Morton Arboretum Troll Hunt

This past weekend, on a particular hot sunny Chicago day, our family thought it would be an adventure to visit Chicago’s Morton Arboretum to see the Troll Hunt Exhibit…with our 9 year old daughter.  Did I mention it was very hot, very sunny, AND that the trolls in some places are 3/4 of a mile from […]

In case you were wondering: Has spring sprung?

OK, so May has finally arrived, and it looks like maybe Spring has finally sprung. But up until this week, it would have been hard to tell that spring was already here while walking around outside and observing the greenery, or lack of it. Normally we would be seeing a lot more green this time of year […]

ILT Insider: Overwintering of Insects

No one is really enjoying this latest prolonged blast of cold weather.  We are all stuck inside doing our best to keep ourselves (and our kids) entertained and warm.  We must have been due for this as we have been spoiled with mild winters the last few years.  So, those mild winters, along with other […]

Why to choose container plants first

One of our invaluable assets is our sister company, Montale Gardens.  Located in Wauconda, Illinois, Montale is a wholesale nursery celebrating its 23rd birthday this year.  With each year we increase our diversity of products.  One of our most successful lines are our container shrubs.  The quality cannot be rivaled, in our humble opinion…here are […]

How snow accumulation affects your landscape

Our Core Values   Quality  Honesty  Pride  Teamwork  Cleanliness  Safety   It has been years since we have to wait until the middle of January in Chicagofor the first significant accumulating snow of the year (+2″), but here we are.  It is often right after the first significant snowfall of the season that we hear from many concerned […]

ILT Insider: Stink Bugs

Our Core Values:  Quality  Honesty  Pride  Teamwork  Cleanliness  Safety   I recently came across an article in The New Yorker titled “Home Invaders” about the history and increase of stinkbugs in homes. You know, those lazy, ugly bugs that look like little brownish gray shields. Since I am in the landscape industry I have a pretty good […]

New You Tube Video: Our office…SO much more than where we work

We are more than excited to debut our You Tube page! ILT Vignocchi is going to utilize drone technology to share gorgeous, educational and sometimes just fun videos so you can get to know us better.  So subscribe now!  You don’t want to miss out. Our first video introduces you to our main office, sister […]

ILT Insider: Changing the conversation on pruning

Our Core Values Quality  Honesty  Pride  Teamwork  Cleanliness  Safety TO SHEAR OR NOT TO SHEAR… With spring right around the corner, those of us in the environmental services industry are happily ready to leave winter in the rear-view mirror and prepare for the new growing season. Over the next couple of months, here in the […]

Watering Guidelines – new trees and shrubs

During the spring we generally receive a sufficient amount of moisture.  Spring to summer is probably the most critical transitional period because moisture levels can drop quickly and soil moisture availability rapidly declines.  This situation can be exacerbated by overly hot and windy conditions. When plants start to show signs of stress by wilting permanent […]