Posts Tagged landscaping
Lawn Treatment Tips
Proper maintenance of your lawn is crucial for a perfect residential landscape. If the right upkeep practices are not upheld, the lawn will deteriorate. Invasive weeds will grow on the land, the plants will lose their lushness and the grass might begin to wither. On the other hand, if you make time for lawn care, you will preserve the natural appeal of your yard. Here are simple lawn treatment tips to help you keep your residential landscape beautiful and healthy.
Aerate the Lawn Soil
Compacted soil does not support the efficient growth of grass. If the ground is too compact, the roots of the grass will not grow deep. Moreover, water, air and nutrients will not be mobile and readily available in the soil. Fortunately, you can relieve compaction and aerate the lawn soil by creating holes in the ground at intervals. There are specialized tools for aeration, but a simple garden fork will also be effective. You will only need to push the prongs into the ground at short intervals.
Apply Suitable Fertilizer
Feeding the lawn with fertilizer can improve the appearance and health of the grass. The treatment will provide the nutrients which might be absent from the soil. If your landscape is large, it is advisable to acquire specialized equipment for nutrients feeding. However, if the lawn is relatively small, you can manually apply the fertilizer to the grass. Ideally, the material should be used during the rainy season. Fertilizer will burn the grass if it stays on the blades. If it does not rain, you should irrigate the yard thoroughly to allow the nutrients to sink to the soil.
Plan on Over-seeding
Over-seeding is a beneficial practice for old and tired lawns. It is advisable to consider this process if your lawn is showing signs of thinning out, or there are bare patches on the land. In general, over-seeding involves covering the entire loan with a mixture of grass seeds and fertilizer. When these seeds grow, they will fill in the gaps between the thinning areas of the lawn, creating a lush and uniform landscape. If you decide to carry out this process, remember to keep the lawn moist to facilitate germination.
Mow the Lawn Correctly
Mowing is an important part of keeping your lawn in good condition. However, if you do not perform this maintenance process correctly, you could cause more harm to your landscape. Where possible, it is prudent to have your grass mowed by a skilled professional. If you must handle the work, you must remember to only cut about a third of the total grass length. Cutting more will compromise the growth of the grass. You must also avoid mowing wet grass because moisture causes clumping. Mowing the lawn in this condition increases the risk of patching.
Going Beyond Lawn Treatment Tips
Maintaining a beautiful landscape is not only as simple as upholding simple lawn treatment tips. The best upkeep and care practices require effort, time, skill and experience. Therefore, if you are interested in improving your residential lawn for long-term health and aesthetics, consider consulting our experts at DK Landscaping Inc. Whether you need mowing and edging or fertilization and weed management, you will receive the best services for a beautiful home.
There’s More to Landscape Maintenance Than You Might Think
Landscape maintenance is all about keeping your yard and garden attractive, safe, and healthy. That means keeping the bugs, insects, and other pests away and making sure that everything is cut and trimmed to keep your home or business landscape looking wonderful.
Getting on a regular landscape maintenance schedule might even be a good idea since it means less time spent pruning and weeding and more time spent with your family.
Professional landscapers can also handle the hard stuff like topsoil enrichment and making sure your lawn is on the right irrigation schedule.
Landscape Maintenance: Where Art and Science Meet
Professional landscaping is as much an art as a science. There’s a real science to, for instance, getting the pH balance of your lawn just right for growing plants, shrubs and flowers.
(Most grass likes a pH of about 7, though some warm-season grasses like more acidic soil with a pH of around 5. Don’t worry: The pros can tell you what’s right for your lawn!).
Now, one of the more scientific aspects of lawn maintenance is lawn aeration where your soil is perforated to allow in more water and the kinds of nutrients that your soil needs to perform at its best.
These tiny holes that are made when you have your lawn aerated also help get more air into the soil and help you avoid soil compaction. (That’s something you don’t want at all since soil compaction can negatively affect nutrient absorption and root growth.)
There’s as much art to landscape maintenance, though, since landscapers have to balance the layout, lighting, walkway access, and fencing of your yard with choosing and maintaining just the right bushes and mulch for your particular landscape.
Choosing the right kind of mulch – whether that’s straw, chips, stone, or bark – is important for making your garden and overall landscape look fantastic.
Mulching can also help prevent your garden from being ensnared by a bunch of weeds and ensure that soil compaction doesn’t become an issue for your lawn and garden.
The right kind of mulch can frame your landscape beautifully, promote nutrient absorption, and limit water use since more moisture gets to the roots.
Who Can Benefit from Regular Landscape Maintenance?
Because landscape maintenance covers so much ground almost any homeowner or business can reap the benefits. Condos, gated communities, shopping centers, community centers, banks, universities. You name it.
Any business that has a landscape that they want to protect and any homeowner that wants to improve their curb appeal should seriously consider getting on a regular landscape schedule.
So, do you currently need to be experiencing lawn issues to hire a landscaper? Not necessarily, but landscape maintenance includes things like fertilizing and spot treatments to address those pesky bald spots on your lawn.
Uprooting weeds is another thing that most homeowners don’t exactly look forward to doing but that can have a big payoff when it comes to keeping your lawn healthy and beautiful.
When you get on a regular landscape maintenance schedule you can have weeding, aeration, mowing and mulching taken care of.
Knowing that you’re doing the most to improve the curb appeal of your home or the attractiveness of your business property lends a huge amount of confidence that’s sure to spill over.
A professional landscaping company will even provide monthly irrigation inspections to ensure your yard, garden, shrubs, and bushes are getting the nourishment they need. You can also have your lawn pH tested to take the guesswork out of it.
Contact us to discover all of the amazing benefits of getting on a regular landscape maintenance schedule.
Ways To Master Your Summer Lawn Care
Here are the Top 5 tips For Summer Lawn Care that can help you to achieve the best lawn.
- Starting Over – Cleaning Up –
The first thing you should start by doing is walking over your lawn and gather branches, twigs, leaves and any other debris that has accumulated and dispose of. (Or it can be thrown in the compost bin to later be used as mulch)
Cleaning up your lawn area should also include raking up any matted areas of the lawn which can encourage snow mold. Not only does this help to prevent any disease or insect infestation but at the same time it promotes better air flow throughout the turf and allows new grass blades to grow without difficulty.
- Protect Your Interest – Weed Control –
Weeds can definitely be a gardener’s worst nightmare and no matter how you try to get rid of them they keep coming back. Though you may not be able to stop them completely there are things you can do to keep them at bay. Weed control.
As part of your lawn care, it is very important to carry out weed control – applying an effective weed killer whether it be organic or inorganic before temperatures hit 55-60 degrees. If you wait until temperatures reach this point, conducting weed control will be pointless as weed seeds would have already begun to germinate.
- Kick Start Growth – Fertilizing –
Winter really signifies a dormant period for gardens and landscapes as your lawn and other areas tend to go into a slumber, however, fertilizing your lawn and other garden areas in the spring gives it a much-needed jumpstart.
This provides an intensified nutrient build up that will give your lawn and other areas the strength they require to withstand the heat and drought that follow in the summer months.
- Let It Breathe – Core Aeration
Just like weed control, it is important to core aerate lawns in the spring as part of your lawn care, before soil temperatures reach 55-60 degrees since this encourages aggressive weeds to populate void spaces in a lawn. Allowing water and air to reach root zones easily, core aeration is great for lawns and helps gardeners to quickly achieve new growth when they apply this useful tip.
- Repair And Rejuvenate Lawns – Re-Seeding Turf
Nine times out of ten winter will wreck havoc on your lawn and come spring the damage is done. Now what? Well, as long as the weather permits it how about doing some re-seeding?
This is a great technique gardeners can use to restore damaged areas of their lawns, however, it may be a bit tricky if you’re applying a pre-emergent weed control so it must be carefully done.
You see, pre-emergent weed control isn’t selective, meaning it will prevent ANY seed from germinating including those used to reseed your turf.
Usually, it’s recommended to hold off weed control to the latest point possible an to perform the turf repairs needed as early as possible so that the seeds have enough time to germinate and become established before weed killer is applied. If this is not possible, don’t skip your weed control instead wait until fall to perform any turf repairs necessary.
Bonus Tips For Lawn Care
- Mow Turf On A High Setting – You should adjust your mower to cut your lawn grass at the highest possible setting. Most turf types usually thrive better when blade heights are about 3 to 4 inches tall.
- When mowing Zoysia grass and Centipede grass, use the lowest setting. For Bermuda grass and creeping bentgrass, it’s best to remove only a third of the total grass blade length at a time.
- Applying mulch – Mulches help to provide essential nutrients and help with weed prevention and soil stability all season long be sure to apply some where necessary.
Contact the experts here at DK Landscaping – our expert team is on call to come in and assist you with any lawn care or gardening task that you have.
Give us a call at (707) 280-3632 or you can visit our website at dklandscaping.com for more information or book your appointment.
Top 5 Sizzling Summer Landscape Design Ideas For 2018
“ I Go To Nature To Be Soothed, And Healed And To Have My Senses Put In Order.”
-John Burroughs
Ready to try something new this summer in your garden? Well, if you’re looking for hot, exciting, ideas you can use to spice up your landscape and make it stand out then you’ve definitely tuned into the right station. Whether you want to transform your outdoor space into a head-turning, masterpiece of nature or you simply want to spend your time outdoors among beautiful trees and flowers, we’ve got the ideas that can help you achieve it. Without further delay, let’s get straight down to business and have a look at 5 Top Summer Landscape Design Trends that have been taking the outdoors by storm.
- Revamping Lawn Areas
Have you ever noticed how a well-trimmed and maintained lawn has become a popular attribute that represents everything about the quiet suburban life?
Despite this, droughts, water shortages and rising environmental challenges in recent years have seemed to take their toll on many landscape designs including lawn areas. Nevertheless, instead of going with a traditional type lawn this summer people could consider planting grass mixes that don’t require mowing.
- Go Bold This Summer With A Colored Fence
This is probably one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to enhance your landscape design and it not only sets the tone but really adds a certain highlight to the outdoor space.
A little color always makes things a bit more interesting – Add a slice of drama to your garden since the landscape design trends for this summer, dictate that using dark and bold colors for outdoor structures can give your landscape that extra boost and more for the eyes to feast on.
This should be a welcomed change from the traditional ‘white picket fence’ that has somehow gotten old.
- Natural Materials Add Texture Where Needed
In previous years when a more contemporary, landscape design concept reigned unopposed, it was one thing, but in more recent times, landscape designers have been getting more requests for the addition of natural elements and non-geometric styles, in order to exude a more natural and original landscape design.
Decks, swing seats, garden furniture, bird baths and small fountains all seem to be returning to the top of the list of trending ideas for summer landscape designs.
- Sustainable Watering Ideas To Match Environmental Conditions
With recent drought conditions showing no sign of letting up, keeping landscape designs in good shape has been proving to be a bit challenging for landscapers.
Since this is the case, this summer, why not jump onto the trend of low-water landscaping? Xeriscaping as it is more commonly referred to in landscaping circles is a landscape design that includes many drought-tolerant plant species that require little or no maintenance.
Not only does this form of landscape design help landscapers to promote water conservation in harsh times but they don’t have to spend so much time maintaining landscapes.
- Dog-Friendly Landscape Designs Are Great For Accommodating Your Pet
Most people who are dog owners are aware that dogs like to dig, so when planning your summer landscape design why not apply a few dog-friendly tips that you can not only have a beautiful landscape but a happy dog as well.
By making special areas throughout your outdoor space like sandboxes, for your dog to carry out its instinctual habit of digging, is a great way to avoid damage to your precious blooms while keeping your dog happy.
With Spring is reaching its zenith, landscapers everywhere are already into summer gardening mode. So, before you start pulling, raking and sowing, why not consider these summer trends to enhance and complement your landscape design.
If you need help with your landscape design or to start one from scratch, we’re here to help. The experts here at DK Landscaping have been helping gardeners all across California achieve the landscape design of their dreams.
Call us today at (707) 280-3632 to get started right away or you can visit our website at dklandscaping.com to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions About Drip Irrigation Systems
“The Secret Of Landscapes Isn’t Creation …It’s Maintenance.”-Michael Dolan
Micro- irrigation systems or drip irrigation as it’s more commonly referred, is basically a form of irrigation that supplies water toplant roots in a gradual manner. Extremely popular for its efficiency and its ability to promote water conservation, drip irrigation systems consist of a network of supply veins which run beneath the topsoil throughout the specified area, to thoroughly and strategically deliver a constant supply of water to plants.
They’re probably plenty of gardeners out there who find drip irrigation systems work well for their gardens but might not necessarily know everything they should about irrigation systems.
Unfortunately, because of this they may run into a couple problems that they may not be able to solve, so this article aims to answer any questions relating to irrigation systems that may prove difficult to answer.
Understanding Drip Irrigation Systems – Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Q: How do you know if irrigation drip lines are working?
A: Since drip irrigation systems run beneath the topsoil it can be difficult to determine if it’s working. So, by simply observing the area after a few minutes of turning on the system to look for dampness in the soil around the line.
If your soil is mulched, just dig away a small portion of the mulch and soil with your hand and feel the soil to see if it’s moist or not.
Q: What’s the difference between a drip irrigation system and a ground sprinkler system?
A: Both systems function to deliver water to plants however a ground sprinkler system works by spraying a planted area above ground while a drip irrigation systems are located underneath the soil and deliver water directly to roots with a slow, consistent, drip.
Q: What type of garden is drip irrigation best suited for?
A: Drip irrigation systems are best suited for landscape beds with lots of plants and shrubs rather than lawns.
Q: How can a drip irrigation system benefit my garden?
A: Drip irrigation can offer gardens quite a few benefits once installed correctly. For instance, they prevent overwatering of plants and allow plant roots to absorb more water over a longer period of time, however some of the more popular benefits include its ability to promote water conservation, especially in drought-stricken areas and they offer a way for gardeners to save time and money.
Q: What difference will having a drip irrigation system make on my water bill?
