Explore every episode of the podcast The Landscape Ontario Podcast
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| What's new for Congress 2025 | 01 Oct 2024 | 00:22:57 | |
On today’s episode we are gearing up for the Congress Trade Show and Conference. Hosted by Landscape Ontario, this is Canada's largest and longest-running trade show for landscape and horticulture professionals, happening in Toronto, Ontario, from January 7th to 9th, 2025. If you're in the business of transforming outdoor spaces — whether through landscaping, horticulture, or outdoor design — this is the event you can’t afford to miss. Our guest is Heather MacRae, the trade show director for Congress. With over a decade of experience in bringing this iconic event to life year after year, Heather is here to share what’s new for 2025, some can't-miss features and what makes this trade show a key date on the calendar for industry pros. Stay tuned to the end for a promo code that gets you free tickets to the show. Resources | |||
| High school horticulture: inspiring the next generation, one teen at a time with Darren Schmahl | 03 Sep 2024 | 00:33:11 | |
As students head back to school this month, many are probably wondering what they should be “when they grow up.” While plenty of adults are still trying to figure that out, high schoolers have a great opportunity to explore different topics before planning their post-secondary path. And maybe, just maybe, that’s a garden path. In this episode, we talk about how exposure to horticulture and landscaping at the high school level can inspire youth to explore the green trades as a career option. Guest Darren Schmahl has been engaging grade 11 and 12 students through the Green Industries program for the Niagara Catholic District School Board for the past 15 years. Teaching has allowed Schmahl to witness students of all kinds transform as they discover a passion for working in the landscape, so he wants youth and their parents to understand that a career in this field can be rewarding, lucrative and important as we face an ever-changing climate. Resources | |||
| GROWing Confident Leaders, Charolette Cascioli | 01 Dec 2023 | 00:32:50 | |
Are you ready to take your career to the next level, or do you know someone who shows management potential? In this episode of the Landscape Ontario Podcast, we talk to Charolette Cascioli, an experienced HR professional who helps landscape-related companies establish better cultures to attract and retain talent. Charolette is also the facilitator of the GROW Supervisory Foundations program offered by Landscape Ontario. In our conversation, she explains how the program helps people develop confidence and improve their communication skills to embrace leadership opportunities. By working through real-life case studies, with peer collaboration and self-reflection, attendees come away equipped to resolve workplace conflict and positively contribute to the overall culture of their companies. Resources | |||
| Wanted dead or alive: Highlights from the 2023 Trial Garden | 30 Oct 2023 | 00:32:19 | |
Get ready to write your garden centre shopping list because this episode is all about high-performing new plants coming to the market in 2024. Trial Garden manager Rodger Tschanz shares his observations and highlights from the 2023 Trial Garden located at the Landscape Ontario head office. We also talk about the value of skipping the fall clean-up to let perennials overwinter so they provide texture, dimension, and habitats all year long. Rodger also reveals an exciting interior plantscape coming soon to the University of Guelph. If you love plants (and who doesn’t?), you’ll want to listen to this interview. Resources | |||
| Life is better outside, Scott Wentworth | 19 Sep 2023 | 00:28:50 | |
Life is better outside. Scott Wentworth, owner and president of Wentworth Landscapes in Picton, Ont., says this is what drives him and his team. Their mission is to craft outdoor spaces that set the scene for building memories, celebrating milestones, and spending more time in nature. This mission is integral to onboarding staff, understanding their clients’s needs, and especially building relationships within the community as green stewards. The pursuit to get people to love the outdoors has earned Wentworth Landscapes many awards, including Employer of Choice, the Dunington-Grubb, and the Don Salivan Grounds Management awards at the Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence. Scott Wentworth has fostered an enviable company culture, and he joins us on the podcast to talk about how they infuse their mission into everything their team does and, more importantly, why. Resources | |||
