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This winter I look forward to teaching at Hardscape North America (HNA) in Louisville, KY, the Mid-Atlantic Hardscape Show in Atlantic City, the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Show in Minneapolis, and the Northeast Hardscape Show that will be in Springfield, MA, this year. I have had the honor to be asked to be a judge in this year’s HNA hardscape awards. There are some incredible projects being installed around the country. To see what some contractors are doing with hardscapes gets my juices going. New products and innovations are coming out at a rapid pace. I love traveling to industry shows, talking to contractors, hearing their stories, helping them achieve their goals, and just the camaraderie that comes with hanging out with industry folk.

Back during the summer, Jim Moreau asked if I would teach a hardscape seminar at the NHLA Field Day at Shaker Village. I said yes, and we had about 30 attendees in the hands-on seminar. At one point I asked the attendees how many are ICPI or NCMA certified? Only one hand went up. I then asked how many do hardscape installation? Meaning, retaining walls, patios, outdoor kitchens, pool decks, seat walls, front walkways, etc. Every hand went up. Everyone in the seminar either installs or oversees people who install hardscapes. That’s when I said to Dave DeJohn and Pam Moreau, that some type of hardscape education, articles, information, anything was needed in the NHLA Newsletter.

I also did another check. How much of the advertising in the NHLA Newsletter was from hardscape suppliers or manufacturers? I found that in almost every issue about 50% of our advertising space is sold to hardscape supply companies. The growth in the hardscape industry over just the last 10 years has been tremendous. Look around our state now- there are many companies calling themselves “hardscape contractors,” which was not the case just a few years ago.

So what is the bottom line? For about eight years I wrote monthly articles for Hardscape Magazine from the perspective of the contractor. I have offered, and it was accepted, that I would update these articles and submit them to the NHLA Newsletter. So for better or worse, you will have to deal with me for a little while longer. Starting with the next issue of the Newsletter, I will be writing about hardscapes.

I look forward to any of your thoughts and comments, and I hope that some of my 49.5 years of experiences helps you out.

—  by Bill Gardocki, gbgardocki@gmail.com

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Beautiful weather, engaging speakers, helpful vendors, and eager attendees made the first Field Day a successful venture. Canterbury Shaker Village, with its historic buildings and grounds provided the perfect late summer venue for more than 150 participants.

Highlights of the day included a well-attended demonstration about how to incorporate drone technology into landscape design by Graham Pellettieri and co-workers from Pellettieri Associates.

Long-time NHLA member Bill Gardocki gave a hands-on demonstration about building walls and patios while Andrew Mauch of Millican Nurseries did a workshop about best plants for fall plantings.

Jonathan Ebba of UNH Cooperative Extension provided a workshop about using soil testing equipment and Jeremy Delisle, the Cooperative Extension’s fruit specialist, gave a tour of the Shaker Village 1917 orchard and talked about pruning, fire blight mitigation, and grafting historic trees at the village.

The business side of landscaping was present when Greenius presented a program about its on-line training platforms that are being offered to NHLA members at discounted rates.

Likewise, representatives from the National Automotive Road Fuels Associates (NARFA) shared information throughout the day about how to attract and retain employees through benefits and other programs.

Vendors offered a myriad of products, including the newest equipment, landscape products, plants, and technology.

State Police from Troop G., who monitor and enforce laws about safe road equipment, were on hand to answer questions and engage with landscapers.

Other popular workshops included First Aid in the Field, Irrigation Tips and Tricks, and Building Credentials with the NH Certified Landscape Professionals. Demonstrations throughout the day included small engine repair and chain saw safety.

Overall, most attendees thought the event was a success, with a good location, interesting workshops, and good food from vendors.

It Takes a Village,
by Pam Moreau, NHLA Business Manager

Our first Field Day was a huge success! The weather was a little windy, but otherwise an amazing day. An event this size takes a village to make it happen and run smoothly. We had a great deal of help! I would like to thank everyone who helped, starting with Canterbury Shaker Village. It was a beautiful venue for this event, and we were able to offer a tour of the gardens during lunch.

Next, I would like to thank our SPEAKERS. We could not have done it without them! They were fantastic!

