NHLA, UNHCE Spring Landscape Conference

PDF Brochure of the event.

$65 per person on or before March 14. No refunds after this date.
$75 per person after March 14 and for all walk-ins.
Register online by March 14: https://bit.ly/2WO8Pzo

The NHLA / UNHCE Spring Landscape Conference is one of our premier events. This year our featured speaker is Bill Cullina, Director, Coastal Maine Botanic Gardens, where he has led the development of a 10-year master plan to double the size of the gardens. He will discuss Going Organic at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Two years ago, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens decided to convert to organic practices. Many on the staff were skeptical that they could maintain a high standard of care with a limited budget and staff, but felt it was vital to try. Luckily the experiment has been an overwhelming success: the plants are far healthier, pollinators are more diverse, visitors happier, and costs have remained the same or even decreased. The switch has not been without challenges, however, and Bill will candidly discuss what has worked and what has not when CMBG “went organic.”

Additional presenters include:
Trevor Smith, Land Escapes Design Inc., Belmont, MA, on Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) What is it? Why we need it and How to implement it. In the face of climate change, it seems we either have too much water or too little and never enough when we really need it. Water bans and droughts, flooding and erosion, are all common now and it feels as if this life-giving resource has turned against us. Get reacquainted with water and get more comfortable with methods to capture and reuse stormwater or slow and infiltrate runoff. Trevor will discuss how landscapers should be capitalizing on the trends in green infrastructure, and the regulations on the horizon. He will cover rain harvesting, permeable pavements, green roofs and bio swales/rain gardens. Case studies and photos will convince you that nearly every job can incorporate these practices without looking obvious.

Dr. Karl Guillard, Professor of Agronomy & University Teaching Fellow, University of Connecticut, will deliver a presentation on Turfgrass Nutrients and Fertilizers. He will cover the most current turf nutrient management recommendations for the northeast, focusing on environmentally-responsible nutrient management. Dr. Guillard will discuss how research informs development of these best management practices. Essential for anyone who does or prescribes turf maintenance!

Kirsten Howard, CFM, Coastal Resilience Coordinator New Hampshire Coastal Program, NH DES, will talk about Living Shorelines – Opportunities at the Edge for Coastal Landscapers. Kirsten will describe new “living” approaches to shoreline stabilization and erosion control in coastal areas threatened by increasingly severe storms and rising sea levels, replacing more traditional and often less resilient practices like rip rap and seawalls. She will share details about pilot projects in Portsmouth and Durham, a draft plant list for coastal projects, and a light review of permitting requirements.

Paul James, owner of Landscape Matters, Hampton, NH, and Emma Erler, Education Center Program Coordinator, UNH Cooperative Extension, Goffstown, NH., will a look at the details of Seasonal Hand Pruning of Landscape Trees and Shrubs. There is more to pruning than
understanding how to make proper cuts. You also need to know how the plant will respond and what it will look like in the future. This should be dictated by the plant’s natural growth habit, growth rate, flowering season, height, and spread.

Josh Janicke, NH Department of Wildlife Services and USDA, on Dealing With Nuisance Wildlife. Squirrels, chipmunks and deer, oh my! Wildlife can be disruptive in many facets of the green industry. Join Josh as he describes best practices for managing nuisance wildlife in the landscape.