10 Landscaping Improvements to Make this Spring
February 21, 2019With all the artic weather that has hit our area these past few weeks, it may be hard to imagine that spring is upon the horizon. Just as the sun surely rises, so will the sunny warmer days of spring and summer be here soon.
That is why we thought a little talk about improving your landscaping this spring might be helpful for planning some improvements to enhance your home’s curb appeal.
10 Landscaping Improvements to Make this Spring:
1) Plan your landscape: Well before you break ground, it is important to plan your landscaping project. Are you going to hire a professional landscaper? Might as well get them involve from the beginning, as their knowledge and expertise will be a big help. Plan for the types of plants you would like to grow, the layout and what you need to complete the tasks. This will make your landscaping endeavor significantly easier in the end.
2) Know Your Options: The geographic location of your home should play a big part in landscaping decisions. Choosing plants according to the climate of your yard is crucial. If your yard is full of mature trees, you will want to select plants that thrive in shade. While a more open landscape will make those plants that thrive in sunny conditions a better option.
The Side Effects of a Late Spring on Your Plantings
3) Give Plants Room to Grow: Most plants have an estimated maturity height and width. Consider a plant will grow over time in order to space it properly and place in best area for growth.
4) Know Your Pests: Familiarize yourself with the pests in your neighborhood so that you can plan for ways to protect your landscape from them. Insecticides, wire mesh or fencing can keep wildlife and insects from destroying your new plantings. Your local nursery or department store should be able to help you find the tools you need.Consider Soil Conditions: The quality of the soil used will play a big part of your landscaping efforts. Adding mulch to your plantings not only adds to aesthetics, it will also help maintain the soil.
5) Consider Maintenance Needs: If you are not planning on spending the time or hiring someone to maintain your plantings, select plants that are lower maintenance to keep your landscape looking nice. Consider placing flowers in planters to add color and texture to the landscape while cutting back on need to weed.
5 Steps to Prepare Your Landscape for Spring
6) Style Your Landscape to Compliment Your Home: The specific style of your home needs considered when selecting plantings. A traditional style home with landscape that flourishes with sunlight is conducive to flowering plants and shrub, while a rustic or modern home might look better with cacti or ornamental grass.
7) Use Landscape Rocks: Rocks can provide a natural, textural element to any landscape and a great way to create focal points. Better yet, rocks are very easy to maintain.
8) Make a Blueprint: Once the types of plants are selected, map it out. Items such as walkways or decorative elements need to be added in order to see how the landscape project will work and the materials you need.
Check Out Our 17 Landscape Trends for 2019
9) Timing is Everything: Since many plants respond better when planted during a particular time of year, you’ll want to plan for that to give them every chance of flourishing year over year.
10) Spy on Your Neighbors: Look around your neighborhood to see what is working for them as a guide to what might work well for your landscape, as well. Talk with a local nursery to get professional advice on what types of obstacles or what is native to your area.
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. We can help build an outdoor living area that will have you enjoying the great outdoors in style! Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
What Is Rejuvenative Pruning and Why Do You Need It?
February 5, 2019Over time, your landscaping can become less sharp than it once was. Throughout the changing of the seasons, your shrubs and bushes can begin to lose their shape and look unhealthy around the edges. Fortunately, you can take a few steps to help give your landscaping a facelift. One of these is rejuvenative pruning.
Most shrubs benefit from annual pruning. The practice keeps them from becoming overgrown and producing branches that are unproductive or unattractive. Once a shrub is overgrown, it no longer responds to the typical methods of thinning and trimming. As a result, more drastic actions, such as rejuvenative pruning, become necessary.
Rejuvenative pruning is a good option for shrubs that have not been maintained with annual trimming. When performed correctly, it works as the name implies. It is like replacing the old shrub with a new one. Rejuvenative pruning, at its most basic form, requires cutting the shrub to a height between 6-12 inches and allowing it to grow. However, since it requires a certain technique to be successful, it is best not to attempt rejuvenative pruning yourself.
