The Landscape Contractor magazine NOV.23 Digital Edition by Association Publishing Partners

A Game of Drones

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November 2023

CONTENTS Excellence In Landscape Awards Project

FOCUS: Looking to the Future Part 1 It’s a Game of Drones Would an eye in the sky benefit your company?

Fall Events

Turf Education Day 18

Women’s Networking Group Fall Event

Golf Outing 2023 20

Young Professionals Fall Event

26 40

Babylon Chicago 30 Norweta gardens

EN ESPAÑOL

Contenedores de piedra simulada añaden esa 36 apariencia de época These Roots Run Deep Midwest Natural Gardens Celebrate 70 Years

Go Ahead... Trough It Up

DIY containers add a vintage look

Member Profile 56 Gardenbau Group

Inspiration Alley 61 Changing of the Gourd Before You Go White Fir for Your Winter Blues

On the cover... A detail image from the Balanced Environments Gold Award titled Covenant Living of Northbrook.

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

62 3

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS ILCA Calendar From Where I Stand President’s Message Classified Ads Advertisers Index Photo Credits

ILCA Awards Committee Jim Matusik, Joey Matusi Hursthouse, Inc. Scott Shigley Rick Reuland

NOVEMBER 4 5 7 58 61

1, 8-9, 10-16 10-16 30-35 18-19, 20-25 26-28, 49-53

Nina Koziol 50-52, 61 Chicago Botanic Garden 52-54 Gardenbau Group 56-57 Mark Dwyer 62

Pruning Workshop November 2, 2023 NIU Naperville Naperville, IL WNG Coffee Talk November 17, 2023 Skokie, IL Annual Party and Member Meeting November 9, 2023 Joe’s Live Rosemont, IL

The official publication of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), The Landscape Contractor is dedicated to educating, advising and informing members of this industry and furthering the goals of the Association. The Landscape Contractor carries news and features relating to landscape contracting, maintenance, design and allied interests. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication. Publication reserves right to refuse advertising not in keeping with goals of Association. www.ilca.net Volume 64, Number 11. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is published monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Landscape Contractor, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES: Association Publishing Partners, Inc., Ph. (630) 637-8632 Fax (630) 637-8629 email: rmgi@comcast.net CLASSIFIED ADS, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION: ILCA (630) 472-2851 Fax (630) 472-3150 PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL OFFICE: Rick Reuland, rmgi@comcast.net, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630) 637-8632

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The Landscape Contractor November 2023

HUNTLEY 14029 Church Road Huntley, IL 60142

From Where I Stand —

ew phrases make your stomach drop like, “Tonight’s homework is...” It is right up there with, “This jury finds you...” There was nothing worse than almost escaping class only to have the teacher grab you by the collar with a homework assignment. That meant a night with books scattered across the kitchen table and a plate of hour-old dinner cooling beside you. If you have/had high school kids of your own, homework completes a full cycle in your lifetime. When we are young, homework sucks. When we have young kids, it becomes our job to teach them that homework does not suck. We are fooled into thinking this and professing that message because the homework assigned to young children is easy. “Complete the sequence: A-BC-D-_” or “If Johnny has six slices of pizza, and Janey wants two slices…” Kids look up at us with their confused eyes and we grab a crayon and walk them through the answers. This leaves us with a sense of smug satisfaction. What would these little knot heads do without our mastery of fractions, state capitols, and primary colors? We are heroes, nay, superheroes! We talk them through the importance of those eight minutes of homework before they run off to watch the Disney Channel. By the time they hit middle school, there is a little more Googling involved, but we never have to stray too far from our comfort zones. Then, high school rolls around. My daughter is a freshman in high school this year. Her very first week, she was nose deep in a math assignment. I could tell the answers were not coming easy. I moseyed on over, rested my hand on her shoulder, she looked up at me with those confused eyes. I said, “Let me help ya there, Little Lady.” I kicked out the chair, cracked my calculatin’ knuckles, and sat down. She presented me a problem that looked like this: Find the remainder (without division) when x22 +7x - 11 is divisible by 3x - 2. I stared at the page for a few minutes. I pulled out my phone wondering how to Google 3x-2. I squinted. I wrinkled my forehead. My daughter then saw my confused eyes. She patted me on the hand and said, “I’ll wait for Mom to get home. Run along and watch your football.” So, homework sucks again. The only silver lining is that I get more excited for her homework grades to come back than she does. If I helped her, I ask, “What did WE get on that?” If the grade is poor, I say, “YOU’LL just need to try harder next time,” as I mosey back to the couch to watch the 4th quarter of the game. I recently attended the 5th Landscapes Below Ground conference at The Morton Arboretum presented in partnership with the International Society of Arboriculture. ILCA sponsored this event dedicated to tree science and urban forestry. The Conference gathers some of the brightest research scientists in urban forestry from around the world. Alessio Fini from the University of Milan was the first speaker. Alessio, a tall, lean Italian researcher began his talk with, “I developed my hypothesis as I was cycling through the Alps.” With that, the conference was off and running. The audience is divided into two halves — leading academics in the field of arboriculture, and, everyone else. I was in the “everyone else”

group. The conference had presentations on root health, urban site considerations for tree pits, biochar and biosolids, salt remediation, watering, and dozens of other research subjects. It was the first time I have ever been at a landscape industry event where a German audience member translated English questions to a Dutch speaker. Academics are an overlooked part of the green industry. In reality, these are the ones doing our homework. These are the people who take ideas and concepts so ingrained in daily professional practice and put them to the test. They challenge the status quo and do battle against the most insidious phrase in the landscape industry — because it’s the way we have always done it. Case in point, the Italian cyclist was bemoaning the fact that his native Italy was experiencing more and more urban sprawl. Professor Fini used to be able to cycle from town-to-town with long, uninterrupted trips through the countryside. Now, the cities and suburbs form a concrete pad that stretches for miles. As a researcher, he was curious what all this pavement was doing to the urban tree canopy. So he raised some research dollars and found out. In Europe, it is very common to bring concrete almost to the base of the urban tree. Some European cities are now using porous and permeable pavers to surround tree pits. In the US, this is more commonly practiced as our cities are younger and urban tree health is more valued. Fini used research funding to create over a dozen tree pits at his university using four types of material — concrete, porous concrete, permeable pavers, and bare ground for control. He planted two species of trees and then waited…years. He exhumed the trees, removed the concrete, and began looking at root structures along with all the other data points he had collected throughout the study. What he found surprised him, sure, the porous and permeable pavers got more water to the roots, but that water evaporated more quickly. The concrete (and control) held water longer which allowed for denser, deeper roots to form. The permeable surfaces had thinner, more fibrous roots almost resembling the pathways in a brain stem. Another con was that permeable pits are often ripped up by the roots where the concrete did not buckle. This is another concern for city planners who want to mitigate tripping hazards in urban spaces not to mention manage replacement costs. The one benefit was that porous materials created a lower urban heat island effect. So, in essence, Alessio started out to prove concrete tree pits were bad. He did, but only from a heat island standpoint and not due to their negative impact on the roots of urban trees. This study had taken years and none of this bothered him. The academics in the room shrugged it off as science, and, in science, there are surprises around every turn. This happened throughout the entire day. Practices being done in landscaping and urban forestry were put up against research and the omnipresent question of — Why are we doing it this way? The laymen in the room, like me, always have to wait for the “In Conclusion” slide to understand what all of this means. The academics follow along with the tables and graphs filled with formulas and Greek letters. They already know the conclusions before we get to the big reveal.

