What is Engineered Soil? Engineered Soil is specialized media designed to meet specific performance criteria or site conditions. Standard and custom mixes are available. • One Step Soil Conditioner • PM 35 Planter Mix • CM 66 Container Mix
One Step Soil Conditioner
PM 35 Planter Mix
Multi-purpose media can be used as a soil amendment or conditioner to prepare landscape beds for annuals, perennials, groundcovers or shrubs. Also excellent as a mulch after planting, simply apply a thin layer over the amended planting surface.
Ideal for raised planters at grade or over structures. Also used as a growing media for woody ornamentals, conifers, annuals, perennials, groundcovers and vegetables. Makes an excellent preblended backfill for plantings.
CM 66 Container Mix
Midwest Greenroof Media*
• Midwest Greenroof Media • Extensive Roof Media • Semi Intensive Roof Media • Intensive Roof Media
• Rain Gardens • Bioswales
Extensive Media – ideal for a depth of 3-6”.
MIDWEST TRADING HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES, INC.® A Midwest-Orum Company P.O. BOX 398 • MAPLE PARK, IL 60151 630-365-1990 • FAX 630-365-3818 W W W . M I D W E S T- T R A D I N G . C O M
Versatile media for small containers where high water retention is desired. Excellent for cuttings, annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, small planters and one gallon containers. Also great for seasonal plantings on small roof terraces & deck planters.
Intensive Media – Provides the greatest diversity for plant material, ideal for plazas or rooftops with a depth of >8”. Semi-Intensive Media – Characteristics and attributes of both Extensive & Intensive Media, designed for a diverse plant selection. Ideal for a depth of 6-8”. * Formulated under German FLL standards
June 2015
CONTENTS
Excellence In Landscape Awards Project
8
FOCUS: Is New Equipment in Your Future Are Your Thinking About New Equipment 10 Is mechanization the key to future survival? A Cautionary Tale of Theft and Recovery 18 One contractor opens up on a sensitive subject Perennials in Focus 20 Two more plants worth consideration
Labor Pains 22 Labor recruitment and retention in an employee driven market
Meet Larry 26 A simple guide to LA license renewal
Four seasons of Beauty in Chicago Galen Gates calendarizes his selections
Sweet Leaf 40 The incredible possibilities of medical marijuana
Member Profile 54 D&J Landscapes, Inc.
Plant All-Stars 62 Gillenia trifoliata — Bowman’s Root
¿Está pensando en nuevos equipos? Are You Thinking About New Equipment? 36
10
28
28
40
EN ESPAÑOL
On the cover... Moore Landscapes received an Excellence in Landscape Gold award for this Commercial Landscape Maintenance project. The Landscape Contractor June 2015
62 3
CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS ILCA Calendar From Where I Stand President’s Message New Members Classified Ads Advertisers Index Photo Credits ILCA Awards Program Dwight Hughes Galen Gates Sweet Leaf Trish Beckjord
Calendar
4 5 7 50 58 61
AUGUST
1, 8-9 10, 12, 14, 16 28-35 40-48 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 56, Number 6. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is published monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Landscape Contractor, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES: Association Publishing Partners, Inc., Ph. (630) 637-8632 Fax (630) 637-8629 email: rmgi@comcast.net CLASSIFIED ADS, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION: ILCA (630) 472-2851 Fax (630) 472-3150 PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL OFFICE: Rick Reuland, rmgi@comcast.net, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630)637-8632 PRODUCT DISCLAIMER: The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, its Board of Directors, the Magazine Committee, ILCA Staff, The Landscape Contractor and its staff, neither endorse any products nor attest to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication.
ILCA Staff
Magazine Staff
Executive Director Scott Grams (630) 472-2851 sgrams@ilca.net
Rick Reuland Publisher/Advertising Sales (630) 637-8632 rmgi@comcast.net
Education Manager Julie Nicoll jnicoll@ilca.net Membership & Events Manager Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net Office Manager Alycia O’Connor aoconnor@ilca.net ILCA 2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 472-2851 • Fax (630) 472-3150 www.ilca.net
Cantigny Park Wheaton, IL
Debbie Rauen Advertising Sales (817-501-2403) debbie.landscapecontractor@ yahoo.com
Contact Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net or visit ilca.net —
v Becke Davis Senior Writer treethyme@aol.com Patrice Peltier Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net Meta Levin Feature Writer meta.levin@comcast.net Panel Chairs Jim Fizzell jjfizz@aol.com Greg Pierceall pierceal@purdue.edu
4
Wednesday August 5, 2015
D OTY NURSERIES
We take Pride in Our Quality and Customer Service
dotynurseries.com
SHADE TREES • ORNAMENTALS • UPRIGHT CONIFERS Locally grown for over 25 years Ryan Doty sales@dotynurseries.com
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
P 630 365 9063 F 630 365 9081
45W121 Beith Road Maple Park, IL 60151
From Where I Stand... My first stint in the landscape industry began as
the neighborhood lawn boy. I had three “clients” in my neighborhood. I had a fourth client who never paid me, but gave me free room, board, and covered my college education so I can’t really complain. I knew absolutely nothing about horticulture, safety, or proper equipment maintenance but that didn’t stop me. Then again, that hasn’t stopped many upstarts in the industry. I mowed when it was hot and when it was raining. I edged anything that was taller than a dandelion. I sharpened my blade twice a decade. I mowed when the lawn was long, short, green, or brown. I look back at those days with a fond sense of nostalgia. Yet, at the time, I would lay on my couch dreading the next time I had to mow. However, the money was good. I parlayed my earnings into an expansive baseball card collection that, today, is worth less than the gum the cards came with. Then there were the lawn clippings. Ah yes, the lawn clippings. “Clippings” is a word that is fading from the American lawn boy lexicon. Ask any lawn boy and he will bristle at the mere thought of bagging lawn clippings. I remember walking up and down each row, I’d be one more row away from video games in a cool basement with an RC Cola, and then “plop,” a lump of wet grass would fall between my feet. “Maybe it was just stuck, I’ll press on,” I’d think to myself. Plop-plop-plop. Curses! Time to shut off the mower, retreat to my garage, grab a bag, remove the catcher, and that was when the fun started. Pouring lawn clippings into a brown paper bag was like filling a shot glass with a fire hose. Either they came out too fast and dumped a concentric circle around the bag or they got stuck in the bag and I had to remove them with a sweaty, green arm. Most of the time, right as I was about to drop them into the bag, a gust of wind would blow pushing the bag closed. The clippings would then rain down on top of the bag as the wind laughed at my misfortune. Nowadays, lawn boys have it easy. These super-fancy mulching mowers have made bagging clippings a thing of the past. In my day, I had to push my mower uphill both ways. My mower was pulled by a team of horses. My mower ran on steam. Mulching mowers are really a postmodern concept. For decades, mowers ran on man-power and bagging clippings was not an option. When gas powered mower became popular, many resulted in longer clippings that were unsightly on the lawn. The bag attachments caught the clippings and it was left up to the homeowner or landscaper to dispose of them. The clippings needed be caught, put into a dark bag, picked up by a large truck, driven to a remote location, buried, and holy water was poured on the ground just to ensure they would never be reborn. The primary driver of this return to mulching was the land-
scape industry. It is technically still possible for a company to sell the idea of bagging. I am sure a client would love to hear their manicured lawn will not have clumps or piles. They can sell the myth that thatch will grow. They can justify higher costs for the more labor intensive process. Yet, that is not what happened. The industry looked around and said bagging was dumb. It was wasteful, cost prohibitive, had no impact on the lawn, and dealing with trucks full of lawn clippings was becoming a major hassle. That culture change permeated into the homeowner market and you rarely see a neighborhood lawn boy cursing at a brown lawn clippings bag. So what is the point? The point is that landscape companies have the power to change any industry practice they wish to change. Think of all the various ways the landscape industry has evolved in the past ten years without any law, ordinance, or regulation stating they had to. Clippings, crew sizes, composting, fertilizers, IPM, de-icing, natives, container gardening, edibles, etc. are just a fraction of the changes the industry has voluntarily put on itself without anyone asking them to. The changes go viral and even the small mow-and-go, teetering on the distant edge of the industry, is using mushroom compost. It is natural to look externally for solutions to our problems. The second some tragedy hits, our minds immediately turn to what law could have been created or repealed to stop it. We look to governments, academia, scientists, and even non-profit associations like ILCA to fix problems. I can’t tell you how many times ILCA, who has no regulatory authority whatsoever, has been asked to solve a problem that only a regulatory authority can solve. ILCA is an informationbroker, not the police. Undercutting, employee poaching, theft, illegal contractors, price gouging, etc. are not issues ILCA can “solve.” We can educate and help, but we cannot bring perpetrators to justice. Ultimately, we must place our faith in agencies with regulatory power, sometimes they deliver, sometimes not. The fastest way to enact industry-wide change is to lead by example. Ok, I will pause here for the inevitable groan. Hear me out. The landscape industry, because of the size of the businesses and the network of suppliers can change incredibly quickly. There are advantages to an industry whose “average” sized business is $1.2 million in annual revenue. There are fewer and fewer layers to crack in order to get to the level who can best initiate change. In addition, a vast network of equipment, material, and nursery stock suppliers connect all landscape companies. On top of that, a white-collar network of lawyers. insurance brokers, and accountants understand the HR and business challenges. ILCA has the god’s eye view of this network. It’s alarming/relieving how quickly word spreads. It’s almost instantaneous.
Salvation Lies Within
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
5
From Where I Stand... Big or small, I think most companies think they exist in a vacuum. Companies believe their actions have very little impact on another company or the industry as a whole. I could not disagree more and I am probably one of the most qualified people in Illinois to talk about the connectedness of the landscape industry. People are always talking, whether about a specific landscape company or a “type” of landscape company. Landscape companies work outdoors, it is no wonder that their actions are transparent and obvious. There is nowhere to hide. This is my challenge to the green industry. Think of two things that the landscape industry does that are wasteful, anticompetitive, outdated, or simply dumb. It should take a business no longer than 60 seconds to think of them. I’ve stood around too many lift gates and supply houses to know better. Everyone always has a theory on how to “fix” the landscape industry. Ok, now for the second part. Either stop engaging in these practices or actively preach against these practices. Now for the biggest obstacle to this viral change - “but everyone does it.” This dovetails into the next most common excuse, “but then my company will be less competitive. If ILCA was your Mom, the response would be, “if all your friends jumped off the Willis Tower would you do it too?” The idea that the industry cannot change is not only incorrect, it defies decades of examples to the contrary. The landscape industry changes and evolves every year and most of that change is instigated by companies who are fed-up or adhere to unwritten codes of practice and ethics. I’ll close with the story of Ken Melrose. Ken Melrose took over TORO in 1983 when the company was hurdling towards bankruptcy. Melrose saw a disconnect between what his company said they believed about safety and how they treated safety complaints and lawsuits. TORO, like most businesses, had a culture of resistance towards lawsuits yet praised their employees for identifying safety issues and speaking up. It is common in corporate culture to strike back, hard and swift against lawsuits. The thinking was that any admission of guilt paves the way for more claims. Melrose grew tired of lawsuits - even the ones where he knew TORO was in the right. He knew conventional wisdom said capitulation would put him at a competitive disadvantage. However, the internal culture of TORO seemed to wilt the
second it was challenged externally. Melrose knew this corporate ethic was weak if it failed at the first sign of resistance. Melrose said “enough.” In 1991, he created the Alternate Dispute Resolution team. This was a team of lawyers, mediators, and engineers who would be dispatched when an injury claim was levied. The purpose of the ADR was to meet with the injured in his or her home, hear the complaint, apologize, work to remedy the situation, and move on with a beneficial solution - often financial. The engineer was specifically there to identify fixes to TORO equipment and those field findings led to dozens of safety improvements that made TORO equipment better. Melrose found most of the complaints legitimate but when injured users of the equipment saw TORO as an aggressive, nameless, faceless corporation, they dug in deeper. When TORO humanized the situation, and met with the aggrieved face to face, the number of lawsuits that went to court plummeted. This change led to TORO having hundreds of open lawsuits in court to one. One! Melrose story is important because TORO’s saw a disconnect between what it practiced and what it preached. In addition, he was in an extremely competitive marketplace where any weakness could spell disaster. This is the same business climate of the green industry. TORO is doing great these days. The change in practice, that was supposed to spell disaster for TORO, was a huge benefit and has been adopted by many other industries. The sky did not fall. The world did not end. The climate changed and it was one private company simply fixing what it did not like. It aligned what it believed and how it acted in the marketplace. Take 60 seconds. Ask yourself, “If I was king/queen, how would I make the landscape industry better?” The little secret is, you are the king/queen. Tiny ethical decisions have wide reaching impact in an industry this tight and connected. Implement the change, the next generation of lawn boys will thank you.
Scot Grams May 25, 2015
You’ll be proud to have us on your clients’ properties. From canopy to roots, caring for your trees isn’t something we just do, it’s our specialization, our area of expertise, our passion.
