Master Landscaping
http://www.masterlandscaping.net

After growing up among steel mills near Dusseldorf, Germany, Juergen Mross felt very much at home when he moved to Pittsburgh in the 1970s. But he wasn’t as comfortable in the 1950s red-brick Colonial he and his wife, Renate, bought in Edgeworth in 1986. It was large enough for the couple and their four sons, but it had a small entrance and lacked character.

With the help of Gretchen Barlett of Barlett Design, the couple added a foyer and portico with six massive columns in front. Then, in 2006 and 2007, they had landscape architect Ed Werley of Werley Associates and landscape contractor Eichenlaub transform the grounds around the house. Now Mr. Mross feels at home.

Although the house separates the front and back areas, the garden is unified by repetition and contrast, both of naturally mounding plants like azalea, spirea and itea and of curving formal hedges of sheared hornbeams and boxwood. The rows of tall hornbeams, in particular, give the front landscape a formal, European feel. Recently, Hilbish McGee Lighting Design added low-voltage lighting that highlights the hornbeams, facade and other features at night.

In the front and back, large uplights catch the huge old maples and pine trees that form the backdrop for the new landscaping and, in one sense, inspired it. After large limbs nearly struck the house during a storm, Mr. Mross decided it was time for a big change, starting with the elevations. Mr. Werley, who works with his son, John, said the front yard was raised 3 feet and a series of sandstone walls installed around a central curving staircase of carved limestone slabs.

Brick pavers were added near the street to create a dropoff area and are repeated in the walkways and a landing. There, a sculpture of upright logs cast in bronze by artist Peter Calaboyias is the center of a fountain. Originally on the side of the house, it was moved “for greater visual impact,” Mr. Werley said. At night, the hornbeams also pack a visual punch, each with its own uplight.

“There’s a lot going on there, but it’s not bright. It’s subtle,” said Halbane Hilbish, principal owner of Hilbish McGee and a member of the International Association of Lighting Designers.

In the back, Mr. Hilbish subtly lit Japanese maples, weeping Camperdown elms and low sandstone walls topped by loose hedges of yew and blue holly and rows of spirea and cranberry bush viburnum. Three weeping cherries and other specimen trees were salvaged from an earlier redesign and reused.

Other older elements play parts in the new design. A new arched gate leads to “the treehouse,” where the four Mross boys held countless sleepovers. They’re now ages 30, 27, 25 and 18. The new curving stone walls bracket a new cedar garden house built by Vixen Hill, and new sheared boxwood hedges line the new conservatory. More ‘Winter Gem’ boxwood and a bay window frame a Japanese Stewartia that has been limbed up slightly to enhance the view of the garden. Around its base are Yak rhododendrons, fothergilla and ‘Goldflame’ spirea.

“The spirea has flowers and nice fall color — a yellowish red,” said Ryan Johnson, project administrator for Eichenlaub.

He said the hardest part of this project was access — a road had to be cut from front to back — and finding space to stockpile plants and materials. When it was finished, it won an Award for Landscape Excellence from the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association.

Tags: amp, artist peter, barlett, brick pavers, dusseldorf germany, formal hedges, front yard, itea, landscape, landscape architect, landscape co, Landscape Contractor, Landscaping, lighting design, limestone slabs, low voltage lighting, maples, massive columns, minis, mross, new landscaping, pine trees, plants, red brick, rta, sandstone walls, visual punch, walkway, walkways, yew
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Families and business leaders could hold the key to protecting the environment on the Norfolk Broads - and officials are seeking new ideas which could be backed up with a share of a ï¿¡200,000 grant.

The Broads Authority has today called on local people, companies and organisations to come forward with solutions which could help protect wildlife and reduce the carbon footprints of the tens of thousands of tourists who visit the Broads every year.

Each year since 2002 the government has provided ï¿¡200,000 to each of the UK’s National Parks to inspire communities to come up with bright ideas which will benefit the area.

The Broads Authority has used the money to form a sustainability fund, helping promote sustainable tourism, with green business, boating, biking and canoeing projects, education programmes and projects to help disadvantaged people.

Funding has also now been given for a study and carbon audit of the Broads to be carried out by the Cred carbon reduction programme, based at the University of East Anglia.

