Backyard Beauty On A Budget
Want to build the garden of your dreams, but don’t want to shell out your hard-earned dough? Creating a low-maintenance yard on a budget has its challenges, but there are many ways to meet them. Good planning, a little gardening knowledge, creativity and a willingness to think outside the window-box are all you need to make your yard an enjoyable oasis for family and visitors alike without breaking the bank. DK Landscaping is here to you a less-expensive way to make your yard a better place!
DEFINE YOUR SPACES
Clearly defining the space you need whether it be, dining area, cooking area, shady lounging area, play area can make a great impact on your yard. Doing this can be as inexpensive as repositioning the furniture and accessories you already have. You may also want to build or buy a storage shed to keep kids’ toys out of sight when not in use.
BUY TREES
If you have to spend money on the landscape spend it first on trees. you should always put trees in your landscape before anything else. It is worth a little extra money to get a good landscape tree. There are a lot of trash trees that will send up suckers, leave huge messes on your lawn, require hours of pruning, and die just as your landscape matures. For shade trees, named hybrid maples, oaks, and sycamores are almost always a safe bet. Avoid birches, most elms, poplars, and some ashes which grow fast, but are ultimately short-lived.
THINK VERTICALLY
If your backyard features a large, flat lawn, add some dimension by positioning boulders (available at landscaping supply stores) throughout the space. You might choose to arrange them individually or cluster a few together. Don’t be afraid to cut into the lawn to accommodate them and leave some space around for planting colorful perennials or small shrubs.
BUY PERENNIALS
As tempting as all those beautiful annuals are on the nursery shelves, think ahead. Every year you will need to replace them, as they die. This is one of the quickest ways to burn through a landscape budget. If you are willing to start annuals from seed (or any other plant for that matter) go for it! Just don’t buy them in a pot (or pony packs, or flats). Perennials on the other hand get bigger and more attractive year after year. A single $2, 4″ potted perennial can be a 8-foot mound of color within three years. The annual will be about the same size as the pot and will have cost three times as much.
TIP: Buy in the fall when perennials are on sale. Trees, shrubs and perennials are the bones of any garden. Unfortunately, they cost an arm and a leg at the beginning of spring and summer. Everyone thinks that you have to plant these at the beginning of the season. The reality is that they can also be planted in the fall when temperatures are cooler. The best part is that trees, shrubs and perennials go on sale at the end of the season, from anywhere between 5o to 75 percent off their regular price.
Freecycle and Craigslist
Check out Freecycle and Craigslist to find all manner of garden goodies. Everything from plant divisions to garden tools, pots, containers and even garden furniture often for deals during spring and summer.
You can easily start many plants from seed, get free divisions and cuttings from generous neighbors to help you save cash when planting your own garden. Hardscape goods are really expensive, but you can easily source them from other gardeners who are undergoing remodeling projects. Buying trees, shrubs and perennials at the right time of the year will earn you the biggest savings when landscaping your yard. Use these frugal gardening tips to help you easily landscape your yard into the verdant paradise of your dreams. If you’re interested in learning more about landscaping, consider contacting DK Landscaping for a free consultation (707) 280-3632. Serving the greater Sonoma County areas.
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.
April Showers Bring May Flowers…And Weeds!
Remember that old saying “April showers bring May Flowers”? This gives us hope that after the rains, spring will burst with Tulips, Azaleas, Cherry Blossoms, Dogwood Trees, Flowering Crabapple Trees and the like. But there is something else that catches our attention during spring. Along with that new life filled with color and aroma comes the “other” perennials, the dreaded and sometimes belligerent weeds!
Weeds are often a misunderstood plant. The purpose of weeds are so diverse and their varieties are seemingly pretty…and endless, but one thing is for sure– weeds are plants growing where we don’t want them to grow. They can remain dormant for months, and even years, until the moisture of the rain and the warm weather create the ideal condition them (dandelions, chickweed and a whole host of other undesirable weeds).
