The Landscape Contractor magazine JUN.23 Digital Edition

Inspiring Healing Gardens

A Classic Project 50+ Years in the Making

4 - 6 PM: Mingle, Garden Tours, & Table Top Experts

$25 registration fee includes light apps, beer & wine, pollinator plant giveaways, and a donation to The Conservation Foundation. This event is for green industry professionals only.

On the cover... This image welcomes you to the English Walled Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Scott Byron & Co., Inc. won a Gold Award for this enormous project.

Proven Winners 50-51

The official publication of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), The Landscape Contractor is dedicated to educating, advising and informing members of this industry and furthering the goals of the Association. The Landscape Contractor carries news and features relating to landscape contracting, maintenance, design and allied interests. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication. Publication reserves right to refuse advertising not in keeping with goals of Association. www.ilca.net

Volume 64, Number 6. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is published monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Landscape Contractor, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES: Association Publishing Partners, Inc., Ph. (630) 637-8632 Fax (630) 637-8629 email: rmgi@comcast.net CLASSIFIED ADS, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION: ILCA (630) 472-2851 Fax (630) 472-3150 PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL OFFICE: Rick Reuland, rmgi@comcast.net, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630) 637-8632

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

Education Manager AnneMarie Drufke adrufke@ilca.net

Events Manager Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net

Office Manager Alycia Nagy anagy@ilca.net

Membership & Marketing Manager

Marissa Stubler mstubler@ilca.net

Magazine Staff

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

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

Meta Levin Feature Writer meta.levin@comcast.net

Nina Koziol

Feature Writer n.koziol@att.net

Heather Prince Feature Writer princeht@sbcglobal.net

Patrice Peltier Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net

Becke Davis EditorialAssistant

Astrophysics

called The Fermi Paradox. In short, if the universe is so big, so expansive, and so filled with galaxies and solar systems, where the heck is everyone? Why have no intelligent beings come calling and why has Earth been spinning for millions of years with no recorded interaction with intelligent life outside of our planet? Yes, we have UFO sightings, conspiracy theories, and science fiction, but no hard evidence that anyone else is on the other side of the void.

There are many theories that address the Fermi Paradox. The prevailing one is that every society eventually creates a technology that is so hazardous to their survival, they wipe themselves out before they gain the advanced intelligence to travel the cosmos or make interstellar connections. On Earth, that has been rumored to be nuclear weapons, man-made climate change, biological warfare, the films of Pauly Shore, and now, artificial intelligence.

From Where I Stand — The Truth is Out There

has a phenomenon

crew leaders and general laborers for installation and maintenance. Historically, a lack of personnel at these positions is when the panic sets in. Almost every owner decries not being able to find a stream of designers, sales people, and account managers, but those are drawing from a different labor pool. The traditional labor paradox usually revolves around field staff.

Since 2019, the average wage for those positions has gone up: 17% for Installation Crew Leaders, 20% for Maintenance Crew Leaders, 20% for Installation Laborers, and a whopping 27% for Maintenance Laborers. In the past two years, in the same order, we saw increases of 7%, 11%, 14%, and 15% respectively. All of those increases have outpaced inflation over the two year and four year intervals (the complete survey results are available to ILCA members only).

I have now been working in the Illinois landscape industry long enough that my gaze has grown wider. My wavelengths are more interspersed and I am less reactionary than I used to be. I used to think the landscape industry had its own Fermi Paradox when it came to labor. There would never be a time when labor was truly plentiful in this industry because it would coincide with an economic downturn. That downturn would shrink the amount of work resulting in an oversupply of labor. When that downturn ended, the number of clients would go back up, the labor supply would drop back down, and we would be right back where we started. This was the life cycle of the landscape industry — horrific labor challenges that are only relieved by crushing recessions.

Then, the spring of 2023 happened. I start every spring talking to contractors about their labor situation. With rare exception, and for the first time since I started at ILCA, that question has been met with some variation of, “You know, we are looking pretty good.” This would then be followed by them searching for the nearest wood to knock on, salt to toss over their shoulder, or rabbit’s foot to rub.

Now, there are 100 hot takes that result when you don’t have solid data to back up a conclusion. Immediately, my mind jumped to a less burned-out labor force due to less snow. Employees being able to visit family in Mexico due to the loosening of travel and pandemic restrictions. More overtime in 2022 which led to fatter wallets and happier employees. It was still a roulette wheel of guesses.

Then we conducted our biannual salary survey in May. Since 2019, we have done a snapshot of labor rates every two years. This is not an academically sound salary survey by any rate, but we do our due diligence and I stand by the data. In fact, the responses have gone up each year and we had our largest response rate ever in 2023. Further, we review all the entries to make sure we don’t have duplicate responses from the same companies or that wacky values weren’t tossed in to skew the averages.

The increases we have seen over the past four years, and more specifically, the past two years have been startling. For the purpose of this column, I am going to focus on four positions —

Many industries have raised labor rates since 2019 — manufacturing, light industrial, service, restaurants, but some slow as they bump against a ceiling. According to data from Paychex, landscaping is outpacing transportation and utilities, manufacturing, professional and business services, and construction. The 6-7% annual increases in landscaping are above the 4-5% annual increases in other trades. That may not seem like a lot, but any employer of unskilled labor will tell you that every nickel counts.

It’s not as simple as wage growth. The second variable is the loosening of the H2B program and the supplemental caps. Many employers reading this may exclaim, “I don’t even use H2B, how does that help me?” H2B has a fixed cap of 66,000 workers which are tapped each and every year. That number is minute compared to the demand.

What NALP, AmericanHort and others have done, is work with two subsequent administrations to release more and more supplemental visas in a fair and equitable manner. They also made huge inroads into the Central American “Triangle” nations and the Biden Administration sees Triangle relief as a political and humanitarian win. The result was the release of 64,716 supplemental visas in 2023 — basically doubling the cap.

Many of the mid-sized and large companies in Illinois use H2B. When those visas are approved, it releases stress on the labor market. H2B requires wages not to be below the lowest paid domestic worker. That stipulation is probably the closest thing non-union companies have to a collectively-bargained wage scale. When the H2B lottery was first introduced years ago with very little supplemental cap relief, some large employers were left on the outside looking in. I am sure their local competitors thought, “Serves you right!” Then, the poaching started and those same competitors struggled to keep up with wage surges caused by bigger fish. A robust H2B program only offers needed relief to the local labor market. The more the H2B program works for some, it works for all.

The last variable to consider is the sustained economic growth of the landscape market for four straight seasons. Landscaping, along with Pelotons and high end liquor, was a winner during the pandemic. By not having a blip, the work continued to flow in the industry. This creates a domino effect in a referral-based industry. Costs of projects allows wages to climb, and it makes financial sense for employees to stay put and not test other waters. The landscape industry has not yet been forced to make a market

correction or see a sustained slowdown. Clients have grumbled about price hikes, but most understand inflation and supply-chain driven increases. The more money that has poured into the landscape industry has solidified the ground beneath the labor market.

The big question is, as with the Fermi Paradox, will something come from outside or within that will wipe these labor gains all out? Is this confluence of factors sustainable over the long term? The economy will dip, clients will dry up, H2B will once again face political headwinds, and industry wage increases will fail to keep up with inflation. Then, we will be back to kicking dirt and blaming “kids these days” and that “nobody wants to work.” It would be nice to etch these lessons onto a stone tablet before the memory of this fades — in case of emergency: READ ME.

One of these factors is completely within our control — wages. It is absolutely essential that when ILCA asks, the industry answers. As much as I love having a fifth of our members respond to our biannual salary survey, I want that number to move up to a quarter, then a half, then 75%. I have no idea what the world will be like in 2025, but please answer when we rap on the door. Then, when we release the summary, don’t run from it. Don’t kill the messenger or cover your eyes. Just accept that this is a reflection of the industry and the only aspect of the labor equation we have any power over. Check your labor rates and then check the inflation index. Sleep well only after doing both.

The second factor is tangentially under our control. The H2B program is the entire industry’s responsibility, not just the users. If you want to keep massive landscape firms and their hiring engines at the gate, support the H2B program. Read the emails. Respond to the Congressional alerts from ILCA and NALP. Our industry enjoys this tremendous porcelain vase of a worker program, don’t let the political bulls stomp all over it.

Finally, the last factor is beyond our control. We can’t stop the ebbs and flows, booms and busts of the economy. The only benefit the landscape industry ever has is that we are a lagging indicator. We get 10-12 more months of prosperity before recession lays waste to us too. A stable labor market depends on compounded annual success, but a stable company can survive in any economic environment. In the meantime, catalog the lessons from today. It is amazing how the memories have faded when I revisit past financial statements. It is only when I revisit my notes, minutes, and reports that a narrative evolves that explains the numbers.

Maybe we are on borrowed time. Maybe the tool of our economic destruction has already been unleashed. Maybe we are one season away from resetting these factors to zero. Maybe I just needed to write the epitaph of “Here Lies our Labor Stability: 2020-2023.”

At least we now know the checklist — wages that outpace inflation, 65,000 more guest workers, and successive years of economic prosperity. We have a stronger understanding of what needs to be addressed the next time the economy falters and the labor market flinches. Unlike the Fermi Paradox, we have answers. Hopefully, that will let landscape professionals worry more about if an asteroid or toxic fungus will kill humanity first than how to climb out of the next recession. After all, we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff.

