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Groundcovers & vines, native Plants, Perennials, ornamental Grasses, deciduous shrubs, roses, conifers & broadleaf everGreens

May 2019

CONTENTS Excellence In Landscape Awards Project

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FOCUS: The Incredible Edible Landscape Foodscaping 10 Clients get the harvest — you reap the profits

Frederick Law Olmsted Comes Alive

16 Members get a glimpse of history

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Digital Design Workshop 22 A boutique class to enhance your skills

Pro Secrets to Container Planting 24 Four-season planters make happy clients

ILCA Judges’ Award 30 Kane Brothers — A Very Private Retreat

EN ESPAÑOL

10 Top Elms for the Landscape Kris Bachtell carries the torch

Network and Connect to Grow Your Business 44 Networking expert, Dean MacMorris offers perspective

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Pro Secrets to Container Planting 36 Secretos profesionales para jardinería en macetas 40

Diseases & Pests 54 Sawfly and Black knot

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Member Profile 56 LoadPool, LLC

Revisiting Your Plant Palette Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’

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On the cover... Green View Landscaping, received a Gold award for Residential Landscape Construction for this project.

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS

ILCA Calendar

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

Photo Credits ILCA Awards Program Rick Reuland Jennifer Brtennan Kris Bachtel LoadPool, LLC Midwest Groundcovers

Calendar 4 5 6 52 58 61

AUGUST August 1, 2019 Summer Field Day Goodmark Nurseries Wonder Lake August 29, 2019 Turf Education Day (TED) Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe

8-9, 30-36 19, 22-23 24-28, 36-38 40-43 56 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

SEPTEMBER

Volume 60, Number 5. 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.

September 12, 2019 ILCA Golf Outing Village Links of Glen Ellyn Glen Ellyn

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

ILCA Staff

Magazine Staff

Executive Director Scott Grams (630) 472-2851 sgrams@ilca.net

Rick Reuland Publisher/Advertising Sales (630) 637-8632 rmgi@comcast.net

Education Manager AnneMarie Drufke adrufke@ilca.net

Debbie Rauen Advertising Sales (817-501-2403) debbie.landscapecontractor@ yahoo.com

Events Manager Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net Office Manager Alycia Nagy anagy@ilca.net

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treethyme@aol.com Patrice Peltier

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Membership & Marketing Manager Marissa Stubler mstubler@ilca.net

Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net

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Meta Levin

Shade TreeS • OrnamenTalS • evergreenS • ShrubS

ILCA 2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523

meta.levin@comcast.net Nina Koziol

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n.koziol@att.net Heather Prince

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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From Where I Stand — Poaching. It’s an ugly word whether in hunting

exposed the dark underbelly of economic growth. When labor is in short supply, you look anywhere for it. A company often ends up or in business. Poachers are known worldwide as those who illegalusing the same rationale as the big game poacher; it’s either him or ly hunt revered and endangered animals such as elephants, rhinos, me. and lions. In reality, to be considered a poacher it’s not what you Poaching is a dicey topic. When you are the victim of poachers, hunt, it’s where. The actual definition of poacher is anyone who it’s talked about at great length. It’s a frequent topic trespasses on land that is not his or her own to of conversation at ILCA events, standing around hunt. It doesn’t matter if that poacher is hunting lift-gates, or waiting for plants to be loaded. When black rhinos in Botswana or white tailed deer in that is flipped around, the poacher doesn’t expose Wisconsin. himself or brag. He hunts under the cover of darkPoachers are universally reviled. They illeness and his reputation precedes him. His name is gally hunt animals because they are prized for whispered in the wind and is enough to send chills their horns, tusks, skin, meat, or for medicinal up the spines of his competitors. purposes. Even non-conservationists dislike the With poaching, it’s important to answer two idea of these majestic animals being wiped from questions: 1. Is poaching legal? 2. Is poaching ethithe earth because rhino horns are an aphrodisiac cal? in China.

First, let’s examine the question of whether or Most poachers will rationalize their actions not poaching is legal. In most cases, soliciting an and say they are just trying to survive thememployee who leaves on his own accord is comselves. In the minds of the poacher, it’s his life pletely legal. Some companies protect themselves or the animal’s. There have been high profile with non-compete clauses (DNCs), but those have stories of poachers who wander on the wrong land been illegal in Illinois for low-skilled workers since and are killed by the very animal they are attempt2017. A DNC prohibits an employee from working ing to hunt. Most of the time, these stories are in the same field for an identified period of time. met with a collective “sucks to be you” from an Illinois strongly believes that low-skilled workers unsympathetic public. should not be indentured servants too afraid to leave Poaching has been a problem for as long as one business for another in the same industry. Laws we have had private land. In 1079, William the have been written to give employees maximum Conqueror created the New Forest along with a portability. Nowhere is this more evident than the landscape indusseries of stiff and barbaric penalties for those found guilty of illetry with its transient schedule and periods of unemployment. Key gally hunting within it. Even by Anglo-Saxon standards the punishemployees leaving is unfortunate, but not unexpected. ments for illegally living off the land were harsh. Merely disturbing Some businesses protect themselves with non-solicitation agreea deer could lead to dismemberment or blinding. Killing a deer, ments. Those have been upheld in court and are viewed differently even for sustenance, meant execution. The argument that one was from DNC’s. Non-solicitation agreements do not prohibit past only poaching to feed his family could be told to the executioner. employees from immediately gaining employment in the same field Poaching gets a little muddier when applied to humans in the or with a direct competitor, they just can’t take anyone else with business environment. Human beings are not animals pausing to them. There are also no-poaching and no-hire agreements. A cabal drink from a watering hole in the African Serengeti. In the end, the of fast food companies recently had their no-hire policies exposed. employee makes the final decision on whether or not he wants to In the end, they universally agreed to eliminate their no-hire agreebe poached. ments versus facing an ugly court battle and lawsuits that would There is a fine line when it comes to poaching and it’s blurred have likely invalidated them. often. One man’s “poaching” is another man’s “recruitment.”

As someone who watches state law very closely, I would not get Headhunters, a salacious term in its own right, is an entire industry too used to these types of agreements if I was an employer. I fully built around the fact that the best way to obtain new talent is to expect a state like Illinois to continue to find ways to vest more reach out and grab them. I got my job at ILCA through a recruitrights with the employee. Illinois continues to lead the nation in ing firm and not once did I view the process as slimy or unethical. employee-friendly laws and policies. If a business looks into these I left my previous employer with no bridges burned or cries of types of agreements, every single letter should be scrutinized by poaching. I realize this is rarer than it sounds. legal counsel. Also, the business has to consider enforcement. If a There are countless articles on employee recruitment and former employee actively solicits a handful of employees to leave, poaching. Most come to the same conclusion that employers should will the company actually pursue legal action? If not, the agreement look inward versus blaming others for their personnel losses. An is nothing more than an empty threat. employee leaves because the employee is empowered, not being Poaching, in most cases, is completely legal. It is probably paid enough, unhappy with the company culture, thought the grass going to get even more legal as workers’ rights are upheld and is greener, or all of the above. In the sterile, perfect world of busistrengthened. The better question is, “Is poaching ethical?” ness consultants it’s as simple as — treat employees better and they Humorist Chuck Klosterman once wrote that he never went after stay. I have been around this extremely competitive industry for too single women when he was dating in his twenties. When he’d go long to know that it’s not that simple. out to a bar looking for romance, he knew he didn’t have a chance During the recession, when labor was plentiful and misery with the dozens of single women looking for the exact same thing. loved company, poaching was almost non-existent. As prosperInstead, he focused on the married women. He theorized that in ity returned to the green industry it reintroduced the poachers and The Landscape Contractor 5 May 2019

Dangerous Game

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order to win the heart of a single girl, you have to be better than every other guy in the bar. Yet, in order to win the heart of a married woman, you only need to be better than one guy. He liked those odds.

Now, he was (likely) joking, but most people would find that mindset despicable. Poaching works along similar principles. A poacher doesn’t have to be the best landscape company on the planet, it just has to be better than the employee’s current one.

That can be established through a .50 cent increase, more favorable hours, more flexibility, etc. Remember, just one single variable can be tweaked in order to make a new job seem better than the old one.

In regards to ethics, I feel the traditional definition of poaching should create the ethical red line. Recruitment is the solicitation of prospective employees to come work for a business. If a company puts an ad in the newspaper, talks to someone after church on Sunday, or runs into someone at the parking lot of the supermercado, that’s not poaching. If a current employee of a landscape company is lured away from his or her job and goes to work for a competitor, that is not poaching. Poaching occurs when the new employer solicits the employee by trespassing on another employer’s property without permission.

Obviously, it’s unlikely a business is going to brazenly walk through the front door of another business and start handing out job offers. That’s a recipe for getting the cops called or a punch in the mouth. I contest that any time an employee is approached during work hours in a company vehicle or wearing a company’s uniform, that is considered poaching. That ranges from walking onto a job site, chatting a guy up at the gas station, cornering them at a training seminar, or approaching a crew on break in a parking lot.

Recruitment becomes poaching, and it becomes unethical, when that red line is crossed. There are other ways a business can go about soliciting employees that respects the prospective employee and competitor.

Poaching isn’t going to be illegal any time soon. There is more legal liability in trying to prevent poaching than engaging in it.

Also, poaching isn’t going to go away, either. Demand is surging in the landscape industry and labor is in short supply. Companies are desperate and poachers poach because it’s easy, not hard. Once a business makes the conscious decision to poach, it’s tough to give it up.

Yet poaching does stain reputations. People do talk and word travels fast. Just as most big game poachers have learned to rationalize their behavior, I am sure most business poachers have as well. I am sure many companies would be happy to return to the days of William the Conqueror and mete out some medieval justice to unscrupulous poachers. Ripping out eyeballs isn’t going to help.

Perhaps simply differentiating between recruiting and poaching is a good first step. Losing an employee, fair and square, is a fact of life. Having an employee shanghaied on company property is a different story. I respect that desperate times call for desperate measures, but realize, just as with big game poaching, no one is going to shed a tear if you get clawed across the face.

