Landscape Illinois

06/05/2026

2025 Landscape Illinois Person of the Year Steve Worth talks with the Landscape Insider podcast about how hard it is for founders to let go, and why they need to.

06/05/2026

What happens when passionate volunteers, community leaders, and landscape professionals come together? The Southern Region Women’s Network found out during a visit to the O’Fallon Community Garden, a space that transformed a former trailer park into a thriving community asset.

Today, the 1.5-acre garden features butterfly gardens, rental plots, and even raised beds designed to make gardening accessible for local students with mobility challenges. The garden has donated more than 49,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to the O’Fallon Community Food Pantry, including over 4,400 pounds in 2025 alone. During the growing season, nearly 80% of the pantry’s fresh produce comes from this garden. In 2024, it received a national garden club award for donating more produce to a food bank than any other garden in the country.

As we toured the growing space, we learned that some of the magic may be in the mix. The garden uses raised bed soil from Landscape Illinois supplier member St. Louis Composting to help support healthy plants and abundant harvests.

We loved meeting the summer interns from Home Nursery and hearing about the paths that led them to the industry. We wrapped up the morning with a lesson in beekeeping and hive dynamics. The garden inspired us, the interns gave us hope for the future, and the bees nearly convinced us to start a new hobby.

06/05/2026

This is sure to be a great conversation!

From law enforcement to horticulture, from third generation to fourth — don’t miss the June Interview with Ann Tosovsky and Tayler Jordan of Home Nursery, Inc.

📅 June 9, 2026🕐 1 PM ET

Ann and Tayler will discuss:
• Working together as mother and daughter
• Switching careers and applying lessons from past experience
• Leading a successful multi-location nursery
• Balancing multiple responsibilities
• The importance of giving back to the industry

Join this conversation with two leaders shaping the future of a long-standing family business. Sign up at AmericanHort.co/WiH-HomeNursery

06/04/2026

As we celebrate the women shaping the future of our industry this month, we’re sharing a story that perfectly captures the power of connection.

At a recent Landscape Illinois Women’s Network event, Corinn Heilig and Victoria Thomas experienced a full-circle moment.

Years ago, Corinn studied horticulture at Southwestern Illinois College, where she took courses taught by Victoria, who is the Caseyville Branch Administrator at Focal Pointe. Recently, the two reconnected through the Women’s Network, this time as colleagues in the green industry.

Since those classroom days, Corinn has earned her bachelor’s degree, pursued a master’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture at Murray State University, and is currently completing a summer internship at Home Nursery in Albers, Illinois.

The best part? Corinn hopes to continue her career in horticulture production after her internship ends.

Stories like this remind us why investing in education, mentorship, and professional connections matters. Today’s students become tomorrow’s industry leaders, and sometimes the relationships that help shape a career come full circle years later.

We’re proud to celebrate Victoria’s role in inspiring the next generation and Corinn’s passion for building a future in horticulture.

06/04/2026

Legislative and regulatory updates that Illinois landscape pros need to know

06/04/2026

If you push a fleck of snow, please take the Landscape Illinois biannual salary survey for snow positions. The data is available to all Landscape Illinois members and only non-members who complete the survey. The final report will be available before snow contracts go out this summer.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

06/03/2026

We’ve been busy packing and mailing over 60 new member boxes! 🤩

Please help us welcome all of our new members! 🤗💚

06/03/2026

2025 Person of the Year Steve Worth of Kankakee Nursery dropping wisdom on the Landscape Insider podcast. Trust someone who has been there, done that, for over 4 decades.

06/02/2026

🎉📧 The first edition of The Leaf just hit inboxes! 📧🎉

We heard your feedback about the number of emails you receive from us, and we’re making it easier to stay connected while cutting down on inbox clutter.

Starting now, we’ll be sending a weekly digest email: The Leaf by Landscape Illinois.

Each edition will feature:
📅 Upcoming events and education opportunities
⏰ Important registration deadlines
🎙️ Digital content highlights, featuring Bloom, Grow & Tell, and the Landscape Insider podcast
📚 Industry resources and updates
✨ And much more!

Our goal is simple: fewer emails, better communication. Because you’ll be receiving fewer emails from us, be sure to keep an eye out for The Leaf each week so you don’t miss anything.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement with Landscape Illinois! 💚

06/02/2026

In honor of Jeff Epping’s new book being released today, we’re running a flash sale for this upcoming event! Register today and receive $15 off with discount code FLASH!

Join Landscape Illinois and Nathan Wright Landscape Design on June 25th at Nuluum in Chicago for an intimate evening with Jeff Epping — award-winning horticulturist, garden designer, and author of The Gravel Garden: Visionary, Drought-Defying, Naturalistic Designs.

Enjoy a live interview, signed books, and a relaxed social hour with fire pits, an open bar, and a food truck.

More information and registration: landscapeillinois.org/il-events/patio-chat-with-jeff-epping