Fall In Love with Fall Planters

The temperatures are dropping and while we may be getting fewer hours of sunlight, that's no reason to keep your landscape from being anything but bright and beautiful!

Planters are an easy way to add a pop of color to your yard this fall. 

Try mixing an array of fall-inspired colors such as deep yellows, rust reds and even bits of pink and purple. Pansies are a great choice for pink and purple hues, while hardy mums come in a large assortment of colors and are one of fall's favorite flowers. Foliage plants such as ornamental kale are a great addition; with its frilly leaves, colorful centers, and excellent tolerance for cool temperatures, ornamental kale is easy to combine with other fall favorites, making it a prime planter addition.

General care for your planters this fall includes making sure they receive plenty of sunlight, checking soil daily for moisture content, and trimming dead or damaged foliage to help keep the plants healthy. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Core aeration and why you need it.

It's been a scorcher! With record-breaking temperatures this summer and little rainfall, your lawn may be a bit parched, possibly suffering from drought stress and/or insect damage. Prepare it for next spring now by completing fall core aeration.

What is core aeration?

Simply put, core aeration is the process of mechanically removing small ½ to ¾-inch size plugs of soil, typically 1-6 inches deep from your lawn by using a mechanical drum machine with individual tines.

Why is it necessary?

Core aeration will increase water, nutrient and oxygen movement into the soil. All three elements are necessary for maintaining a strong, healthy root system.

How often should I aerate?

Generally, home lawns benefit from annual core aeration. Different soil types can require more frequent aeration.

When should I aerate my lawn?

If you are only aerating once a year, the best time for cool-season lawns is September to October. This is when lawns are coming out of summer dormancy and beginning a period of vigorous growth. Lawns will recover quickly from aeration at this time and competition from weeds is also minimal.

What happens after my lawn is aerated?

Once your lawn has been aerated, you will notice small plugs of soil throughout the grass. These plugs will break down naturally over time in the next few weeks and roots will gradually fill the holes where the plugs of soil were removed.  This is a sign that your lawn is receiving the additional oxygen, moisture and nutrients it craved.

 

 

Mulch vs Stone

Which side are you on?

Yard work . . . there, we said it. Those picture-perfect landscapes don't maintain themselves and we're certain mulch installation is on your list this spring.

 

Here are the pros and cons on the mulch vs stone divide. 

 

Mulch 

Pros:

-Adds organic matter to your soil as it decomposes

-Helps retain moisture in the soil

-Less expensive than stone

-Easier to install since it weighs less than stone

-Softer and easier to walk on

-Multiple varieties available (Hardwood, Pine, Dyed, Cedar)

Cons:

-Must be installed every 1-2 years

-Color can fade, especially in areas exposed to direct sunlight

-Can wash away

-Can host unsightly slime mold

 

Stone

Pros:

-Needs to be refreshed occasionally. 

-Large selection of colors, shapes, and sizes

-Stays in place more effectively

-Less fading from weather elements

Cons:

-More expensive than mulch 

-More difficult to install due to weight

-Weed barrier fabric should be installed underneath

-Edge restraint is needed to keep stone and yard areas separate

-Trendy varieties can lose popularity and become difficult to match in the future

-Even with weed barrier fabric weeds can still develop on top of the fabric

-Plant replacement and installation is more laborsome 

No matter which product you choose, keeping your mulch and stone refreshed adds to the beauty and value of your landscape. 

 

Winter Interest Plants

Sure winters are cold and sometimes snowy, but inclement weather shouldn't stop you from being able to enjoy views of your garden; even if it is from inside your home. By selecting plants which provide visually appealing textures and color, it is possible to make winter a season of natural beauty.  Here are four types of winter interest to look for and names of plants which showcase these characteristics.

 

Interesting Bark:

Trees and large shrubs with interesting bark add visual interest all year long; however during winter, when branches are bare, the bark captures our attention.  Peeling and curing bark often reveals a different color below adding a beautiful touch of color to any landscape.  Some plant varieties take a few growing seasons for this feature to fully develop.

 

Try Planting:

River Birch

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Paperbark Maple (pictured below)

 

Colorful Stems and Twigs:

An easy way to add winter interest is by planting a large group of deciduous shrubs with colorful stems and twigs. These plants are sure to stand out against the snow.

 

Try Planting:

Yellow Twig Dogwood

Japanese Kerria

Red Twig Dogwood (pictured below)

 

 

Ornamental Grasses:

Ornamental grasses add color, texture, and movement to the winter landscape.  When planted near evergreen plants they create a beautiful contrast.

 

Try Planting:

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass

Blue Fescue

Maiden Grass (pictured below)

 

 

Wintertime Fruits and Berries:

Plants with fruits or berries which persist through winter add interest to your landscape and potentially attract wildlife such as birds.

 

Try Planting:

Prairifire Crabapple

Nannyberry Viburnum

Beautyberry (pictured below) 

 

 

We've selected some of our favorites to showcase this season's best landscape projects!  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burlap Plant Protection 

Every neighborhood has one or maybe more than one.  You know, the home where the hedges are yellow instead of green.  To avoid becoming “that home”, protect your plants during winter with burlap.

Winter has many weather hazards such as snow, ice, cold temperatures and wind.  Here are three ways burlap helps protect your investment.

1.    Prevent “Winter Burn”.  During winter months, evergreen plants are unable to replenish their moisture due to the frozen ground.  Water is lost from leaves/needles through a process called transpiration (go ahead and use that word at your next social outing). Transpiration occurs year-round but can be problematic during winter and can cause plants to dehydrate.  Burlap helps to prevent excess transpiration and insulates against drying winds.