Scot Grams April 22, 2019

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

President’s Message — This year

President

Tom Lupfer Lupfer Landscaping (708) 352-2765 tom@lupferlandscaping.com

Vice-President

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

Secretary-Treasurer

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

Immediate Past President Lisa Fiore Don Fiore Company, Inc. (847) 234-0020 lfiore@donfiore.com

Directors

Eric Adams Russo Power Equipment (847) 233-7811 eadams@russopower.com Jennifer Fick Wilson Nurseries and Landscape Supply (847) 683-3700 jennf@wilsonnurseries.com Allan Jeziorski Hartman Landscape (708) 403-8433 allan@hartmanlandscape.net

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

Kevin Manning K & D Enterprise Landscape Management, Inc. (815) 725-0758 kmanning@kdlandscapeinc.com Scott McAdam, Jr. McAdam Landscaping, Inc. (708) 771-2299 Scottjr@mcadamlandscape.com Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net Mark Utendorf Emerald Lawn Care, Inc. (847) 392-7097 marku@emeraldlawncare.com

could be called “the year of the strategic plan.” Major headway was made on all of the central elements of the three-year strategic plan.

One year ago, the Board approved the funding for the public awareness campaign and now it has been released using a bold distribution strategy. The focus on public relations moving forward is going to be the biggest change in strategic direction.

Feedback from the membership at the Annual Party, iLandscape, and social media has been very positive. The money is there, and the membership has been clamoring for it so it’s time to stop talking about it and ‘run the race.’.

The Board and Committee chair training program will be rolled out in 2019. We have strong committees but lack consistency. Committees handle the majority of our annual programs and initiatives outside the strategic plan and are the primary reason we are able to accomplish so much as an organization.

The PAC has been wildly successful. It helped push the introduction of a worker’s compensation insurance enforcement bill. This is way ahead of schedule and proves that we are on the right path. A handful of PAC events led to a meeting with Rep. Jay Hoffman who sponsored a major overhaul of the comp enforcement system (HB269). We hope that by adding more teeth to the statute, the IWCC will be better equipped to root out and punish violators. However, without increased enforcement then it is nothing but a piece of paper and will not impact the average members day to day life. Fundraising has been a mixed bag, but we met the strategic plan’s goals due to the hard work of the Committee.

We launched a new event this year in Summer Snow Days. The vendor participation was strong, but we were disappointed by the attendance. With that said, it opened our eyes as to the challenges of the snow side of the industry. It is clear how few companies are making money from snow operations and how even fewer enjoy them. As snow continues to drive off-season revenue, our Snow Committee is trying to determine how to serve this crucial part of our membership who is providing an emergency management service to the public. iLandscape concluded its 6th year and got walloped by the weather. With temperatures plunging to -55 we still had over 5,300 people attend. This opened our eyes as to how we can plan for almost anything,but there are still some factors outside of our control. This reaffirmed the importance that ILCA runs all its programs at a profit and not fall in love with one big annual event. It also means that we need to be financially conservative moving forward by not spending money we don’t have.

Economically, the landscape industry seems to be pulling out of the recession. 2018 was not a great year but the economic outlook is rosier. Contractors are “busy,” but don’t have the margins they enjoyed before the recession. Further, contractors will have greater control over price, but they will be unable to grow due to labor constraints. A minimum wage increase will strain pay scales, prices, and margins even further.

The ILCA staff performed tremendously this year considering it’s a small office and one member was on maternity leave for several months. They are a more cohesive group and worked better as a team because of it. Also, Alycia, ILCA’s Office Manager got married to Loren Nagy of The Care of Trees a Davey Company.

Congrats Alycia and Loren!

With a strong bottom line, healthy reserves, a driven Board of Directors, and high functioning committees and staff, we are taking on new tasks: workforce development, an expanded marketing program, and expanding our efforts to clean up the industry. These are the Big Three moving forward. Stay tuned for updates..

Tom Lupfer

April 22, 2019 The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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C. B. Conlin Landscapes, Inc. & Night Light, Inc. • Naperville Elevated Sanctuary

The challenging terrain

and desire to preto the mezzanine level lounging space flanked by two towering serve historically significant features of the property generated a spruce trees – the last remaining from the original garden design. To unique arrangement of outdoor living and recreation spaces. The increase usability, the bottom of the hillside was excavated to form home’s original landscape dating back almost a hundred years is a large level surface for the construction of a petanque court, an outbelieved to have been designed and constructed by The Morton door game similar to bocce which the homeowners enjoyed during Arboretum. their trips to France.

After peeling back tons of thick underbrush and fill, the remThe landscape lighting approach creates dramatic vistas of the nants of a terraced landscape were revealed. A series of quaint rubhillside after dark while providing ease of movement up and down ble walls and rustic stone steps were found to be in good condition. stairs and across varying surfaces. With multiple viewing directions This discovery altered the design approach and guided methodical – inside-to-out, up and down, controlling aim and brightness were site operations sensitive to the aging structures and ancestral trees. paramount to avoid glare spots.

Situated on a corner lot, the home’s side yard comprised the Acknowledging the naturalistic character of the landscape, a sublargest area. With a steep slope dropping 28’ from the front of tle moon-lighting technique was used to emphasize the lofty scale the house to the rear of the property, improved circulation and of the trees and reveal how spaces are organized within the larger creation of functional spaces for outdoor activities were primary. context of the landscape. Focal points such as the brawny trunks To access the outdoor living area, an opening was cut through the of the horsechestnut and spruce are accented with uplights. Branch sunroom leading out to a graceful new staircase that connects to and leaf patterns projected as dappled shadows on the ground plane the main dining patio. From there, a set of stone steps leads down evoke a sense of romance and mystery.

The Landscape Contractor 9 May 2019

The Incredibe Edible Landscape —

Foodscaping!

Your clients get the harvest—you reap the profits P

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by Nina A. Koziol

Fresh, flavorful food growing outside the

back door. Or the side yard. Or maybe in some raised beds near a patio or deck. The interest in locally grown vegetables and herbs is an opportunity for landscape contractors who would like to add edible gardens to their portfolios.

There’s a good reason to explore vegetable gardens as a part of the larger home landscape. In 2015, households spent an estimated $3.6 billion growing vegetables, fruit, berries and herbs, and $2.7 billion on flower gardening. About one in three households participated in food gardening or flower gardening that year, and marketing companies are predicting continued growth.

Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden, told iLandscape attendees that the interest in home-grown food shows no sign of slowing down. Her presentation, “The Incredible Edible Landscape,” drew a large crowd eager to learn more about incorporating herbs, vegetables and fruit into their projects.

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“The best food comes from close to home,” Hilgenberg said.

“I’m hoping to inspire you to add some edible plants to your projects. Think beyond rows of vegetables.” And, think beyond tomatoes and peppers. “In the 1940’s, nearly one in three Chicago lots had a fruit tree. Medium size fruit trees in an urban landscape can provide shade and four seasons of interest. Consider pollination opportunities—for example, if you have a crabapple on the site, add an apple tree.”

In home landscapes where space is limited, she suggests using fruit trees that are grafted onto a semi-dwarfing root stock to keep the trees compact. “Fruit trees can offer interesting branching structure, glossy leaves, and winter interest— and the harvest is a bonus.” When planting grafted fruit trees, Hilgenberg said to place the trunk so that the graft union is three to four inches above the soil. This will help prevent the rootstock from sending up sprouts. (continued on page 12)

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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The Incredibe Edible Landscape — (continued from page 10) Pear trees can withstand heavier soils often found in northeastern Illinois. Some of her favorite cultivars include Pyrus ‘Beurre d’Anjou,’ ‘Bartlett,’ ‘Harrow Delight,’ ‘Stark Honeysweet,’ ‘Moonglow’ and ‘Maxine.’ “They are typically self-fertile, but some may need the help of pollinators,” she said.

Hilgenberg is also big on Asian pear trees, which can produce fruits in as little as two years after planting. “They will need to be cross-pollinated.” Two of her favorites are Pyrus pyrifolia ‘Korean Giant’ and ‘Nijisseiki.’

Native pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba) produce fruit that, when ripe, has a flavor often described as banana custard.

“They generally need cross pollination—beetles and flies are the pollinators—and it’s a real interesting plant to have in a garden.” The tree’s big, beefy leaves give a tropical feel to a garden. Her favorite cultivars include ‘Mango,’ ‘Overleese,’ ‘Prolific,’ ‘Pennsylvania Golden,’ ‘Rebecca’s Gold,’ ‘Shenandoah,’ and ‘Sunflower.’

Trees and shrubs that provide edible fruits perform doubleduty in the landscape. Although the popular serviceberry is typically planted for its spring flowers and fall color, it offers tasty fruits, if you can get them before the birds discover the red-blue

berries in June. Hilgenberg recommends Pembina serviceberry (Amelanchier ‘Pembina’) for use as a fragrant, edible screen.

“Beyond feeding our bodies, we’re feeding our minds and souls with these plants,” she said. Hilgenberg has overwintered hardy fig trees—‘Brown Turkey’ and ‘Chicago Hardy’—for the past three years at the Garden, which is in Glencoe. “We have them in a protected spot.” The figs are small but packed with flavor. What avid cook would not want to walk outdoors and pluck a few ripe figs in summer? Give your clients bragging rights.

Edible Shrubs and Vines

There are plenty of ornamental shrubs for the home landscape, but don’t overlook substituting those that provides edible berries. “Instead of planting Viburnum, plant currants (Ribes), ‘Hinnomake Red’ gooseberry or black chokeberry (Aronia ‘Morton Iroquois Beauty’),” she said.

Instead of Clematis or ivy, look to kiwi, hops and grape vines, which can be as ornamental and very functional. “They can be used to screen unsightly views or grown on a pergola on a rooftop garden for shade and food,” she says. (continued on page 14)

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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The Incredibe Edible Landscape — from seed as soon as the soil temperature reaches 45 degrees.

