At  April Showers, we understand that the economic times have been hard on everyone over the past couple of years.  We are offering two new friendly sprinkler/irrigation packages for every budget.  April Showers has brought back the mid-season check as we have found that it is the best way to maintain your system over the course of the year.

This year, in New Jersey,  we have experienced a very hot, dry summer.  There are actually some plants that thrive in this heat and are drought tolerant. 

Live Oak Landscape would like to share with you some of these plants if you are having a hard time  keeping some of your plants alive with this unpredictable weather.

Xeriscaping and xerogardening refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation. It is promoted in regions that do not have easily accessible, plentiful, or reliable supplies of fresh water, and is gaining acceptance in other areas as climate patterns shift.

The term xeriscape comes from “xeros” the Greek word for dry. Combined with scape which literally means a picture or a view of a type of scene, we have the term for a dry landscape. Actually, xeriscaping can and often is very attractive, quite lush and extremely colorful.

Xeriscaping utilizes several principles that make the design unique and water-wise. First and foremost, the design should embrace the concept of an oasis. The cool, lush areas that require the highest use of water should be placed near the area where one lives. The further away from the oasis, the less water consumptive the landscape.

Our next Live Oak Landscape blog will talk about these important plants and how we use them in your landscape design.

We are almost finished with this awesome project in Scotch Plains, New Jersey!  Live Oak Landscape Architects, Mike Sidlowski and John Baranello take you through the last phase of hardscaping and the custom exterior of the hot tub………..next blog will be the beautiful landscape plantings!

Live Oak Landscape Architect, John Baranello talks about work done during this past week.  The Bluestone patio is now complete and Live Oak Landscape Contractors are now putting in the foundation for the hot tub.  There has been a design change – 2 columns will now be the entry way into the seating area, fire pit and patio.Next week will almost be the finish of this beautiful project….to be continued….

This project is moving right along and the clients are very happy with the progress!  Mike Sidlowski and John Baranello, Live Oak Landscape Architects, discuss the new plans for the new entry to the pool area.  The bluestone patio has been installed.  John matched the new patio brick with existing brick from the  clients home extending the architecture of thehouse and  blending  old architect features with the new design.  Week 4 coming up!

In this video, Mike Sidlowski and John Baranello, Live Oak Landscape Architects, discuss a new re-design of the patio.  The Client will be putting in a pool  in addition to the patio, hot tub and fire pit so John will design a new entry way. The bluestone  patio will be laid down today and we will again visit the site next week.

The Design on the left shows  the rectangles and curvilinear pattern used for the formal design. These are pictures at the beginning of the Design/Build project by Live Oak Landscape Contractors for the formal patio, hot tub and fire pit construction to go along with our video.  We will visit the site each week and will blog with videos and pictures- so stay with us!

Live Oak Landscape Contractors has just started a new construction project in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.  We will be video taping  each week in order show how they begin and end the landscape process.  Mike Sidlowski and John Baranello, landscape architects, discuss their  clients vision for this new formal patio, hot tub and fire pit.

Live Oak Landscape Contractors is a Design/Build company.  We do it all!  Gardens are places of constant change – sun and shadows – seasonal plantings growing and then fading….and then when you  factor in contours of the land for grading and drainage, designing a garden  can be overwhelming!  This is where Live Oak Landscape Architects step  in. We start with a Base Map Preparation -house plans, property survey and topographic survey from which we are able to draw a base map of the site to scale.

Site Inventory and Analysis is the next step.  We  catalogue and then analyse important existing site conditions that may influence the design such as topography, soil drainage, vegetation, climate, utilities, building codes, zoning ordinances and surrounding neighborhood.

Live Oak Landscape Architects now start the design phase which is the actual design based on client interview and the site inventory and analysis. Functional diagrams is the first attempt at organizing the overall arrangement of the design on paper – usually freehand bubbles depicting size, proportion and configuration. From this comes the Preliminary Design which converts the bubbles into general shapes and character.  This is presented to the client.  We then move on to the Master Plan , Construction Documentation, Layout Plan, Grading Plan, Planting Plan and  Construction  Details. And, finally, Implementation!

Live Oak Landscape Maintenance can provide a maintenance schedule to keep your landscape looking beautiful the entire year.

How do you go about expressing  individuality for your garden?  Live Oak Landscape Architects start your design by asking you its primary purpose – do you want a quiet, secluded sanctuary or will your garden be used primarily for outdoor entertaining? Do you want your garden to be a source for flowers or a wildlife garden of mostly native plants?  Does the garden need to take into consideration children, play areas and pets? Do you want a themed garden such as a formal, informal, Japanese inspired, Mediterranean, English or woodland garden?

The  first consideration should be to keep your garden in harmony to the style of your house. Your taste, sense of beauty and ideals are the stylistic influences that will make the garden distinctly yours. Live Oak Landscape Architects and Garden  Designers will create just the garden you are looking for.