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January 2022
CONTENTS
Excellence In Landscape Awards Project
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FOCUS: ILCA Awards and Honors ILCA Person of the Year 10 The “godfather” of iLandscape John Algozzini Distinguished Supplier Award Lafarge Fox River Stone 12
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2021 ILCA Scholarship Winners 14 iLandscape Keeps the Show Lively Another year of fun and entertainment
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iLandscape Education Takes on an International Flavor 22
12
EN ESPAÑOL One Fiesta — Todos Unidos iLandscape Show Preview
The Pros at Home Plant Designer Hans Hansen
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Member Profile 54 Monaco Landscaping
Inspiration Alley 61 Walk this way...
Hidden Landscape Gems Lincoln Park Conservatory Conifer Garden
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ONE FIESTA All United • Todos Unidos
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February 2–4, 2022 ilandscapeshow.com
On the cover... Rosborough received a Gold Award for
Residential Maintenance with this project titled Birdies and Bogeys.
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
38 3
CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS ILCA Calendar From Where I Stand President’s Message Classified Ads Advertisers Index Photo Credits
ILCA Awards Committee Rick Reuland Lafarge FRS Education Committee Hans Hansen Monaco Landscaping
1, 8-9 10-11, 19-20 12-13 22-32 38-52 54
Calendar 4 5 7 56 61
Nina Koziol Heather Prince
FEBRUARY February 2-4, 2022 iLandscape 2022
61 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 1. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is published monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA.
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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 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
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The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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From Where I Stand — All trends seem to move from west to east.
Whether music, movies, fashion, or gas-powered equipment bans. On Thursday, December 16th, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted to ban the sale of new off-road engines such as those found in leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other equipment by 2024. The restriction applies to homeowners and commercial landscapers alike. The ban includes gas-powered weed trimmers, chainsaws and power washers. The regulation does not ban existing gaspowered equipment which can be used…for now. CARB’s decision is based on the belief that battery technology will improve and zero-emission gear will become more widely available before the requirements kick in. There is supposed to be an annual review to determine whether they are on target and whether regulation needs to be altered or delayed. This is supposed to be coupled with a robust buy-back program — funding unclear. In reality, this came as a surprise to no one. California is the only state in the country that can regulate its own emission standards. The next step for California will be to apply for a waiver from the US Environmental Protection Agency. They will receive this waiver. NALP, the California Landscape Contractors Association, and other trade groups lobbied extensively against these restrictions. It did very little to slow this movement down. California was the largest and most comprehensive ban, but in reality these efforts are happening in affluent, progressive communities across the country. Leaf blower and gas-powered equipment bans are being pushed and promoted by environmental groups, national non-profits such as the American Green Zone Alliance and Quiet Communities, lawmakers, and amplified by news outlets who love whipping up a good fight. Evanston became the first Illinois community to phase out gaspowered leaf blowers by 2023. ILCA both testified and equipped our members with talking points to convey the concerns of industry. It did very little good. Evanston thanked us for our concerns and passed their ordinance anyway. They also exempted their own public works professionals and golf courses. They must breathe separate air than us. So what exactly is happening? Leaf blowers have been around for a long time. Yes, they have always gotten flack for their noise and emissions. Industry professionals are supposed to wear ear and eye protection. Industry best practices ask for the equipment to be lowered when pedestrians are near. OSHA has no respirator standards to mitigate the effects of emissions. Why has there become a national mania to ban them? There are a handful of reasons to explore. First, the American Green Zone Alliance has been dogged in its pursuit of communities who are looking to transition away from gas-powered equipment. ILCA has had AGZA Executive Director Dan Mabe at our Impact Conference. Dan is a smart, dedicated leader with a background in landscape services. AGZA is persistent, persuasive, and omnipresent. Through advocacy and a series of certifications, they soak up advocates for the cause. This grassroots approach spreads like wildfire and once they insert themselves into a community, it is very likely that regulations will follow. Second, the dark underbelly of the unbridled prosperity of the landscape industry during Covid are these types of bans. Noise complaints against landscape workers have skyrocketed. There is
this delusion among the public that industry practices have changed and equipment has become violently noisy and disruptive. None of this is remotely true. Landscapers didn’t suddenly crash the lives of homeowners, homeowners have crashed the lives of landscapers. Professionals working from home have become hyperaware of their surroundings. In this faceoff of livelihoods, there is very little sympathy for who was there first. Third, Zoom allowed all of us to stay connected. Families and businesses have relied on virtual gatherings and Zoom will far outlive the pandemic. With that said, Zoom has made grassroots advocacy a lot easier too. It used to take a series of meetings at village board or task force meetings to move these ideas forward. People had to get in their cars, show up to meetings in basements, and talk through these issues. Consensus-building was slow and plodding and relied on the energy and passion of the devotees. Zoom has allowed advocates to gather locally, regionally, and nationally. Passion has been divorced from effort, and passion is very persuasive in politics, especially environmental politics. Finally, AGZA, Quiet Communities, the Sierra Club, and other environmental groups are not dumb. They know that the soft spot in advocacy is at the municipal level. Statehouse legislation requires issues to not only survive the wide array of partisan and geographical politics, but also a phalanx of special interest groups who are also quite good at what they do. Municipal advocacy, on the other hand, usually involves getting the ear of the right person and showing up to an endless series of meetings and hearings. Outside special interest groups can be seen as carpetbaggers barging into a community to push around residents. AGZA’s approach has always been to create a groundswell of local support and then leverage that for a statewide ban. California jumped the gun with their statewide ban, but all roads lead to the same destination. All of these efforts come from the same place. Environmental advocates acknowledge that the industry changes habits, it simply does not change them fast enough. That is the fundamental divide on this issue. The industry pinky-swears we will continue to adopt better and more efficient technologies and government continues to distrust our ability to do it. That lack of trust is the crux of this entire movement. After that, it just becomes a high school debate until an ordinance is put to paper. Environmental advocates provide their long list of concerns with gas-powered equipment. Leaf blowers get blamed for everything from hearing loss to emphysema to cancer to dementia. Mountains of white papers, internet articles, and think pieces are piled up as a buttress. I have encountered arguments about particulates, noise, Benzene emissions, and a new one called Soil Armageddon where leaf blowers blast microbes into the stratosphere. Advocates for industry employ the same tactics. We demonstrate how the carbon generated from handheld equipment accounts for 4/10ths of 1% of the US’s carbon footprint. We explain how batterypowered equipment is not yet functional in a commercial setting. We show that 85% of all handheld equipment exists at the residential level. There are supply line shortages for batteries, lithium, and finished equipment. Recharging batteries in the field is problematic and constant battery changes are required for a full day of production. There are also equity issues where smaller landscape businesses cannot swap out equipment at the same rate as large commercial contractors. Finally, in an industry already facing labor shortages, tools to make our jobs harder are always less desirable.
Electric Shock
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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From Where I Stand —
A L L TO G E T H E R B E T T E R
All of these arguments have merit. All can be backed up by evidence — whether objective or anecdotal. I am not sure any of them matter. Environmental advocates and stakeholders view this as industry just dragging its feet, unable to accept change. Landscape professionals view this as government steamrolling good-idea legislation with no understanding of the unintended consequences. We are probably both right. It is difficult for landscape professionals not to feel targeted. Many of the communities entertaining these bans have a client base who rarely does their own landscaping. Many are annoyed by loud equipment and puffs of blue smoke. They view an equitable solution as strapping heavier, less efficient equipment to the backs of those they hire and fining those who don’t comply. Problem solved. Carbon footprints have exploded the last two years in our communities. The single greatest contributor to carbon are not cars, it is electricity. Many professionals now work out of the home, run their dryers and dishwashers every day, have home offices that gargle electricity, and welcome a pile of Amazon packages to their doorsteps. Many municipal officials never walk into the hundreds of businesses that provide the property tax base and look for ways these businesses can reduce their environmental impact. Landscapers are there for everyone to see and hear and have become symbols of environmentally-toxic vanity. I don’t know if this is a fight the landscape industry can win. ILCA has tried to equip members with tools to work against or work within these restrictions. Our advice at a recent multi-community stakeholder meeting was to draft a model ordinance that allows for residential and commercial phase outs beginning with three-years for residential and five-years for commercial. We strongly support buy-back programs to alleviate the fiscal pain of sweeping regulations, especially on small business. Our hope is that technology will catch up on the commercial side and the transition to electric becomes a reasonable path forward. Landscape service providers must start thinking about tomorrow’s transition today. What would a phase out look like in your business? How can clients be prepped to accept a different aesthetic standard or pay for alternative leaf strategies through surcharges? How can operations be tweaked, especially in relation to turf and bed maintenance? Finally, do your account managers know the regulations in each community and do your field crews know how to handle law or code enforcement officials if cited? It is normal to feel frustrated and persecuted. Let it all out. Like a leaf blower — it blows. Now, let’s redirect that anger and frustration. We are still an industry that believes strongly in environmental sustainability and have the record to prove it. We are one of the few professions, in any community, who actually works to sequester carbon. We reuse our water materials. We manager storm water. We plant natives and protect pollinators. It may take some time, but we got this. For now, we will work with our national partners to help better tell our story. We will equip members with talking points when they need to lobby in their own communities. We will host industry events and tradeshows that expose professionals to the latest improvements in handheld technology. What I won’t do is promise you a gas-powered, two-stroke backpack leaf blower in 2032. Banning this equipment is not going to save the world. It will give the landscape industry yet another opportunity to demonstrate we are doing our part to better the environment while many residents and businesses in our communities keep whistling past the graveyard. Over time, the sound of that denial will grow louder than any leaf blower. Let’s hope equally sharing the burden of climate change spreads west to east soon, too. Sincerely,
W W W . M A R I A N I P L A N T S .COM
866-627-4264
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Scott Grams Executive Director Dec. 20, 2021
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
President’s Message — Is it odd that 2021 sounds like ‘twenty twenty won’ and 2022 sounds like ‘twenty twenty,
too’? I sure thought so. Over the past two years, I have often felt like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day, living what seems to be the same, perpetual, daily loop. Thankfully, my name isn’t Phil, and this isn’t Groundhog Day, so with the arrival of January comes a new year of new opportunity. Let’s hope 2022 sounds more like ‘twenty twenty WOO!’ I do my best to stay positive and maintain a glass half-full mentality because, without this, I’m destined to cave to the pressures of these challenges. Have the past two years been difficult and challenged us in ways we’d not thought possible? [Insert obvious answer here]. I’ll give you a hint: the answer is yes. But our members, our association, and our industry do not give in; it isn’t in our DNA. There is something to be said about thriving during crisis, instead of just surviving. Just because you are dealt a poor hand, doesn’t mean that you need to fold. At the beginning of the pandemic, we were, indeed, dealt a terrible hand that put us in survival mode, but one thing made the difference between where we were and where we currently are – planning. As touched on in my November message, it should be a priority to incorporate dedicated strategic planning into your schedule to ensure your goals are clearly defined for the coming year(s). As an example, the ILCA BoardScott McAdam Jr. Committee Chair Summit takes place in December, which is the kick-off to the Board’s strategic planning efforts. At this summit, it allows the committee chairs and associate chairs to interact with the board and provide feedback on a topic of concern. We like to call this meeting ‘strategic planning “light”’. Fast forward to middle February and we arrive at the twoday, strategic planning meeting for the ILCA Board of Directors. At this meeting, the board works through our three-year strategic plan to ensure that we have defined objectives that will continue to help the association, and its contributions to the membership, thrive. Fellow ILCA director, Dean MacMorris, provides his expertise in strategic planning to be our moderator. Our plan is broken into Objectives, Tactics, and Strategies, and as he will tell you, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it and if it isn’t measurable, it can’t be on the plan.” Your plan will need to be built on measurable goals to maintain strong levels of accountability. We, at McAdam, also incorporate strategic planning into our operation, as it is a vital component to our successes (and failures) each year. Planning can be daunting, especially for those who have never done it. The written plan will be your guide, but the process of strategic planning allows you to be prepared for, and respond to, the unknown that will undeniably come. “In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” — Dwight Eisenhower
President
Scott McAdam, Jr. McAdam Landscaping, Inc. (708) 771-2299 Scottjr@mcadamlandscape.com
Vice-President
Jeff Kramer Kramer Tree Specialists, Inc, (630) 293-5444 jwkramer@kramertree.com
Secretary-Treasurer
Ashley Marrin Bret-Mar Landscape Management Group, Inc. (708) 301-8160 ashley@bretmarlandscape.com
Immediate Past President Donna Vignocchi Zych ILT Vignocchi, Inc. (847) 487-5200 dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com
Directors
Eric Adams Russo Power Equipment (847) 233-7811 eadams@russopower.com Jim Cirrincione Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. (630) 323-1411 jcirrincione@hinsdalenurseries .com
Sincerely, Scott McAdam Jr.
