How To Find The Best Asphalt Paving Contractor Near Me
You can find local asphalt paving companies by asking people you know and searching online. Consider the following people and places for recommendations and referrals.
Reach Out to Family, Friends and NeighborsDo you have a friend, family member or a neighbor who has a beautiful asphalt driveway? Ask them who they hired, then reach out to the pro for a quote.
Ask a RealtorReal estate agents typically keep a contact list of trusted asphalt paving companies in their address book to recommend to clients who list their homes for sale. If you have a relationship with a realtor or know a friend or family member who does, contact them for a referral. You'll find that most realtors will be happy to share their resources.
Speak to Your HOADo you live in a residential community with a homeowners association? Your HOA will likely be able to provide you with a few recommendations for licensed driveway paving contractors. Associations keep a long list of approved licensed and insured contractors who have done work for homeowners and the public spaces in the community.
Search the Better Business BureauVisiting the BBB website is an excellent way to find reputable asphalt paving companies near you. Navigate to the site, type the keywords, "asphalt contractor near me" into the search box and the website will return several asphalt contractors. You'll see company ratings from "A+" to "F" and learn which companies have unresolved complaints filed by previous customers.
Check Online ReviewsYou can find asphalt contractors by searching Google and other search engines. Simply input the search query "asphalt contractors near me" and the search engines will return customer reviews from websites such as Google reviews, Yelp and Angi.Com. As a good rule of thumb: Search companies across different review sites to verify consistency and spot bias.
How Thoughtful Garden Design Can Provide The Landscape You Need
When it comes to garden design, it's really a question of what your motives are for having a garden in the first place. A gardener's garden, for example, will be full to overflowing with so many different botanical species that no design scheme may be discernible. The English garden style, which is more than 200 years old, is meant to recreate the feeling of the countryside on a spring day, when most plants are at the peak of their bloom. The English garden is known as a gardener's garden since a large variety of plants are grown together.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the Japanese garden, where tranquility, rather than excitement, is palpable. A Japanese garden is meant to mimic the natural landscape, as seen from afar, where the distinct geometrical shapes of trees and shrubs are visible. The constant pruning of Japanese garden plants maintains that seen-from-a-distance look. Appropriately, plants found in a Japanese garden are mostly evergreen conifers; their constant, verdant presence, without any interfering colors, adds to the tranquil effect.
Where a peaceful, meditative garden concept is concerned – and memorable gardens always seem to have that quietness to them – the most useful, yet consistently overlooked design principle is repetition or the massing of a few plant species, or even only one, as opposed to mixing together many different species. Just recently, for example, I saw a provocative planter devoted exclusively to dwarf lemon yellow cannas, whose opulent blooms bear a close resemblance to irises, and the waxy inflorescences of red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) are now sweeping the gardening world as stand-alone subjects in large planters devoted exclusively to them. And for that matter, purple sea lavender (Limonium perezii) or even purple fountain grass, planted en masse, will make you catch your breath.
In the spring of this year, I saw a front yard that consisted exclusively of California lilac (Ceanothus spp.) shrubs and Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias subspecies wulfenii). The stout panicles of blue flowers and deep green foliage of the Ceanothus contrasted perfectly with the puffy chartreuse bracts and chalky blue-green leaves of the spurge; all in all, it was a most glorious sight to see.
One of the most impressive local landscapes may be found at the entrance to a hotel that sits on Ventura Boulevard just west of the San Diego Freeway. There is a blazing row of red crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii) with a background of repeating purple smoke trees (Cotinus coggygria) and kohuhu trees (Pittosporum tenuifolium), whose lime green leaves are bordered in creamy white.
I thought of the repetition design principle while perusing the recently released second printing of "Garden Design: A Book of Ideas" (Firefly Books, 2017) by Heidi Howcroft and Marianne Majerus. There I saw a winter photograph of a thicket of several dozen leafless birch trees, planted within a few feet of each other. The close proximity of their gleaming white trunks is stunning. While these trees need to be thinned out from time to time, the dazzling impression they create is worth the work.
"Garden Design: A Book of Ideas" by Heidi Howcroft and Marianne Majerus (Courtesy of Firefly Books)Yet even a row of leeks, with the repetition of their fountainesque form, makes a statement you will never forget. "Garden Design" presents two rows of leeks side by side. They completely mesmerize you with their distinctively arching foliage, even while the Sammy Dickinson Cross cultivar has longer leaves than its Yorkshire Green companion. The greatest asset of this book is the collection of marvelous photographs found in its pages. Even without reading a word of the text, these pictures alone will inspire you to make your backyard more beautiful than ever before.
