Landscaping Services in East Lansing

Cherry Oak Landscaping is East Lansing’s top choice for local landscaping services. With years of experience, we’ve developed a stellar reputation for our prompt service times, excellent customer care, and top-tier workmanship. Whether you need regular lawn mowing or a total re-design, you can count on us as your premier landscaper.

To schedule a consultation, or to request a quote, call us at (517) 339-2881 today.

What Are the Benefits of Professional Landscaping?

A lot goes into maintaining a beautiful outdoor space, which can be a lot of work for the average homeowner. Professional landscaping services provide numerous benefits, allowing you to create and maintain a beautiful landscape without the hassle and time commitment of doing it yourself.

Here are some of the key benefits of professional landscaping services:

  • Improved outdoor living space: Our landscapers transform outdoor areas into functional and enjoyable spaces for relaxation, entertaining, and recreation.
  • Environmental benefits: Professional landscaping can help create a sustainable and eco-friendly environment through the incorporation of native plants, the implementation of efficient irrigation systems, and the reduction of water usage.
  • Reduced maintenance: Hiring our professionals ensures proper landscape maintenance, saving time and effort in the long run while ensuring that plants and features are correctly cared for.
  • Personalized design: We have the knowledge and expertise to design landscapes that suit individual preferences and lifestyles. With us, you can create a unique and personalized outdoor space.

Can Professional Landscape Design Increase Property Value?

Landscaping is one of the most effective ways to boost your property’s market value. A well-designed outdoor space makes a strong first impression on potential buyers and can increase resale value by up to 20%.

Features like manicured lawns, healthy trees, and attractive garden beds create a positive visual impact. Moreover, functional additions like outdoor kitchens, pathways, or lighting make the property more livable and appealing.

How Can Landscaping Around a Home Improve Energy Efficiency?

Landscaping around a home can significantly improve energy efficiency, reduce utility costs, and enhance overall comfort.

Here are some key ways landscaping can contribute to energy efficiency:

  • Shade and insulation: Well-placed trees, shrubs, and vines can provide natural shade, reducing direct sunlight and heat absorption in the home. This, in turn, lowers the need for excessive cooling and reduces energy consumption.
  • Windbreaks: Installing windbreaks, such as hedges or fences, can help deflect strong winds, creating a barrier that minimizes heat loss during the colder months.
  • Evapotranspiration: Lawns, trees, and other plants release moisture through evapotranspiration. This natural cooling effect can help reduce ambient temperatures around the home, providing a more comfortable outdoor and indoor environment.
  • Permeable surfaces: Incorporating permeable surfaces, like gravel or pavers with spacing, allows rainwater to infiltrate the soil. This reduces the strain on stormwater systems.

By incorporating thoughtful landscaping strategies, homeowners can enjoy a more energy-efficient and comfortable living environment.

What Is a Good Lawn Care Schedule?

A good lawn care schedule ensures your yard remains healthy, vibrant, and free from pests year-round.

Here are some key components we incorporate into an effective lawn care routine:

  • Mowing: Mow your lawn weekly during the growing season, ensuring no more than one-third of the grass height is cut at a time.
  • Watering: Water deeply and infrequently, ideally providing about one inch of water per week, either from rainfall or supplemental watering.
  • Fertilizing: Fertilize your lawn in early spring and late fall to provide essential nutrients for growth and health.
  • Aeration: Aerate the lawn in the fall to reduce soil compaction and enhance root development.
  • Weeding: Regularly inspect and remove weeds to prevent them from competing with your grass for nutrients and moisture.

Cherry Oak Landscaping: Full-Service Landscaping

We are a full-service landscaper. We provide a complete range of services for the design, care, and maintenance of your lawn and landscape. You can depend on us for all your landscaping needs, from hardscaping to softscaping and more. Whatever the job—and whatever the season—we have you covered.

We can help with:

  • Landscape design
  • Landscape construction
  • Pathways and walkways
  • Garden design
  • Tree pruning and planting
  • Lawn care
  • Aeration
  • Irrigation
  • …and more

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about our services, prices, and work history. To learn more about what we can do for you, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

What Are the Key Elements of a Backyard Design?

Backyard design involves blending natural elements like plants and landforms with features like patios and walkways. Our designers factor in climate, soil, and your desired use of the space to create a cohesive plan, using a combination of hardscaping and landscaping.

When designing your outdoor space, we recommend considering the following elements:

  • Proportion: Work with the size and shape of your yard. Don't overwhelm a small space with too much hardscape.
  • Focal points: Incorporate eye-catching elements, such as water features, sculptures, or bright flowers and plants, to draw attention to certain areas.
  • Texture and color: Combine various textures and colors of plants, hardscapes, and decorative elements to create depth, contrast, and layers of visual interest.
  • Functionality: Design spaces that serve specific purposes, such as outdoor living areas, play areas, or vegetable gardens.
  • Transition zones: Create smooth transitions between hardscape and softscape. For example, use curved lines, planting beds, or stepping stones.

