Halloween Is Near!

Living in Vienna, VA and need help with landscaping ideas for the fall?  Well if you have access to some pumpkins, hay and scarecrows, then you are all set.  Pumpkins are a great fall accent for your landscaping design because there are so many different things you can do with such a simple item.  If you want to add some lighting outdoors, clean out a pumpkin, cut out a pattern in the front (leaves are always a great idea), and place a citronella candle inside.  You can also place several pumpkins on your front porch with some hay stacks and a scarecrow and kill two birds with one stone – fall and Halloween décor. Call the local Vienna VA landscaping experts today!

Fall Best Time For Planting?

Don't let people out there fool you - fall is actually the best time for planting! Most people will say no way with the cold weather coming up, but here is why fall is actually a good time to get the new plants into the ground. Just because most plants and trees lose all their leaves and go cold for the winter, this is only what you can see. What you can't see, is what is going on underneath the soil. These roots and bottoms are actually just beginning and are 'firing up.' By the start of the spring these plants will already have a leg up on the newer plants being put into the ground in the spring and will come out of the gate faster to bloom early! This is a very important piece to keep in mind and if you have any additional questions or want to learn which types of plants work best, be sure to call your local Potomac MD landscape designer today!

The Fall Season Is Upon Us

Walking out the front door these past couple mornings you can really feel the cooler air hit your face which means only one thing... the fall season is here. Some other signs include football on the weekends, leaves falling off the trees, and traffic being terrible again because of all the kids back in school. Now is the perfect time to examine your yard and see what work needs to be done for the transition into the cooler days and nights ahead. I know it is a bummer seeing the bright flowers start to go but there are definitely fall ideas out there you can use to keep your yard looking fresh. Make sure to call your West Chester landscape designers today to learn how they can help with the transition.

Custom Woodwork - It Can Happen!

Now that you've got the patio installed and a nice outdoor set of table and chairs, but there is just something missing. The space seems too open and you realize there needs to be something up above the patio. Maybe a roof or shade of some sort but you don't want to block all that sunlight. How about a custom woodwork? Good news - call your local McLean landscapers today because there is a chance they can put one together for you and make it a perfect fit to your brand new patio area! Here is an example of how it can bring your outdoor area all together:

Landscape Design Process

Where do you even begin when trying to decide the perfect landscape for your property? My parents used a local landscape design company and they made it very simple and straight forward. They had a three-step process broken down into the different stages of the landscape design.

Step 1 - The Initial Consultation: This is the beginning step where a walk through of the property is completed. The main landscaper walked with my parents listening to them and taking notes trying to envision the design through their eyes. The main landscaper then put together a document regarding the design fees and agreement in order to move onto the next step where the landscape will begin to come to life.

Step 2 - The Concept Stage: Now the project and exciting part begins. The outline of the landscape will be presented and get down the major details. This part is important because both my parents and the landscaper want to make sure the project is heading down the same path.

Step 3 - The Plan Stage: This is where the final pieces start moving all together. They get down to the details of what will be included with specific plants, trees, and hardscape (if you go this route). Another walk through is then performed with the final touchings added which at this point the final proposal is then put together.

New Pool?

Last summer's big project was the installation of your brand new pool. It was a perfect way to keep the kids cool in the summer heat but also outdoors in the fresh air. Project for this summer? What is the best way to keep the yard neat and clean between the pool and house? A patio is a fantastic investment and an easy way to keep the space between your pool and house looking crisp. No more wet grass and mud being tracked into the house and you can also add furniture to the patio to make the outdoor area even more enjoyable. Especially on those cooler summer nights! I would recommend contacting your local landscape construction professional to learn more about the simple ways of making your last summer project even more enjoyable.

Yikes!

My grandmother recently moved into a new home in the Washington DC area. She had been living on her own ever since my grandfather passed about 10 years ago. We finally convinced her to move from Vermont down to be closer to her family in the DC area. She got set up with a very nice home that included a pool so we can go over and hang out with her especially in the summer time. I had never seen the house before she moved in and we went over last Sunday for a big family welcome party. We pulled up and my first glance of the house:

First thing I noticed was the landscaping - Yikes! The rest of the house was perfect including a nice screened in porch with a pool in the backyard. Of course grandma had no clue the landscaping wasn't in good shape so we took control and called our local Vienna landscapers to come and help her the following week to shape the yard up and make it look pretty. Those guys are the best.