Restaurant Landscaping Ideas To Boost Your Traffic

Restaurant Landscaping Ideas To Boost Your Traffic

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If you are a restaurant owner, you want to find new ways to attract customers. In addition to your food and drink specials, other factors will influence a person to choose your restaurant. You don’t just want to draw in those first-time customers, but you want to build that repeat business. When someone is looking for a place to dine, they want a clean and aesthetically pleasing site. By adding a boost to your outdoor landscaping, you can attract those customers and keep them coming back to your place. Here are some ideas that you will want to add to your dining establishment.

Greet Guests With Greenery

Every restaurant owner wants to make a great first impression. With an updated green space, you can create an inviting place for your customers. Your entrance probably has concrete near the front of the building, which can create a harsh appearance. You should add some shrubs, flowers, or greens to this open space. When you add some greenery, your business will feel more welcoming to diners.

A few simple planters can even boost the appeal of your entrance. If you need to add some more ideas, you should consider creating an entryway with some added colorful foliage or plants. For those popular dining spots, you might have a waiting list for your diners. You should place benches for those waiting customers. All these ideas can create a relaxing space for your customers.

Create a Fun Outdoor Space

For many diners, they love the opportunity to dine outside on a beautiful day. Patios are an excellent place for people to kick back and relax. With an outdoor restaurant patio, you have an endless supply of landscaping ideas to boost your space. You can use trees and plants to provide extra shade in place of umbrellas. Small shrubs and flower baskets can give your area a little boost of color and add a border to your patio. If you are looking for privacy, you might want to consider climbing vines or plants for an intimate atmosphere.

For those restaurants that experience colder weather, a fire pit or fireplace will give your guests a cozier feel during the spring or autumn nights. Before you start adding plants and flowers to your space, you should do some research. For example, you don’t want to place plants that attract bees near the dining areas since that can create a negative experience. Diners don’t want to “shoo” away bees as they try to enjoy their meal.

Grow a Chef’s Garden

Many diners are fascinated by the restaurant experience, especially learning about the growing process of the meal’s ingredients. By growing your own herbs and vegetables, you can help entertain your customers. Some restaurants are even adding more complicated systems, such as aquaculture or hydroponic growing spaces. These unique features can separate you from the other restaurants in the area.

Many people want a “farm-to-table” experience with freshly picked herbs, fruits, and vegetables. If you’re going to go for something simpler, a vertical growing system will allow you to grow your own strawberries or greens. Your kitchen staff can harvest these ingredients and incorporate them into seasonal dishes.

Change With the Seasons

As a restaurant owner, you know that new ideas will keep your diners coming back to your spot. By swapping out a few elements, you can add those changes to your outdoor landscape. When you update your landscape design, you can give your diners a new look for every season. These improvements can provide some charm to your space as your patrons will appreciate your restaurant’s beautiful and fresh look. You can easily change out plants and flowers with the seasons by adding new textures and colors to your space.

Many people know about transitioning the landscape from the summer to fall seasons. However, you can keep up with those seasonal changes throughout the year. Winter is a great time to add dark green shrubs with a pop of color. Once spring rolls around, you might want to add some color to break away from the drab winter days. Not only will you keep your regular customers coming back, but these changes can help attract new diners with a fresh and updated look.

Water Creates a Soothing Environment

The sound of falling water can give your space a soothing atmosphere for your diners. While you might think that this feature is expensive and complicated, it is easy to add a water feature to your restaurant. You can purchase small waterfalls to place around the lobby or dining area. For some restaurants, a large fountain is a centerpiece to an outdoor patio. If you want to think about a bigger impression, you should consider a koi pond or a babbling brook to your restaurant. With any water feature, you will need to maintain it to keep your staff and customers safe.

Add a Trellis

For those restaurants with a patio or outdoor space, you should think about adding a trellis. This element gives you an excellent opportunity to add some more greenery to both your indoor or outdoor areas. Outdoor spaces are a great place for your restaurant to host events. The trellis can serve as the main focal point for a speaker, band, or wedding. If you have a trellis over a door, your guests can be greeted with a touch of fresh greenery and flowers. With any greens, you will want to keep them maintained so that they don’t give your space an unruly appearance.

