Climate change has created the need to adjust the plant zone hardiness map for the DC area. Click here for a recent Washington Post article to learn more..

Visit Johnson's Landscaping has provided the highest quality landscape design and service to Northwest D.C., Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Silver Spring, Rockville, Potomac, and Olney since 1960. Call us at 301-740-8850 to learn more!

Don’t wait for Spring to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms. You can see Cherry Autumnalis blooming now in the DC and Montgomery County area! Check out this link for more information…… http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st518

Need more information about planting or landscaping? Call the experts at Johnson’s Landscaping, Inc at 301-740-8850 to start planning your new landscape in Northwest, Washington, DC and Montgomery County, MD!

By now everyone has done their winter heating maintenance and cleaned or replaced their furnace filters. But do you know that one of the biggest impacts on your comfort at home is not the temperature of the air but the level of humidity in the air? Experts tell us that relative humidity levels inside your home during the winter months should be kept between 30% and 40%. Maintaining winter humidity levels within that range will make the inside air feel warmer, can reduce dry, itchy skin and static shocks and will lessen the damaging effect of excessively dry air on hardwood floors, wood furniture and interior wood trim.

Many modern heating and cooling systems include a built in humidifier. It is important to keep this part of the system properly maintained. Maintenance should occur at the beginning of the heating season since that is when it is most needed and used. There are two major types of built-in humidifiers, power humidifiers and steam humidifiers. Both types require maintenance. Power humidifiers have an internal fabric element that water runs over and a fan that atomizes the water and pushes it into the air as it is flows through the ductwork. The humidifier element in a power humidifier should be replaced at the beginning of the heating system and depending on the quality of the water, again half way through the season. Steam humidifiers heat water to create steam that is introduced to air in the ducts. Steam humidifiers have a water filter that should be replaced one or two times per season, again depending on the quality of the water.

You can search on-line for do-it-yourself replacement elements and filters by looking up the manufacturer and model number on your humidifier. Even better, have your heating and cooling service mechanic replace the element or filter during their regular checkups.

If your built-in humidifier was installed more than five years ago, it’s a good idea to trace the copper water supply line back to where the water valve is. Some older water valves are of a type known as a saddle valve and are prone to leaking and clogging. You can tell a saddle valve by the style of handle it has and that it will be clamped around a water pipe. A saddle valve will have a small “T” shaped handle that will take several rotations to fully open or close. If this valve is fully open and your humidifier does not seem to be getting enough water or if the supply valve is leaking, you should have a plumber replace the valve with a new “gate” type valve.

Stay warm and comfortable all winter long by maintaining the indoor air humidity level and the humidifier that does that job.

At Visnic Homes we care about the continuing care of your home. If you have questions about anything else, feel free to ask. You can like our Facebook Page - Visnic Homes to stay up on our latest tips!

This heavily wooded custom home lot in Bethesda Maryland needed several trees to be removed.  Patrick Musser Tree Service did a great job and managed a clean and safe site within a residential neighborhood   http://youtu.be/79z9d7RvuD4

We know our customers are faced with a variety of choices in the Maryland and Washington, DC regions. This is why it’s important that customers look for home improvement companies with good reputations, backed by a commitment to deliver the best products and service possible. At Hammer and Nail Exteriors, we’ve been around for a while – 50 years. Our family started this business back in 1954, and ever since we’ve been known as the go-to window, door and home exterior experts. As a matter of fact, we’ve had more positive reviews (check our Angies’s List ratings) and serviced more customers in the Washington, DC area than any other exterior home remodeling company in the region.

Our Here-to-Help Promise is just one example of our commitment to making our customers happy. When you work with Hammer and Nail Exteriors, you can rest assured that we have quality assurance processes in place to ensure our customers are completely satisfied with their new windows, doors, siding and gutters. 

How are we Here-to-Help?

• Right Look. Right Budget.We offer an extensive line of preferred products to choose from to meet your personal style and individual budget. With more choices, you don’t have to compromise service or value.  Get what you want, for the price you want.

• Pro Know-How – Our service and professional standards exceed expectations and are backed by expertly trained design consultants and product installation specialists. 

• Hassle-Free – We believe great service and superior products are what sell us. So we don’t believe in hard sells. We take pride in the fact that we don’t engage in a hard sell sales process. It simply doesn’t meet our standard of professionalism. Our customers are busy, so we’ve created our entire business around making it easy for you. Enjoy a no-hassle experience and more confidence in knowing we are always here-to-help.

• Final Finish Check – After every installation, our team returns to your home to do a complete walkthrough to make sure everything was done right and that the product meets your expectations. This is one final check to make sure you’re completely satisfied

• Lifetime Limited Installation Warranty – Enjoy extra protection for your peace of mind. We work hard to make sure your project is done right, and if it’s not right, we’ll fix it. 

When you’re choosing a company to work on your home, consider their commitment to you, their quality of work and the performance of the products they carry.  With Marvin Windows and Doors, ProVia doors, James Hardie siding and WataGutter gutter systems, we offer the best set of exterior solutions. We’re happy to say we’re always here-to-help and we have more products to choose from.

Visit Natelli Homes for more information about architectural design and custom homes.

Read the following story in the Washington Post about the life of the legendary and local landscape architect, Wolfgang Oehme, who died December 15, 2011 in Towson, MD. His work inspired many.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/wolfgang-oehme-innovative-landscape-architect-dies-at-81/2011/12/16/gIQA9ssv2O_story.html

Original post from the Johnson's Lanscaping, Inc. blog.

Sam Nelson of Johnson’s Landscaping Service was called to help a local homeowner for the “House Calls” feature of The Washington Post Home & Garden section.

The homeowner said, "We'd like to use landscaping that will help minimize our end-of-season cleanup. It's been unbearable!"

