Maureen was a joy to work with, from the first meeting to completion. We discussed our project with several landscaping companies, and Maureen was the only one who listened to what we wanted and was enthusiastic about transforming our bungalow. She was very flexible with scheduling around house construction and life events. The foreman and entire landscaping crew were professional and efficient, and listened to us. We've received numerous compliments from friends and neighbors on our beautiful new front yard. Hire her now before she books up for spring! :) read more

Taylor Made Landscape Design - Before & after of our beautiful bungalow! - Landscaping Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely great. Maureen is a very, very talented person. We had a blah Chicago backyard square with a homemade concrete patio. Serviceable but dull. We asked Maureen to give us some suggestions on how to make it special. She listened patiently then sat down on our back steps with her sketch pad and her muse. An hour later, she had a range of proposals. We tweaked and consulted, finally settling on a design for a beautiful curved bluestone patio with a sweeping bed of perennials and a gorgeous tree in the corner to anchor it all. Of course, design doesn't do anything if you can't follow up and actually plant it. Maureen's crew was every bit as good as her design. They were prompt, polite, incredibly hard working and really good. The finished product completely lived up to the design. Our yard is now a delight. You won't find a better landscaper in Chicago. read more

As clueless new homeowners, we gave Maureen quite the challenge for helping us design our corner lot brick bungalow after we removed nearly 20 "granny hedges" which lined both sides of our house (you know 'em-- huge, ugly, old evergreens). Maureen developed a plan which transformed our corner lot into a dynamic and textured landscape full of high contrasting plants. It's beautiful and we regularly get compliments. We opted to DIY which meant that after meeting with us a few times, Maureen gave us very specific plans made to scale. She also included lots of alternative plant/tree suggestions which allowed us to really personalize the design and also find things on sale. Maureen stopped by to check in the day we were planting and has since popped over to prune our tree and shrubs. We are very pleased with the whole experience and hope to enlist her expertise when we tackle our neglected backyard someday. read more

My husband called & left a message but never received a call back. When he called to attempt a follow up, he was told that company would not travel south (due to resources) ... However, no one had ever returned his call & he had NOT disclosed our location at the time .... Hmmmmm read more

We had a very good experience with Maureen and her team. She came out on short notice in the end of the fall and got the work done that we wanted before winter. She listened to our varied needs and came up with a plan and executed on that plan at a reasonable cost and time frame. What we liked best is that Maureen didn't come with her own agenda but really listened to what we were trying to do, while also providing good advice. We also really appreciated that she was flexible enough to allow us to provide our own shrubs (purchased on our own for a big savings). She was personable and professional. We liked the end result on the work she did on our backyard (installing sod, relocating several bushes and shrubs, trimming/pruning and planting some new trees). We are planning to have her come back in the spring to talk to us about revitalizing our front yard as well. read more

Bummer. I called and left a message, three weeks ago. Voice greeting says, " my hands are in the dirt". Well they must be stuck because I have not received a call back. Booooo Taylor made. read more

Maureen had great ideas for our yard, including down to the detail of which kind of brick to select for the patio. She is very knowledgeable and easy to work with. Her rates are also very reasonable. As others have said, the only drawback is communication. You might not really know when the work is going to get done. It was worth it for us, we are happy with the patio and sod. read more

I would have LOVED to use them but they never got back to me. Guess my project wasn't what they wanted to do. I'll never know since they do reply back. ;) read more

First, I need to say that this review is way overdue. We moved into our bungalow in the spring and the backyard was a total mess. I mistakenly thought that my husband and I could tackle the job of cleaning it up and planting ourselves. I was wrong! After looking at my messy yard all summer I finally called TMLD in the fall. They came out and listened to my sob story, concerns, and understood exactly my dreams for how I wanted a beautiful backyard space to complement our new home. They provided a design and proposal within my budget in about a week. We loved the design it incorporated all the colors and plants that we had talked about. They helped me select the pavers pointing out various patterns, color, and shape to best complement our home. They also pointed out a few things that I hadn't noticed like that the yard was slightly sloped towards the house instead of away from the house. That's a really important thing! The crew put in a new paver patio, a curving walkway, a lovely Serviceberry tree, hydrangeas and lots of perennials and ornamental grasses. First the patio and walkway went in and about a week later the plants went in. In a few days the entire yard was transformed. I couldn't believe it! We now have a cozy patio for entertaining, beautiful flowers, grasses and bushes to enjoy. I'm going to call TMLD to do our front yard this year! Very happy with the work! read more

