Our Fav Perennials for the Hudson Valley Landscape

Perennials are found in every professional landscape design and they are responsible for adding depth, interest, and color to the overall planting design. By definition, these plants come back year after year, usually growing in size as well. Plant them anytime in spring and summer—provided that you have adequate watering systems—but perennials especially love to be planted in the fall months here in the Orange County, NY landscape. Check out these perennials that will add the 'Pop' to your curb appeal. 

Photo courtesy of www.mtcubacenter.org

Moonbeam Coreopsis 

These yellow flowers take the heat and bloom faithfully all summer. They are tolerant to most soils and look great with numerous other annuals and perennials. Attracts butterflies,  Deer resistant, and easy to maintain. 

Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun  Height: 18" Spread: 15-18"  Bloom Season: Fall, Summer 

Walker's Low Catmint

These periwinkle blue flower spikes add nice contrast to the gray-green foliage. Excellent for cascading off natural fieldstone walls or as a groundcover that is attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Fragrant, deer resistant, and long bloom times. 

Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun  Height: 24" Spread: 36"  Bloom Season: Summer 

Photo courtesy of Monrovia, Doreen Wynja.

Grown up Gardens

Vertical gardens are most often found in public places and urban areas across the world. The pioneer of vertical gardening, Patrick Blanc, has much of his work on display for millions to see. 

But what about taking the concept of vertical gardening and bringing it down to a smaller scale? Perhaps there are many areas where an upright garden could be helpful in a residential outdoor living project. Heck, maybe even right here in the Hudson Valley area! Start small with a vertical herb garden... this would be a great thing to have by the outdoor kitchen. 

See the whole vertical garden slideshow here. 

Creating a beautiful front entryway

The exterior entryway to your home creates a first impression that is critical to the overall success of your landscape. While making this a warm and welcoming passage is certainly important for your guest’s eyes, it's most important for you, the homeowner. We hear time and time again that a newly landscaped front entrance is a huge source of joy and excitement for homeowners across Orange County and the greater Hudson Valley. And this sure does make sense as there are few investments more satisfying and impactful than an improvement to your home’s curb appeal.  Here are a few key elements to consider when planning your new front yard landscaping project.

HARDSCAPING  When talking about a front entryway to your home, functionality is the number one concern. Ensure that walkways and steps are safe, well designed for traffic and regular use, and easy to maintain. Concrete pavers from manufacturers like Unilock are a great choice for durability and style. Natural stone products like bluestone and flagstone are also excellent choices for your front walkway material.

LIGHTING  Low-voltage landscape lighting is a must-have for the high traffic areas of your home’s landscaping. In addition to the standard light fixture by the front door, consider step lighting and path lighting for increased safety and beauty. On the market today, there are many choices of landscape lighting fixtures for placing in garden beds along a walkway and under the step treads of a front entrance staircase.

PLANTING  Plant material is essential for bringing together your front yard landscaping. A properly designed landscape will include planting beds that help to soften the hard edges of the stone, as well as help with water management and runoff.

OUTDOOR DÉCOR  A final touch of style is the most commonly overlooked element of a welcoming front entryway.  Whether it’s a few boldly colored planters, a vibrantly painted front door, or an outdoor rug laid over stone or wood, these soft touches are what bring your outdoor space to a new level. The outdoor living spaces of your Hudson Valley home deserve the same love and attention as your interior spaces. 

At Home in Orange County, NY

Although the team here at Landworx of NY has completed many beautiful outdoor living projects all across the greater Hudson Valley area, the Orange County region is truly our home.

As the start of a new season begins, it’s nice to take a look back at some highlights of the landscape design and build work we have completed here in Orange County.  We call Goshen home and we love working in the county in which we reside.

The Orange County Choppers facility in Newburgh, NY is a great example of Landworx working together with local residents and business owners to build something special. The OCC facility is a truly stunning combination of steel, glass, and stone. The entire front entrance is paved using Unilock’s Brussels Block pavers and features a beautiful and intricate inlay of the OCC logo.

After winning a $25k dream backyard giveaway, a Middletown, NY homeowner received a total backyard transformation courtesy of the Landworx of NY team. In true drab to fab fashion, the backyard outdoor living space was transformed with new paver patios, paver walkways, landscape lighting, plantings, and a custom pond with a waterfall. Although the homeowner was extremely nervous after seeing the initial demo of the property during construction, she was brought to tears of joy at the unveiling of her Middletown, NY home's new outdoor living masterpiece. 

We take pride in our work as well as the community in which we live. While we create fine outdoor living spaces across the area, we will always have a special place for landscaping outdoor living spaces in Orange County, NY. 

Outdoor Fireplaces that rockin the New Year

“A thick wooden mantel lends contrast to this outdoor fireplace’s hefty stone surround.”

— BHG.com

As 2014 comes to a close here in the Hudson Valley, the time to warm our bones by the fire has definitely arrived. Whether that fire is indoors or out, nothing quite says the holiday season like the roar of an open flame. We thought we'd share a little bit of warmth with you in the form of inspirational outdoor fireplaces that rock. No pun intended. See the complete slideshow here.

Wishing you warm thoughts and a Happy New Year!

The Landworx Team