Have you ever been halfway into an outdoor project and realized you had no idea what you wanted to do? Maybe you could complete the project if you only had a plan, some advice, or the right tools to do so. This is where Outdoor Innovations can step in! Our DIY Pro service comes to the rescue by providing as little or as much help as you need with your project.

The Concept

The concept of Outdoor Innovations’ DIY Pro program is that you provide the labor and we provide everything else. We can provide tested design ideas to make your project look professional and put together, installation advice to guarantee a safe and successful project, and access to all the same materials that the professionals use. Additionally, there’s no need to worry about trying to haul materials to your work site–we will deliver them right to your location!

The Outdoor Innovations Difference

What makes Outdoor Innovations’ DIY Pro different from getting advice from a big box store or reading advice from a magazine or website? The difference is that we are experienced professionals who are available to help you with any questions that you may have throughout the process. Our experience can help you foresee problems that may arise with your specific set of circumstances. Additionally, we use computerized design software which can help you visualize your space before you get to work. This can be very helpful in making big decisions about spaces that you want to renovate and help you avoid making costly mistakes in design.

Professional Materials and Delivery

At times, it can be hard to decide what type of stone, mulch, etc. to use for your backyard, but we are happy to assist you and provide you with all the materials that the professionals use. No more guesswork and comparisons in the store–we provide you with the quality and tested products that professionals would use on your project. This gives you peace of mind in your materials and how they will stand up over time. Plus, there’s no need to worry about hauling materials to your home or project area because Outdoor Innovations has you covered. You can’t get that kind of service from just anywhere!

Outdoor Innovations can provide as much or as little assistance as you need for your do-it-yourself landscape project. We can help you plan the design and then let you complete it, or we can work with you on each step and give you one-on-one installation and design advice throughout the process. Whether you need a little help or a lot, we are happy to provide! Give us a call when you’re ready to do-it-yourself like a pro.

The pure white blanket of snow on the ground is the perfect canvas for imagining all of the new possibilities for your backyard. Winter is a great time to plan backyard design for your lawn or garden in the summer and fall months, and Outdoor Innovations is excited to help you along the way.

Imagine summer has finally arrived, and it’s a beautiful, cool night. The only thing anyone wants to do is spend it relaxing on the back porch, swimming in the pool, or playing yard games until the sun sets. The best way to spend a summer night is in an outdoor living space designed by Outdoor Innovations. We want to work with you to create your dream backyard, and we can do this with paved patios, fire pits, outdoor lighting, and landscaping to tie everything together. We use a computerized landscape design program to show you exactly what your project will look like before the construction process even begins. That way not even the snow can stop your imagination from running wild!

Outdoor Innovations’ design rendering program lets you see the design even before construction.

Outdoor Innovations can also assist you in planning larger projects for your business, school, or home. Recently remodeled your home and want the outside to match all the work you’ve done inside? A pergola over the patio, paved sidewalk with outdoor lighting or an outdoor kitchen for entertaining friends would be a great addition to a recent remodel. Are you an alumnus or school administrator and want a peaceful area for students to study and relax on campus? Outdoor Innovations can assist in making your ideas come to life with ample seating and shade trees. Is your business looking to up its curb appeal? We can help create water features, like waterfalls or ponds, with expert landscaping and design that would be a great asset for a worthwhile investment.

It may seem like landscaping and backyard design are a silly thing to think about in the middle of winter, but it’s important to plan so that you can have a wonderful space as soon as possible when the weather warms up. Make your backyard dreams a reality, and contact Outdoor Innovations today.

Should you rake your yard in the Fall? This is a question many people ask. With the weather turning colder, we care less and less about our lawn. People are tired of mowing and caring for their landscaping and it’s easy to want to forget it for the rest of the season. However it is a season of change for your yard and landscaping as well, and you may be wondering how those leaves are affecting our Quad Cities yards. So what DO you do with those leaves? To rake or not to rake is the question!

Leave Them Where They Fall?

People sometimes leave the leaves that fall from the trees for the same reason they may “mulch” their yard with grass clippings. They think it will provide nutrition for the yard. This may not be the right choice, however, and here’s why. Leaves essentially block the yard from all of the things that it still needs: water, fertilizer, sun. It may be that the leaves block in too much moisture in some cases (however that isn’t the case this year, right Quad Cities?)

For these reasons we don’t think that leaving them is the right choice. Remove the leaves and bag them up (many places in the Quad Cities areas have burn bans, so please pay attention to your local laws on this matter!)

Other Great Reasons to Rake Your Leaves

• Clearing the leaves from landscaping will make it much easier to work on your landscaping come the Spring.
• Bugs and other varmints like to live in those leaves. You can keep them away from your home and foundation by raking them up!
• Don’t forget the gutters! Leaves in your gutters can make water flow over the top of the gutters which can lead to problems for your landscaping around your home and cause water to build up around the foundation of your home as well. That could mean big, expensive foundation problems like leaks, bowing walls or cracks.

For more information contact us at any time. It’s a beautiful time of year, so get out there and enjoy it by cleaning up your yard and landscaping. Pretty soon we’ll be stuck inside and wishing we could get out and rake the yard. Have a great Autumn, Quad Cities!

One thing I have learned when working with customers is that most other companies make it difficult to compare apples to apples when comparing landscaping quotes. Below are some things to consider.

Questions to Ask When Comparing Landscape Companies

1. Are the plants the same size? A lot of companies use really small landscape material to lower the cost. They do not use plants that are in proportion to the space. Ask for sizes on all plant material so you can make a fair comparison. You should never base your decisions on low prices, with the assumption that plant sizes and quality are equal.

2. What variety of plants is being used? It is also important to compare what varieties of plants are being used. For example, a plan packed full of generic low-cost plants can in most cases be of lesser value than a plan with fewer, larger, unique plantings on it. Another example: perennials are going to cost less than bushes.

3. What level of strategy are they using for planting? Value is also obtained by proper planting bed dimensions, plant spacing and installing the right plant in the right place. Ask the designer why they chose to put plants or trees in a particular space. Then listen because they should be able to tell you about sun vs. shade, soil type, size that it will get when mature, maintenance of the plant, etc.

5. Does the plan take into account all the challenges of your yard? Outdoor Innovations plans always take into consideration soil type, drainage, and how existing structure and features on the site will affect the future well being of your plants.

It’s not difficult to make a new landscape look good. The true test is what it looks like 3-5 years afterward. Outdoor Innovations constantly and consistently go above and beyond what is considered acceptable by most other companies and we are more than willing to prove it.

We also take plant quality very seriously, there are hundreds of growers around the country and we know firsthand from visiting these nurseries that there is a very broad range of quality out there. We grow the best and buy the best.

Contact us to learn more about the difference Outdoor Innovations makes when it comes to keeping your property looking its best. Still have questions about comparing landscaping quotes? Let us know! We are here to help!