The Growing Concern March 2022 by Sandy Munley

Growing Concern

The

MAR C H 2 0 2 2

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E O H I O L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

Women in Landscape Meet-Up

March 24, 2022 / Old River Tap & Social (Rocky River, Ohio) / PAGE 26

OLA Special Event

April 7, 2022 / Grange Insurance Audubon Center (Columbus, Ohio) / PAGE 7

Spring Training

April 12, 2022 / Secrest Arboretum (Wooster, Ohio) / PAGE 17

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PR ES I DEN T’S COLUM N

BRIAN MAURER, LIC Brian-Kyles

BE CREATIVE WHEN RECRUITING Let’s face it; finding good help has always been one of, if not the, most challenging aspects of running a successful landscaping business. The pandemic only seems to have intensified this challenge. Post-pandemic (or mid, depending on how you look at it), with so much more seemingly going on in our world, finding help has become even more time-consuming. And, while I speak about it from the perspective of a landscape business owner, it’s not only our industry that’s been affected. It’s every industry out there. Don’t believe me? Try ordering new equipment, clothes, shoes, PPE, or vehicles and let me know how that goes for you. The truth is, it took a pandemic to magnify the labor situation in our country, to the point that many small businesses have had to close their doors. For others though, it’s provided them an opportunity to thrive. It’s all so very confusing.

Recruiting labor has always been a struggle for trade-related occupations, but possibly no more so than in the professional landscape industry. Hard work, relentless hours and no guarantee for steady pay – let alone the lack of consistent hours, year-round – continue to plague this industry. Our solution to this situation was the H2b program; a solution that when it worked, worked well. Unfortunately, as the demand has grown, so have the problems associated with the program. And, as those problems have grown, a once perfect solution has become imperfect. So, now what? To begin, we need to quit dwelling on an already known problem and start searching for a solution. After all, that is who we are, right; providers of solutions. This, in part, is why the OLA has focused so much of its 2022 programming on employee retention, acquisition and ways to help soften the blow of a shrinking workforce. continued on page 6 The Growing Concern | March 2022 | 3

TAB LE OF CON TEN TS M A R C H 2 0 2 2 WWW. OH I OLA N D SCA P E R S. OR G OH I O’ S P R OF E SSI ON A L G REEN I N D U ST R Y A SSOCI AT I O N OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION 9240 Broadview Road Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147 Phone: 440.717.0002 Toll Free: 1.800.335.6521 Web: www.ohiolandscapers.org and www.myohiolandscape.com DESIGNER / EDITOR Rick Doll, Jr. REGULAR WRITERS Michael J. Donnellan, King Financial, Inc. Dr. Jim Funai, PhD., Cuyahoga Community College Shelley Funai, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Brian Maurer, LIC, BrianKyles Sandy Munley, Ohio Landscape Association Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, Bobbie’s Green Thumb COVER: Landscape Ohio! merit award winner, BrianKyles, for their entry in Residential Installation.

FEATURES

3 8 12 18 22 28 34 35 35

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Be Creative When Recruiting

PERENNIAL FOCUS

Perennials with Long Bloom

FISCAL FITNESS

Roth IRA Conversions

FOR SAFETY SAKE

Safety Culture: Leading by Example

PLANT OF THE MONTH

Great Western Plant Explorers: Jean-Paul Bignon

FEATURE ARTICLE

2022 Landscaping Business Trends

DIRECTIONS NEW MEMBERS ADVERTISING INDEX

4 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Submission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to the month of publication. For advertising rates and ad specs, please call 440.717.0002, 1.800.335.6521, or email Rick Doll Jr. at rick@ohiolandscapers.org. DISCLAIMER The Ohio Landscape Association, its board of directors, staff and the editor of The Growing Concern neither endorse any product(s) or attests to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Similarly, the opinions expressed in The Growing Concern are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ohio Landscape Association. OFFICERS President Brian Maurer, LIC

OLA STAFF Executive Director Sandy Munley

President – Elect Stephanie Gray, LIC

Communications & Events Manager Rick Doll, Jr.

Treasurer Cameron Maneri Immediate Past President James Funai, PhD DIRECTORS Brandon Barker Ryan Drake Tina Graver Rob Morel Jeff Rupp, LIC Kate Stone, OCNT

C AL ENDAR OF EVEN TS UPCO M I N G OLA MEETINGS , EDUC AT I ON SE MI N A R S, A N D OT H E R G R E E N I N D UST R Y EV ENT S

MARCH

APRIL

JUNE cont.

MARCH 3, 2022 OLA MEETING

APRIL 12. 2020 SPRING TRAINING CLINIC

JUNE 16, 2022 25th ANNUAL AWARDS GALA

Denise Kestner / The Ohio State Univ. Denise Kestner, Adjunct Professor at OSU, will discuss how your HR provider, or department can operate as an employee retention tool, so that you don’t have to worry about losing your company’s top talent.

Safety is the key to running a successful company. This class features sessions on proper equipment utilization & operation, basic first aid, safe hauling and loading procedures, and more. Take this opportunity to get your crews ready for the 2022 season! See page 17.

MARCH 9 & 10, 2022 FOREMAN TRAINING CLINIC

MAY

Join Ohio’s landscape community for an evening out as we reveal the 2021 Landscape Ohio! Award winners. This is a great opportunity for those of you who have been contemplating entering, or for those of you just looking to spend an elegant night out with industry leaders as we celebrate our industry! See page 16.

Foremen work side by side with employees while having to direct and motivate them. They will learn how to effectively manage their team, handle tight deadlines, all while increasing customer satisfaction. Held at Indiana Wesleyan University in Independence, Ohio on March 9th & the Wolf Creek Company in Columbus, Ohio on March 10th. These events are sponsored by Wolf Creek Company.

MAY 12. 2020 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS MEET-UP

ALSO COMING IN 2022

The OLA’s Young Professionals in Landscape Group is being created to provide a platform to connect, share experiences, and exchange ideas with peers in our industry. If you are under 40 years old, you are invited to join. See page 27.

JULY 2022 - YOUNG PROFESSIONALS MEET-UP - PLANT I.D. CLINICS

MARCH 24, 2022 WOMEN IN LANDSCAPE MEET-UP

JUNE 7, 2022 WOMEN IN LANDSCAPE MEET-UP

OLA’s Women in Landscaping Group is being created for the purposes of connecting, empowering, and advocating for women in the landscape industry, while amplifying the voices of our current & future women leaders. See page 26.