Attract Those Customers

All these features can help you attract and keep customers coming to your restaurant. If you want an impressive patio feature or just add a touch of color, Charlestown Landscaping can handle the job. Our experienced team will help you design the landscape around your business. With some updated features, your restaurant will stand out and bring in more diners. If you are ready to upgrade your restaurant’s appearance, make sure to fill out the contact form to schedule a consultation.

What should I expect from a landscape designer?

What should I expect from a landscape designer?

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If you have not worked with a landscape designer, you might not know what to expect. These expert designers can help you to achieve the landscape of your dreams. Most of these designers will have a set process to create your outdoor spaces. With some help, you can finally say “goodbye” to a dull, uninspired space as you enjoy the results from these landscaping professionals.

How Much Will It Cost?

According to HomeAdvisor, the average cost to hire a landscape designer is around $4,300. However, that doesn’t mean you will spend that amount on your job. Simple projects may only require a short consultation to meet at the site. For most people, a landscape designer is an affordable and valuable part of designing a beautiful and functioning outdoor space.

The First Meeting

The first meeting might be free, or there could be a fee attached to the service. When you meet with the designer, you want to have some ideas to present to him or her. This first step is required to walk around the property and understand what you want to accomplish with the design. This meeting is also the time to discuss the budget for your project. You will be asked about how you want to use your outdoor spaces. By preparing for your initial meeting, you can make good use of this time. During this meeting, the designer will evaluate your property’s natural resources, the home’s design, and the surrounding neighborhood.

Add Your Ideas

If you have hired a landscape designer, you probably have some ideas about your property. You should think about the types of flowers or garden areas that can add to your home’s beauty. These elements can transform a dull sitting area into a relaxing atmosphere. Your designer will want to know your input on layout, amenities, and lighting features for the project. When you meet with the designer, you should always add your preferences to the design. Before the planning stage, you want to give the designer a sense of what you want to accomplish with your outdoor plans.

Creating a Landscape Design Concept

After you have met with the landscape designer, work will begin on a design concept. In this initial design concept stage, the overall layout will give you the preliminary placement of trees, shrubs, and flowers on your property. At this time, the initial design is essential to make sure that you and the designer are on the same page as you envision a beautiful landscape for your home. If you are not happy, you can request changes to the plans. For those who want to move forward, you will confirm the layout of the space. Small or straightforward projects might skip these steps.

Mastering the Landscape Design

You should think of the first landscape design as a starting off point for you and the designer. At this stage, it is not uncommon to request some changes. You do want to verify whether changes are included in the plans, or if there will be a fee for any revisions. Some landscape designers will charge for a modification. These plans will either be hand-drawn or created with a computer CAD program. The designer’s plans will allow you to see the potential changes to your property. At this stage, you still have time to add some amenities, such as a deck or patio. Your designer will probably start to ask more questions concerning the final sections of materials, including grass types, landscape edging, or paver varieties.

Copies of the Design

You might want to get a copy of the design, but you should not be offended when the designer does not print one for you. Many designers consider their plans to be a piece of intellectual property, and they will not give you a copy unless you pay for the design. This can help to prevent someone from taking their ideas and replicating them with another designer. The designer has spent time meeting with you, measuring the area, and creating the design. They want to ensure payment for their hard work.

Signing on the Project

Your landscaping project might take a few weeks to complete. You should know where all the details will be located on your property, including walkways, patios, trees, and flowers. At this stage, you will get a final invoice from the designer with all the associated costs. Once your down payment is received, your project will start the construction phase of the design.

Handling the Paperwork

If you have done any work on your home, you know that there is a lot of paperwork for a project. Your designer will process the permits with your town to help you save time and money. In most cases, your designer knows the permitting process and can provide all the proper documents to get started on the job.

Dealing With Construction

With a designer, you don’t have to deal with contractors or bidding on a job. In most cases, the designer handles those tasks. However, you are always welcomed to find your own crews to work on your project. For the most part, the designer has a trusted team of contractors that will complete the job to your specifications. During the construction phase, the designer will monitor the process and provide on-site support to the construction crews.

Final Inspection

When the job is completed, you will want a thorough inspection of the site. A good landscape designer will go over the project with a punch list of the site. With a completed list, you will know that the job was done correctly.

Design the Dream Landscape for You

Charlestown Landscape can help design an exceptional space for your outdoor spaces. Whether you have a business or residential home, we can create a peaceful outdoor space for you. Our team knows the latest landscape design trends to match your needs and budget. For those who want to schedule a consultation with us, please take a few minutes to fill out the contact form.

