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29 Jun 2015
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Five Types of Rocks for Landscaping

Landscaping with rocks is a popular landscaping style for all types of lawns, gardens and properties. You can use rocks to accentuate flowers, greenery and shrubs, or rocks can be the focal point of your landscaping. Rocks are great landscaping elements if you’ve been unsuccessful with flowerbeds or if you live in an area that doesn’t get enough rain to maintain a traditional lawn. You can create the appearance of a creek bank with rocks even if you don’t want to, or can’t, use water in your landscaping. Following are brief descriptions of five types of rocks for landscaping to help you develop a plan for your yard.

Rocks for Landscaping

• Pea stones are small rocks available in rounded or natural shapes. They come in white, gray, all shades of brown and natural blues and greens. Pea stones help keep down weeds and are perfect for filling in contained areas like flowerbeds. You can make plants stand out by surrounding them with pea stones. Pea stone walkways are attractive and functional. If you use pea stones to fill in a walkway or to create a path, you’ll need to line the area with landscaping timber, decorative brick or larger stones like boulders to keep the stones from being scattered.

• Shale is a versatile rock. If you want stepping stones, shale is a good choice because it’s rugged and attractive. Shale can be gray, almost blue, brown or a mixture of colors. Shale can be combined with pea stones or other smaller stones to add visual interest to a walkway. Shale is also perfect for retaining walls.

• Creek rock is a good choice if your home is rustic or if you want a “back to nature” atmosphere in your yard. Creek rocks are a mixture of shapes, sizes and colors. You can use creek rock for retaining walls and edging. Creek rock is perfect for a rock garden. The most common use for creek rock is to create a creek bed. Your creek bed can be dry, a stand-alone water element or part of a larger waterscape. A dry creek bed can wind around trees or through a garden, or you can use natural greenery and moss to create a lush appearance.

• Lava rock comes in gray, black and brick red. Dark red is the most popular color for flowerbeds or poolside areas. If you want to make a dramatic statement, use black lava rock in your fire pit.

• Boulders can be functional or they can be focal points in your landscaping. Boulders are excellent for retaining walls and rock gardens. Place plants around a boulder for a simple, understated look or use boulders to define a flowerbed.

We can help you select the best rock for your landscaping project. We use only the highest quality rock so that your landscaping retains its appearance for years. We also maintain your rock landscaping. Contact us for more information about landscaping with rocks and all your other landscaping needs.

 

10 Jun 2015
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Transplanting Trees the Right Way

Transplanting treesTransplanting trees is a gift to the future. But, according to The Arbor Day Foundation, planting a tree the right way can as much as double both the tree’s life span and its ultimate size. Clearly, there is a lot to be said for doing a good job when it comes to tree planting. Here are some considerations worth knowing about before you getting started.

Transplanting trees to consider

  • Rules: It is important to consider zoning laws and home owner association regulations, especially when planting trees in urban areas.
    Utilities: Underground utilities are another concern to check out thoroughly before you start, because trees require a deep, well prepared planting hole that can interfere with buried lines at planting, or in the future.
  • Goals: Are you planting for shade, privacy, beauty, or maybe all these things? Consider what you hope for from your tree planting effort. Most trees have lifespans of 20 years or more, and some grow to very large sizes. Keep all these things in mind as you plan your tree planting. The outcome will be more successful, and also improve the value of your home.
  • Species: Whether a tree is deciduous and loses its leaves in winter, or evergreen, keeping them all year round is another important consideration when transplanting a tree. There are pros and cons to both, and in the end, it comes down to personal preference. Some species also require more maintenance, clean-up, or have susceptibility to plant diseases that may be common in your area. All of these are good points to keep in mind as you consider what species to plant.
  • Water: All trees will need some water and tending. Some require much more than others, and knowing the tree’s requirements in advance is important, especially in drought conditions. Keeping a good layer of mulch around the base of the tree is another important way to the most of the water you give your new tree.
  • Maintenance: Getting the right amount of water at the best time can be one of the hardest parts of maintaining trees and other landscape plantings. Watering is especially important in naturally arid areas and during drought conditions. The best way of solving this problem is installation of timer controlled irrigation that delivers the exact volume of water the tree needs at the best time of day – or even at night!
  • Planting: A tree planting hole needs to be three times the size of the tree root ball. Whether the transplant is bare root, burlap covered, or in a container affects how you need to handle it before planting. The soil below the root ball should stay firm, and after filling soil in around the tree, a watering basin should be formed with soil around the base of the plant.

Consider Hiring a Professional

Transplanting trees properly involves some complex considerations as well as hard work. Professional landscaping contractors have the local knowledge, experience, and equipment for making your tree planting goals a success. Contact us today for your landscaping needs.

28 May 2015
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Vegetables and Herbs for the California Drought

California droughtThe drought is big news in California. Many people who garden, or who would like to start gardening, wonder if growing vegetables and herbs is a good idea in the California drought.

