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Frequently Asked Questions 

Home 9 landscaping questions
1. What’s LandArt Solutions all about?

We specialize in innovative and sustainable landscaping solutions for residential, commercial, and governmental properties. No matter how large or small, every property is a work of art waiting for creation.

2. Where does LandArt operate?

We’re based in Fayetteville, NC and serve homeowners, business owners, and property managers there and in the surrounding area.

3. What do you mean by G.R.I.T.?

These are our guiding values. Growth– our goal to become the leader in landscaping innovation. Respect– valuing our clients, teammates, and commitments. Integrity– delivering on our promises and responsibly working with people and properties. Teamwork– all of us play a critical role in our success.

4. What’s the value in landscaping?

Landscaping adds beauty and function to a property and gives it a unique character. It also adds value, homes with great landscaping can sell for 15% more than comparable homes without it.

5. What’s the difference between landscaping and lawn maintenance? Are they the same?

Lawn maintenance (mowing, watering, weed control) is just one aspect of landscaping, which includes flower beds, gardens, patios, pathways, and more.

6. What are the essential elements of landscaping?

Soil, sun exposure, and irrigation are the foundational elements for things that grow. All else starts from them.

7. How does a pro landscaper make a difference?

Sure, you can go to the garden center and take a DIY approach, but a landscaper helps in these important ways: choosing the right plants for seasonal color and success in your climate, creating an attractive palette around your preferences, helping you get the most out of your budget, and establishing maintenance that suits your schedule.

8. How do you come up with a design?

Actually, we listen to you. After you tell us your goals and preferences, we get to work drafting ways to meet them.

9. How do you keep on budget?

Extensive planning and designing prior to construction makes the framework. We also help you prioritize so that your dollars go to what’s most important first.

10. Do you only install new designs?

No! If you’ve moved to a property with mediocre landscaping or haven’t kept up with yours, we can refurbish and rejuvenate landscaping.

11. What is hardscaping?

This is the incorporation of permanent constructed features. Your exterior spaces benefit from distinctive features and finishes.

12. What are some examples of hardscaping?

Options are almost limitless, but here are some favorites: outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, water features, pergolas, retaining walls, and permeable pavers.

13. What’s a retaining wall?

Retaining walls are rigid that support soil laterally so that it can be kept at different levels when it otherwise would not stay in place. Example: a section of yard elevated above and next to a driveway.

14. What’s a permeable paver?

These are pavers, stepping stones, etc. that have open areas in them. They help manage runoff by allowing more to soak into the ground rather than causing erosion.

15. With all the choices in hardscaping, how do I decide?

First, we’ll ask you about what features you prefer. Then we’ll go over shapes, sizes, colors, materials and the like to help you narrow things down.

16. What is night lighting?

Night lighting is more than leaving the porch light on to deter intruders. It can accentuate attractive features in your yard, create spectacular shadow effects, and extend your enjoyment of outdoor spaces.

17. What are some other benefits of night lighting?

Night lighting can create ambiance. In addition, it can light traveled areas so that accidents are less likely to occur. It can also add value to a property.

18. I like the security and safety that lights provide, but I also like the night sky. What can I do?

People who are concerned about both security and light pollution are loving the benefits of motion-sensitive lighting. We can install lighting that will help you avoid tripping while not creating glare all night!

19. I’m always forgetting to switch the outside lights off. How can I stop wasting energy and creating light pollution?

We can install high-tech lighting that you can operate from your cell phone. You can control the lights manually or use automated settings.

20. I love the look and feel of grass, but I can’t keep up with my yard. What can I do?

Some people reduce maintenance needs by adding more hardscaping. Another solution is synthetic grass, and we sell and install premium-quality ForeverLawn synthetic grass.

21. What are the advantages of synthetic grass?

It looks and feels like natural grass. It’s green all year long and doesn’t require watering. It’s highly durable. Best of all, it requires very little maintenance, and that maintenance is easy.

22. If I get synthetic grass, won’t my dog tear up or ruin my investment?

No! Actually, there’s a variety called K9Grass specially formulated to be safe and comfortable for dogs! It looks great, you won’t get holes dug in the yard and mud tracked in, and it’s super-easy to clean.

23. What is PlaygroundGrass?

This is a synthetic grass that makes a great alternative to natural grass, sand, and mulch in play settings. It’s most common at schools and parks, but homeowners sometimes install it where their kids play a lot.

24. What are other uses for synthetic grass?

A lot! You can use it around pool decking, landscaping, and sports fields. You can even use it to make your own putting green! Some varieties are specially made for these purposes.

25. I need some help with grounds management. What can LandArt do?

For both residential and commercial properties, we take a 3-tiered approach. Drainage and irrigation systems keep your property functional. Landscape and turf management keeps things looking vibrant. Adding seasonal color guides how we design flower beds and select flowering plants for them.

26. More specifically, what comes with grounds management?

We provide the following: plant care, pruning, mowing, edging, mulching, fertilization, aeration, addition of seasonal color, irrigation and drainage management, weed control, and insect and pest control.

27. Can you explain what aeration is?

Your grass has a layer or decaying organic material called the thatch. When it gets too thick, sunlight, water, and other nutrients can’t penetrate. Aeration creates temporary “holes” to reduce the thatch and allow nutrients to penetrate.

28. Aren’t insecticides and pesticides bad for the environment?

If not handled properly, yes, they can be. We have the proper equipment and training to apply them effectively without them harming people or pets or getting into the watershed.

29. When is the best time for fertilization?

Fertilization works throughout the growing season. In spring, it helps make a strong start. In summer, it can provide a needed boost in hot, dry weather. Fall fertilization is important because it promotes strong growth ahead of winter, making grass and plants ready for the spring.

