Is an Automatic Irrigation System for you?

Tired of a lifeless looking landscape? Ever wonder what it would be like to have a green lawn without the hassle of having to water it regularly? Or on the other hand, have you stuck to a watering schedule only to have your plants look yellow and lifeless anyway? There is a solution for you! An automatic irrigation system is a home improvement project worth considering.


Maintain a beautifully healthy landscape all season long...

Your system will deliver the right amount of water according to the specific needs of your landscape to prevent drying out or even drowning your plant life. The system can be adjusted to accomodate seasonal and weather changes to ensure the beauty of your landscape is maintained.

Conserve water...

When an irrigation system is properly installed and maintained, it will use less water than watering by hand. Also, with an addition of an inexpensive shut-off device that automatically detects rain or moisture. This will allow you to take advantage of nature's free watering service!

Save time...

An automatic system will do all the watering for you! Start saving time right away--in only the first few months after installation you'll have saved yourself hours of work.

Save Money...

By conserving water and keeping your plants from dying unnecessarily you will be able to keep extra cash in your walleet rather than dumping it into the cost of water bills or replacement plants.

The Benefits of a Spring Clean-up for your Landscape

It's SPRING--the time of year when your landscape is on your mind more than ever! You expect to see everything fresh, green, and blooming right about now...but is it? Contrary to what you may expect, your garden is not going to be able to make the transition from winter to spring without a little dirty work on your part. Brian Hammond, our maintenance manager, discusses the importance of a spring clean-up for the health and beauty of your landscape. Each of the steps he outlines below will give your yard the extra help it needs to be healthy and thrive this season into the summer. Edge your beds... Edging delineates the borders of mulch beds to create a clean separation between lawn and mulched areas. Completings this task creates a clean look and helps to prevent grass from encroaching into your mulch beds and vice versa. By keeping areas of your yard--lawn, planting beds, walkways etc.--separate and distinct from each other you will add definition and create the 'cared for' look with less work to maintain it. Prune... At this time of year it is very important to prune shrubs and sucker growth on trees as well as cut back any perennials. Quite simply, the task will restore the natural and intended shapes of your shrubs and other plants. However, more importantly, this chore will remove any damaged or diseased branches and allow for new fuller growth. Want a blooming landscape? Pruning actually stimulates flowering! Apply Pre-emergent... Pre-emergent application is a step completed prior to mulching that helps to keep weed growth to a minimum. The pre-emergent acts as a barrier so weeds cannot germinate. Keep in mind that this process does not ensure a weed-free bed. Weeds will still grow; however, their growth rate will be reduced to a more manageable level.

Clearwater Awarded Houzz's 'Best of Remodeling'

Clearwater Landscape & Nursery of Frederick, MD Receives Houzz’s 2012 ‘Best Of Remodeling’ Award

First-Ever Survey & Analysis of More than 1.2 Million Members Reveals Top-Rated Professionals and Current Design Trends from Across the Country

 

[Frederick, Maryland] --March 20, 2012 – Clearwater Landscape of Frederick, MD has been awarded “Best of Remodeling” 2012 by Houzz, the leading online platform for residential remodeling and design. The landscape design | build company was chosen by the more than 1.2 million registered members of the Houzz community.

The Houzz “Best of Remodeling” award for 2012 is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction award winners are based on homeowner members who rated their experience working with remodeling professionals in 12 categories ranging from architects, and interior designers to contractors and other residential remodeling professionals. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the 1.2 million members, also known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 16.5 million professional images to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site and iPad/iPhone app.

“With 3.5 million monthly unique users and 80 million monthly page views, Houzz has rapidly become the largest community of active remodelers, providing homeowners and design enthusiasts with first-hand advice from Houzzers who have been through the renovating and decorating process,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of marketing for Houzz. “This is a real stamp of approval for Clearwater from the Houzz community and we’re thrilled to welcome them to this elite group of ‘Best Of’ winners.”
With Houzz, homeowners can identify not only the top-rated professionals like Clearwater, but also those whose work visually aligns with their own design goals. Homeowners can also evaluate professionals by contacting them directly on the Houzz platform, asking questions about their work and evaluating their responses to questions from others in the Houzz community.




About Houzz
Houzz (http://www.houzz.com/) is the leading online platform for home remodeling, providing inspiration, information, advice and support for homeowners and home improvement professionals through its website and mobile applications. Houzz features the largest residential design database in the world, articles written by design experts, product recommendations, a vibrant community powered by social tools, and information on more than 1.2 million remodeling and design professionals worldwide who can help turn ideas into reality.

Clearwater Announced "Frederick's Best" 2012

Frederick Magazine recently published it's annual 'Best of Frederick' issue, and Clearwater was voted "Best Landscaping Company" for the 4th consecutive year! Thankyou to all of you Frederick Magazine readers that support and recognize our commitment to quality design and installation.

