2015
EVENTS CALENDAR
Latino Contractors Appreciation Day Tuesday, May 5th 11:00am - 1:00pm Join us for lunch, prizes and tours
Pollinator Event Wednesday, June 17th 9:00am - 11:00am
Buzz by for a special event during pollinator week
Customer Appreciation Day Wednesday, September 2nd 11:00am - 1:00pm Join us for lunch, prizes and tours Echinacea Pixie Meadowbrite™
Midwest Groundcovers also has monthly U-Pick Yard events throughout the season. Mark your calenders for these events:
p.o. box 748 • st. charles, il 60174 847.742.1790 • fax 847.742.2655 www.midwestgroundcovers.com
May Spring Madness 5/20/15
July Sizzling Summer Specials 7/22/15
May 2015
CONTENTS
Excellence In Landscape Awards Project
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FOCUS: Finding Clients’ Hot Buttons Things Are Heating Up for Garden Amenities 10 The deeper the recession, the bigger the bounce? Marketing to Make the Sale 18 Are you pushing the right buttons? ILCA Plant Recommendation Panel 22 Trees that please
Hardscape Illinois 2.0 30 ILCA conducts second edition of the popular class
Campanulas: Caveat emptor 32 Let the buyer beware
Beating the Grip of Winter Winter damage to conifers
Member Profile 54 Landscape Industry Resources
Plant All-Stars 62 Malus ‘Royal Raindrops’
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EN ESPAÑOL
Se aviva el interés por los accesorios para jardines de calidad superior Things Are Heating Up for Garden Amenities 36
On the cover... Christy Webber Landscapes received an Excellence in Landscape Gold award for this Residential Landscape Construction project. The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS ILCA Calendar From Where I Stand President’s Message New Members Classified Ads Advertisers Index Photo Credits ILCA Awards Program Hursthouse, Inc. Chicago Gas Lines Kellygreen Design, Inc. Chicagoland Grows The Morton Arboretum
Calendar
4 5 7 50 56 61
1, 8-9 10-12, 36-37 14 16, 38 22-25, 27, 29 28
AUGUST
J. Frank Schmidt & Son Rick Reualnd Richard Hawke Dave Wanninger Jason Fritz
26 30-31 32-33 40-54 62
The official publication of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), The Landscape Contractor is dedicated to educating, advising and informing members of this industry and furthering the goals of the Association. The Landscape Contractor carries news and features relating to landscape contracting, maintenance, design and allied interests. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication. Publication reserves right to refuse advertising not in keeping with goals of Association. WWW.ilca.net Volume 56, Number 5. 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 6S252 Cornwall Rd, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630)637-8632 PRODUCT DISCLAIMER: The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, its Board of Directors, the Magazine Committee, ILCA Staff, The Landscape Contractor and its staff, neither endorse any products nor attest to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication.
ILCA Staff
Magazine Staff
Executive Director Scott Grams (630) 472-2851 sgrams@ilca.net
Rick Reuland Publisher/Advertising Sales (630) 637-8632 rmgi@comcast.net
Education Manager Julie Nicoll jnicoll@ilca.net Membership & Events Manager Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net Administrative Assistant Alycia O’Connor aoconnor@ilca.net ILCA 2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 472-2851 • Fax (630) 472-3150 www.ilca.net
Cantigny Park Wheaton, IL
Debbie Rauen Advertising Sales (817-501-2403) debbie.landscapecontractor@ yahoo.com
Contact Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net or visit ilca.net —
v Becke Davis Senior Writer treethyme@aol.com Patrice Peltier Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net Meta Levin Feature Writer meta.levin@comcast.net Panel Chairs Jim Fizzell jjfizz@aol.com Greg Pierceall pierceal@purdue.edu
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The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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From Where I Stand... The NCAA Tournament ended a few
months ago and I’m always sad to see it go. College basketball is my favorite sport. It’s been a long time since, my team, the Purdue Boilermakers sniffed a Final Four, but I still love watching the Tournament unfold. In the end, you consistently see the best coaches make their way to the Promised Land. This year, that was especially true as Bo Ryan, John Calipari, Tom Izzo, and Mike Krzyzewski (yes, I had to look up how to spell that) met for a memorable weekend. Those four men would easily rank among the top 10 of active coaches. Most college basketball fans do not envy college basketball coaches. College basketball coaches never seem happy. In fact, they look downright miserable. They are either screaming at their players, at the ref, or both. I’ve never looked at a college basketball coach, even though they are the enduring stars of the sport I love, as aspirational. Drill sergeants seem more at peace with themselves. Long before nets are cut down at the Final Four, a college coach begins his road not in a gym, but on a couch. College teams are built from recruits and that is a long and difficult process. Even slick coaches like Rick Pitino and Calipari spend Friday nights in sweaty gyms. They travel to rural Indiana farm towns, urban ghettos, and all points in between. They meet with family members, extended family members, and a wide array of hangers-on who see a 17-year old kid as a ticket out. They can’t pay the kid. They can’t offer signing bonuses and a new car. They can’t even buy the kid a slick suit of his own. The coach must sit on a couch, in the imprint left by the last five coaches who sat on that same couch, and sell himself. The coach must sell his record and his university. He must sell the idea of a trophy with a 1/351-team chance of holding one. He must sell the idea of earning a degree to a kid obsessed only with basketball. The coach must be sincere, honest, and deliver on his promises. If he is a not, word will spread and those recruiting visits will get harder and harder. Championship college basketball teams win on the floor, but they are formed in living rooms all across the nation. The landscape industry has a serious labor crisis. The unemployment rate has dropped to 5.5%. That is the same as it was in 2008. Yet, I would be hard pressed to find any landscape company who is seeing the same quality or quantity of candidates as they did in 2008. Job applications have gone from being stored in file cabinets, to accordion folders, to a single manila folder perched in an inbox. The traditional signs of “Looking for Experienced Laborers” and “Help Wanted” still dot every driveway leading to a landscape yard. With a black sharpie, those signs could easily be changed to “LOOKING FOR ANYONE!” and “HELP!”
Landscape companies are creative. They have tried referral bonuses, want-ads, and Spanish-language advertising. Companies have raised their pay scales in an effort to outspend their competition and attract those motivated by a few extra bucks. Some companies still play Russian roulette with the H2B program and hold on for dear life as it spins through the white waters of politics. Some companies poach from their competitors knowing this permanently stains relationships and reputations. Lastly, some companies fantasize, and give way much more consideration than they should, to hiring illegal workers. So the fundamental question is how does a landscape company stay competitive and grow when it cannot find key people to fill its ranks? How will a company find and recruit a labor force? My answer is that successful companies must take a lesson from college basketball and sit on some couches. The couch is merely a metaphor to what I call micro-recruiting. Macro-recruiting just does not seem to be effective right now. The newspaper ads, fliers at the grocery store, and internal recruiting campaigns just don’t seem to be cutting it this season. Basically, if the recruiting effort is easy (even if it’s expensive) it will likely not pay dividends. College basketball teams don’t put an ad in US Today and say, “Want to be part of a winning team? Play for Kentucky.” College coaches, even the millionaires with banners, still hit the bricks every offseason. I view micro-recruiting as different. Microrecruiting takes time and effort. It takes strategy and execution. It requires a change in coaching philosophy. Below are eight steps I recommend to setting up a microrecruiting program. First, identify the labor need. A company has to know exactly what its labor needs will be over the next three years. This number needs to take into account the budget and anticipated growth. It also needs to examine an opportunity cost of how much a company could grow given more personnel. Specifically, how many people must be hired to succeed? Be exact. Second, determine who must be hired. If a company is looking for Hispanic men aged 20-50, well, then that company knows their demographic. If a company is more flexible in who they wish to hire, those attributes should be written down. In micro-recruiting, a wide pool can cause problems. It’s like a coach who wants to recruit 12 kids for 3 scholarships. It’s time better spent elsewhere. A coach looks at his roster. Does he need a power forward? Does he need a shooting guard? Further, does he need a leader? Does he need a listener? Does he need offensive or defensive minded kids? Does he need thoroughbreds, energy guys, or junk yard dogs? Coaches know who they are after. Landscape companies are no different. Third, draw a map. A company needs to know the geo-
The Recruiting Couch
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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From Where I Stand... graphic region it wants to draw from. Again, a wider pool can hurt. Anyone who has ever spent an hour-or-more commuting each morning knows the burnout it causes. If a company recruits in Joliet, and their shop is in Schaumburg, they shouldn’t be shocked when the guys stop coming to work after a few weeks or find a job elsewhere. College coaches know all about homesick kids, high school girlfriends, and the crew from the old neighborhood. Coaches must understand the mental makeup of a kid and what tentacles can suck that kid back home. Fourth, find where the demographic gathers on the map. Spend a rainy day on the internet finding every community organization, job training center, day labor staffing agency, ex-offender program, church, vocational or trade school, street festival, community college, or neighborhood organization in that geographic area. Create a spreadsheet and write down their phone numbers, main contacts, and upcoming events. Fifth, find your assistant coach. Many college basketball coaches use a team of assistant coaches to pound the pavement. These assistant coaches recruit guys with similar stories. Head coaches don’t send the assistant from the north shore prep school to the West Side of Chicago. They need to create an authenticity to the pitch. If language will be a barrier, find a Spanish-speaker internally who can spearhead this effort. This is the person who needs to talk-the-talk. Look, no one is pounding down the door because landscaping is hard work. Everyone knows that. A company needs an effective champion who can talk to a potential hire and show them the benefits. If the ideal recruit is 25, don’t send the 50 year old. If the ideal recruits are three foremen with leadership training, send a leader. Sixth, establish connections. College basketball coaches don’t just show up to high school games, unannounced, and buy a ticket and a box of popcorn. They create connections with coaches and athletic directors at high schools that are known for strong programs. Landscape companies need to create a similar web. Many community organizations have workforce development as a mission. Add to the spreadsheet created above the main contact person. Many will send out job ads for free to their constituents. If there are street, neighborhood, or church festivals, look into buying a booth. Have a presence and pass out applications. Establish contacts with
local day and temporary staffing agencies. Treat these people like valued business contacts. They are no different from your nursery, stone supplier, or auto detailer. Seventh, be present, be attentive, and close the deal. After all the time and investment, college basketball coaches know that it’s them, and only them, who will face the family and make the final pitch. John Calipari, though reviled by many in the sport, understands the type of recruit he is looking for and is unapologetic about his methods. A landscape owner or hiring manager must invest the time when the moment dictates he be present. If it means spending eight hours in the blazing heat of a street fest, enjoy the tamales. If it means sitting in a community center meeting a family with five brothers, bring a folding chair. Recruiting is beneath no big-named college coach because it’s part of the job. Running a successful landscape business is no different. This is part of the job. Lastly, cut down the nets. It’s the moment a coach dreams of. He is the last man up the ladder. He cuts that last piece of the net. He holds it aloft and soaks in the raw emotion and feeling of satisfaction. Everyone has worked with a great team before — a team where everything clicks. A team of reliable, professional, and skilled workers who take companies to new heights. Whenever we talk to successful owners, none take credit for their initial or enduring success. All lay credit at the feet of their employees. People who raised a company up and let it believe and understand that another level of excellence existed. It is absolutely vital that companies understand that labor will define them in the next decade. A company’s ability to recruit and retain workers will immediately translate to the bottom line. There are great coaches who are bad recruiters. There are terrible coaches who are excellent recruiters. The legends excel at both aspects of the job. Over the next five years, the labor force will become the scarcest resource in the landscape industry and there are no indicators this will change. Welcome back to industry growth and all of the challenges that come with it. Championships are won on the floor, great teams are built on the recruiting couch. The job candidates are out there. Go get ‘em.