Kim Hartmann Hartmann Consulting 847-404-7669 hartmannkim@comcast.net Jennifer Fick Wilson Nurseries and Landscape Supply (847) 683-3700 jennf@wilsonnurseries.com Tom Klitzkie Nature’s Perspective Landscaping (847) 475-7917 tklitzkie@naturesperspective.com
Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net Kevin Manning K & D Enterprise Landscape Management, Inc. (815) 725-0758 kmanning@kdlandscapeinc.com Mark Utendorf Emerald Lawn Care, Inc. (847) 392-7097 marku@emeraldlawncare.com
www.ilca.net
¿Es extraño que, en inglés, 2021 suene como ‘veinte-veinte ganar’ y 2022 como ‘veinte-veinte también’? De seguro lo pensé. Durante los dos últimos años, con frecuencia me he sentido como Phil Connors en Groundhog Day, viviendo lo que parece ser el mismo y perpetuo bucle diario. Por suerte, no me llamo Phil, y esto no es Groundhog Day, por lo cual, con la venida de enero comienza un nuevo año de nuevas oportunidades. ¡Esperemos que 2022 suene más como ‘veinte-veinte HURRA!’ Hago lo que puedo para mantener una actitud positiva y una mentalidad de vaso medio lleno porque, sin eso, mi destino sería ceder a las presiones de estos desafíos. ¿Han sido difíciles los últimos dos años, desafiándonos de formas que no pensábamos fueran posibles? [Insertar aquí respuestas obvias]. Les daré una pista: La respuesta es sí. Pero nuestros miembros, nuestra asociación y nuestra industria no se rinden; eso no está en nuestro AND. Algo bueno hay que decir de prosperar durante una crisis, en lugar de simplemente sobrevivir. El que te repartan una mala mano no significa que debes doblegarte. Al comienzo de la pandemia, nos repartieron una mano verdaderamente terrible que nos puso en modo de sobrevivencia, pero algo hizo la diferencia entre donde estábamos entonces y dónde nos encontramos ahora – la planificación. Como dije en mi mensaje de noviembre, debe ser una prioridad incorporar la planificación estratégica dedicada en sus calendarios para asegurar que sus objetivos queden claramente definidos para los próximos años. Como ejemplo, la Cumbre de Presidentes de Comités de la Junta de ILCA se realiza en diciembre, iniciando los esfuerzos de planificación estratégica de la Junta. Esta cumbre permite a los presidentes de los comités y a los presidentes asociados interactuar con la junta y aportar sugerencias y comentarios sobre un tema problemático. Nos gusta llamar esta reunión ‘planificación estratégica “light”’. Adelantemos a mediados de febrero y llegamos a la reunión de planificación estratégica de dos días de la Junta de Directores de ILCA. En esta reunión, la junta trabaja en nuestro plan estratégico de tres años para asegurar que contemos con objetivos definidos que continuarán ayudando a la asociación, y sus aportes a la membresía, a prosperar. El compañero director de ILCA, Dean MacMorris, aporta su experiencia y profesionalismo en planificación estratégica como nuestro moderador. Nuestro plan se desglosa en Objetivos, Tácticas y Estrategias y como él les dirá, “Si no lo puedes medir, no lo puedes gestionar y si no es mensurable, no puede estar en el plan”. Su plan necesita desarrollarse con metas mensurables para mantener sólidos niveles de responsabilidad y cumplimiento. Nosotros, en McAdam, también incorporamos la planificación estratégica en nuestras operaciones, por ser un componente vital de nuestros éxitos (y fracasos) cada año. La planificación puede ser desalentadora, especialmente para quienes nunca la han hecho. El plan escrito será su guía, pero el proceso de planificación estratégica le permite estar preparado para enfrentar y responder a lo desconocido que indudablemente vendrá. “Al preparar para la batalla, siempre he encontrado que los planes son inútiles, pero la planificación es indispensable.” — Dwight Eisenhower
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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Chalet Landscape • Wilmette Winnetka Residence
After a comprehensive
property renovation was completed for this Winnetka residence a customized landscape management plan was put into action. The landscape consists of many mature trees such as, Oak, American Elm, Maple, and Crabapple. Large planting beds filled with Blackhaw Viburnum, Bald Cypress, Green Giant Arborvitae, and layers of hydrangea and perennials border the property. A permeable paver driveway has improved site drainage and welcomes guests as they enter the property. Weekly visits by an experienced management crew ensure the lasting beauty of the landscape. Careful attention is paid to bed edging, weeding, and trimming all done by hand. The bluestone patios are
swept clean each week. Every other year, mason sand is swept into the joints to extend the life of the patio. Large annual ground plantings as well as containers are planted seasonally to bring continuous color to the landscape. The mature trees on the property are trimmed annually and an extensive regime of fertilization and preventative care applications ensure the trees will be healthy for the future. The organic turf care program keeps the lawn healthy throughout the year and is safe for the family pets. Slow release organic fertilizers and leaf compost are applied to the planting beds annually. Careful attention to detail paired with sustainable care practices ensure the client’s property will be beautiful for the life of the landscape.
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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ILCA Awards & Honors —
ILCA’s 2021-22 Person of the Year
by Nina Koziol
When John Algozzini graduated from
Indiana University in 1977 he began applying for jobs. He had studied English, U.S. history and journalism. “I thought I was going to teach English and coach football, but I ended up in a job at a bank in Indianapolis for three years and was bored out of my mind.” On the way to and from work he passed Country Harmony Home & Garden Center and frequently stopped in. The rest, as they say, is history. “The owner hired me to work on the weekends. I worked there three to four months and quit my job.” When he told his wife, her response was “Good, the weekends were killing you.” Little did she realize he quit the bank. “It was an alignment of the stars for me — I was so fortunate. The owner was contagious and positive in an excessive way. He was talented and enthusiastic.” That job hooked him on the green industry and early in his career he worked for several award-winning landscape firms, sharpening his skills in design sales and creative services. Later he applied those skills at Dutch Barn, Kinsella and K&D. “I had the right set of employers and was able to be nurtured and educated, and I self-educated.” He met Bob Hursthouse while working at Hinsdale Nursery 35 years ago and they’ve been close friends ever since. And, knowing Algozzini’s many talents, Hursthouse recently brought him onboard at Hursthouse, Inc. “He’s a thoughtful, deep-thinking individual,” Hursthouse said. “He likes to have creative solutions and he can see the reality behind a challenge very quickly, which makes him an exceptional designer and salesman. He connects really well with people and he’s highly effective.” He has influenced many ILCA members through his good deeds. “He’s as genuine and unique as he sounds,” says Steve Raczak, sales rep for Twixwood Nursery. “We go back close to 20 years. I’m not sure if I’ve ever met anyone as creative with his design skills or innovation. He often flows against the current. I think he was the voice for a lot of members through his contributions and work on committees. He’s spoken for those who had differing thoughts and opinions about what we should and could be doing.”
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Connecting with ILCA
Algozzini had taken many ILCA classes beginning in the mid-1990s, but it wasn’t until 2008 that he became really active with the association. “Bob had nudged me on several occasions, saying you need to get involved and ultimately he wore me down. That was my good fortune though I certainly didn’t recognize it at the moment.” He signed up for leadership training. “I knew Steve Raczak who was a committee chair and asked him if he needed any ballast.” About the same time, the Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show (Mid-Am) in Chicago was taking a long, painful nosedive. Many exhibitors were concerned that the convention might cease altogether. They were worried that sales would go completely online, but one exhibitor voiced what everyone felt: faceto-face interaction will never be replaced by the internet. Period. Algozzini began writing letters. “When I wrote to the Mid-Am board and Smithbucklin, the show’s association manager, I said we’re a green industry but we don’t have any gardens! I was at a Unilock Christmas party with nearly 500 people and watched attendees sit to the end just to win a $50 gift certificate. I said we need to do raffles and make things fun.” When the Mid-Am Board voted to dissolve, I saw an opportunity. I was there alongside Jack Pizzo and Joe Hobson telling Scott Grams that I wanted to chair the committee [for iLandscape]. Although he won’t confirm it, there’s a rumor that he brought an empty McDonald’s Happy Meal box to the ILCA office and said, “What’s missing from this box is fun.” That box was a symbol for what could become iLandscape. He saw an opportunity to fill that box — create a new ILCA event that engaged members, attendees and exhibitors in a unique way. He credits Executive Director Scott Grams and the ILCA board. “I’ll be forever thankful to Scott. That’s how I ended up on the Experience Committee — chairing it and pulling the show together with a really good group of people that first year.” “I had the pleasure of serving on the Education Committee during the transition to iLandscape,” Raczak said. “John was someone on the committee who offered unique insight into what members needed and wanted. When I think
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
about iLandscape and John, I think about the fun, the buzz, the raffles, the education. Transforming the experience of that show has been very instrumental to the current success of the association.” Steve Regan, senior vice president of sales at Semmer Landscape has known Algozzini for 18 years. “He works tirelessly to improve our industry and the people in it, especially in Illinois. John does not do this for the accolades — he is very humble. I think that is what makes him special. He truly does it for the love of the game. He has made me much better at my profession and I cannot thank him enough.”
The Dawn of iLandscape
“John’s an exceptional association member,” Hursthouse said. “He’s an effective communicator and he’s fun to be around and he’s extremely loyal.” The run-up to the first iLandscape show ultimately became a marathon with many participants and the course was not always easy and sometimes felt like it was an uphill struggle. Many people were involved, but it was Algozzini who was a driving force, encouraging the ILCA to move quickly ahead. In the end, the inaugural iLandscape launched in January 2013 and it has picked up speed every year. “I’ve known John since 2004, as a boss, a mentor, a colleague, a friend and a partner in crime,” said Tina ScanlanTurner of Infinity Lawn and Landscape in Frankfort. “He is bold, aggressive, infectious, fearless, and incorrigible. As Mid-Am was breathing its dying breath he volunteered to spearhead the first iLandscape show committee before it had a name, or even a direction. He had a vision with the confidence to back it up, and miraculously convinced the executive director and the board to turn him loose. He then recruited and rallied the troops to help him execute the plan and it has been on a roll ever since.” Katrina House, general manager at Xylem Ltd. met John nine years ago when he asked her to join the Experience Committee to plan for the first iLandscape show. “I consider him a dear friend ever since that phone call. John, in my eyes, is the godfather of iLandscape. He took the vision and put a group of people together that he thought could hit a home run. And, he continued to dig and work each year to make it bigger and better and keep it fresh. He is so passionate about the landscape industry and his customers — I feel very blessed to have met him.” “When we were on the iLandscape Committee together he brought many of his plant-nerd gang to spearhead this new show adventure,” said Anna Smailus of Alan
Horticultural Enterprises in Joliet. “I believe in my heart the show would have never become what it is now without all of his incredible ideas and concepts that came to life.” “I don’t think I realized it at the time, but all events need a vibe and culture,” said Scott Grams, ILCA Executive Director. “They are more than a collection of stuff happening under a tradeshow roof. John wanted iLandscape to take risks, laugh a little, and provide inspiration and imagination. The landscape industry is full of pent-up energy in the winter. Yes, we are professionals, but John ripped the door off its hinges and let in the fun. Wouldn’t you know it, people followed. John deserves so much credit for the vibe that iLandscape enjoys to this day.”
Kudos and More
Algozzini was truly surprised when ILCA’s past president Donna Vignocchi Zych called to tell him about the award. “She said she was really excited, and I thought to myself ‘Is she opening a division in Manteno’ [his home town]?” When he realized he was chosen as Person of the Year, he was almost dumbfounded. “I said no way! I had goosebumps and was absolutely overwhelmed by the honor. It was certainly humbling in the moment and it still is.” “The Person of the Year award is the pinnacle of a lifetime of his achievements, and I would personally like to congratulate Algo on a job well done,” ScanlanTurner said. Her comments are echoed by many of his peers. “He is such a generous, giving person and has done so much for our industry,” said Sharon Bretl-Marrin from Bret-Mar Landscape in Homer Glen. “He’s an all-around nice guy.” “This is a much deserved award for my friend and colleague,” said Scott Lucchetti, senior landscape designer at C.B. Conlin Landscapes in Naperville. “John has dedicated his career to raising the bar on professionalism and creativity in the design/build sector of residential landscape architecture. He is a well-respected individual and has done more to help my career than anyone else in the industry. From writing letters of recommendation when I was looking for a change of scenery to encouraging me to serve on professional committees, he has truly gone out of his way to propel my career forward. I can’t think of another person more deserving of this award.” Smailus is another friend who has known Algozzini for 13 years. “He was my boss back in 2009 and was the best, most caring and forward-thinking boss I’ve ever had. He treats everyone equal and shares his horticultural knowledge along the way.” Algozzini once told Smailus something that has stuck with her to this day. “He said people won’t always remember what you said or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”
The Landscape Contractor 11 January 2022
ILCA Awards & Honors —
ILCA Selects—
Lafarge Fox River Stone Distinguished Supplier Award Nina A. Koziol
There are products and then there’s customer
service. Sometimes one outweighs the other. And then there’s that special firm that offers an exceptional level of both great products and great service. It will come as no surprise to longtime customers of Lafarge Fox River Decorative Stone that the firm recently received the ILCA’s Supplier of the Year Award. “We’ve been buying from them for over 20 years,” said Tony Sindt, president of Seasonal Concepts in West Chicago. “They carry a very diverse set of products from pavers to walls to natural stone and mulches. It is rare that we’re unable to find a specified product. Lafarge just has good people that work there. Our experiences from the top down have always been good. You can tell that team has great leadership and that transforms into a better supply house for us. They truly do work for us — and that loyalty goes a long way to seal the deal on where we buy our products.” In the Beginning In 1934, Fox River Stone in South Elgin began as a fabrication shop that used locally mined limestone. Over the past eight decades it has blossomed into a prosperous business offering landscape, hardscape and masonry products, and accessories. The company manufactures its own base gravel and sand and the property sits on a limestone mine, which makes it unique. In 2007, Lafarge-Holcim, a world leader in the building materials industry, bought Fox River Stone and renamed it. 12
“I like to say that we operate like a small business but we have the global backing of this large organization,” says Nicole Nault, resale operations manager. “We can make the decisions locally. It’s an ‘act local, think global’ kind of model. There are a lot of details with ordering, but my favorite thing is interacting with our customers.” She manages a nine-member team in sales, warehousing, and shipping and loading. “We’re so excited about the award. It was totally unexpected.” The Customer’s Always Right Although it’s well known for its product lines, it’s the company’s excellent customer service that clients have come to appreciate. “People who’ve spent time with us have said ‘it looks like you guys are having so much fun,’” said sales rep Jim Slattery. “We do have camaraderie and fun but the customer comes first.” Slattery notes that while he and Sarah Egan handle outside sales, they work closely together and don’t have specific territories. “It’s not ‘you’re my customer or that’s my customer,’” Slattery said. “All of us know our customers and they know all of us.” “They have been our main supplier for eight years,” said Scott Hutchings, vice president of operations at Grant & Power Landscaping. “They have great customer service and they work with us constantly, always checking in—they’re like another arm of Grant & Power.” Sales rep Sarah Egan has been with the company for nearly three years. “Our key focus is customer service. We’re different from other companies in that we have such a team mentality at our location and that creates a fantastic environment to help
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
support our customers and each other. My customers make my job very fun and the staff is phenomenal to work with. The award is a nice honor.” “I’ve been buying from Lafarge for at least eight years,” said Bob Bols, manager of operations at Pederson Company in St. Charles. “First and foremost they’re close. Time and distance makes a difference, but their service and rapport is above and beyond that which I’d get anywhere else. I’d go to them and spend a little bit more for the service and friendliness I get.” Bols has developed a dear friendship with Slattery. “We hit it off — we’ve had a close working relationship and then we became more than work friends. He’s a great person and our families know one another. He makes my life that much easier with what I do.” Challenging Times It’s no surprise that the pandemic impacted the availability of materials. “I’ve been encouraging my customers and their customers to be more flexible with design choices because products aren’t always available,” Egan said. Slattery said the demand for product was high in 2020 but 2021 was even greater. “It was one of the busiest years in our industry but the biggest challenge was getting material. Where something would typically take seven to 10 days, or special orders would take two to four weeks, it would be three or four months.” In situations where customers needed an exact product for an add-on, Slattery urged them to purchase early while it was still available. “I noticed that our customers became more organized and ordered materials sooner than they had in the past.” The company has plans to expand product sourcing. “We do get locally mined stone but also from all over—-from Pennsylvania and from Tennessee,” Nault said. “Now we’re looking to source stone globally as well since the world is becoming a more global marketplace.” Although Nault notes that most stone companies have similar product offerings, “It’s the service piece that sets us apart. If someone’s initial plan can’t come to fruition because their end client changes their budget, we can offer different solutions and drop off samples.”