We completely gutted and rehabbed our 100-year old house last year - and then realized that as beautiful as the house was, the cracked sidewalk and overgrown bushes really took away from the beauty! We got two quotes, and Maureen was by far the most reasonable. She was very easy to work with and did a fabulous job, both with landscaping and hardscaping (replacing the broken walkway with pavers and stepping stones around to the back and creating a beautiful paver patio). She's creative, professional and sensitive to budgets (in fact, she came in below what we were willing to spend!) and is willing to have you involved or make the decisions for you - whichever you prefer. Her communication and follow-up is excellent, and I've already recommended her to my neighbors. read more

Maureen was very prompt, professional and nice. She did a lovely job transforming my front garden. Its very elegant now and the different colored perennials all compliment each other. Her workers are all very nice. In one day my dated front garden was transformed into an elegant little oasis. I have gotten a lot of compliments from neighbors and passersby. I would definitely recommend Taylor Made Landscape. read more

I had a vision for my front yard, but lack the talent to bring it to life. The fact that I'm steps away from a bus stop and bar, and that people saw it as an easy dumping ground didn't help. Nor did the fact that the weeds had taken over, and I had neither the time nor the energy to fix it all. Luckily for me, I happened upon Maureen Taylor. She had a variety of ideas to dress up the front yard while keeping it relatively low maintenance, and combined flowering shrubs with perennials to make the back yard a little oasis that is starting to attract butterflies. She worked within my budget -- actually coming in below even after I told her I could put a bit more in the garden kitty. She also was fun to work with, while being professional and actually communicating. (A different firm never responded after coming in with a budget that was twice what I said I could afford.) So now I'm puttering around in my yard again with annuals and containers since I no longer find the basics too daunting to cope with. I look forward to working with her going forward to keep making improvements. read more

Maureen from Taylor made design created a landscape design for my corner lot bungalow. She worked with my wife and I to create both a backyard and front yard design. She was willing to work around the fact that we have two 70 pound dogs that have been known to be in the vicinity of holes when they are created...but remain blameless. She spent several weeks working with us to create the design, which was presented to us on large D size velum sheets. A detailed list of plants and quantities was presented to us (we are DIY'ers) as well as some tips on how to create the hard scape she designed. We loved the result. I would recommend Maureen to any aspiring (or experienced) green thumb. We know almost nothing about plants and Maureen sent us examples of plants and overall designs to give her an idea of our tastes. Well done Maureen! read more

Maureen was a true professional. She provided several options for our condo. building. We had a horrible back courtyard and with Maureen's expert advice, she recommended Bluestone pavers that look fabulous. Her crew showed up on time and they were very polite. The work took less than 2 days and all of the condo. owners are very happy with the results. I highly recommend Taylor Made Landscape Design. read more

We hired Taylor Made to remove our old concrete patio and replace with stone pavers. We are happy with the result. The crew was great and the job was complete in one day. I look forward to using Maureen on other garden/hardscape projects. read more

My husband and I used Taylor Made Landscape to transform our backyard from one giant piece of wood into a charming courtyard. We love it! Maureen is very good at what she does. She was very hands on and very responsive throughout the entire process. She was always available by phone and email when she wasn't on site, and she was willing to come to the site if we had questions - even when she wasn't supposed to be there. Being new to landscaping, we asked a LOT of questions. Maureen answered them thoroughly and patiently. She walked us thought the entire process and worked very hard to make the courtyard exactly what we wanted. She succeeded. Maureen was willing to work with our budget. She told us what she could do with the amount of money we had as opposed to saying she couldn't do anything without more money. We're very happy with our new courtyard. We highly recommend working with Taylor Made Landscape! read more

I have a condo townhouse in Lake view with a private patio and flower bed. The old retaining wall was made of rotting rail road ties and the plants were an ugly, overgrown disaster. I found Maureen and she came out right away to take a look at the place. She came up with a gorgeous plan that included lighting, native plants that can take the snow pack, and a stone retaining wall. The installation was painless and we have a patio that is the envy of the entire complex. I'm planning to get her help with an herb container garden next spring. I can't recommend her enough! read more

