealth.org

Category: Hospital Grounds

Connect with Green Works Through Social Media!Connect with us, post to our pages, or let us know something special you would like to share and we'llshare it. It's another way for us to help your business thrive! Join the conversation! You can find us here...

Facebook:@greenworksvt & @vermontflowershow

Twitter: @greenworksvt & @vtflowershow

Instagram: @greenworksvt & @vtflowershow

Pinterest: @greenworksvt & @vtflowershow

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The all new VCH study manual is available for anyone

wanting to take the VCH exam and become a

“Vermont Certified Horticulturist”. The new manual is

also a great resource to have on your bookshelf

(remember books?)! Topics covered include:

• Identification of Plants and Pests

• Business Practices and Safety

• Plant & Soil Information

• Sustainable Landscape Topics

• Specific Landscape Topics

• Pest Problems, Pesticides

The cost of the manual is $50 for members and $75 fo

non-members. Please contact Kristina in the office if

you are interested in ordering a copy. You can also

order a copy on the Green Works website.

WHEN: August 6, 2015 - Thursday

WHERE: Shelburne Farms - Coach Barn

FEATURING: Rick Darke heads RICK

DARKE LLC, a Pennsylvania-basedconsulting firm focused on landscape

ethics, photography, and contextual

design. Darke’s work blends art,

ecology, and cultural geography in the

design and management of living

landscapes. Projects include parks,

scenic byways, transportation corridors,

corporate and collegiate campuses,

conservation developments, post-

industrial and historic brownfields,

botanic gardens, and residential

landscapes. His many books includingThe American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of

the Deciduous Forest, The Encyclopedia of Grasses for

Livable Landscapes, and The Living Landscape:

Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home

Garden co-authored with Doug Tallamy. For more

information about Rick please visit www.rickdarke.com

Rick’s two-part presentation will centearound his newest book, The Living

Landscape: Designing for Beauty andBiodiversity in the Home Garden, whicis co-authored with Doug Tallamy andwas recently published by Timber PreDoug Tallamy was our keynote speakat our winter meeting in 2013 and hisaward-winning book, Bringing NatureHome revealed the pressing need forbiodiverse home landscape.

Rick will be giving two presentations:“The Essential Layers of LivingLandscapes” and “Designing and

Maintaining the Living Landscape”.We are excited to be bringing Rick

Darke to Vermont. More details for the entire day will bcoming soon!

Mark Your Calendars for Green Works

Summer Meeting & Trade Show!

The NEW VCH Study Manual is now available!

The word on the street these days for people working in

our industry is that we need to prepare ourselves for a

shortage of woody plants in the coming few years.

When the recession hit in 2008, it had a tremendous

effect on the plant supply stream. Many wholesale

nursery growers were left with huge surpluses and as a

result reduced their plant production quite significantly

over these last several years. Some growers had to

destroy large amounts of trees/shrubs just to survive.

As the economy turns itself around the demand for

woody plant material is on the rise. That is the good

news. The bad news is the plant shortage is real and o

members will need to plan accordingly. Ordering ear

will be essential and certain plants may not be availab

at all. Check with local Vermont growers, who may b

able to accommodate your needs and/or suggest

alternatives. Keep in touch with wholesale suppliers

early as this plant supply shortage will be affecting our

industry in the immediate future and beyond.

Woody Plant Shortag

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084/ref=la_B001HPEA9E_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388346340&sr=1-8http://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084/ref=la_B001HPEA9E_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388346340&sr=1-8http://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084/ref=la_B001HPEA9E_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388346340&sr=1-8http://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084/ref=la_B001HPEA9E_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388346340&sr=1-8http://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084/ref=la_B001HPEA9E_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388346340&sr=1-8http://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084/ref=la_B001HPEA9E_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388346340&sr=1-8http://www.rickdarke.com/http://www.rickdarke.com/


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As the 2015 Vermont Flower Show is fading to distant memory, Iam happy to report it has been our most successful show todate. The show dates, February 27 - March 1, 2015 seemed toarrive just in the nick of time. The long drawn out winter createda “perfect storm” affect for our attendance, which we estimateto be at approximately 11,000 people.This translates to a 25% increase over ourast show and the highest attendedshow to date. The Flower Show trulyhelped people escape for a little whileand see, smell, and hear what surelywas awaiting all of us - a new growingseason in Vermont.

One has to ask themselves how wemake this possible each show. Whilesometimes it seems like magic occurs inthe 3.5 days of setup, our secret formulato create a successful show is the manywonderful people participating in

bringing the show to fruition. The FlowerShow Committees spent hundreds ofhours organizing and planning oursignature event over the past 18months. Please see the complete listingon page 9 of all the committeemembers. With the theme, SpringReflections, in honor of our 50th year asan Association, it was a show reflectingon the past as well as moving to thefuture.

Green Works/VNLA members, mastergardeners, students, and community

members – literally hundreds ofvolunteers – committed themselvesfor 3 " days to build a masterpiece.Others helped staff the event duringthe three show days and then finallyan amazing “clean up crew” helpedbreak everything down. The venuewas broom clean by mid-day onMonday. Association members andsupporters also donate almost all theplant material, mulch, hardscapingmaterials, provide labor, trucks, tools,gasoline, expertise – you name it.

We are also very grateful to our cashsponsors as we secured the most cash sponsorship than anyother previous show. We were able to produce a beautiful,reusable VT Flower Show bag due to three of our cash sponsors.The bags were a big hit and it was really great to see flowershow goers walking around with bags in hand. Please take thetime to read through the list of people who donated items/plants, as well as the list of cash sponsors on page 25. We couldnot continue to produce the Flower Show without their support.

We are very lucky indeed to have a core group of people whomake up the Flower Show Committees and continue to be theinspiration, motivation, and doers who bring the show to life.They give up numerous hours of their own time, often taking

away from their own businesses and home life, to meetmonthly, coordinate donations, send so many emails, andbasically see to all the aspects and details of the show.Sometimes it feels like the tasks are endless.

In particular, the Grand Garden DisplaCommittee chair, Melita Bass, and decoordinators Ed Burke and KatieRaycroft-Meyer deserve many thanksand recognition for pulling together ateam that embodies collaboration.Once again they created amasterpiece.

The Flower Show Committee membetend to the many other aspects of theshow: the vendors, seminars andcooking demonstrations, state wideessay contest, organizing the manyvolunteers, the family room, plant sale

and auction and once again workedtogether in such an effortless way. Athey say the devil is in the details andeach of these committee membersmake it all go seamlessly.

We had many students involved with show this year. Students from the NatuResources Department at the CenterTechnology at Essex grew sod for thedisplay; students from the UVM

Horticulture Club grew vegetables ahelped set up multiple days/eveninstudents from the Building Technolo

Department at the Center forTechnology at Essex built an “artiststudio” and moving water wheel; astudents at Vermont TechnicalCollege grew the animal topiariesused in the garden display. Studenfrom the Northland Job Corps wereinstrumental in helping hang trees,helping with set up and returning oMonday for cleanup and chippingtrees. We even had younger stud(it was school vacation the week othe show) working side by side withtheir parents and committee

members helping with set-up!

