Landscaping and Other Trends In Outdoor Living

Summer has officially arrived and it is time to dream about outdoor fun and parties.  If you are dreaming too, you may want to see what some of the trends are in landscaping that can make your outdoor living more enjoyable. The Outdoor Patio In the Myrtle Beach area, decks are often extended living spaces for your home.  Decks form a transition from the interior of your home to the exterior.  A deck can hold many of the interior conveniences such as a kitchen or a spa or hot tub for entertaining. Outdoor kitchens are becoming the rage.  Whether we are talking about a traditional barbecue or a built-in stainless steel multi-burner grill with ovens and side mount burners, you can turn your deck into an outdoor kitchen where friends will love to congregate.  Some of these outdoor areas even include a bar refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave. During the spring and fall of the year it is great to have an outdoor fireplace to extend the enjoyment of your deck.  You will find small round burners to full scale fireplaces for use outside.  This is really great if you have a hot tub where people can relax and watch the fire.  Be sure and invite me over! New lines of over-stuffed furniture have replaced the traditional folding chairs and chase lounges.  You will also want to look at your outdoor lighting and upgrade to the new LED designs that are energy efficient. You will want your landscaping Charleston to compliment your new outdoor living area with plants and shrubs that are easy to maintain. Landscaping Water Features There is a new trend toward water features in your outdoor living area.  From a simple fish pond to jungle waterfalls that empty into your pool.  The sound of rushing water is relaxing and adds freshness to your pool.  You can also add underwater lights to transform the night into a land of mystic.  There are rainwater storage water features that will help keep your garden watered in the dryer areas and help to conserve water usage. Using Native Plants in Landscaping Many plants and flowers that are native to your area have an inbred resistance to local insects and disease.  Local plants have also adapted to the weather conditions in your local area.  In the Myrtle Beach area, we have many folks that move from the north eastern part of the United States and try to plant their favorite shrub or plant only to see it die in the summer heat.  You will want to consult with your local landscaping professional to determine what plants are best suited to your area.  Many times there is a local alternative to your favorite “northern” shrub. Landscaping and The New Garden With the rising cost of food and gasoline, many home owners are opting to grow their own vegetables.  Now is the time to plan your garden and lay it out for best production.  There are some plants you can start as early as April in this area and have them producing in May.  Do your online research on your favorite vegetables to see when the best time to plant is. With a new outdoor living space and garden to enjoy, you don’t have time to worry about maintaining our lawn.  Give Porter Hayes Landscaping LLC a call today for a quote.

Keys To A Successful Landscape Design

This spring we’ve been receiving many calls regarding the re-designing of existing beds. Why are we getting a lot of calls for this? Well, there are many factors that influence the success and/or failure of a landscape design. One is that many home building contractors provide the bare minimum when it comes to landscaping, with no thought given to the soil quality, location, future size, watering needs, sunlight or shade tolerance of what they plant. We recommend asking your builder what the budget is for your landscape and find out exactly what you are getting. Find out if they will use sod on the entire lawn or if some will be seeded. Find out what type of plants and how many, you are paying for it after all. You get to choose your lighting, carpet and paint colors, why not the plants? When we approach a re-design job, we find out what the homeowner’s wants and needs are for those areas. To do this we ASK QUESTIONS. Once wants and needs are determined we look at all the variable factors that affect plant selection:

• Soil condition- is it too wet?
• Wind? Many plants do not do well out in the open in windy conditions
• Shade or Sun?
• Are deer a problem? If so we would choose plants that deer don’t like to eat
• Zone Hardiness? We are in Zone 8, if plant is not listed as hardy for Zone 8 then it will not thrive

Knowing a garden’s variables is key to an effective design. With some basic knowledge and trial-and-error, it will all come together! Aside from bed re-design calls, we’ve been getting a lot of calls about what to do with lawns at this time. We suggest the pre-emergent weed control be applied during colder months, then we wait for the lawns completely come out of dormancy. Once this happens, we advise aeration to relieve compaction of soil and to aid in water and fertilizer absorption. Once the lawn has been green for approximately 3 weeks a post-emergent herbicide can be applied. We know that spring is an exciting time and you can’t wait to get your gardens started. Even though many of the nurseries are get¬ting in plants, it’s better to wait until our evening temperatures are consistently warm, and besides, the variety of material will get broader as the weather gets warmer. Of course, for you “black thumb” people, we are always available to do it for you! Here’s to a successful growing season!

Call Porter Hayes Landscaping LLC and let our team help you with your landscaping needs. 

Porter Hayes Landscaping LLC Charleston, SC 29419 (843) 532-3270 http://www.porterhayeslandscaping.com/

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