Landscape Contractor Serving Commercial and Residential
Rivas Design & Landscaping

Category: Residential

Show Your Outdoor Space Some Love

Checklist for February in Virginia:

 

  • Order seeds you plan on starting indoors
  • Cut back your grasses and perennials. They can be cut all the way to the ground since they regenerate from the roots up.
  • Overseed your lawn
  • Mulch your beds
  • Remove any remaining leaves
  • Prune your summer flowering shrubs.
  • Prune out winter damage from your evergreens and trees
  • To rejuvenate your hollies, trim back now or early spring

Federal Point Development

Small Yard, Big Impact

We just finished up a project for one of our contractors, Federal Point Development, redoing the front of a Reston townhome. Many of the properties there are surrounded by mature trees that make them feel nestled into the woods. The original landscaping had gotten tired and overgrown and the clients were looking for a way to make the entrance more useful and more inviting.

We removed an old tree stump and most of the original plantings to make way for a charming and functional drainage solution with a variety of plants to add interest and beauty.

This lot was only 20' x 25' or so. It is more important to use space well and thoughtfully than to have a lot of it. A well-designed space can add value to your property and provide you with a beautiful respite from the day to day noise.

Tips for enhancing a small space

  • Start with function. What do you need space to do? Is it your primary entrance? Do you regularly sit outside? Do you have pets who use the space? This client wanted a space to enjoy both as an entrance and as a welcoming area to share a cup of tea with a friend. The extra widening of the walk allows for a bench or set of chairs for visitors to enjoy the flora.
  • Use a variety of heights and textures to create depth. Layering is especially important in a small space to provide a sense of depth. In a small space, layer up and down as well as front to back. Plant ground-hugging plants around slightly taller plants that are at the base of yet larger plants/trees. The variety of heights and textures draws the eye up as well as across.
  • Incorporate different mulches. Break up a solid patch of mulch with stone waterways or paths to give a sense of different areas within the small space.
  • Plan for multi-season color. Use bulbs and annuals to have shots of color that do not compete for space at the same time. Bulbs like daffodils and tulips will come and go in the spring before the summer annuals can be put in.
  • Be in harmony with the neighbors. Eccentricity is frowned upon in most communities. If the space you are working with is the front of your home, as in this case, consider the impact of your design on your neighbors and the community. This home happened to be surrounded by other properties that had been evolving over the years into garden yards. Most of the homes had maximized their small footprints by removing the lawn and replacing it with appropriate plantings and patios. This design was in harmony with its neighbors and added value to the property because of it.

If you have a space that needs a creative renovation, contact us today.

Are you a commercial property manager or owner looking to improve the value of your property with creative solutions? Contact us today to discuss how Rivas Design & Landscaping can add value to your property.

 

August Checklist

The hot temperatures of August can turn even the hardiest of gardens into a wasteland.  This is the time to make sure you are continuing watering and other garden maintenance. However, watering can be a Catch 22:  you don't want to drown your garden, yet you don't want it to go through a drought either. So keep these tips as a Rule of (Green) Thumb:

Watering Tips

  • Slightly moist soil is your best bet. If the ground is saturated, the plants will rot at the roots. Not enough water will cause desiccation. In the heat of summer, especially, keep an eye on the plants. The curling and drooping of branches and leaves is an urgent indicator: Water!
  • Watering in the morning or in the evening ensures that the most amount of moisture is reaching the plant and not just evaporating.
  • Check your sprinklers for adequate water supply. Dry or wilting plants indicate water stress.
  • Water more frequently the plants in pots. Potted plants tend to dry out much faster than those in the ground.
  • Clean beds of debris to prevent critters nesting.
  • Deadhead your perennials and annuals.
  • Ensure adequate mulch coverage to retain moisture.
  • Check for water flow and sitting water around the house.
  • Schedule your Fall Project Consultation!

Download our Summer Checklist!

Front Entrance Renovation

Looking to renovate or re-imagine your home outside?

This project took on a space that was needing some attention. The client already had the wall in place, the original plantings had just been lost over time. They wanted to elevate the front entrances to be warm and inviting for all who came to visit or pass by.

We are always trying to create new ways to add value to our clients. Something we have added to our project process is providing better notes, better concepts, and better communication so we can ensure that our clients are happy with the ideas and understand what they are signing up for. It enables us to work out the issues ahead of time as well as to effectively communicate with our crews.

Contact us today for a consultation.

