Tag Archives: Annapolis

MATT’S FEBRUARY TIP

What is the best way to handle snow and ice on your walkways, driveways or patios.  How about the snow flattening your beautiful foundation shrubs? If you are snowblowing, plowing or shoveling – be aware of the plants in the area you are moving the snow to.  This “manmade” snow cover is usually the most damaging because it is denser and slower to melt.  Natural snow cover is beneficial and acts as an insulator. If your plants are bending over from the weight of the snow and you are able to gently remove snow before heavy ice buildup – you can do so with a soft broom sweeping upward and allowing the snow to fall off the plants.  Do not attempt to remove ice or try to remove snow from overhead branches which can fall and cause injury or property damage. Prune any cracked or broken branches as soon as possible after the snow melt to prevent additional splintering or disease.

We recommend using ice melt products that are specifically designed for the  surface you are treating.  Concrete pavers and natural stone can be pitted and stained by salt, which can lead to cracking and failure.  (contact us if you have damaged pavers or stone – one of their major benefits is the ability to repair small areas without tearing up the entire surface )  Salt can also harm lawns and plants when it runs off your driveway. If your plants have been exposed to salt water and rinse well as soon as temperatures are above freezing. And don’t forget about all the salt you are bringing home on your car tires and shoes – rinse off your driveway and walkways.

Landscaping Makes the Difference

No matter what a yard needs, professional landscaping makes all the difference in the world. Is there a low-lying area in the yard that stays muddy, why not add a water feature? If someone wants a low-maintenance patio, artistic, practical stone masonry works wonders. Professionals can create affordable masterpieces sure to impress neighbors and to invite people inside the home to get outside in the outdoor property. If the front area demands more curb appeal, or if someone desires a garden in the back of the house, any outdoor space can improve with expert loving care and attention.

When the house is new and the land around is bare, it is as if landscapers have a blank canvas before them, but an overworked, tired, or forgotten piece of property, overgrown and in disrepair is also full of possibilities. Proficient landscapers can provide any needed service for lawn and garden. They can set up outdoor lighting, install desired drainage systems, do mulching around plants and trees, prune trees and shrubbery. Additionally, they can do all necessary maintenance to keep the yard looking in top condition.

Now, when landscapers add new elements, native plants are perfect choices for attractive low-maintenance spaces. The nurseries have many fabulous native and low-care options. Home and business owners can always choose the types of plants included in the landscape, but professionals can advise them on the best plants to fit what the owners want to achieve for their outdoor space. Simple or elaborate, outdoor designs can be spectacular. A healthy lawn and a few choice plants or trees may be just right for the area, but the owner may want to install some walkways, raised beds, a grill pit and more. Landscape artists not only help with design, but they install and manage all upkeep for reasonable rates. The positive change landscaping brings is very effective for outdoor properties.

Going Green with Eco Scaping

Whether it be to save water, save the environment or save money, eco-scaping offers a lot of options for garden-lovers. By using new technology as well as reusing resources, it possible to improve the look of a yard and use less tap water without causing detrimental damage to the environment. Think all of those lush lawns and gardens with fountains pay an arm and a leg for that beauty? Think they are all harming the environment? Think again.

Here are some simple ways you can change your garden. Instead of “landscaping,” try some of these suggestions to turn your yard into a beautiful “eco-scaped” scene:

Hard-scaping– Try using detailed tiles and neutral pavers to build beautiful opportunities for patios to rest on, paths to explore and driveways for spacious parking. By changing up your outside utopia to include these features, it not only makes your home more attractive and interesting, it can also save resources and money by reducing the need for expensive landscaping. This means that there is less water, fertilizer, pesticide and other chemical additives being used on those spaces. This keeps money in your wallet as well as reduces the impact of chemicals on the environment.

Retaining Walls– Add soil barriers that keep the ground soil in place as a way to reduce leaching, run-off and erosion. This can create beautiful, intricate scenes built at various levels around your yard as well as reduce the amount of topsoil leaving your yard. This helps reduce erosion, meaning your plants stay healthier and you do not have to replace the nutrient-rich topsoil as often.

Rainwater Collecting – Save the water that naturally comes into your yard during rain. This water can be used to water plants, fill ponds and fountains, wash cars, keep bird baths filled and complete other tasks around the yard without coming from your tap or undergoing expensive water treatment processes.

For a sample of all of these suggestions as well as other ways to work eco-scaping into your landscape, check out: https://www.ciminellislandscape.com/services/ Here, they offer a variety of services and options to increase the appearance and cost-efficiency of your yard while saving the environment.

What is Hardscaping?

