The best way to find a reputable landscaper or landscaping company is by word of mouth. Ask your friends, neighbors, and colleagues if they’ve worked with a company they’d recommend. Another good source is reading online reviews, and checking out company websites to see what kind of projects they’ve worked on. Once you’ve narrowed it down, you can set up a consultation with each company. That way, you can learn more about their values and services, and choose the one that aligns with your project’s needs.

Generally, spring is the best time for prepping and planting flower beds, and beginning hardscaping projects. The summer construction season is when the majority of large landscaping and hardscaping projects are done. Fall is a great time for planting trees and bushes since temperatures are lower. Hardscaping also continues through the fall until the ground freezes or it begins to snow.

Irrigation systems are not necessary for maintaining the health of your lawn or plants, but can be helpful. Irrigation does much of the hard work that watering entails so that you don’t have to, and it hits the parts of your lawn you might miss. A hose and sprinkler can be a money-saving alternative, but require you to set timers and manually move the sprinkler around your yard. With either option though, it’s easy to waste water. Ultimately, you have to decide if an irrigation system is right for you.

Aeration should take place during high growth periods. This is typically during the cooler times of the year when there’s plenty of rain, mainly the spring and fall. Aeration puts stress on the turf, which could be detrimental when the turf is highly stressed already due to high heat and periods of drought. At Capital Landscaping, we recommend fall aeration with overseeding to loosen the soil and develop new growth at the same time. Aeration is great for any lawn but especially if it gets a lot of foot traffic, is part of new construction with compact soil, or is part of a thatch management/prevention program.

This is a tough one. The conditions that are good for plant growth are naturally good for weed growth. There are steps you can take to prevent weed growth early on, and remove weeds if they do appear. First of all, use a thick layer of mulch in your flower beds and garden to cover the soil where you don’t want weeds to grow. Then use a weed preventer such as Preen to further discourage weed growth. If weeds do appear, pull the entire weed including the root early on to prevent it from coming back. For cracks in concrete and pavers use a commercial herbicide to kill weeds that appear. For a more organic method try using vinegar in a spray bottle. Be warned, herbicides including vinegar will kill all plants they touch, not only weeds.

The basics of watering are simple. Water immediately after planting, let the water soak into the soil, and then water again. During the first few weeks it’s best to continue frequent watering — a good soak every other day is ideal. Water plants deeply with a slow stream from the hose placed at the base of each plant. Once the water has created a small pool then move the hose to the next plant. This ensures that the roots grow down into the soil creating a stronger root system and plant. By watering only lightly the roots will stay at the top of the soil and long term will require watering more often, along with leaving them susceptible to winter kill. Following the first week, you’ll only need to water two to three times per week depending on the weather conditions in your area. All newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials should also be watered well just before the ground freezes in the late fall.

It depends on your situation. Drip irrigation is great for watering small areas, or individual plants alongside your home at a slower pace, but a sprinkler system can cover more ground quickly, making it ideal for watering entire lawns. It can also be programmed to water during specific time periods, so you can set it and forget it. More advantages of drip irrigation include less water lost due to evaporation or runoff and that it won’t wash away mulch. Consider which type of watering you’d be using it for, and weigh the pros and cons.

Absolutely! Every living plant does its job to filter carbon dioxide out of the environment — one tree alone can remove 26 pounds of CO2 annually equaling about 11,000 miles of vehicle emissions. Plants also help keep debris and pollution out of our water supply. On top of that, trees that cast shade on your home will keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter giving your air conditioner and heating units a break. If you’re thinking about planting additional trees, shrubs, or flowers, they will all benefit our environment in their own unique way, so go for it!

It might seem too simple, but mow it whenever it looks like it’s getting too long. The specific length of time will vary based on your grass type, your area’s weather patterns, and how high you cut it. That may be multiple times per week, once a week, or every other week. Keep an eye on it and use your best judgment.

Yes, fall is a fantastic time for landscaping! Cooler temperatures and increased rainfall make it great for planting trees, shrubs, and perennials, which allows them to establish strong root systems before winter. Fall is also a great time to aerate and fertilize your lawn, plant spring bulbs, or even install new hardscapes. By tackling these tasks in the fall, your landscape will have a head start for the next growing season.