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August 2020

CONTENTS

Excellence In Landscape Awards Project

8

FOCUS: Landscapes & Architecture Mid-Century Architecture & Landscapes The most popular renovation of the 20s

10

Urban Trees 20

A case study of Navy Pier

Meet ILCA President—Donna Vignocchi Zych 32 A fascinating chat with a 2nd generation contractor

EN ESPAĂ‘OL

Un estudio de caso de Navy Pier A case study of Navy Pier

10

36

Colors of the BIG 10 Conference 40 Plant combinations to create team-themed gardens In Person Meetings Still Matter How to conduct a modern meeting

20

50

New Member Profile 54 Heritage Landscape Design, Inc.

New Members 55

Diseases & Pests 56 White grubs and Guignardia

Hidden Landscape Gems 62 The Sunken Garden at Phillips Park

32

On the cover... Scott Byron & Company, Inc. received a Gold award for this 2019 Residential Landscape Construction project.

62 The Landscape Contractor August 2020

3

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS

ILCA Calendar

From Where I Stand President’s Message Classified Ads Advertisers Index

Photo Credits

ILCA Awards Committee Nina Koziol GreenBlue Urban

Heritage Landscape Design, Inc. Heather Prince

A Note about COVID-19

4 5 7 58 61

Readers of this magazine should not think we are trying to avoid dicussion of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That information has been extraordinarily presented with the COVID-19 daily email from Scott Grams and the dedicated COVID-19, ILCA Facebook page.

The Landscape Contractor magazine will continue to focus on its normal landscape design/construction/maintenance/ and general buiness content. We hope this approach provides a brief respite from the stresses of the day.

Calendar

1, 8-9 10-18 4020-30, 36-38 55 56, 62

AUGUST

The official publication of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), The Landscape Contractor is dedicated to educating, advising and informing members of this industry and furthering the goals of the Association. The Landscape Contractor carries news and features relating to landscape contracting, maintenance, design and allied interests. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication.

Publication reserves right to refuse advertising not in keeping with goals of Association. WWW.ilca.net

August 27, 2020 Turf Education Day

Volume 61, Number 8. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is published monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA.

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ILCA Staff

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From Where I Stand — Always two, there are, no more, no less.

A master and an apprentice

—Yoda, Star Wars: Episode I

This fall, the ILCA and the College of Lake

County are piloting an ambitious apprenticeship program for landscape employers. This has been the result of a long journey from concept to reality.

We now stand on the threshold of creating a lasting program that marries education and work experience while providing ILCA members the types of skilled and dedicated employees companies need to build businesses around. This has been the result of listening to our members for decades remark about the labor shortages in our industry and how motivated, young employees were needles in a haystack.

The term “apprentice” struggled, for decades, to gain a foothold in American culture. The word apprentice seems reserved for the middles ages, labor unions, or the bad guys in Star Wars. The concept of apprenticeship goes back almost a millennia.

In fact, it can be traced back to the 1100s when trades struggled to create a labor pipeline. I am sure you could go back to the minutes of the London Leather Tanners Association in 1400 and read complaints about “kids today” and a labor shortage in their industries.

Conceptually, apprentices were a way for professions to control who entered the trades and also cultivate subsequent generations of workers. Apprentices in Europe typically had a path. The guild shops were controlled by Master Craftsmen. Workers underneath them were journeymen who hopefully would work their way up the ladder and take over the business. Finally, young men would become apprentices and they would train under the tutelage of the Master Craftsmen.

There is no real universal, global standard for apprentices. Some countries use carrots and some use sticks. England, for example, creates incentives for employers to use apprentices and reduces regulations and employment burdens. Other countries, like Germany, try and pluck poorly performing students out very young and put them on a path to support the trades. They are much more out in the open about certain students struggling in a typical college environment without a safety net of skills to fall back on. The United States has about 500,000 apprentices, nationwide. We are a country of 330 million people. To contrast that, Australia has 475,000 with a population of 23 million people.

Apprenticeships have become increasingly popular over the past 15 years. Most of the trades have indicated severe shortages of interested employees. Construction and manufacturing have seen the worst slides as most of the US economy and jobs market leans towards servicebased and medical professions.

In the 1960’s, only a little more than half of US adults had a high school degree. That number is now 93%. In the past, those without high school degrees were ripe for vocational training. Now, those same young people consider college or jobs with higher pay and less physical requirements. It is clear that there is now a market for part-time students that exists between those with a high school degree and those without an Associates or Bachelor’s degree. In fact, 46% of US adults falls into that gap.

The concept of the ILCA/CLC apprenticeship program didn’t begin

at CLC. The initial conversations were had between Scott Grams, President at the time Tom Lupfer, and representatives of Triton College.

We sketched out the earn-as-you-learn program that would result in a student getting a certificate from a community college in a series of informal meetings. The problem is that in order for an apprenticeship program to work, you need a strong batch of willing employers. I went back and did a “suitability analysis” for four programs with strong hort degrees - Joliet Junior College, the College of DuPage, the College of Lake County, and Triton College. I then overlaid the ILCA membership onto these districts and found that the most amount of ILCA members were in or adjacent to Lake County. Unfortunately, Triton has the least amount of ILCA members in the community. That meant that if this program could not be successful in Lake County, it would not be successful somewhere else.

ILCA met with Rory Klick of the College of Lake County and she was immediately receptive. Rory has been working in horticulture for a long time.

She understands students, she understands employers, and she has evolved her program to say relevant with a changing industry. She has produced hundreds of program graduates who fill top positions in the Illinois landscape industry. We also felt a swell of support from the College, as a whole. Apprenticeships are a fantastic niche for community colleges as they attempt to work the margins between high schools and 4-year colleges. They also have the burden and benefit of recruiting in one targeted area and understand the needs of their communities. They create lasting relationships with high schools and employers and are much more nimble than universities. I serve on the College of DuPage steering committee and they are fearless. They are constantly tweaking the educational content and creating new career pathways that mirror industry need.

An earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program is relatively simple.

Employers identify an apprentice and that apprentice works for the employer for at least 32 hours per week. In the evening, they break early from work, get cleaned up and get their game face on for a long night of schooling. They take college-level coursework on their path to a certificate program from one of the top horticulture programs in Illinois. In addition, they meet other apprentices in the program and build a professional network. They are paid at least $13 an hour.

Apprentices are not interns. They are full-time employees that a company is making an investment in. They also work every day. They don’t receive an education in a bubble, but immediately understand how education clicks into practical job skills.

Employers can identify apprentices in a few ways. They can either be a shooting star employee that they want to have enter the program.

They can be someone known to the company, perhaps a child, friend, or spouse of a current employee. Finally, they can be someone that CLC has recruited or a current student and then will be interviewed and hired by the employer.

There are multiple pathways for apprentices whether in landscape design, construction and maintenance, arboriculture, or plant production. Apprentices will take six classes and their employment counts as a practicum. The cost for the entire program is only $3600. That is 18 credit hours for $3600! As a comparison, when I was earning my Master’s Degree from Northwestern in 2002, a 3-credit hour course was $5,000 by itself. The $3600 fee also includes books and is billed in four

A Guild of Master Craftsmen

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

5

From Where I Stand — $900 installments. To put that into perspective, these apprentices will go to school for two years, take high level college coursework built around what the employer has them doing, use college textbooks and preparatory materials, and the employer is expected to pay $35 a week, and they get a full-time employee. If you factor in the required third year of work, it drops down to $23 a week.

Both the apprentice and employer will work under the terms of an apprenticeship agreement. The purpose of the agreement is to have complete transparency so both parties may be held accountable. The ILCA and CLC will also intervene to make sure the terms of the agreement are adhered-to. The apprentice will complete the two years of the program and is then expected to work for one year after the program concludes. In addition, the apprentice, via a small payroll deduction, will have 10% of the tuition put into an escrow account. Upon completion of the program, the apprentice will receive that as part of a bonus payment, thereby making the program free.

I’ve listened to more conversations than I can count from employers who “thought” they had found the heir apparent just to see that employee slip through their fingers. We all know, every single one of us, that success in this business starts with having a great team. It reduces stress and anxiety, it builds profit, it increases morale, it is the “meaning of life” in the landscape industry. Surround yourself with the best people - money and job satisfaction follow. Then it gets all mucked up because we fail to keep that team together. Every employer, myself included, can be too foolish, selfish, cheap, or arrogant to realize a good thing until it’s gone.

This program can be a game-changer. It is not going to heal the industry’s labor woes. This program is not designed to exist on a macro-scale. It is not going to flood the labor market with thousands of hungry applicants. This program is going to change one business at a time. It checks all the boxes. It doesn’t create ivory tower job candidates unaware of the demands and sacrifice of the industry. It provides high quality education and training from full time and adjunct faculty who understand the industry. It solves the problem of talented employees darting off to new opportunities. It helps students build a professional network which is one of the key factors to success and to help navigate difficult times. It firmly demonstrates to an employee - I care about you.

The hope is to establish success at CLC and then take this to other community college and employment markets. All we need now are employers willing to take that leap. For $23 a week, your company can reunite education and experience in higher education. You can demonstrate to a new hire or current employee - “I believe so much in your future, I am sending you to college for free.” ILCA and CLC are so excited to launch this program. We feel we have created a roadmap to success for any company who chooses to participate. This program has the ability to change lives. ILCA is home to the best master craftsmen in Illinois. If we can’t convince one apprentice to thrive in our industry, how will we convince thousands?

Regards,

A L L TO G E T H E R B E T T E R 6

Scott Grams Executive Director, ILCA July 27, 2020

The Landscape Contractor W W W. M A R I A N I P L A N T S .COM

866-627-4264

August 2020

President’s Message — I was talking with a couple staff members about this month’s

President

column, mentioning that my theme was nested in hope and honesty. Ideals that I hold close to my heart.

One of the newest members of our ILT Vignocchi staff serves as our office manager; her name is Courtney Fiumetto.

She floored me with this, “You say you want to talk about hope.

Well you cannot have hope without a plan otherwise hope is pointless. You have to make a plan to inspire change in yourself and those around you. Hope is a guiding light, but it is only start.”

This conversation with a team member, not an “employee” is what gives me hope. And I dare say should give you all hope.