JUNE

AUGUST 2022 - OLA GOLF SCHOLARSHIP CLASSIC SEPTEMBER 2022 - SNOW & ICE MANAGEMENT CLINIC - FACILITY TOUR (NE OHIO) OCTOBER 2022 - FACILITY TOUR (CENTRAL OHIO) - PLANT HEALTHCARE CLINIC NOVEMBER 2022 - ANNUAL MEETING - PLANT HEALTHCARE CLINIC

OLA SPECIAL EVENT (CENTRAL OHIO)

APRIL 7, 2022 Joshua Gámez, CEO of East Coast Facilities, Inc., leads one of the market’s most dynamic facility maintenance firms in the US, an organization that serves Fortune 500 clients in multiple states. As such, Joshua is a champion of blue-collar workers, offers living wages, health care, and retirement benefits to his employees, which directly lead to sustainability and excellence within his company. Joshua will be speaking at our upcoming Central Ohio Special Event covering the topics of the Secrets to Operations Success and The Recruiting Game. As a means to continue growing membership in the Central Ohio market, current members are encouraged to invite non-members, for free, using the code 2022OLAGUEST during registration. See page 7 for more information. The Growing Concern | March 2022 | 5

PR ES I DEN T’S COLUM N continued from page 3 Northeast ohio’s Most CoMplete seed house For over 80 Years

For those of you who were unable to attend this past February, The Electric Sheep Company presented on autonomous mowers and how they can influence our industry. This month, Denise Kestner, Vice President of Human Resources for CollisionRight, will be discussing how your company can effectively use its HR department and/or provider to help retain top talent. Finally, in April, Joshua Gámez, CEO of East Coast Facilities, Inc., will discuss his Secrets to Operations Success and how he has mastered The Recruiting Game. (Take a moment to read the description on the adjacent page and tell me why you wouldn’t attend?) Getting back to what our companies can start/continue doing in order to address the current labor situation, I think while we can all agree that we have to make the adjustments that best suit our individual companies, some of these changes are, or should be taking place industry-wide. For example, if you have not raised your labor rates over the past 48 months, you are in the minority – for sure. While the amounts seem to differ quite a bit, anyone is sure to attest that this has been the largest increase in a 48 month period that any of us have seen in our lifetime. Surely, this seems like a great way to entice new members to join our teams, right? So, where is everyone? With such an increase, you would think people would be lined up out the doors waiting for work, right? Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be as easy as it sounds, as everyone has the ability to charge more so that they can pay more. In unchartered times, such as this, we have to be a bit more creative. We have to be different. We have to be pioneers! This is not the hiring process from three years ago, where you went to Indeed, posted an advertisement, and gained four to five people in your next onboarding class, knowing full-well that the odds were that maybe one would be left by the end of the season. (Note: This surely wasn’t optimal, but if done on a consistent basis, at least it kept your growth plan in place.) Some of the “fresher” ideas I have heard include suggestions, such as; providing every employee with a health & wellness package that covers their cost for health care, entirely; offering free uniforms (a service which was previously taken out of their payroll on an annual basis); providing employees

6 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

quality lawn seed mixes turf/ornamental fertilizers erosion control products forage/wildlife seed mixes hydroseeding products custom seed mixes wildflower seed mixes

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VISIT WWW.OLIGERSEED.COM access to a retirement plan, or allowing employees the use of a company vehicle. These are all great ideas, even to me – as a business owner – yet I’m sure there are many more out there! In the end, sweetening the pot is going to be the new “cost of doing business.” Moving forward, I challenge you to look at it from, perhaps, a new perspective. In theory, the world just reset itself and many of us found that success can be short lived. Many of those who may have been living “high on the hog” got the same jolt as those of us who had already been struggling, and with this reset in the world economy, so came an evening of the playing field. That said, there is a bright future with many opportunities being created for those who wish to seek it. In closing, I think most of us would agree that how we ran our business two years ago is far different from how we must run it today. And, as we navigate through this uncertainty, one thing IS certain: Those of us who have a plan have a much greater chance at success than those of us who don’t. So, what is your plan for the upcoming spring rush? What are you going to do differently? If you don’t have an answer to either of these now, it’s surely time to reflect and come up with one.

F EATUR E

Secrets to Operations Success & The Recruiting Game

DATE & LOCATION APRIL 7, 2022 GRANGE INSURANCE AUDUBON CENTER 505 W WHITTIER ST. COLUMBUS, OH 43215

In business, there is no magic bullet for success. In every recipe though, some of the main ingredients are recruiting, planning, hard work and confidence.

AGENDA REGISTRATION / NETWORKING FOOD / CASH BAR 6:00 PM TO 7:00 PM PROGRAM 7:00 PM TO 9:00 PM

Joshua Gámez has full confidence in his company, East Coast Facilities (EFC), and their business model. It is insulated from competition for one major reason: it is so difficult to copy based on the know-how that goes into recruiting, training, and staffing his operations. This know-how allows EFC to offer competitive services in their markets at competitive prices, while delivering near bullet-proof services to their clients. In the end, EFC wins 90% of the jobs they estimate. Game over! Join us, Thursday April 7, 2022, as Joshua Gámez (CEO of East Coast Facilities & prominent industry expert) discusses his Secrets to Operations Success and how he has mastered The Recruiting Game.

COST TO ATTEND MEMBERS: NO CHARGE NON MEMBERS: $30 NOTE: MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO INVITE NON-MEMBERS TO ATTEND USING THE CODE 2022OLAGUEST.

SPONSORED BY

FORCENTRAL SAFETY SAK E MEETING OHIO

OLA SPECIAL EVENT

EVENT INFORMATION

AR T IC L E

GUEST SPEAKER

JOSHUA GÁMEZ / CEO OF EAST COAST FACILITIES, INC.

From very humble beginnings, Joshua Steven Gámez started his own landscape business at the age of 16. At the age of 22, he became the first franchisee of US Lawns (Valley Crest) in the state of Pennsylvania. Within two years, he exceeded $1M in sales, quickly outgrowing the US Lawns model. He knew he could do more. Thus, Joshua left US Lawns in 2014, and while honoring his non compete with US Lawns, spent the next two years building the framework for his next venture. Now CEO of East Coast Facilities, Inc., Joshua Gámez leads one of the market’s most dynamic facility maintenance firms in the US, an organization that serves Fortune 500 clients in multiple states. As such, Joshua is a champion of blue-collar workers, offers living wages, health care, and retirement benefits to his employees, which directly lead to sustainability and excellence within his company. Additionally, Joshua is viewed as an industry expert amongst his peers, having been featured in numerous magazine articles and on social media outlets, alike.

