Chalet Landscape Earns State & National Design Honors

Outstanding landscape construction and maintenance of a Glencoe, Ill,. home and a Wilmette, Ill., home have brought national and state landscape award honors for Chalet Landscape of Wilmette.

National Distinction Awards from the Professional Landscape Network (PLANET) 35th Annual Environmental Improvement Awards Program have been awarded for both projects. Additionally, the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) awarded an Excellence in Landscape Gold Award for Maintenance and Construction for the Glencoe residence and ILCA Excellence in Landscape Gold and Silver Awards were given to the Wilmette residence.

“To be recognized for Chalet’s commitment to landscape excellence is gratifying but more important is the opportunity to work with homeowners and incorporate their lifestyle, wants and needs for their outdoor living spaces,” states Robert Milani, senior landscape architect, design team leader, and Chalet Project Awards Program coordinator. “Landscape is known to bring a sense of peace and tranquility. Outdoor living spaces can be transformed into a year-round sanctuary with a well thought out design incorporating hardscapes and plant material.”

THE GLENCOE HOME. Chalet’s plan for the Glencoe project was to complement the architecture of the stately manor depicting the old world elegance and reflect the homeowners’ lifestyle and needs. The first welcoming site is the asphalt driveway with clay brick detail to set off the home’s character. A meandering bluestone walkway goes by clipped boxwood hedges, crabapple and viburnum to the tumbled clay brick landing and on to a bluestone front entry. 

In the back of the home, a large freeform bluestone patio with Lannonstone seat wall surrounded by flowers provides a welcome spot.

Beyond the flowering crabapple, serviceberry, pink shrub roses and azaleas, is a large turf area with a “tot lot” providing an active play and exercise area for children and adults alike. Viewing out at the border provides needed privacy and allows for masses of hydrangea, dogwood, chokeberry and burning bush to accent seasonal changes throughout the year.

As with all landscape construction projects, the Chalet team faced some challenges on the site. These included poor and infertile soils, village requirements of storm water runoff resulting in extensive grading and drain tile throughout the property and privacy issues to neighboring residences. Moreover, the team was asked to design a large patio for entertaining but not so large that it would look out of scale or commercial. Retaining walls were installed near catch basins and window walls and landscape lighting and sprinkler services were also included in the design. The construction team also had to protect existing hardwood trees including oak and hickory on the site.

The Glencoe home landscape plan included:

• 1300 square feet of random blue stone
• 80 linear feet of Lannonstone and the seat wall at 18 inches high by 12 inches wide with a 15-inch machine finish
• 30 tons of eden limestone outcropping stone for the property perimeter and window wells
• 300 nearly wild shrub roses installed and maintained seasonally
• 25,000 assorted daffodil and scilla bulbs installed and maintained annually
• 35 Norway and Colorado blue spruce at 14 to 16 feet installed at the perimeter for privacy and structure
• 21,000 square feet of sod installed and maintained seasonally
• Protection of existing hardwood trees as oak, hickory, ash and chestnut
• Custom-designed and installed landscape lighting throughout the property to highlight specimen ornamental and shade trees as well as downlighing for existing tree canopy
• Custom-designed underground sprinkler system to separate differing watering requirements of plant material including turf, roses, perennial/annual, shrubs and groundcover

THE WILMETTE HOME. The Chalet team’s objective for the Wilmette home was to provide lush landscape gardens on difficult site conditions, an inviting front entry with adequate parking, a large active area for the homeowners’ children and a pool with privacy. It was additionally necessary for all of this to accommodate a high-use and an active lifestyle.

Easement issues regarding the pergola construction and placement in the garden, limited accessibility, restricted building setbacks, existing shade tree competition, low light levels, heavy clay loam soils and pool drainage were all obstacles to the creation of this cozy refuge.

“Design, precise shrub, tree and evergreen selection and strategic plant placement helped exceed our client’s expectations,” stated Stan Seianas, senior landscape architect for Chalet. “By blending architectural elements from the house into the landscape, including the pergola, bluestone/brick paver pool deck and wrought iron fence, we were able to fashion a rear yard comfy haven in the midst of a chaotic lifestyle. The bluestone sidewalk transitions from the hectic outside world into this sanctuary. The design and citing of the children’s
tot lot reflect our client’s family oriented lifestyle.”

The Wilmette home landscape plan included:

• 1200-square-foot bluestone pool deck and walkways with clay brick detail
• Selection of best plants to address poor soil fertility and drainage along with low light levels 
• 10,000 pachysandra groundcover plants installed and maintained annually
• A custom-designed pergola sited, installed and maintained seasonally
• A custom-designed wrought iron fence installed at pool deck perimeter
• No chemicals allowed 
• A beautiful lush, disease free turf along with healthy plants using strict IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
• Five applications of organic fertilizer to maintain health and vigor for all turf areas
• Two core aerations a year on all turf areas
• Custom-designed and installed landscape lighting throughout the property to highlight specimen ornamental and shade trees as well as downlighting for existing tree canopy
• Custom-designed underground sprinkler system to separate differing watering requirements of plant material such as turf, roses, perennial/annual, shrubs and groundcover

PROPER MAINTENANCE ENHANCES SITES. To maintain the beauty of these meticulously designed landscapes, all hardscape elements including bluestone sidewalks, patios and entries as well as Lannonstone seat walls and driveways are hand cleaned weekly from March through October, along with seasonal power/acid washes to maintain the true color and appearance.

Chalet offers a special turf management program to accommodate the Glencoe homeowners’ family and lifestyle. The program includes fertilizer applications five times per season and core aerations twice per season to promote and maintain a healthy, durable lawn.

At the Wilmette home, a comprehensive maintenance program was designed to address the homeowners’ active lifestyle, high use of spaces and a no-chemical approach to maintenance. Variable light levels, differing water requirements for turf, shrubs and flowers, poor drainage, low soil fertility, salt spray from parkway during winter months, pool chemicals and drainage around the pool, wrought iron fence and pergola care presented complex maintenance tasks.

Turf areas on this site are mowed weekly and mower operators change patterns to discourage rutting and soil compaction. Five separate organic fertilizer applications, biological and/or cultural integrated pest management and bi-annual core aerations keep the lawn healthy, durable and attractive. The irrigation system is closely monitored and adjusted for changing site conditions, plant variability and exposure. Maintenance includes crisp bed edges, hand-pruned flowering shrubs, and wrought iron fence and pergola care.

The Chalet Landscape Division dates back to 1917 with the beginning of L.J. Thalmann Architectural Landscaping. Continued growth led to the development in 1942 of the Wilmette Nursery and Garden Center later renamed “Chalet Nursery.” In 1976 with expanding landscape services, a separate Landscape Division was formed. It has been recognized with numerous local, state and national awards.