Unfortunately, if we do find ourselves knee deep in these undesirable vegetation, the best method to extract them is by mechanical means. This means we must physically pull or dig out the deeply rooted weed by hand. An assortment of hand tools are available, such as slicing hoes, winged weeders, hand cultivators and hand rakes that can help this task to be a little less back-breaking.
A better plan is to try and prevent as many of those weeds popping up all over in the first place. In our war against weeds, we have two defensive treatments: pre-emergent herbicide and mulch. Pre-emergent herbicides inhibits or halts the growth of the weeds. Mulch not only makes our beds look uniform and attractive, but it benefits plants by keeping the soil cool and moist and depriving weeds of light. Organic mulches, in particular, can actually host crickets and carabid beetles, which seek out and devour thousands of weed seeds.
Weed management can be a pretty daunting and tedious task if you’re not careful. But in the end, it is definitely worth it– resulting in healthy and nutrient-fed flowers and produce. If you need help, give DK Landscaping a call to assist you with either one-time maintenance or to set-up a maintenance schedule to give you extra reinforcement (707) 280-2632(707) 280-2632.
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.
Surviving Winter Drought
Since our “official” rainy season began October 2013, Sonoma County county has seen only two inches of rain bringing us the driest season that anyone can remember in the North Bay. This has resulted in another difficult growing season for farmers and gardeners. Many cities are already implementing water restrictions and encouraging citizens to voluntarily engage in water conservation.
So what can the home gardener do to use less water, enjoy the garden more, and help the environment? Here are DK Landscapings 10 easy tips:
1) Check for Leaks and Repair– Leaks can occur for many reasons and in many parts of watering systems. Review sites weekly for “weeping” valves, sprinklers, hose bibs, etc.
2) Choose Hand Watering – over automatic irrigation when possible. The more time you spend with the plants, the more they benefit from the attention, the sooner they establish, and the less water they need.
3) Avoid Runoff – To gauge the time to run off, turn on a sprinkler zone and track the time until water runoff begins. That is the amount of run time that should be entered into the controller followed by at least 30 minutes before the next cycle.
4) Inspect and Tune-Up your Sprinkler System Monthly – Adjust your sprinkler heads to prevent water draining off your lawn and down the gutter. Reduce sprinkler run-time, and don’t be a gutter flooder.
5) Get to Know Your Meter – Your water meter is an important conservation tool. It not only measures the amount of water you use, but can also tell you if there is a leak in your plumbing.
6) Incorporate Shrubs and Trees into the garden. Once established, these deep-rooted plants require far less water than shallow-rooted perennials and annuals.
7) Learn Soil/Plant Relationships – Landscape plantings need healthy soil to grow and thrive. The more healthy a plant is, the more stress it can tolerate. Knowing soil type will help with irrigation scheduling. Being able to identify plants will indicate how to best care for the landscape as a whole. In times of drought, reducing fertilizing and pruning can help plants survive with a reduced amount of water.
8) Water – between midnight and 6:00 a.m. to reduce water loss from evaporation and wind. Water your lawn and garden in 2 or 3 short cycles rather than one long one. Watering to a depth of 4″ to 6” will encourage deeper healthier roots and allow the plants to go without water for longer periods of time.
9) Reduce the size of water features (like a pond, stream, or water fountain) to conserve water while still attracting birds and wildlife.
10) Use a Broom, not a hose, to clean your driveway, deck, or patio. Washing a sidewalk or driveway with a hose uses about 50 gallons of water every 5 minutes.
DK Landscaping specializes in water conversation, water efficiency and water management and makes it a priority when serving our clients and our community every season of the year. It is a primary consideration in everything we do, from the selection of plants to the design of irrigation systems and the equipment choices we make.
Every drop matters, and each one of us counts.
