Your Landscaping FAQ’s Answered by Chicagoland Experts

We serve the north and northwest Chicago suburbs. See all the areas we serve for further information.

JMA uses a variety of resources, such as rock salt, calcium-blends for sidewalks, and a less environmentally impacting liquid brine.

JMA uses our proprietary online webtool to send email alerts about forecasted snow events before, during, and after to keep customers informed. This information is available by logging in online along with service reports specific to each customer.

JMA deploys a snow-scouting team at the anticipated time that snow is expected to start, allowing us to accurately deploy our crews so that we stay ahead of the expected storms.

JMA currently accepts electronic transfer and checks.

For businesses that have a late start-of-business, which would allow us to service them at the end of a normal snow plowing period, we have offered reduced cost services. In most cases we offer discounts to not-for-profits in keeping with one of our company core values. For companies that have recently experienced reduction in force we have been able to reduce our costs by plowing and deicing smaller parking areas.

Yes, JMA will assign a crew to your site that will meet any time requirements you might have for snowfall accumulations that have occurred during the evening and overnight hours.

After making sure that we provide services in a safe manner, our top priority during daytime snow events is to keep traffic moving through parking lots and driveways by keeping the main lanes open and main sidewalk entrances cleared. Once businesses are closed, our crews are re-deployed to clear the entire property.

Yes, JMA can provide these services for sidewalks.

Yes, JMA has the equipment and capability to either relocate snow on-site or to haul snow off-site.

No, JMA does not provide snow services to Home Owner Associations or single-family residences.

You probably wouldn’t allow your business to go without proper care and maintenance as it would deteriorate quickly and lose value. The same applies to your landscape. You have made a significant investment in your landscaping and it should be properly cared for through a professional turf and plant health care program designed to protect that investment and ensure a healthier and more enduring landscape. An Account Manager will be assigned to manage your property and assist you with additional needs you may have on your site.

The price for a landscape maintenance program will vary from site to site. Getting a proposal is simple. We will survey your site, evaluate the property’s needs, and develop a proposal that is customized to your specific circumstances.

Full service maintenance includes mowing and trimming of all turf areas, removal of grass clippings as needed, blowing of all hard surfaces, removal of leaves and other debris from turf area, and removal and clean up of weeds, leaves and debris in bed areas. Our maintenance program can be tailored to your needs.

No. Clippings contain water and elements that are desirable for soil and turf. Your soil contains microbes and fungi that break down the clippings to a form usable by the plants. Also, these clippings will keep soil covered, minimizing evaporation. As the clippings decompose, they return organic matter to your soil, helping create tiny spaces (macropores and micropores) for water and air, improving percolation and fighting compaction.

Depending on your contract, we’ll usually visit once a week during most of the season. In April, we perform your spring cleanup and usually begin weekly mowing by the beginning of May. In late October through November, we visit your site approximately every 10 days to perform fall operations including leaf cleanup.

Once you set up your landscape maintenance program we will bill you every month. Other services are billed as the work is performed. Call us for more information about our payment terms.

An Account Manager is assigned to each client. They perform site inspections, schedule crews, assist the client with any site needs and answer any questions that the clients may have. They will work with the client to address any site issues and work with them on improving the site.Who is my contact person for Maintenance questions?

You can call your Account Manager at any time to discuss flower needs. We also have additional resources and people to help our clients create new designs and ideas. Your Account Manager can set this up.

We offer four possible rotations of annual flowers (or seasonal color): spring, summer, fall and winter. The timing of each installation depends solely on the weather.

A rough timeline follows:
Spring: bulbs late October / early November, spring plantings Late March-Early April Summer: after Mother’s Day Fall: September Winter greens: mid-November

The best place to start is with the Account Manager. They will be able to assist you in matching up the correct group of people to best suit the needs of your project.

Our Account Managers and Foreman are trained to identify and diagnose most plant problems. If they cannot come up with an answer, we have a vast network of resources both inside our company and outside to help diagnose the problem and create a treatment plan.

Our foreman or Account Manager identify most dead plant issues on a regular basis during regular site visits. For clients who are covered under our ongoing plant guarantee we will replace these usually without being asked. If we have not informed you of any dead plants please feel free to call the Account Manager to bring the issue to our attention.

