The Landscape Contractor magazine MAY.21 DIGITAL EDITION

The Language of Stone

Annuals for Connoisseurs

ELIMINATE HASSLES AND TRAINING • Designed for Landscape Contractors

with controlled release 19-5-8 fertilizer that lasts through the season.

• Ideal for all container sizes and hanging baskets.

• Offers a superb balance of drainage and water retention.

PLACE YOUR ORDER AT MIDWEST-TRADING.COM TODAY!

CONTACT OUR SALES TEAM: P: 630-365-1990 | F: 630-365-3818 mtsales@midwest-trading.com midwest-trading.com Greenhouse & nursery Mix enGineered soils landscape Mulches soil aMendMents horticultural supplies coMpost structural soil

May 2021

CONTENTS Excellence In Landscape Awards Project

8

FOCUS: Welcome Spring Romancing the Stone 10 Rock solid choices, from bluestone to granite Young Professionals Spring Event Virtual event helps enhance careers

18

10

Annuals for Connoisseurs 22 Plant guru Mark Dwyer shares favorites Evening Gardens: Creating an Oasis Glowing gardens filled with texture and scents

EN ESPAÑOL

Embelleciendo con piedras Romancing the Stone

28

38

22

The Power of Three 40 Women’s Networking Group holds spring event The Pros at Home 42 ILCA visits Mary DiCarlo Diseases and Pests 52 Oyster shell scale and Maple leaf blister Inspiration Alley 61 Be inspired to try something different Hidden Landscape Gems Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center

28

62

On the cover... Reflections Water Gardens won a Gold Award in 2020 for this project titled Lake Front Retreat.

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

42 3

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS

ILCA Calendar From Where I Stand President’s Message New Members Classified Ads Advertisers Index Photo Credits

ILCA Awards Committee Daniel Wood, Jim Larson Mark Dwyer Heather Prince Mary DiCarlo

Heather Prince

1, 8-9 10-16 22-26 28-37 44 52

Calendar 4 5 7 50 54 61

Adam Schwerner Lincoln Memorial and Nature Center

SEPTEMBER Turf Education Day In Planning Now 61 62

OCTOBER

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

The Impact Conference In Planning Now

Volume 62, 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.

NOVEMBER

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

Annual Party and Member Meeting In Planning Now

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 Membership & Marketing Manager Marissa Stubler mstubler@ilca.net

v

sign up

Meta Levin

at dotynu rseries.co m to recei ve our

Feature Writer

meta.levin@comcast.net Nina Koziol

dotynurseries.com

Feature Writer

n.koziol@att.net

v

Heather Prince

ILCA

princeht@sbcglobal.net

2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 472-2851 • Fax (630) 472-3150

Patrice Peltier

Feature Writer

Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net

Shade TreeS • OrnamenTalS • evergreenS • ShrubS Ryan Doty sales@dotynurseries.com

P 630 365 9063 F 630 365 9081

45W121 Beith Road Maple Park, IL 60151

Follow—

@ILCAlandscape

4

email ne wsle t ter

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

facebook.com/illinoislandscapecontractorsassociation

From Where I Stand — As a kid, was there a more depressing sight

My father-in-law always use the same corny joke when we call my mother-in-law on her birthday. He says, “I freaked out and sound than a lifeguard shouting, “ADULT SWIM?” Here this morning. I woke up next to an old lady!” The response to this we were, minding our own business in the public pool on a hot is usually a groan, followed by an eye-roll, followed by him getsummer day. One minute, we were splashing our friends, cannonting punched in the arm by his wife. It’s a good bit of the Henny balling into the deep end, or throwing a water logged nerf football.

Youngman variety and made even funnier since The next minute we are standing on the pool deck he’s older than his wife. while emotionless adults slowly descended into The more we age, and as schmaltzy as these the water like Swamp Thing being called home. sentiments are, we begin to realize they are undeThese crusty old timers would peel themniably true. Regardless of our age, most of us selves off lawn chairs, wade into the water, and feel like younger people trapped in this aging engage in odd swimming and bathing rituals. shell where time moves too quickly. Inside every They had swim caps and black bathing suits like 40-year old is a 25-year old wondering how the they were participating in some type of swim hell he or she got there. Inside every 80-year old is funeral. We’d stand and shiver on the side of the a 60-year old shocked at how fast life has moved. pool until the bored lifeguard would finally blow Well, that’s not exactly true. The gate swings his whistle. We swore, in those moments, those both ways. There are some who feel much older adult swimmers would never be us. than their age. Some may consider themselves The ILCA held its virtual Young introverts or antisocial or just exhausted by their Professionals event in March. After a high contemporaries. They simply feel more at home level overview of how employment trends have surrounded by older people and eventually adopt changed over the past year, we broke into small their pace, habits, and quest for wisdom. networking groups. One of the groups started This is not junk science confined to greeting with the most fundamental and basic of cards and corny jokes. There are strong scientific questions­ — ­ do you feel like a professional and underpinnings for this phenomenon. In psycholdo you feel like an adult? Mind you, the age ogy, it is referred to as subjective age. There have range for the Young Professionals group goes been dozens of studies on subjective age trying to from 18-35 so that is a wide swath of personal determine why our brains and our bodies seem to and professional experience. experience time at two different speeds.

The comments were fascinating. To a person, no one who In reality, we have three different ages. Chronological age is participated said they feel like an adult or, at least all of the time.

Adulting involved setting goals, having higher degrees of empathy, the simple one that makes the most sense. It is the amount of times the earth has passed around the sun and begins the day we were thinking about others, and honing and taking pride in your craft. born and ends the day we die. When someone asks for our age, The participants all admitted to progress in these areas, but none we lead with the chronological age. We tell them 75 or 37 or “this would wear the scarlet “A.” Besides, we all know the true sign of many.” being an adult is yelling “Keep your pants on!” when someone The second age is biological age which examines biomarkers rings your doorbell. That is irrefutable. such as the health of our heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, skin, teeth, Young Professionals Committee co-chair Tim Sweeney even and bones. It compares each of us to all of us and tries to detertook this question a step further and asked the adult question to mine, biologically, are we in better or worse shape than our peers. members of his company. Here, the ages ranged from 20 to 60.

The final age is subjective age. This is the hardest to define.

Once again, no one said they truly felt like an adult - even at 60!

This looks at how young or old a person feels and actually is a Now, many could say this is an anomaly, but study after study combination of biomarkers, societal norms, and personal experishow that the age we are, and the age we feel we are, differs ence. The landmark studies on subjective age have identified by almost 20%. The call also had a few seasoned professionals major metrics to making us feel young or old. This list includes: who crashed the party. I think my favorite quote was from Board better neurological health ranging from depression to dementia, Member Jeff Kramer who said - “I am an adult when I need to be, better physical health, higher education, better life satisfaction, and I try to be an adult as little as possible.” avoidance of burnout, and less loneliness. In short, the better you One only needs to walk down a greeting card aisle to find dozfeel and the better you take care of yourself, the younger you will ens of idioms made to make us feel better about getting older: Age feel over the course of your life. is just a number; You are only as old as you feel; You’re young This social constructionist view on age is enough to elicit some at heart. There are dozens of clichés to make us feel better about major eye rolls. The idea that we can defy our own birth certifiourselves as we age. Yet it is undeniable that a gulf exists between cate, turn back the clock, and be whatever age we want seems a chronological age listed on a handful of government documents new-agey, at best. Yet, is there a person reading this who hasn’t and how we feel on the inside. felt this way? Who hasn’t looked in the mirror, been wished a Mind you, this usually only works backwards. We would not happy birthday after the age of 30, or thought about how long ago tolerate a 12-year old driving a car because he “feels” 16. I’m sure their prom or college graduation or wedding was and not been there have been endless underage philosophers trying to convince equally shocked and depressed by how many years have past? a bar bouncer that “feeling 21” is just as good as a valid driver’s license.

5 The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Stop Acting Your Age

From Where I Stand —

A L L TO G E T H E R B E T T E R W W W. M A R I A N I P L A N T S .COM

866-627-4264

Subjective age may not get anyone into a bar or stave off death, but it’s real.

We formed the Young Professionals group as a way for younger members of the landscape industry to build a professional network, learn from one another, and determine their role and place in the greater green industry. Many times, they are trying to fit into a workplace demographic who does not understand or respect them. The word “millennial” is almost always used with derision and I hear complaint after complaint about a lack of work ethic, a sense of entitlement, and a general immaturity coming from junior employees.

We need to come to grips with this hypocrisy. Why are young professionals expected to act older than their age while the healthiest, happiest, and, frankly, most interesting people feel younger than their age for most of their lives? If a grandma skydiving at 90 is considered virtuous, why is watching cartoons and reading comic books in your 20s seen as juvenile? In a professional setting, older, energetic workers who can maintain conversations and relationships with younger employees are revered while younger workers who bring youthful energy and exuberance to their jobs are viewed as immature. That is simply not fair.

Study after study show that the old salts who act older than their years may be the most unhappy professionals in the workplace. Their responsibility, steadiness and maturity may mask poor health, anxiety about their job security, and low morale.

They struggle to connect with younger generations and they take more sick time. They scratch and claw towards retirement while similarly-aged coworkers blow past arbitrary dates and show no signs of slowing down. To the young at heart, age is just a number so stop making such a big deal out of it.

Age is one of the diciest subjects in the workplace. Ageism is a problem in hiring and promotions at both ends of the spectrum.

Younger employees “aren’t ready” and older employees “might not be able to keep up.” It is prohibited by law to even ask an applicant’s age during an interview. The good news is that it really doesn’t matter. It is far better to know how old an applicant feels than his or her chronologic age. If a coworker feels far younger than his age, odds are that person is happier, satisfied, loyal, and in better mental and physical health.

We can’t slow time. We can’t prevent our bodies from aging.

There will be a point that even 90-year old skydiving grannies are called home. What we can do is stop freaking ourselves out about our age. And, we can stop judging other people by their ages too. Some of us feel 5, 10, or 15 years older or younger than the candles on our last cake. Chronological age is not fluid, but subjective age is. Remember being that kid on the side of the pool.

You can either stand in knee deep water as you cup water over your brown, wrinkled shoulders or you can plug your nose, shut your eyes, and shout “cannonball!”

There’s always time to start being an adult tomorrow.

Scott Grams, Executive Director April 20, 2021

6

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

President’s Message — I would like to share a personal story that I wrote on our blog a while back.

It speaks to what I think is important during these times. It speaks of purpose driven by family.

This morning one of my two favorite moments happened simultaneously…laying in bed while it is still dark out listening to the rain and hearing the distant sound of a train’s horn. It might seem like a simple thing, but simple things can transport us back to simpler times.

The sound of a train blowing its horn in the early moments before daybreak bring me back to time spent at my mother’s family farm in Indiana. It conjures a picture in my mind of crisp red and white, an apple orchard, and my grandfather sitting alone in the kitchen before dawn with a cup of coffee, his profile illuminated by the small light on the kitchen stove.

My family is very proud of our small farm and their father, mother, brothers and sisters, who worked so hard to provide the necessities. You see, they were tied to the land. Growing to feed their families. They were prey to the same things we are prey to in our business…the weather, pests, disease, and ah yes…little critters.

I remember my grandfather had a book that outlined how and what he would plant each year, and how he intended to rotate those crops annually to get a better yield. Thinking back I wished I had more interest, asked more questions. Maybe he had some secrets I could have used, not scientific research like we have today, but something he knew in his gut.

I was fortunate to have both sets of grandparents come from a place and time that held enormous respect for the land’s ability to provide beauty and sustenance. They only bought what they could not grow and they worked painstakingly hard for what they had to buy.

When my husband and I started a family, one of the first things we did was create a vegetable garden. I would constantly seek my mother and my grandmother’s advice. I would create a book, like my grandfather and make certain to rotate my crops. I made certain it was pretty as well. We also battled bunnies, pests, weather and disease. Although that garden fills me with immense satisfaction, joy and pride, it pales in comparison to the gardens of both of my grandparents and my mother.

I do it, not just because it makes me think of my family, but because it reminds me and teaches my daughter…as my mother says, “The land will always provide.”

President

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

Vice-President

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

Secretary-Treasurer

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

Immediate Past President

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

Directors

Eric Adams Russo Power Equipment (847) 233-7811 eadams@russopower.com Jim Cirrincione Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. (630) 323-1411 jcirrincione@hinsdalenurseries .com

Sincerely,

Jennifer Fick Wilson Nurseries and Landscape Supply (847) 683-3700 jennf@wilsonnurseries.com

Donna Vignocchi Zych President, Illinois Landscape Contractors Association

Tom Klitzkie Nature’s Perspective Landscaping (847) 475-7917 tklitzkie@naturesperspective.com Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net Kevin Manning K & D Enterprise Landscape Management, Inc. (815) 725-0758 kmanning@kdlandscapeinc.com Ashley Marrin Bret-Mar Landscape Management Group, Inc. (708) 301-8160 ashley@bretmarlandscape.com Mark Utendorf Emerald Lawn Care, Inc. (847) 392-7097 marku@emeraldlawncare.com

Me gustaría compartir una historia personal que escribí en nuestro blog hace un tiempo.

Habla de lo que creo que es importante durante estos tiempos. Habla de un propósito impulsado por la familia. Solo me quedan dos artículos, así que ¿por qué no hacer algo diferente?