The study will provide a picture of where carbon emissions come from and how much is produced, so the Broads Authority can draw up a carbon reduction plan to comply with government targets.

In the past the cash has helped launch the Broads Society’s Go Electric! campaign which gave grants for eight private boat engine conversions from diesel to electric.

Subsidies have also been given to help fund the only Green Boat Show in the UK, held on Salhouse Broad in September last year.

The Hewett School in Norwich has also been given an ï¿¡8,000 grant to pilot a project, landscaping the grounds and building allotments, an amphitheatre and a wildlife garden.

A spokeswoman for the Broads Authority said: “The projects we fund are wide-ranging but have several things in common. They are all innovative, sustainable, and improve the life of people living in and working in the area. The Broads Authority is keen to help young people and support projects which do not qualify for other public funding. No project is too large or too small.”

Some of the organisations which have benefited from funding in the past include the Norfolk Schools Sailing Association which was awarded a ï¿¡15,200 grant to buy five new Wayfarer dinghies to help introduce schoolchildren to sailing.

The boats will replace 20 year old boats which were beyond repair.

David Wrenn, commodore of the association, said: “The help and support we have been given from the Broads Authority is brilliant. It is fantastic that they are helping projects like ours that bring a benefit to the community.

“Everyone who works here is a volunteer and gives their time for free so having the grant and being able to upgrade the boats has been a big boost for us.”

A leaflet, Bright ideas wanted, explains who and what qualifies for funding. It is available from the Broads Authority office at 18 Colegate, Norwich and at information centres.

The project follows the launch of the Broads Tourism Forum 2008 A Day in the Broads campaign with Visit Norwich, supported with funding from the Broads Authority’s sustainable development fund.

The focus of the campaign this year is to encourage green tourism with prominence being given to activities such as cycling, walking and nature spotting.

In December last year, the Evening News revealed how The Broads Authority had been awarded an extra ï¿¡1.3m of government funding over three years to be spent on important conservation projects.

Tags: allotments, amp, boat engine, broads society, carbon emissions, carbon footprint, carbon reduction, engine conversions, footprint, government targets, hewett school, Landscaping, money, norfolk broads, private boat, rta, support projects, sustainability fund, sustainable tourism, target, university of east anglia, wildlife garden
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Celebrate summer by welcoming butterflies into your garden. Butterfly gardens are different from many other “theme” gardens. To be successful, the garden not only needs to have a pleasing design that works with the surrounding home and landscape, but it needs to perform a very specific task. Attracting butterflies may seem fairly straightforward, but you cannot assume all butterflies are attracted to all flowers.

Butterflies are beautiful, somewhat ethereal creatures whose colorful wings and graceful flight patterns add a sense of wonder to any garden planting

Butterflies have plant preferences: There are literally thousands of species of butterflies, and each species tends to have a distinct group of plants as preferred food source. When selecting plants for a butterfly garden, it is also important to remember that a butterfly goes through four life cycles, with one set of food requirements for the larval stage and another type of food once the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis.

The nectar sources for butterflies include annuals, perennials, wildflowers, herbs, shrubs and trees. Annuals and tender perennials known to attract many species of butterfly include zinnias, white alyssum, marigolds, lantana, cosmos, nicotiana, petunias, ageratum, fuchsia, snapdragons and sunflowers. Herbs and wildflowers that attract butterflies include chives and other alliums, bee balm, spearmint, Anaphalis, Lunaria, Verbena, dandelions, clover, Queen Anne’s Lace, butterfly weed, goldenrod and thistle.

Perennials for butterfly gardens include daisies, Phlox, Aster, Liatris, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Eupatorium, Achillea, Aubretia, Helenium, Echinops, Limonium, Sedum, Phystostegia, Scabiosa, Coreopsis, Hemerocallis, Heuchera, Lilium, Lythrum, Lavandula, Myosotis and Penstemon. Shrubs, vines and trees for butterfly gardens include Abelia, Aesculus, Aruncus, Buddleia, Clethra, Crataegus, Lindera, Lonicera, Malus, Prunus, Ribes, Salix, Spirea, Syringa, Vaccinium and Wisteria.

Design help: If a butterfly garden is to be created as part of an older, established landscape, look for a site that offers shelter—an overgrown fence, a clump of trees, the base of a sloping lot, or a rocky outcropping with a flat, grassy spot nearby. Water features and several hours of sun would complete the picture—minus only the butterfly-attracting plants.

