Speaking of wet weather, it’s sometimes a challenge to get things to grow. I do have some suggestions for you. Certain trees do really well in wet areas and are a great way to add to your landscape and help the environment. Fall is a great time to plant trees and now is an excellent time to start planning. I have listed a few of my favorites that I think might be worth your consideration when thinking about adding to your landscape. I have also noted the trees that do well in wet, poorly drained soil.

Arborvitae (Evergreen)
Emerald Green – Foliage is emerald green and it grows in a narrow, pyramidal
form. It grows to be approx. 20’ X 4’. Tolerates moist soils

Mission (Techny) – Foliage is a dark green and it grows in a broad, pyramidal
form. It grows to be approx. 12’ X 6’.

Nigra – Foliage is dark Green and it grows in a pyramidal form.
Appox. 12’ X 3-6’.

Birch (Deciduous)
River – Pyramidal & Oval in shape. Multi-Stemmed. Light Green Foliage in
summer. Yellow/Gold foliage in fall. Exfoliated tan/white bark.
Approx. 45’ – 30’. Tolerates wet/moist soils.

Whitespire – Pyramidal in shape. Multi-Stemmed. Dark Green foliage in
summer. Yellow foliage in fall. White Bark. Approx. 35’ X 25’.

Hawthorne (Deciduous)
Thornless Cockspur – Glossy, deep green foliage in summer. Orange/scarlet
foliage in fall. White flowers in spring followed by red fruit.
Approx. 20’ – 30’ X 20’-35’.

Maple (Deciduous)
Autumn Blaze – Bright Orange/Red fall foliage. Oval/Rounded growth habit.
Approx. 50’ X 40’. Tolerates moist soils.

Marmo – Orange/Red fall foliage. More of an upright oval growth habit.
Appox. 70’ X 40’. Tolerates moist soils.

Red Sunset – Glossy Dark Green foliage in summer. Brilliant Red/Orange fall
foliage. Upright/oval growth habit. Approx. 50’ X 40’. Tolerates moist
soils.

Superform Norway – Green foliage in summer. Yellow foliage in fall.
Upright/round growth habit. Approx. 45’ X 40’.

Pear (Non-Fruit Bearing) (Deciduous)
Chanticleer – Glossy green foliage in summer. Red/Orange to Purplish in fall.
White flowers in spring. Approx. 30’ X 15’. Tolerates moist soils.

Serviceberry (Deciduous)
Autumn Brilliance – White flowers in spring. Purple fruit. Yellow to Bright
Red fall color. Available in Tree form or Shrub (Multi-Stem Form).

Spruce (Evergreen)
Black Hills – Pyramidal Shaped with short Blue/Green foliage.
Approx. 30’ – 40’ X 25’.

Colorado Blue – Narrow-Broad pyramidal growth. Blue, prickly needles.
Approx. 30’ – 60’ X 20’.

Colorado Green – Narrow-Broad pyramidal growth. Green, prickly needles.
Approx. 30’ – 60’ X 20’.

Remember when planting a tree to dig the hole about 1.5 times the size of the root ball width and 1” – 2” shallow so that the ball of the tree creates a slight crown. When placing the tree in the hole, just set it in, larger trees may have to be rolled in. When rolling, take care not to loosen the root ball. Once it’s in the hole, stand back and take a look at it. Is it positioned the way you want it? If not, turn it until it is. Now is the time to take this step. If the root ball, has twine or string around it, cut it or loosen the string. It’s a good idea to back fill the hole with a topsoil/compost mix either by purchasing new topsoil and compost mixed or just adding compost to your existing soil or garden mix, all of which is available at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. A lot of people will come in to buy a 30 gallon container of it when they have planted 1 tree. You may want to consider sprinkling a little starter fertilizer around the tree at this point. Once the hole is back-filled, be sure to water the tree as it has been through a lot. Next, I would recommend placing approx. 2” of Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch around the tree. The mulch will help retain moisture and will help control the root zone temperature. An added benefit of installing the mulch is that it will break down over time and create an almost compost-like soil around your tree which will aid in getting nutrition to the tree. Finally, cut off the tags, sit back and watch it grow.

If you need more information or would like a quote from A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. please contact us at www.agvangundy.com or call us at (630) 295-8190.

