Make Your Holiday Green

The winter blues are fast approaching, but The Landscape Design Center has the perfect solution: Buy an indoor plant or two to add freshness and color to your interior space, and lighten the mood this holiday season.

Quickly dropping outside temperatures put a halt to landscaping activities yearly. Since more time is typically spent indoors, the air you breathe becomes stale with increased amounts of carbon dioxide. Plants are a great way to boost the freshness in your space with the oxygen they produce. The more plants you have, the better the air quality.

According to the science of the U.S. Department of Energy, nearly 350 house plants are needed to make the same amount of oxygen you breathe in each day. While that number is probably too many for you to have, even a few more plants than you have now supplies the added benefit.

Choosing the right plant adds a pop of color to any of the backdrops around your house. There are many types from the ordinary fern to the exotic Bird of Paradise. The amount of light, the size of the plant and its watering needs are all requirements to bear in mind when purchasing greenery.

Let your friends and family reap the benefits and consider giving them the gift of green this year too.

When you are out shopping for your presents around the holidays, head over to the Annapolis Mall and come see us, The Landscape Design Center, at our garden. We are going to be there talking to clients and giving advice on all your landscaping needs.

With over 30 years of experience, we are a full-service, environmentally-conscious landscape design company that specializes in turning your outdoor space into a high quality retreat. Having designers and builders on staff we are able to implement our plans for you from start to finish, not missing any detail in between.

Let us get you through the cold weather now and prepare you to begin your outdoor projects in the spring this holiday season.

Tags: Annapolis, Benefit of Plants, Edgewater, Holiday Season, Landscaping Design, maryland, Plants Indoors for winter

It’s beginning to look a lot like winter! The cold weather is setting in and right now is the best time to get a head start on winterizing your front and back yards or gardens. By making sure you properly protect and clean up your lawn, flowers and trees, you will save yourself lots of time and money by the time spring rolls around. New England winters are especially hard on certain types of trees and plants and it’s in your best interest to protect them now if you wish to still have them around next year! The following are some helpful tips you should follow in order to properly winterize your yards and gardens. Remember, it will be less expensive to prepare than to replace!

Clean up and prepare for winter by doing the following:

-Rake up old leaves. They are known to cause mold and fungus to grow, especially in planting beds and grass.

-Secure evergreens to prepare for inclement weather. Harsh wind can wreak havoc on them!

-Prune everything that may have a problem dealing with heavy snow. Snow drags down branches, making them brittle. In worst cases, they won’t survive the winter.

-Use burlap to cover sensitive plants, bushes, and trees that have the potential of being damaged by wind or snow.

-Winterize your irrigation system. This will save you thousands if a freeze bursts your pipes!

-Winterize your water feature if it needs it. Or, if you prefer, install heaters to keep your water feature or pond from freezing completely over.

If you have specific questions or would rather hire a professional landscape company to winterize your yards or garden, contact the specialists at The Landscape Design Center. If you plan to visit the Annapolis Mall around the holidays, stop by and see them at their garden. They’ll be there every weekend leading up to the Christmas holiday and are more than happy to answer questions and offer landscape advice. They’d love to meet you, so make sure you stop by and say hello!

For more information, tips and tricks, check out their website: http://thelandscapedesigncenter.com.

Tags: Annapolis, Edgewater, Landscape Annapolis, maryland, MD, The Landscape Design Center, Water Feature, Winterizing Your Lawn

Fall has arrived! The summer heat and humidity have moved on to the south and the annoying mosquitoes and other insects are starting to die off. The spectacular colors of the trees and the autumn flowers are breath-taking. It would be such a great time to sit on your patio enjoying the crisp air and the gorgeous colors - if it wasn’t so chilly!

But you have alternatives to sitting inside and gazing out at your lovely but unusable patio. A fire feature can provide the warmth you need to enjoy your patio well into the fall. You can choose between temporary and permanent fire features. There are pros and cons to each type.

Temporary fire pits offer a number of advantages. They are portable, so you can move them among multiple seating areas on your patio. They’re less expensive than permanent fire features. However, they’re also smaller and generally less attractive than a permanent feature. Temporary fire pits can range from the traditional barbecue type grill to a cast iron or copper round fire pit, a chiminea made of metal or terra cotta, or a Sojoe fire pit.

Permanent fire features are more expensive, but they can be designed to enhance the look of your patio and surrounding landscape. Although the fire pit isn’t portable, it can function as the focal point of one section of your patio or the entire area if that’s what you prefer. A landscaping designer can help you determine whether you want to install a gas or wood-burning fire feature. Fire pits are the most common design, although traditional fireplaces are becoming a popular outdoor fire feature.

