Thursday, February 2, 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
Nickeled & Dimed: The Bottom Line Impact of Legislation on Your Business

Thursday, February 2, 2:45 pm - 4:00 pm
Invasives - Coming To a Landscape Near You...
John Peter Thompson, Behnke Nurseries Co.

John will briefly cover Western garden traditions, and talks about their origins in the "Garden of Eden". He discusses how fads in gardening were encouraged by plant collection/exploration and how those fashions in turn encouraged more exploration. Various trends-the search for "new", the desire to have our own English estate, and the infringement of the suburbs into the country have resulted in some ornamentals escaping cultivation and causing problems for natural-lands managers. The need to plant the "right plant in the right place" requires that gardening professionals and the gardening public carefully evaluate what they are planting. John distinguishes between the native-plants gardening movement, and the problems posed by invasive plants.

Friday, February 3, 10:00 am - 11:15 am
The Creative Edge: Details in the Landscape
Bob Schutzki, Michigan State University

Landscape design/build projects succeed or fail as a direct result of the level of attention paid to the details. Join Bob Schutzki, Associate Professor at Michigan State University, to explore ways to develop a "Creative Edge" in the way you approach your landscape design/build projects with an increased attention to detail. You will learn techniques that will stimulate your creativity as a designer and help you observe the landscape to understand how line, form, color, and texture will affect the finished project, including planting and hardscape design.

Friday, February 3, 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
What Went Wrong? Quality Control, Warranty Issues & Your Bottom Line
Bob Schutzki, Michigan State University

When a crisis arises on the jobsite, do you ever wonder how in the world you got to that point? What went wrong? Was there something you could have done to prevent it from happening? And how is this going to affect your business? Join Bob Schutzki, Associate Professor at Michigan State University, to learn how to reduce your exposure to loss and hardship from poor workmanship, conditions beyond your control, or problems caused by others. Areas covered will include quality control during design and installation, "punch list" management, contract terms and specifications, job supervision and monitoring, and documentation.

Saturday, February 4, 8:00 am - 9:15 am
How Landscape Ordinances Can Help Your Business
Buck Abbey, ASLA, Louisiana State University

Landscape ordinances that establish minimum levels of landscaping and provide design guidelines can be boon or bane to landscape professionals. Buck Abbey, recognized as the national expert on Model Landscape Ordinances, will show you how "green laws" can be interpreted and used by industry professionals to increase the minimum requirements, enhance the horticultural and aesthetic bases for design guidelines, and accomplish community objectives that will also benefit your company.

Saturday, February 4, 9:30 am - 10:45 am
Fundamentals of Sustainable Landscape Design
Jeffrey L. Bruce

Sustainable design is not a "futuristic" concept or a practice limited to large commercial projects. You will learn how the principles of sustainable landscapes can be incorporated immediately into your current design process for residential projects to enhance the positive impact of your projects on the environment through energy and resource efficiency.