Of course, you do not need to take a course in garden design in order to design a garden. Aside from repetition, another useful principle I refer to as "divide and conquer," a tactic usually applied to political or military strategy, but also useful in horticulture.
As a garden design principle, divide and conquer refers to breaking up a yard into a collection of smaller plots. By doing so, you give the eye a chance to focus on discretely divided plant groupings, one by one, as opposed to getting lost in a plethora of species that make a lot of noise, but not much of a melody, when combined haphazardly together. If you are crazy about roses, for example, you could devote each of your plots to roses of a certain color. Or you could have a plot for butterflies, another meant mainly for hummingbirds, and another devoted exclusively to herbs or natives or succulents. And where there is some shade, a plot dedicated to ferns would be appropriate.
The most common method for dividing and conquering an extensive yard or garden space is by creation of pathways. Natural stone or flagstone is the preferred, if most expensive, choice. Natural stone engenders feelings of permanence and groundedness, imparting a tranquil mood when it covers the earth around you. Decomposed granite is a popular pathway selection and wood chips from a tree trimmer work just fine for making pathways as long as you are prepared to replenish them every now and then. There is also the option of inexpensive stepping stones, whether brick-colored or grey, that are stocked by home improvement centers.
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Bears may hibernate in the winter, but July signals the beginning of an extended period of dormancy for many Southern California gardeners. The heat is on for the next several months, and you cannot blame people for seeking cooler pleasures than digging and weeding in the sun.
There is a cultural practice that will extend the planting season for annuals and perennials into July and beyond. This is the practice of building raised beds. Raised beds, enriched with homemade compost or bagged soil amendments, are the surest way of growing flowers, vegetables and perennials to their maximum potential, even when planted now.
To build your beds, start by turning over and excavating your existing soil to a depth of at least six inches with a spading fork and round-point shovel. The deeper you can dig, the better the drainage, the more oxygen there will be for your plants' roots, and the faster your plants will grow. Now add compost to the turned-over earth – as much as you can haul and mix into your emerging beds before exhaustion or backache sets in.
Confine your efforts to 3-foot-wide strips. That way, you will never have to step into the beds you are creating when it comes to weeding, watering or harvesting. Although raised beds are most commonly associated with vegetable growing, annual flowers and perennials will also grow well in them. Plants that are supposed to flower on and off – perennial salvias and ground covers such as gazania and verbena, for example – may flower virtually year-round in a raised bed.
Keep in mind that you can also build raised beds out of wooden planks, rebar, and other readily available materials without laborious effort. There are plenty of online videos with instructions of how to do this. You can then bring in the soil mix of your dreams to complete the bed, which is really just a box without a bottom or a lid.
California Native of the Week: Woolly blue curls (Trichostema lanatum), an evergreen, is one of the most floriferous California native shrubs as it is in bloom from March to August. But it may be seen flowering at other times, too. Flowering will also be extended by removal of spent blooms. While needing regular water its first year in the garden, it can subsist on much less after that, never needing more than a single monthly soaking. Dense clusters of fuzzy, woolly royal blue flowers, 12 inches long, are outstanding candidates for bouquets or vase arrangements. Moreover, unlike the muted green or humdrum gray leaves common to many natives, foliage of this species is a lush green. Both flowers and foliage have a sweet fragrance that is a mixture of pine, cedar and lavender. The "curls" in its name reference the curved stamens extruding from the flowers. A member of the mint family, its leaves will make a flavorful tea when steeped in hot water. Plants may eventually grow to six feet tall and wide and will attract hummingbirds (its primary pollinators) as well as bumblebees and butterflies when in bloom. Named varieties yield flowers in the blue to purple spectrum, and in magenta as well. Typically, individual parts of the same flower will each display its own color. You can find woolly blue curls in one-gallon containers at Tree of Life Nursery (californianativeplants.Com) in San Juan Capistrano or locate their seeds at Theodore Payne Nursery (theodorepayne.Org) in Sun Valley.
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On July 15 and 16 from 10:30 a.M. – 4 p.M. At the Sherman Gardens (thesherman.Org) at 2647 E. Coast Hwy. In Corona Del Mar, six plant societies will be exhibiting and selling species from their chosen botanical groups as follows: ferns, orchids, begonias, bromeliads, carnivorous plants, and plumerias. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.
Is there a memorable garden whose design you would like to share? If so, please send its description to [email protected]. Your questions, comments, and photos regarding any botanical species or gardening practice are always welcome.
Best Landscape Design Software (2023)
The best landscape design software lets you sculpt outdoor spaces. Whether you're a professional designer or just trying out new ideas for your home, software for landscape design is built to create accurate visualizations, from mockups and blueprints to photorealistic 3D renders.
Alongside the best interior design software and the best architecture software, specialized garden design apps speed up and automate workflows. This gives you the freedom to focus on crafting sustainable real-world environments - and collaborate on concepts with colleagues, clients, and friends.
With so many programs on the market - from industry-focused tools to free landscape design software for casual users with an eye for the imaginative - it can be a challenge identifying the right tool for your next project. So, we've tested the best landscape design software for professionals, homeowners, and designers.
As part of our review process, we've assessed the interface and usability of each landscaping and backyard design app, pricing plans, platform compatibility, the skills needed to create exterior spaces and its accuracy when designing for liveable exterior spaces.
The best landscape design software of 2023 (Image credit: Idea Spectrum)Best landscaping software for professionals
Reasons to buy +Good interface
+Responsive performance
+A wealth of flowers, plants and tree to use
Reasons to avoid -Windows only
-No free option
Realtime Landscaping Pro is a Windows-only landscape design software focused on helping outdoor space creation. If you need to design a room, or an entire house, you'll need to look elsewhere.
This doesn't mean you can't create house exteriors. Realtime Landscaping Pro lets you add houses to your design. You just can't venture inside them.
Using the program is a delight. The easy-to-follow interface offers a fluid experience, making it one of the best landscape design software suites.
Landscaping an entire area from scratch can take some time, but the landscape design tool helps speed up the process with the use of Wizards. You have a handful of them, helping you design everything from ponds to decking.
You have the option of fully customizing your chosen template, like building materials and size of individual elements. So, the landscaping program is both a time-saver to help you get started, and a launchpad to further your own creativity.
There's no subscription plans here. Realtime Landscaping Pro offers bags of features to help you create the garden of your dreams. The Pro version, aimed at landscape designers and homeowners, costs $279. The Plus version, which features fewer objects and is best for homeowners, is priced at $149. Existing users can upgrade to any new release at a discount rate.
Read our full Realtime Landscaping Pro review
(Image credit: TurboCAD)Best landscape design software for Mac and Windows
SpecificationsOperating system: Windows, macOS
Reasons to buy +Easy to use
+Friendly interface
+Great time saving features
Reasons to avoid -Hard to navigate in 3D
-Could select all objects in 3D
FloorPlan Home & Landscape Deluxe from TurboCAD is a complete digital interior design and landscaping program.
It's a single package that offers the ability to create and furnish rooms, build custom cabinets, and design outdoor living spaces - the ideal landscaping tool for the full virtual home experience.
The Templates section is especially good. Here, you'll find a vast selection of ready made groups of items, like a table and chairs, say, or a ready-made landscape section. It's all there to help speed up the design process. There's also a host of tools for creating truly accessible areas.
You can create designs in very little time. Fine tuning and customizing is just as easy, and it's only marred by a potentially glitchy 3D interface where objects occasionally aren't selected first time.
The best landscape design software is simple and intuitive to use - whether you're a home user or professional contractor. And for the most part, FloorPlan delivers.
You'll find loads of features designed to make the creation process more efficient. The help menu is only ever a click away, and the interface is friendly and inviting. Experience, then, is no barrier to professional 3D landscape design.
Read our full FloorPlan Home & Landscape Pro review
(Image credit: NCH Software)Best landscape design software for accessibility
SpecificationsOperating system: Windows, macOS
Today's Best Deals
DreamPlan Home Design Software Home
$35
Reasons to buy +Easy to use and multi-platform
+Work on multiple levels
+Can easily import 3D objects
Reasons to avoid -Can be slow
-Not all objects installed initially
DreamPlan is a landscaping app for Windows and Mac that offers great value for money and an easy user experience. But that's what you'd expect from a program billed as 'home design software for everyone'.
Like FloorPlan 2021, it combines home interior design and landscape design tools. This lets you perfect floor plans and build dream rooms.
On the landscaping side, you'll plant trees, create swimming pools, and reshape terrain just the way you like it. The software comes with a vast library of plants and outdoor furniture that you're free to customize.