When the doors open and the public enters it makes it all woit and reinforces why Green Works continues to produce thisshow. With 11,000 people attending, we can spread the“horticultural” word as well as educate and inspire. We offerprecursor to Spring – the sites and smells unfold before theireyes. One of the best aspects of the Flower Show is that itappeals to all ages – there is really something for everyone. Ithree short days we greet so many visitors and get to talk abplants, gardening, landscaping, bark mulch, insects, cookingworms, and so much more! Visitors came from all overVermont, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Canadand beyond. Following are some highlights of the 2015 show

The 2015 Vermont Flower Show - Spring Reflectionby Kristina MacKu

The Grand Garden Display sets up in 3 days!

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The Grand Garden Display, with the theme, Spring Reflections,offered a place of refuge and reflection with water being thecommon thread throughout the display. This presence of waterpointed out the importance of water in our lives as well as theoy and beauty it provides. Our theme also allowed us to reflectback on the 50 years the Association has been spreading thehorticultural word.

n keeping with the idea of reflection we recognized howmportant art is in that endeavor. Over the course of all three

days we invited fourocal artists to paint liven the grand gardendisplay. It was a trueoy to watch theirpaintings unfold livebefore our eyes. Manythanks to area artistsLibby Davidson ofStarflower Studio, EmilyLeopold, Reed Prescottof Prescott Galleries atVerde Mountain, andShanley Triggs of

Vermont H’Art.

The front entrance to the displayoffered a 12’ diameter upcycledsatellite dish serving as areflecting pool – a first momentof reflection. Walking into thedisplay a replication of amountain stream flowedamongst alpine plants, mossesand woodland plantings. Themountain stream thencontinued into a bog planting,complete with birds, critters and

wetland plants. A small dockand kayak planted the thoughtsof meandering waterways.

Around the corner was the OasisGarden, based upon Persiangardens – the birthplace forgardening both for food and ornament. The Persians weremasters with water, channeling this element through canals intowalled outdoor rooms. Our garden reflected that quiet beauty.Continuing on the path the next section revealed a “jumpingriver” complete with colored, leaping fountains and beautifullypainted enamel trout leaping through the water. It was fun towatch as spectators tried to decide if the water stream was real

or not!

n keeping with reflecting back, the importance of the mill andwater wheel were prevalent in our culture, pointing to themportance of how water needs to be managed andprotected. Students from the Essex Center for Technologyvisited Shelburne Museum’s water wheel and proceeded tobuild a replica for our display. The water flowed into a beautifulpond made completely out of blue pansies with a gorgeousdouble arched stone bridge spanning it. It was a watercolor inthe making!

n looking forward, the display then led to the “New Front Yard”

representing a new, sustainable option to the traditionalAmerican front yard. Our new front yard offered a no-mowalternative complete with a rain garden, shade trees, planteboxes to grow food, and a compost bin. In keeping withtoday’s lifestyle, a small studio attached to the house offeredthe idea for an at-home business or artist studio. Students frothe Essex Center for Technology also designed and built thestudio, which they raffled off at the end of the show.

The last section of the grand garden display offered a

“Reflection Overlooand allowed peopleclimb the stairs to thviewing platform (bby the students at thEssex Center forTechnology for the 2show). This viewafforded a momentreflect over the entidisplay as well assituated below wereseries of small,reflecting pools mad

from smaller, upcycled satellitdishes.

We saw many people walkthrough the display over andover again. It was a true r eplof Spring Reflections and wasthe perfect place to lookforward to a new season andwhat lies ahead. To see moremore photos of the show pleavisit the Green Works websiteAlso, Seven Days produced aStuck in Vermont video on the

show which can be viewed oYou Tube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISk.

While the Grand Garden Dispis our true masterpiece, so are

the other offerings we provide at the show. We strive to havsomething for everyone and appeal to all ages. We had 103vendors participate this year - which is another record! Vendoffered products and services that related to plants, gardenilandscaping, composting, and much more. We had manyreturning vendors as well as first time vendors. We also offerthe “Vermont Specialty Food Room” filled with vendors sellin

their VT products.

Dr. Leonard Perry organized 37 seminars and workshops overthree days, 17 of which were presented by Green Worksmembers. The subject matter covered growing medicinalplants, touring Great Britain and Sweden, pests and diseasespruning, bonsai, rain gardening, outstanding annuals, watergardens, solar use in the landscape, and much more. Ourkeynote speaker, Jane Knight, landscape architect of the EdProject in Cornwall, England gave two wonderful presentatioon The Eden Project, a stunning global garden located inSouthwest England with a bold vision and far reaching missioTo learn more about The Eden Project visit:

It was a long winter as you can tell by the lines!

continued from page 5

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34miIWvBISk


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www.edenproject.com. We are very grateful Jane made theourney to Vermont.Cooking demonstrations once again were held in a roomcomplete with a beautifully built “outdoor stone kitchendisplay”, loaned to us by Trowel Trades Supply. Committeemember David Loysen onceagain organized top chefsfrom area restaurants: CaféProvence, Mary’s Restaurant,

Heart at the Round Barn, theDirector and Vice-president ofthe Culinary Operations at theEssex Resort, the Hilton inBurlington, a specialty piemaker, and a local schoolchef and coordinator for theVT FEED program. Thesesessions were well attendedand offered some amazingfood to sample!

The very popular Family Roomwas filled to the gills with kids

and parents planting seeds,digging for worms, andwatching some awesomeentertainment provided byNicole Walsh of Dream CityHoops, Rick Adam presented“Shadowtales” – the timelessmagic of hand shadows,Grandma Greenbean (CarolAnn Margolis) and her growingof the magic beanstalk(everyone got to plant one!),and No Strings Marionettespresented “Bully! For the Three

Pigs”. The Family Room wouldnot be complete withouthat making! It is always such apleasure to see the many“floral” hats being created andworn throughout the show bykids and adults!

The Federated Garden Club ofVermont held a NationalGarden Club Standard FlowerShow, open to all garden clubmembers as well as a specialdivision for students and the

general public. Thearrangements and plantspecimens were spectacular!Also returning was the VermontGarden Railway Society. Theirandscaped train displaycontinues to be a big draw forall ages.

Dr. Leonard Perry organized oursecond state-wide Student Essay Contest. This contest was opento students ages 6-18. The prompt for the contest was “Describewhat spring reflections means to you”. Winning essays were on

display at the show and all the winners were able to visit theshow. You can view the winners names on our website.

During the three days of the show we offer a silent auction filwith items that Green Works members and vendors of the sho

donate. These funds gotoward educationalprogramming the Associatoffers. At the close of the

show on Sunday we alsooffered a plant sale. Thishelps us with clean up andallows people to enjoy theflowers a bit longer.

I have just given you a“snapshot” of what the 20Vermont Flower Show had offer this year. If you have had a chance to attend ashow put it on your list for2017! We are proud to hadrawn a record crowd to t

show this year.

While some of our membersmight wonder what they geout of a flower show when thdon’t live in Chittenden Couor nearby, I would say that omembers statewide andbeyond benefit from our shoEvery show we produce we promoting our members, ouAssociation, and the greenindustry in Vermont through elaborate event that inspires

educates, and entertains thepeople who attend. Wemarket our Association and tshow statewide and beyondthrough television, radio, prinand social media platforms.continues to be our mission tenhance and support thehorticulture industry of Vermoas well as promote a greateawareness to the public of Y – our green industryprofessionals that offer plantproducts and services. The

Vermont Flower Show offers spectacular way to send thamessage home with the peowho attend.

The planning will not be faraway for the 2017 show. I inyou get involved andparticipate! New committeemembers and new ideas are

always welcome. In the meantime, we have a couple grow“seasons” to work through, all the while dreaming up whatcomes next!