A: As you can tell from its name a drip irrigation system practically drips water and emits water at a slower rate than above ground sprinklers or garden hoses.
With various settings, drip emitters may apply water at 0.5 – 4 gallons per hour where a rotor style sprinkler can water between 1 – 6 gallons per minute. See the difference yet?
You see, even though each landscape area differs in size drip irrigation systems can be set so that they have a slower application rate and higher efficiency. Based on this efficiency gardeners are able to reduce water usage by 50%. So, in other words, you’ll be cutting your water bill in half.
Q: Is a drip irrigation system difficult to install?
A: With easy to work with components, the process of installing a drip irrigation system is not difficult though there are certain guidelines you should follow. Basically, the process consists of weaving and arranging the tubing so that the supply of water is directed to the targeted areas.
Need Help With Drip Irrigation Systems?
If you don’t know how instal a drip irrigation system, don’t panic – help is just a call or click away. Don’t exhaust yourself spending hours in the sun struggling with irrigation tubes or worse stand in your garden and not know what to to to install your drip irrigation system. We can help.
Contact us at DK Landscaping Inc., to come in and assist you with professional irrigation system installation. Not only is our team knowledgeable about each aspect of irrigation installation but they will ensure you are well on your way without having to break a sweat. Call us today at (707) 280-3632 to schedule a visit or you can visit our website dklandscaping.com to learn more.
Learn How To Create The Perfect Xeriscape
When people say xeriscape they are referring to the practice of designing landscapes using slow-growing, drought-tolerant plants that aim to promote water conservation and reduce the need for regular maintenance.
Although recent drought conditions have created an urgency to adjust to different landscape practices like xeriscaping, many people still opt for xeriscape designs because they look amazing when finally complete.
Having said that, it’s important to remember that designing a xeriscape is not just throwing certain plants into some dirt and expecting them to look spectacular, it’s a process.
So, to help people to get a better grasp of things, we’d like to share some fundamental aspects on the best way to create the perfect xeriscape!
Accurate Designing Will Determine the Final Look
Now, to be as straightforward as possible, it’s important that people know that having plant material in the right place, is one of the most important aspects of xeriscaping.
Whether it be that you’re giving a facelift to an old landscape or designing a new one altogether, a proper design is vital – especially if you intend to conserve resources and achieve an amazing result.
Tips That Help With Xeriscape Design
- Assess the area for the presence of vegetation as this is an indication of whether plant material will grow well in that particular area.
- Arrange your xeriscape into of three different zones; a high water-use zone, a moderate water-use zone, and a low water-use zone. The high water-use zone should be very small, highly visible and watered as needed.The moderate water-use zone is usually a bit larger than the high water-use zone and is only watered when required. Now, the low water-use zone should be at least 60% of the area and only include plant types that are initially watered.
Using these straightforward tips you will be well on your way to creating a xeriscape design that’s efficient, practical, and easily maintained.
Soil Management And Soil Quality Is Important
Managing soil may probably be the part of xeriscaping that gardeners enjoy the least as it can involve a bit of hard work on their part but despite this, working with good, quality, soil while designing your xeriscape, is extremely important.
By knowing your soil’s strengths and weaknesses, you’ll know exactly what kind of amendments may be needed for healthy growth.
Nevertheless, always make sure to slope garden beds away from any buildings and plant drought-tolerant plants at the higher part of the slope.
Choosing The Right Plants
The best way to choose plants for your xeriscape would be to opt for more native plant species that may find it easier to adapt to your local environment.
It may be also smart to choose plants that have a slower growth rate that will mature with the rest of your landscape, add texture, and complement the surrounding area.
Here are a few plant choices you can use to make your xeriscape beautiful, functional and low maintenance:
- Southern Indian Azalea,
- Climbing Fig
- Creeping Juniper
- Sweet Alyssum
- Camellia
- Creeping Gardenia
- Jasmine
- Cleyera
- Indian Hawthorne
Why not let the professionals help you get started with creating the perfect xeriscape. Here at DK Landscaping, you can get the best xeriscaping services in California – Our professional team can come in and take care of all the hard work for you and all you have to do is sit back and watch you xeriscape mature and bloom.
Give us a call at (707) 280-3632 and our professional team will drop by to start the planning and preparation process. To learn more about our xeriscaping services you can also visit our website at dklandscaping.com.
The Ultimate Guide to Landscape Maintenance -v2
No landscaper wants to see beetles, aphids, slugs or any other troublesome pests anywhere in their garden. Many of these pests are known to leave a path of destruction, destroying lawns, trees and plants wherever they go. Therefore when pursuing landscape maintenance, pest control is another important element that you may not want to forget. Even if it may look like just a few innocent bugs, infestations could rapidly spread, killing plants and trees along with your time and energy that you invested.
