VETERAN OWNED
Landscaping across Ralston
Ralston is about a 15 minute drive east from our shop at 7502 S 191st St, straight down Highway 370 or Harrison Street. We work across Ralston Square, Ralston Heights, the Seymour Smith area, and the established streets north of the Ralston Arena. Most Ralston homes are 1950s through 1970s ranch and split-level builds on established lots, which changes the project mix from the newer-build work we do further west.
Soil across Ralston is silt loam on the uplands sitting over a heavy clay subsoil, consistent with the glacial till that runs through most of Douglas County. That mix is workable for planting beds once amended with compost, but it creates drainage and frost-heave problems on patios and retaining walls if the base is rushed. A lot of cracked patios we replace in Ralston were installed in the 80s and 90s without enough base rock for the soil.
Ralston runs its own city government, fire department, and building department, separate from Omaha despite being surrounded by it. Permits go through the City of Ralston, not Omaha Planning. Most residential landscape work needs no permit. Retaining walls four feet or taller do. We pull the permit when it applies and keep copies with your project file.
What we do in Ralston
Landscape design
Full-yard plans with site drawings, plant selection based on zone 5b hardiness, and phased installation when scope runs big. Good fit for older Ralston ranch homes getting a full reset after 30-plus years of the original landscape, plus smaller-scale refreshes for homeowners planning to stay put long term.
Hardscape and patios
Paver patios, natural stone, and stamped concrete. On Ralston's older lots the existing grade and buried utilities are both considerations, so we locate lines before digging and plan the patio layout around what we find. Base depth to frost and drainage into the grade are how we keep the install from failing.
Retaining walls
Segmental block and natural stone. Under four feet, no permit. Four feet and taller, pulled through the City of Ralston. On the slopes common to Ralston's older neighborhoods we size base rock heavier and run drainage behind the wall, because clay backfill pushes walls over in winter if the drainage is skipped.
Outdoor kitchens
Built-in grills, fire features, and covered seating that ties into the patio. Gas and electrical coordinated through licensed subs. Ralston lots are often smaller than the newer-build metro subdivisions, so layout planning matters for keeping the space functional without crowding.
Softscape and plantings
Shrub installation, bed renovation, tree planting, and mulch. Plant selection biased toward species that handle mature tree shade on established Ralston lots, plus wind-hardy picks for the more open corner properties. Bed renovation on older yards often means removing decades of root-bound shrubs before we plant new.
Flower beds and seasonal color
Annual rotations, perennial beds, and deep-set edging. Ralston lots tend to have mature street trees, so bloom timing and species are picked to work with partial shade through the growing season. Something in color from May through October, with evergreen structure for winter.
Snow removal
Residential driveways and walks, plus commercial lots. November through March. Route spots open first-come around Labor Day. Ralston fills fast on the residential side because repeat annual contracts lock up capacity, so new accounts should reach out early.
Ralston landscaping questions
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Ralston?
Retaining walls under four feet do not need a permit in Ralston. Four feet and taller, or walls supporting a driveway or above-ground pool, need a building permit from the City of Ralston. Ralston has its own permit office, not shared with Omaha despite being surrounded by it. We pull permits when they apply and keep copies with your project file. Older properties may also need a utility locate before digging.
How do you work around mature trees on older Ralston lots?
A lot of Ralston yards have 40 to 60 year old trees with root systems that extend well past the drip line. Before we dig for a patio or wall, we map out the major roots and plan the layout to avoid cutting the structural ones. Where the plan has to cross, we use root bridging techniques and pick paver sizes that allow the tree to live. If a tree is already in decline we flag that during the quote.
When should I book a spring project in Ralston?
We start booking spring projects in January. Ralston spots usually fill by March because our repeat homeowners tend to book back-to-back seasons. Install windows run from the last hard frost, usually mid to late April, through November for hardscape. Fall is strong for tree and shrub planting because the roots settle in before summer stress. Snow removal contracts run November through March.
How do you handle drainage on older Ralston lots?
Ralston lots are often graded from the original build with drainage pointed at old storm sewer tie-ins that may not handle modern rainfall events. For patios and walls we regrade to pull water away from the house, oversize the base gravel, and run drain tile where the existing grade puts water against the structure. On low-lying lots we amend planting beds with compost and pick species that tolerate wet feet in spring.
Owned by United States Air Force veteran Hunter Willimon. Omaha-based at 7502 S 191st St, our team brings a 5.0 Google rating and artisanal precision to every site.
Reach out for a free Ralston landscaping estimate today.
Get a free estimate for your Ralston project
Call (402) 880-7187 or fill out the contact form. We respond within one business day. Divine is based at 7502 S 191st St, Omaha, NE 68136, serving Ralston and the surrounding metro.