The Buckeye, October 2013 Volume 23, Issue 9

October 2012Vol. 23, Issue 9

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CONTENTS

a s s o c i a t i o n n e w s4 Presidents Perspective PAC Initiatives are Imperative

7 ONLA Office Update Strategic Business Partners

8 ONLA Membership Plans for Success

12 Legislative Update State House Elections are Focused on the Margins; Election Update

13 A Dime A Day Support ONLPAC

d e p a r t m e n t s18 Look to the Future Rockwell Springs Trout Club Design Project

27 Educational Update Rubeckia 101: Perspectives on a Grand American Native

33 Why Trees Matter Tree Partners

36 Landscapers Viewpoint Seek Out Inspiration

40 Safety First Understanding Employee Behavior

f e a t u r e s8 Membership Moment: Get Involved

9 Giving Back16 The Dynamics of Phosphorus in Plants, Soil, and the Environment

20 The Science of Design38 Educating the Future with OCNT Manuals & You!

a l s o i n t h i s i s s u e 42 Calendar of Events 42 Classified Ads 42 Advertising Index

Pphosphorus

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EDITORIAL / ADVERTISINGISSN 1536-7940Subscriptions: $75/[email protected], editor

THE FINE PRINTThe statements and opinions expressed herein are those of individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the associa-tion, directors or staff and do not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as members of the ONLA does not constitute an endorsement of the prod-ucts or featured services.

STAFFKevin Thompson, Executive DirectorJennifer Gray, Associate Executive DirectorTracie Zody, Trade Show & EventsRoni Petersen, Membership & CertificationHeather Eberline, Accounting

OFFICERSAndy Harding, PresidentHerman Losely & Son, Inc.

Jim Searcy, President Elect Hyde Park Landscaping, Inc.

Jay Daley, Immediate Past PresidentSunleaf Nursery, LLP

DIRECTORSTim Clark, Board MemberH.J. Benkens Florist & Greenhouses, Inc.

Steve Maddox, Board MemberRices Nursery & Landscaping, Inc.

Dr. Hannah Mathers, Board MemberThe Ohio State University

Mark Reiner, Board MemberOakland Nursery, Inc.

Maria Sambuco, Board MemberBrickman

Mike Satkowiak, Board MemberMulch Manufacturing

Emily Showalter, Board MemberWilloway Nurseries, Inc.

The Buckeye is published10 times per year by The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc.72 Dorchester Square Westerville, OH 43081p 614.899.1195f [email protected]

In the spirit of land stewardship, please consider recycling this publication.

front cover:Cyperus

Graceful Grasses King Tut Courtesy Jennifer Gray

October 2012Vol. 23, Issue 9

Presidents PerspectiveB

Andy HardingHerman Losely & Son, Inc.ONLA [email protected]

PAC Initiatives Are Imperative

Another month has flown by! Labor Day 2012 came and went with lightning speed. The economy and the drought continue to crawl along.

In my opinion, we are still in a very uncertain economy for many. Hopefully, the upcoming election will give us all a ray of hope. At the very least, once the election is over, we will no longer have to watch (or avoid) all the political commercials of each party hammering away at the other. It is amazing how two parties can give totally opposite views on the same subject and both are right!

Speaking of politics, Id like to take a few sentences to discuss the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Political Action Committee (ONLPAC). For those who may be unaware, the ON-LPAC is the PAC for Ohios green industry. ONLPAC contributions

enable us to better educate legislators and gain their interest in changing or passing legislation that may be either helpful, or harmful, to our industry.

This is not necessarily something that many of us feel is a good way of spending our hard earned cash. If it is that important let someone else do it. The problem is, there are not enough people willing to help. In August the ONLA launched a campaign asking members to donate A Dime a Day or $36.50 each, with a goal of $10,000. We did not reach half that amount with dona-tions from only 25 individuals. If our industry does not monitor the General Assembly and seek help from our legislators, from both sides of the political spectrum, laws may be passed that could deeply hurt our industry.

This has been proven time and time again. In 2011 there was pro-posed legislation that would have had a devastating financial effect on any firm with vehicles over 10,000 lb gross weight. This includes many pick-up trucks. Fortunately, with the help of a concerned state representa-tive, the ONLA was able to help get this stopped.

PAC funding helps all businesses large and small, and we need more support. This support has to come primarily from owners, although support is appreciated from employ-ees, board and committee members. After all, it is in everyones interest to help keep your businesses healthy, even if you do not own it. Your ONLA staff, board and Legislative committee have tried many forms of fund raising to finance the PAC. They have mostly been poorly sup-

ported. That was the reason for the Dime a Day campaign. If you dont have the time to attend a golf outing, Clay- Shoot or anything else, just donate $36.50 a year. If you have any thoughts on this please give me a call, I will be glad to hear from you.

New Options at CENTSCENTS preparations are in full

swing. Reservations for booths continue to track ahead of 2012, which is very promising. The ONLA staff team has worked diligently to prepare new and exciting events and education to the convention line-up. Our partners at the Ohio State University have planned an exceptional slate of sessions for the Nursery Short Course. You cannot afford to miss CENTS 2013. A full convention schedule will be released November 1st. For now, check out the highlights listed alongside my article.

There are many, many other events planned throughout CENTS Marketplace & OSU Nursery Short Course including a Womens Net-working Breakfast, receptions, professional networking events, state and national association meetings, special workshops the list goes on and on. You really cant miss it! Keep your eyes peeled for more information in the coming weeks.

Its Back! Its Nursery Stock Select!

You wanted it back and we heard you! The ONLA is pleased to be re-launching the Nursery Stock Survey as Nursery Stock Select! Nursery

4 The Buckeye onla.org

Stock Select, a web application made possible by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, was developed by ONLA as a plant sourcing search engine and is another example of how ONLA is working to lead, promote, and facilitate the success and growth of green industry businesses in Ohio. Growers! Youll want to be a registered grower and list your plant availability. Its easy: just send a spreadsheet that includes plant name, plant size and quanity to [email protected]. Once your data is entered, youll have access to update it any time you want.

Within the next month, registered users will have ac-cess to search by plant, by grower, by region, by county and by zip code. The return of this much-loved sourcing guide has already been met with a lot of enthusiasm by growers and landscapers alike. Thank you to our volun-teer advisory committee members for providing guidance as this project was developed and implemented. This is a great selling tool from ONLA to our members!

Final note: President-Elect Jim Searcy will soon be looking for volunteers to serve on ONLA committees next year, so if you know of any keen employees who would like to give some of their valuable time to a great cause, please let the ONLA office know. B

NURSERY SHORT COURSE

Keynote Speaker! The OSU Nursery Short Course is pleased to host Dr.

Michael Dirr, renowned horticulturist, as the 2013 program keynote. Dr. Dirr will present a number of super sessions sure to please plant enthusiasts.

ONLA Management Master ClassAs part of the ONLAs ongoing Education 2.0 Initia-

tive, the addition of this NEW Monday afternoon confer-ence answers the need for top-level management training and business strategy sessions. Three general sessions and multiple break-outs led by dynamic professional business speakers will cover the topics such as sales skills, business development, strategies to motivate and coach employees, industry-specific management, and more. Send your man-agers to this conference, or attend yourself, and be sure that your best employees become your top managers.

Green Industry Exploration ConferenceAfter a tremendously successful 2012 launch, ONLA

is pleased to bring the Green Industry Exploration Con-ference back in 2013. This conference was developed to provide a discovery of the myriad of career paths within our vibrant green industry. Whether you are a student interested in learning more, or are already part of the horticulture industry and simply want to know more about other avenues of professional growth, this is the place for you. Discover all of your options from garden center businesses to turf grass maintenance jobs and speak directly with green industry professionals. This conference includes docent-led tours of CENTS, break-out sessions to learn more about segments of the industry, and concludes with the ONLA Career Marketplace & Job Fair.

