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What is Defensive Gardening?

When people think of their outdoor security, things like CCTV cameras, lights, dogs, and fence placement all come to mind. They usually don’t think of the one thing almost everyone has in their yard. This is their plants. They’re green, attractive, and work wonderfully for defensive gardening. Defensive gardening is using plants to keep unwanted people out of your home or business.

First, you want to make sure you get rid of every hiding spot. You don’t plant your hedges to run along solid fence-lines because this gives people hidden pockets to sneak through. Move the hedges away from your home, as well. Thieves can use them to hide from the street view and break into your windows.

Don’t have any trees near your home that could give intruders easy access to a second-story balcony or window. Be generous when you think about reach. People can climb, or they can prop the ladder you left out up against the tree and get in that way. Either keep the trees away from your home or trim the tree’s limbs away from the house. This always prevents damage from storms or high winds.

Incorporating Defensive Gardening in Your Landscaping

Add tight hedges around your home. You want to make it tight enough that people don’t want to attempt to get through them. It may not stop a more determined intruder, but it’ll make them think twice when you combine these tight hedges with motion lights or CCTV cameras.

Incorporate plants that pinch into your landscaping. Holly plants grow in very dense bushes that prickle and pinch when you touch them. Many people plant them under their windows. Blackberry bushes will quickly grow into a hedge with small thorns that can scratch skin and tear clothing. You do want to make a point to prune these bushes back regularly, though, because the birds like it and they’ll spread more bushes throughout your property with their waste products.

Bougainvillea is a plant that grows up to 40 feet long. It grows sharp thorns, dangerous sap, and beautiful flowers. There are dozens of other types of plants you can use depending on your needs and the climate. Your local landscaping company can help you pick out the best choices. They can also tell you how to care for them.

Roses are pretty and functional choices. You can easily plant whole hedges of them, and they have climbing roses available to scale fences and drape over the top. Put one rosebush with large thorns under your window, and your window won’t be vulnerable to intruders anymore.

For people who live in a dry and arid climate like in the desert, they have a whole lineup of defensive plants available. Cacti and agave grow slowly, but planting them under your window gives you a built-in defense system that anyone will hesitate to take on.

If you’re interested in defensive gardening and incorporating it into your own landscape design, contact us. Our staff is happy to help find the best plants for your zone and climate to give you a beautiful and functional look.

What Are the Five Biggest Landscaping Mistakes?

No one likes making mistakes, but landscaping mistakes can be costly. We’ve picked out the five biggest landscaping mistakes you can make. This way, you know precisely what to avoid when you tackle your next landscaping project. Read on to see what they are!

Mistake One – Incorrectly Figuring Costs

When it comes to building a new home, many people forget to budget for landscaping or don’t figure their costs correctly. This means that you end up with a beautiful building and a barren yard. Before you start and build or renovation project, get estimates for landscaping costs. Although this is the last part of any project, it can pull your entire project together. Get a few estimates from different companies and price out everything you want.

Mistake Two – Not Having a Landscaping Plan

A landscaping plan outlines where everything will go to help ensure you get a cohesive look. It lays out all of your plants, shrubs, trees, and any features you’d like to incorporate. You can create centerpieces with water features or bright flowers and build your design around it. If you don’t have a plan in place, you can end up with pieces that don’t go together correctly for a very sloppy look.

Mistake Three – Planting Edging Straight Lines

Many people make the mistake of edging or planting in straight lines because they think it looks neater. However, flowers and trees don’t naturally grow in straight lines. Planting them like this makes them look fake. When you want to create an edge between your flower beds or shrubs, go for a slightly curved design. Plant your flowers in groupings instead of rows for a more natural look.

Mistake Four – Not Considering Maintenance

Unless everything in your yard is fake, you’ll have routine maintenance. Not taking this into consideration when you design can be a big mistake that causes you headaches all season long. Tight turns and small spaces for your mower to maneuver around, a lack of mulch, and too many flower beds to take care of gives you more work. You want to enjoy your hard without spending every day looking after it.

