Landscape design has a powerful effect on the overall feel and appearance of a home. Not to mention it is a great investment. While almost every other home improvement loses value over time, landscaping is one of the only improvements that gains value over time. To view more of our work please visit our Facebook.
- LaPorte Landscaping | Flower Bed
Flower bed landscaping in Laporte Indiana.
Redesigning this flower bed was a lot of fun. The design started with finding a nice natural stone to use for edging. After installing the stone edging it was then time to create the plant layout. The majority of plants seen in this photo are young. Over the next two years the growth will fill in much of the empty space. This design displays unique spring, summer and fall plants. As a result, this flower bed will have a beautiful display of color year round. The majority of plants in this bed do not produce large blooms. However, mixing colorful shrubs with small flowering plants make for an interesting look. This bed consisted of the following: globe arbs, coral bells, blue star junipers, gold flame spireas, sedums, red barberries, ornamental grass, little lime hydrangeas and emerald arborvitaes.
Laporte landscaping climate falls between zone 5-6. Indiana has strongly marked seasons with an invigorating climate. Cold air masses from the polar areas move southward, and hot air from the tropics moves northward to produce frequent weather changes in the winter. Lake Michigan has a prominent effect on the climate of northern Indiana in all seasons. Choosing plants suitable for your specific home conditions is important.(source)
- Retaining Wall and Patio
Retaining wall, patio, culvert, sod, edging & more.
This project required a little bit of everything including a retaining wall, culvert, rock beds, patio, drainage, sod and brick edging. Being located on the bottom of a steep road with no sewer drains became a problem. Water started washing out the sub layer beneath the driveway so we installed a culvert to stop further erosion. Used railroad ties were used to build the retaining wall. After the walls were up we filled the beds in with Western Sunset Rock. The downspouts went beneath the retaining wall and terminated in the newly sodded area. We also trimmed their front landscape, removed poison ivy and installed brick edging. In addition the old patio and walkway needed to be torn out and replaced with the new Riverfront pavers. Creating the new patio and walkway really tied in the front and back landscape. In total, we were very happy with the end result. Below is an interesting read. It talks about the benefits a homeowner receives from investing into their landscape. Best of all, you are creating an enjoyable area on your property where you can relax. Landscape design will increase the value of your home. Landscape design can be one of the best investments for your home, adding as much as 15 percent to its value over comparable houses. Fountains, fire pits, patios and even outdoor kitchens can create a space that is both inviting and environmentally sustainable. Research from Virginia Tech shows that landscapes literally grow in value over time. Meanwhile, traditional home additions or remodels start to lose value the minute the dust settles. (source)
- Crestone Retaining Wall
Holland Pavers | Crestone Retaining Wall | Tear Out
This job involved Holland Pavers, Crestone Retaining Wall, a mulch bed plus tearing out shrubs. Getting ready to sell their home, they wanted to improve the outside appearance of their home. Increasing the chance of a quick sale. Installing the brick walkway was first and after that was the retaining wall. After that we backfilled the bed with soil and topped it off with mocha brown mulch. We also removed unwanted bushes and shrubs from around the house. A nice landscape can be the deciding factor for people that are looking to buy a home. Adding landscaping or improvements on a backyard could not only enhance the look of a property but also add value for refinancing or to make selling a home easier. Landscaping can increase the resale value of a property by as much as 14% The sale of a property can go up by as much as six weeks. Patio landscaping can raise property value by 12.4% A landscaped curb or kerb can increase home value by 4.4% and hedges can add 3.6%. A professionally designed, prepared, installed and maintained landscape using quality plant material is not only a work of art but it is also a property investment.(source)
- Transplant | Rock Garden
100’s of transplants, rock garden plus fire pit and flagstone bench.
Working on this rock garden project was a great example of using what you have to change your landscape. While we did haul in over 60 tons of river rock to make the new beds. All of the Hostas and Lilies we planted were from large cluster that were scattered around the property. First, we cut and transplanted well over 100 Hostas and Lilies in our new 100′ x 30′ rock beds. Each bed was weeded and then lined with weed barrier. Click here to view a video of the finished project. Transforming this wooded lot created a beautiful outcome. Best of all, we were able save the client a lot of money by filling in their beds with plants that were on site. The fire pit bench was made using Rosetta bricks for the wall. Then we recovered a few large pieces of flagstone from the old pit that was located on the property. After washing off the flagstone they were ready. Finally, we stood them up to make for the perfect back rest and laid them on top as the seat. Before we realized it, we had transformed the landscape completely by using a lot of old material that was not being used on the property. - Michigan City Slate Rock
Michigan City landscape design.
Replacing the old landscaping with new slate stone and metal edging was the goal on this job in Michigan City. First, we tore out all of the bushes and shrubs that were around the house and in front of the property. This client had issues with his new driveway cracking over the winter. Our solution to fix this problem was to install corner drains on the low spot of the driveway/sidewalk. The water collected there was then moved out into the yard. Since the ground was littered with old tree roots the soil around the driveway was not draining well at all. Excavation of that area around the driveway was done and then new top soil was brought in to achieve the desired grade. Black metal edging was paired with a slate rock to achieve a monochromatic landscape vibe to match the house. We installed a couple globe arborvitaes and juniper shrubs in front. In total, there we landscaped the house, two garages and another small building. The other beds were left empty for the client to plant. We also changed the grade around the entire house to keep rain water running away from the house. CNWL Facebook. - Michigan City Boulder Wall
Replacing old railroad ties with a boulder wall in Michigan City.
