progrownews summer 2015

Fall 2015 www.mnla.com

pro grow news

Pollinators Part 2

Bountiful Birches

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Introducing...

5 President’s Message

6 Committee Reports

22 Business Focus

24 Safety Sense

29 Marketplace/Ad Index

30 My Favorite Plant

On the cover — A birch forest makes a natural habitat for a variety of interesting birds.

8 A Centennial Celebration— Passing on the Dream

10 Bountiful Birches

12 Pollinators in the Landscape Part 2

16 Healthy Lawns — Healthy Water

18 Tour de Fleur

20 New England GROWS Announces Schedule Departments

pro grow news Fall 2015

contents Features

Fall|2015 3|

EDUCATION & RESEARCH COMMITTEE Kathy Bergmann, MCH — Chair Bergmann Construction Tel: (508) 533-3831

Tim Hay, MCH — Vice Chair Bigelow Nurseries, Inc. Tel: (508) 845-2143

FINANCIAL COMMITTEE (FINCOM) Steve Corrigan, MCH — Chair

Mountain View Landscapes & Lawncare, Inc. Tel: (413) 536-7555

Chuck Baker, MCH — Vice Chair Strictly Pruning Tel: (508) 429-7189

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE Chris O’Brien, MCH — Chair

Howard Designs, Inc. Tel: (617) 244-7269

HISTORY COMMITTEE Philip Boucher, MCH — Chair Elysian Garden Designs Tel: (508) 695-9630

Skott Rebello, MCH — Vice Chair Harborside P.S. Tel: (508) 994-9208

MAGAZINE COMMITTEE Walter Swift, MCH — Chair

Swift’s Creative Landscape, Inc. Tel: (508) 478-3768

Gaele McCully, MCLP — Vice Chair Mahoney’s Garden Center Tel: (781) 729-5900

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Rene Fontaine, MCH — Chair

New England Botanicals, Inc. Tel: (508) 962-1064

David Ahronian, MCH — Vice Chair Ahronian Landscape & Design, Inc. Tel: (508) 429-3844

MASSACHUSETTS CERTIFIED HORTICULTURIST BOARD (MCH)

Cheryl Salatino, MCH — Chair Dancing Shadows Garden Designs Tel: (978) 460-2180

Jack Elicone, MCH — Vice Chair J.A. Crowdle Corporation Tel: (617) 527-5706

PRODUCTS COMMITTEE Mark Ahronian, MCH — Chair

Ahronian Landscaping & Design, Inc. Tel: (508) 429-3844

Peter Mezitt, MCH — Vice Chair Weston Nurseries, Inc. Tel: (508) 435-3414

PRESIDENT Tim Lomasney One Source Horticulture Tel: (978) 470-1934

VICE PRESIDENT Jim Stucchi, MCH Ahronian Landscape and Design, Inc. Tel: (508) 429-3844

SECRETARY/TREASURER Tim Hay, MCH

Bigelow Nurseries, Inc. Tel: (508) 845-2143

PAST PRESIDENT Mary Jesch Cornucopia Gardeners Tel: (508) 879-1822

DIRECTORS Chris O’Brien, MCH Howard Designs, Inc.

Kerry Preston, MCH Wisteria & Rose, Inc.

Peter Mezitt, MCH Weston Nurseries, Inc.

David Vetelino, MCH Vetelino Landscape, Inc. Jean Dooley, MCH Mahoney Garden Centers

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR Henry Gillet Tel: (508) 567-6288

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Rena M. Sumner Tel: (413) 369-4731 Fax: (413) 369-4962

pro grow news Summer 2015

board committees

pro grow newsProGrowNews is published quarterly by the Massachusetts Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA), P.O. Box 387, Conway, MA 01341, tel. (413) 369-4731. Articles do not necessarily reflect the view or position of MNLA. Editorial cover-age or permission to advertise does not constitute endorsement of the company covered or of an advertiser’s products or services, nor does ProGrowNews make any claims or guarantees as to the accuracy or validity of the advertiser’s offer. (c) 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in print or electronically without the express written permission of the MNLA.

Massachusetts Nursery & Landscape AssociationP.O. Box 387Conway, MA 01341mnlaoffice@aol.comwww.mnla.comwww.PlantSomethingMA.orgwww.mnlafoundation.org

The Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association, Inc. is proud to be a foundingpartner of New England Grows.

DIRECTOR Michelle Harvey, MCH

Lakeview Nurseries Tel: (978) 342-3770

EDUCATION COMMITTEE Kathy Bergmann, MCH

Bergmann Construction Tel: (508) 533-3831

Tim Hay, MCH Bigelow Nurseries, Inc. Tel: (508) 845-2143

www.mnla.com pro|grow|news| 4

Like the housepainter with flaking shingles, I am the horticul-tural professional with plant beds full of weeds and plants in

desperate need of pruning and deadheading. The never-ending schedule for my son’s successful summer baseball team and other family fun left little time to work in my yard, but the hard work and thoughtful choices of plants in years past still provide a beautiful display of color, form, and foliage.

My yard is an example of the good investment plants and landscaping prove to be. A maturing landscape looks better every year with little maintenance if the correct choices are made in the beginning. The knowledge professionals in our field can give to customers at retail or during a professional installa-tion will result in satisfaction for years to come.

Why didn’t I get my yard in order during spring? That’s where the painter analogy comes in. Painters make their money in a shortened season, depending on the weather, but they’ve got it easy compared to nursery and landscape professionals. With the late snow melt in 2015, spring was compressed, and we were all off to a very late start. However, once the weather cooperated, it really cooperated. Almost every week, the major-ity of my retail customers told me they’d had a great weekend of sales. From wholesale customers and contractors, I saw the activity of an endless availability of work.

Our success and productivity are tied to the weather as much as they are to the financial climate we’re enduring, and the signs that the economy is steadily improving are now obvi-ous. Combined with the excellent weather, spring was a great success in 2015.

The spring and summer season has been a time of great suc-cess for MNLA’s busy committees as well.

• The Government Relations Committee is working with our government representatives on a number of important issues. Nutrient regulations, water-use restrictions, even a potential wind turbine bill are being closely watched, and they are following what is being done in pollinator stewardship programs both locally and nationally. Labor and immigration issues and land use regulations are always on their radar. If any of those are hot topics for you, ask to attend a meeting, and get involved.

• The Education Committee is celebrating two successful events, and I want to thank the committee and Rena for their hard work. Tour de Fleur in June had a busload of members and enthusiasts visiting five beautiful garden centers south of Boston. We will be announcing next year’s venues soon, so watch for information to reserve a seat for 2016. Down to Earth, the annual Summer Conference cosponsored by MNLA and MFGA, was a great success again. More than 500 attendees participat-ed in top-notch educational sessions, demonstrations, and vendor visits, along with great food and network-ing. The Topsfield Fairgrounds was a perfect venue for all we had going on.

• The MNLA Foundation again ran a fun and successful fundraiser at Summer Conference to benefit our schol-arship funds.

• The Products Committee should be commended for their hard work over the past few years, which has resulted in the highest sales volume YTD in many years.

• The History Committee and Finance Committee are working productively behind the scenes.

• The Membership Committee and the MCH Committee have short term projects they continue to make progress on.

