Create the Perfect Staycation with a Beautiful Pool Installation in Time for Summer
May 12, 2020Staycations are going to be a reality for many of us this year, why not make the best of it by having an outdoor pool or living area installed to enjoy year round?
All of us are getting a little antsy due to the quarantine necessarily in place to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. These are serious times and we should all heed the advice of local and federal authorities to keep our family safe. However, that does not mean we have to keep indoors.
The uncertainty of the times has many families forgoing their summer vacation plans to hunker down at home. That is why creating a perfect staycation in your own backyard just might be the solution to keeping everyone healthy and sane at the same time.
For about the same investment it would cost to take a family of four on a two-week vacation, you can divert those funds to improving your outdoor living space. Give kids an incentive to brave the outdoors and enjoy the summer. An in ground pool will give them a well-needed diversion and help keep them entertained.
Picture a summer of unwinding by the pool with a well-deserved cocktail while the children splash happily and the stress level lowers. You can take it even farther by adding a comfortable outdoor living space with a cooking area to make relaxing and everyday chores easier.
DiSabatino Landscaping has partnered with Esposito Masonry to offer the highest quality outdoor living area designs with superior water features, such as in ground pools, spas with waterfalls and grottos. Full outdoor entertainment and outdoor cooking areas, fireplaces, fire pits, ponds and more. Check out our gallery below to get inspired:
Are you ready to build your perfect backyard oasis?
DiSabatino can help.
Thankfully, the landscape industry is considered an essential business and we are busier than ever preparing to install some impressive outdoor pools and living spaces. Our landscape designers are adapting to the current climate by video conferencing with clients, supplying detailed 3-D renderings and virtual designs that can easily take a project from the design stage to full implementation.
With so many families finding themselves quarantined at home, there is a sudden desire to create outdoor living areas to extend their home’s square footage. If you are considering investing in a ‘staycation’ project this year, consider some of this year’s latest hardscaping and landscaping trends.
302-764-0408 | DiSabatinoInc.com
The Landscape Experts
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
5 Ways to Liven Up Your Landscape & Hardscape Designs
May 11, 2020As our landscapes in Delaware and the Tristate area begin to sprout fresh leaves and blooms, moods cannot help but be positively affected. Liven up your landscape this spring. Something about the vibrant greens, yellows and accent colors that are so aesthetically pleasing that homeowners everywhere work fervently each year to make their landscapes competitive.
If you are looking for ways to accentuate your patio, pool or some other hardscape design in your landscaping, look at some of the following suggestions that will add color, texture and liven up your outdoor living space.
1) Perennials That Add Color Each Year:
Perennials are the gift that keeps on giving, season after season. Unlike annuals that need planted each year, perennials come back bigger and better each year. While some perennials are easier to care for than others, they definitely require less effort from year to year:
10 New Perennials to Perk Up Your Garden
2) Native Drought Tolerant Plantings:
Planting heat and drought-tolerant native plants, such as American hazelnut, Ornamental Grasses, Salvia, Lavender or Black-eyed Susan is a great low-maintenance way to enhance your landscaping. Native plants need less tending as they literally thrive in the natural soil composites and climate in which they were born to live:
List of Native Heat and Drought Tolerant Plants
3) Mosquito Repellent Plants:
Those long summer evenings are an enticement to hang outside into the wee hours of the night. There is nothing like watching the endless blinking of lightening bugs and the chirp of crickets. However, the mosquito’s sting can inhibit many from enjoying the warm summer air. That is why we suggest planting some of these mosquito repellent plants:
Mosquito Repellent Plants: 25 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes Naturally
4) Sun Loving Plants:
Sun and summer go together, so why wouldn’t you want to enhance your landscaping with sun-loving plants? Check out these plants that have efficient root systems and leaves designed to retain moisture that will shine vibrantly in your garden all summer long:
10 Sun-Loving Plants That Thrive in Summer
5) Dwarf Shrubs:
For many patio borders or boxed gardens, shrubs tend to crowd out the seasons best color producers. Planting dwarf shrubs is a very viable option that will offer a low maintenance way to give your garden color year round:
10 Great Low-Maintenance, Dwarf Shrubs
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The Landscape Experts
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Your Home
April 28, 2020As more and more homes are incorporating outdoor living areas into their homes, outdoor lighting has become more sophisticated. It has also become in high demand to extend the usability of the outdoor space. After all, who wants to have an outdoor party with guests awkwardly navigating dark pathways?
Why is Outdoor Landscape Lighting Necessary?
For one, it is a safety issue. One cannot have elder familymembers or friends take a nasty spill because they could see where they weregoing. Lighted pathways help guide visitors and family members to where theaction is.