Scott Grams April 20, 2015
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The Landscape Contractor May 2015
President’s Message
Clearly, winter decided it was not going to give up without a fight. But, it looks like it President
Kevin Vancina Vancina Landscaping, Inc. (815) 726-2300 kvancina@sbcglobal.net
Vice-President
Rusty Maulding Nature’s View (815) 592-7582 rusty@naturesview.info
Secretary-Treasurer
Mike Schmechtig Schmechtig Landscape Company (847) 566-1233 mschmechtig@schmechtiglandscapes.com
Immediate Past President Charlie Keppel The Care of Trees (847) 382-4120 ckeppel@thecareoftrees.com
Directors Mark Breier National Seed Co. (630) 963-8787 mark.breier@natseed.com Lisa Fiore Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply (847) 913-1414 lisa@cjfiore.com Jose Garcia Natural Creations Landscaping, Inc. (815) 724-0991 info@naturalcreationslandscaping.com Lisa Fiore Kositzki Don Fiore Company, Inc. (847) 234-0020 lfiore@donfiore.com Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net Tom Lupfer Lupfer Landscaping (708) 352-2765 tom@lupferlandscaping.com Maureen Scheitz Acres Group (847) 526-4554 maureen.scheitz@acresgroup.com Donna Vignocchi Zych ILT Vignocchi, Inc. (847) 487-5200 dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com
www.ilca.net
finally has, and this year’s landscape season is officially under way. Each year we are all anxious to get started, but we need to let Old Man Winter make his complete exodus before we jump in full force. Rushing in and doing things before it’s time is not prudent. It frustrates me when I see work being done earlier than it should be. With that being said, let me digress and give you some background. According to my family, I’m a great critic, and landscapes are probably at the top of my list. As we drive around, I go into critic mode; I often find my commentary is not always appreciated the way I think it should be. My rants often include, “Why did they plant that tree there?”; “Some drainage behind that wall would have been a good idea.”, and “Why did they prune those shrubs into gumballs? They should have let them grow together naturally.” My wife and kids roll their eyes and say, “Here he goes again.” I recently wore my critic hat when I spotted a crew mowing a lawn in mid-March. The grass was not tall and didn’t need mowing, and the crew didn’t appear to be there to rake up leaves or debris. The only thing they accomplished was to put a fresh mower stripe on the grass. To me this seemed a waste of time, effort and fuel. Besides being bad business practice, it went against what we strive to promote through our organization – good stewardship. As landscape professionals, we need to educate our clients on proper landscape practices and promote ourselves as responsible and respectful stewards of the Earth. Doing unnecessary work for the mere sake of making a dollar is poor stewardship. Another example of poor stewardship was seeing an irrigation system in operation before the final snow, and to top it off, it had just rained. We are fortunate to live in an area with an ample supply of fresh water, but that doesn’t give us the right to squander and waste our resources. The ILCA Sustainable Landscaping Committee has produced several informative contractor guides to help us design, construct and maintain landscapes that require less natural resources, chemicals, and labor. These guides are available to the membership for free. By taking advantage of these educational materials, we can implement new procedures and show our clients that we care about the land, as well as the landscape. Hopefully, we will also educate our clients on the benefits of a sustainable landscape, and in turn, they will create a buzz within their neighborhoods and communities. Yes, it can be a hard sell sometimes, to make the client understand what we are trying to accomplish with our plant choice and practices. I have a project I have been working on for the past couple of seasons in which the clients think the sustainable planting I designed and installed looks like a weed patch. It’s on a sloping area which was extremely difficult for them to maintain. Last year the natives were really filling-in and looking good. This year I will continue to encourage my clients to be patient and try to help them to see the planting as something besides a weed patch. Instead, it is a diverse habitat for butterflies and other insects, that requires no additional watering, and very little maintenance. And then there is the customer who wants that certain plant that you know will not thrive or survive where they want to put it, or insists on using materials that aren’t beneficial to the plants and soil. This is where the real challenge comes in, and I say “kudos” to the contractor who can walk away from this because their conscience is strong enough to do so. This can be a tough thing when you need to make payroll, knowing that that signed contract and deposit will help close the gap for the week. These are decisions we make every day as educated industry professionals, and we need to be able to learn to balance good stewardship and client expectations. So, as we enter into a new season, my hope would be that our members fully utilize the wealth of information ILCA has made available to them. Let’s begin that shift towards working in harmony with nature rather than against it. Our goal should be to empower ourselves so that our clients trust our advice and allow us to create beautiful and sustainable landscapes that are both ascetically pleasing to the human soul and restorative to Mother Earth. Best Regards,
Kevin Vancina “The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.” — Pope John Paul II
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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Our client loves
Black Creek Canyon, Inc. • Lockport Homer Glen
Colorado. They appreciate the spaciousness of the sky and the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. At the same time, he loves the Chicago area, with its abundant water, low hills, and mixed forests. Our design brings together those two worlds. We were asked to come up with some way to accommodate a neighboring lake, which has the tendency to leave its banks from time to time. To do so, we decided to invite the lake in. We built deep foundations and a sturdy retaining wall and channel so that a finger of the lake extended into the property. This formed an inlet, that was bridged by a walkway connecting the two wings of the house.
To emphasize the impression that the stream had split naturally around the structure, we built two multitier waterfalls. The overall construction was of stone using a mixture of native limestone and other rocks. The design theme extended from outdoors to indoors and gave a seamless feel to the built environment and its natural surroundings. The landscaping utilizes only native plants, though the blue spruces edging the stonework are less common here than the deciduous oaks that dominate the forest beyond. In all, the design makes use of dozens of plant species.
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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Focus — Finding Clients’ Hot Buttons
Things Are Heating Up for Garden Amenities By Patrice Peltier
The market is back
—and along with it, so is an increasing demand for high-end landscape accessories. “In previous years, people were trying just to get the fundamentals done—if they were interested in doing a project at all,” explains Gregory Schaumburg, landscape designer at Bertog Landscapes. “A lot of people are finding the means to do things they put off the last three, four, five years…or felt social pressure not to do,” says Leo Kelly, owner of Kellygreen Design. Kelly sees an increase in demand from designers who engage him to build a variety of high end garden structures for their landscape projects. From the budgets and expected quality of these projects, Kelly surmises that demand for the finer things has come roaring back. Schaumburg, too, thinks some clients deferred projects out of sensitivity to their neighbors or their social circles. “You may
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not have wanted to start a big landscape renovation when the guy next door just lost his job,” Schaumburg says. “Projects that got put on hold are now coming back online,” says Bob Hursthouse, president of Hursthouse, Inc. During the hiatus, clients may have developed an even greater appreciation for high-quality, outdoor accessories, he thinks. “I think there’s a trend toward people buying things with longevity,” he says. “They may have compromised on cheaper alternatives in the past few years and found they didn’t last. Clients who bought a terra cotta pot five years ago are now finding they need to replace it.” Clients’ increasing awareness of sustainability issues is also a factor, Hursthouse says. “From a sustainability standpoint, how much more sustainable is something you can buy once and have it last forever?” (continued on page 12)
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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Focus — Finding Clients’ Hot Buttons (continued from page 10) What’s more, clients who have highend finishes inside their home tend to want to use quality products outside, too, and they understand that’s going to cost, Hursthouse says. When a project requires a large container that plays off a home’s architectural style, Hursthouse’s go-to source is Longshadow Planters in southern Illinois. Made from dry cast limestone, the planters offer excellent porosity that withstands the elements. Owners Daniel and Charlotte Ward started their business repairing and replicating classic planters, pedestals, finials, sculptures, benches and birdbaths from the area’s grand old homes. Some of their products bear the names of the communities where their original inspirations came from. Today their product line also includes Prairie and Arts & Crafts styles. “We think of their pieces as ornamental enhancements to a home’s architecture,” Hursthouse says, adding the containers have such presence that they play this role even when they’re not planted. Schaumburg, too, is a fan of Longshadow planters. “The craftsmanship is there; the styling is great. You know these pieces will be there for the long haul,” he says. “I love their stuff because it gets better with age.” Schaumburg says, “From a design standpoint, I’m always going to push for quality first. These quality finishing touches are what make a job more noticeable.” Charlotte Ward says Longshadow now sells its products exclusively through landscape professionals. “Homeowners don’t spend this kind of money without having a designer,” she says. Hursthouse agrees that the cost of some high-end finishes can take some homeowners by surprise. “Clients who tend to get higher-end finishes inside their homes understand the cost of using quality products outside, too,” he says. However, he adds that often the costs of accessories are built into the project so that clients may not be as aware of specific costs. Roxana Mayer, vice president of Northwest Metalcraft, says TV shows and (continued on page 14) 12
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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(continued from page 12) the internet give people lots ideas about the latest products and send them into the store saying, ”I want this.” “Outdoor living has become very big,” she says. “Face it. We have three good months and then we have horrendous weather. People are trying to extend the season as much as possible.” Although outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and firepits have been popular for a while, there are new bells and whistles for those who can afford the very best. Infrared grills sear food quickly, cooking in the juices. “This method of cooking is used in high-end restaurants all over the country,” Mayer says. “Now you can have one outside so you can have a steak as good as Morton’s right at home. Everybody is becoming a chef outside.” Firepits can now have a flame on demand thanks to permanent gas lines or LP tanks, Mayer says. Some firepits come with their own table. These “chat tables” are higher than cocktail tables. “You can sit on the couch and eat your pizza or roast marshmallows in the firepit,” Mayer explains. Some firepits can even become places to cook food. “It’s called ‘firetainment.’” Mayer explains. A firepit, table and grill The Landscape Contractor May 2015
all in one unit, firetainment centers let clients cook quesadillas on a cast iron griddle, sear tuna on a salt block, serve fondue or make s’mores. These are the kinds of accessories that make being outdoors fun for people, Mayer says, adding “Outdoor fun is becoming the thing to do.” Of course, appropriate furniture is part of having fun outdoors. Mayer says today’s outdoor furniture is so good looking it can be used indoors too. “I tell people, ‘You don’t have to find somewhere to store it over the winter,’” she says. “’Put it in your fun basement and enjoy it there.’” For instance, wicker is now an outdoor product. Today’s high-end wicker is made of weatherproof braided resin, Mayer says. Even the cushions can be left outside in the rain and sun. Northwest Metalcraft frequently refers clients to landscape contractors when the customer’s vision requires services Northwest Metalcraft can’t provide. And vice versa. For instance, Northwest Metalcraft recently furnished a large city deck built by Kellygreen Design. The 20 x 20 rooftop deck over a garage includes a custom arbor, removable custom perimeter planter boxes and lattice (continued on page 16)
2016 IN THE FIELD DESIGN TOUR
In the Field Design Tour CALL FOR ENTRIES
Deadline for Submissions: July 1, 2015 Tour Date: July 14, 2016
SUBMIT A SITE FOR ILCA’S 2016 DESIGN TOUR
REMEMBER
In the Field Design Tour
In the Field 2016 is an all-‐day learning field trip that will concentrate on six successfully executed sites that offer important educational viewpoints in design, engineering, construction and maintenance.
