April/May 2013 Vol. 1, NO. 2 A Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association member publication

Engaging the Next Generation

2012 Landscape Awards

2 I Green for Life April/May 2013

Green for Life April/May 2013 I 3

MANAGING EDITOR Nigel Bowles LAYOUT & PRODUCTION Kyla McKechnie EDITOR Marnie Main ADVERTISING Erynn Watson I Phone 780‐489‐1991

Landscape Alberta Green for Life is a professional publication for the landscape horticultural trade in Alberta.

Editorial and Advertising Landscape Alberta 200, 10331 ‐ 178 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1R5 P: 780‐489‐1991 F: 780‐444‐2152 admin@landscape‐alberta.com www.landscape‐alberta.com

Landscape Alberta does not assume responsibility for and does not endorse the contents of any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Landscape Alberta or its members.

Material may not be reprinted from this magazine without the consent of Landscape Alberta.

ISSN No: 1929‐7114 (print) ISSN N0: 1929‐7122 (online)

Landscape Alberta Executive Committee

President ‐ Dean Falkenberg Greenview Nurseries & Tree Farms Corp.

1st Vice President ‐ Chris Brown CRS Brown Landscape Services Ltd.

2nd Vice President ‐ Dave Montgomery Green Oasis Services Inc.

Treasurer ‐ Arnold van de Ligt Manderley Turf Products Inc.

Past President ‐ Gerard Fournier For Trees Company Ltd.

Landscape Alberta Staff

Nigel Bowles, Executive Director nigel.bowles@landscape‐alberta.com

Marnie Main, Member Services Director member.services@landscape‐alberta.com

Erynn Watson, Member Services Assistant erynn.watson@landscape‐alberta.com

Valerie Stobbe, Trade Show Coordinator valerie.stobbe@landscape‐alberta.com

Kyla McKechnie, Administrative Assistant admin@landscape‐alberta.com

Cheryl Teo, Bookkeeper accounting@landscape‐alberta.com

Calendar of Events

April 2 – 3, 2013 Standard First Aid & CPR Training

Edmonton Training Centre: 12304‐118 Ave To register, call Erynn at 1‐800‐378‐3198

April 2 – 3, 2013 Standard First Aid & CPR Training

Calgary Training Centre: 7236‐10 Street NE To register, call Erynn at 1‐800‐378‐3198

April 12, 2013 The 2nd Annual Eagle Lake Outdoor EXPO 2013

Glenmore Inn East, Calgary, AB For information: 403‐262‐5600

April 13 – 14, 2013 The Calgary Horticultural Society’s Garden Show

www.calhort.org

May 4, 2013 ISA Certified Arborist, Utility Specialist

and Municipal Specialist Exam Olds College, Olds, AB www.isaprairie.com

May 13 – 17, 2013 Skills Canada Alberta Competition

Edmonton EXPO Centre www.skillsalberta.com

July 2 – 7, 2013 WorldSkills Competition

Leipzig, Germany

July 12, 2013 Nursery Growers Group Educational Tour

Abbotsford, BC www.growersbustour2013.eventbrite.ca

July 22 – 26, 2013 Hort Week

Olds College, AB www.oldscollege.ca/hortweek

On the Cover: 2012 Landscape Award of Excellence Winner Residential Landscape Construction Peter Hughes Landscape Kelly Residence

Follow us on Twitter @landscapeab

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Industry and Association News …

Landscape Alberta President’s Dinner and Landscape Awards Our annual President’s Dinner and Awards presentation was held March 8, 2013 at the Coast Plaza Hotel in Calgary. This year, the Mike Haberl Sr. Landscape Industry Certified Award was presented to Susan Hogan for achieving the highest score at the 2012 technician exam. This award was established by the Landscape Alberta Board of Directors to honour Mike’s contribution to the Certification program. He was the owner of Prestige Landscape Maintenance and was very involved with Landscape Alberta for many years. Mike was passionate about the Certification program and it was his determination that fueled acceptance of the program by industry, allowing it to grow to the success it is today. Mike’s son, Michael D. Haberl, was on hand to present the award. Arnold Heuver, a long time supporter of the nursery industry and our association, was the recipient of the 2012 Executive Choice Award. He has held several positions within Landscape Alberta including Treasurer and Chair of the Nursery Growers Group. Arnold also acted as a representative for Alberta to the CNLA, and was a member of the Landscape Alberta Board of Directors. To this day, Arnold is an active player in the industry and association. The Executive Choice Award was designed to recognize members who have worked to help the association grow and achieve its long‐term goals.