Esta mañana uno de mis dos momentos favoritos sucedió simultáneamente ... acostado en la cama mientras aún está oscuro escuchando la lluvia y escuchando el sonido distante de la bocina de un tren.

Puede parecer algo simple, pero las cosas simples pueden transportarnos a tiempos más simples.

El sonido de un tren tocando la bocina en los primeros momentos antes del amanecer me recuerda el tiempo que pasé en la granja familiar de mi madre en Indiana. Evoca una imagen en mi mente de rojo y blanco nítidos, un huerto de manzanas y mi abuelo sentado solo en la cocina antes del amanecer con una taza de café, su perfil iluminado por la pequeña luz de la estufa de la cocina.

Mi familia está muy orgullosa de nuestra pequeña granja y de su padre, madre, hermanos y hermanas, quienes trabajaron tan duro para cubrir las necesidades. Verá, estaban atados a la tierra. Creciendo para alimentar a sus familias. Fueron presa de las mismas cosas de las que nosotros somos presa en nuestro negocio ... el clima, las plagas, las enfermedades y, ah, sí ... pequeñas criaturas.

Recuerdo que mi abuelo tenía un libro que describía cómo y qué plantaría cada año, y cómo pensaba rotar esos cultivos anualmente para obtener un mejor rendimiento. Pensando en retrospectiva, desearía haber tenido más interés, haber hecho más preguntas. Tal vez tenía algunos secretos que podría haber usado, no investigaciones científicas como las que abundan hoy, sino algo que él sabía en sus entrañas.

Tuve la suerte de que ambos pares de abuelos provenían de un lugar y una época que tenían un enorme respeto por la capacidad de la tierra para brindar belleza y sustento. Solo compraron lo que no podían cultivar y trabajaron concienzudamente por lo que tenían que comprar.

Cuando mi esposo y yo formamos una familia, una de las primeras cosas que hicimos fue crear un huerto. Buscaba constantemente el consejo de mi madre y mi abuela. Crearía un libro, como mi abuelo, y me aseguraría de rotar mis cultivos. Me aseguré de que también fuera bonito. También luchamos contra los conejos, las plagas, el clima y las enfermedades. Aunque ese jardín me llena de inmensa satisfacción, alegría y orgullo, palidece en comparación con los jardines de mis abuelos y de mi madre.

Pero lo hago, no solo porque me hace pensar en mi familia, sino porque me recuerda y le enseña a mi hija… o como dice mi madre, “La tierra siempre va a dar.”

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

7

Rosborough Partners • Libertyville Birdies and Bogeys

Our client’s desire for their landscape was to

ing outdoor fireplace and pergola, custom knot garden, magical back shade and rain gardens, expansive rear lawn and peaceenhance visual interest with plants having different forms, texful side retreat. Each element of the landscape requires plant tures, foliage color and seasonal flowering while maintaining health care expertise, monitoring and attention to detail, and the vista to the golf course from indoors and outdoors. They hand pruning to keep the gardens in top form as each season required outdoor space where they could confidently entertain highlights an area with ever changing blooming perennials and for business or pleasure, and that allowed space for their hobcolored foliage. Each area is enhanced with select annual flowbies and active outdoor lifestyle. ers for each season.

Our team maintains the gravel drive, side perennial cutting garden, back terrace with multiple entertainment areas includ9 The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Natural Stone Hardscapes —

Romancing the Stone

From bluestone to granite, these natural materials are rock solid

by Nina A. Koziol

The biggest landscape investment your clients will make is their hardscape—sidewalks, steps, patios, pools, fountains, fire tables, driveway, pillars, retaining and seat walls and veneer surfaces. Choosing and properly installing the right materials adds beauty and long-lasting value to their property.

And, that’s a selling point you can’t ignore when providing a bid.

When it come to hardscape, stone continues to be highly sought after for many projects. “The great thing about stone is that it’s a timeless product,” said Jim Larson, general manager of Capitol Stoneworks in Wheeling. “There’s a large demand for ‘manmade’ products, but an even larger demand for natural

10

stone products. Manmade products do have their place and do a lot of good. It’s not a criticism.”

Landscape contractors are lucky to have access to several Midwestern quarries and distributors. “We live on the tail end of the Niagara escarpment, so most of our regional stone is limestone with some granite from Minnesota,” said Daniel Wood of Lurvey Landscape Supply. “That’s what our vernacular speaks to.” (Rock found in the escarpment was originally deposited as lime mud on an ancient sea floor about 430 million years ago. What remains is the result of uplift, weathering, and erosion. And that’s a great conversation piece when showing stone samples to your clients.)

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Wood’s virtual presentation, “The Language of Stone,” was well received at this year’s iLandscape. “Homeowners transplanted from the East Coast might prefer granite, sandstone or quartzite, which is more prevalent in that region.” But the array of stone choices is breathtaking. Wood is past president of the National Stone Institute and travels the globe looking for unusual products.

Supply and Demand

So far, the demand for stone has not let up since early 2020. “It’s been crazy busy,” Larson said. “This time last year nobody knew what was going to happen.

But we supplied stone for outdoor kitchens and patios, stone for mail boxes, and stone piers with caps that had a home address. We were probably making at least five to six pool copings a month easy. I think it’s going to continue for at least this year.”

The great demand presents a challenge when it comes to acquiring stone materials for projects large or small. “Keep in mind the lead time, especially if there’s custom work,” Larson said. “The quarries in Pennsylvania and New York have had a hard time keeping up with the demand. They’re playing catch-up from last year and it hasn’t been easy.”

Some of the more popular stone installations include patios and pool decks.

“The other trend is the outdoor living room and kitchen,” said Matt Johnson of Area Landscaping in Mokena. “The hot trends are outdoor grill islands, the fireplace and fire pits—the entire outdoor entertaining experience.” For pool coping, he finds the two most popular products are Indiana limestone and bluestone with a thermal finish. “The bluestone is popular but some people feel that if it’s 95 degrees in the sun, bluestone takes in the heat and can be a little uncomfortable for feet.” (continued on page 12)

The Landscape Contractor 11 May 2021

Natural Stone Hardscapes — Design

“For every decision the client or designer makes about hardscape, there’s a pro and con,” said Bob Hursthouse of Hursthouse, Inc., in Bolingbrook.

One thing that is often overlooked is the home’s architectural style. “I think

about building material for the front and I always want to use the nicest material that the client chooses to afford. When you look at all the ILCA gold award winners, they’ve all figured that out.”

Whether it’s bluestone, limestone, granite or another material, it comes

down to the client’s taste and budget. “Around here, especially north of Chicago, there’s a demand for lannon, chilton, eden and Fon du Lac stone,” Larson said. “A few years ago, everyone wanted Indiana limestone and it’s very versatile. But, there’s a real shift to full color where clients want to see where the buff and grey run together.”

Challenges

Hursthouse tends to favor and work with natural products, saying that’s his firm’s niche. He notes that any vertical wall should be done on an appropriate foundation—in other words, don’t skimp on prep. “I replace a lot [of walls] that are listing. You’re putting a lot of work underground and the clients are paying for something they can’t really see, but it’s important.” (continued on page 14)

Plants with Midwestern roots as strong as yours.

Get over 500 varieties grown locally on 600+ acres.

Trees, Ornamentals, Evergreens, Shrubs, Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcover.

Over 10 acres of holding yard in two convenient locations.

Main Office & Sales Yard

7200 S. Madison · Willowbrook, IL 60527 630-323-1411

Little Rock Farm

2353 Creek Road · Plano, IL 60545 630-552-8314

For sale updates and availabilities, sign up for our email newsletter.

12

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

HinsdaleNurseries.com

Our model is simple!

We recycle garden and landscape byproducts.

Transforming them into beneficial organic amendments.

MULCH • SOIL • COMPOST • AGGREGATES • Custom soil blends • Contract grinding and screening • Pickup or delivery available

Call 847-459-7200 or visit mulchcenter.com

DEERFIELD - 21457 Milwaukee Ave • Deerfield, IL 60015 | VOLO - 27601 W Sullivan Lake Rd • Volo, IL 60041 LAKE BLUFF - 30334 N Skokie Hwy • Lake Bluff, IL 60044 | NORTH CHICAGO *Incoming Materials Only - 3023 23rd Place North Chicago, IL 60064

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

13

Natural Stone Hardscapes — (continued from page 12)

Like building a house, a stone element must have a sturdy foundation.

“The base product is crucial to the longevity of the project,” Johnson said.

“That’s how it will stand the test of time.

If you’re doing a retaining wall installation, you need proper drainage and backfill behind the wall. For taller walls, you need products that provide stabilization—like geotextile vertical reinforcement. StrataGrid (https://www.geogrid. com/en-us/products/stratagrid) is one that comes to mind. There’s a lot of pressure at the base of the wall. When they fail, they’ll push out from the bottom. It’s not always the case, but you do need reinforcement for taller walls.”

“Some of the challenges working with natural stone is the range of irregularity,” Johnson said. “You’re marrying colors, textures and dimensions. And, oftentimes it can be like constructing a puzzle on the

Poplar Grove, IL 21283 IL Route 76 Poplar Grove, IL 61065 Clinton, WI 11228 East County Road X Clinton, WI 53525

Lorem Salem, WI 7530 288th Avenue Salem, WI 53168

1-262-537-3326

ipsum

wholesale@breezyhillnursery.com

14

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

job site and it can be time consuming.”

Proper drainage behind the wall means adding a corrugated or solid pipe to collect water and move it away from behind the wall. “The backfill I commonly recommend or experience is 3/4 clear, clean gravel so water can drain through.”

(Clear means there are no gravel fines in the mix.)

Maintenance

“You can go two ways,” Johnson said. “Some people install natural stone so they don’t have to do much to it and others will go out with a pressure washer every year. I don’t sell a specific cleaning product, but Simple Green or Dawn dish soap could be used before you introduce an acid- or sodium-based cleaner, which can be a bit abrasive.” (continued on page 16)

L O N G S H A D OW

®

. COM

Hand Crafted in Southern Illinois by local Artisans at Classic Garden Ornaments, Ltd.®

NEW

Pavilion 24 & Round Base 10, LS 9877 15” high, 24” diameter, 10” diameter base on Classic Pedestal 34 Shaft, LS 1176

Fine Dry Cast Limestone Planters

Natural Stone Hardscapes — (continued from page 14)

Food for Thought

Daniel Wood offers these considerations for Site and Logistics: 1.

Job location, site issues, grades, utilities/systems (irrigation, lighting, dog fence, gas lines to grills or fire pits, site access, material storage capacity, canopy issues, tree or existing landscape protection (will an arborist be required to provide any advance treatments, prior to construction), local weight restriction issues, permits required, drainage and silt fencing.

2.

What other work will be going on at the site at other times or at the same time?

3.

Will the owners be in the home/structure during construction? If so, are there specific times that they will be coming and going?

4.

Environmental, traffic and community impacts, flows and effects throughout the year.

5.

Will you need to match any existing materials?

6.

Shipment, scheduling, receiving materials and inspection, sequencing to the site.

7.

Unloading needs and capabilities.

8.

Are there any local or seasonal weight or access restrictions?

9.

Required equipment, specific staging locations onsite, and package labeling.

10. What is our procedure if something arrives incorrectly or damaged, how do we document and report this and to whom?

16

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

KODIAK® Black

2021

KODIAK Orange ®

Diervilla

Tough landscapes require tough plants that can take poor soil, heat, and drought.

KODIAK® Red

The Kodiak® series of native Diervilla is the solution. Kodiak® Orange lights up the landscape, especially in the fall, making it an eco-friendly alternative to

Available from these suppliers:

burning bush. Ask for it from your preferred wholesale nursery.

Home Nursery Albers, IL • 618-248-5107

• Native • Fast Growing • Trouble-free

Midwest Groundcovers St. Charles, IL • 847-742-1790

5’

Montale Gardens Wauconda, IL • 847-487-8435

KODIAK® Orange Diervilla ‘G2X88544’ pp#27,548; cbr#5596 Sun to Shade • USDA Zone 4-7 3-4’ Tall & Wide

5’

Platt Hill Carpentersville, IL 847-428-6767 Bloomingdale, IL 630-529-9394

KODIAK® Black

Siwicki Evergreen Nursery Momence, IL • 815-472-4154

Diervilla rivularis ‘SMNDRSF’ pp#27,550, cbr# 5938 Sun to Shade • USDA Zone 4-7 3-4’ Tall & Wide 5’

KODIAK® Red Diervilla ‘G2X885411’ pp#28,403, cbraf Sun to Shade • USDA Zone 4-7 3-4’ Tall & Wide

www.provenwinners-shrubs.com 800-633-8859

Stoneleaf Nursery Eureka, IL • 309-261-7008 Woldhuis Farms Grant Park, IL • 815-465-6310

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

17

Virtual Events for Spring —

Virtual Event Helps Enhan

Nina A. Koziol

When you can’t get together in person,

the next best thing is connecting virtually and that’s what ILCA’s Young Professionals did for their March 5th event.

“What better way to spend a Friday afternoon,” said Greg Johnston of McAdam Landscaping.”

More than 40 people participated in the program, “Unmasked: How 2020 Changed an Entire Generation of Young Landscape Professionals.” Most of the attendees ranged in age from 18 to 34 and the group was pretty much split 50/50 male and female.

