June 2018 Digital Edition of The Landscape Contractor magazine by Association Publishing Partners

July 25-26, 2018

MT ILCA full page June 18 Advertorial 2.indd 1

5/1/18 9:30 AM

June 2018

CONTENTS Excellence In Landscape Awards Project

FOCUS: Interior Comforts for the Great Outdoors Specialized containers Rev Up Outdoor Spaces 10 Just part of bringing the indoors out Summertime Cocktails Worth Sharing with Clients 20 Here’s a fun way to bond with your favorite client

Summertime Songs Written in the Language of Plants 23 15 songs featuring trees, flowers or plants Who Needs a Hug 24 Roy Diblik explores plant communities

Take a Page Out of Roy’s Workbook A “how-to” guide to building a plant community

Tired of Using the Same Old Plants? Some varieties worth your consideration

The Queen of Perennials Tracy Disabato-Aust shares some of her secrets

Sustainable Inspiration — Summer Reading List A reading list for your consideration this summer

EN ESPAÑOL

Tired of Using the Same Old Plants? Building Security into the Landscape Traces the integration of trades in landscapes

40 48

Member Profile 56 Sound Living

Before You Go... Time to be a garden tourist

On the cover... Hursthouse Inc. received a Gold Award for this Residential Landscape Construction project entitled Architectural Reflections.

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

44 3

CONTENTS

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

Calendar

4 5 7 54 59 61

JULY

Photo Credits ILCA Awards Program Rick Reuland RYCO Landscaping Scott Gramsq Roy Diblik Brent Horvath

1, 8-9 5, 7 10-18 20-22 24-28, 62 30-35, 40-43

Tracy Disabato-Aust SELC Committee Nihjt Light, Inc. Sound Living

36-39 44-46 48-50 56

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

July 25-26, 2018 Pheasant Run Resort and Conference Center St. Charles, IL For more information and to register visit: ilca.net/summer-snow-days

Volume 59, 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.

SEPTEMBER

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Landscape Contractor, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES: Association Publishing Partners, Inc., Ph. (630) 637-8632 Fax (630) 637-8629 email: rmgi@comcast.net CLASSIFIED ADS, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION: ILCA (630) 472-2851 Fax (630) 472-3150 PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL OFFICE: Rick Reuland, rmgi@comcast.net, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630)637-8632 PRODUCT DISCLAIMER: The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, its Board of Directors, the Magazine Committee, ILCA Staff, The Landscape Contractor and its staff, neither endorse any products nor attest to the validity of any statements made about products

ILCA Staff

Magazine Staff

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

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

Education Manager AnneMarie Drufke adrufke@ilca.net

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

Events Manager Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net Office Manager Alycia O’Connor aoconnor@ilca.net Membership & Marketing Coordinator Marissa Stubler mstubler@ilca.net

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

September 13, 2018 ILCA Golf Outing September 27, 2018 Turf Education Day (TED)

v Becke Davis Senior Writer

treethyme@aol.com

at dotynu rseries.co m to rece ive our

Patrice Peltier

Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net

Meta Levin

email ne wsle t ter

Feature Writer

dotynurseries.com

Nina Koziol

Shade TreeS • OrnamenTalS • evergreenS • ShrubS

meta.levin@comcast.net Feature Writer

n.koziol@att.net Heather Prince Feature Writer

princeht@sbcglobal.net Marilyn Witney

Ryan Doty sales@dotynurseries.com

P 630 365 9063 F 630 365 9081

45W121 Beith Road Maple Park, IL 60151

Follow—

Feature Writer

madwitney@comcast.net

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

@ILCAlandscape

facebook.com/illinoislandscapecontractorsassociation

From Where I Stand — June 1, 2018 will mark my 10-year anniversary as the Executive Director of ILCA. Time flies when you are having fun. It’s hard to fathom that I have been working at ILCA for 25% of my entire life. I remember being terrified that someone on the Board would ask me my age during my interviews because there was no way they were going to trust their association to some 29-year old punk. Now, with each passing day, I can definitively say, that I do not look, feel, or act 29-years old anymore. Man, that kid did have a nice head of hair, though. These milestones provide an opportunity for reflection. 10 years is a lot of committee and board meetings, over one hundred magazine columns, thousands of hours of education, and scores of board members, committee members, volunteers, and staff. These moments of selfreflection are valuable. They allow me to take pause and trace my fingers backwards along the ups and downs, lefts and rights of directing the ILCA. During my final interview for the ILCA job, I had answered all the Board’s questions. I then opened up a portfolio and began asking them some of mine. I wanted to make sure ILCA was going to be the right fit. I remember my last question to the search committee, “What would ILCA do with an extra $50,000?” There was a long, dreaded silence as the committee members exchanged sideways glances. Finally, Eric Moore, one of my first mentors and confidantes at ILCA spoke up and said, “We’d have one hell of a party!” Eric’s joke aside, I realized ILCA was at a crossroads. I probably shouldn’t read too much into an answer to a question that I sprung on them at the tail end of a long interview, but it showed me that ILCA was a bit lost. I was replacing an entrenched executive director who steered a lot of policy decisions for many years. In her absence, ILCA was now recalibrating and clearly wanted help relocating their mission among the heap of programs, initiatives, and “stuff” that ILCA had happening in any given year. Flash forward to March of 2009. I am having lunch in the few peaceful hours before Awards Night is set to begin. I am sitting at the bar, picking at a cheeseburger and fries, while I watch the DOW Jones crater to its lowest level since 1997. The recession was here, it was real, it was unavoidable, and it was going to come after the landscape industry with a vengeance. I realized that “extra $50,000” was going to be a little tougher to come by. Yet, we scratched and we clawed and we finished FY08-09 with a profit of $33,084.60. Not enough for a party, but enough to offer hope. Examining one’s career through the lens of our daily slog can be discouraging. Our professional careers move slowly and incrementally. Some days we feel like a rudderless ship about to smash into the rocks. Other days, the sun shines and the course looks clear. When we are offered these moments of reflection, the scope widens and we better grasp our impact on a personal and professional level. As with baseball players, if we take too small of a sample size, life is filled with nothing but disappointments. I have moments I am proud of and moments I regret. I have moments I reinforced ignorance through success and moments

I gained wisdom through failure. I’m proud that we survived the recession and that I always took care of my employees who got me through it. I’m proud that landscaping is the only profession with its own prevailing wage exclusions that have saved Illinois citizens millions of dollars. Those exclusions would not have been possible without 18 months of hard negotiations with the DOL. I am proud that we have frozen dues for our members for 11 years while continuing to grow as an organization. I am proud we had the courage to launch iLandscape and turned it into a show known nationally for its fun, experience, and innovation. I am proud we joined forces with IPLCA and MELA and realized we were stronger together than apart. I am proud that we defeated a crushing service tax that threatened our livelihoods. I am proud that we have increased our balance sheet by 149% since I started. I am proud that we still offer an incredible magazine when so many other organizations ended theirs in an attempt to save money. I am proud we have launched new programs like Impact, TED, Hardscape Illinois, Summer Snow Days, Field Staff Skills Training, among others. I am proud we continue to honor our past while always looking forward to the future. I am proud we have fostered a Board culture that challenges one another and understands the stark difference between risk and recklessness. The common thread that is woven between all of that professional pride is that none of it was done alone. I cannot take credit for one single item on that abbreviated list. ILCA’s ten years of success is a result of hundreds of volunteers, with busy day jobs, working together to help their competitors. On top of that, my incredible, selfless, hardworking, crazy-fun staff makes it all seem easy when I know it’s anything but. Sure, I am proud of the accomplishments that have occurred during my tenure. Yet, I am more proud that ILCA has stayed true to its mission and organizational character. My very first task, during my very first week, was to sit down with each staff member and talk to them one-on-one. I wanted to pick their brains and better understand the organizational culture that I was stepping into. I wanted to understand, in a few sentences, what ILCA was and what ILCA aspired to be. I still have my notes from those conversations. It’s not because I’m a packrat, it’s because I knew I was being given commandments from the people who understood ILCA best. They told me that ILCA’s reason for being was our education. They told me to not stifle innovation and always look for what is next. They told me that ILCA was a bottom-up organization and that so much potential is locked up in those committee rooms just waiting to burst forth. They told me to listen to the wisdom of the past presidents and old timers and realize that beneath some of the crankiness is love and care for the industry they call home. Lastly, they asked me to help the Board build trust in the staff and committee structure so the Board wouldn’t have to focus on the small stuff. If the Board could simply provide the vision and resources, the other two legs of the stool would get them there. I have two favorite parts of my job. The first is calling the

A Lot Older,

A Little Wiser

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

From Where I Stand —

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

866-627-4264

annual scholarship winners. I love hearing these young people try to restrain their excitement and emotion as I tell them they are now the recipients of thousands of dollars as a result of their hard work. My second favorite part is the hour before an ILCA event. Most would assume it’s the afterglow of a successful event, but that’s not what fills my bucket. I love the quiet calm of knowing we have every detail in place and we are prepared to handle (most) every curveball that inevitably comes our way. The result of hundreds of hours of staff and committee planning is about to pay off. I love those final, fleeting moments, like a family crouched behind the couch waiting to yell “SURPRISE!” I get asked from time to time, “What’s next for you?” I believe there is this assumption that my job grows stale and derivative the more time that passes. As if dealing with a brand new Board of Directors and committees, host of industry challenges, and 9,000 new pieces of legislation every year isn’t considered change. I don’t really know how to answer that question. I can look at it in terms of a day or a week or a fiscal year or an events cycle or a 3-year strategic plan or 5-year events calendar or 10-year career. With wisdom, I’ve learned that where you are going and how you get there are equally as important. The most important aspect of the ILCA, and this was likely as true in 1959 as it is today is the selflessness and sacrifice it takes to be a member. Besides the membership fee, it means giving away pieces of yourself and your company in order to get something greater back in return. It means educating your competitors, digging into your profits to train your employees, calling your elected officials, and putting aside your needs for the needs of others. I am the mere caretaker of that philosophy and it has allowed ILCA to survive anything and everything put in its path for almost 60 years. My greatest responsibility is to those who make those sacrifices. To make sure our dollars and volunteer hours are not wasted. To make sure that we never lose that spirit of camaraderie and sharing. I have worked in other industries, ILCA members should never take for granted the environment that ILCA has helped to foster. So, ten years in, I have failed to produce that $50,000 party (I had one job!). For that, I apologize. Of course, iLandscape is now a $1.1 million dollar party and means so much more to this industry and association. If you think after ten years, I’m ready to rest on my laurels, you really don’t know me at all. Complacency is not what makes me tick. My joy, as noted, comes in those moments before we launch the next big thing. I’ll never turn down a “cheers” at iLandscape’s Wednesday night party as we hold our free beers and tap our feet to the music. Just understand, my moment of celebration already happened, an hour before the first person walked through the door. It’s in that moment I enjoy the last few minutes of peace, I take my deep breath, and I ask myself, “What’s next?” ILCA — thank you for ten amazing years. I am honored to serve you.