The New England Grows Board, including MNLA represen-tative Michelle Harvey, has worked hard to build what looks to be a world-class event — scheduled in December for the first time. Headed by keynote Dr. Michael Dirr, the educational pro-grams will be stronger than those offered at any other industry event. With the new schedule, additional vendors have pur-chased floor space, and the show should have a new vibe and a better chance of avoiding weather-related issues. Don’t miss this event on December 2 – 4, 2015.

Take time to enjoy what your yard and garden can give back to you. It’s a great way to relax and recharge for the busy fall season.

Timothy Lomasney, One Source HorticultureMNLA President

By Timothy Lomasney

Something for Everyone

President’s Message

Fall|20155|

http://www.kandsassoc.com

Certifiable: MCH News Corner

The committee has unveiled a new MCH brochure designed to help your custom-

ers better understand your MCH credential. Once you’ve downloaded it from MNLA.com, you can add your logo to the document. A link with instruc-tions has been sent to all MCHs who have provided their email address. If you have not received the link, please send an email to the MNLA office ([email protected]).

Impressive! Congratulations to the newest MCHs who rose to the challenge. It certainly pays to study!

Christopher Clark, Nick’s Tree Service, AbingtonLaura Craig-Comin, Merrifield Garden Design, NatickDouglas Field, Ahronian Landscape & Design, HollistonJessi Flynn, MA, DCR, BostonMorgan Gasperini, Ward’s Nursery, Great BarringtonSophie Gianniotis, Parterre Garden Services, CambridgeShannon Gojanovich, Cavicchio Greenhouses, SudburyBryan Hamilton, Parterre Garden Services, ChathamAshley Hill, Wolf Hill Garden Center, IpswichVictoria Hiney, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, BostonDustin Johnson, Wilkinson Ecological Design, OrleansEllen Parker Menounos, Phil Mastroianni Corp, WalthamSusan Opton, Terrascapes, NeedhamBrendan Pearson, Foxboro Country Club, WalpoleMichael Pistninzi, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, Boston

2015 Recertification PointsYou’ll find opportunities to get your remaining 2015 recertifi-cation points in many places before year-end. Look for these:

• New England Grows. Earn two points for attend-ing the educational workshops and an additional point for achieving a successful score on the Plant ID Challenge.

• Plant for Success. One point is available for a com-pleted article with a jpeg photo. These MUST be submitted electronically at MNLA.com. Watch your email for event messages from MNLA, and look at the Event page on the website for opportunities to learn and earn.

Questions? Email Cheryl Salatino at [email protected]. Please put MCH in the message subject.

Cheryl Salatino, MCH, Dancing Shadows Garden Designs Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist (MCH) Board Chair


MNLA CommitteesMNLA Committees

Summertime MeansSummer Conference

So there I was, enjoying Summer Conference at a picnic table at the

Topsfield Fair Grounds, having a great chat with people I know very well and a few I don’t know well at all, consuming an amazing lunch of clams, corn, watermelon, and lobster. Yes, lobster!

Outside, it was a perfect July day: lots of sun, but not too hot and not at all muggy. MNLA, MCH, and MFGA mem-bers sat on the grass catching up with friends.

There were beautiful plant exhibits. My personal favorites were the amazing annuals brought by John Forti and David Fiske of MassHort from the trial gardens at Elm Bank. I must admit I’ve never been a great fan of annuals (what’s that com-ment about friends not letting friends grow them?), although I did adore working in those gardens once upon a time. Perhaps I’ll reconsider.

There were some wonderful speakers discussing truly timely topics. A number of people approached me after those talks to suggest we send some of those speakers on to New England Grows, an idea we will certainly consider. I’d love to see a round-table discussion again with Karen Howard, Kerry Preston, and Deb Trickett — and not just because I intro-duced them. They are three talented, smart ladies willing to share some great ideas and comfortable working together.

I’ve been to the Topsfield Fair a few times, but would never have thought of it as a venue for Summer Conference had it not been for Education Committee member Gene Demsey. Thanks also to all the people who introduced speakers, helped at the sign-in tables, and ran the wonderful MCH Plant ID area. Special thanks to our amazing Education Committee members.

Of all our get-togethers across the year, Summer Conference has always been my favorite. Late July gives us all the chance to take a day, relax and unwind with friends, pick up some new ideas, learn, and grow.

And speaking of new ideas, please, get in touch with us with your ideas for future speakers and venues, as well as thoughts pro and con about this conference. We’d really like to hear from you. And don’t forget to suggest lobster for lunch.

Kathy Bergmann, MCH, Bergmann ConstructionEducation Committee Chair

Fall|2015 7|

New England GROWSContinues to Amaze

I wouldn’t think of missing of New England GROWS and I thought I’d tell

you why. What’s in it for me? Simply put, the opportunity to be seen and heard by all of our major vendors is one of the big-gest needs of my small business. I have to be more and more creative in how I find new trends, suppliers, and information.

Gone are the days of choosing a vendor from a cold call, a printed catalogue, or even a website. I want to know those I’m buying from and I want them to know and hear from me. By connecting and catching up with my suppliers during the three days of the show, I’m able to establish a year-round working relationship. GROWS offers me a captive audience of like-minded buyers and suppliers. It is an efficient way to get the most out of my time and my dollar.

An ALL ACCESS pass provides me with the opportunity to earn pesticide, MCLP, and MCH CEU credits, as well as access to more than 30 cutting-edge educational seminars and rapid-fire Sprint Sessions on the expo floor. The return on my investment in a GROWS registration is simply phenomenal.

Each year, I am amazed by the knowledge, inspiration, and dedication to our industry that I encounter on the trade-show floor. The best of our industry is also highlighted by our passion for education. Industry leaders like Dr. Michael Dirr (A Cornucopia of New Flowering Trees & Shrubs and In Praise of Noble Trees) and visionaries like Kate Kennen (Phyto Landscapes: Using Plants to Clean Up Polluted Water, Soil and Air) will draw thousands to educational seminars. GROWS reminds me of just how diverse, vibrant, and thriv-ing our industry is and, after 23 years, the show continues to innovate and educate.

Where else can you connect with more than 10,000 fellow industry professionals? You can’t match the GROWS experi-ence anywhere else, and it’s right here in our own backyard. Registration is open; the earlier you sign up, the more you save.

See you at GROWS!

Michelle Harvey, MCH, Lakeview NurseriesVice President New England Grows

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A Centennial Celebration — Passing on the Dream

History Committee

By Philip Boucher, MCH

A late-day summer visit recently turned into an amazing stop in central Massachusetts. Walking

away from the busy road, plants, and peo-ple, I saw dozens of swallows and swifts wheeling through the air devouring insects in their near-liquid flight and flying away to nesting areas where young broods wait-ed. A mother red-shouldered hawk soared with two young offspring giving instructions on the art of the hunt. Then the warble of unseen birds could be heard in the woods not far away over the faint pulse of distant machinery.

Closer, the drone of forklifts loading or unloading had the rhythmic cadence of evening vespers set-tling onto the farm. Originally not chosen for its wildlife habitat, one has to believe that Palmer W. Bigelow would be proud of the hustle and bustle that results from the nursery’s success and further pleased with the careful steward-ship that safeguards the wildlife around the site. Since 1915, an interesting story has unfolded, and this picturesque location is just the beginning.

