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Retaining walls are so common in the best landscape designs most people don’t realize how important they really are. Retaining walls are a major part of the dynamics of best practice construction. They’re also the keys to managing site land problems.

Retaining walls practical fundamentals

Retaining walls are used to manage soil movements on elevated land. In some cases, retaining walls are also used as structural features for managing issues caused by drainage, clay, or sandy soils. These soil structures are by nature very unstable.

A less well-known feature of retaining walls is that they also work to protect natural environments. Soils which are falling apart can quickly destroy natural trees and other plants. These soils, if uncontrolled, also lose nutrients very rapidly, and can turn in to a DIY desert unless the soil is stabilized.

If you’re dealing with a large property, these types of soil problems can become very serious. It’s no overstatement to say that they can literally destroy a property. Strategically placed retaining walls can save lots of expensive trouble with building foundations.

Retaining walls design principles

Retaining walls are also very useful as major design features. These walls are virtual design palettes, and they can be used as structures for a vast range of hardscaping features.

Retaining walls create visible levels in physical landscapes, and they create fantastic spaces design features in their own right. If you’ve ever seen some of the fabulous stone retaining walls in New York’s elite districts, you know how effective these retaining walls are as visual property features.

The “make or break” retaining wall landscape design issues

The “make or break” factor is a very big deal in landscaping design. It’s no coincidence that top landscapers are meticulous about using retaining walls as core design features. Retaining walls are the physical support beams, as well as the house walls of a landscaping design. This is the no-mistakes form of landscaping which is the gold standard for top of the line landscape design.

The big issue with retaining wall design is quality. Retaining walls made with top quality stone are top of the line, uncompromisingly good designs. They always look fantastic. The famous “cinder block” retaining walls you often see in parks and around stadiums (ideal for big areas) also blend in beautifully with any landscape.

Structurally the make or break issues are much more fundamental. The top quality retaining walls really do last forever. They also have a very positive effect on the landscape physically, and act exactly like natural rock formations. They complement the landscape design, and they grow in to the overall design.

If you take the time to check out some older retaining walls, you’ll notice that the trees and other plants in the area are usually well established and healthy. The grass is healthy, and the overall environment looks good. That’s how valuable retaining walls are to the overall health of the landscape.

If you’re thinking of using retaining walls on your property in the Westchester/ Dutchess/ Putnam counties area of New York, we can do it all for you. Give us a call, we’ll be happy to discuss your needs.

Professional Landscapers Create Happy Homes

The sparkling white of frosty windows and the magic of falling snow is beautiful. Many of us love to watch the snow as we enjoy a warm fire. However, winter snow and ice can get dangerous, especially here in the Westchester County area. Having a safe workplace or home can make all the difference. Landwork Contractors has been a trusted landscaping and commercial snow plowing provider since 2006. We know how to keep your grounds winter safe and your home warm with many different services.

• Year Round Grounds Maintenance
• Landscape Construction in:
  • Pathways
  • Driveways
  • Steps
  • Retaining walls
• Professional Commercial Snow Plowing
• Firewood Cords

There are many ways to create a happy, safe and warm home or business during these cold winter months.  Here are just a few tips to start your new year off right.

Focus on Safety

Keeping your family or workers safe is so important. You need to keep people flowing from one place to another.

• Make sure people can get from one place to another. Add tread to surfaces. If you don’t have a pathway, consider installing one with Unilock products.
• Keep track of trees. Make sure your trees are not overpowered by the snow or ice. Heavy trees can crack or become unhealthy. You can keep your trees healthy by.
  • Adding a small layer of mulch.
  • Wrapping trees with burlap.
  • Trimming back dead branches you missed in fall.
• Check for Rodents. Rodents need food and warmth in winter just like we do. Unfortunately, rodents can cause serious issues for trees and gardens. Keep an eye out for rodents and consider planting some pest resistant plants in the spring.
• Stay Off the Snow- The extra pressure from walking on snow and ice can kill the grass that is waiting to grow underneath. If you do find yourself walking one path through the snow, it’s probably time to start thinking about putting down some stepping stones or a walkway.

Beauty and Warmth

Your garden may be sleeping, but it can still be beautiful. There are some wonderful things you can add to your garden for winter warmth.

