CLEARWATER TRIBUNE HOME

FEBRUARY 21, 2008

Golden Horticulture Award presented to John Kayler

By Ronda Nelson

   With a career in the nursery and landscape business that spanned three decades, and his longtime involvement in the Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association (INLA), it is little wonder that John Kayler was chosen as this year’s recipient of the Golden Achievement award. Kayler received his award during a dinner in his honor at The Edge on Feb. 13.

   First Vice-President of INLA Bob Reggear presented Kayler with a plaque inscribed: Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association, 2008, Gold Medal of Horticulture presented to John Kayler.

   The INLA represents the sixth largest industry in Idaho. Recipients of the award have “generously, selflessly contributed to horticulture in the state for the industry,” according to INLA. Winners are permanently enshrined in the Court of Honor at the Idaho State Dept. Of Agriculture in Boise.

   Kayler served as president of INLA for two years beginning in 1980. He traveled statewide to educate people on the nursery business during his tenure.

   He also served two years as president of the Inland Empire Christmas Tree Assn.

   Kayler, who has lived in the Peck area his entire life, purchased the property where he and wife Bev have shared 54 of their 55 years of marriage, on the couple’s first anniversary, Valentines Day. Already in use as a family farm, the Kaylers continued to farm for three more years.

   In 1957, they put the property under irrigation, planted pasture grass, constructed buildings and moved their herd of 40 or so Holsteins to the location to establish a dairy. The dairy operation continued for 11 years. In 1968 they discontinued the dairy operation and established a seedling nursery and Christmas tree farm.

   The Kaylers had been approached by the University of Idaho, asking them to put in a test plot of Scotch pine and the trees did very well. With a lot of hillside on their property, and another test plot John planted thriving, they decided to pursue the tree seedling nursery business. “It was kind of like Topsy,” Bev said, “it just grew.”

   By 1968, they had phased out the dairy and were focusing their efforts on the nursery. They concentrated on Scotch pine, but “as time went by Grand Fir won the race,” John said with a chuckle.

   “Of course we had to have seed for all of these trees that we grew,” Bev said, “and they came from so many different places.” They obtained seed from the mid-west for John’s initial test plot. In time they were ordering seeds from as far away as Spain, England, Germany, India, Scotland, New Mexico and Colorado. John and Jeff collected cones from the Clearwater District and used machines to extract the seeds from the cones.

   “A few days ago,” John said, “we found some seed packages from France and Germany and southern England, in my office.”

   In spite of seeds from all over the world, Jeff pointed out that research has determined the best seed source for Grand Fir Christmas trees is in the Clearwater drainage. The information was publicized nationally through the National Christmas Tree Assn., providing their business with a boost. At least one tree started at their nursery has won the national award from the Christmas Tree Assn.

   Seedlings from the Kayler nursery have been shipped all over the United States, as well as Canada and Europe. “The nursery business was the basis of our income,” son Jeff said. “We kind of specialized in Christmas tree species,” he said. John pointed out that many are unique, such as the Concolor fir, a particularly popular species. “It’s really taken off, it’s a wonderful tree, really,” John said.

   But the Kaylers trees have been used for much more than Christmas trees. They have been ordered in large lots for conservation units, wind breaks and reforestation projects. And conifers were not their only focus, as they shipped deciduous trees as well.

   Spokane county and Stevens county have vast fields of trees filled with Kayler trees.

   In its peak year, during the early 80s the nursery shipped 2.2 million seedlings.

   Although the nursery side was their primary focus, the Kaylers brightened Christmas for countless families after starting Christmas tree sales in the late 60’s. “We tried to make it an outing for the family,” said Jeff, referring to the chance to go into the “woods” and choose a tree, before enjoying hot cocoa or coffee by the campfire. 

   By 1998, recognizing mounting economic pressures in the nursery business, and with transportation costs for seedling shipment rising dramatically, the Kaylers turned their attention to building a golf course. Over the course of time soil depletes and it was time for a change to the land use.

   Jeff Kayler designed the course and with the use of a ditch witch, backhoe and a number two shovel, they laid over four miles of underground pipe and wire.

   Even as the family phased out of the nursery business, they retained a number of trees on the golf course. The trees provide numerous mementos of their years in the nursery business.

   Right outside the clubhouse is a horse chestnut/buckeye native to Ohio, where everyone stands when they come to golf.  They have a Bristlecone pine on the property. The species has been determined to be the oldest living tree on earth. They have giant Sequoia. “It’s kind of fun to have all these different kinds of trees,” Bev said.

   John’s Golden Horticulture award is fitting for someone who has brought such golden memories to so many and provided a legacy of trees that spans the western hemisphere.

Pictured top: Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association first vice-president Bob Reggear presents John Kayler with the Golden Horticulture award for a lifetime of contributions to the horticulture industry in Idaho.