Sam provided some tips, as well as a beautiful new design, for this homeowner! Some of Sam’s tips included:

Install a flagstone patio. Overestimate its size because when entertaining, people and seating will take up space. Also, this will cut down on the amount of grass to mow.

Add a low stone wall around the maple tree. This creates a raised, shaded flower bed; its ledge can be used as extra seating. To view Sam’s design and the rest of the tips provided from Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc., click here.

Johnson’s Landscaping Service has been serving the greater Washington, DC area since 1960, providing quality service to the communities of Northwest D.C., Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Silver Spring, Rockville, Potomac, and Olney.

This past month D.C got an amazing opportunity to meet and greet with the one and only Martha Stewart. On November 17th she spoke with Marc Pachter, interim director of the National Museum of American History, for a talk back at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.). Marc sat down with the author, entrepreneur, magazine publisher, television host and all-around genius of domesticity to discuss the evolution of American domestic culture and her profound impact on it. The program, hosted by the Smithsonian Associates, is in timing with the recent release of her latest book, Martha’s Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations—an update to her inaugural book.

Throughout the conversation, Martha touched on a lot of her own personal experiences in the home environment as she grew up, many of her inspirations and notions came from her adolescent years. Being the second oldest of six children she saw first hand how her mother handled such an immense amount of household chores. Martha was quoted saying "I love chores, only child that didn't have to be asked to do them." She described her fascination with her fathers garden and planting herbs. She watched as her parents raised there growing family on average a $13,000 income and still always made sure there was enough to eat and everybody was comfortable. "It was scary but Mom and Dad always made it work, always had fresh vegetables on the table. I love them for that." From a young age Martha learned how to help her mother work and maintain a proper household, which transitioned into a lifestyle that she made into a very successful career. Although Martha did not start out this way. "I always wanted to be a teacher like my mom". But her plan quickly changed, by the time she got to high school she wanted to go to Stanford, but she knew her parents could never afford it. he was presented a full scholarship to NYU but chose Barnard College instead. 

 Her college years were where people started seeing a more business like persona in Martha. After getting married at 19, she quickly became fascinated by Wall street, and focused more on business in school. After graduating college she became a stock broker, and was the only women stock broker in her firm. "It was an exciting place after two martini lunches with clients go to museum bookstores buy books and collect art, I absolutely loved it!"  

 So how did this up and coming business woman turn into America's favorite home entertainer extraordinaire? "If I stayed on Wall Street I would probably be running a company, but well I still kind of run a company" she laughs "a very different company, an exhausting career being an owner of a catering company". Martha needed something new, something different than what she was used too, so she combined two things she knew a lot about and was good at, business and cooking. "My food was kind of voluptuous, different than anything else." Her food was different, very natural, she would bring baskets of live chickens to work. She said Julia Childs is her mentor. "I cooked every recipe in Julia Childs book. Julia did not have pictures in her book, unlike Martha, they have different styles. Martha made wedding cakes with her Julia on the Julia Childs show in Boston, which gave Martha her biggest inspiration yet, to do television. From television transitioned into Martha's radio program, and then came her first book. "After my first book I was hooked, but not yet ready for another book so I decided to start a magazine on how to ideas for everyday decorating tips, to recipes, etc...Needless to say Martha Stewart has become a marketing and publishing genius, who has inspired people across America, and will continue to keep inspiration going. 

-Sarah DeAngelis

Johnson’s Landscaping, Inc. has been serving the area for over 50 years, and we take our work very seriously! We enjoy working with our clients during the entire landscape design process from start to finish, which is why we love sharing the before and after photos!

Take a look at this before and after of a landscape we did where we removed old, overgrown plantings and designed a yard “make-over” with new plantings, lawn, a walkway and a fountain.




Landscape in Northwest, DC.


 
Looking for a landscape makeover? Call the experts at Johnson’s Landscaping, Inc at 301-740-8850 to start planning your new landscape in Northwest, Washington, DC and Montgomery County, MD!

SAB Lawn and Landscaping prides itself on its customer service and quality of workmanship delivered for a fair price in a timely fashion. SAB is still owned and operated by its founder, Steve Borcherding. Quality of our landscape design service is still our #1 goal. Call us for a FREE consultation and estimate at 703-661-6010.

Take a look at what our valued repeat clients from McLean, Virginia had to say about the custom landscape work SAB Lawn and Landscape did at her home!

"Thank you from both of us for all you are doing this year again to make our home beautiful, functional and fun to live in. We still get many compliments for the long driveway, hill, and now we can't wait to see what you plan for the ponds and bridge for the horses!"

 Tommy and Mary Ann, Happy clients in McLean, Virginia

We service Chantilly, Clifton, Sterling, Catharpin, Catlett, Warrenton, Bristow, Fairfax Station, Burke, Lorton, Haymarket, Annandale, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Herndon, Leesburg, Manassas, Mclean, Reston, Tysons, Vienna, and Woodbridge. Alexandria City, Arlington County, Ashburn, Baileys Crossroads, Centreville, Chantilly, Dulles, Dunn Loring, Fairfax city, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Falls Church city,  Great Falls, Herndon, Leesburg, Lincolnia, Loudoun County, McLean, or Vienna.   

Take a look at this great video from Aquascape - The Water Feature Lifestyle - A Growing Investment.

"Enhanced landscaping improves property value, and water features make your property stand out from the rest. A Pondless® Waterfall in the front yard provides curb appeal, while a backyard Ecosystem Pond increases a home's value much like a deck, patio, or gazebo. The sound of a water feature will drown out noise from traffic or neighbors. In addition, water features provide an interesting backdrop for entertaining while adding aesthetic appeal to your landscape. Waterfront property is a prized commodity and you can easily incorporate water into your outdoor living space without having to move near a lake or ocean." Questions about water features like ponds and waterfalls? Call East Coast Landscape Design at 301-421-4141 for information regarding waterscapes inthe Washington, DC metro area including Maryland and Virginia.