The Vermont Flower Show appeals to all ages!


http://www.edenproject.com/http://www.edenproject.com/


10/2710

The Vermont Flower Show Committees

A very special thank

you to all the

committee members

who gave so much of

their time, expertise,

and labor to the 2015

Vermont Flower Show!


11/2711

With the Flower Show being held at the end of February

we moved up the Winter Meeting by a couple of weeks,

which was held on January 27,

2015. We were back at the

UVM Davis Center for the day.

Unfortunately the weather was

not as cooperative as we wouldhave liked that day! It was a

long winter.

We had 107 people in

attendance and some great

presentations. First we heard

from Jerry Fritz, our keynote

speaker. Jerry hails from

Ottsville, Pennsylvania and is

president of Jerry Fritz Garden

Design and Linden Hill Gardens.

Jerry gave two presentations, oneon “Good Design/Better Business”

and the second on “Trade Secrets

for Retail Success”. Jerry had

some great insight and ideas on

how to run a successful business

and had everyone engaged with

his presentations.

Other events during the day

included our annual business

meeting and presentation ofawards. The Green Works award

recipients were as follows: The

Green Works Horticultural

Achievement Award was presented

to David Loysen of Shaw Hill Nursery;

the Green Works Environmental

Awareness Award was presented to

Rebecca Lindenmeyr of Linden

L.A.N.D. Group; the Green Works

Retailer of the Year Award was

awarded to Karen and Jack Manix

of Walker Farm. The New EnglandNursery Professional of the Year

Award was presented to Gabe

Bushey.

The Allen B. Crane Horticultural

Employee Acknowledgement

Award was presented for the first

time by Chris Conant of Claussen’s Florist & Greenhouse.

Claussen’s has established this cash award in honor of

Allen B. Crane, head grower at Claussen’s for over 42

years. Allen passed away in 2013. The recipient of the

award was Betsy Gritman of Glebe Mountain Gardens

Landscaping. The UVM studen

merit award was presented to

Donald Keith III. The VTC stude

merit award was presented in

April to Oliver Zeichner at theVTC convocation. Lastly, the

winners of the Green Works

Industry Awards for 2014 were

presented and were featured

the Winter Issue of The Dirt. Yo

can view all award winners on

the Green Works website, as w

as winning projects.

Congratulations to all our winners

The winner of our annual Plant IDcontest was John Padua of Cobb

Creek Nursery. Other presentatio

during the day include a 3 part

“Mini Energy Extravaganza” gear

toward energy conservation and

new technologies for greenhouse

growers. Chris Conant of

Claussen’s Florist & Greenhouse,

Bruce Parker and Donald Tobi fro

the UVM Entomology Research La

and Bob Kort from the USDA allpresented.

Josh Kelly, Environmental Analyst fr

VT Waste Management & Preventi

gave a presentation - “A Future fo

Leaf and Yard Waste” related to

Vermont’s Universal Recylcing Law

(Act 148). Universal recycling bans

disposal of leaf, yard, and clean

wood debris as of July 1, 2016.

We ended the day with apresentation by Tim Schmalz from

VT Agency of Ag on upcoming pe

and diseases to keep an eye out fo

as well as the 2014 Industry Award

winners presentation of projects.

Again, thanks to all the attendees

and vendors who braved the weather that day!

Green Works 2015 Winter Meeting Recap


12/2712

Green Works Award Winners - 2014-2015

Right: David Loysen

accepts the

Horticultural

Achievement Award

presented by past-

president Layne Tharp.

Left: Gabe Bushey,

winner of the NENAYoung Nursery person

of the Year Award.

Left: Chris Conant

presents the Allen B.

Crane Horticultural

Employee

Acknowledgement

Award to Betsy Gritma

of Glebe Mountain

Gardens & Landscap

who was unable to be

there in person due to

the weather.

VJ Comai congratulates UVM

Student Merit Award winner

Donald Keith III.

The 2014 Industry Award winners - bottom row: Nate Carr of Church Hill

Landscapes, Inc.; Megan Moffroid and Kirsten Seibert of Broadleaf

Landscape Architecture; Sarah Stradnter and Charlie Proutt (not

pictured), Distinctive Landscaping. Top row: Gabe Bushey for Lisa

Boege, Church Hill Landscapes, Inc.; Silvia Jope, Old World Garden

Design; Chris diStefano, Andrew Newton and Mike Vannostrand,

diStefano Landscaping; Caroline Dudek, Landshapes; and George

Wohlgemuth, George Wohlgemuth Landscapes.

Right: Rebecca

Lindenmeyr, winner of

the Environmental

Awareness Award.


13/2713

It has been a long tedious winter and, for the past twomonths, it seems like we have all been concluding ouremails with plaintive entreaties to ‘think spring’!

But by early April the mood is shifting. A palpable senseof anticipation fills the air and now people are sharingthe signs that spring isfinally coming.

As a gardener, I will bewatching as the newgrowth gradually unfoldsafter an extended periodof dormancy. Here aresome of the flowers I amlooking forward togreeting in my gardenwhen spring finally arrives.

Spring: intense but fleeting

My garden is on thewestern slopes of theGreen Mountains at anelevation of 1700 feetelevation, in the tiny townof Goshen. Our winters areusually cold and snowy(most winters thethermometer willoccasionally drop toaround -20! which puts usinto Zone 4b). So, by the

second week of April, I amwaiting impatiently for atelltale row of yellowdaffodils to appear in thewarm soil next to the house.

What follows next is almostmagical. As if to make upfor lost time, spring unfoldsby leaps and bounds withan intensity and urgencythat is totally unmatchedat any other time of year.Flowering trees and shrubs,perennials and bulbs, in arainbow of colors, all cometogether to celebrate the end of winter.

Spring lasts a mere six weeks. By early June, it is time forthe flowers of early summer—lilacs and peonies, rosesand irises, catmint and salvia— to take center-stage inour gardens.

Fortuitously it seems that all my favorite spring plantshave clear bright colors that mix easily together—bluesthat match the hue of the mid-day sky, brilliant pinks,

light purples and lots of yellow, and of course the yellogreen of new leaves.

To illustrate the many ways of combining some of thebountiful flowers of spring

would like to share withyou five different areas omy garden and some ofthe spring flowers thatthrive there. All are easilygrown and would makelovely additions to anyVermont garden.

On the barn slope

This steep western-facingslope, capped by ahandsome 75-year oldfarm barn, is easily visiblefrom the house. The spacis bisected by the path uto the vegetable gardenand a rustic boulder wallruns along the base. Inspringtime this is a sunnyspace, but by the end of

May the nearby ash willcast their shadows.

As soon as the snow pullsback in the middle of Aprwill be eagerly waiting for

the first snowdrops toemerge across the upperparts of the slope, tellingme that spring is finallystarting in the mountains.

By May, large patches ofmoss phlox (Phlox subulatatrail over the wall, providinwelcome splashes of coloam particularly fond of abluish purple phlox growinbeside a clump of brightyellow Aurinia ‘Basket GoGold’; for several weeksthey make a wonderful

picture together.

I also use the space behind the wall to experiment withnew plants—or at least plants that are new to me. Nowseveral sizable clumps of creamy double hellebores, awell as several kinds of trillium grow in this easilyaccessible soil. This spring I will also be carefullywatching to see if a small patch of bunchberries (Corncanadensis) I planted a few years back will finally bloofor me.

