The Landscape Contractor magazine JUL.21 DIGITAL EDITION by Association Publishing Partners

Preserving Mature Trees

A New Eye on Shrubs

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July 2021

CONTENTS Excellence In Landscape Awards Project

FOCUS: Embracing Landscape Design Challenges Nature and Nurture 10 Creating healthier and more sustainable landscapes How to Preserve Mature Trees During Installs Craig Bergmann offers his experience

Shrubs that Dazzle 20 Varieties that offer flower power and performance Rating Russian Sage 30 Richard Hawke reviews Peroskovia field tests

EN ESPAÑOL

Cómo conservar especímenes maduros durante las instalaciones 34 How to Preserve Mature Trees During Installs

Practicing What She Preaches Denise Sandoval’s Sustainable Garden

Get More Followers on Social Media Tips for Garden Pros

Meet the New ILCA Board Officers Scott McAdam, Jr., Jeff Kramer, Ashley Marrin

Diseases and Pests 53 Box tree moth and powdery mildew

Inspiration Alley 61 The funky, whimsical and playful Hidden Landscape Gems 62 Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Garden On the cover... Mariani Landscape won a Gold Award in 2020 for this project titled Belgian Beauty. The Landscape Contractor July 2021

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CONTENTS

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

Calendar 4 5 7 54 61

AUGUST August 19, 2021 WNG Event Ball Seed

SEPTEMBER Photo Credits

ILCA Awards Committee Craig Bergmann Mark Dwyer Richard Hawke/CBG Denise Sandoval Heather Prince

1, 8-9, 46-48 14-18, 34-36 20-28 30-32 38-43 53, 62

George O’Hara Nina Koziol Heather Prince

September 15, 2021 Turf Education Day

54 61 62

September 22-24, 2021 OWN IT! - Owners & Senior Managers Conference The Abbey Resort, Fontana, WI

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

September 30, 2021 ILCA Golf Outing

Volume 62, Number 7. 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.

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October 19, 2021 The Impact Conference

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meta.levin@comcast.net Nina Koziol

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From Where I Stand — Gentleman, the officer who doesn’t know his supply lines as well as his tactics, is totally useless. Gen. George S. Patton, USA

The line between order and disorder lies in logistics. Sun Tzu

Every landscape professional knows

that sourcing materials is never as easy as shopping at Target. Never before has this been clearer than in the past 18 months. An international pandemic, a society that relies on a global economy and labor force, and two shockingly good landscape seasons have stretched supply lines to their limits. There are few spots in the world that were not heavily impacted by Covid-19, especially developing nations. This is complicated by the fact that many of these nations supply the labor force that manufactures hard goods. Oh, but the headaches don’t stop with simple manufacturing and shipping logistics. Almost nothing about the Covid economy made sense in the first six months. We went from a two-week horizon line where the entire planet would grind to a halt to a chronic 18-month long environment where everyone figured out a way to keep producing and consuming. Some consumers relied on the Federal Government for food and housing assistance, others worked from home and amassed a pile of disposal income that could be spent online, on their houses, or on their entertainment. Consumers, faced with a waning list of hobbies, did what they did best — shopped. Of course, even the slightest hesitation in those first few months of the pandemic had a massive impact downstream. We saw this in our own industry as nurseries, both local and national, planned for the worst and under-planted thinking most people wouldn’t be enjoying landscapes from their basements. This decision led to severe plant shortages as landscapers not only sold the usual amounts, but shot passed annual sales goals. Plants are just one example of a growing list of products that have been choked by supply line issues. Looking for a truck? Computer chips got choked as people retooled their homes and home offices. This was especially true in the automobile industry where the shortage is expected to cost automakers $61 billion in lost revenue by not having an ample supply of equipment to keep cars coming off the line. This led to a gas shortage as gasoline was underutilized for much of 2021 but has shot up like a rocket as vaccination rates climb. Families are traveling, workers are heading back to the office, and people feel more comfortable shooting down to the grocery store or going out to eat. Gas prices have shot up 22.5% already since March 2021. The list goes on and on. Houses, lumber, furniture, plastic, ketchup, toilet paper, personal care products, Pelotons, chicken wings, bacon, hot dogs, coffee, cheese, chlorine, compressed oxygen, corn and hundreds of other products have all been stressed in recent months. Even burlap is in short supply as jute factories were converted to food production or closed due to Covid in Brazil, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. And, of course, the most precious resource of all — labor — has been in waning supply for five years

now. This isn’t just one butterfly flapping its wings on the other side of the world, this is every butterfly flapping at once. When we look at the sheer magnitude of product and material shortages, it seems like the landscaping industry has gotten off relatively easy by not being able to find arborvitae. The millstone around the landscape industry’s neck during this time is the same one lashed to almost every industry. We have become reliant on just in time (JIT) inventory because, for decades, the entire global system has been moving in that direction. Improved manufacturing and logistics coupled with easier ordering have created a system where we order, build, bill, and pay for items at the last possible second. It does not make sense to create massive inventory caches when the system actively encourages businesses not to worry about the supply line. I am not one to say the system needs to change. Just in time works and will work again. Instead, let’s examine how landscape companies, or any business, should approach disruptions to the supply line. Most of the time they are annoying, but sometimes they can absolutely cripple a business. Imagine a mason who can’t get stone, or a carpenter who can’t get lumber, or a plumber who can’t get pipe. Well, those are just some of the many components that make up a high functioning landscape company and they are all happening at once. A landscape company or supplier should write a Product Reliance Plan. A landscape company could draft one of these in two days’ time. The first step, is utilizing Quickbooks to identify the top 25 vendors you depend on. Now, often this will be the top vendors and products by gross expenditures. However, a company must also identify any product or service that absolutely would bring your business to a halt if the vendor disappeared tomorrow. The irrigation company and PVC pipe or the mosquito control company without pyrethroids are good examples of a weak point that brings the entire business model to a screeching halt. Once you have your list of 20-30 vendors, they need to be organized by threat/opportunity to your business in two ways. First, how integral is the actual product to your business? Second, how widely available is the product from other sources or are there other alternatives available. It is best to use a five-tier or even a three-tier system if you want a quick and dirty analysis. Let’s look at two examples. The first is sod. Let’s say you actively engage in large public works-scale projects that require a lot of sod. Sod is therefore important to your business. There are some alternatives to turf and there are multiple sod nurseries you have ordered from in the past due to pricing or availability. This company may put sod as a Tier 4 or Tier 5 priority at the lower end of the spectrum. The second example is salt. Let’s say a landscape business does 20% of its annual revenue in snow control. Even the slightest fluctuations in salt pricing or availability could put a stranglehold on snow operations. No salt means no control. Salt would be a Tier 1 priority for the business. Once you have done the exercise of identifying and prioritizing your vendor list, you then have your top ten or co-dependent dozen. You absolutely NEED these suppliers and you cannot have yo-yos in pricing, shortages, or poor customer relationships mar your progress. You know you spend a lot of money with them, you know they

Supply Side Economics

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

From Where I Stand —

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are vital to your success, and you know you can’t live without them. First, the relationship has to be rock solid. Someone needs a pipeline to the supplier whether that is the owner, buyer, designer, GM, or ops manager. They need to be on a first name basis with their sales rep. The bookkeeper needs to know those checks need to go out first. The business needs to also have more patience solving disputes and avoid nickel and diming one another. Second, the business needs to either pay attention to product delays and shortages being reported by the supplier or they need to have quarterly check-ins on items that will have shortages, price variability, or delays. This needs to be an active conversation so that supply line disruptions can be headed off at the pass. Lastly, if delays are intractable and unavoidable, the landscape business will know when to inform the client which is a necessary evil when dealing with international, chronic disruptions. The Product Reliance Plan serves two purposes. First, it’s an “in case of emergency, break glass” document that can be revisited if there is a pandemic, natural disaster, labor crisis, strike, war, deep freeze, or any other series of events that cripple supply lines. Second, it helps a business identify its vulnerabilities by keying in on the products and vendors that rule your business. A Product Reliance Plan then helps a business dive deeper into its chart of accounts on the expense side versus simply being overwhelmed by the list of vendors in your Quickbooks. This document helps landscape companies better understand their exposure and improves relationships with suppliers. Everybody wins. It is very possible that the worst is not yet behind us. Inflation is already being seen in certain industries looking to play catch-up from economic devastation like gas, airlines, and clothing manufacturers. In addition, the Black Swan of 2020-2021 will give way to rampant speculation. In my conversations with landscape businesses, all understand that the great times will soon be over, but the good times will likely remain. At some point, the blips of 2020 and 2021 will regress to the mean. Consumers will find other ways to park their dollars. Suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers hear this chatter too. They have the impossible task of predicting the future based on a past that no one anticipated based on a previous gloom and doom prediction that turned out to be completely wrong. Yet, these suppliers need to plant, build, construct, fabricate, repair, and replicate. They too are at the mercy or their own supply lines and utilize just in time inventory like everyone else. The exercise detailed above for landscape companies can easily be modified for suppliers, wholesalers, and distributors. Supply line delays are often not given the amount of strategic planning they deserve. Because they are often widespread, most businesses just shrug in exasperation. Because they typically occur in times of increased demand, businesses get caught navel-gazing at their bottom line. Let’s use these massive, widespread, international supply chain issues to focus on just how important materials and those who produce them are too our landscape businesses. There will be plenty of company among the businesses who lurch along and shake their fists at the daily bad news from their suppliers. There will be far fewer companies who put a plan in place so when those 20 arborvitae magically appear in a nursery yard, that nursery knows exactly who to call first.

Scott Grams, Executive Director June 19, 2021

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

President’s Message —

As we enter a new fiscal year, I find myself reflecting on what was a particularly difficult year of seemingly insurmountable odds. Who would have predicted that the 2020 season would start at the precipice of the COVID-19 pandemic? Terms such as social distancing, shelter-in-place, essential business, and “stay safe” became common in daily conversation. Do I even need to discuss the toilet paper rationing? We were all entering our busiest season, all having the same feeling of overwhelming concern, trying to answer the question of “are we essential?” I cannot speak for everyone, but for myself, it was a year engrossed in social isolation, anxiety, and physical, mental, and emotional fatigue. In retrospect, the amount of time, energy, and emotion that was dedicated to overcoming this obstacle seemed inconceivable, but with tenacity and grit, we made it through. This is what defines our industry – we are gritty, hard-working, and dedicated professionals that will do anything and everything it takes to get the job done. If the pandemic has taught me anything, it is that I have much more gratitude for the people I am surrounded by and the small things we take for granted. With that in mind, some thank-yous are in order. First, to the ILCA staff, I cannot thank you enough for your efforts, Scott McAdam, Jr. sacrifices, and professionalism throughout the past year. You continue to prove why being a member is so important. From the daily digests and pandemic guidance to completely relearning how to perform your job in an isolated and digital world and from finding new ways to provide educational opportunities and keeping a connection to members through a computer screen, I thank you. There is no question that our industry would not be nearly as healthy, strong, and united coming out of this pandemic had it not been for your efforts. You are the glue that holds us together. To the ILCA Board. You all give so much of your personal time for the benefit of the membership and the industry, and without all of you, I would not be the professional I am today. I find myself constantly learning from your insights and experiences and I am so grateful to be a part of such a fantastic team of individuals. And finally, to the membership: I would like to thank you for the opportunity and the privilege of serving as the next President of ILCA. I am humbled and invigorated by your support, and I look forward to leading our organization into a new year, filled with new opportunities. This coming year, it is my hope that we are all a little more present, have a little more compassion and understanding, and have just a little more gratitude. Let’s make this year one to remember! Sincerely,

President

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

Vice-President

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

Secretary-Treasurer

Ashley Marrin Bret-Mar Landscape Management Group, Inc. (708) 301-8160 ashley@bretmarlandscape.com

Immediate Past President Donna Vignocchi Zych ILT Vignocchi, Inc. (847) 487-5200 dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com

Directors

Eric Adams Russo Power Equipment (847) 233-7811 eadams@russopower.com Jim Cirrincione Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. (630) 323-1411 jcirrincione@hinsdalenurseries .com

Scott McAdam, Jr.

