HortWest_2008-03

3BCLNA Board Highlights

4BCLNA News Bulletins

6BusinessEssentials

11 Landscape & Retail News

14 Grower Notes

15 BCMAL Report

Watermark Gardens took top honours for the construction of this residential landscape located in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood of Vancouver, while North by Northwest Ventures Inc. is responsible for the show-stopping display in Burnaby’s Glenlyon Business Park. Both companies were lauded for their fi ne work at February’s National Awards of Landscape Excellence in Saint John, New Brunswick.

BC Sweeps National Awards

B . C . L A N D S C A P E & N U R S E R Y A S S O C I A T I O N P U B L I C A T I O N • M A R C H 2 0 0 8

Last month’s National Awards of Landscape Excellence proved to be a grand tribute to the quality craftsmanship of BC’s—and indeed Canada’s—landscape professionals. The winning projects, selected from 26 top-notch entries, are the handiwork of two of this province’s premier landscape companies whose eye to detail was recog-nized by a national judging panel comprised of educators, garden writers and industry professionals.

Watermark Gardens of Vancouver, and North by Northwest Ventures Inc. of Surrey, have each attracted attention for their skills in the past—the former for being a 10-time BCLNA award winner, and the latter a two-time winner known for the show garden and park-like atmosphere it maintains in a growing commercial and industrial area of Burnaby.

The national recognition each has achieved is no small accomplishment, according to Joe Salemi, Member Services Manager at the Canada Nursery Landscape Associ-ation (CNLA).

Says Salemi, “The National Awards of

Landscape Excellence is one of CNLA’s most effective programs to help recognize truly great work that Canada’s green industry does every day. Highlighting the quality workmanship, sustainable practices, and promoting the benefi ts that these completed projects have on our environ-ment is really what it is all about.”

Presented each year by the CNLA, the awards program recognizes the achievement of just two companies. Only one recipient of the Caterpillar Excellence in Landscape Construction and John Deere Excellence in Landscape Maintenance categories is selected from a juried roster of the prior year’s provincial award winners against a rigorous criteria assembled by industry professionals.

The awards evening was hosted in Saint John by Landscape New Brunswick, where provincial landscape award winners were celebrated, Project Evergreen presented the Because Green Matters Award to Kingsbrae Garden for its outstanding commitment to raising the profi le and awareness of the benefi ts of green spaces in Canada, and Sandy Roberton, CLP, was granted CNLA’s inaugural President’s Award for Volunteerism.

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Message from the President

In just six short months, BCLNA and CNLA will be co-hosting the 50th IGCA Congress. The opportunity to host this world-scale industry event is a testament not only

to our garden centres, which will welcome as many as 300 visitors from all over the globe, but also to the strength and commu-nity of BC’s and Canada’s green industry. The structures of our provincial and nation-al associations, their cooperation with one another, and the interconnectedness of nursery, retail and landscape commodities, are leading examples on the worldwide stage.

Our local garden retailers have been

working hard to plan an event that will be exciting, memorable, and educational for International Garden Centre Association delegates. Their work, however, requires the support of the entire team. We strong-ly encourage growers and suppliers to get involved.

This summer, garden centres will be stocking up with September inventory. Lend a hand throughout peak season to better develop your products’ display space. Go the extra mile to offer product support—whether signage, customer info, or product training sessions. Work with your retailers to come up with innovative ways to improve sales, not only to show our skills to our visitors, but for the long-term strength and sustainability of our local market. Make plans to have your

reps on hand during IGCA Congress tours to help showcase your product and act as ambassadors to our visitors.

There are also numerous ways you can support the IGCA Congress through sponsorship. To fi nd out how, contact organizing committee chair, Brian Minter at (604) 703-9210 or coordinator Renata Triveri at (604) 523-0235.

IGCA Congress will be held from September 7 – 12. For detailed informa-tion, visit www.igcaCongress.com.

Entire Industry on the World Stage at IGCA Congress

2

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

MARCH 2008

MANAGING EDITOR Renata Triveri

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

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

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

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

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

This magazine is printed in Canada by Globe Printers.

