Patio Pavers near me – Facts to Know Before You Hire a Patio Contractor
For a do-it-yourself project, building a patio with patio pavers is a fairly big task. Once you have learned what steps you need to take to have a reliable patio that will last for years, you will decide to hire a contractor. Sadly, that can be a challenging prospect as there are many landscape contractors of varying skill levels out there. They don’t even need a license in some states for being a landscape contractor. This article should give you some of the information that you would need to recruit the right guy.
You must first understand the basic concepts of patio construction, and they are not complicated, to ensure a positive result! A solid base to lay the patio pavers is created on. The pavers are then set out according to the correct design. Then the spaces are filled in between the pavers (called joints). Without the stable framework named foundations, within a few years the patio would break apart. This step is therefore the most important and possibly the most expensive step but you are doomed without it.Interested readers can find more information about them at Patio Pavers near me
Having decided on a design and laid it out on site, you can expect to:
Excavate your subsoil to a determined depth depending on the climate you live in, and how it is.
Complete with a layer of crushed stone and a compacting machine.
Fill in and compact a layer of finer aggregate like sand or stone grit on top of the crushed stone to create a bed for laying in patio pavers.
Place a coating with the edging. Some paving of patio pavers (unit pavers) includes addition of an edge to maintain the patio intact over time. Bricks, cobblestones and bluestone set on edge, all can make beautiful visual edges as part of your paving pattern; however, they can not function as a physical edge, so that a metal or heavy plastic edging material is used. It’s flat mounted with the field and you won’t see it. The right edgers are made of lightweight, highly flexible steel or even stronger, aluminum.
Place pavers in patio
Part 1 of this post, “Patio Pavers: Details to Learn Before You Get Started,” described the pros and cons of some of the market’s most common patio paver choices. Now that you’ve got an idea about what products you ‘d like to use, you can build your patio layout. You could just sketch your ideas on paper or discuss your ideas with a landscape designer who can prepare drawings for you, but nevertheless don’t let a contractor start without some kind of plan that you’ve okay.
When you believe like a certain landscape designer has the opportunity to collaborate on a design proposal for you, bring your thoughts together and arrange a meeting to find out. Bring your designer to this conference, if you have one. You will make fast choices with the contractor and formulate a strategy that will end in you having what you want at the best price possible.


Landscape lighting poles have a beautiful design and can be used to illuminate paths, pools, flower beds, gazebos, and other objects on the site. As a result, the territory will have a spectacular view. In addition, due to their shape, lampposts for paths serve as decorative elements during daylight hours. The pole is made of high-quality materials and coating to protect against external negative factors and work in any weather. The product is equipped with a 10W projector with a brightness of 1100 Lumens and a color temperature of 6400 Kelvin.


Ten off-site Mobile "Field" Sessions to explore environmental design and sustainability in New York City! Each session only $25.
10 sessions available. Purchase tickets at links after each session description below.
Space limited. Buy now to save your spot. Transportation costs included for all sessions.
Note: All sessions start and finish at the conference site. Times listed include returning to conference site. Mobile Sessions take place off the conference site and run concurrently with on-site conference presentations. Presenters! Please check for any schedule conflicts with your presentations before purchasing a Mobile Session. Tickets are non-refundable.
Accessibility note: see individual session descriptions for indications of the degree of walking required, from extensive to moderate to limited.
Friday, May 24, 8:30-11:30am
The Future of Food: Urban Rooftop Farming--Leader: Kris Day
The future of food includes intensified urban agriculture. In dense, vertical cities like New York City, that means rooftop farming. In this workshop, participants will visit Brooklyn Grange, the world’s largest rooftop farm. They will hear how the farm was created and how these rooftop farmers engage with local communities. Participants will learn what it takes to maintain a for-profit, rooftop farm in a dense urban context. Moderate walking required. SOLD OUT
Green-Wood Cemetery: Sustainable Urban Green Space--Leader: Ruth Rae
As cities around the world increase in density, cemeteries play a growing role as urban parks. Cemeteries are cultural and historical landscapes that provide nature for city residents. Green-Wood Cemetery—a national historic landmark—is expanding their public programming and botanical amenities, and increasing their role in environmental advocacy. This workshop explores the historical and sustainable use of cemeteries as urban green space. Participants will examine changes in the meanings of cemeteries as green space, and sustainable landscape management practices and techniques. This workshop includes extensive walking. PURCHASE TICKET More information: Green-wood Cemetery
Student-Designed Community Playgrounds: Trust for Public Land’s NYC Playground Program--Leader: Tiffany Briery
Learn how the Trust for Public Land is connecting kids to nature, promoting healthy habits, and building community cohesion through its extensive NYC Playgrounds program. Participants will visit two student-designed, green infrastructure community playgrounds in Brooklyn and will learn about the program’s community-engaged design processes. Moderate walking required. SOLD OUT
Crime Prevention and Community Engagement: Red Hook Community Justice Center--Leader: Irina Feygina
The winner of multiple national awards for innovation, the Red Hook Justice Center houses a courtroom in which a single judge hears cases that under ordinary circumstances would go to three different courts—Civil, Family, and Criminal. The tools at the judge’s disposal include community restitution projects, short-term psycho-educational groups, and long-term treatment. The Justice Center also offers an array of unconventional programs that work to improve both public safety and trust in justice. An independent evaluation found that the Justice Center significantly reduced recidivism and the number of people receiving jail sentences while enhancing public confidence in government. Limited walking required. PURCHASE TICKET
Friday, May 24, 2:00-5:30pm
New Ideas in Park Planning and Design: Brooklyn Bridge Park--Leader: Ruth Rae
Participants will visit Brooklyn Bridge Park—a national APA urban design award winner. Born from former industrial piers, the park boasts vibrant programming and amenities for New York City’s diverse residents and visitors. One of New York's newest public parks, the site had to be carefully negotiated to maximize value for park goers and to restart ecological function along New York’s East River edge. This workshop includes extensive walking. PURCHASE TICKET More information: Brooklyn Bridge Park
Indoor Privately Owned Public Spaces: How Public Are They?--Leader: Te-Sheng (Emery) Huang
Privately owned public spaces (POPS) were included in New York City’s zoning resolution in 1961, allowing private developers to build taller buildings than allowed by the zoning code if they incorporated public spaces next to or inside their properties. Based on William Whyte’s landmark research, additional design requirements were added to the zoning resolution in 1975. POPS, particularly those located indoors, have been widely criticized for being too private and exclusive because of their design and management features. This workshop, led by an architect who has documented the design, management and use of these spaces, will give participants an opportunity to consider privacy and exclusivity in several indoor privately-owned public spaces. This workshop includes moderate walking. PURCHASE TICKET
Memorials and Meaning: Design and Planning of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum--Leader: Kris Day
To memorialize is to wrestle with meanings. This tour examines the design and planning of the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. Participants will hear from the architects that designed the 9/11 Memorial, and will learn about the varied and divergent meanings tied to local planning and design after 9/11. Participants will also visit the 9/11 Tribute Museum and will hear from museum curators about the challenges in telling the stories of 9/11 to local, national, and international audiences. Limited walking required. SOLD OUT
Saturday, May 25, 2:00-5:30pm
Gowanus Lowlands: Remaking a Superfund Site--Leader: Leah Wener
Gowanus canal is a former Superfund site that is undergoing rapid transformation. Gowanus is currently responding to Superfund cleanup and a city rezoning process that will fundamentally change the waterfront and transform land uses along the canal. This workshop will explore current initiatives to reduce storm water runoff into the canal through new green infrastructure. Participants will also learn about the Gowanus Lowlands Master Plan – a collaborative, community-driven vision for parks and public space centered on the Gowanus Canal. Moderate walking required. PURCHASE TICKET
“The Yard” Adventure Playground, Governor’s Island--Leader: David Holzman
This workshop will visit Governors Island's “The Yard,” the only adventure playground in New York City and one of few in the U.S. Sometimes also referred to as a "junk playground," adventure playgrounds like The Yard give children opportunities to freely use tools to build from recycled and construction materials while supervised by trained play workers. Participants will learn about The Yard’s history, future, and guiding principles. Closed toe shoes are required; this workshop will require moderate walking. Note: this session begins at 1:45. SOLD OUT