The Landscape Awards program received a record 43 entries this year, with 34 awards going to 14 companies. See pages 9‐13 to view the award‐winning projects. We would also like to congratulate those companies whose award‐winning entries have been nominated for the 2014 National Awards of Landscape Excellence:

Peter Hughes Landscape ‐ Kelly Residence ULS Maintenance and Landscaping Inc. ‐ Bayview Residence

Landform Inc. ‐ Hills Peter Hughes Landscape ‐ Decore/McQueen Residence

Alpha Better Landscaping Inc. ‐ The Water Centre

Year‐Round Landscaping Inc. ‐ EEEL Building U of C Salisbury Landscaping ‐ MacDonald Residence CNLA National Awards of Landscape Excellence Winners of the 2013 Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) National Awards were announced during the 10th annual national awards gala in Niagara Falls on January 30, 2013. Co‐hosted by Landscape Ontario's Denis Flanagan and new CNLA President Christene LeVatte, it was an evening to remember! Nine awards were presented to companies and individuals across the country, showcasing Canada's best. See the winners at www.cnla‐acpp.ca/awards. The CNLA President’s Award recognize members that have actively participated in raising the level of professionalism in the industry across Canada . This year’s President’s Award was presented to Gloria Beck of Parkland Nurseries & Garden Centre Ltd. in Red Deer, AB. Gloria was the first female President of the CNLA, serving from 1995‐1996. She has been involved in the industry for over 30 years, and owns and operates one of the largest retail garden centres in Central Alberta. She joined the CNLA in 1986 as Garden Centres Canada Chair, moving through the board, eventually becoming President. She also took over Canada’s seat on the International Garden Centre Association Board, where she also went on to become president. Congratulations to Gloria. Dutch Elm Disease Confirmed in Maple Creek, SK In August 2012, a single American elm tree was diagnosed positive for Dutch elm disease (DED) in Maple Creek, SK, 100 kilometers east of Medicine Hat, AB. This DED infected elm tree was growing in a back alley and was promptly removed and buried at the community’s landfill. After a thorough inspection of the area by officials from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, no elm firewood was found. The Town of Maple Creek plans to schedule additional elm tree surveys for DED in 2013. Banded elm bark beetles (BEBB), believed to be a potential vector of DED, have been found for the past several years by the community’s elm bark beetle monitoring program.

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Landscape Alberta Growers Establish Scholarships The Landscape Alberta Growers Group has approved two new scholarships, valued at $1,000.00 each, to be awarded annually to Olds College students enrolled in a horticultural program. The Growers established a set of criteria for the awards which includes a full time student earning a minimum GPA of 3.00, enrolled in Production Horticulture (preferably with an interest in nursery production), or a third or fourth year Landscape Gardener Apprentice who is currently employed in nursery production or has experience in nursery production. New Pest Threat to Ash Trees As if the Emerald Ash Borer isn’t enough of a threat, another potentially devastating pest is making its presence known in Edmonton. An infestation of the Lilac Borer, or Ash Borer, (Podosesia syringae) was discovered in a newly developed part of southwest Edmonton this past fall where many ash trees were affected. The City of Edmonton Forestry Department is examining the extent of the infestation and attempting to determine the origin. This borer can be a serious pest of lilacs and other members of the olive family, as well as ash (Fraxinus spp.). Plants that have been wounded or are under stress are

more susceptible since the eggs are almost always laid in or near wounds that provide easy entry into the plant. A heavy infestation may kill a plant quickly while lesser, but continual, infestations may weaken and stress the tree, causing dieback and death over a longer period of time. One of the first symptoms of borer attack is a slight sap flow mixed with frass at the entrance site of the larvae. Later, "sawdust" accumulates at the entrance and on the ground as the larvae clean out their tunnels. Leaves often wilt and turn reddish‐brown, and branches die back. Entrance holes are irregularly shaped at the bottom of the gallery and are often associated with sunken and cankered areas on stems and branches. The exit holes at the top are round and often have empty pupae skins protruding from them. Completed galleries are about 3 inches long and 1/4 inch in diameter. Infested branches may also have swollen areas with cracked bark that has broken away from the wood. This may be more noticeable in the spring. Growers and landscape contractors should begin an inspection program to identify and report this pest. For photos and more information on the pest, visit http://bit.ly/UkffDp.