2.    Protect against salt damage.  Burlap creates a barrier to help protect against salt spray damage from road and sidewalk salt.  Salt spray can cause damage to foliage and stems.

3.    Allow plants to breathe.  Burlap provides protection for your plants while still allowing air to circulate and heat from the sun to escape. Other materials for plant protection don't have this ability and can end up causing more damage.

 
Thinking of your plants during the winter months will protect your landscape investment, will help plants to continue to thrive for many seasons to come, and will prevent you from becoming “that home”.

 

 

        

 

 

After the heat of the summer, when your perennials begin to look weathered and exhausted — or they're just falling over — it's time to grab your garden gloves and a spade to divide and solve the overcrowding problem.

Most perennials should be divided at some point. Often, your perennials need to be divided every two to three years. Otherwise, your blooms will be competing for nutrients and water and plants can outgrow their welcome. Many hardy perennials don't seem to skip a blooming beat once settled in a new location. Just fertilize regularly and add mulch when needed.

How do you know when to divide your blooms? Use this rule of thumb: If your perennials flower in spring and summer, fall is considered the ideal time to divide them. 

FOUR PERENNIALS TO DIVIDE IN THE FALL:

Sedum “Autumn Joy”: When there are so many blooms they are falling over it's time to divide. Once blooming is complete cut sedum to 6” above ground prior to dividing.  This allows for the plants to be more easily handled.  

Hosta: Divide Hosta after plentiful rain or a thorough watering the evening before so soil better adheres to the roots. September is a good month for most climates. Divide when Hosta look overcrowded in the space where planted.

Daylily: The best time to divide is when the clumps of stems provide fewer blooms throughout the season. Divide in late summer to early fall after the last flowering of the season. 

Siberian Iris: When the middle clumps stop producing blooms and the irises spread way beyond their boundaries, it's time to divide. Divide after the last bloom of the season.

There's nothing wrong with digging up these free perennials. Relocate the divided plant to a new spot or add them to a container in your garden. Dividing your plants is much easier than it seems and doesn't take much time. Who knew your landscape could produce so many more valuable plantings! 

In cooler regions such as Michigan, dig up the bulbs from plants such as Dahlias to store for the next season. Put peat moss in a ventilated box or bag, add the bulbs and move them to a dry place for safekeeping until you can plant them again.  

Next spring you'll be rewarded with new, more vigorous plants to share or add to your garden!

 

 

Fall Flowers 

If you're dreading the end of summer because it spells doom for all your beautiful flowers, dread no more.  To extend landscape color through the fall season, plant some of these varieties! 

 

1) Mums – mums are everyone's “go-to” solution for keeping the flower beds vibrant in the fall. They come in dozens of colors, so you can put them anywhere without worrying about how they'll impact the rest of your landscape.  They can be easily planted in pots on the porch or landscape beds to add color all over the yard.  Mums are very hardy plants and will keep flowering until about mid-November.  Buy plants that are full of tightly-clustered flower heads that haven't started to open yet. Put them in a sunny spot and keep them moist as they flower. 

 

2) Ornamental Cabbage and Kale – though people think of these plants as flowering, it is actually their leaves that provide the color and beauty.  Put them together in large plantings to show off their color, which develops best after frost. Buy plants that have short stems to prolong their growing season.  Kale is a drought-tolerant plant, but don't skip the water for too long or they will get stressed. 

 

3) Asters – this plant is very hardy and appears more daisy-like than mums. They are most commonly available in purple, white, and pink hues.

 

4) Pansies – a popular choice;  they're very colorful and last much longer into the cold weather.  Plant them now and enjoy them until the heat hits next summer. They'll get a little wilted when temperatures drop below freezing, but will perk right back up as soon as the sun works its magic.

 No matter what type of flower you choose, you can add some great color to your yard and keep your outside spaces inviting.  Before too long they will all be covered in white! 

     

 

 

There are three main benefits of trees:

1.       Health Benefits

2.       Environmental Benefits

3.       Financial Benefits

 

Yes, financial benefits!  Most people are familiar with the first two but the later you won't hear discussed as often.  We will break down the main points of each with some surprising statistics.

The Financial Benefit of Trees

The most tangible bang from your ‘bark' comes from energy savings.  Here are the statistics.

- “Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20-50 percent in energy used for heating.” – USDA Forest Service

- “If you plant a tree today on the west side of your home, in 5 years your energy bills should be 3% less.  In 15 years, the savings will be nearly 12%.” – Dr. E. Greg McPherson, Center for Urban Forest Research

Trees are responsible for increased property values.

- “Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent.”  – Management Information Services/ICMA

- “In one study, 83% of realtors believe that mature trees have a ‘strong or moderate impact' on the salability of homes listed for under $150,000; on homes over $250,000, this perception increases to 98%.” – Arbor National Mortgage & American Forests

- “Trees can be a stimulus to economic development, attracting new business and tourism.  Commercial retail areas are more attractive to shoppers, apartments rent more quickly, tenants stay longer and space in a wooded setting is more valuable to sell or rent.”  - The Arbor Day Foundation

Health Benefits of Trees

There is no denying trees are pretty to look at.  They flower, change colors and block unsightly views.

- “In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension.”  -Dr. Roger S. Ulrich, Texas A&M University

They also produce oxygen.  How much exactly?

- “On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.  Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four.” – Environment Canada, Canada's National Environment Agency

Environmental Benefits of Trees

Trees create habitats for wildlife, reduce soil erosion and prevent runoff from entering storm sewers amongst other things.

There are plenty of statistics to support these benefits but, by now I'm sure you've had your fill of facts for the day.  So, just take our word on this one!

It's easy to take for granted both trees and the many benefits they provide.  Our communities wouldn't be the same without them!