A popular See more pictures of trees. Sweet orange trees, with a long season of bloom and colorful fruit, are hard to beat for attractive foliage year-round. Their dual use as fruit and ornamental tree is a major plus. Trees Image Gallery Description of sweet orange tree: Most sweet orange sold are grafted onto dwarfing rootstock, keeping them less than 15 feet tall at maturity. They form a rounded tree or large shrub with glossy leaves. The white flowers are highly scented and attract many pollinating insects. Fruit is present much of the year since it takes many months to mature, but only takes on its characteristic orange color when it is nearly ripe. Growing sweet orange tree: Oranges are suitable for sunny spots in most soil conditions, but will not tolerate wet soils. It is important to choose a variety adapted to your local climate, since some oranges need a great deal of heat to bring their fruit to maturity while others are more adaptable. Many are also surprisingly frost … [Read more...] about Sweet Orange Tree
Pakistani province grows 750 million trees
Grow a tropical tree. ©2007 Publications International, Ltd. From a tiny seed can grow an enormous tree. How does it happen? These fun tree activities for kids will reveal the many mysteries hidden in seeds and trees. They'll also remind you how important nature's giants really are. Trees, like all other plants, need sunlight and carbon dioxide to make their own food. In the process, trees take carbon dioxide from the air and put back oxygen for us all to breathe. Follow the links below to find tons of exciting, educational tree activities for kids and the whole family. Get outdoors to enjoy the wonders of trees! Adopt a Tree Choose your favorite tree and journal its life and growth for the year. Neighborhood Tree Guide Make your own field guide of pictures, descriptions, and information about the trees on your block. True Poetree Emulate Robert Frost and write an ode to your beautiful wooded friends. Know Your State Tree Research your official state tree and find it in … [Read more...] about Tree Activities for Kids
Sweet gum tree has maple-like leaves that turn yellow to red in the fall. See more pictures of trees. Sweet gum tree is a tall, majestic tree that's difficult to beat for symmetrical beauty in a landscape setting. Although native to eastern North America, it is widely planted throughout the continent in its range. Trees Image Gallery Description of sweet gum tree: The sweet gum has a pyramidal habit when young, eventually becoming rounded and tall -- up to more than 100 feet. The bark is grayish brown and deeply furrowed. Stems often have corky and attractive wings during the second year. The deciduous leaves are maplelike in outline, with five pointed lobes and lightly toothed margins. They are deep, glossy green in summer and turn yellow to purple-red in the fall. Its fruit cluster is a round ball often persisting in winter, as if the naked branches had been hung with woody Christmas ornaments. Growing sweet gum tree: Transplant when young -- the sweet gum resents root … [Read more...] about Sweet Gum Tree
White fir tree is a thrives in cool, humid environments. See more pictures of trees. White fir tree is a classic American beauty native to the Rocky Mountains. This stiffly pyramidal evergreen is also known as Colorado fir. A member of the pine family, white fir does well in cool, humid environments in Midwestern, East Coast, and Pacific coastal gardens. Description of white fir tree: The white fir grows symmetrically up to 40 feet or more in height in cultivation and sports airy, ascending branches. The flat, 2-inch long, aromatic needles are grayish green or bluish, with two whitish or pale lines on the underside. After the needles fall, circular scars remain on the twigs. Its upright cones are purplish or yellow-green, growing mostly near the top of the tree on spreading branches. Growing white fir tree: Provided with well-drained, acid soil, the white fir is widely adaptable in full sun or partial shade. It can take more abuse from climatic extremes and city stress than other … [Read more...] about White Fir Tree
Trees can withstand only a limited amount of storm-force winds before toppling. See more pictures of trees. Don Emmert/Getty Images When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita bulldozed their way across the Gulf Coast in 2005, they stripped away 75 percent of the trees in New Orleans [source: Kaufman]. That's just a sliver of the 320 million trees in Louisiana and Mississippi left damaged severely by the back-to-back storms [source: Kaufman]. Sturdy pines, oaks, maples and cypresses succumbed to whipping winds, rain and flooding. That natural disaster is an exceptional case, yet smaller-scale tree damage can be costly for property owners as well. In Georgia alone, weather-related tree problems rack up $10 million in property value losses every year [source: Coder]. If a tree or large limb snaps and lands on your roof or car, the expenses mount. The Beaufort Wind Scale rates wind intensity, like the Fujita Scale measures tornados and Saffir-Simpson Scale measures hurricanes. When … [Read more...] about Which trees hold up best during a natural disaster?


If it’s new landscaping watering the correct way is very important. Brummel Lawn will water plants when planted, but after that the responsibility goes to the owner. There are three different ways to get it watered; irrigation spray heads, irrigation drip lines and hand watering. Below you will read the pros and cons of each. We will also address how long you should be running the water.
Irrigation Spray Heads
We normally have irrigation spray heads set up to run three times a week for 10 minutes. If it’s the heat of the summer we will increase to four times a week. With existing landscaping, in the spring we tell people they won’t need to water. However, in the heat of the summer one good soaking a week for about 10-15 minutes would be best and will also help concrete foundations. The pros to the spray heads are that you can see the water and see the coverage that it is giving to the plants. With spray heads it will also water areas other than just where the plants are located. For foundations that can be a good thing with hot dry summers or if you decide to add more plants it will also be easier to just adjust a head then move drip lines. A con is that if you water everything it can possibly cause a weed problem in mulch beds and some rock beds.
Irrigation Drip Lines
Normally we set drip line systems or zones to run two times per week for 45-60 minutes, with the heat of the summer you could increase to three times a week. For existing landscaping once a week during the peak of the summer will maintain your plants. This might seem like a lot of time, however the water drip is very slow coming out of the line which allows the soil/plant to soak in the water. With drip lines you are able to target just the plant that you want to water and even loop the line around the root system of the plant. With drip lines you don’t have as much of an issue to over watering areas that you don’t want to or run off. The few drawbacks of drip lines are you can’t see the water. This can be a problem, because you can’t tell if the plants are not getting water as well as if there is a leak and just flooding the area. The other issue is if you add plants, then the drip lines have to be expanded or re-routed. On the flip side if the line is run around a plant that you want to remove the drip line from you have to figure out a way to make sure the line continues.
This is the simplest way and a great way to make sure it gets done correctly. With new plants a simple 10 count per plant is about perfect, again this would need to be done about three times per week and four times in the heat of the summer. With regard to trees 15-20 count is recommended. The down fall to not having an automatic system is we all get busy and can forget to water plants until it’s too late and the plants are gone.
All three ways of watering will work, but even with the auto system, checking plants to make sure they are not getting over-watered is important as well. More plants die because of over-watering than under-watering and will drown as the roots can’t get air to allow the plant to breath.
About the Author:Chief Executive Officer for Brummel Lawn & Landscape LLC. Nick has a bachelors degree in Horticulture from Northwest Missouri State University. Nick started Brummel Lawn & Landscape LLC while still in college and has grown the business ever since.


Creating Beautiful Landscapes for Over 28 Years
Detailed Softscape and Hardscape Designs
for Lighting, Planting, Drainage and Construction
SOFTSCAPE DESIGN AND HARDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION
Automated Irrigation • Drainage Systems
Specimen / Ornamental Tree • Tree Trimming
LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING SYSTEMS
Custom Landscape Lighting Design
New Installations • Service and Repair
Driveways • Walkways • Sidewalks • Patios • Planters
Interlocking Pavers • Brickwork • Retaining Walls
Natural Stone • Granite • Flagstone • Slate
CUSTOM WOOD DESIGN
Awnings • Arbors • Decks • Gazebos • Gates • Fences
Pools • Saunas • Spools (Sauna Pool) • Waterfalls • Fountains
Outdoor Kitchens and Bars • BBQs • Fireplaces • Fire Pits
Low Maintenance Gardens • Drought-resistant Gardens • Fruit Orchards • Vegetable Gardens • Koi Ponds • Water Gardens
"Thank you, Acorn Landscape, for making our home so beautiful. We especially love our new patio with the BBQ counter, just in time for the Summer!!
This was a whole new experience for us and one we truly enjoyed from Phase I (design plans) to completion. We are still amazed at the level of professionalism, honesty, dedication and incredible expertise you brought to our project. Your work crew was outstanding!!!"
Yolanda & Carl Shapiro
Mission Viejo, CA
"I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for the amazing job you are doing on our home. Your crew has been absolutely perfect. They are always so polite and very conscious of leaving the place clean when they are done.
We have 100% confidence in all that you have done and look forward to the pleasure of recommending Acorn Landscape to everyone we know. Please never hesitate to give either of our names as a reference. Once again – THANK YOU."


The new municipal complex on Valley Street, comprising Public Works and Police operations, was completed in 2012. There are still opportunities available to purchase commemorative granite benches, brick pavers and tree markers at locations throughout the complex!
Commemorative Benches, Pavers and Trees - Program Details
Commemorative granite benches, brick pavers and tree markers can be engraved with a person's name and/or personal message. Proceeds will benefit either the Public Works Department or Police Department—your choice.