Jennifer Fick Wilson Nurseries and Landscape Supply (847) 683-3700 jennf@wilsonnurseries.com Tom Klitzkie Nature’s Perspective Landscaping (847) 475-7917 tklitzkie@naturesperspective.com Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net Kevin Manning K & D Enterprise Landscape Management, Inc. (815) 725-0758 kmanning@kdlandscapeinc.com Mark Utendorf Emerald Lawn Care, Inc. (847) 392-7097 marku@emeraldlawncare.com

Al entrar en un nuevo año fiscal, me encuentro reflexionando sobre lo que fue un año particularmente difícil lleno de obstáculos y desafíos que parecían insuperables. ¿Quién habría predicho que la temporada de 2020 comenzaría en el precipicio de la pandemia del COVID-19? Términos tales como distanciamiento social, refugiarse en el lugar, negocios esenciales y “mantente a salvo” se convirtieron en expresiones comunes en las conversaciones diarias. ¿Necesito hablar del racionamiento del papel higiénico? Todos estábamos entrando en nuestra temporada de mayor actividad, todos con el mismo sentimiento de preocupación abrumadora, tratando de contestar la pregunta de si “¿somos esenciales?”. No puedo hablar por todos, pero para mí fue un año marcado por el aislamiento social, la ansiedad y la fatiga física, mental y emocional. En retrospectiva, la cantidad de tiempo, energía y emoción dedicada a superar este obstáculo parecía inconcebible, pero con tenacidad y determinación, logramos salir adelante. Esto es lo que define nuestra industria – somos profesionales resueltos, trabajadores y dedicados dispuestos a hacer cualquier cosa y todo lo necesario para completar el trabajo. Si algo me ha enseñado la pandemia, es que estoy más agradecido de las personas que me rodean y las pequeñas cosas que damos por un hecho. Con eso en mente, algunos agradecimientos son importantes. Primero, al personal de ILCA. No puedo agradecerles lo suficiente sus esfuerzos, sacrificios y profesionalismo durante todo el año pasado. Ustedes continúan demostrando por qué ser miembro es importante. Desde boletines informativos diarios y orientaciones sobre la pandemia hasta reaprender completamente cómo realizar su trabajo en un mundo aislado y digital; desde encontrar nuevas formas de proporcionar oportunidades educativas y mantener una conexión con los miembros a través de la pantalla de una computadora, por todo eso les doy las gracias. No hay duda de que nuestra industria no habría salido de esta pandemia tan saludable, sólida y unida, sin sus esfuerzos. Ustedes son el pegamento que nos mantiene unidos. A la Junta de ILCA. Todos ustedes aportan tanto de su tiempo personal en beneficio de nuestra membresía y la industria que sin ustedes, no sería yo el profesional que soy ahora. Me encuentro aprendiendo constantemente de sus aportes y experiencias y estoy agradecido de ser parte de un equipo de individuos tan fantástico. Y finalmente, a la membresía. Deseo agradecerles la oportunidad y el privilegio de servir como el próximo Presidente de ILCA. Me honra y fortalece el apoyo que me dan y espero con entusiasmo dirigir nuestra organización en un nuevo año, lleno de nuevas oportunidades. Este año que viene, espero que todos estemos un poco más presentes, tengamos un poco más de compasión y comprensión y solo un poquito más de gratitud. ¡Hagamos de este año un año para recordar!

Scott McAdam, Jr.

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

James Martin Associates • Mundelein Berish Residence

The homeowners had

a few distinctive design ideas they wanted in the design. One was a fire table set on large paving pads with exposed joints with turf or decorative gravel. The second was that the overall look should have a strong emphasis on linear lines without a lot of fussy design details. So, the design team started the process with multiple concepts addressing pool location and layout, focusing on the

ratio of impervious space to planting/lawn space as well as how plant material could be used to define and separate the outdoor rooms. All of which kept in mind that the transition from each area would use long linear step treads. From the conceptual stage to the final plan the design team correlated with the architect, builder, and pool contractor to review drainage issues that need to be addressed in their scope of work.

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Master Class Highlights —

A Master Class with Professor Bill Sullivan

Nature and Nurture: Creating Healthier, More Sustainable Communities By Meta Levin

“We need nature at every

doorstep,” says William C. (Bill) Sullivan, professor of Landscape Architecture and Director of the Smart Healthy Community Initiative at the University of Illinois. Sullivan did a popular “Master Class” for iLandscape365, titled, “Nature and Nurture: Creating Healthier, More Sustainable Communities.” Sullivan’s research measures the impact having regular contact with nature has on people and communities. It’s probably no surprise to those who work in the green industry that he has found a lot to recommend it. People who have contact with green spaces are more productive, calmer and have stronger relationships, he says. “It is one of the least expensive and most impactful things you can do. We are starting to see landscape contractors and landscape architects as being part of the healthy infrastructure of the places in which we live, work, and play.” The work of these professionals provides easy access to nature, thereby supporting individual people, families and communities. Landscape contractors and others in the green industry can use information, like that from Sullivan’s research, to their advantage. “Trees,” he wrote in a 2016 research paper, “are a relatively inexpensive and easy intervention to enhance the strength of social ties among neighbors.” Parks and other green spaces, even tree lined thoroughfares, can provide a place where neighbors can see each other and strengthen social ties. “It is,” he says, “an important predictor of a healthy neighborhood.” When people are outdoors and see each other regularly, they can exchange information and be supportive in even small ways. A simple

hello can turn into swapping of names. It can provide a safe space for neighbors to come together, even if for short, recurring contact with each other. For the most part, the public’s view of nature doesn’t mesh with what Sullivan’s research has found. Proximity to nature is viewed by most people as something that is nice, but not necessary. People tend to think of nature as far away; something to which you must escape and that time will sustain you until you can get away again. To challenge those notions, Sullivan and his graduate students at the University of Illinois have looked at the effect of urban design on a person’s ability to recover from stressful events. They even studied how the views from high school classrooms impacted a student’s ability to learn, as well as the influence urban green spaces have on the amount of physical activity people get, their mental health and even their relationships with others. For instance, for a 2016 research project, Sullivan and his graduate students chose five high schools. Each had classrooms with no windows, with windows that looked out on to a built space that contained no vegetation, and a third classroom that had windows that overlooked trees and grass. In each of the five, they brought in students who attended that school, so that they were comfortable in familiar surroundings and randomly assigned them to one of the three classrooms – without windows, with windows that looked out to a build space, and with windows that overlooked a green space. The students were then given the same high stress academic activities. (continued on page 10

“...greener landscapes produce healthier people.”

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

A Partnership in Plants...

SUPPORTING DIVERSITY IN THE LANDSCAPE

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Master Class Highlights — (continued from page 10)

After conducting these activities, Sullivan and his graduate students measured the students’ stress levels, then allowed the students to take a break in the classroom. The stress levels of those who were in the classrooms with windows that looked out on trees and green spaces came down significantly faster than the others. “When people are in green spaces, or even have a view to a green space, they recover more quickly from stressful events,” he says. The demands of our modern world result in most of us experiencing mental fatigue and that means, “We are often not our better selves,” says Sullivan. Just seeing trees and greenery can have a positive effect on our recovery from mental fatigue as well as on our mental health and behavior. “Even when we just have a view of green space, we are less likely to say something that we don’t mean or to become angry and violent.”

Green spaces may affect crime rates. In a 2001 study, Sullivan and his colleagues looked at the correlation between green spaces and reported crimes in apartment buildings. “Results indicated that although residents were randomly assigned to different levels of nearby vegetation, the greener a building’s surroundings were, the fewer crimes reported,” he wrote. This held true for both property and violent crimes, no matter the height of the buildings, number of apartments and vacancy rates. His research has shown that people who grow up with regular access to the kind of spaces that landscape contractors build, become better problem solvers and even tend to be better at inhibiting impulsive behavior. “In general, we are finding that greener landscapes produce healthier people,” he says.

Not an ILCA Member? JOIN NOW for 2021! Call Marissa at 630-472-2851 for membership information. Set yourself up for the great recovery ahead.

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

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Focus — Embracing Landscape Design Challenges

How to Preserve Mature Spe By Heather Prince

We have an innate connection

to trees and creating, installing, editing, and maintaining landscapes often involves their keeping and care. Established neighborhoods usually come with a mature tree canopy that not only provides cooling shade, but grounds the homes in the neighborhood and provides unique personality to our built spaces. How do we preserve trees when called in to craft a landscape design? What are some proven techniques to protect treasured trees and keep them healthy? We spoke to Craig Bergmann, RLA, ASLA owner and principal at Craig Bergmann Landscape Design. An award-winning landscape architect, Bergmann and his team work with many properties that feature mature trees on sites with home building projects and landscape renovations.

Why keep mature trees?

“Well, there is nothing that ages a new project better than mature trees,” commented Bergmann. “This said, the shade provided often helps establish new plantings within this shelter and often increases wildlife habitat. It typically is

the mature evergreen tree that shelters cardinals and mourning doves that so many of us enjoy in our landscapes. If kept healthy and the landscape is developed with the long-term health in mind of mature trees on new project sites, a symbiotic relationship between old and new plantings can be accomplished.” Large trees also offer a greater amount of ecosystem services including absorbing stormwater, sequestering carbon, cooling the atmosphere and mitigating heat islands, improving air quality, and providing homes for wildlife such as bees, butterflies, and birds. The ideal situation is for the landscape team to be involved in pre-construction plans from the beginning. This ensures that trees may be protected, buildings could be sited to respond to trees and garden views, and construction scheduling is designed to work for all parties involved. “The major challenge is to educate all members of the construction project team of the program to work on the tree’s behalf and not for just the humans involved,” observed Bergmann. “Mature trees like mature humans resist change, therefore the true landscape professional needs to own the protection of the tree

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

cimens During Installations

and police the site and program for the tree to even have a chance of survival.”

Phone a friend

Roots are the issue

During construction and landscaping work, Bergmann had a number of tried-and-true practices that have kept mature healthy and vibrant on his projects. “Avoiding the root zone altogether, therefore no change in underplanting, irrigation or construction impact on canopy, trunk or root zone,” can be critical for tree health. “Major protection fencing of the root zone determined by the arborist, not the general contractor,” ensures that proper care is taken for the tree. Soil compaction can be a significant factor in whether a tree makes it through the construction process and remains healthy in the following years. Compaction by heavy machinery, construction material storage, or repeated vehicle traffic presses air and water spaces out of the soil. If you’re working with clay soils, the fine particle size of clay compacts more easily and can create an almost concrete-like post-construction soil where trees will struggle to thrive. If roots are protected, trees can successfully survive and recover from more minor impacts. Sometimes there is no avoiding the need to cut tree roots. “If major tree roots must be cut, then do this work with an arborist not a backhoe,” insisted Bergmann.

