Landscaping Ideas and Updates

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If you are considering installing a new driveway for your home or business, you probably are deciding which type of driveway is the best for you.  In terms of aesthetic beauty, there is little comparison to the paver driveway. In this respect, few would disagree.

Still, many folks considering new driveways are understandably also driven by the amount they will need to invest. This factor often contributes to clients deciding for asphalt or concrete driveways.

The reality is, as your investment level rises, your need to repair the driveway cracks and ugly dips decreases over time. So the question becomes for the client, what are my true investment levels over time? What effect does increasing cost over time for concrete and asphalt driveways have on your debate over paver, asphalt, or concrete driveway installation?

In this Chevy Chase, MD driveway, the asphalt driveway is cracking and creating potholes that, while they are filled in annually, continue to re-appear year after year.


Concrete driveways, while offering a little more stable lifespan than asphalt driveways, also tend to crack over time. With the freezing and thawing cycle, those concrete and asphalt driveway cracks get bigger and require regular maintenance, or in the case of concrete driveways, regular sealant.

In contrast to concrete and asphalt driveways, paver driveways offer aesthetic beauty and little maintenance over time. Should one of the pavers crack or dip over time, this is an easy fix which requires simply replacing the single paver or lifting that paver, and adding additional base material to re-level that area.

In this Chevy Chase, MD paver driveway installed by the certified team at Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc. the paver driveway accentuates the stone retaining wall, the brick house façade, and even the car in the driveway.


While your initial investment in a paver driveway will be more, your costs over time will be less than your costs associated with concrete or asphalt driveways. In addition, in a paver driveway, you will be investing in an aesthetically beautiful driveway which will add lasting value to your property and your home.

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Mailing Address: 7201 Brookville Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815; Business Address: 5011 S. Olney-Laytonsville Road, Olney, MD 20832

 

301-740-8850; F(301)740-8853; www.JohnsonsLandscaping.com

Designing and Building Outdoor Entertainment for Your Home

Prior to designing and building an outdoor living environment, spend some quality time considering how you will use your outdoor space. When you entertain, how many people usually attend? What time of day or evening do you usually entertain? Will you need night lighting? Do you or your guests have children, and does your entertainment space allow for kids to run and play?

In this photo in taken in a Montgomery County, MD residence, the design included two outdoor pergolas covering the deck and the barbecue grill. Other than aesthetics, the pergolas’ purpose included providing shade from the sun because the homeowner’s back yard included a lot of sun in the early evening.

During ConstructionNew

 

New, Outdoor Living Space

In this Northwest, Washington residence is designed to give the outdoors a sense of space and fun, while simultaneously giving the perception of privacy. This is accomplished through the tiered retaining walls and plant beds outlining the pool deck.

 

Northwest, Washington, DC Residence - Pool Deck and Landscape

Other things to consider include the location of your grill, and how to incorporate the grill into the rest of the design. Many clients desire a “built-in” grill like the one below, which allows ample space for food preparation using custom cut stone which beautifully integrates into the rest of the patio and walls.

 

 Montgomery County, Maryland Residence

Finally, some folks forego the custom built grill and prefer the simple beauty of a patio, retaining wall, and plantings next to an outdoor fire, like the one in the back of this Bethesda, Maryland home.

 

 Bethesda, Maryland Residence

Whatever your outdoor entertainment needs or preferences, with careful forethought, guidance, and planning, you can design a space to be used how you intend to enjoy your free time. Your investing a lot in this outdoor space….isn’t it worth it to take a little time to ensure you will use your investment to the fullest?

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View the work of our experience and skilled masons.  From traditional steps and walkways, to elegant patios and stone walls, our masons pride themselves on implementing your design to perfection. Contact us today, and begin enjoying a new outdoor living experience!

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For a better landscape……
                   And lifestyle...
                                    Consider….

A Full Maintenance Program with Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc.

Are you able to spend enough time with your family? Can you pursue your weekend hobbies? Play a little more golf?  Are you out there pulling the weeds yourself? Not sure if you’re pruning the right branches at the right time of year? Are you doing more damage than good to your plants, trees, and shrubs? Do you sometimes wonder if your home’s appearance could be enhanced? Is the value of your home what it could be with a fully manicured look?

Did you know that your landscape…. Enhances the first impression received by your friends and neighbors when they visit your home? Represents a financial asset and increases property value as much as 15%?


Is an extension of your living space that should be a source of enjoyment for you and your family?

Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc. has been caring for properties in the Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Northwest Washington, DC area for over 50 years. To meet the needs of our most particular clients, our program includes complete care for your yard. Our maintenance staff will care for your property from Spring through the Fall. In the Spring, we will begin with a complete clean up of your yard.

We will:
1) Rake up all the winter’s debris from under the shrubs and trees and off the lawn.
2) Edge and prepare all the planting beds and cover them with a 2—3 inch layer of double shredded hardwood mulch.
3) Dethatch, rake, fertilize, and seed your lawn.
4) Prune your shrubs and trees as needed for the time of year.

After the initial clean up, we will next visit your property on a regular basis. Our crews cut the grass, edge the curbs, walks, and driveway. We weed the plant beds weekly, and we do regular fine pruning of shrubs. This gives your home a noteworthy appearance throughout the year.

In addition to the regular maintenance, we will fertilize at scheduled intervals and seed at the optimum times of the year. All you have to do is water the lawn and plantings as needed.

For those clients interested in adding a more aggressive, organic, and “green” approach to lawn care, we do offer an ad-ditional organic lawn care package. For more information about our organic lawn care package, click here.

In the Fall, we clear the leaves off the lawn in order to protect the newly seeded grass. In late November and early December, the whole property is cleaned and mulched so your home looks its best for the holidays. To meet with one of our landscape professionals about our Full Maintenance packages, please contact us today!

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The recent record setting snowfall in the DC and Montgomery County, Maryland area this year has done a number on many plants, shrubs, and trees.  Homeowners are wondering, “Will my plant survive?”  “What steps can I take to restore this shrub?” and “Is this tree beyond repair?”

Before throwing in the towel and removing and replacing all damaged plants, trees, and shrubs, there are some steps homeowners can take.  First, where possible, prune snapped branches.  With a pair of loppers, a hand saw, or pruners (or a chain saw in the case of large branches), make a clean cut below where the branch was initially broken.  It’s best to cut close to the base of the branch, and to cut at an angle.

 

 

For large shrubs (5’ and above) that have “fallen over”, use wire and pieces of garden hose to stake the tree to the upright position.  Be sure to use galvanized wire and oak hardwood stakes.  You may need someone to assist you in pushing the shrub to the upright position while you pull the wire and hose into place.

After taking these initial steps, you may still be unsure about the overall health of your plants.  Before despairing about your shrub’s future prospects, wait until that time in the Spring when your particular variety “leaf’s out” or blooms.  You may be pleasantly surprised that your plant, though once down, may not be totally “out”.  In particular, mature plants and shrubs with established root systems have the best chance for overall survival.

Even still, there will be plants and trees that, despite our best efforts, will not survive the effects of snow damage.  In those cases, it’s best to remove and replace them.  Think of it as an opportunity for you to “upgrade” the curb appeal of your property, and to enhance your outdoor living experience.

In any case, if you still have doubts as to the health of your plant, it’s always best to get a professional assessment.  The landscape designers at Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc. (www.JohnsonsLandscaping.com) are prepared to assist you in this process.

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