Pat Bernard Design

Pat was great--very dedicated to getting everything just right--and she has a full team of pros that she works with so everything went smoothly. We love our new backyard!

I was so glad I contacted Pat to finally take the plunge and invest in my backyard (vs. the tried and fabulously unsuccessful DIY efforts I have been doing over the years). She finally gave my backyard the "wow" factor I was looking for. Further, she follows up to be sure things don't go south once she is done. Finally, I love that Pat cares so much about the environment and all the little critters in our local ecosystem. Her care really gives her work a quality that will make you feel good about your investment.

Pat did a fantastic job working with me to understand my design goals and style, beginning with a survey of my needs/preferences, followed by an onsite consultation to align the survey results with the real "me" and delivery of 2 different design plans that incorporated a wealth of ideas, both aesthetic and practical, that completely re-imagined my space (highlight is a recycled concrete seating wall that helps separate the garden from the entertainment area). She then helped me hone in on the one that was the best fit for my desire for a combination entertainment/gathering space and multi-use garden (flowers, shrubbery, edible landscaping). Once work started, Pat was onsite daily, making sure the work crews were executing project to plan and providing guidance/troubleshooting on a couple of unforeseen issues. End result is a gorgeous backyard that is the envy of my neighbors.

Our side yard was turned into a zen retreat with all work from design to implementation. Pat's creative vision was right on target, and we are delighted with the final product. While I interviewed several other designers, it was clear from the get go that Pat understood my needs and the best ways to develop the space. I am a "seasoned" amateur gardener and had specific ideas about plant choice, boulders, trees and stones. Pat and I worked well together as a team. I look forward to spending many hours relaxing, reading, enjoying the oasis that has been created after an almost 20-year wait.

Our previous landscape design gave us an out of the box BORING plan that included exactly what I specifically asked to not include. I found Pat on Houzz and couldn’t be happier with her work. Pat was conscious of our budget and able to modified her original design to reduce the cost. She clearly knows her plants and how to design a sustainable garden that is full of colors, variety, and unique aesthetic. Even considered the ways our kids used the front yard and made sure to use plants that would not change its use! Pat was on site to overlook all work being completed. Very responsive, dependable and completed the job on time as promised. She created a beautiful, non-cookie-cutter, and front landscape. She has followed up several times after completion of the job. Neighbors have gone out of their way to compliment the beauty.

Pat and her crew were professional and completed the project as promised. Pat was always on site to overlook the work being done. I would recommend her highly.

Pat devoted herself to understanding our needs. We live in an Arts & Crafts period bungalow outside of Chicago and wanted to replace a front lawn that got scorched every summer or overgrew with weeds. We wanted it to compliment our historic neighborhood, something easy to care for yet creative, beautiful and sustainable. We got it. Along with thoughtful, gorgeous plantings, she created a rather magical circular path of bluestone chip that incorporated the parkway as well as our front garden. This stunning path also made it easier for us to get to our raised vegetable bed. She cared about the long term wellbeing of our garden and took time to educate us as she went along with the project. She is about the happiness of all living things within the environment she develops. We are happy.

Happily, Pat is refreshingly unpretentiousness and easy to work with. Just as important, she knows plants and their requirements, keeps up with the latest developments (new plants are continually being discovered and improvements constantly being developed) and has access to the best plant sources and hardscape providers in our area. Pat was willing and did work within our budget and was still able to offer us alternative and creative plans for our front entry garden. She takes whatver time is necessary to explain her choices for the site and addresses any questions or concerns you may have clearly and knowledgeably. She is very hands-on throughout the process and her attention to detail is exceptional. She keeps the work on schedule and her attention extends to follow-up post installation. Additionally, she has a hard-working, well-trained and easy to have around crew. Pat will take your in-put, assess the site and give you a garden that is both beautiful and will be long-lasting.

