Growing a Sustainable Landscape

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 […]

The Inspired Garden

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 […]

Designing a Sustainable Slope

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 […]

Living Outside the Box

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 […]

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6 Landscaping Trends with Staying Power

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 […]

Great Landscape Design Comes Down to These 3 Words.

There are two landscape architects and two landscape designers on the Hursthouse design team, each with our own personal style and unique landscape training. And yet – there’s a certain approach that seems to define every Hursthouse project, no matter whose desk it’s on. What are elements that set Hursthouse design apart? When we’re starting a […]

The Landscape Construction Process

If you’ve been planning and dreaming about a new landscape for a long time, there are few things more exciting than actually signing off on your Final Landscape Design and moving into the construction process. You’re literally about to watch your vision become reality. So what’s landscape construction like? The process is often both more difficult […]

A Client-Based Solution

The most important question you should ask When you’re choosing a partner for your new landscape, the biggest distinction will be in how your landscape is planned. You could ask, am I getting a product-based solution, or a client-based solution? The challenge many “landscaping” companies face is that they’re ultimately in the products business. Perhaps they’re […]

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Which Patio Paving is Best?

Clay or concrete? Molded or cobbled? Whether you’re building a patio, a walkway, or a driveway – or working with a landscape architect to design an entire project – you’ve got a lot of different options when it comes to paver materials. At Hursthouse, we’ve been building hardscapes for our client’s landscapes for more than […]

3 Questions to Ask Before Installing a Fire Pit at Home

Thinking of putting a fire pit in the backyard? You’re in good company! From kings to cavemen, humans have always been drawn to the warmth and comfort of a roaring fire – and fire and fire pits have always been a central feature in the outdoor living space. That’s even more true here in Chicago, […]