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Showing posts from 2017

Modern Landscaping Tips

The best landscape considers the architectural style of your house and integrates that look and ambience into the front-yard design.   A perfect landscape is really about balance and harmony.  For example, never plant clipped and manicured hedges alongside freely growing patches of wildflowers because one will look out of place in this clash of opposites. This set of landscaping tips then basically exhorts homeowners keep landscaping elements in harmony with each other, using considerations of size, shape, color, texture, or other characteristics.  It’s the perfect landscape that considers the view of and from the house, shade, balance, and harmony with other plants when mapping out where to plant trees.  Which particular area of the landscaped yard to place or plant the trees is important. You can do no wrong by doing a map that specifies where to plant trees in your yard.  Keep the landscape design unified and relatively simple by using only enough variety to sus

Dos and Don’ts for a Great Landscape

Every homeowner desires a landscape perfect in form and function.  A perfect landscape is a feast to both your own eyes and those of other beholders.  But such an ideal landscaping project is easier said than done, especially when you have to build one from scratch.  What landscape design is ideal for your particular type of neighborhood and home lot?  Which varieties of trees and shrubs require less attention?  What is the best layout of the plant beds? Here are some of the important things to consider in landscaping.   A compilation of the dos and don’ts can help you put up a landscaped yard that you can be proud and happy about for years and years to come. The Dos start with planning.  You need to have a plan to save on cost and effort on redesigning the landscape every now and then which becomes necessary when, say, a tree planted haphazardly obstructs the view from your window or the paving material on the walkway is washed out by the rains. A key element of

Permeable Walkway on a Deck Landing

There is no limit to the design of deck landings homeowners can build to beautify their front yard.  It all depends on your imagination, your local building codes and the purpose for which you intend to use the residential deck landing.  A great option is a deck landing with a permeable walkway .  If your deck is low to the ground, you have many design options for its stairs. Because low decks require only one or two steps, building codes may not require railings or landings. You may decide to set the stairs at an angle at a corner of the deck using wide steps to give the deck a contemporary look. To heighten this effect, incorporate several angles for the same set of stairs or add an additional set of stairs off another corner of the deck. If the deck is high above the ground, railings and landings will be required according to building codes. One design idea is to use a landing to mark a change in the direction of the bottom portion of the stairs.

Tips on Deck Replacement and Raised Patio

Deck replacement and raised patio is about making your landscape looking good in general.  Ideally, you have to replace damaged decks and raise your patio from time to time to make your front a sight to behold and expensive repairs later on.  Here are some tips provided by landscape contractors to make your deck and patio look perpetually new. Dings, scratches and stains are the most common things you’ll need to repair on your deck, and ease of repair varies widely depending on the materials you use. For certain types of decking materials, pressure-treated wood, cedar or redwood are recommended: These types of wood are remarkably easy to work with when you get a scratch or gouge on the surface. All you need to do is sand the boards until the stain, scratch or gouges disappears and then re-stain, paint or seal the deck to give it a finished look again. Tropical hardwoods are so dense that they rarely have significant scratching issues. However, the wood reacts with

Every Home Needs Landscaping Repair and Restoration

  Before   After After three or four years, your once beautiful landscape project will inevitably turn into an eyesore and a liability. There’s no escaping this problem.  Perhaps the pavers on the walkway become uneven or the gaps between the pavers grow wider and unsightly.  Worse, your entire patio may now be leaning towards your home causing rainwater to slowly erode its foundation. This happens to every home with a landscape attraction out front even if the landscape work was done by a good contractor.  Blame it on the elements and the wear and tear brought by time as a matter of course.  So it behooves upon the homeowner to look for landscaping repair and restoration .  In case the landscape contractors you originally got made a shoddy job, the imperative is for you to find a team that can repair the mistakes done on your yard. The team you need is one that can move in quickly to properly level pavers, support retaining walls, rebuild features, and eve

