FAQ

A French drain is often added to property where the natural slope isn’t enough to move excess storm water off the property.   Some texts reference these systems having been invented in France.  However, our use really goes back to those popularized by Henry Flagg French.   French drains are usually buried under the lawn. They usually rely upon a corrugated tube with perforated holes at the top.  Such a buried tube allows excess water to be quickly moved away from ponding on a property.   A smoother tube is preferred as water tends to be left over in the curves of the corrugated pipe.  This can create a breeding ground for mosquitoes over time.  They are also more difficult to clean.

Another type of French drain is a concrete trough dug into the ground and covered with a metal grating system.  This is more obvious to the observer, but can be very efficient and much easier to clean.  We have more details about drainage solutions here.

Our owner, David Felker, has been serving lawn care clients since 1979 throughout the DFW area.  He has substantial experience in landscape design, installation and maintenance.  David’s expertise is critical in this area because we have unique challenges of drought conditions and high temps in the summertime, and occasional frost in the winter.  He will work with you to understand your preferences, dislikes and budget and design a landscape that fits with your taste, your space, and tolerance for yard work!

His experience extends to project planning, resource management and personnel oversight.  While planning the project, David can lay out clearly when a project will begin, how long it will take, and when it will end.  Things occasionally to go awry, but should anything change, David and his staff will be sure to keep you up to date to ensure you’re kept in the loop.  Call our office today, or click on “Contact Us” in the menu to send us an email and give us a high-level overview of what you have in mind.

Flagstone represents flat rocks that are found in nature, and assembled into patios.  The types of flagstone we typically work with are sandstone, limestone and slate.  They are sedimentary rocks that are split into planes.  They are appealing to homeowners who want a natural, organic look in their backyard that is also durable and naturally slip-resistant.  Flagstone colors are usually earthy shades of browns, reds, grays and blues.

We have multiple, experienced crews that are part of Ideal Landscape Services. While our owner, David Felker, handles the majority of the design work, his is by no means a one-man show.   He relies on a great team with multiple crews that allow him to be working on numerous projects at one time.  David is a great project planner, and can readily identify projects that are either too small, or too big for Ideal Landscape Services.  We always want to be able to deliver on our promises, so we are careful to advise clients when something is better suited to a DIY project, or so big it requires something beyond our combined crew strength.  We have experience in a variety of applications from a secluded backyard oasis, to a busy town square, so just let us know how we can help, and we’ll try to WOW you every time!

Outdoor lighting can serve a variety of purposes for your home, but the two most common themes we here are aesthetics and security.  Highlighting certain areas of your home and landscape can really help to make your home “pop” and can enhance the night-time curb appeal.  It can also serve as a significant deterrent to would be thieves who would rather have the cover of darkness than having to avoid lit areas.  Lighting can make it easier for thieves to be seen by neighbors or get caught on camera.

Outdoor lighting options typically rely on low-voltage alternatives which means that they’ll use very little electricity, and there’s even a number of great options that rely on solar power which work well in our sun-rich environment.  Our chief designer has implemented numerous lighting configurations, so he’ll be able to translate your desires into a practical design that will look great. Read more about our process here, and give us a call today to start work on your next big idea!

Quite simply, it’s landscaping that doesn’t require a big investment of time or money to maintain.  Such designs utilize various hardscapes and native plants to create a great look, but not require as much watering or personal attention.  Many native plants can look appealing and add color to your designs, but their physical growth is limited, so maintenance can be handled infrequently.  We’ll design hardscapes in mind to keep water flowing away from the foundation of your home so that we don’t complicate matters with a new landscape installation.

Landscape design choices are made based on a variety of criteria.  It’s certainly not rocket science, but our more than 30 years of planning and installing landscapes throughout North Texas are critical!  We have to factor in where your home is located, how much sun and shade different areas get, watering considerations, and budget.  Additional decisions are made regarding the weather extremes we experience in North Texas from our hot summers to sky-opening thunderstorms in the spring and fall!

Landscape design is more than just deciding on which plants to buy, it’s also about planning hardscapes and irrigation that will help you fully-enjoy the final product, and a result that you can maintain for many years.

Well, of course!  Designing projects is really our favorite thing to do because it gets our creative juices flowing.  We balance our clients must haves, nice-to-haves, reality and budget and come up with great solutions that people will love for years to come.  Since water is such a precious commodity in North Texas, we often focus on xeriscape design styles which require little water.  We can incorporate irrigation systems into the project, and instruct you on best practices for watering your investment.

We’ll also be very careful about how we incorporate hardscapes so that we don’t funnel spring and fall Thunderstorms into a new lake in your backyard!

Xeriscaping is a “big word” that essentially refers to a style of landscaping that requires little to no irrigation.  This is obviously an important request of many North Texas homeowners as we often suffer through brutal heat for many weeks during the summer.  Homeowners still want something that’s appealing to the eye, but also won’t something that will dry out and die in a week and need to be replaced.  At Ideal Landscape Designs, we have more than 30 years experience in design, installing and maintaining xeriscape designs in Fort Worth, Arlington, and beyond.  We use native, drought-resistant plants to give your space life, and use appropriate hardscapes that will look attractive, and reduce the need for watering.

Yes we do!  This is typically something we prefer to do as part of a larger project, but it is an area we have expertise in.  This is a critical component of any landscaping design. We make sure that our clients know what level of watering is required in order to ensure the success of their new look.  Fort Worth and many other local communities limits our watering to two days per week. This can be more than adequate, especially considering the drought tolerant plants we normally recommend.

If you do need just an irrigation system installed, it’s something we can review.  We’ll evaluate our projects and see how it fits into our schedule.  If it’s a project that just isn’t right for us, we’ll be sure to inform you up front.  We’ll also make a recommendation to a company that we know and trust.  Irrigation experts are licensed within the State of Texas.  Therefore, make sure that whomever you deal with when it comes to irrigation systems has the right credentials.

The short answer is: Yes.  However, that’s because we want to say a bit more about water features.  If you have a bird bath in your backyard, and it just holds water, then that would likely attract mosquitos because it’s stagnant water, it’s not moving.  All of the water features we install have some level of movement to them.  Whether it’s falling water in a waterfall, or pushing water up in a  fountain, we always make sure there’s some level of movement to avoid attracting mosquitos.

Mosquito larvae can only survive in stagnant water.  Additionally, mosquitos that have just hatched must lay on the surface of the water in order for their wings to dry, therefore mosquitos will avoid moving water when laying eggs.