847.440.5344 • Tree and Shrub Pruning • Deep-Root Fertilization • Certified Arborists • Insect and Disease Management
6
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
President’s Message “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to President
Kevin Vancina Vancina Landscaping, Inc. (815) 726-2300 kvancina@sbcglobal.net
Vice-President
Rusty Maulding Nature’s View (815) 592-7582 rusty@naturesview.info
Secretary-Treasurer
Mike Schmechtig Schmechtig Landscape Company (847) 566-1233 mschmechtig@schmechtiglandscapes.com
Immediate Past President Charlie Keppel The Care of Trees (847) 382-4120 ckeppel@thecareoftrees.com
Directors Mark Breier National Seed Co. (630) 963-8787 mark.breier@natseed.com Lisa Fiore Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply (847) 913-1414 lisa@cjfiore.com Jose Garcia Natural Creations Landscaping, Inc. (815) 724-0991 info@naturalcreationslandscaping.com Lisa Fiore Kositzki Don Fiore Company, Inc. (847) 234-0020 lfiore@donfiore.com Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net Tom Lupfer Lupfer Landscaping (708) 352-2765 tom@lupferlandscaping.com Maureen Scheitz Acres Group (847) 526-4554 maureen.scheitz@acresgroup.com Donna Vignocchi Zych ILT Vignocchi, Inc. (847) 487-5200 dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com
climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Some say this quote was by Albert Einstein, but regardless of who said it, I like it, and find it to have profound meaning. We are all gifted in our own way. We all have our own special genius that is meant to be shared. Through my years of being involved with ILCA, this has been proven true for me time and time again. It’s hard to believe that my term as President of ILCA is coming to a close and that this is my last president’s message. For the last twelve months, writing my message has been a blessing and a curse. I’m certainly no Mike Royko, but I hope that those of you who have read my columns were able to find a them entertaining or helpful in some way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that makes ILCA such a great organization. That begins with the our Executive Director, Scott Grams. and our office staff — Julie Nicoll, Terre Houte, and Alycia O’Conner. I also want to thank Rick Reuland and his staff, for the great job they do publishing The Landscape Contractor magazine month after month, year after year. I want to thank our Board of Directors. I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from your own bits of genius; I have gained so much from all of you. I can assure everyone that our membership is in good hands for years to come. I also want to thank the members of all of our committees. You are the lifeblood of ILCA, and are what makes each and every program happen. You make the vision of the Board a reality. Thank you all for your time and talent in helping to build the professionalism of our association and industry. Last, but not least, I thank our members. I recognize not everyone is able to make the time commitment to be on the board or volunteer for committees. It’s the members who attend our programs and use what they learn to become better landscape professionals. These members share that knowledge with each and every customer. They prove everyday why people should hire educated, competent, and dedicated landscape contractors. Yes, it has been a great year, ILCA! Our education programs are attracting a more diverse audience, thanks to IL-ASLA approving many of our programs for CEU’s. This year’s Summer Field Day is sure to be a great experience at Cantigny Gardens. We are happy to once again be able to offer our Landscape Industry Certification (LIC) test on two dates this year. This year, applicants will take the full test in August, and complete any retake tests for missed problems in October. This allows them to achieve certification in any one year. I’m proud to leave office knowing Certification is coming back. It’s a program I’ve dedicated years to improving. I believe strongly that raising the bar for the next generation is our duty and honor. So, for the last time, I will sign off. It has been an honor to serve as your president. Best regards,
Kevin Vancina May 25, 2015
www.ilca.net
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
7
Premier Landscape Contractors, Inc. • Winnetka Residence Lemont
The construction
of this project presented many challenges. Most notably, the logistics and sequencing of large materials for this one acre site on Sheridan Road. Trees were dug, sited, and craned into their final locations prior to establishing the hardscape framework. A series of spot elevations were staked, offering a guide for foundation heights that would be used to create the walls and staircases needed to retain the undulating topography of the site. Various lengths of limestone were laid in a linear pattern to construct the pavement and curbing of the entrance driveway. Adorned with gas lanterns, stucco veneered walls were erected to create separation from the road and provide a grand sense of entry. The transition between driveway and entrance courtyard is highlighted with a material change from limestone to clay pav-
ers. The bent grass courtyard is bound by a limestone curbing, for three large honeylocusts that were craned into place. The front stoop uses reclaimed clay roof tiles to create a distinctly unique step riser covered with bullnosed limestone coping that softens the front entrance of the home. A simple plant pallet of green and white includes clean evergreen hedges, a variety of soft textured perennials and annuals, and a layered parterre rose garden that joins house to garage. Pool terrace entrances are flanked with brick masonry walls. Clay pavers are set into place, each one individually cut thin for installation over the pool cover drain basin. Globe boxwoods are installed at various sizes, creating textural mounds opposing the particularly staccato nature of the hornbeam privacy hedge at the opposite end.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
9
Focus — Thinking About New Equipment
Are You Thinking About New Equipment? By Patrice Peltier
When third generation Iowa nurseryman
Dwight Hughes Jr. looked ahead to his future in the industry, he thought there just had to be a better way to do the work more efficiently — and more profitably — than his father and grandfather did. And he found it. Before he even graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in ornamental horticulture and landscape architecture, Hughes had developed a 10-year business plan and was already designing equipment to help him do more work with fewer employees. “I’m a big believer in engines, levers, pulleys and power equipment,” Hughes says. “A person’s body gets tired and their productivity goes down, but if you’re using equipment, you can maintain a high level of productivity throughout the work day.” What’s more, equipment doesn’t have an insurance plan, participate in a retirement or profit-sharing program, or collect unemployment—all reasons why promoting productivity is a better strategy than adding payroll, he notes. Applying industrial engineering and time management con-
10
cepts to the 40-acre nursery and landscape contracting business he started in 1978, Hughes has achieved enviable success. Consider these facts: • Each of the company’s five, full-time employees can produce $125,000 to $150,000 of landscape business working 50-60 hours a week, nine months of the year. • Using Hughes’s systems, these same cross-trained employees can plant 2,000 tree liners in a 10-hour day. They can unload a semi full of plants in three hours or install a 2-inch B&B tree at a landscape site in 12-15 minutes. “We can install 30 trees at five different sites and be back to the office by noon,” Hughes says. Mechanization is at the heart of his business. “Everybody loves to talk about volume of business; I’d just as soon measure a company by its wheels per person,” Hughes wrote in his book, Systems for Success, in 1996. At that time, the count was 35 wheels per person on the crew. (continued on page 12)
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
JET BLACK
POLYMERIC SAND Request your color sample at Aspen Valley locations
OLOR NEW RC2015 FO
NEVADA TAN
OXFORD GREY
IVORY
JET BLACK
32째F
WILL NOT HAZE! You could find these fine products at: Elgin 2525 Higgins Rd, Elgin, IL 60123 847-426-0072 Homer Glen 13148 W. 159th St., Homer Glen, IL 60491 708-301-0703 Park City 600 S. Chestnut Avenue, Park City, IL 60085 847-623-6022 Romeoville Mulch Center, Romeoville, IL 60446 708-522-6046
polybind.com
711 S Material Road, Romeoville, IL 800-762-5738 * 815-836-0086 RocksEtc@ATT.net
(continued from page 10) Since then, those numbers have mushroomed. “We just keep adding equipment. Our wheels per person has dramatically increased. I don’t even count any more because it makes people nervous,” Hughes says. As he makes presentations across the country, people are impressed with his descriptions of his equipment and his various mechanized systems, but they balk at what they imagine is the expense of it all. “People don’t understand that it actually costs you less,” Hughes explains. “Equipment is a onetime cost that can reduce your labor costs dramatically.” He points to a piece of equipment he calls the “Tree Boss” as an example. “This is a robotic, hydraulic, one-person, treehandling system,” Hughes explains. With this equipment, a single person can pick up a tree and lift in on or off a trailer. One employee can unload 80, 6-foot evergreens from a supplier’s trailer in an hour, then position them at the planting site or in a holding area without ever touching them, Hughes says. “That one piece of equipment allowed us to double our volume of trees without increasing labor at all,” he notes, esti-
THE 2015 LANDSCAPING SEASON IS UPON US! PLACE YOUR ORDER SOON TO SECURE YOUR SPOT ON OUR DELIVERY SCHEDULE.
18715 Route 84 N * Cordova, IL 800-736-1356 * 309-654-2261 Sales@XylemLtd.com
12
mating that most companies with any volume at all find this equipment pays for itself in half a season. Always on the lookout for ways to modify systems, organize equipment and materials, and improve efficiency, Hughes has borrowed ideas from other industries. For instance, he added a grain-metering gate to a 2-ton dump truck used to carry 500 to 600 tons of rock mulch a year. Instead of shoveling rock into wheelbarrows, the chute allows the rock to be poured into wheelbarrows, saving on muscle-power. Typical of Hughes’ well-conceived materials-handling systems, when not in use the chute is stored in a box welded to the side of the truck. Having a safe, designated storage space is one reason Hughes says the company is able to use the same chute for as much as 15 years. Also typical of Hughes’ approach are the wheel barrows the crew uses. They weigh 27 pounds—a lot lighter than the 70-80 pound equipment Hughes grew up using. “And that’s how much the equipment weighs empty,” Hughes notes. (continued on page 14)
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
L O N G S H A D OW
速
. COM
Hand crafted in Southern Illinois by Classic Garden Ornaments, Ltd. 速
Focus — Thinking About New
(continued from page 12) “Think about how you’d feel after spending eight hours pushing a loaded wheelbarrow.” Speaking of wheelbarrows, Hughes wanted to mechanize the job of removing unwanted soil and sod generated during landscape tree installation. First, he modified a Case 1818 Skid-Steer loader to include no-tread tires and an enlarged bucket with a 6 cubic foot capacity. Later, he discovered an existing piece of equipment, a Power Trac 1430, originally designed for the coal mining industry. The Power Trac has an 18 cubic foot bucket, a lower center of gravity for operator safety and faster ground speed. Fitted with turf tires, the equipment’s articulation eliminates almost all damage to existing lawns, according to Hughes. “This equipment is uniquely suited to our particular needs in planting trees,” he says. Watching a small trailer guide a jet out of the gate at the airport, Hughes got an idea for creating a nursery trailer that would turn on a dime, making it handy for moving plants around the nursery. He noticed the airport trailer’s tongue was attached to two front wheels, giving it superior maneuverability. Dwight 14
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
designed a system suitable for his nursery trailers and had it custom built. Since then, Hughes has added quick hitches mounted to an A-frame on the company’s tractors so the driver doesn’t have to get on and off to hook and unhook the trailer. The A-frame moves up and down with the tractor’s hydraulics, allowing the driver to back up, adjust the height and hook up automatically. By the way, Hughes is an advocate of buying trailers—instead of trucks— whenever possible. They’re more economical than trucks to purchase and to operate—particularly aluminum trailers, he says. An articulated backhoe/loader is one of the most important workhorses in Hughes’ fleet. He says the backhoe, with special turf tires, is a versatile piece of equipment that replaces three to four people in the landscape process. A home-made sod skimmer fits on the backhoe bucket with two bolts, allowing the crew to remove sod easily. A forklift attachment can be used to move palletized material to the site. The backhoe is used to grub out old root systems, while the oversized loader bucket (continued on page 16)
2016 IN THE FIELD DESIGN TOUR
In the Field Design Tour CALL FOR ENTRIES
Deadline for Submissions: July 1, 2015 Tour Date: July 14, 2016
SUBMIT A SITE FOR ILCA’S 2016 DESIGN TOUR
REMEMBER
In the Field Design Tour
In the Field 2016 is an all-‐day learning field trip that will concentrate on six successfully executed sites that offer important educational viewpoints in design, engineering, construction and maintenance.
At each of the six tour stops, designers will be on hand to discuss various features of the site. These sites have been handpicked from dozens of projects. They will provide an injection of inspiration and a new perspective on the design process.
Site should be able to handle an all day tour with as many as 100 participants on the site at one time (or two groups of 50). Submitting company should be available to prepare the site for show the day before the tour. Project designer and contractors involved should be available to present both the educational and technical aspects relevant to the site. If the site is chosen, the participating firm will be asked to prepare a short description that will be part of the printed program along with photos of the site.
Deadline for submissions is July 1, 2015
Submission Process Electronic submission is the only format that will be accepted.
Selection Criteria Site should be in a 5 mile radius surrounding Hinsdale, IL. This includes: Burr Ridge, Countryside, Darien, Hinsdale, La Grange, Oak Brook, Westchester, Western Springs, and Westmont.
Submit up to five digital photos of the project.
Site should be pre-‐approved by the property owner prior to submittal.
Photo submissions and a landscape plan (if available) can be done via the Dropbox site.
Email the submission form to information@ilca.net. The submission form is available on the ILCA website ilca.net/design/design_tour.aspx.
In the Field has been conducted in 2010 and 2014. Each tour has been sold out and hosted more than 100 landscape industry professionals.
Submission does not guarantee acceptance.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
15
Focus — Thinking About New Equipment (continued from page 14) can haul two B&B trees at a time, move soil or mulch to the planting site and carry debris to the hydraulic dump trailer. The backhoe/loader is also used to dig almost every hole used to install the nursery’s two-inch trees, a task it can do in 1.5 to 2 minutes, Hughes says. “I believe in saving seconds, and with this setup, there is no switching between pieces of equipment or changing attachments,” Hughes explains in his book. “As soon as we dig a hole, we turn right around with the same equipment and pick something up.” A more recent addition is the wedge trailer. This piece of equipment ties everything together. It hauls two articulated tractors with oversized buckets, a 5-fork tiller, three augers, a stump grinder, power tools and a forklift. “All that equipment goes with us to every job,” Hughes explains. “The wedge trailer is a tool box; it carries all the hand and power tools needed to help us accomplish whatever the task is.” Everything is organized for efficiency. Boxes are mounted on the underbodies of trucks and trailers to carry tools, tarps and supplies. Under-frame racks carry edging, spare tires, coils of hose and other supplies that are relatively flat.