Grading and Drainage Crucial in Water Gardens

In terms of design and care of water gardens, grading and drainage are key considerations.   You just can’t install a water garden in your landscaped yard without a proper grading and drainage system. This is because inefficient or inadequate draining can result in all kinds of hazards that can cost you in the long run.  If outdoor spaces are not designed with drainage in mind, un-drained water can cause a variety of problems in your yard. For example, standing water can compromise the structural integrity of the foundation of your home and any other outdoor structures. It can also jeopardize the health of your plants if their roots become water-logged. This is a particular concern for water-sensitive plants. Poor drainage management can potentially cause other serious dangers such as mosquito infestation and inconveniences such as soggy lawns and unsightly, muddy swamps. It is therefore important that you take these potential challenges seriously.  A good idea is

Great Landscaping Ideas for Front Yard and Backyard Area

There is no homeowner that won’t desire a landscaped front or backyard. A landscaped lawn is desirable in both economic and aesthetic sense. It does not only increase the value of a residential property but also lifts one’s soul that nature and a green surrounding provide as a matter of course. That said, a homeowner without a landscaped front who now wants to build one has a good number of options in going about it. If you’ve never gone through a landscape design before, chances are you’ll be surprised by all the choices available for beginners in this area. The same principles that guided your room setup inside the house may be used to guide your designs out front.  Here are some great landscaping ideas for beginners. First, draw a list of your particular needs and wants. Do your kids need a play space? Do you want to grow vegetables? Does your family often gather on a patio? Then do some very rough sketches of the yard with thoughts of where you want to place a t

Do Your Own Hardscape Repairs

Winter can be rough on your homes, especially your hardscape which is perpetually exposed to the elements. When the last signs of cold weather melt away, you can find yourself heading into spring with pitted driveways, cracked asphalt and crumbling landscaping. So it’s important to make repairs before summer heats up and puts further stress on these important areas. Doing your own hardscape repairs isn’t difficult. You’ll save money, and doing it yourself gives you the opportunity to get some outdoor exercise this spring. You may need professionals to pour new asphalt but repairing existing asphalt in your hardscape can be done by yourself. For pothole repairs, start by sweeping and removing any loose materials from the area needing repair. Next, pour ready-mix asphalt in the trouble spot and spread evenly to a depth of no more than 2 inches at a time. Use the back side of a shovel to compact the material. And since there is no oily tracking with this material, just d

Walk Patio Repairs can be Easy in Five Ways

Is your walk patio or outdoor living spaces are in need of repair or maintenance and you’re stumped about what to do? Relax, it can be relatively easy. Those with experience in walk patio repair will tell you all you need is to start with an old fashion inspection of the problem. It could be a sunken patio base or a chipped piece of concrete or deteriorating mortar. Whatever the case, repairs will come easy once you look closely into the problem. The reason is that assessing the basic issues leads to solutions. Here are five ways that can be easily worked with walk patio repairs.   The first thing you need to do is look very closely at your existing mortar joints. Look at the color of the sand. Believe it or not, not all sand looks the same. Sand is simply a collection of very small rock particles, and the color of individual sand particles can be vastly different if the particles come from a variety of black, red, white and gray rocks. Visit different building suppl

A Well-designed Patio for Beautiful Homes

A well-designed patio makes for a beautiful home. It’s the first home feature that greets first-time quests and so they draw the conclusion that you keep an ideal home if you have a well-designed outdoor area. For yourself and family, a great patio design or an outdoor living spaces are also provides as a great place for relaxing, outdoor entertaining, or simply enjoying the beauty of nature. There is a perfectly suited for every home, lifestyle, and budget. Patios can be designed in every shape, color, size, and material imaginable. Before you start laying down the first pavers or pouring concrete, you should consider the options available from professionals doing this kind of work. Today’s patios are more versatile and offer a wide range of options in design. First, you will need to formulate a plan of action. Brainstorm and pinpoint what sort of outdoor space would best suit your lifestyle. Banish the notion that this are to be strictly on an outdoor space. Cano

