Spring Lawn Mower Tune Up

April 11th, 2012 Posted in Lawn Maintenance
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Warmer weather is here and if you haven’t had to mow the lawn yet, it won’t be long before you do.  If you are like many Americans who prefer to use a lawn maintenance service or landscaper for your lawn care and maintenance, it’s time to touch base and get on their schedule. This is a great time to review any problems from last year, assess any winter damage to the lawn, and talk about any new landscaping needs or lawn care changes for this season.

For those who mow their own lawns, it’s time to get that mower out of the garage and get it ready for another season.  Remove and sharpen the blades and while they are off, clean the underside of the mower deck getting all of those matted grass clippings off.

Change the oil, clean the air filter, and install a new spark plug.  If there was any gas left in the tank from last fall, drain it and fill the tank with fresh gas.  Gasoline does not age well and gas that is more than two months old can cause your lawn mower to run poorly and be hard to start.

If you have a riding lawn mower, use a bicycle pump to fill the tires to the proper pressure. Low tire pressure can cause uneven mowing.  Check the battery and top it off with distilled water if needed.  After sitting all winter, the battery may need a charge.   This is a good time to clean the battery terminals too.

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Planning Your Outdoor Lighting

March 28th, 2012 Posted in Landscape Design
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Outdoor lighting is an important element of any Johans Creek, Georgia landscape design.  Outdoor lighting can add accents to your landscape, accentuate desired features, and contribute to safety.  Properly done, outdoor lighting adds beauty and value to your home.

Randomly adding lighting to your Johns Creek landscape rarely achieves optimal results.  There are many different types of lighting and to get the effect you want, you should consult with your landscape design contractor and create an integrated outdoor lighting plan.

Lighting effects can vary greatly depending on the type of light and the way it is used.  Lights angled upwards from below is called uplighting.  Downlighting and crosslighting are similar except that the lights are mounted to the sides or above and point across or down.  Accent lighting, silhouetting, shadowing, spread lighting, and graze lighting all have different effects and when skillfully employed, they create a unique look to your landscaping.

Lighting can also be used to light pathways, stairs, and entryways and to provide light and ambiance to outdoor entertainment areas.  Start your outdoor lighting plan by drawing a diagram of the layout of your landscaping.  Include your home and any outbuildings, shrubs, trees, gardens, flowerbeds, walkways, fences, driveways, hardscapes, waterscapes and outdoor entertainment areas.

As you and your landscape designer inspect your landscaping, add the light features you and your landscape designer determine will best achieve the results you desire to your drawing.  Once the type and location of all the fixtures have been identified, your Johns Creek landscape designers can help you determine where to run wiring and switch placement.

After installation is complete, you may need to make some adjustments and fine tuning to finally get the perfect outdoor lighting for your home.

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Why You Need a Professional Landscape Designer

March 28th, 2012 Posted in Landscape Design
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Whether you are starting from scratch or modifying an existing Cumming, Georgia landscape, there are many reasons why you should use an experienced Cumming landscape designer or landscape architect for the design of your landscaping project. A beautiful landscape doesn’t happen by accident.  It needs to be carefully planned and properly executed to achieve the results you desire and to complement your home.

Trying to piecemeal your landscaping by adding a feature here, a garden there, and some trees and shrubs over there will result in a landscape that does not appear to be in harmony or that make the best use of your property.

Cumming landscape designers have the experience and training to design a complete landscaping plan that harmonizes beautifully and achieves the result you desire.  Some homeowners want the landscape to primarily provide aesthetic appeal.  Others want to incorporate outdoor living spaces and entertainment areas.  A good landscape designer will take your dreams and make them into reality.

There are also practical considerations for depending on a landscape designer.  Whatever your budget is, your landscape designer will be able to maximize your value while keeping your project under budget.  By planning and designing the project in advance, you will be able to control costs and ensure the completed project is within your budget.

Even more importantly, your landscape designer will be able to help you envision what the final result will look like.  Before the first shrub is planted, you will have a clear picture of how the finished project will appear.  You can avoid the disappointment of a look that is not quite right and cost of tearing out the landscaping and starting over by working with an experienced landscape designer on your next landscaping project.

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Choosing a Landscape Designer Or Landscape Architect

March 28th, 2012 Posted in Landscape Design
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When it comes time to plan your Atlanta landscaping project, most homeowners will need a good Atlanta landscape design contractor or landscape architect for all but the simplest projects.  Adding some color to your flowerbeds or planting a tree doesn’t usually involve a redesign of your landscaping, but for a the design and installation of a harmonious landscape, you will need a landscape designer or landscape architect to handle the project.  Attempting to handle full landscaping project could turn out well, or the results may be disappointing.  Avoid disappointing results -  hire a professional landscape design contractor or landscape architect.

First you will need to decide whether you should hire a landscape designer or a landscape architect.  Landscape designers are very creative people who are excellent at taking a homeowner’s concept or idea and turning it into an attractive finished product.  They may or may not be college trained and their experience can vary widely.  There are no specific licensing requirements for landscape designers.

Landscape architects all have college degrees and are professionally licensed.  They have extensive training and education in landscape planning, drainage, and structural issues.  Hiring a landscape architect will be more expensive than a landscape designer, but if your project involves extensive grading, use of large retaining walls, and other heavy construction, you may be better off with a landscape architect.  For advice and consultation on planning and installing your landscape with relatively few structural issues, a landscape designer can probably do the job just as well but at a much lower cost.

Whether you choose a landscape architect or landscape designer, ask to see a few successful projects.  Do a drive by of these projects and see if the project appears to be well thought out and executed.  Every project is different and the designer or architect is working within the constraints of the client’s desires and budget, but you should be able to get an idea of whether the person has the talent needed to handle your project.

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Enjoying an Outdoor Fireplace

March 16th, 2012 Posted in Outdoor Living Spaces
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An outdoor fireplace is a great way to add ambiance and enjoyment of you deck, patio, or any outdoor entertainment area.  They can also extend your enjoyment into cooler months where the weather would ordinarily drive you and your guests indoors.

Outdoor fireplaces range from small portable models to permanently installed full sized fireplaces.  Portable models can be open fire pit designs usually made of metal, or chimineas which have an enclosed fire area and a short chimney.  Chimineas can be either clay or cast iron.   Both chimineas or portable fire pits are suitable for use anywhere in the yard, but they are limited in size.

For greater effect and a larger gathering area, consider a permanently installed outdoor fireplace.  Your landscaping professional can help you design and construct a beautiful outdoor fireplace that will add elegance and style to your patio, deck or pool area and provide a cozy focal point for your family and guests to gather.

The appearance and style of an outdoor fireplace is limited only by you and your landscaper’s imagination.  They can be built from all types of materials including natural stone, stacked stone, or flagstone for a rustic effect or from bricks, pavers and cement for a more uniform, contemporary look.  An outdoor fireplace can stand alone or be incorporated into other features such as a full outdoor kitchen.  Some are designed purely for aesthetic appeal and enjoyment, others can be used for cooking.

No matter what you are looking for in an outdoor fireplace, your landscaper can help.

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How to Hire a Landscaper

March 16th, 2012 Posted in Lawn Maintenance
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A great looking landscape adds to the beauty and value of your home and also increases your enjoyment and pride of ownership.  Keeping your yard, gardens, trees, shrubs and other landscape elements looking great is a lot of work.  Many homeowners don’t have the time it takes to properly maintain their landscape.  Fortunately, there are many excellent landscaping professionals who would love to handle your lawn care and maintenance.

When choosing a landscaper, you should do more than just randomly pick one out of the phone book or call the top listing in the internet search results.  First, decide if you want a large multiple crew company or a smaller operation with a single crew.  The larger company may offer lower rates for standardized service, but the smaller company will be more likely to tailor their services for your unique needs.  With a smaller landscaper, your service will probably be more consistent and they will get to know you and the needs of your property better.

Landscaping companies offer a very wide range of services from just mowing and trimming to fertilizing, weed control, seeding, aerating, planting and tending flower beds, and irrigation system maintenance to complete landscape design, installation, and maintenance.  Make sure you are clear on what your expectations are and that those services are included in the rate.

Find out how long they have been in business and whether they have experience on properties like yours.  Ask about their policy for delays and emergencies.  If it rains and they can’t mow, do they come out the next day?  The next week?

Finally, be sure to check with the Better Business Bureau and online ratings websites to see if they have a history of complaints.  It’s better to avoid problems up front than to have to deal with them later.

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Spring Landscaping Tips

March 12th, 2012 Posted in Lawn Maintenance
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In many parts of the country spring is right around the corner if it’s not here already.  If you live in one of these areas, it’s time to start getting your lawn and garden into shape to take advantage of the spring growing season.  If you start now, you should enjoy a beautiful, healthy lawn and garden all year.

If you haven’t done so already, go ahead and prune shrubs except for spring flowering shrubs.  Wait on these until after they have flowered.  Check your trees for dead branches and limbs.  Small branches are safe to remove if you can get to them, but if winter has done some damage to your trees and you have large dead or broken branches, have them professionally removed by an arborist.  Improper pruning can damage your trees.