Another reason for landscape lighting is to provide security. Well-lit properties deter criminal activity. It also will keep unwanted wildlife from going to town on your vegetation.
Finally, outdoor lighting adds curb appeal. It also gives your family an outdoor area that they can enjoy any time of the day.
What are My Outdoor Lighting Options?
As technology progresses, so do the various outdoor landscape lighting fixtures and features available. Many of which have become very affordable to homeowners nationwide. In fact, with so many options, it can be overwhelming when designing an outdoor lighting plan.
Pathway Lighting:While there are still the traditional options of pathway lighting, there are anumber of ways that lighting engineers are using traditional fixtures in anovel way. Check out this article by YLighting on ‘PathLighting Ideas’.
7 Great Ideas for Creating an Outdoor Living Space
LED Technology:LED lighting is perfect for outdoor lighting as it allows you to adjust yourCCT (correlated color temperature). That way you can create the ambient lightingfor one area, while creating brighter lighting for safety or security reasons. Theoutdoor spaces where you want to entertain could be a warmer temperature formore intimate feel, while those areas you want to light up for security reasonscould be set at a cooler temperature.
Discreet Fixtures:With LED lighting technology there has come some innovative ways to light thelandscape and your home’s exterior. Now that the light does the work, thefixtures are smaller and no longer the focal point. This allows for a varietyof effects; up lighting, silhouetting, shadowing, moonlighting, grazing,washing and path lighting.
Color ChangingLights: These are becoming popular, as color changing lights caste a fullspectrum of hues. They are great for adding an accent for showcase trees orstructures.
Smart Technology:Homeowners can control their outdoor lighting from anywhere there is Internet.Landscape lighting experts are capable of designing lighting plans. They canestablish zones of lighting so that you can turn on, off and dim certainsections of your lighting from anywhere.
Outdoor Lighting Ideas
String Lighting:These are an easy and affordable way to add light and ambiance to your outdoorliving area. Many homeowners switch up their string lights to reflect the timeof year or most current holiday.
Lanterns:Lanterns are easy source for outdoor lighting and are very mobile, allowing you to change up theambiance depending on the needs and mood of your event.
LED Strip Lighting:Strip lighting along the base of stairs or furniture is a simple way to lightup areas to keep safety front and center. It is a more modern look thantradition outdoor lighting solutions.
Up lighting:Lighting tree bases, sculptures, shrubbery and focal pieces is an effective wayto make your outdoor lighting more dramatic and cozy.
Orbs and Spheres: Hanging single or a series of roundfixtures will create an ethereal look, adding the ambient effect many arelooking to achieve.
302-764-0408 | DiSabatinoInc.com
The Landscape Experts
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
10 Top Landscaping Trends for 2020
April 14, 2020As the weather starts to warm and the outdoor living season begins, those of us at DiSabatino Landscaping are using this time to connect with our clientele to see if they have any needs we can fill for them. This growing season presents unique challenges as communities across the nation fighting the spread of COVID-19 are social distancing and working from home. Not to mention the kids home 24/7.
Thankfully, the landscape industry is considered an essential business and we are busier than ever preparing to install some impressive outdoor living spaces. Our landscape designers are adapting to the current climate by video conferencing with clients, supplying detailed 3-D renderings and virtual designs that can easily take a project from the design stage to full implementation.
With so many families finding themselves quarantined at home, there is a sudden desire to create outdoor living areas to extend their home’s square footage. If you are considering investing in a ‘staycation’ project this year, consider some of this year’s latest hardscaping and landscaping trends.
Top Landscaping Trends for 2020:
1) Fire features: Whether it is a tradition wood burning fire pit, a tabletop fire bowl or a full brick fireplace, fire features are considered a must in today’s outdoor living spaces. Not only does this add ambiance or a central focal point, it extends the use of outdoor spaces to cooler temperatures.
2) Intricate geometric hardscaping patterns: The latest interior design patterns are starting to emerge into the outdoors — even walkways can now have flair. Geometric shapes, like trapezoids, the chevron pattern (a repeating V) or hexagons now adorn patios, raised beds, benches and stairways.
3) Textured elements: Whether through pillows, textiles, rugs or even faux rug inlays, textured materials are adding big statements to outdoor living areas.
4) Outdoor living rooms: In today’s world, connecting with nature is a great stress reliever. That is why many families are moving to the outdoors to share meals, exercise and even relax after a long day. A living area covered by a pavilion, gazebo or pergola is a perfect way to make your outdoor living space livable.
