Evergreen Contracting & Irrigation handles landscape lighting for homes throughout Mount Joy. This borough covers everything from pre-war brick to brand new construction. One plan does not suit both. We match the approach to the house and the block it sits on. Free estimates arrive within a week, and repairs are scheduled in 1 to 2 weeks.
Named for a Ship, Not a Mountain
Locals will correct you on this one. The name comes from the Mountjoy, a ship that broke the siege at Derry in 1689. Scots-Irish Protestants settled this corner of Lancaster County and brought the name with them. There is no mountain anywhere near here.
Three separate villages once sat where the borough is now. Mountjoy held the east, Richland the west, and Springville, later called Florin, sat beyond that. The first two joined together in 1851. Florin did not come in until 1963.
Lighting a New Build Before the Plants Grow In
A lot of the growth here has happened on the edges of town. On a new property, there is very little to work with. Beds are thin, trees are barely more than sticks, and the house is the only real feature. Most plans built for that moment look wrong within five years.
We design for the yard you will have, not just the one standing there today. Fixtures go where a mature shrub will not swallow them, with extra cable coiled for future adjustment. Early on, the architecture carries the plan. As the planting fills in, we shift aim and add fixtures rather than start again.
Getting a Big Old Tree Right
Lancaster County holds some remarkable trees. The Donegal congregation gathered under their Witness Tree in 1777 to pledge for the Revolution. Plenty of properties around here have an old specimen worth showing off. Most of them get lit badly.
One fixture jammed against the trunk produces a flat disc and a hot spot on the bark. A canopy is a three dimensional thing and needs to be treated like one. We set several units out near the drip line and aim them inward at different heights. The crown reads with real depth and the trunk stops glowing.
Three Villages, Three Different Streets
Downtown housing here mostly predates 1939. The outlying developments came decades later. Walk two blocks in this borough and the building stock changes underneath you.
Those houses want different treatment. An older brick front rewards low, raking light that picks up sills and mortar joints. A newer facade with wide siding has almost no texture, so raking light finds nothing and looks flat. There we work with shape, entryway, and planting instead. Same crew, different playbook.
Fixtures You Are Not Supposed to See
A good result at night means you notice the light and not the hardware. That gets forgotten more often than you would think. A row of bullet fixtures sitting proud of the mulch cheapens the whole effect in daylight too. Half our job is hiding the equipment.
Stakes get set so the housing sits down at mulch level rather than above it. Plant material screens the rest without blocking the beam. Near walkways we choose smaller housings that disappear into the bed. During the day the yard looks untouched, and at night the house does the talking.
Curb Appeal When the Photos Are Taken at Dusk
Homes here move quickly, and most listings now include a twilight shot. That photo is often the first thing a buyer sees of the property. A dark yard cannot produce one at all. A yard pushed too hard gives the camera a blown out mess instead.
A camera is far less forgiving than your eyes are. Balanced levels across the front matter more than raw brightness. We keep the facade even, hold the window glow warm, and let the beds sit softer. The house then photographs the way it actually looks in person.
What October Leaves Do to a System
Every fall the beds fill up, and low fixtures vanish under them. A covered lens loses most of its output overnight. Wet leaves also trap moisture right against the housing and hold heat in.
Where leaf load is heavy, we mount fixtures slightly higher rather than flush to the ground. Above-grade units clear themselves far better than recessed ones. A fall service visit clears whatever did collect and resets the aim. That single visit prevents most of the winter complaints we hear.
Working Inside a Historic District
Two parts of this borough carry National Register historic district status. Properties there deserve a lighter hand. Modern hardware bolted across a period front works against the building. The point is to show the house, not the fixtures.
We keep output modest and let the original detail lead. Warm tones suit old brick and painted wood far better than cool white. Mounting points are chosen to avoid drilling into anything original. Done properly, the house simply looks like itself after dark. The same restraint runs through our outdoor lighting work everywhere.
Why Choose Evergreen Contracting & Irrigation
Homeowners here do their research before hiring anyone. Here is what your project includes:
- Central PA properties in our hands since 2001
- One crew trained across irrigation and outdoor lighting
- A two year warranty on every new system we put in
- Manufacturer coverage riding along on the fixtures
- Reduced rates for veterans and active service members
- Service plans set monthly, quarterly, or by the season
- A family run company based over in Dauphin County
We work across northwestern Lancaster County, including nearby Elizabethtown and Marietta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our house is brand new and the yard is bare. Should we wait?
You do not have to. A bare property is actually easier to wire, since nothing established is in the way. The mistake is designing only for what is there right now. Small plants grow, and a fixture placed tight against a young shrub ends up buried inside it.
We plan around mature sizes from the start. Fixtures sit where the plant will not reach them. We leave extra cable coiled at each point for later adjustment. In the first few years the house itself carries the plan. As the beds fill in, we move aim and add units rather than rebuild the system.
We have a large old tree. How should it be lit?
Not with one fixture at the base, which is what usually happens. That produces a bright disc, a glowing trunk, and no depth at all. A big canopy has volume, and one source at the base flattens it completely.
We use several fixtures placed out toward the drip line, aimed inward and set at different heights. That crossing light reveals the layers inside the crown. Output stays modest so it never turns into a spotlight. We also leave slack in the wiring, because the tree will keep growing.
Do leaves really affect the fixtures?
More than people expect. A lens under wet leaves loses nearly all its output and traps moisture against the housing. Mounting slightly above grade helps a great deal. A fall clearing visit handles whatever still collects.
Our home is in a historic district. Is that a problem?
Not at all, it just calls for restraint. We keep levels low, use warm tones, and choose mounting points that avoid original material. The goal is that the building reads clearly and the hardware goes unnoticed.
Something has stopped working. How fast can you get here?
Repairs are scheduled inside 1 to 2 weeks. Most faults come down to a connection, a shifted fixture, or a failed lamp. Our repair team carries common parts on the truck. Free estimates for new work arrive within a week.
Contact Us
Evergreen Contracting & Irrigation is ready to walk your property. Free estimates arrive within a week, so nothing sits waiting on a quote. Repairs get booked inside 1 to 2 weeks. Seasonal service keeps the system performing long after install day.
Call (717) 533-0606 or contact us today to book your consultation and get your property lit properly.