• When is the Best Time of Day to Run Your Sprinklers and Water Your Lawn?

    During the long, hot days of summer, you might think your lawn is so thirsty it would love a good watering any time of day. [...]

  • The Best Fast Growing Shade Trees For New York and Connecticut Yards

    A good shade tree can be your best friend on a hot summer day. Lounge beneath the leafy canopy to beat the heat. Duck under [...]

  • 5 Different Types Of Fencing That Will Enhance Your Curb Appeal

    Looking for curb appeal? A beautifully crafted fence adds charm and character. The right fence can change the whole look of your home. But there [...]

  • 5 Container Gardening Tips To Enhance Your Home Entryway

    We can’t say enough good things about container gardens. They’re perfect little mini gardens, tucked adorably in a pot. They create instant visual appeal, no [...]

  • What is the Best Mulch for Landscaping a New York or Connecticut Home?

    Mulch isn’t the prettiest word in landscaping lingo, but it’s a wonderful thing. It can help to conserve water, shield your plants’ roots from temperature [...]

  • Liquid Vs. Granular Fertilizer — What’s The Best Summer Lawn Fertilizer?

    Oh, the joy of green lawn, green grass! Your lawn needs a good fertilizer regimen to ensure it’s happy, healthy and green, green, green. You [...]

  • 9 Landscaping Maintenance Checklist Items to Take Care of Before Your Summer Party

    It’s that time of year, when your lush green yard with its immaculately tended landscaping is the scene for fabulous parties and backyard cookouts. What’s [...]

  • 9 Ways To Improve The Flow Of Your Indoor-Outdoor Living Space

    Outside beckons. When sunlight hits your skin, your body starts creating more vitamin D. You get more exercise. And something about the green leaves, twittering [...]

  • How Can I Add a Spa to My Existing Pool?

    Just thinking about a nice, long soak in warm, bubbling water washes away stress. The real thing is even better. The warm water and invigorating jets [...]

  • What’s The Best Material for a Driveway? Pavers Vs. Concrete Vs. Asphalt

    Your driveway paving options used to be so simple. Asphalt or concrete? These days, your options for the best driveway materials will dazzle you. And [...]

  • 5 Affordable Landscaping Ideas To Increase Your Property Value

    Curb appeal isn’t just some urban myth that real estate agents peddle. It’s a real thing. Adding landscaping to your property boosts your curb appeal [...]

  • The Problem With Skimping On These 3 Swimming Pool Features

    Choosing the features to add to your pool is the most fun part of the planning process. Spas! Grottos! Infinity edges! Lighting! But the cost [...]

  • The Best Privacy Trees And Shrubs For A Natural Fence

    Sure, that towering stone wall with the drawbridge over the moat will give you the privacy you crave. But that seems a bit extreme, doesn’t [...]

  • How Long Does it Take to Install an Inground Pool?

    Once you know how much your swimming pool cost will be, this is the next big question: How long does an inground swimming pool installation [...]

  • How Much Does It Cost To Heat A Pool?

    The average cost is between $1,500 and $3,000 depending on the water temperature you set. This is for heating from May 1 through September 30. [...]

  • Is Weekly Pool Maintenance Necessary?

    When you daydream about a leisurely float or a refreshing dip in your swimming pool, you imagine crystal clear, sparkling blue water, right? Well, it [...]

  • Smart Landscaping: 4 Tips For Energy Efficient Landscaping

    When the summer heat gets too intense, we instinctively head for the shade. If your overheated house could scoot underneath a big shade tree to [...]

  • The 3 Best Tiles for Outdoor Court Surfaces

    So you’ve decided to install a Flex Court basketball court, tennis court or multi-game court. Good choice. A sports court tiles’ cushioned surface is engineered [...]

  • Can An Automatic Sprinkler System Lower My Water Bill?

    If you water your lawn with a hose and sprinklers, chances are, you’re wasting water — and money. Sure, we know how much fun it [...]

  • We Review 7 Inground Pool Cleaning Systems

    Pool sanitization is one of the most important things that happen in your pool — it keeps the water clear and prevents the transmission of [...]

  • Soil Chemistry 101: What Is Soil Testing?

    If you want a great lawn, you need to start with great soil. And sometimes soil needs a bit of a boost. How do you [...]

  • How Much Does an Inground Pool Cost?

    “How much does a pool installation cost?” This is the question everybody asks. Here at Neave Pools, we hear it all the time. First, there’s [...]

  • Do You Know When To Dethatch Your Lawn?

    Have you dethatched your lawn lately? If not, don’t feel bad — it’s one of the most overlooked lawn care tasks, even though it’s really [...]

  • Lawn Fungus Control — How To Treat Lawn Fungus Effectively

    So there’s good news and bad news about mushrooms in your lawn. The bad news is there’s not much you can do about them. The [...]

  • What Are The Best Retaining Wall Materials?

    Retaining walls can be as decorative as they are useful. They can turn an inconveniently steep slope into a beautifully terraced yard, ready for attractive [...]

