May 15, 2011
Industry focus at Blooms
Jeff Olsen, Canada Blooms co-chair, presents the Sheridan Nurseries Award for outstanding garden to Joe Morello of Premier Landscaping, builder, and Judith Wright, landscape architect who designed the Ben Heppner garden.
Two special events on Thurs., Mar. 17, highlighted Canada’s green industry.

LO’s Landscape Contractor sector group staged another successful afternoon lecture, pairing a landscape architect with a landscape contractor. Mark Hartley of Mark Hartley Landscape Architects shared thoughts and photos from his career, with a special emphasis on residential design. He enjoys working with contractors, and believes that LAs and contractors can create better projects by working together.

The contractor side was represented by Mark Bradley of The Beach Gardener. Bradley’s featured projects ranged from a 19 ft.-wide Toronto lot to a majestic Aurora installation requiring 1,200 mature trees. He advises contractors to take advantage of perspective drawings to close sales.

The Contractors group thanks lecture sponsors Beaver Valley Stone, Dufferin Aggregates, Eloquip, Gro-Bark and Unilock.

During cocktail hour the green industry mingled at the show’s stage, followed by feature garden awards presentations. See page eight for a complete list of winners. Officials participating included LO president Tom Intven, Canada Blooms co-chair Jeff Olsen and show manager Gerry Ginsberg, as well as LO executive director Tony DiGiovanni.

Lindsay Drake Nightingale of LO’s Toronto Chapter presented a cheque for $22,261 to the Starlight Children’s Foundation at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, representing the chapter’s plans to install a rooftop garden.

Thanks go to Industry Night event sponsor HUB International Sinclair Cockburn.