This is a story about family. It is a story about generational dreams propelled by hard work, faith, and maybe a little bit of luck. It is an American story of perseverance, forward think-ing, and not resting on success. As such, the Bigelow story depicts the human condition: Personal struggles, hard work,

love, more hard work, loss, and courage have allowed them to move forward inspirationally to embrace the dreams that move them today.

In the first fifty years, the vision and aspirations held by Palmer W. and “Bill” Bigelow took a form that set the founda-tion for a strong future for their nursery. What they imagined together — how a good nursery should be — established them as a brand. “Brand” was something unheard of in the ear-ly1960s, but their business philosophy, quality nursery stock, and horticultural knowledge created and supported just that.

When Pat Bigelow talks about the nursery, she never just talks about its longevity. She is proud to be part of a family that has continu-ously inhabited this land for conducting a business that grew nursery stock, but also raised their own produce, cut and stacked firewood, and enjoyed living as a family in dwell-ings inhabited by genera-tions. And that continues today.

It is about handprints in cement steps, secret hiding places from old, embracing nature at a young age, and being part of a family that worked the earth for a livelihood. Without say-

ing so, I believe she gets great strength from the deep roots this land provides for her. She has had this earth on her hands, on her boots, and on her mind for her entire life. Yet, she is never too far mentally from Northboro to mention her commitment to civic and commu-nity work, along with the educational outreach that to her is the hallmark of what the Bigelow family and the nursery are all about.


An early fleet of Bigelow Nursery trucks

Fall|2015 9|

Being a four-generation centennial business is a big deal anywhere. But as an agricultural concern, it is even more so. One hundred years ago, life and our world, even in rural America, was very different. Woodrow Wilson was president; World War I was in full swing in Europe; the passenger ship Lusitania sank with over 1,150 souls lost; Congress denied women the right to vote; Ford rolled off its one-millionth Model T; Einstein formulat-ed the Theory of Relativity; and ironically, Pluto was photographed for the very first time. So much has gone on since 1915; it is easy to see why a milestone such as 100 years is relevant in anyone’s history.

We have seen changes in science, pol-itics, everyday technologies, and certainly within our industry. New plants, growing methods, how we market ourselves, and to whom we sell, have even changed how we connect with each other. So a centen-nial celebration should not just focus on the past. There is much to celebrate in the present as well as the future of this family and this nursery. The dreams of 1915 are still unfinished, a work in progress — as all great dreams should be.

How these hopes, dreams, and tremendous efforts will be fulfilled is through leadership. Enter Pat Bigelow, who will supply the heart, the head, and the hand to move the fourth genera-tion into a successful future. Family and the land are paramount to her, and she understands well that the care of their land is a big part of their lasting legacy.

Please do not forget that she is also all business. Beyond her hand being on the wheel, her prism of pure enthusiasm for her nursery, family, and this industry is evident in all she

says and does. She has great vision and brings an inimitable sense of purpose to whatever she comes up against. Her fam-ily history is a window into the can-do capacity of those who work the land. Much like the mother red-shouldered hawk, her tutelage will resonate into the art of the hunt to the mem-bers of the next generation.

In 2015, Bigelow Nurseries celebrates a century of not just existing, but one of strength, resilience, and a feeling of a lasting heritage to be proud of. As we view this family story, we are invited to reflect on what they value, and we are captured by the spirit that drives their success. They are pleased with where they are in the industry and know well how they want to move forward with what has become a family institu-tion. Always with an eye out for change, they are guided by the same principles laid down over the previous 100 years.

Philip Boucher, MCH, Elysian Garden DesignMNLA History Committee Chair

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By Julie Zickefoose

I’ve always loved them. It started one late-summer day as our family drove north into New England for the first

time. Somewhere north of New York City, a green sign emblazoned “New England” hung over I-95. I looked up from the back seat and saw birches growing on a sheer rock face and was swept away by a wave of feeling for these things I’d never known: rinsed blue skies, huge rocks, and white-trunked trees.

One of my first watercolors was of birches — a badger com-ing out of a burrow under birches, which these grassland crea-tures wouldn’t do, but I didn’t know that when I was 13. I just knew I loved painting birches. I dug up inch-high seedlings from beneath the Mediterranean birches in a neighbor’s yard where I grew up, and nurtured them until we had a clump of three white-trunked beauties growing in our own front yard in Richmond, Virginia, where birches really shouldn’t be asked to grow. And I moved this penchant for birches to Ohio in 1992, yearning again for white-trunked trees where none naturally occur. I didn’t know then how integral the trees would become to our bird-centric yard; I just knew I loved birches

Those newsprint tabloid garden catalogues — the ones with miraculous fruit trees that bear apples, plums, and pears on one trunk, and plants that are supposed to repel mosquitoes, and hardy kiwi vines and noxious invasive trees given royal names — who wouldn’t want an Empress Tree? (Me.) That’s the kind of catalogue where I found “paper birches” advertised for little more than two dollars per tree. So when we bought our Ohio home in 1992, I ordered a dozen bare-root birches, tiny

whips that arrived on a cold November day bundled in a single cardboard tube.

Planted out, the work of a small trowel and less than an hour, they lived, and grew up to be gray birches, which was fine, since they still have a lovely white trunk when they grow up. Not as advertised, but for less than $30 for a yard full of trees, who’s arguing? The gray birch is the stalwart that springs up on disturbed soil all over New England. It’s a hardy colo-nizer, perfect for a blank-slate lawn in Ohio.

I’m writing this column in late September, typing at my desk with my head turned 90 degrees to the side, watchingthe birches. They’re 20 feet tall now, and two of the clumps have died, raising stark white arms to the blue autumn sky. I’ve planted two more clumps in response. The still-living trees are literally dripping with warblers: Tennessee, blackpoll, magnolia, American redstart, northern parula, Blackburnian, black-throated green. And that’s just today. Two Philadelphia vireos made their slower way through, as well. I type a half-sentence, raise the binoculars or camera, find and identify or photograph a bird, then type the rest of the thought. It’s hardly efficient, but it beats staring into a screen.

All these birds are moving along the birches’ tiny twigs, staring up at the undersurfaces of the leaves, picking aphids one by one. With each peck, a little shower of aphids falls. I see a young American redstart turn his head quickly, follow-ing their fall, wondering if he should flit down and catch them. He discards the thought and goes back to picking the banquet of aphids that remain. The yellowing leaves are covered with sticky aphid pee, the “honeydew” that attracts and feeds the ants that flow up and down the trunks in snaky brown lines. A

Bountiful BirchesBirches find their greatest strength when planted

to sustain birds as well as enjoy their beauty.

A tufted titmouse singing the praises of birch trees.

American goldfinch feeds on birch seeds. Gray birches are virtual goldfinch nurseries in late summer.

Fall|201511|

Cape May warbler flutters at the trunk, grabs a couple of ants, then retires to a nearby twig to rapidly pass them through his plumage. He pauses for a moment, fluffs his feathers, takes a few more swipes through wing and tail with the ants, then moves on. Each year we see more birds anting at the birch trunks: red-eyed vireos, scarlet tanagers, black-throated green warblers, Tennessees.

