Off-Season Lawn Edging

So, what do I mean by off-season?

Well, this could be the non-growing time of the year whereas your turf grass leaves (blades) are not growing vertically or are dormant.

Or, it could be your state-of-mind as you see no reason for lawn maintenance except for keeping it clear of debris - leaves, pine straw, branches, etc.

For most of the off-season, you will notice very little to no vertical growth. Most of the warm season turf grasses which we have here in the midlands put out stolons (runners). These lateral above-ground root stems seek out the warm earth during the off-season and unless impeded by some barrier, will find their way beyond what you define as your lawn and into your plant beds or other areas.

Even with some bed borders, these stolons will still find a way under, through or over, depending on the type and depth.

The spread of the stolons varies and some are more noticeable such as centipede reaching quite far to take root over a barren piece of earth.

Unattended, any of the grasses can take root in your plant beds and require more work to remove. Successfully edging (cutting through a stolon) doesn't mean you solved the problem. It will grow and root again, and repeat.

But, if you or your lawn service routinely check these borders and edge regularly, or as needed, you will have cleaner beds and a better-looking lawn.

In the photo you will notice the right border is concrete and although the grass has no chance of re-rooting and continuing, it is quite unsightly.

The remaining edge of the lawn has what I call a natural border, as the lawn meets the bed with no man-made or other type of barrier. I believe these are very attractive when maintained, but are more susceptible to grass creep.

So, walk around your property and make note of where your lawn abuts whatever - a plant bed, a walkway, a ground level patio.

With some attention to detail, the delineation of your landscape's components will make all stand out and complement one another.

Winter Landscape Maintenance...So Much You Can Do, Now

Well, it is still Fall in the Midlands. Although we have had this very odd cold spell, we will soon return to our normal South Carolina climes.

Beyond planting and planning (see 

Planting and Planning...Now is the Time!, the coming Winter months are a great time to do some landscape house-keeping which will save you time and make the growing season more enjoyable.

Expand and/or re-shape plant beds: This year's growth may have outgrown the borders of your plant beds. Rather than handcuff your plants to some un-natural and unattractive size, expand the border and perhaps give it a new, interesting, but manageable shape. 

Pressure wash: Depending on temperature, you may not wish to wash anything thing too high (The backsplash can get quite discomforting.); however, this is a great time to pressure wash driveways, walkways, retaining walls, decks and foundations. Most of these surfaces have collected all types of debris and foreign matter during the last several months.

Repair stone, paver and brick walkways and patios: Some of the materials used on your walkways or patios may be a little or very cattywampus. There could be many reasons, but typically this is due to underlying roots. 

Whatever the case, repair or eliminate the cause and reset the stones, pavers or bricks.

Continue lawn care: Most, if not all turf grasses in this area are warm season grasses. Although their leaves' (blade) growth may slow or stop, their roots are not dormant and still need a few elements - water and air. The ground temperature in the Midlands rarely goes below 42 degrees for the first four inches, which is where your grass roots and those of most other plants live.

Leaves, pine straw, etc. on your lawn can block sunlight, limit air exchange and trap moisture. Rake, blow or mow (bag attachment preferred) this debris from your lawn. You may wish to use some of this as mulch in your beds even if you plan to place fresh mulch later. This will help keep your plants warm and retain moisture.

Occasionally water your lawn if we go without rain for a while. Do so during early daylight hours on a nice sunny day above freezing.

Edge your lawn borders, particularly if you have St. Augustine or centipede grasses, as their stolons (surface stems, so to speak) may still be reaching outward.

Install ground lighting: Obviously, we have less daylight hours during winter, so this is a great time to install ground lighting. This can be done for aesthetics, safety or security, or all the above.

Prune: All types of pruning can be done this time of year on a variety of plants. And, I am not speaking of taking hedge trimmers to your plants, but proper pruning.

This can be done to reduce a plant, remove dead and awkward stems and branches, raise canopies (limb up) and to thin plants which have been trimmed repetitively, to improve their health.

Proper pruning on many flowering shrubs will help produce individually larger blooms while leaving a balanced backdrop of foliage.

Plant and Plan: Save yourself from being overwhelmed by Spring and Summer landscaping goals by getting started sooner. Please go to Planting and Planning...Now is the Time!

In other words, Winter is a wonderful time to balance out your budget and time spent on your landscape, and your plants may have a happier Spring.

We provide all these services, so please contact me to see how we may assist you...803-553-5757 or use the Contact Us button above.

Thank you.

Happy Holidays!

It's Fall - Such a Wonderful Time to Do So Much with Your Landscape

Well, it is Fall in the Midlands. Not that all the growing and blooming has ceased, but for many of us our landscapes have experienced much growth - for some, out-of-hand growth.

You had (or perhaps, had not) spent much of the summer keeping up with or keeping your property, beautiful.

Some of this growth is obvious in some of your more open format trees and shrubs while much of the interior mess is hidden beneath the surface of those more compact shrubs and hedges you've been trimming since April.

Fall (and Winter) is a wonderful season to get at those plants with some well planned and executed pruning to keep them healthy, airy and attractive for next season. A few may need some corrective measures, but you will need to get inside them a little to know what's truly going on with those gorgeous things you spent time and money on.

There are many shrubs and trees which can be pruned in Fall depending on the plants bloom-habit and your preference. Actually, there aren't many plants which can't be pruned (not indiscriminately trimmed or sheared) most any time of year if the right care and techniques are used. And, many will still produce plenty of blooms to enjoy when the time comes. So, if you've missed that ideal time and your favorite whatever(s) is now a mess, let's take care of it soon so you can enjoy it through the holidays and even more so in the Spring.