Partnering with certified arborists specializing in construction practices can make the project run smoothly and ensure the best results for the trees. The species of tree can also determine protection practices. Oaks and beeches, for example, resent root disturbance to such a degree that they may fail a few years post-construction. Bergmann stressed, “The best partner is time to plan and to pre-project work at the right time of year. Triage work only after the fact seldom results in a living tree after five years.” Construction timing may include working when trees are dormant to minimize stress or soil compaction or pruning trees in the proper season when certain pests and disease are not active. When planning with trees in mind, consulting certified arborists trained in construction mitigation can not only save the trees, but reduce costs of future care. “Plan for construction ahead of time by proper canopy and root reduction if construction impact is imminent. Afterwards, arborists will then enhance future fibrous root growth with root promoters,” recommended (continued on page 16) Bergmann. The Landscape Contractor 15 July 2021

Focus — Embracing Landscape Design Challenges

Once construction of buildings is complete and it is time to install plant material, how do you plant with mature trees in mind? “Airspading the root zone to expose root structure and then plant only in areas where roots are not damaged through planting of new materials,” Bergmann finds it critical to success. “Replace moved out soil with a light loam for better aeration of soil. Be sure to select and install new plant materials with similar cultural requirements of the mature tree.” Many landscape installations call for irrigation systems for new plantings so they may establish successfully. However, irrigation systems can create more headaches for mature trees. “Do NOT impose automatic irrigation on a mature tree if it was not irrigated before,” emphasized Bergmann. “If not from construction, the next killer of mature trees is imposing excess water from systems not regulated properly for the tree.” Pull the arborist in to consult with your irrigation contractor to determine the appropriate settings for the correct amount of water delivered to the new plantings that will also benefit tree health and recovery. Sometimes, this may involve a diligent hand-watering program with the maintenance crew that will allow for all the plants’ needs and can respond to the increasingly unpredictable weather we experience with climate change. The initial investment in crew time can pay big dividends in keeping trees healthy and saving the hefty expense of removal in following years.

The house is built, the plants are in, what’s next? Ideally, your company has the maintenance contract for the project going forward. Monitoring the trees when you make maintenance visits keeps potential pests and diseases at bay and catches signs of stress. “Seasonal monitoring of health and potential pests and pathogens,” recommended Bergmann means you can potentially nip problems before they become real issues. “Proper available nutrition and water to ensure recovery,” commented Bergmann is also essential as large trees start to regrow cut roots and add new top growth. “A contract with an arborist for mature tree care prior to problems revealing itself,” can make all the difference between the clients enjoying the 80-foot bur oak that creates a dramatic canopy for years to come or starting over after its removal with a three-inch caliper sapling. Having a plan prior to construction, protecting tree roots from compaction and disturbance, underplanting with tree health foremost, and regular follow-up monitoring can ensure the large trees on your clients’ properties are beautiful, highfunctioning specimens for years to come. As landscape contractors, you “are the only tree advocate on the site except for the owner,” Bergmann advocated. “If neither take charge, the trees are what suffer. Being responsible for the environmental and cultural conditions of a site are paramount in long-term landscape health and a great relationship with the client.”

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

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The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Focus — Embracing Landscape Design Challenges Craig Bergmann’s Favorite Trees for Form and Vigor Amelanchier laevis ‘Cumulus’

Crataegus ‘Winter King’

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Nyssa sylvatica sp. and cultivar ‘Wildfire’

Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Cole’s Select’

Quercus bicolor

Carpinus caroliniana

Ulmus ‘Accolade’ and ‘Frontier’

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

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The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Special Feature — Live at iLandscape

Mark Dwyer Talks About —

iLandscape

0 2 Landscape 1 The i llinois + wi2 sconsin C T Show

Shrubs that Dazzle

A look at new varieties that offer flower power and outstanding performance Nina A. Koziol

Shrubs are the workhorses of

residential landscapes and breeders have been busy creating new cultivars with very desirable traits — more flowers, longer bloom time, better fall color and compact forms. Mark Dwyer shared his favorites — old and new — at this year’s virtual iLandscape. He owns and operates Landscape Prescriptions by MD, a landscape design and consultation business in Janesville, WI. “I wish we had about three hours to talk abut shrubs,” Dwyer said. “Shrubs really should be integrated into all our beds and borders. The compact version of many of these plants provides all the attributes but in a smaller package. Expanding our palette as landscapers and

designers is vital. It equates to a dynamic landscape and more business for us. I’m excited to see so many new introductions that have wide applicability and use in our projects.”

eration. The form and ultimate size is important. We shoe-horn a lot of plants into a drawing and the crowding issues become immediate.”

Hugging the House

Aronia melanocarpa

“We use shrubs to soften the foundation and stay under windows, but we should go beyond that. Consider them as a compositional tool but be aware of their eventual size.” Diablo ninebark (Physocarpus ‘Diablo’) is an example of a shrub that can smother the corner of a house if not given the proper space. “I love it for its foliage and arcing form, but the real estate it takes up is immense and you have to take that into consid-

Aronia melanocarpa Low Scape Mound™ 20

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Low Scape Mound™

“Shrubs should have multiple seasons of interest. This one is 14 to 16 inches tall and shade.” Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Plants have a wide range of soil tolerance including boggy soils. Best fruit production usually occurs in full sun. The plant can sucker, reaching a 3 to 4 foot spread.

Fothergilla x intermedia Legend of the Fall™

“This shrub offers outstanding red fall color. But there are also fragrant white flowers in spring. It’s shadetolerant and native to North America. Wonderful spring blooms, late spring color. They can take some shade, but they’re poor root competitors unless you have irrigation. The best I’ve seen have been grown in full sun. This selection gets into the 4 to 6 foot range and the kaleidoscope of colors is amazing. There’s also Legend of the Small that’s

coming out.”

Invincibelle Garnetta® Smooth Hydrangea

“One of the most compact hydrangeas at 30 inches tall and wide. This new introduction features garnet-red blossoms that fade to pink. I think the Invincibelle series is great. Garnetta has a plum coloration to the flowers.”

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Special Feature — Live at iLandscape Magical Moonlight Buttonbush “Beautiful flowers, great for pollinators and as a native grows in wetland areas at 10 to 12 feet tall. Bred for compact form at 4 to 5 feet. It leans into the red range in fall color. And the glossy foliage is rarely bothered by pests or disease.”

Neon Burst™ Dogwood This compact dogwood has attractive chartreuse leaves that keep their color in the sun and through the heat of the summer. “New leaves are tinged with bronze and the stems have a rich red hue early in the season. In the fall, foliage becomes a rainbow of purple, red, yellow and orange with stems turning glossy scarlet red in the winter.”

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Special Feature — Live at iLandscape Sweet Emotion Abelia

“The benefit is that it’s fragrant and it’s an arcing form like ninebark. Come October it has fabulous fall foliage.” The super fragrant blooms start off as dark pink buds that open to

a pale pink bloom. Standing 5 to 6 feet tall and wide, the blossoms’ spicy sweet scent begins in late May to early June.

Hydrangea Limelight Prime® “Start with height — do you want one that’s seven or five or three feet tall? There must be 60-plus panicle hydrangea varieties now. In our cool, wet summers they’ve looked great and have been selling like hotcakes. They bloom on old and new wood. Panicle hydrangeas are robust plants and I’ve seen them at 12 yet tall. Little Lime at 6 feet is also nice. This one is very compact.”

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

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Special Feature — Live at iLandscape Iceberg Alley® Sageleaf Willow This native plant cultivar was discovered by the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador Botanical Garden. The powdery silver foliage of this small shrub is a great addition to the landscape, adding texture and contrast when combined with other shrubs. Reaches a height and spread of about 5 feet.

Baby Kim® Lilac “Miss Kim was a go to plant for many years, but it gets bigger and bigger. Now we have one in the three-foot range that’s exciting”. (Grows 24 to 36 inches tall by 30 to 36 inches wide.) “It’s one of the shortest out there.” 26

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

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The Landscape Contractor July 2021

HinsdaleNurseries.com

Auctioneers Note: Studebaker Nurseries and Farms has been a leader in serving the wholesale tree and shrub industry for over 50+ years. The 1,000+ acre growing complex has been sold LOCATION: 11140 Milton-Carlisle Rd., New Carlisle, and operations will cease as of August 15th. This is a complete liquidation. Most all of this equipment is in operation today. Make plans to participate in these auctions. OH 45344 DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of I-70 east of Dayton, OH INSPECTION TIMES: Staffed Inspection: Friday, September 3rd • 9 am - 3 pm. (All items) take US 235 N (Exit 41B). Travel north 10 miles to E. Jefferson St. Open Inspection: Large Equipment will be lined up outside & can be viewed daily aka OH 571, turn right and travel ½ mile to the auction site. from 9am-4pm starting Friday, August 27th.

