The Landscape Contractor magazine September.22 Digital Edition

Gravel Gardens Are Finding a Home Design Tour Visits Chicago’s Front Yard

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CONTENTS 3861 August 2022 1022 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 On the cover... A detail from The Art Institute’s famed South garden — just one stop on the 2022 ILCA Design Tour. Complete story begins on page 10. Excellence In Landscape Awards Project 8 FOCUS: Eyes on Design Summer in the City 10 Design Tour visits Chicago’s front yard Notes from Chanticleer 22 Integrating bulbs for drama and delight Gravel Gardens are Finding a Home 28 Is the road to success paved with gravel? Exploring Chicago’s Nooks and Crannies 40 Himsben Design embraces Chicago yards Artistry and Craftsmanship 48 New awards category celebrates fire features Diseases and Pests 54 Tubakia leaf spot & Two-lined chestnut borer Member Profile 56 Buttrey Rental Inspiration Alley 61 Pots-a-plenty Hidden Landscape Gems 62 Friendship Botanic Gardens EN ¿EstáESPAÑOLelcaminodel éxito empedrado con grava? 36 Is the road to success paved with gravel? 3

August 4, 2022 Fire & Ice The New COMBINED Summer Field Day + Summer Snow Day! Cantigny Park, Winfield August 11, 2022 WNG Coffee Talk – August Ball GlenVillageILCASeptemberGlencoeChicagoTurfAugustWestHorticultureChicago23,2022EducationDayBotanicGarden29,2022GolfOutingLinksEllyn The LandscapeAugustContractor2022 Photo Credits ILCA Awards Committee 1, 8-9, 48-50 Rick Reuland 10-20 Bill Thomas 22-26 Jeff Epping 28-34 Himsben Design Studio ILCADEPARTMENTSCONTENTS40-46Calendar 4 From Where I Stand 5 President’s Message 7 Classified Ads 56 Advertisers Index 61 PRODUCT DISCLAIMER: The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, its Board of Directors, the Magazine Committee, ILCA Staff, The Landscape Contractor and its staff, neither endorse any products nor attest to the validity of any statements made about products SEPTEMBER ILCA Staff Executive Director Scott Grams (630) MembershipEducationsgrams@ilca.net472-2851ManagerAnneMarieDrufkeadrufke@ilca.netEventsManagerTerreHoutethoute@ilca.netOfficeManagerAlyciaNagyanagy@ilca.net&MarketingManagerMarissaStublermstubler@ilca.net v ILCA 2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 472-2851 • Fax (630) 472-3150 Magazine Staff Rick Reuland Publisher/Advertising Sales (630) debbie.landscapecontractor@rmgi@comcast.net637-8632DebbieRauenAdvertisingSales(817-501-2403)yahoo.com v Meta Levin Feature Writer meta.levin@comcast.netNinaKoziol Feature Writer n.koziol@att.netHeatherPrince Feature Writer princeht@sbcglobal.netPatricePeltier Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net Calendar ILCA & IGIA Follow— @ILCAlandscape facebook.com/illinoislandscapecontractorsassociation sign upat dotynurseries.comto receive ournewsletteremail Ryan Doty sales@dotynurseries.com P 630 365 9063 F 630 365 9081 45W121 Beith Road Maple Park, IL 60151 Shade Tree S • Ornamen Tal S • evergreen S • S hrub S dotynurseries.com 4 Buttrey Rentals 56 Nina Koziol 61 Heather Prince 62 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 Volume 63, Number 8. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is pub lished 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. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Landscape Contractor, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES: Association Publishing Partners, Inc., Ph. (630) 637-8632 Fax (630) 637-8629 email: rmgi@comcast.net CLASSIFIED ADS, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION: ILCA (630) 472-2851 Fax (630) 472-3150 PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL OFFICE: Rick Reuland, rmgi@comcast.net, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630) 637-8632 AUGUST

talked to too many members in the exact same boat as me. Whether they enjoy it or just can’t squeeze professional services into their budgets, I know there are more DIYers in the land scape industry than one thinks. So, I was in need of a new landscaper. My son is still nine, so I gave him a free pass. My daughter is 13 and mowing the grass wearing ear buds would really crimp her style of sitting on her bed wearing ear buds. I figured it was time to upgrade, so we looked to the pros. I ended up hiring a guy from a homemade sign written on a Bud Light case that said “Lawn Mowingz$25” at a stop sign. I’m kidding! I’m kidding! I hired an ILCA member firm. They did a complete design-build project in 2021 and we entered into a maintenance contract in 2022. After half a year of using a lawn mainte nance service...you people are marketing your industry entirely wrong. I completely under estimated the sheer joy that using a landscape maintenance firm has brought me. We have done home improvements in the past, but dollar for dollar, landscaping has brought the biggest improvement to my quality of life, time with my family, and enjoyment of my home. Sure, I may be biased, but I am saying this after an honest appraisal of how much time landscaping has given back to me and my family each week.

It is ironic and tragic that it took me this long to hire a landscape professional. I was an avid DIYer when I first moved to the suburbs. My father told me that no man should have a yard bigger than one he could mow during halftime of a Bears game. Like most new homeowners, doing your own landscaping and housework is a source of pride. I’d say I was embarrassed to admit that I never used pros before, but I

There are a few reasons for this. First, anyone who putters in their yard or does their own landscaping knows that mowing is the gateway drug. It is the routine, scheduled task that needs to be done on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. I live in the suburbs so skipping a few weeks so your yard looks like an African Savannah is not an option. Anyone who mows his or her own lawn knows that the mower takes you out to the garage or shed. You check the gas, sometimes this leads to a trip to the gas sta tion. You wander around your garage, sometimes you tidy up a bit. You walk the yard picking up debris and dog toys and whif fle ball bats and footballs. I slap rubber gloves onto my kids’ hands and make them pooper scoop, this leads to an argument and wailing and gnashing of teeth. This is the routine. Before I even pull the cord on my mower, I’ve frittered away an hour just tooling around the yard. Once I’ve finished the mower, I need to edge. Then I see some scruffy patches of weeds. Then I notice a small house repair to my siding or a window sill. Then I question the paint color of my house. Then I put off cleaning the gutters for one more week. Then I fight with my hose like it’s a Burmese python. Then I rearrange my tools. Then I spruce up my mulch. Then I look at the bare spots and think about overseeding. Before I even crack open a cool, crisp American lager on a Saturday afternoon, my entire day has been lost because I simply needed to cut my grass. Flash forward, a landscape maintenance truck pulls up to my house. The crew immediately gets to work while I clutch a coffee cup and marvel at their diligence and efficiency. Two women, with massive smiles on their faces, pick weeds and In 2021, I got fired by my landscaper. He told me he could no longer service my property. It was not the money or the challenges of the yard, his heart just wasn’t in it anymore. Ok, some context. My neighbor’s son Shane has been mowing my grass for the past four years. Shane is a high-school aged boy and has special needs. He is one the sweetest, warmest, funniest people you can ever meet. Most of the swag I gather from iLandscape and tradeshows over the years has gone to Shane. He has a collec tion of hats, t-shirts, PPE, gloves, and tools that have been given away by our vendors. He treats landscape apparel like I am handing him Superman’s cape. Shane loves cutting grass. It was not uncommon to see him mow his lawn 4-5 times a week like he was the head greens keeper at Augusta National. His parents even used cut ting grass as a reward, not a punishment. If Shane finished his schoolwork or behaved, he was allowed to cut the grass. He is also a noto rious yard-shamer. I’d pull into my driveway and he would be standing at the property line, commenting on the condition of my yard and how it needed a mow. He was always in sales mode.Shane ran a lean business. He used my mower. He used my gas. He also had two hard and fast rules — he didn’t weed whack and he didn’t pick up dog poop. If he was mowing, and he spotted a piece of dog poop down the row, he’d stop the mower, knock on my door, and told me he was done until the yard was cleaned up. There are landscape professionals who don’t have that discipline in the face of a paying client.

The Landscape Contractor August 2022 5 From Where I Stand —

haveGoingPro

Now, because Shane was quite literally mow-and-go, I still found myself out in the yard following him along with my weed whacker. I also needed to weed, spot spray, and clean up yard debris. I’d rake my leaves, clean out the beds, and sweep my walks and driveway. We made a good team, but I could not help feel like I had the majority of the grunt work. As Shane got older, his love of lawn care pivoted to a new love of playing his drum set. Saturdays weren’t spent mowing the grass anymore. He spent less time at the property line with a ruler and a comment about the unruly height of my grass. Finally, in 2021, he sat me down and told me he was officially retiring from the landscape game. I perused my contract for information about an out-clause or performance bond, but remembered we had a handshake deal from the start.

ScottSincerely,Grams, Executive Director 2022

July 18,

Now, about that pooper-scooping.

drop them into Home Depot buckets. Within 35 minutes, my yard looks absolutely immaculate and healthy. And here is the kicker. The first time I step outside onto my patio, I’m holding that cold, crisp American lager. I am holding a plate of burgers ready to get tossed on the grill. I am holding a basketball ready to play HORSE against my son. I am carrying a bundle of firewood to my fire pit. All of my exterior time is now for me, my family, and our enjoy ment.Sure, I appreciate the mow lines and the plant variety and the seasonal color. Sure, I like the changes in texture and materials. Sure, I love the pop of the mulch and the orange glow of the party lights. Landscape contractors are not in the business of selling landscaping, you are in the business of giving people their lives back. Anyone with kids under 18 can tell you the sheer grind that weekends have become. Travel sports are cult-like. And it is not just sports; band, orchestra, drama, clubs, camps, and all the other activities that our kids get involved in have taken over our lives and free time. Families must pledge fealty and subservience to soccer or swim or baseball or cheer. All the rest of our life can do is obey.This is what landscapers are selling to their ambivalent clients who still don’t care about plants or stone or curvilinear design. You are a dream factory that has given us a few hours of our lives back. All of that precious time that we spent as amateur land scapers has now been repurposed for ourselves, our families, and friends. The first questions a designer or sales manager should ask is, “Do you have kids? Are they in travel sports? Are your week ends spent in smelly cars filled with smelly kids driving to towns in the middle of nowhere?” If the answer to those questions are, “Yes.” You’ve got one on the line. Now, when I have friends or neighbors over, I take pride in my landscaping. I don’t stop at a mere company referral. I refer the entire concept of professional landscaping. I have young neighbors with young kids who still enjoy doing their own yardwork. That will change as they age and their lives get hijacked by extracur riculars. I have other friends who use pros and all of us rave about our landscape professionals like they are our private chefs. We have all tasted the good life now and never want to go back. Even Shane, who loved amateur landscaping like other kids loved base ball or fishing eventually hung it up to focus on his drums. My advice to the talented landscape professionals of the ILCA is to realize we pick up the phone because we want the beautiful landscape. However, we end up appreciating, referring, and pay ing you annually because of the time and energy you restore to our lives. It may be too over the top to say, “Hire us and we’ll make all your dreams come true.” Yet, as I sit around my fire pit on a starry summer night, enjoying the undivided attention of my kids, you did just that.