Portrait of a Spring Garden

by Judith Irven, Vermont Certified Horticulturist

continued on page

Atop an old boulder wall, a large patch of lilac-colored moss

phlox, Phlox subulata, makes a beautiful color contrast beside

the bright yellow Aurinia ‘Basket of Gold’.

Hellebores are one of the first flowers to emerge each spring.

Once flowering is complete, the leaves remain as a handsome

clump for the remainder of the season.


14/2714

For some years now, those of us in Extension in Vermonton campus have been in the College of Agriculture andLife Sciences, but have been funded by Extension whichis a separate unit off campus. After 8 months ofnegotiations among Deans of these units, and withbudget cuts across campus during the latest financialcrisis, Dean of Extension Doug Lantagne and theExtension leadership decided recently that 3 of the 6college campus Extension positions would now bedirectly under his supervision, while the remaining 3positions were in low priority areas no longer worthy ofsupport--- Dairy, Equine, and Horticulture. At least I'm ingood company with a couple other senior faculty inmain areas of Vermont agriculture. We have heard ofno eliminations of positions in Extension administration oroff campus.

As my contract runs through June 2016, I will continue

until then in my current position and with currentactivities and research. Plans are for me to then retire,yet to continue and expand my suite of popular onlinehorticulture courses. I also plan to continue "some"of my outreach past retirement, on my own or under thePlant and Soil Science umbrella, such as website, Acrossthe Fence, articles, garden tours, and support for GreenWorks and other industry groups. I also plan to continuemy field hardiness trials of new perennials, andBurlington Waterfront Park display garden. So next June,after 35 years at UVM (a good run I'd say), I look on thisbig change as opening a new chapter in my career. I'mexcited about the additional time this should afford me

to reach more students with horticulture.

I'm also excited to continue my field hardiness trials pastnext June. Vermont continues to provide an extremetest site for perennials, particularly it seems in recentyears. This includes the ornamental grasses(switchgrasses and little bluestem) in my field trials (inzone 4a). This site provides the coldest of the 18 or so inthis National Ornamental Grass trials program(grasstrials.com). Check out the website for our results,as well as those of other sites.

Last winter (2013-14) had a severe ice storm at my site

(1” or more on surfaces), but ground temperaturesremained fairly average. This winter (2014-15) mayprove a serious hardiness test, with 14 days inJanuary having soil temps. below 28F, and 6 at 25F orbelow-- the coldest temperatures in 25 years of myrecording in this zone. This past summer (2014) also wascooler than normal, with only 4 days 90For above, the highest being 93F, and no days in Augustat 90F or above. So while the Panicum grew more thanthe previous year, with several decent performers(Dewey Blue, Northwind, Prairie Sky, ShenandoahThundercloud), overall many still had quite a bit of

variability and weakgrowth. The bluestemswere fairly uniformwithin a cultivar, butcultivars varied widely invigor, only a couplebeing reallyacceptable, veryuniform and typical(Blaze, Blue Heaven withthis by far the best withexcellent fall color).

Plans are underway foranother season of new annuals at the BurlingtonWaterfront Park, made possible by support from yourassociation, vegetative new introductions from PleasanView Gardens and D.S.Cole

Growers, and collaboration with Burlington Parks andRecreation. Check out the results from last year, photoand our list this year in June on my website(pss.uvm.edu/ppp/aaswp.html).

news from the by Dr. Leonard Perry - UVM Extension Horticultur

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15/27

15

This article appeared in the Burlington Free Press on April2, 2015. We wanted to re-print the article so all of our

members can become aware of the use tax issue that isimpacting our members.

Chris Conant didn't know how madhe could get until he was audited bythe Vermont Department of Taxes.

The co-owner of Claussen's Florist &Greenhouse in Colchester saidauditors were in his business for themonths between April and July 2014— his busiest season — going over hisrecords.

"I'm not a rude person, I always makesure to be very cordial to people I'm

dealing with, but at one point I got sofrustrated because of inconsistentinformation that for the first time in mylife I walked away from them andsaid, 'I'm done, we're done having thisconversation because obviouslyyou're challenging my integrity,'"Conant said. "You're calling me a liar."

The issue that brought Conant to the boiling point wasthe sales and use tax. Gregg Mousley, deputycommissioner of the tax department, explained thedifference between the two types of tax and how they

are collected.

Take flowers, for example, something Conant sells.Flowers are sold retail, sales tax is collected, andtherefore flowers are exempt from use tax. The spongethat holds the flowers, the plastic wrap that wraps them,the wires and ribbons that adorn them and hold themtogether, are not being resold and are therefore subjectto use tax.

"It's a question of whether the item is going to be resoldor if it's being consumed," Mousley said.

If it's resold, sales tax applies. If it's consumed, use taxapplies. Sounds simple, but in Conant's case thedistinction took on almost Orwellian overtones, leavingConant frustrated and perplexed.

"They started digging out invoices and looking atproducts we use and all of a sudden the language ofuse tax came up," Conant said. Conant learned hewould be charged use tax for the soil to grow his plants."I don't understand," Conant said. "How do you get a usetax on soil you grow your plants in when you can't growa plant without the soil and the plant is exempt?"

Conant told the auditors he had never paid use tax onhis soil before, but was told that based on the criteria sforth in the state statute, he should have been. "Plantsare exempt, not the soil they're grow in, not the media

they're grown in," Conant said

Conant asked the auditors ifthey thought that "when ourforefathers decided todevelop this criteria inMontpelier that plants were texempt, do you think theywere thinking everything at tsoil level down was taxable?"

Not our problem, came theanswer, according to ConanThe plants are exempt, the soisn't.

A very fine line

Deputy Commissioner GreggMousley understands ChrisConant's frustration.] "It comdown to while the use tax ve

generally might make sense to people, how it'sinterpreted involves a very fine line regarding what'seligible and what's not," Mousley said. "It's not alwaysclear and it's complex and difficult for business owners keep track of all the law changes."

As Conant's audit progressed, and the use tax he owebegan to pile up, he realized the seriousness of theproblem he faced. "So when it comes to something liksoil, we don't buy it, we make it out of components,"Conant said.

Claussen's makes 35,000 yards of soil a year, mixing thecomponents in a tumbler 10 yards at a time. That addsup to about $30,000 in use tax he owes going back forthe three-plus years of the audit, 2011-2013 plus twomonths of 2014, Conant said. The state statute sunsettein July 2014, making the components of soil no longer

subject to use tax, but Conant still owes for the 38months in the period of the audit.

Conant's total bill for use and sales taxes owed, once hplastic wrap, tags, pots, packs, boxes and flats wereadded to the tally, was nearly $150,000. As of Dec. 1, hhad gotten that bill down to $46,000, "basically throughthe diligence of explaining to them about our industry,Conant said.

"I don't want this to be a bitch session because I'll dowhatever I'm told, but up to this point there's been

Vermont Agriculture Businesses Face Audits, Big Tax Billsby Dan D'Ambrosio

Chris Conant, co-owner of Claussen’sGreenhouse in Colchester, seen on Feb. 26.

Claussen’s is being audited back to 2011 to

possibly pay a 6 percent tax on items that he

didn’t previously pay tax on.

(Photo: GLENN RUSSELL/FREE PRESS)

continued on page


16/2716

nothing laid out on the table for us to be told ourobligation for this use tax," he said. "Virtually everything Itouch is being taxed, except the plant," Conant added.

