Plan Ahead for Your New Hudson Valley Pool and Landscape Projects

Now that the colder weather is working it's way into Dutchess County, NY and the greater Hudson Valley region, it's a great time to think about your fall and beginning of winter planning. 

The Harmony Hill crew is still busy—and will be right up through Christmas—building beautiful landscapes and poolscapes like the one featured here, working closely with Fishkill Pools for the pool installations. The fall season projects usually involve working with many client's looking to get a jump start on next year's outdoor living season. And this type of planning ahead can be a huge plus for being able to enjoy new outdoor living spaces more quickly. 

Instead of waiting until spring to begin design landscape plans, pulling any necessary permits, and working through construction, much of this work can be done while most of your time is spent inside the home anyway. Just imagine come the warm weather here in the Hudson Valley, you and the family will be enjoying your poolscape right away—not beginning design and construction for the following year's enjoyment.

We'd love to chat with you about how we can help move your project along during the fall and winter months. Give us a ring!

3 Easy Backyard Ideas for Improving Your Landscaping in Dutchess County, NY

Sometimes when life's too busy or the budget's not quite there, it helps too look at easy ways to add big style to your outdoor living spaces. Even if a new patio with an outdoor kitchen isn't on deck (pun intended) in the near future, there are a lot of great ideas that can be "quick wins" for improving your backyard landscaping. Here's 3 to get your creative juices flowing!

1. Large Outdoor Garden Planters 

Interesting, oversized, colorful planters add big 'POP' in a jiffy. While these stylish pots can get expensive quickly, look for left over stock come October or use unconventional vessels like old baskets and water pails. 

Add a blast of style to your Hudson Valley Landscaping with large potters-Photo courtesy www.my-gardenroom.co.uk

Fire pits bring your backyard ideas to life, as well as your family!- Photo courtesy of Home Depot

2. Add a Fire Pit

There are many affordable pre-made fire pits on the market today that will serve you well until your ready to invest in that stunning stone fireplace you've been eyeing. For less than a $100, you can gather the family up for roasting s'mores and hanging out by the fire. 

3. Create an Intimate Outdoor Seating Area

It's tough to really settle in and enjoy your backyard landscaping without a place to hang out and relax. Buying large fancy outdoor furniture may not be the best bet because your not sure exactly what you'll need when you develop your more permanent backyard ideas. For this one, think painted pallets stacked up to a low height and topped off with some big comfy cushions. Even better, create an 'L" shaped setup to increase conversations. 

Intimate seating is easy for your Dutchess County Landscaping -image courtesy of 101palletideas.com

Water Features for your Poolside Landscaping in Dutchess County, NY

For some homeowners, putting the finishing touched on their new inground pool means installing a paver patio, adding low-voltage lighting, and perhaps a nice planting design to bring it all together. But many homeowners in Dutchess County, NY and the surrounding Hudson Valley area are really looking to bump up their poolside game even more. Landscaping around a pool—or Poolscapes as their referred to—can be brought to a whole new level with a water feature. There are two main types of poolside waterfalls.

The first is what's called a pondless waterfall constructed of natural boulders and rocks. The pool water is pumped to the top of the the feature and spills down through the levels of the boulders and back into the pool. The result is a landscaping design element that offers a visual focal point as well as an auditory element that is very soothing. 

Colorfalls Spillways by Atlantic Water Gardens

The second type of water feature that the Harmony Hill team recommends for poolsides is a sheeted waterfall. Often referred to as Colorfalls, these beauties are company, come with lighted spillways, and offer a bit more formal design look. While the pondless boulder waterfalls can be self contained, the Colorfalls units need to be sunk into some type of wall structure to hide the backside components. 

Whether you go formal or natural with the design, a poolside water feature for your Hudson Valley home is a great addition to the backyard living space. Here's a tip! If your inground pool hasn't been installed yet, you should consider working the water feature into the design plans right from the beginning. It will save you time and money in the long run. 

Enjoy!

Creating Dog-Friendly Landscapes

When designing and building landscapes here in the Hudson Valley, we consider things like family size, child-safe areas, and how the homeowners will use the spaces we are creating. Something else to consider for the pet lovers out there, is how can you create a backyard masterpiece fit for a Canine Queen? Designing pet-friendly landscapes is really about understanding how animals enjoy the outdoors—not all that different than designing for people! 

Dogs naturally seek cool spaces to relax when the hot summer weather hits. This is the reason you will hear of dogs digging up holes in the yard—they are seeking a cooler patch of earth to lay down on. When planning out your backyard space, look to maximize the shady areas not just humans, but for your dogs as well!

Standard landscape design practices often involve planting the perimeters of a property with lush, layered border plantings. However, is you are also creating a space for the pups, consider leaving the outside perimeter of the yard free of any plantings. Dogs will naturally like to explore their boundaries and will not hesitate to trample any foliage in their way. 

In some circumstances, leashing up your dog is necessary for safety reasons. When this is the case, consider locating the a dog run in an area where you and your company will gather often. This way, the doggies don’t feel left out of the fun. 

Creating outdoor living spaces that are perfect for adults, children, and pets is completely attainable. Gathering all the information of how a homeowner plans to use their Hudson Valley landscape is the first place the Harmony Hill design/build firm begins. 

Here’s to digging some holes-

Paver Walkways = Big Time Curb Appeal in Hopewell Junction, NY

We love interlocking concrete pavers. There, we said it. When deciding to replace or add a new walkway or patio area to your home, be sure to choose the best material for the job.

Why should you choose concrete pavers for your Dutchess County walkway or patio?

A much better alternative to poured or stamped concrete, pavers are a perfect choice for walkways and patios here in Dutchess and Orange County, NY. With the harsh NY winters, concrete pavers prevent cracking and the system is allowed to adjust with the freeze/thaw climate we live in. And nothing quite adds curb appeal like removing an old concrete walkway and replacing it with a vibrant new paver path. 

How did these Hopewell Junction, NY homeowners add amazing curb appeal to their Hudson Valley Home?

For this featured project, these Hopewell Junction, NY homeowners had an extra special element for creating instant curb appeal—mature plantings. The team at Harmony Hill Landscaping loves to work on properties with well designed plantings that have had many years to mature beautifully. Although the crew must be more sensitive to ensure they don't disturb the existing beauties, once the walkway, patio, or outdoor kitchen is completed, the impact is immediate. 

Add landscape lighting for extra safety and beauty.

A newly installed low voltage landscape lighting system completes this front entrance, bringing added function and security. Path lights manufactured by Cast Lighting in NJ line the walkway, spreading gentle lighting across the pavers. Landscape lighting is quite beautiful to experience and adds incredible resale value to any home.