Landscaping Design on the Main Line

April 16, 2015
by aardweglandscaping
Comments Off on Landscaping & Hardscaping for Storm Water Control on Your Main Line Property

Landscaping & Hardscaping for Storm Water Control on Your Main Line Property

Have you witnessed the damaging effects of storm water runoff on a landscaped property? There are successful strategies to turn the nightmarish effects of a storm into a veritable dream come true, with the help of some clever grading, drain, landscaping and hardscaping strategies for storm water control on your Main Line property.

Spring rain in the garden

Consider this scenario… You have finally accomplished that long-cherished dream of painstakingly designing your ideal garden, poring over styles, materials and plants until you found exactly what you wanted. Then you did the work of bringing your design into reality. The day that happens, you smile indulgently and feel an incredible sense of satisfaction. You dust the last bit of proverbial earth from your hands and prepare to enjoy the fruits of your labors.

And then it happens… one of those sudden spring storms jolts you awake in the night. Lightning flashes blindly throughout your room and deafening thunder crashes, the wind wails through the trees and torrential rain pounds on your roof as though it would burst through the ceiling. You listen till the intensity abates and are then lulled back to sleep by the steady patter of rain on your window.

Lightning flashes blindingly throughout your room and deafening thunder crashes, the wind wails through the trees… you listen till the intensity abates and are then lulled back to sleep by the steady patter of rain on your window.

However, the morning light reveals anything but a happy ending. You grimly survey the aftermath of the deluge and groan inwardly at the deep gashes cutting through your lawn and freshly planted beds. And it is then that you are led to realize an oft-neglected element of your landscaping design – hardscaping for storm water control on your Main Line property.

Thankfully, this does not have to be the conclusion to the story. There are numerous storm water and retaining wall solutions able to address this very situation, such as:

Light grading to create swales and direct runoff
Porous pavers or stones for puddle-prone walkways
French drains to channel and control water runoff
Landscaping and Hardscaping for Storm Water Control in the Main Line Garden
Sod for bare lawn patches
A moisture-loving perennial garden in a low lying area
Retaining walls strategically located to direct runoff

Typically, storm water runoff damage repair includes light grading for swale, terrace and berm construction; French drains and underground piping; well-drained and properly built retaining walls and erosion control to restrict water damage on sloped residential properties. The first step in redirecting the damaging flow of water is light grading to create paths for storm water runoff away from the home and toward drainage facilities. This may involve underground piping, French drains or directing water toward public storm water facilities.

When constructing new retaining walls, piping placed behind the wall will carefully direct water toward appropriate drainage areas and not allow storm water to collect and create a destabilizing force behind the wall. Finally, consider strategically placed landscaping and hardscaping for storm water control on your Main Line property.

Main Line landscape design, installation and maintenance company Aardweg Landscaping of Newtown Square, PA was recently recognized with the “Best Of Houzz” 2015 award for Customer Satisfaction by Houzz. As a full-service landscape company, Aardweg Landscaping has the design expertise, plant knowledge, and quality workmanship necessary to establish and maintain a reputation for superior customer service. To schedule a complimentary on-site consultation, call Aardweg Landscaping at 610-355-0703, or send an email using the website Contact Form.

April 9, 2015
by aardweglandscaping
Comments Off on Landscaping Ideas for a Small Garden on the Main Line

Landscaping Ideas for a Small Garden on the Main Line

Thomas Jefferson once said, “No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” Lovers of nature would resonate with our third president’s passion for such a simple yet exquisite joy. For what occupation can equal that of taking a blank canvas of ground and painting stunning works of art in real, living color? But, what if that “canvas” is little in size? How does one create a landscaping masterpiece on a small scale? No worries. A few guidelines to remember during the planning process will help you develop the Ardmore, Haverford or Wayne landscaped garden of your dreams!