16
Tubes mounted on the sides of vehicles carry rolled weed barrier or poly. On the trucks, in the space where the box meets the chassis, Hughes installed trays to store rakes. A special compartment carries shovels and hand tools. There’s even a rack to hold standardized lunch coolers and the water cooler, complete with a dispenser for paper cups as well as cup holders. At the end of the job, Hughes wants all the tools cleaned and polished. In the beginning, the crew accomplished this with putty knives and steel brushes. Ever the innovator, Hughes spent $100 on a power inverter so that a hand grinder with a buffing wheel could be run off the truck’s battery. After power washing, one person can clean and buff the crew’s tools in five minutes before the employees ever leave the job site, according to Hughes. What motivates Hughes isn’t creating an ever-bigger business. His goal always has been to provide a good living for his family, a safe, pleasant and respectful work environment where employees can earn a good income along with health care, retirement and profit sharing benefits, and his largely residential customers can receive high quality green goods installed with excel-
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
lent customer service. Today, the family business is run by sons Tom and John. “They ARE the business; I’m just their helper,” Hughes says. (His wife, Debby, has run the office from the start. Dwight spends much of his time speaking and consulting with other businesses. He’s baffled by how resistant many in the green industry are to his message of productivity through mechanization. “People can’t see how they can save on labor costs by using equipment,” he says. That’s a problem for the industry because finding, training and retaining labor are among the industry’s biggest challenges, ones that look to become more problematic in the future. The green industry has changed immeasurably since Hughes’s grandfather opened a nursery in 1908, and Hughes believes it still has plenty of room for growth. “Too often in the green industry, the spark of innovation is stifled by the pressure of daily operating concern,” Hughes writes. But it doesn’t have to be so. He encourages colleagues to continually analyze, evaluate and tweak. “Look at everything you do,” he says, “and ask yourself ‘Is there a better way to do this work.’”
About Dwight Hughes Nursery & Landscaping Dwight Hughes Jr. started his Cedar Rapids, Iowa nursery and landscape business in 1978. “I left the security of a family nursery business because I was looking for the opportunity to try new ideas,” he writes. “I wanted to do things differently, and perhaps more efficiently, than Dad and Grandpa did.” Although he was always interested in mechanizing to improve profitability, he started with a pickup truck and some 60-pound wheelbarrows. “I physically moved a lot of plants and shoved a lot of soil and sod onto and off of trailers,” he writes. Today, the 40-acre nursery is run
Premium Hardwood Mulch Classic Mulch Color Enhanced Mulches Southern Shredded Bark Safe T Mat Engineered Wood Fiber (Playground Mulch) • Screened Compost
• • • • •
by sons Tom and John who, along with their sister Judy, grew up in the business. The nursery grows 2-inch B&B trees plus a variety of containerized woody plants. The nursery stock is grown exclusively for use in the company’s landscape installation business. He doesn’t recommend that landscape contractors be in the nursery business, “but it works for us,” he says. On the landscape side, the company installs landscapes—primarily green goods—on residential and small commercial projects within a 20-mile radius of Cedar Rapids. They don’t deal with turf, and they don’t build hardscapes. Hughes has made it a point to stay in a well-defined niche providing only a standardized list of plant materials and sizes which allows him to streamline both nursery production and landscape installation. For more information, contact Dwight Hughes Jr. at 319-396-7038 and www.hughesnursery.com.
• Mushroom Compost • Sand & Gravel • Top Soil • Leaf Mulch • Pine Fines • Planting Bed Mix
Contract Grinding and Screening • Volume Discounts Pick-up or Delivery Available
847-459-7200
21457 Milwaukee Avenue • Deerfield 3100 North Skokie Highway • Lake Bluff 27601 W. Sullivan Lake Road • Volo www.mulchcenter.com The Landscape Contractor June 2015
17
Special Report— Equipment Theft
A Cautionary Tale of Theft and Recovery By Patrice Peltier
Engrave your company name on all
your equipment — multiple times. That’s the advice Vince Winkler of Winkler’s Tree & Landscaping, Inc. gives his fellow contractors. He speaks from experience. In January, one of Winkler’s crews was working on a job for the Village of Wilmette. The crew left their truck parked next to the public works garage for the night. “I should have taken the equipment out, but I figured ‘Who would be brazen enough to tamper with it?’”, Winkler recalls. “I’ll never do that again. I learned an expensive lesson.” Thieves cut the locks off the tool boxes and emptied them. Winkler lost a number of expensive chain saws. “I don’t know why anybody would steal one of my hand tools, because my company name is all over them,” Winkler says. That was a Thursday. On Sunday, Winkler received a call from a fellow arborist, someone he didn’t even know. The arborist was at the Swap-A-Rama on Ashland Avenue where he’d seen chain saws with Winkler’s name on them. Winkler went right over. “It looked like the Disneyland of landscape equipment. There was so much there. There were thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars of equipment there—all professional stuff. “He had chainsaws with 48” bars on them. The only person who has a 48” bar on a chainsaw is a professional. This guy had 10-15 backpack blowers, the kind that cost $500$600 apiece. Judging by this guy’s truck, one of them would have paid for it,” Winkler recalls. Some of the chainsaws had “Winkler Tree Service” engraved on it. Winkler picked them up and started walking away. When the vendor claimed the saws were legitimately 18
his, Winkler said, “Ok. Let’s call the police.” Winkler did call the police, although the vendor took off. He also called a Highland Park landscape contractor whose equipment he’d seen in the vendor’s booth. Winkler wasn’t able to recover all his stolen equipment that Sunday. Now he spends some weekends visiting other flea markets searching for the rest of his missing equipment. “I suggest that anybody who’s had equipment stolen should go to these flea markets,” he recommends. He also recommends engraving equipment—even though it didn’t deter the thieves from stealing it. Otherwise, he says, all you have is the serial number. A serial number is harder for you—and your fellow contractors--to spot. “These guys are pretty brazen,” he notes. “My equipment was stolen on a Thursday. Two days later, it’s gone from Wilmette to Chicago.” In the meantime, Winkler is offering an incentive for people to keep an eye out for his stolen chainsaws. “I will pay a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of this guy and the recovery of my saws,” he says.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
Plans are already underway for the 2016 edition of ILCA’s Green Industry Guide I L C A G r e e n I n d u s t r y G u i d e 2 0 1 5
ox 91 • Kaneville, IL 60144-0091
Contact Debbie Rauen for advertising information
11/11/14 11:05 AM
debbie.landscapecontractor@yahoo.com The Landscape Contractor June 2015
19
Perennials in
f cus
S N A P S H O T S
Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’ | Orange Meadowbrite Coneflower Successes and possible drawbacks—how to overcome them Not a good plant when planted by itself, since it needs other plants to lean on for support. Cutting the plant back once before it blooms may encourage development of a sturdier compact habit. Orange bloom is magnificent and provides a continuous show as it fades from orange to pale pink. Notes from growers/retailers ‘Art’s Pride’ was the first orange-flowered coneflower in the market introduced via the Chicagoland Grows® plant introduction program. The flower color is appealing to gardeners and will sell if in bloom at the garden center.
Flower description / bloom time ‘Art’s Pride’ features beautiful orange coneflowers, 3-4 inches across, that fade to pale pink over time. Few flowers on each plant, yet they have a sweet subtle fragrance, and make great cut flowers. It blooms from late June through early August, with intermittent flowers into early fall. Foliage interest—color/texture While the grass-green, lanceolate leaves of ‘Art’s Pride’ are not a significant ornamental feature, they are healthy all summer. The basal leaves are not densely produced. Habit and growth rate observations Due to somewhat spindly habits, plants work best when planted next to other perennials or grasses that help support the weak stems. ‘Art’s Pride’ is a slow grower, 36 inches tall and 24 inches wide after three seasons. Only 11 of 38 plants trialed survived over winter (a 29% survival rate). Site preference—soil & light Grows best in full sun and well-drained soils. Supplemental watering is needed, especially during establishment. Amending soil with compost is beneficial.
Best combinations Combines well with a variety of perennials and grasses including Liatris, Aster, Rudbeckia, Sporobolus, Pervoskia, Sessleria, Heliopsis, Helianthus, Sedum, Pennisetum. Parting “SHOT”—the overall evaluation results were Fair Stunning orange blooms are a stand out in the garden and contrast well with the yellow and purple blossoms of other perennials. ‘Art’s Pride’ needs the support of adjacent perennials or grasses to prevent it from falling over. The vigor and hardiness is questionable, as a large percentage of our trials did not overwinter very well. Evaluated 2005-2007
Perennials in
f cus
S N A P S H O T S
Geranium ‘Jolly Bee’ | Jolly Bee Geranium Flower description / bloom time Jolly Bee features lavender blue flowers with white centers and dark veins; the round, flat flowers are 1¾ inches in diameter. Jolly Bee blooms from June through September (and even beyond). Foliage interest — color / texture Deeply cut, medium green leaves are typical of hardy geraniums. Foliage did not attract much comment either positive or negative, however, foliage provides a nice backdrop for flowers and does not show any tendencies toward insect or fungal problems. However, unlike many members of this genus, there was very little fall color reported.
Notes from growers / retailers Liner availability is somewhat limited. Several growers decided to grow this geranium over other geraniums previously mentioned because it is more vigorous. Bare root plants potted in April can be ready in mid-May. However, another grower states that it is slow from a 2-inch plug and may need five to six weeks to get to the edge of the pot. All mentioned that pruning is helpful to keep the plant compact. Best combinations Jolly Bee looks sensational paired with yellow flowering perennials such as Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’. Alternatively, you could draw out the lavender tones in Jolly Bee by planting it with deep purple foliage such as Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’ or a plum-colored coleus. Parting “SHOT” — the overall evaluation results were Good With its long bloom time, good blue flowers, and healthy foliage, Geranium ‘Jolly Bee’ makes quite a statement in the garden and was rated as Good. Additional Notes: If you are trying to sort out the differences between the various hardy geraniums on the market, the following observations may help:
Habit and growth rate observations Make room in the garden for Jolly Bee as its mounding and sprawling habit can easily spread 24 to 30 inches across and reach 15 to 20 inches tall. Very little maintenance is required beyond a little tidying up of the foliage during the summer to keep the plant in bounds. One evaluator describes this vigorous habit as giving a casual flavor to the garden. Rabbits did not appear to favor this plant! Site preference — soil / light Jolly Bee is adaptable but evaluators had the best success in sites with sun to part shade. Protection from late afternoon sun is beneficial while too much shade results in poor flowering and form. Soil should be moist but well draining. Successes and possible drawbacks — how to overcome them Across the board our evaluators were impressed with the long period of bloom. You do not have to wait to see results. This plant puts on good growth the first year. A little light trimming in summer may be needed to keep Jolly Bee in bounds.
• Geranium ‘Jolly Bee’ holds up through the season better then ‘Johnson’s Blue’ and ‘Brookside’. These geraniums usually finish flowering and need a hard cut back by the end of June or early July to rejuvenate the foliage. • Geranium ‘Buxton’s Blue’, Rozanne (‘Gerwat’) and ‘Jolly Bee’ are similar in habit and repeat bloom into October. The flowers of ‘Jolly Bee’, while a bit larger, are not as blue in color as ‘Buxton’s Blue’. Both Rozanne and ‘Jolly Bee’ appeared to have more magenta tones. • One evaluator was surprised that no one said that it was almost impossible to tell Rozanne and ‘Jolly Bee’ apart!
Evaluated 2003-2006
It Happened at iLandscape
Labor Pains: Labor Recruitment and Retention In an Employee-driven Market
22
By Meta L. Levin
Lauren Soderstrom, PHR does not have
good memories of one of her first jobs. Just a youngster, she was hired to pierce ears in a mall store near her home. She got little training and no support. It was a nightmare. Conversely, her first job out of college was terrific. It was an entry level position for which she received ample training and was part of a high performance team, full of talented and energetic people. Her manager was supportive, made her expectations clear and “was empowering,” she says. “She told me that she would push me beyond my comfort zone, but she would be there if I failed.” What a difference. Now certified as a professional in human resources and a training and organizational development specialist for the Management Association, she brought her knowledge to iLandscape, helping attendees navigate the best ways to hire and keep employees during, “Labor Pains: Labor Recruitment and Retention in an Employee-driven Market.” “It was a wonderful group,” she says. The Management Association is a 117 year old not-forprofit organization, providing human resources (HR) education, an HR hotline, legal services, compensation resources and surveys for its more than 1000 member organizations. Starting from the beginning, Soderstrom walked the iLandscape participants through the steps necessary before even advertising a job opening, all the way through what to do in the first days of a person’s employment to set the tone and retain good employees. Know what you want. Soderstrom recommends identifying what you want the job to look like and writing a list of necessary skills, as well as those that are transferrable. Transferrable skills mean those that were used in a different type of job, but also can be used in the open position. “Take a moment to be strategic,” she says. It’s not enough to look at what responsibilities the person who formerly did the job had. Things change and jobs change along with them. That should be reflected in your job descriptions. There is more to hiring than just finding someone who has the requisite skills. It all starts with defining the “right fit” for your organization. Companies have a culture, something most of us know, but, Soderstrom noted, it needs to be defined and recognized as an important part of the recruiting effort. (continued on page 20)
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
It Happened at iLandscape (continued from page 18) Soderstrom compared it to an online dating strategy in which a person sets up a profile featuring his or her personality, interests and what he or she is seeking. “Organizations should do the same,” says Soderstrom. “Reflect your culture, your organization.” In order to do this, there should be a clear mission and values statement. For instance, Soderstrom once worked for a company that valued integrity, ingenuity, sustainability, urgency and humility. While looking for someone to fill an instructional designer position, they interviewed a candidate who looked good on paper. When they asked her how she would go about designing a course, she explained how she would conduct a needs analysis, meet with the manager, put together a draft of the outline, design a pilot and implement. It was a great answer, but for an organization that valued urgency, completely wrong. “We had to move to quickly,” says Soderstrom. “We had a motto: 80 percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing.” The candidate would be frustrated working for Soderstrom’s organization and they would have had problems with her. It’s important to find ways to reflect
Chicagoland’s on-site Fleet Maintenance and Vehicle Repair
773-447-4000
Meet Mobile Lube Express, Inc. We are a comprehensive, full-service professional vehicle repair and maintenance company that comes, to your business, at your convenience, to make sure your fleet is running smoothly. There is absolutely nothing you need to do. We provide all the necessary supplies, work thoroughly at your location maintaining a clean work environment, and dispose of the waste oil at no additional charge to you.
www.oilmycar.com
• On-site DOT Inspections • On-site Mechanics Staffing • On-site Powerwashing 24
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
the company culture when advertising the job opening or during the interview, so that people have a clear understanding and can self-select out. For instance, Soderstrom cited the example of a company who needed stock picker for a job that was in a freezer. They conducted job interviews in the freezer, after supplying protective clothing, of course. It got the point across. “It answered the question: what is it going to be like to work there,” says Soderstrom. “Find a way to get across things that may be deal breakers. You can frame it positively, but put it out there.” During the interview process, Soderstrom emphasizes that not only does the interviewer have to share critical information about the job, but find a way to get the candidate to talk about him or herself, work habits and job history. “The best predictor of future performance is past behavior,” she says. She cautions that when someone asks a hypothetical question, the answerer’s mind goes into “creative mode.” Asking about how a person actually handled a situation is not a fool proof method, but she believes that it does elicit a more accurate indication of how the person will actually perform. There also is value in probing to get specific details.
