Lawrence Landscape

USDA Hardiness Map- we are zone 6B!!

2012-02-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

Very Important New Garden Info!

We have anew USDA Hardiness map! This is big news for gardeners. Why, you ask?Because gardeners base their plant choices on zone hardiness. (Oh, thatmagnolia is only hardy to zone 6b and I’m in zone 5b. It’ll never last thewinter!)

Why arezones important?

It determines what plants we, the avid gardeners andprofessionals, can use and where.

Why didthis map change? Global warming?

Actually, it’s not reflecting global climate change. The lastrevision was 1990. Since 1990, the amount of new information and technologyavailable is staggering. The USDA is very adamant that this is a new set ofdata, with new parameters, that is more accurate than the “long termpredictions” in the old map. Huh? “The increase in our computing power today allowsthe research team to build into their algorithms things they knew wereimportant factors in 1990, but couldn’t include,” said Catherine Woteki, ChiefScientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics for theUSDA.

Also, they've now taken into account how close an area might be to bodies of water, the slope and elevation of areas and other microclimates that occur. This may not sound like much- but it is staggering! We have suddenly been rated as Zone 6B. For the past 20 some years, we've been mostly rated as Zone 5B. That's a major temperature change. They've taken into accounts all the valleys (Clinton Lake, the hills of the Wakarusa Valley and other factors I'm sure). Follow this link to get to the new interactive site: USDA map. You can find the Kansas map here. If you enter your zip code, you will get to seeclose up all the little microclimate deviations within our state! I love this.

How will this change how you garden?

We still need to be cognizant that many/ most ofour plant issues happen with exposure to wind (in Kansas) and freeze/ thawissues. This will not even begin to address those issues. It just gives you themedian lowest winter temperatures. So for me, while I will try to place mydelicate, sensitive plants in protected areas, I will worry less about winterfreeze temperatures. I think the thing that may kill those delicate Magnolia,cute Japanese Maple and the like are the rapid temperature fluctuations. Theseallow the plant to thaw out, come to life and begin to grow (the cambium beginto generate and grow). Then the temperature rapidly drops and freezes the newgrowth. I think this very mild winter will see more winterkill than normal forjust that reason.

Galanthus or Snow Drop

Also, Punxsatwney Phil just saw his shadow. This incredibly decisive, fact-based predictor AND the predictions of the Farmer's Almanac confirm, for me, that we will be getting three big ice/ snow events this month and March. Whaddya think of that?

Lawrence Landscape and Midwest Custom Pools will be making an appearance at the Lawrence Home Show, Feb 10-12. It is being held at Crown Toyota this year! Leave a comment on our blog or on our Facebook page for free tickets. Include your name, email and any preferred way to contact you. Good Luck!

A butterfly garden- from seed, from transplant

2012-01-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

Continuing with Seeds….

January 21, 2012

Winter is a great time to plan out your garden. While thingsare bare, you can really get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. Continuingwith the theme of seeds, because it’s seed buying and seed starting time(nearly so), I give you a simple nativizing Butterfly garden bed.

It features annuals that can be grown from seed and re-seedthemselves, perennials that (if not native exactly) will become verycomfortable in your KS garden and a few shrubs for structure and year-roundinterest.

-Full Sun

-Garden Soil

-Low Maintenance (no fancy pruning required)

-Xeric or simple water requirements (would like regularwater until established, please!)

-Butterfly gardensneed a place for butterflies to get water. This could be a rock that holdswater but some sources say that a shallow bowl, filled with moist soil worksbetter for the insects.

-They also need protection from wind, so place the whole bedin a protected place (or plant butterfly bush around one edge to form a windblock).

Plant List

Shrubs to ground the bed:

Buddleia- a white variety

Buddleia, ‘Black Knight’ (wonderful dark purple butterflybush- 5-6’H) (from plant)

Rhus typhina (Sumac), ‘Tigers Eye’ (from plant)

Perennial Flowers from plant:

Achillea (Yarrow), ‘Paprika’ (plant)

Coreopsis gradniflora, ‘Zegreb’, ‘Early Sunrise’ (plant)

Echinacea purpurea, ‘Magnus’ (seed or plant)

Lavendula, ‘Hidcote’ (plant)

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed) (plant) food source

Monarda (Bee Balm), ‘Raspberry Wine’ (plant)

Sedum, ‘Vera Jameson’ (shorter and less likely to toppleover) (plant)

Monarda, Yarrow in the background

From Seed:

Bronze Fennel (direct sow) - food source

Echinacea purpurea, ‘Magnus’ (direct sow or plant)

Larkspur (direct sow) - nectar

Liatris (Gayfeather) (plant, from seed) – nectar

Winter WeatherReminder:

-It’s always a good time toprune out dead and broken limbs (from trees and shrubs). These can affect thefuture growth of the tree and promote infection (later on when it’s time tocome out of dormancy).

-Water your new trees andshrubs. Remember, deep infrequent waterings save the day. Your plant is usingmuch much less water in the cold weather. But still, a watering every monthwill help new trees and plants stay alive in bitter cold weather.

Franksays: water at every major holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day,St. Patrick’s Day). I like to throw in a watering in January. Right now, waituntil one of our 40 degree days and water in the afternoon. Don’t water theleaves and try to minimize water on the bark!

Seed Catalogs... in spades!

2012-01-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

Seed Catalogs-January 5, 2012

It is seed catalog time folks! If you are like me, you willbegin to be inundated with tons of catalogs, seducing you with pictures andtips and ideas for this next season’s garden. Be careful! Needless to say, myeyes are bigger than my “plate”. To save you money and frustration, let me giveyou some rules to follow.

How many seeds do you have left over from last year? If theyhave gotten too warm, wet or are really older than a year, they are probablynot viable. Feel free to do a germination test!
Be honest about how many plants you can fit in your space!How many square feet do you really have in full sun where the soil drains well?BE HONEST.

All vegetables and many annual cutting flowers require thesame full sun site. I include them with my seed buying (zinnias, marigolds,nasturtiums, bachelor buttons, cosmos, etc.).
All of that space has to be water accessible. It’s nice thatyou have a broad sunny strip of easement. But can your hose or drip systemreach out there?? Vegetables require deep, regular soaking for highest yield.
Also, follow the spacing/ mature sizing listed for eachplant you will put in. I mean, do not crowd your broccoli or your squash- itwill wreck your yield and/ or promote fungal growth! If the seed packet says it needs to be planted36” apart, plan on that spacing. Base your spacing on the mature size of yourplant. I often shove in some smaller annuals or herbs around larger vegetablesto beautify my plot. But I do not crowd out my major producers. (Example: I love summer squash and zucchinibut it is a huge space hog. Do I have the space for it?)

What do you eat most of and is really expensive locally??Tomatoes? Basil? Eggplant? Zucchini? For me, I must have and eat an enormousamount of greens (lettuce, spinach, chard), beets, tomatoes, basil (I pesto itup), zucchini. However, what of my favorites is very affordable locally? Squashand zucchini, regular bell peppers and green beans. Potatoes, onions areinexpensive for me locally. I also loveto grow all my own herbs because they are too, too much to buy- I use a bunchof herbs! THIS IS YOUR MASTER LIST.

Not all of this will you want to start from seed.

What grows best directly seeded (or needs repeat sowing)?Lettuce, greens, beans and peas, roots like carrots and beets, dill, basil,cilantro. For me: beans, lettuce, greens, beets, herbs. Also, many old fashioned cutting flowervarieties are only available from seed. If you are having a cutting garden,make sure you consult your MASTER PLAN! Do you have room?
What do I need LEAST of (that do great from transplant)?Examples include: cherry tomatoes, Thai hot peppers (amazing but who needs 18plants of this??) or any exceptional “one off”, eggplant (for me personally). Ialso don’t need 18 thyme plants. I buy these from my favorite farmer’s marketbooths!

