Professional Landscape Management School

Issue:

Professional arborists, horticulturists, including lawn and tree care companies, garden centers, and landscapers, require training in proper management techniques and pest control to better serve their customers and protect the environment.

What Has Been Done:

The Professional Landscape Management School is a two-day workshop offered every winter to local commercial lawn and tree care companies, landscapers, nurseries, grounds managers, and garden centers. The topics chosen for the program are based on current trends and needs. I located speakers, created the program schedule and brochure, and advertised it to over 1000 professionals, using both print mail and email.

Results:

• Over 160 professional horticulturists attended the Professional Landscape Management School in 2015. Out of this number, 49 returned completed surveys. Some of the notable results:
  1. Did you get your money’s worth from attending this year’s school? All forty-nine attendees replied – Yes.
  2. Do you think that you as an individual will benefit in the coming year because of your attending the 2015 Professional Landscape Management School? 100% said yes.
  3. Do you think that your company will benefit in the coming year because of your attending the 2015 Professional Landscape Management? 100% said yes.

• What horticultural practices do you think you will change in the coming year, based on what you learned at the 2015 Professional Landscape Management School?
  1. Plan on adding more native plants to my installations and designs.
  2. Will be more aware of honeybees when selecting and using pesticides.
  3. Tree Risk Assessment process can save lives and reduce my liability. Will definitely take further training in this subject.
  4. Will use information from Landscape Plants to Save Time and Money topic to reduce our campus manpower needs and budget requests.
  5. My staff and I have more knowledge to better serve our customers.

Purdue Commercial Nursery & Professional Landscape