Landscaping Pros McHenry, IL
Lawn Care, Tree & Shrub Trimming, Snow Removal & Patios
Landscaping Pros McHenry handles residential and commercial landscaping in McHenry, IL and the towns around it. The work starts with lawn care and mowing, tree and shrub trimming and snow removal, and carries on through paver patios and retaining walls, landscape design and installation, and irrigation and sprinkler repair. We're licensed and insured, we clean up after every job, and every estimate is free.
- Lawn Care & Mowing: mowing, fertilizing, weed control, aeration and spring and fall cleanups
- Tree & Shrub Trimming: pruning, hedge shaping and cutting back overgrowth
- Snow Removal: driveways, sidewalks, commercial lots, salting and de-icing
- Hardscaping & Patios: paver patios, retaining walls, walkways, fire pits and landscape lighting
- Landscape Design & Installation: planting beds, sod, mulch and drainage
- Irrigation & Sprinkler Repair: repairs, new systems and fall winterization
- Commercial Grounds: mowing, cleanups and snow clearing for business properties
Contact Us
Lawn Care & Mowing
Lawns in northern Illinois are cool-season grass: Kentucky bluegrass in full sun, often mixed with some perennial ryegrass, and fine fescues under shade trees, though even those need a few hours of direct sun. We mow on a weekly schedule through the growing season, which at the local weather station runs about 162 days between the last spring freeze and the first fall one in a typical year.
Fertilizing, weed control and core aeration fit around that calendar. University of Illinois Extension names fall as the best time to aerate, and early August to early September as the window for seeding lawns in northern Illinois, so that's when thin patches get overseeded. White grubs hatch around early August in this part of the state, which is why preventive grub treatment goes down in July.
Spring and fall cleanups and leaf removal are part of the service too. If you'd rather use curbside pickup for leaves, the city's hauler, Flood Brothers Disposal, collects leaf piles near the curb every other week through the fall. You can read more about our lawn care in McHenry on its own page.
Tree & Shrub Trimming
We prune trees and shrubs, shape hedges and cut back branches that crowd a roof, a driveway or a walkway. Trimming is the whole service: we don't take trees down or grind stumps, so the estimate covers tree and shrub trimming only.
Ash trees are worth a closer look in this county. The state confirmed emerald ash borer in Lake in the Hills, Marengo and Woodstock back in 2009, so if we're trimming near an ash that looks to be in decline, we'll point it out.
Licensed, Insured and Tidy
We're licensed and insured. Every job ends with a clean-up, so the driveway, walks and beds are clear when we leave. Call for a free estimate and we'll visit the property, talk through what you want and give you a written estimate before any work is booked.
Snow Removal
We plow residential driveways and commercial parking lots, clear sidewalks and walkways, and salt or de-ice them so they stay safe to walk on after the plow has gone. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals put average snowfall at the McHenry station at 34.5 inches a year. More on snow removal in McHenry is on its own page.
City rule: McHenry's city code makes it unlawful to push or pile snow from private property onto streets, sidewalks, curbs or fire hydrants, and each day it stays there counts as a separate offense. Plowed snow has to be stacked on your own property, so we plan where it goes before the first storm.
Hardscaping & Patios
We build paver patios, walkways, retaining walls and fire pits, and add landscape lighting along paths, steps and patio edges so the space works after dark.
The ground under a patio matters as much as the pavers on top. McHenry sits on glacial ground: the McHenry soil series, first described here in the county in 1960, formed in silty loess over loamy glacial till on moraines and till plains, and the county reports thick sand and gravel deposits within 20 feet of the surface across about 37% of its land. Moraine Hills State Park, three miles south of town, takes its name from the moraines, ridges of glacial debris, that shape this landscape. So the estimate for any patio or wall starts with the soil and drainage in your yard before a layout is drawn.