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Toll Free: 1-866-745-6703 Toll Free Fax: 1-866-623-6187 brian@aubinnurseries.ca www.aubinnurseries.ca

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Serving the Prairies since 1927

Online Training for Green Industry Managers Online training for the Landscape Industry Certified Manager program (formerly Certified Landscape Professional, CLP) is now available through Ontario’s Humber College. The Landscape Industry Certified Manager program is designed for owners and managers of green industry companies and focuses on the core skills required to run a successful business. The online program training is designed to give you access to the course at any hour of the day. Program topics include: Marketing Technical Landscaping Leadership Human resource management Strategic planning Financial management Law and business risk The online program is facilitated by certified instructors and has been developed in partnership with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) and Landscape Ontario. The Spring/Summer 2013 session starts in June. See the online course information at www.humber.ca. The goal of providing online delivery of the program is to help prepare candidates to challenge the exam for the Landscape Industry Certified Manager designation. Contact the Certification Administrator at the CNLA office for information: Laura Brinton 1‐888‐446‐3499, ext. 8620. Australian Nursery Tour: Fall 2013 Visit Australia from October 21 through November 2 with John and Kelly Schroeder of Valleybrook Gardens. The Schroeders have been leading tours for nursery industry travelers for over a decade. Their trips are fun and educational, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the interesting countries and places they visit. The two‐week tour includes beautiful gardens, great garden centers and innovative nurseries. Sydney, Melbourne, the Blue Mountains, Tasmania and the Yarra wine region are just some of the places you will visit. There are lots of opportunities to add on some private holiday time before or after, perhaps the Great Barrier Reef or Ayer’s Rock. Contact John 1‐800‐824‐1120 or js@valleybrook.com for more details. In Memoriam It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Paulette Frederick, a dedicated and respected team member with Cheyenne Tree Farms (Beaumont, AB). Paulette passed away after a brief and courageous battle with cancer, and we send our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and coworkers. She is fondly remembered by the many association members and staff that had the pleasure of working with her, and she will be dearly missed by the Wotherspoon family at Cheyenne.

Thank You to our 2013 GreenPro Sponsors

Green for Life April/May 2013 I 7

Engaging the Next Generation By Mark Bradley

It’s been said a lot, studied a lot, and if you’ve hired under‐30 workers, you’ve seen it a lot. This younger generation is different. Generations going back years have always seen the differences in the way they were raised, compared with the current generation, but perhaps none more so than now. So how do you deal with this generation of workers in your company and on a jobsite? The fact is, they’re here and they’re not going anywhere — and you’re going to have to depend on them for results. You have a simple choice: You can continue to do things your way, and they’ll do things their way, and you can fight it out while your business suffers. Or, you and your foremen can learn to manage and motivate differently — and get more out of these young employees. It’s critical that you, as an owner, and just as importantly, your foremen, learn to get the most out of the people who work for you. Wishing for the old days and complaining that this generation doesn’t work like you worked isn’t going to change a thing; but here are a few tips that might: Be honest when hiring Start off on the right foot. This generation works so they can have fun. If you expect long hours, weekend work and hard labour, be straight up at the beginning. If you misrepresent the job before they start, they’ll get frustrated, they’ll resent their job and your company, and they’ll underperform until they quit or are terminated. Engage them from day one Throw them in headfirst on day one. Give them responsibilities, but be realistic. Make them the VP of trailer operations or jobsite cleanups, and advise them that their job is to keep things neat and organized. Let them know they will be held responsible and be clear about the standards. A checklist and/or regular evaluations are key — you can’t expect them to know what you want if you don’t tell them. Don’t tolerate helplessness, stomp it out. Don’t feed into it by answering questions they can figure out for themselves. Force them to think through and answe r the i r own ques t i on s . Be a bull when it comes to company systems Bulls don’t mess around. They know one way —

