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February 2015

CONTENTS

Excellence In Landscape Awards Project

FOCUS: iLandscape Show Guide Issue

ILCA Plant Recommendation Panel Who’s Buying Native Trees? 10

Perennials in Focus Aster tartaricus ‘Jindai’ Astilbe arendsii ‘Beauty of Ernst’ 24

Plant All-Stars 62 Hibiscus ‘Sweet Caroline’

Revisiting Roy’s Planting Grids Roy Diblik has updated many of his grids 36

Confessions From a Know Maintenance Garden Patti Peltier tells all 40

iLandscape Show Guide A pull-out section with all you need to know 53

All-Star Plant Revue Some of our favorites from the All-Star series

Data Security is Everyone’s Business Concern Read some expert opinions

108

Plant All-Stars Impatiens x hybrida hort SunPatiens®

EN ESPAÑOL

86 4

134

iLandscape 2015 = ¡Más Educación! iLandscape 2015 = Education Plus! 116 On the cover... Rosborough Partners received a Gold award in Residential Landscape Maintenance for this North shore residence. The Landscape Contractor February 2015

2015

iLandscape

the illinois + wisconsin Landscape Show Guide Welcome back to iLandscape

. The tagline for the 2015 was “Here we Grow.” We are proud to present a bigger, better, iLandscape tradeshow. Yet, “Here we Grow” extends far outside the three day event. The landscape industry is healing. A bright horizon lays ahead for the companies and professionals who made the necessary sacrifices to survive. More than a show, iLandscape is a symbol of our optimism, pride, and potential. The vision of iLandscape is to iNFORM, iNNOVATE, and iNSPIRE. iNFORM iLandscape provides one of the strongest educational programs in the country. Enjoy over two dozen educational sessions aimed at all levels and interests of green industy businesses. Spanish-language education is free. A titanic keynote leads of each morning. iNNOVATE Over 200 exhibitors in 375 booth spaces mean more products, services, and innovation. Over 40 companies will debut new products at the show. Work smarter, not harder in 2015 and beyond. iNSPIRE iLandscape is more than a tradeshow. To set the tone, we gather artists and musicians across all disciplines. Relax and take that last deep breath before the season begins. The entertainment menu is highlighted by The subdudes who headline the FREE Wednesday night concert. Buckle up for an amazing iLandscape. We are honored to have your support. Start your experience on page 53. Regards,

Scott Grams Executive Director, ILCA

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS ILCA Calendar From Where I Stand President’s Message Classified Ads Advertisers Index Photo Credits ILCA Awards Program The Morton Arboretum McKay Nursery J. Frank Schmidt and Son Roy Diblik Patrice Peltier Stockyard Brick Rick Reuland

Calendar

4 5 7 124 133

FEBRUARY

1, 8-9 Sheri Lundell 10-12, 14, 18, 123 14, 18, 20 16, 22 38 78-88 124 3, 7

134

The official publication of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), The Landscape Contractor is dedicated to educating, advising and informing members of this industry and furthering the goals of the Association. The Landscape Contractor carries news and features relating to landscape contracting, maintenance, design and allied interests. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication. Publication reserves right to refuse advertising not in keeping with goals of Association. WWW.ilca.net Volume 56, Number 2. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is published monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Landscape Contractor, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES: Association Publishing Partners, Inc., Ph. (630) 637-8632 Fax (630) 637-8629 email: rmgi@comcast.net CLASSIFIED ADS, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION: ILCA (630) 472-2851 Fax (630) 472-3150 PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL OFFICE: Rick Reuland, rmgi@comcast.net 6S252 Cornwall Rd, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630)637-8632 PRODUCT DISCLAIMER: The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, its Board of Directors, the Magazine Committee, ILCA Staff, The Landscape Contractor and its staff, neither endorse any products nor attest to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication.

ILCA Staff

Magazine Staff

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

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

Education Manager Julie Nicoll jnicoll@ilca.net Membership & Events Manager Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net Administrative Assistant Alycia O’Connor aoconnor@ilca.net ILCA 2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 472-2851 • Fax (630) 472-3150 www.ilca.net

February 5, 2015 Mastering Foremanship (Presented in English) Fox Run Golf Links Elk Grove Village

Contact Terre Houte February 25-27, 2015 or visit ilca.net — iLandscape: thoute@ilca.net The Illinois + Wisconsin Landscape Show Schaumburg Convention Center Schaumburg

MARCH Contact Julie Nicoll March 19-20, 2015 Expande Tus Conocimientos - for more information — jnicoll@ilca.net Spanish-language Seminar The Lodge at Four Lakes Village Lisle March 26, 2014 Hardscape Illinois Designing and Constructing with Natural Stone Lombard

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

v Becke Davis Senior Writer treethyme@aol.com Patrice Peltier Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net Meta Levin Feature Writer meta.levin@comcast.net Panel Chairs Jim Fizzell jjfizz@aol.com Greg Pierceall pierceal@purdue.edu

Contact Julie Nicoll for more information — jnicoll@ilca.net

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Contact Julie Nicoll for more information — jnicoll@ilca.net

President’s Message “What happens at iLandscape stays at iLandscape.” This

familiar line from those Las Vegas Weekend commercials has been tossed around jokingly by me and other board and committee members as we prepare for this year’s show. With that attitude in mind, we look forward to welcoming everyone to the Second Annual iLandscape Show. Our Education and Experience Committees, as well as the ILCA staff, have worked extremely hard, and dug deep to create an event that promises to be even better than last year. With a wide variety of vendors, education, exciting keynote speakers and entertainment, and the ILCA Excellence in Landscape Awards Night, this year’s show is sure to impress all who attend. However, there is one big difference between iLandscape and Las Vegas — and it’s not snow. The difference is that unlike Vegas, and the idea of keeping what you see and do a secret, iLandscape is meant to be shared. It’s vendors sharing their products, educators sharing their knowledge, and speakers sharing their enthusiasm and inspiration. Our hope is that all who attend will take full advantage of what this year’s show has to offer and will share it with their companies and customers. I’m extremely proud to be representing ILCA as President this year. I can’t wait for everyone to experience the show that our committees have worked so hard to put together. So whether you attend iLandscape to pick up some CEU’s, get your creative juices flowing, or to relax and talk shop with friends and colleagues, I can assure you this year’s show will not disappoint. So with that, “Welcome to iLandscape 2015!”

President

Kevin Vancina Vancina Landscaping, Inc. (815) 726-2300 kvancina@sbcglobal.net

Vice-President

Rusty Maulding Nature’s View (815) 592-7582 rusty@naturesview.info

Secretary-Treasurer

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

Immediate Past President Charlie Keppel The Care of Trees (847) 382-4120 ckeppel@thecareoftrees.com

Directors Mark Breier National Seed Co. (630) 963-8787 mark.breier@natseed.com Lisa Fiore Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply (847) 913-1414 lisa@cjfiore.com

Here we grow!

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

Best Regards,

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

Kevin Vancina, CLT ILCA President

Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net Tom Lupfer Lupfer Landscaping (708) 352-2765 tom@lupferlandscaping.com

Maureen Scheitz Acres Group (847) 526-4554 maureen.scheitz@acresgroup.com Donna Vignocchi Zych ILT Vignocchi, Inc. (847) 487-5200 dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com

www.ilca.net

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. â&#x20AC;˘ Willowbrook A Park-Like Landscape

This majestic home sits on almost two acres of

land and has many distinct gardens, with manicured hedges, perfectly edged beds of annuals and perennial flowers. The gardens have evolved over the past nine years morphing the property into the homeowners own private park. There are winding flagstone paths, bright splashes of annual and perennial color, ornamental grasses, and a diverse group of specimen shrubs and trees. This residence is maintained spring through fall. As the cold winter begins to warm and the first signs of spring emerge, the landscape comes to life and spring clean-up is performed. Lawn areas that are weakened by snow are dethatched and

re-seeded, all beds are mulched and fertilized, and turf pre-emergent weed control is applied. Roses are pruned, perennial grasses and herbaceous plants are cut back, and beds are edged along with the tree rings. Colorful annuals are added to the beds as the seasons change. The maintenance crews shear all the boxwood hedges once per season and hand prune other shrub material. Mowing is completed on a seven day cycle, along with turf edging, and leaf removal. Hand weeding is done weekly and continues throughout the season. As fall approaches, leaves are collected on a weekly basis, annuals are removed, beds are edged, and perennials are cut back as necessary.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Plant Recommendation Panel

Kathy Fish K. Fish Color Greenhouse Grower

Tony LoBello, L.A. Mariani Landscape Landscape Architect

Annette Held Annette Held Landscape Design Landscape Designer

Who’s Buying Native Trees? By Patrice Peltier

Much has been

said about the importance of native trees. They’re adapted to our environment. They don’t seed or sucker to the point of becoming invasive. They support native wildlife. They’re part of our heritage, so we need to value them and continue to make a place for them in our landscapes. That’s all well and good, but is anyone buying them? What’s the market? In the municipal market, the answer is a resounding “yes!” As municipalities replace ash trees, they are newly mindful of planting with greater diversity. “Arborists and landscapers want to take a better approach and avoid the monoculture plantings that occurred with elm, ash and Austrian pine,” says Alex Head, green goods manager at Fiore Nursery & Landscape Supply. “Greater tree diversity in the urban landscape will help prevent problematic pests and diseases from having such a devastating effect on the landscape.” Ryan Doty, owner of Doty Nurseries LLC, agrees. Municipal foresters come to the nursery armed with tree inventories and lists with target percentages for tree species, he says. “This causes people to look at other options available to them. We’re seeing them ask for more native trees in the name of diversity,” he explains. 10

They’re coming to

Greg Schaumburg, landscape designer at Bertog Landscape Co., has witnessed this both professionally and personally. “In my neighborhood, the ash trees were removed last fall. The Village of Buffalo Grove came through this spring with a trailer full of replacement trees. Not surprisingly, they’re mostly natives,” he says. What are they planting? One of the trees that’s increasingly popular is Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), according to Doty. “It’s a tough tree,” Doty says of this slow-growing tree that matures to

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

a height of 60-75 feet with a spread of 40-50 feet. Its compound leaves often don’t appear until mid May, providing dappled shade once they do. Fall color is yellow. In his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael Dirr describes the tree as “somewhat clumsy looking in winter.” As the tree develops, its bark becomes more interesting with scalelike ridges that form interesting patterns on 1-2” diameter branches. Native trees can be somewhat slow to develop their best ornamental features, according to Doty, and Kentucky coffeetree is a case in point. “When it

Abby Lydon Clarence Davids & Company Floral Designer

Jim Broccolo Clesen Wholesale Grower

Tom Trayser The Brickman Group

Robert Milani Chalet

Jeff Gibson Ball Horticultural Company

Ryan Doty Doty Nurseries Grower

Greg Schaumburg Bertog Landscape Company Landscape Architect

a street near you! Photos courtesy of J. Frank Schmidt & Son gets old, it’s a beautiful, beautiful tree, but in the short term, it’s a little more coarse,” he admits. Kentucky coffeetrees get their common name from the 5-10” long brownish-lack, leathery seedpods that ripen in October and persist into winter. Early settlers roasted the seeds and used them as a coffee substitute. Although they appreciated the pods, today many people consider them a nuisance. For this reason, Doty often recommends the cultivar, Espresso™, a seedless selection by J. Frank Schmidt & Son. (continued on page 12)

Gymnocladus dioicus ‘Expresso’TM The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Who’s Buying Native Trees?

(continued from page 11) Alex Head thinks more people should consider yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava). “It’s a forgotten aesculus, a nice, large-scale buckeye that very few people are using, but it’s one of the few that really looks good all the way into fall,” he says. The tree grows 60-75’ tall with an upright oval to slightly spreading crown. The dark green leaves are made of five leaflets that turn pumpkin color in the fall. Unlike other buckeyes, the yellow buckeye’s foliage remains largely free of fungal problems, according to Head. In spring, the tree has showy yellow flowers borne on erect 6-7” long and 2-3” wide panicles. The flowers are followed by smooth, pear-shaped fruits 2-2.5” long. Another native shade tree that Head thinks is often overlooked is the American basswood (Tilia americana). “The leaves are as big as your hand,” he says of the heart-shaped leaves that can be up to 8” long. The leaves—dark green on the upper surface and paler green beneath—create wonderful shade in summer before turning pale yellow in fall, he says. Head also appreciates the fragrant, pale yellow clusters of flowers that appear in mid to late June, noting they’re a favorite of honey bees. American basswood grows 60-80 feet tall with a spread of half to two-thirds its height. One of the problems with native species shade trees is that they grow so wide, according to Head. “They block storefronts or grow into the street and get hit by semis driving by. That’s one of the reasons so many cultivars are popular,” Head says of trees that are selected for their smaller size. He considers cultivars of natives—often called nativars--to be native trees as well. (continued on page 14)

Tilia americana — American basswood Photo courtesy of The Morton Arboretum

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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Who’s Buying Native Trees?

(continued from page 12) “There’s room for using cultivars of native plants,” says Mike Scheitz, nurseries director of Goodmark Nurseries, LLC. / South Branch Nurseries, Inc. He also notes that often cultivars of native plants tend to be more consistent as well as more ornamental. He is a fan, for instance, of Tilia americana cultivars ‘Redmond’ and ‘Sentry’. Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is a native tree that’s well suited to urban environments, both Head and Schaumburg agree. “It’s a lowland tree. They’re often adaptable to urban soils because they are used to growing in cruddy, anaerobic soil,” Head says. Schaumburg’s first industry job was working at Independence Grove, part of the Lake County Forest Preserve, and it was there he came to know hackberry. “It’s not too showy, but it’s a workhorse tree that will survive,” he says. Hackberry grows 40-60’ tall with a nearly equal spread. Its dull-green, ovate leaves turn yellow in fall. It flowers in spring as the leaves emerge and produces orange-red to dark purple drupes that ripen in fall. According to Schaumburg, one of the tree’s most ornamental features is its grey bark which develops corky ridges or warts. “The best things going for it are it lives and has interesting bark,” he admits. (continued on page 16)

Celtis occidentalis — Common Hackberry

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

2016 IN THE FIELD DESIGN TOUR

In the Field Design Tour CALL FOR ENTRIES

Deadline for Submissions: July 1, 2015 Tour Date: July 14, 2016

SUBMIT A SITE FOR ILCA’S 2016 DESIGN TOUR

REMEMBER

In the Field Design Tour

In the Field 2016 is an all-‐day learning field trip that will concentrate on six successfully executed sites that offer important educational viewpoints in design, engineering, construction and maintenance.

At each of the six tour stops, designers will be on hand to discuss various features of the site. These sites have been handpicked from dozens of projects. They will provide an injection of inspiration and a new perspective on the design process.

Site should be able to handle an all day tour with as many as 100 participants on the site at one time (or two groups of 50). Submitting company should be available to prepare the site for show the day before the tour. Project designer and contractors involved should be available to present both the educational and technical aspects relevant to the site. If the site is chosen, the participating firm will be asked to prepare a short description that will be part of the printed program along with photos of the site.

Deadline for submissions is July 1, 2015

Submission Process Electronic submission is the only format that will be accepted.

Selection Criteria Site should be in a 5 mile radius surrounding Hinsdale, IL. This includes: Burr Ridge, Countryside, Darien, Hinsdale, La Grange, Oak Brook, Westchester, Western Springs, and Westmont.

Submit up to five digital photos of the project.

Site should be pre-‐approved by the property owner prior to submittal.

Photo submissions and a landscape plan (if available) can be done via the Dropbox site.

Email the submission form to information@ilca.net. The submission form is available on the ILCA website ilca.net/design/design_tour.aspx.

In the Field has been conducted in 2010 and 2014. Each tour has been sold out and hosted more than 100 landscape industry professionals.

Submission does not guarantee acceptance.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Who’s Buying Native Trees?

(continued from page 14) One of Schaumburg’s favorite native trees is Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera). “This is the first tree I learned as a kid,” he recalls. “My dad transplanted one out of the woods. It grew perfectly for 35 years and came down in a windstorm 5 years ago. There was one left on the village trailer, and my wife, Janie, asked if we could have that as our replacement tree,” Schaumburg says, adding, “I smile every time I see it.” Tuliptree gets its name from its distinctive, tulip-like, greenish flowers with orange centers that appear in late spring. The bright, green, clean foliage also has a distinctive shape. Fall color is yellow. A fast grower, tuliptree reaches 70-90’ tall with a spread of 35-50’. Scheitz says Kentucky coffeetree, tuliptree, and hackberry are three of the top-selling native trees at his nurseries right now. He adds a fourth top-seller to the list: catalpa (Catalpa speciosa). “Catalpas remind me of my childhood,” Scheitz admits. “It’s a cool tree as it gets big. It has flowers, and its seed pods look kind of neat.” (continued on page 18) Liriodendron tulipifera— Tuliptree

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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Who’s Buying Native Trees?

(continued from page 16) Another big, medium- to fastgrowing tree, catalpa reaches 40-60’ tall with a spread of 20-40’. In late spring, catalpas sport white panicles, 4-8 inches long, comprised of 2-inch long and wide, bell-shaped flowers. Later, 8-20’ long, cigar-like seedpods form changing from green to brown and often persisting through winter. Couple that with medium green, heart-shaped leaves that grow 6-12” long and 3-8” wide, and you have a striking tree throughout the seasons. (Catalpa’s don’t have great fall color. Leaves generally turn yellowgreen to brown before falling.) Scheitz says the trees are very adaptable to poor soils and tolerant of a variety of cultural conditions. What about residential? “We don’t see a lot of residential customers coming in and requesting native trees,” Doty admits. Often, native trees take time to grow into their full beauty. Residential customers may not be willing to wait, he says. Sometimes, the habit or texture of native trees is coarse. “The aesthetics, especially in the short-term, are not what our residential clients want,” he explains. (continued on page 20) Catalpa speciosa — Catalpa

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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Who’s Buying Native Trees?

(continued from page 18) Schaumburg agrees that many people, while supporting the idea of a native habitat, don’t want one in their back yard. What’s more, many backyards have been so disturbed that they may no longer support native plants, he says. “People talk wistfully about Illinois’ lost expanses of prairie and how wonderful they were, and then they head home to a community that stripped the topsoil, cut in roads and sewers, and backfilled 3” of black dirt on top of a mile of clay,” Schaumburg points out. “We live in a highly developed area, and there’s no going back. We often get hung up on the native issue, yet we don’t live in a ‘native framework’ which can always support a short list of species with limited ornamental value. “I’m a proponent of right plant, right place, and don’t subscribe to a strictly native philosophy,” Schaumburg continues. “Ornamental horticulture is good business and completely appropriate for the context of living in a highly developed landscape. Since we’ve societally headed down this route thus far, there’s no realistic turning back to a culture of natives and prairie landscapes. I don’t believe that most of our general population values the aesthetic, and I’d go so far as to say that the aesthetic is inappropriate unless pulled off on a scale commensurate with a large tract of land and a complementary architectural style.” Scheitz echoes a number of Schaumburg’s points. Once the native soil has been removed, not all native plants can tolerate the new conditions, he says. When it comes to smaller trees, residential clients have embraced native trees such as pagoda dogwood and redbud, although not necessarily because native trees are a priority, Scheitz says. “We sold 100 redbuds this year. People don’t necessarily realize they’re native trees; they just like the way they flower,” he explains.

Cercis canadensis — Eastern Redbud

(continued on page 22) 20

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

jay@proapsupply.com The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Who’s Buying Native Trees?

(continued from page 20) Robert Milani, senior landscape architect at Chalet, encourages the use of native plants in his mostly-residential practice. “I try to use natives everywhere they’re appropriate because they’re such great plants. They have the ability to survive in our climate; they withstand pressure from insects and diseases, and they require less maintenance because they’re adapted to our environment.” He admits that, on the downside, native trees are not always as showy. “During the first meeting with a client, I make it a point to educate clients about what to expect from the plantings, and I talk to them about why we use native trees and shrubs,” he explains. If a client expresses an interest in using an exotic plant, often one the client has seen in a magazine or on a TV show, Milani explains that the plant may not live long in this environment.

“Most people, when they call Chalet, they’re open to our recommendations. They want to be educated,” Milani says. After learning more about native plants, Milani finds people are won over. “They’re tired of seeing plants they put in several years ago die or struggle,” he notes. Milani doesn’t have a go-to native tree. “As a landscape architect, I never want to be focused on one plant all the time,” he explains. “I look at site specific issues. Is the site a woodland? Dry? Wet? What conditions do we have to work with?” When pressed to name a native tree he likes to use, Milani selected baldcypress (Taxodium distichum). “I love baldcypress. It’s easy,” he says. “It has very few insect or disease problems. A lot of villages are even using it for street plantings because it can tolerate urban conditions.”

Taxodium distichum — baldcypress

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

One of the few deciduous conifers, Milani appreciates how adaptable the tree is. It grows well in dry sites as well as wet ones. “A lot of the sites we work on are in flood plains or have poorly draining soil,” he notes. Milani also appreciates the short, fine-textured needles that change from bright yellow-green in spring, to soft sage green in summer before maturing to a “cinnamon-y” brown before they are shed at the end of the season. He also likes the architectural interest of the knobby “knees” baldcypress develop when they’re planted near water. Baldcypress has a slender, pyramidal habit, growing 40-60’ tall with a spread of 15-25’. Native trees offer many benefits in the landscape. Little by little, consumers may develop a greater appreciation for these hardy, durable—if not entirely showy—plants. This broader aesthetic may be hastened by all the native trees that are being planted along our region’s streets.

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Perennials in

f cus

S N A P S H O T S

Aster tataricus ‘Jindai’ | Jindai Tatarian Aster Site preference—soil & light Tatarian aster is easily grown in average, well-drained soils in full sun. Successes and possible drawbacks—how to overcome them ‘Jindai’ features late-season lavender-blue flowers and a different habit from most commonly grown asters. Divide Jindai every 3-4 years if needed to control growth. Plants can spread widely by rhizomes under optimum growing conditions. This is the only aster that rabbits do not eat! Notes from growers/retailers ‘Jindai’ had no grower notes except that it was long-lived and trouble free.

Flower description / bloom time Small, ¾-inch, lavender-blue daisies with a yellow center are clustered at the tips of the stems. ‘Jindai’ blooms in September and October. Foliage interest—color/texture Distinctive paddle-shaped, almost tobacco-like basal leaves are up to 18 inches long and 5 inches wide. Leaves on the upper stems are smaller. Habit and growth rate observations ‘Jindai’ is a compact plant with upright stems to 4 or 5 feet tall, which is about 2 feet shorter than the species. It spreads by rhizomes to 3 feet wide. Best combinations Calamagrostis ×acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' and Eupatorium maculatum are good companion plants for ‘Jindai’. Parting “SHOT”—the overall evaluation results were Good  Bold and colorful best describes this showstopper! Pretty late season lavender-blue flowers, bold foliage, and an upright habit give ‘Jindai’ a nice presence in the garden. It’s habit can be aggressive, so a word of warning to gardeners is warranted. ‘Jindai’ is a great aster for massing or for the back of the perennial border. Evaluated 2004-2007 24

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Perennials in

f cus

S N A P S H O T S

Astilbe x arendsii ‘Beauty of Ernst’ Color Flash® Astilbe Flower description / bloom time This Astilbe has airy plumes of fragrant, pale pink. The flowers are supposed to bloom June through August; however, one evaluator noted its bloom time as being only in August and some evaluators noted it did not flower at all. It was observed that Color Flash® was not as floriferous as Astilbe ‘Hennie Graafland’.



have leaves in all shades of green and burgundy to red at the same time. The flowers attract butterflies and it does not appear to attract deer or rabbits. It was recommended by evaluators that Color Flash® be deadheaded so that the color on the foliage stands out. Keep this plant well watered since it needs moist soil for best performance; a mulch will help to retain the soil moisture. It was not bothered by slugs or other insects or by rabbits. Notes from growers/retailers This plant looks great in a container and the colored foliage stands out on a retail bench. Although easily grown, it is patented so propagation is by license only. Best combinations Color Flash® works well in combination with ferns, especially Dryopteris filix-mas and Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’. Parting “SHOT” – the overall evaluation results were Poor.  This one was hard to rate, because there is nothing wrong with it, yet there is nothing outstanding either. It certainly has nice clean foliage and grows well. Unfortunately, Color Flash® demonstrated weak growth for most of the evaluators. Three of the evaluators lost the plant completely and only two had 100 percent survival during the testing period.

Foliage interest— color/texture Compound leaves emerge a rich green, turning slightly glossy, lower leaves edged with burgundy or red as the season progresses.

Evaluated 2005-2008

Habit and growth rate observations The foliage becomes a vigorous mound to 12 inches tall and 24 inches wide. The blooms add 12-18 inches of height in mid-summer. Site preference—soil and light This plant grows best in part sun or dappled shade. It prefers constant moisture and will need supplemental watering in extreme heat. Successes and possible drawbacks— how to overcome them This Astilbe’s strong growth and changing foliage color keep this plant interesting throughout the season. It can

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Perennials in Focus

Where do you go for information you can trust, about a perennial you’d like to try? A. B.