Sincerely,

Scott Grams, Executive Director May 15, 2023

President

Jeff Kramer

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

Vice-President

Ashley Marrin

Bret-Mar Landscape Management Group, Inc. (708) 301-2225 ashley@bretmarlandscape.com

Secretary-Treasurer

Jim Cirrincione

Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. (630) 323-1411 jcirrincione@hinsdalenurseries .com

Immediate Past President

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

Directors

Eric Adams Russo Power Equipment (847) 233-7811 eadams@russopower.com

Kim Hartmann Rosborough Partners 847-404-7669 hartmannkim@comcast.net

Ryan Heitman

The Fisher Burton Company (847) 566-9200 ryanheitman@fisherburton.com

Tom Klitzkie Nature’s Perspective Landscaping (847) 475-7917 tklitzkie@naturesperspective.com

Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net

Kevin Manning K & D Enterprise Landscape Management, Inc. (815) 725-0758 kmanning@kdlandscapeinc.com

Kevin McGowen Kaknes/SiteOne 31W245 Diehl Road Naperville, IL 60563

Mark Utendorf Emerald Lawn Care, Inc. (847) 392-7097 marku@emeraldlawncare.com

President’s Message —

What a great experience!

This is my last month as President. I just wanted to take the time to say how wonderful and what an honor it was being president of the ILCA. I have met so many interesting and wonderful people along the way, throughout my term as President. I have never been a part of such a well-organized growing association.

I have learned so much from so many leaders in our industry and have many takeaways that I will use for the rest of my life. Striving to get better every day seems like an obvious idea, but takes a conscious effort to improve on everyday tasks and new hurdles that come our way.

I encourage you to share the endless benefits of the ILCA with people who are not currently members. If you are currently a member, I encourage you to volunteer in any capacity you can. You will not regret working with other peers in our industry and will gather many takeaways that will be with you forever.

Ashley Marrin will be your next President and having worked with her for a few years, I can attest, she will be a great President!

Thanks for all the great experiences — hope to see you at the next ILCA event!

Sincerely,

Jeff Kramer

¡La estación está en marcha!

Ahora que todos avanzan a toda máquina, deseo compartir una experiencia que tuve con un miembro del equipo hace unas décadas. En mis primeros días con KTS, de vez en cuando las cargas de trabajo de invierno eran livianas. Siempre resultaba difícil llenar los inviernos con trabajos. En esos tiempos estaba comenzando a trabajar en ventas y como todos los representantes de ventas trabajaba arduamente para asegurar las cargas de trabajo para el invierno.

Estábamos a finales de agosto y uno de los líderes de mi equipo de trabajo me preguntó que cómo se vislumbraba el invierno y qué estaba haciendo yo para obtener la cantidad de trabajo que necesitábamos. Pensé un momento y le hablé sobre varios proyectos respecto a los cuales estaba presentando propuestas. Entonces le pregunté qué estaba haciendo él para ayudar a conseguir trabajos para el invierno. Me miró con desconcierto y me preguntó qué quería decir. Le expliqué que me reunía con clientes por unos 30 minutos al presentar propuestas y me retiraba. Tengo la parte fácil. Tú y tu equipo están en la propiedad de los clientes durante horas, un día o varios días. Cuando estás en esas propiedades, ¿cómo tratas la propiedad? Cuando hay juguetes en el camino ¿los pateas para apartarlos o los recoges respetuosamente para colocarlos en lugares seguros? ¿Brindas ayuda cuando un cliente o vecino trata de salir por la entrada para coches, pero no puede hacerlo porque nuestros camiones bloquean su vista? Al público le interesa mucho lo que hacemos –subirnos a los árboles, manejar camiones grandes, todos observan lo que tú y tu equipo hacen en todos los sitios de trabajo.

Lo que haces puede ayudar a atraer más clientes que un representante de ventas. Si tú y tu equipo de trabajo respetan las propiedades de todos los clientes, la gente advertirá esto y nos seguirá dando oportunidades en el futuro. Las recomendaciones producen los mejores contactos y muchas recomendaciones provienen del buen comportamiento de los equipos de trabajo en las propiedades de los clientes.

Pensó sobre esto un poco y estuvo de acuerdo en que podía ayudar a aumentar la carga de trabajo durante el invierno haciendo un pequeño esfuerzo adicional.

Recuerden que todos nos observan — ¡usen esto en su propio beneficio!

¡Los veo el próximo mes!

Atentamente

Jeff Kramer

Jeff Kramer

Custom landscape projects can offer unique opportunities but there are few that become positive lifetime and career altering experiences. Some of these projects and designs might push the boundaries of our creative experiences and knowledge. However, when you take a step back and embrace your passion for uniquely detailed designs, dedicated work acumen, and above all teamwork with aligned professionals you are confident that the opportunity is worth the effort. One of the biggest surprises

relating to this project was the joyful journey of creating relationships with the clients and experienced experts which ranged from mechanical engineers, plumbers, electricians, sculptors, to college professors. These new friendships helped develop a unique knowledge and appreciation of medieval European cloister gardens and gothic architecture design principals. Hearing the client rave and celebrate over their completed garden and fountain was without a doubt the apex of the project.

Austin Engineering Company • Peoria Fountain Parterre Garden

Mark Dwyer Speaks From the Heart Describing Inspiring Healing Gardens

by Mark Dwyer

As creators and caretakers of beautiful gardens and landscapes, the argument can be made that all of our settings have a “healing quality”. They provide beauty, restive qualities and certainly can become a refuge that provides emotional support and the ability to help recharge in our busy lives. I feel that my small, ¼ acre garden in Janesville, WI is a healing garden. However, the term healing garden (synonymous with “wellness” or “therapeutic” gardens), when applied to spaces associated with healthcare facilities, specialty clinics, assisted/ retirement communities and specialized care settings refers to a more intentionally contrived garden space.

These gardens are designed in evidence-informed ways to support clinical outcomes, reduce stress, improve satisfaction and support the health and well being of patients, residents, staff and visitors. Restive gardens, such as monas-

tic cloister gardens, Japanese Zen gardens and ancient Persian gardens, have a long history in pursuing many of the same goals. Regardless of the ambiguity of defining these “healing” gardens, their design is focused on providing restorative elements, both passive and active, that benefit users through viewing and immersion.

Quantitative research has shown the benefits of having a restorative garden in close association with care facilities. Statistical studies for decades have confirmed the reduction in pain, stress, depression and length of stay in facilities that provide beautiful garden views and immersive opportunities. Decreased staff stress and increased patient satisfaction is also common in relation to these garden settings. A beautiful, well-designed, well-maintained healing garden reassures a patient or client that they will be given a high level of atten-

tion and care and these spaces certainly serve as a contrast to some of the stress and challenges experienced on the inside of the facility. Humans seek nature because it is familiar and they associate these garden spaces with refuge, health and well-being. The idea of the designed environment of a “healing garden” offers similar value in community gardens, schools and prisons.

I’ve been fortunate to be involved with the design of two healing gardens that I’d like to describe as the process was so much less about the plants than the physical layout and clarification of goals prior to any sort of installation. The plantings were certainly important but were the proverbial “icing on the cake” in helping beautify and define the space along with supporting specific, programmatic goals. In both project design instances, a focus on sensory engagement was paramount and this goal

Gardens

overlapped with the desire to achieve maximum accessibility for user engagement. We know the garden provides a multitude of sensory experiences and while it was obvious that appropriate plant material would be a prominent part of the equation, the physical layout of these spaces needed to help accomplish access and engagement.

Prior to my work associated with the examples below, I had visited many healing gardens around the country and observed and recorded a wide range of features and plantings. One of my favorite gardens for ideas, particularly related to accessibility and programming, is the Buehler Enabling Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Built over 20 years ago, this 11,000 sq. ft., barrier-free space is packed with all sorts of great ideas ranging from elevated garden beds and vertical planters to sensory-based water

(continued on page 12)

(continued from page 11)

features many, adaptive garden examples. Maximum accessibility is embedded in the layout and design. This is certainly a space to visit and enjoy as both beauty and accessibility are obvious priorities. The Buehler Enabling Garden, when first opened, was touted as the “reaffirmation of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s commitment to horticultural therapy and safe, comfortable and healthy gardening for everyone.”

Edgerton (WI) Hospital and Health Services Healing Garden

Along with dozens of amazing volunteers, I currently maintain and manage a 3-acre healing garden at Edgerton (WI) Hospital and Health Services. This hospital is a small, 15-bed, critical-care facility south of Madison, WI serving a surrounding population of over 15,000 area residents. I designed the healing garden in 2001 as this hospital was newly constructed on a 70 acre site that also includes adjacent woodlands with walking trails and a nicely landscaped, primary campus. The healing garden was intended when the hospital was designed in allowing the majority of the recovery rooms to view the garden and additionally, the busy physical/occupational therapy wing has full view and easy access to the garden as well. The hospital continues to promote their “rooms with a view” as the beauty of the garden is self-advertising in saying, “Come out and visit!”. The design (continued on page 14)

(continued from page 12) was meant to provide enriching spaces for both active use and gatherings but also privacy and contemplation. Sensory stimulation continues to be a primary goal.

The garden is all-accessible with no steps and the majority of the concrete paths are at least 8’ wide and fairly level. A 6-8’ path width is ideal for two wheelchairs to pass or be moving together in tandem. The meandering path layout, complete with path lighting, includes destinations like sitting areas, a “spongy” yoga pad, curved shaded arbor and large pavilion. Staff will frequently have lunch out in the garden or gather for informal meetings. A small, compact walking labyrinth “spiral”, planted in silver and blue,

also accents the space. Included in the garden is a 2,000 sq. ft. “pollinator berm” which includes a vast array of appropriate plantings to provide pollen and nectar for our native pollinators. This berm is a popular, grant-funded garden space to observe natural cycles of seasonality, pollinators and plenty of color.