Volunteerism “We really enjoy being a part of the ILCA,” Nault said. “When I first started, my predecessor had scheduled a visit to the ILCA office. Most industries have an association, but I found it interesting as a first week activity—visiting the ILCA office! I met Scott Grams and the folks and immediately we were discussing committees and different opportunities.” She signed up for the Women’s Networking Group that first week. “I was new to the industry and I found it so interesting and so fun and now I’m serving as the chair of the Women’s Networking Group. We love being a part of the ILCA and what better way to be successful than to be involved with the association.” Slattery serves on ILCA’s Golf Committee and Egan is a member of the Snow Committee. “The sense of community is what’s best about the ILCA and the support we have for one another,” Egan said. “Even though we may be competitors, at the end of the day we’re all trying to do the best for each other.” Slattery has served on the Golf Committee for more than 12 years. “I play golf so it was a natural fit and at the time I knew all of the members on the committee. Back when I started we had five members and now we have 16. For the past three years, we have sold out with foursomes and sponsorships by August 1 for the September outing.” Tributes “Sarah and Nicole and the whole group make my job easier by knowing what they’re doing,” Bols said. “That’s the best thing I can say — the way they handle things, what they know and what they do.” “Their customer service is phenomenal and I usually deal with Nicole,” said Taylor Wilson, project coordinator for McGinty Brothers. “I can give her an obscure spec and say this is what my boss is looking for. If she doesn’t have an answer she can get me to someone who can help me, which is huge. We’ve done more stone this year and Lafarge has been a lifesaver.”
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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ILCA Awards & Honors —
Congratulations Scholarship Winners! Kendra Teune Downers Grove, IL
Natalie (Ali) Dombi Oak Park, IL
$10,000 Scholarship Purdue University
$2,500 Scholarship College of DuPage
The Pizzo Group Scholarship for Ecosystem Restoration in Honor of Grace Koehler
Schmechtig Landscape Company Scholarship Schmechtig Landscape Company
Jessica Flatley Chicago, IL
Andrea Fager Chillicothe, IL
$5,000 Scholarship Illinois Institute of Technology
$2,500 Scholarship Iowa State University
The Denny R. Church Memorial Scholarship The Church Family and organized by Bruce Church of Balanced Environments
James Martin Family Scholarship James Martin Associates, Inc.
Seth Brady Naperville, IL
Galvin McQuellon Urbana, IL
$5,000 Scholarship College of DuPage
$2,500 Scholarship University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Rocco Fiore & Sons, Inc. Scholarship Rocco Fiore & Sons, Inc.
The Corey D’Ancona Scholarship Bertog Landscape Co.
The Illinois Landscape Contractors Education and Charitable Organization (ILCECO) was established to create a perpetual fund for ILCA’s annual scholarships. The ILCECO mission statement is “To promote higher education in horticulture and green industry-related courses by funding an endowment.” Each year, the ILCECO Board of Directors determines the number of scholarships and amounts awarded out of the fund that was established.
2022 Scholarship Applications Available Now www.ilca.net 14
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
Kate Perryman Chicago, IL $2,500 Scholarship Southern Illinois University Edwardsville/Kansas City Art Institute
711 S Material Road Romeoville, IL 800-762-5738 • 815-836-0086 rocksetc@att.net
The Mariani Landscape Scholarship Mariani Landscape
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Christian Schlogel
Clarendon Hills, IL $1,000 Scholarship Hinsdale Central High School Schwantz Family Charitable Foundation American Endowment Foundation
Madilyn Hoock
Red Bud, IL $1,000 Scholarship Red Bud High School CUSD #132 Ronald R. Damgaard Memorial Scholarship Otto Damgaard Sons, Inc.
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Ethan Brockman
Verona, IL $1,000 Scholarship Seneca High School The William E. “Bill” Dahlgren Memorial Scholarship Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply
Adam Villarreal Chicago, IL $1,000 Scholarship Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences Ray and Bernadette Oltman Scholarship GRO Horticultural Enterprises, Inc.
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Nicholas Timmermann
Germantown, IL $1,000 Scholarshi Mater Dei High Catholic High School Schroeder Family Foundation Scholarship
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The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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By Meta L. Levin
What can you expect from iLandscape in
2022? After a year of going virtual, ILCA’s favorite event is back baby! — and in a very big way. Yes, the Gnomes are back. The raffles are back, so is the woodcarver. Don’t forget the EXHIBITORS! But mostly, the people will be back for iLandscape 2022: One Fiesta —All United • Todos Unidos. “We are committed to bringing everyone back together,” says Dave Warning, iLandscape Experience Committee chair. The annual Illinois and Wisconsin landscape show is scheduled for February 2-4, 2022 and will be returning to the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL. As the One Fiesta name implies, this year’s iLandscape will have a Latino theme, with lots of color, games, music and food, Warning says. “This culture is an important part of our industry.” ILCA Executive Director Scott Grams is excited about the coming event. “I love the theme and the creative energy that went into planning it,” he says. “2022 is supposed to feel like a party and coming together.” There will be three days of education sessions, covering 16
a wide variety of topics, including Spanish language offerings, an irrigation workshop and a student career day. Many will offer continuing education credits for landscape architects and certified arborists. “The education is going to be top notch,” says Grams. The Latino and Americano subcommittee will be digging deeper into the theme with a four-part cultural series, “Uniting Latino and American Culture in the Workplace,” scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. It is free with trade show admission. Put together by a committee composed of Latino and American landscape professionals, this program will be presented in Spanish, but will be followed at a later date by an English language version, says Grams. It falls neatly into the iLandscape 2022 show theme, One Fiesta. “It’s all about bringing the cultures together. This is such a nice piece that clicks in with the theme, recognizing the culture strengths of everyone.” The vendors are happy to be back, as well. “We are excited about how many vendors are coming back. Both rooms are filled,” says Warning.
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
Gardens galore
Even the convention center itself is putting its best foot forward. The bar and the Sam and Harry’s Restaurant both have been completely revamped. “The restaurant has been turned into a gastro pub,” says Grams. “It’s more laid back and relaxing.” In addition, the parking lot across the street from the convention center is now open to attendees, many of whom had to be bussed in from remote parking in the past. While most of the One Fiesta will be a celebration, there will be a somber note, as well. The committee felt it was important to remember those the industry has lost during the last two years, whether from COVID 19 or other causes. “We sustained a lot of losses and this is a way to pay tribute to them,” says Chris Walsh, who heads the Experience Committee’s Design and Layout subcommittee. Members felt a memorial garden was an appropriate way to honor those who died. Photographs and brief tributes, contributed by ILCA and WNLA members, will be framed and included in planters interspersed along the walls on which the iPix winners will be displayed in the Ballroom. As befits an event targeting landscape contractors, landscape architects, horticulturists, arborists and other professionals, there will be gardens throughout the exhibit halls. “We’ve got some cool, neat gardens, put together by a talented committee,” Warning says. All the gardens are designed to be places for attendees to sit, talk and renew acquaintances. “The theme is One Fiesta, so we decided to make it a celebration of space,” says Walsh. The Entry Garden will have a Fiesta theme with benches and chairs.
Tables, perfect places to grab a bite to eat or something to drink, and benches will dot the Mexican Plaza Garden with its fountain and bright colors. Look out for the plant truck from the Get Growing Foundation, too. Adjacent to that the membership booth will morph into a Membership Bar/Cantina where attendees can sidle up to the bar and talk with staff or association officers in a relaxed garden atmosphere. The Fiesta Stage will be surrounded by larger tables, where groups of eight or 10 people can get together for lunch, discussion and networking. It also can serve as added space for vendors to talk with customers, says Walsh. In addition to the Memorial Garden, the Ballroom will feature a Cocina Garden. Another dining area, it will be near a smaller stage, from which musicians will play. Cocina is Spanish slang for kitchen.
Wednesday night Party Time
While attendees will be able to relax, chat and network in the comfort of the gardens, they’ll be able to celebrate and kick up their heels at the annual Wednesday evening party, scheduled from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. This year it will feature The Modern Day Romeos, a cover band that plays everything from Motown to classic rock, metal, as well as favorites from the 80s, 90s and 2000s. They include comedy in their act, as well as new versions of old favorites. “They are crowd interactive, with songs that you can sing along,” says Katrina House, who heads the Wednesday night party subcommittee. (continued on page 18)
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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(continued from page 17) In keeping with the One Fiesta theme, partiers will be able to chow down at taco stations, snack on chips and salsa and partake from the requisite kegs of beer. Of course, says House, there will be plenty of desserts to satisfy party goers’ need for sweets. The fun will continue during the band’s break with raffles, guessing games and other activities to keep the crowd entertained. “Everybody is ready to get hands-on and interactive,” says House. “But we will be safe.” Participants will not have to wait for the fun until evening. Attendees can take a breather from education and business with a long list of diversions. Daytime entertainment subcommittee chair Mike Wesley ticks off a list that includes five arcade games and two life size wood tiki games. Wood carver Eric Widitz will make a return engagement outside the vestibule where people can watch him work. His carvings will be raffled off Wednesday and Thursday from the main stage. “He’s been at iLandscape multiple times,” says Wesley. “To see him
carve a four-foot eagle with a chain saw, is pretty phenomenal to watch.” From 9 am to 11 am, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Hector Fernandez will serenade show goers in the lobby playing classical guitar pieces. On Wednesday, Shady Play, a jazzy pop band, will play from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on the Fiesta Stage and Liz and Hala, an acoustic duo, will perform during the same time in the Ballroom. And, from 2:30 pm to 4 pm, Thursday, a Mariachi Band will parade through the show to help kick off the Thursday night raffle, which will start around 4 pm in the main exhibit hall. Thursday is Awards Banquet night, an evening jam packed with excitement, featuring the Excellence in Landscape Award Winners, the Person of the Year, the Distinguished Service Award Winner, the 2021-2022 Scholarship winners and the Judges Platinum Award – the best of the best as chosen by the judges. The band BMR4 will entertain the crowd. (continued on page 20)
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The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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(continued from page 18) Downhome Guitars, an acoustic duo, will play 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, Thursday from the Fiesta Stage, then from 2:30 to 4 pm from the Ballroom stage. Meanwhile a keyboard-guitar duo, will provide lunchtime music from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on the Ballroom stage. On Friday, there will be a solo keyboardist performing from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, on the Ballroom stage and a keyboard-guitar duo entertaining the lunchtime crowd on the Fiesta Stage. If you need a relaxing massage, from 10 am to 2 pm, Wednesday and Thursday, Nivati will provide chair massages in the Lobby. “In the past, they have been a huge hit,” says Wesley. For a little artistic fun, from 11 am to 3 pm, Bruce Carlevato will do “Caricatures by Bruce” in the hallway. The Experience Committee has resurrected the “Boys and Gals of the Boulevard,” a popular attraction from a few years ago. These committee members will circulate through the show bearing nearly $3,500 in cash prizes, which they will bestow on unsuspecting show goers. “it’s up to their discretion,” says Wesley. There will be a lot more prizes. “The Gnomes will be back,” says Rachelle Lurvey-Eifert, Raffles, Prizes and Contests subcommittee chair. “I hope people will enjoy
20
finding them.” That includes the famous Golden Gnome, worth $100 to the lucky person who discovers him. The others will net the finder anywhere from $20 to $100. Thursday evening’s party for those not attending the Awards Banquet will include games like the Tiki Toss. “Toss the ring, get it on the hook and get cash,” says Lurvey-Eifert. There also will be some piñatas at which partiers can try their hands, as well as be guessing games, beverages and snacks, and raffles. Prizes include passes to the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Morton Arboretum, Boerner Botanic Garden and Mitchell Park Domes. iPix is back, too. Entrants can submit their own amateur photos in any of 12 categories, including black and white, flowers, garden art or structures, pets, public gardens, state or national parks, sunsets, trees, water, wildlife, winter and the wild card category. The winners’ pictures will be printed on canvas and displayed in the Ballroom, as well as earning prizes that range from the $500 grand prize, $100 first prize and $75 second prizes in each category, which will be announced at 4:30 pm on Thursday. “We want everyone attending to be glad they took time out of their day to be there,” says Wesley. “We want them to call their friends and say, ‘what a cool show.’”
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Cylinder displacement, cc
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Power output, hp
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Sound pressure level at operators ear, dB(A)
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Equivalent vibration level (ahv, eq) front/rear handle, m/s2
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iLandscape Classes have been finalized and what
a stunning array it is. Browse through this remarkable selection of classes then head to ilandscapeshow.com to register.
WEDNESDAY 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM Room: Euphoria Why Plant Growth Regulators are the Sound Business Approach to Addressing the Labor Shortage Cory McCurry, Rainbow Ecoscience Plant growth regulators can improve the way you manage landscapes. The newest generation of plant growth regulators can be used to control the growth of trees, shrubs, ground covers, hedges, and vines. Lee and Patrick will discuss how using plant growth regulators reduces pruning cycles, increases profits and safety, manages labor shortages, and maintains better-looking plants.
Room: Nirvana A The Human Resources Imperative: How to Design, Prioritize, and Implement a Human Resources Department Steven Cesare, The Harvest Group This presentation lends clarity to the increasingly complex area of Human Resources that most business owners are confronted with on a daily basis. Steven will share how to categorize the domain of human resources into an easy-to-apply framework that will help simplify the business owner’s mindset about what should be done and when it should be done. The Human Resources Imperative identifies three specialty areas into which all human resources functions are allocated, organized, and understood. The simplicity of this model makes it easy for business owners to focus on a systematic plan to build their human resources program in a manner that is legally complaint, results-oriented, and sustainable over time. 22
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
Program is subject to change. Please check the website, mobile app or on site signage for updates.
