Lawn care requires a reasonably high amount of attention. While not the single most labor- or time-intensive aspect of the landscapes around our homes, lawn care does require some attention to detail. Regimes concerning lawn mowing, fertilizing and watering face us all with the necessity to try and wrestle with something usually enjoyable, yet often challenging, time wise. I know that from the perspective of one who installs entire lawn and garden systems, from grass to irrigation, seeing my product taken good care of means I will have a sense of pride and design ownership for long years

Generally, I install places and then leave. I acquaint clients with the systems of course and generally leave a sheet with instructions and tips. I also recommend certain lawn care professionals. For me, I generally recommend Tru Green – who have provided great services for me over a long period of years. I realize the actual amount of time couples and families have for the work. Installing the landscape itself is a chore some folks take on by themselves. Obviously, I make my living with those who are reluctant to take on such high-energy, high labor tasks, especially in newer homes. In this day and age when everyone is necessarily busy making a living, it can be a delight watching someone else provide your lawn care services at reasonable rates.

And, before I pound the lawn notion into the ground, businesses who provide lawn care also provide analyses of tree and plant issues. Being the professionals they are, they have a professional interest in seeing every growing thing in a landscape do well. It is not only a reflection on them, it is just good business. These lawn care pros can analyze issues such as diseases, pests, and over- or under-watering issues in the midst of their daily routines and recommend some easy cures.

My interest is in seeing a home owner’s investment pay off in beauty and natural enjoyment of their landscapes. Lawn care and what good attention to detail and progress can provide is the real secret behind good-looking and long-lasting landscapes.

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Lawn mowing is usually seen as a chore, but it can be good exercise, a mental relaxant and an important way to maintain a lush growth in your lawn. Always try and mow the lawn when it is dry, at least twelve hours after it has been watered. Mowing a wet lawn helps spread weeds and fungi, because they get a conducive environment to grow at a new spot. If a lawn is mowed when dry, chances of this are reduced.

Additionally, your mower would fare better in the long run.When mowing your lawn, it is good to let it grow to at least 2-3 inches of length, and cut only 1/3 the grass length. This is because cutting more traumatizes the grass and leaves it unable to recover from the mowing. If for some reason you have let your lawn grow longer, maybe 4-6 inches, you still cut 1/3 the length, wait for some time, and cut the rest of the length at a second session to bring it down to 2-3 inches.

Always remember that a higher mowing lets the grass retain its strength, and scalping a lawn leaves it vulnerable to diseases and parasites, as well as making it unsightly.Direction of mowing is important, alternately mow the lawn vertically and then horizontally. For a neat look, mow diagonally. Ensure your mower blade is sharp, so it cuts easily, instead of hacking and cutting, damaging the grass all the while. Leave the cut parts on the lawn so they can naturally decompose and provide nutrients to the lawn.

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• For a Healthy Lawn, Go Organic!

Research says that chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides used in lawns can be carcinogenic, and increase the presence of harmful nitrates in drinking water wells. An easier healthy alternative is to go organic.

To get the lushest lawn possible, research well on the varieties of grasses that do well in your climate before planting the lawn, and select the right mixture of grasses. Also figure out the watering time required, so that the roots are strong and less vulnerable to disease. Aerate the lawn so that compacted soil is loosened and water does not run off, but soaks into the ground, this will eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.

Ensure that you do not have a layer of clippings and dead grass more than an inch thick by regular but controlled de-thatching, so that you do not get fungus, and the water reaches the roots. Apply organic fertilizer containing bonemeal, fish emulsion and manure early in summer so that the grass gets time to harden for winter.

Make sure you mow properly using a sharp blade, because dull blades tear the grass leaving them vulnerable to disease, and do not mow down to less than 3 inches in summer. Let the occasional weed hang in there, because going for bust will mean using chemicals.

Use weed control products containing corn gluten meal to prevent weeds. In short, going organic is all about growing wiser, trying to prevent damage before it happens, and growing a healthy lawn without risking family health.