It was important that sitting areas didn’t compromise path widths so bench pads were offset and spaced roughly every 50’ and offer wonderful views of a central pond. The pond is actually a retention basin for runoff from the adjacent facility roofs although it has been augmented and beautified with shoreline plantings, two waterfalls and a central bubbler. The pond is certainly the centerpiece of the space which accommodates a wide range of visitors

(continued on page 16)

(continued from page 14) from those in active therapy, to family members visiting patients and staff that simply need to recharge. An ADA-compliant ramp brings visitors right down to the water level on one side of the pond which is full of ducks, frogs, dragonflies and other wildlife.

The garden is conveniently located and accessed by three primary entrances and the location of the garden behind the hospital offers a peaceful and private refuge for everyone. I continually work with the therapy staff to create situations out in the garden that will help them with specific patient outcomes. While the design of this space had to encompass a broad perspective, it’s through the refinements in accessibility and plantings that we

further achieve successes related to all of the garden users and visitors. The garden is open to the public and also hosts plant sales, yoga, Tai chi and community events. The hospital also hosts an annual horticultural therapy conference each year that features the healing garden and a popular gardening lecture series engages the public. The garden also actively grows vegetables and herbs for the progressive café.

Rotary Botanical Gardens Wellness Garden

In 2018, a 2-acre Wellness Garden that I designed nearly 10 years previously was funded and installed at Rotary Botanical (continued on page 19)

(continued from page 16)

Gardens in Janesville, WI. The challenge in implementing this design revolved primarily around defining why this space was necessary and how it would differ from the 25 other garden themes over the 20-acre botanic garden (founded in 1989). With a demographic of visitors and volunteers that couldn’t fully experience the garden due to accessibility issues, the primary thrust of this garden improvement was all-accessibility and proximity to our users for immediate enjoyment and engagement. It was amazing how popular this garden became for all visitors but particularly those with mobility impairments and the groups that the garden hosted for more involved therapeutic gardening activities. This circular garden is actually the first of five phases in a 4-acre space that will later include more accessible gardening ideas and therapeutic opportunities. The garden includes long, curving, raised beds of two different heights. The beds are only 4’ wide

which allows for access and reach from both sides with the lower bed (24” in height) wheelchair accessible and the taller bed (36” in height) perfect for “no stoop” gardening at waist height. Caps on both wall heights allow for leaning, resting or sitting and gardening to the side in the shorter beds for volunteers. Unsurprisingly, some older volunteers at Rotary Botanical Gardens were excited to shift to these raised gardening opportunities as traditional gardening was becoming a bit more challenging. A central fountain with tiered levels provided a soothing auditory component and was the visual focal point in a space with radial paths, brick highlights at the intersections and lush plantings with a heavy sensory focus included throughout the garden. The raised beds, on an annual basis, contained over 100 varieties of fragrant plants (with signage) for visitors to experience and enjoy. Tactile plants were also placed along raised bed edges for engagement. Toxic plants of any sort weren’t used and avoiding pesti-

cide and herbicide use in this space was a standing policy.

The concrete paths were all tinted (tan and pink) to minimize glare and were all slightly pitched from the center to drain and dry quickly. Avoiding slippery materials was paramount in the design. An adjacent walking labyrinth pattern in colored paver blocks was installed as well. The labyrinth promotes a meditative experience and isn’t uncommon in healing gardens and healthcare settings. Labyrinths (there are many styles and materials) have over 4,000 years of history and this one has been actively used by visitors.

We can “sell” beautiful landscapes for their ornamental qualities. However, the need for more focused spaces that accommodate user limitations while implementing and addressing the needs of all visitors, will make these healing gardens even more vital in today’s world. These restorative and enabling spaces will provide therapeutic qualities, both tangible and intangible, that will have a broad appeal for a wide range of future clientele.

Monona Terrace:

Celebrating a Frank Lloyd Wright Landscape

by Heather Prince

Monona Terrace Community and Convention

Center graces the edge of Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin with its elegant Frank Lloyd Wright design of repeating arches and circles. First designed by Wright in 1938, he re-worked the design several times before signing off on final plans in 1959. After many years of debate, the center opened its doors in 1997, becoming a cultural touchstone as it links the waters of the lake to the Capitol Building. It typically hosts about 500 to 600 public and private events per year.

Incorporated into the facility are extensive rooftop gardens, planting beds at ground level, and a floating terrace tucked along the windowed façade. Tony Gomez-Phillips, the Facility and Landscape Maintenance Horticulturalist, presented at iLandscape on how he has worked toward redesigning and updating the planting areas with the goal of increasing ecology and sustainability. A LEED Platinum building, one of the ways points were achieved was by thoughtfully adapting the more than 6,800 square feet of garden beds towards a naturalistic approach.

The Wright Way

Working at a historic building with high visitor use and a mandate to host the community, Gomez-Phillips was inspired to come up with a personal motto. “I try to stick to ‘Do Right by Wright’ as I design areas and choose plants. I confess to talking to him in my head,” chuckled Gomez-Phillips.

Seven years ago, when Gomez-Phillips was hired, the garden beds were planted in a mix of traditional perennials, trees, shrubs, and thousands upon thousands of annual flowers. As he approached redeveloping these spaces, GomezPhillips researched other Wright-designed structures and the landscapes that accompanied them. He found Derek Fell had developed valuable insights to Wright’s garden aesthetics including prioritizing native plants, using plants for their texture and form more than flower color, keeping naturalistic forms in trees and shrubs, and cultivating vistas in the landscape, especially those with water.

One of the significant challenges of working with a Wright building is his tendency to prioritize art over practical building maintenance logistics. “Monona Terrace was

®

With burgundy foliage and 10-inch blooms in 5 shades, it’s no surprise the Head

Heels Hibiscus® series is a top-performer in the market. Each variety is compact, bold, and easy to grow so you can create the tropical oasis of your client’s dreams. Find

Three Gardens of Note —

designed for aesthetic appeal, and its physical layout isn’t designed to be serviced in a very effective or efficient way,” commented Gomez-Phillips. “Wright’s position was the architecture, the beautiful aesthetic, comes first. It straddles a big roadway that basically spans the length of the building. This is a busy event space, so getting event companies and their equipment in and out of the site and maneuvering around the general public when you’ve got a project, it’s all part of the job.” The landscape and facilities team has had to exercise some creativity to get plant materials delivered to the roof or access the floating terrace for maintenance. From hauling materials in the freight elevator to using scissor lifts to access planting areas, to dealing with seasonal cleanup of the beds, flexibility is key. “There isn’t a good place for a compost pile, so we’ve gotten good at tucking it away and doing some creative screening with plants or containers.”

Working with the Elements

Monona Terrace has a spectacular location with sweeping vistas of the lake. However, that lake has its own temperament and moods. There’s been floods in wet years and scorching temperatures in dry years. With no buffer of trees, buildings, or other landscape elements, storms hit harder. “I’m managing planting areas 90 feet in the air on top of a building,” observed Gomez-Phillips. “We don’t just have high winds, we have gales, and frequently. Then of course in summer, it’s drought conditions because the building acts as a heat island.” Plant choices have to be able to handle high winds, deluges of rain, and baking sun. Native plants made sense, especially species native to prairies that have evolved to tolerate extreme conditions.

Another element of working with the environment is animal and bird life. The planting areas act as a green oasis for all kinds of animals, birds, insects, and more. “We have foxes, raccoons and

squirrels, plus birds of prey including hawks and owls,” commented GomezPhillps. “We even had a deer up here last year.” Usually, wildlife is welcome, but they experience high rabbit pressure as well. Gomez-Phillips also deals with a robust mallard duck population that finds the grasses a great spot to build nests. Each year he helps about 10 to 20 groups of ducklings get down to the water from the planting areas. “The moms love to nest in the sheltering grasses, but there’s no way to get the ducklings down to the water where they’re supposed to be,” said Gomez-Phillips. “So we catch them all. I walk the ducklings down the ramp to the parking lot in one of the garden bins. There’s a spot that really echoes, so we hang out there until mom finds them and flies down. Then I put them into the lake. I’ve got it down to a system.”

A Living Design

Coming from Olbrich Botanical Gardens prior to Monona Terrace, (continued on page 24)

TRIALED. TESTED. PROVEN .

LIMELIGHT PRIME ®

PP#32,511; CBRAF Long Blooming | Strong Stems | Vibrant Color

Hydrangea paniculata ‘

Landscapes love Limelight Prim e ® panicle hydrangea. It’s been trialed and tested to ensure it has darker foliage, stronger stems, and a more upright, compact habit than ‘Limelight.’ Plus, its lime green blooms maintain their color longer until transitioning to a rich pink.

AVAILABLE FROM THESE SUPPLIERS

LEARN MORE

A. Waldbart & Sons Nursery

Dorsey, IL • 618-585-3414

Creekside Gardens

Collinsville, IL • 618-344-7054

Effinger’s Garden Center Belleville, IL • 618-234-4600

Goodmark Nursery Wonder Lake, IL • 815-653-9293

Hart’s Nursery Bushnell, IL • 309-772-9517

Home Nursery

Albers, IL • 618-248-5194

Midwest Groundcovers

St. Charles, IL • 847-742-1790

Three Gardens of Note —

(continued from page 22)

Gomez-Phillips had already worked with a naturalistic plant palette and low-input style of landscape management. “I knew I wanted it to be low maintenance,” Gomez-Phillips commented. “I didn’t want it to be water or chemical dependent. It needed to be heat tolerant, drought tolerant, and because of the elevated nature, wind tolerant. As an elevated space, there’s so much wind present. But it’s also an opportunity to design for the movement of plants.”