Before

After

Gardening: The Original Self-Help Movement

"If you have a garden and a library, then you have everything you need." -Cicero

I admit I am an avid reader of all things,  and a consumer of endless self-improvement books, business books, and the like. They come in all shapes and sizes, differing perspectives, some faith-based, others not so much; some are applicable, others not so much. Each one has played its part in my journey and, if worthy of repeat visits, has a place on my bookshelf.

In the past few years, I have taken to become a "gardener", not just a landscaper. During one of my many "rescue attempt" sessions (i.e I didn't weed anything for a week and now I have to spend hours trying to undo my laziness) It dawned on me that if one were to spend more time gardening and less time "planning to succeed", all the lessons contained in a collection of personal improvement courses (including the number one self-help book, the Bible) could be grasped.

For example, think how easy it would be to understand the concept, " You reap what you sow" when you plant a carrot seed and, VOILA! a carrot grows. Not a turnip or a clump of lettuce, a carrot. Try planting a cucumber seed with the hope that it will become a sunflower. What disappointment! It is a mere cucumber. Yet, every day, we go about planting seeds, some good and some bad, and we lament that they have not become what we expected. If we plant the seed of order and contentment, that is what we receive. If we plant the seed of gossip, resentment, the contention that is what we receive in return.

It could also be said that if you fail to sow, you will have nothing to reap. I am a planner. I plan everything out as best I can beforehand to avoid as much pain as possible. It's what makes me a good landscape designer but not the greatest gardener. In order to be a great gardener, some planning is in order, but the most important thing you can do to be a successful gardener is to PLANT SOMETHING SO YOU CAN GROW SOMETHING! Thinking about it, charting it out, buying organic and non-GMO seeds, preparing the soil to perfection are all great and necessary. However, if you never actually plant the seed, it will all be for naught.

So if you really want to make the self-improvement journey, set your highlighted book aside for the spring and get out there and:

Grow something and in the process, grow yourself.

Late Spring Frost

This spring has definitely been different, so it should be no surprise that we would have a late Spring frost. Some hardy plants can handle light frosts, others can handle the dips below freezing. Few, however, can remain intact when the temps drop much below 32 degrees.

I recommend covering young plants as best you can, and if you have potted plants, bring them inside, or even under a covered patio or garage.

Here are some materials you could use to cover:

  • Old sheets, drop cloths, tarps, burlap, or newspapers.
  • Cardboard boxes, open them on one end, turn them upside down and place them over your flowers. Tape any cracks to keep out the cold air.
  • Empty pots, buckets, milk jugs with the top cut off, or other containers made of wood, plastic or clay to cover your plants (just be sure they’re tall enough to fit over plants without crushing them.
  • Pre-made row covers (from a gardening store)

Remember:

  • Place covers over your plants before the temperatures hit freezing. If you’re using plastic covers, wait until twilight to avoid the sun cooking your plants through the plastic.
  • If your cover is lightweight enough to blow away in the wind, weigh it down with rocks or bricks.
  • Remove cardboard or fabric covers as soon as the weather warms up.
  • Remove plastic covers as soon as the sun rises.

 

Has Spring Already Sprung?

This has got to be one of the most unusual winters i have seen in a while. Barely an inch of snow made an appearance this season and already the plants are preparing for their big debut . . . in February!   As of the last week of February I have found that I have a peach in the fullest of bloom, dill regenerating from last year's fallen seeds and dozens of daffodils and iris' trying to poke through the compacted mulch.

I know in Michigan, my home state, there has been a fear of the short and out-of-the-ordinary cold season. It could result in a reduced or damaged crop this year. But no need to blame global warming. This is just the way things go--cyclical and changing and unaffected by any great human theories.

According to the Richmond International Airport's records, we have been in a cycle of warmest and coldest winters for the entire century. 1889/1890 saw an average temp of 49.8 degrees, while Jan of 1940 saw the coldest temps at -12 degrees. 2011/12 has seen what seems to be high averages in the low 40's but surprisingly only captures the 5th warmest winter on record.

So instead of surmising on the cause of this pleasant gift of early spring, enjoy the signs of hope in anticipation of warmer times to come.

Backyard Design Nokesville

PROJECT: Nokesville New Installation

Landscape Design Concept to Real Life Beautiful

I think one of the best parts about what we do is taking something from ugly to beautiful--from barren and unimaginative to delightful. Unlike some home projects where you can measure and paint and have a pretty good idea of the outcome, landscape design is always a little bit of a mystery. While the design is the beginning of how everything works together, only time will tell whether or not the harmony persists.