7Ways to Add Value to Your Outdoor Kitchen
5) Water features: The sound of water is relaxing. It can bring you to a meditative state. In a world full of a cacophony of sounds, a simple water feature, such as a waterfall, pond or fountain can be the de-stressor you never knew you needed!
6) Front porch living: The return to sitting on the front porch on warm summer evenings started trending last year and is expected to continue throughout this one. Homes with square footage at a minimum can maximize outdoor living space by creating a functional gathering space. Using a mixture of materials, such as hardscaped walls that double as planters, pavers to provide a pathway to the front door and plantings will add great curb appeal to any property.
17Outdoor Living Spaces that Will Make You Feel Like a Lucky Irishman
7) Smart irrigation, controlled remotely via smartphone app: Smart tech is now escaping the walls of the home to make outdoor living easier to maintain. Why not? With the simple touch of a button, homeowners can control their irrigation system to provide their landscapes the right amount of water at the right time of day. This saves time, energy and water … it’s a win/win!
8) Blue accents: Whether through plantings, sculptures, textiles or water features, shades of blue are being used to accent outdoor living spaces. In gardens, blue fortune, delphinium, hydrangea, hyacinth, and globe thistle are adding rich highlights.
TheBest Summer Blooming Shrubs
9) Low-water landscaping: Climate change is front and central nowadays and the idea of dumping gallons of water onto lawns each season is starting to make no sense to many homeowners. Ornamental lawns are the single most irrigated ‘crop’ in the Unites States … a crop that feeds no one. This has spurred on a search for better alternatives, such as landscapes that require minimal amount of watering.
10) Mainstream Sustainability: “Low-maintenance gardens, drought-tolerant plants and less turfgrass have become the norm in landscape design. Homeowners now assume sustainable design will be a major part of the plan — both for economic and environmental reasons.” ~ HGTV
302-764-0408 | DiSabatinoInc.com
The Landscape Experts
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
17 Outdoor Living Spaces that Will Make You Feel Like a Lucky Irishman
March 17, 2020In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, we thought sharing some of our best outdoor living spaces and decking solutions might inspire you to get you ready for spring.
At DiSabatino Landscaping, we can help design the perfect outdoor living space. Unsure of how all your wants are going to fit in your backyard? Our team of innovative designers can meet any challenge!
We have been creating beautiful outdoor living areas for some of the Delaware Valley’s most discerning homeowners. Get in touch with us today to get started on creating an outdoor masterpiece in your own backyard.
Staycations will be your family traditions, as no one is going to want to leave your backyard!
Check out These 17 Gorgeous Outdoor Living Spaces:
1) Outdoor Living with hot tub and pool 
2) Outdoor Living with waterfall and pond 
3) Outdoor Living with pool and pavilion 
4) Outdoor pool with cascading waterfall 
5) Porch with Pergola and Ambient Lighting 
6) Lap Pool with Covered Sitting Area 
7) Pool with Pergola Bar and Cooking Pavilion 
8) Fully Furnished Pavilion with Fireplace 
9) Slate Patio and Pergola 
10) Two Tiered Patio with Outdoor Kitchen 
11) Pool with Pavilion and Pergola 
12) Slate/Brick Outdoor Kitchen with Pergola 
13) Pool with Lounge Area and Flower Beds 
14) Outdoor Kitchen with Slate Patio 
15) Pool with Full Service Pavilion and Twin Pergolas 
16) Columned Outdoor Living Area with Entertainment Center and Fireplace 
17) Beautifully Landscaped Pool with a View
302-764-0408 | DiSabatinoInc.com
The Landscape Experts
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
5 Ways to Fix Landscape Drainage Problems
March 5, 2020Got Drainage Problems?
Is your yard experiencing drainage problems?
Grading around your home to prevent water build up at thefoundation is one big step towards fixing drainage issues.
Water heading towards your foundation is a big issue
5 Ways to Fix Drainage Problems:
- Downspout Extension: Add these to guide water collected by gutters away from the foundation so that water does not end up in the basement. Redirect across property to avoid pooling.
- Drainage Boxes or Grates: Redirect water to a surface drain such as a simple 12” X 12” square or 6” round grate.
- Drainage Swales: Create pitched areas lined with stone or grass guiding water off you property or to an area well away from the foundation. Drainage swales prevent standing water that can lead to mosquitos and other issues.
- French Drain: Install a perforated drainage pip in a gravel lined trough to keep your lawn from experiencing consistent flooding.
- Rain Barrels: Install water barrel or storage well to capture runoff and use to irrigate at a later date.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Drainage Fixes to Protect Your Home and Landscaping
Got Drainage? Proper Drainage Benefits Your Landscaping and Your Home’s Foundation
Got Drainage Problems?