From Where I Stand — WWW MARIANIPLANTS .COM 866-627-4264 The LandscapeAugustContractor20226

Its amazing how far we have come in the green industry. When I was in the field 30 years ago, we had chippers that were called “whisper chippers” which were far from quiet. They were very loud, and they would take brush so quickly and violently it would rip your arm off if you didn’t let go fast enough. The chain saws were so hard to pull start you had tennis elbow by the end of each day. Yet this was the best equipment on the market at that time and we thought how lucky we were to have such modern tools in our trade. Today the equipment is much safer, quieter, and easier to use. We even have equipment that can take down a tree piece by piece via remote control safely from a distance — amazing!

Es asombroso lo mucho que hemos avanzado en la industria verde. Cuando estaba en el campo hace 30 años, teníamos astilladoras llamadas“ astilladoras susurrantes” que nada tenían de silenciosas. Hacían mucho ruido y activaban el cepillo tan rápida y vio lentamente que podía desprenderte el brazo si no lo soltabas con suficiente rapidez. Las sierras de cadena eran tan duras de halar para arrancar que al final de cada día tenías codo de tenista. Aun así, este era el mejor equipo disponible en el mercado en ese tiempo y nos considerábamos afortunados de tener herramientas tan modernas en nuestro oficio. En la actualidad, los equipos son más seguros, silenciosos y fáciles de usar. Incluso tenemos equipos que pueden derribar un árbol trozo por trozo a control remoto, sin riesgo y a distancia ¡asombroso! ¿Cómo se vislumbra el futuro en su compañía? ¿Ha comenzado a usar equipos alimen tados por baterías o gas propano? ¿Está usando los productos químicos y tratamientos más actualizados para atender la propiedad de su cliente? Hemos avanzado mucho como indu stria trabajando juntos y apuesto que la mayoría de ustedes respondieron sí al menos a algunas de las preguntas sobre nuevas tecnologías que tenemos disponibles.

President Jeff Kramer Kramer Tree Specialists, Inc, (630) jwkramer@kramertree.com293-5444

What does the future look like at your company? Have you started to use battery or propane powered equipment? Are you using the latest chemicals and treatments to care for your client’s property? We have come a long way as an industry working together and I’ll bet most of you answered yes to at least some the new technologies we have available.I’mexcited to see what new gadgets we will have available to us just in the very near future. The ILCA is on the forefront of keeping all of its members on the frontline of these new technologies, discoveries, and better ways of doing business together as a whole.Put on your sunglasses, our future looks bright!

jcirrincione@hinsdalenurseries323-1411 .com Immediate

Scottjr@mcadamlandscape.com771-2299 Directors

Me entusiasma ver qué nuevos dispositivos tendremos disponibles en el futuro cer cano. ILCA va a la vanguardia en el mantenimiento de todos sus miembros en la primera línea de estas nuevas tecnologías, descubrimientos y mejores maneras de hacer negocios, juntos como un todo. Pónganse sus gafas de sol, ¡nuestro futuro es brillante!

Hello from the future!

Russo Power Equipment (847) Wilsonhartmannkim@comcast.neteadams@russopower.com233-7811KimHartmannHartmannConsulting847-404-7669JenniferFickNurseriesandLandscapeSupply(847)683-3700jennf@wilsonnurseries.comTomKlitzkieNature’sPerspectiveLandscaping(847)475-7917tklitzkie@naturesperspective.comDeanMacMorrisNightLight,Inc.(630)627-1111dean@nightlightinc.netKevinManningK&DEnterpriseLandscapeManagement,Inc.(815)725-0758kmanning@kdlandscapeinc.comMarkUtendorfEmeraldLawnCare,Inc.(847)392-7097marku@emeraldlawncare.com www.ilca.net 7The Landscape Contractor August President’s2022Message — Jeff Kramer

Secretary-Treasurer Jim HinsdaleCirrincioneNurseries, Inc. (630) Past President Scott McAdam, Jr. McAdam Landscaping, Inc. (708) Eric Adams

¡HolaJeffSincerely,Kramerdesde el futuro!

JeffAtentamente,Kramer

Vice-President Ashley Marrin Bret-Mar ashley@bretmarlandscape.comManagementLandscapeGroup,Inc.(708)301-2225

This landscape renovation took place over sev eral years. The first step was to remove buckthorn and reclaim the west side yard, improve drainage, and install a heated clay paver drive. The extensive border plantings are loaded with colorful perennials, hydrangea, and hibiscus that add color and texture from spring throughout fall. Once an open lawn, the back yard was converted into a private retreat for the family and now includes a pool, hot tub, pergola, fireplace, outdoor

Chalet • Wilmette Glenview Residence

The Landscape Contractor August 2022 9 kitchen, garden shed, and landscape lighting. Site limitations paired with an intensive permit process posed several obstacles, but the design solution met the challenge. An expansive deck serves as the central element tying together all entertainment spaces and providing appropriate site drainage. The fireplace and pergola compliment the architecture of the home, while the back yard planting scheme is packed with colorful plants to seamlessly tie into the border plantings installed years earlier.

Where to begin The day kicked off with breakfast under the tent at the Harris Rooftop. From there, par ticipants strolled through Lakeshore East Park, Maggie Daley Park, Lurie Garden, the Art Institute’s Sculpture and Dan Kiley Gardens, Grant Park Rose Garden, the Art Institute’s Arch

The LandscapeAugustContractor2022 ILCA Landcape Design Tour 2022 —

10 Nina A. Koziol By about June, everyone in the green industry is probably wondering, “When can I slip away, even if it’s just for a day?” Nearly 100 attendees at ILCA’s Summer Design Tour were able to slip away to Chicago’s lake front on June 16 — even though they might have felt a bit guilty. “I shouldn’t be here, I’m so busy,” said Agnes Pradel Stafford, owner of Pradel Garden Design in Chicago. “I live in the city but I never get to come downtown and lei surely see all these beautiful gardens.” She was just one of many attendees who felt inspired and renewed by the day-long tours. Planning for the design tour began in 2019, but the pandemic put things on hold. It was worth the wait. The tour of eight iconic public gardens along Chicago’s lake front focused on the design, plants, installation and maintenance of these spe cial places. Several “interpreters” were on hand to talk about each of the gardens, and a walking tour app allowed partici pants to listen to stories about each site. “This event was four years in the making,” said Scott Grams, ILCA’s executive director. “We were so excited to pull this off. There’s so much to see here.”

Summer in the City ILCA visits some of the most stunning Executive Director Scott Grams

11The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Garden and Millennium Park. It was educational and entertaining. “This is my first ILCA design tour,” said landscape designer Althea Adams of Stuber Landscape Design in central Illinois who came with coworkers. “I’d never been to any gardens in downtown Chicago and I wanted to get us up here. The gar dens are beautiful and I love the more natural look. What is it about walking through the gardens and seeing skyscrapers?”

The spectacular views of sweeping gardens and stunning archi tecture were enhanced by the exquisite sounds of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra rehearsing in Millennium Park. “The location for this year’s design tour holds a very spe cial place in my heart,” said Scott Stewart, honorary tour guide and former executive director of Millennium Park Foundation. Stewart came from his job as executive director of Frisco Park Foundation in Texas to help guide and answer questions. “He was so instrumental in helping us put this tour together,” Grams said. “Without him, it would be like having a wedding without the Stewartbride.” assisted the ILCA Design Committee in identify ing and securing the sites. “The gardens we toured are among the most visited and iconic public landscapes in the United States,” he said. “They are truly public—no gate charge—and everyone is welcome to visit, tour, enjoy and be inspired.”

Scott Stewart explains Lakeshore East Park’s design philosophy

on page 12)

Van Valkenburgh Associates transformed the roof of a 4,000-car parking garage into the 27-acre Maggie Daley Park. Designed to complement nearby Millennium Park, it offers a three-acre Play Garden, a quarter-mile loop of the Skating Ribbon, and the 40-foot-high Climbing Wall. The park also features a Cancer Survivor’s Garden (continued spaces in Chicago’s front yard.

In to the parks Daniel Gerdes and John Alexander of Christy Webber Landscapes were on hand to discuss maintenance and chal lenges of public outdoor spaces. “We have the great honor of maintaining many public places in Chicago including Maggie Daley Park,” Gerdes said. “The park is basically a giant green roof over the parking garage. There are no straight lines—it’s a very dynamic park that does away with the ‘monument’ park.”Michael

Sweeping beds of annuals and spools of water create a soothing summertime ambiance in Lakeshore East Park

(continued on page 14) The Landscape Contractor August 2022

It was the first design tour for Zachary Abear of Bartlett Tree Experts. “I’ve enjoyed other ILCA events—meeting and seeing other people—and the knowledge you get at these events is wonderful.”

12 Special Feature — (continued from page 11) completed in 1996. The garden was designed to celebrate life and give hope. A combination of soil engineering and extensive native plantings helps mitigate the city’s heat-island effect and enables the park to manage significant rainfall. Unlike highly maintained public spaces with rows of annuals, Maggie Daley Park features some wild, some might call “untidy” spots. “The children’s playground is unmatched anywhere in the city,” Gerdes said. “There are areas of nonmaintenance that you don’t usually see in Chicago Parks but it’s intentional. It allows for human and wildlife traffic and it’s a unique design for a park. The raw spaces are minimally maintained to keep out invasive species—it’s low touch.”

Another unusual element is the park’s topography. “It’s built on giant mounds of Styrofoam—Geofoam—with gravel topped with soil. It’s a beautiful landscape but artificial. Everything runs on a deep irrigation system.” Honey locust trees harvested from the site during construction were trans formed into benches. Nearby, the lawn panels occasionally get a beating and need repairs because of the large numbers of visitors and corporate-sponsored events by Google and other companies. “There are four large lawn spaces and they are used for yoga and various events,” Alexander said. Like other parts of the garden, the turf is inspected regularly dur ing the growing season and repaired as needed.