Depending on the plant, there are many which can be planted or transplanted during the Fall, getting established before and during Winter (If we have one.) and ready to roll next Spring. We don't live in Vermont so the ground temperatures allow for planting virtually year-round. And, you won't be scrambling around during Spring when your existing plants need attention.

NOTE: I have been planting, designing and installing plant beds more and more each year, more and more throughout the year, throughout the Fall and Winter. Many or most property owners only consider doing such when temperatures are warm and life is great during the early Spring, and thereafter. The problem - growers, nurseries and guys like me can't keep up, meet the demand and we simply run out of solutions. If it, the plant you desire, is an evergreen or woody perennial it would rather be in the ground (much warmer) than sitting in a pot (more exposed to colder temps). In other words, most all these plants do well, but they'd do much better in your properties soil and you could avoid availability issues in the Spring.

Also, with all the humidity, rainfall, growth, and reproduction and its associate droppings, pitch and debris our properties experienced over Spring and Summer, Fall is the perfect time to:

• Prune and/or remove (overgrowth, intruding and encroaching branches, vines, etc.).
• Clean out weeds (remove).
• Pressure wash man-made surfaces - drive and walkways, decks, retaining walls, siding, foundations, etc.
• Re-establish plant bed borders.
• Re-stain/seal decks.
• Simply do some outdoor housekeeping for football season, family and friend visits and the approaching holidays.

And, please remember two things about lawn grasses even after we get out of the growing season (whenever that may be):

• They still take advantage of sunlight so don't wait until you have this downy-like comforter of leaves and/or pine straw on your yard to blow or rake them away - do it when needed.
• Their root system will still enjoy some H2O occasionally even when it's not 90° and 85% humidity.

Need assistance? Give us a call at 803-553-5757, go to back40.us or use the Contact Us feature to the right.

Here We Go Again...Those Early Spring Lawn Weeds

Every homeowner wants a beautiful lawn...certainly.

I haven't provided basic lawn care in quite a while, but when I did, I studied lawns, soils and turf grasses just as I continue to study shrub and tree care.

Slightly earlier, due to weather, this is that time of year when those lawn weeds may seem more prevalent than our turf grass.

If you have or have had a well-established lawn, the presence of weeds, now or over the next few weeks should not be cause for much alarm. I'm not stating this emphatically, but my experience with many, many properties, is to simply wait it out.

In other words, don't go to extremes or spend much time and money trying to resolve an issue which will probably go away on its own - by nature's accord.

Over the years (this time of year) I have received many calls from customers concerned about prolific weeds in their lawns. These are usually identified as dandy lions or cat's eyes/ears or whatever. I can't keep track. Many of these weeds are annuals. This doesn't mean their off-spring won't come back next year; however, they are usually short-lived. A healthy lawn (evergreen, by nature) will usually win out.

Following are a few things you or your lawn service can perform:

• Set mower height one inch below what is set during the growing season and mow even if the grass is not yet high (probably not) to lower weeds and catch their weed heads/flowers.
• Use a collection bag on your mower. You don't want to distribute weed heads/flowers about your lawn.
• If your lawn debris is not carried off or bagged, but placed roadside, spray it with water so that weed heads/flowers can't be blown back onto your property by the wind. Shake out your mower bag well and perhaps rinse it with water while not on your lawn. Do not place the debris in a compost pile.
• You probably didn't remove all the weeds, but you just removed most of the reproductive elements and now you can at least see your lawn.
• Yet, you may have some broadleaf weeds which love to spread out wide and retard turf grass growth by blocking sunlight. Use a specific (friendly to your turf grass - read the label) weed killer or use a weed removing tool, Trake, trowel or mattock to remove. Some of these weeds will be deep-rooted so you may want to spend some extra time getting their roots out of the ground.
• Water your lawn. All plants love water (including weeds), but your turf grass roots' growth will aid in preventing weed growth.

Hopefully, these few measures will have your lawn looking healthy and well in the coming weeks.

Trake

 

Spring Comes Quickly...Don't Waste Winter

Some of you have properties this well planned and maintained.

Many of you may view this as impossible, for a variety of reasons. 

This winter, how about you grab a warm coat, walk your property, grab a chair, sit back and visualize the changes you can make to only one area, one aspect of your landscape. Any of this is extremely possible.

Take some photos and project what you wish to add or change, and sketch your ideas on some paper. Or, call me. Together, we can orchestrate a wonderful outcome.

Personal Note: In the region we live, there is not much which cannot be done in regard to plant care this time of year. There are few exceptions and there are a few tasks which may be best suited during the growing season. However; one may find oneself overwhelmed and far behind the more vibrant growing season once it is underway. Why wait?

This is what we do: A focused project at a time, and how most of our customers wish to address their desires for their landscape. It works - it's manageable, sane and seeing the changes made over time is quite rewarding.

Only just beginning winter, this is a beneficial and excellent time to start putting plans together for your home's landscape. And, in this environment, here in the Midlands of South Carolina, most restoration and installation can begin way before waiting until you are inundated with the sheer maintenance of your property during the growing season and hot-as-hell summer months.