What are the basic principles of landscape design?

What are the basic principles of landscape design?

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In the world of landscape design, you might think that you can just go with the flow of the land. However, you will want to follow some rules to give your design a boost in your outdoor spaces. Landscape design is more than adding a few plants and flowers to your yard. You want a design that is functional and pleasing as well. Here are some of the basic principles of landscape design.

Rule of Significant Enclosure

With a significant enclosure, the vertical edge of the space must be at least one-third the length of horizontal space. At that size, you will feel a sense of enclosure, and it goes a long way to create a feeling of refuge as you embrace nature. If you want to design a more relaxed environment, you should know the right measurements for the job. You can see examples of this design work in a local park. If you sit near a tree or wall and move away, you can get a great sense of enclosure. With this type of design, you will have a sense of scale and give your space a feeling of openness.

Always Follow the Regulating Line

If you have any formal architectural education, then you probably know about the concept of the regulating line. With this rule, you can designate an architecture element or landscape feature to create an imaginary line to connect and organize your design. When you do this in your yard, you can give the space a more cohesive and orderly arrangement. The regulating line is valuable since it can provide order to your area and still give the design room to create a relaxing environment. For many designers, the regulating line is what can separate a professional from an amateurish design.

Get Proportions With the Golden Rectangle

One particular rule goes back to the days of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. A golden rectangle features sides whose lengths are in the golden ratio, which is approximately 1.618. The golden ratio is the ratio of proportion that can create a sense of balance and order. You can use the golden ratio with the golden rectangle to give your outdoor space more harmony and unity. Many landscape designers use these measurements to layout patios, arbors, terraces, and lawns.

Always Consider the Size

With any landscape design, you need to think about the size of the space. You might want to add a small element in a particular spot, but you need to think about how it will look in a few years. In a garden, plants, bushes, and flowers tend to grow bigger. As a result of that, you almost always want to go big in your yard. These elements might seem fine for now, but they will probably look underwhelming in a couple of years. Landscape design is about creating space that will look great for many years to come.

Plant from Big to Small

You need to design your ornamental elements according to the area. When planting, make sure to start with the big elements, such as trees. These features can anchor your yard, and you can base your design principles on them. You can see the outdoor space in a compositional way and provide a better sense of overall structure. Once the trees are set, then you should fill in space with shrubs and flowers. It may be hard to resist the temptation to plant flowers first, but you need to observe the area with the bigger elements before adding in the finishing touches.

Plant in Masses

Many designers might want to plant in the cottage garden design that features a wide range of various plants. However, there is something to be said about seeing a large quality of one plant in a single space. For many people, this simple element can be pleasing to the eye. You can use something like ornamental grasses to give a boardwalk its sense of unity. Repetition can also help to give your space a more planned look. You should be careful not to overwhelm a yard. Too much of one variety can also come off as dull and uninspiring. You need to find a balance in your space.

Add a Pop of Color

If you want to give your outdoor space another dimension of design, you need to add color. With warm colors, the objects seem closer to you in the yard. If you use cool colors, then the opposite is true. You can use greens and blues also to add a level of perspective to the yard.

Gradual Change

Transition is vital for your landscape design. You never want a stark change between elements. By changing the plant sizes or color intensity, you can achieve this throughout your outdoor space. Transitions can take the form of many shapes, features, and textures.

Choose Contrast and Harmony

You will want to achieve a balance between contrast and harmony in your landscape design. The contrast will help to highlight elements, and harmony will give those elements a unified look. You can contrast certain features to draw attention to specific details. By using complementary colors side by side, you can achieve harmony and contrast.

Make Sure to Plant Well

No matter your design, you want to make sure that the elements are designed at the right height and size. There is no point in planting an expensive plant, shrubs, or flower in a poorly designed landscape. If you don’t follow some rules, then your design will look poorly planned out and uninspired.

Plan Your Landscape for Your Home or Business

At Charlestown Landscaping, we can help you achieve the landscape of your dreams. Our horticultural experts can find the right elements to add to your outdoor spaces. In addition to landscape design, we also offer lawn care services, snow removal, and sealcoat applications. We want to make your outdoor space enjoyable throughout the seasons.

For more information about creating your dream landscape, make sure to fill out the contact form.

