Landscape Planting, Boxwood Replacement & Driveway Patio Maintenance Project in Evanston, IL

This landscape improvement project in Evanston, IL combines shrub replacement, refreshed planting beds, seasonal cleanup, and maintenance of the existing driveway and patio surfaces. The planting work focuses on replacing existing boxwoods in the front yard and backyard with new Green Gem boxwoods, removing a declining viburnum near the side door, and installing a Wine and Roses weigela in its place.

Fresh mulch will be added around the designated planting areas to provide a consistent finish, while a fall cleanup later in the season will help prepare the front and backyard for the colder months. The project also includes power-washing the existing driveway and patio surfaces, applying polymeric sand where specified, and finishing with a water-based sealer to maintain the appearance of the outdoor hardscaping.

Project Goals

• Remove 14 existing boxwoods along the front walkway and replace them with 14 Green Gem boxwoods.
• Arrange six new boxwoods around the wind spinner and eight closer to the home.
• Remove the declining viburnum near the side door and install a Wine and Roses weigela.
• Remove 15 existing boxwoods from three designated backyard areas and replace them with 15 Green Gem boxwoods.
• Install mulch around the front-yard and backyard planting areas.
• Complete a fall cleanup of the front and backyard later in the season.
• Power-wash approximately 1,300 square feet of front driveway surfaces and 625 square feet of backyard patio surfaces.
• Apply polymeric sand and a water-based sealer as part of the driveway and patio maintenance.

Front-Yard Boxwood Replacement

The front-yard planting work begins with removing 14 existing boxwoods along the walkway. These shrubs will be replaced with 14 Green Gem boxwoods, each approximately 18 inches in size, to refresh the planting arrangement and establish a consistent evergreen presence along the front entrance.

The new boxwoods will be distributed between two designated areas. Six will be installed around the wind spinner, while the remaining eight will be planted closer to the home. This placement maintains the planned grouping while renewing the existing shrub areas.

Once the new plants are installed, mulch will be added around the planting beds. The finished beds will have a more uniform appearance, with the new evergreen shrubs providing structure and definition around the walkway and front of the house.

Side-Yard Planting Near the Door

The side-yard planting improvement focuses on replacing a viburnum near the door that is partially declining. The existing shrub will be removed, and a Wine and Roses weigela in a #3 container size will be installed in its place.

Replacing the declining shrub introduces new plant material into this entrance area while maintaining a designated planting location beside the home. The Wine and Roses weigela offers a different foliage and flowering character from the existing viburnum, adding seasonal interest to the side-yard landscape.

This targeted replacement complements the front-yard and backyard planting work while addressing a specific area where the existing landscape needs attention.

Backyard Boxwood Replacement

The backyard planting work includes removing 15 existing boxwoods from three designated areas. These will be replaced with 15 Green Gem boxwoods, approximately 18 inches in size, to renew the existing shrub groupings.

Using the same boxwood variety across the designated backyard areas helps create a consistent evergreen planting scheme. The replacement work also provides an opportunity to clear out the existing shrubs before establishing the new plants in their intended locations.

After planting, approximately one yard of mulch will be installed around the designated backyard planting areas. The mulch will provide a finished surface around the shrubs and help retain soil moisture while reducing the amount of exposed soil within the beds.

Mulch Installation & Planting Bed Finish

The project includes approximately one yard of mulch for the front-yard planting areas and one yard for the backyard planting areas. Mulch will be spread around the newly installed shrubs to create a consistent finish across the refreshed beds.

Beyond its appearance, mulch helps moderate soil moisture and temperature and can reduce weed growth when properly maintained. Applying mulch around newly planted boxwoods and the replacement weigela also helps define the planting areas in relation to the surrounding lawn and hardscape.

The final appearance will depend on the existing bed layout and the placement of the new plants, but the goal is to provide a clean, coordinated finish throughout the designated landscape areas.

Seasonal Fall Cleanup

A fall cleanup of the front and backyard will be completed later in the season. This seasonal service will address the accumulated leaves and other landscape debris that develop as trees and plants move toward winter dormancy.

Removing seasonal debris helps keep lawn and landscape areas orderly as the weather changes. It also provides an opportunity to clear the property after the main planting work and prepare the outdoor areas for the colder months.

The fall cleanup is scheduled as a later phase of the project, separate from the initial shrub removal and installation work.