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3

President’s Report: The candidate search for the position of BCLNA execu-tive director closed on February 22. The search committee is pleased with quality of resumes received.

Grower Commodity: The Irrigation Industry Association of BC (IIABC) and the BCLNA are working together on the development of an irrigation module to be included in the Nursery Certifi ca-tion Program.

Landscape Commodity: On behalf of BC’s arborists, Blair Veitch of Davey Tree Expert Co. of Canada Ltd. approached the board to request the formation of an arborist group within the BCLNA. Upon further discussion, the board agreed and is pleased to

support BC’s arborists in becoming a committee within the landscape com-modity. The fi rst committee meeting was held in early March to develop a strategy for moving forward.

Retail Commodity: Nearly 90 people have registered for the September Inter-national Garden Centre Association Congress; early bird deadline is April 30. For more information, go to www.igcacongress.com. The committee is seeking $50,000 – $90,000 in sponsorship sup-port for this international event.

Environment: The framework for the environmental stewardship strategy has been developed. Subcommittees (Invasive Plants and Retail Environment Strategy) are developing detailed action plans.

BCLNA anticipates positive outcomes for our industry from the government’s green Throne Speech and budget.

A presentation was made to the City of Burnaby Environment Committee on February 12 outlining the scope of BCLNA’s environment strategy, PlantHealthBC, and partnership oppor-tunities. It was very well received; we will know in the spring if the city will become a partner in PlantHealthBC.

CanWest Horticulture Show: BCLNA has offered to purchase United Flower Growers’ 50% share of the CanWest Show. If agreement is reached, BCLNA will call an extra-ordinary general meet-ing for members to vote on accepting this purchase.

Monday, February 18, 2008BCLNA Board Highlights

Harnois.indd 1 2/21/08 10:08:05 AM


4

BCLNA News Bulletins

Mandatory Retirement ScrappedOn January 1, the BC Human Rights Code was amended to eliminate mandatory retirement in this province. Prior to this year, employers could force employees to retire at 65; such an act now consti-tutes an illegal act of age discrimination. What does this mean for BC employers, particularly if they have older employees who they suspect can no longer perform their jobs safely?

The BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) sought an answer from Jennifer Russell of Roper Greyell, a leading employ-ment and labour law fi rm.

What steps must employers take? Older employees can only be required to retire if they can no longer perform the essential functions of their job or meet basic job qualifi cations, even with the help of reasonable “accommodation” measures from their employer. Employers have a legal duty to take all reasonable steps to accommodate the limitations of older workers to the point of undue hardship. This is a very high standard, which requires a great deal of adaptabil-ity and creativity from employers.

The appropriate accommodation for an older employee’s limitations will likely be different for each employee and workplace. Employers cannot simply assume that older workers are unable to perform dangerous or physi-cally demanding jobs. Employers should conduct individual ability assessments of aging workers to determine what each employee can and cannot do.

If an employee can no longer perform his/her job as usual, or if it is unsafe for them to do so, the employer must look for accommodation possibilities. A few examples of accommodation options include:

• Changing jobs or job requirements to lessen or eliminate physically demanding or dangerous duties,

• A gradual reduction of duties over time,

• Part-time or fl exible work schedules,• Retraining employees; and• Increasing the older worker’s role

in training, coaching and passing on knowledge to the younger members of the work force.

So what should employers do? Employers who have concerns about the abilities of an aging worker should fi rst clearly establish what the employee’s abilities and limitations are through clear, open discussions and individual assessments. Then, they must work with that employee to fi nd accommodation solutions which address the employer’s safety or other concerns while also respecting the rights and dignity of the older worker.

Excerpted from: BCAC Council Capsule, February 2008.

GardenWise Healthy Garden GuideFormerly the GardenWise Directory, the GardenWise Healthy Garden Guide has taken on a new focus. This revised and rejuvenated publication is BCLNA’s primary tool in building our industry’s image of caring for the environment. It is our direct access to the gardening public, and features 32 pages of eco-friendly gardening options and tips for building and maintaining healthy, environmentally-friendly yards.

You can help deliver the green message by giving away FREE copies to your customers. BCLNA will provide the magazine at no charge; we simply ask that you cover the shipping costs. Stock up now for your early spring customers!