It all comes together in my head, this association be-tween birches and aphids, ants and warblers, and me. As in a cinematic pullback, I see our ridgetop, its golden birches standing out like beacons to a tired migrating warbler in the half-light of dawn. These boreal forest nesters know birches, know they’re laden with caterpillars in spring and summer and aphids and scale insects (and their associated ants) in fall. Without really knowing we were doing it, we laid out a banquet when we planted those tiny birch whips. And yet they offer even more.

I look up into the tops of the birches, which are trembling with the quivering wings of a pair of juvenile American gold-finches. They’re mobbing their mother for food. She’s eating birch seeds off the 1-inch cones as fast as she can, and regur-gitating them right back into her pleading young. Tee-dee. Tee-dee-dee. Tee-dee. Tee-dee-dee. Their wings, washed with warm cinnamon, wave like pinwheels as they beg. I think back to two Januarys ago, when the lone common redpoll that appeared that winter spurned the thistle feeder for the birches, which were still dispensing small but nutritious seeds well into April. I have only to look at the snow beneath each tree to see this bounty, quietly shed throughout the coldest months of winter. And I look at the neat rows of holes in their trunks, and know the yellow-bellied sapsuckers find what they want, as well.

I’m sure some landscapers would hesitate to recommend a species that’s highly susceptible to aphids and scale, to bronze birch borers — a tree that dies less than 20 years into its life. And yet in its weakness, the gray birch finds its greatest strength if you’re planting for birds. It just takes a paradigm shift in one’s thinking. I actually want infestations of aphids on my birches. That brings in the fall warblers. Spring loopers and caterpillars attract the parti-colored hordes to its pale emerald leaves. Viva insect pests!

And oddly enough, when the birches die, they afford some of the best perches and thus the best viewing for us. Mount-

Black-throated green warblers glean birch leaves for aphids in fall.

ing our 42-foot-tall birdwatching tower, we stare down into their dead tops, getting perfectly clear views of a kaleidoscope of warblers, vireos, finches, tanagers, and woodpeckers. Birch-es, being small trees, have the decency to die and deliquesce quietly in place, dropping bits and pieces directly beneath. We can plant them right up close to the house, without fear that they’ll get so big they’ll one day fall over and smash our roof or windows.

So many gifts from one slender tree, and I found the sweet-est gift of all a couple of years ago when I got the bright idea to hang baskets of impatiens, cuphea, and fuchsia for our hum-mingbirds from the birches’ limbs. I could move brilliant color around the yard in the dappled shade beneath the birches. All summer long, the well-watered hanging baskets flourished, and as summer waned, I found hundreds of small seedlings coming up in their peaty soil. Their paired, serrated leaves looked familiar — young birches, waiting to be potted and nurtured, then planted out, continuing a cycle, completing a circle. Chewed and frayed, bored through and beloved by every insect pest, birches give themselves up to the insects, and thus to birds we love most, those brilliant travelers bound north and south. I will always have birches now.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the January 2014 issue of Bird Watcher’s Digest. Reprinted with permission from the author. Visit juliezickefoose.blogspot.com.

About the Author Writer/artist Julie Zickefoose, author of Letters from Eden

and The Bluebird Effect, is a biologist, writer, artist, broadcaster, and naturalist. A featured speaker at the MNLA Summer Conference, she is a renowned authority on birds and an ad-vocate for creating a natural environment in which people and animals interact in a mutually sustaining manner.

All photos by Julie Zickefoose.

A red-headed woodpecker forages on a decaying birch trunk.

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www.mnla.com pro|grow|news

nectar. The amount of pollen that contacts and sticks to different insects varies, as does the amount of pollen produced by a flower. Some flowers have two types of pollen, one that is a food source and a second for pollination.

Nectar guides — areas of ultraviolet reflectance that can’t be seen by humans — are generally present on brightly colored flowers to help direct the pollinator towards the center of the flower and the pollen. Flowers that attract with scent are usually dull in color, relying on scent to attract pollinators. These plants are usually white to dull green or dark purple to dull red to brown. Night-blooming plants are pollinated by nocturnal pollinators such as moths and bats and are commonly strongly scented. Bees are generally more attracted to purple, blue, and yellow flow-ers, while birds and butterflies are attracted to red, orange, and yellow. Dull white, green, purple, and brown flowers are generally pollinated by flies, beetles, moths, and bats.

Mimicry can be used by plants to attract pollinators either by scent or by shape. Some flowers produce a scent similar

to rotten flesh in order to attract pollinators, especially flies, which visit these flowers to eat the rotting flesh or to lay their eggs near a food source. These pollinators will unintentionally pol-linate the flower while laying eggs or looking for food. Other flowers,

such as some orchid varieties, can mimic the shape of female insects and produce a scent similar to female pheromones. Males will visit the flower, attempting to mate with the female, and in the process pollinate the flower or transport pollen.

Entrapment uses a mix of pollination strategies to attract pollinators. Plants may use pools of fluid, closing flowers, or

Pollinators in the LandscapeBy Mandy Bayer

Diversifying your pollinator garden will help to attract a variety of pollinators throughout the year.

Plants and pollinators have evolved over time, adapting morphological features to ensure pollination (plants) and to better increase and harvest the supply of food sources (pollinators). Floral features such as shape, color, scent, nectar amount, pol-len amount, and nectar guides influence which plants pollina-tors are likely to visit.

Flower shapes influence the accessibility of nectar and pol-len, along with creating landing pads or perches. Long tubu-lar flowers can exclude insects that are not good pollinators. Pollinators with the ability to hover, such as hummingbirds, often visit long tubular flowers, while less graceful pollinators visit open- or bowl-shaped flowers. Bees pollinate shallow tubular flowers with landing plat-forms. Birds pollinate funnel- or cup-shaped flowers that have a strong perch support. Beetles often pollinate more open flowers, while butterflies visit narrow tubular flowers with landing pads. Flies pollinate shallow flowers that are funnel-like or flowers with floral features that trap the flies. Moths pollinate tubular flowers without a lip.

Floral features can also protect nectar from non-pollinat-ing insects by keeping nectar deep within the flower. This feature can also be a strategy for increasing pollen con-tact with pollinators. Pollinators such as flies and beetles that have other food sources visit flowers with little or no

Diversify the floral features in your garden to attract pollinators.

Honey bee on thistle

Halictid bee enjoys a peony’s bowl-

Hemerocallis spp. - daylily

Fritillary butterfly on milkweed

Fall|201513|

Pollinators in the Landscapemovement of one flower part in response to pollinator pres-ence on another part to trap the pollinator within the flower. This ensures that either the flower is pollinated or that the pollinator becomes covered in pollen when looking to escape.

The flowering of plants at different times of the year is also an evolutionary process enabling a plant to attract different pollinators or to attract pollinators during a time when there is less competition.

Lesser PollinatorsBees and butterflies receive much attention regarding pol-

lination and pollinator health, but there are also a number of less prominent pollinators that are important to pollination.

Flies may have been the first pollinator, and are second to bees in terms of increasing flower diversity throughout evolution. Nectar is not the pri-mary food source for flies. Flowers with foul-scented flowers generally attract flies, which are often trapped or forced into the flower to ensure pollination. Some common flowers that use bad smells to attract flies and insects for pollination include Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit), Asimina (paw-paw), and Trillium erectum (red trillium). Although not grown in New England, Theobroma cacao (chocolate) is only pollinated by flies (specifi-cally tropical midges).

