Gravel Gardens Part 2
Fire & Ice Event Highlights
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CONTENTS 2462 September 2022 1014 The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022 On the cover... Rosborough Partners, Inc. won a Gold Award for Residential Maintenance in 2021 for this project titled Birdies & Bogeys. Excellence In Landscape Awards Project 8 FOCUS: Fire + Ice Fire + Ice 10 Fire meets Ice and an event is transformed Rock Solid 14 Gravel gardens show sustainable benefits The Changing Face of Public Gardens 24 Cantigny Park is revitalized Unification Update 36 ILCA makes by-law changes Suffering from Service Fatigue? 44 Customer service is a habit not a goal Diseases and Pests 54 Septoria leaf spot and Fall armyworms Member Profile 56 Tezak’s Pro Lawn Care Inspiration Alley 61 Moonlight Serenade Hidden Landscape Gems 62 Vander Veer Botanical Park EN ESPAÑOL La unificación y cambios en los estatutos 40 ILCA makes by-law changes 3
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
September 22, 2022 IGIA Growers Tour September 29, 2022 ILCA Golf Outing Village Links Glen OctoberEllyn6, 2022 Women’s Networking Group Fall Chandler’sEvent Chop House OctoberSchaumburg11-12, 2022 Impact NapervilleNIUCrewForemanshipOctoberGlencoeChicagoConferenceBotanicGarden25-26,2022andLeaderWorkshopConferenceCenter The Landscape SeptemberContractor2022 Photo Credits ILCA Awards Committee 1, 8-9, 48-50 Rick Reuland 10-20 Bill Thomas 22-26 Jeff Epping 28-34 Himsben Design Studio ILCADEPARTMENTSCONTENTS40-46Calendar 4 From Where I Stand 5 President’s Message 7 Classified Ads 56 Advertisers Index 61 PRODUCT DISCLAIMER: The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, its Board of Directors, the Magazine Committee, ILCA Staff, The Landscape Contractor and its staff, neither endorse any products nor attest to the validity of any statements made about products SEPTEMBER ILCA Staff Executive Director Scott Grams (630) MembershipEducationsgrams@ilca.net472-2851ManagerAnneMarieDrufkeadrufke@ilca.netEventsManagerTerreHoutethoute@ilca.netOfficeManagerAlyciaNagyanagy@ilca.net&MarketingManagerMarissaStublermstubler@ilca.net v ILCA 2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 472-2851 • Fax (630) 472-3150 Magazine Staff Rick Reuland Publisher/Advertising Sales (630) debbie.landscapecontractor@rmgi@comcast.net637-8632DebbieRauenAdvertisingSales(817-501-2403)yahoo.com v Meta Levin Feature Writer meta.levin@comcast.netNinaKoziol Feature Writer n.koziol@att.netHeatherPrince Feature Writer princeht@sbcglobal.netPatricePeltier Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net Calendar ILCA & IGIA Follow— @ILCAlandscape facebook.com/illinoislandscapecontractorsassociation sign upat dotynurseries.comto receive ournewsletteremail Ryan Doty sales@dotynurseries.com P 630 365 9063 F 630 365 9081 45W121 Beith Road Maple Park, IL 60151 Shade Tree S • Ornamen Tal S • evergreen S • S hrub S dotynurseries.com 4 Buttrey Rentals 56 Nina Koziol 61 Heather Prince 62 The official publication of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), The Landscape Contractor is dedicated to educating, advising and informing members of this industry and furthering the goals of the Association. The Landscape Contractor carries news and features relating to landscape contracting, maintenance, design and allied interests. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication. Publication reserves right to refuse advertising not in keeping with goals of Association. WWW.ilca.net Volume 63, Number 9. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is pub lished monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA.
OCTOBER
Going to the Sun Road is the central road that connects the East and West entrances to the park. It is only open for 60-70 days per year. In the winter, the road is covered in over 80’ of snow that is usually cleared by July 1st. The road is about two trailers wide. On the driver’s side there is a rock face, on the passenger side are thousand foot drops - the guardrails have long been wiped away by rock slides and avalanches.
The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022 5 From Where I Stand —
and hiking and tennis and fishing. She had brochures. She had made reservations. I was convinced my Mom had gotten to her. My wife told me there would be plenty of “pool time” and “beach time.” That felt like she was writing, “Be spontaneous (3pm3:10pm)” in my daily
The views from Going to the Sun Road are like the Swiss Alps. Every quarter mile of road has turnoffs and lookouts. At each point, you say, “It can’t possibly get any more beautiful” and, yet, it does. At Logan’s Pass, my family hiked the three miles to Hidden Lake. It was late July and our boots still dug into ice pack and snow. Two daredevils climbed one of the peaks and skied down the face. A herd of bighorned sheep thundered across the slope no more than 50’ in front of us. Mountain goats and their kids walked next to us like dogs on a side walk. It was like a petting zoo, except that every animal could kill you.
When I met my wife, her parents were nice enough to lend us their timeshare in Nueva Vallarta for our first romantic getaway. I had visited the website and saw a massive pool with water slides and cabanas. A few steps from that was the beach. Each day, you could wake up, purchase a multicolored wristband, and they would bring you unlimited drinks until the sun went down. I had barely dropped my luggage at the door before I was racing downstairs to get wristbanded-up for the day. Then, I felt a tug ging at my shirt.
With each step, I could feel stress rocket out of my body. The hikes are challenging, but the sheer joy and curiosity pushed us fur ther. We would stop and chat for a few minutes with fellow hikers and swap information, photos, or stories of what lay over the next hill. People are friendly and relaxed. Everyone is living in that moment. No one is worried about dinner reservations or meetings or beating traffic. In those moments, we are at peace with nature and ourselves. I even ran into Jeff True from Hursthouse in the parking lot!
I have written in this column before about burnout. Almost always, it stems from stress and exhaustion. That stress and exhaustion leads to contempt. That contempt grows into indifference. A stressed-out and exhausted professional no lon ger feels valued by his or her customers, employ ers, or coworkers. This breeds contempt and that contempt eventually morphs into indifference. That is the recipe, and for many of us in jobs where the stress levels yo-yo, it leads to annual feelings of burnout.
NatureOur
My family vacations growing up were more like school field trips. My Mother was insistent that vacations serve as some learning opportunity so we never went to Hawaii or Florida or Cancun or Jamaica. We went to cities heavy in American history like Boston or Washington DC or Atlanta or colonial Williamsburg. We would go in the dead of summer when the sun would slam into the granite and marble and shoot heat back at you like a death ray. We would trudge through parks to stare at a statute of a dead white guy with a beard and a sword. We would take long tours through buildings without air conditioning because someone lived there, died there, signed a piece of paper there, or all three. I’d return to school and my friends would have tans and island cornrows. I would have stories about making a candle or the night Lincoln was shot.
bikingIn
There are more scientific studies on the benefits of nature
My wife flew me down to Mexico to inform me that our vacation was not going to consist of chillaxing next to a Mexican pool. It was going to involve snorkeling and mountain
Thispreserves.July,my family finally made it to Glacier National Park in Western Montana. We stayed outside of Glacier in Whitefish. I can honestly say, Glacier National Park is the most beautiful natural space I have ever laid eyes on. It’s just stupid gorgeous and awe-inspiring. Even pho tos don’t capture its grandeur and my photos are amazing
For landscape professionals, this usually happens in the late summer. The “busy season” crescendos in mid-July and there is a slight break that offers introspection and evaluation before you dive back into the hole. The past few years, the busy season has not let up. This has caused elevated levels of stress and exhaustion. The snow builds up at the top of the mountain and then, in an instant, avalanche! We know it is com ing, and, nevertheless, it always surprises us. If only there was a life hack.
When I finally left the nest, I was determined to make vaca tions awesome. In college, my spring breaks were about lying next to water, wearing SPF-1 sunscreen, and drinking rum like a pirate. It had been years since I made a candle.
If you are reading this, you are burned out. I am not hedging and saying, “You may be burned out.” If you are reading a landscape magazine in August after yet another busy, grueling, and exhausting year — you are burned out.
went on, I realized she was right. There was plenty of time on vacation to relax, enjoy the local culture and customs, and take in the natural beauty of our surroundings. I didn’t come home with a wristband tan line, but I came home with incredible memories, photos, and an altered paradigm on stress reduction. The parts of the trip I enjoyed the most were the hikes and tours we took around Nueva and Puerto Vallarta. Our guide would take us down trails and paths to rivers and waterfalls far off the beaten path. The quiet and beauty of nature overwhelmed me. Ever since that fateful trip, nature has become a central part of our vacations. Some trips allow us to hike or kayak for a few days. Others com pletely revolve around National Parks and State and National Forests. My family’s love for the outdoors has followed us home, too. We take weekend walks and bike rides through our local forest
Ascalendar.thedays
than one can count. Reconnecting with nature has a direct impact on stress, happiness, health, lifespan, empathy, and environmental awareness. Yet, I feel no one can understand nature’s impact on their lives until they walk in the woods. The impact nature has on each of us is deeply personal and very different. I asked this question to my family and got four different responses. I love the sense of adventure and accomplishment. My wife appreciates how nature centers her priorities and makes her feel at peace in the universe. My 13-year old daughter enjoys disconnecting and talking to her friends and fam ily without distractions. My 10-year old son likes the animals and eat ing trail mix with chocolate chips.
No one needs to fly themselves or their companies out to Glacier National Park. I wager that most of us live no more than 10 minutes from a park or forest preserve that we have driven by 100 times without ever stopping. These spaces have large wooden signs that have attempted to beckon us in for all the years we have lived in our homes. Yet, we are too busy to stop by and walk its trails and enjoy its scenery. Just type your address into Google Maps and I bet you’ll be blown away by the green rectangles that surround our neighborhoods.
Like it or not, landscape professionals are in the nature business. Whether stated or implied, we profess that we can replicate those feelings on the properties we design, build, and maintain. This fall, as the days grow shorter, give yourself a few walks in the woods. At the very least, it will make you a more authentic purveyor of nature. At most, the stress you have absorbed from three busy years in the land scape industry will leave your body like the breeze through the trees.