30. What are pre-emergent herbicides?

These are weed-control products that act to inhibit growth before it can start. They’re typically used in early spring. Crabgrass is a top target of pre-emergents.

31. What are post-emergent herbicides?

These are weed killers used on select weeds that pop up later. Dandelions are a good example. Some are spot sprays and some cover a broader area, so you have to be careful with them and not damage plants you want.

32. Is spring the best time to reseed my lawn?

Actually, fall is. New spring grass sometimes doesn’t have time to get strong enough for summer, which is harsh on grass. Fall seeding and watering allows several weeks of growth that leaves grass prepared for a great start the next spring.

33. How high should I cut my grass?

This depends on the grass type and the region, so you should consult an expert. In general, though, you keep grass half or a full inch higher in summer than you do in spring and fall to protect the roots from the hot sun.

34. How late into the year should I cut my grass?

Typically, the first frost is when people stop mowing their lawns.

35. It rained last weekend and I couldn’t mow the lawn. Should I just make a big cut this weekend?

This can damage your grass and your mower’s blades as well. Inconvenient as this is, it’s best to set the blades at a high setting and make two passes, with the blades a little lower the second time.

36. What’s the best way to prune a tree?

Call a pro! Tree pruning can be dangerous work, and a pruning mistake can damage a tree. Unless you know the right way to cut and the branches are within reach from the ground, you shouldn’t prune a tree yourself.

37. How do I know when it’s time to have a tree removed?

Aside from seeing that the tree is dead, here are some things to look for: disease unlikely to be recovered from, severe storm damage rendering the tree unstable or leaning noticeably, the tree growing too close to the house (roots could damage the foundation).

38. What factors affect the cost of tree removal?

The height, diameter, and condition of the tree are the biggest factors. However, ease of access and preferred means of disposal can also be factors.

39. What does “preferred means of disposal” mean?

Let’s say you want the stump to remain. That will lower the cost. However, maybe you have no use for the branches and want them hauled away. That will raise the cost. Some companies will cut branches into fireplace-sized pieces if you want, which also will increase the cost.

40. If I have a chainsaw and safety gloves and goggles, can I remove a tree on my own?

Unless the tree is very small and you are certain cutting it down from the base poses absolutely no risk to you, others, or property, you should not do this. Tree removal is a top-down process requiring specialized equipment and training, and it’s a dangerous job.

41. How does adding seasonal color work?

With our knowledge of the regional climate and what thrives here, we carefully select flowering plants that will assure you of vibrant color throughout the growing season, and we make sure to irrigate and care for them properly.

42. What causes drainage problems?

Some of the culprits in drainage problems include faulty gutters and downspouts, flat areas, a high water table, soil that’s too dense, and persistent heavy rain?

43. What risks do drainage problems present?

Most commonly, you get erosion in your yard where you don’t want it. You can also have standing water that attracts pests like mosquitoes. Basement leaks and foundation damage are also serious (and potentially very expensive) concerns.

44. What can LandArt do for drainage problems?

We can change landscape grades; raise bed heights; install systems to collect, harvest, or divert water; or create customized solutions.

45. What are good drainage solutions for commercial clients?

We recommend permeable pavers. It’s a hardscaping option that has water collection built into it. Stormwater drains through pavers and into the soil below, alleviating runoff concerns.

46. What’s so good about water capture in drainage systems?

It does two things. First, it filters out harmful sediments. Second, it facilitates the water soaking into the soil below, reducing erosion damage from excessive runoff.

47. Is it possible to repair properties that have already been damaged by runoff, or are they a lost cause?

They are not a lost cause! It may take more work and innovation, but we absolutely can rehabilitate a damaged property and also create drainage solutions that prevent those problems from happening again.

48. I run construction sites. How can you help us manage silt runoff to avoid costly fines and silt getting into the watershed?

We can install, inspect, and manage silt fences at construction sites. That way, you can focus on your work and not have to worry about silt-related runoff problems.

49. What are some specific systems that help manage runoff and drainage?

There are so many options. Some of them include retention basins, which can permanently store water or only when flood conditions occur. Vegetated swales are another way to manage runoff with a natural look. Sometimes a covering as simple as a plastic tarp works. And we almost always love permeable pavers as a solution?

50. You’ve recommended permeable pavers above and in other instances. What makes them so good aside from how they help manage runoff?

It’s all about versatility. While permeable pavers are doing their primary job, they can also work as pathways, sidewalks, patio surfaces, parking sites, and even driveways.

51. How can I make my landscaping dog-friendly without letting it go to the dogs, so to speak?

Further up, we talked about the benefits of synthetic K9Grass, but here are some other ideas: a durable splash pool, a sandbox or designated walk/play/potty areas, barriers to protect features you don’t want damaged, and providing plenty of shade.

52. My driveway is boring. How can I make it more interesting?

Tearing up a driveway and starting over is a bog job, maybe too big for some, but there are still ways to make your driveway more appealing. Add shade trees, shrubs, or flowers along the side. Make a canopy from trees if you can. Install accessories such as gates and lighting.

53. We’re building a new home, and that includes a driveway. What are my choices?

Driveway styles fall into 3 basic categories: straight, circular, and curved. Each makes sense in its own circumstances, and we have an article about this. You also have many surface choices available, so you can truly make your driveway unique!

54. I manage a commercial property. How can I add more curb appeal?

You can impress customers, residents, or whomever by enhancing areas that draw more attention and traffic, making the parking lot and other amenities more user-friendly, and keeping walkways and grounds looking clean and neat.

55. I don’t have a green thumb? How can I have gardening success?

Have you considered succulents? They’re eye-catching and easy to take care of. In addition, they’re highly versatile and can thrive in planters and pots placed in various locations, and they’re easily moved from one place to another.