Room: Nirvana BC Cultivating Cultivars – The How and Why of New Tree Introduction Nancy Buley, J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co It’s a long and complex journey from seed to city tree. Today’s weather extremes call for the development of a new generation of urban trees that are climate resilient, and comprised of a diverse blend of species and cultivars – native and introduced. In this session, attendees will understand the timeline and processes of tree production. And how and why of cultivar development will help you plan ahead for choosing , growing and planting the best trees for the future urban forest.
Room: Utopia AB Everything You Should Know to Make Your Building Permit Process Flow Jon Hirsch, Krugel Cobbles, Inc.; Moira Dillon, Krugel Cobbles, Inc. The thought of applying for building permits is enough to make any landscape contractor scratch their head. Every municipality has different regulations which add complexity and time to the process. Krugel Cobbles has successfully submitted hundreds of permits. They have learned when you need a permit and why, understanding what municipalities need, and how to get the initial submission right. Jon and Moira will also review areas that have to approve the submitted permit, and what do they evaluate. You’ll leave with easy steps to keep track of the permit process and key mistakes to avoid.
Room: Utopia CD Art of Gardening at Chanticleer Bill Thomas, Chanticleer Join Chanticleer’s Executive Director and Head Gardener Bill Thomas for a visual tour and behind-the-scenes look at what The Washington Post calls “one of the most interesting and edgy public gardens in America.” Chanticleer, once the home of the Rosengarten family, is known for residential-scale plant combinations featuring foliage textures and colors, a wide variety of containers, and imaginative handmade furniture. This is a garden where the staff are the designers, competing with each other and with the horticultural world to make the garden fun, visually exciting, and environmentally responsible. Bill will offer insights on what inspires this special place.
9:45 AM – 11:00 AM Room: Euphoria Fungi with Benefits Chelsi Abbott, Davey Tree Expert Company Plants are part of a complex ecosystem involving many organisms including bacteria, fungi, insects, and animals. Unfortunately, when one thinks of fungi, one thinks of the many pathogenic fungi that cause disease and decay that are a nuisance or a danger to humans. However even though these seem to make many of the headlines, pathogenic fungi encompass a small percentage of the fungi present in this ecosystem. This talk will aim to review some of the benefits that certain types of fungi can have while focusing on the associations fungi form with plants that can increase nutrient absorption and reduce drought response. The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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STREAMING LIVE FROM INDIA! Room: Nirvana A Designing Meditative Gardens Vallari Talapatra, Eco Scapes, Inc. There are a myriad of ways to focus and relax. Most require some sort of connection to electronics, when the easiest way to accomplish this is to step outside into nature. Meditative gardens instill tranquility, balance and a sense of calm for most of us. In every garden Vallari designs, she includes a space for contemplation. Vallari will discuss the elements of a meditative garden and how to put these elements together. Attendees will learn how to make a meditative garden integrate with the rest of the garden setting, and leave focused and relaxed.
Room: Nirvana BC Urban Sketching 101 Aaron Elswick, WGI Take a crash course in urban sketching! This session will touch on the integral role that drawing plays with a professional setting and present urban sketching as a platform for continual professional practice and growth. We will kick off with an introductory presentation where Aaron will share the benefits of urban sketching, his tools, and tips & tricks for success. A demonstration will follow, and the group will be able to follow along as the instructor shares his approach to breaking down complex scenes, drawing in perspective, and simplifying common urban elements into replicable features and textures. Room: Utopia AB Gardens that Rock! Jeff Epping, Olbrich Botanical Gardens If you want a garden that truly rocks, look no further than a gravel garden. Earthfriendly gravel gardens require less of just about everything – water, mulch, energy, chemicals and most importantly labor – but give back so much more. Jeff Epping, Director of Horticulture at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, created a number of gravel gardens at Olbrich and in his own home garden that you can easily incorporate into your home landscape, as well. Don’t confuse these gardens with traditional rock or alpine gardens that can look more rocky than green and require a great deal of time to maintain. These sustainable gravel gardens are as colorful as any perennial planting around, provide food and habit for pollinators and other insects and require up to 80% less maintenance than a traditional perennial planting. Jeff will show you how to replace conventional lawns, expensive annual plantings, and labor-intensive perennial beds with these easy-to-maintain gravel gardens, just as he’s done at Olbrich and elsewhere.
Room: Utopia CD Lost in Translation: The 5 Things Businesses Must Understand About the Latinx Culture Bernie Carranza, Consultant Back by popular demand! Join Bernie Carranza as he expands on key points discussed in his 2020 webinar. Spanish-speakers and Latinx employees comprise over 50% of the Illinois landscape industry. Bridging the gap is bigger than language. It is a cultural understanding that can reap tremendous dividends. This is a can’t miss session for anyone else looking to bridge the cultural divide and establish a more productive and harmonious workplace. Bernie will address some of the biggest misconceptions of working alongside Latino employees, leaving you with a renewed understanding and appreciation of our compadres.reduce drought response.
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The Landscape Contractor January 2022
1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Room: Euphoria Oak Decline: A Fight Against the Inevitable Chelsi Abbott, Davey Tree Expert Company Oaks are incredibly desirable trees in urban landscapes, however, in recent years many oak trees have been in decline. Oak decline is a complex of insects, fungi, and environmental factors that interact to bring about severe damage and eventual death of the tree. Since oak decline can be caused by any combination of biotic and abiotic factors, proper diagnosis before management is key. This talk will aim to cover the diagnostics of key oak problems, such as two-line chestnut borer, wood decay fungi, foliar pathogens, and cultural conditions to understand how these problems interact and attribute to oak decline. Furthermore, management practices discussed will be focused o n a holistic approach using traditional and experimental methods.
Room: Nirvana BC How to Make 20% More on Residential Maintenance Tom Lupfer, Lupfer Landscaping Seasoned landscape professional Tom Lupfer will take you through his operations, step-by-step, and show contractors how to make more on residential maintenance. It all starts with the bidding process and takes attendees all the way through to billing. Along the way, the presentation will cover contracts, production standards, management tools, and customer service necessary for satisfied residential maintenance customers. The focus will be on knowing your numbers by knowing what to measure, keeping track of it, and then managing and bidding based on those numbers. Landscaping is a story problem, but it doesn’t have to be a hard one.
Room: Utopia AB Leadership for Crew Leaders and Managers Todd Kramer, Kramer Tree Specialists Green Industry staff are often promoted to leadership roles based on their ability to complete a task but may lack the qualities and skills required to be an effective leader. Some employees find it difficult to be in charge, and have trouble leading their fellow employees. It is a process to train effective leaders. Learn how to develop leadership skills that will positively contribute to developing safe, productive, and quality-oriented crews.
Room: Utopia CD A Bountiful Year: Six Seasons of Beauty from Brandywine Cottage David Culp, Author & Creator of Brandywine Cottage Based on his most recent book of the same name, this talk digs deeper into David Culp’s celebrated garden Brandywine Cottage, featuring a focus for each month, including recipes, a garden to-do list, flower arrangements and practical information. Favorite mail order sources, gardening for biodiversity and wildlife habitat, the creation of the meadow at Brandywine Cottage, recommended plants for dry places, and even favorite weeds will also be discussed. This lecture and book are about lifestyle, and blurring the lines of indoor and outdoor living.
2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
STREAMING LIVE FROM AUSTRALIA! Room: Nirvana A Georgina Reid, The Plant Hunter The garden is much more than a place of solace, respite and decoration. It can also be a place of action, activism and world-making. This presentation centers garden-making as an act of care for our world. Featuring the stories of fascinating gardeners and their gardens, as well as sharing Georgina Reid’s own creative journey, the presentation will be inspiring, thought provoking, and gorgeous. You may never look at your garden the same way again.
THURSDAY 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Room: Euphoria Estimating Hardscape Projects with Confidence Donny Duke, Arborgold Do you know your cost of doing business or performing the work that you sell or are you just guessing? The price that other trades and services charge for their work continually goes up, but have your rates and prices done the same? You can no longer hope you will become more profitable by guesswork and luck. This session will demonstrate the importance of an estimating strategy and show how to develop and implement the strategy to become profitable and stable and to ensure your company’s survival.
LIVE STREAMING FROM NEW YORK! Room: Nirvana A Brooklyn Bridge Park: Lessons (so far!) in Constructed Ecology Rebecca McMackin, Brooklyn Bridge Park Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85 acre, organic park in the middle of New York City, was created with ecology in mind. The park’s award winning piers include top notch recreation, from opera to outdoor films, all of it beautifully designed. But the piers also contain native woodlands, freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, and numerous meadows. These areas closely mimic native ecosystems and are managed with an emphasis on wildlife habitat. This talk will detail many of the strategies employed to design an ecological park, as well as the management techniques used to cultivate biodiverse parkland. If we can do it, so can you.
Room: Nirvana BC If Some Is Good, More Is Better (The Argument for Diversity in the Landscape) Scott Beuerlein, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Diversity of plant material not only enriches our gardens, it also creates great habitat for wildlife. And it actually makes gardening easier and more beautiful. This indisputable case will be made. Settled. All will be in agreement. And an inspirational palette of plant material will also be presented.
Room: Utopia AB The Secret to Reducing Plant Replacement Cost and Increasing Client Satisfaction Gary Eichen, SavATree No matter how healthy the stock, all of us have experienced plant loss – along with associated costs and potential impact on customer satisfaction. In fact, sometimes it seems as though plants just don’t thrive in certain areas. We are quick to blame too much or too little water or exposure to light. But what if the problem stems with the soil? This session will provide a fundamental understanding of soil, focusing on the composition of healthy soil. It covers the basics of soil testing, so that participants will know how to read soil test results and zero in on what’s most important. It will also include a discussion of soil additives and organic soil enhancers.
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Room: Utopia CD The Tree of Good Fortune Jack Jostes, Ramblin Jackson
9:45 AM – 11:00 AM
Weed out bad fit customers before they call you while attracting qualified leads on autopilot using the proven, current, landscaper’s digital marketing & sales process. Featuring REAL ILLINOIS LANDSCAPER VIDEO CASE STUDIES. Yes, this works in Illinois! Walk away with immediate improvements in your sales process AND worksheets, templates, and actionable takeaways from the Landscaper’s Guide to Modern Sales & Marketing Podcast host and Illinois native, Jack Jostes, who got his start in the green industry working at a prominent Chicagoland nursery and who has been known to feed audiences beef jerky. Room: Euphoria Decked Out Eric Hoffman, Woodridge Deck & Gazebo Company Changes in permeability requirements are driving the use of decks, pergolas, gazebos and outdoor pavilions. Join Eric as he explains the various products available. He’ll highlight the characteristics of these products with samples and then describe the low maintenance options available.
Room: Nirvana BC Small Landscapes with BIG Attitudes Kerry Ann Mendez, Perennially Yours Do you have a small area to garden but want BIG results? Maybe it’s the main entrance to your home or an entertainment area that needs jazzing up? This eyeopening presentation provides clever design and accessorizing tips for maximizing and extending color in smaller spaces. The session features remarkable, no-fuss perennials, flowering shrubs, evergreens and annuals that provide three seasons (or more) of beauty plus neat habits. Pollinator-friendly plants and sustainable practices are emphasized.
Room: Utopia AB Garden Legends! 400 Years of Ornamental Horticulture in America Kirk Ryan Brown, John Bartram Lives Travel across America to discover what gardeners should recognize about the art and practice of high design and low dirty work. With a travelogue including 75 gardens in 45 minutes, Kirk’s topic surveys how agriculture became urbanculture…what national parks return to ‘We the People’…why cemeteries commemorate more than famous people…when public gardens disappear…and who gardens best. Expand your bucket list of must-see public gardens! This will be an enthusiastic gardener’s world-view of unblinking honesty about the importance of sowing, growing, and owning green in our lives.
Room: Utopia CD The Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic’s Annual Summary Julie Janoski, The Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic is a free service provided by The Morton Arboretum for homeowners and green professionals which communicates with over 8,000 people and answers over 17,000 questions a year about plant health care. Plant Clinic is also part of the Plant Health Care Program at the Arboretum. Learn about some of the most common questions asked and get an update on pest and disease issues we are seeing and their management options. In addition, the presentation will provide an update on possible new disease problems we should be looking for and what to do if you see something unusual.
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1:00 PM – 2:15 PM Room: Nirvana BC Bullet-Proof Shade Plants for Breathtaking Gardens Kerry Ann Mendez, Perennially Yours Shade gardening is my passion. The combination of captivating foliage and radiant flowers is mesmerizing, plus much less maintenance than full sun gardens. This session includes design tips as well as plants for dry shade and deer-prone gardens.
Room: Utopia AB Celebrating 100 Years of Horticulture! Gardening for Victory Kirk Ryan Brown, John Bartram Lives Out of the social cauldron of the Dustbowl Depression and FDR’s Works Progress Administration, came a national drive to Go Green. Through WWII and into the construction of Levittowns and Interstate Highways across the nation, America’s family unit was reformed. Leisure activities and vacation traveling became the norm. New style, or Lifestyle, landscapes were created. Into our 2021 Post-Covid lives, comes a new demand to re-learn everything our grandparents knew about growing plants: as a food source, as an escape from the virtual world, for more color in our lives, and as a health-giving natural tonic. Compare and contrast how life now mirrors life then! Kirk shares his many views on gardens he’s loved, plants he’s coveted, gardeners he’s known and life that’s surrounded him. Be enthusiastic. Be committed, Be passionate! Gardening’s here to stay.
Room: Utopia CD It’s ALL about PEOPLE: How to Find, Attract, On Board, Keep and Grow the Right People for Your Company Ed Laflamme and Bill Arman, The Harvest Group By far and away the most difficult challenge in 2022 for landscape companies is finding, hiring and keeping good people. Potential candidates agree on a time to meet but nine out of 10 times don’t even show up. Workers are leaving for $3.00, $2.00 or even $1.00 per hour more. The question is why? We will do a deep dive into these issues and talk about the reasons why these things are happening. Recruiting is not just putting an ad on a job site because that’s not working anymore, is it? In our seminar we’re going to teach you a recruiting plan with FRESH ideas that will help you to be more successful. One method alone will not work. What is needed is an integrated approach with multiple methods to cast your net wide and deep. But wait, once they’re hired why are they leaving? We’re going to address this head on and give you reasons why many leave, and how to change that once and for all.