  • Adding a Backyard Tennis Court? 13 Keys To Customizing Your Court Installation

    If you’re an avid tennis player, you probably have daydreams about a backyard tennis court. The good news is a tennis court in your backyard [...]

  • Tennis Court Resurfacing — How Much Do Flex Court Tiles Cost?

    So your tennis court has lost a bit of its bounce. Or has the bounce become so unpredictable, your home court advantage is now a [...]

  • What Are The Benefits Of A Pool Automation System?

    We get a lot of questions from pool owners about pool automation. What’s available? Would it really make my life easier? Should I take the [...]

  • Wall Vs. Fence — 5 Considerations For Your Patio, Pool And Landscape

    Wide open space is beautiful, but sometimes, you need to divide it. Separate it. Section parts off. Then, it’s time for a fence. Or do [...]

  • When And How To Mow And Water Your Lawn Effectively This Spring

    Ah, spring — the sun finally feels warm, the birds are chirping, and you can’t wait to head outside to start tending to your lawn. [...]

  • 5 Warm-Weather Residential Outdoor & Landscape Lighting Ideas

    So, you’re finally emerging from winter hibernation. Remember your friend, the great outdoors? Hello, patio, swimming pool, garden and tennis court. Summer means fun gatherings [...]

  • Weed Control: When To Apply Herbicide To Your Lawn

    Weeds. Even the name sounds ugly. And if allowed to spread, weeds get even uglier, competing with your lawn for water, sunlight and important nutrients. [...]

  • What Is Dormant Oil Spray And When Do My Trees Need It?

    Here we are once again in the strange land of horticulture vocabulary. Dormant oil spray. What is dormant oil spray? Do I need it? Do [...]

  • Insect Control: Top 4 Damaging Lawn Pests In New York and Connecticut

    You might not even see these tiny intruders as they attack, but the damage they can do to your pretty green lawn is obvious. Some [...]

  • Inground Pool Liner Replacement And 7 More Aging Pool Renovations

    Your beautiful inground pool has been a dependable pal for years, always there when you need a refreshing dip or a stress-relieving splash. But whether [...]

  • What Is Slice Seeding And Will It Help My Lawn?

    The world of lawn care maintenance can be confusing. Lawn aeration, overseeding, pre-emergent weed control — you need a lawn dictionary to figure it all [...]

  • When Should I Start Caring For My Lawn? 5 Early Spring Lawn Care Tips

    We know it’s tempting. As winter stretches on (and on) you want to shovel the remaining snow off your frozen lawn in desperation and start [...]

  • The Cost To Upgrade An Outdoor Water Feature

    You love your pretty pond. Your waterfall is, well, wow. But you can’t help thinking it could use an update. A little oomph. A bit [...]

  • 5 Mistakes You Can Make When Installing Patio Pavers

    The ground looks pretty flat, so installing a paver patio out back shouldn’t take too much of your time. Just roll up your sleeves, grab [...]

  • Repair Vs. Rebuild: 5 Signs Your Wood Privacy Fence Needs Attention

    A privacy fence is one of those things you assume is always there for you — keeping your kids or pets safe, sturdily defining your [...]

  • 10 Winter Pruning Tips For Trees And Shrubs

    Yes, it’s cold and snowy outside, but it’s time to bundle up and spend some quality time with your deciduous trees and shrubs. Winter is [...]

  • Top 4 Backyard Patio Design Plans To Consider

    Listen To The Landscape The landscape can inspire your patio shape, too. Maybe you have trees near your house that you want to keep, so [...]

  • Backyard Putting Greens: Reviewing Real Vs. Artificial Putting Greens

    So you’re considering a backyard putting green. The neighbors are already jealous! But a big decision awaits you: should you go with an artificial putting [...]

  • What Is A Pergola And What Can It Do For Your Landscape?

    Pergolas can be puzzling. How are they different than gazebos or arbors? How do you use them? Here at Neave Carpentry, we get a lot [...]

  • The 8 Best Foundation Plants For Landscapes Around Connecticut & New York

    Landscape plants around your home’s foundation can speak volumes. Are the shrubs so overgrown they block your windows? Are the plants so sparse your neighbors [...]

  • Gunite Pools Vs. Vinyl Liner Pools: What’s The Best Type Of Inground Pool?

    So you’ve decided to take the plunge and have a swimming pool installed in your backyard. Inflate the pool floaties! Not so fast. First, some [...]

  • How Much Does Professional Christmas Decorating Cost?

    Every time you drive by that beautifully decorated home, twinkling with thousands of holiday lights and festooned with holiday cheer, you smile. Then, you wonder: [...]

  • Our 6 Best Tips For Caring For Your Koi Pond During The Winter

    As the temperatures dip, you pull your long johns out of storage, buy a new pair of gloves and have your fur-lined slippers at the [...]

  • Are Native Plants Right For Your New York Or Connecticut Landscape?

    It’s easy to get wowed by pretty plants without knowing much about them. Then you wonder: why do they need so much water? Why aren’t [...]

  • How Often Do You Need To Seal Your Deck?