Use the order form in this issue’s Extras, or contact Ina at the BCLNA offi ce to make an order: [email protected] or (604) 574-7772.

Baseline Awareness EstablishedThroughout the summer of 2007, Norene Kimberley of NK Marketing & Communications conducted a study to assess public and industry awareness on a number of topics including BC’s garden image, this province’s Commu-nities in Bloom program, our nursery and landscape industry in general, and the BCLNA. The objective of this study was to establish a baseline of awareness on such topics so that changed opinion and perception could be monitored through future research.

The research provided great insight. Here are just a few snippets:

While residents see BC as having a “garden image,” it is not felt that the province is known for it beyond its own border, despite worldwide distinction of Butchart Gardens and Minter Gardens. There is, however, an appetite on the part of industry to get involved in building BC’s garden image and imparting the knowledge that goes with it.

There is a wide lack of understanding and awareness on the part of the public as to


5

BCLNA News Bulletins

what BC CiB is and what it stands for. Once explained, there is a great deal of enthusiasm for the concept, getting one’s own community involved, and for volunteering.

Awareness of the BCLNA is low, with many thinking that the association is a clearing-house for all things gardening-related, except selling plants and operating nurseries.

The public expressed a strong ‘support BC’ sentiment and enthusiasm and pride for BC’s position in North America and the world. It was also assumed that if a plant is sold in BC it was also grown in BC.

NK Marketing & Communications has proposed a number of strategies for generating a stronger public per-ception of BC’s green industry; these are under review, and further efforts will be address ed by additional funding proposals.

The complete Understanding & Awareness: Establishing a Baseline report is located on www.bclna.com (click on “Publications”).

The BCLNA would like to sincerely thank Investment Agriculture Founda-tion of BC and the BCLNA’s Industry Development Council for funding this project.

Volunteers Needed for Outdoor ShowBCLNA works to promote the association and its members to the gardening public at a number of spring home and garden shows throughout the province. Industry volunteers with a positive attitude and willingness to share their garden and landscape related knowledge are needed. To volunteer to work a shift or two at the upcoming Chilliwack Outdoor Show March 28 – 30, or to inquire about other volunteer oppor-tunities, contact Amanda Godin; [email protected].


6

Business Essentials: Learning Opportunities for Retailers & Beyond

Excitement Builds for IGCA Congress When BC’s retailers host the International Garden Centre Association Congress this September, they will be welcoming a garden retailing community unlike any other. This year marks, not only the 50th Congress, but also the inaugural event for Russian garden centre professionals who formally joined the IGCA at this winter’s secretariat meeting in the United Kingdom. The Russian contingent will help to round out an eastern perspective to the IGCA, which added Poland and Japan to its roster just two years ago.

New IGCA members are very good news for Canada’s organizing committee, which hopes to draw as many as 300 participants to Vancouver this fall for the million-dollar-budget event. The group has been actively promoting Congress on an inter-national scale through email news bulletins and personal connections with national associations, but especially through U.S. events to increase participation of Amer-ican delegates. Of note was a valuable sales pitch provided by Lisa Minter-Bustin of Minter Country Gardens with added support from Corey Bordine (Bordine Nursery, Michigan) and the American Nursery Landscape Associ ation. The pair

teamed up to promote IGCA Congress 2008 at the recent Management Clinic, and received a strong response.

Says Congress coordinator, Renata Triveri, “We are nearly a third of the way to meeting our 300-person goal. The registra-tions have been trickling in slowly since we announced the event in South Africa, but previous organizers have reported a large infl ux of delegates right before the May 1 early booking deadline arrives.” She adds that committee members have gone out of their way to convince their colleagues from outside this province to get involved.

The event is expected to provide local retailers with an unparalleled opportunity to network with garden centre profession-als from around the world as they tour BC’s leading retailers. There are numerous ways suppliers can also get involved through sponsorship donations. For more information on IGCA Congress 2008, visit the website at www.igcaCongress.com, or contact Renata Triveri; [email protected] or (604) 523-0235.