Our New Rain Garden Interactive Exhibit is underway!
We are partnering with the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy to introduce a Rain Garden to our campus and programming. The Rain Garden will educate our community on environmental safety, with a focus on improving the watershed and attracting important pollinators like butterflies, birds and bees.
We broke ground on June 16, 2021, and are excited to announce that the Rain Garden outline mirrors the shape of beautiful Chautauqua Lake! The Rain Garden is located on the lawn outside of the Safety Village Classroom Building, which overlooks the lake. We thought this was the perfect spot to add the Rain Garden!
Children’s Interactive Space
Students will learn, through fun hands-on sifting and active play througout the rain garden, the importance of using natural elements in a garden to promote life-long lessons and habits. A chemical-free, safe environment for them to experience and enjoy, the rain garden will also feature some natural play structures. The Audobon Community Nature Center will be helping us develop the play structures in the near future. We believe it is crucial to show today’s children the importance of preserving life in the watershed, and being safe to play outside by avoiding toxic chemicals and using plants instead!
Native Species Plants
The Chautauqua Safety Village Rain Garden will feature native species plants, sourced from Royal Fern Nursery. Using native plants indigenous to our area helps ensure we attract the beneficial pollinators, like butterflies, birds and bees. The plants will add beauty and natural methods of weed control. Runoff from our campus will be purified by the plants’ roots, before it reaches the lake. Some of the plants we will be planting include: Butterfly Milkweed, Queen of the Prairie, Wild Bergamot and Cutleaf Sunflower. To sponsor plants in your business or family name, see the link below.
Help us Preserve our Future
We hope to inspire, through hands-on fun, our youth to develop environmentally-safe habits which will preserve the watershed, and help curb environmental toxins and resulting accidents, deaths and illnesses.
To help us with costs, we offer low-cost plant sponsorships, all the way up to interactive signage sponsorship donations. Please see below.


Landscape architecture as a discipline has multiple origins. With lineages from diverse fields of knowledge such as gardening, the sciences, planning, environmental management, landscape painting and architecture. Each of these fields of influence has distinct approaches to looking at (mediating) and acting upon (modifying) the landscape.
Various devices from these fields – instruments, models and mechanisms – are widely used in Landscape Architectural practice to establish the landscape prior to design. Often the devices are applied without modification, assumed to be inert and seen as distinct from the design process.
Given this, to date, little attention has been paid to the agency of the device. This research asks: could we reclaim a critical, creative approach to the devices that construct landscape? Proposing a reorientation of these lenses to allow the construction of landscape as a formative act in the design process. Through the recalibration and modification of a series of devices, this research generates techniques for producing multiple variations of landscape and subsequent design outcomes. Drawing in the influences of other disciplines in ways that are transformative rather than applied.
Three devices begin to unfold a series of design approaches. The microscope recalibrates scale and produces variation. The petri dish acts as a container for growth – constraining and governing formation. The grid discerns, measures, adapts and allows for an integration of formative and material pressures.
The relation between the device and its agency in the landscape revealed the notion of instability. Instability describes the gap between the acts of looking and acting as a productive force making variations between device and matter. Together the laboratories and the associated devices describe a practice that is, by its nature, multiple. Reflecting that the landscape itself is an inherently variable condition and that Landscape Architecture is a discipline with multiple origins.
The research contributes to the discipline of Landscape Architecture by offering critical rethinking of key devices imported from other disciplines. This rethinking occurs through:
- Generating multiple lenses for landscape
- Identification of three devices for landscape architecture
- Reframing the foundation of the devices
- Modification of the devices to produce new techniques for landscape
- Positing instability as a key to understanding the mediation of landscape through the devices.
Examiners: Prof Dorita Hannah, Dr Kate Tregloan Supervisors: Assoc Professor Rosalea Monacella, Assoc Professor Quentin Stevens


Biophilic concepts are steadily making their way into popular design. The concepts can take a variety of forms as local culture, ecology, project intent, and architect and designer perspective all direct how biophilic elements are applied to a space. The research is clear – biophilic design has many positive outcomes, most importantly it makes us happier. Biophilia seeks to reconnect us with nature, and by doing so provides all kinds of benefits—behavioral, mental, and physical. Studies have shown that biophilic design improves human well-being and boosts productivity.Moreover, these biophilic principles need to be deeply embedded in architectural and design philosophies. Access to nature needs to be prioritized in order to create the most optimal environments for humans. In other words, biophilia can’t be an afterthought.
Here are some ways architects and designers might integrate biophilia more holistically.
Nature as a necessity, not a tool
Commercial designers that design from a perspective of nature can gain insight and find inspiration to create re-imagined spaces. Using nature as the design driver and not simply another tool––is a necessity. While it is important to strategically include natural elements in a way that is aesthetically pleasing, nature needs to come before design. Therefore, instead of asking a question like, “How can we complement this space with natural elements?” one might ask, “What natural elements are vital for this space?” When nature comes first, more biophilic needs are satisfied, and the environment appears more organic. It shouldn’t seem as if nature was thrown into the mix at the last minute.
Balancing the organic and the artificial is key
Although biophilia aims to restore a connection with nature, it must work hand in hand with constructed materials. As with any design, the elements must be in balance and have relevance. Biophilic design is the inclusion of “aspects of nature that most impact our satisfaction with the built environment. Designers must uncover how best to implement the principles of Biophilia for each particular space.The natural elements and the constructed architecture work seamlessly together, creating the ideal balance.
Biophilic design must meet real human needs
The basic premise of biophilia is that humans innately need to participate in nature. By extension, biophilic design must consider these needs and work to fulfil them. This overarching need for nature can be broken down into 14 patterns, which provide a framework for architects and designers. Each of these patterns addresses a fundamental aspect of biophilic needs, and when one or more patterns are utilized in a human-created space, these needs are met.
Sustainably-sourced & reclaimed woods
Wood and vegetation create a natural connection, while the large windows allow daylight to pour in.
Wood may be the most popular of the biophilically-designed construction elements. From simple aesthetic flourishes to large-scale wooden architectural instalments, wood is a central part of the biophilic revolution.
- Reclaimed light timber: Maple / Pine / Beech / Ash
- Sustainably-sourced woods: Bamboo / Teak / Oak
- Wood furniture: Shelving / Tables / Chairs / Bartops / Barrels
Eye to the sky
Ceilings are having their moment in the design spotlight. From hanging plants to skylights and statement ceiling designs to circadian lighting installations, the ceiling is the next frontier for interior designers and architects.
- Bright, inspiring colors
- Shapes and patterns
- Views of nature
Green Integration builds upon existing biophilic design trends like “Biophilically Designed” and “Second Nature”,by expanding the scope of plant-based design features within the built environment. Trends data suggest that architects and designers are increasingly integrating plants, green walls, and large green installations, and more into designs during pre-construction and renovations, rather than adding them post-completion as a secondary aesthetic choice.
Biophilic Design is growing up, and this is the beginning of the paradigm shift.
- Plants / Trees / Shrubs
- Living Green Walls
- Green Dividers
Lighting 2.0 / Biodynamic lighting
Biodynamic lighting is the next evolution of commercial lighting. This trend introduces lighting systems that mirror natural sunlight conditions within the built environment which help to regulate your circadian rhythm. These lead to improved sleep and mood regulation regardless of your proximity to a window. Researchers are looking to pinpoint intermittent impact levels and timing. This is a major shift in the role of lighting.
- Benefits sleep patterns and mood regulation
- High-quality and efficient lighting
- Reduces facility energy costs
Divide & prosper
The wellness design trend put people and function squarely at the center of design. This new focus created new challenges within the popular open plan office landscape. Enter the green wall divider, a revolutionary new space-enhancing element that provides resolution to many of the challenges facing open office environments everywhere. Green dividers are agile and adaptable for dynamic workspaces while also incorporating a natural biophilic component at minimal cost and invasiveness.
- Agile and flexible features
- Noise reduction benefits
- Creates privacy in open plan and dynamic environments
Flooring & restoring
Carpet and flooring designs are taking biophilia seriously. They are incorporating uniquely biophilic design characteristics such as natural stone, wood, forest floors, and more into their concepts. The goal is to create natural textures for floors that have the same distinct qualities as natural environments such as the forest floor, a meadow, or a riverbed.
- Textured flooring
- Inspired by natural environments (forest floor, riverbed, stone, etc…)
- Adds a burst of color to the built environment
Healthy Office Design & Workplace Wellbeing
There has never been a better time to think about incorporating biophilic design, healthy interior strategies and workplace wellbeing design into your offices. As Wellbeing Champions, we align your office with healthy building certifications such as well and fitwel, whether you opt for formal certification or not. Beyond certification, our role on an office building might be as biophilic design consultants advising architecture or interiors studios, focusing on healthy materials to ensure improved indoor air quality post-occupancy, or working with an employer to align their workplace with sustainability, wellbeing and ESG.