Young Professional Leadership SummitAnother NEW offering from the ONLAs Education

2.0 Initiative, the Young Professional Leadership Summit brings training to green industry young pros. This confer-ence provides critical professional and personal develop-ment sessions geared to cultivating successful careers. Sessions led by high-energy speakers cover a variety of challenges young professionals face, with topics like financial planning, cultivating leadership, maintaining a work-life balance and working in a family business. Send the emerging leaders within your business, or attend your-self, to this conference to advance knowledge, grow skills, and enhance leadership acumen. B

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onla.org October 2012 5

ONLA Office UpdateB

Kevin ThompsonExecutive [email protected]

Strategic Business Partners

Seldom does a week pass that were not contacted in the office by someone offering the most valuable new member benefit to hit the market in years. They always seem to have the latest and greatest product or ser-vice to help our members grow bet-ter, sell more, save money, find new customers, lose weight, etc. And theyre usually doing us a favor by making these products and services available to our members, thus mak-ing heroes of the association. These are commonly referred to as affinity programs.

Dont get me wrong, though, about my attitude towards these companies and their sales profes-sionals. The majority are reputable companies who truly believe theyve got the solution to your problems. I have great respect for most sales pro-fessionals. In fact, Ive been quoted as saying Sales make the world go around. We sell stuff every day, including memberships, booths, ads, and sponsorships (or, at least, we hope we do).

I was a commissioned sales professional at one time, so I know what it can be like. And I did the same thing. If you could just get your hands on the trade associations membership list you had it made. Everyone knows the best prospects are the members of their respective trade associations. Theyre the lead-ers the supporters of their industry. What resourceful sales professional wouldnt want that list?

Better yet, if you can get the as-sociation to endorse you. We dont, however, endorse everyone who thinks we should. We take this very seriously and vet each company carefully. We have to, or you would lose trust in us. Scrutiny and liability exist in making recommendations.

We begin by asking: Does this product or service fit

within our mission?

Is it of value to our members and not competitive with them?

Is it unique or offered at a discount available only to our members?

Does it compete with already existing programs?

Do they show a sincere interest in our industry?

Are they willing to invest in the association by joining, exhibiting at CENTS and/or advertising in The Buckeye?

This last one stops most deals in their tracks. Most just want the association to promote their product to the membership. They want the membership list and expect the asso-ciation to do all the heavy lifting for them because their product or service is so wonderful.

When we do find a company who we feel will make good partners, were happy to work with them. As our mission states: The Ohio Nurs-ery & Landscape Association leads, promotes, and facilitates the success and growth of green industry busi-nesses. When we find reputable suppliers and are confident they can help our members be successful, or solve their problems, were happy to endorse them.

We currently have several great partnerships with service provid-ers who help members in many ways, including significant financial savings. They show their support for our industry and deserve your consideration. If you havent taken a look lately at our extensive list of member services, or affinity pro-grams, perhaps its time.

Weve partnered with companies offering a wide range of products and services. Visit the ONLA web-site at www.onla.org for a complete listing and contact information on the Member Benefits page. Exceptional service providers await you often with exceptional savings! B


Business Apparel - Lands End Trust Lands End Business Outfitters for all of your business clothing, uniform clothing, corporate gift and promotional product needs. 10% off full price retail and logo application fees.

Cell Phone Service - SprintONLA members can receive a 12% discount on corporate Sprint wireless accounts, and an 8% discount on personal Sprint wireless accounts.

Credit Collection - Cash Flow Management (CFM)With CFM, a trained collection specialist is assigned to bring in your past-due accounts before they fade away as bad debts.

Credit/Debit Card Processing - Merchant ServicesONLA members can take advantage of credit and debit card mer-chant service processing program through Merchant Services. Merchant Services brings electronic processing programs specifically designed to fit the needs of your business.

Energy Program - Growers Energy Solutions (GES)Grower Energy Solutions (GES) helps manage an energy program designed to help save on your natural gas and electric bill by utilizing the strength of group buying. Average savings between 8 and 15%.

Federation of Employers & Workers of America FEWA is an internationally recognized non-profit association which provides members with educational and informational services related to cultural and non-immigrant and immigrant labor management issues.

Fuel/Fleet Program - SuperFleetSave up to $.05 per gallon on all fuel purchases at SuperFleet (Speedway, Marathon and Rich Oil) locations with no minimum purchase required.

Fleet Sales - Ricart FordRicart Ford, one of Ohios largest commercial truck dealers, has teamed up with ONLA to offer members a discount on Commercial Fleet Sales, Service and Parts across Ohio.

Green Industry NetworkingAttend educational and social events hosted by the ONLA and en-gage with fellow green industry professionals.

Health/Life/Income Insurance - TAH Benefits The ONLA Group Benefit Programs has partnered with various health plans to offer a variety of plans with many optional benefits such as vision, dental, life, and disability.

Legislative Advocacy Full-time lobbyist, Capitol Consulting Group, is employed by the ONLA to ensure green industry legislative involvement.

Long Distance/Local TelephoneFirst Communications provides full telecommunications services: long distance, data services, conference calling and toll free service.

Exclusive Member Benefits

ONLA Membership: Plans For Success

For more information on ONLA member savings visit onla.org or call 614.899.1195

Office Supplies - Friends Business SourceFriends Business Source is a leader in providing office supplies and equipment with ONLA member discounts on over 35,000 products. Receive 30-55% off list price!

Online Safety Training- LS Training LS Training offers 23 high-quality online videos; complete with online exams and field checklists to make your employees more efficient. Save 5% off the total invoiced price.

Payroll/Human Resource Services - Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP)(ADP) offers a range of payroll, payroll tax, and human resources services to assist ONLA members with staffing, managing, paying, and retaining employees.

Property/Casualty Insurance - Best Hoovler McTeagueSave on your property and casualty insurance with BHM. BHMs group program is designed for ONLA members to save at least 15% with the best coverage rates for your liability, fleet and equip-ment.

Safety Services - American Safety & Health Manage-ment Consultants, Inc./American Premier First AidAmerican Safety & Health Management Consultants, Inc. (ASH) fills the growing need for professional safety and health management services for companies of all sizes. Meet requirements and reduce costs using first aid products from American Premier First Aid, Inc.

Shipping Solutions - PartnerShip Take control of your shipping costs and add profits to your bottom line. PartnerShip delivers effective discounted shipping services to small- and medium-sized businesses nationwide, save up to 20%.

Soil & Plant Tissue Testing/Ag Hort. Consulting Ser-vices - CLC LABSThrough CLC LABS, ONLA members receive various laboratory services at a 10% discount off list prices including testing of soil nutrients, soilless media, soil texture, fertilizer solution, plant tissue, irrigation water suitability and dry fertilizer analysis.

Workers Compensation - CareWorks Consultants, Inc. The ONLA Workers Compensation Group Rating Program has saved its members over $21.4 million in the last 12 years.

NEW

More years ago than Id like to count, I joined the ONLA Landscape Contractors Committee. Id always thought about becoming more involved in the association and took the leap.

I never regretted that decision one bit.What I learned, and found most interesting, was the

fact that other contractors across the state experienced some of the same issues I faced. The best part was that I could almost always count on finding someone within the committee whod faced these issues and solved them. They shared their knowledge so that others could also move forward.

Every ONLA committee is given an agenda from the association president with tasks to review. Committees review the discussion items, offer input and make recom-mendations to the board of directors. Committees also add to the agenda, bringing their collective concerns to the attention of the board and the association. Committee members then work throughout the year to achieve the goals they set at their meeting.

If you think you cant have an impact on what is hap-pening on a regional or state level, think again. Many times, issues arose that would have had a negative impact on our industry. However, with the force of committee members, ONLA staff, and the board of directors, most were negated.

Ive had the great pleasure of serving on a number of committees including the Marketing Committee and, cur-rently, the Membership Committee and the Budget Policy & Review Committee. Exciting and educational are two words to best describe serving on any committee.

Ultimately, I was honored to serve five years on the ONLA board of directors, one year as President. It was a great, enjoyable and fantastic experience. I had the opportunity to really dig in to what the association does and help make decisions that impacted the industry on the state level.

All in all, being involved with the ONLA helped me personally. I became a better manager, estimator, and dare I say, person. Of course, the person part is up to de-bate, but I believe it has. The value of friendships gained through the years cannot be overstated.

So, if youve ever been frustrated about the way things are going in the industry, or you just want to expand your professional horizons, get involved!

Contact the ONLA office at (800) 825-5062 to learn how you can be a part of a committee. BBob HirthONLA Membership [email protected]

Get Involved


B F E A T U R E

givingbackWhen youre small, parents and

teachers try to instill life lessons about gratitude. Youre taught to politely thank those around you who do nice things for you. Youre told that writing thank you notes are an important way to express thankfulness.

