Sophia of Culinary Gardens is a great garden coach. I had tried my hand at vegetable gardening last…read moreseason but my efforts were pretty unproductive. From soil prep to plant selection, location and when and what to plant, she has been an excellent resource. I have already picked more pole beans in the last two weeks than I did all last season...can't wait to start picking my tomatoes!

My family and I are thrilled with the raised vegetable garden that Sophia designed and installed…read morefor us. We have a small backyard but Sophia was able to maximize our growing space. Our garden is now thriving and we're getting an abundant harvest. Sophia is knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to share her expertise- her printed instructions for garden upkeep has been very helpful. And, Sophia's coaching continues even after the garden was planted; we really appreciate that she came to check up on our garden and has offered us encouragement and advice. Sophia offers year round gardening services and we look forward to her helping transition our garden from summer to fall. I highly recommend Sophia for your culinary garden needs!

I haven't been to the arboretum since I was a kid and used to go frequently with my grandparents…read more Bored one Saturday, I decided to take my outdoorsy 4 year old daughter. We mainly just explored the Children's Garden area. Thankfully, there are bathrooms nearby. They were clean. And there was a vendor selling snacks outside (and yummy sangria) so I bought some there and didn't bother with the indoor restaurant. I would recommend if you're going with Young ones, to bring a stroller!! Children 3 and under are free admission. Tickets are a couple dollars cheaper if purchased online. I paid $25 for adult admission. We would have liked to take the tram around, but I didn't realize it only runs a couple of times and sells out quickly. So if you're interested in the tram ride, buy tickets when you first get there. My daughter loved the rope bridge/tree house area. Definitely a place to add into your rotation of places to go, especially if you have kids that love being outside in nature.

I last visited the Morton Arboretum when I was a teen and have wanted to make a return trip for…read moresome time. I recently attended a tour of the Arboretum via a small (10 people) van tour from another Chicago metro area community about 45 minutes from the location. Of course, it is very different; there is a sit-down restaurant with very good food, The menu is on their webpage. There is also a carry-out location very near the restaurant. There is also a gift/book shop near the entrance. The choices made by the buyer are truly one of a kind and in the best of taste. There are ample visitor facilities and places to sit down. I do not think that there were any special events taking place and if they do there appears to be ample parking which includes chargers for electric cars. Some of the facilities associated with the Arboretum are not close to the visitors' center but closer to the entrance/exit. The walking paths are do-able for hardy folks as well as those who are not. Lots of kids and parents were present, all having a great time. The tram is highly recommended as it gives a one of a kind look at the Arboretum, its past and its future and our driver/guide was terrific. The cost is $10 for non-members, and well worth it. As I am an infrequent visitor I would not be a good candidate for a membership; if I lived closer to the site and were a frequent visitor the cost-savings for an Arboretum membership would be a nice savings I think. Lastly there was a bit of confusion about the admission pricing for our group; our trip organizers may have been quoted one price, and we were charged another upon arrival at the entrance to the Arboretum. We were paying per attendee not as a group, so perhaps that is where the confusion began. Perhaps pre-payment is preferred here. Group sales for the Arboretum would be able to clarify this I am sure.

Beautiful park in Lombard with incredible views of lilacs and tulips. This is very well maintained…read moreand has a large variety of different colored flowers. Parking was a little challenging during my late April visit with all the beautiful flowers in bloom, but it was well worth parking a few blocks away and walking over for the experience. Scattered throughout the park are plenty of benches, a scenic lookout area, iron deer statue, and more. A stroll around the park is super relaxing here since you're surrounded by plenty of colors and pleasant aromas. Definitely a must visit for any tulip or lilac lover. Worth a special trip due to the quality of the park and the beautiful views.

Visited Lilacia Park for the first time this past May, and it's a beautiful oasis of flowers, trees…read moreand pathways next to the Lombard Metra station. Parking was a breeze! And we had great sunny warm weather in mid-May 2026. But because of the record April showers peak bloom time was 1-2 weeks earlier this year. Watch their Instagram for updates! This park was designed by Jens Jensen (Central Park, Humboldt Park), and it shows from its winding pathways to separate elevated area that proved a perfect picture perch for local prom kids. Ample signage of lilacs, flowers and trees helps with ID. You gotta visit once in your lifetime during peak lilac bloom, and its worthy of strolls all year round.

