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Categories Gardening

Top 5 Gardening Trends We’re Loving Right Now

During the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, gardening took on a new life for many people – even those who had never considered it before. From seasoned green thumbs to people who had never planted a seed before, people all over the world realized the many benefits of gardening and how it could help them get through challenging times.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite gardening trends for you to try in your yard in 2022.

Sowing Seeds

We are accustomed to getting the things that we need or want quickly. Having to wait can be frustrating for some of us, but starting your garden from seed can be a rewarding experience with a wonderful pay off as you see your work bloom before your eyes. Not only will you get to watch the transformation from seed to mature plant, but using seeds is an economical way to create a bountiful garden.

You can find inexpensive seed packets at almost any home improvement or grocery store, making it even simpler to get started on your garden.

A Happy Palette

When you start to plan out what you want in your garden, think about using colors that bring you joy and make you feel good. Adding pops of bright color to your garden beds will deliver beauty, positive energy, and an instant mood boost. Think rose mallows, freesias, pink kalanchoe, black-eyed Susan, crocosmia, and dahlias.

Don’t underestimate the transformative power of beautiful colors in your garden, whether they come from flowers or food!

Edible Gardening

The uncertainty we felt during the pandemic renewed people’s interest in self-reliance and sustainability. One of the simplest ways that people began to apply these age-old principles was by growing their own vegetable gardens. Producing your own food is a wonderful way to save money and feed your family fresh, nutritious, home-sourced food.

You can choose to sow seeds or plants directly into the ground, use raised beds, or even create a bountiful container garden on your patio or porch.

A Laid-Back Lawn

Gardening enthusiasts have noticed a trend in lawn care. Much like our changing attitudes towards letting go of what doesn’t work for us and embracing what makes us happy, people are employing a laid-back attitude in their garden design. Say goodbye to the days of stuffy, measured grass-cutting lines and say hello to a more relaxed, imperfect lawn vibe that brings nature back to your yard.

Including elements like wildflowers or jasmine climbing on a fence can add to your tranquil, breezy aesthetic.

Green Gardening

Sustainability has been at the forefront of all our minds. Gardening trends have become increasingly focused on using things that are readily available and creating the least amount of waste possible. People have embraced composting to reuse the organic resources that they have on hand to help them enrich what they are growing in their garden.

Consider using interesting containers that you already have in your home to up your green game in your garden!

Let Wildwood Help You Plan Your Dream Garden

At Wildwood Landscaping, we are proud to help our clients create beautiful gardens that work with their aesthetic while keeping functionality and sustainability in mind. If you are in Northern Virginia or Maryland and need help planning your garden space, Wildwood Landscaping can help. Contact us today to talk to one of our experts!

Author Wildwood Landscape 0 Comments
Categories Gardening

Our Favorite Summer Flowers for Northern Virginia Flower Beds

Our Favorite Summer Flowers for Northern Virginia Flower Beds

It can be a challenge to plan out a garden or landscaping project without a little bit of knowledge about what you’re putting into the ground. It is critical to understand the right combination of flowers, plants, and greenery while understanding blooming times and how to make the best choices to provide the most color for as long as possible in your garden.

Making the right choices in your landscape design can provide instant curb appeal to your property by creating visual interest and providing pops of color. Choosing plants that offer year-round greenery with bursts of seasonal blooms will make your landscaping shine all year long.

Know Your Zone

Since all plants thrive in different environments, it is crucial to understand your planting zone. Here in northern Virginia, we are in zone 6, which happens to be one of the hardiness zones in the United States. Our growing season for zone 6 offers us a longer time frame for growing most vegetables, fruits, shrubbery, flowers, and other plants.

Go for Year-Round Color

First thing is first. You will want to choose some plants that will offer pops of year-round color in your zone. Different types of plants bloom at different times of year, so adding a nice mix of flowers, trees, shrubs, and ground cover will offer your garden the most variety in color and height for seasonal visual interest.

What is the Difference Between Annuals and Perennials?

Annuals are flowers that, after planting, will grow, bloom, and die. These will need to be replanted annually – hence the name. Perennials, on the other hand, will re-bloom every spring.

While perennials do return every year, they tend to have a shorter blooming period than annuals. For this reason, most gardens should contain a complementary mix of both types of flowers to provide the most coverage and color.

Summer Color

Everyone wants their garden to be in all its glory during the summer months when we spend more time outside enjoying these spaces. Read on to find out which types of plants we recommend including in your landscape design to ensure that your yard will dazzle you and your guests all summer long!