The Doctors Are In

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

From Where I Stand —

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

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This is how the day flows. Many of the longstanding beliefs on urban tree health were put to the test and few came out unchallenged. These are principles that make their way into village codes, urban forestry plans, and industry dogma — many of which have gone untested. I will be the first to admit, I often overlook the purely academic sessions at many of our programs. Every year, The Landscape Contractor magazine, Turf Education Day, Impact, iLandscape, and InVigorateU gather professors and researchers, many times, the session rooms are half-full. Most attendees want to hear from industry contemporaries and not eggheads working in a lab. That is a mistake. Last winter, I attended a session at InVigorateU on the importance of using lightly colored pots for root health from Jacob Shreckhise, Ph.D, a Research Horticulturist with USDA-ARS. Jacob’s team found that white or light pots almost doubled the root growth versus material grown and shipped in black pots. He said in all his years as a researcher, that he has never seen one single variable contribute more to root health. He inadvertently used white stickers on the black pots to label the species. The roots even grew towards the white stickers! This has cradle-to-planting implications as even the lighter pots help plant health at the wholesale nursery, garden center, or landscape holding yard. Further, many black pots cannot be recycled and the lighter alternatives are not more expensive. This could have dramatic impacts on plant warranties and overall health of the landscape. All because some researchers dared to ask, “Why?” The fact is, this research happens all the time. Our online resource library Bloom is full of academic content, perfect for a rainy day. The best part is that academics are amazing at sharing. Most are publically funded so their white papers and research are open source. The Landscapes Below Ground conference puts all the content into a Conference Proceedings book for all attendees. Academic journals such as the Journal of Environmental Horticulture, Journal of Plant Physiology, or Urban Forestry and Urban Greening can be dense. That is why live presentations and books are so important. In academia, there are no trade secrets and a rising tide lifts all boats. iLandscape is just around the corner. We will have sessions with professors and authors who are used to that confused look in our eyes. The good news is, there are no tests or pop quizzes. As professionals, we overlay their homework on top of our current industry practices. When they do not match-up, practices need to change or we are simply being resistant to sound science. So, if you see a speaker with a few extra letters after their name, don’t panic. Those Ph.D. doctors are here to help. Trust me, helping with homework is not easy, especially the homework of the entire landscape industry. We need to support the academics who toil behind the scenes with our time, dollars, and attention. Yes, many feel more comfortable in labs and research plots, but when they come in from the cold we need to listen to what they say, regardless of how many norms they challenge. The faster we change, the more we evolve. Then, we can get back to watching the game while they take their next hypothesis on a bicycle ride through the Italian Alps.

Sincerely,

Scott Grams, Executive Director October 16, 2023

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

President’s Message —

President

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

Vice-President

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

Secretary-Treasurer

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

Immediate Past President

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

Directors Adam Bellas Bellas Landscaping (309) 827-5263 adam@bellaslandscaping.com Ryan Heitman The Fisher Burton Company (847) 566-9200 ryanheitman@fisherburton.com Tom Klitzkie Nature’s Perspective Landscaping (847) 475-7917 tklitzkie@naturesperspective.com Michael Massat The Growing Place Nursery & Flower Farm, Inc. (630) 355-4000 michaelm@thegrowingplace.com Nikki Melin Midwest Groundcovers (847) 742-1790 nmelin@midwestgroundcovers.com Kevin McGowen Kaknes/SiteOne (630) 416-999 kevin@kaknes.com Becky Thomas Spring Grove Nursery, Inc. (815) 448-2097 bthomas@springrovenursery.com Mark Utendorf Emerald Lawn Care, Inc. (847) 392-7097 marku@emeraldlawncare.com

www.ilca.net

ach fall, ILCA participates in the Great Lakes Leadership Conference. It is put on by the Great Lakes Leadership Council, of which ILCA is a member. The Council’s members include only one nursery or landscape association from each state or province touching the Great Lakes. Attendees include each association’s executive director, the current board president, and the vice president. This year’s conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, was an opportunity for participants to share information and learn from each other. Each year the topics change based on current events and relevancy. Among the topics we discussed were the struggles and successes of scholarship programs, using technology to advance the association or business, legislative and regulatory strategies, best management practices, and marketing to consumers and future landscape professionals. We all returned with pages of notes to share with ILCA staff, committees, and board members on how ILCA can continue to be an important and key component that Ashley Marrin supports your business. It is priceless to spend a few days with fellow landscape professionals from all backgrounds who willingly share so much about their companies and associations. At the beginning of the event, we were asked to name the most interesting place we had ever visited and what drew each of us to association service. While I returned with a bucket list of future vacation spots, I also came away with interesting insights into why each person chose to be involved in association work. The responses highlight the benefits: networking opportunities, information sharing, access to group problemsolving with industry peers, giving back to the profession, influencing legislation and regulation, making the industry stronger, attracting the next generation, professional development, mentoring and mentorship, and finally making lifelong friendships. It was energizing to witness the passion each person has for this industry. There’s an old saying that applies here: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Sincererly, Ashley Marrin

Cada otoño, ILCA participa en la Conferencia de Liderazgo de los Grandes Lagos. Es organizada por el Consejo de Liderazgo de los Grandes Lagos, del cual ILCA es miembro. Los miembros del Consejo incluyen solo un vivero o asociación de paisajistas por cada estado o provincia que bordee los Grandes Lagos. Entre los asistentes se encontraban directores ejecutivos de cada asociación, el presidente actual de la junta y el vicepresidente. La conferencia de este año en St. Paul, Minnesota, fue una oportunidad para los participantes de compartir información y aprender de los demás. Cada año cambian los temas en base a eventos de actualidad y su relevancia. Entre los temas que discutimos estuvieron los esfuerzos y éxitos de los programas de becas, cómo usar la tecnología para hacer avanzar la asociación o el negocio, estrategias legislativas y reglamentarias, mejores prácticas de gestión y marketing a los consumidores y futuros profesionales paisajistas. Todos regresamos con muchas páginas con anotaciones para compartir con los miembros del personal, comités y la junta de ILCA sobre cómo ILCA puede continuar siendo un componente importante y clave que apoye su negocio. No tiene precio pasar unos días con compañeros paisajistas profesionales de toda procedencia que gustosamente comparten tanto sobre sus compañías y asociaciones. Al comienzo del evento, se nos pidió nombrar el lugar más interesante que hemos visitado y que nos atrajo a cada uno de nosotros al servicio en la asociación. Yo regresé con una lista grande de lugares para pasar vacaciones en el futuro, también aporté ideas interesantes sobre por qué cada persona decidió trabajar para la asociación. Las respuestas destacan los beneficios: oportunidades para establecer contactos, compartición de información, acceso a solución de problemas en grupo con compañeros de la industria, devolver a la profesión parte de lo que nos ha dado, influir en las legislaciones y regulaciones, fortalecer la industria, atraer a la próxima generación, desarrollo, mentoría y orientación y finalmente hacer amigos para toda la vida. Fue emocionante ver la pasión que cada persona siente por esta industria. Hay un viejo dicho que aplica aquí: “Si deseas ir rápido, ve solo; si deseas llegar lejos, ve acompañado.” Atentamente, Ashley Marrin

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Semmer Landscape • Chicago Kelly Landscape

Our client wanted the elements commonly found

on suburban homes with much larger lots. Precious backyard space needed to be planned out well to meet the goals 1. Casual seating with a fire element. 2. Grill area with room for a small table. 3. Barstool seating. 4. Overall footprint that was in scale with the home, but not without regard to green space. 5. Ability to use a greater portion of year and during inclement weather.

A roofed structure was built to provide shelter from the elements and create an outdoor room. Complete with a custom masonry fireplace, the space has all the elements of an indoor family room but out in the fresh air. Classic materials including Fond-du-lac stone for the fireplace and grill island, natural cleft bluestone for the patio and steps. Indiana limestone coping and caps worked great with the traditional red brick on the home.

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Focus — Yesterday’s Dreams Today

How can an eye in the sky help your business?

It’s a Game of Drones “Drones as the radio-controlled craft are called, have many potentialities, civilian and military.” —

Popular Science magazine, 1946 by Nina A. Koziol

rones have come a long way since 1946. These Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are aircraft with the “pilot” on the ground. For the past 18 years or so, corporations have used them to inspect pipelines and electrical lines and to spray crops. More recently, they’ve been used to create spectacular choreographed light shows that are replacing fireworks. And now, the green industry is finding drones not only beneficial for promoting business, but an indispensable tool in many other ways. “We are a very visual industry,” says Bob Hursthouse,

president of Hursthouse, Inc. “Everything we do is visual. Differentiating ourselves and providing clients with more information and opportunities — drone video is another way to show that.” Hursthouse began using drones about eight years ago to showcase the firm’s work on the website and with clients. And it’s not just video from high above a project. Before drones, “A photographer would stand on a 12-foot ladder,” Hursthouse said. “The drone cameras have gotten better and better, like our phones, with higher res and better detail. You really move a client through a space — up the driveway, going

The Tree Connection uses drones for a bird’s-eye view of a nursery

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Hursthouse employs drones for videos and photos

Drone images capture a finished Hursthouse project

through the front walk, and up and over the house. Still photography is always wonderful, but video is awesome and we do a lot of it.”

Beyond Marketing

Besides producing epic bird’s-eye visuals, drones are becoming a workhorse in the green industry, sometimes freeing up staff to do other tasks. Jim Matusik, owner of The Tree Connection in Rochester, Michigan, and his son Joey Matusik, sales representative, have used drones for several years and note that they’ve become an integral part of their business. “Every time we head out to see one of our growers, we always make sure we have our drone with us, the batteries charged up, then we are ready to put it up in the air,” Jim explains. “When we get to the nursery we ask our growers to stop at a few locations on the farm so (continued on page 12) The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Focus — Yesterday’s Dreams Today (continued from page 11) we can fly over and take shots of their fields. At the end of the tour, we can give the owner a flash drive of all the video and pictures we took of their farm. Now they will have a virtual tour of the entire operation from the digging areas to the field operation to the loading docks all in about 15 minutes.” Growers are discovering views of their operations that they’ve never seen before. “They can look at the entire field from above, they can see if a drain tile is plugged that could be causing areas to flood, or areas where it’s too dry that could have a few broken drip lines,” Jim said. And drones have changed the way nursery stock is counted. “Earlier in my career, a grower that I worked for would have us do a physical inventory to get the material counted. I would walk through the rows of trees with a caliper and would grade the plants. I had four to five coworkers walking behind me as I called out the caliper of each plant. They would then attach a corresponding ribbon color to mark the trees as to the caliper size. Then, another coworker would have to walk the entire farm and write down the trees, row by row, compile all that information, and then enter it into the computer system. If you go to an evergreen nursery, you’re measuring with a 10-, 12- or 14-foot survey pole. Someone’s putting a ribbon on to size the plant.” Drones are changing that in real time. “The drone technology allows our growers to see how many trees are in their field so we can have a more accurate depiction, and can indicate nutrient deficiencies,” Joey

explains. He uses Geographic Information System mapping technology (GIS) with Drone Link. “We route all our surveillance from the office and send a program to the controller. It goes into the GIS system with an image mosaic and can measure within a few millimeters and will also count the plants that are in the field.” This type of inventory mapping is still in the development stage but will soon be out in a more userfriendly application.

Aerial Workhorse

Drones are used in herbicide and pesticide applications at some nurseries as well. “At the high end, drone sprayers cost about $60,000, but that’s a lot less than a spraying tractor and spray booms,” Joey said. “You can enter a specific plant or insect and the drone will specify and calibrate the spray. It will take away the human error with over-spraying the plant material.” The cost savings over time are somewhat mind-blowing. “Typically, a grower would have a $75,000 tractor that’s only used for spraying and fertilizing,” Jim said. “Two people using a drone can spray the field in an hour.” In spring, fields can be water-logged with a tractor getting stuck after just a few passes. “When using a drone, it won’t matter if the field is soaked, because they will be applying the chemicals from the air just above the plants.” Many growers have fields that are not contiguous. “They either have to drive the spray (continued on page 14)

Drones spot potential problems for growers

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Focus — Yesterday’s Dreams Today (continued from page 12) tractor on the road to the next field that needs to be sprayed or have a truck and trailer in the field so it can be loaded and move it to the next field.” Drones are used to create topographic land contour surveys that provide data for irrigation design, spot issues with irrigation coverage and identify leaks. They can provide high resolution images of an entire nursery or golf course in a fraction of the time it takes to otherwise evaluate the site. And drone images can be used to identify areas of potential fungal and pest infestations.

Learning Curve

Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, (lewis.edu), which has an airport, estimates that there will be more than 100,000 jobs created for drone operators and it offers a B.S. degree in UAV systems with hands-on training. And training is a must. “It took me a week of flying the drone to have it nice and smooth, but only a day to run the mapping software to automate it,” Joey said. “I’ve done it for a lot of landscaping companies — filming from when the crew first arrives on site to the finished product. The contractor now has all the photos and videos, which are a great marketing tool. They can show the whole transformation.” (continued on page 17)

Drones are used to measure, count and even spray trees

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Hursthouse uses drone images for marketing, award entries and more

Focus — Yesterday’s Dreams Today (continued from page 14) One drone he’s used weighs only 249 grams (just under nine ounces) and folds down to the size of a phone. Some are fixed-wing while others are multi-rotor. They can be four to five feet wide with a battery that weighs about 20 pounds. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates drone use and expects the number of the commercial drones in the U.S. to more than triple to 835,000 drones this year. “If you’re getting money for doing anything with the drone, you need a license,” Jim said. According to the FAA, if your drone weighs more than .55 pounds, you must register your drone through the FAA’s Drone Zone. See: https://www.faa.gov/ uas/recreational_flyers/knowledge_test_ updates As the FAA continues to ease restrictions on where and when commercial drones can fly, we can expect more landscape firms to employ them. You can find the complete FAA rules here: https://www.faa.gov/uas

Costs

You could spend as little as $100 for a consumer-use drone, but you’ll get what you pay for. For consumer use, a drone’s battery may only last for 15 minutes with a flight distance of a few

hundred feet. Commercial drones with all the bells and whistles can start at $3,000 and feature camera sensors for high-resolution images and video. Most commercial drones come equipped with software that has measurement tools, allowing the user to transfer all the data, including elevation layers. “A drone using PhoDAR* is about $2,000,” Joey said. (PhoDAR technology assesses elevation and maps it in 3D.) “Growers may want to use the multi-spectral drones, which can be as much as $20,000.” Multispectral imaging captures and records light across a range of wavelengths and has the ability to extract additional information that our eyes or standard cameras fail to capture. Before you invest, consider the device’s size and weight, camera capabilities for photos and video, flight time and range, portability and storage, user experience level, and intended use. Weigh the cost factors against hiring a marketing firm to do the work for you versus hiring someone on staff who will need a drone pilot’s license. For the Matusiks, a license is the way to go. “If you don’t have the technology, you’re really falling behind,” says Jim Matusik. Bob Hursthouse uses a professional videographer for capturing drone images and creating video. “You can do a lot of

video editing for your website or clients. We don’t do enough for it to be costeffective to do it in house, but if you have someone who has those skills on your team it’s worth exploring.”

Growing to New Heights

Drone-supplied videos and photographs can definitely elevate your business. “We can’t say enough about how amazed our customers are when they see the aerial videos and images that we capture,” Jim says. “It’s not simply a flyer or a PDF on a website. Using this technology sets you apart no matter what aspect of the industry you’re in — from lawn maintenance to hardscape, landscape design — and for growers. “Get ready for take off.” *PhoDAR is a portmanteau word that joins the words “photography” and “LiDAR.” The technology creates 3D point clouds by processing imagery. PhoDAR is another name for structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry and is essentially how aerial surveys were done in years gone by using 9-inch film and very large metric cameras. No direct measurements are made to the ground, but this method uses GNSS and IMU observations like LiDAR that also directly geo-reference the data. This is the most common way of undertaking an aerial survey via drone. Definition courtesy of Luke Wijnberg.

Drones help identify irrigation and potential pest issues

The Landscape Contractor 17 November 2023

Focus — Fall 2023

by Meta Levin

eptember 21, 2023 was the 15th Turf Education Day (TED), an annual event put together by ILCA and held at the NIU Conference Center in Naperville. When a popular program changes its long standing venue, eye brows and palms begin to sweat. As it turned out, TED travelled very well. The speakers were energized and so were the attendees. The table top exhibitors had never seen so many people before, both during, and even after the event.

Shane Griffith, TED committee chair and COO of Weed Man FRI Group led off the program with a rousing welcome that set the tone for the day. Keynote speaker Daniel Potter, PhD, professor emeritus from the University of Kentucky, explained to attendees why bees and other pollinators are in danger, as well as the role of insecticides and other factors in this situation. Dr. Potter discussed how to safeguard pollinators when managing lawn and landscape pests.

