design Archives - Our Blog

It’s All About The Light

Posted on October 28, 2016November 1, 2016 by Hidden Creek Landscaping

Transforming your existing patio is less expensive and easier than you may think. Patio lighting can remarkably transform ordinary outdoor spaces and turn them into spectacular retreats. Lighting can do wonders for your patio to make it more functional and aesthetically appealing. With strategically placed lights, your property could become the envy of the neighborhood. Below are some landscape design tips that can be used to tremendously transform your patio:

Use Lighting to Transform the Look and Feel of Your Home: Lighting your property in the right ways adds an entirely new look and feel to your home. Having matching or complimenting architectural lighting installed on your home or business will significantly enhance the exterior of the property. Ensure that the features of the property are utilized to make it even more fascinating at night. Not only should the designs add beauty to the property, they should serve as security feature as well.

Use Quality Lighting for the Best Results: To get the best results, it is important that the best quality fixtures, within your budget, are used to light your property. Ensure the ones that are chosen will last for many years. Resist the urge to but substandard lighting from DIY mega-stores to use on your property.

Buying the cheapest lighting and installing it on their own are two big mistakes often made by homeowners. Doing this could end up costing you more than it originally would. Allowing professionals to be a part of the design, selection and installation processes could end up saving you money in the long run.

Additionally, cheap fixtures and a DIY installation project could end up not producing the effect you were seeking. Ineffective lighting placement could actually cause your home to look worse than it did before. Following these landscape design tips can spectacularly transform the look and feel of your patio.

Tips To Save For The Landscaping You Love This Year

Posted on February 12, 2016February 19, 2016 by Hidden Creek Landscaping

Trying to save money on landscaping to build your outdoor living space can be a stressful situation. As if that’s not hard enough, prices for materials such as soil, wood and rocks, fluctuate seasonally. Below are some tips to keep in mind as you shop for your outdoor living dream.

Design. Although it’s cheaper to build a square patio, it’s no bargain if you find the result unappealing. It may be worth it to pay a designer to create a your dream space that you can use during your favorite seasons or all year around.

Plan. We will work closely with your land to create an outdoor environment that enhances your lifestyle and home value. From creating a plan for your home to maximize views and limit grading disturbance, to minimizing future landscape maintenance, we have the expertise to solve problems on paper.

Phases. Not everyone has the financial resources to landscape their backyard all at once. Divide your project into phases. You’ll save and be able to evaluate your progress and adjust plans each step of the way.

Time. Time management is the key to saving. Lumber for outdoor projects is often cheaper during winter months. Don’t rush out to buy newly released plant varieties. When production catches up in a few years, prices will likely drop.

Still need help saving for your outdoor living dream? Call us today to create a your dream space that you can use during your favorite seasons or all year around!

Transform Your Backyard In 2016

Posted on January 7, 2016January 13, 2016 by Hidden Creek Landscaping

It’s a New Year, and with the New Year comes desires for many new things, such as a new you, a new home, and even new landscaping and outdoors designs. Check out these exciting ideas for transforming your landscaping into a new yard or outdoor space in 2016.

Sustainability. A recent, but growing, trend in landscaping is low maintenance sustainability. With this goal in mind, utilizing drought-resistant plants and shrubs while less grass can not only decrease the amount of water required, but it can be less expensive over time and provide you with more free time. The good news is that low-maintenance and drought-resistant plants do not sacrifice aesthetics. Many lend themselves well to gorgeous landscaping designs.
Edibles as Aesthetics. In the past, most people have kept their aesthetic and edible plants separated, with the aesthetics at the forefront of their landscaping design. Suddenly, edibles have moved their way to the front of many gardens, in plain sight. These blended gardens not only provide beautiful landscaping, but they also provide a harvest of fruit, vegetables, and herbs. These types of gardens are also ideal, as they can give a bountiful resource for many communities.
Quality Over Bling. Big showy landscapes are becoming so last year. Homeowners are now leaning towards quality materials that are natural and long-lasting. Good landscaping designs will incorporate scale and be more about practicality and longevity than trendy. Natural stone and wood elements are popular in many landscaping and outdoor designs.
Water is Always in. Water continues to be one of the biggest landscaping trends of 2016. While the way we work with water and the way it is used and displayed will change over time, using water in a landscaping design has stood the test of time. Self-contained water systems are now eco-friendly and inexpensive. Landscaping designs that feature water can fit nearly any budget; from a simple urn or fountain to a custom built waterfall or even a water wall.
Going Green. In addition to landscaping that requires less water and maintenance, outdoor landscaping trends now include outdoor spaces that do not require major regrading of the existing or natural land and the construction of retaining walls. This allows for a more natural look and feels and makes a home more eco-friendly than a conventional backyard. Decks and outdoor spaces can be built into the natural grading of the land, making for an eye-catching design.

Practical Lawn Care Tips For September Weather

Posted on September 10, 2015October 27, 2021 by Hidden Creek Landscaping

Fall is the time when many homeowners look to landscaping cleanup by trimming back overgrowth produced in the summer and removing annuals and other plants that won’t last through the winter. The cooler months are ideal for much more than removing spent stems and dead branches or placing covers on fragile plants and bushes to help them make it past sub-zero temperatures.

You or your landscape contractor should perform essential maintenance in the fall to prepare for growth next spring. In the cooler months topside growth slows down, but it’s prime time for roots to develop. One of the top lawn care tips is to aerate your lawn so that water and nutrients can reach the roots. An aerator will pull out soil plus up to 3 inches long that will break down by spring. don’t forget to feed your grass too. Although cutting back on fertilizer in late summer prevents perennials from producing unnecessary leaves, grass roots keep growing until the ground temperature dips below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Apply a high-phosphorus (12-25-12) fertilizer to encourage roots, so turf greens earlier in spring.

Don’t waste fallen leaves. Instead of putting them in a bag by the curb, rake them into a tarp and put them into a compost bin. The mixture can help feed shrubs, flowers and vegetables the following year.

Remember those half dead bushes in your backyard? Pull them out and replace them with something new. Fall is a good time to add new shrubs and trees because roots will get a head start in the season’s cool, moist soil.

Speaking of dead or dying branches, if a shrub or tree is healthy for the most part, fall is the ideal time to trim those. Remove cracked, loose and diseased limbs, especially those that are close to your home. for large jobs, bring in a professional to do the work.

Flowers need lots of care as work now will result in healthier spring beds. Clear the ground of spent annuals and the snails and slugs that feed on them. Trim perennial foliage to the ground to send energy to the roots for next season. Every three years, divide tuberous plants such as irises and daylilies.

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