This client in Michigan City was tired of the winter plows messing up their wood edging. A quick solution for this problem was to replace the railroad ties with a medium size boulder wall. This way even if the plows hit the boulders you can just sit them back in place. It also creates a more natural feel. Nothing crazy or expensive was done on this job but it demonstrates how different an area can look by just switching the material being used. While the wood is a solid brown with a rustic look. The boulders have many different colored hues that compliment each other nicely. Boulder walls can be a great option for large natural retaining walls. In these pictures they are just used to fill in the empty space created when the wood was removed. But very large durable walls can be made with boulders. Dry stacked boulder walls means that there is no key or glue holding the layers together. Walls stay standing purely through the weight and placement of the stone paired with the proper drainage zone. Concord Northwest Landscaping Facebook. We really believe that the landscape you surround yourself with effects your every day mood. Helping our clients improve their landscaping is a true honor. - South Bend Landscaping
This South Bend landscaping received a nice little makeover.
We approached this job by first trimming all of the plants and shrubs. Next we removed a lot of unwanted bushes and poison ivy. Then we transplanted Hostas and Lilies around the house to open the flower beds up a bit. Once all of that was done we began laying down the weed barrier. This job took a while to install the barrier because we had over 40 plants to cut around. Contrary to what a lot of people think, having weed barrier installed will save you many hours of maintenance each year. Using the right weed barrier is the key. Cheap fabric will quickly dissolve and become weak, allowing the weeds to come right through. The fabric we use will hold up strong for at least 20 years. We were able to bring a lot of color into the landscaping at this South Bend home. While these clients did not want to have plants brought in we were able to achieve color by bringing in Harvest Blend rock. It’s hard to see the color in these pictures because they did not have a chance to get cleaned off by the rain yet. The variety of color that comes out in this rock once it has been cleaned is beautiful. - Sod & Tree Installation
Tree installation, sod and landscape design.
This client recently had a pool installed in their backyard. First, we were asked to bring in topsoil, create a finished grade, sod and tree installation. After the sod grew in and we planted the arborvitaes the next task was landscape design. We decided to use a light tan mulch to fill in around the trees. Then we divided the area up by filling the other half in with pea gravel. Some ornamental grasses were brought in to compliment the arborvitaes. Since the client used this property for airbnb rentals they wanted a nice area outside for people to hang out. Using a propane fire table is a safe option so we went with that. Used railroad ties were brought in to contain the pea gravel. Despite the rugged appearance of railroad ties, many people like how they fit into their landscape. The goal of this design was to try and bring a gentle beach vibe into the backyard. While using material such as pea gravel to keep the pool area clean. CNWL Facebook. We really enjoy consulting with our clients to figure out the perfect design for each individual property. Everyone has small unique things that they want to achieve within their landscape. - Chesterton Commercial Landscape
This commercial building in Chesterton needed a new landscape.
We approached this project with simplicity in mind. This Chesterton HVAC company needed their landscape cleaned up and presentable. Having a nice clean landscape appearance encourages more people to visit. While the landscape install was simple, the prep work was a little tough. In each bed was two giant root systems from large evergreen bushes that once occupied the space. Being so close to the building we did not want to use any heavy equipment to pull them out. Some times large root systems can wrap around parts of the building, gas lines etc. After pulling out more than six huge root bulbs we ready to start the landscape install. To keep the price down for this business we installed a simple brick edging. Then 9 Globe Arborvitaes, 6 Russian Sage plants and some small perennial grasses were planted. The beds were filled in with basic river rock to match the stone veneer on the building. Subtle changes to an area can make a huge difference. Some times it doesn’t take much to transform the appearance of your landscape. In this case, these minor changes ended up making both our clients and their customers happy. - Brick Edging | Rock Install
Below features landscape clean up, brick edging and river rock.
This particular client was getting ready to put their house on the market. They wanted to spruce up the landscaping to make it more appealing but not spend a ton of money. The solution for this home was pretty easy. Cleaning up the landscape, removing weeds and pulling out dead bushes was the first thing we did. After that it was time to figure out the lines and curves that the brick edging would follow. You can view more pictures of this project on our Facebook page. Once the edging lines were established we began laying down the weed barrier. We always secure our weed barrier with large 6″ staples. Typically companies use 4″ staples which we have found to be annoying when you go to add new plants into the landscape. The 4 inches just doesn’t seem to be enough to hold the liner in place when cutting into it and adding plants. We always buy staples in bulk so our clients don’t even see an increase in cost when it comes to the staples. After installing the weed barrier, next up was the edging. We used Crestone blocks on this job. Then we filled the beds with river rock. - 6 acres and over 3,000 bricks
This property received a lot of bricks and pea gravel.
These clients wanted to define all of the landscape features on their property. We settled on using pea gravel as fill and brick edging to contain the fill. The pea gravel ended up being a great option because they have children that love to play on the property. Since pea gravel is very small and round it does not hurt your feet to walk on it. The overwhelming part of this job was the sheer size of the property. To complete this project we brought in almost 100 tons of pea gravel. This property had over 120 irrigation heads through out with pristine grass so it was important not to damage the grass. For this reason we used a small front loader with turf tires. This made it possible to make a lot of trips to unload the gravel while not tearing up the property. Every area that received pea gravel also had weed barrier installed. Over 3,000 bricks were laid down to create all of the edging. The project itself was a simple installation but had many other factors to take into consideration. Please take a look at our Facebook page to view more pictures of this project.
If you would like to see more of our work please check out our Facebook page. We always work closely with our clients through every decision of the project. Our number on priority is to make sure our clients are more than happy with our work. We like to connect on a personal level with each client. These allows us to figure out what each individual person wants out of their new landscape. It’s not just about completing a job for us, it’s also about making a relationship with every client. We want you to see us as being a reasonable company that offers great rates and great work. Don’t forget to view our hardscape design projects. Hardscape design plus landscape design can create amazing outcomes.