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landscape design

The Look For Less – How to Get It Wright

In the 1950’s, while most  Americans were outfitting their homes with knotty pine, laminate furniture and Formica counter tops, a couple by the name of Hagan decided that they were going to go with a new trend. The Hagan’s, owners of a major dairy company in Western Pennsylvania, had purchased 80 acres of mountain land in Fayette

The Future of Hardscaping: CPI Students at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show

Most schools have pep rallies before the big football, basketball, or soccer championship game; but at CPI, a Pleasant Gap, PA Science & Technology School, the big win can come in the form of landscape and hardscape design competition sweep. In September of 2014 the students enrolled in CPI’s Horticulture and Landscaping Design course accepted

Adding Curb Appeal with Pavers and Plants

If you live in a residential neighborhood and have a home with a front yard, chances are you have some sort of walkway to the front or side door. Whether it is a no-nonsense straight walkway, or a casual, winding garden path, it serves as your home’s “first impression”. Check out these tips if your

Tips on Working with a Larger Landscape Design Plan

‘Tis the season to be outside! Summer has officially begun, and by now you’ve probably broken out the furniture and cleaned off the patio pavers. Over the years, landscape design has come to include patios that are a true extension of the home. Cooking outside on the grill has evolved into full outdoor kitchen installations;

Lowering the Cost of Curb Appeal

The weed-free, green lawn that dominates landscape design in suburban America today didn’t exist until the late 18th century. Our forefathers were the original organic gardeners with front “yards” that were much smaller and they were functional in nature. America’s extreme temperatures allowed homeowners to grow seasonal vegetables and herbs, and the thought of taking

Lighten Up: Accent Lighting in Your Backyard

When it comes to your patio or landscape design, make sure to include lighting in your plans. Just as with interior design, different types of lighting fixtures are used for specific functions when lighting a residential outdoor space. Security Lighting Deterrent lighting is a focused spotlight that is commonly used over doors and garages; it

Sloping property? Retaining Walls Could Be Your Answer

Retaining walls are solid structures designed to prevent soil erosion and hold land back when there is a drastic change in elevation. They help to stabilize the land and can prevent mudslides and home foundation shifts. (Think of basement walls, they act as retaining walls.) Most any home improvement will increase your home’s value, but

Hearth and Home

It cannot be argued, there’s just something spectacular about backyards that have a fire feature. Family and friends have been gathering around camp fires and fire pits for years, and homeowners are taking their outdoor spaces up a notch by incorporating custom outdoor fireplaces into their landscape designs. Outdoor fireplaces are easily integrated into both

Landscape Design’s Season Opener

Even with temperatures in the teens and snow falling from the sky, there is little doubt that spring will be here soon. While garden enthusiasts yearn for the day that they can break soil and begin planting, rearranging their landscape and planning new landscape designs, the harbingers of spring continue to press forward with signs

Landscape Design 101: Types of Pavers to Complete your Yard

Whether you are undertaking a new landscape design project, or waking up an existing garden in your yard, adding pavers or walls can instantly add curb appeal well before the first flower has bloomed. Many homeowners without “green thumbs” use Hardscaping™ to bring color and texture into their front or back yards without the commitment