Laurel’s Master list-based on four 4’ x 10’ raised beds (and a little cheating with some pots)

Tomatoes- paste tomatoes (8) (S), slicing tomatoes (4) (N)

Basil- one long row (8-16 plants) (S)

Beans- pole beans (Blue Lake or some other long bean) 1 longrows (DS)

Beets- 1 long row (DS)

Chard- 1 row (DS)

Lettuce- 2 rows Buttercrunch, 2 rows leaf (interplanted withBean and Peppers) (DS)

Spinach-2 rows (DS)

Cilantro- interplanted with other hot season veg. (N)

Peppers- bell (4), jalapeno (4) (N)

Arugula- 2 rows (DS)

Zucchini- 1 long row on a trellis (DS)

(DS)- direct sow, (S)- from seed,plant start, (N)- buy start from nursery

What did I forget???Herbs.

Thyme (S)

Basil (S) already mentioned: Purple Ruffles, Boxwood Basiland Genovese

Rosemary (N)

Lemon Balm (S)

Yarrow (S)

Italian Parsley and Cilantro (N)

December gardening: fresh cut christmas trees, etc

2011-12-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

A Foster's Holly, doing its berry thing

Did you think I had forgotten you, whoever you are out there that reads landscape/ garden blogs in December? No, I haven't forgotten anyone. Our sister company, Midwest Custom Pools, is having a website migration/ facelift (not in looks, but in function). And THAT is what this landscape designer does in the off season!
To get a handle on all the areas we work on, during the seasons, check out our website.

I spend a few Saturdays a month talking on the radio to Jeremy, the Brit, about gardening things. When American football season ends, we go back to a regular Saturday schedule. Here is his site! Recently I talked about this stuff:

December 15, 2011Saturday Radio time

Courtesy of Kansas City Wildlands

How to Keep YourFresh Christmas Tree Alive

Two items to have: a fresh cut on the bottom (within thelast ½ hour is best)

Hot, boiling water.

When you buy your tree, most places offer to saw the treebottom for you (this is its callous). ONLY DO THIS IF YOU WILL BE HOME withinan hour!! It is important that water be taken up directly into the xylem andphloem of the tree (its veins and arteries) and it will callous over in an houror less.These are sappy, sappy beasts, these trees. Really, the sap will just close up that fresh cut if you are not careful.

Upon getting home, immediately boil water and add it to thetree and bucket. Don’t dawdle and let it sit on your porch without water whileyou put up the stand, have lunch, etc. etc. etc. Keep hot to warm water in itfor the first 24 hours. The extremists among us have been known to get up at 3am and add hot water to the tree. Itreally extends the life and beauty of your tree. The tree will continue to take up lots ofwater in the first hour or three.

Never let it dry out. Make sure the water reservoir can holda gallon of water.

How to keep yourChristmas plants alive:

Poinsettia-like warm, not drafty area. Less water than most- only when dry! Mist leaves tohelp with indoor lack of humidity. The bloom is actually just colored leaves-very hard to get to rebloom next year! They will require darkness andhibernation.

Amaryllis-evenly moist, medium light. Bloom will last 6-8 weeks.

Cyclamen-cool area (front door is good), dry and north facing window. Moist soil butdeadhead. Plant will go dormant insummer (so decrease watering). As new growth starts in fall, resume watering.

November Garden

2011-11-21T09:08:00.001-08:00

Why clean tools??

If you clean after every use, you prevent diseases, fungi,insect larva, weed seeds from spreading around your garden. You also extend the lifespan when you removesoil after every use- soil encourages rust (through moisture) and will eat thesharp edge off of your tools! The sharper the edge of your spade, trowel, hoe, edger,the easier they cut. The easier they cut, the less muscle you have to put intothe project!

How do I clean them?

Hose off any tool that comes in contact with soil afterevery use. Use a garden hose set on maximum pressure or, with heavy clay soil,scrub with a bristle brush. DRY YOUR TOOLS- just like that nice sharp knife inyour kitchen!

For cutting tools with sharpened edges that don’t come incontact with soil (like loppers, clippers, axes, pruning shears, knives), wipethem down with a rough cotton cloth. The idea is to remove sap and gum from theblades. Use a little paint thinner on a cloth to remove really sticky stuff….Again, dry the tool after cleaning!

Prevent Future Damage

Steel tools are still susceptible to rust, even aftercleaning and drying. Note: the higher the grade of steel, the more vulnerableto rust. Use oil to repel dirt, dust and erosion. Interestingly, motor oil is touted as a greatinexpensive rust preventer! They say, mix motor oil and kerosene in a 2:1 ratio(two part oil to one part kerosene). Put it in a sprayer for easy use. [Pleasedispose of it as you would motor oil and store in a safe way, away from heatsources]
Sharpen Tools
Sharpening is a bit more complex, but shovels, axes, trowels and hoes are easily sharpened by hand. Get an 8" long mill file with a bastard cut (that's straight dudes, not curved). Mine cost $8.99 at the hardware store. Get one with a handle- you'll need it.

OMG- it's ma file! With a handle!

RULE OF FILE: Only draw the teeth one direction over theedge being filed. Sawing back and forth? Never. Ever.

Hold the tool to be sharpened in a vise or some otherbracing system, so you can use both hands. You must maintain the same angle tothe edge as you push the file across it.

To sharpen shears and knives, you need a vise and an oilstone. Like sharpening the good kitchen knife, go one direction and follow theinstructions that your oil stone comes with!

Hang Your Tools

Really, fancy systems to organize your tools aren’tnecessary, unless you want them! Use a two-by-four with 10-penny nails as yourholder. Put the business end of your tool down, so as not to hit yourself orsomething else when you take it down. With wooden handled tools, just drill a¼” hole in the handle of your tools (axes, rakes, shovels, etc.). Put a pieceof leather through the end and Voila!

Random questionsabout tree care in cold months:

Tree Bags? Try atree bag ( brand name Treegator) to help water correctly. It provides deep,root zone watering with no run off or evaporation. So if you choose to ignoremy directions about how to water, you can use this device! This is a goodsafety for newly planted trees and folks who have “brown thumbs”. Our opinionaround here: they should be one on every tree in every median, City of Lawrence.

Frank Male, our lovely production manager also reminds me ofthis: water every holiday through the winter. Water on Thanksgiving, Christmas,Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick ’s Day. This cold weather watering can reallyminimize winter damage and help trees survive and thrive in the spring.

Bark Wrap? Treesand shrubs can be damaged by sudden fluctuations of temperature (hello,Kansas!), prolonged periods of low temperature with no insulating snow andunexpected early/ late season cold snaps. Sun scald happens on the south,southwest side of an immature tree. It can heat up on a cold winter day,initiating cambial activity. (This means it starts to grow) Suddenly, thetemperature drops and it kills the tissue. This means a big old wound, deadplace and scar on your delicate new tree. Put commercial bark wrap on your tree to insulate and maintain a moreeven temperature. Paper or plastic work fine, as long as it’s put on in theearly fall and removed in spring. Trees with thin bark who need this specialattention: cherry, crabapple, honey locust, linden, maple, ash, plum.
Sincebark is much like skin, the wound can also heal. Take a sharp knife and cut outthe wound in the same shape. Wrap in future winters to prevent more damage. Dono dress the wound.

Look at the picture at right-- This is a downtown Lawrence tree (awesome lights!). Notice the bark wrap? Yup. But also, look at the stakes. It is really important to stake young trees. Most nursery men agree that stakes are very important for the first year. If you are planting a tree on a windy, exposed site, leave the stakes on two or three years. Please note that trees in their 2nd or 3rd year in the ground can really grow exponentially. Watch that any cables or ties are not cutting into the bark (cambium).