Chapel Valley Landscape was the recipient of five national awards at the Excellence in Landscape Awards Program held in Gaithersburg, MD in November, 2011. The awards were presented by LCA, the Landscape Contractors Association, a community of landscape contractors, landscape architects and designers, grounds departments, educational institutions, and suppliers banded together in a supportive environment in Maryland, Virginia, and DC.

At the Excellence in Landscape Awards Program, Chapel Valley was recognized with five Grand Awards: Residential Maintenance for a Private Residence, NW Washington, DC as a Decade award for continuous service to the client for over 10 years; Residential Maintenance, a Private Residence, for a waterfront property in Oxford, MD; Residential Design/Build, a Private Residence, Oxford, MD; Commercial Installation for Crescent at Falls Church, a high end mixed development project just outside of Washington, DC; Commercial Maintenance category for Muddy Branch Square, a high end shopping center in Gaithersburg, MD.

Chapel Valley has received over 250 national and regional awards for commercial and residential design, installation, and maintenance projects.

Private Residence, NW Washington, DC                        Residential Maintenance Decade Award

The property is located on three-quarters of an acre in Northwest DC backing up to Rock Creek Park. The landscaping is maintained pristinely to create a stunning formal appearance. Vibrant color throughout the year is attained with spring, early summer and fall flower rotation. All plants and shrubs are tightly hand sheared to create a polished and refined feel throughout the property, with the exception of one bright and lively perennial garden full of color. Chapel Valley has been maintaining this property for over 16 years.

Private Residence, Oxford, MD Residential Maintenance

The five-acre Maryland Eastern Shore waterfront estate located on the Tred Avon River in Oxford, MD, features landscaping with color, texture, and site conditions in mind. The site requires great attention to detail in order to retain its pristine condition. Site conditions greatly affect the maintenance including the sandy soil which compacts and impacts proper drainage, and the high water table typical of Eastern Shore properties.

The estate reflects the client’s lifestyle and is used for entertaining, recreation, and relaxation.  The couple shares a passion for gardening and the landscape design combines aesthetics with functional usage.

Private Residence, Oxford, MD                               Residential Design/Build

An eastern shore estate nestled on the banks of the Tred Avon River in Oxford, MD, the elegant custom designed home with its sprawling angled wings is positioned on the site to maximize stunning views of the river from the rear of the house. Our Landscape Architect had the challenge of tying together the existing elements of the house using a limited plant palette due to Eastern Shore conditions. He also had to take into consideration plant size and mature heights in order to leave an unobstructed view of the river.

Crescent at Falls Church, VA                                               Commercial Installation

Crescent at Falls Church is a high end mixed use development with luxury residential apartments and 6,500 square feet of retail space located five miles from downtown, Washington, DC.

The apartment building and retail space are surrounded by beautiful, mature landscaping abundant in two courtyards and areas surrounding the building. Each courtyard includes an outdoor sitting area including a fireplace, fire pit, and grilling station. A water feature, accented by a fountain, is located at the base of the stairs leading to the main courtyard area.  Trees line the courtyards and walkways creating a beautiful and intimate residential setting for the residents.

Crescent at Falls Church is a LEED Certified complex with over 45% of the site landscaped and supported by a high efficiency drip irrigation system utilizing collected rainwater.

Muddy Branch Square, Gaithersburg, MD                Commercial Maintenance

Muddy Branch Square, is a 6 acre high-end retail shopping center designed to create the look and feel of Colonial Williamsburg. The maintenance is performed to an attention of detail more commonly associated with residential properties requiring substantial pruning and weeding.  Seasonal color flower rotations occur in the spring, early summer and fall.

Crape myrtles line the islands in the parking lot while perennials and annuals add texture and intense color to the entire landscape. All trees and shrubs are tightly hand sheared to establish a formal landscaping style while creating an ambiance which welcomes customers as they begin their shopping experience.

For more photos of our Award Winning Projects 'Like us' on facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/chapel.valley.landscape

This will be one of the most interesting “before and after” comparisons we have ever done. Using arrangements of Marvin fixed windows, awning windows and casement windows, we converted a typical traditional elevation of the rear of a master bedroom into an eye-popping view.

S

Standing in the home looking out makes me feel like I am in a museum. The results are strikingly beautiful and effective. The before and after photos say more than I could possibly put to words. Stay tuned and I’ll be sure to show you the finished product.

Like Natelli Homes on Facebook and we will contribute 3 meals to the Capital Area Food Bank!

It’s almost December, and we in the DC area are in Plant Hardiness Zone 7 as defined by the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Many folks may be wondering, if I live in Zone 7, is it OK to plant and/or transplant in December?
There is an old saying that, “when the ground is soft enough to plant, the plants are soft enough to be planted.” In other words, you can plant until the soil is frozen solid and the temperatures remain consistently above freezing. Even if the soil freezes immediately after planting, your shrub or tree will be just fine.
In fact, the Plant Man writes, “Because they are in their dormant period, trees and shrubs are less likely to suffer ‘transplantation shock’ at this time of year.” (December).

The following additional links will be helpful to you as well.

• Fall Tips for Planting - http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=120
• Zone 7 Planting Calendar - http://zone7nursery.com/its-time-to.html

Happy Planting!

(Questions about planting? Contact Johnson's Landscaping Service, Inc. - we'd love to help!)

Traditional or what some might call contemporary? Exiting from traditional bay window and round-top window configurations and moving to designs that maximize views from the interior is not typical of the Washington D.C. metropolitan market. I have to admit that the views to the outside through these new Marvin windows and doors are exceptional.