Awards & Honours
Prairie Design Awards
At a special event hosted by the Saskatchewan Association of Architects, the 2016 Prairie Design Awards were announced June 3, 2016 in Regina, SK
The Prairie Design Awards are presented biannually by the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA), the Saskatchewan Association of Architects (SAA) and the Manitoba Association of Architects (MAA) on a rotating basis. The Awards represent an opportunity to honour the uniqueness of the region’s powerful landscapes and the evocative history of its iconic prairie forms. More importantly, the Awards celebrate excellence in design across the prairie provinces, recognizing the talent, skill and commitment of architects and designers in realizing buildings, landscapes and interiors that surpass the expectations of their clients while elevating the standard of design and construction in Western Canada.
Representing a wide range of building types – from dinosaur museum to courthouse to portable pop-up library – the projects were chosen from cities and towns across the prairies: Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Wembley, Alberta. The buildings, installations and landscape/urban design interventions represent significant contributions to these communities, substantially improving the quality of life for their citizens through the creation of profoundly human environments and enhancements to the public realm.
One hundred and one submissions were received in four categories: Recent Work, Small Projects, Landscape Architecture, and Interior Design. Of the ten projects selected, four received an Award of Excellence, and six were recognized with an Award of Merit.
Premier Design Awards – Design Council of Saskatchewan
Held in conjunction with Design Week, the Premier’s Awards of Excellence in Design recognize the great applied design work being done right here in Saskatchewan.
The award categories are as follows: architecture, community planning, engineering, graphic design, interior design, landscape architecture and integrated (an integrated entry demonstrates significant involvement of three or more member associations throughout the project and cannot be entered in any other category).
A jury composed of one representative from each member association (and may include invited guests from the Design Week Speakers Series) evaluate entries on criteria appropriate to each category.
The competition is open to certified individuals and corporate members who are in good standing with a DCS member association.
Entries must be designed in Saskatchewan by Saskatchewan personnel and have been completed within the two-year period prior to Design Week.
All entries in the competition are displayed to the public during Design Week. At the conclusion of Design Week, a gala evening is held, where a professional designer from each association is presented with an award.


Landscape Simulation and Visualization on Google Earth
In this study, we made a landscape visualization system that enables virtual experience in a planned landscape including vegetation on Google Earth. The applicability of the system to the landscape design was quite powerful. The planning system generates KML (Keyhole Markup Language) and VRML. KML file is visualized on Google Earth and VRML file can be visualized on stand alone computer. Plants were automatically placed on a terrain based on the data of GIS or Excel by using the system developed in this study. With the system, we made models of Koishikawa Korakuen Garden based on measured data. Performance of walk-through simulations was quite good. We proved that landscape visualization and simulation with Google Earth was possible and that the system can be used as a practical and low cost landscape simulation tool.
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Have a rest at the countryside on own yard it is the most wonderful pastime on holiday or on a day off. Everyone wants to spend it comfortable and cozy. Perhaps the most important role in the suburban area landscape with plays correctly selected garden furniture. Garden furniture made of wood is elegant and harmonious look in your garden, on the lawn or in the yard.
Wooden garden furniture a fashion trend in the design of stylish space of the cottage or country house. This is not only a great addition to the design of the infield but also a number of services for the full sensation of comfort. For example, if you want to dine outside that will contribute to a wooden table with a "sedentary" in places such as chairs, armchairs, benches, etc. Sun beds, chairs and even sofas allow all facilities to park in the shade garden with a book or in the sun to relax and tumbled down.
Wooden garden furniture is successfully combined with other decorative elements it can be as an independent part of a garden environment, and in addition to the gazebo or pergola. Garden furniture made of natural wood, unlike the plastic furniture will give your garden a uniquely welcoming atmosphere that is conducive to good rest. The unquestionable advantages of wooden garden furniture also include the ability to fix it. To garden furniture made of wood felt in the open air "at home" it is treated with a special compound that protects the surface of the furniture from any damage. Garden furniture from the company "Med" has a high resistance to environmental influences thanks to the drying of wood, accurate processing of all parts and impregnation of special preparations antiseptics and varnishes.
A wide choice of garden furniture from the company "Med" will pick up the furniture, which is integrated into the space of your garden and make your vacation as a comfortable oasis for leisure.
The main principles of marketing firm "Med" a high-quality and service, loyal prices.


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What We Do
Better Design was created out of a passion for improving homes - inside and out - through organizing, landscaping, and staging.
Whether you are ready to downsize, need a landscape overhaul, or just want your home to run more smoothly, Better Design can help.
With more than 20 years of experience in organizing and landscape design, Better Design can help make transitions smoother, your home more beautiful, and life easier.
Call today to set an appointment to get a Better Design!
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Landscaping Designs and Lawn Care for Residential & Commercial Properties
We have grown into a full-service landscape management contractor located in New York City, NY serving:
- Homeowners Associations
- Churches / Schools
- Multi-family Communities
- Commercial Office Buildings
- Retirement Centers
- Retail Centers
We provide landscaping services throughout Buchanan, Bronx, Westchester, and other nearby areas surrounding New York City, New York. Our highly-trained landscape designers have the knowledge and experience to save time and hours wasted going in circles. If budget is a concern, call us for estimates and we will assist you in any landscaping projects.
New York City Lawn Care & Maintenance – Services You Can Trust
Our team of skilled NYC professional landscapers underwent formal training to equip them to render specialized service in so far as the development and decorative planting of gardens and grounds are concerned. You can trust that our New York City Landscaping Services is capable of handling simple to complex projects and providing excellent landscaping services in accordance with your requirements and needs.
“ When it comes to determining how much time will go into maintaining a garden, there are a few things to consider. First, of course, is the sheer size of your garden. ”
Trimming & Pruning
Seeking a professional landscaping company to upkeep your garden or yard is very beneficial. Our NYC Landscapers will come regularly, and always be up to date on servicing your property, so nothing gets out of hand, or way overgrown.
In the long run, this also saves you money, because you won't have to totally rescue any plants, or even replace pants that have died. By keeping your trees trimmed, it will also promote your trees to grow faster, and larger. Your landscape can really reflect the overall look of your home, and our professional landscape maintenance offers competitive rates.
Fruits & Flowers Garden
When it comes to beautifying your property, having a garden is sure to serve you in many ways, including having a fruits and flowers garden in it. New York City Landscaping Services has plenty of landscaping ideas and we are here to help you realize your dream garden.
Pests & Weeds Control
Our landscaping care and maintenance service will provide you with a consistent pest and weeds control program that will work best for all properties. Having a lush green lawn and garden is a priceless experience and one that will set a communal example to be followed by many.
Why Choose Us
Having your landscaping redesigned is an option of customization that any homeowner can take part in. Your trusted New York City Landscaping Services experts can help you to design a plan that includes the installation of plants and shrubbery, along with any other type of additions that are commonly found on the outside of homes.
We want you, the customer, to be happy. If for any reason our work isn't up to your standards than we would hope that you would get in touch. We are in the business of keeping people happy, not the other way around.
DEDICATED SUPPORT TO OUR CUSTOMERS
An outdoor living area can really make a house seem larger than life, and it can completely change the overall exterior of your home. Our professional landscapers in New York City can handle and offer options to have any of this installed, and will be more than glad to give you a free estimate of the costs of any type of project you wish to have done.
Another major benefit to homeowners for having a green-built home is because so much attention goes into the construction, the overall quality of the home exceeds expectations.
The livability is great for green homes, and homeowners are quickly switching over to green. Even the water output is kept in mind, which will keep your energy usage and costs much lower than a traditionally built home.
The air quality is much better in an environmentally friendly home as well because of the equipment used for the HVAC system. This makes living healthier inside the home and makes the home healthier for the environment.
PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING TEAM
There are many sorts of additions that a full-service New York Landscaping solution can offer, bringing you and your guests a beautiful place to hang out on and be entertained.
Other than just adding beauty and a comfortable place to entertain your household, the budget should not be an issue. In an economic time like this, it is important that every dollar you put into your home is also able to put value into your home in the long run.
The first and most important aspect of landscaping is determining what it is exactly that you are looking to accomplish with the project. Are you updating a current design? Planning a new design altogether? What ideas do you have in mind?
You want to have a clear and concise idea about what it is you actually will be having done, this way when you contact our services, you know what you want and we can quickly put together a price quote and time frame for work completion you can then compare with other companies you’ve received quotes from.
No Water Waste
of our clients say about us...
“So convenient easy to schedule, customer service was truly wonderful makes life easy.”
“This company does a great job on my lawn..it has never looked so good. They did an awesome job with my planter...it went from overgrown and ugly to beautifully manicured and awesome.”
“These guys are beyond awesome saves me time and they always show up when they say they will.”
“I have been using New York City Landscaping Services for 3-4 months and I am pleased with the ease of the service. I use the basic now service and it is nice to know I have someone coming every 2 weeks to take care of my lawn, they will always make the best of it. Great job guys!!!”
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Water Does My Yard Need Each Week?
A good landscaping company will recommend 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week. Now, before you go out and start watering your lawn more, pay attention to the weather as well. If it’s raining, pay attention to how much rainfall there is because you might not even have to water your yard that week. It’s also not a cut and dry question. Pay attention to your plants and yard. Does it look vibrant and lush? If it doesn’t then maybe you should water a little bit more. In most cases, your yard will tell you what it needs if you pay attention.
How Much Does It Cost For A Water Feature?
A landscaping business should be able to install water features on a customers property. This is a difficult question to answer as a water feature could be as simple as picking one up from Home Depot, filling it with water, and plugging it in or it could require a ton of landscaping design especially if it’s located in the front yard. The prices would vary greatly as well. If you are indeed interested in water features or any other hardscaping, please don’t hesitate to give us a call and ask for a free quote.
What Is The importance Of Using Good Mulch?
The whole point of using mulch is to keep the moisture in the soil that the plants are grown in. When water is evaporating at a large rate from the soil then the root structure suffers. Mulch also greatly reduces the amount of time you need to water your yard and it also breaks up clay while increasing air movement in the soil. The difference between good mulch and bad mulch is the amout of nutrients in the mulch. Ideally, a good mulch would be put out in your yard periodically that would replace the depleted nutrients in the soil.
Do You Give Free Estimates?
Yes, we absolutely give free estimates on almost every landscaping or hardscaping job you require. Sure, there might be sometimes when we can just quote over the phone but in general, a landscaping technician would have to come out and assess the situation. Lighting systems and snow removal quotes are difficult to provide over the phone so we would definitely have to to see the area for those but things like weed control or lawn care can be estimated over the phone. Either way, the estimates are completely free!
What Services Do You Provide?
We provide the following:
Landscaping Design for front and back yards.
This can mean a bunch of things but this is lawn care, trimming, planting, irrigation, etc.
We also service large commercial, industrial, and residential properties. We have all the equipment and resources to handle apartment complexes, HOA’s, restauarants, gyms, and even churches.
We would absolutely love to give you a quote on the installation of artificial turf for your outdoor spaces. Even if you are doing an outdoor kitchen, ask us how to incorporate artificial turf!
Do You Service Both Small and Large Accounts?
We service large industrial complexes, strip malls, gymnasiums, and even apartment complexes as well as simple lots of land. We are 100% capable of handling virtually any type of NYC landscaping job you can think up. If you think your job might be too small then think again, we often plant flowers or do simple yard cleanups as well. It doesn’t hurt to give us a call for a free quote.
What is Hardscaping?
Hardscaping is typically thought of as any landscaping service outside of general lawn maintenance. Hardscaping would be the construction of pergolas, outdoor kitchens, some ground cover, and Lighting systems. Hardscaping generally means the types of services that require us to come out and give you a quote in person.
What About Non Landscaping Jobs Like Grill or Pergola Construction?
These are absolutely some services that we offer. We are passionate about our lawn maintenance services as well as our major projects like landscape design and installation. Be sure to give us a call and we would be happy to give you a free quote on any hardscaping job.
Should I Be Collecting The Grass Clippings Or Blowing Them Onto the Grass?
First things first, it’s always a good idea to sweep up your grass clippings from any roadways and sidewalks. They can cause problems for the local sewer system. It’s a good idea to collect the clippings if your grass is sick as to not spread the diseases. Otherwise, it’s just a personal preference on whether to collect the grass clippings or to blow them back onto the existing grass.
I Have Dead Patches In My Yard, How Do I Get Rid of Them?
The first thing to do is to find out why you are getting dead patches in your grass. Is it your dog or a fungal disease? You can plant grass seed over it if it’s in the cooler, more damp conditions in the fall time but this requires some steps first. To sum it up, you would clear out the dead grass, loosen the soil, and scatter the grass seed over the area. Then add lots of water and you should be good to go.
Why Should I Work With A Landscaping Designer?
This really depends on what you would like to accomplish with your yard. If you can draw out your plans and coordinate things down to the inch then go ahead. If not, it is recommended to have a landscaping engineer take a look at your yard and determine what you need.
Do You Do Drainage Repair?
We absolutely do drainage repair. Do you have drainage problems in your front or back yard? We also build retention walls and help out with any other type of hardscaping they might have.
What Clients Do You Work For?
How Long Will It Take to Design My Garden or Yard?
This really depends on what you have going on with the yard. This is why we give free quotes though. The point is to make sure we get together as a team to solve whatever issue you have in the yard. Usually we can have a quote back to you within the day so it’s never a long time for our company.
Do I Need An Irrigation System?
This question really depends on a number of factors. Are you watering your lawn on your own? If you aren’t, then your yard definitely could use an irrigation system installed soon. The plants almost always will benefit from more water even in a rainy season. With this being said, it’s also important to pay attention to your yard and observe what you think it needs. Does it look lush and rich? If it doesn’t then maybe some extra water or an irrigation system should be installed.
Do You Guarantee The Plants Live For A Certain Period Of Time?
In order to answer this question, it would be necessary to access what the customer needs. Do you need a whole new yard full of trees or just one bush? Do you have an irrigation system or do you water the yard yourself? Are you committed to giving your trees or shrubs water? We would have to ask these questions and more to find out if the service we provide for you would be 100% guaranteed or not.
Get in touch
New York, New York
Phone: (332) 205-9155
Mon – Sat ( 8am – 5pm ) Sun CLOSED


