--- title: "Milieu Landscaping — Landscape Contractors | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/milieu-landscaping-pfvwus-pf~1862364284 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1862364284.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Milieu Landscaping" category: ["Landscape Contractors"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/e6e395740d25cec1_4242-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "48 E. Hintz Rd., Wheeling, Illinois 60090, United States" latitude: 42.134 longitude: -87.9341 phone: "(847) 465-1160" website: https://milieuland.com rating: 4.6 review_count: 20 best_of_houzz_awards: 9 followers: 656 last_updated: 2026-08-13 --- # Milieu Landscaping Original Houzz profile: [Milieu Landscaping](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/milieu-landscaping-pfvwus-pf~1862364284) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Landscape Contractors - **Location:** Wheeling, IL - **Serves:** Chicago, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Skokie, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Hoffman Estates, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Park Ridge, Wheeling, Northbrook, Elk Grove Village, Mundelein, Niles, Highland Park, Vernon Hills, Morton Grove, Rolling Meadows, Lake Zurich, Lake Forest, Deerfield, Prospect Heights, Winnetka, Hawthorn Woods, Glencoe, Long Grove, Lincolnshire, Inverness, Northfield, Highwood, South Barrington, Kildeer, Green Oaks, Rosemont, Riverwoods, Deer Park, Forest Lake, Bannockburn, Indian Creek, Mettawa, Golf, Fort Sheridan, Glenview Nas, Techny - **Houzz rating:** 4.6 out of 5 (20 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2012–2021), for Service, Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 100,000 Ideabook Saves Best of Houzz! Award-winning landscape design company. Founded in 1987, Milieu Landscaping is a full-service landscape company with expertise in landscape architecture & design, landscape construction & installation, and landscape management & maintenance. We provide excellent service to residential, HOA, commercial, and municipal clients throughout the North Shore & Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. Our distinguishing core values are reflected in our landscape design projects. All of our work leverages the natural character of a space through collaborative evaluation, design, and construction. Each project will include the expertise and experience of our staff to assure your complete satisfaction. We help our clients celebrate life through the creation and care of their natural outdoor Milieu. Contact us for your next project. ### Services Provided - Landscape Construction - Hardscaping - Patio Construction - Garden Design - Landscape Maintenance - Pergola Construction - Paver Installation - Retaining Wall Construction - Custom Fire Pits - Pool Landscaping - Outdoor Kitchen Construction - Custom Water Features - Outdoor Lighting Installation - Outdoor Fireplace Construction - Masonry - Drought Tolerant Landscaping - Landscape Lighting Installation - Brick Masonry - Planting - Landscape Drainage System Installation - Tree Planting - Sod Installation - Irrigation System Installation - Drip Irrigation Installation - Trellis Construction - Demolition - Land Leveling & Grading - Sprinkler System Installation - Lawn Care - Mulching - Arbor Design and Construction - Site Preparation - Excavating - Organic Gardens - Irrigation Repair - Tree Removal - Tree Pruning - Living Walls - Edible Gardens - Lawn Mowing - Hedge Trimming - Lawn Seeding - Lawn Aeration - Lawn Treatment & Fertilization - Brush Clearing - Brick Repair - Dry Wells - Weed Control - Yard Waste Removal - Ice Removal ### Areas Served - Chicago - Schaumburg - Arlington Heights - Palatine - Skokie - Des Plaines - Mount Prospect - Hoffman Estates - Glenview - Buffalo Grove - Park Ridge - Wheeling - Northbrook - Elk Grove Village - Mundelein - Niles - Highland Park - Vernon Hills - Morton Grove - Rolling Meadows - Lake Zurich - Lake Forest - Deerfield - Prospect Heights - Winnetka - Hawthorn Woods - Glencoe - Long Grove - Lincolnshire - Inverness - Northfield - Highwood - South Barrington - Kildeer - Green Oaks - Rosemont - Riverwoods - Deer Park - Forest Lake - Bannockburn - Indian Creek - Mettawa - Golf - Fort Sheridan - Glenview Nas - Techny ### Typical Job Cost $2,500 - 300,000 ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Milieu Landscaping | | Address | 48 E. Hintz Rd., Wheeling, Illinois 60090, United States | | Phone | (847) 465-1160 | | Website | https://milieuland.com | | Followers on Houzz | 656 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/milieulandscape - X (Twitter) — https://twitter.com/milieulandscape - LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/milieulandscape - Blog — https://milieuland.com ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Milieu Landscaping](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/milieu-landscaping-pfvwus-pf~1862364284) - **Website:** https://milieuland.com - **Phone:** (847) 465-1160 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Illinois Landscape Contractors Association: Excellence in Landscape, Gold Award, Silver Award & Merit Award - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2012–2021), for Service, Design. **Affiliations** - [National Association of Landscape Professionals](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/national-association-of-landscape-professionals-pfvwus-pf~1351514719) - [Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA)](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/illinois-landscape-contractors-association-ilca-pfvwus-pf~975730918) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.6 