Basic Maintenance During Winter

• Remove natural debris (leaves and needles) from your lawn if you already haven't. Turf grass still benefits greatly from sunlight and air flow this time of year.
• Continue to edge grass borders as most grass roots still want to stretch out and grow during winter. This will prevent them from making their way into your plant beds and help maintain a manicured look.
• Consider applying a pre-emergent for spring and summer weeds. The effective date for doing so is based on ground temperature and it sneaks up on us quite quickly in this area.
• House those precious potted plants (particularly, tropical) inside or in a secluded area away from the wind if they will handle the ambient temperature. If you know your plant's name (genus and specie), find its climate requirements.
• Don't wait until spring when the temperatures are nice to consider installing an irrigation system in your plant beds or lawn. This isn't Alaska - most of this can be done this time of year. And, if you wait, you may be put off in scheduling by contractors and may pay much more simply due to demand because many homeowners simply don't think about this until is almost warm and sunny.

Advanced Maintenance and Planning

• Pruning (On this subject, I can provide plenty of testament and references.) Pruning of most any plant for health reasons, even for aesthetics/shaping, can be performed most any time of year on most any plant. Try to forgive what your parents, grandparents or even your favorite publication or therapist says.
• Take a look at the growth of your different plant beds and the growth they have experienced. If you are pleased with their growth and your landscape can accommodate such, then consider extending and re-establishing the bed borders to obtain/maintain a clean and clear appearance.
• Consider those trees and larger tree-like shrubs encroaching your home or its roof. Hacking them at what you believe is the proper height is only going to create a more troublesome future mess. They need to be properly pruned or removed.
• Also, consider those plants which obscure your view when pulling out of your driveway or those many shrubs and trees which block the view of stops signs and intersections on so many streets in this area.
• Plan for Spring This is a wonderful time for planning and perhaps executing some changes for your property. I have had a few customers get behind the eight ball and then expect the unexpected in regard to plant availability. I get it. I often don't know until the request is made. Two of my favorite nurseries will find almost anything I ask of them, but their growers can only do so much with a given plant during a season or the year. Plants don't grow on trees - I love saying that. You get the point.
• Refresh or replace (more in a moment) the mulch in your beds since most of the leaf and needle drop has occurred. Mulch provides so much for a plant bed or natural area. Most homeowners apply such for aesthetics. That's great. But, most mulch, properly chosen, in this area, provides shade from the sun for the ground - the base of the plant, water retention and decomposition which aids all the plants in the plant bed. In regard to replacing mulch, I am not saying this should never be done, but in most cases, it shouldn't. The decomposition from the existing mulch is so beneficial - this is one (just one) of the reasons plant bed soil is usually healthier than that in lawns. Just refresh the existing mulch, let it settle and continue the composting process.
• Take the time to consider when you would like to pressure wash your home, decks or patios and apply a stain or sealant - when you'd feel comfortable doing so, weather-wise. Warmer months are obviously more comfortable to do so, but applying stain in too-warm conditions can be less effective in regard to penetration of the chemicals.
• Consider ground lighting. Show off your home's architecture, its plants, both. Add some safety and security to your home living. 

If you need assistance with any of the aforementioned or a comprehensive solution based on your needs or desires, please contact Doug at 803-553-5757 or use the Contact form to the right.

To Bag Lawn Clippings or Not

Every homeowner wants a beautiful lawn...certainly.

I haven't provided basic lawn care in quite a while, but when I did I studied lawns, soils and turf grasses just as I continue to study shrub and tree care.

There shouldn't be much debate about not collecting (bagging) lawn clippings as they provide some of the quickest decomposing material to aid in the soil nutrients. Unless one allows their grass to grow too tall to the point of the clippings providing a blanket to block the sun, the resulting parts of plant life of the exact same ilk return their nutrients back to the soil, quite quickly. 

Here is the difference and I am only going to cite one of many instances which may occur throughout the year or the growing season. Bear with me.

I have had many customers over the years call me or show concern about the weeds which occur late winter and early spring. I have been on their properties for years and realize many of these weeds lose out to healthy lawns or have a very short life - a few to several weeks. And, later they are gone. Their lawns are again gorgeous throughout most of the year.

I am not going to get into all the genus and species of weeds, but many of these lawn weeds this time of year are short-lived annuals. Yet, an annual weed is not necessarily innocuous simply because one may believe its life has ended after dying, never to return.

Many of these weeds produce flowers or seed heads which when scattered by the wind, transferred by pollinators or left to fall to the ground, only wish to reproduce. And, they do so only waiting for next year and the opportunity to ugly your lawn again.

So, here are a few ways to reduce their impact on your lawn when you recognize these abhorrent little creatures:

Note 1: I say reduce as you are not going to eliminate the potential for weeds in your lawn and the decision to bag clippings or not will depend on your lawn's situation and your desire to make slight changes throughout the year unless you have an overwhelming weed problem.

Note 2: If you mow your lawn or have it mowed frequently (not too frequently and not too short) during the growing season you are probably preventing many seed heads from developing and should take advantage of mulching and returning the clippings back to earth.

Note 3: Mulching mowers work best, but they are only as good as the condition of the blade(s).

• Catch the weeds early by mowing the areas of your lawn which are affected by using a mower with a bag attachment.
• If your lawn service doesn't normally bag your lawns clippings ask them to bag the clippings and return to bag-less mowing when the flowering weeds are not so prevalent. Of course, depending on the size of your lawn, they may charge a little more for the time to empty the bags/containers.
• Or (many lawn services have a push mower), if you don't have large affected areas, ask your lawn service to use a push mower, with bag attached, to cover these areas while the faster riding mower (without bag attached) with larger blade swath takes care of the rest. They will want to ensure the height for both mower decks/blades are as similar as possible to not show variations in your lawn height. 

Note: You may want to bag weed clippings or cover them with other debris if you place them roadside so that the seeds are not carried by the wind.

Personally (I have a small lawn and many plant beds.), I dig up the larger broadleaf weeds with a small three-tine heavy metal rake (more of an extraction tool than a rake) snapping the tines below the surface of the weed and removing as much of the root as possible.

