This year we will be celebrating our 33rd Anniversary for landscaping and 26th for holiday services. We value our existing clients and look forward to an opportunity to serve new clients each season. We hire dedicated and skilled uniformed workers that show up in our company logoed vehicles. We utilize the proper equipment depending on the size of the job and use top of the line landscaping materials along with a team mentality to get the job completed. From the initial office contact to the estimate and design to the actual installation we pride ourselves on communication every step of the way. Reminder: As a reminder, spring maintenance packages were sent out end of January with Prepay/Deposit Incentives for Spring 2024 Estimates along with a copy of our latest newsletter sent out in January/February. You can also view our online version by clicking this link winter-spring-2025-newsletter.

EXISTING CLIENTS: Landscape maintenance packages were sent out end of January to pre-book for Spring 2025 including pruning, cleanups, mulching and other outdoor projects to start off our landscape season beginning of March. Once we are past frost in late April-early May we typical start our plantings and lawn repairs and phase 2 construction projects. 

Spring is coming to an end, so we are currently assessing landscapes especially after last year's major drought in September/October and winter burn due to wind and sun without much snow this winter. Also, any drainage or repairs needed with all these rainstorms the past few years causing property damage. Call us to discuss your landscaping and free assessment after you send in photos.  860-228-3915

Memorial Weekend UPDATE : We are currently scheduling out about 1-2 weeks out for initial appointment/onsite assessment on walkways, patios and retaining walls and planting renovations. We are working with our current clients on renovating or updating their existing landscape as summer weather approaches. Once you contact our office, we ask that you send us some photos, and we will send information to start planning and budgeting beforehand to get you started. This way you have some homework to do before your meeting, and we can have a productive initial onsite consult. We will also let you know current availability for scheduling new work 860-228-3915.

For Landscape Improvements with No Surprises, Spring Planning Carefully! Landscape improvements can make a tremendous difference in the looks, usefulness and value of your property. There’s no time like the present to start thinking about new projects. Even though we had a severe drought last fall, 2023 was one of the wettest on record especially all of July and continuing into the fall. After all the rainstorms many clients found themselves addressing drainage issues, repairing or replacing their aging hardscapes like walks, patios stairs and retaining walls. Also, some lawns and shrubs/trees will suffer with too much or too little rain. So, it's a good time to assess your landscaping and invest in some TLC to protect your home and investment.

It All Starts with a Plan and a Realistic Budget

Landscapes consist of several different parts, such as walkways, hedges, trees, flower beds and patios. A good improvement plan will take each part of your property into consideration and ensure that all of your new landscape projects work smoothly together.

Even if you’re just making a few improvements immediately, creating a strong plan early can save you significant time and money over the long term. You will find that with a good plan, it’s easier to set priorities, and individual projects can be tackled more quickly because they’ve been thought out in advance.

If you have an older landscape, you might consider a systematic plan for rejuvenating a small section of your property each year. This is an effective way to spread landscape renewal expenses out over several phases while “keeping up” with the aging of your plants. Plus, by focusing on just one or two areas at a time, there will be less distractions to slow down your progress. By planning carefully now, you can look forward to a beautiful landscape that improves the quality of your property for years to come. Smart budgeting will also help, and we can assist you with different options depending on long term plan and expectations or if it needs to be completed in a couple of phases.

Offering advanced 3D Landscape Designs to help you better envision your next outdoor project. Whether it's a new addition on the house, a pool in the back yard, or updating your entrance area or entire front landscape, seeing the options available to you before construction begins allows you to have not only a better visual on the final project outcome but to make the necessary changes to get exactly what you want beforehand. Spring planning is smart and lets you work on a realistic budget plan or in phases.

Here is an example of one of our design videos we created for a client...Landscape Renovation Project

Assess Your Spring Outdoor Maintenance Needs Early

Almost every yard and landscape will get a little out of shape during the off season. But with spring coming on strong, a little "warm-up" conditioning is probably all that's needed to give you and your property a great jump on the season. Before long it's going to be time to fire up the grill for that first great-tasting cook-out. And now's the time to grab an hour here and there to get your yard and patio ready.

Our specialty is also outdoor living makeovers (rebuilding existing landscapes) that are older, overgrown, high maintenance, neglected or poorly planned and offer solutions for lower maintenance designed landscaping.

