tnla green - september 2010

T h e O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a T i O n O f T h e T e x a s n u r s e r y & l a n d s c a P e a s s O c i a T i O n

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E&R Foundation Scholarship WinnersRewarding the best and brightest horticulture students in the state.

pag e 8

Learning to Love Online LearningAlthough there’s much to be said for the classroom experience, “eLearning” has some great advantages.

pag e 1 4

plantingpassionthe Green Industry has been hard at work, encouraging kids to get their hands dirty. read about the impact school gardening programs have, and how you can get involved. pag e 6

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17 Certification Quarterly Quiz

22 Tips for Submitting Your TEIL Application

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Texas Nursery & Landscape Association

7730 South IH-35

Austin, TX 78745-6698

phone: 512.280.5182 or 800.880.0343

fax: 512.280.3012

email: info@tnlaonline .org

www.tnlaonline.org

D e p a r t m e n t s 25 Newsbites 37 Certification Quarterly Quiz 38 Newly Certified 38 Classified Ads

39 New Members 41 Calendar of Events 41 Advertisers Index

F e a t U r e s

6 planting the seeds of passion All around the country, schools are implementing gardening programs, with great results. Find out how you can contribute to the future of our industry.

8 e&r Foundation scholarship Winners Rewarding the best and brightest students in the state, read all about the winners of the more than $25,000 in scholarship money awarded by the TNLA Education & Research Foundation.

14 Learning to Love Online Learning Although there’s much to be said for the classroom experience, eLearning has some great advantages.

17 Last Chance! Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide A practical guide for planting those last crops to get you into the fall.

22 tips for submitting Your teIL application It’s almost here! The Texas Excellence in Landscaping Awards application deadline is less than two months away. Read some tips from the judges on going for gold and making the best impression.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

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C O L U m n s 27 Ipm Starting on the Right Foot by Kevin Ong, Ph.D.

29 Leadership Money Follows the Leader by Jeffrey Scott

31 the Weird Wide Web The Truth About Online Marketing by Kyle Bailey

33 tradeshow tips Capture It! Measure It! ROI Boot Camp by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP

35 making Cents Keeping Boredom at Bay by Charlie Hall, Ph.D.

36 plant talk Honey Mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa by Lisa Lennon

s e P T e m b e r 2 0 1 0 / T e x a s n u r s e r y & l a n d s c a P e a s s O c i a T i O n / w w w . T n l a O n l i n e . O r g 5

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the official publication of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association

September 2010 • Vol. XII No. 8

President’s Letter

Dear MembersA Message from Eddy D. Edmondson, President

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TNLAGreen

O f f i c e r s

Chairman of the board Mark Harris, TCLP, CLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston

Chairman-elect Robert Cartwright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tyler

Immediate past Chairman James Wilhite, TCLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tyler

president Eddy D . Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin

B O a r D O f D i r e c T O r s

region I Billy Long, TCLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Antonio

region II James Curtice, TCLP . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston

region III Mark Chamblee, TMCNP . . . . . . . . . . . Tyler

region IV Paul S . Tomaso, TCNP . . . . . . . . . . . . Dallas

region V Sam Weger, TMCNP . . . . . . . . . . Fort Worth

region VI John Smothers, TCNP . . . . . . . . . . Lubbock

region VII Jon Klement, TCLP, TMCNP . . . . . McAllen

region VIII Larry Best, TCNP . . . . . . . . . . . Cedar Park

Supplier Director Bobby Spence . . . . . . Fort Worth

Landscape Director Johnette Taylor . . . . . . Dallas

Grower Director April Herring, TCNP . . . Magnolia

retail Director Mark Baxmann, TMCNP . . . Houston

T N l a s T a f f

president . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eddy D . Edmondson

Vice president . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Graham

Comptroller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jo Tucker

Accounting Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny Garcia

Communications manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judi Hays

region Services Coordinator . . . . . . Kenny Pettitte

Director, Legislative andregulatory Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Reaves

education manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chelsey Robles

exhibits manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Prenger

exhibits manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Yelverton

Administrative Assistant expo . . . . Dena Guerrero

Certification & membership Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marisol Ybarra

Office Operations Assistant . . . .Nancy E . Sollohub

T N L A G r e e N s T a f f editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judi Hays

editorial Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . David Kassin Fried

Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marie Leonard

Advertising Coordinator . . . . . . .Carol Miller, TCNP

TNLA Green magazine is a member service of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, and is published monthly with the annual exception of a combined July/August issue . Advertis-ing information is available from TNLA, 7730 South IH 35, Austin, Texas 78745, online at www .tnlaonline .org, or by calling 800-880-0343 . TNLA office hours are weekdays, 9 AM - 5 PM CST . © 2010 Texas Nursery & Landscape Association

Eddy d. EdmondsonPrEsidEnt

M i s s i O N s TaT e M e N T

The Texas Nursery and Landscape Association’s mission is to enhance members’ business success through legislative/regulatory advocacy, education, networking, and promotion of professionalism.

Whew! We just got back from Expo, and thanks to everyone for making this year’s show one of our best ever. There was a lot of action on the show floor, and almost all the feedback we’ve gotten has been positive. Thanks to all of you for

making it such a success. We hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did.

Next month we’ll have our full Expo recap, so come back to relive the experience. In the mean time, as we wind down from San Antonio, set your sites on Fort Worth for the 2011 TNLA Management Workshop on January 14–15, 2011. We’ll be talking about that—and the upcoming legislative session—more in the coming months.

This month is our annual education issue, featuring our E&R Foundation Scholarship winners, as well as several other relevant articles on the subject. I’d like to give a special thanks to all of the people who contribute to the Foundation, giving us the opportunity to award these deserving young people with funds to lighten their financial burden as they pursue their undergraduate degrees. Also, thanks to all the students who applied. Your ambition will serve you well throughout your careers.

If you’d like to make a contribution to the E&R Foundation Scholarship fund, please call the TNLA office or visit the website at www.tnlaonline.org. Remember that donations are tax deductible, so as we approach the end of the year, please keep the E&R Foundation in mind.

Please enjoy the September 2010 edition of TNLA Green. m

Sincerely,

6 w w w . T n l a O n l i n e . O r g / T e x a s n u r s e r y & l a n d s c a P e a s s O c i a T i O n / s e P T e m b e r 2 0 1 0

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Though horticulture has a reputation of being an industry for older men and women, in reality it’s anything but. While it’s true that experience is the ultimate arbiter in the Green Industry, the seed of

interest must be planted at a young age if there’s any hope for a child to grow up into a horticulture career.

To that end, the Green Industry has been hard at work for years, encouraging kids to get their hands dirty. For the

last 10 years the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has sponsored the Urban Schools Agricultural Grant Program, designed to expose public school students in urban environments to the agriculture industry. Last year, TDA awarded eight schools $19,000, all in school districts where the children otherwise never would have stepped foot on a farm. And they’re currently hard at work on this year’s program.

This is just one of dozens of horticulture programs being implemented in elementary, middle, and high schools

around the country, having a noticeable impact on our youth. These programs show kids the practical application of how math, science, language arts, and social studies all relate to the production of their food, clothing, and the world around them. On the surface, it answers the age old question “When am I ever going to need this?” But in reality it does much more.

These programs give kids the opportunity to create their own projects—from school gardens and plant nurseries to raising farm animals—and then profit from the fruits of their labors. Much more valuable than a school grade, the kids are rewarded by the opportunity to eat the food themselves; or even serve it in the cafeteria; or sell the flowers they grew personally as part of a school fundraiser.

Students learn lessons in patience, delayed gratification, persistence, and responsibility. They eat more vegetables—even the ones they otherwise might dismiss as “icky”—because they personally pulled them out of the ground. They visit the garden during their recess and lunch breaks, sacrificing valuable playing time to instead check on their investment and even put in extra work to

plantingpassion

the seeds of

Gardens Grow Good Kidsin a national Garden Association survey of youth/community garden programs that involved a total 40,000 students, program leaders noticed the following improvements:

89%

87%

85%

82%

63%

32%

21%

20% 40% 60% 80%

More Self-ConfidenceBetter Social SkillsBetter Leadership SkillsImproved Attitudes Toward SchoolBetter Scholastic Achievement

Decrease in Disciplinary ActionsImprovement in Attendance Rates

20% 40% 60% 80%


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help the garden be more successful. And the satisfaction of the experience creates a natural interest in the fields of agronomy and horticulture, leading at least a few of those children to pursue careers in the Green Industry 10 or 15 years down the line.

Kathleen Rigodanzo, TCLP and Region IV Vice Chair (featured on page 10), has firsthand experience with these sorts of programs: A few years ago she designed and helped install a teaching garden at the Richardson Classical Magnet School. The students at the elementary school planted everything that was under a gallon in size. For most of them, it was the first time an adult asked them to dig in the soil.

Though the garden won an award from the Blacklands Trinity Urban Forestry Council, her fondest memories come from visiting the school in the months afterward. Kids would run up to her, show her their personal plants and talk about how well they (the plants) were doing. She also remembers wandering the gardens and finding plants buried in the ground still in their pots, realizing that perhaps she wasn’t 100% clear in all her instructions.

Though it’s far too early to tell the long-term impact of her efforts, it’s clear that the people who are really passionate about this industry are the ones who started young: from this year’s E&R Scholarship winner who’s been breeding

orchids since childhood, all the way to this year’s TNLA Chairman, Mark Harris, TCLP, CLP, who spent his childhood visiting botanical gardens, it’s time to plant the seeds of passion, so we can grow the strong, mature, healthy horticulturalists of the future. m

additional resourcesuKidsgardening

The youth branch of the national gardening association, promoting home, school, and community gardening as a means to renew and sustain the essential connections between people, plants, and the environment.

utexas Department of Agriculture Urban Grants program exposes public school students in urban environments to the agriculture industry.

uJunior master Gardeners grows good kids by igniting a passion for learning, success, and service through a unique gardening education.

bonus online content!