| Grant Harrison | 03 Aug 2023 | 00:32:56 | |
In this episode, we talk with Grant Harrison, who is no stranger to the Landscape Ontario community. Grant originally joined Landscape Ontario as a landscaper in the early 2000s, has held several leadership roles within the association, and is now the principal consultant at his firm, Nextra Consulting, where he generously shares his wisdom with the landscaping community at every turn. That wisdom comes from owning a landscaping business, evolving it, learning from challenges and understanding how to navigate the many pitfalls and opportunities that come with being a business owner. Listen to our conversation as Grant shares the benefits of attending his upcoming workshop series for business owners (free for LO members), as well as how the “Great Resignation” and the current economy affect those working in the green trades. Resources | |||
| Engaging Children with Landscape Design | 05 Jul 2023 | 00:43:52 | |
Where do you think you might be in your work journey if you'd understood from a young age that you can build a livelihood by being creative, spending time in nature and digging your fingers into the soil? Landscape designer Heather Jerrard and educator Dawn-Marie Deagle teamed up to develop and implement a classroom experience that aligns with the Ontario curriculum and demonstrates how landscaping and horticulture can have a meaningful career path. In this episode, we learn about the inspiration behind this project, how Landscape Ontario’s Peer to Peer Network gave Heather the confidence to pursue it, and how the program might evolve to encourage more students to consider a green career.
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| The many benefits of sponsoring apprentices | 05 Jun 2023 | 00:21:45 | |
One of the big pain points for a lot of landscaping companies over the years has been labour supply. We've heard time and time again how difficult it is to find qualified staff. Liana Desmarais, owner and GM of Plantscape, a full-service landscaping company in the Windsor area, has found success by incorporating apprenticeships as part of her employee recruitment and retention strategy. In this episode of the Landscape Ontario Podcast, she tells us how sponsoring employees through the Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Program has brought fresh ideas, long-term commitment, and a deeper sense of job satisfaction to her company. Transcription PDF | |||
| Diversity and inclusion creates opportunities to bloom for those with physical challenges | 03 May 2023 | 00:22:10 | |
Joe Steeves is a young man from Moncton, NB, who exemplifies how a passion for plants can overcome physical challenges and anxiety. In this episode of Landscape Ontario Podcast, we hear about the transformative effect of being accommodated in the workplace. A few simple gestures by his employers at greenhouses and nurseries have created opportunities for Joe to thrive. Transcription PDF | |||
| Special Partner Episode: Yes, We Are Open! | 24 Apr 2023 | 00:34:37 | |
Landscape Ontario is Ontario’s premier horticultural trades association. For the past 50 years, they’ve been supporting their members through professional development, trade shows and conferences, consumer events and cost savings benefits. Their premier annual event is the Landscape Ontario Congress, Canada’s largest and longest-running trade show and conference for landscape professionals. While the pandemic might have provided a boon to many of their members, it put the long-running event in jeopardy for two consecutive years. Were they able to pull it off? Listen to find out.
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| Plants are the lungs of our cities | 27 Mar 2023 | 00:29:25 | |
Alan White is a champion for the power of plants to clean the air we breath, cool our cities, and capture carbon. As Alan says, plants are the lungs of our cities, and landscape horticulture professionals are critical to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
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| Down the Garden Path | 28 Dec 2022 | 00:27:22 | |
Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing are landscape designers, podcasters and authors. They recently published Down the Garden Path: A step-by-step guide to your Ontario garden and their podcast, Down the Garden Path, airs weekly on Reality Radio 101 and is available on the major podcast apps. Joanne and Matthew believe it is both important and possible to have great gardens that are low-maintenance. They joined the podcast to talk about their book and to discuss why they are so passionate about sharing horticultural knowledge.