At each of the six tour stops, designers will be on hand to discuss various features of the site. These sites have been handpicked from dozens of projects. They will provide an injection of inspiration and a new perspective on the design process.
Site should be able to handle an all day tour with as many as 100 participants on the site at one time (or two groups of 50). Submitting company should be available to prepare the site for show the day before the tour. Project designer and contractors involved should be available to present both the educational and technical aspects relevant to the site. If the site is chosen, the participating firm will be asked to prepare a short description that will be part of the printed program along with photos of the site.
Deadline for submissions is July 1, 2015
Submission Process Electronic submission is the only format that will be accepted.
Selection Criteria Site should be in a 5 mile radius surrounding Hinsdale, IL. This includes: Burr Ridge, Countryside, Darien, Hinsdale, La Grange, Oak Brook, Westchester, Western Springs, and Westmont.
Submit up to five digital photos of the project.
Site should be pre-‐approved by the property owner prior to submittal.
Photo submissions and a landscape plan (if available) can be done via the Dropbox site.
Email the submission form to information@ilca.net. The submission form is available on the ILCA website ilca.net/design/design_tour.aspx.
In the Field has been conducted in 2010 and 2014. Each tour has been sold out and hosted more than 100 landscape industry professionals.
Submission does not guarantee acceptance.
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
15
Focus — Finding Clients’ Hot Buttons (continued from page 14) panels that provide aesthetically pleasing screening for privacy and wind. The space is furnished with handsome weatherproof furniture creating areas for dining as well as relaxing in front of the gas fireplace. For his part, Kelly says the appetite for one-of-a-kind landscape woodworking is on the rise. “We’re seeing more and more demand for gated entry ways that are artistic statements and arbors with architectural interest so that even in the dead of winter, these features still look good and provide interest,” Kelly explains. Schaumburg is seeing a return of client interest in finding that just-right solution to a special project. One client, for instance, has a bronze sculpture of a sitting girl that is currently displayed on a
teak bench. As part of the landscape renovation project Bertog is doing, the client wants a custom stone bench to provide a permanent setting for the statue. Another Bertog client is moving to a new home near the lake in Winnetka. Hockey is an important family activity, so one of the clients’ landscaping requests is room for a backyard hockey rink complete with a compressor unit and temporary light stands. The good old days just might be back. “It’s exciting and gratifying to see our clients investing in their gardens and selecting beautiful pieces to add to their landscapes,” says Hursthouse. “Information is readily available to people on TV and online for inspiration and ideas. It’s our job to make it happen.” 16
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
L O N G S H A D OW
®
. COM
Illustration Chris Miracle of LandWorks, Inc., Sussex, Wisconsin
Hand crafted in Southern Illinois by Classic Garden Ornaments, Ltd. ®
Washington 32 Planter | LS 9450 | 20” high, 32” diameter, 13.25” square base, 320 lb.
Focus — Finding Clients’ Hot Buttons
Marketing to Make the Sale
A Michigan State Professor Offers Her Thoughts
by Meta Levin
“Listen to your customers
and watch how they interact with the environment,” says Bridget Behe. A professor of horticulture at Michigan State University, Behe focuses on horticulture marketing. Her iLandscape presentation, “Marketing to Make the Sale,” drew a crowd of more than 100 attendees and lots of questions. “The need to focus more on marketing communication seemed to resonate with them,” says Behe. That was her central theme. She characterizes marketing as the creation, communication and delivery of value, a definition that echoes the American Marketing Association’s definition. Value is in the eye of the beholder, she says. If you understand what your customers value, then you can better communicate the advantages of the landscaping to them. “Sometimes we need to point out those ways we add value before they will see it.” “We can think about marketing three aspects of any product: its features, benefits and uses,” says Behe. It’s common for landscape contractors to speak in terms of features, which are the technical attributes of a product. That’s everyone’s comfort zone. “People with knowledge in the industry tend to focus on features. They need to learn to turn the features into benefits.” Take, for instance, a Miscanthus. Telling your customer that
18
it is fast growing ornamental grass, produces plumes in the fall, and will thrive in a variety of soils doesn’t mean as much to most as describing the plant’s benefits. Telling them, however, that it will make a tough-to-mow bank look gorgeous with little maintenance while preventing erosion or that it can survive some water restrictions because it is drought tolerant means more to them. “Turning features into benefits literally connects the dots for them,” she says. “It helps a customer see what that plant will do for them.” Do certain plants attract butterflies? Is that something that might be appealing to your customer? Is he or she concerned about increasing biodiversity? Rather than just listing that attribute as a feature, talk about the benefits of having more pollinators or wildlife in the backyard. Does your customer like strolling in the yard or does the family have children who are likely to be playing there? Then focus on the durability of the grass, how it will retain its good looks even under regular soccer games. “We need to translate what we get excited about into what they get excited about,” she says. Research shows that there are many health and well-being benefits to landscaping. “It beautifies, reduces stress and (in the (continued on page 20)
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
It Happened at iLandscape continued from page 18) right venues) generates tourism revenue,” she says. Not to mention that it can reduce rainwater runoff and noise pollution. Believe it or not, time spent outdoors in a beautiful landscape can enhance concentration and memory and just the regular sight of plants can result in faster healing. Should you doubt those claims, Behe points toward an article, “Economic, Environmental and Health/Well-Being Benefits Associated with Green Industry Products and Services: A Review,” by Charles R. Hall and Madeline W. Dickson from Texas A&M University. The paper references other studies done that back up its claims. “Give it to your customers,” Behe says. “This will show them that it isn’t just your opinion that plants or landscaping provides these benefits, but the claims are supported with research-based evidence.” Behe understands the benefits of being out-of-doors from her formative years, spent helping one grandmother with her vegetable garden and the other with her flower garden. She holds bachelor’s degrees in both agricultural education and horticulture from Penn State University, an MS from Ohio State University (where
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The Landscape Contractor May 2015
she completed credits in the MBA program) and a PhD from Penn State. Translating features into benefits might require a new vocabulary, one that landscape contractors also have to teach their employees. If you’ve touted the benefits of grasses that do well in high traffic areas, it’s important to reinforce that. What better way than training your crews, particularly the foreman or crew chief who might also be communicating with the customer during installation or maintenance, your project manager and your sales people to emphasize that aspect of the grass? “Coach your employees to turn features into benefits,” she says. “Equip them with the vocabulary to help them relate to the customer.” In her horticulture marketing classes at Michigan State University, Behe has her class identify five features of products and turn these into benefits. Use the benefits as part of your marketing. “Most landscape contractors have their crews wear shirts or T-shirts bearing the company name,” says Behe. One effective idea is to add a slogan, such as,
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“Relax, we’ll plant the trees, you enjoy the shade” to the uniforms. Such statements about the benefits of plants can be used on company trucks, as part of the landscape contractor’s advertising, on invoices, business cards and brochures. “These are things that we can say or do to differentiate ourselves from our competitors,” says Behe. If enough landscape contractors begin doing that, she believes that using the benefits can improve the overall perception of value to consumers. “We want people to see our businesses as one of professionals who add value to the environment, whether that be a backyard or a botanic garden. The more we communicate the benefits of our activities and industry, the more people will come to value it.” Investing even an hour a week on ways to better communicate with your customers “would make us all a bit better in the business world,” she says. “Thinking about turning product features into benefits would help the industry a lot.”
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21
Plant Recommendation Panel
Abbie Lydon Clarence Davids & Company Landscape Designer
Trees that Please By Patrice Peltier
When clients think about
the kinds of trees they want in their landscapes—if they think about this at all—some trees seem to come quickly to mind. Why is that? Which are the trees that please, and why do people like them? And which are the trees industry professionals wish were planted more often? We posed these questions for The Landscape Contractor’s Plant Recommendation Panel. Here’s what they had to say.