Lawn and Garden Supplies
Everyone has a different view of what they would like the grounds around their home to look like, and we have the products and expertise to help you realize your lawn and garden dreams.
We realize that many important characteristics must come together to create the perfect lawn and garden. It will be our pleasure to help you create a yard you will love.
Our products include:
- Grass seeds
- Vegetable seeds
- Garden seed planters
- Garden hoses and repair parts
- Leaf blowers


Sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter to help care for your landscape and get entered for our quarterly drawing to win a free waterless car wash at your home or office.
Make sure your irrigation system has a working rain sensor to automatically suspend watering after a rainfall.
Receive a complete residential
system checkand adjustment for $40.00
(a $60.00 value) for first time customers only. Just mention this website when you schedule the appointment.
Water conservation in the landscape is a major concern today and the irrigation equipment manufacturers are addressing this issue with many new products designed to water the landscape more efficiently. Irrigation system designers and installers also recognize the need to conserve water and are using new products and techniques to help maintain a healthy landscape with less water. Many landscape designers are encouraging the use of native plants and other species that require less water to produce a beautiful landscape. Homeowners and property managers are all doing their part to retrofit their irrigation systems to use less water and to maintain their irrigations systems in peak operating condition so that water is not wasted due to leaks and overspray.
While 70% of the earth's surface is covered by water only 3% of that water is fresh. More than three quarters of the fresh water is locked up in polar ice caps and glaciers leaving less than 1% of the water on this planet available for use. As demand for this precious resource increases we all need to do our part to make sure that every drop counts.


New Castle Building Group can help with your next project!
We Create Beautiful Living Spaces and Decks
Decks, porches, and outdoor living rooms are an extension of your home. Whether you are entertaining guests or relaxing with the family, you want an expertly crafted space to set the scene.
We provide a wide variety of renovation and new construction services, but our passion and creativity come alive outside. New Castle will build you a flawless, comfortable, custom outdoor living experience using the highest quality materials available.
New Castle can also provide recommendations and partners for installing hardscape, landscaping, fire pits, and swimming pools.


Stanway is an outstandingly beautiful example of a Jacobean manor house, owned by Tewkesbury Abbey for 800 years then for 500 years by the Tracy family and their descendants, the Earls of Wemyss who still live there. The house, its fascinating furniture, the jewel-like Gatehouse, the church and 14th-century Tithe Barn, the 18th-century water-garden, the specimen trees and avenues, the surrounding villages, farms, parkland and woodland all subtly combine to create an enclave of very English and almost magical harmony. Thanks to its location, at the foot of the Cotswold escarpment, Stanway has been protected from many changes of the 20th century. Recently it has seen the gradual restoration of the 18th century watergarden, probably designed by the greatest of British landscape gardeners, Charles Bridgeman. The formal Canal, on a terrace above the house, the striking Pyramid and several ponds have been reinstated, and a single-jet fountain, at 300 feet the highest fountain in Britain and the highest gravity fountain in the world, has been added.


The Outdoor Collection
Stone Look Porcelain Tiles by Pono Stone
Beautiful designs created to look like stone, but with the durability of porcelain tiles.
Earth offers the classic beauty and variation of natural stone and the unparalleled durability of porcelain. The beautiful organic qualities of Earth were inspired by the mountains, rivers, and valleys of the Trentino region and create a natural effortless style in any outdoor setting. Size: 24x24 inch.
The unique shade variation found in Stonefire is representative of the setting sun giving way to shadows, while the striations on the tile reflect the windswept markings of the true stone. The stone-veined surface create an amazing visual effect that greatly enhances both interiors and exteriors. Sizes: 12x12 inch, 12x24 inch, 18x18 inch and Mosaic 12x12 inch.
BENEFITS OF STONE LOOK TILES
These natural-looking tiles combine the luxurious beauty of stone with the durability of tile. Porcelain tile is easy to maintain and will continue to look great for years to come. It absorbs very little moisture, so spills that might seep into and stain another material can be easily wiped up with a damp cloth.