The Community Terrace features a floating planting area just outside the windows. Gomez-Phillips completely overhauled the existing struggling junipers and instead planted hundreds of little bluestem grasses. “The color of those plants during certain times of summer perfectly matches the color of the lake,” said Gomez-Phillips. “They have the metaphorical interpretation of the waves of the water with the waves of the grasses. On a windy

day, the lake has a lot of movement, but the grasses are kind of moving in tempo with that. You have a kind of a horizontal effect of the waves of the water with this verticality of the plants. In winter and late spring, the grasses have bleached out and become blonde. It’s a beautiful contrast with the dark blue water.” Gomez-Phillips used seed-grown little bluestem, so there is variation in the coloring throughout the arc of the planting. It’s also a short stature grass, so visitors can see over and through it to the panoramic vista of the lake.

As he has transformed the rooftop beds into plantings bursting with native plants, Gomez-Phillips has made some deliberate choices in species and cultivars. To echo the arches and circles of the architecture, he has chosen echinacea for its domed flower habit, redbud for its rounded shape, and the arching forms of prairie dropseed. “We have the added challenge of these raised beds are places where you’re looking through plants since they’re three feet off the ground,” commented GomezPhillips. “It’s an additional dimension to

consider when designing.” When it was time for aging trees to be replaced, he chose redbuds because of their shape, native status, and surprising toughness. They are underplanted with turf to create a shade space for visitors. Now, “we have people who lay out under the trees and read. They’ll bring a picnic or do yoga in the shade.”

As Gomez-Phillips has made changes in the plantings, he also has dealt with the challenge of interpretation. “It’s been a long slow process to get the public and our stakeholders to understand why we’re pivoting to a more ecological approach,” he commented. “We have some signage explaining the native plants, pollinators, and such, but it’s been a big shift from a traditional horticultural plant palette to a native, naturalistic design. I’ve had to educate both the public and our organization on the design style and the management choices that go with it. But there’s progress! This would have been a much harder sell, say, 20 years ago, than it is today. Now

the public knows about and cares about monarch butterflies, so we can plant milkweed and they get it. Before it was, well, a weed.”

As the garden spaces continue to evolve, GomezPhillips aims to keep editing the plantings to entice visitors. “I find it a challenge to myself to try to make the public stay a little longer. I want people to look at the gardens a little bit more. I think editing the gardens to create some of these more correlative design aspects of the building and incorporate that circular grammar is intriguing. I hope people stop because they’ll be curious.”

Small Wonders

Spring bloomers wow Chicago’s residents and visitors

by Nina A. Koziol

The City of Big Shoulders

now boasts one of the most desirable destinations in the country — Millennium Park. The number of visitors from around the globe has grown to more than 20 million annually. It’s no surprise. The 24.5acre site melds exquisite architecture, landscape design and horticulture into an incredible four-season performance.

This spring, the main actors are flowering bulbs—several hundred thousand, from snowdrops and crocus to tulips, daffodils, squill, fritillaries and wild hyacinths (Camassia). The show began in 2006 when garden designer Jacqueline van der Kloet, a colleague of Piet Oudolf, added a spring bulb scheme with 60,000 bulbs to Lurie Garden. In 2018, Austin Eischeid of Austin Eischeid Garden Design in Chicago added 170,000 more bulbs. Eischeid is known for his work at Millennium Park and Midwest Groundcovers, but his projects range from residential to large-scale public spaces across the country.

“The sheer numbers of bulbs — that’s what gives the effect — it’s stunning,” Eischeid said. “Every year we do a new project around the park and I add bulbs. In total we’ve put in about 230,000.” That incredible display kicks off in February with snowdrops and runs through May.

Grape hyacinth (Muscari) and gloryof-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbseii ‘Blue Giant’) create an eye-popping combination against yellow daffodils “They bloom early and people love the color blue. I love using species tulips like ‘Bright Gem’— perennials that come back year after year. I choose subtle colors and I try to make it look as natural as possible.”

Compelling Combos

In the park’s Boeing Galleries, Eischeid used a soothing palette. “I did simple bulbs like snowdrops, pheasant eye daffodils and chionodoxa—a sheet of white, blue, and then white. A simple combination — it’s very ethereal as you walk through — not loud color.”

Eischeid’s artistic eye shows in the combination of Penstemon ‘Pocahontas’ and orange-flowered tulips. “Pocahontas with the purple foliage with ‘Ballerina’ tulip—orange with a bit of red—picks up the penstemon foliage. I think about the combinations of the perennial foliage with the bulb flowers — drifts of Brunnera with daffodils popping up through that haze of blue flowers.”

One of Eischeid’s favorite daffodils is ‘Thalia’ a white-flowered heirloom from 1916. “And, I love ‘Bright Gem’ tulip — it just gets better and better.” He also likes Chionodoxa ‘Blue Giant’ paired with Scilla mischtschenkoana. “And, Fritillaria raddeana — I used that in the Park.” The latter produces large umbels of pendant, bell-shaped, greenish-yellow flowers that stop visitors in their tracks.

Eischeid bolsters four-season interest by leaving some of the dried grasses in place through spring. “The Hakonechloa grass is there for some volume and depth when the bulbs are still quite small. It really emphasizes the groundcover layer of Scilla and Chionodoxa. We come back and strip the Hakonechloa later but it’s worth the month or so of artistic vision to the foundation.”

Eischeid carefully considers which bulbs to pair with perennials so the declining bulb foliage will be hidden. “It’s important to pair the bulb foliage to hide the leaves and eliminate the maintenance of tying the foliage or cutting it back. When I’m designing, I lay a piece of paper over my perennial layer for the bulbs.”

Hellebores, barrenwort (Epimedium ‘Amber Queen’), coral bells (Heuchera ‘Carnival Watermelon’) and astilbes are some of Eischeid’s favorite perennials (at this moment). He also uses native spring ephemerals like Trillium, shooting stars (Dodecatheon) and jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum). Despite the sheer number of visitors, he said there is no

apparent damage. “The gardens are elevated so I think that’s helped people from getting into the beds so you can’t just cut through them.”

Maintenance

With several hundred thousand perennials and spring- and summerblooming bulbs, you’d expect heavyduty maintenance to keep it looking good, especially during the summer. “There’s not much maintenance really,” Eischeid explains. “In gardens with plants that come in later, I like to put bulbs around so the foliage suppresses the weeds. Those areas don’t awaken until June when the warm season grasses come in like Panicum. We don’t dead head [the bulbs] or anything. We just leave the leaf litter from the previous year for fertilizer.

Despite the usual squirrels (and occasional rats!), there has been little damage to the bulbs. “If they took a few of the 20,000 planted, we’d probably not notice.” The soil is a roof top mix. “It’s the original one that’s lighter weight loam. Not every bulb loves heavy clay soil — except alliums and daffodils. Most spring-blooming bulbs need freedraining, sharp drainage,” he explains.

Inspiring Homeowners

Eischeid notes that his clients often request a swash of color. “I always put a bulb layer in — grape hyacinths and daffodils, while some people want the whole shebang—layering of bulbs from early to late spring. It’s part of my design process.” In an ideal world Eischeid would like an area devoted to bulbs. “It’s best to do bulbs in the full first season [of installation]. The costs are always hard at first because I charge a separate design fee and they’ll think about the bulbs. But once they see Millennium Park and (continued on page 28)

Three Gardens of Note —

(continued from page 27) see the color — you can promise them more.” He points to the months-long bloom offered by witch hazels, snowdrops and winter aconites. “They are blooming in February, and in March there’s chionodoxa, followed by species tulips, hyacinths, daffodils—three months of bulbs so you can promise clients more than a few days of color.”

April showers bring May flowers, but we never know what spring is going to be like. “After Chicago’s long winters people want color and they want that breath of fresh air.” So, pop down to Millennium Park, take some deep breaths, and enjoy the scent and sensations.

starlightSweet ™

Hydrangea paniculata

‘Pan1782hydr’ PPAF

Zones: 4–8 • Habit: 4’ h x 3–4’ w

Sturdy, non-flopping stems

Early to bloom & turn pink

Abundant, long-lasting flowers Find

Welcomes

Joining Forces: Unification brings

by Nina A. Koziol

There’s strength in numbers especially when it comes to members. In recent years, ILCA welcomed the Landscape Design Association, the Midwest Ecological and Landscape Alliance, and the Illinois Professional Lawn Care Association into the fold. And now, ILCA has formally merged with the Illinois Green Industry Association (IGIA).

“What was once two great organizations is now one powerful force for our industry,” said Jeff Kramer, ILCA’s president. “It’s very exciting. There were certainly a lot of emotions from both organizations as we met and discussed the possibility. Overall, most were very excited about getting together. We worked through the idea and all the hurdles from both sides. I am very proud to have been part of this historic event.”

For Graham Hill, president of Platt Hill Nursery, in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville, being a member of IGIA made sense because, “We were first and foremost a garden center, but we joined ILCA as we ramped up the landscape side.” The company sent 20 staff from the retail and landscape

divisions to iLandscape this year. Some attended presentations while others hit the exhibit floor. “It gives our managers a chance to see some of the equipment — and it’s a talent and development opportunity.”