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Later, Dr. Potter spoke regarding “Management of Lawn Insect Pests: It’s Getting Easier to be Green.” In this talk, he discussed diagnosis and control of common insect pests in the Midwest, using reduced-risk insecticides and non-chemical strategies, focusing on those that are most effective. Dr. Potter included tips for safeguarding beneficial insects and how to best communicate with the public about modern insecticides. Watch for more information from TED in future issues of TLC.

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The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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The Landscape Contractor

November 2023

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Sponsors— Premie/Beverage

Golf Club Cleaner Altorfer Cat Cooler Bag Sponsor Unilock Midwest Golf Towel Sponsor The Davey Tree Expert Company Breakfast Sponsor The Belden Brick Company Halfway House Sponsor Bartlett Tree Experts Bloody Mary/Mimosa Sponsor Holcim Fox River Stone Patio Pub Sponsor Vermeer Midwest 50/50 Drawing Alta Equipment Compcany Raffle Prize Sponsor RentalMax Golf Carts Premier Service Putting Green/Driving Range West Side Tractor Sales Contest Sponsors: Alta Equipment Company Brickworks Supply Cedar Path Nurseries Clesens ConservFS Eden Valders Stone Illinois Brick Company Night Light Platinum Pool-Care Reflections Water Gardens Rochester Concrete Products Russo Power Equipment SavATree & SavALawn SiteOne Landscape Supply Wilson Nurseries & Landscape Supply Tee/Hole Sponsors: Alliance Gator Atlas Bobcat Bartlett Tree Experts Blu Petroleum Hunter Industries JM Irrigation Joe Cotton Ford Kankakee Nursery Company Kramer Tree Specialists Mariani Plants Midwest Compost LLC RentalMax LLC The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Focus — Golf Outing 2023

A parting gift for Terre’s last outing! 24

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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Event Highlights — Women’s Networking Group

Hands: How do you use them by Meta Levin

The 150 women and six men attending the October 5, 2023, Women’s Networking Group event at Chandler’s Chophouse in Schaumburg. Now, they will be looking at hands, as well as other body language, when communicating with others. How are people, particularly those talking, using their hands? It was just one of the most memorable takeaways from Alison Henderson’s presentation, “Beyond Pant Suits and Power Poses – Effective Body Language for Women’s Communication.” There were many more tips as evidenced by comments from watching a video presentation on the mentoring program. Henderson used humor and body language, making her presentation interactive, telling participants not to wait until the end to ask a question. “It was definitely worth my time,” says Stephanie Leveling of The Integra Group, who drove up from southern Illinois, near St. Louis, the night before just so she could attend the morning program. Leveling, a member of the ILCA Women’s Networking Group committee, also led one of the table discussions on the topic to end the event. “We had more people come to this Women’s Networking Group event than ever before,” says Kim Hartmann, ILCA

board liaison to the Women’s Networking Group and purchasing/operations manager and organizational development manager for Rosborough Partners. Judging from the enthusiasm she saw, particularly during the roundtable discussions that followed the formal presentation, Hartmann emphasized the importance of providing opportunities for attendees to communicate with each other. Hartmann had invited two people from Rosborough Partners to join her at the event, which generated a lively conversation in the car on the way back to work, she says. Both asked about plans for the next event. Kristina Jauch showed her sense of humor as she emceed the event, setting attendees up for the presentation with her own form of body language. Amundsen Davis was the Premier sponsor and community sponsors included Ambrogio Robot, County Materials, Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply, Green Soils Management, Hunter/FX, Krugel Cobbles, Inc., LafargeHolcim/Fox River Decorative Stone, Lurvey Landscape Supply, RentalMax, SiteOne Landscape Supply and The Davey Tree Expert Company. Raffle prizes capped the morning, with a $50 Amazon gift card, two $25 Amazon gift cards, three tickets and a parking (continued on page 28)

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

m when you talk?

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Event Sponsors

Fall Events 2023 — (continued from page 27) pass to the Chicago Bears Christmas Eve game, donated by RentalMax, and three large planters donated by Hartmann. Carrie Hancock of JMR Landscaping provided the mums decorating each table that one participant from each table was able to take home. The biggest takeaways, however, came from Henderson’s presentation and the roundtable discussions. “I will carry this knowledge with me,” says Anna Blankenhagen of Midwest Groundcovers. “I’ll be more conscious when I have conversations from now on.”

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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Focus — Babylon Chicago

Norweta: Family Friendly U by Heather Prince

n the northwest corner of the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, a new community of condominium and apartment residences has taken shape around the core belief that green space is central to contemporary urban living. The Norweta project by site design group, ltd. was finished in 2019 and remains a green oasis in the Chicago cityscape. Focused around three elevated courtyards and a densely planted roofscape, residents deeply enjoy the layered plantings, thoughtful hardscape, and family-friendly design. We talked with Hana Ishikawa, AIA, ASLA, Design Principal and Mark Jirik, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP, ISA Certified Arborist, Director of Horticulture to discuss how this lovely marriage of modern architecture and innovative landscape design came together.

The Brief

“Broder Properties was really interested in a family-friendly space,” asserted Ishikawa. “I can’t stress that enough. For example, they didn’t want the chairs to be these pristine archetypes, like monuments that are uncomfortable to sit in. They should be comfortable for everyone. For example, they didn’t want a place where it would look awful if a kid took a raspberry and smushed it into the seat. It should be a place where that’s allowed and acceptable.” The property features three blocks of units separated by courtyard spaces that are connected by crisp, elegant ipe wood breezeways. The central block is rental apartments, with the two north and south blocks being condominiums. The south block is L-shaped and wraps around a swimming pool and pool deck area. It also features a rooftop garden where the penthouse units have small pop-up office spaces that let out onto individual terraces. “You get some of the best views of Chicago from those rooftop units,” observed Jirik. “It’s incredible.” The rooftop garden spaces use a grass-centered plant palette and give the impression of the Lake Michigan dunes. “The grasses give you wonderful movement in all the breezes,”

reported Jirik. “There’s generally always a little bit of wind. In the height of summer, you can experience all these cool insects, so you really do kind of forget for a second that you’re in the city until you look up at the skyline.” Two of the elevated courtyards have a lower entrance area, while the pool deck features outdoor seating, planters, and a glass atrium common area. Each common space has small special moments built in that speak to families. “We built fun moments all over the site,” said Ishikawa. “We have a little sandpit with a little rake so you can dig around and we have a large outdoor chess board. We built in storage for toys that can be left outside. We have a small climbing wall area and a basketball court in the back. There’s a dry gravel creek bed system in the main entrance where water is meant to flow when it rains. We meant it to be a place kids can observe and explore. One of my favorites is the large steel panel at one of the main entrance moments, that is a star map. We did the graphic internally with the constellations and then had it manufactured. The goal was to give children a star-gazing experience and a piece of art at the same time.”

The Challenges

The project was not without its challenges. “You’ve got all the associated challenges with being on top of a structure like drainage, limited loading, water capacity, soil volume, etc.,” commented Ishikawa. “We tried to think out of the box and do some creative things to get around those constraints. One was working very closely with the architect and the structural engineer to figure out where the best places were to provide some additional soil volume to get trees into the courtyard spaces. We used knee walls in places so we could create additional soil volume for plants. They also provide just a little bit of extra privacy for the units that face right out to those courtyards.” Although the dry creek provides an elegant note of move-

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Urban Design ment in the central entrance courtyard, there was much back and forth about creating a water feature. Initially, it was to be located in the central courtyard and spill down to the grade level, but it hit too many snags in engineering and costs. Cost overruns also dictated a switch from bluestone pavers to a neutral Unilock product. “We were super happy with the way it turned out,” said Jirik. “Kudos to Intrinsic Landscaping who was the landscape contractor on the project. We worked very closely with them out in the field and kudos to our construction admin team who had a great rapport with those guys. That kind of rapport goes a long way on a project like this where it’s very much like a Swiss watch. The square footage is tight and when you think about how many amenities, how many different plants, and how many different paving sites, you’re packing a lot in a small space on a tight schedule.” Figuring out the sun/shade mix of the different spaces required some study. “Because the buildings run north to south, the courtyards are east to west, giving you a fair amount of light, but not as much in pockets,” recalled Jirik. “We looked very closely, using the architectural model, to run shade studies and then determined what plants can go where.”

