When the average Huntsville homeowner hears the term retaining walls, they tend to think of something decorative that runs along part of the property. The truth of the matter is, this type of landscaping wall is usually used to serve a purpose, first and foremost. The fact that it may also add something cosmetically is just an extra bonus.

These walls are often implemented as a way to deal with slopes and grades that may bring challenges to trying to have a yard. In some severe cases, this may even be required in order to create a blockade between a slope or grade and your home. If you want to be able to counterbalance erosion and overcome planting difficulties, posed by uneven ground for landscaping, a retaining wall just may work for you.

Understanding the Purpose

Simply put, a retaining wall does just that – it retains earth and water. A drainage system must be in place and must we designed and planned well enough to carry water away from the foundation of your home. If not, you will end up with problems that are much more severe than needing to hold back dirt to plant flowers. This can be a major factor in helping to divert and redirect storm water from your home.

In other cases, these walls are more about being used to help create level ground in order to have landscaping. Some properties just don’t have the natural characteristics and layout needed to have traditional landscaping, so this can be altered by using these walls to even out the land while not having erosion be a problem. Of course none of this means that you have to settle for a dull or unattractive wall. Your retaining wall can easily become a stunning addition to your landscaping, or even a prized focal point.

Calling in the Experts

Distinctive Landscaping is the only name that you need to know when it comes to retaining walls, or any of your landscape services. We will be able to provide you with a well-designed, functional wall that is also aesthetically pleasing. Don’t take chances when it comes to trying to get your property taken care of with this type of structure, let our experts handle the job for you.

Whether your yard needs a major overhaul or you just want a single flower bed; we can take care of your retaining wall for you. Let us show you the professional results you could be taking advantage of, for your Huntsville home and property. Get in touch with us right now in order to find out more about what we can do for you.

If you are interested in Huntsville retaining walls, then please call 256-233-0727 or complete our online request form.

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Today’s patios offer a wide array of distinctive features that truly help your home stand out. Since you’ll be spending a considerable amount of time on your patio, it’s important to get the right look that suits your personal taste. It’s important to remember that patio design is as much about functionality as it is about style. With some careful planning you can get a beautiful patio that matches the current look of your home exterior. Here are four types of patios that are popular with many homeowners. We can help you select the perfect patio and provide full installation.

Custom Concrete

Concrete patios provide a basic design that is nothing more than a slab usually cut into a simple shape. You can add a stamped pattern that is colored in order to create a natural feel on the surface. Maintenance and care of your stone patio should occur about every two years in order for it to retain it’s fresh appearance and sturdy structure. If you begin to notice cracks around the patio, then it’s important to take care of it right away. Dollar for dollar, concrete is the least expensive way to go and is generally more affordable to have installed than any other type of patio material.

Beautiful Natural Stone

For a completely authentic look, natural stone is hands down the best option for backyard patios. There are several kinds of stone to consider including flagstone, slate, bluestone and limestone. Natural stone is more expensive because it is quarried, which incurs added costs. Installation costs are also greater, because each segment has to be put in place then lifted so the bed it rests on can be raised or lowered to make it level. Natural stone has amazing durability, however, and is flexible enough to fit into almost any setting.

Brick

Brick is a favorite choice if you want an authentic old world look to your backyard. The Flips side, however, is that brick is a high-maintenance type of material, that you’ll constantly be working on. Brick does not hold up well in areas where there is a high rate of rainfall as it retains moisture. It also does not fare well in colder climates, as freezing weather will cause it to crack. In areas of heavy shade, moss develops on the bricks, causing it to be slippery and dangerous. So before you go with brick, consider how much time and effort you’ll spend taking care of it.

Patio Pavers

With patio pavers the options for both color and design are endless. There are dozens of shapes and patterns available, so finding the right pavers are easy. Pavers work in any environment and generally considered a high-quality product no matter how expensive your property is. They are exceptionally easy to install, maintain, and replace. Pavers are also a cost-effective solution that easily compares to any other type of patio material. Because of the unlimited options, you can mix and match colors and create a unique custom design that gives your lawn a distinctive look.