View this article at www.tnlagreen.org to watch the video.

How Can You Support Kids in Horticulture?

VOluNTeer to teach a kids gardening program at a local school. for many schools, the thought has never even crossed their desk. Though they may not want it as part of the in-school curriculum, as an after-school activity a couple of times a week, it should be easy to make the case.

DONaTe money or old equipment to a school that’s implementing a teaching garden program. These programs aren’t funded through regular channels, and the operating materials aren’t things they have lying around.

spONsOr a community event. create your own “Kids gardening project,” perhaps in a corner of your nursery, or creating a friendly contest for your landscape customers’ children. give simple prizes, like a packet of seeds, to all the participants, and reward the winners with a shopping spree!

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Kayla BennettHarry’s Greenhouse ScholarshipTNLA General Scholarship

HOMeTOwN: Grand SalinescHOOl: Tyler Junior CollegeMajOr: Agriculture Services &

DevelopmentMiNOr: Teaching Certification

Kayla Bennett is a Deans Scholar with a long list of accolades, including the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award, the National Honor Society, and National Barrel Horse Associate World Finalist. Always involved in agriculture and her local community, she’s planted trees, worked for Landmark Nurseries, served on the board of the Texas Junior College Agriculture Association (TCJAA), and competed in the TJCAA Botany Test. She’s known for her work ethic, outgoing personality, and determination to succeed.

When it first occurred to Kayla to be an agriculture teacher, the idea hit her like a ton of bricks: An interest in people and a love for agriculture combined with her childhood dream to be a teacher, making the perfect mix. She’s looking to complete her degree at Tarleton State University before entering the teaching profession.

How is the Foundation funded?The E&R Foundation is a separate nonprofit corporation, distinct from TNLA and managing its own budget. Funding comes from special donations made by individuals and companies, and never from general TNLA funds.

Foundation donations are tax-deductible, and the Foundation accepts named scholarships in honor of a person of the donor’s choosing on short and long-term arrangements. TNLA Regions I, II, IV, and V make annual donations to support the Foundation.

Why support the Foundation?The Green Industry is constantly evolving and presenting new challenges, with one of the biggest at the moment being decreased interest among the younger generation. Investing in the future direction of the Green Industry through the TNLA Education and Research Foundation will:

• Establish a strong tradition of horticultural philanthropy;• Build the available pool of research dollars;• Contribute to the education of students;• Seek the best and brightest of our students and encourage

them in their studies.

cHairMaN

Mark Harris, TCLP, CLP

Vice cHairMaN

Michael H. Bracken, TMCNP

Treasurer

John Peters, TMCNP

TrusTees

Janette CouchJames Curtice, TCLPTom DickersonJames Harden, Sr., TMCNPJim PrewittChris Richardson

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N o w i N i T s 4 5 T h y e A r o f Aw A r d i N g

s c h o L A r s h i p s u N d e r o N e N A m e o r

A N o T h e r , T h e T N L A e d u c AT i o N & r e s e A r c h

f o u N d AT i o N s e r v e s T o Aw A r d N e e d e d

f u N d s T o d e s e r v i N g N u r s e r y / L A N d s c A p e

s T u d e N T s f o r T h e i r c o N T i N u e d e d u c AT i o N

A N d f o r r e s e A r c h i N T h e h o r T i c u LT u r e

f i e L d s i N T e x A s . T h i s y e A r , T h e T r u s T e e s

Aw A r d e d 1 0 r e c i p i e N T s A T o TA L o f $ 2 7 , 5 0 0 .

2010E&R Foundation Sc holarship Recipients


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Lacy BrownMargaret and Sterling Cornelius

Scholarship sponsored by TNLA Region II

Paul Stanley Memorial Scholarship sponsored by The LETCO Group

TNLA General Scholarship

HOMeTOwN: KatyscHOOl: Texas A&M UniversityMajOr: Horticulture

Because her mother worked for Katy Flowers, Lacy spent much of her freshman year of high school sitting in the back of the store, doing homework and then assisting around the shop after she finished. Her natural aptitude for plants, combined with her work ethic, led to extremely active involvement in Future Farmers of America (FFA), where she stood out as a leader and led her team to a second-place finish in the state FFA Nursery & Landscape team. Somewhere along the way, she also found time to be a D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) role model, a member of the National Honor Society, and a two-time Academic All-District Defensive Player of the Year in Varsity Women’s Basketball.

Winner of the Texas A&M Regents Scholarship and the Texas A&M Opportunity Award, Lacy is pursuing a degree in horticulture. She wants to be a landscape architect, so she can improve communities and towns through parks and other outdoor living spaces.

Samantha CrowderTNLA Region IV Opportunity

Award ScholarshipTNLA Region I ScholarshipTNLA General Scholarship

HOMeTOwN: FloresvillescHOOl: Texas Tech UniversityMajOr: Master’s Landscape Architecture

Samantha recently finished her undergraduate degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Plant Science at Louisiana Tech. In the fall she attends Texas Tech University to pursue her postgraduate degree, planning to devote her efforts toward finding creative solutions to wetland conservation, coastal erosion, and inner city revival.

While at Louisiana Tech, Samantha was an active member and officer of Greenscapes, a horticultural club dedicated to philanthropy and promoting education in the community. To that end, she’s worked with elementary schools, taught seminars, surveyed land, and completed landscape plans, both on a volunteer basis and as an employee of a local nursery/landscape company.

An NCAA Division I Volleyball player, she served on the university’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee and was the Louisiana Tech’s Featured (Outstanding) Agricultural Business – Plant Science Student for the 2009–10 academic year.

Mallory HaasJoe Burks ScholarshipJerry Will Scholarship sponsored

by Monrovia Nursery Co.TNLA General Scholarship

HOMeTOwN: KatyscHOOl: Texas A&M UniversityMiNOr: Horticulture/Floral Design

Mallory was very active in her high school’s chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA), winning multiple individual and team honors and serving as treasurer. She started in the organization raising livestock, but then her Agriculture teacher encouraged her to produce plants for a county fair. This opened her eyes to the possibilities of a career in horticulture. Impacted also by her her sister and brother-in-law (who are also Agriculture teachers), she has decided to pursue a teaching certification in agriculture and impart her knowledge and passion to younger generations.

Mallory has been a Keep Katy Beautiful volunteer (maintaining flower beds), a participant in the state FFA’s Nursery & Landscape contest, and is a Distinguished Student and President’s Scholar.

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E&R Foundation Sc holarship Recipients

(continued on page 11)


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tnLa Leader profileKathleen rigodanzo, tCLp, region IV Vice ChairKathleen Rigodanzo’s first degree was in economics, but when she was laid off from a fiberglass company in 1990 she took full advantage of the opportunity to change careers . Considering some of her hobbies, she pursued

her passion for plants, going to Richland College for a degree in Horticulture . She hasn’t looked back since .

Starting off mainly as a designer, she soon moved into installation and now works for Grant Leighton Associates, LLC, handling all the residential designs and installations, as well as training the crew .

To that end, she’s hard at work organizing an all-day seminar (open to all) for next February at the Dallas Arboretum to provide training to some of the hourly laborers . The classes will stress safety and will be taught

in both English and Spanish, as she recognizes “sometimes I misunderstand, I can imagine how easy it would be for someone else, especially if they don’t speak the language very well .”

Kathleen’s passion for education doesn’t just extend to adults . She’s been involved with the Girl Scouts for 14 years; has taught edible plant classes to elementary schools; is a recipient of the Dallas Northeast Chamber of Community Service Award for Education; and designed and helped install a teaching garden at the Richardson Classical Magnet School, for which she won an award from the Blacklands Trinity Urban Forestry Council .

Kathleen has been married 22 years and has two daughters, Karen and Anna .

uInformation about the training seminar at the Dallas Arboretum is available on the TNLA Events page.


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2010 E&R Foundation Scholarship Recipients T N l a g r e e N

Brittnay MeyerIn Honor of Ray Hanes Scholarship

sponsored by Excel Garden Products

HOMeTOwN: PinehurstscHOOl: Sam Houston State University MajOr: Horticulture MiNOr: Agriculture Mechanization

Until recently, Brittnay was torn between a career in horticulture and one as a veterinarian, but an internship at the Houston Zoo changed all that. She realized she could combine both her loves into one by helping animals not native to Texas or the U.S. feel more at home in their zoo environment. Now she plans to design zoo habitats and educate the public about conservation and how animals and plants work together.

A member of the National Honor Society, Brittnay is an active participant in Sam Houston’s Horticultural and Crop Science Club, including their Green Thumb Days (introducing horticulture to 900 kindergartners in Walker County) and growing poinsettias and bedding plants. She’s also an FFA Scholar and was active member in Tomball High School Band as both a musician and an officer.

Lauren O. RobinsonAnne C. Muscat Scholarship

sponsored by Region IITNLA General Scholarship

HOMeTOwN: College StationscHOOl: Sam Houston State UniversityMajOr: Interdisciplinary AgricultureMiNOr: Family and Consumer Sciences

Lauren’s quite the leader. She placed firstout of 57 students in the leadership skills event at PLANET’s Student Career Days, founded the Sam Houston Floriculture Club in 2008, and created a name for herself community-wide as an intern during a pilot program sponsored by TDA and Sam Houston to introduce urban students to rural communities.

Winner of Award of Excellence – Outstanding Student in Interdisciplinary Agriculture, she’s participated in Sam Houston’s Horticultural and Crop Science Club and served as Vice President of Delta Tau Alpha National Agriculture Honor Society. All the while she’s been an Agricultural Teacher’s Assistant for Instruct Floral Design Lab.

