This new paver driveway improves curb appeal, value, and satisfaction for this Jacksonville Beach homeowner. “John (Cacchione) came up with a wonderful plan,” said Homeowner Faith Stone. “And I met with him and reviewed the plan and said this is it.” The plan included tearing out and removing the existing concrete driveway and replacement with Tremron glacier colored 12” x 24” pavers in the Park Plaza style and landscaping. “It has transformed our house,” said Stone.
Pavers are attractive, safe, and considering permeability, they are better for the environment than poured concrete which has a shorter average lifespan before cracking. “I see that a lot, with new homes, some of the older buildings, even some of the new projects with concrete driveways are cracked with trees by them, with heavy machinery on them, with water from the roof eroding underneath them,” said John Cacchione, Earth Works landscape designer. “The pavers are a good replacement.”
Cracked and uneven concrete driveways leave bad first impressions as they are an eyesore, tripping, and driving hazard. “Beyond the installation, a paver driveway is a better investment because it lasts longer and adds curb appeal to your home,” says Home Advisor. “The average paver driveway lasts between 30 and 50 years. Pavers are up to four times stronger than poured concrete, meaning they can support four times as much weight. Slabs tend to crack over time, while pavers can come loose individually.”
Tremron Glacier, Park Plaza style pavers are available in 2 3/8” and 4” thick options. Other Park Plaza paver size options include 8”x8”, 8”x12”, 12”x12”, 16”x16”, and 24”x24”. “So we’ve got the four-inch-thick paver, and we’ve got a six-inch base of Krush Krete underneath all of that,” said Cacchione. “That was unique to this job, and we’ve got a cool border here too where we normally do a single border here we did a little double border. It gives you just a nice imprint of that contrasting color.”
Raised edging and borders are options for driveways with practical benefits, including less grass intrusion onto the pavers. It keeps vehicles on the driveway rather than in the landscape. Flat edging and borders provide aesthetic value with endless design possibilities. “Versus just a single band (border), you can do the double band,” said Cacchione. “You can do a triple band. I like to do the little sandwich band, I call it. So you take two 6”x9” pavers, and you sandwich another little thin paver between them. It’s a really pretty look. So dressing up your borders like that is really a nice way to dress up a driveway. You can do that on existing concrete driveways too. It doesn’t have to just be pavers. You could come in with a paver border, a paver apron, and then some paver bands that we cut into the concrete to enhance what you already have. You don’t have to tear out everything.”
We recommend widening sidewalks to front doors when replacing driveways as builders commonly construct them 36” wide, which isn’t pedestrian-friendly for two people walking together to a porch or front door. We enhanced the entrance, so it’s really big now,” said Cacchione. “It gives you that sense of welcomeness to the front door.”
With age and use, driveways require maintenance and eventual replacement that reflects on home value. “The National Association of Realtors surveyed homeowners, landscape professionals, and Realtors to evaluate how certain outdoor remodels contributed to resale,” according to Homelight.com. “Upgraded hardscape and landscape design both placed in the top four projects that buyers find appealing and that Realtors agree can add resale value.”
High and low gloss sealers are available for your new driveway, along with rust remover, rubber, paint, and tar removing cleaners. “The glossy sealer will give you that wet look all the time,” said Cacchione. “You do have to reapply that every 3-5 years based on your wear and tear. So the sealer will lock that look in place, or we can do a matt finish, which will give you not the glossy finish, but the finish when it is dry. I do recommend the sealer. I do recommend you reapply it. It’s going to be a lot easier to clean your surfaces off if you’ve got that coat of sealer on the paver.”
This Jacksonville Beach client trusts Earth Works for various services that started with a visit to the garden center where she purchased plants and met Cacchione. That friendly business relationship blossomed into providing landscape design plans and a beautiful driveway that met and hopefully continue to exceed her expectations.
Just as this driveway improves curb appeal, value, and satisfaction count on Earth Works of Jacksonville with all your landscaping, hardscaping, drainage, water gardening, and lawn care needs. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Contact us with your questions and to book design consultations.
Proudly serving clients in Northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine. Happy Gardening!
As a key feature of the pool landscaping design process, Earth Works recommends budgeting 10% of your pool construction costs to landscaping. Pool landscaping is often an afterthought not considered until the pool contract is signed, under construction, or completed. A beautiful pool landscape design is the finishing touch on a real estate upgrade. HOA’s often require landscaping plans as part of their pool review approval process. Clients can prepare their pool landscape design simultaneously with the pool design or take a phased approach handling aspects of the landscape project, such as drainage and grading for the landscape prior to completion of the pool installation. Phasing in the overall landscape design can save money completing parts of the project immediately after the pool shell, deck, and plumbing are complete.
Earth Works landscape designers consult with each client at their property, listening and asking questions, taking photos, and providing from that meeting landscape design drawing. Aspects of the landscape design include drainage, irrigation, landscape tear-out, and installation of trees, shrubs, flower beds, sod, landscape lighting, and water features. Handling all aspects of these essential elements of the landscape design with one company rather than half a dozen reduces the client’s potential frustration from dealing with too many companies simultaneously working on their property. It saves clients money by developing the pool and landscape plan simultaneously. Avoid duplicitous labor and material expenses by timing drainage, irrigation, and grading between pool contractor and landscape designer.
The pool landscape design development requires that the designer receive a copy of the clients’ property survey, site plan, and pool construction plan. Additionally, the designer needs to know the location of new and existing lines for electric, gas, irrigation, plumbing, and sound system.
