DIY Landscaping: Why Planning Before You Dig Matters

DIY landscaping can be rewarding, but the easiest projects often become complicated when planning is skipped.

Before moving soil or purchasing materials, take time to understand the project from beginning to end.

Measure the Space
Start by measuring the area. Knowing the length, width, depth, and shape of the project will help determine how much material is needed.

A simple sketch can also make planning easier.

Consider Drainage
Water should always be part of the planning process.

Think about where rainwater currently flows and where it should flow after the project is completed. Changing grades or adding hardscape can affect drainage.

Know What Is Underground
Before digging, identify underground utilities and follow appropriate local requirements for safe excavation.

This is especially important when installing structures, irrigation, drainage, lighting, or other features that require digging.

Choose Materials Before Starting
Knowing the materials in advance helps prevent last-minute changes.

Dixon Landscape Materials serves both DIY homeowners and professional contractors and offers landscaping materials as well as DIY concrete with towable mixers.

Break Large Projects Into Steps
A large project can feel overwhelming when viewed as one task. Breaking it into preparation, material delivery, installation, cleanup, and finishing stages can make the process easier to manage.

Plan for the Finished Result
Think about how the area will look and function after the work is completed. Consider maintenance, drainage, accessibility, and how new landscaping will interact with existing features.

Good landscaping begins before the first shovel enters the ground. A little planning can save time, reduce waste, and help turn a DIY idea into a finished project that works well for years.

707-678-8200

Dixon Landscape Materials

150 East H Street

Dixon CA 95620

Website

How to Choose the Right Landscape Material for Your Project

A successful landscaping project starts with choosing materials that match the job. Different materials serve different purposes, and understanding those differences can make planning easier.

Start With the Function
Before choosing a material, determine what it needs to do.

Are you creating a walkway, building a garden bed, improving drainage, creating a decorative area, or preparing a base for another project?

The function should guide the material selection.

Consider Drainage
Water movement is an important part of landscape design. Some materials allow water to move through spaces more easily, while compacted surfaces can provide a firmer foundation.

Understanding where rainwater needs to go can help prevent problems later.

Think About Appearance
Landscape materials are also an important visual element. Color, texture, size, and shape can influence how a finished project looks.

Consider how the material will complement the home's exterior, plants, hardscape, and other features.

Calculate the Quantity
Running out of material in the middle of a project can create delays. Before purchasing, determine the project's dimensions and calculate the approximate quantity required.

Different materials may be sold by different units, so make sure the measurement matches the material being purchased.

Plan for Delivery
Large landscaping projects can require significant quantities of material. Delivery may be an important consideration, particularly when the material is too heavy or bulky for a personal vehicle.

Dixon Landscape Materials serves homeowners and professional contractors and maintains a fleet of medium and large trucks for product delivery.

Good material selection begins with understanding the project's purpose. Taking time to plan before purchasing can help make the installation process more efficient and the finished landscape more successful.

707-678-8200

Dixon Landscape Materials

150 East H Street

Dixon CA 95620

Website

Refreshing My Summer Containers for Fall Perennials That Last Into Autumn

Refreshing my summer containers for fall with perennial plants that can carry these pots beautifully into autumn—and potentially even through winter.

707-678-8200

Dixon Landscape Materials

150 East H Street

Dixon CA 95620

Website

 

What Is Decomposed Granite and Where Is It Used?

Decomposed granite, often called DG, is a finely crushed rock material that has become popular for certain landscaping and pathway applications.

But what makes it different from ordinary gravel?

A Finer Material
Decomposed granite consists of very small particles created as granite breaks down.

Depending on the product and application, DG can create a relatively compact surface compared with larger decorative rocks.

Dixon Landscape Materials carries Gold DG and Gray DG, along with other pathfine products. The company describes pathfines as finely ground rock that can compact and are used in both city and private landscaping. 

Pathways Are One Common Use
One reason homeowners and landscapers consider DG is for pathways and other areas where a more compact surface is desirable.

It can provide a natural-looking appearance that works well with many landscape designs.

Color Changes the Look
DG and pathfines are not necessarily one universal color.

Different materials can have different tones, which means the appearance of the finished project can change significantly depending on the selected product.

That is one reason seeing natural materials in person can be useful.

Think About Installation
The finished result depends not only on the material but also on site preparation and installation.

Drainage, base preparation, edging, compaction and intended use can all matter.

Dixon Landscape Materials also carries products designed for use with aggregates, including Gator Stone Bond, which the company describes as a polymer blend designed to bind certain small aggregates. 