For ILCA vice president Ashley Marrin, the unification not only makes the industry stronger, but is a chance to network at greater capacity. “It’s exciting to gain the viewpoint of other members — garden centers, growers, contractors and suppliers statewide who all have unique challenges. We’ll grow our statewide presence to offer education, training and networking and, with the use and development of technology since Covid, members don’t always need to be present in person to participate in events or committees.”

“Successful associations have to deliver value on multiple levels,” said Scott Grams, ILCA Executive Director. “There are some issues that impact every landscape professional in the state. Then, there are other issues that are more localized and regional. This unification lets us deliver member value on both fronts. We can still

“What was once two great organizations is now one powerful force for our industry.”

Jeff Kramer ILCA President

IGIA to the Family

brings benefits and much more

advance legislation or provide information on new plants and products. At the same time, we can connect landscape and nursery professionals to training and education in their own parts of the state. The long-term success of this unification will stem from our ability to react both locally and statewide. To accomplish that, we are not only improving our mindset, but our infrastructure as well.”

IGIA’s Kellie Schmidt is now the Statewide Director of Development. “Members will have access to more programs and education than they had before because there are more resources, more structure and more support with a larger association. Sometimes we have a tendency to think that if we’re not in the same geographic area, we don’t have the same issues. When things pop up on the political front — like paid leave for all — we were able to do a webinar in April, which we didn’t have the resources for [as IGIA]. With Scott and I working together on the legislative front with the existing

committee it offers stronger coverage for all segments of our industry.”

Carol Rakers, owner of Creative Garden Services in Quincy, Illinois, has been a long-time IGIA member. She and her husband are growers and she does design and installation for residential clients. “I’m all for unification. I’d felt excluded because we’re in this part of the state and I’m thrilled to be part of a bigger organization. I think it will serve our members better. There will be a lot of good things to come out of it. Scott and Kellie are the dynamic duo.”

Grower Becky Thomas of Spring Grove Nursery in Mazon, Illinois, is a past president of IGIA. “When we started our business 24 years ago, the first thing we did was join IGIA and ILCA. I’ve always been a fan of both groups unifying even though they serve different segments of our industry in different ways. But when it comes down to it, we’re all on the same team.” She viewed ILCA members as people she sold to, while IGIA members were people she collaborated with. “Now, we can

“I’m all for it. I’d felt excluded because we’re in this part of the state and I’m thrilled to be part of a bigger organization—

I think it will serve our members better. ”

Carol Rakers Quincy, IL

Focus — Unification and You

collaborate and have a unified voice in Springfield for issues that are important.”

Expanded Networking Opportunities

“There’s a lot of uniqueness across the state but we also share a lot of the same challenges and problems whether it’s a rural market or a smaller suburban market or a market like Bloomington or Chicago,” Schmidt said. “It just makes sense for members to get to know each other, to network and to problem solve.” The opportunities to network are broad — from education and golf outings, to committee involvement and conferences.

“If you liked IGIA before, you will love being a part of both organizations as one,” Kramer said. “You have a very awesome resource at your disposal when needed. Believe me, it’s not if you’ll need help — it’s when. I encourage you not only to join the ILCA, but to volunteer on one of our many committees.”

Statewide the green industry is quite broad and diverse. “There are different

kinds of businesses that are part of growing or offering services— large and small — but we’re tied together on the common thread of the outdoors, nature, and connecting people to it,” Thomas said. “The opportunity is having a statewide presence and taking advantage of educational opportunities. How and why we grow what we do and communicating that to landscape contractors will be beneficial to everyone.”

Be part of something bigger

Be part of something bigger — build a professional network for life. ILCA committee involvement is the best way to augment your membership. By participating on a committee, you’ll match your special interests and talents to an ILCA program or initiative. Visit https://ilca.net/professional/committee_involvement/

Mark your calendars.

Find an event for you and your staff: https://ilca.net/ilca-events/

“This unification lets us deliver member value on both fronts. We can still advance legislation or provide information on new plants and products. At the same time, we can connect landscape and nursery professionals to training and education in their own parts of the state.

Scott Grams ILCA Excecutive Director

A Grand Landscape Along the

Nina A. Koziol

Not far from the Mississippi River, tucked on a quiet street in one of the four stunning historic districts in Quincy, Illinois, sits an elegant house with a garden to match. Some 25 planters and sweeping beds boast seasonal color changes. Sound-cancelling speakers prevent the tunes from leaving the property and potentially disturbing the neighbors. There’s a lighted regulation bocce ball court with oyster shells and an in-ground Olympic size trampoline. And, with a heated paver

driveway, patios and stone tile walks, there’s no snow to blow.

Kellie Schmidt, ILCA’s statewide director of development strolled the private garden last November. “I was visiting some of our Quincy members and Carol Rakers took me there to see the seasonal changes. It’s hard to separate the magnificence of the home and the garden, it’s so grand and regal. I loved that there were so many plants.”

“The homeowner loves color so we do a lot of mixed colors,” said

the Mississippi

Carol Rakers, owner of Creative Garden Services in Quincy. She worked with the family at their former house nearby. “She gives me a lot of freedom to be creative — especially with the seasonal changeouts. If there’s something I want to try and it’s in her color wheel, she’s very supportive. She’ll let me do whatever I want in the planters, which is always fun.”

(continued on page 36)

Focus — Unification and You

(continued from page 35)

A recent large addition to the historic house resulted in the original top soil being removed temporarily. “It was all brought back, which was a blessing,” Rakers said. She also installed a yard for the dogs with artificial turf.

Landscape architect Steven Wheeler of Christner Architects in St. Louis did the original site plan. “I started working with Steven in 2020,” Rakers said. She reviewed the drawings and tweaked the plants. “We’re a zone apart from St. Louis, which is Zone 6 and we’re Zone 5. Quincy has such extreme temperatures—extremely cold and extremely hot, so it has its own challenges.”

Spring Ahead

The family entertains frequently so the garden must look good throughout the seasons. “Every year, we start with tulips and daffodils and pansies—thousands of them,” Raker said. “We do some pots in the early spring—and azaleas and pansies on the two

patios.” When the spring bulbs have finished, Rakers’ team pulls most of them out.

“We’re totally changing it over then. We move on to things like vinca, begonias, impatiens, petunias and lantana. The driveway beds and high visual places are changed out completely. For fall, we pull all the summer annuals and do mums and pansies, ornamental kale and cabbage.” The show relies on 17 flats of impatiens, 25 flats of periwinkle and 438 five-inch pots of annuals—double impatiens, petunias, lantana, and begonias.

Rakers looks forward to doing some new combinations this summer. “I’m going to use more Scaevola (fan flower) this year and ‘Black and Blue’ salvias. Anything that draws hummingbirds is fun.” Last summer, she planted white snapdragons with softcolored coral impatiens. “That was a stunning combination and with that there’s Walkers Low catmint, a really nice combination. The homeowner really likes the corals, whites and purples—more of the pastel colors.”

Planter Palooza

Most of the potting mix is changed each season. “We use the commercial growers mix from Ball Seed. Potting soil has a shelf life and for it to perform the best it needs nutrients and moisture-holding materials.” The top half of the potting mix in large containers is replaced and Rakers adds a slow-release granular fertilizer before planting. “If a pot doesn’t seem to be doing what we think it should we’ll hit it with a water soluble fertilizer.”

The front of the house features black resin pots with boxwoods. “There’s a couple of topiary and we’ll add white SunPatiens or white petunias,” Rakers explained. “We want to keep that area formal and all of the furniture is black and white.”

It’s All in the Details

Rakers and her team goes to a pumpkin field each fall to pick out specimens—three tons of pumpkins and gourds. They are grouped in little vignettes around doorways, (continued on page 38)

Focus — Unification and You

(continued from page 36) paths and in borders along with fall flowers. They install 1,450 pansies, 300 mums, 36 asters and 80 Ornamental Kale. They also plant 2,500 tulips and 500 daffodils for the spring show.

Once the fall display is over, “We take it all out and do Christmas—mostly lights, but we have a few cut trees we mount and light for outside. We change all the pots out to fresh greens and berries and hang 34 wreaths on the house and put lights on them. It’s a challenge to hide the cords but we do a pretty good job. Every window has a wreath on it.”

Day-to-day maintenance is done by Charlie Stroot, the family’s personal gardener. “You’ll never find a weed on that property and that helps me out a lot,” Rakers said. “Trevor Friye of Bergman Nurseries did the irrigation. We planted first and then they put in the drip irrigation before we mulched.”

The trees and beds get a triple-ground pine bark mulch. “It’s really dark brown but really fine and it looks like soil. We go through 70 yards per year.” Rakers’ maintenance crew is all women. “They really pay attention to the details.”

One of her biggest challenges has been finding plants that are mature enough to fit the demand. “It’s all of it—trees, woodies, annuals—because of the sheer quantity. Quincy has 45,000 people so the things available locally are limited and I have to travel to get any large quantities. I had to search high and low for 14-foot-tall evergreens. We got massive trees in on semis.”

(continued on page 40)

(continued from page 38)

Hemlocks, Norway spruce and Taylor junipers (Juniperus virginiana ‘Taylor’) are some of the conifers on the property that provide winter interest.

Although there have been few insect or animal problems, Rakers is dealing with drought. “As of early May, “We’ve had zero snow and no rain to speak of. Irrigation was just starting so we have some plants that are struggling a bit but it’s too soon to tell.”

