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Plant beds separating the two properties

Heffernan Landscape Design

Established in 1994, Heffernan Landscape Design is a full-service design-build residential landscape company serving Chicago and the suburbs. We offer all phases of landscape design and construction from garden plans to lighting, paths, stone patios and plantings.


While some of our outdoor projects are recognized for the strong, clean geometry of stone hardscapes with lush plantings, our varied style blends your project goals and preferences with our expertise in landscape design.


From the garden design to the construction of outdoor structures and installation of the landscaping plants, everyone at Heffernan Landscape Design is dedicated to creating a unique outdoor living space that will enhance the beauty and character of your home. With careful consideration of your site’s features coupled with your own garden ideas, needs and budget, we will help you create a beautiful, yet functional home landscape.



Carol Heffernan, Founding Principal

Carol Heffernan, founding principal, received a BFA and MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago. She uses her artistic, aesthetic and technical background to apply garden design principles in creating a sense of place, whether it’s a large estate on the North Shore, an historic home in the suburbs, a sleek, modern house on a city lot or the rooftop of a condominium.

Professional Affiliations:

APLD Association of Professional Landscape Designers

ILCA Illinois Landscape Contractors Association

LDA Landscape Design Association

Carol and her crew were super professional. She designed a beautiful design for my back year (landscaping, patio and fire pit) and it turned out exactly as I wanted. They also were great about cleaning up after each day of work.Read More

Beautiful Patio and Landscape design! We recently hired Heffernan Landscape Design to build a stone patio and landscape our backyard and couldn't be more pleased. From the initial consultation, design work, demo of existing deck to installing a new stone patio, garden beds and landscaping, everything was completed with perfection! Carol and her Team were professional, courteous and worked really hard to design and build an amazing space for our family. We love the design elements and are enjoying our new outdoor living space. All of the new plantings are thriving and blooming and have been attracting pollinators and butterflies to our backyard for us to enjoy. We had two new raised garden beds installed as well as lighting for our new stone patio- everything is absolutely gorgeous. We are enjoying our new space everyday and can't wait to entertain! We would highly recommend Heffernan Landscape Design to build a new outdoor space and landscape your home- every home needs a refresh and it not only adds beauty and value to your home, but a space for you and your family to enjoy daily.Read More

Carol & the HLD team were a pleasure to work with throughout the course of our project. They were timely, responsive, creative, and the quality of their work was top notch. We love our new backyard space (especially the Zen garden) and would not hesitate to work with HLD again.Read More

We've used Heffernan for years. Carol has a great eye for design and works with you to bring your ideas to life. Recently Carol and her crew worked with us to help us choose just the right materials for hardscaping; they patiently worked with us to show how the final product would look and to make sure that the job was done right. The effort (and patience) they put in with everything was above and beyond.Read More

Carol Heffernan designed my backyard and I love it. It was a difficult project with many large trees and roots, and shade. But I love it and am looking forward to this coming spring when all the plants will awaken with leaves and flowers. Also, kudos to her crew. They are wonderful.Read More