Call it serendipity, but the preferred style of planting for design purposes—starting with low edging plants and gradually working up, level by level, to the tallest plants—is also one of the best arrangements for a butterfly garden. This is not only because it makes it easier for the butterflies to identify their favorite nectar-producing plants when they are clearly visible, but the taller plants offer shelter from both wind and predators.

The popular concept of a mixed border, combining annuals, perennials, herbs, roses, shrubs, vines and ornamental trees, all underplanted with bulbs, will provide a long bloom season as well as a variety of food sources and forms of shelter that will attract a large assortment of butterflies over a long period.

Other design guidelines: Although some theme gardens need meticulous care and a neat, sometimes formal appearance to create the intended ambience, butterflies like their surroundings to be a little messy. Rocky paths muddied by a sprinkler or parts of the garden where water pools on flat rocks will attract many species of butterfly like a luxury spa attracts movie stars. Research indicates that minerals released through the water’s evaporation process, primarily sodium, may play a vital part in the mating habits of butterflies. For this reason, some experts recommend putting small salt licks in a butterfly garden.

Areas in or around the garden where grass is allowed to grow long can act as a shelter and, for some species, a place to lay their eggs. If you can live with a section of your garden that is somewhat overgrown with grass, wildflowers, trees and shrubs, you will probably find more butterflies in this little wilderness than among carefully tended flower beds

Like plants, there are woodland butterfly species and those that prefer a sunny spot. Even sun-loving butterflies will appreciate the presence of a shaded shelter.

Butterflies have a powerful sense of smell. Much like dogs, the scents that they find attractive aren’t always scents the human population likes to encourage. Rotting fruits and vegetables are gourmet treats for some butterflies, while others are drawn to the more pleasant aromas of clover or wild violets.

Pesticides and herbicides should be avoided, whenever possible, because in almost every stage of life butterflies are extremely vulnerable to such toxins.

Some butterflies stay around for winter: Not many butterflies overwinter in the extreme climates of the Midwest, but those that do ( sometimes called “hibernators” ) will also benefit from winter shelter—mounds of ivy growing over old tree stumps, piles of logs or large, dead tree branches, a stack of old bricks or chunks of concrete.

Some butterflies will hibernate in old trees, while others will welcome the presence of specially designed “butterfly houses” as winter shelter. Winter or summer, butterflies need protection from the wind and a place where the sun will be reflected, somewhere safe from predators—including the trampling feet of children.

Types of butterflies: Monarch butterflies are usually a common sight in Illinois. Other likely candidates include Cabbage White butterflies, Clouded Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Eastern-Tailed Blue, Meadow Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Viceroy, Great Spangled Fritillary, Summer Azure, Question Mark, Least Skipper, European Skipper, and the Dion Skipper.

Tags: amp, annuals, bee balm, buddleia, butterfly garden, butterfly gardens, butterfly weed, clove, colorful wings, distinct group, fence, flight patterns, food requirements, grass, helenium, herbs, landscape, Landscaping, lindera, lunaria, nectar sources, perennials, plants, pleasing design, pool, preferred food, rta, shrub, shrubs, shrubs and trees, species of butterflies, species of butterfly, surroundings, trees and shrubs, vegetables, water feature, water features
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Each garden on the tour has a distinctive design plan and outdoor living features that will offer tour participants a great variety of landscaping and outdoor decorating ideas.

One of the gardens has been completely redesigned by Randy McDaniel, owner of Backyard Solutions. The home at 1604 Wilshire, owned by Gerald and Linda Barnett, is a 1970s vintage home. The couple had thought about renovating their front and back lawns when part of a tree fell into their pool and damaged a fence.

It was perfect timing for a landscape makeover. The oversize pool will be dressed on the bottom with crystals that shine like jewels when the sun hits them. A hexagonal guest house, a pergola and an outdoor kitchen and entertaining area are special features of this back lawn. Patrons of the Nichols Hills Garden Tour will be guests at a party in the Barnetts’ garden at 7 tonight.