When her other clients can’t find her, they know where to look. “This property is a fun area to work. I take a lot of pride in it just because it’s viewed by so many people.” The landscape is a royal delight—the Queen of Quincy. Long may it reign.

(see more images on page 41-43)

Accent Urban Design, Inc.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE + LAND PLANNING + URBAN DESIGN 1655 Evergreen Road, Homewood, IL 60430 p/f 708.647.1684 . m 773.426.7543 accenturbandesign.com

ACCENT URBAN DESIGN offers landscape design, renderings, and estimating services to landscape contractors. Services provided by a Registered Landscape Architect with 23+ years of experience in Illinois.

José L. Magán • (708) 647-1684 • jmagan@accenturbandesign.com

The Landscape & Snow Expo

August 3, 2023

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

Focus — Unification and You

Uniendo fuerzas: La unificación trae beneficios y mucho más

por Nina A. Koziol

Hay fuerza en los números especialmente en lo que respecta a los miembros. En años recientes, ILCA dio la bienvenida al redil a la Asociación de Diseño del Paisaje (LDA, por sus siglas en inglés), la Alianza de Paisajismo Ecológico del Medio Oeste (MELA, por sus silgas en inglés) y la Asociación de Profesionales del Cuidado del Césped de Illinois (IPLCA, por sus siglas en inglés). Y ahora, ILCA se ha fusionado formalmente con la Asociación de la Industria Verde de Illinois (IGIA, por sus siglas en inglés).

“Lo que fue alguna vez dos grandes organizaciones es ahora una fuerza poderosa para nuestra industria”, dijo Jeff Kramer, presidente de ILCA. “Es muy emocionante. Hubo realmente mucha excitación entre los miembros de ambas organizaciones cuando nos reuníamos a discutir las posibilidades. Sobre todo, la mayoría estaba entusiasmada por la unión. Trabajamos alrededor de la idea y todos los obstáculos que tenían que afrontar ambas partes. Me siento muy orgulloso de haber sido parte de este evento histórico”.

Para Graham Hill, presidente de Platt Hill Nursery, en Bloomingdale y Carpentersville, tenía sentido ser miembro de IGIA porque, “Éramos ante todo un centro de jardinería, pero nos unimos a ILCA cuando incrementamos el área de paisajismo”. La compañía envió 20 miembros del personal de las divisiones de comercio minorista y paisajismo a iLandscape este año. Algunos asistieron a presentaciones mientras otros

fueron directo al piso de exhibiciones de la feria. “Da a nuestros gerentes la oportunidad de ver algunos de los equipos — y es una oportunidad de desarrollo de talentos”.

Para Ashley Marrin, vicepresidente de ILCA, la unificación no solo fortalece la industria, sino también es una oportunidad de aumentar la capacidad de establecer contactos. “Es estimulante conocer el punto de vista de otros miembros — centros de jardinería, cultivadores, contratistas y proveedores por todo el estado, todos los cuales tienen que enfrentar desafíos específicos. Incrementaremos nuestra presencia a nivel estatal para ofrecer educación, capacitación y establecimiento de contactos y, con el uso y desarrollo de la tecnología desde el Covid, los miembros no tienen que estar siempre en persona para participar en eventos o comités”. “Las asociaciones de éxito tienen que aportar valor en muchos niveles”, dijo Scott Grams, director ejecutivo de ILCA. “Hay algunos problemas que impactan a todos los profesionales de paisajismo en el estado. Luego, hay otros problemas que son más regionales o localizados. Esta unificación nos permite aportar valor a los miembros en ambos frentes. Todavía podemos promover legislaciones o proporcionar información sobre nuevas plantas y productos. Al mismo tiempo, podemos conectar a profesionales del paisajismo y viveros con oportunidades de capacitación y educación en las partes del estado donde se encuentran. El éxito a largo plazo de esta unificación surgirá de nuestra habilidad para reaccionar tanto localmente

“Lo que fue alguna vez dos grandes organizaciones es ahora una fuerza poderosa para nuestra industria.”

Jeff Kramer ILCA President

como a nivel estatal. Para lograr esto, no solo estamos mejorando nuestra actitud mental, sino también nuestra infraestructura”.

Kellie Schmidt de IGIA es ahora directora Estatal de Desarrollo. “Los miembros tendrán acceso a más programas y educación que en el pasado porque con una asociación más grande hay más recursos, más estructura y más apoyo. Algunas veces tenemos una tendencia a pensar que, si no estamos en la misma área geográfica, no tenemos los mismos problemas. Cuando las cosas surgen en el frente político—como permiso de ausencia laboral con paga para todos — nos fue posible organizar un webinario en abril, algo para lo cual no teníamos los recursos [como IGIA]. Con Scott y yo trabajando juntos en el frente legislativo con el comité existente contamos con una cobertura más sólida para todos los segmentos de nuestra industria”.

Carol Rakers, dueña de Creative Garden Services en Quincy, Illinois, ha sido miembro de IGIA por mucho tiempo. Ella y su esposo son cultivadores y ella hace diseño e instalaciones para clientes residenciales. Estoy a favor de la unificación. Me sentiría excluida porque estamos en esta parte del estado y me entusiasma ser parte de una organización más grande. Considero que servirá mejor

Accent Urban Design, Inc.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE + LAND PLANNING + URBAN DESIGN

1655 Evergreen Road, Homewood, IL 60430

p/f 708.647.1684 . m 773.426.7543

accenturbandesign.com

ACCENT URBAN DESIGN ofrece servicios de diseño, ilustraciones, y elaboración de presupuestos a contratistas.Los servicios son ofrecidos por un Arquitecto Paisajista Registrado con más de 23 años de experiencia en Illinois.

José L. Magán • (708) 647-1684 • jmagan@accenturbandesign.com

Website: accenturbandesign.com

Mejores Plantas, Mejor Servicio Y Mejor Selección.

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

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

TODOS JUNTOS MEJOR.

a nuestros miembros. Muchas cosas buenas surgirán de ella. Scott y Kellie son el dúo dinámico”.

Grower Becky Thomas de Spring Grove Nursery en Mazon, Illinois, fue presidente de IGIA. “Cuando iniciamos nuestro negocio hace 24 años, lo primero que hicimos fue incorporarnos a IGIA e ILCA. Siempre he sido partidaria de unificar ambos grupos, aunque atienden a diferentes segmentos de nuestra industria de formas diferentes. Pero pensándolo bien, todos estamos en el mismo equipo”. Ella veía a los miembros de ILCA como gente a la que vendía, mientras que los miembros de IGIA eran personas con las que ella colaboraba. “Ahora podemos colaborar y tener una voz unificada en Springfield para asuntos que son importantes”.

Mayores oportunidades de establecer contactos

“Hay muchas singularidades por todo el Estado, pero también compartimos muchos de los mismos desafíos y problemas, ya sea un mercado rural o un mercado suburbano más pequeño o un mercado como Bloomington o Chicago”, asegura Schmidt. “Tiene sentido para los miembros conocerse mutuamente, establecer contactos y resolver problemas”. Las oportunidades para establecer contactos son muchas — desde educación y torneos de golf, hasta participación en comités y conferencias.

“Si te gustaba IGIA antes, te encantará ser parte de ambas organizaciones convertidas en una sola”, afirma Kramer. “Tendrás un asombroso recurso a tu disposición cuan-

“Esta unificación nos permite aportar valor a los miembros en ambos frentes. Todavía podemos promover legislaciones o proporcionar información sobre nuevas plantas y productos. Al mismo tiempo, podemos conectar a profesionales del paisajismo y viveros con oportunidades de capacitación y educación en las partes del estado donde se encuentran. El éxito a largo plazo de esta unificación surgirá de nuestra habilidad para reaccionar tanto localmente como a nivel estatal.”

Scott Grams

do lo necesites. Créeme, no es si llegaras a necesitar ayuda — es cuándo. Te animo no solo a incorporarte a ILCA, sino también a que te ofrezcas como voluntario en uno de los muchos comités”.

A nivel estatal, la industria verde es muy amplia y diversa. “Hay diferentes clases de negocios que participan en el desarrollo y oferta de servicios— grandes y pequeños — pero estamos unidos en el denominador común de las actividades al aire libre, la naturaleza y conectarlas con las personas”, dijo Thomas. “La oportunidad es tener una presencia a nivel estatal y aprovechar las oportunidades educativas. Cómo y por qué desarrollamos lo que hacemos y comunicarlo a los contratistas de paisajismo beneficiará a todos”.

Sé parte de algo más grande

Sé parte de algo más grande — construye una red profesional para toda la vida. Participar en los comités de ILCA es la mejor manera de aumentar tu membresía. Al participar en un comité, harás coincidir tus intereses y talentos especiales con un programa o iniciativa de ILCA. Visita https://ilca.net/professional/committee_involvement/

Marca tus calendarios.

Encuentra un evento para ti y los miembros de tu personal: https://ilca.net/ ilca-events/

ILCA Excecutive Director

New Members —

CONTRACTORS

Dirty Deed’s Lawn & Landscaping, LLC

Adam Nichols 2606 Glasgow Street

Joliet, IL 60435

Email: llc.dirtydeeds@gmail.com

Phone: 309-269-7146

https://dirtydeedslandscaping.com/

Patriot Property Services, LLC

Randall Schenck

3605 Windmere Ln Johnsburg, IL 60051

Email: randy@patriotpropertyservice.com

Phone: 847-366-5234

www.patriotpropertyservice.com

We are a service-disabled veteran-owned property maintenance company! We provide a wide array of services such as landscaping, window washing, holiday lights, mechanical maintenance, interior repairs, and more. We strongly believe in giving back to the community and a portion of all of our services go to helping veterans and those in our community.