Winter Kill ofEvergreens

Winter sun and wind cause excessive transpiration (foliage water loss) while the roots are in frozen soil and unable to replace lost water. This results in desiccation and browning of the plant tissue.
Bright sunny days during the winter also cause warming of the tissue above ambient temperature which in turn initiates cellular activity. Then, when the sun is quickly shaded, foliage temperature drops to injurious levels and the foliage is injured or killed.
During bright, cold winter days, chlorophyll in the foliage is destroyed (photo-oxidized) and is not resynthesized when temperatures are below 28° F. This results in a bleaching of the foliage.
Cold temperatures early in the fall before plants have hardened off completely or late spring after new growth has occurred can result in injury or death of this nonacclimated tissue.

Foliar damage normally occurs on the south, southwest, andwindward sides of the plant, but in severe cases the whole plant may be affected.Yew, arborvitae, and hemlock are most susceptible, but winter browning canaffect all evergreens. New transplants or plants with succulent, late seasongrowth are particularly sensitive.

There are several ways to minimize winter injury toevergreens. The first is proper placement of evergreens in thelandscape. Yew, hemlock, and arborvitae should not be planted on south orsouthwest sides of buildings or in highly exposed (windy, sunny) places. A secondway to reduce damage is to prop pine boughs or Christmas tree greens against orover evergreens to protect them from wind and sun and to catch more snow fornatural protection.
(thanks university of minnesota extension for the great winter kill info)

Replacing a crumbling retaining wall...

2011-11-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

I get so many questions from homeowners who have crumbling, native limestone retaining walls. Usually we call this "the crumbling, yellow crap rock" (sorry about the technical jargon)! Many of these walls are about 20 years old and were constructed by the contractors who built the house. The rock was probably the ledge rock that was dug up from the excavation of the house site. The walls vary in size and scale, but usually the worst ones are large block- approximately 3' H and 6-8' W, 3-4' D. The blocks tend to be very large and the stone has gotten crumbly over the years, endangering the yard, perhaps a patio or a slope that was retained.

Some examples of the walls I'm talking about:

Wall #1

Wall #2

Wall #3

As you can see, these are various sizes and conditions. But they all pose issues. Many homeowners want the walls removed completely. We've found that this actually takes more labor and isn't as efficient. In all these cases above, we opted to remove as much rock as we could (without dislodging the retained soil above it or that FENCE in #2) and simply build in front of the wall. It may surprise people to know that the existing wall is almost totally covered up and the new wall can have a dramatically more pleasing shape. Here are some shots of these walls after they were "replaced" with wall block (Versa-lok in these cases):

Wall #1 replacement

Wall #2 replacement, view A

Wall #2 replacement, view b

Wall #3- see other walls in background

Let me say again: the crumbling limestone rock is still back there; pared down but still there!
Walls 2 and 3 are the same backyard/ homeowner. She had three deteriorating walls in her back yard and we replaced all of them. Derek, our supervisor on this job, does a great job of creating softly curving walls that are just beautiful to look at (as well as being very, very sturdy). Derek and his crew got under the porch with a power drill and chisel to chisel out some of the existing stone and get it down below grade so that the wall would totally cover up the old rock. On top of the lower two walls, we put soil and seeded. On the upper, with the fence, we added weed mat and river rock. This way she doesn't have to weed up there! She chose Versa-lok Flint Hills Tan as her color choice. The block is the most cost effective, sturdy, good looking type to use.

Now, this is a big investment for a homeowner. Here are some questions to ask your contractor: what type of block are your bidding out to use? Can I make changes to the block/ choose color and does that affect price? Are you putting in drain tile so that water can move through? (See the wall #2, view b)? What are you putting back on top (soil, grass seed, sod, rock, etc)? Is this figured in to the estimate? Have you included fixing the damage to the sod in the estimate/, and/or any changes to the sprinklers that might be needed? (This is so important to ask!) As with all walls, there is a fair amount of gravel that is put underneath and behind the wall to stabilize it and allow freeze/thaw and water to move through. You might double check that the contractor is including this! Any reputable company will. But you want to weed out the fly by night characters!! Call us if you have any questions.

deer resistant?

2011-10-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hmmm. It's more honest than saying "deer proof"! Deer are crazy- let me say that first. If they are hungry, nothing in your yard is safe! In normal years, when food is available, many deer won't stray into your yard. On the other hand, if you live in a housing development that has lured you in because of its natural setting, you are in THEIR yard. So, we have to make peace somehow.

As a designer, I am a realist. If you live in a highly populated deer area, do not plant hostas and then complain when they get eaten again and again! There are lots of plants that are just not as appetizing to deer and are great landscape plants. Let's talk about them!

A great landscape starts with great structure. That means trees and shrubs. Here are some trees I like for our Midwestern Kansas landscapes:

-American Holly Tree (like a Foster's Holly)- Ilex opaca is best but not as beautiful as a Foster's Holly.

Black Gum in full color

-Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)

-Birches- River birch, etc

-Buckeye (Aeschelus paviflora)

Black Gum

-Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)- Under utilized, gorgeous native.

-Dogwood- Kousa, Red Osier (shrub red twig dogwood)

-Hawthorn

-Sweetbay Magnolia- Another multi-stemmed tree for semi-shady spots, loves wet too.

-Pines

-Spruce: White, Colorado Blue, Norway

-Sweet Gum

-Sycamore

-Tulip Tree (Liriodendron)- largest native tree, can reach 70' and up!

--Witch Hazel- Under utilized! 12-15' multi-stemmed, loves shady spots, blooms in February/ March.

Trees that I've marked as under utilized means they are hardy, gorgeous and unique. Many are woodland natives. They add something special to the landscape- it's like the girl who has the perfect hair and perfect outfit. You can't quite figure out why she looks so good and like she's not even trying! Well, that's what these plants do: they look natural, yet are interesting, unique and rich looking.


Beautybush

Shrubs:

-Beautybush- Under utilized! Can grow to 8' H x W. Arching and lovely.

-Barberry- over utilized but useful.

-Boxwood

-Butterfly Bush

-Forsythia


Fothergilla

-Fothergilla- under utilized and my favorite!

-Grape Holly (Mahonia)- Also under utilized around here.

-Holly (Blue Holly and Inkberry Holly)

-Juniper (Blue and Green)

-Leucothoe- under utilized, shade loving. watery rich sites. Shiny leaves and is actually EVERGREEN. Uh huh.

Leucothoe

-Lilac- the common variety has more deer resistance.

-Nandina- oh the lovely Firepower! 2' H x W

Nandina

-Pyracantha- oh the color, oh the thorns.

A rule of thumb for deer and rabbits: they don't like thorns or especially fragrant plants (essential oils, etc). Also, please don't yell at me when these don't work and get chomped. What works for one may not work for others. It is worth a try!

Bulbs....

2011-10-14T06:45:00.001-07:00

Bulbs!!

Why Bulbs?

Lots of bang for your buck- or lots of return for not muchinitial investment. They are fairly cheap- the more expensive bulbs can run you$12 for three. Commonly you can buy 50 bulbs for $30! You plant in the fall,when the weather begins to cool AND the ground is cool. And they return everyyear, in the spring when most other garden flowers are still asleep. Bulbs areunfussy (when you choose hardy ones)!

How do I make them look, uh, good/ right or natural?

Naturalize! In gardening, naturalizing often refers to an informal-looking,unplanned plantings of bulbs. Naturalized areas will flourish when planted withself-propagating and spreading bulb species (like crocus, daffodil, grapehyacinths, snowdrops, Glory-of-the-Snow, squill)- choose varieties that will spreadfreely in fields, meadows, lawns, and along wooded paths. Choose varieties thatrequire little to no care after planting time! YES. (Not tulips, folks.)

Plant under established trees to achieve an effortless“meadow” look! In time, these plantings will redesign themselves, rearrangingthemselves into a natural, native pattern with nearly no effort on thegardener’s part!

Plant large quantities- not just three or four, think 10 or25.

Choose varieties that will make you happy (obviously) butkeep in mind bloom time- think early, middle, late and make sure you plantvarieties that bloom in each period. I simply let the package description guideme- approximate size, early-middle-late bloom time and color. (Also- choosevarieties that

How do I actually plant them??

