Invitation to Green Industry Professionals to Join MLNA

We have Great News! We are extending a special invitation to you and your company to be a part of Missouri Landscape & Nursery Association, the statewide green industry’s professional trade organization.

The Missouri Landscape & Nursery Association (MLNA) provides valuable services through electronic communications, business connections and linking opportunities. Networking and special member benefits with associate businesses, green industry affiliates and service providers are available to MLNA members.
Visit our website http://www.mlna.org/. It is transforming with a total renovation We are making grand efforts to provide MLNA members special savings, service benefits with associated businesses information and education for both you and your customer, including our "share with our members" MLNA Member to Member Network Listing / Contact Information File (requests to be added or removed are honored).

Our membership year is progressing quickly and so much is happening. Wonderful educational events clinics and networking opportunities are planned for fall of 2008 (working on traveling workshops- if you are a member and would like to take advantage of this "education at your door" opportunity- contact us. Next - a wonderful green roof and wall tour sponsored by Jost Greenhouses!)

Our state certification program has been revised and is one of the first green industry certification programs to have both state and national recognition. Be involved in future marketing and advertising programs and promotions.

Plan to attend our Powell's Professional Evening August 21st, 2008. This year is the first time we will have this opportunity with "behind the scene" tours, several wonderful educational programs and a delightful meal. We plan to "grow" this event in the coming years.

There are many advantages to becoming a member of a professional trade association such as the MLNA. The most prominent is the exposure and recognition extended through local and regional affiliates. Plan to join us at the Western Convention in Kansas City next January. Attend our 2009 Nuts&Bolts Winter Short Course at our a new location in Columbia in Feb and of course we welcome all professionals to next year's Summer Field Day in Springfield Missouri!

We are working to build strong ties to our communities and its leaders. (See our recent press release with MLNA members and St. Louis Mayor Slay! ) We are positioning the MLNA as a collective voice to represent the industry in our communities and politically. We are continuing our support of ANLA’s Lighthouse Program and are proud members of PLANET.
Now is the perfect time to join MLNA, complete and return our Membership Application and let us show you the benefits MLNA provides.

First time ever offered - special half rate Mid -Season Introduction Membership available to first time members only! You must mention you are a "MLNA BLOG BROWSER" -returning members not included in this promotion.

MLNA Membership advantages include:

• Membership Discount Programs, Marketing & Advertising on the MLNA website Green Pages
• Monthly E-Newsletters/ Communication, Education and newly revised Green Star Certification Program
• MLNA Member Products and Service Benefits
• MLNA Member to Member Network Listing / Contact Information File (requests to be added or removed are honored)
  

We look forward to welcoming you into our organization. Post Missouri Landscape & Nursery’s Flowering Dogwood Logo and let your customers and associates know you are a proud member of MLNA. Thank you for your consideration of our offer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to answer your questions.

Growing Together Since 1921,

Rob Johnson, R& L Supply/ MLNA President
Kim Lovelace Young, Forest Keeling Nursery/Vice President
Bryan Stringer, BWI Springfield Sales Representative/ Treasurer
Anne McKinstry/ MLNA Secretary
Luke Young, Grass Pad, Inc / MLNA Member at Large

Pea Ridge Invites GI Professionals to Meet New Sales Rep at Annual Open House

Pea Ridge Tree Farm 8/13/08 Annual Open House offers a mid-summer break. This is a chance for green industry professionals to get together for a relaxing and enjoyable day without feeling guilty about leaving the office.

Learn about new introductions. Commentary provided by Pea Ridge Staff and green industry tree expert and hybridizer Earl Cully / Heritage Trees. For directions and more information visit http://www.pearidgeforest.com/

RSVP by August 6th at pearidge@socket.net or call 636-932-4687 -All are welcome

Professional Landscaping Workshop Series at Alberici

This ongoing series of indoor/outdoor workshops will be held at Alberici’s headquarters at the intersection of I-170 and Page Avenue. The professional landscaping series is designed for professionals in landscape management, horticulture, and landscape architecture. Each four-hour session will include lecture, discussion, Q&A, and a site tour. Audience participation is encouraged. RSVP to Alberici at 314-733-2000.