Landscape Design & Installation
Good professional landscaping starts with a plan for where water goes, so we look at slopes, downspouts and soggy spots before anything is planted. From there we lay out planting beds, put down sod or mulch, and fix yards that hold water with French drains or regrading.
Plants are chosen for this climate. The 60050 ZIP code is in USDA hardiness Zone 5b, where the coldest night of the winter averages −15 to −10°F, and tender plants go in once the late-freeze risk drops off in the second half of May. Sod can go down any time in the growing season, while seeding works best in late summer.
Irrigation & Sprinkler Repair
We repair broken heads, leaks and controllers, install new sprinkler systems and winterize them in the fall. Winterizing clears the water out of the lines before it can freeze in them. The median first fall freeze at the local station is around October 11, with a one-in-ten chance of one before September 27, so it's worth booking the blowout in early fall rather than waiting for the first hard frost.
Commercial Landscaping & Grounds
For businesses and other commercial properties we handle mowing and trimming, seasonal cleanups, landscape installation and winter snow clearing, with salting for parking lots and walks. Whether it's a storefront in the Riverwalk district between Green Street and Riverside Drive or a lot on the edge of town, the city's snow rule applies just the same, so snow storage is part of the plan from the start.
Landscaping for McHenry's Soil and Seasons
The Fox River runs along the east side of downtown, and the Riverwalk follows it and its tributary, Boone Creek. McCullom Lake sits on the northwest edge of town, with Petersen Park and its beach on the shore. The same river links the Chain O'Lakes, which spread across McHenry and Lake counties. Low ground near water, glacial soils and a growing season of a little over five months in a typical year shape when each job makes sense:
- Spring: cleanups, edging and fresh mulch, first mowing once the lawn is growing; tender plants in the second half of May
- Summer: weekly mowing, hedge and shrub trimming, and preventive grub treatment in July
- Late summer: seeding and overseeding from early August to early September
- Fall: core aeration, leaf removal and sprinkler winterization before the first hard freeze, typically around mid-October
- Winter: plowing, sidewalk clearing and salting
Before We Dig: JULIE
Utility lines get marked first. Illinois law requires underground utility lines to be marked before any digging starts. JULIE, the state's one-call service, asks for at least three days' notice (weekends and holidays don't count) and no more than ten days before digging, so patio, wall, drainage and planting jobs are scheduled with that lead time built in.
Areas We Serve
Besides McHenry itself, we work in Johnsburg, Wonder Lake, Crystal Lake, Lake in the Hills, Fox Lake, Island Lake, Prairie Grove, Ringwood, Spring Grove, Richmond and Woodstock. That takes in the Fox River towns, from Moraine Hills State Park and the McHenry Dam to the Chain O'Lakes.
Landscaping FAQs
Quick answers to what homeowners and businesses ask us most.
When does lawn care start in the spring?
Spring cleanups and the first mowing start once the ground has dried out and the grass is growing again. Planting tender annuals waits longer: the median last spring freeze at the local station is May 1, and there's still a one-in-ten chance of a freeze after May 19.
What's the best time to seed or aerate a lawn here?
Late summer and fall. University of Illinois Extension gives early August to early September as the seeding window for northern Illinois lawns and names fall as the best time to aerate, so we overseed and aerate together then.
Do you remove trees?
No. We trim trees and shrubs only, including pruning, hedge shaping and cutting back overgrowth. For a full removal or stump grinding you'll need a tree removal company.
Do you plow commercial lots and sidewalks?
Yes. Snow removal covers residential driveways, commercial parking lots, sidewalks and walkways, plus salting and de-icing.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes, we're licensed and insured.
How much does landscaping cost?
It depends on the size of the yard, access, the materials and how often the work is needed, so a patio and a season of mowing are priced very differently. The free on-site estimate gives you the real figure before anything is booked.
How do I get a free estimate?
Call (815) 827-1515 or fill in the quote form on this page. We'll arrange a time to visit the property, talk through what you need and give you a detailed, no-obligation estimate.