Mistake Five – Forgetting the Mature Plant Size

Not considering the plant’s mature size when you buy them is the final big mistake people make. The small shrub or tree you bought and planted will eventually grow. For example, if you have a small yard and plant a huge spruce tree, what will happen? Eventually, the tree will grow and start to obscure your view of the street. Many people plant their shrubs too close together or too close to the house and run into problems later. Double-check the size of anything you pick out and plant it accordingly.

Landscaping can be an expensive investment in your home, so it’s important to do it correctly the first time. Hiring a professional company can ensure you avoid these routine mistakes and end up with a beautiful yard or garden. Contact us to book a consultation today!

Can You Use Artificial Grass as a Driveway?

Can you use artificial grass as a driveway? This is a question many homeowners ask when they’re considering landscaping or changes to their yard. The short answer is yes. However, the long answer is in moderation. We’ll outline how and why people would consider this unique driveway material next.

Why Use Artificial Grass in Your Driveway?

Artificial grass in your driveway is an eye-catching alternative to using boring concrete or asphalt. However, you don’t want to use just artificial grass because it’s not meant for large vehicles to drive on it over and over again like in a driveway.

People are realizing that they can create stunning driveways that boost their curb appeal quickly and easily. Additionally, artificial grass fights runoff. If you get a heavy storm with a lot of rain, it can cause your driveway to start to erode, buckle, and crack. Adding artificial turf on top of or around your concrete helps to hold in firmly in place.

Artificial turf boosts your home’s curb appeal as well! Anything that makes your home look more well-kept and tidy is appealing to buyers. So, adding a splash of artificial grass to your driveway makes you home look like you care about it. The bright green contrasts sharply with the concrete or asphalt, and you get a stunning look.

It’s very low maintenance as far as landscaping and yard options. Unlike traditional grass that you have to feed, cut, and maintain, artificial grass looks good year after year with no help from you. The trick is to be sure that you get a reputable company to do the install process because this directly impacts how long your new driveway will hold up.

For areas that go through droughts and have routine water restrictions, you’ll get a gorgeous driveway that looks stunning and healthy all year round. It doesn’t generate mud or pests, and this is important for your home’s aesthetics.

How to Use Artificial Grass in Your Driveway

The trick to using artificial grass in your driveway is to create a surface that uses a mix of hard surfaces like concrete and artificial grass. Popular design choices include creating squares or triangles of concrete surrounded by lines of artificial grass to create a checkerboard pattern. Other pattern ideas include doing alternating squares of grass and concrete.

Your goal is to get a mix of artificial grass and concrete that is aesthetically pleasing while being durable enough to withstand the weight of vehicles driving over it. The hardscape offsets the softer grass portions. In turn, you get a beautiful design. You can also let go and have fun with it. Your pattern can be whatever you like.

Contact Evergreen Landscaping for Artificial Grass Installs Today!

Are you ready to bring your driveway’s appearance up a notch and install your very own artificial grass driveway? Maybe you have questions about our products or processes. Either way, we can’t wait to hear from you! Reach out and contact us today!

Is it True that Talking to Plants Helps Them Grow?

You’ve most likely heard that talking to plants can make them healthier and grow faster. But is there any truth to these claims? This is the question we’re going to take on in this post, and you can take what you learn and try it on your own plants.

Do Plants Like You Talking to Them?

Many of you had an aunt, grandmother, or another relative that seemed to do wonderfully with all of their plants. Their soft talking to the plants as they watered, fed, and trimmed their beloved plants supposedly encouraged the plants to grow faster and stronger. Your relative was onto something, and you shouldn’t feel crazy if you talk to your plants. There’s actually a science to back up this practice.

There are dozens of studies that back up the fact that a plant’s growth is directly influenced by sound. When you expose your plants to sound at 70 decibels, there is an increased growth rate. Seventy decibels is the average conversational tone people use. Plant experiments involving exposure to music have touched on the benefits of talking to your plants, but does this mean you should start?

There is absolutely no harm to you to do so, and you may even give yourself a small boost psychologically. Spending time with your plants promotes good mental and physical health, and it’s calming.

