How To Plan For Your Next Outdoor Project In 3 Steps

In Central Pennsylvania, the warm months offer the best chance to spend time outside, whether it’s relaxing in the backyard, hosting friends or showing finished homes in a new residential development. But to make the most of that time, outdoor spaces need to be clean, functional and able to handle the local climate.

For homeowners, that might mean creating a space to enjoy summer evenings without worrying about overgrown shrubs, drainage issues or crumbling hardscapes. For developers, it means making sure properties are move-in ready and visually appealing, with landscaping that adds lasting value.

At River Valley Landscapes, we help homeowners and developers create and maintain stunning outdoor spaces. We know what works in this region, from managing stormwater runoff to choosing the right materials and plants for Central PA’s humidity and heat. Let’s walk through everything you need to get an outdoor living space summer-ready.

Step 1: Assess Your Outdoor Space

Before making any summer landscaping plans in Central PA, take some time to evaluate how your outdoor space currently looks. Some things to keep in mind include:

The Lawn

Is the lawn healthy and even, or are there patches of bare soil, overgrowth or weeds taking over? From single yards to stretches of community lawns, green spaces should look clean and well-kept. These visual details go a long way in how a property is perceived, whether you’re enjoying it with guests or showing it to potential buyers.

Existing Features

Take inventory of existing features like flower beds, patios, walkways or retaining walls. Are they functional and attractive, or are they overdue for a refresh? Identify areas that need renovations, and don’t forget to inspect them for winter damage. Cracked pavers, leaning fences or broken lighting should go on your “fix-it” list.

Purpose of the Space

Every outdoor space should serve a clear purpose. It could be a quiet place to relax, a yard for kids to run around or a shared area where neighbors can gather. Maybe it’s a walking path, a shaded bench or a well-placed grill area that brings people outside. When a space is designed to be usable and not just decorative, it adds real value and makes the property feel complete.

Need summer landscaping ideas? Take note of outdoor spaces you admire, whether it’s your neighbor’s outdoor kitchen setup or a beautifully designed community park. Browsing social media platforms can also help spark ideas for creating a summer-ready outdoor space customized for your property.

Step 2: Plan Your Summer Landscape Project

Once you’ve got a handle on what needs work, it’s time to make a plan that actually gets things done:

Make a Wish List

A good starting point is to outline the features or improvements that would add the most value, comfort and visual appeal to the space. Here are some examples:

• A larger patio or paved area for dining and outdoor seating
• A fire pit or fireplace for year-round use
• Shade structures like pergolas, awnings or covered pavilions
• Raised garden beds or low-maintenance landscape planting
• Outdoor lighting to improve visibility and extend usability into the evening
• Play areas, walking paths, or green zones for children and families
• Water features like splash pads, fountains or small pools
• Shared gathering spaces, benches or outdoor kitchens for community use

You can make all the changes at once if you have the budget and manpower to do so, but don’t feel pressured to get everything done simultaneously. Start with what matters most to you and work from there. Even a few well-chosen upgrades can dramatically improve the usability and appeal of the space.

Match Your Project to Your Lifestyle or Planned Use

How you plan to use the space is just as important as how it looks. Are you hosting large family gatherings, designing a quiet retreat for future residents or creating play areas for kids? Choose features that blend well with the purpose of the space. For example:

• If entertaining is a priority, make room for a spacious patio, outdoor kitchen and ample seating.
• For quiet evenings, think about outdoor lighting, a water feature or a cozy fire pit.
• If kids are the focus, keep open areas for play and consider installing shade structures for sun protection.

Set a Realistic Budget and Timeline

Having a plan and a wish list is great, but you must work with a budget to keep everything grounded. Figure out how much you’re ready to invest in landscaping right now and prioritize accordingly. Focus on improvements that offer the most value this season, whether that means increasing daily usability, boosting long-term curb appeal or delivering a high return on investment.

Also, set a clear timeline. If you want to prepare your yard for summer, you’ll need to get moving as soon as possible. Some custom features, like patios and walkways, pools, outdoor fire pits, pergolas and any masonry work, can take several weeks to design and build. This means the sooner planning starts, the better.