“I’m really excited about peppers—they go non-stop into Ornamental and Edible fall,” Hilgenberg said. One of her favorites is ‘Candy Cane There’s an ancient phrase about food—“We eat first with our Red,’ a sweet snacking pepper. “Black Hawk is another good eyes”—and Hilgenberg takes that to heart when she’s selecting one that’s a bushy, well-branched ornamental.” plants for the Garden’s display.

Hilgenberg considers contrasting colors when combining “Choose edibles with a painterly eye,” Hilgenberg said. She edible plants. “Amaranth is an interesting warm-season crop pairs ‘Purple Vienna’ kohlrabi with ‘Matrix Orange’ violas in the that’s beautiful as a cut flower as well.” She touts ‘Hopi Red spring. “And, leaf lettuce is a beautiful filler in containers. Think Dye’ amaranth for its giant, colorful flowers and ‘Red Giant’ about using sweet alyssum planted with collards and lettuce.” mustard for its colorful and tasty foliage.

Leaf lettuce Instead of pachysandra as a ground cover, how about using can be sown strawberries or kale? “Five-color Swiss chard is an heirloom with neon-colored stems, and the cultivar, ‘Rhubarb Red,’ holds its color through summer.” It’s not all vegetables. Hilgenberg has paired the chartreuse flowers of Zinnia ‘Envy’ with bulb fennel, both of which attract pollinators. And, no vegetable garden is complete without sunflowers. (continued from page 12)

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

Small Spaces, Big Harvest

The Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden draws several hundred thousand visitors throughout the year. A sophisticated use of hardscape—trellises, arbors, brick and stone walls, wooden latticework, crushed granite paths, and a multitiered arrangement of garden beds provide inspiration to garden designers and homeowners alike. These architectural elements bring order and organization to the plant material and maximize yields in small spaces.

You can do something similar for your clients by installing raised beds. Whether edged in stone or untreated Western red cedar, a raised bed at knee height allows children and adults to easily sow seeds or pop in transplants without kneeling on the ground.

Look for opportunities to use herbs, such as compact globe basil or parsley in a sunny spot around a bird bath. “Shallots make a great front-of-the-border plant,” Hilgenberg said. “We plant them in the fall and mulch them.”

greens, kale, leeks, potatoes and onions, along with pansies and other edible flowers. Warm season edibles like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and beans run from May through September. In mid-summer, another round of cool-weather veggies are transplanted into the garden. Many varieties of heirloom edibles are used in the display beds.

If it’s been awhile since you’ve visited, you’ll want to put this on your bucket list.

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Special Report —

Frederick Law Olmsted Brought to Life iLandscape P

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0 1 9Landscape Show The i llinois + wi2sconsin C T O

Nina A. Koziol

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) was a force of nature. Long revered as the father of American landscape architecture, his star-studded career included the design for Riverside, Illinois—one of the country’s first modern suburbs—as well as the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, New York’s Central Park, and more than 500 other incredible public and private projects.

Olmsted spoke at an iLandscape educational session, providing attendees with a brief history of his illustrious career. Well, sort of. He was resurrected by the very talented Kirk Ryan Brown, national outreach coordinator at Magnolia Plantations and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina. Brown’s passionate and historically accurate portrayals of Frederick Law Olmsted and early American botanist John Bartram are electrifying.

Dressed in period style clothes, and armed with a booming New England accent, Brown strode into the ballroom and it was as if Olmsted himself had appeared. It was a jam-packed room— attendees were not only entertained, they left wanting to explore more about this great American figure.

“An hour can never encompass to the depths what Olmsted accomplished,” Brown said. “It’s remarkable that he was able to do so much during his lifetime, especially when a string of obstacles and roadblocks sent him in different directions.” Brown has spent more than a decade researching thousands of Olmsted’s letters, papers, landscape designs and books by and about him.

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“I never thought that performing as Olmsted was a stretch,” Brown said. “He seemed real to me.” And, those performances seem real to his audiences. In the past year, Brown performed 200 times and was on the road 165 days. “I really loved the road and love the people.”

Early Years

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Olmsted was four years old when his mother died. His father was a very successful merchant who enjoyed the outdoors and took his family on trips to the White Mountains, Niagara Falls and other scenic destinations.

As a youth, Olmsted schooled himself in landscape art by reading the works of Englishmen Humphry Repton and Uvedale Price. He was about to enter Yale College in 1837, when he came in contact with poison sumac—it weakened his eyesight and sidetracked his schooling.

“He wanted to be an apprentice buying imports,” Brown said. For a short time, Olmsted worked in a New York dry-goods store, and in 1843 at age 21, he became an apprentice on a tea ship bound for China. He lost onequarter of his body weight on that trip and remained on the ship while it was docked in port. Upon his return, he went to Connecticut to study farming and agricultural science.

“He wanted his own farm so his father bought him one on Staten Island,” Brown said. That was in 1847 and the 125-acre Tosomock Farm allowed Olmsted to conduct agricultural experiments. He grew thousands of fruit trees along (continued on page 18)

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

Special Report — (continued from page 16) with Cedar of Lebanon, black walnut, mulberry, linden and ginkgo trees. Olmsted also created a dramatic, curved driveway, drained the marshes and moved outbuildings to free up sight lines from the farmhouse. Although it was an economic failure, the farm served as the place where he and his partner Calvert Vaux completed a plan that won the competition for the design of New York’s Central Park.

His father routinely underwrote these adventures while Olmsted pondered his next steps. In 1850, he traveled to Liverpool, England, with brother John and Charles Loring Brace where they embarked on a walking tour. “He discovered three English garden elements at the great country houses—grass, water and woods,” Brown said. Those elements would become cornerstones in his projects. Olmsted explored horticulture, farming, and drainage techniques with nursery-

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men, farmers, and growers while visiting France, Belgium, Holland, German, Ireland, and Scotland.

The New-York Daily Times hired him in 1852 to write about agricultural methods and economy in the American South, where he also reported on the conditions in slaveholding states. He published three volumes of travel accounts and social analysis and used his literary activities to oppose slavery.

Prolific and Invincible

Olmsted wore many hats as a book author, a journalist, a social critic and a public administrator. “The Olmsted story is incredibly current,” Brown said. “He managed the largest public works project since the pyramids.” In 1857, he was appointed superintendent of Central Park and presented his first report, an extensive drainage plan. “He paid day laborers in cash every day,” Brown said.

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

Brown’s costume included a cane and he walked with a limp during his performance. That’s because in 1860, Olmsted was seriously injured while driving a horse-drawn carriage with his wife and infant son. While attempting to gain control of the runaway horse, he was thrown from the carriage. His upper left leg was severely fractured. Doctors chose not to amputate and feared he would not survive. During his recovery he continued to supervise work in Central Park. From that point on, his left leg was shorter and hampered his walking.

Although he was instrumental in preserving Yosemite and Niagara Falls as national parks, Olmsted did not have a reverence for the Midwestern prairie. When he was stranded for 12 hours in March 1863 on a railroad platform in central Illinois, he described the prairie as “one of the most tiresome landscapes that I ever met with” and “only this dreary prairie to the monotonous horizon.” Regardless of his perception of the prairie, he was inspired by the Midwest’s lakes and rivers and that inspiration is reflected in his plans for the town of Riverside, Illinois, as well as three large parks on Chicago’s south side. When he first visited Chicago during the Civil War, he began advocating for a system of parks and boulevards. “He was an environmental visionary,” Brown said. “He didn’t coin that term but others called him that.”

America’s First Suburb

Olmsted retired from professional practice in 1895 and was said to have suffered a mental break down. “The physical and mental decline that institutionalized Olmsted for the last years of his

life was probably Alzheimers,” Brown said. “He was a chronic non-sleeper and that must have contributed to his symptoms. He repeatedly writes

about the fact that he could not sleep on train rides and in the 1880’s and 1890’s he was traveling up to 3000 rail miles a month. Talk about an over-achiever!”

Olmsted spent eight years in a Massachusetts asylum where he died in 1903. “He formed and trained the tastes of a nation,” Brown said. His dreams, projects and plants live on in towns, parks and national sites. Like Olmsted, Brown told the audience, “We’re challenged to plant a legacy. We’re the only ones who can give our clients a sustainable future.”

Shortly after the Civil War, Olmsted and Vaux were asked to plan a new community just west of Chicago. It was Riverside, which became one of the first modern suburbs in America. The resulting design is a stunningly beautiful 1200A Contractor in Paradise acre community in a park along the Des Plaines River, comILCA president Tom Lupfer, owner and president of Lupfer plete with curving lanes, abundant greenery, and street lights.

Landscaping, has been a Riverside resident for 15 years. “It’s beautiOlmsted designed the town to remove the residents from ful and different,” Lupfer said. “It’s interesting because most of the the stresses of modern urban life as much as possible. He and landscape design we do is picturesque. Olmsted was pastoral—it’s a Vaux envisioned recreation on the river that included boating different look. He laid out the streets according to the contours of the in summer and skating in winter. They planned the suburb land. You’re never looking down a straight line.” with gas lights, sewers, and all-weather roads along with Lupfer points out that Olmsted also set the streets lower than the settings for recreation—all the comforts of the city but with lots to create a parklike feeling throughout the suburb. “It’s really fresh air and contact with nature. cool because you look across the parkways and don’t see the streets.

It’s like you’re in a park.” Olmsted was very particular about what “It was to be an urban oasis,” Brown explained. “He spent trees were used and where they were planted in Riverside. “He two years on the project in return for payment in acreage. But, didn’t plant anything that stood out, like magnolias,” Lupfer said. the consortium responsible for the project went bust. I think “The placement of the trees makes the houses fade away, but there’s he learned from that project that you get the money up front.” also 150 years of different architectural styles so you’re not looking His crowning work in the Midwest, 25 years later, was the at a cookie-cutter development.”

Columbian Exposition where the dominant feature was water.