• Birds and Berries- A few birds stay behind in winter, instead of flying south. Those that stay need homes in winter too. Plus, they can add so much to our winter views. Leave some berries growing for our feathered friends or add a birdhouse.
• Decorating Mulch – Mulch doesn’t have to be boring. You can actually add a tiny layer of mulch in areas that need it in ways that will also add texture and color to your winter landscape.
• Glowing Hearths – A blazing fire can make all the difference on a chilly night. Landwork Contractors can supply you with your firewood for the season.
• Wreaths – Lush wreaths can add beauty to any winter landscape. They are also so versatile that you can have them any time of the year.
• Hardscaping- Winter is a great time to consider adding some hardscaping. Benches, arbors, walkways and retaining walls are great additions to winter landscapes. While some can be put in right away, others will need some planning. January is the perfect time to start both your hardscaping and landscaping plans.

Create Comfort Wherever You Are

Sometimes winter can really drag on. The grey skies and chilly temperatures can make us all feeling like we are dragging too. The right landscaping or commercial maintenance on your property can help beat the winter blahs. Landwork Contractors is happy to help you make your work or home a warm and happy retreat. Call us at 914-479-2573 or request an appointment online from the comfort of your home. We’ll have you cozy and happy in no time.

Choosing the Best Firewood is Easy

Our cold Winchester County, New York winters are perfect for cozying up to a crackling fire. A safe fire depends on the right kind of wood. Landwork Contractors has a few tips about choosing firewood to keep you warm and safe this winter.

What is Bad Wood?

Bad wood can damage your chimney, your home, and your health. When it comes to using any wood other than dried and split firewood, it’s always a case of better safe than sorry. When choosing firewood, avoid these things:

• Treated, Painted or Previously Used Wood- Wood from furniture, toys or construction can contain chemicals that create fumes. The fumes can poison you or make you sick.
• Wet Wood

• Fresh cut wood is wet wood. Fresh cut wood contains over 40% water.
• Wet wood takes more energy to burn.
• Wet wood creates creosote buildup on your chimney
• Wet wood causes more house fires.
• Wet Wood can contain mold which leads to major health issues.

    Christmas Trees

• Christmas trees do not belong in your fireplace. In seconds, your home could be engulfed in flames. Sap from firs creates more creosote residue.

Choosing the Right Wood

A warm, safe and long-lasting fire depends on dry wood. Dry wood will burn quicker, longer and cleaner than wet or damp wood. Unlike fresh cut wood, dry wood will have around 20% moisture.  Finding the right wood for your fireplace is easy, follow these tips from your trusted landscapers in Westchester County.

• Always choose seasoned wood which is dried wood that was cut 6 months to a year earlier.
• Use logs no bigger than 6 to 8 inches around and somewhere between 16 and 18 inches long. They stay dry and burn better.
• Look for wood that has darker ends and easily visible splits or cracks in it.
• The wood should make a ringing sound and not a thud.
• If you aren’t sure, purchase a moisture meter to check your wood for moisture.

Purchasing

Firewood is purchased by the cord or fractions of a cord. Cords are wood piles measuring 8ft long x 4ft tall x 4ft deep. Many people prefer to buy cords of wood instead of spending hours chopping wood in advance. Landwork Contractors provides ready to burn cords the following packages:

• ½ Cord of wood  –  $215.00
• 1  Cord of Wood  –  $260.00
• 2  Cords of Wood –  $475.00

The wood can be delivered to you and even stacked at an extra cost, depending on where your wood shed is.

Storing

Properly stored wood can give you a stockpile for up to 3 to 4 years. Improperly stored wood increases pest problems, or worse, fires. Use the following rules:

• Store stockpiles of wood away from the house. Firewood placed near homes can cause termite damage.
• Use a woodshed with a roof with at least one open side. Roofs protect from rain or snow and open sides allow moisture to escape.
• No Woodshed? Place a tarp over the woodpile, leaving exposed sides for moisture to get out.
• Keep wood off of the ground, on a tarp or concrete surface. Bugs and moisture increase when wood is on the ground.
• Do not store firewood or place furniture within 3 feet of your hearth. Stray coals and embers can quickly catch materials on fire.
• A week’s worth of wood can be kept closer to the house, as long as you follow the dame rules.

Get Those Fires Roaring

If all of this seems overwhelming, Landwork Contractors is here to help. Our friendly and knowledgeable team is here to answer any questions. We can have your wood stocked up in no time. Call us at 914-479-2537 or schedule an appointment online, while you stay warm inside.