That we constantly strive to not only prepare a plan for the future, but surround ourselves with people who challenge us. Daily.

Yet another reason that makes us proud to be a member of ILCA. Our association is constantly building plans, through our many committees and staff. This in turn, leads us to implementation. I have seen it. It is tireless and done by people that believe that it can always be better. As members we have a partner, that wants to educate us and fight for us. Isn’t that inspiring? And this is what can continue, during the bleakest of times, to give us hope.

Donna Vignocchi Zych ILT Vignocchi, Inc. (847) 487-5200 dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com

Vice-President

Scott McAdam, Jr. McAdam Landscaping, Inc. (708) 771-2299 Scottjr@mcadamlandscape.com

Secretary-Treasurer

Jeff Kramer Kramer Tree Specialists, Inc, (630) 293-5444 jwkramer@kramertree.com

Immediate Past President

Jose Garcia Natural Creations Landscaping, Inc. (815) 724-0991 info@naturalcreationslandscaping.com

Directors

Eric Adams Russo Power Equipment (847) 233-7811 eadams@russopower.com Jennifer Fick Wilson Nurseries and Landscape Supply (847) 683-3700 jennf@wilsonnurseries.com

Sincerely, Donna Vignocchi Zych President Illinois Landscape Contractors Association

Allan Jeziorski Hartman Landscape (708) 403-8433 allanj@hartmanlandscape.net

Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net Kevin Manning K & D Enterprise Landscape Management, Inc. (815) 725-0758 kmanning@kdlandscapeinc.com

Ashley Marrin Bret-Mar Landscape Management Group, Inc. (708) 301-8160 ashley@bretmarlandscape.com Mark Utendorf Emerald Lawn Care, Inc. (847) 392-7097 marku@emeraldlawncare.com

www.ilca.net

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

7

Clarence Davids & Company • Matteson Harbor Point Condominiums

Harbor Point Condominiums is a 54-story resi-

dential building located adjacent to Lake Michigan near Navy Pier. The landscape contractor’s objective is to provide a beautiful setting for the many residents, visitors, and employees that visit the building each day. In order to maintain the building’s landscape at a high level of excellence, numerous team members, including landscape designers, maintenance and construction supervisors, and an account representative help ensure that the site is always colorful, welcoming and interesting to view.

The maintenance program includes the mowing and fertilizing of the lawns, watering and fertilizing of seasonal flowers, pruning trees and shrubs, power edging the sidewalks, and bed edging the tree rings and planting beds. One of the challenges for the production team is managing the abundance of rabbits on the property. Because the association wants to avoid taking the rabbits out of their home, the contractor engages several control measures to prevent damage.

Due to unforeseen building maintenance needs in recent

years, the homeowner’s association requested a significant budget reduction in landscaping. The contractor redesigned the large teardrop bed in front of the building to reduce the size of the seasonal flower beds. The dated yews were removed, and Japanese Maples, shrub roses, ornamental grasses and boxwood were subsequently planted to give the property an updated look.

Seasonal color remains a high priority for the client. The landscape design team selects plants that provide an abundance of color and

texture in addition to plants that tolerate the extremely windy conditions near the lake. Spring is welcomed with the blooming of over 10,000 bulbs planted throughout the beds. Summer plantings consist of over 6,000 annuals enhancing the drives, entry, and patio spaces. Autumn is ushered in with thousands of chrysanthemums and cool season flowers, which ensures that the property is surrounded with bright colors well into November. The winter months are celebrated with over 75,000 LED lights and an eighteen-foot Christmas tree anchored in front of the building. The entire contractor team takes great pride in creating an urban landscape environment that provides a dynamic visitor experience year-round.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

9

Focus — Landscapes & Architecture

The Midcentury Modern

Nina A. Koziol

Editor’s Note: This ongoing series provides insight into various architectural styles of Midwestern houses over the past 150 years along with the plants and landscape practices in use at the time the homes were built. Our goal is to help you be better informed when discussing projects with your clients. Context-sensitive landscape design that preserves historic character can increase property values.

roofs, wide, overhanging eaves, and exposed roof beams, inside and out. Builders often used natural materials—wood or stone, as well as brick and concrete block. Some of the houses feature expansive glass walls, clean lines and wideopen floor plans. Large windows and glass patio doors helped marry the landscape to the house.

Take a drive through just about any city or suburb

In the 1950s and 60s, magazine covers often featured sleek houses and trim landscapes—no fussy planting beds, no flowering shrubs hugging the foundation—in other words, no frills. Instead, readers saw well-defined outdoor spaces, floor-level patios, sweeping lawns, backyard patios and

in the Midwest and you’ll likely find many “midcentury modern” houses. These low-slung homes, built after World War II, are generally characterized by flat or low-pitched

Looking Back

House and Architecture grills— and very restrained plantings.

“The post-WWII years in particular celebrated modernism—including a conscious departure from past styles and ways of living,” says landscape architect Scott Mehaffey, executive director of Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois.

“The war brought the country together with a forward-looking attitude as well as new energy and new technologies.”

For homeowners back then, midcentury modern gardens were not about spending hours weeding the borders and dead-heading flowers. Plantings were accents and trees were used sparingly. Foundation plantings were minimal at best, although some showed evergreens hugging parts of the front walls. Indoors and out, the design style was characterized

by clean lines, organic and streamlined forms, and lack of embellishment. Patio furniture had a “space age” look—fiberglas bucket-shaped chairs and satellite-shaped fire pits.

There was a heavy emphasis on hardscape. “There is no doubt that more garden space can be covered with hard-surfaced materials and the rest be both aesthetic and practical,” wrote landscape architect Thomas Church in his 1955 book, “Gardens are for People.” Church’s practice was primarily in California, but his influence on simple, restful, low-maintenance landscape design was evident in home magazines well into the 1960s. His low-maintenance designs included concrete mowing strips along planted borders, which eliminated the need to edge the grass. (continued on page 12)

Focus — Landscapes & Architecture (continued from page 11)

Reinterpreting the MCM Landscape

Mid-century modern homes are a favorite of landscape designer James Drzewiecki, APLD of Ginkgo Leaf Studio in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Drzewiecki began his career as an architect before transitioning to landscape design two decades ago. “I’m attracted to the lines and lots of glass on these homes—I think that part of the midcentury modern house makes it so conducive to the landscape. You get the opportunity to do so much more with those projects.” As architectturned-landscape designer, Drzewiecki brings a unique perspective to all of his projects. “I have the construction knowledge from my architecture background and my training kicks in. I focused on historic architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright influenced me.” Wright’s residential designs were a precursor to many of the contemporary homes built midcentury.

One of Drzewiecki’s landscape renovations in Racine was a house built in 1953 by John Randal McDonald, known for his organic approach to architecture, like Frank Lloyd Wright.

The existing landscape had been neglected for many years and the owners knew it was time to bring in a professional. They retained Drzewiecki’s firm because of his expertise and understanding of midcentury design ideas.

He took his cues from the dramatic roofline and geometry on the house. Wedge-shaped garden beds surround a new staggered path composed of trapezoidal concrete panels. Beach pebbles fill the runnels between the panels. He also reused some of the existing stone including the boulder in front of the prominent Tennessee sandstone feature on the home.

“It would be very hard not to be inspired by the architecture of a house that looks like this, but it was also important not to go overboard and overshadow the home,” he says. “There are long angles, straight 90-degree corners—sometimes cool has to win over practical.” Some homes built in this period have tile squares, rectangles or starbursts built into the exterior walls. It would be easy to overdo those features mimicking them in the landscape “You can carry it too far—adding starbursts everywhere.”

Because of a grade change between the driveway and entry, he created a low retaining wall of sandstone to match the house. The new landscape complements the home’s architecture, and Drzewiecki describes the look as midcentury modern influenced by Asian and California styles. (continued on page 14)

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The Landscape Contractor August 2020

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Focus — Landscapes & Architecture (continued from page 12)

Patio Features

The original free-form patio had wood inlays between concrete panels. “It had that midcentury modern classic California look. And, separate concrete panels were common during the era,” Drzewiecki said. One thing he is not fond of is the use of engineered pavers and stamped concrete that looks like flagstone on midcentury modern landscapes. “It’s completely a clash,” he said. “Although they’ve gotten more realistic, they don’t work well with midcentury modern.”

Looking at original photos from the period, midcentury hardscape was often concrete—sometimes colored buff, tan, brown or warm grey, and concrete with aggregate as well as bands of wood, brick tile or mosaic pebbles. Some brick pavers were used as well.

For the Racine project, wedge-shaped borders and rock beds tie the back garden to the front landscape look.

Pebbles and slate chips in coordinating colors, shapes and textures were used in the new design. “The pebbles highlight ornamental grass groupings and they add that Asian-inspired California midcentury modern flavor,” he said. The beds are edged in black aluminum. The grill and dining area are near the kitchen entry. A new seating (continued on page 16)

The facade updated with modern plants and design The Landscape Contractor 14 August 2020

Focus — Landscapes & Architecture don’t mimic Palm Springs if the house is in the Midwest.” The mix of plants includes shrubs, grasses and perennials inspired by the clients’ love of bold color and the desire for continuous bloom and winter interest. “I’m all for using natives and nativars but we’re not mimicking nature. Ornamental grasses fit really well and can give you a more modern look.”

Less is More: Pure and Simple

“Simpler is better in general with clean lines and simple geometry,” Drzewiecki explains. “I don’t like wavy bed lines.”

He replaced the outdated, funky pond in the original patio with slate chips, beach pebbles and a sleek Wright statue as a focal point.

Unless you or your clients are purists when it comes to midcentury modern homes, it doesn’t have to be a 1950s landscape, he said. “If you’re a purist, then you’ll want to include yews. But people update their kitchens so I see no reason it can’t be a 2020 landscape.” (continued on page 18)

Planting details (continued from page 14) area let the homeowners enjoy their new gardens.

New steps and material inspired by the home’s interior create a transition from the patio to the garden. “The house has slate flooring,” Drzewiecki said.

“So the full range bluestone pavers pay homage to that.” The bluestone extends partway down the runnel between the concrete panels, enhancing the transition between the edge of the patio and the retaining walls.

16

Plants

“The raised garden was a weedy mess, but it had potential,” Drzewiecki said. He extended it with retaining walls that match the original Tennessee sandstone, and created a walking garden that runs along the side of the yard.

