Van Zelst

Founded by David Van Zelst in 1979, Van Zelst, Inc. has a single mission: to make landscapes more livable and memorable by enhancing the natural beauty of the outdoors. Working with a wide variety of clients-including homeowners and businesses-we provide thoughtful landscape design, superior planting and hardscape construction, and meticulous maintenance of outdoor environments. Our award-winning landscape architecture firm has built our reputation on exceptional client service-we pride ourselves on our ability to listen to, anticipate and respond to our clients' needs.

Some people may suggest that a garden designer might be more cost-efficient, especially if you're merely considering adding or upgrading plantings. You might be surprised to hear that's not the case. Unlike garden designers, landscape architects meet rigorous education, licensing and accreditation requirements. In addition to understanding plants and fundamental design concepts, we are trained in site planning, stonework and hardscape design and engineering, local and state regulations, environmental sustainability, and how to create spaces that people want to live in.

An expanse of thick, green turf grass is the epitome of summer-inviting people to play games and walk barefoot, and family pets to lie in the sun. But lawn care can be a great deal of work. So many Van Zelst clients leave weekly lawn care to the professional Van Zelst landscape maintenance team. Many of our clients choose organic fertilizer as a better option for their families and pets. Van Zelst works closely with TerraVesco, maker of Vermicompost and Vermi-extract soil amendments made from worm castings.

A pastoral English garden for your Victorian-style home, a colorful shade garden for a pretty wooded area, a low-maintenance or drought-tolerant garden to save water and protect the environment-what's your vision for your landscape? The Van Zelst landscape architecture team is skilled at designing gardens to reflect your personal tastes, as well as the style, scale and even color palette and materials of your home. From the most naturalistic-looking, fragrant gardens of native wildflowers to a more formal, Mediterranean garden feel, we can work with you to deliver just the look you imagine.

Summer is best enjoyed outdoors and outdoor kitchens let you make the most of it. Often, outdoor kitchens begin with a built-in grill. The Van Zelst team can help you select a stainless steel grill that will withstand our extreme seasons. Then we'll design and build a strong foundation and stone surround that complements your overall landscape and patio. But why stop there? Today's outdoor kitchens can include a sink, outdoor refrigerator, cabinets, outdoor bar with a beer tap and more-even a pizza oven or rotisserie.

Draw family and friends outdoors in warm weather with an elegant, inviting stone patio. Choose from a wide variety of stones, colors and styles. The Van Zelst team will work with you to create a design that complements your home and lifestyle, and then expertly install it for a lifetime of enjoyment. Complement a contemporary or formal home or create a welcoming pool deck with rich bluestone patio slabs. Incorporate various types of stone for a custom look. Flagstone, fieldstone and other natural materials feel inviting and informal while adding the ideal finishing touch to entertaining areas.

Whether replacing an asphalt driveway with permeable pavers, upgrading to a sophisticated bluestone patio or installing a welcoming fish pond, the experienced Van Zelst hardscape installation team will treat your home with the care it deserves. Our on-staff stonemasons and builders are specially trained in the unique needs of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. They understand our soils, challenges and temperature extremes. As a result, you can rest assured that your foundation will be prepared and hardscape installed according to our unmatched standards of quality-and to withstand the region's harsh conditions year after year.

Driveways made from pavers set the tone from the moment guests approach. Replace your poured concrete or asphalt driveway with paver stones for an instant upgrade to the whole property. Brick or clay paver driveways can be installed in a variety of patterns to impart texture and beauty to the often-forgotten area in front of the home. Tumbled concrete pavers, in a variety of colors and sizes to suit your landscape, elevate the landscape to a more refined level. Choose a permeable paver driveway for a more environmentally friendly solution that can help address drainage issues on your property.

The Van Zelst landscape design team offers the perfect balance of artistry and architecture, as well as the ability and skill to listen. Van Zelst begins every Chicago landscape design collaboration by understanding your vision and hopes for the space. How will the area be used? What is-and isn't-working in the current landscape design? What style should be conveyed? What colors do you like best? What hardscape elements will contribute to the finished space? From simply offering ways to increase your curb appeal and addressing challenges to adding outdoor entertaining spaces or an outdoor kitchen with an elaborate, built-in grill island, we create great outdoor spaces for our clients.

For more than 40 years, Van Zelst has provided complete landscape services for home and business owners. Our landscape services include award-winning design, planting and construction, as well as worry-free landscape maintenance programs that add value to your property. Look to Van Zelst for unsurpassed service and quality. Our focus on long-term relationships, designs that suit each family's lifestyle, outstanding service and the highest-quality plants and hardscape materials has made Van Zelst the choice of discerning homeowners throughout Chicago, the North Shore and southeast Wisconsin.

Founded as a landscape design/build firm in 1979, Van Zelst has always been focused on satisfying the design needs of our client. As it turned out, that's one of the aspects of the business we find most rewarding. Year after year, the Van Zelst team has designed, installed and maintained beautiful landscapes where clients can play with their children, entertain friends and build their private histories. Over the years, we have continued to seek new ways to ensure the complete satisfaction of our clients.

That's why-from preparing the ground to building hardscape elements and properly planting perennials, shrubs and trees-Van Zelst relies on our own in-house construction staff to ensure that everything meets our high standards of quality. The success any landscape installation starts deep down, beneath the surface. You may not see the difference right away, but we believe that proper landscape installation is key to a beautiful design that remains healthy and robust for years to come. When you work with Van Zelst landscape architects, your landscape installation team is comprised of members experienced in all the necessary trades.

Patios, fountains, sculptures, walking paths and driveways are key to the finished landscape. They complement plantings and trees, delineate areas, add tremendous visual interest and allow the environment to maintain its appeal throughout all four seasons. At Van Zelst, we like to use stone in unique ways that reflect each client's taste. We often combine bluestone, tumbled concrete pavers, flagstone, clay pavers and garden boulders in interesting ways to achieve distinct spaces that range from formal and classic to casual and family-friendly.

While it may be less expensive and tempting to bring in a company that provides basic "mow and blow" service, an investment in trees, perennials and hardscape deserves more skilled attention. That's why many of our clients look to Van Zelst for ongoing landscape maintenance. Every property and every homeowner is different. Some landscape maintenance clients ask us to provide basic mowing, edging and cleanup from week to week, enjoying the chance to get their hands dirty weeding, deadheading and dividing plants themselves.

As a landscape design-build firm, Van Zelst specializes in the design as well as the construction of beautiful landscapes. Our team offers a streamlined, thorough and personal experience. By managing all steps from initial concept through landscape design, build and ongoing customer service, the Van Zelst team is able to avoid surprises along the way. As a result, finished landscapes often align very closely to the initial plan.