What Everyone Should Know About Planting A Tree

Posted on by AdminAD

shade treeThere was a client who hired a reputable landscape company to plant a live screen between himself and his neighbors.  Spruce were chosen for the spot and they looked great.  But they died, one by one. The company came out and replaced them with more spruce, with the same result.  Fortunately, the client asked around, then contacted a friend of mine who is known for his reputation of tree knowledge. The trees were planted in a swale, which is a low place in the property that collects water.  Dave told the client he needed to plant to the swale.

“What does that mean?” he asked.  Dave said, “Let’s plant something that likes the conditions in a swale.”

More important than size, appearance and growth habit, and what is often overlooked, is preferred growing conditions.  Different plants have different needs, and when not met, the results are certain to be a disappointment, to say the least.  A spruce will not tolerate wet feet for extended periods, while a bald cypress will love you for many years for putting it there.  And while not fatal, siting a tri-color beech where it receives hot afternoon sun can turn its beautiful pink leaves’ margins to a “What’s wrong with my tree?” tan.

A tree planted in the wrong place will not maintain the qualities you selected it for.  In other words, you are not getting what you wanted.  

Yeah, we’re all in a hurry, we all want to save money, but fast-forward to 5 or 10 years from now.  When you are looking at the plant that has not given you the shade you hoped for, or the flowers, fall color or screen you wanted, (fill in the blank here), what price would you put on having gotten it right in the first place?

The easiest way is to start with a professional who is passionate about what you want.  Make sure what you choose is planted correctly by someone who is passionate about that.  Then, nurture your investment by following the care instructions to make sure your perfect choice gets the love it needs to love you back like nobody’s business!

We can give you all that, plus referrals for others who are as passionate as we are.

So if you choose not to consult,  at least consider doing this.  Before making a final decision on a plant, go to your favorite search engine and type “Growing conditions for _______”.  If you know the botanical name, it can weed out unuseful results.  (Pun intended, as usual) Choose a source from a university or arboretum for the best information.  If your planting site does not meet all of the criteria, keep looking.

We really do want you to be happy.  The more people who are happy, makes the world a better place!

If you could smell the color blue, what would it smell like?

Posted on by lovemyyardcolumbus

The blue I’m talking about is cobalt blue, but brighter, just a little lighter. And then, what if you could taste it?

IMG_2640Last Spring, I saw Blue Spice Basil for the first time, (at Oakland Nursery). I read the name on the tag, then when I crushed a leaf, I could not get over the unusual, berry-basil fragrance. To me, it smells like the color blue. It does not smell like blueberries, just the color blue. Not to be confused with African Blue Basil, which is darker and spicier, this basil smells clear and round.

It tastes like its fragrance, the leaves in a salad lend and pleasant unexpected lift every few bites. I would love this stuff, even if I was only allowed to breath it in.
Tonight as I harvest the last of my basils because the nights are getting cool, I’m thinking about mixing it with some sweet basil, rose water and walnuts to make a pesto. I’m looking forward to trying it in an Indian dish. Would love to throw this ingredient in a cooking show to see what they pair it with!

Just wanted to give you something to look forward to:)

Want to Save $$$ on your Water Bill?

Posted on by lovemyyardcolumbus

My spouse calls me the ‘Water Nazi’. Everyone has something they tend to be passionate about (ok, compulsive), and wasted water is mine. Gardeners know that effective watering the first year after planting is essential to the success of their plants. After all the grumbling I heard from clients last year about water bills, I am offering some of my favorite watering tips.

The most important thing to remember is to slow the water down. The slower it moves, the more of it gets absorbed where you want it, and no water will be wasted by running off.

The most obvious way, is to slow the water flow from your hose to a trickle or slow stream. Let it run for a spell while you pull weeds, or set a timer and do something else.

IMG_2639My favorite watering tip is to fill a five gallon bucket with nail holes in the bottom of the side with water. Place it next to the base of the plant and you are done! Restaurants are a good resource for food storage buckets. For big plants, use three at once. Just imagine: the number of plants you can water in an hour is limited only by how many buckets you’re able to set out!