Understanding Types of Trees

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Before you add trees to your yard, you should get to know the different tree types. If you already have trees, then you want to understand how to care for them properly. You want to choose the right trees to give you some shade or add privacy to your yard. Other trees can provide shelter for wildlife or give your yard that added boost of color. With a few tips, you can understand the different types of trees and choose the right ones for your landscape.

Two Types of Trees

Trees are grouped into two categories: coniferous and deciduous. You can tell the difference between the trees with a few simple clues. Deciduous trees are also known as hardwoods, and they will drop their leaves in the fall. For the most part, deciduous trees have shaped leaves, such as ovals, stars, or hearts. Willows, elms, oaks, and maples are the most common types of deciduous trees.

Coniferous is the second group of trees. Many of these trees are evergreens, and you can count on them to stay green throughout the year. Coniferous trees contain needle-shaped leaves. Firs, pines, spruces, and cedars are part of the coniferous tree family.

By knowing the different types of trees, you can plan the right landscape for your home or business. Many landscapers consider trees to be the base of your yard design. You don’t have to stick with one type of tree either. Your landscape can mix it up with coniferous and deciduous trees.

Specific Benefits of These Trees

Trees can be beneficial for your yard. If you are looking for shade, then you might want to think about choosing a deciduous tree. These species will provide shade in the summer, but they still allow sunlight to filter through the branches in the winter. Birches and maples have exfoliating bark that will add some color to your yard in the winter. Maples are an excellent choice for those homeowners that want a vibrant color in the fall. Some of these trees are nut or fruit-bearing, and you can harvest them at certain times of the year.

Coniferous trees also have benefits. Evergreens provide shade in the summer, and they can block some of those harsh winter winds. For those wanting year-round privacy, coniferous trees are an excellent choice. They can fill in those spaces throughout your yard as these species mature and grow. Finally, birds love to make their homes in evergreens, especially in the wintertime.

Identify Pre-Existing Trees

If you already have trees in your yard, you might need to identify them. Many people will identify trees by the leaves. There are three basic types of leaves: broadleaves, scales, and needles. If your tree has needles or scales, then it is more likely to be a coniferous tree. Many broadleaf trees are deciduous, and they will drop leaves in the fall. There are some exceptions to the rule. For example, larches have needles that will change color and drop off the tree in autumn. Leaf shapes can also help you to identify your trees. Many trees have lanceolate (long and narrow), ovate (egg-shaped), orbicular (round), deltoid (triangular), or cordate (heart-shaped) leaves. Some of the most recognizable leaf shapes are the lobed oak leaf and the palm-shaped maple leaf.

All trees have bark, and you can tell the type of species by looking at it. Many tree species have gray bark, but there are some with cinnamon, silver, white, or copper colors. You might want to look at the texture of the bark too. There are some variations of bark between tree species. Bark can be peeling, smooth, shiny, scaly, warty, or furrowed. In addition to that, you can even tell the age of the tree by studying the bark. As the tree matures, the texture and color of the bark will change. You can find signs of its age from the trunk. For example, young silver maples will have a silver and smooth bark, and mature maples feature a more gray and furrowed appearance.

The shape of the tree can give you a clue about the type of tree. There are some trees with distinctive shapes. American elms have a vase-like appearance, and sweet gums are more pyramid-shaped. However, the environment can cause the tree to change into an irregular or rounded shape. This method might not be the best way to identify trees in your yard. When examining a tree’s shape, you need to consider several factors for its particular shape and size.

If your tree has flowers, you might be able to identify it. There are many classes of flowering trees, like magnolias and crabapples. You should take a close look at the color of the flowers. However, this might not work in some cases. Plant breeders have developed several colors for one species of tree. One fail-safe way to identify a tree is by looking at the shape and appearance of the flowers. Clustered blooms, single blooms, and catkins can assist you in identifying a type of tree. Many of these flowering trees will bloom in the spring or summer. When that happens, you can eliminate some tree species as you try to identify those in your yard.

Finally, if you have a fruit tree, you can easily identify it by the fruit. Fruit trees create more than large fleshy fruits, like pears and apples. There are other types of trees with seeds, such as willow catkins, oak acorns, hawthorn berries, and chestnut tree nuts. All these signs can help you to pinpoint the tree species in your yard.

If you still don’t know the types of trees in your yard, you might want to call in the professionals at Charlestown Landscaping. Our team can help you identify the species of trees or choose the right varieties for your yard. We can help you find the best trees that can meet your specific needs for your home or business.

