Landscape Design and Installation Services in Howard County and Carroll County
AJ's Lawn & Landscape provides residential landscape design and installation services in Howard County and Carroll County, Maryland, working out of our home base in Woodbine. We build landscapes for homeowners only, which means every plan we put together is shaped around how a family actually lives on their property rather than how a commercial site gets maintained on a contract.
Every project starts with an on-site consultation. We walk the property with you, talk through what is working and what is not, and put together a plan that fits both the space and the budget you had in mind.
There is no minimum project size. Whether you are refreshing the beds along the front of the house or installing a complete landscape from bare ground, the same crew and the same standard of work shows up either way.
Our Landscape Design and Installation Services
Our landscape design and installation work covers everything from the first drawing through the final walkthrough, plus the seasonal care that keeps the finished landscape looking the way it did on day one.
Custom Landscape Design. We start with a plan drawn for your property, not a template. The design accounts for how the space is used, what already grows well there, and what you want it to look like in five years, not just this season.
Landscape Renovations. When an existing landscape has outgrown the house or stopped performing, we rework it. Sometimes that means selective replacement and sometimes it means starting clean.
Shrub and Tree Installation. Foundation plantings, privacy screens, specimen trees, and shade trees, installed at the right depth and spaced for their mature size rather than for how they look the week they go in.
Perennial and Annual Planting. Layered perennial beds for structure that returns every year, with seasonal annuals where you want reliable color at the front door or along a walkway.
Mulch Installation. Premium hardwood mulch installed at proper depth, kept off the trunks and crowns, with beds edged cleanly so the line holds through the season.
Decorative Rock Installation. River rock, gravel, and decorative stone for beds, borders, and low-maintenance areas where mulch is not the right answer.
Garden Bed Installation. New beds cut, edged, and prepared properly before anything goes in the ground, because bed preparation is what determines whether plants thrive or just survive.
Landscape Removal. Full removal of overgrown, declining, or unwanted landscaping, including stumps and root systems, so the new installation starts from a clean slate.
Irrigation Installation. Irrigation installed as part of the landscape rather than added afterward, so coverage matches the planting plan and new material gets established water without hand-watering all summer.
Landscape Lighting. Path lighting, uplighting on specimen trees, and accent lighting on the front of the house, planned alongside the design so wiring goes in before the beds are finished.
Property Enhancements. The finishing work that ties a property together, including irrigation, lighting, edging, decorative accents, and the smaller improvements that come up once the main installation is in.
Spring Cleanups, Fall Cleanups, and Leaf Removal. Available as one-time services, as add-ons to a design and installation project, or on a recurring schedule, whichever fits how you want to maintain the property.
The Design Comes First
Every landscape design and installation project we take on begins with a plan, not a truckload of plants.
After the on-site consultation, we put together a design for your property. Depending on the scope of the project that ranges from a full drawing and plan set to a detailed plant list, and from there we work through it with you. You will know what is going where, what it will look like when it fills in, and what it costs before anyone starts digging.
If you already have plants in mind, we build them into the plan. If you have no idea where to start, that is the more common situation, and walking homeowners through the options is a normal part of the process rather than an inconvenience.
Planning a Landscape That Works in Maryland
Howard County and Carroll County sit in USDA hardiness zone 7a, which sets real limits on what will survive a January here and what will not. Plants that thrive two states south end up as a replacement bill the following spring.
Beyond cold hardiness, three conditions shape every planting plan we draw in this part of Maryland.
Soil. Much of central Maryland sits on heavy clay soil that drains slowly and compacts easily. Plants that need sharp drainage will sit in wet ground and decline no matter how healthy they looked at installation, so bed preparation and plant selection have to account for it.
Light. Sun exposure changes across a single property, and it changes again as the trees you install mature. A shrub that is perfect on the south side of the house will thin out and lean on the north side.
Wildlife pressure. Deer are a genuine factor on properties throughout this area. Plant selection either accounts for that or the landscape gets eaten, which is why the plan matters more than the plant list.
Rather than running the same plant palette across every job, we select material based on what the specific property gives us to work with. If a bed sits wet or a corner gets browsed every winter, we would rather solve it in the design than replace plants in it later.