One- get a bulb planting tool. This makes planting en masse mucheasier. Lots of people use regular hand trowel/ spades. Not me! I have my handydandy old-lady cone shaped, tin can planter!

Two- out line your planting area (I use marking paint, lotsof people use hoses). Choose areas that are not boggy and are not in deep,evergreen shade. Early spring tree shade (from deciduous trees) is usuallypretty light- trees will not have leaved out yet. Make a natural, roundedshape- I always design beds with soft serpentine curves to mimic natural shapesand also make mowing and edging easier. Keep shapes minimal (not too manycurves here).

Three- scatter bulbs (a mixture of sizes, varieties andbloom times) around areas. Adjust your spacing to reflect the size of thebloom. Check out the chart and make sure the bulbs are spaced far enough awayfrom each other! Largest bulb/ blooms will be your focus, so plant those firstand put all the other small bulbs around them. Put a few outside your plantingarea to make it seem really informal!

Four- kneepads and digging tool time! Make sure you payattention to the size of the bulb. This tells you (as does the packaging) how deep to plant the bulb. 3 times the height of the bulb- rule of thumb. (littlebitty 1” grape hyacinths are planted 3” below the surface) Leaves holes open,as you will be adding fertilizer and compost on top. Choose Bulb Fertilizer orhigh phosphorus fertilizer as it won’t leach into soil and is available to thebulb roots. Always plant bulbs with the tip up! This is where the stem comesfrom; don’t injure it when you are putting your soil back on top.

I like Bulb Tone- a natural fertilizer (not synthetic) thathas some bone meal and blood meal BUT includes alfalfa meal and seaweed. Seemsto help enrich the clay soil….

My choices for cool naturalizing bulbs:

Chionodoxa

Drumstick Allium

Fritillaria


Galanthus

Daffodil, Narcissus, Jonquil

Grape Hyacinth

But I love Tulips? What to do? They keeps petering out….

Tulips take more work in Kansas… we have tough clay soil. Itis rich with nutrients but it’s all bound up in the clay! So to get asuccessful tulip stand started you just have to turn over and amend the entirebed. Mark it out, turn it over (tilling usually) then work in great compost.This needs to be the rich stuff- it can include manure but Choice Compost,Cotton Burr work best. They include alfalfa meal, hay meal and the like. Idon’t usually use peat moss but you can… this adds more acid, at leasttemporarily, to the soil.

In other news:

October 15, 2011 Tree Farm Grand Opening/ Field Day

Kid friendly, family time: pumpkin painting, trebuchet.Lunch in our kitchen!

50% off all container stock, in stock cash/carry, nowarranty.

25% off crabapples and pear trees. Limited stock of redmaples!

8 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Pool Closing time... MWCP!

2011-09-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

PoolClosings

It's thattime of year again, when we all start thinking about pool closings. Onequestion you might ask yourself is do I need to close my pool or spa down? Thisis answered by another question: are you planning on heating your pool or spafor the the season? If you are planning on heating your pool and or spa then, no, you don't need a closing. If your not, then you do need a closing.

What isinvolved in a pool closing?

There are a lot of steps involved with a poolclosing. First you need to drain to pool down past the lowest plumbing line inthe pool, usually the return lines.

Then you need to blow the lines out with anair blower, a shopvac will not work don't try it.

After lines are blown out,antifreeze will need blown through all of the lines.

Then all lines will needto be plugged, and all equipment needs to have all plugs removed.

You may beasking how do you winterize the main drain lines? You just blow air through theline, and then air lock it by closing the valve while the air is still on.Don't worry, there is enough water in the bottom of the pool to keep it fromfreezing. Chemicals will be placed in remaining water to help make it easier toopen in the spring time.

If you have a spa all these steps will need to be doneon it as well. One thing that you have to remember is that all lines must haveall water removed from them or there can be a possible freeze break. Also onegood rule of thumb is blow antifreeze in the lines and when you see a fainthint of it coming out you have enough in the lines. This is also good if you donot know how the plumbing was run.

Finally, you want to install the cover on the pool and spa. And remember toset up the cover pump if applicable.

Pool closingcan be a overwhelming task and is usually best left to a pool professional. Itcan also take specialized equipment to winterize your pool. Also remember thatmost of the pool equipment have plugs in them. Heaters like to have hiddenones, so pay close attention to them. And if you don't close your pool properly,you may damage your pool. This can be a very expensive repair for you if a linebreaks. Ask a pool professional to close your pool.

Midwest Custom Pools is notresponsible if you close you pool on your own! This is simply information on what to expect your pool professional to do during the close.

Chamber After Hours- Wed 9/28

2011-09-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

Come visit us at the Tree Farm tomorrow night (Wednesday, September 28th) from 5-7 pm. Burgers, drinks (both beer flavored and cider flavored), ride the rides (the mini-excavator) and use the medieval battle thing (trebuchet)!! It'll be fun. It's a debut of our outdoor kitchen and a chance to wander among our trees. See you there!

The time to plant trees....

2011-09-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

More from Mike at the tree farm:
Ooops....due to all of our expansion, I lost quite a bit of production area and have over 400 five gallon trees to line out this fall. These trees are NOT "plant it and forget it" kind of trees. These are much younger, smaller trees that will need annual pruning for 3-4 years in order to develop a strong leader and dense canopy. They may even need a stake to keep them straight. Don't worry though.... we have care sheets available. And if you have questions, you can call or stop by the farm! Varieties include:
-Bald Cypress
-Crabapples:
Royal Gem, Royal Raindrops, Sargentina, Sargent, Spring Snow
-Maples:
Autumn Fantasy, October Glory, Oregon Trail Sugar, Red Sunset
-Swamp White Oak
-Cleveland Select Oak

Notes from Laurel, the designer: A great way to use these little trees is on large acreage. If you've been waiting to plant that windbreak but need to save money, this is the ticket. As Mike says, you must be willing to do the work to get a well formed tree! But at $30 a pop, these are a bargain. So think mass planting (like a north windbreak) OR do something dramatic and think English country manor and plant "pleached" trees on the front of your property. That is a fancy word to describe trees that have been pruned up to create an open area at the bottom but the upper branches grow together to provide privacy on top. It still feels airy but offers a green privacy fence! (doesn't work for the dogs of course :)) Pleaching has a long and labor-intensive history, but you can do an American version by planting these young trees, with stakes together to form a barrier. Ask us if you have questions!

Narrow Trees- from the Tree Farm

2011-08-23T05:12:00.000-07:00

Need shade for a narrow area? We have the solution! Choose a tree with a narrow canopy- this will allow cars, people, etc to move underneath with very little issue. From a design standpoint, these narrow trees also provide a privacy block, while still allowing light and air to move through. Imagine blocking that harsh 5 o'clock sun into your house with a row of narrow, upright trees?

photo courtesy of oregonstate.edu

-Armstrong Maple is a fast growing tree that will reach 45' tall with a spread of only 15'. Fall color varies from yellow to orange-red. This is one tough, durable tree- often chosen as a street tree where space demands a tree that doesn't spread!

-Cleveland Select Pear is also a tall, narrow tree that is a fast grower! This tree will grow to 40' tall with a spread of 15' as well. The canopy is very dense so not only does it provide shade, but it can also be used for screening. It starts spring awash in white blossoms followed by dark green glossy leaves in teh summer that turn purplish red in the fall. These trees do not break apart as often as the Bradford Pear. I have a row planted on the north end of the pond, and in 5 years, they have yet to lose a branch!

-Musashino Zelkova is a very narrow, upright, vase-shaped tree that will reach 45' H and 15' W. The leaves are a medium green color which turn yellow in the fall. It a has a delicate, lacy canopy compared to the other two trees. We will be digging a limited number of these this fall, so you can handpick from the field! Here is a Schmidt pdf about this rarely seen, very useful tree!