This is why it’s important that you visit your local garden center and speak to the staff there about the best pest control products to use to help you to keep pest at bay. It’s also important that landscapers make this a regular practice when conducting landscape maintenance to guarantee protection for your entire landscape.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing landscapes despite popular belief, is more than just throwing products into the soil and expecting something to happen instantly. Fertilizing takes time and should be done carefully and precisely if you are to get the best possible results. So when conducting landscape maintenance, so that you know what you’re doing, here’s a simple guide people can follow when fertilizing their landscape.
- Choosing A Fertilizer – Fertilizers can be purchased in a liquid, a granule, or a spike form and are mainly used to provide nutrients to soil and plants. Fertilizers when manufactured provide product information that includes an analysis such as 10-6-4, 5-10-5, or 30-7-7.
Here the first number represents the percentage of the nitrogen content in the fertilizer, the second number refers to the phosphorus content, and the third the potassium content in the fertilizer. This information is provided as an indicator to notify people of what exactly they’re purchasing and where it can best be used.
If you come across a fertilizer with these three major plant nutrients based on the NPK analysis, it is called a complete fertilizer and can be used to provide landscapes with a complete set of nutrients in one application.
- Fertilizing Trees – Depending on the landscape goals and what the current nutrient status of the soil is, landscapers can best determine how much and how often to fertilize trees, however, with small trees, these should only be fertilized once a year.
- Fertilizing Plants – Plants absorb fertilizer at any time during the growing season so long as it’s not too dry or the soil is frozen. Fertilizer is usually absorbed by plant roots during the dormant period, once soil temperatures stay above 40 degrees F.
Mulching
As part of landscape maintenance, mulching is also another important element that ought to be considered. Mulching is a great way to further promote health, vigor and beauty throughout your landscape and enables landscapers to benefit in numerous ways. This practice is known to support plant stability and provide nutrients to the soil while preventing weeds and maintaining consistent moisture levels throughout landscapes.
Think of how much time could be saved to do other things just by mulching, since you hardly have to weed or water landscapes. Apart from this mulching can also bring an extra sense of appeal while improving the aesthetics of landscapes, adding color and uniformity to the area.
Just like fertilizing, mulching should be done a particular way, wherein most landscapes mulch can be applied so it covers up to 3 inches above the soil and about 1 inch away from plant stems; As for trees, these can be mulched up to 8 inches off the ground.
People can also visit their local garden center to purchase mulch which can come in the form of wood chippings, bark nuggets, compost and much more. Grass clippings from your regular turf mowing can also be kept and used as mulch.
Don’t Have the Time to Conduct Landscape Maintenance? – Our Team Can Make it Happen for You!
Altogether, landscaping and landscaping maintenance can test the best of gardeners and is not for the faint of heart. Time money and lots of energy have to be put into creating and maintaining a gorgeous landscape.
If you’re retired, you work from home or landscaping is your profession then you may have more time on your hands to keep things with your landscape in order and even then there can still be numerous challenges as you may need help with several tasks. However, if you just don’t have the time or may meet certain challenges in different aspects of landscape maintenance, then we are here to help.
With top-rated landscape maintenance services, here at DK Landscaping we would be happy to come and give you a hand or conduct your landscape maintenance for you.With a knowledgeable, friendly staff, affordable rates and convenient services we can work to keep your landscape looking beautiful any time of year.
Operating efficiently and in any landscape environment, give us a call at to book your appointment or visit us online at dklandscaping.com for more information. Get your landscape maintenance done today, it’s just a call or click away.
The Ultimate Guide To Landscape Maintenance – v1
“A Landscape is a Living Space that Just Happens to be Outdoors” – GREG SOUTHARD
Didn’t quite get the most out of your gardening experience last season? Well, now that a new growing season is quickly approaching, you’re probably anxious to try a host of new ideas that you’ve included in your landscape maintenance plan which involves correcting all the things that went wrong last season.
Well, what better way to get started this season, than with landscape maintenance? This not only gives you a chance to make wrong things right in your garden, but you can finally bring new ideas to life.
With that said, if you’re looking to achieve the best results, it’s highly recommended that you hire professional help, however it is still important that you make a checklist of all the areas within your landscape in need of maintenance so that you have a general idea of all the work that needs to be done.
Landscape maintenance can be a tedious task for any gardener or landscaper, however consistency is key. So after you have completed your initial landscape maintenance you might want to keep track of areas in your landscape that need constant attention if they are to stay well-maintained.
In this article, we’d like to discuss what many top landscapers consider to be some of the most important elements of landscape maintenance and how they should be used to keep landscapes fresh, beautiful and healthy.
Landscape Like The Pros! – Follow These Tips And Learn How You Can Maintain The Perfect Landscape!
