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Introduce color into your landscape for a powerful statement!
There are many ways to introduce color - flowering trees, a range of blooming shrubs as well as perennial gardens easily fit into nearly any landscape design. Landscape knowledge and good planning are keys to a successful landscape project.
First determine where you will get the most impact! Consider the impact from inside the building as well as the exterior enjoyment. Keep in mind that you need to find the right plant for the right place.
Probably the most crucial factors are the amount of direct sunlight the site will receive - the more sunshine; the more possiblilities you will have - and soil preparation, especailly in the case of bedding plants. The magic potion is organic matter. A good quality compost will make your flowers bloom. For a guidline of which nutrients you'll need, you hsould know the pH of your soil so that lime or sulfur can be added if necessary. A balanced fertilizer with a combination of slow- and quick- release nitrogen will ensure that your flowers will be off to a good start.
After planting, water thoroughly, but gently. Blasting them with a hose will result in shock and slower establishment. To prolong the life of your flowers, you need to "deadhead" them occasionally. After you deadhead, give the plants a small shot of balanced fertilizer in hopes of another round of blooms. Be sure to wash off the leaves for best results.
The above are reprinted portions of an Irrigation & Green Industry article by Helen M. Stone, board member of the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.
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Points Worth Pondering
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- A well-maintained lawn and landscape can enhance the "curb appeal", adding as much as 15% to the value of your home.
- Poor watering practices are probably responsible for more landscape problems than any other single factor.
- WAYNE KUSSOW, PH. D., a professor in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explains phosphorus as a primary plant nutrient. His article in Landscape Management magazine ("Phosphorus Fact or Fiction," - Dr. Wayne Kussnow, LM.net, February 1, 2003). reviews responsible use, monitoring phosphorus levels and how those levels are impacted by climate, growing season and soil texture.
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FACTS & TIPS
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LAWN
- The main nutrient that lawns need is nitrogen - usually 3-4 pounds of nitrogen per one thousand square feet. This is best applied in several applications during the growing season.
- Best mowing practices will remove only one-third of the leaf blade at a time.
- In dry weather, keep off the lawn as much as possible. Grass blades become brittle without water and are more easily damaged.
- Mulch mowing makes mowing easier. It also returns the nutrients from the grass clippings back to the soil and doesn't cause thatch build-up.
- Thirsty lawn signs:
1) Footprinting - after walking across the lawn, footprints are still visible an hour or more later.
2) Color change - the grass color changes from a lush green to a bluish-gray color.
*The average lawn needs about one inch of water per week to stay healthy!
- Grass is not the best choice under trees, on steep slopes, along paved or cemented areas or where there is heavy foot traffic.
- Keep turf at least two feet from the trunks of young or newly planted trees because it competes with the trees for water.
- Applying a lawn fertilizer in the spring with a pre-emergent weed killer will help keep your lawn green and weed-free through summer.
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PLANTS
- Don't buy plants in full bloom. They've been in their pots too long.
- Check for plump white roots when buying new plants. Avoid a tangled solid mass of roots.
- Gently score roots before planting so they will easily inhabit the surrounding soil.
- Plant bedding plants at soil level or even a little high - bedding plants hate to have soil bury their crowns - often leading to rot and rapid loss of the plant.
- Use compost to improve the texture and moisture-holding capacity of the soil on your property. It loosens heavy clay, bulks up sandy soil and revitalizes microlife in the soil.
- With large gardens, it is wise to consider a drip or micro irrigation system as you may not be able to adequately care for all vegetation with hand watering. If you already have an in-ground irrigation system, you can convert it to micro or drip at very little cost.
- Weed regularly - they compete with your plantings for moisture.
- Group plantings in gardens according to water requirements. For beautifully flourishing plants, you may need to move or adjust plantings to make their water needs match.
- Water when the soil is dry and when plants first begin to wilt. Soil that can't be formed into a ball is too dry to supply water to plant roots.
- Water during the coolest parts of the day, preferably in the early morning. Watering in the middle of the day increases the amount of water lost to evaporation by as much as 40 percent. Conversely, late evening overhead watering may contribute to insects and fungal diseases because foliage doesn't have time to dry before night, when fungal spores germinate.
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TREES and SHRUBS
- When watering trees and large shrubs, water around the drip-line of the tree (this is the area below the branches where water drips from the leaves) not at the trunk.
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