This project caught my eye and the views from the two story family room and the new kitchen bay window are as unique as I have ever seen. The two acre wooded lot in Potomac lends itself to these new Marvin replacement windows.

Like Natelli Homes on Facebook and we will contribute 3 meals to the Capital Area Food Bank!

Caulk around a window or door will shrink over time as moisture evaporates and expands. This will create cracks, allowing inside air in and reducing the energy efficiency of the home.

Wheaton Door & Window has an exclusive agreement to use a polymer caulk, complete with a lifetime warranty.

This is the same caulk used on the Empire State Building and Sears Tower, and it doesn’t shrink!
All new installations here on out will be using this state-of-the-art caulk. Wheaton Door & Window is also offering to re-caulk any opening in your home, which will increase your energy efficiency by 15%.

Most companies don’t use it because it costs more, we use it do it doesn’t cost YOU more. Call us at 866-736-1722 to learn about this new caulk!

In our years of business, we have served many clients in the Washington, DC area. We recently realized that some of these clients are local celebrities! We are honored that of all the local window companies, these celebs chose us to come in and repair windows in their homes.

Some of Wheaton Door & Window’s famous window replacement clients:
•Greta Van Susteren, Fox News Channel show host broadcasting live out of Fox News's Washington studio each weekday at 10:00 p.m. •Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States •Peter Benchley, Author of “Jaws” •Matthew Lesko, infomercial personality known for wearing suits with question marks on them
Although we cater to our famous Washington, DC neighbors at Wheaton Door & Window, we give each client the “red carpet” treatment. Call us at 866-736-1722 for your window replacement – VIP style.

Walkway in Bethesda, Maryland

The masonry division at Johnson’s Landscaping is dedicated to improving the outdoor living experience for our clients. From traditional steps and walkways, to elegant patios and stone walls, our masons pride themselves on implementing your design to perfection. 

For this particular project, Johnson’s designed a walkway and pond to blend well with the existing stone arbor. 

For more information about a beautiful custom walkway for your home, call Johnson’s Landscaping at 301-740-8850.

Not many rooms or windows for that matter, allow spectacular views. In this case, Natelli Homes removed a traditional arrangement of windows with millwork panels between an upper roundtop window and a lower fixed picture window. We installed broad spans of full height glass with only a small structural division between the two windows. Using engineered custom Marvin windows with Kynar clad exteriors and tempered 1″ thick glass was a necessity.

The photo really does not depict what the view allows after the installation. To see the full tree, from the base to the crown, is striking.

Like Natelli Homes on Facebook and we will contribute 3 meals to the Capital Area Food Bank!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natelli-Homes/361933342450

Our Synergy Line option is fashionable and chic.   

• Synergy Belt Racks
• Synergy Tie Racks          
• Synergy Shelf Fence
• Synergy Valet Rod
• Synergy Pant Rack

Available in: Polished Chrome, Matte Chrome, Polished Brass, Matte Brass, Satin Nickle or Oil Rubbed Bronze

At Closets by Design, we design, build, and install custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for DC, VA and MD homes. We offer a wide selection of finishes, accessories, and hardware. Call 703-330-8382 to schedule a time to talk about your dream laundry room!

Many clients ask about the implementation phase of the landscape design. In the pictures below, you will note the planning phase, implementation phase, and completion phase.

After the landscape design has been approved by the clients, Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc. will send its implementation team, to include the landscape designer, and the production and operations managers.  They work closely with the designer, who works closely with the clients, to ensure proper implementation of the landscape design.  The photos below represent the initial meeting of these three components.

Of course, after the initial meeting, the foremen and crew begin their work.  Typically, the hardscape (patios, walls, etc.) are completed first; after that, the crews install the plants.  In the pictures below, most of the construction (save for the deck) is complete.

After the planting and night lighting are installed, the project is complete, and clients are ready to furnish and enjoy their new outdoor living space!

It’s the last call for tax credits!

These are not deductions, but credits off what you owe Uncle Sam. The last chance to take advantage of this is 12/31/11, and there may not be an extension. Use your credit at Wheaton Door & Window!

The government is giving credits for:

•Up to $500 on door replacement
•Up to $200 on window replacement

To learn more about the federal government’s tax credits for window replacement and door replacement, call Wheaton Door & Window at 866-736-1722.

Brooksfield School is a private Montessori school established in 1987, located in McLean, Virginia. The Brooksfield School is dedicated to providing a loving, stimulating and creative environment with a focus on the arts. They strive to nurture the social, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development of all students.
Gardening is a unique and exciting part of the upper school curriculum, and as a special treat to the students, Brooksfield School brought in Chef Tom Elder of Härth Restaurant at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. 

Härth focuses on seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, supporting farmers in the region. More specifically, Chef Tom keeps four beehives on the roof, that produced hundreds of pounds of honey used in the restaurant. The bees also help to pollinate his organic herb garden, where he grows other ingredients for the restaurant.



Chef Tom came to Brooksfield School to talk about bees and how important the pollination process is for growing foods in the garden. This was really special for the kids, since they are learning about the benefits of eating farm-to-table!




Barb Davis is an Upper School teacher and gardener at Brooksfield School, and had a ton of great information about the project!
"We are in our 3rd year of organic gardening as part of our curriculum. We have always done flower planting in the Fall and Spring but expanded to growing vegetables and herbs as well as composting as part of the recent trend to go green in all aspects of our daily existence."


She went on to explain, "Learning about gardening, particularly organic gardening, is important for the children because it gives them a stronger physical connection to, and subsequent respect for, the earth and the many living organisms and habitats that are dependent on something so ordinary as soil and all the simple but necessary ingredients that make it able to do something so profound as sustaining life. There are many things I would hope for the children to come away with in learning to garden--that's it's hard but fruitful work (pun intended), that growing food is an honorable task because it requires commitment, perseverance, and a lot of science smarts, that in experiencing how much work it takes to grow your own food you will be mindful of not wasting any of it and more likely to prepare it creatively."


