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.
You know what they say. Location is a big selling point and value-adding feature of a home.
Second to that is curb appeal. And nothing makes your curb appeal shine more than front entryway landscaping. The American Society of Landscape Architects says great landscaping can boost your home’s value by 5 to 15 percent.
The yard is the first impression people get as they drive by your home or walk up to your front door, so it’s worth the investment.
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*While this article offers helpful landscaping tips for residential properties, we now specialize exclusively in commercial landscaping services. If you manage a commercial property or HOA, see how we can enhance your landscape here.
Your patio is so much more than an array of different-shaped materials, like pavers or bluestone, formed to create a hard surface in your Greater Chicago area backyard.
A patio creates a beautiful and functional space for you, your family, and your friends to enjoy. This could be during a morning retreat with your French press coffee and breakfast or a lively meal and conversation with friends on a weekend evening.
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Your backyard is an extension of what’s going on inside your home -- whether that’s colorful and playful, casual and fun, elegant and sophisticated, clean and modern, or natural and lived-in. The possibilities, as they say, are pretty endless.
There are so many options that your head might already be spinning. This is supposed to be fun, after all. Don’t worry; we’ve got your back.
How do you incorporate all those stunning suburban Chicago backyard ideas you love and merge them with your own style and in your own unique landscape?
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A new year means a new idea for your Greater Chicago area backyard. You’re ready for your landscape transformation.
One of the most essential steps in bringing your outdoor living vision to life is the design phase. This is when ideas begin brewing and expand from concepts to reality. When you see it on paper, you know it’s getting real. A great landscape design holds a lot of value, so you want to maximize the first phase in this process: the landscape design consultation meeting.
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There’s nothing like a fire pit in your backyard.
The warmth and dancing light that an outdoor fire pit brings are very welcome through the seasonal transitions. Not only do they make you more comfortable when temperatures dip, but they also extend your outdoor enjoyment hours and add another visual element to your space.
Choosing the best type of fire pit, however, takes some consideration. That brings in the question of a gas fire pit vs. wood fire pit.
Here are some tips on how to match the right type of fire pit to your specific needs.
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*While this article offers helpful landscaping tips for residential properties, we now specialize exclusively in commercial landscaping services. If you manage a commercial property or HOA, see how we can enhance your landscape here.
Life is hectic. After a busy day, nothing is better than getting outside and breathing in the fresh air. A great backyard patio can be just the escape you need to unwind and improve your quality of life.
A patio also increases your living space, giving you a great spot for outdoor entertaining, sipping your morning coffee and listening to the birds, or even just reading a good book. What’s not to love?
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Whether you’re hiring your first landscape design and installation professional or you’ve worked with one or more landscaping companies in the past but were unhappy, finding a business that you can count on to bring fresh ideas, follow through on promises, and do amazing work may feel overwhelming.
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What we do at K & D with our landscape design is usually applied and installed in suburban locations but we enjoy a creative stretch in a small scale garden when those opportunities arise.
Recently we had the opportunity to design for a Peterson Park (Chicago) residence. Our staff responded with a team effort that grasped the opportunity and developed a landscape plan to meet the needs of the client while developing a space that was both exciting and functional.
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Our garden and landscape lexicon continues to evolve year by year and sometimes day by day. A few years ago, the terms ‘sustainable’, ‘outdoor room’ and ‘low-impact design’ were just mentioned in a whisper.
But of all the newer landscape terminology, perhaps none is more well-known today than ‘hardscape’. It is mainstream to the point that most homeowners understand its broad meaning immediately when discussing their own gardens with contractors or neighbors.
The definition of hardscaping may extend to containers, armillary, sculpture or anything in the landscape that is not a plant. However, it is most widely referenced when discussing patios, walls, fireplaces, fire pits, and larger wood structures such as pergolas and arbors.
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Brick patios define our landscapes and gardens.
It is a pretty bold statement. But when you reflect on the ambiance, serenity and utility of a brick paver patio the statement becomes less bold and more accurate. A brick paver patio is an extension of the home and a reflection of lifestyle for the homeowner.
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