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A rare treat A highlight for many was meeting Joe Karr, the renowned Landscape Architect who worked with Dan Kiley on the Art Institute garden 56 years ago. Standing on a seat wall, Karr was surrounded by landscape industry fans who wanted to hear his story. “This is so stunning,” said Landscape Architect James Differding of Chicago as he stood in the garden’s dappled shade listening to Karr talk about the design process. Many attend ees lined up to have their photos taken with the iconic Karr. “It’s a great honor to have you,” Robert Milani of Bertog told Karr. “We’ve learned a lot from you as designers.” on page

(continued

16)

Special Feature August 2022 (continued from page 12)

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The Landscape Contractor August 2022 16 Special Feature (continued from page 14) “The Art Institute’s Sculpture Garden is a favorite summertime lunch escape for the local office work ers thanks to the shade of some of the most majestic American elm trees in the region,” Stewart said. “I’m a bit biased, but the public landscapes of Millennium Park are not to be missed. This garden set a new standard by which all other public gardens in the U.S. are Kathrynmeasured.”Deeryof Lurie Garden, Austin Eischeid, Austin Eischeid Garden Design and Patrick Thomas of the Art Institute of Chicago also provided tours and answered questions about the designs, plants and (continued on page 20) Daniel Gerdes discusses the plants, soils and maintenance of Maggie Daley Park

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18 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Sustainable Landscapes — The famed South Garden at the Art Institute of Chicago

19The Landscape Contractor 19 August 2022

Joe Karr wowed attendees with his first-hand knowledge of the garden

Landscape architect Joe Karr was the project manager for the South garden

Paul Guzzetta of Kaneville Tree Farms and Joe Karr

20 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Special Feature (continued from page 16) maintenance issues. ILCA Board Member Kim Hartmann came for inspiration. “I’m looking for more solutions to design problems—plants that can tolerate more environmental conditions like heat, salt and public use. I liked hearing how public spaces can coexist with wildlife.” “I’d never seen the Lakeshore East Park,” said Scott Jamieson of Bartlett Tree Service. “This was fun. I don’t get down here enough and I think it’s awesome that ILCA is doing things not only around design but maintenance.”Chicago’s“front yard” gardens are ever-changing and they are worth a few visits throughout the year. “I encourage you to come back in the autumn,” Stewart said. “The color and textural display is just phenomenal. Come enjoy, learn and be inspired.” See more: Maggie Daley Park: www.tclf.org/landscapes/art-institute-chicago-south-gardenArthttps://www.luriegarden.orgLuriewww.maggiedaleypark.com/things-to-do-see/play-garden/Garden:InstituteofChicago,SouthGarden: THE TEAM TRUSTED BY LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS Committed to providing solutions landscapers need to get the job done. 630-365-1990 Maple Park, Illinois mtsales@midwest-trading.com • LANDSCAPE MULCHES • SOIL AMENDMENTS • HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES www.midwest-trading.com Austin Eischeid of Austin Eischeid Garden Design LLC explains the design and plantings as the tour wrapped up.

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22 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 by Heather Prince Bulbs, with their fleeting beauty and depthof charm, are favorite flowers for many clients and customers. Colorful bulb displays attract thousands of visitors to pub lic gardens and enchant private homeowners. Chanticleer, a pleasure garden in Wayne, Pennsylvania, is one of the coun try’s premier public gardens. All types of bulbs are threaded through the 50-acre former home of the Rosengarten family, of which 35 acres are devoted to beautiful garden spaces, some formal and some creatively naturalistic. According to Chanticleer, it is “a garden of pleasure and learning, relaxing yet filled with ideas to take home.” Widely considered to be one of the most innovative and intriguing gardens in the U.S., it frequently sets the trends for landscape design. We were fortunate to have Executive Director and Head Gardener, Bill Thomas, as one of the speakers at the 2022 iLandscape. Thomas has been involved with Chanticleer for the past 19 years. We had a wonderful conversation about gardens and landscapes and have developed a three-part series around a few of the design ideas employed by Chanticleer that are at the forefront of landscaping today.

for Drama and

i Landscape The i llinois + wisconsin Landscape Show TM P R E M I E R C O N T E N T2022 Sustainable Landscapes —

While bulb displays have a long garden history, today a diversity of species is used beyond our favorite daffodils and tulips. From late winter through fall, a thoughtful bulb design can add both drama and small delights for clients. As bulb plants mature and spread, depending on the species, some will require dividing and some will reseed. One of our earliest blooming bulbs, snowdrops, can do both. It may seed around in the garden a little bit, but it also does well divided. This allows you to move them around the gardens or share with friends, neighbors, and colleagues. “For snowdrops I love that you can divide them when they’re green,” observed Thomas. “I start dividing them in the spring. You get so many from one clump and they still bloom for you. Of course, once they go dormant you forget about them until the next spring. The Bulbs Delight

Notes from Chanticleer: Integrating

Chanticleer has a mix of informal and formal spaces. The planting areas around Chanticleer House had once been referred to as the Chanticleer Formals by the staff, but Thomas didn’t want to be restricted to formal planting design and so encouraged them to abandon the designation. In order to disrupt the thinking that garden spaces near buildings or homes had to be formal, they took one of the lawn panels and redid it into a bulb display. “We ripped up the grass,” reported Thomas. “We planted tulips and daffodils in it that have perennialized and come back every year over the past decade. We have a fine fescue or no-mow grass mix in there.

The Landscape Contractor August 2022

Many of the small-statured bulbs will reseed and spread, especially early spring-flowering types. Crocus species, winter aconite, scilla, and wind anemones are just some of the varieties that will spread freely by seed. “Winter aconite and snowdrops are almost solid in front of my house,” reported Thomas. “The winter aconites have all been done by seed. It takes about four years for them to bloom. But I’ve found if you buy them, you only get about 10% that really grow and so to get the effect you want, you must wait until those plants start seeding. You’re bet ter off collecting your own fresh seed and throwing them where you want them.” With their sunshine-bright yellow flowers, winter aconite can be a welcome site after a long Midwestern winter. At only a few inches high, try them at the edges of paths or the front of the border. They also are dramatic under decidu ous trees as a pool of much-needed brightness on a cold rainy day. In dry shade under trees, seeding bulbs can be the most effective way to get them established. “I think with dry shade, especially where you have shallow roots, direct sowing the seed of things works better,” said Thomas. “When the Crocus tom masinianus or Crocus chrysanthus start seeding, they’ll let you know where they want to be. A lot of bulbs like to be dry in the summer but need more moisture in the spring when they’re actively growing.”

One of the ways Chanticleer delights visitors with bulbs is incorporating them into lawn and meadow spaces and allowing them to naturalize or perennialize. “One of our staff members has corrected me on ‘naturalizing’ versus ‘peren nializing’. Because daffodils don’t seed in, they are ‘peren nializing’ when they spread,” commented Thomas. “They give a huge effect. If they’re in a lawn, though, you have to wait to mid to late June to mow. You just need to plan for that. For some people that can be a real challenge. If they’re in flower beds, plant perennials or annuals around them that grow up and hide the fading foliage. Still, a lot of people find that quite challenging.” Managing the expectations of clients who desire this type of planting requires some education and a willingness to let the planting look more naturalistic.

23 bulbs sometimes will come to the surface when it rains and move around. I like that aspect.”

Bulb plantings do not end as summer drifts into autumn. Summer- and fall-blooming bulbs like Lycoris and Colchicum add surprising pink and lavender notes to the fall landscape. The biggest challenge is remembering where you planted them. “I love colchicums in the lawn,” commented Thomas. “And if you plant Colchicums and daffodils in a lawn, their leaves come up together in the spring. But then you have to remember to stop mowing in the fall. So they are a bit of a challenge, but they have a strong impact.” Lycoris, surprise or Resurrection lilies, can be a delightful addition to perennial beds or swathes of groundcovers that will hide their early season foliage before the flowers appear in the fall. “Lycoris, the surprise lilies, are so much fun. The later blooming bulbs are a bit of a chal lenge because you have to remember where they are. Lycoris are easier than Colchicums because they’re much taller. If Colchicums are mixed with other flowers, they can often be overwhelmed because in late summer and early autumn, other plants have reached their full size and they get overshadowed.”

24

We cut it when the tulip and daffodil foliage has withered and again in the autumn. We cut it by hand and it’s pretty much reads as rough grass. We’ve planted some perennials including Agastache and a number of things that attract butterflies, birds, bees, wasps, so there’s great action there. Most of our guests love it, but every year I get someone saying, ‘I’ll volunteer and mow that for you.’ Because obviously we don’t know what we’re doing and it’s just too messy. I’ll usually talk with them and say ‘Look at all that activity! There are hummingbirds, and bees, and moths, and butterflies. And how much activity do you see on your lawn. How much life is going on?’ Some of them will grudgingly say you have a point and others tell me they’ll never be convinced.”

These built-in surprises can be wonderful additions to client sites when a fall flower will be appreciated. Plus, they are hardy and long lived. “With all the bulbs that live from year to year, you can dig them up and get a lot,” said Thomas. “Colchicums can be pretty expensive as can Lycoris, but once you’ve got a couple of clumps, you can dig and divide them. In not too long, you can have a mass of them.”

The area is set off by a 12 to 15 inch frame of mowed turf to show that the panel is intentional and “so it’s clear we know how to mow grass.” It’s still a challenge for some and some thing to consider when discussing with clients. “People give us credit for knowing what we’re doing in most cases,” chuckled Thomas. “And so if we do something where we have ragged or long grass, they at least think about it. ‘I don’t like that,’ they may say. ‘But they know what they’re doing so I guess I should think about it.’ The first few times you see rough grass, you might just think it’s a hay field or you might think they’re being lazy. But if you see it more and more and especially if you see activity in it like butterflies and birds, you might start thinking ‘Gee, it’s acceptable. I might start doing that.’”

Explore the other bulbs beyond daffodils and tulips for new combinations with spring-blooming shrubs and trees. Try them against evergreens for high impact or planted in lawns for a cottage effect, so popular right now. They are easy to experi ment with and can deliver years of pleasure. (see more about

bulbs on page 26) Sustainable Landscapes — The Landscape Contractor August 2022

The Landscape Contractor 25 August 2022

Focus — The Pros at Home Bulbs in Containers

A container of beautiful bulbs at your door is such a panacea after a long Midwestern winter. It’s easy to cut a few for the house and still enjoy their spring show. At Chanticleer, many con tainers are planted up in daffodils and tulips for a punch of color on cold days. Tulips are not usually planted alone. “Tulips are great in containers; daffodils certainly are. If we use tulips in a con tainer, we usually use the big ones that are only good for one year,” commented Thomas. “In most cases we would have other plants in there, so we’ll just pull the tulips. We might add a summer plant to fill.” Containers that get changed out for the season are thoughtfully designed with plants that blend easily from spring to fall. If your client adores tulips and daf fodils as a welcome sign of spring, plan ahead for the biggest impact. “With tulips and daffodils that we have in con tainers, we’ll plant them up in the fall and put them in a cold frame, so they can get their necessary cold period,” reported Thomas. “They’ll be well-rooted in. We’ll either transplant them or keep them in their pot and drop them in anoth er container or hanging basket.” You can also pull these bulb containers out in February and bring them indoors to force the flowers into bloom. They can be a special treat in a conservatory or three season room. Once bulbs have finished blooming, consider putting them to good use in planting beds for the future. “One of the great things about the ones that peren nialize, you usually rip apart the con tainer at the end of the season, but you can take them out and plant them in the garden and get double use out of them,” said Thomas.