The meeting began with a short video from ILCA member Conserv FS, featuring a virtual walkthrough of their facility and products. It was followed by breakout sessions that looked at challenges of day-to-day work, elements of the perfect work/life balance, leveraging professional relationships and networking.

“I’m new to this industry, said Coraima Amaya Pagan of Rent-a-Gardener. This was her first Young Professionals event. “I’m an office manager for a local landscaping company, looking to learn more and network.” She and others discussed the challenges of working during the pandemic, goal setting, using social media and moving ahead in their careers.

“ILCA is a huge help—networking, the trade show, the seminars and the open houses,” said 26-year-old Rosalva Duenez of Russo Power Equipment in Frankfort. She’s been with the company for six years. For her, networking and social media outlets are a big help especially for their customers.

Her co-worker, Yasmin Chavez, brought a fresh approach to the company’s social media marketing. “We’re doing something more with the content that reaches out to our customers—something they can relate to,” Chavez said. “We send out emails three times a week so they’re not overwhelmed.”

Career Roadmap

Do you feel like an adult, like a pro? That question was posed in one of the sessions. “More and more every year—I push myself out of the comfort zone,” said Tim Sweeney, associate chair of the Young Professionals committee.

“Everyone says I have so much to learn.” Tim is 34 and he’s absolutely correct—your education and work experience doesn’t stop when you get a certificate or diploma. Success is all about life-long learning and new experiences. New tools, new materials, new plants, new business strategies, new challenges.

And that’s where mentors come in. Finding someone in your workplace to mentor you—someone to advise, coach and support you—will go a long way in reaching your career goals.

Effective Networking Jose Jalapa has worked part-time in the industry for four Elaina Blankenhagen of Plandscape looks to the internet years and received his pesticide applicator’s license. “I’m in for career information. “I’m not really a book reader, I get the mulch department at Kramer Tree Specialists trying to information from online posts.” She’s also president of a work my way up to foreman.” Having a goal like that is key horticulture club. “I attend as many green-related events as I to moving your career in the right direction. can and I keep in contact and “friend” people on Facebook.”

Recognizing what you enjoy (and dislike) early on in your Aaron Lurvey of Lurvey Landscape Supply uses Facebook career will help you determine your direction. Alex Smith, groups to post questions and ask about plant problems and he account manager for Schmechtig Landscape has been in the reads business books to stay current with trends. industry for six years, working in the nursery for two. “The There are many Facebook groups for younger members of best thing about it, I’m an outdoorsman and I don’t like to the green industry, such as Emergent: A Group for Growing be confined to an office.” Understanding what you enjoy and Professionals and ILCA Young Professionals where you can what you’re good at and setting personal goals—whether they post questions and network. are one-year or five-year goals—will keep you on track for a The Landscape Contractor 18 May 2021

nce Careers

successful—and satisfying—career.

And, don’t let the little things stress you out. “If you take things too seriously, you’re going to burnout at work, especially with the pandemic last year,” said Kyle Banas of Pizzo Native Plant Nursery. “The culture and teamwork around you is so important.” Participate in company activities and get to know as many staff as possible.

Do you have goals? “It’s a good question to ask each other,” Banas said. What kinds of goals do your peers have?

When it comes to navigating your future, goals should represent objectives, benchmarks, and milestones in your career. An example: Find a mentor to help me develop the required skills for promotion, by the end of the first quarter.

Dealing with Challenges Last year’s pandemic turned the workplace upside down according to most of the attendees. “In my situation, I manage inside and outside sales,” said Nicole Nault of LaFarge Fox River Decorative Stone. She’s been with the company for five (continued on page 22)

19 The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Virtual Events for Spring — (continued from page 21) years and is chair of ILCA’s Women’s Networking Group. “There are people who worked in the office and some who worked remotely.” Managing that can be challenging. “I was presented with the option of working remotely, so I was trying to navigate that.”

“The pandemic brought us to a new level on how to clean,” said Brian Jeske of Mundelein Park and Recreation District.

“We have enough trucks so everyone had their own and everyone met outside.

Our trucks never looked newer! We were stricter on ourselves and only opened at 15 percent capacity for our residents.”

This was the first Young Professionals event for Melissa Nelson. She’s

worked in Kramer Tree Service’s sales department for one year. “I’m 28 and new to landscaping. I worked a bit at The Morton Arboretum and wanted to connect with people.”

Many of the young pros voiced their hopes that future events would be face-to-face. In the past, the Young Professionals Committee has offered a Day In/Night Out event where attendees tour a green-industry facility followed by a casual get-together at a local restaurant or brew pub. “It was awesome seeing everyone on web cam but I miss seeing everyone in person,” said Tim Sweeney.

Stay tuned. We’re looking forward to hosting in-person events soon.

Your source for Midwest native seed mixes and live plants Specializing in plants & seed mixes for > Solar panel arrays > Pollinator habitat > Wetland mitigations > DOT & roadside corridors

> Pipeline & transmission corridors > Stormwater BMPs & rain gardens > Habitat & ecosystem restoration

574 586 2412 | nurserysales@cardno.com www.cardnonativeplantnursery.com

20

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Stay in Touch

Are you a young professional (age 35 or younger) working in the landscape industry?

Do you want to gain insight from successful business owners? Do you want to build your professional network with other young professionals and industry leaders? Take part in ILCA’s Young Professionals events—they’re free! Have a question?

Contact Marissa Stubler (mstubler@ ilca.net) for more information about Young Professional events.

LAST MINUTE JOB? NEED ONE MORE SHRUB?

Our U-PICK Yard is your answer!

• 300+ varieties of our most popular plants • Balled & burlapped trees and shrubs • Selection of Midwest Trading bagged goods • First come, first serve • One hour call/text ahead available – 630-538-2542 • Availability updated on the website every 30 minutes • Loyalty Program can save you 20%

place your orders at midwestgroundcovers.com today!

ContaCt our SaleS team: P: 847-742-1790 | F: 847-742-2655 MGSALES@MIDWESTGROUNDCOVERS.COM WWW.MIDWESTGROUNDCOVERS.COM GroundCoverS & vineS native PlantS PerennialS ornamental GraSSeS deCiduouS ShrubS roSeS ConiferS & broadleaf everGreenS

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

21

Design Inspiration —

Annuals for Connoisseurs

P

R

E

M

I

E

R

iLandscape

TM

0 2 Landscape 1 The i llinois + wi2 sconsin C T Show O

N

E

T

N

Plant Guru Mark Dwyer shares some of his favorite annuals at iLandscape

by Nina A. Koziol

Far too often, annuals are

thought of as expensive accessories to temporarily plug gaps before more important plants fill in the space. Or they’re a luxury — the “wow” element — dazzling during the growing season. Mark Dwyer showed several tantalizing reasons to use annuals in your clients’ gardens during his virtual presentation at this year’s iLandscape conference.

“Seasonal plantings offer outstanding color from both flowers and foliage,” said Dwyer, owner of Landscape Prescriptions

by MD. “Using annuals in borders, compositions, and containers creates months of interest and may provide scent, pollinator value, and food.” He also uses herbs, kale, and other edibles as decorative and useful annuals in his designs. Dwyer was director of horticulture at Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, Wisconsin, for over 20 years. He knows his stuff.

“We planted and featured about 150,000 annuals representing 600 varieties each year,” Dwyer said. So it’s no surprise he enjoys annuals — a lot! “Other benefits include extended color, brightness in sun and shade, and sometimes fragrance.”

He did note that annuals are not always an easy sell to some clients. “There’s a lot of expense involved in purchasing and maintenance,” he says. “But the benefits usually outweigh the downside.”

22

Foliage and flower

Dwyer carefully considers foliage and flowers when designing with annuals.

“The composition is equally important not only for flower power, but for extended interest of foliage that becomes a foil for surrounding plants. Many annuals offer impact like Begonia Jurassic Silver Swirl with its silvery leaves. That’s its primary feature — you may never see the blooms. It’s the visual, textural component that is interesting.”

“The marigold was the gateway plant that my mom got me interested in as a youth,” Dwyer said. The new cultivars are not your granny’s marigolds.

“Breeders have extended coloration well into frost. They’re just dynamite in the landscape in full sun, and they’re very durable and tough.” At Rotary Botanical Garden, he grew 30 to 40 varieties every year. Now, he’s particularly fond of the Marvel™ series.

Marigold Marvel series TM

Begonia Jurassic Silver Swirl

Some annuals offer fragrance at night to attract pollinators while others, like zinnias, can be used by clients as cut flowers for indoor arrangements. There’s also an incredible assortment of new varieties of old favorites suitable for containers and bedding plants.

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

“Our clients are spending more time gardening, and gardening in containers,” said Kim Hartman, member of ILCA’s education committee. “We’re getting new, exciting, and innovative ideas from Mark.”

Here are a few of the annuals that fascinate him. (continued on page 26)

A Partnership in Plants...

SUPPORTING DIVERSITY IN THE LANDSCAPE

25865 W.Ivanhoe Rd. Wauconda, IL 60084 info@montalegardens.com 847.487.8435

Design Inspiration — (continued from page 24) “I’m a huge fan of zinnias, like the Profusion series, which has been out for many years. They’re heat-tolerant and relatively low maintenance, and they tend to be self-cleaning, producing flowers through frost. All Profusion series zinnias are excellent. They’re only 15 inches tall and constantly produce new flowers.” He’s particularly fond of Zinnia ‘Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor.’ “The new and old blooms are dynamite, and the older blooms age to a russet pink. It’s an All-America Selections winner.”

Breeders are constantly making improvements to the popular annual million bells (Calibrachoa). “There are mounding, semi-trailing, and trailing forms and so many exciting color ranges.

The challenge is providing proper drainage and plenty of fertilizer,” Dwyer said.

“They lean toward acid fertilizers. If the foliage is yellow, time to fertilize.” At Rotary Botanical Garden, million bells tended to do better in baskets and as trailers, he said. “All calibrachoas have a heavy flower count, and I love ChaCha™ Tangerine and Diva Hot Pink.” He does have one caution if million bells are planted directly in the ground: “There’s a lot of moisture splattering, and if the soils are overly cool at planting time, it can lead to root rot and fungal problems.

Consider container use instead or provide elevated situations with sharp drainage and fertilizer.”

Annual phlox Giselle™

Zinnia ‘Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor’ If you’re looking for a shorter-stature zinnia, Dwyer recommends the Sahara series. “The Double Zahara Yellow improved form is great if you really want bright impact. Use it as a specimen plant in a container or dotted through the landscape. It’s a very effective warm color — yellow, orange and red really pop in the landscape.”

Petunias are another of Dwyer’s favorite workhorses. “Petunia ‘Headliner Crystal Sky’ is a great performer in hot summers, planted in a basket, container, or the edge of a border. I like the subtle look of the violet venation in the throat and speckling on the petals.” Petunia Bees Knees (Petunia ‘Balcobees’) also gets high marks. “Yellow petunias were ruddy looking 15 to 20 years ago, and they faded quickly to cream and didn’t look great, but they are improving all the time. This cultivar maintains the dark yellow throat and white edges. It looks quite nice in mass plantings.”

24

Annual phlox is another unused plant.

“The Giselle™ series has been around for about six years, and I’ve grown all of them. I think they’re spectacular for the flower power, and they’re slightly fragrant.” His only concern is that the plants don’t look like that all the way until frost.

“They peak nicely in June through July and into August and continue to flower.

But when the evening temps start to dip, they peter out.” At 10 to 12 inches tall, they lend themselves to containers, beds, or borders.

Lancelot salvia (Salvia canariensis ‘Lancelot’) — aka Canary Island sage — shines with beautiful silvery leaves and magenta flowers. “Salvias are slam dunks not just for butterflies, but also for hummingbirds.”

Calibrachoa Cha-Cha™ Diva Hot Pink

Salvia canariensis ‘Lancelot’ Petunia Bees Knees The Landscape Contractor May 2021

(continued on page 28)

PREMIUM TOPSOIL PROVIDER SERVING CHICAGOLAND Straughn Farm, Inc. offers pick-up or delivery from multiple dirt field locations in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. Call to schedule your pick up or delivery time.

» Rough Topsoil » Pulverized Topsoil » Custom Soil Blends » Clay Soil » Compost & Sand » TACO Tier 1 Tested Topsoil (certified by idot and cdot)

T OPS O I L Sales: 630-768-4172 Email: info@straughnfarm.com

www.straughnfarm.com

Design Inspiration — (continued from page 24) Dwyer can’t get enough of celosias, either. “Lizzard leaf celosia (Lizzard Leaf Sol™Celosia argentea) is one that’s often promoted as a container plant. In full sun, it gets this glossy foliage and then wheatlike flowers. They’re about 15 inches tall, whereas Candela Pink celosia is 30 inches tall and very heat tolerant.” Good drainage and full sun will keep these plants performing until the fall frosts.

What’s old is new again with coleus that offer several months of interesting color and textures. Dwyer particularly likes Dragon Heart™ coleus, a new variety with very bright fuchsia and gold leaves. “Don’t ever let them bloom — and pinch them back to the second set of leaves to encourage more foliage. Don’t be shy about snipping them back.” He appreciates the nuances of the leaves, which can be large with rounded edges, small, or deeply lobed. And here’s a little surprise: “The majority can take full, blazing sun. In shade, Dragon Heart coleus is green and fuchsia. It’s not bad, but it loses that bright look. Ten years ago, they were called “sun” coleus, but the majority of coleus take full sun. Don’t ever put coleus in full shade — it will never thrive. They’re not drought tolerant, either. They like lots of moisture.”

