Drainage DIY

Poor drainage is the enemy of any good landscape.

Gator Block

Come On In Today For Your GatorBlock Bond!

Playground Wood Chips

Raj with Dixon Landscape Materials shows us their very popular playground wood chips, which is made from Cedar and certified for playgrounds. It is also used all around the garden, parks and so on.

Call Dixon Landscape at 707-678-8200 and visit their website at www.dixonlandscape.com

Step 1: The Game Plan

Instructional video from Park Avenue Turf on putting together a game plan for best installation of your new lawn sod.

Landscape With Boulders

It may sound a bit of a stretch to say; landscape with boulders, but it all depends on how you plan to acquire and position your boulders. Now, you can actually create your own boulders using a process that allows you to make your own fake boulders very inexpensive and the cost to make these fake boulders is one of the perks to this project.

In order to make your own boulders you just need to determine what size boulders and where you want them to be placed. The rest is just following some very easy, step by step plans, that you can acquire online. The process is unique and that makes discovering this method important from the standpoint of cost savings and customizing your project.

Creating your own landscaping rocks and boulders is not only economical but a lot of fun as well. Just imagine having the perfect landscaping design, using rocks and boulders that you didn't have to buy or have moved to your property, that is exciting just thinking about it.

Boulders can actually convert your landscaping project from normal to extraordinary, simply by being able to position the right size boulders in the right position to accent the rest of your lawn. Boulders add so much depth to your landscaping that you will gain rave revues from neighbors and those that happen to drive by your property as well.

If you consider the more elaborate landscaped lawns and public areas, they usually contain boulders to really set their landscape designs apart from the normal hedge or shrubs and a few select plants scattered about. By adding the boulders you can separate certain plants and shrubs that allow you to included more species of plants which adds more variety and attraction to your lawn.

Landscaping with boulders has always been a problem when moving or positioning these large rocks is involved. The cost usually deters the thought of even using them altogether. With modern technology and a few good plans you can now landscape with no limits in sight.

Depending on where live, you may have a certain type of boulder and rock that is native to your area. Some places have limestone rock formations, others have granite or field-stone. Being able to incorporate the native type of boulder formations will allow you to blend your landscaping project with the rocks that are found in your area, making your landscape look natural as well.

Boulders that are light weight and easy to move can allow you to reposition your layout from time to time and this is an added advantage that you won't find using real heavy boulders. This alone is an added value that you get by using fake rocks and boulders.

Not having to use any special tools and forms to make your own fake boulders is a plus that comes with some rock building plans. Free-standing boulders without forms are a great way to make and move your boulders into any position you choose. Rocks are always the icing on the cake, as far as award-winning landscaping designs are concerned. Now you can add rocks to your lawn or backyard and know that you have created your own masterpiece in landscaping.

Before you begin your next landscaping project, consider incorporating rocks and boulders that you can build and place without having to increase your budget. Fake rocks and boulders are the way to go.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6626573

Winter Landscape Gardening Tips

During the winter months it is very easy to just sit in the warm and not bother with your garden, but this is actually when landscape gardeners recommend that this is a good time to take out those plants that you believe give you problems in one of the following ways;

Difficult to maintain; High maintenance; Causing other smaller plants to become shaded; Overgrown; Needs too much water; Simply bored with the plant.

Any of the above reasons may be a good reason just to dig up the problem plant and dispose of it, during the winter it is much easier to dig up plants whilst they generally have less foliage, unless of course they are evergreens.

Due to the change in climate more landscape gardeners are taking a closer look at watering requirements and if hosepipe bans start to become more frequent in your area you may decide to take a closer look at areas requiring lots of watering. When using water hoses, provided they are not banned at the time, a long heavy use of the sprinkler system say once a week can be far more beneficial than frequent shallow hose watering.

Roots will generally go deeper into the soil if you use infrequent heavy watering programs whereas roots can be shallower into the soil if only a light watering regime is used. Obviously in the winter in the UK even in the area of Sheffield where rain is abundant you can preserve our water systems.

