A tree service staffed by certified arborists can work with your landscaper to resolve tree issues in your landscaping.  Some common tree issues encountered by Atlanta area homeowners include leaning trees, hazardous trees, diseased trees, and trees that don’t fit into the landscape design because they are too big or in an unfortunate location.

Leaning trees or hazardous trees should be evaluated by a certified arborist.  Very few landscaping professionals have the expertise to properly assess or manage hazardous or leaning trees.  A certified arborist will assess the extent of the hazard and recommend the best course of action from a list of options including bracing the tree, pruning it to reduce or eliminate the hazardous condition, or removal of the tree.

Certified arborists also have the skills necessary to diagnose and tree all types of diseases and insect infestations in trees.  In most cases, your arborist will be able to preserve the tree and return it to a healthy condition.

In some cases, an unfortunate location means that  a tree does not fit into the landscape design or has grown too large for an existing landscape.  An Atlanta tree service can help you and your landscaper sort through your options including relocation, pruning, redesign of the landscaping, or removal of the tree.

Keep in mind that these principles are guidelines rather than rules.  Ultimately, your landscape design should reflect your creative process and if you are happy with the results, then the project was a success.

Unity is an important element of any good landscape design.  There should be something that ties the project together.  It could be consistent use of color, height, shape, texture, or a theme that is reinforced throughout the design.

Most good landscape designs are simple.  Simplicity can be achieved by avoiding trying to do too much.  Cluttering up the landscape is distracting.  Try to stick with two or three colors and keep in mind that “less is more.”

You should work to achieve balance in your design.  Balance can be symmetrical such as equally sized shrubs on both sides of an entryway.  It can also be asymmetrical which is harder to achieve, but involves including similar elements of a design in differently shaped and sized garden beds on opposing sides of the landscape.

Smooth transitions from one element to the next create a pleasing landscape.  Abrupt changes should be avoided.  Instead, establish gradual transitions that lead the eye naturally from one element to the next.

Take care to ensure that your elements are in the proper proportion in relation to each other.  Hardscapes, waterscapes, and statuary should be in proper proportion to the area they are located.  Similarly, trees and shrubbery should be proportional to their location. They should be sized to create a pleasing relationship with their surroundings.

As few as three properly placed trees can reduce a household’s energy consumption by up to 25%.  With a savings of up to $250 per year, the average well-designed landscaping plan can pay for itself in less than 8 years and continue to provide savings for 20 to 30 years or more.

Deciduous (leaf shedding) trees are effective energy savers year round.  In the summer, the trees provides shade and evapotranspiration to keep the area around the trees cooler.  Studies have shown that well placed trees can reduce a home’s air conditioning costs by as much as 50%.

In the winter, the trees shed their leaves and admit sunshine and light to reduce heating and lighting costs.  The trees also block the wind which helps reduce the wind chill effect and reduces heating costs.  The combined beneficial effects of sunlight and windbreak can reduce heating costs by up to one third.

Proper landscape design is important for maximum energy savings.  Trees and other elements have to be placed where they will provide the most benefits. Talk to your landscaping professional about designing an energy efficient landscape for your home

Your landscaping should create a great first impression for potential property owners, current property owners, and guests. An attractive and well maintained landscape adds to the beauty, value, and enjoyment of your development. You want to find a commercial landscaper with the experience and equipment to properly care for your landscaping.  Since your landscaper will be on your property regularly, choose a landscaping company that presents a professional appearance while on the job.

Before soliciting bids, create a list of exactly what type of work you expect and the frequency of maintenance visits.  In addition to mowing the lawns, do you want the landscaper to handle fertilization, aeration, and application of herbicides and pesticides?  Are there shrubs that will need pruning?  What about planting seasonal flowers, mulching, and caring for waterscapes and hardscapes?  You cannot accurately compare bids unless you are comparing apples with apples.

Ask for references and follow up with a visit to the property.  How well is the property maintained?  Talk to the property manager and find out whether they have been satisfied with the landscaping company’s services.  Make sure that the landscaper is licensed and carries liability and worker’s compensation insurance.

Find out who the contact person will be and get their contact information.  Make contact with that person and discuss your landscaping needs.  Was the person easy to get in touch with?  Did they seem familiar with your needs and easy to work with?

With all this information in hand, you will be well prepared to choose an excellent commercial landscaping contractor to meet the needs of your homeowners association.

If you suspect a leak in your irrigation system, it is important to get it fixed as soon as possible.  Not only do irrigation system water leaks waste water, but an underground water leak can cause expensive erosion damage, attract termites and other insects, and can even damage your home’s foundation.

A leaky or broken irrigation system can be caused by many different reasons including frozen pipes, frost heave, shifting ground, or driving a car or other heavy vehicle across the lawn.  The good news is that a broken irrigation line is usually easier to find and repair than a broken water service line.

To locate a leak in your irrigation system, look for standing water or a soggy spot in the lawn that never seems to dry out.  Signs of a slower leak include a small area of grass that is greener and thicker than the rest of the lawn.

Once you have found the leak, irrigation system repairs are a matter of digging up the pipe and splicing in a new section.  To repair PVC pipe, the damaged section is cut out with a hacksaw or pipe cutter and a new section is glued into place using two connectors.  Your landscaping professional can help you find irrigation system leaks  and handle your irrigation system repairs.