If you would like to see more articles from a Huntsville Landscape Company then please call 256-233-0727 or complete our online request form.

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If you have been considering ways to improve your family’s enjoyment of your Hunstville home, you should consider ways to improve the exterior of your property. One of the best ways to improve the landscaping around your property is to use patio pavers. Adding a patio or hardscaped area to your yard is a great way to increase the ways in which you can use your outdoor living spaces. With the help of a landscaping professional, you will be able to truly transform your Huntsville home for the better.

In Huntsville, the most skilled and highly qualified landscaping contractors are at Distinctive Landscaping, Inc. There professionals can help you with any of your lanscaping needs including patio design and construction. With their help you can create a truly beautify hardscaping feature that will be customized to the tastes and needs of your family. By using patio pavers, there is no limit to the landscaping fixtures that you can create.

Patio Pavers are a Highly Versatile Landscaping Material

Patio pavers are an amazing landscaping material that can be used for laying out patios, paths, driveways, steps, pool surrounds and and other hardscape fixture that you can imagine. These highly durable materials are generally made from concrete, stone, or clay. They come in an endless variety of designs, colors, shapes, and finishes. Even concrete pavers can be molded to look like flagstone, bricks, or cobblestone.

Professional Landscapers Can Design Paver Landscape Features For You

When you decide to update the landscaping at your Huntsville home, it is best to consult with a professional landscaping contractor. At Distinctive Landscaping, INC, their paver patio design specialists can help you create a truly unique outdoor living space for you and your family. Here are just a few amazing ways in which patio pavers can transform your landscaping:

The landscaping design professionals at Distinctive Landscaping, INC, can help you with any patio paver idea that you desire. With their help, you are guaranteed to love the look of your landscaping, your family will surely enjoy your Huntsville home even more.

If you need to hire a professional landscaping contractor in Huntsville, call Distinctive Landscaping, INC, today at 256-233-0727, or fill out our online request form.

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Hiring a landscaper can seem like a confusing process, especially if you have never worked with one before. You want to make just the right decision if you are going to invest the time and money into working with a landscaping crew. Aside from a fancy looking business card how can you really tell one apart from the other, as far as skills, talents, credibility, reliability and pricing?

Consider These Tips

1. Before choosing one over another, make sure whoever you are considering has proof of license, certification, Workman’s Compensation and Liability Insurance. Never assume your “pro” has this type of coverage. Many so-called pros in the industry help keep costs low by cutting corners. If your property gets damaged it will be you left covering the expenses.
2. Must have experience should be your motto. Sure, everyone has to start somewhere and that place is under the watchful eye of an already experienced pro. You should be able to see some of their previous work and get a feel for how long they have been in business. You should also check with the BBB to make sure the company is in good standing.
3. Are you getting a quote or an estimate – and get that in writing. A quote is usually a firm, set amount to complete the job as discussed. A quote is an estimate of what the job should cost as long as no surprises or add ons come into the picture. Get either one in writing with the type of pricing it is.
4. Inquire about what happens after the fact and get that in writing too when hiring a landscaper. A pro should provide you with care instructions for plants. Some offer follow up maintenance and should at least be able to offer a warranty on plant material and workmanship.
5. You should also only work with a pro familiar with local codes and permits. They should be aware of what work will require these and obtain them for you.

Hiring the Best Pros

For all the best in residential and commercial landscaping projects, the name to trust in the Huntsville and surrounding areas is Distinctive Landscaping, Inc.. Our professional services include tasks like:

• Patios
• Retaining Walls
• Outdoor Design
• Irrigation & Sprinkler Systems
• Landscape Illumination

Let us work with you to help you love the exterior of your home as much as the interior. Our expertise speaks for itself and just looking at our past projects shows why we are the most popular in the area. When it comes to hiring a landscaper, look no further than Distinctive Landscaping, Inc..

 If you would like to see more articles from a Decatur Landscape Design Contractor then please call 256-233-0727 or complete our online request form.