head down, horns up and straight forward. You need to be the same with company systems and procedures. If you dance around your rules or take them lightly, your younger workers will have absolutely no respect for them. They have short attention spans and they’ve been wired since the age of two to filter out non‐essential information, even when it’s directed at them. They’ve grown up with 1,000 commercials a day spouting what comes out of the other end of the bull. Don’t let your words get lost in the filter. Be ultra serious about your systems and expecta‐tions. Imagine if life depended on your employees following systems. You simply couldn’t put up with workers who don’t. It’s not that you can’t get better respect for your systems; it’s that you don’t try hard enough. For an example of a nice lesson served up cold to a Gen Y crew member by his firefighting comrades, go to http://bit.ly/YYAKWA. I couldn’t put it any better. Short attention spans need short‐term goals This generation gets information in quick doses. From commercials to video games to YouTube and Facebook/Twitter, information comes fast. They deal with it; then it’s out of sight, out of mind. Convey your goals and expectations the same way. Three quick meetings a day will help. Start of day: Set the goals, review what’s missing/needed (materials, equipment, etc.) Mid‐day: Review the goals. Are we on track, has anything changed? End of day: Did we hit the goals? What’s needed for tomorrow? Recognize hard

8 I Green for Life April/May 2013

Welcome to our New Members (January 15 - March 15, 2013)

work or give constructive criticism; one or the other, but don’t be fake either way. Use the daily meetings to coach future superstars Gone are the days of the mindless labourer, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Young workers today like to understand the who/what/when/where and whys. They want set goals and clear direction on where they’re going. They get bored with tasks that seem to have no objective or provide no feedback. After all, most of this generation grew up with video games rather than television. In video games, every screen has a goal, a score, and a way to advance (‘level up’). All of this can be good for your business — but you have to give these employees what they need. Give them a task, explain how to do it and why it’s done that way. Expect questions and answer them without being insulting. Give them the results (their score) at the end of each day and each job. Are we on track or falling behind? Where is their job taking them? Can they advance/level up in your company? How? Ask for feedback in the meetings, i.e., what could have made your job faster/easier today? Explain why you’re doing your work in that order? Show me how you inspected that equipment before using it. The secret to success in almost any business, or in any role for that matter, is simple: Be the best teacher. If you’re good at

your job, and if you can teach people to do it as well or better than you, you’re indispensable and you’re sure to be successful. Sub‐par performers are for golf Be quick to pull the trigger on those who are hurting rather than helping your productivity. Their attitudes and work ethic will spread like cancer through your company. This generation in particular will resent the fact that under‐performers are rewarded as well as good performers and they will reduce their standards to meet the lowest acceptable level of performance. Sooner than later, the lowest level of performance will become your company’s standard, while you shake your head saying, “I just can’t find good people.” It’s been said that all employers get the employees they deserve. Keeping poor performers is the easy way, and the lazy way. Great companies and great foremen face the tougher challenges head on and deal with hard issues straight away. And that’s exactly what makes them great. Mark Bradley is the president of Landscape Management Network and TBG Landscape. He writes about lessons learned in running and growing his own landscape business. Reprinted with permission from Landscape Management Network.

ALL PRO Vegetation Management Ltd. Troy Colling 992 McKenzie Drive SE Calgary, AB T2Z 1N5 Phone: (403) 257‐0111 Fax: (403) 257‐0992 allproveg@telusplanet.net www.allproveg.ca

Calgary Greenworks (1990) Ltd.

