Bluffside Property
Private Garden – Highland Park, Illinois

Overlooking picturesque Lake Michigan, this property had a bluff that was drastically shifting over time. The design called for intensive consulting with structural, civil, and soil engineers to stabilize the sprawling hillside. A steel beam and concrete panel system was incorporated into the bluff to retain the upper yard grade. The concepts focused on thinning the dense tree canopy of Norway Maple and Poplar to allow sunlight to penetrate the ground plane. The original carpet of Vinca was replaced with native grasses and forbs whose deep root systems assist to stabilize the slope. A winding concrete slab staircase snakes down the bluff to the private beach below. The new environment delivers constant stimuli throughout the year with the diverse planting scheme, butterflies, and migrating birds.

Before

Before

Before