Beetles are another of the first pollinators, hav-ing pollinated some of the earliest angiosperms over 120 million years ago. Although beetle pollination is more common in tropical areas, there are a number of common temperate ornamental plants that are beetle pollinated. Flowers commonly visited by

Part 2beetles are generally more primitive and include white to green bowl-shaped flowers open dur-ing the day. Some of these plants that grow in New England include Magnolia, Asimina (paw-paw), Sassafras, and Calycanthus (sweetshrub). Many pond

lilies are also beetle pollinated. Beetles can be attracted by a variety of scents including spicy, sweet, or fermented. It is common for beetles to eat through petals and other flower parts in order to get to nectar, giving them the nickname of “mess and soil pollinators.” The sheer number of beetle spe-cies also makes them an important pollinator worldwide.

Other less com-mon pollinators include wasps, ants, moths, and birds. Bats are also com-mon pollinators for vari-ous cacti species in the southwestern US.

Mandy Bayer is Assistant Professor of Sustainable Landscape Horticulture at the UMass Amherst Stockbridge School of Agriculture.

hummingbird visits bee balm

Echinacea - coneflower

Helianthus – sunflower – open flowers

Calycanthus ‘Hartlage Wine’

ReferencesShepherd, M., S.L. Buchmann, M. Vaughan, and S. Hoffman Black. 2003. Pollinator Conservation Handbook. The Xerces Society. Portland, OR.

Committee on the Status of Pollinators in North America. 2007. Status of Pollinators in North America. The National Academies Press. Washington, D.C.

USDA Forest Service. Plant Pollinator Strategies. www.fs.fed.us/wild-flowers/pollinators/Plant_Strategies/index.shtml

USDA Forest Service. Pollinators. www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollina-tors/animals/


Late Summer to Fall Blooming Plants for Pollinators

Scientific Common Flower Color Bloom Time Size Native Aster spp. Aster Pink, blue, purple,

white August - October 1 - 4’

Caryopteris x clandonensis

Bluebeard Blue, purple, lavender

July - September 1.5 - 4’

Chelone spp. Turtlehead White, pink August - October 2 - 4’ * Chrysanthemum cultivars

Red, pink, purple, white, bronze, green, orange, yellow

September - frost 1.5 - 2’

Clematis terniflora

Sweet autumn Clematis

White August - September

15 - 30’

Eutrochium spp. Joe Pye weed Pink, purple July - September 3 - 7’ Some Helenium autumnale and cultivars

Sneezeweed Yellow, orange August - October 2 - 5’ *

Helianthus Sunflower Yellow, orange, red July - August 3 - 10’ * Heliopsis helianthoides and cultivars

False sunflower

Yellow June - September 3 - 6’ *

Monarda didyma Bee balm Red, pink, lavender July - August 1 - 4’ * Perovskia altriplicifolia

Russian sage Purple July - September 1.5 - 5’

Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii

Black-eyed Susan

Yellow June - September 2 - 3’ *

Sedum spp. Stonecrop Pink, red, yellow, white

August - September

.5 - 1’

Solidago Goldenrod yellow July - September 1 - 5’ * Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

New England aster

Purple August - September

3 - 6’ *

Late Summer to Fall Blooming Plants for Pollinators

Floral Traits for Attracting Pollinators*

Flower Shape Color Scent Nectar Guide

Nectar

Bees Shallow, landing platform White, yellow, blue, purple

Fresh * Limited, often sticky

Butterflies Narrow tubular, landing pad Red, orange, yellow, purple

Fresh * Deeply hidden

Birds Funnel or cup-‐ shaped with perch

Red, orange, yellow, white

None Deeply hidden

Beetles Open, bowl-‐shaped White or dull green

Spicy, sweet, or fermented

Not hidden when available

Flies Shallow or flowers with trapping features

Dull brown or purple

Foul Absent

Moths Tubular Dull green or brown

Sweet; at night

None

* adapted from http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/What_is_Pollination/syndromes.shtml

Floral Traits for Attracting Pollinators*

15|110 Codjer Lane, Sudbury, MA 01776 978.443.7177 www.cavicchio.com

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By Hotze Wijnja, Ph.D.

A lush green lawn is a desirable ele-

ment in the American urban and suburban landscape, and the application of fertil-izers and other plant nutrient materials is an important aspect of maintaining this desirable landscape ele-ment. However, concerns about the envi-ronmental impacts related to nutrient loss from turf have been in the spotlight for some time. Excessive or improper use of plant nutrient materials has been linked to adverse impacts to surface water quality, including algal blooms. Phosphorus has been identified as the primary nutrient of concern in fresh

waters, while nitrogen is of concern for impacts to coastal waters and drinking water resources.

Advances in turf grass science and environmental science brought attention

to the need to revise fertilizer recommen-dations. Until recently, practices relied on decades-old fertilizer recommendations based on a set schedule of applications rather than being based on fertility needs. In addition, the composition of fertilizer products did not necessarily match over-all turf grass needs. This greatly increased the chance for over-application.

Regulatory Efforts Legislative efforts to address the envi-

ronmental impacts from the applications of plant nutrients to agricultural as well as non-agricultural land resulted in the Act Relative to the Regulation of Plant Nutrients that passed in 2012. The Act directed the Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) to develop regula-tions to ensure that plant nutrients are

applied in an effec-tive manner to provide sufficient nutrients for main-taining healthy plant growth, while mini-mizing the impacts of nutrients on water resources. The Act and regulations (330 CMR 31.00) establish standards for the applications of plant nutrients. In addition to the state-wide regula-tions, communities

on Cape Cod and the islands have opted to develop their own ordinances.

Impact and RequirementsIn general, these regulations impact

anyone who applies fertilizer and other plant nutrient materials to both agricul-tural and non-agricultural land, including lawns and turf. Homeowners and profes-sionals are required to follow applica-tion restrictions, use best management practices (BMPs) when applying plant nutrients, and follow UMass Extensions Guidelines for application rates when applying plant nutrients to turf and lawns. The use of plant nutrients in other landscaped areas, such as ornamentals and vegetable gardens, is not subject to these regulations.

Turf grass science indicates that most soils in Massachusetts do not need additional phosphorus for healthy turf growth. Therefore, the application of phosphorus-containing fertilizer may only be applied when a soil test indicates that it is needed or when a lawn is being established, patched, or renovated. Plant nutrient amounts that may be applied, including phosphorus and nitrogen, are not to exceed UMass Guidelines for plant nutrient application rates to turf.

Additional provisions intended to reduce nutrient runoff include:

1. The requirement to remove plant nutrient materials from sidewalks or other impervious surfaces

2. Application restrictions related to season (winter prohibition), soil conditions such as frozen, snow-covered, saturated, or flood-prone soils

3. Application setbacks from waterways and regulated drinking water supply areas.

Concerns about the environmental impact of plant nutrient materials have led to new regulations, but here’s help from UMass Extension.

