Landscaping and Gardening Services in Pismo Beach and SLO County
(805) 773-5395
Mon-Sat: 7:00AM - 5:00PM
Evergreen Landscaping

Blog

Evergreen LandscapingBlog
18 Dec 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive ,

Toyon may be the Chaparral Shrub You’ve Been Looking For

ToyonLandscaping in the Pismo Beach area can be difficult. Getting the perfect look you want can be even harder. Many people don’t know that there are trees, shrubs and plants that will grow in all conditions and soils, or even very rocky areas that are perfect for our area.

The professional landscapers at Evergreen Landscaping can help you choose exactly the right plants for your landscaping and to give you the look you want for your outdoor living space.

For those looking for a beautiful chaparral shrub that is easy to grow and will bring a wide variety of animals in, Toyon may be just the perfect plant. The plant flowers in July and August, with dense pockets of small, white flowers adding to the beauty of an already eye-pleasing shrub. The flowers are favorites of butterflies and a wealth of other insects. The flowers each have five rounded petals, a wonderful contrast to the alternating, sharp-toothed green leaves.

The flowers give way to large groups of small, bright red fruits. The best news for nature lovers is that this is only the beginning of the animal viewing opportunities that this plant affords its owner. Many different species of birds will head to this shrub for the berries long after other plants in your outdoor space have lost their luster. Mockingbirds, robins, and even cedar waxwings are just some of the birds you can expect to see visiting the Toyon. Even coyotes and bears will make a meal of the berries once they’ve fallen to the ground. If you have your heart set on a beautiful shrub that will also attract the most wildlife possible, the Toyon may be the answer to your dreams.

Toyon is relatively easy to grow, too. It prefers full sun or partial shade, but does better in partial shade in the more arid and dry parts of our area. Evergreen Landscaping’s professional landscapers can help you choose the perfect area around your home or business for these shrubs. Toyon even makes a perfect hedge plant to line your walkways, driveways, or to accent the edges of any outdoor living space.

Toyon also grows relatively quickly. It can reach a height of ten feet in as little as three years. That makes it perfect for an area you would like to cover quickly with a fairly tall shrub. They can grow up to 30 feet high and 10 to 15 feet wide. They have a rounded shape with only a slightly noticeable fragrance. They will definitely not overwhelm any other plant scents you are looking to have come through in your landscaping.

This evergreen plant will bring color to your landscape year round, even when it is not blooming or bearing fruit. One word of caution, however, the fruits contain cyanide, which is toxic to humans, so care should be taken to ensure that all are aware of that fact.

When you call Evergreen Landscaping Service, you just might find that Toyon is the shrub you’ve been looking for to create just the right look. You can bring in wildlife while enjoying the view of the shrub itself. Contact us today to discuss your landscaping options and to find out if Toyon will work well where you are. (805) 773-5395

11 Dec 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive ,

Blue Oak is the Prefect Hardwood for Arid Locations

blue oakBlue Oak is a very beautiful tree. Its only downfall is that it is slow growing. It will only add a few inches to its height every year. Still, many people have found it to be well worthwhile. It is a medium sized deciduous tree with an average height of 50 to 82 feet. It takes an upright, rounded form and is very reminiscent of other trees in the oak family. For those with the time and the space, it can make a beautiful addition to an outdoor living space.

The Blue Oak gets its name from the blue-green tint of its leaves. The blue hue can be easy to miss until the tree is viewed against a lush green backdrop of another oak such as the live oak, with which it often shares space in the wild. The bark of the Blue Oak is a gray color with medium-sized dark cracks. The bark of the Blue Oak can even appear white from a distance, offsetting the blue-green leaves perfectly.

Many people who enjoy nature viewing choose oak trees of all sorts for their outdoor living spaces. Blue Oak is often used as an accent or edge piece for butterfly gardens and hummingbird gardens. The professionally trained landscapers at Evergreen Landscaping can help you decide if the Blue Oak is what you need for the perfect look and feel for your home or business. These trees also provide cooling shade while their leaves are full, giving an even bigger benefit for many applications.