Here's a great article to explain this: https://letsgrow.pub/how-did-this-landscape-disaster-happen/

Taking a walk to take stock...Spring Planning

A sunny winter afternoon is a great time to check out your current lawn and garden situation and begin planning spring projects. Try carrying a small notebook with you as you tour your property. Now's the time for making a list of the things you want to do yourself, things you want to have done by a professional, and any questions that come to mind. Here's a great article I came across:

18 Things Most Landscapers Won't Tell You (But I will!)

Early planning and budgeting needed for most landscape projects. It's a good idea to start early with any spring projects, but this is especially true for landscape installations or renovations. These take time to plan and construct and spring production schedules fill up in a hurry. This is especially important if you are looking to get a project completed sooner versus later. Due to Covid restrictions, people continuing to stay home more, and increasingly popular work from home options, the current industry material/supply and demand over the past couple years has been turned upside down. We've also seen pricing increased across the board from gas to labor as well, so more planning and project reservations needed than we've seen in the past 30 years of landscaping.

Professional help in spring can be a great value

Spring is a busy time especially here in the Northeast. There are a lot of things to be done in a fairly short period of time once the weather starts to warm up. Spring planning is a good way to access if you can do the work yourself or need to hire a professional. At Picture Perfect Landscape, we have the proper equipment and manpower to assist with maintaining your landscape. Utilizing the right size equipment also does less damage to existing lawns and landscapes too.

Spring services offered: pruning, cleaning out the beds and weeding, creating a fresh edge against the lawn, and re-mulching. Update your landscape: Sometimes landscapes get neglected, have an outdated or overgrown look and pruning just won't do. We can remove the undesirable shrubs or trees and suggest replacements to enhance and update your landscape and make it easier to care for.

At Picture Perfect Landscape we specialize mostly in landscapes designed for the busy homeowner. More simple designs, less clutter and keeping in mind smarter maintenance while still having color and texture for year-round interest. We also offer annual or semi-annual maintenance of these landscapes. So, if you have existing perennial gardens that require monthly upkeep or looking for an English garden, then we are probably not the right fit for you. Often time, we end up converting these types of landscapes since clients find they can no longer take care of these demanding gardens themselves due to physical or time limitations. Sometimes folks inherit these more demanding landscapes when they purchase a new home. These were usually established and maintained over the years by the previous owner who had more free time and/or money to hire monthly gardeners. We can assess and make changes to create a simpler landscape that requires less maintenance so you can spend more time enjoying your investment.

Plant Knowledge and selection is key. Each year we find newer dwarf varieties of shrubs that are designed to be used in smaller places like foundations and entrance areas or along a deck or patio to enhance and give value to your landscape. Drought resistant, winter hardy, and deer resistant seem to be the top requests as well. Please feel free to call on us with any questions or other landscape projects you are thinking of. You may be pleasantly surprised at how economically some of your projects can be completed if planned and budgeted ahead of time before the crazy rush of spring. Look forward to hearing from you soon!

This year I think we may finally get a more typical April with some rain  showers that will bring May flowers! But I'm definitely not complaining...only thing I am complaining about is all the darn weeds that seem to pop up overnight with any warm or rainy weather especially after 2023 being 3rd wettest on record and then crazy 2024 with late frost end of April, 3 heatwaves back to back in July, and then 8 weeks of drought and wildfires in September/October! As a friendly reminder to all of our clients that we start mulching March-April-May (or if you have beds with stone or walkway/patio joints) this is the perfect time to start your applications of weed control and pre-emergent so that you can protect your spring investment.  I start in April and recommend Natria or weed spray and I personally prefer to use Avenger Weed Spray for existing weeds as well. It smells like oranges and lemons 🙂 It does have some limitations but seems like the safest alternative if you do not want to use stronger weed sprays around pets and children:

Avenger is a contact herbicide, which means it will not translocate through the plant and therefore may or may not kill the root system. Avenger will only work on weeds and grasses that are 4 inches or smaller in height. Avenger may need to be applied multiple times to get complete control of a weed or grass.

For those wanting something safe for kids, pets and the environment we have started using Earth's Ally made with sea salt, vinegar and soap. Here's the link for more info and video for application.

We also recommend using a weed preventer product 3 or 4 times a season such as Preen pre-emergent or Snapshot which is what the professionals use to assist with discouraging new weeds. Pre-emergent weed control products work by disrupting weed seed development as seeds germinate; seedings gradually die before breaking the soil surface. Snapshot bonds tightly with soil particles and is low in water solubility, so it won't move out of the application zone.