Whether you just built your home or your home has been in the family for generations; we have seen it all! All of our designers are equipped with state of the art leveling devices so we can find the correct solution for your home’s specific situation.
DiSabatino Landscaping will always try to assess your personal property and find the best solution to fix your drainage problems
302-764-0408 | DiSabatinoInc.com
The Landscape Experts
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
7 Ways to Add Value to Your Outdoor Kitchen
February 25, 2020
Outdoor Kitchen by DiSabatino Landscaping & Esposito Masonry
Outdoor Kitchen by DiSabatino Landscaping & Esposito Masonry
Outdoor Kitchen by DiSabatino Landscaping & Esposito Masonry
Outdoor Kitchen by DiSabatino Landscaping & Esposito Masonry
With spring arriving early this year, now is the time to plan improvements for your outdoor living space and outdoor kitchen areas. Cooking outdoors is a great way to entertain and stay in the thick of things.
If there is no outdoor cooking space when the party moves outdoors, the hostess misses a good portion of the excitement as they are stuck inside cooking. Not to mention the many trips back and forth.
Save time, make entertaining outdoors easy and join in the party by having a full-service outdoor kitchen. There are many options available when planning an outdoor kitchen living area . Here are a few to consider.
7 Great Ways to Add Value to Your Outdoor Kitchen
- Pavilion: Keep your dining area comfortable and dry with a pavilion
- Pergola: Add ambience, shade and privacy with a vine-covered pergola
- Pool: Custom in ground pools and hot tubs are refreshing touches that keep dinner guests hanging out for desert!
- Ambient Lighting: Special features such as path lights, string lighting or post lights add to every outdoor evening occasion without attracting pesky insects
- Water Features:Ponds, waterfalls and other water features, such as a fountain is great way to add character to your landscaping
- Alone Space: Create peaceful location away from the crowd to allow for relaxation or meditation
- Bedroom Deck: A deck off the master bedroom – connect with nature any time of day
- Outdoor Space: Utilize the front, side and back of house to add a custom made deck with gazebo, gorgeous pergola, pavilion or sun room
RELATED ARTICLES:
How to Create an Outdoor Oasis in Your Own Backyard
Fire Pit and Fireplace Maintenance Tips
Three Ways to Transform Your Yard Into an Outdoor Room
302-764-0408 | DiSabatinoInc.com
The Landscape Experts
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Preparing Your Patio for Spring
February 11, 2020Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an early spring, which means it is time to get busy preparing your patio for spring. Don’t miss enjoying the first warm days by dining al fresco because you are late to the party!
CHECK OUT THREE WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR PATIO PATIO FOR SPRING:
1 ) Check patio for any signs of damage from ice: Winter is rough on your hardscaping. When water seeps into cracks or crevices and freezes, it can cause cracks or worse! Early spring is the time to assess any damage done from freeze/thaw cycle.
Not only do cracks or chipped areas on concrete unsightly, they could get worse if not repaired. The solution to repairing these surfaces vary. Check out this Quickrete® Guide on Repairing Concrete.
2) Remove algae or mildew: The process of ridding a patio of mildew and algae will depend on the severity of the stains. Start with a stiff broom to sweep off as much debris as possible. While using a power washer is less caustic, it often does not work on stubborn stains.
Using bleach or vinegar is effective, but it could damage the lawn and landscaping. Baking soda is more natural and gentler solution – try mixing ½ cup baking soda to one gallon of water and 1/8 cup of liquid dish detergent first. Spray it on the patio surface, let it sit for 30 minutes, then scrub and rinse.
If your patio is in the shade a good part of the day, consider pruning or removing some trees to allow more sunlight to reach your patio.
3) Apply a sealant: Your patio should be sealed every 3-5 years, at minimum. Sealants prolong the life of your patio.
Sealers provide a tough, water-resistant finish that is protects your patio from exposure to water, common acids, alkalies, petroleum, solvents, oils, greases, and salts. Call a professional hardscape specialist to have sealer applied.
302-764-0408 | DiSabatinoInc.com
The Landscape Experts
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Brighten Your Landscape with Winter Interest Plants
January 23, 2020Winter landscapes tend to be drab and dreary in the northeast this time of year without winter interest plants. With Christmas lights packed away, lawns and deciduous trees dormant, a brown deadness seems to dominate the landscape. This can cause an obvious effect on mood.
There is no reason to fall prey to this deadness in your landscaping plans. Many horticulturists plant winter interest plants to add flare and brighten their landscapes during the winter months. Not only does this brighten one’s mood, it offers food sources for local wildlife, which in turn adds color and movement to the landscape.