But how do we express grati-tude to those who put themselves in harms way to protect and defend the United States? Were Americans, after all: they are re-ally protecting and defending us!

A group of Green Industry Pro-fessionals were quick to lend their voices, and their support, to say thanks to vets right here in Ohio.

Their parents and teachers are surely proud!

In 2011, The Ohio State Uni-versity opened a former fraternity house to provide welcoming hous-ing for military veterans attending the school. Under the guidance of Jim Miller, associate vice presi-dent of the Office of Business and Finance, the project began as a way to honor his father, who spent his career serving in the military. But what began with modest ex-pectations turned into something else entirely.

Soon, Millers efforts were joined by a number of donors, including Lifestyle Communities

and Macys and many individuals throughout the community. State Representative Cheryl Grossman learned of the project through Macys.

Master Sergeant Shawn T. Hannon, a very good friend of our family, was killed in Afghanistan in April. His death served as a very important reminder to me of how grateful we need to be every military man and woman who serves our country, said Gross-man. I was very motivated to give back to our veterans.

Grossman contacted Miller and asked the status of the project. When she learned that there was

by Jennifer [email protected] agreed: it was a very small way to say thank you.

please see page 10


BF E A T U R E

a need for a landscaping facelift, a plan formed.

I had worked with Dick Posey from Buckeye Resources when some PUCO regulations regarding trucks threatened small businesses about a year ago. Ev-eryone at the ONLA was just really good to work with and I knew I could make a call, she stated. I called Dick and told him about the project. He didnt hesitate. He was there immediately offering to help any way he could.

Grossman also connected the Veter-ans House project with local Boy Scout Brent Reichert. Rep. Grossman did a great job of informing me about this project and how it gives back to our troops. I spent the whole day thinking of all the things I take for granted, when it could all be taken away in a blink of an eye if it wasnt for our military.

Reichert immediately chose the landscaping project at the Veterans House as his Eagle Scout project. I was

completely amazed at the number of people who were willing to step up to the plate and help a worthy cause. I think the value of this project is more than one would see just by looking at some nice landscaping. Things like this start chain reactions! When people see someone try to make life a tiny bit better for the ones that served for us, I believe that people will try and do the same.

Those chain reactions were evident throughout the project. Dick Posey contacted some of his industry peers including Patrick Bolton of Goods From The Woods, LLC, Tom Wood of NBC4 Columbus and Wood Landscape Services, Ltd., and Craig Schweitzer of Outdoor Living by Mr. Mulch. They, in turn, were excited to get involved and contribute.

On a June 24th, the volunteers gath-ered at the Veterans House, perched atop a steep grassy hill. Posey donated time and materials to the project. Sch-weitzer donated materials to the project.

Bolton donated labor and supervised the project. Wood provided media cover-age of the event as part of his weekly garden-centric broadcast. What began as a thoughtful expression of gratitude concluded with the creation of a beauti-fied space featuring new retaining walls, new landscape beds with easy-care plant groupings that will be enjoyed by the residents for years to come.

Reichart hopes the current and future Veterans House residents enjoy the completed landscape for years to come. He hopes that the chain reaction contin-ues and inspires other universities to fol-low OSUs example. If you do some-thing that changes the world a tiny bit, people see that and do the same. Tiny changes turn in to large changes very quickly if done right. If ten other univer-sities decided to build a veterans house we would then have touched the lives of 5,000 veterans over 50 years. BPhoto credits: Tony Sciambi, Buckeye Resources, Inc.

CAPTIONS1. Before. 2. After. 3 & 4. Volunteers worked throughout the day, removing rotted railroad ties, installing new stone retaining walls, installing new plant materials, soil and mulch, to complete the project. 5. New retaining walls. 6 & 7. Afters. 8. Commemorative stone thanking sponsors.

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Legislative HotlineB

Dan Jones ONLA Legislative [email protected]

Belinda Jones ONLA Legislative Consultant

[email protected]

State House Elections are Focused on the Margins;

Election UpdateWhile your eyes may be focused

on the Presidential election or even the hotly contested US Senate race between Democrat US Sena-tor Sherrod Brown and Republican State Treasurer Josh Mandel, there are other interesting races in play at the state house this year. The entire Ohio House is up for election and half the Ohio Senate. While conven-tional wisdom indicates that there is little likelihood of House democrats taking back the majority and a virtual impossibility for Senate democrats to overthrow the Senate Rs, up for grabs are changes within the mar-gins of majority. Margins are important because on some pieces of legislation and when a bill has an emergency clause (becomes effec-tive upon the Governors signature) the bill must pass by a 2/3 majority. Obviously, if the majority party is in control of 2/3 or more of the cham-bers seats, then the minority party has little to no power. So, in addi-tion to some interesting open seats (races where an incumbent is not running), democrats and republicans are working to change the margins.

SenateIn the Senate, of the 33 seats, only

17 are up this cycle. Republicans in the upper chamber will be work-ing hard to defend Senator John

Eklunds (R; Chardon) NE Ohio district. An attorney by trade, Sen. Eklund was tapped to replace former State Senator Tim Grendell, who left the Senate last year after he was appointed to the Geauga County Common Pleas Court. Senate repub-licans will also be active in the 17th district where Senator Bob Peterson (R; Sabina) was recently appointed to replace Dave Daniels, the cur-rent Director of the Ohio Depart-ment of Agriculture (ODA). Senate Democrats are also on the defensive as Republicans have targeted the 30th district, held by Senator Lou Gentile (D; Steubenville). If the republicans win this seat, they will control 24 of the Senates 33 seats, the largest majority in 50 years. After being elected to his first term in the Ohio House, Senator Gentile was appointed to replace democrat Jason Wilson, another Kasich ap-pointee. During re-apportionment, this senate districts political index improved slightly to favor republi-cans and, with a 162 to 1 fundraising advantage, the Senate GOP has vast resources to tap; therefore, this will be a race to watch. While we do not have many nurseries in this district, we do have a good relationship with Sen. Gentile who serves as the Rank-ing Minority Member on the Senate Ag Committee.

please see page 14


a dime a dayA $10,000 Goal: ONLPAC provides immeasurable benefit to your business. Support ONLPAC today with a minimum donation of $36.50, just ten cents a day. Your contribution of $36.50 is critical. The goal is to raise $10,000. We need your contribution to continue our efforts. Donate today!

Please accept my personal contribution to the ONLPAC. I understand ONLPAC accepts personal contributions via personal check and personal credit cards. Business checks and business credit cards are not accepted, per Ohio PAC laws.

Donation amount: $36.50, 10/day $91.25, 25/day $182.50, 50/day $365.00, $1/day Other: $__________

All ONLPAC donations are recorded and reported to the Ohio Secretary of State. Please complete the following information for reporting purposes.

Name: __________________________________________

Home Address: ___________________________________

City, State Zip: ___________________________________

Ph: ____________________________________________

Check Visa Mastercard

Card No.: _______________________________________

Exp. Date: _______________________________________

Cardholder Name: ________________________________

Signature:________________________________________

Return to: ONLPAC, c/o ONLA, 72 Dorchester Square, Westerville, OH 43081. Ph: 800.825.5062. Fax: 614.899.9489. [email protected]

The horticulture industry in Ohio is under continual regulatory and legislative pressure. It is imperative that we speak as one industry to our elected officials to educate them on critical issues. ONLA routinely communicates with elected officials on matters that are near and dear to your business: sales tax, vehicle and operations safety compliance regulations, plant health inspection regulations, invasive species and quarantines, water usage and quality, labor, migrant labor, and construction.

Most of the successful legislative and regulatory work accomplished by ONLA goes unnoticed. Thats why its considered successful. We establish relationships, work with the General Assembly, and monitor legislation so that you dont have to. We effect change that benefits your business, and usually thats before onerous legislation gets on the books. We deflect the bullets before they get to you. Help us continue this critical work. Donate to ONLPAC.