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When you put a pool in your back yard, it already looks nice. The truth is, you don’t have to do very much to it to make it look nice. As long as you keep it clean, having a pool makes your backyard look great! However, you can do much more to make it look even better so that when people come over, their jaws drop. The best thing that you can do to better spruce up your pool is to add some swimming pool landscaping.
Swimming pool landscaping makes your backyard look like a spot straight out of paradise. Whenever you have a pool party or just have a few guests over for drinks, they will undoubtedly remark on your swimming-pool landscaping. That’s because not only does your backyard look great because you have a pool, the landscaping makes it look so much better.
Swimming-pool landscaping doesn’t just have to mean putting a bunch of flowers in the ground. Swimming pool landscaping can include a deck, trees, flowers and much more. You can find a pool landscaping business to do the landscaping for you or you can do it yourself. You’ll definitely save money doing your swimming pool landscaping yourself, all that money in labor can quickly add up, and many gardening stores will sell you everything you need to make your backyard and pool look great.

Plan Your Landscaping Before You Break Ground
If you are going to do the pool landscaping yourself, you should first do your homework and know what you’re doing. You can’t just plant a bunch of flowers and tell everyone it’s landscaping. Your landscaping should be planned out so that you don’t get overcrowding, too much spacing or, worse, you don’t want an ugly yard.
Ask plenty of questions from those in the know or do an internet search to educate yourself as much as possible in the correct way to apply pool landscaping. You can make patters and get complicated with it or you can go simple, it all depends on what you want to do and how much you can afford. Ask around, shop around for the best deals and you can get the best looking backyard in the neighborhood.
Swimming pool landscaping will truly make a difference in how your backyard and your pool looks.
A wealth of information about this type of landscaping can be found through a number of locations:

• 1) The Internet – A favorite search engine
• 2) The Library – Don’t forget about free books!
• 3) A Bookstore – Again, books are full of useful information.
• 4) A Home And Garden Shop – Ask the workers, look at the supplies, read their books
• 5) Ask your people in your neighborhood

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If you want your garden to provide a sense of peace and tranquility, adding some simple Japanese style landscaping ideas will make your goal easy to accomplish. Whether you have a small patio garden or a huge landscape, you can incorporate Japanese style elements into your garden.

In general, Japanese style gardens do not contains a huge variety of plants or a rainbow of color. They are not perfectly symmetrical, nor lavish. They are, however, elegant and timeless and bring a welcomed break from the hustle and bustle of daily life in the modern world. They are places for meditation, contemplation, and thought. This style of garden is enclosed or screened from the outside world through the use of plants, fences, or berms.

Scale And Perspective

Look at the space you wish to use for your Japanese style garden. Scale and perspective are the main techniques used to create a sense of size, space and distance in the garden. You can achieve this through illusion, adding a false sense of perspective, by planting gradually smaller trees or plants farther from the focal point of the garden. If you have water features in your garden, choose the largest for the foreground. Water fountains or a water fall can be a very affordable way to add a peaceful sound to your Japanese style garden.

Add Japanese lanterns and pagodas to your garden, but be sure they are in proportion to the plants and other elements surrounding them.

Rocks in a Japanese style garden take on special meaning. They aren’t simply rocks or boulders but can be the backbone of your garden, around which other elements will fall into place. They represent islands, mountains, and holy places. A boulder can be partially buried to add mass, height, and a feeling of stability to the Japanese garden. Small stones can be used as the borders for pathways or to create the bottoms of water features. They can be used as stepping stones to actually create a path or to cross a small stream. If used to define a pathway, allow the path to wander rather than going in a straight line.

Sentinel Stone

Another use of stone in the [Japanese] style garden is the sentinel stone. This standing stone is used to symbolize warriors, deities, heroes and guardians. It is usually found at the entrance to a Japanese garden or at a major focal point where its presence will enhance the garden’s atmosphere. This type of stone can even be used in an otherwise flat Japanese landscape.