Like most oaks, the Blue Oak bears acorns, which can also be a source of food for wildlife. The acorns are approximately one inch in length with a moderately sweet kernel. The acorns mature 6 – 7 month from pollination.

Blue Oaks do very well with a variety of other plants. Coffeeberry, Buckbrush, other oaks and pines are great companion plants. Most homeowners or business owners will find, however, that the Blue Oak does best with a well-drained soil and they are most comfortable on slopes, which helps to drain the soil. They prefer full sun, but they will tolerate partial shade. This is especially true when they are younger and first taking hold in their environment. The Blue Oak is also very drought tolerant. It can live with one summer watering per month, but it truly prefers a more arid or well-drained environment.

When you are looking to set up your perfect outdoor living space or business landcape, Evergreen Landscaping can help you to choose the perfect plants, trees, and shrubs for your application. The beautiful Blue Oak may be just the perfect tree with which to surround your yard or business. While they take time to grow, most will agree that their beauty is worth the wait.

At Evergreen Landscaping, we believe you should be just as comfortable in your outdoor living spaces as you are indoors. Contact us today or call at (805) 773-5395 for a consultation and to share your ideas and your vision for your landscaping. We will help you find the perfect solutions to any of your outdoor space issues.

04 Dec 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , , ,

California Buckwheat for Those Hard-to-Grow Spaces

California BuckwheatCalifornia Buckwheat, also known as Eastern Mohave Buckwheat, does very well in dry, arid conditions. These shrubs can be perfect for people looking for a flowering plant that can attract honey bees and other nectar-seeking insects and animals. These plants grow best on scrubby slopes or in chaparral. They also take to dry washes and other such areas. California Buckwheat is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, so they are perfect for the Pismo Beach region. Evergreen Landscaping can help you to determine if these shrubs will work well for your next landscaping project. Chances are good, if you have a dry area they will flourish there. They also look good for long periods of time, giving you the opportunity to keep your landscaping looking great with low maintenance shrubs. They are perfect for homes and businesses throughout our area.

California Buckwheat flowers from April through September. It has small, delicate flowers that are pink and white. Each flower is only a few centimeters in size, but they grow in large clusters that can be up to 15 centimeters wide. These nectar-filled flowers are a favorite of honey bees. The flowers create a beautiful contrast to the green, wooly leaves. The leaves curl under around the edges, and are long, slender lobes.

These plants enjoy full sun, and do well on south-facing slopes. If you have a sunny area in your landscaping and you’re looking for a unique plant that will do well with little water, the California Buckwheat may be just what you are looking for. They also do well with hard pruning, meaning they will work very well for hedges and landscaping edges. If you’re not sure how to prune your shrubbery, it can be best left to professionals. Evergreen Landscaping Service will not only help you choose the best shrubs and plants for every area of your outdoor living space, but we will also aid in the upkeep of those areas. Our professional staff will prune your shrubs to perfection to give you just the look you want, with a mix of form and function.

The delicate flowers in their frilly pods provide the same look to landscaping as baby’s breath does to a floral arrangement. They provide a beautiful background for other plants, and can accent and highlight the colors of other plants, shrubs, and flowers that are planted near and around the California Buckwheat. The plants themselves can have a wild look to them if you choose not to prune them, and can give the same allure and look as native grasses. Unlike grasses, that do not look good for most of the year, California Buckwheat looks good year round. They make a great lining for brickwork or boulders.

If you’re looking to do some landscaping and you’re looking for the perfect plant for a south-facing slope… even if you think nothing could ever grow there, Evergreen Landscaping Services surely has a plant that will work in any area of your yard or business landscape. Call us today to schedule a site visit where we can help you get the look you want for your outdoor living spaces.

27 Nov 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , ,

Coast Live Oak for Coastal Landscaping

Coast Live OakCoast Live Oak is another great species of shrub/tree for the Pismo Beach area. These trees prefer a bit more water than some of the more arid-loving species, but they are hardy and tend to find their own water by stretching out their roots. While they are not commonly found directly on the coast, they take advantage of the coastal fog as well as the milder climate that is afforded by close proximity to the ocean.

