The rainwater storage system will significantly reduce the amount of potable tap water we use to keep our plants healthy and happy here at Nature’s Perspective. It will also reduce our ecological footprint by capturing fresh water that nature intended for plants and using it for that purpose rather than letting it run off down the drain. The initial phase of the excavation and installation of the two tanks are complete. As we near the completion of this project we are finalizing plumbing the downspouts into the appropriate locations and plumbing the drip irrigation system. This weekend’s rain will be the first test of the new system. We are grateful to Lake Street Supply of Chicago for their generous help and collaboration on this project, as well as supplying us with the Graf System. Stay tuned for future blogs about our system.

A witch hazel in Evanston celebrating an early spring.

The official first day of spring is March 20, but it already feels like spring and it’s even beginning to look like spring. Buds are swelling, bulbs are poking up through the earth. Look around and you’ll see some things that are already in in full bloom. A shrub already in full bloom with bright yellow flowers is the Vernal Witch Hazel. Typically, this is the earliest woody plant to bloom in our area. Its name comes from the fact that it usually blooms around the Vernal Equinox (March 22).

Spring cheerleaders Snowdrops and Winter Aconite are usually seen against a backdrop of snow.

Everything seems to be starting earlier this year. Snowdrops and Winter Aconite are two small bulbs that are in full bloom. Even Crocus are beginning to show their colorful tips. These early harbingers of spring naturalize readily and bring a bright spot to the early spring garden. Look up at big trees and you will notice the buds swelling and even some flowers starting on Red and Silver Maples. Willows are beginning to green. The Magnolia’s fuzzy buds are getting bigger.

Male Red Maples are sending flowers ahead of schedule.

Spring is here or at least it’s close… it was a pretty easy winter, as far as Chicago winters go. Many people are wondering what this mild winter weather means… in our expert opinion, we think it was an easy winter and it feels like an early spring! Get out and ENJOY.

The homeowners of this property discovered a diamond in the rough when they first laid eyes on this traditional Georgian home on a large Evanston lot. After completing renovations indoors, it was time to reclaim their space outdoors. With imagination and the right vision from the beginning, they knew they could create a beautiful outdoor setting. 

The site itself felt exposed, as the home sits on a corner lot, has many windows, and had no surrounding landscaping. Other challenges on-site were major drainage issues and areas of dense shade and full sun. A large depression was filled and re-graded to allow for proper drainage. The existing attached garage was converted into an office, and a new, detached garage was built.

They wanted both open lawn and a private space, so we created separate garden rooms. The house called for a formal landscape, but an English style garden was desired. To accomplish both, we designed a garden with both formal and informal areas by creating private getaways and open lawn. The formal lines of the house and strong east-west axis helped to form many of our design elements.

Hardscape materials we chose to compliment the existing house materials include Boral Heartland Flashed clay pavers for the sidewalks and Indiana limestone for the stoop treads. In the private garden, a sidewalk leads to a curved patio dining area underneath one of several mature trees.

As for the landscape, a formal hedge of evergreen yews hugs the outline of the house. Curved beds of pachysandra and hostas soften the strong architecture of the house.  A six-foot tall yew hedge screens a portion of the yard to create the private English garden retreat. The axis of the house created the perfect home to place the armillary, a garden viewable from the office window. Wooden lattice panels against the new garage support flowering vines, completing the lush garden setting.

Nature’s Perspective Landscaping has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the businesses rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service and health providers.

“After years of hard work, dedication and attention to quality from each and every one of our employees, we are honored to earn this award,” stated Tom Klitzkie, President and CEO. “Customer satisfaction is very important to us and we are thankful for our customers’ business and their positive comments.”

“Only a fraction of the businesses rated on Angie’s List can claim the sterling service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “The fact that Nature’s Perspective Landscaping can claim Super Service Award status speaks volumes about its dedication to consumers.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their clients and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2011 Super Service Award logo next to Nature’s Perspective Landscaping in search results on AngiesList.com.

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Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 2 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Take a quick tour of Angie’s List and view the latest Angie’s List news.

The owners of this charming vintage home, nestled in the heart of Evanston, love nature, gardening and entertaining. As volunteers at the Chicago Botanical Garden, they bring their efforts home to beautify their yard and attract birds and butterflies. But they were running out of room for their many plant additions, and also lacked an outdoor setting in which to relax and entertain.

To create more gardening space, we removed the lawn and converted most of it into beds. In order to “bring the party to the garden”, we added hardscaping. A curved bluestone path welcomes guests. A curved raised planter, built of the owners’ reclaimed street pavers and topped with rockfaced bluestone coping, sits along the path, near the back door. The planter brings herbs closer to the kitchen, at arm’s reach, and also doubles as seating. Stepstones off the path lead to a round bluestone patio in a location that surrounds guests with lush greenery, a perfect setting for bookworms and social butterflies alike.