Robb Honsberger

Box 49031, 7740‐18th Street SE

Calgary, AB T2C 3W5

Phone: (403) 279‐7857

info@calgarygreenworks.com

www.calgarygreenworks.com

Calscapes Ltd. Douglas Armitage #919, 1811 ‐ 4th Street SW Calgary, AB T2S 1W2 Phone: (403) 333‐5353 doug@calscapes.ca www.calscapes.ca

Creative Landscape and Design Ltd. Daryl Beck/Lisa Robinson Box 159 Delburne, AB T0M 0V0 Phone: (403) 347‐2343 Fax: (403) 302‐3688 creative@creative‐landscape.com www.creative‐landscape.com

Mirage Landscaping Inc. Jeff Peters #6, 6304 Burbank Road SE Calgary, AB T2H 2C2 Phone: (403) 252‐5235 Fax: (403) 259‐5235 jeff@miragelandscaping.ca www.miragelandscaping.ca

SPR Construction Inc. Shaun Rusnack Box 22, Site 17, RR 2 Strathmore, AB T1P 1K5 Phone: (403) 934‐4499 Fax: (403) 934‐6902 shawn@sprconstruction.com www.sprconstruciton.com Takla Maintenance Corp. Andrew Takla 875 Ryan Place Edmonton, AB T6R 2K3 Phone: (780) 707‐8329 Fax: (780) 430‐8781 taklamaint@gmail.com

TD Canada Trust ‐ Agriculture Services Mark Johnson 2045 ‐ 34th Street NE Calgary, AB T1Y 6Z2 Phone: (403) 292‐1254 Fax: (403) 292‐1253 mark.i.johnson@td.com www.tdcanadatrust.com/agriculture

Top Notch Landscaping Ltd. Jody Francis 39 Sage Hill Manor NW Calgary, AB T3K 0H1 Phone: (403) 861‐3414 jody@topnotchlandscaping.ca www.topnotchlandscaping.ca

Green for Life April May 2013 I 9

2012 Landscape Awards

I t took our judges three days to evaluate the record 43 entries submitted for the 2012 Landscape Awards program. Judging standards are reviewed and updated every year, and this is reflected in the results: the

judges gave 18 Awards of Merit and 16 Awards of Excellence. The 2012 Landscape Awards were presented at the President’s Dinner held at The Coast Plaza Hotel in Calgary on March 8, 2013.

We would like to thank this year’s volunteer judges for taking their assignment seriously and giving so generously of their time and expertise.

Chris Brown, CRS Brown Landscape Services Ltd. Adele Goodwin, Earthworm Landscape Design Co. Blair McMurdo, Fantascapes Landscaping Jeff Oudyk, Land Tec Landscape Contractors Ltd. Brenda Ruzycki, Classic Landscape Centre John van Roessel, JVR Landscape (2006) Inc. Jordan Voogd, Sunstar Nurseries Ltd.

We would also like to give a special thank you to Expocrete Concrete Products and Manderley Turf Products Inc. for being prize sponsors for the 2012 Landscape Awards. Top honours went to Landform Inc. for Residential Landscape Construction/Feature, and Peter Hughes Landscape for Residential Landscape Maintenance.

The Landscape Awards Program

The Landscape Awards reflect the association's commitment to creating and preserving the beauty of the urban landscape. The program is also designed to reward independent landscape contracting professionals who execute top quality landscape projects. The Landscape Awards program has four main objectives:

Encourage landscape contractors to be the best in their field

Provide a marketing opportunity to those companies that receive an award

Encourage a company’s employees to aspire to excellence

Provide an opportunity to compete in the National Awards of Landscape Excellence

Members can enter projects into nine different categories covering construction, maintenance and design. Construction categories have subcategories for submissions ranging in dollar value so that contractors can enter multiple projects ‐ providing a method of ensuring the program covers projects with different styles and scopes.

Design category entries must include a plan drawing, a complete plant list and a thorough project description. Construction and maintenance entries must include digital photographs along with a written description of the project. The official entry form includes tips on how to make your entry shine ‐ remember that the judges need good photos and a well‐written description in order to properly evaluate each entry, so take your time and give your entries the best opportunity to succeed.

Each entry is evaluated using a set of criteria; the submissions are not judged against each other. There are two award levels: a Merit Award goes to an entry that earns 70‐84 points, and an Excellence Award goes to an entry earning 85 or more points. Entries that achieve Excellence status are eligible to be selected for the National Awards of Landscape Excellence, a Canada‐wide program developed by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.