Hard Versus Gradual Pruning
Rejuvenative pruning, when done correctly, allows a plant to grow new, productive branches after cutting away any productive growth. Two main methods exist for rejuvenative pruning: gradual or hard. A hard prune is the act of cutting the whole shrub down and allowing it to regrow. Gradual pruning, on the other hand, involves the removal of unproductive branches over a period of three years.
Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage of hard pruning is that it allows a shrub to rejuvenate more quickly, typically over a growing season. However, not all types of plants respond well to hard pruning, and attempting it on a plant that does not respond well could result in loss of the plant. Additionally, you may have to deal with the unsightly prospect of a bare stub until the plant rejuvenates.
Gradual pruning is a slower process than hard pruning, but it has the advantage of visual appeal. These plants tend to look better in your existing landscaping as they regrow, and are better for types of shrubs that do not respond well to hard pruning, such as caning shrubs.
Rejuvenative pruning can be a great way to improve your landscaping, but it requires help from an expert. The landscaping team at DiSabatino can help your shrubs and landscaping reach their full visual potential.
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. We can help build a outdoor fireplace or fire pit to keep you warm over the winter months ahead. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Check Out Our 17 Landscape Trends for 2019
January 22, 2019With every year there comes change, improvement and trends to access. At DiSabatino Landscaping we are always looking to learn new things and explore our creativity in order to deliver the best landscaping product or service to our clientele.
With that in mind, we’ve come up with a list of landscaping and outdoor living trends to look out for and consider this year.
17 Landscape Trends for 2019:
1) Younger customers: As I get older, everyone else starts to look younger. Over my many years in the landscaping business, I have notice that we are getting a large amount of millennials contacting us for major landscaping and hardscaping projects.
2) Integrating technology: Landscaping companies are utilizing all sorts of technology to the benefit of their clientele. Whether it is the use of a drafting program during the design and build stage, retractable awnings or solar powered lighting; expect increased integration of technology.
3) Battery-powered equipment: Cordless-electric outdoor power equipment has gained more power and dependability to the point that is becoming a formidable competitor of gas-powered equipment. Keep in mind when purchasing several pieces of battery operated lawn tools that it might make sense to stick with the same brand so you can use the same battery for several different pieces of equipment.
4) Low-maintenance landscapes: People are working longer hours and looking for ways to cut back on home and outdoor maintenance. Low-maintenance plantings, cutting back on the amount of grass you must mow and installing automatic irrigation systems are just a few of the low-maintenance landscaping strategies you can take to lessen your workload.
5) Pollinator gardens: Many gardeners are stepping up to the plate to protect our native bee species whose population has greatly declined due to pesticides, habitat loss or other ecological changes. Create pollinator gardens with the best bee plants and nesting habitats according to the particular native species you are trying to help.
6) Asymmetrical design: Abstract landscaping or asymmetrical design is key to creating landscaping results that are pleasing, artistic and free form. This gives a more natural and relaxed impression that is less dependent on the shape of your garden and more concentrated on creating unity through the use of a variety of elements such as rocks, plant and décor.
7) Secluded spaces: Secluded Garden Spots or garden rooms are a great way to build an outdoor sanctuary to escape the everyday stress of life. A quiet place to sit and ponder or read can be soothing and reinvigorating.
8) Creating a “staycation” spot: More and more families are creating an outdoor oasis in their backyard where they can enjoy each other’s company, nature and extend the square footage of their home. Creating outdoor kitchens, dining areas, recreation or living areas is a great way to have a place to staycation every weekend!
9) Making backyard structures focal points: The ambience of sharing a nice bottle of wine while relaxing outside with a roaring fire is one of the best ways to wind up a long day. Creating an outdoor space to focus on you is going to be one big trend going forward.
10) Making a notable first impression: The entrance to your home is the first and often the most lasting impression friends and family will get when visiting. Many homeowners are investing in landscaping combined with hardscaping to make that impression a good one.
11) Including unexpected elements in your arrangements: Get creative! A café table set next to a lily pond, a lighted stone bridge leading to a welcoming sitting area, a tall urn fountain – these unexpected features will wow visitors and sooth the soul.