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When it comes to grass, there are a variety of different types a homeowner can choose from, but only certain types of grass will grow good in your climate. There are a few tips for finding the best types of grass for your Decatur landscape designs.

Things to Consider:

Before we talk about what type of grass is best for your Decatur landscape designs, there are a few things that you need to consider. Finding the perfect grass for your yard can be difficult, and you can always consult a professional Decatur landscaping company.

When you are deciding on a type of grass consider:

• Maintenance: Each type of grass has a different level of proper maintenance. It is important for a homeowner to figure out how much time they are willing to put into keeping their grass green.
• Climate: Since grass is a type of plant, certain types will grow in certain environments. You can consult a professional landscaper to determine what type of grass will grow best in your climate.
• Shade Adaptation: There are several different types of grass that are classified based on how much or how little sunlight they require. To determine what you need for your yard, you will need to figure out how much shade is around your yard throughout the entire day.
• Wear and Tear: Grass is meant to be walked on. You should measure how well a grass species can recover from foot traffic if you plan on walking through your yard a lot.

Best Types of Grass for Shade Areas:

Now that you have determined that your yard has a lot of shade throughout the entire day, you need grass that will grow and flourish under your trees. There are several different types of grass that will grow in a shaded area, but here are the two most popular.

• Bahia Grass: This grass is a low-growing type of grass that requires less maintenance than most types. It has a coarse texture, and it makes a thick turf that won’t be easily penetrated by weeds.
• St. Augustine Grass: This is an excellent type of grass for a shaded area because it is tough, vigorous, thick and will also fend of weeds. It can tolerate the shade, but it does require more maintenance. It needs frequent watering, mowing and fertilizing to guarantee that it will successfully grow.

Best Types of Grass for Hot Weather:

If your area is prone to hot, humid climate, the type of grass you grow in your yard will be affected. It is important to select a type of grass that will stand up to this heat.  Here are two of the most popular types of grass for a hot climate.

• Bermuda Grass:  Bermuda grass is a warm season type of grass that is fine in texture. It will tolerate a high traffic volume. It is vigorous, and it can tolerate drought and salt. However, it does not do well in a shaded area and tends to be built up.
• Kentucky Bluegrass:  Kentucky bluegrass looks it’s best during the colder months, but it is still great for warmer climates. It is a fine texture, and it will fill in your bare spots quickly. It does require more mowing, and it does not do well in a shaded yard.

Best Types of Grass for Low Maintenance

Maintaining your Decatur landscape design doesn’t have to be a hassle. You can select a type of grass that is low maintenance and requires less cutting. This can make maintaining your yard’s beauty easier and more realistic. Here are two of the most popular types of grass that require low maintenance.

• Buffalo Grass:  This grass is one of the few actual native North American grasses, and it is a great option for your Decatur home. It is drought tolerant, and it grows slowly. Unfortunately, it does tend to turn brown when it gets hot.
• Centipede Grass: This is warm season grass that has coarse texture. It is fast-spreading, but it has a low growing rate. It requires only a small amount of fertilizing. It is not drought resistant, and it can turn brown during extremely warm weather.

 If you would like to see more articles from a Decatur Landscape Design Contractor then please call 256-233-0727 or complete our online request form.

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You can create a wonderful sense of unity to your landscaping design in a few different ways. The most common way of bringing harmony to your landscaping design is with similar types of plants and trees. This is easy to do and it will look fantastic. There is another way to get unity to be a basic part of your landscaping design and this is with heights. By having even different plants and trees of the same or similar height you will be bringing the whole design of your yard together like you never knew you could. It will look wonderful and it will be so easy!

Your landscaping design should make use of much more than just plants and trees. Flowers look great but they generally only bloom for part of the year so you need to find some other landscaping design elements that will look perfect all year round. To do this you will want to look at landscaping stones and rocks, or even wood chips just to name a couple of things. You can even use granite and marble in your landscaping design. You can have nice little stepping stones, some statues or displays in your landscaping design or you can just have pretty rocks.