This project in Nokesville was done in the spring, following the installation of an in-ground pool. The construction process generally leaves everything around it in need of attention. We essentially started from square one.

The design above laid out the plants. We combined the client's preferences for color and utility to come up with the concepts.

The topsoil had been stripped, exposing red Virginia clay everywhere. We worked with the client to make the space welcoming and lush, adding a variety of textures and blooms for summer color. Sod was installed to stabilize the bare ground after a thorough raking of stones and debris.

All of the stone was acquired from the property itself to create natural and native retaining walls. Deer were a consideration so plants were chosen appropriately.

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL DESIGN INTERVIEW

  • Meet on-site well before you want the work done. It takes times to develop a concept and this first step is important in knowing where you are heading.
  • Take the time to research what you prefer and what you definitely despise. Last thing you want to do is have the design ruined by a key feature that you hate.
  • Do not say, "You are the professional. I defer to you." In the whole scheme of things, that's exactly why you hire us. In the beginning, though, take ownership of the project by communicating your preferences, your ideas and your long term goals for the space you will be addressing.
  • Communicate your long term plan and how you intend to use the space. If you are designing for near-future re-sale, that will elicit a different type of design than one done for longer term pleasure.
  • Supply your designer with any pertinent information regarding the condition of the area. For example, deer, rabbits, shade, dogs, sporting kids, etc. a good designer will ask you those questions, but it is good to be prepared.

Interested in developing a long term plan for your property?

Contact us today to schedule your consultation.

Wet Basements and How to Prevent Them

Top 5 Ways to Prevent Wet Basements

  1. Extend downspouts away from the house at least 10 feet. Make sure they distribute away from and not towards the foundation.

    Managing your downspouts can be the first line of defense against water damage for your foundation. Make sure that they extend away from the foundation with drain tile to prevent roof water from running back towards the house. Clear your gutters on a regular basis to prevent overflow and to keep water moving efficiently. You can clear the drain tile by running a hose or power washer from the connection point.

  2. Remove any soil/mulch that extends above the waterproofing line on the foundation

    Years of mulching can create a buildup that goes above the waterproofing line. Water can then leach into the foundation causing dampness. If you do not have waterproofing and wet or damp basements are a problem, consider investing in a professional installation.

  3. Add soil (below the waterproofing line) to raise the grade so that the soil at the foundation is higher than the yard.

    Sometimes the soil around the foundation collapses or just erodes away due to poor drainage flow. By building up with soil thereby raising the grade, you prevent water from settling along the foundation where it can seep in.

  4. Redirect your sump pump like your downspouts.

    Sump pumps, if improperly managed, can simply create a cycle of water distribution. Water can be pumped out of the pump, into a poorly managed terrain which then drains the water back to the foundation where it seeps in and...needs to be pumped back out again. Manage it the same way you do the downspouts: extend with drain tile away from the house, ensuring that the flow does not re-direct itself back towards the house.

  5. Redirect natural flows with grading.

    In some cases, the water isn't coming from your house or from around your house, rather, it is just the lay of the land. You need to take a more serious look at how the water flows through your property when it is raining heavily. Watch where it comes from and where it goes to. It may be necessary to re-grade, to retain or just simply redirect the flows.

 

Ahead of the Game

Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer . . .

Lazy days of summer always get me in a lull. I drink in the warm weather, enjoy the freedom of a looser routine and forget about the looming workload...that inevitable flux of work generated by the perfection of the season.

With the summer quickly nearing its end and the fall hustling to get in place now is the perfect time to get ahead of the game. Instead of considering your garden needs in the short weeks of the fall planting window, start the process now. Some things to consider for you autumn aspirations:

  1. Fall is the best time to transplant/divide so make arrangements to have that done now rather than in the spring. It gives the relocated plants a time to acclimate and has them undisturbed for the spring when they will be growing a strong root system to support the new arrangement.
  2. Though it is not as hot, you will still want to keep watering--especially if there is a long period without any moisture.
  3. Try to avoid planting evergreens in the fall. The winter can be harsh on them since their leaves stay attached. Deciduous, or plants that lose their leaves, tend to manage much better. Perennials are champs when planted in the fall.
  4. Don't forget the bulbs. This is the time to get your bulb planning done so that you have some color in the spring.
  5. Prepare your vegetable garden now with cow or horse manure so it is ready to go in the spring--the time allows the manure to mellow so its potency doesn't burn the young plants.