ScottSincerely,Grams, Executive Director August 22, 2022 From Where I Stand — WWW MARIANIPLANTS .COM 866-627-4264 The Landscape Contractor September 2022 6
In writing this column, I visited a number of member websites. The word “nature” was all over them. We have multiple companies with “nature” in their name. We have dozens and dozens more with “nature” in their mission, vision, or About Us pages. The connection between the landscape industry and nature is omnipresent. Yet, we know a well-landscaped backyard is different than disappearing into nature for a few hours. We can’t confuse working outdoors on land scape projects with the enjoyable and stress-reducing exercise of con necting with nature. If this industry wants to promote the tie between landscaping and nature, maybe landscape professionals need to better understand the profound impact nature has on us, our stress levels, and our Thisrelationships.bringsme back to the life-hack of dealing with stress and burnout. Again, if you are reading this, it is September and you are burned out. The landscape industry’s connection with nature does not end with the landscape, it ends with the landscaper. Can we really continue to profess our ties to nature if we don’t take the time to understand the personal impact nature has on us?
If you take my advice and disappear into nature, have an hon est conversation with yourself as to how nature makes you feel. Determine what purpose these places and spaces serve in our lives. How does the stillness change when it rains? How do we register the flickers of wildlife that punctuate the serenity? How does the crushed limestone sound under our feet? How does our mood change when we pass a dog walker or runner or couple out for a stroll?
Jeff Kramer
Russo Power Equipment (847)
President Jeff Kramer
Ashley Marrin Bret-Mar ashley@bretmarlandscape.comManagementLandscapeGroup,Inc.(708)301-2225
I know we are all busy, but we must remember that being busy is way better than being slow. Even if you are months out from getting to the work, we must communi cate with our clients regarding lead time on receiving proposals and when the work will be done. When we are this busy, it takes more communication with the client to keep them in the loop on lead times and of course weather delays. I learned it’s not hard to keep clients happy, even when you are months out, as long as you touch base with them along the way.
Scott McAdam, Jr. McAdam Landscaping, Inc. (708) Scottjr@mcadamlandscape.com771-2299
El año pasado mi esposa y yo nos mudamos a una casa más pequeña debido a que todos nuestros hijos son adultos y viven fuera de casa. Por supuesto que hay muchas cosas que hacer para convertir esta nueva casa en nuestro hogar y necesitamos de varios contratistas para las muchas cosas diferentes que deseábamos agregar o cambiar. Pedimos referencias para todas nuestras necesidades. A medida que llamábamos a los diferentes contratistas mi esposa y yo nos asombramos de ver la poca comunicación que obtuvimos de los contratistas. Cerca de la mitad nunca se molestó en devolvernos las llamadas. Los que lo hicieron anotaron nuestra información y nos dijeron que nos volverían a llamar. Pasaron las semanas y no hubo ningún contacto ni propuesta. Llamábamos una y otra vez sin recibir ninguna comunicación o propues ta. Me asombró lo mucho que tuvimos que trabajar solo para que los contratistas nos llamaran y aún más difícil resultó que vinieran a ver el trabajo que se necesitaba.
JeffAtentamente,Kramer
Sé que todos estamos ocupados, pero debemos recordar que estar ocupados es MUCHO mejor que no tener trabajo. Aunque falten meses para que comencemos a trabajar, debemos comunicarnos con nuestros clientes sobre el tiempo de espera para recibir propuestas y cuándo se realizará el trabajo. Cuando estamos así de ocupados se necesita más comunicación con los clientes para mantenerlos al tanto de los tiempos de espera y por supuesto retrasos por condi ciones climáticas. Aprendí que no es difícil mantener a los clientes contentos aunque falten meses para el trabajo siempre que se permanezca en contacto con ellos durante el proceso.
As we made calls to all the various contractors, my wife and I were amazed at how little communication there was from the con tractors. About half never even bothered to call us back. The ones that did took down our info and said they would get back to us.
I should say we did have three contractors who knocked it out of the park regard ing customer service. They called back within a day and set up a time to look at the work and we are now on their schedule, even though they are months out from doing the work due to how busy they are.
LaJeffSincerely,Kramercomunicación es todo
Last year, my wife and I moved to a smaller home as all the kids are grown up and out of the house. Of course, there are a lot of things to do to make it our home and we needed several contractors for the many different elements we wanted to add or change. We asked for referrals for all the different needs we have.
Communication is everything
Weeks would go by, and no contact or proposals were made. We would call again and again and still no communication or propos als. I was amazed on how hard my wife and I had to work to just get contractors to call back and then work even harder to get them to come out and look at the work.
¡Recuerde- la comunicación es todo y estar ocupado es el lugar ideal para encontrarse!
Secretary-Treasurer
Debo decir que tuvimos 3 contratistas que batearon jonrones con respecto al servicio al cliente. Nos devolvieron la llamada al día siguiente y programaron una fecha y hora para ver el trabajo y estamos dentro de sus calendarios aunque faltan meses para que comiencen a trabajar debido a lo ocupados que se encuentran.
Vice-President
Jim HinsdaleCirrincioneNurseries, Inc. (630) jcirrincione@hinsdalenurseries323-1411 .com
Immediate Past President
Remember — communication is everything and being busy is a great place to be!
Eric Adams
Directors
Wilsonhartmannkim@comcast.neteadams@russopower.com233-7811KimHartmannHartmannConsulting847-404-7669JenniferFickNurseriesandLandscapeSupply(847)683-3700jennf@wilsonnurseries.comTomKlitzkieNature’sPerspectiveLandscaping(847)475-7917tklitzkie@naturesperspective.comDeanMacMorrisNightLight,Inc.(630)627-1111dean@nightlightinc.netKevinManningK&DEnterpriseLandscapeManagement,Inc.(815)725-0758kmanning@kdlandscapeinc.comMarkUtendorfEmeraldLawnCare,Inc.(847)392-7097marku@emeraldlawncare.com
www.ilca.net 7The Landscape President’sSeptemberContractor2022Message —
Kramer Tree Specialists, Inc, (630) jwkramer@kramertree.com293-5444
The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022 9
Almost 40 varieties of grasses, forbs and perennials provide dramatic changes throughout each season, while fieldstone and Chicago brick give a nod to the property’s legacy.
Our client’s had very specific desires for this landscape to honor the property’s history and blend into the surrounding site was achieved by care ful design and specific plant and hardscape material. Rosborough Partners, Inc. • Libertyville The Rabbitry
“It’s a busy time of year to get away, but I wanted to be here,” said Duane Draughon, outdoor living design specialist at VizX Design Studios in Chicago. He planned to head right back to work after the event. Lisa Pollman of Schmechtig agreed. “It’s been nonstop, but you have to make the time.”
“That is why the Fire and Ice event had so many diverse activities happening throughout the day,” Grams said. “We recognize August is very busy for this industry, so the show
Fire Meets Ice and an Event Is Transformed
Executive Director Scott Grams
by Nina A.Koziol
The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022 Fire & Ice 2022 — 10
Axe throwing. Shaved ice. Vendors galore with new and unusual plants and tons of equipment and power tools. Educational sessions and tours. And beer! What’s not to like? That was the vibe among more than 800 people who attend ed ILCA’s Field Days at Cantigny in Wheaton last month and by all estimates it was a roaring success.“This is the largest annual gathering of lawn and landscape professionals outside of iLandscape,” said Scott Grams, ILCA’s executive director. “People come and stay for a variety of reasons. They want some education, some fun, some inspiration, some tours and some interaction with vendors.” And he’s not kidding —the place had a post-pandemic buzz with attendees networking, strolling the outdoor exhibits and taking a break from their usual hectic workday.
Patterned on success
Walkabout educational tours through more than 60 exhibits allowed attendees to learn about new plant introductions and electric and laborsaving equipment. Four educational sessions featured panels of experts discussing everything from contracts, liquids for snow operations and budgeting strategies to fuel surcharges and lot and yard security.
Steve Raczak of Twixwood showed tour-takers some of the new plant introductions, including Chameleon little blue stem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Chameleon’), a variegated native grass with narrow green and cream leaves that form an upright fountain. Many thought it was a new feather reed grass, but this nativar is much beefier. And yes, there was an audible gasp when people realized the plant was a bluestem.While there was some buzz about the economy, inflation and a possible reces sion, attendees are still playing catchup with projects and they expect to be busy well into 2023. “The industry is still crushing it right now,” Grams said. “Nothing has slowed down. The fact we had 800 people attend was a great achievement given how behind many companies are heading into a very busy fall.”
See the sights
(continued on page 12)
Guided tours of Cantigny’s recently reno vated gardens were a plus for this busy crowd. It was a first-time visit for landscape architect Bailey Hoines. “Oh my gosh! Cantigny is beautiful and very inspirational.” She was also amused by watching her co-worker and ILCA board member Ashley Marrin take part in the axe throwing activity. “That was fun to watch.”
The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022
Roger Ross, consulting arborist and former instructor at Joliet Junior College, has attended almost every Field Day. “This is great. We love coming and seeing what’s new.”
11 has to balance being laid back and informative, but not frivo lous and silly. That is our challenge and I think we met it.”
Some firms brought several staff who fanned out to visit exhibitors. “Snow is such an important part of the landscape world,” Grams said. “Sixty percent of ILCA members plow snow. With that said, very few have dedicated snow staff. That is why picking your spots in the late summer for snow educa tion is so vital. It allows them to prepare for snow season before they are in it and for the very short slow down in the landscape season.”
Landscape Architect Craig Kruckenburg leads a tour of the redesigned gardens.
(continued
ILCA’s Snow Committee and Summer Field Day Committee worked together to pull off this popular event with the help of an army of volunteers. “People loved the new format,” Grams said. “It was great seeing Instagram and Facebook flooded with pictures and vid eos of teams enjoying the day with one another.”You’ll find many more opportunities for education, networking and fun in the months https://ilca.net/ilca-events/ahead:
from page 11)
12
The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022 Fire & Ice 2022 —
The Landscape Contractor 13 September 2022 Premier Fire Tote PremierBeerEducationBagsKonaIceTruckRaffleWaterBottlesIn-KindSponsorsGardenIceEducationRaffle • Ron Clesen’s Ornamental Plants • Yellowstone Landscape • Alta Equipment Company • Edurance Utilities • AHWLLC Raffle Winners Lanyards
“We had great design help from Austin Eischeid and the lead landscape architect David Yocca. It’s put on a lot of growth in just three weeks.” Atrium Landscape in Lemont does the maintenance. Diblik is adamant that plants not be dead-headed. “You want those seed heads standing here for interest. This is not a high-maintenance garden. You don’t need to touch anything.” The landscape is cut back in spring and debris
14 removed then and throughout the growing season as needed. That type of maintenance is a far cry from weekly mowing.