Scott Grams May 18, 2018

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

President’s Message — “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – Winnie The Pooh

President

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

Vice-President

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

Secretary-Treasurer

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

Immediate Past President

Mike Schmechtig Schmechtig Landscape Company (847) 566-1233 mschmechtig@schmechtiglandscapes.com

Directors

Mark Breier National Seed Co. (630) 963-8787 mark.breier@natseed.com Allan Jeziorski Hartman Landscape (708) 403-8433 allan@hartmanlandscape.net

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

Ashley Voss Vermeer Midwest (630) 820-3030 ashley.voss@vermeermidwest.com Donna Vignocchi Zych ILT Vignocchi, Inc. (847) 487-5200 dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com

I sat at this same computer 12 months ago and wondered “Where should I start?” How was I going to provide 12 messages that would be interesting and informative to our membership? Now I sit here again wondering where the time went and hoping that the last 11 messages resonated with at least someone! It has been an exciting 12 months working with such a terrific Board of Directors and ILCA staff toward a common goal. I have been blessed to be a part of such an outstanding group of people who are not shy in expressing their opinions, but also willing to listen to others and come to good, educated decisions in order to make this association stronger. I want to say thank you to them for their hard work and commitment. The staff at ILCA is top notch and I thank them for their knowledge, support and initiative. I went back and reread my very first message and thought I needed to repeat my quote that, “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing” – Theodore Roosevelt. The Board, staff, committee volunteers and members all know that the work we do is not easy, but we do it because it is our passion and at the end of the day we can look back and feel good about what we have accomplished. As I move into the role of Immediate Past President, I look forward to the new slate of Board members coming up the ranks. Tom Lupfer is on the ballot for President. I admire his passion for sustainability and his desire to strengthen our political influences. I know you will find him to be a great leader. Jose Garcia will be up for Vice-President. I admire his financial savvy, and his undying work ethic. I know he will do an amazing job. I am thrilled that Donna Vignocchi-Zych who is amazing with marketing, a person with many great ideas and another second generation daughter in the industry is up for Secretary-Treasurer. Nominated to join the Board this year will be Jennifer Fick of Wilson Nurseries and Jeff Kramer of Kramer Tree Specialists, they will be great additions. Sadly, I do have to say goodbye to Mark Breier and Michael Schmechtig who have served their time with distinction. I know they will always have a voice within ILCA. Thanks fellas for the hard work, come by any time, you know I will miss you! Most of my messages contained personal thoughts and experiences along with updates on what we are up to on the Board and where we are going as an association. As a member of ILCA and having had the honor to serve as its 2017-2018 President I can say that I have learned a lot. I accomplished many of the goals I set and look forward to helping the newcomers wherever I can. The next fiscal year will be filled with new events, new goals and new leaders. Thank you to all those who have supported me and given me guidance along my professional journey, I look forward to things to come and my next adventure within ILCA. “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” – Albert Schweitzer

Thank you, www.ilca.net

Lisa Fiore May 15, 2018 The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Scott Byron & Company â&#x20AC;˘ Lake Bluff Bluff Property

This project requires

visits two times per week. The design intent is meant to be private and natural with a few specimen plants as centerpieces. Our crews selectively prune each plant to keep the desired natural shape. The bluff walkways are a constant challenge to keep weed free and lush. The crews must meticulously remove each small weed by hand both on and off the walkways, which is a challenge due to the slope of the land. Each stepper joint must be kept tight and orderly to prevent overgrowth onto the bluestone stepper. The sunken patio must be constantly trimmed to keep the perennials and groundcover from

encroaching on each other and the patio. Each blustone stepper in the turf needs to be individually edged each visit to keep the bluegrass from encroaching. The Allium are beautiful when in bloom and the boxwood need to be carefully pruned to keep their natural but structured shape. Once the Allium are done blooming, the next challenge for the crew is to deadhead them all. The final challenge for the crew is to walk down several walkways to the beachfront where they need to weed, rake, and pick up debris all along the beachfront.

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Interior Comforts for the Great Outdoors

Specialized Containers Rev Up Your Outdoor Living Spaces Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: For decades landsape designers have sought to bring the comforts of indoors to their majestically executed outdoor spaces. These efforts have ranged from simple outdoor seating to over-the-top fire places, full kitchens, and weather-proof entertaiment systems. While these features are truly dramatic, we seek to offer a few solutions to impact even the most modest budget. Lisa Smith of RYCO Landscaping leads off with a story about decorating with containers and floral arrangements. This is followed by three rather lighthearted pieces; botannically inspired cocktails for summer; a specialized music play list featuring plants and flowers; and a sustainably minded summer reading list. Enjoy the season and remember to breathe. By: Lisa Smith Why Container Gardening? No matter your style, space or budget, container gardening is a cost effective, simple and spectacular way to add an abundance of color and life to your outdoor living space. Container gardens are not just a solution for small spaces. Container gardens have many uses, which can include; adding instant color to your environment and/or connecting the architecture of your home to your garden space. Container gardens offer all the same beauty, of a large garden, but do not require as much routine maintenance or weeding. With regular watering, pruning and fertilizing, your plantings can be in bloom all season long. Container gardening can be an easy way to dress up a porch that welcomes your guests, or add color to a dull deck or shady area, and can 10

help make use of areas where the soil is poor. Planting by way of containers also gives those who find bending a challenge the ability to garden. You can place your container(s) at a height that is comfortable, thus minimizing the need to bend. (continued on page 12) The Landscape Contractor June 2018

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Interior Comforts for the Great Outdoors

(continued from page 10) When deciding on what type and size containers to use, you need to ask; will you be planting several different plants in one container, or will you be planting one variety of plant in multiple containers and then arranging them in a group? If you decide to go with several plants per container, then an easy guideline to remember is to pick plants that have all the same requirements such as all sun loving plants or all shade plants. Thriller, Spiller, Filler Next are the combinations of Thriller, Spiller, and/or Filler. The Thriller is the focal point, such as a large tropical plant or interesting ornamental grass. Next would be the Spiller plants that spill or trail over the edge of the container. Popular spiller plants are trailing petunias, bacopa, ornamental sweet potato vine and/ or ivy. (continued on page 14) 12

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

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The Landscape Contractor June 2018

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Interior Comforts for the Great Outdoors (continued from page 12) The final element of your container will be Fillers. These are plants with smaller leaves and flowers that add color and fill in the gaps and take up space. Good ‘Fillers’ would include salvias, verbenas, and begonias. You may want to consider using a foliage plant like licorice or perhaps creeping Jenny. In regards to quantity, when using an 18” container, for example, plan on using about 5-6 medium sized or 4.5” potted plants per container. Simplify A way to simplify container gardening is to grow plants solo. In this case you grow each variety separately, and then you group the containers together by their individual light requirements. Growing solo can eliminate needless stress associated with the varying requirements of certain plants or that some plants may not be aesthetically pleasing in the same (continued on page 16)

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

L O N G S H A D OW

. COM

Palazzo Urn 29 ~Old World Texture, LS 9800 at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois

Hand crafted in Southern Illinois by Classic Garden Ornaments, Ltd.®

Interior Comforts for the Great Outdoors (continued from page 14) container. Plants grown solo then grouped together make for a fantastic combination. An additional benefit to using containers in your outdoor living space is incorporating plants that can act as a natural insect repellent. These plants include geraniums, basil, dill, mint, rosemary, lavender, lemongrass, lemon, thyme and even perennial allium. Such plants also provide the soothing effect of natural scents and color. Size Matters When considering the size of your container, keep in mind that it is easier to grow plants in large containers than in small ones. A large container holds more soil, which stays moist longer, and is less prone to rapid temperature fluctuations. Small containers are prone to drying out, especially when wind is a factor. It may be necessary to water small containers twice a day. Several factors determine how large and deep the container should be. Consider the size

and shape of a plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s root system, how rapidly it grows, and its sun requirements. Light-colored containers keep the soil cooler than dark containers. Clay containers are absorbent and dry out faster than plastic or metal containers. A Good Mix Now that you have selected your containers and plants all you need is the proper soil, make sure the container has good drainage and the right tools for the job. I prefer a high quality bagged potting soil with fertilizers. I cannot stress enough the importance of using potting soil over top soil. Top soil is too heavy for containers and contains no nutrients or drainage needed for container plants. The more potting soil you use the more water retention you will have. This will help in trying to reduce some of the much needed daily (at times) watering.

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

(continued on page 18)

VINTAGE PAVERS Reclaimed from the old streets of many Midwestern cities, clay street pavers and antique granite pavers have become a unique, preferred choice when design requires the elusive look of originality. Once an old street, now an exclusive driveway, reclaimed street pavers provide the look and appeal of natural design. No comparison can be made to these beautiful brick, the texture, the wear of years of weather and use from old carriages and vintage automobiles have created an exceptional patina that newly manufactured concrete pavers cannot match.

Stockyards Brick Clay Street Pavers & Antique Granite Pavers are utilized most commonly for driveways, paths, walkways and patios. Reclaimed pavers are also used in the construction of many exclusive homes as well as restaurants and country clubs. Some designers are also suggesting them for use in atrium flooring.

ALSO AVAILABLE ARE ANTIQUE COMMON BRICK FROM CHICAGO AND VARIOUS OTHER MIDWESTERN CITIES ALONG WITH RECLAIMED WOOD AND TIMBERS.

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Interior Comforts for the Great Outdoors

(continued from page 16) Proper Tools The last components for your container project are your gardening tools. I like to use a quality set of pruners, a good garden trowel, a well-balanced watering can and comfortable pair of gardening gloves. 18

By following these guidelines you will be ready to begin and enjoy container gardening. Successful containers just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen; you need to apply a few basic principles, as outlined above. Remember; even the novice gardener can create and maintain a beautiful garden. The Landscape Contractor June 2018

You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be a horticulturist or a floral designer to create and add a spectacular abundance of color and life to your outdoor living space. Always be willing to experiment and try new combinations.

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The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Interior Comforts for the Great Outdoors

Guide to Summer Cocktails — Influenced by: The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart By Scott Grams and Mark Utendorf

Who couldn’t use a drink

about now? There are few better summer pastimes than sitting in our backyards slow sipping a cocktail. Time stands still as we immerse ourselves in our landscapes, enjoying the company of others or the peaceful serenity of silence. The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Greatest Drinks by Amy Stewart was the inspiration for this summer cocktail list. Stewart’s book is half field guide and half bartender’s bible. It is imbued with 2 parts science, 1-part history, a dash geography, a splash of anthropology, garnished with a wedge of whimsy. It reinforces the deep and all-encompassing relationship that plants have with alcohol. It is pretty clear that there are few plants on this earth that someone hasn’t tried to distill, infuse, or mash. Some results are better than others. The drink recipes below do not give justice to the depth and breadth of the book. If you love plants and drinks, this must be on your book shelf. The book isn’t a pocket guide. It’s almost 400 pages of recipes and backstories. As with any bartender’s guide, it can be read cover to cover or used as a resource and delved into when the moment strikes. If the bartender is on a bourbon kick (which is far more preferable than being kicked by bourbon) those specific sections can be enjoyed and the book may be revisited when tastes change again. Any cocktail aficionado will tell you 20

the palette changes with the seasons and the weather. It’s the same way a citrus-infused fish taco tastes better in July than January and a hearty beef stew is reserved for a cold November night. The premise for this article started on a plane trip to Washington DC when Mark Utendorf, ILCA Board member and owner of Emerald Lawn Care in Rolling Meadows and Executive Director Scott Grams were discussing a shared love of cooking and cocktails. Mark was a self-proclaimed mixologist and Grams quickly understood Mark didn’t toss around that label loosely. He was naming obscure aperitifs and herbal infused syrups and bitters. When the ILCA Magazine Committee said they wanted to do a Summer Entertaining Guide in The Landscape Contractor magazine and it needed an article on summer drinks, it didn’t take long to connect the dots. The following article borrows most of its recipes directly from The Drunken Botanist. Each drink was prepared artfully and sampled in real time by the expert panel of Utendorf and Grams. The authors did half pours to make sure that by the sixth cocktail no one was barking at the moon. A drink was paired with each part of the season to make sure a trusted companion is by your side regardless of the weather or time of year. Cheers!

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Late Spring

Mid-Summer

Enjoy this crisp, clear cocktail as memories of winter fade. Żubrówka is a Polish vodka made from the sweet grass that Europe’s only buffalo herd feeds upon. There is a blade of buffalo grass in every bottle. The drink runs clean like a mountain stream flowing down a Carpathian mountainside. 1.5 oz Żubrówka .5 oz dry vermouth .5 oz apple juice Shake all ingredients with ice for at least 12 seconds and strain into a stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish with a blade of grass.

A simply stunning drink that has barnstormed back into America with the return of crème de violette liqueurs. It’s the drink a flight attendant would hand you walking up a tarmac stair ramp and onto a shining metallic prop plane. 1.5 oz gin .5 oz maraschino liqueur .5 oz crème de violette .5 oz fresh lemon juice Shake the gin, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Pour the crème de violette onto a bartender’s spoon and drop it delicately onto the top of the drink. It will sink to the bottom in the form of a lovely purple cloud where the glass meets the stem. Garnish with a violet blossom.

Bison Grass Cocktail

Scott Grams (SG): “It tastes like warm apple pie. It has a floral bouquet but a surprisingly sweet taste with no earthy undertone.” Mark Utendorf (MU): “Definitely a less intense version of Grannie’s apple pie. I like the honey overtones…it’s a smooth drinker and dangerous.”