These trees are a beautiful evergreen oak and, in their older years, can have magnificent, gnarled trunks that give a look like few other plants in the region.

Coast Like Oak are fairly easy to grow, but many residents of the Pismo Beach area employ professionals such as ours at Evergreen Landscaping Service to plant and maintain the trees for the first year.

For the first year, watering once per week is a good idea. By the end of that year, or when the tree attains the height of ten feet, watering can be cut back to once per month. The base of the trunk of the tree should be kept dry, while the roots will reach for water. Somewhat riparian areas are perfect for these trees.

The roots of the Coast Live Oak prefer shade, so when first planting, covering the ground around the base of the tree with mulch, rock, or other landscaping items is a good idea, at least until the tree takes hold. Once these trees start to grow, they will take off fairly quickly.

Young trees can start out shrubby, but they can grow quite quickly to 10 to 15 meters tall. The crowns of younger trees are very lush and full in a rounded shape. As the trees get older, the crowns tend to thin out some. These trees, though, have been known to live for 250 years, so they can provide a great, permanent landscaping treasure for those willing to care for them until they take hold.

Rocky hillsides that hold some moisture are perfect for Coast Live Oak. Proximity to a small stream or the presence of coastal fog is great for these beautiful trees as well. The yellow flowers make a beautiful contrast to the lush, green leaves when they are blooming in February to April. Oaks are very important wildlife plants. They attract a great variety of animals, birds, and reptiles.

When pruning these trees, it is best to do so at the driest time of the year, in July and August. At this time of year there is less likelihood that disease-causing pathogens will survive and infect the tree at the pruning site.

Many people do not feel comfortable pruning their own trees, and Evergreen Landscaping Service is happy to help. We’ve spent years caring for trees of all shapes and sizes and we understand just what it takes to keep them healthy and looking good.

Whether we planted those trees or not, we’re more than willing to help you keep them looking great and providing you with years of enjoyment. Call us today to set up an appointment to see how we can help you create the prefect outdoor living space.

20 Nov 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive ,

California Sagebrush

California Sagebrush is very drought tolerant

California SagebrushIn some areas of our region, it can be very difficult to know what to plant. Areas that are extremely dry or that have harsh types of ground or rock can be a bane of the highest order to those who want a perfectly landscaped lawn or business approach. The good news is that Evergreen Landscaping specializes in just those sort of debacles.

California sagebrush is native to California and Baja California. It grows where many, many plants will not. It is very drought tolerant and can often create a stunning view where there was once simply a dry, south-facing slope. California Sagebrush does not just look good, though. It is very aromatic as well. It is also good at filling a wide space. It branches out from the bottom to create its signature round profile. During the early rainy season, it’s shallow, fibrous roots take in as much water as possible, allowing them to tolerate all but the very driest of seasons and still maintain their foliage.

The leaves of the California sagebrush are light green to gray and will be between one and ten centimeters in length. They are brighter when there is more water available for them, but then turn a greenish brown during the drought time of year. They are separated into two strand-like lobes that can grow to five centimeters long. It blooms in disk flowers and pistillate flowers. They are normally yellowish, but they can also be red. They can be the perfect addition to a hillside that you think will have to stay barren and drag forever.

You will be surprised how well these beautiful and fragrant shrubs will grow in the harshest of conditions we have here near and around Pismo Beach. These shrubs are great for controlling erosion in areas prone to it. They help to hold the soil in place as the rains come down. This makes them not only beautiful, but functional. They can be a perfect addition to your home or business landscaping for that reason alone.

Evergreen Landscaping Service will be happy to come to your location and help you make some choices on the best trees and shrubs to give you just the landscaping look you want. California sagebrush may be just what you are looking for, but we can never recommend a specific plant as “the best” for your situation until we come out and inspect the area.