With a colorful array of edible and ornamental plants, a bird bath and bird feeder, the garden provides food, water, cover and places for wildlife to raise their young, and was recently designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation*.

*For more information on certifying your garden, please visit http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Outdoor-Activities/Garden-for-Wildlife.aspx

Weather forecasters predict a cold and snowy winter, and as our first substantial snowfall arrives, so do the dangers of icy, slippery surfaces on stoops, steps, walkways and drives.

To melt ice and improve traction on surfaces, Sodium Chloride (commonly known as rock salt) is readily available and inexpensive. It is also the most harmful de-icer we could use. Plants can be damaged from sodium chloride, evergreens are burned, grass is killed along the edges of paved surfaces, it causes mortar to fail and concrete to develop pockmarks. It also causes serious pollution to our waterways.

Only 2.5 percent of all the water on the planet is fresh water (not saltwater). Of that, less than 1 percent is available to us… the majority of the earth’s fresh water is frozen in the glaciers. Here in the Chicago area, we are blessed not only with Lake Michigan, but many other small lakes and almost countless streams and rivers. Unfortunately, these bodies of water are rapidly becoming damaged by the large amounts of salt that run off our roads and walks.

We recommend using Calcium Chloride rather than the less expensive Sodium Chloride. Although calcium chloride is still a salt, it is the least damaging choice to plants, animals, paving and the environment. It costs more but the environmental benefits should outweigh that. It is also effective at much lower temperatures than rock salt, continuing to work at 5 degrees Farenheit. The latest trend in large scale ice and snow removal is combining the calcium chloride with an organic liquid such as beet juice! Beet juice reduces the amount of salt that is used and makes the salt that is used more effective.

Salt melts ice when it is in liquid or brine state… it does not work when it is dry. It needs to mingle with the moisture on the ground and become a liquid, and then it starts the melting process. This chemical reaction takes time, but if the salt is pre-wet with an organic liquid such as beet juice, it instantly starts working. Wetting the salt also reduces it from bouncing around when it hits the pavement, and so it stays where it should rather than going on to the lawn or planting beds. The salt is also diluted it so it is less damaging to plants and animals. This amazingly simple solution reduces salt usage by 30%.

Perhaps your municipality is already using this method; if so, give them a call and say “Thank You” for being so forward-thinking and conscientious. If not, suggest they consider it.

We wish you health and happiness this holiday season. We value our customer relationships and say Thank You for your business. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the coming year. Happy Holidays from all of us here at Nature’s Perspective.

What do we do all winter? That is a question we are often asked. Nature’s Perspective does not do snow removal…we use a subcontractor. So what exactly do we do all winter?

• We renew our spirits and prepare for the New Year ahead.
• We take a close look at how the season went and look for areas to improve.
• We take a vacation; the office is closed for two weeks over the holidays.
• We analyze how we worked and how we could work more effectively and efficiently.
• We sleep a little later and go home a little earlier.
• We design projects for clients that are thinking ahead.
• We work 4 days a week rather than 6.
• We develop our marketing strategies.
• We attend seminars and trade shows.

Before you know it March arrives and spring is not far behind and it’s back to the races!

We are dedicating this issue of Nature’s Notes to Ash trees as they put on their season-ending show. It is always important to take time to enjoy our surroundings, but with the Ash tree, it’s especially the case. The Green Ash has a clear bright yellow fall color, and the White Ash exhibits one of the best purple/maroon fall colors with highlights of yellow. When they are at their peak color, they look like they are glowing inside. Absolutely beautiful and fleeting. 

Some of us are lucky enough to have seen American Elms when they arched gracefully over entire streets, making a perfect tunnel of foliage; most of us have only heard stories. Dutch Elm disease became prevalent, and Elms quickly disappeared. Now, the Ash is going the way of the American Elm and soon may be a rare sight in our yards.  Ash trees are dying due to the Emerald Ash Borer, but steps can be taken to protect them.

The following useful information is from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. If you are lucky enough to have a healthy Ash tree, take care of it. Protective injections are effective and can be done by a certified arborist. Water, fertilize and mulch as needed. Such beautiful trees are worthy of preserving for future generations to enjoy.