The Aviation

Early Summer

Elderflower Gin & Tonic

Gentlemen can put on their finest seersucker suit and ladies may don their derby hats as garden party season has started. This is the perfect drink for a classy affair or impromptu croquet match. Elderflower is a recent addition to American palettes as St. Germain burst onto the cocktail scene in 2007. It is actually the honey-scented flowers and not the robust blackberries that lend their flavor to elderflower liqueurs. 2 oz gin 4 oz Fever Tree Elderflower tonic water Pour over ice and serve in a highball glass. A lime is unnecessary as the tonic is already flavored, but one may be used for a citrus infusion or garnish. Instead, one may want to consider a bright green cocktail straw and napkin.

SG: “A refreshing summer cocktail with a perfect balance of tart and sweet. It’s worth the effort. It’s a drink Jay Gatsby’s butler would make on a private airfield.” MU: “A drink from a bygone era reminiscent of Howard Hughes and his Spruce Goose. You can hear the whir of the propellers as you settle into your seat for a flight to Monaco.” (continued on page 22)

SG: “Much more refreshing than a traditional gin and tonic. From the first sip, it tastes like the bottom of a perfectly blended G&T when all the flavors have mixed.” MU: “It has a wine-like smoothness from the first sip versus the usual clash between the gin and the tang of traditional tonic water.”

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Interior Comforts for the Great Outdoors (continued from page 21)

Fall

The French Intervention

As summer fades, it’s time to forget light summer cocktails and embrace bold and malty whiskeys. Sweaters and wool blankets are required apparel as we attempt to suck as much summer as we can from our back porches. The Sazerac is considered America’s oldest cocktail. It traces its origins back to New Orleans in the 1850s. Its primary ingredient is hearty American rye, but it contains the often mistrusted and misunderstood wormwood-based absinthe. Wormwood has been flavoring spirits since Egyptian times. Sip away and you can almost hear the jazz pouring out on the streets of the French Quarter. 1 sugar cube 2-3 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters 1.5 oz Sazerac rye or another rye whiskey .25 oz of absinthe Fill one old fashioned glass with ice to chill. In a second glass, muddle the sugar cube and bitters before adding the rye. Toss the ice from the first glass into the sink. Swirl the absinthe in the cold glass and then toss it out as well, or drink it…c’est si bon! Pour the rye mixture into the glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

The Dog Days of Summer If there is a bright side to the 1862 invasion of Mexico by the French, this cocktail may be it. Mezcal and reposado are extremely popular with discriminating Mexican palettes where Americans are more used to tequila blanco for its ability to mix well with margaritas or spring break regrets. Reposado is agave tequila that has been aged in oak barrels from 2 to 12 months. If it has aged longer, it becomes anejo. Mezcal uses an entirely different distillation process from traditional tequilas. This well-balanced cocktail softens the hearty tequila with lillet - a delicate French wine and creates a unique cocktail that can stand up to a hot orange sun. 1.5 oz of reposado tequila or mezcal .75 oz lillet blanc Dash of green chartreuse Ingredients should be poured over ice, shaken, and strained into a stemmed cocktail glass. The drink should be garnished with an expressed grapefruit peel, a wide-sliced peel squeezed over the drink to scent it with the citrus oil and then placed into the glass. SG: “Anyone who has accidentally made a margarita with Mezcal knows not all tequilas are the same. This is a smooth, soft hot summer cocktail with tremendous bite.” MU: “This is essentially a well-blended tequila martini that can be slow-sipped as the days get hotter and longer. A perfect reward on a Saturday evening as the sun sets in the distance.”

Sazerac

Crisp Early Fall Negroni

No one forgets if they’ve ever tried Compari. This unmistakable liqueur has its fans and detractors. Compari is made from the chinotto fruit which is in the citrus family. The tart and bitter fruits are found along the Mediterranean and ripen in January. This unmistakably bitter cocktail will transport you to the shores of Lake Como. It’s a drink that can be enjoyed on a listing riva boat as you argue about the finest films of Fellini and Sofia Loren. Just remember to set the drink down if you talk with your hands. 1 oz gin 1 oz sweet vermouth 1 oz Compari Shake all ingredients and pour into an ice filled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

SG: “New Orleans is an American treasure. This drinks puts me on Bourbon Street with a cigar in my hand watching a musician twirl his upright bass. I love that it owns its bitterness by doubling down the rye with dashes of additional bitters. One of my all-time favorite drinks.” MU: “This is a beautiful drink that showcases my favorite liquor – spicy, slightly sweet rye. It reminds me of my wife.”

SG: “Yuck! It tastes like you are making-out with a burny piece of firewood. Not a fan.” MU: “It’s a refreshing slap in the face. I’d have it before dinner. I love the balance of the bitter licorice-like taste and citrus.”

Always drink responsibly and stay thirsty our ILCA friends! 22

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Summer tunes for any contractors’ playlist

Moby — Flower

Alanis Morissette — Orchid

Tom Petty — Wildflowers

Ace of Base — Life is a Flower

Seal — Kiss from a Rose

U2 — Joshua Tree

Coldplay — Violet Hill

a-ha — Sycamore Leaves

Tom Jones — Green, Green Grass of Home

Goo Goo Dolls — Iris

Trini Lopez — Lemon Tree

Harry Nilsson — Put the Lime in the Coconut

Bette Midler — The Rose

Enya — The Memory of Trees

Led Zeppelin — The Lemon Song

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

The Dynamics of Plants & Landscapes

Who needs a hug? By Patrice Peltier

Plants—like people—

want to be with each other. They do best when they live in communities. That’s the message plantsman and consultant Roy Diblik gave to iLandscape participants during his “Sixteen Together” presentation. “Plants love intimacy. They’re happiest when they’re living together in a community,” Diblik says. “When we take plants out of their authentic communities and put them on four-foot centers surrounded by wood, that’s not healthy.” Like people, not all plants do well when thrown together, Diblik explains. Creating a successful plant community requires forethought, and that includes starting with the right plants. Diblik offered a list of sixteen plants (see page 27). “These plants respect each other’s space. They’re not aggressive, and they’re fairly durable,” he explains. Diblik encourages people to stick with a palette of reliable plants and to learn as much about them as possible. “Our industry gets too caught up in what plants are new

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instead of asking what new ideas you can come up with for the plants you have,” he says. “People don’t buy music because they have a favorite note. It’s all about the composition. You have to think about the possibilities.” When people think about plant combinations, hopefully they start with plants that have the same cultural requirements. The next consideration is often bloom time and flower color. “That’s not enough,” Diblik says. “You’ve got to understand the growth rate and growth habit of the plants, and then you’ve got it made.” “Think about two plants like Perovskia and Echinacea,” Diblik suggests. “Picture how big each plant is in April and then how it looks in July. That gives you its growth rate. Then ask yourself, ‘Is it taller than it is wide?’ That’s a vertical growth habit. If it’s wider than it is tall, that’s a horizontal growth habit. Which plant takes up the most space? Which would you use more of and why?” (continued on page 26)

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

The Dynamics of Plants & Landscapes (continued from page 24) Diblik uses his knowledge of growth rate and growth habit to establish percentages of plants to use in a combination. Plants that grow faster or wider would generally be a lower percentage of the community than slower growing or more vertical plants. Endless combinations can be made by changing the percentages of the plants used as well as the placement of plants. “You could take all the plants, dig them up, put them on a tarp and create a new composition with the same plants,” he says. To demonstrate, Diblik showed participants a series of plant combinations featuring Allium angulosum ‘Summer Beauty.’ In one it was paired with Origanum laevigtum ‘Herrenhausen’. Subsequent photos showed pairings of Summer Beauty with Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta and with Echinacea pallida. One combination included Summer Beauty, Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’, Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta and Allium ‘Purple Sensation.’ Any of the plants paired with Summer Beauty could also be paired with each other, according to Diblik. “The relationships can go on and on,” he explains. Plant pairings can be used strategically to manage more aggressive plants,

Diblik says. “Crowns love colliding. It’s like being hugged,” he maintains. “You have to select the right plants to collide, though.” For instance, Diblik shakes his head in wonder at how often he now sees common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) planted in residential gardens. “It’s taking over the world. Whole sections of Naperville may have to be abandoned one day because there’ll be nothing but Asclepias,” he jokes. If Asclepias syriaca was mixed in with Sporobolus heterolepis, it would hit the Sporobolus and stop,” he continues. “Even if it was planted with Heliopsis helianthoides, Echinacea pallida, or Parthenium integrifolium, the Asclepias would have to come to a modest halt. You can manage aggressive plants with the strong crowns of other plants,” he adds. More aggressive plants can also be contained by adding them when the original planting matures, he says. Solidago and Echinacea often reseed and can crowd out other plants if planted before the other plants mature. “If you want bronze fennel, put it in five years later after the original planting matures,” he counsels. “I learned that simply by screwing up.” Learning by screwing up is part of truly coming to know plants, accord-

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

ing to Diblik. “The only way you’re ever going to learn about a plant is by putting it in the ground,” he says. “The worst thing you can do is get a list. That’s like getting all the components of a car. I could never build a car from all the parts. “You don’t create plant relationships by using a list,” he continues. “Some will overwhelm others or shade other plants out because they grow too quickly.” It’s never too late—or too soon—to start learning how plants grow in communities, according to Diblik. “Make a list of plants you like. Write down the growth rate and habit and then start making patterns on graph paper showing how much room each plant will occupy at maturity,” he advises. “Put plants in the ground and see how they grow,” he continues. “Over the next three or four years, the knowledge you’ll get is unbelievable. Keep building on that. You won’t even realize how good you’re getting.” Your plants will know, though, and they might stop hugging each other long enough to give you a hug, too.

Community Organizers Plantsman Roy Diblik suggests experimenting with these plants to learn how plants grow in communities. He recommends them for their durability as well as their good manners. • • • • •

Allium angulosum ‘Summer Beauty’ Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta

Coreopsis verticillata ‘Golden Showers’ (Also consider Coreopsis palmate)

Echinacea pallida (With thoughtful usage Echinacea purpurea) Eupatorium dubium ‘Baby Joe’

•

Gentiana andrewsii

•

Gillenia trifoliata

•

Monarda bradburiana

•

Parthenium integrifoium

•

Salvia nemorosa ‘Wesuwe’ (Also ‘East Friesland’, ‘Snow Hill’ and ‘Blue Hill’)

•

Schizachyrium scoparium

•

Silphium terebinthinaceum

•

Sporobolus heterolepis

•

Calamintha nepeta

Sporobolus heterolepis

Geranium ‘Max Frei’

Carex the genus, (Special favorites include Carex pensylvanica, Carex bromoides, Carex albicans, Carex flacca)

•

Coreopsis palmate

Carex

Sesleria autumnalis

Stachys officinalis ‘Hummelo’

Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’ Salvia nemorosa ‘Wesuwe’

Stachys officinalis ‘Hummelo’

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

The Dynamics of Plants & Landscapes

Take a page out of Roy’s workbook By Roy Diblik

I’ve chosen

a group of plants that have durable lifestyles in our region. They live well in our average soil, have good structural from, diverse flowering effects, nice fall interest and, when established, modest watering needs in July and August, depending on the season’s rain fall. Each plant is a clumping plant, respecting its space. They are listed with percentages next to the plant. That refers to how many of each plant are used in relation to the total plants within the planting area. The percentage for each plant relates to each plant’s growth habit and growth rate. A higher percentage relates to a plant having a lower mounding growth habit up to about 18 inches OR a narrow, vertical growth habit about 6 to 10 inches wide. The lower percentages are plants having a taller and or wider growth habit, having strong architectural features. The mounding and/or shorter plants simply interwork between architectural plants. Also, understand you can increase the group size of plants with larger growth habits, but only up to a point. Then the size of the group begins to promote a steady decline in health due to lack of air movement and efficient sunlight. This exercise will help you come to know how young plants can be placed in a planting area so they can grow into each other with energetic affection, not developing at unbalanced rates out- competing each other to maturity. We are striving for compatibility, early weed control, diversity and possibly through the years additional enhancement plantings that can continue to 28

add aesthetics and habitat for insects, birds and other creatures including humans. The planting area for this exercise is 300 square feet or 10 feet x 30 feet. After you lay each pattern out in your planting space, ask yourself, “What maintenance concerns have I created for the area immediately and during the life of the planting?”

harder to change due to their value in stabilizing the design and keep up the integrity of plant establishment. Let go of the feeling you are placing the plants too close. Relax. They love to collide and live intimately, especially if they are placed thoughtfully together. As they mature you can do some thinning if some plants appear to be crowding the others more than you anticipated, or you can let a plant through time crowd its neighbor out. Your chosen interactions are called gardening!! Once you understand plants’ growth rates and growth habits from youth to maturity and their lifestyle needs, you will be unstoppable!! And, every plant you place will have the opportunity to live a full life interacting with the capable gardener.

