Van Zelst

Van Zelst Designing landscapes is a great way to make a living. The work is varied, interesting and rewarding.

Founded by David Van Zelst in 1979, Van Zelst provides landscape design, installation, and maintenance services throughout Chicago’s Northshore and Lake Geneva Wisconsin. Founded as a landscape design/build firm in 1979, Van Zelst has always been focused on satisfying the design needs of our client. As it turned out, that’s one of the aspects of the business we find most rewarding. Year after year

, the Van Zelst team has designed, installed and maintained beautiful landscapes where clients can play with their children, entertain friends and build their private histories. Over the years, we have continued to seek new ways to ensure the complete satisfaction of our clients. That’s why we now grow 90% of the perennials we use—plus trees and shrubs—in 60 poly greenhouses behind our headquarters. It’s the only way to be sure we’re providing the quality our clients deserve. Today, the Van Zelst team has grown to more than 75 members—including landscape architects, horticulturists, foresters, field managers, stone masons, maintenance teams and more. While we all bring different skill sets, each of us is focused on the same thing—making sure you’re at home in what we create for you.

Every property needs a place the eye is meant to land.  A bench at the far end of the lawn. A burgundy shrub behind it. ...
06/03/2026

Every property needs a place the eye is meant to land. 

A bench at the far end of the lawn. A burgundy shrub behind it. A weeping branch as the natural top frame. Set everything around it. The destination has to come first.

The first long evening of summer is the one you remember.  The light holds past eight now. Dinner outside stops being a ...
05/29/2026

The first long evening of summer is the one you remember. 

The light holds past eight now. Dinner outside stops being a plan and becomes the default. The wine lasts. The conversation runs past dark. Nobody checks the time, and nobody goes inside. 

If yours isn’t ready for them yet, now is the time.

05/26/2026

This is what a morning in your Twin Lakes garden should feel like. Quiet, unhurried, and entirely yours before the day begins. 

Designed to be lived in, not just looked at.

Memorial Day weekend is when the season unofficially starts, and when most homeowners notice for the first time in a yea...
05/22/2026

Memorial Day weekend is when the season unofficially starts, and when most homeowners notice for the first time in a year whether their outdoor space actually works. 

If yours feels half-done, the next eighteen months go fast. Spring 2027 is a realistic finish line for anything you start this summer. 

Wishing everyone a long, slow weekend. Are you ready for summer 2026?

An inside look at why this Winnetka garden works.  The whole property is built around structure. Clipped boxwood parterr...
05/22/2026

An inside look at why this Winnetka garden works. 

The whole property is built around structure. Clipped boxwood parterres give the garden its bones, and the planting, the walks, and the arrival sequence all layer on top of that framework.  

It is the reason the space looks composed in every season, not just at peak bloom.

The impression stops you. The second look helps you find the joy.  Four properties, each from two distances. Both decisi...
05/13/2026

The impression stops you. The second look helps you find the joy. 

Four properties, each from two distances. Both decisions matter equally. 

The impression  stops you. The second look helps you find the joy.  Four properties, each from two distances. Both decis...
05/13/2026

The impression stops you. The second look helps you find the joy. 

Four properties, each from two distances. Both decisions matter equally. 

LakeGeneva ChicagoLandscape

05/07/2026

A landscape becomes a landscape when every decision exists for a reason. Why the path bends here, why those plants are clustered, which sightline got protected, which one got opened.

The plan answers the why. The build is just disciplined ex*****on of it.

Fire on, chairs pulled in, no real plans to go inside. This is the hour we’re designing for every time.⠀⠀
05/05/2026

Fire on, chairs pulled in, no real plans to go inside. This is the hour we’re designing for every time.⠀

Address

39400 U.S. 41
Wadsworth, IL
60083

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

(847) 243-6587

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Van Zelst posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Van Zelst:

Share