H NHLANewsletter - nhlaonline.org 1.pdf · H ere is a wonderful opportu - ... Installation of a...

HNewsletterNHLA

Informing and educating members of the Green IndustryVol. 29 No. 9

October-November 2010

INSIDE:

2NHLA/NHPGA Annual Joint Winter Meeting

3President’s Notes

7 NHLA Scholarship Application

8Gap to the Futureby Jo-Ann Harding

10NH Forest AssessmentResults

13Life-cycle Analysisby Dr. Dirt

14Living Walls

16Designing MeadowsSeminar

20Certification Page

24 NHLA Calendar

H ere is a wonderful opportu-nity for NHLA members!

Join us for this two-day work-shop on October 25 and 26 in

Rain Garden Training for Professional LandscapersOctober 25: Co-Sponsored by NHLA and UNH Cooperative Extension

Portsmouth, which will provide you with the skills necessary to install and maintain rain gardens on both residential and com-

mercial properties. More and more, rain gardens will be used as an element in planning low-

Continued on p. 4

Installation of a rain garden at the Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center (formerly Sandy Point Discovery Center) in Greenland in September 2008 at a workshop sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension.

2xxxxNHLA Newsletter, October-November 2010

HInforming and educating members of the Green Industry

NewsletterNHLA

The NHLA Newsletter is published by the New Hampshire Landscape Association for its members, free of charge, 10 times a year.

Memberships: see page 27 or the website for a membership application.

Additional Subscriptions: Firms desiring additional subscriptions, can purchase them at $40.00 each. Contact Guy Hodgdon.

Editorial Material should be sent to Carolyn Isaak, editor, by the 1st of each month prior to publication.

Advertising: Advertisers wishing to appear in the NHLA Newsletter should submit their ads to Annette Zamarchi by the 10th of the month prior to publication.

Suggestions and Concerns:

Members are encouraged to contact Guy Hodgdon.

Try out our Web Site at <www.nhlaonline.org>

Board of DirectorsConsultants

Dave DeJohn, President Jan ’11David DeJohn Landscaping603-783-3307(B)603-608-7860 (C)[email protected]

Peter DeBrusk, Jan ’11Vice-President Tuckahoe Turf800-556-6985 (B)[email protected]

Jennifer Roth, Jan ’11Secretary/TreasurerJenesis Gardens & Design LLC603-330-0362 (B, F)[email protected]

Diane Perkins, Jan ’11Past PresidentFertile Ground603-775-0937 (B, F)[email protected]

Cris Blackstone, Director Jan ’13Gold Star Farm603-648-8873 (B)[email protected]

Mike Graves, Director Jan ’12Northern Nurseries603-868-7172 (B)[email protected]

John Crooks, Director Jan ’11 John’s Landscaping of Madbury, NH603-799-4544 (B)[email protected]

NHLA BUSINESS MANAGERGuy S. Hodgdon800-639-5601 (B) 207-439-8628 (F)[email protected]

NEWSLETTER EDITOR AND DESIGNER Carolyn Isaak603-352-5084 (B), 357-0835 (F) [email protected]

ADvERTISING MANAGERAnnette Zamarchi603-661-3488 (B, FAX) [email protected]

CERTIfICATIONPaula Kovecses 603-529-9634 (B)[email protected]

EDUCATION Jon BatsonJenesis Gardens & Design LLC603-330-0362 (B, Fax)[email protected]

LEGISLATIvEChris Blackstone603-738-2195 (B)[email protected]

MEMBERSHIPDarrin Smith603-321-1362 (B)[email protected]

Committee Chairs

Save the Date:

NHLA/NHPGA Winter Meeting, Jan. 25, 2011

The NHLA /NHPGA Joint winter Meeting will be at the Grappone Center in Concord, January 25 2011. The final

schedule is being confirmed, but two of the key speakers will be scott LeFluer of the New england wildflower society and Lee Gilman, speaking about the concept of a grading standard that to be used by nurseries and landscapers, promoting a premium grade of plant material for sale and use above nurseries standards.