Clinic Writes Rx for Business InspirationMichelle Pain, Canada Nurseryland

I recently had the privilege of attending the ANLA Management Clinic in Louisville, Kentucky. The Clinic is now in it’s 36th year, with more than a thousand

people attending in 2008. Not only was the clinic an American culture

shock (this years’ theme was home-coming), it was also overwhelming

to see the level of enthusiasm for the Green Industry on such a scale.

A jam packed three days (fi ve if you attend the Garden Center University

or Land scape Management Program) were fi lled with keynote speakers, sessions on nine different topics, networking events, new plant intros and more. It was an exhausting affair starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp, with something scheduled every hour until midnight. Speakers addressed money, teams, trends, personal growth, sales and service, our companies, and hometown heroes. In an amazing feat of organization, all this was offered through more than 60 seminar options.

With scheduled time for networking, which included a commodity focused ‘swap shop’ you could not help but meet people from all sides of the green industry. I now know what challenges garden centers on the Atlantic coast are facing, and what was the driving force behind the success of a landscape fi rm in Chicago. I heard grower solutions for times of great drought in the southeast US, and learned about why certain websites work better than others, even if they don’t look like they should. I brought home many great ideas and an overall rejuvenation of spirit—necessary inspiration for all of us facing spring.

Taking away a handful of good ideas is priceless. Taking away new ways of thinking is invaluable to my business and personal growth. I accomplished both in my experience at Clinic. What resonates most with me, aside from the great programming, is the level of energy that existed amongst the attendees. There was a buzz of idea-sharing that surpasses even what I’ve witnessed here in BC. This is a lesson we can learn from our southern neighbours.

Then there is the experience of an evening at Muggets, which you’ll have to see for yourself...

Ed: ANLA’s Management Clinic is famous for its intensive learning experience, but BCLNA members can find great value locally produced programs as well. Get involved! Join IGCA Congress 2008, or participate in upcoming seminars. For info, visit www.bclna.com.


7

Help Host the World! Help Host the World! Suppliers: show your industry pride and capitalize on a unique marketing opportunity by becoming an IGCA sponsor!

• Help a host retailer with merchandising

• Sponsor a special event• Showcase your product in a

Congress Guidebook ad

To learn more about IGCA Congress or its sponsorship potential, visit www.igcaCongress.com or contact Renata Triveri: telephone (604) 523-0235 or email [email protected].

Dry Stone Walling WorkshopTwo 2-day courses!March 11 & 12 and March 13 & 14Northwest Landscape SupplyBurnaby, BCwww.bclna.com

Allan Block Level 1 CourseMarch 18 & 25Kwantlen University CollegeLangely, BCEmail: [email protected]

Landscape Drip Irrigation WorkshopMarch 26Capilano CollegeNorth Vancouver, BCwww.bclna.com/03-26-08_LandDripDesign.pdf

Chilliwack Outdoor Décor ShowMarch 28 – 30Chilliwack Heritage ParkChilliwack, BCwww.outdoordecorshow.com

Kamloops Home & Garden ShowApril 18 – 20McArthur Sports CentreKamloops, BC

BCSLA Convention & Trade ShowMay 2 – 3Plaza 500 Hotel & Convention CentreVancouver, BCwww.bcsla.org

Burnaby Rhododendron FestivalMay 4Shadbolt Centre for the ArtsBurnaby, BCwww.brags.ca

Out of Provinwce EventsCanada BloomsMarch 12 – 16Metro Toronto Convention CentreToronto, ONwww.canadablooms.com

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

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Business Essentials: Learning Opportunities for Retailers & Beyond

8

How’s Your Leadership?Do your employees know your goals for this year? Do you know theirs? How consistent is your behaviour from day to day? How consistent is your staff’s per formance? When it’s not consistent, do you discuss it with them? Have you surrounded yourself with people that are willing to take owner-ship of their site or department? Do you empower them to do so, or do you spend your day ‘putting out fi res’ instead of focusing on the big picture?

These are some of the questions members explored at JP Horizons Leadership Summit in January. Atlanta-based presen ters Jim Paluch and Bob Coulter gave the group dozens of useful tools to help bring greater balance and productivity to their personal and professional lives.