Reference Material used: N.C. State University
Wilson Nursery
Dirr, Michael, J; Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses

For construction projects, like patios, a good base is CA6—Grade 8, sometimes called driveway stone or crushed limestone. Grade 8 is a fractured stone with fine particles that lock together. After slightly moistening this gravel, it compacts tightly together making it a perfect choice for a base for concrete patios, driveways and walkways, for brick paving and retaining wall base. The particles are approx. ¾” in size down to dust. This is also helpful in laboring because the shovels go into the piles or can move the Grade 8 relatively easily.

At the quarry, this material is also screening separately into Limestone Screenings (Fines) and ¾” Washed or CA-7. The CA-7 is ¾ of an inch in size and is a good gravel to use in drainage or wet situations as water can pass through it and the fractured edges can lock together and still provide support for structures or vehicles. CA-7 is a good choice for under a shed in wetter areas or as a base when vehicles will be driving on it or parked on it.

Limestone Screenings make great pathways and bike trails. If you travel down the Illinois Prairie path, you’ve traveled on Limestone Screenings. The finer size is easy to smooth out. In wet areas; however, this material can change into ether a wet cement-like or a mashed potato-like consistency and may need heavier or larger rock added. In the past, many people and contractors alike used Limestone Screenings as a base for brick patios or walkways. Personally, I don’t suggest that application. My recommendation is to use 4” – 6” of compacted Grade 8 for pedestrian areas and 6” – 12” of compacted Grade 8 for vehicular areas with a 1” layer of bedding Torpedo Sand atop the compacted gravel.

There are several styles of Drainage Rock which often double as Decorative Stone. 1.5” Washed Rounds, ¾” Washed Rounds, and Pea Gravel are the most common of this type of stone. All of these stones have several uses, in addition to their outstanding drainage use; these types make excellent dog runs. Pea gravel can be used for pathways and like the ¾” Washed Rounds make an excellent ground cover below decks. This is also the very best stone to use in French Drains. The 1.5” Washed Rounds is an excellent alternative to Decorative Stone.

There are so many sizes, styles, and colors of Decorative Stone that it would be impossible to list them all or even cover the stone we sell here at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. in this blog. Our personal favorites here; however, are American Heritage, Meremac, Lava Stone, White Marble, Western Sunset, and Tiffany Pink. Each of these stones has a uniqueness that helps solve most landscape situations in their own right. Some stone, like American Heritage, are heavy and round which works well during fall leaf removals where strong blowers are used to remove leaves and the stone stays because it is heavy. Where color is the determining factor, Lava, Western Sunset, or Marble are popular choices. We highly recommend that you view the Decorative Stone in person, prior to purchasing it.

We also recommend that if you have any doubts about what type of stone or gravel to use in your project, talk to a professional. Here at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. we love to talk to our customers. We want to ensure that you get the right stone that you can drain through, build on, or highlight your landscape, to give you that unique look that sets your property apart from everyone else’s.

To prepare for planting the Annuals, I suggest tilling in an inch or two of compost into the planting bed to create a planting soil depth a minimum of about 4 inches. If the existing topsoil in your planting area is a very thin layer, then be careful not to till the compost in too deep as you don’t want to mix in or bring up the clay soil just beneath the topsoil. A good idea, if you have little topsoil and if time allows, is to scrape any available topsoil off and remove some of the clay soil and add a good Garden Mix to the bed and then till in your topsoil. Here at A.G. Landscape Materials, we sell a pre-mixed (at the pulverizer) Garden Mix which consists of 1 part Topsoil, 1 part Compost, 1 part Torpedo Sand. In our experience this combination has worked really well; however there are many different schools of thought as to just the right combination, all of which have there good points. So, we also have the capability of customizing the mix that you believe will work for you. As a matter of fact, we just delivered to one of the local Minor League Baseball teams in the Chicago area a mix that they felt would work for them.

I wish you good luck with your Annuals and hope you have a colorful spring!!

When trying to fill a deep void (over 10”) i.e. a swimming pool or larger build ups, fill dirt may be used. The “fill dirt” from A.G. Landscape Materials is a product developed from the removals of soil, sod, and land from our customers’ projects. There can be almost anything in it (including, but not limited to, soil, clay, decomposed sod, and some stone), but it is predominately soil. This material usually needs a top covering of pulverized topsoil to first be able to smooth out the top layer and then to have something better to grow into. A real plus for using fill dirt in these applications is that it is inexpensive and a heavier soil. The drawbacks are that it can be difficult with machinery to place and work with.