Healthy Lawns — Healthy Water

Fall|2015 17|

The application of organic sources, such as natural organic fertilizer and compost, provide various benefits for turf, including plant nutrients. However, the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen applied with these materials must be accounted for as part of proper nutrient bookkeeping. The amount of phospho-rus applied with organic sources shall not exceed the maintenance phosphorus rates for turf as specified in the UMass Guidelines.

As recommended in BMPs and other professional guidance, a soil test is the best guide for fertilization, particularly for phosphorus on turf. Soil tests can be obtained from UMass Extension Soil Testing Lab or a laboratory using meth-ods and procedures recommended by UMass. A soil test is valid for three years.

As part of professional record keeping, the regulations require applicators to record information related to plant nutrient appli-cations, including site location and size, soil test results, date of application, and type and amount of plant nutrients applied.

Outreach and Education

Outreach at the point-of-sale is an important way to inform consumers. Retailers who sell phosphorus-con-taining fertilizer are required to display phosphorus-contain-ing fertilizer prod-ucts separately from non-phosphorus fertilizer products and post a sign dis-

playing language informing the consumer about phosphorus-containing fertilizer restrictions for turf.

MDAR is currently focused on efforts to provide outreach and education as part of the implementation of these regula-tions. MDAR Commissioner John Lebeaux explains: “Once the program is rolled out and applicators begin to gain real-world

experience with the regulations, MDAR staff will work with the regulated com-munity to identify any problematic issues and seek the best solutions to them. MDAR’s goal is to help plant nutrient applicators understand the requirements so they can make the necessary plans to best integrate them into their operations.”

With an increased attention to proper plant nutrient management, we all can continue to enjoy lush healthy lawns and healthy waters in the Commonwealth.

For further information, please visit www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/agr/pesti-cides/plant-nutrient-management.html.

Hotze Wijnja, Ph.D., is the environmental chemist in the Division of Crop and Pest Services of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

All photos courtesy MDAR

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/agr/pesticides/plant-nutrient-management.html

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/agr/pesticides/plant-nutrient-management.html

By Tim Lomasney

MNLA’s annual Tour de Fleur on Wednesday, June 17th, took a busload of members and guests to five

garden centers south of Boston.

Tour de Fleur 2015

This year’s Tour de Fleur featured five impressive garden center operationsKennedy’s Country Garden, Scituate

Seoane Nursery and Landscape, Abington

Tomasi Nursery, Pembroke

Lovell’s Nursery, Medfield

Thayer Nursery, Milton

At Seoane Nursery and Landscape in Abington, we were greeted by Lou and Jane Seone and their staff. An impressive garden center with a huge inventory, landscape construction is also a significant piece of their business. Some of their impres-sive construction and maintenance work can be seen at Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham and Legacy Place in Dedham.

At Kennedy’s Country Garden in Scituate, we were greeted by MNLA past-presidents, Bob Kennedy and Chris Kennedy, who runs the garden center and landscape design company his father started more than 50 years ago. Kennedy’s is situated on an inlet with beautiful views of the ocean. A bountiful lunch was offered thanks to Kennedy’s and lunch sponsor Smart Tank.

Next, we visited Tomasi Nursery in Pembroke. Steven Tomasi and staff provided a tour of their sprawling nursery and some history of their retail and commercial landscape operations. Their facility was designed in the 1980s by noted architect Ernest Wertheim. Tomasi’s is an impressive operation from retail to their landscape operations offices.

At the first stop, Lovell’s Nursery in Medfield, George and LaVerne Lovell along with manager Mike Kelley greeted us warmly and took us on a tour of their retail garden center, florist, wholesale nursery, and gift shop. Lovell’s has been in business for almost 50 years, and it’s an exceptionally clean and well-organized garden center that is a wonderful place to shop. A homemade breakfast was much appreciated.

| 18 www.mnla.com pro|grow|news

Thayer Nursery in Milton was our final stop. Maggie and Josh Oldfield run this second-generation garden center and landscape construction operation located off the beaten path. Thayer’s has much to offer in a quiet, peaceful setting with tree-canopied nursery sales areas and restored barns as hardline showrooms.

There are many takeaways from a day touring quality gar-den centers like these. Think about joining us on our next tour in June of 2016.

Timothy Lomasney, K & S AssociatesMNLA President

800-347-4272www.JohnDeereLandscapes.com

We know you work hard.Let us work harder.

Lean on us for some of your business demands - we know we can work harder for you. This is why we’ve implemented the Partners Program and Business Solutions, and the Px3 Maintenance Package.

Px3 helps you with the planning process by providing customized bids for each project. We can accurately estimate the square footage of any property.

Customers who join our Partners Program earn points on every John Deere Landscapes purchase and redeem those points at an online store, for various industry events, or for cash on account. Program members are also eligible for our Business Solutions, which can help reduce your day-to-day business expenses.

Please contact your local branch to learn more about these opportunities. We are eager to help you with as many of your business challenges as possible!

Fall|2015 19|


New England GROWS

New England GROWS is moving to the week immediately following Thanksgiving: December 2 - 4, 2015. The new

dates will be here before you know it, so be sure to mark your calendar — you definitely don’t want to miss this great indus-try event!

“After 23 years of growth, we are setting the stage for even greater success,” says Rich Clark, owner of Clark Farms in Wakefield, RI and president of New England GROWS. “We listened to our participants: They want to attend the show earlier in their planning cycle. Logistically, early December is a better time of year from both a weather and workload stand-point. Set your expectations high, because we’re planning a better GROWS experience than ever before.”

EducationThe December 2015 GROWS conference will offer many

new ideas and emerging trends for the upcoming season, giv-ing MNLA members a head start on learning, planning, and buying.

Here, Tim Hay, MCH, and Katherine Bergmann, MCH, who are MNLA’s representatives on the GROWS education committee, and Michelle Harvey, MCH, vice president of New England GROWS, highlight some speakers of special interest to landscape and nursery professionals.

Michael Dirr, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of GeorgiaA Cornucopia of New Flowering Trees and Shrubs: Selection, Use and Culture and In Praise of Noble Trees“Dr. Michael Dirr is a legend in the horticultural world and has tre-mendous energy for teaching about plants, writing about plants, and especially for growing plants. Be sure to catch both of his sessions.” K. Bergmann, MCH

Mark Dwyer, Rotary Botanical Gardens2016! New Annuals & Perennials for the New England Landscape“This session is the ideal place to get inspired for future projects and to fall in love with a new must-have plant. See them debuted here in time to place orders for spring 2016.” T Hay, MCH

Kate Kennen, RLA, Offshoots Productive LandscapesPhyto Landscapes: Using Plants to Clean Up Polluted Water, Soil and Air“Our industry really can save the planet. Kate’s current research and teaching con-centrates on planting design and applied phytotechnologies that utilize plants to clean up contaminated sites. Attend her seminar and go beyond the research as she presents project sites where Offshoots has already proven that phyto landscaping works.” M. Harvey, MCH

Rick Darke, Rick Darke LLCPlanting Choices for the Living Landscape and The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Diversity.“These sessions are your chance to imbibe the spirit, learn the reasons behind, and grow to a new understanding of living landscapes. If you thrive on looking at things differently and see plants for both their beauty and pur-pose, you definitely want to be here.” T. Hay, MCH

Anne Obarski, Merchandise ConceptsThe X Factor of Modern Customer Service and Clues to Creating a Strong Team: Perspectives from an Undercover Boss“Be able to immediately put this informa-tion to work in your business. You’ll ‘get’ what she is saying, and it really can make a difference in your company.” M. Harvey, MCH

GROWS offers top-notch education, exciting exhibits, and powerful networking.