Driveway & Patio Power-Washing

The hardscape maintenance portion of the project includes power-washing approximately 1,300 square feet of driveway surfaces in the front yard and 625 square feet of patio surfaces in the backyard.

Power-washing helps remove accumulated dirt and surface debris from existing paved areas. Cleaning the surfaces also prepares them for the subsequent joint-sand and sealing work, helping the maintenance process address both the visible surface and the joints between the paving units.

The driveway and patio work is recommended for completion as the weather cools and before seasonal leaf accumulation increases. Scheduling the work during suitable weather conditions is important for the cleaning, sand application, and sealer to be completed appropriately.

Polymeric Sand Application

Following the cleaning process, polymeric sand will be applied to the designated paved surfaces as specified in the project scope. Polymeric sand is used in paver joints to help fill the spaces between paving units and create a more stable joint surface when installed and activated according to the product requirements.

Proper joint preparation is an important part of maintaining a paver driveway or patio. Applying new polymeric sand after power-washing helps refresh the joints and supports the overall maintenance of the paved areas.

The application will be coordinated with the cleaning and sealing stages to provide a consistent maintenance process across the front driveway and backyard patio.

Water-Based Sealer Application

The driveway and patio maintenance also includes applying a water-based sealer after the appropriate preparation. Sealing is intended to provide a protective finish to the designated paving surfaces and help maintain their appearance.

The condition of the existing pavers, weather, surface preparation, and product requirements all influence the final result. Allowing the surfaces to be properly prepared and sufficiently dry before sealing is an important part of the application process.

Together, power-washing, polymeric sand application, and water-based sealing provide a coordinated maintenance service for the existing driveway and patio without requiring the surfaces to be replaced.

Coordinating Landscape & Hardscape Maintenance

This project addresses several parts of the property at once, including the front entrance, side-yard planting area, backyard beds, and existing paved surfaces. The shrub replacements renew the landscape structure, while fresh mulch gives the planting beds a consistent finish.

The later-season fall cleanup addresses seasonal debris, and the driveway and patio maintenance focuses on cleaning and refreshing the existing paved areas. Coordinating these services helps keep the property’s planting beds and hardscapes in good condition while addressing both immediate landscape needs and seasonal maintenance.

The driveway and patio work is recommended as soon as suitable conditions allow, ahead of increased leaf accumulation. The fall cleanup will take place later in the season as planned.

Why Seasonal Landscape & Hardscape Maintenance Matters

Shrubs may need replacement as they decline, become uneven, or no longer provide the desired appearance. Replacing selected plants while refreshing mulch allows individual areas of the landscape to be renewed without reworking every planting bed on the property.

Seasonal cleanup serves a different purpose by removing accumulated debris as the growing season ends. Meanwhile, maintaining paver surfaces through cleaning, joint-sand application, and sealing helps address the condition of the existing hardscape and keep it looking cared for.

By combining these services, the Evanston project brings together targeted planting improvements and routine outdoor maintenance in one coordinated plan.

Project Highlights

• Landscape planting improvements in Evanston, IL.
• Removal and replacement of 14 front-yard boxwoods along the walkway.
• Installation of 14 Green Gem boxwoods, approximately 18 inches in size.
• Six boxwoods installed around the wind spinner and eight closer to the home.
• Removal of a declining side-yard viburnum near the door.
• Installation of one Wine and Roses weigela in a #3 container size.
• Removal and replacement of 15 boxwoods across three backyard areas.
• Approximately one yard of mulch installed around front-yard planting beds.
• Approximately one yard of mulch installed around backyard planting beds.
• Fall cleanup planned for the front and backyard later in the season.
• Power-washing approximately 1,300 square feet of front driveway surfaces.
• Power-washing approximately 625 square feet of backyard patio surfaces.
• Polymeric sand application and water-based sealer for the designated paved areas.

As you browse through the photos, you can see the different stages of this Evanston landscape and maintenance project, from removing the existing shrubs and installing new Green Gem boxwoods to refreshing the side-yard planting area and finishing the beds with mulch. The driveway and patio maintenance adds another part of the work, focusing on cleaning the existing hardscape and renewing the paver joints and surface finish.

The project brings together refreshed evergreen plantings, a replacement flowering shrub, seasonal cleanup, and maintenance of the driveway and patio. These improvements address the property’s designated planting areas while helping maintain the appearance and condition of its existing outdoor surfaces.

---

Please call 847.698.6868 or Contact Us

Tommy Pollina Landscape Company – serving Chicagoland since 1982.