The Barn Nursery was founded in 1968 by Len Kusmerz as a small lawn maintenance company. His son, Tom Kusmerz, joined in 1970 and for the last 40 years the Kusmerz family has grown the business into a full service Landscape Design and Construction company including a retail garden center. In 1980, The Barn, based in Hawthorn Woods, opened a second location where business operations are based, as well as a 10-acre retail garden center that carries the largest selection of quality plant material in Northern Illinois.

Despite our entry into the retail garden center business, Residential Landscape Design and Construction remains the heart and soul of our business. Our Landscape Division provides full service landscape design and construction including patios, outdoor kitchens, water features, hardscapes, and custom built pergolas. We are excited by all sizes and varieties of projects from small planting areas to brick driveways to estate landscape design and construction. Recognized as one of the premier landscape companies in Northern Illinois, we are proud to be consistent winners of industry awards for design and construction.

In 1986 Len, Tom & Linda Kusmerz, and an associate, Don Grabowski opened Fox Ridge Nursery of Huntley, Illinois.  Fox Ridge is a wholesale nursery specializing in specimen quality ornamental trees, shrubs and evergreens for the Chicagoland market.  In 2003 Fox Ridge purchased an additional 237 acre growing farm in Harvard, Illinois and business operations were permanently moved to Harvard in the spring of 2007.

Today, the Barn Nursery and Fox Ridge are thriving businesses operated out of Hawthorn Woods, Cary and Harvard. We employ 45 full-time professionals, including 3rd generation Kusmerz family, and 60-80 seasonal full and part-time employees.  Our career professionals include Registered Landscape Architects, Illinois Certified Nursery Persons, International Arborists, and Certified Landscape Technicians.

Landscape Construction Services:

• Complete architectural design and installation
• Landscape Lighting
• Outdoor kitchens and custom built pergolas
• Unique brick paver and natural stone patios and walkways
• Custom water features, ponds and maintenance

Retail Garden Center Products and Services:

• Green Goods (trees, evergreens, shrubs and broadleaf evergreens)
• Annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, groundcover, and grasses
• Complete line of garden supplies (mulches, stone, chemicals, etc.)
• Birdbaths, statuary, fountains, and pottery
• Aquatics (ponds, plants and supplies)
• Bird seed supplies & custom bird houses
• Gifts for the home and garden
• Christmas shop, live trees, wreaths, roping, and decor