Japanese Maples

2011-08-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

Many people long for just the right spot to plant a Japanese Maple. Before you rush out and buy one, there are a few things to know about the knockout.
Most Japanese Maples are burgundy but not all. Many are green (Virdis) or have green leaves, red stems (Coralbark). Most turn amazing fall colors: orange, gold, yellow, scarlet, plum, etc. As well, there are two distinct classes: acer palmatum (regular shaped maple leaves) and acer dissectum (laceleaf or a smaller, more divided leaf). Usually the laceleaf varieties stay a bit smaller.
Japanese Maples, while really maples, behave more like a Hydrangea or another shade loving tree. They are a great focal point near your house, due to their smaller scale and lovely detail, but they require at least partial shade everyday. Morning sun and afternoon shade is a perfect setup for these beauties! Protection from the elements is essential as well. Early spring frosts and winds from the south can really hurt these trees but plant them close to the house, in a protected noon and you'll be pleased at the results.

Mike at the tree farm has this to say:

Image courtesy of Bucholz Nursery

Bloodgood is the standard of the purple leaved tree form Japanese Maples. They will eventually grow to be 18' high and wide. The foliage comes out reddish purple and hold the color well until a heat wave hits! The color will then get a bit more green but go back to red as soon as the cool weather comes back.
Emperor I is very similar to the Bloodgood in shape, height and width. However, it holds its color better in hot weather and leaves out a bit later than the Bloodgood. Thus avoiding those late freezes that can kill a tender Japanese Maple.
Tameukeyama is one of the best weeping lace-leaf varieties for our area. The leaves hold their deep purple color through the heat. They stay small, usually hitting 8' H x 12' W at maturity.

Mike's Site Selection advice: Drainage is key to the happiness of these trees. They don't like wet feet so make sure water doesn't stand in the area you've chosen. When you plant your tree, make sure the root ball is2-3" above grade. (In other words, find the root flare- where the trunk connects to the root- and don't bury that). Slope the soil up to the root ball- this way water will not pool around the plant and you won't be burying your tree in mulch. Always keep in mind the final mature size (especially with Bloodgoods and that type)- you cannot prune these forever and keep them 6' tall. They want to grow- plant them where their mature size will be an asset!

Here is a cool site that explains about finding the root flare! Also, if you love to look at the ever-expanding world of Japanese Maples, go to the Bucholz Nursery library online.

News from the tree farm... We're in maintenance mode now!

2011-08-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

The combination of hot days and warm nights really doesn't allow plants any time to recover from the scorching heat. We are attempting to put out the fires (metaphorically) by running the field irrigation (even on trees that have been in the ground for 3 years)!
Mike says: "Don't forget about the trees in your yard. Even if you have an irrigation system, it is not enough water! Larger trees may not show any signs of stress until next year." Check the soil around your trees and shrubs by putting your finger or a rod into the ground about 1 1/2" down. If it is dry, give it a long slow drink- this means 30 minutes to 1 hour on drip directly to the root system of the tree. (The larger the tree, the longer you water. 30 minutes is good for most shrubs.)

Pink Velour Crape Myrtle, loving the heat. That makes one of us.

On the positive side, this heat is really making the crape myrtles happy! We carry Tonto (deep red) and Pink Velour. They love the heat! Keep an eye out around town for neighborhood crape myrtles.

Need a cool splash in your yard? Try a water feature!

2011-07-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

Pondless waterfalls are the latest design trend in low maintenance water features. Their appeal is having the visual and audible benefit of a water feature without the laborious maintenance of a pool that attracts algae, wildlife, and insects. A pondless water feature also has the benefit of allowing small children and pets to interact with the water without the fear of falling into an open pool.

The key component of the pondless water feature is to have the pump draw its water from an underground cistern-style reservoir, rather than an open air pond. The water that runs down the fall percolates through layers of decorative rock where it is drawn into the pump.

At Lawrence Landscape, we have taken the pondless water feature design to the next level by incorporating them into retaining walls. By doing this, we now provide our clients with all the benefits of running water while minimizing the required space that many natural stream bed designs require. The other challenge with natural stream beds is that most look like volcanoes that all of a sudden appear in the corner of someone’s back yard. With our approach, the water feature co-exists with a natural retaining wall that is needed to define the outdoor space or create a screen of nearby structures.

We have also developed our mechanical system to utilize tried and true off-the shelf components, while keeping them completely out of site. This has greatly reduced the need for follow-up repairs and replacements.

To continue pushing the design envelope, we have started design drawings that will allow clients to have fire and water features in outdoor living spaces that have restricted space for traditional methods.

Bagworms!! It could happen to you...

2011-07-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

If you don’t have them know, then there is a good chance that you’ve seen them before. It is the worm that lives in a sack. It seems to eat just about anything. It looks like an ugly, brown Christmas tree ornament. It is the infamous bagworm.

In mid-May, the bags start to become visible. This is when the tiny worms begin to feed. As the worm grows, so does the bag. Feeding will usually cease in mid-August. Even after feeding has finished, bags likely will remain on the host plant.

Bagworms are most commonly known for attacking cedar and junipers. However this pest has shown to not be a picky eater. Over the past few years, I have seen them attached to sycamores, locust, river birch, maple, white pines, oak, cotoneaster, spruce, roses, ornamental grasses, and pears to name few. It is easy to see that a large portion of your landscape may be at risk. Evergreens should be monitored more often, as they have a tougher time recovering from severe injury.

Controlling bagworms can be as simple as plucking a couple bags or may entail hiring a professional for those hard to reach spaces. Either way it is important thorough control is achieved as missing one bag could lead to a thousand more the next year. Lawrence Landscape does indeed offer spraying services.

Midwest Custom Pools: Pool Filters

2011-07-22T05:47:00.000-07:00

Pool Filters

There are three different types of pool filters out there. The three main types are sand filters, D.E. filters (Diatomaceous Earth), and cartridge filters. All three have their pros and cons, and we will discuss these things to make sure you are well informed about all the choices. You will find that the bigger the filter the better, but there will be additional cost the bigger you go.

First, D.E. filters: D.E. filters can and will clean your pool the best out of all the filters available on the market (although cartridge filters are catching up with them). They are rarely used today because of the very high maintenance involved with them. You have big grids inside the filter that have to be taken out and washed. D.E. is white and very messy as well. It also gets caked on the side of the grids and is very hard to get off. You have to recharge the filter with D.E. every time you backwash through the skimmer. Speaking of backwashing: this, I feel, is the downfall of both D.E. and sand filters. When you backwash, you loose both your pool water and pool chemicals. This would not be my choice of filter because of the high maintenance involved.

Next on our filter list is sand filters. Sand filters are great for us service guys because they are very easy to clean, and the sand hardly ever needs to be changed. They are also easy for the homeowner to operate as well. Now to the cons of a sand filter, they waste water and chemicals because they have to be backwashed. They also are the worst out of the three filters as far as cleaning goes. They are also the biggest type of filter and take up a lot of room. I would take this filter over a D.E. filter as they are very easy to operate and pretty low maintenance, lower then the other two.

Last on the list is the cartridge filter. In my opinion, the best choice around. The good thing about them is they are small but have a large cleaning area. They usually need to be cleaned once a year, depending on how much stuff accumulates in the pool. They clean almost as good as a D.E. filter, and when they need to be cleaned they are very easy. They also don't have to be backwashed, so you are not throwing money down the drain. And they have a small footprint on the equipment pad. Now to the bad, they do have to have to be replaced for time to time, but this is a very easy process.

The good news is that all of the three filter options are about the same price. So price should not be a factor when choosing your filter!

I hope you can use this to select the best filter for you. Remember the bigger the filter the better. It also cuts down on how often you have to clean it. D.E. will clean the water the best but is a maintenance nightmare. Sand filters are very easy to clean and operate. Cartridge filters are the best of both worlds and they don't have to be backwashed, so you are not wasting money.

Visit our website for more information! Or give me a call: Bryan Handy, 785- 423-5868

What's new at the Lawrence Landscape Tree Farm?