"We work hard each year to grow our garden from many different types of vegetable seeds that we start indoors in the early spring. It would be great to have a small greenhouse in which to do this. We currently practice square foot gardening to maximize our yield in large planter boxes, but we're hoping to have a dedicated garden plot that will allow us to grow a greater variety of vegetables and berries earlier in the spring and into the fall."
Brooksfield School also includes outdoor adventures, like outdoor cooking, pitching tents, and paddling canoes, as a part of their campus life.

Chapel Valley Landscape Receives Three National Awards

Chapel Valley Landscape was the recipient of three national awards at the Green Industry Conference in Louisville, Kentucky held in October 2011. The awards were presented by PLANET, the Professional Landcare Network, an international association comprised of lawn care professionals, exterior maintenance contractors, installation/design/build professionals, and interiors landscapers. Founded in 1969, Chapel Valley has received over 250 national and regional awards for commercial and residential design, installation and maintenance projects.

At the Green Industry Conference this year, the Company was recognized with three national merit awards: Residential Design/Build for a Private Residence in Oxford, Maryland; Commercial Maintenance category for Muddy Branch Square, a high end shopping center located in Gaithersburg, MD; and Commercial Construction for our installation at Crescent at Falls Church, a high end mixed development project located just outside of Washington, DC..

Private Residential Residence, Oxford, Maryland         Residential Design/Build

Muddy Branch Square                                                  Commercial Maintenance

Crescent at Falls Church                                                     Commercial Installation

For more photos of our Award Winning Projects ‘Like us’ on facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/chapel.valley.landscape

Do you want to experience more Fall color in your landscape?  Try these top six plants for Fall Color.

- Johnson's Landscaping

Do you want to experience more Fall color in your landscape?  Try these top six plants for Fall Color.

1)    Fothergilla Mt. Airy

2) Oakleaf Hydrangea ‘Snow Queen’

3)    Virginia Sweetspire ‘henry garnet’

4)    Rhododendron PJM

5)    Cotoneaster ‘cranberry’

6)    Korean Spice Viburnum

Looking for some Thanksgiving holiday fun? Well bring you family and friends and join the non-profit organization S.O.M.E for their 10th annual Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger. S.O.M.E has put together this great way to give back to your community but helping the hungry and homeless families. The race will be in Washington, D.C on Thursday morning November 24th, 2011 and this year due to the anticipated large number of participants S.O.M.E has moved the event to Freedom Plaza, were an expected 6,000 trotters will be!

There are two different races occurring:

8:30 am - Little Turkey One Mile Fun Run (to participate, each child and / 0r adult must be registered for the 5K)

9:00 am-  5k Run and Walk

It is part of S.O.M.E's mission to raise awareness to the vast growing issue of hungry and homeless families in the Washington, D.C area. In the past year alone the homeless rate has increased by 7% and more homeless men, women and children are depending on SOME for food, other services, and affordable housing.

Contact Information: 

If you and your family are interested in joining S.O.M.E in there cause...

Contact Ellen Hatherill at the Trot for Hunger office at trotforhunger@some.org or 202.797.8806 ext. 1093 with your questions, comments or concerns. 

- Sarah DeAngelis

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!

With the holidays around the corner, it's important to remember to stay organized!

Check out this article from The House Plan Shop about organizing your holiday decorations.

Call Closets by Design at 703-330-8382 with questions about custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for DC, VA and MD homes.

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While many of us enjoy decorating for the holidays, almost all of us can agree it is not as near as much fun taking it all down, packing it up and putting everything away. The following tips come from various organizational experts and are sure to help you clean up and store your holiday decorations so they are easy to find and display next year. 1. Purge what you have. Before you pack everything up, go through what you have. It’s OK to get rid of things you really don’t like or items that no longer match your decorating theme. Get rid of things that are broken, strands of lights that are burnt out and things you don’t use anymore. Be sure to recycle what you can and donate usable items to charity. Consider decorations of sentimental value. You might not be able to part with a particular item no matter what, but if something is in pretty bad shape but you continue to keep it because it reminds you of something special, maybe snapping a photo will be enough to preserve that special memory. 2. Gather and take inventory. Before you can organize and store your holiday decorations you have to know what you are going to keep. Collect all holiday decorations and related items in one place. Group similar items. Take inventory. How many boxes of ornaments do you have? How many wreaths? Does each child have his or her own stocking? Count everything you have and be aware of sizes, especially anything oversized or oddly shaped. 3. Keep track of what you have. It is not a bad idea to keep track of new holiday items you buy throughout the year whether you find a deal on wrapping paper at a clearance sale or find something special at a craft show you attend in July. One way to do this is to keep a small notebook in an easy-to-find place such as in a drawer in the office or on the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet. Record anything you buy that will be part of the coming year’s décor and holiday festivities. Furthermore, you could do this with other Christmas and holiday related items such as keeping a record of gifts you’ve already purchased, recipes that friends have shared with you, or the dates when your cousins plan to be in town to celebrate the holidays with you. 4. Select a storage space – Look around your home. Select a storage space that is big enough to hold ALL of your holiday decorations and other Christmas related items safely without being in the way all year long. (ALL means everything from gift wrap and cookie cutters to lights and the artificial tree.) This could be a space in the attic, a storage closet, a corner of the basement, etc. Measure the storage space and purchase containers that will fit in the given space. If you have a limited storage space, this may help determine what items you purge in Step 1. 5. Label everything – Make an effort to label every box and storage container with the exact contents inside. The labels don’t have to be fancy. Simply write on the outside of the box or tape an index card to each box listing what is inside. You can even color code them if you choose. Labeling will make decorating a lot easier next year. 6. Store it together – Move all boxes, storage containers, etc. into the storage space you selected. Safely arrange the boxes so they will not fall. Whenever possible, stack your storage containers with their labels facing forward or up so you can quickly identify what is inside each box next year. Keep everything together in one place whenever possible. This makes it easier to get your decorations out next year. There is an exception here. Make note of special items such as highly breakable pieces, linens or antiques. These may need to be stored in a temperature-controlled environment within the main living areas of the home. Keep track of these types of items in your notebook from Step 3 since you won’t be storing them with everything else. Though cleaning and packing up after the holidays is not much fun, and sometimes a lengthy process, these home storage tips for your holiday décor will help cut down the amount of time you spend putting things away and make decorating a little easier next year.