Rough vs. Pulverized Topsoil: First off, we at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. do not carry rough or un-pulverized topsoil. We can have it direct shipped, but like fill dirt you may need a machine or Bobcat to spread it. We prefer to sell pulverized topsoil. Pulverized topsoil is mainly a soil that is removed from farm fields and brought by truck to our location and then reloaded on trucks and sent to homes throughout the Chicago- land area. I discussed “What is Topsoil?” in a blog back on April 1st, 2010. Pulverized topsoil is relatively easy to work with and rake out since most particles are less than ¾” to 1” at most. It is also easy to plant grass seed or other plants into and can be used in either deep applications or thin applications. A con to topsoil may be that the particles can “melt” together and in deeper applications settling may occur if it was not compacted.

Garden Mix is a blend of pulverized topsoil, compost and sand. It is best to use when establishing a new garden or when adding to a garden. I have seen people use this material for lawn seeding application due to its finer granulars, drainage capabilities and being more fertile due to its compost. Although it costs more, since it is premixed, it simplifies the process. You can also plant right into it.

The compost sold at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. is developed from a mix of organic materials and turned over and over until it becomes compost. It does not contain manure, and I feel it is easier to work with. It is best when tilled into the soil and can be used with new or existing gardens and flower beds. It also helps loosen clayish soils. Ground covers love this product. I suggest compost on most of our landscape planting projects. A con to this product is that it is light and thus has no weight carrying capabilities and may be more susceptible to wash out in extreme conditions. You should also not plant directly into only compost. It can dry out faster and the solidity of topsoil is helpful.

Most of these materials have other uses than those we discussed here. For your needs, you can e-mail or call us at (630) 295-8190 and we’ll be happy to assist you and hopefully get the right material to you so you can do your job right.

In determining which mulch is best for you, you should first decide on your goals and what stage your flower garden or planting beds are in. You should also consider how much foot traffic, if any, the mulched area will get. Another consideration is if water must flow over the area and at what rate. Are you trying to achieve a certain look using color? Are you trying to create a fertile bed and retain moisture as well as regulate a consistent soil temperature?

If your primary goal is developing a fertile planting bed, it’s my preference to use Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch. It’s the mulch we at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. install in 90% of our job sites. This mulch is predominately made from the bark of hardwood trees; it breaks down over a relatively short period of time which in turn helps the soil stay looser. In our opinion, Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch also retains water better which should reduce on your watering needs. This mulch is more fine, a beautiful darker brown color and some say has a fresh compost-like aroma.

If you have a fairly established planting area and you’re focusing on color, Dyed Mulch may be an option for you. A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. carries 2 different dyed mulches. We have dyed red mulch and dyed brown mulch. This mulch is made from recycled wood scraps, such as pallets, lumber… and dyed with a vegetable dye. Heavy duty magnets remove any metals that may be in the wood prior to processing. It’s considered to be a very ecologically sound mulch. The color lasts approx. 2 years; however the color will begin to fade within the 1st year. The dyed mulch is good at retaining moisture within the soil and doesn’t break down like the Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch, so it doesn’t aerate the soil as well. But, the overall look of the dyed mulch is excellent and it normally will last longer than the Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch.

Cedar Mulch is yet another option available to you from A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. We carry Western Red Cedar Mulch. This is an aromatic mulch (after all it is cedar) and is a beautiful blondish mulch with a little red hue in it. Some say it resembles the inside of a cedar chest. This type of mulch doesn’t break down as fast as the Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch, it will last about 2 years although the color will fade to gray over time. Cedar mulch is also considered to be fairly bug resistant/retardant, meaning that many of the “creepy crawly” bugs don’t like the cedar aroma and may stay away. Western Red Cedar Mulch is an excellent choice for aroma, aesthetic, and moisture retaining. The two biggest deterrents are that Western Red Cedar Mulch is a light mulch, so if the planting bed does have a lot of water flow through it, the mulch may have a tendency to float or move. The other deterrent is the cost, it is the most expensive mulch sold at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. however, a lot of people believe that the benefits outweigh the deterrents because of the value over the cost as the Western Red Cedar Mulch will last longer.

New to A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. is the availability of Double Ground Hardwood Mulch. This is a fairly inexpensive mulch that is growing in popularity. It consists of tree grindings that have been shredded to a mulch consistency. It’s not as fine as the Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch and the color is not normally as dark or rich; however, it’s an excellent mulch to use for retaining moisture. It does breakdown fairly quickly, therefore, it does aerate the soil, although it doesn’t seem to contain a lot of the nutrients found in Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch. Overall, it is a good, economical way to go when mulching your beds.

Finally, sold at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. is Playground Mulch. The Playground Mulch consists of wood fiber that is shredded. It has been tested for Shock Absorbing Properties in accordance with the procedures outlined in ASTM-F-1292-99 and is used in many public playground areas. It is not normally used in planting areas.

