Fall is the time to start planning and preparing for a gorgeous landscape in the spring. Here’s your fall planting guide:

Spring Bulbs

The best time to plant spring bulbs and have them establish themselves well in Georgia is late October, according to Walter Reeves, Gardening Expert. There are dozens of bulbs to try, but some of the most popular ones include:

• Daffodil
• Tulip
• Hyacinth
• Dutch iris
• Crocus

Caladiums bulbs should be dug and stored indoors over the winter and then replanted in the garden in late April to early May depending on your hardiness zone.

For sources, try local garden centers or online. Small local garden centers are likely to have staff that can answer questions about bulbs and plants. They may also be able to order ones for you that they may not carry. Online plant and bulb sources have a wider variety and will typically ship the bulbs closer to when it is time to plant them in your hardiness zone. For online sources, try Breck’s, Michigan Bulb Company, or Spring Hill Nursery, just to name a few.

Cool Season Vegetables

If you have also included some seasonal vegetables into your gardening and landscape, according to the UGA Extension service website, October is the time to plant cool season vegetables. Here’s a cool season vegetable fall planting guide for Georgia:

• Root vegetables such as Beets, Carrots, Onions, Radishes, and Turnips
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Greens such as Collards, Lettuce, Mustard, and Spinach

Mulch & Compost

Fall is also a great time to refurbish your mulch to help controls weeds, according to the Extension service. Also, if you keep a compost pile, start adding the abundance of fall leaves and other materials that you clean up from your yard and beds. If you haven’t started composting, learn more about composting here, including the benefits and how to compost.

Curb Appeal

Finally, now is a great time to be thinking about how you can add curb appeal to your house and landscape. Curb appeal not only adds value to your home but makes your home stand out even in the winter months when gardens and landscapes are in their off season. Landscape curbing is a great way to both add curb appeal and help with your landscaping maintenance. Our landscape curbing options mimic the look of real stone to beautify your landscape.

As you are removing summer’s last bounty from your vegetable garden, trimming and removing your summer plants, and before you plan to plant your spring bulbs, request your free quote for your concrete landscape curbing. We can help you define and accent the bed you already have, expand or create new ones, and turn ones with dull straight lines into a work of art that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Not to mention, your landscape will be beautiful all year long with less maintenance.

The post Planting Guide for a Gorgeous Spring first appeared on Double Arrow Hardscapes.

The post Planting Guide for a Gorgeous Spring appeared first on Double Arrow Hardscapes.

As the days get shorter and the morning and evening air starts to feel a little bit crisp, thinking of being outside again starts to become more of a reality. We love to be outside and so creating a comfortable outdoor living space to enjoy is a priority.

Regardless of your space it is possible to come up with creative ways to enjoy the season outside.

Step 1: Start Somewhere

Think about a location that would be the most convenient to create an outdoor living space. It could be a patio, porch, covered porch, just outside in the grass.

Step 2: Test out Ideas

Test it out. Start with what you have and see what is the most practical before investing into your space. For a dining space, use folding tables & a sheet as a tablecloth, folding chairs, or bring indoor chairs temporarily outside. If you have multiple locations that are a possibility, look at sun vs shade at various times of the day. Make sure the location you have chosen for your outdoor living space is comfortable and practical during the times you will be using it in various seasons.

To create a fire area, buy an inexpensive container fire-pit or choose one that is movable so you can design your space around it. You can also find one on Facebook MarketPlace and Craigslist for inexpensive ones for sale in your area and then you can resell it there as well. Think about what types of seating will be comfortable. If you want to be able to have food and drinks, think about tables or stools to place it on. If you’d like to be able to play games outside, incorporate that into your space.

Step 3: Get Inspired

Look on apps and websites such as Pinterest and Houzz to get inspiration and creative ideas from others. Search Outdoor Living Space, Outdoor Fireplace, Outdoor Dining, or any other elements you want to see in your space. Dream big and pin things you love but also look for photos that mimic what your space and budget will allow as well.

Step 4: Use Your Space

Use the outdoor living space you have created and think about what works and what doesn’t and what you’d like to change over time. Create a plan and implement it in stages. Landscaping, Gardening, and Outdoor Living Space Renovations and Improvements take time to develop, fill in, and grow unlike indoor ones. Even once the Hardscapes gets is in, the landscaping, grass, plants etc take time to grow and develop so work slowly at it over time and enjoy it as you go. This really gives you a great opportunity to change your plans and pivot as you go as you see how you use the space and what additional wants you have.

