Plume poppies and purple joe pye weeds danced in the sunlight, surrounded by stems of herbstone, tussocks of canary and zebra grasses, and blooms of Russian sage and purple smokebush.
The 7-foot-tall wildflower arrangement, anchored in an antique milk jug, was created by Allen Reed, a horticultural instructor at Joliet Junior College. Reed talked animatedly with campus visitors who not only admired the bouquet, but who could also identify each of the prairie plants.
The 36th annual Summer Field Day, sponsored by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, was an opportunity for members to show off, and beauty and brains competed in equal measure. The trade show attracted more than 200 exhibitors and 2,000 visitors to JJC in early August, but the big buzz concerned the National Landscape Technician tests and the permanent certification site recently added to the southeast corner of the campus.
“(Offering) certification was a big step forward for us,” said Robert Busch, president of the state association and owner of R. Busch and Sons Landscape Contractors in Oak Forest. “Our members required more education. We’ve gone from wheelbarrows and rakes and shovels to $150,000 pieces of equipment.”
The trade show featured beautiful displays of plants, shrubs and trees interspersed with booths for cellular phones, computer software and financial planning. Contractors could check out the newest in hand tools, mowers, mulchers, trenchers, tractors, compactors and tub grinders, which can make mulch by the ton. Fertilizers, mulch mixes, rocks and paving stones, fencing and the latest in lawn ornaments were displayed in booths shaded by poplar and maple trees in the center of the campus.
The overall theme of the summer show was education.
“We are trying to develop national standards,” said Patricia Cassidy, executive director of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, which is headquartered in Lombard. In addition to its summer and winter trade shows, the group sponsors training in management, landscape design and sales; offers an awards programs for members; and provides scholarships for high school, college and graduate level students who are pursuing careers in the landscape industry.
Trade show visitors had a chance to visit the site of the Certified Landscape Technician exam, which is scheduled for this weekend. The 10-acre site was developed by the ILCA and Joliet Junior College’s department of agricultural and horticultural sciences in the summer of 1996. Landscapers, suppliers, college instructors and students worked weekends for three months to complete the site in time for the first certification test, which is held annually in September.
“We work with the landscape industry to provide educational programs for students and professionals,” said James Ethridge, chairman of the department. The agricultural/horticultural program is one of the oldest in the state at the community college level and is among the most popular career programs at the college, he said.
Ethridge, who also is on the board of the landscapers association, had recruited 50 student volunteers to work the trade show, providing tours of the college’s arboretum greenhouses — and handing out resumes to prospective employers visiting the JJC booth.
“People talk about school-to-work programs. We live it,” Ethridge said.
The content of the college program parallels certification requirements and, with the open space available, JJC offered to provide the testing site, Ethridge said. It looks anything but imposing–only a grassy field studded with wooden posts–but the development involved more than 100 association volunteers and 49 landscape suppliers to equip the 37 separate plots with water and electricity and to provide the necessary elements for the hands-on exam.
The test comprises both written and practical portions. Problems include reading landscape plans; identifying plants and soil types; recognizing plant sensitivities to weather, insects and soil conditions; and tree planting. Technicians are also tested on programming water controllers, finding and repairing broken water lines, grading and drainage, irrigation techniques, and the use and disposal of pesticides and fertilizers. In addition, test takers are judged on their ability to operate trucks, trailers and mowers.
Fifty-two landscapers took the test last year. “Only 13 percent passed,” Cassidy said, which is on par with the national average. She said the test is deliberately difficult because the state and national organizations want to send a message to the consumer: “We are professional, and we do things the right way,” Cassidy said.
Michael Busch, 29, son of ILCA president Robert Busch, was among the first-time test takers last year, and his certificate is proudly displayed in the landscape contractor’s office.
“It was a valuable experience,” he said. “It refreshed my memory, and the test makes you more aware of what you can do within your company and within the industry.”
Busch, a 1989 graduate of the agricultural/horticultural program at JJC, said the test covered much of the same material he studied in college. “But it was still a pretty hard test,” he said. “They now cover a lot of new things in the curriculum.”
The certification testing began with check-in at 6:15 a.m., and the last test was completed at about 6:30 p.m.
“The various tests ran from 15 minutes to an hour, and you had about five minutes in between tests,” Busch said. The process began with a written general standards test, with participants then focusing on either maintenance or installation certification tracks.
Busch, who was certified in installation procedures, passed tests such as identifying 50 plants and trees by common and scientific names; drawing up plans from an architectural blueprint; working from plans; computing drainage requirements; figuring and installing grading; estimating job costs; and safely backing up a loaded trailer.