Any member who is interested in volunteering to judge next year’s landscape awards are most welcome ‐ please contact Marnie at the Landscape Alberta office marnie.main@landscape‐alberta.com.

Highest Score Awards Congratulations to Landform Inc. and Peter Hughes Landscape for achieving the highest scores in the 2012 Landscape Awards. For their achievement, they were awarded with a $500 product certificate from the 2012 landscape award sponsors.

Arnold van de Ligt of Manderley Turf Products Inc. presenting Chris Chetcuti of Landform Inc. with their highest score award.

Jeaneen Harvey‐Galas of Expocrete Concrete Products presenting Aynsley Hughes of Peter Hughes Landscape with their highest score award.

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A. GLI Landscaping Hergott Residence Residential Landscape Construction

B. GLI Landscaping DeWinton Acreage Residential Landscape Construction

C. Year‐Round Landscaping Inc. Calderbank Residence Residential Landscape Construction

D. Year‐Round Landscaping Inc. Jones Residence Residential Landscape Construction

E. Landform Inc. Semmens Residential Landscape Construction

F. Earthlings Inc. Kratchmer Residence Residential Landscape Construction

G. Salisbury Landscaping Cameron Residence Residential Landscape Construction H. Landform Inc. Karoleena Commercial Landscape Construction

I. Alpha Better Landscaping Inc. Calgary Courts Centre Commercial Landscape Construction

J. Prestige Landscape Group Ltd. Aspen Estates Retaining Wall Commercial Landscape Construction

K. Year‐Round Landscaping Inc. Crescent Heights Promenade Commercial Landscape Construction

L. Year‐Round Landscaping Inc. Canmore Centennial Park Commercial Landscape Construction

M. Year‐Round Landscaping Inc. Payne Residence Residential Landscape Features

N. ULS Maintenance & Landscaping Inc. Springbank Residence Residential Landscape Maintenance O. Landform Inc. Chamberlain Residential Landscape Design

P. OnGrowing Works Ltd. Turcotte Residence Residential Landscape Design

Q. JVR Landscape (2006) Inc. Dugdale Residence Residential Landscape Design

R. Earthworm Landscape Design Co. The Laughing Dragon Project Residential Landscape Design

Awards of Merit

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A. Landform Inc. Lister Residential Landscape Construction

B. GLI Landscaping Yarmuch Residence Residential Landscape Construction C. ULS Maintenance & Landscaping Inc. Bayview Residence Residential Landscape Construction

D. ULS Maintenance & Landscaping Inc. Mount Royal Residence Residential Landscape Construction

E. Peter Hughes Landscape Kelly Residence Residential Landscape Construction

F. Landform Inc. Hills Residential Landscape Construction

G. Alpha Better Landscaping Inc. The Water Centre Commercial Landscape Construction

H. Year‐Round Landscaping Inc. Sugiyama Residence Residential Landscape Features

I. Landform Inc. Bergmann Residential Landscape Features

J. Landform Inc. Winters Residential Landscape Features

K. Prairie Ridge Landscapes Ltd. Winfield Heights Water Feature Residential Landscape Features

L. Year‐Round Landscaping Inc. EEEL Building, University of Calgary Environmental Landscape Construction

M. ULS Maintenance & Landscaping Inc. Ramsay Residence Residential Landscape Maintenance

N. Peter Hughes Landscape Decore/McQueen Residence Residential Landscape Maintenance

O. Julia’s Alpine Garden McGuinness Back Yard Residential Landscape Design

P. Salisbury Landscaping MacDonald Residence Residential Landscape Design

Awards of Excellence

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Showcase your expertise and creativity…

Enter the 2013 Landscape Awards Entry forms and guides are available online at www.landscape-alberta.com. The Landscape Awards program is only open to Landscape Alberta members.

