BLOG
Spark New Landscape Ideas
Dive into our blog and discover inspiring ideas, expert tips, and creative solutions for all things landscape design and maintenance. Whether you’re dreaming of a lush oasis or a sleek outdoor living space, our posts will guide you every step of the way.
Water-Conscious Landscaping
Maintaining a lush and vibrant landscape requires careful consideration of water usage, especially for homeowners in regions where water is scarce or expensive. As stewards of our environment, it’s crucial for us to be mindful of how we allocate water usage in the landscape.
Let Us Help You Get Ready for Fall
Fall weather can be a wild card. Days go from mild and sunny to cold and gray literally overnight. Once the weather turns, the notion of yard work becomes less attractive. In spite of that, it pays to give your yard a thorough fall cleanup before winter sets in.
Discover the World of Outdoor Living
Part of being a homeowner is the continuous process of updating and improving your home. The longer you live in one place, the more you know about what you like about it and what improvements could make it better. It doesn’t take most homeowners very long to realize that their outdoor spaces have amazing potential for improvement.
Timely Trimming
Trees and shrubs are a property’s most prominent features. Unfortunately, they sometimes need to be removed simply because they’ve been allowed to outgrow their designated space. Regular pruning eliminates the need for premature removal and allows you to enjoy trees and shrubs for many years to come.
What's Wrecking Your Landscape?
Could it be your landscape contractor? After all, this is not an easy job or you would do it yourself, right? Besides the shear physical labor involved (pun fully intended), it takes a huge amount of knowledge to properly maintain a mature landscape.
Just Mulch It (but do it correctly!)
Just as sure as daffodils and cherry blossoms, fresh mulch popping up on landscapes throughout your neighborhood are a certain sign that Spring is here! Mulch is a simple and cost effective way to give any landscape a fresh appearance and it really is beneficial, too.
Avoid Frost Heave Damage
When Old Man Winter comes around, he brings plenty of challenges for your landscape along with him. Frost heave is an often overlooked but important one to be aware of because it is so easy to avoid.
Commercial Snow Removal Budgeting: Avoid Getting Buried This Winter!
As winter looms closer, snow removal becomes a more immediate concern – specifically, snow removal for your commercial property! Commercial snow removal can be a big expense, especially if it’s a long, cold winter.
Spotted Lanternfly Pest Alert
Pennsylvania and parts of Maryland are under a pest alert for the spotted lanternfly (lycorma delicatula). Native to China, Bangledesh, Vietnam and introduced to Japan and Korea where is has become a major pest of grapes. The invasive spotted lanternfly has the potential to greatly impact the grape, hops and logging industries in PA and beyond. Several counties in eastern PA, including Berks, Delaware and Lancaster counties, are under quarantine. The spotted lanternfly is moving steadily westward across the southern tier of the state.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Everyone at Hively would like to wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday and while our staff will be home with family, there are plenty of things you can do to prepare your landscape for a safe winter and successful spring.
5 Benefits of Aerating Your Lawn
One of the most beneficial treatments you can provide for your lawn is aeration. Core aeration is the process of removing small plugs of soil from the lawn, which reduces the compaction of your soil and promotes root growth. This is the preferred method among landscape professionals like Hively; the alternative, spike aeration, simply pokes holes, which is much less effective and can actually cause further soil compaction.
Trimming vs Edging
Trimming and edging are two different techniques that are often improperly defined as one in the same. Today, we want to help you understand the differences between the two and share a few tips on getting the most out of each of these handy landscape maintenance tasks.
Help! There Are Mushrooms in My Mulch
Why are there so many mushrooms in my mulch and grass?! We’ve heard this question A LOT this year and the short answer is; its been really wet and rainy! While harmless to plants, mushrooms can be an ugly addition to your flower bed; if eaten by a curious child or pet, it could make them sick.
Lawn & Landscape Care While You’re Away
Summer is here and it’s time to get away! When you’re working through your list of to-do’s before and during your vacation, be sure your lawn and landscape gets the attention it needs. A few simple tasks now can mean the difference between coming home to dead plants, brown grass, and unruly weeds, or your lawn and landscape appearing like you never even left.
Landscaping Around a Pool
Pool season is in full swing! If you are a confident do-it-yourselfer who would like to do some refreshing of the area around your pool, we have some tips to help you do it right.
Preparing your Landscape for Summer
Summer will be here before you know it- will your landscape be ready? Hot summer days and dry weather can really stress your lawn and landscape. Without proper preparation for summer, all the money, time and effort you invested in your landscape this spring could be in jeopardy.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Drip Irrigation
Deep, penetrating watering is the best way to ensure your landscape survives the stresses of the warm season. Proper watering technique calls for watering less frequently, but more at one time, to give your garden a quality soaking that gives roots a sufficient supply of water. This is better than the quick surface watering you see by less experienced gardeners.
Spring Soil Preparation Tips
Some of us want to grow the best looking plants each year, ones that will flourish and become the envy of the neighborhood. Others don’t share that dream, but if you’re one of those who does, we have some tips from the landscape professionals here at Hively to help transform your garden into something special. Follow these guidelines and your landscape will be on its way to being the best-looking property for miles around.
8 Springtime Pests That Will Destroy Your Landscape
Do you know who else enjoys the warm-up that springtime brings each year? Pests! Putting all that time, effort and money into your landscape helps it look great. Left untreated, though, it also looks great to hungry critters who may be hiding in your landscape. Warm, moist landscapes are the perfect breeding ground for a variety of fungi and diseases.
Top 5 Things to Ask Your Landscaping Company
Great landscaping companies do far more than just routine maintenance. While there are countless projects you can hire a landscaping company for, there’s not an unlimited number of companies capable of doing a great job.