• Laura Faubert, Greenius: Introducing an Online Training Platform
• Abby Zuidema, Mosaic Plant Design and NHCLP Coordinator: Building Credentials with the NHCLP Program
• Graham Pellettieri and Celynn Siemons, Pellettieri Associates, Inc: What can you do with drones in landscaping?
• Jonathan Ebba, UNH Cooperative Extension: Soil Testing w/ Affordable Instruments
• Bob Taylor, Windham Firefighter/EMT: First Aid in the Field
• Joe Conlon, Northeast Golf & Turf: New Hydro Mulch Technology and Seed Varieties
• Bill Gardocki, Hardscape Educator: Proper Paver and SRW Retaining Wall Installation Techniques
• Jim Moreau, Northeast Turf & Irrigation: Irrigation Tips & Tricks
  NARFA, Vinnie Daboul and Andrew Gresenz: How can NARFA help you?
• Andrew Mauch, Millican Nurseries: Best Practices for Fall Planting
• Chris Baker and Andrew Giampalo, North Point Outdoors: Basic Small Engine Repair Q & A
• Mike Gagnon, UNH Cooperative Extension: Chain Saw Safety Q & A
• Jeremy DeLisle, UNH Cooperative Extension: Small Fruit Production Q & A
• Trooper Magoon and Trooper Trattoria, Troop G – NH D.O.S: Inspection Safety Q & A

A special thank you to our SPONSORS. They made it possible to keep our event affordable for all our attendees. We appreciate your support!

• Drop One Portables for donating the portable toilets.
• Read Custom Soils for donating the voice amplifiers for the speakers.
• Northeast Turf & Irrigation for donating the lunches for the speakers.
• Gilbert Block for donating the hardscape material for the paver installation demonstration.
• Dig Safe for donating hats, bags, manuals, magnifiers, stickers, and post-its.
• North Point Outdoors and the Cafua Management Group for donating the coffee and donuts.

A special thank you to all our VENDORS. We were very fortunate to have a variety of dedicated professionals. They demonstrated many new products and equipment. One of my personal favorites was the excavator, from Chappell Tractor.

Agresource, Inc,
Arborjet/Ecologel
Bigelow Nurseries, Inc.
Central NH Trailers
Chappell Tractor Sales
Donovan Equipment Co.
Greenius
MacMulkin Chevrolet
Medford Nurseries
Millican Nurseries, LLC
NARFA
Northeast Nursery Inc.
Pellettieri Associates, Inc.
Pierson Nurseries
Read Custom Soils
Squared Landscape Equipment
Techniseal
Techo-Bloc
The Yard at Pleasant View
UNH Cooperative Extension
Unilock
United Ag & Turf
Vermeer All Road

A very special THANK YOU to the NHLA Board of Directors and Committee Coordinators. They spent many hours planning and executing this event. Thank you to Dave DeJohn, Andrew Pelkey, Maria Rainey, John Crooks, Cori Cahow, Ben Huntington, Annette Zamarchi, Mike Barwell, and Pam Moreau.

I would also like to give a special THANK YOU to several people who came early to help set-up and stayed late to help break down. Thank you to Jim Moreau, Scot Flewelling, Chris Baker, Giampalo, Kristy Youmell and Riley Pierce. We could not have done it without you.

Finally, THANK YOU to all our attendees. We value your commitment and support to NHLA and the industry. We hope it was a great day for all and you learned something new. Your thoughts and ideas are important to us. Please email us with your ideas!

The post NHLA Field Day a Huge Success appeared first on New Hampshire Landscape Association (NHLA).

As unbelievable as it is, it’s now officially fall. We still have a good couple of months to continue on and hopefully complete projects, but we’re getting to that time of year when anything can happen with the weather and the pressure is on even more to get things done before winter sets in.

It was a crazy summer again, way too busy and it went way too fast, but I appreciate that many of you took advantage of the Twilight Meetings that were held in June, July, and August. Jeff Toomey of Read’s Custom Soils gave a presentation at Gale Memorial Park in Exeter that was very well attended as was Mike Garrity’s tour in July of a spectacular garden in Dunbarton. Chris Maroun, owner of Miracle Farms in Moultonborough greeted NHLA members at one of their projects on Lake Winnipesaukee in Tuftonboro on August 30, and that was a great way to close out the Twilight Meeting season. This amazing 2 million dollar project, now close to completion, has been in progress for the last year and a half and included pool installation, construction of a cabana, physically moving an existing cabin from one spot to another, a new septic system, a beautiful dry laid granite retaining wall, paver driveway, gardens, and a Bocchi Ball court. Thank you to Chris and his crew for the delicious food they set out and for their generosity and openness to share information about the job and their business. Their easy going style allowed for lots of questions and the discussion could have gone on for a lot longer if it hadn’t started to get dark. This was truly what a Twilight Meeting is all about, as they all were: a chance to talk with peers, compare notes, and see some amazing work.