Golf courses are envied for their beautiful, lush greens. How do they keep the grounds so serene and flawless? It’s a secret that professional landscapers like Landwork Contractors practice each fall. This reliable method is called Overseeding.

What is Overseeding?

For those of us who don’t have a green thumb, overseeding is pretty simple to understand, but difficult to perform.  Overseeding is the process of spreading new grass seeds over existing grass. This process renews and strengthens the lawn.

Weak or dying grass happens when grass ages. Each grass seed produces an initial blade of grass or crown. Other blades of grass grow continuously out of the crown. Each blade has a lifespan of around 6 weeks. New grass production must be faster than the dying of the old blades of grass. If you want a lush, healthy lawn, you will need to continue to keep your grass young. This is where overseeding comes in.

Benefits of Overseeding

• Fills in damaged turf areas. Summer heat, harmful insects and diseases destroy grass, overseeding will reverse that damage.
• Strengthens your lawn against future damage from disease and destructive insects.
• Grows your grass thicker.
• Reduces the appearance of bothersome weeds. Thick lawns lead to fewer opportunities for weeds to poke through.
• Immediately improves the look and feel of your lawn.

Fall Overseeding prepares the lawn for spring and protect it during summer. Here are a few examples of why fall is the best time to overseed.

• Overseeding in the fall gives new grass seeds time to germinate before winter’s harsh and cold temperatures arrive.
• Fall soil temperatures are still warm enough for seeds to take root and flourish.
• Cooler air during early to late fall stimulates grass growth.
• Fall generally has more rain fall creating soil moisture needed for healthy grass.
• Fall overseeding gives grass a running start on establishing strong roots before winter comes in. If the following spring turns out to be dry or warm, the already healthy grass will still thrive and be strong.

The Overseeding Process.

Overseeding seems like a simple process. How hard can it be to spread new seeds on your grown lawn? However, successful overseeding requires skill and hard work. Heavy equipment and even a little math is also involved. Landwork Contractors have been trusted and reliable Westchester and Putnam County landscapers for over 10 years. We use the best techniques to grow your perfect lawn.

Every great landscaper sticks to some steadfast rules to create a beautiful lawn. The first rule of a great lawn is overseeding in the fall. Do it too early and the seeds may dry out, do it too late and they may freeze.

Before you can even consider dispersing new seeds on your lawn, you have to prepare the ground. This is where landscapers really make the difference. The team at Landwork Contractors knows the best practices for preparing your lawn for overseeding. We will assess the ground under your lawn to make needed adjustments for optimal growth.

Seeds grow best when aerated. Aeration creates air pockets in the ground to create more fertile soil. Moist ground works best in the aeration process. Our professionals know just how much water your yard needs to prepare for aerating the soil. For more in depth aerating techniques check out our Aeration Blog.

After proper watering and aeration, your soil is ready for seeds. Depending on the area’s climate and the type of grass in your lawn, your will spread seeds and just watch the results.

Come Home To Paradise

Gorgeous lawns need care. Care takes time and energy, but the results are worth it. If you are looking for the beauty of golf greens, contact Landwork Contractors to use the secret of overseeding in the fall. The benefits will astound you.

There really is nothing like a beautiful lawn. It’s a great place to relax, play, and just enjoy life. Most lawn owners, however, could probably somehow manage to live without the hard work of lawn maintenance. There’s a way to do that, and it’s just a little bit of advanced planning.

Aeration – Why it’s needed

Lawns often get impacted. The soil basically packs itself together, through gravity, water action, and time. The problem with that is that the impacted soil really does damage lawn roots. The very dense soil slows or even prevents roots growing. It can actually obstruct growth, and a formerly healthy lawn can look pretty sorry for itself.

The amount of damage, however, can get worse, pretty quickly. In cold weather, the soil contracts, compressing the roots. It can be like rock. In hot weather, the soil expands, but that also compresses the roots, and the soil, if it’s clay or some other types of soil, might as well be rock. If the soil cracks, the heat gets in and dries out the roots, as well. The lawn gets the worst of both scenarios.

Impacted soil also drives away soil microbes, worms, and other organisms which help release nutrients for the plants. That, naturally, doesn’t do the lawn any good, and basically starves it.

Aeration means literally breaking up the soil before it hardens, and letting in air to help nourish the roots and improve soil biology. Aeration is done systematically, allowing the soil to soften and become a more hospitable environment for the lawn’s roots.