Choose a few Japanese style elements to include in your garden landscape to provide a peaceful place to sit and relax. An austere garden can easily be converted into a Japanese style garden with very low cost and a huge payoff in enjoyment

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3 LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR YOUR LAWN

We often have a “do it and forget it” mentality. Once a task is completed, we do not give it a second thought. Instead, we move on to whatever is next in line. That attitude may work in some areas, but it certainly is not appropriate for the care and nurturing of your property’s landscape.

Great landscaping does not stem exclusively from those days of planning and planting. Your property is a growing, living thing. You can set something beautiful into motion, but in order to get the most out of your landscaping plans, you will need to conduct regular maintenance. You will need to address the yard’s needs and to be proactive in order to prevent the development of problems that could completely derail your plans.

Our lawn is a critical part of our overall landscape, in most cases. Grass frequently forms the basis from which the rest of our landscaping efforts emerge. A good looking, healthy lawn is a necessity for those seeking landscaping success. The lawn in the canvas upon which landscapers paint.

Understanding the importance of great grass and the need for regular landscaping maintenance let us look at three things you can do to keep your property attractive and in line with your landscaping vision. These three lawn care tips are all “out of season” activities you can do to improve your landscape’s health and beauty.

FALL FERTILIZATION

Fertilization is a perfect example of maintenance for landscapes. It is one of those regular things that you simply cannot afford to neglect. Every year, as the end of autumn approaches, you should apply a final dose of fertilizer to your grass. The lawn will absorb those nutrients and they will help to keep it strong, healthy throughout the winter, and ready to explode into growth when things warm up again.

WINTER CLEANING

If your lawn is smothered in any location, it can do a great deal of harm. Before the really cold weather sits in, walk your property and carefully remove any debris from the lawn. Things like tree branches, logs, your children’s toys or that shovel you have been meaning to put back into the garage can do serious damage if left in place through the winter. Smothered grass is less disease resilient and may even die completely. You certainly do not want to usher in spring with a brown ring in the middle of the yard!

AERATION

Aerate the grassy area before the year’s first freeze. As winter comes, thatch will accumulate and your lawn can be “choked off.” A serious aeration and that aforementioned fall fertilization will prepare your lawn to last out the cold and will position in for maximum spring performance. You can rent an aerator at any hardware store, if you do not own your own. Some people claim to get more than satisfactory results from manual aeration strategies, including special slip-on shoe cleats. Give your lawn a chance to breathe through the winter and it will thank you in the spring.

These are only three of literally thousands of potential landscaping maintenance tasks you can perform. These three means of improving your lawn’s health, however, do reveal why maintenance activity is necessary. If you simply “let things go,” you run the risk of undoing all of your hard work and encountering disappointing results. Last year’s landscaping accomplishment can become next year’s embarrassment if maintenance is not taken seriously.

Remember, you landscape is not a pretty picture that, once painted, remains in place forever. It is a constantly growing and changing collection of living things. It is, in many ways, an organism unto itself. In order to nurture it effectively, you will need to revisit it frequently. That is what maintenance is really all about.

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Winterize Your Second Home or Vacation Home Checklist

I saw my first snowflakes this morning and knew winter is already here before Thanksgiving. Have you had your second home or vacation home fully winterized yet? Freezing temperatures, icy winds, snow, sleet and power outages are on the horizon. Avoid the heartache, expense and stress of burst pipes, critters moving in and destroyed landscaping. Protect the house for the winter and enjoy and easier stress-free time opening it back up in the spring. The question becomes what to do yourself and what to hire the professionals to take care of for you.

In General
Make a list of what needs fixing. Go room by room. Waiting for parts over the winter is a lot easier than in June.

Check all the outside recreational toys – make plans to have them repaired over the winter.