While all vegetables and most herbs need more water than drought tolerant landscape plants. There are some choices, and growing methods, that are better for drought conditions than others.

California Drought Tolerant Herbs

When it comes to herbs, there are many choices that require infrequent watering. Most Mediterranean herbs do well in California. All of the following culinary herbs are happy with minimal water:

  • Rosemary
  • Oregano
  • Thyme
  • Sage
  • Marjoram

These herbs also can be grown in pots and planter boxes. This way, the water is restricted from seeping into the surrounding ground. Bury the pots in the ground, or insulate the containers on the outside with straw bales where the sun is hottest. This can help the plants use less water while preventing the containers from getting too hot above ground.

When you do apply water after the soil surface has dried out, water deeply and completely. Give more water to larger, established plants. Watering early in the morning, late afternoon, and at night also help prevent evaporation.

Vegetables for the California Drought

As with herbs, vegetables that do best in drought conditions require infrequent, but deep watering. If you want to grow vegetables that need the surface to stay moist and humid like lettuce, many peppers, cucumbers, basil, and chard. Consider using a row tunnel, or extra mulch, to keep in moisture and keep humidity up.

Vegetables that thrive with deep, less frequent watering include:

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are the most frequently home-grown vegetable crop. And happily, they are fairly drought tolerant. They naturally do best when the first two inches of soil becomes dry. Followed by a deep watering.

Melons: Melons do well planted in mounds with a hollow at the center used for watering. Humidity and moisture on their leaves often leads to mold. They are also naturally more drought resistant.

Potatoes: This crop is easy to grow, especially in containers. They prefer planting in winter or spring when rain is still most likely. Then, they are ready for harvest before the hottest months of summer.

Summer and winter squash: Like melons, these vegetables also grow well in mounds. Where water can be concentrated a few times a week, or as needed, depending on conditions.

Other Ways to Beat California Drought When Gardening

Using straw, compost, or agro-fabrics to mulch around plants reduces evaporation. Many mulch materials are inexpensive, or even free. If they are organic, they will break down and add texture and some nutrients to the soil over time.

Using timers and an automated irrigation system also helps you get the right amount of water at the best time of day or night. Working with a landscape contractor can help you set up an herb or vegetable garden. They will help you keep your gardening through the California drought.

Looking for more gardening tips during California drought? Call 805-773-5395 

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29 Dec 2014
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What You Need to Know to Grow a Lemon Tree

There’s nothing better than fresh lemons to use for cooking or even just to make an ice-cold glass of lemonade. Fortunately, the Central Coast region is one of the few lucky places in the United States where you can grow your own lemons without a lot of fuss. With a little bit of knowledge, you can have fresh lemons right from your own backyard!

Cold Hardiness Zones

Before you select a lemon tree from a local nursery, you’ll need to learn a little bit about USDA cold hardiness zones. These are temperature zones established by the USDA that show the lowest winter temperatures of a region, and they’re what you’ll use to find lemon trees that will thrive in your area. The Central Coast region is mostly rated for hardiness zones 8b, 9a and 9b, which see yearly low temperatures of 15 degrees, 20 degrees and 25 degrees respectively. However, there are a few isolated places that are rated for cold hardiness zone 10a, which means yearly low temperatures of 30 degrees.

Most lemon trees will grow without protection against the cold in zones that are rated for 9b and higher. If you’re in zone 8b or 9a, you’ll need to look for a particularly cold-hardy variety, or you’ll have to plant your lemon tree in an area that is well protected from frost, such as on a southern-facing slope or near a building.

Caring for a Lemon Tree

Lemon trees can grow in most types of soil, but they prefer a soil that is well drained and slightly acidic – a soil pH that ranges between 5.5 and 6.5 is perfect. They’ll also need a spot that gets full sun, and if you want to plant more than one, make sure they’re spaced approximately 12 feet apart. You can expect to harvest your first lemons three to six years after you’ve planted your seedling.

Make sure to keep the ground around the base of your lemon tree mulched, and starting 12 inches away from the tree’s trunk, put down a layer of compost that is four to six inches deep. You can prune your lemon tree in the spring, once the danger of a frost has passed. When the lemons ripen, you can leave them on the tree for several weeks, only picking them as you need them.

Plant a lemon tree, and you’ll have all the fresh lemons you can eat! These plants also turn into pretty little trees and shrubs that look great in any landscape.

27 Nov 2014
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Can You Plant Multiple Herbs in One Window Box?

The idea of a small herb garden right outside the kitchen window sounds great. However, you’re probably thinking that if it were so easy, everyone would have a window-box herb garden! The reality is, you can plant several herbs in one window box or planter, but each plant has different space, water and soil requirements. That means you’ll need to choose herbs that will get along with each other!

Plant Sizes

When you buy small pots of herbs at the garden center, it’s hard to imagine how those little sprouts can turn into gigantic plants. However, it does happen, and it’s one of the things that makes herb gardening in a container so difficult.