Maureen's response time was great, she was pleasant to work with and was accommodating to our rush request. The only reason why I don't say 5 stars is because they were supposed to come at 9am and didn't come until nearly noon. If I could do a 4.5 I would. But the work was great, and our back patio looks awesome and they finished the work quickly. Looking forward to using Taylor Made again! I definitely recommend them. read more

Maureen Taylor is one of those people who's found the perfect outlet for her talents. Not sure waht to expect, we asked her to come over and help us make our front yard more inviting before putting our home on the market. Upon arrival, she immediately reeled off an entire improvement plan, offering ideas that would never have occurred to us. We asked her to proceed, and she executed beautifully. The whole effect is clean, fresh and inviting -- exactly what we'd wanted but could not have pulled off by ourselves. We definitely got our money's worth from this business located in our neighborhood. Of all the improvements we've done to get our house ready to sell, this one has definitely had the greatest impact. The whole front yard has been opened up and made to look cared-for and inviting. We did some scaling back from the original plan to keep the project within our budget, and Maureen coped well with that. She has a wonderful eye for landscape design, and we'll definitely call her again when we downsize to our new, smaller home. Taylor Made Landscape has earned our highest recommendation. read more

Meet with Maureen to discuss transforming your crappy, winter-ravaged yard into a green oasis and you'll discover what we did: she's awesome. We instantly trusted her to do beautiful things with our ridiculously small budget. When we hit it big and have a gigantic compound to landscape, we'll call Maureen for that too. If you're just starting to get bids for spring sod, planting, and hardscaping, do yourself a favor and get a quote from Maureen. Highly recommend. read more

We have been thinking of making a patio on our backyard for the past 5 years. For the past 5 years, when Spring and Summer arrives, we want to sit out on our small backyard and enjoy the weather, but could not since we had no patio. Finally, we made a decision to put in a patio and we started googling for potential contractors. Taylor Made Landscape Design was one of the results of our search and after reading the multitude of very positive reviews, decided to give Maureen Taylor a call. She responded on our second call and came over to discuss with us what our plans are. She listened and shared her perspective on what will do well to fit the space, our desires, and our budget. She was confident, knowledgeable and very responsive to our questions and very willing to work with us on our budget. Within a couple of days, the project was completed and the results are outstanding! Not only do we have a great place for enjoying our backyard, the view of all the flowers, plants, and shrubs she had planted was extremely delightful to our eyes. The icing on the cake is our "dry creek bed". We have always wanted a stone garden and this works very harmoniously with our entire backyard. Talk about a total patio makeover!! Maureen has outdone herself again and we're totally pleased with our brand new patio and have been out BBQing in our backyard whenever we can. read more

Maureen Taylor, of Taylor Made Landscape, completely redid my front yard this summer and she did a fantastic job! I mean a really great job. It looks awesome and I get compliments on it almost every day. I came at this project from the perspective that my landscaping had to be completely overhauled; but I knew nothing about how to do it, or what it should look like when it's finished. I told Maureen is that I wanted something cool, unique and that will compliment my house. That, and I needed the retaining wall completely replaced because the developer never installed the necessary drainage. How' s that for a wide open, vague mandate? I found Maureen via Angie's List; along with several other well reviewed vendors. After reviewing several proposals, I went back and talked to each landscaper and basically said I like this; I don't like this; and can you include these feature from one of the other proposals. Surprisingly, two vendors said they would only make changes after we were under contract and a deposit had been paid. As a business owner, I understand that they don't want to invest a bunch of time and energy, only to up not get the business. However, as a consumer, I know I not going to sign a contract and make deposits with a company if I don't know, with reasonable certainty, what the finished product will look like and that they will deliver on time and on budget. That's why Maureen won the business: she earned it. She was willing to work with me; she visited the property several times, took lots of measurements and pictures and made changes and revisions based on my feedback. At the end of the day, Maureen gave me a was very cool, unique design and convinced me she could deliver the finished product on time and on budget. Because Maureen has earned quite a few favorable reviews, she is busier than ever. In fact, part way through the design process she changed her voice mail greeting so callers would know she was pretty swamped and asked for their patience with her follow up. The really cool thing is that the message didn't apply to me. Because I was her client, she was very attentive and responsive. As a client, I don't want to be made to wait; waiting patiently is for the non-clients. I think it was because she changed he voice mail greeting that I noticed it, but once we agreed on the design, cost and time frame, she became even more attentive and responsive. She was all over my project and could not have been more responsive and communicative. The universal truth is, you get what you pay for. Maureen was not the cheapest vendor, but she was definitely in the ball park and she was the best. Maureen earned the business by being responsive, attentive and accommodating. Simply put: she earned the business; just like she earned this review. You will be very well served to hire Maureen Taylor, of Taylor Made Landscape, to handle your landscaping needs. She really knows her business, listens carefully and has the ability to turn the client's mental images into reality, while staying accessible and responsive. In fact, we have already started to come up with a cool design and completely redo my backyard later this summer. read more