Block paving for driveways is a popular choice due to the many different colours and almost countless different designs that can be created to suit and enhance each individual property’s appearance.
The use of quality block paving and patio slab materials and correct preparation is required to ensure not only an attractive, but also a long lasting and hard wearing area.
If properly installed, block paving is easy to maintain and repair. If access to underground services are ever required; it’s easy to reform by just replacing the existing blocks leaving no trace of any repair or disturbance.
Over the years we at Emirates Paving & Landscaping have been involved with many different block paving projects from driveways to patios and garden paths. With a wide range of experience and expertise, we will provide you with friendly help and advice, ensuring your new driveway or patio perfectly complements the unique features of your home.
Tarmacadam ('Tarmac') has traditionally been regarded as a practical, durable and attractive driveway surfacing. It is popular because it is generally cheaper and requires much less maintenance than block paving with no need to weed or resand over the years.
Modern formulations and heavy duty SMA (stone mastic asphalt) ensure a hard wearing surface expected to last for many years under normal domestic conditions.
We can design and construct your drive from scratch, or replace, repair or resurface your existing driveway. A site visit and written quotation is free and we always advise on the best options and specification depending on your requirements.
Resin based surfacing systems are a comparatively new
introduction to the paving markets. Their development has
been made possible by significant advances made in polymer and epoxy resins over the past 25 years. The basic premise is that a decorative or coloured gravel is "glued" to an existing solid surface. The result is an extremely hard-wearing surface that is fairly resistant to weeds and relatively low-maintenance.
Resin surfacing can be laid in a massive range of colours and patterns, and all this is based on just two base ingredients: the aggregates and the resin itself.
We can overlay your existing surface or completely construct your new driveway from scratch, from sub base and base to the finished surface


A Model for Planning
Located in the center of the proposed park, Mt. Lykaion may be seen as the vehicle for generating region-wide interest in park establishment. The local communities around Mt. Lykaion are actively concerned about their heritage, preserving local traditions, and promoting the history of the area by providing opportunities for people to enjoy it.
Secondly, the recent archaeological discoveries at Mt. Lykaion have highlighted the international significance of this site. By undertaking a local-scale planning study at Mt. Lykaion, a template has been created that can be used throughout the heritage area to examine the feasibility of protecting ancient features while providing controlled tourism access, establish guidelines for preserving traditional uses of the land while creating economic opportunities, encourage resource longevity and suggest ways of managing change in the landscape to protect its unique character.


About the Landscape Design Council of Massachusetts
Visit our website at WWW.LDCMA.ORG
The Landscape Design Council is comprised
of garden club members who have completed the Landscape Design School. Members are then entitled to become NGC
accredited Landscape Design Consultants and join the Council, students who have
completed two courses can join as provisional members. Each year meetings are held to add to our
understanding of good landscape design.
Speakers introduce a wide variety of topics, workshops offer the
opportunity for hands on learning of new skills, judging of landscape designs
is practiced, and trips and tours take you to outstanding public and private
landscapes, often with professionals as guides you could not have a chance to
hear if visiting on your own.


CW+ appointed renowned landscape artist Jinny Blom to design the CW+ Greenhaven, in collaboration with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. This indoor garden provides a quiet space for patients to visit and get away from the ward, as well as a place for visitors and staff to enjoy. It gives patients a target to work towards with their physiotherapists, and research shows that for older patients, interaction with plants and foliage improves cognitive function and reduces agitated behaviour.
Jinny Blom is a former Psychologist and Psychotherapist and worked in the public sector in residential mental health for ten years before moving to landscape design.
“For a garden to be pleasing it has to be comfortable and accessible. We have considered the various contexts in which it might be used and have designed a multidimensional park. It is sociable or private as the circumstances demand and we feel confident that it will bring a lot of pleasure to those who can access it. The planting is rich and exotic with huge trees that can grow out into the atrium. It’s exciting!”
As part of our £25 million Critical Care Project, Jinny has also been commissioned to design the Sky Garden, a new botanical area adjacent to the Adult Intensive Care Unit in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The Sky Garden is one of only two green spaces in the UK designed specifically to incorporate the physical and psychological needs of intensive care patients and their families. Jinny’s design will incorporate space for hospital beds and wheelchairs as well as spaces offering seclusive or expansive atmospheres.
In Summer 2021, House and Garden Magazine included Jinny in their Top 50 Garden Designers list. As they wrote, “Hard-working and prolific, Jinny Blom is a highly successful designer with a multi-disciplinary approach (…) embracing architecture, conservation and art, with a strong holistic thread.” In October 2021, Jinny was awarded Garden Designer of the Year in the 2021 House & Garden Awards.


Long periods of unwelcoming weather can adversely affect the soil in our gardens. Consequently, we need to recharge our garden beds during the winter months so that we can harvest flavorful, nutrient-rich vegetables and herbs and vibrant, healthy flowers and plants.
There are several things you can do to replace essential nutrients within your soil, protect it from the harsher months ahead and ensure that your garden is a hospitable, nurturing place for any growth you hope to encourage in the spring.
The first thing you want to do is to clear out any old plants. Plants left in your garden beds, no matter how past their prime they may appear, can continue to rob your soil of vital nutrients; and old stems, roots and leaves can invite disease and pests into your garden. This is also the time you want to cut back your perennials.
Then, you want to revitalize the area by restoring all that good stuff your plants crave. You can do that by adding a layer of compost or manure – neither of which you need to work into the soil. A top layer of several inches will seep into your soil on its own. A word to the wise about the manure though…Aged manure is more pleasant, as it doesn’t possess the smelliness that fresh manure does!
Then, simply cover it all with a protective layer of mulch. A few inches of depth should serve you well. This mulch will also help prevent erosion and any potential weed build-up.


There is no denying that one of the best features of any house is not found inside the house but instead on the outside and it is none other than the garden. Gardens of all sorts have been part of the home landscape for decades have recently exploded in popularity due to shows about gardens being aired on TV. Not only do gardens provide you with a tranquil place to relax and perhaps meditate but a well-planned garden can enhance your homes appearance and at the same time add value to your home. Read on to find out some of the different types of gardens that you can have in your home.
Contemporary gardens are gardens that use clean design line while focusing in the landscape material used such as hardwood, stone or rendered walls. These types of gardens gained popularity in the past ten years due to an increase in modern housing with minimal garden space. With a shift towards modern design, contemporary gardens us bold but simple planting techniques such as the use of one or two plants that are repeated throughout the design with grass being a favourite choice in the design. Lighting effect such as the use of light-emitting diodes play an important part in these types of garden design. (more…)


HOW TO PLANT LILIES
1.Select a site with soil that drains well. How can you tell? After a good rain, find a spot that is the first to dry out. Water trapped beneath the overlapping scales on the lily bulb may cause rot, so a well-drained site is essential.
2.Lilies need lots of sun. For dependable blooms, lilies need 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. If it¡¯s too shady, the stems will attempt to lean towards the sun or get spindly and fall over.
3.Lilies are best suited for Zones 3 to 8. They do not thrive in Zones 9 and 10 without a period of refrigeration; they need a cold, dormant period.
4.Most of the popular varieties prefer acidic to neutral soil, but some are lime-tolerant or prefer alkaline soils.
5.Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches. The deep planting encourages the developing stem to send out roots to help stabilize the plant and perhaps eliminate the need for staking. Also, deep planting keeps lily bulbs cool when temperatures soar.
6.Enrich the soil with leaf mold or well-rotted organic matter to encourage good drainage. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
7.Plant the bulbs 3 times as deep as the height of the bulb and set the bulb in the hole pointy side up. Fill the hole with soil and tamp gently.
8.Space bulbs at a distance equal to three times the bulb¡¯s diameter (usually about 8 to 18 inches apart).
9.For a good effect, plant lilies in groups of 3 to 5 bulbs.


RVH Healing Garden & RVH Auxiliary Solarium
In need of a tranquil retreat?
Inspired by Nature
A healing garden can be a place of quiet solitude, but it can also provide a space for socialization and inspire a sense of community among those who use it.
The RVH Healing Garden at the front of the hospital, with its shaded gazebo, soothing fountain feature and well placed seating provides a natural retreat amongst lush shrubs and plants where patients, family, caregivers, and staff can go to recharge.
A partially glass-walled area on the second floor of the hospital offers a bright, beautiful indoor sanctuary filled with natural light. It’s a quiet indoor space where patients, family and staff can find solace in the midst of a busy day to help restore body, mind and soul.