In keeping with the sleek, minimalistic aesthetic, he said, “Cottage gardens don’t belong in front of a midcentury modern house. And, Modern design was the rage in the 50s.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

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Focus — Landscapes & Architecture (continued from page 16) One problem Drzewiecki runs into on these houses—overgrown plants. “Lots of yews—the original landscape is still intact. The landscapes are tired or naturally declining. Some of the homes are still owned by the original owners.” But millennials are also interested in this style of home and many would like something unfussy and sleek.

One retro look is recreating colorful front doors. “Bold colors were often used on the house, and you’ll see orange or turquoise doors on some of them,” Drzewiecki said. “And, breeze blocks.

I belong to a breeze block Facebook group.” Everything about the fences and the privacy panels have a sleek, minimalist look—then and now.

Mehaffey sees these homes as a marketing niche for landscapers and designers. “Many millennial homebuyers are not doit-yourselfers, so there are definitely opportunities for establishing long-term relationships that pay off over time,” he said. “Clients in higher-income brackets may love the style and the opportunity to create a complete work of art—midcentury-styled landscapes included.”

LA Thomas Church, author of Gardens are for People.

Garden details 18

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

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Midcentury Modern Resources

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Pinterest key word search: Midcentury Modern Design, Midcentury Modern Landscapes & Gardens, Midcentury Modern Landscape Design, Vintage Sunset Garden Books, Thomas Dolliver Church.

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Ginkgo Leaf Studio: https://ginkgoleafstudio.net dwell.com atomic-ranch.com houzz.com The MidCentury Modern Garden: Capturing the Classic Style.

Ethne Clarke. 2017.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

19

Focus — Urban Landscapes

Shade Trees in an Urban Land A case study of Navy Pier

by Heather Prince

Trees bring innumerable benefits to our

urban landscapes, but how do we plan for and plant them for best success? One company, GreenBlue Urban has been revolutionizing urban tree planting systems for three decades.

Shane Carpani spoke at iLandscape about how their system ensures tree health in urban plantings around the world. We followed up regarding one of their projects close to home –

Navy Pier in Chicago.

As Chicago’s most visited lakefront attraction, the 50-acre Navy Pier campus celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016.

As part of the celebration plans, extensive landscape renovations were planned, including “a tree grove promenade of large caliper trees,” recalled Carpani. Designed by awardwinning landscape architecture firm James Corner Field

Before 20

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

dscape Operations, incorporating environmental best practices and ecological design principals was a top priority. The design goal was to create a green oasis that quieted traffic noise and welcomed visitors while responding to the needs of a heavily trafficked area by pedestrians as well as cars and trucks. The trees were to soften the hard edges of the urban landscape while maintaining open views of Chicago’s signature lake-

front as well offer cooling shade.

A mix of Marmo maple and American sycamore were chosen. As fast-growing cultivars of native trees, they were adaptable and pollution tolerant choices. “They were large trees. They wanted immediate impact without having to wait three to five years for them,” commented Carpani.

(continued on page 22)

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

21

Focus — Urban Landscapes (continued from page 21) “I’m happy to report that these trees have done phenomenally from when they were planted to today. They are healthy and doing extremely well.” The plan specified mature trees with root balls up to eight feet in diameter.

22

“You cater the opening of the system to the size of the root ball. For those at Navy Pier, a seven to eight-foot root ball diameters requires a much larger tree well or tree pit opening than if you’re working with a smaller tree.”

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

(continued on page 24)

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The Landscape Contractor August 2020

23

Focus — Urban Landscapes

(continued from page 22) The GreenBlue Urban ArborSystem was chosen because it offers a 95% void space of uncompacted soil around the trees allowing for maximum root growth. Since Navy Pier has no native soils, any trees planted essentially are in a giant container. Because of the nature of the stacking RootSpace system, an engineered soil of choice can be used, and the streetscape constructed over top. “It can vary from 19 inches to four feet deep depending on what’s required,” said Carpani.

“It’s the cubic footage of soil we’re trying to accomplish for the tree, rather than a specific depth or width. When we have a cubic foot target for the tree, then we can start mapping out

24

the configuration, depending on the site. And depending on site conditions, it could be a deeper system with a narrow footprint or a shallower system with a spread-out footprint.

It’s less about the shape of the footprint and more about the overall soil volume being provided.” Any good planting soil can be used in the system. “This system is not soil specific at all. Any good planting soil can be used within this system.

Municipalities and landscape architects can use their particular planting spec. In some instances, even the soil that is removed can be used as long as it’s good soil.”

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

(continued on page 26)

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Focus — Urban Landscapes (continued from page 24)

The goal for the RootSpace system is to take the compaction factor out of the equation of tree planting and long-term health. “The CEO of our company likes to call it ‘recreating the forest floor setting’. When he developed the system almost 30 years ago, the idea was to enable good planting soil with plenty of air and water spaces, but underneath the hardscape surface,” reported Carpani. “That’s really the intention of the system. It’s providing the uncompacted soil volume, the aeration, the irrigation, the nutrients that would just come naturally in a forest setting. In an urban environment, that doesn’t come naturally. We need to provide that in an engineered manner and that’s what the system does.” For

Navy Pier, the cells were able to be configured in a wider space with about 30 inches of depth. Hardscape was installed over the system, which is designed to handle cars and trucks.

“It is rated H20 for maximum vehicular traffic. We’ve got them under fire lanes and roadways, not just pedestrian areas. They can be under a street,” observed Carpani. The RootSpace system is able to withstand up to 8 tons per 20” by 20” module. Due to Navy Pier’s busy calendar of events, trade shows, concerts, expos, exhibits, and day to day activities, being able to handle the weight of equipment moving in and out was a deciding factor for the landscape architects and engineers.

After the below grade system is established, tree grates Pavement Material1 Pavement Base Course2

~19" ~27" ~35" Sub-Base / Drainage Course3 Sub-Base Grade Soil4 Sub-Base / Drainage Course3 Sub-Base Grade Soil4 Sub-Base / Drainage Course3 Sub-Base Grade Soil4

ROOTSPACE® 400 Series (1-layer)

ROOTSPACE® 600 Series (1-layer)

ROOTSPACE® 400 Series (2-layers)

NOTES: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Pavement design per engineers specifications.

Pavement base course per engineers specifications.

Sub-base / Drainage Layer per engineers specifications.

A geotechnical engineer shall evaluate the specific conditions for sub-grade soils with an allowable load bearing capacity of less than 2,000 psf.

© 2020 GreenBlue Urban

All dimensions and details are approximate and must be checked on site not scaled from the drawing.

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26

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

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are fitted to the design specs and installed. Tree grates are manufactured to allow for maximum water and gas exchange as well as including canisters for lighting and electrical connections. “Uplights can be incorporated into the tree grate. We include the inlet to fasten the lights into.

We also do electrical pedestals that can be built in as well,” commented Carpani. With Navy Pier being a tourist destination and showplace, lighting is a key element, especially during the holidays. The system is designed to accommodate electrical connections, but lighting trees can present a particularly challenging maintenance requirement. “What has been an issue sometimes has been Christmas lights and wrapping trees in lights. The problem is the strand of lights wrapped tightly around the branches and trunk which can cut into the bark of the tree if not removed. You have to remember this is a living thing. So sometimes we might remind landscape architects about that,” observed Carpani.

~43" ~51"

Sub-Base / Drainage Course3 Sub-Base Grade Soil4 Sub-Base / Drainage Course3 Sub-Base Grade Soil4 ROOTSPACE® 400 & 600 Series (1-layer each)

ROOTSPACE® 600 Series (2-layers)

No.

DATE

SYSTEM PROFILES

ROOTSPACE® PAVEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM

(continued on page 28)

REVISION

DATE: January 2020 DRAWN BY: CHECKED BY: SHEET NO

SC-1 The Landscape Contractor August 2020

27

Focus — Urban Landscapes (continued from page 27) One of the considerations for Navy Pier was keeping plants watered during dry periods as well as managing stormwater runoff since the hardscape surfaces directly interact with Lake Michigan.

The GreenBlue Urban system created broader tree wells that aid in capturing runoff and allow the trees to be watered.

Water flows across the hardscape surface into built-in collectors. “There are two ways irrigation comes into the system.

One is what we call the RootRain™ loop that goes around the root ball of the tree and provides initial watering to the tree root ball for initial establishment in the new environment. Then there are subsequent inlets called ArborVent™s that are strategically positioned throughout the hardscape area allowing the water and oxygen to access the soil volume throughout the RootSpace™ system,” reported Carpani. Large debris is filtered by the grille top and an internal leaf guard. “They do sometimes get clogged, but they are easy to clean out. The lid of the unit lifts and swivels off and you can either vac it out or we also have a brush system that grabs material and pulls it out. There are no extra tools or anything needed. The vent is on a swivel bolt, it doesn’t detach, so it can’t lost or removed.” This is an important feature for a very public space visited by thousands of people each year.

(continued on page 30)

28

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

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30

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

(continued from page 28) Although Navy Pier presented no major unexpected challenges, the GreenBlue Urban systems modular designs are engineered to accommodate utilities, wherever they may arise.

Whenever excavation occurs, there are inevitably surprises.

“Oftentimes, we’ll have a situation with an unexpected utility.

I just worked on a project in Iowa. They had the system going into a brand-new streetscape. When they excavated to place the system modules they found all kinds of utilities where they weren’t supposed to be. The utilities ran the whole corridor of the sidewalk that was slated to be available space. They didn’t realize it until they started digging to begin laying the system.

We just rolled with the punches. The system is designed to work with utilities,” commented Carpani. “We also have a RootStop™ barrier you can wrap the utilities with. These days, most of the utilities are in PVC, so when the root hits a pipe, it grows around it. Where there are issues is when you have to go and repair or maintain that utility years down the road. You might have to damage some of the roots in order to access the utility. That’s just the cost of doing business in the urban environment.”

Five years later, the trees at Navy Pier are thriving and healthy, shading thousands of visitors. Their lush foliage has achieved the goal of softening the built environment of the cityscape as well as all the ecological benefits of small grove.

