There are several studies that show the negative health effects from using a lawnmower. Among those are: air pollution, breathing problems, exposure to alarming amounts of cancer-causing chemicals, extended exposure and close proximity to the noise etc.
Having said that, here are some tips on how to reduce them:
Buy an electric lawn mower
Buy a push reel lawn mower. A push reel mower is described as a grass-cutting tool with no inner power source.
Get a reel mower. That is – a self-pushed, non-motorized one. Silent, no gas fumes, and you’re getting exercise.
A fine dust mask can reduce this danger from inhaling into the lungs particles of dust, mold and fungi raised by the lawnmower’s blades
Of course you can choose to cut your grass infrequently which will definitely cut down the effects of mower. Most people can cut their yards every other week during warmer months rather than weekly. While your yard may be a touch less “beautiful” then your neighbour’s, you’ll reduce the mount of pollutants that you put into the atmosphere (and your lungs) by doing this.
It’s a really a hustle struggling to keep a natural grass lawn lush and healthy. But the reality is that without any boundaries or protection measures in place, grass will grow through natural mulch and even through the wood placed in carefully landscaped garden beds.
The question we often ask ourselves is how does grass grow through mulch? The answer is simple – grass seeds, as well as the seeds of other types of weeds, can germinate and grow roots easily in the climate created by the mulch. Mulch, even in layers, is still a permeable material which leaves small spaces (or holes) for grass to grow through.
If you are struggling with trying to stop the grass from growing through the mulch of your home’s landscape here are some tips to try and stop this:
Try to set a fabric (maybe even newspaper or cardboard) under the mulch, it will kill off the existing grass absorb rainfall and block out most of the sunlight.
If you weed regularly, try to pull out weeds and grasses before they form seeds. That way you will at least cut down on the number of seeds that fall into the mulch.
Create trenches around the garden beds to keep grass in your lawn from sending roots into the garden bed.
If keeping grass out of your garden beds has proven a persistent problem for you, even after trying the three hacks we’ve outlined here, we recommend consulting our landscaping professionals. They can fully assess the situation and help you develop the right solution for your yard.
As a homeowner, you’re probably trying really hard to find the best of the best for your landscape: from safety and protective products to flowers, plants and unique decorative items that can make your outdoor space stand out. In addition to all that, you’re probably spending most of your free time in your garden performing all sorts of landscaping tasks. Unfortunately, this kind of dedication to your landscaping can be overwhelming.
Sure it can, but it doesn’t have to. The key to keeping all things neat in your landscape is proper planning. Unless you’re not planning a road trip this weekend, there’s no better time to boost your curb appeal in only a few simple and easy landscaping tasks. Whether you want to sell your place or give it a fresh makeover, you won’t have to invest weeks of labor and huge amounts of money to achieve your goal. We provide you a list of landscape improvements that can add a distinctive first impression without emptying your bank balance and be consuming a lot of effort and time. Here are 5 landscaping tasks to help you improve your garden’s look over a weekend.
Pull Up Dead Plants and Weeds
Plants that failed to grow healthy and beautiful sadly need to go. Not only do they impact the curb appeal of your landscape, but they can also take up a lot of space that you would otherwise use for new, hopefully healthy plants and flowers. Also, those weeds that grew in places most unsuitable need to go too. The small weeds are easy to pull up, but beware of the larger ones, especially if they’re close to good plants. Their roots may be tangled up and if you pull them carelessly, you may damage your good plants severely.
Clean Your Gutter
If there is a task that is most commonly overlooked by all homeowners, cleaning the gutters is definitely the one, besides also getting your home cleaned by a home cleaning service. While it plays an important role to the curb appeal of your landscape, most gutters are in serious need of cleaning and look dirty. When neglected, this small task can create big problems, such as water damage to your roof. Before you get to it, check the weather forecast and check if it’s hot this weekend. Thus, it will be easier for your gutters to dry out.
Pressure Wash Your Walkways
Over time, your walkways may need much thorough cleaning than sweeping. Those tiny particles of dirt can almost become a part of the walkways themselves and the only way to get rid of them is to pressure wash them. If you don’t have a pressure washer, you can either hire a professional service provider to take care of it or rent one for a day. Nothing makes a landscape look as dirty and untidy as non-maintained walkways. Pressure wash your driveway, siding and any deck you may have and let cleanliness be the first word to describe your landscape.
Hire Mowing Lawn Service Provider
While you’re busy doing the rest of the landscaping tasks of this list, those worn-out looking areas around your garden need to be taken care of too. According to the statistics, 72% of the American householders do their own yard work all by themselves. However, a growing number also opt out to hire professional mowing lawn service providers to make sure their lawn looks just perfect. Unless you haven’t worked for a landscaping company, you’re lacking the speed and other required skills to maintain a beautiful and healthy lawn. Moreover, due to the fierce competition, landscaping companies provide their services at prices you will find extremely low. Hiring the right mowing lawn service professional can make you feel relieved, allowing you to make the most of your free time and complete all of the other tasks of this list.
Trim Your Trees
Although it’s not the easiest or simplest task of all, trimming your trees every now and then is essential. Aside from the obvious reason such as the tree’s appearance, for many homeowners, knowing when a tree is in need of trim or if it’s in need of trim at all is difficult-to-impossible. But let’s assume that you do know when to trim your trees and you simply avoid this task, week by week, until too late. We urge you to examine your trees and look if there are any dying or dead branches that are better off cut. Not only do they impact the curb appeal, but they also represent a constant threat for you, your family and your property, as it can break at any time.
Whether your yard is big or small, creating a beautiful, dreamy outdoor space designed for a relaxed outdoor living will certainly add wow factor to your home’s exterior. However, creating an alluring landscape is a lot like raising children. It needs lots of love and demands constant attention since it’s a complex blend of different living, breathing formations – flower beds that scream “Water us!”; lawn that needs its weekly haircuts; bushes and trees that can eat into the siding if left neglected. Yes, creating the perfect summer sanctuary is an arduous task but if not taken care of properly, you won’t be able to enjoy it. Therefore, consider your whole space.
Fencing, walls and gutters are just as important as flower beds. They represent key pieces of the whole landscaping puzzle yet in the spectrum of yard maintenance, they are the most overlooked. If left at the mercy of the weather, they’re bound to accumulate a lot of dirt, rust and fungus. Hence it’s important to think about caring for these not-so-living parts of your garden infrastructure that have served you so well. If you decide to skip the chore, you run the risk of clogged downpipes, cracked foundation and gutters falling off house.
But the implementation of the cleaning project isn’t easy to cope with since it’s one of the more laborious tasks you can undertake, plus there are many different elements that need attention. Even if you can decorate your outdoor space, cleaning gutters and fence staining require a different set of skills, so you may want to hire professional auxiliary services. If you want to make your outdoor area the envy of the neighborhood that is.
Keep Gutters Clean for a Smooth-Running Home
Gutters are a form of exterior plumbing designed to channel rain water off the roof and away from your house. If not cleaned, they could lead to flooding, discoloring of exterior siding and cracked foundation. Clogged gutters can also cause water to collect in pools which can lead to water leaks causing structural damage and a moldy mess.
Did you know that mold can cause serious health problems? From allergic reactions to irritated eyes and nose and asthma attacks, mold exposure can also damage respiratory systems. Hence it’s of utmost importance to ensure your gutters are not blocked with leaves, twigs, dirt and debris. Prevention is better (and cheaper) than cure.
It’s best to schedule gutter cleaning once a year, however if you have a lot of trees, your gutters may need more frequent sprucing up. To ensure your project is tackled quickly, it’s best to consider professional auxiliary services. They have the right tools for the task. Plus, they take safety seriously. Gutter cleaning does seem as a simple chore, however if you don’t take necessary precautions, it can turn dangerous pretty quickly. Therefore, it’s best to hire a professional.
Tackle Dirty Messes with Power Washing
We clean the interior of our homes almost on a daily basis, but rarely do we consider the state of our exteriors. How hypocritical of us!
Cleaning exterior walls is the last thing most of us think about – until they’ve become so filthy that they diminish the look and feel of a landscape. But simply hosing them down won’t get rid of the accumulated dirt. Only an incredibly potent cleaning device such as a power washer can shine your house back to its previous glory.
Besides cleaning mold, mildew and dirt off walls, power washing is an effective solution for cleaning muddy and greasy driveways, clogged gutters and roofs covered with leaves. However, just like gutter cleaning, power washing only seems simple. By taking matters in your own hands, you run the risk of damaging the siding and even getting bilateral eye injury caused by a strong jet of water. This is where professional auxiliary services can prove to be invaluable. Hiring a professional to power wash your garden spotless will save you time, money and trouble.
Fencing: Decorate and Protect
Although commonly installed as a protective barrier to ward off intruders (and prying eyes of the neighbors) and create privacy, a fence is also an aesthetic element of a landscape. It’s the first thing people notice yet we give them little attention relative to other parts of the landscape. Metal or wood, your fence deserves consideration. And routine maintenance.
Any kind of wooden or metal fence is susceptible to moisture damage, which is why having it stained is very important. Experts recommend staining every 2-3 years or if the fence feels damp to the touch. Staining not only protects against the damaging effects of the sun’s rays and other weather elements, but also helps prevent the cracking and splitting of the wood.
However, stain fumes can be very dangerous and can trigger asthma, so it’s best to leave it to the pros. Many landscaping companies provide staining as part of their auxiliary services, plus they have the tools and skills to tackle the chore safely and fast.
As the summer season takes hold, tidying up should rise to the top of your to-do list if you want to perk up your landscape.
With the days getting bigger and warmer, your garden is starting to require higher maintenance. Spring is the time of the year when your year-long efforts pay off, but it is also the time of the year when your landscape needs your pair of hands the most. While you may not necessarily enjoy all the planning, planting, harvesting, mowing, the heat and the hours spent on landscaping work, you still need to keep up with all your landscaping tasks in order to have the beautiful and healthy yard you want.
As with anything else in life, we all make mistakes and then try to learn our lessons from them. With landscaping, it’s not different at all. Even the most experienced gardeners make some rookie mistakes multiple times, but the important thing is to always learn something from these errors. Benjamin Franklin once said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care” and it seems like he had exactly landscaping in mind. So before you put your gardening gloves on and get to work, there are a few common landscaping mistakes many landscapers do in spring that you should be well aware of and avoid them. These rookie mistakes could turn out to be fatal both for your health and curb appeal of your garden, so you need to make sure you won’t do any of them.
Mistake 1: Planting Without a Plan
Piecing together a landscape by combining your favorite plants and decorative objects is not the way to build your landscape. It’s easy to lose your head for a bit and start your landscape project without taking your time to prepare a detailed plan. This is the most common mistakes landscapers make, especially in spring when the cold winter days are past and landscapers are eager to add new plants. Although being ambitious and working hard is necessary, the first step is making a plan. Without a plan, you are very likely to run into all sorts of issues with space, colors, design, flow, order and appearance.
Mistake 2: Planting Too Close To Each Other
While planting in the wrong place was once a common landscaping mistake, it seems like landscapers have finally learned that plants’ health and growth depend on getting proper sunlight. But here’s the new problem: planting too close to each other. Planting is delicate stuff and it requires a lot of consideration put into. Each plant requires some space to grow properly. If they are close to each other or crowded by (unnecessary) weeds, their growth may stop and never continue. Make sure they have enough room to spread, regardless of how much space looks unused. In up to three years, you’ll see how that seemingly unused space will burst into big, healthy plants that will add a variety of colors and scents.
Mistake 3: Cutting the Grass Too Short
You’ve probably heard that cutting the grass too short reduces the frequency of mowing. The truth is, it doesn’t. After cold winter days, your grass does indeed need mowing, but not any different sort of mowing than usually. You may be inclined to cut it shorter because it’s longer now, but that’s exactly the mistake you want to avoid. By cutting your lawn too short, you may end up with dead spots of grass all over your yard and we all know howugly that can look.
Mistake 4: Failing to Fertilize Properly
Whether by adding too little or too much, you can easily go wrong with fertilizing in spring and kill the grass, as both are among the most common landscaping mistakes. Achieving the perfect balance of fertilizers is the key to healthy and beautiful plants. The hard way to finding the right amount of fertilizers for your plants is to become an expert yourself by reading a lot of books on landscaping. But not many would choose the hard over the easy way, which is hiring a landscaping expert. Thanks to their vast of experience, they will know the right fertilizer for your plant by a brief look.
Mistake 5: Adding Too Much of Your Favorite Plants
There are a hundred of subtle ways to suggest what your favorite plant is and adding too much of it in your yard ain’t one. Planting too much of only one plant is a sure way of creating a dull, monotonous, one-colored yard that as soon as the summer ends will turn even duller and more monotonous. Without creating a natural variety, your garden will be dull in all four seasons except the one when your favorite plant blooms (oh, the thrill). To make the most out of your yard, add various colors, sizes and shapes of plants that bloom in different seasons to have a real visual treat all year long.
Mistake 6: Trying to Save on Quality Landscape Materials
Trying to save on quality landscape materials for the yard you’re working so hard on is a rookie mistake, because experienced landscapers have learned the hard way that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Soil, aggregates, firewood and mulch are some of the most essential landscaping materials, as they are the key elements of a visually attractive and functional yard. The tricky part with landscape materials is calculating the right amount you need for your project. You will either end up with too much of the same material and not knowing where to store it or get back to the store to get more.
Having a well-maintained, stunning garden does not have to be overwhelming. If you can’t seem to find the way to avoid these 6 mistakes, give the professionals at Sunset Landscaping a call and they will make sure all things in your garden are neat, tidy and taken care of. Whether you need quality landscape materials or other landscaping services, call us today for a free estimate of your landscape.
Your time spent in the yard may not necessarily be time well spent, especially if you don’t have the knowledge or the right landscaping materials. You may not have realized it yet, but landscape supplies can be a major cost in building and maintaining a yard. Besides that, landscaping requires a vast of knowledge to make things work. But regardless of the amount of hours you put in yard work, it won’t pay off if you’re trying to save on landscaping materials.
Just as no pizza goes without dough (spare me, cooking experts), no landscaper should ever feature poor-quality materials in their yard. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should go in your local store and buy the most expensive materials. The point is not to get the most expensive materials, but the ones that meet your yard requirements best. To do so, first you need a well-thought plan, with priorities and goals clearly identified.
All the landscaping materials you choose have a direct impact on the appearance of your yard. For that reason, we list the materials you should never try to save on if you want a healthy and visually appealing yard.
Mulch
Although not mandatory, mulching is among the most crucial landscaping products you need. Being one of the best gardening habits you can implement, mulching can do wonders for your garden. Mulch is actually a protective barrier that helps the soil keep off unsuitable temperatures, as well as to hold the moisture to prevent your plants from drying out. It can also prevent soil compaction, which prevents yet another demanding chore (aeration).
There are many different types of mulch you can get, but basically, there are two types: organic and inorganic. Organic are derived from animal manures and plant materials, while inorganic mulch contains pebbles, gravel, and similar materials. Make your selection based on the time of year and climate conditions.
Soil
Good soil quality is also among the most important materials your landscape requires, yet it is often overlooked. The growth of your plants largely depends on the soil quality. If the soil is of poor quality, rest assured your plants won’t grow as big as you expect them to. Also, healthy soil can store and process more water.
When adding soil to your yard, choose soil of the same type you already have or type that will at least complement it. This way, you won’t damage the existing soil, as it will just mix up beautifully. If you want to build a whole new healthy and productive soil for your plants, you need to consider a few things, such as your location, climate conditions, plants requirements, etc.
Compost
Many landscapers underestimate the importance of using compost, while it is in fact the most eco-friendly way of making a yard flourish with beautiful plants. Composting is the process of turning leaves, grass clippings and other decomposed organic material into compost. Since compost is organic, it is a great protection against pests. Also, compost can improve your soil structure so your soil can have the perfect balance of air, water and nutrients. Investing in quality compost can turn out to be one of your smartest investments, as it does not only save you money on chemical fertilizers, but it also decreases the need for watering.
Gravel
Every landscape could use a gravel product, because it is something that can be featured in a variety of settings. Aside from its appearance-boosting ability, gravel is commonly used as a base for driveways. Gravel is mostly known for creating a hard-wearing path without breaking the bank. Regardless of your landscape style, gravel can fit just perfectly, as there are hundreds and thousands of types to choose from. What’s most important is to get gravel that suits your landscape style and the other elements in your yard.
Sand
Like gravel, there are many different types and uses of sand in landscapes. If one of your landscape’s purposes is to provide a playground for your children, you surely do need quality sand. The sand you choose should be mainly based on where you live. Sands come in different particle sizes and different colors, and that’s where you can get creative and mix it up a little. If you need sand to use as a paving base, you should go for coarse washed type.
Making these choices all by yourself can be hard, but that’s where we step in. We, at Sunset Landscaping, are ready to take over your responsibility and get you the landscaping materials to make your yard work pay off.
The entrance to a house is usually a front yard. It’s the first impression guests get of the home’s interior, however it’s often viewed as wasted design opportunity and as nothing more than a means to get from a street to a house. Although a high-traffic area, front yard is the focal point of a dwelling and as such it’s an opportunity to infuse not only visual appeal but also good vibes into a home.
However, when designing front yard landscape, majority of homeowners focus exclusively on design fundamentals – trees, shrubs, plants and hardscape – to ensure year-round interest. But ensuring curb appeal requires more than lawn ornamentation or pretty greenery. Overlooking maintenance is one of the biggest landscaping mistakes. Especially during snow season.
Yes, snow is an excellent insulator which protects trees, shrubs and roots from freezing, however too much of anything can be bad. While it helps preserve moisture in the soil and certain plants flower better after a snowy winter, it can also cause damage to roots and plant cell wall (by causing the water in cells to freeze). And as a Chicagoland resident, you’re too familiar with its chilly climate and have had to deal with snow-heavy trees, ice dams, slick driveway and dead landscape plants problems more than once. Hence removing snow is your best option at protecting plants. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
But toiling outside in cold isn’t really on top of anyone’s list of activities. So the question of the hour is – to hire residential snow removal services or do it yourself? If you plan to use shoveling snow as a way to get exercise during winter (apparently you can burn over 350 calories in one hour), go ahead, get your DIY on. Otherwise you run the risk of pulled back muscle and bruised buttocks due to a slip on the ice. So if you really want to win the war against Jack Frost, it’s best you consider hiring professional residential snow removal services.
After all, fighting winter’s blistery ways requires more than muddy boots and a shovel. From roof rake and snow spear to snowblower, these are just some of the weapons to arm yourself with. A good snowblower (well-designed, easy to handle, built for rugged landscapes, suited for heavy and wet snow and snow build up) costs anywhere between $650 and $1500. Are you ready for this extra cost?
Plus, there’s maintenance. If you fail to routinely inspect the belts, check the shave plate, scraper bar and skid shoes, change the spark plug and tighten the bolts, having a problem starting it will be the least of your worries.
And then there’s the matter of de-icers.
Pouring deicer on driveway may or may not melt ice, depending on its lowest effective temperature. However, certain ice melting agents (if using more than recommended), can cause damage to landscape plants, turf and even concrete.
Take rock salt (sodium chloride) for example. Because it’s readily available and inexpensive, it’s the most commonly used deicer. But rock salt is far from being your plants’ best friend. Plants exposed to sodium chloride are limited in their uptake of soil nutrients what can lead to stunted and scorched leaves, poor root and plant growth and greater susceptibility to pest and diseases.
Salt is not only harmful to plants but concrete driveways as well. Although tough as Hulk, due to its porous structure, when exposed to deicers, concrete is susceptible to spalling.
Therefore, when snow hits, don’t play rough with your landscape or driveway. Hire professional residential snow removal services and you’ll be saying “Bring it on” to winter.
When it comes to designing a home, landscape seems to be the most overlooked. We focus on picking pretty colors and finding the perfect set of throw pillows, area rugs and accessories to pull together a room. But as Barbara Kingslover puts it, “it’s surprising how much of memory is built around things unnoticed at the time.” And in the home improvement busyness of deciding which furnishings or artwork would turn our homes from blah to fab, we seldom take time to design our outdoor spaces.
But guess what? Landscaping project activities focus on the outdoors meaning no construction debris or having to use just basement bathroom. So why not give your front or back yard a little extra love? By creating an aesthetically appealing and smart landscape, you’ll not only increase your home’s value, but will also provide your loved ones with recreation, privacy, and pleasure.
If you aren’t confident enough of your skills as a planner and depending on the scope of work, you should consider hiring a professional Naperville landscaping firm. Licensed landscapers are well-versed in different plants and techniques to craft a scheme that balances relaxation with ease. But if you have interest in running the project yourself, why not give it a shot? With the right strategy and knowing what you love you can easily give your yard a luxe lift and make each day a bit richer.
Picking Green Life
Choosing greenery requires research and finding out which trees, shrubs, and flowers are ideal for your garden. For example, if your outdoor space isn’t bathing in sunlight, it’s best to pick shade-loving plants. Trilliums, hellebores and gardenias are lovely plants that can thrive in the shade. Planting a flower bed of the same plant or the mixture of different species (shape and color) will create a colorful focal point that grabs attention. It will also highlight your home’s exterior architecture.
Mix Informal Flowers with Formal Hardscape
Aside from green life, your yard will need some hardscape. Although often easy to foretell (suburbs like Naperville are practically bursting with concrete), it does make the space functional. If concrete is too boring for you, mix things up. Naperville landscaping pros recommend installing strips of brick will soften the contemporary style of concrete and add interest to your little patch of paradise. If you prefer something gentle and on the softer side, consider gravel or mulch for your path. Hardscape has the power to add personality to an outdoor area and finish its look, so make sure to select the one that will complement both your landscape and your house.
Add Texture with Pebbles for a Rocking Landscape
Pebbles in the garden lend texture and interest to the space and can create calm soothing look and feel. When used en masse, they add an element of surprise and create a striking stage for your landscape. They meld beautifully with both contemporary, formal concrete hardscape and relaxed greenery. Because of their ability to compliment any garden style, pebbles are great for adding a wow factor to your outdoor space.
The Most Common Landscaping Mistake
When it comes to choosing elements for their landscape design, most newbies tend to buy too many and thus create chaos instead of consistency and harmony. In order to avoid making this common mistake, keep in mind that repeating specific hues, textures and forms is crucial. If all of this intimidates you or you don’t have the time to develop and execute a nice landscape design plan, you can always hire a Naperville landscaping company and let professionals get the job done for you.
Sometimes to make the home pop, all you need is an entryway display that really packs a punch. So if you want a beautiful front yard landscape that renders relaxed outdoor living, you should treat the grassy area around the house to a little TLC this spring. After all gorgeous lawns don’t create themselves. Plus, your lawn will surely take a beating this summer. The heat and drought along with playing games with your kids or fetch with your dog will most likely take a toll on turf. It’s best you revitalize it now so you’re rewarded with a lush grass.
But DIY-ing your landscape can pose quite a challenge. It requires skills, time, different landscaping materials and knowledge. Even the simplest of tasks like watering can be daunting. This is where landscape professionals can prove to be valuable. They have the resources and landscaping materials that will help you create the swath of green you have in mind. Moreover, professional landscapers are well-versed when it comes to soil type and quality, water usage and more. If however you prefer to give your front yard a makeover yourself, remember, a beautiful lawn starts with strategic planning and right landscaping materials.
The Dirt on Soil
Soil, one of the most important landscaping materials, is the foundation for greenery. The good soil encourages strong root growth, proper drainage and holds nutrients that feed plants. The wrong soil can result in plants failing to grow even if you’re born with a green thumb. Hence it’s best to try to learn more about different types, texture, mineral and nutrient content and acidity to ensure you choose right.
Some of the most fertile types of soil are sand, clay, silt, peat, loam and chalk. Each type is made up of different particles and organic materials which is what determines the texture and whether the soil holds nutrients and moisture well. Also, some types are more alkaline than others.
Why Soil Loves Mulch
Mulch is pretty much a top dressing for soil. It can either be organic (wood products) or inorganic (rock products) and helps reduce soil compaction; protects against soil erosion, prevents weed growth and defines areas. Quality mulch can also help minimize the spread of soil borne diseases and can even serve as an insulator keeping the soil cool during warmer months and warm during winter. Of course if used correctly, therefore, knowing which type to use is important. The most common types of mulch used nowadays are wood chips, pine needles, grass clippings, nutshells, riprap, decomposed granite and even crushed concrete. Depending on whether organic or not, some mulches are permanent while others need to be replaced over time, but all can help create beautiful landscape designs.
Drip Irrigation System: Watering Made Easy
Drip irrigation systems are becoming one of the essential management tools as they provide consistent water to the roots. This not only minimizes water loss but also helps prevent the spread of fungal diseases and weeds from growing. The beauty of drip irrigation system is that it’s designed to complement your lifestyle. It helps ensure your plants thrive in any condition with almost no fuss. If installed properly that is. The right irrigation system (installed right) will help prevent over and under-watering what can encourage fungus and diseases and lead to increased bug activity, respectively. A professional landscaper can set up the most appropriate irrigation system, which can reduce your water bill, and ensure complete coverage for your lawn.
FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY A LITTLE HARD WORK WE CAN ALSO DELIVER MANY LANDSCAPING MATERIALS.
Having your own little heaven outside is surely a tempting idea to many, but how much of a chore landscaping really is? If you are new in landscaping, you must be eager to plant lawn, some flowers and other plants, add a beautiful bench where you can sit and relax after a long, hard day at work. Before you reach the stage of admiring your landscaping mastery, however, there is a lot of work to do.
Although there are no guidelines in landscaping and you have all the freedom you want, you still need a few rules to help you stay up to the landscaping tasks. Mowing, trimming, mulching, planting, watering, fertilizing, feeding, digging and many other chores, landscaping requires a serious commitment, real effort and a lot of time and money. If you can’t do all the landscaping chores yourself, no worries, there are a plenty of options for hiring assistance. But if you’re rather a do-it-yourself kind of person, we got you some fail-proof rules that will help you complete each and every task all by yourself.
Create a Lawn Maintenance Schedule
Since there are so many landscaping tasks, what you need to stay up to them all is a good and regular maintenance schedule. Watering, trimming and mowing are daily, weekly and biweekly chores. Failing to meet your plants’ demands can result in (plants) death. Since you don’t want that to happen, set yourself a lawn maintenance schedule and do your best to stick to it regardless of your conditions. If you’re going on a vacation, make sure to have a person who will check your yard every 2-3 days and do some of the musts, like watering.
Style Your Landscape so It Can Reflect Your Personality
Depending on your desired result, your skill set and your yard condition, your landscape can not only determine if you’re really a do-it-yourself landscaper or not, but it also speaks volumes about your personality. Just like the interior of your home, you can use your yard to reflect your personality via your landscape style. Landscape is all about expressing your attitude and taste and it can provide you with space for outside activities too. For example, if you’re planning to have formal parties with business associates outside, you will need a formal arrangement that features some shrubs, a few beds and a sophisticated table. But if it’s for you and your family only, go for more casual.
Consider Your Landscape’s Functionality
Besides style, your landscape needs to be functional too. To make it as functional as possible while keeping your style, you will need to consider which elements do you really need and which ones should go away as all they do is get in your way. With less unnecessary elements, it will be much easier to maintain your yard. Unless you’re not styling your yard for business meetings, don’t add beds with curves and edges, as they can make your landscaping chores much difficult.
Get a Drip Water Irrigation System
In an age with incredibly advanced technology, it would be only surprising if technology failed to provide a way in every possible field. One way to take advantage of automated systems is to install an automatic drip-watering system. Simply set the time for watering and you’re good. But if you prefer DIY projects over automated, you can do it the old-school way. Put one plastic bottle in each plant. That will be enough water for about 3 days.
Add Mulch for Both Decorative and Maintenance Purposes
By using mulch, you can create a beautiful and healthy landscape that controls weeds, conserves water and reduces labor costs. Depending on the number of plants you have, you will need to invest a reasonable amount of money in mulch every now and then. To save money on mulch, you can chip and shred all the brushes, tree prunings, leaves and grass clippings that you would otherwise throw away as they fall on the ground. This organic mulch will add a beautiful layer that will also protect the soil.
Invest in Quality Soil
Since all of your plants depend on the soil quality, you should never try to save on soil, whether it’s extra work or money. Healthy, quality soil contains mineral materials, biological organisms, organic matter, air and water and is an important asset you need to take a good care of. If the soil doesn’t let water and air to get in touch with the roots of your plants, it means that the soil has become compacted and requires aeration. If you don’t fix your soil on time, it could be too late for your plants. If its quality has become too poor to fix, it’s time for new soil.
Make Sure Your Plants Get Plenty of Sunlight
Not only do you want to enjoy the sun, but your plants too. Regardless of what type of plants you have in your yard, they all share the same need for sunlight. Plants convert air, water and sunlight into energy for themselves and that is the only way they can thrive. If some of your plants lack of natural light, instead of supplementing artificial lighting, it’s better if you simply reorganize your whole landscape so that the sunlight will be smiling at your plants. It’s not an easy task, but it can definitely save you from a lot of trouble in long run.
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