Long-term care and maintenance are the most important components of any planting design. Have you created a planting that can be cared for in relation to the care giver’s capability? The actual planting area is 261 square feet because the edges of the area are not planted. To plant on 15-inch centers, you divide the square footage (261) by 1.56 to get 167—the number of plants you need to fill the area. This is a coming-to-know experience. When you have completed a design do another, then another and another. You will see how many patterns can be created with the same percentage of plants. It’s like using the same alphabet to make many words! If you decide you want to use more Echinacea what would you take out to create that possibility? Ask that of every plant you select. See all the options for change. Then notice what plants are

PLANT LIST—

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Stachys officinalis ‘Hummelo’ 15% 25 plants Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta 13% 22 plants Salvia hybrid ‘Wesuwe’ 10% 16 plants Coreopsis verticillata ‘Golden Showers’ 6% 10 plants Echinacea purpurea ‘Alba’ 8% 13 plants Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’ 6% 10 plants Sporoblus heterolepis 13% 22 plants Seslaria autumnalis 25% 42 plants Parthenium integrifolium 4% 7 plants

We are experienced wholesale growers producing thousands of acres of quality, northern Illinois-grown nursery stock. A wide variety of shade trees, intermediate trees, shrubs, evergreens, broadleaf evergreens, vines, groundcovers and perennials are available.

Arthur Weiler, Inc. Clavey’s Nursery, Inc. Doty Nurseries LLC Fox Ridge Nursery Goodmark Nurseries, LLC GRO Horticultural Enterprises Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. Kaneville Tree Farms, Inc. Kankakee Nursery Co. Midwest Groundcovers Poul’s Nursery, Inc. Spring Grove Nursery, Inc. The Fields on Caton Farm, Inc.

Visit our website for a complete inventory listing by nursery–quickly find the hard-to-get items you need!

www.ogaoni.com While there, check out our members’ profiles and request a copy of our Plant Locator, a print version of our online inventory listings.

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The Landscape Contractor June 2018

3/30/18 2:44 PM

The Dynamics of Plants & Landscapes

Tired of using the By Patrice Peltier

Are you getting tired of

using the same plants? Brent Horvath, President and Owner of Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, has some ideas for you. “As I look through the nursery, I see plants that don’t sell a lot, and I’m always surprised because they’re great plants. I wanted to introduce people to plants that were underused,” Horvath said, describing the inspiration for his iLandscape presentation, “New and Underused Perennials.” A plant breeder particularly well-known for his sedum and geum introductions, Horvath also highlighted several favorites among his own introductions. Although Horvath discussed nearly 50 plants (for the complete list, see page 34), he offered these insights into his particular favorites to The Landscape Contractor.

Andropogon gerardii ‘Blackhawks’ PP#27,949 Horvath’s newest big bluestem, Blackhawks is already creating a stir in the trade, he says. At 5-feet tall, it’s a little shorter than the species, making it useful in many sites. The big deal, however, is the dark green foliage that takes on purple highlights before reaching its peak, nearblack/purple at the end of September. Grows best in full sun and average soil.

Allium ‘Chivette’ PPAF

Andropogon gerardii ‘Red October’ PP#26,283

“This mostly sterile chive has a lot of great attributes,” Horvath says of his introduction. “It has really nice Kellygreen foliage that curls as it emerges and stays curled most of the season.” In midMay, round buds open to one-inch wide lavender purple flowers that have a purple stripe down the middle of the petal. Both the flowers and stems are edible. The plant grows 12-15 inches tall in full sun in average to dry soil.

This big bluestem was selected for its finer foliage and spectacular color. The deep green foliage has red tips in spring.

Allium ‘Windy City’ PP#28,100

Another Intrinsic introduction, Horvath describes this Allium as deeper in color to Allium ‘Summer Beauty’ but earlier and shorter. “The flowers emerge purple in bud becoming more lavender as they open, so the flower is bi-color as it opens,” he explains. The flowers begin to color in June and open in July. The plant is 15 inches tall with 18-24-inch flowering stems. Very drought tolerant, Windy City grows best in full sun in average, welldrained to dry soil. 30

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Red flowers emerge in August as the foliage deepens to burgundy. After the first frost, the foliage turns scarlet. “It can happen overnight,” Horvath says. Red October’s upright habit reaches 6 feet tall. Grow in full sun for best color and welldrained soil.

same plants?

Eryngium yuccifolium ‘Prairie Moon’ - seed strain –

Horvath selected this rattlesnake master not only for its shorter stature (3 feet) but also for its foliage which is thinner and bluer than the species. White flowers begin in June or July. In fall the seedheads turn brown and persist into winter. ”It makes a nice combination when planted with Alliums,” Horvath says. Plant in full sun in dry to well-drained soil.

Geum ‘Cherry Bomb’ PPAF

Horvath’s newest geum has semi-double, mostly sterile flowers that open cherry red, fading to cherry pink on maroon stems. “It’s a unique, beautiful color,” he says. The fuzzy green foliage grows in 10-inch mounds 12-15 inches wide. Grow in rich moist soil in full sun.

Geum ‘Top Shelf Margarita’ PPAF

Festuca ‘Cool as Ice’ PP#27,651

“This hybrid has a compact habit and better heat and drought tolerance than other blue fescues,” Horvath says. “It’s more reliable in the landscape, and it’s good as a container plant.” Foliage emerges light green turning blue in summer. Spread is 12 inches with flower stems reaching 18 inches tall. Grow in full sun to light shade in well-drained soil.

Another 2018 introduction, Top Shelf Margarita features electric yellow semidouble flowers on 15-18-inch red stems. “Almost half the plants rebloomed in July last year,” Horvath reports. With these two introductions, Horvath notes that his “cocktail series” of geums now includes 19 varieties. “The colors range from creamy white to light yellow, gold, orange, pink, peach and now cherry red. Some are bi-colors. There are lots to choose from,” he says. “All these colors go so well with other spring-blooming plants like salvias and nepetas.”

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Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Red Rocket’ PP#28,715

“This is one of the best medium-size, red-flowered grasses,” Horvath says. At 3-feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, Red Rocket takes off in mid-September with dark red/nearly black flower spikes. Grow in full sun in well-drained soil.

Polygonatum biflorum ‘Prince Charming’ PP#22,304

This dwarf Solomon’s seal is a co-introduction with Chicagoland Grows™. A heavy bloomer, Prince Charming has pairs of creamy white, fragrant flowers on short, arching stems. The flowers are followed by green berries that turn blue in fall. The 12-inch tall clumps of foliage turn gold. “With the blue berries and the gold foliage, it’s stunning in the fall,” Horvath says. He says the plant is vigorous and adaptable, growing not only in full sun but tolerating shade. (continued on page 32)

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

The Dynamics of Plants & Landscapes Sesleria ‘Greenlee’s Hybrid’

Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’ PP#28,498

Horvath calls this black-eyed Susan hybrid “one of my best plants.” Its naturally compact habit makes a 24-inch dome that’s covered in 3-inch golden yellow flowers from late July through September. The thinner foliage is hairy, making it resistant to Septoria fungus. Horvath says this plant is growing in trial gardens across the country where it is getting high marks. Grow in full sun in well-drained soil.

Rudbeckia ‘Glitters Like Gold’ PPAF

This black-eyed Susan hybrid is one of Horvath’s 2018 introductions. He calls this heavy-bloomer “an improved Goldsturm’ thanks to its Septoria resistance. “It’s a big mass of flowers when it blooms in July to September Horvath says. The plant grows in full sun to light shade and is adaptable to moist soils, except wet.

Sedum ‘Pillow Talk’ PP#28,528

Everything about this hybrid is big. Horvath describes its gray-green foliage held on rose-color stems as “exceptionally large.” That’s true of the flowers, too. The 5-6 inch deep pink and magenta flowers are show stoppers, and the stems stand up all winter, even in snow, according to Horvath. Resistant to Rhizoctonia, this plant grows in full sun to light shade in well-drained soil.

Sedum ‘Peace and Joy’ PPAF

This Intrinsic introduction has bi-color magenta and pink flowers in September. For extra interest, the grey green foliage has purple stems and a red-tinged leaf edge, particularly later in the season. This plant grows a foot tall and 12-15 inches wide and is resistant to Rhizoctonia. Grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. 32

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Introduced by ornamental grass guru John Greenlee, this hybrid is a cross of Sesleria caerulea and S. autumnalis. In a nod to both its parents, the grass flowers in both spring and fall. The heaviest bloom is in spring when flowers appear on 15-inch stems above the tight clumps of green foliage with grey highlights. The foliage fades to golden beige as fall approaches when the grass blooms again. Horvath says the plant is easier to grow and propagate than Sesleria autumnalis. Greenlee’s Hybrid grows in full sun to part shade in average to well-drained soil.

Stachys ‘Summer Crush’ PPAF

Pink and white bicolor spikes adorn this vigorous hybrid from June into July. This Intrinsic introduction grows to 24 inches tall with deer-resistant crinkled green foliage that’s fragrant when crushed. Horvath says this betony is adaptable, long-lived and trouble free. It grows in full sun and average soil.

Stachys ‘Summer Romance’ PPAF

Think ‘Hummelo’ with pinker, longer flower spikes, and you’ll be picturing ‘Summer Romance.’ Horvath says his June-flowering introduction is “a little showier in the garden”. He likes the way it looks planted with Monarda ‘Mojo’. Grow in full sun in average to moist soil.

Vernonia ‘Southern Cross’

This Intrinsic introduction of ironweed came from seed sown as Vernonia lettermanii. In August, deep purple buds open to a profusion of purple, daisy-like flowers with thin white filaments along the lacy petals. Horvath likes its deep green foliage that’s ½ inch wide and three to four inches long on stems growing 3-4 feet high and wide. “The foliage persists into winter and turns a dark chocolate color which is very nice,” he says. If you don’t already know Vernonia, Horvath suggests you take a look. “A lot of people don’t know Vernonia. It’s not widely grown, but it’s an up-and-coming plant. People are just now learning about it.” The Landscape Contractor June 2018

The Dynamics of Plants & Landscapes

Brent’s list of new and underused perennials Allium ‘August Asteroids’ Allium ‘Chivette’ Allium ‘Windy City’ Amsonia x ‘Halfway to Arkansas’ Astrantia major ‘Pink Sparkling Stars’ Andropogon gerardii ‘Blackhawks’ Andropogon gerardii ‘Dancing Wind’ Andropogon gerardii ‘Red October’ Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’ Carex bromoides Coreopsis tripteris ‘Flower Tower’ Dianthus carthusianorum Echinacea tennesseensis Echinacea x ‘Pixie Meadowbrite’™

Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’ Eryngium yuccifolium ‘Prairie Moon’ Eupatorium perfoliatum ‘Milk n Cookies’ Festuca ‘Cool as Ice’

Allium ‘August Asteroids’

Geum ‘Cherry Bomb’ Geum ‘Mai Tai’ Geum ‘Sea Breeze’ Geum ‘Top Shelf Margarita’ Liatris ligulistylis ‘Butterfly Magnet’ Molinia ‘Cordoba’ Molinia ‘Dutch Dreamer’ Molinia ‘Poul Pederson’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Ginger Love’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Red Rocket’ Penstemon digitalis ‘Pocohontas’ Polygonatum x ‘Prince Charming’ Rudbeckia x ‘American Gold Rush’ Rudbeckia x ‘Glitters Like Gold’ Salvia azurea

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The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Eupatorium perfoliatum ‘Milk n Cookies’

Salvia nemorosa ‘Lurie Strain’

Salvia nemorosa ‘Lurie Strain’ Schyzachrium scoparium ‘Jazz’ Sedum rupestre ‘Making Progress’ Sedum x ‘Peace and Joy’ Sedum x ‘Pure Joy’ Sedum x ‘Bundle of Joy’ Sedum x ‘Pillow Talk’ Seslaria x ‘Greenlee’s Hybrid’ Stachys officinalis ‘Pink Cotton Candy’ Stachys x ‘Summer Crush’ Stachys x ‘Summer Romance’ Vernonia lettermanii Vernonia x ‘Southern Cross’ Veronica incana ‘Pure Silver’

