Originally built in 1915, the homeowner hired the firm of Jens Jensen as the landscape architect for the property. The important features of the site remaining from the Jensen era are the beautiful random Oak trees (Quercus) reaching nearly 100 years of age and a specimen Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus).

The design concepts concentrated on the history and preservation of the site while implementing modern day necessities into the design. Stone benches suspended from brick garden walls were introduced to delineate the entry to the property. A series of steps allow the entry walk to meander along the slope of the front yard. The goal for the planting design was to create a simplified horizontally-branched planting palette to allow the existing Oaks to breathe and reclaim the neglected property. Many of the additional plantings introduced mimicked those already on site, adding a Swamp White Oak and several Burning Bush to the landscape. Removal of the overgrown Buckthorn and many Ash saplings has returned the property back to its historic park- like presence.

The rear terrace gardens are designed as an outdoor extension between the main house and separate guest quarters. Forty eight inches of elevation changes between the residence and guest house created a complex space to be designed during the conceptual process. Detailed landscape plans, construction elevations and engineering drawings were all required by the village prior to construction. The result is a garden room defined by masonry walls, an arbor structure and a planting scheme of layered perennials, a specimen Japanese Cutleaf Maple, and lush annual planters.

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   House Beautiful Project
   Glencoe, Illinois