“Everyone started with 100 points, and everything was timed,” Busch said. Points were deducted for wrong answers, for not completing a test within the time limit, and for any unsafe practices. Test takers had to stay above 70 points to pass a test; if a participant failed a specific test, certification was withheld until a makeup test was successfully completed. The makeup exams are offered at various ILCA trade shows and conventions throughout the year.
Landscaping is, well, a growing industry. Twenty-two million households used landscape professionals, including lawn and tree services, for $14 billion worth of home improvements in 1996, according to a Gallup survey commissioned by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, the Professional Lawn Care Association of America, and the American Association of Nurserymen.
The survey noted that Americans spend an average of $667 per household improving their outdoor living spaces, and, according to industry estimates, landscaping can increase a property’s value by 15 percent.
With more than 23 million households planning to use landscape professionals in 1997, the ILCA hopes to nab some of that business for its 800 members involved in commercial and residential landscaping. And that means setting standards and providing certification for member businesses, Cassidy said.
The industry attracts all types, from environmentalists to entrepreneurs. Cassidy said the membership includes many second- and third-generation family businesses, along with a variety of “weekend warriors.”
Most of the ILCA’s members hail from central and northern Illinois. “But it is hard to keep track of the total number of landscapers,” Cassidy said. “There are lots of small companies and part-timers.”
All the members have one thing in common, she added. “People who like plants are generally nice people.”
TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS
Now is the time to plan for the fall planting season and to prepare your landscape for the winter months. Here are some tips from the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association.
September
Remove unwanted plant material and debris from landscapes to eliminate wintering sites for insect pests.
Seed lawns by mid-September to take advantage of warm soil temperatures and cool nights.
Do not fertilize trees and shrubs during the fall. Fertilizing encourages new growth that may not be able to withstand winter.
Sow hardy annuals such as poppies, cornflowers and larkspur, which lay dormant until spring. Perennials also can be successfully divided and still have time to establish themselves before the ground freezes.
October
Continue to water landscape each week, especially if rainfall averages less than one inch per week. Conifer and broadleaf evergreens, as well as plants beginning to go dormant, need the water for healthier root systems.
Plant spring bulbs; water thoroughly and mulch after the ground freezes.
Mulch 3 to 5 inches deep around newly planted trees and shrubs; make sure the mulch extends from the plant’s base out as far as branches reach.
Fertilize your lawn after the first frost with a slow-release fertilizer. It will encourage root growth for a thicker lawn next spring.
Rake the leaves. Wet, heavy clumps of leaves prevent air and water from reaching grass, which leads to winter kill.
November
Construct physical barriers to protect evergreens that may be exposed to high concentrations of salt.
Spread gypsum on turf and planting areas adjacent to heavily salted roads; gypsum changes the chemical makeup of salt and helps make the soil more porous so the salt is leached away from the root systems.
HERE’S THE DIRT ON LANDSCAPE CHOICES
Landscaping is a home improvement project that literally pays for itself. Not only do homeowners expand their living space but, according to Money Magazine, they can also expect to recoup 100 to 200 percent of their landscaping costs when they sell their home.
So if you’re thinking of rearranging the natural areas of your property, the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association provides a free booklet, “Your Landscape Begins With a Dream,” that provides some guidelines to planning a landscape and choosing a contractor.
– Decide on the look. Have you always wanted a formal garden? Or do you prefer wildflowers? Do you want a patio, a pond or paths? Check out gardening books and magazines, visit garden centers or take a drive out to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. There are also a number of computer programs that will help you decide on the perfect look.
– Be practical. Is the style appropriate for your home? A look-but-don’t-touch landscape may not be practical for homeowners with children. Consider the family’s recreation needs when deciding on a landscape and whether the outdoor spaces will be used for entertaining. Other things to think about include privacy and screening, and maintenance requirements including irrigation and drainage.
– Make a budget. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and you shouldn’t look at your landscape and wish that it did. Costs depend on the complexity of the landscape and include light and water requirements, soil and drainage conditions, building materials, and, of course, the types of plants, shrubs and trees. For more expensive plans, consider having work done in stages over several seasons.
– Find the right professional. Get referrals and look for certification or membership in professional organizations. Select a contractor who is familiar with local regulations; many towns also require contractors to be licensed. Talk about your budget, and find out about work guarantees, insurance coverage, terms of payment and dates of completion. Get the details in writing.
For a copy of the free booklet, contact the ILCA at 630-932-8443.
