Landscaping & Garden Design Services
Concept to Completion and Beyond
We excel at adapting new build or rehab sites to maximize natural beauty and utilize the power of rainwater management.
The Process:
Concept/Design
During the initial consultation, notes are taken and shared with an ear open to what you want and an atmosphere of collaboration for the best possible outcome. Creating your design: We'll give you a scaled plan drawing allowing you to best understand the layout for installing your plants and landscape additions.
During the initial consultation, notes are taken and shared with an ear open to what you want and an atmosphere of collaboration for the best possible outcome. Creating your design: We'll give you a scaled plan drawing allowing you to best understand the layout for installing your plants and landscape additions.
Completion/Build/Install
We have a team of workers that do average size garden installs with stepper stones, construction of raised beds for organically grown vegetables, tree plantings and including grading refinements to move and retain water in different parts of the garden using rain gardens and swales.
For new build installs, or large additions or renovations, we sometimes partner with a few other companies on larger grading jobs and to install hardscape elements such as seat walls, patios, benches. We can recommend and source decorative all season pots, irrigation, pergolas and fences.
For our designs, we include sourcing, providing plants, trees and shrubs. And can recommend hardscaping elements from natural stone to concrete pavers.
We also have the support service once we have planted your garden to help maintain and steward the way Nature will want to evolve it. We can evaluate “volunteers” that you might want to allow to grow and can identify the ones that need to go. We call this process “editing” the garden. We do also engage in maintaining a look which will sometimes require replanting a plant that is a shorter lived perennial or has been outcompeted by a neighbor while we were watching how nature would continue to grow.
We have a team of workers that do average size garden installs with stepper stones, construction of raised beds for organically grown vegetables, tree plantings and including grading refinements to move and retain water in different parts of the garden using rain gardens and swales.
For new build installs, or large additions or renovations, we sometimes partner with a few other companies on larger grading jobs and to install hardscape elements such as seat walls, patios, benches. We can recommend and source decorative all season pots, irrigation, pergolas and fences.
For our designs, we include sourcing, providing plants, trees and shrubs. And can recommend hardscaping elements from natural stone to concrete pavers.
We also have the support service once we have planted your garden to help maintain and steward the way Nature will want to evolve it. We can evaluate “volunteers” that you might want to allow to grow and can identify the ones that need to go. We call this process “editing” the garden. We do also engage in maintaining a look which will sometimes require replanting a plant that is a shorter lived perennial or has been outcompeted by a neighbor while we were watching how nature would continue to grow.
Gunnar and I are…especially enjoying the front yard rain garden where we can see things again now that the native grass and that spreading viney shrub [are being managed] … - the Solomon seal is really really happy this year!” (from 2022) From another email: “So grateful that our paths crossed.”
Beyond/Stewardship/Maintenance
We can provide the following:
Consultations for Property Owners
Here the 3 C's are our guideposts. Collaboration, Connection and Creativity.An initial visit provides you with written recommendations for ways to lay out your growing and outdoor space to maximize the enjoyment of your garden while also serving nature.
We will collaborate with you to establish seasonally appropriate bloom cycles for our insect and bird friends and create a living landscape that changes with the seasons. We can recommend the best location to grow vegetables or fruits and a place to gather with your friends and family to enjoy your own "great outdoors". We'll suggest ideas for utilizing rainwater that falls on your property and give recommendations for composting.
Desiring a nature play space for your kids? We can design that space as well!
We called the Spirited Gardener when bigger and bigger rains started bringing water into our house. Now we have two beautiful rain gardens filled with native plants that not only keep our basement dry, but also reduce our landscaping water use and provide a sheltering and nutrient-rich habitat for bees, butterflies, and birds. We couldn’t be happier.
Evolutionary Landscaping & Stewardship (Maintenance)
We'll show you how to "phase in" plans, which may seem too costly to do all at once and make better sense to your budget to do a little at a time. You'll see how your vision for your garden can gradually take form. Plans are created digitally on AutoCAD (Computer Assisted Design). Depending on the complexity of your project we can provide elevation drawings stairs and walls to assist in permitting.If you have an existing property and a maintenance company, we can work with them to learn about using seco-functional, resilient landscaping practices in working with your property, to do renovation work or install new plantings.
If you desire natural lawn care and to address your concerns in having a pesticide free home for you and Nature, we have a few companies we can recommend.
Client DIY additions: we so appreciate the creative spirit in all our clients!
Fairy Garden - Carrie created an imaginative scenario on the Chicago Riverwalk to engage passersby.
DIY Rain Garden Addition (we created the first two and they used the principles they'd learned and created this 3rd rain garden on their own. Great work Lisa and Sean!