With the listing of the winner, this flattering piece was written:



Opening spread for 'Best of Frederick 2012



Regular readers of Frederick Magazine may recall the cover of the July 2011 issue, which featured a stunning backyard created by Clearwater. Even those who may not be looking for that level of luxury know that Clearwater offers thoughtul, environmentally friendly designs by landscape experts who know that the first step instellar design begins with listening carefully to the client's vision.

Frederick Magazine, Feb. 2012

Thanks again to all of you who voted us Frederick's Best, we are very honored to hold the admiration of our hometown!

Photo Contest for a chance to Win a FREE Tree!

Winter Blues? Us too...Summer Vacation Photo Contest

We're bummed out by the as of yet snow-less winter. So, we are willing to offer a prize to whoever uploads the summer photo that cheers us up the most! Whether it be a photo of you and your family enjoying the beach, or your own pool, let's see 'em! The winner gets a FREE flowering tree!

Visit our facebook page to enter and try your chances at winning a free tree!

Sunset @ Indian Rocks Beach (downshore from Clearwater, FL).

Add Winter Interest to your Outdoor Space

The view from your window doesn't have to be dreary and barren! There are many things you homeowners can do to add visual interest to your yard for the winter months. With a little imagination and planning, you can actually enjoy looking out your window this season!

Landscape Elements

People often overlook winter-hardy plants as a viable option to add bright colors to their planting beds and instead opt to merely regret the passing of summer and fall color. There is no need to wish away the winter when there are such plants as Winterberry Holly, Heavenly Bamboo, Witch Hazel or Snow Roses to bring your landscape back to life:

Holly can make a sturdy and colorful hedge. Its strong green leaves and bright red berries are festive throughout the cold seasons.

Witch Hazel is a small tree that produces an explosion of long-lasting fragrant, yellow blossoms in December.

Hellebores (also known as Christmas or snow roses) produce plentiful white, pink or red blooms as early as January.

The semi-evergreen, delicate foliage of the Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina Domestica) shows different colors every season, turning bright crimson in winter.



You can even bring the warmth and beauty of winter plantings closer by creating container plantings for your deck or front porch--a decorative urn filled with dogwood branches, rose hips, milkweed pods, sedum, hydrangea and ornamental grasses will brighten your patio all season long!

Patio Heating Solutions to Extend your Outdoor Living Season

Winter tends to make us feel trapped, as we spend more time indoors. However, we don’t have to feel that way. With recent trends and advances in outdoor living, the ability to enjoy nature year-long isn’t just for the extreme weather outdoorsmen or mild climate dwellers. Portable and permanent outdoor heating options on the market today allow you to easily and comfortably enjoy a cup of hot coffee from your back porch or patio regardless of the season. Outdoor heaters create welcome environments for you and your guests allowing you to utilize your outdoor patio year long.


This outdoor fireplace acts not only as a source of heat on cool nights and winter days, but also
is an architectural focal point that draws attention and creates the feeling of an outdoor 'room'.

Outdoor heaters are available in a variety of sizes and styles, using different fuels, and across a wide range of budgets. One of them is sure to fit your particular needs. When shopping around for an outdoor heater, make sure to consider these needs: how large is the area you are looking to heat? What temperature range are you willing to battle? How many people will be using the heater at a time? Asking yourself these questions will help you determine which type of outdoor heater is ideal for your needs.

Electric heaters: Electric heaters use electricity with halogen elements to produce heat. This option is more efficient than anything else on the market, which makes it the economist’s choice as well as the environmentalist’s due to its zero carbon emissions. These reasons make electric heaters the best option for frequent usage. Electric heaters come in free standing or wall mounted appliances. Mounted heaters are an excellent option for limited spaces, whereas free standing heaters offer portability.

Gas heaters: Gas heaters can use either propane or natural gas and are best for heating large areas because they produce enough energy to heat up to a 15-20 foot radius which is attractive to those with large porches or patios. Most are run on propane gas although a plumber can hook it up to a gas main if you have one. Propane offers more portability than natural gas, so make sure you consider your needs prior to purchasing. However, keep in mind that is at or below 40 °F, propane starts to liquefy and will not give good performance.

Wood heaters: Available wood heating options can add a significant amount of beauty if you are going for a nostalgic look. Our custom designed and installed fireplaces and fire pits fall into this category and can provide year round enjoyment. Wood is fairly cheap and can be had without too much difficulty. This heating option is a versatile element in any landscape design, as it performs above and beyond its basic purpose. Stay warm during the winter, roast marshmallows during the summer, and enjoy the year round beauty and character that a fireplace or pit adds to your backyard.

Although outdoor heating solutions can prolong the enjoyment of your outdoor living area into the colder month, it is important to keep your expectations realistic. Remember that as the temperature decreases heat loss will increase. This means that on those really cold days, you will have to be within close range in order to stay warm, or sit in a more enclosed space.