For instance, dill can grow up to four feet high, but it stays small at the base. Some varieties of thyme, on the other hand, will only grow up to six inches high, but will spread throughout the entire pot and maybe even spill out onto the ground below. As you’re selecting herbs for your window box, double check the maximum sizes of each of your selections to make sure you have room for everything.

Watering

Very few herbs will tolerate soggy soil, but some like it drier than others. Choose herbs according to their watering requirements so that you aren’t over or under-watering parts of your planter. An easy way to tell which herbs like dry conditions is to look at the way the plant grows. Plants with tough, fibrous or even woody stalks – thyme or lavender, as an example – usually like infrequent watering. If the plant is more lush – like chives, parsley or basil – they’ll like to be watered more regularly.

Soil Types

Soil type is another challenge to overcome. You’ll need to determine whether each plant likes acid or alkaline soil, and whether they like rich or poor soil. Most herbs will do fine in an alkaline soil, but herbs like chamomile or sweet woodruff prefer a slightly acid soil. Basil, chives and cilantro are fast growing, which means they’ll like a nutrient-rich soil. Oregano, sage and rosemary tend to grow more slowly and prefer poor, sometimes rocky soils.

It’s not difficult to create a beautiful herb garden in a window box, but it will take some planning and experimentation to get it right. Just make sure to keep the space, water and soil requirements in mind for each selection, and you’ll have a wonderful little kitchen garden in no time!

14 Oct 2014
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7 Questions you Need to Ask Before Hiring a Landscaper [Infographic]

7 Questions You Need to Ask Before Hiring a Landscaper

 

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15 Sep 2014
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Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

When people think of front yard landscaping, they think of large plants surrounded by sweeping expanses of gorgeous green grass. In reality, not everyone has a massive front yard to support large-scale landscaping. A low maintenance yard is something that many people can appreciate, but it doesn’t mean that you have to give up on the quality of your yard.

There are many yard designs that are easy to maintain whether you do them yourself or hire a professional landscaper to do them for you. While hiring a professional landscaper will certainly make everything even easier, there are many D.I.Y options that don’t take extreme amounts of effort. Keep in mind that if you do decide to hire a landscaper, you need to specify that you are looking for a front yard landscaping design that is easy to maintain year-round. For many people, especially in suburban areas, front yards are small, which can it difficult to come up with good landscaping ideas. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to beautifully landscape your small front yard!

Great Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

Who Needs Grass?

One way to cut down on maintenance time is by growing little to no grass. It’s easy to assume that a front yard, however big or small, should be grassy. However, small front yard landscapes can work well without any grass at all – and sometimes, they’re easier to maintain without it! Not having to mow your lawn cuts out a lot of maintenance.

Speak to a landscaper about some ideas to make your yard look good without having to necessarily have a lawn. Clover lawns save money as well as time because they require less mowing. Clover also does well in areas that often suffer from drought, so you won’t have to worry about brittle, yellow grass becoming an eyesore.

Another benefit f clover is that bugs don’t like it, so your picnics are less likely to be interrupted. Consider creating a courtyard. Use landscape mesh underneath patio stones to prevent weeds sprouting in the gaps, and fill in the spaces between stones with pea gravel or sand. You can build raised perennial beds along the edges of your courtyard, filling in any gaps with a couple of well-placed shrubs. Make sure your plantings stay mulched to keep weeds out, and you’ll have a weed-free, mowing-free new landscape!

Make Your Neighbor’s Yard Part of Your Landscape

While your neighbor won’t appreciate it if you start gardening in their yard, you can still use their yard to enhance the look of your own. If your neighbors aren’t particularly fond of gardening but keep well-maintained grass, take advantage of the view as you plan your own landscape features.

Keep your border plantings low, and avoid privacy fences or anything that will obstruct the view of your neighbor’s nice grass. You can even align annual and perennial beds so that they open up to your neighbor’s yard. Capitalizing on a nice view of your neighbor’s front yard will help make your own yard seem larger.

Using Color to Make Your Yard Seem Bigger

Whether you’re planting along the edges of a sidewalk, around the border of your yard, or around your house, try to use bright, bold colors at the front of your design. Reserve more greenery and muted flowers for the background. People will notice the bright colors first, while the rest of your design seems to recede off into the distance. This simple trick can help make your front yard seem much larger than it actually is. If you do decide to have a lawn or even just a bed of flowers in your yard, you can install irrigation.

This method of watering your plants is not only easier, but it saves time and money and is much better for your plants. Hire a professional to install a system for your yard landscaping design or you can get a kit and do it yourself. Doing it yourself can be a bit tricky if you do not have experience, though. These are only a few of the ideas you can try. Front yard landscaping – even for small front yards – is limitless. Use your imagination, and you can turn even the smallest yard into attractive scenery.

Need help with your front yard landscaping? The professional landscapers at Evergreen Landscaping are here for you. Contact us or call 805-773-5395