You can choose between two versions depending on your use. DreamPlan Plus is for businesses, with unlimited, single-user commercial licensing. DreamPlan Home is for personal users. Both are one-off payments, so you won't get tangled up into a subscription deal.
NCH's offering is an excellent piece of landscape design software, helping you create a building on multiple levels, alter it, and customize it inside and out to your heart's content.
Read our full DreamPlan review
(Image credit: Nova Development)Best landscape design software for homeowners
SpecificationsOperating system: Windows
Today's Best Deals
Virtual Architect Home & Landscape
$49.99
Reasons to buy +Easy to use
+Useful wizards
+Lots of customisation options
+VR support
Reasons to avoid -Annoying tutor
-Frustrating 3D navigation
Virtual Architect Ultimate with Landscaping and Decks Design is an all-in-one package for creating stunning indoor and outdoor spaces.
It's very flexible when it comes to DIY garden design, letting you work on multiple elevations, create paths, and add lighting effects. There's a large library of plants, arbors, and trellises for your garden. The complete plant encyclopedia boasts more than 7,500 entries and a seasonal plant care calendar. You can also add gazebos, fences, walls, and even sprinklers for ultimate realism.
In use, it's a fairly intuitive landscape design app. But, there are a handful of clunky interface choices that mar an otherwise solid experience. Easing the burden on beginners, the software comes with a number of wizards. This includes one for quickly creating decks, potentially saving you a lot of time.
There's no subscription fees for one of the best landscape design software suites. Just a one-off payment. The garden design app is Windows-only, but it does run on VR headsets HTC Vive and Occulus Rift.
Read our full Virtual Architect Ultimate with Landscaping and Decks Design review
(Image credit: Asynth)Best 3D landscape design software for beginners
SpecificationsOperating system: Browser
Reasons to buy +Works fluidly
+Full customisation available
Reasons to avoid -No free plan
-Cannot edit or customise in 3D
Space Designer 3D is an online service, which means it'll work from a browser and you won't need to install it onto every computer you work on.
The main focus is interior design, but landscaping your garden is possible. There is a generous library of trees, plants, and flowers on offer for you to pepper throughout your terrain. You can't alter the ground's elevation, though, which limits you to perfectly flat gardens.
If you're a beginner or intermediate, that might be enough to get you started in visualizing your outside space. If you're a veteran designer looking for powerful creation tools, then it might not be the best landscape design software for you.
The program features a range of subscriptions to suit, with personal and commercial licensing options. Business is a bespoke subscription with prices depending on your needs.
There's also a Casual plan, which lets you pay per project. But if you want to try before you buy as it were, check out the Demo option to get a feel for what the service offers.
Read our full Space Designer 3D review
Best landscape design software: FAQs How to choose the best landscape design software for youWhy you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
When choosing which landscape design software is best, start by assessing your needs and skill-level. Are you a professional landscape designer or looking to improve your own outdoor space (or even maybe both)? Realtime Landscaping Pro is great for professionals, for instance, but TurboCAD's FloorPlan is easy enough for beginners and home users.
Select which devices you'll use. Certain landscaping design tools are Windows or Mac-only, others are available across platforms - while Space Designer 3D is a wholly browser-based design canvas.
You'll also want to determine if you're using software to design gardens or you need tools for interior design, too. Some of the best landscape design software offer both - although it can feel 'tacked on' in some instances. If you're a pro, it may be best to focus on strict landscaping designers, creating home design interiors in a separate program.
What is landscape design software?If you're on the hunt for the best landscape design software then there's a good chance you're fully versed in the benefits of such a product, but to dispel any doubts, it is software specifically designed for the work of landscape designers, allowing them to visualize their ideas on a variety of devices.
This means that before putting it all into practice, landscape designers are able to map out and plan landscaping projects, and flag up any potential problems or difficulties.
How we test the best landscape design softwareLike all graphic design software, the best landscape design software should be easy to use, and packed with features and assets powerful enough to recreate your creativity on the screen.
Not all landscaping apps are the same, though - professional-grade and consumer-level design software offers different toolkits for different purposes. We believe it's important to assess the individual merits of each one based on its audience.
Ultimately, we expect the very best landscape design software to allow your imagination flow across virtual outdoor spaces. It's on this basis that we test and review the tools.
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DreamPlan Home Design Software Home
Virtual Architect Home & Landscape