At Rotary Botanical Gardens he routinely applies fertilizer every three weeks from June to August because the plants are heavy feeders.

Celosia argentea ‘Sol™’ Sweet potato vines have been the darlings of hanging baskets and window boxes for the past 15 years or more.

“The older varieties know no bounds,” Dwyer said, “and, Japanese beetles find them tasty.” In the last three years, he’s photographed about 40 trailing varieties from lime-green to yellow, variegated, brown, and near-black. That’s why he’s fascinated by new cultivars that are not only more compact, but also climb. “They have new twining and climbing sweet potato vines, and I’ve been very excited about them. Medusa Green out of the Sweet Caroline series is very fine-leaved and fine-textured.”

Ipomoea ‘Medusa Green’ 26

Begonia ‘Spring Fling Buttercup’ researching rex begonias, and you’ll find some great selections. In the shady landscape they need perfect, sharp drainage, but adequate water.”

When it comes to the new diseaseresistant varieties of Impatiens, Dwyer says, “I think the entire Beacon® series is excellent, and there are six to seven cultivars. It’s mildew-resistant, and downy mildew has been a bummer. We went from planting 30,000 every spring to zero.

The breeding work in the Beacon series is solid. They’ve inoculated it with the mildew, and it’s made it through. I feel standard impatiens are back — extremely shade tolerant and mildew resistant.” And who can argue with that?

Coleus ‘Dragon Heart’ New begonias for sun and shade have hit the market and serve as a replacement for Impatiens. “Don’t consider begonias just a shade plant,” Dwyer said. “Double Apricot can do well in full sun with ample moisture. They have a certain durability in the shade, but ultimately they’re happy in full sun. There’s a huge array of trailing, cascading types.”

Rex-type begonias are perfect for shade. Dwyer likes a new variety, Jurassic Jr. ‘Purple Spec,’ for the leaf markings.

“It rarely blooms in our climate. They can be brought in as houseplants. Start The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Impatiens Beacon orange

Elegant Water Features

Natural Sanctuaries

Water Gardens • Waterfalls • Natural Pools • Koi Ponds • Fountains • Ponds and Streams

Reflections specializes in the creation of natural sanctuaries where every element of one water feature is carefully planned and selected to create an oasis of tranquility.

815.513.6339 reflectionswatergardens.com

Special Feature — The Classic White Garden

Evening Gardens: Creating

by Heather Prince

As we seek accessible escapes in our own back-

yards, evening or moon gardens have become increasingly popular. They are also a unique way to offer clients relaxing spaces that are easy to upsell with furniture, lighting, water features, and accents. As you consider adding evening gardens to your portfolio, think about going beyond white-flowering plants to provide a private, immersive experience.

Steeped in garden history, one of the earliest moon gardens was the Mehtab Bagh, built in 1652 as a moonlit pleasure garden across the river from the Taj Mahal in India.

Modern evening or white gardens first reached U.S. shores with Benjamin Poore’s 1833 white garden in Massachusetts.

It featured 700-foot-long borders that were 14 feet deep and filled with all sorts of white flowers. The most storied white garden, however, is likely Sissinghurst Castle in England where writer Vita Sackville-West created an intimate garden of white and silver in the 1950s. Examples are scattered throughout public and private gardens today, and as the farmhouse trend continues, have become once again popular.

As client needs evolve, outdoor spaces are often increasingly smaller. Evening gardens can take nearly any form.

From a deck or patio to the garden bed that greets you when you step out of the car to a container on the porch, styles may be formal or informal, depending on client tastes. Mix in white stone, pale concrete, or light decking to create easy wayfinding or focal points once the sun sets. A white bench set off with hydrangeas and white-blooming annuals can become an evening destination. An eclectic corner of lanterns may be dressed up with a white and silver combination in a pale grey urn. Evening gardens can be wonderful ways to explore creativity with a more limited plant palette.

Elements of an Evening Garden Light

As the sun goes down, the subtle light of dusk takes the stage. Capture the moonlight with reflective surfaces, water, and elements that almost glow in the dark. In a rural or suburban setting where dark skies are accessible, embrace the light from moon and stars. In urban settings in more built environments, small moments of light can set the scene. If the setting can’t experience moonlight, strategic lighting can create the feel of a romantic escape. The goal of an evening garden is serenity, so consider low mood lighting, outdoor candles, lan-

28

terns, and solar powered accents instead of bright party lights.

Mirrored elements, bird baths, and still ponds reflect twinkles of light. Plant choices could include silver foliage, white bark, and white flowers.

Texture

With limited light, the other senses heighten. Look for textures to help set the mood. Soft fabrics, curtains, and pillows can be romantic and cozy. Velvety foliage that is brushed or easily reached not only reflects light, but encourages you to reach out and experience the plants. Plus, many fuzzy leaves are also fragrant when lightly bruised.

Fragrance

Layer in richness with fragrant plants. Many night-blooming plants are also fragrant and can perfume the garden. There are many flowers that bring fragrance from day into night and solve design issues in tight spaces. Fragrant plants can be annuals, herbs, perennials, shrubs or trees. You can tuck them into containers or use them as a destination. Some plants will bloom all season like jasmine, and some will offer a short time of sensational fragrance like fragrant viburnum. Place scented flowers strategically so that their perfume may be enjoyed up close or be caught on a breeze.

Sound

If our goal with an evening garden is to take away the stresses of the day and create a private respite, sometimes sound can be an important element. Ornamental grasses whisper on the wind. A wind chime can anchor an experience. Outdoor speakers can bring music to the space. Also consider your materials choices. Pea gravel, crushed stone, or decomposed granite bring their own element to the soundscape when walked upon.

Water

Water also may add a sound element with the splashing of a fountain or the music of a waterfall. Moving water can be a creative sound screen for a busy road or close neighbors and transport us to a peaceful oasis. Water also reflects, allowing those Italian lights or candles extra brilliance. There’s something inherently calming about the sound of water, even if it’s a tabletop bubbler.

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

an Oasis Plants for Fragrance, Texture, and Night-Blooming Elegance Fragrance

These are five plants to consider for day into evening fragrance. They might be a little unusual, but are all available, and offer a range of scents for an evening garden.

Chionanthus virginicus – Fringetree Zone: 3 to 9 Height: 12 to 15 ft Width: 12 to 15 ft Sun: full sun to part shade Water: average Bloom: white in June Fragrance: uniquely sweet Notes: For those seeking a native small understory tree, fringetree offers outstanding fragrance when in bloom. Large glossy tropical leaves follow the charismatic flowers, and it also features pale bark. It leafs late, so the sculptural architecture catches spring moonlight.

Dianthus sp. – Pinks Zone: 3 to 8 Height: 12 in to 16 in Width: 12 in to 3 ft Sun: full sun Water: well-drained to dry Bloom: white, yellow-green, pink, coral, lavender, red; often re-blooming Fragrance: fruity and sweet Notes: Perennial pinks can be a terrific groundcover for hot, dry, sharply draining spaces. Try them at the edge of retaining wall where they will soften the stone. Their fragrance tends to be reminiscent of bananas and many of the newer varieties will bloom for months.

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

29

Special Feature — The Classic White Gardern Jasminum – Jasmine Zone: 7 to 10 Height: 4-5 to 10-20 ft Width: 3-4 to 7-10 ft Sun: full sun to part shade Water: average Bloom: white, occasionally yellow Fragrance: distinctively spicy Notes: What is a fragrant garden without jasmine? A tropical in Illinois, it may be overwintered as a houseplant as it is not frost hardy. You can find it as a shrub or twining vine and is a sought-after addition to the summer garden.

Lonicera ‘Scentsation’ – Honeysuckle Zone: 4 to 9 Height: 8 to 10 ft Width: 6 to 8 ft Sun: full sun to part shade Water: average Bloom: pale yellow and white all season Fragrance: powerfully sweet Notes: A newer selection of honeysuckle vine, this one is truly fragrant. Plus, it attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

Plant it where you need a twining vine to scramble up a trellis, obelisk, or along a fence. Consider it for a screening element in a tight space. Wonderful under windows where the sweet scent can be enjoyed.

Philadelphus ‘Snow White’™ - Mockorange Zone: 4 to 8 Height: 5 to 6 ft Width: 3 to 5 ft Sun: full sun to light shade Water: average Bloom: double white rebloomer Fragrance: orange blossom Notes: This tough small-scaled mockorange from Bailey Nurseries is easily tucked into small spaces. Not only is it beautifully fragrant with the classic old-fashioned orange blossom scent, it also blooms at least twice. First in late spring, then again in late summer on new tips. Delicious!

30

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Texture

To capture and reflect light, these plants offer interesting bark or soft, silvery foliage. Try them as accents or statement specimens.

Athyrium niponicum var. pictum - Japanese Painted Fern Zone: 3 to 8 Height: 12 to 18 in Width:12 to 18 in Sun: part shade to full shade Water: average Foliage: silvery cast to the edges of the fronds Notes: In a shade garden or an evening garden, the silvery lace of Japanese painted fern provides wonderful light-reflecting texture. Explore its many cultivars for selections that are smaller or larger, brighter or more subtle.

Betula sp. – Birch Zone: 4 to 8 Height: 20-30 to 40-70 ft Width: 10 to 30 ft Sun: full sun to part shade Water: average to wet tolerant Bark: white, yellow, golden, creamy-pink Notes: Birch bark is beloved for its unique lightreflecting qualities and rich textures. A grove of white-barked birch creates instant serenity. Look for selections like Whitespire that are bronze birch borer resistant.

Cladrastris kentukea – Yellowwood Zone: 4 to 8 Height: 30 in to 40 ft Width: 30 in to 40 ft Sun: full sun to part shade Water: average Bloom: white fragrant trusses in spring Bark: pale grey Notes: Yellowwood does double duty with elegant pale grey bark and fragrant white flowers. This underused native tree is surprisingly tolerant of compacted soils. Try it as an elegant mid-sized shade tree.

The Landscape Contractor 31 May 2021

Special Feature — The Classic White Garden Cynara cardunculus - Cardoon Zone: 7 to 9 Height: 3 to 6 ft Width: 2 to 3 ft Sun: full sun Water: average Foliage: large, toothed silvery leaves Notes: Big, blowsy, bold, bodacious, and edible too!

There’s lots to love with this silver annual plant. Its instant drama brightens the evening garden and can be particularly eye-catching in modern designs. The celery-like stems may be cooked and taste like artichokes.

Miscanthus sp. – Variegated Japanese Silver Grass Zone: 5 to 9 Height: 4 to 8 ft Width: 3 to 5 ft Sun: full sun to part shade Water: average Foliage: several white striped cultivars Notes: The movement of grasses provides whispery texture to the evening garden. Consider the white striped cultivars of Miscanthus like Cosmopolitan and Dixieland to provide height and airiness. You can even use large varieties as a lovely screening plant.

Night Bloomers

Night blooming plants offer a conversation starter as you may watch their flowers unfold as the sun sets. These selections are also fragrant for even more layered richness in the evening garden.

Ipomoea alba – Moonflower Zone: 10 to 12 Height: 10 to 15 ft Width: 3 to 6 ft Sun: full sun Water: average Bloom: white, yellow, pink; sometimes double; blooms all season Notes: A beloved heirloom, moonflower is an easy-going twining vine whose flowers open as the sun sets. Beautifully fragrant, the flowers often attract moths. Let this annual reseed for years of elegance in the evening garden.

32

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Matthiola longipetala - Evening Stock Zone: 8 to 10 Height: 12 to 18 in Width: 6 to 12 in Sun: full sun to part shade Water: average to well-drained Bloom: lavender and white Notes: Look for this heirloom annual at specialty mail order seed companies. The deliciously fragrant flowers unfold at evening and release their scent.

Light and airy, it can be a wonderful weaver plant in the garden or interesting filler in a container. May reseed.

Oenothera macrocarpa - Evening Primrose Zone: 3 to 7 Height: 10 to 12 in Width: 12 to 18 in Sun: full sun Water: average to drought tolerant Bloom: lemon yellow from May to August Notes: Lightly fragrant, this native plant’s lovely large flowers open at dusk. A little sprawling in its habit, it can tumble across retaining walls or be a filler in a container. It’s happiest on the dry side as its silvery leaves attest.

Polianthes tuberosa or Agave amica – Tuberose Zone: 7 to 10 Height: 2 to 3 ft Width: 2 to 3 ft Sun: full sun Water: average Bloom: white, blush Notes: Intensely fragrant, tuberose has been cultivated for centuries for its scent. A tuberous rooted rhizome, you can lift it for winter storage or keep it in containers to be moved indoors. Taxonomists have moved it into the agaves, but many catalogs still offer it under Polianthes. Readily available via mail order.

