Thoughtful Guidance from Local Outdoor Design Experts
Tips, tricks, and inspiration from the crew who makes dreams come true.
Historic Eaton home landscaping project featured in HouseTrends
Once again, our landscaping work for a historic Eaton home was featured in HouseTrends Magazine. The project included the creation of an outdoor grilling area, recreation space, putting green, paillion, slate florring, clay pavers and more. View the project in our...

Charleston Gardens Landscaping Design
Sprawling acreage or small urban plot, you can have the charm of the Deep South in your Dayton backyard. To most people, the mention of Charleston, South Carolina evokes historical images: Fort Sumter, belles in colorful hoop skirts carrying parasols, the scent of...
Decks Are Back In Style
“Decks are like taxus shrubs – everyone liked them and then they didn’t like them, so it’s tough to get people to see the progress they’ve made.” Dave Swearingen, The Site Group. Ten years ago, wooden decks were almost mandatory in...
Sculpting the landscape with retaining walls
From pillar to post, retaining walls are versatile enough to solve many site challenges. Sloping terrain. Stormwater erosion. Boring landscaping. What’s a homeowner to do? According to Dave Swearingen, a Landscape Architect with The Site Group in New Carlisle,...
Pavilions, screened rooms, shade sails, awnings, or pergolas – Which is right for your landscaping?
Ah the Midwest… Frigid winter, lovely spring and fall, and hot, sun drenched summers. We have it all! That beautiful sunshine, however, can be a bit much in the dog days of summer. How can you avoid too much sun, yet still enjoy the great...
A new approach to paver patios and hardscapes
Pick up any design magazine and you’ll no doubt find a section on “what’s new”. We place high value on having something that is not readily available or embraced by the masses. Marketers even recognize a whole class of...
Why are landscaping projects so expensive?
So you’ve perused the magazines. Checked out the makeover shows. Looked around the neighborhood. Made a list of what you want to have. Now your dream project has its first setback, and it is a common one: sticker shock. How could a...
Patio fire features and fire pits
Conjure up with me a fall memory. Beautiful leaves, football Saturdays, and crisp evenings around a campfire come to mind for many. About that campfire… What makes it so magnetic? Is it the dancing flames? The gentle warmth? A hint...
The Site Group featured in HouseTrends latest landscaping challenge
Once again HouseTrends magazine has chosen to feature The Site Group in their latest backyard landscaping challange. Click here to view the article.
Shedding some light on landscape lighting
There are more reasons for you to light your home’s exterior than meet the eye. Take safety. The last thing most of us want is to have folks taking a header on our property and possibly hurting themselves. Nighttime increases the risk for such accidents. Clearly...