Veronica incana ‘Pure Silver’

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

The Dynamics of Plants & Landscapes

The Queen of Perenn By Nina Koziol

Her crew calls her

“Tracy Scissor-Hands” and “Big Boss Mama.” But you may know Tracy DiSabatoAust from her book, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: The Essential Guide to Planting & Pruning Techniques. Published 20 years ago, more than 200,000 copies have been sold and it’s been hailed as the “bible of perennial plant care.” The designer-plantswoman gave two tantalizing talks on design and perennial maintenance to standing-room-only crowds at the 2018 iLandscape Show. She started with a pep talk: “I’ve been in this business for 43 years and our profession is not easy. But, we have so much to offer—believe that what you do is really important.” She designs gardens for small urban courtyards as well as sweeping public spaces. “The size of the garden doesn’t matter,”

she said. “On a huge scale, the same design principles apply. It’s how you combine a wide palette of plant material.” She’s used drifts of 7 plants and drifts of 177. For one site, she used 450 bluestem plants, (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’). In a very small space outside a vintage house, she used a mirror on a wall to give the illusion of a larger space and containers with perennials for vertical accents. One of her latest projects is three football fields long by one field wide. The design included more than 10,000 perennials, 3,000 annuals, 150 trees & shrubs, 20,000 spring bulbs, and 400 cubic yards organic matter. Before that site was planted, she added four inches of organic matter to the planting beds. “The Perennial Plant Association recommends six to eight inches but when the soil is more than 20 percent organic matter,

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

ials

Tracy’s High-Impact Low-Care Garden Plants

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it’s too much. Eighty percent of all plant problems are soil related. We soil test for nitrogen, potassium and potash but how much organic matter is there is more important to me.” Her own sweeping garden, “Hidden Haven,” in Ohio functions not only as a constant source of inspiration and enjoyment, but as a laboratory where she tests various cultural techniques as well as the aesthetic qualities of plants. Color, texture, form, scale and proportion, and effects of light are just a few of the elements she introduces into her designs. But it is maintenance — lower maintenance — that she says is critical to good-looking landscapes. “Perennial maintenance is job security, but maintenance is a harsh word,” she said. “We should be talking about landscape care, not maintenance.” She recommends that perennial borders contain at least 70 percent lower-maintenance plants. “I look for high-impact, low-care selections due to my active lifestyle.” (Besides running her landscape business, she trains and competes as a four-time All-American triathlete for Team USA and is a national and world champion in her age group.) “I don’t have the time or the patience to devote to difficult plants. They must earn their keep if they are going to be allowed to stay in the gardens.” Her newest book, 50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants: Tough-but-Beautiful Plants Anyone Can Grow, was the focus of her plant selection recommendations. “The list of 50 is a springboard. You can have all the bling without the sting of a lot of care.” Plants must be long-lived, tolerant of cold, heat, and the humidity of the Midwest, she explained. “They shouldn’t require frequent pruning or division, staking, heavy feeding, and they need to be disease-, insect- and drought-resistant, non-invasive and deer-resistant.” Among her recommendations are hydrangeas for their high impact and ease of care. One vignette features complementary colors with Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Penny Mac’ and brilliant autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliant’). “I use numerous dwarf and intermediate growing conifers such as dwarf corkbark fir (Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica (continued on page 38)

Actaea simplex atropurpurea

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’

Aralia elata ‘Aureovariegata’

Itea virginica

Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’

Ligularia dentata ‘Britt-Marie

Carex elata ‘Aurea’

Papaver orientale ‘Raspberry Queen’

Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’

Spigelia marilandica

Eupatorium maculatum ‘Gateway’

Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

The Dynamics of Plants & Landscapes (continued from page 37) ‘Compacta’), and skylands spruce (Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’) which provide much needed color and form during our long winters.” Other favorites include Carex ‘Ice Dance,’ and Hakonechloa ‘All Gold,’ which she cuts back with hedge shears in the spring. “Placement is really critical. More plants are killed by wet winters than in summer.” For a mixed border of ornamentals and natives, she likes Amsonia hubrechtii for its beautiful texture. For sun to part shade she recommends Geranium ‘Rozanne,’ and ‘Azure Rush.’ In her garden, rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘Look Again’), Rehbraun switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Rehbraun’), tall purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea ‘Skyracer’) and black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. speciosa) create a meadow-like feel. “Don’t overlook hellebores—all of them fit the bill of high impact, lower maintenance for the shade garden.” She designs by hand using 1/4-inch graph paper. Her designs tend to use two-thirds “cool” colors and one-third “hot.” “Cool colors are healing and therapeutic and they make small spaces look larger. Color affects mood, and changes with the day. But, too much contrast in the garden can be overwhelming.” Her border designs often contain two-thirds of fine-textured foliage (think grasses) and one-third with bold textured foliage. “We use a lot of Panicum (switchgrass), because they’re drought tolerant and have a beautiful form. Vertical forms bring the eye up to the sky.” It’s not all perennials, however. In her mixed beds and borders, she uses evergreens. “Chaemycyparis ‘Mops” started out as a puppy but now it’s five feet tall,” she said. Select the right tool for the job. By-pass pruners (secateurs), never-dull or bonsai/grape shears, as well as hedge shears are used for various pruning jobs in her job sites throughout the year.

A Few of Tracy’s Favorite Mixed-Border Plants 1. Rosa ‘Hansa’ — It’s an old variety but still spectacular, fragrant, salt-tolerant and has rose hips in the fall. 2. Dicentra ‘Goldheart’ — It will give you long-lasting bloom and with proper deadheading we can prolong the bloom from a week or so up to two months. 3. Cerastium plumbaginoides (Plumbago) — This is a great ground cover with wonderful fall color. It’s often late to emerge in the spring. 4. Itea virginica — Great for a rain garden, great fall color. 5. Iris sibirica (Siberian iris) — They are fabulous. Why reinvent the wheel? They’re an indomitable, sustainable plant.

Iris sibirica

Tracy’s Tips for Pruning Perennials: 1. Many spring flowering perennials such as Iberis, Arabis, Aubrietia, Phlox subulata, and Dianthus gratianopolitanus should be cut back by one-half after flowering. This maintains a dense mound and prevents an unsightly hole in the clump’s center. 2.

Multi-branched summer and autumn flowering plants such as Heliopsis, Echinacea, Phlox paniculata, and asters can be cut back by one-half prior to flowering when the plants are 16 to 24 inches tall to delay flowering and to reduce plant height to eliminate staking. Flowering can be delayed by 10 to 14 days in most cases.

3. Perennials like Baptisia and Amsonia can be sheared by one-third after flowering to form an attractive full shrub-like plant rather than having a leggy irregular form. 4. Plants with pests or disease during the season should be pruned for the winter and debris should be removed from the gardens to prevent further spread of the pest. Plants that are slightly tender for the area should not be pruned for the winter as they may survive more successfully if protected by the foliage. Prune in the spring after all danger of cold has passed. The Landscape Contractor June 2018

5. Select the right tool for the job. By-pass pruners (secateurs), neverdull or bonsai/grape shears, as well as hedge shears are used for various pruning jobs in her job sites throughout the year.

Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’

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 Cerastium plumbaginoides

• Tree and Shrub Pruning • Deep-Root Fertilization • Certified Arborists • Insect and Disease Management

25715 S. Ridgeland Ave. Monee, IL 708-534-1070 www.RainbowFarmsMulch.com 25715 S. Ridgeland Ave. Monee, IL 708-534-1070 Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RainbowFarmsMulch/ www.RainbowFarmsMulch.com The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Enfoque: Sección en Español

Tired of using the Por Patrice Peltier

¿Se está

cansando de usar las mismas plantas? Brent Horvath, Presidente y dueño de Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, puede ofrecerle algunas ideas. “Cuando recorro el vivero, veo plantas que no se venden mucho y siempre me sorprende porque son excelentes plantas. Quería presentarle a la gente plantas subutilizadas”, aseguró Horvath, describiendo la fuente de inspiración de su presentación en iLandscape, “Plantas perennes nuevas y subutilizadas”. Criador de plantas bien conocido por sus introducciones de sedum y geum, Horvath también destacó varias favoritas dentro de sus propias introducciones. Si bien Horvath habló acerca de unas 50 plantas (la lista completa está en la página X), ofreció estas perspectivas sobre sus favoritas particulares a The Landscape Contractor.

Andropogon gerardii ‘Blackhawks’ PP#27,949

Su más nueva tallo azul grande, Halcones Negros, ya está creando revuelo en la industria, afirma Horvath. Con 5 pies de altura, es un poco más baja que la especie, lo que la hace útil en muchos sitios. No obstante, lo más admirable es el follaje verde oscuro que adquiere acentos morados antes de alcanzar su altura definitiva, adquiriendo un tono negro/morado al final de septiembre. Crece mejor a pleno sol y en suelo promedio.

Andropogon gerardii ‘Octubre Rojo’ PP#26,283

Allium ‘Chivette’ PPAF

“Esta cebolleta mayormente estéril tiene muchos grandes atributos”, afirma Horvath en su introducción. “Tiene un atractivo follaje color verde Kelly que se enrosca a medida que emerge y permanece enroscado la mayor parte de la temporada”. A mediados de mayo, se abren capullos redondos que se convierten en flores color morado lavanda de una pulgada de ancho, con una raya morada a mitad del pétalo. Tanto las flores como los tallos son comestibles. La planta alcanza una altura de 12 a 15 pulgadas a pleno sol en suelo de promedio a seco.

Esta planta tallo azul grande fue seleccionada por su mejor follaje y color espectacular. El follaje verde intenso tiene puntas rojas en la primavera. Las flores rojas emergen en agosto a

Allium ‘Ciudad Ventosa’ PP#28,100

Otra introducción de Intrinsic, Horvath describe esta Allium como poseedora de colores más profundos que el Allium ‘Belleza Veraniega’ pero de floración más temprana y de menor altura. “Las flores tienen un color morado cuando brotan y adquieren un tono lavanda al abrirse, por lo que son bicolores al florecer”, explica. Las flores comienzan a adquirir color en junio y se abren en julio. La planta alcanza 15 pulgadas de altura con tallos florales de 18 a 24 pulgadas. Muy tolerante a las sequías, Ciudad Ventosa crece mejor a pleno sol en suelo promedio, de bien drenado a seco. The Landscape Contractor June 2018

medida que el follaje se profundiza a borgoña. Después de la primera escarcha, el follaje adquiere un tono escarlata. “Puede ocurrir durante la noche”, informa Horvath. El hábito vertical de Octubre Rojo alcanza una altura de 6 pies. Adquiere su mejor color cuando crece a pleno sol y en suelo bien drenado.

same plants?

Eryngium yuccifolium ‘Luna de la Pradera’ - cepa de semilla –

Horvath seleccionó esta “serpiente de cascabel maestro” (Eryngium yuccifolium) no solo por su estatura más baja (3 pies), sino también por su follaje, el cual es más delgado y más azul que la especie. Las flores blancas aparecen en junio o julio. En el otoño las cabezuelas adquieren un tono carmelita que permanece hasta el invierno. ”Forma una atractiva combinación con Alliums”, asegura Horvath. Hay que plantarla a pleno sol en suelo de seco a bien drenado.

Geum ‘Bomba de Cerezo’ PPAF

La más nueva geum de Horvath tiene flores semidobles, mayormente estériles, que al abrirse adquieren un tono rojo cereza y palidecen hasta adquirir un tono rosa cereza en tallos granates. “Es un bello color excepcional”, afirma. El follaje verde borroso crece en montículos de 10 pulgadas, con anchura de 21 a 15 pulgadas. Crece en suelo rico y húmedo a pleno sol.

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Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Cohete Rojo’ PP#28,715

“Esta es una de las mejores plantas con flores rojas de tamaño mediano”, Afirma Horvath. Con 3 pies de altura y 4 pies de ancho, la Cohete Rojo brota a mediados de septiembre con espigas de flores color rojo oscuro/casi negro. Crece a pleno sol en suelo bien drenado.

Festuca ‘Fría como Hielo’ PP#27,651

Geum ‘Margarita Estante Superior’ PPAF

“Este híbrido tiene hábito compacto y una mejor tolerancia al calor y la sequía que otras festucas azules”, asegura Horvath. “Es más confiable en terrenos ajardinados y tan buena como una planta para maceta”. El follaje emerge con tonos verde claros volviéndose verde en el verano. La expansión es de 12 pulgadas alcanzando los tallos florales una altura de 18 pulgadas. Crece en condiciones de pleno sol a sombra ligera en suelo bien drenado.