Step 3: Pick Plants and Materials That Can Handle Central PA Summers

Choosing the right plants and materials for Central Pennsylvania is about what looks good and thrives here. And when you get that combination right, your yard practically takes care of itself.

Choose Native Plants

Native plants are a great choice for our region — they’re adapted to the local climate and require less water and maintenance. Consider these options for summer color and reliability:

Great native plants for summer landscaping in Central PA include:

• Black-eyed Susans: Cheerful yellow flowers that bloom all summer.
• Bee balm: A pollinator favorite with bold color and lovely fragrance.
• Switchgrass: Ornamental grass that adds texture and thrives in the heat.
• Dogwood trees: A classic seasonal choice.

Incorporate a mix of shrubs, perennials and flowering annuals to create visual interest all season long — whether for individual yards or shared outdoor areas in residential communities.

Pick the Right Hardscape Materials

It’s hard not to think of hardscapes when preparing your outdoor space for summer in Central PA. They are like the bones of your landscape design, providing structure, defining spaces and creating pathways.

Choose materials that can handle both sun and moisture without fading or cracking. Some great hardscape material choices for Central PA include:

• Concrete pavers: Affordable, versatile and available in many styles
• Natural stone: Offers timeless beauty and excellent durability
• Brick: Classic, warm and perfect for patios and walkways

Don’t forget to complement your landscape with thoughtful color schemes. Soft, earthy tones blend well with most homes and landscapes, while bold accent flowers or furniture can add personality.

Hire Landscape Professionals for Your Next Summer Outdoor Space Projects

Working with a professional landscaping team makes all the difference, whether you want to add sustainability solutions, a lively entertaining area or a new swimming pool design on your property.

River Valley Landscapes has served Central PA for over 30 years, and we understand what it takes to work on outdoor spaces here. Many properties have sloped terrain that needs proper grading and clay-heavy soil that doesn’t drain well. There’s also the issue of weather that can swing from heavy rain to dry heat in the same month.

We can create landscape designs that make your property’s best features pop. We’ll also recommend plants and landscape construction projects that will last in our climate. With 3D design software, we’ll even help you visualize the finished space before work begins.

We will ask questions that will help us understand your vision and bring it to life for you. Our experts have over 30 years of experience and are trained and certified to handle landscape construction projects for individual homes and large-scale residential development projects.

Let’s Make This the Summer Your Property Steals the Show

Your outdoor space should add real value to the property. It should feel like an extension of the home and create a place people actually want to use and enjoy all summer. So why wait? Contact River Valley Landscapes today for a free consultation, and let’s turn your outdoor space into a unique and functional spot this summer.

Outdoor Fireplace

How We Preserve Old Charm In Farmhouse Landscaping

I’ve always loved Farmhouse Restoration projects.  There is something very unique about these clients.  I find most of them spend a lot of time defining the balance of using modern technology with preserving the character of the old.  I enjoy taking this same level of sensitivity to the outdoor living environment.  I often propose core elements that would have been used during the original construction of the farmhouse.  This practice is not limited to the materials.  Lifestyles were very different 100-200 years ago and the design needs to reflect it.  I’m also not afraid to mix modern materials into the design if it improves durability, maintenance or better suites the client’s budget.  Getting to know where my clients fall on this spectrum is part of the fun.  There are no two clients the same making each project unique.  Farmhouse Restorations often lend themselves to a “Less is More” design concept.  This can be tricky.  If I don’t design enough, it looks unfinished.  If I design too much, it loses the Farmhouse charm.  Striking this balance along with the modern vs. old has been a large part of my success with these projects.

Let me know if you have a Farmhouse that needs restored.  I’d love to help transform and preserve the entire property with you.

See More Amazing Before and After Farmhouse Restoration Pictures at:

Award Winning Farmhouse Restoration

Award Winning Farmhouse Transformation

As the saying goes, there’s no place like home and the Harrisburg, Lancaster, and York region of Pennsylvania with the Dutch country’s pastoral fields, the clip-clop of horses’ hooves, and fiery sunsets is a great place to enjoy the outdoors. One way to do that is with a new or refurbished patio. Today, your local landscape design/build company can give you many options to choose from when considering a new outdoor living space. Patios can be anything from a small nook for one or two people to a space accommodating a large gathering for dinner. It can be transformed into an outdoor living room, complete with comfortable outdoor furniture, a fire pit, and a TV. The possibilities are limitless and you’re in control of your patio’s design, functionality and look.

