Trends come and go. And like the ever-changing styles of cars and clothes, ideas about what makes for great garden design and good plants have drastically changed over the past few decades. What was fashionable 25 to 30 years ago often looks dated and in need of renovation. Plant breeders have created better trees and […]
Big surprises often come in small, special packages. “One year for Robbi’s birthday, my son Scott and I gave her a gift certificate for a class at The Morton Arboretum,” says landscape architect Bob Hursthouse of Hursthouse, Inc. It turned out to be a great adventure.“Scott was a preschooler and we went to the “Salamanders […]
Spring is upon us. Flower buds have formed on the maple trees and their leaves will soon unfold. Spring wildflowers—trillium, mayapples and spring beauties—will blanket the ground in our local woodlands. And thousands of beautiful songbirds are migrating throughout the Midwest right now. It’s a magical time of year. It’s also a good time to […]
Spring is many weeks away and the nights are still dark and cold. Some homeowners look out their window in the evening and all they see is their reflection. That’s a shame because a landscape should be one of the loveliest and most distinctive features of a home. But for many, it’s often hidden from […]
Read More… from Lights, Camera, Action: Landscaping Lighting
Most home landscapes in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are on relatively flat surfaces. In this part of the Midwest, we typically don’t see steep rolling hills, but occasionally we come across projects that have slopes. It could be a drainage ditch with sloping sides. A house may be built on a lot that pitches […]
Now that holiday parties and get-togethers are finished, our team likes to brainstorm various ways to create outdoor spaces that make entertaining comfortable and fun. Perhaps you attended an event where you’re bumping elbows and edging around guests while you try to get to the appetizers or the dining table. In other situations, you may have […]
The Hursthouse team occasionally takes a break from working to have a little fun. We recently talked about beverages we like to serve to our family and friends during holiday celebrations. With the approaching holidays, we thought you might want to try some of our favorite drink recipes. “I especially like the Swedish Glogg,” Bob […]
Read More… from Holiday Drink Recipes from the Hursthouse team
Spring and summer flowers provide colorful combinations, but once fall arrives there’s fabulous foliage to enjoy. Bright, sunny days and cool nights produce some of the most brilliant reds, oranges and purples. Many gardens are in their fall glory right now. They can offer something we seldom find in spring: a wealth of interesting berries […]
Read More… from The Late, Late Show: Plants with Great Fall Color
The cool nights in early September remind me that summer is slowly giving way to fall. Right now, our gardens are experiencing some incredible visitors. Monarch butterflies are floating overhead and popping in for a drink. They spend time at late-season flowers like zinnias, lantana and other annuals and perennials because they need plenty of […]
Your landscape needs to last. Which means, when you’re working with your landscape architect to plan your new yard, “trends” may or may not serve you well. You want a landscape design you will still love in a few years (remember mullets?), and you also want an idea or feature whose downsides or flaws have […]