There is a formula to asking behavior based questions: “Tell about a time when you…” Soderstrom believes that it is difficult to make up things that happened in the past. Once you have asked the question, look for the interviewee to talk about action, background and results. When asking follow up questions, Soderstrom suggests that interviewers focus on five areas: • • • • •
Probe for current, work examples Probe for contrary evidence Clarify actions and outcomes Return to the target of the question Follow verbal and non-verbal leads (in other words, listen to the answers and watch the candidate for telling non-verbal cues) Once you’ve hired someone, the first three months are critical and that includes the period before the person actually starts. Before the new hire begins, Soderstrom recommends, “Keep wooing; do not ignore (the new employee). Open the lines of communication with them.” At the same time prepare for their arrival by making sure all the physical arrangements are ready, such as the most mundane – a place to sit, as well as any
technology needed to do the job and don’t forget to let other staff know about the new hire, so that they are prepared. Once the new person arrives, “Create a welcoming environment,” Soderstrom says. Clear time in your own schedule to take the new employee out to lunch. Pace the amount of information you provide, so that he or she is not overwhelmed. Prepare some structured activities. “The first few days can be overwhelming,” she says. “Give the new employee some specific tasks to do, so that they can feel productive and start getting their feet wet.” These can include shadowing another employee doing a similar job, learning to use equipment and meeting with other employees. During the first three months, Soderstrom suggests making sure that you define expectations and measures of success; indicate resources and provide training; ask about their insights and measure and assess responses. Soderstrom emphasizes that it is important to align all of these suggestions with an organization’s culture and structure. It is imperative to match the candidate with the right job in the right place and insure that they feel welcome and valued.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
25
Special Report — LA License Renewal
Meet Larry by Scott Grams
Meet Larry.
Larry is a Licensed Landscape Architect in the State of Illinois. Larry’s license renewal is right around the corner. This handy guide will give Larry all the information he needs to know in order to make his renewal painless and carefree. Thankfully, Larry and his LA friends have a friend down in Springfield. ILCA has been in contact with Diane Green who is the Board Liaison for Landscape Architecture with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Diane will be overseeing the renewal process for LAs just like Larry. This is a big year for LAs because of the new continuing education (CE) requirements.
Let’s start with Larry’s CEs.
If Larry has any questions about eligible CE programs he can start here: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/ admincode/068/068012750000650R.html This site is maintained by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR). JCAR is a bipartisan oversight committee that makes sure agencies, professionals, and even the public, understands the State of Illinois’ rules and regulations.
Larry stopped by JCAR’s website. Let’s go over what he learned:
Landscape Architects must earn 24 credit hours of continuing education (CE) relevant to landscape architecture every 24 months. 20 credits may be structured and 4 credits may be unstructured.
26
Structured Educational Activities (minimum of 20 hours) include: 1. CLARB and American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) endorsed seminars. 2. Seminars endorsed by professional organizations related to landscape architecture - just like Larry’s friends at the ILCA! 3. Courses offered by a college or university related to landscape architecture. a. Per Credit hour (Quarter system): 10 CEs; b. Per Credit hour (Semester system): 15 CEs. 4. Self-study courses presented by correspondence, internet, television, video or audio, ending with an examination or other verification process. The CE credit acquired for this activity shall be as recommended by the program sponsor. Unstructured Credit Hours (maximum of 4 hours) include: 1. Teaching or instructing a course or seminar related to landscape architecture for the first time only. 2. 3.
Authoring papers or articles related to landscape architecture that appear in nationally circulated publications, journals or trade magazines or presented to a university, professional society or organization. Active participation on a committee or holding an office in a professional or technical society related to landscape architecture - just like Larry’s friends at the ILCA!
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
How long does Larry need to maintain his records?
Larry now knows he must maintain his CE records for four years. Larry does not need to submit these records to the Department unless he’s audited or tardy in his renewal.
Larry can be late every now and then. What happens if Larry is late this time?
It’s important that Larry remembers that he needs to renew by 8/31/2015. If Larry does not renew by 8/31/2015, he will be required to provide proof of his CEs and pay additional late fees.
What if someone cannot earn their CEs due to extenuating circumstances?
Larry has a friend, Mary. Mary had a host of medical issues that came up during her renewal period. Mary did not obtain the requisite number of CEs in the 24 month period. Now, Mary must request a waiver of the CE requirements. These hardship waivers are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Information about the waiver process can be found on JCAR’s website.
Uh-oh, it’s midsummer, Larry still has not received anything from the State of Illinois. What does he do now?
If Larry does not receive his renewal form/post card it is most likely because IDFPR does not have the correct address for Larry. Larry must change his address online at: https:// www.idfpr.com/applications/LicenseReprint/ If Larry wants to be proactive, here is a link to the State of Illinois’ license lookup to verify a current address:https:// ilesonline.idfpr.illinois.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx If Larry does not receive his renewal postcard form by June 15, 2015, Larry can contact Diane Green via email (Diane.Green@illinois.gov). Please do not call.
This was a lot to learn for Larry. Is all of this information centralized in one place?
Thankfully, yes. Here is the link to the Landscape Architect website maintained by the IFDPR. http://www.idfpr. com/profs/info/LandScapeArch.aspx That’s it Larry. Great job and congratulations on your license renewal.
Alright, Larry’s on a role. He has his 24 CEs, now what happens?
Larry can expect his renewal form around June 1, 2015. At that time, Larry can renew by mail or online. Larry must renew by 8/31/2015. If Larry does not renew by 8/31/2015, Larry will be required to provide proof of his CEs and pay additional late fees. When the renewals go out to LAs just like Larry, they can renew at the link below: https://www.idfpr.com/Renewals/ defaultSSL.asp Larry will need his license number coupled with a PIN, Social Security Number, or Date of Birth. The Landscape Contractor June 2015
27
It Happened at iLandscape by Patrice Peltier
“It isn’t hard to design a garden that looks
good in May or June. The challenge — one that should be welcomed by professionals — is to create a garden that’s of interest in the dead of winter,” says Galen Gates of Gates Landscape Garden Design. Considering we live in a place that arguably has five months of winter, that’s a lot of time to fill with something pleasing to see outdoors. Gates gave iLandscape attendees plenty of information on how to do just exactly that during his presentation, “Four Seasons of Beauty in Chicago (Really!).” “The bones of the garden become very important — the hard surfaces, structural components, ornamental grasses and woody plants,” he explains. Evergreens, obviously, provide color and form throughout the year, but deciduous plants can, too, if chosen for their interesting bark and/or striking growth habit, Gates says. Formerly Director of Plant Collections at the Chicago Botanic Garden, consulting as Gates Landscape Design as well as an Associate Professor in the Illinois Institute of Technology’s graduate program for landscape architecture, Gates provided a handful of plants for every month. “One of my goals was to provide a palette of plants that could go in any landscape and look good all year,” he explains. He chose plants that are relatively easy to grow and have few insect or disease problems. Here, The Landscape Contractor shares Gates’ comments on one plant for each month along with his complete plant list.
28
Four Seasons – JANUARY –
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’
Growing 18-24 inches tall, little bluestem is a native grass that will fit in any garden, big or small, according to Gates. The plant grows in full sun to a half-day shade and likes good drainage. Little bluestem provides structure in the garden yearround and great bronze-orange fall foliage color. In August, purplish-bronze flowers rise above the foliage, maturing to fluffy, silvery-white seed heads that persist into winter. Gates likes ‘The Blues’ for its blue foliage and ‘Smoke Signal’ for its darker red fall color and the fact that it doesn’t flop in rich soil. “If you’re new to this and considering using a grass, little bluestem is a good grass to grow,” he says.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
of Beauty in Chicago – FEBRUARY –
Carpinus caroliniana Musclewood
This native tree, Carpinus caroliniana, should be grown more, according to Gates. “It’s easy to grow, has nice, gray, sinewy bark and great fall color. Unfortunately, too many gardeners aren’t aware of it,” he says. Although sugar maples are commonly prized for their fall color, these trees are too big to use on many properties, Gates says. Musclewood provides the same kind of yellow, orange and red fall display in a more intermediate size—20-35 feet with a similar spread. Gates particularly likes Firespire®(Carpinus caroliniana ‘J.N. Upright’). “It’s a nice, upright selection,” he says, adding with a chuckle, “Plants with smaller footprints are always good because then you can use more different kinds of plants.”
Hellebore
– MARCH –
Most plants bloom three weeks — if you’re lucky — but hellebores will give you several months of color early in the year when flowers are so welcome,” Gates says. Planted under witch hazel (Hamamelis ‘Arnold Promise’), the combination provides 6-8 weeks of blooms. Some of the new introductions such as the Winter Thriller™ Series and ‘Ivory Prince’ “are remarkable in their range of color, leaf form and flower,” Gates says. Hellebores’ semi-evergreen, glossy foliage is a plus, too. In a small garden, Gates recommends planting them in groups of three to five. He suggests planting them further back in the border to give the beds more depth—except for plants with darker colored flowers. These should be planted where they can be viewed up close because dark flowers recended in the landscape, he explains.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
29
It Happened at iLandscape
Epimedium
– APRIL –
– MAY –
Spreading by rhizomes, Epimediums make a great shady groundcover, Gates says. In spring, dainty flowers appear above the semi-evergreen foliage. One of the issues with Epimedium is whether—and when—to cut back the foliage, according to Gates. In spring, the old foliage can be a bit wispy, perhaps detracting from the flowers. But, cutting the foliage back in fall removes the plant’s winter interest. Gates recommends cutting the foliage back in large plantings in fall, and simply hand-cutting distracting foliage from smaller groupings in spring. He mentioned three readily available Epimediums: E. sulphureum has bright yellow flowers and foliage that emerges red-tinged in spring, matures to green and turns red in fall; E x youngianum ‘Roseum’ has lilac-rose flowers and foliage that turns from red to mid-green in summer, and E. grandiflorum ‘Purple Pixie’ has deep violet flower with white spurs and foliage that emerges in deep shades of burgundy, purple and, eventually, green.
30
Geranium x cantabrigiense
This geranium is a true, evergreen perennial which is almost unheard of in this climate,” Gates says. The plant’s dark purple fall color is still present at -8 degrees, he reports. He likes this rhizomatous clump-former as a ground cover in full sun to part shade, although he notes the plants will have more flowers and better fall color with more sun. Gates likes ‘Biokovo’ for its pink-tinged white flowers. Geranium x cantabrigiense’s spicy-scented foliage helps deter deer browsing — another plus.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
Peony
– JUNE –
“The nice thing about peonies is you can plant them and never have to worry about them. They’re not like irises and daylilies that you have to constantly divide. Peonies grow to a clump about 18-24 inches wide and stop. That’s amazing to me,” Gates says. He highlighted several rugged, tried and true cultivars: Paeonia ‘Ivory Jewel’ with single white flowers and a large boss of yellow stamens; P. ‘Little Red Gem’, an earlyflowering fern-leaf peony with single, deep, rich-red/fuchsia blossoms, and ‘Hawaiian Coral’ with semi-double pink-coral flowers. Gates notes that peonies should be cut back to the ground and the foliage discarded in fall to avoid the fungal disease botrytis. Aside from that, he says this full-sun plant is easy-care. “There are 8,000 different registered varieties of peonies,” he says. “If you can’t find something you like, you need to move on to another plant.”
Shrub Rose
– JULY –
“There are very few people who don’t love roses—particularly those that perform well,” Gates says. “The newer varieties are so disease resistant; they’re easy to care for. You’re not spraying all the time or worrying about the crown dying.” Gates suggested the Buck roses, including Carefree Beauty™, developed by Dr. Griffith Buck at Iowa State University and the Knockout™ series of roses developed by Bill Radler in Milwaukee. These roses generally begin blooming in June with secondary flushes in early August and some years in early September, he notes, adding that some varieties bloom continuously throughout the growing season. “Using a large, single specimen plant is great,” he says, “but my personal favorite is using them in a mixed border with shrubs and perennials.”
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
31
It Happened at iLandscape
Heuchera
– AUGUST –
– SEPTEMBER –
“It is absolutely critical to purchase Heucheras with our local native villosa blood. These plants are much hardier and better adapted to our growing conditions,” Gates says. While Gates says he’s impressed with the breeding efforts that have gone on in this genera, some of the early introductions came from breeding stock that was not well adapted to our climate. Useful for their colorful foliage as well as their charming flowers, Gates likes ‘Stainless Steel’ with its silvery-metallic new growth and eggplant purple undersides, ‘Plum Pudding’ with its purple foliage and silver highlights, the gold-leafed ‘Citronelle’, ‘Caramel’ with its apricot to amber foliage, and ‘Bella Notte’ with slightly silvered burgundy foliage. “’Bella Notte has remarkable flower power, which is so nice,” Gates says. “As a whole, so much of the breeding has focused on foliage that the flowers were virtually lost or forgotten. It’s good to have effective flowering as icing, if you will, adorning great colored foliage,” he says of ‘Bella Notte’s rose-pink buds that open to lighter pink flowers from late spring to early fall.
32
Amsonia
Whether it’s Amsonia hubrictii, A. illustris, or various hybrids, Gates is a fan of Amsonia. “It’s a very sturdy perennial for our growing conditions,” he says. In spring, the plants feature blue, star-shaped flowers. In fall, they add to the garden again with their yellowish fall color—often even in shade. What’s more, there’s an Amsonia to fit in almost any garden space. A. ‘Blue Ice’ has deep, rich-blue flowers in late May to early June and grows 12-15 inches tall with a spread, in time, of 36 inches. A. hubrichtii — like the other two species below -- has pale blue flowers in late May/early June, very finetextured foliage and grows 30-36 inches with a spread of about 36-40 inches. A. illustris has shiny, willow-shaped leaves and ranges from 30-36 inches in most parts of the country. The “original” A. tabernaemontana also has willow-like foliage and grows 50 inches tall with a spread of 54 inches. Gates recommends keeping an eye out for two newcomers that are hybrids with A. hubrichtii: ‘Butterscotch’ whose fine-textured foliage has rich, butterscotch fall color and ‘Lemon Drop’ whose fall color reflects its name
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
– OCTOBER –
Japanese Anemone
Just when you think the blooming season is almost over, Japanese anemones burst forth with their white to pink to deep pink hues of single or double flowers. “They’re just fantastic in late summer to early fall,” Gates says. Most Japanese anemones grow 24-36 inches tall and will flower in full sun to half a day of shade. They like to be “on the moist side” Gates says. He especially likes ‘September Charm’, ‘Max Vogel’, and ‘Honorine Jobert’. “They have beautiful flowers with these cultivars proving hardy,” he says of these three cultivars. Gates cautions that not all Japanese anemones will work equally well in our area. “There are some available on the market with phenomenal flowers, but they don’t always stand up to our conditions—particularly over winter,” he notes.
– NOVEMBER –
Boxwood
“Boxwoods are another pretty amazing plant — an evergreen that does well in this climate,” Gates says. Their small leaves don’t curl in the cold the way rhododendron leaves do, and the newer cultivars’ leaves remain dark green throughout the winter, according to Gates. Boxwoods can be used in many ways in the landscape: as specimens, in groupings and as hedges. For hedges — as for all plantings — Gates reminds us to use the right plant in the right place. For instance, ‘Green Velvet’ grows as wide as it is tall, which makes it useful in a wide hedge. For a taller, narrower hedge, Gates suggests using ‘Green Mountain,’ a taller, more upright plant. ‘Chicagoland Green’ is another excellent boxwood, according to Gates.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
33
It Happened at iLandscape
– DECEMBER –
‘Waterfall’ Japanese maple
In winter, ‘Waterfall’ Japanese maple’s weeping form adds another element of interest to the landscape as does the interesting branching habit that develops as the tree matures, Gates says. Through the growing season, he likes the way the tree’s finely dissected leaf adds a different texture. “Imagine that cutleaf with a big-leaf hosta. It’s very dramatic. The difference in the leaves is amazing. You don’t need anything more than that to make a great planting,” he says. This cultivar’s fall color may be orange to dark red. “It isn’t always the same, but it’s always good,” Gates says. In the wild, Japanese maples are understory trees often found in flood plains. That’s a tipoff that these plants thrive in moist soils and benefit from shade, Gates notes. He also recommends growing them in a place that’s protected from winter wind if possible.
Need more choices? Galen’s
JANUARY
Schizachyrium scoparium, S. s. ‘The Blues’ Yucca filamentosa ‘Gold Edge’ Acer griseum
FEBRUARY
Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Wintergreen’ Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah,’ ‘Northwind’ Salix alba ‘Britzensis’ Euonymus fortunei (CBG will evaluate/invasiveness) Carpinus caroliniana J.N. Upright’
MARCH
Hamamelis ‘Arnold Promise’ Helleborus ‘Winter Thriller,’ ‘Ivory Prince’ Crocus tomassinianus Picea omorika ‘Nana’
APRIL
Anemone patens, A. ranunculoides Epimedium ‘Sulphureum’, E. ‘Purple Pixie’ Iris bucharica Chionodoxa lucilliae
34
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
Got ’em MAY
SEPTEMBER
Hyacinthoides non-scripta Geranium x cantabrigiense Baptisia ‘Starlite,’ ‘Midnight’ Buddleia alternifolia
Heptacodium miconioides Clematis ‘Bill McKenzie’ Amsonia hubrictii, A. illustris, A. ‘Blue Ice’ Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta
JUNE
Coreopsis verticillata ‘Golden Showers’ Paeonia ‘Ivory Jewel’, P. ‘Little Red Gem’, P. ‘Hawaiian Coral’ Syringa pekinensis ‘Morton’,’Zhang Zhiming’ Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Queen’, ‘Ruby Slippers’
OCTOBER
Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert,, ‘Max Vogel,’ ‘September Charm’ Aconitum carmichaelii ‘Arendsii’ Sedum sieboldii, S. ‘Matrona’ Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’
JULY
Allium tanguticum ‘Summer Beauty’ Echinacea ‘CBG Cone2’ Rosa ‘Bucbi,’ ‘John Cabot,’ Iceberg,’ Physocarpus, colored-foliage forms Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns,’ ‘Decatur Prince’ & ‘Statuesque’
AUGUST
Lilium ‘White Henryi,’ L. ‘Trance,’ ‘Stargazer’ Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd, ‘Touch of Class,’ ‘Great Expectations’ Anemonopsis macrophylla Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’, ‘Lime Rickey’, ‘Caramel’
NOVEMBER
Buxus ‘Wintergreen’ & ‘Glencoe’ Mahonia aquifolium ‘Compacta,’ M. repens Tulipa cvs potted up for spring Hamamelis virginiana
DECEMBER
Acer palmatum ‘Waterfall’ Prunus armeniaca var. mandshurica Miscanthus s. var. condensatus ‘Cabaret’ (CBG study shows as noninvasive) Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Prostrata’
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
35
Enfoque: Sección en Español
¿Está pensando en nuevos equipos? Por Patrice Peltier
Cuando Dwight Hughes Jr.,
viverista de Iowa, de tercera generación, vislumbró su futuro en la industria, pensó que tenía que haber una forma más eficaz —y más productiva— de hacer el trabajo, que la forma empleada por su padre y su abuelo. Y la encontró. Antes de graduarse de la Universidad Estatal de Iowa con un diploma en horticultura ornamental y arquitectura paisajista, Hughes había diseñado un plan comercial para 10 años y estaba diseñando equipos que le ayudaran a realizar más trabajos con menos empleados.
36
“Creo firmemente en los motores, las palancas, las poleas y los equipos motorizados”, afirma Hughes. “Las personas se cansan y la productividad desciende, pero si se utilizan equipos, se puede mantener un alto nivel de productividad durante toda la jornada laboral”. Además, los equipos no tienen planes de seguro, no participan en programas de jubilación o participación en las ganancias, ni reciben beneficios por desempleo —motivos por los cuales afirma que promover la productividad es mejor estrategia que aumentar la planilla. Aplicando la ingeniería industrial
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
y conceptos de gestión del tiempo al vivero de 40 acres y negocio de paisajismo que inició en 1978, Hughes ha logrado un éxito envidiable. Consideremos estos datos: • Cada uno de los cinco empleados de tiempo completo de la compañía puede producir de $125,000 a $150,000, trabajando de 50 a 60 horas a la semana, nueve meses al año. • Utilizando los sistemas de Hughes, estos mismos empleados que han recibido capacitación cruzada pueden plantar 2,000 árboles en semilleros, en una
jornada de 10 horas. Pueden descargar un camión medio lleno de plantas en tres horas o instalar árboles en cepellón de 2 pulgadas en un período de 12 a 15 minutos. “Podemos instalar 300 árboles en cinco sitios diferentes y estar de regreso en la oficina antes del mediodía”, asegura Hughes. La mecanización es el corazón de su negocio. “A las personas les gusta hablar sobre volúmenes de negocio; yo prefiero medir una compañía por sus índices de ruedas por persona”, escribió Hughes en 1996, en su libro, Sistemas para el éxito. En esa época, el conteo era de 35 ruedas por cada miembro del personal. Desde entonces, esas cifras han crecido rápidamente. “Continuamos añadiendo equipos. Nuestro índice de ruedas por persona ha aumentado considerablemente. Incluso he dejado de contar, porque eso pone nerviosas a las personas”, afirma Hughes. En sus presentaciones en todo el país, quienes lo escuchan se impresionan con las descripciones de sus equipos y sistemas mecanizados, pero retroceden cuando piensan en los
costos involucrados. “Las personas no comprenden que realmente esto les cuesta menos”, explica Hughes. “Un equipo es un gasto único que puede reducir considerablemente los costos de mano de obra”. Señala como ejemplo un equipo que denomina, “Tree Boss” (jefe de árboles). “Este es un sistema robótico, hidráulico, de manejo de árboles por una sola persona”, explica Hughes. Con este equipo, una sola persona puede levantar un árbol para subirlo a un tráiler y bajarlo. Un empleado puede descargar 80 cepellones de árboles de hoja perenne del tráiler de un proveedor en una hora y colocarlos en el área de plantación o en un área de espera sin tocarlos, asegura Hughes. “Ese equipo nos permitió doblar nuestro volumen de árboles sin aumentar la mano de obra”, señala, calculando que la mayoría de las compañías, independientemente del volumen de trabajo, han descubierto que este equipo se paga por sí solo en media temporada. Siempre en busca de maneras de modificar los sistemas, organizar los equipos y materiales y mejorar
la eficiencia, Hughes ha tomado ideas prestadas de otras industrias. Por ejemplo, añadió una compuerta medidora de granos a un camión de volcar de 2 toneladas utilizado para acarrear de 500 a 600 toneladas de mantillo de roca anualmente. En lugar de palear las rocas en las carretillas, la rampa permite verter las rocas en las carretillas, ahorrando fuerza muscular. Como es usual en los bien concebidos sistemas de manejo de materiales de Hughes, cuando la rampa no está en uso se puede guardar en una caja soldada a un costado del camión. Tener un espacio designado y seguro para almacenamiento es uno de los motivos por los cuales Hughes afirma que la compañía puede usar la misma rampa hasta por 15 años. También características del enfoque de Hughes son las carretillas que los miembros de su personal utilizan. Pesan 27 libras —mucho más livianas que los equipos de 70 a 80 libras que Hughes creció usando. “Y eso pesa el equipo vacío”, afirma Hughes. “Piense en cómo se sentiría después de pasar ocho horas empujando una carretilla llena”. Hablando de carretillas, Hughes
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
37
Enfoque: Sección en Español quería mecanizar el trabajo de remover tierra y terrones no deseados, generados durante la instalación de árboles. Primero, modificó un cargador compacto de dirección articulada Case 1818 para incluir neumáticos sin banda de rodadura y un cubo agrandado con capacidad de 6 pies cúbicos. Más tarde, descubrió un tractor Power Trac 1430, originalmente diseñado para la industria minera del carbón. El Power Trac tiene un cubo de 18 pies cúbicos, un centro de gravedad más bajo para seguridad del operador y mayor velocidad. Equipado con neumáticos para césped, la articulación del equipo elimina casi todos los daños a los céspedes: “Este equipo es adecuado de manera especial para nuestras necesidades particulares de plantar árboles”, afirma. Al observar un pequeño tráiler que guiaba un jet que salía de la puerta de embarque de la terminal de un aeropuerto, Hughes tuvo la idea de crear un tráiler para viveros que pudiera dar vueltas cerradas, práctico para mover plantas por el vivero. Advirtió que la lengüeta del tráiler del aeropuerto estaba fijada a dos ruedas delanteras, lo que
38
le daba una mayor maniobrabilidad. Dwight diseñó un sistema adecuado para los tráileres de su vivero y lo mandó a construir según especificaciones. Desde entonces, Hughes ha añadido ganchos de rápido accionamiento montados en una armazón en “A” en los tractores de la compañía para que los conductores del tractor no tengan que bajarse y subirse para enganchar y desenganchar el tráiler. La armazón en “A” se mueve hacia arriba y hacia abajo de acuerdo con las propiedades mecánicas del tractor, permitiéndole al conductor echarse para atrás, ajustar la altura y enganchar el tráiler automáticamente. Hughes es partidario de comprar tráileres —en lugar de camiones— siempre que sea posible. Son más económicos que los camiones en lo que respecta tanto a la compra como a la operación —especialmente los tráileres de aluminio. Una retroexcavadora/cargadora articulada es uno de los caballos de batalla más importantes de la flota de Hughes. Afirma que la retroexcavadora, con neumáticos para césped especiales,
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
es un equipo versátil que reemplaza a tres o cuatro personas en las tareas de paisajismo. Una removedora de terruño de confección casera se fija en el cubo de la retroexcavadora con dos pernos, lo que permite a los miembros del personal remover terruño con facilidad. Se puede utilizar un elevador de horquilla adherido para llevar los materiales paletizados al sitio. La retroexcavadora se utiliza para extraer viejos sistemas de raíces, mientras que el cubo agrandado del cargador puede arrastrar dos árboles en cepellón al mismo tiempo, trasladar tierra o mantilla al área de plantación y llevar los escombros al tráiler hidráulico basculante. La retroexcavadora/cargadora se utiliza también para excavar casi todos los hoyos utilizados para instalar los árboles de dos pulgadas del vivero, una tarea que puede realizar en un período de 1.5 a 2 minutos, afirma Hughes. “Creo en ahorrar segundos y con esta configuración, no hay intercambio de piezas ni cambio de accesorios”, explica Hughes en su libro. “En cuanto excavamos, giramos hacia la derecho
con el mismo equipo para recoger algo del suelo”. Una adición más reciente es el tráiler de plataforma. Este equipo une todo. Arrastra dos tractores articulados con cubos agrandados, una caña del timón con 5 horquillas, tres barrenas, una trituradora de tocones de árboles, herramientas eléctricas y un elevador de horquilla. “Llevamos esos equipos a todos los trabajos”, explica Hughes. “El tráiler de plataforma es una caja de herramientas; acarrea todas las herramientas manuales y eléctricas necesarias para ayudarnos a completar todos los trabajos”. Todo se organiza para asegurar la eficiencia. Se montan cajas en la parte inferior de camiones y tráileres para acarrear herramientas, lonas y materiales. Estantes debajo de la armazón acarrean rebordes, neumáticos de reemplazo, rollos de mangueras y otros materiales que son relativamente planos. Tubos instalados en los costados de los vehículos acarrean telas de barrera para prevenir las malas hierbas o cubiertas de polipropileno enrolladas. En los camiones, en el espacio donde la caja hace contacto con el chasis, Hughes instaló bandejas para guardar rastrillos. Un compartimiento especial acarrea palas y herramientas manuales. Hay incluso un estante para hieleras de
almuerzo estandarizadas y el enfriador de agua, con un dispensador de tazas de papel así como porta-tazas. Al final de la jornada, Hughes espera que todas las herramientas sean limpiadas y pulidas. En los primeros tiempos, el personal hacía esto con cuchillas para masilla y cepillos de acero. Siempre innovador, Hughes gastó $100 en un inversor eléctrico para que una esmeriladora manual con una rueda pulimentadora pudiera alimentarse con la batería del camión. Después de lavar a presión, una persona puede limpiar y pulimentar las herramientas del personal en cinco minutos antes de que los empleados abandonen el sitio de trabajo, según Hughes. Lo que motiva a Hughes no es crear un negocio en continuo crecimiento. Su meta siempre ha sido proporcionar buenas condiciones de vida para su familia; un ambiente de trabajo seguro, agradable y respetuoso donde los empleados pueden recibir buenos ingresos junto con beneficios de salud, jubilación y participación en las ganancias y sus clientes residenciales, que son la mayoría, puedan recibir productos verdes de calidad superior instalados con un excelente servicio al cliente. En la actualidad, sus hijos, Tom y John manejan el negocio familiar.