Plants, Talking, and Science

The Royal Horticultural Society put out a study that proved talking to plants helps them grow faster. For one month, 10 gardeners read to a single tomato plant each day, and they compared the growth to a control group of tomato plants that grew in silence. At the end of the study, they found that all of the tomato plants that had sound grew taller than the control group.

Interestingly enough, the researchers found that plants that experienced women’s voices for the month grew an average of an inch taller than those plants which experienced male voices. This may not be strictly science, but it effectively ties back to the 1848 notion first hinted that plants could benefit from human sound. A German professor published “The Soul Life of Plants” to support his theory.

Benefits of Talking to Your Plants

Outside of the health benefits we touched on earlier, plants get several benefits when you talk to them. The first benefits plants get is in response to the vibration you create when you talk. This vibration influences plants to produce two key genes that make them grow.

A second benefit to your plants is that they get carbon dioxide when you breathe out and talk to them. This is a by-product of speaking, and plants use it for photosynthesis. This also helps them grow and thrive.

Contact Evergreen Landscaping Today!

Do you want to add a few plants to your landscape and see them grow and bloom? Perhaps you’re not sure which plants or shrubs would work best in your zone. Either way, we’re here to help. Browse our stock and reach out and contact us today with questions!

10 Must-Have Gardening Tools [Infographic]

For many people, warmer weather means improving their gardens. We’re going to list your 10 must-have gardening tools for this season and every season after.

These 10 gardening tools can make the entire process easier and more streamlined. You can find most of them in any gardening center.

They include:

• Garden Scissors – Trim away any dying vegetation or weeds.
• Soil Knife – Make small and precise holes for seeds or measure depth for bulbs.
• Hand Trowel – Dig small areas around your plants.
• Hose – Water your garden or set up a sprinkler system.
• Hoe – Dig up weeds or areas to plant.
• Gloves – Protect your hands from blisters and splinters.
• Shovel – Dig up larger areas for your garden.
• Pruning Shears – Cut away woody vines or bushes around your garden.
• Rake – Clear the area around your garden and rake the soil to find rocks.
• Digging or Weeding Fork – Weed around your plants without hitting them and aerate the soil for new plants.

These 10 must-have gardening tools will help you create and care for a beautiful garden all season long.

For assistance getting your garden started, contact Evergreen Landscaping today.

Five of the Coolest Gardens in the World

Taking a stroll through a gorgeous garden is a very special experience. You can easily lose yourself in nature’s beauty when you surround yourself in bright and vibrant flowers and lush plants. We’ve picked out the top five coolest gardens in the world and laid them out for you below.

1. Giardini Botanici Villa Taranto – Piedmont, Italy

Photo by By Dolly442 – Own work by the uploader, CC BY-SA 3.0

Spread across 16 hectares of land, Giardini Botanici Villa Taranto houses and protects over 20,000 plants from thousands of species. You’ll see Italian statues, ponds, terraces, fountains, and waterfalls. There are 4.3 miles of walkways winding through this garden, and it’s completely free to enter these gardens. The blooming season starts with tulips in April and goes through October with dahlias.

2. Royal Botanic Gardens – Kew, London

Photo by By Diliff – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Spread over an impressive 326 acres of land, the Royal Botanic Gardens is home to over 50,000 plant species. It’s a world heritage site surrounded by museums, greenhouse, art galleries, and more. The Queen Mother designed the gardens back in 1759, and it continued to expand with greenhouses being added in the 19th century. Today, there are 10 climate zones, a 59-foot treetop walkway, and the Princess Wales conservatory.

3. Claude Monet’s Garden – Giverny, Northern France

Photo by RossHelen (Envato Elements)

This gorgeous garden comes split into two parts containing a water garden and a flower garden. Famous painter Claude Monet designed this garden after taking inspiration from his collection of Japanese paintings. You’ll see lush willow trees along the bank of the pond, vibrant flowers, and iconic climbing roses that are a huge draw to this garden. You can also cross over the water garden on the bridge and see dozens of water lilies.

