Mulching.......

I posted this blog earlier this year but I have been getting a lot of questions about mulch and what we recommend lately so here is the re-post.........

Check out mulch options on Delaware Hardscape Supply's website.

Mulch is generally sold by the cubic yard.  A cubic yard is about one bucket of a loader.  In order to make sure that you have enough, I recommend adding 20%-35%, more to the total cubic yards you require.

(x)(y/12)=z/27=Cubic Yards

x= the square footage to cover

y= the depth of the mulch in inches

z= cubic feet

            There are many benefits of mulching your beds and garden.  Mulch keeps weeding to minimum by keeping their seeds from sprouting.  Water in soil naturally evaporates; mulch insulates the soil from drying out.  Mulching can also prevent soil borne diseases from spreading to fruits and leaves.  This happens when water splashes the soil onto the leaves.  Soil will also take longer to change temperatures.  Decomposing slowly, mulch adds nutrients to the soil, and makes the soil looser.  Earth worms really enjoy mulch.  The worms break down the mulch and aerate the soil.  Before mulching it is important to remove weeds currently growing and water thoroughly.  Finer mulches should be applied no more than 2” deep.  Coarser mulches can be laid up to 4” thick.  In order to determine how much mulch you need measure the square footage of your beds you can use this formula:

            Everyone knows that mulch makes our flower beds much, much more attractive.  Mulch is defined as a soil cover that is composed of organic material.  The forest creates its own natural mulch each year when deciduous plant and trees drop their leaves.  Because of this we should replicate natural process in our gardens.  We recommend bark mulch for your beds because it lasts a long time and looks really good.  I usually stay away from stone chips and river jack because they retain heat and can cause root damage.  Using stone as mulch also removes the benefits of decomposition and adding amendments back to the soil.  Mulching should be done about twice a year, once in the spring to freshen your beds and once in the winter to insulate your plant’s roots from the cold.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to visit our web page at www.lawn-scapes.net.   

-Matt Bradley

Rose Tips and Tricks

          By far, roses are some the most difficult and rewarding flowering shrubs to grow.  Rose colors can range from white, yellow, orange, pink, and of red.  Some of the most popular rose types are:

-Bush Roses: these roses tend to grow quickly and abundantly.  Many, are more disease resistant than the hybrid teas, floribunda, and grandiflora varieties.

- Creeping Roses:  these tend to grow fairly quickly and lay closer to the ground. 

-Climbing Roses: These roses climb like a vine and include the Georgia State Flower, the Cherokee Rose.

-Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, and Grandiflora: These are the types I am going to cover in this blog.  These tend to be the most finicky and disease prone.  If you put the time and effort in the reward will be big, beautiful, and wonderfully fragrant blooms.

There are several strategies that can be observed to help insure successful rose growth.  One of the easiest things to do to insure proper location and soil composition is to grow your roses in a raised bed or containers.  Choose a wide open area that gets plenty of sun.  I had the best luck growing my rose in a container.  This enabled me to control the soils and location of the rose bush. 

Rose bushes grow best in an area with slightly acidic, well drained soil that gets plenty of sunshine.  The best weather to plant a rose bush is a windless, overcast day in the early Spring.  Planting in the early spring allows plenty of time for the roots to establish themselves during the upcoming growing season.  When planting a rose be absolutely sure to dig a hole that is large enough to allow the roots to spread out in their natural form.  Roses should be planted with the bud union (where the graft is generally) above the soil in a warmer climate and no further than 1”-2” in colder climes.  All roses need to be firmly planted.  To accommodate this need, place the plant into the hole, fill in some soil, and pack firmly with your foot every couple of inches until the hole is filled.  This forces the roots into contact with the soil around them. 

During the growing season I recommend daily maintenance and observation of your rose bushes.  This allows you to be on top of the maintenance and quickly catch any diseases that roses can acquire.   Dead heading rose blooms to encourage new flowers to form.  When dead heading; cut the flower stalk back to the first leaf with five leaflets.  Monitor your roses for disease problems throughout the growing season.  Roses are susceptible to numerous disease problems (too numerous for me to cover in this blog!) but some of the most common are aphids, powdery mildew, and black spot.  Any leaves with black spot can be removed and disposed away from the bushes or you run the risk of contamination of other plants.  I recommend picking up a book with pictures of the disease problems so they can be identified and taken care of.

The first year after planting roses should not be fertilized.  This helps them come to terms with the soil they are planted in.  In subsequent years fertilization should begin as soon as new growth is seen and should not be continued past August.  I have great success with Osmocote scratched into the soil.  Fertilization after each blooming period is recommended because it encourages new blooming.  Mulch the ground around your Rose’s roots to insulate them from changes in temperature and to retain moisture.

Pruning should occur late in the dormant season, after the last hard frost (be very sure of this!) and when the buds start to swell.  Make sure that your pruning shears are extremely sharp and that you have invested in some thick leather gloves.  Pruning cuts should be above a bud that is facing outward from the main stem.  The cut should also slope away from the bud in order to encourage water to drain the opposite direction.  Regular pruning techniques otherwise apply.  You want to eliminate weak branches, dead branches, rubbing branches, and branches that are growing inward.  Also prune to maintain the bush’s shape and form.