Great job by Maureen and her crew. The hardscaping around the house looks fantastic and the plants are coming in nicely!!! Maureen left us appropriate watering instructions and the tags for all the plants. After a bit of a mix-up with the bill (which Maureen managed very professionally and took ownership over), everything got knocked out quickly. If you're on the north side and looking for a landscaper that has an eye for the job and the know how to succeed, look no further than Taylor Made. Would definitely use them again. read more

We only have good things to say about Maureen and her work! No (bad) surprises from the beginning to the end of the process: she does what she says and says what she does (we learned a little about gardening). The result was even better than we had imagined, we absolutely love our yard! Thanks again Maureen read more

The whole experience was fantastic. We had a general idea of what we wanted when we contacted Taylor Made, but ended up changing our focus multiple times as we learned more about the process and options. Maureen was a trusted guide throughout the process, and was cognizant of our budget and overall vision. After an initial, in depth interview, Maureen provided renderings of both yards that really captured what we had in mind. From there, we tweaked the plan a few times based on budgetary and aesthetic considerations, and Maureen was able to adjust the plan seamlessly on the fly. Once we decided on a plan, scheduling and installation went as planned- hardscape and pergola install first, then the main planting. Communication was clear and timely, and the follow up has been good as well. The result is exactly what we hoped for- Maureen and her team clearly love what they do, and it shows. Highly recommended! read more

Taylor Made Landscape Design created two projects for my home- the first was for my small "L" shaped city lot backyard. The design was spectacular! I have a gorgeous round patio that accommodates a fire-pit table and comfy deep seating. The patio is surrounded by a little grass and a perennial garden that always has something blooming spring thru fall with Holly bushes for color throughout the winter!! It is just perfect- so perfect that I won an award from the Mayors office. I loved this low maintenance design so much that I had them do another for the front- we added a perennial garden in front of my front porch and another on my lawn between my house and the neighbors. All summer long, I see people stopping and admiring my house! The design and installation services were much more reasonable than I had expected- and from everything I have read, a great landscape design can add 10% to 20% of value - though I don't plan on leaving my beautiful home any time soon : ) read more

GREAT landscape design and installation, TERRIBLE business sense/ communication. We waited 2 months to get our project installed and during that time I had little idea of what was happening despite multiple emails and calls that went un-returned. At the end of the day I got the 'yard' I was looking for and I really liked my designer - I just wish I didn't have the frustrations from the back-end of the business along the way! read more

Had a fairly large backyard project, that grew with every meeting with Maureen. She is very collaborative, wants the client's input at every stage. She was the only one that actually drew out a scale sketch of the project, at no additional cost, all others wanted a non-refundable fee or didn't offer. The project included removing an old concrete path, replacing all the concrete patios with bluestone, constructing a curved walled sitting structure. Our property is higher than one of our neighbors and we had soil erosion into their yard. TM solved that problem and also diverted water from the gutters into the center of our yard, by an underground system. Replaced all existing sod and mulch, and added new plantings. One last part of the project was a custom designed lattice under the deck. Reversed the rear gate and poured a flat concrete surface for our garbage and recycling canisters. The project took almost a month, start to finish due to some weather issues. Maureen and her crew were a delight to work with and I would highly recommend consulting with her if you have any landscaping project in mind. read more