Trake

And, I mow using the bag attachment in late winter until later in early spring until I notice very little or no weeds with flowers or seed heads.

Then as we move into the turf grass growing season I mulch only and use no bag.

That's it: Just a little attention, some thought and adjustment and you'll probably see a reduction in weeds.

 

Get the Jump on Spring Planning and Landscaping

Some of you have properties this well planned and maintained.

Many of you may view this as impossible, for a variety of reasons. 

Well, how about you walk your property, grab a chair, sit back and visualize the changes you can make to only one area, one aspect. Any of this is extremely possible.

This is what we do; a focused project at a time, and how most of our customers wish to address their desires for their landscape. It works - it's manageable, sane and seeing the changes made over time is quite rewarding.

Almost half-way through winter, it is a beneficial and excellent time to start putting plans together for your home's landscape. And, in this environment, here in the Midlands of South Carolina, most restoration and installation can begin way before waiting until you are inundated with the sheer maintenance of your property during the growing season and hot-as-hell summer months.

Basic Maintenance During Winter

• Remove natural debris (leaves and needles) from your lawn if you already haven't. Turf grass still benefits greatly from sunlight and air flow this time of year.
• Continue to edge grass borders as most grass roots still want to stretch out and grow during winter. This will prevent them from making their way into your plant beds and help maintain a manicured look.
• Consider applying a pre-emergent for spring and summer weeds. The effective date for doing so is based on ground temperature and it sneaks up on us quite quickly in this area.
• House those precious potted plants (particularly, tropical) inside or in a secluded area away from the wind if they will handle the ambient temperature. If you know your plant's name (genus and specie), find its climate requirements.
• Don't wait until spring when the temperatures are nice to consider installing an irrigation system in your plant beds or lawn. This isn't Alaska - most of this can be done this time of year. And, if you wait, you may be put off in scheduling by contractors and may pay much more simply due to demand because many homeowners simply don't think about this until is almost warm and sunny.

Winter Restoration and Enhancements 

• Pruning (On this subject, I can provide plenty of testament and references.) Pruning of most any plant for health reasons, even for aesthetics/shaping, can be performed most any time of year on most any plant. Try to forgive what your parents, grandparents or even your favorite publication says.
• Take a look at the growth of your different plant beds and the growth they have experienced. If you are pleased with their growth and your landscape can accommodate such, then consider extending and re-establishing the bed borders to obtain/maintain a clean and clear appearance.
• Consider those trees and larger tree-like shrubs encroaching your home or its roof. Hacking them at what you believe is the proper height is only going to create a more troublesome future mess. They need to be properly pruned or removed.
• Also, consider those plants which obscure your view when pulling out of your driveway or those many shrubs and trees which block the view of stops signs and intersections on so many streets in this area.
• Plan for Spring This is a wonderful time for planning and perhaps executing some changes for your property. I have had a few customers get behind the eight ball and then expect the unexpected in regard to plant availability. I get it. I often don't know until the request is made. Two of my favorite nurseries will find almost anything I ask of them, but their growers can only do so much with a given plant during a season or the year. Plants don't grow on trees - I love saying that. You get the point.
• Refresh or replace (more in a moment) the mulch in your beds since most of the leaf and needle drop has occurred. Mulch provides so much for a plant bed or natural area. Most homeowners apply such for aesthetics. That's great. But, most mulch, properly chosen, in this area, provides shade from the sun for the ground - the base of the plant, water retention and decomposition which aids all the plants in the plant bed. In regard to replacing mulch, I am not saying this should never be done, but in most cases, it shouldn't. The decomposition from the existing mulch is so beneficial - this is one (just one) of the reasons plant bed soil is usually healthier than that in lawns. Just refresh the existing mulch, let it settle and continue the composting process.
• Take the time to consider when you would like to pressure wash your home, decks or patios and apply a stain or sealant - when you'd feel comfortable doing so, weather-wise. Warmer months are obviously more comfortable to do so, but applying stain in too-warm conditions can be less effective in regard to penetration of the chemicals.
• Consider ground lighting. Show off your home's architecture, its plants, both. Add some safety and security to your home living. 

If you need assistance with any of the aforementioned or a comprehensive solution based on your needs or desires, please contact Doug at 803-553-5757 or use the Contact form to the right.

Fall - A Time to Prune, Plant and Preen

Well, it is Fall in the Midlands. Not that all the growing and blooming has ceased, but for many of us our landscapes have experienced much growth - for some, out-of-hand growth.

You had (or perhaps, had not) spent much of the summer keeping up with or keeping your beautiful property.

Some of this growth is obvious in some of your more open format trees and shrubs while much of the interior mess is hidden beneath the surface of those more compact shrubs and hedges you've been trimming since April.

Fall (and Winter) is a wonderful season to get at those plants with some well planned and executed pruning to keep them healthy, airy and attractive for next season. A few may need some corrective measures, but you will need to get inside them a little to know what's truly going on with those gorgeous things you spent time and money on.

There are many shrubs and trees which can be pruned in Fall depending on the plants bloom-habit and your preference. Actually, there aren't many plants which can't be pruned (not indiscriminately trimmed or sheared) most any time of year if the right care and techniques are used. And, many will still produce plenty of blooms to enjoy when the time comes. So, if you've missed that ideal time and your favorite whatever(s) is now a mess, let's take care of it soon so you can enjoy it through the holidays and even more so in the Spring.