“Ellos SON el negocio; yo soy solo su ayudante”, afirma Hughes. Su esposa Debby ha manejado la oficina desde los inicios. Dwight pasa gran parte de su tiempo hablando y consultando con otros negocios. Le asombra lo resistente que son muchos miembros de la industria verde a sus mensajes de productividad a través de la mecanización. “A las personas se les dificulta comprender que pueden ahorrar en mano de obra utilizando equipos”, dice. Eso es un problema para la industria porque encontrar, capacitar y conservar a los empleados es uno de los mayores desafíos dentro de la industria, el cual se puede volver más problemático en el futuro. La industria verde ha cambiado considerablemente desde que el abuelo de Hughes abrió un vivero en 1908 y Hughes considera que todavía hay mucho espacio para el crecimiento. “Con mucha frecuencia en la industria verde, la chispa de la innovación es reprimida por la presión de las preocupaciones operativas diarias”, escribe Hughes. Pero no tiene que ser así. Anima a los colegas a analizar, evaluar y pellizcar. “Analice todo lo que hace”, aconseja, “y pregúntese si hay una mejor manera de hacer el trabajo”.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
39
It Happened at iLandscape
Sweet Leaf: The Incredible Possibilities of Medical Marijuana
By Meta Levin
Marijuana is coming
out of the closet, or the basement or off the windowsill. One by one states are legalizing the herb at least for medical use, providing jobs and opportunities for those in the horticulture industry. Cris Ragan is excited about the prospects and he brought that enthusiasm to iLandscape. “It’s a great time to get into the industry,” he told more than 100 attendees, whose questions kept the presentation going well after the posted end time, forcing the group to move into another room to finish. Ragan, head grower for Sweet Leaf, a chain of medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado, outlined the situation in Illinois, how to set up a marijuana growing facility, the ins and outs of growing high quality product and the kinds of industry jobs available. His familiarity with the industry in other states comes from his work with Dynamic Growth, LLC, a marijuana business consultancy. Sweet Leaf began in 2009 with one store and 10,000 square feet of growing space. It now has five stores in the Denver, CO area and more than 40,000 square feet of growing space. Plans call for another 70,000 square feet to be added in the next five months. Ragan joined the company after operating a grow store, selling lights, nutri40
ents and other supplies to growers. Within 18 months other stores like his were opening around him, forcing prices down. Sweet Leaf, one of his customers, asked him to come to work for them. He has a varied industry background. Ragan moved to Colorado about 10 years ago from California, where the medical marijuana business was already legal and where he had helped some friends with their grow operation. Once in Colorado he operated a tile and stone installation business, before opening the grow store when medical marijuana or mmj became legal. iLandscape attendees were interested in everything from the details of Illinois’ law to the basics of growing. While Ragan was forthcoming about most things, he was purposely a little vague about others. He developed the nutrient mix used by Sweet Leaf, he says, and “I didn’t want to give everything away,” especially since the company’s name is on some of the permit applications in Illinois. Illinois will allow no more than 20 grows, one for each of the districts in which it has been divided; there will be 60 dispensaries, the location of those, too, carefully controlled. Grow licenses allow for mmj production and dispensary licenses allow for sales to mmj card holders (continued on page 42)
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
41
It Happened at iLandscape (continued from page 40) or those with prescriptions. This leaves out anyone who is growing in the basement, as it were. If you have a grow license, you can sell wholesale to someone with a dispensary license. Conversely, if you have only a dispensary license, you can supply your store only from product grown by a licensed grower. While there are two primary varieties of marijuana – Sativa and Indica - Sweet Leaf sells nearly 40 types, all of them hybrids of the original two. “We want to keep the customers happy,” he says. “Most of them know what type of flavor they want.” Potency, too, is a big concern and the Colorado customers are quite knowledgeable. Everything is grown indoors and
42
“Nothing is grown from seed,” Ragan says. The plants, instead, are hybrids, clones, pieces of the different species
combined in ways that make up each of the 40 varieties. Starting from seed, the grow is an eight or nine month process. Done the way Sweet Leaf does, there is
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
time for five to six crops per year. The Grow
Construction costs will vary by location and other factors, but Ragan notes that $75 per square foot seems to be the starting point for converting a warehouse into a production space. But a grow is much more than rooms and lights. Climate is a big factor. “If there are issues with our plants, the first thing I check is the climate in the room,” says Ragan. “Most issues are related to the climate.” This means that heating, air conditioning and humidity control will be important factors in successfully growing marijuana. “Air conditioning needs to be running all year long,” says Ragan. “Even (continued on page 44)
www.ogaoni.com
Arthur Weiler, Inc. Clavey’s Nursery, Inc. Doty Nurseries LLC Goodmark Nurseries, LLC GRO Horticultural Enterprises Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. Kaneville Tree Farms, Inc. Kankakee Nursery Co. Kendall Hill Nursery Midwest Groundcovers Poul’s Nursery, Inc. Rosehill Creek Nursery Spring Grove Nursery, Inc. The Fields on Caton Farm, Inc.
Experienced wholesale growers producing thousands of acres of quality, northern Illinois-grown nursery stock. Offering a wide variety of shade trees, intermediate trees, shrubs, evergreens, broadleaf evergreens, vines, groundcovers & perennials.
Visit our website for a complete inventory listing by nursery—quickly find the hard-to-get items you need! While there, check out our members’ profiles!
2015
Plant Locator st the midwe grown in
Request a copy of our Plant Locator, a print version of our online inventory listings.
www.ogaoni.com n of s Associatio l Grower ni.com www.ogao
Mark Your C alendar !
Plants & Pinot . . . Jul 23 ilCa summer Fiel d day . . . aug 6 iaa show . . . oct 20-21 asla meeting & ex Po . . . nov 6-9 inVigorateu . . . Ja n 18-19, 2016
Illinois Northern
Ornamenta
2015_OGA_LandscapeContractor_r5.indd 1
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
4/1/15 12:21 PM
43
It Happened at iLandscape (continued from page 42) in winter the lights produce so much heat that the air conditioning will need to be running.” The company has eight to 10 ton air conditioning units. Their operation is a large part of the cost. In fact, heating, cooling and air conditioning are so crucial to a successful grow operation that Sweet Leaf has full time HVAC certified employees on staff. Ragan recommends different rooms for each step in the growing process. Vegetation and cloning can take up to 60 days, depending on the strain (cloning, alone, takes about 14 days). He estimates that 40 to 50 percent of the allotted
ONE STOP
SHOP
space will be necessary for the clone and vegetation phases. Lights typically are on constantly for 18 to 24 hours during the vegetation stage. When the plants are ready to go into flower, however, they are moved to a room with a 12 hour light cycle. “That’s what makes a plant start to flower,” says Ragan. “Most strains need about 60 days for the flowers to mature.” Ragan and his colleagues have determined the efficacy of the varied light cycles through experimentation.
The operation uses cool blue metal halide light bulbs in the vegetation rooms, because they have found that the plants grow quicker and stay greener under them. They are, he says, as close to sunlight as you can get. In the flowering rooms, however, they use high pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs. “Always use a high quality bulb,” he says. There has been a lot of talk about LED bulbs, but Ragan notes that
(continued on page 46)
Over 300 Varieties of Perennials Over 550 Acres of Nursery Stock Over 250 Varieties of Trees & Shrubs
Everything you need for your clients’ landscaping project.
LOCALLY GROWN
Trees, Ornamentals, Evergreens, Shrubs, Annuals, Perennials, Vines, & Groundcover
Willowbrook Yard - 7200 S. Madison, Willowbrook, IL 60527 | Phone: 630-323-1411 Little Rock Farm - 2353 Creek Road, Plano, IL 60545 | Phone: 630-552-8314
44
| HinsdaleNurseries.com
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
Premier Sponsor
To sponsor contact— Terre Houte at thoute@ilca.net
It Happened at iLandscape (continued from page 44) so far he has not seen one that produces as well as the HPS bulbs do. “It’s only a matter of time before LED bulbs produce just as well and I predict them taking over the industry someday.” “Grow facilities also need an area designated for take down and for drying (the product),” he says. Sweet Leaf does not use soil to grow its plants. Instead it uses ground coconut husks. “That’s as close to hydroponic as we can get,” says Ragan. It retains less moisture and doesn’t store as many nutrients. He cautions against using soil, since it holds the nutrients that the plants don’t use, risking what Ragan calls plant lock out, in which a plant cannot take in any more from the soil. “Coconut saved us,” he says. The marijuana plants are on a nutrient schedule that insures each is getting what it
needs. The company also waters all plants by hands. “We have found watering by
hand has increased our yield and gives us a very high quality product, which is not possible with automatic watering
systems,” he says. Those who do the watering check each plant before adding any water. “We have 40 different kinds in each room and each likes a different amount of water. Every plant gets lifted every day.” In one facility alone that means 750 flowering and 600 vegetating plants. “It’s not easy to grow these plants,” he says. “There are a lot of different ways to grown and all work for different situations.” Security “Security is very important, not only for keeping your product safe, but also for the safety of your employees,” says Ragan. Sweet Leaf always has had cameras in their facilities. “A lot of places have gotten robbed,” says Ragan. The system also involves alarms, as well as an armed security (continued on page 48)
COMMITTED TO PROVIDING QUALITY PLANTS AND QUALITY SERVICE SINCE 1969
p.o. box 748 • st. charles, il 60174 847.742.1790 • fax 847.742.2655 www.midwestgroundcovers.com
46
Astilbe 'Visions'
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
GOODMARK NURSERIES, L.L.C. Nursery / Office: 8920 Howe Road, Wonder Lake, IL 60097 Phone: 815/653-9293 Fax: 815/728-0977 www.goodmarknurseries.com www.facebook.com/Goodmark.Nurseries
HUNTING FOR PRODUCT?
30 ACRES OF HOLDING YARD! • • • • • • •
Shade Trees Ornamentals Evergreens Shrubs 500 acres of land in production 30 irrigated acres of above ground availability If we don’t have it, we will find it for you! Mike Scheitz: 847/878-7760 Paul Ayers: 630/461-3050
It Happened at iLandscape www.agrecol.com
Your native plant nursery Bioswales • Basins • Shorelines • Stormwater Phone 608.223.3571
Fax 608.884.4640
ecosolutions@agrecol.com
EMERGENT SAFETY SUPPLY
NEW NAME. NEW LOOK. SAME FOCUS ON SAFETY. At Emergent Safety Supply, our passion is safety. We are your trusted source for safety supplies, solutions and services so you’re always prepared.
Visit us at: emergentsafety.com Call us Toll Free: 800.877.1390 See us at: 1055 Kingsland Dr. Batavia, IL 60510
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter @EmergentSafety
(continued from page 46) guard making rounds 24 hours a day. “Every square foot of any facility has to be monitored.” Not only can the camera feed by accessed at any time by the company, but by state marijuana enforcement division officials, as well. This is not for show. There was break in at one of the grow facilities, but the perpetrator took one look and left. “Typically they are after the dried product,” says Ragan. When the would-be thief saw all of the plants growing, he walked away. The Colorado marijuana enforcement division also monitors employees. “You can’t even work in a facility of you have a past drug charge or if you owe back taxes or student loans,” says Ragan. Prospective employees are given a chance to take care of back taxes or student loans, so that they can be qualified to work in the facilities. In
Have you considered propane? Are you purchasing a new mower? It is a cleaner and less expensive fuel than gasoline or diesel. You could receive rebates up to $4,500 for purchasing new propane mowers, or converting new mowers to propane. If you have an older mower you would like to convert to propane you could receive a rebate of up to $1,000 per mower. Call your propane provider for details or Illinois Propane Gas Association at 800-727-6207. 48
Additional rebates are available at www.usepropane.com
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
fact, Ragan says that Colorado garnered a windfall of close to $8 million in unpaid taxes when the state’s grow facilities and dispensaries began hiring. The state also issues employee badges. Many other states are following Colorado’s lead. Compliance “There are many rules and regulations made by each state; it is very important to know what those rules are and that you always follow them,” says Ragan. “The rules can change frequently, but as an owner or manager, it is up to you to always know them and to be one step ahead of any changes that are made.” Enough said. Jobs Ragan expects to see an explosion in the marijuana related jobs available. These include people working in the grow facilities, as well as those in retail operations. Retail jobs include: • Store managers • Compliance specialists • Desk managers • Bud tenders Grow facility jobs include: • Grow master or head grower • Clone master • Trim master • Lead grower • Trim team lead • Lead sprayer • Grow technician • Clone technician • Trim technician • Mechanical (EPA certified HVAC maintenance and repair; warehouse repairs) • Security (physical and cyber) These are the terms that Ragan uses, but they may vary from state to state and from facility to facility. “I can’t think of another industry that growing as fast as mmj and it’s about to really take off in Illinois,” says Ragan.