His lagoon landscape was a masterpiece of design using In 2019, Riverside celebrates its Sesquicentennial. For informanative midwestern plants. “They wanted him to set it up like tion on the 150th anniversary events, visit: https://www.riverside. a jewel in a diamond ring—lagoons, island, water effects—it il.us/497/Celebrate-the-Sesquicentennial had never been done before.”

The Landscape Contractor 19 May 2019

Special Report —

711 S Material Rd Romeoville, IL 60446 815-836-0086 RocksEtc@att.net www.RocksEtc.com

A Few of Olmsted’s Most Famous Projects • Central Park, NY (1858-76)

• Prospect Park, Brooklyn (1865-95) • U.S. Capitol Grounds (1875-94)

• Chicago’s Columbian Exposition (1888-93)

• National Zoological Park, Washington DC (1890-1906) • Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC (1891-95)

Interesting Olmsted Tidbits

• Olmsted’s firm had more than 500 commissions that included 100 public parks, 200 private estates, 50 residential communities/subdivisions and campus designs for 40 academic institutions.

• He planted no fewer than 7,000 evergreens, 32,000 deciduous trees, and 47,000 shrubs in Riverside, Illinois.

• By the time he was 44 years old, he had already carried out many impressive projects. This was after he had pursued, and with notable success, several other careers.

• One of his neighbors was Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens).

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ILCA Spring Events —

Digital Design Workshop The 2019 Digital Design Workshop

was held March 25-26, 2019, at Northern Illinois University – Naperville. The program was based on using SketchUp and Lumion for digital design and visualization. The workshop was led by Jon Altschuld, founder and principal of Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Altschuld is a protege of Daniel Tal who led the original Digital Design Workshop for ILCA. This was an immersive two day program employing SketchUp and Lumion for digital design and visualization. It was held at the NIU Naperville computer lab where participants got to use the software and follow along with Jon, while getting personalized guidance.

Day one covered the basics of SketchUp for anyone just getting started or needing a refresher. Topics covered include navigation, selections tool, basic modeling, importing a site plan and modeling simple walls and steps. Altschuld then provided an introduction of extensions, automated modeling and other tools to assist your design.

The day ended with a how-to conversion from CAD to SketchUp; a demonstration of tools and extensions and insights into how drone technology is enhancing landscape design.

Day two covered grading and rendering. This included basic Lumion rendering with SketchUp. An introduction to site grading digital elevation modeling, Sketch Up graphics, animations and when to ask for help in doing 3D modeling. The day concluded with Altschuld giving an outdoor demo of proper drone techniques as they relate to the design process.

Jon Altschuld is the founder and principal of Chinook Landscape Architecture. He is experienced in the design of natural areas, trails and open spaces, river corridors, parks, streetscapes, and an expert in ecological restoration projects. In addition to ecological restoration, Jon has an expertise in emerging technologies such as 3D modeling and visualization, and the use of drones/UAVs for site data collection. Jon holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Landscape Horticulture, as well as a Master’s of Landscape Architecture with a focus in landscape restoration and reclamation. In addition to being a registered Landscape Architect in the state of Colorado, he also holds an FAA Remote Pilot Certification.

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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Special How-To —

Pro Secrets to Container Gardening Four-Season Planters Make for Happy Clients

by Nina Koziol

Jennifer Brennan knows a

thing or two about creating great seasonal containers. A horticulture expert with a focus on plant pathology, plant entomology and plant physiology, she manages the education program at Chalet in Wilmette. Here’s Brennan’s advice on how to create successful containers and window boxes for your clients.

Four-Season Shuffle

Get your clients to think beyond spring and summer containers for their front entry or patio, Brennan suggests. Her containers get an exclamation point— a vertical element in each season. In spring, that element may be stems of pussy willow or forsythia. For fall, she may add cut stems of dried pampas grass seed heads, and in winter it’s branches of birch or curly willow that make a statement. “For winter containers, I also use Wilt-Pruf (an antitranspirant) on evergreens—it enhances needle retention.”

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Hole in One

Yes, all outdoor containers need drainage holes, but there’s no need to line the pots with gravel or mulch. “Instead, use a piece of landscape fabric to cover the holes—it allows the water to drain out, but keeps the potting mix in place,” Brennan said. And, you don’t have to deal with ever-shrinking, sinking mulch or the extra weight of pebbles.

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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Special How-To — Mix it Up

Brennan uses soil-less potting mix that typically contains sphagnum moss, cocoa fibers, shredded or composted wood bark, perlite or vermiculite and granular fertilizers. “Use a loose, friable mix so roots can establish quickly,” she said. A soil-less mix allows air to get to the roots, too. “If the roots aren’t happy, nothing else on the plant will be happy.

The mix we use has to be moist out of the bag.” (The supplier coats the mix with yucca juice.)

Do You Measure Up?

A common mistake, Brennan said, is filling the pot with planting mix until it’s almost full and then digging into it to transplant. Instead, fill the pot to within about 4 1/2 inches of the rim and set the plants on the mix, and then add more mix around the roots. This keeps the potting mix from washing out of the container when you water.

Feed Me

“Don’t rely on mixes that tout ‘fertilizes for four months’,” Brennan says. “They typically offer less than one percent of each element.” Unless the plants were diseased the previous growing season, Brennan says there’s no need to replace the potting mix, but you will need to remove the old roots, add more mix, and replace the nutrients that were depleted.

She adds a time-released fertilizer, such as Osmocote or other granular product to the mix before replanting in the spring and a water-soluble fertilizer throughout the growing season.

Settle Down Before you take the plant from the pot, remove any extra roots that trail from the bottom. This helps to keep the rest of the rootball intact when you turn the pot upside down.

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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Special How-To — Liquid assets

One challenge when using soil-less potting mix is that it can dry out quickly in warm weather. Brennan suggested considering the use of water-holding acrylic polymers, which release moisture as the soil dries out. “They hold up to 200 times their weight in water and they were originally developed for sand-based golf course greens. They act like insurance for containers in hot, dry weather.”

Work the product thoroughly into the potting mix and don’t use more than the label recommends otherwise you may have volcano of polymers and potting mix swelling up and out of the pot.

Up, Down, Sideways

“Plants look best when you combine three different habits—vertical, horizontal and cascading,” Brennan said.

“Don’t limit yourself to annuals and perennials—use woodies like forsythia, especially in the spring when we don’t have a lot of tall annuals. I once used a 3-gallon pot of asparagus for the vertical element.”

Raise ‘em up (right)

Placing a pot on a pedestal adds to the drama and brings the plants closer to eye level, Brennan said.

Window Boxes are Containers, too!

Some houses—bungalows, cottages, farmhouses and Tudor-style homes— have window boxes facing the street.

There’s every reason to convince your clients that their window boxes can look awesome throughout the year.

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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ILCA Honors —

A Very Private Retreat

by Heather Prince

A sweeping drive through mature upland for-

est moves you through this extraordinary 25-acre property.

As the trees part, you spill out into a formal round drive court and are welcomed by clipped hedges and geometric site lines framing the extensive elegant limestone-faced house. As you move to the walkway leading to the rear of the home, through a procession of formal gardens, the atmosphere changes from restrained elegance to a restful retreat. Take a seat at the cool granite bar that embraces the outdoor kitchen and feel the tensions of the day melt away amidst the musical burble of the creek and the abundant birdsong. You’ve arrived at a very private place to shed your stresses and re-tune with nature.

Kane Brothers, Inc. triumphed at iLandscape this year with the Judges’ Award for their spectacular project turning a blank slate into a romantic, naturalistic retreat. Starting in 2013 with nothing but the just-finished home, tattered tree

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line and a pre-dug retention pond, Chris Kane, founding principal and Angelo Zielinski, senior designer, headed the team to transform the area into the natural, woodland space the homeowner dreamed about. “We started with the back portion of the house, then the extensive water feature and transformed the retention pond,” reported Chris Kane. “The beach turned out really well. It’s pretty spectacular. It’s not often you get to work on projects like this.”

As you stand on the Unilock Umbriano paver patio, you have a choice of destinations. You can either turn left and explore the boulder-studded pools and streams on meandering crushed bluestone paths. Or turn right and grab your swimming suit to take a dip in the swimming pond with a sandy sunny beach. The beach is too tempting to resist, and you follow the stained cedar boardwalk as it curves into a large multi-tiered deck with gazebo and dock overlooking the

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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ILCA Honors —

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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ILCA Honors —

water. Here, you can grab a snack in a second remote outdoor kitchen and finish your swim with a quick outdoor shower.

The curve of the beach hugs the naturally clay-lined pond. Its clear waters are stocked with game fish and the edges planted in layers of bog and water plants for a naturalistic feel and to maintain water quality. Extensive sweeps of native plants create a Midwestern Great Lakes atmosphere and minimal trees welcome sunbathing. Native grasses and forbs soften the beach and provide habitat for butterflies and songbirds, while creating four-season interest and movement.

This was a challenging project in many ways. “The client wanted to emphasize the significance of the home’s formal architecture in the front landscapes, but create a soothing space in the rear,” commented Kane. “With a project that requires multiple years of development, priorities shift and evolve as the plan develops. It’s a challenge to keep the focus of the end goal on a project of this scale.” One of the trickiest challenges was projecting the needs for utilities such as gas and electric to remote areas such as the beach kitchen.

As streams and ponds were dug and pathways laid out, Kane mentioned, “What we do today impacts the future build. For example, utility requirements like gas and electric. How do we get it out to the kitchen area before we build the rest? No one likes to relocate 1200 feet of gas line.”

One important design goal was to reestablish the wooded tree line. “The client had cleared the site for construction, and we wanted to reestablish the forest line in such a way as to create a gradient from the forest to woodland to barrens to

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beach, and then back to formality. The real challenge was in tree management and mitigating tree loss, as the site was full of large ash and cherry trees that provided much of the established canopy before construction,” reported Zielinski. The property is sited in a mature oak and hickory forest. “The client enjoyed spending time outdoors and wanted real privacy,” remembered Kane. “It was important to preserve the forest line to keep that privacy as well as bring it into the property to create a woodland feel. The goal was to feel like you’re immersed in the woods.” This meant working with larger, more established trees and shrubs and placing them very thoughtfully. Incorporated into the boundaries of the property is deer fencing. “That was a priority and the site is 100% fenced for deer, even though it blends into the tree line,” mentioned Kane. Keeping deer at bay allows the plant material to thrive with a minimum of worry and freed up the designers to use an extensive palette of plants. “The clients’ top priority was to keep it natural, so no purple foliage plants,” chuckled Kane.