Consulting with a landscaping company designer will help you determine the type of fire feature that will work best for your patio, landscape and budget. Then you can start enjoying the beauty of fall outdoors on your patio, rather than simply observing it from inside your home.

Tags: Annapolis, Annapolis Landscaping, Edgewater, Fall Planting, fire features, Landscape Annapolis, maryland

Plants play a huge role in our lives whether we know it or not. Without plants, we would have no fresh air because there is nothing to create the oxygen that we breathe. Because plants are so important, many people invest a lot of money into them; either with growing, harvesting or selling them for a profit. Since fall is coming, there are several things that you should consider when dealing with plants.

Plants help protect the inside of your home in several ways. If you place them in front of windows, as you should they protect the contents of your home by blocking the view of the inside of your home. If the only thing that outsiders can see is plants, they will assume that there is nothing of value inside your home. Also, by placing plants close to windows, the sun will shine through the window to the plants creating more oxygen in the home and creating solar energy to heat the home with. This will help you save on your overall heating bill.

Because the fall and winter months are approaching, it is important that you bring in any plants that you may be concerned about dying during the winter. You should bring in all plants before the first frost. If a plant gets frost bitten, then it can kill the plant and prevent it from coming back the next year. You can dig up bulbs as well as bring in any hanging plants that might die.

If your plants end up growing too large while inside the home at an even temperature, you can always clip them and plant them in another pot as a new plant. If you accumulate too many of them, you can always give them away as gifts for others. There are several plants that you can keep in your home that have medicinal properties such as aloe vera plants, and several herbs that you can grow inside the home.

Plants are a huge part of our lives whether we know it or not. Without them, we have no clean air to breathe.

Also, don’t forget to check out these events coming up!

Maryland Avenue Fall Fest!  September 18th! 10am-5pm.  Live music, face painting, and wonderful vendors!

Edgewater Fall Festival!  October 1st.  Live music, face painting, pumpkin painting, pumpkin bowling, and wonderful vendors (like us!).

1st Sunday Art Festival!  October 2nd.  Live music, face painting, pumpkin painting, pumpkin bowling, and wonderful vendors (like us!).

Oktoberfest!  October 2nd.  Live music, beer, yummy food and wonderful vendors (like us!).

Tags: Annapolis, Benefits of plants, Edgewater, Landscape Annapolis, landscape design, maryland, The Landscape Design Center, Upcoming festivals

The stress of everyday life and work takes its toll on the best of us. Many people await the holidays with a mixture of agony and anticipation for a chance to take a vacation and get away from it all. While the vacation can be a great way to lose some of the stress and grow as a person, it can also be expensive and preclude making important changes to the home and lifestyle. Home renovation, on the other hand, can help in making that everyday life a lot less stressful.

How can Home Renovation Help to Lower Stress?

Vacations introduce their own stress. First, there is the planning and trying to book airfare and accommodations with an eye to the budget. After arriving at the destination, there are more choices to make regarding recreation and not exceeding the spending limits. If it is a new destination there is the extra stress of not wasting a moment of this precious time.

A home renovation, however, can change the way a family looks at life on a daily basis. Imagine returning home from work each day to a yard where something is always in bloom. Meals and moments of relaxation can be enhanced with an outdoor dining room set in stone and surrounded by some of nature’s most beautiful and aromatic plants. A water feature in the newly designed garden can offer a perfect place for romantic evenings or practicing yoga postures. The entire family, not to mention the value of the home, will benefit from the addition of inviting green spaces.

 The Landscape Design Center can help make all this a reality. Design packages are custom prepared, because each yard is different, and clients are always a part of the process. And best of all, home renovation will not cost nearly as much as a great vacation. Most mortgage holders are required by law to offer refinancing for renovations, and that means the interest is entirely deductible. Vacations can be a lot of fun, but a home renovation can add joy and beauty to life every day of the year.

Tags: Annapolis, Annapolis Landscape, Edgewater, Landscape Annapolis, maryland, The Landscape Design Center, Vacation vs. Home Renovation, Water Feature

As we swelter and simmer in the searing sun, we must stop for a moment to think of our fellow heat victims… our lawns and gardens! Unlike us, they can’t sit in the shade sipping lemonade or relax in front of the air conditioner. They rely on us to help them stay refreshed during dry periods.

