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Commercial property landscaping in Bristow, VA

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What's the difference between landscaping, hardscaping, and softscaping?

What's the difference between landscaping, hardscaping, and softscaping?

When you are deciding on what elements to add to your yard in northern Virginia, there are many options to choose from when it comes to landscaping. When you meet with a landscape company, you may start to hear the terms hardscaping and softscaping as well. While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they are actually different things.

Learn the difference between landscaping, hardscaping, and softscaping so you will know what your landscape experts are talking about when you meet with them to plan your outdoor living space in Haymarket, Bristow, Manassas, and surrounding cities in northern Virginia.


Your grass, shrubs, trees, and any organic materials make up your softscaping.

Softscaping is a term used in the landscape industry that makes up all of the organic materials on your property. In other words, if you hear someone use the word "softscape," they are talking about your lawn, plants, shrubs, trees, flowers, mulch, and other items in your planting beds. Custom softscapes are always designed to complement the rest of your property and are often used to accentuate your hardscaping features.


Anything in your yard that needed to be built or that is inorganic is part of your hardscaping.

Custom paver patio and seating wall built at a Haymarket, VA home.

Essentially, hardscaping means that you are adding in elements that need to be built or that are made up of inorganic materials. These items usually have a long lifespan and need to be installed by professional contractors....

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3 Critical Questions to Ask a Tree Removal Company

3 Critical Questions to Ask a Tree Removal Company

When you decide to hire a company to remove a tree from your property, you need to make sure you are choosing a company that is both reputable and has the proper insurance--otherwise, it can spell disaster for you if something goes wrong on your residential or commercial property.

Learn about three critical questions you should ask a tree removal company in northern Virginia areas such as Manassas, Haymarket, Bristow, and neighboring cities.


1. Do you have the proper insurance and can you provide a certificate?

Ensuring that the tree company you hire has proper insurance in hand is paramount. Do not just ask and take them at their word, either. Make sure they can show you a valid certificate of insurance. As a property owner, you need to protect yourself. Hiring a tree removal company without insurance can be disastrous for you if any of the workers happen to sustain an injury while on your property.

They can sue you for compensation, and your insurance policy can refuse to cover you in this case. So while an uninsured company may provide you with a lower price tag, know that the lower price tag might come with more severe complications and costs down the road.


2. Do you use subcontractors or do the work yourself?

Tree stump being ground down near Haymarket, VA.

Many landscape companies subcontract out certain portions of jobs, including tree removal. When you contact a company to remove a tree from your property, you have chosen them for a reason, whether it be their online...

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Natural Stone or Concrete Pavers: Which Is Better for Patios?

Natural Stone or Concrete Pavers: Which Is Better for Patios?

Adding a custom patio to your property is an exciting decision. It gives you more space for patio furniture, to grill out, and to entertain guests, friends, and family. It can be a big investment and you want to ensure that the patio you choose is right for your family and will last for a while.

Building a patio in Haymarket, Bristow, Manassas, and nearby areas of northern Virginia requires durable materials that can handle all types of weather. Learn if you should choose concrete pavers or flagstone for your new patio.


Concrete pavers come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.

Concrete paver patio design with seating wall near Haymarket, VA.

A custom paver patio will provide you with endless design options. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, as well as many shapes and sizes. With all these choices, you are able to create a beautiful patio that is tailored to your specific property. Choose a color that will complement the exterior of your home, or pick bright colors that we can arrange into an eye-catching pattern for you. if you are concerned with the upfront costs, pavers are cheaper than flagstone or natural stone. Other aspects to consider about choosing a paver patio include:

  • Pavers do need routine maintenance. Generally, your pavers should be sealed and cleaned every 3-5 years depending on the weather and other environmental factors.
  • Pavers can last for 50-100 years. With the right maintenance, the concrete pavers you choose can last for a long time.
  • Pavers will crack...
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Does Landscaping Increase the Value of Your Home in Virginia?

Does Landscaping Increase the Value of Your Home in Virginia?

Owning a home comes with a long list of challenges and things to consider. Should you improve the roof? What about adding a pool? If you do not want to make a large, grandiose adjustment, then maybe consider installing some landscaping elements to your property.