If any of you would like to host a Twilight Meeting or have an idea for a Twilight Meeting please contact our Education Committee Coordinator, Mike Barwell, at mikebarwell@yahoo.com

After many months of planning our first all day outdoor event was, from all accounts, quite successful. Our September 14 Field Day was a huge effort planned and put together by everyone on the Board as well as Pam and Jim Moreau, Mike Barwell, and Annette Zamarchi. Truly a team effort, and it showed.

Held at Shaker Village in Canterbury it was a beautiful day in a beautiful setting. Other than a couple of Pop-up tent casualties due to the wind, things went more or less according to plan and the classes and talks were well attended. Thank you to everyone who gave their time to give talks and demonstrations and of course thank you to all of our vendors who so generously and continuously give NHLA your support through sponsorship and purchasing booth space.

Now that our first attempt at an event like this has come and gone, we will take what we learned from it and will soon begin planning for next year and place it among our annual events. As it is one of our bigger events and takes a lot of planning we can certainly use more help with it. Ideas for talks, speakers, venue location, and feedback on what we got right and what we didn’t are always appreciated. If you can give some time and would be willing to volunteer to be on the Education Committee to help plan for the Field Day, Twilight Meetings, Dinner Meetings and the other educational opportunities we offer, then please contact Mike Barwell.

As we move forward with ideas for the opportunities mentioned above, we are discussing the idea of offering two tracks for learning., one geared toward the practical day-to-day for employees, foreman, and those in the field and one geared toward, owners, managers, and supervisors.

Again, let us know what topics you are interested in and what you would find useful to help make your businesses even more successful. In the mean time plan on attending our upcoming November 8 Dinner Meeting to be held at North Point Outdoors in Derry where the topic will be small engine repair. This hands-on discussion and demonstration will be led by North Point Outdoor Fleet manager Chris Baker, so don’t miss this practical and informative evening.

Well that’s about it for now. Good luck in the remaining few months of 2022. I hope you have a busy and successful fall season!

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Millican Nurseries extends its gratitude to its loyal customers, who made this scholarship possible.

The Scholarship recipients are:
• Madeline Apgar, University of New England
• Peter Apgar, Keene State College
• Calvin Michael, University of New England
• Jack Milligan, Thomas Aquinas College
• Matthew Wagner, New Hampshire Technical Institute
• Bailey White, Lesley University

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The interpretation of commercial mowers counting as mobile machinery was confirmed during a discussion on the Senate floor.

The parameters for these mowers must be less than 14,000 lbs. and have a battery capacity of not less than 7-kilowatt hours. This is significant because the parameters limit this tax credit to solely commercial-grade electric lawn mowers.

“To be able to get that credit per piece of machinery, I think, is a tremendous incentive to want to start to transition your fleet over to electric,” says Andrew Bray, VP of government affairs for the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP).

NALP, along with key equipment manufacturers, previously worked to have this language included in the Build Back Better legislation. When those efforts stalled, NALP continued to explore other options and had discussions with some offices about a play in the omnibus.

“When the Inflation Reduction Act came together quickly last week we were pleased to see this language intact,” Bray says. “I’d like to give specific credit to efforts of Stanley Black and Decker who helped secure Sen. Van Hollens remarks and also to John Deere for playing a critical role to include ‘mobile machinery.’ This was a great outcome for the landscape industry.”

The IRS will issue further guidance before tax filings for the 2023 year.

“It is still our mission to look for additional funding through tax credits at the federal level or rebates at the local and state level to also assist folks in making the transition with all of the electrical equipment including batteries, leaf blowers, all the other stuff,” Bray says. “That’s still a top priority. We’re not done yet, but this was a great first step.”

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It’s like living on the Sun! Okay, the person who really said that was exaggerating a bit, but August has been pretty hot and we’ve just gone through an extended period of 90 and above temperatures. It’s cooling down now though, and the humidity has started to fall. Of course we have these two or three weeks of hot and humid weather every year and that’s to be expected. But these periods are getting a little longer and a bit more frequent, also to be expected with the climate changing such as it is. It’s all taking a greater toll on work crews.