A. Read The Landscape Contractor

B. Ask a colleague who has experience with the plant

C. Find out how the plant performed for a number of green industry professionals across the Chicagoland area D. All of the above

by Patrice Peltier

A long-standing industry group

, Perennials in Focus, is the “all of the above” answer to looking like a whiz kid when it comes to perennials. Over the 20 or so years of its existence, the group has included numerous green industry professionals in northeastern Illinois, including growers, wholesale nurseries, landscape design firms, landscape contractors, college horticulture programs, public gardens, park districts and retail garden centers. Each year, the members choose 10 new or underutilized plants to be evaluated over a three-year period in their personal or professional gardens. At the end, the group publishes a comprehensive report, called a Snapshot. “We want to present the positives and the negative findings,” explains Karen Moore, owner of Coventry Gardeners, who has been in the group from its early days. “We really try to tell the story of the plant, the things people want to know about a plant they haven’t grown before.” Often, both consumers and people in the trade get their plant information from national magazines. Those articles can really pique your interest, but how will the plant grow in Chicagoland’s challenging hot, humid summers, harsh winters and clay soils? You could consult the grower’s website, but that information is often designed to sell plants—not to give you the straight scoop, Moore notes. “We provide a well-rounded view of the plant,” she says. The point isn’t to give any plant a thumbs up or thumbs down. “Sometimes a plant has a weak point that’s helpful to know. You may decide you want to grow it anyway,” Moore explains. Knowing a plant’s weaknesses in advance helps you plant it in the right conditions or maybe accept that it will not be long-lived in your garden, she adds. Todd Jacobson, head of horticulture at The Morton Arboretum, currently heads the group. He says Perennials in Focus provides a different kind of insight into plants than what comes out of a formal trial garden program. For starters, the majority of the evaluation plants are not grown in trial beds 26

dedicated to evaluations. They are mixed in to existing gardens at members’ homes or their place of employment, adding to the diversity in growing conditions these plants are tested in. One exception is Jacobson’s evaluation plants which are grown in Godshalk Meadow at The Morton Arboretum, an area dedicated to various trials of both woody and herbaceous plants. “Most of us are evaluating plants in an actual garden setting—not a trial garden,” says Mary Allen of Plandscape, where one of her duties is perennial garden design. “If a plant can live in my garden, it can live anywhere,” she says with a laugh. “I may water during a drought, but otherwise, plants don’t get a lot of enhanced care in my garden.” Because there isn’t just one site, evaluators also get to see how the plants perform across northeastern Illinois—from north to south and west to the lakefront, Jacobson says. And because there are a minimum of five evaluators for every plant tested, this enables plants to be subjected to varying degrees of maintenance, he adds. Evaluators are free to do as much—or as little—maintenance as they please. The amount of care provided—and the plant’s response—are all noted by each evaluator. “It’s interesting to see how different maintenance practices affect the plants,” Moore says. “It’s so much fairer to the plants to be evaluated in different locations. A plant might not do well in the conditions of just one trial garden,” says Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farms who was a founding member of the group. He points out that individual gardeners’ practices—how often they water, what kind of mulch these use—can also greatly affect a plant’s performance. He thinks the group’s success, however, is more fundamental than that. “You can’t find a more committed group of number of green industry professionals across the Chicagoland area All of the above people,” he says. “Everyone is passionate about plants. It’s not market driven.” The group’s roots go back to the “perennial boom” of the (continued on page 28)

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Perennials in Focus (continued from page 26) mid-1990’s. The sales staff at Midwest Groundcovers and Diblik, who was growing plants for Midwest, needed more information about which perennials would perform well in the Chicagoland region as well as which perennials might be in greatest demand. The group took field trips to local gardens to see what was being planted and how it performed; they trialed plants in Midwest Groundcovers’ display garden, and they organized focus groups to learn more about customers’ interests and preferences. Laurie McGhee was part of the Midwest Groundcovers sales staff back then. “We wanted to know from the retail people and the landscape contractors which plants were being used, where and in what conditions,” she recalls. Today, McGhee works in customer service at Mariani Nurseries. She’s still a member of the group and still finds the group’s insights useful. Her contacts within the group help her keep tabs on which perennials people will be demanding. She also often uses the evaluation results as a basis for recommending plants to customers. “As a wholesaler of perennials, it’s great to get all these different viewpoints about the plants,” she says. “I learn why some plants really sell and others don’t. It helps me sell plants and give customers ideas about how to use them.” As the person in charge of Midwest Groundcovers’ display gardens back then, Brenda McMahon was also involved

in the group from the get-go. “Back then, there were all these new plants hitting the market, and there was really very little information about them,” she recalls. It wasn’t long before the core group of people hit upon a new idea: to trial the plants in a variety of gardens across the metropolitan area to develop their own data about how the plants performed. These days, the evaluation process starts in early winter each year. Perennials in Focus evaluation team members each nominate up to three plants. The nominees are compiled into a powerpoint presentation for the February meeting. “That’s really fun for all of us,” Jacobson says. “It might be one of their own introductions, a plant they’ve seen elsewhere, a new plant they’ve heard about or a plant they think is underused or has fallen out of favor,” Jacobson explains. “They’re not necessarily always cultivars. A number of interesting straight species that many of us have never heard of have been nominated and even made the final cut.” After pitches have been made for all the plants, members vote and narrow the list to 15. Members who are growers then get to work sourcing those plants. Ultimately, the list is paired to 10 plants. Evaluation team members then sign up for the plants they’d like to evaluate. Each plant must be evaluated by a minimum of five people. (continued on page 30)

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Perennials in Focus (continued from page 28) Team members who are growers generally donate the plants for the group to evaluate, according to Jacobson. In the meantime, Mary Allen researches the plants, putting together cultural notes for each. When she finds discrepancies, she includes them in her notes to give each evaluator as much preliminary information about the plant as possible. The plants are distributed in June and spend the rest of the growing season settling in. The following year, the three-year evaluation period begins. Plants are given a numeric rating for their foliage, flowers and habit. Evaluators are also asked to provide information about where each plant is grown, geographically, in the region as well as where it is sited in the garden. In addition, grower members include notes about cultural requirements and observations of the plant in production. ”We include a lot of comments to tell the story of how that plant grew in our garden,” Moore says. “Numbers alone don’t tell the story of these plants.” The job of consolidating all the reviews from the 3-year evaluation falls to Laurie McGhee. She compiles Excel spreadsheets and passes them along to other members of the team who put together a “Snapshot”, a public presentation of the team’s findings. Snapshots are posted on the group’s website, www.perennialsinfocus.com, and are also published six times a year in The Landscape Contractor.

Sometimes the results are surprising. McGhee says she was really looking forward to trialing Agastache bolero in hopes that it would be a hardy perennial in her McHenry garden. “It didn’t make it through the first winter, but that was a horrible winter,” she acknowledges. Similarly, she was disappointed when Gentiana ‘True Blue’ didn’t live in her garden, although it was successful in other gardens in the trial. “On the flip side, we’ve had plants that have done everything people said they would and more,” she says. In addition to fitting the evaluation process into their “spare” time, one of the group’s challenges is getting their findings to potential end users. In addition to its website, the group now has a Facebook page. Team members also reference the information during public presentations and in their own contacts with customers, McGhee says. “Perennials in Focus has a unique trial program that offers the industry new information and can help many landscapers and growers with plant selection,” says newcomer Kelly Girup of Doty Nurseries. “Our group is so diverse, and our plant selections reflect that.” “I think Perennials in Focus has the potential to help people interested in growing perennials be more successful,” says McMahon. “That’s our mission.” (continued on page 32)

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Focus — Know Maintenance You Can Use

Revisiting Roy’s Grids by Patrice Peltier

Despite our best

efforts to educate ourselves and to put the right plant in the right place, sometimes plants don’t perform the way we anticipated. That, says plantsman, author, garden consultant and Know Maintenance guru Roy Diblik, is when the real gardening comes in. In 2007, The Landscape Contractor ran a series of articles featuring plant combinations and percentages Diblik was using at the time. He called them his grids. We asked Diblik to revisit his grids and let us know whether his plant choices have changed, and, if so, how and why. This grid featured three plants Diblik used extensively at the time: Sporobolus heterolepis, Achillea x hybrida ‘Walter Funcke’ and Echinacea tennesseensis. Today, he rarely uses that yarrow cultivar or coneflower species unless he knows for certain they’ll be in very well-drained soil that’s not irrigated. “They don’t do well in our clay soils,” he says. “They’re not as forgiving.” Sporobolus heterolepsis continues to be a go-to plant in Diblik’s palette. “It does well everywhere from moist meadows to gravelly sites along railroad tracks,” he says. These days, if Diblik were to plant this grid, he’d keep the Sporobolus and substitute Echinacea pallida for E. tennesseensis. “Echinacea pallida can handle our clay soils. It doesn’t grow into other plants because of its nice, vertical, upright habit. It has fewer flowering stems than E. tennesseensis but it’s longer-lived,” Diblik explains. Instead of ‘Walter Funcke’, Diblik likes to plant Coreopsis palmata. He notes that a little of this rhizomatous plant goes a long way, but he likes the yellow, daisy-like flowers from late June into late July and the way the deeply cut foliage stands out against other plants in the garden, providing a layered look. Over time, Diblik has changed more than just his plant selection. “I’ve learned to put in more plants and to use quarts instead of gallons,” he says. Substituting quarts allows Diblik to use more plants for about the same price as gallons and yields a denser planting more quickly. He generally plants quarts on 15” centers. “The plants in quarts become gallonsize in a month to six weeks,” he says. Knowing a plant’s growth rate, habit, self-sowing propensities and vegetative spreading habit all matter when combining plants, Diblik has learned. “It’s important that the plants 36

selected and planted for the purpose of establishing close together relate well to each other as they mature and knit together,” he explains. “They must live in a compatible and healthy relationship. One or two members of the community can’t quickly inhibit the development and lifestyle of the others.” One example are solidagos which may begin seeding in their first year. “They mature quickly, take up much space and because of their seeding strength will germinate and fill many of the open areas in a young planting,” Diblik says. Diblik has also started adding bulbs to almost every planting. The bulbs help provide early-season interest and then disappear as the perennial foliage develops. In this 15’ x 8’ grid, Diblik would scatter February Gold narcissus bulbs among Chionodoxa for a cheerful combination of yellow and blue in April. He would also add Allium moly for a scattering of yellow flowers among the Sporobolus in early June. In the first two years, weeding and watering as needed are the biggest maintenance requirements. He offers these guidelines: · Make absolutely certain all perennial weeds are dead before you start planting. · The initial watering is critical. Be sure to soak each plant to provide proper root-to-soil contact. · Depending upon rainfall, water every 10 days—or as needed—during the first month. Water every two weeks—again, depending upon rainfall and observed need—thereafter. By year three, Diblik estimates this planting can be maintained each year in 27-30 hours per 1,000 square feet. Grid: Sporobolus heterolepis (33 quarts) Echinacea tennesseensis (22 quarts) Coreopsis palmata (9 quarts) Allium moly (120 bulbs) Chionodoxa (300-400 bulbs) Narcissus ‘February Gold’ (50-75 bulbs)

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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Coreopsis palmata (8 quarts) Echinacea pallida (22 quarts) Sporobolus heterolepsis (34 quarts)

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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Roy Diblik’s Know Maintenance Case Study

Confessions of a Not-SoKnow Maintenance Garden Part 2 By Patrice Peltier

Despite spending

the last 14 years writing articles about Roy Diblik and touring many of his Know Maintenance gardens, I was surprised to the point of giddiness when my own Know Maintenance garden bloomed for the first time in 2014. Less than one year after I planted it, I had my own little version of the lush, naturalistic, richly textured tapestry of

form and color that I’d seen at The Lurie Garden, The Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago and countless residential projects around Chicagoland and southern Wisconsin. I was astonished that those little two-inch plugs I planted in mid-July, 2013 had, in many places, already filled in the empty spaces. I wasn’t the only one who was wowed…so were the other people who

The sunny border in marvelous bloom. 40

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

live in Spring Green, Wisconsin, our new, part-time home. Everywhere my husband, Paul, and I went in this small town, people wanted to talk about the garden. Some stopped their cars right in the middle of the street to call out kudos before driving on. To the casual observer, the garden was a huge success. When I wasn’t

The sunny border is a tough act to follow. Still, the shade garden in front of the house looked a bit thin. Roy recommended I “dense it up” with more plants. preening, however, I was focused on what wasn’t pure perfection…yet. What’s up with ‘Blue Ice’? Two-thirds of the garden that spans the sunny side of the house was full and lush its first complete growing season. But, it petered out as it reached the front corner of the property — just where I wanted it to look particularly showy. There was too much ground showing. What was the deal with that? During the growing season, as I talked to Roy about how to address the problem areas, he said several things that took me by surprise. One of my “problem children” was Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ which occupies a prominent position where the garden turns the corner from full to partial sun. ‘Blue Ice’ is also dotted along the sunny border, of course, because Roy is all about repetition. Regardless of its location, it just sat there all season — each plant a couple of spindly sticks. It never flowered, but the plants leafed out fully and looked healthy. I asked Roy if I should interplant it with perennials, maybe some Geranium

sanguineum. He urged me to be patient. He said amsonia spreads by rhizomes. In another season or two, it would completely fill the space, he predicted. If I absolutely had to have more plants and more color there, he suggested I interplant it with annuals for a season or two. Annuals? Am I talking to Roy Diblik? Yes. He thought annuals would be a perfectly fine short-term solution — better, in fact, than my idea of planting perennial geraniums which would eventually have to be extracted from the mass of amsonia. After considering the whole issue further, he realized he’d never planted amsonia in sandy soil like I have in Spring Green. He still maintained that patience was in order, but he also conceded I might discover ‘Blue Ice’ behaves differently in this setting. Then, there was the grouping of seven Limonium latifolium plants. Their basal foliage, while nice, left too much bare ground showing. What’s more, the flowering stems all flopped over and laid on the ground, so that no one saw them except me — and that was only

when I was weeding. Again, Roy urged patience. In future years, the limonium would send up more flowering stems — five to seven per plant — he promised. The stems would help hold each other up. “They’ll look like a cloud of purple tumble weed,” he said with great enthusiasm. Ok! I’m looking forward to that. In the meantime, we agreed I’d interplant one of my favorite grasses, Seslaria autumnalis, to prop up the limonium. Roy also mentioned that the limonium would seed itself around, but that the seedlings were easy to identify and weed out. Hmmm, another surprise. I thought I didn’t have to worry about such things because Roy’s plants played well with others. Later I realized, “duh” most plants do spread their seeds around. Maybe as far as Roy’s concerned, as long as the seedlings are easy to distinguish from other plants and easy to remove, the plant goes in the “wellbehaved” column. I was also surprised that the Little Spire Russian sage stems weren’t more upright. They lazily slouched over their (continued on page 42)

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Roy Diblik’s Know Maintenance Case Study (continued from page 40) neighbors. I thought this cultivar’s shorter stature meant it would be more tidy. Had I overwatered? Fertilized too much? Roy offered two options. I could cut it back in June each year so that it would be shorter and more upright. Or, I could plant some Vernonia x ‘Southern Cross’ (which Roy refers to as “Brent’s vernonia” because Brent Horvath, owner of Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, introduced it) to prop it up while also providing some bright purple blooms that will contrast nicely with the wispy, lilac plumes of the perovskia. Wait a minute. Isn’t Roy always advocating using plants that don’t need cutting back, deadheading or staking? Over the years, I’ve been lulled into the sense that Roy’s Know Maintenance style is synonymous with No Maintenance. I must not have been paying as much attention when Roy talked about the artistry of gardening, explaining that when it comes time for selective pruning or culling of plants, “That’s where the gardening comes in.” How’s that for wishful thinking?

This is classic Diblik: rivers of blue salvia, punctuated by...

Shady characters The sunny border is, admittedly, a tough act to follow. Still, the partial-shade to shade garden in front of the house was decidedly lackluster in 2014. Most of the plants had come through the hot summer and the interminable winter of 2013-14 in good health, but not growing vigorously. I was pleased that the Thalictrum dioicum, which had all but disappeared by the end of its first season, was back again — as were the Christmas ferns that had seemed to be struggling by the fall. Hosta ‘Halcyon’ looked (continued on page 44

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Roy Diblik’s Know Maintenance Case Study

As the sunny border reached the front corner, it got a bit sparse. Do the existing plants need more time to mature…or do I need more plants? Roy’s answer was “yes” and “yes.”

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

(continued from page 42) vigorous, but the pulmonaria and Geranium cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’ I had transplanted from my other garden looked mighty puny. In a few places, the Carex montana had disappeared altogether; elsewhere it appeared in wispy clumps. Overall, when I looked at the planting, what I mostly saw was leaf mulch. Roy said it was not surprising that the shade plants were taking longer to get established than the plants in the sunny border. Hmmm. Good to know. He also suggested the shade garden might benefit from more supplemental watering until the plants were well established. This view was reinforced by Christine Nye, horticulturist at The Shedd Aquarium, and her husband, horticulturist Ken Williams, who stopped by on their way to a Wisconsin River canoe trip. They suspected the root competition from the mature maples in the parkway might be slowing the growth of my shade garden. (continued on page 46)

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Know Maintenance Case Study (continued from page 44) Roy agreed that I needed more plants in the shade garden. “You need to dense it up,” was how he expressed it. He counseled me not to give up on the Carex montana, saying that once they got established, they’d grow to be like “trunks.” I took this to mean they’d be dense tufts of grass. I am looking forward to that. I decided to replant the C. montana more closely and make room for new plants in the open spaces. I added Seslaria autumnalis as a carryover from the sunny garden. Repetition, right? I’m catching on! I also wanted more color, so Roy suggested I add two perennial geraniums: Geranium sanguineum ‘Max Frei’ and G. sanguineum var. striatum. He likes the combination of striatum’s light pink flowers and the darker pink of ‘Max Frei.’ I am hoping these two help turn the corner and blend the sunny garden with the shady garden.

On my own the previous summer, I had added three purple-leaved heucheras I’d purchased at a going-out-of-business sale. My idea was they’d pick up the burgundy of our house’s roof and trim. Roy said I was on the right track, but I needed more plants. He recommended Heuchera x villosa ‘Mocha.’ He likes the villosa bloodlines because they’re hardier and more durable than many of the other heucheras. He selected nine, one-gallon pots and said, “This will make a nice drift.” Evidently, he thought I would plant them all in one place? Since Roy had seen the shade garden, I’d extended it, so while he was thinking “drifts,” I was thinking “repetition.” I consolidated the three plants I already had into one, small “drift.” Then, I repeated my mini “drifts” in three more places across the front of the property. Maybe in 2015 I’ll discover I need to dig them up and make one, actual (continued on page 48)

bhaneyandsons.com 46

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Roy Diblik’s Know Maintenance Case Study

Hey, ‘Little Spire’ perovskia, you’re not supposed to be flopping like this!

(continued from page 46) “drift.” Some people just have to learn by making mistakes. Roy insisted I take some Carex pensylvanica to “dense up” the shade plantings. I resisted. No, Roy maintained, I was going to need this to fill in. Dang if he wasn’t right! In fact, when I finished planting them, I thought I might even need more. One of the tricky things about using two-inch plugs is that it’s hard to envision their mature size. Right now, I could plant them every six inches to get the desired effect. We all know, however, that in a year or two, I’m going to have way too many plants. In fact, as I gently teased out some of the roots in preparation for planting them, I could see those runners ready to spread their wings. I can see it coming, but do I have the patience to wait? As someone who wants some of every kind of plant, I suggested to Roy that maybe I should incorporate some epimedium into my shady garden. This made him laugh — sorta. He thought it would be a good plant to add, but cautioned me against using too many different plants. It’s the repetition and the change in textures that makes the look, he said. Adding too many different kinds of plants will make the planting look chaotic. As a compromise, he suggested ending the planting with a large grouping of epimedium, kind of like punctuation. Then, I could carry on with epimedium if I chose to extend the garden around the other side of the property. In the end, I didn’t do anything with epimedium…yet. (continued from page 50)

Visit us at booth #632 to check out our Bud & Bloom Collection New! 50 Piece Order Minimum

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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Roy Diblik’s Know Maintenance Case Study (continued from page 48) Growing my own Know Maintenance garden — instead of just writing about them — has been an eye-opening experience. In many ways, the garden has been much easier and faster to establish than I ever imagined. It has also needed more finetuning than I anticipated, but that, as Roy would say, is what gardening is all about. It has also given me the opportunity to observe closely (as in daily hand-wringing and obsessing) a new palette of plants and to learn how they grow. “It’s time for all of us to be more engaged with plants as far as our knowledge and awareness of how they live together,” he told me recently. “That knowledge will help make us all more successful.” That, I remember at long last, is really at the heart of what Roy told me the first time we talked many years ago. It’s the Know in Know Maintenance. More classic Diblik: as the garden heads into fall, ‘Little Luke’ little bluestem shows off amidst the maturing seedheads of Allium ‘Summer Beauty’ (right), Seslaria autumnalis (left) and coneflowers in the background.

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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iLandscape: The Illinois and Wisconsin Landscape Show

iNFORM, iNNOVATE, iNSPIRE! iLandscape 2015…here we grow! Thank you to the thousands of landscape professionals who made the inaugural iLandscape: the Illinois + Wisconsin Landscape Show a smashing success! iLandscape defied expectations as it established itself as a can’t miss event for the Midwestern green industry. The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) and Wisconsin Green Industry Federation (WGIF) are proud to present iLandscape 2015. The show will be hosted at The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel, located in Schaumburg, IL. The 2015 Show will feature more booths, the hottest products, amazing educational speakers, ILCA’s Excellence in Landscape Awards Night, entertainment, and much more. Visit over 370 booths to see the latest trends in plants, green industry products, hardscapes and equipment. Expert Keynote speakers kick off each day of the show. Rock out to a FREE CONCERT on Wednesday evening. iLandscape gathers the best minds in the green industry as part of its educational program. The event features over 20 unique education sessions. Spanish-language education sessions are available at no additional cost. iLandscape is the show for today’s landscape professional. It is a show you will look forward to, eagerly attend, and talk about months after the show has concluded. iLandscape is the show that Midwestern landscape professionals deserve.

Table of Contents

iLandscape 2015...Here we Grow!

Wednesday program..................................56 Thursday program......................................60 Awards Night................................................63 Friday program.............................................64 Artists and musicians.................................65 New Products ..............................................66 Schedule At-A-Glance ...............................68 Guide to Locations .....................................70 Ehibitor Floor Plan ......................................72 Exhibitor Listings ........................................74

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Killer Keynotes Dr. Tony Alessandra, prolific speaker and author of 27 books, will speak on Wednesday. The hilarious Michael Broome takes the stage on Thursday. Finally, Rocky Wirtz, President, Wirtz Corporation, President, Wirtz Beverage Group, and Chairman, Chicago Blackhawks will provide an unforgettable keynote on Friday.

A Bigger, Better, Broader Exhibit Hall iLandscape added 50 more booths in 2015. This means more space, new products, and innovation. Oh, and there is still a wait list. 2015...here we grow! The Complete Exhibitor List begins on Page 72

Infectious Energy iLandscape is more than a tradeshow. The show informs, innovates, and inspires. To set the tone, it gathers artists and musicians from across disciplines. These artists and musicians will infuse each day of the show with energy and creativity. This will be highlighted by the subdudes who headline the FREE Wednesday night concert.

Enlightening Education iLandscape provides one of the strongest educational programs in the country. Enjoy sessions on conifers, roses, sustainable landscaping, marijuana, hop cultivation, labor, sales, hardscape estimating, design, seasonal beauty, the list goes on and on. One fee covers both days. Plenty of CE and CEU credits are available. Education descriptions begin on Page 56 The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 | 10:25am - The Garden Stage The Platinum Rule: Relationship Strategies for Building Customer and Employee Loyalty Tony Alessandra, Customer Loyalty Guru and Communications Expert Dr. Tony Alessandra has a street-wise, college-smart perspective on business, having been raised in the housing projects of NYC to eventually realizing success as a graduate professor of marketing, entrepreneur, business author, and hall-of-fame keynote speaker. He earned a BBA from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from the University of Connecticut and his PhD. in marketing from Georgia State University. In addition to being president of Assessment Business Center, a company that offers online 360º assessments, Tony is also a founding partner in The Cyrano Group and Platinum Rule Group—companies which have successfully combined cutting-edge technology and proven psychology to give salespeople the ability to build and maintain positive relationships with hundreds of clients and prospects. Dr. Alessandra is a prolific author with 27 books translated into 50 foreign language editions, including the newly revised, best selling The NEW Art of Managing People (Free Press/Simon & Schuster, 2008); Charisma (Warner Books, 1998); The Platinum Rule (Warner Books, 1996); Collaborative Selling (John Wiley & Sons, 1993); and Communicating at Work (Fireside/Simon & Schuster, 1993). He is featured in over 100 audio/video programs and films, including Relationship Strategies (American Media); The Dynamics of Effective Listening (Nightingale-Conant); and Non-Manipulative Selling (Walt Disney). He is also the originator of the internationally-recognized behavioral style assessment tool - The Platinum Rule®. Recognized by Meetings & Conventions Magazine as “one of America’s most electrifying speakers,” Dr. Alessandra was inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame in 1985 and is a member of the Speakers Roundtable, a group of 20 of the world’s top professional speakers. Tony’s polished style, powerful message, and proven ability as a consummate business strategist consistently earn rave reviews and loyal clients.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 Education

8:30am-9:45am Nirvana A & B

One fee covers both days. Below are the educational sessions on Wednesday, February 25, 2015.

31 Flavors: A Wild Ride Through Sustainable Landscaping

8:30am-9:45am Utopia A & B

The weather outside is frightful, but the profit is so delightful

The ILCA Sustainable Landscape Committee

Bidding Snow Without Losing Profit Rich Arlington, Rich Arlington and Associates So you have all the equipment, all the material, a great crew and all the time needed to make your business a success during snow season…so why are you not rolling in the dough come spring? Rich Arlington is a 30-year veteran snow and ice expert in the exterior maintenance industry. This seminar will help you understand the strategic tactics to winning in bidding and profiting throughout the snow season. Learn why you could be setting yourself up for failure and how you can make small adjustments to save time and money when dealing with your customers. Understand overlooked principles like knowing your market, stacking, salt pricing, snow triggers, and the development of a complex bidding strategy.

A fast-paced session built for the modern landscape professional…and attention span

Buckle up for a crash course on sustainable landscaping. You’ve been to educational sessions before but none quite like this. The class will offer 31 ideas in 62 minutes. These mind-blowing, cutting edge ideas will fall into the categories of 1. new technology 2. materials 3. practices and operations and 4. the weird and the wild. Sure, we all know permeable pavers and organic fertilizer, but do you understand pop-up bioswales, biochar, and iScape? These incredible ideas will save time, money, and maybe, the world. If an idea doesn’t rev your motor, just wait, another incredible idea is just 120 seconds away. 1 CE eligible for LAs

You can WIN! All attendees at iLandscape are eligible to win prizes on the day they attend. Wednesday-Thursday-Friday prize giveaways will include electronics, trips, original art, and much, much more.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

calculations as well as calculating company overhead and material markups. Attendees will develop a complete bid for a project and then be given an opportunity to sell the project. You will walk into next season prepared to approach prospects, bid projects accurately, and turn sales calls into clients.

8:30am-9:45am Utopia C & D

Be a conehead: Sample the rich and diverse menu of conifers underused in midwestern landscapes

Conifers for the Upper Midwest

1:00pm-2:15pm Utopia A & B

Dave Wanninger, Horticulturist in Charge, Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corners, WI

Plenary Session

You’ve got four seasons to add some spice!