Cable Baker, RCB Garden Service reflected, “I am so glad I took this entire, uninterrupted day to sit and analyze my business. I have since made some very positive changes to my personnel business policy and am deter-mined to start putting more energy into working ‘on’ the business and less ‘in’ the business.

Sharon Horbal from Numa Farms Nursery says she is encouraged by big results from a few small changes made such a short time ago; “Some of the principles are common sense items that need to be remembered, then focused and acted on. Others are powerful tools to achieving our goals. I’m glad I attended the class.”

You may regret having missed this seminar but there’s good news. JP Horizons has an electronic newsletter and you can subscribe at www.jphorizons.com. Every Friday, you will learn inspiring and practical green industry strategies that will help you bring greater profi ts and pleasure to your business. ■

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February 18, 2008 Board Meeting

Final ApprovalThe BCLNA welcomes the following new members:

City of Abbotsford Frank Baksics, Mission, IndividualCity of Victoria – Parks Department Gord Smith, Victoria, IndividualEcoworks Ron VanWyk, Abbotsford, Active LandscaperDirtworks Landscape Development Ltd. Darryl Jmaeff, Kaleden, Active LandscaperLawn Enforcement Chris Lee, Vancouver, Active LandscaperO’Grady’s Garden & Landscape Services Ltd. Lindsay O’Grady, North Vancouver, Active LandscaperPristine Landscaping Neil Surkan, Vancouver, Active Landscaper (Interim)Ridpest Service Ltd. Arthur Guite, Langley, AssociateSchool District #41 Karen Flynn, Burnaby, IndividualSticks ‘N Stones Nursery Paul Skuse, Campbell River, Active RetailerJackie Hiebert, Victoria, StudentBarry Lynka, Cobble Hill, Student

Tentative ApprovalThe following companies will become BCLNA members at the next board meeting unless a member provides a valid reason for not accepting the application:

Carla Atherton, Smithers, IndividualHorta-Craft Limited Brian Lofgren & Shirley Skagen, Strathroy, Out of ProvinceKoning & Sons Landscaping Ltd. John Koning & Jack Koning, Surrey, Active LandscaperMary Mitchell Delta, Active Landscaper (Interim)Murphy’s Topsoil Len & Wendy Murphy, Langley, AssociateOvertime Commercial Landscaping Keith Savage, Surrey, Active LandscaperPond Doctor, Water Garden Specialists Stuart Bronson, Surrey, Active LandscaperSea Island Landscape and Lawn Stephanie Crawford, Richmond, Active LandscaperToth Landscaping Stefan Toth, Langley, Active LandscaperWest Kootenay Plants Eva Johansson & Kjeld Jensen, Winlaw, Active GrowerEmily Balzer, Heriot Bay, StudentLorill Ireland, Nanaimo, StudentDiane Johnson, Langley, StudentJenn Keir, Nanaimo, StudentKiersten Stewart, Nanaimo, StudentRoger Wood, New Westminster, Student

NewBCLNA MembersAnalysing Time WastersHave you ever asked your staff to stand back and critically analyze the way their crew executes their tasks? How many minutes a day are wasted through ineffi cient move-ment or coordination? Don’t tell them—have them tell you! And what about having them inspect their own work? Do you think they would be harder on themselves than you could ever be?

Jim Paluch describes seven types of waste:

1. Overproduction: too many people on the job, giving more quality than needed, doing work that is not necessary.

2. Waiting: people standing around because of lack of information, preparedness of supervisor, unor-ganized or unclear instructions.

3. Transport: Unnecessary movement of materials, products, service or equipment.

4. Extra Processing: Reworking because of lack of information, materials or equipment.

5. Inventory: Too much material delivered to a site, wasted products on shelves, poor order ing habits, wasted materials or resources.

6. Motion: Unnecessary steps taken by employees or equipment because of poor planning, commu-nication or processes.

7. Defects: Machine breakdowns, poor quality materials, poor quality service, leading to service calls and lost business.

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LandscapeLink LaunchedBCLNA has launched a new listserve for its landscape members. LandscapeLink will allow staff to easily direct public requests for landscape services to the membership, and landscapers throughout the province can seek and share industry information.