One of the biggest questions we get is how mulch do I need? A good, simple rule of thumb is that 1 cubic yard of mulch will cover approximately 100 – 125 sq. ft. @ a 2” depth. The other popular question is how does buying in bulk compare to buying in bags? Most bags are sold in 2 cubic foot bags. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard; mathematically it should be 13 – 14 bags would equal 1 cubic yard; however due to settling of the mulch in the bags and the fact the bags are many times not completely full, it’s virtually impossible to say with any degree of certainty how many bags it actually takes. When you buy in bulk, you also don’t have the garbage of the bags to deal with (another ecological, green reason to buy in bulk). You also see exactly what you are getting when you see the pile dumped. Another question is how much room will the mulch take up on my driveway? A good visual is that of a standard size bath tub. So, if you order 3 yards of mulch, picture 3 bathtubs on your driveway, but remember it is dumped in a pile, so it’s not like 3 bathtubs next to each other.

Your final option when it comes to mulch is to have a landscape company, such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. install the mulch for you. We can install the mulch as part of an over-all spring/fall clean up or we’re more than happy to send a crew to do just the mulching.

As always, if you have any other questions regarding mulch, please contact A.G. Landscape Materials at (630) 295-8190 or you can e-mail us through our website at www.agvangundy.com.

Finally, mulch is an excellent product both horticulturally and aesthetically. It promotes healthy, sustainable plants and provides your planting beds with that finished look.

1. Is the contractor insured?
2. How long has the contractor been in business?
3. Are their crews someone you can communicate with?
4. Will they supply you with references?
5. What type of warranty do they offer?

Getting the answers to these questions should help you narrow your choices to 2 or 3. Hopefully, A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. is one of those companies. Each company has its own sales process, especially when it comes to construction sales. The following is our process:

You should first call our office at (630) 295-8190 or complete a quote form that can be found on our website at www.agvangundy.com to schedule an appointment with one of our sales representatives. If one of the reps is not available at the time of your call, our office staff will get some general information from you and pass it along to the rep. The sales rep should call you back within a day or so to schedule an appointment.

Before he/she comes to your site, you will need to consider a few things. You will need to decide what you are comfortable spending on this project (a budget) and convey that to the sales rep. You may want to take a look at the photo gallery at www.agvangundy.com for some ideas. The sales rep will also have ideas for you. It would also be beneficial to have your plat of survey available. This will assist in the design process as it pertains to the permit application process.

Once the sales rep arrives at your site, he/she will want to talk with you about the goals of your project, a little bit about your lifestyle, and any ideas you may have. He/she will also want to look at the area so that they can begin forming ideas. He/she will probably take some measurements & in some cases some pictures of the area. The sales rep may give you a very rough estimate at that time.

Back at the office a design/sketch will be created and a materials list put together. Once this is completed, the rep will contact you for a 2nd meeting to go over the details of the design and in most cases show you the samples of the material to be used on your project. If you love the design and the price is right you will be asked to sign a contract and for a deposit to hold your price and get you on the schedule board. If the concept is not as you envisioned or you’re not quite sure of the materials suggested, now would be the time to discuss that. Your rep will be more than happy to discuss changes and other options. If the price is not one you are comfortable with, the rep will try to help you figure out a way to achieve your project. One option may be doing the project in phases; another option may be using a less expensive material, yet another may be changing the pattern. One option that should never be considered is compromising the quality of the actual construction process.

Once your deposit is received and a contract signed, your job goes on the schedule board for installation. We will give you an estimated date for installation. Unfortunately, an exact date cannot be given because so much of our work is dependent upon weather conditions and jobs being installed in front of yours.

Next on the agenda would be applying for and procuring the permit. Permits for construction projects, i.e. patios, driveways… are usually required by the town/village/county in which the job is being performed. Because of the technical knowledge that may be needed, this is something that we here at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. will be happy to take care of for you. Most towns/villages/counties do require a plat of survey with any outbuildings and/or improvements located on the plat. Once we receive your plat of survey from you, we’ll submit the paperwork and continue to be the liaison between you and the governing bodies. The permit fee and any necessary bonds will be your responsibility to pay. That fee will usually be added to either your start up payment or your final payment.

Once your installation date is near, we’ll contact JULIE to mark the underground utilities on your property. You should note that JULIE does not mark any wiring that you have installed, i.e. invisible dog fence lines, low voltage wiring, gas lines to swimming pools or grills… In theses cases you will want to mark them yourself or at the very least, make sure that your sales rep is aware of these, as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. cannot be responsible for these lines.