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Emerald Ash Borer

The emerald ash borer, (Agrilus planipennis tairmaire) is a small (1/2 inch long, 1/8 inch wide) metallic green beetle native to Asia. While it was first found in Michigan in 2002, it is likely that the beetle population had been established quite a few years before discovery. Discovered in Kane County Illinois in 2006, the beetles’ presence has since been found in Boone, Bureau, Champaign, Cook, DeKaIb, DuPage, Grundy, Iroquois, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry, McLean, Ogle, Will and Winnebago counties. EAB’s natural spread is moderate, but its artificial spread can be rapid by people unwittingly transporting this pest through infested firewood and landscape waste. Artificial movement of infested trees has exacerbated the EAB problem in Illinois and North America. To protect our ash trees, it is our responsibility to minimize the spread of EAB by not transporting firewood outside of its local area. Fireplace owners should buy firewood from a known local source and burn all of it before May 1. Campers should buy firewood at your destination and/or burn all wood before leaving the campsite.

Life Cycle

The adult emerald ash borer emerges May-July and the female lays numerous eggs in bark crevices and between layers of bark. The eggs hatch in 7-10 days into larvae which bore into the tree where they chew the inner bark and phloem creating winding galleries as they feed. This cuts off the flow of water and nutrients in the tree, thereby causing dieback and death.

 Ash Trees

Ash trees are very common in landscapes and most species, mainly white ash (Fraxinus Americana) and green ash (F. Pennsylvanica) are native to Illinois forests. It is estimated that as much as 20 percent of street trees in the greater Chicagoland area are ash.

Characteristics of Ash

* Compound leaves made up of seven small, glossy green leaflets (5-9 leaflets).

* Leaves, twigs and branches grow symmetrically in opposite pairs.

* Bark of mature trees is gray and furrowed, often appearing in a diamond pattern.

* Some ash trees will produce small canoe paddle-shaped seeds.

* Seedless ash trees are common.

* Some ash produce conspicuous hard, brown “flower galls” on their twigs.

Signs and Symptoms

The most visible sign of infestation is crown dieback. Branches at the top of the crown will die and more branches will die in subsequent years. As the tree declines, ‘suckers’, or new young branches, will sprout from the base of the tree and on the trunk. The bark may also split vertically and woodpeckers may feed on the beetle leaving visible damage on the bark. Successful treatments with insecticides are limited but continue to be studied. All ash trees near any new infestation will most likely become infested and die.

Adult beetles emerging from trees will leave a unique “O” shaped exit hole. This is a small 1/8 inch diameter distinctly “D” shaped hole that may appear anywhere on the trunk or upper branches.

Other Stressors

Ash trees may suffer from a number of insect disease or other problems that can cause similar symptoms.

Native borers also attack ash trees and leave different exit holes. The round or oval holes of native insect borers are not “O” shaped and are usually smaller or larger than those of the EAB.

You Can Help

DO NOT MOVE FIREWOOD

* Emerald Ash Borer can easily be transported in ash logs.

* Purchase firewood locally (within county) from a known source.

* Be sure to use all the firewood in the cold months so that no hidden EAB larvae or adults can survive on logs left through the spring.

* There are both state and federal quarantines in place that restrict the movement of ash logs, branches or other material in certain areas. The entire state of Illinois is under a federal quarantine, which restricts the movement of regulated articles across the state line. Additionally, an internal state quarantine is in effect for all or parts of 25 counties in northeastern Illinois. If you give or sell any ash stock or other hardwood originating from within the internal state quarantined area, inform the person receiving the wood of that fact and the restrictions on wood movement.

* Check www.lllinoisEAB.com for more detailed information.

* Monitor the health of ash trees. Look for dead and dying branches at the top of the tree’s crown and other EAB signs and symptoms.

If You Think You Have Emerald Ash Borer

If you suspect your tree has EAB, please take some digital photos of the tree and close-ups of the symptoms it is expressing and email those with contact info to: agi@jflinois.gov.

For assistance in identifying suspect insects and symptoms:

* Contact your city or village forester, arborist or public works official for assistance

* In the City of Chicago, contact 31 2-74BEETL (312-742-3385)

* Contact the Illinois Department of Agriculture at 800-64 1 -3934 or visit www.lllinoisEAB.com

* Contact your local University of Illinois Extension office by visiting http://web.extension.uiucdu/state/index.html or by calling 217-333-5900

* Visit www.emeraldashborer.info or http ://na.fs.fed.us/fhp/eab/

* Contact The Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic at 630-719-2424 or www.mortonarb.org

* Contact a certified arborist. To find one in your area, visit http://www.illinoisarborist.org

* Call the national EAB hotline at 866-EAB-4512.

www.lllinoisEAB.com

Division of Natural Resources

Bureau of Environmental Programs

P0 Box 19281 Springfield, IL 62794-9281

217-785-2427 voice/TDD

So if you are thinking of installing a new garden or just a few new plants in your yard, now’s the time for planting!

Here are some of our favorite landscape plants with great fall color.

Beautyberry

Burning Bush

Dwarf Fothergilla

Kousa Dogwood

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Porcelainberry Vine

Redbud

Serviceberry

Virginia Sweetspire