I purchased my first home last summer. The landscape was nothing special and I wanted to improve my home's curb appeal. I found Maureen and her company Taylor Made Landscape Design on Yelp. I sent a request through the company's website (www.taylormadelandscapedesign.com). Her office timely responded and scheduled a time for Maureen to visit my home. She was friendly and seemed very knowledgeable about her field. She had a proposal to me within 2 days of her visit. I was looking for more flowering plants though than what she originally proposed. Maureen was patient with me as I attempted to explain what I wanted. After a little delay, Maureen gave me a revised proposal that met my needs. The plants were installed today. Maureen and her crew were professional and did a great job. She left detailed, written instructions how to care for the plants, as well as all the labels for the plants. She also left a thank you note. I cannot wait for my new plants to bloom and mature! I recommend Maureen and Taylor Made Landscape Design and will look to Maureen for my home's future landscaping projects. read more

Beautifully done! Maureen (the owner) came by promptly to take a look at our space and make recommendations; we were hoping to replace our failing grass lawn in the front yard with a stone patio. Her ideas were spot-on: 1) make the patio larger than I'd thought but smaller than the entire yard so as to enlarge the planting border, 2) give the stone patio a rounded border to contrast the squareness of everything else, 3) pull out the overbearing large bushes to make the space more airy, and 4) choose a patio stone which accentuates the gray contrast stones in the building. The estimate was prompt and very reasonable, questions were answered quickly, and the work was completed beautifully!! Highly recommended! read more

We are very happy with the work done on our property by Maureen Taylor and her team at Taylor Made Landscape Design. We would highly recommend her company to anyone with landscaping needs. The process from initial contact to the final installation was pain free, and unlike many contractors, we never had to wait long for her to respond to any question or concern we had. And, ever since the work has been done on our front and side yards, we regularly receive compliments from our neighbors on how great it all looks! We agree...Thank You Maureen! read more

This is long overdue. Last summer (2014) I had Maureen of Taylor Made Landscaping design and install my new patio and walkways Her creativity and wonderful crew brought my vision to reality. I am still in love with my blue stone patio, my flagstone patio, my BBQ center and sidewalks. On our initial meeting Maureen came by and we sat for over 2 hours and walked around my small lot and explored the possibilities. Before we drew up final plans Maureen came by again a second time to help me pull my ideas together instead of talking on the phone about it. I got 3 full estimates in addition to Maureen. While not the least expensive and not the most, she was the one who got what I was looking for and spent the time sharing ideas and brainstorming. While the others were reputable based on reviews and recommendations, there just wasn't the creativity and enthusiasm for my project. One significant difference that did not occur to me until later was that Maureen and I nailed down the wish list and design before all the measuring for the proposal. Two of the others were measuring up before it was even fleshed out telling me what was going to happen. Maureen understood my vision and came up with ideas to keep the costs in line. Here blue stone price was very good and excellent quality material. I had wanted blue stone (in addition to the main patio) going all the way to an area where we keep the BBQ s which is behind a partial fence and she talked me out of the expense of the blue stone as it really would not be seen and to use a blue gray Belgium block. So, so, glad I did that. I ended up replacing all my walks, lifting an old flagstones patio and resetting it, incorporating a curving sidewalk of Belgium block and replacing my back sidewalks to the alley. We widened the back walk by 6 inches and what a visual difference that made from the skinny cement walk. Things are holding up great a year later and the compliments keep coming. I replaced my front walks with dark red bricks and she knew exactly what I was looking for. Those Home Depot bricks just don't really look right to me, she knew exactly what I meant and sent me to an address to see a walk that was done with what I was looking for. The front and back of my house look elegant and well integrated into my eclectic landscaping. I cannot say enough about her stone crew and their leader Fernando. They re-purposed the flagstone it was beautiful 3 inch thick stone and relaid it. It had been put in in the 40's and was sinking among other things. The new adjoining block walk curves into the new patio and visually the three materials flow together and look very natural. My original shape on one side could not be accommodated when the digging began due to the large maple roots. We worked together on the fly to redesign without a lot of hassle. Great care was taken to see that none of the existing landscaping was injured. The workers were professional, meticulous, friendly and flexible as we went along. They took real pride in their work and they cleaned up magnificently. I was not nickel-ed and dimed on anything and they did a few little extras such as cementing a gap between the stucco and stone work that was part of the deal so it would look better. Enough said I will post pictures as soon as I sweep up my 3 inches of Maple seed helicopters. read more