    It’s easy to take our decks for granted. They’re always there: as we host our barbecues, as we unwind after work, as we enjoy our [...]

  • Why Should You Professionally Winterize Your Irrigation System?

    Plant spring bulbs? Check. Rake leaves? Check. Blow out your irrigation system? Don’t forget one of the most important landscape tasks of late fall. Just [...]

  • Holiday Decor Inspiration From 5 Classic Christmas Movies

    We’ve watched these classic holiday movies dozens of times, memorizing the best lines and eagerly awaiting our favorite scenes. But these holiday classics are also [...]

  • 7 Landscape Trends For Your Outdoor Living Space

    With the new year approaching, it’s a great time to think about sprucing up your outdoor space. If you’ve had the same landscape for years, [...]

  • Our Day In The Sun: NESPA Recognizes 2 Neave Pools With Awards

    Whenever we design and install a new swimming pool, all that matters to us, in the end, is that our client loves every aspect of the finished [...]

  • 6 Fall Tips To Ensure Healthy Grass Next Spring

    Maybe you’re not the kind of person who thinks ahead. After all, you have your hands full with fall clean-up. Who wants to think about [...]

  • 5 Ways To Protect Your Deck From The Ravages Of Winter

    Your deck was so nice to you all summer, hosting your cookouts, letting you lounge on it with a frosty lemonade, providing a great view [...]

  • 10 Trees To Plant Now For Spectacular Fall Color Next Year

    Driving through the New England countryside gasping at the brilliant fall leaves is a favorite rite of autumn. Add some cold cider and a warm [...]

  • Beyond Raking: 9 Fall Cleanup Tasks And Why You Need Them

    After a long summer tending to your lawn and garden, it’s tempting to stash the garden tools. After all, there are apples to pick! Football [...]

  • 5 Reasons To Schedule Your Fall Tick Spray

    If you live in New York or Connecticut and you’ve been wondering if you’re near any ticks, let us answer that right away: You are. [...]

  • Everything Merry And Bright: 6 Holiday Decor Trends

    The new chill in the air is your first clue: It’s time to start thinking about your holiday decor — indoors and out. Your home [...]

  • 5 Ways To Light Up Your Landscape As Nights Get Longer

    There’s no denying it: Fall is moving in, along with shorter days and longer nights. No need to head inside yet, though. Autumn nights are [...]

  • Closing Your Swimming Pool in 7 Simple Steps

    You knew this day would come. It’s time to close the pool for the season. No moping allowed, though. Instead, let’s focus on closing it [...]

  • Fall Is Perfect For Planting — 5 Things To Plant Now

    Spring gets all the glory. That’s when anxious gardeners, cooped up all winter, gleefully head to the garden to get their hands in the dirt. [...]

  • 6 Landscape Elements To Create Your Backyard Oasis

        A vacation getaway is always fun, but let’s face it — most of the time we stay home. So why not make your [...]

  • 6 Landscape Elements To Create Your Backyard Oasis

    A vacation getaway is always fun, but let’s face it — most of the time we stay home. So why not make your backyard vacation-worthy? [...]

  • Trench Drains Vs. French Drains: What’s The Difference?

    First of all, if you’re reading this, you may have some soggy problems on your hands — sorry to hear it! Maybe you have groundwater [...]

  • How Often Should I Seal My Driveway?

    Your driveway is a dependable workhorse. It endures baking hot sun, frigid and icy winters. When’s the last time you did something nice for it, [...]

  • What Is The Best Soil pH For Lawns?

    Chances are, if your lawn is green, lush and soft enough to picnic on, you’re happy. But sometimes it’s fun to dive behind the scenes [...]

  • Which Type Of Swimming Pool Cover Is Right For You?

    You work hard to keep your swimming pool clean and beautiful. Just look at it, cool and refreshing on a hot summer day, the light [...]

  • Is It Safe To Install New Plants During Summer? Absolutely!

    The garden is in full summer swing, with the dahlias blooming, sunflowers stretching toward the sky and the grass growing like crazy. So the time [...]

  • 5 Reasons to Hire A Lawn Aerator in New York

    5 Reasons to Hire A Lawn Aerator in New York You love your beautiful lawn. You mow, do fertilization, and lay down seeding. You lounge [...]

  • Decks Vs. Patios: Which One is Right for You?

    What’s the best outdoor living space for you, a deck or a patio? If you’re pondering this question, congratulations! Soon, you may have a delightful [...]

  • Dreaming of an Outdoor Kitchen? Here’s How to Budget for It

    You love to cook. But you also love being outside, listening to the birds, entertaining friends, maybe watching the kids splash in the pool. An [...]

  • How Much Room Do I Need For a Backyard Multi-Game Court?

    You love the idea of a multi-game court in your backyard: It’ll thrill your kids, entertain friends and maybe even get you off the couch [...]

  • 5 Reasons to Build a Pool In Late Summer — It’s Not Too Late

    So you figure you missed the boat because you didn’t get a backyard pool going during the springtime pool season like everybody else. Now you [...]