August 2022

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Planning and Planting Unlike the raked layer of gravel found in Japanese-style gar dens, the “new” gravel gardens are essentially a five-inch layer of angular-edged pea gravel like quartzite that sits atop soil. This allows the roots of the plants—especially native prairie plants that have deep roots—to travel down to the soil while preventing weed seeds from germinating in the top layer of stones. “We had to be careful when we prepped the beds,” Epping explained. “We excavated as deep as we could. If you have a gravel garden next to a walkway, it’s inevitable that whatever debris falls on the sidewalk will wash into the edge of the gravel garden. It’s interesting to see how much reseeding goes on at the edge. At home, my gravel garden runs along the street and our streets get sanded in the winter, so that sand goes into the gravel garden when the street is plowed.” The sand becomes a substrate, filling in spaces between the rocks and creating a growing environment that encourages seedlings. “I’m keeping an eye (continued on page 31)

28 LLC, has been designing gravel gardens since 2009 with inspi ration from Diblik. “Roy and I have been great friends for a long time. I saw his gravel garden a year after he put it in and I thought, ‘What the heck is this?’ He said he didn’t know how it was going to work, but he’d seen one that Cassian did that was 20 years old. The first time I saw it, it was a sea of gravel but I thought, oh this is cool.”

Jeff Epping, director of horticulture at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisc., and owner of Epping Design and Consulting Is the Road to Success Paved with Gravel?

Epping has worked on the largest gravel garden in the coun try at Epic Systems in Verona, Wisc., along with four gravel gardens at Olbrich and one at his home. “The biggest one at Olbrich is right at the front entrance.” The borders feature a beautiful mix of Russian sage, little bluestem, coreopsis, allium, coneflower, leadplant, prairie dropseed, asters and calamint among many others. The plants require little care and provide a stunning succession of blooms up to the fall frosts.

Gravel Gardens are finding a home in many progressive gardens

(Editor’s note: Gravel gardens are popping up in public spaces from Scott Arboretum and Chanticleer Garden in Pennsylvania to midwestern corporate campuses. This is the first in a two-part series on the trend.) by Nina A. Koziol Down the road from my grandmother’s house in Essex, England, is the garden of the late Beth Chatto, a cel ebrated plantswoman. But unlike other perennial gardens in the English countryside, filled with delphiniums, clematis and roses, Chatto’s landscape featured a dry, gravel slope filled with drought-tolerant plants that thrive in the Mediterranean. In 1989, she described it in, The Green Tapestry: Choosing and Grouping the Best Perennial Plants. While most readers might picture England as rainy and overcast, Chatto gardened in an area where the annual rainfall averages 20 inches. Fast forward. Landscape designer Cassian Schmidt is con sidered the guru at the forefront of the New German landscap ing movement. Director of Hermannshof, the world-renowned research and botanic garden in Germany, he began replacing lawn with large areas of prairie-style plantings and gravel gardens, creating combinations of perennials and grasses that feature our midwestern native plants. Today, gravel gardens are trending as a means to create low-maintenance, pollinator-attracting landscapes in many public gardens and corporate campuses.

Forward Thinking Design — Jeff Epping The Landscape Contractor August 2022

Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington, Wisc., began his love affair with gravel gardens in 2007. “I went to Germany and saw Cassian Schmidt’s garden in Hermonshoff and I felt sorry for America because we don’t try things,” he said. “It was the coolest thing I’d ever seen and couldn’t wait to get home and try it. It’s about creating longevity and conserving costs.” Diblik has worked on several gravel gardens including the newest at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Ill., which he calls the largest of its type in Illinois. “The building houses the world’s biggest computer and they have view ing windows where you can see the plants.”

Coreopsis and Penstemon bloom June and July

Forward Thinking Design — 30 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Looking for Quality Compost? We Have It! • STA Compost • Increased Water Holding Capacity • Increase organic matter • Improve the soil • OMRI listed 630-858-8070 The long roots of plant plugs reach through the gravel to the soil layer below

Hold the fertilizer. “I haven’t found any need for it to be honest,” Epping said. “The soils in Olbrich are pretty decent agricultural-type soils. We’re dealing with plants that are used to very infertile soil—we never fertilize. Roy asked Cassien and he said there’s no need. In some of the better gravel gardens that are drier and more stressed, the plants just thrive.

There’s also the winter interest. “Let the perennials stand for interest and winter hardiness,” Epping said. “Leaving the top growth and covering the crowns insulates them.” Epping removes the plant debris in spring at Olbrich and at home. The clippings are placed in two-foot mounds to release any over wintering beneficial insects and then moved to a compost pile. “We’re collecting the tops and taking them away so the plants are not getting the organic matter. However, if you talk to prairie experts and people who study soils, the root systems of plants are always growing and dying so there is some organic matter and microbes and life forms that inhabit the soil.”

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The benefits of a gravel garden are many. There’s no annual mulching—putting down organic matter that would encourage weed seeds—or endless spraying or weeding. As a replacement for lawn, there’s no mowing or weekly irrigation.

— Beth Chatto

“Corporate campuses get mowed 26 times a year and some one has to come in and fluff up the mulch in the beds,” Diblik said. Some estimates put gravel gardens at about 80 percent less work to maintain than a conventional garden with similar plants. The upfront costs are significantly more for the purchase of gravel and plants, and the preparation and planting, but over time with much less maintenance the costs are greatly reduced compared to traditional landscapes.

“For some years I had dreamt of making my Gravel Garden, with plants adapted to the prevailing conditions, instead of watching mown grass turn biscuit-brown for weeks every sum mer.”

31The LandscapeAugustContractor2022 (continued from page 28) on that edge and this spring I noticed Echinacea pallida and Euphorbia seedlings.” When planting, Epping sometimes uses plugs that are 2 1/2 inches with long roots. “It takes awhile for them to get up to full size, but they are placed closer together.” In 2009, he and Diblik laid out hundreds of plants for Olbrich’s Visitor’s Center gar den. “I was still a little skeptical at first, but the third and fourth year it got better and better.” Today, visitors are awe-struck as they enter the garden. Return on Investment

(continued 34) Prairie dropseed, allium, echinacea and calamint in mid-summer

32 The Landscape Contractor August 2022

33The Landscape Contractor August 2022

Some readers will recall the wildly popular use of red or black lava rock in residential planting beds back in the 1980s. That’s not what today’s gravel garden is about. “I tell people that these gravel gardens are another good thing we can do for the environment,” Epping said.

Before the layer of gravel is placed, the soil can be amended if needed. That’s often the case where the soils are heavy dense clay. That wasn’t possible at Argonne when Diblik did the planting.

“The best place for one is in the lawn area, because lawns don’t support insects and a gravel garden will be lower maintenance. I don’t see anyone replacing every inch of their garden with gravel, but they can have little beds around the foundation of the house on the south or west sides.”

Siting the Gravel Garden Since most midwestern prairie plants require full sun and well-drained soil, a gravel garden in a sunny spot makes sense.

“There were wires and pipes all over the place,” he said. The plants — typically plugs with deep roots — are placed closer

The Landscape Contractor August 2022

Not Your Grandma’s Lava Rock

Allium cernuum (nodding

Parking lot island beds are ideal situations since they are typically raised and con tained with a concrete curb that corrals any gravel. In areas around corporate buildings that have poor drainage, a gravel garden can help capture and slow the water per colating into the ground. Epping cautions that when snow must be moved in the park ing lot, it mustn’t get dumped onto gravel beds because it may have debris or soil in it.

wild

The design intent is not to replicate a natural plant habitat, like the Schulenberg Prairie at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, but to create a palette of fascinating plants with a wild, four-season interest and polli nator-attracting potential.

An Artful Pollinator Paradise

The gravel-prairie-style meadow gar dens here and abroad are a seamless dis play of native midwestern plants, nativars and non-native, drought-tolerant plants.

Forward Thinking Design — 34 (continued from page 31)

35 together than in a typical perennial garden. Care must be taken to avoid getting soil mixed into the gravel layer. Rakes and blowers are useful for removing organic matter that might get caught in the gravel.

The LandscapeAugustContractor2022

Once a gravel garden has matured by year two and three, established plants are more drought tolerant. However, watering newly installed plants is crucial — and not just once. Frequent watering — two or three times a week —helps the plants get estab lished. Epping said that daily watering might be needed for the first six or eight weeks. After the initial planting, the site often looks like a sea of gravel dotted with small plants. By the second year, however, the gardens tend to look full and beautiful. “It can be designed and more floriferous using nativars to create a more designed look but one that’s very naturalistic,” Diblik said. “From a sustainability standpoint, it’s about low inputs and minimizing the use of fossil fuels. The gravel garden is an interface between the manicured and the completely natural.” More to come.

Bed-fellows include native cultivars and non-native plants such as coneflower, yarrow and butterfly weed.