Please contact for the Green Scene or Allied Tree and Shrub aboth reputable companies that provides bed and area weed control for larger accounts (5000 square feet and more) or if you are too busy (lawns, wood lines, landscape plantings, walkways, patios, stone)

UPDATED May 2025: Welcome to Connecticut-Starts every spring and summer we get the calls for overgrown properties this time of year with last year's rain and now spring is here seeing invasive weeds and vines like in the photos below. What we recommend is to have the areas sprayed first and then the crew will come in a few weeks later and do selective brush cutting and weed whacking to cleanup areas and mulch. Some areas with extensive poison ivy, poison oak or sumac need to be addressed separately and treated by chemical spraying since this is hazardous to our crews and their equipment. Then afterwards having the client spray it again to maintain these wood line areas and keep vegetation under control. Here's an article on the top invasive vines we see each season: Invasive Vines CT

UPDATE LOTS MORE WEEDS THIS SPRING: Fall drought leads to spring weeds. Last September/October Severe Drought conditions in Northeast caused a record 154 wildfires in CT and also impacted us this spring by increasing the presence of new and existing weeds on properties. I've found that Fall is a great time to control weeds, but drought can affect this. Fall weeds can cause issues next season-just ask the farmers trying to control weeds in their crops. Without sufficient moisture at planting, emergence and early root development could be at risk for lawns and plantings. Fall-applied herbicides provide better weed control than spring-applied treatments in dry years. 

***WEEDS IN LANDSCAPE BEDS AND LAWNS WILL BE BAD THIS YEAR DUE TO 2024 FALL DROUGHT AND ALL THE RAIN!!!***

Save Your Lawn from Chickweed: 5 Simple Ways to Stop the Weed Before It Kills Your Grass

10 MOST Common Invasive Weeds in Connecticut (2023 Guide) - The Gardening Dad

Controlling Mugwort Weeds - How To Kill Mugwort Plants | Gardening Know How

How to Control Invasive Bittersweet | Gardening Advice

Myth on using Landscape Weed Fabric (AKA Landscaper's gold) and why for over 30 years we do not recommend it to our clients. Just like this article says we often get asked to remove it from properties every year. Click HERE for article.

Invasive Vines and Brush along woodlines: Each season we get existing and new clients asking how to control the ugly and invasive plants that seems to take over the woodline borders and get into their trees and landscape beds. This is usually done in a couple of phases if neglected for several seasons and a plan needs to be made to tackle these areas. One of the most invasive that we have seen on almost every property is the Oriental Bittersweet Vine. You can identify it by the bright orange roots when pulling it out. It has red berries that wildlife like to eat and then spread to other areas.

Weed Control 101

STEP ONE: First up is controlling the weeds you can see growing in your landscape, walkways or walls with a spray for killing live weeds. We recommend using either Roundup Weed Killer or Natria Weed Killer by Bayer or Avenger Organic Weed Killer and there are a number of different kinds depending on what you are looking to get rid of so do your homework and read instructions and use as directed.

Both Roundup and Natria with Root Killer is absorbed by the leaves of the weed/plant and then with sun and warm temperatures the weed will start to die from within all the way to the roots. Then you can just remove or put topsoil or mulch on top of the area as it decomposes. "Work smarter not harder" as Ron the owner likes to say lol.

picking the weeds, please have a look at my similar images of this subject

Believe me It's a lot easier to pull a dead weed that releases its roots from the soil than a live one that is still clinging on for dear life. After it rains is a great time for pulling weeds as gardeners can attest 🙂

Here is a note from specialist Dave Schwarm of Green Meadow Lawn Care and who is a CT Licensed Ornamental and Turf Supervisor that has been using Roundup by following the directions, wearing protective gear and applying on a dry day with minimal wind:  Is Roundup Safe to Use on My Property?

For those of you that still have reservations about using Roundup around children or pets due to all the negative media and controversy that is out there, then I would suggest using the Organic Avenger line of weed control products. It is made out of citrus oils and burns the plant. You may have to use more of it or apply more often but if it gives you piece of mind and takes care of the weeds then go for it. I use this in my yard around my foundation/patio and Roundup for woodline away from house. I order it online (concentrated liquid) to mix with water in a sprayer from Home Depot so easy to apply. The only other recommendation would be good old fashion hand pulling as long as you have the time and patience. But again, pulling live weeds just brings back more but I have heard it's a gardener's form of therapy to relieve stress 🙂

Also Check out this article 10 Alternatives to Roundup from Moms Across America. Remember that even if you're using alternative herbicides, your neighbor may not be. Gardeners, landscapers, and conventional farms could be spraying miles away from your home, but drift could still be impacting your air, water, and soil.