Ecologically sustainable design can work for everyone. “We often say that these kinds of successful sustainable infrastructure projects and healthy trees start in the design phase. It’s not something that can be added in later,” observed Carpani. With good planning and creative engineering, our urban spaces can be places where trees and people thrive.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

31

Meet Your ILCA President —

New ILCA President — Donna Vignocchi Zych

by Meta Levin

When Donna Vignocchi

Zych’s father invited her to spend a summer during college working in the family business, ILTVignocchi, Inc., she fell in love.

“I fell in love with the place, the excitement in the morning and the people,” she says. That summer job has led to a career, a husband, innumerable friends and now, ILCA’s presidency.

A telecommunications and marketing major in college, Vignocchi ended up working for her father, where she flexed her marketing muscles and slid into the industry.

Lisa Fiore, now of LandscapeHub, Inc., approached her about joining the ILCA Board. “She thought I would be a great fit,” says Vignocchi Zych. At the time, she had been involved in what now is the National Association of Landscape Professionals, serving on several committees, as well as the national board.

The ILCA board has been a different and she says, “an invaluable experience. I’ve made some amazing friends; people who have affected my life and have eaten at my house.”

The latter is a good thing, since Vignocchi Zych loves to cook and entertain.

Not only have those she met through ILCA become close friends, but so have many of ILTVignocchi’s employees.

Several of the employees were like family; she had grown up around them and some still work for the company. She points to Sam Ortiz, known by those close to him as Sammy, and about whom Vignocchi Zych recounts a family story.

Her parents bought a house, which her father, a stone mason by trade, wanted to make into a stone house. Ortiz “was just a kid,” but he was there working alongside Vignocchi Zych’s father and other rela32

Donna Vignocchi Zych

tives. He is still on the team.

Vignocchi Zych grew up in a creative family – her mother is an avid gardener

Donna and father Harry Vignocchi

Donna and husband Aaron Zych

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

and her father is artistic – which is one of the reasons she felt so comfortable when she began working at ILTVignocchi.

“There is this thing at ILT, everything has to be beautiful,” she says.

Her husband, Aaron Zych, is a landscape architect and now heads the ILTVignocchi design department. “We are similar people and we hit it off,” she says. “He works like my Dad. He wakes up at 2 am and he runs circles around me.” Although she officially is the company president, she and her husband share the operations manager role.

Together they also have an 11-yearold daughter, Sofia, who has inherited the family artistic ability. “I love to draw and my daughter loves to draw,” she says. “She’s really good.”

She learned many lessons working alongside her father and continues to run the business in “the old fashioned” way. She has done just about every job in the business, except pushing a mower and building a patio. Her father taught her that if she was going to send a crew out in 100-degree weather, she should stay and help. “Show that you are willing to do what they’re doing,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.”

As ILCA president, she wants to convey a message of hope and optimism to the membership and for members to know that the association values a high level or honesty and integrity.

Moreover, “I don’t want ILCA to throw in the towel, because of COVID-––19.”

The association will continue to provide its members with vital information, which it has done during the entire pandemic.

“We need to continue to continue to support the people who support us,” she says. “We need to give hope.”

Turf Education Day (Ted) Is Going Virtual 12 Sessions, Live Q&A With Speakers And More!

August 18 - 27, 2020 Please Visit www.ilca.net/Turf-Education-Day For More Information

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

33

Árboles de sombra en un paisaje urbano Un estudio de caso de Navy Pier Por Heather Prince

Los árboles proporcionan innumerables

beneficios a nuestros paisajes urbanos, pero ¿cómo los planificamos y plantamos para lograr el mayor éxito? Una compañía, GreenBlue Urban ha estado revolucionando los sistemas de plantaciónde árboles urbanos durante tres décadas. Shane Carpani habló eniLandscape sobre cómo su sistema asegura la salud de los árboles enplantaciones urbanas alrededor del mundo. Hicimos un seguimiento enuno de sus proyectos más cercanos a nosotros – Navy Pier en Chicago.

Siendo la atracción frente al lago más visitada de Chicago, elcampus de 50 acres de Navy Pier (muelle de la Armada) celebró su100.o aniversario en 2016. Como parte de los planes de celebración,se planificaron importantes renovaciones del paisaje, incluyendo“un paseo a través de una arboleda de álamos de semillero grandes“,recuerda Carpani. Diseñado por la firma de arquitectura paisajistagalardonada James Corner Field Operations, incorporar las mejoresprácticas ambientales y los principios de diseño ecológico fue una de lasprioridades principales. La meta del diseño fue crear un oasis verde queaplacara el ruido del tráfico y atrajera a los visitantes, respondiendo al mismo tiempo a las necesidades de un área altamente traficada tanto por peatones como por automóviles y camiones. Los árboles sua-

34

vizarían los bordes ásperos del paisaje urbano manteniendo al mismo tiempo vistas abiertas del área frente al lago característica de Chicago, además de ofrecer una sombra refrescante.

Se seleccionó una mezcla de arces de mármol y sicomoros americanos. Como variedades de árboles nativos de rápido crecimientos, resultaban opciones adaptables y tolerantes a la polución.“Eran árboles grandes. Querían impacto inmediato sin tener que esperarde tres a cinco años para lograrlo”, comentó Carpani.

“Me complace informar que estos árboles han tenido un resultado fenomenal desde que fueron plantados hasta el día de hoy. Son saludables y tienen un excelente rendimiento”.

El plan especificaba árboles maduros con cepellones de diámetro hasta de ocho pies. “Se hace la abertura del sistema al tamaño del cepellón. Para los que están en Navy Pier, diámetros de cepellones de siete u ocho pies requieren de una cavidad a la base del árbol o alcorque mucho más grande que si setrabaja con árboles más pequeños”.

Se seleccionó a GreenBlue Urban ArborSystem porque ofrece unespacio vacío del 95% de suelo no compacto alrededor de los árboles, lo que permite el máximo crecimiento de las raíces. Debido a que Navy Pier no tiene suelos nativos, cualquier árbol plantado tiene que estar esencialmente en un recipiente gigante. Debido a la naturaleza del sistema

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

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35 The Landscape Contractor August 2020

RootSpace apilado, se puede utilizar un suelo manufacturado preferente y el diseño de calles se construye en la parte superior. “Puede variar de 19 pulgadas a cuatro pies de profundidad dependiendo de lo que se requiera”, afirmó Carpani.

“Es el volumen en pies cúbicos del suelo lo que tratamos de lograr para los árboles, más que una profundidad o anchura específica. Cuando tenemos los pies cúbicos fijados como objetivo para el árbol, entonces podemos comenzar a mapear la configuración, dependiendo del sitio. Y dependiendo de las condiciones del sitio, podría ser un sistema más profundo con un espacio ocupado estrecho o un sistema menos profundo, con un espacio exte dido. Se trata menos de la forma del espacio ocupado y más sobre el volumen global del suelo provisto”. Se puede usar en el sistema cualquier suelo de plantación adecuado. “El sistema no esespecífico para un 36

determinado tipo de suelo. Con este sistema se puede usar cualquier suelo de plantación adecuado. Las municipalidades y los arquitectos paisajistas pueden usar sus propias especificaciones de plantación. En algunos casos, incluso el suelo removido se puede usarsiempre que sea suelo adecuado”.

El objetivo del sistema RootSpace es eliminar el factor de compactación de la ecuación de plantación de árboles y salud a largo plazo. “Al Director Ejecutivo de nuestra compañía le gusta llamarlo ‘recrear la configuración del piso forestal’. Cuando desarrolló el sistema hace casi 30 años, la idea fue habilitar un buen suelo de plantación con mucho aire y espacios de agua, pero debajo de la superficie de los elementos de concreto”, informó Carpani. “Esa es realmente la intención del sistema. Es proveer el volumen de suelo sin compactar, la aireación, la irrigación, los nutrientes que sur-

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

gen de forma natural en ambientes forestales. En un ambiente urbano, no surgen de forma natural. Tenemos que proveer eso de una forma tecnificada y eso es lo que hace el sistema”. Para Navy Pier, se configuraron las células en un espacio más amplio con cerca de 30 pulgadas de profundidad. Se instalaron en el sistema los elementos de concreto, diseñados para el tráfico de automóviles y camiones. “Son clasificados H20 para máximo nivel de tráfico vehicular.

Los tenemos debajo de los carriles de emergencia y en las pistas y carreteras, no solo en las áreas para peatones.

Pueden estar debajo de una calle”, observó Carpani. El sistema RootSpace es capaz de resistir hasta 8 toneladas por módulo de 20” por 20”. Debido al ocupado calendario de eventos de Navy Pier, ferias, conciertos, exposiciones, exhibiciones y actividades diarias, tener la capacidad de soportar el peso de los equipos que entran y salen fue un factor decisivo para los arquitectos paisajistas e ingenieros.

Después de establecido el sistema bajo tierra, se ajustan a lasespecificaciones del diseño e instalan los cubrealcorques. Los cubrealcorques se fabrican con el propósito de permitir el máximo intercambio de agua y gas así como incluir botes para iluminación y conexiones eléctricas. “Se pueden incorporar luces indirectas en los cubrealcorques.

Incluimos la toma para fijar las luces.

Tambiénhacemos pedestales eléctricos que se pueden incorporar”, comentó Carpani. Siendo Navy Pier un destino turístico y centro de exhibición, la iluminación es un elemento clave, especialmente durante las festividades.

El sistema se diseña con capacidad para conexiones eléctricas, pero iluminar árboles puede presentar requisitos de mantenimiento especialmente desafiantes. “Lo que ha sido un problema ocasionalmente son las luces navideñas y envolver árboles con luces. El problema lo constituyen los filamentos de luces colocados ajustadamente alrededor de las ramas y el tronco, que se pueden

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The Landscape Contractor August 2020

37

introducir en la corteza del árbol si no se quitan a tiempo.

Usted debe recordar que los árboles son organismos vivos.

Por lo que algunasÁrboles de sombra en un paisaje urbano Un estudio de caso de Navy Pier veces tenemos que recordar esto a los arquitectos paisajistas”, observóCarpani.

