Late March through April works well for starting maintenance programs in Mt. Lebanon. This window allows for spring cleanup, bed pre-emergent applications, initial pruning, and plant health treatments as vegetation emerges from dormancy. That said, we can initiate service any time during the growing season and adjust the program accordingly. Our Pittsburgh Lawn & Landscape Guide provides month-by-month service details.

Visit schedules depend on your selected services and property requirements. Comprehensive programs typically include visits every one to two weeks from April through October. Frequent bed maintenance keeps weeds under control and gardens looking sharp, while major tasks like mulching, significant pruning, and seasonal cleanup happen at optimal times throughout the year. During your property assessment, we'll develop a visit schedule based on your landscape size, plant inventory, appearance goals, and budget. Reference our Pittsburgh Lawn & Landscape Guide for seasonal service timing..

Complete landscape maintenance programs begin at $1,750 per season, covering pruning, edging, weeding, mulching, and seasonal cleanup. Individual services are available separately: pruning starts at $950, bed care at $325, mulch installation at $750, seasonal cleanup at $250, and flower installation at $500. Your specific cost reflects property size, plant quantity and types, terrain complexity, and particular requirements identified during your complimentary assessment. Most homeowners benefit from bundling landscape and lawn maintenance into one coordinated program with unified scheduling and oversight.

Certainly. Many Mt. Lebanon clients select bundled programs covering everything: lawn care, professional lawn mowing, landscape pruning, bed care, mulching, seasonal cleanup, and plant health protection. One contract, one team, seamless coordination. This approach prevents scheduling conflicts that arise when multiple contractors work independently, and typically provides better value than purchasing services separately. Your complimentary assessment includes discussion of how to structure complete property care within your budget.

Pruning timing varies by species, flowering habit, and your objectives. Spring bloomers - forsythia, lilac, azalea, rhododendron - require pruning immediately after flowering to preserve next year's buds. Summer bloomers like rose of sharon, butterfly bush, and certain hydrangeas get pruned in late winter or early spring while dormant. Most ornamental trees benefit from late winter or early spring pruning before growth resumes. Evergreens can be shaped in late spring after new growth hardens. Dead, damaged, or diseased wood gets removed immediately regardless of season to prevent disease spread and eliminate hazards. Our ISA-certified arborist and licensed technicians understand optimal timing for each species in Mt. Lebanon landscapes and will create appropriate pruning schedules during your assessment.

Annual mulch application works well for most Mt. Lebanon properties, typically in spring (April-May) during bed preparation. Many homeowners also prefer fall applications. Proper 2-3 inch mulch depth suppresses weeds, holds moisture, moderates soil temperature, prevents erosion, and creates fresh appearance. Properties with heavy tree coverage or south-facing exposure may require more frequent replenishment as organic material decomposes faster under these conditions. Our crews evaluate mulch condition during every visit and recommend refreshing when depth decreases or appearance deteriorates.

Watch for these warning signs: discolored or spotted leaves, unusual leaf drop outside normal fall timing, visible insects or webbing on foliage, holes in leaves, sticky residue on leaves or ground below plants, branch dieback, stunted growth, or distorted new growth. Japanese beetles create lacy, skeletonized leaves on roses, hydrangeas, and other ornamentals. Aphids cause curled leaves and produce sticky honeydew that attracts ants and supports sooty mold growth. Spider mites leave fine webbing and stippled, bronzed foliage on arborvitae, junipers, and other evergreens. Borers create small bark holes with sawdust-like material and cause branch death. Fungal diseases produce spots, powdery coatings, rust-colored pustules, or blackened areas on leaves and stems. Our licensed plant health care technicians diagnose pest and disease problems accurately during property evaluations and recommend appropriate treatments. Early identification prevents minor issues from escalating into major damage requiring expensive plant replacement.

Several destructive pests attack Mt. Lebanon landscapes throughout the growing season. Japanese beetles skeletonize roses, hydrangeas, birch, linden, and many other ornamentals from late June through August. Aphids cluster on tender new growth, causing leaf curl and producing honeydew that attracts ants and supports mold. Spider mites flourish in hot, dry conditions, damaging arborvitae, junipers, spruces, and other evergreens with stippling and webbing. Scale insects attach to stems and branches of euonymus, holly, and many woody plants, gradually weakening them. Bagworms feed on evergreens (particularly arborvitae and juniper) and can completely defoliate plants if uncontrolled. Emerald Ash Borer remains an active threat to ash trees throughout the Pittsburgh region. Lace bugs damage azaleas and rhododendrons with stippling and discoloration. Our proactive plant health care monitors conditions favoring these pests and intervenes before significant damage occurs, emphasizing prevention over reaction.

Fall leaf removal ranks among the most critical landscape maintenance tasks for Mt. Lebanon properties with mature trees. Thick leaf layers smother perennials and groundcovers, trap excess moisture against plant crowns promoting fungal diseases like crown rot, shelter destructive insects and disease organisms through winter, prevent spring bulbs from emerging, and kill grass and groundcovers by blocking light and airflow. Leaves packed around plant bases and tree trunks create perfect conditions for voles, which girdle bark and kill plants during winter. Matted leaves also interfere with spring cleanup and prevent effective mulch application or pre-emergent weed control. Professional fall cleanup removes leaves, cuts back spent perennials, clears debris from hardscapes, and prepares landscapes for winter while significantly reducing pest and disease pressure the following spring. Most Mt. Lebanon properties need multiple fall cleanup visits as leaves continue dropping through November.