The
a quiet, sleepy section of Lemont, Illinois, sits the most powerful, advanced Cray super computer in North America. Argonne National Laboratory houses this scientific and engineering powerhouse that is used to research earthquake seismic activity, aerospace turbulence and shock-waves, advanced cancer treatment, national energy security, physical genomics and much more. It’s not only stateof-the-art, it’s propelling science into the future at an incredible speed.Itmakes sense then that the landscape design for the com puter facility is not only forward-thinking but sustainable. Or, perhaps it’s a nod to the Stone Age. After all, it’s a gravel gar den. And right now, it’s the largest one in the state.Designed
Editor’s note: Last month we looked at gravel gardens in Wisconsin. We head back to Illinois for another look at this unique, trend-setting design.
Forward Thinking Design Part 2
“Theapproach.prairiehad a lot of weedy plants,” Yocca said. “The gravel garden creates a more designed look, but one that’s very natu ralistic. It’s the interface between manicured and completely natural.” One of the things he did was pull the views from indoors and from the outdoor seating areas into the surrounding landscape. “We’ve created little nooks. People ride their bikes around the campus here, and there are little seating nooks where they can meet, gather and work outside.” Several seat ing areas look onto the gravel garden where (continued on page 17)
by Nina A.
Gravel gardens offer attractive plants, lower maintenance and sustainability
by David Yocca, senior Landscape Architect/Ecological Planner with Solutions in the Land in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with planting design by Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington, Wisconsin, the landscape plan began two years ago. Planting was done in August 2021 so the plants were only 11 months old when the photos here were taken. Diblik was thrilled to see how great the plants looked when he visited the site this past July to do additional planting.
TuckedKoziolin
Contractor September 2022
Roy Diblik and David Yocca Landscape
Rock Solid
The plants include natives: nativars and non-native pollina tor-attracting perennials. Rudbeckia, yarrow, coreopsis, palepurple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), goldenrod (Solidago rigida), feather reed grass, stachys, penstemon, allium, asters (including Twilight and Lady in Black), autumn moor grass (Seslaria autumnalis) and native grasses. There are evergreens — pines, spruces and creeping junipers — for winter interest. Some of the perennials are native to Illinois prairies, including a few that grow in gravel prairies, an extremely rare habitat found in only a few locations.“The new gravel garden replaced the seeded prairie,” Diblik said. “The prairie was overgrown with weedy stuff.” And that made it just a bit too wild-looking for the building manager. The one-year-old gravel garden is lower maintenance than the prairie and has more design intent giving it more of a garden feeling. Plugs were placed in drifts to make the design more legible. Some spots are plant ed as a fescue meadow, another low-input design
FloridaLongwood,Inc.,Associates,andLathropDixDesign: FloridaPetersburg,SaintInc.,Contracting,IrwinInstallation: Fine Dry Cast Limestone Planters Barrington 32 Planter, LS 9103 & Jackson 50 Planter, LS 9148 at the Vizcaya, Redington Beach, Florida LONGSHADOW.COM®
Forward Thinking Design — 16 The Landscape Contractor September 2022 Looking for Quality Compost? We Have It! • STA Compost • Increased Water Holding Capacity • Increase organic matter • Improve the soil • OMRI listed 630-858-8070
Containing the planting beds with a barrier is important. Concrete curbs hold most of the gravel in place in the parking lot beds, but where they are not present, gravel is subject to snow plows and can be tossed onto the road. Debris from plows can be pushed up into the beds adding unwanted organic matter that would encourage weed seeds to sprout.
Bioswales and Boulders
Most of the plants are thriving since planting last year, but a few didn’t make it. “Watering is crucial the first few months after planting to get the roots established. And, the gravel has to be five inches deep,” Diblik explained. That depth allows the roots to reach into the soil below the gravel layer but at the same time it prevents weeds from taking hold because there is little organic matter in the spaces between the gravel.
17The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022
(continued on page 20)
butterflies and bees constantly work the flowers in summer.
A slope of outcropping stone, boulders and cobbles receives runoff from the building. Underneath, thousands of feet of cables and other utility lines run from the building under the boulder “river” so great care was taken when excavating. “The boulders imply water without water,” Yocca said. “They evoke a sense of water and of the flats and discharge zones at nearby Waterfall Glen.” Discharge is captured by nearby bioswales.
(continued from page 14)
A big challenge was the large concrete facade that screens the service dock. Yocca secured Virginia creeper vines to the wall using a special tape rather than drilling into the wall. The vines will supply fruit for birds and offer a beautiful red fall color. “It’s a work in progress,” he said.
19
The Argonne site is surrounded by hundreds of acres of forest preserve. There are 500 acres of woodlands, 330 acres of grassland and prairie, 50 acres of wetlands and other habitats. Pine trees on the site were planted in the 1950s to improve habitat and advance forest succes sion. Ecosystems today have grown in and around research buildings, enhancing the overall work experience.
(continued from page 17)
Forward Thinking
Design — 20
Selling the Idea
The Landscape Contractor September 2022 wholesale@breezyhillnursery.com Poplar
“From a sustainability standpoint, it’s about low input, minimizing the use of fossil fuels,” Yocca said. Comparing the cost of a typical corporate landscape with acres of turf that must be maintained (continued on page 22) Grove,
IL 21283 IL Route 76 Poplar Grove, IL 61065 Clinton, WI 11228 East County Road X Clinton, WI 53525 Salem, WI 7530 288th Avenue Salem, WI 53168 1-262-537-3326
21The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022
(continued from page 20)
Diblik sees another advantage. “You can see it’s a work in progress. But, they’re bringing researchers and politicians from all over the country who see the gravel garden,” Diblik said. He encourages landscape firms to market this type of landscape, but not only for sustainability reasons. “It’s wholesome,” he said. “There’s more evidence that people are healthier when they have a place like this.”
The Landscape Contractor September 2022
22 Forward Thinking Design —
throughout the growing season to a gravel garden with perenni als can persuade the site managers to consider converting some of the lawn. “That’s how we got non-traditional corporate land scapes to change. We did a cost projection. Prairie versus turf and 26 mowings a year. It definitely takes an owner who sees the value and there are plenty of them,” Yocca said. “When they start to monetize the cost of maintenance, that’s a factor.”
24 The Landscape Contractor September 2022 Special Feature — The Changing Face of Public Gardens
On a quiet road in western DuPage County, Cantigny Park has undergone sweeping changes as it reno vates, renews and refreshes for the next chapter of this 500acre public garden and golf course. Known for the First Division Museum with its outdoor display of tanks tucked under mature oaks, there’s more to discover at this venerable site.Originally the home of Colonel Robert McCormick, Cantigny was bequeathed as a public park upon his death in 1955. McCormick is best known as the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune newspaper. In 1967, renowned landscape architect Franz Lipp created nearly 30
Cantigny
by Heather Prince
PublicRevitalizingPark:aCherishedGarden
acres of display gardens, themed plantings and woody plant collections.In2017, Cantigny Park launched Project New Leaf, a multi-year revitalization project designed to refresh and renew every aspect of the park, enhancing the visitor experience for current and future generations. Now the garden spaces of Cantigny are dynamic, sustainable, and thoughtfully planted with a stunning array of landscape design styles. You might come for tanks, but you’ll linger the rest of the day in the riot ous display beds, bustling Idea Garden, and tranquil Green Garden.Wetalked with Scott Witte, Director of Horticulture, to
25 explore all the new landscape features.
The Landscape Contractor September 2022
Witte has been with Cantigny for decades. “I first got to Cantigny in 1995 as head golf course superintendent,” he recounted. “It wasn’t until 2018 when I jumped the fence and switched roles from then director of agronomy for the golf course to the director of horticulture at Cantigny Park.” Witte oversees the forestry team for all 500 acres, both golf and park, the horticulture team that designs and installs all garden display beds in the park and golf course and with the green house production team; and the park grounds team. “We have an 18,000-square-foot greenhouse that produces over 200,000 plants a year used for spring, summer, and fall garden dis plays throughout the park and golf course. We also grow over 3,500 poinsettias, 1,400 of which are grown for the Wheaton A.M. Rotary Club to sell for their annual fund raisers.” There are 15 full-time staff, 15 to 17 seasonal staff, and around 75 volunteers who maintain and install the gardens.
(continued on page 26)
26 The Landscape Contractor September 2022
The first phase of Project New Leaf focused on the visitor arrival experi ence, redesigning the First Division Museum, redoing picnic and play facili ties plus construction of stormwater management facilities. The second phase concentrated on garden renova tion and the third phase is centered around renovations at McCormick House. Cantigny partnered with Sasaki Associates, an international landscape design firm. Sasaki referenced original landscape architect Franz Lipp’s initial landscape plan for Cantigny from the late 1960s. Their enhancements created a cleaner connectivity while maintain ing the system of Lipp’s garden rooms. “Sasaki paid homage to Franz Lipp’s geometric shapes in the lower display garden,” observed Witte. “The bones were here for the Octagon Garden, for example, but it’s totally revamped and reimagined with new drainage and new irrigation. In the past, when the weep ing Malus was in the middle, it was an obstruction. Now a trellis provides a neat little sanctuary as well as a look through and a cross through, improving traffic flow and sight lines.”