The Result

The units at Norweta were quickly snapped up by eager families, delighted with the unique outdoor spaces. “Usually when these buildings are built, upper floors get sold first, because they’re more popular,” reported Ishikawa. “In this case, those ground floor units that face towards the gardens were sold first. I think that’s pretty spectacular.” One of the selling points is the plant-rich landscapes that bring a real connection to nature throughout the outdoor spaces. The plant palette is primarily shades of green with some subtle splashes of white and color. “For this project we wanted something that was a little bit monochromatic. I think the green pops beautifully off of the dark charcoal brick of the building,” observed Jirik. The developer was very involved in the plant choices, looking for a softer, more naturalistic feel to the spaces. “It was totally okay if it looked a little bit wild. I think we’ve got over 100 different species that are established now. One of our favorites is the staghorn sumac which turns bright red in the fall. They’ve done very well in that space.” Having a diverse plant palette provides plenty of benefits. “One of (continued on page 34)

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

The Landscape Contractor 33 November 2023

Babylon Chicago (continued from page 31) the benefits to having that rich species diversity is in a sense, you’re hedging your bets a little bit, in case you lose something. We knew what plants would really work and used those, but we were given a bit of leeway to have fun with the planting plan. We don’t always get that.” The team at Broder loved reviewing the plant choices, going over almost every single plant. “That was a fun part of the design process. It felt like a curated collection of plants.” The team at site design group, ltd. is finding more developers putting green spaces first in their designs and reaping the rewards of being able to quickly fill their buildings. “They made it a point to tell us from the get go that they wanted these spaces to be the jewels of the property,” recalled Ishikawa. “With that kind of front foot forward approach, I think it paid off for them. It’s not every day a developer wants to dedicate a large part of the budget on exterior amenities and

landscape. It’s a really dynamic set of spaces. Each one is a little bit different from the next, but they all fit very well next to each other.”

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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Contenedores de piedra simulada añaden esa aparienciaépoca Por Nina A. Koziol

Hay maceteros hechos de madera,

metal,plástico, fibra de vidrio y piedra, pero ninguno se acerca a los contenedores rústicos del pasado. Los más genuinos—abrevaderos antiguos tallados de piedra caliza o granito para uso del ganado—son importados de Europa y reutilizados como recipientes o fuentes en muchos proyectos de alto nivel. Son increíblemente pesados, además de muy caros, dependiendo de la antigüedad y condición. Estas bellezas de piedra tienen una elegancia del viejo mundo difícil de superar para ese cliente muy especial y usted puede descubrirlos en chatarrerías, tiendas de antigüedades o en línea. Pero, hay otras opciones a la piedra tallada. Durante años, el Jardín Botánico de Chicago (CBG) presentó más de 40 contenedores de hypertufa en el suelo con exhibiciones sorprendentes de plantas anuales de primavera de clima frío y bulbos florecientes seguidos de plantaciones estacionales. Tom Soulsby, horticultor sénior, y miembros del personal fueron responsables del proyecto de bricolaje que produjo estos maceteros exclusivos. “Hacer contenedores es un trabajo pesado y polvoriento, pero el resultado es único y duradero”,

afirma Soulsby. La hypertufa es una piedra simulada solicitada por su durabilidad y resistencia a la intemperie. Pesa menos que la piedra sólida o el hormigón y el costo para elaborar una es muy razonable. Los contenedores de hypertufa son hechos de cemento Portland, sustrato de turba, perlita gruesa y agua. (Usted encontrará toda clase de “recetas” para hypertufa en Internet, pero proporcionamos la que usa el CBG). Los maceteros del CBG tienen un acabado desgastado para que parezcan abrevaderos y comederos europeos de época para ganado. Estos contenedores de bricolaje se prestan a una variedad de combinaciones de plantas—desde plantas de sedum y suculentas hasta bulbos de primavera, anuales, alpinas y coníferas enanas. Son ideales para plantas perennes resistentes de raíces superficiales, alpinas enanas y árboles de hoja perenne, así como hierbas tolerantes a la sequía y de ambiente cálido. Como mini-jardines, se pueden colocar en una jardinera, en un patio o elevadas en la superficie de una mesa, una escalera o en la pared de un jardín. Una mezcla para macetas sin suelo fértil o mezcla para

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Mejores Plantas, Mejor Servicio Y Mejor Selección.

macetas de cactus (diseñadas para plantas suculentas o alpinas) y una capa de gravilla o grava después de plantar, ayudan a retener la humedad. Si usa bulbos y anuales, es conveniente añadir un fertilizante granulado a la mezcla para macetas. Debido a que los contenedores tienden a ser poco profundos, son adecuados para plantas más pequeñas. Para lugares sombreados, piense en usar hostas en miniatura o plantas tropicales de hojas pequeñas. Las suculentas funcionan muy bien en sitios con sol/sombra parcial y ofrecen texturas, formas y colores contrastantes que crean una obra de arte “viviente”. Sugiera una (o 10) como una “lienzo hypertufa” para el jardín de su cliente especial. Cuando tengan tiempo de inactividad (¿existe tal cosa?), deje que su equipo de trabajo explore su creatividad haciendo estos contenedores inusuales. Esta es la receta de Soulsby para contenedores de bricolaje (fotos cortesía del Jardín Botánico de Chicago).

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TODOS JUNTOS MEJOR.

1. Reúna equipo de seguridad—guantes, gafas protectoras, mascarilla. Cree una armazón de madera con parte superior e inferior abiertas. Forre el interior con láminas de plástico de alta resistencia para que el hormigón no se pegue a la armazón. 2. Mezcle 1 parte de cemento Portland, 1/3 parte de sustrato de turba y 1/4 parte de perlita gruesa. Añada agua hasta que el hormigón húmedo se desprenda lentamente de la pala.

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

3. Vierta unas 2 pulgadas de hormigón húmedo en la parte inferior de la armazón. 4. Ponga otra lámina de plástico grande en el interior de la armazón. Añada una capa de 4 pulgadas de arena sobre la lámina. 5. Entre las dos láminas de plástico, vierta más hormigón húmedo para formar las paredes laterales. “Tratamos de hacer las paredes de un grosor de aproximadamente dos pulgadas, asegurando que queden lo más niveladas posible y no tengan bolsillos de aire”, explica Soulsby. “A medida que las paredes se hacen más altas, continuamos añadiendo arena en la parte superior de la segunda lámina de plástico. La arena soporta las paredes hasta que se endurece el hormigón”. Llene la parte superior de la armazón con la mezcla de hormigón, asegurando que la arena de apoyo esté a la misma altura. 6. Después de que el hormigón esté fraguado, pero no completamente seco (de 6 a 18 horas, dependiendo de su consistencia en el Paso 2), quite la armazón de madera y plástico. 7. “Luego envejecemos el contenedor para darle una apariencia desgastada”, afirma Soulsby. “Usamos una variedad de herramientas incluyendo martillos, escoplos y cepillos de alambre”. ¡Un año usaron una hidrolavadora! “Una vez que el contenedor ha sido envejecido, perforamos orificios de drenaje y dejamos que el hormigón se cure completamente por varias semanas”. Añadir más perlita o sustrato de turba hará el contenedor menos pesado y le dará una textura ligeramente diferente. “En nuestra experiencia, eso también los hace un poco más frágiles”. Deje el exterior del contenedor liso, en lugar de áspero, para lograr una apariencia más formal o moderna. “Forrar el molde o la armazón con hojas— especialmente las que tengan venas o patrones—es otra apariencia divertida de los contenedores”.

