Hardscaping Services-How to Choose the Right One for Your Home

Hardscapes are constructed using structural elements and materials such as rocks, wood, concrete, or pea gravel. There are many uses for hardscapes, including walking trails, patios, rock walls, decks, and much more!

When selecting a hardscape company, look for one that utilizes good design and has a variety of materials available. Whether you are looking to add a stone path or a massive rock waterfall, a company out there has the necessary experience and vision. To build stunning hardscapes on a budget, consider these seven tips for creating the perfect landscape design at an affordable price!

Time of Year

Services for hardscape construction will vary in price depending on the time of year. The later the year it gets, the more costly your hardscape will be. This is because many businesses are working at capacity and must do as much work as they can during the warmer months to close up shop once winter hits. Seasonal materials such as stone, fallen branches, and mulch are all items that must be acquired when they are fresh and relatively inexpensive.

Size of Project

Depending on the project you are looking to have done, assessing the size of your hardscape project will help you know what materials to acquire. For example, if you are looking to create a landscaped rock wall for a small deck or patio, purchasing large stone bags may be more economical and efficient than buying smaller ones.

Business Reputation

Reputation is another important aspect of finding the right hardscape construction company for your project. Look for a business that has received many positive reviews from its past and current customers. A business with a great reputation will have a way of attracting more customers, which leads to more reviews and likely better workmanship and is the right hardscaping service for your project.

Experience

When you decide to hire a hardscape construction company, look for those with years of experience under their belts. Some hardscape construction companies enter the industry with no experience, but something about the experience ensures high-quality labor and timely completion of your task. Experienced companies know what materials they need and how long your project will take without overcharging or having you wait longer than necessary.

Hardscape Project Type

The kind of project you are looking to complete will determine the hardscape company you need for your project. For example, hiring a major construction company is no need if you want a simple walkway or patio. However, if your goal is something more splendid, such as an arched rock wall that spans over 100 feet, you must hire a hardscape contractor with many years of experience and expertise.

Hardscaping companies are a great way to add beauty and beauty to your home. Although there is no “one size fits all” solution for choosing the right one for you, these tips should help narrow down your search and put the final step of finding the right hardscape construction company much easier.

Spring Landscaping: Steps to Spruce Up Your Landscape

Check out these things you can do to spruce up your landscape and be the envy of all your neighbors. Before you roll up your sleeves and break out your tools (or call in the pros), have a look at this list of eight things you can do right now to get your yard in spectacular shape.

1. Check for winter damage

Harsh winter weather can have a big impact on your landscape. So before you do anything, take a look around your property to see if you see evidence of damage caused by arctic air, strong winds, and heavy snow.

• Do your evergreen trees have browning and/or broken tree limbs?

• Are there any brown spots on or holes in your lawn?

• Is there any damage done to your plants from salt used during the winter?

• Are any plant roots exposed?

• Was there damage caused by local wildlife like voles, rabbits, and deer?

Once you have a good idea of what (and how much) needs fixing, you can pick a starting point and decide if you’ll hire a professional to help or, take care of things yourself. Keep reading to learn about ways you can spruce up your landscape.

2. Clean up garden beds

Cleaning up your garden beds is one of the quickest ways to transform your landscape. By simply removing dead and dying plants, fallen leaves, and weeds, your planting beds will look beautiful and well-cared-for. This will also give you a chance to show off your thriving plants and improve your home’s curb appeal. And, we’ve heard from clients that this time spent in the garden can also be a great stress reliever. Win!

3. Get rid of destructive insects

As you clean up your garden beds, you should also be on the lookout for insects eggs, especially in early spring. Ideally, you want to find them before they hatch. By getting rid of them early, you stop them from feasting on your flowers and plants later. Be sure to look on the underside of leaves, the top layer of soil, and other not-so-obvious places in your planting beds.

Btw, here are some bad bugs to watch out for:

• Aphids

• Japanese Beetles

• Cabbage Moth

• Cut Worms

• Bean Beetle

• Spider Mites

4. Cut back perennials

Any perennials left from the previous year should be cut down to the ground. Besides making your garden look nicer, it’s actually good for your plants — especially those that are damaged or diseased. If they are diseased, don’t add those cuttings to your compost pile. Throw them away instead.

5. Prune trees

Just like deadheading plants helps them to thrive, pruning trees or removing certain branches, will ultimately help your trees produce new limbs and flourish. Remove diseased and damaged branches (insects love decaying trees!) and be sure to prune your flowering trees if you’d like to encourage new buds and flowers.

6. Fertilize and add pre-emergent

Who doesn’t love a beautiful, green lawn and lush shrubs? How do you get that? By applying fertilizer to give your lawn and ornamental shrubs a boost and by applying pre-emergent to control unsightly weeds from popping up. It’s worth noting, too, that the pre-emergent should be applied to your beds just before mulching.

Landscaping Design Trends of 2022

Landscaping is hot, as homeowners crave comfortable outdoor retreats for entertaining and stress relief. Here are seven landscape trends to watch.

Landscaping Trend: Supporting Wildlife and Native Plants

Homeowners are paying more attention to landscaping for wildlife, which includes birds as well as bees, butterflies and small critters. In 2020, 67.2 million households purchased at least one plant because it benefitted pollinators or birds, according to the Garden Trends Report.

Native plants are continuing to catch on as homeowners realize they’re beneficial to wildlife and more resilient to erratic weather. In support of this, the National Wildlife Federation launched a Garden for Wildlife collection of native plants intended to attract beneficial insects that feed most bird species.

Landscaping Trend: Growing Food

Another offshoot of the pandemic: The increased desire among homeowners to grow more of their own food. Vegetable gardens are becoming a more common site in the landscape.

While edibles are sometimes combined with ornamentals in front-yard gardens, more often than not they’re self-contained in raised beds in the backyard. With raised beds, homeowners avoid dealing with deficient or poor-draining soil in their yard.

Landscaping Trend: Bringing the Indoors Out

The longer people remain home, the more they want to spruce up their house and landscape, says the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) in its Landscape and Industry Trends for 2022.

“I think there’s a new realization of how people interact,” Miles Kuperus, Jr., LIC, owner of Farmside Landscape & Design in Sussex, New Jersey, tells the NALP. “They want to be home and minimize their exposure and enjoy the people they have on their property.”

Outdoor kitchens, pavilions, pergolas, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are all expected to remain popular as homeowners seek a seamless transition from the home to the yard. Some of these outdoor living spaces can be extravagant, with popular features like outdoor televisions, refrigerators and full kitchens.

Landscaping Trend: Accessorizing to Extend the Season

People are finding ways to extend the outdoor season to take greater advantage of these more elaborate spaces. “The longer through the year a customer can use their outdoor space, the better,” Tony Nasrallah, president and founder of Ground Works Land Design in Cleveland, Ohio, tells the NALP.

To accomplish that, Nasrallah noted more widespread use of space heaters and motorized shades to shelter the tops and sides of garden pavilions in outdoor seating areas. Landscape designs are increasingly incorporating accessories like these to make homeowners more comfortable deeper into fall and winter.