Lauren looks forward to mentoring other students through their internship experiences. She recognizes that the Green Industry plays an important role in the future of our society, as organic trends increase, and her goal is to have a positive impact on that future.

Amanda SpenceNorth Central Texas TNLA Region V

ScholarshipGrady Wadsworth ScholarshipJohn and Linda Bracken Scholarship

sponsored by Wilson Sealy StoutTNLA General Scholarship

HOMeTOwN: BenbrookscHOOl: Tarleton State UniversityMajOr: HorticultureMiNOr: Business

Amanda is no stranger to the Green Industry or TNLA, as daughter of Bobby Spence, an active member who currently serves as the Supplier Director on the State Board. She remembers helping him with planting and flower bed maintenance from the time she was five years old, and has enjoyed attending region meetings, Nursery/Landscape Expo, the Texas Turfgrass Conference, and other trade shows and industry/Association events, whenever possible.

After participating in horticultural community activities like Benbrook Green Days and Trinity River Trash Bash, she’s caught the eye of the Region V leadership of TNLA, and looks to be a strong asset to the Association. Upon graduation she plans to work for a landscape company and ultimately start her own business.

f O u N D aT i O N M i s s i O N s TaT e M e N T:

To advance in the broadest sense the environmentally beneficial use of plants, and the interests of the nursery/landscape industry in Texas, through funding education and research.



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Juan C. VelaBernard A. (Barney) Grimm

Memorial ScholarshipTNLA General Scholarship

HOMeTOwN: LaredoscHOOl: Texas A&M UniversityMajOr: HorticultureMiNOr: Landscape Design

Juan C. Vela, or “JC” as he likes to be known, wants to be a successful designer, researcher, and educator, researching environmental effects on human society and quality of life. After graduation, he intends to pursue postgraduate studies and then design beautiful and sustainable spaces, interacting with nature to gain a better understanding of it.

JC is actively involved in various student and community organizations, including TAMU Plant Fair, TAMU Replant, TAMU Horticulture Club, and Student American Institute of Floral Designers. He’s a voracious learner, dedicated to the art of the craft and excited to pursue a career in the Green Industry.

Christopher von KohnMortellaro’s Nursery ScholarshipCalloway’s Nursery ScholarshipTNLA General Scholarship

HOMeTOwN: ArlingtonscHOOl: Texas A&M UniversityMajOr: HorticultureMiNOr: Science and Biotechnology

Chris bought his first orchid at 8 years old, and just kept on acquiring more plants. He began hybridizing his own daylilies while in High School, visiting Jack Carpenter’s daylily nursery to learn about seed germination, and before long, his first seedlings started to bloom. In 2008 he started his own business—Rush Creek Gardens—with his parents, and his high level of knowledge and experience earned him a highly selective internship at Ball Horticulture’s plant breeding center in Elburn, Illinois.

Chris is an Officer in the Texas A&M Horticulture Club—currently serving as president—newsletter editor and now president of the Southern Region of the Association of Collegiate Branches for the American Society for Horticultural Sciences, and a member of American and Fort Worth Orchid Societies, American Hemerocallis Society, and North Texas Daylilly Society.

After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree, he plans to make Rush Creek Gardens a full time endeavor—preferably somewhere other than in his parents’ front yard.

Nicole WatsonJack Jones Memorial Scholarship

sponsored by Southwest Wholesale Nursery

HOMeTOwN: HarlingenscHOOl: Texas A&M University –

Kingsville MajOr: Engineering

Nicole’s father was a nursery owner, so she’s been surrounded by the Green Industry since birth. She used to listen to him talk to customers, she accompanied him on plant deliveries, and she watched with eager fascination as his plants and his business grew. Attending Nursery/Landscape Expo almost every year, Nicole became fascinated with all the links in the supply chain that make up this industry, and is now looking to a career as one of those links.

Nicole has been a leader, including president, in Har-Tex 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America, as well as student athletics. Nicole’s goal is to become an engineer, designing systems that can reduce resource consumption, particularly water and energy. m

2010 E&R Foundation Scholarship Recipients T N l a g r e e N

uTo learn more about the foundation, or to make a contribution, call the TNLA office at 800.880.0343 or download a donor card here.

Landscape proSafety & First Aid • Design & Plan Reading • Pruning

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abound. Favorite magazines, like TNLA Green, are now 100% digital. And more and more people are dumping the Yellow Pages directly into the recycle bin.

In the middle of this global transformation is the education industry, worth $2.3 trillion globally, whose fabric is changing just like every other.

You probably remember your favorite teachers, and there’s certainly no

substitute for a human face and the brick and mortar experience. But the cost of that experience is high, and the results highly variable, so like it or not eLearning is here to stay.

the Ups & Downs of eLearningGeography One of the biggest advantages of eLearning is the ability to reach a geographically dispersed audience. Texas

Learning to Love is a big state, and TNLA has some 1,200 members spread out across it. Though the majority are concentrated in or near the large cities, we have a very sizeable minority living and working in rural areas, some of which take 10 hours to drive across. And that’s to say nothing of our out of state members.

In the past, if those people wanted to become Texas Certified Professionals, they had to find somewhere nearby to take the exam, and then work the date into their schedule. If they wanted to attend a class for further education, they had to make the trip to do it. With eLearning, those people have the classes and the exams right at their fingertips.

ScheduleAs a corollary to that, scheduling is a major plus. Business owners keep odd hours, and in any service industry, you have to work around inflexible scheduling demands. For retailers this means the evenings, when most customers want to shop. For landscapers it can mean long hours in the final weeks of a project. Many of our members are parents who have kids to drop off at school or pick up from soccer practice.

Online trainings let you take the class on your own schedule, instead of working around someone else’s. A single mom can study after her kids go to bed, and a landscaper can take the test on a rain day, when he can’t work anyway. Combined with the reduced transportation time and costs, this opens a whole new level of flexibility for the customers to take these courses.

ConsistencyThe lack of the human connection is often seen as a major disadvantage for eLearning courses, and while there’s something to be said for that, it’s not quite so black and white. Though your favorite learning experiences may have been in a classroom, your least favorite probably were, too, and likely those experiences had a direct impact on your general feeling toward that particular subject.

OnlineLearning

B y D a V i D K a s s i N f r i e D

It’s definitely understandable if you’re skeptical. Technology has come seemingly out of nowhere and hijacked the Green Industry. Everywhere you go, iPhone apps and cries of “Follow us on Twitter!”


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When people criticize eLearning, they’re usually operating with the assumption that all face-to-face learning is good. But the truth is that the quality of both varies tremendously. There are good and bad teachers, and there are good and bad online trainings.

What eLearning has that face-to-face learning doesn’t is self-pacing and consistency across experiences. Whereas teachers have different levels of skill or enthusiasm, and the classroom has to teach to the middle, if a thousand people take an online class, they’re getting the exact same material and can go as fast or as slow as they need in order to understand it.

There’s also, typically, a correction formula that’s easy to apply. The student survey will let the developer know what was good or bad about the product, and they can tweak it accordingly, which is often easier than a human being correcting bad habits.

What this mean for YouCompanies may wish to harness this technology for their own use. At the

simplest level, this could mean having Human Resources create a Power Point presentation with voice-over to use for new-employee orientation. Larger companies may wish to use an eLearning company to develop trainings specific to your product or service.

TNLA has created three online trainings (see page 13) that offer further education in retail merchandising & customer service, botany, and landscape best practices. These trainings serve a far broader range of members than classroom trainings ever could, allowing you to work on your own schedule and in the comfort of your home or office.

TNLA also offers Certification exams—as well as the study guides—available online, which not only saves time in the exam process, but saves printing and delivery costs as well.

Regardless of how you choose to use it though, what’s important is that you embrace it, and that you do it now. Like it or not, online education is here to stay, and those who don’t ride the wave of change will get buried under it. m

Glossary of eLearning Termsapp – Short for “application,” any program designed to perform a particular task . Though the term

is increasingly being associated with the iPhone, it can refer to any computerized application .

avatar – The logo or icon that represents an individual on the computer interface .

FaQ – Frequently Asked Questions .

Flash – A software plug-in that allows for the animation and interactivity used in some eLearning programs . It’s free, and may already be installed on your computer, but in some instances will need to be installed or updated the eLearning program to work .

GUI – Graphical User Interface is a system with pictures or icons allowing someone to click buttons in opening or operating the program .

Java – A software plug-in that allows for a high level of interactivity, used in most eLearning programs . It’s free, and likely already installed on your computer, but in some instances will need to be installed or updated for most eLearning programs to work .

plug-in – Software that’s installed as an add-on inside your Internet browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc .) allowing for additional features and usability beyond simple Web browsing .

Webinar – Short for “web seminar”, a single class that takes place online . The student watches the presentation online, listening to the audio either through the computer or—especially if an interactive conversation is required—by separately dialing into a conference line .

Wiki – A type of webpage that allows the users to add or edit the content, with the result being a collaborative information source . Wikipedia .com is a widely-used public wiki .


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So you want to grow garden-fresh vegetables this coming fall. Where do you start? Simply looking at seed packets in catalogs or local

nurseries will not get the job done. One must garden smartly if economical production and utilization are expected. Start now!

Once the decision to have a fall garden has been reached, a gardener must take action—drastic action. Pull out some

of those plants that have been nurtured from “babies” in the spring to monsters now. This takes courage and faith! It is recommended that all plants, weeds included, be removed except okra, cherry tomatoes, and pole beans if the foliage is healthy. Large-fruited tomatoes may have some small ones still hanging on, but unless you have at least 20-25 good-sized fruit, pull them out—make green tomato relish or chow-chow. The largest, best tomatoes are the first ones

produced. By now, the tomato plant has gotten old, diseased, and too large to manage as far as insect and disease populations are concerned. It will never produce in abundance again, so pull the old plants up and discard them. Give them to the garbage man. Don’t try to compost insect and disease-ridden plants—spider mites don’t compost!