Jardines de grava están encontrando un hogar en muchos jardines progresistas

36 de Epping Design and Consulting LLC, ha estado diseñando jardines de grava desde 2009, inspirado por Diblik. “Roy y yo hemos sido grandes amigos desde hace mucho tiempo. Vi su jardín de grava un año después de instalado y pensé, ‘¿qué diablos es esto?’ Me dijo que no sabía cómo iba a funcionar, pero que había visto uno cultivado por Cassian desde hacía 20 años. La primera vez que lo vi era un mar de grava, pero pensé, oh, esto es Eppinginteresante”.hatrabajado en el jardín de grava más grande del país en Epic Systems en Verona, Wisc., así como en cuatro jardines de grava en Olbrich y uno en su casa. “El más grande en Olbrich está justo en la entrada principal”. Los bordes tienen una bella mezcla de salvia rusa, yerba barbuda, coreopsis, allium, equináceas, plantas de plomo, hierbas de la pradera, ásteres y calamintas, entre muchas otras. Las plantas requieren de poco cuidado y proporcionan una sucesión impresionante de flores hasta las heladas del otoño. Planear y plantar A diferencia de la capa rastrillada de la grava que se encuentra en los jardines estilo japonés, los “nuevos” jardines de grava son en esencia una capa de cinco pulgadas de gravilla de bordes angulados como cuarcita que se asienta sobre el suelo. Esto permite a las raíces de las plantas —especialmente las plantas nativas de las praderas que tienen raíces profundas— desplazarse hacia el suelo previniendo al mismo tiempo que germinen las semillas de las malas hierbas en la capa superior de las piedras. “Tuvimos que ser cuidadosos cuando preparamos los arriates”, explicó Epping. “Excavamos lo más profundo que pudimos. Si usted tiene un jardín de grava junto a un paso peatonal, es inevitable que los escombros que caigan en las aceras se desplacen hasta el borde del jardín de grava. Es interesante ver cuánta autorreproducción de semillas habrá en el borde. En casa, mi jardín de grava está junto a la calle y nuestras calles se llenan de arena en el invierno, por lo que la arena se introduce en el Por Nina A. Koziol En el camino a la casa de mi abuela en Essex, Inglaterra, se encuentra el jardín de la desaparecida Beth Chatto, una afamada plantadora. Pero a diferencia de otros jardines con plantas perennes en la campiña inglesa, llenos de delfinios, clemátides y rosas, el jardín de Chatto tenía una pendiente de grava seca llena de plantas tolerantes a las sequías que crecen en el Mediterráneo. En 1989, ella lo describió en, “El tapiz verde: Cómo seleccionar y agrupar las mejores plantas perennes”. Si bien la mayoría de los lectores piensa en Inglaterra como lluviosa y nublada, Chatto cultivaba sus jardines en un área donde la precipitación anual promedia 20 pulgadas. Avance rápido. Cassian Schmidt, diseñador paisajista, es considerado el gurú al frente del movimiento Nuevo Paisajismo Alemán. Director de Hermannshof, el jardín botánico y de investigaciones en Alemania de renombre mundial, comenzó a reemplazar el césped con amplias áreas de plantaciones estilo pradera y jardines de grava, creando combinaciones de plantas perennes y grama con nuestras plantas nativas del Medio Oeste. Actualmente, los jardines de grava están adquiriendo popularidad como medios para crear en muchos jardines públicos y parques empresariales, terrenos ajardinados de bajo mantenimiento que atraen a los polinizadores. Fue en 2007 cuando comenzó la fascinación de Roy Diblik, de Northwind Perennial Farm en Burlington, Wisc., con los jardines de grava. “Fui a Alemania y vi el jardín de Cassian Schmidt en Hermannshoff y sentí pena por los Estados Unidos porque no probamos cosas nuevas” dijo. “Fue lo más fascinante que había visto jamás y no hallaba las horas de volver a casa para probarlo. Se trata de crear longevidad y mantener los costos”. Diblik ha trabajado en varios jardines de grava incluyendo el más nuevo en el Laboratorio Nacional Argonne en Lemont, Ill., que él llama el más grande de este tipo en Illinois. “El edificio aloja la computadora más grande del mundo y tiene ventanas de visualización desde las cuales se pueden ver las Jeffplantas”.Epping, director de horticultura en los Jardines Botánicos de Olbrich, en Madison, Wisc., y dueño ¿Está el camino del éxito empedrado con grava?

Jeff Epping The Landscape Contractor August 2022

TODOS JUNTOS MEJOR. Mejores Plantas, Mejor Servicio Y Mejor Selección.

37 Llámenos a Mariani Plants: 866-627-4264 / marianiplants.com Mariani Plants se enorgullese en su attencion al cliente. Tenemos expertos ajentes de ventas de habla hispana en nuestras dos localidades, Kenosha Wisconsin y Garden Prairie Illinois. Mariani Plants esta aquí para proveerle mejores plantas, mejor servicio y mejor selección.

También está el interés invernal. “Dejemos que las plantas perennes permanezcan por su resistencia al invierno y el interés que aportan a los jardines durante el invierno”, afirma Epping. “Dejar el crecimiento de altura y cubrir las coronas las aísla”. Epping elimina los detritus vegetales en la primavera en Olbrich y en casa. Estos recortes de pasto se colocan en montículos de dos pies para liberar insectos que ayudan a las plantas a sobrevivir el invierno y luego se trasladan a una pila de compost. “Estamos recolectando las cimas de las plantas y apartándolas para que las plantas no reciban la materia orgánica. No obstante, si habla con expertos en praderas y con personas que estudian los suelos, los sistemas de raíces de las plantas siempre están creciendo y muriendo por lo que hay algunas materias orgánicas y microbios y formas de vida que habitan el suelo”. Guarde el fertilizante. “Para ser honesto, nunca he encontrado ninguna necesidad de usarlo”, afirma Epping. “Los suelos en Olbrich son suelos de tipo agrícola muy decentes. Lidiamos con plantas que están acostumbradas a suelos muy infértiles —nunca fertilizamos. Roy le preguntó a Cassian y éste le contestó que no hay necesidad. En algunos de los mejores jardines de grava que son más secos y estresados, las plantas prosperan. No la piedra de lava de tu abuelita Algunos lectores recordarán un uso muy popular de la piedra de lava roja o negra en arriates residenciales en la década de 1980. Esto no tiene nada que ver con los jardines de grava en la actualidad. “Digo a la gente que estos jardines de grava son algo más que podemos hacer en beneficio del ambiente”, asegura Epping. “El mejor lugar para uno de estos jardines es el áreadel césped, porque el césped no promueve los insectos y un jardín de grava necesitará menos mantenimiento. No veo gente reemplazando

The Landscape Contractor August 2022

jardín de grava cuando barren la calle”. La arena se vuelve un sustrato, llenando espacios entre las rocas y creando un ambiente creciente que anima las plántulas. “Vigilo ese borde y esta primavera advertí plántulas de Echinacea pallida y Euphorbia”. Al plantar, Epping algunas veces usa plantones que miden 2-1/2 pulgadas con raíces largas. “Les toma tiempo alcanzar su tamaño completo, pero se colocan más juntos”. En 2009, él y Diblik extendieron cientos de plantas para el jardín del Centro de Visitantes de Olbrich. “Al comienzo estaba un poco escéptico, pero el tercero y el cuarto año todo mejoró progresivamente”. En la actualidad, los visitantes se impresionan al entrar en el jardín. Rendimiento de la inversión “Durante algunos años, he soñado en hacer mi jardín de grava con plantas adaptadas a las condiciones prevalecientes, en lugar de ver la hierba cortada adquirir un color marrón galleta durante semanas cada verano”. — Beth Chatto Los beneficios de un jardín de grava son muchos. No es necesario echar mantillo anualmente —reducir materia orgánica que estimularía el crecimiento de semillas de plantas adventicias— ni interminables fumigaciones o deshierbes. Como reemplazo del césped, no hay que cortar la hierba ni regar semanalmente. “La hierba de los parques empresariales se corta 26 veces al año y alguien tiene que ir a esponjar el mantillo en los arriates”, dijo Diblik. Se calcula que los jardines de grava necesitan un 80 por ciento menos de trabajos de mantenimiento que los jardines convencionales con plantas similares. Los costos iniciales son significativamente más altos por la compra de grava y plantas y la preparación y plantación, pero con el tiempo, con mucho menos mantenimiento, los costos se reducen significativamente en comparación con los jardines tradicionales.

Un paraíso de polinizadores ingenioso Los jardines de prado estilo grava-pradera aquí y en el exterior son un despliegue fluido de plantas nativas del Medio Oeste, cultivares nativos y plantas no nativas, tolerantes a las sequías. La intención del diseño no es replicar el hábitat de plantas naturales, como la Pradera de Schulenberg en el Arboreto Morton en Lisle, sino crear una paleta de plantas fascinantes con un interés silvestre las cuatro estaciones y potencial de atraer polinizadores.

Dónde colocar el jardín de grava Debido a que la mayoría de las plantas de pradera en el Medio Oeste requieren de pleno sol y suelo bien drenado, tiene sentido un jardín de grava en un lugar soleado. Los parterres en áreas de estacionamiento constituyen situaciones ideales porque usualmente son elevados y contenidos con un bordillo de hormigón que acorrala cualquier grava. En áreas alrededor de edificios corporativos con drenaje deficiente, un jardín de grava puede ayudar a capturar y desacelerar el agua que se percola en la tierra. Epping advierte que cuando es necesario remover nieve en el lote de estacionamiento, no debe volcarse en lechos de grava porque podría contener escombros o tierra. suelo si fuese necesario. Esto suele ser el caso donde los suelos son de arcilla pesada y densa. Eso no fue posible en Argonne cuando Diblik hizo las plantaciones. “Había alambres y tubos por todas partes”, dijo. Las plantas —usualmente plantones con raíces profundas— se colocan más juntas que en los jardines de plantas perennes usuales. Se debe tener cuidado de no mezclar el suelo con la capa de grava. Rastrillos y sopladores son útiles para remover materia orgánica que pudo haber quedado en la grava.Una vez que un jardín de grava madura después de dos o tres años, las plantas establecidas son más tolerantes a las sequías. No obstante, regar las plantas recién instaladas es esencial —y no solo una vez. El riego frecuente —dos o tres veces por semana — ayuda a establecer las plantas. Epping informa que durante las primeras seis u ocho semanas podría ser necesario regar las plantas diariamente. Después de la plantación inicial, el sitio con frecuencia parece un mar de grava salpicado con plantas pequeñas. No obstante, al segundo año, los jardines tienden a verse pletóricos de colores y belleza. “Se pueden diseñar y ser más floríferos usando cultivares nativos para crear una apariencia más de diseño, pero al mismo tiempo, muy naturalista”, afirmó Diblik. “Desde el punto de vista de la sostenibilidad, se trata de utilizar menos insumos y minimizar el uso de combustibles fósiles. El jardín de grava es una interfaz entre lo meticulosamente cuidado

August 2022 cada pulgada de su jardín con grava, pero pueden tener pequeños arriates alrededor de los cimientos de la casa en los lados sur u oeste”.

39The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Para que crezca su negocio, unase a... Servicios y Beneficios • Certificaciones • Seminarios • Talleres de Trabajo • Publicaciones • Capacitación • Videos • Eventos • Programa de Seguros • Trabajadores Temporarios • Subasta de Herramientas de jardinería El Paso al Professionalismo. Llame al 630-472-2851 Para mas informacion sobre como inscribirse miembro.

