01 · Landscape design

Hand-drawn master plans grounded in your soil.

We don't believe in templates. Every plan starts with a site walk, soil test and a long conversation about how you actually use your garden. You'll receive scaled drawings, planting palettes, hardscape elevations and a phased budget.

Site analysis & soil testing
Concept sketches and 2D/3D plans
Plant schedule with botanical & common names
Phased budget so you can build in stages

02 · Garden installation

Beds that look established by year two.

Plants come from regional growers we've vetted for decades. We amend each bed individually based on its drainage and sun exposure, plant in close groupings (a Beth Chatto principle), and mulch with shredded hardwood — no dyed bark.

Perennial & pollinator borders
Native restoration & prairie installation
Ornamental tree & shrub planting
Bulb plantings (spring & fall)

03 · Hardscaping

Stone work built to outlast the design trends.

James, our lead mason, cuts and sets every patio personally with a two-person crew. We work in full-color bluestone, Wisconsin fieldstone, granite cobble and ICPI-certified concrete pavers. Bases are over-built — proper depth, geotextile fabric, and compacted aggregate.

Bluestone & flagstone patios
Paver walkways & driveways
Dry-laid & mortared stone walls
Outdoor kitchens, fire pits, fireplaces

Bluestone patio with fieldstone fireplace

04 · Seasonal care

A custom calendar so the garden matures the way it was drawn.

Our maintenance team is led by an ISA-certified arborist. We don't blow leaves into your beds and we never spray broadcast herbicides. Care visits are scheduled around plant biology, not a generic monthly route.

Spring cleanup & bed edging
Selective summer pruning
Fall cut-back & winter protection
Pest & disease scouting (IPM only)

05 · Irrigation

EPA WaterSense systems that don't waste a drop.

We install Hunter and Rain Bird systems with smart controllers and rain sensors. Drip lines for borders, MP rotators for lawns, separate zones for sun and shade. Every system is paired with a written winterization & spring start-up schedule.

New irrigation system design & install
Drip line conversion for beds
Smart controller & rain sensor upgrades
Spring start-up & winterization

06 · Lawn care

A healthy lawn — with less of it.

We help clients shrink turf areas where it makes sense, and care for what's left properly: core aeration, overseeding with regionally-tested fescue blends, and an organic-first fertility program.

Core aeration & overseeding
Organic-first fertility program
Turf reduction & meadow conversion
Mowing on a 7–10 day schedule

Common questions

How an engagement usually works.

Do you charge for the first site visit?

No — initial site visits within Lake County are complimentary. For estate projects we may travel further, in which case we'll discuss a small site-visit fee in advance.

How long does a design take?

A residential master plan typically takes 4–6 weeks from site visit to final drawings. We share a concept review at the halfway point so you can shape the direction before we finalize.

What's a typical project budget?

Designs generally run $2,500–$8,500 depending on scope. Installed projects we've built recently range from $18,000 (mid-size perennial border) to $185,000 (full estate landscape with hardscape).

Do you offer maintenance after install?

Yes — most clients move onto a custom seasonal care plan once the garden is in. It's optional but strongly recommended for the first three years while plantings establish.

What we do, from first sketch to seasonal pruning.