Uniting Latino and American Culture in the Workplace Presented by the ILCA Latino & Americano Committee These sessions will focus on understanding and appreciating the differences in the Latino and American culture. Better understanding will reduce conflict and lead to greater opportunities for the Latino and domestic workforce. This will result in more opportunities for advancement and better retention. This landmark series of presentations was put together by a task force of Latino and American landscape professionals. They will draw on research, professional experience, and personal stories to convey this information. The end result will attempt to bridge the gap between the two cultures that make the landscape industry great. This program will be presented entirely in Spanish. Bilingual attendees are encouraged to attend. This iLandscape send your field staff, Latino managers, ESL, and bilingual employees. Look for this program to be presented in English at a later date.
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Sessions are scheduled to take place in Utopia CD at the following times: Wednesday, February 2, 2022 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Thursday, February 3, 2022 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM 12:15 PM – 1:00 PM
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
Room: Euphoria Security Gates and Other Physical Security for Property John Dini, Electronic Entry Systems Automatically controlled driveway gate access systems are becoming more and more popular. These systems are most often part of a greater landscape and hardscape implementation plan. The knowledge provided will help anyone involved in landscape development better prepare for what features these systems offer, and what goals they can achieve. Whether the landscape architect has a direct involvement in the automatic driveway gate access system, or is not involved but is simply interested in how these systems will impact the overall landscape plan, this presentation is for you. Everything from what types of systems are best for different situations, to how the different types of gates can be incorporated into the masonry and drive surface will be covered. At the end of this presentation, attendees will be well educated on what makes up these security driveway gate access systems and how best to offer them to their clients.
Room: Nirvana A What to Expect When Expecting H-2Bs Kara Youngblood, Youngblood & Associates You have decided your company should turn to the H-2B program to alleviate your workforce deficiencies. Like any first time parent, you are sitting there thinking “Now what?” Kara will provide a brief summary of the program and then walk you through how to get started. Expanding your family is expensive - and that includes your work family. Kara will outline the costs you should expect to incur and what your first week as an H-2B Employer will look like. You can bet there will be a lack of sleep involved. Then after that first week, what are your additional responsibilities after your H-2B workers arrive?
Room: Nirvana BC Native Plants And The New Ecology: Impacts for the Commercial Landscaper Daniel Gerdes, Christy Webber Landscapes This session will outline the problems that common horticultural practices have created in ecological systems during the past 60 years in a non-confrontational, good humored and engaging way. It will describe the new native plant initiatives that are now disrupting the design and commercial landscaping industries, and this will be followed by a detailed presentation of the goals of this New Ecology and the impacts it will have on our industry over the coming decades.
Room: Utopia AB Why Should I Work For You? Finding, Engaging & Retaining Top Talent In A Post-Pandemic World Joe Abraham, Entrepreneurial DNA If your HR department is responsible for hiring and developing people, you’ve already put yourself 5 years behind the 8-ball. This 75-minute session is lifted from the 2-day WIN IT Owners Conference held in Fall 2021. You’ll discover how values-based accountability, messaging, and coaching play into winning the talent game – especially with millennials and generation Z.
Room: Utopia CD Maximizing Landscape Design-Build Efficiency with Technology Joe Hanauer, Landscape Architecture, LLC During the Great Recession, landscape architect and owner of a mid-size design-build company, Joe Hanauer decided to “tech up”. His goal then was to be a one-person design-build office. Now, with labor markets tight, using technology to create efficiencies for installation crews is increasingly important. With hardware including a tablet, computer, GPS Surveyor, Zip-Level and camera, combined with software for note taking, estimating and designing, this session will reveal how they are all essential to creating an efficient workflow from first call to last shovel. This session will also show how this “almost-paper-free” technology workflow can be used to run a one-person office and scaled to work with larger firms, too.
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FRIDAY 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Room: Nirvana A Grower Degree Days, A Better Way to Monitor Plants, Weeds, Insects, and Fungi John Terhesh, Goodmark Nurseries Yesterday it was 70° and tomorrow it’s snowing. What does this mean for spring? Climate change is leading to changes in weather patterns that will only be amplified in the future years. The development of plants, insects, weeds, and diseases require heat, and the old calendar based schedules are getting less reliable. A more modern approach to predicting crabgrass emergence or insect hatching is to use “grower degree days” (GDD). Using grower degree days to use as your new IPM schedule will lead to much better results which will reduce expenses and increase crop health.
Room: Nirvana BC By the Light of the Moon: Evening Gardens Heather Prince, Fearless Gardening
Evening or moon gardens have become popular as folks rediscover the potential of their garden spaces after dark. With a long and rich history, evening gardens enchant us and provide quiet moments of respite. We’ll take a look at the elements of an evening garden, explore garden styles, and profile plants that go beyond white flowers to add layers of texture and fragrance.
Room: Utopia AB Operations, Production, & Scheduling Plant Health Care Services – What’s the Key to a Successful Approach Lee Fredericks, Rainbow Ecoscience What are the most challenging aspects of running an efficient and effective plant health care program? Identifying and training the right people? Scheduling procedures at the correct time of the year? Inventory management and product lifespan? Application tips and strategies? How do many successful companies perform this operational orchestra? In this session, we will explore the important aspects of the plant health care industry operational planning and implementation will be presented. Attendees will also be able to ask any production-related questions regarding the operations, production, equipment, scheduling, and the proper timing of plant health care services.
Room: Utopia CD Effective Weed Control in Landscapes Aaron Hathaway, Nufarm
Controlling weeds in landscapes full of desirable plants requires a sound understanding of weed ecology and herbicide characteristics. Common weeds found in landscape beds have varying traits and there are many chemistries available to managers that can aid in more effective control, better safety amongst desirable plants, and increasing longevity of control. We will touch on weed identification and cover the many categories of available herbicides and their best use within these landscapes.
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9:45 AM – 11:00 AM Room: Euphoria Customers Count – Simple Proven Ways to Build Customer Loyalty and Profitable Relationships Judson Griggs, The Harvest Group It has been proven that, “It’s hard to make money on a customer you don’t have.” That may seem like an over-simplification, but many people forget about this aspect of sales — Retaining your great clients! The longer you keep the right customer the more you will make! Judson will explore ways to establish long term relationships and to move the relationship from Vendor to Trusted Advisor to Partner to Raving Fans. Together, we will review ways to achieve: retention, recovery, renewals, referrals and extra revenue.
STREAMING LIVE FROM WALES! Room: Nirvana A Plants First Sarah Price, Sarah Price Landscapes Sarah believes in plant-driven design. She is developing a visual vocabulary using plants; their shapes, textures, colors and patterns to compose her designs. She will discuss her own sources of design inspiration; providing insights into how we can look more closely at plants and the environments in which they grow. Through giving real examples, she will lift the lid on her working processes, discussing her gold medal winning designs for her Chelsea Flower Show Gardens, her 2012 Olympic plantings for the Queen Elizabeth Park, London, as well as garden designs within healthcare environments and experiments within her own garden in Abergavenny, Wales.
Room: Nirvana BC Exciting Annuals for 2022 Mark Dwyer, Landscape Prescriptions by MD With so many amazing annuals coming out every year, it’s always nice to see not only some new selections but focus on some of the best of the best that continue to perform and be popular. This presentation will focus on annuals for all lighting conditions with some focus on fragrance, wildlife value and value in the container and basket. I’ll be visiting many trial gardens in 2021 to examine some of the most exciting plants coming to market.
Room: Utopia AB Landscapes with Impact: Building Spaces that Respond to Client and Community Needs Benjamin Himschoot, Clare Johnson, Lauren Mathias; Himsben Design Studio LLC Landscapes provide people with the opportunity to connect, socialize and enjoy nature at multiple scales – from intimate backyards to public gardens. Join the team from Himsben Design Studio (HDS) for a presentation on the power of client and community-focused design at two scales. Learn about their design and build process for diverse communities and how to create spaces that are unique and feasible.
Room: Utopia CD Benchmarking for Profit Improvement Jeffrey Scott, Jeffrey Scott Consulting Earning a high ‘return on investment’ requires a smart approach to business. What’s the difference between low profit and high (20%) profit companies? It’s the benchmarks and key indicators they track, and the strategies they set and decisions they make daily. You will learn which financial and leadership benchmarks to follow, and how to engage your team in order to maximize their performance. Learn the secrets that highly successful landscape companies use to set up and run financially successful businesses.
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11:30 AM – 12:45 PM Room: Euphoria The Space in Between – Shoreline Buffers Keith Gray, ILM; Monica Komorowski, ILM When working with clients with water features on their property, special attention needs to be given to the plants along the edge of the pond or lake. Called shoreline buffers, these areas of the landscape can look breathtaking while also providing important ecosystem services like soil stabilization and water filtration. While plant selection for shoreline buffers is important, soil preparation is equally as important in order to ensure project success. In this session, you will learn about attractive native plants used for shoreline buffers and practical preparation tips. Case studies from a variety of sites big and small will be shared.
Room: Nirvana A Set Up Your Company to Run Itself Jeffrey Scott, Jeffrey Scott Consulting You have founded (or bought) a great company, but you find that your job has taken over your life. You need help figuring out how to build up your company and your leadership team, so they can handle the day to day sales and operations without you. It’s not impossible, but it takes a shift in mindset and strategy, and an intentional approach to building your team, setting up the correct systems and culture, and empowering your team to make decisions and be accountable for their areas. This presentation will show you a step by step approach with case studies to prove that its possible to set up your company to run itself.
Room: Nirvana BC Hidden Treasures : Underused Plants for Today’s Landscapes Nikki Melin, Midwest Groundcovers; Kevin McGowen, Kaknes Landscapes Supply; Mike Mennonah; Mariani Plants How do you know which plants are truly the best field performers? What plants get the most promotional hype and are often overused in our landscapes? High demand, limited supply for the tried and true —these are the challenges we currently face. Join our expert panel and discover their recommendations for underused trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers and good substitutes for your projects.
Room: Utopia AB Designing a Healing Garden Mark Dwyer, Landscape Prescriptions by MD This presentation will talk about many of the design features that can be successfully included in a design for a healing or enabling garden. We’ll talk about some of the plant materials appropriate for the setting but how the actual layout and features can encourage engagement and relaxation for a wide audience of users but also have the potential to be utilized for active programmatic use (physical therapy, horticulture therapy, etc.). We’ll also discuss specific enabling features that will accommodate specific users, encourage engagement and provide a welcoming garden space for all visitors and users.
Room: Utopia CD Illinois’ Most Unwanted Tree Pests and Pathogens Tricia Bethke, The Morton Arboretum It’s a tough life for a tree! Knowing what’s ‘bugging’ them and what’s a car ride away can help protect trees in urban and rural landscapes. Join Tricia Bethke, Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, for a lively discussion on how to identify, manage and eradicate new and potential tree pests. Early detection is the best defense, learn how to report and monitor pests and diseases before they become a real problem.
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¿Qué puede esperar de
iLandscape en 2022? Después de un año de eventos virtuales. ¡El evento favorito de ILCA está de regreso! — y de una forma muy grande. Sí, los gnomos han vuelto. También las rifas y el tallador de madera. ¡No olvide a los EXPOSITORES! Pero, sobre todo, las personas regresarán a iLandscape 2022: One Fiesta —All United • Todo Unidos. “Tenemos el compromiso de volver a reunirlos a todos”, dice Dave Warning, presidente del Comité de Experiencia de iLandscape. La feria de paisajismo anual en Illinois y Wisconsin está programada para realizarse del 2 al 4 de febrero de 2022 y regresará al Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center en Schaumburg, IL. Como lo implica su nombre de One Fiesta, iLandscape de este año tendrá un tema latino, con muchos colores, juegos, música y comidas, afirma Warning. “Esta cultura es una parte importante de nuestra industria”. Scott Grams, Director Ejecutivo de ILCA, se siente muy animado por el próximo evento. “Me encanta el tema y la energía creativa invertida en su planificación”, dice. “Se espera que 2022 se sienta como una fiesta y una 34
estrecha colaboración entre todos los participantes”.
ahondará en el tema con una serie cultural de cuatro partes, “Uniendo las culturas Latina y Americana en el lugar de trabajo”, programada para el miércoles y jueves. Es gratis con la admisión a la serie. Configurado por un comité compuesto por profesionales paisajistas latinos y estadounidenses, este programa será presentado en español, pero seguido en fecha posterior por una versión en inglés, explica Grams. Encaja perfectamente con el tema de la feria iLandscape 2022, One Fiesta. “Se trata de unir las culturas. Es un aspecto interesante que combina perfectamente con el tema de reconocer la solidez cultural de todos”. Los proveedores también están contentos de regresar. “Nos entusiasma la cantidad de proveedores que regresan. Los dos salones están repletos”, informa Warning.
Habrá tres días de sesiones educativas que abarcarán una amplia variedad de temas, incluyendo sesiones en español, un taller sobre irrigación y un día de perspectivas de carreras para estudiantes. Muchas ofrecerán créditos de educación continua para arquitectos paisajistas y arboricultores certificados. “La educación será de primera categoría”, asegura Grams. El subcomité Latino y Americano
Jardines a granel
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
Incluso el centro de convenciones mismo está haciendo los mayores esfuerzos. El bar y el restaurante Sam and Harry’s han sido completamente remodelados. “El restaurant se ha convertido en un gastro pub”, dice Grams. “Es más acogedor y relajado”. Además, el lote de estacionamiento al cruzar la calle del centro de convenciones está ahora abierto a los asistentes, muchos
de los cuales, en el pasado, tuvieron que ser transportados en autobuses de lugares de estacionamientos alejados. Si bien la mayor parte de One Fiesta será una celebración, habrá también una nota triste. El comité consideró importante recordar a las personas que la industria ha perdido durante los últimos dos años, sea por COVID 19 u otras causas. “Perdimos a muchas personas y esta es una forma de rendirles tributo”, dijo Chris Walsh, quien dirige el subcomité de Diseño y Trazado del Comité de Experiencia. Los miembros consideraron que un jardín conmemorativo era una forma adecuada de honrar a los que partieron. Se enmarcarán fotografías y pequeños tributos, aportados por miembros de ILCA y WNLA, para incluirlos en jardineras esparcidas por los muros en los cuales se expondrán los ganadores de iPix en el salón de bailes. Como corresponde a un evento orientado hacia contratistas de paisajismo, arquitectos paisajistas, horticultores, arboricultores y otros profesionales, habrá jardines por todos los salones de exposiciones. “Tenemos algunos jardines nítidos y sofisticados, configurados por un comité de personas talentosas”, dice Warning. Todos los jardines han sido diseñados para permitir que los asistentes se sienten, conversen y renueven el trato con personas conocidas. “El tema es One
Mejores Plantas, Mejor Servicio Y Mejor Selección. 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.