Then, determine where to put the garden. If you are an “ole timer,” you may need to think in terms of garden relocation. The major consideration for garden placement is sunlight. All vegetables require some sunlight; the most popular vegetables require full sun. “Full” sun means at least eight hours of intense, direct exposure. If such exposure is not received by crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash (vegetables that contain seed), the plants grow spindly, have weak stems, drop blooms, and are generally nonproductive. Shade in the afternoon (after 3 p.m.) is wonderful; shade in the morning is acceptable.

There are vegetables which produce passably in the shade. Generally, those

The Quarterly Quiz - a CEU Opportunity

Each quarter, TNLA publishes an article and a quiz. Those holding TCNP, TCLP, or TMCNP certifications can complete the quiz and return it to TNLA to earn 1 CEU credit. The quiz for this quarter can be found on page 37. Fill in the quiz and return to TNLA according to the instructions on that page.

Last Chance! Fall Vegetable Gardening Guideby David Rodriguez

Quiz


s e p T e M B e r 2 0 1 0


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crops such as greens, broccoli, cauliflower, root crops (carrots, turnips) that do not produce a fruit with seed will yield sparingly in semi-shaded areas, but even these crops will do better in a full sun condition. Crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans, and cucumbers may not produce anything if grown in the shade; plants will grow tall and spindly. The production potential of the garden’s most popular vegetables depends solely on the amount of direct sunlight they receive.

Some gardeners believe shading is beneficial, but remember that commercial vegetable producers never shade crops. Use shade-tolerant crops for planting between larger growing vegetables such as tomatoes. During the early establishment period of a crop like tomatoes, leave several feet of vacant space between transplants in which short, fast-maturing, shade-tolerant vegetables can be produced.

Do not locate the garden within six feet of hedges, shrubs, or trees. Not only do these larger, more permanent plants compete for light, but they also gobble up nutrients and water necessary for healthy vegetables.

If a new garden site has been selected and it was previously covered with grass, this turf MUST be removed. Don’t think that you can dig or till this existing grass into the garden soil and get rid of the grass. Even a well-tilled, pulverized garden soil will contain enough Bermuda grass sprigs to cause troubles for years to come. New garden areas are doomed before they begin if all Bermuda and other lawn grass are not completely removed before tillage begins. If a raised garden is being considered, sod should be removed before additional soil is put into the prepared frame.

What about applying chemicals to kill the grass rather than pulling it out? Yes,

you’re in luck! There are several brand names, such as Roundup and Kleenup, which contain the weed and grass killer glyphosate. Check for that ingredient on the label and follow the instructions for application rate.

Once the sod has been removed, the garden area should be shoveled to a depth of 10-12 inches. Rototillers, when used in a new garden area, will not penetrate adequately, though they can be used to loosen and mix shoveled areas. Apply one to two inches of coarse (sharp) washed sand and two to three inches of manure compost to the garden site surface and incorporate to improve the soil’s physical quality. The soil’s physical condition will have to be altered over a period of time rather than trying to develop desirable soil in a season or two. If you are making the effort to build a raised bed garden, don’t skimp on the soil.

The addition of fertilizer is the next step. You have two options. First, you can add only one pound of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) per 100 square feet (10 feet by 10 feet) and use ammonium sulfate every three weeks at the rate of one tablespoon sprinkled around each plant and watered in as a sidedress application for hybrid

The Ten Commandments of Fall Gardening Success(courtesy of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service)

1. Thou shalt not read gardening books and magazines published north of a line running from dallas to charleston, or west of san antonio.

2. select ye a site with full exposure to the sun.

3. Prepareth the soil well before thou planteth thy crop.

4. Provideth thy garden with optimum drainage.

5. Thou shalt thoroughly water thy plot before planting.

6. choose ye adapted vegetable species and varieties.

7. Thou shalt not plant a plant too early, nor shalt thou plant it too late, but on its appointed day shalt thou plant it.

8. subject not thy tender transplants and seedlings to the infernal heat of summer.

9. stresseth not the growing crops under thy care.

10. neglect not they attendance at all extension service gardening programs.

uClick here to read the full article.

(continued from page 17)


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tomatoes and peppers. The second fertilization choice, and probably the one that will result in a more abundant harvest, is to use two to three pounds of a slow release 19-5-9 analysis fertilizer per 100 square feet of garden area. Even if slow release fertilizer is used, it is still recommend using ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) every three weeks at the rate of one tablespoon sprinkled around each plant and watered in as a sidedress application for the super-productive hybrids. Horse or cattle (never fowl in the fall) manures may be substituted for commercial fertilizer and used at a rate of 60-80 pounds per 100 square feet of garden area.

After all ingredients have been added, mix the soil thoroughly and prepare beds on which to plant rows of vegetables. These beds should be 30-36 inches apart to allow for easy movement through the garden area when plants get larger. Pile and firm the planting beds then pre-irrigate the entire garden area by wetting with a sprinkler for at least two hours. Allow the area to dry for several days and it will be ready to plant.

When growing tomatoes and peppers, it is easier to use transplants. However, the use of transplants alone does not insure bountiful, precocious fall production. What must be accomplished is rapid establishment of fall transplants. As hot and dry as the weather has been, some people think that transplanting is risky. Transplants will survive hot temperatures and full sun if adequate moisture is available to the plant. “To the plant!” is the key phrase. Transplants in peat pots or cell packs with restricted root zones require at least two weeks to sufficiently enlarge their root systems so that active growth can begin. Until that time, gardeners must provide adequate, daily moisture or the transplants will either die or stunt to the point that fruit maturity will be delayed. Delayed maturity is what we need to avoid!

Daily moisture should be provided on an individual basis to transplants. Depressions or basins around each transplant can be filled daily, or as needed depending on the soil type, with water to provide the necessary wetting. Alternatively, a drip irrigation system can be installed. Too much water, (keeping roots soaking wet instead of just moist) will cause root rotting and subsequent transplant stunting or death.

A transplant with a larger root system that can be easily watered will be helpful. Such a large root system will spread faster, have access to more water, and will support an older plant, which has the potential of producing more fruit, sooner. Fall-recommended tomato varieties such as Sunpride, 444, and Celebrity can be purchased in a large transplant form with larger root systems from mid-July through the first part

of September. You can also purchase smaller, peat pot, or cell pack transplants and grow larger transplants yourself. This simply involves the use of potting mix, Osmocote 14-14-14 slow-release fertilizer pellets to be evenly mixed into the potting mix, a water soluble fertilizer to water the enlarging transplants every time moisture is required, a gallon pot or container, and full sun (afternoon shade after 2 p.m. preferred) location free of pests (kids, dogs, etc.) for a 30 day length of time. If you have all of these elements and won’t over water the containerized plants, grow your own.

Look for the newest 2007 Texas SuperStar tomato SunPride and other Texas AgriLife Extension Service recommended varieties like SolarFire, SunMaster, BHN 444, and Surefire or Heatwave. If you can find them,

bonus online content!

View this article at www.tnlagreen.org to watch the video.



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these are the best, highest quality varieties available, but they are also the highest maintenance (proper watering, periodic fertilization, pest control). For those people who don’t want to take the challenge of growing the above mentioned high maintenance varieties, Celebrity would then be preferred. The main advantage of growing these varieties in the fall is their firmness of fruit and ability to develop a deep red color if harvested green to avoid freeze damage. SunPride, SolarFire, SunMaster, and SureFire are the only tomato varieties that will set flowers and fruit during the heat of September and are thus the earliest maturing tomatoes of a fall planting. The fruit size of Surefire is dependent upon cultural techniques used to grow the plant, but it is the longest storing of

any tomato variety on the market. The best bell peppers, Camelot and Aladdin are also available in local nurseries. Of course, bell peppers are eaten in an immature state: when they are green before turning red or yellow. (Aladdin is a yellow-when-mature variety.)

Of course, larger transplants will cost more but the ease of establishment may be worth the extra funds. In fact a recently completed Texas A&M study confirmed that just two of the larger transplants, even though they were more expensive initially, significantly out-yielded six of the smaller, cheaper transplants that died (were killed!) after planting. Certainly you believe the Aggies; don’t you?

Proper timing is probably the most important factor in successful fall gardening. Regardless of variety selected or cultural practices used, if a gardener does not do the right thing at the right time, any chances of success are diminished. Relative maturity rate, average height (in feet), and frost sensitivity of the crop of various garden vegetables are all factors to consider.

Fall vegetable crops are categorized as long-term and short-term crops, with the duration of each dependent upon when the first killing frost occurs and the cold tolerance of the vegetables. Frost-

Frost Susceptible Frost Tolerant

Quick (30-60 days) bush beans (1 .5 ft); summer squash (3 ft) beets (1 .5 ft); leaf lettuce (1 ft); mustard (1 .5 ft); radishes (1 .5 ft); spinach (1 ft); turnips (1 .5 ft); turnip greens (1 .5 ft)

moderate (60-80 days) cucumbers (1 ft); corn (6 ft); lima bush beans (1 .5 ft); broccoli (3 ft); Chinese cabbage (1 .5 ft); okra (6 ft); peppers (3 ft); cherry tomatoes (4 ft) carrots (1 ft); green onions (1 .5 ft); parsely (1 .5 ft)

slow (80+ days) cantaloupes (1 ft); eggplant (3 ft); Irish potatoes (2 ft); Brussels sprouts (2 ft); bulb onions (1 .5 ft); pumpkins (2 ft); sweet potatoes (2 ft); tomatoes (4 ft); cabbage (1 .5 ft); cauliflower (3 ft); garlic (1 ft) watermelon (1 ft); winter squash (1 ft)

susceptible (FS) crops will be killed or injured by temperatures below 32º F, whereas frost-tolerant (FT) crops can withstand those temperatures below freezing.