The Himsben team is focused on finding the best solutions to the small spaces of a city environment. “We pride ourselves on finding a solution,” stressed Johnson. “We do have a project minimum, yet we are mindful of the financial needs of clients. We want to work with a wide range of homeowners and meet

40 Design — Small But Mighty by Heather Prince The Chicago motto is Urbs in Horto —“City in a Garden.” Today more residents people are taking advantage of any corner of outdoor space to add garden experiences to their lives. Himsben Design Studio gave an engaging presentation to iLandscape 2022 on the challenges and rewards of creating tiny garden spaces in the urban environment. We sat down for a chat to dig into the details with Clare Johnson, ASLA, Director of Design & Marketing. Defining small When it comes to city lots, all of them are considered small by most landscaping standards. But how ‘small’ is that, really? “To us, small, is a standard Chicago backyard which is around 500 to 600 square feet,” says Johnson. “For those, we see a boatload of potential. We consider spaces tiny if they are any thing under that, down to a balcony which was 50 square feet. For that project, we installed containers, seating, and plants to maximize a space for a client in a high rise downtown.” These small outdoor spaces became critical during the COVID restric tions for giving people places for fresh air, sunshine, and a way to be social safely. Himsben saw a dramatic increase in calls as people started looking at their yards and thinking critically about how to make the most use of those spaces. “We had so many

Small gardens must be multi-functional to be feasible in an urban situation where the space is restricted. Large suburban lots can accommodate different areas for entertaining, play equip ment, growing food, meditation and more. In a city lot, you pack it all into the same area. “The benefit of small spaces is that they can be so multi-functional,” observed Johnson. “Many times, our client’s small area needs to function as a gathering space, a play space, a dog space, plus it is also the thoroughfare into the house, and might be the only one. It needs to be low mainte nance in the city and very easily upkept. Often, people see these small spaces and don’t think you can do much with it. We pres ent other opportunities and creatively think about how to create an outdoor space where all that’s possible and looks good.”

The Landscape Contractor August 2022

Exploring Urban Nooks and HimsbenDesignStudioembracestheChicagoyard city clients contacting us in 2020 because outdoors was the only way they felt safe gathering with people,” reported Johnson. “We created many little, intimate gathering spaces for people so they could celebrate birthdays, holidays, and so forth. They’d even pull out the outdoor heaters for an extended season.”

The i llinois + wisconsin Landscape Show TM P R E M I E R C O N T E N T2022 our clients where they’re at in respect to budget. We have to be truth-tellers sometimes. We tell them to send us their inspira tion and Pinterest boards, and sometimes we have to coach them through what’s really doable. We feel strongly about education as well. We like to be that source to demystify landscaping for people as best we can.” Keeping it social Because of client requests for entertaining or social spaces, most of Himsben’s designs have hardscape elements. “Maybe it’s a city-thing, but some sort of patio gathering space is in 90% of our projects,” says Johnson. And because most of these out door spaces are in densely built environments, it can feel a bit like a fishbowl in terms of privacy. “We work with a lot of ver tical elements since we’re working in smaller square footages. Things to bring aesthetics and privacy and interest up from the ground level. We work with a couple of companies for durable custom planters that will fit into small spaces. We call it a ‘soft border’ utilizing plants or plants in planters to create a sense of privacy and softness without being harsh. We also create a lot of decorative screening. In the project featured at iLandscape, we created a custom privacy wall and built ipe wood planters on it to soften that edge so it doesn’t feel so stark.”

on page 42) The

Working within a heavily built environment with a long history of being developed and used presents its own set of challenges. The first challenge is working in tight spaces. City

Crannies yardspace i Landscape

August 2022

41

Basic care Another challenge is water. With the roller coaster of cli mate change and weather becoming more extreme, rainfall has to go somewhere. “If you’re the one taking water in from your neighbors and the alley, what do you do?” mentioned Johnson. “I think that problem is universal for our area. 30 to 35% of the people that are calling us are doing so because they’re having water challenges. We get a handful of clients a year that have water cascading into their back yard. We’re working with an (continued Landscape Contractor

lots are constricted spaces with difficulties presented by neigh boring buildings, narrow gangways, and weirdly configured alleys. “The machinery that we use, the techniques that we use, are very different because we’re working with maybe 40 to 42 inches of clearance to get into a Chicago front yard or backyard using the gangway,” reported Johnson. “So, we have the small est equipment you can find in order to expedite the process without damaging property. We also deal a lot with the shadows that are cast by neighboring structures and the small microcli mates found in the city because of the proximity and density of buildings.” The Himsben crews work on a tight timeline and get creative on staging projects, so materials are on site exactly when needed without necessitating storage. Installation work is scheduled so elements are completed in a day or two instead of weeks of waiting on materials or permits.

(continued from page 41) institution right now in Rogers Park where their building has sunken so it creates a river every time it rains. They aren’t redo ing the building, so how do we catch water, keep it off walk ways, and keep it beautiful?” Himsben evaluates each site and its water situation thoroughly. “Sometimes we feel like we’re archeologists.” A turf solution One surprising solution to managing water has been syn thetic turf. Conventional lawn often doesn’t work in deeply shaded situations, high-traffic areas where you are balancing entertaining and kids and pets, or random flooding during storms. Himsben has found that synthetic turf can be the ideal solution that is foot-friendly and engineered to move water into rain gardens or catchment systems. “In terms of softscape, if a decade ago you told me I’d be speccing so much synthetic lawn, I’d be shocked,” chuckled Johnson. “Because of climate change, Design — Small But Mighty because of water, we are seeing an uptick in the interest in syn thetic turf. Stormwater management has created a need for a great softscape material that also provides drainage opportuni ties. We excavate and put down a gravel base that also acts as a catchment. We’re doing a lot of it nowadays to provide soft space, play space, dog space, and water catchment all in one.” Rain gardens have also become an important component to handling water in a beautiful and beneficial way. We’ve negotiated the tight gangway, sorted out the random flooding, installed synthetic turf that’s foot-friendly and free draining, now what? What sorts of plants work best in small spaces with significant shade and odd mixes of microclimates? Himsben finds that in many cases, native plants offer the most benefits, hardiness, and stubborn flexibility. “We almost primarily spec native plants,” commented Johnson. “We use plants that are very drought tolerant or plants that can have some soggy feet when we’re installing rain gardens. It is largely (continued on page 44)

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42 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 TRUCK EQUIPMENT CENTER CHICAGO, IL

because clients want low maintenance and natives provide an educational opportunity to showcase beautiful beneficial plants that are also tough, resilient, and easy to care for.”

Of course, sometimes a client’s aes thetic preferences may be more formal or specific and that’s when the Himsben team works to find a balance between customer desires and ecologically friendly.

“We use many species that facilitate pollinators or migratory birds, plants that help support the city ecosystem. We’ve found that clients really like the fact that they can support their neighborhood eco system. As humans, we like to feel like we’re helping. There’s a uniqueness to the people who put their flag in the ground and own in the city and deal with the city. We often find that they want to be a part of something that’s aiding the environment. I cannot think of anyone who hasn’t had neighbors and the environment in mind when thinking about their landscapes.”

Beyond natives, many of Himsben’s

The Landscape Contractor August 2022

44 Focus — Small But Mighty (continued from page 42)

45 clients are also interested in growing their own food. If sunlight is plentiful, the other challenge is soil. Chicago has a long indus trial past which means many soils are con taminated if they haven’t been compacted by construction. “We only grow edible plants in raised beds or planters,” reported Johnson. “We educate clients that you can absolutely control everything that goes into your planters for success in growing veg etables, herbs, and fruits. It ensures that it’s safe, because the city has a colorful history in terms of soil contaminants.”

Small spaces dictate that tree choices are small and ornamental. One of Himsben’s favorite tree choices is service berry for its four-season beauty, ability to handle shade, and benefits for pollinators. Japanese maples are also very popular for their elegant structure and small stature. In shade, they spec the whole range of native sedges and ferns interspersed with lowmaintenance choices like hosta and heu chera. They do incorporate evergreens but have moved away from spruce due to

(continued on page 46) The Landscape Contractor August 2022

Design — Small But Mighty 46 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Little Rock Farm 2353 Creek Road · Plano, IL 60545 630-552-8314 Main Office & Sales Yard 7200 S. Madison · Willowbrook, IL 60527 630-323-1411 HinsdaleNurseries.com Plants with Midwestern roots as strong as yours. Get over 500 varieties grown locally on 600+ acres.

Over 10 acres of holding yard in two convenient locations. For sale updates and availabilities, sign up for our email newsletter. Trees, Ornamentals, Evergreens, Shrubs, Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcover. (continued from page 45) its disease issues. Chamaecyparis, juniper, and shrub arborvitae add layers of winter interest and colorful texture. Hydrangeas are also a go-to choice for their durability in shade and sun. “We tend to provide a lot of color and texture. The clients want to know what the maintenance is, and cutting back once, is really what they’re will ing to do,” commented Johnson. Adding small and tiny garden spaces not only can be beneficial to your bottom line, it also cre ates important oases in the urban fabric and knits neighborhoods together. “I started my career at the Chicago Botanic Garden in therapy and healing spaces,” said Johnson. “The number-one thing you have to make people feel in a space is safe. Everyone deserves safe green spaces and I think that’s one of the biggest benefits of a neighborhood. And if you see someone caring for their space, you’re going to want to care about your space, as well.”

47The Landscape Contractor August 2022 A liated With: Ditch Witch Midwest and Rentals Plus 1555 Atlantic Drive West Chicago, IL 60185 1stChoiceEquipment.com 630-510-6050 www.1stChoiceEquipment.com 630-510-6050 7463 West Ridge Road P.O. Box E Fairview PA 16415 800.458.2234 Fax 800.343.6819 e-mail:FairviewEvergreen.cominfo@FairviewEvergreen.com

New Artistry & Craftsmanship Award Recognizes Sizzling Fire Features in Show” for a specific landscape feature. (It’s part of ILCA’s Excellence in Landscape Awards.) This new category kicked off with a fire feature theme. Future categories will cover water, illumination, etc. Projects were judged on craftsmanship, use of material, scale, integration, overall fit with surroundings, place ment, and Topiarius’screativity/artistry.“GameDay” and ILT Vignocchi’s “Itasca Property” tied for first place. All of these winners are sure to ignite some inspiration.

48 The Landscape Contractor August 2022

Itasca Property — ILT Vignocchi A stone fireplace that would be “unique, different and charming” was a “must have” on the client’s wish list. No less than 50 variations were drawn before the final design was cho sen! The stones’ angular lines are softened by carefully chosen boulders to provide the exact scale, shape and color needed. Each part of the fireplace is custom and unique and every stone fulfills the design specifications.

Nina A. Koziol It’s no surprise that fire features are popular. Those two miserable years that forced many people to work from home were a big boost for landscape contractors, especially when it came to patio renovations. Fire pits, fireplaces, fire bowls, fire tables — you name it — many homeowners sought them as hot commodities.Here’salook at 10 fire features that received ILCA’s new Artistry & Craftsmanship Award, which highlights the “Best Game Day — Topiarius, Inc. Picture watching football games outdoors —on top of a garage in Chicago. That’s what the clients wanted. The tight space unites a fire feature and the television. The wall melds with an aluminum pergola, galvanized steel framing, cement board cladding, blue cement tile and Schluter edging. A granite countertop and decorative panels add to the overall aesthetic.

