Creating an outdoor living area that works is more than just putting together a few plants and a lawn mower. Planning a stunning space, ensuring it withstands the Chicago summer, and most importantly, adding real value to your property require a bit of landscaping knowledge. Whether you’re a homeowner in Naperville or a commercial property manager in the Loop, you won’t get the most from your landscape without the right landscaping services from a team who understand the Chicagoland climate, soil conditions and local property demands.
At Green Day Pro Landscaping, we have helped many homeowners and business owners scattered across the Chicago metropolitan area to transform their outdoor spaces that were functioning at a minimal level into beautiful, functional spaces that they can enjoy all year round.
Why Landscape Planning Determines Whether a Project Succeeds or Fails
Sequencing is one of those things that most people don’t realize how important it is. A well-thought-out plan will address issues such as drainage and grading, long before the art of the project is planned. It also takes into account factors such as sun exposure, soil type, traffic patterns, and actual usage – before even a single plant is put in the ground.
Specifically for Chicagoland properties, the freeze-thaw cycle can cause cracks in improperly installed hardscaping. Clay-heavy soils require either amendment or drainage planning. And homeowners who choose plant varieties that cannot withstand Zone 5b winters end up spending hundreds of dollars replacing them.
Most landscape projects fail or have to be redone within two to three years, simply because people skip the planning phase.
Starting Point: Evaluate Your Property First, Before Anything Else
A professional site assessment should first and foremost look at the following before even materials or plants are chosen:
Drainage patterns – where does water collect after rain?
Sun and shade mapping – how does light change through the seasons?
Soil composition – does it require amendment for healthy root growth?
Hardscape placement – patios and walls should be graded to fit with the landscape rather than against it.
HOA or municipal regulations – very relevant across nearly all the Chicagoland suburbs.
Here are some typical missteps that cause a homeowner to waste a considerable amount of money in the end.
Picking plants prior to doing a site analysis. The choice of plants should be a consequence of an understanding of your growth conditions rather than a cause.
Disregarding irrigation at the very beginning. Installing a system after planting is not only quite costly but also potentially very disruptive to the plants. So be sure to include it in your landscape plan right from the start.
Only thinking about summer aesthetics. In a well-designed landscape, which is a showcase of beauty even in the months of March and October, plantings are combined to create a design that is visually interesting in all the four seasons.
Landscaping Services That Reflect How Chicago Properties Actually Function
Whether you are looking to build an outdoor living room or construct planting beds that are visually appealing and easy to maintain, Green Day Pro Landscaping is the company to work with as they understand Chicagoland families’ lifestyle requirements and can thus customize the services accordingly. With good planning, execution, and care, the outdoor living spaces become an extension of indoor living spaces. Besides, lawn care programs are tailored based on local seasonal rhythms.
As far as residential services are concerned, we do comprehensive landscaping design, hardscape construction, native and adaptive planting, irrigation installation, and outdoor lighting. Our excellent resources come from Belgard, whose products stand up well to the harsh freeze and thaw conditions of the Midwest. When it comes to choices that have a great impact on the end result, we are uncompromising.
In fact, the first thing a prospective tenant or customer notices is the appearance of your property from the street. Whether it is an office park, retail center, HOA community, or multi-family property in the Chicago metropolitan area, professionally executed commercial landscaping services not only raise property values but also promote the retention of existing tenants.
Our commercial services extend to year-round maintenance agreements, seasonal color rotations, irrigation system management, and large-scale renovation projects. We collaborate with property managers to create plans that meet both their aesthetic desires and operational budget restrictions.
The level of accountability that landscaping contractors bring to the table varies, so it’d be best to license and insure teams when evaluating providers, looking for contractors that properly pull permits, clearly written scopes of work, and documented experience with Chicagoland properties.
Green Day Pro Landscaping meets all these criteria and more — plus our firms backing the results of our installations with workmanship guarantees.
Mid-Summer Is the Right Time to Plan Fall Installs
Many homeowners overlook this one: summer is the time to plan for fall projects if you want the best results for planting. Plants, trees, and shrubs can all be planted in the fall in the Chicago area, one of the two ideal seasons for this kind of work, because with the soil still warm the plants aren’t very stressed even though the air is cooler. But these kinds of projects need to be planned and scheduled before the physical rush in autumn begins.
Have you been thinking about patio, planting bed, or front yard redesign? — Start the conversation now, don’t wait till September.
Claim Your Free Summer Layout Consultation
Green Day Pro Landscaping is providing free layout consultations for summer and fall projects in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
It is not just the backyards that can be transformed. A team can walk your property and create a clear plan before you commit any installation costs. Our team can do this whether you are giving commercial curb appeal a face-lift or starting from scratch.
[Schedule Your Free Consultation → greendayprolandscaping.com]
Because spots get filled fast in midsummer, it is best to make sure that you get on the calendar ahead of the fall rush.
Conclusion
Making a beautiful and functional outdoor space is currently amongst the few home improvements that not only parents and neighbors would appreciate but also, from the financial point of view, it returns the highest value for the money invested. Planning, materials, and quality of the services will be the basic factors that will distinguish between a flourishing landscape and a frustrating one. At Green Day Pro Landscaping, local knowledge and skill are combined to accomplish that — from the initial site visit to the finish walk-through.
FAQs
Generally speaking, design, site preparation, planting, hardscape installation, irrigation, and maintenance are included. Full-service providers can handle the complete project under a single contract.
Choose licensed, insured teams with a proven track record of local projects, who are always pulling proper permits and have written contracts. Experience working in Chicagoland and familiarity with Zone 5b conditions should be a must.
Residential yards are for a person’s enjoyment and living. Commercial yards focus on their appearance for the purpose of attracting customers in addition to being strong and compliant with regulations as well as having the capability to be maintained at a reasonable cost.
The time to plan is summer, and the time to work is fall. Planting is best done in fall. However, landscaping services have a tendency to be fully booked by that time, so, to be sure you get a spot, you should book your consultation no later than mid-summer.
For the most part, yes — permits for retaining walls, patios adjacent to easements, and irrigation systems among other things are typically required. A competent landscaping contractor will recognize this and will provide permits as part of your project.