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| When it's time to work with an external marketing partner, with Vanessa McQuade and Rob Murray | 06 Aug 2024 | 00:41:35 | |
If you own a small or medium-sized landscaping business, you’re probably juggling a long list of priorities. If marketing tasks are something you keep putting on the back burner, then this episode of the Landscape Ontario Podcast is for you. Vanessa McQuade and Rob Murray from Intrigue Media are here to talk about what it’s like to partner with a marketing agency. And in the same way you’re an expert in landscaping, Rob and Vanessa are experts in helping landscaping companies like yours grow revenue and gain market share. In fact, one of their happy clients stated that since working with Intrigue, their revenues had increased by 68 per cent in six months. So if costs or uncertainty has been holding you back, listen up and take off that marketing hat. Today we’re talking about budget expectations, setting marketing goals and the value of building relationships with external marketing agencies, so you don’t have to do it all by yourself. Resources | |||
| 50 years of LO Congress | 28 Nov 2022 | 00:22:45 | |
Tony DiGiovanni is proud to say he’s been at every Congress since he was a Humber College student back in 1975. And now that he has retired from his role as LO’s executive director, he has no plans of breaking the streak. He joined the show to talk about his favourite memories, including how the event helped shape his entire career.
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| Professional holiday lighting | 16 Nov 2022 | 00:28:18 | |
Have you noticed more and more homeowners and businesses have really stepped up their game with beautiful, classy, holiday lighting? It turns out there is a growing trend towards hiring professionals to make homes and businesses shine through the holidays. On this episode, Scott Sim, the VP of Moon Glow Lightscapes and the chair of LO’s lighting sector group explains why it’s a growing market, and how landscape lighting contractors can take advantage by adding it to their service offerings.
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| Growth on purpose | 24 Oct 2022 | 00:27:24 | |
Vanessa McQuade and Rob Murray from Intrigue Media join the show to talk about their passion for empowering business owners in the home improvement space to grow and get noticed by A-Level clients. Vanessa and Rob will dive deeper into Growth on Purpose at the Congress Conference Jan. 10, 2023. Learn more at LOCongress.com
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| Growing through apprenticeship | 30 Aug 2022 | 00:24:23 | |
The Verdant Landscape & Design team joins the show to talk about the benefits of the Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Program. Learn more at https://horticulturetechnician.ca
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| New HR Hotline for LO Members! | 12 Jul 2022 | 00:31:24 | |
Landscape Ontario launches a partnership with EIO Solutions to provide Members with a free hotline they can use seven days a week to get professional advice on human resources issues. Domenic Richichi and John Trainor from EIO Solutions join the podcast to talk about the new member benefit, plus they share tips for business owners on getting staff fully engaged with workplace health and safety.
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| Canadian Trees for Life | 02 May 2022 | 00:37:37 | |
Mark Cullen is back on the podcast to talk about Trees for Life’s mission to mobilize, empower and inspire tree planting initiatives across Canada.
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| Rohan Harrison’s passion for horticulture | 01 Apr 2022 | 00:35:48 | |
Rohan Harrison is deeply passionate about the positive impacts landscapes and green infrastructure has on people and communities. He is a lead in the grounds department at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, and he has been involved with Landscape Ontario for three decades. He joins the podcast to talk about his green career, plus, why he got involved with LO’s diversity, inclusion and belonging committee. *Photo credit: Sunnybrook Hospital
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| Women in Landscaping | 03 Mar 2022 | 00:16:03 | |
Carla Bailey and Pam Cook join the show to talk about the Women in Landscaping group, which was created to support female horticulture professionals in a comfortable peer environment.
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| Chainsaw safety with Todd Fritzley | 07 Feb 2022 | 00:42:34 | |
Todd Fritzley is an arborist with the Grand River Conservation Authority and the owner of BPF Safety and Consulting. Todd has over 15 years experience in forestry and arboriculture. On this episode, he dives into the laws that govern chainsaw use in the workplace, some of the main hazards and most common chainsaw injuries, as well as why PPE and training are critical.
