Getting Started: Finding Inspirational for Your Landscape Design

Ready to revamp your landscape? Let’s get started! When it comes to ideas and inspiration for landscape design in Minneapolis, we here at Environmental Design have seen and created many beautiful designs over our years in business. There are several ways to go about gathering ideas for landscape design and we would like to offer a few for you to consider.

Find Your Inspiration Online

There are many great places to find inspiration for your landscape design. Start by driving around your neighborhood and look to see if any landscape designs spark your interest. Next, go online! There are so many great places to find landscaping inspiration from Pinterest to Google images to home improvement blog posts. Feel free to print anything out that you like and have it for us to take a look at. Our online landscape gallery is another great place for you to get inspired; it offers a glimpse into the many projects we’ve completed over the years and a taste of what we can do in landscape design. 

Find Your Function

There are seasonal questions to ask yourself. If your yard has limited shade, you may want to consider plants that do best in direct light and full sun. Depending on what time of day your yard gets the most sun, that can also impact landscape design and what plants will thrive the best in your yard.

When coming up with a landscape design ask yourself what function you want your new landscape to serve. Are you looking to entertain guests there? Do you prefer solitude and just want somewhere you can sit and enjoy the beauty of nature? Do your kids want somewhere safe to play outdoors? Or maybe you want all of the above for a landscape that’s as beautiful as it is functional. This is the most basic question you can ask yourself as you’re thinking of landscape design ideas.

It is also very important to look into flowers and trees that thrive well in your area. And, as a local business, the experts at Environmental Design are well-versed in plants that do well in our Minneapolis climate. If you are undecided about certain aspects of your landscape design, we can help you fill in the blanks. Soon enough, your yard will look as good in reality as it does in your head!

Are you ready to discuss your landscape design ideas for your Minneapolis yard? Call Environmental Design at 952-997-6533 or contact us for a Free Estimate.

Spring Tips From the Landscaper for an Enjoyable Summer!

Summer is on its way! It is never too early to start planning ahead for the growing season. Planning the perfect landscape for your home takes a lot of thought and decision-making, so here are a few tips from the professionals here at Environmental Design, a Shakopee landscaper.

A nice and formal English garden may make for a lovely visit, they do not make for the best type of home garden. So while you might be tempted to plant everything symmetrically, this is not the best bet for your new landscaping. Professional landscapers and gardeners keep up with formal gardens on a daily basis to ensure everything is growing evenly, but most homeowners do not have time for this level of landscaping care.

So think of your new landscape in terms of plants and flowers that match without matching. For example, when you are choosing an outfit to wear, you will not put on pants, a shirt and shoes that are all the exact same color. That can look boring and monotonous. The same goes for your garden: choose flowers and plants that look good together but don’t match up too much. Think about different flowers whose colors would complement one another. Or consider flowers that have differently textured leaves.

When you talk to your landscaper, ask him or her to plant those flowers in groups, not rows. Groups of flowers are easier to maintain. When you plant flowers in rows, they can sometimes be more difficult to maintain since they will grow at different rates. Plus, flowers that are planted in groups are usually more interesting to look at.

Plants and flowers can also be used to soften the harsh edges of your home. Evergreens are a great plant to use near your home’s foundation, and it will look nice throughout the entire year, even during the cold winter months.

You should also consider asking your landscaper for help choosing different plants that will flower and bloom during different times of the year. There are even a few plant options that will thrive in the winter time. This means you and your family can enjoy your landscaping throughout the entire year, and there will always be a lovely focal point.

If you would like to learn more about hiring a Shakopee landscaper, call Environmental Design at 952-997-6533, or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate.

Winter Landscaping Tips

Now that we are in the midst of winter, most people think their outdoor to-do list is done until spring. For the most part, that’s true, but there are still a few things to take care of even when the weather outside is frightful. Here are some tips from our landscaping company near St Paul. For homeowners who follow these guidelines, they can ensure their yard and landscaping will look great in the spring and summer.

• Keep in mind that you can plant trees and other plants as long as the ground isn’t frozen. While the ground in your area is probably frozen by now, keep this tip in mind for next season. Fall is one of the best times of the year to plant new trees since they have the entire winter to establish a good, strong root system before the following spring.
  
• If your plants and flowers have not been pruned yet, that can still be done. You can call our landscaping company for help if you are not sure how to properly prune your plants. By pruning plants, trees and flowers now, they will have a fresh start for the spring and will continue to grow into better looking plants. This means you will have a nicer looking landscape to enjoy.
• When it’s a little warmer outside, you can take a look at your landscaping. Take note of which perennials, trees and other plants may need to be replaced. You can also get some ideas about new landscaping features you might want our landscaping company to install for you. This could include retaining walls or walkways.
• The sooner you call our landscaping company for an appointment this spring, the better and more likely it will be that you can get the date you want. That way you can get your projects started at the best time. This doesn’t mean you need to call us today, but try to set a reminder to call us in the next month or two.
• During the winter, and really all seasons, try to keep heavy items off your grass and other landscaping features. This includes trash cans, toys, sleds, etc. Make sure your entire family knows to keep these items off the grass as well. If items are left on the grass, they can cause the grass to stop growing or to grow sideways.

These are just a few suggestions from our landscaping company to keep you going through the winter!

If you would like more information about our landscaping company near St Paul, please call Environmental Design at 952-997-6533, or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate.

Designing Your New Landscape and Garden

If you’ve been looking at your yard and thinking it needs a little TLC, now is a great time to think about planning a new landscape. While it is too late in the season to plant some species of plants and shrubs, fall is the best time of year to plant new trees since they will have plenty of time to establish a good root system before the next growing season. We are a Minneapolis landscaper, and we have helped countless homeowners like you plan the garden and landscaping they have always wanted. Here are a few tips on what to think about when planning yours.