Says Landscape Chair, Barbra Fairclough “We will be hard pressed to fi nd a more effi cient, inexpensive way of networking. Regardless of where you are located or what your company needs are, you are connected instantly. It’s members support-ing members.”

Members are encouraged to send homeowners to www.bclna.com, where they can post requests for landscape services. All BCLNA landscape members are automatically subscribed and may post questions to the whole group by sending an email to [email protected]; other members are welcome to subscribe by contacting Krista Manton.

For more information on LandscapeLink contact Krista Manton; [email protected] or (604) 574-7772.

Changes to Retail Certifi cationIn view of a rapidly changing retail environment, national Certifi cation meet-ings held last month addressed the status of the current retail certifi cation (CHT) program.

The most recent occupational analysis was completed in 1995, and over the past decade, garden centres have become more sophisticated and less dependent on some of the skills that the CHT program was designed to test.

As a result, CNLA’s Garden Centres Canada group will be conducting an in-depth review of the program, and will determine

its long-range future. The group plans to poll delegates of September’s IGCA Congress to gain perspective on similar programs in use elsewhere in the world. Should the committee decide to continue the CHT program for retail employees, or to develop a program that will certify the retail company itself, it will seek fund ing for the completion of a new occupational analysis.

In the short term, provincial associations may elect to deliver the test if there is suffi cient interest; the test will stand as-is, with the exception of the forklift module, which has been dropped due to provincial licensing requirements. Retailers are nevertheless encouraged to pick up a copy of the newly revised Retail Certifi cation textbook, which is a valuable in-house training tool for retail staff. To obtain a copy, contact Krista Manton at BCLNA; [email protected] or (604) 574-7772. ■

Landscape & Retail News

Gas Safety: Make it a PriorityWinter is almost over and your thoughts have probably shifted to new landscape installations, deck building, or upgrading your clients’ natural gas barbecues. Remember, it’s your responsibility to know where the natural gas lines are located.

Planning ahead by making a call to BC One Call at 1-800-474-6886 will save you time and money. If you mistakenly damage a gas pipe or wrapping, stop all work immediately and call Terasen Gas at 1-800-663-9911.

Air quality inside the homeRemember to give your appliances some well-deserved TLC. Regular appliance maintenance keeps your appliances working reliably, and helps avoid costly failures before they happen.

To operate safely, fuel-burning appliances need to be properly vented, and they need enough air for combustion. When gas appliances don’t work properly, carbon monoxide (CO) can result. With inadequate ventilation, fumes can build up quickly in enclosed areas. Symptoms of CO exposure include: chronic headaches, nausea, drowsiness, impaired judgment, loss of coordination, and sometimes, an unidentifi ed chronic odor inside your home or condensation on cool surfaces.

If you suspect the presence of carbon monoxide in your home, go outside immediately, seek medical attention, and call a licensed gas contractor to inspect your appliances or contact Terasen Gas.

Avoid CO with these simple safety tips:• Always choose a BC Safety Authority

licensed gas contractor that employs

certifi ed gas fi tters. They have the necessary experience to properly install, inspect and service your natural gas appliances. Remember to ask them to check chimney vents regularly to make sure that they are not disconnected, blocked or corroded.

• Always keep furnace-fan compartment doors and/or the fi lter access panel in place.

• Check that outside air ducts are clear. • Remove vehicles from the garage

immediately after starting the engine. • Be sure that all vent hoods and pipes

from fuel-burning equipment are in place and secure.

• Ensure all gas appliance venting meets manufacturer and municipal codes.

• Never operate a barbecue, camp stove or lantern in an enclosed space.

• Buy equipment that bears the seal of an approved certifi cation agency such as the Canadian Gas Association or the Canadian Standards Association.

• Keep the area around your furnace clear for proper air circulation.

Safety Check sponsored byIan Turnbull, Damage Prevention & Emergency Services Manager


12

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3666 - 224th Street, Langley, BC V2Z 2G7 Canada

Tel: 604-533-8281Fax: 604-533-8246

1-888-327-7705email: [email protected]

LINNAEANURSERIES LTD.


