Master Landscaping
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Experts say more and more locals head onto large patios and decks, into pools and onto intricately landscaped lawns.

Last summer, Christine and Joseph DeLeo added an in-ground pool to the yard of their Hollidaysburg home. It was an addition that they had wanted since moving into their home four years ago.

According to local experts, the DeLeos have hit two of the big three elements of outdoor spaces — pools, patios and decks and landscaping.

Pools are a key component of many outdoor spaces, says Bob Sutton, co-owner of Holiday Pools & Spas in Duncansville.

“(Some) people will do their whole yard over when they put in an in-ground pool — landscaping and a little shed or something to store things in,” he says. “Above-grounds are usually not as elaborate, but they’re still building a shed or doing some landscaping. The pool becomes the centerpiece of their backyard.”

‘‘What we do is kind of the backyard/outdoor room concept,’’ says Steve Martin, owner of Tussey Mountain Landscaping in Hollidaysburg. ‘‘That varies from small to grand.’’

Martin, who has been doing landscaping for 18 years, says he’s seen the business boom.

‘‘I think you’re seeing growth in it every year,’’ Martin says. ‘‘But in that last five years there seems to be more emphasis (on landscaping).’’

Tussey Mountain also does more traditional landscaping, with elaborate lighting, stone paths, concrete walkways and pads and plants and trees.

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Many plants that grace our patios and decks during the summer can be brought indoors for the winter and enjoyed year-round. But the lower light and humidity of our homes can promote leggy growth, necessitating some snipping and pinching to keep plants looking their best. This is especially true for branching, shrub-like houseplants, such as scented geraniums, hibiscus, flowering maples, and begonias.

While radical pruning is best done at the start of the growing season in spring, minor pruning and pinching back of the growing tips to encourage dense growth and an attractive shape can be done at any time.

When pruning, always cut back to just above a node — the area where a leaf or branch meets a stem. If you look closely you may be able to see a small bud, called an axillary bud. If the leaves have fallen and the stem is bare, look for the leaf scar that indicates where a leaf was attached at a node, and make the cut above that. Nodes have latent buds that will sprout once the main shoot is removed.

A good place to begin is to prune back any spindly branches, removing about a third of the length of the stems. If some branches have side shoots even further down toward their base, you can prune some of them all the way back to those shoots. Don’t overdo it though, because you want to leave as much foliage as possible to photosynthesize food for the plant. Since this geranium has four main branches with lots of sprouts, we’ll prune two of the branches back hard, almost to their bases, and we’ll make less drastic cuts on the remaining stems, leaving some foliage. (A side benefit of pruning is that you can root the cuttings!)

In general, plants need less fertilizer in winter when their growth slows down. But after pruning, fertilize the plant with a soluble, all-purpose fertilizer at half the dilution rate instructed on the label. Also, check to see if the plant needs repotting. If roots are growing out of the drainage holes, or if you remove the plant from its container and see mostly roots with little soil, it’s time to repot. Otherwise, wait until spring.

Since pruning stresses a plant, place it in a bright spot out of direct sun for a week or so, then return it to its former home. Since you have reduced the amount of foliage on the plant, it will probably require less water than before pruning, so adjust accordingly.

Tags: decks, maples, patios and decks, plants, shrub, soil
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