NEW CARLISLE, OH, CLARK COUNTY

20+ TRACTORS • SPRAYERS only 69k miles, (23) PICKUP TRUCKS, (5) FORD MOWERS • BUSH HOGS • 2013 Massey Ferguson 7620 MFWD • 2007 VANS, (10) 1990-1991 Chevy Mini-buses • • JD HX 15 batwing mower, 15’ • JD MX 8 3pt. JOHN DEERE 7230 Power Quad MFWD w/ 2005 International 4300 Box Truck • 2004 Bush Hog • JD MX 7 3pt. Bush Hog • JD MX creeper gear • 2000 JOHN DEERE 7410 MFWD International 4300 Delivery Truck • 2001 6 rotary mower • John Deere 997 Zero-Turn • 1993 JOHN DEERE 6200 MFWD • 1991 JOHN Freightliner FL60 Flatbed w/22’ bed • 1998 lawn mower, 72” • JD F1145 mower with 72” DEERE 4455 MFWD • 1979 JOHN DEERE 4240 International 4700 Flatbed w/22’ bed • 1966 deck • Rockhound 30TX Brush Shredder • 2wd • (2) 2003 NEW HOLLAND TC 30 4WD • International S-100 dump truck • 1995 Ford Brush Hound FX 26 mulcher 2001 NEW HOLLAND TC 33D 4wd • 2001 NEW 2-ton dump truck • 2008 FELLING FT 30-3 PLANTERS • SEEDERS • TILLAGE HOLLAND TC 40S 4wd • 1996 KUBOTA 5030 Equipment trailer, tri-axle, duals, pentil hitch EQUIPMENT 2wd • 1998 NEW HOLLAND 1920 4wd • 1997 • (20)+ small trailers from 4’x6’ including flat- • 2 row Mechanical Transplanter Model 2000 NEW HOLLAND 3930 2wd • 2001 MASSEY beds, covered trailers, more • (3) Reefer Trailers • (2) 1-row mechanical planters • Large conFERGUSON 231S 2wd • 1982 CASE 274 • 1981 including 32’ Great Dane, & (2) 48’ Great Danes • tainer planter • Seedling planters • IH 720 INTERNATIONAL 281 2wd • CASE 990 • 2002 2002 Econoline flatbed Trailer • 1997 Fontaine plow • 12’ rotary hoe • Continental 300 gal. C90 • (2) MASSEY FERGUSON 281X 4wd • L133 Flatbed Trailer, 48’ • 1988 Alloy 28’ flat- boom sprayer • JD 3 bottom plow • King KutHAGIE 280 Sprayer, 60’ booms • HAGIE 8200 bed trailer ter 5’ box grader • Herd 3pt. fertilizer applicaSprayer (14) TREE SPADES • GRINDER • BED tor • Brillion 3 shank ripper • 3pt. 8ft. chisel SKID LOADERS • EXCAVATOR DIGGERS plow • 13’ & 7’ cultipackers • Case/IH 13’ disc • ATTACHMENTS • Dutchman models 500-I, 330-I, 360-I, 280- harrow • JD 13-hole grain drill • Land Pride • 2005 LINK BELT Model 75 Spin Ace Excava- I, 280-I exterior mount • Big John 42” spade Grass seeder tor, various buckets • 2010 JOHN DEERE 60D • Carefree 24”, 32” and (2) 42” spades • CareFULL-LINE OF NURSERY RELATED Excavator • 2015 JD 333D Track loader • 2006 free Shrub spade • Carefree model 632 spade PRODUCTION ITEMS NH C185 Track loader • (2) NH LS 180 skid load- • Carefree model 932 transplanter • Imants • Ball carts • Bamboo stakes • netting maers • (2) NH L 185 skid loaders • (30±) Skid Steer spading machine • 2018 VALENTINI DEMONIO chines • shade cloth • wiggle hoes • more attachments including: grapple forks, hydraulic 1800 Grinder, 3pt, 1000 pto, bought new • LUNpallet forks, Bobcat power broom, various mate- DEBY bed digger HUGE AUCTION EVENT W/ 1000’S OF ITEMS rial buckets, Danhauser T 1920 auger, etc. (5) 4X4 ATV QUAD RUNNERS * This is a preliminary list! Check website for FORK LIFTS • FORK TRUCKS • LOADERS • Suzuki 400 • Kawasaki Prairie 400 • Polaris updated listing and auction catalogs * • CASE W-11 loader • (2) CASE W11-B loaders Magnum • Yamaha Big Bear 400cc • Kawasaki • (3) Pallet Paws for W-11 loaders, hyd., Pallet Bayou 300 ATV AUCTION FORMAT: This is 2-Day Auction with an paws for forklift • Zettlemeyer loader • CAT GP (20+) FLATBED WAGONS WITH STEEL BEDS expected 500+ lots of shop tools, hand equipment, 30 loader • CAT P600 loader • JD 8875 • CAT • Large selection of Unverferth 8 & 6 Ton office equipment and select smaller equipment sellV60 • 2013 CAT 2P6000 • 2012 MITSUBISHI gears most with 8’x18’ steel beds • Numer- ing through the ONLINE ONLY Format on Tuesday, FG25N • Full-line of Buckets and attachments ous wood bed wagons • Dump wagon • John September 7th. A Live In-Person Auction w/online TRAILERS • TRUCKS • BUSES • MORE Deere water wagon • more • Vintage 1800’s bidding will be conducted on Thursday, Septem• (8) SUVS including 2012 Ford Explorer w/ Studebaker Buckboard wood wheeled wagon ber 9th for the remaining equipment & rolling stock. VISIT WEBSITE FOR UPDATED LISTING & AUCTION BROCHURES!

63198513759, 2018000076, 57199875479

800-451-2709 • SchraderAuction.com

Owner: Studebaker Nurseries Auction Manager(s): Andy Walther 765-969-0401 andy@schraderauction.com • Eric Ott

The Landscape Contractor

THE LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR (ILLINOIS) July 2021

Garden Speak— Practical Plant Evaluations

Rating Russian Sage

A look at how Perovskia performed at the Chicago Botanic Garden

By Nina A. Koziol

Clear blue flowers are hard

leave Russian sage alone. The plant hails from Asia and China to Turkey and Afghanistan where it grows in dry mountainous areas. Russian

to come by and that’s where Russian sage really shines. Few plants can compete with this sun-loving perennial that’s drought-tolerant and creates a multi-month show with lavender-blue blossoms and silver-gray leaves. Named Perennial of the Year in 1995, Russian sage is remarkable for its striking foliage and upright floral display. “It’s a garden standard,” says Richard Hawke, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Plant Evaluation Manager and Associate Scientist. “I had them in when I first built my garden. The perennial industry has come light years since the 1980s.” Indeed, breeders have created new cultivars that are not only more compact—the straight species Perovskia atriplicifolia (azure sage) tends to get leggy — but are more floriferous and offer a variety of intricate leaf shapes. Hawke evaluated the species and many cultivars from 2013 to 2020. “It’s a good landscape plant Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Rocketman’ — the flowers are colorful, but it’s the calyx, the two-tone color that goes sage is not Russian and is not a sage, on and on with the silvery gray-green although taxonomists changed the genus foliage. It has good color, good texture to Salvia yangii in 2017. However, for and has good structure.” (The calyx is all intents and purposes, the green industhe outermost whorl of sepals that holds try and gardeners continue to recognize the petals.) Because of its fragrance, deer The Landscape Contractor 30 July 2021

the plant as Perovskia. “It’s a great pollinator plant even though it’s not a native,” Hawke said.

Nurture

For the best performance, place plants in full sun and give them well-drained soil. There’s no need to deadhead because that will not encourage more blooms, but it will remove the colorful spent flowers. Plants in part shade will sprawl and winter wetness typically rings the death knell, rotting the roots. Come spring, cut the plants back to about six inches tall. After that, remove any stems that don’t sprout new growth. Or, you can also simply cut the stems close to the ground and be done with it.

Plant Combos

“Russian sage provides long summer bloom for the border,” Hawke says. “It contrasts well with both pink- and yellow-flowered perennials. There’s a planting on Evening Island of Perovskia and Coreopsis ‘Golden Shower’ that creates a strong vertical and horizontal effect.” He also likes it paired with fountain grass (Pennisetum) or prairie dropseed. “Talk about a great combination — the softness of the grass (continued on page 32)

Garden Speak— Practical Plant (continued from page 30) and the verticality. Or, pair it with any little bluestem with that bluish lavender purple color in the stems. There are a lot of different ways to use Russian sage, but it also looks great just massed.” Other perennial partners include coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, shrub roses, calamint, daylilies, sedum, phlox and asters.

The Upside

“For me, Perovskia is a versatile perennial, reliable with good drainage, long lived and pest free,” Hawke said. “I think landscape contractors will find that it’s a plant that requires minimal upkeep. You leave the stems up in the winter and it has that silvery, ghostly color—it’s not just brown.” Newer more compact cultivars might interest people who gave up on Russian sage because the species was big and billowy. “I don’t know if this group is having a renaissance, but the newer ones are certainly worth looking at.”

1. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Balperobritz’

The Ratings

“I’m not always a fan of everything turning into a meatball or little tiny plants — short just to be short,” Hawke said. “But these newer cultivars don’t feel that way to me. None of them are super dwarf. A few are under two feet versus one that’s five feet tall.” And, some are tall and wide, giving you several options. Five stars = excellent. Four stars = good. 1.

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Balperobritz’ BLUE SPRITZER(™). Blooms mid-July to early October at 30 inches tall and 32 inches wide.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

2. 2. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Blue Jean Baby’

3. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Blue Steel’ 32

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Blue Jean Baby’. Blooms early July to early October at 28 inches tall and 32 inches wide.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

4. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Novaperlac’ The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Evaluations 3.

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Blue Steel’. Blooms mid-July to early October at 32 inches tall and 34 inches wide.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Novaperlac’ LITTLE LACE(™). Blooms early July to early October at 32 inches tall and 38 inches wide.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Denim ’n Lace’. Blooms early July to early October at 33 inches tall and 48 inches wide.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘CrazyBlue’. Blooms early July to mid-October at 35 inches tall and 48 inches wide.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 7.

8. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Superba’

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Rocketman’. Blooms early July to early October at 22 inches tall and 22 inches wide.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8.

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Superba’. Blooms early July to early October at 50 inches tall and 60 inches wide.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Check it out

If you haven’t seen the Lavin Plant Evaluation Garden, make a trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden this summer. The evaluation garden’s sheer beauty is backed by science — each plant is regularly monitored for its adaptability to the environmental conditions of the trial site, disease and pest problems, and the ornamental value of the flowers, foliage, and habits. https://www.chicagobotanic.org/gardens/planteval 7. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Rocketman’

5. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Denim ’n Lace’

6. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘CrazyBlue’

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Cómo conservar especímenes maduros durante las instalaciones Por Heather Prince Tenemos una conexión innata con los árboles y crear, instalar, editar y mantener parques y jardines con frecuencia implica conservarlos y cuidarlos. Los vecindarios establecidos usualmente vienen con copas de árboles maduros que no solo proporcionan sombra refrescante, sino también sitúan las casas en el vecindario y dan una personalidad exclusiva a los espacios construidos. ¿Cómo conservamos los árboles cuando nos llaman para realizar un diseño paisajista? ¿Cuáles son algunas de las técnicas probadas para proteger árboles preciados y mantenerlos saludables? Hablamos con to Craig Bergmann, RLA, ASLA, dueño y director de Craig Bergmann Landscape Design. Bergman, arquitecto paisajista galardonado, y su equipo trabajan con muchas propiedades que tienen árboles maduros en lugares con proyectos de construcción de viviendas y renovaciones paisajistas.

¿Por qué mantener árboles maduros?

“Por un lado, nada añeja un nuevo proyecto mejor que los árboles maduros”, comentó Bergmann. “Dicho esto, la sombra provista con frecuencia ayuda a establecer nuevas plantaciones dentro de este cobijo y a menudo aumenta el hábitat de la vida silvestre. Típicamente, son los árboles de hoja perenne maduros los que albergan cardenales y palomas huilotas de los que tanto disfrutamos en nuestros parques y jardines. Si se mantienen saludables y el terreno ajardinado se desarrolla con la salud a largo plazo de los árboles maduros en mente en los emplazamientos de nuevos proyectos, se puede lograr una relación simbiótica entre plantaciones viejas y nuevas”. Los árboles más grandes también ofrecen una mayor cantidad de servicios ecosistémicos, incluyendo absorción de aguas pluviales, secuestro de carbono, enfriamiento de la atmósfera y mitigación de las islas de calor, mejoramiento de la calidad del aire y servir de albergue a especies silvestres como abejas, mariposas y aves. La situación ideal es que el equipo paisajista se involucre en los planes de pre-construcción desde el comienzo. Esto asegura la protección de los árboles, que los edificios se ubiquen de forma que respondan a las visiones de árboles y jardines y la calendarización de la construcción se diseñe de manera que funcione para todas las partes involucradas. “El principal desafío es educar a todos los miembros del equipo del proyecto de construcción del programa para que trabajen en beneficio de 34

los árboles y no solo de las personas involucradas” observó Bergmann. “Los árboles maduros como las personas maduras se resisten al cambio, por consiguiente, el verdadero profesional de paisajismo necesita tener en cuenta la protección de los árboles y supervisar el sitio y el programa para que los árboles tengan la oportunidad de sobrevivir”.