Otra introducción de 2018, “Margarita Estante Superior” tienen flores amarillas eléctricas semidobles en tallos rojos de 15 a 18 pulgadas. “Casi la mitad de las plantas reflorecieron el año pasado en julio”, informa Horvath. Con estas dos introducciones, Horvath señala que su “serie coctel” de geums incluye ahora 19 variedades. “Los colores oscilan de blanco cremoso a amarillo claro, dorado, anaranjado, rosado, melocotón y ahora rojo cereza. Algunas son bicolores. “Hay mucha variedad para escoger”, afirma. “Todos estos colores van bien con plantas que florecen en la primavera como salvias y nepetas”.

Polygonatum biflorum ‘Príncipe Encantado’ PP#22,304

Esta sello de Salomón enana es una cointroducción junto con Chicagoland Grows™. Una planta de floración tupida, Príncipe Encantado tiene pares de flores aromáticas color blanco cremoso sobre tallos pequeños y arqueados. Las flores son seguidas de bayas verdes que se vuelven azules en el otoño. Los grupos de follaje de 12 pulgadas de alto adquieren un color dorado. “Con las bayas azules y el follaje dorado, es asombrosa en el otoño”, asegura Horvath. Afirma que la planta es vigorosa y adaptable, crece a pleno sol y tolera la sombra. (continúa en la página 32) The Landscape Contractor 41 June 2018

Enfoque: Sección en Español Sesleria ‘Híbrido de Greenlee’

Rudbeckia ‘Fiebre de Oro Americana’ PP#28,498

Horvath llama a este híbrido Susana de ojos negros “una de mis mejores plantas”. Su hábito naturalmente compacto crea una cúpula de 24 pulgadas cubierta de flores amarillo-doradas de 3 pulgadas, desde finales de julio hasta todo septiembre. El follaje más delgado es velloso, lo que lo hace resistente al hongo Septoria. Según Horvath esta planta está creciendo en jardines de pruebas en todo el país, donde está obteniendo altas calificaciones. Crece a pleno sol en suelo bien drenado Rudbeckia ‘Brilla como el Oro’ PPAF Este híbrido Susana ojos negros es una de las introducciones de Horvath en 2018. Llama esta planta de floración tupida, “un Goldsturm mejorado’ gracias a sus resistencia al hongo Septoria. “Es una masa grande de flores cuando florece entre los meses de julio y septiembre”, informa Horvath. La planta crece en condiciones de pleno sol a sombra ligera y es adaptable a suelos húmedos, excepto mojados.

Sedum ‘Conversaciones de Almohada’ PP#28,528

Todo acerca de este híbrido es grande. Horvath describe su follaje verde grisáceo sostenido por tallos color rosado como “excepcionalmente grande”. Esto es aplicable a las flores, también. Las flores color rosado intenso y magenta de 5 a 6 pulgadas son sensacionales y los tallos resisten todo el verano, incluso en condiciones de nieve, explica Horvath. Resistente al patógeno Rhizoctonia, esta planta crece en condiciones de pleno sol a sombra ligera en suelo bien drenado.

Sedum ‘Paz y Alegría’ PPAF

Esta introducción de Intrinsic tiene flores bicolores magenta y rosadas en septiembre. Para un interés adicional, el follaje verde grisáceo tiene tallos morados y el borde de las hojas está teñido de rojo, especialmente más tarde en la estación. La planta alcanza una altura de un pie y una anchura de 12 a15 pulgadas y es resistente al patógeno Rhizoctonia. Crece mejor a pleno sol y en suelo bien drenado. 42

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Introducida por el gurú de las plantas ornamentales, John Greenlee, este híbrido es un cruce entre Sesleria caerulea y S. autumnalis. En un guiño a ambos padres, la planta florece tanto en primavera como en el verano. La floración más intensa ocurre en la primavera cuando las flores aparecen en tallos de 15 pulgadas sobre los grupos apretados de follaje verde con acentos grises. El follaje adquiere un tono beigedorado al acercarse el otoño, cuando la planta reflorece. Horvath explica que la planta es más fácil de cultivar y propagar que la Sesleria autumnalis. El Híbrido de Greenlee crece en condiciones de pleno sol a sombra parcial en suelos de promedio a bien drenado.

Stachys ‘Flechazo de Verano’ PPAF

Espigas bicolores rosadas y blancas adornan este vigoroso híbrido de junio a julio. Esta introducción de Intrinsic alcanza una altura de 24 pulgadas con follaje verde arrugado resistente a los venados que es aromático al ser aplastado. Según Horvath esta betónica es adaptable, tiene larga vida y no presenta problemas. Crece a pleno sol en suelo promedio.

It’s Time to Join I L C A visit

Stachys ‘Romance de Verano’ PPAF

Piense en ‘Hummelo’ con espigas de flores más largas y rosadas y estará viendo la ‘Romance de Verano’. Según Horvath su introducción floreciente en junio es “un poco más vistosa en el jardín”. Le gusta su apariencia plantada con ‘Mojo’ Monarda. Crece a pleno sol en suelos de promedio a húmedos.

ilca.net

Vernonia ‘Cruz del Sur’

Esta introducción de Intrinsic de hierba de hierro proviene de semillas sembradas como Vernonia lettermanii. En agosto, se abren los capullos color morado intenso hasta alcanzar una profusión de flores moradas, parecidas a las margaritas, con filamentos blancos delgados a lo largo de los pétalos de encaje. A Horvath le gusta su follaje verde con una anchura de media pulgada y una longitud en los tallos de tres a cuatro pulgadas, alcanzando una altura y anchura de 3 a 4 pies. “El follaje resiste hasta el inverno y adquiere un color chocolate oscuro que es muy atractivo”, asegura. Si no conoce la Vernonia, Horvath sugiere que le eche un vistazo. “Muchas personas no conocen la Vernonia. Su cultivo no se ha generalizado, pero es una planta muy prometedora. La gente está comenzando a aprender acerca de ella”. The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Sustainable Inspiration â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A Summer Reading List What would summer be without a summer reading list? Members of the Sustainable and Ecological Landscape Committee offer some suggestions for when you are laid out next to the pool with an umbrella drink in your hand. The pursuit of sustainable landscaping strategies The Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman A great guide for the farmer at heart that wants to maximize the productivity of their backyard. This book offered me new insights to the importance of crop rotation, and has step-bystep guides on how to successfully manage varying levels of farming endeavors (5x5 plots up to moveable hoop houses). With an emphasis on sustainable agriculture in your own backyard, this is a great place to start for those looking to get serious with at home produce. This was a required text during my greenhouse management courses in school, and one of the most often used resources when planning my yearly crop planting schedule. Chris Beiser Specialist, Plant Health Care

requires a paradigm shift. It also requires a heavy dose of renewal and inspiration as some clients resist change. Enjoy these recommendations and capsules and find what sustainably-minded landscape professionals are reading and watching on their rare days off.

What plants talk about; A film produced for Nature. You can view it on YouTube for free. 60 minutes This film is a compilation of four stories showing the viewer, through a scientific lens, how complex, responsive and surprising plants are. Rooted in the ground and unable to move, they have developed ways to survive that are not readily visible to us. This film will expand your understanding of plants and their capabilities and bring your attention to how plants thrive and communicate with each other and other creatures, feed themselves, and nurture their young. Plants appear to be passive from our perspective, but this film shows you how wrong that idea is. There is a lot of action in this film, sometimes thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even a war. Watching this film is an hour well spent. Christine Nye Horticultural Programs Manager Shedd Aquarium

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Building a Loving, Healthy Home for a Tree by Gerould Wilhelm, Director of Research, Conservation Research Institute This short essay encourages a healthy, nature-based solution to improving the common practice of how trees are designed, sold and planted in the landscape. So often trees are forced into harsh environments with soils devoid of any life and expected to grow and have an aesthetic appeal. Dr. Wilhelm asks us to think about what trees actually need to thrive including healthy soils with a constant turn of organic matter provided by the roots of a plant community instead of bark mulch. The reader can joyfully imagine what our neighborhoods, parks and corporate headquarters would look like if some aspects of this recommended practice were adopted. The reader will gain a new insight to how to grow healthy trees. Imagine trees as a component of a plant community, not a loner stuck in the waste zones of turf. http://www.conservationresearchinstitute.org/ assets/building-loving-healthy-home-tree.pdf Grace Koehler Pizzo Native Plant Nursery

Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

This is a well written, beautifully illustrated handbook for restoring ecological balance in the suburban landscape with sustainable ecosystems. Tallamy skillfully lays out the rationale for this restoration with descriptions of the unintended negative effects and economic costs of land development in general and ornamental landscaping practices in particular. His main point is that biodiversity in the suburban landscape is vital to human health and happiness. The starting point is to encourage a robust diversity of native plants, which in turn feed a variety of insects at the bottom of the food chain. Thus, the plants humans select in the managed landscape directly affect the types and quantities of wildlife around us. Educating landscapers and consumers is critical to the successful transformation of the urban landscape. To that end he provides concise instructions on how to create larger and more densely planted landscapes.

Wohlleben is a forest manager in Germany and though the original text was in German, the translation is fairly seamless. He details research performed at Aachen University in the forest that he manages on the ways trees send each other chemical signals to communicate herbivore activity among other things. He details the ways in which trees mimic other communities of organisms growing in family groups and even sharing resources across species. It leaves you with the sense that the forest is indeed more than the trees and although much of their existence is hidden from us they are certainly worthy of our exploration and appreciation. This book is for anyone who has ever considered walking through an old growth forest to participate in the Japanese art of Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing.

Jeff Swano Sustainable and Ecological Landscape Committee Chairman Dig Right in Landscaping

Dennis Clarke Technical Manager, Property Improvement Division Scott Byron & Co., Inc.

The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New World by Andrea Wulf This is a very readable biography of the German naturalist who invented the concept of ecology and developed the concept of vegetative zones as a result of his travels in South America and Europe. In order to develop his theories, he climbed high mountains (literally) and climbed figuratively over prevailing attitudes about the pure goodness of development without regard to its impact on the natural world. Humboldt was the forerunner and major influence on ecologists and naturalists all over the world, including those who are today considered the early pioneers: John Muir, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin and others. While this book is historical and packed with research, it is also a page-turner. Very readable. Carol Becker Sage Advice Landscape Design and Consulting

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Sustainable Inspiration — A Summer Reading List Acres USA, magazine Acres USA is a monthly magazine that supports eco-agriculture practices. It was established in 1971 and having just received issue #562 – this is a publication that is stable, reputable, and robust. I was introduced to Acres USA on a personal and professional quest – to identify, understand and incorporate sustainable and environmentally appropriate disciplines within my field (landscape maintenance and construction operations). While this publication is focused on agriculture and farming, the depth and content of the articles consistently weave a common thread in one aspect or another to the landscape industry. In addition, articles are often content rich focusing on soils – rebuilding, preserving, and enhancing nutrients and biology. The magazine offers eco-viewpoints from around the world regarding current research, product development, and economic/political developments. Every month I look forward to the arrival of my Acres USA magazine – it’s a timely reminder to keep me motivated and focused on holding myself and my industry accountable to a higher level of sustainability.

Restoration Agriculture by Mark Shepard While primarily a study in permaculture, Mark Shepard’s Restoration Agriculture has a relatable and inspiring message for all those working with the landscape. Through real world experience, Shepard presents a strong case for emulating complex natural systems to heal the land and create landscapes which ultimately work to our advantage. As Shepard points out, caring for the earth is often seen as a luxury, at odds with economic growth, or even anti-human. This couldn’t be any farther from the truth! If executed correctly, these living landscape systems produce an abundance for us as humans but also for all of earth’s biodiversity which ultimately supports us. What could be more essential? Landscape professionals are the daily caretakers of our most precious resources, and a book like Restoration Agriculture is a must read for all those interested in contributing to a thriving and resilient landscape industry of the future. Brandon Losey Ringers Landscape Services, Inc.

Cris Poggi James Martin Associates, Inc.