What To Consider When Building A New Patio

Here are 10 considerations when thinking about your new patio and how to add pizzazz to your outdoor living space:

1. Sky’s the limit: Patios come in all varieties and can be custom built to your dreams, desires, and needs. They come with many options of bringing your indoors (think kitchens and living rooms) outside so you can spend most of the spring, summer and fall outdoors in your new living area.

2. Customized to your needs and desires: First thing to do is decide how your patio will be used. Will you cook on a grill, in a pizza oven, or cook the food indoors to bring outdoors? Do you want to gather around a fire on cool evenings? Will you be entertaining guests? Do need spaces for young children? Patios designed with multiple uses expand the functionality of your outdoor space.

3. Decide how big your patio should be: Some people want a patio that’s big enough to host a large group while others want their patios to be cozy and small for just the family to eat dinner outside. Maybe you just want a space to curl up with a book and a cup of tea. Your family, friends, and your entertainment needs all determine the size of your patio.

4. Determine your style: Are you looking for a formal, elegant layout or do you desire a more casual atmosphere? Do you want a bistro-style patio—that includes two chairs and a table enclosed by lots of plants and wind chimes? Do you want a more open concept near your pool that allows you to host dinner parties under the stars? Think about your style and tastes or the overall feel you want to achieve and tailor your space accordingly.

5. Think about shape: You can choose from a traditional square patio, to a relaxed circle, to a unique freeform patio flow. Shape in some cases can influence style. Square and rectangular shapes tend to imply a more formal feel while curvilinear shapes lean more toward informal. However a rectangular patio can be made informal with the choice of materials and layout of plantings. Before you start building, make sure that you’ve left enough room in your design for people to comfortably sit and walk throughout your new outdoor room.

6. Choose your location: Think about the ideal location to place your patio. In most cases this would be immediately off the rear of the house but don’t overlook other areas of your property. Perhaps a small patio in the front of the house would make an ideal area to visit with passing neighbors or a patio in a secluded back corner of the yard would be an ideal location for privacy. A comfortable outdoor space can be created almost anywhere so don’t be afraid to think “outside the box”.

7. Adding amenities: You may also want to consider adding a pergola, an arbor, a water feature, or lighting to go with your patio. These extra amenities provide shade, relaxation, and ambiance to enhance the overall feel and mood of your space.

8. Turn to the professionals: Once you’ve given some thought to the patio’s size, functionality, shape, and location, you need to hire a trusted landscape designer to bring it all together. A good designer can translate your ideas, desires and needs and help guide you towards a design that works best for you. He will know what questions to ask and depending on the answers, bring new ideas to the table. He will also be able to suggest the best materials to build your new patio and make the addition look seamless with the rest of your home in color and design.

9. Personalize it: Once your new patio is built, you can decorate it with various plants, furniture, pillows, birdfeeders, etc. Maybe adding a walkway will be the final touch to complete your project. With the products on the market today there really is no limit to creating an outdoor space that is truly unique to you.

10. Renovate instead of replace: Perhaps you have an existing patio space that just needs a little T.L.C or a face lift to make it feel new again. Many of the ideas above can easily be incorporated into an existing patio without going to the expense of building an entire new one. A good cleaning and sealing can go a long way to revitalizing a older patio. Resurfacing is also an option for creating a new look to your outdoor space.

So, are you ready for a new outdoor living space? Give River Valley Landscapes and Pools a call today at 1-800-455-8666 or fill out their contact form at https://www.rivervalleylandscapes.com/contact-us/.

Native plants add rich color, texture and dimension to your home’s landscape and living in the Harrisburg, Lancaster, or York are of Pennsylvania there are plenty of choices. Not only do they beautify your property, but they benefit the local ecosystem’s sustainability.

How to Add Native Plants to Pennsylvania Landscape Designs

Here are five reasons why you should add native plants to your south central Pennsylvania landscape:

1. You’re helping the local ecosystem. Native plants existed in Pennsylvania before European settlers arrived to our shores. And these settlers brought their European native plants with them to the New World. Yet, the wildlife in our area depended on, and still does depend, on our local plant life. Matter of fact, you could look at the ecosystem as interdependent, meaning that native plants depend on the local soil to grow, the local wildlife depends on the native plants to feed them, and the local wildlife feeds the soil with its waste.