Llame por teléfono a una persona amiga

Asociarse con arboricultores certificados especializados en prácticas de construcción puede hacer que el proyecto se desarrolle fluidamente y asegurar los mejores resultados para los árboles. Las especies de los árboles también pueden determinar las prácticas de protección. Por ejemplo, robles y hayas, resienten la perturbación de las raíces hasta el grado que podrían deteriorarse unos pocos años después de la construcción. Bergmann acentuó, “El mejor socio es el tiempo para planificar y proyectar anticipadamente el trabajo en la época correcta del año. El trabajo de triaje después del hecho pocas veces tiene como resultado un árbol vivo después de cinco años”. El cronograma de la construcción puede incluir trabajar cuando los árboles estén en estado de latencia para minimizar el estrés o la compactación del suelo o podar árboles en la estación adecuada cuando ciertas plagas y enfermedades no están activas. Al planificar teniendo en mente los árboles, consultar con arboricultores certificados capacitados en medidas de mitigación en construcciones no solo puede salvar los árboles sino también reducir los costos de cuidado en el futuro. “Planifique para la construcción anticipadamente con la debida reducción de la copa y las raíces de los árboles si el impacto de la construcción es inminente. Posteriormente, los arboricultores reforzarán el futuro crecimiento de las raíces fibrosas con promotores de raíces”, recomendó Bergmann.

Las raíces son el problema

Durante los trabajos de construcción y paisajismo, Bergmann ha implementado prácticas de eficacia comprobada que han mantenido árboles maduros, saludables y vibrantes en sus proyectos. “Evitar completamente la zona de las raíces, para que ningún cambio en la plantación bajo cubierta, la irrigación o la construcción impacte las copas, el tronco o la

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Mejores Plantas, Mejor Servicio Y Mejor Selección.

zona de las raíces”, puede ser esencial para la salud de los árboles. “Cercas de protección de la zona de las raíces determinadas por el arboricultor, no por el contratista general”, aseguran que se dé el debido cuidado a los árboles. La compactación del suelo puede ser un factor significativo para la sobrevivencia del árbol a través del proceso de construcción y para que permanezca saludable en los años venideros. La compactación por maquinaria pesada, el almacenamiento de materiales de construcción o el tráfico vehicular repetido presionan los espacios de aire y agua fuera del suelo. Si está trabajando con suelos de arcilla, el tamaño de partícula fina de la arcilla se compacta con más facilidad y puede crear un suelo tipo hormigón después de la construcción, en el cual los árboles tendrán dificultades para prosperar. Si se protegen las raíces, los árboles pueden sobrevivir exitosamente y recuperarse de más impactos menores. Algunas veces no se puede evitar cortar las raíces de los árboles. “Si se deben cortar las raíces principales de los árboles, este trabajo se debe hacer con un arboricultor no con una retroexcavadora”, insistió Bergmann. Una vez completada la construcción de las edificaciones y llegado el tiempo de instalar el material de plantas, ¿cómo se planta teniendo en cuenta los árboles maduros? “Remover la tierra en la zona de las raíces con una herramienta de aire comprimido (AirSpade) para exponer la estructura de las raíces y plantar únicamente en áreas donde las raíces no han

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sido dañadas por la plantación de nuevos materiales”, es algo que Cómo conservar especímenes maduros durante las instalaciones Bergmann considera esencial para el éxito. “Reemplace la tierra removida con marga ligera para una mejor aireación del suelo. Asegúrese de seleccionar e instalar nuevos materiales de planta con requisitos de cultivo similares a los del árbol maduro”. Muchas instalaciones de paisajismo requieren de sistemas de irrigación para nuevas plantaciones con el propósito de establecerlas exitosamente. No obstante, los sistemas de irrigación pueden producir más dolores de cabeza para los árboles maduros. “NO imponga irrigación automática en un árbol maduro que no haya sido irrigado antes”, enfatizó Bergmann. “Si no es la construcción, el siguiente asesino de árboles maduros es la imposición del exceso del agua proveniente de sistemas no debidamente regulados para el árbol”. Pida al arboricultor que consulte con su contratista de irrigación para determinar los ajustes adecuados para suministrar la

cantidad correcta de agua a las nuevas plantaciones, lo que también beneficiará la salud y la recuperación de los árboles. Algunas veces, esto puede involucrar un programa diligente de riego a mano con el equipo de mantenimiento que satisfaga todas las necesidades de las plantas y pueda responder al clima cada vez más imprevisible que experimentamos con el cambio climático. La inversión inicial de tiempo del equipo puede generar dividendos elevados en mantener los árboles saludables y ahorrar los altos costos de remoción el siguiente año. La casa está construida, las plantas están instaladas, ¿qué sigue? Idealmente, su compañía tendría el contrato de mantenimiento para el avance del proyecto. Monitorear los árboles cuando usted hace visitas de mantenimiento es una forma de controlar las plagas y enfermedades potenciales y detectar signos de estrés. “El monitoreo estacional de la salud y plagas y patógenos potenciales”, recomendó Bergmann, significa que usted puede cortar de raíz problemas potenciales antes de que se vuelvan verdaderos problemas. “También son

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

esenciales la debida nutrición y el agua para asegurar la recuperación”, comentó Bergmann, a medida que los árboles grandes comienzan a recrecer corte las raíces y agregue nuevo crecimiento superior. “Un contrato con un arboricultor para el cuidado de loa árboles maduros antes de que se revelen problemas”, puede marcar toda la diferencia entre clientes que disfrutan de un roble bur de 80 pies que crea un dramático dosel para el futuro o volver a comenzar después de su remoción con un arbolito de tres pulgadas de calibre. Tener un plan antes de la construcción, proteger las raíces de los árboles contra la compactación y la perturbación, plantar bajo cubierta natural con la salud de los árboles ante todo y monitorear con regularidad pueden asegurar que los árboles grandes en las propiedades de sus clientes sean bellos especímenes altamente funcionales por muchos años. Como contratistas de paisajismo, ustedes “son los únicos defensores de los árboles en el sitio, excepto el dueño”, aseguró Bergmann. “Si nadie se hace cargo, son los árboles los que sufren. Responsabilizarse de las condiciones ambientales y culturales de un sitio es primordial para la salud del jardín a largo plazo y para una gran relación con el cliente”.

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

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3737

Focus — The Pros at Home

Denise Sandoval’s

Sustainable Garden Practicing What She Preaches Nina A. Koziol Editor’s Note: This is another in a series of articles that feature the home landscapes of green industry professionals—ILCA members, plant breeders, nursery owners, public garden staff and educators. After all, who wouldn’t like a little peak at what peers are doing around their own homes?

When Denise Sandoval bought her Naperville

home on a corner lot in 1993 she was working as a software engineer. “I landscaped for about six years, mostly vegetable gardening before deciding to take a landscape design course at the College of DuPage (COD).” She fell in love with design, took more courses and eventually left her tech career. In 2003, she received a horticulture degree but continued to take ecology and naturalist courses. “The natural world is my greatest teacher and inspiration. When I have free time, I hike natural areas and volunteer at restoration sites.” In 2005, she started her company Good-Natured Landscapes.

plugs, then added some seed since I worked at The Natural Garden at the time, but I wish I would’ve started with seed first. I started my front garden from a native seed mix, which I developed myself, then added some plants.” She installed the first of many rain gardens in 2004, using native plants that would grow well, look good and benefit wildlife. “My landscape is pesticide free, so I have a diverse lawn. I had an organic vegetable garden for many years, but now I participate in a local CSA.” Besides composting, she has permeable walkways and various structures made from local recycled or reclaimed materials, like the deck and walkway she designed for her front entrance. Sandoval did all of the landscaping herself except the newer hardscape and front deck. “I oversaw the installation of permeable areas since this was a new technique at the time.”

Going Native

Sandoval discovered the beauty and benefits of native plants while volunteering at COD’s Russell Kirk Prairie. “It was then I decided to feature native plants in my landscape designs Beginnings when I finished school. When she moved in, I used to incorporate a the one-third acre proplot more species divererty was mostly lawn, sity but now I use fewer a few shrubs, several species to make the mature silver maples, a landscape more legible patio and fencing. “My and the plants easier to goal was to provide learn.” wildlife habitat and keep Many of her clients most of my property are new to native plant Sandoval did all of the landscaping herself except the newer hardscape run-off from flooding gardening and have and front deck. waterways and neighsmall or medium size bors.” yards. “I have a better understanding now of how many native Out went the burning bush, barberries and Japanese honplants look and behave long term in a designed landscape, eysuckle after she observed their spread in natural areas. The their wildlife interactions, and various run-off infiltration side yard was her first big project — a prairie. “I started with (continued on page 40) 38

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

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Focus — The Pros at Home (continued from page 38) techniques compared to when I first started gardening with them, so this has changed how I approach garden design.”

Maintenance

Her garden is maintained with prescribed burns, rotating sections of the property each year. “I also maintain my yard using stewardship, minimizing harm to wildlife and the environment.” She keeps fallen leaves and dried plant stems around during spring cleanup, creating log piles and not mulching bare areas of soil that may be used by ground-nesting bees. “I enjoy learning something new from nature and others, and applying this information to my designs.” Although she’s never kept a list of plants in her garden, she says, “I do have more plants than what I would put in a design, because I use my landscape to learn about them.” Spring is her busiest time, preparing for the prescribed burn and stewardship.“Then I spend one to two hours over the weekend or sometimes 15 minutes each day depending on my schedule.” She currently has a wait list of clients because of the demand. (continued on page 42)

TOP: One of Sandoval’s goals was to use native plants to capture rain water and keep it on her property. BELOW: Joe Eye Weed, Agastache, bluestem, mountain mint, cup plant and coneflowers draw pollinators into the summer garden.

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Focus — The Pros at Home (continued from page 40)

Plant Performers

Ask her about her favorite plant and it changes from day to day. “I think it’s not so much an individual plant but the plant-wildlife interactions that are my favorite. Shooting stars are one of the first to bloom in my prairie and they support early pollinators like queen bumblebees. Mountain mint—I love the scent of the leaves, plus it attracts so many pollinators, especially solitary wasps. Native asters and goldenrods – they attract so many insects and birds to their flowers, leaves and seeds, especially those preparing for winter or migration.” She also likes Blackhaw viburnum, elderberry, musclewood and spicebush as well as gentians, bloodroot and indigo bush.

Who Do You Admire?

“Mother Nature is my favorite designer, and natural areas — restored or remnants — are the public “gardens” I love to visit. I admire these early native plant designers, gardeners, advocates, and many more: Patricia Hill, Patricia Armstrong, Art Gara, Jack Pizzo, Marcus de la fleur, authors Sara Stein, Jens Jensen, and Doug Tallamy to name a few, and members of the Wild Ones’ Native Plant, Natural Landscapes and Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee. Recently, botanist, author, professor and Citizen Potawatomi Nation member Robin Wall Kimmerer has significantly changed my perspective on gratitude, reciprocity, gifts, and honorable harvest when relat-

A host of bees and butterflies visit these sun-loving native prairie perennials in search of nectar and pollen.

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

ing to the natural world.” What do you like best about your garden? “The inner and outer beauty of nature’s gifts — I get to experience and learn from them every day. And, being able to give back to all those who share the garden and Earth with me — other humans, water, wildlife, plants, air, and soil, to name a few.” See more of Sandoval’s work at: https://goodnaturedlandscapes.com

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Focus — Social Media

Social Media Tips for Garden Professionals by Meta L. Levin

It’s all about the photos,

says Carolyn Mullet. A social media doyen and garden designer, who also leads tours of singular European gardens, gave attendees at one of iLandscape 365’s six popular Master Classes, “Social Media Tips for Garden Professionals,” her guidelines for getting the best out of a social media presence. “We are the purveyors of flowers and plants, which are universally loved by the social media population,” says Mullet. Green industry pro-

fessionals are uniquely able to provide them with their flower and plant fix. “We can use photos to draw people to our posts.”

