NORTH OAK PARK RESIDENCE - invasive and lawn removal, front and back yard garden installation, stewardship. Installed 2025.

We reimagined this North Oak Park home’s front and back yard to create healthy and intentional outdoor spaces. In order to create a new planting that provides interest throughout the year, we removed lawn and densely growing creeping bellflower from the front yard to make way for a new planting design that provides interest throughout the year.
We cleared the backyard of overgrown ivy and shrubs that obstructed the area and reduced sunlight, constraining the space. In order to create a focal point for the back yard planting, we carefully transplanted a Japanese maple from the front yard to a location where it can flourish. We will continue to maintain these gardens as they develop into resilient, coherent plantings.

UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH (NORTH OAK PARK) - lawn removal, garden installation, hardscaping, stewardship. Installed 2025.

We designed this 3000+ square foot memorial garden as a welcoming area for community gathering and quiet reflection. We began by removing numerous 40-foot yews that had long dominated the space, and installed more than 1,800 perennials, shrubs, and trees in their place. This created a diverse and resilient planting palette that offers layered multi-season interest.
A crushed limestone walkway guides visitors through the garden, with benches providing opportunities for rest and relaxation. We will continue to maintain the garden as plants mature and fill in, supporting the garden’s role as a living memorial and a space for community connection. As the garden edges soften and plants intertwine, visitors will experience a deeper sense of enclosure.

NORTH OAK PARK RESIDENCE - invasives removal, garden installation, stewardship. Installed 2025.

We began this North Oak Park project with the careful removal of invasive species to create space for new ideas. We expanded existing beds and installed a front yard garden designed to bring layered seasonal interest and ecological resilience to the landscape. Thoughtful plant selection supports pollinators while aesthetically complementing the home.
We continue our work beyond installation with ongoing stewardship and maintenance that allows the garden to fill in and evolve over time. As the plantings mature, the landscape grows more cohesive each season, becoming both a welcoming presence in the neighborhood and an extension of the home.

NORTH OAK PARK RESIDENCE - lawn removal, hardscaping, garden installation, raised bed construction. Installed 2025.

This North Oak Park backyard was transformed from open lawn into a layered garden designed for gathering and everyday use. Removing the turf allowed space for a new hardscaped seating area and connecting walkway, creating structure while inviting moments of pause outdoors. Two red cedar raised beds bring warmth and intention to the space, supporting kitchen gardening and seasonal rhythms close to home.
A redbud tree serves as the heart of the garden, offering luminous spring blooms and gentle shade as it grows into its place. As the plantings fill in, the space continues to soften and settle, becoming a backyard that feels rooted, intimate, and deeply lived in.

NORTH OAK PARK RESIDENCE - shrub removal, garden installation, stewardship. Installed 2025.

At this North Oak Park corner residence, we began by removing dense, overgrown shrubs and invasive species from both the front yard and adjacent parkway, opening the space to light and new possibility. In their place, we installed a richly layered perennial garden that wraps the corner with texture, movement, and season-long interest. Black steel edging in the parkway provides a clean, durable frame for the planting, defining the garden while allowing it to feel abundant.
Ongoing stewardship ensures the landscape continues to establish and mature with intention. As the perennials knit together over time, the garden grows more cohesive each season, creating a vibrant, welcoming presence.

SOUTH OAK PARK RESIDENCE - lawn removal, hardscaping, garden installation, stewardship. Installed 2025.

At this South Oak Park residence, we replaced a builder-grade landscape plan with a front yard and parkway garden designed for longevity and ecological health. Lawn was removed and an invasive callery pear was replaced with a layered mix of perennials and shrubs, bringing seasonal interest, habitat value, and a stronger sense of place.
A new walkway to the street, composed of large concrete steppers set atop crushed bluestone, introduces both structure and approachability to the landscape. As the plantings continue to establish, the garden grows fuller and more cohesive, transforming a standard foundation planting into a vibrant, welcoming streetscape.

HYDE PARK RESIDENCE - lawn removal, hardscaping, garden installation, stewardship. Front yard Installed 2024. Back yard installed 2025.

At this Hyde Park residence, we began by transforming the front yard in 2024, removing lawn and resetting existing natural flagstone to create a more cohesive and welcoming garden space. In 2025, the backyard underwent a complete overhaul, with lawn removal making way for a dense perennial planting designed for seasonal richness and ecological depth.
A crushed granite walkway winds through the backyard garden, leading to a small seating area tucked within the plantings, offering moments of immersion and retreat. We continue to steward and maintain the property as it establishes, guiding the garden’s growth so it matures into a layered, enduring landscape over time.