Annette Held Annette Held Landscape Design Landscape Designer
Maple Mania “I don’t really have a ton of requests for a specific tree, but I would say maples in general are a popular selection,” says Clarence Davids & Company Landscape Designer Abbie Lydon. “They are pretty quick to grow, have a nice habit and great fall color. There are also enough varieties of maples to switch things up occasionally. You still get the benefits of a maple, but
Acer x freemanii ‘Marmo’ 22
Tony LoBello, L.A. Mariani Landscape Landscape Architect
they are not all exactly the same.” “Many clients, if they don’t know the name of a particular tree, default to calling shade trees “maple trees”—just like clients sometimes call all evergreens “pine trees,” notes Gregory Schaumburg, landscape designer at Bertog Landscape Company. Autumn Blaze maple (Acer x freemanii ‘Jeffersred’) is one of the
Acer miyabei ‘State Street Maple’ The Landscape Contractor May 2015
Jim Broccolo Clesen Wholesale Grower
Tom Trayser The Brickman Group
Robert Milani Chalet
most popular trees among the clients at Cedar Path Nursery according to Vice President/General Manager Tom Kadolph. “People jumped on this plant 10 to 20 years ago, and it has not lost any momentum,” he says. He thinks the tree’s popularity is due to its consistency and reliability, its fast growth, and, of course, that brilliant fall color. Autumn Blaze grows 40-55 feet tall with a spread of 30-40 feet in full sun to part shade. It tolerates wet soil, and established trees have some drought tolerance. Fall color is orange-red to scarlet-red.
Acer miyabei ‘State Street Maple’
Jeff Gibson Ball Horticultural Company
Lisa Fiore-Kositzki, L.A. Don Fiore Co., Inc. Landscape Architect
Todd Fisher, account adviser at Bertog Landscape Company, says “We still see some of the Autumn Blaze craze.” The tree’s enormous popularity has led to shortages in some sizes, so Fisher often suggests another Freeman maple, Marmo, for its form, crown and color. Marmo (Acer x freemanii ‘Marmo’) is also the go-to maple for Robert Milani, senior landscape architect for Chalet, who says clients often request red maples for their fall color. He appreciates Marmo’s fast growth and nice form in addition to its great fall color. The parent tree was selected from
Charlie Keppel The Care of Trees Tree Care Expert
specimens planted in the 1920s near Lake Marmo at the Morton Arboretum. That plant grew 70 feet tall with a spread of 35 feet. You can anticipate Marmo will grow 20-25 feet tall with a spread in 15-18 feet in 10 years. Marmo adapts to most site conditions in full sun or light shade and has shown excellent resistance to frost cracking in field evaluations according to Chicagoland Grows®. In summer, Marmo’s leaves are medium green with silver-grey undersides and red petioles. Fall color varies from scarlet and green to (continued on page 20)
Marmo Maple The Landscape Contractor May 2015
23
Trees that Please
Acer griseum paperbark maple
24
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
(continued from page 23) burgundy, yellow and gold. At Clarence Davids, Lydon, too, often uses Autumn Blaze. “But I also like to use Celebration ®Maple (Acer x freemanii ‘Cezam’),” she says. “It is about the same height as ‘Autumn Blaze’, but is a little more narrow, about 25’. It is a little more upright and has a fall color from red to gold as opposed to Autumn Blaze’s orange-red.” Like other Plant Recommendation Panelists, Lydon also uses ‘Marmo.’ “Even though they are all Freeman Maples, they are each a little different than the other,” she says of ‘Autumn Blaze,’ ‘Marmo’ and ‘Celebration.’ Lydon also occasionally uses State Street™Miyabe maple (Acer miyabei ‘Morton’). “It is smaller altogether, with more of an upright oval habit with yellow fall color,” Lydon notes. “It is a good city tree, especially in parkways and medians, because of its salt tolerance and overall smaller size.” Another Chicagoland Grows introduction, ‘State Street’ grows 20-25 feet tall with a spread of 15-20 feet in 15 years. It matures to 40-50 feet tall with a spread of 30-35 feet. Kadolph encourages clients to think about another maple—paperbark maple (Acer griseum). “I love paperbark maple. I love the leaves; I love the bark; it’s a great tree,” he says. Kadolph acknowledges that paperbark maples are not considered reliably hardy in northern Illinois. “It’s a little harder to get established, but it has proved itself to be reliable enough for us to carry it and put it into our product mix,” he says. “Sometimes you have to take a chance with tree selection or else the mix becomes too vanilla.” Paperbark maple grows 20-30 feet tall with a spread of 15-25 feet in moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It does not tolerate drought. The leaves have three coarsely toothed leaflets. They are green with blue-green to grey-green undersides. Fall color ranges from orange and red to reddishgreen to bronze-green. The showy bark is copper-orange to cinnamon peeling into large curls that reveal tan to rosebrown inner bark.
Acer griseum paperbark maple Photos courtesy of The Morton Arboretum The Landscape Contractor May 2015
25
Trees that Please
And a partridge in a … Pear trees are also frequently requested. “People see them in bloom all over Chicago, and they want one,” Milani acknowledges. “They’re so common—too common, perhaps,” he adds, citing the Bradford pear’s weak crotch angles as a drawback. On the plus side, callery pears are fast growing (12-15 feet over 8-10 years), urban tolerant and have showy white flowers in spring. “Bradford pear is the original, non-fruiting, ornamental pear,” Milani points out. “Due to its inherent weak crotch angles and fire blight issues, the tree is no longer commercially available. The substitutions are Cleveland Select Pear and/or Chanticleer Pear.” Lindsey Muscavitch, purchaser for Bertog Landscape Company, says the company also gets a number of requests for pear trees. “Clients like their spring flower and fall color.” Muscavitch says ‘Chanticleer’ is especially popular for its very uniform, practical and pyramidal shape. Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ is narrower than ‘Bradford’, growing 35 feet tall with a spread of 16 feet in 15 years. Like ‘Bradford’, it has shown good resistance to fireblight. It hardens off earlier than ‘Bradford’ which may make it less susceptible to early freezes. It is very floriferous and has reddish purple fall foliage color. For clients who request pear trees, Milani may try to steer 26
them toward Triumph™ elms (Ulmus ‘Morton Glossy’) instead. Although clients will be giving up the spring flowers, Milani promotes Triumph’s glossy, dark green leaves and attractive oval habit. Best of all, he talks to clients about what a tough tree they’ll be getting. “During droughty periods, if you drive around, these are the trees that are still looking good,” he says. “It’s like a no-brainer. Once you plant them, you can forget them, and they’ll still look good.” Triumph grows 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide in 20 years, maturing to 50-60 feet tall and 40-50 feet wide. This tree is quick to establish and adapts to most soil types, except excessively wet soils. It is resistant to Dutch elm disease and elm yellows and shows good resistance to elm leaf beetle. Howard Carren, Design and Sales Director of Bertog Landscape Company, agrees that clients often shy away from elms because of Dutch elm disease. “The newer varieties are disease resistant and work really well,” he notes, suggesting that elms like Triumph are underutilized. For clients who really want a tree with unique features, Kadolph has two favorites. One is Katsuratree (Ceridiphyllum japonicum). Kadolph especially likes the low-branching and multi-stem forms. He appreciates The Landscape Contractor May 2015
its unique leaf shape and thinks this tree offers a different texture in the landscape. Katsuratree grows 40-60 feet tall with a spread of 25-30 feet in full sun to part shade. This shallow-rooted tree is drought sensitive. The 2-4-inch, heart-shaped leaves are quite colorful. They emerge reddish, change to blue-green, then turn clear yellow to apricot in fall. The light grey, flaky-toslightly- shaggy bark is also somewhat ornamental. Kadolph is also a fan of the China Snow® Peking lilac (Syringa pekinensis ‘Morton’), particularly the multi-stem forms. He likes the flowers, fruits, bark and fall colors. “Any time you can get interest in multiple seasons out of a plant, that wins it for me,” he says. China Snow grows 12 feet tall by 8 feet wide in five years, maturing to 45 feet tall with a 40-foot spread. Its deep green, semi-glossy leaves are accentuated by 3-6” long panicles of creamy-white, fragrant flowers in mid-June. The flowers mature to clusters of green fruits which turn tan, persisting into winter. Like Acer griseum, China Snow has very ornamental amber, exfoliating bark. Plant China Snow in full sun to partial shade. Once established it can tolerate drought. It is very salt tolerant but intolerant of poorly drained soils.
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
27
Trees that Please
Sweet Memories “I find people draw on their childhood when they’re requesting trees,” Milani says. “They often want plants they grew up with.” Milani often gets client requests for magnolias, usually saucer (Magnolia x soulangiana) or star magnolias (Magnolia stellata). “I tell them, ‘If you’re going to choose a magnolia, you have to be prepared to deal with certain things.’” Milani explains. He tells clients that our region’s unpredictable spring cold snaps can ruin magnolia’s early-spring blossoms. He also talks about the maintenance and cost issues involved in treating magnolias for cottony scale. Instead, Milani recommends flowering dogwoods such as Cornus kousa. They have similar cultural requirements (full sun and well-drained soil) and similar ornamental features (white spring flowers and good fall color), according to Milani. Kousa dogwoods grow 20-30 feet tall with an equal spread in full sun to partial shade. (Flowering and fall color are enhanced by full sun which can also lead to scorching of leaf tips and margins in late summer.) Kousa dogwoods prefer moist, acidic soil but are adaptable to dry soils, compacted soils and alkaline soils. Leaves are dark green in summer, maturing to reddish purple or scarlet for 3-5 weeks in fall. In June, white bracts surround the small, inconspicuous true flowers. The bracts turn pinkish as they mature, often persisting up to six weeks. In August, the flowers produce ½-1-inch diameter, pinkish-red drupes that may remain on the plant into October. As the bark matures, it begins exfoliating to create a mosaic of gray, tan and rich brown. This tree also develops an attractive horizontal branching habit as it ages. The branching habit and exfoliating bark provide good winter interest. Another tree people may remember fondly from childhood is oak, according to Kadolph. “There’s nothing more beautiful than a big, majestic oak. It has a look and feel to it that’s different than any other tree,” Kadolph says. “Oak has that image of being the Cadillac of shade trees.” One of the best-selling oaks at Cedar Path is swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor). “It’s the easiest oak to transplant and has the best survivability,” Kadolph says. What’s more, this tree is considered related to—and more readily available than—the white oak (Quercus alba), which is the State of Illinois tree Growing 50-60 feet tall with an equal or greater spread, swamp white oak has two-toned leaves: dark green on top with silvery-white undersides. In fall, leaves turn orange-gold to yellow. The one-inch-long acorns are enclosed in a cap halfway. In young trees, the bark flakes to reveal an orangish inner bark. Mature bark is dark gray-brown with blocky ridges. 28
Viburnum x juddii
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
Swamp white oaks are tolerant of black walnut toxicity, salt, drought and heat. They prefer moist, well-drained soil and can become chlorotic in highly alkaline soils. Another increasingly popular tree is the Exclamation!™ planetree (Plantanus x acerifolia ‘Morton Circle’) introduced by Chicagoland Grows®. ‘We’re seeing this on more and more bids, especially for municipalities,” Kadolph explains. “In the last 12 months, we couldn’t find enough—or grow enough—trees for everyone who wanted them,” he says. Kadolph likes the large leaves and the exfoliating bark. “Overall, it’s a very interesting tree,” he says. Fast-growing as a young tree, Exclamation! matures to 60 feet tall by 45 feet wide. The foliage is medium green with deeply palmate lobes, turning yellow briefly in fall. The big interest in this tree is its attractive exfoliating bark, which develops at an early age. Mottled brown, green and tan bark peels of in large patches to review the inner bark in shades of cream to white. Easy to grow, Exclamation! has exceptional tolerance to poor soils, extended flooding, drought and air pollution. It is also highly resistant to anthracnose and has good resistance to powdery mildew.
