Spring is the traditional time to improve your surroundings -- spring cleaning, home repairs, etc. And it's the perfect time to spruce up your landscape.

Lavalette Nursery can help -- or do the job for you. In addition to supplying you with trees, shrubs, perennials and bedding plants, Mark and his staff will be happy to design and install a new look for your yard.

"No job is too small," says Mark Springer, owner of Lavalette Nursery at the top of 5th Street Hill in Huntington. Or too large. "We do everything from planting a single plant to installing a complete landscape with bed construction or paver patio or retaining walls."

Lavalette has had a lot of experience in this area. While it's well known as a retail garden center, about half its business is landscaping. "We're primarily residential but do commercial work too," Mark says. Most work involves design and installation. Assisting Mark with such projects is Lori Bowen, a certified horticulturist.

Much of the work involves landscape renovation for older homes. Overgrown and neglected shrubs can be replaced with dwarf varieties. A small ornamental flowering tree can become a focal point in the lawn. An island bed of mixed perennials and annuals can provide continuous color from spring to fall. Newly constructed homes benefit from foundation plantings and trees. And any yard can be enhanced with a water feature. Lavalette has a large selection of in-ground ponds and small waterfalls.

For small projects, bring some photos of your yard, along with some measurements, to Lavalette Nursery. Mark and his staff can recommend plants, draw a quick design and give you a price estimate for the job.

"We make recommendations to fit your budget." While talking to the landscape designers at Lavalette, you can walk around the garden center and look at the plants to pick out which would be best suited to your design.

"If it's something more involved, we do a site visit and prepare a design estimate," Mark explains. "Sometimes we do plans for people who want to do the work themselves."

Whether you want Mark and his staff to do the labor or you plan to do it yourself, it's important to get an early start. The crews get very busy later in the season.

"Most people think there's a narrow window of opportunity, but most things can be done most times of the year," Mark explains.

Trees and shrubs can be planted whenever the ground isn't frozen. Mark also provides advice about caring for the new additions.

A major landscape renovation can be daunting, but you don't have to tackle the whole thing in one whack. Mark suggests working on one thing at a time. "Do a small part each year so that after a few years, you've got something."

If you have questions about landscape design or any other aspect of lawn care or gardening, click here or press the button to email Mark.