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| Cultivating your green thumb with Leslie Halleck | 10 Dec 2021 | 00:20:09 | |
Leslie Halleck is a Texas-based horticultural author, educator, speaker, and business coach. She does it all. And she’ll be giving two talks at the Congress Virtual Conference on January 20, 2022 including a session on the plant parenting revolution, and another on being digitally relevant. Register at congressredefined.com/conference
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| Low-barrier learning: Access free training opportunities through Landscape Ontario with Courtney McCann | 08 Jul 2024 | 00:42:24 | |
If you’re looking to explore a career in the green trades but aren’t sure where to start, then this episode is for you. Courtney McCann, the director of workforce development at Landscape Ontario, joins the podcast to outline all the various educational opportunities that are available to people in Ontario looking to gain skills and employment in landscaping, including the GROW program and pre-apprenticeship program at Loyalist College in Belleville. These programs have been designed to help people learn instantly applicable skills and prepare them for genuine, meaningful jobs with companies who share their passion for designing, building and maintaining beautiful landscapes. And did you know they’re all free? If that piques your interest, be sure to listen because Courtney has all the details about these amazing opportunities to grow your career. Resources | |||
| How a successful landscape business owner balances work, family and volunteerism | 30 Nov 2021 | 00:31:18 | |
Peter Guinane is one of the most dedicated volunteers with Landscape Ontario. He’s on the provincial board, the contractor’s sector group, as well as the Covid-19 Task Force. And he found time this year to give back with both the LO Garden Makeover campaign, as well as with the Green Cities Foundation #GreenMyCity project at St. Matthews House in Hamilton. All this while running the successful design build company Oriole Landscaping in Toronto alongside his long time business partner George Urvari. How does he do it? And why is it important to him to support LO and the Green Cities Foundation? Find out, on the latest episode of the Landscape Ontario Podcast.
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| The impact of apprenticeship | 28 Oct 2021 | 00:47:57 | |
What’s the value of apprenticeship? We find out from business owner James Canton, Algonquin College professor Steve Neumann and red seal certified landscape professional Kelsey Harsh.
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| The Internet of Nature with Dr. Nadina Galle | 12 Aug 2021 | 00:16:18 | |
Dr. Nadina Galle joins the podcast from Amsterdam, NL. Nadina is an ecological engineer and technologist dedicated to working with urban ecologists and planners to apply today’s technology to improve urban ecosystems for future generations. She also the host of the internet of nature podcast, which you can listen to on all the major podcast apps.
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| Covid-19 vaccine info for employers | 14 Jul 2021 | 00:16:15 | |
Sebastian Huard and Alanna Twohey from Emond Harnden Labour and Employment Law join the podcast to discuss the legal issues employers should be considering regarding Covid-19 vaccinations.
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| Preventing floods with natural infrastructure | 18 May 2021 | 00:27:55 | |
Burkhard Mausberg from Unflood Ontario joins the podcast to talk about the campaign to reduce flooding through natural infrastructure.
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| Covid-19 Health and Safety Compliance | 09 Apr 2021 | 00:15:54 | |
Jay Remsik from Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS) joins the podcast to talk about what businesses need to do to ensure they are compliant with Covid-19 health and safety regulations.
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| LO’s new Social Awareness and Ethics Committee | 01 Apr 2021 | 00:22:19 | |
Lindsay Drake Nightengale and Ed Hansen join the podcast to talk about Landscape Ontario new Social Awareness and Ethics Committee.
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| Prevent business owner burnout | 11 Mar 2021 | 00:31:04 | |
Grant Harrison from Nextra Consulting joins the podcast to talk about how business owners can look after their own mental and emotional wellbeing during stressful times. Grant says, "If you work with your hands, rest with your mind; and if you work with your mind, rest with your hands." Find out what that means, and more in this episode of the Landscape Ontario Podcast.
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| Buildings are cliffs, streets are canyons, roofs are islands | 16 Feb 2021 | 00:32:14 | |
Jonas Spring operates Ecoman, a Toronto-based landscape design and construction business that works to enhance and increase green space through proactive and thoughtful ecological design. Jonas joins the show to discuss REFERENCE 2021, an online symposium for landscape architects, designers, gardeners and trades that examines ecological reference points for design.