As a result, rainwater that used to be absorbed by the land now runs off at a rate much faster than the land can handle.  Local building codes require a plan to control erosion and other issues caused by storm water runoff and in many cases the plan includes construction of a retention pond.  Most residential and commercial developments have retention ponds that help control rain water runoff.

Local codes usually require periodic inspection of a retention pond and can impose fines for retention ponds that are not up to code.  Regular maintenance of a retention pond will help keep it up to code and working properly.  Vegetation, debris, and silt can accumulate in the retention pond which reduces its capacity and can impair proper functioning.

The earthen dam around the retention pond must be kept in good condition and any silt and debris that builds up in the retention pond must be removed.  Retention ponds have several key components that need regular inspection and maintenance to ensure that they are working properly.  These include the headwall, weir, and exhaust.

Most good local landscaping companies have the experience and equipment to handle retention pond maintenance.  Homeowners associations and property managers should work with a professional landscaping contractor to establish a regular maintenance plan that will help ensure that the retention pond is working as designed and is up to code.

During the winter, soil becomes compacted and spring aeration is necessary to loosen up the soil.  Core aeration increases the effectiveness of your springtime application of fertilizer and overseeding by reducing the amount of fertilizer and grass seed that is washed away.  Instead, the nutrients and seeds penetrate into the soil where the seeds can grow and the nutrients are available to nourish you lawn.

For best results, have your yard aerated by your landscaper.  Landscaping professionals use high quality core aerators.  A core aerator removes small plugs of soil and distributes the plugs on top of the lawn.  In most cases the plugs should be left on top of the lawn where they will decompose and add additional nourishment to the yard.

Spike type aerators should be avoided.  These use spikes to poke holes in the yard and are not nearly as effective as core aerators.  In fact, spike type aerators can even contribute to soil compaction.

Your landscape professional can help solve your drainage problems.  They can identify the source of the problem and suggest solutions such as grading your landscape to redirect water flow or installing drainage ditches or French drains.

A French drain is an effective drainage solution for many drainage problems.  A French drain is a sloping trench filled with gravel surrounding a perforated pipe.  A French drain can be very effective with only a slight slope.  A slope as little as one inch for every eight feet is enough.

French drains rely on the principle that water flows downhill and will always choose the easiest route.  Water flows easily through the gravel into the perforated pipe where it is directed to an appropriate area. By creating a sloping, easy route for water to travel, a French drain can be used to direct water away from your foundation and to drain low areas of your yard.

Shallow French drains can be used to drain low areas in the yard or areas where surface water accumulates.  Deeper French drains around foundations or behind retaining walls protect against water intrusion, erosion and hydraulic pressure.  Your landscaper can design and install a French drain to help solve your drainage problems.

According to the Better Business Bureau, the receive over 4,000 complaints every year about landscape contractors and lawn maintenance services.  What’s worse is about a third of these complaints were unable to be resolved.  That’s a sure sign that there are a lot of unhappy customers out there.

Don’t take chances with you yard.  Avoid becoming a statistic by choosing your landscaper or yard maintenance service carefully.  First, before you start talking to potential service providers, think about what you want.  Do you just want someone to mow the yard or do you want the landscaper to handle everything including fertilization, seeding, application of weed and pest control, and aerating?  In addition to lawn care, what about caring for other landscape features such as waterscapes, ponds, flower beds and shrubs?

Discuss your desires with several lawn maintenance services and get their input on services offered.  Each landscape professional may offer different packages of services that may or may not fit your needs.  Talk to them about the types of products they use, especially if you are concerned about environmental impact.

Make sure each contractor has the necessary licenses for your area.  Any contractor should have a business license and liability and workers compensation insurance.  Depending on where you live and the services offered, there may be other licensing requirements such as for application of pesticides and fertilizers.

Compare competing proposals and choose the contractor that seems right for you.  Before signing the contract, go over it carefully to make sure you understand what services you are getting and the total cost.

Lawn grasses are divided into two basic groups:  cool season and warm season grasses.  Cool season grasses are best suited for northern climates and warm season grasses grow best in the south.  In between is the “transitional zone” were either type of grass can be grown with some success.

Cool season grasses include fescue, bluegrass, and ryegrass.  They grow well in cool conditions so their primary growing season is in the spring and fall.  In addition, they can tolerate some moderate drought conditions in the warm summer months, but a severe drought will cause the lawn to die off.  Cool season grasses can withstand freezing winter temperatures.

Warm season grasses thrive in warm temperatures and grow all summer.   They go dormant in cool winter months, but don’t tolerate extended periods of below freezing temperatures.  Bermudagrass, centipede grass and St. Augustine grass are popular types of warm season grasses.

Each type of grass requires different mowing heights, fertilization and weed control.   For example, Bermuda grass is mowed to around an inch while fescue and St. Augustine are left a little taller.  Tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass does well when mowed to two or two and half inches.

The type, amount, and timing of fertilization vary as well.  Be sure to only use fertilizer that is right for the type of grass in your yard.  If you are not sure, talk to a lawn care service or landscape contractor.  They are the lawn care experts and will know what types of grasses are best suited for your area and how take care of the lawn.