Una de las consideraciones para Navy Pier fue mantener las plantas regadas durante los períodos secos así como el control de las escorrentías debido a que las superficies de concreto interactúan directamente con el Lago Michigan. El sistema GreenBlue Urban creó cavidades a la base de los árboles más amplias que ayudan a controlar las escorrentías y permiten regar los árboles. Las aguas fluyen por la superficie de concreto hacia colectores incorporados. “Hay dos maneras de proporcionar irrigación al sistema. Una es la que llamamos bucle RootRain™ que circula alrededor del cepellón del árbol y proporciona riego inicial al cepellón para el establecimiento inicial en el nuevo ambiente. Hay entradas de irrigación subsiguientes llamadas ArborVent™ colocadas estratégicamente por toda el área de concreto permitiendo al agua y el oxígeno acceder al volumen del suelo a lo largo del sistema RootSpace™”, informó Carpani. Los escombros grandes son filtrados por la parte superior de la rejilla y un protector de canaleta interno. “Algunas veces se obstruyen, pero son fáciles de limpiar. La tapa de la unidad se eleva y gira y usted puede aspirar el material o tenemos un sistema de cepillos que absorbe el material y lo extrae. No se necesitan herramientas adicionales ni nada más. La ventosa se encuentra en un perno giratorio, no se desprende, por lo que no se puede perder ni quitar”. Esta es una característica importante para un espacio muy público visitado por miles de personas cada año. Si bien Navy Pier no presentó desafíos imprevistos importantes, los diseños modulares de los sistemas GreenBlue Urban son fabricados con el propósito de adaptarse a las instalaciones de servicios públicos donde puedan surgir.

38

Siempre que hay excavaciones, se encuentran sorpresas inevitables. “Con frecuencias, tenemos una situación con una instalación subterránea imprevista. Acabo de trabajar en un proyecto en Iowa. El sistema se dirigía a un diseño de calles nuevo. Cuando excavaron para colocar los módulos del sistema encontraron todo tipo de instalaciones subterráneas donde no se suponía que hubiera. Las instalaciones se extendían por todo el corredor de las aceras que estabaprogramado para ser espacio disponible. No se dieron cuenta hasta que comenzaron a excavar para instalar el sistema. Hacemos frente a cada situación. El sistema está diseñado para funcionar con las instalaciones de servicios públicos”, comentó Carpani.

“También tenemos una barrera RootStop™ con la que se pueden envolver las instalaciones subterráneas. En estos días, la mayoría de las instalaciones de servicios públicos se fabrican de cloruro de polivinilo (PVC), por lo cual cuando una raíz impacta una tubería, crece alrededor de la misma.

Donde hay problemas es cuando es necesario reparar o darle mantenimiento a esa instalación años después. Podría ser necesario dañar algunas de las raíces para tener acceso a una instalación subterránea. Eso es el costo de hacer negocios en un ambiente urbano.”

Cinco años después, los árboles en Navy Pier están prósperos y sanos, dando sombra a miles de visitantes. Su follaje frondoso ha logrado el objetivo de suavizar el ambiente construido del paisaje urbano así como todos los beneficios ecológicos de una arboleda pequeña. El diseño ecológicamente sostenible puede beneficiar a todos. “Con frecuencia decimos que estos tipos de proyectos exitosos de infraestructura sostenible y árboles sanos comienzan en la fase de diseño. No es algo que se pueda añadir posteriormente”, observó Carpani. Con una buena planificación e ingeniería creativa, nuestros espacios urbanos pueden ser lugares donde prosperan los árboles y las personas.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

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Special Feature

Colors of the

Nina A. Koziol

The Big Ten is a national leader in intercollegiate

athletics. But in this strange year of The Virus, we likely won’t see much in the way of college sports this fall. So, in a salute to the 14 universities in the Big Ten Conference, we present their school colors with some cool perennials and annuals. Of course, if you have clients who are fans, you can surprise them with a small planter of annuals using their team’s colors and a pendant. It’s a nice (and inexpensive) way to thank them for their business.

Illinois Fighting Illini — Blue and Orange Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed) is a showy native perennial milkweed that attracts monarch butterflies and hummingbirds, but is ignored by deer and rabbits. Grows 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. Give it full sun and well-drained soil.

Asclepias tuberosa

Salvia, whether a perennial, or an annual as shown here, pairs well with butterfly weed because the upright stems offer a nice contrast in form and color. Annual salvias, such as S. farinacea and S. guarantica tend to bloom all summer and rarely require deadheading. Score! (continued on page 42)

Salvia 40

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Special Feature — (continued from page 41)

Indiana Hoosiers — Cream and Crimson Monarda didyma ‘Pardon My Cerise’ is a petite, mildew-resistant bee balm—14 to 18 inches tall—that grows vigorously into a bushy, compact clump. The large cherry pink flowers sit just above the foliage.

Iris sibirica ‘Butter and Sugar’ has creamy-white standards and butteryellow falls, both with greenish-yellow veins. Blooms in early summer with a possible second bloom later in the season if provided with plenty of moisture.

Monarda didyma

Iris sibirica

Iowa Hawkeyes — Black and Gold

Dark-leaved canna lilies tower over ‘Safari Yellow’ marigolds, ‘Victoria Blue’ salvia, some cockscomb (Celosia cristata), blue ageratum and SunPatiens (Impatiens hawkeri), a New Guinea impatiens that thrives in sun or shade. Switch out the marigold with a more goldenflowered variety and use a blackleaved elephant ear (Colocasia) with Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’ for an alternate black-and-gold tribute.

Dark-leaved canna lilies tower over ‘Safari Yellow’ marigolds

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The Landscape Contractor August 2020

Maryland Terrapins — Red, White, Black and Gold Baptisia ‘Cherry Jubilee’ combines red and gold blossoms in one striking perennial. Bred to have a shorter, more compact habit, this native cultivar reaches 2-1/2 to 3 feet tall. Flowers age to gold and the branching makes this plant very floriferous. Decorative seed pods follow in fall.

Colocasia ‘Black Swan’ (elephant ear) has near-black leaves with an upright, arching habit that showcases its jet black glossy stems. It’s a touchdown when combined with brightly colored annuals such as dragon-wing begonias in large containers.

Colocasia ‘Black Swan’

Baptisia ‘Cherry Jubilee’

Michigan Wolverines — Maize and Blue Veronica ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ has outstanding flower color and an impeccable habit. It gains points as one of the earliest Veronicas to bloom, producing thick spikes of violet-blue flowers that cover the top half of the plant.

Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’ is naturally compact at 24 inches tall, selected by breeder Brent Horvath of Intrinsic Perennial Gardens in Hebron, Illinois.

The plant starts blooming in July and goes into October.

Besides the great habit, long bloom period, and compact size, the hairy foliage keeps septoria leaf spot at bay. It’s an allaround winner. (continued om page 44)

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Special Feature — (continued from page 43)

Michigan State Spartans — Green and White

What’s not to like about a cool green-and-white shade garden during the dog days of summer? Hostas in chartreuse and blue, ferns, hellebores, Annabelle hydrangeas, and a crispshaped boxwood team up in a winning combination under the tree canopy.

Hostas in chartreuse and blue, ferns, hellebores, Annabelle hydrangeas

Minnesota Golden Gophers — Maroon and Gold

Carex elata ‘Bowles Golden’ (Bowles golden sedge) has bright gold foliage with thin green margins and is taller than most other sedges.

It is an excellent choice as a highlight plant for a shade or water garden. It gives a workout but needs hydration — prefers to be constantly wet or moist to thrive and will grow in shallow water. Here it teams up with a maroon-flowered day lily for those Golden Gopher fans.

Carex clata ‘Bowles golden

Nebraska Cornhuskers — Scarlet and Cream Hemerocallis ‘Little Grapette’ is miniature day lily with two-inchwide flowers. It blooms in midsummer with a high bud count and flowers that have tightly compressed ruffles.

Leucanthemum superbum ‘Daisy Duke’ has three-inch-wide flowers with a gold button center. Plants form a two-foot-tall solid dome, mixing well with other sun-loving perennials, and when dead-headed, it performs from late spring through fall.

44

Hemerocallis ‘Little Grapette’

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

Leucanthemum superbum ‘Daisy Duke’

Northwestern Wildcats — Purple and White Helleborus ‘French Kiss’ is a lovely single-flowered selection from Walters Gardens’ hybridizer Hans Hansen. It boasts three-inch-wide single white flowers lined with pink-purple veins and makes a great addition to the dry shade garden.

Helleborus ‘French Kiss’

Ohio State Buckeyes — Scarlet and Gray Heuchera ‘Silver Gumdrop’ has vibrant pink-scarlet flowers and silvery iridescent leaves. A Heuchera villosa hybrid, this perennial is a large, late blooming type that shows an increased tolerance of high heat and humidity. It’s a great team player with Japanese ferns.

(continued on page 46)

Heuchera ‘Silver Gumdrop’

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Special Feature — (continued from page 45)

Penn State Nittany Lions — Blue and White Delphinium ‘Cobalt Dreams’ produces strong, four-foot-tall spires tightly packed with cobalt blue flowers with a white center. The stems provide architectural presence in early summer and fall. Uniform color and form ensure a stunning display whether planted singly or en masse. The plant was chosen for improved tolerance of heat and humidity, while retaining cold hardiness. You’ll want to stake them to prevent wind damage.

Delphinium ‘Cobalt Dreams’

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The Landscape Contractor August 2020

Purdue Boilermakers — Old Gold and Black Heuchera ‘Black Pearl’ forms a dense habit of shiny, black leaves with scalloped ruffled edges and rosy-purple color on the underside. Just under a foot tall and 20 inches wide with white flowers.

Heucherella ‘Hopscotch’ is a H. villosa hybrid that it is more tolerant of heat and humidity and shows greater vigor than Heucherellas without such parentage. Clump-forming plants reach 10 to 12 inches tall (flowers can reach 24 inches) and 20 to 24 inches wide. (continued on page 48)

Heuchera ‘Black Pearl’

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Special Feature — (continued from page 47)

Rutgers Scarlet Knights — Scarlet Kick off summer with Echinacea ‘Frankly Scarlet,’ which boasts bright scarlet-orange flowers held over dark-green foliage and good branching. The intense color lightens to coral orange with age.

Echinacea ‘Frankly Scarlet’

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Wisconsin Badgers — Cardinal and White Astilbe ‘Snowdrift’ provides classic white, diamond-shaped plumes of flowers reaching two feet tall. It goes on defense resisting deer and rabbits.

