Wednesday, December 28, 2016

How To Prep For Sod



To prep a yard for sod, it is important to aerate the soil before applying a layer of compost and laying down the sod itself.

Sunday, December 25, 2016

2016 Christmas Light Show



Trista Lights 2016 Christmas Light Show which was featured on Season 4 of ABC's The Great Christmas Light Fight. 17,000 computerized lights sequenced to an upbeat holiday soundtrack.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Pavestone Venetian Stone™



Pavestone's Venetian Stone™ Series gives a distinctive cleft surface texture to pavements. It's modular pattern equalizes the scale of any project and is fitting to most any architectural elements.

The possible applications for pavers are only limited by your imagination. Maximize your outdoor living experience with a design that is all your own. Create a scenic walkway in a beautiful downtown park. A variety of hues and textures allow you to have unlimited possibilities to both compliment and enhance the natural beauty of any surrounding while being friendly to the environment. From palatial outdoor entertainment areas to pool decks with a relaxing spa-like feel, you can count on unsurpassed strength and flexibility. Concrete pavers can withstand the forces of weather, water and traffic. Plus, they are especially designed to withstand freeze-thaw conditions, making them a good choice for cool as well as warm climates. Your design project will be as beautiful years from now as it is the day it is installed.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Friday, December 16, 2016

How To Use Landscaping Rocks


Adding rocks to your landscape can definitely add an aesthetic appeal, but they can also be a practical addition too. You can use landscaping rocks to brighten a shady garden or to add texture to a flower bed. Here are a few tips on how to use these rocks to your landscaping's best advantage.

First off, remember that choosing the right landscaping rocks for your yard is important. You can use white rocks to brighten areas that don't get a lot of sun, or you can use landscaping rocks to complement what is already in your garden. For example, for gardens that incorporate a lot of tropical flowers, you could consider using terra cotta stones to give it more of that island feel. If you're going for a more minimal look and feel, you might consider black landscaping rocks. Make sure you have a look or theme in mind when choosing what stones to use.

One more thing to keep in mind: whatever color or style you choose, make sure you like it. You're going to have to live with it for many years to come unless you want to go through the hassle of choosing new landscaping rocks within the near future. Be sure you know what you want and get exactly what you are looking for. It's okay to be picky in this scenario.

Landscaping rocks do not require a lot of maintenance. You should probably keep an eye on them just to be sure they stay even on the ground, and you might want to check them after a particularly bad storm, but overall, they should be maintenance free. They're a great way to add durability to your groundcover. They are more permanent than mulch and they definitely do not require as much maintenance. You will not have to worry about adding new landscaping rocks every season (not unless you want to!).

Finally, remember that landscaping rocks are not restricted to using just on the ground. Rocks can be used in a variety of ways: as retaining walls, as a patio, as an outdoor fireplace or fire pit: the ideas go on and on. You can use the Internet as inspiration, or you can simply take a walk through nature and try to emulate some of what you see in your own landscaping. Your imagination is the limit, so try to come up with some ideas you know you'll enjoy for years to come!



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9241709

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

How To Build A Flagstone Walkway



This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows how to rescue an old stone walkway.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

When You Stop Being Cold and Genuine. Merry Christmas!



Artificial grass is always green even when it's freezing cold. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Global Syn-Turf, the leading manufacturer of synthetic grass in the United States!

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

How To Prep Concrete With 3in1 Prep



3in1 Prep is the ultimate etching, cleaning, and degreasing formula all in one solution. Typical etching solutions require a cleaning solution or degreasing solution after the concrete has been etched. Stop using multiple steps when prepping concrete and start using 1 solution with 3in1 Prep.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Perk Up Your Landscape With Mulch


Mulch has to be the single best thing you can do for your plants and have such grand results from. You can take a drab landscape, apply mulch around the plants and garden areas and by evening, that same drab landscape looks as though has been professionally maintained.