All workshops are from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and are Free
Friday, August 1Rain Garden, Bioswale, and other Storm Water Alternatives
Michael Buechter, St. Louis MSDScott Woodbury, Shaw Nature Reserve
Friday, September 26Landscape Planning and Design for Prairie and Savanna
Jon Wingo, DJM Ecological ServicesScott Woodbury, Shaw Nature Reserve

MLNA Welcomes Kansas Nursery and Landscape Association to Missouri

Dear Kansas Nursery & Landscape Association Members (www.kansasnla.org),

I am excited to welcome you as you across through Missouri on your KNLA Summer Tour.

I am sure you will have a great time. If you haven’t been to Hillermann’s-Nursery & Florist yet- you are in for a treat! Visit their website for a virtual tour http://www.hillermann.com/ but be sure to bring your camera and some spending money. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t find a special gift in their gift shop for my gardener friends. They have a full line of plant material, a helpful and professional staff and they carry several of my favorite natives and woody ornamentals. They have done such a nice job with landscaping around the Garden Center; it is hard to leave without a head full of ideas and a camera full of pictures! (Now that I am thinking about it –bring extra batteries and memory cards)

Pea Ridge Forest has some of the highest quality material available. We had our summer Field Day last year at their Open House and Scott Rood is our recent MLNA Past President! Their inventory is full of unique and wonderful selections- many of which are cutting edge! Well connected with industry leaders and breeders, Pea Ridge Forest brings knowledge with the best of the best to their customers. I hear Earl Cully will be there to help tour you around. Earl, of Heritage Trees, introduced Magnolia virginianna MOONGLOW in the POM program. I am proud to consider all of them good friends. Did I mention how pretty it is there too? There are several great spots to sip a beverage and enjoy the scenic views. Visit their website at http://www.pearidgeforest.com/.

As the founding coordinator of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Plants of Merit Program which showcases reliable hardy plants for this region, I hope you enjoy your visit to Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kemper Center For Home Gardening. Besides the birthplace of the Plants of Merit Program, it is the stomping grounds and second home to my dear friends Chip Tynan and June Hutson- tell them I said “hello”. To feel like you really know them you can read their fun and informational blog entries.

If you are wondering how the Plants of Merit will do for you, consider joining MLNA at Powell Garden’s Professional Evening Aug 21. You can visit MLNA’s website for information about that event http://www.mlna.info%20or/or just call me- I am always excited to share information.

Powell Gardens is a partner in the POM program with the MOBOT, The University of Missouri-Mizzou Botanical Garden, The Illinois Green Industry Association and MLNA. Plants of Merit are incorporated throughout Powell Garden’s displays with many exciting strong performers and many regional natives their upcoming new addition The Harvest Heartland Garden is sure to be my favorite place to be. In August we will have several tours and professional horticulture and eco- oriented educational programs. If you don’t know much about Powell Gardens, visit Powell Gardens in person. It is located right on the outskirts of Kansas City. I invite you to start your day with me by reading Alan Branhagan’s very conversational blog http://www.powellgardens.blogspot.com/. It is great for information and for me pure enjoyment.

To The Landcare professionals at PLANET

We are excited about our newly revised eco-friendly Green Industry Star module certification program.

We realize that many professionals in our industry specialize in a particular area of interest. And, it takes all of us with a variety of backgrounds and knowledge to manage the green industry’s broad scope.and needs.

To assist our industry, MLNA has put in place a way to identify a Green Industry Professional. It makes managers and owner’s job easier when hiring staff, recognizing an employee’s abilities and building achievement based incentive programs with an educational platform.

We feel we have done that with our new Green Industry Star program which has five separate stand alone modules including BUSINESS! CLP’s can now become a Green Industry Business Star. Our certification is comprised of both our MLNA / university based general knowledge test and PLANET’s Certified Landscape Professional Certification.

We feel as members of PLANET that we have benefited from belonging to such a professional oriented national and international organization. MLNA want to continue that support by encouraging Green Industry Professionals to participate in both the PLANET’s certification program and our Green Industry Star program. And if all five modules are pursued , we will have a stewardship oriented, sustainable workforce of Five Star Green Industry Professionals!

(Proof of active CLP status must be provided to qualify to completing the business module)

Please encourage all PLANET members to be professionally involved in their associations, their community and the future!