A beautiful outdoor space can make all the difference in how a business or home is perceived. It is called curb appeal, and beautiful curb appeal usually means beautiful landscaping. What many people may not realize that landscaping is divided into two categories. Softscaping is all the living elements in the landscape, such as grass, trees, flowers, and other plants. Hardscaping is the other element of landscaping and includes everything that is not alive. Rock, pavers, waterfalls, driveways, walkways, and retaining walls are all hardscaping. Even wood, although it was once alive, is considered an element of hardscaping.

 Hardscaping is becoming increasingly popular because it is low maintenance and in times of water shortage, it does not require water at all. While most people use a combination of softscaping and hardscaping in their designs, it is not too uncommon, especially in desert areas, to see a landscape entirely made up of hardscaping elements. There are several benefits to hardscaping. One is that it is so low maintenance. It requires little time and effort on your part to keep it beautiful. It is not something you have to water every night, and on hot days when softscaping elements wilt, hardscaping features will not. Another benefit is that hardscaping, for the most part, is permanent.

When planning the layout of the area you will be landscaping, it may be easier to plan your hardscape features first, especially if there are things like large boulders or walls that are too big to move. Design your layout around features like these to compliment them. The next step would be planning where other hardscape elements will go, such as walls or pathways, so that you can arrange the softscape elements to compliment the layout. Finding a balance between hardscaping and landscaping so that they work together and compliment each other is the key to having a beautiful landscape. For more information on hardscaping or if you are interested in an estimate, check out https://www.ciminellislandscape.com/services/hardscaping/.

A Happy Customer from Ciminelli’s Landscape Services

What the Bergman’s had to say about a landscaping and hardscaping project done by Cinminelli’s this year.

Dear Matt, Raphael and all,

It’s absolutely BEAUTIFUL even though it’s currently under 2 feet of snow. We still love it.

The walkway, patio and lighting completely transformed the front of the house. Raphael’s walls are gorgeous! His attention to detail, thoughtful consideration and level of professionalism are top notch. Both you and your crew have been a pleasure to work with on both of our projects this year.

So… thank you, thank you, thank you for our beautiful new entrance. We can’t help but smile when we pull into the driveway.

The Bergman’s

Bay Pollution Diet and Your Landscaping

Have you kept up on the new federal standards for the total loads of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and sediment for the Chesapeake Bay? According to Will Baker, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) president, “After 30 years of failed, voluntary programs to save the Bay, EPA appears ready to enforce the Clean Water Act.”  The Clean Water Act, circa 1972, promised fishable and swimmable waters by 1983. Obviously, this goal was not met.

What can you do or what will you be required to do when maintaining your property? First, the use of chemicals should be minimized to prevent run-off of excessive nutrients. Please see the Growing Green Pledge on our website for information on environmentally friendly practices when landscaping your lawn and consider native plants and rain gardens.

Secondly, when landscaping, drainage, sediment erosion control and storm water control should be considered.  As much as possible, the flash or surge of water during storms should be contained or slowed with rain barrels, cisterns, rain gardens, etc.

Spring 2010 | Ciminelli’s Customer Testimonials

Spring 2010

Dear Matt,

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and recognize what a beautiful job Ciminelli’s Landscape Services did in transforming our back yard this spring. From your patience with us in developing the plan, to the professional way your crew conducted themselves, and the stone mason artistry and craftsmanship in installing the pavers – we are just simply thrilled the way it turned out. My wife and I have never used our back yard more, much to the delight of our friends and neighbors who are also astounded with the outcome.

It was equally a thrill to see our house showcased in the Annapolis newspaper in a featured article on “House metamorphosis “.  What a treat!

This project was a big deal for us- we did a lot of research in selecting the right company to contract with.

From beginning to end, your company validated our decision. We could not be happier and would be glad to recommend your services to anyone.

With much appreciation,
Cris & PJ Cunningham

MATT CIMINELLI GIVES PRESENTATION ON BIOSWALES

Matt Ciminelli, owner of Ciminelli’s Landscape Services gave a talk on Bioswales at Riverbend Nursery in Virginia on August 19th. Over 40 people were in attendance to learn how to incorporate bioswales, rain gardens, green roofs and storm water management into construction and landscape plans. Bio-Swales are landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water. They consist of a swaled drainage course with gently sloped sides (less than six percent) and filled with vegetation, compost and/or riprap. The water’s flow path, along with the wide and shallow ditch, is designed to maximize the time water spends in the swale, which aids the trapping of pollutants and silt. Benefits include reduced peak water flows, allows plants time to absorb pollutants, improves regional hydrology, reduces suspended solids, silt, metals, macronutrients, pesticides, and reduces water temperature entering waterways.