Category: Hardscape

Take the Party Outside!

July 17, 2024

If you are looking to expand your entertaining spaces, now is the best time to start the conversation with our landscape design team. We can help with many aspects of your landscape, and here are a few ideas to consider.

Paver Patios

Is your outdoor living and entertaining space big enough to comfortably fit everything you like to do? Do you favor small gatherings, or do you want to be the place where everyone wants to hang out? Thinking through all the things you enjoy doing on your patio or deck can help you begin to imagine how it could be improved or possibly expanded.

Outdoor Kitchens

If you love the process of cooking outdoors or cooking for others, expand your living space outdoors! From simple to elaborate, there are options to meet every taste and budget.

Talk to us about what you envision and let our designers make it a reality.

Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits

Fireplaces create a natural focal point for every backyard landscape. Outdoor fireplaces and smaller outdoor fire pits are the perfect party features for socializing long after the sun goes down. Let us help you find the right fire feature for your space and keep the party going year-round.

Enhance Your Evenings with Landscaping Lighting

In planning your landscaping, don’t forget what your yard will – or could – look like after the sun goes down. The right lighting can add an entirely new dimension to your landscaping that will increase both the functionality and visual appeal of your outdoor spaces.

Well-placed landscape lights also provide enhanced safety and security. Exterior landscape lighting makes your great outdoors safer for your guests and more secure from unwanted visitors. It can light paths to help guests reach your door safely and eliminate shadows where an intruder might hide.

Want a New Patio? Consider the Options

May 15, 2024

If you’re considering a new patio, walkway or outdoor living area, there are several decisions to make. The size, shape and function of the space all play a role in the final result, and one of the biggest decisions to make involves the material itself. Natural stone, brick, pavers and concrete are all potential options, but each surface has pros and cons to consider.

Natural Stone

Bluestone, granite, limestone and slate can all be used to create gorgeous, durable outdoor spaces. The organic hues in natural stone create a timeless feel, and it’s possible to make a space appear larger or cozier by using larger or smaller stones. Natural stone is often irregularly shaped, which adds a unique look but requires more installation time and expense.

Brick and Concrete Pavers

There was a time not long ago when nearly all “paver patios” looked very similar. Thankfully, the options for paver materials today provide a myriad of options in terms of color, shape, size and texture. While traditional brick pavers are well suited to some properties, the variety of concrete pavers and their relative ease of installation make them a compelling option.

Porcelain Tile

Most of us think of porcelain tile as an indoor material for bathrooms and kitchens, but more and more homeowners are looking to tile as a paving option to visually connect indoor and outdoor spaces. The strength, durability and variety of porcelain are hard to beat. However, they do tend to cost more than concrete pavers and tend to be brittle, which makes working with them somewhat more involved. They also tend to be installed in a way that discourages water draining through the patio surface, which should be a consideration depending on your planned installation.

Stamped Concrete

Concrete has come a long way in recent years. There are options for stamped and colored finishes that give a more interesting look than the flat grey concrete you might be imagining. That said, concrete has several drawbacks, including installation challenges, especially when the paved area is just one element of a larger landscape project. Poured concrete will almost certainly crack over time, and it’s difficult to repair a single section, unlike a concrete paver that can be replaced if needed.

If you are looking for new patio ideas, let us know. We can help match you with a material that fits your visual aesthetic and budget.

Summer Landscapes Start Now!

February 9, 2024

Summer Landscapes Start Now!

Some people really enjoy the winter, and more power to them, but for a lot of us, the dark days of winter are, well…pretty dark. In the depths of winter, it’s always a relief to look ahead to warmer, brighter days in spring and summer. Do your summertime dreams involve spending time outside, entertaining on your patio with friends or family? If so, now is the time to get the process started.

Paver Patios

A new patio will transform the form and function of your property. Designed with your specific goals in mind, low-maintenance paver patios can be installed to match the look of your home and constructed with a wide variety of materials.

Outdoor Kitchens

If you enjoy grilling, some form of an outdoor kitchen makes a lot of sense. By dedicating space to cooking and building a patio design around that function, your completed landscape will look and feel much more cohesive. From simple grill installations to fully equipped outdoor kitchens, if you love to entertain, outdoor kitchens make life easier for you and your guests.

Pergolas and Outdoor Rooms

We may be missing the sun right now, but in the dog days of summer, it’s nice to find some shade. Pergolas and shade structures keep the air cool, and larger outdoor rooms can be constructed with overhead fans, lights and mounted televisions for total comfort.

Landscape Lighting

Don’t let the darkness chase you inside. Low-voltage lighting systems add functionality to your property by extending the evening while they add safety by illuminating pathways and steps.

Planning Ahead for 2024 Landscape Projects

November 9, 2023

As the year winds down and the holiday season approaches, landscape improvements may not be the first thing on your mind. Creating a landscape plan for next year is a key way to maximize your landscaping efforts, and there’s no time like the present to start thinking about new projects.

Professional planning ensures that all the elements in your landscape work together both visually and practically.