Pat was recommended by good friends of ours based on the excellent work she had done for them. And we were glad we followed up on that recommendation. We recently renovated the back of our house which included adding sliding glass doors, windows, new mudroom, and deck. The final piece was landscaping. We had a vague idea of what we wanted, some pavers, a few trees, and plants. Pat was able create a plan that incorporated our ideas but then in addition making suggestions that we had not thought of. The result is a thoughtful blend of our ideas and hers. Also important thing to note is that Pat is very detailed oriented and will make sure the work is done properly. She thinks through all the logistics for a healthy, long term garden. Her team is super efficient and professional. And you'll get an education on how to care for your plants and trees. We are very happy with our new back yard!

We engaged Pat in Spring 2014 to overhaul our front yard and parkway, as we live on a corner. The majority of the Chicago-style bungalow was rehabbed in prior years, and thought it was time to update the old foundation-covering landscaping that was inherited with the house purchase. Pat provided a few design ideas, with an overarching thought to create a sustainable landscape with native plants and trees. We enjoyed the design process and found her very easy to work with, open to our ideas and modifications, or well thought out reasons to support why our suggestions may not be the wisest choice. Once the plan was agreed to, work was scheduled and implemented with only minor delays, and no material budget over runs. We knew of various issues that arose, but Pat kept us out of their resolution process. Any changes to the project were discussed and agreed to before implemented. The outcome for the first phase was beautiful, and we continue to have Pat and company maintain, update, and move forward with subsequent phases. We would highly recommend using Pat for your projects. Her attention to detail, firmness in managing the various crews and overall aesthetic is a nice change compared to other service providers.

I found Pat through a google search and yelp reviews and interviewed her among other potential landscape design companies. Out of the 5 I interviewed, I chose Pat because she listened to what I liked and I appreciated her whole eco-friendly design concept. The results were amazing and she transformed my yard from a muddy, colorless eyesore to an oasis of lush greenery, flowers and trees! My yard was the selling point of my home and It is what I miss most in that home we had. I plan on using Pat again in my next home!

Pat Bernard creates magical outdoor spaces. If you want formal & pruned, she will create a jardin à la française to your specifications. If you desire, as we did, something unstructured and natural, she will create your very own suburban wooded forest. We chose to work with Pat after meeting with, and obtaining quotes from, two other landscape design firms well known on Chicago's North Shore. Upon meeting Pat, we immediately found her more interested, involved, animated and creative than any of the other designers. (What we didn't know was prior to meeting us, she'd already driven around our neighborhood to get a general feel for the architecture and design of the area). Pat listened carefully to our list of needs and wants, questioned us about our desired use of the different spaces ("zones"), and helped us prioritize "must-do's" versus "nice-to-do's" according to our budget. All in the first meeting. Pat started with a barren square back yard, and created a beautiful space that drew us and our guests outside in every season while addressing every one of our needs - a playground, dog run, shade, space for entertaining, privacy that didn't look menacing. She converted a square "lawn" into a space with curved borders, varying heights and architectural interest. "Kids love stepping stones," she said, and designed a path from the patio that led to the playground in one direction or the back patio in another. Our children and their friends hopped that path nearly every day, never outgrowing it as I'd expected. "The dog run needs more adequate drainage and should be away from the house," she said, contradicting another designer's suggestion to place it right outside our back door - and kitchen. We ended up with a dog run located far from our kitchen window, that never ever smelled due to the multiple levels of landscape barrier and gravel. "Don't over-prune those to the ground - they'll create architectural interest in the winter." Sure enough, snow hung on trees and shrubs, providing a beautiful snowscape on dreary winter days. "I brought these plants for the kids, maybe they'll like them..." Like them? They showed every single visitor how the leaves of one really looked and felt like bunny ears, and the other like kangaroo paws. When we moved, those two plants moved with us. Pat oversaw the entire installation, from hardscaping to planting, and didn't miss a detail. She felt a section of patio wasn't properly sloped for drainage and had it redone. She pointed out where our fencers had installed slats that were 3 1/2" apart rather than 2 3/4" apart. I didn't care - until I saw our 12# terrier squeeze through the latter and not the former. Most impressively, Pat followed through and followed up. She gave thorough instruction on how to water newly planted flowers and shrubs, and for low long. She followed up with email reminders, not only throughout the summer, but also in the fall in preparation for winter.