Evergreen conifers are an important part of our landscaping plant palette due to our cold, hard winters. They are a major part of the winter landscape, are very important as screening plants, provide year round cover and food for wildlife, and make a darn nice Christmas tree. Unfortunately, we usually use the same few evergreen tree species over and over: plant a yew if it’s shady and a juniper if sunny. Discover other great conifer plant options that we can use to increase the diversity, the beauty, and the health of our evergreen plantings. Become drawn to “garden” conifers (“dwarf conifers”) in ornamental plantings due to their beauty, variety, and long life. The slow growth of dwarf conifers allow them to fit into garden plans and not outgrow their place for many years. 1 CE eligible for LAs/1CEU for Certified Arborists

8:30am-9:45am Nirvana C

How asking the right questions and not settling for the wrong answers will help you dominate on the hiring front

Four Seasons of Beauty in Chicago (Really!) Galen Gates, Gates Landscape Garden Design In the upper Midwest we can, and should, celebrate seasonal changes in our gardens. With proper plant selection and design – landscapes can: attract attention, arouse curiosity, stimulate interest, and deliver drama. Galen Gates will highlight some of his favorite landscape plants that punctuate the seasons with flowers, fruits, form, fall color and fragrance. Learn to consider plants with special qualities such as: multi-seasonal accents, singular beauty, physical movement, sound creation, and bird and butterfly attractors. These lessons will make clients and landscape professionals welcome the changing seasons with open arms. 1 CE eligible for LAs 2:30pm-3:45pm Utopia A & B

Part II: How Much Should I Charge for That Patio (2-part session)

Labor Pains: Labor Recruitment and Retention in an Employee-driven Market

Greg Ambrose, United Hardscapes

Lauren Soderstrom, Training and Organizational Development Specialist, Management Association Long before the recession, labor was the landscape industry’s greatest crisis. That crisis has returned. Don’t lose your employees at hello! Hiring talented, engaged employees is critical to any organization’s success today. But how can you be sure if the candidate in front of you is the right one for the long haul? This session will discuss the steps to finding the right person who will fit with your organization’s culture and continue to add value for years to come including determining critical skills for a position, designing behavioral-based questions and probing techniques to get the info you need! Regardless of the position, learn skills to recruit and keep your high-performers. 10:45-12pm Utopia A & B

2-part Plenary Session

The “hard’ in hardscaping should not be the part about making a profit

Part I: How Much Should I Charge for That Patio (2-part session)

2:30pm-3:45pm Utopia C & D

Learn the wild secrets and impressive back stories behind landscaping’s new generation of comeback kids

Proven Perennials for Modern Landscapes Richard Hawke, Chicago Botanic Garden Hundreds of new perennials are introduced each year, and whether the plants bring excitement or disappointment depends in part on a rigorous evaluation process. Regional trials perform a valuable service by evaluating perennials being marketed widely but that might not be suitable locally. For 25 years, the Chicago Botanic Garden has evaluated and recommended the best perennials for Midwestern gardens. Richard Hawke will discuss the importance of comparative trials and highlight a selection of proven perennials, both old and new. 1 CE eligible for LAs 2:30pm-3:45pm Nirvana A & B

Greg Ambrose, United Hardscapes The margins are tight, the competition is fierce, and one mistake can cost thousands. Yet, the benefits of hardscape construction last for decades. Greg Ambrose is an ICPI Level One Contractor and Instructor who has taught more than 150 classes in over 27states and Canada. Since 1998 he has certified over 3,700 students. This amazing 2-part class is for owners, estimators, and anyone who wants to make a buck from hours of hard work. This class will take you through the basics of material and labor

If you are still selecting, buying, and planting trees like you did five years ago, you might get burned

Urban Trees for a New Century Sponsored by the Ornamental Growers Association Nancy Buley, J. Frank Schmidt Nursery OGA Growers: Becky Thomas, Spring Grove Nursery, Mike Scheitz, Goodmark Nurseries, & JR Tecza, Hinsdale Nurseries

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Exciting strides have been made in the discovery, selection and development of urban tree species and cultivars since William Solotaroff wrote Shade Trees in Towns and Cities in 1911. Learn how leading tree breeders and growers are building on his principles to meet today’s need for sturdy, resilient, pest and disease-tolerant trees that will withstand the hardships of city living.

2:30pm-3:45pm Nirvana C

As marketing budgets return, so can marketing disasters. Understand the touch points for a brand new customer base and never go hungry again.

Marketing to Make the Sale Bridget Behe, Professor of Horticulture at Michigan State University

Then, as now, planting for diversity of species is essential to urban forest health. A review of Solotaroff’s top performers will be presented, along with an overview of new and underused species tailored for today’s tough urban growing conditions. Session takeaways include a sneak peek at promising new city trees, a timeline for new tree development, and an overview of the collaboration between private, public and non-profit sector partners. 1 CE eligible for LAs/1CEU for Certified Arborists

Connecting with landscape and retail customers of many ages and life stages requires some effective marketing. Bridget will share some practical research findings about today’s horticulturally-minded customer. She will show you how to adjust your strategies to market more effectively to Gen X, Gen Y, and Boomers entering retirement. From marketing online to in-person, this session will help you improve marketing efforts to make more sales in 2015.

Student Career Day at iLandscape

Clases en español Nirvana C

COLLEGE

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Wednesday

La Asociación de Contratistas de Paisajismo de Illinois (ILCA) le da el placer de invitarlo al show y exhibición de iLandscape el 25, 26 y 27 de Febrero de 2015. El espectáculo se celebrará en el fabuloso Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center & Hotel, ubicado en Schaumburg, Illinois. El estacionamiento es GRATIS y solamente cuesta $25 la entrada para los tres días!!!!! ($25 cuando compras la entranda antes del 2 de Febrero de 2015, $35 después del 2 de Febrero) Spanish language classes are free! ¡Las clases en español son gratis! Wednesday, February 25, 2015 Miercoles 25 de Febrero - 10:00 a 12:00 10:00 a 10:45 Nirvana C Quick Guide to Learn the Proper Use of Fertilizers Guia practica acerca del uso apropiado de fertilizantes Julio Barrientos, Lurvey Landscape Supply Organic vs Common Why is it important to manage fertilizer use Organico vs Comun Porque es muy importante el uso y manejo apropiado del fertilizante

10:45 a 12:00 Nirvana C Integrated Pest Management Control de plaga integrado Tzanko Motav & Jose Cantor, Midwest Groundcovers Integrated Pest Management yy IPM- definition yy Cultural control yy Chemical control yy Biological control yy Monitoring yy Common turf diseases and pesticide recommendations yy Common ornamental diseases and pesticide recommendations Control de plaga integrado yy Definicion de CPI yy Control cultural yy Control químico yy Control biológico yy Monitorizacion de prevencion yy Enfermedades comunes del césped y recomendaciones de pesticidas para tratarlos. yy Enfermedades comunes en las plantas ornamentales y recomendaciones de pesticidas para tratarlos.

iLandscape welcomes all studious students, prepared pupils, unbelievable undergrads, and serious scholars. iLandscape is the event for green industry students. The cost to attend iLandscape for college and university students is FREE as long as the student is registered through their college or university. There will be educational sessions, a career board featuring jobs from the landscape industry’s top firms, as well as a walkabout of the show floor geared towards students. Students may attend any day of iLandscape at no cost, but Student Career Day will be Wednesday, February 25, 2015. 11:00am–12:30pm Nirvana A & B Kick off the day with an incredible student session. A diverse team of educators and young professionals will explain how to get a job in the green industry, how to be successful, and how to climb the ladder. Professionals will be on hand representing: landscape designers, account reps, garden centers, and even young business owners blazing their own trails. A job board will be on hand to match job seekers up with prospective employers. 1:00pm–2:30pm Meet at booth #712 Wilson Nurseries After lunch (on your own), students will receive a guided tour of the show floor and meet with vendors selling the hottest products in the landscape industry (and some old standards as well). Professionals must understand the importance of new products and strong vendor relationships in maintaining a profitable business. Any student looking to make the jump to becoming a green industry professional cannot miss this incredible day at iLandscape.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

ing select shows. The subdudes have been recently featured on the HBO series Treme. They have appeared at numerous Chicago venues such as the House of Blues. Their music is a mainstay on WXRT radio.

Premier Sponsor Live on the Garden Stage! Free iLandscape Show Concert

In 1987, four musicians got together for what they envisioned would be a one-time performance in New Orleans. It was a night of mostly acoustic music, but the show far exceeded expectations, and the subdudes were born.

Wednesday, February 25 Party and Concert 4:00 - 7:00pm The subdudes Get ready for a fun party and a FREE CONCERT! Gather with your friends, colleagues or customers for hors d’oeuvres and drinks, along with some great music.

2015 Entertainment: The subdudes iLandscape welcomes The subdudes! The subdudes are an American roots rock group from New Orleans. Their music is a blending of American folk, swamp pop, New Orleans rhythm and blues, Louisiana blues, country, cajun/zydeco, funk, soul and gospel with harmonic vocals. The subdudes have released eleven critically acclaimed albums and are known for their hard-core base of fans and relentless touring. In March 2014, the band reunited with the original lineup for the first time in 17 years and are play-

The band draws most of their inspiration from the sounds of their native New Orleans, blending blues, gospel, funk, and R&B with their own harmony vocals. The band previously backed artists such as Joni Mitchell and Roseanne Cash, prior to releasing 11 albums between 1991-2009. Join us for a night to remember at iLandscape 2015 and see for yourself why after nearly 30 years, nobody in the world sounds like them.

But wait, the fun doesn’t end there...free shuttle buses, courtesy of the iLandscape Show, will be available to take you to and from the Westwood Tavern & Tap for libations and festivities from 7:00pm until midnight. Westwood is the premier “after hours” haunt for iLandscape attendees.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Thursday, February 26, 2015 10am - The Garden Stage A Humorous Look at Personal, Professional, and Family Success Michael Broome, Motivational Speaker and Stress Reduction Expert Forty percent of Michael’s audiences are from the ranks of management; forty percent are sales professionals; and the remainder runs the gamut from prison felons to the Girl Scouts. Having shared the podium with noted speakers and celebrities, he has only been upstaged by an orangutan. His talks are punctuated with clapping, laughter and an occasional “Amen.” When asked if humor is necessary in a speech, Michael replied, “It is for me if I want to be paid.” Through the years Michael has been guided by the words of a mentor who advised, “If your philosophy of success doesn’t work in your life, don’t export it.” Most audiences sense whether the speaker walks the talk. Michael only advocates principles that he believes and practices. Even his staff will testify that he genuinely practices what he preaches...most of the time. Though he advocates optimism, Michael does not believe everything is always “GREAT!” Life can be difficult. He acknowledges problems, challenges his audiences, and offers realistic strategies. He says, “Attitude is not everything. Attitude and competence is everything.” He emphasizes the need for tenacity and continued learning, especially during economic trials. To those willing to trudge the extra mile, history shouts, “This too shall pass!” You can survive and thrive. In addition to contemporary examples, Michael employs historical references. His library bulges with volumes of biographies about people who made a difference. He teaches that if we fail to learn from the past, we will repeat its mistakes in our vocation and life. A critic once told Michael he quoted too many dead people who aren’t relevant to what’s new. So Michael quoted another dead person: “There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.” (Harry Truman) In his book, Be a Liver of Life, Not a Gallbladder, he sums up his philosophy, “The ultimate success is when our life overflows with things that money cannot buy.” He and his wife, Karen, have three children – Merica, Olivia, and Caleb. As an avid conservationist, he protects the flora and fauna and creates habitats for the species Karen says is most similar to her husband – the wild turkey.

Thursday, February 26, 2015 Education One fee covers both days. Below are the educational sessions for Thursday, Feburary 26, 2015.

Discover the incredible ways modern landscapes are looking to the past to create a vision for the future

Planting a New Paradigm: The New Shade of Green

8:30am-9:45am Utopia A & B

Understand the life-changing implications of marijuana on all aspects of the Midwestern green industry

Sponsored by the Midwest Ecological Landscape Alliance Janine Catchpole, President, Illinois Native Plant Society and Past-President of the Northeast Chapter of the INPS

Sweet Leaf: The Incredible Possibilities of Medical Marijuana Cris Ragan, Dynamic Growth, LLC States are paving the way for legalized marijuana. Sweeping regulatory changes have opened up doors closed for over a century. Cannabis is completely legal in 4 states, medicinal marijuana is legal in 23 more, including Illinois. The green industry knows plants but this one is a lot different. Direct from Colorado, let a battle-scarred entrepreneur offer some business advice he’s learned along the way and what he wished he knew on day one. He will discuss how to run the business, how to deal with problems, and discuss key points for potential investors. Lastly, he will cover the horticultural implications of marijuana. Never before, has a single plant offered the promise of so much change, uncertainty, and profit.

8:30am-9:45am Utopia C & D

Flooding, drought, water quality, and the decline of beneficial pollinator insects, all offer new opportunities to shift our thinking and landscape design models. Landscape professionals can easily and positively impact our health and economy by including more native plants. This session will explore the need for a new landscape paradigm inspired by native plants and the ecosystem service benefits they provide. Stewardship is the operative word in this new vision and, done well, will bring economic benefits beyond an attractive yard or campus. Explore native plant combinations in a landscape setting and learn what it takes to bring about a change that will create healthy places for all living things and make our industry truly “green”.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

8:30am-9:45am Nirvana A & B

bio-swale at Cantigny that uses diversity to enhance the success of a long term, healthy and stylized planting. We will discuss the collective thought process used to create the planting plan and why traditional planting practices were the reason to redefine the methods. In every season, if we take lightly the planting needs of young plants, the site will fail.

Beauty, romance, intrigue, danger: be amazed by this modern look at the incredible rose

Roses for Successful Landscapes Ping Lim, Altman Plants Ping Lim is a rosarian for the twenty-first century, with a background that spans continents and horticultural traditions. Most gardeners and landscapers dream of creating and maintaining a garden filled with color, beauty, fragrance, and romance—with minimum work. Rose breeders around the world are making this dream come true. We can now enjoy rainbows of roses with minimal effort. The first step? Learning the newest varieties developed for today’s gardeners. The second step? Understanding the right time and the right way to grow roses. A successful rose garden is a rose breeder’s dream and your dream. And it’s a dream that can come true. 1 CE eligible for LAs

Additional challenging landscapes will be discussed looking at adaptable plants, adaptable planting styles, adaptable thoughts, emotions, beliefs and most importantly commitments. Here’s a beginning - here’s a plant you need to discover: Carex pellita. Let’s find out why! 1 CE eligible for LAs

1:00pm-2:15pm Utopia A & B Plenary Session

Join an unprecedented group of personalities for a kitchen table discussion on how to make it in the landscape industry

The Italian Way – How Successful Businesses Are Built on Loyalty and Respect

8:30am-9:45am Nirvana C

Speakers: Don Fiore, Don Fiore Company, Charles J Fiore, Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply, Harry Vignochi, ILT Vignocchi, and Rocco Fiore, Rocco Fiore and Sons Moderated by Tony LoBello, Mariani Landscape

The definition of plant insanity - using the same plant and expecting different results

Think About It! Do You Really Want To Use That Plant? Trish Beckjord, Midwest Groundcovers Looking for some new plant selections that are beautiful in the landscape? Want to find some new ideas to replace some of the “standbys” that are now being identified as invasive? This session will give you lots of choices! A variety of native species, native cultivars and introduced species available in the trade will be described as great alternatives for those plants used in designs that spread beyond their boundaries and become problematic in natural areas. Let’s talk Japanese Barberry, Privet, Burning Bush and others. This is where you can hear about new tree, shrub and perennial options for these troublesome species. This session is designed to provide green industry professionals with solid alternatives that will bring function, beauty, and success! 1 CE eligible for LAs

Landscaping has always been a profession for immigrants. First the Germans and Scandinavians. Then the Italians. Now, the Hispanics. This panel gathers the top Italian-American personalities in the Illinois landscape industry. The lighthearted session will make you laugh and think. These giants of the industry will sit around the iLandscape dinner table and discuss how successful businesses treat their clients, vendors, and most importantly, their competitors. Grab a glass of vino and get ready for a hilarious and insightful discussion on why growth is a direct result of never forgetting your roots.

2:30pm-3:45pm Nirvana A & B

FREE BEER…now, do we have your attention?

The Mighty Hop: A Look at the Changing Landscape of Hops Matt McCarroll, PhD, Director, Fermentation Science Institute, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University

10:45-12:00pm Utopia A & B Plenary Session

See how Cantigny and a master plantsman destroyed paradigms and bad habits by approaching site challenges with an open mind

Negotiating Around Traditional Planting Practices: Finding a New Way Roy Diblik, Northwind Perennial Farms and Joy Kaminsky and Craig Kuchenberg, Cantigny Difficult landscapes are a myth. Everything can be planted. The challenge is that some landscapes have difficulty supporting a long term, healthy, plant-driven lifestyle. There are many reasons plants live unsuccessfully in bio-swales, parking islands, street plantings, slopes, high use locations, anywhere and everywhere. The session will examine a newly planted

While hops have been used in the production of beer for hundreds of years, a veritable renaissance has taken place in the hop industry over the past quarter century. The presentation will survey the historical use of hops in brewing and detail how the success of the craft beer industry has affected cultivation and breeding practices for hop producers. Like edibles, hops can be introduced to the landscape as a plant with form and function. Further, contractors and garden centers can expand their customer base by speaking the language of beer. The varietal hop characteristics of flavor and aroma will be discussed with respect to beer styles. The cultivation of hops and the emergence of smaller hopyards in areas outside of Oregon and Yakima Valley will also be discussed.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Unique Tropicals, Annuals & Edibles in the Landscape

2:30pm-3:45pm Nirvana C A drink-from-a-firehose learning experience designed to significantly grow your business

Ed Lyon, Allen Centennial Gardens

Entrepreneurial DNA: How to tell the rainmakers and profit generators apart from the profit suckers and whiners (before you hire them) Joe Abraham, Founder, BOSI Global and Author, Entrepreneurial DNA and Dean MacMorris, NightLight, Inc. You’ve tried every interview technique in the book, but the “dead weight” still seems to find its way into your business. The best sales job your last sales guy ever did was to sell you on hiring him. Your business partner is a good person, but drives you absolutely insane with the decisions they make. You’ve got a good book of referral business, but generating fresh, new leads from a consistent marketing effort is a mystery at best. If one or more of these situations ring true in your business, prepare to have your mind blown as you discover how all these issues in your business (and more) are tied to the “entrepreneurial DNA” of you, your people and your customers. You’ll walk away with a whole new way to see yourself, your people and your strategy - and actionable steps to deploy in your business to drive sustainable growth. By the way, if you don’t end up laughing at yourself, your people, or your strategy during this session - something is wrong with you.

2:30pm-3:45pm Utopia C & D

Whoa…did they just plant that? See how blazing hot tropicals, incredible edibles, and awe-inspiring annuals are making life awesome

Clases en español

2:30pm-3:45pm Utopia A & B

Discover explosive plant combinations that please both your palate and your palette

The Horticultural Recovery Act

1 CE eligible for LAs Ryan and Claire Kettlekamp, Kettlekamp & Kettlekamp Landscape Architecture Greg Schaumburg, Bertog Landscape Co. Christine Nye, The Shedd Aquarium In grammar school, we were always jealous of the kid with the big box of crayons. So many colors, and possibilities. Landscape design should be no different. Recipes for successful landscapes require more than a standard plant palette. Join four of Chicago’s brightest professionals who have mastered the process of creating diverse and aesthetically pleasing plant combinations that snap design out of the doldrums. These works of art are based on each project’s unique site conditions. Learn how to develop your own style and theoretical approach to perennial plant design.

Nirvana C

Thursday

La Asociación de Contratistas de Paisajismo de Illinois (ILCA) le da el placer de invitarlo al show y exhibición de iLandscape el 25, 26 y 27 de Febrero de 2015. El espectáculo se celebrará en el fabuloso Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center & Hotel, ubicado en Schaumburg, Illinois. El estacionamiento es GRATIS y solamente cuesta $25 la entrada para los tres días!!!!! ($25 cuando compras la entranda antes del 2 de Febrero de 2015, $35 después del 2 de Febrero) Spanish language classes are free! ¡Las clases en español son gratis! Thursday, February 26, 2015 Jueves 26 de Febrero - 10:00 a 12:00 10:00 a 10:45 Nirvana C How Do I Get This Certification? Como puedo obtener esta certificacion? Bernie Carranza Understanding the different certifications in the green industry can be daunting. This seminar will explain the different certifications and explain how to obtain them. From Arborist certification the Commercial Driver License and everything in between will be covered. This seminar is for the landscape professional looking to advance in their career.

Design trends in recent years have embraced mixed usage, foliar interest and focus on utility as well as beauty. Ed Lyon has created spectacular displays for Allen Centennial Gardens that generate excitement and inspiration by focusing on the exuberant and exotic in plant materials. Move over petunias! He will demonstrate unique bed and container designs, from not only his gardens, but from some of the most creative gardens around the country, demonstrating lesser-known fun annuals, tropicals, ornamental edibles and the now hot trending succulents. 1 CE eligible for LAs

Entendiendo las diferentes certificaciones en nuestra industria verde pueden ser desmoralizante. Esta clase explicara las diferentes clasificaciones y como obtenerlas. Desde certificacion de arbolista, Hasta Licensia de conductor Comercial, Y todo en el medio. Este seminario es para el paisajista profesional buscando progresar en su carrera profesional. 10:45 a 12:00 Nirvana C Driver Compliance: How to Avoid Overweights, Fines and Other Safety Issues Cumplimientos del conductor: Como Evitar Sobrepeso, Multas y otras Infracciones Bryce Baker, Village of Palatine police officer and President of the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association Temas Incluiran: Topics will include: yy Interaction with the police yy Illinois size and weight law yy Registration issues yy Commercial Drivers License classification yy Safety inspections yy yy yy yy yy

Interacción con la policia. La ley de Illinois según el tamaño y peso Problemas con la registración del vehiculo. Clasificación de licencia de conductor comercial. Inspecciones de seguridad de los vehiculos

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

2:00 a 3:00 p.m. Spanish-languge tour of the show floor Orientacion en espanol de la sala de exhibicion Meet at the ILCA/WGIF booth #545 Participate in this guided tour of the iLandscape tradeshow floor. The tour will be led by landscape professionals. The group will visit companies offering new products at the show. Spanish-speaking exhibitors will be on hand to discuss the new products. The tour will stop at booths selling plants, equipment, materials, and more. Participe en este guia turistico de la exhibicion iLandscape. La orientacion sera dirigida por profesionales de paisajismo. El groupo estara visitando companias que estaran ofreciendo nuevos productos en la exhibicion. Expositores de habla hispana estaran presentes para hablar sobre sus productos. El groupo estara haciendo paradas en los puestos que estaran vendiendo herramientas, plantas, materiales, y mucho mas. Productos: Abono orgánico, árboles, árboles de navidad, arbustos, veneno para malezas, bonsái, bulbos, cortadoras de césped, fertilizantes, fuentes, herramientas de jardinería, hierbas, insecticidas, invernaderos, literatura horticultura, mobiliario de jardín, piedras naturales, plantas ornamentales, semillas, sistemas de riego, tierra para macetas, ...

iLandscape’s Wisconsin Hospitality Room Thursday, February 26, 2015 — 7 pm to ? Hosted by the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation

Awards Night Utopia Ballroom

Wandering Roy’s Walkabout

Excellence in Landscape Awards Night Appetizers, Awards & Applause! ILCA Excellence in Landscape Awards Program

February 26, 2015 1pm-2:30pm Directly on the convention center floor. Meet at booth #829 Agrecol

Join Roy Diblik for an unprecedented tour of iLandscape

Thursday, February 26, 2015 Reception begins at 5:00 pm; Program starts at 7:00 pm Don’t miss the ILCA’s annual showcase featuring the best landscapes in Illinois. Awards Night will be the crown jewel of iLandscape networking opportunities, as well as a great venue to see the industry’s best projects. Come join the celebration of these coveted awards. Join friends for an evening of mingling, honoring & celebrating: yy Excellence in Landscape Award Winners yy Person of the Year—Peter Orum, Midwest Groundcovers yy Distinguished Service Award Winner—Kaneville Tree Farms yy 2014 Scholarship Winners yy Landscape Industry Certified Technicians yy Student Design Competition Winners The event set record attendance last year. Please note: Awards will have a limited amount of tickets available. It is vital you register early if you plan to attend Awards Night. Awards Night sold out in 2014. iLandscape cannot guarantee a ticket without pre-registration.

Join world-famous author, speaker, and educator for an unbelievable trade show opportunity. Roy Diblik will walk the show floor with whoever wishes to join him as he visits growers and nurseries to discuss his favorite plants. See, smell, touch, and experience a side of plants you never knew or expected. Wear comfortable walking shoes and gear up for an amazing trip around iLandscape. You will laugh as much as you learn. Noted plantsman and designer Roy Diblik, has spent more than 30 years studying, growing, and enjoying plants. His passion for native plants and other perennials began with his work at the Natural Garden Nursery in St. Charles, Illinois, and has been cultivated through his establishment of Northwind Perennial Farm, a nursery in Burlington, Wisconsin. Roy’s recent work includes a planting of the new Oceanarium at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and a garden for the modern wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is best known as the plantsman behind Piet Oudolf’s midwestern garden designs, including the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park in Chicago.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Friday, February 27, 2015 10am - The Garden Stage Vision and Passion: A Conversation with Rocky Wirtz Special Guest Interviewer: Mary Ann Childers Rocky Wirtz, President of Wirtz Corporation, will discuss reinvention, competition and the value of teamwork. These are subjects he knows well through his experience with the company’s diverse business portfolio, which includes beverage distribution, real estate and the Chicago Blackhawks. Rocky’s story will also touch on the transformation of the Hawks – called “the greatest sports-business turnaround in history,” by Forbes Magazine – as well as the opportunities and challenges of running a successful family business. Founded in 1926, Wirtz Corporation is based in Chicago, has nearly $2 billion in annual revenue and more than 3,000 employees. W. Rockwell (Rocky) Wirtz

IL and First National Bank of South Miami in Florida. Those

was named President of

companies have long been recognized for their solid financial

Wirtz Corporation and Chair-

footing and the strong roles they play in supporting local com-

man of the Chicago Black-

munities and charities.

hawks in October 2007, following his late father, William W. Wirtz. As President of Wirtz Corporation, Rocky’s role extends to a vast array of businesses, from beverage distribution to financial services, entertainment, insurance and real estate. While Wirtz Realty is the oldest business within the Wirtz family of companies, the family founded what is now known as Ivanhoe Farm decades earlier in the 1850s, where the family first planted their roots in the United States. Today, Ivanhoe Farm is managed by the family’s sixth generation and has developed into a successful local grower and distributor of quality ornamental trees and shrubs.