12) Including food in landscapes of all sizes: When planning your landscaping, include plants that provide food, cover and water for wildlife. This will ensure a lively and thriving garden while providing much-needed habitat restoration.
13) Giving back with gardens: The ‘Giving Garden’ is trending as a way to give back to the community. Many organizations are encouraging the giving garden as a way to foster sustainable community values while making an immediate impact on food security.
14) Investing in furniture that lasts: Outdoor furniture is subject to many abusive natural elements, such as the sun’s rays, high winds, pelting rains and sleet. Many homeowners are looking for more durable and sustainable features in outdoor furniture, such as concrete, stainless steel, synthetic wicker or teak furniture, which is a dense, close-grained hardwood with a natural oil content that makes if resistant to the elements.
15) Pergolas: A pergola can provide protection from direct sunlight, yet allow air to circulate freely. This makes them a welcome respite from the harsh rays of the afternoon sun. Making a pergola the perfect feature of an outdoor living space.
16) Pink hues Pink promises to be the most popular hue in landscaping this year. Picture a lovely English garden on a sunny spring day. Expect to see a lot of pink hued knockout roses, delphinium, carnations, dogwoods, hydrangea, foxglove and petunias.
17) Metals: Metal landscape edging, corrugated metal sculptures or tall privacy screens are finding a niche in the landscapes of today. Metal is durable and weathers well, why hasn’t this become a ‘thing’ much sooner?
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. We can help build a outdoor fireplace or fire pit to keep you warm over the winter months ahead. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
5 Steps to Prepare Your Landscape for Spring
January 8, 2019Winter is just beginning, but it is never too early to think about your spring landscaping. Taking heed of a few simple tips this winter can help you make the most of the warmer spring temperatures when they come. Prepare for your spring landscaping by taking these steps.
1) Clean Your Yard Periodically
One of the first things you will have to do when beautifying your lawn for spring is to clean up the debris, such as leaves and twigs that accumulated over the winter. If you do not attend to your lawn until you begin the process in April, the task can seem daunting. On the other hand, taking advantage of periodic thaws in the wintertime can help you stay on track all season long and help with the cabin fever we all begin to feel over the winter months.
For the more manicured preference, clearing of debris is the first step to the cleanup in preparation for mulching. If of the more naturalistic mindset, leaves and debris can be collected and composted or even further broken down and recycled as mulch.
2) Choose Your Mulches Now
It may not be time to lay mulch and other landscaping materials, but you can lay the groundwork. Edge out your beds, trim back any dead branches, and begin to research what kind of mulch you might want to lay in the spring. Hardwood mulches have become the norm for many homeowners due to color and longevity. Homeowners may want to consider natural mulching options such as bark and leaf mulch. Many public and professional gardens utilize natural mulches as these options successfully break down and contribute to plant health and soil biodiversity.
THREE WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR PATIO FOR SPRING
3) Examine Trees After Every Storm
In order to keep your lawn in the best shape (as well as protect the structures around your house), look for signs of dead or hanging tree branches after every winter storm. You should remove dangling limbs immediately for safety’s sake, and to save time on spring cleanup.
THE BENEFITS OF PLANTING WINTER INTERESTS PLANTS
4) Apply Pre-Emergent Controls
Late winter or very early spring (think February/March) is actually the perfect time to get a jump start on weed control in both your lawns and your landscape beds. Crabgrass control should be applied to lawns and pre-emergent should be applied when mulching landscape beds. Pre-emergent should be in the ground once thawed but before temperatures reach 55 degrees. If you wait too long to apply your pre-emergent, seeds will begin to germinate and it will no longer be effective.
5) Design Your Landscape Projects
Springtime may seem like a long way off, but it’s mere months away. If you are planning for any landscape or outdoor living projects or renovations for the upcoming season, now is the time to contact your landscaping design team. Take the winter to plan and coordinate details so that when spring rolls around, you ready and can enjoy the results of your project throughout the rest of the season.