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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Focus — Fall Events 2023

Young Professionals Get Outdoors at Midwest Groundcovers by Nina A. Koziol

The forecast for thunderstorms and a

picking up design ideas—even the infrastructure—the sales buildings by the lot—everything gloomy day didn’t sway a huge, happy crowd from was so homey.” attending the annual Young Professionals event at Attendees were treated to walking tours of Midwest Groundcovers in St. Charles last month. the display gardens designed by Piet Oudolf, “It was our highest registration—165 registered,” Roy Diblik, Karla Patterson-Lynch and Austin said Marissa Stubler, ILCA’s membership and marEischeid as well as bus tours of the 93-acre keting manager. “It could be the venue that drew production facility. Midwest Groundcovers’ people, but there’s been more word of mouth about Catalino Mendoza explained how the hoop housthe Young Professionals Committee and more interYoung Professionals Committee es are used and how hundreds of thousands of est in what they’re doing.” Chair: Jillyan MacMorris and Many attendees were first-timers to the event. “I Associate Chair: Zachary Abear cuttings are produced as well as new techniques for managing resources. “We heard about the saw maybe a dozen faces from last year’s event that Lean Flow Process back in 2017 and we’ve been I recognized,” said Zachary Abear of Bartlett Tree working to eliminate non-value input to our prodand Associate Chair of the Young Professionals ucts,” Mendoza told attendees. “For example, Committee. “It’s really good to see this many every time we touch a plant—from the time it young individuals in our industry.” comes in until it goes to the loading dock—it Nicole Millette has been a perennial buyer adds cost, so we focus a lot on streamlining the for Platt Hill in Carpentersville for the past four operations.” Instead of moving plants from trucks years and this was her first Young Professionals to storage areas and back to the loading dock, event. “My greenhouse manager is on the Young most of the orders stay at the dock, which saves Professionals Committee and she was so excittime and “touch.” This cost-saving effort helps ed about this event. I hadn’t been to Midwest keep the price of plants reasonable. Groundcovers before and it was lovely—great to (continued on page 42) see everything in the ground rather than pots. I was

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Event Sponsors

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Focus — Fall Events 2023 (continued from page 40) Dozens of chickadees, robins, warblers and other migrating birds filled the dogwoods and junipers around the Modern Midwest Matrix Garden display as attendees walked past learning about the plants. That sweeping border was designed by Austin Eischeid. He began working with the Midwest team to develop and renovate several of the display gardens. “We use Midwest Groundcovers a lot and we wanted to get a chance to check out their facilities and meet other people,” said David Werner, Jr., an account manager with Christy Webber in Chicago. For Werner’s coworker, account manager Garret Wood, this was a first-time event as well. “I recently moved from Dallas and I wanted to get familiar with the area and people in the industry.” Nikki Melin, sales operations manager at Midwest Groundcovers and current ILCA board member said, “We asked attendees if they’d been to Midwest Groundcovers before and half had not. This is a whole new group of people who can get really excited about plants. This was a new opportunity to showcase what we do in production and in the display gardens. I was very pleased with the turnout — it’s the future of the green industry.”

reed grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha) added exclamation points to the beds. “I love the naturalistic garden planting,” Millette said. “It’s all about the drifts of colors and textures. I’m not a tidy plant person—I love the seed pods this time of year.” Lisa Zaininger, facilities manager at Midwest Groundcovers, led some of the tours. “The perennial and ornamental grass garden is our most highly maintained and gets a lot of attention,” she said. “Many labor hours go into tending that garden and Karla Lynch did a great job designing the sweeping perennial (continued on page 44)

Youn Professionals test their speed and dexterity with a sticking demonstration

Nikki Melin Although the event took place during the “shoulder season” the displays did not disappoint. Asters, calamint, Russian sage, agastache and other perennials were still blooming alongside the dried seedheads of coneflowers and yarrow. Fluffy plumes of Korean feather 42

Lisa Zaininger, facilities manager at Midwest Groundcovers, leading one of the tours The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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Focus — Fall Events 2023 (continued from page 42) border considering the constraints— keeping the plants in A to Z order.” Popular hydrangea cultivars and other shrubs are grown side-by-side so visitors can compare their size, form and flowers for future projects It was the second Young Professionals event for Nicholas Terlecki of T&T Landscape Construction in Huntley. “I came for the networking— meeting with potential future clients and partnerships. I appreciate that Midwest Groundcovers had the event under these conditions—potential storms—so many

came out and it was great to meet new people.”

Stay in Touch

Are you a young professional (age 35 or younger) working in the landscape industry? Want to gain insight from successful business owners? Build your professional network with other young professionals and industry leaders? Take part in ILCA’s Young Professionals events— Don’t miss another event: www.ilca.net/events

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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Special Feature —

Midwest Natural Garden Celebrates 70 Years

These Roots Run Deep Nina A. Koziol

In the 1980s,

if you drove west on Route 64 in what was still a semi-rural area in St. Charles, you might spot a very small sign set back and hidden by trees that simply said, “The Natural Garden.” By the time you decided to hit the brakes, you were well past the driveway. The nursery—known to savvy landscapers and gardeners—was a magnet for those seeking native plants. Back then, you’d grab a shovel, dig and bag your own plants. At least, that’s how I did it and it was a treat. Things have changed a lot and The Natural Garden recently celebrated its 70th anniversary. Walter Stephens opened the Garden in 1953. He had

rescued native species from encroaching development and cultivated woodland natives in his home garden. In 1978, he sold the nursery to Craig Sensor who hired his first employee—Roy Diblik, now owner of Northwind Perennial Farm and an internationally known plantsman. “When I first started, The Natural Garden was a big weed patch and my job was to pull weeds,” Diblik said. “The sales area was a stump where we kept the change bag. Our biggest sales day was $90, and that first year we made about $1,000.” In 1983, the nursery transitioned from field growing to containerized plants. By the time Diblik left the company in 1991, sales had eclipsed one million dollars making it one of the largest perennial retail and wholesale nurseries in Illinois.

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Transitions

Midwest Groundcovers acquired The Natural Garden in 2011, creating a valuable expansion of its native plant lines. Today, Midwest Groundcovers continues native plant production at The Natural Garden nursery site, now known as Midwest Natural Garden. “Since we acquired The Natural Garden, Midwest Groundcovers has tried to preserve much of the past—like the integrity of the stock beds, and some infrastructure like the very important seed cooler and the Stephen’s Cottage, which is always a beautiful reminder of the site’s beginnings,” says Nikki Melin, sales operations manager for Midwest Groundcovers. In the past 12 years, Midwest Groundcovers has restored and preserved the natural areas, removing non-natives and adding educational display gardens, like the Carex Classroom, and other functional spaces like the bioswale, which captures rain water, slowing and filtering it as it slowly moves to the irrigation pond. Today, the Midwest Natural Garden spans 29 acres, housing growing shelters, gardens, and stock beds. From production of native plants to the display gardens, the Midwest Natural Garden continues its legacy as a place of learning and inspiration for Midwest Groundcovers’ customers, staff and native plant enthusiasts. The outdoor Carex Classroom displays a majority of the native Carex species grown by Midwest Groundcovers and is used as an educational tool for customers and staff. Large drifts of Carex species are grouped and labelled allowing visitors to compare growth habits and the size of woodland and wetland sedges. The Roy E. Diblik Growing Center was completed in 2020. It houses offices, a lunchroom, an industrial cooler, garage space—and—drumroll—the first indoor restrooms in the garden’s history. More recently, the Midwest Native Display Gardens, designed by Austin Eischeid and Jens Jensen, were installed to showcase native plant compositions that work in different scales, from residential gardens to corporate campuses. Landscape architects and contractors, garden centers, and native plant enthusiasts tour the gardens frequently for inspiration and knowledge. (Find upcoming events https:www. midwestgroundcovers.com/blog/ ) (continued on page 48) The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Special Feature — (continued from page 47)

Celebrations

An open house in October honored the Garden’s special anniversary and drew about 90 guests. Diblik enchanted visitors with the history behind the nursery. “Roy Diblik’s fireside talks provided pictures of the past in Roy’s particularly charming manner,” said Janie Grillo, who had worked at The Natural Garden for eight years before transitioning to Midwest Groundcovers as a customer service rep. “This event was truly unique because of the location, the history, its preservation, the changes over time, the plants and, especially, the people.” Lisa Pollman, project director for Schmechtig Landscapes, was among the attendees who recalled going to the Garden years ago. “It’s such a beautiful setting under these great oak trees and gorgeous canopies. It was a warm day but so beautiful in the shade. Upon arriving, I thought to myself, ‘I needed this!’ It was such great therapy.”

