Your Vision. Still Standing 10 Years Later.
Harkins Unique Landscapes designs, installs, and maintains outdoor spaces across Iroquois, Kankakee & Ford Counties. Not a crew that disappears, but a landscape partner that lasts.
They Do the Job. Then They're Gone.
Homeowners and property owners across Iroquois County and the Kankakee area know this story too well. A landscaping company shows up, does the installation, takes your money, and then you can't get them back on the phone when the plants die or the retaining wall settles.
The result? You end up calling a second company to fix the first company's work. Or worse, you're maintaining a landscape that was never designed to be maintainable.
- Crews who quote low and disappear when problems arise
- Plants that die because nobody planned for the local soil and climate
- Hardscape that shifts because it wasn't installed correctly
- Lighting systems with no one to service them a year later
- Generic designs that could belong to anyone's yard
The "Cheap Quote" Trap
The lowest bid usually means unlicensed workers, no warranty, and shortcuts you won't discover until winter.
The Ghost Contractor Problem
They're great at selling the job. When the mulch blows away or the patio cracks? Suddenly they don't return calls.
The Generic Design Disappointment
Cookie-cutter landscaping that looks like every other yard in the neighborhood. Nothing "unique" about it.
Meet Jon Harkins, The Person Behind Your Landscape
When Jon Harkins started Harkins Unique Landscapes in 2009, he made a simple promise: every property would be treated like his own. Sixteen years later, that promise is still the foundation of everything we do.
Jon brings deep knowledge of central Illinois soil, climate, and growing conditions to every project, including landscape design, hardscape installation, outdoor lighting, and ongoing maintenance. You work with someone who knows your property, not a rotating crew of strangers.
When you call Harkins Unique Landscapes, you're calling Jon. When he gives you a quote, that's the price. And when the work is done, we don't disappear; we're the landscaping company that's still there next season.
Everything Your Property Needs: One Company, One Relationship
From initial landscape design to hardscape installation, lighting, and annual maintenance, we do it all. And we remember your property next year.
Landscape Design
Custom landscape design tailored to your property, lifestyle, and the Iroquois County climate. No two yards look the same, because no two clients are the same.
Learn about landscape design →Hardscape Installation
Patios, retaining walls, walkways, and outdoor living spaces built to last. Hardscape landscaping that stays where it's put, installed right the first time.
Explore hardscape options →Landscape Lighting
Transform your property after dark. Professionally installed landscape lighting that enhances curb appeal, adds security, and extends the beauty of your outdoor space.
View lighting services →Lawn Maintenance
Ongoing lawn care services, including trimming, edging, fertilization, and more, from a company that already knows your property. Consistent, reliable, familiar.
See lawn care services →Spring & Fall Cleanups
Seasonal lawn care services that get your property ready for each season. Spring cleanups to kickstart growth; fall cleanups to protect your landscape through winter.
Schedule a cleanup →Commercial Landscaping
Commercial landscaping services for businesses, property managers, and commercial clients across the Kankakee and Iroquois County area. First impressions matter.
Commercial services →Getting Your Dream Landscape Is Simpler Than You Think
No confusing process. No back-and-forth. Three steps from first conversation to finished project.
Tell Us Your Vision
Contact Jon for a free consultation. We'll walk your property together, discuss your goals, and listen, no sales pitch, just honest conversation about what's possible.
We Design & Build It
We put together a clear plan with a straightforward price. Once approved, we handle everything, including design, installation, hardscape, and lighting, with the craftsmanship we've built our reputation on since 2009.
Enjoy It for Years
Your landscape is done, and we're still here. Ongoing maintenance, seasonal cleanups, or just an answer when you have a question. We're the landscaping company that doesn't disappear.
Ready to Stop Searching for 'Landscapers Near Me'?
Serving Iroquois, Kankakee, Ford, and surrounding counties. One phone call or message connects you directly with Jon, no call center, no runaround.