Porcaro Services

Joe Porcaro 316 Louisa St South Shorewood, IL 60404

Email: porcaroservices@gmail.com

Phone: 815-955-2816

https://www.facebook.com/ porcaroservices

SUPPLIERS

Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply

Lynn Carter 318 Arrowhead Dr Gilberts, IL 60136

Email: lcarter@ewingirrigation.com

Phone: 847-551-0023

ewingirrigation.com

GreenSpace Turf, LLC

David Kocourek

10138 S. Bode St., Unit E Plainfield, IL 60585

Email: dk@greenspace-turf.com

Phone: 262-455-0650

www.greenspace-turf.com

GreenSpace Turf (GST) is a manufacturer direct wholesaler, located in Plainfield, IL., providing premium quality artificial turf and products that transform space into an environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing solution.

Instone

Chris Miller

5141 W 122nd St

Alsip, IL 60803

Email: c.miller@instoneco.com

Phone: 708-371-0660

https://instoneco.com

Landscape stone, custom cut stone and stone veneer. We have it! For over 30 years Instone has been supplying the material that helps professionals help homeowners and businesses beautify their spaces. Whatever color or style you need for your design, we provide everything from inspiration to installation of your manufactured and natural stone veneer, landscaping stone, and masonry products.

Onarga Nursery Company

Lindsey Ishmiel

608 N Oak St

Onarga, IL 60955

Email: onarganursery@gmail.com

Phone: 815-268-7244

www.onarganurseryco.com

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Kevin Woulfe

2400 Ritchie Road Morris, IL 60450

Email: kwoulfe@ritchiebros.com

Phone: 630-207-0066 rbauction.com

The Plexus Groupe

Michael Opfer

21805 W Field Pkwy Suite 300 Deer Park, IL 60010

Email: mopfer@plexusgroupe.com

Phone: 847-528-2950

www.plexusgroupe.com

The Plexus Groupe stands out as an independently owned national broker with family values and personalized

solutions. We have the resources, expertise and experience to craft a plan that goes beyond placing insurance and is specific to your goals and challenges. Whether you need assistance with employee benefits, property & casualty, corporate retirement planning (401k), benefit administration and consulting, technology services or high net worth personal insurance, we’re here to ensure you receive the best advice and service—period.

Special Feature — Midwest Plant Talk

Hydrangea paniculata: A Versatile and Reliable Landscape Favorite

by Jamie Heflin

Hydrangeas are a beloved staple in many landscapes, and with good reason. These versatile shrubs pair perfectly with perennials, creating endless possibilities for stunning designs. Of the six main types of hydrangeas grown in North America, Hydrangea paniculata stands out as a favorite among professional landscapers. Not only are they breathtaking with their large, eye-catching blooms, but they are also considered the easiest to grow and most reliable of all hydrangeas.

One of the unique features of panicle hydrangeas is their exceptional cold and heat tolerance, making them an excellent fit for the harsh winters and hot summers of the Midwest. These shrubs can handle a variety of soil types, including the dense, clay soil often found in the

Chicagoland area. The key to successful growing is ensuring good drainage, as consistently wet soil can lead to root rot. Panicle hydrangeas thrive in areas that receive at least four hours of direct sunlight every day.

When selecting the right panicle hydrangea for your project, consider the plant’s mature size, bloom time, and color. With options ranging from a compact 24 inches to a towering 8 feet tall, there’s a panicle hydrangea suitable for any landscape. Blooming as early as May, Quick Fire Fab® Hydrangea from Proven Winners® is a popular choice with stunning mophead blooms that transition from white to pink and eventually a rich red.

Hydrangea paniculatas also offer a spectacular display of color with blooms

that open and age across a spectrum of white, green, pink, and red. For a particularly striking color show, consider Little Lime Punch® from Proven Winners® with blooms that start lime green and deepen to white, light pink, and rich Hawaiian Punch red.

Once you’ve found the right panicle hydrangea for your landscape, it’s important to know how to prune it properly. Hydrangea paniculatas bloom on new wood, creating flower buds after new growth has begun in spring. Late winter or very early spring, just before new growth emerges, is the best time to prune. Removing about one-third of the total height of the shrub will improve its shape and encourage stronger stems and better blooming. Cutting back stems with a straight cut, ¼ inch above a set of

buds, will also help to promote stronger growth.

In conclusion, the Hydrangea paniculata is a reliable and stunning addition to any landscape design. Whether you’re seeking a specific size, bloom time, or color, there is a panicle hydrangea perfect for your project.

Visit midwestgroundcovers.com to compare and select from the many varieties of hydrangea paniculatas available. Happy planting!

Diseases + Pests —

Disease of the Month I: Volutella Blight on Pachysandra

Disease of the Month II: Botryosphaeria Canker of Dogwood

by Heather Prince

Disease of the Month: Volutella Blight on Pachysandra

Japanese pachysandra is a common groundcover throughout our area and is relatively trouble-free. However, in a cool wet spring after a volatile winter, volutella blight will often come calling. Sometimes, this fungal disease will lurk in the background on a leaf here or there before becoming established and ‘melting out’ large patches in groundcover beds. The symptoms begin as tan or brown leaf blotches that develop target-like concentric rings which continue to enlarge and eventually kill the leaf. Stem tissues beyond the canker will also wilt and die. During warm, moist weather, you’ll find pink to orange-brown spore pustules on the undersides of affected stems and leaves.

Treatment:

The disease is a stress disease, often seen on pachysandra damaged by winter injury. You may experience it after other stresses such as transplant shock, drought, excess moisture, shearing, scorch from excess sunlight, or scale infestations. First, remove

and destroy all severely infected plant parts during dry weather so any spores present are not spread. Then remove any accumulated leaf debris that is holding in moisture in the area. Use pachysandra appropriately to avoid excess sun and winter winds. Periodic thinning also helps plants dry out by creating good air circulation.

Fungicide treatments are available to prevent new infections. Spray plants when new growth starts in the spring and repeat according to label directions to protect newly emerging tissues. Additional applications may be necessary during wet weather. Effective products include: chlorothalonil, thiophanate-methyl, mancozeb, and copper-based active ingredients.

Disease of the Month: Botryosphaeria Canker of Dogwood

A common disease of many woody plants, the dark, nearly black lesions of botryosphaeria canker stands out on the brightly colored stems of red and yellow twig dogwoods. The fungus invades through wounds, weak areas of the wood, and possibly through the lenticels. Look for dark sunken lesions on the stems which grow larger, encircling the twigs and killing the cambium. You’ll find the fungus’s black, pinhead-sized fruiting bodies are often embedded in the face of the lesion.

Additional resources:

watered during dry periods to keep them healthy

University of Illinois Extension Service

https://web.extension.illinois.edu/state/ horticulture/index.php

Treatment: Unfortunately, fungicides are not effective against botryosphaeria canker. Your best control method is to prune it out during dry weather, making sure to sanitize pruners between cuts. Drought-stressed dogwoods are particularly prone to the fungus. Make sure plants are mulched and

217-333-0519

The Morton Arboretum

http://www.mortonarb.org/Plant Clinic: http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/

Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Information Service: https://www.chicagobotanic.org/ plantinfoservice

847-835-0972

Volutella blight

Botryosphaeria canker

Stone Worthy, Inc.

355 E. IL Route 83

Mundelein, IL 60060

(773) 707-8511

www.stoneworthy.com

by Meta L. Levin

Javier Cordova is a stone mason with a passion for not only what he does, but also for the beautiful characteristics of the stone with which he works. “It’s an art,” he always tells his son, Giovanni Cordova.

In 2008, frustrated by the limits of working for others, he started Stone Worthy, a hardscape company focused on artisan quality custom hardscapes and natural stone masonry. Five years ago, in 2018, Giovanni Cordova joined his father, making it a father-son duo. “My father wanted to be known as a person who did things differently,” he says.

Together they have worked to grow the company. In the beginning there were three employees, one of whom was a mason. The other two were apprentices, who Cordova senior trained, eventually promoting them. Now Stone Worthy employs 15 people. “We have such a great team,” says the younger Cordova. “Our staff is dedicated and they have told us that they love being here.” To underscore that, he reports that they have a high retention rate and some employees feel that

they have found their calling with this work.

Early clients came to the fledgling company through word of mouth, although the elder Cordova did do a little marketing. Gradually, customers began calling and, says Cordova junior, “It grew into something beautiful.”

The company offers architecture and site planning; Bluestone installation; brick and natural stone masonry; commercial and residential construction and maintenance; drainage, irrigation, lighting and site grading; fire pits and fireplaces; stone pizza ovens; gazebo, trellis and pergola construction; indoor and outdoor kitchens; industrial architecture; patio, walkways and retaining wall design; swimming pool, patio and spa deck installations and wine cellars and water features.

During high school, Giovanni Cordova spent his summers mixing concrete under his father’s watchful eye. He found he had an eye for design and read all he could find on the subject. “I cultivated different styles,” he says.

Now, when meeting with potential clients, he pays particular

attention to their homes’ architectural styles, as well as the way they have decorated their living spaces and their personalities. “Then we put together something unique,” he says.

Although they do a lot of landscape construction, Stone Worthy still offers masonry work, both outdoors and indoors. They also are particular about the jobs they take. “We don’t take every job,” says Cordova. “Most of those we do take are our ideal.”