ABOUT EAST COAST FACILITIES

East Coast Facilities, Inc. was founded with a simple goal, provide specific facility maintenance services to a niche clientele base who are located in key markets. As such, they provide comprehensive facility maintenance services for their clients’ owned, or managed locations. Their self-performed services set the industry standards for quality and deliver consistent results, on-time and on-budget. The industry segments they service include, commercial, industrial, government and institutional clients. They work with asset, property and facility managers. East Coast Facilities, utilizes state-of-the-art technology, which manages their fulfillment process for projects through a fully automated system. Currently, East Coast Facilities has branch locations in Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, with further expansion on the horizon.

1.5 CEU’S

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS EVENT ARE STILL AVAILABLE. CALL 440.717.0002 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

PEREN N I AL FOCUS

BOBBIE SCHWARTZ, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb

Achillea’s ‘Saucy Seduction’ ferny foliage is an asset in any garden.

PERENNIALS WITH LONG BLOOM If you’ve been asked to design or install a colorful, low maintenance landscape, you will be looking for long blooming perennials and perennials or woody ornamentals that have colorful foliage. Hopefully, I can remind you of some old standbys while also introducing some new ones.

THE OLD STANDBYS I’m a fan of the yarrows and lately have been using Achillea ‘Sunny Seduction’ (yellow) and ‘Saucy Seduction’ (rose pink). Both of them grow two feet high on sturdy stems and have bright green ferny foliage. One of the things I like about ‘Saucy Seduction’ is that the flowers are still beautiful when they fade. I also like the Sassy Summer Series which is a bit taller at 26 to 32 inches high. All will bloom from June to September if you deadhead them periodically. Achillea require full sun and average to somewhat dry soil. In lean soil, Achillea is less likely to roam or fall over.

desirable in a commercial landscape because the mother plants frequently die from overwatering. The abundance of seedlings, however, negates this problem. The deadheads do not diminish the attractiveness of this perennial that blooms prolifically from June until frost. The species is a pinky-red and C. ruber ‘Albus’ is white. Centranthus usually grows 2 feet high in the sun but tends to flop in partial shade and too much water and thus should be considered to grow only one foot high. Unlike many perennials, Centranthus blooms as well in the shade as it does in the sun. While it prefers average to slightly dry soil, it will also grow well in slightly moist soil.

Centranthus ruber (Valerian) was commonly found in our grandmothers’ gardens and could be considered a passalong plant because it reseeds prolifically. This trait is quite

Coreopsis verticillata is probably well known to all of you but I mention it because it is a mainstay of the long blooming, low maintenance garden. There are three yellow cultivars to continued on page 10

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WE GIVE YOU THE BUTTON

easy

AVON | BROADVIEW | HILLIARD

PEREN N I AL FOCUS

Centranthus ruber, as featured at the Denver Botanic Garden in a xeriscape strip.

Coreopsis ‘Route 66’ has grown in my garden along with ‘Sienna Sunset’ and Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’ (unfortunately, not perennial).

Dicentra ‘Pink Diamonds’

The flowers of Agastache ‘Blue Boa’ are a much deeper blue than those of ‘Blue Fortune’ but not as tall.

continued from page 8 choose from: ‘Moonbeam’ for its lemon hue and twelve-inch height, ‘Zagreb’ for its sulphur hue and eighteen-inch height. ‘Route 66’ is harder to find but worth the search as it is yellow with a red center that flows onto the petals. The best of the pink versions is Permathread ‘Shades of Pink’. There are also red and orange cultivars now. They ask only for full sun and average to somewhat dry soil and will bloom in flushes from late May/ early June through September and October, particularly if you shear them back by a third at the end of each flush. One of my favorite perennials, and now more available than it used to be, is Corydalis lutea, the Yellow Bleeding Heart. The scalloped, delicate, green foliage, that is similar but smaller than the foliage of Dwarf Columbine, sets off the bright yellow blossoms. This perennial is incredibly versatile. It will bloom well in shade or sun and in moist to dry soil. If it is grown in sun, it must be moist. It will reseed copiously under virtually all circumstances and you will be delighted that it does. You can never have too much of it. Let it weave between other perennials and groundcovers. Only 12 inches high, it provides a lovely foliage texture as well as color from the middle of May until frost. Like the perennials mentioned above, Corydalis is never browsed by deer or rabbits.

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Dicentra eximia and formosa, the Everblooming Bleeding Hearts, have foliage and blossoms very similar in appearance to Corydalis lutea but, in this instance, the blossoms are pink or red or white depending on the cultivar. Many of the newer cultivars have bluish-green foliage that is particularly attractive with the white or pale pink blossoms. Like Corydalis, Dicentra only grow 12 inches high and from the middle of May until frost. Be aware that slugs and deer are fond of the foliage. Grow most Dicentra in partial shade and soil that ranges from slightly dry to slightly moist. ‘Pink Diamonds’, a Walters introduction, specifically calls for a sunny, well-drained site. Similar but with white flowers and blue foliage are ‘Langtrees’ and ‘Aurora’ that I have grown in morning sun and fertile soil.

NEWER LONG BLOOMERS For a long time, Agastache (Hysssop) was thought of as strictly a southwestern plant, but in the past five years, several hybrids have come to market that are quite hardy to zones 4 and 5. Happily for us, these are very long bloomers. Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ has been around for quite a while and is one of the few that will grow well in somewhat fertile and moist conditions. It is also one of the tallest at 3 feet.

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Other good blues are ‘Blue Boa’ and ‘Little Adder’ but they prefer drier soil. Shorter but floriferous cultivars are the Kudos Series in shades of yellow, orange, light rose, and coral, growing only eighteen to twenty-four inches high. They look great at the front of a border. Most Agastache require well-drained, somewhat lean and dry soil and all are butterfly attractors.

of the Fashionably Early series. My Fashionably Early Crystal (white, of course) started blooming in very early June and kept reblooming into early November. I also planted some Lavender Ice but in the heat of summer it is white and didn’t become pale lavender until October when temperatures dropped. Flamingo is the other member of this series and is a lavender magenta. Supposedly these phlox grow 26 to 32 inches high but mine were only 24 inches high, perhaps because it was their first year. This series is known for its extreme mildew resistance. The perennials that I have described are only a small part of the long blooming perennials palette. Rest assured, I’ll keep discovering more to share with you.

Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, owner of Bobbie’s Green Thumb in Shaker Hts., Ohio, is a landscape designer, consultant, freelance writer, and lecturer whose specialties are perennial gardens and four season landscapes. In addition to being an Ohio Landscape Association (OLA) member, she is an active member of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) and Perennial Plant

Phlox paniculata is definitely an old standby but some of the newer cultivars bloom earlier and longer. I’ve become a big fan

Association (PPA). Bobbie is a Past President of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).

