ILA Newsleaf Fall 2023

Fall 2023 Volume 40 Number 3

Suite 125

Indianapolis Landscape Association

Tiffanylawnandgarden.com (3 LOCATIONS) North Indy 317-228-4900 South Indy 317-782-8600 Noblesville 317-774-7100

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2023 Indianapolis Landscape Association Officers and Board of Directors Officers President.........Wesley Addington

Wesley’s Landscape

and Lawncare

Phone (317) 867-1796 Vice President..Chris Geryak

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Solutions

Phone (317) 996-2826 Secretary..........Ryan Coyle

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Phone (317) 773-9933 Treasurer.........Todd Engledow

Engledow Group

Phone (317) 575-1100

4000 West 106th Street, Suite 125 Carmel, IN 46032

Travis Tetrault - Haulstr Landscape Group Phone (317) 413-9874

Term Expires 2024: Dan Weingart GreenImage Landscape Phone (317) 288-2921 Dennis Linner - Heath Outdoor Phone (317) 420-4636 Term Expires 2025: Alex Grafe - Reed Alexander Design Phone (812) 455-8191 Scott Levy - Sundown Gardens Phone (317) 846-0620

Executive Financial Officer: David Todd - Phone (317) 691-1752

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Honorary Director..........Joshua Brown Tiffany Lawn &

Garden Supply, Inc.

Phone (317) 228-4900

Board of Directors

Term Expires 2023: Charlie Swartzell Swartzell Outdoor Design Phone (317)670-4012

Indianapolis Landscape Association

Hi All! My hope is you have all gone through fall smiling and making a bunch of money. This is my all-time favorite time of year, for business and for family. I love having outdoor fires and the temperature has been amazing. I don’t know about you but this summer, our company hit a wall and got slower than normal. This had us worried for a bit about what’s coming and how the economy and spending will look moving into the future. I truly feel we’ve all been blessed over the last 10 years or so with a steady amount of work coming in and has made us adopt a different way of doing business than the old days. During those slow summer months our staff talked about going back to the old ways and implementing things we used to do to drum up work. We are always trying to zig when everyone else is zagging, doing things out of the ordinary to stand out from the pack.

What are you doing differently? Are you considering a downturn and what that will look like for you and your operation? I’m in no way implying that I know if an economic slowdown is coming or not, but all planning is good, and we all should be considering our SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, & Threats). If you haven’t done one with your team you should as only good will come out of communication with your team. Anyhow, things did pick back up and we have been steaming through this fall with a busy schedule, but it made us think differently and I’m thankful for that.

If you couldn’t attend this year’s Education

Bus trip you really missed out on a fantastic event. It was excellent and well attended by so many new faces. This really inspired me. Not only did I learn from it but making connections like that is so invaluable in our industry. Make sure to catch the next one, it will for sure be EPIC. What an amazing day this year’s golf outing was! I can’t think everyone enough for showing up and showing up in such a big way.

If it wasn’t for all our sponsors, we’d never be able to pull off this kind of outing. Make sure you go buy something from them for sure.

We were able to give out two Scholarship awards to great individuals who truly deserve it. Thank you for supporting us and the scholarship! It should feel good to make such an impact in a young individual’s life and career journey. Every year I speculate that I’m not sure how next years event will be bigger and better that the one before but look at us and where we are. What an amazing job our Golf Committee did pulling off yet another EPIC golf outing that will go down in the history books.

As I’ve said in every letter, we are dedicated as an ILA board to helping you. If you would like to chat or be more of a part of the ILA please reach out to one of us. We’d love to hear from you.

Wesley Addington ILA President

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Accidental Design Indianapolis Landscape Association

By: Dave Todd

of the Ruby Throated (both male and female) zipping around in it every day in the late summer. It produces a multitude of smallish, delicate, orange blossoms and has bright green leaves.

The stems are also very delicate, like its cultivated cousin.

Wild Impatiens in valley 150’x25’ Fall 2023

Design and Accidental are not terms we often

Hummerweed flower closeup

We all know the Impatiens we purchase to fill our flowerpots. And we create masses of brightly colored annuals in the garden with them. That species produces larger blossoms than its wild cousin. But do we know this naturally occurring species, Impatiens

use together in our quest for the ultimate in Landscape Architecture. But there is much to glean from color and line and form and texture in our natural surroundings. Sometimes it can be as simple as observing an “unmaintained” area for a few years. I’ve enjoyed leaving some areas of my property relatively unmaintained, just to see what comes up under varying conditions. Moisture, sunlight, directional exposure, elevation, soil, and of course our climate zone all come into play.