To further improve the company, Stone Worthy joined ILCA in early 2022. “We wanted to be a part of an organization that helps like minded contractors,” says the younger Cordova. He had seen The Landscape Contractor magazine and perused the ILCA website before joining.

The membership not only makes them feel like they are part of a community but also acts as a way to verify to potential clients that they are professional, insured and meet certain standards, he says.

The educational offerings stood out to him. “There is a lot of training available,” he says. “I want to continue my education and be up to date on the latest and greatest.”

The younger Cordova enjoys traveling and pays particular attention to the types of design associated with different cultures and styles. “I’ve been inspired by the elements,” he says. In fact, he describes himself as an “outdoorsy” person, who likes nature, skiing and hiking.

When traveling throughout the United States, he often seeks out nearby quarries and asks for a tour. “Even in my off time, I find a way to learn,” he says.

A Vernon Hills, IL, native, he lives with Louie, a seven-yearold mixed breed dog, who he rescued from the pound as a puppy and who is his constant companion.

With his focus on design and emphasis on quality, Cordova notes that most of the calls they get are from people who have seen their work elsewhere and are attracted by their attention to detail. “We take pride in doing things right the first time,” he says. “We pay attention to detail. It’s truly an art from start to finish.”

Classified Ads

HELP WANTED HELP WANTED

Turf Specialist

We’re growing! Join our well-established Turf Team. Conserv FS is a full-service cooperative offering high quality turf, energy, and agronomy products since 1928. We are headquartered in Woodstock, IL and serves patrons in southeastern Wisconsin and northern --Illinois. As we continue to grow, we are always seeking qualified sales specialists. Currently we have an opening for a Turf Specialist based in Tinley Park, IL. Please visit our website or click on the QR code for a full job description. P refer to speak with a Conserv FS team member? Reach out to Amanda Stewart @ 815529-2413 or astewart@conservfs.com. http:// www.conservfs.com/careers

Landscape Specialist | Pension Eligible

The Woodridge Park District is looking for a qualified candidate to join our parks maintenance team on a full time basis in the position of Landscape Specialist. This individual will be responsible for implementing management practices for all landscape plant material and landscape beds located on park district managed properties. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced professional to utilize their skills in the areas of horticulture and general landscape maintenance.

Scan the QR code to apply or for more information about this position.

HELP WANTED

Account Manager

Job Summary: Under general direction, the Account Manager is the consistent Christy Webber Landscapes representative that clients trust. The AM ensures that the company’s quality and customer service standards are consistently achieved through proper account management. This includes, but is not limited to, sales, estimating, budgeting, invoicing, and quality control through the management of horticultural practices and site personnel.

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

•

Landscape Designer/Planner (Part-Time)

The Woodridge Park District is looking for a qualified candidate to join our team on a part-time basis (approx.. 20 hr./week) in the position of Landscape Designer/Planner. Position offers schedule flexibility and the consideration for partial remote work upon request.

This individual will be responsible for assisting with the planning, design, development, administration, and construction of park and recreation areas and facilities. This is an excellent opportunity for an a qualified designer to utilize their skills in the fields of parks and recreation.

Scan the QR code below to apply or for more information about this position.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Prepare quality landscape designs, construction documents, estimates, and proposals for presentations delivered by the Design Director. Mentor landscape designers and review their project work as well as peers work. This position interacts with the design team, clients, and sales staff on a regular basis.

GENERAL SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

-5 plus years’ experience as a Landscape Designer

-Bachelors Degree

For additional information and job requirements, please visit us at: https://www.marianilandscape.com/apply-here/ Please submit resume to: jjones@marianilandscape.com

Landscape Project Coordinator

Landscape Project Coordinator:

• Be part of the team to review design plans with crew staff and assist in project layout.

• Conduct weekly safety meetings and training for all construction staff. Reinforce safety protocols and introduce new safety regulations. General Requirements and Office Responsibilities:

• Organized, responsive, and has excellent communications skills with our clients and company members.

• Daily review of crew time records, work orders and change orders.

• Solid verbal, written and computer skills.

Compensation:

• Excellent salary.

• Heath Care

• Matching 401K program.

• Paid vacation time, sick days, and holiday pay

• Continuing education support.

• Company vehicle, phone, and laptop. Email your resume or questions: rod@ buhrmandesigngroup.com

Project Architect

GROW YOUR CAREER WITH OUR TEAM! Mariani Enterprises, LLC has an opening for a full-time Project Architect. If you are interested in being part of our creative Landscape Architecture team at our Design Studio in Highland Park, IL, we would love to hear from you! This position has the flexibility to be remote on Flex Friday’s.

Buhrman Design Group is a well-established Landscape company located in Mundelein, IL. We offer an excellent salary, benefits, and a stable environment where our team thrives on collaboration and encourages continuous learning and growth. We are seeking a Landscape Project Coordinator to join our Design Build team. Landscape Project Coordinator

Daily and Field Responsibilities:

• Be part of the team to manage landscape construction projects.

• Help schedule all construction projects and assign crews.

• Manage crews to ensure efficiency and projected completion date.

Project Manager Union Construction Division

Job Summary: Through proper project management, the Project Manager serves as the vital link between CWL’s high-profile construction clientele and the Company to ensure that client expectations regarding quality and service are consistently met and exceeded for the entire lifespan of projects, this includes but is not limited to installation, sales and estimating, project costing, billing, procurement, and employee management.

Send resume to: jobs@christywebber.com

Advertisers

Inspiration Alley

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

C’mon Baby...

By Nina A. Koziol

…Light My Fire. When the 60’s band, The Doors, wrote that song, lead singer Jim Morrison said he wanted, “Something universal, which won’t disappear two years from now.” That’s how we feel about fire features, especially fire tables. Sleek, sought after, and definitely a hot commodity. Sure to be No. 1 on your client’s hit list.

An exquisite outdoor fire table by Jeff Werner, Werner Hardscape & Excavating in Osgood, Indiana

A sleek fire table by Rosborough Partners in Libertyville

Hursthouse, Inc, created this welcoming outdoor space

An intimate fire table setting at Craig Bergmann Landscape Design in Wilmette

Before You Go —

Painted Ferns – The Silver Lining of the Shade Garden

by Mark Dwyer

While every cloud has a silver lining, I feel that every garden with any degree of shade should feature the silver contributions of painted ferns (Athyrium sp.). Long offered and available in the industry, the multitude of selections is hearting although I don’t think their potential in the shade garden has been fully explored.

When you consider the contribution of foliage texture and color in the shade, adding hints of silver offers an “illumination” and brightness that provides an extended show of interest. While other perennials such as false-forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla) and lungwort (Pulmonaria) have silver-foliage varieties, painted ferns offer the combination of “textural brightness” as solitary specimens or in a collective massing. They can become role players or main characters. I’m not convinced ferns, in general, have seen their heyday in our landscapes yet but the painted ferns have the potential to change all of that.

In 2003, the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) selected the Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum) as the Perennial Plant of the Year. Twenty years later, these textural ferns, featuring a silvery overlay and exhibiting hints of dark maroon on the midribs continue to attract attention. Most painted ferns are in the 15”-18” range in height and prefer some degree of shade and consistent moisture.

Many varietal introductions have emerged with both valid and exaggerated promotions for slightly different intensities of silver or maroon. Admittedly, many of the varietal selections look similar but I’ve noted some standouts further below in the article. Selections

with crested fronds (the leaf tips – pinnae – fan out) are exciting and the hybrids between the Japanese painted fern and lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) are some personal favorites. These hybrids offer the silvering of the painted fern parent but also the increased height (24-36”), hardiness and vigor of the lady fern parent.

I’ve grown and observed over 30 different varieties of painted ferns and their hybrids and have developed favorites after years of observation. Do keep in mind that the peak coloration of many painted ferns may not occur for a couple of years and there is a transition of color for all of these selections from spring emergence until early summer. The varieties with the most significant silvering include ‘Silver Falls’ and ‘Wildwood Twist’. Selections that exhibit notable more maroon on the fronds include ‘Pewter Lace’, ‘Burgundy Lace’ and ‘Red Beauty’. The selection ‘Applecourt’ came out as the first “crested” selection and ‘Crested Surf’ is an exciting new selection of crested painted fern with more height (22”). Exciting selections of the painted/lady fern hybrids include the ‘Ghost’ (love it!), ‘Godzilla’ and the old favorites of ‘Branford Beauty’ and ‘Branford Rambler’. The variety ‘Ocean’s Fury’ is a crested form with the similar parentage.

There are many other selections and hybrids of painted fern available and I haven’t met one that I didn’t like. While the differences in appearance might be subtle, the value of these ferns as textural and colorful juggernauts in the shadier garden should be recognized, appreciated and utilized more often.

Umbriano ®

SLEEK. MODERN. UNMISTAKABLE.

COLORFUSION™

Subtly mottled Color Finish

3

RANDOM PACKAGE

LARGE

Add richness to any hardscape project with the natural granite look and beautifully modern joint lines of Umbriano. Not only do they exude a sleek and modern look, but they also provide exceptional slip-resistance and minimal heat absorption, making them an excellent choice for pool decks.

Umbriano pavers are factory-sealed with EasyClean™, an integral stain resistance that makes cleaning up spills around outdoor kitchens, dining areas, and other high traffic areas a breeze. Scan the QR code for more product information.

Summer Wheat Winter Marvel Midnight Sky French Grey