Here are Mullet’s top eight tips: 1.

Treat every photo as though it is the most important image of your work ever. This is particularly true if it is the first picture in an album, because you have only a millisecond to catch the readers eyes as they scroll through the newsfeed. “The photo is the hook to draw someone in,” she says.

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Focus — Social Media 2.

Choose photos with more plants and fewer hardscapes. Make it a 60/40 split.

Colorful flowers reign. Make sure you include plenty of color to catch your reader’s eye.

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The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Texture is subtle, but vital. It can be effective and second best to a colorful flower.

No bare soil or mulch showing. Wait until the second or third season to take the pictures. Immediately after the project is finished, the planting beds are mainly mulch with lots and tiny plants. Take that “finished” photo, but wait to post it until you can tell a story: before, during, after and when it is mature and all grown in. “It will tell an impressive story of the transformation of this space; it will tell the story of your professionalism,” Mullet says.

Use strong foregrounds. “Always make sure to check the foreground of any image you are posting,” she says. The foreground sets the mood, but the wrong one can divert the reader’s attention. So, for instance, make sure to crop out that crooked pot, bare soil, spent floor or dead leaves before posting. Better yet, ensure that it isn’t in your picture in the first place.

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Focus — Social Media 7.

Crop to intensify. Cropping your images can make the image stronger. Mullet learned this when cropping pictures

to fit Instagram’s square format. They often turned out to be more compelling.

Post plant rich images that include places for people. This can be a path, a dining table and chairs, a bench or an open area. The viewer can subconsciously place him or herself in the scene.

“Social media is about beautiful image,” she says. “Since we create beauty, we can bring pleasure to the eyes and hearts of social media users by simply showing them our work. That’s how we can entice them to become our followers.”

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Here are her bonus suggestions: 1. Post one to three times per day 2.

Post about the same time each day

Write a short description

Use 30 hashtags on Instagram, but none on Facebook

Acknowledge all comments and shares

Be generous and open. List the names of plants in the picture and give credit where it is due (materials, photographer, designer from whose work you took inspiration, if applicable).

Post pictures of your own garden. “People love that,” says Mullet.

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Focus — ILCA Officers 2021-2022

Meet the New ILCA Officers by Meta L. Levin

Meet the new ILCA offi-

cers: Scott McAdam, Jr, president; Jeff Kramer, vice president and Ashley Marrin, secretary-treasurer. They may look young, but they bring a wealth of experience, energy and expertise to their new offices.

Although his father never exerted pressure on McAdam Jr. to go into the business, he did allow him to work in the

President Scott McAdam Jr. Looking at his term as ILCA’s new president, Scott McAdam Jr. is taking a lesson from his own past. “I’ve always had my Dad and industry connections,” says McAdam Jr. “A lot of people can’t say that. I was surrounded by a team who guided me and as an association I would like to be able to provide that guidance for members who need it.” He sees that kind of mentoring as good for the industry as a whole, as well as individual companies. “The more healthy, professional companies we have, the better the industry will be,” he says. McAdam Jr.’s roots in ILCA are deep. His father, W. Scott McAdam served two terms as ILCA president – in 1992-1993 and again in 1998-1999 – and McAdam Jr. began attending ILCA events when he was young. Even so, he wasn’t sure he wanted to go into the family business, McAdam Landscaping, Inc. Instead, he originally thought he’d major in political science in college, but the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental science was his entry into the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. He wasn’t sure he wanted to stay there, but his sophomore year a professor of dendrology (trees) changed his mind and he transferred into horticulture. If it hadn’t been for that professor, he admits he wouldn’t be in the landscape industry. 50

Scott McAdam, Jr.

garden center during the summers. “He let me figure out my life’s career path on my own,” he says. Now McAdam Jr. serves as the business’ Director of Sales and Marketing. Once into the business, McAdam Jr. was encouraged to get active in ILCA. During high school he played golf regularly as part of his high school golf team. In 2010 he joined the ILCA golf committee at the suggestion of then ILCA president Bob Bertog. By 2015 he became the committee chair and in 2017 he joined the ILCA Board of Directors. McAdam Jr. sees some challenges ahead for his tenure as ILCA president. Labor issues are ongoing. He believes it is important to find new ways of workforce development, as a means of helping companies recruit more labor. “I’m hoping our apprenticeship pilot program The Landscape Contractor July 2021

at the College of Lake County is a success,” he says. “Labor truly is our main challenge. We can sell as much as we like, but we need people to produce the work.” He also believes that there are some legislative issues on the horizon in the next couple of years. There also may be some local ordinances that will affect the industry. “The Board and the association are conscious of things that may be on the horizon.” “We are trying to do business in a vastly different work environment,” he says, pointing to climate change and other concerns. During the pandemic, landscape contractors were, by and large, able to operate safely. “A lot of credit goes to the businesses that were able to keep their employees safe.” He also wants to show members and potential members the value the association provides, including education opportunities. “We always are on the leading edge,” he says. “Information is power.” He also wants to grow outreach and engage the LatinX group. “It is a huge component of our industry,” he says. “They are business owners and workers.” Married for five years, he has a 2 ½ year old daughter and his wife is pregnant with number two, a boy, due in October. He still plays golf when he has time. In the end, McAdam Jr. sees his ILCA work as shared. “President is a title,” he says. “At the end of the day, I am one person on a board of 12. What the board and the association staff do is a collaborative effort with the benefit of the membership in mind.”

Jeff Kramer ILCA Vice President When Jeff Kramer first became involved with ILCA, he never thought about being an officer. He was asked to join the board, he says, because “they needed a tree person.” That was three years ago. Now Kramer, who has been around ILCA for most of his life, is the new ILCA Vice President. His father and mother founded Kramer Tree Specialists 47 years ago and joined ILCA nearly 20 years ago. It’s a membership Kramer and his brother have continued since they took over the business in 2018. “We have been a part of a lot of organizations, but by far ILCA has been a leader,” he says, ticking off the support available, as well as The Landscape Contractor magazine and programs as important to him. “There’s an unlimited wealth of knowledge. ILCA has the best membership of any organization.” A certified arborist, Kramer also has been an Illinois Arborist Association (IAA), where he has taught classes needed for certification, as well as the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) and the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). He has competed in the Illinois and International Tree Climbing Championships, winning the Illinois competition seven years in a row, as well as competing all over the country and in Europe. He has served as a lead judge for Illinois. As a part of ILCA, he has used his expertise to oversee the pruning classes. “It’s exciting during the pandemic to carry on with those,” he says. ILCA was able to offer the popular classes last

year, because they are held outdoors. Turning his attention to his tenure as vice president, Kramer wants to get more involved with the ILCA members, as well as “doing what I can to help.”

Mississippi river. They have a cabin in Galena, IL, where they go to relax, hike and boat. A few times a year they go to Florida, as well as visit Colorado to visit their children. He likes being around people, especially the friends he has met in ILCA. “Very few people leave the industry,” he says. “I like that I see them again and again.”

Ashley Marrin ILCA SecretaryTreasurer

Jeff Kramer

He has liked working around trees since he was a young boy. At 12-yearsold he would sharpen chain saws for his father and by 1984 he was working part time, moving to full time in 1988, working in the field before moving into sales. Now vice president of Kramer Tree Specialists, he still helps with sales, as well as works with the company’s department heads. Kramer has been married to his wife, Sharon, for 22 years. They have four children, evenly split – two girls and two boys, ages 20 to 33. So far, none have indicated an interest in the family business. One is a mechanical engineer, another is in public health, another is a manager in retail and the youngest is in college, where he is focused on music. The family likes boating on the The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Ashley Marrin was excited and humbled to be asked to serve as ILCA’s Secretary-Treasurer for the 2021-22 year. “I didn’t expect it,” she says. An ILCA Board member since 2019 and co-chair of the membership committee before that, she is ready to jump right in and take on her new duties. In fact, as business manager of the family landscape company, Bret-Mar Landscape, Inc., she is used to handling the financials, accounting and other aspects of the business, giving her the kind of experience she will need. During her two years on the ILCA board, she has served as board liaison for the membership committee and has been an active member of the board consumer marketing subcommittee. She initially became involved with ILCA after watching the association honor Bret-Mar Landscape for its 25 years of membership. Intrigued, she approached ILCA Executive Director Scott Grams about becoming involved. He sent her a list of committees, highlighting the membership committee. She took his advice and joined, working her way up to co-chair. (continued on page 52) 51

Focus — New ILCA Officers (continued from page 51) Outside of her professional activities, Marrin is an avid equestrian, competing on the Illinois Class A Circuit in the hunter-jumper category. She was so serious about her horseback riding that when applying to colleges she insisted that any school give her an opportunity to compete and originally told her parents that she wanted to be a horse trainer. Her parents, however, suggested that she keep her interest in horses as a hobby. She listened and earned a Bachelor of Science in agriculture with a specialization in landscape architecture, minoring in business management and equine science. Marrin loves the outdoors, something she shares with her husband, Tim, an electrical engineer. They enjoy hiking and fishing and have two dachshund dogs and a 10-month-old beagle pup. Marrin is training the beagle to compete on agility courses, which consists of navigating various obstacles, from jumps and tunnels to weave poles. “A lot of horse people do dog agility,” she says. “She loves it.”

Ashley Marrin

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The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Special Feature

Pest of the Month: Box Tree Moth Disease of the Month: Powdery Mildew

by Heather Prince

Pest of the Month: Box Tree Moth

As of May 26, 2021, The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) in the continental United States. APHIS has issued a federal order to halt the importation of host plants from Canada including boxwood, euonymus, and holly species. Between August 2020 and April 2021, an Ontario nursery shipped boxwood that may have been infested to 25 retail facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and South Carolina, and a distribution center in Tennessee. As of late May, it has been found in three facilities in Michigan, one in Connecticut, and one in South Carolina. Box tree moth is native to East Asia and has become a serious invasive pest in Europe. In 2018, it was found in the Toronto area and was controlled. The caterpillars of box tree moth feed mostly on boxwood and can defoliate plants quickly. Once leaves are consumed, the caterpillars attack the bark, girdling twigs, and killing plants. Box tree moths overwinter as second to fifth stage instar larvae and can survive temperatures to at least -22°F (-30°C). Overwintering caterpillars are green and yellow with white, yellow, and black stripes and black spots. They pupate for about 14 days among webbing and damaged leaves. Adult moths are white with a brown border. They lay pale yellow eggs in groups of 5 to 20 overlapping like shingles. Once hatched, they feed on the undersides of leaves and older caterpillars build silken retreats.

Treatment:

Horticultural oil and insecticidal soaps will likely be able to control young caterpillars and biopesticides that work on other caterpillars, such as Bt and spinosad, have been used to kill box tree moths in Europe. Broad spectrum pesticides that are labeled for caterpillar control on ornamental plants will also likely provide acceptable control.

Additional resources:

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Disease of the Month: Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is a common fungal disease on annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. The six common genera thrive in hot, humid weather. Powdery mildew resembles white or dusty gray patches on the top surface of leaves, shoots, buds, flowers, or stems. In some cases, it can look like snow. Powdery mildew fungi overwinter on plant tissues and dormant buds. Spores are released with spring rains and infect tissue through rain or wind. Sometimes it will cause leaves to become dwarfed or distorted and new growth tends to be more sensitive to infection.

