Changing World-Changing Industry

Globalization, global warming, changing demographics, changing expectations – all around us change is happening.The global economy brings new markets and new competition for our industry. Our challenges in the new economy are complex. Worldwide movement of plant material brings increased risk of exotic pests or diseases and concerns about invasive plant introductions. Labor shortages are significant in many areas of agriculture including our industry. The efforts of the ANLA and the entire industry must address these issues and to develop workable solutions. To compete, costs must be minimized and production streamlined while still holding at a high level. Efficient production and shipping can also reduce costs and shrink the energy footprint of a business as well.

Nurseries, garden centers and landscapers have thousands of choices from across the country and around the world. Consumer tastes are influenced by, among other things, natural disasters and political events on the other side of the world. For our industry to compete we have to meet these problems as opportunities. The challenges are truly global.

Changes in climate and weather patterns are of special concern to those who work with plants. An increased plant pallet, due to warmer temperatures, is a desirable result. Increased ranges and populations of pests can be the downside of these warmer conditions. Drought conditions have been a problem through many parts of North America. All of these issues challenge us when we are looking to place the right plant in the right place.

Plants, especially trees, have a long life span. Increase diligence will be required to match plants to sites when conditions are changing. See Plant Hardiness Updates. Changing demographics are changing the Nursery and Landscape industry as well. After many years of movement to the suburbs there is a resurgence of urban living. Rising energy costs will continue to encourage this movement. To our industry this means smaller home lots that require suitably sized plant material. The urban tolerance in the plants we provide is increasingly important (for a plant list see our December 5, 2007 Newspaper available online at www.lawyernursery.com . Street trees, green spaces including parks, and roof gardens become a focus for these urban landscapes. In addition to where we live, how we live has changed. Increasingly, low maintenance and quickly established landscaping for residential and commercial properties is the expectation. In the future, we can expect demand for water to further limit the use of some plant species while expanding others.

Wise use of vegetation can reduce energy and water demands in urban or rural areas. The customer of today has access to vast amounts of information but our expertise in plant selection will still benifit them. Our industry has a significant role in providing accurate and helpful information for the fast pace of the future. Change is a part of life and it is a top challenge for us all. The nurseries, landscapers, garden centers and the green industry as a whole will continue to experience the challenges and the opportunities that come with change. what astounds us is not the magnitude but the pace of change. Change is accelerating. To meet the challenges of the future the Green Industry will need energy, flexibility and wisdom.

	Going Green with Natives Recently there has been a shift in the overall ideals of the consumer, people are becoming more and more environmentally conscious. This may be attributed to reports of global warming or to the ubiquitous rising costs of fuel. Regardless, identifying the damages that have been done or are being done to the environment is an important start.For the average consumer, making lifestyle changes, no matter how modest, to help alleviate these global stresses is an important step to the preserving the integrity of our ecosystem and enriching our lives and of those to come.
	Many consumers are trading their gas-guzzlers for hybrid, fuel-efficient vehicles that contribute less to the build up of atmospheric carbon dioxide (a main constituent of global warming. Another increasing trend for the consumer with an environmental mindset is the consumption of organic products. Organics are not necessarily safer to consume than conventional products, but are generally more environmentally safe to produce. Organic foods do not incorporate the use of any conventional pesticides, fertilizers, animal growth hormones or antibiotics. Therefore, there is generally less of an environmental impact during the production of these products. Another way that consumers are becoming proactive in moderating environmental strains is planting native vegetation. Some are converting residential turf lawns and introduced landscapes back to native plantings while others are planting native species for restoration or remediation projects. Planting native species will have many benefits to both the environment and your pocket book, which is an ideal solution during a time when both may be under significant stress. Once established native plants require little to no supplementary applications of pesticides, fertilizers, and water.
Native plants are able to survive with out these staples needed by introduced species because they are adapted to grow in the regional conditions. Native plants may have modified organs that aid in nutrient and water uptake as well as storage as adaptations to local environmental conditions. Some well-known examples of these adaptations are; cacti, which are equipped with a modified stem to store water to accommodate survival in arid climates, and many legumes, which can form symbiotic relationships with soil bacteria to fix atmospheric nitrogen and flourish in otherwise nitrogen limited soils. A major source of pollution and ground water contamination comes from the urban landscape in the form of fertilizer and pesticide runoff. A recent publication by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and researchers at Cornell University, found that 60% of nitrogen applied to turf was leached into the groundwater. Worse, this may be greater in coastal areas that have more porous soils. High levels of fertilizers leached into waterways and the groundwater can cause significant problems. Nitrates in drinking water can be detrimental to infants. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorous (a primary component of fertilizer) can stimulate algae blooms in open waterways. These algae blooms cause a significant drop in oxygen levels thus killing fish, amphibians, and aquatic plants. The production of synthetic fertilizers require a considerable amount of fossil fuels, also impacting the ecosystem we live in. The EPA states that over $5 billion is spent on fossil fuel derived fertilizers for U.S. lawns every year. Yet for native plants, these chemicals are not necessary for survival. Indeed, the will flourish without such environmentally taxing products. In addition to the reduction of fertilizer use, native plants generally have a lower demand for water than introduced species. Water conservation was an issue on the minds of many this summer. Much of the nation faced serious droughts, and parts of the south were even without drinking water. Even during these drastic periods, lawns, golf courses, and landscapes were still being irrigated. The EPA states that 30 to 60 percent of urban water is used for watering lawns, the larger values generally occurring in the west. Planting native plant species, which are already adapted to local climate and annual moisture levels, can eliminate this luxuriant use of water. Pesticides are another major source of groundwater pollution originating from urban landscapes. According the EPA, an estimated 67 million pounds of synthetic pesticides are used on U.S. lawns every year with estimated cost of $700 million. Like fertilizers, pesticides too can leach into the groundwater and waterways potentially contaminating both drinking water and natural ecosystems. Not only are many synthetic pesticides potentially hazardous to human and animal consumption, they are generally not specific into the genera of insects targeted. There are many beneficial insects living in the landscape, which will naturally reduce pests. Native plant species are adapted to the local conditions and insects. Therefore they are resistant to most local pests, reducing the need for pesticides. In addition to reducing synthetic contaminants into the environment, greenhouse gasses may also be reduced by incorporating native species into the landscape. By converting a primarily turf and introduced species landscape into a native landscape with native trees, shrubs, and grasses, there will be a sizeable reduction in emissions from gardening equipment. The EPA found that the emissions emitted while operating a lawn mower for one hour is equivalent to the pollution caused by driving a car for 20 miles. It also found that almost 600 million gallons of gasoline are used for lawnmowers each year, resulting in 5.27 million metric tones of carbon dioxide released each year. Conversely the native landscape, once established, need little to no maintenance. Native plants are generally better at removing atmospheric carbon dioxide than turf, primarily because of their more extensive root system accommodating greater water and carbon storage. As the global population is increasing to greater amounts, the potential for ecological contaminants is staggering. Though some damages done to the environment are irreversible, the decisions we make now and in the future are not. Incorporating native plants into the landscape is an easy approach to contribute to the health of the surrounding environment. Planting native species will reduce the need for pesticide and fertilizer applications. This will both alleviate additional environmental contaminations from landscape runoff and reduce the annual costs of the landscape. All this in addition to being an aesthetically pleasing method to reduce impact on the environment. Native species are an important part of the landscape and will reduce the impact on your pocket book. Data provided by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov

Plants That Shine in Winter

The days are colder. The color of spring blossoms and of fall foliage are fading memories. It’s winter. The landscape is quieter, but this is the season when some plants shine. Winter interest can come from foliage, persistent fruit, bark color and texture, and dramatic form. For much of North America this season stretches out for three to four months or more. Plants with winter interest brighten the landscape picture when we are outside or through the window. Evergreens of all types, conifers or broadleaf, provide foliage colors of deep green to bronze to purple or even red.

Persistent fruit provides its own color and activity from the birds that feed on it through the cold months. Colorful or interesting bark on trunks and branches become focal points once the leaves no longer cover them. Winter form can be dramatic. One look at a leafless tree silhouetted against a winter dawn or sunset paints a memorable picture in your mind. Many traditional favorites in the landscape are flowering Trees that have horizontal branch tructure
or curling branches become more dramatic leafless with a light
coating of snow.

New Uses of Old Favorites

shrubs. These species can become quite large at maturity. For instance, the wonderfully fragrant and lovely blooms of the common purple lilac, Syringa vulgaris, will permieate a small yard and completely fill a small landscape space. The value of this spring blooming makes it hard to give up the pleasure to our senses. Smaller varieties such as those found on page 16 are one approach. But another possibility is to use this favorite in a different way. Certain large shrubs, such as the common lilac, can enter our thinking in a new way as use in the landscape as small trees. Through pruning to a more open multi-stemmed tree form, the space-filling shrub that would work well as a dense hedge is transformed into a smaller but important component in a modern landscape.
When selecting shrubs that are grown as a small, often multistem trees, it is important to look at the growth pattern of the stem. Only select shrubs that tend to have strong dominant shoots such as Lilacs, some Dogwoods, Serviceberry, or Viburnums. Mature height of ten feet or more provides the small tree impact. By selecting a species with a rapid growth rate the desired effect can be achieved quickly as well. Opening the space beneath a large shrub in this way provides space for spring bulbs, shade loving perennials, ground covers such as bunchberry
(Cornus canadensis) or just an open view when each square foot is at a premium.

Trends in North American housing for smaller lots widthes are likely to continue as traffic and fuel prices continue to rise. Japanese gardens developed through a long history of adept use of limited space can flowering shrubs provide the greenery and color without dominating or completely shading the landscape of today. Some suggested shrub species for tree farm pruning include: Acer circinatum Euonymus europaea Acer ginnala Hamamelis species Aeculus pavia Prunus triloba Amelancier alnifolia Rhus typhina Cornus alternifolia Syringa pekinensis Cornus mas Syringa vugaris Cornus officinalis Viburnum species Cornus officinalis Viburnum species Cotinus coggygria ‘Purpueaus’ Vitex agnus castus