For more information, contact Kyla McKechnie admin@landscape-alberta.com 780-489-1991 or 1-800-378-3198

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Grow Our Industry — Train an Apprentice

As you begin a new season, possibly with new hires, try to identify workers with the talent and potential to become skilled employees and offer them an opportunity to advance in the landscape industry by becoming an apprentice. We have been advising the industry over the past several years that worker retention can be increased with better training, and the Landscape Gardener Apprenticeship program meets this need. This successful program offers an abundance of hands‐on learning in both the hard landscape skills of pavers, water gardens, wood construction, irrigation and surveying; balanced with the soft landscape skills of plant identification, tree planting, soil analysis, plant production and landscape design. As a Journeyman Landscape Gardener, you are in high demand in our industry. About Apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a combination of on‐the‐job and technical training in an earning‐while‐learning arrangement that leads to certification as a Journeyman in a recognized trade. The apprenticeship programs at Olds College are under the administration of Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. Apprentices work under qualified tradesman to become familiar with the principles, skills, tools and materials of a trade. Olds College provides technical training for four‐year trades. During this time, apprentices are indentured (under contract) to an employer(s) who provide opportunities for apprentices to work and gain experience in the trade, and to attend in‐school technical training.

Apprentices are usually paid an hourly wage, which increases according to their time and experience in the trade. Rate of pay is based on a specific percentage of the prevailing journeyman’s wage in their shop. Registered apprentices receive notification listing the dates for technical training sessions at Olds College, where there are typically two intakes of apprentices in any academic year: fall and winter. Apprentices are encouraged to register as soon as they receive their notification in early May to ensure a seat, as spaces are allocated on a first‐come, first‐served basis. Landscape Gardener Program Outline First Period training options include: Workplace Safety, Tools, Machinery and Hydraulics, Soils, Plant Identification and Use and Maintenance I, Botany, Greenhouse Production and Environment, Landscape Construction and Maintenance Fundamentals. Second Period training options include: Workplace Communication and Personnel Management, Irrigation Fundamentals, Site Assessment and Surveying and Layout, Landscape Construction I, Plant Identification and Use and Maintenance II, Pest Management, Turf Maintenance. Third Period training options include: Landscape Design Fundamentals, Plant identification and Use and Maintenance III, Plant Physiology, Sustainable Irrigation Practices, Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, Landscape Construction II.

Green for Life April/May 2013 I 15

Fourth Period training options include: Landscape Design, Business Operations, Plant Identification and Use and Maintenance IV, Nursery and Sod production, Estimating and Tendering and Contracts. Career Opportunities

landscape construction and maintenance

parks/golf course maintenance

urban tree care

pest control

nursery production

greenhouse production

sod production

retail/wholesale horticulture marketing and sales Admission Requirements To enter the program, apprentices must be 16 years of age and have a minimum of a Grade 9 education or its equivalent, or pass an entrance examination administered by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. Application Procedure Apprentices attending Olds College must first be indentured as apprentices in the Province of Alberta unless special circumstances exist. All applications and inquiries regarding apprenticeship should be made to a Regional Service Centre of Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. Prospective apprentices are encouraged to visit the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training website: www.tradesecrets.alberta.ca. View program information at http://bit.ly/12Qm3NN. Landscape Alberta has prepared an information package for employers and employees that will help you and your workers understand what the Landscape Gardener Apprenticeship Program (LGAP) is all about. To request your free LGAP information package, email admin@landscape‐alberta.com.

Red Seal Designation

The Red Seal Program represents industry's recognition of an interprovincial standard of excellence for skilled trades. Why add a Red Seal designation to your journeyman certificate?

Mobility. Red Seal is recognized in every province and territory in Canada. Red Seal shows employers across the country that you are an exceptionally skilled tradesperson.

Competitive edge. When you can write Red Seal on your resume, employers know your work meets a standard of excellence.

A mark of quality. Professional designations give you personal satisfaction. They’re a mark of your quality work and dedication.

For more information on Red Seal, visit www.red‐seal.ca.