HouseOver in the House, Republicans have identified a hand-

ful of seats they might be able to win in order to increase their 59 to 40 advantage. Although earlier this year, House Democrats boasted that they had candidates filed to run in all 99 House districts, realistically, House Re-publicans are defending or competing for about 12 seats. Most capitol square insiders are predicting that the House GOP will gain a couple of seats, but will not win enough to have a super-majority of two-thirds (or 66 seats), like their Senate colleagues. Below is a summary of key races to watch this fall:

2nd District: Following the retirement of Repre-sentative Jay Goyal (D; Mansfield), Republicans are betting on businessman Mark Romanchuk to defeat Democrat Ellen Haring, a Mansfield City Council-woman. Given the city of Mansfields financial woes, local government funding will be a huge point of contention between the two candidates.

5th District: Republican Representative Craig New-bold (R; Columbiana) is fending off a challenge from Democrat Nick Barborak, a Township Treasurer. This district, effectively all of Columbiana County, slightly favors democrats. A major point of disagree-ment between the two candidates is Governor Ka-sichs proposed severance tax, which Rep. Newbold strongly opposes.

6th District: This district was once a tossup, but reapportionment gave it a slight republican tilt. In-cumbent Representative Marlene Anielski (R; Walton Hills) is hoping that the new tilt will give her an edge over Anthony Fossaceca, a democrat volunteer and small business owner. Rep. Anielski is being bombarded with local democrat complaints over her support of SB5 as well as last years operating bud-get, which made significant cuts to schools and local governments.

7th District: This rematch from 2010 pits Republican Rep. Mike Dovilla (R; Berea) against Democrat Matt Patten. Rep. Dovilla narrowly knocked off Patten in the last cycle, and reapportionment left this district virtually unchanged. Patten, who bears a very similar name to Republican State Senator Tom Patton, has been hammering Rep. Dovilla over his support of SB5.

16th District: Rocky River attorney Andy Meyer is hoping to knock off Representative Nan Baker (R; Westlake) out of her suburban Cleveland district. While the district leans Republican, Democrats are focusing a great deal of resources on defeating Nan Baker along with neighboring Republican Represen-tatives Anielski and Dovilla.

20th District: An open, Franklin County seat pits Re-publican Nathan Burd, a Reynoldsburg City Council-man against Democrat Heather Bishoff, a local school board member. Although it promises to be a very tight race, Bishoff a finance industry expert and US Army Veteran is working hard and the democrats are hopeful. This race could be viewed as a referendum on Governor Kasichs agenda, with Mr. Burd riding on the Kasich record and agenda while Ms. Bishoff pleads for more balance at the statehouse.

24th District: This is one of the few competitive open races this cycle; Republican Stephanie Kunze, a Hilliard City councilwoman, will face off against Democrat Maureen Reedy, a veteran teacher. This Columbus-area district leans republican, but is still a heavy target for both parties.

28th District: Cincinnati-area Democratic Repre-sentative Connie Pillich (D; Montgomery) is a prime target for Republicans this year. Cincinnati Tea Party founder Mike Wilson is challenging Pillich in this 2010 rematch, which was decided by just 600 votes. Further adding to Rep. Pillichs woes, reapportion-ment turned this district from a toss-up to a republi-can leaning one.



36th District: Republican Representative Anthony DeVitis (R; Cuyahoga Falls) is one of only a few lawmakers to see his Republican-leaning district turn into a toss-up in the reapportionment process. Rep. DeVitis will be hard pressed to fend off challenger Paul Colavecchio, a former union boss.

69th District: Another open race is the contest in the western half of Lake County to replace retiring Democrat Rep. Lorraine Fende (D; Willowick). This district was thought to be a safe democratic seat until the frontrunner, Lake County Commissioner Dan Troy, withdrew to run for another term as commis-sioner. With Troys exit, the Lake County Demo-cratic Party tapped Mentor-on-the-Lake Mayor John Rogers, a former state representative who served from 1983 to 1996, to run against Republican Lori DiNallo, a Painesville City Councilwoman. The last minute candidate switch has Republicans excited for this race.

95th District: This Appalachian Ohio race between Republican Representative Andy Thompson (R; Mar-ietta) and Democrat Charlie Daniels, a corrections officer, has already garnered significant media atten-tion. The challenger, a former employee of Belmont

Correctional Facility, was fired for running for office. Mr. Daniels has been hammering Rep. Thompson for his vote on SB5, while the incumbent is focusing on economic issues.

98th District: Majority Democrats appointed Josh OFarrell in 2010, shortly before losing control of the House. OFarrell was narrowly defeated that same year by Representative Al Landis (R; Dover). The apportionment process made this district a little more republican-friendly, but democrats still feel they can be successful by challenging Mr. Landis for his votes on SB5 and issues relating to the emerging oil and gas play in SE Ohio.

99th District: In 2010, Republican Representative Casey Kozlowski (R; Pierpont) won this democrat-leaning seat by a mere 42 votes. This year he is a prime target for the Democratic Party, who think high school history teacher John Patterson is up to the task. Rep. Kozlowski is one of a handful of republicans to oppose SB5. Although Rep. Kozlowski is one of the youngest members of the General Assembly, he has worked hard during his tenure, thus, this race will be one to watch! B

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Plants and Animals Need Phosphorus

Lets make one thing perfectly clear. All life on Earth depends on phosphorus. Phosphorus drives several of the biochemical energy systems in the cells of all plants and animals. Animals derive their dietary phosphorus from eating plants.

A phosphorus deficiency in plants results in reduced plant vigor, poor color, poor flowering and fruiting and poor root systems. A phospho-

rus deficiency also results in greater susceptibility to biotic and abiotic stresses and poor recovery from these stresses. In addition to driving the energy system in animal cells, significant phosphorus becomes the calcium phosphate that makes up teeth and bones. Most of the fertil-izer phosphorus used to grow plants is derived from the teeth and bones found in ancient marine deposits, while bone meal, a high phosphate fertilizer, is derived from more re-cent animal mortalities.

Most of the phosphorus needed by plants comes from its uptake by roots

The Dynamics of Phosphorus in Plants, Soil, and the Environment

Pphosphorus

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from the soil. Plants differ in their ability to utilize soil phosphorus. Most notably, transplants and seed-lings have a poor ability to utilize soil phosphorus because their root systems dont exploit a large volume of soil. Think about container grown or B&B trees/shrubs planted into a low phosphorus landscape soil or seedling turfgrasses struggling in a low phosphorus soil environment. On the other hand, mature trees not only have root systems that exploit a large volume of soil, but many

form mycorrhizal associations which enhance phosphorus uptake even in low phosphorus soils. Mature turf-grass plants have dense root systems that also exploit a large volume of soil. So, new plantings and seedings need soils with higher phosphorus levels to grow, while mature trees, shrubs and turfgrasses can thrive at lower soil phosphorus levels.

Not All Soil Phosphorus Is Available to Plants

Soils vary widely in their abil-ity to supply phosphorus for plant

growth. Soil scientists long ago discovered that not all the phospho-rus in the soil is available to plants. These scientists have developed various soil tests that determine how much plant available phosphorus is in the soil. Some soils may contain a large amount of phosphorus as part of their mineral make-up (total phosphorus), but only a small portion is plant available phosphorus. Other soils may contain a large amount in their minerals and a large amount in the plant available form, like those soils common in parts of the East Coast, Central Florida and parts of the Rocky Mountain regions.

On the other hand most Ohio soils contain only a small amount of phosphorus as part of their mineral make-up and therefore a very small amount in the plant available form. Soil tests for plant available phos-phorus are the key to determining if the soil can supply the needs of the plant. Through decades of field research soil scientists have deter-mined how much plant available soil is needed to maintain good plant vigor and health. This research also led to the discovery of how much phosphate fertilizer is needed to cor-rect a low phosphorus soil. This is the critical information used by soil testing laboratories to make fertil-izer recommendations for turf and ornamental plants.

When soils are deficient in plant available phosphorus, high phos-

Through the diligent efforts of Belinda Jones at Capitol Consulting, Ohio was one of the first states to pre-empt the local regulation of fertilizers. With the vision provided by some of the local and county fertilizer use restrictions, Belinda crafted language in 2005 that is now part of the Ohio Revised Code as Section 905.501 No Local Regulation of Fertilizers.