Renovatingplantings.ahistoric landscape comes with significant challenges. “The as-builts for the original infrastruc ture — fire protection, water lines, our potable water lines, gas, electric, etc. — we didn’t have exact locations for them,” commented Witte. “We had to do potholing and investigative digging. Invariably, we hit everything. And if we didn’t hit it once, we hit it three times. You just can’t overestimate how much stuff is hidden underground on an old site. You’ve no idea that this water line was here, and now you have to design (continued on page 28)
Special Feature — The Changing Face of Public Gardens
(continued from page 25)
Each garden space was examined, evaluated, and reimagined with an emphasis on connecting the spaces, honoring the past landscapes and creat ing new opportunities that respond to current garden trends and allow room for future
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Another challenge was what to do with all the excess soil and construction spoils. Instead of hauling it away, a new garden feature was built from excavated spoils from Phase 1, Butterfly Hill. “Anytime you dig a new trench, all the spoils just add up,” observed Witte. “It costs a lot of money to haul them off, so since we have room, we turned
(continued from page 26) around it, under it, over it, or through it.” As grading was changed, trees planted and lighting revisited, old structures were also found. “On the south elevation of the McCormick House when we attempted to run electric lines, we ran into footing walls for an old greenhouse,” reported Witte. “We discovered the foundation from the old stable that burned during the Colonel’s time on the east end of Prairie View. You name it, we ran into it.”
Considerable thought went into Butterfly Hill’s design and implementation. “I didn’t want it to look like some one dropped a giant sausage out there,” chuckled Witte. “I involved my favorite golf course architect, Doug Myslinski (continued on page 30)
them into another landscape feature. Plus, it was more sus tainable to keep it on site.”
Special Feature — The Changing Face of Public Gardens
28 The Landscape Contractor September 2022
Butterfly Hill rises behind the First Division Museum and offers spectacular views of the golf course, including the but terfly-shaped flower bed planted with colorful annuals. There is a wide mown path up the hill and a new short-grass prairie has been installed, with native forbs soon to be plugged in. On a warm summer day, butterflies indeed flit around you as you walk to the top. In September, Cantigny sponsors butter fly tagging and a “Big Sit” birding event on top of the hill.
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(continued from page 28)
Special Feature — The Changing Face of Public Gardens
30 The Landscape SeptemberContractor2022
creates another smaller overlook opportunity near Cantigny’s Chimney Swift tower.
Witte freely admits that he is a grass guy. “I have a soil science degree with an emphasis on turfgrass management. But for me, it wasn’t just turf, it was all things green and growing. I have a huge passion for pollinators, pollina tor plants, trees, you name it.” Rebooting the allée leading up to the McCormick House allowed Witte to play to his strengths. Originally planted in American elm by Colonel McCormick, only one original tree remains. Over the decades, a mix of different tree species had been planted and it lacked a cohesive design. With Project New Leaf, it was decided to completely replace the trees and update the drainage and irri gation. A double row of Exclamation! London plane tree has been established and Witte oversaw the turf renovation person ally. “When I had the opportunity to choose the turf species, I decided to go with Advanced Turf’s turf-type tall fescue,” reported Witte. “I seeded it myself because I love that stuff. We did it just prior to July 1st, 2020. The construction man ager told me it was past the seed window, and I took that as (continued on page 34)
with Wadsworth Golf Design, who has helped me redesign innumerable bunkers, tees and features on the golf course. He has a really good eye. It needed to have visual appeal from the golf side and from the park side, but blend in like it has always been here. I think we’ve achieved that.” The grass mix chosen is designed to handle the challenging mishmash of soil composition and is mostly side oats grama and little bluestem. “The objective here is to get a really good, clean, low grass prairie before we begin to plug in native forbs,” commented Witte. “It’s so much easier to get a good grass mix started in large 3- to 4-acre areas when you can boom-spray selective herbicides to keep out invasive species and noxious weeds. This strategy has worked the best for us, and it fuels the burns for later on. We’ve spotsprayed out a lot of the undesirables. This fall, we’re plan ning a prescribed burn for Butterfly Hill. Once we know we have a rock-solid native grass stand, we’ll grow the native forbs in-house and selectively plug them in in the spring.” The spoils from Phase II were also utilized for a grassy berm near the new Prairie View and Idea Garden. Now it
Special Feature — The Changing Face of Public Gardens
Special Feature — The Changing Face of Public Gardens
Sustainability efforts are threaded through each element of the redesign, from reusing timbers to make fence posts and bridges, repurposing stone in the Idea Garden, to rethinking stormwater containment. The prairie part of Prairie View is gently contoured to channel and hold stormwater through a series of dips and swales planted in native sedges. Stone walkovers allow for aggressive prairie burns without having to worry about plastic culverts melting in the fires. They also provide a subtle visual element.
The horticulture team at Cantigny Park is tasked with crafting sensational seasonal annual plantings, a feature the gardens have long been known for. Staff is encouraged to play with combinations of flowers and foliage for maximum impact and drama. This summer, the Alebrijes: Creatures of a Dream World sculpture exhibit has inspired the plantings.
“Our horticulture staff had fun with augmenting the Alebrijes theme with the flower selections like Mexican sunflower, Mexican petunia, Sunpatiens and lots of crazy bright colors to mimic the vivid paint on the sculptures,” said Witte. “We even incorporated poinsettia in the planting mix. We saved some from our crop last winter because they’re native to Mexico.”
Project New Leaf has taken a beautiful public garden and made it breathtaking. Each space was thoughtfully exam ined, and historic garden spaces refreshed while adding new elements and responding to the changing needs of the park. “Sasaki Associates paid close attention to our garden spaces and their different personalities,” recalled Witte. “As you enter the white garden or the rose garden, you’re entering dif ferent rooms. You’re transported to different spaces, and you have a different experience, whether it’s the Green Garden, the Octagon Garden, the Rock Garden or the Logarium in our new shade Buildinggarden.”onLipp’s framework, Sasaki emphasized con nectivity throughout the park. “There’s so much intent behind every bed,” commented Witte. “The central connector path is one example, from the fountain through the connector garden to the Visitor Center and out to the doughboy statue in front. It’s designed to be a mesh. There’s simplicity and seasonal ity in the connector garden. In the spring we have daffodils in there. After the daffodils, you have the hawthorn in bloom and, in the summer, we have long-blooming lavender allium, aster and sage.”
34 The Landscape SeptemberContractor2022
(continued from page 30)
a personal challenge. It’s what I do! I grow grass. In 5 to 6 days, we had germination. It’s more drought resistant and very disease resistant. I really like it. It’s performing very well.”
Gold Pond on the west side of the McCormick House also acts as stormwater retention in addition to being a favorite water feature. “Before the renovation and Project New Leaf, on a heavy downpour, the water from the old pond would go up within three feet of the west door of the McCormick House because there was nothing to contain it,” remembered Witte. “Gold Pond takes on stormwater from Roosevelt Road as well. We’ve got native plants on the shoreline to prevent erosion and to mimic a native stabilized shoreline.” As part of the redesign, more access was created at pond’s edge. “We knew from the old garden that everybody wants to be by water’s edge. There’s just some kind of gravity that pulls you there, so we designed for it with precast stone steps where you can go to the edge and see fish. We stocked it with blue gills and plan to add largemouth bass.”
As you walk the new paths at Cantigny Park or explore familiar garden rooms, you may enjoy more butterflies, hum mingbirds and bees. You might hear children’s laughter from the pond in the Idea Garden as they hunt tadpoles in the spring and goldfish in summer. New colors and textures mesh with the historic bones of the landscape creating a fresh and intriguing experience to visit again and again.
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For years, ILCA and IGIA had talked of coming together. In the past these talks did not provide a path. However, everyone involved recognizes that the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association and the Illinois Green Industry Association have more in common than what divided them. So based on the old adage: Everything has a time and place, it is clear that unification has found a home
Unification and By-laws Changes
While earlier talks centered on formal mergers, this will be a unification of the two organizations. In fact, there is consid erable crossover in the memberships. “There’s about 50 per cent overlap,” says Jeff Kramer, ILCA’s current President.
Unification of the two organizations required some ILCA by-law changes, which the board has handled. The major adjustments include:
Grams approached then President, Scott McAdam Jr. with the unification proposal he and his IGIA counterpart Kellie Schmidt discussed. “I saw it as an outstanding opportunity for both associations,” McAdam Jr. says.
It is similar to ILCA’s approach Irrigation, the Illinois Landscape Design Association, MELA (Midwest Ecological Landscape Alliance) and the Illinois Professional Lawncare Association.Gramsand Schmidt drafted a memorandum of understand ing (MOU) and last December, officers of the two associa tions met. “We wanted to make sure that we all could work together and that it would be in the best interests of both asso ciations,” says Ashley Marrin, ILCA Vice President. IGIA wanted to ensure that all groups would be well represented.
impression that these people weren’t coming to our training, because they were independent and didn’t need it.” Instead, it was because it was too far away.
With that in mind, both groups are planning joint pro grams and working together.
by Meta L. Levin
Then, the entire boards of both organizations got together. “We needed to understand what was important to them and what was important to us,” says McAdam Jr. “The only way it would work is if it would be mutually beneficial.” They decided it was a good idea to unify.
To that end, there was a trial joint event last March, the two groups collaborated on Spring Training for Landscape Professionals, a regular ILCA event usually held in the Chicago metropolitan area. This time, IGIA member firm Stoneleaf Nursery in Eureka, IL hosted a modified and expanded version of the Field Skills Staff Training.
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36 The Landscape Contractor September 2022 Special Feature — Unification Update
The formal unification should be done by the time ILCA roles out its dues statements in April 2023, says Grams.
Last year, IGIA approached ILCA about trying again. The conversations and planning stayed strong. “It dawned on us that there might be a different way of going about this,” says Scott Grams, ILCA Executive Director.
“We thought if we got 50 people, we would be happy,” says Grams. Instead, 350 landscape owners and their employ ees showed up. “It was an eye opener. We were under the
“Now we all will be under one umbrella,” says Kramer, who is hearing kudos for the idea from former presidents and current members alike.
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“It’s a great idea to have the suppliers on the board,” says Kramer. “It will be great for all of us.” Former presidents have approached him with a positive “it’s about time” mes sage.In addition, suppliers, garden centers and growers will be incorporated into the ILCA committee structure. In fact, there are plans for new committees as time goes on. “It’s critical that IGIA members are integrated into existing ILCA commit tees and take leading roles in new ones, so their perspective and experience become part of the organization immediately,” says Schmidt, IGIA Executive Director.