Make a list of what you want to bring with you next year

Get Professionals

• Hire a plumber to fully winterize the plumbing and anti-freeze the drains including:
  • Shut off Main Water Valve
  • Refrigerator
  • Dishwasher
  • Washing Machine
  • Outside Faucets
  • Sprinklers
  • Hot Water Heater
  • Air Conditioning
  • Furnace Humidifier
  • Toilets
  • Showers
  • Hot Tub
  • Fountains
  • Saunas
  • Sump Pump check
  • Well Pump
  • Water Softener
• Hire a HVAC company to check, clean and service the heating & cooling systems
• Hire a swimming pool company to close the swimming pool. You don’t want them drained all the way around here since the water acts as support for the walls. An inflatable pool cover keeps debris out and gives ice room to expand and contract.
• Hire landscapers to do the dreaded fall yard clean up.
• Hire a snowplow service (ask your landscaper) to keep the driveway clear. You want the fire truck to be able to access your home if something did go wrong.
• Hire a property manager, real estate agent or permanent resident to check on the home regularly.

Security

• Install a security system
• Put all the storms down and/or cover all the vulnerable windows
• Close and lock all the windows
• Lock all the doors
• Remove any valuable belongings like electronics, tools, guns, sentimental items
• Have all the mail forwarded to your winter address
• Stop the newspaper delivery
• Let the local police and fire departments know that you are away and how to contact you.
• Arrange for a property manager, real estate agent or permanent resident to check your summer house regularly

Inside the House

• Leave the heat on.
  Many summer homes were built to be year round permanent homes and are not constructed to freeze in the winter. It is also very humid in this area and heat acts like a good dehumidifier and help to prevent that moldy musty smell. You can install a low heat thermostat than can be set at 40F. instead of the normal 55F thermostat to save on fuel. This will also protect your foundation. Several freeze-thaw cycles can lead to a cracked concrete foundation.
• Set up automatic delivery for fuel oil or gas.
• Turn off any nonessential circuit breakers. The first time is tricky but you can go through and label them once and make every other time easier. Consider tagging them with green and red stickers to make the process quicker. The ones to definitely leave on include the security system, front porch light, heating system.
• Clean out the refrigerator. Unplug, clean and leave the door propped open
• Unplug all electronics and appliances
• Turn off the gas (natural and propane) call the company to assist with this. Unless this is your heating fuel.
• Thoroughly clean the house. Remember old stains are harder to get out than new ones.
• Remove any liquid medicines, makeup or toiletries that may freeze to the shelves
• Store any food in metal containers to keep the critters out
• Put mouse traps in the basement and kitchen
• Replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors

Outside the House

• Inspect the roof for any loose shingles and repair them. (Binoculars help)
• Clean the gutters. Build up in the gutters can cause a backup and an ice dam on the roof. Install screens to keep leaves and sticks out.
• Prune any tree limbs near the house. You don’t want those branches crashing through the roof.
• Call the utility company if branches have grown across the lines
• Drain water from outside faucets – Install frost free faucets
• Store lawn furniture, tools and grill
• Bring in any padded items so they won’t become a breeding ground for bugs and mildew.
• Check all the screens and repair/replace any torn ones.
• Winterize your lawn mower by draining out the fuel and store in well-ventilated shed. Run the lawn mower until you are sure all the fuel is spent
• Remove annuals
• Cover perennials with hay
• Mulch flowerbeds
• Protect shrubs from cold winter and falling snow with wooden protection
• Rake the leaves.
• Disconnect hoses.
• Have the chimney cleaned. Cap the chimney.
• Check and replace any loose weather stripping around outside doors and garage doors.
  Mice can get through a space as thin as a dime.
• Stop up all holes into the house. Put wire mesh screens on any vents to keep out the chipmunks, birds, squirrels, raccoons, mice, red fox and skunks.
• Put away the bird feeders. There are bears in the area and there is nothing they like more than a free snack.