Due to the cold snaps we get in the UK it is best not to cut your grass too short during the winter months maybe leave your grass length about 25-40mm long and in the known shaded areas of your garden maybe 50-60mm long this will also allow the roots to grow deeper.

Most landscape gardeners will tell you one of the most overlooked points during the winter is not clearing leaves and garbage off your lawn, try and get out there and rake up those leaves and put them in your compost bin, ideally once a fortnight or whenever you see an excess of leaves on your lawn, you could also where spike shoes when doing this to help aerate your lawn, although beneficial it is not essential.

Finally Landscape Gardeners will also recommend that the winter period is an excellent time to clear out old mulch that is older than three years old, as this mulch is now probably ineffective at preventing weeds plus fresh mulch will also help preserve water in the soil.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_M_Stanley

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Which Sod is Best For Your Lawn

When it comes to lawn turf, everyone wants green lawns, easy maintenance, and less watering. Varieties of turfgrass have unique visual appeal, thickness, maintenance, and growth habits. The most common forms of lawn grass include: Centipede, Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysia. Below are characteristics you should consider before choosing the best turfgrass for your landscape.

Bermuda: Bermuda grass is a great all around grass for landscapes with high traffic. It is normally used for soccer and other sports fields. The grass prefers full sun and has a high tolerance for heat and drought conditions, although consistent watering will retain a bright green hue. There are a few pests and diseases you should be aware of including mole crickets, sod web worms, army worms, and dollar spot.

Centipede: This grass has a higher shade tolerance than Bermuda but lower tolerance compared to St. Augustine and Zoysia. Salt tolerance is fairly low and centipede grass prefers moderately acidic soils. Centipede grows rather slowly in comparison to other grasses, but will overtake a space if not kept in check. Centipede also requires little fertilizer, less mowing, and prefers full sun to moderate shade. This turfgrass does not grow well in high traffic areas, phosphorous or compact soils. TifBlair is one cold-tolerant variety that may be used in cooler climates such as North Carolina and further west.

St. Augustine: This is a warm climate grass that grows best in humid and coastal areas. St. Augustine can tolerate moderately shaded areas with moist-fertile soil. Sod or plugs are the most readily available source for installing this grass. St. Augustine grass grows moderately fast and requires consistent watering for optimal establishment. Bitter-blue and Raleigh varieties have been established to withstand cooler temperatures or clay soils. Grass should be cut at 3.5"-4" height.

Zoysia: A transitional grass that will last throughout yearly warm and cool seasons. Different varieties have a greater cold tolerance than others, Zoysia japonica is one of these. Drought conditions will not affect this grass as much as other types. It also has similar water requirements as Bermuda grass. Deeper roots allow zoysia to collect water from further soil depths. Make sure your yard is graded properly and soils are well-drained before applying pallets of zoysia. Varieties include: Emerald, Belaire, El Toro, and Cashmere zoysia. This grass should not be used in cooler climates as it will spread throughout other gardens and turn brown during the winter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlie_Allen

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Oak Tree Stepping Stones

Here's a new shipment of concrete steps that are made to look like Oak tree slices, yet will last for many years to come. These are so useful for stepping stones and add interest and natural colors to your garden area.

We carry a great selection of garden supplies in addition to our gravel and dirt! Come check it out.

Phoenix Party Pad and Fire Bar

A Phoenix couple gets a dream party pad that rocks an indoor fire feature.

Silverstone 3/4" Crushed Decorative Rock at Dixon Landscape...

Raj Hansra of Dixon Landscape Materials shows off their new stocking item. This is Silverstone 3/4" crushed decorative rock and it has become very popular. We think it is so popular because of the beautiful colors with blue, green, gray, streaks of white. It looks good wet or dry and is easy to install.

Call Dixon Landscape Materials at 707-678-8200, and visit their website at www.dixonlandscape.com.