Landscaping projects are beautiful, increase your curb appeal, and are some of the most likely additions to help boost your property's overall value. Find out what types of landscaping can provide the greatest return on investment and add to your northern Virginia's property value in Bristow, Manassas, Haymarket, and other nearby areas.


Custom landscape beds can increase your home's value.

New landscape bed installation with fresh mulch near Bristow, VA.

Adding new landscape beds or renovating your existing ones can really add to your curb appeal, but more importantly, it can increase your home's value. If you are thinking about selling your home at some point, custom landscaping is a great way to differentiate the home from others on the market.

According to Realtor Magazine, landscaping has the potential to add 6-7% onto your home's value.


Planting small or mature trees may add thousands of dollars to your home's sale price.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, planting a tree in front of your home can increase the sale price by a little more than $7,000 on average. Along with that benefit, trees can provide extra shade which helps to cut down on your monthly energy bills. When trees are planted on the...

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5 Critical Lawn/Landscape Tasks You Must Do During the Spring

5 Critical Lawn/Landscape Tasks You Must Do During the Spring

Once the growing season begins in northern Virginia and plants and grass start to come out of winter dormancy, it's time to start maintaining your lawn and landscaping with mowing, lawn care, and much more.

Learn about five tasks that are critical for your lawn and landscaping in spring in areas such as Bristow, Manassas, Haymarket, and surrounding communities in Virginia.


1. Clean up your landscape beds by pulling weeds, trimming plants, and more.

Landscape bed with dark mulch and weed control in Haymarket, VA.

One of the most important steps is to prepare your landscaping for the spring. By removing debris that accumulated over the winter, your plants will be able to breathe. It is also important to trim and prune your plants at this time to shape them and get rid of any overgrowth, but note that flowering shrubs will need to be pruned after they have bloomed. It's also key to pull any weeds and spray for them.


2. Schedule lawn mowing services to cut your lawn every other week.

Routine lawn mowing should be done everyother week. By scheduling these services, you'll know that your grass will be well taken care of throughout the growing season. This keeps your grass blades at the proper height for maximum photosynthesis and ensures it will be in top condition.


3. Apply the first round of pre-emergent weed control and fertilizer treatments.

Home lawn in Bristow, VA with weed control treatment.

Start off your lawn care for the year by applying the first round of pre-emergent weed control and fertilizer treatments. These will...

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What Times of the Year Your Yard Needs Lawn Care Treatments

What Times of the Year Your Yard Needs Lawn Care Treatments

As a property owner, you may be under the impression that your lawn only requires fertilization in the midst of summer. The opposite is actually true: your lawn can benefit from year-round lawn care treatments.

Our lawn care company offers comprehensive fertilization services for residential and commercial lawns in Manassas, Haymarket, and Bristow, VA. We have created a 9-step lawn care program to help your lawn look its best no matter the season.

You must space your fertilization and weed control schedule out properly. You don't want to overload your grass with fertilizer at some points during the year and completely neglect it at other times. Check out what times of the year your lawn needs lawn care treatments and how our team can help.


Your lawn requires weed control treatment in the spring to control crabgrass.

In Virginia, crabgrass is one of the most prevalent weeds in the spring. In early spring, our professional weed control company applies a pre-emergent crabgrass control treatment to curb its growth as much as possible.

As the soil temperature begins to heat up later in the spring, we will apply a post-emergent crabgrass control treatment. This is meant to kill off any crabgrass that may take root in your lawn, as this pesky weed thrives very well in warm soil conditions. We also apply a fertilization treatment in spring, both early and late in the season.


In the summer, we introduce insect, grub, and nutsedge...

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Why Do Clovers Grow in Your Yard?

Why Do Clovers Grow in Your Yard?

Whenever weeds begin to take over a yard, it can be frustrating for the property owner to try and figure out what happened. Usually, there are certain causes that lawn care professionals can pinpoint. Certain weeds such as clover may grow because of other underlying reasons.

Here at Patriot Lawn and Landscape, we help you combat clover and other weeds through our lawn care and health services in areas such as Haymarket, Bristow, Manassas, and nearby areas. Learn more about clover and the reasons it may be in your yard.


Clover may be cheap to grow but has several disadvantages.