Now you have a list of what should be done to winterize your vacation home. Impressive list of things to do, I agree. It is well worth the effort to protect your second home investment. I have seen frozen homes and it is a tragic sight. One house froze over the outside door making the job of getting in to turn off the water a challenge that resulted in taking an axe to the door. I suggest making a check off list that corresponds to your property so that nothing gets forgotten now or in the future

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The rain and snow will play a huge role in your decision to landscaping the yard. For example, you have to plan your yard landscaping with care. You should go to the library and take out some books on this subject. These yard landscaping books will help you learn all about the most important moments of landscaping the yard, so as not to destroy your yard forever.

Your yard landscaping should be done with careful attention paid to rain and snow, as well as proper drainage. If you find that your yard gets too muddy in the winter or you have large puddles all over then you probably do not have the right kind of drainage going on. This is something that you can consider getting a professional to take care. If you still want to make the rest of the yard landscaping yourself then this is normal, but some things are better left to professionals.

Another good landscaping tip is to layer all of your planting beds. This will bring a sense of balance and unity to your whole yard. To obtain maximum result, working at its best, you should also use repetition in this design. Whether these layers are repeated in the yard, it will look even better if they walking by.

You must have your yard landscaping done in such a way that the rain when it falls, will actually water your plants. You can use all the water that falls in your yard to feed the plants and trees, if you created your yard landscaping in the right direction. Knowing the general rainfall and time of year you can then make up the water level, when they fall from the other watering. This is important in times like summer when it is heated and not too much rain.

Snow is another thing that is very important for your yard. Snow is just as vital to your entire yard landscaping project, as rain. Snow is not only water as your yard, but it melts the snow and cold, though, can really help keep your soil warmer. This will allow any plants that are sleeping under the snow to remain healthy and alive. Your bulbs will spring into perfect shape and color of your yard landscaping decisions even more beautiful

When the rain to see the rain, is transmitted to all the yard. It is very important for the entire yard landscaping that you are going to do. It is very easy to do, all you need to do is walk around the yard the next time it starts to rain. Keep track of where the rain and puddles, where she and sanitation to you well on your way to a perfect yard landscaping. Such work is the easy part of the work, and is the best way to start. Then you’ll know what to do to get the right kind of drainage going with you yard landscaping.

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Simple Landscaping Ideas

Home is where your heart is. It is the place to go when you want to relax, have fun and do what you want. You will want every place in your home to be attractive – just the way you want it. This applies to your yard as well, and considering that your surroundings affect the way you feel, the appearance of your yard is of great importance.

Landscaping is an art. It is a place that contributes to the tranquility of your surroundings. Landscaping helps you achieve the aesthetic quality you desire for your garden and/or yard.

Landscaping does not need to be done by a professional design team. That is the beauty of it. You and your family, including your children can help assist in designing your surroundings for a more family type environment.

Here are some ideas to start you off.

You might want a garden, full of blossoming flowers, something that encircles your whole house. This is great since it will serve as the perimeter for your landscaping project.

Other ideas include assigning spots for other family members. Your children will want a play area where they can run and play with their friends. You might consider planting a shade tree to protect them from the harmful effects of extended exposure to the sun.

Another point to consider is an area your older children (or you and your spouse!) can use to play sports, grill some steaks or just relax in a chair and get the tan you desire. This is an important feature for your yard because you can consider it a place where you have fun and just relax.

Other areas should also be reserved for drying your clothes (if you choose not to use a dryer, for trash cans, and for your pets. These areas should be as close as possible to your house for easy access.

To be more artistic and aesthetically appealing, be prepared to use basic landscaping materials such as rocks, pebbles, trees, lawn and fences. These will help you achieve the view you want people to see and the functionality that a basic yard needs.

Perhaps a good thing to remember when designing your own yard is that you and other members of your family have artistic capabilities too. Remember that your homes yard requires a familys touch so youll be proud to say that you have created your own yard.

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