Most landscape plants require some form of pruning, whether to preserve a loose, natural form, or to create tight, compact shapes. Each individual tree or shrub has its own, unique pruning needs, depending on variety, exposure and desired result. Unless you have formal hedges or topiaries, our pruning philosophy is to encourage the natural form of the plant.

The majority of our in-season pruning focuses on removing spent blooms and removing dead or damaged limbs. It is equally important to know when not to prune. If you prune some species during the summer you may limit the plant’s ability to produce another season’s interest (i.e. berries, hips, fall blooms).

Because it is the best time of year to observe the natural shape of plants, and certain plant materials respond better to pruning that would normally stress them during the active growing season, we also provide one dormant pruning that can be an add on to your maintenance contract.

You can call our main line and our receptionist will put you in contact with your Account Manager.

Your account manager will assist you with your questions. Sometimes your question is very site specific and the Account Manager will be best suited to answer these questions.

In the event of a rain day, we determine if our operations will be harmful to your landscape (i.e. create ruts, tracking of mud, etc.). If we decide we may cause harm then we will not perform maintenance that day and schedule you the following day.

Because every lawn is different, that is a question to ask your account manager. Aeration punches deep holes through thatch, turf, and compacted clay soil. Core aerators then deposit these plugs on top of the turf, where they eventually decompose. Over time, this process will de-compact soil, allowing for greater percolation. It also increases the surface area of the turf, encouraging beneficial aerobic bacterial and fungal growth.

Mulch beautifies your property — it reduces weeds, keeping maintenance to a minimum; retains ground moisture, reducing the need for watering; protects the roots from heat damage and reduces the need for constant fertilizing by enriching the soil.

You probably wouldn’t allow your home to go without proper care and maintenance as it would deteriorate quickly and lose value. The same applies to your landscape. You have made a significant investment in your landscaping and it should be properly cared for through a professional turf and plant health care program designed to protect that investment and ensure a healthier and more enduring landscape. A horticulturist will be assigned to manage your property and assist you with additional needs you may have on your site.

The price for a landscape maintenance program will vary from site to site. Getting a proposal is simple. We will survey your site, evaluate the property’s needs, and develop a proposal that is customized to your specific circumstances.

Full service maintenance includes mowing and trimming of all turf areas, removal of grass clippings as needed, blowing of all hard surfaces, removal of leaves and other debris from turf area, and removal and clean up of weeds, leaves and debris in bed areas. Our maintenance program can be tailored to your needs.

You will receive a weekly site visit except during our spring (April) and fall clean up (November) operations. During those months you will receive one to two visits per month based on the needs of your site as evaluated by your Account Manager. This is figured into your overall budget on your proposal.

Once you set up your landscape maintenance program we will bill you every month. Other services are billed as the work is performed.

An Account Manager is assigned to each client. They perform site inspections, schedule crews, assist the client with any site needs and answer any questions that the clients may have. They will work with the client to address any site issues and work with them on improving the site.

Each crew is led by a foreman that manages the work that is completed at each visit. The foreman is also there to answer any questions that the client has. The foreman works closely with the Account Manager to make sure all of the clients needs are met.

You can call your Account Manager at any time to discuss flower needs. We also have additional resources and people to help our clients create new designs and ideas. Your Account Manager can set this up.

We offer four possible rotations of annual flowers (or seasonal color): spring, summer, fall and winter. The timing of each installation depends solely on the weather. A rough time line follows:
Spring bulbs: late October – early November Spring plantings: Late March – early April Summer: after Mother’s Day
Fall: September
Winter greens: mid-November – mid-December

The best place to start is with the Account Manager. They will be able to assist you in matching up the correct group of people to best suit the needs of your project.

Our Account Managers, Account Supervisors and Foreman are trained to identify and diagnose most plant problems. If they cannot come up with an answer, we have a vast network of resources both inside our company and outside to help diagnose the problem and create a treatment plan.

Our foreman, Account Supervisor or Account Manager identify most dead plant issues on a regular basis during regular site visits. For clients who are covered under our plant guarantee we will replace these usually without being asked. If we have not informed you of any dead plants please feel free to call the Account Manager to bring the issue to our attention

Most landscape plants require some form of pruning, whether to preserve a loose, natural form, or to create tight, compact shapes. Each individual tree or shrub has its own, unique pruning needs, depending on variety, exposure and desired result. Unless you have formal hedges or topiaries, our pruning philosophy is to encourage the natural form of the plant.