Gymnocladus dioica Kentucky coffeetree The Landscape Contractor May 2015
29
Garden Speak — Practical Plant Evaluations
Campanulas: Caveat empt
(Let the buyer beware...) by Patirce Peltier
Campanulas,
commonly called bellflowers, come in many shapes, sizes and growing habits. They offer charmingly bell-shaped flowers in a range of blues, a much sought-after color for the garden, as well as pink and white. Sounds great, right? Here’s the catch: a lot of them just can’t live happily ever after in our climate. Many cannot survive a single winter. Just ask Chicago Botanic Garden’s Plant Evaluation Manager Richard Hawke. Since 1998, Hawke has evaluated 117 campanulas in the trial garden. Of these, more than 40 taxa didn’t finish the trial. Some, despite being given three or four chances, failed to survive even two years, according Hawke. The good news (for those of us trying to figure out what to plant) is that a species and its cultivars tended to perform similarly, according to Hawke. For instance C. glomerata, C. poscharskyana, C. punctata, C. rotundifolia, C.
Campanula ‘Blue Waterfall’ 32
takesimana and their cultivars generally received good ratings. On the other hand, C. latifolia, C. latiloba, C. persicifolia and their cultivars performed poorly or didn’t even finish the trial. So which campanulas should you consider planting? Here are some of the top performers from the Chicago Botanic Garden’s trial. C. ‘Sarastro’ is the only campanula to receive an “Excellent” rating in the trial. A cross between C. punctata and C. trachelium, ‘Sarastro’ received high marks for its compact habit, abundance of violet- blue, tubular flowers and winter hardiness. Growing 24 inches tall and wide, ‘Sarastro’ is unusual for a campanula with this parentage in that it is not a spreader. C. ‘Samantha’ received a “Good” rating for its heavy production of purpleblue, upturned, bowl-shaped flowers.
Hawke says the plant’s dwarf mounded habit resembles Carpathian campanula, yet it is more floriferous and more tolerant of moist winter conditions. He likes the way the light purple-blue flowers fade to white in the center and seem to float above the 12-inch tall plant in late spring to early summer. Although C. glomerata can be a bully in the garden, Hawke says the cultivar ‘Caroline’ is well-behaved by comparison. He likes Caroline’s abundant display of lavender bells in rounded clusters held aloft on stout stems which stay upright. “The floral show is truly spectacular,” he says. Hawke recommends cutting the flower stems back to their base to limit reseeding and keep the plant looking tidy. Although ‘Caroline’ is relatively polite for a C. glomerata, Hawke says this plant may be too vigorous for small gardens or formal borders. Starry Serbian bellflower (C. poscharskyana) and its cultivars generally
Campanula ‘Samantha’ The Landscape Contractor May 2015
tor
Campanula ‘Caroline’
Campanula takesimana
Campanula ‘Sarastro’
outperformed the popular Carpathian harebells (C. carpatica) in the trial. They flowered more profusely and had better winter hardiness than standards such as ‘White Clips’ and ‘Blue Clips.’ One of Hawke’s favorite starry Serbian bellflowers is ‘Blue Waterfall.’ Growing 10 inches tall with a spread of 27 inches, ‘Blue Waterfall’ is one of the largest of the Serbian bellflowers. Hawke likes the abundance of star-shaped lavender-blue flowers with pale centers. “With so many flowers covering the plant,
it’s as if each is pushing and shoving to be seen above its neighbor,” he says. The white-flowered ‘E.H. Frost’ also received a “Good” rating, although it is not as floriferous as ‘Blue Waterfall’. “No matter where I see Korean campanula (C. takesimana), it makes me happy,” Hawke says. “The dramatic profusion of tubular bells dripping from branched stems is stunning.” The creamy white, 2-inch bells are speckled inside with red spots. For those who are looking for
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
33
Garden Speak — Practical Plant Evaluations a pink flower, the cultivar ‘Elizabeth’ offers 2 ¾-inch long rich pink bells. Hawke says deadheading is a must for Korean campanulas. “The declining flower stems are particularly unsightly and make the plant look messy,” he cautions. C. takesimana grows in full sun to light shade and adapts to a variety of conditions. For a campanula with a different look, try C. trachelium
‘Bernice’. Commonly called a nettled-leaved campanula, ‘Bernice’ has double-cupped, violet-blue flowers on gently arching leafy stems. Although ‘Bernice’ has strong stems, rain may collect in the flowers and pull the stems down, Hawke cautions. A well-behaved campanula, ‘Bernice’ grows in clumps 18” tall with a spread of only 14” and doesn’t sting like its namesake.
Top-performing campanulas Rating
Name
Height
Width
Excellent
C. ‘Sarastro’
24”
24”
Good
C. ‘Samantha’
12”
20”
Good
C. glomerata ‘Caroline’ C. poscharskyana ‘Blue Waterfall’ C. takesimana
15”
18”
10”
27”
30”
36”
C. trachelium ‘Bernice’
18”
14”
Good Good Good
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Campanula basics— •
Most campanulas insist on well-drained soils in sunny to partially shaded sites. Three campanula species, however, prefer moist soils: C. lactiflora (milky campanula), C. latifolia (great campanula), and C. takesimana (Korean campanula).
•
Many campanulas—particularly clustered cam-
•
Deadheading is recommended for two reasons: this genus isn’t particularly attractive when the flowering stems begin to wane, and it reduces seedlings which helps reduce their thuggish ways.
panula, spotted campanula and rampion campanula—are fast spreaders. To put the brakes on, grow them in lean soils. Low fertility helps cool their jets.
For more information on campanula evaluations at Chicago Botanic Garden, go to http://www.chicagobotanic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/plantinfo/campanula2014.pdf
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
35
Enfoque: Sección en Español
Se aviva el interés por los accesorios para jardines de calidad superior Por Patrice Peltier El Mercado se ha recuperado —y junto con él, la demanda de accesorios de lujo para patios y jardines. “En años anteriores, las personas estaban tratando de obtener lo fundamental —si acaso estaban interesadas en algún proyecto”, explica Gregory Schaumburg, diseñador de paisajismo en Bertog Landscapes. “Muchas personas tienen ahora los medios para hacer las cosas que habían pospuestos durante los últimos tres, cuatro o cinco años…o sentían cierta presión social para no hacerlas”, afirma Leo Kelly, dueño de Kellygreen Design. Kelly ve un aumento en la demanda de diseñadores que lo contratan para construir una variedad de estructuras elegantes para jardines, como parte de sus proyectos de paisajismo. En base a los presupuestos y la calidad que se espera de estos proyectos, Kelly deduce que la demanda por las cosas refinadas ha regresado con ímpetu. Schaumburg también piensa que algunos clientes pospusieron proyectos por sensibilidad hacia sus vecinos o círculos sociales. “Es probable que no hayan querido iniciar una renovación importante de sus jardines cuando el vecino acababa de perder su trabajo”, dice Schaumburg. “Estoy tan abrumada ahora mismo. Mi tiempo es más valioso en estos día que 36
en cualquier tiempo pasado”, dice Aimee Divis, presidente de Post & Picket, otro proveedor de estructuras de jardines construidas según especificaciones de los clientes. “Maceteros, cercas para jardines y accesorios para techos construidos según especificaciones, como terrazas de madera, macetas y pérgolas, están ocupando un porcentaje mayor de nuestro negocio que en años anteriores. También ha aumento la demanda de materiales compuestos de madera dura y calidad superior”, señala. “Proyectos que habían sido suspendidos están siendo reactivados actualmente”, afirma Bob Hursthouse, presidente de Hursthouse, Inc. Bob piensa que durante el letargo, los clientes pueden haber desarrollado una mayor apreciación por los accesorios de calidad
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
para exteriores. “Pienso que las personas tienden ahora a comprar cosas duraderas”, dice. “En años recientes, podrían haberse contentado con alternativas más baratas y descubierto que no duran mucho tiempo. Los clientes que compraron una maceta de terracota hace cinco años se ven ahora en la necesidad de reemplazarla”. Otro factor es la mayor conciencia de los clientes por la sostenibilidad, dice Hursthouse. “Desde el punto de vista de la sostenibilidad, ¿qué puede ser más sostenible que algo que se compra una vez y dura para siempre?” Más aún, los clientes que tienen acabados elegantes en sus casas tienden a preferir los productos de calidad en las áreas exteriores, aun sabiendo que son más caros, asegura Hursthouse. Cuando un proyecto requiere de un recipiente grande que realce el estilo arquitectónico de una casa, la fuente de Hursthouse son los maceteros de Longshadow, en la región sur de Illinois. Construidos con caliza fundida en arena seca, los maceteros ofrecen excelente porosidad que resiste los elementos. Los propietarios Daniel y Charlotte Ward iniciaron su negocio reparando y reproduciendo macetas, pedestales, pináculos, esculturas, bancos y pilas para pájaros con estilo clásico, de las mansiones antiguas
del área. Algunos de sus productos llevan los nombres de las comunidades de donde surgió la inspiración. En la actualidad, su línea de productos incluye también estilos de la Pradera y Artesanal. “Pensamos en sus piezas como mejoras ornamentales a la arquitectura de una casa”, afirma Hursthouse, añadiendo que los recipientes tienen tanta presencia que desempeñan ese rol aunque no tengan plantas. Schaumburg también es admirador de los maceteros Longshadow. “La artesanía es evidente; el estilo es fabuloso. Usted sabe que estas piezas estarán ahí por mucho tiempo”, afirma. “Me encantan sus productos porque mejoran con el tiempo”. Schaumburg dice, “Desde el punto de vista del diseño, primero insistiré siempre en la calidad. Estos toques finales de calidad hacen los proyectos más llamativos”. Charlotte Ward dice que Longshadow vende ahora sus productos exclusivamente a través de profesionales del paisajismo. “Los dueños de casa no gastan grandes cantidades de dinero sin tener un diseñador”, afirma. Hursthouse está de acuerdo en que el costo de algunos acabados de lujo puede sorprender a algunos dueños de casa. “Los clientes que tienden a adquirir
