Even the most extravagant homes can look drab with an un-kept yard.  You’ve finally built that dream home and now it’s time to think about the finishing touches.  Whether you’re planning on adding custom-made fountains and landscaping lights or just a quaintly-placed flower beds, it’ll take some thought to make sure you give your home the yard it deserves.

If you’re planning to go the do-it-yourself route with your yard it’s important to consider a type of plant that is suitable to your climate.  With the mild summers and cold winters of Pennsylvania, hardy annuals are very suitable for your Pittsburgh home.  These flowers will bloom in winter and are made to withstand the cold.  Pansies, sweet alyssum, and viola are some popular types of hardy annuals. If you’d rather go with perennial flowers that will come back year after year you must consider the qualities of your garden such as the amount of sunlight it receives and the soil type.  Once you determine these characteristics you can begin to choose which flowers you can successfully grow. When it comes to grass, considering the climate is, again, crucial.  Cool season grasses such as Red Fescue, Bentgrass, or Kentucky Bluegrass are best suitable for the Pennsylvania climate.  These types of grass grow the longest shoots during spring and fall.

For those of you looking for something more elaborate or simply don’t have the time to keep up a garden, there are a number of landscaping companies in the Pittsburgh area. Palat’s landscape offers free estimates and provides services from grass cutting, to mulching, to installing retaining walls.  If you have a more extensive project in mind such as building a pool, installing a waterfall, or building a new deck, SHL Excavating offers such services.  No matter what it is you envision for the exterior of your home there’s a way to do it.