  • 8 Points to Ponder: Are You Designing With Future Landscape Maintenance in Mind?

    There you are, eyes all aglow, ready to dive into your landscaping project. So many fabulous options to consider! I’ll take a large perennial garden, [...]

  • Slow-Release Fertilizer Keeps Your Lawn Happy and Well-Fed

    Remember how mom always said to slow down and chew your food slowly? Good advice — even for your lawn. Slow-release fertilizer steadily delivers nutrients [...]

  • 3 Challenging Landscapes: Make the Most Of These Landscape Headaches

    Oh, to have the perfect yard. Part sun, part shade. Luxurious soil. A pristine place where green things thrive with hardly any care. Wake up, [...]

  • Swimming Pool Leak? Here Are 4 Steps To A Solution

    Leaks happen. If you own a swimming pool, chances are you might experience a leak at some point. Catch it early, and there’s no reason [...]

  • Smart Irrigation Controls: The Brainy Choice

    No offense to the sprinkler system you’re probably using now, but chances are, it isn’t very smart. Have you ever seen it turn on in [...]

  • What the Heck is a Bioswale…And How Do I Landscape It?

    Once you say the word “bioswale,” it’s sort of hard to stop. Try it. And while you become enamored with the word, we’ll explain what [...]

  • Why Stop At A Putting Green? Install A Backyard Golf Course — Watch Your Game Soar

    We’re going out on a limb here to suggest all golfers could use some work on their putting. That’s why backyard putting greens are a [...]

  • Garden Beauties That Stand Up To The Summer Heat

    A hot summer day can wilt the sturdiest among us: We fade. We droop. We’re dull and listless. We gasp for water. Your garden’s no different. [...]

  • How To Choose The Perfect Driveway Pavers

    If you’re like many New York and Connecticut homeowners, when it came to your driveway, you went with one of the old faithful options, asphalt [...]

  • 6 Weekly Maintenance Tasks To Keep Your Landscape Looking Beautiful

    A beautiful yard doesn’t happen all by itself, unless you’re one of those lucky people visited by magical lawn and garden sprites during the night. [...]

  • How Safe is Your Backyard Swimming Pool?

    What’s the first thing you think about when it’s time to open your pool for the season? If it has anything to do with how [...]

  • Grow Up! Adorn Your Landscape Structure With Climbing Plants

    Does this vine-covered archway in the United Kingdom inspire you? A brand new fence, trellis, arbor or pergola is a thing of beauty. [...]

  • National Pet Day: Nice Dog AND Nice Lawn? Yes, You Can Have It All!

    Nobody loves grass like dogs: They roll on it, snack on it, stalk squirrels through it, chase balls over it. And, ultimately, they do their [...]

  • 5 Pool Maintenance Tasks To Keep Things Running Swimmingly

    Ah, pool season. Time to float around your sparkling swimming pool on your cool new raft with the built-in drink holder. Time to perfect that [...]

  • Burbling Bliss: What Will It Cost To Add A Fountain To Your Landscape?

    There’s nothing like the sound of splashing water after a long day. A fountain is soothing. It masks distracting sounds, like traffic in front of [...]

  • Arbor Day 2014: What’s Not To Love About Trees?

    Great things happen around trees. Picnics. Lazy afternoons with good books. Make-believe pirate battles. Long, blissful naps in hammocks. There are so many benefits to [...]

  • 5 Incredible Benefits Of A Healthy Lawn

    We shouldn’t have to work too hard to convince you of all the nice things about grass. When you spread a blanket down for a relaxing [...]

  • 5 Clever Ways To Use Your Harvested Rainwater

    They say money doesn’t grow on trees, but it does fall from the sky. Every time it rains, Mother Nature gives us free water. We [...]

  • 5 Reasons to Revamp Your Basketball Or Tennis Court With Flex Court Tiles

    This backyard multi-game court features a playing surface for tennis and basketball. Your knees aren’t getting any younger, and those backyard games of [...]

  • What Can I Expect From A Professional Lawn Analysis?

    You’ve been waiting all winter for that delicious feeling of thick, soft grass between your bare toes. Finally — lush, green grass! Wait a minute. [...]

  • 3 Great Reasons To Add Fencing To Your New York Or Connecticut Property

    Deer have a voracious appetite for hostas. Children have a natural curiosity about swimming pools. Neighbors can be nosy. These three seemingly unrelated observations have [...]

  • How Much Mulch Is Too Much?

    Mulch envy. It’s a real thing. Who hasn’t happened upon the perfectly mulched landscape and sighed, overcome with mulch envy? Mulch is a wonderful thing. [...]

  • 10 Benefits To Stamped Concrete In New York Or Connecticut Hardscaping

    The forecast might lie, but the calendar doesn’t: Spring has sprung, and it’s finally time to turn our attention outdoors. If the New York and [...]

  • 5 Areas On Your Property That Might Need Landscape Lighting

    There are so many ways to trip in the dark in your backyard: That hole your dog dug. Your kid’s skateboard. The garden hose, coiled like [...]