The aeration process can be done manually, but only in a relatively small lawn. It’s hard work, and you need to be prepared to put in some time. For a large lawn, it’s a real epic job, done manually. Best practice with larger lawns is to get a contractor to do the job. It’s quicker, and much more efficient, particularly if you’re not familiar with aeration process.

De-thatching

The most likely way of spotting a thatch issue is when you see unusually dense clumps of grass. Thatches are what’s called “unhealthy growth habits”. A growth habit is a pattern of growth. For lawns, an expansive growth habit is good. A thatch, however, is the exact opposite of expansion.

In a thatched state, the lawn effectively overgrows itself, and the result is that it can actually suffocate itself. The roots look like pot-bound container plants. They’re competing for the same resources, meaning that they get less. The lawn can deteriorate very rapidly in this condition, and it looks terrible.

That’s when you need to de-thatch, before it gets worse. The best way to de-thatch is with special equipment. A machine which looks a bit like a lawn mower is used by lawn maintenance people to break up the thatch and return the lawn to healthy growth.

If you’re in the Westchester County part of New York and looking for help with your lawn, give us a call. We can fix any lawn problem. We’ll do your aeration and de-thatching for you and keep your lawn looking great.

When you’re considering a garden path, there are a few natural issues which arise – What sort of path do you want, and construction options. There are also issues regarding path safety and durability to consider.

In the landscaping industry, which constructs a vast range of different types of access paths and garden paths, the new top of the line is stone. Stone paths are particularly good for construction purposes, and they’re certainly very durable.

The other big recommendation for stone paths is design values. Stone allows use of color, texture, and motifs in unique ways. Stone pavers can be laid in groups or individually, to create a very flexible, fascinating, and beautiful range of designs.

Stone selection

When choosing your options for a garden path, don’t lead yourself up the wrong path. You need to consider your choices, and compare them. Which stone looks best in your garden? Which stone complements the exterior of your house? Do you want an ultra-modern look, or the more classical look?

The 5 beautiful stones

We have a few truly beautiful stones for you to use as benchmark guides to stone quality and the high end design values of stone paths:

Limestone

Limestone – Limestone is one of the two oldest building materials in the world. Limestone comes in a very interesting, subtle, and beautiful range of colors. This stone is typically used in more traditional environments, but has recently become a favorite among new buildings and surrounds for its beauty and versatility.

Sandstone

Sandstone – The other oldest building material, sandstone comes in a truly extraordinary range of colors and textures. This stone can be used in almost literally any environment. It’s hard wearing, and just looks better as it ages and grows in to its environment. Most landscape designers consider it one of the default choices for upmarket designs for those reasons.

Natural Stone

Natural Stone – This is one of our Unilock range of products, sourced from India and Europe. It’s a true top quality product selection, selected for its extreme durability, color, and freezethaw reliability. We consider it an all-rounder, particularly well-suited to New York’s savage winters.

Bluestone

Bluestone – The modern form of bluestone pavers and tiles isn’t the old rough-edge bluestone of the past. This stone is a true designer standard stone, extremely adaptable to any garden or exterior environment. It’s the type of stone which can deliver a perfectly coordinated match of walkway, garden path, and entrance elegance.

Yorkstone™

Yorkstone™ is a Unilock stone range product, including the fabulously eye-catching and glamorous Iron River stone. This truly extraordinary stone is extremely beautiful, almost mystical in its colors. These stones are a mix of gold, cream, and tan which looks like it came from a palace. They’re also extremely tough, weatherproof, and dependable for any environment.If you’re in the New York area around Westchester and you want to look at a range of designs and stone choices, give us a call. We’ll be happy to help you map out your fabulous new garden path.

Many people suffer from “Bad Lawn Syndrome”, and in many cases, it’s not their fault. A bad lawn isn’t just a pernickety lawn. It’s a lawn with serious issues.

• Let’s define a few of the most common instances of a bad lawn:
• The lawn is in obviously poor shape. There are bald patches, areas where the lawn is being overrun by weeds, and even the solid patches look weak.
• The bare soil is hard as granite or sandy, and in summer it’s incredibly hot, basically cooking the surrounding grass and getting bigger.
• The local trees have declared war, and exterminated the grass around them. This has opened up the soil to weeds and created the frayed edges of the lawn.
• The lawn surface on slopes is cracking or degrading visibly.
• Bare roots are showing all over the place, and they’re obviously drying out, breaking up the lawn surface.