4. Gardens of Versailles – France

Photo by RossHelen (Envato Elements)

The Gardens of Versailles is one of the largest and most grand in the world. A stunning example of formal French garden design, this garden covers 800 hectares of land. There are more than 210,000 flowering plants, 200,000 trees, 372 statues, 600 fountains, and kilometers of canals and paths. You can take a boat ride along the 1.5-kilometer Grand Canal and see beautiful cherry trees and miles of flower gardens. There is also an Orangerie in the garden’s center that spans over seven miles.

5. Desert Botanical Garden – Arizona, United States

Photo by jamiesuephotography (Envato Elements)

Located in Phoenix, this garden spans over 140 acres. There is a collection of arid plants with more than 21,000 different types and 139 species. There are also over 1,300 types of cacti. It has very well-maintained and paved footpaths that wind through the garden and make walking easy. You can sit on the numerous benches spread throughout the garden, and there are volunteers that are happy to guide you through it.

Are you ready to have your own gorgeous garden? Maybe you’d like to go over your options and see what we can do with our beach climate. Reach out and get in touch with us today!

Creating A Root Cellar

A root cellar was used to store vegetables as well as other food supplies long before electricity came along. Today, many people are looking for a way to save money and eat healthier, organic foods by growing their own vegetables. One option is to create root cellars. This requires a parcel of ground where you can dig down and line with rocks. Many people create roots cellars in their back yards under a shed. You would have a latch door in the floor of the shed that opens and allows you to step down a small ladder into the root cellar.

The root cellar has to be covered to avoid any type of accidents or any animal getting into the cellar. You should line the walls and floor of the root cellar with stones to prevent bugs from getting into the cellar. Products that are stored in the root cellar should be stored in brown sacks to further protect them from rain or insects. The root cellar should be covered at all times when not in use.

Before you start digging on your property, call out your local utility companies so that they can mark out where your utilities are located. You never want to dig on your property unless you know where the utilities are located so that you do not uproot a wire or cable.

A root cellar will enable you to store turnips, carrots, potatoes, onions, and squash for longer periods. If you live in a house where you have a cellar, you can usually use this as your root cellar. You can even create your root cellar indoors by using a wood container that you make yourself to store the vegetables. This container can be kept in a cool, dark place (preferably the basement) to store your vegetables. There are “build your own root cellar” kits online that you can use for this purpose. You will probably find this easier than digging your root cellar on your property.

If you do not have room for a root cellar, you can cook potatoes and freeze them instead of storing them in a root cellar. Turnips and carrots can be frozen uncooked and will be fine. Be sure to peel them before freezing.

A root cellar is an ideal place to store all of your preserved foods as it is cool and dark. Whether you decide to quarter off part of the basement to build a root cellar for your vegetables or build your own, you will find that all of your root vegetables have much more staying power when you store them in a cool, dark place.

10 Shade Tree Options [Infographic]

Shade trees can help you stay cool all summer long, but there’s no reason that you have to wait years for them to mature.

1. Dogwood

The Dogwood tree adds a beautiful element to your yard all year long. You’ll get lush pink, white, or red blossoms in the spring followed by stunning green foliage all summer.

2. Sugar Maple

The Sugar Maple offers a spreading canopy that towers 60 to 75 feet above your yard. It brings a vibrant, colorful show in the fall months.

3. Green Giant Arborvitae

For privacy screens and shade, the Green Giant Arborvitae comes in a beautiful cone shape and is exceptionally hardy to the cold.

4. Weeping Cherry

Growing 20 to 30 feet tall and spreading 20 to 25 feet outwards, this elegant tree cascades pink or white blossoms to welcome the spring.

5. Silver Maple

You’ll get a shimmering silver appearance with a tree that will bathe your backyard in the shade within five years when you choose the Silver Maple.

6. Red Oak

The Red Oak puts on a vibrant display in the fall months, and it can grow up to 75 feet tall with a sprawling canopy.