We will usually call you a day or two prior to the day we will be at your site to start your job. Your “start up payment” is usually due once our crews arrive to begin work.

Any inspections due, per your permit, will be arranged by us.

When the work is completed, the sales rep or the crew foreman will walk you through your job and go over the warranty again and answer any questions you may have. Your final payment will be due at that time. But, please don’t think that this should end our business relationship. We are here to answer any questions that may come up or assist you with any other projects you may want to install.

Finally, any home improvement project can be a daunting experience, but at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, we try to take some of the nerves and turn them into excitement.

1. Is the contractor insured?
2. How long has the contractor been in business?
3. Are their crews someone you can communicate with?
4. Will they supply you with references?
5. What type of warranty do they offer?

Once you’ve narrowed your choices to 2 or 3 (I wouldn’t recommend more than that, it starts getting confusing), you will want them to come to your residence/project site to go over the project you’re contemplating. Hopefully, you have chosen A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. to be one of those two or three. Each company has their own sales process, but this is ours (and it seems to have worked fairly well for nearly 30 years).

First you need to call or e-mail the office to schedule an appointment. If a sales representative is not readily available at the time of your call, our efficient office staff will get some general information from you and pass it along to the sales rep. The rep should call you back within a day or so to schedule the appointment.

Before he/she comes to your site, you will want to consider a few things, like budget. You will want to convey to our rep what you are comfortable spending. You may want a $50,000.00 landscape, but you have $10,000.00 available. Keep in mind that this is not a huge problem. You may need to install your project in stages. We’ll discuss this a little later in this blog. You may also want to look around your neighborhood or at other homes; do you see any plantings that you absolutely love or hate? Our rep will want to know that also. Do you have a preference of colors? Do you love pink? Do you have reds? Finally, think about how much time you want to spend maintaining the newly installed landscape. Do you want it installed and virtually forget about it? Do you like tweaking things throughout the season? You may also need a copy of your plat of survey for the initial meeting.

Once our rep arrives, he/she will want to look at the area(s) to be landscaped. They’ll want to know the answers to the above questions and probably other information to help them customize the design to your taste/personality/lifestyle. Sometimes, especially if the project is not complicated, the rep will be able to sketch something on site and present you with the estimate. Other times, the rep will bring back the dimensions and notes and prepare a scaled design. There is usually a fee involved with the preparation of a design; however, the rep will certainly go over this with you at the meeting. Once the design is completed, the rep will contact you for a 2nd meeting to go over the details of the design. This meeting usually takes place at our office although not always. The rep will go over the overall concept of the design, basic colors included and bloom time. The rep will also go over the cost and our contract terms. If you love the design and the price is right, you’ll be asked to sign a contract and for a deposit to hold your price and get you on the schedule board. If you love the design, but the price is a little of your budget for now, the rep will be more than happy to discuss with you the options that would be available. For instance, you may decide to do the project in stages, our rep can help you prioritize which should be done first, or you may decide to install portions of the landscape yourself. Whatever you decide, we want to make sure that you’re happy and comfortable with the decisions.

Once your deposit is received and the contract is signed, your job goes on the schedule board for installation. We will give you an estimated date for installation. Your actual installation date is not something that can always be guaranteed because our work is very dependent on weather conditions and jobs that are being installed in front of yours.

If a permit is required, we can take care of that for you in most cases. We may need additional information from you and you will be responsible to pay the permit fees and/or bonds that may be required by the village and/or county. But, we’ll be happy to submit the paperwork, pick up the permit and be the liaison to the governing bodies.

Once your installation date is near, we will contact JULIE to mark the underground utilities at your site. Please note, that JULIE does not mark wiring that you have installed, i.e. invisible dog fence lines, low voltage lighting wiring… In these cases, you may want to mark them yourself or at the very least make sure that your sales rep is aware of these.

We will usually call you a day or two prior to the day we will be at your site to start your job. Your “start up” payment is usually due once our crews arrive to begin work.

When the work is completed, the sales rep or the crew foreman will walk you through the job, go over the watering instructions, the warranty again and answer any questions you may have. It is then that the final payment is due. But, don’t think that just because you make your final payment our relationship has to be over. We’re here to answer questions that may come up or assist you with other projects you may want to install.

Finally, deciding to do any home improvement with a contractor can be nerve racking, but at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. we try to take some of the nerves and turn them into excitement.

