Category: Hardscape
Luxury Outdoor Living
July 9, 2022There are plenty of long summer days and nights ahead of us, and next year seems a long ways off. We’ve learned, though, that nature works in long cycles, and that when planning truly great landscapes, we should as well.
The term “hardscaping” refers to landscaping features that are permanently established and typically nonliving. Patios, water elements, fire pits and outdoor shelters all fall into this category. Hardscaping additions can transform an underused area of your property into an inviting living space which allows your family and friends to fully enjoy the warmer months.
The key to getting the most out of your hardscaping is proper planning. The first step in effective planning is to decide what you want from your new space. You may want a quiet retreat, a place to host large gatherings, or an area that can be a little of both.
Start Now
Getting ahead on new projects is more important now than ever. You have no doubt heard about supply chain disruptions which have affected product inventories worldwide. These disruptions have influenced the cost of building materials as well as the timing necessary to complete new construction. Because of this unusual situation, even the most thorough plans will likely take longer than you would expect.
Landscape and hardscape projects require many moving parts working together properly. The process of designing a plan, procuring the necessary materials and scheduling the labor already takes a considerable amount of time. Over the past year or so, this process has become lengthier and more complicated. If you’re considering new projects for 2023, now is the time to lay out the specifics. Patience and planning go hand in hand. If you have thoughts about new additions, give us a call, and we will set the process in motion.
Water in the Landscape
June 27, 2022Water is what makes life on Earth possible. In our landscapes, water not only keeps our plants green and growing, but it also provides us with sound and motion in the form of landscape water features.
Make a Splash This Year
Whether they’re used as focal points or simple accents, water features are a great way to add interest, beauty and tranquility to your landscape. Ornamental pools can embellish your garden with a wide variety of fish, foliage and flowers, while the sounds of moving water from a fountain or waterfall can help create a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
Your water feature can be simple or complex, depending on your needs and interests. From a simple reflecting pool to multi-tiered waterfalls, the choices are vast. Homeowners are sometimes concerned about the maintenance required for a water feature, and they’re surprised to find out how easy water features are to manage, especially compared to the ambience they provide.
Watering Wisely With Automatic Irrigation
If you don’t have an automatic irrigation system on your property, now is a great time to have one installed. Water conservation is more important than ever, and these systems can save a lot when compared to traditional hoses and sprinklers.
Automatic irrigation systems are able to calculate how much, when and where watering is needed, so you can be sure that your lawn, trees and shrubs will always get the right amounts of water at the right times. Plus, extra features like rain shut-off devices, moisture sensors and automatic controllers help to avoid watering waste.
Avoid Frost Heave Damage
January 20, 2019When Old Man Winter comes around, he brings plenty of challenges for your landscape along with him. Frost heave is an often overlooked but important one to be aware of because it is so easy to avoid.
WHAT IS FROST HEAVE?
When temperatures are cold enough to cause the ground to freeze, any water trapped in the soil freezes into “ice lenses” that push surrounding soil up as they expand. In south central PA and northern MD, the average winter frost depth is 18” but can be as deep as 28”. This means that depending on the extent of cold weather, any poorly drained soil in this 28” depth has the potential to freeze and cause heaving.
Think Spring! Deck vs. Patio Installation
December 5, 2018Winter weather is definitely here, and it’s got the folks at Hively daydreaming about spring! One of the best things about spring is enjoying time outside on your patio or deck. But what if you don’t have a patio or deck? Now may be the time to start considering it!
The difference between a deck and a patio is fairly obvious: one is raised above ground level, and the other is flush to the ground. However, the questions raised become what are the differences between their installation, and which one is best for your home and landscape? Today, we want to put together a list of installation differences between decks and patios, as well as possible benefits and drawbacks of each.
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 21, 2018Happy Thanksgiving!
Everyone at Hively would like to wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday and while our staff will be home with family, there are plenty of things you can do to prepare your landscape for a safe winter and successful spring.
Prepare for Hibernation
Even if you continue to enjoy your outdoor living spaces and fire features as the weather gets colder, now is a great time to begin covering your outdoor furniture, or if you have the space, move it into a covered storage area.
Top 5 Things to Ask Your Landscaping Company
February 23, 2018Great landscaping companies do far more than just routine maintenance. While there are countless projects you can hire a landscaping company for, there’s not an unlimited number of companies capable of doing a great job.
How well you research and qualify these companies can mean the difference between a great looking landscape and one that can actually end up costing you MORE money. Picking the wrong landscaping partner may just mean a bad trim job, but in the worst case, you can be stuck with expensive legal bills should an accident occur.
Fortunately, you can screen out the bad apples with a bit of effort. We’ve taken some time to put together a simple, straightforward list of questions you should ask.
- Are you licensed and insured?
Up Your Curb Appeal with Professional Landscaping Services
September 28, 2017It’s no secret that curb appeal landscaping can increase the value of your home and the likelihood that it will sell successfully. However, moving is already a stressful time for any homeowner and you may not have the time to sort through curb appeal ideas, let alone implement any of them.
Fortunately, hiring an experienced landscaping company can be an easy and affordable way to quickly increase your curb appeal and your home’s value. These are the services we recommend to homeowners looking to put their house on the market.
Get Your Lawn to Make Some Green
A healthy lawn is one of the most attractive features a home buyer wants to see – and the first that they see. A healthy lawn signals to the buyer that the house has been well maintained during your ownership.
Proper aeration and overseeding can assist in ensuring a lush, green lawn that buyers will adore.
Color a Buyer’s Perspective
Green isn’t the only color that can add value to your home. Curb appeal landscaping that includes colorful flowers, shrubs and trees will add some wow-factor to your yard. Buyers will perceive your home to be more welcoming if there are lively, colorful plants surrounding it.
To make your gardens and flower boxes stand out, request that your landscaper use darkly colored mulch. A darker shade of mulch will add to the perception that the soil is healthy, while also adding a great visual contrast to all of those colorful plants.
Providing a Clean Slate
Hardscaping is an important factor in curb appeal. Begin with a thorough pressure washing of your decks, patios and walkways. Once clean, inspect your hardscaping for any cracks or deterioration. Repair, replace and repaint as necessary. Having your hardscaping looking new and pristine will drive value into your home.
Light It Up
While most buyers will only see your curb appeal landscaping during daylight hours, installing outdoor lighting is a smart, inexpensive way to highlight your home. Landscape lighting helps reassure buyers that your home is located in a safe, desirable neighborhood.
Does your curb appeal need an upgrade? Contact Hively Landscapes about any of these services. Our experts can help you enhance your curb appeal so that your home is ready to sell.
Rock Salt Alternatives: You Won’t Believe What is Destroying Your Walkway
February 1, 2017
We’ve been blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with snow-filled winters in Pennsylvania in recent years. While fun for some, those winters wreak havoc on our roads and landscapes. If you have concrete or natural stone walkways at your home, you may even have noticed their condition deteriorating.
Here is a key question: How do you fight off the hazardous ice that forms on the steps and sidewalks around your home? If your answer is with rock salt or other deicers containing ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate, then you’re contributing to their deterioration!
Fortunately, there are alternatives that can save your sidewalks, steps, and landscape. If you want to be properly motivated first, check out the ways in which rock salt is detrimental to your property: