Have you liked our Facebook page yet? No? Well, itâs high time you do. Check us out, like the page, tell a friend, and stay tuned for more updates from Pitt Landscape. Hereâs to a good old-fashioned American summer!
Itâs the most wonderful time of the year (for landscapers, anyway). The sunâs sticking around longer every day, and things have been heating up for us. Speaking of which, have you thought about your sprinkler system lately? Whether you have or you havenât had much time, weâve got your back.
In the mean time, we thought weâd share some photos of what weâve been up to lately.
Summerâs here. Time to take advantage of the sunny days and the cool nights by extending your indoor living space to the outdoors. Whether you love to entertain or simply want an oasis where you can get away from indoor distractions, we have a few outdoor living space ideas to spruce up your lawn and garden area.
Who Doesnât Love Barbecue?
Whether youâre working with a simple hibachi or you prefer the convenience of a full-sized kitchen, adding a barbecue area outdoors is a tried-and-tested way to add style to your home. You may even forget that you have a kitchen indoors! Add counter space and a small refrigerator to streamline meal preparation and serving.
Sit in Style
Donât be tempted to simply scatter a dozen lawn chairs all over the patio when you have guests. Low concrete walls and nooks on a patio can act as room dividers, turning your barbecue area into an extension of your living room. Add a pergola and throw in some outdoor sofas and you have an elegant alternative to the adultâs table.
Keep It Private
Strategically positioned lattices and pergolas can screen an exposed roof or area of your garden while allowing the space to breathe. A free-floating stone wall can also create a border and add charm while giving you privacy. Create an outdoor breakfast nook by tucking a small table and chairs into the corner of the backyard, separated by tall hedges or a stone fence, where you can enjoy your morning coffee or have a private chat.
Make a Game Out of It⌠Literally
Remember the gigantic chessboard from Harry Potter? While you donât need to get that extreme, take oversized granite slabs and position them in an empty corner of the yard to add some life. Then find (or make) some oversized chess or checker pieces and youâll take couples game night to new levels!
Think Outside the Box
More specifically, think outside the box that is your home. You might not want to completely mimic the style of the place where you spend most of your time. Start using your imagination and flex your creativity. Think of a place that inspires you, like a luxury resort you may have visited. Then choose which elements you like best and incorporate them into your design. Consider separate destinations, too, like a pavilion and a pool. These can provide features for everyone to enjoy while keeping things together yet separate.
Play with Ambience
A fireplace can take an outdoor living space from normal to lavish, and itâs the perfect gathering spot for the whole family, whether youâre cozying up together on a cool evening or roasting marshmallows.
Ready to make the most of your outdoor living potential? Contact Pitt Landscape today, and letâs turn your backyard into the ultimate space for relaxation, entertaining, and enjoying life to the fullest. Let us help you expand your living area and redefine outdoor living.
The April showers have arrived, and right on time. Whenâs the last time you checked the foundation of your home for water damage? If youâve done so recently and have found pooling water, wet insulation, or black mold and rot on the floor, itâs time to start thinking about some major repairs. Mold could indicate that your sub-flooring is rotting which might leave a huge hole in your floor! But before you start replacing the flooring, first things first: You need to address the water issue. And your landscaping may be the enemy.
Landscaping can act as a natural filter, because water follows the path of least resistance to the lowest levels of any given property. Poor landscaping can facilitate water entering your homeâs foundation as topsoils, mulch, and loose rocks filter rain and excess water into the foundation if placed too closely to your home. Plastic vapor barriers can help protect against water, though over time the material can fail, which means youâll need to keep replacing the barriers. Using a heavy clay soil thatâs compacted and sloped as the first layer of your landscaping will help to drain water away from your home. And adding a bed of mulch, as well as a layer of topsoil for plants, will provide even more protection. Making sure that concrete patios, driveways, or walks slope downwards will also encourage proper draining.
Drains can also be the culprits. Rain gutter drains need to be directed no less than six feet from your foundation, though you may need to extend them further if your house has a sloping yard or sits on a hillside. You might consider burying unappealing drains just under your yardâs surface. Before you start digging, however, be sure to call 811 so a professional can mark off any water lines, buried cables, or gas lines. The free service could save you from accidentally hitting and breaking one of them.
Consider burying a French drain around your foundationâs perimeter, all the way down to the footing. French drains comprise flexible pipes that are full of holes, which allow for water to drain properly. A sediment sock also covers the pipes, which keeps silt from entering the system. After a trench is dug, crushed stone is placed inside, followed by the drain tile and a second layer of stone. Finally, a layer of compacted topsoil is placed in the trench to match ground level. Excess water is then directed to the drain before it can enter your foundation. If your homeâs perimeter is too low to be able to install such a system, you can also install an exterior sump pump to help raise water to a point where gravity can take over.
Donât let poor landscaping put your property at riskâreach out to Pitt Landscape today and let us help you create a safer, more resilient outdoor environment.
Itâs never too late to start planning your spring flower garden. Your garden says as much about you and the way you run your home as your fashion and hygiene say about how you take care of yourself. Itâs important to keep things fresh. You are what you plant. And every garden should be treated as a highly personal work of art. We have tips for days, but hereâs a primer on design principles that will make your garden pop.
Show Off Your All-Stars
The right plant can draw attention to your home and be the talk of the neighborhood. Certain plants can play off other plants, providing an ebb and flow to your garden so that those who are particularly showy when in bloom can shine while others blend into the background and highlight them. Those are your all-stars. Weâre fans of using backdrops like hedge rows and fences to highlight shapes and colors. Your house itself can even be used as a backdrop.
Island beds are another option. While they donât have a backdrop to serve as display, theyâre easily viewed from all angles, where backdrops are usually only viewed from the front. Whichever style you choose, consider using a focal point like a small bench or a statue to draw attention to your masterpiece. Just stay away from tacky garden gnomes.
Play with Texture
Texture is important to consider when planning your garden as well. Greens, flowers, trees, bushes, rocksâall of these can play a major role in making sure your garden both pleases and engages the eye. Nobody wants to look at a bed that only has one kind of flower. The possibilities are endless. If youâre going with in island bed, consider an anchor piece, such as a tree, shrub, or large perennial. You can even go with a statue, large container, or a bench. Play with geometrical shapes or use bright, colorful flowers as borders for walkways.
Color scheme is also important to keep in mind as you move forward with designing your garden. We could go on for ages about our favorite colors and color combinations; itâs all a matter of personal preference. Go the more traditional route or get creative with your palette. Either way, weâre sure itâll pay off!
Keep It Symmetrical
This takes a bit of planning, because moving plants multiple times over the course of a season doesnât promote growth. Itâs best to come up with a solid game plan and to stick with it. Keep in mind that yardsticks arenât just for vegetables. You can use a yardstick to make sure plants are evenly spaced and sit in straight rows. But you can also play with other designs, too.
Itâs important to layer, too. Place taller, sun-loving plants and shrubs in the back and keep shorter annuals and perennials in the front. And be sure to reserve a seat for some salvias in the middle. Once youâve determined height and arranged accordingly, you can arrange types in small groups of odd numbers for the greatest visual impact. Single flowers by themselves wonât stand out at all. Give them friends to play with!
In the end, what works for you may not work for Mr. or Mrs. Next-Door-Neighbor. Every garden and everyoneâs personal tastes are unique. But by going into the season with a garden design ideas in mind can help you create and cultivate a garden thatâs sure to turn some heads. You might even consider putting up warning signs. Just make sure they donât clash with your work of art. Contact Pitt Landscape today and let us help you bring your vision to life. Together, weâll make your garden the centerpiece of your home.
The rains are back and the inversion has left Salt Lake City for another year. Better get back in the yard! Itâs time for spring yard cleanup and maintenance. During the winter, your lawn took a pounding. Between the dead grass, yard waste, and snow packing it down, your yard is suffering. Over the winter, snow packs down grass and leaves which suffocates your lawn in the spring. If nitrogen, fertilizer, oxygen, and water canât reach the root system of your grass, your lawn is never going to get the nutrients it needs to survive the long, grueling summer. This spring, follow these cleanup tips for a healthy yard throughout the season.
Clear Debris
Give your lawn a breath of fresh air! Remove dead grass, dead leaves, and lawn debris with a rake to let nutrients reach the soil. If your lawn isnât power raked, your lawn could be dry this summer and could even suffer from mold and other fungus growing under the caked layer of dead plants.
Lawn Aeration
Your lawn needs to be aerated twice a yearâonce in the spring and once in the fall. Aeration removes a plug of soil from your yard, which creates a one-way super highway for fertilizer, water, and other nutrients to dive deep into the soil. This drives your roots deeper into the soil, leaving you with a healthy, deep green lawn. If the roots of your grass reach deeper into the soil you wonât have to water your lawn as much to maintain that healthy color in the summer.
Sprinkler Maintenance
Proper sprinkler maintenance is more than just knowing how to turn your sprinkler system on in the spring. Spring is a great time to calibrate your sprinkler system so you save water in the heat. Each sprinkler head should be adjusted to maximize water distribution while minimizing spillage and sprinkler redundancy.
Fertilizing in the Spring
Your first fertilizing session of the season is the most important. Before the heat of summer sets in, be sure to fertilize your yard with an appropriate fertilizer for your grass type and climate. Starting the spring off with the right fertilizer ensures your lawn begins growing early in the season and can take full advantage of the spring rain.
Mow at the Proper Height
In the spring, your lawn should be cut shorter than in the summer. This is because your grass isnât going to dry out in the blazing sun in the spring. With shorter grass, water is easily absorbed into the ground, which stimulates a healthy root system. As the temperature rises through the year, raise the trim height on your mower to keep the soil cool and minimize evaporation.
Spring Yard Cleanup Professionals
Hey, youâre busy. Maintaining a yard, especially in the spring, requires a certain level of dedication. This spring, consider hiring a lawn care professional to perform all these spring cleanup tips and more. At Pitt Landscape, we offer a one-time spring yard cleanup services as well as recurring lawn care service so you can enjoy all the benefits of your yard without spending every weekend in raking up dead grass. Lawn care professionals are also going to be able to recommend the proper fertilizers and watering schedule for your lawn, soil, and climate. Call Pitt Landscape today and schedule your spring yard cleanup today!
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Locally Owned and Managed since 2007
Serving the Greater Wasatch Front
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah
Custom Landscape Design and General Contractor Services Company