Trees

These small flowering trees will do well in zone 6.

  • Cherry
  • prairie fire crabapple
  • ruby-red horse chestnut
  • PeeGee hydrangea
  • Japanese tree lilac
  • star magnolia
  • showy mountain ash
  • and witch hazel

Shrubs

Try these shrubs in your zone 6 landscaping project.

  • Weigela
  • forsythia
  • seven bark hydrangea
  • and rose of Sharon

Perennials

These zone 6-friendly perennials will add beautiful color to your landscaping.

  • Dianthus fire and ice
  • iris cloud ballet
  • Lupinus purple swirl
  • monarda blue moon
  • fritillaria Meleagris
  • and Turkish delights

Designing a Colorful Garden Design in Northern Virginia

At Wildwood Landscaping, we are proud to offer our clients beautiful and dynamic landscapes that suit their aesthetic while keeping functionality and sustainability in the design. Whether you would like to add some curb appeal to your property or if you would like to add full-service cooking or water features to your outdoor space, Wildwood Landscape is here to meet all of your landscaping needs in Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Contact us today to schedule your personalized landscaping consultation!

 

Author Wildwood Landscape 0 Comments
Categories Hardscaping

Four Reasons to Consider an Outdoor Kitchen

Within the past five years, the world has changed the way that we look at home-living. With this change came less time indoors and more time outside. Being outside is a great way for families to entertain without restrictions and outdoor kitchens have become an increasingly popular and creative way to do just that. 

Outdoor kitchens come in all designs and have many features and options available, from fully loaded with all the bells and whistles, to simple yet functional.

Outdoor Kitchen Building Materials

Outdoor kitchens can be designed in a variety of ways depending on the way you want to use the space. Whether it be for entertaining, or simply functionality, possibilities in terms of design are endless.

Most outdoor kitchens have the ability to be framed in either steel, wood, or concrete block. All three give you sturdy frames, with steel being the most popular in recent years. When it comes to cladding your outdoor kitchen for appeal, there are several options to look at. Some of the available options are stucco, tile, stone, or brick. Depending on if you want to go with a warm ambiance or a rustic look, there are plenty of options to sift through.

Countertops are another area where you have plenty of options and colors depending on your preference for an outdoor kitchen. There are many design features that you can choose from including tile, limestone, concrete, granite, soapstone, quartz, and stainless steel.

When looking at cabinetry, stainless steel has been the go-to as it is the most weather-resistant and durable material. A polymer is also an option, but it can be limited as far as style and colors.

Prepare to Be Cool

Imagine being able to entertain friends in front of hand-crafted masonry, no worry functionality, and a hassle-free outdoor kitchen. There are several ways you can spruce up your outdoor kitchen to give it that coolness it deserves and features that will make you the envy of your neighborhood.

Some additional add ons to make your outdoor kitchen the place to be include features such as wood-fired pizza ovens, party pavilions, outdoor refrigerated drawers, warming drawers, dishwashers, outdoor fireplaces, and meat smokers!

Add Value to Your Home

Your outdoor kitchen can also put some cash in your pocket in terms of home equity. Outdoor kitchens can bring a return on investment of easily 100% or even more. This is a value that is multi-layered and will increase the value of your home over time.

Reduce Indoor Smoke and Strong Smells

Outdoor kitchens have utility value beyond just cooking. They can help those with aromatic sensitivities, skin allergies, or air-borne food allergies. This can also apply to cigar and cigarette smoke, especially when entertaining. Additionally, you have the ability to add in features such as outdoor fans or air purifiers, which will further reduce smoke, strong smells, and allergens.

Let’s Build Your Outdoor Kitchen

If you’re ready to take your backyard to the next level with an amazing outdoor kitchen, Wildwood Landscape wants to help. Contact us today to build your dream entertaining paradise.  

Author Wildwood Landscape 0 Comments
Categories Gardening, Hardscaping

We Predict These 3 Landscaping Trends for 2022

With the last few years finding most of us spending an increased amount of time at home, many Americans are turning their attention to expanding and improving their outdoor living spaces. And while some outdoor entertaining and gardening emerged as pandemic hobbies, interest in outdoor living is expected to continue into 2022.

Here are 3 trends you’ll see outdoors this year: 

More Functional Growing SpaceWhile not everyone has the luxury of a large backyard suitable for growing, it is still possible to create the garden of your dreams with strategic use of space. Urban homeowners and renters are finding creative ways to enjoy gardening without permanently changing their landscaping or taking up precious square footage in their yards.