The Growing Concern | March 2022 | 11

F I SCAL FI TN ESS

MICHAEL J. DONNELLAN M3 Wealth Management

ROTH IRA CONVERSIONS We’ve been handling a lot more Roth Conversions the last couple years in the M3 Wealth Management Office. So, what are the benefits and drawbacks of Roth IRAs? With a traditional IRA, savers contribute on a pre-tax basis and pay ordinary income tax rates when they withdraw the funds in retirement. A Roth account offers similar benefits but in reverse. You pay ordinary taxes now in order to make taxfree qualified withdrawals down the road. The conventional thinking is you contribute to traditional plans when you are earning higher amounts and potentially paying lower tax rates on withdrawals in retirement. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowered income taxes practically across the board but most provisions are set to expire in 2025, meaning most taxpayers should expect to see a tax hike unless some or all provisions are extended. It looks like taxes aren’t going any lower. Congress is looking to pass some spending bills, which are probably going to be paid through higher taxes. That is another reason to consider moving assets to a Roth IRA.

While it may seem counter intuitive to accelerate income into any tax year, current lower tax rates might create an opportunity. The conversion amount is considered income for the year, so a tax professional could run scenarios to determine when a person will bump into a higher tax bracket and determine the proper amount. Another thought is to spread conversions out over several years to minimize the tax impact. Contributions are another option. For people nearing retirement who are typically in their highest earning years, Roth IRAs are attractive savings options but can be frustratingly out of reach. Not everyone can contribute to a Roth IRA. First, high income earners and people with no earned income cannot contribute. The IRS bases eligibility on Modified Adjusted Gross Income and tax filing status. Those continued on page 14

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F ISCAL FI TN ESS continued from page 12

limits are $144,000 for single and $214,000 for married and filing jointly for the 2022 tax year. But there are no income restrictions on conversions. That means you can contribute to a Traditional IRA and convert it to a Roth IRA, a strategy named “back-door” Roth conversion. In retirement, tax-free withdrawals are the major benefit, but another one is that there are no Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), which Traditional IRAs have, starting at age 72. Also, beneficiaries have ten years to withdraw their inheritance tax free. If you don’t need to tap your IRA funds during your lifetime, converting from a traditional to a Roth IRA allows your savings to grow undiminished by RMDs, potentially leaving more for your heirs, who can also benefit from tax-free withdrawals during their lifetimes. A Roth IRA conversion could be right for you if you think taxes will be a concern in retirement. Don’t convert to a Roth if you need to access the money within five years. There is a rule that states five years must have passed since the tax year of your first Roth IRA contribution before you can withdraw the earnings tax free. The primary risks associated with a Roth IRA are that future income, future investment values and future tax rates and regulations can never be known with certainty. If investments in a Roth IRA suddenly plummet in value, for example, frontend payment of taxes becomes a regrettable decision — tax was paid on money the account holder will never see. Investments chosen for these Roth IRAs should be scrutinized carefully.

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I also encourage most younger investors to take advantage of Roth IRAs, as the power of compounding over a long period of time can make a Roth IRA an attractive retirement vehicle especially when coupled with a traditional plan, such as a 401(k), 403(b), IRAs, etc. Imagine having two pots of money from where to take distributions in retirement: one taxable and the other tax-free? You could manage your tax situation more precisely depending on tax brackets at that time. Who knows where taxes will be in the future, but I’m guessing they probably aren’t going lower! Talk to your financial professionals and tax advisors, to determine your specific needs and goals.

Scenarios illustrated are hypothetical in nature, results may vary. Investing is subject to risk which may involve loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The M3 Wealth Management Office does not provide legal or tax advice. Consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation. The information herein is general and educational in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Michael J. Donnellan specializes in stock selection and retirement planning. Feel free to contact him with any questions or comments at the M3 Wealth Management office at 17601 W. 130th Street – Suite 1 in North Royalton, Ohio. Phone number (440) 652-6370 Email: donnellan@m3wealthmanagement.com Securities and advisory services offered through L.M. Kohn & Company Registered Broker/Dealer Member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB 10151 Carver Rd. Suite 100 – Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 (800) 478-0788

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LANDSCAPE OHIO! AWARDS GALA

EVENT INFO THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2022 WINDOWS ON THE RIVER 2000 SYCAMORE ST, CLEVELAND, OH 44113 AGENDA REGISTRATION/COCKTAILS 5:30PM - 6:45PM DINNER 6:45PM - 7:30PM PROGRAM 7:45PM - 10:00PM COST MEMBER: $75 PER PERSON * Includes champagne toast, dinner and awards show. CASH BAR.

LANDSCAPE ENHANCEMENT AWARDS GALA

The Landscape Ohio! Awards Program is an annual Landscape competition, created by the Ohio Landscape Association, in effort to increase awareness of quality landscaping and how it improves our environment. In conjunction with this program, the OLA hosts a prestigious Awards Gala to recognize our designers, installers, and property owners. The 2022 Gala will be held in the breathtaking Bridge View Room, at Windows on the River, in the heart of Downtown Cleveland. It is a semi-formal event inclusive of a cocktail hour, dinner buffet and awards presentation. It is also an excellent chance for industry professionals to get dressed up and celebrate the work being done by their teams and their peers. This year, the OLA is happy to announce that we will be able to offer a limited amount of tickets to those who did not enter this year’s competition. This is a great opportunity for those of you who have been contemplating entering, but want to know more about the program, or for those of you just looking to spend an elegant night out with industry leaders and get inspired.

LAST YEAR’S MAJOR EVENT SPONSORS

MEMBERS ONLY EVENT

* Members in attendance may bring a non-member guest

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

* Opportunities to sponsor this year’s event are still available and we are always happy to accept the donation of door prizes. For more information, please contact the OLA office at 440.717.0002.

ALL ROADS

2020 CATEGORY SPONSORS

Alvord’s Yard & Garden, Bedford Glens Garden Center, Belgard, Bigfoot Landscape Supply, Consumer Builders Supply Company, Davis Tree Farm & Nursery, Klyn Nurseries Inc., Kurtz Bros., Inc., Lake County Nursery, Premier Plant Solutions, Snow & Ice Management Association, Unilock Ohio Inc., Valley City Supply, Wolf Creek Company

2022 LANDSCAPE OHIO AWARDS DINNER GALA / REGISTRATION CLOSES 06/02/22 Company Contact Address City State Phone (______)

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DATE & LOCATION APRIL 12, 2022 SECREST ARBORETUM WELCOME & EDUCATION CTR. 2122 WILLIAMS RD, WOOSTER, OH 44691 AGENDA REGISTRATION / BREAKFAST 8:30AM - 9:00AM CLINIC 9:00AM - 3:45PM BREAKFAST, LUNCH & SNACK ARE INCLUDED! COST MEMBERS BEFORE 03/29/22 - $99 AFTER 03/29/22 - $129 NON MEMBERS BEFORE 03/29/22 - $129 AFTER 03/29/22 - $159