In his role as Chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks, he oversees all aspects of the club’s operations including the team’s historic Stanley Cup Championship victories in 2010 and 2013. Through it all, Rocky continues to lead his family’s commitment to numerous civic and charitable organizations. His dedication to Chicago Blackhawks Charities is unwavering. Founded by his father, Blackhawks Charities has donated millions of dollars to dozens of organizations focusing on youth programs, health and wellness, education and housing. Those philanthropic efforts have earned the group numerous civic awards, with Blackhawks Charities having been named a “Superstar of Service” by the Jef-

Beyond the Farm, a key piece of the Wirtz Corporation family of

ferson Awards for Public Service and a “Champion for Children” by

companies is Wirtz Beverage Group, a leading national distribu-

Children’s Memorial Hospital.

tor of the world’s top luxury and premium wine, spirits and beer brands. The company, headquartered in Chicago, has operations in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada and Wisconsin as well as Canada.

At his alma mater, Northwestern, he established the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Endowment for Visiting Artists. That endowment program, named in honor of his grandmother, allows Northwestern’s School of Communication to invite nationally acclaimed

Rocky has found business synergies among Wirtz Corporation’s

performers to work directly with students and staff at the Theatre

many holdings. In 2011, Wirtz Beverage Illinois opened a 605,000

and Interpretation Center. In April 2014, the center was renamed

square foot, multi-use training and distribution center just outside

the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts in

of Chicago which includes corporate offices and the largest

recognition of the family’s financial gifts.

temperature-controlled wine storage facility in the country. In 2013, the company broke ground on a complementary facility in Lexington, IL, which opened in April 2014. The developer behind both projects: Wirtz Realty.

Rocky and his wife Marilyn reside in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Rocky has three children, Daniel, Hillary and Kendall while Marilyn has one daughter, Elizabeth. Rocky is also the proud grandfather of two granddaughters.

Rocky also oversees Wirtz Insurance as well as banking interests at First Security Trust and Savings, based in Elmwood Park,

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

iLandscape is more than a tradeshow. The show informs, innovates, and inspires. To set the tone, it gathers artists and musicians from across disciplines. These artists and musicians will infuse each day of the show with energy and creativity!

Wednesday Artist in Residence - Exterior Eric Widitz, Chainsaw Carver

Sponsored by:

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Eric spent his college years studying horticulture and in 1978 started his own business of landscape designing. As his love of wood-carving became his major focus, Eric leaped still further and into three dimensional sculpture of wood & stone. The majority of his work is done by commission, with many pieces being carved to scale. Using a chainsaw to speed up the rough-out process, the work progresses to other power tools, finishing details with chisels & knives. Eric Widitzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye for detail and candid expression always manages to shine through what was - at least once upon a time - a simple block of wood.

Wednesday Artist in Residence - Promenade Floral Design Demonstration 10:30am-1pm Alonso Delgado, McFarlane Douglass & Companies

Learn how to create personalized client gifts with a floral design demonstration lead by Alonso Delgado. Alonso will demonstrate innovative planting techniques that balance proper plant selection with plant artistry to create live orchid and succulent arrangements.

entitled Sack-O-Tunes and placed as one of the top 6 teen bands in the Illinois battle of the bands state finals at the State Fair in Springfield, IL.

Wednesday La Ley - Live Remote 12pm-2pm WLEY-FM (107.9 FM) will have a live remote from iLandscape. La Ley is an extremely popular radio station in the Hispanic market specializing in Regional Mexican music. The La Ley remote will feature fun, prizes, games, and give-aways.

Thursday Artist in Residence - Promenade Kevin Campbell, Muralist

Kevin Campbell is an artist living and working in Muncie, Indiana. He will create a mural, directly on the show floor, based on the sights and sounds of the green industry. Kevin was born in Camp Attebury, Indiana in 1953 and he has been making art for more than fifty years. His artwork runs the gamut from the real to the abstract, with his current work focusing exclusively on the puzzle project, a conceptual work of art that takes the form of a gigantic jigsaw puzzle.

Thursday Promenade Musical Artist 12pm-3pm Gerry Hundt

Since 2002, Alonso has been designing and creating unique floral rotations. His arrangements have been seen on display at the Willis Tower, John Hancock Building, Renaissance and Westin hotels along with the dressing rooms for Jay-Z, Madonna, and Beyonce. During this live demonstration, Alonso will teach you to select the right plant for the occassion to create unique, long-lasting arrangements as client gifts or monthly interior rotations.

Gerry Hundt was playing Chicago Blues in taverns before he was allowed to drink in them. Born in Wisconsin and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Gerry has since lived in Vermont, New York City, Colorado, and Chicago. In Denver, he worked, toured, and recorded with the likes of John-Alex Mason, Ronnie Shellist, The ClamDaddys, and Easy Bill.

Friday Artist in Residence - Promenade

Wednesday Promenade Musical Artist Fight with Monsters 12pm-3pm

Amy Van Winkle, Painter

Fight With Monsters started in the winter of 2010 with the collaboration of Ryan Caldwell and Ryan Worthy. That summer they decided to upgrade from an acoustic duo to a five piece Latin, Indie, Funk band. That same summer the band released their debut album

Amy has been creating art and experimenting with different mediums for most of her life. Her main focus had always been painting and mixed media. She found comfort in creating pieces that were very linear and controlled, a stark contrast to her alwayschaotic life of work and travel.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

New Products and Services at iLandscape

vices

Look for the New Product sticker directly on the carpet in front of booths displaying one of thes

Booth #707 1st Choice Equipment Kubota has introduced 2 Skid Steers for 2015, the 64 hp SSV65 and the 74 hp SSV75.

Booth #1000a Diga-Talk WM-1000 Wireless Microphone - Extended coverage for your mobile radio outside your vehicle!

Booth #430 A. Block Marketing Super Glide Synthetic Ice - A high tech skating surface created for skaters to offer the ultimate year round skate-like-surface experience, that requires no refrigeration or resurfacing.

Booth #731 Dimex LLC EdgePro NO-DIG Multipurpose Edging - EdgePro No-Dig is a multipurpose edging available in 20’ and 40’ coils, that can be used as a paver restraint or a no-dig landscape edging for planting beds.

Booth #206 Arborjet QUIK-jet Air - The latest weapon in the war against tree insects and diseases, the QUIK-jet Air is a lightweight, easy-to-use injection tool that maximizes productivity and reduces labor time.

Booth #706 Ditch Witch Midwest The new Ditch Witch SK850 Mini Skid Steer features an industry-best power to attachment, larger stand-on platform and Tier 4, 37 horsepower engine that out powers the competition.

Booth #608 Bailey Nurseries, Inc. First Editions® Limoncello™ Barberry/Berberis thunbergii ‘BailErin’ PPAF - A tidy, rounded mound, with striking chartreuse foliage and an unusual red, almost dotted, pattern around the margin.

Booth #202 EasyPro Pond Products Variable Speed Waterfall Pumps - New Easypro variable speed waterfall pumps allow you to turn the flow up or down as desired for a perfect looking waterfall with maximum energy savings!

Booth #334 Ball Horticultural Company Nature’s Source Plant Probiotic Single-Use Packet - This easy-to-mix, water-soluble powder is a unique complex of beneficial microorganisms that promotes the establishment and enhances the growth of crops in all type of soils and growing media.

Booth #1022 Echo Outdoor Power Equipment Shindaiwa T235 Trimmer - Buy the industry’s most powerful, mid-range commercial trimmer, for 20% off ($199) during the month of March.

Booth #120 Better Bilt Products Trellis Ladder System - Two modular trellis ladders designed for unlimited interchangeable configurations. Booth #1023 Capital Stoneworks of IL Mackinaw flagging and paving Booth #825 Cardno Native Plant Nursery Native Seed Mixes for 2015 – improved for 2015, with increased diversity, better performing species, and a focus on pollinator food sources throughout the growing season.

Booth #426 Eco-Roofs, LLC Eco-Mat Pre-Vegetated Sedum Mat - Fully established Sedum Mat perfect for Green Roofs and lawn alternatives. Booth #410 Hunter Industries F/X Luminaire - “LUXOR ZDC” Outdoor Lighting Controller with zoning & dimming PLUS color! Booth #1030 Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant What’s in your water garden? - A non-invasive plant guide for water gardeners in a wallet card format. Booth #601 Krukowski Stone Company New 3 cm thick, 5” wide, 8-24”+ lengths stone planking available in Aqua Grantique, Cambrian Cream, Carmel Cream and Desert Blend thermal surface texture.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

se exciting new products or serBooth #726 Kuert Supply Center Xeribrix - By the manufacturers of Xeripave Super Pervious Pavers, Xeribrix is a 4-1/2” x 9” Super Pervious Brick for vehicular applications!

Booth #200B Prince Corporation Monty’s Liquid Carbon - A soil conditioner designed to reduce soil compaction and improve overall soil health; it can be easily applied all year round, especially during pre-chemical application or burn down.

Booth #436 Lurvey Landscape Supply Natural Stone Countertops - (2” and in-stock) produced with several edge and finish treatments in many different materials including Brentwood, Flint Hills Gray, and Jerusalem Limestone. Booth #905 Market Financial Group Advance 365 - a unique consultative approach to solving your Risk Management decisions. Booth #746 Midwest Access Solutions Liberty Mat Ground Protection - Twice the performance of standard plywood and infinitely longer durability. Booth #427 National Seed Trimtect is a spray-on shrub growth regulator that will reduce the regrowth of trimmed shrubs and hedges by 30 – 70% over a season. Booth #1026 Natural Repellents, LLC Tick Killz - All natural product, made with 100% organic ingredients, that will kill and repel ticks, mosquitoes and other nuisance insects. Booth #935 Pizzo Native Plant Nursery Pizzo Native Plant Nursery now offers over 25 varieties of pesticide free vegetable plants grown in OMRI certified soils. Booth #111 PMA Outdoor Equipment Toro Spreader/Sprayer with “lean to steer” operation keeps one hand free for application control. Booth #200 Porous Pave, Inc. Recycled Rubber & Stone pour in place surfacing material.

Booth #917 Rosetta of Michigan Kodah Wall - A unique large scaled interlocking retaining wall with modern lines that resembles 12” natural cut drywall. Booth #903 Spring Meadow Nursery Proven Winners ColorChoice - Little Quick Fire(r) Hydrangea paniculata Dwarf form of Quick Fire(r) Hydrangea paniculata fits into any landscape - even container gardens. Booth #238 StoneWall Retaining Wall Systems/TrenchNedge Trencher Block-Bridge Gravity Retaining Wall System requires “No-Geogrid” for walls 8 - 10 feet and reduces excavation 33-55%. Booth #928 Surefoot Hardscape Products, Inc. “CUT ON THE GO” – The ONLY paver edging you can cut while installing on the ground without lifting. Booth #540 Unilock The long, clean lines of Unilock’s new Artline™ reflects an emerging trend to minimalist, modern outdoor designs. Booth #736 Vermeer Midwest Vermeer SC40TX - The SC40TX is a 40hp class tracked stump grinder that was designed with input from the tree care and landscape contractor. Booth #742 Zeiler Insurance CompVision - CompVision provides workers compensation operations insight and brings processes, training, and tools to your business making sure you are paying the absolute minimum for your workers compensation premiums.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

iLandscape at-a-glance wednesday

thursday

Registration Hours

7:30am – 4:00pm

Registration Hours

7:30am-4:00pm

Exhibit Hall Hours

10:00am – 4:00pm

Exhibit Hall Hours

9:00am – 4:00pm

Educational Sessions Upper Level

8:30am – 3:45pm

Educational Sessions Upper Level Morning Session 1 Morning Session 2

8:30am – 3:45pm 8:30 - 9:45 10:45-12:00

Afternoon Session 1 Afternoon Session 2

1:00 - 2:15 2:30 - 3:45 (See complete session listings on pages 44-46)

Morning Session 1 Morning Session 2

8:30 - 9:45 10:45-12:00

Afternoon Session 1 Afternoon Session 2

1:00 - 2:15 2:30 - 3:45

(See complete session listings on pages 48-51)

Keynote Speaker— Dr. Tony Alessandra 10:25am – 11:10am Garden Stage

Keynote Speaker— Michael Broome 10:00am – 10:45am Garden Stage

Chocolate and Chainsaws 11:00am Exterior Lobby

Prize Giveaways Garden Stage 4:00pm

Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and watch chainsaw artist Eric Widitz at work. Sponsored by Xylem/Rocks Ltd.

Prize Giveaways Garden Stage 4:15pm

Must be present to win.

Prizes Include: chainsaw art, floral display, tablet, gift cards, television Morton Arboretum membership

Prizes Include: chainsaw art, floral display, tablet, gift cards, television

Wandering Roy’s Walkabout 1:00pm – 2:30pm Meet at Booth #829 Agrecol

Free Concert 4:00pm – 7:00pm Garden Stage

Must be present to win.

Fun, Fellowship, Festivity! Free Shuttle to— 7:00pm – 12:00am Westwood Tavern & Tap 68

Excellence in Landscape Awards Program 5:00pm – 9:00pm Utopia Ballroom (2nd floor)

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

friday program

fun fun fun

Registration Hours

7:30am-3:00pm

Exhibit Hall Hours

9:00am – 3:00pm

Keynote Speaker— Rocky Wirtz 10:00am – 10:45am Garden Stage

Stop by one of these booths for a happy hour! Alcoholic beverages will be provided and these generous companies are picking up the tab. Drinks are first-come, first served so make sure you arrive early.

Attendee Happy Hours* Unilock— Wednesday 3:00-5:00pm Thursday 3:00-4:00pm Lurvey Landscape Supply— Wednesday 4:00-5:00pm Thursday 3:00-4:00pm

Prize Giveaways 3:00pm Garden Stage Must be present to win.

Prizes Include: chainsaw art, floral display, tablet, gift cards, television Morton Arboretum membership

Garden Stage Premier Sponsor—

Job Board— Upstairs outside the Nirvana meeting rooms

Martin Implement— Wednesday 3:00-4:00pm Kaknes Landscape Supply— Thursday 2:00pm-3:00pm

*Quantities are limited and attendees are not \ guaranteed a beverage.

Prize Giveaways

Leave iLandscape with an incredible prize. Prize tickets are free and will be handed out when you register. You must have a ticket to enter and you must be present to win. Drawings will be held: Wednesday @ 4:15pm Thursday @ 4:00pm Friday @ 3:00pm

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

guide to locations

FIRST FLOOR — iLandscape Trade Show

T R A D E S H O W A R E A

R E G I S T R A T I O N A R E A

• The iLandscape Trade Show is located on the first floor • The Garden Stage is located on the trade show floor • The ILCA and WGIF booths are located near the the Garden Stage at the Promenade Aisle • Educational classes are located on the SECOND FLOOR • Keynotes will be held on the show floor at the GARDEN STAGE

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

SECOND FLOOR — Educational Area • Educational classes are conducted in: — Utopia A-B-C-D — Euphoria — Nirvana A-B-C • The Education Area is directly above the 1st floor registration area. • Keynotes will be held on the show floor at the GARDEN STAGE

• Thursday Awards Program Will be in the Utopia Ballroom

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

F.E.C.

Fire Exits Do Not Block

FHV/FEC

Concessions

Wom F.E.C.

Men

Service Cent

ts ock

Women

Garden Stage Armintrout's West Michigan Farms 243

Pace, Inc. #2

F.E.C.

138

Chicago Gas Lines 134

StoneWall Retaining Wall Systems TrenchNedge 238

Intrinsic Perennial Contree Gardens Sprayers 137 Downes Pool Co

Knapheide Manufacturing

& Equip

135

234

Cherokee Mfg

442

Rental Max

239

338

Stockyards Brick

237 GRO Horticultural Enterprises

Ball Horticultural Company

Grand Effects

141 Lechner and Sons Uniforms 139

342

TRAC Brickstop Equipment Landscape Walker Products Mowers 340 241

Reinders, Inc.

140

Tri-County Stockdale Company

235

Green Glen Nursery

Lurvey Landscape Supply

334

436

438

434

433

Colorblends

132

F.E.C.

Encore Landscape Lighting 130

Emergent Safety Supply

126

IL WI Depts Agr 124 JULIE, Inc.

122

Onarga Nursery

131

Rochester Concrete Products

Central Turf & Irrigation Supply230

Hale and Hines Nursery

228

229

Unilock A Block Marketing

224

540

430

542

326 429

428 RWC Insurance Group

Lincoln Nurseries

U.S. Arbor ConservFS Products 123 222

ILCA & WGIF

Reading Rock

227

IGIA

125

Kramer Tree Specialists

Cedar Path Nurseries

Dutchman Tree Spade 328

Polylok Robert Schwake Stone

127

Halquist Stone

Carlin Sales/Pro Green Plus 330

427 National Seed

Halloran Power EQ

Xylem Ltd/Rocks, Etc

Gravely, an Ariens Company

DPM, Inc.

Fabriscape 424

223

Eco-Roofs 426

425

532

534

Better Bilt Products 120

Old Castle Lawn & Garden

216

ABI Attachments

117

112

PMA Outdoor Equipment

F.E.C.

Twixwood Nursery Central Sod

Studebaker Nurseries

217

418

Blue Grass Farms of 213 Indiana

Wandell's Nursery

312

B&B Bedding Home Nursery

United Greenhouse Systems

Arrowhead Ornamentals

412

Goodmark Nurseries

413

414

526

524

420

416

Fox Ridge Nursery

310

211

111

Kankakee Nursery

Belgard Hardscapes

528 Spring Grove Nursery

Martin Implement Sales

522 521 520 Bartlett Tandeski Ornamental Tree Associates Growers Experts Assn

Chicagoland Sheridan Homer Industries Grows Nurseries 518 519 517 516

Midwest Arborist Supplies 108

Phoenix Irrigation Supply

103

ALTA

101

F.E.C.

F.E.

Ecoverse Industries 100

206 Doty Nurseries

204

RA Adams

207 Kaknes Landscape Supply 205

Easy Pro Ponds

202

Porous Pave

200 Sato United Label

200A

201

Prince Corp

200B

Hunter Industries FX Luminiere

Rich's Foxwillow Pines Nursery 306

410

The Tree

Martin Implement Sales

Garden Connection Prairie DynaSCAPE Nursery Software & 406 407 Organics 408

508

507 Arthur Clesen

300

506 The Grounds Guys

504 Beaver Creek Nursery

Arlington Power Equipment

St Aubin Nursery 300A

McGinty Bros.

400

The Landscape Contractor February 2015 T

Fire Exits Do Not Block

Brass Light Gallery 105

Arborjet

Badger Evergreen Nursery

Classic Garden Ornaments 107

F.E.C.

Longshadow

Grasshopper Company

Valley View Industries 106

500

Breezy DeVroomen Garden Hill Nursery Products 501 502 503

Curv-Rite

F.E.C.

Paver Resources

529 Illinois Landscape Supply

422 Sod Solutions

The Promenade

F.E.C.

423

The Mulch Center

747

SavATree

Zeiler Insurance

F.E.C.

FHV / FEC

Concessions

Exhibit Hours

745

746

Midwest Access Solutions

Northland Farms

Wholesale Trees

Hinsdale Nurseries

Pace, Inc. #1

743

742

Fire Exits Do Not Block

744

Wednesday 10:00am-4pm

941 John Deere

Salvador Insurance

Alliance Designer Products

1038

1039

Vermeer Midwest

The Care of Trees, a Davey

734

Northern Family Farms

Midwest Trading

640

733 Banner Sales & Consulting

Dimex

McKay Nursery

731

730

732

727 Aspen Valley Landscape Supply

Midwest Groundcovers

632

724

Nursery Supplies Inc

1st Farm Credit

Kuert Supply Center

726

725

1036

Pizzo Native Nursery 935

835

Ero-Tex 1034

Friday 9:00am-3pm

Carlton Plants

1035 College of Lake County

1033 Horticulture JFrank Schmidt & 831Son

Triple Crown Products 930

Agrecol

Surefoot Hardscape Products 928

Native Nursery

829

Fiore Nursery & Landscape 827 Supply

Blue Thumb

Cardno Native Plant Nursery 825

Forrest Keeling Nursery 924

926

Eby's Kenney Outdoor Evergreen Solutions Plantation 823 922

KO Supply Company

IL-IN Sea Grant

1030

Happy Hours

Aesthetic Metals

1031

Smith Amundsen

F.E.C.

736

F.E.C.

Turfmaker Corp

937

Thursday 9:00am-4pm

Illinois Truck Enforcement Association

1028

929

PRO Landscape by Drafix 927 Software

Natural Repellents

Clesen Bros.

Ivanhoe Nursery

1026

1024

925

LS Training System 923

Echo Outdoor Power Equipment 1022

Zanfel Laboratories

1027

Capital Stoneworks

Wednesday Unilock - 3-5:00pm Martin Implement - 3-4:00pm Lurvey Landscape Supply- 4-5:00pm

1023 Lake Street Supply

1021

Russo Power Equipment Mariani Nurseries

624

718

Tuohy Horticultural Enterprises

721

Red Flint Rock & Stone720

Kuenzi Turf & Nursery

719

F.E.C.

723 Oly-Ola Edgings

Rosetta of Michigan

Hayward Distributing

817

Thursday Kaknes Landscape Supply - 2-3:00pm

917 Eden Stone

622 Heritage Seed Company

715

621

Cornerstone Processing Solutions

Lemke Stone

Kaneville Tree 617 Farms 618

Wilson Nurseries, Inc.

D. Hill Nursery

Midwest Compost

616

Landscape

Material & Firewood 714 712

619

Permaloc Corp

813 Hortica Insurance & Employee 811 Benefits

Michels Stone

910

Casey Equipment JCB

Unilock - 3-4:00pm

1013

F.E.C.

Dayton Bag & Burlap

911

Firegear Outdoor 1009

Cassidy Tire & Service

608

610

Cintas Corp

Market Financial Group

Cast Lighting

907

1st Choice Equipment

706

RR Landscape Supply Power Equipment Distributors

707

905

805

Spring Meadow Nursery 903

605 Willoway Nurseries

Hortech Liveroof

703

604

Husqvarna

DeWitt Company

Johnson's Nursery

Rosebay Nursery

901

600

1006

1004

Eco-Harvesters

Bailey Nurseries

Ditch Witch Midwest

Lurvey Landscape Supply - 3-4:00pm

Fire Exits Do Not Block

Men

ts ck

men

1000

AVANT Tecno USA

ADR Bulbs

Feece Oil Company

602

700

702

ProLine Division

900B

800

Diga-Talk 1000A

F.E.C.

601

The Landscape Contractor February 2015 T F.E.C.

Krukowski Stone

1st Choice Equipment, LLC Jeff Patterson 124 N. Schmale Road Carol Stream IL 60188 630.510.6050 jpatterson@1stchoiceequipment.com

707

1st Farm Credit Services Mark Ringhouse 1350 Prairie Drive Sycamore IL 60178 815.756.3440 mringho@1stfarmcredit.com

725

rving Agriculture since 1916 Make Us Your First Choice! Mark Ringhouse  Vice President 1350 W. Prairie Drive  Sycamore, IL 60178 (815) 756-3440  www.1stfarmcredit.com

ricultural Financing  Crop Insurance  Home Loans  Appraisals  Leasing  Agribusiness and More.

A. Block Marketing Ron Jesselson 855 E. Golf Road, ste 1133 Arlington Heights IL 60005 847.437.7088 ron.jesselson@sbcglobal.net

430

ABI Attachments James Catalano 1310 3rd Street Osceola IN 46561 877.788.7253 j.catalano@abiattachments.com

112

Aesthetic Metals Barb Foster 600 18th Avenue Rockford IL 61104 815.316.4000 aestheticbarb@gmail.com

1031

Agrecol Native Nursery Jay Gehler 10101 N. Casey Road Evansville WI 53536 608.223.3571 jay.gehler@agrecol.com

829

Arthur Clesen, Inc.

507

All In One Solution With over 100 attachments

635 Margate Drive Lincolnshire IL 60069 847.537.2177 a.clesen@arthurclesen.com l.gorski@arthurclesen.com

AVANT Tecno USA

www.agrecol.com Craig Gustafson

101

Arborjet Monica Munoz 99 Blueberry Hill Road Woburn MA 01801 781.935.9070 MonicaMunoz@arborjet.com

206

Arlington Power Equipment Kerry McWard 20175 N. Rand Road Palatine IL 60074 847.241.1530 kerrym@arlingtonpower.com

400

724

700

Avant Tecno USA Inc.

3020 Malmo Drive Commitment to Excellence in Land Arlington Heights, IL 60005 847.380.9822 phone 847.380.9823 fax sales@avanttecnousa.com

www.avanttecnousa.com B & B Bedding, Inc.

Best Prices in the

Convenient Delive

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300

B DGER

City EvergreenElgin Nursery,ParkL.L.C.

Homer Glen

13148 W. 159th St. Homer Glen, IL 60491 708-301-0703

608

Ball Horticultural Company Therese LaTelle 622 Town Road West Chicago IL 60185 630.231.3600 tlatelle@ballhort.com

334

9/10/14 11:48 AM

Banner Sales and Consulting, Inc. Doug Fenner P.O. Box 430 Union Lake MI 48387 888.557.2455 bannersales360@gmail.com Bartlett Tree Experts Dave Story 1960 Old Willow Road Northbrook IL 60062 847.559.9424 dstory@bartlett.com

2525 Higgins Rd. Elgin, IL 60124 847-426-0072

600 S. Chestnut Ave.

Park City, IL 60085 902 - 26th Street 847-623-6022 Allegan, Michigan 49010

Bailey Nurseries, Inc. David Warning 1325 Bailey Road St. Paul MN 55119 800.829.8898 sue.gundersen@baileynurseries.com

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Superior Custome

Unbeatable Select

416

Kris Landgrebe 2245 2075th Street Oskakloosa IA 52577 641.673.0226 Kris@bandbbedding.com kimberly@bandbbedding.com

Agrecol ILCA Ad 2014Final.indd 1

Versatility: One machine for all jobs 160 Stanley Street Maneuverability: Articulated compact-sized machines Elk Grove Village IL 60007 Minimal turf impact 847.380.9822 Powerful: Excellent power to weight ratio craig@avanttecnousa.com Economical: Low operating and maintenance costs Special features: Easy to drive, side entry, great visibility, telescopic boom

Badger Evergreen Nursery LLC Terry Mohrland 902 26th Street Allegan MI 49010 Phone 608.223.3571 Fax 608.884.4640 269.673.5546 E-mail ecosolutions@agrecol.com 937 badger@bciwildblue.com

Alliance Designer Products Robert Cadieux 225 Bellerose Blvd. West LaVal, Quebec ONT H7L6A1 866.212.1611 robert@AllianceGator.com

413

Aspen Valley Landscape Supply Bill Hackiewicz 13148 West 159th Street Homer Glen IL 60491 708.301.0703 billh@avls.us

702

Arrowhead Ornamentals Gail Coleman P.O. Box 157 Hubbard OR 97032 503.651.2040 gail@arrowheadornamentals.com

• Landscaping • Stormwater • Restoration

A. D. R. Bulbs, Inc. Chris Ruigrok 49 Black Meadow Road Chester NY 12553 800.990.9934 chris@adrbulbs.com

Alta Falls and Pond Supplies Ben Geffre 2687 W. Wayzata Blvd. Long Lake MN 55356 952.476.2582 sales@altafalls.com katy@altafalls.com

243

Arthur Clesen Better Plants for Better Results!

Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. Equal Housing Lender. nsurance is available to all qualifying producers regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.

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Armintrout’s West Michigan Farms Zac Armintrout 1156 Lincoln Road Allegan MI 49010 269.673.6627 zac@armintrouts.com

Mulch Cente

18100 W Old Rome Romeoville, IL 60 708-522-6046

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Business (269) 673-5546 Fax (269) 673-2263

We’re Bartlett Tree Experts, a 100+ year old tree care company with global reach and 733 local roots. Our services include: •

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Beaver Creek Nursery Andy Ward 6604 Randall Road Poplar Grove IL 61065 815.737.8758 andyw@beavercreeknursery.com

504

Carlton Plants LLC Lori Spence 14301 SE Wallace Road Dayton OR 97114 800.398.8733 lspence@carltonplants.com

1035

Belgard Hardscapes Mike Hodges 1 Hunt Court Mundelein IL 60060 847.949.3600 mike.hodges@oldcastle.com

217

Casey Equipment/JCB Jim Cox 1603 E. Algonquin Road Arlington Hts. IL 60005 847.437.8686 jim.cox@caseyequipment.com

911

Better Bilt Products, Inc Larry Olson 900 S. Kay Avenue Addison IL 60101 630.569.6765 oly18@comcast.net

120

Cassidy Tire & Service Bryan Ahern 200 S. Church Street Chicago IL 60101 630.620.2300 bahern@cassidytire.com kcrohleder@cassidytire.com

610

Cast Lighting, LLC Brittany Blohm 1120A Goffle Road Hawthorne NJ 07506 973.423.2303 communications@cast-lighting.com

1004

Cedar Path Nurseries, LLC Tom Kadolph 15235 W. Bruce Road Lockport IL 60491 815.838.4900 tkadolph@cedarpath.net

434

Central Sod Chuck Warpinski 25605 W. 111th St. Plainfield IL 60585 630.669.0437 chuckwarp@gmail.com

526

Blue Grass Farms of Indiana Kevin McCart 1915 West 53rd Street Anderson IN 46013 765.649.1012 kmccart@bluegrassfarms.net

213

Blue Thumb Aaron Scarlata 5327 N Michigan Road Saginaw MI 48604 989.921.3474 aaron@bluethumbponds.com chris@bluethumbponds.com

926

Brass Light Gallery Steve Kaniewski 1101 W. St. Paul Avenue Milwaukee WI 53233 414.988.1400 sk@brasslight.com

105

Breezy Hill Nursery Stan Smiley 7530 288th Avenue Salem WI 53168 262.620.0355 stansmiley1@gmail.com

502

Central Turf & Irrigation Supply Mike Hoffman 960 N. Ridge Avenue Lombard IL 60148 630.495.5500 mhoffman@centraltis.com

Brickstop Landscape Products 340 Jason Brown 205 Champagne Dr, Unit 3 Toronto CAN M3J2C6 416.739.0355 jason@brickstopedge.com Over 350 native species in stock

Native Plants & Restoration

Restoration Materials & Services: > All sizes: liners/plugs to gallons > Quality tested pure live seed > Contract growing Capital Stoneworks 1023 > Live stakes, fascines & wattles > Vegetated coconut logs & mats Mario Ortegon > Assessment & permitting 2048 Foster Avenue > Specification assistance Wheeling IL 60090 > Erosion & sediment control 847.749.0357 > Invasive species control mario@capitalstoneworks.com > Bonded and insured

mike@capitalstoneworks.com

Cardno Native Plant Nursery Jason Fritz 128 Sunset Drive ales@cardno.com dnonativeplantnursery.com Walkerton IN 46574 www.cardnojfnew.com/catalog 574.586.2412 Jason.Fritz@cardno.com

825

6 2412

Carlin Sales/Pro Green Plus Carol Maletzke 8170 N. Granville Woods Road Milwaukee IN 53223 800.657.0745 cmaletzke@carlinsales.com

330

Plants & Custom Seed Mixes For: > DOT & roadside corridor projects > Habitat & ecosystem restoration > Stormwater BMPs & rain gardens > Pollinator habitat & CRP plantings > Shoreline & slope stabilization > Wetland mitigation

230

Real Grass...Real Fast! 800-310-0402

Cherokee Mfg., LLC Chad Beilhartz 500 Malden Street South St. Paul MN 55075 800.798.9473 chad@cherokeemfg.com

239

Chicago Gas Lines Zac Selleck 413 S. Arlington Hts. Road Arlington Hts. IL 60005 847.414.7876 info@chicagogaslines.com

134

Chicagoland Grows, Inc. Jim Ault 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe IL 60022 847.835.8244 jault@chicagobotanic.org

519

Cintas Corporation Brandon Albracht 1150 Windham Parkway Romeoville IL 60446 630.343.3146 albrachtb@cintas.com

• Sod is our only business — Period! • Unlimited supply of sod — You Got It! • Fast on-time deliveries — Everyday! • Great customer service — Call Us! • Green Industry leader — Join Us!

1006

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Clesen Brothers, Inc. Erik Clesen 34W240 South Drive South Elgin IL 60177 847.695.1500 eclesen@clesenbrothers.com

925

Diga-Talk Marty Savino 452 N Chicago Street Joliet IL 60432 815-740-1780 marty@abeep.com

1000A

College of Lake County Horticulture Rory Klick 19351 W. Washington Street Grayslake IL 60030 847.543.2320 rklick@clcillinois.edu

1033

Dimex Mike Corteen 28305 State Route 7 Marietta OH 45750 740.525.3975 mcorteen@dimexcorp.com

731

Colorblends Hanneke Hollander 747 Barnum Avenue Bridgeport CT 06608 888.847.8637 hollander@colorblends.com

132

Ditch Witch Midwest Jeff Patterson 124 N. Schmale Road Carol Stream IL 60188 630.665.5600 ditchwitchmidwest@gmail.com

706

ConservFS Jim Coens P.O. Box 1550 Woodstock IL 60098 815.334.5927 jcoens@conservfs.com

123

Doty Nurseries Ryan Doty P.O. Box 1205 St. Charles IL 60174 630.365.9063 sales@dotynurseries.com

204

Cornerstone Processing Solutions, Inc. Carrie Binder 1600 S. Main Street Oshkosh WI 54902 920.651.8888 carrie@cornerstoneps.net Curv-Rite, Inc. Nicole Wright 3603 N. Main Street Wayland MI 49348 800.366.2878 nicole@curv-rite.com

1. 2. 3. 4.

D5. D. Hill Nursery Dennis Harms 16111 State Rt. 176 Union IL 60180 815.923.0805 dennis@dhillnursery.com Dayton Bag & Burlap John Hendle P.O. Box 436, 6604 S.Union St. Union IL 60180 815.923.1234 johndbb@mc.net

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Downes Swimming Pool Company, Inc. 135 James Maddin 725 W. University Drive Arlington Hts. IL 60004 847.398.7665 jmaddin@downespool.com

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328

3735 Sideline 16 N Mobile & Wireless Brougham Equipment ONT LOHIAO 905.683.8233 Check to see if they have been a long-term member of your association. We strive totoprovide the near dawn@dutchmantreespade.com Callthat find are a location you! Make sure they a registered ISO that meets all highest quality,815.344.5950 lowest cost MasterCard and Visa requirements. DynaSCAPE Software solution while maintaining Make sure that they are ETA CPP registered. Green Industry that personal touch unrivaled Casio and SAM4s Registers Joe Salemi POS Software & N disappears when 3425 Don’t get caught in the dark with a companyEthat you Harvester Road, HardwareSte 217 byneed larger companies. E R Cornerstone has been inGbusiness since 1999, providing MAthem! 619 Burlington ONT L7N 3N1 KIN solutions for businesses ORLDfrom beginning to end. G W Y R O U We build bonds, not numbers. 800.710.1900 jsalemi@dynascape.com Visit our Showroom at: Green Industry POS 888-878-2615 x 2 www.CornerstonePS.net Oshkosh, WI 54902 Check Terminal

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Terminal Easy Pro Pond Products Kari Hanes with Printer Street Grant MI 49327 231.834.7720 karih@easypropondproducts.com sales@porouspaveinc.com

202

503

Eby’s Evergreen Plantation, Inc. Jeff Alexander 51669 CR 33 Bristol IN 46507 574.848.4520 jeff@exceptionaltrees.com

922

DeWitt Company Larry DeWitt 905 S. Kings Highway Sikeston MO 63801 573.472.0048 salesadmin@dewittcompany.com

703

Echo Outdoor Power Equipment Charlie Hoffman 27209 101st Street Trevor WI 53179 262.960.2736 charlieh@goldeneagledist.com

1022

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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DeVroomen Garden Products Roland VanDenBergh 14867 W. Russell Rd. POBox 189 Russell IL 60075 847.395.9911 rvdb@devroomen.com

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1600 S. Main St. • Oshkosh, WI 54902 S. Main St., 888-878-2615 •1600 www.CornerstonePS.net

Locally grown for over 25 years Ryan Doty sales@dotynurseries.com

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DPM, Inc. Robin Crosier P.O. Box 36 Davenport Casio and NE 68335 SAM4s 402.364.2186 Registers sales@nurseryjaws.com

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Contree Sprayers & Equipment David VonBehren W9898 Jackson Road Beaver Dam WI 53916 920.356.0121 davev@contree.com

Professional 234 Landscape Supplier Since 1928

The Digital 2-Way Radio System & THE CLEAR CHOICE

45W121 Beit Maple Park, I

Eco-Harvesters LLC Dennis Timm N2270 State Road 22 Waupaca WI 54981 715.281.5460 dennis@silvermistgardencenter.com

1000

Forrest Keeling Nursery Kimberly Young P.O. Box 135 Elsberry MO 63343 800.356.2401 kyoung@fknursery.com

924

Eco-Roofs Homer Trecartin 2759 E. Shawnee Road Berrien Springs MI 49103 269.471.7408 questions@eco-roofs.com htrecartin@eco-roofs.com

426

Fox Ridge Nursery Dan Livingston 23513 Streit Road Harvard IL 60033 815.943.1111 dan@foxridgenursery.com

312

Ecoverse Industries (Doppstadt US) Chris Pap 1265 Lear Industrial Parkway Avon OH 44011 440.937.3225 chris@doppstadtus.com

100

Eden Stone Company Allen Grainger W4520 Lime Road Eden WI 53019 920.477.2521 graingera@edenstone.net

1013

Emergent Safety Supply Kate Pietraszak 1055 Kingsland Drive Batavia IL 60510 630.406.9666 kpietraszak@safetysupplyillinois.com

126

Encore Landscape Lighting Ken Rutkowski 2277 Elliott Troy MI 48083 248.299.1919 encorelandscapelighting@gmail.com

130

Ero-Tex Dan Salsinger 925 Oaklawn Avenue Elmhurst IL 60126 630.279.0915 dans@ero-tex.net

1034

Garden Prairie Nursery & Organics Michael Dimucci 11887 US Route 20 Garden Prairie IL 61038 815.597.1318 mike@gpnursery.com

Goodmark Nurseries, LLC Paul Ayers 8920 Howe Road Wonder Lake IL 60097 815.653.9293 paul.ayers@goodmarknurseries.com Grand Effects Kevin Doud 18 Technology Dr. Suite 110 Irvine CA 92618 949-697-5270 x102 kevin@grandeffectsinc.com

406

G4143 PREMIUM COM G3 COMAND (golf course blend)

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Grasshopper Company Connie Estep P.O. Box 637 Moundridge WI 67107 620.345.8621 show@grasshoppermower.com Gravely, an Ariens Company brand Jon Warner 655 West Ryan Street Brillion WI 54110 920.756.2141 jwarner@ariens.com CDilger@ariens.com

532

424

Green Glen Nursery, Inc. Dickey Ooykaas 2413 Laraway Road Joliet IL 60433 815.723.1140 greenglennurseryinc@yahoo.com

438

Feece Oil Company Craig Olsby 517 Twin Rail Drive Minooka IL 60447 815.557.7337 craig@feeceoil.com

602

GRO Horticultural Enterprises, Inc. Greg Oltman 14440 Marengo Road Union IL 60180 847.669.8658 greg@grohort.net

235

Fiore Nursery & Landscape Supply Lisa Fiore 16606 W Hwy 22 Prairie View IL 60069 847.913.1414 management@cjfiore.com

827

Firegear Outdoor by Alert Distributing 1009 Mark Schroeder 14351 Ewing Avenue. S. Suite #1 Burnsville MN 55306 952.224.4070 mschroeder@alertdistributing.com

mike@gpocompost.com www.gpocompost.com www.gpnursery.com

11887 US ROUTE 20, GARDEN PRAIRIE IL 61

Fabriscape, Inc. Jim Manola 6410 W. 74th Street, Unit D Bedford Park IL 60638 708.728.7180 jmanola@fabriscape.com

815-597-1318

201

Hale and Hines Nursery, Inc. James Hines 416 Hines Lane McMinnville, TN 37110 931.668.4488 haleandhines@blomand.net

228

Halloran Power EQ Mike Halloran 2159 N. Rand Road Palatine IL 60074 847.705.1984 mowers2@msn.com

223

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Halquist Stone Jeff Brown N51W23563 Lisbon Road Sussex WI 53089 262.246.9000 jeffb@halquiststone.com

229

Hayward Distributing Co. Craig Tangi 4061 Perimeter Drive Columbus OH 43228 614.272.5953 ctangi@haydist.com jjones@haydist.com

817

Heritage Seed Company Donna Wilson 2532 Advance Road Madison WI 53718 855.248.3232 dwilson@heritage-seed.com

622

Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. Jr. Tecza 2353 Creek Road Plano IL 60545 630.552.8314 ttecza@hinsdalenurseries.com

744

Home Nursery, Inc. Mark Kluchtefeld P.O. Box 128, 5800 Nursery Road Albers IL 62215 800.628.1966 markl@homenursery.com mikeb@homenursery.com

412

Homer Industries, LLC Josh Doherty 14000 S. Archer Avenue Lockport IL 60441 815.838.0863 josh@homertree.com

518

Hortech, Inc./Liveroof Drew Edwards P.O. Box 533 Spring Lake MI 49456 800.875.1392 Drew@hortech.com

600

Husqvarna Chad Staker 483 Parkside Lane Yorkville IL 60560 630.470.7747 chad.staker@husqvarnagroup.com

1030

Illinois Landscape Contractors Association Scott Grams, Executive Director 2625 Butterfield Rd., Suite 104s Oak Brook, IL 60523 630.472.2851 information@ilca.net www.ilca.net

542

Illinois Landscape Supply, LLC Mike Wesley 25660 W. 143rd Street Plainfield IL 60544 815.267.3311 mwesley@IL-supply.com

529

Illinois Truck Enforcement Association Bryce Baker P.O. Box 2384 Palatine IL 60078 847.440.4832 bryce@illinoistruckcops.com Intrinsic Perennial Gardens Brent Horvath 10702 Seaman Rd Hebron IL 60034 800.648.2788 Brentsmac@aol.com

1039

137

1024

J. Frank Schmidt & Son Company Jeff Lafrenz P.O. Box 189 Boring OR 97009 503.663.4128 jeffl@jfschmidt.com

831

835

410

John Deere Dennis Ogle 10789 S. Ridgeview Road Olathe KS 66061 913.310.8076 OgleDennisE@JohnDeere.com

604

800

Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nursery, Inc. Jeff Johnson W180 N6275 Marcy Road Menomonee Falls WI 53051 262.252.4980 jeff@johnsonsnursery.com

JULIE, Inc. Barb Huff 3275 Executive Drive Joliet IL 60431 815.741.5000 huff@julie1call.com

122

Supplying the Midwest with Quality Nursery Stock www.johnsonsnursery.com

IGIA (Illinois Green Industry Association) 125 Kellie Schmidt 2900 Greenbriar Drive Springfield IL 62704 217.546.4703 kellie@illinoisgreen.net

Ivanhoe Nursery Russel Stokes 22149 W. IL Route 60 Mundelein IL 60060 847.566.8001 rs@ivanhoenursery.com

Hortica Insurance & Employee Benefits 811 Laurie Coffey 1 Horticultural Lane, P.O. Box 428 Edwardsville IL 62025 800.851.7740 sales@hortica.com Hunter Industries (FX Luminiere) Eric Simmons 1940 Diamond Street San Marcos CA 92078 630.200.7581 eric.simmons@hunterindustries.com

IL-IN Sea Grant+NIL Invasive Plant Partnership Greg Hitzroth 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe IL 60022 847.242.6423 hitzroth@illinois.edu

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Kaknes Landscape Supply Kevin McGowen 31W545 Diehl Road Naperville IL 60653 630.416.9999 kevin@kaknes.com Kaneville Tree Farms Paul Guzzetta P.O. Box 167 Kaneville IL 60144 630.557.2793 paul@ktfinc.com

205

Growing Strong

Kankakee Nursery Company Tim LaGesse P.O. Box 288 Aroma Park IL 60910 815.937.9358 tim@kankakeenursery.com

Landscape Material & Firewood Sales, Inc. Dave Cooper Kaknes Landscape Supply should be your green goods supplier 27w250 St. Charles Road for 2015. We have quantities for spring of boxwoods, shade West Chicago IL 60185 and ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials. We can supply 630.231.7911 most of your hard-to-find needs. Knowledgeable staff, quick for 90 Years! loading and high quality plantvmaxincdave@aol.com material should lead you to Kaknes Landscape Supply. Visit our new and improved yard. We have nearly doubled our Lechner size expandingand acrossSons the street. Uniforms

420

www.kankakeenursery.com

823

Knapheide Manufacturing Company Darla Heberlein 1848 Westphalia Strasse Quincy IL 62305 217.222.7131 dheberlein@knapheide.com

442

139

Lemke Stone, Inc. Vickie Lemke 21575 W. Good Hope Road Lannon WI 53046 262.502.1579 Vickie@lemkestone.com

621

Lincoln Nurseries Amanda deWit 0142 Lincoln Street NW Grand Rapids MI 49534 616.453.2351 Amanda@lincolnnurseries.com

429

Kaknes Landscape Supply, Inc, 31W545 Diehl Road, Naperville, IL 60563, 630-416-9999, www.kaknes.com

Phone 1.800.344.7697 | Fax 1.815.937.9389 | Email sales@kankakeenursery.com

Kenney Outdoor Solutions Veronica Krenzel 11952 Spaulding School Drive, #2 Plainfield IL 60585 630.234.5655 veronica.krenzel@kmcturf.com

Doug Densmore 420 Kingston Court Mt. Prospect IL 60056 847.789.3800 ddensmore@lsons.com

618

714

Kramer Tree Specialists

Longshadow Classic Garden Ornaments Charlotte Ward 83 Longshadow Lane Pomona IL 62975 618.893.4831 cward@longshadow.com

107 New

Garden Hose Holder, LS 9749

L O N G S H A D O W®

.COM

Call Charlotte 618 893 4832 or email charlotte@longshadow.com

ILCA 2015 Feb issue-full page.indd 4

LS Training System KO Supply Company 929 Shillinglaw Check us out at Booth 433and learn more about ourSylvia mulch Jay Ostrowski 2026 Oxford Street E. Swamp Oak 1500 Foundry Street, Unitproducts 1 and tree care services at theWhite iLandscape show! London ONT St. Charles IL 60174 (1 year after transplant) 877-482-2323 630.768.7227 Tree Removal · Pruning · Cable Bracing · Pest & Disease Management ·sylvia@LSTraining.com Mulch jay@proapsupply.com “Brand X” Products/Delivery · Root Pruning · Tree Transplanting · Diagnostics/Consulting · Training · bare root Holiday Lighting Lurvey Landscape Supply 433

Kramer Tree Specialists Paul Filary 300 Charles Court West Chicago IL 60185 630.293.5444 pfilary@kramertree.com

Jason Castaneda 2550 E. Dempster Street Des Plaines IL 60016 847.299.8333 jcastaneda@lurveys.com

Krukowski Stone Company, Inc. Joanie Krukowski-Whitt 3781 County Road C Mosinee WI 54455 715.693.6300 joaniew@krukowskistone.com

Kuenzi Turf & Nursery Which Myron Kuenzi 6475 State Street Salem OR 97317 800.285.8337 myron@kuenziturfnursery.com

Lake Street Supply Chad Kingrey 1810 W. Lake Street Chicago IL 60612 312.226.0760 chad@lakestreetsupply.com

Mariani Nurseries Kevin Finley 10" In-Ground 13715 Horton Road Fabric Bag Kenosha WI 53142 866.627.4264 kfinley@marianinurseries.com

718

Market Financial Group Jim Bilinski 240 Commerce Drive Crystal Lake IL 60014 815.526.4113 11/5/13 7:31 PM jbilinski@marketfinancialgrp.com

905

Martin Implement Sales, Inc. Brad Beaulieu 420 Nolen Drive South Elgin IL 60177 630.883.3320 A un uniq unique ique iq ue cconsultative on o nsuult lta approach bradb@martinimplement.com

508 + 516

800-285-8337

436

root719 system would you want in your spade dug ball?

726

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CALL601 630.293.5444│www.kramertree.com

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Kuert Supply Center Mark Walker 3402 Lincolnway West South Bend IN 46628 574.232.9911 mark@kuert.com

1/14/15 10:43 AM

Visit us at Booth 905!

to your risk management decisions.

1021

Our Passion Is Our Client!

McGintyJimBros., 500 www.marketfinancialgrp.com Bilinski Inc. 815.526.4113 Vickie Jarchow jbilinski@marketfinancialgrp.com BriargateRoad Dr, Ste 900 South Elgin IL, 60123 3744 E. 460 Cuba Long Grove IL 60047 847.438.5161 vicki@mcgintybros.com

Debbie McGuire 815.526.4090 dmcguire@marketfinancialgrp.com 240 Commerce Dr, Crystal Lake IL, 60014

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

McKay Nursery Company Tim Wagner 750 S. Monroe Street Waterloo WI 53594 920.478.8525 twagner@mckaynursery.com

732

Michels Stone Jason Hestekin N4224 Hwy. 175 Fond du Lac WI 54937 920.921.8280 hluehring@michels.us hluehring@michels.us

910

Midwest Access Solutions Joe Tiffany 813 Richards Street Joliet IL 60433 708.218.6679 joe.tiffany@midwestaccesssolutions.com

746

Midwest Arborist Supplies Brian Barnard P.O. Box 151455 Grand Rapids MI 49515 616.456.8040 bbarnard@grandarborgroup.com

108

Midwest Compost, LLC Patrick Murphy 1320 Spaulding Road Elgin IL 60120 847.931.2900 Pat@midwestcompostllc.com

617

Midwest Groundcovers Jill Bondi P.O. Box 748 St. Charles IL 60174 847.742.1790 jbondi@midwestgroundcovers.com

632

Midwest Trading Arelis Velazquez P.O. Box 398 Maple Park IL 60151 630.365.1990 avelazquez@midwest-trading.com hcortez@midwest-trading.com

640

Nursery Supplies, Inc. Jeff Pissocra 1415 Orchard Drive Chambersburg PA 17201 800.523.8972 jpissocra@nurserysupplies.com

MIDWEST TRADING

National Seed Mark Breier 4720 Yender Avenue Lisle IL 60532 630.963.8787 mark.breier@natseed.com

427

Natural Repellents LLC Mark Wilson P.O. Box 251 Denville NJ 07834 973.627.4523 mwilson1123@optonline.net

1026

Northern Family Farms Don Crandall W10757 Jeffrey Road Merrillan WI 54754 800.826.7094 dcrandall@northernfamilyfarms.com

730

Northland Farms LLC Alan Garter 11161 120th Avenue West Olive MI 49460 800.253.1812 agarter@northlandfarmsllc.com

745

Shade Trees n

800.826.7094

Topiary

Fruit Trees

Ornamental Trees

Small Fruits n Flowering Shrubs

Shrub, Climbing & Patio Roses n

Evergreens

Christmas Trees n Wreaths & Garlands

216

Oly-Ola Edgings, Inc. Aymie Clayton 124 East St. Charles Road Villa Park IL 60181 630.833.3033 aymie@olyola.com

723

Onarga Nursery Company Lindsey Ishmiel 608 N. Oak Street Onarga IN 60955 815.268.7244 ishmiels@yahoo.com

131

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Pace, Inc. Cliff Roberts 739 S. Mill Street Plymouth MI 48170 734.453.6258 cliffr@pacelink.com

141 + 941

Paver Resources, Inc. Marty Halm 500 E. Cossitt Avenue LaGrange IL 60525 708.354.2182 marty@prairiepathgroup.com

117

Permaloc Corporation Jackie Arendsen 13505 Barry Street Holland MI 49424 616.399.9600 jackie.arendsen@permaloc.com

813

Phoenix Irrigation Supply Dave Freeland 1261 Howard Street Elk Grove Village IL 60007 847.290.0698 davef@phoenixirrigationsupply.com

103

Pizzo Native Nursery Grace Koehler 10729 Pine Road Leland IL 60531 815.826.0566 gracek@pizzonursery.com

935

W10757 Jeffrey Road, Merrillan, WI 54754

sales@northernfamilyfarms.com

Old Castle Lawn & Garden Joe DiVincenzo 3414 Hog Haven Road Sauget IL 62206 800.448.4013 Joe.DiVincenzo@oldcastle.com

Ornamental Growers Association of N. IL Bonnie Zaruba P.O. Box 67 Batavia IN 60510 630.879.0520 info@ogaoni.com

HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES, INC.速 A Midwest-Orum Company

727

www.northernfamilyfarms.com

Proud to be a HGTV HOME Plant Collection Partner

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

PMA Outdoor Equipment, Inc. Duane Cotte 3725 Swenson Avenue St. Charles IL 60174 630.377.3000 dcotte@pmaoutdoor.com

111

Rental Max Peggy Rose 908 E. Roosevelt Road Wheaton IL 60187 630.221.1133 prose@rentalmax.com

Polylok Patrick 3 Fairfield Blvd. Wallingford CT 06492 877.765.9565 patrick@polylok.com melissa@polylok.com

227

Rich’s Foxwillow Pines Nursery, Inc. Richard Eyre 11618 McConnell Road Woodstock IL 60098 815.338.7442 coniflora@richsfoxwillowpines.com

Porous Pave Kari Hanes 4385 E. 110th Street Grant MI 49327 karih@easypropondproducts.com

200

Power Equipment Distributors Jeff MacLeod 69250 Burke Drive Richmond MI 48062 800.624.2932 jmacleod@powereqp.com

Prince Corporation Liz Huber 8351 County Road H Marshfield WI 54449 715.384.3105 liz.huber@prince-corp.com PRO Landscape by Drafix Software Lisa Lord 114A W. 3rd Street, #301 Kansas City MO 64105 800.231.8574 sales@prolandscape.com ProLine Equipment Milan D. Blaho 7163 W. Guilford Road Galena IL 61036 815.776.1058 milanis@usa.net

R. A. Adams Enterprises, Inc. Mary Beth Adams 2600 West Route 120 McHenry IL 60051 815.385.2600 mbadams@raadams.com

338

306

Robert Schwake Stone Co. Heidi Donna 1440 Townline Road Mundelein IL 60060 847.566.0799 donnalee57@schwakestone.net

224

805

Rochester Concrete Products Jessica Davis 325 Alliance PL NE Rochester MN 55906 507.535.3509 jdavis@rockwoodwalls.com

127

200B

Rosebay Nursery Linda Charvat 6394 Old Allegan Road Saugatuck MI 49453 269.857.4852 rosebaynursery@yahoo.com

901

927

Rosetta of Michigan Kevin Loe 05481 US 31 South Charlevoix MI 49720 877.777.6558 kevin@redi-rock.com

917

900B

RR Landscape Supply 907 Matt Buck 3900 W. 167th Street Working together to keep what Markham IL 60428 708.596.7200 you value Safe. Sound. Secure.® matt.buck@rrmulchandsoil.com

207

Reading Rock Ryan Miller 4600 Devitt Drive Cincinnati OH 45246 800.482.6466 millerr@readingrock.com

326

Red Flint Rock & Stone Tom Ayers 1 American Boulevard Eau Claire WI 54702 715.855.7600 tom.ayres@redflint.com

720

Reinders, Inc. Tom Rowe W227 N6225 Sussex Road Sussex WI 53089 262.786.3300 kjknudson@reinders.com trowe@reinders.com

140

Russo Power Equipment Jackie Lipinski 9525 W. Irving Park Road Schiller Park IL 60176 847.678.9525 russo@russopower.com jlipinski@russopower.com RWC Insurance Group Mark Duncan 7239 Laraway Road Frankfort IL 60423 815.469.6585 Mark@rwc4ins.com

624

For all of your business 428 insurance needs, contact your local

independent insurance agent representing Auto-Owners today!

