Great-Grandfather Was a Master Gardener. It Shows.

By designing for the eleven months that are not June. Winter interest comes from evergreen structure, ornamental bark, berries, seed heads, and plant silhouettes that hold their shape under snow, and all of it has to be planned at the start rather than added later. ILT Vignocchi builds planting plans for Chicagoland’s climate so the garden stays composed from November through March, which is when most of the year’s views out your windows actually happen.

Deer pressure is heavy across Chicago’s North Shore and Lake County, so we build planting plans around species deer tend to leave alone, site the more vulnerable plants where they are less exposed, and recommend a repellent program when a client insists on something deer love. ILT Vignocchi has been planting these communities since 1969, which means our recommendations have already survived contact with the local herd.

Yes, and most Chicagoland properties present both. Heavy clay needs amendment, careful grading, and species that tolerate slow drainage, while deep shade beneath mature oaks and maples calls for an entirely different plant list than a sunny border. ILT Vignocchi assesses soil, light, and drainage before selecting a single plant, because anything that merely survives its conditions will never look the way the design intended.

With layered evergreen and understory planting. A screen of staggered evergreens, ornamental trees, and shrubs blocks sightlines the way a fence does while giving you a garden instead of a barrier, and it improves every year rather than weathering. ILT Vignocchi designs privacy plantings across Chicago’s North Shore and the Lake Geneva area, sizing the initial planting for the screening you need now and the growth you will have in five years.