While other landscapers will tell you what will “work” in an area, we will let you know what will create the perfect look for which you have been searching. We will work with you to give your outdoor living space the exact look and functionality that you are looking for. California Sagebrush may be perfect is a certain spot in your yard.

Call us today  at (805) 773-5395  for an estimate and some suggestions on creating a living space you and your family can truly enjoy. Your leisure time should be yours. Let us do the work. Or fill out the contact form and we’ll call you!

 

13 Nov 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive ,

Sugar Sumac Could Be Your Perfect Choice

Sugar SumacSugar Sumac is native to southern California and grows well in arid conditions. It is very drought tolerant, but easy to grow. This makes it a perfect choice for many residents of the Pismo Beach area. Finding the perfect plants that will be low-maintenance and be able to hold up to the drought and hot climate can be tricky. Our outdoor spaces need specific plants in order to look great. Sugar Sumac may just be one of the plants for which you are looking. These beauties can even be planted in the equivalent of a 5-gallon bucket and will grow to ten feet within three years. They are normally found on hillsides, but can be comfortable on flat surfaces for garden applications as well. They can be happy just about anywhere in your yard in the Pismo Beach area, and they won’t take up a lot of your time.

Sugar Sumac is evergreen and grows to the size of a large shrub or small tree. It is easy to care for and grows quite quickly once it has established itself. Fast growing plants are great for areas you would like to cover up fairly quickly. These shrubs grow into a rounded form, but they are almost always wider than they are tall. If you have a space to fill, don’t plant just anything there and hope it works out. At Evergreen Landscaping Service, we can help you to choose shrubs such as Sugar Sumac which will not only look great the day they are planted, but will give you years of viewing enjoyment in your outdoor living space. These shrubs are also great choices for businesses looking for an approach shrub or a beautiful backdrop to their building or garden area.

Flower clusters form at the end of the branches of these shrubs, which can be asexual or pistillate. From a distance the flowers look a soft pink. But, once up close, gardeners will see that they actually are made up of white to pink petals and red sepals. They are beautiful while in bloom, adding an extra special dimension to a line of shrubs on a hillside. Or, residents can plant an entire area of Sugar Suma and enjoy the view as they all flower in the spring.

Evergreen Landscaping Service has been servicing the Pismo Beach area for years. We understand not only what will grow here, but what grows best, and the exact shrubs and trees that will give you the perfect look that you want. If you’re looking for something specific, or if you have no idea what you want, but you are looking to get some landscaping to make your outdoor space more pleasant, call Evergreen Landscaping Service. We will work with you to learn the personality you wish your yard and landscaping to have. From there we can suggest certain shrubs and trees to give you the look and feel you want. Sugar Sumac may just be the answer for which you’ve been looking.

Need more help with your landscaping? Contact Evergreen Landscaping today, 805-773-5395.

 

06 Nov 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , ,

Blue Field Gilia

Blue Field GiliaAnnual wild flowers can add a splash of color to any landscaping project. Most wild flowers are easy to care for and, in the case of the Blue Field Gilia, will grow in places that many other plants will not.

A professional landscaper such as Evergreen Landscaping Service can help you to determine not only what will grow well in various areas of your outdoor space, but also what will give you the perfect look that you are seeking.

Blue Field Gilia is widespread along the coast in California and in the Sierras. This makes it a perfect choice for your yard garden, our business landscaping. They grow especially well in sandy well-drained soils and are best used in a meadow-type environment. They are an annual plant, which means that they grow, flower, and die all in one year.

Blue Field Gilia is offered in many wild flower mixes that one may find in landscaping and outdoor stores, and planted alone can provide a delicate, flowery addition to a beautiful butterfly garden or flower garden. They grow well with other annuals and can be mixed in to provide a full look to a meadow landscape or a driveway approach.

Blue Filed Gilia will tolerate clay soils as well, but it will definitely do better in soils that are more well-drained or in open, rocky areas. As long as they are planted in an area with full sun, they do fairly well. Because they are native to the area, they do very well all around Pismo Beach, and chances are you have seen them dotting landscapes around the area.