Lobelia speciosa ‘Snowdrift’

Lobelia speciosa ‘Starship Scarlet’ (cardinal flower) offers better branching for more flower power on two-foot-tall plants. Give this hummingbird magnet sun to part shade and moist soil.

Astilbe ‘Snowdrift’

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

49

Doing Business in Challenging Times

In-Person Meetin Still Matter

by Howard Tiersky

Remote meetings have kept busines

going during the pandemic. But frankly, Zoom has its limits.

As companies open back up, leaders are realizing that faceto-face meetings could really be beneficial — as long as those faces are at least six feet apart!

Remote work may be the new normal, but there are also times when getting everyone together in the same room is extremely valuable. Periodic in-person meetings — where you are thinking, strategizing, and innovating in physical proximity — make daily remote work far more effective.

For instance:

When you’re kicking off a complex project or in other circumstances where you need to build strong relationships, there’s a sense of connection and empathy that just can’t happen over video. Relationships are always the key to long-term business success, so from time to time, teams must meet in person.

When you’re tackling tricky or complex problems, being able to whiteboard together in person is still far better than via the web.

When meetings need to be long it can be very fatiguing to remain on a conferencing platform for full-day, or even half-day, sessions. In-person meetings are far more natural and productive.

When you need to move very quickly (with fewer misunderstandings) team members are more likely to fully engage and deal with issues in real time.

When you need people to brainstorm, idea-sharing is faster and clearer. People don’t have to wait to talk but can just jump in, and it creates a different kind of synergy (one idea building off the other).

50

When you need people to be fully engaged, let’s face it; while on Zoom, it’s just too easy to turn off your video and throw in a load of laundry or even take the dog out for a walk!

As lockdown requirements start to be relaxed a bit, businesses can start to consider where it makes sense to explore bringing teams together in person. However, it needs to be done in a way that takes social distancing and other transmission prevention practices into account.

There’s a growing demand for meeting space designed with social distancing in mind.

As lockdown requirements start to be relaxed a bit, businesses can start to consider where it makes sense to bring teams together in person.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

That can be very challenging for a number of reasons:

Traditional corporate conference rooms aren’t particularly COVID-safe.

A room designed for twelve people to sit around a fixed table may hold only three or four people when seats are spaced six feet apart. Space across many conference tables is less than six feet, so meeting attendees cannot sit across from one another safely.

Walls behind seats in most conference rooms are often only a few feet back.

This means once the room is occupied, safe exit can only be done starting with those closest to the door. What if someone needs to go to the bathroom mid-meeting?

Everyone between that person and the door would also have to leave the room to maintain the six-foot social distancing zone.

Most masks block half the face from view. It can be difficult to hear clearly, interpret facial expressions, and sometimes even identify people.

ngs Conference rooms are often used by team after team, and yet we’re told the virus can live on surfaces for a period of time. Most companies aren’t staffed to disinfect rooms after each meeting.

Furthermore, many surfaces used in corporate environments, such as upholstery and carpeting, are porous and therefore suboptimal for rapid disinfection.

I run a meeting facility in midtown Manhattan, right at the epicenter of the US pandemic. Preparing for reopening has been challenging. However, in response to increased demands requesting COVID-safe meeting spaces, we have come up with a suite of approaches and services that we believe solve many of these obstacles. This allows companies to come to our facility and hold a meeting while maintaining social distancing.

My Innovation Loft has reconfigured its 6,000-square-foot space to follow OSHA guidelines and has implemented a range of recommended prevention strategies designed to reduce transmission. Yet at the same time, it has retained all of the amenities, technologies, and comforts that keep people in the right frame of mind to connect, create, and collaborate.

Here are some guidelines I followed when converting this facility into a social-distancing meeting space. You may want to keep them in mind as you seek solutions for your own in-person meetings:

Conference rooms are often used by team after team, and yet we’re told the virus can live on surfaces for a period of time.

Enabling social distancing

Avoid elevators. Elevators present a huge challenge for social distancing. I am fortunate that my facility is on the second floor and has two stairways from the lobby, allowing rapid entry without the close proximity of elevators.

Make sure there’s plenty of SPACE. The Innovation Loft, with its 6,000 square feet of open floor plan, normally houses groups of up to 120. I have reconfigured it for groups up to 30 using an innovative social distancing layout. Each participant has a seat spaced over six feet from any other. But it’s more than just sitting in one place. We’ve created a ‘racetrack’ walking path on the outside perimeter of our large space, which is used in only one direction and is six feet back from the seating area.

In this way, participants can go to their seats without coming close to others, and can exit at any time without coming near other seated participants.

Be sure food is delivered safely

Buffets are a common way to serve food and beverage at meeting facilities, but they are out of the question while we are living under pandemic conditions.

The Innovation Loft allows participants to text attendants when they want a drink or snack. Items are brought to each person’s station by a masked attendant and left on that participant’s personal service table, six feet behind their seat (similar to an Instacart delivery). After the attendant withdraws, the participant can retrieve their food while still observing social distancing. (continued on page 52) 51 The Landscape Contractor August 2020

Doing Business in Challenging Times (continued from page 51) Leverage technology to avoid accidental closeness. Even with all this protection, participants may accidentally forget social distancing and approach one another. The Innovation Loft issues each participant a proximity detector — powered by social-distancing app Social Safety — that buzzes when someone comes within (approximately) six feet of another person to remind them to keep their distance.

Reducing germs in the environment

Insist on fever check on entry. We have contactless equipment for our clients, and any participants with a fever are asked to head home.

Be vigilant about disinfecting. Any facility used for meetings needs to be disinfected vigorously between every session. At the Innovation Loft, meetings are typically half- or full-day ses-

sions, so it means needing to thoroughly disinfect only once or twice a day. The Innovation Loft has hardwood floors (not carpet), and they are disinfected each night, as are all hard surfaces. Seats have disinfectable surfaces (no plush fabric) and are also disinfected each night. All surfaces are also wiped down with strong disinfectant between every meeting. Lastly, during the course of the day, attendants, who remain six feet away from participants, use UV wands to add additional disinfection to surfaces.

Be careful about infected air. Many studies have shown that viruses can be carried by HVAC systems throughout a facility. The Innovation Loft is installing a UV irradiator in its air conditioning system to reduce this. The facility’s heat is provided by a boiler system that does not circulate the air.

Account for the shoe problem.

Scientists warn that one way disease can be spread around a facility is through

shoes that can track virus in from outside. I give participants two options to avoid this: They are given a bag to place their shoes in on entry if they wish to go shoeless, or shoe “booties” can be used to cover the shoes to avoid any germs being tracked onto the floor.

In general, make sure the space is in full compliance with new OSHA guidelines. The Innovation Loft has been scrupulous about making sure every detail is in compliance, and of course, we go far beyond those requirements.

Enabling outstanding communication between participants...despite the circumstances

Provide see-through masks for participants. Masks are a common tool to reduce disease transmission, but regrettably, they also reduce communications.

Non-verbal cues, including smiles and other facial expressions, go a long way

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toward building trust and creating strong relationships. I provide all participants in meetings at the Innovation Loft the option to use clear face masks, which enable their expressions to be easily seen.

Maximize audio amplification. While you can typically hear a fellow meeting attendee who is speaking six feet away, if you have a meeting of more than four or five people, the math starts to indicate that some of your colleagues may be over 20 feet away. That’s a long way to be heard when speaking in a normal voice. I provide microphones at each seat so participants’ voices are subtly amplified and therefore can be heard by everyone in the meeting.

Make whiteboarding easy and effective. Being able to draw on whiteboards is a classic and highly useful collaboration technique during meetings. I provide one behind each participant’s seat.

If a participant is sharing their whiteboard thinking with the whole room, a

camera is used to put their whiteboard content up on screens around the room, similar to how one might share a computer screen.

Yes, it’s more challenging to host an in-person meeting now, but it is possible to do so and still follow social distancing guidelines. Online meetings are great, but there’s nothing like getting together in the same physical space. Business is still a human activity, and there are times we need that human connection without a computer screen between us.

Bottom line? The increasing demand for COVID-safer meeting spaces reflects our realization that business is all about connections — and connections happen best in person.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

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Call Marissa at 630-472-2851 for membership information.

It will be your best investment in 2020!

53

New Member Profile Snapshot

Heritage Landscape Design, Inc. 2728 41st Street Moline, IL 61265 (563) 529-4028

www.heritagelandscapedesign.com

Heritage Landscape Design, Inc. of Moline,

approached the challenges of COVID-19 the way they manage the rest of their business: “We took our cues from our customers,” says Jamie Lewis, company president.

They emphasize care and safety. Everyone wears a mask.

They limited their crews to two people in a truck at any one time and give everyone the option of driving their own vehicles to job sites. Schedules split the crews to different starting times and they made it clear handwashing is a must. “We want to made sure everything is safe,” Lewis says.

That attention to detail and the needs of their clients is one of the big factors that has contributed to Heritage Landscape Design’s growth. Begun in 1995 in Troy and Jamie Lewis’ basement, the landscape company has outgrown the basement and expanded offerings.

Troy Lewis, who earned a horticulture degree from Western Illinois University had nine years’ experience working for another landscape contractor when he and his wife decided to start their own business. Initially, he did the sales and design work, subcontracting labor to a friend who had a small landscape contractor business. Their first customers came from family and friends. Then clients from his previous job found him. “We’re still doing work for some of them,” says Jamie Lewis.

Within nine years, they stopped subcontracting the labor and hired their own crews. Now Heritage Landscape Design has about 43 employees.

Moline, IL, which sits on the Mississippi River, is part of the Quad Cities. Thus, Heritage Landscape Design’s clientele straddles two states — Illinois and Iowa — with heavy growth on the Iowa side. The business has grown primarily through word of mouth and referrals. “We get a lot of referrals,” she says. “We have a reputation for creative designs. We get into a neighborhood, and neighbors ask about the work.”

The company has two locations, both in Moline. Their offices are on 41st Street in a house, which they remodeled 54

into a design studio and marketing office. Their production facility is on an old horse farm in a light-industrial park at 4500 49th Avenue. They primarily use it as a holding yard for plants, as well as an organization area to manage their landscape crews and grow some grasses. They also do some wholesale and retail sales.

