Landscaping & Lawn Care in Plano
(972) 495-6990

CLIENT LOGIN

FREE ESTIMATE

Tag: plano landscape

Village Green Plano LandscapingGREENTALK BLOGplano landscape
27 Apr 2020
0 Comments By Ken Hyatt Landscaping, Landscaping Dallas , , , , ,

Tour this newly installed Plano Texas landscape

Take a quick video tour of one a recent landscape Village Green completed in Plano, Texas.

We have been getting a lot of customer calls about landscape projects. With so many staying at home, it is natural to want to create an outdoor haven to enjoy year-round.

Whether you decide to DIY or want to work with a professional like Village Green, investing in upgrading your outdoor space is a good investment. We hope our video tours like this one, give you some inspiration.

Village Green installs landscapes ranging from $2,500 up to $100,000 + and have been helping our North Texas neighbors create beautiful outdoor spaces since 1980. I know we could help you create your very own sanctuary and we would love to earn your business. Give us a call at 972-495-6990 or email Ken@VillageGreen-Inc.com.

01 Apr 2020
1 Comments By Ken Hyatt GreenTalk, Ken's Quick Tip, Landscaping, Landscaping Dallas , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Secret to a Great Landscape

Examples of what you don’t want to do. These landscapes don’t frame the house or have anything interesting near the entrance. There are also far too many rectangles and mushrooms in this landscape design.

Today I am going to share a secret about how to create a great landscape design. Whether you do it yourself or use Village Green, the key to a great landscape is to follow the great painter’s lead and create a frame around your home.

How do you do that? You start with the foundation planting at the bottom of your frame. You want the foundation plants to be dwarf type plants and ground cover. The reason this is important, so the plants do not obstruct the view of your home and hurt your drive-up appeal. You mustn’t cover up any interesting architectural details like columns, windows, and doors (see examples.)

Examples of what you don’t want to do. These landscapes don’t frame the house or have anything interesting near the entrance. There are also far too many rectangles and mushrooms in this landscape design.

You want your foundation planting designed to guide your eye to the entry of your home. Use a variety of shapes, forms, and textures to achieve this, and the style of the landscape will dictate your arrangement. Nearly always simple is best, and less is more. Keep the variety of plants to a minimum and mass them, so your eye is drawn toward the entry. The area around the door should have a vertical accent (3′-5’ tall) with seasonal color and more variety to draw your eye to this area.

The corner of your home should consist of larger shrubs and ornamental trees, usually 6′ or so, that make up the sides of the frame. This planting serves as a backdrop for the layering of plants that will help guide your eye to the entry. Tall plants at the corners and progressively smaller plants draw the eye to your entry.

The top of the frame generally consists of shade trees in your front yard; however, a grouping of ornamental trees along the foundation or shade trees in the back that is visible from the front can achieve the same effect.

If you have any questions about your landscape or want more information give us a call at 972-495-6990 or email Ken@VillageGreen-Inc.com.

22 Jul 2019
0 Comments By Ken Hyatt Landscaping ,

Landscape Spotlight: Mr. & Mrs. O’s Zero-Lot Line Patio Home Transformation


Check out the new patio and landscape we installed for Mr. and Mrs. O in Dallas. Their lovely home sits on a tiny zero-lot line backyard which didn’t afford much landscape space. On their wish list was a patterned concrete patio for their new hot tub plus plants that would soften all the concrete in their backyard.

Most think a small backyard doesn’t need or even deserve a good design which is not true. Small backyards are actually some of the most challenging projects we tackle at Village Green because it is imperative that you maximize every square inch. The reason that is so hard is because you must be smart about your choices not only is every square inch seen, it is also valuable which means you don’t want to waste any of the space with a poor plant choice.

I’m happy to report that not only do Mr. and Mrs. O love their new backyard oasis. They also raved about their experience with working with the Village Green team, especially Hannah, Kristian and Salvador. In fact they were so pleased with our work and service that Mrs. O took the time to post the following review on Google.

“Village Green Lawn & Landscape is a wonderful company! We couldn’t be more pleased with their design and service! We have a small backyard and wanted to turn it into something special. Village Green came out, looked at our project, made a design and implemented it wonderfully. They are top notch from the beginning to the end. Ken and his people are very professional and just a delight to work with. We can recommend without any reservations!” – Mrs. O.

There’s that old phrase, cheap becomes expensive which certainly can be applied to landscape work. It may seem that handling your design and installation, especially on a small project like the O’s will save you money. That is not true. What tends to happen is you end up spending more money and time than you plan and still don’t get exactly what you want. I know it sounds (and is) self-serving, but you really would be better off working with a reputable lawn and landscape company like Village Green. Typically, in the end you spend more time and money than you had planned and would have been better off (and a lot happier) to hire a professional landscape company (like Village Green.) If you are considering a project give us a chance to earn your business. You can get more information or get an estimate started by calling us at 972-495-6990 or email me at Ken@VillageGreen-Inc.com.