(Image via flickr–woolnwares)

It is necessary to start with your hardscapes – walkways, fences, trellises and other such structural features, as they provide the essential backdrop and structure for your floral palette. After this, it is tempting to merely purchase plants and shrubs that catch the eye rather than consider carefully the integral part each selection is to play in the whole design. To neglect this crucial point may result in a struggling, strangled and disorganized planting, a picture which may be anything but charming. Here are a few landscaping ideas for designing your small Main Line garden:

Create Perspective with Linearity
The use of long, straight sight lines (or paths) can create the impression of depth, visually transforming a small yard or small garden landscape into something that appears larger. By slanting the far end of the lines toward one another and creating a focal point, the perspective makes the distant object seem farther away.

Frame the View with an Arbor or Pergola
A modest pergola or arbor offers a means to direct the view and create structure within the garden. This can be accomplished with shrubs, small trees, and large containers, as well.

Small Backyard Zones and Cozy Spaces
By creating special zones within your small garden area, and cozy spaces such as a dining area, different furniture groupings, a reading nook or a butterfly garden, you can make the space interesting. The use of planted areas and a low wall enable you to screen out unwanted views.

It is wise to begin with the “skeleton” of the garden – trees, shrubs, screens and hedges. Careful consideration of their size at full maturity will help greatly in appropriately allocating the remaining space to flowering plants without overcrowding. These provide continual seasonal interest.

Once the structural setting has been planned, then comes the “delightful occupation” of flaunting your perennial and annual floral treasures and transforming your Ardmore, Haverford or Wayne landscaped garden into something worth talking about.

In business for over 35-years, full-service landscape design company Aardweg Landscaping of Newtown Square, PA was recently recognized with the “Best Of Houzz” 2015 Award for Customer Satisfaction by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design.

Satisfied customers John and Mary S. of Wayne, PA shared the following testimonial on behalf of Aardweg Landscaping: “Not being from the area, we used the web to find a landscape design company for our new home. After talking with 3 design-build firms we chose Steven Aardweg of Aardweg Landscaping. His design capabilities were very apparent and the process he uses made it easy for us to feel comfortable going forward. The finished product confirmed that our choice was the right one. We love the landscaping they did for us! Kudos to Aardweg Landscaping.”

Are you interested in learning more about ideas for landscaping a small garden at your Main Line or Philadelphia home? Aardweg Landscaping is pleased to provide on-site consultations at homes in communities throughout the metro Philadelphia area, including communities such as Ardmore, Haverford or Wayne, PA. To schedule a consultation, call Aardweg Landscaping at 610-355-0703, or send an email using the website contact form.

April 6, 2015
by aardweglandscaping
Comments Off on Best Materials for Garden Paths and Walkways

Best Materials for Garden Paths and Walkways

Whether your desired walkway functions as a border for a lovely garden, supplies an aesthetic contrast to the surrounding scenery, or draws the eyes to a focal point or feature, never minimize the impact that a well-thought out pathway can have in your landscape. It is important to select the right mix of materials to create a unique garden path that meets your landscaping design and style needs. Many home gardeners have the expertise to make these decisions, while others look for a landscape designer with the extensive plant knowledge, eye for composition and experience that only time brings to make the best choices. Here are a few tips from an experienced Main Line landscape design company:

Garden path walkway landscaping ideas for your Main Line Philadelphia garden

Match Materials to the Garden Style
Formal garden paths are characterized by straight lines and right angles and informal pathways are typically winding, curved and meandering. Formal gardens tend to be greatly enhanced by the strong character of solid paving materials such as stone and concrete. Cottage gardens are particularly beautified by the softer materials, bringing a dreamy quaintness to complement the billows of informal plantings.

Hardscaping: Natural Stone Pavers
Walkway pavers are a commonly used and inexpensive pathway material leading to a main entrance, side entrance, outdoor living area circulation, or to a landscaped garden area. Three common paver materials are natural stone, concrete and brick. Natural stone pavers are typically composed of granite, slate, brownstone, limestone, sandstone and bluestone.