For 2020, our neighbourhoods include the area west of Bathurst, south of Dupont/Annette, and east of Runnymede/High Park. The map shows this.
We'll be planting native plants that pollinators use in front and back yards (maybe yours?), city parks, school yards and planters, wherever we can find some soil and someone to give some tender loving care.
We work on a block-by-block basis. Red icons on the map show blocks where someone has volunteered to be a "block ambassador". Since we're a ground-up organization, we hear what a block wants through its ambassador.
When you sign up, you can choose to be a Block Ambassador or a regular participant.
© Copyright Project Swallowtail


Tory big beast Michael Heseltine was always a man of action in politics. And the same, it seems, has been true at home.
Within a couple of days of moving into their elegant 18th-century country pile, Thenford House, in the famously hot summer of 1976, he’d set about the garden. ‘Michael was attacking the ivy growing up a tree while I was sunbathing in my bikini,’ his wife Anne recalls with a smile.
‘As he was doing so, the local rector arrived and wryly observed, “I think there are going to be some changes around here.”’
He wasn’t wrong. That day marked the start of a 40-year odyssey which has seen Lord Heseltine, whose mane of blond hair and swashbuckling style earnt him the nickname ‘Tarzan’ in the 1970s, transform the 70 acres of land surrounding the Northamptonshire mansion from an overgrown jungle of weeds and silted-up ponds – ‘the grounds had been neglected for most of the 20th century’ says the former deputy prime minister – into a series of distinctive landscaped gardens, each with its own particular character.
Lord and Lady Michael and Anne Heseltine in their gardens at home in Thenford. The gardens now boast more than 3,000 different types of tree and shrubs
Michael Heseltine and his wife Anne have turned their garden into an arboretum. The former British politician, 89, has spent 40 years working on Thenford House (pictured)
Thenford Arboretum and Gardens now boasts a collection of more than 3,000 different types of tree and shrub, as well as extensive herbaceous borders, water gardens, an alpine trough garden, a sculpture garden, a rose garden and a rill. And hundreds of visitors a year now flock to see them on the annual open days.
‘It’s been a labour of love,’ admits Lord Heseltine, 89, who enjoyed a long career in front line politics. ‘But the gardens have brought Anne and I enormous solace over the years, particularly during the lockdowns.
‘I very much hope that one of the lessons we as a nation will learn from the last couple of years is the therapeutic effects of gardens and greenery.’
Thenford House is an Italianate mansion, but it’s the grounds that have been the main focus of Michael’s energy away from politics over the last four decades. ‘I reign in the house,’ laughs Anne.
‘But Michael is king in the garden because his knowledge of plants has always been so much better than mine.’ Although Michael diplomatically adds, ‘It’s extraordinary how often our tastes coincided when it came to creating the gardens.’
Anne and Michael take me on a tour in one of their ‘his and hers’ golf buggies, which they use to visit the four corners of the gardens most evenings. ‘These are our workhorses,’ says Michael.
‘They’re a vital part of life here. At our age, 70 acres would be quite a challenge to walk around!’
The idea behind Thenford was ‘to create a set of gardens that are like different rooms’, says Michael. The beauty of having spring and rose gardens, as well as woodland walks and water gardens, is that ‘every day is different, each bit of the garden has its moment’, observes Anne.
Politics or the arboretum and garden? There’s no question, I’ll be remembered for my trees!
‘So there’s that wonderful moment when there are primroses, snowdrops and forgetmenots altogether in the spring garden, and it’s suddenly a sea of bloom.’ Our first stop is the Sculpture Garden with its interconnected series of ‘rooms’ enclosed by yew and beech hedges.
This is very much Anne’s domain, and she chose the artworks. Among the mainly modern British sculptures on show are Elisabeth Frink’s naked Standing Man (‘he’s the husband of an acquaintance of mine’, she comments) and Philip Jackson’s Reading Chaucer (a young woman in a medieval gown and pointed hat seated on a bench with a book).
Although the monumental Lenin head that once stood atop the KGB building in Latvia steals the show for me.
As we zip down scattered paths and avenues among the trees and shrubs in the adjoining gardens, Michael points out features of interest. Highlights include the Walled Garden with its two champion trees (the tallest and fattest of their kind) nearby, Quercus semecarpifolia and Abies vejarii, two bridges (one Japanese-style, the other inspired by Monet), reflecting pools and domed pavilions, and beyond that the Herbaceous Borders, which are a blaze of colour.
‘We’re constantly improving and planting – herbaceous borders are the subject of endless fiddling about,’ says Michael.
Thenford also boasts a stunning rill (pictured). A rill is a formal channel used to bring a bit of water into our gardens
One of the gardens he’s proudest of is the Trough Garden, created out of a series of sheep and cattle drinking vessels, with its wisteria, rhododendrons and rare species including Aesculus hippocastanum ‘Monstrosa’, a dwarf horse chestnut, Quercus durata (leather oak) and Cypripedium reginae (showy lady’s slipper orchid). Although my favourite garden is the cascading rill, a stunning water feature comprising nine interconnected pools.
Now the Heseltines want more people to enjoy the peace, tranquillity and beauty of Thenford so they’ve extended the number of opening days this year. As Michael drives me to Banbury train station in his Jaguar, I ask him if he thinks he’s more likely to be remembered for his achievements in politics or his arboretum and garden.
‘There’s no question,’ he chuckles. ‘I’ll be remembered for my trees!’
- Thenford Arboretum and Gardens is open on selected dates until 21 October, £16. For details, visit thenfordarboretum.com.


One of the best natural parks in Taif, Saudi Arabia, is Al Faisaliah Garden, known for its serene atmosphere.
Not just the final destination but the journey there is equally as fascinating.
The park can be reached from the interior of Makkah by a stunning meandering road that passes past mountains, fruit markets, rose farms, and deep valleys. It is close to the Shafa Mountains, where baboons are free to roam, and the light shines beautifully between majestic peaks.
This is a great spot to escape the hectic pace of the city because it provides shade, possibilities for recreation, and a change of view from the normally sandy environment of the city and the countryside.
Despite being primarily human-made, it welcomes nature into our lives and emotions.
- The Al Faisaliah Garden is full of seats and areas for picnics, hiking and walking paths, different treks, and lanes for jogging and racing. Thus, it provides venues for people of all ages, including a separate space for children's activities, a sports center, a small café, and covered sections where big groups can congregate.
- The approximately 78 000 square meter garden area was constructed to give city dwellers a place to unwind where all amenities are available, surrounded by several lush and tiled areas.
- You can relax in one of the sporadic covered spots while taking a stroll with your family along the green lawn sections.
- The garden was designed in several locations, including boards with stone BBQ grills on charcoal, so you could also bring a picnic and have a family barbecue.
- The playground equipment, which is dispersed across the area and includes a variety of swings, is available for use by children.
- The sports center, Arab tent, and various other facilities, including pedestrian walkways bordered with lush foliage, are additional areas where you can spend time.
- The dancing fountain, surrounded by lovely foliage, adds to the park's appeal.


Included in Nassau’s 2010 Master Plan is an initiative to improve the aesthetic and environmental performance of their downtown area through the repurposing of medians. Landscaping medians along arterial roadways and in use as parking lot buffers can improve the physical appearance and the environmental performance of a city.
Trees in parking areas can provide shade and reduce heat generated by large areas of asphalt. This is a simple measure to combat the larger issues of heat island effect and climate change mitigation. Planting areas also allow rain to percolate into the ground, improving surface and near-shore water quality by reducing storm water run-off.
A second curb can be raised on the surface of the median to increase the depth of the soil available to trees. Known as a double curb, this second curb on top of road median surfaces allows for greater depth of soil; this enables medium-height trees to be planted and increases retention of storm water. Medium-height trees can provide a great source of shade and reduction in pollution than smaller trees.


Drought Proofing Your Tree
California is now in a fourth consecutive year of drought and many counties have adopted a one or two day per week watering schedule.
This will undoubtedly take a toll on our landscapes and trees. Trees in particular are considered the most critical aspect of our landscapes because of their size and benefits. Often they create micro climates for landscapes that cannot survive without their shade. The loss of a mature tree or even a severely damaged tree can be devastating. Preventing tree or limb loss can be one of the most valuable things you do for your landscape in this difficult time.
This month’s article provides a case study for a 35-year-old community that began losing many of its prized pine trees last summer due to drought-induced stress. It was already too late for several of the trees; however, we quickly came up with a plan to save the remaining 43 trees.
First, the remaining trees were treated with systemic insecticide applied during the winter to help the trees resist disease. Trees under stress from drought are more likely to fall prey to disease and pest infestation because they are already in poor health.
The second thing that was done was deep root fertilization, which is not the same as tree fertilizer stakes or Miracle-Gro. It is a high volume, balanced liquid fertilizer with slow release nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, iron and many other nutrients injected into the root zone of your tree throughout the drip line with a high pressure power rig. This treatment restores nutrient depleted soil while drenching the root zone with much needed water resulting in a quick, but long lasting boost for your tree.
The third thing we did for the remaining trees was to prune them with the specific goal of removing dead wood, crossing limbs and excessive “end weight.” With this procedure the trees will not be as prone to split or fail because there is less weight for the already weaker trees to support. They will also be able to withstand greater wind speeds.
The final step for these trees was an application of AquaSmart, a water-absorbing material designed for trees, plants and lawns for the purpose of water retention. Maximizing the water we do put down for our plants during a drought is critical in preventing plant loss.
Overall, this process requires a comprehensive understanding of the biology involved as well as the proper application techniques. If you feel your tree needs a little extra attention during this drought, make sure you contact a certified arborist that can help.