17 Apr 2019
0 Comments By Ken Hyatt Landscaping ,

Landscape Spotlight: Dr. C’s NW Plano Project

Like many of our landscape clients, Dr. C originally called Village Green to talk solutions for his thinning grass at his northwest Plano home. As we discussed his lawn it became clear that the answer would need to be a combination of sod and redoing his landscape because of several trees in his front lawn.

Dr. C liked a lot of things about his current landscape which he had done himself. He is an emergency room doctor, and one year, to reduce stress, he pulled out his old landscape and installed an all new landscape, including boulders and stone borders – pretty impressive. His landscape had a lot of perennials, and Dr. C loved the informal look. The problem was in the winter most of them would go dormant and he lost a large part of his landscape. He also had taller plants along his city sidewalk that obscured the view of his home.

David Daigle, our landscape architect, and I came up with a plan that shifted his beds away from the sidewalk to make his landscape feel less like a barrier and more welcoming. Dr. C also wanted grass and that allowed us to install zoysia grass in the slightly sunnier area near the sidewalk. We planted taller variegated pittosporums along the outside edge of his home. We shifted his large (and very heavy) boulders inside the beds and planted plum yew, a fern like plant that form a nice backdrop for them. We added pringle yews to frame the entry. We re-used his Mexican petunias by shifting them behind the boulders. Andres, our stone mason, installed a beautiful stone border and then we installed a decomposed granite path. As you can see from the before and after photos , Dr. C now has the informal look he loves all year round and you can see all of the beautiful brick texture of his home.

Take the stress out of your next landscape update or project by giving Village Green the opportunity to earn your business. We’ve been designing and installing landscapes in North Texas since 1980, and I guarantee we can solve any lawn or landscape issue you may be facing at your home. For more information or to get an estimate on your project give us a call at 972-495-6990 or email me at Ken@VillageGreen-Inc.com.

13 Mar 2019
0 Comments By Ken Hyatt GreenTalk, Ken's Quick Tip, Landscaping, Lawn and Landscape Care , ,

Ken’s Quick Tip: Picking the Right Pipe

Example of ribbed pipe that will inevitable become clogged in North Texas

A critical component in a happy and healthy lawn and landscape is proper drainage. Your lawn’s health depends on how well it can retain and drain water. While grass needs the right amount to grow, too much water can impede oxygen uptake, slow metabolic processes and invite root rot. To make matters worse, in North Texas our infamous clay soil isn’t the best for natural drainage. If we get one of our famous gully washers and your downspouts aren’t properly connected (or you have other drainage challenges) you’re going to end up with standing water.

Choosing the right kind of pipe.

Most contractors in North Texas like to use a black flexible pipe that is ribbed (see example.) They like this pipe for two reasons, it’s cheap and easy to install.

These pipes are not good for drainage though because they tend to sag down to every low spot in their trench and become easily clogged by leaves and other debris which causes all kinds of problems.

At Village Green we only use a 4″ PVC pipe in our drainage system work.

This pipe costs more than the cheap black flexible kind and is harder to install, but the quality and smooth inside (that won’t become clogged) more than pays for itself over time.

If you have a drainage issue or any other lawn or landscape related problems, give us a call at 972-495-6990 or or email me at Ken@VillageGreen-Inc.com. With nearly 40 years in North Texas, we have the expertise to solve your lawn and landscape problems and would love to earn your business in 2019.

    04 Mar 2019
    0 Comments By Ken Hyatt GreenTalk, Ken's Quick Tip, Landscaping, Lawn and Landscape Care, Weeding , ,

    Ken’s Quick Tip: An Unwelcome Sign Spring is Near in North Texas

    Henbit

    At Village Green a sure sign that spring is near is the arrival of henbit North Texas lawns. And while any sign of spring is at some level is welcome, henbit is a weed.

    As far as weeds go, henbit is pretty, with a rich green and cute purple flower, but we still don’t like to see it our lawns. During our winter months, brown is beautiful. In fact you can learn on why brown is beautiful in one of my previous Quick Tips.

    So, how do you get rid of henbit? The best way is to prevent it from starting in the first place which means using a good pre-emergent in the winter. The trouble is if you are seeing henbit in your lawn now, you’re too late to do that this year and you need to use a broadleaf weed control to make it go away. A good rule of thumb is anything that will make dandelions go away will also take care of henbit.

    If you aren’t the do-it-yourself type and don’t want to mess with chemicals another easy tip is to simply cut your lawn short. PLEASE DON’T SCALP IT!) If it comes back up, mow it again. Keep in mind these are winter weeds which means as our days get and stay warmer, they will go away on their own.

    Finally, if you’d like to not have to worry about weeds period, give us a call. We offer affordable feed and fertilization programs based on eight annual visits a year. I promise with our expertise in North Texas (we’ve been doing it since 1980) we can solve any lawn or landscape problems. Give us a call at 972-495-6990 or or email me at Ken@VillageGreen-Inc.com. We’d love to have the opportunity to earn your lawn and fertilization business in 2019!

