September 1, 2016
Always teaching
DIETER MARTIN has had a long career in horticulture, a very long career. He began his apprenticeship at age 14 in Ascffenburg, Germany, near Frankfurt. Today, he is 84. He immigrated to Canada in 1953, working at The University of Alberta. He became the head gardener of The University of Saskatchewan in 1957. In the early 1970s, his late wife Ilsa started a small greenhouse attached to their house in Langham, northwest of Saskatoon. That was the humble origin of what is recognized as one of the finest operations in Canada, Dieter Martin Greenhouses. Two of his children, Nancy and Peter, own and operate the greenhouses/nursery/landscaping operation. Dieter still works. He has been a mentor, officially and unofficially, to many of the people in the green trades across our country. He is always teaching.
Dieter was my own ‘beloved mentor.’ My wife Maureen said I was fortunate to have him in my life when I was so young and needed him. He slowed me down and made me behave when I didn’t want to. When I was in my 20s, I thought I knew everything. One of the young men whom I now mentor, asked Dieter what I was like 40 years ago and Dieter replied, “He ran everywhere. Even when I would yell at him to slow down, he would walk quickly, just to spite me.”
What is your basic business philosophy?
Honesty. People trust an honest operator. They want to do business with someone who tells them the truth. Why sell someone something they will not be happy with? They will find out.Quality is equally important. If you wouldn’t buy a plant yourself, then don’t sell it. Throw it on the compost pile. It makes for great compost, expensive compost. Today, I was out in our growing field and I was digging out crooked trees. No one wants to buy them anyways. Get rid of them.
Service is what people need and they can’t find it at so many other places. Give people service and they will come back.
Trust your customers. 99.9 per cent of people are good people. There is the odd one out to take advantage of you, but don’t let those few bad ones cloud your judgment.
You are a grower but you also buy from other growers. Why?
You can’t grow everything yourself. There just isn’t room. I sell to Lakeshore Nursery, they sell to me. We need each other in this trade. We should never be afraid of others in the trade. We should see ourselves as one.Do you have an opinion regarding box stores?
They used to be cheap. Now their prices have increased but they still have no service. People come to us, the independents, for service. We have to provide service. It is how we stay ahead of the box stores.Why do people fail in our trade or business?
The real reason is that there are people who come into this trade who do not have their hearts in it. This is a wonderful trade, but only if you love it. If you don’t, then you should get out and do something you love.Over the years, the men and women mentored by Dieter have called his sayings ‘Dieterisms.’ Here is a sampling:
“When in doubt, we go to the forest, for Mother Nature is the greatest teacher of all. ”
“You tend to sell a lot of what you really like.”
“Every man has a method of working and it is reflected in everything that he does.”
“On a planting job, always include at least one plant that you have never used before. Try something new.”
“Always be a one-man quality control team.”
“Smart is important, but being practical is better.”
“You tend to sell a lot of what you really like.”
“Every man has a method of working and it is reflected in everything that he does.”
“On a planting job, always include at least one plant that you have never used before. Try something new.”
“Always be a one-man quality control team.”
“Smart is important, but being practical is better.”
If you have a question to suggest, or a mentor to recommend, please e-mail editor@landscapetrades.com.