Landscaping has progressed from something to look at. Such as a clean tidy yard with sod and planting, to a desire to also enjoy your landscaping. It now includes more than ever, outdoor living areas. What exactly is outdoor living? It includes patios, outdoor kitchens, enclosed and roofed structures, secret gardens, gazebos, spas, and entertainment areas.
Over the last 5 years, outdoor living has become a lifestyle that the landscape industry is taken to heart. Even the smallest landscaping projects now consider adequate patio space to entertain at least immediate family and friends.
In the Pacific Northwest, there is a huge desire to head outside once the temperatures reach that magical 60 degree mark. BBQ’s get dusted off and fired up. We all start looking for spring bulbs that seem to instantly show their magical blooms. All the deciduous plants show there different shades of greens and textures. I love the idea of outdoor living, and welcome the outdoor time on the deck, or strolling my garden, planting vegetables and mostly the start of a new warmer season. Get ready here comes outdoor living at it’s best.
For professional certified landscape construction experts give Woody’s a call at 360-687-1882.
Serving all your outdoor landscaping needs in Vancouver Washington and Portland Oregon.
Landscaping is the True Green Industry. Here are a few facts from the American Society of Arborists.
As you read these facts think how many trees landscaping companies plant in a year in the USA. Are we contributing to cleaner air? Are we reducing noise pollution and erosion?
. Trees keep our air supply fresh by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
. In one year, an acre of trees can absorb as much carbon as is produced by a car driven up to 8700 miles.
. Trees provide shade and shelter, reducing yearly heating and cooling costs by 2.1 billion dollars.
. Trees cut down noise pollution by acting as sound barriers and sound absorbers.
. Tree roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
. Tress improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain, sleet, and hail, as well as reduce storm run-off.
. Trees provide food and shelter for wildlife.
. Trees located along streets act as a glare and reflection control.
. The death of one 70-year old tree would return over three tons of carbon to the atmosphere.
Landscaping is a very natural approach to carbon reduction. It is sustainable. It is the cheapest and best source of supplying clean air, and it just keeps growing.
The landscape contractor in Vancouver WA and Portland OR area with a green thumb.
At Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc. we are proud to serve the following areas in South West Washington. We offer the finest skills in design build landscape construction. Dig a little deeper and see what we can offer you in:
Vancouver Washington
Battle Ground Washington
La Center Washington
Ridgefield Washington
Felida Washington
Camas Washington
Washougal Washington
Longview Washington
Kelso Washington
Brush Prairie Washington
Hockingson Washington
Hardscape: the manmade part of the grounds surrounding a building, as paved areas or statues.
Hardscape: structures (as fountains, benches, or gazebos) that are incorporated into a landscape
Hardscape, or “hardscaping” consists of the inanimate elements of landscaping, especially any masonry work or woodwork. For instance, stone walls, concrete or brick patios, tile paths, wooden decks and wooden arbors would all be considered part of the hardscape. But by extension, anything used in landscaping that is not part of the softscape can be considered a hardscape element, including home accents such as water fountains and, yes, even pink flamingoes!
Hardscape, Or Hard Landscape, Forms The “bones” of a garden. It is comprised of permanent, physical structures, whether they be the old stone walls, terraces and pathways, water features and or woodwork.
Hardscape: The part of a building’s grounds consisting of structures, such as patios, retaining walls, and walkways, made with hard materials.
Hardscaping:The installation of non-plant features in the landscape. These include features such as: walls, walks, driveways, curbs, patios, pools, tennis courts, etc.
So we all know what hardscaping is right?
It’s also the bones to great landscaping.
At Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc., we have been known for our superior hardscaping skills even before it became the noun it is today.
Serving Vancouver Washington and Portland Oregon as a proud green industry landscape contractor.
First off for most of you. Get a landscape plan from a qualified landscape designer or landscape architect before you consider softscaping your home.. Your probably saying, ” I can design my own landscaping. Thank you very much”.
To be truthful, many homeowners cannot design their own landscaping. I see planting mistakes all the time. Leylandii cypress planted in small yards to serve as a screen from the neighbors.
Yes they grow fast. Too fast for small yards and it only takes a few years to recognize that Leylandii Cypresses may of been not the best of trees to use. How about that cute little Deadora Cedar next to your home? Not a good choice either. They want to grow 100-200′ tall. Lots of homeowners get cute plants that were purchased cheaply and they turn into disasters. I also see fantastic plants but in the wrong locations. Plants for the sun planted in shade. Plants that don’t like wet feet, planted in wet areas. With a proper landscape design these potential problems, are not even a thought.
Many homeowners don’t understand about soil preparation either. Landscape designers will help clarify what must be done. At Woody’s we always make sure the soil is scarified, adding fertilizer, lime if needed, and install organic mulch incorporated into the existing soil. This is one area that is probably the bones of good softscaping or landscaping and should not be downplayed.
Since irrigation is under the definition of softscaping, I should touch on that also. A irrigation plan or at least a qualified landscape contractor should be considered for your softscaping. What’s going to keep the landscaping healthy in the dry months. With a cheap or inadequate irrigation system, dry spots will appear in the sod and plants may die. Head to head coverage with quality products is great insurance for a good beginning to your irrigation system. Of course the knowledge of what a good irrigation system is, helps quite a bit.