Blue Field Gilia grow from 15 to 100 centimeters tall. They flower from February to April in California. Their flowers are truly a cluster of 50 to 100 smaller flowers. The stamens of the flowers stick out slightly from the petals. They are white with either white, blue, or pink anthers.

The flowers themselves can be white, pink, lavender, or light blue, depending on the specific species of the plants. They give a wild feel to a garden, the perfect look to make it seem as if the flowers simply grew there on their own. They require very little care or maintenance, which makes them great for people who do not have a lot of experience with gardening or even for a business landscape that may not have a full time attendant.

Evergreen Landscaping Services can help you to determine what will grow well in an area where you believed a rock garden was your only choice.

Many wild flowers are perfect for sandy areas and soils that are very well drained to arid. Chances are you have many more options than you may have thought. From flowers to shrubs and trees there are a host of different plants that may be perfect for your outdoor living spaces.

While many of these plants require little care, if you should decide you need help to keep your outdoor spaces looking great, Evergreen Landscaping would be happy to help you with upkeep on a long-term basis as well.

30 Oct 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , , , , ,

Big Berry Manzanita are Perfect for Rocky Areas of Your Yard

Big Berry ManzanitaAt Evergreen Landscaping we often find that many people look for something different in landscaping trees and shrubs. Some fear their rocky or desert-like yard areas are not conducive to planting great landscaping items. If you and your lawn fall into this category, the Big Berry Manzanita may be just what you’ve been looking for.

This shrub grows to small tree size and is pleasant to look at. What’s more, it prefers areas that are rocky and well-drained, places your other shrubs and trees may not grow well. They can be a perfect addition to from a coastal area to a desert transition area.

The Big Berry Manzanita usually grows from one to six meters tall, but it can grow even taller with the optimal circumstances. The leaves of this shrub are a light gray-green color. They also flower and bear fruit. The flowers hang in white clusters and the fruits have a light red color to them. Both the flowers and the fruits add another color dimension to this already beautiful tree. The trees can grow to be 100 years old or better, but they do not start to bear fruit until the age of twenty.

Evergreen Landscaping Services is your full service landscaper in the Pismo Beach area, and we will help you decide of Big Berry Manzanita is right for your yard. If you have a well-drained or rocky area, chances are good we can help you with one of these shrubs.

They will give you and your yard years of beauty and they will look good in a space that may otherwise be baron of vegetation. They are native to California and Baja California, so the climate here is perfect for them. In nature, the seeds require exposure to fire in order to germinate. Because of that, they can be found in good numbers shortly after an area has a fire come through. Fire treatment in the fall will produce new growth by the next spring.

The Big Berry Manzanita will provide colorful fruit in the spring and the round, waxy leaves will break up a rocky outcropping or will also bring color to a well-drained flat area. Their white flowers are usually some of the first to bloom, making them a welcomed site in late winter to early spring. These shrubs do well on a north facing slope and in places that are partly shady. They do not need summer watering, except in the driest locations. Well-drained soil is a must, as they will not do well with too much water.

If you are looking for a beautiful tree that will provide color year round in your yard in the Pismo Beach area, the Big Berry Manzanita may be just what you’re looking for. Call Evergreen Landscaping today and we will come out to survey your site, whether it is your yard or the landscaping around your business. You want the areas you live in to look their best, and we can help with that

23 Oct 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , , ,

Black Sage is a beautiful ground cover choice

Black SageBlack sage is another of California’s beautiful native plants. At Evergreen Landscaping, we can help you decide which foliage will do best in which areas of your yard or business landscaping. We have industry specialists who will help you choose the best plants, shrubs and trees for every area you are looking to improve. This plant may be just what you need to give your landscaping the perfect look.

Black sage is very aromatic and does well in a variety of soils. It grows quickly, which is great for areas you would like to see a shrub take over and fill up quickly. It will grow up to three feet high very quickly, and can continue to grow to reach six feet. It will also grow to ten feet wide. It is definitely a good choice for areas that you would like to fill with one variety of plant. At Evergreen Landscaping Service, we can help you choose the perfect place in your yard for black sage, and we can help you decide where it will do best in your yard.