Some property owners love the idea of clover lawns. Clover is cheap to grow, resistant to droughts, and doesn't require fertilizer applications to thrive. However, other property owners try to avoid it because of disadvantages such as:

  • It stains more easily than other kinds of grass do
  • It's a short-lived perennial that requires reseeding every couple of years
  • On its own, it isn't durable enough for areas that experience heavy traffic

Rather than a functional and aesthetically-pleasing groundcover, most people view clover as an annoying weed that invades their lawn.


Your soil requires aeration and seeding services.

Clover thrives off of nitrogen. It takes in this essential nutrient from the air rather than from the soil. Because clover doesn't need nitrogen from the soil it's growing in, it tends to grow in lawns that don't have a lot of...

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Why Your Business Needs Snow Removal Services

Why Your Business Needs Snow Removal Services

As we are in the midst of winter, it's important to be aware of how snow accumulation can impede your business's operations and hinder its success. There are many reasons to consider hiring a professional snow removal company for your commercial property.

Our team offers snow removal services in Haymarket, Bristow, Manassas, and the surrounding Virginia areas that increase customer and employee safety and minimize profit and time loss. 


Our snow removal services reduce your expenses.

Removing snow yourself takes a significant amount of time and energy. Plus, you have to invest in equipment like snow blowers and shovels. Some large areas may even require a plow. Another important part of snow removal is access to salt. Salt can be expensive and hard to find because of its high demand in the wintertime. 

Recruiting our regular snow removal services is a smart move for your business. We reduce your expenses with one cost that includes the necessary labor and access to snow removal equipment. We always have the supplies on hand that we need to keep your property snow-free. 

We are experts at what we do, so we ensure your property is efficiently accessible even in the harshest of winters.


Minimize customer and employee injuries with our snow removal services.

Thousands of people get injured every year due to slipping on snow and ice. Common injuries associated with slipping on snow include:

    ...
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4 Ways to Protect Your Plants from Frostbite

4 Ways to Protect Your Plants from Frostbite

Before you step outside in winter, you make sure you are bundled up and prepared for the cold—but what about your plants? Frost can harm plants and potentially kill them off, depending on how cold it gets.

Make sure your plants in Bristow, Haymarket, Manassas, and nearby areas are protected from the cold with our tips to protect plants from frostbite.


Why Frost Is Bad for Your Plants

Your plant is a living, breathing thing and when it gets too cold, internal processes such as fluid movement and photosynthesis are impeded. Ice crystals form within the cellular level and stop water flow to the rest of the plant. When a plant is damaged by frost, its leaves will turn black or dark brown after they shrivel.

Each type of plant experiences this at different temperatures. When you live in an area with a cold winter, it's important to try and plant "hardy" plants that are more resistant to freezing. "Tender" plants, such as citrus, tropical plants, bougainvillea, and more, will be injured or killed by frost unless they are dug up and brought inside to a warmer environment.

Once temperatures drop below freezing, make sure your plants are protected for the cold weather.


1. Make Sure Your Soil Is Well-Prepared

Your plant's health starts with the soil it's growing from and if the soil isn't prepared well for the upcoming cold, the plants will suffer. Your soil needs to be loose, fertile, and...

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Reasons to Winterize Your Sprinkler System

Reasons to Winterize Your Sprinkler System

When you use your sprinkler system, excess water remains in the lines long after use. If left inside your system during the cold, freezing winter, this excess water can freeze and cause your pipes, valves, fittings, and sprinkler heads to crack and burst.

Winterizing your pipes is the process of blowing out excess water from your irrigation system to prepare it for the freezing months and protect it from damage. Here are some reasons why it’s necessary to winterize your sprinkler system in Bristow, Haymarket, Manassas, and surrounding areas.


Winterizing Protects Your Pipes From Cracking

Water tends to remain in your irrigation pipes, even after you stop using them. When the cold weather sets in, this excess water buildup freezes and expands, causing your pipes to crack and burst. Repairing and replacing a damaged pipe system is very costly and difficult due to the fact that the entire system is installed underground. When your pipes break from damage, it requires digging up the old pipes and installing new ones deep within the ground. Winterizing your pipes blows out any excess water and prevents any damage and costly repairs.


Frozen Water Damages Sprinkler Heads

Your sprinkler heads also retain leftover water. When water trapped inside the sprinkler heads freezes over, it expands and causes your sprinkler heads to pop off from the pressure. Water also collects in the main body of the sprinkler and when frozen, the ice cracks and ...

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