Following the unification, Schmidt will remain on staff and become Statewide Director of Development, responsible for bringing ILCA’s landscape training programs to the rest of the state and supporting events for growers and garden centers.The downstate membership will benefit from more easily accessible programming. “This is a market hungry for train ing,” she says. “It will be a real value to prospective mem
Unification and By-law Changes
• Expanding the number of suppliers on the board from two to three, so that the ratio would reflect the number of contractors-to-suppliers in the organization
38 The Landscape Contractor September 2022
• Allowing suppliers to become officers, something that never had been done before
bers.” Chicago metropolitan area members will benefit from strong content as well as access to and valuable input from growers and retailers.
ILCA members, organizers believe, will be eager to take advantage of IGIA offerings. “I would love to go on a grow er’s tour,” says Kramer. In fact, ILCA already is publicizing the annual IGIA Fall Growers Tour, scheduled for September 22, 2022, featuring tours in Union, Woodstock and Wonder Lake,SchmidtIL.
points to a variety of advantages for members of both organizations. IGIA is based in Springfield, close to the state agencies that regulate the green industry, as well as the Illinois General Assembly. Unification will provide “stronger representation from an advocacy standpoint,” she says. “We will be approaching public officials and regulatory bodies as one united group.”
That, married with ILCA’s historically strong program ming, will make for a robust organization that will well serve members from a variety of parts of the industry throughout the state, she believes.
In some ways, the pandemic helped facilitate the unifica tion. “The pandemic changed the mindset about working with remote employees, volunteers and members,” says Grams. “We will be able to more easily incorporate and manage downstateGramsemployees.”hasdeveloped a good relationship with Schmidt and others, “I have total faith we can work together,” he says. He has heard overwhelmingly positive comments about the plans. “I’m glad we found a way to work together.”
Special Feature — Unification Update
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• Bringing garden centers in at the contractor level membership
39The Landscape Contractor September 2022
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Luego se reunieron las juntas de ambas organizaciones en su totalidad. “Necesitábamos comprender lo que era impor tante para ellos y lo que era importante para nosotros”, dijo McAdam Jr. “Solo podía funcionar si el resultado fuera mutu amente beneficioso”. Decidieron que era buena idea unirse.
negocios de paisajismo y sus empleados se hicieron presentes. “Fue un evento esclarecedor. Pensábamos que estas personas no vendrían a nuestra capacitación porque eran independien tes”. En realidad, era por la distancia.
“Ahora todos estaremos bajo el mismo paraguas”, afirma Kramer, que está escuchando elogios por la idea tanto de ex
La unificación y cambios en los estatutos
40 The Landscape Contractor September 2022
by Meta L. Levin
“Pensamos que si asistían 50 personas nos sentiríamos contentos”, dice Grams. En lugar de eso, 350 propietarios de
Grams contactó a McAdam Jr. para discutir la propuesta de unificación, señalándole que si se llevaba a cabo sería su legado. “Me di cuenta de que era algo por lo que estaba dis puesto a luchar”, aseguró McAdam Jr.
De hecho, había cierto nivel de traslape en sus membre sías. “Hay un traslape de cerca del 50 por ciento”, asegura Jeff Kramer, actual Presidente de ILCA.
pasado, IGIA contactó a ILCA para intentarla de nuevo. Las conversaciones y la planificación se mantuvi eron sólidas. “Caímos en la cuenta de que podría haber una forma diferente de hacerlo”, dice Grams. Si bien las primeras pláticas se centraron en fusiones formales, esta será una unifi cación de las dos organizaciones.
Además de las pláticas, hubo un evento conjunto experi mental. Las dos colaboraron en marzo pasado en un programa de capacitación de primavera para paisajistas profesionales, un evento regular de ILCA que usualmente se lleva a cabo en el área metropolitana de Chicago. Solo que esta vez el evento fue auspiciado por Stoneleaf Nursery en Eureka, IL.
Durante años, ILCA e IGIA habían hablado de unirse. Esas pláticas siempre se descontinuaban. No obstante, parecía que la Asociación de Contratistas de Paisajismo de Illinois (ILCA, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Asociación de la Industria Verde de Illinois (IGIA, por sus siglas en inglés) tenían más cosas en común que diferencias.
Grams y el director de IGIA redactaron un memorán dum de entendimiento (MOU, por sus siglas en inglés) y en diciembre pasado se reunieron ejecutivos de ambas aso ciaciones. “Queríamos asegurarnos de que podíamos trabajar juntos y que el proyecto redundaría en beneficio de ambas asociaciones”, afirma Ashley Marrin, Vicepresidente de ILCA Ellos querían asegurarse de que todos los grupos estuvieran debidamente representados.
Ahora, se irán uniendo gradualmente, planificando pro gramas conjuntos y trabajando juntas. La unificación formal deberá hacerse cuando ILCA dé a conocer su estado de cuotas en abril de 2023, informa Scott Grams, Director Ejecutivo de
Lo vio como algo similar a la unión de ILCA con la Asociación de Irrigación de Illinois, la Asociación de Diseño Paisajista de Illinois, la Alianza de Paisajismo Ecológico del Medio Oeste (MELA, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Asociación de Cuidado de Césped de Illinois.
ILCA.Elaño
Directora de Desarrollo a nivel estatal responsable de llevar los programas de capacitación en jardinería y paisajismo de ILCA al resto del estado y apoyar eventos para cultivadores y centros de jardinería.
presidentes como de actuales miembros.
Después de la unificación, Schmidt se convertirá en
• Permitir que los proveedores se con viertan en ejecutivos, algo que nunca se ha hecho antes
41The Landscape Contractor September 2022
La unificación de las dos organizaciones hizo necesarios algunos cambios en los estatu tos de ILCA, de lo que se ha encargado la junta. Los ajustes más importantes incluyen:
La membresía al sur del estado se beneficiará de una programación más fácilmente accesible. “Este es un mercado que necesita capacitación”, asegura. “Eso será muy valioso para los miembros potenciales”. Los miembros del área met ropolitana de Chicago se beneficiarán de un sólido contenido, acceso a y valiosos comentarios y sugerencias de cultivadores y comerciantes minoristas.
Los organizadores piensan que los miembros de ILCA estarán ansiosos por aprovechar todo lo que ofrece IGIA. “Me encantaría participar en una excursión de cultivadores”, dice Kramer. De hecho, ILCA ya está publicitando la Excursión Anual de Cultivadores de IGIA, programada para el 22 de septiembre de 2022, con excursiones en Union, Woodstock y
• Ampliar el número de proveedores en la junta de dos a tres, para que la relación refleje el número de contratistas con respecto al de proveedores en la orga “Esnización.unagran idea tener a los proveedores en la junta”, asegura Kramer. “Será estupendo para todos nosotros”. Ex presidentes se le han acercado con un mensaje positivo de “ya era tiempo”.Además, los proveedores, los centros de jardinería y los cultivadores serán incorporados a la estructura del comité de ILCA. De hecho, hay planes para nuevos comités en el futuro. “Es esencial que miembros de IGIA se integren en los actuales comités de ILCA y asuman roles importantes en los nuevos, para que sus perspectivas y experiencias se vuelvan parte de la organización de forma inmediata”, afirma Kellie Schmidt, Directora Ejecutiva de IGIA.
• Incorporar a los centros de jardinería en la membresía a nivel de contratistas
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Schmidt señala una variedad de ventajas para ambas organizaciones.
IGIA tiene su sede en Springfield, cerca de las agencias estatales que regu lan la industria verde, así como de la Asamblea General de Illinois. La uni ficación proveerá una “representación más sólida desde el punto de vista de la defensa de nuestros intereses”, dice. “Contactaremos a funcionarios públi cos y organismos reguladores como un grupo
De alguna manera, la pandemia ayudó a facilitar la unificación. “La pandemia cambió la mentalidad sobre trabajar con empleados a distancia”, dice
Eso,unido”.considera ella, junto con la programación históricamente sólida de ILCA configurará una organización robusta que servirá a sus miembros desde una variedad de partes de la indu stria por todo el estado.
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Wonder Lake, IL.
Grams. “Podremos incorporar y adminis trar con más facilidad empleados del sur del estado”.Gramsha desarrollado una buena relación con Schmidt y otros. “Tengo fe en que podremos trabajar juntos”, dice. Ha escuchado comentarios suma mente positivos sobre los planes. “Me complace que hayamos encontrado una forma de trabajar conjuntamente”.
43The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022
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The short answer: It matters because it impacts your bottom line. When service fatigue takes over at your business, everything is at risk. You can play a huge part in lessen ing that burden for your team and your customers. If it’s possible, make work a welcoming, encouraging environment for your staff so they can give your customers a reason to crow about the great experience they had. By recognizing service fatigue and equipping your team with the tools to bust out of its grip before it’s too late, you’ll ensure that everyone’s experience is that much better.
Business Minute —
Signs of service fatigue include: lack of energy
Where Does Service Fatigue Come From?
What Does Service Fatigue Look Like?
After a stressful few years, various challenges have caused service fatigue levels to skyrocket. But the truth is, service fatigue can strike at any time, and much of it is really nothing new. It’s shorttempered customers who escalate to anger quickly. It’s trying (and usually failing) to juggle multiple priorities at a time. It’s navigating ever-changing business policies. It’s responsibilities that outnum ber hours in the day. It’s one bad attitude draining a team’s morale. Service fatigue can come from any where and knowing how to identify it is half the battle.
Why Does Service Fatigue Matter?
This exhaustion is what’s called service fatigue, defined as that feel ing that keeps you from deliver ing the excellent customer service your staff and patrons have come to expect. Left unchecked, this weari ness can impact your business in many negative ways, from short tem pers to lost business.
(continued on page 46)
Suffering from Service Fatigue? What, Where, Why and How Behind a Decline in Customer Service Excellence
Does it feel like no matter how hard you try to please your customer, it isn’t enough? Are you in charge of leading others and the faster you train teams and build ener gy, the quicker it seems to fade? Are you a business owner feeling hope less about the never-ending needs of staff AND customers while trying to achieve a profitable bottom line? You’re exhausted, right?
Let’s unpack the what, where, why, and how of service fatigue and get on the path to busting out of it.
