Simple Landscaping Ideas to Improve Your Yard

Improving the outdoor appearance through the use of landscaping doesn’t have to be difficult or overly elaborate. In fact, well-thought out landscape design compliments the home and property you have in order to let its natural beauty shine – not overpower it so completely. While we love a large and complex landscape job and are more than capable of handling it with our years of experience and equipment, we also relish in these simple landscaping ideas that can be truly transformative if executed properly.

Upgrade Your Lawn with Sod

When sod is installed in your yard, your lawn instantly goes from bland to WOW! While seeding is part art and science to achieve the thick, lush effect, once sod is rolled out and installed properly, your yard is instantly transformed. Plus, while seed can take weeks and months to achieve the desired look, sod is ready to go in a couple of weeks, taking care to ensure the roots take hold with proper watering and fertilization.

Add Color Through Perennials and Annuals

Perennials are flowering plants that come back year after year and include such beauties as hydrangea, crape myrtle, azalea and rhododendron that provide beautiful, bold colors throughout the warm months. These plants provide everything from classic white and green to stunning pinks and purples that are sure to provide the wow factor you’re seeking.

In addition, annuals, or flowers that only last a single season, can provide you with beautiful colors and textures all season long at a minimal investment. Annuals include such beauties as impatiens, begonias, vincas, portulaca and petunias. There are also a host of other annuals that can add gorgeous color to your plant beds, front porch or back patio or deck.

Incorporate Natural Grasses

Natural grasses can be a wonderful addition to any landscaped yard. While fairly inexpensive, natural grasses can add lots of visual interest and provide natural fill in areas around your yard. Natural grasses come in a wide variety of blade sizes and colors, including variegated grasses with multiple colors. Grasses are easy to maintain season after season as you simply cut them down with gardening shears to the ground at the end of the fall and watch them grow back come spring.

There are many other simple landscaping ideas that you can incorporate into your yard to improve the visual aesthetic and value of you home. We’d love to consult with you to answer any questions you may have on how to improve your home’s landscaping. Give us a call at 609-861-5050 or contact us today for a free in-home estimate.

Green Lawn Secrets from the Pros

A green lawn is sometimes an elusive goal – many try but few succeed. With our years of experience, we thought we should take the time to share a few secrets we’ve gathered over the years for how to get and maintain a green lawn.

Green Lawn Secrets from the Pros

Fall Aeration and/or Spring Dethatching

Both of these activities allow the first fertilizer application of the season to reach the root zone much more quickly and effectively than if it hadn’t been completed.  Bottom line is that if your lawn is aerated in the fall or dethatched in the spring prior to the first fertilizer application, your lawn will green up twice as fast – much to the envy of your neighbors.

Proper Watering

Lawns can be very tricky when it comes to receiving the proper amount of water.  Over water your lawn and you are sure to have disease coupled with a thin lawn.  Under water and your lawn will be burnt, thin, and lacking the desired vibrant green color. Given that sprinkler systems can often be troublesome, sometimes it is best to seek a professional to monitor how much water your lawn is getting and see to the necessary updates to your sprinkler system.  The true secret to ensuring a green lawn all season long is to water for longer periods of time less often, and only water when you notice the grass is starting to get a little dry. 

Nitrogen Application

We bet that you didn’t think you’d be getting science lesson when trying to achieve a green lawn. However, the truth is that turf grass loves nitrogen.  The more nitrogen that is applied to your lawn, the more the grass will grow. The results will be a thicker, greener lawn. Turf can utilize 4-5 pounds of nitrogen during a growing season, spaced over 6-7 applications.  Lawns need to be fed every 5 weeks to maintain healthy growth.  Be sure to consult a professional for their advice on the best fertilization program that is customized to fit the needs of your lawn.

Follow our advice and your lawn will be lush and green to enjoy all season long. However, if your lawn could use a bit of professional TLC, give us a call at 609-861-5050 or contact us so we can unleash our hidden secrets on your property.

Top 3 Summer Lawn Care Tips

Summer is officially here and it has brought high temperatures and scorching hot sunny days. While hot days with little rain are great for enjoying time at the beach, summer lawn care requires special care to ensure a lush, green lawn all season long. So, we’ve pulled together our top 3 summer lawn care tips for you to win the battle against the heat this year and maintain a beautiful lawn.

1.  Don't Over Water

Contrary to popular thought, it is possible to over water your lawn in the summer! The first of our summer lawn care tips is to get your sprinkler system in sync to ensure proper watering, as some areas of your lawn require more water and some require less.  An in fact, your lawn may need more or less water than your friend a few miles away because the soil may be different.  Sandy soils require more frequent watering due to fast draining; loam and clay soils require less frequent watering, as the soils tend to hold water longer.

Over watering can cause unsightly disease and make the grass undesirable.  The best advice is to water for longer periods of time but less often as opposed to a little bit of water every day.  You want to thoroughly soak the grass and get the water down to the root zone. 

Bonus tip: To tune your sprinkler system, thoroughly soak each area and then wait to water until you start noticing the grass is getting a bit dry.

2.  Take the Time to Kill Grubs, Ants, and Ticks

Early summer is the best time to do an insecticide application for grubs. White rubs are the larva stage of beetles that feed on the leaves of plants and the roots of turfgrass.  Beetles lay their eggs in the lawn in early July through late August and hatch a month later, hungry and ready to wreak havoc on your lawn! Applying a preventative systemic grubb control in early June helps to provide optimum grubb control.

Also, once the weather starts to heat up in early summer, insects and bugs start to thrive, especially with increased humidity. Applying an all-around insecticide is also important in early summer to kill top feeders and keep your lawn in optimum condition.

3.  Mow Your Lawn at a Higher (Longer) Height

During the warm summer months it is best to raise the blade on your mower 1/2"-1.” Grass needs more water during the hot months, and the roots are equally proportional to how high the grass is mown.  Taller grass = deeper roots.  This will help to ensure that the lawn does not get stressed during periods of drought. 

The summer is the best time to enjoy your yard full of lush green grass. Be sure to take the proper steps to ensure your lawn survives the hottest months of the year without risking ruin.

If you need help, we’re more than happy to lend a hand. We offer seasonal lawn maintenance to ensure a beautiful lawn you can be proud to call your own. Give us a call at 609-861-5050 or contact us today for a free in-home estimate.