Have you ever stood and admired a breathtaking landscape that was so beautiful, you wished it were your very own? Well, you can achieve the gorgeous, landscape you’ve always wanted. Apart from patience and dedication, following the fundamental elements of landscape maintenance can make your ultimate landscaping dreams a reality.
It’s really quite simple, landscape maintenance is very important if landscapes are to maintain healthy plants and trees.
There’s no landscaper out there who likes the ghastly sight of weeds or fungi in their garden, as these not only interfere with the look and health of landscapes but they rob the soil of essential nutrients and steal the sunlight that plants and trees need to thrive.
Here is a list of the most important aspects of landscape maintenance landscapers should follow to help them keep their landscapes lush and healthy while exuding beauty and sophistication. These include:
Turf Maintenance – Mowing
To commence with your landscape maintenance, you may want to begin with the largest areas of your landscape first, and mowing your turf is usually the best place to start.
One of the biggest concerns landscapers have with mowing turf is achieving a consistent, turf level throughout the landscape and though landscape maintenance doesn’t come without challenges there’s always a smart way to do things.
To make mowing your turf easy, start by mowing two strips around the perimeter of the turf and then continue by mowing in straight lines perpendicular to this; You can alternate the same pattern at every other mow if possible, until you cover the entire turf area. It may be a grueling task but once you stand back and take a look at the results, we’re sure you’ll be pleased with what you see.
In maintaining your turf this growing season, remember to mow weekly taking care not to remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at a time to ensure you maintain a sleek, level turf.
They say a good mower will mow wet turf and pick up clippings better, which once collected could be used later for other purposes like mulching.
Pruning and Trimming
Over the dormant winter period, when there’s not much, if any activity going on with landscapes, things can get a bit out of hand. Trees can accumulate lots of overgrowths, those that do survive the cold, while those that didn’t leave nothing but shells of branches and leaf litter behind.
At this point you know you have to do something to regain normalcy in your landscape, giving your trees, hedges, and bushes a chance to spring new life while helping to make things nice and organized again.
The trick to getting this done is to prune and trim trees and shrubs throughout your landscape; This keeps them looking attractive and producing new growth.
Pruning and Trimming is:
- Best done in the late Dormant Season
- To be done with the correct tools to avoid damaging or killing plants.
- A great way to avoid injuries and maintain safety in and around landscapes.
Even for some experienced landscapers pruning and trimming could be a bit complicated and if not done the right way could potentially kill a plant. This is one of the main reasons why it is recommended that people seek professional help when it comes to landscape maintenance as the professionals will know exactly what to do in these cases. Contact us for more information and look out for volume 2 of this topic.
Top Gardening Trends For 2018 – Create Your Santa Rosa Xeriscape
Santa Rosa Xeriscape – The Way to go!
Water conservation has become a big deal these days in Santa Rosa and in several other cities in California, since the state has been experiencing severe drought conditions in recent years. Here, authorities have been forced to implement specific regulations and water restrictions in order to facilitate the conservation of water throughout the state.
As a result of this many gardeners and landscapers in those areas have had to improvise with their gardening techniques and have been utilizing xeriscaping to keep their gardens in tip-top shape in harsh and limited conditions.
Xeriscaping can bring a whole new meaning to your gardening this year even if the area where you reside is not as dry as others. This technique can help you to save, spend less time watering plants and play your role in conserving water in your district.
FYI – Xeriscapes Make Things Easy For Gardeners Battling Drought
If you live in Santa Rosa or any other city in California that’s drought stricken, then you know that maintaining a healthy and well-nourished garden can be quite the task. Not only because of the harsh and conditions that can exist in some areas but also because of the many issues concerning water conservation.
This is certainly a discouragement for many gardeners as they may fear the worst for their gardens with water regulations being so strict, however there is hope. With your Santa Rosa xeriscape, all your gardening dreams can be made possible and you can still remain compliant with California’s Water Regulations. How?
Well, this particular type of landscaping is specially designed to reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water to plants, making it easy for gardeners to maintain gardens or landscapes in the scarcity of water. Your Santa Rosa xeriscape does not have to be limited to a single look but can achieve almost any landscaping style conceivable. So whether you have a small garden or are responsible for maintaining a large landscape, using this concept won’t pose any issues with your gardening experience.
Furthermore for your Santa Rosa xeriscape, gardeners can choose from a host of attractive plants that not only show exceptional resilience to harsh conditions but also add variety and appeal to gardens.
Learn How You Can Achieve The Perfect Santa Rosa Xeriscape Following These Easy Steps
The fundamental element of xeriscape design is water conservation, making it the perfect solution for landscape designers who’re constantly searching for ways to reduce the amount water applied to their gardens and to maximize the use of natural precipitation.