Other speakers, yet to be confirmed, will address Pest Problems, Rain Gardens, and Bio-Retention Ponds.

The annual winter Meeting is a great time to advance your knowledge, to meet up with your peers, and to view products and services for landscapers.

so, reserve this date today, and watch for more information in the Newsletter and on the website. r

NHLA 3.625 x 4.875

Van Berkum Nursery • 4 James Road, Deerfield, NH 03037(603) 463-7663 Fax 7326 • www.vanberkumnursery.com

Why Van Berkum Nursery?• Over 800 varieties of perennials grown “lean and mean” in NH

• 20 years of experience working with landscapers and designers

• A weekly availability list plus a list of what looks best for garden center sales

• Fast delivery to northern New England and fantastic, knowledgeable drivers

• An informative website with sections for professionals and your clients. Join us on Facebook!

• Specialty lists such as New England Woodlanders, Wicked Ruggeds and more

• Display gardens and the invitation to bring your clients to choose plant lines

• Hefty true gallon containers for over 100 varieties for instant impact

• Prepricing tag program for garden centers, plus custom tags with our own photos and info

• An incredibly experienced staff that truly works as a team, making it easy to help you

• We propagate most of our plants, giving us good selection all season

• A great 175-page catalog with many lists to help you and your customers design gardens

• Many environmentally friendly practices, several which we’ve been doing for years

• We’d love to have you visit anytime!

NHLA Newsletter, October-November 2010xxxx3

M an, it’s 4:30 in the morning, late september and I’m way late on submitting my President’s Notes for the Newsletter.

Hard to think about writing when it’s starting to feel more like fall than summer and the leaves are showing more than just a hint of color already. Along with that first faint blush of color comes that first twinge of anxiety way back in the back of the brain. Relief and fear. Relief that the season is winding down and fear for the same reason.

september is the month when we set the budget for the coming year. Of course that is more or less based on the previous year so let’s just say that it will be tight. Our revenues are membership driven and, as can be expected with the economy such as it is, memberships are down. The numbers always f luctuate a bit but right now we are down to 219. Maybe that’s a good number for an Association like ours but I think that’s pretty low considering the amount of landscapers, maintenance companies, gardeners, designers, nurseries, and garden centers there are in this state.

why don’t we have more members? Those of you reading this Newsletter must f ind value in being a member in this organiza-tion. what is it that keeps you continuing to pay dues? If you just joined or if you’ve been a member for years, why and what can we do to attract others to join? we all know at least one person in our field who is not a member. If you think this is a worthwhile thing to be a part of then why not pass that information along to them. Lead them to the website or better yet, invite them to one of the many educational events we put together each year. I’ll put the word out there again that we really need to form a member-ship committee to actively work on and implement ideas to gain new members. More members means more voices and opinions, a larger network to draw upon

speaking of voices and opinions, we need to hear from you. we are now up on Facebook and there is also the Forum page on the website as well as the e-mail addresses of Board members and committee chairs at the front of the Newsletter. Please take advantage of them. what are the issues you are concerned about? what types of things would you like to see the organization get involved in? would you be interested as an Association to become more involved with or join ANLA?

President’s Notesby David DeJohn, NHCLP

What are the issues you are concerned about?

What types of things would you like to see the organization get involved in?

Would you be interested as an association to become more involved with or join ANLA?

What kind of classes or seminars are you in-terested in?

Call or email one of your Board Members. Their contact information is on the mast-head, previous page.

scott wheeler

Cell: 413-246-5067

what kind of classes or seminars are you interested in? we are planning a February business meeting, what topics would you want to hear about? There are some very dedicated people on the Board and on the various committees who put a lot of time into making this Association what it is but, again, you all are the Association and we need to hear from you!