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RRichard Gerald Sterkenburg passed away in Chilliwack at the age of 44 years. He is survived by his loving wife Lena of 23 years; children: Phillip (fi ance Leanne), Charlene (best friend Larry), Kevin, Arnold, Derek, Jeremy, and Marissa; parents Mr. & Mrs. Theo Sterkenburg; father and mother-in-law; brothers: John (Jane) Sterkenburg, Ron (Monique) Sterkenburg; sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews. Rick was predeceased by his grandparents, uncle Adrian Sterkenburg, and cousin Heidi in the Netherlands.

Rick grew up in Chilliwack, BC. He graduated from Timothy Christian School. He was a BCLNA member, landscaper by trade, and owned and operated Green Valley Nursery until last year. Rick served on the Timothy Christian School Board for many years, the Trinitarian Bible Society Board, and also was a Board Member of the Jeduthan Male Choir.

Both a visitation and funeral service were held in late January at the Bethel Church of the Netherlands. Memorial donations may be made to Timothy Christian School, 50420 Castleman Road, Chilliwack, BC, or the BC Cancer Foundation.

Richard Gerald Sterkenburg

February 18, 1963 – January 21, 2008

In Memoriam Congrats to New CLP, CHTsBCLNA is pleased to congratulate the first four newly certified individuals of 2008:

Certified Landscape Professional (CLP) Kevin O’Higgins, CHT CLP, Southcoast Horticultural Services

Certified Horticultural Technician – Maintenance Duncan Alexander, CHT, Meridian Landscaping • Gllena Deane, CHT, City of Surrey

Christine Mori, CHT, Christine Mori Landscaping

The next CLD, CLP and CHT exams will be held in Langley on July 11 and 12.


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New Hemlock Woolly Adelgid DirectiveHemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) (Adelges tsugae) is an exotic pest, fi rst detected in BC in 1919. Damage to native hemlocks in BC is usually minor, which may be due to some resistance to the pest. Since its introduction to the eastern US, however, the adelgid has steadily spread, killing swaths of hemlock. Natural dispersal of HWA typically occurs via wind and animals; infested nursery stock poses a signifi cant risk of long distance dispersal.

Effective May 1, the domestic movement and importation of Tsuga species, Picea jezoensis and P. polita, will be regulated in BC and 21 US states including California, Oregon and Washington. The regulation will restrict movement of propagative and non-propagative (e.g. Christmas trees, forest products, etc.) commodities. Growers should be aware of the follow-ing requirements:

Import RequirementsRegardless of shipment from a regulated or non-regulated area, an Import Permit and a Phytosanitary Certifi cate will be required to import regulated stock from the US. Shipments of regulated materials are subject to inspection and/or sampling. There will be no additional requirements to import propagative material to BC from any other province. A movement certifi cate is not required.

Export RequirementsThis regulation will not apply to export sales to the US. Be aware that Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Vermont do regulate the importation of hemlocks for this pest.

Shipments of propagative material from BC to other provinces will require a Movement Certifi cate, which CFIA will issue if:a) The plant material is grown in a pest

free area based on offi cial surveys; or,b) The plant material is grown in nursery

blocks registered under the HWA Nursery Program. Growers must annually apply to their regional CFIA offi ce to be on the Nursery Program. Growers should register ASAP if they plan to ship regu lated plants after May 1, 2008.

Growers on the HWA Nursery Program must:• have an understanding of the requirements

of the HWA directive,

• train staff working on identifying HWA, and reporting suspect detections to the registered grower, etc.

• maintain pest monitoring and pesticide application records,

• treat plant material prior to shipment with an appropriate pesticide, and

• maintain shipping records, list of suppliers, and other documents concern-ing the regulated material for two years from the date of receipt.

Shipments not meeting the import or domestic movement requirements will be refused entry, returned to origin or destroyed at the importer’s expense.

The complete directive is available on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website; go to www.inspection.gc.ca and search for directive D-07-05. ■

Grower Notes

Retailers • Growers • Landscapers Brokers • Architects

Are you buying from P. ramorum certified nurseries?

Do your part to minimize the spread of this disease, and protect your company

and your clients’ landscapes.

For a list of certified nurseries, go to www.CanadaNursery.com and

click on Nursery Programs.