Landscape Design That Reflects Your Property, Not the Neighbor's
Generic landscape designs are everywhere. Jon brings something different: 16 years of working in central Illinois soil and climate, with an eye for what actually thrives here and what looks great doing it.
Whether you're starting from bare ground or updating an existing landscape, we create a design that fits your property's natural character, your lifestyle, and the way you actually use your outdoor space.
- Site evaluation and soil assessment included
- Plant selection suited to Illinois growing conditions
- Front yard, backyard, and full-property designs
- Coordination with hardscape and lighting plans
- Designs built to be maintainable long-term
Hardscaping That Stays Put: Installed with Craftsmanship, Not Shortcuts
A poorly installed patio, retaining wall, or walkway will look fine for a year, and then start shifting. Jon's approach to hardscape installation is built on proper base preparation, quality materials, and work he's proud to stand behind.
From a simple garden pathway to a full outdoor living space, every hardscape project is approached the same way: done right, done once.
Your Property Is Beautiful During the Day. Landscape Lighting Makes It Stunning at Night.
Most homeowners don't realize how dramatically well-placed landscape lighting can transform a property after dark, enhancing curb appeal, highlighting architectural features, and making outdoor spaces usable after sunset.
Jon installs professionally designed landscape lighting systems throughout Iroquois and Kankakee counties, from subtle accent lighting to full property illumination.
- Pathway and walkway lighting for safety and beauty
- Uplighting for trees, plants, and architectural features
- Accent lighting for patios and outdoor living areas
- Low-voltage LED systems, energy-efficient and long-lasting
- Full-service installation with ongoing support
We Know Your Property Year-Round, So Maintenance Is Always in Good Hands
One of the biggest advantages of working with Harkins Unique Landscapes: we've seen your property through every season, and we know what it needs before you do.
Spring Cleanup
Clean up winter damage, prep beds, edge borders, and apply mulch to get your landscape looking sharp for the season.
Trimming & Pruning
Shrubs, hedges, ornamental grasses, and trees trimmed properly for health and aesthetics, not just to look busy.
Ongoing Lawn Care
Lawn maintenance services including mowing, edging, and fertilization from a team that knows your landscape and plans for it.
Fall Cleanup
Leaf removal, bed cleanouts, and winterization prep to protect your landscape investment heading into the Illinois winter.
Imagine Your Property Two Years From Now
You walk outside and your yard looks exactly how you imagined it. The patio is solid. The plants are thriving. The lighting looks stunning at night. And when you need something, you call Jon, the same person who built it, and he picks up.
Trusted by Homeowners Across Iroquois & Kankakee Counties
Jon at Harkins Unique Landscapes did a great job adding river rock under our deck. The job wasn't easy, fun or creative like most of their other water features or shorelines, but they were quick, on budget and awesome to work with on our project. Call them!
Fast, neat and very easy to work with. He listened to what we wanted and drew up a plan that we only minimally tweeked. Plan on using him again in the near future. Highly recommend!
We have used Jonathan's company twice over the last year and they have done a wonderful job. His designs are exactly what we wanted. The plants are beautiful and healthy. His workers are efficient and Jon is very pleasant and easy to work with. We are very pleased with what they have done. We have several other projects on our list for him.
What 16 Years and "Unique" in Our Name Means to You
It's not a generic claim. Here's what actually makes us different from other landscaping companies in Iroquois and Kankakee counties.
16 Years of Knowing Central Illinois
Jon has been working in Iroquois, Kankakee, and surrounding county soil since 2009. He knows which plants thrive here, which hardscape materials hold up through Illinois winters, and which landscaping shortcuts will cause you problems in two years. That depth of local knowledge doesn't come from anywhere else.
Owner-Operated Accountability
Jon Harkins runs the jobs. Not a crew you've never met. If something needs to be fixed, you call the same person who built it.
Honest Quotes, Honest Work
The estimate you get is the price you pay. No surprise add-ons, no "while we were here" charges. Honest and trustworthy isn't just a value; it's how we've kept clients for 16 years.