The client had river birch high on their wish list, which didn’t necessarily work within the design aesthetics of the project. “The client loved river birch. We had a tough time incorporating them appropriately,” reported Kane. “We finally decided on doing a birch grove around a detached garage. We objected to it the hardest and ended up loving it the most.”

The trees were tightly stacked with irregular spacing and chosen for a variety of habits and sizes to create the informal look of a colony. The pale trunks of the birch create a very

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

intimate romantic space that camouflages the building while creating a private nook.

The expansive balcony off the back of the home shelters a walk out basement. The stone patio that launches the garden is home to the main gourmet outdoor kitchen. The goal of this space was to create a flexible entertaining area that could be intimate for two or accommodate large crowds. With the rambling paths and surprise seating areas, it’s easy for guests to find a favorite spot, no matter how big the party. The Kane Brothers, Inc. team ensured there were woodland views from every vantage point on the balcony and looking out from the home’s extensive windows. The outdoors flawlessly blends into the indoor living spaces. “We designed this garden to be enjoyed from every vantage point, from within as well as from above. Long views are painted in broad strokes for context, and fine details added for the guest on foot to inspect,” discussed Zielinski.

Relish the crisp crunch of the bluestone paths as you meander among carefully tuned streams lined with granite boulders.

A subtle palette of plants in shades of rich greens cools the eye. A splash of purple salvia or the vertical accent of variegated iris draws your gaze across the tumbling waters. Retreat to the gazebo through an open arbored breezeway under the embrace of trees and framed by a multi-stemmed redbud that adds sprays of pink flowers in April. Native grasses soften boulders, clumps of blue star add sweeps of butterscotch in the fall, and Gro-low sumac anchors all the elements. Stop on a wrought iron bench and enjoy the perfume of rugosa roses, then look for their bright orange hips in autumn. Shrubs and small trees are planted in layered sweeps including hawthorn, wild hydrangea, chokeberry, summersweet, and dogwood. Flowers

are subtle and designed to be small punctuations of color including woodland phlox, rodgersia, may apple, wild ginger, pasque flower, liatris, cardinal flower, rattlesnake master, coreopsis, and stachys. Trees were carefully chosen for specific growth characteristics, especially spring and summer bloomers that turn shades of green in summer. Redbud, witch hazel, viburnum, serviceberry and fringe tree bloom in subtle waves through early spring into summer and then retreat until autumn’s fanfare. Sweetgum, prairie dropseed, and firethorn add rich layers of fall color. Gro-low sumac tumbles over the boulders of the ponds before turning fiery in October. Red, swamp white, and black oaks are thoughtfully placed to maintain the oak/hickory forest aesthetic while offering a variety of textures. Quiet accents of yew, hemlock, spruce and arborvitae take the stage once snow falls.

You can’t help but instantly relax in these spaces as you turn each corner and find something new. “The paths and small seating areas are designed to interweave and connect, giving you many different vantage points and changing lines of sight,” commented Kane. “The retention pond is about 20 feet deep, but the pools also start about three feet deep and go down varying depths so we could plant water lilies and accommodate koi year-round.” Careful attention was paid to the streams and waterfalls. “We deliberately designed each stream and waterfall to have a unique sound so there is always something to enjoy and maybe surprise,” observed Kane. The client loves their new gardens and water features, finding themselves spending even more time in their own private retreat.

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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Enfoque: Sección en Español

Secretos profesionales para jardinería en macetas Macetas para las cuatro estaciones complacen a los clientes por Nina Koziol

Jennifer Brennan sabe mucho

sobre cómo crear estupendas macetas estacionales. Experta en horticultura con especialidad en fitopatología, entomología agrícola y fisiología vegetal, administra el programa educativo de Chalet en Wilmette. Este es el consejo de Brennan para tener éxito en la creación de macetas y jardineras para sus clientes.

Barajar para las cuatro estaciones

Brennan sugiere hacer que los clientes piensen más allá de las macetas de primavera y verano para la entrada principal o el patio de sus casas. Sus macetas obtienen un signo de admiración—un elemento vertical en cada estación. En la primavera, ese elemento pueden ser tallos de sauce ceniciento o forsythia. Para el otoño, ella podría añadir esquejes de tallos de inflorescencias de hierba de las pampas secas y en verano, sus ramas de sauce de abedul o rizado que causan impacto. “Para las macetas de invierno, también utilizo Wilt-Pruf (un antitranspirante) en las plantas perennes—lo que aumenta la retención de agujas”.

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Hoyo en uno

Sí, todos los recipientes para uso al aire libre necesitan orificios de drenaje, pero no es necesario forrar las macetas con grava o mantillo.

“En lugar de eso, cubra los orificios con trozos de tela para jardinería—lo que permite drenar el agua, manteniendo la mezcla para macetas en su lugar”, aseguró Brennan. Y usted no tiene que lidiar con el mantillo que se compacta y hunde o el peso adicional de los guijarros.

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

Mézclelo

Brennan emplea mezcla para macetas sin tierra, que usualmente contiene musgo esfagno, fibras de cacao, corteza de árbol triturada o compostada, perlita o vermiculita y fertilizantes granulados. “Use una mezcla holgada, friable, para que las raíces se puedan establecer rápidamente”, dice. Una mezcla sin tierra permite también que el aire llegue a las raíces.

“Si las raíces no se sienten bien, nada en la planta se sentirá bien. La mezcla que utilizamos tiene que estar húmeda al salir de la bolsa”. (El proveedor recubre la mezcla con jugo de yuca).

¿Está usted a la altura?

Un error muy frecuente, según Brennan, es llenar la maceta con mezcla para plantar hasta que esté casi llena y después escarbar en ella para trasplantar. En lugar de eso, llene la maceta hasta unas 4 ½ pulgadas del borde y fije las plantas en la mezcla y luego añada más mezcla alrededor de las raíces. Esto evita que la mezcla se desborde del recipiente cuando usted riega.

Aliméntame

“No confíe en mezclas que dicen: ‘fertiliza durante cuatro meses’”, aconseja Brennan. “Usualmente ofrecen menos del uno por ciento de cada elemento”.

A menos que las plantas hayan estado enfermas durante la temporada de cultivo anterior, Brennan asegura que no hay necesidad de remplazar la mezcla, pero usted tendrá que remover las raíces viejas y reemplazar los nutrientes que se agotaron. Ella añade un fertilizante de liberación prolongada, como Osmocote u otro producto granulado, a la mezcla antes de replantar en la primavera y un fertilizante soluble en agua durante toda la temporada de cultivo.

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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Enfoque: Sección en Español Activos líquidos

Un desafío de usar mezcla para macetas sin tierra es que se puede secar rápidamente en climas cálidos. Brennan sugiere considerar el uso de polímeros acrílicos con retención de agua, que liberan humedad a medida que el suelo se seca.

“Mantienen hasta 200 veces su peso en agua y fueron desarrollados originalmente para greens de campos de golf a base de arena. Actúan como un seguro para macetas en climas cálidos y secos”.

Introduzca completamente el producto en la mezcla para macetas y no use más de lo que recomiende la etiqueta, de lo contrario, los polímeros y la mezcla podrían hincharse y salirse de la maceta.

Arriba, abajo, lateralmente

“Las plantas se ven mejor cuando usted combina tres hábitos diferentes—vertical, horizontal y en cascada”, afirma Brennan. “No se limite a plantas anuales o perennes—use plantas leñosas como forsythia, especialmente en la primavera cuando no tenemos muchos plantas anuales altas. Una vez utilicé un recipiente de 3 galones de espárragos como elemento vertical”.

Echar cabeza

Ante de sacar la planta de la maceta, elimine todas las raíces adicionales que se hayan extendido desde el fondo. Esto ayuda a mantener el resto del cepellón intacto cuando usted le da vuelta a la maceta.

Levántelas

Colocar una maceta sobre un pedestal realza el dramatismo y pone la planta a nivel de la vista, dice Brennan.

¡Jardineras y recipientes, también!

Algunas casas—búngalos, cabañas, casas-hacienda y casas estilo Tudor— tienen jardineras frente a la calle. Hay muchos motivos para convencer a sus clientes de que sus jardineras pueden verse impresionantes durante todo el año.

38

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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39

Special Report —

10 Top Elms

For the Landscape

by Heather Prince

Some of us recall the sweeping cathedral ave-

nues lined with American elms and the pain of losing almost all of them. Dutch elm disease (DED) spurred a wave of elm research that continues to this day. Several breeding programs have set out to produce improved, disease resistant trees that maintain the toughness and vigor of the genus.

The Morton Arboretum, beginning with the work of Dr. George Ware, chose to hybridize Asian elms that had a natural resistance to DED. The University of Wisconsin, USDA, and National Arboretum also all have breeding programs with both Asian and resistant strains of American elms. This means there are many hardy and disease resistant elm cultivars available. How do you select the best tree for your client? Kris Bachtell, the Vice-President of Collections and Facilities at The Morton Arboretum, gave an informative presentation at iLandscape explaining different cultivars and the importance of tree maintenance, especially pruning.

The Asian elms are found natively on rocky slopes and “The

Asians are more mountain species. I’ve seen them there in China. The American cultivars are still a floodplain tree, but the Asian hybrids are going to be very drought tolerant,” commented Bachtell. All the elms are vigorous, fast-growing trees which make them good selections for parkways and yards when you want a tree that will quickly offer shade and screening.

However, there are a few cultivars that Bachtell doesn’t recommend. “Quit planting, Regal, Homestead, and Pioneer. Pioneer has some canker problems. Homestead is uber-vigorous, and Regal has an upright form that always has a double leader.”