Use the table on this page to determine which frost-susceptible vegetables to plant, when to plant, and whether to use transplants or seeds. For most of the state the first frost hits in November, so by the time you read this it’s probably already too late for the slow-growing frost-susceptible plants. But there are plenty of others for you to choose from. Arrange your beds to have plants in similar categories together, since grouping systems facilitate frost protection and the planting of a cereal rye cover crop. It’s much easier to remove short-term plants killed by the first frost if they’re all together.

Have fun, good luck, and happy gardening! m

David Rodriguez is the County Extension Agent-Horticulture for Bexar County. He represents the Texas AgriLife Extension Service of the Texas A&M University System. For any landscape or gardening information, call the Bexar County Master Gardeners “Hotline” at (210) 467-6575, e-mail questions to: [email protected], or visit the County Extension website at: http:bexar-tx.tamu.edu/


to find more information on becoming a texas Certified professional, visit www.tnlaonline.org or call tnLa at 512-280-5182.

certification shows your customers that you’re highly skilled and knowledgeable in the nursery/landscape industry, and that you meet the strict qualifications to be a Texas certified professional:

ExpErIENcEgives you the experience you need to compete in today’s competitive market.

KNOwLEDgETested on current industry standards, and maintaining certification through ongoing education & renewal.

prOFESSIONALISmour commitment to be the best.

SErvIcEputting the customer first.

Add the logo to your nametag, business cards, and all your marketing materials:

texas Certified nursery professional (tCnp)

texas master Certified nursery professional (tmCnp)

texas Certified Landscape professional (tCLp)

Why Get Certified?

21


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Start early – If you’re reading this article the month it came out, you’ve got at least a month before the 2010–2011 applications are due. Start planning your awards strategy today.

Follow the Directions & Ask Questions – Every award program has a detailed brochure. Read that brochure. It tells exactly what to do to maximize your chances, and just by following the directions and the suggestions they offer, your chances of success go up astronomically.

Use professional Writers & editors – Having your project manager submit the entry is like having your accountant install a landscape. The companies that have the most consistent success in the awards season are the ones that submit all their entries through their dedicated marketing department, whose strength is in effective written communication.

Work as a team – Now that you’ve got a dedicated copywriter, sit him/her down with the project manager(s) for a good hour or two for every project you’re submitting. Go through every photo, figure out which ones you want to use, and talk about what’s important to fit into the project. You may want to go back and re-shoot certain photos. Talk about why certain plants were chosen and what they provide.

tell a Story – This is where your good writer earns his/her paycheck. Most people are visual learners, so build the visual experience. There’s a big difference between identifying a crape myrtle and pointing out that the project used a pink-flowering crape myrtle to bring out the rose tones in the granite rock-face behind it. Similarly, the best project descriptions will include some kind of sensory experience: the smells, the sounds, or the landscape’s usage and benefit, putting the judge right in the middle of it. m

T i p Sfor Your 2011 TEiL EntryThe April 2010 edition of TNLA Green included tips on taking great photos for your Texas Excellence in Landscaping Award Entry. But that’s only half the battle. For tips on the descriptions, we talked to some of this year’s Gold Award winners and came up with these success secrets.

Entry Deadline: Nov. 1, 2010


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A MARRIAGE OF STRENGTHSA Marriage Of Strengths

In February 2009, FX Luminaire was acquired by Hunter Industries. With similar foundations in forward-looking product innovations, reliability, and superior customer service, both companies have come together in an obvious marriage of tradition and reinvention. Combining forces with Hunter will allow FX to bring resource-efficient landscape components, such as the LED-based Lumineux, to its customers with a distributor and sales support network that will continue to define the industry.

The future of FX Luminaire looks bright!

For more information, visit: www.hunterindustries.com/strengths or www.fxl.com/strengths

We see green. With over 30 years of experience, our specialists know what to look for when it comes to finding cost-effective insurance coverage for your green industry business. As a Trusted Choice® independent agency, we’ll access the nation’s leading insurance companies to provide all thecoverage your business needs in one strong yet cost-effective solution.

Call 800-899-3750 today for a quote or no-costinsurance review.

Providing comprehensive insurance programs for Texas green industry businesses - www.hiainc.com


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tpWD aquatic plant “White List”texAS pArKS & WILDLIFe DepArtment (TPWD) is in the process

of creating a “white list” for non-native aquatic plants. Any non-native

aquatic plants not on this list (excepting natives, which they have yet to

define), will be considered illegal. The deadline to formally add plants to

the list has already passed, but TPWD will be taking public comment over

the next several months before voting to establish the white list and how

to enforce it.

For more information, e-mail or call Jim Reeves, TNLA Legislative

Director, at [email protected] or 512-579-3854.

uClick here to see the proposed List of exotic Aquatic plants.

region V accepts state Volunteer awardOn JULY 30tH, Region V State

Director Sam Weger, TMCNP, as well

as several other Region V members

accepted an award from the Texas

Department of Aging and Disability

Services (DADS) honoring their support

of the agency’s programs and services.

TNLA Region V has been hosting

fundraisers since 1992, raising thousands of dollars to improve quality of

life at the Denton State Supported Living Center while building awareness

and support for the living center’s 580 residents.

uClick here for more on DADS or the Volunteer Awards.

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newsbites

some have met the President, but Paul Tomaso met someone even more popular.

eat your heart out, bobby spence!

monsieur tillier & mrs. Dudley Cross promotedtHe texAS AGrILIFe extenSIOn

has recently informed us that two

additional rose cultivars have been

elevated to Earth-Kind® status for

2011. These cultivars are known as

Monsieur Tillier and Mrs. Dudley

Cross. This now makes 23 cultivars,

total, that have passed the rigorous

testing and approval process required

to achieve Earth-Kind® status.

To give the retail industry plenty of

time to prepare, Extension personnel

have been asked to wait until February

2011, before this announcement is

made to the general public.

uClick here for more information

on the earth-Kind®

rose program.

Living earth Opens 19th LocationtnLA member Living Earth

Technology Company just

opened a new store in Houston,

near Pearland. The store is two

miles east of Hwy 288 on the

eastbound frontage road of the

Sam Houston Tollway.


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Integrated Pest Management

Starting on the Right Footby Kevin Ong, Ph.D.

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A big challenge in IPM to greenhouse and nursery operations is the diverse crop that is produced. Unlike traditional agriculture, a nursery operation may be

dealing with over 10 different types of plants at any given time. Many times, these plants have inherent differences in nutritional and water requirements, growth habits, and pest/pathogen threats. So how can an effective IPM program be developed for such a complex production system?

It all begins with knowledge about the production system, both in general and with specific plants. Success also hinges on knowing the plants that you are growing and the environmental conditions that occur at the growing location. Knowledge about possible pests and pathogens and general management methods is helpful for early intervention.

The key to successful and sustainable IPM practice is being able to take all this knowledge and fitting it into a comprehensive approach to your production system: utilizing it to make sound decisions and being prepared for eventful situations while minimizing potential losses.

Unfortunately, no simple formula exists to guarantee success 100% of the time. The IPM program must be tailored for each production system, but there are two key components that should be established when practicing IPM.

Thresholdsa. Economic threshold – Ask yourself: How

much damage can this crop sustain before I lose too much money? This is the breaking point on whether to keep or discard a crop.

b. Action threshold – Ask yourself: What condition must exist or how much damage must be observed before I need to take action? The action threshold should be a lot sooner than the economic threshold.

By establishing these thresholds, you have developed some plan of action for when things go south. Being proactive in planning not only help to minimize the impact of pest or disease, but also reduces possible panic that may arise from indecisiveness.

MonitoringMonitoring means to be aware of the state of a system; i.e., to observe for any changes that may occur. In the case of monitoring for pest or pathogen, the objective is to look for the presence of the insect or symptoms of a developing disease problem. But how would you know what to look for?

Here, one must take the initiative to look for information. One of first questions to ask when deciding to plant something is: “What are some common pest and disease problems that plague this particular crop?” Then search for information to get a list of likely threats and their symptoms. That way you know exactly what to look for.

Knowledge is important, whether it is establishing economic and action thresholds

Kevin Ong is an Extension Plant Pathologist and

directs the Texas Plant Disease

Diagnostic Lab at Texas A&M in College Station.



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1. DRIP IRRIGATION

2. RAIN SENSOR

3. SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR

4. SMART CONTROLLER

5. HIGH EFFICIENCY NOZZLES

6. RAINWATER HARVESTING

7. PERMEABLE PAVERS

8. SELF-WATERING IRRIGATION CONTAINER SOLUTIONS

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Stop by your local branch and pick up your free Smart Irrigation Starts With Me wristband during the month of July. To learn more, visit us online at www.ewing1.com/SIM.

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or coming up with a plan for monitoring. Understanding the strengths and limitations of your production system and the plants that you are growing will help you make decisions on where to set your thresholds. Understanding the pest and pathogen that may affect your crop will help you develop good monitoring and action plans for early intervention. Much of this information can be found in books and on the Internet. This information is typically in bits and pieces. Fortunately, in Texas, the AgriLife Extension Service personnel in the form of IPM Program Specialists and the various subject (Entomology, Horticulture, Plant Pathology) Extension Specialists are available to provide that knowledge and assistance to help you. m

additional iPm resourcesuthe texas Ipm program

http://ipm.tamu.edu

ueast texas nursery and Greenhouse Ipm program http://etipm.tamu.edu

uLandscape Ipm http://landscapeipm.tamu.edu

unational Ipm Center http://www.ipmcenters.org



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What makes Apple so successful? You might think it’s their insanely great products. But it’s not. It is their insanely great leadership.