My husband and I went to the Fabyan Villa Museum and Japanese Garden with some friends. This is…read morelocated in a forest preserve in Geneva along the Fox River. This entire land used to be owned by George Fabyan and his family. It was given to the town of Geneva and the Cook County Forest Preserve after his death. Tours of the mansion are available only on certain days and certain times. The home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is very interesting to see. I recommend going on the guide lead tour to learn more about the history and the family that lived there. There are a lot of artifacts to be seen throughout the mansion. The Japanese garden is definitely worth the visit. The grounds are well maintained with many varieties of flowers and trees to see. There are a couple of different paths you can take and a challenging bridge to traverse. For a fun afternoon out, I highly recommend Fabyan Villa Museum and Japanese Garden!

Very underwhelming. If you do not live nearby, it's not worth the drive. Took only about 5 to 10…read moreminutes to walk through the garden. The positives are that garden and parking is free.

Rooted Outdoor Living is amazing; I have used them the past 2 seasons and couldn't be happier with…read moretheir work. Dependable, efficient and everything is cleaned up when the job is complete. Dawn, the owner is a pleasure to work with and has wonderful ideas to give your home outdoor beauty!

I made the right move when I called Dawn from Rooted Outdoor Living to get some work done in my…read moreyard! Existing perennials needed to be split, overgrown plantings needed to be modified, and a stone step was needed for the garage service door. Dawn walked my yard with me and we talked about what I wanted to accomplish, and our plan came together! She moved things around, took out a few tired plants, and added some beautiful perennials and shrubs to fill the empty spaces. Dawn knows a lot about plants and design and I'm thrilled with the outcome. Her crew was detail orientated and very efficient and neat. it's a joy to do business with a company that communicates well too!

I knew when I hired Arun that he'd charge me more than most other companies. I hired him 9 yrs ago…read moreand have since hired many others who were cheaper. I saved money with the others; however, I also never got the attention to detail that I wanted. I was always disappointed with the end result. After neglecting my landscaping all summer, there was a lot of work to do to prepare for winter. Deadheading a ton of plants, cutting Ivy back from my house and trees, trimming tree branches away from my house, shaping my boxwoods, and removing tons of leaves because I live in an established neighborhood filled with huge trees... it was way more work than I have the capacity to do. Arun gave me an estimate of $1700. I knew it would be high, but it was even higher than expected. I considered going back to one of my previous landscapers, but ultimately, I wanted my property to be done exactly as I wanted it. I didn't want the snow to melt in the spring and be faced with landscaping that still needed more work. My yard looks amazing. It was everything I wanted it to be. Yes, it cost more, but I got what I paid for

Help me design my backyard and flowers for the front. The person that came seemed clueless and…read morevery negative about helping us with ideas. I can't say anything about the value bc she left quick and we felt like we had wasted everyone's time

Laura and team were great to work with! I appreciate her willingness to revise our plans until we…read morehad something that was beautiful and in our budget. The install was quick and the results are gorgeous!

John and his team have done a great job with lawn and bed maintenance for years. This year I had a…read moredrainage problem which he corrected and, I believe, saved a few plants from water damage. He responds to phone calls promptly and has always confirmed that the job was done to our satisfaction. My wife and I enjoy doing business with him.

If you seek attentive service and quality plants, Nelson Holmberg operates the finest greenhouses…read morein the Chicago area. They know how to satisfy their clients with the best green and blooming plants for all seasons. Nelson Holmberg knows the value of customer satisfaction and loyalty. They stand behind their plants and merchandise. You can count on Nelson Holmberg to come through and make you smile. Check out their glorious in-house grown poinsettias! or their Easter lilies, Mother's Day gardens or Fall outdoor mums.... ! Support your local, independent retailers for a strong economy! Speak Polish? ... Ask for Liz... Mowimy Po Polsku! Nelson Holmberg is the very best!

Last year I purchased a Meyer Lemon tree and Got my first Pie from it, Thanks to Colin of Mangel…read moreFlorist in Chicago. What a treat. Always loved plants and this was Amazing to me. kevin j herman,aifd,cfd,ms. Chicago