Step 5: Implement Your Plan and Make Changes as Needed

Once you have tested out some of your ideas, add your hardscaping first, then layer with your landscaping and outdoor furnishings. Hardscaping includes patios, pergolas, permanent stone fireplaces and fire pits, concrete landscaping edging. Outdoor furnishings and landscaping will change over time and as the seasons change but your hardscaping is the permanent part of your landscaping. Bring in some fun fall touches such as mums, plaid blankets to stay warm, and pumpkins for your space. Most of all be patient. Whether you are doing the work yourself or hiring professionals, these plans will develop over time. Don’t forget to take before and after pictures at each step so you can look back and see how far you have come.

Finally, if you are ready to take the leap and build the outdoor patio, fireplace, or firepit of your dreams and are located in the South Metro Atlanta Area, Contact us. We will come out and discuss your options and provide a Free Quote. We would love to work with you to start creating the outdoor living space of your dreams or put the cherry on top of what you already have with an outdoor fireplace!

The post How to Create an Outdoor Living Space for Fall first appeared on Double Arrow Hardscapes.

The post How to Create an Outdoor Living Space for Fall appeared first on Double Arrow Hardscapes.

Curb Appeal is simply the appeal the home has from the curb or the street.  It is the first impression of the home and property.  Curb appeal is the first impression of you home and an indication of how it is maintained, both inside and out.

How much it affect my home’s value?

A lot, Actually! According to www.homelight.com ,well landscaped homes can cash in on as much as 5.5%-12.7% more than one that lacks landscaping.  For a $300,000 home, that’s anywhere from $16,500- 38,100. In addition, the National Association of Realtors cites that 94% of realtors suggest improvements their sellers need to make to curb appeal and 99% of them believe that curb appeal is important to attracting buyers.  

What should I do to improve my home’s curb appeal?

Here are some ways you can boost your curb appeal…

• Keep the entry neat and tidy.  This includes the grass being cut, edging and sidewalks trimmed, no weeds in the flower beds, fresh mulch or straw in the beds.  One way to help insure that your landscape looks neat and the beds are well maintained is through the use of landscape borders. There are lots of different types to choose from: wood, metal, stone, block, and concrete. While wood can rot and metal can bend, stone, block and concrete will be more landing and durable. When installing stone and block, keep in mind that in addition to the cost of the materials, they must be installed. Even after stone or blocks is installed, grass can creep between and around them. Concrete landscape edging is long lasting and durable and doesn’t allow grass to grow up into your beds. In addition, our Moroccan Stone product won’t allow the grass to creep in. See some examples of landscape curbing in our gallery.

• Make sure the entry is clean and well maintained.  The property should be recently pressure washed or cleaned so that there is not mold, mud or debris on the house or sidewalk.  If wood is rotted or paint is chipped on the porch, railing, and columns, or the condition of the light fixtures and outdoor fan are less than desirable, steps should be taken to remedy this problem prior to listing. 

• Make the entry feel welcoming.  Place seating on an entry porch if there is room for one, a wreath or welcoming sign on the front door, a fresh door mat, substantial pots with fresh plants by the front door or at the edge of the porch.

The post How Curb Appeal Affects the Value of your Home first appeared on Double Arrow Hardscapes.

The post How Curb Appeal Affects the Value of your Home appeared first on Double Arrow Hardscapes.

First, gather inspiration and assess your needs.

Look on Pintrest and in magazines. Look around the neighborhood and also think of outdoor spaces you have enjoyed on trips that you have been on. Do you need a place for dining? For sunning or lounging? Would you like to have a place to grill that is close to where the action is happening? Do you want an outdoor fireplace? Do you need shade? What do you want the material underfoot to be? Create an outdoor space in a location that you will want to use all the time that is convenient and accessible.

If you have some existing furniture you can use outside, take it for a test drive in the area that you are wanting to create your outdoor space. See where and what times you get sun and shade. Will that size table work? Do you need something larger or smaller? Do you need more outdoor seating? Think through how you and your guests will use the space the most.

Also, keep in mind what it will take to maintain the space. You likely want to choose both hardscape and furniture that require less maintenance so you can spend more time enjoying.

Second, start thinking about and researching what you want to implement into your yard and how you will go about executing your plan.