acabados más lujosos dentro de sus casas, están conscientes del costo de usar productos de calidad también en la parte externa”, afirma. No obstante, añade que con frecuencia los costos de los accesorios están incorporados al Proyecto por lo que los clientes podrían no estar al tanto de los precios específicos. Roxana Mayer, vicepresidente de Northwest Metalcraft, asegura que las personas obtienen muchas ideas acerca de los productos más novedosos, de programas de televisión e Internet y cuando van a las tiendas saben lo que quieren”. “La vida al aire libre se ha vuelto muy popular”, dice. “Reconozcámoslo. Tenemos tres buenos meses y luego un clima riguroso. Las personas tratan de extender la temporada lo más posible”. Si bien las cocinas, chimeneas y fogatas al aire libre han sido populares durante un tiempo, hay nuevos accesorios atractivos para los que pueden costear lo mejor. Las parrillas infrarrojas soasan los alimentos rápidamente, cocinando las carnes en su jugo. “Este método de cocinar se emplea en los restaurantes de lujo en todo el país”, asegura Mayer. “Ahora usted puede tener una parrilla infrarroja que le permite disfrutar de un bistec tan bueno como los de Morton en su
propia casa. Todo el mundo se está convirtiendo en un chef al aire libre”. Las fogatas a la intemperie pueden tener ahora una llama cuando se necesite gracias a las líneas de gas permanentes o a los tanques de propano líquido, asegura Mayer. Algunas fogatas vienen con su propia mesa. Estas “mesas para jardín” son más altas que las mesas para cocteles. “Usted puede sentarse en un diván y disfrutar de una pizza o malvaviscos asados”, explica Mayer. Algunas fogatas a la intemperie se pueden convertir en cocinas. “Se denominan ‘firetainment’”, explica Mayer. Una fogata, mesa y parrilla en una sola unidad, los centros de las firetainments permiten a los clientes cocinar quesadillas en una plancha de hierro fundido, soasar atún en un bloque de sal, servir fondue o hacer s’mores (galletas con chocolate y malvavisco). Estos son los tipos de accesorios que hacen que las personas disfruten más de las actividades al aire libre, afirma Mayer, añadiendo que “La diversión al aire libre se está convirtiendo en el pasatiempo favorito”. Por supuesto que los muebles adecuados son parte de la diversión. Mayer afirma que los muebles para exteriores actuales son tan atractivos que pueden usarse dentro de la casa también. “Les digo a las personas: ‘No tienen que
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
37
Enfoque: Sección en Español buscar un lugar para guardarlos durante el invierno. Pueden disfrutarlos en el sótano-familiar’”. Por ejemplo, el mimbre es ahora un producto para uso en exteriores. El mimbre de lujo en la actualidad se elabora con resina tejida impermeable, explica Mayer. Incluso los cojines se pueden dejar afuera aunque llueva o haga sol. Northwest Metalcraft remite con frecuencia a sus clientes a contratistas de paisajismo cuando la visión del cliente requiere de servicios que Northwest Metalcraft no puede ofrecer. Y vice versa. Por ejemplo, Northwest Metalcraft amuebló recientemente una terraza urbana de grandes dimensiones construida por Kellygreen Design. La azotea de 20 x 20 sobre un garaje incluye un cenador según especificaciones, maceteros perimetrales removibles según especificaciones y paneles entramados que ofrecen una pantalla estéticamente agradable para privacidad y protección contra el viento. El espacio cuenta con hermosos muebles impermeables que crean áreas para comer y relajarse frente a la chimenea a gas. Por su parte, Kelly afirma que el apetito por las obras de carpintería
38
distintivas en paisajismo va en aumento. “Estamos viendo una demanda cada vez mayor por caminos de acceso con puertas, que sean al mismo tiempo
de una joven sentada sobre un banco de teca. Como parte del proyecto de renovación del jardín que Bertog está realizando, el cliente desea un banco de
testimonios artísticos, y cenadores con interés arquitectónico que resulten atractivos y despierten el interés incluso durante el invierno”, explica Kelly. Schaumburg observa un renovado interés por parte de los clientes por encontrar la solución ideal para cada proyecto especial. Un cliente, por ejemplo, tiene una escultura de bronce
piedra construido según especificaciones para que sirva de entorno permanente a la estatua. Otro cliente de Bertog se está mudando a una nueva casa cerca del lago en Winnetka. El hockey es una actividad familiar importante, por lo que pide espacio suficiente para una pista de hockey en el patio trasero con una unidad compresora y bases de luces temporales. Los buenos tiempos pasados podrían estar de regreso. “Es emocionante y gratificante ver a nuestros clientes invirtiendo en sus jardines y seleccionando piezas hermosas para incorporar a sus proyectos paisajistas”, dice Hursthouse. “Hay información disponible por televisión e Internet con ideas e inspiración para las personas. Nuestro trabajo es hacerlas realidad”.
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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It Happened at iLandscape
Beating the grip of winter
Even though it’s spring 2015, for some conifers, the harsh winter of 2013-14 isn’t over yet By Patrice Peltier
“We’ll know by mid-spring
, when we see what has spring buds, which plants are coming back,” says conifer expert Dave Wanninger, horticulturist-in-charge at Boerner Botanic Gardens outside Milwaukee. During an iLandscape presentation, Wanninger shared his insights on the hit taken by conifers. He anticipates that many of the conifers damaged by that harsh winter may take longer to come back this spring, and some won’t make it. “I anticipate there will be more removals of these plants over the next few years,” he predicts. Wanninger, whose industry stripes include a stint as chief horticulturists at Beaver Creek Wholesale Nursery, shares a theory with another Wisconsinite, plant propagator Mike Yanny of Johnson’s Nursery and JN Plant Selections. Both think the damage sustained in 2013-14 actually started in the fall. Looking back, Wanninger says, there was a six-week drought that started in September, 2013. “We typically have good rain during this period when conifers are putting on their final root growth,” he says. The weather stayed warm into late fall, a time when conifers would typically be hardening off for winter. “The plants kept going a little too long and couldn’t shut down fast enough for winter,” 40
Wanninger theorizes. Already weakened by drought and damage to woody tissues, the plants were then subjected to prolonged cold with lots of drying sun and wind which desiccated the needles. “The bright sun and strong winds sucked the juice right out of those needles,” Wanninger says. Some conifers, like Alberta spruce, often suffer winter damage, but part of what caused Wanninger and Yanny to form their two-pronged theory was the wide-spread damage suffered by junipers. “These are Zone 3, completely cold hardy plants that are standards in the landscape industry, and they didn’t withstand the winter of 2013-14,” Wanninger notes. “It was completely unexpected.” The extent of the damage to conifers took many by surprise. Wanninger says that highly-respected plantsman Ed Hasselkus, University of Wisconsin-Madison horticulture professor emeritus, brought a group to tour Boerner Botanical Gardens in the spring of 2014. Hasselkus, according to Wanninger, said he’d never seen such extensive damage to conifers in all his years. This damage included conifers that have been surviving winters at Boerner Botanical Gardens since the 1940s, Wanninger said. (continued on page 42)
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
It Happened at iLandscape (continued from page 40) Conifer damage in Chicago was even more extensive than in the Milwaukee area, according to Wanninger. He credits Milwaukee’s deeper snow cover. “There was a lot more damage in Chicago,” he says. “Yews and boxwoods took it on the chin.” Coming into the 2014 growing season, it was hard to know how many of the damaged conifers would respond. Many experts advocated taking a wait-
and-see approach, including Wanninger. “Sometimes we act far too quickly before we see if the plant is coming back,” he notes. “As long as you’ve got some green on most of the plant, it will probably recover. If you see a lot of buds, that’s indicative of temporary damage.” For instance, he noted that in the spring of 2014, the Taxus cuspidata at Boerner were burned on all sides, although some plants were affected
The selectivity of winter damge to conifers is displayed here, as Taxus x media ‘Maureen’ shows severe burn while neighboring Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) appears unscathed. 42
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
A closer look at damage to Taxus x media and Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’. more than others. He is waiting until Spring, 2015 to see how these plants do. Whether you can wait and see depends a lot on your situation, Wanninger admits. “Different people have different standards of appearance. Some homeowners don’t want to give up on some of these big, old plants, particularly if they’ve been providing screening,” he notes. Commercial clients, on the other hand, probably can’t tolerate browned trees. At Boerner Botanical Gardens, during 2014 Wanninger did some selective pruning to improve the aesthetics of damaged plants. Not all evergreens can tolerate pruning, he notes. Boxwoods, yews, Canada hemlocks and to some extent junipers can be pruned, although Wanninger cautions (continued on page 44) The Landscape Contractor May 2015
43
It Happened at iLandscape (continued from page 43) “when you knock them back hard, it’ll take a while for them to come back.” With pines, spruces and firs, however, “once you kill off (or prune off) the growing points, they won’t come back from the inner buds,” he adds. The calendar may say we’re long past the winter of 2013-14, but your clients’ conifers may not agree. Don’t be surprised to find you’re still dealing with the aftermath of that harsh winter this spring…and perhaps for several years to come.