out of 5 — 20 reviews** ### Reviews **★ — Kat & Jim McGough, June 2021** > My husband and I built a home and worked with Brian at Milieu for lawn grading, two paver patios and a paver sidewalk. We started out with a positive experience. We felt that we were being well taken care of. We liked the suggestions on materials and their willingness to work with us to make our home fully handicap accessible. > Our largest patio had issues from the start. It was retaining water and puddling in a few spots. They also made an error with the color of our brick (missing a black brick in a decorative line) and our built in grill (pieces weren’t flush and moved when touched). > Brian and his team came to fix it once but it did not solve the problem. They came back a second time and told us the water retention and grill were not a big deal and we should not bother to fox them. They offered to fox or give a small discount to leave as is. We became concerned and wanted a second opinion. Two other contractors looked at the patio issues. Both felt the issues were serious and would get progressively worse over time. They noted specific issues with construction including the puddling, underlying support for the patio and the sand washing away with the rain. At this point we selected a new person to fix the patio. We communicated this with Brian and told him we would pay the difference between our bill owed to him and the cost of the patio repair, as is our right under Illinois law. Brian ignored our communication and opted to put a lien on our house while repairs were completed. > I feel that Brian and this company acted in total bad faith. I believe that they saw me as a young woman, and my disabled husband, and thought we would be easy targets to take advantage of when they made an error. Shame on them. **★★★★★ — Kristen Martin, Aug. 2020** > Kelly Jenk and her team with Milieu designed and executed a gorgeous bluestone patio behind our house. They also re-seeded our lawn we originally thought was not capable of growing grass. While the work and final product were exactly what we had in mind, the best part for me was we were never pressured into the project or up-sold. **Comment from Milieu Landscaping:** > Thank you for working with us, Kristen, and for the kind words. It was a pleasure creating an outdoor space with you and your family. We hope the patio offers an opportunity for many fun memories and times shared together! **★★★★★ — Charlene Boss, Nov. 2019** > My husband and I were extremely pleased with the shrubs, plants and flowers that Milieu Landscaping provided for our home. Kelly, the manager, was fabulous! She was professional, knowledgeable, and responded quickly to any questions we had. The landscaping was carefully done and everything planted was of excellent quality. We would highly recommend them to anyone interested in improving the landscaping around their home. **Comment from Milieu Landscaping:** > Thank you, Charlene! We had a great time working with you. Thank you for sharing your project with us. We are so happy you are enjoying your plantings! **★★★★★ — Stefan Tucker, Jan. 2019** > After interviewing a number of landscaping companies, we chose Milieu to design and implement significant landscaping of our backyard. Not every company had the expertise and willingness to design the backyard we had in mind. It was really important to us to fill our yard with only plants, bushes, and trees native to our region of Illinois which feed and shelter native birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects. Milieu was also flexible in scheduling the project over three years so that we could spread out the cost. > > Kelly, our designer, worked diligently with my wife to research and select truly native flora. Kelly was involved with every stage of the project, supervising the selection and installation of everything, including the stone walkway Milieu installed. After the first phase was completed, Kelly even returned a few times to ensure the plants were acclimating well and answered every follow-up question I had about watering and maintenance. > > We're very happy with the results so far; the first phase has already transformed our yard into something worth viewing, and the birds are ecstatic with the evergreens and berry bushes. We look forward to working with Milieu and Kelly for the next two years of our project. > > (I've included a "before" and a few "after" pictures.) **Comment from Milieu Landscaping:** > Thank you for choosing Milieu for your Native project, Stefan. We have enjoyed the process of creating a landscape for both you, your family, as well as all the creatures in your yard. We look forward to seeing your landscape transform with you. See you in Spring! **★★★★★ — Melissa Conroy, Jan. 2019** > We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work with Milieu Design over the last 14 years. They are always professional, knowledgeable and flexible in their plant selections, choosing plants that will thrive and enhance the outdoor designs of their clients. We look forward to many more years of this working relationship. **★★★★★ — American National Sprinkler & Lighting, Jan. 2019** > We at American National Sprinkler and Lighting Company have worked with the fine folks at Milieu Design for many years. > We truly appreciate our association and relationship with Brian Frank and his staff. The many projects we have worked together have been beneficial to Milieu, American National and most importantly our mutual clients. Milieu has one of the finest landscape architects and construction crews anywhere in the Chicago land area. > American National highly recommends the Milieu Design company for prospective