Looking Ahead

The natives grown at the Garden’s original location are sold through Midwest Groundcovers under their brand, Natural Garden Natives®. The brand includes more than 200 species of native forbs, grasses, and shrubs, which are local eco-type within 90 miles of St. Charles, and are all free of neonicotinoids. “Christa Orum-Keller, president of Midwest Groundcovers, has a deep passion for native plants,” Melin said. “She has early roots with Natural Garden, as she interned there early in her career. As a company, we are so excited and thankful to be able to continue the brand legacy of The Natural Garden, and continue to cultivate a passion for native plants.” Pollman was charmed by the anniversary celebration. “I had to take it all in—it was great. Roy is a special guy. He’s so gracious, and his story telling—he is probably one of the most intuitive individuals in our industry. We were so thankful to hear him talk and get pieces and parts of the history and such great story telling.” The evening ended with many enjoying a fireside chat. “The feedback was wonderful,” Grillo said. “Many were impressed with Midwest’s commitment to preserving and at the same time improving the nursery. They were also pleased to see Midwest’s commitment to growing native plants.” Happy Anniversary. Here’s to another 70 years.

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

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The Landscape Contractor 49 11/14/22 10:31 AM November 2023

Something New — Simulated stone containers add that vintage look to special projects

Go Ahead... Trough it Up Nina A. Koziol

There are planters

made from wood, metal, plastic, fiberglass and stone, but none are quite like that of rustic troughs from back in the day. The real deal—antique watering troughs carved from limestone or granite for use by livestock—are imported from Europe and repurposed as containers or fountains in many high-end projects. They are incredibly heavy, not to mention very expensive depending on their age and condition. These stone beauties have an old-world elegance that’s hard to beat for that very special client and you may uncover them at salvage yards, antique shops or online. But, there’s another option to carved stone. For years, the Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) featured more than 40 hypertufa troughs on the grounds with eye-popping displays of cool-season

spring annuals and flowering bulbs that were followed by seasonal plantings. Senior

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Horticulturist Tom Soulsby and fellow staffers were responsible for the DIY project that produced these unique planters. “Making troughs is a heavy and dusty job, but the result is unique and lasting,” Soulsby says. Hypertufa is a simulated stone touted for its durability and weatherresistance. It’s lighter weight than solid stone or concrete and the cost to make one is quite reasonable. Hypertufa troughs are made from Portland cement, peat moss, coarse perlite and water. (You’ll find all sorts of “recipes” for hypertufa on the Internet, but we’re providing the one that CBG used.) CBG’s planters have a distressed finish designed to look like vintage European livestock watering and feeding troughs. (continued on page 52)

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Something New — (continued from page 50) These DIY containers lend themselves to a variety of plant combos—from sedums and succulents to spring bulbs, annuals, alpines and dwarf conifers. They are great for shallow-rooted hardy perennials, dwarf alpines and evergreens, as well as drought- and heatloving herbs. As mini-gardens they can be set in a garden bed, on a patio, or elevated on a tabletop, a step, or a garden wall. A fertile, soil-less potting mix or cactus potting mix (designed for succulents or alpine plants) and a layer of pea gravel or grit on top after planting helps retain moisture. If you use bulbs and annuals, you’ll want to add granular fertilizer to the potting mix. Because troughs tend to be shallow, they lend themselves to smaller plants. For shady situations, consider using miniature hostas or small-leaved tropical plants. Succulents work really well for sun/part-shade sites and they offer contrasting textures, shapes and colors that create a “living” piece of art. Suggest one (or 10) as a “hypertufa canvas” for your special client’s garden.

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The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Build your own trough garden planters When they have some down time (is there such a thing?), let your crews explore their creativity by making these unusual containers. Here’s Soulsby’s recipe for DIY Troughs (photos courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden).

1. Gather safety gear—gloves, safety glasses, mask. Create a wood frame with an open top and bottom. Line the interior with heavy-duty plastic sheets so the concrete won’t stick to the frame.

2. Mix 1 part Portland cement, 1/3 part peat moss, and 1/4 part coarse perlite. Add water until the wet concrete slowly falls off the shovel.

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Something New —

3. Pour about 2 inches of concrete into the bottom of the frame.

4. Place another large sheet of plastic on the inside of the frame. Add a 4-inch layer of sand on top of this sheet.

5. Between the two sheets of plastic, pour more concrete to form the side walls. “We try to make the walls about two inches thick, making sure they are as even as possible and have no air pockets,” Soulsby explains. “As the walls get taller, we keep adding sand on top of the second sheet of plastic. The sand supports the walls until the concrete hardens.” Fill the concrete mix to the top of the frame, making sure the supporting sand is also at the same height.

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

6. After the concrete sets, but is not completely dry (6-18 hours, depending on its consistency in Step 2), remove the wood frame and plastic.

7. “We then distress the trough to give it a weathered appearance,” Soulsby said. “We use a variety of tools including hammers, chisels, and wire brushes.” One year they used a power washer! “Once the trough is distressed, we drill drain holes and let the concrete completely cure for several weeks.” Adding more perlite or peat moss will make a trough lighter and give it a slightly different texture. “That also makes them a little more fragile, in our experience.” Leave the exterior of the trough smooth, rather than distressed, for a more formal or modern look. “Lining the mold or frame with leaves—especially those with prominent veins or patterns—is another fun look for the troughs.”

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Member Profile Snapshot

Gardenbau Group 29245 Callahan Road Wauconda, IL 60010 (847) 366-5286 www.gardenbaugroup.com

by Meta L. Levin Peter Wodarz was a high school student, on track to study architecture in college, when a speaker visited one of his classes and talked about landscape careers. It resonated with him. The result? In 1984 he graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in landscape architecture. He never looked back. Now president and founder of Wauconda based Gardenbau Group, Wodarz has had a varied career in the landscape industry, beginning by working for a small landscape contracting firm in Northbrook that had a niche business designing and building Japanese gardens. The echoes of what he learned during his three years there can still be seen in Wodarz’s designs today. “The things I put in serve a purpose,” he says. “I try not to have superfluous things in my designs.” While at the Northbrook company, he did design, sales and supervision and after three years, when the owner was getting ready to retire, Wodarz bought a small maintenance company, then a year later he acquired another one. Running them as Milieu Design, he built up a multimillion dollar operation with 80 employees, before selling it in 2016 and working for the

new owner for a while. Then, a friend, Mike Schmechtig of Schmechtig Landscapes, asked him to help with a small Wisconsin company Schmechtig also owned. He agreed and still works there, but in 2021, when his non-compete agreement expired from Milieu, he returned to his roots and started Gardenbau. “It’s been an adventure starting over again,” he says. Beginning with maintenance, he has added design/build and design. “I’m keeping it small and simple,” he says. “Instead of 80 employees, I have eight.” Wodarz has tried to create an environment in which each employee feels as if he or she is an integral part of the company. His foremen have worked for him in his previous business. Hernan Portillo is ambitious and bilingual. He grew up in Mundelein and speaks both English and Spanish. “Although he is young, he is well respected by the older guys,” says Wodarz. This helps with recruiting. Portillo also is well versed in irrigation and lighting and has his application license. “He is a real go-getter.” Alejandro Gutierrez is a foreman who, between both companies, has worked for Wodarz for 15 years. “He is personable and gets to

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

know every client,” says Wodarz. He and Adrian Murillo, another foreman who has worked for Wodarz for 20 years, pay attention to details, going the extra mile to serve the clients. “If they see a perennial that is not doing well, they find out why. They don’t just cut grass; they focus on keeping the landscape looking nice.” Portillo, Gutierrez and Murillo are known for their dedication to the client and paying attention to the design elements. “They have my respect and they know what I am looking for,” says Wordarz. Some of his clients have been with him for as long as 30 years and many have become friends. “I find joy in relationship building,” he says. He stops by to say hello, checks on landscapes and trains his foremen to do the same. To show his clients how much he appreciates them, Wodarz throws a client appreciation dinner. During the most recent one, the evening included homemade pizzas, charcuterie boards and original craft cocktails that incorporated apples from one client’s garden, as well as honey from his own beehive. Wodarz is the father of four children, two boys and two girls. One son is studying environmental engineering at Iowa State University and another works in computer science. An older daughter is in human resources with Amazon and the youngest might just follow in her father’s footsteps. She is studying architecture and landscape at the University of Vermont. The choice to go into the landscape business has served Wodarz well. “I love this business,” he says. “I love trying to help people.”

