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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.
Best Practices: Fertilization and Watering
Proper watering and fertilization are key to maintaining herbaceous living landscaping such as turf, flowers and grasses. Although this may be a routine that you’re well accustomed to, it’s always helpful to be reminded of the best way to handle these tasks.
Flood and Drought Woes
Water is a necessary ingredient for all organic life. Turfgrass requires regular watering to thrive, especially during the warm months. There can be too much of a good thing, however. With extreme weather patterns, turf can receive too much water, and other times, not enough.
A Grand Entrance
Your entryway is the first thing visitors notice when they come to your house. A well-developed entryway can make a dramatic initial impression. From the street, your front door immediately draws the eye and can be a major asset in terms of curb appeal.
Spring Cleaning
With spring in full swing, your grass is growing, flowers are blooming, and your yard is teeming with life. A thorough spring cleanup is a great way to kick off the new year and make way for new growth.
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures Updated (5/25/2021)
As the information about and response to COVID-19 evolves, we continue to review and update measures to ensure the health and safety of our staff and our clients.
Enjoyable Outdoor Living
With winter on its way out, now is a great time to tune up your outdoor spaces for back yard gatherings as well as peaceful relaxation. Enjoyable outdoor living spaces are made up of several elements that work together to provide functional comfort. Here are some potential elements to consider and as you think about establishing or expanding your outdoor spaces.
Important Coronavirus Information
There has been much in the news about the coronavirus (COVID-19). Though the current CDC risk assessment is that “for most people, the immediate risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low,” we take the health and safety of our team members and clients seriously.
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.
Think Spring! Deck vs. Patio Installation
Winter weather is definitely here, and it’s got the folks at Hively daydreaming about spring! One of the best things about spring is enjoying time outside on your patio or deck. But what if you don’t have a patio or deck? Now may be the time to start considering it!
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.
Planting Fall Bulbs: What to Know and Expect
With the cold weather starting to present itself, it seems like a strange time to be thinking about spring flowers! However, fall is the ideal time to plant those flower bulbs and give them a great jump-start for next spring. The folks at Hively Landscaping wanted to bring you some tips and tricks for maximizing your beautiful flowers in the springtime by preparing right now.
Benefits of Fall Fertilizing
Fall is officially here: time to fertilize! Wait, what? Why now? Fall is the ideal time to fertilize your lawn and garden to give it a strong, healthy start come spring. At Hively, we know the benefits of fertilizing your lawn during the cooler fall months; here are some great reasons to invest the time into your lawn now, so it looks great and requires less effort in the spring.
Fall is For Overseeding
If you’re like us, you appreciate a great-looking lawn surrounding your beautiful home. Maintaining that lawn takes a lot of work, and the steps you take in the fall can help ensure you’re greeted by a lush, green lawn next year.
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.