Fall|201521|

More Outstanding Seminars and Speakers • Gordon Hayward, Hayward Garden Design, on Stone

in the Garden.• Page Dickey, author/designer, on Self Seeding in the

Garden• Heather Heimarck, Gregory Lombardi Design, Inc.

and The Boston Architectural College, on Water Conservation: Landscape Design Strategies

• Darryl Beckman, Beckman Ogozalek Paglione Londar, on Snow & Ice Management: Contracts, Litigation and Liability.

• Deborah Picking, Ph.D., UMass Amherst, on Understanding the Importance of Soil pH

• Victoria Wallace, University of Connecticut, on Turfgrass Selection for Weed Resistance

• …and so much more!

ExpositionGet ready for big savings! With more than 500 of the indus-try’s leading suppliers on hand, the tradeshow floor will be jam-packed with the hottest new plants, equipment, technol-ogy, services, and more. This year, exhibitors will be offering generous show specials, and great deals will be made right on the show floor. You can check out the GROWS-only specials in advance via the GROWS Guide, website, and mobile app. Many more will be added leading up to the show.

Additional GROWS Highlights• Live hardscape demo and patio build• Live chainsaw skills demos and competitions • Spanish language offerings from the National

Hispanic Landscape Alliance• MA Hoisting License recertification classes• Essentials of Plant ID course and contest• Rapid-fire education via Sprint Sessions and demos• Women in Horticulture Luncheon• Electrical Hazard Awareness Program (EHAP) with

Dr. John Ball

Sign Up for GROWS NowThere are two registration options, and fees start as low as $29 for all three days of the trade show. Watch for special offers via email and remember: The sooner you sign up, the more you save. Go to NewEnglandGrows.org to register.

GROWS offers top-notch education, exciting exhibits, and powerful networking.

NEW!Hardscape Experience at GROWSHardscape is one of the fastest growing segments of today’s land-scape industry. New trends, products, equipment, technology and accessories hit the market on a seemingly daily basis.

The popular Live Patio Build will be comple-mented by new learning opportunities including hands-on instruction from hardscape guru Bill Gardocki, as well as practical advice from leading experts ready to provide everything you need to know about this burgeoning — and profitable — part of our industry.

The Hardscape Experience at GROWS will be led by Bill Gardocki. Bill is the owner of Interstate Landscape Co., Inc. in New Hampshire and has been installing award-winning hardscapes for 40 years. He is an ICPI and NCMA Certification instructor and teaches the Landscape Construction course at the Thompson School at the University of New Hampshire.

Your support of New England GROWSsupports your association!

As a founding partner of New England GROWS, MNLA receives an educational grant each year from the proceeds of the show.

MNLA is grateful to Michelle Harvey, MCH, MNLA’s representative on the GROWS board. Special thanks to Tim Hay, MCH, and Katherine Bergmann, MCH, who serve on the New Eng-land GROWS education advisory committee.

Bill Gardocki provides instruction as UNH students install an intricate raised patio at GROWS.


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• Direct people to your website or blog

• Entice newsletter subscribers

• Promote an upcoming event

• Highlight a special offer or promotion

Check out Canva.com, a digital image creation tool for all of your social media accounts. The images are sized properly, easy to create, and very easy to download.

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Are You Making Cover Photo Faux Pas?

Business Focus

by Jeannine O’Neil

Are you properly using your social media cover photos to the best of your ability? When we read, our eyes go left to

right and top to bottom. Therefore, when we go to a business’ or blog’s social media page, our eyes are immediately drawn to this space first. As a social media page or profile owner, you should be using this space to build your brand identity and subtly interact with your audience.

Your cover photo should:

• Include a visual component of your brand identity, whether it is your logo, name, trademark, or image.

• Include your contact information, website link, and newsletter sign-up.

• Have a call to action — what is the next step for those who visit your page?

• Behind the image, otherwise known as the image description, include call-to-action text describing what you are directing them to do in your cover photo, for example, link to your website.

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Fall|2015 23|

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Severe weather is a threat on every jobsite. Since 2003, 49 states have come under severe thunderstorm watches

and 43 states have come under tornado watches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Lightning strikes and drowning during flooding — the two leading causes of storm-related deaths—occur in every state. To protect themselves, customers, and the public, land-scaping crews must secure jobsites and take shelter before severe weather, which can strike with little warning. A well-thought-out and regularly communicated plan of action is crucial, and management support and employee involvement are vital.

Employers’ and Supervisors’ Checklist• Know that you are responsible for securing jobsites for

the protection of employees, customers, the public and property. Failure to take precautions can result in loss of expensive assets, lawsuits, fines, license, and/or penal-ties.

• Review your insurance coverage to learn what is and isn’t protected from storm damage at jobsites.

• Be aware that federal OSHA’s General Duty Clause requires you to provide workplaces free from recognized hazards — including severe weather — likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

• Develop a storm emergency plan that addresses all emergency situations your company and employees could face. Under federal OSHA regulations, most firms with more than 10 employees must have a written emergency-action plan meeting requirements under 29 CFR 1910.38. The agency allows smaller companies to communicate their plans orally. For assistance creating general emergency-action plans, see OSHA’s Emergency

Action Plan Checklist• Include OSHA-advised components in severe-weather

emergency plans: information on conditions that will activate the plan; an outline of your chain of command; details on suitable places to take shelter or evacuation procedures and routes (floods and hurricanes); instruc-tions for securing materials, tools, and equipment in advance of storms; descriptions of conditions calling for suspension/resumption of work activities; methods for ensuring all personnel are accounted for; and proce-dures for addressing hazardous materials on the site.

• Review the plan with employees at least annually and whenever it’s updated. Employees should know the overall plan as well as their specific roles. Make learning the plan part of employee training.

• Give all employees a copy of the plan and make sure it’s available at all jobsites.

• Ensure jobsites are kept neat and clean all the time and store only a week’s supply of materials at each site.

• Assign storm safety areas for every jobsite and inform crew members. Both residential and commercial jobsites should have a basement or protected area where work-ers can take shelter, if permitted by the property owner. In the event this is not possible, workers threatened by lightning should take cover in a fully enclosed motor vehicle. If a tornado is possible, the American Red Cross advises driving to the closest sturdy shelter. Check with local officials on its location.

• Be aware of weather forecasts and appoint a crew member to be a weather watcher. The weather watcher should: • Review forecasts on the radio or through the Internet

(NOAA weather radios and smartphone applications are available). Monitor National Weather Service advisories, watches, and warnings.

• Know and follow your company’s storm-emergency plan.

Safety Sense

Storm Preparedness on the Jobsite

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25|Fall|2015All coverages are subject to the terms and conditions of the policy in the year of its issue. Products may vary by state. Certain products may not be available in all states. Property/casualty products offered by Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company and United Farm Family Insurance Company. Life products offered by Farm Family Life Insurance Company. Home Offices: Glenmont, New York.