A theme can go a long way towards making your landscaping design gorgeous. If you love butterflies or hummingbirds then choose plants and flowers that will attract them to your yard and garden. This is a glorious way to showcase your design and you will always have something pretty to look at. You can talk to those at your local plant store about which type of plants and flowers will work best for this where you live.

In the end your landscaping design needs to be balanced and whole looking. You can do anything you want with your landscaping design, you can design it yourself or you can use a landscaping design that you have seen in real or in a book. No matter what you decide to do, as long as there is unity your landscaping design will look perfect.

If you are looking for a Huntsville Landscaping Company then please call 256-233-0727 or complete our online request form.

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If you look at the cost of hiring a professional, it is clear there is some expense you won’t have if you do the work yourself. But the over all cost of having a professional looking lawn may surprise you if you consider weighing all costs and factors.

The thing a homeowner needs to remember is that their lawn is an integral part of the value of their home. The lawn and landscaping is the first thing a visitor sees. The appearance of the outside of the home falls into a mindset, according to the quality of the first appearance any visitor receives. Local weather can make it very tough to maintain a nice looking lawn. Depending on where you live, long hot summers or long cold winters make it extra hard to keep that grass green.

There are certain costs involved in owning a home. Maintaining every part of your home in the best manner possible is part of your responsibility to your family and yourself. If there is any part of your home that is not taken care of properly, the home begins to fall into disrepair. When that happens the home starts to lose value.

Depending on your career or business, your time is valuable. It may even be much more valuable than the value of the time it would take you to do a proper job of landscaping and maintaining your lawn.

Starting out with a professionally landscaped yard is as much of an investment as anything else that improves the value of your home. Maintenance of that lawn is also part of the costs of ownership. When you invite friends, employees or customers to your home, a well maintained lawn is an indicator of the way you manage yourself, your possessions and the way you do business. This is one of the reasons the first impression a visitor gets on arrival at your home is so important.

Another one of the main benefits of using a professional lawn care company is the constant cruise control feeling you have knowing you can concentrate on other important things in your life. After getting a great start with landscaping by a professional team, regular care and treatments make all the difference. Understanding the climate and the local pests (or bugs) are important in knowing how to treat your yard. That is where a landscape professional can help you with your yard.

Because you will be using a licensed local company you can have confidence their knowledge of the local regulations on use of materials and chemicals will be complied with fully.

The environment in your area benefits from professional lawn care too. Professionals know now to use correct amount to protect the look of your lawn and the environment at the same time.

Hiring a professional landscaping company will be one of the best decisions you ever make, where maintenance on your home is concerned.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eric_Dean

If you are looking for a Huntsville Landscaping Company then please call 256-233-0727 or complete our online request form.

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For one, you have to understand that the various landscape lighting ideas that you may use will not only impact the appearance of your home, but its over-all feel as well. As you would know by now, lighting has a great effect on the people who step into your vicinity as well. With this said, it is highly advised that you keep this point in mind as you go about in deciding your landscape light design. This way, you will be able to achieve the over-all appeal that you are aiming for after the whole installation process.

It will do you well to draft a budget even before you begin coming up with the design that you will use for your home. Yes, there are a lot of affordable lighting options that are available in the market, but it is highly advised that you gravitate towards their higher quality counterparts when you go about your shopping. Approaching the task with a set budget will keep you from spending more than you can spare. Make sure that you will be able to fend for the increase that you landscape improvement will have on your monthly electric bill as well, before you install any additional feature.

What most people do not always realize is that implementing a good Huntsville landscape lighting design also jacks up the safety level of a property. As opposed to a poorly lit yard, implementing a good lighting plan will allow you to deter crooks from targeting your home. As a matter of fact, homes that have well-lit yards are rarely victimized by this type of crimes. Installing the necessary lighting fixtures in your home will not only help you make your abode look more appealing, but it will also help you make you and your family safer at night as well.

If you are looking for a Huntsville Landscaping Company then please call 256-233-0727 or complete our online request form.

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