  • Rejuvenation Pruning for Your New York Or Connecticut Landscape

    Just like humans need a haircut once in a while — even if it’s just a trim while growing out their hair — plants also need [...]

  • The Buck Stops Here: Our Favorite Deer-Resistant Plant Varieties

    Problems with deer top the list of New York and Connecticut homeowners' gripes with their landscapes these days. If your landscape has become a tasty [...]

  • 5 Backyard Swimming Pool Additions That Delight the Senses

    You’ve taken the plunge and decided to transform your backyard with a swimming pool. A well-designed pool becomes the centerpiece of your landscape design and [...]

  • 5 Outdoor Kitchen Appliances For Your New York Or Connecticut Landscape

    A quality grill is the foundation of your outdoor kitchen. But there’s more to choosing outdoor kitchen appliances for your New York or Connecticut outdoor [...]

  • The 4 Phases of Opening Your Backyard Swimming Pool For Summer

    If you're anything like us here at the Neave Group — after all, you've lived through the same cold, gray, snowy and wet winter we [...]

  • 4 Essential Websites to Use In The Landscape Design Planning Process

    How did we ever get by without computers? Heck, how did we survive before the Internet was invented? Sure, it has its drawbacks: It’s easy [...]

  • 5 Topics to Cover During Your Initial Property Walkthrough

    You’re ready to give your New York or Connecticut property a facelift, or completely reinvent your outdoor space. You’ve got some ideas — and you’ve [...]

  • 5 Landscaping Questions That is Necessary to Ask

    Landscape planning is exciting, but there are some practical landscaping questions you should ask yourself first. Planning a new landscape on your New York or [...]

  • 50 Essential Year-Round Swimming Pool Maintenance Tasks

    That swimming pool you installed in your New York or Connecticut landscape is far too big an investment just to disregard during the many months [...]

  • Building Permits You’ll Need For Your Swimming Pool

    The decision to build a backyard swimming pool is an exciting one for homeowners. Many families dream and save for years before finally being able [...]

  • Resolve to Stop Making These Landscaping Mistakes

    Every year on January 1, we swear this year's going to be different. That this is going to be the year we [blank]. We love [...]

  • 7 Things You Might Not Know About Your Birch Trees

    Our landscaping crews recently planted a grove of young white birch trees in Hudson. We love these trees, with their strong but delicate silhouette and [...]

  • 7 Big Landscape Wishes To Kick Off Your New Year

    The holidays are a time to be selfless — or so they say. Chances are, you've spent the holidays worrying about where to find the [...]

  • 5 Amazing Last-Minute Holiday Gifts for Homeowners

    Christmas is just days away, which means time is running short and lines are running long. We've got a few great ideas for last-minute holiday [...]

  • Stumped on Santa Prep? 4 Last Minute Decorating Ideas for Christmas

    I know — you're busy. It's tough work being a homeowner these days! Think Santa's been making a list and checking it twice? You've been [...]

  • Bright Ways to Use Lights In Your New York and Connecticut Holiday Decor

    More than 60,000 lights were used in this holiday lighting display for the Knights of Columbus international headquarters in New Haven, CT. What [...]

  • 5 Tree Care and Pruning Mistakes That Could Do More Harm Than You Think

    Trees, whether they're saplings or full-grown shady giants, can be a stately anchor to your landscape. But because they're such an important part of your [...]

  • 4 Easy Steps to Winterize Your New York or Connecticut Pond

      Backyard water features provide so much enjoyment during the summer months: colorful koi provide hours of serenity, and the gentle burble of the water [...]

  • Five Ways to Extend the Life of Your New York or Connecticut Patio Into Fall and Winter

    You may have looked around last weekend and noticed that fall is in full swing here in New York and Connecticut. And maybe you also [...]

  • 5 Fall Decorating Ideas to Celebrate the Season

    The gang here at Neave Décor is already champing at the bit to start helping with our customers' Christmas décor! We spend all year dreaming [...]

  • Tick Prevention Tips for Your New York Or Connecticut Lawn and Landscape

    It's tick prevention time in New York and Connecticut! It's fall, which in the Hudson Valley, means a lot of things. It means [...]

  • Transform Your Outdoor Living Space With a Deck

    We've been working the past few months with the Fox family to transform their landscape into something beautiful and more livable. A big part of [...]

  • Overseeding Lawns: What Is It? Why Do You Do It? And When is The Best Time to Overseed?

    Homeowners live for the summer. The season’s long, sunny days are perfect for absorbing the seemingly boundless energy of kids with months off school. Summer [...]

  • Kid Friendly Pools

    Skip The Water Park: Turn Your Backyard Into A Swimming Pool Paradise For Kids! Scott Neave, Jeremy Speck and kids at Splashdown Beach waterpark [...]

  • What to Consider When Building a Backyard Bocce Court

    How do you NOT want to play bocce with these guys? Croquet is so 1865. Ever since the Queen of Hearts took up [...]

  • Neave Decor Wins Award for Best

    Neave Decor has received an award for "2012 Best Daytime Decor" from Christmas Decor. The award for 2012 Best Daytime Decor Here [...]