Plant Material We Install Frequently
Choosing the right plant is the difference between a landscape that fills in and one that gets replaced. We select trees, shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses based on sunlight, soil, drainage, mature size, and how much maintenance you actually want to do.
Material we install regularly on Howard County and Carroll County properties includes:
Hydrangeas
Boxwoods
Japanese Maples
Otto Luyken Laurels
Green Giant Arborvitae
Skip Laurels
Nandinas
Encore Azaleas
Hollies
Clethra
Spirea
Nepeta
Hostas
Ornamental Grasses
Seasonal Perennials and Annuals
This is not a fixed catalog. It is what performs well here, and it is a starting point for a conversation about your property
Our Landscape Installation Process
Step 1: Consultation and Property Evaluation
We start with a free on-site consultation. We look at your existing conditions, sunlight, drainage, and grade, and talk through what you want the space to do.
Step 2: Design and Proposal
You get a plan built around your goals and your budget, with plant selections, material recommendations, and a detailed proposal so there are no surprises in either direction.
Step 3: Professional Installation
Our crew installs the landscape using quality material and proper planting technique. Bed preparation, planting depth, and spacing all get done the way they should be done, because that is what determines whether the landscape looks good in year three.
Step 4: Final Walkthrough
We walk the finished property with you and go over watering and care so the new installation establishes properly through its first season.
Irrigation, Lighting, and Property Enhancements
Irrigation and landscape lighting go in as part of the installation rather than as a separate project later. That matters more than it sounds like it does. When irrigation is planned alongside the design, the coverage matches where the plants actually are. When lighting is planned early, the wiring goes in before beds are finished and mulched instead of being retrofitted through them.
Property enhancements cover the rest of it, the edging, decorative accents, and smaller improvements that come up once the main installation is in and you are living with the space.
Seasonal Cleanups and Ongoing Care
Spring cleanups, fall cleanups, and leaf removal are available three ways: as a one-time service, as an add-on to a design and installation project, or on a recurring schedule through the season.
Most of our landscape design and installation clients add cleanups because a new installation looks best when the beds get cut back, edged, and refreshed on a schedule. There is no requirement to bundle them.
Why Homeowners in Howard County and Carroll County Choose AJ’s
Residential focus. We work with homeowners, not commercial contracts.
No minimum project size. Small refreshes and full installations both get the same crew.
151+ five-star Google reviews from homeowners across the area.
Licensed and insured, MHIC #162071.
Locally owned and operated out of Woodbine, Maryland.
Custom design on every project, never a template plan.
Free on-site estimates with no obligation.
Areas We Serve
We provide landscape design and installation services to homeowners throughout Howard County and Carroll County, Maryland.
Frequently Asked Questions
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We serve homeowners throughout Howard County and Carroll County, Maryland, including Ellicott City, Clarksville, West Friendship, Glenwood, Marriottsville, Sykesville, Eldersburg, and Mount Airy. Our shop is in Woodbine, which sits right on the county line.
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No. AJ's Lawn & Landscape is residential only. Every landscape design and installation project we take on is for a homeowner.
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There is no minimum. We take on everything from a single bed refresh to a complete landscape installation, and both get the same attention.
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Yes. Every project starts with a design for your property, ranging from a full drawing and plan set to a detailed plant list depending on the scope, and we work through it with you before installation begins.
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Yes. We handle complete landscape removal, including overgrown shrubs, declining plant material, and root systems, before the new installation goes in.
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Yes. Both are installed as part of the landscape rather than added afterward, so irrigation coverage matches the planting plan and lighting wiring goes in before the beds are finished.
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Yes. Spring cleanups, fall cleanups, and leaf removal are available as one-time services, as add-ons to an installation project, or on a recurring schedule.
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Spring and fall are both good planting windows in Maryland. Fall installations give roots a full season to establish before summer heat arrives. We install through most of the year and will tell you if timing works against a particular plant.
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Yes. We install premium hardwood mulch, river rock, gravel, and decorative stone, along with bed edging to hold the line.
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Yes. Every landscape design and installation project starts with a free, no-obligation on-site consultation.
Ready to Start Your Landscape Project?
Whether you are refreshing the front beds or planning a complete landscape from the ground up, AJ's Lawn & Landscape is ready to walk the property with you.
Contact us to schedule your free landscape consultation and find out why homeowners across Howard County and Carroll County keep calling us back.