There is nothing wrong with installing your own landscaping, but treat it as an investment. Both of your time, which you don’t want to waste and to the project itself, which you want to enjoy for years to come.
Woody’s Custom Landscaping serving Vancouver Washington and Portland Oregon with quality landscaping.
It used to be a landscaper could install some sod, put in a irrigation system, plant some shrubs and call it good. A landscaper in this day and age must be able to not only install softscaping, but also be proficient in hardscaping, marketing, accounting, human relations, and be ever so aware of the fact we are the true green industry. It is not any thing like the days when I landscaped in California 20 to 30 years ago. It just seemed so much simpler then. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining just pointing out some facts. To be a upward moving company, you must really be on your toes all the time. At Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc. we encourage all our employees to become certified in paver installation, retaining wall installation and become a Certified Landscape Technician through PLANET. That’s a great starting place but is only just the beginning. Most of our suppliers offer one day seminars on a great many topics. Examples are smart irrigation, led low voltage lighting, new pond installation and filtration technology,outdoor rooms, outdoor kitchens, landscape masonry, and the list goes on and on. We have at least some of our employees attend as many as we can. We are also active in garden shows in Portland Oregon and Vancouver Washington.
For myself, I have entered into the new social media and networking. Facebook, blogging about landscaping, and Twitter. They are fun and I believe rewarding to the company, but do take up quite a bit of time. Please take the time to become a fan or twitter me. The icons are below this blog.
It is amazing how fast the world is going now, and keeping up on Twitter and Facebook are challenging.
To be a better than just a good landscaper, it is very important to be a marketeer, quality driven, service oriented, productive, and a true green industry professional. We are proud of the fact that we are striving to become all of those, plus more.
Landscaping has become more complex than in days gone by, but I believe Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc. is keeping up with the times and is the new definition of landscaping.
If your looking for excellant landscape contractors, take a look at our web site.
We are very excited to receive a Distinction Award from the Washington Association Of Landscape Professionals for the Kelgard Residence in the Vancouver area, Washington. The award was given at the 2009 Enviromental Landscape Award ceremony 1-18-2010. The distinction Award was for outdoor lighting. All the lights on the project were led low voltage lights which use quite a bit less energy than the incandescent low voltage lighting. In the past three years or so the lighting companies have really made a huge improvement on the quality of the lighting.
On the Kelgard project we installed over 145 low voltage lights, ranging from step lights, down lights, up lights, path lights, directiona lights, wall lights,l and even lights for her Japanese pagodas. It was a pleasure to work with Mrs. Kelgard and we thank her for allowing us to enter her project for the awards.
We are thrilled to receive a Grand Award from the Washington Association Of Landscape Professionals for the Kelly Residence in the Vancouver area, Washington. The award was given at the 2009 Enviromental Landscape Award ceremony 1-18-2010. The title of the Grand Award was for residential construction over $50,000.00. I want to thank my employees for a job very well done. It was a pleasure to work with Mr. Kelly and want to thank him for doing such a fantastic job on maintenance and letting us enter his landscape for the awards. Vanessa Nagel had a big part to play with most of the landscape design and she deserves praise also. Scott Andrews one of my employees, designed and implemented the Koi pond and front area landscaping.
The job included a new interlocking concrete paver driveway, a beautiful koi pond, low voltage lighting, irrigation, gravel pathways, rock wall, dry creek, soil preperation and planting.
Where quality counts in residential landscape contractors Woody’s is there for you.
If I could only harness the power.
I’d be the man of the hour.
To push through winter to spring,
To have all the alarm clocks ring,
The strength of a Crocus flower
The garden shows in the north west seem to have the same power as the Crocus in the limerick, I made up today.. Every one is so ready to think gardens, landscaping, patio projects, and sprucing up the yard. The time has come for winter to end, and give rise to wonderful spring. To be truthful, I am more than ready to get very busy and start building my clients landscape dreams. It has been a dreary winter.
This year we will be working with Gregg and Ellis Landscape Design for the Home and Garden Show and The Better Living Show. Both of them are fantastic landscape designers. The Home and Garden Show is in the middle of February and the Better Living Show is on 3-26 to 3-28 2010. Both shows are also at the Expo in Portland OR.
We also are going to be in the Clark County Home and Idea Fair the fourth week of April.
All the shows should give great landscaping ideas and spark that feeling of spring.
We hope to see you there.
A little video of our display last year titled, “Asian Fusion”.
Installing a pond is great fun for all of us at Woody’s Custom Landscaping. It really doesn’t matter how good the pond looks though, if the planting does not give the pond justice for it’s existence.
Most hardscaping, which a pond is considered hardscaping, can not come alive until the planting is done. I personally think that it takes a couple of years, to truly appreciate a pond even with great planting.
I would never consider a pond or water feature completed until it is planted. Planting seems to soften the rocks and even the water. I love the look of ground covers growing into the stream bed and even the pond. Sometimes we get clients that only want us to install the pond or water feature. I can’t tell them enough that the water feature may be the most expensive item to install, but the planting is the most important. I always say get a landscape designer to make a plan, sketch, or at least a list of plants, if you aren’t going to have us install the plantings. How else can you achieve that natural ambiance between nature and your landscaping. For all your landscaping needs in Vancouver WA and Portland OR, think Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc.
Landscaping | woodys January 29, 2010 | 
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