Tom Jennings at Green Mountain Florist Supply in SouthBurlington is two years into his audit and is still waiting forthe tax department to get back to him regarding hiscounter-offer to the tax bill he was given.

"They basically came in here looking for any scraps theycould find," Jennings said. "They came at me withpackaging, that what I sold was not floral-related, that itwas packaging."

That non-exempt packaging included vases. Jenningswas handed a $200,000 bill. He has made a counter-offer based on what he felt was fair that is considerablyless than $200,000. That offer was made right afterChristmas. Jennings said he is sitting on "pins andneedles" waiting for the state to respond.

"My biggest issue, I told them all along, if you really wantto work with businesses, instead of sending out auditors,send out advisors," Jennings said. "Knock on the doorand ask, 'Would you be interested in knowing if you'recompliant or not?' Come on in and have a meeting. Butthat's not how this thing flew."

Mousley said the tax department is trying to reach out,mostly through 15 fact sheets available on its websites.The tax department is also doing what it can to meetwith business owners face to face.

"We are getting to some industry groups," Mousley said.

"We go out to the Better Business Bureau booth atcertain trade shows. We are doing our best. We onlyhave two positions that do that and they can only reachso far."

There are currently more than 500 active appeals likeJennings' appeal before the tax department, Mousleysaid. Predicting how long those appeals will take isimpossible because each one is unique. Often taxpayershave to produce additional documents as part of theappeal process. Appeals can take a few weeks, or afew years, Mousley said.

More auditors, more money

Sen. Tim Ashe, D/P-Chittenden, provided the back storyon the surge of audits that spread across Vermont'sbusiness terrain following the Great Recession of 2008."Back in 2009 and 2010 when the recession was reallydeepening, one of the strategies for increased revenuewas to add additional auditors," Ashe said.

Mousley said the department added 16 positions in2009, intending all of them to be auditors, but ended upwith only 12 new auditors and four people fulfilling other

needed roles. Unfortunately, state government wascutting positions at the same time it was adding them,Mousley said, which meant the tax department's netgain of auditors was "significantly less" than 16.

The new auditors also had to be trained in thecomplexities of tax law before they could go into thefield. "I can tell you when you hire an auditor they donbring in money right away," Mousley said. He said

auditors do not have a quota of unpaid taxes they areexpected to collect.

Another revenue-raising strategy was to hire a datamining firm to go through massive amounts of tax datato find what it believed were anomalies, Ashe said."Instead of one human being having to pore overthousands of returns to see if anything stands out,Vermont followed the lead of other states to havemassive data run through a program to see if anythingstood out wildly," he said.

What that resulted in was a series of industries comingunder heightened scrutiny. One year it was auctioneeAnother it was people who sell mulch. Then it wasagricultural equipment dealers.

The equipment dealers present a particularly interestincase, because to be exempt from sales tax, a piece oequipment must be used 96 percent of the time foragricultural purposes. If you're talking about a manurespreader, Gregg Mousley said, the case is pretty clear.

But when you're looking at a skid-steer loader, a highlyversatile piece of equipment that can do everything

from cleaning out your barns to clearing your drivewayof snow, there's a gray area big enough to swallow adairy cow.

When you're cleaning your barn, you're exempt. Whenyou're clearing your driveway, you're non-exempt. Andwe're not talking chicken feed when it comes to the tabill at stake. Skid-steers can easily go for $50,000, whichcalculates to about $3,000 in sales tax.

"Let's say you run a small farm and you plow yourmother's driveway across the street with a skid steer,"said Bill Moore, the Vermont Farm Bureau's legislative

director. "When you calculate plowing mother'sdriveway and pulling somebody out of the ditch, both which the tax department says are not related toproduction, you can whip up four percent really fast."

Don't clear the snow

Gregg Mousley described the difficulty in making thosecalculations that presumably go into determiningwhether a piece of equipment is tax exempt. "It's reallhard to prove," Mousley said. "In many cases the taxdepartment has just assumed that certain pieces of

continued on page



17/2717


18/27

18

Under the serviceberries

y the end of April the nativeerviceberries ( Amelanchier

arborea) in the woods aroundhere will burst into flower; it is anamazing sight like ‘snow in thepringtime’.

ut, not to be outdone, at theentrance to our back garden Iplanted four smaller Shadblowerviceberries ( A. canadensis)hat each spring create a

dainty white canopy over thebed below.

his lightly shaded bed hasproven to be the perfectenvironment for some of ournative woodland wildflowers,ncluding bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) with clear whiteowers that look lovely among

with the purple woodland phloxPhlox divaricata). There is alsowinleaf ( Jeffersonia diphylla)

which contrasts beautifully withhe adjacent fringed bleeding

heart (Dicentra eximia).

n the more heavily shaded areaowards the back of the bedhere are large swarths of

epimedium, with their freshgreen arrow-shaped leaves.

And, along the front of the bed,

ou can’t miss a smallKoreanspice bush (Viburnumcarlesii) filling the air with itsheady fragrance. This isurrounded by a carpet of

bright pink Japanese PrimrosesPrimula kisoana). I do note

however, that, while I love thebrilliant color of Primula kisoana n my spring garden, it needs tobe enclosed with a six-inch rootbarrier to prevent it from over-unning other less exuberant

neighbors.n the shade of old maples

At the front of the house a hugegrey rock, a relic of the ice age,creates a massive backdrop tohe bed that I see from my study window. This bed ishaded by three ancient maple trees growing beside theoad. But, despite the inevitable tree roots in the soil,

each spring it is filled with flowers.

or a full month the perennials in this bed create adelightful study in blue and yellow. There are lots of yellownglish primroses (Primula vulgaris) interspersed with our

native Virginia bluebells( Mertensia virginica), as well asome blue lungwort (Pulmonaamong the yellow globeflow(Trollius chinensis).

About the third week of May large azalea bushes,Rhododendron ‘White Lights’and R. ‘Bright Lights’, come in

flower and completely dominthe scene: indeed peopledriving along our dirt road wstop to enquire what they are

Around the gazebo

Finally, in late May, just as theweather is warming up enougfor outdoor living, the three capples behind our gazebo—telegant ‘Liset' cultivars, plus alarger Selkirk—completely cothemselves with rose-pink

flowers. And on the ground, carpet of forget-me-nots,punctuated by dozens ofbeautiful apricot and whiteSalome daffodils, completelyhide the soil.

Nearby the pure white flowertwo Weston’s Innocence azaperfume the air with their intefragrance, while also makingpretty picture next to the deepink flowers of a ‘Wine andRoses’ Weigela.

In the wild

Over the years I have plantelots of carefree daffodils in mflowerbeds. However all daffbulbs will multiply in place aneventually start to take overvaluable bed space. So eveJune, I make a habit of diggup clumps that have outgrowtheir welcome. I relocate theto our meadow or along theedge of our woods. This chor

best done as soon the flowehave died back, but before tleaves turn brown.

They continue to expand inthese wilder areas, and each

spring they emerge out of the cold ground, creating ‘host of golden daffodils’, as immortalized two centurieago by William Wordsworth.

I hope some of these ideas will help you create spring

gardens for your clients that they will enjoy for many yeto come.

This large patch of bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis,

grew from a tiny section of root that Judith planted

about six years ago.