One of the most attractive things about black sage is its ability to attract wildlife. Quail love to feast on the seed of the black sage. Both butterflies and hummingbirds enjoy the nectar from the aromatic flowers of the black sage. The flower colors vary from white to a pale blue. Some varieties may even have the more rare pale rose colored flowers. The beautiful flowers of the black sage are an added bonus for those looking for a hearty, easy to care for, ground cover plant. They do best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade.

Whether your soil is sandstone, shale, basalt, or granite, black sage can do well there. It needs a minimum of fifteen inches or rain per year to a maximum of forty inches. In drier areas, it is best to plant black sage in soil that retains a bit more moisture. When you call a professional landscaper like Evergreen Landscaping Service, our industry-trained professional landscapers will work with you to ensure the best possible placement for this beautiful ground cover plant. It will add so much to your landscaping, growing quickly to fill in bare spaces, and also bringing in wildlife that enjoy its sweet flowers.

We can not only show you exactly where in your yard or business landscaping where black sage will grow the best, but we will work with you to integrate it into your existing shrubs and trees to make a complete backdrop for your outdoor living spaces. Black sage really has it all – beautiful flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds, the ability to grow well in various soils, and to grow quickly to fill large spaces with lush greenery in a short amount of time.

If black sage sounds like something that would work well in your yard or around your business, call Evergreen Landscaping today. We will assess your property and show you where we can help and how black sage could add to the beauty of your outdoor space.

18 Oct 2015
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , , , , , ,

Wild Hyacinth Bulbs Will Add Color to Your Landscape

Wild hyacinthWild hyacinth is known be several names including Blue Dicks, Brodiaea, and Purplehead. They are native to Arizona, California, Utah, New Mexico, Oregon, and northern portions of Mexico. The flowers are pale blue and bloom from the bottom to the top, creating a full look that can highlight lush green areas with color. These bulbs are hearty and do well in many areas of California.

This is a plant species that often thrives in post-fire areas. It does best in wide open spaces of disturbed soil. At Evergreen Landscaping Services, we can help you determine if wild hyacinth is something that will do well in your yard or around your business. It offers a beautiful layer of dense color in the right areas and are relatively easy to grow. They offer an amazing addition to a meadow type of land structure or a grassland area.

The flowers of the wild hyacinth will attract a variety of insects and other nectar-seeking species. These flowers are great for lining walkways and can even do well planted in large pots that can be moved around a yard or garden area. These bulbs flower early in the spring, offering some of the first color of the year. The stems grow from eight to twenty inches high, with the tower of blooms at the peak. There are actually a number of smaller, delicate flowers that make up the tower of blooms at the tip of each of these stems.

Evergreen Landscaping Service can help you to keep pests such as rabbits or snails away from these plants, too. They are otherwise fairly easy to care for, but our professional landscapers can help you with a variety of pest deterrents that will keep your entire garden and landscaping beautiful for years to come. For that reason, many of our customers retain us to control pests on a regular basis.

Because wild hyacinth are relatively easy to care for, as are most bulbs, and they are some of the first flowers to bloom in many landscapes, often peaking out in January to alert you that winter should be over soon, they are a favorite of many Pismo Beach residents. Plants that are low maintenance can be a welcomed addition to any landscaping project. The fact that they do well in containers is great for those with less space, or who may want to move their flowers around throughout the year to take advantage of the best sunlight.

When your landscaping is ready for an overhaul, or if you’re just thinking of adding a little color here and there, call Evergreen Landscaping Services today. We can help you find the perfect bulbs or plants for every area of your outdoor living space. Don’t settle for landscaping that looks drab or colorless. Your time outdoors should life your spirits and replenish your mind. Evergreen Landscaping Service can help you do just that. It’s time to enjoy your time outdoors again, and maybe wild hyacinth is just the bulb you’ve been looking for.