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| Congress Connect Preview | 04 Jan 2021 | 00:10:09 | |
Congress Connect Event Team members Amy Buchanan and Keri MacIvor preview the new virtual marketplace and conference for landscape and horticultural professionals, launching January 12-14, 2021. Learn more about Congress Connect at locongress.com
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| Think globally, act locally, with Bill Hardy | 03 Jun 2024 | 00:28:10 | |
Have you ever wondered if what you’re doing as a landscaper is moving the dial against climate change? The global situation feels so complex, it’s natural to wonder ‘how can I, just one individual, make a difference?’ Bill Hardy joins the Landscape Ontario Podcast to encourage landscapers to think globally and act locally. As a co-owner of an independent retail garden centre in British Columbia, president of the CNLA, and board member for various agencies — such as the Green Cities Foundation and the International Association of Horticulture Producers (AIPH) — Hardy has a wide perspective of how climate change is being addressed by horticulture and landscaping innovations around the world, while also being tapped into what’s happening right here in Canada. In our conversation, we discuss which countries are leading the way by developing innovative green city solutions, and what an individual landscaper can do to contribute to the big picture. We share some awesome websites you’ll want to check out for inspiration, and even introduce you to a new tool you can use to measure the carbon impact of installing and maintaining a landscape. Resources | |||
| MPP Norm Miller on Bill 118 | 23 Dec 2020 | 00:11:15 | |
Norm Miller, the Member of Provincial Parliament for Parry Sound-Muskoka, joins the podcast to discuss Bill 118, which passed at Queen’s Park in December 2020. The legislation, introduced by Miller, reduces the time period to make a slip and fall claim from two years to 60 days. Miller also talks about potential next steps to address the issue of increasing insurance costs for winter maintenance professionals.
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| Workplace mental health with Andrew Harkness | 26 Nov 2020 | 00:20:52 | |
Andrew Harkness with the Workplace Safety and Prevention Services joins the show to talk about why workplace mental health is important and what business owners can do to support their employees. Andrew will also join Landscape Ontario’s Covid-19 Task Force for a town hall webinar on Dec. 2, 2020. Visit Horttrades.com to register for free.
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| The 2020 Trial Garden Season with Rodger Tschanz | 15 Oct 2020 | 00:37:58 | |
Rodger Tschanz talks about managing the trial gardens at the University of Guelph, Landscape Ontario and the Royal Botanical Gardens, including standouts from this year’s gardens: Bee’s Knees Petunia, Precosia Zinnias, Lancelot Salvia, Brainiac Celosia and Serendipity Ornamental Onion. See more exciting new plants in Landscape Trades Magazine.
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| Town Hall Webinar - July 7, 2020 - Best Practices for Employee Health | 29 Jul 2020 | 00:56:31 | |
Becky Hester from York Region Health joined Landscape Ontario’s Covid-19 Task Force Town Hall on July 7 to talk about best practices for employee health during the pandemic.
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| Town Hall Webinar - June 23, 2020 | 24 Jun 2020 | 01:03:54 | |
Government Programs Update for Landscape and Horticulture Businesses. Judith Andrews - Commissioner for Employers, Employment and Social Development Canada - and Julie Garner - Principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group - joined Landscape Ontario's Covid-19 Task Force on June 23, 2020 to discuss government programs including CERB, CEWS and more.
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| Celebrating Women in Horticulture | 23 Jun 2020 | 00:55:52 | |
The Landscape Ontario Podcast celebrates Women in Horticulture week by spotlighting three fantastic professionals: Jennifer Lemcke, COO of Weed Man; Jacki Hart of Consulting by Hart and the Peer to Peer Network; and Lexi Dearborn of Dearborn Designs and Associates.