What’s the Difference Between Hardscaping and Softscaping?

Hardscaping and softscaping are two fundamental landscaping components that work harmoniously to create functional and visually appealing outdoor spaces.

Hardscaping refers to the non-living elements of a landscape, such as walkways, patios, retaining walls, and structures like pergolas or gazebos. These elements provide structure, define boundaries, and add functionality to the outdoor area.

Softscaping encompasses the living elements, including plants, trees, shrubs, flowers, and grass. Softscape elements add beauty, texture, and color to the landscape, creating a natural and inviting environment.

The combination of hardscape and softscape elements is essential in creating a well-balanced and cohesive outdoor space.

How Can You Optimize Your Garden Layout?

When you're constructing new garden beds or arranging new plants and flowers, we map out sun exposure throughout the day and place plants that require more light in the prime spots. We also group plants with similar water needs together, and space them according to their mature size to avoid overcrowding.

When optimizing your garden, we plan paths for easy access and incorporate functional areas like seating or raised beds near your property. For aesthetics, you can consider varying heights to create a natural flow and decide whether you prefer clean lines and geometric shapes compared to overflowing borders and winding paths. Whatever your vision, we can execute it flawlessly.

What Fertilizer Should You Use on Your Lawn?

When choosing a fertilizer for your lawn, consider the specific needs of your grass. Look for a balanced fertilizer that contains the right mix of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—these are the essential nutrients that help maintain a healthy lawn. Fertilizers are often labeled with three numbers, such as 10-10-10, representing these nutrients' percentages.

Grass in a sunny yard may benefit from a fertilizer with higher nitrogen levels to promote green growth, while shaded areas may need more phosphorus for root development. Make sure to also choose a slow-release or organic fertilizer that will provide long-lasting nutrients without burning the lawn.

Does Fertilizer Need To Be Watered In?

Yes, fertilizer needs to be watered in to be effective. Once you apply fertilizer to your lawn, it's essential to water it shortly afterward. This process helps dissolve the fertilizer, allowing it to reach the soil and be absorbed by grass roots.

Without water, the fertilizer might just sit on top of the grass, which can lead to burning the grass or being washed away by rain. Watering ensures that the nutrients are properly distributed and can start working to benefit the health and growth of your lawn.

What Are the Different Types of Mulch?

Mulch is a layer of material, like shredded bark or wood chips, spread over the soil surface in your yard. It helps retain moisture in the soil, reduces watering needs, and suppresses weeds by blocking sunlight to prevent germination.

Here are the two types of mulch and their benefits:

  • Organic mulch is made of wood chips, bark, shredded leaves, and compost. It improves soil fertility as it breaks down and adds nutrients, helps retain moisture in the soil, and blocks sunlight to prevent weed growth.
  • Inorganic mulch is made from gravel, plastic sheeting, and rocks. It doesn't decompose, so requires less frequent replacing, is effective at suppressing weeds, and can retain heat in the soil in cooler temperatures.

Expert Landscape Design to Transform Your Outdoor Space

Our team of expert landscape architects employs a detail-oriented approach to capture and realize your vision for your outdoor space. With a deep understanding of the natural environment guiding our every move, we create functional, sustainable, and visually appealing designs.

Whether you envision a tranquil garden retreat, a lively entertainment area, or a practical space for your family, our innovative landscape design services promise exceptional results. We consider every aspect of your property, from the soil quality to the local climate, to ensure your landscape will thrive.

Professional Landscape Construction for Lasting Impressions

Once your landscape design is finalized, our team will bring it to life with expert landscape construction services. This involves:

  • Site preparation
  • Planting and installation
  • Hardscaping (patios, walkways, and retaining walls)
  • Irrigation systems
  • Lighting installation
  • ...and more!

Our construction process is efficient, minimizing disruption to your daily life. What’s more, we make sure to leave the site clean and tidy upon completion.

Benefits of Installing a Sprinkler System

When you water your landscape manually, it's difficult to be precise. Sprinkler systems avoid potential consequences such as forgetting to water, underwatering thirsty areas, or overwatering and drowning plant roots.

Here are some of the other benefits of installing a sprinkler:

  • Consistent and even watering: Sprinklers ensure your lawn and plants receive the right amount of water, evenly distributed across the entire area.
  • Convenience and time-saving: With automated timers and controllers, you can set the system to water your lawn and garden at optimal times.
  • Flexibility and customization: Certain sprinkler systems can accommodate different watering zones, plant types, and soil conditions.