By Laurie Guest
44 The Landscape SeptemberContractor2022
• elevated stress • constant ambivalence • difficulty concentrating • missed deadlines • frequent mistakes • safety compliance issues
You know what customer service delivery should look like. Attentive. Proactive. Genuine. Service fatigue is “less than,” and it presents in many forms. It’s when your customer experience is less than you — or they — expect. It’s a lack of energy, elevated stress, constant ambivalence, difficulty concentrating, missed deadlines, frequent mistakes, or safety compliance issues. The trickiest kind of service fatigue to spot is the kind the team thinks they can hide from guests. It’s still there, lurking beneath the surface, threatening to bring everyone down in its undertow.
The
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We all can and should go above and
How Do we Mitigate the Effects of Service Fatigue?
Who doesn’t love rest? While some have mastered the art of tak ing breaks, Americans tend to do things fast — and often multitasking. We like the concept of rest, but the demands on our time often get in the way of our ability to truly take a break.There are as many as seven types of rest, from physical and emotional to creative and spiritual. The truth is, they’re all important, and giving ourselves the space to breathe when things get stressful is imperative. Rest can mean putting down your phone an hour early and reading a book instead, or using your shift break to do a brief silent meditation so you’re prepared to head back to work.
When we prioritize rest and start to see it as doing good for ourselves, we are more energized to deliver cus tomer service excellence.
46 The Landscape Contractor September 2022 Business Minute —
Your source for Midwest native seed mixes and live plants 574 586 2412 | www.cardnonativeplantnursery.comnurserysales@cardno.com>Solarpanelarrays>Pollinatorhabitat>Wetlandmitigations>DOT&roadsidecorridors> Pipeline & transmission corridors > Stormwater BMPs & rain gardens > Habitat & ecosystem restoration Specializing in plants & seed mixes for
Grant Yourself Rest!
There are countless ways to bust out of service fatigue, and no two businesses will adopt exactly the same solution. Decades of experience in the customer service industry prove that there’s no silver bullet to finally over coming exhaustion. Instead, it takes a combination of strategy, patience, and commitment to bolster your team and get them back on track to deliver the kind of remarkable customer service you and your customers expect.
(continued 44)
beyond to deliver customer service excel lence. But when you’re doing far more than is expected, you may be bringing service fatigue on yourself. Be honest:
Build Better Boundaries
from page
ies—and your energy levels—back on track?Re-evaluate your boundaries today and find where you can firm them up. You’ll soon see what a difference they make in boosting your energy and positive attitude.
We all can and should go above and beyond to customerdeliverserviceexcellence.
Are you guilty of your own boundary breakdowns? Are there honest conversa tions you can have to get those boundar
Professional boundaries can be the single best tool to help bust out of service fatigue, whether you need to put them in place with your boss or you need to ensure your team knows that work/life separation is a good thing. Unless it’s imperative to your industry, do you really need to reply to emails at 8 p.m.? Is that gap or hic cup in a process at work really yours to lose sleep over?
To get you started, here are a few ways to start busting out of service fatigue as soon as today:
(continued on page 48)
No surprises here: If you recognize the signs of service fatigue, now is the time to bust out of it! Start by identify ing what’s causing the fatigue, then set aside time to plan for change, including both big and small steps to reinvigo rate your team and return to delivering customer service excellence. When you commit to the change, the hardest part is already over. All it takes from there is digging in to bust out of service fatigue once and for all!
A National Speakers Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame, of which only 50 members are women. Laurie Guest, CSP, CPAE, is an authority on customer service excellence. In 2021, she was inducted into the National Speakers Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame, of which only 50 members are women. Laurie blends real-life examples and proven action steps for improvement. She is the author of two books and is writing a third on the topic of service fatigue. To learn more or connect with Laurie, visit www.LaurieGuest.com
About the Author
(continued from page 46)
48 TRUCK EQUIPMENT CENTER CHICAGO, IL 2600 W ROUTE 120 | MCHENRY, IL 60051 | KNAPHEIDE.COM/CHICAGO | 815-385-2600
Business Minute — The Landscape Contractor September 2022
Bonus: When Do I Need to Address Service Fatigue?
He was born August 17, 1936 in Melrose Park, IL, was formerly of forMontague,ILTownship,FremontretiringtoMI15yearsand
Richard A. “Dick” Schroeder, 85, passed away on Thursday, August 4, 2022 McHenry,in IL.
Dick and Cathy in Michigan
Dick pictured with his good friend Ron Damgaard
has lived in Libertyville for the past 5 years. Dick was a 1954 graduate of Maine Twp. HS in Park Ridge and a 1958 graduate of Michigan StateFatherUniversity.ofCathy Schroeder and owner of Schroeder’s’ Nursery Inc., Dick and
In Memory
He was also a member of the American Association.of Nurserymen and a former Deacon and ordained elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Libertyville.
Richard A. “Dick” Schroeder
49 Not an JOINMember?ILCANOWfor2022! ilca.netVisit for membership The Landscape Contractor September 2022
his wife Maria retired to Michigan 17 years ago after building their dream home. They returned to Libertyville five yearsDickago.was past president of the Illinois Nurserymen’s Association in 1976 and past president of the Ornamental Growers Association.
Phone: Ourdorightservicesco.com312-731-3742full-servicecommercial landscaping team offers professional landscape
Email: kutska-sharon@aramark.com
Phone: 708-548-2567
Do Right Services
Snow Management company providing a full range of tailored services.
Email: tony@scaravalle.com
Scaravalle Company Inc.
Email: absolutelandscape.jm@gmail com
Highpoint Landworks, Inc
New Members —
Phone: StoneStoneWorthy.com773-707-8511Worthyspecializes in artisanquality, custom hardscapes, and natural stone masonry. We offer one of a kind indoor and outdoor living spaces with acute attention to detail that consistently surpasses our clients’ expectations.
Phone: www.scaravalle.com847-875-1410
Plants with Midwestern roots as strong as yours.
39060JohannaN Dilleys Rd
Julian Posada
7200 S. Madison · Willowbrook, IL 60527 630-323-1411
Get over 500 varieties grown locally on 600+ acres. Over 10 acres of holding yard in two convenient locations. For sale updates and availabilities, sign up for our email newsletter. Trees, Ornamentals, Evergreens, Shrubs, Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcover.
Email: ecosme@dorightservicesco.com
Heritage Landscape Design, Inc. 2728 41st Street Moline, IL 61265
Stone Worthy
Giovanni Cordova
355 E IL Route 83 Mundelein, IL 60060
Sharon Kutska
Wadsworth, IL 60083
design, installation, hardscaping, as well as routine maintenance such as cutting, edging, and line trimming to ensure your outdoor space is beautiful. Our commercial landscaping team services our clients year-round including snow management services in the winter months.
Tony Scaravalle
Little Rock Farm 2353 Creek Road · Plano, IL 60545 630-552-8314
Email: giovanni@stoneworthy.com
AbsoluteCONTRACTORSLandscape
Aramark Facilities Management
2036 W Walnut St Chicago, IL 60612
50 The Landscape Contractor September 2022
HinsdaleNurseries.com
Email: Design,LandscapeHighpointwww.highpointlandworks.comPhone:accounts@highpointlandworks.com815-322-9818Landworksisapremier,Maintenance,LandscapeIrrigationandCommercial
Jim 2308SpelmanN.Ringwood Rd
Main Office & Sales Yard
555 Exchange Ct. Wheeling, IL 60090
Phone: 847-596-1897
Email: Phone:heritagelandscapedesign.comlmcbride@309-797-9900
McHenry, IL 60051
365 Nuttall Road Riverside, IL 60546
Email: rogerg@4waterworks.com
Chuck Bowen
5703 Weatherstone Way Johnsburg, IL 60051
629 S. Harvey Avenue Oak Park, IL 60304
25 E Washington St, Suite 1650 Chicago, IL 60602
Diane Deckert
Roger Garbacz
Phone: vnvlandscapinginc.com773-387-4515
V&V Landscaping Inc.
Email: dianedeckert@gmail.com Phone: 708-289-6996
Email: jrask5@aol.com
representing manufacturers and suppliers of power equipment, small engines, battery power systems, portable generators, utility and personal transport vehicles, and golf cars. OPEI owns Equip Exposition, the international landscape, outdoor living and equipment exposition, and administers the TurfMutt Foundation, which directs the environmental education program, TurfMutt. OPEI-Canada represents members on a host of issues, including recycling, emissions and other regulatory developments across the Canadian provinces.
Chicago, IL 60632
OpenlandsGOVERNMENT/NON-PROFIT
Mark 28406AndrewsHighway 82 Park Hill, OK 74451
1605 King Alexandria,St.VA 22314
www.GreenleafNursery.comPhone:mark_andrews@greenleafnursery.comEmail:918-457-2221
BRINE/DE-ICER 200 or 300 gal BRINE/DE-ICER 500, 750, or 1000 gal BRINE/DE-ICER 1300 gal PEST CONTROL 30, 35, 50, or 100 gal TREE SERVICE Tank size options SKID UNIT 30, 50, 100, 150, 200 or 300 gal DUAL SKID UNIT 30, 50, 100, 150, 200 or 300 gal UTV 50, 68 or 110 gal NURSE TRAILERS 1005, 1065 or 1300 gal TRAILERS 30, 55, 85, 100, 200 or 300 gal THREE POINT 55, 110, 200, 300 or 400 gal THREEMISTERPOINT 40, 60 or 100 gal ULTRA LOW PROFILE 50, 68 or 110 gal SPACE SAVER 100, 150, 200, 300 or 400 gal VIEW SAVER 205 or 305 gal Beaver Dam, WI 800-433-357953916 sales@contree.comwww.contree.com Our team takes pride in designing units that meet your needs and space requirements. The Landscape Contractor September 2022 51
Phone: www.4waterworks.com815-378-0265
Email: cbowen@opei.org
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
Waterworks
Email: ssurroz@openlands.org
trade association
D3INDIVIDUALSDianeDeckert Designs
Phone: 309-530-9262
Sarah Surroz
Phone: openlands.org847-714-6911
Email: vnvlandscaping1@gmail.com
Phone: OPEIwww.OPEI.org703-678-2988isaninternational
Richard Trowitch 1218 E Empire St Bloomington, IL 61701
GreenleafOUT-OF-STATENursery Company
5405 S Kildare Ave
Email: lpz071@gmail.com
Woburn, MA 01801
Lombard, IL 60148
LeopoldoSTUDENTLopez
99 Blueberry Hill Rd
Email: kristy@sglgardens.com
Ankur Khanna
—
Phone: Attentivewww.attentive.ai218-215-4442isbringingthe power of automation to the green industry. With its industry-leading AI technology, Attentive enables commercial landscapers to bid more and win more. Its instant quoting tool allows lawn care businesses to sell their services 24x7 - right on their website
Schonheit Gardens Landscaping, LLC
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
Phone: 630-673-4531
Phone: Schönheitwww.sglgardens.com608-242-8472GardensLandscaping
Email: zpeterson@arborjet.com
3007 County Road T
Phone: Sustainablehttps://arborjet.com/414-295-1648Productswith
Attentive Inc
Zachary Peterson
People
52 The Landscape Contractor September 2022
Email: ankur.khanna@attentive.ai
is a full-service landscaping company and a seasonal retail nursery located in the town of Sun Prairie, WI, just 3 miles outside of the City of Madison.