RWC INSURANCE GROUP

“Specializing in the needs of the landscape industry”

Frankfort • 815-469-6585 S www.rwc4ins.com

Salvador Insurance Wil Salvador 3360 N. Milwaukee Avenue Chicago IL 60641 773.777.1922 wil@salinsure.com

1038

SATO-United Label AnnMarie Phaneuf 12900 Berea Road Lakewood OH 44111 216.226.4030 annmarie.phaneuf@satoamerica.com pmurphy@unitedlabel.com

200A

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

SavATree Eve Hundt 3520 Commercial Avenue Northbrook IL 60062 847.726.1991 ehundt@savatree.com

747

Sheridan Nurseries Christine Buck 12302 10th Line Georgetown, ONT CAN 905.873.0522 cbuck@sheridannurseries.com

517

SmithAmundsen LLC Julie Proscia 3815 East Main Street St. Charles IL 60174 630.587.7911 JProscia@salawus.com

1028

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Spring Grove Nursery, Inc. Becky Thomas 1255 W. Spring Road Mazon IL 60444 815.448.2097 bthomas@SpringGroveNursery.com

528

Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. Jodi Griffin 12601 120th Avenue Grand Haven MI 49417 616.846.4729 jodi@springmeadownursery.com

903

St. Aubin Nursery Todd Sullivan 35445 Irene Road Kirkland IL 60146 815.522.3535 info@staubin.com todd.sullivan@staubin.com

300A

Stockyards Brick Company Matt Joyce 4150 S. Packers Avenue Chicago, IL 60606 872.444.5440 Matt@stockyardsbrick.com

237

1255 W. Spring Rd, Mazon, IL 60444 (815) 448-2097 (815) 448-2139 fax bthomas@SpringGroveNursery.com

StoneWall Retaining Wall Systems/ TrenchNedge Trencher Patrick Dean 8028 Hill Trail N Lake Elmo MN 55042 651.777.7923 ped@trenchnedge.com

238

Studebaker Nurseries, Inc. Brian Latta 11140 Milton-Carlisle Road New Carlisle OH 45344 800.845.0584 blatta@studebakernurseries.com SureFoot Hardscape Products, Inc. Ed Berg 180 Steeles Ave. W Ste 206 Thornhill ONT L4J2L1 416.633.1414 ed@surefootedging.com

418

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521

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The Grounds Guys Kurt Pfeifer 1020 N. University Parks Drive Waco TX 76707 800.638.9851 kurt.pfeifer@dwyergroup.com

506

2015-01-08 3:10 PM

The Mulch Center Laura 21457 Milwaukee Avenue Deerfield IL 60015 847.459.7200 Laura@mulchcenter.com erika@mulchcenter.com Chicagoland’s Best Source for Trees!

Shannon Westphal 275 C 12th Street, 2nd Floor Wheeling IL 60090 847.394.4220 swestphal@thecareoftrees.com

Brian Worfolk United States Sales Manager

422

Delivering Value Through Creative Solutions The Care of Trees, a Davey Company

Midwest U.S., Western New York, Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan Tel: 1-888-878-4360 E-mail: bworfolk@sheridannurseries.com

Sod Solutions, Inc. Brenda Roberts P.O. Box 460 Mt. Pleasant SC 29465 843.284.2335 broberts@sodsolutions.com

Tandeski Associates Mike Tandeski 26981 Irwin Richmond MI 48062 586.784.5715 mike@tandeski.com

423

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The Tree Connection Jim Matusik 4168 Oak Tree Circle Rochester MI 48306 248.656.2260 jim@thetreeconnection.com TRAC Equipment - Walker Mowers Andy Fahrenbruch 12 Enterprise Lane Canton IL 61520 309.647.5066 tracequipment@sbcglobal.net

408

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241

Tri-County Stockdale Company Lyle Yunker 25520 West Black Road Joliet IL 60404 815.474.2767 lyle.yunker@tricountystockdale.com

342

Triple Crown Products Laurie Quernemoen 814 Ela Avenue Waterford WI 53185 262.534.7878 laurie@crownquality.com

930

Tuohy Horticultural Ent, Inc. Bob Tuohy P.O. Box 178 Mokena IL 60448 815.806.8785 infothehort@comcast.net

721

TurfMaker Corporation Judy Burr 4931 Grisham Drive Rowlett TX 75088 800.527.2304 sales@turfmaker.com jburr@turfmaker.com

1036

Twixwood Nursery, LLC Jill Roberts 2759 E. Shawnee Road Berrien Springs MI 49103 269.471.7408 jroberts@twixwood.com

524

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Ne Bagg w! ed Bulk and Roc • Mushroom Salt k Compost • Sand & Gravel • Top Soil • Leaf Mulch • Pine Fines • Planting Bed Mix

21457 Milwaukee Avenue • Deerfield 3100 North Skokie Highway • Lake Bluff www.mulchcenter.com

U.S. Arbor Products, Inc. Dan Kallas 5600 N. River Road, #800 Rosemont IL 60018 847.993.3060 dan@usarbor.net

Wisconsin Green Industry Federation Brian Swingle, Executive Director 12342 West Layton Avenue Greenfield WI 53228 414-529-4702 bswingle@toriiphillips.com

222

Unilock Megan West 301 E. Sullivan Road Aurora IL 60505 630.892.9191 megan.west@unilock.com bruce.walter@unilock.com

540

United Greenhouse Systems Justin Bilhorn P.O. Box 249 Edgerton WI 53534 800.433.6834 justin@unitedgreenhouse.com

310

X Xylem, Ltd/Rocks, Etc. Katrina House 18715 Rt 84 N Cordova IL 61242 309.654.2261 barb@xylemltd.com

106

Vermeer Midwest Stu Senska 2801 Beverly Drive Aurora IL 60502 630.820.3030 stu.senska@vermeermidwest.com

736

534

V Valley View Industries Dominick Bertucci 13834 S. Kostner Avenue Crestwood IL 60445 800.323.9369 dbertucci@valleyviewind.com dgust@valleyviewind.com

542

Zanfel Laboratories, Inc. Michelle Bastian 1370 NW 114th Street, Suite 204 Clive IA 50325 515.267.8099 ssisler@zanfel.com mbastian@zanfel.com

1027

Zeiler Insurance Lucas Zeiler 12159 S. Pulaski Alsip IL 60803 708.597.5900 lucas@zeiler.com

742

W Wandell’s Nursery, Inc. Kathy Pew 1898 CR 1700 N Urbana IL 61802 217.469.2170 wandellsnursery@gmail.com

211

Wholesale Trees, Inc. Keith Alexander 3208 Adventure Lane Oxford MI 48371 248.969.5800 keith@wholesaletreesllc.com

743

Willoway Nurseries Danny Gouge 4534 Center Road Avon OH 44011 440.724.9935 danny@willowaynurseries.com

605

Wilson Nurseries, Inc. Jennifer Fick 43w967 State Route 72 Hampshire IL 60140 847.683.3700 jennf@wilsonnurseries.com

712

Wisconsin + Illinois Departments of Agriculture Elizabeth Meils 2811 Agriculture Drive Madison WI 53718 608.224.4572 elizabeth.meils@wi.gov

We’re known for our outstanding trees but . . . We grow a LOT of other plants too!

Se hab la

españo l!

Get perennials, shrubs, evergreens, trees and more at Wilsons!

124

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

4 Convenient locations to serve you! Hampshire: 847-683-3700 Hanover Park: 847-453-1240 Plainfield: 815-439-7188 Volo: 815-344-0944

iLandscape thanks its sponsors ILandscape Show Sponsors—

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ILCA Excellence in Landscape Awards Night

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Growing Strong for 90 Years!

www.kankakeenursery.com Phone 1.800.344.7697 | Fax 1.815.937.9389 | Email sales@kankakeenursery.com

All-Star Plant Revue

What would we do without our “A” list of

plants — the ones you can count on to perform reliably in a variety of conditions and look great through the seasons. Those are the plants The Landscape Contractor calls All-Stars, the ones that are so good, they make the people who spec them and plant them look good, too. For the past few years, we’ve

asked ILCA members to share their recommendations for All Star Plants. It’s a list that bears repeating because you can never have enough plants that perform like champs—and make you look like one in the process. (To see the full recommendation, please refer to the issue noted in parentheses after the plant name.)

Yama kagi Japanese maple Acer japonicum ‘Yama kagi’ (July, 2014)

Jim Matusik The Tree Connection A Don Schmidt Nursery, Inc. selection of Acer japonicum, this handsome, upright tree has large green grape-like leaves divided half way to the midrib. Yama kagi’s fall color is an outstanding yellow, orange and red. It is an upright, strong grower that will mature to a height of about 20 feet with an equal spread. Like most A. japonicum, Yama kagi is an adaptable, hardy tree. It grows well in most soil types and prefers full sun to partial shade.

State Street Maple Acer miyabei ‘Morton’ (November, 2014)

Becky Thomas Spring Grove Nursery, Inc. The State Street Maple is one of my favorite trees in the nursery. This tree is trouble free, dependable, attractive, easy to grow and quick to develop a canopy. Maturing to 40-50’ tall and 30-35’ wide, State Street Maple is a uniform tree with dense branching which makes it an excellent shade tree. The foliage is a small bright green leaf which turns a bright golden yellow in the fall. My favorite feature is the attractive ridged bark adds an excellent texture to the landscape in every season. State Street has excellent urban tolerance. It can withstand pollution, drought, and acidic or alkaline soils. When looking for a shade tree to add to a project, you can’t go wrong with a State Street Maple. 86

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

All-Star Plant Revue Angelonia Serena Series (March, 2012)

Jim Clesen Ron Clesen’s Ornamental Plants Inc. We love the phenomenal color of this 10-12” tall plant with a spread of 12-14 inches! This heat tolerant, compact and full plant blooms from May until hard frost. Serena Angelonia flowers will not take a vacation in the middle of the summer like many other Angelonia varieties. We’ve found white and purple are the strongest colors. Also available in blue, lavender, lavender pink and mix. If you have used Angelonia before and were disappointed, you need to try this one.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Big Begonias Begonia x benariensis Big Series (April, 2014)

Kathy Fish K. Fish Color Sometimes annuals are treated almost like an afterthought in landscape installations, but Big™ Begonia will change your mind about that. Big Begonia is a 55 mph garden performer that you cannot miss with. Big has large, 2-3” flowers that grow above vibrant glossy leaves on upright, arching plants with sturdy stems. It comes in three color combinations: red flowers with bronze leaves, rose flowers with bronze leaves and red flowers with green leaves. Big grows 24-30” tall with a spread of 15-18”. Big Begonias do well in sun or shade, wet or dry locations. It is a “bounce-back” plant that is hard to kill.

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All-Star Plant Revue Calamintha nepeta subsp. glandulosa ‘White Cloud’ (December, 2012) Scott Rose Twixwood Calamintha ‘White Cloud’ blooms nonstop for five months, requires little water and beneficial insects adore it. This plant grows 18-20” tall with a spread of 12-18” with bright white flowers reminiscent of baby’s breath, from June to October. Calamintha ‘White Cloud’ is effective used as a single specimen, massed in a landscape and as a container component. It is a tough plant that likes full sun and as much heat as you can give it. It grows in any well-drained soil. It will tolerate clay, but is longer lived in gritty, low-nutrient mineral soil. A good hair cut mid summer will extend the fall bloom period.

arthurclesen.com 90

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Penn Sedge Carex pensylvanica (May, 2014)

Trish Beckjord Midwest Groundcovers This plant is a great workhorse on many levels and a perfect low maintenance plant to add to the garden! It is a perfect selection to use in a shady rain garden that will frequently dry out and as a soft, low groundcover under trees and shrubs. One of the first sedges to bloom (in May), it grows 8-12â&#x20AC;? tall and spreads slowly by rhizomes to 6-12â&#x20AC;?.

pizzonursery.com

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

All-Star Plant Revue Coreopsis verticillata ‘Golden Showers’ (2012)

Roy Diblik Northwind Perennial Farm This is not your Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ or Coreopsis rosea or ‘Limerock Ruby’ or Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Sunray’ (all good plants when used based on their capabilities). This one is durable. It’s little used because of the misfortunes of the others. I have grown this coreopsis since 1982 and have successfully planted it in many gardens. It’s a very tolerant plant. It grows 26-32” tall with spread of 20-26” in 4-5 years and has daisy-like, golden yellow flowers from early July into September.

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Epimedium species (2012)

Joyce Squires Twixwood Epimediums are an underused plant, yet there are so many good things about them. Vigorous, clump-forming plants for dry shade, they have oval- to heart-shaped leaves on wiry stems. From April to May, they have loose sprays of small, winged flowers in colors (depending on the cultivar) such as white, yellow, pink, red and purple. Epimediums offer a different form and texture in the shade garden, combining well with hostas and other more commonly used shade plants.

Delivering Value Through Creative Solutions

Brian Worfolk United States Sales Manager

Midwest U.S., Western New York, Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan Tel: 1-888-878-4360 E-mail: bworfolk@sheridannurseries.com

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

All-Star Plant Revue Espresso Kentucky Coffee tree Gymnocladus dioicus ‘EspressoJFS’ (January, 2014)

Mike Cook Rosehill Creek Nursery Kentucky coffee tree is the ugly duckling that becomes a swan. When it is young it resembles a coat rack, and it used to be a hard sell when compared to the broad stature of almost any other shade tree. In 2005 J. Frank Schmidt & Son Company introduced a cultivar called Espresso™ that develops a nice dense canopy at a younger age than does the straight species. Espresso™ is a male selection; this means it will not have seed pods. Give this ugly duckling a try and watch it grow into a statuesque swan.

Hooks #6 Juniper Juniper chinensis ‘Hook’s #6’ (February 2014)

Ryan Doty Doty Nurseries LLC Junipers as a group are an underutilized plant in our Midwest landscapes. Hooks Juniper # 6 has a very dark green color and can serve as a very dense screen or as an evergreen anchor to a perennial garden. It reaches a height of 12-14 feet with a spread of 6 feet. The texture of the Hooks Juniper #6 is of particular interest because of how densely its needles occur and how coarse they are. Hooks #6 is a great option when a customer is looking for something different from an arborvitae like Mission or

Leucanthemum superbum ‘Daisy Duke’ (May, 2012)

Brent Horvath Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, Inc. I love this plant for its habit and flower power. Growing 24” tall and wide, it has a dome-shaped habit and reminds you of a mum in that the flowers overlap. It flowers from mid-June through July and can be cut back after the initial flower for rebloom in fall. It is stunning in mass plantings with other perennials or grasses but can be used in a mixed perennial border or even as a specimen in a small space. It goes well with daylilies especially the short ones like Stella de Oro and Happy Returns. 94 The Landscape Contractor February 2015

GOODMARK NURSERIES, L.L.C. Nursery / Office: 8920 Howe Road, Wonder Lake, IL 60097 Phone: 815/653-9293 Fax: 815/728-0977 www.goodmarknurseries.com www.facebook.com/Goodmark.Nurseries

HUNTING FOR PRODUCT?

30 ACRES OF HOLDING YARD! • • • • • • •

Shade Trees Ornamentals Evergreens Shrubs 500 acres of land in production 30 irrigated acres of above ground availability If we don’t have it, we will find it for you! Mike Scheitz: 847/878-7760 Paul Ayers: 630/461-3050

All-Star Plant Revue Savanna Blazing Star Liatris scariosa var. nieuwlandii (April, 2012)

Grace Koehler Pizzo & Associates This liatris is particularly tough and beautiful and should be cultivated more often in the landscape. Native to woodland edges and savannas, it tolerates more shade than other liatris species. It grows approximately 3’ tall on strong stems that don’t flop as easily as other liatris species. The leaves turn an intense maroon in fall. The native populations of this beauty have dwindled due to demise of the oak savanna ecosystem. It is on the threatened species list in the state of Illinois which is a good reason to cultivate this plant in the landscape.

Swamp White Oak “Brand X” bare root

(1 year after transplant)

10" In-Ground Fabric Bag

Which root system would you want in your spade dug ball?

800-285-8337 kuenziturfnursery.com 96

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11/5/13 7:31 PM

Lobelia cardinalis ‘Queen Victoria’ (2012)

Angelo Zielinski Kane Bros. Water Features “A cultivar of an Illinois native, Lobelia cardinalis ‘Queen Victoria’ is a very useful, very showy plant. Its deep burgundy foliage gives you the benefit of color throughout the season. When the true-red flowers appear from July into October you have the added bonus of that brilliant flower color—much later in the season than most other reds. The plant grows 3-4’ tall with a spread of 18-24”. Queen Victoria grows well when planted in the water, at the water’s edge or in a moist, shady spot in the garden. It is even fairly drought tolerant and is not particular about soil type. Because you can plant it in so many places, it’s a good plant to use for creating repetition in the landscape. It ties the water garden and the terrestrial garden and can be used to blend the water’s edge.”

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All-Star Plant Revue Cucumber Magnolia Magnolia acuminata (December, 2014)

Todd Sullivan St. Aubin Nursery Magnolia acuminata is a magnificent specimen tree that can grow to 100 feet tall. The simple, alternate leaves can grow up to 10 inches long. The seed pod looks like a green cucumber but becomes red with maturity, holding the tell-tale red magnolia seed inside. But the flower is the thing. Species trees tend to have pale yellow to yellow flowers borne in the upper 25% of the tree. There are quite a few cultivars and hybrids that display from purple to orange flowers. Cucumber magnolia, or cucumbertree, is probably the most cold hardy member of the magnolia family.

Caliente Series Geraniums Pelargonium (June, 2013)

Ginny Hodgson Clesen Wholesale The ‘Caliente’ Series of geraniums are exceptional crosses between two different species of Pelargoniums that combine the best features of both parent plants. If you are looking for an annual geranium series that is disease-resistant, self-cleaning, and in almost constant bloom, then look no further. Available in eight colors, I have seen these colors described as “flashy” and also “iridescent”, but what I tell my customers is simply that these plants glow. These plants grow 12-18” tall with a spread of 12”.

Persian parrotia (March, 2013)

Alex Head Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply I have been growing this tree at my home for almost ten years, and it remains one of my favorite trees. Parrotias provide three seasons of interest and require little to no maintenance. It has an upright oval habit that makes it a useful small tree for planting close to a home or patio area. It will eventually reach 20’ to 40’, but don’t expect much over 12” of new growth a year. Summer foliage is very attractive. The leaves are dark green, lustrous and thick. Fall color is variable depending on the year. If conditions are right, expect a colorful blend of yellows, oranges, bright reds and purples. Fall colors develop late and tend to last longer than other trees. 98 The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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All-Star Plant Revue Dwarf Swiss Stone Pine Pinus cembra ‘Glauca Nana’ (October, 2012)

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Rich Eyre Rich’s Foxwillow Pines Swiss Stone Pine has so much going for it. It’s the most shade tolerant of all the white pines. It has no insect or disease issues. ‘Glauca Nana’, dwarf Swiss stone pine, was selected for its density and its great blue color. It grows slowly—about three feet in ten years. You can use it as a specimen tree or put it close to the lot line. It won’t outgrow its space like a Norway spruce that can take over the yard. Homeowners like the soft needles. They’re easy to work around.”

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Tom Kadolph Cedar Path Nurseries As a practical person, I like trees that are easy to transplant, adaptable to many conditions and have a high probability of success in the landscape. That’s why I like swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor). Of all the oaks, it’s the easiest to transplant. Its survivability is better than any of the others. Swamp white oak grows to 50 feet tall with a canopy just as wide at maturity. It’s a tree that’s suited to large properties and parks. For smaller properties, I recommend Regal Prince® (Quercus robur x bicolor ‘Long’). This is a columnar form, growing 40 to 50 feet tall, but only 20-25 feet wide. It also has glossy foliage and the same good transplantability and disease resistance as swamp white oak. Regal Prince is a great way to have the stateliness of oak in a formal garden or on a smaller, residential property.

Drift® Roses (July, 2013)

Dick Ooykaas Green Glen Nursery SCHILLER PARK I’m really impressed with the new Drift roses, a cross between Dino Castino: 847.678.9525 x7845 | dcastino@russopower.com groundcover roses and miniature roses. They get toughness, disease resistance and winter hardiness from the groundcover side. Their CHICAGO FRANKFORT 5848 W. Montrose Ave 21660 S. La Grange Rd compact size and repeat blooms reflect their miniature rose heritage. Chicago, IL 60634 Frankfort, IL 60423 773.777.2606 779.333.7000 Drift roses come in seven colors They are abundant and continuous bloomers, blooming throughout the summer. And they have HAINESVILLE NAPERVILLE SCHILLER PARK attractive foliage which, depending on the variety, is glossy or semi39 E. Belvidere Rd 1636 North Aurora Rd 9525 W. Irving Park Rd Hainesville, IL 60030 Naperville, IL 60564 Schiller Park, IL 60176 glossy and medium to dark green. The size varies a little by variety, 847.752.0420 630.219.2440 847.678.9525 but for the most part, they grow about 1 ½ to 2 feet tall and up to 4 www.RussoPower.com feet wide in a nice, tight, very dense and uniform, mounded form. 100 The Landscape Contractor February 2015 Brian Jones: 630.219.2440 x2447 | bjones@russopower.com

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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All-Star Plant Revue Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Sem’ (January, 2013)

Kevin McGowen Kaknes Landscape Supply The emerging foliage of Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Sem’ is a kaleidoscope of colors ranging from reds, oranges and yellows aging to lime green. In late summer, it has white panicle flowers that spike a foot above the foliage. The flowers provide nice winter interest if left on the plant. Unlike the straight species, ‘Sem’ only suckers a small amount and doesn’t take over a garden. The limited suckering, however, means it works great as a soil stabilizer on steep inclines. ‘Sem’ grows best in full sun but can handle some shade and is very drought tolerant.

Tulipa preastans ‘Unicum’ (September, 2012)

Eric Olson DeVroomen Garden Products This tulip is a show stopper. The intense, white-edged variegated leaves add weeks to the length of the spectacular display. As the bright red multi-flower blooms open, you will find three to five flowers per stem. ‘Unicum’ grows 6-8” tall in full sun. This is a great naturalizing variety. If left to mature it will last for years even in dry locations Eric has worked for DeVroomen for over 25 years, initially selling bulbs to garden centers, landscapers, mail order companies and specialty accounts. He worked to build the perennial business to become one of the largest importers of new and proven perennials into the US.

Common Spiderwort Tradescantia ohiensis (June, 2014)

Jason Fritz Cardno JFNew Common spiderwort is a native plant found in most of Illinois. Besides being able to live in almost any location, it has a long bloom period—from mid spring to early summer, with sporadic blooms into early fall. The blue-violet flowers open up in the early morning and close in the heat of the day, but can remain open for the whole day if it is overcast. Although most often the blooms are a dark blue-violet color, sometimes they are pale blue to almost white. Common spiderwort’s light-green foliage looks like a succulent. Besides being attractive and adaptive, it is also a good species for pollinator conservation. 102

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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All-Star Plant Revue Triumph™ Elm Ulmus ‘Morton Glossy’ (March, 2014)

Michael Scheitz Goodmark Nurseries, LLC/ South Branch Nurseries, Inc. Triumph Elm is a great replacement for ash. It’s a tough plant that can withstand abusive conditions like parking lots and parkways. It tolerates salt, and its drought tolerance is quite impressive. This elm is also disease and pest resistant. It came out of Dr. George Ware’s elm improvement program at The Morton Arboretum and was introduced by Chicagoland Grows®. Triumph is tough, and it’s a very attractive tree. It has shiny, dark green leaves all summer and nice yellow fall color. It is easily trainable as a young tree, when it has an upright, oval form. As the tree matures, its branches begin to arch softly into the characteristic V shape we associate with elms.