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Their answers might surprise you. We call the project Grow the Market and launched it in our February issue. In our initial report, sponsored by Syngenta, we focused on three major topics of interest: homeowner perceptions of the cost of landscape services (too high), their expectations of service (also high), and the impact they think landscaping has on the value of their home’s eventual selling price (again, high). Here are some key findings:

About 85 percent said maintenance and lawn care contractors are too expensive

70 percent said landscape installations are prohibitively expensive

A third of homeowners who fired a contractor – or never hired one in the first place – said it was because of price

About a quarter of all homeowners have increased the amount of landscaping and lawn care they do around their house; 9 percent of them are hiring more contractors

76 percent of homeowners cut their own grass

89 percent treat their own turf or don’t apply anything

30 percent of homeowners are planning a major landscaping project in the next two years

The most important source of information when selecting a contractor is a recommendation from friends and family, followed by online reviews and seeing trucks in the neighborhood

So what does this mean for you? These data make it pretty clear that homeowners need to be coached past the price question and shown the value that a new landscape or lawn care program will bring them. That value for many consumers means more time spent with their family or more enjoyment of their landscape. A majority of respondents said they value their outdoor space and see the value that a landscape brings to their neighborhood. The challenge is to find that value and drive it home, especially when yours isn’t the cheapest bid. Our survey also makes it clear that homeowners often feel taken advantage of – nearly half said they don’t trust what contractors tell them. That

One of the things we do at Lawn & Landscape Magazine is to provide landscape contractors with practical information that helps them run their business better. And the best way to do that is to help you understand your customers better. Late last year we conducted the first major post‐recession survey of homeowners’ perceptions of the landscape industry. We asked more than 850 homeowners across the country why they buy landscape and lawn care services, what they think of contractors, and how they decide what to spend on improving their green spaces.

Inside the Minds of Homeowners By Chuck Bowen

Green for Life April/May 2013 I 17

means you have to make sure to communicate clearly and effectively to manage your client’s expectations. You know that you’re juggling hundreds or thousands of clients, run‐ning your own business and your family life, but customers tend to think only about their patio that you’re building.

That communication also comes into play when consumers choose a landscaper. By almost a three‐to‐one ratio, homeowners rely on recommendations from friends and family when they hire someone. A happy customer with lots of friends is your best source of new business. We’re going to roll out more data from our report throughout the year on topics like irrigation services, organic services, and how homeowners feel about up‐sells. We’ll also bring you case studies of contractors across the country who are using this research to grow their markets. To stay connected between issues, I encourage you to follow Grow the Market on Twitter at @growthemarket. You’ll get regular updates on statistics, news and other information that can help you sell and market your company more effectively. And if you want more insight into this report or a 30,000‐foot view on national industry trends, please give me a call. I’m always happy to talk about what’s going on and always here to help. Chuck Bowen is editor and associate publisher of Lawn & Landscape magazine, the leading publication for landscape contractors and lawn care operators. Email him at cbowen@gie.net. This article is reprinted with permission from the author. Sidebar: Read the full February report here: http://bit.ly/WI6cOK For more case studies follow Grow the Market here: www.twitter.com/growthemarket

85%

Think contractors are too expensive

76%

Cut their own grass

30%

Are planning a major landscape project

The most important source of information when seeking a contractor to do yard work, is a recommendation from

friends and family

18 I Green for Life April/May 2013

April is Safe Digging Month

Alberta has a very comprehensive and complex underground infrastructure that provides essential goods and services to Albertans. Each year, there are numerous instances where the integrity of this infrastructure is jeopardized by improperly conducted ground disturbances. Failure to Call Before You Dig to have buried facilities identified and their locations marked, is the most frequent cause of buried facility damage. The consequences of damage to buried facilities can include service disruptions, environmental contamination, property damage, personal injury and death. All ground disturbers, including contractors, homeowners and land owners, can save time and money and keep themselves and our province safe and connected by following ground disturbance and buried facility damage prevention Best Practices. These include making a call to Alberta One‐Call in advance of any ground disturbance project, waiting for the buried facility locates to be done, respecting the locate marks, exposing any conflicting buried facilities before using mechanical excavation equipment, and digging with care.

The stakeholders in the buried facility damage prevention process – the digging community, buried facility owners and operators, buried facility locators, regulatory agencies, training providers and the Alberta One‐Call centre – all agree that the prevention of damage to buried facilities is a shared responsibility. As April is the traditional start up of the annual digging season, the Alberta Damage Prevention Council proclaims April as SAFE DIGGING MONTH and encourages all ground disturbers to always Call Before You Dig. 1‐800‐242‐3447. www.albertaonecall.com

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Green for Life April/May 2013 I 19