Create contours, or reservoirs around plants and in the soil surface. Resist the urge to smooth the soil once you have planted a flower bed. Instead, before spreading mulch, make the soil surface choppy. Think Lake Erie on a windy day. The water will pool in the craters, and the mulch will conceal them. This is especially helpful for watering a slope.

Keep a five gallon bucket with a handle beside the kitchen sink to catch rinse water, and use it to water houseplants and plants under eves. We empty ours two to five times a day, sometimes more!

When using an oscillating sprinkler as intended, especially when it’s hot, too much water is evaporated before it hits the soil. Try holding it like a watering wand to water sod, a seeded area, or a long narrow bed.

I only recommend using soaker hoses with caution because the amount of water delivered depends on your water pressure, and the distance from the hydrant. More water is released at the beginning of the hose than at the end. If you do use a soaker hose, it should be buried in the soil or mulch, close to the roots to prevent evaporation. It is always wise to investigate water absorption 6-8 inches deep with a trowel or soil knife to see if you are getting a thorough soaking.

Water wise: save time and money!

Get a Professional in your yard for the best, most relevant advice!

Posted on by lovemyyardcolumbus

I don’t work on electric or plumbing at my house. I call a professional to avoid costly and time-wasting mistakes. Same goes for your yard. We offer consults for lawns, tree and shrub problems, time saving tips on maintenance for everything from vegetable gardens, perennials, weed control, soil amending, corrective and maintenance pruning and more. Most of the time we can cover all these categories with one visit. And every time, we point out things that never crossed your mind. For the cost of a plant or two, we make sure you get it right the first time. Mistakes cost money and more important where plants are concerned, mistakes cost time!

We tailor consults to the individual. So before your consult, we recommend the following steps:
Keep a list and continue adding to it, questions about everything in your yard.
Take pictures while walking or visiting other gardens of things you like.
Record past difficulties, problem sites, plants that don’t do well, and so on.
Also list your aspirations, what your dream yard would be like, the sky is the limit!
We can put everything in perspective, solve your problems and make life easier. Sounds simple, and it is if you decide to invest one to two hours in a consultation!
Please contact us for a consult!

Organic prevention of this is so possible!

Posted on by lovemyyardcolumbus

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I call them “weed walkers”. Not zombie plants that eat other vegetation to survive, just weeds in the cracks of your walkways. I think I have found a happy solution that is organic and not toxic to existing plants, for easier maintenance of walkway weeds!

Last spring I experimented with Corn Gluten on my brick walkway and stone patio at my house. Even with the high rainfall this year (which would encourage more weeds) I have noticed a significant decrease in back-bending, weed-pulling than in previous years!

Disclaimer alert!

Corn gluten, only readily available in the last five years, has been marketed as a pre-emergent for crabgrass in lawns, and because it eventually breaks down into nitrogen, a natural major nutrient for lawns. It is non-toxic an does not affect existing plants. It is important to note that it’s efficacy as a pre-emergent has been found to increase with repeated applications. The more you use it, the better it prevents weed seeds, or any seeds, from sprouting. That said, because it prevents even grass seeds from sprouting, I feel that the lawn is the last place it should be applied! If you have a bare spot in your turf, or want to overseed your lawn in the fall to promote a lush turf in the future, corn gluten may hinder your efforts.

One more alert, this time it’s soapbox alert!
Knowledge is power, know what you are using and use it wisely. It is impossible for even the best garden center to inform every customer of every nuance of every product. Labels are on packages because they tell you what you need to get the most from the product. Respect labels and use them to reap the benefits and prevent mistakes, so you can love your yard to it’s fullest!

 

This is my favorite vegetable this week:

Posted on by lovemyyardcolumbus

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It happens every time. When a person tastes Ground Cherries for the first time, eyebrows go up, and they immediately reach for a second. Not so much because it’s so good, but probably because they want to get to know it better so they can describe it. They are sweet, nutty, I think mapely, and pop in your mouth like pure joy!
Ground cherries, related to tomatoes, and more closely to tomatillos, are less sticky, easier to free from their husks, and less, for lack of a better word, slimy. Unlike tomatoes, they are disease resistant. They grow like a low ground cover around other vegetable plants, shading the ground keeping moisture in, while shading out weeds.
They are at Farmers’ Markets now, so give them a taste drive! I would love to hear about your take on ground cherries’ flavor!