Occasionally I find an interesting, naturally occurring, Accidental Design.

The best example so far is a valley full of what my wife and I call “Hummerweed”.

It is actually wild Impatiens and attracts a multitude of hummingbirds in the late summer.

We see six or eight

Wild Impatiens flower and foliage

Hummerweed mass yellow fall color 2023

capensis? Jewelweed, (Hummerweed). This native form can thrive naturally when high moisture content and some sunlight are available in low lying areas with boggy soil conditions. It will grow in full sun with sufficient moisture as well as mottled shade.

Hummerweed flower closeup

What a highly competitive and beautiful flowing mass this wild species can produce! It annually fills areas in our yard 200’ long x 20’+ wide.

The mass weaves in and out and around with the Architectural design expertise of our best laid plans. It couldn’t have been better if I had designed and installed it.

Jewelweed is an annual, so requires reseeding itself. I find it easily occurs in low marshy areas after it gets a start.

About all I have ever done to promote it is to shear the tops of a few competitor weeds which might tend to try to outgrow it earlier in the summer (giant ragweed being one). Impatiens capensis creates a dense, natural mass planting, as it spreads easily into its desired habitat.

All of this accomplished with little-to-no help from the most advanced species on the planet.

Dave Todd, ILA past President

Right: Hummerweed foliage and flower summer 2023

“Hummerweed” specs.: Native plant, Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis.

Light green foliage. Yellow Fall color. Typically 2-5’ ht.

Bright orange, mottled artistic shaped flowers are prolific but small.

Pollinators love it (Hummingbirds, bumble bees, butterflies).

Masses in as a successful competitor against most weed species.

Related to its yellow flowering cousin, touch-menot (Impatiens pallida).

Easily reseeds itself where it thrives in moist areas, around edges of marshes and bogs.

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Hummerweed mass along wooded edge in summer

Left: 5’ tall Hummerweed mass 20’x 100’ going up through drainage valley

Trees and Superstitions

Trees and superstitions have been found in many parts of the world. Trees sometimes have been worshiped, or had almost supernatural powers attributed to them but never have I seen trees as a solution to divorce.

One fascinating superstition is reported in the 1911 Indiana Magazine of History. The story tells of a tree found in Greenfield, Indiana, that in the midst, when it was being cut for lumber, was found a walnut peg, an inch in diameter and a foot long that had been driven into the heart of the tree. The peg had a coil of black hair, long and silken attached to it.

The explanation to this phenomenon was, that in pioneer times, when a couple could not get along, and yet could not agree to separate, neighbors would cut a lock of hair from each, bore a hole in a tree and drive the hair into the tree with a walnut peg.

The common belief was that after this the couple would live happily ever after.

About the Author: Jud Scott is a lover of trees and history and has earned the designation of Registered Consulting Arborist #392 (RCA) with the American Society of Consulting Arborists. As an RCA, Jud advises attorneys, landscape companies, park departments, developers, architects, insurance companies, as well as homeowners concerning their trees and landscapes. Jud can be reached at Jud@ judscottconsultingarborist.com or at 317-816-8733.

Jud Scott Consulting Arborist (317) 815-8733 Treeconsultant@aol.com www.judscottconsultingarborist.com

Are Trees the Center of Your Conflict?

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COMING SOON: Our winter education series, Contractor EDU will return by popular demand in January 2024!

Indianapolis Landscape Association

Meet our 2023 scholarship winners!

Grace Brisco - Ball State University My name is Grace Brisco and I was born and raised from Noblesville, Indiana. I am a current 5th year student at Ball State University, studying landscape architecture with a double minor in natural resources and environmental management. On campus,I volunteer as a CAP (College of Architecture and Planning) first year mentor, an early move-in program leader for incoming freshmen, and work as a study skills tutor at the tutoring center. Outside of school, I am an avid outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking, biking, kayaking, and camping. I love visiting both state and national parks, and hope to be able to preserve and protect these areas so that people can enjoy them in years to come. One day, I hope that I will be in a position to educate the next generation of landscape architects, just like my professors and mentors have done for me. Whether that be in a landscape architecture firm, or in an environmental educator role, I am excited to see where my passion for this field takes me post graduation.

