Custom Landscaping

Custom Landscaping in Sacramento

With custom landscaping, your yard can be an extension of your values.

If you value environmental responsibility…

…then water conservation and shade should be primary considerations when planning your yard.

• Plant native species, which require minimal water to stay alive
• Replace your thirsty lawn with a lawn alternative
• Remove or refrain from paving over soil that could be replenishing our ground water supply
• Take steps to reduce runoff and erosion
• Plant native shade trees to cool your house and yard naturally which reduces energy consumption

If you value family…

…then creating an outdoor living space where the family can spend time together will be important.

• Shade under trees, a patio cover or vine covered pergola or trellis will make your yard bearable in the hot summer months.
• Water misters will make your yard even more pleasant.
• Families that play together, stay together.  Is there room for a volleyball net?  What about basketball, bocce ball, or horseshoes?
• The sound of running water is a great de-stresser.  We could all use less stress, especially when spending precious moments with the most important people in our lives.
• Nothing brings people together and sparks conversation (literally) like gathering around a fire.  Inexpensive fire pits can be purchased from your local hardware store.  Or, get fancy with a fire wall, glass gas powered fire pit or outdoor fireplace.

If you value nature…

…consider creating a wildlife friendly habitat that becomes the local hangout for your neighborhood critters, birds and butterflies.

• Feed them!  Native plants and supplemental feeding supplies provide the nectar, pollen, nuts, seeds, and foliage wildlife need to survive.
• Give them water!  Wildlife need access to clean water for drinking, bathing and reproduction.  Create a “natural” pond, put in a birdbath, or create a rain garden.
• Give them a place to hide!  Dead trees, brush piles, and thick vegetation keep wildlife safe from predators and weather.
• Give them a place to raise families! Birdhouses are an obvious solution, but did you know butterflies and moths often lay their eggs in wildflower meadows?  Bats raise families in caves.  Hidden and sheltered places are what animals look for.
• Get certified! The National Wildlife Federation can certify your yard as a wildlife habitat.

If you value building relationships…

…your yard will be a place to live, a place to gather and a place to build relationships.  Nothing brings people together like an old-fashioned BBQ or roasting marshmallows around a fire.

• Provide comfort.  Shade, and even outdoor fans and/or mist, in the summer.  Warmth and protection from wind and rain in the winter.
• Food plays an important role in any outdoor gathering.  Your outdoor kitchen can be as simple as a grill or can be as elaborate as you can dream of.  Want an outdoor tap? No problem.
• Outdoor entertainment options include putting greens (8 hole mini golf course anyone?), bocce ball, horseshoes, and entertainment centers complete with a tv and sound system.
• Food can also be entertainment.  Roasting marshmallows around a fire pit fits in this category.  So does outdoor pizza ovens where guests can bake their own pizza or bread.

If you value sustainable living…

…maximize the food growing potential of your yard.

• Terracing can allow you to grow your own food in even a tiny yard.
• A chicken coop full of chickens can turn your garden pests and weeds into fresh eggs.  Just make sure you don’t eat any vegetables or eggs that have touched chicken poop — that can make you really sick.  Hint: feed your chickens kitchen scraps and recycle your kitchen waste into food.
• Compost areas away from neighbors and your own house will help turn waste into soil, heavy in organic matter.
• Raise your own fish in concrete fish tanks.  Just make sure you protect them from wildlife or raccoons and herons will steal your dinner.

If you value preserving the East German Line of German Shepherd Dogs (or any other noble life work)…

…create the ideal environment for your endeavor.

• Make sure that anything they eat or chew in the yard won’t make them sick.  Eliminate toxic plants and the need for spraying or poisoning.
• Remove any sharp objects or hazards that can hurt rambunctious puppies.  Fence or protect pools and ponds to prevent your dogs from drowning.
• You will need dig proof, jump proof, chew proof and theft proof fencing.
• Provide shade and protection from the elements.
• Prevent fights by creating a way to keep dogs separated.
• They will need a place to play with soft footing that will keep them clean as well.
• They will also need access to fresh water.
• And, it all needs to be easy to clean.

Custom landscaping turns your yard into an extension of what you value most. The pros at FiveSTAR Landscape are waiting to listen to your vision for your yard.  From design to plant selection to construction, they will ensure that every aspect of your landscape is in sync with your values.