This Month's Landscaping Tip
Every month we will post a landscaping tip here for you to use. Stop back
regularly for more information, or if you need questions answered,
E-Mail us
We will try to answer as many questions as possible.
Tip for December
Landscaping is all about planning, being sure you put the right plant in the
right spot. One of the most common mistakes homeowners make is just
that, wrong plant in the wrong spot. Other common mistakes are; using
plants that are too small, spaced too close together, and always planted too
close to the house. These mistakes are all easily cured in the planning
process, but often costly and time consuming to cure later in the years after
you notice that the plants are growing together, growing into the side of the
house or the eve's, or growing out over a walkway. The biggest tip I can
give a prospective homeowner/landscaper wanna be, is read the label. All
plants have Horticultural information on the plant tag, or available if there is
no tag. Don't buy a plant for your place just because it's cute, and on sale at
one of the big box stores. Buy plants based on the plan you have drawn up,
and because that plant is in the plan. This way you will have a uniform
landscape with matching plants in the spots they are supposed to be in.
Work from a plan, even if it takes you years to complete the plan, start with
a plan. This way everything you plant 3 years from now will tie together
with what you plant today, a theme if you will, carries through the entire
landscape.
If you need detailed information on Landscape Design, Landscape
installation, or Landscape Maintenance, order our Landscape Design and
Installation E-Book. Only $9.95 it is ordered online and you receive it by
e-mail withing 24 hours and save shipping and handling charges. Written in
simple terms, it explains how to go about designing, and installing a
landscape at your home. We tell you how we go about Designing and
Installing major Landscapes. You can do it too, if you have the patience, a
strong back and lot's of time. .
Every month we will post a landscaping tip here for you to use. Stop back
regularly for more information, or if you need questions answered,
E-Mail us
We will try to answer as many questions as possible.
Tip for December
Landscaping is all about planning, being sure you put the right plant in the
right spot. One of the most common mistakes homeowners make is just
that, wrong plant in the wrong spot. Other common mistakes are; using
plants that are too small, spaced too close together, and always planted too
close to the house. These mistakes are all easily cured in the planning
process, but often costly and time consuming to cure later in the years after
you notice that the plants are growing together, growing into the side of the
house or the eve's, or growing out over a walkway. The biggest tip I can
give a prospective homeowner/landscaper wanna be, is read the label. All
plants have Horticultural information on the plant tag, or available if there is
no tag. Don't buy a plant for your place just because it's cute, and on sale at
one of the big box stores. Buy plants based on the plan you have drawn up,
and because that plant is in the plan. This way you will have a uniform
landscape with matching plants in the spots they are supposed to be in.
Work from a plan, even if it takes you years to complete the plan, start with
a plan. This way everything you plant 3 years from now will tie together
with what you plant today, a theme if you will, carries through the entire
landscape.
If you need detailed information on Landscape Design, Landscape
installation, or Landscape Maintenance, order our Landscape Design and
Installation E-Book. Only $9.95 it is ordered online and you receive it by
e-mail withing 24 hours and save shipping and handling charges. Written in
simple terms, it explains how to go about designing, and installing a
landscape at your home. We tell you how we go about Designing and
Installing major Landscapes. You can do it too, if you have the patience, a
strong back and lot's of time. .
Landscaping Tips
Design And Install The Landscape of Your
Dreams
Design And Install The Landscape of Your
Dreams
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| Get Your Landscape ready for Winter Winter is coming and your Lawn and Landscape will need a few things to prepare for the winter. First, if you have an irrigation system you will need to winterize it, or have it done. A sprinkler system that freezes is just going to cost you a bunch of money next spring when you turn it on. Most companies who install them will come winterize them for you for a small fee. Usually the irrigation lines and heads are blown out with an air compressor removing all of the water from the lines. Cut back any perennials that have died back. Cutting back the dormant, dead foliage gets the plant ready for next year, and will leave your beds looking much cleaner through the winter. A layer of mulch will help protect the landscape plants by providing insulation from the cold and wind. Mulching always looks best when done in the spring, but fall is actually better for the landscape plants. Any heavy pruning you plan to do on your landscape plants and trees should be done when the plants are dormant. After the leaves have fallen off of the tree's it's safe to do some serious pruning. Most plants will recover nicely from a hard pruning done in the fall or winter while the temperatures are cooler. Done in the heat of summer, a lot of landscape plants will die from the severe cut back. Another benefit of winter cutting is that the spring will bring a flush of new growth to cover up the stubs from pruning back so much. Any tender non-hardy plants will need to be taken in if your going to try to keep them over for next year. Some tropical plants like banana tree, or other tropicals will make it through the winter in some borderline areas, if put inside where they can stay warm and have direct sunlight from windows. Sunrooms are great of course, and better yet a green house. Sometimes it's just easier to toss the plants out and buy new landscape plants next spring than to try to find a spot to keep them over. If you have an automatic sprinkler system now is the time to winterize it before it gets real cold. Most systems as designed with a blow out valve on them somewhere to hook an air compressor to so you can blow all the water out of the system. You will find what looks like a tire valve stem hooked to the pipe somewhere, this takes a standard air chuck like you would use to air up your car tire. The sprinkler lines get pressurized by the air and discharge the water through the heads. You will need to first turn off the water supply to your sprinkler system, then set your compressor to about 40# max of pressure, then pump up the system. Go to your timer and set the timer to go through a test cycle, or manually open the valves one at a time after pumping up the system each time. It is a fairly simple process and will protect your irrigation system from freezing and breaking the irrigation lines or sprinkler heads. |
How are your mature tree's looking? Those large Oaks, Hickory, Pine, Elm, Ash, etc. can benefit from a fall deep root feeding. This
is something that may require you to call a Lawn Care Company or an Arborist who has the equipment to do the deep root injection
of the fertilizer. Another great new product available to treat trees is a systemic insecticide. If you have borers or any insects on
the trees, or if you just have sickly looking trees you should have them looked at, many times it is caused from a parasite on the
trees like borers. If you have woodpeckers hitting your trees there is a good chance you have insects in the tree doing it damage.
The injectable systemic insecticide works kind of like a flu shot people. The insecticide is injected into the root zone of the tree,
then as the tree comes out of dormancy it will take the insecticide up into the tree protecting the tree from insects for the entire
season. This will most likely need to be done by a certified applicator, contact one in your local area, it is well worth the expense.
Some things you can do yourself, others are best, and safest, left to professional applicators.
is something that may require you to call a Lawn Care Company or an Arborist who has the equipment to do the deep root injection
of the fertilizer. Another great new product available to treat trees is a systemic insecticide. If you have borers or any insects on
the trees, or if you just have sickly looking trees you should have them looked at, many times it is caused from a parasite on the
trees like borers. If you have woodpeckers hitting your trees there is a good chance you have insects in the tree doing it damage.
The injectable systemic insecticide works kind of like a flu shot people. The insecticide is injected into the root zone of the tree,
then as the tree comes out of dormancy it will take the insecticide up into the tree protecting the tree from insects for the entire
season. This will most likely need to be done by a certified applicator, contact one in your local area, it is well worth the expense.
Some things you can do yourself, others are best, and safest, left to professional applicators.