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or city owned land, but are pre-empted by the Ohio Revised Code from passing local regulations on fertilizer use.Phosphorus - An Essential Plant Nutrient

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for many plant growth and plant health functions. Most Ohio landscape soils are deficient in phosphorus and routine phospho-rus fertilization is needed to promote healthy landscape plants. When phosphorus bound to soil particles enters surface waters, algae and other aquatic plants are encour-aged to grow. This causes the degradation in water quality that may be harmful to fish, other aquatic organisms and even human health. Research has shown that phosphorus loss from healthy, properly fertilized landscapes is very minimal and phosphorus loss is potentially much greater from unfertilized landscapes. Judicious use of phosphorus will promote healthy, beautiful landscapes and protect the environment from excessive phosphorus pollution. BDr. Charles H. DarrahCLC LabsONLA Membership [email protected]

Research in Minnesota, which was one of the first states to restrict the use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizers, has found the same effect, i.e. increased phosphorus loss for unfertilized turf, as researchers in Wisconsin found a few years earlier. Dr. Horgans research can be viewed as a web video by going to the Golf Course Superinten-dents Association video website at www.gcsaa.tv. Enter Brian Horgan in the search box and view the video in the GCSAAs MythBusters series.

Phosphorus MythBuster

phate fertilizers, such as monoammonium phosphate (MAP/11-52-0) or diammonium phosphate (DAP/18-46-0) can be used to correct this deficiency. When these phosphate fertilizers are applied to the soil they are quickly converted into mineral forms, such as calcium phosphates, magnesium phosphates, iron phosphates and aluminum phosphates. Some other phosphate fertilizers, such as bone meal, or single super phosphate (0-26-0) or triple super phosphate (0-46-0) are already in a mineral form as various forms of calcium phosphates.

Phosphorus in the Environment

Shortly after a phosphorus fertilizer application, the phosphorus becomes chemically combined with the soil minerals. In most landscape situations, the run-off of this bound phosphorus is very minimal. This is especially true once a good turf cover has been established (see sidebar 2) or the soil in landscape beds has been mulched to pre-vent soil movement. Run-off of this chemically combined phosphorus from landscape soils is a critical concern in newly constructed landscapes and soil loss needs to be minimized with good erosion control techniques. Muddy run-off water is carrying phosphorus away from the site. The use of bioretention is becoming popular especially in commercial landscape design. These bioretention systems are designed to trap sediments (muddy water) and remove both bound and dissolved phosphorus, before being dis-charged to surface waters.

Phosphorus is the limiting nutrient in inland waterways that prevents the abundant growth of algae and other aquatic plants. Pond, lake and stream water quality is often degraded by plant growth accelerated by phospho-rus pollution. The harmful algae blooms (HABs) that have recently grabbed headlines for Grand Lake near St. Marys, OH and the western basin of Lake Erie are ex-amples of the consequences of excess phosphorus in these bodies of water.

Phosphorus Use Regulations Several states in the Great Lakes region and several

states, counties and cities in other parts of the country have enacted legislation banning or greatly restricting the use of phosphorus in lawn and garden fertilizers. The fertilizer industry has responded by producing fertilizers without phosphorus, one of the most critical plant nutri-ents, ex. 28-0-6 or 25-0-5, etc.

However, all of the state-wide regulations allow the use of a high phosphorus fertilizer when a soil test shows this nutrient to be deficient. And in fact, a considerable amount of phosphorus can be used when the soil test shows the soil is highly deficient in this nutrient. On the other hand, some of the county and city regulations create a total phosphorus use ban. Local political subdivisions in Ohio have the right to ban the use phosphorus on county


BAs sustainable landscape design approaches become even more important within the green industry, so do those experi-ences for students to learn and manage long term goals for clientele in regards to overall design & management of land-scapes.

The Kent State University horticulture program takes pride

in providing real-world applications to a diverse set of projects that extend the learning objectives for which a student may be aligned. Understanding, Right Plant, Right Place is all well and good but looking at long term solutions is the ultimate goal for any landscape design project. Practicums allow students to address a specific area of study in more detail than previ-

Rockwell Springs Trout Club Design ProjectAn Exercise in Research & Development for Real World Application


L O O K T O T H E F U T U R E

ously covered during classroom lecture. The course is a special project designed to give students a supervised experience focusing on the foundations, strategies, and resources already examined in earlier horticulture classes.

Students within the landscape design arena who were taking either a field study Practicum class or related approach thru Individual Investigations were selected to take part in a research project for Rock-well Springs Trout Club in Clyde, OH. The Club has been in existence for 130 years and a number of changes have taken place on the South Side of the property since the Clubs beginning. Now the members wanted to focus on the North Side, currently a wildlife area. The task was to design an updated master plan for the site, which would include both the maintained grounds area and the natural areas along trout streams that would pro-tect water quality and site amenities.

In return, the club would supply ac-commodations on site for the students, meals and a healthy scholarship dona-tion for the Horticulture program. The research approach was to be administered via Stan Jones, Associate Professor and Program Director as well as Mr. Maurice Peoples, Kent State University Salem Horticulturist & Lecturer.

This is not the first project taken on by students and it is a good example of classroom education and hands-on experi-ences within the horticulture field on which our program focuses. The Horticul-ture program focuses on Urban Forestry, Landscape Design and Turf Management projects with related greenhouse and plant propagation areas of interest.

After six site visitations for inspections and samplings, the students provided a long term (10-15 year) sustainable landscape design approach along with pictures and site analysis data via county soil surveys, soil tests, suggested native plant lists with silviculture fact sheets, potential hazardous tree situations, along with best management practices to foster good stream bed quality, erosion control, and wildlife diversity for a healthy eco-system. Additional topography changes were limited, and new site screenings were promoted to create a natural buffer from roadways. Several rough layouts and study groups helped hash out pros and cons of the site for clarification of design concepts.

The project was studied for over 22 weeks with a completed bound research submission notebook with full presen-tational color-rendered boards and a power-point presentation to the Rockwell Springs Board and Grounds Committee.

I learned how to work as a team and break a large project into smaller sec-tions. This project required extensive research and allowed us to work through some challenges that we would not have encountered otherwise, states Robin Cannon.

Student Sarrah Moskin expressed, It took a lot of hard work and dedication to complete this project. In the past, group work was never very coordinated and most of the burden typically fell on one person. We created a schedule right from the start with whom was doing what and when it was due. Stan kept us on task and directed us where we needed to be, but the majority of the project is what we

wanted to do and how we wanted to do it. In the end, I think it turned out really well.

In understanding higher education and what is important in any given major, it must align itself with real world ap-plications both within the private and public sectors alike. The majority of our program is steered through our horticul-ture advisory board and those standards required by the Ohio Board of Regents and the university itself.

New approaches to career paths are always being transformed within any in-stitution of higher learning and Kent State University is by no means an exception to that rule. At present, major strides in ex-panding the horticulture program from its Bachelor of Applied Horticulture (BAH) to a second targeted sustainable horticul-ture bachelor degree approach is in the works. The second degree capitalizes on landscape design and those expanded natural systems for improved longevity of plant design and stewardship of the land. Students learn from doing and Kent State University and its Horticulture program have expanded its faculty and interests, bringing the program full circle. A major part of this success is also due to the great insight provided by our green industry advisory board members of which who have played a pivotal role in our depart-ments growth. BStanley M. Jones, Associate Professor & Program Director and Maurice Peoples, Horticulturist & Lecturer at Kent State University, SalemONLA Scholarship & Student Activities [email protected]


Quantifying Visual QualityOver the decades, environmentalists, including indi-

viduals with a passion for plants, have suggested that the greening of cities and other landscape settings is ben-eficial, especially for visual and environmental quality. However, until relatively recently (last 40 years), very little actual research supported or refuted these ideas. These contributions may be of interest to the green indus-try especially if they participate in landscape planning, landscape design, or landscape management in an advi-sory or consulting capacity in their community or region. In addition, understanding the contribution that vegetation makes in creating a visually pleasing environment can assist landscape designer in counseling clients and mak-ing good decisions about the spatial configuration of the environment.

OverviewSubstantial advances in the area of visual quality

research occurred in the 1960s when recreation scientists began showing respondents images of landscapes, record-ing responses, and then measuring the qualities of these images by dividing the images into grids and recording landscape metrics. Landscape architects and environmen-tal psychologists also entered the endeavor, developing various methods and approaches to questioning respon-dents and measuring photographs.

