We welcome the first signs of bulbs in spring. After a long cold winter, they are a sight for sore eyes and provide the first splashes of color to brighten up the landscape after a gray and white winter. Daffodils, tulips, alliums, and more are all easy to grow and take the harsher climate [...]
In summer, which is officially from June 17th to September 21st, no other flowering shrub in the landscape brings as much freshness and appeal as the hydrangea. Available in various flower types, colors, and sizes, this unfussy plant is perfect for a garden with a sunny to part shady spot that is moist and [...]
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 [...]
Is there an area in your yard that lacks interest? Is there an area in your yard that just won’t grow healthy grass? Is your parkway uninspiring? This spring, instead of spending another year dissatisfied with it, consider filling this space with grass alternatives. By using lesser known groundcovers and ornamental grasses, these spaces can be [...]
This time of year, big box nurseries often offer a lot of what’s most popular: lilacs, forsythias, azaleas. Why not "think outside the box" and use Deutzia, a small, carefree shrub that bears pretty spring flowers on arching stems, settles to a neat, rounded appearance in summer and ends the season with lovely burgundy [...]
Our clients, Tom and Judith, traveled extensively and spent little time in their Wilmette garden. Now they were ready to enjoy their home again, and wished to reclaim their backyard. A dramatic wood sculpture, built by Tom, greets one upon entering the space, imparting that it is no ordinary backyard. Four 100+ year-old oak [...]
Sometimes we are really tested as landscape designers and horticulturists. One common challenge that we encounter is getting plants to grow in parkways, especially in urban neighborhoods. Large, mature street trees, often with shallow roots and a dense canopy such as Norway Maples, rob a site of sun, moisture and nutrients. Even with these less [...]
Optima Towers is a modern, luxury high-rise residential building located in downtown Evanston. A large decorative sign overhead marks the main entrance, and a paved walk flanked with planting areas leads one down a shady, long courtyard to the main lobby. The existing landscaping of sparse, leggy plantings was not thriving due to low light conditions and wet [...]
Many gardens in the areas we serve have two factors that can make gardening difficult….deer and shade. If you love the look of ornamental grasses but thought they couldn't possibly survive in your shady, deer-troubled garden, think again. There are actually a number of beautiful ornamental grasses and sedges that not only tolerate shade, but seem to be [...]