New Members
Kristy Strenz
Arborjet/EcologelSUPPLIERS
and Planet in Mind. Innovative plant health and sustainability are at the root of everything we do. From water conservation, growing and pest management, Arborjet & Ecologel provide you effective, reliable, and sustainable solutions.
1013 Centre Road, Suite 403-B Wilmington, New Castle, DE 19805
Debra J Brown
865 N Superior Dr. Crown Point, IN 46307
Landscape Web Pros
endserveandicingourKaplanequipmentManufacturing,thingsKaplanwww.kaplanliquidsolutions.comPhone:jkolkman@kaplanliquidsolutions.comEmail:847-949-1500LiquidSolutionsprovidesallliquidbrinerelated.FromBrinestorageandapplicationtoLiquidBrinesupply,LiquidSolutionspartnerswithclientstomaketheirant-icingandde-operationsmoreefficient,profitableenvironmentallyresponsible.Wesnowcontractors,municipalities,&users.
PetroChoice Lubrication Solution
Email: dbrown@petrochoice.com
Phone: PetroChoicewww.petrochoice.com219-699-0274offersonly the best in products and services. Programs & Benefits: Fuel Monitoring System, Customized Fuel Pricing, Card lock Program, Fixed Pricing Program, Fuel Management Systems and more. Products offered but not limited to; Diesel Fuel, Gasoline, E-85/Flex Fuel, Bio-diesel, Rec90, DEF, K1/Kerosene, Additives and Lubricants. PetroChoice serves several industry in the Midwest segments including: Private Fleets, Municipalities, School Buses, Refuse & Recycling, Landscaping, Marine Vessels, and Construction.
Email: landscapewebpros.comPhone:hello@landscapewebpros.com847-961-8587
John 34523KolkmanNWilson Rd
53The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022
Kaplan Liquid Solutions
Jake Maricopa,TlapekAZ 85138
Ingleside, IL 60041
Pest of the Month: Fall Armyworm in Turfgrass
Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Information 847-835-0972plantinfoservicehttps://www.chicagobotanic.org/Service:
Diseasedevelopment.ofthe
by Heather Prince
Fortunately, Septoria leaf spot is mainly aesthetic and will not typi cally kill the shrub. This fungal disease overwinters on leaf litter, with spores splashing to susceptible tissue each spring. Rake and dispose of fallen leaves to reduce the population. It may be treated preventatively with chlorothalonil, chlorothalonil + propiconazole, myclobutanil, or thiophanate-methyl. Begin sprays at bud break and two to three more applications may be needed at 14-day intervals if conditions are favor able for disease
Disease of the Month: Septoria Leaf Spot on Dogwood
Month: Septoria Leaf Spot on Dogwood
Special Feature
Treatment:
Septoria leaf spot is a common disease in our area, especially on redtwig or yellowtwig dogwood shrubs. It appears as circular, angu lar, or irregular shaped spots with olive-gray to brown centers surrounded by dark purple or reddish borders on the leaves. They are similar to but larger than anthracnose on flowering dogwood trees. Symptoms usually appear at the end of summer to the beginning of fall and are more common in wet or humid conditions. Heavily infected leaves will turn yellow and pre maturely drop from the plant.
Treatment:
54 The Landscape Contractor September 2022
Fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda) feed on a wide variety of crops in addition to several turfgrasses. In Illinois, they will have one to two generations in late summer to early fall. Identifying which army worm you have is key, as there are several similar species. Fall armyworm grow up to 1 1/3 inch long. They vary in coloration with some being dark green, tan or brown. They can be distinguished from other caterpillars by the Y-shaped marking that runs from the top of its head down between its eyes and the orange stripe that runs along each side. The adult male moths have brown forewings with tan and gray mark ings and a white triangu lar shape near the tip of the wing. The forewings of females are brown with less distinct mark ings than males. Both males and females have silvery-white hind wings. Fall armyworm egg masses can be found on grass, leaves, and structures. The egg masses may contain up to 400 eggs laid in three to four layers and are covered in fuzzy-look ing silk. Eggs hatch in 5 to 7 days. When young larvae feed on the surface of grass blades, but large caterpil lars can chew the grass blades off. The larvae complete growth in 3 to 4 weeks.
Larvae typically do not feed on the crowns. Watering and fertilizing turf can allow plants to re-grow after the fall army worms have been controlled. Effective biological treatments include Bt products or Spinosad. Chemical controls for fall armyworm include: carbaryl, chlorantroniliprole, and clo thianidin, as well as pyrethroids like bifenthrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, or trichlorfon. There have been reports that some fall armyworm populations have not responded well to pyrethroids, so you may want to try alternatives first.
Weed of the Month: Fall Armyworm in Turfgrass
University of Illinois Extension Service 217-333-0519horticulture/index.phphttps://web.extension.illinois.edu/state/
The Morton Arboretum http://www.mortonarb.org/Plant 630-719-2424tree-and-plant-advice/http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/Clinic:
Additional resources:
55 C64 M23 Y100 K45 | R64 G99 B37 | #406325 | PMS 7743 C C75 M68 Y67 K90 | R0 G0 B0 | #000000 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 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
Tezak and his fiancée, Courtney, have two children: seven-year-old Miles and two-year-old Maverick, who has a plastic lawn mower and weed whacker of his own. Tezak’s fiancée is a behavioral therapist who works with autistic chil dren.Tezak’s Pro Lawn Care is growing steadily. “I am happy to see the growth this year,” he says. “It is gratifying.”
This past winter he attended every ILCA sponsored semi nar that he could. “I gained a vast amount of knowledge,” he says. “They were of tremendous value.”
New Member Profile Snapshot
Now he plays in one band, mostly focusing on rock, blues and funk music, and specializing in conga drums and other small percussion instruments. Much of his free time, how ever, is spent with his family.
Then a former co-worker asked him to mow his lawn. Observing his work, a neighbor wanted him to trim his bushes and mow his lawn. Tezak noticed an overgrown lawn at a house for sale down the street. He called the realtor. The realtor liked his work and gave his name to other real estate agents. Before he knew it, Tezak’s Pro Lawn Care was born.
Recognizing that he needed to learn more if he was going to grow his business and do his work properly, Tezak first turned to YouTube, gobbling up how-to videos. Some of the landscape contractors who had YouTube channels, also had podcasts and Tezak began listening to those, as well, incor porating everything he learned into his work.
owes his business to the pandem ic, some luck and his own willingness to seize opportunities. It all started like this: he lost his job in 2020.
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset,” says Tezak. “And I love working outside.”
Tezak’s Pro Lawn Care 7 South Margaret Street Joliet, IL 60436 (815) www.tezaksprolawncare.com483-4473
56 The Landscape Contractor September 2022
Although most of his work has come from word of mouth, Tezak also posts pictures of his jobs on social media, which he finds important in attracting new customers. “I get a lot of good feedback,” he says. To further give the appear ance of professionalism, he recently bought new, light gray work shirts, with a green leaf over the pocket for him and his employee.Anative of Joliet, IL, he attended high school in New Lenox and earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance at McNally Smith College of Music. Prior to the pandemic, he was playing in several bands, waiting tables and bar tend ing, as well as giving private percussion lessons. COVID-19 brought all that to a halt.
He tries to do little things that set him apart, such as mowing stripes into lawns or trimming precisely. “I want to be quick and efficient, but also do the best job that I can,” he says. “I am a perfectionist.”
In October 2021, a Google search brought up ILCA. After perusing the website, he believed that joining the asso ciation would be valuable and became a member.
by Meta TonyLevinTezak
Now Tezak’s Pro Lawn Care has continued to expand, offering lawn maintenance, ornamental tree and shrub trim ming, aeration and overseeding, spring and fall cleanups, mulching garden beds, pressure washing and snow and ice management.Ashisbusiness grew, he realized that he needed help, so recently he hired one employee for about 30 hours a week. “I never thought I would be able to hire someone,” he says. In the beginning he had nothing more than a push mower and a string trimmer. “Now I’m looking for more workers and get ting better equipment. I want my guys to use stuff that works well.”Tezak enjoys the interaction with customers that he gets when selling work. “The fun part is the education, showing them how we can beautify their landscapes,” he says.
This associate is responsible for ensuring that Mariani quality standards are being bet and procedures are being followed on each site in a safe and efficient manner by our crews at all times. This associate is also responsible for training the all crews on policy and procedures, as well as supervising the overall activities of the crew associates.
• Proficient in DynaScape or CAD (SketchUp is a plus)
Account Manager
HELP WANTED HELP WANTED
opportunity offers a competitive salary, a performance-based bonus program, reimbursed business expenses and other company benefits.
HELP WANTED
• Great eye for design (Traditional, Contemporary + Modern)
American Gardens LLC is actively searching for an Account Manager to service our recurring book of business and achieve gross profit objectives through leadership and management of staff while meeting contractual commitments to customers in a timely, high quality manner.
Knowledge of the landscape/green industry, specifically turf and ornamental plantings is
To apply for this position, and learn more about job requirements and responsibilities, please forward a resume and cover letter to: Recruiting Director (hr@americangardensllc.com) with “Account Manager” as your email subject
58
Thisessential.career
A specialty services technician performs chemical applications for pest prevention or other landscaping needs. Conduct routine safety inspections of equipment, maintain proper chemical storage and mixing areas that comply with local and federal regulations, and manage inventory and usage of fertilizer and pesticides. Duties include operating sprayers and spreaders to treat specific landscape pests and nutritional deficiencies. Employ integrated pest management techniques and best practices. Applies to turf, natural areas, rose care, and plant health care services as described by Mariani Landscape.