The sole purpose of mulch is to protect the soil. It should allow enough air space and for water to percolate down to the ground. There are 2 types of mulches: Organic and Inorganic.

Organic Mulches consist of:

- Wood chips
- Aged compost
- Aged manure
- Shredded Leaves
- Grass clippings
- Pine bark
- Pine needles
- Pecan shells (if you're near a factory)
- Straw (not hay as it has weed seed)
- Groundcover (phlox, vinca, purple wintercreeper, pachysandra, liriope, mondo grass, etc)

Inorganic Mulches consist of:

- Rocks
- Pebbles
- Gravel
- Crushed stone
- Crushed lava
- Black plastic
- Landscape cloth
- Ground rubber tires
- Other recycled materials

Reasons for mulching are almost unlimited. We are going to cover only a few of them. It creates enough of a defined area around trees and shrubs so that anyone with a mower or weed eater will avoid damaging the plants, and that maybe the most common reason as to the demise of younger plants. Mulching reduces and often eliminates the weed population. It insulates the soil by keeping it at a more even temperature, which is especially helpful during the spring temperature fluctuations. Mulch keeps the soil immediately around the plants cooler and moister. Organic mulch decomposes into the soil building up the nutrient values, thus reducing the need for applying fertilizer. It prevents the soil from compacting and crusting. Mulch helps to grow healthier plants and makes the landscape look neater, cleaner and more attractive.

Studies show that trees and larger shrubs without any grass up to 3 feet away from the base of the plants will increase their growth.

Too little mulch is not effective; on the other hand, too much mulch can kill a good thing (namely plants). Rather than going through a long drawn out explanation of why, when, where and with what, let's keep it simple, safe and easy to remember!

The Triple 3's to Mulching-

- 3 inches thick
- 3 feet out from the base of the plant
- 3 inch doughnut around the base of the plants (see below)

So, that's 3 deep, 3 out and 3 for the doughnut. Now, what about this doughnut? The doughnut is the welled area at the base of the plant. For proper air circulation and watering, 3 inches (roughly) is needed between the trunk of the plant and where the mulch actually begins. Mulch should never come in contact with the trunk of a shrub or tree, even in a garden setting. Stay away from the volcano look. It is a sure fire way to kill your plants. You want to keep the mulch at an even level all the way through, whether it's going 3 feet out from the trunk or in a large landscaped area. Remember: Keep It Level

How often to apply mulch really depends on the type of mulch you have chosen. Something light such as grass clippings or shredded leaves will have to be added to quite frequently as it decomposes quickly. Heavier mulches may only need to be freshened once a year. Shredded bark mulch applied in spring at 3 inches may decompose over summer, so when fall comes around, you will want to check it and possibly add more to bring it back up to the 3 inches to go over winter.

What mulch goes where!? I don't recommend using gravel or other stones as mulch in a planting area between a walk and building foundation. Several things are wrong with this picture. There are too many materials with a high level of lime. Lime often leeches out of the concrete blocks used in most foundations, of course, it's the dusting on the gravel and what are concrete walkways made of? Using this is fine as long as you don't put any plants there. Container gardening will work, but no ground planting.

Also, think about where inorganic mulches will be used before you purchase. For example, you wouldn't want to use some inorganic mulch around plants that are in full sun. Many of the inorganic types, especially rocks, gravel, and crushed lava will absorb and then radiate the heat. This can damage plants if not burn them. For areas in full sun, it is best to use organic mulches.

After absorbing this mulch information, you are probably now wondering how much mulch to get. You will need to calculate the surface area that you want to cover (square footage).

There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. One cubic yard will cover 324 square feet with one inch of mulch. Calculate the square footage of the area you want to cover.

Take your surface square footage and multiply it by the depth you want to mulch (remember we talked about 3 inches) Now, that total is divided by 324 which will give you the total number of cubic yards that you will need for the depth that you want.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3890759