How Long Should You Leave a Sprinkler On?

When setting up a sprinkler, aim to run it long enough to provide your lawn with about one inch of water per week. This typically means leaving your sprinkler on for roughly 20 to 30 minutes at a time, depending on the water pressure and the type of sprinkler being used. It's best to water early in the morning or late in the afternoon to minimize evaporation. Remember that the goal is to water deeply and thoroughly, reaching the roots so your grass stays healthy even during dry spells.

Comprehensive Lawn Care for an Evergreen Appeal

We provide comprehensive lawn care services to ensure your landscape remains vibrant and healthy. Our team of experienced professionals will mow, fertilize, aerate, and weed your lawn on a regular basis to keep it looking lush and green.

We also specialize in irrigation systems and can design and install one tailored to your landscape’s specific needs. This helps to conserve water and ensures your plants and grass receive the right amount of moisture for optimal growth.

How Often Do You Need Lawn Aeration?

Compacted soil can smother roots, preventing air, water, and nutrients from reaching your grass, so we recommend aerating once a year. Aeration involves creating holes or channels in the soil to alleviate compaction. This allows air, water, and nutrients to penetrate deeper, promoting healthy root growth.

The result is a thicker, greener lawn that’s more resistant to drought and pests that can cause patchiness. Lawns with heavy traffic, compacted areas, or signs of struggle benefit from more frequent aeration.

Should You Mow After Aeration?

It’s best to wait about two to four weeks before you mow your lawn after aerating and overseeding. This waiting period allows the seeds to establish and the grass to grow strong roots. Once your grass is ready to be mowed, it's important to cut it to the correct height, around two to three inches, depending on the type of grass. Mowing to the right height ensures your lawn stays healthy and strong.

Expert Tree Pruning and Planting for a Vibrant Landscape

Tree pruning and planting are integral parts of our landscape management services. By regularly pruning trees, we ensure they maintain a healthy structure, reduce the risk of damage from falling branches, and boost their aesthetic appeal. Our team is trained in the correct pruning techniques to promote better flower or fruit production and improve the overall health of your trees.

In addition to pruning, we also provide expert tree-planting services. Whether you want to add a few trees for privacy, create a shaded area, or enhance your landscape’s visual interest, we can assist. We carefully select trees that will thrive in your specific climate and soil conditions, ensuring they contribute positively to your landscape over time.

Sustainable Practices for an Eco-Friendly Landscape

Promoting sustainability and eco-friendliness is important to us, which is why we incorporate sustainable practices into our landscape design and construction processes. We use native plants and materials whenever possible to reduce watering and maintenance.

We also offer options for rainwater harvesting systems, drip irrigation, and other environmentally friendly solutions to help conserve resources. With our sustainable practices, you can have a beautiful and functional landscape that’s also kind to the environment.

Residential and Commercial Landscaping Services

Whatever your landscaping needs may be, our team is equipped to handle both residential and commercial properties. From small gardens to large estates, we have experience working with a variety of spaces and creating personalized landscapes that meet our clients’ unique needs and preferences. Simply tell us your ideas and goals, and we’ll work with you to bring them to life.

Professional Landscaping, Personalized Consultations

At Cherry Oak Landscaping, we strive to develop personalized solutions based on each client’s needs. That’s why we offer a detailed consultation service to everyone who comes our way. It’s a chance for us to learn about you, and for you to learn about us.

During yours, we’ll take the time to discuss your project so that we can provide a more accurate assessment and better advice. As a landscaper, we like to get to know our clients, tailoring our services accordingly. It’s how we develop strong working relationships with them—and how we create the area’s best-looking landscapes.

You can take advantage by contacting us to book your first consultation. There’s no further obligation, and there are no strings attached: It’s merely a way for you to get the information you need to make an informed investment decision.

You’ll Love Our Landscaping Services

We Guarantee It

We’re confident in the quality of our services, and we want you to feel that way as well. That’s why we offer a satisfaction guarantee on every job we undertake. Whether you hire us to mow your lawn, design your landscape, or install a new structure, you can trust that the job will be done to your liking. If not, we’ll come back and do everything required to rectify the issue, whatever that may entail. Rest assured, though: That won’t be necessary. After all, our services have satisfied countless customers before you. We know they’ll satisfy you, too.

East Lansing’s Leading Local Landscaper

Get in Touch Today

For professional service, efficient solutions, and top-quality landscaping, we are the team to choose. Clients near and far have come to depend on us for all their outdoor needs. They’ve all come to appreciate our timeliness, friendliness, and honest expertise. Now you can too.

To get started, be sure to contact us today.

Looking for landscaping services in East Lansing? Contact us at (517) 339-2881.