5-County Coverage
Iroquois, Kankakee, Ford, parts of Champaign, Vermilion, and Livingston counties. Truly local, genuinely available.
Long-Term Relationships
Many of our clients have been with us for 10+ years. We designed it. We built it. We maintain it. One relationship, one company.
Central Illinois's Landscaping Company: 5 Counties and Growing
Based in Gilman, IL, Harkins Unique Landscapes serves one of the widest service areas of any landscaping company in the region, bringing the same quality, the same accountability, and the same knowledge of Illinois growing conditions to every corner of our service area.
Not sure if we service your area? Give Jon a call We're usually closer than you'd think.
+ Surrounding Counties
The Landscaping Industry Has a Trust Problem. We're Fixing It.
Too many landscaping companies treat every job like a transaction: get in, do the minimum, get paid, move on. Homeowners and commercial clients alike have learned to expect disappointment: the contractor who doesn't show up, the work that looks great in April and fails by July, the company that can't be reached after the check clears.
"Our vision is to develop lifelong relationships with clients as we install landscape projects and continue to maintain them for years to come."
Jon Harkins, Owner, Harkins Unique LandscapesThat's not a tagline. That's why the "Unique" in our name means something, and why clients across central Illinois have been calling the same number for the same company since 2009.
Not Ready to Commit? Start With a Free Walk-Through.
No obligation. No pressure. Jon will walk your property with you, tell you what's possible, and give you a clear picture of what it would cost. Most people find it's far more straightforward than they expected.
Answers About Our Landscaping Services in Iroquois & Kankakee County
Have a question we haven't answered? Call Jon directly at (815) 549-5603.
What landscaping companies near me serve Iroquois County and Kankakee County?
Harkins Unique Landscapes, based in Gilman, IL, is a full-service landscape contractor serving Iroquois County, Kankakee County, Ford County, and surrounding areas. We've been the trusted local landscaping company for over 16 years, offering landscape design, hardscape installation, landscape lighting, lawn care, and seasonal cleanup services across central Illinois.
Do you offer free landscape design consultations?
Yes. Jon Harkins offers free consultations where he'll walk your property, discuss your goals, and give you an honest assessment of what's possible and what it would cost. There's no obligation and no high-pressure sales process, just a real conversation about your landscape.
What hardscape installation services do you offer in Gilman, IL?
We install patios and pavers, retaining walls, garden walkways, outdoor living areas, stone borders, and drainage solutions. Every hardscape installation is built on a proper base preparation and uses materials suited to Illinois weather conditions, so your hardscape stays in place through freeze-thaw cycles and doesn't require constant repairs.
How do landscaping companies price a landscape design project?
Every project is unique; that's why we always start with a site visit before providing a quote. Pricing depends on the scope of design, materials selected, site conditions, and the services included At Harkins Unique Landscapes, you'll get a clear, itemized quote before any work starts, and that quote is what you pay.
Do you provide ongoing lawn care and maintenance after installation?
Yes, and this is one of the things that makes Harkins Unique Landscapes genuinely different. We offer ongoing lawn maintenance, spring and fall cleanups, trimming, and landscape upkeep for properties we've worked on and for existing landscapes that need a reliable team. Because we built your landscape, we already know what it needs and how to keep it looking great year after year.
What areas do you serve for landscape lighting installation?
We install landscape lighting throughout Iroquois County, Kankakee County, Ford County, and the northern parts of Champaign and Vermilion counties, as well as eastern Livingston County. If you're in central Illinois and searching for landscape lighting near you, there's a good chance we cover your area; give us a call to confirm.
What payments do you accept for landscaping services?
We accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, personal check, and invoicing. Payment terms are discussed at the time of the quote so there are no surprises.
Your Landscape. Done Right.
Done by Someone Still Around.
Harkins Unique Landscapes has been the trusted landscape contractor for central Illinois homeowners and businesses since 2009. We're ready to earn that trust from you, one project, one season, one phone call at a time.