Meet the Expert: Mark Schmitt of Schmitt's Landscape Company

This month, The Shiny Bubble sat down with Mark Schmitt of Schmitt's Landscape Company to talk about something every homeowner sees every day but may not always think about—maintaining the landscape around their home.

Mark shared some straightforward advice about lawn care, drainage, pavers, seasonal maintenance, and the small things homeowners can do to keep their property looking great and avoid expensive problems.

Location: 26W109 Embden Ln, Wheaton, IL 60189

Phone: (630) 449-7410

Website: schmittslandscape.com

Serving Wheaton and the DuPage County Area

Mark: One of the biggest mistakes is focusing too much on price and trying to figure out the "perfect" time to do the work.

Your landscaping is something you see every day, and keeping a property looking good is really a year-round process. You can't wait until everything is overgrown or looking bad and then expect one visit to solve everything. Weekly maintenance—mowing, taking care of planting areas, maintaining hardscapes, and keeping everything clean—is what makes the biggest difference over time.

Mark: Sprinkler systems.

They're definitely useful in certain situations, but I think they're overrated for a lot of DuPage County homeowners. Around here, you're realistically using the system for maybe four months out of the year.

Before automatically installing an irrigation system, I'd look at the property, the landscaping, and how much watering is actually necessary. Just because something is common doesn't necessarily mean every property needs it.

Mark: Drainage. Absolutely.

You need to maintain good drainage and keep water moving away from the house. A small drainage issue might not look like much initially, but if water continually collects around the foundation or doesn't have somewhere to go, you can eventually have much bigger problems.

Good drainage is one of those things homeowners don't always notice—until it isn't working.

Mark: There are really three parts to it.

A spring cleanup is mandatory after an Illinois winter. Then you've got your regular weekly maintenance throughout the growing season. Finally, you need fall cleanup and preparation before winter arrives.

The weekly maintenance is really important. Staying ahead of mowing, weeds, planting beds, debris, and general upkeep is much easier than trying to restore everything after it has been neglected for a couple of months.

Mark: I'm a big believer in pavers.

They're relatively easy to incorporate into a landscape and can make a tremendous difference in the appearance and usefulness of a property. A paver patio, walkway, or other hardscape can really improve an outdoor space.

The other side of that investment is maintenance. Pavers should be cleaned annually. If you've invested in a beautiful hardscape, keeping it clean and maintained helps preserve the appearance and overall value it adds to the property.

Mark: The first thing I'd watch is drainage. Pay attention to where water goes after a heavy rain.

With hardscapes, look for pavers that are beginning to sink or shift. Properly installed paving should last—we stand behind our paving work with a 10-year guarantee—so movement or sinking is something that deserves attention.

I'd also keep an eye on your trees. If a tree starts showing signs of disease, don't ignore it. The earlier you recognize a problem, the more options you usually have.

Mark: Bigger homes usually mean bigger yards, and bigger yards naturally require more maintenance.

But regardless of the size of the property, homeowners need to stay on top of weekly and monthly maintenance. Planting beds and bed coverings are particularly important. Once those areas get neglected, weeds and other problems can take over quickly.

The key is consistency.

Mark: The materials have gotten much better, particularly in hardscaping.

We're seeing continued improvements in products such as Unilock pavers, along with better materials and much better color retention. Homeowners have more choices today, and the products can maintain their appearance much better than some of the older materials.

That gives us a lot more flexibility when we're designing an outdoor space.

Mark: Every home is different, but I'd start with two things: drainage and your lawn.

Look at where the water is going around your house. You want it moving away from the home instead of collecting around it.

For your lawn, keep the grass around 3 to 3½ inches tall. Cutting it too short can damage the lawn, but letting it grow too long isn't healthy either. Keeping it at the right height is one of the simplest things you can do to maintain healthy grass.

Mark: It's usually the simple maintenance things that got away from them.

Mulching should be taken care of around May or June. Weeds need to be pulled before they have an opportunity to spread. And don't let garbage, leaves, and other debris accumulate throughout the landscape.

None of those things seems like a major problem on its own. But when you put them off, they compound quickly.

That's really the message I'd give homeowners: don't wait for your landscaping to look bad before you maintain it. A little attention throughout the year is much easier and usually much less expensive than trying to bring a neglected property back.

Mark's advice boils down to one theme: neglect compounds. A little water pooling by the foundation, a little algae on the pavers, a little grime on the siding, none of it looks urgent on its own. But left alone through a DuPage summer, small stuff turns into big repair bills. Just like Mark recommends annual paver cleaning to protect that hardscape investment, regular pressure washing keeps siding, walkways, and driveways from breaking down before their time. Staying ahead of it is always cheaper than restoring it.