Warren Buffett has often said that he doesn’t buy companies, he buys great leaders. Similarly, investors are pouring money into Apple stock. Why? Because they believe Steve Jobs and his team will continue running a great company.

The Best leadersMoney (clients, sales, employees) flows to companies with the best leadership. So start by looking at who’s running your firm. Is it one person at the top? A few managers? A management team with key people involved? Wherever your company is in its development, and no matter your role in the company, you need to be constantly developing your personal leadership skills and the skills of your key people.

VisionLeadership starts with a vision and being able to articulate the vision for the people who work for you. A company flounders when the employees do not know where the company is heading. Your employees want to be reminded constantly of the goal, and they want to get excited by the vision for your company. That is your job as a leader. Not sure where to begin?

Consider the following model when articulating your vision. Tell your people these three things:

1. Here is the vision; here is what the future looks like and what our company will look like when we get to the future and hit our goals.

2. Here is our current situation; here is what we look like now as a company.

3. Here is the next step we need to take.

seeing the forest for the Trees Great leaders stand tall, above the forest, and can see everything going on in it. For your business, this means that you can see everything going on in your market, with your competition, with all your clients and potential clients, and with your crews and vendors. Get information from all relevant sources and synthesize it to develop a conclusion and plan about the future.

MentorsWhen you hear great leaders speak, they always refer back in their life to the great mentors they had supporting them. Who are your mentors? Mentors come in a few shapes and sizes:

•Friends•Advisors(peoplewhoarepaidtohelpyou—

usually an expert in the field)• Peers(peoplewithyoursamevaluesand

mindset, trying to achieve similar goals as you)

You can tell a person’s potential by the achievements of his or her friends, mentors, and peers. Who are you associating with? Are you mixing with the right groups of people? Some of you are born leaders; the rest of us have to work hard at it. Successful leaders—like successful businesses and successful families—are a hard and constant work in progress. Assuming you have a good group of mentors or a good boss, you still have to do the “heavy lifting” in your relationship in order to grow:

• Askforfeedback.• Openyourselfuptoscrutiny.• Askquestionstogainunderstanding

when you are given feedback.• Moveoutofyourcomfortzoneto

execute on the ideas given to you.

Success flows to those of you who are taking the extra steps to becoming a great leader. m

Leadership

Money Follows the Leader (And Great Companies)

by Jeffrey Scott

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Jeffrey Scott, landscape

business consultant and

author of The Referral

Advantage, built his

family’s landscape

business into a $10

million enterprise. He

now facilitates peer

groups for landscape

professionals who

want to transform and

profitably grow their

business. To take

the first step and see

if a peer group is

right for you, visit

GetTheLeadersEdge.com.


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The LEIT-2ET weather based, wireless irrigation

control system automatically adjusts irrigation

schedules based upon local weather data

provided by the on site weather station and

user programmed site information. Powered

only by DIG’s ambient light (solar) technology

no AC power is needed providing the ultimate

freedom and flexibility.

WIRELESSET CONTROL

800-322-9146www.digcorp.com

TNLA_7x4.625.indd 1 3/1/10 2:52 PM


T N l a g r e e N

The Weird Wide Web

The Truth About Online Marketingby Kyle Bailey

T N l a g r e e N

Imagine what your business would have looked like two hundred years ago. No tractors, no lawnmowers, no pesticides or daily product deliveries. It’s tough to

fathom, isn’t it?

Technology holds the promise of an easier life. Americans are always looking for “the next big thing,” and this drive for “doing it better” has given us some of our biggest breakthroughs in cost-savings and efficiency in business.

Since these new technologies promise an easier life on the other side of the innovation, it’s usually true that you won’t have to work as hard as you have in the past, and that many times the old rules are obsolete.

In many ways, online marketing is like that, in that it makes it a lot easier to publicize your business. E-mail and social media let you get your message out to far more people at a much lower cost.

But the fundamental rules of marketing haven’t changed. Your strategy has to be just as clear, if not more so, since your marketing efforts are no longer limited to the printed page, but spread out across traditional and electronic media. The same content can be used in more places, but it has to be tweaked or changed constantly to have the maximum impact.

First, let’s define online marketing in its two main categories:

•SearchEngineOptimization(SEO) – setting up your site according to practices that are most likely to drive traffic from search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing).

•SearchEngineMarketing(SEM)–using paid search elements like pay-per-click ads to drive traffic to your site.

Online marketing is the new game in town, but the basic rules for success in these two areas are actually pretty similar to the rules you would obey in the “offline” world:

•DefineYourself. Know your product and the chief benefit it delivers. Remember, you aren’t selling trees and flowers, you’re selling “the ability to connect with nature without leaving your home.”

•DefineYourTargetMarket. If you had a thousand clones of your ideal client, what would he/she look like? How much income? How old? Kids? Married? Make sure that all your marketing materials speak to those people.

•BeMilitantwithYourContent.If you are not an excellent writer, hire an editor—preferably a good marketing writer. Compelling content is a must.

Of course, if your website isn’t compelling, it may as well be a leaflet blowing across a parking lot. All of the effort you’ve spent getting people there will be blunted, and you will have wasted a lot of money and effort. The bottom line is this: don’t spend money getting a bad message out there. Spend money on the message first.

If you obey these rules, every dollar you spend for online marketing tools will be more effective, delivering more clients for you and your business. If your online marketing is not effective, make sure you’re using a credible SEO or SEM company, and make sure you’re following the basic rules of marketing. Because regardless of technological advances, the basic rules of marketing stay the same. Obey them, make a lot more money. Disobey them, and don’t. m

Kyle Bailey is a search engine marketing

consultant with Ionadas Local,

specializing in working with location-specific

businesses to bring them customers.

He can be reached at (512) 876-9111 or

[email protected].


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BWI Dallas BWI Schulenburg BWI Texarkana 800.752.6632 800.460.9713 800.442.8443

www.bwicompanies.com

BWI is a distributor of lawn, garden and horticultural products to garden centers, farm and feed stores, hardware stores, grocery stores, regional multi-store outlets, greenhouse growers, nursery growers, landscapers, lawn companies, and other related outlets.

Professional Landscaping andGrower Supplies

DEFINING QUALITY

D E E P F O R K T R E E F A R M

405.233 .2000 WWW.DFTREES .COM ARCADIA, OK

DF7X4.62503.20.09.indd 2 4/20/09 12:22:48 AM


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Right now, right this minute, your organization is at a critical juncture! With the 2010 Nursery/Landscape Expo just behind you, especially in a tight

economic environment where accountability is ever more critical, you must begin to measure your return on investment (ROI). Measuring ROI has long been the most problematic aspect of trade show exhibiting. But the actions you take now will allow you to overcome this traditional hurdle and showcase your team’s performance.

What happens at the trade show is obviously important to your success, but equally important is what happens after the show ends. This is where most exhibitors drop the ball. Research tells us that over 80% of leads gathered at trade shows are never followed up with. That’s a phenomenal number, especially when each lead has the potential to generate profit for your company.

Why do so many leads fall by the wayside? It’s because show leads have a reputation for having no substance; they’re either just cold business cards or cold basic information imprinted on a company lead card. There’s nothing there to give already busy professionals a reason to follow up. And even if the salespeople do follow up, there’s only so much they can learn from a business card or bare bones information. For salespeople to view leads as being worthwhile for a follow-up, they need quality information.

Differentiate your company from its peers and wring the full value from your trade show participation. Follow up with the people you meet, using these strategies:

TimelinessTo achieve and perhaps surpass your specific goals, you need a system in place. Timeliness is essential, and the best time to develop your follow-up system is before you go, but given that the show just ended, you’ve still got time.

First, it’s important to send something, like a letter, email, or broadcast fax, to everyone who came by the booth to thank them and let them know when they can expect to hear from your company again. This should be done immediately after the show.

accountabilityUse contact management database programs to ensure your sales staff get leads that are as complete and useful as possible. If you don’t have one, get one. There are some really great

T N l a g r e e N

Tradeshow Tips

Capture It! Measure It! ROI Booth Camp!by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP


Written by Susan

A. Friedmann, CSP,

The Tradeshow

Coach, Lake Placid,

NY, internationally

recognized expert

working with

companies to increase

their profitability at

tradeshows.

After the show ends is where most exhibitors drop the ball.

Contact Management Software uSalesforce http://www.salesforce.com/

$5 per month, web-based (use it from anywhere, all you need is an internet connection, lets you manage contacts & tasks, track conversations, and integrate with your other contact lists.

uACt! http://www.act.com/$229 msrP (discounts available online & through major retailers), software installation required, allows for personalization and integration with Quickbooks and other programs.


T N l a g r e e N

options out there for about $100, which do wonders to organize your leads and prospects. (Two of the most popular contact management programs are described on the previous page.)

Then, after leads are distributed, hold your account representatives responsible for the results. There should be a written progress report from each salesperson at regular, predetermined intervals. This

information can be used to track their performance, sales made, etc.

Some companies use performance in lead follow up as one factor in a salesperson’s annual performance review. Knowing that they will be held accountable for results is a powerful motivator.

Measuring resultsAt the end of the day, management wants to know their money was well

spent. Keeping track of your leads will allow you to measure sales directly attributable to your trade show participation. Recording this data will allow you to provide a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the show.

Show them the cost per trade show lead, and, when the time comes to decide whether or not to go next year, the cost per sale, keeping in mind that ongoing relationships and branding from repeat visits usually increases ROI over time.

