Category: News
Water Usage Restrictions
September 19, 2023On Friday, September 15, 2023, the York Water Company announced a mandatory non-essential water use restriction in all areas served by the York Water Company in Adams, Franklin, and York counties. This mandatory restriction comes as our region suffers from an annual rainfall deficit of over 12” to date.
While the restrictions announced on Friday are broad, they are not all-inclusive, and they apply to “non-essential” water use only. The York Water Company has offered a detailed list of permitted uses that are pertinent to your landscape and our livelihood here at Hively.
Below is a detailed description of permitted water uses, condensed for pertinence and clarity.
(1) The use of water for watering of grass*:
(ii) Water may be used to establish and maintain newly seeded and sodded grass areas when applied between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. by means of a bucket, can or hand-held hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle*, or when applied between the hours of 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. by any other means designed and operated to ensure effective conservation.
(iii) Water may be applied by a professional landscaper to establish and maintain newly seeded and sodded grass areas during working hours by any means designed and operated to ensure effective conservation.
(iv) Water may be used by professional landscapers or irrigation contractors for the purpose of testing newly installed or repaired irrigation equipment for a period not to exceed 10 minutes per irrigation zone.
(v) Water may be applied for the purpose of grub control one time during the effective period of the water supply restriction.
(3) The use of water for irrigation and watering of outdoor gardens, landscaped areas, trees, shrubs and other outdoor plants:
(ii) Water may be applied by means of a bucket, can, hand-held hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle*, or an irrigation system* that is designed and operated to restrict the timing or total volume of water and to restrict the application to specific plantings and that ensures effective conservation, when applied between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. Sources of water, other than public water, shall be used to the extent available.
(iii) Water may be used by nurseries to maintain stock, by a means that ensures effective conservation, only to the extent that sources of water other than public water adequate to supply needs are not available or feasible to use.
(v) Water may be used by a professional landscaper or irrigation contractor during working hours, by a means that ensures effective conservation.
(6) The use of any water for ornamental purposes, including fountains, artificial waterfalls, and reflecting pools:
(i) Fountains or waterfalls may be operated to perform the primary and necessary aeration function for a pond that supports fish life.
(ii) Water may be used to top off ornamental water gardens or fishponds to the minimum extent necessary to maintain fish and aquatic life.
*Watering established residential lawns is NOT a permitted use, regardless of application method.
*Automatic shut-off nozzle – a trigger style hose nozzle, or similar device, that requires continuous manual activation to permit water flow and automatically stops water flow when manual activation ceases.
*Irrigation system- a system that delivers water in a controlled and metered manner, directly to the root zone of the plant material, with timed runtimes and automatic on/off. Sprinklers that deliver water via a broadcast, overhead “rainfall” method are NOT a permitted irrigation system.
Hively Landscapes has been providing services to the greater York County area for over 55 years, and we take great pride in our role as a responsible corporate citizen of the county. We are your neighbors. We understand the important part we play as a role model, and that is why we strictly follow laws and guidelines from state and local municipalities and their partners, including utilities like the York Water Company.
Our livelihood depends on our natural resources, including water, and we work every day to conserve these resources that allow us to provide our services. This will continue as we work hard to ensure that you, our customer, receive the service you expect while we respect and protect our natural resources.
Please contact our office with any questions or comments.
Thank you,
Ted Ventre
Owner, York County resident, and York Water customer
Drought Conditions Starting Already
June 8, 2023Mother Nature can be both a friend and a foe, and when it comes to drought, there’s nothing friendly about her! During hot and dry spells, our lawns and landscape plants can really use our help to get by.
What Are the Signs of Drought Stress?
Different plants show different symptoms. Grass can turn bluish-green or brown in color, with footprints remaining in the turf after you’ve walked on it. Trees and shrubs usually have wilting, yellowing leaves when suffering from drought.
What You Should Do
Ideally, you’ll provide your lawn with 1″ to 1 1/2″ of water per week in the absence of rainfall. Your trees and shrubs will benefit from a deep weekly soaking as well. Naturally, if watering restrictions are in place, you should follow local guidelines for water conservation, watering your lawn, trees and shrubs whenever you can. You may also want to set priorities as to what gets watered first. Valuable specimen trees or anything that was recently planted (trees, shrubs or grass) should get special attention.
It’s very important to keep your lawn and landscape plants well fertilized. Mulching around trees, shrubs and planting beds is beneficial as well. These practices lead to deeper, denser root systems, making it easier for plants to withstand drought conditions (and related problems like insects and disease).
With proper watering, fertilizing and mulching, your lawn and landscape will be much better equipped for the hot, dry weather ahead of us!
Come Visit Us at the York Builders Home & Garden Show
January 31, 2018Hively Landscapes is proud to be a part of the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the York Builders Association Home & Garden Show. It’s a great event which we’ve found to be both fun and informative. If you’re interested in attending, take a moment to check out the details below.
What?
The 50th anniversary celebration of York Builders Association Home & Garden Show provides everything you need for your home or outdoors. This year will feature over 150 experts, along with stunning landscape displays and product demos for your home. There will also be loads of fun activities for children, making this a truly family-friendly event.
Hively Landscapes Gears Up to Give Back
April 10, 2015Working with Temple Beth Israel and their “Doing good for Goode” volunteer program, the employees of Hively Landscapes gives back with donating time and materials to help revitalize the courtyard landscape of the Alexander D Goode elementary school in downtown York city. Hively Landscapes will close its office and bring all employees to the school to donate 400 hours of labor in one day! The focus of the day will be to return the landscaping of the courtyard to its original attractive and useful state. Removing junk trees and shrubs, edging and mulching planting beds, repairing a pond and waterfall, re stacking stone walls and giving the students and teachers a place to use for learning and relaxing.
Landscape Design Team Recognized by the York Builders Association Remodeling Awards of Excellence
April 10, 2015- Jeff Bollinger Wins RAE Grand Award for Outdoor Design
- James Theisen Wins RAE Grand Award Outdoor Living Space
- Brian Waltersdorf Wins RAE Grand Award for Outdoor Specialty, the Peoples Choice Award and the JHMyers Judges Choice Award
John Zielinski Recognized as Environmental Educator of the Year in 2014
April 10, 2015For his dedication to the Envirothon program, Hively Designer John Zielinski has earned the distinguished honor of Environmental Educator of the Year from the York County Conservation District. John has coached Envirothon teams in the Northeastern school district for the past 11 years, sometimes coaching multiple teams in one competition!
Awarded for Landscape Excellence
November 7, 2013CONGRATULATIONS to:
Jeff Bollinger P.C.H and Brian Waltersdorf R.L.A.
Recipients of Pennsylvania Landscape & Nurseryman’s Association
Awards for Landscape Excellence
York Downtown First Award
February 22, 2013A Downtown First Award to
York Academy Regional Charter School
32 West North Street York, PA
Downtown, Inc. recognizes businesses, organizations, and individuals who put downtown first through their commitments of time, advocacy and resources.
Hively Landscapes is proud to be part of Simpson Station- A playgound and outdoor classroom
All of us at Hively Landscapes are extremely proud to have been involved in this project and we wish to thank the Simpson family, The Simpson Foundation, The Womens Giving Circle and the many many donors and volunteers who made this project possible. We also want to thank the York Academy board of directors for allowing the Playground Committee and our designers the latitude to design a remarkable and unique play space among landscape and public art. Thank You!!