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

33

Special Feature — The Classic White Garden

A White Theme Garden Sampler

34

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

35

Embelleciendo con piedras— Desde la piedra laja azul hasta el granito, estos materiales

by Nina Koziol

La mayor inversión en paisajismo que

sus clientes harán será en elementos sólidos—aceras, escaleras, patios, piscinas, fuentes, mesas con fogata, entradas para autos, pilares, muros de contención y muretes de asiento y superficies chapadas. Seleccionar e instalar debidamente los materiales adecuados añade belleza y valor duradero a sus propiedades. Y eso es un factor de venta que no se puede ignorar al hacer una oferta contractual.

36

En lo que se refiere a los elementos sólidos, le piedra sigue siendo muy solicitada para muchos proyectos. “Lo bueno de la piedra es que es intemporal”, dijo Jim Larson, gerente general de Capitol Stoneworks en Wheeling. “Hay gran demanda de productos ‘artificiales’ pero hay una demanda aún mayor de productos de piedra. Los productos artificiales tienen su lugar y hacen mucho bien. No es una crítica”.

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Mejores Plantas, Mejor Servicio Y Mejor Selección.

naturales son Los contratistas de paisajismo tienen suerte de tener acceso a varias canteras y distribuidores del Medio Oeste. “Vivimos en el extremo final de la escarpa del Niágara, por lo que la mayor parte de nuestras piedras regionales son piedra caliza con algo de granito de Minnesota”, afirmó Daniel Wood de Lurvey Landscape Supply. “Forman parte de nuestro lenguaje vernáculo”. (Las rocas encontradas en la escarpa se depositaron originalmente como barro de cal en un lecho marino antiguo hace unos 430 millones de años. Lo que queda es el resultado de levantamientos, meteorización y erosión.

Y ese es un gran tema de conversación al presentar muestras de piedra a sus clientes).

La presentación virtual de Wood, “El lenguaje de las piedras”, fue bien recibida en la iLandscape de este año. “Los dueños de casa trasplantados de la Costa Este podrían preferir granito, arenisca o cuarcita, que es más predominante en esa región”.

Pero la variedad de opciones de piedras es asombrosa. Wood es expresidente del National Stone Institute y viaja por el mundo en busca de productos inusuales.

Mariani Plants se enorgullese en su attencion al cliente.

Tenemos expertos ajentes de ventas de habla hispana en nuestras dos localidades, Kenosha Wisconsin y Garden Prairie Illinois. Mariani Plants esta aquí para proveerle mejores plantas, mejor servicio y mejor selección.

Llámenos a Mariani Plants: 866-627-4264 / marianiplants.com

TODOS JUNTOS MEJOR.

Oferta y demanda

Hasta ahora, la demanda de piedra no ha cesado desde comienzos de 2020. “Hemos estado súper ocupados”, afirma Larson. “En esta época, el año pasado, nadie sabía lo que iba a pasar. Pero suministramos piedras para cocinas al aire libre y patios, piedras para buzones y pilares de piedra con cubrepilares que tenían direcciones domiciliarias.

Fácilmente estábamos construyendo al menos cinco o seis remates de coronación de piscinas al mes. Pienso que este ritmo

May 2021

The Landscape Contractor 37

continuará al menos durante este año”.

La gran demanda presenta un desafío en lo referente a la adquisición de materiales de piedra para proyectos grandes o pequeños. “Tenga en cuenta el plazo de ejecución de un proyecto, especialmente si hay trabajo personalizado”, afirma Larson. “Las canteras en Pennsylvania y Nueva York han tenido dificultades para cubrir la demanda. Están ocupadas poniéndose al día con la demanda del año pasado y no ha sido fácil”.

Algunas de las instalaciones de piedra más populares incluyen patios y terrazas para piscinas. “La otra tendencia es la sala de estar y cocina al aire libre”, dijo Matt Johnson de Area Landscaping en Mokena.

“Las tendencias de moda son las estaciones de parrilla al aire libre, las chimeneas y las fogatas a la intemperie—la experiencia completa de entretenimiento al aire libre”.

Ha encontrado que los dos productos más populares para remates de coronación de piscinas son la piedra caliza de Indiana y la piedra laja azul con acabado térmico. “La piedra laja azul es popular pero algunas personas consideran que a una temperatura de 95 grados en el sol, la piedra laja azul absorbe el calor y puede resultar un poco incómoda para los pies”.

Diseño

“Con respecto a todas las decisiones tomadas por clientes o diseñadores sobre elementos sólidos, hay un pro y un contra”, asegura Bob Hursthouse de Hursthouse, Inc., en Bolingbrook. Algo que con frecuencia se pasa por alto es el estilo arquitectónico de una casa. “Pienso en materiales de construcción para el frente y siempre prefiero usar los mejores materiales que el cliente decida costear. Cuando vemos a todos los ganadores del premio dorado de ILCA, todos tenían eso determinado”.

Ya sea piedra laja azul, piedra caliza, granito u otro material, todo depende del gusto y el presupuesto del cliente. “Por aquí, especialmente al norte de Chicago, hay demanda de piedras laja de Lannon, Chilton, Eden y Fond du Lac”, afirma Larson. “Hace unos años, todos querían piedra caliza de Indiana y es muy versátil. Pero hay un verdadero cambio hacia el pleno color en el cual los clientes 38

desean ver dónde se juntan el beige y el gris.

Desafíos

Hursthouse tiende a preferir y trabajar con productos naturales, afirmando que ese es el nicho de su firma.

Señala que toda pared vertical debe erigirse sobre una base apropiada—en otras palabras, no escatime en sus preparaciones. “Reemplazo muchas [paredes] que se están inclinando. Uno hace mucho trabajo subterráneo y los clientes pagan por algo que realmente no pueden ver, pero es importante”.

Como cuando se construye una casa, un elemento de piedra debe tener una base resistente “El producto de la base es crucial para la longevidad del proyecto”, aseguró Johnson. “Así resistirá el paso de los años.

Si está instalando un muro de contención, necesitará el debido drenaje y relleno detrás del muro. Para muros más altos, se necesitan productos que proporcionen estabilidad—como refuerzo vertical geotextil. StrataGrid (https://www.geogrid.com/en-us/products/stratagrid) es uno que viene a la mente. Hay mucha presión en la base de un muro. Cuando fallan, el empuje es desde la base. No siempre es así, pero se necesita refuerzo para los muros más altos”.

“Algunos de los desafíos de trabajar con piedra natural es la gama de irregularidades”, asegura Johnson. “Usted está combinando colores, texturas y dimensiones. Y con mucha frecuencia, puede ser como construir un rompecabezas en el sitio de trabajo y puede consumir mucho tiempo”. El debido drenaje detrás de la pared significa añadir tubos corrugados o sólidos para recolectar agua y desplazarla de la parte trasera del muro. “El relleno que suelo recomendar o usar es grava clara y limpia de 3/4, a través de la cual se drena el agua”. (Clara significa que la mezcla no contiene finos de grava).

Mantenimiento

Según Johnson, “Hay dos maneras de hacerlo”. “Algunas personas instalan piedra natural a la que no hay que hacerle mucho y otras saldrán con una hidrolimpiadora cada año.

No vendo un producto de limpieza específico, pero se puede usar Simple Green o detergente para platos Dawn antes de introducir un limpiador a base de ácido- o sodio-, que podría resultar un poco abrasivo.”

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Para que crezca su negocio, unase a...

Servicios y Beneficios • Certificaciones • Seminarios

• Talleres de Trabajo • Publicaciones • Capacitación • Videos • Eventos • Programa de Seguros • Trabajadores Temporarios • Subasta de Herramientas de jardinería

El Paso al Professionalismo.

Llame al 630-472-2851

Para mas informacion sobre como inscribirse miembro.

The Landscape Contractor 39 May 2021

Virtual Events for Spring —

The Power of Three

Women’s Networking Group Holds Spring Kickoff Event

Nina A. Koziol

Why did the chicken cross the desk? To

Hansard’s talk focused on the Power of Three—three things to do to stay in the moment, three behaviors to adopt get to Kristina Jauch’s lap as she kicked off the first Women’s for long-term energy, and three ways to shift from a state of Networking Group (WNG) event this spring as “mistress of ceranxiety to calm. “The power of three is used many times, for emonies.” “Popcorn,” one of her many chickens, clucked away example—past, present and future; birth, life and death, and while nearly 90 participants—women and a few men—tuned in mind, body and spirit.” She posed interesting questions, such to the online event. From the guest speaker’s inspiring program as ‘Is your cup overflowing, or broken?’ and ‘Are you tired and several breakout sessions, to the happy hour (complete with and exhausted, but putting on a good face and saying you’re Cherry Blossom cocktail demo), and trivia games with $600 in ok when you’re not?’ prizes, there was something for everyone. Even the chicken.

Noel Street of McGinty Bros., joined the WNG last fall.

“It was the largest spring event attendance and we were “At my first meeting, we all discussed peaks and valleys that happy with the turnout for this virtual event,” said Marissa we were going through,” she said. “All of the women gave Stubler, ILCA’s Membership and Marketing Manager. me advice and encouragement and it was very comforting to “Women should participate in these events because they are hear some of them talk about their experiences and how they always fun and inspiring.” handle things.”

Denise Hansard, life archiWhen things are crazy-busy during the spring/summer seatect, mindset coach and motison, it’s easy to become frustrated, overwhelmed or experivational speaker, (how’s THAT ence “brain fog.” There are things Hansard suggested to help for a title!), presented, “Keeping stay in the moment and remain focused on the tasks at hand Your Cup Full—Managing Your without unnecessary stress. “Hit the pause button and take Energy in the Busy Season.” three deep breaths—slowly in and out.” she said. “It helps “You can’t give what you you become present in the moment.” And, it refocuses your don’t have,” Hansard said. “This attention to your body and helps momentarily release some often happens to us when life stress. Try doing it throughout the day. At the very least, becomes extremely busy or you you’ll be feeding more oxygen to your brain. have a year like 2020. Self-care is a top priority and there is so Start Your Engines much more.” If you don’t focus on your own physical and Everyone has weird dreams or stressful sleepless nights. emotional well-being, you’re not going to be your best with Close the door on those thoughts before you get out of bed. your family, friends or your career.

“Begin your day in a way that makes you ready to go. It’s “I’m habit-oriented,” said Brenda Ward of Beary about daily intention setting.” She often has fun tunes in her Landscape Management. “Before the pandemic I was in head, especially, “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” from the a good flow and then everything just stopped and I felt sad film, Oklahoma. “Or, I breathe and think, ‘thank you’ while about it.” She joined the WNG committee in 2016 shortly after I’m still in bed.” attending her first event. “I’ve met several women in the indus“Second, feel all the emotions. Make a mental note when try and it makes me feel that I’m not alone dealing with chalyou start to feel out of control. Trust your body and pay attenlenges that come from being in a male-dominated field. I’ve tion to it.” She also recommends women let their hair down. made many great connections for recruiting and purchasing.”

The Landscape Contractor 40 May 2021

“It’s ok to be childlike—and put some fun in your life—sing, dance, whatever makes you feel good.”

Shift into Calm Do you have drama queens or kings in your circle? “You don’t want to get caught up in other people’s dramas and chaos. Start being comfortable with saying, ‘no’ to some things. I want you to say no to five different things in a week.

You can say no to your boss.” (There was a lot of chuckling over her last comment.)

“I’d like to talk to Denise every morning to help start my day,” said Carrie Hancock of Landscape Concepts Management. “And, I need to learn to say no sometimes.” Hancock created the Cherry Blossom cocktail (recipe below).

In situations where co-workers from all sides are coming to your desk saying, “I need X as soon as possible,” Brenda Ward’s suggestion was to have a white board with a list of your projects in a visible place. Ask those coworkers (or bosses) to help prioritize what is truly an ASAP project and what can be done after.

Learn to let things go. “Accept that you’re not in control. We sometimes have the perception of control, but the only thing we control is our emotions, behaviors and actions.” That’s where effective communication tools come in handy. “You can’t control others, but you can control yourself. It’s about pausing, breathing and being in the present moment instead of immediately reacting to comments.”

Women’s Intuition?

Trust your gut feelings. “Put trust in those inner feelings,” Hansard said. According to Psychology Today, “Research on nonverbal communication skills has clearly shown that women are, as a group, better at reading facial expressions of emotions than men. As a result, women are more likely to pick up on the subtle emotional messages being sent by others.”

This was the first event for Karen Olah, regional sales manager for Coldspring/Midwest Division. “I’ve been

attending, presenting and volunteering with the iLandscape show and other events for about seven years. This group has provided many contacts who became friends, clients and colleagues. It was nice to compare notes with others on the state of things and how we are adjusting and planning for whatever is next.”

Hansard also talked about using hindsight and foresight to one’s advantage.

“We spend time looking back at what’s happened in the past.” (There’s a saying, Don’t look back, that’s not the path you’re on.) “Use the past in a way to ask what you learned (rather than dwelling on the negative).” Looking forward, Hansard encouraged attendees to think about what they want to create in life, no matter what their age. Have a positive plan and positive life goals going forward.

Even though the event was virtual, the feedback was uplifting and the laughter was non-stop during happy hour. “I enjoy being surrounded by other professional women in the green industry,” said Dani Hall, Midwest Groundcovers.

“It’s a good way to make connections— this group has helped with my job by giving me an avenue to network with other women. I really enjoyed Denise’s portion of the event and learning about the Power of Three. The biggest takeaway for me was to make sure my ‘cup is full.’”