We’re Bartlett Tree Experts, a 100+ year old tree care company with global reach and local roots. Our services include: •
Tree Pruning
•
Plant Health Diagnostics
•
•
Fertilization & Soil Care Insect & Disease Management
FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR TREES.
Call 877.BARTLETT (877.227.8538) or visit BARTLETT.COM
NORTHBROOK •■BOLINGBROOK • LAKE BARRINGTON • CHICAGO
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
49
NEW MEMBERS — SUPPLIER MEMBERS
SUPPLIER MEMBERS
All Season Blade Runners, Inc. PO Box 432 Mundelein, IL 60060 Phone: (847)812-3195 Fax: (224)475-0114 office@bladerunners.biz Offers landscaping, snow removal, hardscaping, and drainage.
LS Training System 2026 Oxford St. E London, Ontario N5V2Z8 Phone: (877)482-2323 Fax: (877)301-6363 arden@lstraining.com Supplier of equipment and leadership training, specific to the landscape industry. Provides on-line videos & exams in both English & Spanish. Also offers full-service visits from an LS Training specialist.
Arctic Snow and Ice Control, Inc. 22763 S. Center Rd Frankfort, IL 60423 Phone: (815)317-0080 Fax: (800)546-9122 patrick@arcticsnowandice.com Provider of commercial & industrial snow and ice control for the greater Chicagoland Area
50
INDIVIDUAL MEMBER Every Green Plant Alison A. Hoffman 295 Kimberly Road North Barrington, IL 60010 Phone: (224)688-8838 Offers garden coaching, garden & container design, and organic fruit & vegetable garden design/build/maintenance.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
The heart of ILCA is our community of members. We turn competitors into colleagues. Altruism is the backbone of Give to Grow. Any ILCA member who refers a new company will allow that new member to receive $100-off their first year of membership. You will not only place that company on a path to be better, but you will put $100 in their pocket. The $100 bonus you are passing along to them pales in comparison to the money lost on poor competition or an inexperienced customer. Any member may refer any other potential member. If you have a company in mind you want to Give to Grow, they can bo to https://www.ilca.net/membershipapp.aspx and complete the instructions. Together, ILCA gives to grow!
Synthetic Grass
by RugZoom
Contractor Pricing $1.59 to $2.79 sq/ft over 80,000 sq/ft in inventory * available in 15’ widths x any length
Free Next Day Delivery To Jobsite, No Cut Fees, No Order Minimums
RugZoom Synthetic Grass backyard in Evanston
“Synthetic grass has come a long way since traditional AstroTurf. In many unique landscapes traditional grass simply isn’t an option due to any number of issues that affect it’s ability to thrive. With advancements in manufacturing, synthetic grass is becoming a more viable and mainstream product that customers are inquiring about.
Call, email or visit our warehouse firsthand by appt. We’re happy to offer any assistance and send you a free box of samples to keep on hand.” – Eddie
RugZoom is an artificial turf supplier and installation subcontractor.
Contractor Supply (630)805-3800
www.rugzoom.com
4042 S. Michigan Ave. | Chicago 52
The “Old Smart” Isn’t Good Enough Maybe you graduated at the top of your college class. Maybe you have an MBA or perhaps you complete the New York Times crossword puzzle in one sitting. Maybe you pride yourself on your ability to correct your colleagues’ grammar and email typos. Unfortunately, says Professor Edward D. Hess, none of that will matter as we advance in an increasingly tech-driven world. “You might consider yourself a great intellectual, but book smarts won’t be all that relevant as companies increase their use of robots and smart machines,” says Hess, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business and author of the new book Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a LeadingEdge Learning Organization. “What will matter is being an adaptive learner — someone who knows what you don’t know and how to learn it by asking the right questions, someone who can think critically and innovatively, someone who can really listen with an open mind and collaborate well with others. And more importantly, someone who is able to overcome the aspects of human nature that can make those accomplishments difficult to achieve.” In order to stay competitive, it’s time to upgrade your skills and capabilities by embracing 21st century learning skills. The skill set Hess describes is so important because it will enable today’s professionals to stay relevant throughout their careers. No matter how rapidly knowledge advances (or how quickly a particular skill set becomes outdated), good adaptive learners have the best chance of winning. Here, Hess examines the 21st century learning skills you will need to be successful in a tech-driven world. Get comfortable with “not knowing” None of us are as smart as we think we are. And smart people know this! To learn, we need to know what we don’t know, and not get defensive about it. “In the technology-enabled world, how much you know will be irrelevant, because smart machines and the Internet will always know more than you,” says Hess. “What will be more important is knowing what you don’t know and knowing how to learn—in other words, the smartest people will be focused on continuously learning. The Landscape Contractor June 2015
“And in order to learn well, you will need to accept that humans (yes, that includes you!) are not optimal learners,” he adds. “Cognitively we all are naturally fast, lazy, reflexive thinkers who seek to confirm what we know. It is important to learn how and when to make your thinking more intentional and deliberate. You must actively seek to develop your critical thinking and innovative thinking skills.” Quiet your ego, embrace open-mindedness Humans are naturally unwilling to listen to challenges to our thinking. But to become a more effective learner, you’ll have to train your brain to be emotionally non-defensive. You can no longer define yourself by what you know or by your ideas. Rather, Hess says, you should define yourself as a good learner who uses good thinking, listening, and collaborating processes. “Today people must learn to stress-test their beliefs and preconceived notions, not constantly seek to confirm them,” he notes. “It takes courage to enter the world of the unknown and learn something new the first time. To make that process easier, people will have to learn to separate their ideas from their self-worth. Changing a previously held belief doesn’t mean you are a bad or stupid person. It simply means you’ve learned to adapt your thinking based on new information or facts that you’ve received.” Be an “inner-directed” learner Too often people are driven primarily by external rewards. Seeing learning as a way to obtain more money, respect, or love can result in your not accepting challenging learning opportunities because you want to avoid failures and making mistakes. In a business world where human contributions will come primarily through innovation—a process in which failure is a given—those motivated to avoid mistakes or failures will not be successful. “In a tech-driven world, those who are able to be the most successful and fulfilled will be those who are driven by curiosity and a love of learning,” explains Hess. “You’ll need to see learning as its own reward. Develop a learning mindset. Then, whenever you’re learning, you’re successful. The speed and quality of one’s learning is what will keep one relevant and competitive.”
Love Your Labor Get them Certified Be Proud— Stand Tall: Landscape Industry Certified is a powerful distinction for individuals who have taken their experience, skills and desire for excellence to the next level by studying, testing and becoming certified.
For the first time in 6 years! ILCA is offering 2 opportunities to complete the hands-on examination in 2015— August 28, 2015: Written examination + equipment familiarization August 29, 2015: Hands-on examination October 2, 2015: Written exam + equipment familiarization October 3, 2015: Hands-on examination
Go to ilca.net to register!
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
53
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes Along with the fear of failure discussed above comes a fear of making mistakes. To proceed more courageously into the future, you need to adopt a different mindset about mistakes. Rather than look at them as something you’ve done wrong, it’s important to begin looking at them as learning opportunities. “Learning is not an efficient 99 percent defect-free process,” explains Hess. “Far from it. So mistakes have to be valued as learning opportunities. In fact, as long as you aren’t making the same mistakes over and over again, mistakes can be good. The key is making sure you’re learning from them. And the faster and better you are at turning mistakes into learning, the less likely it is that some smart machine will replace you. Learning from mistakes, knowing and working around one’s weaknesses, and continuously stress-testing one’s assumptions and beliefs are good strategies for 21st century success.”
7463 West Ridge Road P.O. Box E Fairview PA 16415 800.458.2234 Fax 800.343.6819 e-mail: info@FairviewEvergreen.com www.FairviewEvergreen.com
okay dealing with newness or uncertainty. “This confidence is called ‘self-efficacy,’” notes Hess. “To put it most simply, if we believe we can do something, we are more likely to try it. People can build selfefficacy by putting themselves in challenging situations that they have the ability to handle well. As their confidence grows, they’ll be more willing and capable of taking on even more challenging tasks.”
Be willing to try People who are confident in their own ability to meet a challenge or take on the unknown (within reason) are more likely to try new things. They believe they will be
Develop your emotional intelligence (EI) Emotional intelligence, generally understood, is the ability to be aware of and manage one’s emotions. It plays an important role in your ability to recognize and appraise verbal and nonverbal information, to access emotions in order to aid in creativity and problem solving, to process your own feelings and assess those of others, and to regulate your own emotions and manage those of others. “Why is developing your EI so important?” asks Hess. “Because whether you’re working with human clients or as part of a team inside a company, the ability to collaborate effectively will be an essential skill in years to come. The powerful work
Why Choose Chicago Gas Lines?
Let Chicago Gas Lines Take Care of All Your Natural Gas Needs
Chicago Gas Lines specializes in the natural gas installation of fire pits, grills and all other natural gas fire features. We work with a wide range of landscape companies to help streamline the entire process. In addition, we carry 10 different brands of grills as well as all the components for fire pits and media.
• Gas Line Specialists • Competitively Priced • Free Estimates
847-414-7876
• Guarantee on Work For 3 Years • Work is Done to Code
info@chicagogaslines.com
• Help Pull Permits
chicagogaslines.com
• Licensed Plumber on Staff • Fully Licensed, Bonded & Insured
Chicago Gas Lines 54
•
413 S. Arlington Heights Rd.
•
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
connections that will be needed to build successful organizations will result from relationships that are built by authentically relating to another person, recognizing their uniqueness, and doing so in a respectful way that builds trust. If you can’t manage your own emotions, read those of others, or connect with the people around you on more than a superficial level, then you won’t be a successful collaborator.” Seek out constructive feedback In his book, Hess writes about “Mr. Feedback,” one of his early mentors. Mr. Feedback taught Hess how essential negative feedback is if you want to become the best in your field and the importance of pausing and reflecting rather than automatically defending, deflecting, or denying when you receive negative feedback. Hess writes that as he moved forward in his career, he realized how difficult it can be to get this kind of constructive feedback. Today, the 21st century learning skills require one to be good at thinking critically and innovatively and listening, collaborating, and emotionally engaging with others.”
Working together to keep what you value Safe. Sound. Secure.®
For all of your business insurance needs, contact your local independent insurance agent representing Auto-Owners today!
RWC INSURANCE GROUP
“Specializing in the needs of the landscape industry”
Frankfort • 815-469-6585 www.rwc4ins.com
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
55
Member Profile D&J Landscape, Inc. 22803 W. Renwick Road Plainfield, IL 60544 (815) 254-3000 www.djlandscapeinc.com
By Meta Levin
D&J Landscape, Inc. was
built on determination and hard work by husband and wife team Daniel and Griselda Davalos. “When we started, we had one old pick-up truck, a push mower, a weed wacker and a blower,” says Griselda Davalos. Her husband had been working for another landscape contractor for 15 years when he began taking some side jobs. Soon he had so much work that it was interfering with his day job. That’s when the day job ended, but he still didn’t have enough to support the family. It’s a time honored story. The two went to work. Soon referrals began coming in. At the time the Davaloses and their twin sons, for whom the business is named, lived in a town home. They put the D&J Landscape name on the truck. “Everyone saw the name on the truck,” she says. “They saw that my husband was hard working and decided to hire him for snow removal.” At first it was a one year agreement, but after a while the townhome community signed him to a four year snow removal contract and later asked him to do lawn maintenance, as well. “That was our first big account,” she says. “We never thought we would get that size property that fast.” In the meantime, Griselda Davalos was preparing herself to be a good business partner for her husband. She earned her GED and enrolled in the landscape management program at Joliet Community College, even though she admits that her English wasn’t very good. Still, she persevered, taking horti56
culture and landscape design classes, in addition to others and finally earning an associate’s degree in landscape management. It was her landscape design teacher who made the biggest impression on her. Greg Pierceall, a legend in the landscape industry, took time with the young woman. “He was really patient and marked my life,” she says. “He was always there for me whenever I had questions.” She now uses what she learned from Pierceall to design colorful landscapes for D&J Landscape’s customers. “I love flowers and I try to use lots of color,” Davalos says. “People love it.” Most of the company’s customers are residential, although they are starting to get more commercial clients. They offer a variety of services, including landscape design and maintenance, patio design, installation and maintenance, parking lot maintenance, home resale landscape preparation and snow removal. At first the two were the company’s only employees. Now they have two crews and more equipment. When more clients necessitated newer and better equipment, Daniel Davalos went to his family, who loaned him the money to buy it. “We’ve been able to pay them all back,” says his wife. Now the couple’s ambition is to grow and strengthen the business. “We want to make this a family business,” she says. They’ve been growing in other ways, too. The twins now are 11 years old and love to work with their Dad, but they also have a two year old sister and The Landscape Contractor June 2015
Daniel and Griselda Davalos are expecting another baby soon. The Davaloses value education. They attended iLandscape and joined ILCA after reading The Landscape Contractor magazine. “We noticed that there are a lot of professional people and we know that we have a lot to learn,” she says. “If we want to be professional, we have to stay up to date. ILCA provides a lot of educational opportunities.” They took advantage of the Spanish language classes during iLandscape and plan to get more active in ILCA. “We want to learn more and we want to grow,” says Davalos. “The only way to do that is to get educated.”