Researchers discovered several interesting points. First, they discovered that people responded to photo-graphs (color and black and white) and video generated ratings that were similar to the real outdoor landscape experience, meaning that photographs were a suitable representation for people to evaluate. However, draw-ings were not a suitable substitute, because respondents evaluated the quality of the drawing and not the contents of the landscape. Second, there is a significant difference between the responses of design professionals such as landscape artists and non-design professionals. Design professionals see the landscape differently than the gener-al population. Thus, what experts notice in the landscape may not be what the general population sees or values. Third, researchers have discovered a variety of significant variables that predict visual quality, including the impor-tance of foreground vegetation, the importance of distant landscape features or focal points such as mountains, and the general overall importance of greenness. Neverthe-less, most of the work focused upon local and regional natural and rural landscape settings and was not appli-cable to a wider variety of landscapes.

Two good overviews of the knowledge gained from the 1960s to the 1980s can be examined in Foundations of Visual Project Analysis and a chapter in Methods in Environmental and Behavioral Research. Since that time, several researchers have employed image editing tech-niques to develop sets of photographs assessing specific landscape treatments such as shoreline protection or suburban development. In addition, a book titled With People in Mind: Design and Management of Everyday Nature offers some insightful and readily comprehensible principles emerging from their extensive study and expe-rience concerning this topic.

The Science of DesignGreen Vegetation and Flowering Plants Do Make a Difference


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Pertinent Results and PrinciplesIn the mid- 1990s, researchers at MSU had the op-

portunity to conduct a study to search for a more univer-sal equation applicable across most of North America from wilderness settings to urban districts. The effort employed a large dataset of images that was constructed from landscapes across North America for about 30 years. Based upon the respondents, an equation emerged which is wrong only once every 10,000 times it is used and contains significant predictors that explain a majority of the variance in the dataset. The equation illustrated idea and design principles applicable to the development of the landscape:1. The more people, cars, power lines, signs, buildings,

utility pedestals, bridges, retaining walls, fences, eroding soil, and pavement in the landscape qual-ity decreases. Even the most highly prized buildings score poorly when there is nothing to view but the structure.

2. Flowers (wild and cultivated) and animals (wild and domestic) significantly increase visual quality.

3. Buttes, rock-faced cliffs, rocky hills, and distant mountains in the landscape scene significantly in-crease visual quality.

4. Landscapes with a degree of refuge, prospect, and mystery significantly increase visual quality. Design professionals have suspected this for a long time, but it is only recently that constructs for these variables

have been developed, tested, and applied. This means that there must be some vegetation in the foreground (refuge) and something to look at (prospect), con-nected by a (preferably winding) circulation system, resulting in mystery

5. Visual quality and environmental quality are strongly linked together as I discovered that a simple environ-mental health index is a significant predictor of visual quality. This means that pollution and energy con-sumption negatively affect visual quality. In contrast, landscapes that support cultural diversity, contribute to the economy, and support biological diversity have a positive effect on the visual quality of the land-scape. In 2005, I attended a conference in Ascona, Switzerland where many scholars from around the world were reporting similar results and starting to make these connections.

6. Placing vegetation into urban landscapes does make a significant improvement in the visual quality of the environment. Vegetation does make a difference.

7. Placing more vegetation into rural landscapes with views of mountains, wildlife, and wildflowers can ob-struct views of these features and actually decreases the visual quality. Thus vegetation can also make a negative difference.

Green Vegetation and Flowering Plants Do Make a Difference

please see page 25


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8. The more green vegetation, sky, clouds, snow, and water viewed in an image, the more neutral (neither high nor low) the image becomes.

9. Variables such as fire and dead vegetation are not di-rectly significant predictors of a broad general visual quality model.

10. Images can be numerically compared statistically; the two compared images can be evaluated to see if they are significantly different. Thus, one can have a degree of certainty that the images of interest are perceptually different or similar. Computing imaging technology can then be employed to study the place-ment and design of landscape features to improve or adjust the score. It is actually possible to numerically quantify the contribution that various landscape man-agement treatments and designs can make to improve environmental quality.

TheoryLandscape perception research has suffered from

armchair enthusiasts who proclaim theories, but have no empirical evidence to actually support their ideas, or from investigators who build statistical predictive equa-tions but have no explanation for why their models work. Consequently, investigators at MSU examined equations, looking for an explanation and constructing three theories which can explain the results of the equations. They want to tie theory together with real prediction models.

The first theory is the Theory of Human Intrusion, which postulates that humans behave in ways that in-trude upon other humans and that these intrusions can be viewed in the landscape. Furthermore, human intrusion upon one another is not a constructive social activity. The visual quality equations suggest what types of landscape features may be considered intrusions. For example, ac-cording to the research, buildings are intrusions. Thus, buildingsno matter how highly acclaimedare intru-sions from one person to another. This does not mean that we should dislike buildings or that architects do a poor job designing buildings, but rather, an environment con-sisting of nothing but buildings will not be well received by the general population. In addition, an abundance of people, cars, pavement, eroding soil, and related features are signs of people intruding upon each other. Landscapes that contain these features are not highly appreciated by the public.

The second theory is the Theory of Landscape Enhancements. This theory suggests that people prefer those events from nature that are special and temporal (not easily seen as they exist in a location for a short dura-tion), such as an animal in a scene or flowers on display.

Animals move and flowers have a limited time for bloom-ing. So when these features are present, they are appreci-ated and enhance the quality of the landscape. Potentially, there could be other variables in the landscape that could be tested as enhancers, such as special atmospheric ef-fects like the northern lights. In addition, other landscape attributes such as fall color, or possibly landscape features such as sculptures may have a positive enhancement qual-ity.

The third theory is the Theory of Neutral Modifiers. This theory suggests that the common spatial elements (pre-civilization features) found in the natural and even rural landscape such as sky, clouds, green vegetation, and water comprise the neutral environment from which a landscape can be enhanced or devalued. Landscapes that contain an abundance of neutral modifiers result in visual quality scores that are neither high nor low. They are sig-nificantly different from those landscapes with an abun-dance of intrusions and landscapes with an abundance of enhancements.

For the green industry, garden clubs, and members of the landscape associations, it may be reassuring that there is empirical evidence in support of the importance of vegetation. Vegetation for screening, privacy, wildlife, ornamentation, and for a variety of other functions is viewed positively, especially in urban landscapes. In the planning, design, and management of the landscape, the placement and use of vegetation can quantitatively make a perceptual difference. Members of the green indus-try have believed this for a long time, but now there is substantial evidence to support these intuitive beliefs. For those interested in learning how to measure and quantify landscape images, and statistically compare before and after images, on may wish to read the 1997 article by J.B Burley.

Currently, investigators at MSU are working on study-ing the perceptions and preferences of French and Portu-guese respondents, comparisons with American respon-dents, and constructing quantitative visual quality maps of landscapes. If possible, they intend to construct a univer-sal visual quality map of the globe. But in the meantime, we all need to promote the importance of vegetation and the tremendous value of the green industry.

To learn more about these ideas and others related to the greening of the environment, I strongly urge readers to obtain a copy of The Experience of Nature: A Psycho-logical Perspective by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan. BDr. Jon Bryan Burley, Landscape Architecture School of Planning, Design, and Construction, Michigan State University. Courtesy of The Michigan Landscape.



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Educational Update

This article is provided to you as a benefit of membership in the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association.

Content for this issue provided by:

Susan Stieve, [email protected]

Pablo Jourdan, [email protected]

Ornamental Plant Germplasm CenterThe Ohio State University670 Vernon L. Tharp St.Columbus OH 43210

As part of its mission to serve the nursery and floriculture indus-tries, the Ornamental Plant Germ-plasm Center (OPGC) (http://opgc.osu.edu) is acquiring and conserving germplasm of diverse plant species, but especially North American natives, that may provide important novel traits to currently popular landscape plants, such as the black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) or the summer phlox (Phlox paniculata), and also introduce entirely new plants that could be used by the industry. This article provides informa-tion on interesting and potentially useful aspects of the genus Rud-beckia, one of the OPGCs prior-ity genera for conservation. This information has been compiled from published sources as well as observation of plants growing in natural habitats an in field research plots in Columbus, OH.

