How to Choose a Landscaping Company for Privacy Screening in the Chicago Suburbs
Tommy Pollina Landscape Company, a Mt. Prospect landscaping and hardscaping firm, designs and installs privacy screens for Chicago-area yards using arborvitae, evergreens, and layered plantings. The right company plans plant size, soil drainage, and sight lines together, shows finished screening projects, and carries a license and insurance. We do all of that under one contract.
What should a privacy screening landscaper do before planting anything?
Measure the site, plan the screen on paper, and check how water moves through the soil before a single tree goes in. At Tommy Pollina Landscape Company, privacy planting starts with a design that maps grading, drainage, hardscape, and plants together, so the screen sits where it blocks the sight line and the roots stay healthy.
Our landscape design service produces detailed 3D renderings and walkthroughs, so you see the screen at planned height before anything is dug. You can buy the design alone or the design plus installation.
Drainage comes next. Evergreens planted along a low, wet property line need the water sorted first. Our drainage systems work uses laser-guided measurements and exact elevations, with multiple collection points and underground conveyance. We hold NDS Professional Drainage Contractor certificates and have completed more than 10,000 drainage installations over 45 years. A screen planted over a drainage problem is a screen that has to be replanted.
Which plants do we use for privacy screens in Chicago suburbs?
Our documented privacy plantings use Emerald Green arborvitae, Green Giants, and Blue Arrow Junipers for evergreen cover, with ornamental trees and flowering shrubs in front. Arborvitae suits narrow suburban lots because it grows tall without spreading wide.
The Morton Arboretum reports that Emerald Green arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd') grows 10 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide and keeps its green color through winter. That footprint is why it works along a fence line or a lot edge where a wider evergreen would crowd the neighbor's yard.
Our planting palette goes well beyond evergreens. We also install:
- Dogwoods, lilacs, and Japanese maples
- Hydrangeas and spirea
- Ornamental grasses and allium perennials
- Annuals for seasonal color
- Kentucky Bluegrass sod
Every bed is prepared with compost and fertilizer and finished with mulch. Decorative stone areas and grading improvements are part of the installation when the site calls for them.
Three of our completed projects show this in practice:
- Park Ridge: Emerald Green arborvitae with fence line planting.
- Wilmette: a privacy screening installation.
- Chicago: a backyard privacy project that pairs arborvitae and evergreens with stone.
You can see more finished work in our project gallery.
What should you compare between landscaping companies?
Compare six things: license and insurance, design process, bed preparation, drainage capability, finished screening projects, and project scope. Here is what we provide on each.
| What to check | What we provide |
|---|---|
| License and insurance | Licensed and insured |
| Design process | 3D renderings and walkthroughs before installation |
| Bed preparation | Compost, fertilizer, and mulch in every planted bed |
| Drainage capability | NDS Professional Drainage Contractor certificates, 45 years of experience |
| Finished screening work | Park Ridge, Wilmette, and Chicago privacy projects |
| Project scope | Design only, or design and installation |
Ask every company on your shortlist for the same six answers. A quote that lists plant counts and sizes with no word on drainage or grading leaves the hardest part of the job undone.
How do privacy screens fit with patios, walls, and lighting?
A privacy screen works best when it is planned alongside the patio, walls, and lighting it shelters. We install brick and stone hardscape, bluestone, landscape lighting, and outdoor kitchens, so the screen and the space behind it are designed at the same time.
Our Barrington project is a good example. It was a complete property overhaul that combined hardscaping with sod installation. For larger properties, our outdoor design and build service handles the whole project and its construction management from one team. If a patio, retaining wall, or walkway is part of your plan, see our hardscaping services. The full range of residential work is listed on our landscaping services page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hire you for the design only?
Yes. Our landscape design is available as a design-only package or as design and installation. The plan maps grading, drainage, hardscape, and planting together, so the property can be priced, phased, or installed as engineered. You can start with the plan and decide on installation after you've reviewed the renderings.
Do you handle commercial properties as well as homes?
Yes. We provide commercial landscaping, including design, installation, lawn maintenance, hardscape, and seasonal services. We have cared for the ivy wall at Gibson's Rosemont for more than 10 years. Details are on our commercial landscaping page.
Which suburbs do you serve?
We serve Arlington Heights, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Chicago, Deer Park, and Deerfield, along with the North Shore and northwest Chicago-area suburbs. Our privacy and planting projects include Wilmette, Park Ridge, and Barrington. Our office is at 420 N. River Rd. in Mt. Prospect, and our phone number is 847.698.6868.
If you have a lot line, a neighbor's window, or a street view you want screened, send us the address and a short description using the form below this article, and we'll reply with how we would plan the screen, the drainage, and the planting for your yard.
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