There are many easy to grow cultivars available, but Bachtell had some tips for success. These trees are very adaptable to any sunny situation and because they are so vigorous do not require fertilization. The main technique for long term success is proper pruning, particularly young trees.

Because of their energetic growth habit, elms can develop a full, dense crown very quickly that benefits from thinning to maintain a graceful form. “The key is that young elms take

Ulmus ‘Accolade’ left, right and center

40

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

Dr. George Ware

twice or three times as much pruning as other trees. And they need it to create a good form, especially in the first three years. You can go up to 30% off the crown and still maintain a good shape,” reported Bachtell. “The Asian cultivars with more controlled growth, may make more sense as a street tree or a backyard specimen. Proper pruning is critical for any of the American elms, including Princeton and Valley Forge, especially when they are young. If you’re not going to do it, don’t plant them.” When using elms for your clients, build in a pruning schedule to the maintenance plan and they will be rewarded with a beautiful tree.

One of the top concerns for clients with elm trees is disease resistance. The good news is that any elm on the market has been bred for superior tolerance of DED, but within that, some are more tolerant than others. The Asian elms naturally block off the fungal infection, so it does not spread through the entire tree. “They have seen DED on Accolade, but it doesn’t kill the tree. The tree walls off the infection,”

Ulmus ‘Commendation’

Ulmus wilsoniana ‘Prospector’

Ulmus ‘Frontier’

observed Bachtell. The new American cultivars also do this, but “Valley Forge is the most disease resistant elm of all of them, but we lost one due to root grafting transmission. So that’s a question mark. Root graft versus aerial transmission is different and the tree reacts differently.” This means that if you are planting American elm cultivars in a landscape, be aware of the neighboring trees. If there is an American elm in the vicinity, it may make sense to choose an Asian cultivar. If you’re planting a row or an allée, Asian cultivars may also be a better choice.

Bachtell encourages using elms, “I definitely recommend elms in your plant palette! They are being used in the Midwest more than the East Coast. They are still a great tree but remember to plant with diversity in mind.” (continued on page 42)

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

41

Special Report — Accolade

Height: 50 to 60 ft Width: 30 to 40 ft Rate: fast Form: vase Notes: Asian cultivar from The Morton Arboretum originally selected from a tree planted on the property in 1924.

“Accolade is more of an upright vase shape and I recommend all the time. I just planted one at a friend’s house,” commented Bachtell. With glossy green leaves, it is one of the top-rated elms for insect resistance.

Commendation

Height: 50 to 60 ft Width: 40 to 50 ft Rate: very fast Form: oval/vase Notes: A Chicagoland Grows introduction, it is a complex hybrid of Asian and Russian elm species, giving it superior toughness with an upright carriage.

Beautiful clear yellow to bronze-yellow fall color. Only a couple of local nurseries are carrying this promising selection, but it is well worth seeking out.

Ulmus ‘Accolade’

42

Discovery

Patriot

Frontier

Prospector

Height: 30 to 40 ft Width: 20 to 30 ft Rate: moderate Form: upright Notes: Discovery is a smaller elm that is an excellent choice for a medium-sized shade tree. “It has much more controlled growth,” observed Bachtell, which means it may require less pruning to maintain a good form.

Height: 30 to 40 ft Width: 20 to 30 ft Rate: moderate Form: upright Notes: “Frontier has very controlled, upright oval growth,” reported Bachtell.

It also has beautiful purplish-red to burgundy fall color. “Frontier is half U. parvifolia and that’s where it gets its fall color.” It is a U.S. National Arboretum introduction.

Ulmus americana ‘Princeton’

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

Height: 40 to 50 ft Width: 35 to 40 ft Rate: fast Form: vase Notes: Patriot features stiffly ascending branches, creating a vase-shaped crown that is more narrow than some others.

The leaves are an exceptional glossy dark green. From the U.S. National Arboretum, it is also one of the top-rated for insect resistance.

Height: 40 to 50 ft Width: 20 to 25 ft Rate: fast Form: vase Notes: Attractive leaves emerge orangered and mature to green before providing a golden fanfare in fall. With its U. wilsoniana parentage, it is very adaptable to moist or dry sites. “Prospector is also more of a classic American elm shape,” observed Bachtell.

Ulmus ‘Commendation’

Triumph

Height: 50 to 60 ft Width: 35 to 40 ft Rate: fast, more vigorous than Accolade Form: vase Notes: Triumph is easy to transplant and establishes quickly. On the larger side of the spectrum, it is adaptable to most soil types. It features beautiful dark green glossy leaves with a symmetrical growth habit.

Princeton

Height: 50 to 70 ft Width: 30 to 40 ft Rate: fast Form: vase Notes: One of the oldest American elm cultivars, it was developed in 1922 by Princeton Nurseries. It was originally developed for its symmetrical upright form and has since proven to be among one of the best American elms for DED resistance. Proper structural pruning when young is critically important.

Ulmus ‘Frontier’

New Harmony

Height: 60 to 70 ft Width: 50 to 60 ft Rate: fast Form: vase Notes: Introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum from an original specimen in Ohio, New Harmony maintains a strong vase shape. High level of DED resistance.

Valley Forge

Height: 60 to 80 ft Width: 40 to 50 ft Rate: very fast Form: vase Notes: Graceful, upright, arching habit with a very fast growth rate means Valley Forge will quickly shade a yard, but will require regular corrective pruning to develop a good shape. A U.S. National Arboretum introduction that shows the highest DED tolerance of any American elm selection.

Ulmus ‘Triumph’

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

43

The Power of Connection —

How Networking & Connections M

Can Grow Your Business iLandscape P

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I

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TM

0 1 9Landscape Show The i llinois + wi2sconsin C T O

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By Meta L. Levin

Where does most of

your work come from? Most landscape contractors will answer referrals and relationships.

“I suggest that the more successful a company is at networking and building relationships the stronger that company will be,” says Dean MacMorris, president of Night Light, Inc. MacMorris emphasized the importance of networking and building connections in his iLandscape presentation, “How Networking & Connecting Can Grow Your Business,” taking participants through ways to develop the skills necessary to succeed.

“You can have everything in life you want,” says Zig Ziglar, the late author, salesman and motivational speaker.

“If you will just help enough other people get what they want.” That was one of the primary messages MacMorris wanted to emphasize to his iLandscape audience.

Networking effectively is a learned behavior, says MacMorris. “It’s easy to do, but it is also easy not to do,” says Jeff Olson in his book, The Slight Edge. Early in his presentation, MacMorris provided some definitions, as a way of getting everyone on the same page:

• Partner – Either of two players on the same side or team MacMorris uses the term Alliance Partners, but notes that others call them Referral Partners (RP), Strategic Partners (SP) or Sphere of Influence (SOI). “Both RP and SOI seem to involve less teamwork,” he says.

“More like someone you expect something from.”

As an example, he talks about how his outlook on fellow ILCA members changed when he joined Night Light, Inc., a company which focuses on landscape lighting. “All of a sudden ILCA was made up of potential Alliance Partners,” he says. “I got involved and met more people.” He worked toward helping other members; he wanted to make a difference, but the more he reached out to help ILCA and other members, the more he grew his business.

Getting the most out of a networking event requires careful planning, says MacMorris. You must prepare for the event, perform well while there, follow up with those you meet and, “Build a connection machine to continuously maintain, manage and connect with your contacts.”

Many young people are not willing to do the work of building face to face connections. Instead, they rely on social media. “A lot of young people think that social media is going to be doing a lot of the connecting for them,” says MacMorris. “Eventually, they are going to have to do some (continued on page 46)

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

44

•

Networking – Developing contacts or exchanging information with others in an informal network as a way of furthering a career

•

Connection – Affinity through family ties, business or common interests

• Alliance – A close association for a common objective

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The Power of Connection — (continued from page 44) of this networking and connecting.

You can’t do a lot on social media.”

To do this effectively, they must develop good face-to-face communi-

ting to know them.

In order to do this, you must go from being “unconsciously incompetent” to “consciously competent,” says MacMorris. “In my experience over

cation skills. “Don’t think that social media will do the trick,” he says. By attending networking events, they will learn to enjoy meeting people and get-

the last 30 years, most people I meet at networking events are what I call unconsciously incompetent,” he says.

“Meaning that they have no idea what

“You can grow your business through networking and connections, but you have to decide that you can and will.”

1-815-737-8758 46

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

they don’t know…With regular effort, doing the right things, at the right time with the right people, you can become consciously competent; meaning you know what you know.”

It may take many years of working toward successfully networking and connecting in order to do so. At that point, you know how to do it so well that you effectively network automatically.

Often a list of attendees is available to those who have registered for an event or whose companies are one of the sponsors or presenters. Take advantage of it. If this is not possible, MacMorris often goes early and uses his phone to snap pictures of the name tags. This usually gives him not only names, but their employers, as well.

Then he’s off to a corner to use his phone to do a little research. That way, he knows who he especially wants to meet. “Remember, you are there to meet

It’s Time to Join I L C A visit ilca.net

and connect with people,” he says. “You can do well if you know who is going to be in the room. It’s a lot better than wandering through the crowd looking at name badges.”

Remember Zig Ziglar’s quote?

While networking involves meeting new people, it also is important to develop connections and make what MacMorris calls AP or Alliance Partners. These are people who you not only can help, but who can help you. That means everything from clipping an article that, based on your conversations, you think would interest the other person, to referring someone to that person or that person to someone else.

Doing all that work can pay off in big ways, but not always quickly. “You can grow your business through networking and connections, but you have to decide that you can and will,” says MacMorris. (continued on page 48)

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47

”

The Power of Connection — (continued from page 47) To do that, he recommends paying attention to the eight rules of networking: 1. Smile 2.

Look the person in the eye

3. Listen 4. Be aware of your body language

5.

Be respectful of other people’s invisible boundaries and space

6.

Don’t be too pushy

7.

Common interests

8.