The majority of our in-season pruning focuses on removing spent blooms and removing dead or damaged limbs. It is equally important to know when not to prune. If you prune some species during the summer you may limit the plant’s ability to produce another season’s interest (i.e. berries, hips, fall blooms).

Because it is the best time of year to observe the natural shape of plants and certain plant materials respond better to pruning that would normally stress them during the active growing season, we can also provide one dormant pruning (Feb-Mar) that can be added on to your maintenance contract.

You can call our main line and our receptionist will put you in contact with your Account Manager.

Your Account Manager will assist you with your questions. Sometimes your question is very site specific and the Account Manager will be best suited to answer these questions.

In the event of a rain day, we determine if our operations will be harmful to your landscape (i.e. create ruts, tracking of mud, etc.). If we decide we may cause harm then we will not perform maintenance that day and schedule you the following day.

Because every lawn is different, that is a question to ask your Account Manager. Aeration punches deep holes through thatch, turf, and compacted clay soil. Core aerators then deposit these plugs on top of the turf, where they eventually decompose. Over time, this process will de-compact soil, allowing for greater percolation. It also increases the surface area of the turf, encouraging beneficial aerobic bacterial and fungal growth.

Mulch beautifies your property, it reduces weeds keeping maintenance to a minimum, it retains ground moisture reducing the need for watering, it protects the roots from heat damage and it enriches the soil reducing the need for constant fertilizing.

Every project follows three major stages when creating a beautiful, long term successful landscape: design, installation and maintenance. Each stage is important and we have proven methods and experienced team members to make each part of your project an enjoyable experience and a beautiful result.

Either call our office to set a convenient time to meet or use the contact us feature of our website to request a meeting. This meeting establishes your expectations and allows one of our landscape professionals to visit your property and recommend the best way to address your needs. This usually takes one of the following three approaches:

A simple proposal without a landscape plan when the needs are straightforward and the work can be identified during the initial meeting, such as if there is information that needs to be either researched or surveyed and when a permit may be required.

We will prepare an accurate landscape plan detailing the landscape improvements that you wish to create when the scope of your desired improvements merit the exploration of well thought out alternative solutions.

Lastly, we prepare preliminary plans to identify appropriate solutions for your consideration, leading to a final landscape plan that can be installed as one project or in phases over time.

There is no fee for the initial meeting. However, if a landscape plan is required to communicate the scope of the proposed work or to establish required information for permits, then we require a design retainer to complete this stage of the project. This retainer is based on the size and scope of the project and becomes part of the fees included with the project.

After our initial site meeting and agreement to work together, we begin our efforts by asking for your detailed preferences and by investigating your site.

Site research includes: locating and identifying existing plant material, locating existing elements of the house (windows, doors, A/C condensers, etc.), photographing the site, and surveying the existing grades of your home and property, if needed.

We research the village building codes that apply to the types of improvements we will explore for your property. Once the research is done we reference this information as we explore ideas and illustrate conceptual landscape designs that address your goals in different ways.

The concepts and budgets are reviewed with you to gain your input and to have your full involvement in developing the final landscape plan and proposal for the landscape of your dreams.

This depends on the scope of the project. A typical front foundation planting could be completed within 2- 3 weeks of the acceptance of a proposal. A simple patio could be done within 3-4 weeks of issuance of the necessary permits. A full site development or redevelopment could take 3–6 weeks to plan, another 3-4 weeks to obtain permits and 4-12 weeks to install depending on the complexity of the project.

We would like to be involved in the planning process as soon as the thought crosses your mind. Late fall and winter are always a good time to start planning for the upcoming year. If you are planning on renovating your existing home or building a new home, we recommend our early involvement in the project. By being involved early, we help save existing plant materials, improve and minimize site drainage costs, coordinate interior issues that overlap with landscape issues and enhance the integration of architecture and landscape architecture for your property.

We can help you design something as simple as an elegant front walk to a new patio to a complete comprehensive site development including driveway, site grading and drainage, detailed gardens, entry and site walks, outdoor living areas including pools, outdoor kitchens and patios, and beautiful plantings.

Unlike major home remodeling, the landscape of your dreams can be installed one small phase at a time. Understanding the desired phasing helps make sure the installation is done in the most cost effective manner. Your project team will work with you to make sure you create the most appropriate phased landscape installation.