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Iron Butterfly Ironweed Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’ November, 2012

Roy Diblik Northwind Perennial Farm Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’ is a plant no one has heard of but everyone should use. Growing 30-36” tall with comparable spread, it’s a fall-bloomer, from late August into September when it has small, royal purple flowers clustered at the top of the plant. It looks like a candelabra. But even when it’s not in bloom, it looks good in the garden. Its narrow, dark green foliage (similar to Amsonia hubrichtii) creates a soft, sensual texture. It likes average to dry well-drained soil, but it will tolerate brief periods of flooding as well as heat and drought.

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All-Star Plant Revue Wilson Viburnum Viburnum prunifolium ‘Wilson’ (August, 2013)

Andy Fick Wilson Nurseries We observed this upright, columnar selection among a group of seedlings at Wilson Nurseries about 18 years ago. What’s really different about this selection is its habit. V. prunifolium ‘Wilson’ grows 8-10 feet tall with a spread of only about 3 feet. V. prunifolium ‘Wilson’ has all the good qualities of the species. It has beautiful, glossy, clean foliage that’s dark green in summer. The fall color is beautiful. Leaves turn yellow at the center with purple margins, with some reds and oranges thrown in. In late May to early June, the plant has nice, white, flat-topped flowers. Later, small pinkish-rose fruits form that turn dark purple to black as they mature in September. In winter, you can appreciate the contrast of the tan new growth with the older, grayer bark. Plus, its strong, upright habit is very striking in winter.

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ILCA Business Advisory

Data Security is Everyone’s Busine Editor’s Note— Before our long-time writer, Meta Levin, ever wrote a word for TLC she was the editor for a magazine in the international cyber security industry. Her expertise and contacts in this area have been liberally engaged and presented for your benefit. If you take a way nothing else — if you have a computer with internet access — your information is at risk. By Meta L. Levin

“The people who scare me

the most are those who think they have no problem,” says Ira Winkler, a 30 year veteran of the information security world, who heads Secure Mentem, based in Annapolis, MD. “And the worst thing is when a company thinks it has no data at risk.” If you have a business, you have data that’s at risk, whether you know it or not. There are landscape contractors who

have sophisticated computer security operations, taking great pains to protect clients’ credit card numbers, employees’ Social Security numbers and private company information.

“The people

who scare me the most are those who think

they have no problem.” “They realize the value of their systems, their accounts and other data,” says Winkler. On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who don’t think that their

data is at risk for one reason or another, usually because they believe that they are too small to be worth the while of information thieves. Believe it or not, there are landscape contractors who still keep such information on paper copies in unlocked file cabinets. There are fewer of those than there probably once were, but they do exist. And there are those who think, because they do work only for government entities that they do not have to worry about protecting their customers’ information. There are, after all, no credit card numbers, as there would be for work done for private residences, but there are other issues about which they may not think. For instance, Winkler cites the example of a landscape contractor who will be doing work around a city hall in a large metropolitan area or landscaping along a well-traveled expressway. “Wouldn’t a terrorist want to know when and where you are working so that he knows how to fit in?”

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Greg Pierceall

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ss Concern Admittedly that might be an extreme example, but Winkler began his career as an intelligence and computer systems analyst at the National Security Agency (NSA) and moved on to other intelligence and military agencies, so he’s used to thinking in those terms. He’s also served as president of the Internet Security Advisors Group, chief security strategist at HP Consulting and director of technology for the National Computer Security Association. For good measure, he is on the graduate and undergraduate faculties of Johns Hopkins University and the University (continued on page 110)

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ILCA Business Advisory (continued from page 109) of Maryland. In other words, he knows of what he speaks. If you want an example of something closer to the average landscape contractor’s reality, Winkler offers up the scenario of several contractors bidding on the same big job. Wouldn’t your competitors love to know your bid? Sometimes outside entities spur security efforts. For instance, Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co., noted that part of his credit card merchant services comes with certain security requirements. Twice a year someone from the credit card company’s merchant services visits to check on Bertog Landscape’s compliance. They ask to see hard copies of files, which are normally kept in a locked file, to which only Bertog has the keys. Like many businesses too small to justify a full time person on staff, Bertog Landscape has an IT consultant, who advises him on data security, as well as works to insure the safety and security of his system. Any customer data the

company keeps is encrypted; credit card numbers and CVS codes are hidden separately in various files. “If someone would get into QuickBooks™, he or she would have to figure out our encryption,” he says. “First he or she would have to figure out the password. It’s like Fort Knox and it’s random.” Moore Landscapes, Inc. has someone on staff whose principal duties include IT. “We decided that it was worth the money to have a person on staff,” says Eric Moore, Moore Landscapes president. The company also subcontracts some work, such as parts of the recently completed system upgrade, to an outside consultant. Previously, Moore Landscapes had its own servers, but much of their data now is Cloud based. They have, however, kept their accounting software on a server. Bertog’s merchant services account is attached to QuickBooks, accessible only by six Bertog Landscape employees, each of whom has a different pass-

“ We don’t allow any of our employees to write passwords down and post them on their desks or computer monitors.”

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word and only the person with administrative privileges can see the credit card information. “We also don’t allow any of our employees to write passwords down and post them on their desks or computer monitors,” says Bertog. To further protect the company’s information, they employ virus protection software and a firewall, both of which are kept updated. “Anything malicious usually gets hung up between those two,” he says. “Our IT guy says that we have to be careful. If someone does break through the firewall, they can get to anything.” Privately, Bertog is uncomfortable sending credit card numbers over the Internet. The company IT consultant told him that there are bad actors scanning the Internet for just that sort of information. To further protect his customers, he asks those renewing their service to mail or phone credit card and other information, rather than email. “It makes them cognizant that we are aware of the risks,” he says. (continued on page 112)

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ILCA Business Advisory (continued from page 111) Even with this, few customers ask about Bertog Landscape’s security policies. “Some do, but I think most assume that we have them in place,” says Bertog. Part of any security policy should include keeping the operating system and all software up-to-date, says Winkler. Those “updates” that software companies send regularly, often are patches to close vulnerabilities found in the software. Left unpatched, they are exposed to hackers who may want to gain entry to your computer systems either to steal your data or hide their tracks when heading for another target. Winkler has several other recommendations for insuring that your computer systems and data are safe, including: • Barring employees from using to use company computers and Internet access for personal and private, i.e. non-work, reasons. It’s

easy to unknowingly download a seemingly legitimate game or to click on a link that contains malware • Insuring that only legitimate users have access to the system • Insuring that users have access only to those portions of the system they need to do their jobs • Insuring that each user has a separate password and that it’s changed regularly •Back up and back up often Caroline Hamilton, whose information security background rivals Ira Winkler’s, recommends that small businesses do their own, what she terms, “seat-of-the-pants” risk management assessments. If you need some motivation, do an Internet search on “identity thefts by state” and look for your own state. Some websites will allow you to drill down even further by entering your

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Zip Code to find identity theft rates in your city or town. This can be sobering. Once you’ve checked the local identity theft rates, think about the effect on your company’s reputation if a data breach if your clients’, your employees’, your company’s and your own private information is stolen. This kind of thing often becomes public. President and founder of RiskWatch, Inc., which specializes in security risk assessment software, Hamilton has been involved in risk management assessments for businesses large and small, not to mention government agencies and groups. She was a charter member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Risk Management Model Builders Workshop and was a member of the group that created the Defense Information Warfare Risk Management Model under the US Secretary of Defense’s office. She has served on the National

Security Agency’s Network Rating Model Working Group, as well as the Maritime Security Council. Risk management assessments may take some time, but they have the ability to uncover vulnerabilities before there is a problem. “The purpose of risk assessments is to see where you are the weakest,” says Hamilton. “Think it through. Make a list of threats and a list of your controls.” Government agencies take these kinds of things seriously. Hamilton cites the example of a little hospital in Idaho that was fined $751,000 by the US government, because it did not secure its patient information in direct violation of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws. There have been companies de-listed from the stock exchange, because they didn’t secure their information. In fact, one company was barred from doing (continued on page 114)

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(continued from page 113) business in a state for six years for not safeguarding its data. Hamilton recommends: 1. Look at the physical and electronic controls that you have in place. Who has access to what information? 2. Train your employees in basic information security practices 3. Make certain that you have a good firewall and good anti-virus and anti-phishing program. Hamilton suggests checking reviews on such websites as CNET.com, which does reputable, independent evaluations of these kinds of tools 4.Insure that you have a good IT security policy. Distribute it to all employees and make them sign a Data Affirmation Agreement, saying that they not only have received and read the policy, but also agree with it and agree to follow it 5. Get yourself trained in good data security practices 6. Figure out what will happen if you have a data loss. How will you reconstruct your data so that your business can go on?

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The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Limiting who has access to sensitive information is key. Hamilton noted that one of the newest trends is so-called “tax parties.” In this scenario, gangs send members, often young women, to apply for clerical jobs in target companies. They then find ways to steal information, such as employees’ names, Social Security numbers and other identifying information. The gangs then hold “tax parties,” using this information to file fraudulent tax returns, designating a gang member’s address to which refunds should be sent. By the time the real employee files a legitimate tax return, the refund is spent and the IRS believes that the employee already has filed. It may take years to straighten it all out. Hamilton checked with her CPA about the veracity of this, only to learn that it not only is true, but increasing every year. “There’s almost no penalty for it,” she says. Safeguarding company data is good for the company, your employees, your clients and you.

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iLandscape

the illinois + wisconsin Landscape Show

iLandscape 2015 = por Meta Levin

Escuchar. Eso es lo que ha estado haciendo

el Comité de Educación de iLandscape. Ha revisado detenidamente los comentarios de las personas que asistieron el año pasado al evento, prestando atención especial a lo que les gustó, lo que no les gustó y lo que les gustaría en 2015. El comité analizó quiénes asistieron, encontrando que el año pasado, además de los contratistas, asistió al increíble programa, un público diverso compuesto por arquitectos paisajistas, diseñadores y propietarios de negocios.

Recorrido

“El año pasado, muchos de los asistentes aprovecharon las sesiones educativas ofrecidas con tarifas económicas”, afirma Steve Raczak, co-presidente del comité de educación. Las respuestas de los participantes mostraron que prefirieron las sesiones prácticas participativas, como el recorrido (walkabout), que les permitió visitar varios despliegues y viveros junto con un

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experto, que señaló y describió con muchos conocimientos las plantas y materiales. Roy Diblick, proponente del uso de plantas sostenibles — también populares entre los asistentes — dirigirá el recorrido este año. El comité identificó de cinco a seis temas amplios que despertaron el interés de los asistentes, incluyendo: horticultura, tendencias, negocios, elementos sólidos en paisajismo y eventos participativos como el recorrido. Comprendiendo que las personas aprenden más de programas que además de enseñar, entretienen, el comité se empeñó en planificar sesiones educativas que hicieran ambas cosas. También se aseguró de que al menos una sesión en cada bloque ofreciera unidades de educación continua (CEU, por sus siglas en inglés) para arquitectos paisajista.

una rosa es...

Las ofertas son variadas y dinámicas. Ping Lim, experto y cultivador de rosas de renombre mundial, presentará una tarde de rosas seleccionadas especialmente por él, en base a su resistencia y maravillosa fragancia. “Hay una explosión de rosas”, afirma Raczak. “Esto deberá despertar el interés de contratistas, arquitectos y

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

= i¡Más Educación! diseñadores”. Educado en horticultura en la Universidad Nacional de Taiwán, el interés de Ping Lim en el cultivo de las rosas comenzó en los viveros DeVor, Mt. Eden y Bailey, después de inmigrar a Estados Unidos. Sus esfuerzos de hibridación se concentran en variedades “eco-positivas” que también se cultivan por su resistencia a las enfermedades, fragancia, forma compacta y floración durante toda la temporada. Desde 2012 ha estado estableciendo y dirigiendo el programa de cultivo de rosas y otras plantas de floración tropical en Altman Plants de Vista, CA. Desde que inmigró a Estados Unidos ha producido más de 30 variedades, actualmente disponibles comercialmente por todo el país, Europa y Asia.

DNA empresarial

“AND Empresarial: Cómo distinguir a los generadores de negocios y ganancias de los depredadores de ganancias y los quejumbrosos (antes de contratarlos)” ayudará a los contratistas de paisajismo a verse ellos mismos, a su gente y sus estrategias comerciales bajo un nuevo enfoque. Esta sesión está diseñada para proporcionar a los asistentes medidas practicables para impulsar el crecimiento sostenible de sus negocios. Presentado por Dean MacMorris, miembro de ILCA y vicepresidente de Night Light, y Barry Saltzman, parte del equipo de BOSI Global, el programa está diseñado para mostrar cuántos problemas en los negocios están ligados con su “AND empresarial”. MacMorris

tiene una experiencia de más de 25 años en ventas, mercadotecnia y gestión de proyectos. Ha hablado en Mid Am, la Universidad de Illinois, Purdue University, la Sociedad Estadounidense de Diseñadores de Interiores, la Illinois Turfgrass Foundation, el Arboreto Morton y el Simposio de Expertos Arbóreos de Bartlett y sus artículos han aparecido en una variedad de publicaciones. Saltzman cuenta también con sólidos antecedentes en ventas. También ha servido como estratega y coach y ha ocupado puestos de liderazgo superior en diferentes compañías. Para la cartera de compañías BOSI diseña sistemas de ventas para crecimiento escalable y ayuda con el reclutamiento, la capacitación y el coaching de profesionales de ventas y gerentes. (continued on page 52)

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a la manera italiana

elementos sólidos

Diviértase un poco durante su aprendizaje en “A la manera italiana: Cómo los negocios de éxito se desarrollan en base a la lealtad y el respeto”, que hará un reconocimiento a las familias italianas que han manejado con éxito negocios de contratación de servicios de paisajismo y actividades conexas durante generaciones. El panel, que incluirá a Don Fiore, Charles J. Fiore, Harry Vignocchi, Rocco Fiore y el moderador Tony LoBello, se sentará alrededor de una mesa de comedor simulada. “Hemos convocado a una generación de líderes empresariales que desarrollaron sus negocios tratando a su clientela correctamente y hacienda las cosas correctamente”, dice Raczak.

que nieve

Para más consejos sobre negocios, consulte “Cómo licitar trabajos de remoción de nieve sin afectar las ganancias”. Rich Arlington, de Rich Arlington & Associates, es un veterano con 30 años de experiencia en el negocio de la remoción de nieve y hielo. Guiará a los participantes ayudándoles a comprender las tácticas estratégicas necesarias para hacer ofertas ganadoras y obtener ganancias durante la temporada de nieve. Incluyendo: Conozca su mercado

cuatro estaciones de belleza

Apilamiento

La remoción es su líder en pérdidas Precios de la sal

Equipos

Desencadenantes de nevadas Estrategias para hacer ofertas Operaciones de preparación, materiales, personal y contratos. “Él conoce el negocio”, asegura Janice Guiborat, co-presidente del Comité de Educación. “Probablemente el 60 por ciento de los miembros de ILCA remueven nieve durante los meses de invierno. Para todos los que trabajan con la nieve y necesitan producir más dinero, esta sesión es imprescindible”.

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La sesión sobre elementos sólidos en paisajismo también se concentrará en el ángulo comercial, con “¿Cuánto debo cobrar por ese patio?” Dirigida a dueños y estimadores, la clase, presentada por Greg Ambrose. de Vander Kooi & Associates, guiará a los asistentes por los elementos básicos de los cálculos de materiales y mano de obra, además de cómo computar los gastos generales de la compañía y los aumentos de precios de los materiales. Este programa práctico incluirá la oportunidad de desarrollar una oferta completa para un proyecto y practicar cómo venderlo. Un profesional con experiencia en el campo de los elementos sólidos, Ambrose es Instructor de Primer Nivel del Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (Instituto de Pavimento con Adoquines de Concreto / ICPI), que ha impartido más de 100 clases y certificado a más de 3,000 estudiantes. También da clases de Nivel 2 en el ICPI y tiene certificados de la National Contract Management Association (NCMA) y de la Escuela de Pavimentación Segmentada Avanzada, donde también es instructor.

Si le interesan los negocios, la horticultura y las tendencias, iLandscape también tiene algo para usted. Galen Gates, de Gates Landscape Garden Design, presentará un programa sobre “Cuatro estaciones de belleza en Chicago (realmente)”, que se concentrará en celebrar los cambios estacionales en jardines. Galen identificará algunas de sus plantas favoritas, que añadirán interés, color y drama, incluso color y fragancia, durante las estaciones.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

deleites coníferos

Las coníferas de hoja perenne son parte de la paleta paisajista en un área que puede experimentar inviernos muy fríos. Para tratar este tema, Dave Wanninger de Boerner Botanical Gardens en Hales Corner, WI, presentará “Coníferas para la región superior del Medio Oeste”. Las coníferas con frecuencia se usan como plantas protectoras que proporcionan cobertura y alimentos para la fauna y flora durante todo el año. Wanninger recomienda superar la mentalidad de “plantar tejos si hay sombra y enebros si hay sol” y aumentar la diversidad, belleza y salud de las plantas de hoja perenne con algunas nuevas ofertas.

el aroma de los lúpulos

El Comité de Educación está configurando una sesión que incluye información sobre el cultivo de lúpulos de calidad superior para uso en la elaboración de cerveza, así como quizá una breve sesión de degustación (de cerveza, no de lúpulos). Matt McCarroll, PhD, director del Instituto de Ciencias de la Fermentación y profesor del Departamento de Química y Bioquímica de la Southern Illinois University (Universidad de la Región Sur de Illinois), discutirá los diferentes tipos de lúpulos, cómo cultivarlos mejor y la relación entre lúpulos, cerveza y paisajismo.

cultivos industriales

Y si realmente quiere estar en la vanguardia, verifique la sesión sobre el cultivo de la marihuana para el nuevo mercado de la marihuana medicinal. “El potencial económico es asombroso”, dice Raczak. Chris Ragan, de Dynamic Growth LLC, guiará a los participantes a lo largo de su recorrido que incluirá lecciones que ha aprendido en el camino. Su presentación incluirá: Asesoramiento comercial Cómo manejar el ángulo comercial Cómo lidiar con los problemas untos clave para inversores en P la industria de la marihuana “Cubrirá puntos clave para los que deseen involucrarse en este negocio”, afirma Guiborat.

buscando el futuro

Por primera vez habrá una sesión diseñada para estudiantes. Brian Clement y Judy Burgholzer del College of DuPage hablarán a los estudiantes sobre oportunidades de trabajo dentro de la industria y los guiarán por el piso de exhibiciones, presentándoles a varios expositores y orientándolos acerca del tipo de preguntas que deben hacer a los empleadores potenciales. También habrá un tablero de trabajos disponible. “Los asistentes saldrán de de 2015 iLandscape con muchos conocimientos útiles para mejorar sus negocios”, asegura Guiborat.

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ILCA Business Library

Innovators Beware By: Neal Thornberry, Ph.D. Innovation is not for the faint of heart, as Galileo learned when he said that the Earth revolved around the sun. He was scorned, threatened with death and eventually put under lifetime house arrest. Innovators are not always welcome guests even within their own organizations, and their challenges are heightened by a dangerous organizational intersection: where Complexity meets Wackiness. The more complex an organization, the more difficult it is for the innovator to figure out where to go with a good idea and how to weave it through the organization to implementation and eventually value creation. Growing organizations cannot avoid complexity. They add processes and people, divisions and specialists. Since we

can now measure almost everything, they often believe if one measurement captured in a report is good, then more are better. One company, with whom I worked, learned that its sales people were losing a month of selling each year because of the time spent filling out reports required by the finance department. This example of complexity gone awry drove the organization into Wackiness -- sacrificing revenues for reports. There are many other examples of Wackiness getting in the way of innovation – and examples of stealth innovators circumnavigating them. One of my favorites is the tale of Jim Repp, head of Jeep design at the old Daimler Chrysler Corp. Jim knew that many Jeep lovers spent thousands of dollars upgrading their

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Wranglers for serious off-roading. This gave him the great idea for a mass-produced Jeep with all the upgrades built in at half the cost. When he shared his idea with marketing, they said there was no market for that type of vehicle and besides, you’re an engineer, not a marketer. Undeterred, Jim and a small band of innovators I call Innovation Judo masters built a secret prototype. They took it out on the Rubicon Trail in California for offroad trials and invited the senior executives to watch. Jim’s prototype outperformed the other Wranglers and, as crowds gathered around it, the executives saw their enthusiasm. They immediately authorized production of what is now a bestselling icon, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Fortunately for Chrysler and other companies, there are a few passionate innovators like Jim who won’t let go of their idea no matter what. They’ve developed a special set of skills (I call them Innovation Judo) that allow them to bypass those blocks. They are: • Discipline • Leverage • Speed • Openings • Circling • Unbalancing • Redirection

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The Jim Repp story illustrates the application of several of these principles. The discipline to plan for building a secret prototype; leverage in getting senior executives to support his idea; utilizing the opening at the Rubicon Trail; and then using the surprise (a tactic of unbalancing) of a Jeep that looked like all the other jeeps on the trail but outperformed them. Since it takes so long to correct the dangers at the Complexity/Wackiness intersection, identifying and supporting a few Innovation Judo Masters can go a

long way in overcoming some of the most difficult barriers to innovation. Neal Thornberry, Ph.D., is the founder of a consulting firm that specializes in helping private and public sector organizations develop innovation strategies. He holds a doctorate in organizational psychology and specializes in innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, leadership and organizational transformation.

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The Morton Arboretum has appointed Matt Lobdell as the institution’s new curator and head of collections. In his role, Lobdell is responsible for managing the Arboretum’s living collections, one of the most comprehensive collections of woody plants in North America, ensuring the plant life is not only varied but genetically diverse. Lobdell will also oversee the Arboretum’s tree collections, which have earned special recognition from the North American Plant Collections Consortium, a network of gardens dedicated to conserving plants from around the world as well as setting forth standards of plant collections management. Lobdell joins the Arboretum from Moore Farms Botanical Garden in Lake City, S.C., where he worked as plant recorder. He is particularly interested in the magnolia genus, serving on the board of directors for Magnolia Society International. “Matt’s education at the University of Delaware in curatorialship, combined with the commitment and technical knowledge he has demonstrated, is a great benefit to the Arboretum,” said Kris Bachtell, vice president of collections and facilities at The Morton Arboretum. “He conveys a true

Real Grass...Real Fast! 800-310-0402 122

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

interest in the field of horticulture and will be a great asset in the management and growth of our collections.” Lobdell is originally from Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and in his spare time is an avid motorcyclist.

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Member Profile Stockyards Brick Co. 4150 S. Packer Avenue Chicago, IL 60609 (872) 444-5440 www.stockyardsbrick.com

by Meta L. Levin

Nearly two

years ago Matt Joyce married his passion for Chicago history with his business acumen and established Stockyards Brick Co., specializing in old common brick, clay and/ or granite street pavers, reclaimed stone and marble, old growth and reclaimed timber and unique architectural salvage. Talk about sustainable materials. Located on three and a half acres between Halstead and Ashland at the Old Chicago Stockyards (thus, the name), Stockyards Brick Co. operates out of a former meat packing warehouse with a Chicago Common Brick exterior. “It’s a great place for a business,” Joyce says. “We’re five miles from the City, close to the Dan Ryan and Stevenson expressways. I can see the Willis Tower from here.” Joyce’s father worked in the stockyards, when they were operating. Much of the Old Chicago Common Brick dates back to the rebirth and rebuilding effort following the 1871 Chicago fire, lending not only history, but personality, texture, diversity and color to projects that range from patios to retaining walls to indoor walls. “Chicago has a rich history of Old Common Brick production,” says Joyce. New brick is extruded and formed to be all the same. The old was hand made. It’s also about half the cost of new. Old Chicago Common Brick’s wide appeal also stems from their pink shades, a result of the minerals left in the clay, as well as the firing methods. Known as “Chicago pinks,” they were used from the 1850s to the early 1940s, when concrete blocks became popular, says Joyce. Typically when old buildings 124

are scheduled for demolition, most of its components are crushed, intended to be dumped in a landfill. Stockyards Brick has made rescuing and repurposing many of these materials its mission. They clean and palletize them for resale to landscape contractors, builders, interior designers and others who use them, says Joyce. This plays into a Cook County ordinance mandating that 20 percent of new commercial buildings must be composed of recycled material, he says. It’s also becoming trendy. “Young people, those in their 30s, are really into this,” says Joyce. He has worked with woodworkers, using traditional methods, as well as other types of artisans. Recently some of the brick was used in a new bar-restaurant. Some designs have called for cutting pavers into tiles and gluing them to walls, lending a historical patina to the space. The old bricks and pavers were hand cut, lending even more variety to the look, says Joyce. He has seen 20 pound granite cobblestone used for driveways. Street pavers and granite also have found new life as patios, in gardens and on homes. “The whole idea is to see beautiful brick rescued from the landfill,” says Joyce, who asks customers to send him photographs of the finished projects. He also has an appreciation for the craftsmanship that went into making many of the old bricks, pavers and other materials by hand. “They were handformed by hard, immigrant labor,” says Joyce. “The timber used in old buildings was old growth timber.” It used to be The Landscape Contractor February 2015

thrown out, before people realized its beauty and value. Joyce, who has a financial background, sought out some experienced people to help him when he first established Stockyards Brick. That’s how Karen Adams, the company’s sales manager, came on board. With 23 years’ experience in the business, she had recently sold the property on which her own business, buying and selling used brick, stood. They got together when one of her former clients suggested that Joyce contact her, she says. Joyce hired Adams as a consultant for three or four months, before asking her to become a full time employee. Some of her former employees now work at Stockyards Brick. Adams often can be found at job sites, matching the needs against what the company has to offer, working with customers to get it just right. Stockyards Brick joined ILCA in 2014 after Joyce stumbled on a copy of “The Landscape Contractor” magazine in a customer’s office. “I thought, ‘where has this been?’” he says. “This is my target market.” He believes ILCA is a natural fit with his business.