That about covers the basics of Rose Gardening, and I do mean the basics.  If you have any questions feel free to ask and I will do my best to give you an answer.    

-Matt

Water Features

Water is one of the most desirable elements in the garden and because of this it is the most important elements in the design.  When designing with water, it is important to think about its inherent characteristics: it runs downhill and collects in low spots.  Try to respect and design within these characteristics in mind.  For example, even the most well designed pool will look silly perched on the top of a hill in the middle of a garden.  It is also very important to consider the scale of the water feature in comparison to the scale of the space that it is placed in. 

               Water can be informal or informal.  This is decided upon based on the design of the garden.  A formal reflecting pool would not work in an informal landscape design for example.  When designing an informal pool look to nature and the surrounding local ponds.  Use the informality to inform your plant selection; use native water loving plants for the best results.  Formal pools have many more rules to follow because applying a strong rigid form to a loose, fluid element.  The formal pond should be set in a space that helps define it.  They tend to be free standing and set in the middle of a flat open space.  A formal pool can be many shapes including, rectangles, ellipses, as long as it’s a formal, well defined shape. 

               A pool tends to be the focus of the garden that it is a part of, because of this an important consideration is its appearance in the winter.  To look nice in all seasons a pool needs to have a refined proportions, clean lines, and well designed lines.  Plants can play into the winter landscape as well.  Ornamental grasses, and other plants should be chosen for their winter shape, form, and winter interest.  Making these important considerations will make your pool or water garden have plenty of year round interest.

               Streams and brooks bring movement, sound, and an opportunity to introduce naturalistic plantings to a landscape.  Streams also act as an axis in a garden, dividing spaces, and defining them.  A stream can cut a landscape in two or create and edge for the design.  A stream forces the garden design to form around it and with it.  Bringing informality or formality to the landscape can be accomplished by using a stream as well.  Fast moving water should be focused on, the banks should be treated simply.  Slower moving water can be treated with a seating area, and more elaborate planting areas. 

               Fountains are amazingly dynamic focal points.  Water in a fountain can be use as a gentle gurgle or in a huge, forceful jet.  The best fountains work within the context of the body of water that they are part of.  Elaborate displays of water work in simple spaces; where the plantings or the planning is complicated the water display should be simple and fade into the background.  When designing a fountain think about the visual effects:  How high should the jets rise?; How wide the should the basin be?; How many different levels should there be?; What angles should the jets be at?  These are always a good questions to consider.

LawnScapes' Landscape Lighting Basics

               Lighting is a very important element to consider when designing a garden or landscape.  There are two basic considerations when applying lighting: Safety, and enhancing aesthetic appeal of plants and architectural elements.  In more public landscape designs lighting a path or space with more (and brighter) lighting is necessary for safety, but too much lighting in the residential landscape will detract from its appeal.  In private garden I use lights to play with the effects of light and dark, adding mystery to the landscape.  When using lights in the landscape do not try to recreate the effect of daytime; play light against dark, use them to highlight trees and other elements.  Playing light against dark creates a sense of mystery about what is around the corner, the layout of the next space, allowing a person to experience the landscape in an easily digestible series of vignettes.  Good lighting will create a magical experience.

 Things I like to think about when designing lighting schemes:

·        Light gathering spaces with soft light to create a nice ambiance.

·        Think about the type of mood you want to create when designing the lighting for an area.

o   Lighting can be designed to be dimmed.

o   Lighting can be designed to be redirected.

·        Lighting fixtures come in all shapes and sizes.

o   Fixtures should be installed and matched carefully to the overall design.

·        On stairs, the lights can be built into the risers, into the railings, or into a wall next to the stairs.

o   Stairs must be lit because of safety concerns.

·        12”-18” tall fixtures, casting light onto the ground plane is the most important to safety.

o   Important not to shine lights into the pedestrian’s eyes.

o   Most of this type of lighting is placed along the division between the planting bed and the pathway, creating a sense of mystery. 

·        Ambient light is subtle and more appealing.

o   Avoid focused light unless you are highlighting specific elements.

o   Think about uplighting your house, trees, and sculptures.

·        Try using non-permanent lights such as tiki torches to create a nice, soft glow, for parties, and gatherings.

o   White lights in trees provide a nice effect all year long.

o   Think about using votive candles to provide instant ambience.

·        Try using white blooming annuals or perennials because they reflect the smallest amount of light.


Check out these websites to see multiple lighting options and fixtures:


Unique Lighting

Focus Industries

We use fixture from both of these companies extensively.

-Matt Bradley

Outdoor Kitchens

Outdoor kitchens allow you to bring the inside outside.  A kitchen can consist of anything from a grill and some counter space to a covered area with a wet bar, pizza oven, and cook top.  When designing an outdoor cooking area, I like to consider how many people will be using it, city ordinances, and (perhaps most importantly) how easily it can maintained. 