Interlocking Paving Stones for Beauty and Function

Interlocking stones in a garden add beauty and function to the landscaping project. This is why interlocking is a very popular and attractive choice not only for garden but also for other landscaping projects such as including driveways, patios, stairs and entryways, pathways and walkways. There is a wide variety of interlocking stone products available on the market which allows a lot of design flexibility for your unique landscaping project. Interlocking pavers have been used for centuries, dating back to ancient Roman roads. Their durability and aesthetically pleasing characteristics is what makes them a popular choice among homeowners today. These can be treated as a system, each may be put in place to keep the others intact. These are not just visually attractive but they are also beneficial to our environment.  The reason is that they are usually permeable, which means water percolates through the surface and recharges our groundwater tables. Unlike traditi

Permeable Pavers Make Gardens Sustainable

The use of ‘Permeable pavers’ in gardens is becoming popular these days because of the many benefits that homeowners derive from this choice of landscaping material. First, these are environment friendly and pleasing to the eye. They efficiently reduce run-off rainwater to gutters and storm drains without water collecting in surfaces. This makes for an accident-free garden since the surfaces are skid-resistant. Permeable pavers in Landscape design also enable homeowners to save on their water bills. This may come in different kinds of building materials but they are all sustainable and allow water to flow through their surface. While other non-porous materials direct water to storm-drains, these surfaces help ground water recharge by allowing water to flow into open spaces between the materials. These porous materials also filter pollutants and solids from the water as it percolates through the surface. Permeable paving is becoming more popular among home and busines

Pennsylvania Homes Need Outdoor Living Spaces

Pennsylvanians are blessed with a good year-round weather that allows for weekend hikes, days at the beach and enjoying other outdoor activities any month of the year. The sun, sand and warm weather are the main draws for many of us who choose to call Pennsylvania home, so it comes as no surprise that homeowners in this state should place a premium on outdoor living spaces . The purpose of outdoor living spaces is to extend the usable square footage of your home in a manner that allows you to more fully enjoy your property and makes your backyard serve a more functional purpose for you and your family. In some cases, this may be very specific, such as woyld-be baseball players in need of a backyard batting cage or golf enthusiasts who want to practice their putting on their own putting green. Whether around town, at the beach or visiting one of our many local attractions, most of us like to be outside as much as possible, and there is no reason for this to end when

Let Professional Landscapers do Your Garden

It is a well-known fact that garden landscaping done by professional landscape contractors such as Garden Square Landscaping Inc. can reduce your utility bills and conserve energy. This is because professionals in landscape architecture will structure your garden in such a way that your home is protected from harsh winds during the winter months while the garden also absorbs the heat of the sun to cool off your home during summer. To protect your home from harsh winter winds, professional landscape design usually includes trees, hedges, grasses and shrubs in your garden. These protect your home from strong seasonal winds while capturing the winter sun. In summer, the garden’s trees and hedges can absorb heat from the sun to help keep your home cooler. Adding trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, plants and hedges to your landscaped garden can attract wildlife such as birds, insects and squirrels. If you add extras like bird tables to your garden, then you’re likely to a

Multiple Benefits of Landscaping

The most obvious benefit of landscaping to your front yard has to do with aesthetics. A landscaped garden out front improves the looks and beauty of your home. But there are many other benefits of garden landscaping and here is a lowdown on the main ones.   Firstly, landscaping makes good economic sense because it increases the value of your home.  It also makes your property more attractive to prospective buyers if you intend to sell. In this case, you can be sure that the time your property is on the market will be drastically reduced.  If there is no intent to sell and the plan is to stay in your home for good, it would be nice to know that you’ll be spending much less for heating and cooling costs. This is because the greenery cools the surroundings when the weather is warm.  It provides the advantage of lessening the annual cooling and heating costs because carefully placed trees can cut about 20 percent off the energy consumption in a certain house for