Dwarf Alberta Spruce Picea glauca ‘Conica’ Spring 2014
44
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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The Landscape Contractor May 2015
45
It Happened at iLandscape
Dave Wanninger Recommends these Conifers for the Upper Midwest
White Pine
Austrian Pine
Colorado Spruce
White Pine (Pinus strobus); Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra); Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens) – Along with Norway Spruce and White Spruce, these trees are the conifers almost always planted for evergreen tree landscaping. White Pine Pinus strobus – native to Wisconsin, adaptable, sometimes slender and spirelike,decent looking but don’t always age gracefully. Can be affected by Spruce Gall (like most other spruces). Austrian Pine Pinus nigra – adaptable and easy to grow, but serious problems with Diplodia tip blight (and Zimmerman moth).‘Arnolds Sentinel’ (columnar), ‘Hornibrookiana’ (dwarf to intermediate), Pinus x ‘Brepo’ (dwarf) – a nice substitute for dwarf mugo pine. Colorado Spruce Picea pungens – ubiquitous in landscapes – they’re everywhere! Adaptable but don’t really like our hot summer weather, problems with Cytospora canker. Picea pungens f. glauca - ‘Bakeri,’ ‘Thompson,’ Fat Albert’ Colorado Blue Spruce— ‘Montgomery,’ ‘Globosa,’ ‘Sester’s Dwarf,’ ‘St. Mary’s Broom’ (dwarfs). 46
‘Fat Albert’
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
‘Fat Albert’ (continued on page 48)
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It Happened at iLandscape (continued from page 46)
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The Landscape Contractor May 2015
Norway Spruce Picea abies
Canadian Hemlock Tsuga canadensis - native to Wisconsin, fine textured, with a soft, wispy look. Needs a moist, well drained soil, but quite tolerant of shade. Shears well.‘Pendula,’ ‘Sargenti’ (weeping, dwarf/imtermediate) ‘Gentsch White’ (white tipped, dwarf/intermediate) Emerald Fountain™, ‘Hussii,’ ‘Fantana,’ ‘Jervis,’ ‘Geneva’ (dwarfs) ‘Vermeulen’s Wintergold’ (dwarf)
(continued on page 50)
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
49
It Happened at iLandscape
(continued from page 49) Eastern Arborvitae, White Cedar Thuja occidentalis – Native to Wisconsin, arborvitae take more moisture than other conifers. Not as shade tolerant as often believed. ‘Wintergreen’ (‘Hetz Wintergreen’)
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The Landscape Contractor May 2015
J. horizontalis ‘Blue Rug’ (‘Wiltoni’)
It Happened at iLandscape
Juniperus chinensis ‘Sea Green’
Microbiota decussata – Russian Cypress
Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Kosteri’
52
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
Juniper, Red Cedar Juniperus chinensis, J. virginiana, etc. – tough and very adaptable (J. virginiana and J. communis are native) Uprights - ‘Mountbatten’, ‘Canaertii’, Ames, ‘Burkii’, ‘Fairview’ (‘Hetz Columnaris’) Fungal blight (Phomopsis) on Rocky Mt. Juniper (J. scopulorum) Juniper – spreading Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfitzer,’ ‘Sea Green,’ ‘Kallay Compact,’ ‘Sargentii
Love Your Labor Get them Certified Be Proud— Stand Tall: Landscape Industry Certified is a powerful distinction for individuals who have taken their experience, skills and desire for excellence to the next level by studying, testing and becoming certified.
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The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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It Happened at iLandscape Viridis,’ ‘Saybrook Gold’ J. horizontalis ‘Blue Rug’ (‘Wiltoni’) J. sabina ‘Buffalo’ J. squamata ‘Blue Star’ – disease prone J. procumbens ‘Nana’
Taxus ‘Flushing’
Taxus pruning practices gone bad. .
Taxus x media ;Taunton’
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Member Profile LawnCare by Walter PO Box 5037 Rockford, IL 61125 (815) 332-9544 www.lcbwalter.com
By Meta Levin
Mark Walter
not only enjoys the landscape industry, but is having fun with it. Call the Lawn Care by Walter phone number and you will hear the company’s own theme song, a catchy little number with a country sound. Walter didn’t start out to enter the landscape industry, but he’s happy he found it or it found him. Now owner of LawnCare by Walter in Rockford, IL, he loves what he does. He and his wife continue to grow the business, adding services and people. In 1982, after he was laid off by Caterpillar and went to work for ChemLawn. He found that he loved to work outdoors, as well as the interaction with customers. “I’m not one to be tied to a desk,” he says. In the first few years he grew his route by 30 percent, but by 1986 he left to find a way to work on his own. The owner of a Service Master Lawn Care franchise hired him to run it. Within the first year Walter bought out his boss. The franchise provided fertilizing, weed control and aeration to customers. By 1988 he added lawn maintenance to his services and a short while later began offering landscape design, installation and hardscapes and snow removal. By 1990 he dropped the Service Master franchise and renamed the company LawnCare by Walter. The company serves both residential and commercial customers, providing everything from fertilization and weed and pest control to landscape design and installation, hardscapes, water features and snow removal. 56
Initially the total staff was Walter and one employee. Now there are 48 employees during the season. Walter believes in developing his staff and promoting from within, to which he credits the longevity of the employees. “Some people who started out mowing lawns, now head departments,” he says. “I believe that if you take good care of your employees, they will take good care of you. We are a family owned business and our employees are an extension of our family.” Ernie Huey, who is in charge of the landscape crews, has been with the company for more than 20 years. “He has a lot of the same ideals that I do and is committed to customer service,” says Walter. “He cares.” Mike Tisdial, heads the lawn, tree and shrub fertilization and weed control department. A 17 year veteran of the company, he brought experience in other companies with him when he joined LawnCare by Walter. “He is willing to go the extra mile to provide good customer service,” says Walter. Danielle Buesch is Walter’s key designer, specializing in seasonal outdoor planters. “She has a real flair for that,” he says. She has been with the company for three years. Eric Riha, who also does design work, heads the industrial and institutional weed control department. He has been with the company for 15 years and is “committed to quality and follow up with customers,” says Walter. Riha also serves as the point man for the company’s work with municipalities. The Landscape Contractor May 2015
Walter’s wife, Debbie, began working for LawnCare by Walter in 1997 after their first son was born. With a background in human resources, she takes care of all of that work, as well as other facets of the business. They have seen an uptick in clients who are expanding their living spaces to the outdoors, asking for outdoor kitchens, patios, water features and upgraded landscapes. “We have had a big increase in hardscape work,” he says. Giving back to the community is important to Walter and his company. They are active in the Autism Foundation, help sponsor Special Olympics, work with local schools to help teach trades to youngsters and sponsor teams and give other help to the Boys and Girls Clubs. The company helps with high school students who need service hours as part of the high school curriculum, taking them to provide services for people who can’t afford the work. In addition, the company donates landscaping at the local rescue mission, often using the mission’s clients to help with the work. In January LawnCare by Walter joined ILCA, attracted by the educational opportunities. “Education is critical to the growth of our business,” says Walter.
www.ogaoni.com
Arthur Weiler, Inc. Clavey’s Nursery, Inc. Doty Nurseries LLC Goodmark Nurseries, LLC GRO Horticultural Enterprises Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. Kaneville Tree Farms, Inc. Kankakee Nursery Co. Kendall Hill Nursery Midwest Groundcovers Poul’s Nursery, Inc. Rosehill Creek Nursery Spring Grove Nursery, Inc. The Fields on Caton Farm, Inc.
Experienced wholesale growers producing thousands of acres of quality, northern Illinois-grown nursery stock. Offering a wide variety of shade trees, intermediate trees, shrubs, evergreens, broadleaf evergreens, vines, groundcovers & perennials.
Visit our website for a complete inventory listing by nursery—quickly find the hard-to-get items you need! While there, check out our members’ profiles!
2015
Plant Locator st the midwe grown in
Request a copy of our Plant Locator, a print version of our online inventory listings.
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Mark Your C alendar !
Plants & Pinot . . . Jul 23 ilCa summer Fiel d day . . . aug 6 iaa show . . . oct 20-21 asla meeting & ex Po . . . nov 6-9 inVigorateu . . . Ja n 18-19, 2016
Illinois
2015_OGA_LandscapeContractor_r5.indd 1
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
57 4/1/15 12:21 PM
Classified Ads HELP WANTED HELP WANTED CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING also available on ILCA’s WEB SITE www.ilca.net Call for information (630) 472-2851
***ACRES GROUP CAREER OPPORTUNITIES*** Acres Group, one of the top 20 landscape contractors in the nation, has the following open positions. SALES: *CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST(junior account mgr) for Roselle-Manage a portfolio of accounts in lawn and snow providing high levels of customer service, make horticultural recommendations & sell property enhancements in lawn and ice melt in snow, sell new contracted lawn & snow accounts.* Join our industry leading team! To view full job descriptions and apply online visit us at www.acresgroup.com or contact Amy@ 847-487-5071 Residential Maintenance Account Rep Rosborough Partners, Inc. is accepting resumes for an experienced Residential Maintenance Account Representative to manage portfolio of residential maintenance clients. Responsibilities include preparing proposals, contract renewals, identifying and selling new sales leads and ensuring quality control is followed on client sites. Revenue and profitability goals will be set each year and accomplished by analyzing, planning, organizing, and adjusting schedules to achieve efficient use of resources and people. Establishing, building and maintaining client relationships are the keys to being successful in this position. Landscape industry experience and/or a horticultural degree is required. English & Spanish fluency is a plus. We offer competitive wages and benefits. Please email resume to: mary@rosboroughpartners.com
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Commercial Operations Mgr
LANDSCAPE CONCEPTS MANAGEMENT
Rosborough Partners, Inc. is accepting resumes for an experienced Commercial Operations Mgr to coordinate & schedule operations within the Commercial Dept. Analyzing, planning, organizing & adjusting schedules to achieve the most efficient use of resources & people are responsibilities of this position. Managing & coordinating the winter snow-plowing schedule & execution of activities during snow events are also part of this position’s responsibilities. Excellent communication skills are key to being a successful Commercial Operations Mgr. Landscape industry experience and/or a horticultural degree are required. English & Spanish fluency is required. We offer competitive wages & benefits. Please email resume to: mary@rosboroughpartners.com
CONSTRUCTION/MAINTENANCE
Lawn Care Technician & Maintenance Foreman Land Escapes seeks maintenance foreman with a minimum of 3 year’s experience supervising multiple crews. Job description includes, scheduling job,training, enforcing safe work habits, quality control and client interaction. Must be available for plowing snow. Lawn care tech must have 2 years experience, a valid driver’s licence and Illinois pesticide license. Please send resume
YARD MANAGER Illinois Brick Company, leading distributor in the midwest is seeking a Manager for our Naperville location who is well organized, self motivated, and customer service oriented. Prior management experience, production/installation knowledge, and computer skills a plus. We offer a competitive salary, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k). Please send resume with salary history and references to: yardmanager55@illinoisbrick.com
CHICAGO BRANCH OFFICE SUPERVISOR
PRIMARY PURPOSE: Supervise construction,
renovations, extras and daily operations of maintenance crews.
RESPONSIBILITIES: • Training of crews/foremen • Quality control
• Assist in estimating • Process time sheets
• Oversee multiple projects
• Coordinate purchasing/pick-up delivery • Act as snow supervisor
REQUIREMENTS:
• 3-5 yrs experience in maintenance/construction • Drivers license (CDL a plus)
• Good communication and organization skills • Bilingual a plus • CLT a plus
• Pesticide license a plus SUBMIT RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO: Paul Bruggen at pbruggen @landscapeconcepts.com
Lawn Maintenance and Landscape Laborer GreenScape Services in Joliet is looking to hire a person with the following qualities to work at our family owned landscape business: • Positive Attitude
• Attention to Detail
• Desire to work outside in all weather
conditions
• Valid Drivers License (CDL preferred but not needed)
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running all types of commercial mowers and landscape equipment
• Eager to learn and grow with the
company
All resumes submitted to:
cowen@greenscapeservice.com
58
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
Classified Ads HELP WANTED
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Attention all Commercial Sales and Project Managers
NATURE’S PERSPECTIVE LANDSCAPING
RYCO Landscaping The Landscape Designer / Sales Person must be thoroughly familiar with designing all aspects of landscape construction to include: site analysis, grading, drainage, plant selection and placement, hardscape (patios, walkways, decks, barbecues, gazebos, etc.), water features, lighting, etc.; and be able to design the same using Dynascape software. Excellent analytical as well as aesthetic skills, providing excellent customer service and being able to do take-offs are a must. This position entails being responsible to coordinate with the production manager on a daily basis as well as with clients, subcontractors, suppliers, and accounting personnel. Please email your resume to Debbie Bartsch: DBartsch@rycolandscaping.com
A growing landscape construction company is looking to fill the following positions:
Christy Webber Landscapes We are an award-winning design-build-maintain landscape company located in the heart of Chicago. CWL serves a wide range of clients, including Millennium Park, Soldier Field, the Museum of Science and Industry, and over 250 residences. Our company’s success has been recognized through repeated inclusion in Inc. Magazine’s “Inner City 100” list of America’s fastest-growing urban businesses, and Lawn and Landscape Magazine’s Top 100 Companies. We are very proud of our LEEDcertified Platinum headquarters, our urban location, and the diversity you will find at all levels of our company, from our field staff to our senior team. Christy Webber Landscapes is growing, and we are looking for dynamic, flexible leaders who thrive in a fast-paced, challenging environment to grow with us! We are looking to hire for the following positions: • Field Supervisor • Contract Administrator • Horticulturist • Yard Plant Assistant For full job descriptions and to apply, visit our employment page located at the bottom of our website www.christywebber.com and join our team!
Project Manager: Must have minimum four years of experience. Must be able to run several crews in day to day construction operations. Commercial Sales: looking for an intern or someone with cad experience to work under our lead estimator to learn our bidding process. Must have experience in plant material and estimating. Part time mechanic: Looking for a mechanic to work part time with landscape equipment and truck repairs. Please email resume to: dan@woodlandcommercial.com
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER/ PROJECT MANAGER Do you take pride in your work? Do you want to be in control of award winning residential projects from design through completion? Do you want an employer who invests in your growth? Join the Greenhaven Team! Learn more about this great opportunity at www. mygreenhaven.com/employment Submit a detailed cover letter, resume, and portfolio to: Jennifer@mygreenhaven.com
At Scott Byron & Co., we design, build and maintain exquisite landscapes for properties both residential and commercial. Located in Lake Bluff, IL. We are looking for an experienced Flower Buyer to join our team. You would be responsible for coordinating between sales, vendors, yard and production staff. Research options for new/improved and trending plant materials and products. Work with sales support team to produce visual support materials. Maintain and improve annual work order process. We prefer a Bachelor’s degree plus three to five years exp in the horticulture field. Valid driver’s license is required. Email hrtrybus@gmail.com
-DESIGN ASSISTANTJoin our well-established design, build and maintenance company. For over 35 years, Nature’s Perspective has been providing landscape services to Chicago’s northern suburbs and Chicago’s north side. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. Candidate will assist in preparing landscape drawings and proposals for client presentations as well as coordinate multiple landscape projects. Candidate must be able to handle a wide range of responsibilities, have a good knowledge of plant and hardscape materials, demonstrate excellent computer skills including Dynascape, Google SketchUp and Google Picasa, be detail oriented, organized, self motivated with good social skills. Please mail, or e-mail your resume to: NATURE’S PERSPECTIVE LANDSCAPING Attn: Paul Klitzkie 2000 Greenleaf St. Evanston, IL 60202 (847) 475-7917 E-mail: pklitzkie@naturesperspective.com Visit us at: www.naturesperspective.com
Landscape Sales and Production Manager C & T Lawn and Landscape; serving Northwest Indiana and Chicago Southland since 1993, seeks a Landscape Sales and Production Manager. Estimate, propose, and oversee installation crew for residential and small commercial landscapes. Projects include pavers and retaining walls, plantings, maintenance, and snow. We offer competitive wage, commission, and benefit package. Please submit resume and salary expectations to tim@CandTlandscape.com or fax to 219-881-8806.
HELP WANTED CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING also available on ILCA’s WEB SITE www.ilca.net Call for information (630) 472-2851
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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Successful suppliers know— industry leaders read this magazine.
Classified Ads HELP WANTED CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES
is the Midwest’s premier monthly magazine for the landscape, nursery and garden center business. • Sales and marketing statistics show that the single
best way to reach buyers is through highly-targeted specialty magazines.
• This award-winning magazine is frequently hailed as the best magazine of its kind. Put your message in this flattering environment. • The Landscape Contractor has an affordable advertising program for every budget.
For immediate attention CALL Debbie at
817-501-2403 or email —
debbie.landscapecontractor@yahoo.com
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The Landscape Contractor May 2015
June 2015 issue ads: May 15, 2015 July 2015 issue ads: June 15, 2015 August 2015 issue ads: July 15, 2015 PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Magazine Cost is $5 per line Minimum charge $50 Optional Website Cost is $7 per line Minimum charge $70 (About 6 words/line) Call Alycia O'Connor (630) 472-2851 or use the online submission form located at www.ilca.net
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING also available on ILCA’s WEB SITE www.ilca.net Call for information (630) 472-2851
Advertisers
Attention Landscape Contractors:
1st Choice Equipment ............................................52 Agrecol..............................................................48 Alliance Design Products .......................................11
Remember to Support ILCA Supporters!
Bartlett Tree Experts .............................................48 Beaver Creek Nursery ..........................................43
These include:
Cardno ....................................................................18
Carlin Sales...............................................................6 Certification Test ...................................................53 Chicago Gas Lines ..................................................54 Chicagoland Gardening .........................................61 Clesen Wholesale ....................................................35 Dayton Bag & Burlap .............................................21 DeBuck’s Sod Farm ...............................................48 Doty Nurseries LLC ..................................................4 Goodmark Nurseries ...............................................47 Green Glen Nursery ...............................................63 B. Haney & Sons, Inc. ............................................20 Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. ......................................21
• Members & Advertisers who supply goods and services • Members who sponsor ILCA programs and events
Where will you find them? • ILCA Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide • The Landscape Contractor magazine advertising • The Landscape Contractor magazine reports of events with sponsor acknowledgments • www.ilca.net member lists – Finding a Landscape Contractor & Suppliers to the Trade
Homer Industries, Inc. .........................................13 In the Field Design Tour ........................................13 Kramer Tree ...........................................................35 JKS Ventures .........................................................49 Kramer Tree Specialist ...........................................34 Lafarge Fox River Stone .........................................41 Lemke Stone ..........................................................14 Longshadow Planters ..........................................17 McGinty Bros. ........................................................42 Midwest Groundcovers .......................................2 Midwest Trading ...................................................34 Mobile Fleet Xpress ...............................................20 Netafim ..................................................................49 OGA .......................................................................57 ProGreen Plus ......................................................61 Rainbow Farms ....................................................45 Rocks Etc. ............................................................46 Summer Field Day 2015 ........................................51 Stockyards Brick ...................................................19 The Care of Trees .....................................................6 The Landscape Contrator magazine ........................60 The Mulch Center ................................................50 Unilock Chicago ...................................................64 Xylem, Inc. .........................................................46
The Landscape Contractor May 2015
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By Patrice Peltier
Iris virginica
Some plants —
just like All-Star athletes — make everyone around them look better. What’s a plant you can use—and recommend-- with confidence? We’ve asked ILCA members to share their thoughts on proven performers. One of my go-to plants for any medium to wet soil area is blue flag iris (aka southern blue flag and Virginia iris). One of the showiest Midwestern natives, the blue flag iris grows to about 3’ tall. (It can grow up to 5’ tall in very rich soil or in emergent wetlands.) In late spring to early summer, the plant produces blue/lavender flowers with streaks of yellow on the lower petals. The long blade-like leaves are upright and light green or slightly blue-green. The roots are rhizomatous, and the plant will spread. The thick roots are difficult to remove once established, but it can be kept in check by removing sections of the roots on the edge of the mass with a spade. Root sections with shoots can be transplanted with good success. Besides the attractive blooms, blue flag iris is extremely hardy and disease resistant. There are a few insects which feed on the plant (aphids being the most prolific), but overall they are not very damaging to the foliage or flowers. Very few animals will browse on the plant, making it a good choice for areas where deer or rabbits are problematic. Blue flag iris performs best in sand, loam, and rich organic soils. It can grow in clay, but with less vigor. It will grow in full sun to light shade, but will produce fewer blooms in shade. Of course, this plant loves the water. Its ideal habitat is in depressions, roadside swales, wetlands, and rain gardens. I use it for any wet soil planting. It does well in mixed plantings or by itself. The foliage provides a vertical element to a planting when the flowers are done blooming.
Iris virginica facts— Size:
36” tall, spreading by rhizomes Culture
Sword-like, basal leaves up to 3’ tall
Flowers
West to moist soils in full to partial sun.
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Foliage:
Blue-violet up to 3.5” across from late spring into early summer
Jason Fritz Nursery Sales Manager Cardno Native Plant Nursery While studying marketing and advertising at Indiana University, Jason indulged his interest in the natural world by working at Cardno Native Plant Nursery. Fourteen years later, he’s had a wide variety of assignments there—collecting seed, harvesting plants, loading trucks, mixing seed and designing seed mixes. “I am an avid outdoorsman, hiking and backpacking whenever I can get the time off,” he says. “That is what got me interested in native plants and ecological restoration.”
The Landscape Contractor May 2015