2011-07-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

The Tree Farm

We've been busy this winter and spring building a paver patio, retaining walls and a stone paver display area. As luck would have it, it turned into a...

-Patio with a gazebo/ pergola for shade
- An outdoor kitchen with a poured concrete countertop (perfect for entertaining)
-An outdoor fireplace to take the chill out of spring and fall evenings
-A double sided pond-less water feature to take the stress away
-And a masonry fire ring- just we could!

Stop by and take a look for yourself- Monday- Friday 7-5.

Got some tree issues- leaf spot, caterpillars, webworms, blight? Mike is our nurseryman and tree farm impresario! He has been in the nursery business for 32 years and can diagnose your issues. Bring a sample to the tree farm and he'll be happy to take a look, diagnose the issue and give you some ideas to help fix it! Mike can also show you around if you like-- just give him a call 785.423.5861 or simply show up.

Here are the newest photos from the farm.... a beauty to behold in this heat!

Retaining Walls: Why? How?

2011-07-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the most common complaints we hear is about soil eroding, steep hills untouched by lawnmowers and general yard chaos that could be fixed by a gorgeous retaining wall. In the bad old days, most retaining walls were made of "railroad ties", really landscape timbers. Since it's not the old days, there are now rules regarding the chemicals that are used to treat those landscape timbers. That equals more expensive. The best and most solid (and time-tested) solution to retaining walls is the modular block retaining wall.

Modular block, or segmental, retaining walls employ interlocking concrete units that tie-back into the earth to efficiently resist loads. These pre-engineered modular systems are an attractive, economical, and durable alternative to stone or poured concrete retaining walls. The inherent design flexibility can accommodate a wide variety of site constraints, project sizes, and aesthetic preferences.

Individual, usually identical, precast concrete units either interlock, offset stack, or are placed structurally independent of each other and anchored into the backfill. The components of a complete system can include foundation soil; leveling pad; precast concrete units of high-strength concrete; shear pins if units don't interlock; multiple-depth walls or additional soil reinforcement such as geotextile, welded wire fabric, or dead-man anchors if the wall is over a certain height; retained soil; and drainage fill. The soil reinforcement consists of horizontal layers that extend into the backfill.

Being gravity structures, these systems rely on their own weight and mass to resist overturn and sliding forces. The segmental nature affords the wall a permeability to relieve pressure, so less material is required for resistance. Because they are considered flexible structures, the footings usually need not reach the frost line. Some systems allow for landscaping of the wall between tiers (depending on site conditions), while others are designed as structural frames to be covered with landscaping.

Installation

These systems usually require less excavation than poured-in-place walls, and on-site soils can often be used. They require no heavy equipment, mortar or formwork, and usually can be constructed by hand. This affords flexibility in construction scheduling. Proper backfilling and grading for base tier is fairly critical. These systems can also be overlaid onto existing older retaining walls.

Benefits/Costs

These systems allow for some design flexibility, such as curved walls, and construction is generally faster than poured-in-place concrete or stone walls. Site conditions have a major impact on costs. Installed costs are usually less than poured-in-place and especially stone walls. Controlled manufacturing conditions ensure a durable, damage-resistant product. Maintenance is negligible as there is no mortar to repoint, and the flexible systems generally eliminate cracking.

Information from NAHB Research Center at TOOLBASE.ORG

Blog by Laurel- Summer lovin' plants!

2011-07-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

This 100 degree weather can make it hard to enjoy your garden or outdoor landscaping. However, I wanted to give you some inspiration- there are plants out there that flourish in the heat! This heat wave will pass and soon, we'll be back to sitting on our porch or patio, enjoying the view....
Here are some great summer blooming plants. While I don't suggest you create your landscape around these blooming beauties, I do love to include some in the landscapes I design. They add softness, color, texture and just all around summer splendor!
Daylilies- who doesn't love these? They are teflon- easy to grow in shade, hard to kill, rabbits won't eat them (much), they bloom in the dead of summer and keep blooming. Oh, and they aren't susceptible to pests! How great is that? They range in size from tiny to over 3' tall. The colors??? Just look:

I love this creamy color!

Next great heat-loving summer lover- the Hydrangea. Now, you may not think of hydrangea as a heat lover. But it only blooms in summer, won't put on blooms until it gets warm (cool summers postpone its bloom development) and blooms it's heart out all summer. Granted, they require SHADE. Different hydrangeas require different amounts but it's always safe to provide morning sun and afternoon shade. Most do very well with enriched soil (r.e. lots of compost, every year, forever) and adequate, regular deep watering.
Hydrangeas are also a fairly good structural element in your landscape design. They are deciduous (in winter they become a pile of sticks), so they won't be green all year. But they can be large and form a hedge of sorts! Choose Hydragea paniculata (Pinky Winky, Pee Gee, etc.), Hyd. tardiva, Hyd. quercifolia (Oakleaf), Hydrangea arborescens (Limelight, Annabelle, etc)- all of these are the bigger specimens. The Endless Summer are the old fashioned beauties that turn blue/ pink depending on soil acidity. They stay small.

These are both the Limelight Hydrangea- 6'+ H and gorgeous lime green to white blooms.

Next post will have a few more wonderful summer plants: Roses and ornamental grasses!

Annuals season too!

2011-06-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Although the season to BUY annual flowers is closing down (yep, buy them from March-June), it is totally time to enjoy them!!
I wanted to share some pictures of combo pots we've designed and installed at customers' houses.

One of the tips to successful combo pots is to always make seasonal pots. Don't try to create one pot for the entire spring and summer. Most successful pots will have a spring, cool season look- like pansies, lobelia, snapdragons, ornamental kales/cabbages and traditional petunias. Replace those with warm season bloomers in May or June- supertunias, coleus, sweet potato vines, tropical flowers (like canna and papyrus), angelonia, herbs, etc. For fall, pick up mums, grasses and back to cool season plants.

Canna, angelonia, sweet potato vine

Look at the combo of begonia and purple Supertunias!

King Tut papyrus, sweet potato vine and bordeaux Supertunias!

It's pool season... if you haven't noticed!

2011-06-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

In reference to the last post, this is our team spraying concrete into a pool form. It is a Raintree Montessori school, here in Lawrence KS. If you have questions, feel free to visit the Midwest Custom Pool site. Or call Lawrence Landscape- we'll get you pointed in the right direction!

May 26, 2011

2011-06-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hydraulic concrete pump shooting out a pool liner. Check this out on YouTube!
This is at Raintree Montessori in Lawrence KS. Very exciting stuff....

The boxwood leaf miner!!

2011-05-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd start off with a little "ewwww" factor. This is about the Boxwood Leafminer. We believed that boxwoods were almost pest-free, even pest resitant. Well, this last week, I discovered at a client's house that all of her 15 boxwood were infested. !! This pest isn't unheard of in our area but is fairly rare. As far as I can see, the hort department at KSU doesn't have a common pests post on it. (That's saying something)
This image is from the Clemson Extension website. It has detailed information on the Leafminer, as well as how to handle it. I believe that a systemic insecticide would be adequate at this time of year BUT if you don't identify that you have it, your bush is a goner!
How to figure it out: are your Boxwoods yellowing? Looks like winterkill? Instead of assuming it is, look for the following signs: chlorotic leaves. Means you can see the veins in the leaf and they are yellowing in the margins. Engorged or puffed up leaves... this is the wriggly larvae inside!! Also look for clouds of flying insects around your affected boxwood. These are the adults, hatched out.
Don't despair... boxwood are still an awesome shrub for the home garden. They even withstand the ever-present walnut tree! They are a wonderful shrub that tolerates low-light to full sun levels, deals with clay soil well, has few pests and is hardy in our temperatures!
If you think your boxwood or any other shrub looks sickly, don't wait. Give us a call and we will come help you diagnose your plants!

Landscaping Projects

2011-04-22T08:49:00.001-07:00

Apr 22, 2011

Our first Pool Blog!!