To stay focused, energized and mindful of where she wants to be in the coming years, Hansard said she takes meditative walks in nature and occasionally writes down her thoughts in a journal.

“I enjoyed learning about the Power of Three from Denise,” Stubler said “Attendees will always walk away with a few new tips and connections.” This was the first WNG event for Megan Dunning, manager of adult learning programs, at The Morton Arboretum. “I appreciated the sense of fun and the company and commiseration of other women who are all about the business of plants.”

There were even opportunities to learn about chickens. Kristen Kinsella discovered that egg size is proportionate to a chicken’s age. “Essentially, (continued on page 42)

Sponsors

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

41

Virtual Events for Spring — (continued from page 41) they’re starting out small, growing larger as the chicken gets older, then eventually decreasing in size after the chicken reaches its peak.” Who knew?

Why join?

“Contacts, camaraderie and cocktails,” said Karen Olah of Coldspring.

The chicken jokes are just a bonus. What day do chickens hate most? Fry Day.

Why Participate? Check out these testimonials for ILCA’s Women’s Networking Group “Other women should join because it gives them an opportunity to get involved with the industry. By hosting these events, we can work together and help bring each other up,” said Noel Street, McGinty Bros.

“I was the only woman in my office quite a few times in my career,” said Brenda Ward, Beary Landscape Management. “To find support and camaraderie with others that are in or have been in that situation is very powerful to developing and retaining a strong, active voice.”

“They just may find their life more enriched, both professionally and personally,” said Janie Grillo, Midwest Groundcovers. “And, an added bonus is becoming acquainted with others in the industry.”

42

Cherry Blossom Cocktail

“I enjoy making genuine connections with women in the industry,” said Kristen Kinsella, Beary Landscape Management. “It’s often quite inspiring to hear the stories of women working in and leading in a male-dominated industry. I’ve been able to make connections that have led me to exciting opportunities that I would not have found otherwise. For example, after meeting Amanda Arnold of PlanIt Landscape Perspectives at a WNG event, she reached out to me and asked if I would guest lecture for a landscaping course she teaches at the College of DuPage and I did, and it was a great experience.”

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Cocktail shaker Ice cubes 1 oz. lime juice 1 1/4 oz. Tequila 1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice 1/4 oz. Grenadine Place ice in shaker. Add lime juice, tequila, grapefruit juice and grenadine.

Shake well. Dip glass rim in lime juice and then on dish with pink Himalayan pink sea salt. Fill the glass and enjoy.

Want to get involved with the WNG committee? See https://www.ilca.net/ professional/committee_involvement/

ILCA Member Renewals for 2021-2022 Renew by June 30, 2021!

Starting April 15, please be on the lookout for your dues renewal notice via email and

mail. Renewal emails are sent to the main contact on the account. If you do not know your login credentials, please email Alycia Nagy at anagy@ilca.net. You can also reset your password if needed on the member login page: www.ilca.net/member-login.

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!

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

43

Focus — The Pros at Home

ILCA Visits Industry Members at Home Nina A. Koziol

Editor’s Note: This is another in a series of articles that feature the home landscapes of green industry professionals— ILCA members, plant breeders, nursery owners, public garden staff and educators. After all, who wouldn’t like a little peak at what peers are doing around their own homes?

Mary DiCarlo, owner of In and Out Design,

everybody does what I do and I wear a lot of hats.” Her home landscape in Arlington Heights is a testimony to her design experience.

Tell us how you approach landscaping your own home.

“I’ve been in this house for 30 years. The backyard was a clean slate—just patio, lawn and fence on one-fifth of an acre.

There was a 20’ x 15’ concrete patio. The front of the house was basically a row of yews and the parkway tree had nothing around it. There were some perimeter and foundation plantings on the side of the house. And, an old crabapple on one corner of the house was just way too big and had blight. I took it down right away.

And then it felt naked so the garden beds started creeping in.”

came to a career in landscaping in a roundabout way. “When I started the business, my background was in interior design—that was about 35 years ago.

I added the landscaping part of it in 2012. That’s where my passion is.

The more I get into it—that’s what flows my creative juices.” She works with local realtors doing home staging What type of changes consultations and with have you made? homeowners who “We’ve done a lot. need assistance with One of the first things decorating, remodeling, we did was turn the and landscaping. patio into a four-season “I started doing room. We had two kids, planters on my patio no basement and toys many years ago. I everywhere. Now that bought a single family the kids are grown, it’s home so I could garden become my space. My and I took any class I husband built a small koi could at the Chicago pond 20 years ago but Botanic Garden. But we’re putting in a new it was my design pond with a waterfall. The experience that helped front was an old asphalt with landscaping.

Renee Garrett’s back garden is a low-maintenance place drive and concrete walk Design, whether for entertaining and relaxing. to the porch. About 20 years inside or out, has a ago, stamped concrete was in vogue. We took out the lot of commonalities—texture, scale and color, and can (continued on page 46) be incorporated in similar ways. It’s kind of unique—not 44

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

So the World Builds Better • Since 1934

Supplying All Your Landscape Needs DELIVERY AVAILABLE • Outcroppings and Boulders • Concrete & Clay Pavers • Retaining Walls • Ponds and Low Voltage Lighting • Seeds & Fertilizers • Mulch & Decorative Stone • Limestone Sills & Counter Tops • Bluestone - Nominal & Dimensional • Building Stone • Masonry Products

®

1300 Route 31 • South Elgin, IL 60177 (Corner of Route 31 & McLean Blvd.)

847-888-6133 • www.foxriverstone.com

Focus — The Pros at Home was a hard sell to my husband, but now that it’s in place he likes it. The installation is similar to how you would do a patio.

There’s six inches of gravel—it’s a larger size gravel so it drains better and the turf itself has holes. My husband was worried about odor but there’s no odor. Artificial turf is becoming popular especially in the city with small spaces.” (continued from page 44) driveway, walkway and patio and replaced it with stamped concrete. That was great for the time, but now I’m going to do a paver driveway and rework my front porch. And, the beds just kept growing—I think the garden is always a work in progress. Plants have to earn their space—producing color or flowers.

I’m changing them all the time.”

What challenges have you encountered?

“I’m allergic to bees. I was on a job site, got stung and ended up in the emergency room. So, we added a

screened gazebo with a flagstone patio.

The view from the gazebo is lovely.” In 2019, she installed Perfect Turf artificial pet grass in the backyard to address lawn damage from her two dogs. “It’s one of the best things I’ve done and we just started installing it for our clients. It 46

How much time do you spend maintaining your home landscape?

“I could spend two hours every three weeks and then I’m done. I’m incorporating more shrubs because they’re the workhorses.

You still want to have perennials with different bloom times.

When it comes to my favorite shrubs, I definitely like panicle hydrangeas and I have several varieties.”

Quickfire, Little Quick Fire, and Monrovia’s Magical Flame hydrangeas bolster the pond. “I love the change of color and the structure. Limelight and Little Lime hydrangeas are nice, too. Everything in my garden earns its space. In 90 percent of the landscapes I design, almost every client wants low maintenance. People don’t want to spend time deadheading day lilies.”

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

What plants do you favor?

“I’m always seeing new plants I’d like to incorporate in my designs. The workhorses include perennials like May Night salvia, sedum, coreopsis, Stella D’Oro day lilies—they come up year after year. Hakone glass (Hachonechloa) All Gold or Aureola gives that pop of color in the garden. I’ve used a lot of Gold Mop cypress and put some of those in my front garden for year-round color.”

DiCarlo also makes plenty of room for annuals, and she switches them out from spring and summer into fall. “I knew I wanted pockets of annuals and I have a little trick. I buy hanging baskets

and the whole thing comes out of the pot and goes into the ground. When the pansies come out, in go the summer annuals. That creates much more impact than just putting in individual plants.”

Come spring, the lime hue of Gold Mound spirea makes it one of her favorite shrubs. “Callicarpa (beautyberry) caught my eye one fall with its yellow leaves and purple berries.

They’re planted around my gazebo and in between boxwood. I also use blackeyed Susans and purple coneflowers that perform year after year.”

She limits the number of trees on her small property, sticking to a few Japanese maples and two crab apples— Prairifire and Perfect Purple. “Japanese maples are probably my favorite tree whether weeping or spreading. Fireglow is like a dwarf Bloodgood. It’s got the most striking red color in fall, so I’ve (continued on page 48)

We’re here for you—

no matter what challenges come your way.

• Over 500 acres of nursery stock • 300 product varieties • 10 acre fresh dug holding yard for same-day pickup

C75 M68 Y67 K90 | R0 G0 B0 | #000000 C64 M23 Y100 K45 | R64 G99 B37 | #406325 | PMS 7743 C C0 M27 Y100 K13 | R224 G168 B16 | #E0A810 | PMS 110 C C27 M94 Y94 K26 | R148 G41 B35 | #942923 | PMS 7623 C

Contact us today! 8920 Howe Rd. | Wonder Lake, IL 60097 | 815.653.9293 | goodmarknurseries.com The Landscape Contractor May 2021

47

The Pros at Home

711 S Material Road Romeoville, IL

(continued from page 46) been putting those in my designs as well.” She admits that between the polar vortex and heavy snows of recent years, both of the maples are struggling a bit. And, she’s prone to bringing home new plants to try them out before using them in her clients’ gardens. “My crew is so funny when I bring home new plants, but there’s always room for one more.”

800-762-5738 • 815-836-0086

rocksetc@att.net

Spring is right around the corner!

IS YOUR GARDEN CENTER READY?

Are there any particular landscape designers (or books) that you admire?

“When I first started out, I feel like I bought every book that I could. Now, I get a lot of ideas from online sources and social media.”

What do you like best about your job?

“So many things—I love my job. The number one thing is the design process. I love that it lets me create beautiful but functional spaces for my clients. I like the look on my clients’ faces when their project is done. I can see how happy and excited they are and it warms my heart. One client was on vacation and when she came home she couldn’t stop smiling at her new landscape—it was like a grand reveal for her. It warms my heart that I can affect people’s lives like that.”

Visit our website to view tried and true supplies—as well as our new products for 2021!

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

“It’s the time factor—I do everything—the initial consultation, the design work, the pricing, I pick out the plants, I’m there for installs. I may take on an assistant for the interior design part. It’s not having enough hours in the day. When you own your own business, you really can’t take time off.”

What do you like most about your garden?

“Our garden was featured in the 2019 Arlington Heights Garden Walk and we had thousands of guests come through. I loved sharing my experiences with those who attended the walk.”

Call your sales rep today!

18715 Route 84 N Cordova, IL 800-736-1356 • 309-654-2261 sales@xylemltd.com

BAGGED OR BULK—WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED! 48

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

The ChiTurf Team

“The Lakeview” by ChiTurf    

Free Next - Day Delivery (to your warehouse or jobsite) No Order Minimums, No Custom Cut Fees, Free Remnant Storage Contractor Special Pricing (register your business @ ChiTurf.com) 24/7/365 Installation Support & Free Samples + Installation Training

Get to know about us @ ChiTurf.com

Artificial Grass Supply Warehouse For Contractors 4042 S.Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL. 60653

| info@chiturf.com

|

630.805.3800

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

|

@ChiTurf

49

New Members — CONTRACTORS

BRINE/DE-ICER

BRINE/DE-ICER

200 or 300 gal

500, 750, or 1000 gal

SKID UNIT

DUAL SKID UNIT

30, 50, 100, 150, 200, or 300 gal

30, 50, 100, 150, 200, or 300 gal

THREE POINT

THREE POINT MISTER

55, 110, 200, 300, or 400 gal

PEST CONTROL

40, 60, or 100 gal

TREE SERVICE

4 Seasons Landscaping Plus Michelle Caba 6139 Caton Farm Road Yorkville, IL 60560 Email: michelle4seasons@yahoo.com Phone: 815-475-7229 4seasonslandscapingplus.com We are a full service landscaping company. We have a designer to help with what ever your landscape needs and dreams are. We install new plants and trees, patios, seat walls, spring clean ups, fall clean ups and more.

Conserva Irrigation of NW Chicago Jim Luby 11 Juel Drive Hawthorn Woods, IL 60047 Email: jim.luby@conservairrigation.com Phone: 847-430-4777 www.conservairrigation.com/nw-chicago The Organic Gardener Verd Nolan 2929 MacArthur Blvd Northbrook, IL 60062 Email: verd@theorganicgardener.net Phone: 847-830-0093 theorganicgardener.net The Organic Gardener Ltd. (TOG) creates and maintains beautiful and productive organic edible gardens. Our approach is rooted in the idea that anyone, anywhere, can grow their own food. Each TOG project connects us to the larger good food movement growing throughout the nation!

Tank size options

NURSE TRAILERS 1005, 1065, or 1300 gal

SPACE SAVER

UTV

50, 68, or 110 gal

50

TRAILERS

30, 55, 85, 100, 200, or 300 gal

VIEW SAVER

ULTRA LOW PROFILE 50, 68, or 110 gal

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

demand performance.

demand monroe.

