STORE HOURS: Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm | Sun 10am-4pm

The Best Gardens Start with a Plan…

Whether it's a small corner of the yard you wish to make into a pollinator garden, a reduction in maintenance from an overzealous previous owner, an update of plants and hardscapes, brand new construction, or an extensive overhaul of the yard, the award-winning design and build team at Wasco Nursery is ready to reimagine your garden.

Our Specialties

  • Gardens incorporating native plants, pollinator friendly plants, and a diverse palette of seasonal color, texture, flowers, variety and more.
  • Rehabs of existing garden messes & restoring order to chaotic gardens
  • Classic, well thought out designs for older/historic homes to match the architecture and existing plants on site
  • Modern takes on old favorites using new and improved plant varieties often not available to the general public
  • Small space gardens with creative challenges to overcome
  • Designs that are truly low maintenance and sustainable for all types of gardeners

Meagan Provencher, Senior Landscape Designer

  • BS Degree in Horticulture/AgBusiness from Illinois State University
  • 30 years of experience in the design/build green industry – all in the Fox Valley area
  • Illinois Certified Landscape Professional with expert certification in Woody Plants and Perennials – one of only several in the state of Illinois
  • Active committee member of the Illinois Green Industry Association – a statewide organization made up of growers, retailers, suppliers, and landscape design & installation professionals.

Alicia Legel, Landscape Designer

  • BS Degree in Horticulture and Landscape Management from Illinois State University
  • 7 years experience in the horticulture industry, including landscape design, retail garden center, perennial/wholesale growing in the Northern Illinois region

Dream a little dream

When we meet you at your home, be prepared as we'll ask a million questions. We'll find out your likes and dislikes, what your family enjoys about the yard (and what they don't!), what colors catch your eye, what plants you may have on your wishlist - even something as simple as "a tree that flowers". We will take detailed measurements, photos, and notes and talk with you in-depth about your goals for your outdoor space. Also, we work with YOUR budget - as no two landscapes are the same.

Off to the Drawing Board

Once we have all the information, we'll start the design process. We'll provide you with a full scaled CAD drawing completely labeled and organized, a plant catalog with photos of each plant suggested, and estimates and other pertinent information to your project. We will send these materials to you in the mail but PDF versions will also be available upon request.

Plant Some Magic

After you've approved your design and installation and sent in your deposit, then the tractor wheels are set in motion. We'll get you on our planting schedule and our amazing Wasco Nursery crews will arrive to install your project. Installation Day is as exciting as Christmas morning! When those Wasco trucks roll up loaded to the top with plants, the transformation begins!

Still need more info? Check out our F.A.Q. Section below or click HERE to get in touch with our design team.

F.A.Q Section

A Consultation is time set up with one of our plant experts at your home to walk the yard. You can pick their brain about anything and everything in your yard - plant placement/replacement, bug or disease issues, maintenance questions, and more. There are no drawings or estimates provided with this service. (Consultation Fee - $100/hr.)

A Virtual Design is best for small areas or trouble spots. It's often easy for our team to make suggestions for plants right from photos and measurements you send us. We can quickly sketch or suggest ideas for your open spots and send them back to you via email so you can get planting. If you wish for our crews to plant, that can be arranged as well. There is no visit to your home with this service. (Virtual Design Fee - $50)

Partial and Master Plans are in-depth, comprehensive landscape designs that are best suited for larger areas such as the front of your house, backyard, around your patio, hardscaping, fencelines, borders, complete overhauls, new construction, etc. This design process is very detailed and is tailored to your yard. (Partial/Master Plans start at $200/$400 respectively)

Our designers are educated, highly skilled, creative designers that are in high demand. They have years of experience and it shows in their designs. The process of landscape design is not a quick one and it takes time to prepare all of the documents and ideas for your yard. The design fee covers the time involved to prepare and execute your landscape design and present it to you for implementation.

  • Scan a copy of your Plat of Survey ahead of time and email it to your designer. If you only have a paper copy or can't email it, your designer will snap a photo of it on site (or borrow it to scan and return when finished). It is very important that we use the plat of survey in order to get measurements and easements correct on your design.
  • As a household, be prepared to list your overall landscape goals, "trouble spots," desired plants or features, and provide any inspirational photos to be discussed at the time of your appointment.
  • Please note on-site design appointments take place solely outdoors in your yard. In the event of inclement weather your appointment may be rescheduled.
Designs are entered into a queue and completed on a first come, first serve basis. Design plan turnaround times may vary based on the time of year and size of project. Typical turnaround for a design plan can be up to 3 weeks, however projects larger in scale and complexity may have a longer turnaround. No two yards are exactly the same and each has unique features and challenges. We apply the same conscious choices, attention to detail and future oriented planning to all projects big and small. Our goal is always to create a plan that will make your space beautiful and functional for many years to come and we appreciate the trust you place in us to achieve that goal. In order to best serve you, we will never rush or otherwise compromise our overall quality and attention to detail for the sake of a faster turnaround.
Upon completion of your design, you will receive a full scaled copy of your plan, a detailed plan explanation, a cost estimate, and photos of the proposed plants via US mail (and email upon request).
We offer a one-time review of the completed design to make minor edits if needed. Reviews are scheduled via Zoom or in person at Wasco Nursery. This meeting is intended to tweak the design to change colors, types of plants or placement. Larger changes or additions that were not originally discussed at your home, or additional meetings may require additional design fees. Often changes and tweaks are easily made via email vs. an in person meeting to keep ahead of schedule. Email your questions or changes as soon as you can so the process isn't delayed.
Timelines for installation are based on many factors including necessary revisions to the plan, prior booked jobs, plant availability and weather. A quality landscape installation is no different from a kitchen remodel or any other major home renovation. Our installation schedule can be booked anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks out or more depending on the scope of projects, weather, and amount of other jobs scheduled. Plan ahead if you have large events that you want your yard in tip top shape for such as graduation, birthday, or wedding parties. Most typical landscape installations take 1-3 days to complete. Your designer can discuss the current schedule with you. We schedule jobs in the order in which we receive final approval and deposits.
Each landscape is unique! The cost of a completed landscape installation is based off of many factors including:
  • Property size and landscape bed square footage
  • Quantity, size and variety of plants
  • Additional necessary labor for removal of existing plants, regrading, etc.
  • Components such as topsoil, sod, mulch and hardscape materials
Your completed plan will include an itemized estimate of plant materials, installation cost, and any additional required labor or materials. Any proposal can be broken into phases based on your budget, timeline and priorities.
Wasco Nursery has been locally rooted since 1925 (and we aren't going anywhere!). Our knowledgeable, experienced designers and crews are ready to transform your yard into a beautiful space that you can enjoy for years to come. We pride ourselves on providing thoughtful, detailed designs, and quality plants installed with care. Installed plants carry an industry leading three year warranty.
To get started, please click HERE to connect with our Design Team. This quick form gives us a little more information about your project, site and goals, so we can best connect you to the appropriate design service. Once you have completed the questionnaire, sit back and relax. You'll receive a call from our Landscape Design Assistant to schedule your initial appointment and answer any additional questions you may have!

Please note that our Landscape Designers divide their time between working in the office and meeting with clients on site so their schedules vary day to day. EMAIL IS THE BEST WAY TO AVOID PHONE TAG AND RECEIVE THE QUICKEST RESPONSE. PLEASE SUBMIT ALL PROJECT RELATED QUESTIONS AND REVISION REQUESTS VIA EMAIL TO THE DESIGNER OVERSEEING YOUR PROJECT.

For general questions involving our design services contact our administrative assistant, Stacy, directly [email protected]