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***ACRES GROUP CAREER OPPORTUNITIES***

Wingren Landscape, Inc. is an award winning full-service landscape company for both residential and commercial properties. Our outdoor services are virtually limitless and include fullscale landscape design, construction, maintenance, lighting, and irrigation. We are all things outdoors. Founded on a commitment to excellence since 1957. We are seeking experiencedcandidates for the following full time positions:

Clesen Wholesale, a leading grower and distributor of seasonal annuals and winter decorations is looking to hire an Account Manager and a Purchasing Manager. We have three commercial greenhouses in Evanston, Lake Villa and Grayslake IL, with our corporate offices in Evanston. If you are a motivated professional with proven results and are looking to join an industry leader with an enjoyable work environment, we are the place for you.

Acres Group, one of the top 20 landscape contractors in the nation, has the following open positions. MAINTENANCE PRODUCTION: *MANAGER in Plainfield-Manage multiple crews, equipment and materials during landscape and snow seasons. Assure quality service & customer satisfaction while monitoring job costs & crew safety. Provide ongoing training and development. Bilingual Spanish skills highly preferred.* SALES: *ACCOUNT MANAGERS (junior & senior levels) Plainfield & Roselle-Manage a portfolio of accounts in lawn and snow providing high levels of customer service, make horticultural recommendations & sell property enhancements in lawn and ice melt in snow, sell new contracted lawn & snow accounts.* FLEET MAINTENANCE: *SHOP SERVICE MANAGER in RoselleSupervise all maintenance and repairs of facility trucks, trailers, tractors, small equipment. Coordinate the preparation of equipment and assure readiness for both the landscape and snow removal seasons. Manage daily shop operations, inventory and assist in developing the budget.* Join our industry leading team! To view full job descriptions and apply online visit us at www. acresgroup.com or contact Amy@ 847-487-5071.

Residential Architect / Designer This person will be responsible for managing all phases of residential design projects of varying types and sizes from initial client outreach to project managing the job to completion. The position involves design, sales and project management. • B.S. Landscape Architecture or demonstrated experience • Ability to produce high-quality creative designs, estimate and sell jobs. • Intermediate to advanced skill level in Autocad, Sketch Up, Adobe Photoshop, and MS Office • 5 plus years of experience preferred, Licensed in Illinois a plus Residential Superintendent / Project Manager This person will be responsible for field managing all phases of residential design projects of varying types and sizes.

• Establish new accounts and develop long-term business relationships • Service and grow an existing portfolio of accounts • Achieve yearly revenue targets • A minimum of 3 years of horticultural industry experience • A minimum of 3 years of sales/account management experience • Purchasing experience is desirable but not necessary • Proficient in MS Office • Bachelor’s degree preferred Purchasing Manager: Job Responsibilities and Qualifications • Manage a team of purchasers • Program development • Vendor management and negotiations • Product specifications and pricing

• Demonstrated experience managing high end residential jobs and multiple crews

• Purchase product utilizing a purchase order system

• Extensive hardscape construction experience

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• Meet order fulfillment goals

***RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT MANAGER*** Walsh Landscape in Plainfield seeks a Residential Maintenance Account Manager to manage a portfolio of accounts for our residential division. Will provide high levels of customer service, develop new business, sell enhancements, and make recommendations.

Please send resume and work sample to Matt Thumm at: mthumm@wingrenlandscape.com

***PROJECT MANAGER*** Walsh Landscape-in Plainfield seeks a Project Manager to coordinate and manage multiple crews for residential design and build division. Actively participate with planning, scheduling, budgeting, safety, training and customer service. Please visit our website www.walshlandscape.com and apply online or contact Amy@847-487-5071

Commercial Maintenance/ New Business Development Applicant shall be a highly motivated and creative professional who is looking to work in a team environment. Please send your resume and salary history to Brian Dolwick, General Manager of Maintenance at: briand@wingrenlandscape.com

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Account Manager: Job Responsibilities and Qualifications

• Bi-lingual a plus

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

• Schedule vendor shipments • Maintain inventory accuracy • Achieve yearly gross margin targets • A minimum of 3 years of horticultural industry experience • A minimum of 3 years of purchasing experience • Proven leadership skills • Strong analytical abilities • Proficient in MS Office • Bachelor’s degree preferred Send a cover letter, resume, and salary history to Careers@clesen.com

Classified Ads HELP WANTED RYCO Landscaping Commercial Sales / Business Development-Chicagoland Area With a focus on prospecting, business development, account management, and building long term business relationships, we are seeking a highly motivated, creative, professional who can sell sustainable, profitable work and to completely satisfy our customers. If you have 3-5+ years successful landscape sales experience, are proficient with basic MS software, have industry credentials, and have the confidence to cold call potential customers, we want to talk to you. This full time position offers a company vehicle, competitive salary with a production bonus structure, vacation, retirement, and health benefits. Please email your resume to Debbie Bartsch: DBartsch@rycolandscaping.com

Winklers Tree Service We are currently looking for an experienced Certified Sales Arborist. Are you currently the number 2 or 3 sales person in a district? Are you putting in the time but not reaping the benefits? We have an opening in our top district for an experienced salesman. We are also looking for a tree worker who is an experienced spray technician. We are also looking for a lawn technician who has experience with lawn and shrub application. All positions have a daily production bonus and full company benefits. info@winklerstreeservice.com www.winklerstreeservice.com 708-544-1219 Jane Dilworth & Associates Designer/Plus Talented, enthusiastic designer able to produce high quality hand drawn designs. Must be experienced, a self-starter, able to muti-task in a small, fast pace office. Hardscape, plant knowledge and excellent people skills are required. Our company has a great reputation, is well established and in high demand in the western suburbs. Please send your resume to: office@janedilworth.com

HELP WANTED LANDSCAPE DESIGNER US • Muddy Boots Landscaping • Microbrewer of quality landscapes since 2007 • Nice, sunny office in downtown Arlington Heights • Mostly north shore and northwest suburban clients • blog.muddybootslandscaping.com • Projects - some simple, some complex, all impeccably executed YOU • 3+ years designing residential gardens • Degree • Thrive under minimal direction and supervision. • SketchUp is your friend • Obsessed with plants and different ways to combine them Take what you know, what you have done, what you have seen, and what you are not yet vaguely aware of to come up with something that has not existed before. Resumes: contact@muddybootslandscaping.com Landscape Architect/Designer Established Central Illinois Design/ Build Firm seeking experienced landscape architect/ designer for design, estimating, sales and project management. Immediate opening for a quality individual with a minimum of 3 years experience in the industry. Existing reputation and clientele provides an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual. Send resume, salary requirements and references to: redwards@grieders.com. All applicants will remain confidential.  CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING also available on ILCA’s WEB SITE www.ilca.net Call for information (630) 472-2851 

HELP WANTED Premier Landscape Contractors Inc. is a full service design/build/maintain landscape contractor. Our service area encompasses Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. Premier’s primary mission is to provide the highest level of design, construction and maintenance services. This combination has resulted in a stable, growth driven environment that allows Premier to remain competitive and provide its clients with the high quality service they require. Premier seeks to fill the following positions: • Residential and Commercial Maintenance Account Managers • Commercial Service Business Developers • Construction Project Managers Applicants must be experienced, highly motivated, organized, detail oriented, willing to work in a team environment, and have a 4-year industry specific degree or equivalent. We offer competitive wage and benefit packages commensurate with experience as well as opportunity for growth. Please submit resume, references and salary expectations to hr@premierservice.com or fax to 630.321.9540. Zenere Landscapes Landscape Superintendent Seeking an experienced Superintendent to setup and run multiple jobs. Responsibilities include scheduling multiple crews, materials and equipment on a daily basis. Bilingual a plus. Salary based on experience, year round employment. Maintenance Supervisor/Foreman Seeking a skilled individual to work as a Maintenance Supervisor. Responsibilities include running and scheduling multiple crews. Must have a valid spray applicator license and 3+ years experience. Bilingual a plus. Salary based on experience, year round employment. Please email your resume to: noelle@zenerecompanies.com or f ax:708-877-1502

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Classified Ads HELP WANTED

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JAMES MARTIN ASSOCIATES, INC.

King’s Landscaping, Co. is looking to hire dynamic, highly motivated individuals to our team. King’s has been a staple in the western suburbs since 1959. We are in need of a Landscape Design Professional, Outside Sales Professional and a Maintenance Supervisor. Both positions are salaried; pay will be commensurate with experience and education. All resumes submitted to: nking@kingslandscaping.com

Craig Bergmann Landscape Design, Inc is presently hiring professionals with a background in estimating and project-managing landscape projects. We are a prestigious predominantly residential design-build firm with a passion for creating unique gardens of various scales and complexity.

Commercial Maintenance Team Manager Do you have the ability to lead team efforts in sales management, budgeting, operations, and staff development? James Martin Associates is celebrating 37 years & continuing to grow! If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, read on... Primary responsibilities: contribute to and execute the annual sales plan. Develop, manage and review account managers, superintendents, and administrative staff. Lead weekly team meetings to plan, organize, and strategize. Develop annual budget & manage monthly performance of maintenance division. Manage assigned commercial accounts and assist in management responsibilities for snow plow sales and operations, including performing the duties of an area manager. Requirements: 10-15 years business experience, a track record of leadership & team development skills. Competent in Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook. CLT or CLP preferred. Good driving record. This position is a full time, salaried, exempt position. Expected hours during the landscape season requires flexibility to work between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm, including Saturdays. Potential work hours during the snow season include nighttime, weekends, and holidays. Salary and Benefits: we offer 401k, medical and dental benefits, PTO, paid holidays & profit sharing. Salary commensurate with experience. Visit our website at www.JamesMartinAssociates.com Please submit your cover letter and resume with salary history to b.mcelroy@jamesmartinassociates.com. Dig Right In Landscaping, Inc. focuses on sustainable landscape design, installation and maintenance. The company serves residential customers in the near-western suburbs. We are in a period of growth and are looking to fill numerous positions including but not limited to: Personal Gardener, Office Manager, Landscape Construction/Maintenance Technicians. Detailed job descriptions can be found on the Careers page of our web site at: www. digrightin.com/careers-pages-36.php

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Design Professional: The qualified candidate must be ambitious, possess a 4 year degree in landscape architecture or related field. They will need to help facilitate projects from concept to completion. Customer service skills are mandatory; CAD, computer skills, photo shop, sketch-up and 3-5 yrs. experience are required. Outside Sales: This individual must be extremely gregarious, with previous sales experience. Horticulture, landscape design, and/ or experience a plus. This individual must possess excellent customer service skills and be able to manage a project from start to finish. Maintenance Supervisor/Sales: This individual is required to have a spray operator’s license (or be willing to obtain one), horticulture background/Degree, and management experience. Candidate will supervise approx.30 employees, manage all daily activities of the maintenance crews, estimate/ sell new maintenance programs, and be the customers contact for all related issues.

Poul’s Landscaping & Nursery is a family owned and operated landscape and nursery firm located in Long Grove, Illinois. We are currently seeking a responsible, self-driven Summer Intern candidate who is looking to develop as a professional in the landscape industry. The position of Summer Intern has the potential to become a salaried position. Strong candidates should either be a recent graduate or currently enrolled in a Horticulture or Landscape Design/ Architecture program or related field at an accredited college or university. For job inquiries, please contact Jon Lee at (847)949-6667 or jon@pouls.com

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Successful candidates: will have at least 5 years of landscape construction experience; are well-organized, focused, team-players; possess outstanding communication skills; thrive in a fast-paced environment; pride themselves on high performance standards and work ethics; have relevant certifications; demonstrate outstanding horticultural knowledge for the Midwestern U.S.; are proficient in MS Office and standard project management and estimating software packages. Construction Coordinator/Estimator: Essential job functions will include: site analysis; budget creation; review and enforcement of job specifications; job sequencing; running project schedule. Project Manager: Essential job functions will include: review and enforcement of job specifications; project supervision of all related contractors; team coordination and communication. Please send a cover letter and resume to cbldjobsdep1@gmail.com.

HIRING MECHANICS AT RUSSO POWER EQUIPMENT Locations: Frankfort, Hainesville, Naperville & Schiller Park. We’re looking for Small Engine, Large Engine, Kubota & Diesel Mechanics to join our Service Departments. Responsibilities: Troubleshooting & diagnosing issues on customers equipment, creating estimates for equipment, & offering preventative maintenance suggestions. Experience Needed: Good mechanical aptitude, 2 cycle & 4 cycle engine repair experience & knowledge of how to safely use shop tools and equipment. Email resume to Jobs@RussoPower.com or call Andy Heath at (779) 333-7000 x7323 www.russopower.com

Classified Ads HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

D. Hill Nursery Co.

McADAM LANDSCAPING, INC.

**City Escape Career Opportunities**

Full-time In-house Sales/Customer Service • 40+ workweek. *Health Insurance. • Needs Woody Ornamental plant exp. & knowledge. • Organized independent self-starting team player. • Strong computer skills required. • Maintain / develop customer relationships. • Order entry and customer correspondence. • Excellent communication skills. Spanish a plus. • Respond by email PDF or MS Word file. • References / salary requirements with resume. No phone calls. Email: dennis@dhillnursery.com Complete job description at dhillnursery.com The Brickman & ValleyCrest Companies’ recent merger represents the next step for the $2 billion landscape services firm and its 22,000 employees in continuing to shape the industry. We have many career opportunities across both organizations and believe in working with the best and brightest to develop long and satisfying careers. Take pride in your career & join our team! Now hiring recent landscape industry graduates and experienced talent for: • Crew Members/Leaders • Supervisors • Operations Managers • Account Managers • Summer Interns Visit us at: www.brickman.com/careers and www.valleycrest.com/jobs to apply online.

*Maintenance Operations Manager* We are seeking an experienced Maintenance Operations Manager to join our team of professionals. Individual will be responsible for scheduling and managing residential and commercial maintenance crews. Estimating and job costing is also part of the responsibilities. Position will have winter responsibilities with our snow operations. Individual should have good organizational computer and leadership skills. Bilingual in both English and Spanish is a plus. *Residential Maintenance Account Manager* We are seeking a qualified individual for a Residential Maintenance Account Manager to join our team of professionals. Individual should be experienced in dealing with residential clients. Responsibilities include managing the residential maintenance portfolio, selling enhancements, creating proposals and expanding the client base. Individual should be highly motivated and one who can work effectively with team members. Good communication skills and computer skills are essential. *Maintenance Supervisor* Responsibilities include: Oversight of maintenance crews, quality control, safety, ability to perform estimates. Bilingual is a plus. 3-5 years of experience in the field. Valid driver’s license is required. Please send resume with salary history to rob@mcadamlandscape.com. CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES March 2015 issue ads: February 15, 2015 April 2015 issue ads: March 15, 2015 PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Magazine Cost is $5 per line Minimum charge $50 Optional Website Cost is $7 per line Minimum charge $70 (About 6 words/line) Call Alycia O’Connor (630) 472-2851 or use the online submission form located at www.ilca.net

PROJECT DIRECTOR The Project Director is responsible for the administration of landscape maintenance contract. This includes regular meetings with clients, creating work schedules, coordinating subcontractors, directing site supervisors, ensuring job quality and contract compliance, and keeping contracts within budget. The successful candidate will have strong organizational and communication skills. An Illinois pesticide applicators license or ability to obtain one is required. An ISA certified arborist preferred. A Bachelors degree in horticulture, landscape architecture or related field is required. Please send resume and cover letter to jobs@cityescape.biz. CREW LEADER The Crew Leader is responsible for leading the work crew. Under the direction of the Project Director, the Crew Leader is responsible for implementing required work in an efficient manner to meet or exceed contract requirements. This includes operating landscape equipment, tool inventory tracking and maintaining job site efficiency and quality control. The Crew Leader must be able to work outdoors in a variety of conditions and must be able to stand, bend and walk for long periods of time on a regular basis. The ability to lift 50 lbs or more is also required. Experience in landscape maintenance and construction and an Illinois pesticide operators license or ability to obtain one is required. The successful candidate will have strong communication and leadership skills. Proficiency in Spanish and an Illinois Drivers License is strongly preferred. Please send resume and cover letter to jobs@cityescape.biz.

HARDSCAPE SALES Illinois Brick Company, the leading distributor in the Midwest is seeking an experienced Hardscape sales person(s) to grow and manage our Hardscape Division in the greater Chicago land area. Requirements include experience in hardscape sales, self-motivated, and organized. We offer a competitive salary, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k). Please send resume with salary history andreferences to: hardscapesales@illinoisbrick.com.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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Classified Ads HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

*** OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE*** PLANTER’S PALETTE LANDSCAPING

YARD MANAGER

Landscape Supervisor Position FULL TIME• Positive Attitude • Landscape Construction and Management Experience • Excellent Customer Service • Supervisor/Leadership Experience • Eager to learn & grow within a company • Valid Drivers License (w/CDL preferred) Send Resumes to: David Tyznik at dtyznik@planterspalette.com

Laborer & Foreman -SEASONAL(multiple positions) • Positive Attitude • Desire to work outside in all weather conditions • Valid Drivers License (w/CDL preferred) • Experience installing residential landscapes • Experience maintaining residential landscapes • Eager to learn and grow within a company Visit:www.planterspalette.com/landscape for application form & send completed form to: Planter’s Palette Landscaping 28W571 Roosevelt Rd, Winfield, IL 60190

 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING also available on ILCA’s WEB SITE www.ilca.net Call for information (630) 472-2851 

130

Illinois Brick Company, leading distributor in the Midwest is seeking a Manager for our Naperville location who is well organized, self-motivated, and customer service oriented. Prior manager experience, product/installation knowledge, and computer skills are a plus. We offer a competitive salary, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k). Please send resume with salary history and references to: yardmanager55@illinoisbrick.com.

Suburban Landscaping Business Development/Sales We are looking for an outdoor sales person for commercial maintenance & snow plowing. Some knowledge of the maintenance/snow industry is required but strong outdoor sales experience is a must. A valid driving license with a clean record is required. Salary plus commission and benefits. Year round position. Training is available to the right candidate. Account Manager A degree in horticulture is preferred but not required. Clean driving record is required and bilingual is helpful. Friendly and helpful personality is a must. Salary is $65,000/yr plus benefits and bonuses. Please fax resume to: 708-756-1122 or call 708-799-6228.

CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES March 2015 issue ads: February 15, 2015 April 2015 issue ads: March 15, 2015 (About 6 words/line) Call Alycia O’Connor (630) 472-2851 or use the online submission form located at www.ilca.net

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

HELP WANTED Landscape Design/Sales The Barn Nursery is hiring in our Landscape Design Division. We are seeking experienced applicants for Landscape Design/Sales. The position will focus on high end consumer landscape design, sales and project management. This inspired leader will be able to work independently to create & sell unique, compelling designs for our customers, while managing site analysis, budget, design, and customer service. Please send a resume and project portfolio, if available, to Tom at LandscapeResume@gmail.com Learn more about us at: www.BarnNurseryLandscape.com. Also hiring Experienced Maintenance & Construction Crew Leader.

NATURE’S PERSPECTIVE LANDSCAPING -DESIGN ASSISTANTJoin our well-established design, build and maintenance company. For over 35 years, Nature’s Perspective has been providing landscape services to Chicago’s northern suburbs and Chicago’s north side. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. Candidate will assist in preparing landscape drawings and proposals for client presentations as well as coordinate multiple landscape projects. Candidate must be able to handle a wide range of responsibilities, have a good knowledge of plant and hardscape materials, demonstrate excellent computer skills including Dynascape, Google SketchUp and Google Picasa, be detail oriented, organized, self-motivated with good social skills. Please mail, or e-mail your resume to: NATURE’S PERSPECTIVE LANDSCAPING Attn: Paul Klitzkie 2000 Greenleaf St. Evanston, IL 60202 (847) 475-7917 E-mail: pklitzkie@naturesperspective.com Visit us at: www.naturesperspective.com

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Advertisers 1st Choice Equipment ...................................................................................88

Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nursery ..........................................................................................28

1st Farm Credit Services ...............................................................................114

Kaknes Landscape Supply ................................................................................30

A Block Marketing ...........................................................................................49

Kankakee Nursery ............................................................................................85

Agrecol..........................................................................................43

Kramer Tree .....................................................................................................44

Americ Inn ......................................................................................................115

Krukowski Stone ...........................................................................................112

Arthur Clesen, Inc. ...........................................................................................90

Kuenzi Turf & Nursery ....................................................................................96

Aspen Valley Landscape Supply ......................................................................29

Lafarge Fox River Stone ................................................................................121

Avant Techno USA ........................................................................................106

Longshadow Planters .......................................................................................17

Badger Evergreen Nursery ...........................................................................115

Lurvey Landscape Supply ...............................................................................99

Bartlett Tree Experts .......................................................................................121

Market Financial Group ..................................................................................97

Beaver Creek Nursery .....................................................................................46

Martin Implement Sales .................................................................................108

Blue Grass Farms .............................................................................................52

McGinty Bros. ................................................................................................110

Brickman Group/Valley Crest .......................................................................131

Midwest Groundcovers ...................................................................................48

Cardno ..........................................................................................................92

Midwest Salt ....................................................................................................19

Carlin Sales.....................................................................................................122

Midwest Trading .................................................................................................2

Cedar Path Nurseries .......................................................................................27

NGL Energy Partners LP ...............................................................................104

Central Sod Farms ..........................................................................................122

Northern Family Farms ...................................................................................122

Chicagoland Gardening .................................................................................114

Olsick Insurance ............................................................................................123

Conserv FS .......................................................................................................32

OGA .................................................................................................................45

Contree Sprayer & Equipment .........................................................................47

Palatine Oil Co. .............................................................................................111

Cornerstone Processing ..................................................................................112

Pizzo Native Plant Nursery ................................................................................91

Dayton Bag & Burlap .....................................................................................109

ProAp Fertilizer ...............................................................................................21

DeVroomen Garden Products ..........................................................................43

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Digi-Talk .......................................................................................................113

Reflections water, light, stone ....................................................................103

Doty Nurseries LLC .......................................................................................110

RentalMax ........................................................................................................51

Eden Stone .....................................................................................................101

Rocks Etc. ........................................................................................................34

Expande Tus Conocimientos ........................................................................125

Russo Power Equipment ................................................................................100

Fairview Evergreen Nurseries ..........................................................................39

RWC Insurance Group ..................................................................................120

Fiore Nusery and Landscape Supply ................................................................33

Sheridan Nurseries ............................................................................................93

Fleet Transmission Service ..............................................................................23

Spring Grove Nursery .....................................................................................123

Garden Prairie Organics ...................................................................................89

Stockyards Brick Co. ........................................................................................31

Goodmark Nurseries ........................................................................................95

The Care of Trees ..........................................................................................123

Green Glen Nursery ........................................................................................135

The Landscape Contractor magazine .............................................................132

Greg Pierceall .................................................................................................109

The Mulch Center ...........................................................................................111

B. Haney & Sons, Inc. ......................................................................................46

The Tree Connection ......................................................................................105

Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. ...................................................................................50

Tri-County Stockdale Co. of Joliet ................................................................107

Homer Industries, Inc. .......................................................................................13

Twixwood Nursery ..........................................................................................47

Husqvarna ........................................................................................................35

Unilock Chicago ........................................................................................136

Illinois Landscape Supply .................................................................................87

Vermeer Midwest ..........................................................................................3

IL Propane Gas Association .............................................................................42

Wilson Nurseries ..........................................................................................38

Ivanhoe Nursery ..............................................................................................113

Xylem, Inc. ...................................................................................................34

In the Field Design Tour ..................................................................................13

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

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When I first read about SunPatiens® five

years ago, I was skeptical. A full sun, vigorous impatiens that flowers all summer long? Even in the southern U.S.? It sounded too good to be true. Later that summer, I saw them at a trial garden in Michigan. They looked good, but were growing in filtered shade, and temperatures had been mild that summer. The next year we experienced a hot, dry summer, and they were impressive at every trial garden I went to. The year after that was hot, wet and humid, but they still looked fabulous everywhere I saw them. I had been convinced. SunPatiens are amazing! These unique plants do best when planted in well-drained soil and will thrive in a wide range of exposures, from full sun to filtered shade. SunPatiens take off quickly, doubling their size in just a matter of weeks and flourishing into a mass of color. A hybrid of New Guinea and wild impatiens, SunPatiens keep producing new buds and blooms no matter how high the temperature and humidity soars, and will continue to do so until a heavy frost. They are highly resistant to insects and disease, including impatiens downy mildew, making them a perfect option for shady areas that need a blast of color. It is important not to over fertilize SunPatiens. They are not heavy feeders. Too much fertilizer can decrease their flower production. Because they are so aggressive, you need fewer plants to fill your space, saving you time and labor at installation. The best part is that SunPatiens require little to no maintenance once established. There are three different SunPatiens series. Compact SunPatiens grow 16-32” tall, spread 14-24” wide and are available in 10 vibrant colors. This series works well in combination containers or mass displays, alone or with other annuals. I absolutely love how vibrant Compact Hot Coral is; it is fabulous all by itself or mixed with other annuals. The Spreading series grows 20-36” tall and spreads 24-36” wide. There are eight colors to choose from, two of which have a variegated leaf. Both variegated leaf varieties work well in full sun, but develop a unique shimmer when planted in shade. Finally, the Vigorous series grows 36-48” tall, spreads up to 36” wide and is available in four bold colors. Because of their upright, V-shape habit, this series is ideal if you have a really large bed you need to fill. When using SunPatiens in combination plantings, it is important to pair them with other aggressive annuals, such as Pennisetum Princess, Cleome Senorita Rosalita, Coleus Wasabi and Redhead, Zinnia Uproar Rose, Magilla Perilla, Salvia Wendy’s Wish and Whopper Begonias. Regardless of which series works best for your situation or if you plant them alone or with other annuals, SunPatiens will give you that nonstop, summer long WOW factor your customers are looking for. 134

Impatiens x hybrida SunPatiens®

Sheri Lundell Sales Executive Ron Clesen’s Ornamental Plants, Inc. As one of Ron Clesen’s daughters, Sheri Lundell earned her green industry stripes by working at RCOP from an early age. In fact, as soon as she could reach the top of the benches, she got her first assignments. She worked there part-time through high school and beyond, returning to the company 12 years ago in her current position.

The Landscape Contractor February 2015

Best Driveway Rose Landscape Design Best EnduraColor™ Plus Project Elemental Landscapes Best Outdoor Living JR’s Creative Landscaping

Best Permeable Project Lester’s Material Service

Best Before & After Jim Melka Landscaping

Best Front Entrance Joe & Tony Landscaping, LLC

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2014 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE WINNERS!

Unilock® Awards of Excellence is an annual photo contest showcasing the best installations with Unilock® products. In order to win, you have to submit. Talk to your local Unilock® Representative today about submitting for our 2015 Awards of Excellence contest. unilock.com