Flagstone patio with a fresh black-mulch bed and ornamental grasses, installed by Riverside Landscaping in Arnold, MD

Landscaping, patios and erosion control in Arnold, MD

Hardscape that stays put and landscapes that handle wind, salt and runoff on Arnold's sandy slopes.

SERVING ARNOLD, MD

On a peninsula, water finds the low spot fast.

Arnold's Broadneck peninsula is bordered by the Magothy River and Chesapeake Bay creeks. That means beautiful views and some properties with slopes, lighter sandy soils and fast-moving runoff. When it rains hard, topsoil and mulch travel; when the wind blows, salt and moisture come with it. A good Arnold landscape starts by controlling where water goes, then building and planting for the exposure.

Projects for Arnold homes

A recent Arnold job: hand-laid flagstone walkway

Every flagstone on this Arnold walkway was hand-laid, fitted and leveled, and the walkway curves between two planting islands we built and planted. Before: loose stepping stones set in dirt and patchy grass on the way to the deck. After: a wide flagstone walkway with tight joints that runs from the deck stairs around the two islands and out toward the pool. The second row shows the job partway through and finished, seen from the lower deck; the third shows the curve toward the pool and a close look at the stonework by the deck steps. We also worked on the white backyard shed on the same property: a new mulch bed with stone edging now sits at the end of the shed (fourth row) and another beside its door (fifth row), where shrubs stood before, and a flagstone pad was laid in front of the shed door (last photo). Learn more: Hardscaping & Patios

Before: loose flagstone stepping stones set in dirt and patchy grass leading to a backyard deck in Arnold, MD, before a new flagstone walkway by Riverside Landscaping

After: wide hand-laid flagstone walkway with tight joints leading to the deck stairs of the same Arnold, MD home, by Riverside Landscaping

In progress: flagstone walkway being laid around two newly built planting islands, seen from the lower deck of an Arnold, MD home, by Riverside Landscaping

Finished: flagstone walkway wrapping around a black-mulch island with ornamental grasses, seen from the lower deck of the same Arnold, MD home, by Riverside Landscaping

Hand-laid flagstone walkway curving around one of two planting islands toward a fenced pool in an Arnold, MD backyard, by Riverside Landscaping

Close view of fitted flagstone with tight joints near the deck steps of an Arnold, MD home, by Riverside Landscaping

Before: shrubs growing along the end of a white backyard shed at an Arnold, MD home, before a new mulch bed by Riverside Landscaping

After: new black mulch bed with stone edging, shrubs and ornamental grasses at the end of the same white shed in Arnold, MD, by Riverside Landscaping

Before: overgrown shrubs beside the door of a white backyard shed at an Arnold, MD home, before a new mulch bed by Riverside Landscaping

After: new black mulch bed with stone edging and two shrubs beside the door of the same white shed in Arnold, MD, by Riverside Landscaping

Flagstone pad laid in front of a white backyard shed door at an Arnold, MD home, by Riverside Landscaping

A recent Arnold job: gravel bed makeover

This Arnold home got a simple, low-maintenance makeover of the stone beds along its brick walls: weeds removed, borders reshaped, rocks repositioned and a fresh layer of white stone added. The first row shows the bed by the side door before and after; the second shows the bed along the front wall. Learn more: Landscape Design & Installation

Before: thin, weedy strip of old stone along the brick wall by a side door of an Arnold, MD home, before a gravel bed makeover by Riverside Landscaping

After: wider bed of fresh white stone with a clean border along the brick wall by the same side door in Arnold, MD, by Riverside Landscaping

Before: patchy old stone and weeds in the bed along the brick front wall of an Arnold, MD home, before a makeover by Riverside Landscaping

After: fresh white stone bed with a clean, reshaped border along the brick front wall of the same Arnold, MD home, by Riverside Landscaping

A recent Arnold job: new beds and plantings for two family homes

One job, two Arnold homes in the same family. At the first home, an olive-green house, we added new mulch beds planted with ornamental grasses and shrubs along a picket fence, running beside the home's existing paver walkway (first two rows). At the second home, a blue two-story, we added a mulch bed with grasses and shrubs around a utility box in the front yard (last two rows). Learn more: Landscape Design & Installation

New planted mulch bed along a picket fence beside the existing paver walkway at an olive-green home in Arnold, MD, by Riverside Landscaping

New mulch bed with ornamental grasses and shrubs along a picket fence at an Arnold, MD home, by Riverside Landscaping

Ornamental grasses and shrubs in a fresh mulch bed at an Arnold, MD home, by Riverside Landscaping

Planted mulch bed along a picket fence at an Arnold, MD home, by Riverside Landscaping

New mulch bed with ornamental grasses and shrubs around a utility box in front of a blue two-story home in Arnold, MD, by Riverside Landscaping