Depending on the plant, there are many which can be planted or transplanted during the Fall, getting established before and during Winter (If we have one.) and ready to roll next Spring. We don't live in Vermont so the ground temperatures allow for planting virtually year-round. And, you won't be scrambling around during Spring when your existing plants need attention.

Also, with all the humidity, rainfall, growth, and reproduction and its associate droppings, pitch and debris our properties experienced over Spring and Summer, Fall is the perfect time to:

• Prune and/or remove (overgrowth, intruding and encroaching branches, vines, etc.).
• Clean out weeds (remove).
• Pressure wash man-made surfaces - drive and walkways, decks, retaining walls, siding, foundations, etc.
• Re-establish plant bed borders.
• Re-stain/seal decks.
• Simply do some outdoor housekeeping for football season, family and friend visits and the approaching holidays.

And, please remember two things about lawn grasses even after we get out of the growing season (whenever that may be):

• They still take advantage of sunlight so don't wait until you have this downy-like comforter of leaves and/or pine straw on your yard to blow or rake them away - do it when needed.
• Their root system will still enjoy some H2O occasionally even when it's not 90° and 85% humidity.

Need assistance? Give us a call at 803-553-5757, go to back40.us or use the Contact Us feature to the right.

A Dramatic Beginning

 

After

I usually pass on large sod jobs (see Bend it Like Beckham - A Fun Sod Job), but I do enjoy the smaller, more interesting ones.

The customer contacted me to hopefully address other aspects of her property, but this area of her back yard was her primary objective.

She had already done what you will see in the next image and also shared with  me a picture of something similar, which she loved.

Before

I have installed flagstone walkways, sitting areas and staggered stepping stones as well as a few paver walkways and small patios in lawns. The existing turfgrass provided those huggable borders once the cuts were made for setting individual stones or pavers, or by creating a channel, so-to-speak.

Here, we were starting from scratch and there was no creative flub-room like with flagstone or only dealing with simple tolerances when butting pavers next to one another. This was tedious, setting in soil and then cutting sod strips to fill the the gaps - those which will make this design truly pop over time.

Pavers Set

Zoysia would have been a wonderful choice of sod for this design, but would have been a nightmare to maintain in the growing season unless a groundskeeper were to live on-site. It's extremely difficult to knock down Zoysia with a weed eater and a mower will not keep it level with the pavers.

This is a shaded area, but the best suited turfgrass, St. Augustine, has had issues with pests in this area for the last several years...except for the Tamstar variety, which is also more drought tolerant. It was developed several years ago at Texas A&M. If you are a Gamecock fan (I am), get over it. It's some nice grass.

We had many small cuts which had to be made due to the curves of the outline which is not easy to do with St. Augustine so we didn't manicure the edges and borders. This will need to be done once the sod has established and pavers have set. We used no mortar or polymeric sand (both of which have their own issues over time) so there may need to be some leveling touch-up necessary, but so much simpler once grass and pavers have claimed their respective places.

Oh, the "Y" with the abbreviated trunk (I didn't want to say truncated trunk.), I threw in there for the customer's last name. She was happily surprised. I believe so.

The owner admits the entire property needs a lot of attention, but we both believe this was a wonderful beginning.

If she only keeps the dalmatians off of it. (See 101 Dalmatians Minus 99...Just as Well, So Enjoyable)

 

Little Lawns...Big Beauty

Both of these properties possess beautiful and substantial homes, on enviable, yet small lots, leaving not much room for much of a lawn. Yet, both owners have and still maintain some of the most diverse and well-designed vignettes, plant beds and border plants out of my portfolio, as if it I can take credit for such.

They both live in the same community; know one another and I don't know if that affords me anything. But, knowing they have similar love and interests in their properties and their plants there-about, makes my job more enjoyable, and challenging. 

I have pruned several trees and shrubs on this property and planted and transplanted several plants and worked on other aspects of its landscape, yet nothing compares to what the owner has provided to accent the home, not to mention the wonderful herb garden and the continual diversity of flowering and fruit producing plants, such as key limes.

There is so much color, textures, and so many blooms occurring on this small, but beautiful piece of land, most every day of the year. I pride myself on my knowledge (always studying - knowing I will never know it all) and here is where I don't mind being the student.

This is a controlled oasis. He may laugh. It's a huge task, but it works. He loves his toils. Oh, the rewards.

The rear of this property, nearest the pond, is interesting and beautiful, as well.

Before I go further, I must say, owners of such properties are not so demanding - the plant life they orchestrate is. 

I have worked on the next property you will see for the last four years. It has large stands of evergreens, a gorgeous cluster of azaleas flanked by some oak leaf hydrangeas in addition to some loropetalums and some cypress hugged by a few sunshine ligustrums. There are also roses and beds of asiatic jasmine which I have shared photos of so many times. It's comforting. The lantanas, which one cannot ignore, were kicking during this photo.

The customer has a screen porch, not far at all (just out of photo shot), and I recently stumbled across her resting along a couch in the recent cooler weather. Who could blame her? This is a comfortable facade of taller shrubs and trees with lower lying perennials and the occasional annual which makes everything work so well. Who wouldn't relax?

I must also mention the front of the property which has the wonderful banks of pittosporum, some beautiful crepe myrtles, a huge berry tree surrounded by an ivy bed and another hardwood with a well-manicured bed of asiatic jasmine. There is a very proud lady banks rose along a wall and confederate jasmine twining the ironwork on the brick wall along the driveway. 

There are inlaid brick borders which define

every area of the backyard and a wonderful stone walkway (not shown); while the front has a beautiful broad tiered walkway leading to an entryway with the rise of the steps covered in manicured fig ivy.