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TODOS JUNTOS MEJOR.
Fiesta, por lo que decidimos hacerla una celebración de espacio”, explica Walsh. El tema del Jardín de entrada será una Fiesta con bancos y sillas. Mesas, lugares perfectos para tomar un bocado para comer o beber algo, y bancos estarán esparcidos en el jardín de
Plaza Mexicana con sus fuentes y colores llamativos. Esté atento también al camión de plantas de la Get Growing Foundation. Adyacente a eso las cabinas de la membresía se transformarán en Bar/ Cantina para los miembros donde los asistentes podrán escabullirse al bar y hablar con miembros del personal o
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ejecutivos de la asociación en una atmósfera relajada de jardín. El Fiesta Stage estará rodeado de mesas grandes, donde grupos de ocho a 10 personas podrán reunirse para almorzar, discutir o establecer contactos. También puede servir de espacio adicional para que los proveedores hablen con clientes, afirma Walsh. Además del Jardín conmemorativo, el salón de baile tendrá un Jardín de Cocina. Otra área adicional para cenar, estará cerca de un escenario más pequeño, en el cual tocarán músicos. Cocina en español es “kitchen” en inglés.
Tiempo de fiesta el miércoles por la noche
Mientras los asistentes tendrán la oportunidad de relajarse, conversar y establecer contactos en la comodidad de los jardines, podrán también celebrar y pasarla en grande en la fiesta nocturna anual del miércoles, programada de 4:30 pm a 7:00 pm. Este año se presentarán los Modern Day Romeos, una banda de covers que toca todo desde Motown hasta rock clásico, metal, así como canciones favoritas de las décadas de 1980, 1990 y 2000. Incluyen comedia en su acto, así como nuevas versiones de canciones viejas populares. “Interactúan con el público con canciones que usted puede cantar con ellos”, dice Katrina House, que dirige el subcomité de la fiesta nocturna del miércoles. En armonía con el tema de One Fiestas, los fiesteros podrán comer en las estaciones de tacos, bocadillos y totopos con salsa y beber de los requeridos barriles de cerveza. Por supuesto que habrá muchos postres, asegura House, para satisfacer las necesidades de dulces de los participantes. La diversión continuará durante las pausas de la banda, con rifas, juegos de adivinaciones y otras actividades de entretenimiento de la gente. “Todos están listos para disfrutar de experiencias prácticas e interactivas”, comenta House. “Pero estaremos seguros”. Los participantes no tendrán que esperar la diversión hasta la noche. Los asistentes podrán darse un respiro de las sesiones educativas y de negocios con 36
una larga lista de diversiones. Mike Wesley, presidente del subcomité de entretenimiento diurno, marca una lista que incluye cinco juegos de arcade y dos juegos de tiki de madera de tamaño natural. Eric Widitz, tallador de madera, regresará para trabajar fuera del vestíbulo donde los asistentes podrán verlo. Sus figuras talladas en madera se rifarán el miércoles y el jueves en el escenario principal. Ha estado en iLandscape varias veces”, informa Wesley. “Verlo tallar un águila de cuatro pies con una motosierra es algo fenomenal”. El miércoles, el jueves y el viernes, de 9 a.m. a 11 a.m., Héctor Fernández serenateará a los asistentes en el vestíbulo tocando piezas clásicas para guitarra. El miércoles, Shady Play, una banda pop jazzística, tocará de 11:30 a.m. a 1:30 p.m. en el Fiesta Stage y Liz y Hala, un dúo acústico actuará al mismo tiempo en el salón de baile. Y el jueves, de 2:30 p.m. a 4 p.m., una banda de Mariachis desfilará por la feria para ayudar a iniciar la rifa del jueves por la noche, que comenzará alrededor de las 4 p.m. en el salón de exposiciones principal. La noche del jueves es el Banquete de Premios, una noche repleta de emociones, presentando a los Ganadores del Premio a la Excelencia en Paisajismo, la Persona del Año, el Ganador del Premio al Servicio Distinguido, los ganadores de las becas 2021-2022 y del Premio Platino de los Jueces – lo mejor de lo mejor según los jueces. La banda BMR4 entretendrá a la multitud. Downhome Guitars, un dúo acústico, tocará el jueves de 11:30 a.m. a 1:30 p.m. desde el Fiesta Stage, luego de 2:30 a 4 p.m. desde el escenario del salón de baile. Mientras tanto, un dúo de teclado y guitarra tocará música para el almuerzo de 11:30 a.m. a 1:30 p.m. en el escenario del salón de baile. El viernes actuará un tecladista solista de 11:30 a.m. a 1:30 p.m. desde el escenario del salón de baile y un dúo de teclado y guitarra entretendrá durante el almuerzo desde el Fiesta Stage. Si necesita un masaje relajante, el miércoles y el jueves, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m., Nivati ofrecerá masajes en silla en el vestíbulo. “En el pasado han sido un gran éxito”, recuerda Wesley. Para una pequeña The Landscape Contractor January 2022
diversión artística, de 11 a.m. a 3 p.m., Bruce Carlevato hará “Caricaturas por Bruce” en el pasillo. El Comité de Experiencia ha resucitado los “Boys and Gals of the Boulevard”, una atracción popular de hace unos años. Los miembros de este comité circularán por la feria con cerca de $3,500 en premios en efectivo que darán a asistentes desprevenidos. “Será a su discreción”, dice Wesley. Habrá muchos premios más. “Regresarán los gnomos”, asegura Rachelle Lurvey-Eifert, presidenta del subcomité de Rifas, Premios y Concursos. “Espero que la gente disfrute encontrándolos”. Eso incluye el famoso Gnomo Dorado, que tiene un valor de $100 para la persona afortunada que lo encuentre. Los otros significarán para quienes los encuentren entre $20 y $100. La fiesta del jueves por la noche, para los que no asistan al Banquete de Premios incluirá juegos como el Tiki Toss. “Lance el anillo, póngalo en el gancho y gane dinero en efectivo”, dice Lurvey-Eifert. Habrá también algunas piñatas en las que los fiesteros podrán poner a pruebas sus manos, así como juegos de adivinanzas, bebidas y bocadillos y rifas. Los premios incluyen entradas al Jardín Botánico de Chicago, el Arboreto Morton, el Jardín Botánico Boerner y los Domos del Mitchell Park. iPix está de vuelta también. Los participantes pueden enviar sus propias fotos de aficionado en cualquiera de las 12 categorías, incluyendo negro y blanco, flores, arte o estructuras de jardines, mascotas, jardines públicos, parques estatales o nacionales, atardeceres, árboles, agua, vida silvestre, invierno y la categoría de comodín. Las imágenes de los ganadores serán impresas en lienzos y exhibidas en el salón de baile, además de premios que oscilan entre el premio mayor de $500, el primer premio de $100 y segundos premios de $75 en cada categoría, los cuales serán anunciados el jueves a las 4:30 p.m.. “Deseamos que todos los asistentes se sientan complacidos de haber dedicado tiempo para estar aquí”, dice Wesley. “Queremos que llamen a sus amistades y les digan, ‘que feria más extraordinaria’”.
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Focus — The Pros at Home
ILCA Visits Industry Members at Home
When it comes to horticultural pursuits, Hans Hansen has no problem
Editor’s Note: This series features the private landscapes of green industry professionals—landscape contractors, plant breeders, nursery owners, public garden staff and educators. After all, who wouldn’t like a little perk at what peers are doing around their own homes? Nina A. Koziol
If you’ve used Fire and Ice or Stained Glasshosta, Blueberry Sundae baptisia, Berry Awesome hibiscus, or Monarda Sugar Buzz Rockin’ Raspberry in your projects you can thank plant breeder Hans Hansen. That’s just for starters. He’s created a multitude of cultivars with agastache,
buddleia, clematis, digiplexis, helleborus, heuchera, heucherella, hibiscus, hosta, lagerstroemia, mangave, nepeta, salvia, sedum and veronica. Soft spoken, tall and lanky with an ever-present baseball cap, Hansen has worked with hostas since 1993. He introduced his first two hostas—Pandora’s Box and Fire and Ice—in 1997 while working as director of research and development at the former Shady Oaks Nursery in Minnesota. He moved to Zeeland, Michigan, in 2009 where he became the Director of New Plants for Walters Gardens and manages their perennial plant breeding program. The 450 or so plants he bred or selected are found in garden centers across the country and overseas, many sold as part of the Proven Win-ners brand.
A true plant collector and breeder, Hansen’s garden changes with the seasons.
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The Landscape Contractor January 2022
bringing work home Putting Down Roots
When Hansen purchased his home in Zeeland, he was faced with the typical row of evergreens along the home’s foundation, some hollies, a PJM rhododendron, five daylilies, an azalea, and a sweeping lawn. “I began by laying out garden hoses for bed outlines. I left the foundation plantings and concentrated on the perimeter of the yard.” The outer beds, filled with layered plantings, created garden rooms around the house and screened the property from the street. (continued on page 40) ,
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The Pros at Home — (continued from page 39) Next, he removed most of the existing plants except the PJM rhododendron. The turf was killed off and he amended the soil. “I added 20 loads of four-yearold aged horse manure as compost prior to planting.” He had gardened on five acres in Minnesota, which he said felt like a little arboretum. “When I came to Michigan,
I had to get a lot more creative because I garden on a corner lot. My goal was to have a diverse garden with as many plants as possible.” The areas along the driveway and the island beds are packed with perennials, cacti and dwarf conifers. Intense planting of shrubs and small trees among the (continued on page 42)
Contrasting colors, textures and leaves make the bed pop.
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The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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The Pros at Home — (continued from page 40) perennials creates captivating curb appeal. “I have most of my plants in layers—it’s not so much a collection as it is an assortment of plants that work well together. When things are planted that close together there’s nothing to do but deadhead or edit. There’s no room for weeds.” New conifers went in first. “I live close to the former Wavecrest Nursery and made weekly trips the first couple of years to visit and buy plants. I added peonies and other perennials.” A deep border running along the road features several green exclamation points—DeGroot’s Spire arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Degroot’s Spire’). “By staggering the diversity of plant materials, you can have a long season of interest. I rely on not only one type of plant but many different genera throughout the season.” The spent
perennials and evergreens add dramatic winter interest and cleanup takes place in the spring. Sweeping borders feature an orangeblue color scheme in summer with lilies, agapathus, catmint and red-hot poker (Kniphofia). Although he didn’t design the garden on paper, Hansen followed the simple rule: taller plants in back, shorter ones in front. “I limit flower colors for unity, but that changes throughout the year. There are pinks in the spring, but summer is mostly warm colors. I try to have something interesting all season.” “I think he’s the foremost perennial breeder in the world today,” said plantsman Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina. “I’ve not met anyone who can hold a candle to him. You need to be a good plant breeder, a good plantsman and a good gardener, and he’s an incredible (continued on page 44)
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Several kniphokia cultivars pop through the borders.
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The Landscape Contractor January 2022
Special Feature — The Pros at Home when I wasn’t gardening,” Hansen said. “I was blessed to be able to explore the countryside. A lot of times, I’d walk the ditches looking for plants and picking asparagus. By the time I was a teenager, I was into plant genetics and purchased a book from the [North American] Lily Society on breeding lilies. It’s just how I’m wired.”
(continued from page 42) gardener. He understands how the plant can be used in the garden.”
Developing a Passion for Plants
By age four, Hansen was planting onions on his family’s dairy farm in southwestern Minnesota. For his birthday or Christmas, he’d ask for plants. When he was six years old, a neighbor told him he could have any plants in her garden. He chose Baptisia australis. “My dad helped me transplant it. It was a very old plant and he broke a shovel handle digging it. It was at my parent’s farm for 45 years. I’m unsure of the life expectancy of baptisia, but it’s in its third garden now after outliving its first two owners.” Those early years kicked off a lifelong passion. He began hybridizing Asiatic and Martagon lilies in 1984 when he was 14. “I can’t remember a time
An Analytical Eye
Hansen currently keeps a list of his snowdrops, narcissus and lilies. “I used to keep meticulous records at my former garden, but I have such limited space here that if I’m not attached to a plant, it rotates in and out quickly.” He’s unforgiving when plants don’t live up to expectations. “As a plant breeder, 99 percent of the seedings from crosses are composted. I value great plants, but by the same token, on a small city lot if something isn’t bringing me enjoyment (continued on page 46) A young Hansen exploring the gardens.
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Special Feature — The Pros at Home (continued from page 44) any more, that’s an opportunity to grow something I enjoy better.” Some of the characteristics he looks for when breeding or selecting plants include garden value, long-season appeal, good foliage and disease resistance. “The hallmark of a good plant is passing the litmus test.” When he’s breeding hibiscus, for example, he’s looking for flower power—plants covered from top to bottom with blossoms that have great color, over-lapping petals and outstanding foliage. Flowers with shorter pedicels (stalks) are a desired attribute because they keep the blossoms from flopping. Some of his favorite plant combinations at home are the mangaves and evergreens for their contrasting textures and colors. “I love the orienpet lilies—Silk Road, Esta Bonita and Conca d’Or and the spring-flowering gentians and peonies.” There have been times when he’s brought plants home not knowing where they’d go. “I’ve walked around for 30 minutes looking for a spot and then realized that I like what I have better than the plant I brought home.”
Rock It
One area is dedicated to a rock garden with gentians, dianthus, Pulsatilla ambigua, ornamental onions and cacti. (continued on page 48)
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The Martagon Lilies fill one of the many layered borders.
