Archive for Spring
The Principles of Xeriscaping on Your Property
Living in a hot and dry area or one that does not have much rainfall does not mean that you cannot have the exceptional landscapes typical in places with a lot of rain. Furthermore, you need not waste the average 90 gallons of water watering the plants for a thriving lawn or landscape. There is one option for having a flourishing lawn in an eco-friendly manner, even in dry regions. The solution lies in xeriscaping.
Xeriscaping denotes a landscaping design method based on water conservation. Though often meant for property owners in semi-arid and arid places, the design can also be used in areas with a lot of rain to conserve water. The concept in xeriscaping is conserving water through the correct landscaping principles.
Below are the guiding principles of xeriscaping.
Limited Turf Area and Use a Suitable Grass Variety
Grass is beneficial in landscaping because it controls erosion and water infiltration into the soil. However, a large turf section is one of the biggest causes of wasted water for landscaping. You should try to have grass only in the sections where kids and pets will need it or, in commercial spaces, only in regions that can accommodate many people.
It is best to limit the grass in your landscape to the flat and shaded areas of your property. This minimizes the risk of runoff and evaporation. You should also pick the grass varieties that have deeper roots, since they retain moisture better than those with shallow roots. Some of the best varieties for xeriscaping include Blue Grama, California Oatgrass, Blue Fescue, Bermuda, Buffalo, and St. Augustine.
Improved Soils
Consider using organic soil enhancements like manure, wood chips, peat moss, or grass clippings to improve your landscaping soil. These will support the growth of plants with broad root systems, allow natural aeration, and increase the soil’s water retention capacity.
There are also commercial inorganic soil amendments, but these are more expensive than their organic counterparts. However, they will still benefit your lawn if you, for whichever reason, cannot get organic enhancements. Before any soil improvements, the soil is tested to know its elements that need increasing and the best options for it.
Addition of a Water-retaining Mulch
Mulch will form a protective layer between the air and your plants’ roots, thus encouraging water retention. The best options for this are pine needles and shredded hardwood. Water retention not only improves plant health but will also minimize the evaporation rate and thus reduce the frequency of watering plants. In hot, dry climatic regions, steer clear of rocks and mulch types that radiate or retain heat. These only burn your plants.
Inclusion of a Rain Garden in Runoff Sections
Rain gardens are ideal options for cleaning and capturing groundwater in the low-lying sections of your property. Though dry in most instances, they will hold a generous amount of water after it rains. You can include perennials, flowers, and native shrubs around the rain garden to create a beautiful landscape bed. You can also settle for cisterns, porous paving, and rain barrels to capture runoff that can be recycled to water your landscape.
The Use of Drought-resistant and Native Plants
Drought-resistant and native plant species will often consume less water than exotic species. You can find a broad range of drought-resistant landscaping plants at your local nursery to match your envisioned design. To ensure you get the suitable plant varieties, research the distribution and amount of rainfall in your area beforehand.
Pick plants based on their expected sizes when mature rather than the size in which you buy them. Moreover, pick a few trees to maximize the shade in your landscape for the plants. This shade reduces evaporation, and the trees will act as windbreakers that protect your fragile plants.
An Effective Irrigation Method
Soaker hoses or drip irrigation is the ideal irrigation option in xeriscaping. This comprises a network of pipes with tiny holes that deliver water to the plants’ roots to minimize evaporation and water wastage. Overhead irrigation or using a watering cane leads to less water delivered to your plant roots and wastes a lot of water.
Furthermore, consider watering your plants in the morning because the water will evaporate slowly in cool conditions at this time. Watering plants in the morning also allows them to dry as the day progresses. This reduces the risk of your plants contracting fungal diseases that usually affect humid or constantly wet plants.
If you want to start conserving water in your landscaping design, do not assume that this is as easy as sticking to the xeriscaping principles above. There are different elements like making the right choice of mulch in relation to your soil, climate, and plants. To save time and guarantee the best results, hire skilled landscapers from DKlandscaping to handle your xeriscaping.