Aardweg Landscaping Main Line Garden Design – One Year After Installation

Both durable and versatile, natural stone pavers vary in color and texture. Hardscaping choices are quite diverse, ranging from decorative concrete stepping stones and pavers to brightly colored pebbles, brick or natural stone look, to softly mulched trails, pea stone to gravel. The selection in hardscape is largely determined by the overall feel of the garden.

Soft Garden Pathway Materials
Mulch path materials are affordable and easy to install garden materials. Installed over landscape fabric, mulch paths can be meandering, wood chip–covered trails or carefully planned designs. They may range from casual to semi-formal, as determined by the layout and edging material. Loose pathway materials vary, including coarse bark, decorative mulch, washed stones and crushed gravel or shells.

Classic Landscape Design for Formal Philadelphia Gardens

“With beauty before me, may I walk,… with beauty all around me, may I walk, wandering on the trail of beauty, may I walk.” With these simple words, the Navajo have summed up what every lover of beauty desires for his lawn and garden – for everything to be beautiful. And this thirst for beauty extends to the very materials that make up the paths upon which nature lovers pass. Indeed, the simple choice of pathway material offers so much to the whole gardening masterpiece.

We hope you will benefit from these path and walkway landscaping ideas for your Main Line Philadelphia garden. Take your time to explore the many possibilities in materials for your garden path or walkway, and then get started on the garden journey of your dreams!

Additional resources for your reference:

March 31, 2015
by aardweglandscaping
Comments Off on 3D Photographic Images for Landscape Design

3D Photographic Images for Landscape Design

Landscaped Garden with Realistic Photographic Image Design

What if you had the ability to see exactly what your landscape could look like before you invest valuable time and expense into the project? Impressive strides in technology have made this wish indeed a reality. Aardweg Landscaping offers groundbreaking creativity through their use of 3D photographic images for landscape design for Main Line yards and gardens.

Traditional landscaping methods may be sufficient for the ambitious visionary type. But, for customers who would like to see pictures to know they will absolutely love the new garden, 3D photographic image design is the way to go.

Aardweg Landscaping Main Line Philadelphia 3D Image Design Before

Before 3D Photographic Image Design

How does this process work? First, real photographs are taken of your current landscape. Consultations between the customer and the landscape designer ensue reviewing plant preferences, garden layouts, and the costs associated with design, materials and installation.

Next, the desired features – plants, focal points, hardscapes and other elements – are integrated into the picture in true-to-life scale, at full plant maturity, to give the customer a realistic view of his renovated landscape before any of the renovations have actually been made.

The final product in the process is a garden design image that looks surprisingly realistic, especially when completed by a professional landscape architect. This innovative technology enables the homeowner to personalize his landscape as he desires and to know exactly what role his particular choices will play in the maturing design.

There no longer needs to be doubt that the buyer is getting exactly what he wants – the guesswork has been effectively removed with this brilliant tool used today by professional landscapers.

Helen Humphreys once observed: “What I’ve always found interesting in gardens is looking at what people choose to plant there. What they put in. What they leave out. One small choice, and then another, and soon there is a mood, an atmosphere, a series of limitations, a world.”

How will you develop your statement landscaped garden? Get a glimpse into your own unique gardening style today with 3D photographic images for your landscape design!

Links to additional resources:

March 28, 2015
by aardweglandscaping
Comments Off on Professional Landscaping Offers a High Return on Investment

Professional Landscaping Offers a High Return on Investment

Main Line Landscape design company Aardweg Landscaping Earns Best of Houzz for Customer Satisfaction 2015

Main Line Landscape Design by Aardweg Landscaping

A skilfully landscaped yard does wonders by transforming a lovely home into something truly exceptional. It is rather like taking a beautiful painting and placing it in a frame suitable to the masterpiece, professional landscape design.

Traditional Landscape by Newtown Square Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Aardweg Landscaping

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness…” So said John Keats. And when contemplating the beauties of nature, there is little room for debate. The landscape design is often the first impression of a residence, and it is a “thing of beauty” indeed when the outdoors complement and enhance the house itself.

Many people consider just their own immediate enjoyment of having a gorgeous lawn and landscaped garden. But what about the return on investment that comes with having a professional landscaping design? Some experts suggest that a professionally designed landscape could increase the value of a home by up to 20-percent.