As with any landscape project, choosing a material begins with understanding what the finished area needs to accomplish.

DG can be an attractive and practical option for the right project—but the right material is always the one suited to the specific application.

707-678-8200

Dixon Landscape Materials

150 East H Street

Dixon CA 95620

Website

Choosing the Right Landscape Material for Your Project

A landscaping project can start with a simple idea: “I want to improve this part of the yard.”

Then the material choices begin.

Rock, gravel, soil, bark, sand, flagstone, pavers and other materials all serve different purposes. Choosing the right one starts with understanding what the project actually needs.

Dixon Landscape Materials has served Dixon and surrounding communities since 2009 and supplies materials for both DIY homeowners and professional contractors. Its product selection includes bark, decorative rock, aggregates, soils, sands, flagstone, pavers, retaining-wall materials, sod and more. 

Start With Function
Ask what the material needs to do.

Is it going to be walked on? Used under pavers? Spread around plants? Used to create a decorative area? Added to a raised bed?

The answer helps narrow the choices.

Appearance Matters, Too
Natural materials vary in color and texture.

Dixon Landscape Materials specifically recommends seeing natural products in person before ordering because appearance can vary. 

That is especially useful when choosing decorative rock or other materials where color is an important part of the design.

Soil Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Different soil products can have different uses.

Dixon's selection includes potting soil, topsoil blends, screened topsoil, compost, fill dirt and garden mixes. 

Understanding the intended use before ordering can help prevent buying a material that is simply not suited to the project.

Plan the Quantity
Landscape materials are often sold by volume or weight, depending on the product.

Before ordering, measure the project area and determine how much material is needed.

A little planning can prevent both running short and ordering far more than necessary.

The right landscape material is the one that fits the project's function, appearance and practical requirements.

707-678-8200

Dixon Landscape Materials

150 East H Street

Dixon CA 95620

Website

Feeling Overwhelmed in the Garden? Start Small

Welcome, gardeners! This time of year, the garden can feel a little overwhelming. There are weeds to pull, flowers to deadhead, plants to fertilize, and always more waiting on the list than I can possibly finish in one day.

Today, Monty and I headed out into the garden to tackle a few of those small but meaningful jobs. I spent time weeding and deadheading, then moved on to fertilizing my corn and sowing some very special flower seeds. Some came home with me from Great Dixter, and others are flowers I will plant this fall in hopes of beautiful blooms early next spring.

The biggest reminder for me today was that I do not have to get it all done at once. A little work, done often, really does add up.

Little and often… that’s how beautiful gardens are built.

707-678-8200

Dixon Landscape Materials

150 East H Street

Dixon CA 95620

Website

 

DIY Concrete Without the Giant Concrete Truck

Concrete has a reputation.

It's heavy.

It's messy.

And when most people picture a concrete project, they imagine a huge truck arriving at the house while everyone suddenly realizes they have approximately 37 minutes to get everything done.

But smaller concrete projects don't always require the same setup as a major construction job.

Dixon Landscape Materials offers a DIY concrete option using portable, towable mixers that hold one yard of concrete. The mixer continues mixing during transportation, allowing the concrete to remain mixed while being taken to the project site.

For the right small project, that's an interesting alternative to mixing bags of concrete by hand.

The process begins at Dixon Landscape Materials, where the ingredients—including concrete gravel, cement and water—are loaded into the mixer trailer while it is running. The trailer can then be towed to the project location.

Why might that appeal to a DIY homeowner?

Because mixing concrete yourself can turn into a surprisingly physical project.

One bag becomes several bags.

Several bags become many bags.

Then you're lifting, pouring, mixing and repeating.

By the time the project is finished, you may have developed a brand-new appreciation for professional contractors.

A towable mixer can make the process more convenient for certain smaller jobs, while also providing a way to transport the concrete to the site.

Of course, "DIY" doesn't mean "no planning required."

Concrete projects still require preparation. The site needs to be ready, forms need to be properly prepared, and you'll want to understand the timing and labor involved before you begin.

Weather matters, too.

And perhaps the most important DIY rule of all: know the limits of your project.

A small walkway, pad or similar project may be manageable for an experienced homeowner. A major structural project is another matter entirely and may call for professional expertise.

Dixon Landscape Materials serves DIY homeowners as well as professional contractors, so homeowners can stop by and explore options before getting started.

The next time you look at a concrete project and think, "There's got to be an easier way," there just might be.

Just remember to plan first.

Concrete is very good at becoming permanent.

707-678-8200

Dixon Landscape Materials

150 East H Street

Dixon CA 95620

Website