Bring the Outdoors Home

News items pertaining to landscape design & build services, including plant installations, design services and hardscaping.

28 Mar 2022

Deer-Tolerant Plantings for New Landscapes | Sylvan Gardens Plant Guides

Perhaps more than weather, pests and disease, deer present some of the greatest challenges for keeping a home landscape healthy and undisturbed.

As the pressures of habitat loss and urban sprawl continue to press into formerly wild areas, homeowners increasingly find that deer are a persistent presence in the landscape. In Pittsburgh, deer populations are great and their comfort with people increases as development increases around them.

It is important to note that there is no such thing as a plant that will be safe from deer in all conditions. The more their habitats decrease, the more likely they are to explore previously unattractive food options. Food preference can be affected by the availability (or lack of) more palatable options, seasonal availability, weather conditions and their nutritional needs.

That’s not to say that deer are an impossible problem. Selective planting can be a great alternative to unsightly fencing and expensive repellants. Lucky for homeowners, there is a wide range of deer-tolerant plantings that fit any range of uses or spaces in the landscape. When combined with seasonal fencing and repellants, a deer-tough landscape can be created for any home.

Browse our selection of deer-tolerant plants below, and find out which might be right for creating resilience in your landscapes.

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23 Aug 2020
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Living Walls | 8 Large Privacy Plants for Natural Barriers

At its best, outdoor living combines architectural structures with elements of the natural world. When looking to create privacy in urban or suburban outdoor settings, ‘living walls’ make a great natural alternative to fencing and other privacy structures.

Evergreen trees make for great privacy plants, and these medium-to-large selections can be used both in suburban settings and even in larger, rural applications. Check out the following large evergreens for living walls, and learn more about each with our Plant Profiles.

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10 Jan 2020
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2020 Landscaping Trends | New Outdoor Design Ideas for Your Home

The new year is a time for personal resolutions. It’s also a great time to make resolutions for your landscape. Breeze into the new growing season with the newest design and planting ideas by checking out the top 2020 landscaping trends according to green industry professionals.

Eco-Friendly Landscapes

Sustainable design is working it’s way into every industry, and it’s on the mind of more consumers than ever. Landscaping lends itself to sustainable design naturally, but there are still outdated designs than can be improved with new and natural approaches.READ MORE

31 Jan 2019

Five Reasons to Start Your Green Industry Career Today

We all look for the same things in a new job. But what do you look for in a career? If you’ve never considered landscaping before, or are looking to make moves within the market, make this your time to start a new green industry career.

Employers are hiring and new contracts are in no short supply. The work is there for everyone — but not every company has the workers they need.

Now more than ever, landscaping companies are ready to grow. Here are five ways you can grow your green industry career with them.

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04 Sep 2018
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Hot Weather Plant Care Tips for Your Landscape

Summer is hanging on tight, and that means added stress to the plants in your landscape. Providing the right hot weather plant care is critical to keeping things healthy through this tough part of the growing season.

Too much heat, too little water, too much wind, not enough mulch — the list of hot weather plant care needs is perhaps greater than any other season. The fluctuating temperatures and rainfalls we’ve seen all year have only complicated things.

If you fear that your landscape plants might be falling victim to late-summer heat, keep everything healthy by looking for the telltale signs of heat stress and dealing with them properly.READ MORE

01 Feb 2018
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Rain Garden Basics For Your Home

A growing trend in the modern landscape is the rain garden. These purposeful planting beds are designed to help stem runoff after heavy storms or control problem wet spots. They also serve as more natural drainage alternatives to french drain or other mechanical fixes.

A good rain garden is environmentally-friendly first and foremost, but provides additional appeal to your landscape in unexpected places.READ MORE

31 Jan 2018

Landscaping and Home Value: How Much Is It Worth?

Landscaping and home value go hand-in-hand. A sharp landscape will boost your home’s curb appeal. It will also boost your property value.

But by how much?

There are a few ways to increase the value of your home with landscaping and outdoor elements. Some are worth more than others. Maximizing your home value with landscape elements takes a combination of design, maintenance and practicality.

Is the investment worth it? Big projects always seem daunting, but a healthy, vibrant landscape can be worth much more than the cost to install it.

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26 Jan 2018

2018 Landscaping Trends For Your Home

For most landscaping companies, the early season isn’t just time for spring cleanups and new hires — it’s also time to start planning for the year ahead. And before our schedules fill up, you’ll want to start think about the 2018 landscaping trends you’ll want for your home this season.READ MORE

22 Oct 2015

We’re an Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner for 2017

We’re proud to announce we’re an Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner for 2017!

Super Service Awards are given only to the top A-rated regional companies in their field and we’re happy to have been named to that group for the third straight year.

Angie’s List has been an invaluable resource for our company. We’ve met a number of great clients through Angie’s List, and some of our best designs and projects have come to life because of it.

2018 has continued to bring us new clients through the site, and we’re happy to be able to continue working with new homeowners all over Pittsburgh.

But since you’re already here…

You can set up a consultation or request a landscape proposal right through our site! Follow the button below to request your consultation. We’ll get back to you shortly, and hope to work with you to create or maintain an award-winning landscape.

You can also learn more about us by browsing the site. We’ve got a number of galleries covering our work in landscape design & installation, commercial & residential maintenance and other landscape services, and our service pages detail the range of landscape programs we provide.

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