SAB Lawn and Landscaping prides itself on its customer service and quality of workmanship delivered for a fair price in a timely fashion. SAB is still owned and operated by its founder, Steve Borcherding. Quality of our landscape design service is still our #1 goal. Call us for a FREE consultation and estimate at 703-661-6010.

Take a look at what an ecstatic client from Arlington, Virginia had to say about the custom landscape work SAB Lawn and Landscape did at her home!

"Thanks for great service!"

 Mrs. Thacker, Happy client in Arlington, Virginia

We service Chantilly, Clifton, Sterling, Catharpin, Catlett, Warrenton, Bristow, Fairfax Station, Burke, Lorton, Haymarket, Annandale, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Herndon, Leesburg, Manassas, Mclean, Reston, Tysons, Vienna, and Woodbridge. Alexandria City, Arlington County, Ashburn, Baileys Crossroads, Centreville, Chantilly, Dulles, Dunn Loring, Fairfax city, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Falls Church city,  Great Falls, Herndon, Leesburg, Lincolnia, Loudoun County, McLean, or Vienna.  

Wednesday night was an exciting night for people who love all style and more importantly fashion! An Ann Taylor concept store is opening in downtown, DC. The official store address is Washington, D.C at 600 Thirteenth Street A. Since 2010, Ann Taylor has opened concept stores in different cities including: New York, Miami, Atlanta, and Dallas.

http://dc.popsugar.com/tag/Lost-Society

There was a fantastic launch party on the trendy street of U Street in Washington D.C, at Lost Society, a trendy bar and restaurant in conjunction with Washingtonian Magazine. Lost Society is located on the corner of 14th and U street. This event was on the top level of the building,with a rooftop bar overlooking a beautiful view of the DC skyline. The rooftop deck, bar area showcased mannequins of gorgeous new jewelry pieces and other accessory pieces of the new Ann Taylor collection, as well as some previews of the new clothing line. They're new line is full of faux furs, trenches, chunky sweaters, and cute new crystal jewelry pieces.

http://www.lostsociety-dc.com/

Inside there was another bar area where a mini fashion show started, while real people modeled some of the top designs from the collection, and clothing racks of the new line were displayed throughout the inside area.

- Sarah DeAngelis

Worried about your home's current value?

Visit these links to learn how Johnson's Landscaping can help!

With a proven business model, Closets by Design Franchising provides it's franchisees with a unique business opportunity in a growing industry that is both fun and rewarding. If you believe you are the right candidate to own, operate and grow a successful business then call today to learn more about joining the leading franchise system. At Closets by Design we put you in business for yourself but not by yourself.

Franchise Office:
(800) 377-5737
Tel: (714) 890-5860
Fax: (714) 901-0424

Call your LOCAL Closets by Design at 703-330-8382 to talk about custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for DC, VA and MD homes. We offer a wide selection of finishes, accessories, and hardware. 

HGTV Design Star Finalist Cathy Hobbs is bringing her home staging course to the DC-area this month!

The Certified Staging Professional™ workshop is an intensive, comprehensive program taught through hands-on interaction, group exercises, role-play and in depth practical application of work samples geared to prepare the participants to enter the staging industry with the confidence and experience necessary to succeed.

WHERE: Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key Bridge
1900 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209 703-807-2000. Meeting Room: Potomac
WHEN:
November 30th - December 2nd HOW: To sign up for a staging class with Cathy Hobbs please visit www.stagingtraining.com or call 888-STAGING. 

I was able to get an exclusive interview with the designer to learn more about her background. Read more after the photo!

Q: How has your experience in broadcast news influenced your experience in interior design?
I was in broadcast news for 19 years, and in television especially, it's all about the visuals.. telling a story with pictures. Having this background as really helped me tremendously with my interior design. First, it always allows me to be able to step back and truly visualize a space and focus not only on the big picture, but the fine details as well. Interior design is at it's core, visual, so my background in television has truly helped a lot.