Front view of a new mulch bed with grasses and shrubs around a utility box at a blue two-story home in Arnold, MD, by Riverside Landscaping

Close view of a new mulch bed with shrubs and grasses around a utility box in an Arnold, MD front yard, by Riverside Landscaping

Side view of a new mulch bed with grasses and shrubs around a utility box in the front yard of a blue two-story home in Arnold, MD, by Riverside Landscaping

Built for the exposure

Hardscape that stays put

A properly prepared base and a design that sheds water so patios don't settle or shift. Learn more: Hardscaping & Patios

Beds that don't wash out

Mulch beds with swales and grading that slow runoff; we've built a mulch bed swale in Arnold. Learn more: Drainage & Grading

Plants that tolerate the site

Salt-, wind- and drought-tolerant choices for open or waterfront exposure. Learn more: Landscape Design & Installation

If your property slopes toward the water

Erosion starts upslope. Roof, driveway and lawn runoff concentrate and cut channels; fix the water, then the slope.
Retaining and seating walls can stabilize grade breaks and create level terraces. — Retaining Walls
Shoreline buffer rules. Properties near tidal water and wetlands can fall within Chesapeake Bay Critical Area limits on clearing and construction.

Arnold, Broadneck and the Severn and Magothy.

Arnold sits on the Broadneck peninsula between the Magothy and Severn rivers, with Severna Park to the northwest and Annapolis to the southwest, and its Severn-side communities run from Rugby Hall to Pines-on-the-Severn. Arnold, Maryland (Wikipedia) That means open exposure, creek-side lots and slopes that run toward the water. Rules and soils vary by property, so we'll help you confirm what applies to yours:

Sandy ground and fast runoff. Soils near the shoreline are often sandy and fast-draining, which lets nutrients move through and makes mulch and topsoil easy to wash out. Native plantings, downspout redirection and rain gardens help. Waterfront Homeowners Guide Check your own lot with the USDA Web Soil Survey.
Slope work and grading. The County's Standard Grading Plan is meant for small, simple jobs and excludes steep slopes (15 percent or greater) and disturbance near tidal water, so shoreline slope work may need a full grading permit. Standard Grading Plan · Grading permits
Buffer and Critical Area. Within 1,000 feet of tidal water, the 100-foot Buffer can expand for steep slopes and erodible soils, and clearing or pruning there generally needs an approved plan. Anne Arundel County: Critical Area · Vegetation Management Plans
Wind and salt exposure. The County's native plant list is a good place to start for tough, local plantings on open or shoreline sites.

Patios and walls on a slope

On a sloping Arnold lot, a patio or seating wall needs drainage and edge support planned in from the start, and residential retaining walls over 24 inches need a County permit. Anne Arundel County: Do I need a permit? See Retaining Walls, Hardscaping & Patios and Drainage & Grading.

What our clients say

“Had a wonderful experience. … has been great, kind, courteous and gone above and beyond to help us with our landscaping project. Could not be happier. Thank you!!”

— Tali M., Google review

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Frequently asked questions

Can you stop erosion on a sloped Arnold lot?

Often. The first step is controlling runoff with swales, drains or regrading, followed by walls, planting or mulch beds as appropriate. We'll evaluate the slope at your free on-site estimate.

What kind of patio holds up on sandy or sloped ground?

A properly excavated, compacted base is what keeps a patio stable regardless of soil. On slopes we plan drainage and edge support carefully. We'll recommend a design at your estimate.

What plants do well in Arnold's wind and salt exposure?

Choices depend on how exposed your site is. We select salt-tolerant, wind-tolerant and drought-tolerant plants for open or shoreline conditions.

Do I need a grading permit to fix erosion on my Arnold lot?

Possibly. The County's Standard Grading Plan covers small, simple jobs and excludes steep slopes and work near tidal water, so slope work close to the shoreline may need a grading permit instead. We'll help you work out what to confirm. See Standard Grading Plan and Grading permits.

Can I plant or clear near the shoreline in Arnold?

Plant, yes, with the right species, and clearing is regulated. Vegetation in the 100-foot Buffer generally can't be removed or pruned without an approved plan, and the County encourages native plantings near the water. See the native plant list and Vegetation Management Plans.

Do you serve all of Arnold, including the Severn River communities?

Yes. We serve Arnold, including communities along the Severn River from Rugby Hall to Pines-on-the-Severn, and neighboring Severna Park and Annapolis. Call 443-333-3136 or request a free on-site estimate.

Riverside Landscaping is licensed, bonded and insured in Maryland (MHIC #160581).

Arnold, let's look at your slope.

Free on-site estimates. We'll get back to you quickly to schedule yours. Call 443-333-3136 or request a free estimate online.

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