SPRING TRAINING DAY

Preparing Your Crews for 2022 As winter comes to a end, Mother Nature shifts her focus towards spring - and so must our crews! This year’s Spring Training Clinic will teach your employees industry best practices from start to finish, as well as how to be safe while performing them - all in effort to get them ready for the 2022 season! This year’s topics of discussion will include: • Stretching: Starting Your Day Off Right • Travel Safety: Pre-trip Inspections & Proper Loading/Hauling Practices • Equipment Utilization, Operation & Safety - Mower & Small Equipment - Tree & Shrub Work - Chemical Applications & Pesticides - Small Engine Equipment. • First Aid: ‘What to do in Emergency Situations’ & ‘How to Deal with Cuts, Lacerations & Heat Stroke’ • Post Trip Work: Dumping, Cleaning & Equipment Maintenance Best Practices Having a trained crew is the key to fostering a culture of safety within your company. Owners, Crew Leaders, Crew Members - anyone working in the Green Profession – are encouraged to attend!

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The Growing ConcernREGISTER | FebruaryONLINE 2020 | 17 AT OHIOLANDSCAPERS.ORG/EDUCATION

F OR SAFETY SAK E

SAFETY CULTURE: LEADING BY EXAMPLE The “do as I say, not as I do” approach is not an effective method of leading, particularly when working to improve an organization’s safety culture. In order to establish an effective safety culture, senior management must lead by example. Culture is ... Culture is the atmosphere created by shared beliefs, shared attitudes, practices and a philosophy that characterizes a group of people. An organization’s safety culture is the result of a number of these factors. In order for an organization to develop a strong safety culture, that culture must start from the top (senior management) and extend down to the least experienced employee. Every worker needs to understand that safety must be the first focus of his or her job. The final responsibility for safety is not the responsibility of the safety person, but of each employee doing the work. After all, at the end of every day, the workers are the ones safely returning home – or not.

A CONSISTENT, VISIBLE DUTY Senior management’s participation in health and safety programs must be a consistent and visible duty. For example, leaders should attend or participate in weekly safety meetings and speak to the newly hired employees at the safety orientation. This clearly demonstrates the commitment from upper management from day one. Training managers, supervisory staff, key employees and the safety and health committee (if established) also is a good baseline for an effective culture. This training should include team building, hazard recognition, communication, mentoring and safety and health training, along with continued on page 20

18 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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FOR SAFETY SAKE

continued from page 18 the development of a comprehensive safety program and guidelines that will be enforced by senior management. These elements will provide the group with a good foundation. Safety training is a continuous process and working safely must be a condition of each worker’s employment status. Training should include, but not be limited to, the use and care of personal protective equipment (PPE), working in at-risk positions, the proper use of tools and equipment, company safety procedures and proper housekeeping. Statistics have shown that the aforementioned areas, if improperly executed, often result in the leading causes of many construction incidents.

EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFETY No one plans to have an accident. No worker leaves home in the morning thinking, “I’m going to hurt myself or somebody else today.” However, incidents do happen and there is always a reason. Workplace injuries might be attributed to complacency, job pressures (production, deadlines and long work hours), family problems, stress, lack of training or failure to recognize risk, among a host of other reasons. Sometimes the reason may be a simple lack of knowledge, or perhaps the worker did not understand instructions due to a language barrier. In a strong safety culture, everyone feels responsible for safety and pursues it on a daily basis. In this type of environment,

20 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

employees go beyond the call of duty to identify unsafe conditions and behaviors and intervene to correct them. For instance, in a strong safety culture, any worker would feel comfortable walking up to the plant manager or CEO and reminding him or her to wear safety glasses. This type of behavior would not be viewed as forward or overzealous, but rather would be valued and rewarded. Management needs to establish a shared vision of safety, health and environmental goals and objectives versus a sole emphasis on production. Senior management also must be willing to support safety by providing resources (time, money for training and education) and holding managers and supervisors accountable for the same practices. The entire management and supervisory staff must set the example and lead the challenge. In the end, influencing safety culture is more about everyone’s leadership, rather than strictly management. That said, without support from senior management, safety behavior changes are less likely to be sustained. Written by Robert Guerra, this article appeared on the Environmental Health & Safety Leaders Today website at EHSToday.com. Robert has 28 years of experience as a safety professional with an extensive background in providing safety program administration, supervision and training for field personnel and safety inspection services for construction projects.

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PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH

JIM FUNAI, PhD

Cuyahoga Community College Bignonia capreolata, or Cross-vine.

SHELLEY FUNAI, LIC

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GREAT WESTERN PLANT EXPLORERS JEAN-PAUL BIGNON & BIGNONIA CAPREOLATA This month we’d like to pique your interest in a beautiful Ohio Native vine named Bignonia capreolata, or Cross-vine. This vine is a lesser known and used cousin to the widely popular Trumpetcreeper (Campsis radicans). If you are familiar with Trumpetcreeper you may have already stopped reading because there is no way you want a plant related to that monster! Hopefully, most of you kept reading! While Campsis is a beautiful flowering vine, it can be very aggressive and often outgrows its welcome. Consider Cross-vine as a substitute. Bignonia is a semi-evergreen vine with a little less aggression in its habit. Unlike Trumpetcreeper, which wraps around every possible structure and plant like a boa constrictor, cross-vine attaches with small glue-like discs. This allows the vine to cover a structure without the need to consume it.

What we all love about Trumpetcreeper are the deep-orange, trumpet-like flowers that bring in the hummingbirds and hawk moths through summer. You can love the same thing about Cross-vine, as the flowers are similar, but with more range, Think deeper orange interiors changing to bright yellow at the outward facing petals. Flowers are strongest in May and June, but you can expect sporadic reblooms through much of summer. This vine will grow in most soils but will perform best kept out of heavy clay or overly wet conditions. While it can grow in shade, the more sun you can give it the better the flowers will be. Zone 5 gardens are the northern limit for this vine where it will likely face some winter kill once the negative sign shows in front of the temperature. This can help keep the plant in check for our more northern readers continued on page 24