Switching to xeriscaping from the more traditional way of landscaping is really quite easy and can be done by any gardener, however, whether you want to redesign an old landscape or create a fresh new, one using xeriscaping, there are a few basic principles that must be followed. These include:
- Planning
To kick off your Santa Rosa xeriscape project, planning is the first thing you should do, where you begin by constructing an aerial view of the site using graph paper, and then marking down North, South, East, and West.
Next, any limiting features such as trees, fences, walkways or structures should be included in plans, noting areas of full sun and full shade to help you to establish areas with different water requirements. You’ll also want to group plants with similar watering needs for most efficient water use.
It is also suggested that gardeners plot areas for seating, walkways, visual barriers, dining or play into plans; carefully constructing a section where larger plantings, such as shrubs and trees can be positioned to provide natural heating and cooling opportunities for adjacent buildings.
Lastly, study the natural contours and drainage patterns of the site to better understand the best or worst location for plants. These contours can be easily developed into terraces, which help to add visual interest and reduce soil loss and erosion.
- Soil Improvement
The next step to creating the perfect Santa Rosa xeriscape would be to improve soil quality on the site. In water-scarce landscapes having the ideal soil conditions does two things: it drains quickly and retains water at the same time. This is achieved by increasing the amount of organic material in your soil and keeping it well aerated.
All you have to do is to purchase some compost from your garden center to help increase the organic matter in your soil, though if you intend to use succulents and cacti in your Santa Rosa xeriscape you may want to work at achieving a leaner soil.
Adding bone meal and rock phosphate to the soil is also another way to boost soil volume and help to improve soil quality, however this is usually done with soils testing a high pH (too alkaline) and low in phosphorus.
- Create Limited Turf Areas
Next, you will need to reduce the size of turf areas as much as possible while retaining an area for open space, functionality and visual appeal. If you intend to plant new turf or reseed an existing lawn, it may be sensible to purchase water-saving species plants adapted to your area from your garden center. This brings us to our next step.
- Use Appropriate Plants
For gardeners to achieve the best results with their Santa Rosa xeriscape, they should select drought-resistant plants native to their region. The plants selected should have leaves which are small, thick, glossy, silver-grey or fuzzy – all characteristics which help them save water. It is also important to choose plants for their ultimate size which will reduce the need for pruning maintenance, especially in hot and dry areas.
Keep in mind to place plants along North and East-facing slopes and walls, that like more moisture but most importantly, it’s best not to mix plants with high and low-watering needs in the same planting area.
- Mulch
Most seasoned gardeners already know that mulching is a great way to promote healthy blooms and landscapes as it helps to retain moisture in the soil, prevent erosion and block troublesome weeds.
With xeriscaping, mulching is also another important aspect of the process and serves basically the same purpose that it would in any other garden. Mulch, such as leaves, wood chips, pine needles or bark should be used and placed to dress the top of soil on occasion, however, for the best results make sure that mulch is at least 3 inches thick and no areas of bare soil are left out.
- Installing Low Drip Irrigation
One of the main purposes of creating a xeriscape is to conserve water and to better facilitate gardens situated in inhospitable areas. Finding efficient ways in which plants can receive the water they need without overwatering can be a bit tricky but by installing a low drip or low volume irrigation system you can certainly pull it off.
This method offers the easiest and most efficient way to supply water just because it delivers water directly to the base of the plant. It also reduces moisture loss, pooling, erosion and is generally the best option when watering plants less frequently.
- Keep Landscapes Well Maintained
Low-maintenance is one of the many benefits of xeriscape, in fact it’s how it got its name; Where the word ‘zero-scaping’, was later substituted with ‘xeriscape’, referring to a landscape that requires zero maintenance.
Although preventing weed growth may require some attention there’s not much for gardeners to maintain when they decide to utilize this form of landscaping. Nevertheless redressing mulch on occasion and cutting turf areas moderately to allow shade for the roots can all be done from time to time to keep your Santa Rosa Xeriscape fresh and healthy.
Get Help Constructing Your Santa Rosa Xeriscape From Scratch – Look Us Up At DK Landscaping Inc. – We’re The Best At Xeriscapes
Following tips can be one thing but when undertaking large gardening projects such as these most people will require an extra hand. Don’t get injured working without the necessary tools or spend long periods of time trying to get projects completed, call the professionals at DK Landscaping.
Producing some of the best Santa Rosa xeriscapes, we strive to incorporate creativity, professionalism and hard work into one service at a fair and affordable price.
We can help you to plan and develop the perfect xeriscape, whether it be residential or commercial. With our xeriscaping services, we offer clients assistance by helping them to choose the right plants, slope sites, mulch areas and install irrigation, this way they can avoid the hassle and save money.
Contact us today at (707) 280-3632 to get started creating your Santa Rosa xeriscape or visit our website at dklandscaping.com for more information on our services.
