Designs of April, Inc.

09/07/2025

Fall containers

09/04/2025

Updated pots for fall. Those zinnias and impatiens were looking tired. I will plant the Heuchera later this fall.

08/31/2025

A history lesson I wasn’t familiar with. I hope you find it instructive.

A newsletter about the history behind today's politics.

07/23/2021

Recent design and installation includes a raised planter for vegetables, native garden and shrub border in the back yard. The front yard picks up the orange/pink tones in the brick with apricot drift roses, fire chief arborvitae, panticle hydrangeas and a Japanese Maple.

07/23/2021

Recent fron yard makeover adds color and texture to complement this traditional house.

07/23/2021

Recent design and installation to provide screening and add texture and color to the view from the patio.

07/23/2021

Recent design installed by owners with my dieection. Patio was installed by others based on my design.

07/23/2021

A great victory for Chicago tree advocates. Openlands has a smart program. The money it raises goes to train tree keepers who volunteer to plant and maintain small trees in public spaces and expand the awareness of the importance of the urban tree canopy. The tree keeper classes feature lectures and workshops taught by tree professionals providing an opportunity to network.

I applaud their advocacy efforts.

To protect trees, the Chicago City Council unanimously voted on Friday, June 25 to establish an Urban Forestry Advisory Board. In Chicago, the Urban Forestry Advisory Board will consist of city com…

10/06/2020

Landscape fabric can do more harm than good when spread under mulch, but there's an alternative that will do the trick much better — newspaper.

08/08/2020

My newest project.

07/31/2020

This week’s project was a complete re-landscape redevelopment. A bluestone raised bed in front yard Was installed with plants and sod. In the back yard, a full range bluestone flag patio with bluestone chips between the flagstones, complemented with slate gravel chips at the pack of the ptoperty. Some of the existing plants were re-purposed for use in the back yard along with some new plants, trees and sod.

07/11/2020

Photos of a recent plant installion.