7. Eastern Redbud

Enjoy brilliant pink flowers in the spring along with a canopy that spreads over 30 feet at maturity with the Eastern Redbud.

8. River Birch

The River Birch grows in clumps with a towering height of 40 to 70 feet and a maximum spread of 30 to 60 feet for maximum shade.

9. Paulownia

The Paulownia has beautiful flowers all spring and summer long. They grow to heights of 30 to 40 feet with a maximum spread of 30 to 40 feet that’s suitable for the back and front yard.

10. American Sycamore

The American Sycamore is a huge shade tree that can easily grow 75 to 100 feet tall with an impressive spread that spans just as large. 

Looking to improve your landscaping? Contact us today.

5 Summer Gardening Hacks [Infographic]

You can use these five summer gardening hacks to keep your garden beautiful and thriving all season long without breaking your back or the bank.

Add Mulch

Adding layers of mulch to your flowerbeds and around your plants add an eye-catching color while helping to lock moisture in and smother weeds. Refresh it once or twice during the growing season and watch your savings add up as you use less water.

Companion Plant

Planting different flowers and plants side by side form beneficial relationships. Basil and tomatoes enhance the flavor of the tomatoes while keeping flies away.

Insulate with Pots

If you’re afraid of your seedlings getting hit with a cold snap and dying, you can insulate them with pots. Flip terra cotta pots over and place them over your seedlings at night to insulate them.

Use Natural Pest Control Methods

You can deal with pesky bugs in your garden by adding natural pest control. Mint plants can ward off biting bugs, and citrus peels or essential oil can get rid of several pests without harming your plants.

Encourage Deep Roots with Deep Watering

Watering your plants deeply every other morning or evening can help to encourage deep roots. This deep root system will make your plants more durable and resistant to drought.

Need help creating your perfect garden? Contact us today.

Backyard Design Ideas on a Budget – Six Tips

Are you ready to transform your backyard into an oasis where you can get away and relax during the warmer months? Upgrading your backyard doesn’t have to be expensive to get great results that your entire family loves. Sometimes, you just need a little time and a lot of creativity to get stunning results. We’ve outlined several ideas for you below.

1. Create Stone Pathways
Do you want to get around your yard without causing large disruptions or running into tripping hazards? If so, you can create a stone pathway for a few hours of time and some odds and ends. Lay down materials like bricks, mulch, or stones to outline a clear path from your patio or back door to the different areas in your yard. You can line it with solar lights or stones that glow in the dark for dusk strolls.

2. Invest in Yard Art
Do you have a smaller yard and you’re not sure what to do with it? You can invest in a few pieces of yard art like a small fountain or bench. A small fountain is a great way to get a water feature without taking up feet of space. You can tuck your fountain by your seating area and enjoy the sound of running water while you relax.

3. String Up Lighting
You can add a whimsical touch to any backyard by stringing up some lighting. They don’t have to be expensive lights, either. You can go to your local store and buy some inexpensive string lighting. You can bring it back home and run it along your fence, through the trees, or around your seating area for a little mood lighting.

4. Create a Vertical Garden
If you don’t have a lot of space, but you want a garden, you can create a vertical garden along one edge of your backyard. You can get wood pallets and drill holes in plastic planters or boxes before attaching them to the pallet. Take the pallet and set it up against a tree, pole, or fence before you plant your garden. It can also double as a privacy fence!

5. Add a Fire Pit
A fire pit gives your backyard a gathering space that’s perfect for entertaining family and friends on those long summer nights. You can create your own fire pit by digging out a hole and stacking landscape or river stones up. Another option is to buy a portable metal fire pit and place it in your yard. Group seating around this fire pit and enjoy.

6. Plant Bright Flowers
You can turn your backyard into a tropical paradise with the right flowers. Hydrangea bushes or tulip bulbs create splashes of color that you can use along the edges of your yard. You can also scatter colorful flowers around your seating area, play area, or anywhere you’d like to draw someone’s eye.

These six quick tips can help you create your backyard getaway without breaking your budget. Add one or add them all, get outside, and spend your summer months relaxing in your own private oasis.