Raised gardening beds are a popular option for urban landscapes since they do not require any existing greenspace, which can be rare for urban homes. Garden beds can be constructed out of wood and filled with the appropriate type of soil. This is a great strategy for renters since they are not permanently fixed.

In addition to raised beds, vertical gardens are a great way to maximize growing without taking up space. In vertical gardens, plants are grown upward using trellises or other structures. They can be great options for urban yards with fences. 

Sustainable Gardening

Environmental concerns are on the rise and incorporating sustainability into gardening will be popular in 2022. Gardening sustainably includes considering the ecosystem in addition to aesthetics when planning your garden. Choosing plants native to the local climate and soil conditions helps eliminate the need for excess water and fertilizer. Additionally, native plants can help support pollination which is essential for the ecosystem.

The coming year may also see a reduction in the use of gas-powered gardening equipment that contributes to air and noise pollution. As an alternative, many homeowners are turning to more hardscaping, such as brick and stone, or sustainable turf that does not require mowing and trimming like grass does. These low-maintenance options also make it easy to have an enjoyable outdoor space without time-consuming upkeep.

Home-grown Ingredients

Another popular trend for outdoor living spaces is home-growing cooking ingredients like produce and herbs. Not only does this give growers more control over the quality of ingredients going into their food, but it can also help them feel more connected to their contribution to the meal. Additionally, growing ingredients at home and harvesting as needed can drastically cut down on food waste.

Home-growing herbs like mint, basil, or rosemary can easily be grown in containers or raised beds and are a good option for novice growers. Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and kale take a little more time and attention but are a great way to start hobby gardening. They can be grown directly in the soil or in containers or beds, which makes them versatile for all types of outdoor spaces.

Ready to Revamp Your Outdoor Space?

If you are ready for an on-trend outdoor space, Wildwood Landscaping is here to help. Request a quick and easy quote today.

Author Wildwood Landscape 2 Comments on We Predict These 3 Landscaping Trends for 2022
Categories Hardscaping

What Is the Average Size and Cost of Residential Inground Swimming Pools?

What’s the average size of a residential in-ground swimming pool? What should you look to spend to install one? To answer these questions, we first need to answer what is “average” since there are so many factors and variations that would change our answer. The “average” inground pool size and cost are incredibly subjective depending on the space available and your budget. However, most pool experts would agree that the average size of a rectangular pool is between 10-20 feet for smaller inground pools and 20-40 feet for bigger ones, with an average cost between $28,000 and $55,000 This is a pretty big range so let’s take a look at what “average” might mean in different contexts. 

What Exactly Is “Average”?

Average can mean a lot of things especially when it comes to what the average cost of a residential swimming pool is. This heavily depends on what it is exactly that you want out of your contractor. More often than not contractors will give you a sample book that you’re able to choose from. The more water features, the deeper the pool, etc. the more it will cost. Don’t even get us started on the different pool shapes you can choose from. If you can dream it, we can build it. 

Another determining factor in pool cost is the location. Do you live in a big city? There’s a good chance you have less space for a pool than say someone out in the country. So keep that in mind when choosing how big you want the size of your inground pool to be. 

The last big factor on average cost is the intended use of the pool. Are you a couple of grandparents building an inground pool for your grandkids? Then your pool will likely be smaller and shallow, giving your kids more room to play. Did you just buy a house and you’re looking to build a pool to entertain your guests? Then the size will likely be much bigger and deeper as it’s intended for adults. 

Average Pool Capacity 

Another factor that often goes unnoticed when it comes to residential in-ground pools is the capacity of the pool. Capacity is directly related to not only the cost of filling the pool but also the time and maintenance required. As a general rule of thumb, the bigger the pool’s capacity the more maintenance it will take. Pool cleaning, the cost of machines that filter the water, and the cost of chemicals can build up. It’s important to keep in mind the long-term costs of what goes into keeping your inground pool safe to swim in when talking to your contractor and choosing what creative shape you want the pool to be. 

Speaking of Contractors…

One factor surrounding residential inground pools we haven’t mentioned yet is the landscaping around the pool. A key part of having a pool that will impress is having the landscaping to match. Luckily for you, Wildwood Landscape is here to take that off your hands. We are a team of award-winning landscape experts that will turn your backyard into the getaway of your dreams. Contact us today to see how we can help. 

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