22 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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continued from page 22 who will want to provide some winter protection to reduce this impact. For southern readers they get to enjoy the semi to fully evergreen habit. The common name comes from the appearance of the pith in cross section. It appears like the Greek Cross (think plus sign, equal length on all four sides). Native American tribes were known to utilize a tea made from the stems of this vine along with a few other plants to help improve heart health. What is really neat about that is in 2012 a team of researchers isolated an alkaloid called reserpine which is a “modern” medicine used to treat high blood pressure. The name “Bignonia” does not have a Greek or Latin root but rather is an honor to a French priest named Jean-Paul Bignon. Bignon was a priest and librarian for French royalty including Louis XIV in the 1700s. While Bignon was not a plant nerd, the name was given by a botanist named Joseph Pitton de Tournefort who was his friend. Tournefort made many plant expeditions around the Mediterranean and Black Seas in the late 1600s and early 1700s. Notable to Tournefort is he is the person who came up with concept of “genus” in the naming of living things. It would still be another 50 or so years until Carl Linnaeus saved us all and invented the two name (binomial)

24 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

system of naming living things. Tournefort also invented the word “herbarium” to describe a collection of plant samples used for scientific discovery. Don’t worry, in 1858 another botanist (August Grisebach) named a genus of South American plants Pittoniotis in honor of Tournefort (an honor even if it sounds more like a terrible disease than a plant). The flowers of Bignonia capreolata ‘Tangerine Beauty’ seem to have a more intense orange color to them and is readily available from local nurseries. If the orange isn’t your thing, check out the newer cultivar ‘Gold Finch’ which has pure yellow flowers and does look like little goldfinch are sitting all over the plant! Next time you have a fence to soften or hide, consider crossvine, Bignonia capreolata and honor some old French guy! Jim Funai, PhD is full-time faculty at Cuyahoga Community College, a NALP accredited associate of applied science in hoticulture degree program. He has a PhD in Landscape Engineering and Forestry and is a Licensed Arborist. Shelley Funai is Grounds Manager at Stan Hywett Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio, which offers a historic estate designed by Warren H. Manning and a beautiful manor house museum. She is Landscape Industry Certified in Ornamental Plant Care.

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“We’ve also had subs ask if they could take some photos while they’re on site and use them and I say no,” Hynson says. “We ultimately want to be in total control of how our projects are portrayed and how any images are used.” You might also consider what types of shots are the most valuable to you. Deaver says that before and after shots have continued on page 34 really paid off for his clients. 0116 Klyn Half.indd 1

The The Growing Concern | September 2021 || 25 33 Growing Concern | March 2022 12/16/2015 3:27:07 PM

F EAT UR E

EVENT INFORMATION

DATE & LOCATION MARCH 24, 2022 OLD RIVER TAP AND SOCIAL 19245 DETROIT RD, ROCKY RIVER, OH 44116 AGENDA NETWORKING & DISCUSSION 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM COST TO ATTEND MEMBERS: NO CHARGE NON MEMBERS: NO CHARGE FOOD/BEVERAGE: ATTENDEES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN FOOD AN BEVERAGE PURCHASES. NOTE: NON-MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THEIR FIRST MEETING FREE OF CHARGE. THEREAFTER, THEY WILL NEED TO HOLD A CURRENT MEMBERSHIP IN ORDER TO ATTEND.

AR TIC L E

FOR SAFETY SAK E NETWORKING EVENT

WOMEN IN LANDSCAPE

Professional Networking Event Women started owning landscape maintenance companies 40 or more years ago. At the time, society was slowly changing toward respecting women working. However, the green industry has been slower towards embracing these gifted women - a group that shares strong qualities, such as tenacity, determination, and the strength to rise above any discrimination they receive in the landscaping industry. The OLA’s Women in Landscape Group is being created for the purposes of connecting, empowering, and advocating for women in the landscape industry. We want to help drive the change necessary to recruit and retain female professionals while amplifying the voices of current & future women leaders. If you are female, you are invited to join this FREE networking group. (Note: Based on group consensus, males may be invited to join from time to time.) Our first meeting, scheduled for March 24th, 2022, will be a very informal event used to determine future topics of conversation for the group.

INAUGURAL GUEST MODERATOR

MARIE MCCONNELL / LAKE COUNTY NURSERY

When it comes to women working in and around the Green Industry, Marie McConnell has been in it for the long-haul. She started off working for her family in Perry, Ohio, at Lake County Nursery - one of the leading nursery growers of shade & ornamental trees and shrubs in the country. As a graduate of The Ohio State University’s Agriculture Technical Institute (ATI), Marie earned a degree in horticulture and went on to work at North Coast Perennials, Roemer Nursery, and Cottage Gardens, all before returning back to the family business, where she has been now for over a decade. In addition to her work in the industry, Marie is also helping to shape its future. From 2013 - 2019, she served on the Ohio Landscape Association’s Board of Directors, where in 2018, she was named OLA Board President. Marie currently serves as an adjunct professor at Cuyahoga Community College, in Plant Science Technology, where she shares her passion for plants with the future of our industry, teaching Garden Center & Nursery Management along with Plant Production.

ABOUT OLD RIVER TAP & SOCIAL

Old River Tap and Social transformed a former long-time bar/restaurant into a cool industrial modern spot with two distinct spaces. The Tap Room, upfront, is perfect for your lunch or night out with comfortable seating spread across our bar, tables and open drink rails. And our Social Room in back provides just the right amount of fun to enjoy a game of cornhole, some table games or grab a seat at our open air bar to watch the games on TV.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS EVENT ARE STILL AVAILABLE. CALL 440.717.0002 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

F EATUR E

EVENT INFORMATION

DATE & LOCATION MAY 12, 2022 OLD RIVER TAP AND SOCIAL 19245 DETROIT RD, ROCKY RIVER, OH 44116 AGENDA NETWORKING & DISCUSSION 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM COST TO ATTEND MEMBERS: NO CHARGE NON MEMBERS: NO CHARGE FOOD/BEVERAGE: ATTENDEES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN FOOD AN BEVERAGE PURCHASES. NOTE: NON-MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THEIR FIRST MEETING FREE OF CHARGE. THEREAFTER, THEY WILL NEED TO HOLD A CURRENT MEMBERSHIP IN ORDER TO ATTEND.

AR T IC L E

FOR SAFETY SAK E NETWORKING EVENT

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN LANDSCAPE Professional Networking Event

Interestingly enough - and to many people’s surprise - the average age of a landscape contractor is over 40 years old, representing over half of the population. With demand for our industry’s services at an all-time high, and because Father Time is still undefeated, we must turn our focus toward the next generation of rising talent. The OLA’s Young Professionals in Landscape Group is being created to provide a platform to connect, share experiences, and exchange ideas with peers in our industry, within the state of Ohio. If you are under 40 years old, you are invited to join this FREE Young Professionals Network and connect with people who are on a similar career path and share your passion for our industry. Our first meeting, scheduled for May 12th, 2022, will be a very informal event used to determine future topics of conversation for the group.

INAUGURAL GUEST MODERATOR RYAN DRAKE / J.F.D. LANDSCAPES, INC.