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Research SnippetsPre-emergence Liverwort Control in Nursery Containers (HortTechnology 17(4):496-500) – The report summarized 7 trials that were conducted in either Auburn, AL, or Aurora, OR. Twelve herbicides were evaluated that included 7 combination products. Of the products trialed, only oxadiazon (Ronstar) is current-ly registered for use on container stock in Canada, but registration of fl umioxazin (BroadStar) is expected this spring. All of the products provided effective control (>80% control) 6 weeks after treatment. Flumioxazin and oxadiazon were most effective in the Alabama trials, but were among the least effective in Oregon. In Oregon, oxyfl uorfen + oryzalin (Rout 3%) was most effective, providing 87% control 17 weeks after application. In contrast, fl umioxazin and oxadiazon provided 40% and 12% control, respectively. It was sugges ted the discrepancy in effi cacy may be explained by differences in the liverwort populations at the two locations. Quinocla-mine (Gentry) also provided pre-emergence control, but control began to decline by 12 weeks after treatment and was completely lost by 18 weeks. Efforts continue to register quinoclamine in Canada.

Factors Infl uencing Consumers’ Selection of a Landscaping Service Provider (Hort Technology 18(1):148-153) – A mail-out survey was conducted to determine the factors that infl uence a consumer’s selection process when purchasing land-scape services. The survey was sent to 5,000 households in the metro-Philadelphia area in December 2005. The response rate was 10%. The respon dents used a “Referral from friend or family” most

often to develop a list of contractor

names. Other

resources used

included “Reputation”

and the “Yellow Pages.TM”

The “Internet,” “Company logo,” “TV or radio,” “Telephone” and “Direct mail” were used least often to identify potential con-tractors. The most important factor used to evaluate and select a landscape provider was “Quality of work,” followed by “Cost” and “Types of services provided.” The

authors suggest landscapers need to fi nd ways to communicate the level of quality of work to clients by promoting awards won or providing examples of com-pleted projects. The survey results will help landscape providers to formulate business and marketing plans. ■

BCMAL Report

Sanitize with certaintySanitization can be very costly if not done effectively.

• Iotron takes sanitization to a new level, offeringNursery Growers unparalleled results.

• Iotron utilizes irradiation technology to eliminatePathogens, fungi and molds on pots, trays, andstyroblocks.

• Iotron's sanitization method fully penetrates materialslike an X-ray, effectively sterilizing the material.

Field trials have proven that the sanitization level of pots prior to planting can affect plant yields.

Money does grow on trees!Be confident that your pots, trays or styroblocks are

the cleanest they can be from the start. A diseasefree environment creates disease free plants.

Benefits• Re-use old pots, trays & styroblock• Increase plant yields• Reduce maintenance on plants• Environmentally friendly process• No more need for harsh chemicals, steam or hot water

If your sanitization method leaves you uncertain, then it's definitely time to make a change.

For more information please contact Iotron Technologies Corp. 1425 Kebet Way, Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6L3

Ph. (604)945-8838 Fax. (604)945-8827Website www.Iotron.com Email: [email protected]

Sanitize with certaintySanitization can be very costly if not done effectively.

• Iotron takes sanitization to a new level, offeringNursery Growers unparalleled results.

• Iotron utilizes irradiation technology to eliminatePathogens, fungi and molds on pots, trays, andstyroblocks.

• Iotron's sanitization method fully penetrates materialslike an X-ray, effectively sterilizing the material.

Field trials have proven that the sanitization level of pots prior to planting can affect plant yields.

Money does grow on trees!Be confident that your pots, trays or styroblocks are

the cleanest they can be from the start. A diseasefree environment creates disease free plants.

Benefits• Re-use old pots, trays & styroblock• Increase plant yields• Reduce maintenance on plants• Environmentally friendly process• No more need for harsh chemicals, steam or hot water

If your sanitization method leaves you uncertain, then it's definitely time to make a change.

For more information please contact Iotron Technologies Corp. 1425 Kebet Way, Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6L3

Ph. (604)945-8838 Fax. (604)945-8827Website www.Iotron.com Email: [email protected]


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