Tips for the Best Sprinkler System Design
Your sprinkler system is essential for keeping your yard lush and healthy. When you invest in the best sprinkler system, you reduce your water usage and the time you spend tending your lawn. Here are some tips for the best sprinkler system layout for a hassle-free, flourishing yard.
Determine the Size of Your Yard
Knowing the size of your yard is the first step in designing your sprinkler system. The yard size determines the size of your sprinkler system, the number and types of pipes, valves, manifolds, controllers, and the number of nozzles to use. When measuring your lawn, include the driveway, walkways, outdoor sheds, and your house.
Measure the Water Pressure
Your local water authority can give you a report on your property’s water pressure. But since the pressure may vary from one point across your yard to the other, measure the water pressure and gallon per minute from different locations. Hook a water gauge to an outdoor spigot, and then turn it on fully to detect the water pressure.
Measure the gallons per minute( GPM) water flow in your property by placing a gallon under a tap and recording the time it takes to fill up with water when you turn on the tap to full blast. The water pressure and GMP determine if there will be sufficient water flow in your sprinkler system to irrigate your yard.
If the pressure is low, you may need to operate sections of the sprinkler system separately. This is not a problem since the sprinkler sections serve areas with different watering needs.
Determine Your Hydrozones
Different parts of your property have varied watering requirements based on the soil type, type of plants, and shade covering. Shady areas require less watering than the areas that receive sunlight all day.
Besides, native plants may need less water, the same way clay soil needs less water than sandy soil since it holds water better. These hydro zones will help you set different watering frequencies on your sprinkler system.
Draw Your Sprinkler System Layout
Determine the layout of your piping, nozzle heads, valves, and irrigation controller. Draw your sprinkler system design on graph paper to a scale to ensure your measurements are accurate. This will tell you the number and size of fitting you require.
Select Your Sprinkler Heads
Pick sprinkler heads from the same brand since each brand designs sprinkler heads differently. You may need different sprinkler head designs to suit your hydro zones. Here are sprinkler head designs to consider:
- Spray Heads with Rotary Nozzles
They are ideal when spraying a large area. They can consistently sprinkle water to a radius of about 13-30 feet.
- Rotors
Fix the same size of rotors in each hydro zone for consistency. The rotor head size will depend on the area and radius you want it to reach. They can deliver water to 15 feet to 50 feet radius.
- Fixed Spray
Fixed sprays reach a radius of about 6 to 18 feet, with each sprayer delivering water to the same area consistently. Arrange your fixed sprayers to ensure a subsequent sprayer begins where its predecessor ends.
- Specialty Patterns and Bubblers
These sprayers deliver water to special landscapes areas such as lawn end strips, shrubs, and trees. They can throw water as high as 15 feet and up to 5 feet radius.
- Drip Irrigation
This sprinkler system consists of many small emitters that deliver water directly to a plant. They are laid on the ground in landscape beds and ground covers.
Acquire Your Sprinkler System Parts
Buy your sprinkler system parts from the same brand to ensure they integrate well. Ensure you pick the correct sizes and types for each hydro zone. You will need pipes, nozzle heads, manifolds, irrigation controllers, and valves.
Layout Your Sprinkler System
Follow your design sketch to lay out and join the sprinkler parts for each hydro zone. You can use common valves for small nozzle heads. You can also connect several valves to one controller.
Test and Adjust
Once you have assembled your sprinkler system, test if the sprinkler system layout works as expected. Note any anomalies and rectify them.
Test if the sprinkler system delivers water concurrently to all the parts of your yard or there are parts where the water pressure is insufficient. Some parts of the sprinkler may deliver water well when operated individually if they are affected by low water pressure and GPM.
Set your controllers appropriately to meet the watering frequency needs for each hydro zone. To get the best out of your sprinkler system layout, work with lawn experts with experience in designing, laying out, and maintaining sprinkler systems.
Are you looking for a reliable landscape maintenance company to help you with your sprinkler system design? Reach out to us. We will test your water pressure and GPM to determine the best sprinkler system parts and layout.
We will also help you identify your hydro zones for the best sprinkler system layout. Contact us today to discuss your landscape maintenance project.
