Hardscaping Contractors in Chicago

“Carol and her team did an amazing job updating the front and back yards of our home in Lincoln Park, Chicago. We truly enjoyed working with Carol because she was always honest, open-minded and collaborative. Her pricing was fair and her team was very professional. They were timely, efficient, and communicative. And we really appreciated their attention to detail. The hardscaping is meticulous and the plants are beautiful and thriving. Thank you!”

“Van Zelst designed and installed the landscaping and hardscaping plan for our 170’ x 200’ single family residential lot in two stages in 2015 and 2016. They have been contracted to provide ongoing maintenance and upkeep pretty much since that time. They showed careful planning in the sizing and placement of the initial plantings where the various plants, bushes and trees have matured into a very pleasant visual experience. There has been little crowding and very little mortality of much of anything. We receive nothing but compliments from friends and strangers alike. Their initial and ongoing recommendations were and are spot on and their current advice is spot on. If you want a cheap lawn service that cuts your grass and moves quickly this will not be a fit for you. If you want something that is more comprehensive and professional this is the team for you.”

“Our back yard garden bed (partly in sun, partly in shade), along the rear property line, was in need of some landscaping. Over the nearly 40+ years we have lived here, we had randomly planted several lilac bushes, a few hosta plants, several patches of narcissus, some pachysandra, and a small number of ferns, but there was no unifying design. Everything we had planted competed with weeds and unwanted brush that had sprouted up around them. We had always wanted to look out our kitchen window and see a beautifully planned display of perennials, shrubs, and trees and finally decided to do something about it. We found Wave Outdoors and started working with designer Mary DiCarlo last fall, after we cleared much of the bed of unwanted foliage and installed a backyard fence to allow our newly adopted rescue dog to run free. We were looking to get a design created and the landscaping installed early this spring. Over the fall and winter months, Mary worked with us via several on-site visits, email exchanges, and Zoom sessions to finalize a design. Mary was a careful listener and tried to incorporate our wishes from the start, while making several small adjustments to the design several times at our request. Just a few days before the installation, when a particular specimen tree she had planned for us was in short supply, Mary made several weekend visits to local garden centers to find us the perfect tree. This was above and beyond the call of duty! The installation work was planned for two days in late April, but was completed by the Wave Outdoors 3-man crew, led by Rob, in a single day. Good timing, because the next day it rained almost all day, giving the plantings a good drink. The crew worked hard all day, doing additional unplanned tasks, such as trimming overhanging branches to make room for newly-planted (but sure to grow tall eventually) spruce trees, and also repairing some lawn spots from our dog. They also cleaned up better than any crew who has ever worked on our property. We highly recommend Wave Outdoors and designer Mary DiCarlo for your landscaping needs (they do hardscaping also)! The entire process was well-documented with excellent communication from start to finish. Any small issues found after installation were taken care of very quickly. Initial and final payments were easy using Zelle, but Wave Outdoors also accepts personal checks and credit cards. Looking forward to warmer weather when we can enjoy the view from our patio!”