Kevin Manning

Kevin Manning

Kevin has deep roots in the Chicagoland area, growing up in Plainfield and now residing in Naperville. He holds a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Illinois and serves on the board for the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA). Since KD's inception in 1998, Kevin has loved creating outdoor environments to match the lifestyles of thousands of customers. In his spare time, you can find him spending time on the water with his wife, daughter, son, and labradoodle.

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Recent Posts

Which Commercial Landscaping Projects Can I Safely Get Started in Summer?

Which Commercial Landscaping Projects Can I Safely Get Started in Summer?

You want your commercial property in Greater Chicago to look great all year long.

And when you are making plans for improvement, you don’t want to have to wait – especially when you have the budget dollars to get the job done.

But summer’s high temperatures and drought can put a damper on your plans.

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Cemetery Landscape Services: 7 Maintenance & Enhancement Options to Consider

Cemetery Landscape Services: 7 Maintenance & Enhancement Options to Consider

Cemeteries aren’t just resting places for the departed. They are sanctuaries of peace, reflection, and remembering for the living. Families visit to pay their respects, seek solace, and connect with others. This solemn atmosphere at a cemetery is important for showing people the proper respect regarding those who have passed away.

This is why maintaining the beauty and tranquility of a cemetery cannot be taken lightly. Cemetery landscape maintenance requires ongoing attention and care to ensure these spaces remain inviting.

Let’s talk about why cemetery landscaping is important and discuss the main cemetery groundskeeping options a project manager should consider when planning and caring for these types of spaces in Greater Chicago.

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10 Top Drought-Tolerant Trees & Shrubs for Commercial Landscapes

10 Top Drought-Tolerant Trees & Shrubs for Commercial Landscapes

Sure, Chicago summers can get hot with average temperatures between 78 degrees and 92 degrees Fahrenheit, heat radiating off of concrete surfaces, air conditioning blasting, sweat dripping off your brow the moment you walk outside. You get the picture.

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5 Common Lawn Diseases in Chicago Landscapes (And How to Address Them)

5 Common Lawn Diseases in Chicago Landscapes (And How to Address Them)

Sure, weeds are easy to spot in your Greater Chicago commercial lawn. They stick out with their nasty, spiky, mismatched shapes that look markedly different from your nice, even, thick lawn.

But lawn diseases are another story altogether. The right weather conditions can bring them about without warning. Most of the diseases out there resemble patchy or irregularly shaped spots in your lawn, which are symptoms that are hard to distinguish from other problems. For all you know, those marks could be from drought.

If you're in the business of maintaining commercial lawns in the Windy City, you know that keeping those green spaces looking pristine is no easy task.

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How Planting & Landscape Design Can Add Shade to Your Commercial Property

How Planting & Landscape Design Can Add Shade to Your Commercial Property

In the bustling urban landscape of Greater Chicago, where concrete jungles dominate the skyline, finding respite from the scorching summer sun can be a challenge.

Commercial properties that beckon visitors with shade and serenity can have an edge over the competition.

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6 Essential Summer Pruning Techniques for Chicago Commercial Landscapes

6 Essential Summer Pruning Techniques for Chicago Commercial Landscapes

Trees and shrubs bring more than just color to your commercial property in Greater Chicago.

They add color and greenery that people can enjoy as they shop at your retail center or work at your office park. They can ease the nerves and worries of your healthcare patients and stressed-out medical professionals. They can bring color and texture to your industrial facility or homeowners’ association grounds.

And in all of these commercial property types, trees and shrubs bring plenty of other benefits. Placed correctly and maintained well, these plants can lower energy bills, manage stormwater by reducing erosion and flooding, sequester carbon, and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Trees and shrubs can even increase spending at your retail center or boost recruitment and retention at your multifamily property.

But to continue providing these benefits, your trees and shrubs must remain healthy and strong.

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Fertilization, Weed Control & Soil Health in Commercial Lawn Care Programs

Fertilization, Weed Control & Soil Health in Commercial Lawn Care Programs

Your Greater Chicago commercial space looks its best when your lawn is in great shape – nice and thick with an emerald green color that draws people in.

On top of that, great commercial lawn areas reduce runoff, minimize erosion, clean the air, neutralize pollutants, and absorb and slow the flow of stormwater.

A lawn that looks this perfect and brings all of these benefits to your property doesn’t happen overnight. There are quite a few services that are necessary to keep your commercial turf – a living plant – healthy and happy.

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5 Can't-Miss HOA Landscaping Policies to Include in Your Community's By-Laws

5 Can't-Miss HOA Landscaping Policies to Include in Your Community's By-Laws

As an HOA property manager, you probably get a lot of questions about HOA landscaping policies. Homeowners who live there naturally want to understand what they can do and what they can’t do when it comes to managing their outdoor spaces.

Rules in any Greater Chicago HOA can vary, which can make it confusing for homeowners. In fact, they may think they can do what they did at their old HOA at a new HOA, but the rules may be different.

And these rules are for the overall good of the community; they are in place to make the HOA grounds look good and function properly for everyone who lives there.

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