Fire Works —

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50 wholesale@breezyhillnursery.com Poplar Grove, IL 21283 IL Route 76 Poplar Grove, IL 61065 Clinton, WI 11228 East County Road X Clinton, WI 53525 Salem, WI 7530 288th Avenue Salem, WI 53168 1-262-537-3326 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Fire Works — A Not So Common Fireplace — Hursthouse, Inc.

It’s all about the details. Built from Chicago “common brick” to match the home, the uncommon fireplace sits four feet above grade and the conservancy behind it, requiring thoughtful engineering and construction. The fireplace’s bluestone shoulders, mantle and hearth unify design elements and echo the materials on the fountain and home.

Drake Family’s Fire Pit and Patio — JR’s Landscape Services Installation and Maintenance, Inc. The family enjoy hours of entertainment around this stone fire pit. The patio is Rosetta® Grand Flag Stone with Rosetta® Belvedere for the seat wall and fire pit. The seat wall allows for easy access and a place to share stories. The fire pit was sited so the parents could watch their kids on the swing set while they relaxed.

Family Gathering at the Fireside — Bruss Landscaping, Inc.

The clients wanted a fireplace and a TV. The custom fire place with a large capstone has exterior stone matching the house. To get the curve in the limestone coping, a wood tem plate was made and sent to the limestone manufacturer to get the perfect curve. The fireplace was built early in the project to allow a truck onto the site. Sleeving inside the fireplace houses electric and audio-visual connections.

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The client wanted a new patio that would be an inviting retreat with a fire pit. A fire table used as dining table makes the most of the space. The stone walls match the home’s exterior. Subtle landscape lighting was added and the new patio offers a comfortable, inviting place to gather, relax and reconnect.

51The Landscape Contractor August 2022

Elements in Harmony — Rosborough Partners, Inc.

Backyard Getaway — Premier Landscape Contractors, Inc.

The client wanted an outdoor fire pit to gather around on cool nights. To fit the proportions of the newly enlarged ter race and accommodate large gatherings, a nearly 7-foot-diam eter fire pit was designed to take advantage of the spectacular views overlooking Lake Michigan. It was critical to match the existing patio area for a seamless look so as not to appear as an add-on feature.

This outdoor fireplace and pergola provide a space that invites year-round use. The elegant fireplace is a main focal point with its stone columns and matching veneer. Outdoor lighting complements the warm glow of the fire and provides for safety at night. The inviting space is a backyard getaway for the client.

Lincolnshire Project — ILT Vignocchi

52 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Fire Works — Oasis Park — Pizzo and Associates, Ltd.

A regenerating prairie fire! This 20-acre farm field was converted to a rolling prai rie that is burned each year. Burning opens the landscape, reduces invasive species and allows native plants to thrive. When in full bloom, the prairie glows with bright yellows to brilliant purples, a sight that stops people in their cars on a nearby road.

53 Successful suppliers know— industry leaders read this magazine. Save the Date — Aug. 10, 2017 May.17_TLC.indd Save the Date — Aug. 10, 2017 • Sales and marketing statistics show that the single best way to reach buyers is through highlytargeted specialty magazines. • This award-winning magazine is frequently hailed as the best magazine of its kind. Put your ad message in this very flattering environment. • The Landscape Contractor has an affordable advertising pro gram for every budget. For immediate attention CALL Debbie at 817-501-2403 or email — debbie.landscapecontractor@yahoo.com The Landscape Contractor August 2022 McHenry Cabin — ILT Vignocchi The family enjoy hours of entertainment around this stone fire pit. The patio is Rosetta® Grand Flag Stone with Rosetta® Belvedere for the seat wall and fire pit. The seat wall allows for easy access and a place to share stories. The fire pit was sited so the parents could watch their kids on the swing set while they relaxed.

by Heather Prince Disease of the Month: Tubakia Leaf Spot

Tubakia leaf spot (Tubakia dryina) is often confused with anthrac nose on oaks. However, anthracnose is a disease of late spring and early summer. Tubakia appears in July to September. It begins as small watersoaked areas that become more evident as they enlarge and transition to a reddish-brown color. Severe infections may cause premature leaf drop and it tends to be most prevalent on lower branch es where moisture collects. Tubakia leaf spot is most common with abundant rainy weather and moder ate temperatures.

Diseaserecommended.ofthe

Month: Tubakia (Actinopelte) Leaf Spot Weed of the Month: Two-lined Chestnut Borer

Additional resources: Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Information 847-835-0972plantinfoservicehttps://www.chicagobotanic.org/Service: Special Feature

54 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Pest of the Month: Twolined chestnut borer

Treatment: While the symptoms may cause clients alarm, the disease develops late enough in the season that there are no long-term adverse effects on tree health. Since it’s primarily cosmetic, treatment with fungicides is not usually recommended. Rake and remove leaves in the fall to reduce inoculum in the surrounding area, thus limiting disease occurrence the following season. Promoting tree vigor and alleviating any potential stresses is also

Two-lined chestnut borer (Agrilus bilin eatus) is a small, native, jewel beetle that primarily impacts species of oaks in our area and occasion ally beech trees. It is usually a second ary pest of already stressed trees, laying eggs under the cambium layer of bark. The adult beetles are greenish-black with two white to gold stripes running down their back. Adults are active beginning in June and can be seen in flight and on sunny tree trunks. The larvae feed in the cambium, creating random galler ies and diameterofD-shapedcanopy.nutrientdisruptingflowtotheTheycreateexitholesabout1/8inchuponemerging as adults. Signs of two-lined chestnut borer are wilted foliage in late summer. Leaves may dry and turn brown and remain. Twig and branch dieback starts at the top of the tree and moves downward.

Treatment: Because two-lined chestnut borer attacks stressed trees, the best prevention is maintaining tree vigor. Avoid stress ors for oaks such as soil compaction, construction damage, and mechanical injury. Water during dry periods to prevent drought stress. Treatment is available for two-lined chestnut borer. When adults are active, they can be controlled by spraying the lower 4 ½ feet of the trunk with imidacloprid. Larvae can also be treated with a soil-drench of imidacloprid. Because it is a broad-spectrum insecticide, use care in decid ing to use it as imidacloprid will negatively impact the myriad insect species that call oaks home.

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Buttrey also has truck drivers, who deliver and pick up equipment to the job site, paying particular attention to timing.

Harris is proud of his employees and credits them for much of the growth. “We have a lot who have been here for 30 plus years,” he says. “Their knowledge base is huge.”

In late fall of 2021, Buttrey Rentals joined ILCA.

Using their experience, they can, says Harris, advise custom ers on different applications and the best tools to use for a particular job. “That’s where we really shine.” They also get to know the customers and their needs.

A fan of hiking and bike riding, Harris is married to Dee, a fourth-grade teacher. They have three children, one with a degree in English and culinary arts, another studying psy chology in college and the third still in high school. by Meta

Harris grew up in Western Springs and as a child would hang around his grandfather, often going to work with him. When he was a young man, he worked for his father in the heavy equipment business, gaining valuable knowledge for his current career. In 1983, however, he transitioned to work ing with his grandfather. “I wanted to try something different than the heavy equipment business, which is sensitive to eco nomic down turns, he says. Knowing that his grandfather soon would retire, he rea soned that if he liked what he did at Buttrey, he would consid er buying out his grandfather. “I had to learn a lot more even though I had that knowledge from working with my father,” he says. “We have thousands of different things to rent.”

56 The Landscape Contractor August 2022 New Member Profile Snapshot Buttrey Rental 216 W. Ogden Avenue Westmont, IL 60559 (630) www.buttreyrental.com969-1191

Going out of their way to keep everything in good working order is another point of pride for Buttery, he says. “We have equipment that is going to get the job done and we try to keep a newer fleet that is in excellent condition. If something we rent breaks down, we can go out and fix it or swap it out.”

ButtreyLevinRental

has come a long way since Morris Buttrey began building and renting moving trailers from his gas station at Ninth and Lake in Melrose Park. In those days, he installed a buzzer at the gas station that rang in his home a few blocks away. After hours customers could then summon him and he’d head down to rent them trailers. A unique and clever arrangement. That was 1946. Gradually his rental inventory expanded to include cars, trucks, tools and party goods. Now, Buttrey Rental rents and sells a wide range of products, primar ily various types of equipment. “We deal with all different trades, but landscape contractors are a big part of our busi ness,” says Scott Harris, grandson of the original owner. Harris bought his grandfather’s business in 1985. Now the company handles 37 product categories. The Melrose Park location is long gone. Buttrey originally opened a branch in Downer’s Grove, then relocated a little further east on Ogden Avenue in Westmont, IL. He opened an RV sales lot next door and later bought a larger building on the current site. Technology and demand have expanded the products. “When I took over we had maybe one aerial small bucket lift,” says Harris. “Now we have all different kinds of aerial lifts used for tree work, Christmas decorations. They are popular with the landscape industry for tree or arbor work.” Morris Buttrey would not recognize what he started. No longer is the company using handwritten contracts, but now there are high tech point of sale systems. Various types of brush chippers are becoming more popular with landscape contractors who are doing work for which they previously would have called in arborists, says Harris. “We also are seeing more rentals in bigger ticket and spe cialty items, like Bobcats or skid steers, stand on loaders with different attachments available, mini-stand-on skid steers, things “contractors don’t have a need for every day, so they will rent it for jobs.”

Previously, Harris had participated in iLandscape. “We deal with so many local landscapers, that I felt it would be benefi cial to support the industry that supports us.”

Client Representative

58 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 Classified Ads The Landscape Contractor August 2022 HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HELP WANTED Residential Maintenance Account Manager Commercial Maintenance Account Manager Landscape Designer/Project Director Management Associate jamesmartinassociates.com | (847) 634-1660 Call Maria for more information at (847) 876-8042 Or visit jamesmartinassociates.com/careers

Account Manager American Gardens LLC is actively searching for an Account Manager to service our recurring book of business and achieve gross profit objectives through leadership and management of staff while meeting contractual commitments to customers in a timely, high quality manner. Knowledge of the landscape/green industry, specifically turf and ornamental plantings is Thisessential.career opportunity offers a competitive salary, a performance-based bonus program, reimbursed business expenses and other company benefits. To apply for this position, and learn more about job requirements and responsibilities, please forward a resume and cover letter to: Recruiting Director: hr@americangardensllc.com with “Account Manager” as your email subject Purchasing Assistant Provide administrative support for the Purchasing department, including inventory maintenance, inventory reporting, plant labels and tags and special projects as they relate to the purchasing department. This position interacts with a diverse group of important external vendors as well as internal contacts at all levels of the organization. At least 2 years experience in an administrative support role, preferably in a purchasing environment. Previous experience in the landscape industry Demonstratepreferred. strong proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel. To apply, use the QR Code, or throughcareers@marianilandscape.comemailorapplymarianilandscape.com

You

The Client Representative should be a motivated, high-energy and customer-centric person to oversee customer interaction and maintenance process communication. The Client Representative is thoroughly familiar with all aspects of commercial landscape maintenance including sales, production, customer service, and estimation and will be responsible for making initial client contact, preparing and presenting proposal documents and contracts, completing the sale, interfacing with company production and accounting personnel, and partnering with subcontractors and vendors as needed throughout the maintenance and enhancement process. may apply through the QR code or through Mariani’s website at marianilandscape.com.

