Garden / Landscaping / Patio
Woodchucks/Groundhog Prevention
by Guest Post on Apr 28, 2012
Groundhog day may have passed unnoticed for some, but for homeowners and gardeners groundhog season is only just beginning. Groundhogs (woodchucks) are active in the spring and summer and maybe feast on your garden or lawn. Here are our do-it-yourself tips for keeping your yard groundhog free. Continue reading →
Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance
by Dan Eskelson on Apr 28, 2012
The following is a list of landscape plants rated according to their resistance to deer damage. The list was compiled with input from nursery and landscape professionals, ClearWaterLandscapes. Realizing that no plant is deer-proof, plants in listed are known to prevent deer damage. Continue reading →
Down and Dirty - Understanding Your Soil
by Dan Eskelson on Apr 29, 2012
The very first consideration in new landscaping should be the condition of the native soil; the most beautiful design and efficient planning will go to waste if the landscape is installed in a poor soil environment. Soil is a living, breathing ecosystem. Continue reading →
Creating Your Planting Areas
by Dan Eskelson on Apr 29, 2012
In most cases, it is best to create planting beds with a slight crown, or hill, near the middle of the bed and sloping downward toward the edges. This will help to keep roots out of standing water during very wet periods. In very sandy soils, however, level beds are OK. Continue reading →
Basic Concepts: Line and Form for Landscaping
by Dan Eskelson on Apr 29, 2012
The form of structures should be considered for landscaping, as well as the relationship between this form and the form of adjacent plants. Forms may complement or contrast; we may use tall, columnar plant forms around a building with very steep, projecting roof lines to complement the architecture. Continue reading →
Designing a Landscape Lighting System
by Guest Post on Apr 29, 2012
Before deciding what and how to light, we must first ask: why light? Our design decisions are dependent on proposed uses for landscape lighting...for safety, security, property value, or enhancement of the beauty of the garden and structures. Continue reading →
Designing Flower Gardens
by Guest Post on Apr 30, 2012
Do not be intimidated by the term flower garden. Let us define the term as: any planting of flowers. This could be the small patch by your front door- or the border that runs the length of your property. It could be the group of flower pots on your balcony or acres of wandering paths. Continue reading →
The Art and Science of Pruning: a Short Introduction
by Dan Eskelson on Apr 30, 2012
Most landscape plants need regular pruning, whether to preserve a loose, natural form or to create tight compact shapes. Each individual tree or shrub has its own, unique pruning needs, depending on variety, soil type, exposure, and desired result. Continue reading →
Dormant Pruning - Part 2
by Dan Eskelson on Apr 30, 2012
Pruning cuts must be made with full knowledge of future consequences, relying on our perception, or visualization, of the plant's growth characteristics, intended use, age, and desired form. Various plant forms are created early in the plants life, by choosing new growth which will eventually produce the desired shape. The growth that does not conform to our visualization is removed. Continue reading →
Save Water by Using Drip Irrigation
by Guest Post on Apr 30, 2012
The term drip irrigation describes the application of water not only by drip emitters but also by micro sprays. Both of these have two traits in common: they operate at low pressure, and they deliver a low volume of water compared to standard sprinklers. Continue reading →
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