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Are you ready for a landscape makeover? It’s amazing what an experienced landscape designer can do to turn a neglected area of your yard into a magnificent multi-use space. Good landscaping extends your living space and adds value to your home, whether it’s a place to entertain, relax, or just appreciate the vista. We’ve got a start-to-finish planning process that will take a landscape of any size from boring to beautiful, and keep it that way for years to come.

The first step is to determine your budget range. A beautiful landscape design can be accomplished on a wide range of budgets, and a good landscape and gardening service will be happy to work with you to put together a unique plan for your specific budget. Talk to a landscape designer to get ideas on what can be done. They are idea people who can bring fresh ideas and possibilities for planting, patios, and more. Part of that process is scoping out your backyard to discover its special features and challenges – here at John’s Landscape Service, for example, John Tighe, owner of John’s Landscape Service walks around your property with you and listens to learn what you want from your outdoor living space!

You should talk about different landscape styles, from formal to relaxed, and go over what kind of a look you want. Is your style more modern or are you drawn more toward hardscape projects that have irregularity to the pattern and shape? Do you want a manicured lawn, or a wild-looking cottage garden? A good landscape design service will have plenty of examples to show you what they can do. Point out elements you like and dislike so your landscaper will fully understand your preferences. After all, it’s your backyard.

After that, you’ll meet with a senior landscape designer to develop a design proposal. He or she will create a visual layout of the space using computer-animated design software. Once you’re happy with the proposal, work can begin on your project. Communication doesn’t stop there, though! Conversations, meetings, and check-ins should keep happening throughout the process, so you can feel confident that everything is going well. Backyard makeovers can take anywhere from a day or two to a few months for multiple hardscape projects including a natural stone wall or fire pit.

After your landscape designer and their team finish your beautiful backyard makeover, it’s not just up to you to keep it that way. Landscape and gardening services will offer a variety of maintenance options, from weekly lawn services to annual plantings and spring and fall cleanups. It can be totally effortless to have a beautiful backyard cared for year-round.

With an experienced designer and an expert team working with you, getting a beautiful backyard is easier than ever. Make this the year you choose to fully enjoy your outdoor living space! The experts at John’s Landscape Service are happy to help you – call today for a consultation.

If you could magically change one thing in your backyard, what would it be? Please leave us a comment below and let us know.

You’re looking at buying that amazing swing set, slide and jungle gym combo for your family – but what do you need to prepare first? Here are some questions that will help you get your backyard ready for a perfect playground.

Why do professionally designed landscapes always look so good? There are secrets that landscape designers learn over the years that help them make amazing use of your space. Here are a few – direct from our landscape designers to you – to help inspire some ideas for your outdoor living space.

New England native plants are wonderful options for your landscape. We’ve talked about native plants before – see this post on why native plants are low-maintenance and great for the environment, and this one on a few particularly appealing native flowering shrubs. Today, we’ll introduce you to a few of our all-time favorites. A good mix of trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcover will give you the most beautiful planting design, so we’ve included some of each to fulfill all your gardening needs! Check out our gardening design service’s top picks for New England native plants:

Your yard is the first thing people see when they come to your home. Whether you're expecting party guests, potential buyers, or friends and family, it needs to look appealing. Unfortunately, changing weather conditions and other problems can take their toll on your lawn.

First impressions are often lasting impressions. For better or for worse, people form fast opinions about appearance, including your home’s appearance. Your front yard is the first thing people see when they arrive at your house, so it's worth your time to make it look great.

If your lawn is looking lackluster, landscape edging offers a fast and inexpensive solution. Edging can reinvent a cookie-cutter lawn, with an attractive, curved border. It can complement your home’s exterior and outdoor accessories. But it’s also functional, as well. 

An eye-catching front yard adds considerable curb appeal to a home. It’s not difficult to notice the differences between a landscaped property and a bland or untidy one. Homes with manicured grass, flowering plants, and shade trees are universally more appealing than neglected properties—even the bigger, more expensive properties. So taking care of your front yard landscape should be a priority.

Where should you start? A professional landscape designer is the best resource for a front yard makeover. Experts can tell you which elements will work well and how to install them properly. Here are a few front yard landscaping tips that always add curb appeal:

Say Hello with Flowers
Planting flowers is a guaranteed way to add appeal to your front yard. Incorporate bold, bright colors that complement your home’s exterior. Or choose a single color—for example, all white blooms—for a more modern effect. Whatever your style, crops of hearty flowers show guests that your home is a welcoming space.

Create a Front Yard Patio
Backyard patios are taking a backseat to front yard sitting space—and with good reason. Adding a front patio gives your yard a more inviting feel. Similar to the large, front porches of old, front patios encourage neighborhood interaction. You can relax and chat with neighbors, while sipping an iced tea on a hot summer day. Patios are usually more open than porches, but if you prefer some privacy, try adding a trellis with climbing vines and a few small hedges. 

Give Your Walkway a Lift
Redefine your front walk with tidy rows of green. Plants such as boxwood and variegated hosta work perfectly for walkway borders. Don’t have a front walk? Even better! Adding a quaint and curving path to your front door is one of the single fastest ways to ramp up curb appeal. Ask your landscape designer about the different advantages of pavers, flagstone, bricks, and other options.

Revamp a Slope
Grassy slopes can be a chore to maintain. Quit trying to grow grass on your sloped front yard, and instead turn the hillside into a stunning exhibit of sprawling ferns and ivy. Use mulch or stones to keep the overall area tidy, then dot the terrain with a mix of evergreens, perennials, annuals, and groundcovers. You’ll achieve a curbside bed that remains appealing throughout the year.  

Combine Different Textures
Just like indoor design, outdoor style is improved with contrasting textures. Ask your landscaper to combine spindly plants with flowy, frothy greens. Add large rocks and small pebbles to serve as groundcover. Then use blossoming shrubs, such as pieris, rhododendron, and azalea to soften the look of the stone. Water is another unique “texture.” Choose a small fountain or birdbath to add a touch of tranquility.

Again, it’s a good idea to leave the big projects to the professionals, since you want to ensure that plants and hardscapes are installed correctly the first time around. But you can add your own handiwork with some homemade elements, like ceramics, birdfeeders, or refinished furniture.  Have fun with it!

Whether you plan to be a DIY landscaper or a professional landscape client, it’s important to recognize that creating and maintaining gorgeous outdoor spaces is no easy feat. In fact, good landscape designers go to college in order to study topics like horticulture, turf management, ecological design, and more. There’s quite a lot of material to cover!

A retaining wall can be used for both aesthetic and functional purposes.  The primary reason for a retaining wall is to help keep your yard or garden safe from erosion. Oftentimes erosion happens when land is situated on a slope or a hillside.  The underpinning dirt and soil are susceptible to rain, winds, even burrowing animals. Eventually, the land above begins to collapse.