SHRUBS WITH WINTER INTEREST
Your yard can come alive with the sound of chirping, warbling and singing birds happily consuming a yard full of strategically planted winter-persistent berries. For some inspiration, check out this article by the National Wildlife Federation on ‘WINTER BERRIES FOR BIRDS’.
A variety of bright-berried shrubs and perennials with textured foliage that are at their peak in winter will add color and texture to any winter landscape. Brightly colored stems, fragrant blooms and enticing fruits bring a wealth of interest to winter borders.
Evergreen shrubs and trees add a pleasing backdrop to colorful winter plantings, such as winterberry or deciduous holly that boasts bright red berries that sparkle and draws the eye.
Pyracantha angustifolia or Firethorn often used as a hedge, on a wall or trellis adorns your landscape with orange-red berries and greenish-brown leaves.
The colorful glow of Cornus sanguinea, or red twig dogwood stems backlit by a low winter sun is a beauty to behold. Evergreen ferns also add color and texture during the winter months. The Athyrium species, better known as the Japanese painted fern, is an excellent choice for any winter display.
Edgeworthia, aka paperbrush, offers fragrant flower buds of yellow and white clusters from December to April, silhouetted by decorative bark, as it drops its leaves mid-December. Witch Hazel blooms with yellow to red flowers sporting threadlike petals that curl up at night and open during the day to emit a lovely fragrance. These blooms last from late fall to early spring.
Winter Daphne is a variegated leaved evergreen shrub that has sweet fragrant white or pinkish star-shaped blooms in late winter to early spring. The Winter Flowering Cherry or Prunus Subhirtella Autumnalis Rosea is an excellent choice for creating a colorful winter hedge or stand-alone tree. Its star shaped, semi-double blooms in pale pink last from autumn to early spring.
While these are just a few really good choices to brighten your winter landscape, getting a professional landscaper’s opinion as to what type of winter interest plant is suitable for your particular needs is advisable. Every plant has its own particular needs and flourishes best in certain locations and soil conditions. An experienced landscaper can help guide you to get more bang for your landscaping investment.
Contact DiSabatino Landscaping if you would like to consultwith one of our specialists.
302-764-0408 | DiSabatinoInc.com
The Landscape Experts
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Watch Our How to Winterize Your Pond Video
January 9, 2020Winterizing your pond begins in the fall, as water temperature is a big factor in determining when is the right time to begin the winterization process for ponds and other water features.
Tips to Winterize Ponds
DiSabatino Landscaping of Delaware helps homeowners to properly take care of their hardscaping and landscaping investment. That is why we suggest that you complete the following steps to prepare ponds and other water features for the winter months ahead.
How to Winterize Living Ponds & Other Water Features:
- Debris Control: Clean out all debris, leaves and silt from the bottom of your pond. The cleaner you can get the pond before freezing weather comes, the healthier your pond will be throughout the winter. Ponds need to be covered with netting in the fall. This netting should be well above the surface so leaves can be easily cleaned. Use a fine-weave aquarium net to sift out excess sludge and debris.
- Water Change: A water change can be done anytime, but it is much more comfortable if it’s done before the water reaches 60◦ Remember to use dechlorinator if your water contains chlorine.
- De-Icer: Use a de-icer to keep a section of your pond open to allow oxygenation and gas exchange. This does not warm the overall water temperature of your pond. A de-icer simply allows toxic gasses to be released and oxygen to enter the pond.
- Pump Care: When temperatures drop below 40°F, the main pump should be removed and filters thoroughly cleaned. Do not leave the pump running on the bottom of the pond. It will lower the temperature of the entire pond by disrupting the natural thermal layers of the pond water as well as adding extreme stress on pond fish.
- Plant Care: Trim and remove any dying plant material as it appears to avoid debris build-up. In this area, bring inside all tropical plants and set all hardy water lilies to the bottom, if the pond is deep enough to keep them from freezing to the bottom.
- Fish Care: Depending on the water temperature will determine what food you feed you fish. Cooler temperatures make it harder for fish to digest food properly. Though it is important for fish to bulk up during the winter months, it is imperative that they not be overfed. As this is a complicated topic, here are more intricate instructions on fish care.
If you would like help with your landscaping needs, please get in touch
302-764-0408 | DiSabatinoInc.com
RELATED ARTICLES:
Fall is Great Time for Fire Pits!
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Check Out Our Portfolio of Fireplaces & Fire Pits
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. We can help advise you what is best way to create outdoor fireplaces & fire pits Give us a call today! 302-764-0408