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

My Own Financial Reports by My Accountant I say that tongue-in-cheek, but the most inspirational resource I have found are my own financial reports. When I started to ‘recycle green waste on-site’, my landfill cost was cut in half. When I started to ‘plant the right plant in the right place” my guarantee work practically disappeared. When I started to get referrals because my grass was the greenest on the block my advertising budget went down. When I was able to reduce my sod installation charge by 25%, I landed more jobs. When I was able to solve my clients’ water problems, I became a genius they couldn’t help but refer to their friends. Sustainable landscaping has given me the advantage I need to outperform my competitors. When the customer hears that it’s green technology I’m using; the sale is closed without me having to ask for it. Tom Lupfer Lupfer Landscaping Vice President- Illinois Landscape Contractors Association

Special Feature —

BUILDING SECURITY INTO THE In contemporary American

culture, technology is admittedly pervasive in everyday functions. Many people share life events on social media. Did you write a quick post when your husband bought you those tickets for a Caribbean cruise in February? Or did you upload photos from your family reunion in Ohio, in real time? If not, your children almost certainly did. People with the will to uncover when your home is unoccupied often have a way of extracting that data. Assess your privacy settings, but more importantly, evaluate what information you routinely volunteer without hesitation. Social media is a broad category that demands most people’s caution, but maybe you are not one of those people. Maybe you regularly have to begin relaying a news story to your spouse, about some high-profile scandal, with, “What is it called again? Instaface? Snapgram?” If you think a “feed” is food for birds, and a “tweet” is the sound one makes, listen in. A magical cloud engulfs your home and property, allowing you to look up the nearest Indian takeout joint, pay your bills

online, and access your email account. In many cases, this cloud extends all the way out to the street. It is called wifi. When anyone enters this cloud, they enter a metaphorical door into your life. So, lock it up as tight as you would your physical front door with password protection. Home automation specialists choose techniques to blend peace of mind with convenience. As Joe Barrett, owner of Barrett’s Technology Solutions, attests, “your smart home is a safe home.” He regularly integrates networked security cameras with remote-access controls to give his clients the capability to set alarms and check cameras from afar. Did you rush out the door on the phone, juggling coffee, a bagel, and your briefcase? Are you wracking your brain to remember if you set the alarm? Set it from your phone as soon as you get to work. Then, check the cameras for activity since you left. Barrett also routinely installs smart locks. With keyless controls, your wife never has to dig through her tote in the rain to find the chronically missing keys hiding at the bottom. If your children arrive

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

LANDSCAPE PROJECT home from school and cannot find their house key, remote access allows you to unlock the door from wherever you are. Smart locks also include a monitoring feature, so you can check the history of their use. Mark Benner, owner of Mark E. Benner Architects, Ltd., speaks from the perspective of the first cog in the planning wheel, the architect. He works through the most fundamental issues facing his clients, because “architecture’s most basic purpose is protection and shelter. Without first satisfying safety and security, all of our other goals and concerns are a wasted effort.” He advises thoughtful outdoor lighting application because “dark spots… cause vulnerability.” Outdoor lighting exposes activity to both the homeowner and his neighbors. The architect’s unique positioning allows him to save his client the exorbitant time and monetary expenditure of building in awkward appendages to an existing home post-construction. He offers a plethora of customizable, discrete solutions to common issues facing the high net-worth families and individuals he serves.

Members of the construction stage contribute a whole different layer to the conversation, as those called upon to implement and reinforce the work completed in the conceptual stage. Barry Sylvester, owner of Sylvester Construction Services, Inc., applies decisions made for architectural, security system, and home automation design in his phase of the home project. His job is to keep the site secure and execute the plans given him. Last-minute add-ons to his documents result in expensive change orders and lengthy scheduling delays. After the dry-wall phase, little can be done to alter the design without exceeding the budget. Furthermore, building on additional stories or rooms to a home after he has completed a project causes spending to skyrocket. Most of these issues are avoidable through proper planning with the advice of an industry professional, so do not wait to consider your most high-leverage options! (continued on page 50)

Successful suppliers know— industry leaders read this magazine.

• Sales and marketing statistics show that the single best way to reach buyers is through highlytargeted specialty magazines.

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For immediate attention CALL Debbie at 817-501-2403 or email — debbie.landscapecontractor@yahoo.com The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Special Feature — (continued from page 49) Interior designer and principal at Michelle’s Interiors, Michelle RohrerLauer, speaks to some of the indoor security features that she recommends to clients, depending on their predilections and lifestyle. For those who prefer the privacy of shielded windows, she designs motorized shades or drapes into the outer rooms of a home. If she needs to set aside space for jewelry or gun safes, that step ought to take place after the trades are no longer onsite. Sylvester advises that if one must be built in to the original layout, make sure that they are not stocked until the project is complete. Many opt for audio and video recording devices built into spaces where caretakers spend time with children. They grant parents peace of mind

while away, as well as a means by which to monitor their surroundings when they detect suspicious activity. Rohrer-Lauer may also include automated interior lighting that mimics the schedule of an occu-

pied home, for a family to set while out of town. Even experienced burglars have a difficult time recognizing the feigned nature of these imitations of realistic habits. The combination of these options plays a convincing role that deters break-

ins of various kinds. Your needs are specific to your surroundings, lifestyle, and risk profile. An interior designer will leverage a customized blend of elements to most aptly benefit you and your family. John Dini, owner of Electronic Entry Systems, concerns himself with the perimeter of the property. His work comprises the first line of defense, customizing a plan that utilizes appropriate fencing and smart gates. Twenty-six years’ experience with electronic entry systems has taught him to troubleshoot every imaginable issue and proactively co-create cutting edge solutions with his clients. “That said, we only offer and utilize the ‘latest technology’ once we have verified that it works, works well, in all types of weather, and for the long term.” He employs remote operated Bluetooth controls with

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diagnostic capabilities, as well as battery backup for possible power outages or severe weather. Dini also encourages clients to opt for a service contract to monitor the proper functioning of his gates, to eliminate the potential for malfunction in an emergency. His particular commitment to this niche and ‘do-it-right-the-firsttime’ attitude demand that he only recommends methods and technology that he knows to be dependable. Landscape architect David Van Zelst, owner of Van Zelst, Inc., notes that people are spending more time at home, and his clients are increasingly concerned not only with aesthetics and functionality, but security. “One concept that is often overlooked in design is that of sight lines. People tend to plant shielding driveways, windows, and corners.” Attention to sight lines guides Van Zelst’s creative process, placing trees and plant material in such a way as to allow homeowners to survey their properties effortlessly. Trees tend to provide hiding places for trespassers, but with careful decision-making and aesthetic lighting you can minimize the risk of concealed lurkers. Access points to the home need to be kept clear of plant material, or carefully maintained, to avoid shielding intruders or setting off motion sensors unnecessarily.

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The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Special Feature — (continued from page 51) Night Light pays fastidious attention to landscape illumination. The capacity to survey one’s property from inside the house is crucial. Well-designed, aesthetic outdoor lighting eliminates the black glass effect. The black glass effect refers to the sensation homeowners experience when they look out a window after dark, and cannot see anything but their own reflection. Uneasiness bubbles up out of the compounded effects of feeling simultaneously conspicuous and blind. Well-designed, aesthetic outdoor lighting exists to create a nighttime oasis for men and women who work all day and wish they could enjoy their landscapes in the evening. One integral measure in achiev-

ing that end is relieving the psychological weight of the black glass effect. As Van Zelst mentioned above, notable hiding places for trespassers can be eliminated with lighting. Landscape illumination

designers also light entries and the ground level of a home with an exceptionally attractive alternative to the blinding flood lights one would typically envision. There is no reason to be ‘the dark house on the block’ because you believe the solution to be worse than the problem. When husbands travel for business, they often feel helpless to defend their loved ones left in a home with no light to deter intruders who lurk in the shadows. Just as Terri pointed out above, communicating constant presence at the home is part of a comprehensive security strategy. So, the systems Night Light installs run on a preset digital timeclock, switching on at a set time each evening or in concert with home automation controls.

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Installation in and around landscape and hardscape can be tricky if illumination specialists are not involved early in the outdoor portion of the project, so make sure to select a well-integrated team who will eliminate time and budget strains.

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CONTRACTORS

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Urban Roots Inc. Jimmie Williams 710 E. 47th St. #304W Chicago, IL 60653 Email: jimmie@urbanrootsinc.com Phone: 773-952-6842 www.urbanrootsinc.com Urban Roots Inc. is social enterprise landscaping & snow removal company geared towards creating jobs for people in underserved communities.

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EDUCATOR

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College of Lake County Rory Klick 19351 West Washington St. Grayslake, IL 60030 Email: rklick@clcillinois.edu Phone: 847-543-2320 www.clcillinois.edu

K&T Landscaping Kelly Clark 6015 W Mineral Pt Rd Janesville, WI 53548 Email: str8poolne1@aol.com Phone: 608-290-2937 Landscaping/final grade and seeding lawns.

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

New Member Profile Snapshot

Sound Living 1550 Berkeley Road Highland Park, IL 60035 (847) 926-7034 gsinger@soundliving.com www.soundliving.com

by Meta Levin

Two years ago, Gary Singer had an epiphany

while attending CEDIA, the annual residential technology trade show and conference. The owner of Highland Park based Sound Living, he heard Coastal Source, landscape lighting and outdoor audio. “He heard these speakers and he was blown away,” says Jarmila Singer, his wife and partner in the business. “They are aesthetically and musically beautiful and high end.” Within a year Sound Living had integrated them into their offerings. They had done some work in the outdoor sphere, but this was a ground breaker, Singer says. They consulted their friends at Night Light, Inc., who recommended joining ILCA. In the summer of 2017, they did. Before they knew it, they were exhibiting at Summer Field Day. They also attended the Annual Meeting and iLandscape. “We decided to learn about and partner with the landscape community, because we can’t do this work by ourselves,” she says. Gary Singer started Sound Living as a retailer of indoor audio and video systems in Chicago. He quickly realized that the market was shifting towards custom services and products. The business soon became a showroom by appointment only, eventually eliminating the retail portion. “We call ourselves a high-tech boutique,” Jarmila Singer says. An audiophile since he was quite young, as well as possessing a background as a software developer, software architect, creative force in the multi-media market and a C++ programmer, Gary Singer found the industry a great marriage of audio and technology. At first, the couple concentrated on the indoor market. As their customers began demanding more entertainment in their outdoor spaces, they began translating what they knew into the landscape. “The outdoors has become an extension of the home,” she says. “People enjoy their land as much as they can.” Outdoor landscapes have become an extension of the interior design, with the lighting, audio and even the color palette. The Coastal Source equipment lets people allow the outdoors to have its own wireless capability, to download 56

music and streaming audio, as well as to allow guests to share their music from their smart phones and even have television. Using their Elan entertainment and control system, they can integrate control for irrigation, outdoor lights, outdoor television and pool and water features. In fact, the Coastal Source speakers will stay crisp and clear even when turned down low. “It provides a nice experience without blasting out your neighbors,” she says. Once they moved from Chicago to Highland Park, they realized that their customers did not want to come to a showroom, they wanted Sound Living to come to them. Now they are in space that is about half the size of the original showroom. “The industry really has shifted,” says Singer. “We go to their homes with our equipment and demonstrate how it works.” In 2004, 10 weeks after their first child was born, Jarmila Singer joined the business. With a background as a health care consultant for KPMG, she found this to be quite a switch. For the first few months, she carted the baby and a Pak n Play to the office each day until they could get some child care. Both have corporate experience, as well as advanced degrees. Gary Singer holds a master’s degree in communication and one in quantitative psychology from the University of Illinois. Jarmila Singer has an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. “We view ourselves as consultants,” she says. They are delighted to be working with the landscape industry. “It’s a lovely community of people who really care about the environment,” she says. Sam, the baby who started his life in a Pak n Play in the Sound Living office, now is 14 years old with an interest in art and accelerated math and his younger brother, Ben, is 12 and is interested in technology. He wants to start helping in the business, says his mother. The Singers are particular about the work that they do. “We care about the quality of the work,” says Jarmila Singer. “We don’t want to get so big that we lose our personal touch.”

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

SNOWFIGHTERS INSTITUTE

EVENT DATES CHICAGO ILLINOIS ONE DAY

June 14, 2018

This seminar will feature comprehensive information about how you can set your company apart from your competition. Everything begins with a “sale.” Without sales, nothing happens. Yet, oftentimes the sales team is not properly prepared, mentally or emotionally, to continue communicating until a sale is consummated. Snow and ice management is not an optional service for any commercial property. It is a “must have.” Whether you are the owner, the operations manager, or a sales person, you need the right attitude if you are going to be successful.