Revamp Your Outdoor Space With Help From The Expert Rohnert Park Landscapers
“The Garden Is A Love Song, A Duet Between A Human Being And Mother Nature .”
-Jeff Cox
Maybe you’ve just purchased a beautiful home in Rohnert Park but the outdoor space could do with a bit of perspective; Or maybe you already reside in Rohnert Park and feel like your backyard has become nothing more than a wasted space, in desperate need of a makeover.
Well, it doesn’t have to be this way, as an expert Rohnert Park landscaper can be at your door with just a call or click. Look us up at DK Landscaping Inc. as we provide the best landscaping maintenance services that Rohnert Park has to offer; We’d be delighted to come in and give you a hand with any landscaping projects that you may have in mind; We can turn the most unattractive surroundings into an area you can enjoy.
Instantly Transform Your Property – Get Started With Your Own Personal Rohnert Park Landscaper
Planning Your Project
A landscape design is like a floor plan for an outdoor area. Basically, it serves to create a visual representation of a site using scaled dimensions. These plans also include natural elements like flowers, trees, and grass as well as man-made elements such as lawn furniture, fountains, lighting, and sheds. Sounds like a lot huh?
Well, truthfully, this isn’t something you want to skip out on, as this actually saves you time, and money while helping you to determine exactly what your project will need in terms of materials, tools, and costs.
Naturally, most people, will need professional help to plan a landscape the right way; So why not work with the best? The Rohnert Park landscaper experts here at DK Landscaping offer expert advice on landscape design plans or can even help you, by drafting a plan that works for your surroundings and the appeal you wish to exude.
Preparing The Area
Grading the site is usually the first item to be addressed when preparing an area for the restoration or creation of a landscape. Essentially, this is to ensure a level base, that basically acts as a foundation for landscape projects. At this point, our landscaper will also have to perform an evaluation of the drainage, soil conditions and elevations for walls or steps as these are also important elements that need to be considered when creating a landscape.
We make this part easy – Our experienced team of Rohnert Park landscapers here at DK Landscaping Inc. can guarantee A-Class, landscape grading services for the best results with your landscape and also make sure that sites are completely clear of rocks, weeds and debris before proceeding with projects;
As we like to say here at DK Landscaping “ We like weeds, we like jungles”, so there’s no environment we can’t handle. We’ll bring all the necessary tools to get the job done. This brings us to our next step, soil conditioning.
Basically a big word for a product that’s added to the soil to improve its physical qualities. It is made from ‘press mud’, which is a residue of sugarcane filtration and is mainly used to improve poor soils or to rebuild soils which have been damaged by improper soil management. However, in most situations the soil conditioner minimizes the amount of imported topsoil needed for a project, resulting in overall savings for clients.
Once these important aspects are covered then you’re on your way to creating the perfect landscape; And remember, you can get all the expert help you need from our seasoned Rohnert Park landscapers here at DK Landscaping Inc.; We’re just a call away.
Check Out These Popular Landscape Designs For Modern Homes And How Our Rohnert Park Landscapers Can Make It Happen
You don’t want to overdo, but you still want your landscape to be intriguing and have variety; And to be honest, one of the most difficult aspects of landscaping your yard is finding the right ideas. This is simple – you just need the right landscape design to suit your needs. Here is a list of different landscape design ideas for backyards that you may find interesting, to help you to transition your landscape this spring.
A Backyard Design For Entertaining
This particular design is the perfect set-up for summertime activities so if you enjoy relaxing outdoors in the summer this design is ideal for you. Here are the features it includes:
- A large gate to bring in tables, chairs, tents and more
- Hardscaped surfaces to place tables and chairs
- A fire pit and other sources of landscape lighting and heat for fun after dark
- An area to facilitate a grill or an outdoor kitchen to prepare food outdoors
A Low-Maintenance Landscape Design
Mostly used to create enjoyable, serene, outdoor settings without having to perform much maintenance, this design has features that include:
- Xeriscaped and hardscaped areas that don’t require pruning, mowing or watering
- Covered seating area to keep outdoor furniture in good shape.
- Native plants, trees, and grass
A Landscape Design For A Family
With this design every family member can have their own special place to enjoy in the backyard with features like:
- Safe play area for the kids
- Hammock for teens to enjoy a good book on a lovely afternoon
- Seating area for adults to soak up the outdoors and keep an eye on the kids
- Fenced in yard for privacy and safety
With the right tools, our hardworking professionals here at DK Landscaping can make redefining your landscape, a straightforward process that only calls for a basic idea of what you are looking to achieve. Additionally, we can also help you to choose plants, materials and more to ensure your backyard meets your specific needs.
To work with our professionals here at DK Landscaping Inc. please contact us at: (707) 280-3632 or you can visit our website at dklandscaping.com for more information.