Don't get me wrong, I still find myself taking a liking to most any landscape condition, hoping to see the customer realize the changes and restoration for them or me to capitalize on and enjoy as time passes.

Life Plant Life is Good!

Every Little Step We Take...Another Step

After

You may have never read about or have seen the property which spawned our Every Little Step We Take practice when it comes to restoring properties over time, taking advantage of existing plants, modifying layouts and introducing new plants (if need be), vignettes and points-of-view - perhaps, even some basic hardscaping.

Before

This requires some patience. I have plenty of such for various reasons and a little from the customer helps, which most have plenty of as they slowly see the changes and the beautification of their property.

I worked on the front yard of this property (see related link below), which is heavily shaded, but there was so much potential for the back yard which had been treated as shaded for so long although the several tall pines had grown, dropped their lower branches and allowed for so much more sunlight. It was pretty much a yard of pine straw and the customer was paying to have it put down regularly.

This inspired me to install the curved lawn which is so much an accent to the plants and beds (see related link below) while, in and of itself, captures the eye.

I had spent months, over time, pruning trees and shrubs before addressing all this - first things first. Then we began looking at dealing with content and structure.

Most of the plants you see are existing plants, many transplanted, although I have brought in a few - purple pixie loropetalum, sunshine ligustrum, coleus, farfugium, hosta and a red hydrangea along the side of the home. I have yet to plant the vitex tree and golden mop cypress in the beds in the back...soon.

Hydrangeas, which can be so finicky, if only transplanted a few feet, are all doing well.

After

Before

This customer, although on the most-wanted-list of mosquitoes is very diligent at watering all her new plants, in-ground or potted. She is becoming a plant person, slowly.

We also took advantage of one of the many shepherd hooks (and other metal things I found lying on or in
the ground - it's dangerous back here). It's now used in the smaller bed for sunpatiens.

The property had so much potential and it also had tons of monkey grass - still does. Most of where it is, it works.

But, it was also in the midst of plant beds where it didn't belong and seemed to be the only previous answer for borders. Oh yeah, and brick.

I transplanted all the cast iron plants which were towering over the deck, acting as a border, along the exposed side of older, rustic and unique shed and then filled in the existing monkey grass deck border with more monkey grass.

After

There is still more monkey grass to be removed and transplanted or discarded. If this was a small back yard one would feel overwhelmed by monkey grass, but there are still some shaded areas and it does serve as a nice ground cover.

Other areas of the property have and are being addressed and we have added new plants in various locations. But, there are still many other small projects to be done, some review and adjustments and then there is the plethora of brick and stone throughout (enough to build a small home), which most, may simply need a new home.

Another step, yet a long way from where this property was.

Related Links:

Every Little Step We Take - Landscaping Projects
Bend it Like Beckham - A Fun Sod Job

Every Little Step We Take...Literally

Easter Photos from Office Number Two - The Shed

I hate to admit it, but about two weeks ago, this was a mess - weeds, many weeds, unkept, indistinguishable, unattended - a mess, my stuff, my mess.

Now, it reminds me of two or three years ago when much was complete after some man-made additions, some plant installation and some serious attention-to-detail.

Nothing like a wet photo between rains on Easter Sunday - a rebirth of another sort.

The base of the gorgeous 30-foot crepe myrtle is flanked by plants waiting to be installed in some customers' beds. Two newly added amaryllis are showing off around the double heron bird bath while some nearby day lilies have just broke bud. Shasta daisies were added here and there last week and some coleus, of many varieties, are coming soon.

Later, there will be blooms of iris, bee balm and plants I have forgotten.

I still need to fill the herb table (far rear right). Right now it's just rosemary, kentucky colonel mint, tarragaon and italian parsley, thanks to my neighbor, Melissa.

You may notice some sod repair which is slowly blending in quite nicely near the walkway.

All three beds were refreshed with pine straw or medium pine bark nuggets and I have plans to bring in some different colors along the rear foundation bed.

Next is the little rail-less deck - my favorite spot. It is covered by a yoshino cherry tree, unfortunately on her way out. And, I haven't worked the perimeter along the fence, but it will look less muddled in the next few days after I prune the water sprouts on the yoshino and work on the hydrangeas and gardenias huddled around it. It's still a wonderful shot.

There is also the beautiful ivy along the fence which I prune regularly for a more natural look. Of course, it gets out of hand as it is so damn healthy. Not to mention, the intruding growth I have to keep off the property from the wild and undeveloped area across the back fence.

Not all the scattered hostas are peaking, but there are many and they will all be kickin' in a few weeks. I recently added two new fire alarm coral bells. Aphrodite needs a flower and I should soon break out the hummingbird feeders.

Saint Francis is overseeing it all, but I think he's way too supportive of the raccoons I often meet around the trash can or have to rescue from same.


Okay, so I got a little carried away and had to take a photo not from the shed. This is Lori, the Loropetalum - cheesy, I know. She is actually two loropetalums and you may notice the black vertical figure in her center. That is a mail box she has been protecting for years. And, sometimes hiding, if I don't give her attention.

The postal carrier sometimes complains, but they usually have to do so while texting or talking on their phone. So, I don't give two shi...stamps about that.

I am slowly training her to the left, through pruning, as she can be, as sweet as she is, a pain when turning into the driveway with another car there. Whatever. It'll be fine.

Alright, I had to go get another shot from a different point-of-view.

Nonetheless, enjoy that small and wonderful world around you.

Stay safe during these times (and always) and have a Wonderful Easter!

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow? (Have Your Soil Tested!)

How did Mary's garden grow?

