About The Author

Todd Thomasson

Todd Thomasson, founder of Rock Water Farm Landscapes & Hardscapes, grew up on his family’s working beef cattle farm in Danville, where he learned the value of hard work from his parents. In 2005, he combined that work ethic with his Landscape & Turf Management degree from Virginia Tech to establish the company, serving as the lead stone mason and landscape designer, creating exceptional outdoor spaces with craftsmanship and attention to detail.

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5 Common Lawn Care Myths That Are Actually Ruining Your Grass

Posted On: July 22,2026 By: Rock Water Farm

If lawn care advice were always accurate, every yard would look like a golf course. Instead, homeowners are often bombarded with well-intentioned tips from neighbors, family members, and the occasional stranger who insists mowing the grass "extra short" is the secret to a perfect lawn. Unfortunately, some of the most common recommendations do more harm than good. Healthy turf comes down to separating long-standing myths from the lawn carepractices that actually support strong, resilient grass.

well-maintained paver walkway and plantings

6 Landscape Maintenance Tasks For Your Northern Virginia Yard

Posted On: July 11,2022 By: Todd Thomasson

When it comes to keeping your landscape looking pristine all year, you might feel a tad overwhelmed. After all, year-round landscape maintenance is no small feat! It’s not only back-breaking, exhausting work, but there is a lot that needs to be done.

Are These Landscaping Tricks or Landscaping Mistakes? What To Avoid

Posted On: December 03,2021 By: Todd Thomasson

There are plenty of so-called "landscaping tricks" out there. You may have heard of some of them or possibly even tried a few. While everyone likes a simple solution, the problem with a lot of landscaping services is that they’re really just shortcuts. And when you take shortcuts with your landscape, it’s usually at an expense.

What to Do About Standing Water in Your Landscape Beds

Posted On: June 17,2021 By: Todd Thomasson

Standing water in your landscape beds can cause a number of unwanted problems. These areas can become breeding hot spots for mosquitoes, cause water-logged plants that don’t perform well, and create conditions where diseases can run rampant. It can also make your plant bed areas a muddy mess.

Spring Irrigation startup service checklist for Ashburn, Aldie, and Leesburg, VA

Your Complete Irrigation Start-up Checklist for Northern Virginia

Posted On: March 15,2021 By: Todd Thomasson

You’ve invested in irrigation at your Northern Virginia home because you value a lush lawn and thriving plants. You know that adequate water is of vital importance in achieving that feat and so it’s important to you that your system is operating properly. You may be worried that your sprinkler system might be damaged, cause leaks, or not work properly for the upcoming year. That’s why you may want to know what’s required in order to get your system up and running properly.

professionaly landscaped lawn in virginia

A Complete Spring Landscape Maintenance Checklist for Northern Virginia Homeowners

Posted On: February 28,2021 By: Todd Thomasson

As spring rolls around each year, you want your landscape to be ready to enjoy as soon as possible. There simply isn’t enough warm weather to waste any of it trying to get your property caught up.

While you may have even hired landscaping services in to handle spring maintenance for you, if you haven’t chosen a proactive company, then you might not be getting the services you really want or need in a timely manner.

In fact, if you’ve hired an order-taking, reactive landscape company who waits until you notice problems to do anything about them, then you might find you aren’t able to truly get the full enjoyment out of your property.

Pools & Lawns: How to Have the Best of Both Worlds at Your Northern VA Home

Posted On: June 15,2020 By: Todd Thomasson

The lawn and landscape around a pool is an important aspect to your overall enjoyment of your backyard. You might be someone that loves having a lawn both for its beauty but also the functional space that it allows you. Being able to play yard games when you and your family (or friends) are not in the pool might be part of your entertainment. Or perhaps you have a pet that needs to use the lawn.

How Does a Mild Winter in South Riding, VA Impact Your Landscaping?

Posted On: April 08,2020 By: Todd Thomasson

Mild winters might be nice if you’re someone who doesn’t like the cold but they can definitely have an impact on your South Riding, VA landscaping in a variety of ways—some of which you might deem problematic. Being “ahead of schedule” may not only mean early grass growth and early blooming of some of your landscape plants, but it can also mean the unwanted appearance of weeds and pests.

Fall Landscaping Checklist For Northern Virginia: Tips to Fall Cleanup and Reduce Costs

Posted On: September 21,2018 By: Todd Thomasson

Come fall, it’s easy for any landscape to start looking a bit unkempt. Your yard may appear littered with fallen leaves and branches, have messy ornamental grasses or shrubs that look overgrown, or have plant beds that could use a fresh coat of mulch.

Even so, as the weather cools off and you’re probably spending less time in your yard, you might have thought about just putting off any landscaping until the spring.

Unfortunately, failing to perform some fall landscaping cleanup can leave you with such a mess in the spring that it’s much more time-consuming and costly when you do get around to landscaping.