Reach out without looking

for payback “It is important to make it about the other person,” says MacMorris. That means looking the other person in the eye, listening and make sure that your body language communicates that you

48

are open and willing to hear what the other person has to say.

This doesn’t mean that you don’t tell your networking partners who you are. MacMorris suggests having five, 10 and 30 second commercials ready. These describe what you do, but you need a 30 second commercial that you can tailor to your audience. Have them at the tip of your tongue before you attend a networking event.

This tells your Alliance Partners what you do and, more important, how they can help you. So, for instance, MacMorris says that one of his Alliance Partners may not hear a potential client say that he or she needs landscape lighting, but he may think of Night Light and MacMorris if he hears one complain that they’d like to be able to entertain at night on their back patio, but it’s too dark.

“The difference between a profile and a prospect is only that something has changed in their current circumstances to need you,” he says. So, you need to meet more people who know people who could use what you can provide.

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

Find ways to help others. “The magic is when you are helping other people,” he says. “Being able to help other people makes me tick. It takes what is called work out of it.”

MacMorris quoted his mentor, Andrea Nierenberg, who has developed the 10 strategies for being a top networker:

1. Learn by emulating successful people; be aware of everything

2. Have a plan and goal; stick with it

3. Always do your homework; learn about people

4. Be proactive; never wait for someone to call or write you

5. Be a joiner; get involved.

Sitting on the sidelines will not get you noticed and remebered. (continued on page 50)

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In other words, you need to think as a connector, not as a salesperson looking for a lead or a project, says MacMorris.

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SUPPLIER Schmitt’s Landscape Company Mark Schmitt 26W109 Embden Ln Wheaton, IL 60189 Email: mark@schmittslandscape.com Phone: 630-469-0607 schmittslandscape.com

Giametta Landscaping, Inc. Tony Giametta 22786 Erhart Road Grayslake, IL 60030 Email: giamettalandscaping@gmail.com Phone: 847-548-0994

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Please be on the lookout for your dues renewal notice email. In an effort to streamline the renewal

process, we will not be sending paper notices this year. Renewal emails are sent to the main contact on the account. If you do not know your login credentials, please call the office at 630-472-2851.

Payment Options: Automatic Renewal – By providing your credit card information, your membership dues will be automatically deducted from your account every year on June 30th.

Pay Online – One-time credit card payment on the date you enter the information. You will need to go in every year and enter your credit card information to renew.

Pay by Check – If you cannot renew by credit card, you can mail a check to: ILCA 2625 Butterfield Road, Suite 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523.

We look forward to your continued support of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association!

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The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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53

Diseases & Pests —

Pest of the Month: Rose Sawflies Disease of the Month: Black Knot

by Heather Prince

We commonly find three species of rose sawflies,

rose slug, Endelomyia aethiops; the bristly rose slug, Cladius difformis; and the curled rose sawfly, Allantus cinctus. Although these pests won’t typically kill a rose bush, their damage can be distressing for clients.

Rose slugs slit the edges of leaves and lay eggs within. Once the larvae hatch, they resemble yellow-green slugs and at maturity are about a half inch long.

They feed on the upper leaf surfaces, skeletonizing the leaf. They overwinter as a pupa and there is only one generation per year. Bristly rose slug larvae Rose Sawfly are pale green and about 5/8ths inch long and covered with bristle-like hairs.

They feed on the underside of the leaf, and also skeletonize it. There may be several generations per year. Curled rose sawfly larvae are green with white markings with a yellow head and black eye spots. This sawfly initially may skeletonize leaves leaving the main vein, but then consume the entire leaf and bore into pruned twigs. Curled rose sawfly will then tunnel into twigs to pupate, leaving stem death and open wounds. Two generations may be present.

Treatment:

Black knot

Because these are sawflies, they are not killed by Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki. The larvae are all killed by contact insecticides including acephate, bifenthrin, carbaryl, and cyfluthrin.

Thorough coverage by insecticidal soap is also effective. Be wary of spraying the flowers, as roses are a favorite of many pollinators, including bees. A hard spray of water will knock off larvae and they are unable to crawl back up the plant.

Disease of the Month: Black Knot

Black knot or the fungus Apiosporina morbosa, is a common disease of Prunus species. The fungus infects new twigs, branches, and fruit spurs during the spring and can include trunks. Most infections occur in wet conditions between bud break and about two weeks after flowering when temperatures are 55 to 77˚F. Early symptoms occur in the fall as swellings on current year’s growth and are often overlooked. The bark ruptures in spring, revealing corky olive-green fungal tissue that by fall elongates, roughens, and darkens to a characteristic coal black color. Infected twigs are often girdled and fail 54

to leaf out the following spring. Left untreated, the disease escalates in severity. Although it will not typically kill a tree, it can cause an unsightly deformed growth habit.

Treatment:

If installing a new tree, choose those that are disease resistant. Check the area for wild plum or wild cherry trees as they are more susceptible to black knot than cultivated varieties and can serve as a source. The easiest control is a pruning plan. During the dormant season, inspect cherry and plum trees for suspicious swellings on twigs and branches. Prune any affected branches four to eight inches below the infected tissue.

You can also treat black knot with a fungicidal spray containing copper. Check the label to make sure black knot is listed. Spray at bud break and then every two weeks until about three weeks after petal fall.

Additional resources:

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

Plant Clinic: https:// web.extension.illinois.edu/plantclinic/ 217-333-0519 plantclinic@illinois.edu

Home, Yard, & Garden Pest Newsletter: http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/index.php The Morton Arboretum http://www.mortonarb.org/Plant Clinic: http://www. mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/plant-clinic 630-719-2424 plantclinic@mortonarb.org Plant Healthcare Report: http://www.mortonarb.org/newspublication/plant-healthcare-report?tid=259

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55

New Member Profile Snapshot

LoadPool, LLC PO Box 681372 Schaumburg, IL 60168 www.loadpool.com

by Meta Levin

It all started

when Inder Hunjan spied a need and realized that he could combine his varied skills and experience to help solve it. That background included landscape contracting, construction and computers, with a bit of composting and herbs mixed in, as well as an entrepreneurial spirit.

Thus, LoadPool, LLC was born.

Hunjan had been in the construction industry for a long time. In fact, it is a family business. “Construction is in my blood,” he says. He also was in IT. For a while he did some work for a landscape contractor as a project manager. “That’s how I saw the need.”

Environmental laws require that excavated soil must be tested for contaminants and transported to an approved treatment and/or disposal facility. This can be expensive and cumbersome for a small contractor. “The small contractors struggle to dispose of the dirt,” he says. Why not, Hunjan asked himself, provide this service? So, that’s what he is doing.

He also has the trucks to transport clean soil in bulk to job sites, eliminating the need for small contractors to do it themselves.

In addition, he has contacts to allow for generation of compost from organic waste. This comes from a former business in which he was a partner. The company transported fresh herbs, potatoes and onions from California and Pennsylvania, to the Midwest and sold them to distributors. Any food waste went to a composter and was sold to landscape companies.

His first LoadPool customer came through word of mouth and is still with him. “He generates five to six loads a week,” says Hunjan. “It eliminates two headaches for him.”

In the beginning, the business was a one man show. Now, two years later, Hunjan has a contractor he hires on an asneeded basis and has found a need to outsource his answering service. It reflects slow, but steady growth.

56

With his IT background and education at DeVry University, Hunjan realized that he could use technology to make things easier for his clients. Thus, customers can schedule pick ups and delivery either online (through LoadPool’s website) or via mobile apps, which he designed. “The new trend is melding brick and mortar businesses with technology,” he says.

His background in so many related industries also allows him to communicate better with customers, as well as vendors.

“I know the business lingo and the technical lingo,” he says.

“LoadPool melds a traditional business with technology.”

Several months ago, Hunjan realized that many of his target customers – small to medium sized contractors – were ILCA members. He already was a member of the Underground Contractors Association, but most of those he met through that organization were large businesses, less likely to use his services. ILCA members, on the other hand, were perfect. “I found through ILCA, the right size contractors and the right organization,” he says.

During the season, Hunjan can keep six to seven trucks busy.

A native of the Punjab area of northern India, Hunjan is active in the Punjabi American organization. He sits on its board and is active in teaching children about his native culture. In addition, he works with the group to set up a way to help the needy.

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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Classified Ads HELP WANTED Landscape Designer The Fields on Caton Farm, Inc. “A Great Place to Work” Beginners and experienced designers can apply.

Southwest suburbs. Large and small projects.

Hardscapes and softscapes.

Well-known business with many prestigious clients. Office personnel, Garden Center and Nursery divisions to support your efforts.

Highest pay plus commission, company vehicle, and benefits.

Email to: tgollick@fieldsnursery.com Grounds Account Manager Grounds Account Managers: are accountable for establishing, maintaining and exceeding customer expectations, ensuring job profitability through preparation of competitive proposals, efficiently managing multiple landscape crews/sites and maintaining the quality standards of A Safe Haven Landscaping.

Required Qualifications and Responsibilities • 5+ years supervisory experience in Landscape Maintenance or a related field is required • Serve as the primary contact for all maintenance and enhancement activities.

• Prepare proposals, budgets, and job costing data for landscape enhancements and projects • State pesticide applicator’s license must be obtained within 60 days of employment • Develop a quality production teams through leadership and hands-on crew training

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Industrial Engineer (Chicago IL 60609)

Commercial Assistant Estimator

Develop, implement and maintain company-wide systems to ensure effective functioning and maintenance of company’s heavy equipment, machinery and fleet of medium and light duty trucks, using advanced analytical, mathematical, and quantitative capabilities, and technologies such as 6S, continuous improvement processes, 6 sigma, kaizen, value stream mapping, and material flow.

Requirements: Bachelor Degree in Industrial Engineering or related and 2yrs experience.

We are seeking a commercial assistant estimator to join our growing company. Classic Landscape LTD has been a standard in the landscape industry since 1964 and continues to grow each and every year. This is an entry level position with an opportunity to grow in the company, looking for an individual that is willing to learn in a fast paced environment.