Happy fall! A

Many NCO Products are:

PO Box 372, Bradford, Vermont 05033 802.222.4277 FAX: 802.222.9661 Email: [email protected]

For more info and to find a dealer near you go to: www.norganics.com

Natural Fertilizers, Soil Amendments and Pest Controls for the Profesional


impact developments, retrofitting older developments, and as a way to create natural solutions to drainage and erosion problems. Don’t miss this opportunity to add rain garden installation to the list of products and services you offer.

The first day of the workshop will focus on estimating costs, site selection and installation, design and plant materia ls,

maintenance and marketing, and will culminate with a panel composed of businesses experi-enced in rain garden design and installation. On the second day participants will install a rain garden on a residential lot near Hodgson Brook. This will be followed by a short tour in the same neighborhood showing tree box f ilters, bioretention, and a restored vegetative buffer.

Major funding for the work-shop comes from the Northeast states and Caribbean Islands Regional water Center and from the Rutgers New Jersey Agri-cultural experiment station & Cooperative extension. Other contributors include UNH Coop-erative extension, New england Grows and the Hodgson Brook Restoration Project.

Cost for the two days is $40.00 if registration is received by Oc-tober 20, and $50.00 if received late. Registration covers the pro-gram, handouts, breaks and lunch on the first day. This workshop is packed with great informa-tion that will be delivered by knowledgeable speakers and is an absolutely terrific value!

Many of the speakers on the first day come from the Rutgers Cooperative extension water Resources Program and from the Rutgers Agricultural ex-periment station. The Rutgers water Resources Program has run

To see the complete

workshop agenda, bro-

chure, and registration

information visit www.

nhlaonline.org/news-

events/calendar.cfm

and click on the link

for the Rain Garden

Workshop for Profes-

sional Landscapers.

Or go to www.extension.

unh.edu, click on Agri-

culture, and look in the

What’s New box. You can

register online using a

credit card or print the

brochure and mail in the

registration form.

Rain GaRden WoRkshop, Cont’d from page 1

Installation

several trainings for professional landscapers and maintains an online Rain Garden Installation services Directory (listing more than 100 landscapers). They have also installed over 25 demonstra-tion rain gardens that are being maintained throughout the state of New Jersey. Dr. Chris Obropta,

Amy Boyajian and Benjamin Pearson will be sharing what they have learned by experience.

In addition, the panel at the end of the day features eileen Pennetier of Comprehensive en-vironmental Inc. engineers, Rick Licht of Licht environmental Design and LLC and Jeff Hyland

Bobcat of New Hampshire Visit us at www.bobcatnh.com

9 Dover Road (Route 4),

Chichester, NH

603 224-1234

2 Tracy Lane,

Hudson, NH

603 579-9955


of the Ironwood Design Group LLC. This is a great opportunity to learn from those who have lots of hands-on experience.

So, you ask, what exactly is a rain garden?

Rain gardens (or biofilters) are just what they sound like, gardens that soak up rain. Rain gardens collect run-off from roofs, drive-ways, yards and parking lots and allow that water to filter into the ground where it is used by plants. Rain gardens help protect the wa-ter quality in our lakes, streams, rivers and ponds by reducing the amount of polluted run-off reaching them. If installed cor-rectly, rain gardens can collect from 30 to 90% of the run-off from impervious surfaces.

why are we hearing so much about rain gardens now? As our population increases, agricultural and forest land is being replaced by cities and suburbs, with their many impervious surfaces. In-stead of soaking into the ground, stormwater quickly runs off the impervious surfaces in these de-veloped areas. This causes prob-lems for both the environment and the municipalities that have to cope with the costs of increased stormwater run-off. Rain gardens can reduce the need for expensive municipal stormwater treatment systems, and are now frequently found in plans for commercial

The completed garden.

developments. To see the complete workshop

agenda, brochure, and registra-tion information visit www.nhla-online.org/news-events/calendar.cfm and click on the link for the Rain Garden workshop for Professional Landscapers. Or go to www.extension.unh.edu, click on Agriculture, and look in the what’s New box. You can register online using a credit card or print the brochure and mail in the registration form. W

If installed correctly, rain gardens can collect from 30 to 90% of the run-off from impervious surfaces.