Well, it was probably due to good soil, but perhaps some other factors. Yet, soil quality is the far most common denominator in the life and success of most any plant.

I have no clue as to what Mary knew of her garden, its plants and soil. It appears she knew enough or had quite a way with gardening.

Perhaps she was just lucky or she had quite that the fan base for other reasons. They (someone) didn't write a nursery rhyme about her for no reason. She had something going on.

I doubt if this was sheer luck - her successful gardening, unless she inherited this mature, well established plot of land and its vivacious vegetative and floral inhabitants. Mary knew something!

And, she probably understood soil and it importance, above all else, in regard to plants and lawns (plants, as well, duh), although she probably hired out the lawn care.

I'm going with the thought that Mary was quite the savvy and educated plant person - simply not an admirer of plants, their beauty and their names. Mary was one smart woman and she also understood:

• She could not simply look at soil and assume its health and nutrient content.
• That a so-called, balanced fertilizer, technically, held no value in regard to the health of her plant's soil.
• That almost all the specialized fertilizers were purely marketing ploys as almost all plants need the same levels, ratios and amounts of nutrients.
• That there is no such thing as plant food, as cute and attractive as it may seem. Plants don't eat food. They make their own food, primarily from nutrients in the soil, along with certain amounts of water and sunlight.
• She could throw all the amendments and fertilizers (possibly causing harm) into her garden or plants bed's soil and none of this would make much of a difference if the pH of the soil was lacking or completely off-the-chart.
• She would need to cover her gardens with mulch for protection from severe sunlight and heat, and to retain moisture.
• That providing a covering of mulch would also decompose over time and provide additional benefits to the soil. 

Above all, Mary understood one thing: "If I have no idea about the condition and health of my plant's (lawns, as well) soil, then it would be best if I do nothing at all." And, she's absolutely, correct!

Mary also knew the only way she could know what her soil needed (its composition, what it lacked, what it needed and its pH level) was to have it tested.

Back40 Landscape Restoration and Maintenance provides soil sample testing and a follow-up Report and Recommendations which includes:

• Technical Soil Test Results from a Certified Lab which would be useless to you without the following:
• Relaying these findings in terms you can understand and use, such as:
• Soil Characteristics - its physical make-up and its ability to retain, transfer or lose nutrients and water. There is also another chemical/electrical characteristic (CEC) here which plays into pH adjustment - very key to soil health.
• pH Level - where your soils pH level is and how easily (or not) it will respond to adjustment.
• pH Adjustment Recommendations - what it takes and over what time to raise (typical in this area) or lower your soil's pH.
• Nutrients - what levels of nutrients are present in your plant's soil - lacking, high or optimal (just fine) 
• Nutrient/Fertilizer Recommendations - what your plant's soil need and how often - when to begin. 

We are offering these services at the following rates within a four mile radius of downtown Forest Acres (wherever that is). There may be a slight adjustment for travel outside this area. Several soil extractions are taken from a given area; such as front yard, foundation plant bed, etc. and those areas are considered a single test/sampling.

____________

Initial test/sampling on a given property is $30.00.

Each additional test/sampling on the same property during the same visit is $15.00.

_____________

The customer receives a comprehensive Soil Test Results and Recommendations document in MS Word format via e-mail within one week after we receive results from the lab.

Yes, Back40 Landscape Restoration and Maintenance does other things - all tree, shrub, plant and plant bed, and other property health and aesthetic type things. How often do I need to state such obviousness? Geez.

Note 1: pH adjustments to soil can be made throughout the year and are best done as soon as recognized/needed.

Note 2: Fertilization and similar adjustments are mostly dictated by the growing season and occasionally a unique plant type, yet there may be other fertilizations and adjustments in lesser or other blends/proportions which may be beneficial afterward and prior to a plant's dormant period.

Oh, if you didn't know, the last lines of the nursery rhyme are:

With silver bells, and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row

And, the Eagles did a wonderful job with the last line...beautiful song on Hotel California:

Wow! She Nailed It!

This cool couple contacted me a couple months ago to come look at their rear lawn and some other concerns. Oh, they also share names with probably the most famous doll couple ever.

The lawn was sparse in some areas, but this is a very shaded area. The largest problem was some St. Augustine she had tried around this tree, and it failed.

We discussed another try at St. Augustine, but it has had some problems over the last several years in may locations in the Midlands. I took soil samples to be tested. They both still enjoy doing much of the work on the property, themselves. I mentioned seeding and over-seeding the other areas, amending and then aerating.

Then I said, "Why don't you plant a variety of shade-loving plants and don't have a plan as far as placement." This wouldn't have been possible anyway because of the trees root flare, but I thought it would look better somewhat haphazard.

I was stopping by briefly to drop off some materials to later remove some dead indian hawthorns, redo the bed outline and then plant some loropetalums (more later). Well, the "B" variety of the doll couple was there and asked if I had seen what she had done around the tree. I hadn't because I was in a hurry and hadn't picked my head up - silly me.

I looked up and over toward the tree and said, "Wow! You nailed it!" (You may want to enlarge the image to truly enjoy it.) It works so well, particularly with the surrounding landscape. She used a variety of varieties of hostas, ferns and lenten roses. And, that killer metallic flower, which was already killer, sets this off, or vice versa - doesn't matter.

I hope to return to care for and prune a lady banks rose which is no lady right now. She's a beast. We just need to find a trellis worthy of her.

You may also like:
Indian Hawthorns - Tumbling Tumble Weeds
She's a Lady. Well, Perhaps Not So Much.

Winter Weed Control - Fall Pre-emergent Application

It's almost that time again - to put down a pre-emergent for winter weeds which will germinate over the next few months and then come busting up through your lawn during winter and next spring.