Classified Ads HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
***ACRES GROUP CAREER OPPORTUNITIES*** Join our industry leading team! Acres Group, one of the top 20 landscape contractors in the nation, has the following open positions.
Residential Maintenance Account Rep
Commercial Operations Mgr
ACCOUNT MGMT/SALES: *ACCOUNT MANAGER/CSS-Roselle: Manage a portfolio of accounts in lawn and snow providing high levels of customer service, make horticultural recommendations & sell property enhancements in lawn season and ice melt in snow season* ESTIMATING: *ESTIMATOR-Plainfield, Roselle or Wauconda: Partner with Account Managers with handling job estimating and proposals for landscape maintenance and snow* ADMINISTRATION: *OFFICE SPECIALIST-Wauconda: Provide operations support to the maintenance sales team with bids, proposals, work order entry and billing* To view full job descriptions and apply online, visit us at www.acresgroup.com or contact Amy@ 847-487-5071.
Rosborough Partners, Inc. is accepting resumes for an experienced Residential Maintenance Account Representative to manage portfolio of residential maintenance clients. Responsibilities include preparing proposals, contract renewals, identifying and selling new sales leads and ensuring quality control is followed on client sites. Revenue and profitability goals will be set each year and accomplished by analyzing, planning, organizing, and adjusting schedules to achieve efficient use of resources and people. Establishing, building and maintaining client relationships are the keys to being successful in this position. Landscape industry experience and/or a horticultural degree is required. English & Spanish fluency is a plus. We offer competitive wages and benefits. Please email resume to: mary@rosboroughpartners.com CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR We are looking for a quality-oriented person who takes pride in their work to join the Greenhaven Team! Responsibilities include scheduling, material coordination, site layouts, training, quality control, efficiency, and equipment management. Learn more about this great opportunity at www.mygreenhaven.com/employment Submit a detailed cover letter and resume to: David@mygreenhaven.com
Rosborough Partners, Inc. is accepting resumes for an experienced Commercial Operations Mgr to coordinate & schedule operations within the
Commercial Dept. Analyzing, planning, organizing & adjusting schedules to achieve the most efficient use of resources & people are responsibilities of
this position. Managing & coordinating the winter snow-plowing schedule & execution of activities
during snow events are also part of this position’s responsibilities.
Excellent communication skills are key to being a
successful Commercial Operations Mgr. Landscape industry experience and/or a horticultural degree
are required. English & Spanish fluency is required. We offer competitive wages & benefits. Please
email resume to: mary@rosboroughpartners.com LANDSCAPE DESIGNER/ PROJECT MANAGER Do you take pride in your work?
Do you want to be in control of award winning residential projects from design through completion?
Do you want an employer who invests in your growth? Join the Greenhaven Team!
Learn more about this great opportunity at www. mygreenhaven.com/employment
Submit a detailed cover letter, resume, and portfolio to: Jennifer@mygreenhaven.com
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES JAMES MARTIN ASSOCIATES, INC. Vernon Hills, IL & Boulder, CO
James Martin Associates, Inc. is a leader in the Landscape and Snow Management industry. We have been providing services to our customers for over 37 years. We are seeking candidates for the following positions:
Summer Production
Interns
Production
Associates
Superintendents
To be considered for any of these opportunities, please forward your resume and salary history to b.mcelroy@jamesmartinassociates.com or call Beth at 847-876-8052.
Landscape Architecture • Construction • Maintenance • Snow Management
www.jamesmartinassociates.com 58
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
Classified Ads HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Lawn Maintenance and Landscape Laborer
TOPIARIUS Urban Garden & Floral Design
Landscape Professional
We are a full-service landscape design, build, and maintenance firm, providing high-end service to customers in Chicagos urban environment since 2003. We pride ourselves on being a growing company that is a great place to work. We strive for a culture of respect, professionalism, and talent. We believe work should be a place you and enjoy showing up to each day.
Responsibilities: the administration and care of residential landscape spaces.
GreenScape Services in Joliet is looking to hire a person with the following qualities to work at our family owned landscape business: • Positive Attitude • Attention to Detail • Desire to work outside in all weather conditions • Valid Drivers License (CDL preferred but not needed) • At least 2 years of experience in running all types of commercial mowers and landscape equipment • Eager to learn and grow with the company All resumes submitted to: cowen@greenscapeservice.com NATURE’S PERSPECTIVE LANDSCAPING -DESIGN ASSISTANTJoin our well-established design, build and maintenance company. For over 35 years, Nature’s Perspective has been providing landscape services to Chicago’s northern suburbs and Chicago’s north side. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. Candidate will assist in preparing landscape drawings and proposals for client presentations as well as coordinate multiple landscape projects. Candidate must be able to handle a wide range of responsibilities, have a good knowledge of plant and hardscape materials, demonstrate excellent computer skills including Dynascape, Google SketchUp and Google Picasa, be detail oriented, organized, self motivated with good social skills. Please mail, or e-mail your resume to: NATURE’S PERSPECTIVE LANDSCAPING Attn: Paul Klitzkie 2000 Greenleaf St. Evanston, IL 60202 (847) 475-7917 E-mail: pklitzkie@naturesperspective.com Visit us at: www.naturesperspective.com *Account Manager* Candidate is the primary customer contact and company liaison for contracted accounts. Individual is responsible for necessary follow-up and follow-through to maintain positive customer relations, to insure complete customer satisfaction and contract renewals, suggest and sell non-contracted landscape enhancements. Submit resume to: lorena@sebert.com
Current Open Positions: • CREW LEADER of Planting/Paving/ Construction • CREW LEADER of Fine Gardening (Maintenance) • Crew Member for Carpentry • Crew Member for Stone Work Job descriptions and how to apply are at www.topiarius.com/jobs/. Don’t miss out! PRODUCTION MANAGER Bruss Landscaping, Inc. of Wheaton is in search of a highly motivated and energetic new team member to fulfill the role of Production Manager. Responsibilities will include management of 20-30 production employees, Coordination and scheduling of crews, safety training, labor force management, facility management, inventory management, supply ordering, vehicle and equipment management, labor tracking, etc. Position requires a minimum of 5 years experience in the field, computer proficiency, fluency in Spanish, a good knowledge of both plants and hardscape materials, self-motivation and a strong work ethic. Bruss offers a competitive salary package with excellent benefits including insurance, 401k, generous vacation and light winter hours. Interested parties should email their Resume to: ebruss@brusslandscaping.com. Customer Service Representative Reinders,Inc.,a Midwest wholesale distributor of landscape products and commercial turf equipment with headquarters in Sussex, WI is looking for a customer service representative to join our team at our Franklin Park, IL facility. Hourly wage based on skills and experience. Full Benefit package including health insurance. Please view website for job responsibilities and more. www.reinders.com send resume to: jkershasky@reinders.com
Must Have: Strong communication and verbal skills, technical aptitude and extensive knowledge of midwestern horticultural practices. Ability to listen to clients, identify issues and effectively resolve situations. Monitor customer inquiries and maintain customer relationships. Knowledge of lawn care/maintenance procedures including Proficient in operation and use of necessary landscape tools and equipment a plus. Customer service experience mandatory & ability to speak fluent in Spanish very important. Salaried position Please email resume to: susie@obrienlandscape. com or fax to 847-675-5712 ****Sales/Account Manager Wanted**** Arctic Snow & Ice Control, Inc. is known as the premier snow and ice removal contractor in the Mid-West. Our 37 year reputation has been built on a solid commitment to our clients through service, dedication and innovation. Currently we are seeking a full time Sales /Account Manager with a strong history in the landscaping or snow removal industry. Arctic Snow & Ice Control is seeking a true professional to add to our existing staff to assist in client relations and new growth. Candidate must be strong on the phone, enjoy canvasing and can interact with Class A property managers. Please keep in mind, our only business is Commercial/Industrial snow removal. We do not offer any other products or services so you must be able to focus on snow 365 days a year. If you’re serious about a career change with the leader in the industry, please email your full resume to Patrick@arcticsnowandice.com. Arctic Snow and Ice Control, Inc. offers a handsome salary, plus commission, Insurance, 401K, company vehicle, fuel and much more. Email Patrick@arcticsnowandice.com with your full resume if you’re ready to join our team. FOR LEASE: 5 ACRES Algonquin Illinois • Landscape Headquarters or Satellite Site • Farm house office • Three acre gravel parking area • 60 x 120 Small engine repair w/storage lockers • 60 x 60 Truck mechanic bay with 14 foot doors • 60 x 60 Warehouse • 60 x 60 Fertilizer and Chemical Warehouse • 15 x 15 Tool Shed with lockers • Three Hoop Houses *All buildings have concrete floors Contact: Richard Lamkey 847-878-8228
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
59
Successful suppliers know— industry leaders read this magazine. is the Midwest’s premier monthly magazine for the landscape, nursery and green industry. • Sales and marketing statistics show that the single best way to reach buyers is through highly-targeted specialty magazines • This award-winning magazine is frequently hailed as the best magazine of its kind. Put your message in this flattering environment. • The Landscape Contractor has an affordable advertising program for every budget.
APR.14.indd 1
For immediate attention CALL Debbie at
817-501-2403 or email —
debbie.landscapecontractor@yahoo.com
60
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
3/21/14 4:46 PM
Advertisers
Attention Landscape Contractors:
Agrecol..............................................................48 Alliance Design Products .......................................11 Bartlett Tree Experts .............................................49
Remember to Support ILCA Supporters!
Beaver Creek Nursery ..........................................17 Cardno ....................................................................25
These include:
Carlin Sales...............................................................6 Certification Test ...................................................53 Chicago Gas Lines ..................................................54
• Members & Advertisers who supply goods and services • Members who sponsor ILCA programs and events
Chicagoland Gardening .........................................61 DitchWitch ...........................................................57 Doty Nurseries LLC ..................................................4 Emergent Safety Supply .........................................48 Fairview Evergreen Nursery ....................................54 Goodmark Nurseries ...............................................47 Green Glen Nursery ...............................................63 B. Haney & Sons, Inc. ............................................24 Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. ......................................44 ILCA Golf Outing ...................................................45
Where will you find them? • ILCA Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide • The Landscape Contractor magazine advertising • The Landscape Contractor magazine reports of events with sponsor acknowledgments • www.ilca.net member lists – Finding a Landscape Contractor & Suppliers to the Trade
Illinois Propane Gas Assoc. ...................................48 In the Field Design Tour ........................................15 James Martin Associates .........................................58 Kramer Tree ...........................................................55 JKS Ventures .........................................................49 Lafarge Fox River Stone .........................................50 Longshadow Planters ..........................................13 McGinty Bros. ........................................................14 Midwest Groundcovers ......................................46 Midwest Trading .......................................................2 Mobile Fleet Xpress ...............................................24 OGA .......................................................................43 Palatine Oil ............................................................42 ProGreen Plus ......................................................61 Rainbow Farms ......................................................41 Rocks Etc. ...............................................................46 Rugzoom ................................................................52 RWC Insurance ......................................................55 Summer Field Day 2015 ........................................51 Stockyards Brick ....................................................23 The Care of Trees .....................................................6 The Landscape Contrator magazine ........................60 The Mulch Center ...................................................17 Unilock Chicago ...................................................64 Xylem, Inc. .........................................................12
The Landscape Contractor June 2015
61
By Patrice Peltier
Gillenia trifoliata — Bowman’s Root
Some plants —
just like All-Star athletes — make everyone around them look better. What’s a plant you can use—and recommend-- with confidence? We’ve asked ILCA members to share their thoughts on proven performers. Bowman’s Root (Gillenia trifoliata aka Porteranthus trifoliatus) is a lovely, delicate woodland wildflower favored by several Midwest Groundcovers staff. Though rare in Illinois and generally confined to the southern half of the state in its native habitat, it is found in upland woods in the eastern half of the United States (Z3-8) with the exception of the far southern states and most of New England. Each white star-like flower, with its uneven 5 narrow petals anchored by a red calyx, is held above the leaves in a loose panicle that almost seems to float above the plant in an attractive loose cluster in late spring. Bowman’s Root blooms sometime in May or June and produces fruit sometime in July and August. Bowman’s Root is a trouble-free plant for the shade garden where its fine texture in leaf and flower makes it attractive for massing. The leaf structure of the plant adds to its overall loveliness. Each leaf is divided into three relatively narrow, toothed lobes that attach to the plant stem by a very short petiole. Multiple stems arise from a woody rootstock crown and form an attractive habit even after the plant is finished blooming. The reddish color of the stem matches the red of the calyx at the base of each flower which remains on the plant after it blooms. As a final ornamental touch, the leaves turn a colorful bronzered in the fall. This 2-3’ tall and wide wildflower does best in moist, humus-rich, woodsy soil that is acid to neutral pH. However, it can be quite drought tolerant once the planting is well established. It prefers shade or partial shade and is tolerant of a range of soils. It is deer resistant and can attract a variety of butterflies and beneficial insects to the garden. Gillenia trifoliata facts— Size:
2-3’ tall with similar spread Culture
Three-part, toothed lobes. Fall color is bronze-red.
Flowers
Shade to part shade. Prefers moist, humus rich soil.
62
Foliage:
White, star-like composed of 5, uneven narrow petals anchored by a red calyx. Blooms in May or June
Trish Beckjord, RLA Sales & Market Development, native plants & green infrastructure Midwest Groundcovers Trish Beckjord is a registered landscape architect and graduate of the University of Michigan’s MLA program where some of her favorite courses involved field study of native plants and ecosystems. She is an experienced designer whose focus has been the successful integration of native plants and ecological restoration strategies into designed landscapes for significant LEED gold and platinum projects including companies such as Advocate Healthcare, Johnson Controls and McDonalds. In addition, she has brought these same ideas to the residential scale through her personal practice.
The Landscape Contractor June 2015