Shovel edging (also called spade edging) creates crisp definition by physically cutting clean lines between lawn and beds with a sharp spade, removing grass roots and soil to form a small trench or gap. This professional technique produces sharp, lasting lines preventing grass encroachment into beds, helps mulch stay in place, and creates the polished, manicured appearance lasting for weeks. Clean edges also simplify mowing along beds without scalping grass or spraying mulch onto the lawn. String trimmer edging merely cuts grass blades at the surface along bed edges without removing roots or creating physical barriers, so grass quickly regrows into beds and edges blur or disappear within days. While faster and less expensive, string trimming provides only temporary cosmetic improvement without actually controlling grass encroachment. Most Mt. Lebanon properties benefit from professional shovel edging once or twice per season (typically spring and mid-summer) to maintain clean separation between lawn and garden areas, with light maintenance trims between major edging.

Absolutely. Many Mt. Lebanon properties require renovation after years of neglect, deferred maintenance, or minimal previous owner care. Depending on the landscape condition, we'll assess what's salvageable versus what needs replacement and recommend appropriate solutions. Unpruned shrubs often respond well to rejuvenation pruning (gradual reduction over 2-3 years) or renovation pruning (severe cutback stimulating new base growth), though some overgrown specimens are beyond recovery and perform better when replaced with properly sized plants. Weed-infested beds typically need complete renovation: remove existing weeds, apply pre-emergent barrier, refresh or replace mulch, and establish proper maintenance schedule. Diseased plants may be salvageable with prompt treatment if caught early, but severely damaged specimens often need removal and replacement with disease-resistant varieties. Poor soil can be amended with compost, and drainage issues corrected with grading or drainage solutions. Our ISA-certified arborist determines which overgrown trees and shrubs can be saved through proper pruning versus those needing replacement for safety, health, or aesthetic reasons. We provide honest recommendations and phased approaches when budget is a concern.

Yes. Our landscape maintenance and seasonal cleanup services include clearing patios, walkways, driveways, steps, and retaining walls of leaves, debris, moss buildup, and weeds establishing in cracks. Clean hardscapes improve appearance while preventing safety hazards from slippery moss or algae, reducing weed pressure, and extending hardscape life by preventing organic matter from deteriorating materials. During spring and fall cleanups, we emphasize hardscape areas, ensuring they're ready for use and free from off-season accumulation. If you have specific hardscape concerns like retaining wall efflorescence, settling pavers, or patio drainage issues, we can assess these during complimentary consultations and recommend solutions from our Dream Greener hardscape specialists.

Yes. We follow all label requirements and industry best practices ensuring safe application of plant health care treatments. Most treatments dry within hours, after which areas are safe for normal use by children and pets. We use targeted, low-toxicity applications only where needed rather than blanket treatments, minimizing product use while maximizing results. Our integrated pest management approach emphasizes cultural practices, proper plant selection, and preventive care reducing intervention needs. We're happy to discuss specific products we use, provide safety data sheets, answer questions or concerns, and modify treatments accommodating your family's preferences. Many clients with young children or pets choose our organic landscape care options using natural fertilizers and organic pest control products.

Landscape maintenance is a process, with most properties showing significant improvement within one growing season as proper care routines establish and plants respond to consistent attention. However, landscapes with severe underlying issues like compacted soil, poor drainage, established disease, or plants in unsuitable locations may require additional time or more extensive intervention before visible improvement occurs. We monitor every property throughout the season and adjust care based on plant response, weather conditions, and emerging issues. If you're ever concerned about your landscape's condition or progress, reach out. We'll schedule a walkthrough, evaluate what's happening, explain causes, and discuss expectations moving forward. Sometimes patience is required as plants recover from years of stress or neglect, and we'll be honest about realistic timelines and whether additional services or plant replacement might be necessary.

Yes, we offer organic landscape care programs using natural fertilizers, compost-based soil amendments, organic mulches, and targeted organic pest and disease treatments. These programs emphasize soil health, beneficial insects, plant selection, and cultural practices creating naturally resilient landscapes. Organic programs typically require more frequent applications and take longer showing dramatic results compared to conventional programs, but they're an excellent choice for environmentally conscious homeowners, properties with edible gardens, or families preferring natural approaches. We can discuss organic options, hybrid approaches combining organic and conventional methods, and tradeoffs of each during your complimentary Lawn & Landscape Analysis.

Unlike national companies sending different crews each visit, following rigid programs regardless of actual property conditions, and prioritizing volume over quality, Dream Greener provides local expertise, dedicated teams, and customized programs based on your landscape's specific needs. You'll work with the same professionals throughout the season who know your property intimately and can track progress, spot emerging issues early, and make proactive recommendations. Our team includes an ISA-certified arborist and licensed plant health care technicians who properly diagnose problems and recommend solutions, not just execute predetermined schedules. Our science-based approach with ongoing property analysis ensures your landscape receives exactly what it needs, when it needs it, rather than whatever the calendar dictates. We're locally owned and operated, deeply invested in the Mt. Lebanon community, and our reputation depends on delivering exceptional results and service to our neighbors. We're also available and responsive through our Communication Promise rather than routing you through distant call centers.