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. We can help build a outdoor fireplace or fire pit to keep you warm over the winter months ahead. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Fire Pit and Fireplace Maintenance Tips
December 18, 2018
Winter is the perfect time to use that fireplace or fire pit. Letting the warmth of a nice roaring fire bask over you as you sip a hot toddy or yuletide drink while inhaling the brisk winter air is invigorating, yet soothing!
Don’t let you fireplace or fire pit sit idle this holiday season. Check out our video on fireplace and fire pit maintenance so you can safely enjoy the great outdoors this winter.
Here are a few tips to keeping your fire burning this fall and winter.
Posted by DiSabatino Landscaping & Tree Care, Inc. on Thursday, November 8, 2018
Whether you are enjoying the warmth as you listen to the crackling of the fire, sipping on your favorite beverage or toasting marshmallows with the kids, there’s nothing like relaxing in the comfort of your own backyard.
The benefits of fire pits are many –they make the outdoors a year round gathering spot. The winter night sky is a beautiful thing and being able to gaze at the vibrant stars by the warmth of a roaring fire is perhaps the biggest benefit.
7 Reasons to Install a Fire Pit This Winter
CHECK OUT OUR PINTEREST OUTDOOR FIREPLACES AND FIRE PITS PAGE
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. We can help build a outdoor fireplace or fire pit to keep you warm over the winter months ahead. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Winter Landscaping & Gardening Tips
December 11, 20182019 is almost here. It’s time to reflect on the year gone by, as well as plan for the one ahead. There are plenty of things we can do in the Winter to keep up progress in our outdoor spaces. Here are some ideas for your consideration.
Winter Landscaping & Gardening Tips:
1) Pruning: After deciduous trees and shrubs drop their leaves we can shape them easier. A couple of dry, mild days and some clean, sharp tools is all you need to tighten up shapes in your landscape.
Why Late Winter is the Best Time to Prune
2) Hardscape: Patios, walkways, and outdoor lighting can all be done well into the Winter with some careful consideration. A fire pit or other fire accents can add to family gatherings and holiday memories.
Preparing Your Patio for Winter
3) Planting: Winter is still a great time to add trees and bling like roses to your property. That way they’ll be ready right from the start for Spring 2019. Often times there are fantastic discounts on landscape material at this time of year.
4 Benefits of Planting ‘Winter Interest’ Plants
Most of all enjoy time with your family and the satisfaction of your hard garden work in 2018. Have a Happy New Year friends!
HOW TO WINTERIZE PONDS AND OTHER WATER FEATURES
Winter Gardening Tips – Sunday Gardener
“The advice to clear snow from shrubs is good, sound, practical advice. In earlier years I have ignored it, thinking this advice was over complicating things when you could just stay indoors in the warm, but snow really does cause damages to the garden, especially shrubs.”
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. We can help get your landscape ready to face the winter months ahead. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Preparing Your Patio for Winter
November 27, 2018IS YOUR LANDSCAPE READY FOR WINTER?
Properly preparing your hard outdoor surfaces serves to protect and extend their life span, saving you money and time. With that in mind, check out our suggested tip on preparing your patio for winter.
5 Tips for Preparing your Patio for Winter:
- Sweep and wash off debris and leaves to prevent stains on your patios and walkways (
- Fill any gaps in the joints with cement or polysand
- Seal all masonry patios, driveways and walkways to prevent the ice and salt from damaging them
- Ensure that the edges of your patio are backfilled (no soil erosion) to prevent water from pooling and freezing up to and under the patio causing the stone or pavers to lift
- Ensure all gutters and downspouts are clear, properly sealed and directed away from masonry surfaces in order to avoid freeze or chip from the ice
Ultimately, spending the time and effort to keep your patio and other masonry surfaces looking their best will keep you from early replacement and will help to maintain your home’s future resale value.