client looking for hardscaping, landscaping or maintenance. > > Brett Gold, Project Manager > Laury Feldman, Sr. Vice President of Sales **★★★★★ — Jacob Pardell, Jan. 2019** > I've contracted Milieu for many jobs now and absolutely love their attention to detail and fair pricing. Far better than other companies I've used in the past. **★★★★★ — Erin C, May 2018** > Allison C. was responsive and shared some great ideas. She was thoughtful and helped us to repurpose some plants, and was quite cognizant of combination of price and aesthetics. There was a small snag in the project, and she contacted us immediately with a few workable solutions. I recommended her and the team the next day to a friend! **★ — Adam Fleischer, Nov. 2016** > We sat down and met with Peter, personally at our home, to discuss using his services to landscape and hardscape our backyard around the pool. After working backing and forth on a suitable design, that fell within our budget, we agreed to use his services to complete the project. As the project begin, we started noticing that certain things, mutually agreed upon during the design phase, were not being executed as promised. Unhappy with the empty promises, we agreed to help him with his incorrect budgeting to complete the project. For example, our walking path was supposed to be regular and irregular shaped Bluestone pieces. However, because Peter budgeted the project incorrectly during the design face, we agreed to do Bluestone chip instead to help him out. A couple of weeks later as he began pouring the concrete for the stone columns that we agreed upon together for the pergola structure, we noticed that he wasn't putting eden flag stone around the concrete. We asked him about it and he said that the concrete columns were always supposed to be that way. We showed him his very own design that we both agreed upon, that showed the stone columns wrapped in eden stone and capped with Bluestone and he had nothing to say to us. Peter said that he could surround the columns with eden stone and cap them with Bluestone for an additional $20,000+. Upset with another empty promise, we declined as this was clearly out of our budget by this point in the project. Lastly, when all the work was completed and the project was finished, Peter had compelled a list of miscellaneous charges totaling in excess of $19,000. We told Peter about all the empty promises from him throughout the duration of the project and he didn't say anything. We told him, based on the agreement of our project, that we had paid for all the work completed. Which we had. (According to his agreement, any excess work done above and beyond the signed contract must be on a signed, written order.) There was not one signed, written order for anything throughout the 2 month project. Frustrated, Peter stormed off from the property. We received several bills months later. We decided to get an attorney involved and suddenly the charges went from $19,000+ to around $5,000. We still told him that we weren't paying for anything additional as we had paid in full based on our signed agreement. We held our end of the bargain with Peter. We paid everything in full and even compromised on some things to help Peter out. Unfortunately, Peter will design one thing, then build another. Beware. **Comment from Milieu Landscaping:** > Every client and opportunity is important to us at Milieu Landscaping. Our landscape design process is intended to provide a plan for the client and contractor to follow. While this plan does not alway predict or dictate every aspect of a project perfectly, it serves a suitable function in the process. Regrettably, in this case there were differences in interpretation of the plan and necessary adjustments were required once the build project began. Our goal was, and will always be, to provide the client with an outstanding solution, professional communication, and fair pricing. **★★★★★ — Laurel Lehman, June 2014** > I am a Master Gardner, trained at U of I Extension, creative and landscape consultant in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. I have followed the work of Milieu Design, (i.e., Peter Wodarz), for many years. I grew up with a family of agriculture, architects, farming, land preservation, which including a member that served as the head of the Agricultural Department of Michigan State University for most of his life until he retired. My opinion and review of Milieu Design is one of unvested, worthy of great recognition and consideration for your project. Peter Wodarz and his team is one of the most creative, consonant, result driven, while meeting the needs of both his client and what is best for the overall betterment of both the property and natural environment. His creativity is unlimited for even the most challenging project. > > If you have any reason to be looking for the best person for your project, save yourself time, Call Milieu Design. You will be elated you did and enjoy the compliments you receive for years to come. **★★★★★ — Janet In Kenilworth, Oct. 2013** > Milieu Design has been my landscape firm for over 15 years. Pete and has group have done all of the design (including hardscape and landscape lighting) and have literally transformed what was a pretty dull, basic "yard" into something of which I am truly proud. Throughout our relationship they have taken care of the weekly yard maintenance. I can say without hesitation that all of the work has been performed to the highest standards and I have recommended the firm to several friends. The most recently project completed was an upgrade to a portion of my backyard, which is highlighted below. **★★★★★ — JAR LLC, Sept. 2013** > I have used Milieu for several years. I count