Posts Tagged spring
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.
Front Yard Flower Bed Ideas – DK Landscaping
Want to make your home look calm, inviting, and happy? Add flower beds to your property for constant color. Use the beds to delineate property or break up bland expanses of lawn grass and dirt. Finding flower bed ideas is simple, but you should be sure of what you need and why. There are so many possible flower bed ideas that you can get easily bogged down in details if you start to look for designs without taking issues like drought and level of care into consideration. Pinpoint non-negotiable issues like those first to make designing your front yard a lot more efficient.
Drought-Proof Flower Bed Ideas
Drought is probably going to be one of your main considerations when looking at flower bed ideas. Many areas of the country are experiencing water shortages, and anything you plant has to be able to deal with a lack of abundant water. That doesn’t mean you have to plant cacti — just look for cultivars of flowers that have been bred to be less water-needy. Native flowers are always a wonderful choice in this case as they are already somewhat adapted to their region’s fluctuating water supplies. Plant breeders have been working on drought- and disease-resistant cultivars of all sorts of plants for years, and it’s become easier to find these in garden centers and from landscaping companies when looking at flower bed ideas.
Easy Care Flower Bed Ideas
Ease of care is another big consideration for flower bed ideas. Even if you have a landscaping company taking care of most of your garden, you’ll still have to do some minor care yourself. If you don’t feel up to that, you’ll want flower varieties that can handle benign neglect. Again, native flowers tend to be a little better for this, though there are easy-care species from all over the country if you’d like more variety for your flower bed ideas.
Location Ideas For Your Flower Bed
Now take a look at location to further refine your flower bed ideas. Flower beds that will be near the street need to be able to handle road salt spray, for example, if your area tends to have occasional snowfall in spring or fall. That’s not so much of a problem with annuals, as you’d be removing them anyway, but if can be for perennial or biennial flowers.
Flower bed ideas for spaces near fences can have species of varying heights, so those plants nearer the fence should be taller. The shorter flowers near the edge of the bed may need to be shade-tolerant if the bed is positioned where the fence or taller plants might block a lot of the sunlight.
Reduce Insects
Flowers planted next to the house need to be pest-resistant if possible. While it is impossible to guarantee that a flower will never attract a bug, if you have flowers that tend to attract pests, those pests could get into your house. Ask your garden center or landscaping company to show you flowers that have a reputation for repelling insects, too, such as marigolds, petunias, and nasturtiums. As you come up with ideas for other areas of your yard, you can work a few of these plants in so that you can reduce the number of pests you have to deal with overall. Start talking to landscape design companies about flower bed ideas and species that fit what you need for your yard’s environment, and you’ll have a beautiful yard in no time.
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.
Springing Forward
Spring is an exciting and one of the most beautiful times of the year. The days are becoming longer, the weather is getting warmer, you awake to birds chirping in the morning, and spring blooms and lush green plants come alive in your landscape.
After a long winter, your lawn and gardens may be looking a big ragged and dreary. So before you pull out your lawn furniture from storage, get in the “spring spirit” by getting your yard looking spectacular. Help your lawn, trees and shrubs get off to a healthy growing season with these six luscious landscaping tips:
1. ASSESS YOUR TOOLS: Check, maintain, sharpen and repair your landscaping tools for a smooth spring and summer experience. This includes your lawnmower, weeding/pruning tools, rake and edger.
2. CLEAN UP: Clean out dead leaves, branches, trash or anything else that could impair your garden and lawn’s growth. Prune
3. WEED CONTROL: Uproot any existing weeds you find out of flower beds and check your lawn for any weed growth, whether they’re leftover stalks from last year or brand-new shoots. Once weeds are clear, DK Landscaping recommends spending between 10-15 minutes a few times per week to prevent new weed growth in your garden.