A full-service design/build company, Heritage Landscape Design does a lot of hardscape work, says Lewis, creating outdoor living spaces, but subcontracting such work as pools, seeding, sod, and pergolas.

They are proud that they make it a habit of returning calls as quickly as possible. Customer service was one of Troy Lewis’ priorities when they started the business. They also stand behind their work, providing one-year warranties on plant materials and two years on retaining walls, but every time a client calls with a problem or question, they attend to it quickly.

“The customer comes first,” says Lewis. “We all care about our customers and employees.” In fact, Lewis considers the people who work for them as Heritage Landscape Design’s number-one asset.

The attitude is reflected in the longevity of their employees. Justin Thompson is the general manager and has been with the company for 16 years. “He started on the crew when he was just 20 and knows everything from the bottom up,” Lewis says. “His focus is on the customers and quality.” Thompson also acts as a mentor for the younger, newer employees. “We’re lucky to have him.”

The Lewis’ son, Kyle Lewis, provided the impetus to join ILCA. He attended the 2020 iLandscape and liked what he saw. “The resources are just great,” says Lewis. “I knew we would get good information and it would be good for us.”

Besides Kyle, the Lewis’ have two other children: a daughter who lives in Chicago and works in digital marketing, and a son who is a senior at Hamilton Technical college, studying electrical engineering technology.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

New Members — CONTRACTORS Aesthetic Metals, LLC Mike Reinhardt 600 18th Avenue Rockford, IL 61104 Email: mike@aestheticmetals.com Phone: 815-316-4000 www.aestheticmetals.com Enviro Lawn Services Thomas Boratto 220 Beinoris Dr. Wood Dale, IL 60191 Email: borattot@yahoo.com Phone: 630-229-5137 www.envirolawnservices.com Grounds Guys of Rockford Phil or Christine Ramsel 19-76 Timber Ridge Road Lake Carroll, IL 61046 Email: rockford.owner@groundsguys.com Phone: 779-771-1041 www.groundsguys.com/rockford/ Mountain Midwest LLC Karl Blase 1125 Gillian St. Lemont, IL 60439 Email: karljblase@gmail.com Phone: 630-863-3163 mountainlandscapers.com Ratliff Landscaping Inc. James A Ratliff Jr 10 West Illinois Street, Unit 2B St Charles, IL 60174 Email: jim@ratlifflandscaping.com Phone: 847-289-8588 www.Ratlifflandscaping.com Ratliff Landscaping, Inc. has been providing high level maintenance, planting and hard good installations for over 30 years.

Vincent’s Lawn Maintenance & Landscape Contractor, Inc. Vincent Neri PO Box 231 Monee, IL 60449 Email: jvneri824@sbcglobal.net Phone: 708-672-5599 vincentslandscaping.com

Waldheim Cemetery Co. Sarah Isaacson 1400 Des Plaines Ave Forest Park, IL 60130 Email: sarah.isaacson@ waldheimcemetery.com Phone: 708-714-3171 www.waldheimcemetery.com SUPPLIERS Compeer Austin Brockmann 1350 W. Prairie Drive Sycamore, IL 60178 Email: austin.brockmann@compeer.com Phone: 815-519-6453 Lucky’s Energy Service, Inc. Dave Luchtman 16N012 High Ridge Lane Hampshire, IL 60140 Email: dave@luckysenergy.com Phone: 847-630-2943 luckysenergy.com Michigan West Shore, LLC Kathy Fish 201 W Washington Ave, Ste 270 Zeeland, MI 49464 Email: kf@michiganwestshore.com Phone: 630-918-6336 www.MichiganWestshore.com Polycor + Indiana Limestone Ken Johnson 123 South College Avenue Bloomington, IN 47404 Email: ken@ilco.com Phone: 812-320-1487 www.indianalimestonecompany.com Indiana Limestone Company is unmatched as the premier supplier of Indiana Limestone in a range of beautiful and lasting building products.

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55

Diseases & Pests —

Disease of the Month: Guignardia on Aesculus Pest of the Month: White Grubs

by Heather Prince

Pest of the Month: White Grubs

Disease of the Month: Guignardia on Aesculus

One culprit of brown patches in a lawn is white grub, a common name for the larvae of June beetles, chafers, and Japanese beetles that feed on the roots of turfgrass. These grubs are found in the top eight inches of soil beneath lawn grass. They are white, C-shaped larvae, about an inch long and have six jointed legs attached close to their small brown heads.

Excessive root feeding by white grubs leaves turfgrass poorly anchored to the soil and damaged areas can be pulled back like a rug.

August is the best time to scout for young grubs when they are hatching and beginning to feed. Cut a one-foot square of turfgrass and roll it back. If you find 10 to 12 grubs or more, you have enough insects that treatment is warranted.

A common fungal disease on Aesculus trees, particularly horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), guignardia (Guignardia aesculi) leaf blotch begins to show its ugly face in mid to late August. Spots on leaves begin as rapidly enlarging, irregularly shaped, water-soaked areas that eventually turn red-brown with a yellow halo. These White Grubs then merge with the surrounding healthy green tissue, turning the whole leaf rusty brown and dried with distortion and partial shriveling. Tiny black fruiting bodies appear within lesions, which tell you it’s fungal and not environmental scorch. In severe cases, leaves will drop prematurely.

The pathogen overwinters as fruiting bodies in fallen leaves. In spring, fruiting structures release spores into the air. An extended period of leaf wetness following spore landTreatment: ing will initiate germination and infection.

For a systemic insecticide, neonicotinoids such Guignardia on Aesculus About 10 to 20 days after infection, infected as imidacloprid are effective and can remain within leaves can produce new fruiting bodies and initithe turfgrass plant structures for up to three months. However, ate secondary infections. neonicotinoids are broad-spectrum insecticides, so avoid applying them to flowering plants within lawns to prevent pollinator Treatment: exposure. Trichlorfon is an effective and short-acting treatment In most cases, cultural controls such as raking up infected leaves for white grubs that comes as a granular formulation that must be and pruning out twigs with cankers is recommended. Keep trees watered in to the turfgrass. Chlorantraniliprole is a more selecwatered and healthy so they can push out new growth. However, tive insecticide that can provide control for white grubs and some if anthracnose fungi have repeatedly hit a tree or a very young caterpillars that feed on turfgrass but has a lower risk of harming tree is involved, fungicides may be applied. Spray in the early pollinators like bees. GrubGone!® is a microbial product with spring when buds begin to swell and reapply every 7 to 14 days the active ingredient, Bt galleriae (Bacillus thuringiensis galwhen it is a rainy, wet spring. Fungicides listed for anthracnose leriea), a soil microbe that damages the gut of beetle larvae when include chlorothalonil, thiophante-methyl, mancozeb, propiconit is consumed. Turf allowed to go dormant in the heat of sumazole, and copper fungicides. mer is the least attractive place for beetles to lay eggs, but brown lawn may not be an option for clients.

University of Illinois Extension Service https://web.extension.illinois.edu/state/ horticulture/index.php 217-333-0519

56

Additional resources:

The Morton Arboretum http://www.mortonarb.org/Plant Clinic: http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/ tree-and-plant-advice/ 630-719-2424 The Landscape Contractor August 2020

Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Information Service: https://www.chicagobotanic.org/ plantinfoservice 847-835-0972

Successful suppliers know— industry leaders read this magazine.

is the Midwest’s premier monthly magazine for the landscape, nursery and green industry.

• Sales and marketing statistics show that the single best way to reach buyers is through highly-targeted specialty magazines

• This award-winning magazine is frequently hailed as the best magazine of its kind. Put your message in this flattering environment.

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Classified Ads HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Landscape Designer/Salesperson

Landscape Construction / Production Manager

Commercial Account Sales – Snow & Land

Bruss Landscaping, Inc. of Wheaton is looking for a talented Landscape Architect/Designer with a proven record of design/sales and customer service to add to our growing team.

Department: Western DuPage Landscape - Services Reports to: General Manager

Simply put, we can’t keep up with demand.

Primary responsibilities include managing construction operations. Duties include tasks involving the installation of landscape, hardscape, & lighting projects, oversight and responsibility of the supporting crews and general company operations support.

Detailed knowledge of both Unilock and Natural stone lines as well as proper construction techniques is required. We specialize in medium to high-end residential projects in DuPage County and are primarily a repeat and referral customer based business. Salary, commission and full benefit package with 401k and vehicle based on experience, skills and track record.

Candidate must exhibit successful management skills and knowledge of proper construction practices. They must be able to manage and motivate crews, coordinate the ordering and delivery of materials, provide customer support and coordinate all aspects of operations. Completion of an accredited horticultural program or proven experience in landscape management or industry related field.

Please contact Eric Bruss at ebruss@brusslandscaping.com

Please send resumes to: employment@americangardensinc.com

Looking for experienced Landscape Designer Larry Asimow Landscaping a Chicago based design build firm is looking for full-time landscape designer.

This person will be responsible for managing primarily residential design projects from initial Client meetings, design and estimates to project completion.

-Experience a plus but not necessary.

-Basic proficiency in SketchUp, DynaScape and/or CAD or hand drawing skills necessary.

-Basic knowledge of mid-west plant material preferred.

-We offer competitive Salary and benefits.

You will shed tears of gratitude to have the opportunity to work for us!

Please send resumes to: asimowlandscaping@gmail.com

Irrigation Division Manager Manage the day to day operations of our commercial and multi-family irrigation division from all (3) facilities (Roselle, Wauconda & Plainfield, IL) assisting with sales initiatives and executing all work sold. Will oversee the servicing of all irrigation systems as well as ensuring their full functionality relaying information to the sales team for additional work recommended or required. Active IDPH Irrigation Employee number and CIC certified. Participate in the company’s snow program.

Please visit our website to apply: https://www.acresgroup.com/careers

Landscape Account Manager Enhancing lives through beautiful landscapes requires a unique passion for a special career.

James Martin Associates, Inc. is looking for someone who is ready to dig in, cultivate, and grow the love of enhancing the natural beauty of our clients’ property. Working with our team of professionals in landscaping and snow services, you will live out your passion while building your client list, loyalty and satisfaction.

What you will be doing...

Account management, client retention, enhancement sales, new contract sales, business development, production layout and overview, along with winter responsibilities for our snow operations team.