on them to satisfy all my clients landscaping needs and they always follow thru. ## Selected projects - [A Country Place](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/a-country-place-pj-vj~8436) - Location: Barrington Hills, IL - Photos: 15 - Description: A casual country retreat loaded with color surprises through the use of perennials. - [Outdoor Dining Delight](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/outdoor-dining-delight-pj-vj~1766889) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 16 - [Luxury Living](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/luxury-living-pj-vj~32167) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 21 - [Sinuous Stone](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sinuous-stone-pj-vj~8437) - Location: Barrington Hills, IL - Photos: 19 - [Welcome Entry](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/welcome-entry-pj-vj~8429) - Location: North Barrington, IL - Photos: 10 - [Bridge to Entertainment](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/bridge-to-entertainment-pj-vj~16633) - Location: Glenview, IL - Photos: 15 - [Down Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/down-home-pj-vj~32183) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 11 - [Lakeside Living](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lakeside-living-pj-vj~16639) - Location: Deer Park, IL - Photos: 12 - [Traditional Elegance](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/traditional-elegance-pj-vj~16635) - Location: Northbrook, IL - Photos: 10 - [A Well Crafted Landscape](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/a-well-crafted-landscape-pj-vj~364887) - Location: Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA - Photos: 19 - Description: stone walls, seating area, glass deck rail, stone steppers - [Angel's Grace](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/angel-s-grace-pj-vj~32113) - Location: Barrington Hills, IL - Photos: 36 - [Blue View](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/blue-view-pj-vj~32147) - Location: Highland Park, IL - Photos: 8 - [Pergola Paradise](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pergola-paradise-pj-vj~1182368) - Location: Barrington, IL - Photos: 10 - [Front Door Focus](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/front-door-focus-pj-vj~16631) - Location: North Barrington, IL - Photos: 12 - [That's Entertainment](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/that-s-entertainment-pj-vj~16994) - Location: Lake Bluff, IL - Photos: 10 - [Family Garden](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/family-garden-pj-vj~32152) - Location: Barrington, IL - Photos: 9 [See all 16 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/milieu-landscaping-pfvwus-pf~1862364284) ## Ideabooks - [Outdoor Kitchens](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/52253712/list/outdoor-kitchens) — 4 ideas - [Fire-pits](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/52254122/list/fire-pits) — 10 ideas - [Arbors/Pergolas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/51989031/list/arbors-pergolas) — 12 ideas - [Natural Pools/Water Features](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/51990925/list/natural-pools-water-features) — 29 ideas [See all 4 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/milieulandscape) ## Community Q&A **Q: What is the roof?** *(in Photo Questions)* Please tell me what kind of roof is on this home A: Hi Vikki, unfortunately we are unable to answer your question. We are an outdoor landscaping/design company, so we can help you with questions you have on the patio, plantings, fireplace, etc. Thank you for your question though - Happy New Year! **Q: Stonework is perfect** *(in Photo Questions)* Would you please share with me the brand, type, color, style of the stonework on the wall. I am planning an entryway and fireplace and this is exactly what I would like but I haven’t found anything as nice as this. A: Oak field country manor veneer blended with Eden machine cut veneer **Q: what type of tree is that?** *(in Photo Questions)* I’m looking for a ornamental tree to plant near my pool that doesn’t litter much. A: Thank you for your question! Some ornamental trees to consider near the pool could be magnolia, japanese maple, columnar hornbeam, and cypress. **Q: what color and type of shingles are these** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Good morning! We provided the landscaping of this property so we are unable to provide the answer on the shingles. Perhaps you can show the picture to a builder. Thank you for reaching out to us, take care. **Q: How is the stone holding up over time?** *(in Photo Questions)* Is this bluestone for front walkway? How is it holding up... any problems or maintenance needed? A: Yes it’s bluestone Minimum maintenance, Easy to re-level if settling occurs **Q: Can you tell me approx. how much for landscape like this?** *(in Photo Questions)* I really love the combination bushes and flowers selected here. The colors are beautiful. We are basically starting from zero landscaping. I am trying to get ideas and approx.. costs. Can you please tell me the about price for the look I am seeing here? Only landscape as seen, not paint... etc. Thank you so much. A: Hi Marie. Answers from one of our architects, hope this helps: "Bluestone walk at $30 per square foot Specimen Japanese maple can vary anywhere from $300-600 depending on size and structure Groundcover around $900 Roses and shrubs $720 Ornamental grasses and perennials 900-1200 With proper soil preparation and installation around $$4000-5000, not including hardscape " --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-13.*