Rudbeckia is an all-American treasure (Figure 1). Widely known as black-eyed Susan or coneflower, this North American native can be found growing along roadsides, along forest and stream edges, and in open fields in the Midwest (including Ohio) and other states. These reliable plants are easy to grow, typically have showy flowers in shades of yellow and orange, are tolerant of a wide range of garden conditions, have few insect or disease problems, and require only minimal care for a nice show of color from summer through autumn.

The genus was named in 1740 by Carl Linnaeus in honor of his

botany professor, Olaf Rudbeck, at the Uppsala University in Sweden. Linnaeus wrote that so long as the earth shall survive, and each spring shall see it covered with flowers, the Rudbeckia will preserve your glorious name, quite a tribute! There are 25 spe-cies of Rudbeckia that include annuals, biennials and perennials, all of which are native to North America. Five of the species are widely distributed in the conti-nental USA; the rest tend to be more restrictive in Southeastern or Western states. Native stands of Rudbeckia hirta have been found in every state in the continental U.S. except two: Arizona and Nevada.

Rudbeckias were grown as ornamentals in English gardens many years before they were accepted by Americans as garden-worthy plants; by the mid-1800s Rudbeckia had found its way back home and was described by one early garden writer as the dar-ling of the ladies who are partial to yellow. In 1918 Rudbeckia hirta was named the state flower of Maryland. As a testament to its beauty and functionality, R. fulgida var. sullivantii Gold-sturm was named Perennial Plant of the Year in 1999, and 2008 was named the Year of the Rudbeckia by the National Garden Bureau.

A member of the Aster family, Rudbeckias daisy-like flow-ers (a compound flower called a capitulum or head) are found in colors ranging from lemon yellow

Rudbeckia 101:Perspectives on a Grand American Native

please see page 28BB

to gold, chestnut, mahogany and bronze, and flowers come in single and double forms; some cultivars have quill-shaped rolled flower petals (Figure 2). Many pollinators including honey bees, bumblebees, but-terflies, and others will feed on nectar and pollen, and seeds of mature flowers are a favorite of American goldfinches.

Due to its importance in the U.S. floriculture and nursery industries Rudbeckia has been a priority for conservation at the OPGC since 2008. Exploration trips throughout the Midwest and southeastern regions of the U.S., Texas, Arizona, and elsewhere have fa-cilitated the development of a significant collection of over 200 accessions (individual collections) represent-ing 23 taxa (Table 1). Analysis of variation for traits such as growth habit, leaf and flower morphology, flower color, suitability for cut-flower use, hardiness, disease and insect susceptibility, stress tolerance, DNA content, and others is currently underway at the OPGC. Results of these studies will be made publicly available on the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database, www.ars-grin.gov. Small samples of germplasm accessions, typically 50 to 100 seeds, are available free of charge for research (including breeding) and educational purposes and can also be requested via the GRIN website or by contacting the authors. The ultimate goal is to pro-vide germplasm that may result in new garden-worthy plants of variable habit, unique flower colors, toler-ance to diverse environmental conditions, resistance

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28 The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Associations The Buckeye, October 2012

to diseases and pests, and that are easy to propagate.

Survey of Rudbeckia species

Rudbeckia fulgida. Among the most popular of herbaceous ornamentals in landscapes, plants of R. fulgida are rhi-zomatous perennials about 18 inches wide and 3 feet tall with flowers heads up to 3 inches in diameter (Figure 1). One of the most widely utilized cultivars is R. fulgida var. sullivantii Goldsturm which has some-what larger flower heads on a slightly smaller plant. Gold-sturm (meaning Gold Storm) is a seed strain selected in Ger-many from material sent from the U.S. Named by the famed nurseryman Karl Foerster in 1938, its release was delayed by World War II until 1949. Goldsturm has received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society and was selected as Perennial Plant of the Year (1999) by the

Captions:1: Rudbeckia fulgida (foreground) and R. laciniata (background, in yellow) adorn a typical landscape that showcases the beauty of native plants.2: Diversity of flower heads (capitulum, a type of inflorescence) in the genus Rudbeckia.3: Rudbeckia grandiflora (left) and R. fulgida (right) being evaluated in field trials at the OPGC4: Flowers of Rudbeckia hirta cultivars and a wild-collected accession at the OPGC.5: Rudbeckias for height and vertical elements in constructed landscapes.

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The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Associations The Buckeye, October 2012 29

Perennial Plant Association. Use of other R. fulgida varieties is becoming more common because of their higher tolerance to heat, drought, and humidity. These include R. f. var. deamii, R. f. var. fulgida, R. f. var. umbrosa, and others. These botanical varieties are primarily differentiated by leaf morphology and plant origin, all will typically bloom from summer through late autumn and are hardy in zones 3-9.

Rudbeckia grandiflora. The rough or tall coneflower grows 2 to 5 feet tall and can form perennial colonies in the wild. Stems and leaves have rough hairs, flower heads have 8-12 ray flow-ers that are about 1 inch long and drooping. It is not as widely grown in gardens as it should be (Figure 3). Sundance is a seed strain selected by Jelitto Seed Co. and released in 2008.

Rudbeckia hirta. One of the most widely known and grown wildflowers, R. hirta cultivars come in wide range of flower col-ors and petal numbers, flower size,

Table 1. Rudbeckia accessions (individual collections) conserved and studied at the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center, The Ohio State University

Taxon No. Acces-sions U.S. State Origin

Rudbeckia amplexicaulis 1 CultivatedR. auriculata 1 GAR. californica 1 CultivatedR. fulgida 27 AL, FL, OHR. f. var. deamii 1 CultivatedR. f. var. fulgida 7 AL, OH, PA, WVR. f. var. speciosa 5 OH, cultivatedR. f. var. umbrosa 2 MO, TNR. graminifolia 2 FLR. grandiflora 3 LA, TXR. hirta 61 AL, CN, FL, GA, MO, NE, NC, OH, TX, VT, VA, WIR. laciniata 16 AZ, CT, IL, MNI, MO, NC, OH, WIR. l. var. ampla 2 COR. maxima 3 TXR. missouriensis 1 MOR. mohrii 2 FLR. mollis 5 FLR. nitida 1 GAR. occidentalis 3 UTR. scabrifolia 2 LAR. subtomentosa 4 IN, MO, OHR. texana 4 TXR. triloba 17 CT, IL, KS, MO, OH, SC, TN

as well as plant heights (Figure 4). Many outstanding cultivars exist such as Indian Summer, an All-America Selection (AAS) in 1995, which produces large 5-8 diameter flowers on 2 to 3 foot tall plants. Other AAS winners include Cherokee Sunset with semi-double to double flowers in shades of yellow, orange, bronze and mahogany, and Prairie Sun which has large golden-yellow petals tipped lighter primrose yellow surrounding a light green center cone. In 2008 the city of Denver commemorated its 150th anniversary by painting it orange and gold with a new cultivar, Denver Daisy, developed by crossing Prairie Sun with R. hirta lines having colored halos around the central cone. Seeds of the Denver Daisy were distributed to schools, organizations and offices for the public to grow. Shorter varieties are available for contain-ers and small gardens; popular cul-tivars include Becky and Toto. Innovative cultivars are constantly being developed, for example,

Cherry Brandy is the first-ever red flowering black-eyed Susan from seed, and Goldsmith Seeds developed the first F1 hybrid, Ti-ger Eye. Though they may reseed or overwinter in warmer zones, R. hirta are best treated as annuals, biennials, or very tender perenni-als in northern climates.

Rudbeckia laciniata. This perennial is commonly called cutleaf or ragged coneflower and it provides a strong vertical element in landscapes. Both the heirloom cultivar Golden Glow which has double yellow flowers and can grow to 7 -9 feet tall and 6 feet across, and Herbstsonne which produces lemon-yellow flowers on 6-8 foot tall stems are well-known cultivars hardy in zones 4-8 (Fig-ures 2&5). Greater variation for habit and size is desirable and a target of examination; plants of R. laciniata var. ampla stay shorter at 3-4 feet and flower earlier in the summer.

Rudbeckia maxima. This Rudbeckia is a beautiful perennial species native to the south-central U.S. and characterized by large powder blue, glaucous leaves on plants that grow to 5-6 tall (Fig-ures 2, 5 and 6). Flower heads are large and borne singly on stiffly erect tall stems; the ray petals are a golden yellow. Although the spe-cies tolerates a wide range of gar-den soils, it prefers moist, rich soil in full sun; it is hardy in zones 5-9. This species makes an impressive garden statement when planted in groups of 3 or more plants, and goldfinches are a common sight on the mature flower heads, consum-ing seeds.