Make Your House a Home in Building Outdoor Living Spaces

A house only becomes a home when landscaping designs and ideas enhance its front yard. The yard is an extension of your home. It gives visitors their first impression of what kind of house you come home to. The people living in a house with front yard landscaping will surely make a good impression on their house guests who will see that since the house has an outdoor living space, living should be even more pleasant indoors. It is therefore worthwhile, even important, to build outdoor living spaces that will provide a tranquil escape for you and your family and increase the value of your home manifold.  With front yard landscaping, you sort of put your best foot forward. The fact is, the yard is often the most overlooked area of the house as interior decorating preoccupies most homeowners. Simple outdoor decorating and landscaping architecture will help incorporate outside activities into your family’s daily life by creating a cool space away from the television

Landscaping Ideas Creating an Inspiring Front Yard Garden

There are a great many landscaping ideas and ideas to enhance the front of your home. You can choose a formal look with a courtyard circling a fountain. Or you can go for a low-maintenance front yard that's natural, with a meandering pathway lined with native plants. You can even create a private space for outdoor entertaining. Whatever you decide, be sure to spend plenty of time determining the look you want and planning how to achieve it.  With the help of a landscaping designer to guide you, you'll be sure to get a front yard landscape you can be proud of. From a good landscaping professional , you can learn how to create an inspiring front yard garden, with project profiles from around the country, including a courtyard in Pennsylvania and a modern front yard remodel. Get some ideas on how to make over your own front yard, including use of walls to add privacy, creating a grand entrance with a wide walkway and arbor, and replacing the lawn with a meadow p

Garden Square Landscaping Inc. – Locally family owned and operated since 1987

  Ross, the President of Garden Square Landscaping, Inc. , has enjoyed the design and build aspects of a landscape construction company here in Southern Chester County for 20 years. A member of the Kennett Square Lions Club, Ross gives back to the community. Ross attended the University of Delaware and is a member and certified installer of ICPI and NCMA. In addition to this as a certified instructor for both organizations he has the opportunity to instruct contractors, manufacturers, and distributors across the United States. Ross lives and works in Kennett Square with his wife and 2 children. Services rendered Landscaping, Hardscaping, Hardscape Design/Build, Landscape Design Build, Water Gardens, Pondless Water Gardens, Storm Water Management, Landscape Design, Digital Imaging, Hardscape Renovation and Protection, Clean and Seal, Maintenance, Outdoor Kitchen and Fireplaces, Grading and Drainage, Fire Pits, Flagstone and Brick Patios, Walkways

Hire an Expert in Landscape Design

If you’re a homeowner aiming to have a landscaped front and backyard but without the necessary skills and expertise, it is best to hire an expert in landscape design . Landscape design is the design of outdoor structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes.   It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and soil conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions that will produce the desired outcome. The scope of the profession includes landscape design; site planning; storm water management; environmental restoration; parks and recreation planning; visual resource management; green infrastructure planning and provision; and private estate and residence landscape master planning and design; all at varying scales of design, planning and management. Being a specialized field, landscaping can’t just be done helter-skelter.  You have to consider the project site vis-à-vis the

About Garden Square Lanscaping Inc.

Brief Biographies    Ross, the President of Garden Square Landscaping, Inc., has enjoyed the design and build aspects of a landscape construction company here in Southern Chester County for 20 years. A member of the Kennett Square Lions Club, Ross gives back to the community. Ross attended the University of Delaware and is a member and certified installer of ICPI and NCMA. In addition to this as a certified instructor for both organizations he has the opportunity to instruct contractors, manufacturers, and distributors across the United States. Ross lives and works in Kennett Square with his wife and 2 children. Ann is co-owner and Office Manager for Garden Square Landscaping, Inc. When you call the office she will be ready to direct your call and find the answers to your questions. Ann is a graduate of Washington College. Ann and Ross, along with their two children, live in Kennett Square. Primo is a multi-talented man who has completed many lands