Yes it’s true, by installing synthetic turf instead of lawn you are decreasing you carbon footprint. Less water will be used and therefore water will be conserved and your water bill will be lowered.

• Reduced use of fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides will result in fewer pollutants reaching our waterways.
• Reduced energy use will lower carbon emissions.  For example, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to produce fertilizer.
  And just one hour of mowing your lawn produces the same amount of emissions as driving a car 93 miles.
• But should we just replace our lawn with synthetic turf?  No. Synthetic turf is only one way to replace lawn.  The first step is to look at your property as a whole and ask yourself some questions:

*  What on my property works and what doesn’t?
* How do I want to use my space?
* Where do I want to entertain, how much space is needed?
* Where do the kids play and how much area do they need?
* Pet needs?
* Storage areas?
* Gardening beds?

Once you consider these questions you might discover that you want to make some changes.  Of course Lifestyle Landscapes, Inc. would be happy to help!

One of the first changes that many people could make is to remove lawn from the narrow side yards between your house and your neighbor.  These are generally just circulation paths from front to back or storage for the garbage/recycle bin.  The easiest way to handle these areas may be a gravel path.  It is a simple beginning that might lead to further changes and less lawn.

Lawn has an icon of the American Landscape since the mid-19^th century.  It is time to re-think that tradition.

Arlene

Size of Rain Garden

Percolation Test

Dig a hole at least 2’ deep and 1-2 feet in diameter. •
Put a ruler in the hole and fill the hole with 8-12 inches of water. In Summer, fill and let drain three times. On the third time record the depth every hour. When the rate of change stabilizes i.e. is the same for three hours, that’s the infiltration rate in inches/hour.

Baxter

Small changes can often make a big impact. The typical backyard patio is often a small concrete slab surrounded by lawn. Generally people don’t go past the edge of the patio so it ends up as annoying useless space. In this example, the Homeowners’ were frustrated by the lack of space for cooking and didn’t even have room for a outdoor seating. By removing the lawn, a much larger more functional patio was created. Now the Homeowners and their family and friends can enjoy the fun of having people over for a barbeque or evening conversations around the fire pit. Not only is this more beautiful space but less maintenance as well.

Some plants adapt better to the techniques of espalier than others. The best candidates have long, flexible branches and ornamental flowers or fruits. Fruit trees are the most common types. The intensive pruning directs energy away from vigorous vertical growth into the shorter, lateral fruit-bearing spurs, resulting in heavier yields than on ordinary trees. Some other advantages to espaliering fruit trees include being able to grow several different cultivars in the space of a single normal tree for greater diversity in fruit types and cross-pollination requirements; the trees bear earlier and for a longer time with deeper fruit color; fewer pest problems as air circulation is enhanced and any needed treatments are more easily applied; and harvest is much easier.

Apple and pear trees are the traditional espalier subject because their spurs live for years producing fruit (although certain cultivars are better than others) and they have supple, easily trained new growth, but other fruit trees that sometimes are espaliered include figs, cherries and apricots.  As long as a woody plant has long flexible branches it can be used for espalier. Ornamental plants such as camellias, cotoneaster, flowering crabapples, flowering quince, forsythia, holly, magnolia, pyracantha, some viburnums, burning bush, and witch hazels are quite amenable to espalier. Even climbing roses or grapes could be used.

There are six traditional patterns used in espalier, with many variations on these basic designs. Normally only a single design is used within a landscape.

• Cordon – the most traditional form in which branches are trained to grow horizontally out of one central trunk. A multi-tier cordon generally has three tiers of branches but could have as many as five tiers. Cordon espaliering can be used to form living fences or to increase yield in small orchards.
• Palmetto Verrier – branches are shaped into a U as the horizontal branches are turned up at the ends. This creates nice definition between trees planted against a wall.
• Fan – branches angled at 45° grow radiating from a central trunk in a fan-shaped pattern. This is best for spaces requiring vertical coverage or in square spaces.
• Candelabra – several vertical branches arise at regular intervals from a low horizontal branch coming off the central trunk, forming a candelabra shape.
• Informal – more naturally shaped, but still in a single plane. This requires only simple pruning.
• Belgian Fence – three or more V-shaped espaliers are woven together into a fence for a lattice effect. The two trees on the ends are modified Vs for finished ends.

The different patterns are created by pruning to remove unwanted branches and training (forcing) others into the desired position. The highly symmetrical, formal designs require much more effort than the informal types. Some plants or cultivars are more suited to certain patterns than others because of their natural growth form, so will require less effort to train and maintain if well-matched. The more complex patterns take longer to develop.

Espaliers are trained on a strong supportive form of wood or galvanized wire. Almost any flat surface can be utilized: a wood or chain link fence, brick walls, the side of a garage, home or other building as long as a support structure can be attached to it. Free-standing trellises or even just wire stretched between posts can be used independent of a flat surface. Supports are placed in specific locations depending on the pattern and the plants are pruned and tied to the supports as they grow.

Espalier is a long and labor-intensive process, so this really isn’t suitable as part of a low-maintenance landscape. The basic framework of simple designs may be established in three or four years, while intricate designs will take longer. To develop your own espalier, choose a young tree without much branching, as this will require much less effort to manipulate. The main pruning is done annually in late winter/early spring when the plant is dormant (or after it flowers, if it is a spring bloomer) to remove branches that don’t fit the plan. Growth is redirected by pruning to buds that face the direction you want the plant to grow. Branches are moved into place and tied onto the supports in spring and early summer, while branches are still young, soft and easy to manipulate. This often has to be done gradually over a period of time each spring. The ties of soft string, strips of rags, rubber grafting bands, plant ties, or raffia should be checked periodically (every few months) and loosened if restricting growth or damaging the branch. The ties are removed once the final form has been achieved. Once the desired overall shape is achieved, it is maintained by simple, minor pruning once a month to remove all stray branches and twigs that are growing perpendicular to the flat plane or out of the pattern. Shape the plant every month or so, removing branches or twigs that aren’t in the correct plane of growth. Maintenance for espalier plants is the same as for normal plants of their type, except for the more intensive, regular pruning and shaping (which never ends).

Brian

When our Landscape Consultants and Designers go out to meet with our clients they make a careful evaluation of what exists and question the homeowners on how those elements are working for them. In this project the hot tub had good access from the house, the deck was well maintained and there was no reason to remove those functional pieces. The deck just extended too far into the landscape and having a fire pit in the middle of a wood deck isn’t the best idea in terms of safety. You can see the dog pen area and no plants are screening the existing cedar fence.

In the finished project all of those issues were taken care of. Planting in front of the wood fence makes us feel like we are in a garden. The flagstone patio is a new element and draws the family further into their landscape. Also the pet area is now screened and not intruding into the wonderful entertaining space.

Avoid over fertilizing: Aphids prefer tender new growth that appears in profusion with over fertilized plants.  Use slow release fertilizer.

Monitor: Check your plants once a week.  If you see ants climbing up a plant they are most likely harvesting the aphids’ honeydew.  Putting sticky tape around the trunk of plants can stop ants.

Spray with water:  Spraying aphids with water can dislodge them from the infested plant and knock them off where they will be less likely to re-infest.

Natural predators:  There are natural predators such as lady beetles, lacewings, syrphid flies, and various parasitic wasps.  Lady beetles are often available commercially, however they tend to disperse in a few days.

Insecticidal soap:  A mixture of two tablespoons of mild dish soap with luke warm water in a spray bottle is effective in cleaning aphids from plants.  The soap dissolves the aphids waxy protective coating and causes them to dehydrate.  Also mixing three tablespoons of vegetable or horticultural oil with luke warn water and a few drops of dish soap can be effective to clog the aphids breathing spiracles.  Spray once a week and alternate between methods.

These methods only take care of mature aphids, not those in eggs.  Repeated applications should eventually rid your plants of the little pests.

Michal

This project turned a neglected side yard into a wonderful inviting garden. One of the basic concepts of design is to understand the circulation pattern. In this before picture the “wedding cake” stairs were not only dangerous but illustrates how the circulation was taking up to much precious space in this landscape. This homeowner was interested in having a garden retreat. The finished project shows how a relatively small space can be successfully designed to include positive circulation paths, water feature, gathering space, and containers that were important to this family.

Raised beds come in many forms, with a wide range of cost and materials:
• Mounding of garden soil can outperform a traditional ground level planting area.
• A rockery or a stacked stone wall can be inexpensive and attractive if built well, but maintenance can be an issue. Rough rocks are not usually comfortable seats.
• Segmented rock walls can be a more expensive, with a range of sizes and colors, and involve straightforward installation. Capped walls can be very comfortable seats.
• Cedar raised beds are very common. Cedar is naturally decay and insect resistant and readily available.
• Pressure treated lumber can be used for raised bed walls. Even though treated wood will have a long life, its use around raised vegetable beds is controversial due to the possibility of chemical leeching into the soil and vegetables. (My raised beds are pressure treated 2 x 8’s that were once deck joists. When constructing my beds, I lined the inside of the walls with a resilient plastic liner, protecting my food (and me) from any unwanted leeched chemicals.)
• Poured concrete raised beds are an expensive but very long lasting option.
• Other materials that have been used to form raised beds include concrete board (Hardie Plank), plastic/composite lumber (Trex, TimberTech, Monarch), and formed steel. Winter is the season that few think about landscaping and gardening but it is a great time to prepare for spring. A raised bed that is installed early has time for composting and other important soil building amendments. Put the effort in now, avoid the rush of building, planning and planting all at once. Leave a little time to contemplate and reflect, how does one prepare parsnips? Bok choi?

Zach

This picture shows a common situation…a well worn deck and a hot tub next to it.

This family wanted better access to the hot tub, a low maintenance deck, a safe play space for small children and inviting areas to encourage use of more of the property. The newly designed multi-level deck is made of Trex so it is easily maintained. Gates were installed between the areas to keep children and pets safe. The hot tub was never moved…we built the new deck around it. This space looks so much more inviting with the forest view and beautiful deck. The Montana flagstone patio draws guests from the deck out into the landscape. Altogether this was a successful project.