As a graduate of John Carrol University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Ryan Drake works for J.F.D. Landscapes, Inc., a family-owned, full-service landscape company servicing Northeast Ohio. Ryan has worked within his family’s business for nearly 15 years, having run crews in his earlier years, and now as an Account Manager. In addition to his work at J.F.D., Ryan spent time working for Davey Tree Ohio’s largest employee-owned company and the eighth-largest in the nation - in their Grounds Management Division. Currently, Ryan serves on the OLA’s Board of Directors, is Chair of the Programs Committee - the committee responsible for determining our evening meeting schedule - and is an active participant on our Education Committee. In his spare time, he has coached both soccer and lacrosse at Gilmour Academy, trains retrievers, and enjoys waterfowl hunting along with spending time with his family.

ABOUT OLD RIVER TAP & SOCIAL

Old River Tap and Social transformed a former long-time bar/restaurant into a cool industrial modern spot with two distinct spaces. The Tap Room, up-front, is perfect for your lunch or night out with comfortable seating spread across our bar, tables and open drink rails. And our Social Room in back provides just the right amount of fun to enjoy a game of cornhole, some table games or grab a seat at our open air bar to watch the games on TV.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS EVENT ARE STILL AVAILABLE. CALL 440.717.0002 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

F EATURE ARTI CLE

2022 Landscaping Business Trends

Photo courtesy of H&M Landscaping.

LMN recently conducted an industry-wide report, and what stood out most is an evolving landscape industry that is becoming more professionalized. However, there are some critical areas that business owners need to address to stay ahead of the curve. Between a global pandemic, the rising costs of landscape supply and material, a global skilled labor shortage, and technology that allows business owners to be better in nearly every way, here are just some of the top trends to watch out for in 2022.

YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH The landscape industry continues to show growth in all divisions. The industry as a whole reported a 19% year-overyear growth for the period 2020-2022. A continued sign that stay-cation backyard-dream builds and property maintenance are at the top of people’s wish lists. However, the commercial sector showed some signals of slowing, primarily because of a pausing commercial economy due to businesses being forced to meet COVID guidelines and restrictions. That being said, malls and airports are as busy as before with the economy opening back up and the commercial contract opportunity. Still, the commercial sector remains

unknown going into 2022, and contractors will need to be flexible and adaptable to an ever-evolving global pandemic. The owner of Troy Clogg and Associates, Troy Clogg, says, “We weathered the pandemic storm fairly well considering the initial lockdowns. It forced us to rethink how we do business and better prepare and adapt if it happens again. For now, the commercial landscape business is strong, but we learned a lot, and the pandemic humbled us.”

FASTEST GROWING DIVISION Design/Build, or construction, showed the highest growth signals despite the increasing cost of labor and landscape continued on page 30

28 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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The Growing Concern | March 2022 | 29 3/1/18 2:13 PM

F EATURE ARTI CLE

Photo courtesy of H&M Landscaping.

continued from page 28 supply and materials. People, more than ever, want a staycation property. If you’re a lucky contractor that offers property maintenance services, you can double up and ensure there is good up or cross-sell in the other services you offer once the project is complete. And as the economy continues to open back up, we think the backyard dream build trend is here to stay for a bit longer. Brock Kiely, the Owner of The Brooklin Group, says, “We had our busiest and most profitable season ever. Using tools like LMN Pro has helped us manage the growth, but we still learned some hard lessons, not over-booking ourselves and not over-working our team. We were rewarded for the effort, but we’re looking to find an even better balance in 2022.”

LABOR CHALLENGE Despite the unprecedented growth, the ongoing issue of hiring, training, and retaining skilled labor plagues the industry. Across the board, owners are reporting the same problems, and the number one recurring issue seems to be hiring. Ryan Markewich, the Owner and Founder at Creative Roots, says, “It has been a challenge to find enough of and the right people to meet the opportunities, and we are not a company

30 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

that is willing to sacrifice quality by taking on people who are not qualified or don’t fit our culture.” When LMN conducted its own industry survey in the third quarter of 2021, which revealed that hiring, training, and retaining employees remains at the top of challenge’s list for business owners as we move into 2022. The results found that 92.1% of companies wish to find better ways to hire experienced and reliable staff. Better addressing the labor challenge to meet your company opportunities is an ongoing problem for every owner within the industry and will likely remain in the years to come. There is no secret to solving this problem, only well-thought-out strategies and tactics to attract, hire, and retain staff. Brent Giles, the VP of Product from Greenius Online Training, says, “We have to provide our team members with a destination company and a great place to work. The next generation can earn a paycheck anywhere, so beyond a living wage, what else as a business owner are you doing to enhance their life, and how are you creating a personal and professional development pathway that serves your goals and theirs for years ahead.”

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An industry that is more professional with each year that passes, combined with the rising cost of materials and more work than there are companies, is driving contractors to become better with pricing. Gone are the days of taking on every single job that comes your way. The new trend is to book the work, charge accordingly and deliver outstanding results for your clients.

As the workload increases, so too does the demand become more efficient and streamlined to improve revenue per person hour. One could even go as far as utilizing a waste calculator. Tech adoption is driving contractors to look at their business differently and get more work done, more efficiently and effectively. Using simple apps to create and manage evergrowing to-do lists, and report on every part of the business is becoming commonplace. We live with our smartphones and computer devices by our side 24/7, and contractors are utilizing those tools more than ever to elevate their company and become more profitable with fewer headaches.

Shawn Spencer from Spencers Lawn Care says, “We’ve been so busy this year and short on human resources that our only option was to start charging more. In some instances, we raised prices 2-3x, and our new customers didn’t even blink an eye at it. All they cared about was when we could get the work done.” With ever-inflating landscape supply prices and contractors struggling to keep up with raising their pricing, it furthermore surfaces the ongoing issue of cash flow, which has plagued every business owner in the industry at one point or another. Just simply taking the time to build out your annual cash flow statement projections and identifying where your company will be cash opposing is the first step to combatting this problem.

Mark Bradley, The CEO of LMN Business Management Software has also seen a rise in tech adoption within the landscape industry. “Our company continues to show strong year over year growth. It’s a definite sign of the times as landscape business owners continue to focus on becoming more efficient while streamlining their operations team using tech.”

REPORTING Reporting is what’s driving the efficiency side of the business. And just like technology adoption, reporting is becoming the norm and providing insightful data... continued on page 32 The Growing Concern | March 2022 | 31

FEATURE ARTI CLE

Photo courtesy of H&M Landscaping.

continued from page 31 ...to make more informed decisions. With powerful and robust data, the decision-making becomes clear and objective.

be an issue. Technology and innovation can help contractors create greater impact for both their bottom and top line.

Measuring productivity is becoming the new norm and it rewards key staff for all of their hard work, which will ultimately drive a company’s bottom line. If you can’t measure it, you can’t report on it, which means you can’t identify any continuous improvement projects or strategies to improve the business function. Time theft and rounding is often at the forefront of waste, but some simple tools and reporting can combat this problem with effectiveness.

The industry is evolving in a big way, and contractors must be at the cusp of the ongoing innovations to keep up and meet the demands for high-demand services while understanding what to charge and how to become more efficient and profitable all while solving the ever growing shortage of skilled labor.

Mike Lysycki, the CTO for LMN, says, “Reporting is the key foundation to any successful business. It acts as your guiding light when it comes to growth and success as an organization and the average landscape business is as complex as any major organization. Reporting on time, productivity, division, budget, and the list goes on, will be the future for the modern day landscape business owner.”

LOOKING AHEAD The landscape industry today is becoming more professional, profitable and clearly shows signs of revenue growth across all divisions. Yet challenges still exist. Shortage of skilled labor and the increased demand for contractors will continue to

32 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

A simple starting point for any contractor is implementing business management software to streamline business operations, create better transparency within your landscape business, and truly work towards systeming critical business functions to become more streamlined and profitable.

This article was written by Mark Bradley, co-founder of LMN, and appeared on their website, located at golmn.com/landscape-business-trends, Mark is currently the CEO and the author of hundreds of by-lined articles, ebooks, webinars and workshops. He is also the host of the landscape industry’s favorite podcast, Landscape Disruptors. He has been published in entrepreneur and landscape industry trades including Medium, Total Landscape Care, Lawn and Landscape, Turfs Up Radio, Irrigation and Green Magazine Canada Newswire, Canadian Business.

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SANDY MUNLEY

Executive / OLA SANDYDirector MUNLEY Executive Director / OLA 2022 Home & Garden Show Display 2022 Home & Garden Show Display

After a year off due to COVID, it was wonderful to see the Great Big Home and Garden Show produced by OLA member, Marketplace Events, alive and well this year. The OLA was asked to have a garden in their Garden Showcase, as we have had for many years. We had a fun visitor to our garden on Saturday, February 12th! Ty Pennington, host of Extreme Makeover, was at the show to speak and as he was wandering the gardens prior to the start of the show, stopped in to our garden to say hi. He loved our garden and was interested in the various plant material. He was also very intrigued by the idea of forcing the plant material to bloom when we were still in mid-winter with tons of snow on the ground. This year’s garden was beautiful and colorful! With all the cold and snow this winter, it was a welcome site. Ken and Kevin Sasak, of Sasak Landscaping, spearheaded the garden. They’ve taken on this huge undertaking for us for many years now. As always, they did a wonderful job and we really appreciate their effrot! In addition, we had a lot of members help with the garden and are appreciative of everyone’s efforts. To the right is the full list of those that contributed. I hope to see you all at our upcoming spring and summer events! Happy Spring!

34 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

GARDEN DESIGNERS Ken Sasak (Project Manager) / Sasak Landscaping, Inc. Kevin Sasak (Assistant Manager) / Sasak Landscaping, Inc.

GARDEN CONSTRUCTION TEAM C & S Lawn Service & Landscape, Inc. Empaco Equipment J.A.G. Lawn Maintenance & Landscaping Gates Mills Environmental Education Center Nick’s Landscaping & Dumpster Rental Pioneer’s Pride Sasak Landscaping, Inc. Western Reserve Landcare

MATERIALS & TRANSPORTATION Auburn Career Center Beardslee Nursery Belgard Boyas Excavating Davis Tree Farm and Nursery Empaco Equipment Corporation Great Big Home and Garden Show Leppo Rents / Bobcat of Cleveland Pioneer’s Pride Pond Supplies of Ohio, Inc. Sasak Landscaping, Inc. Smith Bros., Inc. Vermeer Yokie Nursery

ADVERTI SI N G I N D E X

NEW MEMBERS REGULAR MEMBERS

ASSOCIATE MEMBER

Cornerstone Landscape Construction 11530 Girdled Rd. Concord Twp. OH 44077 Bobby Bures (440) 853-1282

LandscapeHub 2045 W Grand Ave Ste B. Chicago, IL 60612 Lindsay Raleigh (773) 270-2669

Klein Outdoors 133 Northfield Dr. Elyria, OH 44035 Kyle Klein (440) 328-5308

Columbus State Univ. Richard Ansley

AFFILIATE MEMBER

STUDENT MEMBERS Auburn Career Center Joseph Coleman Brianna McKinney Ian Cook Ryan Anthony Cameron Evans Joshua Brister Adam Erich Owen Campbell Arianna Ocasio Aleljandro Carrero Jason Ross Andrew Dreher Austin Snow Ethan Eveland Bradley Wichert Drew Fisher Blake Stehlik Alex Hardman

Adrian Hernandez William Lange Stephen Lease Jeremy Roski George Sargent Jacob Sholtz Antwyne Stoves Tyler Wolfe

A-1 Power Equipment

Abraxus / Royalton Landscape Supply

Acme Fence & Lumber

Botson Insurance Group, Inc.

Cascade Lighting, Inc.

Davis Tree Farm & Nursery, Inc.

Ditch Witch Mid States

EcoLawn, Inc.

Frank Brothers Landscape Supply

Klyn Nurseries, Inc.

Kurtz Bros., Inc.

Lakeside Sand & Gravel

MRLM/JTO, Inc.

O’Reilly Equipment

Oliger Seed Co.

Premier Plant Solutions

Sohar’s / RCPW, Inc.

Valley City Supply

VanCuren Tree Services, Inc.

Zoresco Equipment Company The Growing Concern | March 2022 | 35

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Columbus, OH Full Service Branch

Louisville, KY Full Service Branch

Pittsburgh, PA Full Service Branch

Erlanger, KY Service Branch

3660 Interchange Rd, Columbus,OH 43204 400 Sparrow Dr, Shepherdsville,KY 40165 Phone 614-443-9751 | Fax 614-443-9219 Phone 502-543-3309 | Fax 502-543-9613 9052 Marshall Rd, Cranberry Twp,PA 16066 3461 Piedmont Cr, Erlanger KY 41018 Phone 724-742-2844 | Fax 724-742-2877 Phone 859-263-5050 (by appt. only)

Cincinnati, OH Satellite Service Phone 513-672-3060

Cleveland, OH Satellite Service Phone 330-220-6585

Rochester, NY Satellite Service Phone 585-334-2920

The Growing Concern March 2022

Articles inside

April 12, 2022 / Secrest Arboretum (Wooster, Ohio