Design Considerations :

1.  Keeping it close:  Keeping it close to the house allows for easy transportation of materials between the house and the outdoor kitchen.

2. Location of Utilities:  Where are they and how far do they extend away from the house. 

3.  Work Triangle: Thinking about the spatial organization between the cooking area, food storage area, and clean up area.

4.  Space for guests:  How many people are you going to entertain?

5.  Circulation:  Do not allow major foot traffic to intersect the primary work areas.  The work aisle for the outdoor kitchen should be a minimum of 48”.

6.  Functional Areas of an Outdoor Kitchen:

·       Hot Zones: Grills, Cooktops, and Pizza Ovens

·       Cold Zones: Fridges, Freezers, Wine Chillers, and Kegerators

·       Wet Zones: Sinks and Ice Reserviors

·       Dry Zones: Storage, Prep Areas/Counters

7. Counter Space Recommendations:

·       Small Outdoor Kitchen: Grill, cooktop, sink, and storage adding up to about 10 Linear Feet.  36” of useable countertop and should be no less than 24” Deep.

·       Medium Outdoor Kitchen:  Grill, cooktop, sink, storage, and fridge adding up to about 13 Linear Feet.  48” of useable countertop is recommended and should be no less than 24” Deep.

·       Large Outdoor Kitchen:  All amenities (what can you imagine) and can total more than 20 Linear Feet.  At least of 156” of useable countertop is recommended.

8. Landing areas to left and right of stoves, sinks, and other elements should provide plenty of space.  This is a design faux pas that I see a lot in outdoor kitchen designs.

Things to consider including in your Outdoor Kitchen:

1. Pizza Oven

2.  BBQ Smoker

3. Sink

4.  Refrigerators

5.  Prep Space

6. Wine Cooler

7.  Kegerators

8.  Covering with a roof or an arbor

9.  Wood storage for the pizza oven

10.  Counter top material.

10 Reasons You NEED to Hire a Landscape Designer

1.      Planning is the most important part of any project. 

a.      A good landscape design will bring beauty and style to any home.  It also can raise your property value 10%-15%.  A plan also directs the project, without it a project can quickly become out of hand or go over budget.

2.      Our designer knows what you are thinking even if you don’t.

a.      Matt, our Designer can take what your needs and wants are and reconcile them with the realities of the site. 

3.      Saves you money in the end.

a.      We can work within budgets, plants, and materials to realize your vision.

b.   We guarantee and stand by our work.

4.      Our Designer works closely with the Installation Crew.

a.      This ensures the vision on the paper is realized.

b.   We dimension every plan using Auto Cad to ensure the greatest amount of accuracy.

5.      Materials and Plants Selection

a.      Selections of materials can be very challenging.  We can filter through colors, styles, and specific applications to get the best results and a cohesive design.

6.      A Landscaping project can be overwhelming.

a.      We can ground your project and fix your problem with a designed solution that is beautiful as well as practical.

7.      Improves the final product.

a.      Landscape designers are masters of the design process.  They close the gap between what the client wants and reality by reconciling existing conditions, views, and elements, with a great design.

8.      Professionally Drawn and Scaled Plan.

a.      We will produce a scaled plan using a AutoCad.

b.      Because not everyone can 'see' a landscape when it is presented in 2D LawnScapes also offers 3D Fly throughs of the proposed landscape, to help with visualization. 

9.      Designing and installing a landscape plan takes a lot longer than you think.

a.      You don’t have time to purchase plants, materials, and install a plan.  The average landscape plan takes about a 40 hour week to install.  Why spend your precious weekends doing in your free time what we can do while you are at work?

10.   A Landscape Designer provides clear direction.

a.      By choosing plants that survive in your location and the best material for the application our Landscape Designer will guide through the confusing process. 

Capability Brown and The Picturesque

            While England has had a rich tradition of landscape design, their style really started to separate itself in the 18^th century.   Before the 1700s the English tended to copy the more formal gardens of the Italian and French.  The 18^th century brought increased wealth to England through both foreign and domestic trade.  This wealth allowed the noble and upper middle class of England to transform the countryside.  The person that carried out this picturesque transformation was Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown (1716-1783).  The nickname ‘Capability’ came from his assurance that his client’s property had the “capability” to become beautiful.  His designs were influenced by the paintings of the picturesque movement.  Between 1751-1783 he designed more than 200 landscapes.  He once turned down a commission in Ireland because he, “Hadn’t finished England yet.”  Capability viewed his work as correcting nature, bringing it to a new, more perfect level.  Brown developed the quintessential English landscape, creating topography that is never flat nor sloping in one direction but expressing a series of concave and convex curves.  He never planted trees in a straight line but in clumps, belts, and screens to direct attention to distant views.  He incorporated the element of surprise in the garden by not using straight lines, drawing your eyes, though your body does not travel the same path.  The placement of the house was very important in his landscape designs.  Capability allowed no ornamental planting to mediate between the home and the surrounding landscape causing the house to stick out in the landscape.  He designed the landscape to control views from the house by using trees and landscape elements.