Don’t miss this opportunity to add rain garden installation to the list of products and services you offer.


Jesse O’Brien • Chuck ChristiePO Box 763, 424 Alfred RoadKennebunk, Maine 04043

tel 1-800-634-0090 fax 207-985-0111

Deliveries throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts

LANDSCAPE SUPPLIES

Date

Name

street

City state Zip

Phone (school year)

Phone (permanent residence)

College you are or will be attending:

Major or concentration

expected date of graduation:

what percentage of educational expenses are you personally responsible for?

Please provide us with the name, address and phone number of two references we may contact:

1)

2)

PleaSe iNCluDe wiTh youR aPPliCaTioN:1) a one page, typed statement concerning your back ground and your goals in regard to the nursery and/or landscape industry;2) any additional information regarding your personal financial circumstances which will help the committee evaluate your request for financial assistance;

3) your most recent transcript or grade

Nhla SCholaRShiP aPPliCaTioN

This scholarship is available, but not restricted to:1. NHLA members and their employees enrolled or enrolling in full or part-time college programs that are related to the landscape industry.2. High school seniors enrolled in agricultural education horticulture classes that will be attending a two- or four- year college program related to the landscape industry.3. College students already enrolled in two- or four- year landscape related majors.

The winner of this scholarship will be determined by the Nhla board of directors at the February board meeting, and the scholarship(s) will be awarded at the Nhla Spring Con-ference.

If you would like to apply for a schol-arship, please fill out this application and return it with the appropriate materials. for more information contact Guy Hodgdon at 1-800-639-5601.

All applications must be returned no later than December 15, 2010 to: Guy hodgdon Nhla Business Manager 50 Debbie lane eliot, Me 03903


I f you were to forecast the future of New Hampshire’s retail

nursery/garden center industry, what would it be? This was the first question asked of participants in an independent study con-ducted with retail nursery/garden center owners this spring by a horticultural technology student at UNH’s Thompson school. Among the answers: “sunny,” “cloudy,” “unpredictable.”

There was no collective opin-ion. Neither did many other ques-tions, especially those dealing with opportunities or barriers to future growth, conclude with a consensus other than that changes in the industry were expected. Answers were thoughtful, but not top-of-mind, as participants considered the potential impact

of the organic/green movement, of the growing presence of big chain stores, or of big wholesale producers of plant materials.

The study, titled “New Hamp-shire Garden Center/Retail Nurs-ery Owners/Operators: Forecasts and Conf idence survey,” was not designed to be statistically valid. It was to provide some directional insight into what industry business leaders are ex-periencing in today’s market, and their thoughts and preparations for the future. Included were 8 prominent retail nursery/garden center owners in Central and southern New Hampshire. As open dialogue often shapes and solidif ies opinion, it was con-cluded from their responses that there could be more discussion,

at an industry-wide level, as to its future course. Varied Businesses, Many Shared Concerns

Consensus was easily found on how changing weather patterns, increased costs of doing business and a depressed economy are affecting operations and profit margins. These were among the front burner issues for everyone in this study, and dealing with them requires a laser focus on the relatively short term.

In reality, this may leave little

time and energy to look ahead, and to plan for change or growth that would be in step with future target customers. Financial bar-riers to investing in growth, as mentioned by several participants, are also a consideration.

It is important to acknowledge that the industry is actually made up of many types of businesses. some are grounded in a farming model, others are affiliated with a wholesale production operation, and others may be strictly retail. while sharing many concerns,

Gap to the Future?Keeping Pace with an Evolving Consumer Environment, by Jo-Ann Harding

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where is the younger customer? Is it the economy, time constraints, or lack of a grandparent who loved to garden that keeps them away?


they each have their own issues and own customers, and they are all independent minded; this is not a homogeneous group. This somewhat explains the lack of consensus on subjects beyond the status of nursery (consumer sales are down for the majority, but some see landscape contrac-tors becoming more important) or the decline in bedding plant sales. This is not to say that they couldn’t benefit from a collective look into the future because, regardless of their particular niche, they must all deal with the same outside influences. One of the more important inf lu-ences is an evolving consumer environment.