This opportunity might be right for you if: You consider yourself an expert on landscape maintenance standards, and have a strong knowledge of plant material and installation standards.

Purpose: Engage new commercial maintenance and snow accounts.

Principle Duties: •

Prospect for commercial maintenance and snow clients:

•

Prepare land and snow proposals

•

Present land and snow proposals

•

Maintain relationship with key contacts.

•

Have regular, planned contact with prospects and key clients.

•

Attend client meetings and functions.

•

Respond to all customer quote requests in a timely manner.

•

Work with general manager on maintenance sales and snow opportunities as you develop them.

•

Prepare all appropriate paperwork to ensure proper documentation and effective handoff to supervisors.

•

Quality control during snow removal operations.

Key Skills to Fulfill Job Requirements: •

Prospecting

•

Sales

Excellence is #1 and you are proud to communicate the benefits of our superior services to existing clients and to convince new clients how we can improve their “point of view”.

•

Knowledge of landscape maintenance best practices

•

Knowledge of commercial snow and ice control

You are energized for success and want to earn it by following your passion, commitment to your goals and conviction that James Martin Associates, Inc. is the place where you will realize the best opportunity to achieve and grow your career.

•

Superior customer service

•

Must work well with the services team

•

Excellent time management

•

Excellent communication both written & verbal

•

Computer skills - MS office professional and LMN a plus

Preferred Experience and Education • Degree in, or equivalent and demonstrated knowledge of landscape management or horticulture.

• 5 years’ experience with landscape maintenance • Excellent verbal and writing skills • Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office programs Please send resumes to: b.mcelroy@jamesmartinassociates.com

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Experience / Education: Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work well with minimal supervision.

Must possess an intermediate level of horticultural knowledge plus 2 - 4 years of green industry experience in sales, primarily serving commercial maintenance and snow customers.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

Please send resumes to: resumes@wdlinc.com

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Account Manager

Horticulturist/Landscape Designer

Department: Western DuPage Landscape - Services Reports to: General Manager

Lakeshore Seasonal Services, in beautiful Valparaiso, Indiana serves commercial and institutional clients throughout Northwest Indiana year round, We are looking for an entry-level graduate of a two or four year horticulture or landscape design program to join our team and develop and grow with the company.

Landscape Operations Manager - McKay Nursery Waterloo, WI

Experience / Education: Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work well with minimal supervision.

Must possess an intermediate level of horticultural knowledge plus 2 - 4 years of green industry experience in sales, serving commercial/residential maintenance and snow customers.

Purpose: Engage new commercial and residential maintenance and snow accounts.

Principle Duties: •

Prospect for commercial/residential maintenance and snow clients:

•

Prepare land and snow proposals

•

Preform seasonal walkthroughs to evaluate and offer enhancement opportunities

•

Execute frequent site checks, with and without crews present to ensure WDS Quality Standards

•

Present land and snow proposals

•

Maintain relationship with key contacts.

•

Have regular, planned contact with prospects and key clients.

•

Attend client meetings and functions.

•

Respond to all customer quote requests in a timely manner.

•

Work with general manager on maintenance sales and snow opportunities as you develop them.

•

Prepare all appropriate paperwork to ensure proper documentation and effective handoff to supervisors.

Key Skills to Fulfill Job Requirements: •

Prospecting

•

Sales

•

Knowledge of landscape maintenance best practices

•

Knowledge of commercial snow and ice control

•

Superior customer service

•

Must work well with the services team

•

Excellent time management

•

Excellent communication both written & verbal

•

Computer skills - MS office professional and LMN a plus

Candidate will work with our sales & operations managers, landscape architects & landscape designer to ensure our customers’ complete satisfaction with the outdoor spaces of their facilities; be an effective team leader and trainer of our horticulture technicians; design, order and supervise seasonal color installations; develop new sustainable horticultural services to offer clients; and supervise the care and organization of all plant material in our holding yard and green houses.

Salary commensurate with experience & potential.

Medical & dental insurance, paid vacations & holidays, uniforms, retirement plan and a congenial working atmosphere among friendly people.

Please send resumes to: Heidi Szrom (hfs@lakeseasonal.com)

Responsible for landscape division operations.

Residential installations and maintenance. Reports to the President.

Candidate must have 5 years’ experience in: landscape management, proper construction practices, estimating, plant knowledge and team building.

Become an employee owner.

Send resume to: info@mckaynursery.com PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Submit your ads online at ilca.net or call Alycia Nagy (630) 472-2851

BUSINESS FOR SALE Located in the South Suburbs for over 30 years, multi-million dollar landscape maintenance & construction company is for sale.

Instant satellite office that could be added to your brand this season. Fully staffed with long-time field employees, office staff, mechanics and managers. Located near source of labor, with room to expand. 75% maintenance, 15% install, 10% snow/ salt.

CLASSIFIED ADS

CLOSING DATES & RATES September 2020 issue ads: August 15, 2020 October 2020 issue ads: Sept. 15, 2020

Owner will consider carrying some financing & aid in the transition.

Email retirementplan2021@gmail.com for more information.

PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Magazine Cost is $5 per line Minimum charge $50 Website Cost is $12 per line Minimum charge $120 (About 6 words/line) Submit your ads online at ilca.net or Call Alycia Nagy (630) 472-2851

Please send resumes to: resumes@wdlinc.com

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

59

Plans are already underway for the 2020 edition of ILCA’s Green Industry Guide

Contact Debbie Rauen for advertising information

debbie.landscapecontractor@yahoo.com

Advertisers

Attention Advertisers:

1st Choice Equipment ...........................................52 Bartlett Tree Experts .............................................46 Breezy Hill Nursery ..............................................55 Cardno ...................................................................42

offers some extraordinary MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES.

Cedar Path Nurseries .............................................35 Clesen Wholesale ..................................................53 Compost Supply.....................................................48

Just one call opens the door to enhanced sales and marketing success.

Doty Nurseries LLC ................................................4 D&S Truck Center ................................................43 Fairview Evergreen Nurseries ..............................47

Call Debbie to get started!

Green Glen Nursery ..............................................63 Henning’s Farm and Greenhouses ........................25

817-501-2403

Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. ........................................12 Homer Industries ...................................................15 JKS Ventures ........................................................47

Attention Landscape Contractors:

Lafarge Fox River Stone ......................................41 Longshadow Planters ............................................13 Mariani Plants .........................................................6

Remember to Support ILCA Supporters!

These include:

Mariani Plants .......................................................37

Martin Implement .................................................19 McGinty Bros. ......................................................49 Midwest Groundcovers ...........................................2 Midwest Trading ...................................................17 RWC Insurance Group ..........................................49 Spring Meadow Nursery .......................................23 The Landscape Contractor magazine ....................60 The Mulch Center .................................................29

• Members & Advertisers who supply goods and services • Members who sponsor ILCA programs and events

Where will you find them?

• ILCA Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide

• The Landscape Contractor magazine advertising • The Landscape Contractor magazine reports of events with

sponsor acknowledgments

• www.ilca.net member lists – Finding a Landscape

Contractor & Suppliers to the Trade

Unilock, Inc. ..........................................................64

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

61

Hidden Gems Worth Visiting

The Sunken Garden

The Sunken Garden, Phillips Park, www.aurora-il.org/252/Sunken-Garden Entry: free.

Phillips Park, Aurora

by Heather Prince

Tucked away on the east side of Aurora is the

crown jewel of its park system, Phillips Park. Its 325 acres include a zoo, 18-hole golf course, aquatic center, dog park, skate park, plus a man-made lake, trails, and a lovely formal sunken garden next to the Visitors Center. When you visit, take a peek into the center to view the locally famous mastodon bones that were found when the lake was dug in 1934 as part of the WPA program. The rolling hills are crowned by oak forest and you may hear a peacock call from the zoo grounds as you explore the park. There’s a lot to discover in Phillips Park, but one place to linger is the sunken gardens.

As you come around the curve of the lane, the war memorials catch your eye before you see the large, dramatic threetiered concrete fountain splashing at the center of sunken formal rectangular beds. It calls for you to leave the car and descend the steps to enjoy colorful plantings filled with annuals and perhaps find a seat on a convenient bench to watch the birds glide through the fountain’s spray. Knock Out roses add perfume as well as thoughtfully planted annuals like flowering tobacco. Sculpted junipers provide drama and punctuate the lawn for an evergreen accent and winter interest. At each corner, a lovely female sculpture represents each season and is centered before a backdrop of tall switch grass. The paths follow the strong rectilinear sight lines, and you might find small children running along them chasing a butterfly or two.

62

Originally planned and laid out by Ray C. Moses in the 1930s, 2002 saw a complete renovation of the garden that also added the sculpted fountain and statues representing the four seasons at each corner. The gardens were another WPA project, and Moses cited his vast knowledge of formal garden design passed to him by his father, George, formerly a gardener at the estates of English nobility, as inspiration.

Ray Moses was known to take great pride in the garden and would personally design the carpet bedding plantings to mark holidays and special occasions. During World War II the plantings included tributes to the armed services, especially the Army and Navy and buying war bonds. The Moses family has a long history with the Aurora parks organization, a Moses has been employed as the Director of Parks from 1910 to 1984.

The sunken gardens offer a snapshot of European-style garden design with strong axis points that balance the weight of the center fountain and the accent sculptures. If you’re looking for inspiration for formal garden design or need an example to demonstrate to a client, these sunken gardens are lovingly maintained. It’s also a magical little spot off the beaten path to relax to the music of the fountain and enjoy the visual feast of the flowers.

The Landscape Contractor August 2020

Arcana

™

NON-SLIP SURFACE

FINE BLASTED TEXTURE Refined surface and long-lasting color

UNIQUE TEXTURE AND SPECKLED COLOR PALETTE

LARGE-FORMAT 2” HEIGHT

24x24 // 18x24 // 12x24

Granite, quartz and marble are exposed in the fine blasted surface of Arcana to deliver brilliant color and a non-slip surface that is perfect for patios, pool surrounds, walkways, roof decks and overlay projects. Its silky matte appearance is further enhanced with EasyClean Stain Resistance for easier cleanup of spills.

Contact 1-800-UNILOCK or visit UNILOCK.COM to connect with your local Territory Manager.