September is a great time to plan for spring-flowering bulbs in your garden, as they are best installed in late October. Part of the fun in planning spring bulbs is the anticipation through winter and the delight when they finally emerge. Here are tips on planning spring-flowering bulbs in your garden and more [...]
Our clients, a busy couple who reside in a unique historic home, wished to reclaim their garden, which had become overgrown. They envisioned a private outdoor space with beautiful views for relaxing and dining outdoors, gathering around a fire, raising vegetables and potting flowers. The home was originally built in 1894 as a gardener's [...]
The combination of hot, humid weather and hot dry spells has created the perfect conditions for two prominent lawn problems this summer. Our maintenance crews have reported sightings of both brown patch and sod webworm. In this article, we discuss their symptoms, causes and treatment. Brown Patch Brown patch on tall fescue. Irregular patches [...]
Shrubs showing stress from lack of water. Lack of watering makes plants more susceptible to damage and disease. Watering during the heat of the summer is mission critical to the success of your garden and plantings. The simplest rule of thumb? If your plants are looking dry, water them! Summers in Chicagoland are [...]
With summer in full swing, everything is lush and green outside. How is your garden growing? If it's in need of something that's bolder and more interesting than the ubiquitous hosta or daylily, consider adding a large perennial with presence. These summer beauties stand out not only for their height and their flowers or [...]
Summer vacation is quickly approaching, and for many, it’s already here! We love creating lush landscapes that beckon everyone outside, but we also love helping our clients create outdoor living rooms. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite features of an outdoor living room to inspire you. Fire Feature On a [...]
Spring is here, and our nursery is filling up with blooms and blossoms! Here are some plants that are soon to be in bloom. Ornamental Trees Corneliancherry Dogwood The yellow flowers on Corneliancherry Dogwood (Cornus mas), emerge before the foliage in late March/early April. They bloom in small clusters along the stems making [...]
With Valentine's Day upon us, we offer some ideas for creating a little romance in your garden. The word romance primarily means "the feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love". In this article, we speak of romance in its secondary meaning: "a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement and remoteness from everyday life." Create [...]
In early February, our office closed for three days as we attended the annual Illinois Landscape Contractor Association's trade show, iLandscape. Informational sessions and a bustling showroom gave each of us fresh ideas on design, construction, professionalism and more. We want to share with you 6 interesting things we learned at iLandscape. 1) New plants [...]
A sidewalk cleared of snow and ice creates safety and security. We are often asked what products we recommend to melt ice or improve traction on stoops, steps, walkways and driveways. Many of the items on store shelves are composed of chlorides that are harmful to concrete, mortared areas, pets and the [...]