One good option that doesn’t waste water, which is a pretty important consideration during a drought, is to install an http://www.hunterindustries.com/”>irrigation system.  These systems drip water slowly, directly to the roots, giving your lawn and garden that long drink of water they so desperately need.

If installing a full irrigation system isn’t in your budget right now, consider installing a hose bib timer with a soaker hose. You’ll get most of the benefit of an irrigation system for a fraction of the price and your plants will love you for it!

Although it might seem like keeping a short lawn will use less water, thus keeping it greener, you will actually be doing it a favor by letting it grow a bit longer. If you cut your grass too short, the grass will get stressed and get burned out. Letting it grow will allow it to “rest” a little, and it will look and feel much healthier in return.

To help drought-proof your garden in the future, consider replacing some of your needier plants with more drought-resistant plants. Some good choices include:

– Shrub roses
– Ornamental grasses
– Sage
– Eucalyptus
– Lavender
– Honeysuckle

As an added benefit, many of these plants are wonderfully fragrant and will give your garden a whole new dimension.

As a last resort, you can always replace the lawn and garden with decorative gravel and cobblestones. They’ll never need watering and will always look nice, regardless of what Mother Nature decides to throw at you!

To talk more about your lawn and garden, and maintaining it in all kinds of weather, come visit us at the First Sunday Festival in Annapolis!

Tags: Annapolis, Edgewater, Garden, green landscaping, Landscape Annapolis, Landscaping Design, maryland, Watering Lawn

It is hard to generalize for every place on the earth, but chances are if the weather is warming and the grass is green, weeds are poking through the earth and taking up all the extra space in the dirt. Weeds like crabgrass, dandelions, morning glory, poison ivy, and pig weed are just some that appear relentlessly every year.

And all those weeds quickly become such an annoyance, so it must be understandable that action will be taken to rid the soil of weeds. The development of chemical products to control or kill natural things began as an impressive and effective way to manipulate what grows and what doesn’t, but has grown into a vast environmental concern.

The chemical warfare against weeds uses herbicides to quickly kill massive amounts of weed. It is often overlooked, however, that these herbicides destroy more than just weeds: they destroy our drinking water, chemicalize our food, and harm the earth.

“RoundUp”, perhaps the most popular herbicide, claims to be the most environmentally-friendly weed killer, promoting itself as “safer than salt”. Studies of the product have proven not only that this is a faulty claim, but that the extensive use of this product has caused other unseen changes.

“RoundUp” is used not only by household gardeners, but is employed in bulk by farmers. The food sold at any local grocery store may have originated from a farm where herbicide was use, causing a build up of unnatural and toxic chemicals that we eat without second thought.

To add to the problem of toxicity in the soil and in our bodies, every time an herbicide is sprayed it potentially pollutes water. Herbicides have the highest potential for ground and surface water pollution, and as water flows it caries the chemicals with it.

The solution: organic sprays are available for use and work just as well as herbicides, without the damage. Even more popular – and cheaper – is the use of vinegar, which kills weeds any without pollution. Corn meal can also be mixed with soil to not kill weeds, but prevent them from sprouting.

Tags: Annapolis, Annapolis Landscaping, Edgewater, Herbicides, Landscape Annapolis, maryland, The Landscape Design Center

It is a great time to plant an herb and veggie garden. It is not just trendy, it is health smart. Good health practices are on the rise, including organic herbs and vegetables. Growing fresh vegetables and herbs assure a good diet free of chemicals and pesticides used by mass food producers.

Flowering herbs can add visual appeal to any garden. Herb and vegetable garden design can be fun and creative. The first step is to plot out the area where the garden bed is going to be located. Once the spot is chosen, scale it out on paper to size. Make sure to leave plenty of room for mowing, walking, fences and lighting. Using raised beds can improve water flow through the soil and allow the soil to stay warmer in cooler seasons.

Explore which plants grow well together and what plants do not. Some plants complement another and this is called companion planting. Some plants can be planted while it is still cool while others like it to be warmer. Plants can be staggered throughout the season. A soaker hose running through the garden bed will water the roots where it is needed without damaging the leaves of some plants. Crop rotation helps some crops to grow better. Some plants put nutrients in the soil while others take nutrients from the soil.

Many plants do well in containers and containers save space in the garden. Herbs do well in containers and plants that typically spread out do well in containers and save on space in the garden bed. Small trellises can be used in large containers for tomatoes or cucumbers. Containers can also be used to decorate a deck or walkway.