Treatment: Powdery Mildew

Managing the air flow through the plant is one sustainable way to manage powdery mildew. Prune or thin plants for better air movement. Choose resistant varieties of plants for best performance. You can also treat it with a fungicide, although rotate through products to minimize disease resistance. Treat as soon as the fungus is spotted for best results. Look for the active ingredients myclobutanil, propiconazole, and thiophanatemethyl that have systemic properties and can be applied less often than chlorothalonil, sulfur, or copper-based fungicides.

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New Member Profile Snapshot

AHW, LLC 559 S. Main Elburn, IL 60119 (630) 383-1795 www.ahwllc.com

by Meta Levin

Look at the AHW LLC logo. Silver,

yellow and green, it is two triangles inside a sphere and speaks to the company’s genesis, as well as its future. Briefly, each point of the triangle stands for the three founding families: Arends, Hogan and Walker. The fact that the triangles are joined symbolizes the merger. The sphere represents the planet and AHW’s commitment to providing world class service to its customers. And the green and yellow are the John Deere colors, noting that the company is a John Deere dealer. “I am proud that we are customer focused,” says George O’Hara, a salesman in the Elburn, IL AHW LLC location, one of 16 sites in north and central Illinois, as well as western Indiana. “We want to take care of the customer and we want the customer to be happy.” That attitude was at the heart of all three original companies that together founded AHW. The Arends Brothers began their company in 1932. Hogan Implement Company and Walker Sales both were founded in 1973. All three came from farming backgrounds and made customer service a priority. Because AHW has 16 stores, covering a large area, the company has the unique ability to get replacement parts or even loaners for their customers quickly, says O’Hara. “Ultimately, the landscape contractors are making money with this equipment. They have to be able to turn the key and have it work.” So, AHW LLC has a fleet of trucks that travel between locations several times a week. “If we have to transfer equipment from one store to another, we can do that,” he says. “It allows us to respond to customers’ needs quickly.” By the time O’Hara went to work for AHW LLC, he was well acquainted with ILCA from previous jobs. “I had bosses who were active in ILCA,” he says. He had been to the

golf outings, Summer Field Day, the former Mid-Am and iLandscape, often staffing booths at some of them. “I felt the value.” Many of his regular customers are members and he sees them at the ILCA activities. In fact, as a corporation, John Deere participates. Since AHW LLC is a John Deere distributor, that helps both companies. O’Hara is a consummate salesperson, who has been in the business nearly 40 years. A native of Mundelein, IL, he left college early and began working in sales. However, at age 45 he returned to school, earning a degree in business. He is always moving and setting new goals for himself. At age 55, O’Hara ran his first marathon. That, however, wasn’t enough. At 58 he did his first triathlon and at 60 he moved on to the Iron Man competition. He was on vacation in Panama City Beach, FL when he saw the Iron Man competition. “I said, ‘Why not?’” he says. “I have to keep challenging myself.” In fact, he is scheduled to compete in two more Iron Man competitions, one in Des Moines, IA and one in Memphis, TN. His wife, Diane, shares his passion for these competitions. She participates in duathlons, which involves, running, biking, then running some more. The Iron Man is running, biking and swimming. They train together. They have two children, Shaun, who is in technical sales for Upworks, a staffing company; and Nicole, who does social media for the St. Charles Country Club and is a professional photographer. His work, family life and competition all “keeps me motivated,” says O’Hara.

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

New Members — CONTRACTORS AGS Landscape C0. Andres Gonzalez 28007 n owens rd Mundelein, IL 60060 Email: andresg@agscare.com Phone: 847-477-7870 agscare.com AGS has been designing and creating outdoor environments for the lake, cook, mchenry, and Chicago land areas since 1997. We are your one stop location for all areas such as design, maintenance, construction, lighting, stone layout, irrigation, and commercial development. Our certified professional landscapers are motivated and fully qualified to handle any horticultural service that you require. We promote an honest, reliable and positive work environment in order to best serve our client’s needs. We are a full landscape company, insured and certified in all aspects of landscaping. KEN’S LANDSCAPING AND SUPPLY INC 8535 Arizona Trail Willow Springs, IL 60480 Email: kenslandscaping@aol.com Phone: 708-906-6261 Root & Stem, Inc. Spiro Polomarkakis 192 Peterson Road Libertyville, IL 60048 Email: spiro@rootandstemlandscapes.com Phone: 847-433-4060 www.rootandstemlandscapes.com Root & Stem is a Highland Park based, full-service landscape design, install and maintenance company with over 50 years of combined experience. Specializing in creating and maintaining landscapes throughout the North Shore, our team of professionals is committed to providing dependable and exceptional service across the board. As a full-service landscape business, we pride ourselves on being accessible from the beginning of a project through to completion. Our goal is to build trustworthy relationships with our clients through accessible and insightful communication. The end result being a stress-free

experience and fully-realized vision. Each landscape is unique, and every project a shared vision. Not only between us and you, but also the environment. We are committed to being the best stewards of our environment we can, and we are fully committed to offering the most earthfriendly options that are available to us. SUPPLIERS Aleckson Insurance Agency Eric Swanson 1155 Ensell Rd Lake Zurich, IL 60047 Email: eric@alecksoninsurance com Phone: 847-566-7200 www.alecksoninsurance.com Experienced insurance brokers with an 85 year history of serving contractors in Chicagoland and specialized competitive insurance programs for landscape contractors and outdoor living design and installation companies. Landscape contractors will benefit from Aleckson Insurance’s personal and responsive service paired with industry leading expertise, resources and extremely competitive premiums. Take advantage of our experience, resources and competitive costs without sacrificing efficient, local, and personal service. AssuredPartners Steve Sturtecky 330 Whitehall Lane Algonquin, IL 60102 Email: steve.sturtecky@assuredpartners.com Phone: 847-877-5137 www.assuredpartners.com AssuredPartners is a national leader in the insurance industry proving risk management and insurance products to the construction industry. We have a strong presence in the landscaping sector providing products and service to many of the largest landscaping contractors in the area. Joe Cotton Ford Pam Cotton Conn 175 W North Ave Carol Stream, IL 60188 Email: joecottonford@gmail.com Phone: 630-384-6589

www.joecottonford.com The Commercial Vehicle Center at Joe Cotton Ford provides expert commercial vehicle services to the Chicagoland community. Everyone from small businesses to local first responders can purchase, upfit, and service their work vehicles at our Carol Stream dealership facility. We have sold Ford work vans, service trucks, dump bodies, E-series, F-series, and more to many members of our local community, throughout the state of Illinois, and within the Midwest region of the United States, as our location places us within the perfect location between Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan. Fortunately, whether you’re in the Midwest or in our own backyard, you can be next! Get in touch with our top-of-the-line, professional Ford Fleet managers to get started on your next commercial vehicle purchase today. Lite the Nite Kristie Fijal 650 E Algonquin Rd, Ste 206 Schaumburg, IL 60173 Email: kfijal@litethenite.com Phone: 847-496-5276 www.litethenite.com Lite the Nite is a manufacturer and supplier of high performance low voltage landscape lighting fixtures, LED’s and DC output Power Packs. Our mission is to always provide superior products and service that benefits our clients, users and associates. We began several years ago with the recognition that a superior quality fixture does not have to be overpriced. We have national distribution with factory warehousing in Illinois, Nevada, and North Carolina. Swenson Truck Equipment Danny Thomas 590 Heartland Dr. Sugar Grove, IL 60554 Email: danny.thomas@aebi-schmidt.com Phone: 630-409-6882 www.swensonproducts.com/UPFIT Swenson is a snow equipment manufacturer. Swenson Truck Equipment is up fit center, we install Dump Body’s, Snow Plows, Platforms Body’s, Salt Spreaders.

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Classified Ads HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Lawn Care Technician / Sprayer

Client Representatives

Assistant Annual Buyer

Sebert Landscaping Company is seeking to hire a full time, motivated team player who likes to work outdoors and who can provide our customers with exceptional service. Qualified applicant should be able to work with minimal supervision and will be responsible for providing lawn care services to residential and commercial customers. These services include fertilization, weed/insect control, aeration and seeding. Elk Grove IL, Bartlett, IL, Roscoe, IL, and Bolingbrook IL.

Mariani Landscape, a leader in the residential Landscape Design, Build, and Maintenance industry for over 60 years has an immediate opening for experienced residential Client Representatives. Based in Lake Bluff, Illinois, this person will be part of one of the best sales and service teams in the industry. If you believe in building long-term relationships and have a desire to provide the best service to valued clientele, we would like to hear from you. This position requires at least 2 years of residential client sales and service experience. The ideal candidate will possess a solid knowledge of horticulture, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to create beautiful landscapes through attention to details and by partnering with fellow team members and the best vendors/ subcontractors in the landscape business. We seek a professional and courteous individual with superior multitasking and organization skills. Knowledge of computerbased client management programs would be preferred. This full-time salaried position offers competitive wages, incentive plan, comprehensive benefits, and a spectacular corporate culture that promotes growth, learning, teamwork, and employee satisfaction! Please email or fax your resume and cover letter outlining your salary expectations to: Stacy Betz Human Resources Director E-mail: sbetz@marianilandscape.com Website: www.marianilandscape.com

Mariani Landscape is currently looking for an Assistant Annual Buyer to join our talented team! Mariani Landscape, a leader in the residential Landscape Architecture, Construction, and Maintenance industry for over 60 years, has an immediate opening for an Assistant Annual Buyer based in our Lake Bluff, Illinois facility. This associate will oversee the overall successful execution of multiple crop production planning and greenhouse operations. This includes all aspects of greenhouse production, including soil science, weed management, plant growing, temperature control, plant nutrition, pest and disease control, and order fulfillment of all greenhouses grown and purchased crops. This full-time salaried position offers competitive wages, incentive plan, comprehensive benefits, and a spectacular corporate culture that promotes growth, learning, teamwork, and employee satisfaction! Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V. Interested candidates should send their resume and cover letter to: sbetz@marianilandscape.com.

To send your resume, email Stephanie at sfigueroa@seber.com. LANDSCAPE SUPERVISOR (EG) As a supervisor at Sebert Landscaping, this position is an essential part of our growing company. As a supervisor will lead a team of field laborers to ensure they provide quality lawn care services. By developing this team through effective coaching and continuous feedback, the supervisor will help continue the growth of our company. To know more about this position, email your resume to Stephanie at sfigueroa@sebert.com. IRRIGATION TECHNICIAN As an Irrigation Service Technician, your day-today responsibilities will be the start-up, winterization, repair, and maintenance of commercial and residential irrigation systems. After a training period, you will primarily work alone and will be required to stock your parts, perform assigned jobs, update “as-builts”, track time and materials with the provided software and develop recommendations for systems improvements with our customers. To send your resume email Stephanie at sfigueroa@serbert.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V.

Lead Foreman for Hardscape Crew Seasonal Landscaping Solutions is looking for a hardscape crew leader with an immediate start date. We offer a great benefits package and top dollar. We treat our employees like family. Please call Lily Reyes 847-651-3827 for an Interview Today!! 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

Residential Maintenance Account Manager Commercial Maintenance Account Manager Landscape Designer/Project Director Management Associate Call Maria for more information at (847) 876-8042 Or visit jamesmartinassociates.com/careers 56

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

jamesmartinassociates.com | (847) 634-1660

ILCA Members!! Looking for a career opportunity or have an opening within your company you need to fill? Do you have a business or property to sell?

