GreenMark Public Relations®, Inc.

On Mar. 8, 2009, Beth Botts of the Chicago Tribune posed this question to Chalet’s Laura Justice , “How do you select the right pot for gardening?”

Container gardening is a growing trend as more people in urban areas fill their patios, balconies and roofs with flowers and plants, but more thought often goes towards what goes into the pot, rather than the pot itself. Justice, the herbaceous plant manager with the landscape division of Chalet, provided some tips for pot shopping.

Bigger is better. Small pots don’t hold enough soil and dry quickly, so watering becomes a chore. Justice advises never bothering with a container that holds less than three gallons. A larger container also enables better display.

The right material. “Nothing is forever,” Justice said, “Even concrete will crack eventually.” The most fragile materials are terra cotta and glazed ceramics, which are pots best kept indoors during harsh weather. For outdoor use, go for metal and concrete containers — though take caution not to go metal on expensive surfaces like stone patios or wooden decks because they could rust and stain. For a large, year-round container, go with plastic or fiberglass. Both can look good and are flexible, but over time even they could fade or crack.

Drainage is essential. Unless making a water garden, make sure there’s a hole in the bottom of the pot. Drill one if needed. Justice suggests elevating any pot on “feet,” purchased at garden centers (or use three bottle cap-sized objects). Wire baskets with moss or coir liners drain quickly, but dry out easily. The best suggestion for hanging plants is to put the plants in plastic pots with holes and hide the pot inside the moss liner.

Style matters. Choose a plant that blends into the look and feel of your house, yard or apartment. Don’t clash, it doesn’t look good! Avoid cheap, unattractive containers that detract from the plants.

Perspective and scale. When selecting a window box or hanging planter, think about how it looks from all angles. Ask yourself, “Does it make an impact from a distance?” Containers should complement the scale of a doorway or facade.

Read the entire article for more advice, here.

Congratulations to Chalet for receiving the Judges 2009 Award presented by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA). The award recognizes the “best of the best” in Illinois. With a score of 96 out of 100, judges described Chalet’s work as having “flawless attention to detail.”

Chalet also received four gold Excellence in Landscape Awards from the ILCA. The honors recognize the company’s design/construction and maintenance of two residential properties, one in Lake Forest, Ill., and the other in Wilmette, Ill.

In Lake Forest, a formal, structured and manicured landscape reflects the beauty, elegance and permanence of a period Italianesque villa. Beyond the front entryway, garden visitors are greeted by a three-tiered, limestone fountain surrounded by a large semicircular pergola with hand-carved limestone columns and a sunken garden.

Between this and the residence, a parterre contains more than 1,000 Green Velvet boxwood and two matching limestone water features, both fountains with one also doubling as a Jacuzzi. Highlights include an adjacent folly purchased by the owner at auction in Florence, Italy.

In Wilmette, a stately English Tudor is complemented by a formal, manicured and symmetrical garden. Dense yew and Green Velvet boxwood hedges line the front foundation and are meticulously trimmed while ‘Tina’ crab-apples flank the front entry, left natural to contrast with the structured landscape. As visitors travel down a bluestone service walk from the brick driveway to the rear yard pool area, a diverse and colorful array of Daphne, rhododendron, viburnum and astilbe catch the eye.

A mixed border softens the edges of the nearby pool deck while groupings of Norway spruce and dark green arborvitae provide privacy. An adjacent secret garden provides an intimate getaway. Other features include a functional and practical serpentine stone seat wall and hidden vegetable garden.

“Chalet’s landscape professionals put emphasis on teamwork and these prestigious awards recognize each person’s commitment to service and quality,” said Kevin Marko, landscape division manager. “We are honored to be recognized by the industry and our peers.”

For information on the ILCA Awards, please visit www.ILCA.net.

Chalet’s Tony Fulmer was featured on the WGN Midday News (Feb. 16, 2009) answering the question, “When to re-pot houseplants.” Many people either wait too long to re-pot, causing the roots to crowd and break the pot; or they re-pot too often. Fulmer said the general guideline is that the soil mass should be at least 50% roots, half and half, in the pot. Re-pot gradually, around one-inch increase at time, never more than two inches. Also, consider the type of plant and what kind of pot it would thrive best in. For example, a terra-cotta or clay pot would be best for a cactus or succulent, whereas tropical plants might do better in a plastic container so the soil mass is kept evenly moist. Fulmer also recommends never using pots that don’t have drainage holes – as you’d never know if you’re over-watering until it’s too late.

See the video of Chalet’s Tony Fulmer on Re-potting House Plants on WGN.