When to do so has typically been passed down as early September, but it is more effective if one pays attention to soil temperatures and we are nowhere near that point yet.

We will be monitoring this over the next several weeks to schedule the proper time-frame.

We are going to apply pre-emergent (including potash - potassium) in the coming weeks at the following rates:



Lawn (not property) Square Footage

Up to 8,000...$50.00, refer a nearby friend or neighbor*...$40.00
8 to 12,000....$60.00, refer a nearby friend or neighbor*...$50.00

* Refer a friend or neighbor who lives within four miles of you who commits to having their lawn treated and both of you receive $10.00 off.

The great thing about referring a neighbor, specifically an adjacent neighbor, is that if their lawn is less likely to have weeds, then so is yours, and vice versa.

Treatment will only be applied to lawns and over-broadcasting on to man-made surfaces will be blown or swept back on to lawn.

Property owner should water their entire lawn for at least thirty minutes or the equivalent of 1/2 inch of rainfall as soon after application as possible. This will help activate the product and also allow it to settle, not to be carried off your lawn, where it doesn't belong. So, please don't over-water so that you have a flow of water beyond the borders of your lawn.

And, please be advised, weeds are usually not the cause of an unhealthy lawn, but rather, unhealthy lawns (such as lack of or improper watering, mowing too short, unfertile, over-fertilized or unbalanced pH soil, wrong turfgrass selection) allow such un-wanteds to occur.

If you believe your property may be over 8,000 square feet, please measure it by walking off the area, subtracting plant beds, man-made surfaces and obviously, not including your home. The average adult stride is 3 feet. If you understood the first day of Geometry class, you can do this.

Contact us however you wish or use the Contact Us feature to the right.

Please share this with some friends and neighbors by using one of the features below. 

Overly-aggressive Edging

We usually only provide mow, edge and blow services for those customers for whom we are continuously working on the other plant life on their properties.

I am thankful for these relationships, but more so as they trust me to maintain and prune the other more substantial shrubs and trees, which truly pop even more aside a well maintained lawn. 

I have noticed customers' and friends' properties which have these areas along man-made borders which seem to be trimmed cut too deep (too short).

One blamed this on a row of small shrubs which may have been shading the grass. In fact the early morning sun came in at such a low angle that this area of grass was receiving as much light as the rest of the lawn. Some other adjacent and nearby borders were doing fine, some with less sun exposure, but they didn't have a man-made border and they were vertically edge instead of horizontally trimmed.

It appears (Well, actually I've seen it being done.) some of us humans get a little OC on this and feel we need get down and dirty and into that corner and clean it all out, including the grass. Or, someone is trimming before mowing, not realizing the mowing height.

There is nothing that stands out more than a lawn which completely and evenly meets up with its borders, particularly those of plant beds. That separation and definition makes the different elements of one's property pop.

So, stop it!

Ploetry - The Footmen

Here we stand, proudly, ready for another competition.

It's been about a week since the last battle.

Many of us worn, beaten, perhaps unearthed. Many of us previously cultivated, hybridized and synthesized.

Yet, here we are, prepared, excitedly anticipating the next two or so hours of...

Stances, pivots, cuts and the occasional pile-on.

Some say we are pampered, but I can only imagine what wonderful treatment our brethren receive on the links, particularly those closer to the pin. What a life that must be.

Mower Strangled Near Trenholm Road

On Thursday, August 23, at around 9:40 a.m., a resident near Trenholm Road contacted local authorities to report she heard extreme gasping for air, similar to strangulation, coming from her neighbor's property. The woman stated she was not very mobile and wasn't able to see what was the matter.

When the officers arrived, one rolled down his window and immediately realized the homeowner was not gasping for air, but his lawn mower certainly was.

Without further incident, the officers assured the reporting party that everything was just fine, at least with her neighbor.

Okay, you know this never occurred, but this does happen to lawn mowers, and other gas powered tools. They start to whine, wheeze and have this sort of I think I can thing going on. It is this odd, almost rhythmic sound they never had since first being out of the box, assembled and first used. Yet, most of us overlook (ignore) this.

I hear this sick sound quite a lot from neighboring properties when visiting customers and it's not just coming from homeowners' equipment. I hear it coming from the pros' equipment too, sometimes for weeks on end.

Lime and Fertilizer Application

Well, we've had or are having a little more Spring weather than we have had for the last few years and soon will be the right time to fertilize our lawns and adjust its pH.

I have already spoken with several of you for whom we have already performed soil tests and I will be working on getting some figures to you for fertilization and liming.

For the other customers we have done soil tests for we will be glad to review them and see what needs to be addressed - what, at what amount - and provide a proposal to perform such.

If you haven't had a soil test(s) performed, there is probably a safe solution where at least you can have a greener lawn and may wish to address the other factors of the health of your lawn's soil by having a soil test performed. This will enable you to address the longer term concerns of your lawn's health.

Pleas use the contact form or give Doug a call at 803-553-5757.

Don't LEAVE it Alone

I have mentioned this before, but having had several customers contact us late last January about clean-up of Mother Nature's debris (leaves, needles, berries, etc.) so late in winter, I thought it worth mentioning again.

Last year was somewhat confusing for many trees as we truly didn't have any consistent cold-enough (for complete shedding) temperatures for our deciduous friends.

I remember finally being called to properties and finding several inches of leaves and straw - not that evergreens are deciduous, but they still rid themselves of what they don't want when not needed during the colder climes.

This year is different and much of what will fall, already has. So either get out there yourself, call your regular lawn service or call us.