Think about what your budget is for your outdoor project. Do you want to tackle it in stages or complete it all at once. Are you going to DIY or hire out some or all of your project? Do you need to hire someone to help you come up with an overall plan?

These are some important questions to ask and research. If you are going to get help with your overall plan. Do that first. Ask for recommendations from friends and neighbors for someone they used and at garden centers. Look for local landscape planners and architects. If you are local to the South Metro Atlanta Area, we can help with that. Along with our landscape curbing solutions and fireplaces, we can help you design flower beds and make recommendations for plants that will thrive in each area of your landscape.

Once you have a plan in hand, now think about how you will execute it. If you hired someone to help you with your plan, they likely have a number of contractors on their staff or that they recommend to help you with the work. Since outdoor projects take time to grow and develop, there’s no problem working on it in phases as your budget allows.

Third, start implementing your plan.

You may need to take some time to get bids from contractors and discuss timelines with them. Depending on where you live you may need to get approvals from your Home Owners Association or Permits from your City or County. Don’t neglect looking into these because they can cost you big time down the road if your project wasn’t approved and doesn’t meet local codes or doesn’t comply with your association requirements.

Typically you will want to have your hardscaping or permanent structures such as walkways, pergolas, outbuildings, landscaping edging, patios, fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, etc in place first. Then you can start planting trees, shrubs, or plants that might have to be moved later. If you are anxious to get the greenery in, consider sticking to just the ones that you know won’t have to be moved or plant in pots and planters that can be used later as well.

Have patience with this part, especially if you budget allows for just one aspect of your landscape plan at a time. Landscaping and gardens take time to grow and develop. Allow yourself that time as you implement each project to see how things are working in your yard, what you want and need now and what you can wait and see on.

Finally, ENJOY!

Most of all, don’t wait until it is finished and perfect to enjoy what you have already worked so hard on. Enjoy the dining space during different times of the day or week or put in a makeshift one to have a place to sit and eat and enjoy. Put out a fire pit where you might want to one day put in a fireplace. See how the garden evolves over the seasons and see what changes you need to make to the landscape and what hardscapes you still want to implement.

Like interior spaces, exterior spaces will probably never be truly DONE. They will need to be able to change and adapt to the seasons both in nature and in our lives.

The post 3 Steps to Creating an Outdoor Living Spaces You’ll Love first appeared on Double Arrow Hardscapes.

The post 3 Steps to Creating an Outdoor Living Spaces You’ll Love appeared first on Double Arrow Hardscapes.

Have you dreamed of having a low maintenance landscape? Are you frustrated with the grass creep into your mulch and flower beds? Are you sick and tired of weed eating between them? Have you ever worried if metal edging is safe for kids? Are you constantly frustrated with cleaning up and replacing the mulch and rocks that wash out?

If you answered YES to any of these problems, then Concrete Landscape Curbing is your SOLUTION to a LOW MAINTENANCE LANDSCAPE!

What is Concrete Landscape Curbing?

Concrete landscape curbing is a continuous custom concrete border extruded from a landscape curbing machine. It creates an extremely durable and permanent border between your flower beds and your lawn.

Why are the Benefits of Concrete Landscape Curbing?

Below are just a few reasons to consider having custom concrete landscape borders installed in your landscape:

• Nothing else looks as neat and attractive
• Natural appearance
• Low maintenance
• Created with the most advanced materials
• Installed with the latest techniques and technology
• Makes your landscaping really pop
• Adds value and prestige to your property
• Durable, Permanent and Clean
• Mold and mildew resistant finish
• Custom range of colors and patterns

Learn more about Concrete Landscape Curbing here.

How do custom concrete landscape borders make my landscape low maintenance?

• Once you install your mulch or straw it stays put behind your concrete landscape edging so it won’t wash away when it rains
• The grass won’t creep up and into your beds (just use a plastic line trimmer and go along the edge and you’re done)
• You only need to have the edging sealed every 12 to 18 months to protect the color and finish of your edging
• Concrete edging won’t move and shift like landscape blocks and won’t get bent like metal edging

Do you agree? Custom landscape edging is the perfect reliable permanent solution to all these problems and is available in many colors, shapes and patterns.  Want to see more examples?  Head over to our Gallery to see more.

The post The Key to a Low Maintenance Landscape first appeared on Double Arrow Hardscapes.

The post The Key to a Low Maintenance Landscape appeared first on Double Arrow Hardscapes.