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| Town Hall Webinar - June 9, 2020 | 10 Jun 2020 | 01:01:35 | |
Don’t let your guard down! Kristin Hoffman from Workplace Safety & Prevention Services joined Landscape Ontario's Covid-19 Task Force to discuss practical ways to keep your staff, clients and the public safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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| Town Hall Webinar - May 26, 2020 | 28 May 2020 | 01:03:48 | |
With folks back to work, LO moved the Town Hall series to a new schedule. Town Halls will now be held bi-weekly starting May 26 and will move to a new time - 5 pm. This week, hear from prominent business coach Jeffrey Scott and members of the LO COVID-19 Task Force as they share practical advice on how to deal with COVID-19. Find all the Town Hall video replays at Landscape Ontario’s Youtube Channel.
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| Town Hall Webinar - May 12, 2020 | 12 May 2020 | 01:03:49 | |
Navigating Your Workforce During COVID While Staying Focused on Health and Safety May 12, 2020
Landscape Ontario's COVID-19 Task Force hosts a weekly town hall webinar to share the latest news and answer your questions.
On May 12, 2020, the panel was joined by HR Expert Natalie Hansford from EIO Solutions.
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| Town Hall Webinar - May 5, 2020 | 06 May 2020 | 01:20:11 | |
This week, reps from the Ministry of Labour, WSIB and WSPS join Landscape Ontario's COVID-19 Task Force to discuss safe business practices during the pandemic.
Watch the video on Landscape Ontario's Youtube Channel and subscribe for the weekly town hall webinars (Tuesdays at 10 am) at HortTrades.com.
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| Where is he now? A follow-up with Joe Steeves | 01 May 2024 | 00:15:27 | |
One year ago on this podcast, we met Joe Steeves, a plant enthusiast from New Brunswick. When Joe was born with cerebral palsy, his family had lots of questions about what his future might look like, such as would he be able to hold a job or pursue a post-secondary education? The green trades turned out to be a perfect fit for Joe, and despite his challenges, he has been steadily building a career by working at greenhouses and nurseries. Not willing to stop there, Joe set his sights on gaining a formal education in horticulture and pursuing his dream job. A lot has happened in the past 12 months, so in this episode of the Landscape Ontario Podcast, we follow up with Joe to hear about what’s been happening with his growing career. Resources | |||
| Town Hall Webinar - April 28, 2020 | 30 Apr 2020 | 01:06:29 | |
This week, Landscape Ontario’s COVID-19 Task Force discusses “Generating Employee, Client and Public Trust” with marketing and communications expert Jason Bouwman from Compass Creative.
Watch the video on Landscape Ontario’s Youtube Channel and subscribe for the weekly town hall webinars (Tuesdays at 10 am) at HortTrades.com.
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| Town Hall Webinar - April 21, 2020 | 21 Apr 2020 | 01:04:27 | |
This week, Landscape Ontario’s COVID-19 Task Force members highlight the safety procedures they are implementing in their businesses to keep their employees and the public safe.
Watch the video on Landscape Ontario’s Youtube Channel and subscribe for the weekly town hall webinars (Tuesdays at 10 am) at HortTrades.com.
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| Town Hall Webinar - April 14, 2020 | 14 Apr 2020 | 01:04:27 | |
Town Hall Webinar - April 14, 2020
Public policy and government relations expert Julie Garner - Principal, Earnscliffe Strategy Group - joined Landscape Ontario's COVID-19 Task Force to discuss government programs for employers.
Watch the video on Landscape Ontario’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVZ1wt-gC1I
Register for the weekly town hall webinars (Each Tuesday at 10 am): https://horttrades.com/covid-19-town-hall-webinar-series
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| Connecting kids with nature with natural playgrounds | 12 Mar 2020 | 00:24:07 | |
Adam Bienenstock is winning the war against screen time one natural playground at a time. Experience a Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds play space at Canada Blooms, March 13-22, 2020 at the Enercare Centre in Toronto. See the design for the 8,000 sq. ft. playground at https://info.naturalplaygrounds.ca/canadablooms.
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