HOW TO WINTERIZE PONDS AND OTHER WATER FEATURES
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. We can help get your landscape ready to face the winter months ahead. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Using Anti-Desiccants To Protect Broadleaf Evergreens During Winter Months
November 6, 2018The colors of fall are all around us this year and thanks to the continuous rainfall our area has received these last few months, the contrast is AMAZING! Now that Halloween is a distant memory and Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, it is time to talk about preparing your landscaping for the cold winter months ahead.
Winter can be harsh on trees and shrubs that do not drop their leaves, such as broadleaf evergreens and conifers. These varieties of landscape plantings often suffer winter damage through desiccation. Desiccation in layman’s terms means drying out.
Broadleaf evergreens, such as azalea, rhododendron, holly and boxwood, in addition to Conifers, such as arborvitae, juniper, pine, cedar and cypress are the most susceptible to desiccation. So are tender stems, such as rose canes and hydrangea stems.
As the ground starts to freeze, a plant’s roots effort to take up water from the ground are thwarted. The plant will begin to use up all the water stored in their leaves and stems and they begin to dry out. That is why landscaping professionals suggest strategic application of anti-desiccants.
Anti-desiccants are sprays that provide a protective coating to evergreen foliage that reduces the amount of water that escapes from evergreen trees and shrubs to help hold in moisture through the winter. However, if applied too early in the season, anti-desiccants can cause injury.
As temperatures begin to drop in the fall, a plant prepares for dormancy by sending water from its foliage to its roots. Anti-desiccants applied before a plant goes dormant will trap water in the leaves which will freeze and cause cellular rupturing.
That is why it is important to pick an appropriate time to spray. Most landscapers suggest waiting until December and picking a day when temperatures are between 40-50 degrees F with no immediate rainfall in the forecast. The plant’s foliage needs to be dry before application and given enough time to dry after spraying with the anti-desiccant.
In addition, be sure to spray the plants thoroughly, even the underside of the foliage. Just to reiterate the most common types of landscape plants that should be treated are broadleaf evergreens, conifers and tender stems, such as hydrangea.
Landscaping trees and shrubbery is a big investment. Properly maintaining and protecting your plants can ensure that they look healthy and green for the next growing season. If you have problems with cold damage in your garden, you may want to try anti-desiccants this winter.
To learn more about protecting your landscape this winter, check out these articles:
HOW TO PROTECT TREES & SHRUBS FROM WINTER DAMAGE
WHY LATE WINTER IS THE BEST TIME TO PRUNE
IS YOUR LANDSCAPE READY FOR WINTER?
PROTECT YOUR TREES AND SHRUBS THIS WINTER
4 BENEFITS OF PLANTING WINTER INTEREST PLANTS
DiSabatino Landscaping is Delaware’s #1 Hardscape and Landscape Specialist. We can help get your landscape ready to face the winter months ahead. Give us a call today! 302-764-0408
Drainage Fixes to Protect Your Home and Landscaping
October 10, 2018Two Thousand and Eighteen has been a record year for rainfall in the Delaware Valley Region. With average rainfall typically at 45 inches, we are currently nearing 80 inches plus this year alone! This crushes the previous record since the initiation of rainfall records back to 1895.
Due to the excessive rainfall you may have noticed your sump pumps running more, soft spots in lawns that were not there before, or water problems in the yard that have gotten worse with the record rainfall. DiSabatino Landscaping specializes in finding the appropriate drainage solution for your home.
Instead of guessing and doing the bare minimum to remediate the symptom we take the time to actually assess and correct these issues for both your basement and landscaping. During our consultation, we weigh not only the history of the area but also what you, as the homeowner, have experienced during your time in the home.
Got Drainage? Proper Drainage Benefits Your Landscaping and Your Home’s Foundation
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
Drainage Fixes to Protect Your Home and Landscaping:
1. Surface Flow:
This is the most cost effective solution for many homes. With this solution your landscape needs to have a minimum of a 2% grade to have the water properly flow over your lawn to the appropriate storm water management location. This type of work is typically done in swale creation.