This time of the year is always a little tough. You’ve been running full speed since April and everyone is hot and tired, motivation is waning. You’re behind schedule, running too many jobs at once, can’t get materials, can’t get help and DOS just pulled you over for inspection for the third time this season. You just heard Molly Hatchet’s song “Flirtin’ with Disaster,” and it seems like a fitting theme song for your business at the moment, making you wonder why you thought this was a good career choice. These moments don’t last all that long though; you’ve probably had that thought at least once every year for the last 5 years or 35 years and yet here you still are because you really do love it.

So you take a deep breath, step back and take a look at what you and your crew have created: the patio with a fire pit, the work of art wall you just built (shout out to Bob Follansbee at Eastern Valley Landscaping – amazing stone work!), the gardens and outdoor spaces you’ve created and maintained, and you remember why you do this and why you love it.

August 2 was a welcome break from the crazy routine as we met at Candia Woods for our 9th annual Golf Tournament. This year’s tournament sold out fast and was our biggest one yet with 136 players. This is our biggest fund raiser and it helps to pay for our website updates, upgrades and fixes, the educational opportunities we provide, and other NHLA business expenses.

A huge thank you to Pam and Jim Moreau and the Golf Tournament Committee for making this such a great day and great annual event. Very big thanks to Millican Nurseries, The Yard at Pleasant View, Pierson Nursery, Read Custom Soils and Milton Cat for your sponsorships and support for this event and for your on-going support for NHLA. Of course it wouldn’t be the day that it was without all our NHLA members that took the day off from very busy schedules to play a round of golf and tried your hand at the putting contest and the air cannon. Thank you to Scott, Isiah, and Greg from Make a Difference for letting me play along with them, giving me pointers, and not giving me too much grief every time I barely got the ball off the tee.

Really looking forward to the upcoming Twilight Meeting to be hosted by Miracle Farms up in Tuftonboro. They’ve been working on this project on Lake Winnipesaukee for over a year, and it sounds pretty amazing and worth taking some time to come and see.

We are also closing in on the final details for our Field Day to be held at Shaker Village on September 14. This will be a full day of talks and demonstrations, food trucks and vendors showing their equipment and products. You can meet representatives from Greenius and NARFA and hear talks on soil testing, first aid on the Job, proper paver installation techniques, tips on irrigation, chain saw safety and small engine repair. Graham Pellettieri will be giving a Drone demonstration, Abby Zuidema will be on hand to discuss the benefits of becoming a NHCLP, and Andrew Mauch from Millican Nurseries will be discussing fall plants and planting. Quite a well rounded list of topics and speakers, so there’s something for everybody.

Registration for vendors starts at 7:30 and registration for attendees starts at 8:30. By now you have seen several emails containing proposed changes to our NHLA By-Laws and we will be voting on these changes the morning of the Field Day. It’s important that you read and understand the proposed changes and it’s very important that you vote. I believe we are voting at 9:00 am in the Garden Barn so please make it a point to attend that brief meeting.

We are also looking for volunteers to help throughout the day, so if you are a NHCLP looking for additional credits or you would just like to help out then please contact me, Pam Moreau, or Abby Zuidema.

Hope to see you there!

The post President’s Notes September 2022 appeared first on New Hampshire Landscape Association (NHLA).

I’m sitting on our porch in Canterbury, and it’s a perfect Sunday summer afternoon. Got a few hours of work in this morning, home by noon in time to get some chores done around the house, and still have time to sit with a beer and write these notes. They’re due today so no long-winded ramble from me this time.
I’d like to thank Jeff Toomey for hosting our first Twilight Meeting of the season at Gale Park in Exeter. It got rave reviews and everyone I talked to who attended enjoyed it very much.

By the time this edition of the Newsletter is out we will have had our second Twilight Meeting hosted by Michael Garrity, owner of Gardenworks, at a private residence in Dunbarton. Mike gave a tour of the extensive gardens and discussed the many challenges that caretaking this property faced. I’m thank you in advance Mike; I look forward to hearing how it went.

At this point I have to apologize to both Jeff and Mike for my absence at both meetings. I have always tried to make it to as many meetings and events as I can, but this year family matters on the west coast have kept me going back and forth, and the timing has been such that I’ve missed the first two. Things should settle down though, and I look forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming Golf Tournament (which will already have happened by the time you’re reading this).