Qualitative data, such as types of prospects who visited the booth, dates and times of their visit, products/services of interest, buying intent, and results of any pre-show promotional activity often proves invaluable when planning future show participation.

in conclusionThe choice is clear. For maximum effectiveness, you want to have a concrete procedure to track and record trade show ROI.

Central to this is lead management. Follow up your leads by implementing a user-friendly strategy and a consistent follow up procedure. That’s how you ensure bottom line results: results that can be measured and used to showcase your effectiveness.

Forethought and planning now will put you in good standing later. Measurable results speak for themselves! m

(continued from page 33) Measurable results speak for themselves.

Ph: 800.814.3496 • Fx: 330.633.9738www.summitplastic.com • [email protected]

© 2009 Summit Plastic Co.

Darden JonesRegional Sales Manager

[email protected]: 972.809.0946

TNLA Half Island ad DJ 4/13/10 5:31 PM Page 1


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I have said in this column before that I be-lieve the recovery will move ahead at a modest pace, and so far I’ve been spot on. The pace of gross domestic product (GDP)

growth, which was strongest at 4% in the fourth quarter of 2009—a result of stimulus spending—downshifted a bit in the first half of 2010. That said, we’ve seen rising consumer spending, rather strong business investment, and very strong growth of manufacturing pro-duction so far this year.

The rising consumer activity, though it sur-prised many, has been attributed to pent-up demand coming out of the recession, as has business spending on equipment and software. Almost every manufacturing industry posted strong growth, but consumers seem to put away their wallets in April and May, particu-larly in the Green Industry, possibly due to un-usual weather patterns across the country.

Employers have increased hours of work and have also hired part-time staff, but have been hesitant to hire full-time employees, pursuing instead productivity gains from reorganization, automation, and supply chain streamlining—strategies formulated during the recession and, so far, are continuing.

A key point about these contributors to recov-ery is that each could be transitory. The econo-my has not yet arrived at a state where healthy and sustainable final demand is underpinning growth. I make this point not to predict a reversal of the progress made but just as a cau-tionary reminder to avoid thinking we are out of the quagmire altogether. There are sectors that remain depressed—housing, for example.

Also, unemployment peaked at just over 10 percent last October and has remained stub-bornly high since then in spite of the economy’s growth, as the optimism and growing con-sumer confidence that prevailed earlier in the year lagged. One reason is the roller-coaster effect of recent economic indicators. More in-fluential, in my opinion, is the heightened sense of uncertainty and risk surrounding the near-term outlook, particularly as foreign markets weaken, state and local governments tighten their budgets to close deficit gaps (which means spending less and taxing more), commercial real estate shows growing uncertainty, and the effect of the Gulf oil spill (which includes in-creased energy and transportation costs) rears its ugly head.

So, to pull this together, the recovery of the na-tional economy is proceeding but not yet with solid and sustainable underpinnings. While inflation appears restrained, the outlook from here is beset by somewhat more than normal uncertainty. But in the words of R.I. Fitzhenry: “Uncertainty and mystery are energies of life. Don’t let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at bay and spark creativity.”

For most of you reading this, you wouldn’t have gotten into this business if you couldn’t handle uncertainty. The uncertainty of the weather can make or break a growing season, which is just part of the game when you are in the nursery/landscape industry. And if you’re a business owner, you’re well aware of the highs and lows that lead to uncertainty in that par-ticular venture.

So stay the course and stay excited. Every problem is just an obstacle to be overcome, and by continuing on in that effort, seeking more growth and working harder to feed your business, it will be stronger and more poised for success as we continue on down the path to recovery. m

T N l a g r e e N

Making Cents

Keeping Boredom at Bayby Charlie Hall, Ph.D.

Dr. Hall is the current chairholder of the Ellison

Chair in International Floriculture at Texas

A&M University. He blogs at http://ellisonchair.

blogspot.com.

You wouldn’t have gotten into this business if you couldn’t handle uncertainty.


T N l a g r e e NT N l a g r e e N

Plant Talk

Honey Mesquite Prosopis glandulosaby Lisa Lennon

As we enter the hottest and driest time of the year, it’s advantageous to look to those landscape plants that tolerate the climate and diverse soil types that

comprise our State. Abhorred by farmers and ranchers for generations, honey mesquite fills overgrazed pastures, is difficult to remove once established, and has thorns that can injure livestock. However, as urban dwellers and green industry professionals, we need to rethink the controversial mesquite tree. Think back to last summer, when drought struck much of our State and most cities had water restrictions in place. These are conditions when mesquite trees shine.

The tree is extremely drought tolerant once established, and the fine, lacy leaves provide a nice filtered shade. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil in non-irrigated areas, adapting to almost any soil that is not soggy. In fact, if overwatered or planted in water-loving turf areas, the mesquite will grow too fast, become weak-wooded, and fall over as the top grows heavier than the trunk can support.

Start the mesquite by infrequent deep watering to establish the taproot. Then back off water significantly as the tree develops. It benefits from training for shape early in the establishment period. Since this tree has an extremely long taproot, mesquite roots are unlikely to surface and damage concrete driveways, roadways, and sidewalks, making the mesquite an ideal roadside or parking island tree.

Coming from the Fabaceae family of plants, mesquite fixes nitrogen in the soil. The plants contain symbiotic bacteria called Rhizobia within nodules in their root systems, producing nitrogen compounds helping the plant to grow. When the plant dies, the fixed nitrogen is released, making it available to other plants and thereby fertilizing the soil.

The thorns (sometimes up to two inches long) and bean pods are the main drawback to using mesquite in the landscape, which is where the thornless varieties are more desirable (Prosopis chilensis, for example).

Following spring and summer rains the fragrant, creamy-green blooms that are coveted by nectar-loving insects become the long bean pods that provide food for wildlife. (The seeds can be toxic if consumed in large quantities by cattle.) The honey mesquite is an excellent wildlife and pollinator plant for native bees and honeybees, moths, butterflies, and birds.

Propagation: Easily grown from fresh, untreated seed or stored, treated seed. Cuttings from young wood will root. m

Interesting tidbitsThe mesquite has become quite aggressive and is very problematic in disturbed areas of the rio Grande Valley, so take care when planting in some sensitive areas.

Mesquite wood is used in flooring, fence posts, furniture, and as a barbequing wood.

Native Americans used the seeds for bread and fermented the sweet seeds for alcohol.

A black dye or cement for pottery can be generated from mesquite. The gum from the bark used to be eaten as candy or dissolved in water for treating dysentery, wounds, and scratchy throat treatment.

“It is a superlative honey bee tree, for the honey is light and clear, comparable to the fabulous Uvalde honey made earlier in the spring from blossoms of related legume species…”

–Benny J. simpson, A Field Guide to Texas Trees (Gulf Publishing Co., Houston)


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Choose only one correct answer for each question . A completed exam with a score of 75% will qualify for 1 CEU towards any TNLA certification . Quizzes scoring less than 75% will be returned and can be re-submitted . Correct answers can be sent upon request . We encourage you to return the completed quiz no later than December 15, 2010 .

1. the most important factor to consider when planning your garden is sunlight.

a . True b . False

2. shade is never beneficial when growing a vegetable garden.

a . True b . False

3. turf grass must be completely removed prior to planting your garden.

a . True b . False

4. applying chemicals to existing grass is not a safe way to remove it.

a . True b . False

5. transplants are not a good option when growing tomatoes and peppers.

a . True b . False

6. transplants will not survive hot temperatures.

a . True b . False

7. Quickly maturing vegetables mature in 60-80 days.

a . True b . False

8. If a plant requires “full sun” it needs ___ hours of sunlight.

a . 4 b . 6 c . 8 d . 10

9. Which of the following are not signs of underexposure to the sun?

a . Weak stems b . Dropped blooms c . Nonproductive d . Fast maturation

10. When applying fertilizer to your garden, how many pounds of ammonium sulfate should you use per 100 square feet?

a . 100 b . 10 c . 1 d . None

11. Which type of fertilizer should not be used in the fall?

a . Horse b . Cattle c . Fowl d . Both a & b

12. rotting roots, transplant stunting and transplant death can be a sign of __________.

a . Lack of water b . Too much water c . Lack of sunlight d . Too much fertilizer

13. Larger transplants are ___________.

a . more susceptible to disease b . more expensive but have a larger root system c . more affordable but have a smaller root system d . require more water

14. Which of the following is not a long-term, frost tolerant vegetable?

a . Beets b . Cabbage c . Garlic d . Sweet potatoes

15. Fs stands for _________.

a . Frost-sensitive b . Frost-susceptible c . Frost-selective d . Frost-slow

QuizTexas Nursery & Landscape AssociationCertified Professional Quarterly Quiz s e p T e M B e r 2 0 1 0

This CEU Opportunity provided by David Rodriguez.

p l e a s e r e T u r N T H e c O M p l e T e D Q u i z T O :

Texas Nursery & Landscape Association | 7730 South IH-35 | Austin, TX 78745 | Fax: 512.280.3012Please retain a copy for your records.

nAme: _____________________________________________________________ certification Type: q TcnP q TmcnP q TclP

COmpAnY: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

pHOne: __________________________________ emAIL: __________________________________________________________________________


T N l a g r e e N

Classified AdsFor the latest job listings visit our

online opportunities.

business For Sale

retail garden center in rockport

Tx, established 1980, original

owners. business to be sold turn-

key. Owner willing to finance

qualified buyer. for additional

info contact Thelma adams at

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Sales/Client manager

horticultural marketing & Printing

in mesquite, Tx is looking for

people interested in applying

their horticultural knowledge to

a sales career servicing the retail,

wholesale, and allied segments of

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seeking individuals with: 1.)

a bs degree in horticulture,

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sales and customer service ability;

5.) interest in learning a profession

that provides outstanding

opportunity and reward.

