Nine reasons to have Muddy Boots design and build your landscaping project

 1. We’re fat-free.

We really do have low overhead, which means you get a high quality project at an affordable price. What’s the word we’re looking for – that’s it … value.

2. We match your landscape to your life.

Kids. Dog. Grandkids. Semi-serious gardening hobby. Herbs for cooking. Something to look at through the window between innings. Something a little off the beaten path. Never indoors during the summer. Never outdoors during the summer. Never home. Always home. We’ll help you decide which path to take.

3. We use only the very best plants.

A little secret about this business is that there are plants and there are PLANTS. The wide range in quality in nursery-land means that there are trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers out there to meet every level of project quality. We go to great lengths to find shrubs with top-notch branching, perennials with clean foliage, and evergreens that will stay green.

4. We rise to the challenge.

We haven’t figured out how to get water to run uphill yet (at least without a pump). Oh, and maybe training your dog not to dig holes. Other than that, we live to prove our mettle.

5. We are small enough to give you top-level undivided attention.

Our response time comes in at just under warp speed. Michio Kaku is investigating.

6. We match your landscape to your budget and your  lifestyle choice.

My wife sent me on an errand to “pick up a bottle of Pinot for under $20.” I stood in the crowded little wine store, scratching my head for awhile, examining a nice array of Pinots from $9 to $95. (I guess it was a nice selection. They had attractive labels. They were full of what looked like red liquid.) I found myself in a conversation with the owner about lifestyle choices. Is a $95 bottle worth $86 more than a $9 bottle? Would you NEVER spend $95 on a bottle? Would you MAYBE spend that for a very special occasion? Is trying new wine an exciting part of your life, or is wine just something you have to bring when you get invited to dinner? How often (and where) you eat out. Yacht or bass boat. Dells or Rome. Vacation home or new addition. Toyota or Lexus. Bud or Three Floyds. It’s not about right or wrong, good or bad. It’s about what your interests and priorities are, tempered by what you can afford. We’ll be glad to help you out with your decision when it comes to landscaping. The main bathroom in our house has a nice blue bathtub and matching blue commode. Very 1960’s. My wife is a great cook and has a top of the line stove. Even though we have a small house, we couldn’t afford to renovate both the kitchen and bathroom. Lifestyle choice, forced by the reality of what we could afford.

7. We want you to keep coming back.

A landscape is not static – it evolves. Most of our client relationships are long-term. Very rarely do we design and install a project – and never hear from the client again.

8. We’re indigenous.

We know what works here and what’s doomed. Chicagoland has a surprisingly short and extremely intense growing season, with wild swings in weather patterns from one year to the next. The winters are bleak and cold  – although a well designed garden can be as pretty as on snowy day as it is on warm day in May.

9. We have the map and the compass.

We’re here to help you navigate your way through the landscaping wilderness. We’ll keep the budget-devouring beasts away.