2011-04-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

[As a preface, this was written by our pool guru Bryan Handy. Have questions on your pool, want a pool? Give him a call: 785.423.5868}

Why salt?
I get asked this question a lot: Is a salt pool better than a chlorine pool? Well, let's try and answer that question.

Chlorine comes from one of the most abundant sources in the world, salt or sodium chloride. But we all know that chlorine is not good for us. The Germans even used it as a weapon in World War I. Chlorine is one of the most produced chemicals in the world and can be found almost everywhere. It's found all around your pool too, not only used as a disinfectant for your pool but also found in your pool plumbing PVC (poly vinyl chloride). [**Also, you never want to mix chlorine and pool acid (muriatic acid) as it makes a very dangerous gas.] With that being said, chlorine does a very good job. But if I had a choice between a chemical that can be potentially dangerous and one that has no danger at all, I know which one I would choose for my pool. It would be salt.

Now, you ask, how does a salt system work? It takes sodium chloride (salt), and electrically modifies it to a chlorine gas. Is it just producing chlorine anyway? Yes, but in a more controlled environment and there is no more handling chlorine. Also, it is produced in a smaller quantity. So the exposure to the chlorine is much less and more to the saltwater, which is better for your body and clothes. Yes, chlorine is bleach and will fade your swim suit. You will also find that your chemical cost will go down as salt only leaves the water due to splash out, backwash and draining/ filling your pool. A bag of salt cost anywhere from $6.00 to $8.00 dollars, where a bucket of chlorine tabs can cost anywhere from $22.00 to $150.00 dollars. So, even if you have to add 2 bags of salt through the year, you're still ahead on cost. I would rather have a bag of salt sitting in my garage or equipment room then a bucket of chlorine.

Salt systems are also very easy to install on any system. They even have them now that require a small hole drilled in a pipe and a outlet to plug it into. So installation is very simple but I suggest having a pool professional do the install for you.
It will take a lot of salt when you install a salt system. The salt in the water will taste about the same as a tear drop, so it is not very strong. There is a myth about salt that it's maintenance free; this is not the case. Nothing about a pool is maintenance free so don't get caught up in that myth! Salt systems do cut down on the maintenance but you still have to check your chemicals every week. You also have to clean the salt cell once a month or when the salt system asks for it to be done. This is not a feature on all salt systems. Ask your pool professional for assistance on this if you have never attempted it. It will involve taking the salt system off and using a muriatic acid solution to clean the blades. They get a build up on them, even the so called "self cleaning" ones still need to be cleaned, but not as often.

So to wrap up- why salt? Well, it is healthier for you and your body, you don't have to
handle a potentially dangerous chemical, and you will save money in the long run. As an added benefit, your water will have a different sparkle to it. A salt system is a great addition to any pool above ground and in ground.

Tree Farm progress

2011-04-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

The fire pit, nearing completion. The vista, as is.

So, every day we make more progress at the tree farm. You might wonder (if you're late to the conversation), what is the point of the tree farm (duh, besides growing trees)? Our point is this: we are becoming a retail source for trees! If you have questions on tree care, give Mike a call. If you need a tree replacement or just want to browse, drive in. We are located in the Wakarusa Valley- it is truly a special place. A simple creek/ river valley with an amazing vista.... It has naturally dense clay soil, as do most of our yards around here. That is one of the wonderful parts about buying a tree from a local grower- this tree is already successfully acclimated to our soil! No transplant shock (a little, but much less than if you plant a tree directly from Oregon), roots established in native soil!


Royal Raindrops Crabapple, budding out.

Our long range plan is take our design clients to the farm, so they can see and feel samples of stone, shrubs, flowers and trees. They can see how their designs will look and get an idea of the level of our craftsmen. Visit our website for hours of the tree farm and the location. Also, Mike has a (mostly) complete list of trees available on our website as well. You can start to make a wish list and then come in to consult any of us on the wisdom of your choices! (ha ha) I can't say this enough but we have bulk mulch, compost, rock for sale to the public. You can have us deliver or you can pick it up yourself (for smaller amounts). It is fairly economical- check the site for prices as well!
Enjoy this spring! The redbuds are about to burst...

The sticky subject of weed mat...

2011-03-31T05:39:00.000-07:00

(Another post by Glen...)

Controlling weeds has been a problem since the Garden of Eden… About 25-30 years ago, many years after the days of Adam and Eve, weed barrier fabric was introduced to the landscape market. It was, of course, billed as the “solve all” for all weed problems in planting beds. This new weed barrier fabric had the distinct advantage of allowing the water to actually get to the plant roots while stopping most weeds from coming up. At the time, the main material used in planting beds was some form of gravel, lava rock, or big chunks of pine bark placed on top of a layer of black plastic. Therefore, this weed fabric was a much needed improvement over the black plastic that was the industry standard. The black plastic seemed to work very well but it got holes in it when you walked on the gravel and the weeds always found the holes. Also, this black plastic was not then and is not now suitable for planting! The new fabric was really a very good product and still works very well under gravel, lava rock and such materials.
Then came the guy that invented the use of wood mulch, rumor has it he was related to the guy who started bottling water and selling it for the same price as sodas. Not sure who this guy was, but before about 25 years ago all the bark that was stripped off of logs during processing was a waste product and was pretty much wasted! Suddenly, this mulch product started taking over the market for planting beds. It was cheap, good for the plants and soil; and for the landscaper, it became “reoccurring revenue”. (You are supposed to refresh, replace your mulch every year or so)
Landscaper bright idea: This new “weed barrier fabric” would be great to put under mulch, would control the weeds and life will be great… wrong! After about a year or two we realized that the weeds were actually growing on top of the weed barrier fabric! The properties that made the mulch good for the plants, mainly that it decomposed and improved the soil, also provided the perfect “potting soil” for weed seed to germinate. The mulch that did not blow away, exposing the weed barrier fabric, turned into the organic matter but never really got down to the soil to help the plants. So we still use weed barrier fabric; in fact, do not put gravel down without it. But do not use it under mulch! We typically use a pre-emergent herbicide when we use mulch. Put it down every season, and then spray the weeds when they are small enough to “melt” away. After you break the cycle of the weeds reseeding themselves (and control the weeds in the lawn), the mulch works very well without the weed barrier fabric.

Common Landscape Questions.... Edging

2011-03-25T05:38:00.000-07:00

We're going to be answering some questions we get everyday- hopefully providing answers for you. Ask us, either on the blog or Facebook, if you have questions we haven't touch upon!

Edging

What is a good kind of landscape edging?

If you could invent the perfect landscape edging you would probably never have to work again.

Natural Edging: This is where the edge between the turf and planting bed is cut down 3-4” and then tapered back into the planting area. This creates a pocket to hold the mulch in the bed.

Works great but needs to be maintained by trimming with a string trimmer and really should be re-cut with a shovel when ever mulch is added to maintain the “pocket” as well as keeping a clean edge and neat transition between the turf and planting bed.

Plastic edging: This is commonly the 4” black plastic edge with the ¾” black tube showing between the turf and planting bed.. It has a nice clean look when installed properly but, as is common with most edging, it will tend to “frost heave” during the freeze-thaw cycles (common in the Kansas weathers), then get hit by the mowers. If it does frost heave, you are stuck with pulling up all the edging and re-digging it. If you don’t, it will become mower bait.

