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Stewardship Care Services

A Few Midseason Stewardship Openings Are Available

Do you love your garden, but it's proving to be too much, too often?

You started the season with the best intentions. But gardens don't always follow our schedules.

If your garden is asking for more time, knowledge, or attention than you have— we're here to help.

You are our favorite people. We know because you’ve made it here.

You're already caring for a lot.

Family, work, community, friends, pets, neighbors—the people and places that matter to you. And somewhere in the middle of all that, there's your garden.

You want to do right by this patch of earth you've been given. You notice the pollinators. You save seeds. You wonder if that plant belongs there. You care.

But caring and having enough time are not always the same thing.

As the season unfolds, the weeds get ahead of you. The pruning gets postponed. The garden starts feeling less like a place of refuge and more like another item on a growing to-do list.

Instead of relaxing on a beautiful summer evening, you're looking at everything that still needs attention.

That's not what a garden is meant to be.

A garden should restore you.

It should connect you to the seasons, to wildlife, and to your home. It should bring more joy into your life—not more guilt.

Why Stewardship, Not Just Maintenance?

Many of our clients have hired garden help before.

Sometimes it's the crew that treats every landscape the same, removing cherished plants along with the weeds. Sometimes it's the uncertainty of never knowing when someone will arrive—or whether they'll notice a problem before it becomes a bigger one.

We started our Stewardship Program because we saw too many gardeners looking for something more thoughtful.

Stewardship means having a team that understands your garden's goals, notices the details, and cares for your space as an evolving ecosystem—not a checklist.

With stewardship, you receive:

Consistency — regular visits that keep your garden progressing instead of sliding backwards.

Ecological Care — pruning, planting and weeding methods that work with nature, not against it.

Expert Eyes — we catch problems early and keep your garden balanced and healthy.

Peace of Mind — your investment in design, plants, and soil doesn’t fizzle out; it grows stronger with time.

Our Philosophy in Action

By midseason, a garden begins to tell the truth.

The excitement of spring planting has faded. Plants have settled into their spaces. Some are thriving. Some are struggling.

Weeds have found opportunities. Pollinators have arrived. The garden is no longer a plan on paper—it's a living ecosystem in motion.

This is where stewardship matters most.

At Vivant, we believe a garden is more than a collection of plants. It's a relationship between soil, water, wildlife, and the people who care for it.

While traditional maintenance often relies on quick fixes and routine trimming, stewardship asks deeper questions. Why is this plant struggling? What is this insect doing here? How can we support the health of the entire system rather than simply addressing the symptom?

Our goal isn't just to keep your garden looking tidy. It's to help it become healthier, more resilient, and easier to care for over time.

Our practices include:

• Chop-and-drop trimming

• Natural soil amendments

• Hand weeding

• Incorporation of native plants

• Design/build of organic edible gardens

• Installing lawn alternatives

• Prioritizing ecological care techniques over chemicals

Stewardship Care is quiet

and uses good tools.

We only use herbicides to spot-treat the most invasive plants. Our small but mighty team avoids gas-powered machinery and fleets of trucks. Edges and sidewalks are hand-swept with good old-fashioned brooms and elbow grease.

As part of your stewardship care package, we’ll bring a small set of favorite tools to be stored onsite at your property. This saves fossil fuel trips — and means you’ll have tools handy when you want to “tinker” in the garden yourself. Each winter, these tools are collected, cleaned, oiled, and sharpened for long-term care.

Stewardship is also Education

One of the things we hear most often from clients is that they don't just want help in the garden—they want to understand it.

They want to know why one plant is thriving while another is struggling. They want to recognize the pollinators visiting their flowers. They want to understand the rhythm of the seasons and feel more connected to the living world just outside their door.

We believe that's worth nurturing.

After all, our mission isn't simply to care for gardens. It's to grow more gardeners.

That's why every Stewardship Program includes seasonal garden walkthroughs with members of our leadership team. Away from the bustle of a workday, these visits give us time to slow down together, observe what's happening in your garden, answer questions, and dream about what comes next.

Sometimes that means discussing a plant that's underperforming. Sometimes it's celebrating a new bird, butterfly, or bloom you've noticed. Sometimes it's simply helping you understand why the garden is changing throughout the season.

These conversations help us build a better garden—but they also help build your confidence.

Our goal is that your garden’s needs decrease over time while your confidence grows!

When your time with our team eventually comes to an end, we want you to feel like the head gardener of your own space—with Vivant as the coaches, teachers, and cheerleaders who helped you along the way.

And learning doesn't happen only during walkthroughs.

Whenever our gardeners are onsite, you're welcome to join us. Ask questions. Observe techniques. Get a little soil under your fingernails.

We love sharing what we've learned, and we believe gardens are at their best when the people who care for them feel empowered, curious, and connected to the process.

Stewardship Packages

Every garden is unique, which is why our stewardship care is customized after your consultation.

Still, most of our clients fit into one of these three rhythms of care.

Choose from the following garden care options for the rest of the season (mid-July to mid-November),

including 1 seasonal consult with our founder Kasey to guide the garden forward:

Monthly Visits

$750 per month

We come out for a workday once a month, alternating between one- and two-person crews based on seasonal need.

This is ideal for the small Chicago “postage stamp” gardens or for the person who likes to work in their garden and wants to keep up their DIY projects, but who needs extra hands to stay on top of it and to tackle the heavier tasks.

Includes the seasonal consults and year end written notes documenting the seasons's learnings and ideas.

