iLandscape Education for 2022

EDUCATION

by Meta L. Levin

When Mike Blackwell

,iLandscape Education Chair, looks at the education lineup for iLandscape 2023, he sees opportunities. In particular, he wants to hear horticulturist and author Dr. Allan Armitage, whose afternoon presentation, Wednesday, February 1, “Plants for Solutions,” will focus on choosing the right plant for the right place. iLandscape 2023, “Games in the Gardens,” is scheduled for the usual Wednesday through Friday, February 1 – 3, 2023, with three bonus pre-show workshops on Tuesday, January 31. Happy 10th Anniversary iLandscape. “He’s a pretty well-known horticulturist,” Blackwell says of Armitage. Blackwell is Chalet’s Landscape Services director in his professional life. Indeed, Armitage, a retired distinguished professor of horticulture from the University of Georgia, is a well-known horticulturist, writer and speaker, who has worked with gardeners, landscape professionals, growers and retailers and has earned numerous awards for his work in horticulture.

In anticipation of interest in what he has to say, Armitage also will hold court from 11:00 to 11:20 am, Wednesday, in the exhibit hall, where people can interact with him one-on-one. There will be three others who will do the same on Wednesday and Thursday. “It will be like a show and tell,” says Hartmann. “They will have examples to show attendees.” Others will include Morton Arboretum’s Stephanie Adams, who will speak Friday morning on “Insects/Diseases in Herbaceous Plants” and will be open for questions and conversation from 11:00 to 11:20 am, Thursday.

The pre-show workshops are the biggest additions to the 2023 iLandscape. “We are excited about the Tuesday additions,” says Kim Hartmann, former Education chair and now ILCA Board Member and liaison to the Education Committee. The three offerings, which Hartmann, who is the Horticulture Purchase Manager for Rosborough Partners, refers to as “deep dives,” are in response to requests from previous years’ attendees who wanted hands-on, longer and more detailed programs on various subjects. This year the classes will cover Benchmarking, Employee Burnout and Irrigation.

A result of collaboration between the Education and Experience committees, they are patterned after pre-conference workshops that used to be a staple of the former Mid-Am show. “So many of our offerings are quick hits, 45 minutes or an hour long,” she says. “The feedback we were getting is that people wanted to go deeper.” (continued on page 12)

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The irrigation workshop, “Irrigation Contractor Essentials: 4-hour Refresher Course,” will be taught by Alex Mayfield, chair of the ILCA Irrigation Committee, from 8 am to noon on Tuesday, January 31. Approved for four hours of continuing education credits by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the course is required for all Illinois registered irrigation contractors.

From 8 am to 11 am, Bryan Mours of Mours Enterprises LLC will teach “Use Your Own Data to Improve Performance and Maximize Margins.” Designed for owners and managers to best understand how to use data to improve performance and margins. Before starting his own consulting business, Mours was Vice President of Customer Experience at Aspire.

Tuesday afternoon, from 11:30 am to 3 pm, Paula Davis JD, MAPP, will teach “Understanding Burnout and Building Resilient Teams.” The author of Beating Burnout at Work: Why Teams Hold the Secret to Well-Being & Resilience, a book focusing on burnout prevention, Davis’ presentation is intended for those dealing with professional burnout.

The Excellence in Landscape Awards program, which, in the past has been held on Thursday evening during the show, will be a part of Tuesday’s pre-show schedule.

With the unification of ILCA and IGIA in the works, the planners are hoping the 2023 iLandscape show will attract more growers, retailers and wholesalers, in addition to other IGIA, ILCA and WNLA members, says Hartmann.

From Wednesday through Friday, iLandscape attendees can choose from more than 50 varied educational offerings, focusing on design, business and human resources, plants, hardscapes and soil/pest/disease, all taught by well-known experts in their fields. “We are using every single room that we can,” says Hartmann.

The experts include Jeff Lorenz, who will speak Friday morning on “Planting a New Paradigm,” looking at ways to use native plants in eco-friendly designs. “We’ve been trying to get him for some time,” says Blackwell. Lorenz, of Refugia Design, a native landscape design-build company in Narberth, PA, focuses on climate change.

“Going forward we will be taking climate change into consideration,” says Hartmann. According to Blackwell, you might also want to take in Scott Beuerlein’s presentation, “Bad Ass Trees for Piss Poor Places.” Beuerlein, a horticulturist at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, will talk about some of the trees that can be used for harsh urban conditions and

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why we should develop a broader and more diverse list.

“All of us face the survival aspect,” says Hartmann. “We must consider trees that can tolerate changes and are more resilient. As designers, our frame is changing. Our clients want something that is going to last.”

Beuerlein also will speak on “Making Landscapes that Matter,” connecting evolution, art, genetics, natural history, food, wine and more, making the case that green spaces fulfill basic human needs. Both of his sessions will be on Wednesday.

Blackwell ticked off other speakers he is looking forward to hearing, some of whom presented during previous iLandscapes and are back by popular demand, like Judson Griggs of Harvest Landscape Business Consulting Group, who will speak on, “Time Management – Taking Control of Your Life” and Valarie Talapatra of Eco Scapes, Inc., on “Designing for Curb Appeal.”

There also will be a lot of emphasis on native plants, plant health and insecticides and pesticides, says Hartmann. “Some of it already was presented at the Impact Conference where it was well received. We wanted to bring the message about responsible maintenance to iLandscape.”

Nor is the committee shying away from business sessions. In fact, there are about 13 of them planned. The business offerings will start right out during the pre-show sessions and keep on going with Hunter/FX’s Kevin Battistoni giving attendees tips on “Onboarding New Employees: Welcome to the Team, Now Grab a Shovel!” at 8 am, Wednesday.

Other topics will range from “Customer Service” with Lauren Howell from Stuber Land Design, to “Winning the Talent War” by Neal Glatt from GrowtheBench.com and “Creating Organizational Culture” with Mark O’Brien from Stantec Nursery. And that’s just Wednesday’s offerings. More topics and speakers are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

There should be something for everyone.

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iLandscape Series — People Behind the Stories Our Very Own Nina Koziol

In a special iLandscape series over WednesdayThursday-Friday, writer Nina Koziol will moderate panels of local experts who she interviewed for articles in 2022. This will be a rare insight into the people behind these compelling stories.

The Pros at Home: From the Tropics to the Woodland, featuring Bob Hursthouse, Hursthouse, Inc. and Dan Biernacki, Ted’s Greenhouse, 9:45-11:00 am, Wednesday

Gardens of the Pros: Prairie Two Ways, with Dean MacMorris, Night Light, Inc. and Jack Pizzo, The Pizzo Group, 8-9:15 am, Thursday Why Plant Ho-Hum Trees and Shrubs, with Mike Cook, Cedar Path Nursery, Jim Matusik, The Tree Connection, Jeff Kramer, Kramer Tree Specialists and Julie Janoski, The Morton Arboretum, 9:4511:00 am, Thursday

Landscaping Main Street, featuring Dan Biernacki, Ted’s Greenhouse and Greg Stack, Ted’s Greenhouse, 8-9:15 am, Friday

“It will be a different format, more interactive, with more opportunities for questions and answers,” says Kim Hartmann, ILCA Board liaison for the Education Committee.

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