I recently read an article about some of the famous structures in New York City, and about all the little features that no one would have noticed. Little tiny things that you would’ve never noticed were vitally important in the creation of monumental architectural structures. For instance, Times Square got its name in honor of the original New York Times building that sat on the edge of the square. Also, the Flatiron Building was one of the first buildings in the city to have been built with the steel skeleton. So, with all the little things that make a structure the way that they turned out to be, it would be interesting to see how an architectural enormity like Central Park would look like if New York City being built in the second decade of the Twenty-First Century. Fortunately, you can all see what that would be like.
Yitan Sun and Jianshi Wu are two American architects who have taken Central Park and completely turned it upside down. This dynamic duo entered their design entitled “New York Horizon” to the eVolo Skyscraper Competition, and won first place. The future of New York isn’t exactly what you would see in an episode of Futurama or Doctor Who, but some of it gets pretty close. For starters, they would put up a glass wall a thousand feet high around the perimeter of the park. The design also calls for a restructuring of the park’s landscape, with the creation of valleys and canyons and hills and lakes. The wall would be made out of reflective glass to create the feeling of an enormous natural area enclosed within a densely populated metropolitan area.
The wall would also be one hundred feet wide to create seven square miles of occupiable area that would be used for apartments and commercial space. As if the apartments right on the park weren’t expensive enough. Some have called Sun and Wu’s redesign “the worst idea in history.” Others have praised their work for trying to reimagine an iconic American landmark to bring it into the modern world. But I think that the critics need to calm down. It’s not like people are seriously considering this design. The eVolo Skyscraper Competition is used to scout out undiscovered talents in the fields of architecture, urban planning, and design, so these are just interesting ideas. Consider some of the other entries to the competition, including a skyscraper covered completely in drones called “The Hive”.
Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux originally designed Central Park in order for New York City to compete with the great European cities. London has Hyde Park, Paris has the Jardin du Luxembourg, so New York got Central Park. Olmstead and Vaux originally put in little pieces, like cogs in a machine, in order to make the park work as a whole. For instance, the roads in Central Park are never straight. They’re all curved and windy, because they wanted to prevent people from racing their carriages through the park. Also, the park is a representation of New York state itself, with simplistic design in the south representing the city and the surrounding suburbs, and the trees and hills in the north of the park to represent the Adirondack and Catskill mountains in upstate New York. Olmstead and Vaux must have had critics during the planning stages of the park, as do almost all artists. So to call this idea the “worst idea in history” is a very long stretch. For all we know, with a few modifications to the original design, this could be how Central Park could look by the end of the century.
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The Architectural League’s annual Emerging Voices Award spotlights North American individuals and firms with distinct design voices that have the potential to influence the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design. The jury reviews significant bodies of realized work that represent the best of their kind, and address larger issues of architecture, landscape, and the built environment. This year’s jury included Henry Cobb, Paul Lewis, Geoff Manaugh, Jamie Maslyn Larson, Annabelle Selldorf, Claire Weisz, and Dan Wood.
Below, find exclusive interviews, podcasts, and project slideshows from the class of 2012.
Architectural League programs are additionally supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
An interview with Carol Moukheiber and Christos Marcopoulos, a lecture podcast, and project slideshow for Studio NMinusOne.
An interview with Sasa Radulovic and Johanna Hurme, a lecture podcast, and project slideshow for 5468796 architecture.
An interview with Jose Castillo and Saidee Springall, a lecture podcast, and project slideshow for arquitectura911sc.
An interview with Katsuhiro Yamazaki, a lecture podcast, and project slideshow for Atelier TAG.
An interview with Dwayne Oyler and Jenny Wu, a lecture podcast, and project slideshow for Oyler Wu Collaborative.
In the final installment of the 2014 Architectural League Prize feature, filmed interviews and full lecture videos are now available for Norman Kelley and Jenny Sabin Studio.
In the final installment of interviews with this year’s Emerging Voices, accompanied by videos from the lecture series, the partners of Estudio Macías Peredo and SITU Studio discuss their work.
A collection of all three winning essays from this year’s Urban Omnibus writing competition, Common Shares.
In anticipation of this year’s Beaux Arts Ball and its theme of Craft, we highlighted the work and expertise of the many artisans, consultants, and designers involved in the extensive restoration of the event venue, a landmarked bank building in Williamsburg.


Retaining walls are physical barriers that hold soil in place. They are often constructed of concrete or stones and are therefore known as retaining wall. Retaining walls can withstand earthquakes and hold soil in place under any pressure. They are used in many industries including agriculture, construction, fencing, embankments and other.
Retaining walls generally consist of Concrete Cast Block (CCB), Terracotta / Quarry Resin Blocks (GRB), and Brick Block (BB). Other materials used in the construction of retaining wall walls include gravel, bitumen and cement blocks, strip, and plate lap. These blocks come in many sizes, which makes them suitable for various applications. There are many types of segments that can be used to make these walls. Segmental Block Systems are the most popular among all the Segmental Retaining wall Systems. Here are a few examples.
Retaining walls are often used to support sloping roofs and foundations. Retaining Walls can be used to support roofs with an inclined slope. It will also reduce the amount work required to construct the retaining wall. They can also be used as safety precautions for those working on the sloped area. Sector Blocks are useful for preventing a tractor from falling on the sloping surfaces, such as when it is necessary to place it on the roof of a home to perform repairs.
Retaining Walls can be made with concrete blocks to either increase strength or decrease the load. As they are not only tall but also solid and strong, they can resist any force that is directed at them. Another advantage of using concrete blocks as the raw material for making these walls is that one can make them out of a variety of materials. There are many options for making them, including wood, plastic, metal, and even metal. Concrete is the most popular material for making them.
Retaining Walls provide additional security for offices and homes, as well as a distinctive aesthetic appeal to surrounding areas. Concrete blocks are preferred by many homeowners and businesses for building their retaining walls. There are many options on the market. Amongst all the options, slate, ceramic tiles, flagstones, sandstone and flagstones are the most popular options for constructing walls, which are also known as bluffing walls.
Amongst all these options, the most popular among all are the more permanent and stronger type of Retaining Walls, which are generally made out of either concrete or stone. Concrete blocks are more durable than stones, as they have higher internal pressure and weight. Stones are lighter than concrete blocks, and therefore have less internal pressure. Stone Retaining Walls are the best option for high risk projects that require strong support and reinforcement. The fundamental difference is that gravity retaining walls are built on the soil while gravity walls are built on the ground.
There are many options, but the most popular and widely used is the anchored wall. These walls are made with steel cables and trusses, and anchor rods that are embedded in the ground. Because the anchors are embedded deep into the ground, the soil pressure will prevent collapse of the wall. This type of wall is expensive and requires more excavation. This option provides protection against natural calamities like floods, earthquakes and landslides.
Sloped retaining pillars can also be used. This is a combination from two retaining walls within one structure. The first layer of retaining walls is placed on the ground while the other is sloped towards a slope. This option is best if you have a small hill or steep incline at your property’s edge. This allows for a more even distribution of the wall’s mass and increases its load-bearing capability. Moreover, this option is also very cost effective and is preferred when there is no or little slope or grade in the earth.


Ruscova lies in the North-East of Maramures County, on the on the lower flow of the river of the same name. The area stands out through its natural surroundings, and presents a diverse landscape, dominated by mountains.
Beside the beauty of the landscape, you will find here the most beautiful traditional wooden manor in Maramures an unique in Romania, Conacul Drahneilor/Drahnei Manor. Its name, Drahnei, comes from the valley where it is situated, Dragmirov Valley, a most beautiful place, surrounded by high hills.
From Ruscova, a stone road turns right and crosses the river along the valley. The 4-km road will take you to the gates of the manor, at the end of the valley. You will immediate recognize the place, by its beautiful massive wooden gate, sculpted from oak by a local craftsman, John; from beyond the gate you will see the Drahnei manor rising tall.
The manor is built of sculpted fir wood, on stone foundation. The roof is made of shingle, typical for buildings in Maramures. The stairs leading to the main entrance are made of stone; everything is in perfect harmony with the centuries old tradition and the wonderful places one can only encounter here in Maramures.


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Here is the short list of good advice to get you started planting trees.
- Evaluate potential planting sites for appropriate sunlight, drainage, soil, proximity to structures & walkways, and distance from other trees.
- Select appropriate varieties, including ones with disease resistance
- Select rootstocks appropriate your specific location and desired mature tree size.
- Plant trees during the dormant season but before or after frozen ground.
- Plan in advance for water access so that trees can be irrigated until they are established.
- Prevent damage to trees from herbivorous animals and careless humans.
- Mulch trees with wood chips to retain soil moisture and out compete grass.
- Familiarize yourself with the basics of pruning and tree hygiene.


110 Sherlock Ct.
Corrales, NM 87048
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Border Magic is the leader in decorative concrete landscape edging, helping to add both style and functionality to your home or business. We offer a fully customizable lineup that includes various sized styles, patterns, and colors from which to choose. We also offer commercial concrete curbing. Let us help you bring your outdoor landscaping ideas to life.
At Border Magic, we focus on quality. Our equipment is designed to create the strongest, longest lasting concrete edging and curbing made today. Franchisees are trained to work with you to create a custom design that fits your needs. In fact, we can custom color our concrete landscape edging to match your home, buildings or any other landscaping decor.