Click Below To Choose this Option, and make your payment of $750 as a deposit.

Twice Monthly Visits

$1,250 per month

We come to you every 14-20 days - alternating between a 2 person crew for heavy project days and 1 person crew for days that need detailed focus.

This is perfect for the person who feels like their garden needs to be reclaimed or slowly redesigned to better match their vision and values. Or for the person who isn’t able to work in the garden at all due to time or other constraints.

Includes the seasonal consults and year end notes documenting the seasons's learnings.

Click Below To Choose this Option, and make your payment of $1,250 as a deposit.

Weekly Visits

$2,250 per month

Let’s be besties! This option brings our team to your garden every week, again alternating between 1 and 2 person visits as needed to keep the garden smiling through the season.

This option is reserved for gardens with higher design and more ground to cover (literally).

For the garden builder who feels overwhelmed at the thought of keeping it all up, this option gives you full attention on a regular basis.

Includes the seasonal consults and year end written notes documenting the seasons's learnings and ideas.

Click Below To Choose this Option, and make your payment of $2,250 as a deposit.

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Custom Stewardship Care Packages are available upon request

We are happy to provide weekly or other custom packages for larger properties, neighborhood cooperatives, municipalities upon request. Simply emails us [email protected] and we will be in touch to go over the details.

What is not included in Stewardship?

Our Stewardship Services are designed for naturalistic gardens filled with perennials, shrubs, bulbs, and seasonal plantings.

While we handle a wide range of ecological care, some tasks fall outside the scope of stewardship:

🚫 Turf mowing or traditional lawn care (what we lovingly call "mow and blow")

🚫 Large tree work or arborist services (over 12 ft)

🚫 Hardscape installation or repair (patios, retaining walls, etc.)

🚫 Heavy construction or drainage correction projects

🚫 Chemical lawn treatments or broad herbicide spraying

🚫 Snow removal or seasonal property services unrelated to gardens

If your garden needs something outside our scope, we’re always happy to connect you with trusted partners who specialize in those areas.

Instead we will focus on your planting beds and their health. If supplies are needed (like mulch, certain plants, fungicides, etc) we will offer to bring them with us on the next visit for the cost of the supplies plus a small markup to cover our time for sourcing and delivery.

We work hard to keep as much debris onsite as possible, using chop and drop methods, hugelkultur, compost and more so that

the debris from your garden can feed your soil as nature intended. If there are workdays that involve a lot of debris removal,

we will contact a local compost company to pick it up at an additional charge.

- The Vivant Difference -

Investing Beyond Your Garden

When you choose Vivant’s Stewardship Services, you’re not only investing in your own landscape — you’re helping shape the future of horticulture.

Training the Next Generation

Every stewardship visit doubles as a classroom. Our Garden Assistants learn directly under experienced Managers, growing into skilled professionals who will carry ecological gardening forward.

Creating Meaningful Green Jobs

Your garden becomes a place where climate-wise, dignified jobs are built — moving the industry beyond quick fixes and extractive work.

Leaving an Ecological Legacy

By choosing stewardship, you help shift the landscaping model toward biodiversity, resilience, and beauty that lasts.

Your garden thrives today and your choice plants seeds for the future!

We focus exclusively on *naturalistic, ecological gardens* — not cookie-cutter landscaping.

Our team is consistent: the same trusted faces, not a revolving door of workers.

We balance *ecology with aesthetics*, ensuring your garden looks as good to your neighbors as it does to the pollinators.

We’re local experts — rooted in Chicago’s soils, seasons, and neighborhoods.

“We’ve used Vivant Gardens for commercial and residential projects including work performed on the Chicago Riverwalk. Kasey and her team are always diligent about setting expectations and work with you on clearly defining the scope of a given project. This is a company that one can readily recommend.”

— Aaron Z.

“Vivant has been a lifesaver these past two years. They were able to clear out the overgrown jungle that had taken over in my front yard and totally replant it. The advice, expert weeding, mulching and additional planting has been a huge help. Now we're working to get the back yard in shape. I can finally enjoy my yard and not be embarrassed by it, thanks to the expert gardeners from Vivant.”

— Anne R.

“Our Vivant Gardening team did it all and within our budget. After years of unfortunate neglect of our garden, Vivant unearthed and refreshed our garden and pared back unwanted, aggressive growth in plants, bushes and trees. Plus they are all lovely people!! We recommend them highly.”

— Mary M.

Imagine the Difference

With Vivant’s Stewardship, your garden will:

• Grow better each season, rather than feeling like a reset every spring.

• Welcome birds, butterflies, and pollinators, adding life and movement.

• Look cared for — blending ecological health with neighborhood-friendly beauty.

• Give you freedom, knowing it’s “handled” whether you’re home or away.

We want good people like you to feel the joy of your garden again — knowing it is thriving and giving back to you, your family, and the planet overall.

Payment Terms:

To determine the cost for the remaining season (mid-July to mid-Nov), you can take the deposit amount and multiply it by 5.

To secure this pricing we require a one month deposit, which will be due upon agreement to our services. This protects our crew’s time and schedule and allows you to feel the benefits of regular garden care. The remaining 4 payments will be automatically billed monthly, August through November.

If any additional expenses are incurred (such as additional workdays, plants, or supplies), those expenses will be billed separately through our scheduling software called Jobber. That way you are only paying for the plants, soil, etc that we use.

Note: Any payment declines from automated payments will be subjected to $20 per declined payment charge and will be added to your outstanding balance.