Process considerations include: -Irrigation capping and replacing associated pipes and hardware is recommended as existing lines could be broken after the pool is excavated and installed. -Drainage work can begin once the pool shell is installed and plumbing lines are buried before any landscaping. Drainage planning is critical prior to a new pool being installed as there is less lot surface area to absorb water and, if done poorly, can result in the house, pool, and property flooding. Consider connecting downspouts from roof to drainage to flow away from house and pool deck.
-Grading for irrigation and new landscape design can begin after drainage work is complete. -Tear-out and removal of old landscaping and installation of new landscaping are completed after pool construction is complete and their equipment is removed.
Earth Works of Jacksonville design process typically requires 2-6 weeks depending on the complexity of the project and time of year. Earth Works provides pool landscaping separately from the pool contracting process although we have strong working relationships with pool builders throughout Northeast Florida including Pratt Guys. For more about the Earth Works design consultation process, view the following video highlighting each step in the journey.
Plus, remember that for comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Proudly serving clients in Northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine. Happy Gardening!
Between June and September, Jacksonville receives as much precipitation as the other eight months combined, which brings not only lush lawns and gardens, but mosquitos, chinch bugs, and fungus. During extended periods of rainfall, cut back your automatically timed irrigation scheduled watering. Soil aeration, fertilization, and cultural practices, including cutting lawn turf at the proper height and watering at the appropriate time of day, all reduce the threat posed by summer lawn and garden pests and pathogens. While taking measures to remedy these threats to the lawn and garden we discourage overuse and runoff of treatments that can harm beneficial plant and animal species and the environment.
Mosquitos quickly get our attention biting exposed skin after hatching from stagnant water in as little as 24 hours. To minimize the health threat from mosquitos eliminate stagnant water collection receptacles in the landscape. Properly maintained ponds and water gardens are NOT breeding grounds for mosquitos. Still, birdbaths and bogs without filtration or aeration can be a mosquito haven that’s remedied with Mosquito dunks, the solid form of Bacillus Thuringiensis. Low-lying areas of the landscape that hold water also serve as a breeding ground for mosquitos. When mosquitos are present, avoid getting bit with a non-oily application of Natures Way All Natural Repellant, which kills and repels nuisance flying insects and is safe for people, pets, and the environment.
Southern chinch bugs are ever-present in the Northeast Florida environment. Their 3-4 life cycles per year cause damage in full sun and drought conditions, especially to St. Augustine lawn turf. Proper timing and application of pesticides are critical to addressing the threat from chinch bug eggs along with nymphs and adults. Increasing irrigation and dumping high nitrogen fertilizer on chinch bug-infested turf can cause more harm than good to the landscape and environment. Contact the Earth Works lawn care division for professional fertilization, disease, weed, and pest control service. Get Your Free Quote.
Fungal pathogens, including mold and mildew that prey on lawn and garden plants, are of particular concern during the rainy season. However, other fungi species, including mycorrhizae, are beneficial to plants and animals, demonstrating the importance of good cultural practices to only rid your garden of fungal pathogens. Take care of your soil with periodic aeration and soil amendments combined with targeted fungicide treatments available at Earth Works Garden Center to remedy downy and powdery mildews, root rot, and various other fungi in the lawn and garden. Also, ask the Earth Works lawn care division for a quote on such services.
Mosquitos, chinch bugs, and fungus are a threat with lush lawns the same as for rutted-up ones that hold water.
Plus, remember that for comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Proudly serving clients in Northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine. Happy Gardening!
Hurricane season landscape preparation is crucial as it begins on June 1 and lasts until November 30. Each year Floridians face the potential of fall out from tropical storms and full-blown hurricanes. While hurricanes are uncommon in June, there have been tropical storms that were significant rain events, such as Tropical Storm Debby in June 2012, contributing more than half of that months’ 20-inch rainfall totals for Jacksonville. Hurricane seasons such as we are seeing in 2022 have no hurricanes affecting Florida until late September when the season heated up. Please pay attention to the needs of newly planted trees whose root system may not be fully established and do best when staked to prevent them from toppling over during periods of soggy soil and or with high winds.
Older trees may need pruning to reduce the risk to structures and power lines from overhanging limbs. In addition, we benefit from removing dead, diseased, cracked, and broken limbs at risk of falling during high wind events and hurricanes. Depending on the types of trees in the landscape, some are at greater risk of attracting lighting, with those struck most often being oak, pine, and palms. When hit, the tree will attempt to repair itself but should be monitored over some months that ultimately may require that the damaged tree be pruned or removed entirely.
When combined with saturated soil, tree species with shallow roots and large canopies are at higher risk of coming down during high wind and rain events. Younger trees planted that may still be staked or within several years of planting are not without risk during storms as their root systems may still be inadequate to protect against extreme wind and rain and at serious risk of falling. They can likewise be badly damaged in such events where the roots become ajar, exposed, or damaged. If you’ve planted a sizable tree in recent months and not yet protected it from wind damage with a staking kit, it is good to consider purchasing one and installing it.
Though tragic, it is hardly a surprise when we see news coverage of a limb or large tree that fell into a home or crushed a vehicle during high wind and rain. However, regardless of the conditions of our trees, when faced with an impending storm event, it is best to assess the situation, be aware of our surroundings, especially overhead, and take necessary precautions to protect ourselves, friends, and family.
A licensed arborist can provide a professional assessment of what needs to be done to protect the specific trees in the landscape before and after the hurricane season. Earth Works Jax Lawn Care & Pest Control Service offers treatment programs to keep clients’ trees, lawn, and garden healthy throughout the year. The Earth Works Garden Center provides a variety of trees that do well in Northeast Florida weather, including oak, magnolia, crape myrtle, and a wide variety of palms. Our knowledgeable garden center staff and landscape designers are here to help with your hurricane season landscape preparation.
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Proudly serving clients in Northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine. Happy Gardening!