  • Express Your Design Style In Your New York and Connecticut Landscape

    A textbook example of Tuscan design taken outdoors — what's YOUR design style? What's your design style? Have you thought much about it? [...]

  • 5 Tips for Creating a Handicap Accessible Landscape

    Handicap accessibility is an increasingly important consideration in the construction process today. It’s not just about the handicap ramp leading up to a building’s main [...]

  • Dry Laid Vs. Wet Laid Stone: The Pros and Cons of Each

    It's never as simple as you think it's going to be, is it? You want to install a dry set flagstone patio or wed laid [...]

  • 3 Telltale Signs You’re Overwatering the Plants in Your Landscape

    We know. You love your plants. You love your plants so much that you're out in your landscape, hose in tow, hand watering them even [...]

  • Top 3 Benefits of a Saltwater Pool System

    For centuries, health enthusiasts and tourists alike have been flocking to the Dead Sea, the lowest, saltiest point on Earth. Beach-goers love floating right on [...]

  • 3 Tips for Stress-Free Patio Maintenance in New York and Connecticut

    Starting with a solid foundation, literally, is the key to a long-lasting patio. Be sure you understand the type of soil you're using and get [...]

  • What Is The Proper Mowing Height For Maintaining A Healthy Lawn?

    Chances are you aren't "that guy" out in his front yard on his hands and knees on a weekend afternoon, clutching scissors and trimming grass blade by [...]

  • Pool Cleaning 201: Comparing Swimming Pool Filtration Systems

    The list of great things about having a backyard swimming pool is practically endless. It brings the family together and offers cool refuge during a [...]

  • It’s “Smart Irrigation Month”: Here are 5 Tips to Irrigate More Efficiently

    Up to 50 percent of water used in landscape irrigation is wasted. Think about that for a moment. The average homeowner uses a third of [...]

  • Pool Cleaning 101: How Clean is Your Swimming Pool?

    Regular pool cleaning is absolutely critical in protecting your investment. Keeping your swimming pool clean not only enhances your experience when you're in [...]

  • Sealing Pavers: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Patios, Walkways & Driveway

    Protect your investment by sealing pavers on your patio. With proper care, a newly installed landscape will flourish to its full potential within [...]

  • Basketball Court Dimensions – Perfecting Your Family’s Backyard Layout

    A backyard basketball court under construction in New York by Neave Sports. If you have kids, you know there's a point, as they [...]

  • A Pool House Can Offer Shelter from the Sun, a Place to Dry Off — and So Much More

    Pool house at Le Courtois in France. Beautiful! Summer is finally here for real, and that means long, carefree days spent in the [...]

  • 9 Father’s Day Gifts to Help Dad Enjoy the Great Outdoors

    We'll spare you the necktie jokes. It's easy to phone it in for Father's Day and settle for something tried-and-true (and frequently advertised). But Father's [...]

  • Drip Irrigation Versus Overhead Sprinkling: Which One Is Right For You?

    During most New York and Connecticut summers, plant life needs a lot of water. Whether you have a lush, green sod carpet or [...]

  • Swimming Pool Design Ideas: The Basics To Get You Started

    Ah, the good old days. When you first started your family, all you had to do was fill a small wading pool with water from [...]

  • 6 Pool Service Tasks to Help You Prepare for Summer

    Checking your pool water's chemical balance is just one annual pool service task. The way we see it, one of the only drawbacks [...]

  • Pool Safety and Child Drowning Facts

    Stat: A child is roughly 100 times more likely to be killed by a swimming pool than a firearm. (Source: Freakonomics, 2005) Stat: In 2007, [...]

  • 4 of Our Favorite Swimming Pool Landscaping Ideas

    The liner is in place, the hardscaping is complete. You’ve filled the backyard pool and adjusted the chemicals and temperature to your liking. Everything is [...]

  • Top 4 Tips for Pre-Season Sprinkler Repairs in New York and Connecticut

    They say April showers bring May flowers… But what about when those April showers run out and the weather turns hot and dry? Actually, there's [...]

  • How to Get Rid of Crabgrass in Lawn

    Look familiar? Do you have crabgrass in your New York or Connecticut lawn? Want to know how to get rid of crabgrass in your landscape? [...]

  • Tree Trimming and Pruning Tips for Your New York and Connecticut Landscape

    Looks great at Versailles, but how would this look go over in New York and Connecticut gardens? What do you think of when [...]

  • Celebrate Your Love of the Landscape, April is National Lawn Care Month!

    The majority of Americans say that their yard is important to them. A recent U.S. Poll conducted by Harris Interactive for PLANET (the national trade association for landscape [...]

  • The Realities of Swimming Pool Maintenance Costs for New York and Connecticut Homeowners

    Remember going to the swimming pool as a kid? It was nothing but fun in the sun, with inflatable rafts, dive rings, and deck chairs [...]

  • Selecting the Best Retaining Wall Materials for Your Landscape

    Most homeowners think of their outdoor landscape as a place where they can escape the walled confines of their houses in beautiful weather — but we [...]