Visit www.hortmp.com to

learn more about our company.

applicants, call 888-217-5357 or

email [email protected]

experienced Sales

representative for tree Farm

hawkins Tree farm, a large in-

ground tree farm, is looking for a

sales representative. The farm is

located in north east Texas region.

Previous experience a must. reply

to [email protected]

You’re great at growing green stuff – what about saving it? With workers’ comp group discount programs, it’s easier than you think. The Texas Green Industry group discount program, through Texas Mutual Insurance Company, gives growers, nurseries and landscape contractors lower premiums and the potential to earn individual and group dividends. And with the workers’ comp health care network, eligible businesses save an additional 12% annually. That’s real savings to help you grow a strong business.

The TGI workers’ compensation group discount program is endorsed by TNLA. Call your agent or Hotchkiss Insurance Agency at (866)959-2525.

Dividends are based on performance and are not guaranteed. Texas Mutual Insurance Co. has services for non-English speakers available upon request.

©20

09

Texa

s Mut

ual I

nsur

ance

Com

pany

newly certified individualsDonna Dent, tmCnpThe Garden Center San Antonio, TX

James miller, tCnp Texas Dept of Criminal Justice McGregor, TX

Jeff Lewis, tCnp Calloway’s Nursery Ft . Worth, TX

Coby Hooten, tCnp TG Trees and Garden Center Lubbock, TX

Bryce Bartlett, tCnp Southwest Wholesale Nursery Carrollton, TX

Leslie arnold, tCnp Calloway’s Nursery Ft . Worth, TX

Learn more about the benefits of certification at www.tnlaonline.org. earn a CeU! Read the article on page 17 and then send us the quiz on page 37 .


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r e g i O N iGovernment Employee Jesse torres

CPS EnergyPO Box 1771San Antonio, TX 78296www .cpsenergy .com

LandscapeLantana Gardens

Kristi Long, TCNPPO Box 603Hunt, TX 78024Landscape Designer, Grounds Maintenance, Landscape Contractor

southern rain Irrigation & Landscape

Tina Lynn10863 La Vernia RdAdkins, TX 78101

r e g i O N i iEducatorrichard Klein

The Monarch School2815 RosefieldHouston, TX 77080www .monarchschool .orgEducation/Research/Student

Government EmployeeDonald J. Willy

Administrative Law JudgePO Box 27554Houston, TX 77227

Barbara ann WillyFort Bend CountyPO Box 27554Houston, TX 77227

Growernational tree and shrub

Richard Devine1121 N Post OakHouston, TX 77055

Big tex tree nurseriesDave Holom19333 N I-45 FwySpring, TX 77388www .bigtextrees .com

LandscapeCurb appeal Landscapes

Craig JacobsPO Box 40550Houston, TX 77240www .curbappealhouston .com

texscape services, LLCBrandt Dillon7070 W 43rd St, Ste 204Houston, TX 77092www .texscapeservices .comGrounds Maintenance, Irrigation, Landscape Designer, Landscape Architect, Landscape Contractor

White Oak Grounds KeepingAaron Davis1116 EuclidHouston, TX 77009Grounds Maintenance, Landscape Contractor

Retailpeterson Hardware & Busy Bee nursery

Robert E . ErmisPO Box 37Louise, TX 77455Manufacturer, Nursery/Garden Center

StudentGeri Breaux

Houston Community College13034 Shallow Falls LnPearland, TX 77584

Supplieraaction mulch of texas, Inc.

Marsha Eisenman6697 Old Hwy 105 WConroe, TX 77304www .aactionmulch .comManufacturer, Distributor, Wholesaler

r e g i O N i i iLandscapeWeems tree & Landscape service

David L . Watkins427 Seagle StTyler, TX 75701www .weemstree .comGrounds Maintenance, Landscape Designer, Landscape Contractor

Suppliermarshall pottery, Inc. dba Deroma

Angela Lucas4901 Elysian Fields RdMarshall, TX 75672-5330Manufacturer, Distributor, Nursery/Garden Center, Mass Merchandiser

r e g i O N i VSuppliermetro Lawn

Sam Fox15384 S Hwy 121Trenton, TX 75490 www .gogreenmetrolawn .com

r e g i O N VEducatormelissa Cockerham

Brownwood High School2100 SlaydenBrownwood, TX 76801

Studentsuzanna Greer

Tarrant County CollegePO Box 171446Arlington, TX 76003Education/Research/Student

r e g i O N V iRetailWillow Creek Gardens, Inc.

Adam Andrews1820 So Treadaway BlvdAbilene, TX 79602Grounds Maintenance, Landscape Designer, Nursery/Garden Center

r e g i O N V i iGrowermurray Farms

Ronna MurrayPO Box 1472Los Fresnos, TX 78566www .murraypalms .comTrees

r e g i O N V i i iGovernment EmployeeLuke Behrens

City Of Killeen1700 E Stan Schlueter LoopKilleen, TX 76542

peter J. VentoCity Of Killeen1700 E Stan Schlueter LoopKilleen, TX 76542www .ci .killeen .tx .us

Landscapepinnacle Landscapes, LLC

Tangela BaileyPO Box 341557Austin, TX 78734www .pinnaclelandscapesllc .comGrounds Maintenance, Hydroseeding, Irrigation, Landscape, Landscape, Contractor

RetailCentex Landscaping, LLC

Michael Padilla2300 Leon #103Austin, TX 78705www .centexlandscaping .com

StudentFrank Cottrell

University of Texas at Austin1007 S Congress Ave #816Austin, TX 78704Education/Research/Student

Suppliermicrobial earth

Patrick Van Haren405 Academy DrAustin, TX 78704www .microbialearth .comManufacturer, Distributor, Wholesaler

O u T O f s TaT eGrowerexcelsa Gardens

Mark Friedrich12839 25th St NLoxahatchee, FL 33470-4724www .excelsagardens .comGreenhouse Grower, Trees, Tropicals

Suppliershanghai Horticulture Direct supply Ltd.

Peter FuRm 501 Bldg 28 #111 Pingyang RdMinhang, Shanghai, 201102China

Garden elementsMike Ritter8558 E Vista Bonita DrScottsdale, AZ 85255www .gardenelements .netAllied Supplier, Distributor

Keyplex proKevin Meredith, C .S .F .M .PO Box 2515Winter Park, FL 32790-2515www .keyplex .comManufacturer

sure Green productsKevin Breshears221 N Main AvePortales, NM 88130www .suregreenproducts .com

Fiore stone - manufacturers of al’s Garden art

Rich Hanly311 W CitrusColton, CA 92324www .alsgardenart .comAllied Supplier, Manufacturer

Welcome TNLA would like to welcome its new members. if you would like to become a member, or if you have any questions or concerns about your current membership, please contact us at 800.880.0343. visit www.tnlaonline.org to learn about the benefits of becoming a part of TNLA.

new members

for more information contact:Texas nursery & landscape association

7730 South IH-35 • Austin, TX 78745-6698800.880.0343 • Fax: 512.280.3012

[email protected] • www.tnlaonline.org

e N T r y D e a D l i N e : N O V e M B e r 1 , 2 0 1 0

recognizing excellence in design and environmental improvement


T N l a g r e e N

Calendar

September 2010 6 Tnla offices closed.

15 2010 employee compensation report survey due.

16–17 advanced horticultural studies short course on herbaceous Perennials, mcKinney.

17 water webinar series - biology of waterborne Pathogens. register at www.watereducationalliance.org.

22–24 31st annual Texas Tree conference in college station.

24–31 state fair of Texas in dallas.

OCtOber 2010 1–17 state fair of Texas in dallas.

27 2010 east Texas nursery and greenhouse conference.

nOVember 2010 1 Teil entry deadline. download application at www.tnlaonline.org.

2 election day.

17 water webinar series - ecological approaches to water Treatment. register at www.watereducationalliance.org.

JAnUArY 2011 11 82nd Texas state legislative session begins.

11–15 sports Turf managers association’s 22nd annual conference & exhibition, austin.

14–15 Tnla management workshop in fort worth.

20 water webinar series - nutritional aspects of water Quality. register at www.watereducationalliance.org.

25–26 anla masters in landscape business management class of 2013 starts in louisville, Ky.

for an up-to-date calendar of events, go to www.tnlaonline.org.

september region meeting schedule

regiON iSan Antonio Area

Tuesday, sept 14 at grady’s bar-b-Q in san antonio

regiON iiHouston Area

no september meeting

regiON iiieast texas

Thursday, sept 9 at Trees usa

regiON iVDallas Area

Tuesday, sept 21 at living earth in dallas

regiON Vnorth Central texas

Tuesday, sept 21at Pavestone in grapevine

regiON ViWest texas

Tuesday, sept 28 at Tg Trees

regiON ViiSouth texas

no september meeting

regiON ViiiCentral texas

Tuesday, sept 14 at austin children’s shelter in austin

For meeting times and additional information, please visit your

regional homepage by clicking on your region above.

Arborbrace Staking Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32BWI Companies, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Deep Fork Tree Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Dig Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Ewing Irrigation Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28FX Luminaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Garden-Ville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Hotchkiss Insurance Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Irrigation Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Kinney Bonded Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Living Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4New Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16OHP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Propane Council of Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Submatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Summit Plastic Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Texas Mutual Insurance Company . . . . . . . . . . . .38

A d V e r t I S e r S I N d e X

Download media kit or email: [email protected]

Prepared by Texas Certified Nursery Professionals

Filled with info for the perfect Texas landscape.•Over350Plants

•Waterwise Landscaping

•Howtofinda CertifiedProfessional

•Annuals,Perennials, and More

To order visit www.tnlaonline.org or call 800-880-0343.

tnla green - september 2010

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