For more information about trees and landscaping, please take a few minutes to fill out the contact form.

When is the best time to plant a tree?

When is the best time to plant a tree?

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Trees are the perfect way to add some curb appeal to your home. In addition to that, they can add value to your property. However, they are a big-ticket item, and you want to make sure they are planted at the right time. If you don’t plant the trees at the best time, they could die. You will be left with an unsightly problem in your yard. Here are some things that you will want to know before adding trees to your outdoor space.

Know Your Zone

The USDA divides North America into 11 separate planting zones. These zones maps can show where plants will adapt to the local environment. If you want your tree to survive and grow, then it must be able to tolerate conditions throughout the year.

The Best Time to Plant Trees

Trees need to have enough time to establish their roots before exposed to stressors, such as low temperature, high heat, and a lack of water. For many people, the best time to plant is in the late summer and early fall, especially for those who are in planting zones 4 to 8. During the winter, the tree roots will still be active, and it can acclimate itself to the soil.

When spring comes around, the tree will bud with flowers and leaves. However, not all trees act in a similar manner. Trees are different, and they may behave differently in certain climates. If you want to have the best start for your tree, you need to consider the species, environment, and other factors before planting it in your yard.

Cold Climate Planting

In colder climates, the planting season can be relatively short. You will not be able to dig until the ground is warmed up. At that time, you only have a few months to plant before the ground freezes again.

When the ground thaws in early spring, it is the best time to plant your trees. In most cases, fall can be too late as the tree will not survive the freezing temperatures. The cold weather can cause damage to the roots and prevent moisture from reaching the tree.

Planting in Warmer Climates

In the south, fall is typically the best time to plant. After the first frost, the tree will become dormant, and it requires less food to the roots. During this time, tree carbohydrates will go towards root growth. These mild winters will give your tree enough time to establish a root system that can handle hot summers. If you have a dry winter, you will want to keep the tree watered throughout the season.

Planting Certain Tree Species

Depending on your species of tree, you might have to make an exception to the planting schedule. Some trees have special needs that you should consider before planting them. These trees include:

Deciduous trees: They will tell you when they are going dormant by dropping their leaves. You will want to plant them in the fall. They need to be watered throughout the winter.

Evergreens: You can plant evergreens in the early fall or late spring. They will thrive as long as you don’t plant them in any extreme heat.

Conifers: These cone-bearing trees do not like the cold weather, and they tend to lose moisture in their needles. If you live in a cold climate and water cannot get to the root, then you should think about planting them in the springtime.

Bare root trees: These types of trees are removed from the soil when they are dormant. They are stored in either moist soil or none at all. These roots will be naked, and you will want to plant them in the spring. If you plant in the winter, then the roots are susceptible to winter injuries. Since you have to order these trees, you want to do it at the right time to avoid any shock to the tree. You also want to plant them as soon as they arrive on your property for the best chances of survival.

Container trees: These trees have grown in burlap wrapping or pots. Most of their roots are covered in soil. They are not as fragile as a bare root tree. You will not have to worry about planting time when they arrive at your home. These trees can be planted during the months without extreme heat or cold to limit any stress to the plant.

Transplants: If you are transplanting a tree, you will want to plant in the spring after the ground has warmed up. It is best to get it into the ground before the tree starts to bud. In the fall, you can plant these trees after the leaves have fallen. Younger trees can handle the transplant process better than mature trees.

Avoid Summer and Winter Planting

In any case, you want to avoid summer and winter planting. High heat is the enemy for newly planted trees. In the summer, the weather is too hot for new trees, and it causes the plants to lose moisture at a higher rate than other times of the year.

During the winter, the weather will restrict your opportunities to plant into the frozen ground. However, if you have dug out the ground before it freezes, then you could plant in the winter. However, it is still not a good idea to plant trees in the winter. While there is snow on the ground, moisture cannot reach the roots. Your trees will not get the right nutrients and water to keep it alive during the colder months. If you continue on a spring or fall schedule, your trees will be able to handle the climate and start growing roots to establish themselves into your soil.

Planting a tree can be very complicated, and you will want a professional company to help you determine the best time to plant in your area. Charlestown Landscaping has a staff of professionals to help you choose the right trees for your area. We can help you keep it healthy and thriving.

If you would like to know more about our services, make sure to fill out the form to set up a consultation with us.