Rye Beach Landscaping

Our state is rich in history, dating back to the early 1700s. The signature work of craftsmen who have come and gone can still be seen in the architecture, stonewalls, and landscape design all around our seacoast community. At Rye Beach Landscaping, our respect for the history and tradition of New Hampshire can be seen in the way that we do our work, with the patience and skill of the old world craftsman. Even our landscape materials are sourced from local suppliers; whether antique granite, fieldstone, or the trees and shrubs that we incorporate into our landscape designs.

Rye Beach Landscaping, LLC was founded in 1996 by Bennett Holmes as a landscape maintenance and landscape construction company, serving a mostly-residential client base. Seven years later, Bennett sold the residential lawn care division to focus exclusively on landscape design/build services. The company grew exponentially over the next several years, especially in the area of hardscaping with natural stone construction and concrete pavers. It became clear to Bennett that in order to control the quality and efficiency of these larger construction projects, Rye Beach Landscaping would need to expand in the area of excavation.

There is a world of landscape design opportunity hiding in broad daylight. The dark canvas of nightfall offers an incredible potential for using light to paint an entirely different world than what we see during the day. In fact, our eyes see only one level of light during the daytime. When Rye Beach Landscaping has an outdoor lighting design project, our landscape lighting designer will use three levels of light to create depth and focal points. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. The common solution for security lighting is to mount 300 watts of light above the garage or corner of the house.

Nothing softens the hard edges and straight lines of stone and block like a well-designed planting. Adding living plant material to non-living structures brings balance to the landscape. While Rye Beach Landscaping may be well-known for its natural stone wall building and patio construction, our proficiency with designing with plants is sometimes is overlooked. If anything, our "roots" in New Hampshire landscape design go deeper than even our hardscaping services. The science of successful plantings.

Snow removal is serious business at Rye Beach Landscaping. We provide snow and ice management services for the state of New Hampshire. If you're out on the roads during a snowstorm (you shouldn't be), you have probably seen our trucks on interstate 95 from Seabrook to Portsmouth or state highway routes 108 and 33 in Newfields, Stratham and Exeter. In addition to municipal plowing services, we also have an extensive commercial customer base of retail stores, restaurants, and condo associations that depend on us to keep their parking lots clear and safe.

At Rye Beach Landscaping we like to see the big picture. That's why our landscape design services are a fundamental part of what we do. There are many landscape companies in New Hampshire that can install a patio, a retaining wall, or plant trees and shrubs. This is fine on smaller jobs. The complications and costs multiply, however, when this approach is taken on larger projects without a landscaping plan. A scaled landscape drawing provides a consistent benchmark that puts everybody on the same page.

We believe that - whenever possible - landscaping should excite the five senses. Sight, smell, touch - these are benefits that are common to any landscape. Taste can be accomplished through edible plants, such as blueberries. But what about sound? There is only one natural element in the landscape that can introduce sound: water features. It is a scientific fact that the sound of water reduces stress and opens the mind to creativity. Different than listening to music or engaging in active conversation, the sound of water running stimulates the mind without distracting it.

It's no surprise that landscapes in New Hampshire are rarely flat. Some might see this as a problem; at Rye Beach Landscaping we see grade changes as a design opportunity. Retaining walls provide a vertical accent to a landscape, providing a visual anchor to the surroundings or dividing elevations into outdoor rooms. As a design/build company, we rise to the challenge of creating not only a functional change in elevation, but the artistic element as well. Our retaining wall installers are skilled in a variety of retaining wall materials - concrete block, architectural concrete walls, and of course natural stone.

Not all walkways and patios are created equal. With so many styles, patterns and colors of patio pavers available on the market today, it can be overwhelming for a homeowner to decide what is best for their house. At Rye Beach Landscaping, we don't just drop off a brochure or let you pick something out of a paver display. Our patio design consultant will meet with you at your house and make recommendations for the best walkway or patio paver to meet your needs. Our crews have installed thousands of square feet of pavers from a wide variety of manufacturers over the years.

When I would say the word "hardscaping" in conversations several years ago, I'd get this funny look - like the way your dog looks at you when you say, "cookie"- and I would have to backtrack in the conversation to explain what hardscaping is. Not anymore. Thanks to home improvement shows like HGTV, there is a growing awareness of hardscaping services; the word "hardscaping" has become a household name - even in New Hampshire! This can mean patios and brick paver walkways, freestanding or retaining walls, pergolas, outdoor kitchens or landscape lighting.