Responsibilities:

Forward resume and references to: Diaz Group LLC Human Resources 2957 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60641.

NO calls

·

Assist in Estimate/Takeoff for a Commercial

·

Landscape Project

·

Aid with Project Documents and Submittals ​

Qualifications: Chicagoland Certified Sales Arborist We have a need for another Certified Sales Arborist. Assist in daily operations, responsible for sales and client contact in an established territory.

Qualified candidate must have the ability to identify plants, insects and disease. Sales arborist would be responsible for providing daily work and scheduling for 6 crew members.

·

General Landscape Knowledge is Beneficial, but is Not Required

·

Organized and Detail-Oriented

·

Basic Computer Skills Needed (QuickBooks, Excel, and Outlook)

·

Strong Communication Skills

PLEASE EMAIL ALL RESUMES TO hire1@ classiclandscapeltd.com

Job Type: Full-time EMAIL RESUMES: AHURD@ASAFEHAVEN.ORG

WE’RE HIRING OPEN POSITIONS & INTERNSHIPS: Commercial Account Manager Irrigation Technician Operations Associate Landscape Intern Foreman Call Keri for more information at (847) 876-8017 Or visit jamesmartinassociates.com/chicago-landscape-careers

58

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

jamesmartinassociates.com | (847) 634-1660

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER IMMEDIATE EMPLOYMENT

Landscape Specialist

Clarence Davids & Company, a landscape designbuild firm, has an opening for a Landscape Architect / Designer or Horticulturist in the Plainfield, Illinois office. The full time position will include developing planting and hardscape design solutions and graphic presentations for both commercial and residential clients, with a strong emphasis on seasonal displays and sustainable enhancements for streetscapes and rooftop gardens in downtown Chicago.

A Landscape Architect / Designer or degreed Horticulturist with strong skills in horticulture, floriculture and planting design as well as technical computer skills would be best suited for this position. The individual will assist with client communication, as well as project installation, seasonal floral arrangements and providing horticulture and creative expertise to clients and sales team.

Clarence Davids & Company was established in 1951 and specializes in landscape management, seasonal floral rotations, and design/build landscape construction. The company has three offices; Matteson, IL (Corporate), Plainfield, IL, and Ingleside, IL. More information can be found online at www.clarencedavids.com and facebook. com/clarencedavids.

This is a key position and an exciting opportunity to work for an award-winning design-build firm!

Skills required:

·

Experience in AutoCad, Photoshop, Sketchup and Microsoft Office

·

Good knowledge of annuals, perennials, and woody plants

·

Strong design creativity, including seasonal floral design experience

·

Ability to work independently and be self-motivated

Interested applicants should send a resume and work samples to: Steve Bos Clarence Davids & Company 23900 W. 127th Street Plainfield, IL 60585 Steve.bos@clarencedavids.com

The Park District of Oak Park is hiring a Landscape Specialist to work at the Oak Park Conservatory.

The position serves as a primary resource for the planting and maintenance of displays in the Conservatory showroom and landscapes in all parks and/or facilities.

This work includes: planting and maintenance of annual and perennial beds, shrubs and trees and seasonal cleanup operations in our parks.

This is a part-time, year round position, 28 hours/ week, $14/hour.

To apply, go to www.pdop.org/jobs JOB ID 1579 Full benefits include company vehicle,100% paid medical and dental insurance for employee and family and 100% paid life insurance policy for the employee! A retirement program is also available.

This is a salary plus commission position.

Submit resume to info@winklerstreeservice.com.

Discretion assured.

Artificial Turf-Grass Sub-Contractors Wanted Looking for more work? Looking to add more services to your existing ones?

Artificial Grass is where it’s at!!! We have more work than we can handle and we are looking to partner with a reputable landscape company that can handle more work as well as learn our trade.

Training provided. Must have own pick-up truck/ dump-trailer/sod-cutter/plate compactor and handtools. Must be fully insured (workman’s comp. and liability). We are a well-established company and the leader in the Chicago. Looking for long-term partners with reliable and dependable employees.

Contact our corporate office for more details at 303-990-7716

FOR SALE Landscape maintenance company for sale.

Equipment and contracts. Business does around $125,000 per year. $70,000 under contract plus residentials.

2016 Silverado 2500 with 48,000 miles with Western plow 2012 Silverado 1500 with 60,000 miles with Western plow 2 - open trailers 2 - 48” Bobcat stand on mowers 1 - 48”Wright Stander 1 - 36 inch Bobcat walk behind plus other assorted tools.

Asking$130,000 Unheated pole barn for rent with yard where you can burn is $400.00 per month.

Email krkmvk@yahoo.com if interested.

CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES May 2019 issue ads: April 15, 2019 June 2019 issue ads: May 15, 2019 July 2019 issue ads: June 15, 2019 PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Magazine Cost is $5 per line Minimum charge $50 Website Cost is $12 per line Minimum charge $120 (About 6 words/line) Submit your ads online at ilca.net or call Alycia Nagy (630) 472-2851

Landscape Designers, Annual Color & PHC Manager Premier, located in Lemont, IL, is hiring qualified Landscape Designers and an Annual Color & PHC Manager to join our growing Team!

Competitive pay and benefits offered!

Please email nwaldenmeyer@premierservice.com for more information and to apply!

Visit our website at: www.premierservice.com

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

59

Successful suppliers know— industry leaders read this magazine.

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

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

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

• The Landscape Contractor has an affordable advertising program for every budget.

Judges’Award Goes to Kane Brothers

For immediate attention CALL Debbie at

817-501-2403 or email —

debbie.landscapecontractor@yahoo.com

Advertisers 1st Choice Equipment ..............................................48

Attention Advertisers:

Alta Equipment ......................................................29 Bartlett Tree Experts ............................................46 Breezy Hill Nursery ................................................47 Cardno ....................................................................14 Cassidy Tire ...........................................................57 Chicagoland Gardening .........................................61 Chi Turf ..................................................................45

offers some extraordinary MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES.

Compost Supply ..................................................... 15 Dayton Bag & Burlap ..............................................47 Doty Nurseries LLC .............................................4 Ewing Irigation & Landscape Supply ......................51 Goodmark Nurseries ..............................................21 Greg Frick Landscape Design ..................................20 Green Glen Nursery ..............................................63 Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. .....................................12 Homer Industries ...................................................17 Image Survey PRO ..................................................50 James Martin Associates ........................................58

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JKS Ventures ..........................................................46 Kramer Tree Specialists .........................................39 Lafarge Fox River Stone ...........................................27 Longshadow Planters ........................................11 Mariani Plants ..........................................................6 Mariani Plants .........................................................37 McGinty Bros. ......................................................43 Midwest Groundcovers ..........................................2 Midwest Trading ....................................................13 OGA .......................................................................49 Rainbow Farm .........................................................50 Rocks Etc. ..............................................................20 Snow fighters Institute ...........................................53 Spring Meadow Nursery .......................................55 The Care of Trees ..................................................20 The Mulch Center .................................................25 Unilock, Inc. ...........................................................64 Xylem Ltd. ...........................................................20

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

61

Revisiting Your Plant Palette —

By Patrice Peltier

Kathy Freeland was ahead of her time—

almost 20 years ahead—when she recommended Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’ to her ILCA readers in the late 1990s. In 2015, the Perennial Plant Association named Biokovo its Perennial Plant of the Year.

“This little beauty bears white flowers tinged with pink.

The sepals are redder than the petals, making a handsome contrast,” she wrote. “Blooms last a long time, and even when finished flowering, the plants have green textured foliage that is insect resistant.”

Freeland recommended using Biokovo, and its raspberryred flowered sibling Karmina, as groundcovers. Both spread by trailing runners. Biokovo, she noted, has longer runners so it does not form as dense a carpet as Karmina. Both are British crosses between Geranium macrorrhizum and Geranium dalmaticum and have G. macrorrhizum’s fragrant foliage.

Freeland’s employer, Midwest Groundcovers was selling both in 1998, the year it also started carrying a blockbuster, Geranium ‘Max Frei’. All three geraniums grow in full sun to part shade in medium moisture and average garden soil. They begin flowering in May and flower sporadically through summer. In fall, their deeply cut, palmate foliage turns attractive shades of orange and red.

Although Biokovo and Karmina continue to be strong sellers at Midwest Groundcovers, they’ve been eclipsed by Max Frei over the years as well as another Perennial Plant of the Year, Geranium ‘Rozanne,’ according to Shannon McEnerney, Product Manager.

Editor’s Note: Honorary Lifetime ILCA Member Kathy Freeland, a certifiable plant geek, was a regular contributor to The Landscape Contractor starting in the late 1990s. She introduced readers to strange and sometimes exotic plants, frequently offering suggestions on how they might be employed in the landscape. In a world of euonymous and impatiens, she offered a path less travelled. Twenty years later, we offer a look back at how some of her recommendations have stood the test of time.

62

Geranium x cantabrigiense

Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’ Height: 6-12” Spread: 18-24” Bloom Time: May-June, sporadically into July Bloom color: White with red sepals Foliage: Fragrant, deeply cut, palmate with orange to red fall color Culture: Full sun to part shade in average soil with medium moisture Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Karmina’ Height: 8-12” Spread: 18-24” Bloom time: May-June, sporadically into July Bloom color: Carmine red Foliage: Fragrant, deeply cut, palmate with orange to red fall color Culture: Full sun to part shade in average soil with medium moisture Geranium sanguineum ‘Max Frei’ Height: 8-12” Spread: 18-24” Bloom time: May then sporadically through September Bloom color: Reddish purple Foliage: Deeply cut, palmate with red fall color Culture: Full sun to part shade in average soil with medium moisture Geranium ‘Gerwat’ (Rozanne) Height: 12-18” Spread: 12-24” Bloom time: Non-stop from late spring until frost Bloom color: Violet blue with white center Foliage: Deeply cut, slightly marbled, deep green Culture: Full sun to part shade in average soil with medium moisture

The Landscape Contractor May 2019

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