Add mulch to your flowerbeds as needed.  Mulch deters weed growth and helps keep the soil moist.  A layer of mulch usually lasts about a year, and spring is the ideal time to bring your mulch up to about two to three inches.  A newly established bed will need more mulch than a well-established bed that may only need an inch of additional mulch.

This is a good time to fertilize your lawn and to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to control weeds that have already germinated before they get too big.  Hopefully you overseeded in the fall, but if you are planning on overseeding in the Spring, be sure to use a preemergent herbicide that will not damage the new seedlings.  Use of post emergent herbicides should be delayed four to five weeks after overseeding to give the new seedlings time to become established.

Your landscaping service professional can help you with your Spring landscaping and lawn care.

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Getting Ready For Spring Lawn Care

March 12th, 2012 Posted in Seasonal Landscaping
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Spring will be here soon.  In some areas, its already time to move ahead with our spring landscaping, but most of us have a few more weeks of winter before we can look forward to getting to work in the yard. With much of the country enjoying unseasonably warm temperatures, now is a good time to start getting ready for your spring lawn care.

Your irrigation system is critical for ensuring your lawn gets the water it needs throughout the year.  Winter can be tough on irrigation systems so have your irrigation system inspected and take care of any repairs and adjustments that are needed now so you won’t have any unpleasant surprises when you first turn it on in a few weeks.  You could have cracked or burst pipes, broken sprinkler head, and other issues that need to be taken care of before the season starts.

You can also start getting your lawnmower in shape for another season.  Check the battery and charge it if needed.  Check tire pressures and make sure they are properly inflated.  An underinflated tire can cause the mower to cut unevenly.  Inspect and sharpen the mower blades and change the oil.  Put fresh gas in the tank and make sure the mower starts and runs properly.

If you haven’t had your soil tested in a few years, now is a great time to take soil samples to your local extension agent for testing.  You will have the results back in time to choose the proper fertilizer and to adjust the soil pH as needed.

If you have any questions about spring landscaping, your local landscape services professional will be happy to help.

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Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits Create a Gathering Spot

March 1st, 2012 Posted in Outdoor Living Spaces
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The warm glow of a fire just seems to draw people together, and that is true whether the fire is in the hearth in your great room or if the fire is out of doors. Because of this, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are gaining in popularity as centerpieces for outdoor living spaces.

A large natural stone fireplace sitting on one side of a patio and a full outdoor kitchen and bar placed on the opposite side of the patio will turn that space into the optimal outdoor entertaining venue. Serve your guests their drinks and dinner plates on one side of the patio and then have your patio chairs sitting semi-circle around the front of the fireplace, ready for them to sit down and relax in front of the flames.

For a full circle view of the flames and a more traditional campfire setting, the fire pit is another popular route. Fire pits today are seldom just a metal ring in the sand. Many families have made them the true centerpiece of their stone patios. This allows for roasting of marshmallows and hot dogs over the fire and the easy flow of conversation as family and friends sit in a close but safe circle around the campfire.

Fire pits today aren’t always the traditional wood burning campfire variety. Fire pits can be gas burning as well and come in a wide variety of designs. You’ll find them with copper and cast iron finishes, as well as those that are ceramic or stone. There are permanent, built in fire pits and there are many different types of free standing fire pits that can be brought out onto the patio and removed again when they’re not in use.

There’s nothing much better in the cool of the evening than to sit out under the night sky with the warmth of a fire nearby.

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Spring Lawn Care and Maintenance is Just Around the Corner

March 1st, 2012 Posted in Lawn Maintenance
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Nothing compares to the beauty and cleanliness of a well-manicured lawn. When taken care of properly, your lawn will give the outside of your house a completely different look. You will be creating tremendous curb appeal as well as showing the world that you take pride in your house and want the outside to look just as good as the inside.

Even though spring is still a few weeks away, it is not too late to take inventory of what type of lawn care and maintenance you are going to need. Did your grass turn brown or get bare patches from a particularly harsh winter? Has your mulch seemed to have disappeared? Have your shrubs and plants lost most of their branches and leaves? If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you are definitely in need of some spring lawn care and maintenance.

Reseeding, planting, fertilizing and weeding are all basic lawn care services that you will probably need done. Aside from that, you may need to select some new spring flowers, plants or shrubs to replace the ones that may not have fared so well during winter. Even your grass will require a decent amount of work before you can begin the weekly ritual of cutting it.

Taking good care of your lawn is an important part of owning a home. Brown grass, wilted plants and dead flowers have no place in your landscaping. If you do not have time to provide adequate care and maintenance on your lawn, find a local landscaper who can do the job for you. They are more than happy to give your lawn the love and care it deserves to have.

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