Post an ad in our classified section! Classified listings are posted online for 30 days from the date of submittal and run in the next issue of The Landscape Contractor magazine. We also offer the opportunity to share your posting with our industry list of over 10,000 contacts!

Pricing: $12.00/line with a 10 line minimum. Feature your ad in our monthly email for $50.00 *Features are available with Classified Posting only

Non-profit postings are available. Contact ILCA for details. Questions? Email Alycia Nagy at anagy@ilca.net

Submission Note: ads submitted prior to the 15th of each month, will be posted online within 72 hours and run in the very next issue of the magazine. Ads submitted after the 15th of the month will post online and run in the following month's issue of the magazine

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Classified Ads HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Production Coordinators

LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ASSSISTANT

• Strong track record of working with clients on projects that deliver results • Previous experience with project cost analysis • Experience with coordination of project logistics

Mariani Landscape, a leader in the Landscape Maintenance industry for over 60 years, is currently looking for a Production Coordinators to join our talented Maintenance team in our Lake Bluff location. This position is responsible for the operations and management of residential crews for that location. This associate is responsible for ensuring that Mariani quality standards are being met and procedures are being always followed on each site in a safe and efficient manner by our crews. This position is also responsible for leading the maintenance production efforts, including identifying crew scheduling issues in response to client requests. The Production Coordinator is also responsible for training all crews on policy and procedures, as well as supervising the overall activities of the crew associates. Please email or fax your resume and cover letter outlining your salary expectations to: Stacy Betz Human Resources Director Fax: (847) 810-6829 E-mail: sbetz@marianilandscape.com Website: www.marianilandscape.com Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V. Moore Landscapes is hiring a Branch Manager Moore Landscapes is hiring a Branch Manager with a passion for doing great work to lead a team of Account Executives and Service Leaders to deliver excellent customer service and value to our clients while maintaining safe operations. This person manages the business for profitable execution using business accounting and P&L statements and supports the team in securing and growing existing accounts. Minimum 5 years of supervisory experience is desired. Landscape/horticulture degree or coursework and previous business accounting exposure and P&L ownership strongly preferred. Aspire software experience is a plus. Visit www.MooreLandscapes.com for a full job description (on the Careers page) and info about our company. To apply visit Indeed, submit Moore’s online application, or email rshockley@ moorelandscapes.com. Lead Carpenter Position Available ASAP Seasonal Landscaping Solutions is looking for an Experienced Carpenter with an immediate start date. We offer a great benefits package and top dollar. We treat our employees like family. Please call Lily Reyes 847-651-3827 for an Interview Today!!

We’re looking for an individual with experience in landscape construction observation and project management to join our Construction Administration team in our Kansas City office. As a landscape construction project assistant, you will assist project managers with conducting material and vendor research, perform AutoCAD drawing edits, plant material procurement and tagging, contractor correspondence, project coordination, and project scope takeoffs. A successful candidate will be highly organized, have a knack for record keeping and thrive in a team setting. Ideal Candidate • An excellent communicator with strong organizational skills • Ideally 5 years of landscape construction or project management experience, but open to recent college graduates • An individual with a great teamwork attitude and excited to work in a collaborative environment

Skills and Requirements • Highly proficient in AutoCAD, Adobe Suite, and Microsoft Office • Expert in project management including developing and management of plans, budgets, scopes, risks, and communication • Excellent organizational and task management skills, including detail-oriented and timeliness • Excellent attitude and ability to work well within a team • Expert in creative problem-solving • Expert in written and verbal communication skills, particularly with internal team members and clients/customers What we need from you • Resume • Design Portfolio • Available Start Date

Skills and Requirements • Highly proficient in AutoCAD, Adobe Suite, Sketch-up and Microsoft Office • Excellent organizational and task management skills, including the ability to change tasks quickly • Excellent attitude and ability to work well within a team • Expert in creative problem-solving

If you are interested in this position, we encourage you to e-mail us at resumes@hoerrschaudt.com

What we need from you • Resume • Design Portfolio • Available Start Date

We are looking to fill a Project Manager position. The Project Manager will serve as a vital link between Christy Webber Landscape’s (CWL) high-profile construction clients and the company to ensure that client expectations regarding quality and service are consistently met and exceeded for the lifespan of the project. Managing the project costing, installation, billing and procurement for a variety of commercial construction projects.

If you are interested in this position, we encourage you to e-mail us at resumes@hoerrschaudt.com LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER We’re looking for an individual with expertise in landscape construction observation and project management to join our Construction Administration team. As a construction project manager, your typical tasks will include extensive research, material specifications, drawing set review and analysis, plant material procurement and plant tagging, contractor correspondence, project cost analysis, high-level client, architect, engineer, and landscape architect correspondence. A successful candidate will be highly organized, have a knack for record-keeping and thrive in a team setting. Ideal Candidate • An excellent communicator with strong organizational skills • Minimum 10 years of landscape construction or project management experience • An individual with a great teamwork attitude and excited to work in a collaborative environment

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

PROJECT MANAGER Christy Webber is a full-service landscape provider offering design, construction, and maintenance programs to residential, commercial, and municipal clients throughout Chicago.

Please email your resume to jobs@christywebber.com

CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES August 2021 issue ads: July 15, 2021 September 2021 issue ads: August 15, 2021 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

Successful suppliers know— industry leaders read this magazine.

is the Midwest’s premier monthly magazine for the landscape, nursery and green industry. Professionls’ Choice Award Goes to Chalet

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

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This award-winning magazine is frequently hailed as the best magazine of its kind. Put your message in this flattering environment.

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Day In — Night Out

The Landscape Contractor has an affordable advertising program for every budget.

Judges’Award Goes to Kane Brothers

For immediate attention CALL Debbie at

817-501-2403 or email —

debbie.landscapecontractor@yahoo.com The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Plans are already underway for the 2021-22 Edition of the Green Industry Guide

THE

Single Most Comprehensive Reference in the Green Industry

Contact Debbie Rauen for advertising information

debbie.landscapecontractor@yahoo.com 60

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Advertisers A Block Marketing ................................................31 Bartlett Tree Experts ..............................................47 Breezy Hill Nursery ................................................46 Clesen Wholesale ....................................................48 Compost Supply .......................................................52 Contree Sprayers .....................................................49 Ditch Witch Midwest ..............................................45 Doty Nurseries LLC ..................................................4 Great Lakes Landscape Supply .................................47

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.

Funky, Whimsical and Playful By Nina A. Koziol

Landscape designers and horticulturists can pull together a stunning container planting in an expensive urn filled with the latest, greatest annuals. Perhaps you even change the plants every season for some clients. Those well-dressed containers shout, “tasteful and elegant.” And then there are these examples. Funky, whimsical and playful. Perhaps they shout, ‘I’m weird!’ You decide.

Green Glen Nursery ...............................................63 Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. .........................................28 Homer Industries ...................................................23 James Martin Associates .........................................56 JKS Ventures ............................................................46 Lafarge Fox River Stone ........................................43 Longshadow Planters .............................................13 Mariani Plants ..........................................................6 Mariani Plants ........................................................35 McGinty Bros. .......................................................12 Midwest Groundcovers ...........................................39

Nothing says, “outdoor kitchen garden” like this collection of coleus and colanders, porcelain coffee pots and pitchers. There’s an antique stove and pots of herbs. It’s everything (except the kitchen sink), but this container grouping on annuals really cooks! Spotted on an Evanston Garden walk.

Midwest Trading ......................................................2 Monroe Truck ..........................................................25

For the “older” readers here, you may recall that hospitals once used porcelain-covered metal bedpans for nauseous or incontinent patients who couldn’t get out of bed. Instead of sending them to a landfill, this high-end retail shop in Door County, Wisconsin, recycled them as planter wall art filled with petunias. (We hope you get the “gag” — in a good way.)

Montale Gardens ......................................................11 Rentalmax ...............................................................27 Spring Meadow Nursery ..........................................17 Schrader Auctions Co, .............................................29 Straughn Farm ........................................................41 The Landscape Contractor magazine ........................52 The Mulch Center ..................................................19 Unilock, Inc. ...........................................................64

Above, Landscaper Brenda Zeiter of Minooka recycled this Red Flyer wagon, filling it with droughttolerant sedums and hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum). Perfect for a child’s planter box. You’ll want to drill a few holes and add fast-draining, sandy-loam potting mix. Voilà! Instant moveable garden. The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Designer Marikay Peter Witlock created these containers. In minimalist fashion, she uses one plant per pot and looks for contrasting textures. Some whisper, “They need to water those dying grasses,” but they are tawny-colored sedges. 61

Hidden Gems Worth Visiting

Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens

7402 Lake Katherine Drive Palos Heights, IL lakekatherine.org

by Heather Prince

Located along the Cal-Sag canal and tucked behind

office buildings, homes, and apartments, Lake Katherine is a charming 85 acre nature preserve that welcomes the community, hosts events, and provides a piece of serenity in the southern suburbs. Officially organized in 2005, this former gun club is now part of the Cal-Sag Bike Trail and features a winding lake plus about 21 garden spaces. There’s something for everyone at Lake Katherine. Kayaks and canoes can be rented for a quiet paddle among the water lilies. A prairie beckons with native flowers and grasses as it buzzes with pollinators. A fenced heritage vegetable garden is maintained as an organic vegetable demonstration area and crops are donated to the local food pantry. The waterfall spilling down around the clubhouse beckons children and provides a good example of a naturalistic stream tumbling over boulders and outcropping. The herb garden is planted in a formal style with rectangular planting areas, containers, and raised beds. The Loretta Kupchick Woodland Wildflower Garden is filled with ephemeral woodland native plants. A tucked away trail leads to a lookout over the Cal-Sag canal where you can watch barge traffic. Bring binoculars to look for all sorts of water birds. Herons stalk the lake and songbirds flit overhead. You’ll find residents walking the mile loop trail around the small lake with their dogs and families or packing a picnic to enjoy under one of the many trees that

make up the arboretum along the south edge of the lake. The nature center offers hands-on learning opportunities with close encounters with live animals and a full calendar of events and programs. There are many garden spaces especially for children, particularly the Children’s Forest at the west end of the lake. Here kids can try nature play, check out a barefoot path, and discover the wonders of a wetland. The nature play areas allow children to climb, build, and get a bit dirty while they explore. Lake Katherine is an interesting example of reclaiming a space that had fallen into neglect and crafting a community nature experience. Their mission is to connect people with nature “by engaging the public and applying current stewardship practices to this reclaimed land, we strive to create a place that invites human interaction with natural spaces through learning about nature, expanding knowledge of good ecological practices, and welcoming recreation and reflection.” You can explore their full master site plan on the website and get a sense of the future direction of this special place. It also allows you to examine the challenges of building and maintaining a natural area in the middle of a built suburb. Lake Katherine also offers ecological consulting services and guidance to creating your own conservation areas. When you visit, take the time to explore all the nooks and crannies of this unexpected respite.

The Landscape Contractor July 2021

Courtstone LUXURIOUS, OLD-WORLD ELEGANCE WITH SUPERIOR STRENGTH

Cast from real European cobblestones, Courtstone is a timeless look for driveways and walkways. Reala™ Technology creates the authentic surface textures, while Ultima™ Concrete Technology ensures superior durability. With a consistent base for efficient installation, this non-linear shape makes it possible to create smooth looking curves with minimal cuts, making it a frequent choice for borders and banding.

Contact 1-800-UNILOCK to connect with your local Territory Manager or visit Unilock.com for more design inspiration.

Exclusive to Unilock