Happy Holidays from the entire Integrity Team!
To celebrate the busy year that we just drew to a close, our hard-working team members and their families got together for our annual holiday party.
Many thanks to our loyal customers for their continued support throughout the years! Have a Happy New Year!
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The winter season will be upon us shortly. Whether you’re excited for the crisp and snow-covered landscape, or you just can’t wait for spring, it’s always pleasing to have an appealing yard to look forward to once winter melts away. For that reason, we’ve decided to create a list of simple maintenance practices that can be done before the snow falls to help preserve your exterior landscape throughout this upcoming season.
Clear out weeds and grasses throughout your bed areas
Not only will your house and yard appear and feel neater and cleaner, but potential areas for rodents and pests to call their home for the winter will be minimized. This simple maintenance technique will prevent unwanted critters from damaging your yard.
Water your plants
If your hose is not already put away for the winter, we recommend watering plants prior to the ground freezing. This allows your perennials and trees to have water reserves throughout the winter months, ensuring healthy continued development into the spring.
Remove leaves throughout the property as they fall!
This is, by far, the most important step in winter landscape preparation. Leaving leaves on lawn areas can significantly impact and damage your grass. Additionally, by clearing out all gutters of leaves, sticks, and debris, you can prevent drainage problems like over-flowage and, subsequently, hydrostatic pressure near the foundation of your home.
To learn more simple maintenance techniques and their effect on your landscape, follow the links below to some of our other blogs:
As far as first impressions go, a well-maintained, notable landscape is extremely important. Your landscaping is the first thing a guest sees when arriving at your home and the last scene they see when departing. To achieve a positive, memorable first impression, homeowners should not only invest on the inside of their property, but the exterior and landscaping as well.
Selling
When selling, one of the best things to do is to freshen up the landscape to give a great first impression to future buyers and to increase your resale value. If a buyer sees an overgrown, unkempt jungle in the front of the home, they are most likely going to think that the inside of the home is the same way. It immediately turns potential buyers off and leaves your property in a negative light for the rest of the tour. Pruning or removing overgrown shrubs and weeds is very influential, as this action helps your landscape look neat and tidy. Additionally, many new homeowners prefer a blank canvas when it comes to landscaping; this way, they can create their own vision to meet their personal outdoor tastes.
Friends & Family
When guests, neighbors, and family see your property for the first time, the way your house looks and feels to them at that moment will last in their minds for years. This is the reason why homeowners should strive to wow guests that are invited to their home for the first time. Though the removal/pruning of overgrown shrubs and weeds are a must (especially around walkways and entrances to the home), we recommend investing in the creation of an outdoor livable space. This can include a patio, decorative fire pit, pergola, and walkways. These additions to your new home will make your house the choice location for family get-togethers, barbecues, and parties.
The home is the main course and the landscape is the garnishments to make the main course more appetizing!
Whatever landscaping goals you hope to accomplish for your home, remember that any exterior work that you do should complement the existing features of your home. When a new guest visits your home for the first time, he or she should feel as though the transition between outdoor and indoor living is seamless. Accomplish this and guests’ first impression of your home will be one of captivation for years to come.
Feel free to contact our office using the link to receive a free proposal for your next landscaping project!
With less time for gardening and landscape maintenance, many of our customers have asked for products that will keep maintenance to a minimum, as well as plants that involve little-to-no daily or weekly upkeep. Here are a few tips and products that our design and installation team have compiled to help our customers explore different low-maintenance landscaping options.
Dwarf Plants. Dwarf plants are simply smaller versions of larger plants. Less water will be needed to keep dwarf plants looking healthy and radiant due to their smaller size, minimizing the time you would otherwise spend watering your plants. Additionally, compact plants with a POP of color can significantly add beauty and atmosphere to your outdoor living space!
Perennials. There are many different types of perennials but, for people who don’t have time to maintain their landscaping, the trick is to make selections that are grow slowly and do not spread or multiply. Perennials such as “Palace Purple Coral Bells” or “Stella de Oro Daylilies” are drought-tolerant and resistive to overgrowing without sacrificing glowing color.
Evergreen Shrubs. Just like perennials, certain types of evergreen shrubs are terrific for property-owners seeking low-maintenance landscaping. Due to their low growth rate and unique color, “Blue Star Junipers” and “Green Velvet Boxwoods” are used extensively since they almost never need to be pruned.
New Mulch. Adding a layer of mulch to planting beds can drastically reduce weeds, therefore reducing your time removing said weeds. In addition, mulch helps to retain moisture for plants, often minimizing the number of times that you will end up having to water them.
Stone Mulch. Unfortunately, normal shredded mulch needs to be replaced every few years for optimal performance and aesthetics. Decorative stone mulch can be installed to create a near maintain-free bed area. This style of mulch comes in a variety of colors and finishes that can complement the colors and textures of your home and outdoor living space.
Bed Edging. For a definitive look around your planting beds, we highly recommend bed edging. This product supplies a decisive border between your grass and beds, maintaining a clean look while also making grass-trimming much easier.
For more information on low-maintenance products and plants, contact our office today and begin your outdoor renovation!