Jessica Fischer - Purdue University My name is Jessica Fischer and I am from Lebanon, Indiana. I am currently a junior at Purdue University studying landscape architecture. I look forward to using my degree and love for nature and art in the urban and park sectors to create spaces that bring communities together, help provide equality of access to green space, and to do my part in helping the environment.

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Indianapolis Landscape Association

the 2023 ILA Golf Outing was a HUGE SUCCESS!!

This year’s golf outing held at Eagle Creek Golf Course was enjoyed by 148 golfers who spent the day on the links sponsored by a whopping 35 company sponsors! All in all, $23,000 was raised for our future scholarship efforts! Specail thanks to all who atteneded and for all of the volunteers and sponsors who made it such a great succes! Congratulations to Team Ergon for the ILA Cup Win, as well as the Kenny Corp for the best hole sponsor award. You can view our Golf Outing Video at vimeo.com/870491210

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Indianapolis Landscape Association

Issue: 23-17 October 24, 2023

Autumn Tree Care: “What Can I Do?” By: Ben McCallister, bmccalli@purdue.edu

Temperatures are finally dropping and leaves are changing color.

Autumn is progressing well in my opinion. Before you know it winter will be here, and some people will be wondering is there anything to be done to better protect the trees around you? The answer is yes, and I applaud you for your initiative to continue caring for your trees. To give your trees the best chance to survive the winter and better thrive next year there is an assortment of activities available ranging from diy projects up to calling in an ISA certified arborist to help you out.

Fertilizing That mulch you just added will add some organic material to your soil as it slowly breaks down, but an autumn fertilization can benefit your trees too. Unlike trees in the forest that have a natural supply of nutrients from fallen leaves and twigs, trees around our homes are usually deprived as we rake and clean up our yards. Adding a slow-release fertilizer in the fall helps provide a nutrient boost over the winter, can promote root growth, and better prepare your tree for Spring.

Watering Water is still an essential part of your tree care plan, but as temperatures drop and trees begin to head into dormancy they don’t need as much water as is required in the hit summer months. If you have irrigation systems in your yard start to drop the frequency of watering. You can water up until the first freeze, but make sure soils are just a little damp and not soaked.

Evergreens in particular will benefit from slow deep watering 1-2 times a week until the soil freezes. Winter winds and temperatures can desiccate the needles without an adequate supply of water.

Pruning

Figure 1. Maintenance of trees in the fall include many tasks before dormancy occurs.

Mulching One simple task to better prepare your trees for winter is to add a new layer of mulch, which benefits your trees in multiple ways.

Adding a 2-3 inch thick layer of mulch will better maintain moisture levels and buffer extreme temperature changes in the soil and will add some organic matter too. Mulching to the drip line will benefit the tree the most, but in the case of larger trees it’s not always feasible. Try for at least a 3-foot radius from the trunk and make sure to leave a 2 inch or so gap between the trunk and the mulch. Remember, no volcano mulching.

Now is a good time to prune out any dead, damaged, or diseased limbs in your trees. If you have access to hand saws and pole saws or pruners, you can remove smaller branches or those closer to the ground. Make sure you are making proper pruning cuts though, and if there are large limbs, those at heights, or you are just unsure of how to make a good cut enlist the help of a professional arborist.

Trunk damage Sunscald or southwest damage occurs on young and/or thin barked trees in the winter. Wounds can occur between the south to southwest facing part of the trunk on sunny days in the winter

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as temperatures rise and suddenly drop. Over time these wounds can become quite large. Trees can also incur damage from deer during the rut. Bucks will scrape trees with their antlers, scraping off the bark and damaging the cambium. Both of these injuries can be reduced one younger trees by installing tree guards in the fall. Tree guards are plastic barriers you place around the main stem of the tree. I recommend using white corrugated drainage pipe that can be found at most home centers. You can make a cut lengthwise along the pipe for easy installation and make sure it has a large enough diameter to leave a space between it and the tree. Just remember to remove it come Spring.

and branches that are dead, cracked, diseased, or seem weak.

Any concerns you find are also great information to share with an ISA Certified arborist which can be found using the Trees Are Good website.