The brilliant pink flowers of the Japanese Primrose,

Primula kisoana, are profuse and long-lasting, and make

a real stand-out in the spring garden.

ontinued from page 12

Sweet Betsy, Trillium cuneatum, is a lovely addition to a

woodland garden. A native of south eastern USA, it is

listed as hardy to Zone 5, but has been growing for

several years now in the author's Vermont garden.


19/2719

equipment are not tax exempt. You would have to have alog to prove you use it 96 percent of the time onagricultural purposes. That's where it gets really hard. If youpush the snow out of your driveway you're done."The Farm Bureau got involved in the sales and use taxdebate after equipment dealers became the focus ofaudits.

"It's on our list of priority issues to straighten out because it's

a mess and ultimately the people who will pay the bill forshrinking of the farm exemption will be farmers," said ClarkHinsdale, a Charlotte dairy farmer and long-time presidentof the Farm Bureau.

Gary Morris, owner of Essex Equipment, organized ameeting in October with legislators, business owners andothers to discuss the audits, including his own, which he hasappealed. Morris declined to talk to the Burlington FreePress for this story.

Bill Moore explained why some dealers may be reluctant

to talk. "I will tell you I am personally aware of over $2.5million in disputed exemptions just among equipmentdealers," Moore said. "The dealers don't want to talk to youbecause there's real money involved."

Meanwhile, back at Claussen's Greenhouse, Chris Conantwaits for his grievance to be processed by the taxdepartment. He tried to settle for just over $20,000 but thatdidn't fly. He thinks there could be 100 businesses ahead ofhim in the queue and figures it could be more than a yearbefore he gets "closure."

"I'm frustrated," Conant said. "Every bill that goes through

my hands, based on what's being challenged, I'maccounting for it in preparation for paying use tax. I haveto. If I don't they can randomly come in and say, 'Howcome you're not paying use tax on this?'" "I'm scared stiffof how much more I'll have to pay, I really am," he said.

Reprinted with permission by the Burlington Free Press and the

author. Contact Dan D'Ambrosio at 660-1841 or

[email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at

www.twitter.com/DanDambrosioVT.

What Are YouPlanting Today?

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On Saturday April 18th, 20 participants completed theirSOUL training with a day filled with classroom andhands-on workshops. SOUL,an acronym for Stewards Ofthe Urban Landscape, is a

training course offered bythe Vermont Urban andCommunity Forestry Programin partnership with UVMExtension to educateindividuals throughout thestate on trees and theirproper care providing themwith skills that they can applyas tree stewards in their localcommunities.

Participants attended four

consecutive Wednesdayevening sessions and the fullday Saturday session at theUVM Extension Serviceoffices in Middlebury andwere required to design and complete a volunteer

project in their community in order to earn certificationas a Vermont Tree Steward. Training included topics on

Vermont tree laws andpolicies, tree biology andhealth, identification, and

proper planting andmaintenance among others. Many individuals havecompleted this trainingthroughout the state over thelast several years and theircontribution to maintainingthe trees in their communitieshas been invaluable. If youare interested in taking partin future SOUL trainingscontact the Vermont Urban

and Community ForestryProgram for moreinformation. Healthy treesmake healthy communities.

SOUL Program Educates Tree Enthusiasts

SOUL Tree Stewards.


21/27

21

In response to some of our members being audited

regarding sales and use tax in Vermont, board member

Shannon Lee has written the below article that speaks to the

basics of Vermont sales and use tax.

This age of internet and interstate commerce has left many

state governments gleaning less tax revenue. Vermont is no

exception. Budgeting at the state level makes necessary

finding the funds to implement a myriad of mandated

programs. Increased tax audits have targeted a number of

different industries in the state. In the past few years, a

number of Green Works member businesses have been

approached by the Vermont Tax Department on grounds of

noncompliance with the state Sales and Use Tax.

Most states levy a tax on the production, use, or

consumption of goods and services. This tax takes a variety

of forms—the most common being Sales and Use Tax.

Currently, every state imposes sales and use taxes exceptAlaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon.

In recent years, states have become increasingly aggressive

in the sales and use tax area through both legislative

changes and enforcement. In Vermont, the likelihood of

being audited has increased, and companies need to be

prepared for challenges. Understanding your business's sales

and use tax liabilities is crucial to your ability to comply with

tax law.

Sales tax is a transaction tax, calculated as a percentage of

the sales price. The Vermont Sales and Use Tax is imposed on

the retail sales of tangible personal property unless

exempted by law. The Sales and Use Tax rate is 6%. Certainmunicipalities may also levy a local option tax of 1%. A sales

tax may legally be imposed on the seller or the purchaser,

but it is typically collected by the seller from the purchaser

and remitted to the state. A seller must collect Sales Tax at

the time and place of sale. If the tangible personal property

purchased is subject to Sales Tax, but it is not charged, then

a Use Tax is imposed on the purchaser of such goods. For

example, if you purchase an item online or in a state that

does not charge Sales Tax, you must then pay a Use Tax.

The Use Tax is the same rate and has the same exemptions

as the Sales Tax. The sales tax and use tax work together to

create the same tax result regardless of whether property ispurchased from a vendor who does or does not collect

sales tax. If another state’s sales tax is paid, Vermont gives

credit for any sales tax paid legally to another state on the

items to avoid double taxation. If that state’s sales tax is less

than Vermont, the purchaser is responsible for the

difference. For example, sales tax in State of Utopia is 2%

and sales tax in Vermont is 6%. The purchaser needs to pay

a 4% use tax on the purchase. Note that use as defined in

the Vermont Sales and Use Tax law does not just mean

consumed goods. Property which is received, stored,

operated, as well as property consumed in Vermont is

subject to tax even if it is later to be removed from this sta

In general, any exercise of right or power over tangible

personal property by the purchaser is considered use.

Use tax is a tax imposed on the purchaser of property use

in Vermont. It applies only if sales tax was not paid on

property that would have been taxable in Vermont. The

purchase can be either in Vermont or outside of Vermont

general, vendors outside Vermont should collect use tax o

shipments coming to Vermont. If the vendor does not hav

any other connection with Vermont, the state may not ha

the ability to require the vendor to collect the use tax. In

these situations, the user is then legally obligated to pay t

use tax directly to the Vermont Department of Taxes. In-st

vendors should also collect tax unless they have a proper

executed exemption certificate from their customer, but

sometimes errors are made and if Sales tax was not

collected, Use Tax is still due.

Essentially, the Vermont Tax Department is legally entitled

collect sales tax or use tax from the end consumer for all

tangible personal property. If, in the conduct of business,

you are required to purchase and resale any tangible

property, you take on liability for paying this sales or use ta

with the exception being, you collect the sales tax from y

client and remit it to the tax department. If the property w

used as a component of an end product, it should be

clearly itemized as such when invoicing and taxing your

client, the end consumer. This is necessary because the

burden of proof is on you, the business owner, should the

department have any questions.

If you find you have a Sales and Use Tax liability, you must

register your business. You should complete an Applicatio

for Business Tax Account, Form S-1, which is available at

www.state.vt.us/tax or by calling 802-828-2515. You will

receive your assigned Vermont Business Tax Account

Number, license and filing instructions from the Business Ta

area. Once your application has been processed, you w

receive a packet with your assigned Vermont Business Tax

Account number, Sales and Use Tax license, and Sales an

Use Tax Returns. You will also receive instructions and a PIN

number you can use to file online using BIZ FILE. You may f

and pay your taxes online or on the returns provided in th

packet. No substitute returns are authorized for Sales andUse Tax and a tax return must be filed as scheduled even

no tax is due for that reporting period.