Bob Sinopoli Great Barrington (413) 528-1710

Tim Viles South Deerfield (413) 665-8200

Chad Meyer Easthampton (413) 203-5180

Diane Mason-Arnold Southwick (413) 569-2307

Thomas Carroll Worcester (508) 752-3300

Richard Simonian Northborough (508) 393-9327

Don Ludwig Westford (978) 467-1001

Andrew BrodeurMiddleboro (508) 747-8181

Dale Johnson Topsfield (978) 887-8304

Francis Bingham Norwood (781) 255-2002

Kay Spencer Middleboro (508) 747-8181

Richard Blair Carver (508) 866-9150

Mark Sylvia Centerville (508) 957-2125 * Photo by Jennifer Gunn

Maureen O’Mara Williamstown (413) 458-5584

Mick Dolan Williamstown (413) 458-5584 Associate Agent

Steve Charette General AgentNorth Andover(978) 686-0170

Jeff Pichierri Northborough (508) 393-9327

Kevin Sullivan Northborough (508) 393-9327Associate Agent

Martin West Marlborough (508) 485-3800

Jason Charette North Andover (978) 208-4713

John Pagliaro Southwick (413) 569-2307

Dominic Sinopoli Great Barrington (413) 207-5044

Heather Montalvo Westford (978) 467-1001

Sean RooneyWilbraham (413) 887-8817

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• Keep a constant eye on the weather. Watch for dark clouds, increased wind, thunder, lightning, and heavy rainfall.

• Know that floodwaters can rise rapidly and light-ning can strike out of a sunny sky 10 miles or more from a storm. Many lightning casualties occur as a storm approaches or within 30 minutes after it has passed.

• Notify the crew leader of predicted weather haz-ards. The supervisor/crew leader should notify all employees on the jobsite.

• If the supervisor/crew leader is not on site, notify crew members when hazardous weather is immi-nent.

• Continue monitoring the weather and updat-ing management personnel so they can make an informed decision about when to resume work.

• Know when it is safe to allow crew members to resume work following a thunderstorm. Generally, this is 30 minutes after the last observed lightning or sound of thunder.


3

Hortus Humorous

27|Fall|2015

Employees Should:• Make sure you or another member of your crew is serv-

ing as a weather watcher at all times. Secure the job-site at the end of each day and, if it is safe to do so, in advance of storms.

• When instructed or when you determine it is necessary, move to a designated or appropriate storm safety area.

• Learn the warning signs of tornadoes. If a tornado warning is issued, go immediately to the storm safety area identified for the jobsite. If such shelter is not avail-able, get into a vehicle and drive to the closest sturdy shelter. Pull over and park if you encounter flying debris. Choose to (a) stay in the car and put your head below the windows, covering it with your arms, hands, and a blanket; or (b) exit the vehicle and lie in a level lower than the roadway, covering your head with your arms and hands.Move to higher ground as prescribed in the storm-emergency plan when instructed or when you think water levels could begin rising.

• Be prepared to evacuate when hurricane/tropical storm watches or warnings have been issued.

• Know that if you see lightning or hear thunder, you are in danger. Go to the safe place identified for the jobsite. The best shelter is a fully enclosed building with plumb-ing and wiring. Once inside this structure, stay away from windows, showers, sinks, bathtubs, and electric equipment such as stoves, radios, corded telephones, and computers. If such a building is not available, take cover in a fully enclosed motor vehicle. Once inside, completely close windows, do not touch metal frame-work, turn off the radio, and do not use your cell phone or other electronic devices.

Employees Should Not:• Take shelter in carports, open garages, covered patios,

picnic pavilions, gazebos, tents of any kind, baseball dugouts, or any partially enclosed area.

• Think you will be safe from tornadoes or high winds in mobile homes or portable jobsite structures.

• Delay if you receive information about possible flash flooding. Immediately move to higher ground before water levels rise and cut off evacuation routes.

• Go near the following objects when you can hear thun-der or see lightning: tall objects such as utility poles, flag poles, and solitary trees; metal objects such as fences, bleachers, tools and machinery; and standing pools of water.

• Lie flat on high ground or in an open area if you can-not reach suitable shelter from lightning. Instead, seek low ground with clumps of bushes or trees of uniform height. Squat down in a baseball catcher’s stance with your weight on the balls of your feet, heels together, head lowered, eyes closed, and ears covered. By staying low to the ground, you increase the chances lightning will strike something else. By not touching much of the ground, you reduce the likelihood lightning will move across the ground to you.

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Printed with permission from the National Association of Landcare Professionals (www.landcareprofessionals.org).

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Visit www.sylvannursery.com

1028 Horseneck Road Westport, MA 02790

508-636-4573 Fax 508-636-3397

Catalog & Availabilityupon request

And backed by experience...+51 employees with 10 years - 15 are MCH’s

Always well stocked!

Prides Corner Farms We are all about

You need someone who will listen

You need a partner that believes in you

You need someone who has your back

You need fewer hassles

You need product that will not be in big box stores

You need a company that will be there now and in the future

Call (800)437-5168 www.pridescorner.com

We Live This Everyday!


Fall|2015 29|

Acorn Tree and Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Amherst Nurseries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Bigelow Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Cavicchio Landscape Supplies, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Coronis Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Fairview Evergreen Nuseries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Farm Credit East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Farm Family Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Ideal Concrete Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

John Deere Landscapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Motz & Son Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

New England Wetland Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Netafim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Northeast Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Prides Corners Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Sylvan Nurseries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Valley Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Weston Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Motz & Son NurseryWholesale Growers of ...

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Write for our stock and price:11445 N.W. Skyline Blvd.Portland, Oregon 97231

Phone 503-645-1342Fax 503-645-6856

MARKETPLACE

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Call Debbie Rauen

(817) [email protected]

coronis consulting __________________ Laurence S. Coronis

603.721.9812 www.coronisconsulting.com

Sharing over 35 years of business & landscape success

www.mnla.com pro|grow|news

My Favorite Plant

Aromatic Sumac – An Outstanding Option for Banks

Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’ aromatic sumac is best used as a ground cover

for banks. It tolerates poor soil and full sun. Once established, it requires only oc-casional watering. Its spreading habit and fast growth rate make this plant ideal for an area that requires a low ground cover. It has dramatic foliage color in the fall, turning a vibrant red.

Rhus is a plant that is truly low maintenance with beautiful green leaves from spring into summer. In the fall, the foli-age turns bright red, making it an outstanding option for the sloping bank on my site. Aromatic yellow flowers in April and velvety red fruit in August make this Carey Award winner a year-round favorite.

Just the Facts:• Deciduous dense low growing shrub• Size: 2-3’ in height and 6- 8’ in spread• Habit: spreading, dense, low growing• Rate: fast• Soil: tolerates poor soil• Exposure: full sun• Landscape value: excellent for banks, attracts birds

and has excellent fall foliage

Joanne Gilmartin, MCHGilmartin Garden Design: At the Root of Fine Gardens

| 30

Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’

Harvard, MA • Tel: 978.635.0409 • Fax: 978.635.9840 • [email protected]

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Servicing the green industry for over 30 years

6 Dearborn Rd, Peabody, MA 01960-

(978) 535-6551www.northeastnursery.com

progrownews summer 2015

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