Inspired by Nature - The Surrounds Blog

Your dream backyard pool is within your reach! You’ve hired a landscape architect to design the pool and pool landscaping. You’ve answered the essential backyard swimming pool design questions. Your permits have been approved. Now it’s time to bring a pool builder onto the project to begin pool construction. Just be patient....

In Northern Virginia we typically enjoy a long leisurely fall with conditions well suited to pre-winter germination and growth. The yard maintenance and garden care that you do (or don’t do) in the fall has a direct effect on the quality of lawn and garden you will see emerging in the spring. End of Growing Season Yard Maintenance Service Pruning, seeding,...

​So, you want to add a pool to your backyard? That’s great. Not only is a backyard pool a great idea for family fun; it could become the centerpiece of a multi-purpose outdoor environment. A backyard swimming pool design and installation project is also a significant investment that can add immense value to your home, but only if you correctly plan,...

Five Garden Plant Diseases: What they look like and what they do to your plants Of the many types of garden plant diseases, Surrounds garden care specialists say these five are the ones they see most frequently in our Maryland and Northern Virginia gardens: Sooty Mold Powdery Mildew Anthracnose Cankar Needle Cast   Truth is, if you’ve chosen a company...

A lonely swimming pool at the bottom of a steep slope becomes the centerpiece of a richly layered sequence of outdoor living spaces PROJECT SNAPSHOT *Landscape Contractor Association 2024 Grand Award for Landscape Design Build Location: Potomac, Maryland Property Type: 1.5-acre residential property with an existing swimming pool, mature trees, expansive...

The Role of Integrated Pest Management in a Proactive Landscape Maintenance Program Integrated pest management is one of many techniques included on a menu of tasks routinely performed by Surrounds garden management teams when caring for Great Falls Virginia landscapes. Our commitment to best practices and continuing education makes our approach to...

Seeing Beyond All Limitations Once this McLean Virginia couple had completed interior remodeling on their home, their attention turned outdoors. They started to think of backyard design. Although the entire landscape begged for renewal, they originally intended to focus efforts on backyard design because they wanted a private patio for grilling and...

Bad bugs: They disfigure and kill your garden plants Most garden pests like to attack plants under stress when their defenses are down. Kind of like us, when our immune system is stressed we get sick. Holistic garden care services that include regular plant health inspections are the best way to stop emerging infestations before they get out of control.  Our...

Pollinators, Predators, and Pests There are many types of garden insects in Northern Virginia. They fit generally into three categories: Pollinators Predators Pests Which are the beneficial insects? Pollinators and predators. Much like your landscape maintenance provider they are the stewards of your garden. For this article we are going to focus...

Landscapes Designed with Native Plants That Attract Butterflies & Hummingbirds There is a good reason why more and more homeowners are interested in developing pollinator friendly gardens in their landscapes. The thousands of species of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators play an integral role in helping your gardens thrive. And...

Is the front yard just for show? Are investments in curb appeal landscapes frivolous? Let’s think about this. Our landscape architects spend a lot of time developing front yard curb appeal landscapes and “arrival experiences” for our Northern Virginia clientele. However, much of the attention we get from the press goes to our back yard landscapes where...

A thoughtful landscape design inspires a secluded outdoor refuge at a new home on a busy street PROJECT SNAPSHOT  *Landscape Contractor Association 2024 Grand Award for Landscape Design Build Location: Chevy Chase, MarylandProperty Type: Newly built home in an established neighborhoodPrimary Challenges: Side yard exposed to busy Connecticut Avenue,...

How thoughtful design transformed a tiny lot with big constraints Project Snapshot* Location: Historic District – Herndon, Virginia Property Size: ~0.1 acre in-town lot Home Style: Custom farmhouse vernacular Primary Challenge: Small lot with engineered rain garden and historic district restrictions Signature Feature: Flagstone fireplace patio designed...

​Solving a functional design problem beautifully This Alexandria, Virginia residence had an awkward driveway configuration and needed a more inviting front landscape design. Working from a detailed site analysis and evaluation, Surrounds landscape architect Chad Talton worked with the client to identify three points that would be addressed in the design...

Ideally, you would want to work with a residential landscaping service that practices an all-in-one approach. That is, one that fluidly toggles between detailed garden maintenance, preventive hardscape maintenance, and landscape equipment maintenance.  Why? Because an outdoor environment is composed of both “living” and mechanical systems that must...

Does your front yard fall flat when it comes to landscape curb appeal?  ​Consulting with an experienced landscape architect can help you assess your property and determine what combination of plants, trees, and other features can transform your boring front yard landscape into the landscape of your dreams. A professional can also make recommendations...

What’s the difference between a nice landscape and one that makes you stop and stare in awe? Naturally, the artistry of the landscape architect and the finesse of the landscape maintenance team has a significant influence on the effect. But the success of that creative vision and expert care is dependent on how well the architect and maintenance crew...

If you are thinking about taking the leap and investing in front of house landscaping, you’ll want to consider all the angles to be sure you don’t overlook anything that might make your project fall short of your expectations.  It is essential to take an inventory of all the functional and aesthetic characteristics that will form the foundation of your...

Landscapes ideally should appeal to all of the senses—sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. In fact, most of them reach all of our senses in varying degrees. In this article, we are going to focus on sound, specifically, the sound produced by backyard water features such as waterfalls, ponds, and fountains that have been designed into the landscape. In...

Front of house lighting designs tend to emphasize practicality over aesthetics. Most homes come equipped with basic utility lights at the front of the house. That outdoor lighting design will usually include illumination for the entry porch area, a few low to the ground path lights, and a lamp post at the start of the front walkway.  However, if the...