While this article discusses the sales and use tax issue, it is

intended to provide tax, legal, or accounting advice.

Before using this information to establish policies or

determine the taxability or exemption of transactions, it is

recommended that you review the issues thoroughly with

your tax, accounting, and/or legal advisors.

Understanding Vermont Sales and Use Taxby Shannon Lee - VNLA Legislative Committee Chair

http://www.state.vt.us/taxhttp://www.state.vt.us/taxhttp://www.state.vt.us/tax


22/27

22

Ferrisburgh VT 05473On April 9 Lowe’s said it’s phasing out shelf products that

contain neonicotinoid-containing pesticides (neonics) and

will work with growers over the next four years to eliminate

the use of neonics on bee-attractive plants they sell.

Lowe’s made the announcement on page 27 of its 2014

“Social Responsibility Report” in a section titled “Listening to

Stakeholders.” Lowe’s joins Home Depot and independent

garden center chain Bachman’s, who last year announced

that they were phasing out neonic-containing shelf

products and plants that had been treated with neonics

during propagation and grow-out.

Science or stakeholder pressure?

But while taking action to phase out neonics, Lowe’s

acknowledged its move was driven by more by

“stakeholder“ pressure than scientific evidence showing

neonics are the cause of honey-bee colony collapse

disorder (CCD).

Lowe’s Social Responsibility report states: “Studies indicate

that multiple factors, including mites, poor nutrition, loss of

habitat and genetic conditions, are potentially damaging

the health of pollinators. Some studies say that

neonicotinoid (neonics) pesticides may be a factor.”

The state of the science

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural

Research Service (ARS), which has been the lead federal

agency investigating honey bee CCD concludes that, “N

scientific cause for CCD has been proven.” (http://

www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572).

USDA outlines a wide range of potential threats to honey

bee populations:

“But CCD is far from the only risk to the health of hon

bees and the economic stability of commercial

beekeeping and pollination operations in the United

States. Since the 1980s, honey bees and beekeepers

have had to deal with a host of new pathogens from

deformed wing virus to nosema fungi, new parasites

such as Varroa mites, pests like small hive beetles,

nutrition problems from lack of diversity or availability

in pollen and nectar sources, and possible sublethal

effects of pesticides.”

In a 2014 report, USDA concludes there’s a growing

consensus among researchers that one of the largest

contributors to poor colony health and colony losses is the

Lowe’s Joins Home Depot in Phasing out Neonicsby Gregg Robertson

continued on page

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2014/140515.htmhttp://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2014/140515.htmhttp://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572


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Holiday Decor from the Back Yard

by Mary Sullivan Cliver

When I begin with a new landscape client, I usually askquestions about how they plan to use the space, likesand dislikes and their expectations. One specificquestion is about plant materials that will provide cuttinglowers and other materials for the house.

finally finished putting Christmas 2014 away – it’s beenoo cold to spend much time in my unheated attic, but it

occurred to me while packing up that I need to broadenhat question to include the winter holidays. If you want

seasonal accents for inside for Thanksgiving, Christmasand New Years, being able to reach outside your frontdoor or clip along your hedgerow can help yourhomeowner personalize their holiday decor and make ituniquely their own. This year, looking outside two weeksbefore the date, I’d probably consider Easter in that planand add some easily forced shrubs and other elements.

What first comes to mind, of course are the evergreens –which now come in so many more colors than green.Careful clipping can produce a wonderful array ofextures, colors and scents to be enjoyed indoors. So

spruce, pine, fir and yew, cedar, juniper, cypress andmany others are easily within reach. In designing for myclients, I’ll track down some of the smaller versions ofhese often giant plants to provide that Vermont-

essential, garden winter interest as well as potentialmaterials for the winter arranger. From having spentmany hours this winter gazing longingly outside, I see thatneed to add some larger evergreen interest to my own

yard. All of my ‘minis’ have been buried for months.

do have hardy Boxwood that are big enough to clip toprovide wonderful, aromatic, shiny evergreen foliage tosupplement my purchased flowers. Another favoriterom my yard are the two delicate looking, needled

Microbiota that flank our River Birch and were awonderful burgundy bronze in color. Buried in snow,what they add to an arrangement makes getting theminto the house worth any inconvenience. And if a fewcurls of bark come off that Birch – they’d be mostwelcome in a rustic arrangement for the kitchen.

Many Hollies will thrive in Vermont, either evergreen ordeciduous and these are prime candidates for useindoors. The native Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)and its many hybrids provide the perfect touch of red tenhance mostly evergreen centerpieces. They wereparticularly spectacular last fall. I did see a wonderfulcolony next to the Brandon Police Station, buttrespassing there is probably not a good idea. Addsome mums, carnations, alstroemeria or other freshflowers from the florist and you have something

wonderful for your holiday table.

Dried Hydrangea blossoms either served ‘au natural’ orlightly sprayed with gold or silver are a delicatecounterpoint to more solid dark greens. So are milkweepods in their native state or lightly brushed with gold orsilver. The spent flower stalks from Astilbe or thewonderful chocolate heads of Sedum are also greattucked into fresh or dried arrangements. And thatbranch that came off the oak with leaves stillattached ... I didn’t see it at Thanksgiving, but I canprobably spray them gold for next year and add them the ... well, I do try to keep my inner Martha Stewart in

check, but there are times when I just want to decoratetill I drop. And any or all of the above could be brushedor sprayed with pale pastel colors to create that perfecspring centerpiece with a few purchased daffodils ortulips or other forced bulbs to add some springtime joy.

Participate in Green Works

2015 Industry Awards Program

Scope out your projects and

take lots of photos this season!

Entry forms coming to your

mailbox in August!


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Varroa mite, an Asian bee parasite first found in the U.S. in

1987.

Hive losses due to CCD fell during the winter of 2013-2014,

which USDA suggests may have been due to more

aggressive treatment by beekeepers for Varroa mites. In

fact, USDA recommends aggressive treatment for the

Varroa mite as one of the most effect means of staving off

CCD in commercial hives.

Honey bees do play an important role in U.S. food

production, increasing crop yields by an estimated $15

billion per year. Some crops, such as almonds, rely almost

exclusively on pollination by commercial honey bee

colonies, according to ARS. Many fruit tree crops, such as

apples and peaches, also rely on commercial honey bee

pollination.

Neonics effective and less toxic

Neonics have been shown to be an effective and less toxic

solution to controlling insect pests, which accounts for their

now widespread use in production agriculture and themanaged landscape. Neonics are the only effective

treatment for the hemlock wooly adelgid, which is

devastating native hemlocks in forests and home

landscapes. Likewise, neonics are the only effective

treatment for control of the emerald ash borer, which

threatens to wipe out ash species across North America.

But public opinion is running ahead of the science when it

comes to the health of the honey bee population. Anti-

neonic groups have mounted a very effective public

relations campaign targeted at large retail chains that carry

neonic shelf products and neonic-treated plants. Home

Depot and Lowe’s were the first to fall. So far Walmart hasmade no public statements on use of neonics in its garden

center products and plants, but it’s clearly in the crosshairs

of the anti-neonic forces.

How will this affect you?