    22 Jan 2019
    0 Comments By Ken Hyatt GreenTalk, Landscaping, Lawn and Landscape Care , ,

    Ken’s Quick Tip: The #1 problem with two-thirds of the lawns in North Texas

    This is Village Green’s 39th year in the lawn and landscape business in North Texas (I’m getting old!) Seriously though, I’ve seen a lot of unhealthy lawns over the years with the same common problem. They were not watered properly. Especially during our North Texas winter. I’d go so far as to to say that two-thirds of the underperforming lawns we see have poor watering as the main culprit. That’s a lot of lawns in nearly 40 years of business!

    The secret to a great lawn isn’t a great mystery. In fact, it is pretty simple. It takes three things for a lawn to thrive. Sun, water, and fertilizer (and in that order.) Of those three things the two that are easiest for you to control are water and fertilizer. But the kicker is you have to have the water for the fertilizer to work.

    If you want a healthy lawn this spring and summer, you need to make sure are watering 12-months out of the year. Even during the North Texas winter. If your lawn hasn’t been thriving in the past more than likely under or poor watering is your main problem. Whether it be improper sprinkler settings, broken sprinkler heads, inadequate water coverage, or simply sprinklers that were turned off for the winter the result is under-watered lawns. It doesn’t matter how much sun or fertilizer they get, without proper year round watering the lawn isn’t going to thrive. Because that is what the water does, it helps spread that fertilizer down into the root system which makes your lawn stronger. That strength will sustain your lawn in the tough North Texas months (winter and summer) when we have extreme temps. That’s why it’s so important to be consistent with your lawn plan and to not forget that after sun (which is mostly beyond our control,) you have to give you lawn water and fertilizer.

    If you don’t feel your lawn is as good as it could be give us a call and let us help solve your problem. We offer affordable sprinkler repair by certified technicians and fertilization and weed control packages. If you have the time and are the DIY type, download our free watering guide and make sure your system is set for winter watering. You can also check out our resource center which has free downloadable content (including my secrets to a healthy lawn series.)

    I promise if you have the proper watering schedule and follow it up with a proper fertilizer and weed control (we offer affordable plans that will save you time and money,) your lawn will bounce back in no time and end up being the envy of your neighbors.

    We’d love to have the opportunity to earn your lawn and fertilization business in 2019! Give us a call at 972-495-6990 or email me at Ken@VillageGreen-Inc.com.

    21 Nov 2013
    0 Comments By Kyle GreenTalk , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Meet the Team: Shelby Hyatt

    Founded in 1980 by Ken Hyatt, Village Green is a family owned business that specializes in lawn care, landscaping, fertilization and weed control, sprinkler repair, and mosquito control. During the Holiday Season we also professionally install lights for both business and residential customers.  

    Ken has always felt that the people behind Village Green are as important as the company itself.  With that in mind he asked the team to answer a few questions in order for our customers to get to know more about the Village Green employees who serve them. 



    Shelby HyattQ&A WITH SHELBY HYATT, Doer of Whatever is Needed Done as Daughter of the Owner

    Please describe what you do at Village Green.  
    I do a lot of in and out jobs between doing bills and putting up Xmas lights at Dallas Baptist University.

    How long have you worked at Village Green?  
    Since I was born! [Which isn’t exactly true, but when you are the owner’s daughter you start helping with the family business at an early age!)

    What would people be surprised to learn about you?  
    I volunteered at the Dallas Zoo and got to feed and pet a rhino.
    What some of your favorite things?  
    My favorite past time is camping and hiking. 
     
    Where did you grow up?  
    Texas.
     
    What is your favorite TV show?  
    My favorite TV show is between Once Upon a Time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Fringe.
     
    Fill in the blanks.  I can’t live without laptop, pets, and family. 
      
    If you could have a dinner party and invite any four people, dead or alive, the guest list would be?  
    Teddy Roosevelt, J.J. Abrams, Joss Whedon, and Walt Disney.
      
    If you were a superhero would you be?  
    Black Widow. 
    17 May 2013
    0 Comments By Kyle eTour, GreenTalk, Landscaping Dallas , , , ,

    Mr. & Mrs. T’s Landscape eTour

    Ken visits Mr. and Mrs. T’s home to check on a landscape project Village Green finished two weeks ago.  Like many of Village Green’s projects, this customer had trouble growing grass under their oak trees because of the shade.  Village Green replaced the Bermuda to St. Augustine, and created some beds under each tree.  The end result is a yard that is gorgeous, but will be very low maintenance for Mr. and Mrs. T.  It’s an added bonus to watch this video to hear Ken give a Who’ Who commentary of landscape plants.

    09 Apr 2013
    0 Comments By Kyle GreenTalk, Landscaping Dallas , , , , ,

    Village Green Landscape e-Tour

    Village Green Landscape e-Tour from Ken Hyatt on Vimeo.

    Ken Hyatt, the founder and owner of Village Green gives a quick e-Tour of a Plano, Texas landscape project.  Ken likes to keep Village Green on the cutting edge, and armed with his smart phone, this e-Tour is an example of one of the many ways he educates and informs our clients in a fun and easy way.