New patios and outdoor living spaces, planting bed installation, turf area development, and tree installation or removal are all sizable improvements that benefit greatly from deliberate planning. When timed correctly, new improvements will complement existing landscape elements.

In addition to avoiding a disruption to your property, long-range planning also allows you to schedule new additions and services at times of the year that maximize their viability and usefulness. By starting the conversation now, we can advise you on which tasks are best to handle during the fall and winter and which should be scheduled for warmer weather next year. An extended plan also allows you to schedule new projects in a way that fits your budget.

For maintenance and landscape upgrades, a long-range plan allows you to maximize the return on your investment while limiting disruption to your property.

Even if your immediate plans only include a few modest improvements, a comprehensive plan will help you get the biggest long-term bang for your buck. With a solid plan of attack, you can set priorities and formulate manageable timelines so that your landscape comes together evenly over time.

Dealing with Problem Slopes in the Landscape

August 6, 2023

Dealing with Problem Slopes in the Landscape

Is your property on a grade? No matter how good it looks, a steep, sloping yard isn’t very functional. If a steep yard has kept you from installing that planting bed, patio or children’s play area you’ve always wanted, a retaining wall may be the answer. Retaining walls hold back soil that might otherwise slide down a hill, and they can create safe, level areas for a variety of uses.

A retaining wall can help you reclaim lost space. Terracing a slope with retaining walls can create level areas that are not only perfect for planting beds but also much easier to maintain.

For maximum strength and durability, pre-cast blocks are likely to be your best bet. They’re engineered to interlock with each other as they’re laid, and most have a built-in “setback” to give the finished wall a slightly slanted angle for added stability.

Depending on the height and slope you’re contending with, additional reinforcement and/or engineering work may be needed. Careful design is very important, especially if your retaining wall will be supporting major structures on your property.

Retaining walls can be built in a wide variety of sizes and materials, including natural or cut stone, treated timbers, poured concrete, and pre-cast blocks in assorted colors and textures.

When properly designed, retaining walls can add graceful architectural elements to your landscape while improving its overall usefulness. As with any landscaping project, careful planning to ensure that the finished product meets your specific needs is very important. Properly designed and installed, a retaining wall can significantly improve your landscape’s functionality.

May 5, 2023

Natural Screens for Protection and Privacy

Today’s backyards have truly become outdoor living rooms, perfect places for entertaining, family fun and everyday activities. However, outdoor living often means we need a little more privacy or protection from the elements. Trees, shrubs or vines can provide a natural solution. Natural screens can be less expensive than fences or walls. They can add texture, color and fragrance as well as privacy. Plants can also help control noise, keep dirt and debris from your yard, and protect you and your lawn from too much wind or sun.

When planting for privacy, most people want screens to reach above average eye level or at least six feet.

Natural screens can:

Separate the street or neighbors from areas where you entertain or relax.
Privacy landscaping is an effective, natural way to increase the privacy of your yard and maximize your enjoyment of the outdoors.
Hide work and storage areas.
Divide parts of your lawn, like garden and play areas, and guide foot traffic.

Here are a few options:

For maximum privacy, a solid hedge of shrubs works well. Evergreens provide year-round screening and can be informal or formal, depending on how you trim them.
Vines on trellises are quick-growing and inexpensive. They work especially well in narrow spaces.
Even single trees or shrubs, carefully placed in a line of view, can solve privacy problems.
Plants can channel air for a soft, relaxing breeze or create the right amount of shade for that late-afternoon barbecue.

Shrubs, trees and vines can also help you control the climate of your yard for more enjoyable entertaining year-round. In fact, the air temperature in the shade of a tree can be 10-15 degrees lower than in an unshaded area.

Welcome the World with a Perfect Entry

March 15, 2023

Welcome the World with a Perfect Entry

The ideal entryway landscape directs and leads friends and family to your door in a way that makes them feel truly welcomed. Additionally, entryway landscaping increases your home’s curb appeal in a way that will add to your enjoyment and the value of your property.

Landscaping can add 15% to the value of your home.

Your home’s front door should be its natural focal point. The walkway directs visitors physically to your door, and plantings lead the eye there. First, make sure your front walk is wide enough to accommodate two people walking side by side and that its surface is safe. Walkway materials can complement any architectural style or preference.

Subtle and attractive landscape lighting can be added to welcome evening visitors and to provide an after-dark display.

Large front lawns can use a big specimen tree near the street or driveway to attract the eye first. An ornamental tree’s canopy over a front walkway can be inviting, and a low hedge or fence can present a feeling of cozy enclosure. There’s a lot involved in choosing plants that will not grow to overwhelm an entrance but will stand the test of time. We can help you choose plants that won’t outgrow their spaces, create litter on walkways or look bad during winter.

Looking Ahead to Summer Entertaining!

February 7, 2023

It’s time to think about your plans for outdoor summer entertaining. Getting ready for long, enjoyable evenings with family, neighbors and friends starts by accessing your outdoor living areas. If you are looking to expand your entertaining spaces, now is the best time to start the conversation with our landscape design team.

We can help with many aspects of your landscape, and here are a few ideas to consider.