Estimator and Drafter Topiarius is landscape design, build and maintenance company whose mission it is to be Chicago’s #1 luxury brand for outdoor Wesanctuaries.arelooking for a full-time Estimator + Drafter to be responsible for creating design/build estimates and shop drawing sets. To do so, this position participates and collaborates in the design phase, in-shop construction, and in-field completion of Topiarius’ design/build projects (Approximately spending 75% time working in office and 25% in-shop or Whenin-field.)applying, please include your resume and a portfolio of work. After reviewing your online application, we will contact you if we are interested. So please, no phone Forcalls.a complete job description and to apply please visit Topiarius’ Careers page (https:// www.topiarius.com/jobs).

LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATE DESIGNER Craig Bergmann Landscape Design has an entry-level position open for a Landscape Designer/Architect with exceptional draft person skills to join our team. Unique working environment for a creative, highly motivated, outgoing individual. We are looking for a highly creative, motivated and organized individual

jobs@westmontparks.orgAllApplicationprofessionalcoverCandidateswestmontparks.org/job/horticulturistcan/shallapplywitharesume,letter,onlineapplication,threereferences.link(https://bit.ly/3Roqnid).applicationsshouldbeemailedto

to assist the design staff with the development of high-end residential projects. Position requires proficiency with hand drafting and graphic techniques, AutoCAD, and MS Office. Preference will be given to applicants with design/construction experience, Autocad drafting experience, and extensive plant knowledge of Midwestern plants. QUALIFICATIONS: Degree in Landscape Architecture or its Exemplaryequivalent hand drafting and graphic ability and experience in Autocad and Adobe Creative Suite Microsoft office skills required and experience in site analysis Excellent plant identification skills including herbaceous perennials Good organizational skills and Valid Driver’s License Email resume to info@craigbergmann.com Landscape Maintenance Account Manager & Sales EverGreen Landscape Associates LLC is seeking a Landscape Maintenance Account Manager to assist in serving our clients in the west and northwest suburbs. What we’re looking for: • Good verbal and written communication skills • Previous experience in the green industry • Provide high quality customer service • Oversee quality of service being provided and communicate with crew leaders Sales of additional maintenance contract work and enhancements What we offer: • Company vehicle, mobile phone, and laptop computer • Retirement plan and medical insurance • Paid time off • Competitive salary based on experience • Commission on enhancement sales Qualified candidates should forward a resume for confidential consideration to: vickid@evergreenlandscape.net.CLASSIFIEDADS CLOSING DATES & RATES September 2022 issue ads: August 15, 2022 October 2022 issue ads: September 15, 2022 PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MagazineCOMPANIESMEMBERCost 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 x1 59 Classified Ads HELP WANTEDHELP WANTED HELP WANTED The Landscape Contractor August 2022

Seasonal Display Designer and Estimator We are looking for a Seasonal Display Designer and Estimator who works in conjunction and collaboration with the Sales Team on their portfolio of Fine Gardening/ Seasonal Rotation accounts. Responsibilities are two-fold: design and revise fantastic seasonal rotation displays on a custom and annual basis. Secondly, create estimates for fine gardening services maintaining the specified gross margin. When applying, please include your resume and a portfolio of your work. After reviewing your online application, we will contact you if we are interested. So please, no phone calls. For a complete job description and to apply please visit Topiarius’ Careers page (https:// www.topiarius.com/jobs).

Horticulturist The Westmont Park District has an opening for a Horticulturist position. The Horticulturist is responsible for the planning and installation of all landscaping, annual flowers, tree planting, memorial programs and general maintenance of the parks. The Horticulturist will also be responsible for general tree trimming, pruning of shrubs and mulching in addition to other general park maintenance duties within the parks maintenance department. For additional details visit: https:// www.

By Nina A. Koziol Colorful containers are the ultimate residential land scape accessory. Flanking a front door or a path, they welcome your clients home. Pop them in a border and voila—instant focal point. This year, we’ve seen more offerings in ceramic—from sleek upright forms to squat, bowl-shaped pots. What’s the popular container wearing this year? Tropicals and plenty of annuals for a show that continues until the first fall frost drops the curtain. Advertisers 1st Choice Equipment .............................................47 Bartlett Tree Experts ..............................................52 Bonnell Equipment..................................................55 Breezy Hill Nursery ................................................50 Cardno ....................................................................51 Clesen Wholesale ...................................................26 Colorblends Bulbs ..................................................45 Compost Supply ......................................................30 Devroomen Garden Products..................................21 Ditchwitch Midwest ...............................................57 Doty Nurseries LLC ..................................................4 Fairview Evergreen Nurseries ..................................47 Green Glen Nursery ...............................................63 Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. ..........................................46 Homer Industries ...................................................43 James Martin Associates .......................................58 Joe Cotton Ford ......................................................34 Knapheide Truck Equipment ............................. 42 Lafarge Fox River Stone ........................................27 Longshadow Planters ............................................13 Mariani Plants ..........................................................6 Mariani Plants .........................................................37 McGinty Bros. .......................................................52 Midwest Groundcovers .............................................2 Midwest Trading .....................................................20 Spring Meadow Nursery .........................................17 Straughn Farm ........................................................49 The Mulch Center ....................................................15 Unilock, Inc. ...........................................................64 Inspiration Alley Editor’s Note: Over time, we run across a mountain of fun, innovative, and generally creative ideas. They don’t always fit with the magazine content, but we do collect them for some future use. This brings us to Inspiration Alley, a place where we display pure creativity. It’s up to you to judge the merit of each offering. So use it, lose it or be inspired to try something different. 61 This beefy terracotta pot sports Shangri-La philoden dron, Bright Red Impatiens (Beacon Series), Glory Road Coleus, All Gold Hakonechloa grass and golden creeping Jenny. Pots-a-Plenty Dark-leaved elephant ears complement coleus. Hot pink Cordyline is the upright thriller, with pink begonias and trailing Iron. Orange Zest. Another big-leaved tropical with New Guinea impatiens and creeping Jenny (Lysimachia). Tropicals should be protected when the tempera tures dip into the 40s. The Landscape Contractor August 2022 Trailing red moss roses (Portulaca) are great for hot, dry, full-sun conditions, paired with Heart oxalis.

August 2022

Informational panels provide the history of each country represented, a snapshot of their resources, and how each garden originated. Trees, shrubs, and perennials native or representa tive of each nation are gracefully designed in a series of garden rooms. You’ll also find a labyrinth of clipped shrubs to explore.

To get to the formal gardens, you pass through mature woodlands where specimens are tagged with informational signs. Look for large tulip trees overhead and waves of wild flowers at your feet. The asphalt path takes you to open lawns dotted with small gardens, each representing a different coun try. Mature spruce and anchor beds and in spring the layered branches of redbud are lit with pink flowers.

The Friendship Botanic Garden is a unique spot of garden history set within huge mature trees. The formal gardens can serve as inspiration and it’s a lovely stop if you’re in the area.

The Landscape Contractor

by Heather Prince Tucked along the shores of Lake Michigan in Michigan City, Indiana, the Friendship Botanic Gardens have a long and storied history. The parking lot features thoughtfully pruned flowering crabapple, dogwood, magnolia, and redbud trees that provide a symphony of spring color. Check in at the tiny log cabin and grab a map of the trails and gardens. This 105-acre site of formal gardens and wooded trails was the creation of three brothers, Virgil, Joe and Clarence Stauffer from Wakarusa, IN. They had developed a small gar den dubbed “An Old Mill Garden” for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933 to 1934. After the fair closed, the Stauffers had nowhere to house the displays. Dr. and Mrs. Frank Warren from Michigan City were entranced by the garden and decided to gift it as a public park. Initially named the International Friendship Gardens, when it opened in 1935 it featured 14 eth nic gardens, the Symphony Theater, and the Theater of Nations with an island stage and a natural hillside amphitheater. It soon became a popular tourist destination. To promote the gardens, celebri ties and world leaders were asked about their favorite flower, which was often incorporated into the gar den designs. For example, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands donat ed 200,000 tulip bulbs and the King of Persia sent roses for the first Rose Garden. With time, the site became challenging to maintain until in 2014 work began to revitalize the property. Today, the gardens host a broad array of family-focused events, weddings, concerts and more.

As you continue the main path, look for the iron gazebo, a pair of stone lions, a circular water feature favored by turtles, and a bell to ring in a Norwegian-inspired shelter. Once you cross the bridge over the creek, You’ll walk through an allée of towering mature white pine, fragrant to the Education Event Pavilion and the ArcelorMittal Children’s Garden with Lake Lucerne in the distance. The Symphony Garden shelters under mature spruce at the foot of a long formal fountain and is often the site of weddings and events. The path winds uphill through a stand of paw paw trees and delivers you back to the parking area.

Hidden Gems Worth Visiting Friendship Botanic Gardens 62 2055 East U.S. Highway 12 Michigan City, Hours:www.riendshipbotanicgardens.org/INMay1throughOctober1;Tuesday –Sunday: 9 am to 5 pm; closed Monday

50 years

A beautiful outdoor space should stand the test of time, every time.”

“ ~ Ed Bryant, Unilock Founder Our founder Ed Bryant believed in Unilock as a leader in innovation, and we continue to be on the leading edge of developing new products and technologies. Even now, more than 15 years since they were first introduced, the timeless beauty of Unilock Elegance pavers remains unmatched. We are the only company in North America with the technology to produce Ultima™, a proprietary concrete process that results in pavers with four times the strength of poured-in-place concrete. Combined with Reala™ surface textures, and a randomized casting method, the end result is incredibly durable pavers that deliver the authentic appearance of natural flagstone, timeworn European cobblestones and clay street pavers.

It’s just one of the many revolutionary product families we brought to North America. And we’re just getting started. of Timeless Beauty