Most of the problems with plastic edging are due to installation problems and purchasing the wrong product. Don’t purchase plastic edging that has been rolled up so it is easier to ship from

China! Y

ou will never get it into the “sexy curves” you need to make it look great; instead it will look wavy and really quite bad. Installation is also a problem. The plastic tubing should be the only thing you see after installation. You should not see any of the ”vertical web” of the edging. You should be able to run the edge of the mower along it without risking damage to the edging. It is edging- not a mulch retainer! The ability to retain the mulch should come from the “pocket” created… see Natural edging above. The other key that seems to help with the “frost heave” is to drive the edging stakes (...yes you should have steel edging stakes… and no they probably did not come with that “roll of edging”) These stakes should not be driven vertically thru the lip at the bottom edge of the edging. We have found that if you drive these stakes into the vertical web of the edging and drive them horizontally it will help with the frost heave problem (noone will propbably tell you that in the directions but it is true). Not sure how a piece of black plastic really fits into the “natural landscape” but some people like the look…

Steel edging: Typically made of 1/8”-1/4” x4” strap iron; usually green with pre punched stake pocket. You can also get aluminum. Has some of the same problems with “frost heave” but is generally easier to get back in the ground as you can pick muddy day and walk along and tap it back down with a sledge hammer or tamper. It does make a nice clean edge, nice sexy curves, and you really don’t see it as it is only 1/8" to 1/4" thick. It does have a disadvantage over plastic is that it does not bend vertically very well, in fact it does not bend vertically at all! So if you are trying to run it thru a uneven area it does not work very well for obvious reasons. It can be kind of dangerous in “kid” areas, as it does not have any give if anyone should fall on it. I have also heard of dogs cutting the web of their feet on it. I like it in many situations… but again, not a perfect solution for everywhere.

Stone edge: I love the way it looks, but it is more expensive, needs to be string trimmed and it also moves around with the frost. But since it is natural, it still looks good with very little adjustment. This type of edging has some advantages as it does have some ability to retain mulch depending upon how large the stone is. Takes more labor to install since it needs to be dug in, not just laid on top of the ground. Key here is to spend the money on stone that is cut or split for edging. Good long term choice, and good long term investment. Consider it like buying a fine antique.. it is real and very old!

Brick edge: Good formal look, can be laid on edge in a saw-tooth pattern or laid flat so you can mow over the top. You will get grass coming up in the cracks, so you will be doing some string trimming or training your goat to only eat the grass in the cracks! “Round Up” works well, unless you pick a windy day (then you will have bigger problems). Costs more that steel or plastic… another good choice in the right application.

Modular Block edging: There are several good choices this modular concrete edging; this means precast concrete that fits together. There are many retaining wall caps or smaller wall block that will work but some are just really ugly. There are also some nice ones. I prefer the tumbled blocks or edging stones that look more natural and come in some nice colors. So I think they are a good choice for a lot of situations. Again you have to dig them in. Don’t just leave them on top of the ground! This is really a landscape taboo and annoys me. Do it right- it takes some work or just call Lawrence Landscape. (Duh!)

Some other considerations" Don’t put the edging in higher than the siding on your house or you will create a dam or a “Damn” when you are sucking the water out of your carpets in the basements.

(This was written by Glen Westervelt, co-President of Lawrence Landscape)

Please note: we are in the midst of becoming avid bloggers (watch us blog, watch us blog)! But we haven't managed to have the most riveting photos, YET. If you are a customer and have a great landscape pic of your yard, let us have it! Send it, post it to facebook. We want to get it out to the public the kind of work we do...

Ah, Mulch- the nitty gritty stuff

2011-03-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

Did you know that we carry bulk mulch, topsoil and compost at the Tree Farm? We can deliver it to you and your garden! We charge $50 per delivery trip. We don’t have the capacity to combine types of mulch/ soil in one trip.

What we carry: Harwood mulch, midnight black, cocoa brown

Prices per cubic yard: $28, $35, $35

One cubic yard covers approximately:

100 sq ft= 3"

150 sq ft=2"

300 sq ft= 1"

Our soil and compost:

Pulverized Top Soil

Ton= $40.00

.5 ton= $30.00

Compost

Cu yd= $45.00

.5 Cu yd= $25.00

Instructions for mulching in your yard

It’s that time of year. Time to clean out the debris; the leaves, the dead, the limbs and twigs. It’s also time to replace mulch. Mulches are materials placed over the soil surface to maintain moisture and improve soil conditions. Mulching is one of the most beneficial things a home owner can do for the health of a tree. Mulch can reduce water loss from the soil, minimize weed competition, and improve soil structure. Properly applied, mulch gives your landscape a neat, tidy appearance too. Mulch must be applied properly; if it is too deep or if the wrong material is used, it can actually cause significant harm to trees and other landscape plants.

Types of Mulch- what to use, why and where

Mulches come in two major types: inorganic and organic. Inorganic mulches include various types of stone, lava rock, pulverized rubber, fabrics, and other materials. Inorganic mulches do not decompose and do not need to be replenished often. On the other hand, they do not improve soil structure, add organic materials, or provide nutrients. As plant specialists, horticulturalists recommend and prefer organic mulches in vegetable and garden beds. Inorganic/ rock mulches are great for drainage areas, near the house to minimize splashback and in beds that are not meant to grow plants.

Organic mulches include wood chips, pine needles, hardwood and softwood bark, cocoa hulls, leaves, compost mixes, and a variety of other products usually derived from plants. Organic mulches decompose in the landscape at different rates depending on the material and climate. Those that decompose faster must be replenished more often. Because the decomposition process improves soil quality and fertility, many arborists and other landscape professionals consider that characteristic a positive one, despite the added maintenance.

Organic mulches include wood chips, pine needles, hardwood and softwood bark, cocoa hulls, leaves, compost mixes, and a other plant matter. Organic mulches decompose in the landscape at different rates depending on the material and climate. Those that decompose faster must be replenished more often. Because the decomposition process improves soil quality and fertility, many arborists and other landscape professionals consider this a POSITIVE, despite the added maintenance.

We suggest that when you mulch trees you follow these rules. Yep- rules! Do not make a mulch volcano around your tree trunk. This is when the mulch is piled up 6 inches or so directly touching the trunk. Think of making a mulch donut instead! Keep the mulch low (about an inch) around the base of the tree- expose the trunk flare (where the base of the tree and roots meet). Then make a nice, wide donut about 2-4” deep out to the dripline of your tree or whatever is feasible. The dripline is width of your tree canopy. “Mulch wide- not deep” say the professionals!

Tree Farm progress

2011-03-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Overlooking the pond

Stone fireplace


Soon to be outdoor kitchen!

One of the great things about the tree farm is the chance to show off. Yep, this is going to be an outdoor kitchen. The construction is being done by our very talented crew of carpenters and masons.
Eventually, we want the tree farm to be our design offices. It will give us a chance to show you our plants, as well as our range of hardscape choices. Plus, it'll make you want an outdoor kitchen!

Welcome!

2011-03-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Well, it's finally happened! They've allotted me the job of office blogger...

It's early spring- believe it or not! Those flakes (alternating between raindrops and huge snowflakes) notwithstanding. It's the time that many of us start to think about our yards.
What's on your list this spring? A vegetable garden? St. Patrick's day is the traditional day for putting out potatoes. My dad always believed that we could put out spinach, lettuce, chard and the like too by that date! Make sure you plan before you dig. If you are creating raised beds, you will need good topsoil. We offer bulk amended topsoil as well as COMPOST!! $45 per cubic yard. Woo hoo- we deliver too. :)
If you are starting to think about cleaning up your yard, keep a few things in mind. We offer maintenance services, at an hourly rate. This is a nice treat for yourself if you or a loved one doesn't have the time (or energy) to do all the raking, hauling, clearing and mowing.
As well, we are proud to offer design services. Our designers have years of experience solving drainage problems and offering solutions for that trouble spot in the yard. As well, it's always great to have a master plan for your yard- even if you can't install it all at once, it gives you a blue print for many seasons to come! We are happy to design in phases.

New this spring, we will have retail hours at the tree farm. It's located in south Lawrence, 1185 N. 1250 Rd. The daily hours will take effect April 1. Feel free to call Mike, our nursery manager, if you want to visit right now! He's a peach and will give you a tour! 785-423-5861. Also check out our website for a more complete tree and shrub availability list. You can buy a crabapple, a maple, an evergreen that has been grown in local soil, so it's acclimated to our heavy clay and weather.

Got questions? I'll try to help. Any topics you think we should cover in this blog? Let us know!