Resources Re-mulch Your Trees https://www.purduelandscapereport.org/article/re-mulch-your-tree s/ Pruning

Inspections Visual inspections can be done year-round, but this time of the year it might be easier to see changes in your tree as leaves are falling and the canopy becomes more visible. From the ground up to the canopy, some of the things you’re looking for include fungal growth around the base of the tree, any sort of damage on the main stem or branches, premature leaf drop or color change,

https://www.purduelandscapereport.org/article/can-i-prune-like-th e-pros/ Southwest Damage/Sunscald https://www.purduelandscapereport.org/article/southwest-damag e-scalding-or-frost-cracking/

Purdue Landscape Report © Purdue University - www.purduelandscapereport.org

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It is the policy of the Purdue University that all persons have equal opportunity and access to its educational programs, services, activities, and facilities without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability or status as a veteran. Purdue is an Affirmative Action Institution. This material may be available in alternative formats. 1-888-EXT-INFO Disclaimer: Reference to products in this publication is not intended to be an endorsement to the exclusion of others which may have similar uses. Any person using products listed in this publication assumes full responsibility for their use in accordance with current directions of the manufacturer.

What a trip!

2023 ILA Bus Trip to Unilock, West Side Tractor, and the Chicago Botanical Gardens

Indianapolis Landscape Association

By: Dennis Linner, commitee chair

This was my first ILA bus trip. I’ve heard all the glorious stories of past trips and was honored to have the opportunity to bring it back for us. Thank you to our many sponsors that helped make it happen! I’d say this trip was EVERYTHING we hoped for!

Thank you to all of our sponsors.Unilock, Tiffany’s Lawn & Garden, Musselman, Artisan, West Side Tractor Supply, Blue Grass, and Brickworks. Unilock, such a gracious sponsor and host for the 42 crazy dirt movin’ s.o.b’s that attended the trip. Doors were opened at their plant and we were taken on a tour that had us all in awe. The machinery and efficiency of their operation was a wonder to behold. After a tour of the property Auggie gave us all a brief history of the company. It was inspiring to see the progress and innovation the company has achieved, starting with an operation yield of 14 pavers a day, and leading the industry into a culture of modern mass production and efficiency. Incredible!

Always such a joy. Pictures cannot capture the beauty this place holds. It was great to see everyone break off into different groups to wander the acres that are offered.

The trip is about more than just visiting Unilock, West Side Tractor Supply & Chicago’s Botanic Gardens. It was about leaning into the brotherhood of our industry. Some of the area’s larger landscape companies mixed with the newer, smaller and younger companies. Everyone got a chance to learn more about each of us beyond the business, from connecting, sharing ideas, to making new memories and networking. This is what the ILA is about. I’m excited to be a part of this amazing group of people.

Until our next adventure!

In addition to Unilock, West Side Tractor was a gracious sponsor for our trip. They opened up their beautiful facility to us. The property is gorgeous and a testament to what can be built from a multigenerational family owned business. There are antique John Deere tractors in the showroom that will blow your mind. I stood back and watched as our party took pictures and smiled as they ogled the machinery.

After being fed and entertained by our gracious hosts, we checked into the hotel, located steps away from the Casino. A large group of us dined together.This meal provided by our sponsor Tiffany’s & Musselman.

Laughing, joking, getting to know each other, and overall camaraderie was fantatic. After dinner members of the trip found plenty to do between a comedy show, spending time with lady luck at the casino, or dancing the night away with the locals in a dive bar.

The Fuel You Need!

When You Need It! Where You Need It! • Do you track your fuel for your business?

• Do you know the national average for fuel slippage / fuel loss is about 12% per year?

• Filing back for Off-Road Fuels, do you average the numbers?

• Are your tanks sized properly for your growing business?

• Would you be interested in doing a fuel program review?

If you would like to discuss any of the questions above, give us a call (463)253-8068.

Morning comes fast after a night of bonding over drinks and a dance floor!

Finally, Chicago Botanical gardens! This wasn’t my first trip to see the gardens (will not be my last either).

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Indianapolis Landscape Association

New Member tours provided by Hittle and Wesley’s In August, Wesley Addington, President of the Indianapolis Landscape Association, was inspired to reach out to some of the younger landscape companies in the Indianapolis area so see how he could get them involved, provide them with some mentorship opportunities, and get them to join the ILA. Wesley teamed up with Scott Denardin, President of Hittle Landscape to organize a day of education through a hands-on event that toured the operations of both of their companies.

The day was a huge success and was very well received. For logistical purposes, it was intentionally kept to a small group and specifically was geared towards those young companies just looking to join and get involved with the ILA. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. This was definitely the case, as several of the companies that joined the association that day already have attended the Educational Bus Trip and the ILA Golf Outing.

As we continue our E.P.I.C. Initiative, look for more opportunities to get involved!

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