Escapes Landscape Design

We had a great experience working with Matt and his team! Matt took the time to sit down with us and get a feel for what our needs were and came up with a plan that we loved and that fit our budget (and we love it even more in person than we did on paper). This is a guy who does what he does because he truly loves it, and it shows in his work. The quality of product was superb, as well. Beautiful plants in good condition that we can’t wait to see grow into maturity! We had a miscommunication about old plants that we wanted to stay and they were accidentally taken out during the project. Matt more than made up for his minor mistake, and planted a whole additional bed with new plants at no charge. Amazing. They even cleaned up everything so well after the project was done (cleaned the sidewalks, not a piece of scrap left in our yard!) and left everything looking BEAUTIFUL! Thank you Matt & Escapes Landscape Design!!

I do project management for clients and, therefore, regularly work with many contractors, tradespeople, office people, etc.. Within that experience, Matt and his team at Escapes Landscape Design have been absolutely great. As well, for many jobs, when you hire, you will be seeing and working with these individuals for the next many years to come for ongoing service and repair - and new projects. So, like and trust, in addition to skill, are all important. And, again, Matt and his team fit this bill perfectly. Key to the experience we had with Matt in building a pond with waterfall features was that Matt presented a concept that was exactly what the client asked for. BUT, he also presented a design that the client and other landscapers we interviewed had not thought of. My client went with this alternate concept, and I don't think the results would have been as nearly satisfying without Matt bringing this idea to the table. Beyond construction abilities, Matt's plant knowledge is excellent. As the season progressed after the install, all were happily surprised with some of the natural changes in the plants. The plants were chosen with great foresight as to how they would develop and fit in the setting, and with few, if any, plant casualties, they were properly chosen for Chicago weather. In sum, the client was extremely impressed and very happy with the result, and from my part, it was a pleasure directly working with Matt and his team. Highly recommended!

I found Matt thru the ILCA website because I wanted someone with a professional and educated background. He also had excellent reviews. We were hired him to redesign our front and backyards and install a patio. He is wonderful to work with. He will show up for appointments and if he is late he will let you know. He is always easy to reach and was patient with all my questions. He is a great listener and his customer service is excellent. Matt is a very talented, creative designer and knowledgeable about plants. He wants to make sure you are happy with his design plans and planting ideas and is open to your own ideas. He was fairly priced and respectful of our budget. Our project is being completed in 2 phases. The first phase and was done this past August and the crew he uses from Blue Hills were hard-working, courteous and when finished, cleaned up the area so nicely. Matt followed up a few weeks after the job to make sure we were happy and to check that everything looked good. We are looking forward to having the second phase installed this summer! Great job Matt!

Blue Hills Inc has been working with Escapes the past couple years. Together we have transformed many yards and look forward to landscaping many more. Patios, water features, plants, lighting and outdoor living spaces are just a few of the capabilities Escapes can help you out with. Matt works very hard to ensure we exceed customer expectations on every job. Looking forward to an excellent 2018!!

Matt's design was right on target for our current needs! He listened well and delivered what we wanted. Working with Matt was a great learning experience. We learned about plants and shrubs that would fit our environment and aesthetic taste. Additionally, he was always available to answer our questions. The best endorsement of Matt's services is that we are going to employ him again for phase two of our landscaping project.

Matt did a great job helping me imagine how my existing landscaping could be changed to enhance the curb appeal of my house. He was able to add new plants to complement the plants I wanted to keep. He and his crew worked extremely diligently to ensure that everything looked great! I'm very happy with the result.

Having made some very bad selections in the past regarding landscape contractors, we were very careful this time around and decided to hire Matt based on the positive reviews we found and the good impression that he made when we brought him out to discuss our project. We couldn't be happier! The design process was great and he used used a fantastic stone contractor to execute our patio project. Matt was respectful of our budget and very clear about anything that would incur extra costs, and gave his input on what was worth upgrading and what was not. Despite being the middle of the summer (busy season), he also managed to get us on a very speedy timeframe and completed our project faster than we even expected. This was only "phase 1" of improving our large backyard, and we will be working with him again next year for the landscaping and front yard improvements.

After consulting with several design and landscape companies, we chose to go with Escapes Landscape and Design. After the initial consultation Matt returned and presented a clear and thoughtful vision for the project that more than met our expectations and stayed within our budget. We had Matt complete a fairly large landscape area of our backyard. Throughout the implementation process Matt communicated easily and thoroughly and the job was completed on time and on budget. One aspect that we enjoyed was Matt's affable personality; he was very approachable and kept the job site clean and safe for our 4 and 2 year old children who he interacted with incredibly kindly. One area where Escapes excelled where other companies we've worked with have not, was with replacing landscaping that did not survive the transplant process; he honored all commitments/contractual language quickly and without hassle. Further, he followed up on several occasions and provided additional information (fertilizing, pruning, etc) that has helped our landscaping thrive. We intend to use Escapes services again next spring.

I hired Escapes Landscape Design to work on my front yard landscaping. We literally started from zero...just two ugly bushes. I have an older house that is pretty unique. Matt came in with a fully customized design for the property. He was easy to work with, extremely knowledgeable on plant materials, and incorporated our thoughts into his design. He was friendly, always on time and got the project done within budget. We had pretty nasty weather, but the team still came through and worked to get it done on. The team is trustworthy and well equipped to handle any type of job. I would highly recommend anyone to use their services!

Matt designed and constructed a path and stairway from the driveway in the front of the property to the backyard on a sloping area. Matt used pavers and large limestone slabs to provide access on an otherwise difficult to navigate hill. We are very pleased with the project and Matt's professionalism and creativity.

We hired Matt and his crew this fall to change the overgrown look of the front and sides of our house to a more streamlined clean look. Matt picked plants based on a lot factors like sun or no sun, needs less maintenance, placement in the yard based on the other plants and rocks and he kept with the Frank Lloyd style of our home. Overall, we are very pleased with the work, and the project was delayed some by the weather. Our plan is to have them back in the Spring to complete the backyard.

Matt did a fantastic job with our home. We completely overhauled the landscaping around our house, removed an old patio, and built a new one. The process was explained at the start of the project and Matt made sure we were kept in the loop throughout the entire process. We couldn't be happier with the new look of our home!