Winter Trees
When comparing winter to the lush of spring, summer and fall colors, landscape in the winter can seem subdued. But don’t be too quick to dismiss the garden in the off season. Evergreens are a great and obvious choice to add to your landscape, but what about winter trees? Winter trees offer interesting bark, brightly colored berries, and interesting form and are filled with beautiful secrets of seasons past, as well as seasons to come.
Winter trees can add structure to the landscape and garden and some make excellent hedges and screens whilst others are ideal as statement specimens. From flowering cherries and crab apples to evergreen yews and weeping willows trees offer different leaf size, shape and color. Many have attractive flowers, fruits and seeds and there are those that flower magnificently in spring and those whose leaves offer brilliant autumn color just before leaf fall.
Here are DK Landscaping’s top ten list of trees we recommend planting in the winter.
1. Himalyan Birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii)
2. Silver Birch (Betula pendula)
3. Snowy Mespilus (Amerlanchier lamarckii)
4. Christmas berry ‘Red Robin’ (Photinia fraserii ‘Red Robin’)
5. Freeman’s Maple (Acer freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’)
6. English oak (Quercus robur)
7. Pin oak (Quercus palustris)
8. Crab apple (Malus ‘Evereste’)
9. Crab apple (Malus ‘Rudolph’)
10. Vilmorin’s mountain ash (Sorbus vilmorinii)
By planting trees you can reduce or improve your carbon footprint and generally enhance the environment. Trees can transform an area by introducing welcome shade, protective shelter and wildlife and are an investment for future generations.
All trees require some support and protection such as stakes, tree ties and tree guards. Fertilizer can be added to the planting hole and mulch can be added after planting to preserve moisture and keep down weeds.
Newly planted trees do best when exposed to moderate temperatures and rainfall and they need time to root and acclimatize before the onset of summer heat or the harsher temperatures of winter. Container grown trees can be planted at any time of the year providing the soil / ground is not frozen or water logged.
Winterize Your Landscape
Living in Northern California, we are very fortunate to be able to enjoy warm temperatures usually through the end of November. But as the days get colder, we may feel tempted to curl up under a warm blanket in our living rooms and want to forget about our landscaping. The truth of the matter is, your garden needs some pampering to help it through the cold and stormy months ahead and get it in good shape for next spring. So let’s bundle up, spend some time outside and get your winter checklist out of the way.
Spice up your yard by planting your favorite bulbs now for colorful springtime blooms. The ideal time to do this is before the ground freezes (which can occur anytime in November depending on where you live). You can plant spring-flowering bulbs such as crocuses, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths as soon as possible. While you’re out there planting bulbs, look over your garden and remove dead plant material and cut all flowers and clear debris from the base of roses. Fallen rose foliage can give diseases a safe place to overwinter and create problems in your garden next year.
November is about the time lawns slowly start to recover from the stresses of the hot summer. Lawns should be aerated in the fall and early spring. This process loosens soil compaction and allows water, air and beneficial nutrients to get to the roots. Since grass grows more slowly in fall, it still needs to be cut to prepare for winter. Lowering the height on your lawn mower helps the soil dry out more quickly in spring.
Cut back herbaceous perennials, bushes and shrubs: When shrubs go yellow, their stems bend towards the ground or they start to go to seed, it is time to cut them down. This is because the plants are now drawing their sap back to their roots. If they are not cut down, they may decay.
Give all of your plants a good drink, especially your trees. Their roots need plenty of moisture to make it through the upcoming months.
Protect cold-sensitive plants such as your shrubs, roses, and perennials that might succumb to blasts of cold. You can protect them with mulch or another protective covering. Place these frost barriers after the first freeze.
Prepare your garden’s tools for a long winter’s rest: Scrub them clean, sharpen any dull blades and rub everything with oil to prevent rust. Drain water from hoses and sprayers. Drain and store gasoline and oil from power equipment, and disconnect spark plugs. Gather trellises, row covers and other materials you won’t need any more this season. Store everything in a covered spot.