If you’re thinking that this sounds like an obituary for a lawn, it could be. That, however, is just one of the problems. The lawn is also a good indicator of the state of the soil and drainage, and that’s why we say a bad lawn can cost you.

Think about this –

• Lawns, particularly big lawns, also manage runoff on your property. If the soil is dry and very hard, and the lawn’s not benefiting from rain or watering, where’s the water going? It could well be going around or under your foundations. Rainwater typically runs off soils like these.
• If soil is cracking and moving, what’s happening? Is the soil breaking up around your property and buildings? It might be, and you will need to check for any risk.
• If soil is eroding, what’s the direction of the erosion? If it’s downhill from your house, it’s taking soil away from the higher areas, perhaps the supporting soil around your home. If it’s above your home, at least some of the water will flow directly towards the building. It will also affect the soil on either side.

3 tips to keep your lawn beautiful.

1. A big lawn is also a very large amount of land. You need to manage both the grass and the soil. We have three tips for keeping your lawn healthy and beautiful:
   Fix any current problems, ASAP. Get professional help with any possible major issues like those described above. These problems can do unbelievably expensive damage.
2. Look after your lawn and it will look after your property. The lawn can act as an excellent land protector, stabilizing soil, and managing drainage. Ensure that your lawn is properly maintained, and it will do a lot of property management work for you.
3. When you see problems starting in your lawn, take the hint. Check the surrounding land, and look for anything new or different around the house. Get professional advice about any issues you find.

We do a lot of problem solving for our clients regarding lawn problems and related problems. If you’re in the Westchester region, we’re here to help. Contact us and let’s fix your lawn and any other issues you may have.

If you’re an admirer of formal gardens and classic garden designs, you already know how beautiful these gardens are. What you may not know, however, is that these gardens are the best possible examples of practical gardening. They’re possible in just about any temperate climate.

You also may not know that they’re not really high maintenance gardens. They’re extremely efficient gardens, and they grow and flower beautifully with only basic seasonal care and occasional maintenance.

Classical gardens plantings and flower choices

You can tell by the plantings in these gardens how they work. The types of plants are a virtual handbook of the types of care they need. Roses, for example, are extremely hardy plants. They’re literally tough as old boots, and the classic roses like Queen Elizabeth roses can grow to huge size with minimal care. These very vigorous plants take good care of themselves. All they usually need is lots of mulch and pruning, and they’ll produce a forest of flowers.

Bulbs and other seasonal plants not only take good care of themselves, they restock your garden for you. Their growth cycle includes creating new bulbs. The cold doesn’t bother them. They use it to hibernate as a natural part of their growth cycle, and emerge in Spring to produce a blaze of colors. Jonquils and tulips are two of the famous classical plants. Lilies of all kinds are very hardy, and they also work in almost any garden design setting.

Garden design

The classic garden designs are symmetrical. Modern gardening has evolved the original styles in to a range of fascinating and beautiful designs. The usual design elements include lawns, surround features like stone walls and borders, hedges, and similar devices.

If you’re thinking that these designs are high maintenance, they’re not. Lawns can be maintained on a simple regular care basis. Hedges are very hardy, and only need occasional clipping after becoming established. Everything else is essentially landscaped, and doesn’t need any maintenance at all.

The classical gardens became so popular in Western culture simply because they’re so viable. The great gardens, like Versailles, are as much a monument to good gardening as they are to the Bourbons. The Bourbon roses, also famous in classical gardening, were developed for this type of gardening.

Planning your own classical garden

For keen gardeners, the very reliable range of planting choices, design styles, and practical gardening options offers a vast range of choices. You can have your own classical garden any time, and this is how:

Before you make any kind of commitment to creating a classical garden, do some research.

• Focus on the design styles, and the plantings.
• See how these gardens are created.
• Next, explore designs and compare.
• Which designs appeal to you?
• Create a shortlist of designs.

You now have a working knowledge base to plan your own garden. It’s also a lot of fun to check out all the fabulous gardens and drool over the magnificent, sometimes astonishing design options. This research also allows you to make informed decisions and choose the right plants and designs for your space.

What next? Talk to your local construction landscaper and turn your dream garden in to a reality. If you’re in New York around Westchester way, talk to us. We can do it all for you.