Prospective homeowners will naturally be more inclined to buy a house where the landscaping has already been attended to; where they could simply get settled in and begin the business of living there, without a necessary consideration of landscape renovation looming large in the future.

Aardweg Landscaping Spring Garden Cleaning & Maintenance Strafford, Swarthmore, Villanova, Wayne and Wynnewood

Historically, residential landscaping design offers a high return on investment (ROI) in comparison to many other home improvements. And, if you perform these home improvements upon moving in to a new home or shortly thereafter, you’ll be able to enjoy the beautiful greenery, trees and flowers for years. Many a Main Line homeowner can obtain the long-desired solace of a beautiful natural haven from the rushing world, a garden with which to supply vibrant seasonal color and wonder, or a perfect situation in which to entertain friends and family at their Strafford, Swarthmore, Villanova, Wayne or Wynnewood home. The possibilities are numerous.

While you may not be considering selling your home in the near future, it is worthwhile to think of both the immediate advantages of a professional landscaping design, as well as the potential return on investment gained. What “increasing loveliness” might be waiting to be discovered in your humble lawn?

Recently awarded the “Best Of Houzz” 2015 Customer Service Award, the 35-year old full-service landscape design company, Aardweg Landscaping of Newtown Square, PA is widely admired by our Main Line Philadelphia residential clientele. Would you like more information about how professional landscape design would increase the value of your home? To schedule a complimentary on-site consultation, call Aardweg Landscaping at 610-355-0703, or send an email using the website Contact form.

March 25, 2015
by aardweglandscaping
Comments Off on Landscape Design for Your Main Line Outdoor Living Space

Landscape Design for Your Main Line Outdoor Living Space

One of today’s most popular outdoor living trends features a well-appointed and attractive “indoor-like” outdoor living space. Many homeowners desire to extend their living spaces to the outside, looking for ways to create an outdoor setting that has the warmth and comfort of the interior of the home, replete with a professionally designed and landscaped garden. Outdoor living areas open up and connect the interior of the home to an outdoor landscaped garden, deck or porch, creating a living experience that flows naturally from inside to out. How does one go about landscaping an outdoor living space?

Backyard Pool & Landscaped Garden Ideas for Main Line Outdoor Living Area

First, know your space. Beautiful gardens don’t just happen; they, like works of art, are created. Become familiar with your property. What natural features or focal points might be the budding inspiration of your new space?

Main Line Outdoor Living Water Features

Next, know the feeling you want to achieve. Do you crave a private little nook to serve as a cozy hideaway for some moments of solitude with a book or a quiet chat with a friend? Or do you rather envision a place brimming with energy and color to accommodate lively parties and toast-of-the-town barbeques? Do you prefer formal or informal settings, strongly defined lines or more dreamlike effects? You must have some idea of your goal in order to accomplish it.

Thirdly, know what you need or who to consult to help you realize your dream space. The plethora of plants, hardscapes and accessory choices may be overwhelming, each possibility bringing a new dimension to the whole picture, sometimes “making” or “breaking” it. Trusted landscapers, as well as informational books and websites, can be invaluable resources.

Danver Outdoor Kitchens - Aardweg Landscaping - 5

Image via Danver Outdoor Kitchens

Finally, be sure to advance plan the details of the outdoor kitchen, family dining and entertainment spaces in your Main Line outdoor living space. This would involve design, cost estimating, and the installation of all necessary plumbing and electrical work.

“And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed, and every morning revealed new miracles.” In keeping with the experience of The Secret Garden’s little Mary, many a homeowner agrees that there is nothing to compare with having a well-tended plot of land, tastefully designed to serve as an oasis from the fast pace of life, a retreat to soothe the soul and body in the simple grandeur of a natural setting.

Landscaping an outdoor living space does require some exertion to ensure you get what you want. However, when your “secret garden” emerges and “blooms and blooms” with daily miracles, you will know that it was an effort well spent.