Alternative insecticides are recommended for control of pests. Chemical pesticides are harmful to the environment and stay on the plant which in most cases is not washed off. The benefits of alternative insecticides are less damage to the environment and less toxic to nontarget organisms. Botanical insecticides work very well and are plant derived.

There are many alternative herbicides to control weeds in the garden. The use of clove oil mixtures, acetic acid and soap based herbicides dehydrated the leaves of weeds. There are many organic herbicides to choose from. The timeline of planting herbs and vegetables occurs over a two month span depending on what veggies are chosen. Cool weather plants and be planted mid March to the first of April. Tender plants need to wait until the soil has warmed considerably around the first to middle of May. Raised beds will be warmer than cultivated in the ground.

Check out our Upcoming Festivals here!

Tags: Annapolis, Edgewater, green landscaping, Herb and Veggie Gardens, Landscape Annapolis, Landscaping Design, maryland, The Landscape Design Center

April showers might bring May flowers, but that rain can also be harnessed for use in the dry summer months that can follow, or rerouted to your garden. Avoid getting caught without enough water to water your lawn or wash your car in the dry months by harnessing April rainwater in a rain barrel or rain garden!

Rain barrels can be small and portable or large, built-in tanks that collect runoff water from places like gutters and roofs. The top of the barrel is covered with a screen to keep out dirt, debris, and insects. Water from the barrel can be accessed through a spigot, tap, or hose, depending on the type of barrel purchased. Rain barrels are sold in sizes ranging from 34 to 300 gallons. The necessary size can be determined by using a rainwater yield table such as the table found at http://rainwater.sustainablesources.com/#table3.0. As the chart indicates, hundreds of gallons of usable rainwater runoff can be collected from just one rainy day!

Rain gardens are gardens built in a depression, which allows runoff from roofs, roads, and other built up areas to be directed towards the garden. Although the water will not be saved for later use, as is the case with rain barrels, rain gardens allow for an easier and efficient, natural watering method.

A landscaper can help you determine whether a rain barrel or rain garden will fit your rain harvesting needs. Landscapers can also install a rain barrel, or design and plant a rain garden. The type of plants, size, and depression needed to create a successful rain garden are precise and dependent on the climate where you live, so it’s best to employ a landscaper to help ensure a beautiful and functional rain garden.

Interested in learning more about harvesting rainwater? Check out the festivals coming up! http://thelandscapedesigncenter.com/about.html#calendar

Tags: Annapolis, Annapolis Landscaping, Edgewater, Landscape Annapolis, landscape design, maryland, MD, Rain Barrels, Rain Garden, The Landscape Design Center

Those of us with a plan usually have more successful results, regardless of the goal. Planning your landscaping and your yard can help you be more successful with the budget you have set aside for landscaping and save you money. ,hen you just haphazardly put in plant material without some planning, and it dies, you are wasting money. Now is the time to plan your landscape needs for this spring and summer.

If you have recently moved or purchased a new home and are undergoing the landscaping of an existing area for the first time, planning will allow you to salvage as much as possible in an existing landscape. Before you start digging some of the existing plants or tear down structures, take a little time to plan some ways to preserve some of them to include them in the landscape design you are attempting to create.

There are many additional ways that planning your landscaping needs now will save you money. Consider the cleanup of the yard. One way to spend less on landscaping is to plan for the regular cleanup of the yard in monthly intervals, rather than just doing the cleanup of the yard just once or twice a year. Dong the cleanup of the yard in intervals is usually less costly than doing one major cleanup once a year or every other year.

Another way to cut costs and save spend less on your landscaping, is to plan the irrigation turn on each year. This planning can minimize the amount of water you use and save on water consumption and costs. Regular maintenance of the irrigation system is also important and can also reduce the amount of water and costs used for irrigation of the landscaping. The improper use of landscape irrigation can waste water and be extremely costly.

Don’t skimp on the quality of materials when you are planning for your landscape. More flimsy materials often do not last and end up costing you more money. Planning your landscaping needs right now will allow you to take advantage of future sales and price reductions of quality materials in your landscaping purchases.

Although lawn and landscape maintenance is usually done to improve the aesthetic value of your home, leaving your landscape unattended often leads to other problems later on. Regular maintenance such as tree-trimming is important also as a safety factor and to help prevent damage to your home from dead or unstable tree branches. Regular maintenance can help you spend less in many areas of your landscaping.

Tags: Annapolis, Landscape Annapolis, landscape design, Landscaping for Spring, Landscaping Maryland, maryland, MD