The Changing Consumer environment

This is the place to introduce one standout area of consensus regarding industry trends: the current customer demographic is aging – the logical conclu-sion being too obvious to state. everyone mentioned it. where is the younger customer? Is it the economy, time constraints, or

lack of a grandparent who loved to garden that keeps them away? Migration into New Hampshire by more baby boomers may buoy the current customer base, at least into the near term. It’s the longer term, when a new generation needs to fill a potential void, that is at issue. They may be larger in number, but that will not be useful if they are not interested in gardening. will their increase in numbers lead to higher over-all sales, or just offset a lower rate of purchase? what can the industry do to interest them? If they lack skills, will they rely more on landscape contractors, creating some shift in the target audience for plant sales? will they be more interested in either growing or buying fresh produce? what will make them want to visit a garden center versus a more convenient chain store ? How can evolving technology be maximized to communicate and sell to them?

The current customer base is also evolving, and businesses are updating their operations to keep pace. They are responding

to expectations of good customer service, and many are commu-nicating with customers elec-tronically. However, the “over night” success of Proven winners, which was mentioned by several, seemed unexpected. Proven win-ners simply used classic brand marketing techniques to create consumer demand, and response in the marketplace shows that this industry is not impervious to the power of direct consumer market-ing. (Despite this demonstrated success, marketing budgets are mostly f lat or lower than in pre-vious years.) Other practices in the areas of product mix, mer-chandise display or customer service programs might also be “success transferred” from retail-ers/marketers in other categories. An industry can become insular, but some of the best “new” ideas can come from a broader, outside perspective.

The Future Potentialeveryone surveyed found their

work gratifying and said they really love what they do. Many were of a new generation – with

new ideas - taking control of established family businesses. Their collective passion and expertise, combined with the potential for tremendous growth, should lead to a successful future for the industry. This success could be further ensured with collaborative, proactive strategic and tactical programs to cultivate future generations of customers. Funds and time constraints may be limitations, but they should not be barriers to more open dialogue on the current state of the industry and where it might be headed, how it might be shaped, and what tools might be used along the way to getting there. Z

Jo-Ann Harding’s career in mar-keting communications has spanned more than 25 years, during which she consulted for brand name clients in financial services, fashion and packaged goods industries, among others. In 2008, she enrolled in UNH’s Thompson School to study Horticultural Technology, prior to which she earned a BS from Salem State University and an MBA from Pace University.”

what do YOU think?send your remarks for publication to [email protected].


Millican Nurseries Inc. It’s a wonderful time to plant.

Ask us about our Fall Specials.187 Pleasant StreetChichester, NH 03258Phone 603-435-6660Fax 603-435-5039 www.MNIPLANTS.com

The final New Hampshire statewide Forest Resource Assess-ment and Forest Resource strategies from the 2010 survey

are now available.The New Hampshire Forest Resource Plan – which includes both

the statewide Assessment and Resource strategy documents – is a compilation of the results of the input provided by individuals and groups within the New Hampshire natural resource community and from the public; and review of existing plans and assessments.

No sharply divided controversial issues surfaced, apparently the result of the on going collaboration among the forestry- related people and groups in New Hampshire. There is much common ground, fostered by the open atmosphere, and while there are dif-ferent perspectives on some issues, the desired outcomes in this plan ref lect as much as possible the consensus that was found through the input process.

NHLA members were part of the public input in this survey along with dozens of other organizations and agencies. The com-plete reports are available on the NH Division of Forests and Lands website: www.nhdf l.org/about-forests-and-lands/bureaus/sars.aspx. 3

NH State Forest Assessment Results


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Landscape design, construction, and maintenance create beautiful settings, like this cascading water feature in Lee, N.H., built by students from the Thompson School.

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