STEP TWO: Weed Pre-Emergent and Preventer: This was something I found many years ago that was a gardener's secret to keeping their vegetable beds weed free. Preen Weed Preventer is a pre-emergent granule that you sprinkle on soil or mulch, or can sweep into cracks along walks, driveways, or walls and it conditions the area so that new weeds do not grow. How Preen Works Video 

Again it works to prevent new weeds and does absolutely nothing to the live green weeds you have. I mention this because I did have a client many years ago that called up complaining that he had put down 4 buckets of the Preen in his beds and the weeds were still there. I asked if he had sprayed weed killer first and he said no I forgot about that part. Preen works by releasing a little bit of itself when activated by water or rain and creates a barrier that works for about 8 to 12 weeks depending on the type you get. Then you reapply again to keep working for another 2-3 months. Click below to identify some of the most common weeds in our area:

Top Invasive Weeds in the Garden

Weed Torches: This is also an option depending on location of weeds. Many of our clients have walkways, patios, driveways and stone areas around beds or pools that require additional maintenance especially if you live near a wood line or your mowing company is not blowing the clippings out of the landscaping. Here is a quick info if you're curious about this chemical free alternative and I remind folks to stay away from vinyl siding, dry mulch, plastic or exposed weed mat or fabric-basically anything that is flammable or can melt 🙂

When are weed torches recommended?

Check out more info here from Bernzomatic Torch products

And lastly, for those of you that live in areas surrounded by woods and thus must battle the yearly bugs like aphids, spider mites, tent caterpillars, and Japanese beetles (just to name a few) here is a product that I recommend for roses and other flowering shrubs to help them battle and recover from these pesky critters. Bayer All in One is spread around the base of the shrub and covered with mulch and works systematically for the next 8-10 weeks and assists the shrub to better protect itself from insects and disease. I use it twice a year on my roses.

Some of our clients have issues with invasive vines and vegetation on their properties especially if they have woods and property borders. The poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac can be out of control and customers trying to spray it with weed spray just seems to make it worse. Stronger sprays used for brush clearing or tough invasive vines is better for these aggressive vines.  We have recommended the experts at The Gloved Hand to do an assessment and come up with a plan to get rid of it or at least keep it under control. Check them out at Poison Ivy Control 

Too busy and looking for a company to take care of your lawn fertilization, control weeds in your plantings and apply mosquito or tick applications in your yard? Check out Green Scene out of Manchester or Safe Lawns and Landscapes out of Salem CT. They take care of a number of our clients' properties and have alternative solutions based on your particular lawn and landscape needs.

If you have any questions, you can also feel free to contact me directly and we can discuss your particular needs over the phone. If your landscape is out of control and needs some TLC give us a call and we can give you an estimate to get it back in check so it's Picture Perfect again 🙂 Kim

With the changing weather patterns here in New England we are seeing more and more yards with drainage issues. When addressed in a timely fashion they are usually easy to solve. But left unchecked, they can turn into a bigger problem in a short amount of time especially during heavy rainstorms or after a cold snowy winter. Who to Call for Drainage Issues

If it's a simple problem we can usually estimate out along with your landscaping project. But if it's more complicated we will refer out to one of our Strategic Drainage Experts who specialize in this work every day. Contact us to Talk to a Consultant today! 6 Smart Ways to Prevent a Soggy Yard

https://www.housedigesHow to Install Drainage to Existing Projects

Here is some great information explaining what drainage is and how it affects your property and outdoor enjoyment from the guys at Landscaping Duty https://landscapingduty.co/best-landscaping-for-drainage/

Professional Yard Drainage Tips

18 Drainage Ditch Ideas

The depths of winter mean a lot of rain, and it can be tricky to handle it all. Without proper drainage, your lawns and flowerbeds will become waterlogged, killing your plants before spring arrives. In the worst cases, standing water in your yard can cause damage to the foundations of garden buildings or even your home.

There are two popular options when it comes to handling water in a backyard: French drains and dry wells. However, if you aren't a pro landscaper, it may not be clear which water management system you need. Here's some info from an award-winning landscaper about these two ways of managing rainwater, and while a French drain is usually the better choice, there's still a place for a dry well: