Landscaping Ideas and Updates

By Ryan Sarvis, Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc.

Are you deterred from venturing outside by cold weather and annoying pests?  Do you shy away from inviting friends and family over because the only gathering place is inside your cramped house?  This fall, why not add value to your property and extend your living space with an outdoor fireplace?
With a return to the coolness of Autumn and the decline of the sizzling hot and humid summer evenings, many Washington, DC area residents are now returning to the outdoors from their air conditioned enclaves.   To combat cold temperatures and biting insects well into the Fall season, you can install an outdoor fireplace that will warm and protect you and your family while you gather around the warmth of a glowing fire. 

The options for outdoor fires are numerous, but Johnson's Landscaping Service, Inc. has many years of experience building fire pits, fire rings, fire places with chimneys.  Our experienced stone masons can build any fire place that you may desire with a wide range of material options. We can provide both natural and manufactured stone to build a fireplace.  You have the option of a wood or gas burning fireplace.  Whearas gas is cleaner, no mess, and easier to start, wood has a great smell, prevents pests, and provides a little charm to your patio. Please contact one of our professional designers so we may design a fireplace that will suit your outdoor living needs.

The outdoor fireplace adds a centerpiece to your landscape that will last forever and will bring friends and families together for years to come.   In addition to the outdoor fireplace, there are many other options to enhance our outdoor living spaces, to include landscape lighting, shade structures, patios, and seating walls. 
Interested? Contact us today!

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As a dog owner myself, I can attest to the frustration many homeowners feel when the primordial needs of a dog (scratching, digging, peeing, and pooping) can conflict with the desires of an outdoor landscape pleasing to behold and easy to maintain.  At times, it’s easy to raise the flag of defeat and give reign over the landscape to the dog.

Fear not, landscape and dog lovers!  The two can co-exist.  It may require some effort or investment.  In the end, it will be worth it.

Most dog owners know that the way to a dog’s heart is through food and walks, with the emphasis on walks.  A happy dog (i.e. a dog who gets lots of walks) often will refrain more often from anxious behaviors such as digging and scratching on that beautifully manicured lawn or the azalea just ready to bloom.

Because of work and family obligations, many homeowners just don’t have the time to regularly walk their dogs, even though they know that’s what’s best for them.   Jaime Deason, owner of Fetch! Pet Care of Silver Spring, Maryland (www.fetchsilverspring.com), says that her business is available to support dog lovers in giving the gift of a walk.   Jaime completes background checks on all her sitters, and then trains them herself.     Says Jaime, “Walking a dog regularly is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety, and to prevent the unwanted attacks on your landscape.” 

Sam Nelson, landscape designer with Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc. (www.JohnsonsLandscaping.com), and a dog lover himself, says there are several things to consider when planning your landscape to accommodate dogs.  First, Sam suggests “observing your dogs as they run throughout the yard.  Make sure to notice where they like to go in the yard, and in your landscape plan leave this area as ‘open space’ for the dog.  In this way, dogs will create a well worn path in some areas while leaving other areas to flourish.”  Second, Sam observes that “dogs like to pee and run on the edging of plant beds.”

To soften the blow of this inevitable occurrence, Sam suggests lining the plant beds with low-lying liriope.  This can help because the liriope is hardy enough to withstand the dog’s urine while simultaneously low enough to support larger shrubs and plants behind it.  Finally, Sam reminds homeowners and dog lovers to be careful when choosing plants because some, like the Japanese Acuba, can be poisonous to dogs when chewed.  Be sure to check with your local nursery before installing any plants.

As you can see, with a little effort and investment, a dog lover can enjoy both their landscape and their dogs….the two can co-exist! 

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See one of our designs as seen in the Washington Post. (click here)

ILLUSTRATION: Julius Goyanko - For The Washington Post 

"Create an outdoor living room for entertaining, relaxing and enjoying nature."

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