We received a request for a quote for landscaping work to be done in Roselle. The work is for a brick patio and some minor landscaping. Because we know that the work will be performed in Roselle, we already know of a couple things that will need to be accomplished before the work can begin. For instance, sometimes, it’s a good idea to have your underground utilities marked prior to beginning the design stage of the project. It’s best to know ahead of time if there is any underground wiring that will be affected by the project. We do know that this work will involve procuring a permit from the Village of Roselle. We also know that we, the contractor, will need a contractor’s license to work in Roselle. These are a few factors that can cause kinks in the flow of the work progression; however, if known about prior to beginning the job, these are things that can be taken care of without causing a problem. Once the design is completed and agreed upon by the contractor and our client, the plan will need to be submitted to the village for their approval and receipt of the permit. Most villages, including Roselle, require a scaled drawing and a plat of survey with any out buildings and/or structures drawn on the plat.

We have also received a quote request for drain tile work to be done in Schaumburg. Schaumburg is one of only a few villages that we know of that require a permit for drain tile work. Therefore, plans will need to be submitted to the Village and a permit obtained prior to this type of work beginning. Contractors will also need a contractor’s license to perform the job in Schaumburg.

Different towns, villages, townships, counties have different requirements. That’s another reason now is a great time to start planning. Now is the time to educate yourself about the permit process in your town. Don’t take for granted that just because you have an Addison or a Roselle mailing address that all you need is a permit from that town. You may actually be under the jurisdiction of the township or county (i.e., Addition Township, Milton Township, DuPage County…). Check with your contractor, if he doesn’t know then check for yourself.

Sometimes it can take a while to get the requirements necessary to perform your work and I can tell you from experience, it’s a lot easier and much smoother when you can give the village and the contractor a little bit of time to work together to ensure that the proper paperwork has been submitted.

Finally, planning now will undoubtedly result in a less stressful process for everyone involved, including yourself, your contractor & your governing bodies. So, now is the time to do some homework and get your dreams working to become your realities.

Now that you have some thoughts & maybe some ideas, it’s time to do some investigating and educating.

You may need to educate yourself on plants that will work in your growing zone and on plants that can conform to your existing outdoor living space. Maybe you have a shady area that tends to be difficult to grow anything in or vice-versa a very sunny area that gets extremely hot during the summer days. But where do you start? A great starting place is on the internet. There are countless number of sites and forums. Other great sources are seminars, home improvement shows, your local newspaper and your library. Seminars are often held by the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, local gardening clubs, and the Chicago Botanical Gardens – you can contact anyone of those sources for schedules and topics. Home Improvement Shows are in abundance in the Chicago area, especially during the winter and early spring months, may you can attend one or two of these and pick up some literature. A lot of newspapers will have whole sections dedicated to Homes & Gardening. There’s also your local public library. Although the library seems to be a dying entity, it’s really a great source of information gathering. You can usually fine virtually everything there, from hard copy books to periodicals to internet access to local news regarding local happenings such as seminars. Finally, for those of you who want to invest a little more, most community colleges offer introductory to advanced horticultural classes, seminars and symposiums.

Once you’ve done your investigating and maybe some educating, some of you may decide you need additional help or you just don’t have the time and/or patience to incorporate your new found knowledge yourself – you may want to work with a professional landscape company, such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. We love working with informed, educated clients; however, we also relish the opportunity to work with and inform clients new to the landscaping world.

Homeowners and clients aren’t the only ones needing seminars and education. We use this time of year for training, seminars and trade shows. This month we’ll be attending the largest Midwest Horticultural Show in Chicago (Mid-Am). There, we’re looking forward to seeing the latest in equipment, new growers, new materials and of course being reintroduced and reminded of some of the standards we’ve already been accustomed to. At the end of the month, a couple of us will be attending a computer class to brush up on some of old skills and hopefully learn some new applications. February will find us at another trade show and a seminar specifically geared toward Perennials. Our crews will more than likely be attending a safety class, a pruning workshop and updating licenses. Personally, one of my goals for this off season is to learn more about flagstone and topsoils.

Don’t forget that January and February are great times to do your dormant pruning. If you haven’t done so yourself and aren’t planning on doing it yourself, please contact us at www.agvangundy.com or call us at (630) 295-8190 and we’ll be happy to help you.

Spring and warmer weather are only a couple of months away. Soon it will be March and usually the snow has melted a few times, so you can get out and assess your landscape. Get your training in now, stay excited and work toward a goal.

LET’S THINK SPRING!