Rudbeckia subtomentosa. Very different from R. maxima in form and color, R. subtomentosa is a perennial hardy to zone 5 that can grow to about 4 tall (Figure 2). The species is a strong bloomer and the cultivar Henry Eilers is notable for its interesting quill-shaped ray petals and upright habit

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that doesnt tend to flop open after heavy rain as the straight species may tend to do. The common name of sweet coneflower comes from the faint anise scent of the flowers.

Rudbeckia triloba. Native to eastern and Midwestern prairies, the brown-eyed Susan is fine-textured plant covered with an abundance of small, 1 to 2 inch diameter flowers with small black-brown center cones. This biennial or short-lived perennial is hardy in zones 4-7 but can also be grown as an annual. Seeds are readily

available from native plant seed producers. Although flowers are typically golden yellow one seed strain cultivar, Prairie Glow has been selected for bright red at the ray petal bases, creating a vibrant bicolor effect.

Rudbeckia auriculata. This species is a rare plant in its native habitat that isnt widely available commercially but has potential as a back of the border perennial garden plant. It is endemic to a small region in southeastern Ala-bama, Florida and Georgia. Plants commonly grow in moist, sunny

sites but can also be found in alkaline seeps; they also grow well in typical garden soils. Reaching 6 in height, with long unbranched stems lined with bright green large leaves, the plants are topped with clusters of smaller 2-3 diameter golden orange flowers late sum-mer through autumn (Figure 2). It has successfully overwintered two years in Columbus, Ohio, field plantings.

Rudbeckia amplexicaulis. Clasping coneflower is native to the southeastern U.S. but has

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The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Associations The Buckeye, October 2012 31

naturalized throughout the country. Heart-shaped leaves clasp unbranched stems; flower heads are held singly and have bright yellow drooping ray petals with reddish-purple markings at the base and an elongated black center cone, and plants grow 1-2 tall (Figure 2). This species can reseed freely and become weedy in crop fields. It has been used in wildflower and prairie or meadow plantings and can be seen growing along roadsides.

Rudbeckia occidentalis. One of the most unusual coneflowers is the perennial R. occidentalis, the western coneflower, which does not have the typical colorful ray petals of other members of the genus, only a large elon-gated black center cone which can grow 3-4 tall (Figure 6). A cultivar named Green Wizard is available which has a prominent ring of green sepals surrounding the cone. The unusual flower shape makes it an interesting addition to a perennial garden or cut flower arrange-ment.

The diversity in Rudbeckia species is very large; the potential for new and improved forms of this garden-worthy native plant group is enormous. The OPGCs effort to acquire, characterize, preserve and distribute germplasm of this genus bodes well for its future place in the nursery and floriculture industry, in residential and commercial landscapes as well as in native restora-tion plantings across the country. B

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There was a wonderful partnership event in late August of this year in Wooster, Ohio. It started with the College of Wooster, welcoming a record number of 580 first year students to the College. First-year students there have a great first week, starting with College of Wooster staff and faculty awaiting their arrival and helping them carry their belongings into their new college homes.

They go right to work, though, with a wide range of student service projects that first Saturday on campusAugust 25 this year. Several of those projects involve trees and landscapes. One such project that has become an annual tradition for College of Wooster students, from Russia and China, from California and North Carolina, from Cleveland and Youngstown, is to help out at a sister institution, Ohio State University, with landscaping at OSUs Secrest Arboretum at OARDC. Sam Easterday, a first-year student at the College of Wooster was there, eager to begin his college years in Ohio before return-ing with new-found knowledge and broader perspectives to the family landscape business in southern California, Easterday Building and Maintenance.

This year projects included planting trees at the new Secrest Arboretum Childrens Garden, applying sealants on garden benches, and mulching a number of landscape beds. Horticulture constantly reminds us of the cycles of life and of nature, and much of the mulch this year came

from the trees that died in the Secrest Taxus (yew) plots this summer. The one-two punch of the record rains of 2011 followed by the early drought of 2012 resulted in the death of most of these decades-old yews at Secrest. Not to despair, they became useful mulch for the next generation of plantings; nature moves on.

Another project of the College of Wooster students the past two Augusts is a great cooperative venture led by Darryl Decker, Manager of the City Parks Division of the City of Wooster, Beau Mastrine, Director of Grounds for the College of Wooster, and Kenny Cochran, direc-tor of Secrest Arboretum. The first-years planted trees from Willoway and other Ohio nurseries at the City of Woosters new Oak Hill Park (as well as at Secrest). It

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was wonderful to see the parade of trees as, on a steamy hot Sat-urday in the 80s and 90s, students transported trees over the hill to new planting areas, where over 150 trees this year were added to the future vistas of the city residents.

Students learned the names of trees, proper planting procedures, even the benefits of organization, as Darryl Decker demonstrated the use of his Toolinator, with color-coded slots for rakes and shovels and other tools, something Darryl learned was essential from earlier volunteer-involved activities. As Darryl noted, the City of Wooster has greatly benefited from its 40 years with the Tree City USA program (anniversary celebration upcoming next Arbor Day), and with the partnership with the College of Wooster, OSU-Wooster


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Campus, and now Tree Campus USA. As Darryl beamed: This cooperation of two universities and the city, which includes the tree inventory completed by OARDC entomology graduate student Alejandro Chiriboga and the City, is the best anywhere in America. Next up: an Arboblitz during Almuni Day on Septem-ber 22 at the College of Wooster.

Red oaks, redbuds, baldcypress, and magnolias, oh my! What a scene. Years down the road there will be a graduation proces-sion for these students. It all started in true Tree Campus USA, College-of-Wooster-style, with the procession of trees and stu-dents that will nurture these northeast Ohio hills for seasons and decades and lifetimes to come.

*Tree Campus USA Status was granted in 2012 to the College of Wooster and also to the OSU-Columbus campus. The OSU-Wooster campus (OARDC, Secrest Arboretum, ATI) is applying for Tree Cam-pus USA for 2013. The keys are: A Tree Care Plan, Arbor Day Cel-ebrations, Significant Annual Tree Care Expenditures, A Tree Campus Committee, and perhaps most importantly a significant Student Service Project involving the tree campus. The energy of the students, translated over the years into future green industry professionals, tree lovers and buyers. Note: Tree City USA and Tree Campus USA are pro-grams ably administered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry.Jim Chatfield, Ken Cochran, Joe Cochran and Paul Snyder, Ohio State University Extension Beau Mastrine, College of Wooster Darryl Decker, City of WoosterLola Lewis, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry [email protected]

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Photos provided by Jim ChatfieldPrevious page: Joe Cochran of Secrest Ar-boretum and COW students applying Taxus mulch. Death and Taxus1. Sweetbay magnolia fruit at Secrest2. Trees heading for planting at Oak Hill Park3. Yuan Liu ( Quing Dao China), first year student at the College of Wooster is ready to work at Oak Hill Park in Wooster4. World Forestry Center in Portland OR5. Parade of Trees and COW students at Woosters Oak Hill Park6. COW students with Darryl Decker of the City of Wooster and his Toolinator7. College of Wooster students at Secrest Arboretum at the new Childrens Garden8. Tree planting quote from the Talmud at the World Forestry Center in Portland ORs

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In July, I had the good fortune to attend a designers meeting in Louisville, Kentucky as part of the LANCO group of which Natorps is a member. We toured some of John and Bob Korfhages (Korfhage Landscape & Designs, Inc.) beautiful landscape projects. If you ever have the opportunity to meet them and see some of their projects, definitely go!

John is a registered Landscape Architect, and it shows (in a good way). They design very nice spaces as dis-cussed in the book, Residential Landscape Architecture: Design Process for the Private Residence by Norman Booth and James Hiss. The Korfhages spaces are very

well laid out and the work is finished wonderfully. I viewed some of the best mortared stone work I have ever seen on their projects. If you like mortared stone, youll like their work. Take time to get out and look at other peoples work: it truly inspires

The Buckeye, October 2013 Volume 23, Issue 9

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