Functional Side Yard Design
Side yards are generally not landscaping’s showstoppers. Often relegated to an afterthought once the front curb appeal has been achieved and the back yard is made family friendly, side yards still play an important part in the landscape – mainly a functional one. Although you occasionally come across an older house with ample space on […]
Kid-Friendly Landscapes
It’s become a familiar refrain – adults bemoaning how much time kids spend inside watching screens instead of playing outside. We aren’t imagining it. According to the National Recreation and Park Association, “Children today spend less time outdoors than any other generation, devoting only four to seven minutes to unstructured outdoor play per day while […]
Lighting for Outdoor Living
With the weather finally behaving more like summer, we all want to spend more time outside enjoying ourselves (and we’ve earned it after the frigid winter we endured!). Kids’ bedtimes are later, our schedules are (hopefully) more relaxed, and we feel the need to squeeze in every bit of outdoor time before the season is […]
Front Entry Design
Our homes are ideally an extension of ourselves – a physical representation of how we approach the world. Considering how much money we sink into them and how much time we spend in them, it’s natural that we want to feel proud of how they look and what they say to the neighborhood. If the […]
Paving Stone Finishes
Replacing a concrete walk with a paving stone design instantly upgrades the style and beauty of any entrance. Similarly, swapping an old deck for a paver patio not only enhances a home – it also reduces home maintenance duties. We have more paver design choices available to us than ever before, so it’s smart to […]
Garden Wall Materials
Frequently an integral part of the landscape, retaining walls serve many purposes. Obviously, they are necessary to retain soil when there is a change in grade, but they also define a space – its use, its flow, its character. As designers, the materials we use in a retaining wall design are as important as the […]
Award-Winning Landscapes
Award-Winning Landscapes We recently heard some exciting news: Bruss Landscaping won the ILCA Gold Award for Residential Landscape Construction and Best Outdoor Living in the Unilock Awards of Excellence! Naturally, we’re so proud of our hard work and it feels fantastic to be recognized, but you may be wondering why this is such a big […]
Designing for Wildlife
For some people, creating space for wildlife in their yards is a no-brainer – a habit they grew up with that doesn’t require much effort. For others, it’s a new endeavor that leaves them unsure of where to start or apprehensive that wildlife and a carefully constructed landscape design won’t mix. With a little forethought […]
Holiday Decorating
It’s no coincidence that we do a lot of decorating at the time of year when daylight is scarce, or that much of that decorating involves twinkle lights. Dreary days become considerably more cheerful when we surround ourselves with extra beauty, sparkle, and glistening magic. Because the holiday season is when our decorating extends to […]