Installing a new lawn in New Hampshire is not rocket science. But, like all living things, turf grass needs to have certain conditions met in order to thrive. As we see it, the success or failure of new lawns depends on three things: preparation, timing, and moisture. When a planting bed is prepared properly, grass seed can quickly take root and develop into a lush lawn within one season. In preparing the site for a new lawn installation, we first consider the existing site conditions - available sunlight and drainage.

Landscaping is a diverse industry. When you say the word landscaping in New Hampshire, it means different things to different people. Landscape maintenance services bring images of mowers and blowers and trimmers. To some, it may mean simply a landscape plan or blueprint. Still others might think of shrubs and trees and flowers in bloom. And on a rare occasion, one might think of snow removal services - however unpleasant a thought that may be. Rye Beach Landscaping is a design/build landscape construction firm.

The New Hampshire seacoast community is very much a part of who we are as a landscape company. The rich history and heritage of New Hampshire is rooted in the seacoast area. At Rye Beach Landscaping, we have dedicated ourselves to preserving the integrity and significance of the New Hampshire seacoast area's historic places. From the Naval shipyard in Portsmouth, to the beaches at Hampton and Rye, New Hampshire residents identify with their heritage and traditions that began right here. Our involvement in the Strawberry Banke preservation project saved a key neighborhood from development and urban sprawl.

Our philosophy at Rye Beach Landscaping is to walk softly on the earth, and leave it better than we found it. We are a "green" landscaping company in Rye Beach, New Hampshire. We take our commitment as an environmental landscape company in New Hampshire seriously. Since 2005, we have been powering our fleet on vegetable oil. Bio diesel emits less than half the emissions of petroleum, is non-toxic, biodegradable, and is sustainable for the environment. From April to October, we are "off the pump."

Michael Passero is the Operations Manager at Rye Beach Landscaping. He is responsible for overseeing all the landscaping and hardscaping projects. He has been a full-time employee of Rye Beach Landscaping since 2001. Michael is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and has been taking part in graduate studies at Franklin Pierce University. Over his tenure here, he has developed Rye Beach Landscaping's distinctive hardscape styles in natural stone walls and flat work. He continues to work closely with our designer and the client to make the projects a seamless process.

Ben Groves has been working in the landscape industry for more than 15 years. After several years serving as a landscape design consultant to Rye Beach Landscaping, Ben decided to join our team full time in 2015. Ben studied Natural Resources as an undergraduate at the University of Vermont. His exposure to landscape design came with an internship at an award-winning Landscape Architecture firm out of Middlebury, VT. With that robust background, he was ready to start his career with a move to California.to become a ski bum!

Paul Otten has been in the landscape industry for 30 years. His experience in flat work - concrete pavers, antique brick, and natural stone patios and walks - is vital in his role as a Hardscaping Supervisor at Rye Beach Landscaping. But Paul brings even more value to a hardscaping project because he is also an accomplished carpenter, heavy equipment operator, as well as a pool and tile installer. Once a business owner himself, Paul understands the importance of customer service, clear communication and hard work.

Not just landscaping. Besides ensuring that the site work for Rye Beach Landscaping's projects are done to specifications and on schedule, we also manage the schedule on the contract work for the commercial builders, property managers, and municipalities who depend on our excavation services in the New Hampshire seacoast area. Rye Beach Landscaping's commitment to the environment carries through in our excavation division as well. A skillful equipment operator is able to minimize the impact that heavy equipment has on the site where he is working by not over-excavating the areas where digging is required and avoiding excessive driving over the delicate root zones of landscape trees.

Did you know that nearly two-thirds of New Hampshire residents use a septic system? Town sewer and water is only available in certain locations in a limited number of towns. Everyone else must rely on an on-site subsurface sewage disposal system - which is not such a bad thing. A properly designed and constructed septic system can last 20 years or more, assuming the homeowner has the tank pumped out regularly and doesn't overload the system with excessive paper, chemicals, or too much water than the system was designed to hold.

Tyler Martin is a project manager in Rye Beach Landscaping's landscape division. Tyler is in his third year as a project manager for Rye Beach Landscaping, and brings over 15 years of industry experience. He has managed projects including walkways, patios, custom stonework, lighting, plantings and water features. Tyler works very closely with our clients, and takes great pride in his work. He also plays a big role in employee training and client retention. Tyler earned a B.S. in Business Management from Colby-Sawyer College in 2004 and has a strong Sales, Marketing and Business Development background.

The law of gravity says "what goes up must come down." Sometimes in the home construction industry, though, "something must come down before something can go up." We're talking about demolition, of course. Rye Beach Landscaping's excavation division has seen an increasing number of home demolition projects on the board over the past few years. We think that's a good thing. From a community perspective, removing homes that are in disrepair can upgrade the value of an entire neighborhood. New homes in New Hampshire are not always built on virgin house lots.