How will this trend affect professional use of neonics in the

managed landscape? First, you may find some of your

customers request you not to use neonic-treated plants in

your installations or neonic-containing pesticides in the

maintenance work you do. The anti-neonic forces have

been quite successful in molding public opinion on this iss

Second, some states and localities may impose their ownrestrictions on neonicotinoid use. Last year, the city of

Eugene, Ore., banned the use of neonics on city property

The state of Oregon recently banned the use of neonics o

linden trees and other Tilia species. Others may follow as t

anti-neonic forces move to the local and state levels with

their campaign.

Finally, I don’t think we’ll see a federal ban on neonic use

the near future, if at all. EPA has begun a review of all

neonics, but their reports are not due until 2017-2019. I

would not be surprised to see some further label restriction

on the use of neonics, but the possibility of an outright ba

remote. Hopefully, in reaching a decision on the future on

neonics, EPA will follow the science and not public opinio

For more information on neonics and pollinator health,

AmericanHort has an excellent website and video on the

topic. Go to http://americanhort.org/bees.

About the Author: Gregg Robertson, Landscape

Management's government relations blogger, is a governme

relations consultant for the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nurse

Association (PLNA) and president of Conewago Ventures. Fr

2002 until May 2013 he served as president of PLNA. Reach h

at [email protected]. This articleoriginally appeared on LandscapeManagement.net and ha

been reprinted with permission.


You will not want to miss this first overnight tour Green Works

& UVM Extension is offering to one of the world’s top garden

attractions, the Montreal Botanic Gardens, to see thefamous Chinese lanterns by day and by night. You’ll have

the chance to dine in Old Montreal, and spend several

hours the second day at the Jean-Talon Market, one of the

argest produce markets in North America located in Little

Italy.

Leaving the Horticulture Research Center in So. Burlington

at 8am, returning around 5pm on day 2, we'll travel in a

Premier luxury coach. Overnight will be at the Hotel

Universel near the gardens. The tour price includes

admission to the greenhouse conservatories, gardens, and

Insectarium (celebrating its 25th anniversary), and includes

an optional hour guided tour. Also included are the hotel,

breakfast day two, and driver gratuity. Lunch on day one

may be purchased at the gardens, or you may bring yourown. There are many eateries at the market, as well as fre

produce, for dining day two.

For complete details on the tour and to download a

registration form please visit www.greenworksvermont.org

2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-

september-14-15-2015/. The registration deadline is Augus

7, 2015 but register early to ensur e your spot! The cost per

person is $249 (double occupancy); add an additional $9

for a single room supplement. Contact Kristina in the

office if you have any questions.

Montreal Botanic Garden & Jean-Talon Market Tour -

September 14-15, 2015

http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/mailto:[email protected]://americanhort.org/beeshttp://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/2015/04/17/montreal-botanic-gardens-tour-september-14-15-2015/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://americanhort.org/beeshttp://americanhort.org/beeshttps://www.eugene-or.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3016https://www.eugene-or.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3016http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572#publichttp://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572#public


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July 27-August 1, 2015Perennial Plant Association’s

Perennial Plant SymposiumHilton Baltimorewww.perennialplant.org/events

August 6, 2015 - ThursdayGreen Works/VNLA Summer Meeting& Trade Show

Shelburne Farms-Coach Barn

www.greenworksvermont.org

September 10, 2015

Selected Topics for Tree CareProfessionalsUMASS ExtensionHoliday InnTaunton, MAwww.ag.umass.edu/events/

selected-topics-for-tree-care-professionals-1

September 14-15, 2015 - TBAMontreal Botanical Gardens & Jean-

Talon Market TourRegistration Deadline: 8/7/15www.greenworksvermont.org

October 39, 2015Landscape and Forest Tree and ShrubDisease Workshop

UMASS Extension

UMASS-Amherstwww.ag.umass.edu/events/landscape-forest-tree-shrub-disease-workshop-0

December 2-4, 2015New England GrowsBoston Convention Exhibition Center www.newenglandgrows.org

March 9-10, 2016Ecological Landscape Alliance

Annual Conference & Eco-MarketplaceUMASS Amherst Campuswww.ela.org

Industry Calenda

http://www.ela.org/http://www.ela.org/http://www.newenglandgrows.org/http://www.newenglandgrows.org/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/http://www.ag.umass.edu/events/selected-topics-for-tree-care-professionals-1http://www.ag.umass.edu/events/selected-topics-for-tree-care-professionals-1http://www.ag.umass.edu/events/selected-topics-for-tree-care-professionals-1http://www.ag.umass.edu/events/selected-topics-for-tree-care-professionals-1http://www.ag.umass.edu/events/selected-topics-for-tree-care-professionals-1http://www.ag.umass.edu/events/selected-topics-for-tree-care-professionals-1http://www.greenworksvermont.org/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/


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In-Kind Sponsors:

Agway, Essex Agway, Middlebury

Aquarius Landscape Sprinklers, Inc.Ashley Robinson, Landscape

DesignerBristol ElectronicsCenter for Technology, Essex Charley MacMartin, Queen City

Soil & StoneChurch Hill Landscapes, IncClaussen’s Florist & GreenhouseCobble Creek Nursery Craig Scribner TruckingCW StageworksDenice Carpentry

Dixondale FarmsEben Markowski & Heidi

Mahoney Emily LeopoldEvergreen GardensFairfax Perennial FarmFull Circle GardensGardener’s Supply Company Ginkgo Design, LLCGreen Feet GardeningGreenhaven Gardens & Nursery Green Mountain CompostGreen Mountain Florist Supply

Homer WellsHorsford Gardens & Nursery

Iron ArtsJeffersonville Quarry Kate Brook Nursery Katie Raycroft-MeyerLandshapesLong Leaf Landscaping, LLCLongacres Nursery Marie P. Limoge, Designer for

diStefano LandscapingMarijke’s Perennials PlusMasefield Dry Stone Masonry

Matt Atkins Property Services, LLCMelita J. Bass, VCH

Millican Nursery Milton CATMurphy Landscape Design &

Sitework NES RentalsNortrax No Waste TapeNorth Branch Farm and GardensNorthern NurseriesNorthland Job CorpNourse FarmsPete’s Pines and Needles Tree

Farm

Prescott GalleriesPrice Chopper

Prides Corner FarmRiver’s Bend Design, LLCRocky Dale GardensR.R. Charlebois, Inc.Shaw Hill Nursery Shelburne FarmsSJC Garden ServicesSisters of NatureSouth Forty Nursery Starflower StudioSwift Greenhouses, Inc.Techo-BlocTrowel Trades Supply, Inc.

University of Vermont ExtensionUVM Extension Master GardenersUVM Horticulture ClubVan Berkum Nursery Vermont Department of

Forest, Parks & RecreationVermont Garden Railway Society Vermont H’ArtVermont Mulch Company Vermont Natural Ag ProductsVermont Technical CollegeWright Family Farm, LLC

Presenting Sponsors for 2015

Bag Sponsors

Media Sponsors

Contributing Sponsors

Daily Seminar Sponsor

Cooking Display Sponsors

50th Anniversary Supporters

Deborah Healey, Shelburne, VT

Karl & Diane Neuse, Middlebury, VT

Sponsors

Lighting | Audio | Staging

CW

LLC.

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VERMONT FLOWER SHOW SPONSORS


27/27

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North Ferrisburgh, VT 05473

visit us at www.greenworksvermont.org
http://www.greenworksvermont.org/http://www.greenworksvermont.org/

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