Here are some fall planting tips, thanks HGTV!

Remember, contact the experts at East Coast Landscape Design with any questions regarding fall planting or landscape design! Call us at 301-421-4141.

--

Fall is a great time to plant perennials, bulbs, trees and shrubs. Container plants and balled-and-burlapped specimens usually have well-developed root systems. Because roots don't have to supply nutrients and water to growing stems and new leaves, they can concentrate on getting established. Roots grow - although slowly - even when soil temperature is as low as 40 degrees.

Before you plant, make sure to allow enough time for the roots to get settled in and acclimated before cold weather sets in. If it's well into fall where you live, plant the species that are most easily established - deciduous shrubs and maple, hackberry, ash, thornless honey locust, linden, crabapple, sycamore, hawthorn and horse chestnut trees. Wait until spring to plant the trees that are slow to establish - oak, birch, willow, ginkgo, sweetgum, American yellowwood and American hornbeam. Mulch well to conserve soil temperature (but don't pile mulch around the trunk). In cooler, dry climates, wait until spring to plant broad-leaved evergreens and conifers, to avoid excessive water loss through the foliage and to give them the warmer soil temperatures they need. If you're not sure whether it's safe to plant, check with a local nursery or extension service.

More Planting Tips

Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and other such berries perform best in rich, loose, well-drained soil. Depending on the type of soil you have and whether you need to adjust the pH (blueberries need an acidic soil of pH 4.5 to 5.0), you may want to spend fall preparing the soil and wait until spring to plant.

Plant fruit trees in full sun and away from large shade trees that might take away water and nutrients. You're lucky if you have a north-facing slope. That's the best place to plant fruit trees. The trees will less likely be tricked into flowering too soon by an early spring and more apt to escape a late frost because cold air will fall into lower-lying areas. If you don't have a slope, placing the trees on the north side of a house or barn can help with the too-early bud break problem.

Over the years the advice has changed about how best to plant trees. The current wisdom is to dig a hole no deeper than the depth of the root ball or container but three or four times as wide. In fact, it's even better to dig the hole a couple of inches shallower than the depth of the root ball. Digging a hole that's deeper than the root ball and then filling it partially with backfill before placing the tree invites settling. With a few waterings and a little time, the tree could sink below ground level and this could kill the tree.

At East Coast Landscape Design, we do everything from landscaping to hardscaping. We also specialize in planting! Here are a few examples of our planting work.
 Alberta Spruce

Purple Azalea

Bird's Nest Spruce

Learn more about planting options by clicking here or calling East Coast Landscape Design at 301-421-4141. We are the Washington D.C. area's leading licensed landscaping company, and would love to help with your project!

At East Coast Landscape Design, we take pride in our professionalism and dedication to the landscaping industry.

Take a look at our certifications that set us apart from other landscapers in the DC, Maryland and Virginia areas!

Our Certifications

Interlocking Certified Paver Installers

Certified Landscape Technician

Certified Pond Installer

Maryland Home Improvement Commission License

Better Business Bureau

Landscape Contractors Association

Recommended Landscape Contractor "Washington Checkbook"

East Coast Landscape Design would love to help you with your next project! We proudly serve the Washington, DC metro area including Maryland and Virginia. Call us at 301-421-4141 for information on improving your landscape.

Check out this video from Aquascape about a landscaping project in Green Hills, Illinois.

For your own custom landscaping project in Washington, DC or Maryland, call East Coast Landscape Design at 301-421-4141.

As your exterior decorator, we aim to exceed your expectations for your landscaping goals. East Coast Landscape Design takes pride in making your landscape dreams become realities, and our client in Silver Spring, Maryland is "delighted" with her recent project.

Just a quick note of appreciation to let you know how delighted I am with the landscaping project your crew recently completed at my home. The plantings are all doing well, the retaining wall looks beautiful, and I have received many favorable comments from friends and neighbors. I was impressed with the neatness of the daily work, and with the crew's concern for my safety whenever I had to back down my steep driveway and wiggle around their truck. Thank you for a job well done.

-Homeowner in Silver Spring, Maryland

East Coast Landscape Design would love to help you with your next project! We proudly serve the Washington, DC metro area including Maryland and Virginia. Call us at 301-421-4141 for information on improving your landscape.

Check out this video from Aquascape about creating a patio pond. 

For your own patio pond in Washington, DC or Maryland, call East Coast Landscape Design at 301-421-4141. 

Landscaping needs to be updated to a contemporary look, just like interior decorating. Plus, landscaping grows and needs to be trimmed and sometimes replaced.

A challenging project for East Coast Landscape Design stemmed from a 35-year-old landscape at a home on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, DC. The homeowners just moved into the house, and wanted an updated yard. More specifically, they were looking to increase curb appeal by making the yard look more professional and contemporary.

East Coast Landscape Design removed the entire front and side yard to meet the needs of the homeowners. By adding a retaining wall and putting a ground cover over the hill, they were able to present the homeowners with an updated landscape look for their new home in Northwest Washington, DC.

East Coast Landscape Design, Inc. offers an array of services designed to transform the exterior of your home into a beautiful, functional outdoor living space. The services we offer include:

Landscape Design and Installation
For more than 25 years, neighborhoods all over the Washington, DC area have turned to East Coast Landscape Design for creative and careful design and installation of top-quality perennials, shrubs and trees.

Hardscapes
Pathways, retaining walls, patios can add instant value and beauty to a home.

Waterscapes
Ponds, waterfalls and other water features create peace and tranquility like not other landscape feature.  Whether you’re seeking a serene spot in the garden, or want to create a nice landing spot for butterflies and birds, please consider a water garden.

We invite you to take a look at our portfolios featuring landscape design, hardscapes, and water features.