Service Area · Bucks County
Yardley properties come with the Delaware River attached — which means mature trees, beautiful settings, and drainage problems that generic landscaping advice does not address.
The borough sits right on the river, with the Delaware Canal towpath running through it, and Lower Makefield Township spreads west into some of the more substantial residential development in Bucks County. It is an attractive place to own property and a tricky one to landscape well, because the same river that makes it attractive also governs the water table, the flood plain, and what you can sensibly build.
Water is the defining issue
Properties close to the river and the canal sit on ground where the water table is high and can rise quickly. That has consequences a standard landscaping quote will not mention: planting holes that fill and stay full, patios that need drainage designed in rather than bolted on, and lawn areas that stay saturated for days after rain when a property a mile inland has drained.
It also means the plant list has to be chosen for wet feet in the low areas — river birch, red maple, winterberry, inkberry, sweetspire, joe-pye weed and switchgrass all tolerate periodic saturation, where the standard suburban shrub palette will slowly rot out. Getting this right is the difference between a planting that thrives and one you replace in three years.
If any part of your property is in the flood plain, that also affects what can be built and what permits are required. We will tell you where you stand before quoting rather than after.
Lower Makefield: clay, and lots of it
Away from the river, much of Lower Makefield sits on heavy clay. The classic failure here is a new planting bed dug neatly into clay and backfilled with soft compost — a bucket, effectively, that holds water against the roots until the plant drowns. The correct method is a wide, shallow hole with roughened sides and only a little compost mixed in, so the roots grow outward into the native soil instead of circling. Where drainage genuinely will not cooperate, the beds get raised.
Deer, and what they will actually eat
Yardley and Lower Makefield have real deer pressure, particularly on properties backing up to woods or the canal corridor. The same rules apply as in Newtown — plan the plant list around them rather than hoping.
Common questions about Yardley
My yard stays wet for days after it rains. What is going on?
Near the river it is often a high water table; further inland it is usually clay plus compaction, or a grade that has settled. They need different fixes, which is why we would rather look at it in person — ideally right after a heavy rain.
Can I build a patio if my property is in the flood plain?
Sometimes, with the right approach and the right permits. We will tell you what Lower Makefield requires before you commit to anything.
What plants handle wet ground here?
River birch, red maple, winterberry, inkberry, sweetspire, joe-pye weed and switchgrass all tolerate periodic saturation, and they look considerably better than a bed of shrubs slowly dying of root rot.
What We Promise in Yardley
- We answer the phone. Miss us and you hear back the same day.
- Written estimate within one business day of walking your property.
- A message the day before every scheduled visit.
- Something not right? We come back — no argument, no charge for the trip.
Where we usually start
- Drainage & Grading in Yardley
- Landscape Design & Installation in Yardley
- Lawn Care & Maintenance in Yardley
- Patios, Walkways & Walls in Yardley
- Mulch & Bed Maintenance in Yardley
- Spring & Fall Cleanups in Yardley
- Tree & Shrub Care in Yardley
- Snow & Ice Management in Yardley
- Irrigation & Sprinklers in Yardley
- Sod & Lawn Renovation in Yardley
- Outdoor Lighting in Yardley
Nearby towns we serve
Tell us about your property in Yardley
Landscaping in Yardley, done properly
If your ground stays wet, we would rather see it during the rain than guess at it afterward. Free walk-through, and a written estimate within one business day.