2. You’re adding natural beauty to your landscape. No one can deny that native plants come in a variety of shapes, sizes, dimensions, colors and scents. And by adding them to your landscape, you’re adding interest to your property that your guests will be awed by every time they visit you.

3. You can be a part of saving bees and other pollinators. The bee population is in crisis with dwindling numbers. Many people will think, “Okay, we won’t be stung as much.”

However, bees are vital to our food system. If bees aren’t thriving and pollinating our plants that are needed for our food sources, such as clover for cows to munch on, then we could be endangering our food supply.

4. You can dig into your Pennsylvania heritage. Even if you’re not a born and bred Pennsylvanian, you can learn a lot about the people who settled in Penn’s Woods. There are even Pennsylvania museums that still grow natives as a teaching tool. So, not only can you include natives in your landscaping, but you can also join other networks and visit places to learn more about this type of plant media.

5. You can create a place of interest and education into your backyard. Do you have grandchildren? Are there birdwatchers in your social circle? A great way to engage different age groups and people with varied interests is to create a native garden that brings a large diversity of bees, birds, and other wildlife to your patio while you’re hosting an intimate dinner.

There are a wide variety of Pennsylvania native plants available in Dauphin, Lancaster, and York Counties. River Valley Landscapes has been a leader in incorporating native plants into people’s gardens for over 20 years. Matter of fact, they used the economic law of supply and demand with local nurseries to bring in more Pennsylvania native plants. Now, native plants are a hot commodity in today’s garden centers and nurseries.

If you would like to learn more about adding native plants to your landscape, call River Valley Landscapes at 1-800-455-8666 or fill out their contact form at

You’re planning on expanding your backyard this spring to include lighting, hardscape features, and plant media, but you don’t know where to start when it comes to designing and planning the project.

Why Should I Hire a Landscape Designer For Outdoor Lighting

A landscape designer is trained to take your dreams and turn them into a living space that you, your family and friends will enjoy. If you’re planning on adding outdoor lighting or you want to include outdoor lighting with your overall plan, you need someone who can envision the entire scope of the project. A hardscape project is more than the sum of its parts. For example, a designer knows that your lighting system needs to match your hardscape exteriors, as well as where to place the lighting’s wiring within the architecture of your outdoor rooms for safety and functionality.

3 Reasons to Hire A Landscaper for Your Outdoor Lighting

Here are three reasons why you need to hire a landscape designer for your outdoor lighting project:

1) A landscape designer knows horticulture and he knows how to integrate lighting and plants together for maximum impact. For example, a landscape designer would use plants that are slow growing around lower path lights. If he installs bollard-style LED lights, your designer knows that taller grasses and flowers would fit better with that design. Additionally, a landscape designer can envision how the plants will look in six months, a year, and five years, as well as how to prune them to grow in a particular direction.

2) A landscape designer knows architecture and can design your entire outdoor living project into one, fluid, open area. For example, a designer knows what wattage light goes best with your entire hardscape and landscape plans. He can create your design and incorporate the following effects of LED lighting into your outdoor living space:

• Up lighting
• Down lighting
• Path lighting
• Silhouette  lighting
• Focal Point Lighting

3) A landscape designer knows LED technology. He is capable of installing the entire electrical system during construction of your patio, deck, and other outdoor living spaces which may save you money compared to hiring subcontractors for each part of the construction process. And if you’d like to add outdoor lighting to your current hardscape, a landscape designer can also install the electrical and lighting systems even after construction is long finished.

A landscape design firm is considered a one-stop shop for all of your outdoor living needs. Designers are trained to incorporate plants, lighting, and other hardscape features into one continual space. They’re also able to handle the technical side by installing electrical and lighting wiring during the construction phase of your outdoor project.

Are you planning on building an outdoor oasis in your home this spring or summer? Or is your hardscape already finished, but you want to install a LED lighting system to your outdoor space?

River Valley Landscapes and Pools provides landscaping services to the south central Pennsylvania area. Call today for all of your outdoor living needs at 1-800-455-8666 or fill out the contact form.