Don’t forget to feed the birds. Our feathered friends food supply grows scarce in the fall and winter months.
Fall Landscaping Tips and Tricks
Sonoma County embraces the fall season as temperatures begin to dip and daylight begins to wane. It marks a time of change when our summer perennials and annuals die back, the leaves fall from the trees, and our irrigation systems get turned down.
Fall is an opportune time when we should welcome a change in landscape by dressing up your yard with some of fall’s favorites like mums, gourd’s, pumpkins! They are everywhere, in a variety of colors, from yellow to deep red.
MUMS are inexpensive and can be purchased just about everywhere. They make for great boarders, or can be planted in mass for a striking display. And the best thing, they are hardy perennials and can withstand low temperatures and frost. If planted early enough they will come back next spring. As an alternative to mums, you can use Coleus, Sedum, Firethorn, Snap Dragons, and Pansies to add stunning beauty to your landscape. Throw a few pumpkins in the mix and you’ve got a gorgeous garden display.
TREES are another way to spruce up your landscaping. They are not only beautiful but require less work than your summer-time trees. DK Landscaping recommends Hickory, redbud, sugar maples, and birch trees create marvelous landscapes of fall color. 
Lastly, don’t forget to incorporate hay bales, pine straw, pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks and potted plants – all that the harvest season has to offer!
Just following these simple fall tips and tricks will make your landscape pop with color, and keep your landscape looking beautiful and colorful all season long. It will make your home extra inviting for visitors including some little ghosts and goblins on Halloween night.
DK Landscaping is your Northern California’s premier’s landscaping company. For more information and/or a free consultation how we can add a little color to your fall life, please give us call (707) 280-3632.
Goodbye Summer. Hello Autumn!
Autumn is officially here in Sonoma County! When we think of the season, we think of vibrant foilage, crunchy leaves, the smell of crisp sweet air, pumpkins, hot apple cider and Halloween. But as we get further into the season, the sunlight begins to wane, the nights are chillier, our trees are more bare and the landscape looks tired. It’s easy for us at this point to hang up our boots, turn our backs on our landscape and take up shelter for warmth. But the reality is that Autumn is the most ideal time to tend to our lawns and prepare it for the harsh winter ahead to ensure it’s in the best of health for a springier spring. Here are DK Landscaping’s top tips to winterize your landscape:
Mow & Mulch
Mow your lawn into the fall and avoid removing more than one-third of the leaf blades with each cut. Return grass clippings and back to the soil for added lawn nutrients and use tree leaf compost to nourish plants. That will allow more sunlight to reach the crown of the grass, and there will be less leaf to turn brown during the winter.
Aerate & Prune
Aerating is a lawn process that puts small holes into the ground to allow air, water, and nutrients to transcend into the ground and allows you to remove unwanted weeds from manifesting. Help your lawn breathe through fall core aeration to strengthen roots and to prepare for a hardy spring workout. Conduct corrective pruning of trees and shrubs in fall to enhance plant appearance and vigor, and thin rather than top-shear and overgrown shrubs and flowering trees to preserve their overall shape.
Rake those Leaves
Don’t wait until all the leaves have fallen from the trees to start raking. If you do, the leaves will become wet from rain and morning dew, stick together and form an impenetrable mat that, if left there, will suffocate the grass and breed fungal diseases.
Feed for the Winter
A good fall feeding gives roots of lawns, trees and shrubs the energy needed to prepare for a healthy spring green revival. Keep fertilizer on target to prevent run-off and sweep fertilizer granules that may reach pavement back onto your lawn.
DK Landscaping is your Sonoma County lawn experts. We have all the tools, experience and are backed by 10 years trusted guaranteed service. Give us a call so we can help make your lawn beautiful! For a full list of services, please contact Kathy Lee at (707) 280-3632 or contact us by email, davidmunlee@aol.com.