Chalet will be featured in segments of the new “Undercover: Double Life” series on Investigation Discovery and will air nationally at 8 p.m. Central on Tuesday, Feb. 10. Chalet’s beautiful setting was used as a “set” for two short segments in the program, which has been titled, “Louie Diaz: Operation Pisces.”  All airings are one hour. Check your local listings for the correct channel and any additional air times. Chalet is identified in the credit listings and we expect it will be listed on the Discovery Web site in conjunction with this program. The segments were shot by Tower Productions during the summer of 2008.

For more information, visit http://investigation.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=141.15378.124276.35460.x.

Jennifer Brennan of Chalet was featured in the Nov. 2008 issue of Garden Center’s Nov. 2008, Employee Training PROJECT: GREEN in a section titled “Reality Check”. She introduces herself as the manager of the education center and Chalet College. Chalet College is a staff training program beginning at the end of January and runs for six to eight weeks. She says each department holds a meeting a week before hours and rotate throughout the week so that everyone can attend. At the meetings they introduce new products, new concepts and the best answers to problems employees face.

Find out more about Chalet Landcaping Nursery and Garden center on their website.

Tony Fulmer of Chalet provided “12 Tips for a Wonderful 12 Days of Christmas” in the Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 issue of Chicago Sun-Times in the Real Estate/Green House section (page 6). His tips include when to purchase a Christmas tree; Balsams, for example, that go up at Thanksgiving won’t be fresh and full for New Year’s. Making a fresh cut in the bottom of the tree, placing it in the stand and immediately filling that stand with warm water is a good way of keeping the tree fresh and moist as is checking the water reservoir at least twice daily. Other advice includes what kind of stand to buy, making sure lights fit the tree and work properly and how to maintain outdoor plants. He recommends spraying the undersides of fresh wreaths, garland and trees with anti-desiccant spray to reduce water loss and trying. He also suggests using plastic containers for outdoor plants in the winter as ceramic, concrete, glazed or terra cotta planters might crack or deteriorate from the freezing and thawing of moisture-laden soil.

Two reindeer took some time off from pulling Santa’s sleigh before Christmas to visit the Chalet Nursery and Garden Shop from Dec. 9 through Dec. 18, 2008. Jennifer Brennan and Tony Fulmer explained the habits and care of the animals to children from District 34’s Westbrook and Henking schools, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, St. Norbert School in Northbrook, Sears School in Kenilworth and the Wilmette Park District.

See photos of the reindeer on PioneerLocal.com’s Wilmette Life site.

Tony Fulmer from Chalet was featured on the WGN News at Noon’s Lunchbreak live at 11:50 a.m. on Dec. 22, 2008. There are some new things going on with holiday gift plants for the holidays and Fulmer brought some of them to the studio such as poinsettia “jingle bells,” the carousel pink poinsettia, cyclomen, “shooting star” hydrangea, amaryllis and several others. Fulmer says new hybrid holiday plants properly cared for can last until March.

Chalet teams up with North Shore magazine for the first ever “Win a Landscape for a Cause” contest, posted in LawnAndLandscape.com (Dec. 8, 2008). The partners will award one landscape or garden to a North Shore Chicago Area non-profit organization or public entity that demonstrates a need for such a project. The total value, which includes labor and materials, will be up to $100,000. Contestants should mail applications by Jan. 30, 2009 to:

Chalet Landscape Project
3132 Lake Ave.,
Wilmette, IL 60091

The companies set the following criteria:
-The space must be for the public good or serve public, community or a special interest such as for a not-for-profit organization.
-There must be a demonstrated need for the landscape or garden.
-Application must be on behalf of, and benefit, a not-for-profit organization, school, park district, municipality, agricultural and horticultural entity, environmental agency or other steward serving public interest.
-Applicant or entity must be in the Chicago’s North Shore area.
-Applicant will have set up no impediments to the time-line, access to the space, or to the work Chalet is required to do in order to complete a beautiful, durable and effective landscape solution.

Information about this contest has also been posted on LandscapeManagement.net (Nov. 20, 2008).

For more information about this project, visit Chalet’s website.

This question was asked by WGN Midday News (WGNtv.com) and may be on the minds of concerned gardeners as winter approaches. Chalet answered this question and addressed some of the myths and fables of horticulture during a free seminar Nov. 7 and 8. They said mid November is the perfect time to plant because as the temperature drops, the bulbs will root in the ground and grow in the spring. Daffodils and narcissus make great beginners bulbs since they multiply on their own each year and remain critter-proof. Chalet also recommends the blue scilla sibirica. It’s favored in their gardens and grows well in the springtime if planted in November.