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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Special Feature — The Pros at Home (continued from page 46) “I do have a rock garden but there are just a few rocks,” Hansen says with a grin. “Why would I want to invest money in rocks when I could buy plants?” His number one favorite plant (right now) is Gentiana aucalis, which is covered with eye-popping blue-purple flowers. “I’ve planted a lot of them. One of the neighbors walked by and said that must be invasive because it’s all over. It’s all over because I like it— it’s a great color.” While most of the garden is in full sun, a side border benefits from neighboring shade trees. “It’s all about the foliage. If the foliage looks great all season long, the flowers can come and go—that’s more icing on the cake.” Plants in the shade garden grow shoulder-to-shoulder. “There’s really nothing to do but deadhead them.” You won’t find sweeping drifts of any one type of plant in Hansen’s landscape. “The hostas read as specimen plants in
the border.” It’s a well-designed collector’s garden that draws the eye throughout the plantings. Watching his garden evolve and mature this past decade has been an interesting experiment. “The growth rate of plants is so much different in Michigan compared to Minnesota. It seems like we have at least four to six weeks more growth in the fall.” The sandy soil enriched with organic matter is slightly acidic allowing him to grow a wide variety of plants. “We are a zone 6 with lake effect snow, so the mild environment with well-drained soil is a blessing.”
Mentors
Hansen credits his mother as a great influence. “She and my dad encouraged and fostered my love of nature and gardening.” He attended her garden club meetings. “She signed excuse slips so I could miss school and join master gardeners (continued on page 52)
The garden at the height of summer is a combination of yellow, gold and blues.
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Special Feature — The Pros at Home (continued from page 48) on their trips.” During her final visit to Michigan in 2020, she brought a division of a double fernleaf peony from her garden. “It was a plant I had grown for most of my life and she wanted to make sure I grew it again. I’m happy to see it doing well and for the memories of my mom.” Later in life, plantsmen Tony Avent and Roy Klehm had a big impact on Hansen’s career. “They have been so encouraging with their knowledge, their time and connecting me with folks who have the same passion for plants as myself— and sharing plant material. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. In fact, Tony came all the way from North Carolina to Minnesota to help me move plants.” In 2020, Hansen took over the “Living Catalog,” at work, a sweeping outdoor display featuring many of the plants he has bred. “I’ve enjoyed editing and creating perennial beds on a larger scale and I’m designing beds that are similar to what I have at home.” His passion for plants runs nonstop even after work. “I haven’t ever worked in my own garden other than the 10 minutes a week it takes to cut my grass,” Hansen said. “I enjoy every minute of it and look for things to do. It’s my goal to have an hour a day to spend in the garden.”
Intuitive Design
Hansen instinctively knows the elements that make for good garden design. “It’s having four seasons of interest, originality and sustainability. I don’t rely on one plant but many different genera throughout the season.” “I’ve been known to take a shovel and go right through a clump of sedum to put in a lily bulb, so things are really planted very intensely. It’s not so much a collection as an assortment of plants that work together.” He’s currently collecting Galanthus (snowdrops) and miniature daffodils. “They disappear after blooming and don’t compete with the other plants.” The garden is now a place for Hansen to relax and connect with nature. “The last couple of years I have added a few water features. The sound of splashing water is relaxing and draws songbirds into the garden as well.” Outside of work, Hansen travels far and wide, teaching, plant exploring and visiting other breeders and gardens. “If the day would ever come that I have limited mobility, most of my beds would be mulched with wood chips and the bones provided by the conifers would be enough to still have good interest. The spring bulbs could come and go quietly still providing enjoyment.” May his wonderful plant creations provide enjoyment to the rest of us for years to come.
The perimeter beds feature a tapestry of perennials, evergreens and bulbs.
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The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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Diego Trimarco and Ernest Monaco have
come a long way from their middle school years when they trimmed neighbors’ lawns with a push mower and drove a John Deere tractor down the street from lawn care job to lawn care job. Now, the owners of Monaco Landscaping in Darien, Illinois are all grown up. They have four full-time employees and four part time. “I love the guys working for us,” says Trimarco. “I like that we are able to help provide for them. We have a lot of good guys.” Many of their employees are still in college and started with Monaco as high school students. Monaco Landscaping offers five services, including lawn care, snow removal, property clean up, landscape enhancement, and pressure washing and joint sanding. “We are a full landscape maintenance company and focus on customer service,” says Trimarco. It all started one summer in 2013 when Trimarco and Monaco wanted to make some pocket change. They began mowing neighbors’ lawns. Eventually some friends approached them about getting some work to make a few dollars, as well. The business grew through high school. After high school Trimarco went off to the University of Illinois at Chicago to study chemical engineering. “I gave it my best shot,” he says of college, but it wasn’t for him. Meanwhile Monaco had formalized and organized their business and Trimarco was able to join him when he came home. They set up an office space in the back of Monaco’s father’s dental practice. Now they also have a shop in Romeoville and have another facility in Downers Grove. They and their employees are eager to learn more about the business. “We encourage that,” says Trimarco, who admits that he, too, is absorbing knowledge as fast as he can. David Tshulos joined the company in 2016. Still in school at the College of DuPage, studying finance and account-
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ing, he takes night classes so that he can work for Monaco Landscaping during the day. “We use his knowledge about finance and accounting as a resource,” says Trimarco. Lucas Bilek is majoring in managerial accounting at DePaul University. Before working for Monaco, he ran his own landscaping business, which he merged with Monaco Landscaping. Mike Riordan is studying horticulture at the College of DuPage. He has worked for the company off and on since high school days. “He has a lot of knowledge and is helping us grow,” says Trimarco. Trimarco and Monaco not only are working to grow their company, but they are invested in learning and encourage their employees to “up their game” by taking advantage of educational opportunities. In fact, that is a large part of what attracted them to ILCA. “The resources attracted us,” says Trimarco. “We want to take as much advantage of them as we can. There is more going on in the industry than we thought.” Last summer, they heard about Turf Education Day. Trimarco attended and was impressed. “This is something great that I can use,” he says. “I implemented some of the things as soon as I got home.” In whatever spare time he has, Trimarco likes to hang out with friends, snow board, ski and recently began learning about foraging. He also listens to podcasts about business, history and science. “I enjoy trying to improve, and be the best at what I am doing,” he says. “I’m happy to be here every day.” His business partner, Monaco, works at learning to become better at the business. He also is into food and working out. While running, he often listens to books on tape. Trimarco, too, focuses on improving his business skills. “A lot of my life is the business,” he says. “I use whatever money I make to throw it into the business.”
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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HELP WANTED Please email or fax your resume and cover letter outlining your salary expectations to: Stacy Betz Human Resources Director Fax: (847) 810-6829 E-mail: sbetz@marianilandscape.com Website: www.marianilandscape.com Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V. Client Representative Based in our Westmont, Illinois facility, this person will be part of one of the best sales and service teams in the industry. If you believe in building long-term relationships, and have a desire to provide the best service to valued clientele, we would like to hear from you. This position requires at least 2 years of residential client sales and service experience. The ideal candidate will possess a solid knowledge of horticulture, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to create beautiful landscapes through attention to details and by partnering with fellow team members and the best vendors/ subcontractors in the landscape business. We seek a professional and courteous individual with superior multitasking and organization skills. Knowledge of computer based client management programs would be preferred. This full-time salaried position offers competitive wages, incentive plan, comprehensive benefits, and a spectacular corporate culture that promotes growth, learning, teamwork, and employee satisfaction! Please email your resume and cover letter outlining your salary expectations to: Mary Beth Kercher mkercher@marianilandscape.com Designer Level 1 Christy Webber is a full-service landscape provider offering design, construction, and maintenance programs to resident, commercial and municipal clients throughout Chicago. Complete and oversee a variety of professional residential landscape design assignments. Help develop the Christy Webber Landscapes company image and develop and implement landscape plans that meet the client’s need that meets client needs. Please email your portfolio and resume to jobs@ christywebber.com
HELP WANTED Atrium Commercial Estimator • Create accurate material, labor and equipment takeoffs from blueprints • Create bids/estimates and proposals using an estimating software program • Review full construction plan sets, specifications, and contracts for each project • Lead discussions with clients on budgets, timeline, materials, and installation • Coordination of scope reviews with clients and internal team • Collaborate on project schedules based on knowledge of lead times • Gathering pricing from various vendors and subcontractors • Responsible for sales of estimated projects and follow up on bids and potential future sales • Collaborate with leadership and manage internal workflow • Support lead estimator with on-going initiatives and special projects • Keep multiple projects on track at the same time Email resume to mike@atriumlandscape.com Landscape Estimator/Architect Hanson Landscape is seeking a Commercial Landscape Estimator/Architect/Designer to join our team. Responsibilities include but not be limited to: Review and analyze plans and specs to determine project requirements. Perform accurate material, equipment, and labor take-offs. Prepare estimates in a timely manner and meet bid deadlines. Contact supplier and subcontractor for material pricing, ordering, and scheduling. Review contract documents upon awarding. Project billing. Maintain, compile, and organize project related documentation. Oversee work on projects. Site visits to projects. Meeting with clients. Qualifications: Experience in estimating of Commercial Landscape. Plant material and hardscape material knowledge. Proficiency Pro-Landscape and hand drawing. Excellent communications, computer, and math skills. Can work independently as well as working in a team environment. Excellent wage, 401K, Health Insurance, Company Vehicle. Email resume to info@hansonlandscape.com.
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
Classified Ads HELP WANTED Landscape Construction Manager Position Greenwise is hiring for a Construction Manager position that will be responsible for the preparation, oversight and installation of landscape projects. This individual will work closely with our landscape design team, construction supervisors and foremen in monitoring quality and adherence to Greenwise installation standards. This role requires strong attention to detail, deep construction experience and knowledge and a significant focus the development of training standards. The Construction Manager will work in a field capacity and spend the majority of their time on project sites. Email resume and cover letter to anissa@ iamgreenwise.com Maintenance Superintendent Responsibilities • Management and training of 4-6 Maintenance Crews • Quality control • Monitor budgeted hours vs actual hours on jobs • Assist with maintenance tasks (mowing, edging, chemical applications ect...) • Snow maintenance during the winter months • Inspecting all field work; analyzing and resolving problems • Maintaining accurate daily work orders • Managing equipment utilization on projects, equipment storage and maintenance • Evaluating employee safety data and promoting safe work practices or conditions • Demonstrating role model behaviors on ethics and integrity as well as positively promoting Company culture Skills • Minimum of 5 years experience managing and leading maintenance production teams • Bilingual (Spanish) a must • Strong work ethic • Effective verbal and written communication skills • Ability to prioritize and multi-task in a fast-paced environment Benefits • Competitive salary • Vacation and Personal Days, Paid Holidays • Medical, dental, and vision insurance • 401k Email resume to bdolwick@wingrenlandscape.com Landscape Project Manager Buhrman Design Group (BDG) in Mundelein, Illinois, is a well-established, family oriented, landscape company creating horticultural beauty throughout the Chicagoland North Shore area. We take pride in being one of the top performers in the residential landscape industry for 25 years.
HELP WANTED BDG offers excellent pay, benefits, and a stable environment where our team thrives on collaboration and encourages continuous learning and growth. BDG is seeking a Landscape Project Manager to join our construction team and grow with our premier company. The ideal candidate would have a complete knowledge of landscape construction. This individual should have the ability to be part of a team, lead and manage construction crews in hardscapes, planting, grading, drainage, with overseeing subcontractors as needed. Landscape Project Manager’s Role Daily and Field Responsibilities: • Be part of the team to manage landscape construction projects on projected budget. • Help schedule all construction projects and assign construction crews. • Manage crews to ensure efficiency and projected completion date. • Be part of the team to review design plans with crew staff and assist in project layout. • Help procure and assign special equipment as needed. • Conduct weekly safety meetings and training to all construction staff. Reinforce safety protocols and introduce new safety regulations. General Requirements and Office Responsibilities: • Organized, responsive, and has excellent communications skills with our clients and company members. (Spanish is a plus) • Maintain a neat, clean appearance and a clean driving record. • Daily review of crew time records, work orders, change orders and project billing. • Help manage hiring and termination of employees and conduct routine performance evaluations. • Solid verbal, written and computer skills (a plus). What Buhrman Design Group Offers: • Excellent pay. • Heath Care • Matching 401K program. • Paid vacation time, sick days, and holiday pay. • Continuing education support. • Company vehicle, phone, and laptop.