The Right Fertilizer and Landscape Maintenance for Your Unique Property
Every property needs landscape maintenance tailored to its unique idiosyncrasies. Though few know it, the winter fertilizer placed on your lawn makes a major difference in its look and quality. The degree of proper landscaping maintenance applied to your property matters a great deal. Instead of attempting to figure out all the nuances of lawn and landscaping management on your own, let our team do the work for you.
The Optimal Fertilizer for Your Lawn
There is a common misconception that any old fertilizer will suffice for a lawn. This is precisely why we closely evaluate local lawns to determine which fertilizer is best. Though you won’t notice results right away after we apply our specialized winter fertilizer, it will provide your lawn with all sorts of benefits.
Our special fertilizer for wintertime treatments bolsters grass so it doesn’t need nearly as much water. Our fertilizer stimulates root development and also boosts resistance to disease as well as traffic. Place your trust in our team to fertilizer your lawn and provide landscape maintenance and you will rest easy knowing the best in the business are hard at work on your property. We have provided service throughout Sonoma County for more than a decade. We have all the expertise, manpower and equipment necessary to manage your landscape during the challenging winter and also year-round. Let our team do all of the work and you will be liberated to sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of your property.
We Sweat the Small Stuff so You Don’t Have To
Our team provides a lawn fertilization management program so you don’t have to lift a finger to ensure your lawn is properly fertilized and maintained throughout the entirety of the year. This is your opportunity to kick back and relax while our team handles all the aspects of landscape maintenance on your behalf. We add lawn fertilizer once every two months. Our team applies truly elite fertilizers optimal for the specific season. In fact, we even add slow-release fertilizer in the summer and spring months to bring out the best in your lawn.
The Best Lawn Maintenance Management Program in Town
While many other landscape maintenance companies do the bare minimum, we take the opposite approach. We have gone to great lengths to ensure our standard maintenance program covers all aspects of lawn maintenance management. There are absolutely no hidden fees when you lean on our team for landscape maintenance. We do all of the work so you can enjoy the beauty of your landscaping. Our services extend to both local homes and local businesses. Take advantage of our maintenance management program and you will be treated to mowing, lawn edging, blow yard services, leaf/litter cleanup and our lawn fertilization management program as detailed above.
We really do go to the extent of adding fertilizers to your lawn that are optimal for each unique season. In fact, our team even controls and manages weeds on your lawn so it looks its best throughout the entirety of the year. Whether you are looking for your plants to be trimmed/pruned, herbicide to bet added to weeds, fresh batteries to be added to your timers or your irrigation to be checked by QWEL-certified personnel, our team gets the job done to perfection on the first try without exception.
Reach out to us Today to Schedule Service
If you own a home, a business or any other property, contact our team today to schedule landscape maintenance and additional services. You can reach our landscaping experts by dialing (707) 280-3632 or by emailing Kathyx159@aol.com.
Landscaper Rohnert Park: Maintain a Beautiful Yard
If you have ever walked into any building or garden landscape in Rohnert Park California and you felt warm and welcome, chances are that the yard was cleaned, creatively designed and well maintained by a professional landscaper in Rohnert Park.
A well looked after yard is a sight to behold and creates a serene atmosphere that is second to none. However, this does not happen automatically. For you to enjoy a beautiful, lush and green yard, you will need to make a few investments. These include time and patience. You also have to get the right information that will guide you on the best way to go about it.
Tips From a Professional Landscaper in Rohnert Park
Fortunately, if you are looking for a landscaper in Rohnert Park, you don’t have to break a sweat. In this article you will learn how to transform your yard from a boring one into something that you can proudly look forward to come home to.
Here are different ways to ensure that your yard is elegant regardless of the season.
- Start right
Just like in every other aspect, the foundation will more often than not determine the outcome. In this case, since you will be dealing with soil, it important to have it right. In most cases the soil acidity level, commonly known as pH is high, thus hindering proper growth of grass. It is advisable to take some soil samples for testing and advice on the best way to fix any problems that may present.
It is also important at this stage to get the right information on what is the best type of vegetation to consider. There is no one size fits all vegetation. While some may be suitable for a certain location, they may be unsuitable for you.
- Access unique needs for your yard.
Whenever you have plants be it grass, trees or flowers, it is important to understand that they all have unique needs. Grass in the shady areas, for example, will need less water and fertilizer as the level of evaporation is low, and they grow less. And the opposite it also true. Having this in mind will make is easy for you when undertaking your daily yard maintenance.
- Create a monthly routine based on seasons
Different seasons present different challenges for maintaining lawns. If you have been keen to look around, you may have noticed that most people take care of their lawns during summer and barely touch them after. Unfortunately, due to the negligence, these lawns do not thrive well. To ensure that your backyard yard remains attractive throughout the year, you need to carry out specific tasks based on the season.
- Spring time is the best time to strengthen your grass in readiness for the expected warm days. It is during this season that you should rake to remove any twigs and leaves, mow regularly, apply fertilizers when the soil is moist and also sow new grass to fill in any soil patches. Remember that proper covering discourages weed growth.
- During summer, the activities are centered on maintenance activities. You will engage on more watering, mowing and applying fertilizer.
- In autumn, leaves may suffocate grass. To avoid this, there is need to aerate the yard, mow the lawns and apply some fertilizer.
- Winter season has the least activities in yard maintenance. You only need to remove any leaves that may have fallen over and avoid stepping on the grass. However it provides the best season for planting a new lawn.
A lawn make-over is just what you need if your lawn isn’t in great shape. For more tips on yard maintenance, repair, irrigation and water saving landscape design, feel free to contact us.
Landscaping Ideas Just in Time for Spring
Spring is the ideal time to take stock of your yard’s overall health and consider a few landscaping ideas. It is also a good time to remove broken branches and have shrubbery pruned back by a professional landscaping company.
First: Test Your Soil
Testing your soil and having your lawn fertilized could also be a helpful practice to get into at this point in the season.
When you have your soil tested, you’ll receive a rundown of your soil’s pH level as well as whether your soil has the right mix of nutrients to allow bushes and flowers to thrive.
The great thing about getting your soil tested early is that it gives you time to respond.
If your soil is missing a particular mix of nutrients, for instance, you’ll be able to have a professional landscaping company like Xeriscape fertilize your lawn to get the perfect blend of nutrients.
Mix Enclosure and Openness
The root word for garden is actually enclosure. With a great outdoor landscape, you’re actually looking to blend an enclosed space with the openness of the great outdoors.
There’s even something called the law of significant exposure to guide your landscaping ideas.
The idea behind this is to create a sense of refuge while allowing you and all of your guests to bask in the outdoors.
The law of significant exposure says that the vertical top of a space should be at least a third of the horizontal length of a space.
How does this all work in practice? If you have a patio that’s 21 feet wide horizontally, then a nearby hedge or overhanging tree should be at least 7 feet tall (3:1 ratio) so that there’s a comfy sense of enclosure. The same thing applies to gardens.
Create Multiple Seating Areas
Installing different seats and tables for different purposes and different times of the day is one of the best landscaping ideas out there.
A hammock deep in the yard, if you have the space, would be great for relaxing. A pair of set-off seats might be nice for enjoying a coffee in the morning or a cocktail later in the evening.
On the other hand, a table and perhaps a few couches would be ideal for entertaining guests or bringing a few plates outside and enjoying dinner al fresco!
Start with the Big Stuff
You might have to fight off the temptation to immediately plant your perennials in the sense that there are practical and design benefits to planting the big stuff before the small stuff.
Landscapers recommend going from planting trees and shrubs to dealing with perennials and ground cover.
You should start with something bigger like a tree because doing so gives you an anchor and an idea of where you’re going structurally.
It also prevents you from trampling newer planted flowers if you have to use a tractor or other heavy machinery to get your trees and shrubs into position.
And remember to follow the law of significant enclosure (mentioned above) and ensure, for instance, a small tree abutting a garden is at least a third the height of the garden’s width.
Variation Within Consistency
Repeating similar tones and textures in your garden often achieves a more powerful effect than experimenting with a bunch of individually interesting but collectively jarring colors.
A few different varieties of ferns lining your walkway and leading into the backyard achieves a consistent yet beautifying effect as opposed to dozens of mismatched plants and exotic flowers.
Summing it up, landscaping ideas should revolve around a sense of enclosure, comfort, and intriguing consistency of textures and tones. Contact us for more information.
How to Transplant Shrubs in Summer
The best times of year to transplant trees and shrubs are spring and fall; however, certain situations may make it necessary to move your plants outside of those seasons. For example, you may want to take your shrubs with you if you are moving or you may have to move the plant because of the weather.
If you find it necessary to move a plant during the warmest part of the year, you will need to take certain steps to ensure its health. Here are some tips on how to move shrubs in the summer without harming them:
- Choose the Right Location
Transplantation represents a dramatic change and a plant will have to adapt to its new environment slowly in order to survive. This means that you will have to keep factors like sunlight, soil drainage and soil pH in mind when choosing a new location. - Dig an Appropriate Hole
You will need to dig a hole that is approximately twice as large as the shrub’s root system. The additional space allows the roots to grow into the new site comfortably. - Carefully Remove the Shrub
Work carefully to avoid damaging the root system when uprooting shrubs. You will want to take as much of it as you can. You will also want to move some of the soil from the old location to the new one. You can place larger shrubs on a tarp and drag them to the new location along with some of the soil. - Add Adequate Water to the New Hole
You will want to wet the hole thoroughly before placing the shrub into it but avoid oversaturating it as this can cause the shrub’s roots to rot. - Place Shrub in the New Hole
Along with the shrub, place some of the soil from the old location into the hole as well as some potting soil. Pat the soil down around the base to ensure that the shrub stays upright. You can add watering stakes to the ground so that the shrub can water at root level but this is not essential. Be careful to avoid damage to the roots when installing the watering stakes.
The quality of your landscaping plays a major role in your ability to enjoy your yard and in your property value. If you need help with moving shrubs or with any other aspect of landscape maintenance, contact us today. Our experienced landscaping crews know how to move your shrubs and trees quickly and without damaging them.
Stop and Smell The Flowers!!
Flowers! From incredible wedding bouquets and beautiful Mother’s Day arrangements to blooms we offer in the hope of soothing hurt feelings, there are many occasions and reasons for why we plant them and offer them as gifts. So As you begin to paint the picture of your landscape plan, take a moment to consider their meaning before you begin to plant. Here are a few of the most popular floral choices and the meaning that they convey:
Roses 
There is no flower that has been revered and celebrated as much as the rose. As a source of inspiration to people throughout history, roses are the definitive symbol for love and appreciation, but the different colors also have a meaning all of their own:
Yellow roses mean joy ~ Red roses mean passion ~ Burgundy roses mean unconscious beauty ~ Orange/coral roses mean desire ~ Red and white roses together mean unity ~ Pink roses mean grace and gentility ~ White roses mean worthiness
Orchids
With an exotic appearance, orchids have come to represent rare and delicate beauty. Those seeking to make a lasting impression with a unique flower have found the orchid to be a perfect choice. As both potted plants and cut flower arrangements, these tropical flowers have an undeniable appeal. Different cultures throughout history have believed in the healing, disease-fighting and protective properties of the orchid. In traditional Chinese medicine the orchid is used to help cure coughs and lung illnesses. The ancient Greeks associated it with virility, and the Aztecs were said to drink a mixture of the vanilla orchid and chocolate to give them power and strength.
Lily 
A very common flower at funerals, lilies also symbolize virtues such as purity, sweetness and friendship. The Greeks believed the lily sprouted from the milk of Hera, the wife of Zeus. White lilies signify purity and sweetness, day lilies symbolize coquetry and yellow lilies can mean falsehood or gaiety. Lilies of the Valley mean a return of happiness.
Iris Flowers
Few other flowers can match the elegant beauty of the iris. Representing faith, hope, and wisdom, the iris is a flower that can be used for many different occasions. While it is most known for its distinctive blue varieties, the iris can also be found in other colors such as yellow and white.
Tulips
With their flower meaning being perfect love, tulips can impart a sense of grace and elegance wherever they are displayed. The tulip is recognized throughout the world as one of the most popular cultivated flowers, but they are particularly associated with the Netherlands. Dutch tulips are among the leading tulip varieties within the floral community.
Carnation
As one of the most popular flowers in the world, the carnation is widely appreciated and enjoyed. Carnations are available in a variety of colors and are generally symbolic of love and fascination.
- Red carnation symbolizes love, pride and admiration
- Pink carnation symbolizes the love of a woman or a mother
- Purple carnation symbolizes capriciousness;
- Yellow carnation symbolizes disdain, rejection or disappointment
- White carnation symbolizes innocence and pure love
- Striped carnation conveys refusal
DK Landscaping are your landscaping and gardening experts. If you need a company to spruce up your existing landscape or custom design one, call us.. DK Landscaping serves Petaluma, Cotati, Rohnert Park, West County, Santa Rosa and Windsor areas. Call us today 
707.280.3632.
DIY vs. Hiring a Professional Landscaper
Every homeowner wants to have a beautiful, pristine and well-manicured landscape. Oftentimes, homeowners decide to design and maintain it themselves to save money. But the reality is, keeping your lawn well-maintained and healthy is a time-consuming job – fighting weeds, heat, debris and pests and trying to keep everything green and lovely. If you spend a lot of time at work, you may not want to commit your off days to yard work. So before deciding whether to continue do it yourself or hiring a professional landscape maintenance company, here are a few more things to consider may sway your decision:
Professional grade work – While DIY can be fun, unless you have some experience with these types of projects, this can end up consuming more of your time and can potentially end up to be disastrous. If you’re going for curb appeal or a professionally manicured lawn, a professional lawn maintenance company is the answer. With the right equipment and experience, professionals can get the job done quickly, efficiently, and beautifully while you focus on other things.
Knowledge –A skilled landscaper has knowledge that your average person doesn’t have concerning grasses, trees, shrubs, and plants. They know when to prune, what grows best where, and how to care for difficult plants. Having someone who knows the ins and outs of botany can be the difference in a mediocre backyard and one that all your neighbors are talking about.
Economical – Hiring a professional can sometimes be more economical. For a certain weekly fee, homeowners receive the benefit of professional knowledge and execution. Also, homeowners will not have the expense of purchasing the various tools and equipment necessary for lawn and garden maintenance, tools and equipment that include lawnmowers, weeders, edgers, fertilizer, grass seed, leaf blowers, and shovels.
Convenience – Lawn care will take you away from other activities like work, family time, entertaining friends and relaxation. Although you will pay for professional landscape maintenance, the convenience may justify the cost.
We at DK Landscaping also offer a spring-cleaning service that will help prepare your lawn and garden for the spring and summer months. It’s a time to prune the old and plant the new. We know exactly what needs to be taken care of this time of year and are ready to tackle even the most difficult home landscaping job.
Handing the reigns over to someone who landscapes for a living gives you freedom to enjoy your spring and summer without worrying about your projects going undone. Call Kathy or David Lee at DK Landscaping (707) 280-3632.
Think Spring
While we continue to pray for more rain that our mother earth very much needs, Northern California folks have been fortunate to experience a mild, pre-spring like kind of winter. So as we continue to wait for more rain, why not get outside, spend sometime in your garden and get a head start on your spring chores?
To help your home and lawn look its very best in the blooming months that are coming, you may want to make the following spring to-do-list:
Remove Dead Plants and Debris: Even though we haven’t seen too many days of freezing temperatures, it still tends to get very cold and results in fallen leaves cluttering upon brown grass and dead shrubbery. Rake away any debris and dead leaves the winter has collected on your lawn. By doing so, you can open your grass up to soaking in more moisture and sunlight as the air gets more humid and the sun begins to shine for longer hours.
Dethatching: Thatch is the landscaper’s term for the layers of dead grass and thick roots that can accumulate around the bases of the grasses in your lawn. Removing this layer of dead material will help rejuvenate your lawn, allowing fertilizer and water to penetrate to the roots of the grass plants.
Mulch and seed: Due to the the lack of sun and the cold temperatures these last few months, it’s no surprise that your lawn and plants have suffered. Because of this, recommend you apply new layers of mulch to your trees, shrubs, and bushes, as well as fresh grass seed to your lawn, to ensure that your lawn will be vibrant and green by the time the springtime rolls around.
Control those weeds: During the winter months, your lawn will be contaminated with some stray weed seeds. By applying a chemical pre-emergent weed control, your days of digging dandelions and crabgrass out of the lawn are over.
Mow and fertilize: To manage the fresh spring growth and give new grasses time to mature, you should set your mower blades to the highest setting when you are cutting the grass for the first time in the spring. Now is the time to feed the lush growth of spring grasses. You can choose chemical fertilizers or use natural compost to get a lush, green lawn in the spring.
Begin a Watering Schedule: Generally, homeowners tend to avoid and ignore watering their lawn in the winter seasons. However, as the weather heats up again, it is time to begin a regular watering regiment so your plants and lawn may thrive. Keeping in mind water conservation restrictions in your area, we recommend watering at a specific time on specific days. This way your lawn will adapt to the amount of water it is receiving, allowing it to grow more freely and naturally, resulting in a more beautiful front for your home.
If you need a company to manage your spring lawn and landscaping needs, turn to DK Landscaping Inc. We have the experience and knowledge to get your lawn in shape this spring. DK Landscaping serves Petaluma, Cotati, Rohnert Park, West County, Santa Rosa and Windsor areas. Call us today 707.280.3632.
What’s Growing On?
Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. ~ Luther Burbank
Around this time of year I start to get spring fever, that urge to go outside and dig around and plant something. Even if you naturally don’t have a green thumb, flower gardening allows you to use your artistic playful side, being outside in nature soothes your soul, and a beautiful flower garden increases the curb appeal of your home. One of the first things a flower gardener learns is that there is not one date when it is best to plant all flowers.
This group of exotic and tropical summer bloomers can be planted right now and all through April in most of the country; planting times for colder regions of the North are typically from April to June, depending on the bulb.
Cannas are a personal favorite for their showy, tropical-like flowers and vibrantly-colored or variegated banana-like leaves. Dahlias offer numerous flower types from dazzling daisies, to showy pom poms, to show-stopping colorful blooms. Other note-worthy spring-planted bulbs include gladiolus, windflower (Anemone coronaria), pineapple lily (Eucomis), freesia, summer hyacinth (Galtonia), begonia, red hot poker (Kniphofia), Asiatic and Oriental lilies (Lilium), and Aztec lily (Sprekelia). 
So start by finding an empty spot in your yard that you see frequently that could use some color. If you don’t have an open bed, remove a patch of lawn in front of shrubs. Measure the size and note what time of day and how long the sun shines on that spot. Consider the following when designing your garden: hardiness, color, fragrance, height, time of bloom and size of plant. Do you want to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, or song birds? Or are you trying to create a work of beauty just for you? Next, visit your favorite full service nursery. They will help you pick out the right flowers for that spot. And be sure to ask about fertilizer, weed preventer and mulch.
Here are three easy ways to start planting your summer bulbs:
- Start with bulbs that are plump, firm and feel heavy for their size. Prep the soil by working a complete fertilizer into the entire bed or bottom of planting holes.
- Arrange the bulbs in groups or random clusters, then plant them at the depth recommended on the package with the pointed side or sprouting side facing up.
- Cover the bulbs with soil mixed with compost and keep the soil moist to slightly moist from planting until the foliage of the mature plant dies back.
One of the biggest things about gardening is the upkeep, depending on the plants and flowers you choose this can require little maintenance or high maintenance. Be realistic about your daily scheduled and how much effort you are willing to put in weekly to maintain your gardens.
Work all day? Busy with kids? Then opt for low maintenance plants that need very little maintenance or call DK Landscaping to keep your yard looking beautiful all year long! (707) 280-3632.