In our industry, which is so weather dependent and has a relatively short window of time to cram in as much work as possible before winter, it can be difficult to find a balance between work and family, something I’m sure we have all struggled with. Family does and always should come first. That has not been an easy lesson for me to learn, but over the last several years I’ve begun to understand that better, and I certainly appreciate how much harder it is for those with kids and starting new families. So with that in mind I would like to first congratulate Scot Flewelling and his wife on the arrival of their baby girl, just a few weeks old now, and to thank Scot for 10 years of service to NHLA. Scot will be stepping down from the Board this fall to concentrate more on his new journey and new family, and rightly so. Scot has been on and contributed to just about every committee and has been a dedicated member of the Board — we really,really appreciate all you’ve done. Good luck and good wishes!

By the way, that appreciation extends to all our Board members, committee coordinators and committee members, especially those of you with newborns, small kids, and teenagers who put in so much time for the Association on top of work and everything else. Thank you for all you do!

You know, when I started out writing this I was going to talk about the H-2B program and my response from Congresswoman Kuster regarding my inquiry into HR 3897, our By-Laws which you have all received in your emails and should read, our up-coming Field Day and other NHLA business but today it ended up being a little bit about family, and there’s always next month to cover the other stuff. So I hope today, on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, that the trucks are parked, the tools are put away, the phone is off for a little while, and that you’re at home, at the beach, the lake, the mountains, or where ever with friends and family.
Enjoy!

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Get ready to learn and get ready to grow when you attend the first NHLA Field Day on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at Shaker Village in Canterbury.

Whether you’re new to the Green Industry or an old pro, a one-horse show or a large company, you’ll find workshops and vendors to help expand your knowledge and business abilities.

Canterbury Shaker village

Do you have clients who want to see what you have in mind for their project? Graham Pellettieri of Pellettieri Associates will demonstrate how you can incorporate drones and virtual reality design software into your designs using state-of-the-art equipment and programs that may whet your appetite to move into 21st-century gardening. He’ll do a morning workshop and be around all day to demonstrate the equipment and answer your questions.

Concerned about global warming? Sean Tumblety of Eco-Smart will talk about the benefits and challenges of using all-electric tools in the Green Industry. Some clients are increasingly concerned with the noise and pollution of gas-powered equipment. And California and other states have legislation that will eventually eliminate traditional gas tools. He’ll talk about why migrating to all electric may be a smart move.

What’s the best way to train new employees, especially those without experience? The Canadian company Greenius, in partnership with NHLA, will offer a workshop about their on-line training programs for workers, managers owners, and other staff. This is a great opportunity to move into consistent training about basic practices, worksite safety, and other training issues.

Wondering how to offer quality benefits to attract and retain workers? Our new partners with the National Automotive Road Fuels Associates (NARFA) will give a workshop and be available all day to talk with you about how to tailor an affordable, attractive benefits package for yourself and your employees.

What’s the best way to lay down a walkway or patio? Bill Gardocki will provide hands-on demonstrations about the latest best practices in flatwork.

There will also be workshops and vendors offering job site first aid, how to safely use chainsaws, and how to become a New Hampshire Certified Landscape Professional. Vendors will showcase the newest equipment, including remote mowing. Several affinity groups will meet during lunch, which is on your own. We’ll have two food trucks offering a variety of fare. Or you can bring your own.

Affinity groups include:
• How to Succeed as a One-Horse Operation
• Challenges of Growing in a Competitive Market
• How to Use Greenius to Train Employees
• How to Use NARFA to Offer Benefits
• Tour the Shaker Village Gardens with Cooperative Extension experts

We’ll also have a brief NHLA-member business meeting and a ballot vote to adopt several bylaw changes that will help membership grow.

The day will open at 7 am when vendors and exhibitors arrive to register and set up. Each outdoor exhibit area is 25 feet wide and 20 feet deep for a reasonable cost of $400. Vendors provide their own tent, table, and chairs.

General admission registration opens at 8:30 am with fees of $25 for individual members and $40 for non-members.

Vendors can contact NHLA leaders Jim Moreau (jimmoreau@northeastnursery.com) or Scot Fleweling (scotf@dirtdoctorsnh.com) for exhibit space information.

The post NHLA Field Day Coming Up on Sept. 14 appeared first on New Hampshire Landscape Association (NHLA).