  • How to Use Seasonal Color Programs and a Container Gardening Service to Spice Up Your Landscape

    Spring is finally here (officially, anyway), which means in addition to all the preparation you've done to get your landscape ready for warmer weather, it's [...]

  • Koi Pond Design: Everything You Need to Know Before You Stick Your Shovel in the Ground

    The following article originally appeared on LandscapingNetwork.com. We've republished it here because we thought it would be helpful to visitors interested in koi pond design, [...]

  • Proven Drainage Solutions for Your Lawn and Landscape

    While your property should be able to handle whatever rainfall and other moisture comes its way--flushing the excess through the sewer system and into natural [...]

  • 3 Spring Landscaping Tips for Homeowners in New York and Connecticut

    It's time to come out of hibernation, homeowners. As we segue from snowy winter to sunny spring, there are plenty of outdoor factors to think [...]

  • 4 Vital Spring Lawn Care Tips for New York and Connecticut Homeowners

    The first day of spring this year is March 20, though as we all know, Mother Nature often has a mind of her own — [...]

  • Swimming Pool Renovation: What You Need To Think About

    You've just bought a new home. Congratulations! The location is right, the house is charming and the landscape has beautiful potential. One problem: The backyard [...]

  • What to Consider When Installing a Backyard Putting Green

    For many homeowners, an early Saturday morning tee time is the perfect way to unwind after a long, stressful week. But sometimes that stress can't [...]

  • Choosing From Different Types of Swimming Pools

    It's that time of year again: Sunny vacation spots have upped their advertising budgets in New York, fashion retailers have unveiled their resort collections and, [...]

  • Seasonal Lawn Care — 7 Steps To A Lush, Green Lawn

    Whether you live in a cozy Arts and Crafts bungalow with a postage-stamp yard or a palatial mansion with sprawling acreage, there's one property hallmark [...]

  • Multi-Game Courts: Maximizing Your Backyard’s Potential for Fun

    This backyard multi-game court features a playing surface for tennis and basketball. As kids, a living room could transform into a lava pit, [...]

  • Interesting Facts & Statistics About Swimming Pools [INFOGRAPHIC]

    We thought this interesting infographic and fun facts from SwimUniversity might get your juices flowing and thinking about that new swimming pool you've always dreamed [...]

  • 10 and Under Tennis: Flex Court Partners with the United States Tennis Association

    It's been said again and again: Sports offers so many benefits to young children. With childhood obesity on the rise, there's no doubt the outward [...]

  • Another Reason Why Neave Sports Loves Our Partnership With Flex Court

    Neave Sports has been a proud Flex Court partner since 2008. While we love installing the Flex Court product and seeing the smiles on our [...]

  • Don’t Make These Holiday Decorating Mistakes!

    With Thanksgiving in our rearview mirror, 'tis officially the season to be jolly — and really, really judgmental of others' bad holiday decorations. ;-) Sure, crooked [...]

  • How to Winterize Your Flex Court Outdoor Multi-Game Court

    One of Neave Sports' many offerings is Flex Court outdoor basketball courts, totally customized multi-game court systems that can really complete a backyard landscape and [...]

  • Advice For Swimming Pool and Hot Tub Owners After Hurricane Sandy

    The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP), the world’s largest pool, spa and hot tub trade association recently offered some advice to swimming pool [...]

  • Neave Group’s Snow & Ice Division Honored in Snow Magazine’s Top 100 Leadership Awards

    It may seem strange for a bunch of snow and ice management professionals to get together and powwow in the middle of the summer, but [...]

  • Five Holiday Decorating Trends for 2012

    Well, it’s official: Halloween isn't even here yet - heck, fall only began a few days ago - and we’re already seeing holiday decorating items in stores. [...]

  • Christmas Decor Infographic: 12 Reasons to Hire a Professional to Decorate Your Home This Christmas

    It seems we rarely remember the houses that are beautifully appointed for the holidays. No - we remember the garish displays, the crooked strings of [...]

  • Fall Landscaping & Planting Guide: 5 Reasons to Start Your Landscaping Project RIGHT NOW

    Many of our landscaping clients believe that fall is not an ideal time to do any kind of landscape project outside. Many believe that fall [...]

  • A Burning Design Question: Portable Fire Pit or Built-In Fireplace?

    As cooler weather approaches, have you thought about how to embrace that nip in the air and extend the life of your outdoor living space [...]

  • Five Tips for Preparing Your Lawn for Winter

    With Labor Day behind us and those white pants stored securely out of reach (right?), it's time to start thinking about fall. The kids are [...]

  • Common Ideas for Paving Around Your Swimming Pool

    When you’re designing a new backyard swimming pool, it’s pretty tough not to get completely carried away dreaming up fun pool design ideas like water-slides, [...]

  • Cool Swimming Pool Toys and Games: 7 Must-Have’s for Summer Fun

    Unless you've already started training for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, chances are you'll get a bit bored with paddling end to [...]