Q: You are the first Green Home Stager in New York City. How important is sustainable design in NYC, compared to other cities?
I am not sure New York City residents are more interested in sustainable design, but it is definitely a trend here. Beginning in about 2006 as new development condominium buildings were being built, many developers were looking for sustainable options, such as using recycled materials, having green roods, even down to the selection of fixtures for the bathrooms and kitchens. Much of my business is focused on new developments in New York City, designing common spaces such as lobbies, children's rooms and gyms as well as model residences. So when my clients were looking for green alternatives, I was the company selected because of my LEED credential. Q: What do you see as the biggest mistake that homeowners make when decorating their homes?
Mistake #1
Problem: Hanging artwork too high
Solution: Eye level is at 5 feet.  The center point of a piece of artwork should be hung at 5 feet above the finished floor.  Adjustments up or down a couple inches may be needed but I consider this to be my general rule of thumb.
Mistake #2
Problem: Painted Ceilings
Solution: I tend to always leave my ceilings white, in order to help visually raise the height of a room.  While I am not completely opposed to painting a ceiling a color, people often fail to realize that a painted ceiling automatically visually reduces the height of a room. I recommend painted ceilings only if one if looking to create a certain mood or sense of coziness.
Mistake #3
Problem: Decorating with too many colors
Solution: I love color!  And love using color,  but as a general rule of thumb I tend to encourage people to design with (1) neutral color to be used a general wall or fabric color for upholstered pieces and then to use (2-3) accent colors that can be incorporated into accessories such as pillows, area rugs, artwork, pottery and vessels.  I also remind clients that is o.k. to create a design scheme, using shades and tones of the same color.
Mistake #4
Problem: Purchasing furniture that is too big or too small for a particular space
Solution: As basic as this may sound, so many people fail to measure and even loosely create a floor plan before purchasing furniture. I can not tell you how many times I have walked into rooms overstuffed with furniture..or pieces that are just to large or too small for a particular space. I suggest that before shopping always create some sort of floor plan even roughly on graph paper ..counting the squares in order to create your own scale, so that you know in advance whether or not a particular piece of furniture will fit.
Mistake #5
Problem: Purchasing “sets” of furniture Solution:  I find that purchasing the “5-piece” set, seldom results in a successful interior design solution.  Purchasing sets tends to make a space look like a showroom instead of a home. I believe beyond bedroom sets, in which I tend to suggest clients purchase only lets say a bed, nightstands and perhaps (1) case good such as a dresser, purchasing “sets” are a no no.  I believe it is a far better option to purchase one main primary, solid quality, well designed piece of furniture, and create a design scheme around it.
Q: How essential is quality home staging when putting a house on the market?
A staged home has great appeal, enticing buyers inside, where they will see the best view of each room and the best traffic pattern throughout the home.  Further, a staged home is also in its best showcase, mint condition, so that it sells at the best possible price in the shortest possible time, an un-staged home does not.
Staging before placing the house on the market, even before the "broker tour," is ideal because realtors, as much as potential buyers, want to be "wowed", and will be! A  staged house will stand out from the competition. Realtors will want to show it to their clients, increasing traffic to your listing and speeding its sale.
Q: We love your Design Recipes! What inspired the idea?
Thank you! I invented Design Recipes based on my overwhelming desire to make my designs approachable and affordable.  I was inspired to become an interior designer based on the fact that when I was a young reporter coming up I was virtually making no money.  I shopped in thrift stores and at flea markets and would go on wonderful treasure hunts for furniture and accessories!  I would have loved to be able to have the advice or tips from a professional designer without the big price tag.  That’s what design recipes is all about providing practical, affordable tips that any design enthusiast can apply to their own home.  Design Recipes feature a room on the front with the “ingredients” of how the room came together, similar to recipe instructions and on the back is all of the resource information! Design Recipes the website www.design-recipes.com has also expanded to include free recipes, a blog, design tips, videos and will soon feature podcasts.  More than 300 recipes are available on the website.

-Caitlin Brown

The latest special at Johnson's Landscaping Service is here, and almost like time travel!

"Fall Back" to 2001 prices! This saves up to 20% on jobs over $2,000. This offer is based on 2011 prices, compared to a decade ago! Use this offer on a new contract for landscape construction, planting and clean up jobs. Not good with other offers, and prior sales excluded.

This offer expires on 12/15/11, so hurry and book your time travel price on our services!

Have questions about this special? Give Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc. a call at 301-740-8850 to learn more about services in Northwest, Washington, DC and Montgomery County, Maryland.

SAB Lawn and Landscaping prides itself on its customer service and quality of workmanship delivered for a fair price in a timely fashion. SAB is still owned and operated by its founder, Steve Borcherding. Quality of our landscape design service is still our #1 goal. Call us for a FREE consultation and estimate at 703-661-6010.

Take a look at what an ecstatic client from Arlington, Virginia had to say about the custom landscape work SAB Lawn and Landscape did at her home!

"Gentlemen, thank you for the good work. I have given your name to a friend!" Mary Beth, Happy client in Arlington, Virginia

We service Chantilly, Clifton, Sterling, Catharpin, Catlett, Warrenton, Bristow, Fairfax Station, Burke, Lorton, Haymarket, Annandale, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Herndon, Leesburg, Manassas, Mclean, Reston, Tysons, Vienna, and Woodbridge. Alexandria City, Arlington County, Ashburn, Baileys Crossroads, Centreville, Chantilly, Dulles, Dunn Loring, Fairfax city, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Falls Church city,  Great Falls, Herndon, Leesburg, Lincolnia, Loudoun County, McLean, or Vienna.

Closets By Design has a complete wall storage and organization system for garages, utility and laundry rooms. Take a look at the storage bins what are GREAT for wall organization!

For your own customized storage solutions in Maryland, Washington, DC or Virginia, call Closets by Design toll-free at 800-293-3744.

The "Cornucopia" Band Fest and Barbecue was a huge success with 200 people attending the event from 3-11 pm on Saturday, October 22nd, at the home of Frank and Jocelyn Bell, in Poolesville.   Scott and Stephanie Biser catered some spectacular beef and pork barbecue, with pork ribs--all 200 lbs of it, 15 quarts of homemade chile, 50 hamburgers and 32 hotdogs.   Six bands donated their valuable time to play at our event and all were spectacular----Nancy Bell has all of their names.   Bethesda Systems photographer, Jim Darling, photographed the events of the day as a gift to the foundation. The raffle baskets were a big hit, with Discovery Channel's Shark Week Party Theme, specialty baskets for Him & for Her, Baskets of wine, specialty teas, with custom pottery,  Nadine Levin's Photography Custom Western Theme Basket, "Cups for Change" specialty design ceramics with T-Shirts and more.    