2 locations

to serve you Monroe, wi Joliet, IL

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR WORK-READY TRUCKS & A LIST OF STOCKING DEALERS

www.monroetruck.com

Special Feature

Pest of the Month: Oystershell Scale Disease of the Month: Mapleleaf Blister

by Heather Prince

Pest of the Month: Oystershell Scale

Oystershell scale (Lepidoasaphes ulmi) is a common armored scale that Oystershell scale can develop heavy infestations that thickly coat twigs and branches on several woody plant species, including birch, crabapple, dogwood, elm, maple, poplar, walnut and willow. They often cluster together, heavily covering individual branches rather than evenly distributing themselves among all of the twigs. Spoon-shaped and resembling oysters, adults are about two to three millimeters long and can be gray or brown. Eggs overwinter under the protective covering or “scale” after being laid by females. The young crawlers hatch, emerge from the protective scale, and become active from May through June. Crawlers will choose a location to settle, then pierce the plant, and suck its fluids.

They remain in that location throughout adulthood. Their feeding can result in yellow leaves, leaf or twig stunting, twig dieback, and occasionally plant death. Heavy infestations can also stress the plant, making it more susceptible to additional issues.

Treatment:

Cultural practices like irrigation, fertilization, and mulching can help reduce plant stress and allow plants to better withstand infestations. If chemical treatment is warranted, treatments should be applied when crawlers are present. Adults are not killed off by pesticides because the products do not penetrate their protective scales. Oystershell scale crawlers have two distinct biotypes which differ in color and timing of activity. Brown oystershell scale crawlers are present when 275 to 500 degree-days have accumulated (base 50) or when VanHoutte spirea (Spirea x vanhouttei) is in late bloom. Gray crawlers are present when 400 to 600 degree-days have accumulated (base 50) or when VanHoutte spirea has finished blooming. Scout carefully as crawlers are tiny and hard to find. Use a hand lens or place two-sided tape around a branch and inspecting it for crawlers. Insecticides recommended for controlling oystershell scale crawlers include acephate, carbaryl, malathion, insecticidal soap and horticultural oil. For a more sustainable approach, oystershell scales can be mechanically removed by gently scraped away from the bark using a mesh dish scrubber.

Heavily encrusted twigs or branches can be pruned out.

Additional resources:

University of Illinois Extension Service https://web.extension.illinois.edu/state/ horticulture/index.php 217-333-0519 52

Disease of the Month: Mapleleaf Blister

As usual, a cool, wet spring brings a variety of fungal problems, including maple leaf blister. A type of Taphrina, it commonly infects silver and red maples and their hybrids. This group of pathogens infects leaves early in their development, frequently at bud-break. As the leaves mature, they become resistant to the fungus, so there is effectively one infection cycle per year. The pathogen resembles green blisters that do not cross leaf veins or infect petioles. The blisters Mapleleaf blister quickly transition a brownish-black color.

Treatment:

Maple leaf blister damage is cosmetic, although may cause client alarm. It may cause some defoliation, but a new flush of leaves quickly emerges. Several fungicides are labeled to control Taphrina diseases, but their use is generally limited to fruit orchards. These fungicides are preventive and won’t have any effect on current infections.

The Morton Arboretum http://www.mortonarb.org/Plant Clinic: http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/ tree-and-plant-advice/ 630-719-2424 The Landscape Contractor May 2021

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

Classified HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Night Light, Inc. Trusted Advisor

IRRIGATION TECHNICIAN

Client Services and Field Operations

Night Light, Inc. is looking to expand our sales team with the addition of a new Trusted Advisor. The Trusted Advisor provides landscape illumination design and customer service for our valued clients. You can be part of our award-winning team of professionals providing innovative outdoor lighting systems for property owners that appreciate the difference.

The ideal candidate will have horticultural experience and a proven sales performance record. Knowledge of lighting and/ or landscape design is a plus. If you are a hard-working, self-motivated, focused, and passionate individual, we have a place for you on our team. We would love to have the opportunity to show you what we do!

Contact us for confidential consideration today: ed.reier@nightlightinc.net Lawn Care Technician / Sprayer Sebert Landscaping Company is seeking to hire a full time, motivated team player who likes to work outdoors and who can provide our customers with exceptional service.

Qualified applicant should be able to work with minimal supervision and will be responsible for providing lawn care services to residential and commercial customers. These services include fertilization, weed/insect control, aeration and seeding. Elk Grove IL, Bartlett, IL, Roscoe, IL, and Bolingbrook IL. To send your resume, email Stephanie at sfigueroa@seber.com.

LANDSCAPE SUPERVISOR (EG) As a supervisor at Sebert Landscaping, this position is an essential part of our growing company. As a supervisor will lead a team of field laborers to ensure they provide quality lawn care services. By developing this team through effective coaching and continuous feedback, the supervisor will help continue the growth of our company. To know more about this position, email your resume to Stephanie at sfigueroa@sebert.com.

54

As an Irrigation Service Technician, your day-to-day responsibilities will be the startup, winterization, repair, and maintenance of commercial and residential irrigation systems. After a training period, you will primarily work alone and will be required to stock your parts, perform assigned jobs, update “as-builts”, track time and materials with the provided software and develop recommendations for systems improvements with our customers. To send your resume email Stephanie at sfigueroa@serbert.com.

Plant Health Care Specialist Northbrook, IL Bartlett Tree Experts is the oldest, largest, and premier scientific tree and shrub care company in the world. Our people thrive in a safety-first, entrepreneurial, promote-fromwithin environment. Join our family-owned company - and make our next success story your own.

We are seeking entry-level and experienced Plant Health Care Specialists who have a passion for preserving and caring for trees.

Responsibilities: - Perform all functions of the integrated pest management program, including administration, scheduling, inspections, sampling, treatments, inventories, equipment maintenance, record keeping, report writing, and customer relations.

- Monitor, diagnose, and treat insect, disease, and cultural conditions of trees and shrubs.

- Effectively operate, calibrate, and maintain equipment.

-Work as a member of a tree crew, under the Crew Leader’s supervision, during the offseason.

Apply online: https://www.bartlett.com/jobopportunities/northbrook-il/plant-health-carespecialist

For over 30 years, ILM has been taking expert care of natural environments through our full range of ecological services. Whether its land or water, our experienced staff works in partnership with our clients to provide exceptional solutions that benefit both people and nature. We strive to create a family culture where each employee feels a sense of excitement, pride, and satisfaction in what we do.

ILM is always looking for positive energetic people to provide service for our clients in the Chicagoland area as part of our Client Services team. This team serves as lead point of contact for ILM customers and is accountable for the full extent of the client experience. Responsibilities include growth of services with existing clients, identifying new client opportunities, generating customer proposals and pricing, setting up projects and overseeing their success.

Additionally, the Field Operations Team is looking for a Construction Manager to lead our group of operators of water-based and amphibious equipment. Responsibilities include pricing and executing projects as well as managing equipment maintenance and logistics.

Think you might be a good fit? Please email your resume to jobs@ilmenvironments.com.

For more information on what we do, please visit our website at ilmenvironments.com.

We look forward to getting to know you!

CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES June 2021 issue ads: May 15, 2021 July 2021 issue ads: June 15, 2021 PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES

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

Submit your ads online at ilca.net or Call Alycia Nagy (630) 472-2851

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Project Manager

Landscape Enhancement Production Manager - Full Time

Wanted - Brick and Natural Stone Foreman

• Schedule all landscape enhancement work orders • Direct management of 4-5 landscape enhancement crew • Approval of all work orders and submit to admin staff for processing • Order/Secure all plant material for scheduled jobs • Coordinate delivery of plant material • Ensure correct equipment allocation and proper maintenance/storage of equipment • Assist with estimating of landscape enhancements • Knowledge of all plant material and materials needed for landscape enhancements • Knowledge of holiday décor materials and installation process • Manage yard organization and cleanliness • Keep inventory of plant material and tools • Snow Removal responsibilities in winter months

A-1 Contractors is looking for a Brick and Stone Foreman with experience in: • Demolition of existing structures using the available equipment • Perform layout and shoot elevations as needed.

• Excavation and gravel base installation for all new paving areas.

• Frame, reinforce and pour concrete grade beams and stoops/stairs • Installation of brick pavers, natural stone pavers, and masonry • Evaluate the work throughout the process.

• Efficiently complete paver and stone repairs.

• Safely utilize company machinery and equipment • Complete accurate paperwork daily documenting production • Report to management for any materials or construction issues • Manage a 3 to 4 man crew to efficiently and accurately complete projects

To apply, email bdolwick@wingerenlandscape.com

Call (847) 520-1898 or Email degan824@gmail.com

American Gardens LLC, Elmhurst, IL, is actively searching for a Project Manager with a proven track record of success in managing multiple projects and crews while hitting the forecasted gross profit margins.

Ideal candidate will instruct, direct, and monitor staff; providing materials, directions, tools and logistical support to the field in order to maximize output per labor hour.

Experience in the landscape/green industry, specifically hardscapes, lighting and ornamental planting is required.

This career opportunity offers a competitive salary, a performance-based bonus program, reimbursed business expenses and other company benefits.

To apply for this position, and learn more about job requirements and responsibilities, please forward a resume and cover letter to: Recruiting Director hr@americangardensllc.com with “Project Manager” as your email subject

Residential Maintenance Account Manager Commercial Maintenance Account Manager Landscape Designer/Project Director Management Associate Call Maria for more information at (847) 876-8042 Or visit jamesmartinassociates.com/careers

jamesmartinassociates.com | (847) 634-1660

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

55

Classified HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Landscape Construction Project Manager

Tree Climbers & Plant Health Care Technicians

Lead Irrigation Technician

Green Grass Landscape Architecture & Construction, an ever growing and expanding design/build firm serving the Western suburbs since 1997, seeks to fill one position.

Green Grass, Inc. focuses on providing a full spectrum of landscape services while specializing in high-end residential design and construction.

LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER Applicant is to be well-versed in all landscape construction methods and possess the ability to interpret and implement site engineering, hardscape and landscape plans. Applicant must also have a working knowledge of plants, basic understanding of landscape design, excellent on-site client communication skills and experience with project management including but not limited to material procurement, sub-contractor sequencing, code compliance/inspections and time tracking. Role includes working with the design/sales team from project kickoff to project completion, with the goal of exceeding client expectations. Ability to multi-task, maintain a high level of organization while working in a fast-paced environment and problem solving are keys to this position.

Proficiency in Spanish is a plus. Preferred applicant is to have a BLA or related horticulture degree but experience in the landscape industry is paramount. All experience levels are to be considered.

Please email resume, portfolio and salary requirements to contact@greengrasslandscape.com.

All inquiries are kept confidential.

Lurie Garden Seeks Assistant Horticulturist Lurie Garden in Chicago, IL seeks qualified candid candidates for the position of Assistant Horticulturist. This is a primarily hands-on public horticulture position.

Candidates with experience in public or estate horticulture, landscape design or architecture, or similar fields are encouraged to apply. Complete position description available at www.luriegarden.org or by emailing jobs@mpfdn.org.

56

WE ARE HIRING Work outside and be active! Full time, year round careers with benefits. Tree climbers, CDL drivers and plant health care technicians. We train and assist with acquiring credentials and professional development. Experience preferred, not required. Competitive wages, overtime opportunities and benefits include health, dental, vision, paid vacation, 401k, referral program, and more. Fun work environment and people to learn from, join our team and help promote safe and professional arboriculture!

Apply Online at https://kramertree.com/careers/ or email Paul Filary pfilary@kramertree.com Landscape Supervisor A Safe Haven Landscaping is looking for experienced Landscape Supervisors to lead their Maintenance/Projects Crews. The Supervisor will direct activities of workers who perform duties such as mowing turf, mulching, weed and trash removal and tree or shrub installation and pruning. Overtime available.

Email ahurd@asafehaven.org or call 312-617-2054 to apply.

Project Manager Mariani Landscape is currently looking for a talented Project Manager to join our team!

The Project Manager will assist our Design Build division, and specifically our sales leaders, in coordinating project details with internal departments and external vendors, including assisting with project installation and the management of the client relationship. This associate interacts with the sales team, design team, construction staff, and administrative support on a regular basis, as well as other departments throughout the company.

Come be part of a team that delivers top-notch service and exceptional landscape designs!

Please email your resume and cover letter to sbetz@marianilandscape.com

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

We are looking to fill multiple positions – hiring both new and experienced irrigation technicians – ideally with at least one year of irrigation experience but willing to train.

Generous comp plan, competitive hourly pay OR annual salary depending on experience.

Salaried positions work 41 weeks per year (no more than 40/45 hour workweeks during peak season) with 11 weeks of paid time off.

Tons of potential to grow with the Conserva team.

View details at https://bit.ly/3mo2TKI or email nwchicago@conservairrigation.com.

Account Manager | Client Representative Main point of contact for our Landscape and Snow Removal Clients. In this role, you would be responsible for developing and fostering relationships, ensuring we are providing the Sebert Standard of Quality work.

To know more about this position, email your resume to Sandra at sandra@sebert.com.

FLORAL DESIGNER- Greenhaven Landscapes, Zion, IL Do you love creating artistic and unique spring, summer, fall, and winter seasonal displays? We have the PERFECT job for you!

We welcome the interest of professional, organized, well qualified, team oriented applicants looking to advance their careers.

QUALIFICATIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES: • 2 year degree or experience required • Manage seasonal color rotations • Site management/ customer service • Pesticide license or ability to obtain • Assist Maintenance Manager as needed BENEFITS: • Salary $40,000- $55,000 • Full benefits including health, dental, retirement plan and paid time off Please go to our website https://mygreenhaven.com/employment for more details on the job posting and how to apply.