I had Maureen advise me on what to do with my terribly overgrown backyard. She gave me an excellent price on removing a lot of old plants and weeds and installing sod. Highly recommended! read more

Lost our large shady parkway tree last fall and my lovely shade garden will need to be changed out. Our not so lovely pebble/stepper path that leads thru the garden had to be addressed first, as a major design element. Maureen and I met, exchanged ideas and decided on a full range blue stone that we used in our rear yard last year. After that nightmare of a project with a different company, I was a bit gun shy but pulled the trigger anyway. So happy I did! The difference in the professionalism, execution, and outcome is like night & day. I also appreciate Maureens willingness to work with people such as myself, that want to be involved in the gardening/landscaping process and may not need or want it totally done for them. She has shared ideas and plant suggestions that would not have occured to me. Those discussions and decisions are ongoing, but felt the need to share the experience with those in need of hardscaping, and looking for a great company to put it together for them. read more

We recently had a total renovation of our backyard completed by Taylor Made. Our experience was great! No communication issues, timely and prompt responses to texts/calls and prompt appointment times. Maureen designed a natural looking, beautiful shade garden, including an entire brick patio with landscaping all around. Maureen and crew used what plants I already had in my yard, divided and dispersed them throughout the yard. It looks amazing! I've already entertained several times and will be doing lots more this summer. I would highly recommend Taylor Made. read more

We just completed the second half of our landscaping project with Taylor Made and could not be happier. Essentially, we ripped out all the old trees/shrubs/bushes from the entire perimeter of our property and Maureen and her crew transformed it into a breathtaking garden of color, texture, and form. She also designed a new back patio and front walkway which perfectly complement both the house and new landscaping. I originally contacted several landscaping contractors and Maureen instantly stood out from the crowd. Not only did she listen, but provided a creative solution that met our budget...the FIRST time. Her communication was excellent and the job was completed as promised. In addition to her talent, what sets Maureen apart from the pack is her personality, enthusiasm and passion for what she does. She is truly an artist and delightful to work with. read more

We did our homework and got 3 estimates to have our front and back yards landscaped. Of the 3, Taylor Made Landscape Design was the only one who actually put some creativity into the design proposal. We are so pleased with how our yard looks. We also incorporated suggestions made by the designer for areas of our property that were not under the purview of landscape design. Our neighbors were so impressed, they asked for her information. Very happy with the results. read more

They require a $75 upfront fee just to come out and talk to you about the project. The money is deducted from the overall project cost however, it means that you're locked in to doing business with Taylor or if you choose another landscaper, you're out of pocket the $75 fee. read more

I was very happy with the design and the service I received from Taylor Made Landscape Design. I have a small city lot that already has a lot of perennials. Maureen worked with me to figure out how to better utilize what I had, how to rearrange things, and what to add. For me, this was better than starting completely over. She was very flexible and rather than tell me what I should do, worked with me on what I wanted. Things were laid out in terms of what to do immediately, what to do in the fall, and then next spring. The bricklayer and carpenter she recommended did excellent jobs, came when they said they were going to, and were very professional. She followed up with everything and was accessible when I had additional questions. read more

My family moved into our new house in Edgewater in January. We couldn't wait for the warm weather to arrive, for many reasons but particularly because we wan't to re-do our house's side and front landscaping--the harsh winter beat the last bit of life out of the old, overgrown yews and trees flanking our house. Maureen came out to see our house not long after we called her and got to work putting together a design to complement the style of our house and taking into account the level of maintenance we desired and plant choices we liked. We talked extensively about the plan and agreed on a final design. And then the magic happened. In just one day all of the dead trees and bushes were out and new, beautiful trees, shrubs and perennials were in! You can't anticipate the difference the change will make--it's remarkable. We loved our house when we bought it in January, but we love it so much more now. Maureen and her team are consummate, talented professionals and we look forward to working with them again next year on our backyard. Nancy and Parker Everett read more