Lowney’s Landscaping has won two Gold Awards in the Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association Excellence in Landscaping Awards for 2026, one for construction and the other for maintenance. They are the first-ever WLCA Gold Awards in the history of the company, which also won a third award (Bronze for a residential construction project).

Voting is via a committee at the WLCA, which presented the awards at a gala in Milwaukee earlier this year.

A construction project that started in 2021 on Thornberry Creek at Oneida golf course won a Gold Award in the Residential Design & Landscape Construction category. Holly Demske chose Lowney’s to build her dream outdoor space, including an outdoor kitchen housed by a ramada, alongside a hot tub. That project was also featured recently on Local Five Live with Lisa Malak and Millaine Wells, which can be watched on the Channel 5 website here. 

It is a multi-level masterpiece designed by Lowney’s Landscape Architect Christine Kosiorek and owner/sales consultant Joe Lowney. It was built by Lowney’s most-senior hardscape construction crews, who were guided by project manager Chris Van Groll.

Lowney’s won Gold for commercial maintenance at the ThedaCare Appleton North Campus. The maintenance at that property is managed by Hplex Solutions, which works with the Lowney’s maintenance management team to help create and maintain a friendly and comfortable place to get treatment or recuperate. Jeremy Stryhn, Lowney’s Director of Landscape Maintenance, has guided Lowney’s maintenance team there.

Lowney’s won a Bronze Award for the Ellen Courtney project in Kaukauna, an overhaul of a railroad tie landscaping built by her dad decades ago that had finally started to fall apart. Kosiorek designed that space with the help of sales consultant Mike Schumacher.

See clips of all three projects in the video at the top of the newsletter.

If you have viburnums or ninebarks in your landscape, now is the time to take a closer look. Our Maintenance Manager, Jeremy, has recently seen a spike in damage caused by viburnum leaf beetle larvae, with several properties affected in just the past few weeks.

These small insects can be surprisingly destructive. Much like Japanese beetles, viburnum leaf beetles can skeletonize leaves and strip shrubs of foliage in a short period of time, leaving plants stressed and unsightly. Jeremy also recently observed severe damage on ninebarks, a reminder that viburnums aren’t the only plants at risk.

The challenge is that the larvae are small, hide on the undersides of leaves, and blend in well with the plant’s natural color. If you notice leaves that look chewed, lacy, or skeletonized, inspect the undersides of the foliage where the insects feed and hide. If treatment is needed, it’s important to thoroughly cover the underside of the leaves, where most of the feeding activity occurs. Watch the video above to learn more. 

Meanwhile, Japanese beetles are expected to arrive in the coming weeks as well. Let us know if you have questions or need help.

The video above features an incredible overhaul in Menasha, and lakefront landscaping in Winneconne, Cloverleaf Lakes in Embarrass, and Oshkosh. Click above to watch the video. 

Lowney’s Landscaping Center
N3310 State Road 47, Appleton, WI 54913
(920) 733-2560