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(815) 653-9293 8920 Howe Road Wonder Lake, IL www.goodmarknurseries.com The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Classified Ads HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

ESTATE MANAGER A large west suburban estate/garden seeks a full-time salaried estate manager. The position is year-round with excellent health and associated benefits package and liberal PTO during winter months. The applicant will work in the gardens with small seasonal staff, coordinate subcontractors and vendors, and generally oversee the estate property. Proof of good character and a strong work ethic is more important than prior experience. How to apply: Please apply by email (mwalsh@walshgroup.com) or by mailing a resume to 929 West Adams, Chicago IL 60607. Please provide a full resume, background, and references.

Qualifications: 1. Minimum five years experience in sales. 2. Two years experience in field landscape maintenance procedures or equivalent. 3. Two years experience in field construction procedures or equivalent. 4. Degree in the horticulture-related field or extensive horticulture training.

and cold calls, with a concentration within our existing property routes. 6. Majority of enhancement and design/build sales to be generated through current or prospective maintenance clients 7. Snowplow sales to include referrals and cold calls as outlined in the snowplow sales plan. 8. Support administration personnel in the collection of accounts receivable generated by your clientele. 9. Participate in all scheduled sales meetings and sales events.

Turn-Key Landscape Facility For Lease Hampshire, IL Furnished Office, Shop, and 3 Acres of Lighted Yard Area For Lease. Suitable for Landscape Contractors with all the Amenities at this Turn-Key Facility. Contact Adam Neisendorf for detailed information. Email: aneisendorf@ploteproperties.com or Phone: (847) 428-1000 ext. 228 Landscape Account Manager for Plainfield Location Balanced Environments Inc. is an awardwinning and industry-certified company for landscape maintenance, design, and installation services in addition to snow and landscape management. We offer all benefits and a great working environment. Come join our team in our Plainfield Branch!

Major Objectives to be Accomplished: 1. Produce budgeted sales of new maintenance, enhancement, and snow contracts. 2. Increase knowledge of customer service and sales through training and practice. 3. Provide accurate job setup and followthrough for all contracts sold. 4. Maintain and grow large profile/portfolio client relationships through monthly site visits and timely follow-up on requests. 5. Communication of client needs to maintenance, enhancements, and snow departments, as the primary contact person with the client. 6. Maintain renewal accounts for maintenance and snow clients in your portfolio. Responsibilities and Essential Task Activities: 1. Provide project inspection, advisement, and coordination between client and maintenance, enhancement, and snowplow crews. 2. Develop and maintain quality repeat clientele and generate yearly renewal contracts. 3. Support public relations program through press releases, award entries, trade shows, networking events, etc. 4. Involvement in snowplowing operations to include new sales, renewals, and liaison between client and snow manager. 5. Solicit new maintenance work through the approved sales process to include referrals

Call Abbey for more information at (847) 287-7962 Or visit jamesmartinassociates.com/careers 58

The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Full Benefit package including company vehicle, PTO, Holidays, 401K, Health, Vision, Dental, Life, STD, LTD How to apply: Please send resume to sbradley@balancedenvironmentsinc.com Help Wanted continued on page 61 CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES December 2023 issue ads: Nov. 10, 2023 PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Magazine Cost is $5 per line Minimum charge $50 Website Cost is $12 per line Minimum charge $120 (About 6 words/line) Submit your ads online at ilca.net or Call Alycia Nagy (630) 472-2851

jamesmartinassociates.com | (847) 634-1660

HELP WANTED

Our people

are the PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Submit your ads online at ilca.net or call Alycia Nagy (630) 472-2851 ext. 1

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The Landscape Contractor November 2023

CURRENT OPENINGS

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HELP WANTED Classic Landscape Seeking Account Manager/Sales At Classic Landscape, we take pride in delivering exceptional landscape maintenance services to our clients. We are a dynamic and growing company that is committed to creating and maintaining beautiful outdoor environments for the last 60 years. We are seeking a Landscape Maintenance Sales Representative/Account Manager to join our team and help us expand our client base. Your primary responsibilities will include: -Identifying and reaching out to potential clients interested in landscape maintenance services and snow services. -Conducting site visits to assess clients’ needs and recommend tailored solutions. -Preparing detailed maintenance/snow proposals and estimates. -Collaborating with our maintenance teams to ensure the successful execution of contracted services. -Building and maintaining strong client relationships.

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

Changing of the Gourd

By Nina A. Koziol

It’s fall. Take a deep breath. Think about how you can dress up your clients’ containers for the coming winter holidays. Out with the pumpkins (soon) and in with twigs, berries, evergreens, dried flowers, pine cones and perhaps some tiny LED lights. These spot-on designs were created by Kelly Considine Girup and Lindsay Buchalski at Wheaton Garden Works.

Qualifications: Proven experience in landscape maintenance/ snow sales, 3 years minimum. Strong knowledge of landscape maintenance services and products. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Self-motivated, results-driven, and a passion for sales. Full Benefit package including company vehicle, PTO, Holidays, 401K, Health/ Vision/Dental How to apply: Email hire1@classiclandscapeltd.com

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The Landscape Contractor November 2023

Before You Go —

White Fir for Your Winter Blues by Mark Dwyer

’ve always felt that blue is underused and lacking in the landscape from both flowers and foliage. While some of our conifers offer year-round contributions in blue tones, I’ve become smitten with white firs (Abies concolor) for addressing my “blues”. A slow growth rate, significant price tag and fluctuating availability shouldn’t deter the discerning landscaper from considering the contribution of this species. It’s not difficult to appreciate the inherent beauty of silvery blue needles that provide such a lasting impression in the garden 365 days per year. This contribution in winter is particularly striking! Native to mountain slopes (3,000-9,000 feet in elevation) in the western United States, this fir has broad adaptability in other regions of the country if given proper siting and consideration. White fir is considered one of the best firs for the Midwest and has seen increasing use as a substitute for the Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens) which has been frequently overplanted and suffers from an array of ailments that become more prominent with age. White firs do best in deep, rich, moist and well drained soils and prefer a slightly acidic situation if possible (although slightly alkaline is acceptable). Abies concolor, while adaptable to gravelly soils, will not thrive in heavy clay soils and excessively wet sites. Tolerating not only drought, white firs can also handle heat and cold temperatures (z 4-7). With relatively few insect and disease problems they are also rarely browsed by deer.

A. concolor ‘Blue Cloak’ 62

Positioning white firs in full sun is ideal although they will tolerate partial shade. The best blue coloration on the needles will occur in full sun locations although there is some variability in the blue tone associated with the specific variety of white fir. The soft, flattened needles (1.5-2.5” long) appear light green in spring and attain their blue coloration by summer. Both sides of the needles are the same color, hence the specific epithet of “concolor.” The needles are spiral on the shoot but are upswept across the top of the shoot in flat ranks. Crushed needles emit a lemony scent. Cones are rare but can appear with age. Although most white fir selections are consistently a decent blue tone, the varieties ‘Candicans’ and ‘Blue Cloak’ are thought to be among the most blue of conifers! These are my two favorite selections which I’ve grown now for over 30 years. There is an amazing array of compact, narrow, dwarf and miniature forms of Abies concolor that are worth exploring as well. My favorites include ‘La Veta,’ ‘Conica,’ ‘Glauca Compacta,’ and ‘Wattezii Prostrata.’ I’ve designed some conifer gardens that rely on these smaller spots of “powder blue” to unify the collection and while sourcing these gems can be challenging, it is worth the time and expense if you have the right spot to keep them happy. Augment your seasonal blues with white firs!

A. concolor ‘Candicans’ The Landscape Contractor November 2023

A. concolor ‘La Veta’

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