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Operations Manager

• Management of all production jobs at budget.

• Continue to institute the LMN implementation for Time and Scheduling.

• Use information from job costs to create meaningful feedback loops to production, estimating and sales staff. For construction jobs evaluations might have to be done daily / weekly.

• Timely and accurate paperwork to accounting for both the operations manager and staff.

• Use information from job costs to create meaningful feedback loops to production, estimating and sales staff. For construction jobs, evaluations might have to be done daily / weekly.

Turf Specialist (Golf)

General Expectations We expect all ILT Vignocchi employees in supervisory positions to abide by the following: Be organized and mindful that coworker’s productivity is most often dependent on your ability to complete tasks efficiently, on time and correctly.

Communicate clearly in a positive manner, especially when collaborating with coworkers and servicing our customers.

Consistently maintain a positive attitude and work environment that is encouraging for coworkers to learn and excel in their job performance.

Email to apply: dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com

Take personal responsibility for all actions.

We do not tolerate misconduct, insubordination or lying. Any of the above is cause for immediate dismissal.

Garden Build Crew Foreman

Constantly maintain a safe work environment for yourself and your coworkers.

Our customers come first.

Responsibilities: STAFF / HR • Manage the following positions (coaching, mentoring, disciplinary action, terminating and hiring additions / replacements as required): o Construction, maintenance and irrigation superintendents o Conduct performance reviews; manage labor compensation rates, rate increases, and promotion of and termination of production staff. o Set global expectations for customer service, quality, and the importance of on-going training, teamwork and professionalism.

PRODUCTION • Order or delegate ordering of all materials for work functions.

• Make certain all materials are staged in the appropriate bins 24 hours prior to the crew needing them.

• Negotiate vendor payment terms when necessary (always try asking for a lower price).

• Manage subcontractor relationships or delegate. Make certain that the office secures a negotiated subcontractor agreement.

Conserv FS is a full-service agriculture cooperative offering high quality turf, energy, and agronomy products and services for the purpose of improving customer profitability since 1928.

Conserv FS is headquartered in Woodstock, IL and serves patrons in southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Backed by a track record of success, an excellent group of employees, and a strong financial position.

As we continue to grow, we are always seeking qualified sales specialists. Currently we have an opening for a Turf Specialist (Golf).

Please click on the link for a full job description and to apply. https://jobs.growmark.com/s/hzTrz6

The Organic Gardener is looking for a Foreman to lead a build crew team responsible for the installation of our garden projects.

Tasks include fence installation, soil preparation, raised bed construction, irrigation system installation and maintenance, etc.

CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES

To apply please email Verd at verd@theorganicgardener.net

June 2021 issue ads: May 15, 2021 July 2021 issue ads: June 15, 2021

Certified Arborist / Sales

PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES

Experienced Certified Arborist wanted for sales management position in Chicago North Shore Territory Prestigious, 50 yr, Chicago North Shore full-service Tree & Landscaping Company seeking to employ a Certified Arborist for a Sales Management position. Contact Robert Kinnucan, President by email rkinnucan@ aol.com

Magazine Cost is $5 per line Minimum charge $50 Website Cost is $12 per line Minimum charge $120 (About 6 words/line) Submit your ads online at ilca.net or Call Alycia Nagy (630) 472-2851

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

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

57

Classified Ads

ILCA Members!!

Looking for a career opportunity or have an opening within your company you need to fill? Do you have a business or property to sell?

Post an ad in our classified section!

Classified listings are posted online for 30 days from the date of submittal and run in the next issue of The Landscape Contractor magazine.

We also offer the opportunity to share your posting with our industry list of over 10,000 contacts!

Pricing: $12.00/line with a 10 line minimum.

Feature your ad in our monthly email for $50.00 *Features are available with Classified Posting only

Non-profit postings are available. Contact ILCA for details.

Questions? Email Alycia Nagy at anagy@ilca.net

Submission Note: ads submitted prior to the 15th of each month, will be posted online within 72 hours and run in the very next issue of the magazine.

Ads submitted after the 15th of the month will post online and run in the following month's issue of the magazine

58

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Books in Review —

Black Landscapes Matter Walter Hood & Grace Mitchell Tada, editors University of Virginia Press, paperback, $35

by Heather Prince

This collection of thoughtful essays examines

the many ways Black landscapes matter from the earliest days of slavery and settlement through today’s urban planning projects. Case studies, critiques, and discussions delve into the many facets of what makes a landscape and how populations are impacted by as well as how they themselves impact the land on which we dwell. Divided into three sections; calls to action, practicing culture; and notes from the field; this volume sparks investigation into these often forgotten landscapes around us.

In the first section, the essays touch on the physical divisions present especially in our urban cityscapes that are remains of segregation, redlining, and other racist real estate practices. It also reflects upon how Black neighborhoods have developed a landscape and rhythm of their own in the face of these realities and how tightly knit these communities can be. The physical cityscape reinforces the boundaries as well as provides a built context for these communities.

In the second section, examples are provided of ways Black culture flourishes today and projects that have incorporated and celebrated Black communities. One way is to reconnect to the past and shine a light on how the community evolved over time. Explorations into the cultural history of these landscapes allowed planners to access their pasts as industrial sites, farms, mining operations, busy ports, and more. Sculptural elements to commemorate events are explored as well as new architecture that includes landscape architecture to shape and explore the context of museums and memorials.

It is the third section where case studies delve deeply into the Black landscape experience. Here we learn how slavery shaped the colonial landscapes from the men and women who physically moved earth and terraced the land to how particular African tribes were desired due to their skills or abilities. We discover that rice farming in South Carolina was developed by the Wolof people from present-day West Africa who were captured for that purpose through the case study of Middleton Place plantation. This group was chosen not only for their rice-farming knowledge, but also because of their resistance to malaria so prevalent in the areas around Charleston. We also dive into a case study of Detroit and how post-recession planning was implemented to knit the needs of communities with extensive vacant lots

with public spaces, regenerating neighborhoods, creating agricultural and garden areas, commercial development, and stormwater management. These essays also review how Black towns and settlements, particularly in the South, sprang up post-Civil War, thrived, and inevitably faded as segregation, racism, and migration took their toll, leaving landforms behind. The last case study examines the Beerline Trail in Milwaukee. This rails-to-trails development links a patchwork of different neighborhoods to Lake Michigan, connecting disparate landscapes with different racial populations. Driven by a call for more green space and propelled by a multi-cultural demand for art and community relationships with these new landscapes, the Beerline Trail transformed neglected industrial sites into thriving natural areas and cultural places.

This volume is densely layered and complex. You will find out about and perhaps gain awareness of some of the cultural history of the United States that lies beneath our feet. Landscapes matter and as we peel back the layers of time, racism, and colonialism, this book amply demonstrates that Black landscapes play an important role yesterday and today.

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

59

Successful suppliers know— industry leaders read this magazine.

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

•

Professionls’ Choice Award Goes to Chalet

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.

Day In — Night Out

•

•

The Landscape Contractor has an affordable

advertising program for every budget.

For immediate attention CALL Debbie at

817-501-2403 or email —

60

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Advertisers A Block Marketing ..................................................47 Bartlett Tree Experts ..............................................14 Breezy Hill Nursery ...............................................14 Cardno ....................................................................20 Chi Turf ....................................................................49 Contree Equipment .................................................50 Dayton Bag & Burlap ...............................................50 Doty Nurseries LLC ................................................4 Goodmark Nurseries ..............................................47 Green Glen Nursery ...............................................63

Inspiration Alley Editor’s Note: Over time, we run across a mountain of fun, innovative, and generally creative ideas. They don’t always fit with the magazine content, but we do collect them for some future use. This brings us to Inspiration Alley, a place where we display pure creativity. It’s up to you to judge the merit of each offering. So use it, lose it or be inspired to try something different.

Where Horticulture meets Theater

By Nina A. Koziol

Before Adam Schwerner became director of horticulture and resort enhancement for Walt Disney in California, he was director of the Chicago Park District’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources. He was the artistic brain behind the dead trees painted electric blue, orange and yellow— spectacular art installations—along Lake Shore Drive and in Lincoln Park, as well as other cutting-edge designs in city parks.

Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. .........................................12 Homer Industries ...................................................53 James Martin Associates .........................................55 JKS Ventures ............................................................36 Lafarge Fox River Stone ........................................45 Longshadow Planters .............................................15

Adam Schwerner in his former Lincoln Park back yard.

Mariani Plants ..........................................................6 Mariani Plants ........................................................37 McGinty Bros. .......................................................16 Midwest Groundcovers ............................................21 Midwest Trading ......................................................2 Monroe Truck Equipment .........................................51 Montale Gardens ......................................................23 Reflections............................................................... 27 Rocks Etc. ..............................................................48

Above, When Garfield Park Conservatory switched to standard size plant labels, he brought the old ones home and covered the bench.

Spring Meadow Nursery ..........................................17 Straughn Farm ........................................................25 The Landscape Contractor magazine ........................52 The Mulch Center ..................................................13 Unilock, Inc. ...........................................................64 Xylem Ltd. .............................................................48

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Above, When he lived in Chicago’s Old Town, his garden was a blend of horticulture, art and visual poetry.

“I reject the rules, and that’s where it becomes interesting,” he told me during a visit to his Chicago garden. “It’s about the experience, about the act of change, not a perfect instant garden.” The painted ladders are vertical art, although some

neighbors occasionally

asked him if he was working on his house.

Two dozen spent fluorescent light bulbs sprout like high-tech fungi. And bright yellow chains hung from the tree. It wasn’t about recycling—he simply liked the idea of transforming them into something else. “I like things that have had a life— revivifying them, giving them a new life.”

61

Hidden Gems Worth Visiting

Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center

2301 East Lake Shore Drive, Springfield, IL 217.529.1111 http://lincolnmemorialgarden.org/

by Heather Prince

Hugging the south end of Lake Springfield, the

Lincoln Memorial Garden & Nature Center is a beautiful surprise. The garden has a storied history. It is Jens Jensen’s last public project and came about in the 1930s through the dogged determination of civic leader Harriet Knudson. It was created to honor Abraham Lincoln and is filled with plants native to the three states he called home: Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.

“Harriet was a force of nature,” observed Joel Horwedel, Executive Director. “She contacted Jensen in 1934 after he was semi-retired. He was honored to be asked and it was his last public project. He came down in 1935 and selected the site.

He chose it because it has the highest elevation and originally had very few trees. It had been pastureland. He submitted his design in 1936. Most of the trees were planted in 1937 and then for years afterward, wildflowers were planted seasonally.

There are eight council rings, Jensen’s hallmark, throughout the property. The largest one, the Lincoln, is at the highest point with beautiful sight lines of the lake.”

The original tract was 63 acres, but today the gardens have grown to 110 acres and include a prairie and a meadow. “We consider ourselves a native woodland garden. Jensen’s concept was to include plantings from the three states where Lincoln resided in groves and loose sweeps,” commented Horwedel. In the historic garden, trees are planted in groups of a single genus and are woven together with swathes of understory trees and sweeps of wildflowers. “We have waves of redbuds, dogwoods, and silver bells for spring color.”

It has taken decades for Jensen’s original ideas to mature into this wonderful woodland garden.

62

“It’s taken years and years to develop and at one point was called Harriet’s Weed Patch,” observed Horwedel. “We try to stay as true to Jensen’s design as possible, but we have lost the chestnut and ash trees over the years. Jensen loved hawthorn, which have some issues, but we keep them going.” History is everywhere at the gardens. The maturing oaks were a special project of Harriet’s. In the 1930s, oaks were hard to come by, so she reached out to the Boy and Girl Scouts asking for acorns.

The gardens received acorns from 28 states and these now make up the grove of oaks.

Harriet was a fierce supporter of the garden throughout her life and often brought friends and family into the project. “Myrtle Walgreen became friends with Harriet and was involved from the beginning. Myrtle had a pilot’s license and used to fly down to Springfield to help in the garden. She would open the Walgreen estate in Dixon for tours and send the proceeds to our garden. Her husband paid for our largest bridge. Harriet’s family is still very present in the garden. All the family came for the 50th anniversary celebration of the nature center,” said Horwedel.

When you go, make sure to stop in the Nature Center to see historic photos of the progression of the project. Plan on taking time to stroll the paths and experience Jensen’s vision. “It is a Jensen design. It’s simple, yet elegant,” commented Horwedel.

“It’s one of the few of his projects that has stayed true to Jensen’s original design. It has been our top priority to maintain his legacy. I wish he could see what it has become today and see if it lived up to his vision.”

The Landscape Contractor May 2021

Town Hall

®

VINTAGE, STREETSCAPE CHARM THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME

Modeled after historic North American clay street pavers, Town Hall is a popular choice for driveways, patios, walkways and more, in either traditional or permeable applications. It’s detailed surface texture is created using Reala™ Technology, with Ultima™ Concrete Technology for superior durability with up to four times the strength of conventional poured concrete.

Whether it’s the main paver in your project, or used as an accent band within other pavers, walls or vertical features, Town Hall makes a bold statement.

Contact 1-800-UNILOCK to connect with your local Territory Manager or visit Unilock.com for more design inspiration.

Exclusive to Unilock