MLNA... Growing Together!
MaryAnn Fink

www.mlna.org
636-939-9079
blocked::mailto:maryannfink@mlna.org

Legislative Action Alert

According to a July 7, 2008, H-2B cap estimate released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DHS has approved or is in the process of approving more than half of the H-2B petitions it believes it needs to reach the first half of the fiscal 2009 H-2B cap. The fiscal year begins on October 1, 2008. DHS plans to announce that the first half cap will be reached when it receives 40,000 H-2B petitions. As of July 7, DHS has approved some 11,761 petitions and is in the process of reviewing 8,629, putting it a little over the half-way mark (20,390 petitions to be exact) toward the first half cap for fiscal 2009. You can view the latest cap count on the DHS’s Web site.

SNOW Magazine submissions for the upcoming 2008 Top Contractor list

I was wondering if the MLNA could assist GIE Media’s SNOW Magazine, the leading business management publication focused on the professional snow and ice removal industry, by helping to get the word out that, even though the initial deadline has passed, we are still actively accepting contractor submissions for the upcoming 2008 Top Contractor list. Our annual list highlights the top 100 snow removal professionals based on revenue from winter services.

So, how can you help? Can you please suggest any contractors whom we should be contacting to get their information? Or could you, on our behalf, forward a copy of the attached form to any of your members who engage in snow removal activities and encourage them to apply?

For those snow removal professionals who are uncertain whether they are big enough in size and scope to make this year’s list, we’d encourage them to still consider filling out an entry form. We’re looking for ways to recognize contractors of all sizes, and we’re always looking for great companies to profile in future issues. In addition, association with the Top Contractor is a great marketing tool for contractors to assist with sales and client development.

To have a submission form sent to your members, if your members have any questions or if you’d like to know more about SNOW Magazine, please let me know and please visit http://www.snowmagazineonline.com/magazine/

Thank you for your time, assistance and consideration.

Mike Zawacki
Managing Editor, Lawn & Landscape
Editor, Snow Magazine
4020 Kinross Lakes Parkway #201
Richfield, Ohio 44286
(main) 800/456-0707
(direct) 330/523-5381
(fax) 330/659-0824

2008 Missouri Green Industry Conference

The Missouri Green Industry Conference, produced jointly by Missouri Turfgrass and Ornamentals Council (MoTOC), Gateway Chapter Sports Turf Managers Association and Gateway Irrigation Association is coming to St. Charles, MO on December 3rd and 4th, 2008. This collaborative trade show and series of educational seminars includes:
Certified Irrigation Classes (both days)
Pesticide Applicator Training/Recertification (first day)
Sports Turf, Lawn/Landscape and Business Track Seminars (both days)
Equipment and Materials Expo (both days)
For more information, click here.

Mayor Francis Slay visits MLNA Member Event

On Tuesday, July 1st, Mayor
Francis Slay presided over
the ribbon cutting celebration
of MLNA member Shield Systems
and their new CETCO
GREENSCAPES Garden
Roof located at their office at
5205 Bischoff Avenue,
St. Louis, MO 63110.
The Mayor spoke about the many
benefits of their garden roof,
such as savings in energy
costs, storm water retention
as well as the wonderful
space it has provided for their
building tenants. In addition,
the Mayor cited the
enhancement it has made to
the local neighborhood and
the excellent use made of a
100 year old building. Mayor
Slay has taken several
measures to encourage area
residents and businesses to
go "GREEN".

MLNA Field Day was a great day for all...

Thank you again to our sponsors, our vendors and especially our members and guests who joined us for the MLNA Field Day on June 26th at Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elsberry, MO. It was wonderful!

Click the play button below to enjoy some great photos taken by Kim Young of Forrest Keeling Nursery and Robert Weaver of Gateway Gardener.

The Raker Trial Gardens Invites MLNA Members To Visit

The Raker Trial Gardens are all planted and they will be ready to open on Wednesday, July 16. With over 3 acres of row comparisons, combination planters, colorscapes, AAS Bedding Plant and Flowering trials and Breeder beds, The Raker Trial Garden promises to be and unique and valuable trials destination.

http://trialgardens.raker.com//