Take advantage of the early bird special. Sign up 30 days prior to this event to get $200 off admission!

SALES STRATEGIES

INTERNAL OPERATIONS

How to successfully bridge the gap of turning suspects into prospects is one of the focal points of this event. Attendees will learn how to successfully navigate all the excuses various prospects have to avoid making a decision. The role play exercises are designed to force you to “think on your feet” in order to achieve a successful conclusion to your quest to bring more business to your company.

The attendees of the Internal Operations Event will discuss HR issues as well as concerns that arise while dealing with service providers. They will also be introduced to new technology and will learn how to deal with the information flow, proper record keeping, and best practices for keeping the company positioned for efficient and effective management of “back office” operations.

July 16 -19, 2018

August 13 - 16, 2018

For more information call us, visit our website, or email us at: www.snowfightersinstitute.com (814) 455-1991 info@snowfightersinstitute.com *All ILCA members receive $500 off any in-house event. Put in code: ILCA when registering online or call (814) 455-1991. *Cannot be combined with any other offers. *Please call (814) 455-1991 when registering multiple attendees.

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Classified Ads HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Landscape Designer/Salesperson

Field Superintendent

Field Operations Manager

Bruss Landscaping of Wheaton is looking to add another talented Architect/Designer to our team. 2017 marks our 65th year of providing high quality residential landscape design and installation services to DuPage and eastern Kane counties. If you have a passion for residential design and sales, are self-motivated and focused on superior customer service we would like to meet you. Candidates must have earned a degree in Landscape Design/Architecture/Horticulture. At least 3 years professional experience is preferred however we are open to recent graduates as well. Bruss is a relaxed work environment, although seasonally hectic, with a strong benefit package. Eric Bruss, ebruss@brusslandscaping.com, (630) 665-1600.

The Field Superintendent will assist with getting crews set up for jobs & checking on job sites as necessary.

Landscape Construction Careers Sellers Services, Incorporated is an awardwinning landscaping company and we are seeking a Landscape Construction Project Manager to manage some exciting projects in Culver, Indiana and the surrounding area. Our company builds and maintains the landscapes on some of the most beautiful homes on Lake Maxinkuckee and the surrounding area. If you want to make a difference in your life and the lives of our customers, then we want to talk to you immediately! We are willing to pay top dollar for your talent. Ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of management and landscape or construction experience, to include paver patios, retaining walls, etc. An incredible opportunity awaits. Email your resume to adam@sellersservicesinc.com today. Pesticide Spray Tech Hoy Landscaping is looking for an experienced pesticide spray tech to join our landscape maintenance team. Qualified candidate must have a current Commercial Pesticide Applicator/Operator license as well as a Drivers License. Competitive pay based on experience. Call 708-356-1066 and ask for Greg. Or, send resume to info@hoylandscaping.com.

Duties will include: Getting crews materials in yard each morning; setting up jobs; checking in-progress/completed projects; accurately measuring completed projects for close out Qualifications: High school/equivalent required, college degree preferred; min. 1- 2 years in similar position, experience in landscape restoration a plus; ability to read/ understand plans; ability to work outside in various weather conditions; must have valid driver’s license & maintain insurability with McGinty’s fleet carrier; strong written/oral communication skills Please email resume to Taylor at TAbrahamson@McGintyBros.com Address: 27788 West Case Road, Wauconda, IL 60084 Type: Full time with availability to work 45-50 hours per week Monday-Friday Landscape Maintenance Client Rep (F/T) Landscape firm in Libertyville seeks individual possessing strong background in project/ client mgmt., customer service, estimating, sales, leadership communication skills, as well as all phases of horticulture, turf mgmt. and proper maintenance techniques. Min. 3-5 yrs. exp.; valid DL a must; SP speaking a plus. Exc. comp. & benefits pkg. Email resume: (ndeeter@roccofiore.com) Account/Client Manager We are accepting resumes for the position of Account/Client Manager. This position entails working with our existing clientele and monitoring their landscape. This position requires a degree in horticulture or equivalent work experience. The ideal candidate will have worked in this position before at another landscape company. This position requires skill in customer service, estimating, and turf management practices. Upward movement is available in our growing business. Please email your resume to info@suburbanlandscaping.net

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Moore Landscapes, LLC is looking to fill our open position for Field Operations Manager (Service Leader) in our Chicago Branch. This person will oversee field crews and assist in planning, organizing, directing and coordinating the services of maintenance and installation among other responsibilities. Competitive Salary and Benefits. Come join the Moore Landscapes Family! Please send resume to: kat@moorelandscapes.com Maintenance Division Manager

Immediate Opening: Maintenance Division Manager Poul’s Landscaping & Nursery, Inc. Long Grove, IL www.Pouls.com * info@pouls.com * 847-949-6667

Established in 1966, Poul’s Landscaping & Nursery, Inc. is a thriving, family-ownedand-operated business based in Long Grove, IL. Poul’s is uniquely constructed with three divisions working together: full-service residential maintenance/enhancements, design/ construction, and a wholesale nursery. Poul’s has a small-office atmosphere with big business sales numbers. The profitable maintenance division has nearly doubled in only 3 years and we are looking for the right candidate to continue to grow the division. Responsibilities: Establishing and building a relationship with new and existing clients; working with maintenance supervisors, support staff and other team members to provide the highest quality customer service; maintaining and exceeding contract renewal rates and achieving financial goals. Requirements: Candidates should either have horticulture or landscape design/architecture degree or extensive experience, horticultural knowledge, and a proven track record in previously held positions. ISA Arborist Certification and fluent in Spanish are a plus. This is a salaried position with incentives and includes a competitive benefits package. Please email your resume to wendy@pouls.com.

Classified Ads HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Landscape Architect/Landscape Designer

Account Manager

Wingren Landscape Downers Grove, IL Wingren Landscape is considered one of the area’s top landscape architectural and design firms. Our goal is to create a unified and stimulating environment where your talents and motivation are rewarded. Wingren Landscape is not just a place to work; it is a place to be creative and successful while at work. Wingren Landscape, Inc. is an award winning full-service landscape company for both residential and commercial properties seeking an experienced candidate for the following full time position: Landscape Architect/Landscape Designer Position/Role Requirements: This person will be responsible for managing all phases of residential design projects of varying types and sizes from initial client outreach to project managing the job to completion. The position will involve a combination of design, sales and project management.

45+ year old, full service landscape design/ build, maintenance, tree removal and plant health care company currently seeking candidates for a position in our Landscape Maintenance Division as an Account Manager. The position will report to the Landscape Division Manager and focus on client relations and maintain direct control over the Maintenance Foreman responsible for servicing the Account Manager’s clients. A well suited candidate will possess a strong horticultural background. A degree in a related field is a plus. Develop and maintain a strong positive relationship with customer base. Proactively manage properties by identifying and correcting issues before the customer brings them to our attention. Propose corrective course of action to client. Monitor and direct activity of crews, adjusting scheduling to efficiently complete weekly routes. Meet with company generated new leads and proposed new work. Increase company revenue by selling enhancements to existing clients. Please send resumes to: john@kinnucan.com

Requirements: • Degree in Landscape Architecture, Horticulture, or demonstrated experience. • Ability to produce high-quality creative designs, estimate and sell jobs. • Intermediate to advanced skill level in Autocad, Adobe Photoshop and MS Office. • Experience with Sketch Up, LandFX and Asset is considered a plus. • 3 + years of experience preferred • Excellent communication and graphic skills

CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES July 2018 issue ads: June 15, 2018 August 2018 issue ads: July 15, 2018 September 2018 issue ads: August 15, 2018 PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Magazine Cost is $5 per line Minimum charge $50 Website Cost is $12 per line Minimum charge $120 (About 6 words/line) Submit your ads online at ilca.net or call Alycia O’Connor (630) 472-2851

Wingren offers competitive compensation and benefit packages. Please send resume and work samples to Human Resources Department, Attn: Paulab@wingrenlandscape.com

FOR SALE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Manufacturer of landscape and nursery equipment selling due to health. Ideal buyer would be someone already marketing their corollary product line into this industry. This product line has strong bottom line contribution margins, excellent reputation in the marketplace, and is patent-protected. Respond to: businessoppor@yahoo.com

July 25-26, 2018 Pheasant Run Resort and Conference Center St. Charles, IL For more information and to register visit: ilca.net/summer-snow-days

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Advertisers Bartlett Tree Experts ............................................53

Attention Advertisers:

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Call Debbie to get started! 817-501-2403

Lafarge Fox River Stone .........................................54 Longshadow Planters ..........................................15 Mariani Plants ..........................................................6 Martin Implement .................................................51 McGinty Bros. ......................................................55 Midwest Groundcovers ..........................................13 Midwest Trading ....................................................2 OGA .......................................................................29 ProGreen Plus .......................................................44 Rainbow Farms Enterprises ...................................39 Russo Power Equipment .........................................57 RWC Insurance .......................................................51 Snow Fighters Institute ............................................58 Spring Meadow Nursery .......................................19 Stockyards Brick Co. ............................................17 The Care of Trees ..................................................39 The Landscape Contractor magazine ...............47 The Mulch Center ..................................................53 Unilock, Inc. ...........................................................64

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

Before You Go...

Time to be a Garden Tourist By Scott Mehaffey

Some years go by

without taking any time to simply enjoy the garden—mine or anyone else’s. Typically, fall arrives and then I suddenly remember all the projects I wanted to photograph, past jobs I wanted to check on, new plants I wanted to study…where did the time go? In the depths of last winter, I looked forward to visiting some specialty nurseries, exploring some stellar gardens, and visiting with past clients while their gardens were at their peak, but now there’s just too much to do, too many people needing things from me. Stop. Take a deep breath. Don’t let another year go by without taking time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and that of friends, colleagues and total strangers. Time to be a garden tourist! Even during the “off years” when there’s no ILCA “In the Field Design Tour,” there are many other opportunities to tour some incredible gardens. Many local garden clubs and charitable organizations organize annual garden walks or home and garden tours, although some are biennial. (Tip: plan ahead and get them on your calendar!) I always enjoy the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days, and appreciate the great efforts made by homeowners, their landscape companies and numerous volunteers. I don’t go every year so when I go back to a familiar place, there’s always something new and different. But I forget that Open Days events happen at different times in other parts of the country, so I really should plan my travel around those dates when I can. See gardenconservancy.org Public Gardens are always available, and so we sometimes take them for granted. Chicago Botanic Garden and The Morton Arboretum are always wonderful, but so is Cantigny and Anderson Japanese Gardens and Olbrich Botanical Gardens and Fernwood and the Chicago Park District conservatory gardens… so much to see and so little time!

Everyone should have their own list of “secret gardens,” places they visit from time to time to reflect, renew and recharge. Over the course of a lifetime, they can become “pilgrimage sites,” landscapes filled with personal meaning and remembrances that mark the passing of time. They can include our own projects from years ago: sometimes properties change hands, but great gardens remain. It’s important to remember to plan garden visits when the lighting is typically best. Some gardens photograph better in the early morning, some in the later afternoon, and a few at midday or dusk. Camera phones and tablet cameras have improved greatly, but it’s a good idea to keep a digital SLR camera or pocket digital camera with you for a wider range of options. Consider using a tripod, especially if you’re photographing for publication. I hate juggling all of these things and a notepad to write plant names on, so I tend to photograph plant labels then delete those shots after I’ve labeled the plant photos. Of course, I could use the Notes or Voice Memos apps on my phone, or send myself a text or email, but I tend to forget once I’ve done that. After we label our photos, there are many options for organizing and archiving, but that’s a topic for a future column. Most important of all: take time to relax and enjoy! Grab a chair and a drink and soak it all in. Make time to host friends in your garden and to visit friends in theirs. Stop and tell your neighbors how great their yard looks, or check on an old client the next time you pass by. Take time to be a garden tourist. Editor’s Note: This series of columns is by Chicago-area landscape architect Scott Mehaffey. Scott has enjoyed a long and varied career in the landscape world. He has spent time in the employ of contractors, public gardens, and the City of Chicago. He now operates his own design firm and is an ILCA member. His musings are intended to be reflective, inspirational, and occasionally motivational.

The Landscape Contractor June 2018

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