  • The 5 Most Important Questions to Ask Before Installing an Automatic Sprinkler System at Home

    If you're considering installing an automatic home sprinkler system, congratulations! Your landscape maintenance is about to get a lot less tedious. Automatic sprinkler systems will help [...]

  • The Hebranks: Lawn Care Success Through Lawn Aeration

    We’re always excited to get feedback from our clients, and we were so thrilled with the note the Hebranks sent us that we decided to [...]

  • The Top 10 Benefits Of Lawn Aeration For Healthier Lawns

    This post was written by Mario Colantuoano, Neave Turf Healthcare division manager. Do you ever find yourself looking out your window on a Sunday morning, [...]

  • Made in the Shade: Landscape Structures to Keep You Cool

    Last month, temperatures all over the country were breaking through the high 90s and even the 100s, a widespread heat wave that hasn't been seen in our [...]

  • What Inspires Us: Fire in the Landscape

    If you want to make your outdoor space more dynamic–and more inviting–just add some flames! Seriously, who doesn’t like fire? Our landscape designers at Neave [...]

  • Landscape Design Principles: Form Follows Function

    This post was written by Mike Gulla, Neave Group landscape designer. As a landscape architect and designer, I've had the opportunity to work on a [...]

  • A Swimming Pool Transformation Long Overdue

    We first worked with the Ventosas back in 2007, when they hired us to do some stonework and plantings in their front yard. But it [...]

  • How to Plant a Tree…the Right Way

    This post was written by Dave Ciotoli, Neave Group landscape designer. It’s no secret today why you see more specimen varieties of trees around homes. [...]

  • What Inspires Us: Monet’s Garden

    The Monet’s Garden exhibition opens today at the New York Botanical Garden and runs through October 21st. According to the New York Botanical Garden’s website, [...]

  • Get your garden ready for its close-up!

    It’s been warm around the Hudson Valley for quite a while now, but the true signs of late spring and summer are in the air: [...]

  • Neave Group on the March for Babies

    Big thanks to Kathy Neave for the great photos and Leah Speck for writing this post, including the captions. Even bigger thanks to everyone who participated in [...]

  • Lawn Care Maintenance: How to Water a Lawn

    This post was written by Mario Colantuoano, Neave Group’s turf care specialist and self-proclaimed lawn fanatic. Mario shares his practical lawn care tips and advice [...]

  • The Schweppes: a Dramatic Makeover for a 100-Year-Old Home

    Many of the projects we've written about here have been newly constructed homes in need of some inventive landscaping and stonework to really set them apart from [...]

  • Earth Day: We’ve come a long way, baby

    Back in 1970, a U.S. Senator named Gaylord Nelson started a movement. Inspired in part by the rebellious, youthful spirit of the antiwar activists and [...]

  • How To Prepare for Spring In New York and Connecticut

    Is it just us, or was Punxsutawney Phil a little confused on Groundhog Day? Mr. “Six More Weeks of Winter” must have been hibernating during [...]

  • A New York State of Mind: The Tynan Residence

    It's easy to see Matt Tynan is a guy who knows what he wants — and he isn't afraid to ask for it. We'd worked [...]

  • What Inspires Us: The Color Green

    St.Patrick's Day is Saturday and spring is right around the corner. What other color could we possibly be thinking about this time of year? We've [...]

  • The Boykens: Realizing the Dream of a Pool

    In honor of the latest addition to the suite of services, Neave Group Outdoor Solutions offers, our newly unveiled swimming pool division, this month’s project [...]

  • Come on in! The water’s fine!

    With New York temperatures still far below balmy beach weather, and most people's skin still so pale that its glow long outshines any memory of [...]

  • The Larsens: A Landscape Fit for an Active Family

    We first met the Larsens in the middle of 2010 when they hired us to transform their bland front yard and backyard into something a [...]

  • Budding Inspiration: Get Ready for May…in January

    We've barely gotten used to writing "2012" in our checkbooks, but Neave Group’s landscape design staff is already hard at work with many of our [...]

  • The Greenberg Project: Fun for the Whole Family

    The basketball court fits snugly into the backyard landscape The Greenberg family hired Neave Group back in fall 2010 to create an outdoor [...]

  • Dressing Your Home for the Holidays

    Haul out the holly... There are just a few days left before Christmas. Are you in the spirit yet? And more importantly, is your house? [...]

  • What Inspires Us: Christmas Decorating Ideas from Detroit Garden Works

    Detroit Garden Works is a fabulous one-of-a-kind garden store with a constantly evolving collection of fine garden containers, furnishings, accessories, ornament and sculpture. The unique store [...]

  • A Value Comparison (or, How Hiring a Snow & Ice Professional is Like Buying a New Car)

    Post written by Mark Ciccarelli, manager of Neave Group’s snow and ice management department. This time of the season is the absolute worst for a [...]

  • A Long, Beautiful Walk Home: the O’Keefe Project

    Because it's Thanksgiving week and the 2011 holiday season has kicked off in earnest, we thought it would be nice to focus on a couple [...]