2. Down Spouts:
This is one of the most common culprits to having water sitting at the foundation of your home. By taking the downspouts out a minimum of 10’ from your home this can alleviate the rainwater load at the foundation of your house by almost 80%. We always run your downspouts with SCH 40 PVC pipe to ensure no sediment will be caught, crushing of the pipe will not occur from typical lawn traffic and we install the pipes with an easy cleanout system if you have leaves in your gutters.
3. Dry River Beds:
This is a more extreme case of surface flow drainage solutions. Typically, a dry riverbed solution is used in areas where grass will not easily grow. By creating the same surface flow solution as previously mentioned; however, we would install decorative or ballast stone that will allow the water to drain directly through the area to the appropriate storm water management location.
4. Catch Basins:
Here we begin to get more in depth with your landscape. Catch basins/drain boxes are typically used when a low point in one point of your lawn does not drain properly and a surface flow or down spout solution is not the correct way to move the water away from your home. Here we install the appropriate sized catch basin to support the intake volume of water and move said water through the appropriately sized PVC SCH 40 pipe.
5. Flow Wells:
This solution is used when water cannot be moved away from where the water is pooling. Typically used in smaller areas to move water from the surface into the soil column this solution begins to get into the more complex drainage solutions.
6. French Drains and Percolation Drains:
Used in extreme solutions when water cannot be moved away from the location of pooling water in your yard; these solutions can hold and/or move the water underground to be dispersed into the soil column.
7. Retention/Detention Ponds:
This is one of the more costly installations of drainage solutions typically used on new homes or new hardscaping project needs. These ponds are designed to take excessive amounts of water from the surface and drain or collect them as needed by the county/township.
Please note that this is not a full list of solutions that DiSabatino Landscaping uses to alleviate poor drainage areas. However, if you have a wet spot in your lawn or an area you are worried about please give us a call and one of our designers will find the right solution for you!
If you’re interested in talking with one our drainage experts regarding a custom assessment of your landscaping drainage system, call us at 302-764-0408 – email us at reception@disabatinoinc.com or fill out the form on our grading & drainage page.
Fall in Love With Our Custom Basement Renovations
September 25, 2018Are you looking to add a new room to your home? If so, have you utilized the entire square footage of you home? Why pay for expensive additions when you could make the best use of space that already exists?
Many homeowners who determine they need more space to create entertainment centers, gyms, game rooms or a home office fail to consider their basements as a viable option. Most homeowners use their sizable basements for little more than a junk room or storage area.
Sure basements tend to be more damp and darker than other areas of the home. That should not deter you from considering customizing your basement to add value and livability to your home.
While basement renovations require some specific tactics to avoid mold and mildew from growing, if you work with an experienced professional design expert you could actually improve your home’s energy efficiency!
Unfinished basements are an energy drain because they lack the proper insulation and often siphon off the heat or air conditioning from the living areas of the home. Once properly renovated, a basement can help maintain moderate temperatures in your home by reducing leaks.
The fantastic acoustics of underground space makes a basement a great space for an entertainment center. Many homeowners choose to combine a number of options when committing to a basement renovation.
At DiSabatino Landscaping & Design, we have taken our outdoor design expertise indoors to expertly finish and utilize every inch of basement space in order to create inviting and unique custom basement renovations for our happy clientele.
Check out the beautiful brickwork, inventive ceiling with dark ceiling tiles with inset lighting and gorgeous wood flooring. Make note of the flow of space from the custom bar to the game room to the entertainment center.
Imagine how your guests will be at ease and duly impressed when you invite them over for happy hour, game night or to watch a sports event in your state-of-the-art theater room. A fully customized basement renovation can make entertaining easy peasy!
Whether it is a home office, game room, entertainment center or home gym, we can create a comfortable living area where your family will love spending time!
Transform your unfinished or previously finished basement into a healthier, comfortable living area in no time!
Check out our finished basement pictures for great examples and basement remodeling ideas! And when you’re ready, contact us for a free basement finishing consultation and quote.
If you’re interested in talking with one our design experts regarding a custom basement renovation, call us at 302-764-0408 – email us at reception@disabatinoinc.com or fill out the form on our architectural design page.