HELP WANTED and advertising support. The ideal candidate will have a knowledge in landscape design, horticulture or horticultural background. Experience with a landscape contractor is preferred. However, college students in pursuit of their degree/certification are encouraged to apply. Knowledge and/or experience with design, estimating, horticulture, turfcare, and installation is a plus. Applicants will have the option for an 8-12 month position. Milieu is an ascending organization dedicated to the growth of our staff and clients. This position will be based in our new, state-of-the-art Lake Zurich facility. Please send resumes to: hello@milieuland.com Landscape Construction Supervisor Milieu Landscaping has an immediate opening for a landscape construction supervisor. The supervisors at Milieu perform production management for residential, commercial and municipal clients. The position is responsible for direct supervision of 4-6 installation crews in the areas of enhancements and construction management. The supervisor will interface with management, sales, operations, and clients to ensure that quality standards and client expectations are met or exceeded. The ideal candidate will have experience with a landscape contractor as a foreman and/or supervisor. Basic computer skills and use of technology are very helpful. Knowledge of hardscape, grading, drainage, horticulture, and proper planting are keys to success. Hard working, energetic, bi-lingual (Spanish/ English), independent, outdoor, fun, passionate, and team-oriented people will thrive in this position. This is a position that can lead to more opportunity in growth and income within Milieu. Milieu is an ascending organization dedicated to the growth of our staff and clients. This position will be based in our new, state-of-the-art Lake Zurich facility. Please send resumes to: hello@milieuland.com
Rod Berry Email your resume to: rod@buhrmandesigngroup.com Client Care Manager Milieu Landscaping has an immediate opening for a client care manager. The client care managers at Milieu perform sales and production management for residential and commercial clients. This position is responsible for selling Milieu’s services in an upscale territory by providing horticultural recommendations, creative designs, proposals and presentations. This individual will have the opportunity to grow a territory with excellent marketing
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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
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Classified Ads HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Residential Maintenance Account Manager Commercial Maintenance Account Manager Landscape Designer/Project Director Management Associate Call Maria for more information at (847) 876-8042 Or visit jamesmartinassociates.com/careers Landscape Maintenance Supervisor Milieu Landscaping has an immediate opening for a landscape maintenance supervisor. The supervisors at Milieu perform production management for residential, commercial and municipal clients. The position is responsible for direct supervision of 4-6 landscape crews in the areas of maintenance, enhancements, turf care, and basic landscape property management. The ideal candidate will have experience with a landscape contractor as a foreman and/or supervisor. Basic computer skills and use of technology are very helpful. Knowledge of horticulture, turf care, and landscape maintenance are keys to success. Hard working, energetic, bi-lingual (Spanish/ English), independent, outdoor, fun, passionate, and team-oriented people will thrive in this position. This is a position that can lead to more opportunity in growth and income within Milieu. Applicants will have the option for an 8-12 month position. Milieu is an ascending organization dedicated to the growth of our staff and clients. This position will be based in our new, state-of-the-art Lake Zurich facility. Please send resumes to: hello@milieuland.com Lawn & Plant Health Care Technician Milieu Landscaping has an immediate opening for a Lawn Care/Plant Health Care Technician. This technician at Milieu perform production for residential and commercial clients. This position is responsible for applications for turf, plant beds, trees and shrubs as needed. The ideal candidate will have a knowledge of
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fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and their application. Experience with a landscape contractor is preferred, however we are willing to train. Current Illinois Pesticide Applicator or Operator license (or ability to obtain) is required. Current drivers license and ability to lift 75 lbs is required. Applicants will have the option for an 8-12 month position. Milieu is an ascending organization dedicated to the growth of our staff and clients. This position will be based in our new, state-of-the-art Lake Zurich facility. Please send resumes to: hello@milieuland.com Landscape Construction Estimator POSITION- Collect and evaluate company and client data in order to estimate the costs, resources, and labor needed to produce a quality project for our clients and profit for our company. Duties will include gathering quotes from vendors and service providers, preparing reports and quotes for internal and external clients, and creating, monitoring, forecasting and facilitating for project planning. REQUIREMENTS- Previous experience in Commercial Landscape construction. Understand plant material, soil types, irrigation systems, pest control, and landscape construction methods. Able to use computers proficiently. Read blueprints for landscape and irrigation projects. Valid Driver’s License required Please send your resume to office@theroofcrop.com Landscape Foreman POSITION- Oversee and maintain all planning, organization, supervision, and general health of landscape/growing activities and contractual obligations of The Roof Crop and its affiliates.
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
jamesmartinassociates.com | (847) 634-1660 Oversee new installations and turnover from Third Party installers for all roof, indoor and outdoor green spaces. Monitor and train workers, supervise the use of equipment, ensure staff observe safety guidelines and protocols, and complete required administrative duties. All labor and scheduling should be in coordination with the Operations Director and the Farm Operations Manager and in accordance with standardized policies in order to provide efficient, friendly services and profitable operations. Promote a cooperative effort, team spirit, and good morale among the team. Please send your resume to office@theroofcrop.com Classic Landscape Maintenance Supervisor Classic Landscape has been a staple in the landscape industry for nearly 60 years. We’re currently seeking a new Maintenance Supervisor to add to our growing team! This is a full time job that offers full benefits and 401K after 3 months. Must Have Experience Must Be Bilingual Must Have Valid Drivers License In direct supervision of multiple crews throughout the Chicagoland area Experience with technology and computer skills is helpful Send resumes to hire1@classiclandscapeltd.com Beverly Companies is Hiring for the Following Positions Beverly companies is a full service landscape and snow removal company that services the entire Chicagoland area with multiple offices and yards throughout the city and suburbs.
Classified Ads HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Landscape Designer Offer customers full service design and development for their residential and commercial projects. Create and maintain relationships with current and future customers. Oversee and assist in managing projects.
Interested parties please contact: Mark King mking@kingslandscaping.com 630-417-5191 www.kingslandscaping.com
Landscape Estimator Estimate commercial and residential projects. Create bids and take offs. Review contract documents
King’s Landscape Design, located in the South Western Suburbs, is looking to hire an experienced Landscape Irrigation Technician.
Please email resume to astraughn@beverlycompanies.com Straughn Farm Inc. is Seeking a Salesperson Straughn Farm Inc is a supplier or topsoil and bulk materials. Straughn farm is currently seeking a salesperson. This position will require an energetic person with industry experience willing to reach out to other contractors and suppliers to fill there needs for topsoil and bulk materials. Tasks will include door to door marketing, cold calling and other various marketing techniques. Contact Alex for more information at 630-7684172 or alex@Straughnfarm.com Landscape Architect / Designer King’s Landscape Design has been a staple in the South-Western suburbs since 1959. We are an award winning Design / Build residential firm that provides high quality, unique landscapes. We are looking to add another talented Landscape Architect to our team. If you are skilled in residential design, are self-motivated, and focused on exceptional customer service and quality, we would like to meet you. Requirements: - A 4-year degree in Landscape Design and/or Landscape Architecture - A minimum of 3 years professional work experience (preferred, but not required) - Strong plant and construction knowledge - Driver’s license and good driving record - Professional appearance and demeanor - Proficiency in Dynascape a plus. Ideal candidates will be detail orientated, conscientious, professional and most importantly, maintain a high level of honesty and integrity. King’s is a relaxed work environment, although seasonally hectic, with competitive salary and benefits package including vehicle during work, insurance, 401k, generous vacation allowance and reduced winter hours.
Irrigation Technician
The ideal candidate would be able to perform the following: - Sprinkler turn-on, and winterizations - Repair irrigation systems (i.e. broken sprinkler heads, leaks, valves, wiring) - Monitor and adjust sprinkler watering -Knowledge of landscape lighting would be a plus! Minimum qualifications include: • 3 years’ experience • A valid driver’s license & good driving record • Must be seeking long term employment • Must be able to speak English. Interested parties please contact: Adam King aking@kingslandscaping.com 630-408-4527 www.kingslandscaping.com Landscape Project Manager CB Conlin Landscapes Inc. is a family-oriented design and construction firm located in Naperville, Illinois. We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to add to our collaborative team environment. The ideal candidate will have previous experience managing both in-house crews and subcontractors on highly detailed outdoor projects of all sizes. Responsibilities Include: - Constant communication and progress reviews with Construction Manager and Project Designers - Procurement of materials and equipment needed for the project - Scheduling and executing site inspections - Managing both in-house crews and subcontractors via site visits and telephone communication Skills Needed Include: - Excellent verbal and written communication - General computer program knowledge (Microsoft Office and Excel) - Clean driving record (CDL a plus) - Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment - Snow removal experience is a plus - Bilingual (Spanish) is a plus
HELP WANTED Landscape Maintenance Manager Tentinger Landscapes, a leader in the residential Landscape Design, Build, and Maintenance industry in the western suburbs of Chicago has an immediate opening for an experienced Landscape Maintenance Manager. Based in Maple Park, Illinois, this person will be directly in charge of managing, growing, and developing our Landscape Maintenance division. This position is responsible for selling Tentinger’s services in an affluent, highprofile market by providing detailed maintenance programs, horticultural recommendations, creative designs, and proposals. This position requires a minimum of 2 years of residential client service and sales experience. The ideal candidate will possess a thorough knowledge of landscape maintenance, horticulture, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to manage client expectations. Knowledge of computer-based client management programs is required. This full-time salaried position offers competitive wages, incentive plan, comprehensive benefits, and a spectacular culture that promotes growth, learning, experience, and employee satisfaction! Please email your resume and cover letter outlining your salary expectations to: Zack Tentinger President E-mail: zack@tentinger.co Website: www.tentinger.co Chalet is looking for Landscape Project Managers We seek an experienced Landscape Project Manager to join us at our third generation, familyowned company. In this role, you will take a construction project from scheduling to completion, with a lot of communication, teamwork, and proactive problem solving in between. Experience in landscape construction, site and crew supervision, and managing subcontractors is a must. This full-time, year-round position offers a robust benefits and compensation package including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurances, FSA, paid time off, holidays, and 401(k) with match. If you’re a people person who’s great at thinking on your feet, multi-tasking, and seeing details and the big picture, consider joining our team! Please send your resume to AlexM@chaletnursery.com
We offer excellent salary, health, and retirement benefits. Please email resumes to Slucchetti@cbconlin.com or contact us at 630-416-8998 for more information
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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Classified Ads
ILCA Members!! Looking for a career opportunity or have an opening within your company you need to fill? Do you have a business or property to sell?
Post an ad in our classified section! Classified listings are posted online for 30 days from the date of submittal and run in the next issue of The Landscape Contractor magazine. We also offer the opportunity to share your posting with our industry list of over 10,000 contacts!
Pricing: $12.00/line with a 10 line minimum. Feature your ad in our monthly email for $50.00 *Features are available with Classified Posting only
Non-profit postings are available. Contact ILCA for details. Questions? Email Alycia Nagy at anagy@ilca.net
Submission Note: ads submitted prior to the 15th of each month, will be posted online within 72 hours and run in the very next issue of the magazine. Ads submitted after the 15th of the month will post online and run in the following month's issue of the magazine
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The Landscape Contractor January 2022
Advertisers 1st Choice Equipment .............................................44 Alto Equipment Co. ................................................41 Bartlett Tree Experts ..............................................40 Breezy Hill Nursery ................................................42 Doty Nurseries LLC ..................................................4 Goodmark Nurseries ...............................................51 Great Lakes Landscape Supply ..............................46 Green Glen Nursery ...............................................63
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.
Walk this way... By Nina A. Koziol
In his 1870 book, The Art of Beautifying Suburban Home Grounds, Frank Scott advised making a path to the front door at least 4 to 5 feet wide. That width allowed a couple to walk side-by-side without the woman’s dress hitting the flowers. It makes sense 150 years later even if fashions have changed.
Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. ..........................................18 Homer Industries ...................................................55 Husquvarna ...........................................................21 James Martin Associates .........................................58 Lafarge Fox River Stone ........................................49 Longshadow Planters .............................................19 Mariani Plants ..........................................................6 Mariani Plants .........................................................35 McGinty Bros. .......................................................40 Midwest Groundcovers ..........................................47 Midwest Trading ......................................................2 Rocks, Etc................................................................15
When this home was built a century ago, the contractor put in a narrow cement walk leading to the front entry. It forces visitors to walk single file to the steps. Could that strip of sidewalk use a makeover (and increase the value of the house)? We think so.
This mid-century modern ranch deserved a new, contemporary cement landing and steps leading to the front door.
The curving walk features pavers that complement the colors of this ranch home. And the curve makes for a slow interesting stroll to the front door.
Russo .......................................................................33 Spring Meadow Nursery ..........................................45 The Mulch Center ....................................................37 Turtle Creek Nursery ...............................................39 Unilock, Inc. ...........................................................64 Vermeer Midwest ....................................................43 Wilson Nurseries ....................................................20
A typical narrow cement sidewalk gave way to bluestone and pavers. The half-moon and full moon design adds the “wow” factor.
Xylem ......................................................................15
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
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Hidden Gems Worth Visiting
Lincoln Park Conservatory Conifer Garden by Heather Prince
One of the gems of the Chicago lakeshore, the
Lincoln Park Conservatory sits quietly just outside the west gates of the Lincoln Park Zoo. Surrounded by 14 acres of lushly landscaped park, the conservatory itself was constructed between 1890 and 1895 by Joseph Lyman Silsbee with M.E. Bell. It features orchid, palm, and fern collections within its elegant glass walls. However, while the tropical plant collections are a stunning respite on a freezing January day, the grounds are not to be missed. The primary entrance faces south to a large panel of lawn, anchored by the Eli Bates Fountain, installed in 1887 and features sculptures of storks, reeds, boys, and fish frolicking in a pool. As you walk around the conservatory, you’ll find a complex and intriguing collection of about 150 varieties of conifers. Installed more than 20 years ago, the conifer garden was a gift of Rich and Susie Eyre of Rich’s Foxwillow Pines. They worked closely with Bryce Bandstra, the acting Director of Lincoln Park and Garfield Park conservatories at the time as well as with the Chicago Park District and conservatory staff. “They had a problem with homeless folks sleeping in the lilac bushes. They’d also climb in through the low windows and bathe in the koi pond in the conservatory,” remembered Rich Eyre. “We planted a nice grouping of Picea chihuahuensis under those windows and 62
2391 N Stockton Dr, Chicago, IL https://lincolnparkconservancy.org/ Hours: The conservatory: Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm; check website for timed ticketing. The gardens are open anytime. it was never a problem again.” The gardens were a labor of love. “We had such great relationships with Bryce and the teams at the park district and conservatories. We are so grateful to call them friends,” commented Eyre. “Bryce was the driving force behind the gardens, and I loaded them with some of the biggest specimens available. They have taken loving care of the garden since its installation.” As one of the most visited conifer collections in the country, its layered textures and colors are particularly showy in winter months when ice rimes the cones and snow is clasped in the needles. They provide a foil for the shimmering domes of the conservatory and anchor the structure in the landscape. From large spruces and arborvitae to diminutive pines and cypress, spend some time exploring. Lawn and mulched paths wend their way through the fragrant needles. A wonderful hosta collection is a tapestry of greens in the growing season. Perennials and annuals carpet the beds beneath the branches of the trees. An occasional redbud sends sprays of pink flowers to hover overhead in the spring. A number of dwarf conifers have now matured into elegant specimens and selected weeping varieties provide a touch of whimsy to the glass conservatory. These gardens are a great place to gather inspiration for weaving conifers through a landscape to provide myriad textures and colors, no matter the season.
The Landscape Contractor January 2022
Umbriano
™
SLEEK. MODERN. UNMISTAKABLE.
3 UNIT RANDOM PACKAGE & SINGLE LARGE FORMAT 7 x 15 // 15 x 15 // 15 x 22" XL unit 21 x 35"
Refined surface and long-lasting color
COLORFUSION™
Subtly mottled Color Finish
NON-SLIP SURFACE
Add richness to any hardscape project with the natural granite look and beautifully modern joint lines of Umbriano. These pavers are slip-resistant and absorb little heat making them an excellent choice for a pool deck that is both stunning and safe. Factory-sealed with EasyClean, Umbriano pavers are stain-resistant, making clean up a breeze around outdoor kitchens, dining areas, and other high traffic areas.
Contact 1-800-UNILOCK or visit UNILOCK.COM to connect with your local Territory Manager.