Qualified individuals should forward their resumes and portfolios to nathan@poeinc.us.
Scan the QR below or visit our website marianilandscape.com to apply.
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.
•commissionPaidtimeoff, retirement, and health insurance benefits
Scan the QR below or visit our website marianilandscape.com to apply.
Specialty Services Technician - Level 1
Provide support for the Purchasing department, with primary support to the Material Manager, including buying and tagging of hardgood material, maintenance of inventory of garden containers and accessories, assisting with hardgood substitutions, coordinate material logistics and special projects as they relate to the purchasing department. This position interacts with a diverse group of important internal sales associates and design staff, in addition to external vendors.
• Great sales, customer service, time management, attention to detail, and organizational skills
Scan the QR below or visit our website marianilandscape.com to apply.
•Perks:Above industry average pay and
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
Production Coordinator
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.
Requirements:
• Minimum 5+ years of industry experience
• Estimating and budgeting
Project Manager
• Vehicle allowance reimbursement
• Strong background in horticulture
• Degree or certificate in landscape design and horticulture
The Landscape Contractor September 2022
Lead Landscape Designer
Classified Ads
POE is seeking a highly talented Lead Landscape Designer to join are growing team. Our company has been servicing the clients of Eastern DuPage County for the past 15 years.
Purchasing Coordinator
This career opportunity offers a competitive salary, a performance-based bonus program, reimbursed business expenses and other company benefits.
Call
Ads
“HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA
tions to design-build team as needed.
MagazineCOMPANIESMEMBERCost
Maria for more information at (847) 876-8042 Or visit jamesmartinassociates.com/careers
• Initiating landscape and hardscape layouts
October 2022 issue ads: Sept. 15, 2022
We are looking for an experienced operations manager for our Chicago Heights location. Salary and benefits package included. Please send a resume and salary requirements to info@suburbanlandscaping.net.
• A passionate professional with good prob lem solving skills
•preferredExperience in managing projects, site layouts, project permitting, and material pro •curementAnexcellent communicator with crews, project leads, and the design-build team
CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES
Landscape Project Manager
The Landscape Contractor September 2022 Residential Maintenance Account Manager Commercial Maintenance Account Manager Landscape Designer/Project Director Management Associate
Operations Manager
Submit your ads online at ilca.net or Call Alycia Nagy (630) 472-2851 x1
an ascending organization dedicated to the growth of our staff and clients. This position will be based in our new, stateof-the-art facility located in Lake Zurich, AsIllinois.anEqual Opportunity Employer, applicants are considered regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, physical or mental disability or other pro tected classification as defined by applicable law and regulation.
Job Responsibilities:
• Integrating with team on project scheduling and coordination
December 2022 issue ads: Nov.15, 2022
•timelinesAidingin permit process and village inspec
Milieuductivityis
• Updating and documenting sales lead on project progress
HELP WANTEDHELP WANTED HELP WANTED
• A degree in landscape architecture, hor ticulture, or equivalent industry experience
| (847) 634-1660
• Tracking and meeting projected installation
jamesmartinassociates.com
• Integrating with design build and pro duction team to implement design intent throughout construction process
• Overseeing quality of work and adhering to landscape plans. Suggesting field modifica
• Communicating project tasks to crew
The Ideal Candidate:
•tionsMaximizing project efficiencies and pro
Email rebecca@milieuland.com or call 847465-1160 to inquire.
Classified
November 2022 issue ads: Oct. 15, 2022
PLEASE NOTE:
Milieu Design LLC is looking for a Landscape Project Manager to add to our Design Build Department! This person will play a vital role in helping the design build team and clients realize their project vision through the construction process.
• 3+ years experience in landscape design/ build, landscape construction, landscape architecture, or construction management
is $5 per line
Minimum charge $50 Website Cost is $12 per line Minimum charge $120 (About 6 words/line)
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
59
• Material purchasing and procurement
• Updating work orders as needed
• Has a working vehicle and is willing to travel to job sites in Chicagoland area
‘Pow Wow White’ coneflower glows day and night. These lovely containers by Hursthouse, Inc. feature white mandevilla and trailing Silver Falls dichondra. A splash of silver lungwort (Pulmonaria) and Caladium in the shade The LandscapeSeptemberContractor2022 Fragrant tobacco flower (Nicotiana sylvestris) releases its subtle perfume.
Editor’s Note: Over time, we run across a mountain of fun, innovative, and generally creative ideas. They don’t always fit with the magazine content, but we do collect them for some future use. This brings us to Inspiration Alley, a place where we display pure creativity. It’s up to you to judge the merit of each offering. So use it, lose it or be inspired to try something different. 61 Sissinghurst Castle in England, home to one of the most iconic white gardens on the planet.
By Nina A. ShimmeringKoziolwhite blossoms and silver and varie gated foliage are the stars of the evening garden. At sunset and beyond, orange, purple and red disappear, but white is luminous, especially with subtle night lighting. As dusk settles, the garden is transformed into something soothing and mysterious. What cli ent wouldn’t enjoy an evening outdoors, sitting near fragrant flowers while enjoying conversation with family or friends?
Advertisers Bartlett Tree Experts ..............................................52 Breezy Hill Nursery ................................................20 Cardno ....................................................................46 Clesen Wholesale ...................................................53 Compost Supply ......................................................16 Contree Sprayer .....................................................51 Dayton Bag & Burlap ...............................................53 Devroomen Garden Products..................................37 Ditchwitch Midwest ...............................................57 Doty Nurseries LLC ..................................................4 Goodmark Nurseries ...............................................55 Green Glen Nursery ...............................................63 Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. ..........................................50 Homer Industries .....................................................23 Ivanhoe Nursery .....................................................47 James Martin Associates ..........................................58 Knapheide Truck Equipment .................................. 48 Lafarge Fox River Stone ........................................29 Longshadow Planters ...............................................15 Mariani Plants ..........................................................6 Mariani Plants .........................................................41 McGinty Bros. .......................................................52 Midwest Groundcovers .............................................2 Midwest Trading .....................................................42 Spring Meadow Nursery ........................................35 Straughn Farm ..........................................................45 The Mulch Center ....................................................27 Turtle Creek Nursery ...............................................49 Unilock, Inc. ...........................................................64
Moonlight Serenade
Inspiration Alley
This is a grand historic park that reveals its treasures slowly. The playground is busy with children but shaded by magnificent old ginkgo trees. A fisherman may drop a line into the lagoon amidst a flutter of butter flies. It’s easy to find a quiet spot in the rose garden to watch folks on their daily constitutional while you determine which roses are performing the best. The Vander Veer Botanic Park is a lovely place to gather ideas for munici pal projects as well as residential spaces. It is clearly a beloved spot in the community.
by Heather
Admission: free
Gems
214 W. Central Park Avenue Davenport, IA
62
Vander Veer Botanical Park
The Landscape Contractor September 2022
BelievedPrinceto
lagoon amid lush displays of annuals, perennials, and collector conifers. Themed gardens are scattered throughout the park making it a destination in every season.
As you walk up to the Conservatory, you can explore the Enabling Garden with its full-to-bursting raised beds and burbling fountain. Look for interesting rare conifers, too. The Conservatory is famous for its 100-year-old tradition of pro viding tropical displays with rotating seasonal shows. Wide beds framed in stacked stone are filled with layers and layers of tropical plants. Ferns and hanging baskets of flowers are overhead. Small trees provide ceiling and surprise nooks are framed in arbors. Make sure to stroll all the way to the wind mill in the back corner with the topiary sea serpent in the koi pond. The staff have created an incredible display of tropical plants with myriad textures and colors of foliage.
Park Hours: daily from sunrise to sunset; Conservatory Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am to 4pm
Hidden Worth Visiting
be one of the first botanical parks west of the Mississippi, Vander Veer Botanical Park in Davenport, Iowa, was established in 1885. The 33-acre park was designed on former fairgrounds in a naturalistic style by Olaf Benson, a Chicago landscape engineer. This grace ful space combines many elements among its more than 600 mature trees. A winding walking trail has been a favorite spot for the community since the park was built and it’s easy to imagine ladies in parasols taking a morning stroll in the shade of theThetrees.historic Stone Fountain with its billowing sprays and evening colored light display anchors the south end of the park and is surrounded by The Old World Gardens. These gardens are planted with colorful annuals in the Victorian bedding style to reflect the German heritage of Davenport. Down the Grand Allee of statuesque pin oaks and tulip trees, you walk in their leafy shade to the Municipal Rose Garden and the Conservatory. The rose garden was established in 1948 and is part of the All-America Rose Selections program. You are greet ed by a sparkling fountain and is laid out in formal beds under crisp black metal arbors surrounding a pergola. It’s an enticing spot filled with fragrance and the buzzing of bees. You may stumble across a wedding or prom pictures among the blossoms. You’ll also find a Hosta Glade and the Children’s Sculpture Garden at this end of the park. Broad walkways lead to the
50 years of Design Leadership
1993GEOMETRIC SHAPES
For over 50 years, Unilock has set the standard with ground-breaking products and designs. In 1972, we introduced UNI-Stone® to North America, taking hardscapes to new heights of durability and aesthetics. A decade later, we introduced Classico®, the first circular paver system.
50 years and counting and we’re just getting started! Contact us at 1-800-UNILOCK or UNILOCK.com to see how we can help you reach your design goals. North America
CLASSICO CURVE
From timeless Elegance™ products to the contemporary Umbriano®, we continue to innovate and grow. We’re 30 years ahead of the curve in geometric designs, with a line of geometric forms and unique banding technique, and a design manual we initially dubbed “Paver Quilting”!
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1972FIRST TIMELESS200420072018PAVERPATENTEDU-CARASLEEKUMBRIANOELEGANCE2012UVISION3DDESIGN
Thanks to the U-Cara® Multi-Face Wall System, contractors can express their design creativity vertically. Thousands of contractors and designers use our user-friendly, cost-effective U-Vision® 3D design software since its introduction more than 20 years ago.