Founder, Sr. Rose Wangui, from Georgetown Visitation, formerly a resident of Lare, Kenya, gave and impassioned plea for funding assistance to help develop the secondary girls school,  Mother of Mercy Academy (MOMA School), in Lare, Kenya.  Currently, 35 impoverished, but very bright young women attend the MOMA Academy, representing the Freshman Class of 2011.   Funds from this event will be used for tuition and board assistance, construction of the Sophomore classrooms,  purchase of a copy machine, printer and computer.   Many families are able to contribute some funds to help pay for tuition, however, some are so desperately poor that funds are simply not available.   

The MOMA school and its associated buildings were the first in the village of 35,000 residents  to receive electricity in January of 2011.  With this new innovation, the students and teachers are anxious to be able to purchase their first television and CD player for educational instruction and entertainment.  Most of these girls come from homes of mud and sticks with no running water or electricity.  So, unlike the average American home, a television is truly a remarkable and rarely viewed device.  The Abundant Life Kenya Foundation Board of Directors sends their thanks to all who attended and participated in this event to make this fall festival such a success.

Photos © 2011 Bethesda Systems, by Jim Darling

Spend your Thanksgiving day with Blair Mansion Restaurant in Silver Spring, Maryland! Enjoy an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving Buffet and then sit back and laugh it off at our special Thanksgiving Dinner Show, “Death by Turkey.” Doors open at 1:00.

Travel back to the Golden Age of Television and join America’s favorite housewife, Abigail Van Yuren as she cooks up a recipe for murder on her Thanksgiving Special.

Our Thanksgiving Day All-You-Can-Eat Buffet will feature all of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes, from roast turkey with dressing to candied yams. Seating begins at noon; reservations are recommended.

Buffet Only: $29.99 per person
Matinee Tickets (includes buffet, show and tax): $52.99

Click here to RSVP to the event on the Blair Mansion Restaurant Facebook.

At Closets by Design, we design, build, and install custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for DC, VA and MD homes.

Click here to watch a video about the home offices we create! 

We offer a wide selection of finishes, accessories, and hardware. Contact us at 800-293-3744 for more information about solutions for your home organization needs.

Johnson’s Landscaping Service, Inc. has been caring for properties in the Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Northwest Washington, DC area for over 50 years. To meet the needs of our most particular clients, our program includes complete care for your yard. Our maintenance staff will care for your property from Spring through the Fall. In the Spring, we will begin with a complete clean up of your yard.

We will:

1) Rake up all the winter’s debris from under the shrubs and trees and off the lawn.

2) Edge and prepare all the planting beds and cover them with a 2—3 inch layer of double shredded hardwood mulch.

3) Dethatch, rake, fertilize, and seed your lawn.

4) Prune your shrubs and trees as needed for the time of year.

After the initial clean up, we will next visit your property on a regular basis and perform many other maintenance duties. In addition to regular maintenances, we fertilize at scheduled intervals. In the Fall, we clear the leaves off the lawn in order to protect the newly seeded grass.  

Click here to learn more about our maintenance program. To meet with one of our landscape professionals about our Full Maintenance packages, please call us at 301-740-8850 today!

Looking for an easy way to give back? Well globalgiving has made it easier than ever! Their website has links to thousands of different types of donations that you can give back to with the click of your mouse. One specific donation/ project that stands for a very good cause is being distributed through Martha's Table Foundation. The project is called the School Yard in Inner City DC. Martha's Table is an organization focusing on finding solutions to poverty in the short term with food and clothing programs. In the long term, this organization hopes to break the cycle of poverty with education and family strengthening problems. 

These two non-profit organizations, globalgiving and Martha's Table, are great to work together because their missions are very similar, as they do in the school yard project. Through globalgiving, this project provides 250 children with the tools to plant and grow fresh produce in a school yard garden, which will be distributed by Martha’s Table to over 2600 children, families, and individuals.

The whole purpose of this project is to address the issues of hunger, poverty, and malnutrition of children, and families in Washington, D.C. Now how does Martha's Table profit from this? The purpose is to educate the children with hands on experience of creating there own garden, actually growing produce while learning how to plant and maintain a garden. By doing this they can acquire the knowledge and the ability to feed themselves and others. Lindsey Buss, the President of Martha's Table says, "This garden creates a hands-on way for our children to learn about food, nutrition, health, science, the environment, and the community." 

The project will serve over 2600 people and educate low-income youth about heath and nutrition. The 2600 people get fresh produce from the actual garden. 

Remaining Goal to be Funded: $2,765
Total Funding Goal: $5,000

-Sarah DeAngelis

The 9/11 Memorial might be one of the most memorable, significant and moving memorials of our decade, and was just opened to the public. This memorial has such an impact on Americans throughout the nation, and will serve a very important purpose for generations to come. Although this exhibit may be hard for many emotionally, its purpose is to remember all those lives that were taken on this tragic day. The exhibit's grand opening was on 9/11, ironic? I think not! The 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and opened to the general public September 12, 2011.

For a memorial of such vast importance, security for the exhibit is extremely tight and getting tickets to the site is even harder. A word of advice I received was to order tickets at least a month or so in advance, as they are required for admission. This exhibit and memorial are unlike the Smithsonian museums located in Washington, DC. To book your ticket for the 9/11 Memorial, you can purchase them through  www.911memorial.org.

A landscape design of part of the 9/11 Memorial 

Ground Zero

View from Ground Zero

Family in front of Ground Zero

Jerry described the memorial as a whole as "tastefully done, the landscaped were unbelievable. You can tell that a lot of thought and time went into planning this, which it should." He also said he felt a mixture of inspiration and solemness walking through the exhibit. His favorite, most memorable piece of the exhibit that really seemed to stick out to him was all the engraved names of the victims displayed on the walls. There is an eerie sense to visually see how many peoples names are up there, how many lives were taken away, but the engravings are a very powerful message and a very powerful piece of architecture.

View of the rebuilt of one of the World Trade Center buildings (Not open yet)

-Sarah DeAngelis