4. FERTILIZE: Make sure your early spring fertilizer has less nitrogen and more phosphorus to promote strong roots. Be sure to keep fertilizer on target to prevent run-off, and sweep fertilizer granules that may reach pavement back onto your lawn. Give your lawn a slow, steady watering about once a week, but adjust depending upon rainfall, grass and soil type in your area.
5. MULCH: A fresh layer of mulch can take any flower bed from drab and dreary to beautiful. DK Landscaping suggests applying four inches of mulch over the top soil, which will help retain moisture and prevent growth of those pesky weeds.
6. IRRIGATION: Check your in-ground sprinkler system and make sure all your sprinklers are working properly. Remove any overgrown grass that may have covered up any part of the pop-up heads. Check the sprinkler heads for cracking and breakage from last year and have them replaced if needed.
It’s the perfect time in Northern California to gather up tools, slide into your boots, pull on your garden gloves, and enjoy that first breath of spring.
DK Landscaping specializes in landscape maintenance, irrigation, clean-up and colorscape in Sonoma County. Contact Kathy or David Lee for more information and a consultation on your landscaping (707) 280-3632.
How to Create a Landscaping Design Plan
Another mild winter has come and gone. So when the sun starts shining and the weather begins to get warmer, it’s the perfect time to begin thinking about some spring landscaping projects. This gives you the opportunity to list all the current features you enjoy about your current landscaping, and any that you would like to improve upon. It could be as simple as enhancing a focal point, such as a pool area with a stone patio or water feature or it could be having the landscape that you always dreamed of having.
Even if you have a naturally green thumb, DK Landscaping suggests hiring a landscape designer. They are trained professionals that can save you from wasting money on wrongheaded ideas and open your eyes to possibilities you haven’t considered. Landscape designers can take all of your big picture ideas and create a realistic plan that works with your budget and time. It can also help you make decisions on prioritizing your needs with the landscape project.
- How long do you intend to live in your home? This helps with budgeting and prioritizing phases of the landscape project.
- How do you see yourself using your yard? hosting Sunday barbeques, working on a crossword puzzle in your hammock, swimming laps, growing vegetables, roasting marshmallows by fire pit, waterfalls/ponds, putting green? The ideas are endless.
- What is your Landscape Design Style (formal, informal, contemporary, Asian flare, Tuscan, Mediterranean, eclectic, tropical)? It’s important that you select a landscape design style that best matches the look and feel of your home and still reflects your unique personality.
With a bit of proper planning with our design consultant, Kathy Lee, you and your family will be able to enjoy a resort style space for years to come. To get started on your project contact your friends at DK Landscaping (707) 280-3632.
Protecting Your Landscape From Frost Bite
The temperatures in Northern California are beginning to drop which means winter will be before us, before we know it. Night time temperatures that get down to freezing and below will damage some trees and plants if you don’t take precautions against frost. These low temperatures can begin late November and continue through February and beyond.
DK Landscaping helps you prepare your landscape and provides tips to protect your delicate plants from frost bite.
WINTERIZE
Fall is prime time to clean up your landscaping and remove the dead landscaping before it gets too cold. Removing dead plants can also stop the growth and spread of fungi that could infect your plants’ new growth in the spring.
PLANT
Planting trees and shrubs in the fall is a an optimal time before the first frost arrives and best time to take advantage on some great end of the season deals. Planting in the fall gives roots plenty of time to become established before the next growing season begins. Not only will you get to enjoy the changing leaves for a brief time, you will also put less stress on your young trees because of the cooler weather and rain conditions fall offers.
MULCH
Mulching can be a great first step in preparing for winter’s frost. If you are unfamiliar with mulching, check out our previous blog post called Mulch About Fall. There are many benefits to mulching your lawn and plants, especially before winter. Mulching in the fall can help protect your plant’s roots as well as help them retain moisture during the cold, dry winter.
Just a few preparations for winter can guarantee that your landscaping will come back fresher than ever in the spring.
For more information on the care of your landscape, please contact David or Kathy Lee from DK Landscaping (707) 280-3632.