You might think that you want a formal garden, but keep in mind these types of gardens take a lot of daily care to maintain. Flowers and plants all grow at their own rates, no matter what you do to try to keep them the same height. That’s why you should consider planting flowers and shrubs in groups, rather than in straight lines. They will be more interesting to look at and they will be easier for you and your landscaper to maintain.

Think about flowers that are similar looking but are not all exactly alike. Think about leaf textures or colors that complement one another. These flowers should be planted together. This is also more interesting to look at than flowers that are all exactly alike.

Flowers and evergreens can be planted near the base of your house to help soften sharp lines and edges. Again, this will give you and your guests something more interesting and pretty to look at.

Your landscaper can also help you choose flowers that will bloom throughout the year. That way, your garden and landscaping always have a focal point and something nice for you, your guests and your family to look at as you are enjoying the great outdoors or even just walking in and out of your home.

Finally, our landscaper will tell you how to best care for your new plants and flowers after everything has been installed. Or you can hire our landscaper services to come to your home to care for them so you don’t have to worry about it.

Are you interested in learning more about a professional Minneapolis landscaper and all we can do for you? Call Environmental Design at 952-997-6533, or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate.

Winter Lawn Care Tips

When winter hits, you might think that you don’t have to do anything to care for and maintain your lawn and landscaping. But as experts in residential landscaping in Eagan, we are here to tell you that there are a few things you should do as the winter progresses. Here are a few tips.

Make sure you keep your yard and residential landscaping clean. This means picking up stray toys that the kids left outside, raking the leaves, etc. Make sure you put any outdoor furniture somewhere safe, like your garage or shed. And make sure you keep up with raking and keeping your lawn clean as the winter goes on.

On that note, try not to walk on your grass or on any part of your residential landscaping if you can help it. Encourage your family members and friends to do the same. Walking on your grass, especially after a snow or ice storm, can break the blades of grass. This means that when spring time rolls around, that grass could take awhile to grow back, or it might not grow back at all.

And do not neglect the most important residential landscaping tool – your lawn mower. Take some time during the winter months to give it some TLC. Make sure you drain out the oil and put in new oil. Sharpen the blades and change the spark plug if need be. Store your mower in a shed or in your garage. And if you can’t store it there, get a waterproof canvas cover for it so it’s protected from the outdoor elements.

Be sure to clip the dead parts off of your plants and other parts of your residential landscaping. Clip the parts that are brown, not yellow or green. Brown means that part is completely dead, whereas yellow or green indicates that part is still alive. Clipping the dead parts of now makes it easier for the plant to grow when the warmer spring weather rolls around again.

Do you want to learn more about residential landscaping in Eagan? Call Environmental Design at 952-997-6533 or contact us to get a Free Estimate.

Get Your Rosemont MN Yard Spring-Ready

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of birds chirping, snow melting and people emerging from their homes to enjoy the warm weather. And now is a great time to do a few chores around the outside of your home. As a trusted landscaping company in Rosemont MN, we here at Environmental Design have a few suggestions for you on how to make sure your yard is ready for the warm weather.

Rakes aren’t just for the fall! Take a few minutes to rake your lawn if you have areas where your grass looks more like straw. This will help foster new growth – the sun will be able to reach more of the grass that way. And before your landscaping company comes in to start the spring planting, make sure you take a walk around your yard and pick up any debris that has fallen during the winter months.

You should also take some time to do some weeding and pruning. They are not the most pleasant of chores, but your landscaping company will appreciate your efforts to help your plants get as much sunshine as possible.

Finally, start thinking about what you want your landscaping company to do when they come out. Do you want to add some new plants or trees to your yard? Do you want to go with a different color scheme this year? If you make a plan before your landscaping company visits, it will be easier to communicate your landscaping wants to them so they know exactly how to landscape your yard. When you hire a landscaping company like us, we can also install paver patios and walkways and retaining walls. Plus we will provide you with an itemized estimate so there are no surprises!

So when you need a landscaping company, call Environmental Design at 952-997-6533 or Contact Us.

Save Time By Investing in a Minneapolis Landscape Gardener

We know it might seem like a job you can do yourself, but there are benefits to hiring the right Minneapolis landscape gardener. We discussed this in an article a while back about why home and property owners should think strongly about hiring a landscape gardener to take care of their landscape design needs.

It was noted that:

The average individual is perfectly talented enough to plant a few plants here and there. It becomes much more strenuous and complex when the vision entails creating whole beds with mulch or stone and walkways with pavers. Even though many home owners enjoy doing a little gardening, most do not have enough free time to create a beautiful landscape from a basic lawn.

If you want the job done right the first time, it's often best to bring in a professional. When it comes to landscape gardening, this is no different. Landscape gardeners and design contractors are trained and licensed, and know best in most cases in how to give you the best looking, most functional landscape possible.

Also:

What the investment in hiring a landscape company provides is the minimal time it will take to install all of the flower and rock beds. Where landscape contractors really save the owner from back breaking labor and extra cost is when walkways, retaining walls and water features are installed. What can easily take a home owner months to create, a landscaper can accomplish in just a week.

Saving time - and money - is something that we all like, right?  The best way to do so is to bring in an expert who can give you the most bang for your buck. To save a lot money, we sometimes have to spend a little for the right expertise.

Read the entire article: "Landscape Designers and Contractors - Investing in Their Experience Will Save You Money Long Term."