Tags: crystals, decorating ideas, distinctive design, fence, guest house, jewels, landscape, Landscaping, lawns, linda barnett, nichols hills, outdoor kitchen, patrons, perfect timing, pergola, pool, randy mcdaniel, rta, special features, tour participants, wilshire
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Jeff Erkfritz, owner of Clearwater Pools and Service of Ann Arbor, says he likes to talk to his customers about their expectations before he begins work.

“We ask what the needs are for the pool and we design the pool to fit those needs,” says Erkfritz, whose company specializes in in-ground pools.

A well-designed pool should also flow with the backyard’s landscaping and home’s architectural style, he adds.

Pointing to the slow economy, Erkfritz says he’s been doing a lot more high-end work, and there have been fewer inquiries about in-ground pools from middle-class homeowners.

Whatever style of pool you choose, Erkfritz says, keep in mind it’ll require an investment of time as well as money. But it’s worth it, he says, because you’ll get instant entertainment without leaving your home.

“With the rising gas prices, they can create something in their backyards that they can actually enjoy,” Erkfritz says. “You get what you put into it. If you put time in testing the water, you’ll get a lot out of it.”

Chemicals to keep the water clean usually range from $200 to $500 annually, depending on the pool’s size.

Tags: ann arbor, architectural style, backyards, ground pool, ground pools, inquiries, Landscaping, money, pool, rising gas prices, rta, slow economy
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landscaping.jpg”>Homeowners’ artistic expressions are the focus of next Saturday’s Ann Arbor Garden Walk.

From a display titled “A Country French Garden” (at 435 Stein Road) to one dubbed “Geometry in Bloom” (at 2230 Platt Road), the outdoor spaces on the 18th annual tour offer visitors a peek at some glorious landscapes.

“We feel that this year’s gardens offer an exceptional taste of the arts - not only music, but sculptures, artisan fountains, hand-done glass and mosaics, and distinctive plantings,” says Kathy Clark, chairwoman of the walk.
If you go

A perfect example is the garden of Lucie and Larry Nisson (1227 Lutz), called “Falling Waters.”

“I’m an artist,” says Larry Nisson, “and I create art with rocks and wood and some glass.”

He says his challenge is to create art “with dynamic tension, so it looks like it’s almost ready to fall over, but not.” He says he hopes people will view the art in his garden and “experience that tension.”

The water feature in the center is almost as lovely as the homeowner’s collection of orchids - about 120 in all, though not all of them will be on display.

At 809 Brooks St., Middy Potter has created “A Place to Dream” for visitors of all ages. It includes a stone tower that Potter built, 300 varieties of hosta and a vast collection of dwarf conifers. This garden also includes some wonderful sculptures.
Lisa Allmendinger | The Ann Arbor NewsMiddy Potter’s garden on Brooks Street in Ann Arbor, titled “A Place to Dream,” includes a stone tower, a vast collection of conifers and 300 varieties of hosta.
“The gardens on this year’s garden walk demonstrate the homeowners’ vision in creating an artistic expression of their lives and their work,” says Clark.

Tickets are $12, and proceeds will benefit the new education center at Growing Hope. There are plans to build a greenhouse and demonstration garden, which will provide hands-on training and education for low-income families and at-risk students, says Claudia Scioly, a member of the garden walk committee.

New to the tour this year will be entertainment at several of the gardens, Clark says.
The Stout Hearted String Band will play at the first garden (435 Stein Road) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nora Karsch, who plays the hammered dulcimer, is a member of Women’s Farm and Garden Association, which sponsors the annual garden walk.

Tags: amp, ann arbor, artistic expression, artistic expressions, brooks st, brooks street, demonstration garden, dwarf conifers, dynamic tension, falling waters, french garden, kathy clark, landscape, Landscaping, low income families, middy, new education, nisson, outdoor spaces, plantings, platt road, rta, sculptures, stone tower, water feature
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RTA is taking part in the regional Garden, Landscaping Outdoor Living Exhibition; which opens today at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and continues through 27 May.

The event boasts participation of 150 exhibitors from 23 countries specialized in gardens & outdoor landscaping.

Engineer Nabeel Mohammed Saleh, Director of Roads Dep’t at RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, spoke about the objectives of RTA participation in this premier global exhibition. “We are intending to showcase the important role played by Roads Beautification & Landscaping Section at RTA Traffic & Roads Agency in upgrading & expanding greenery in areas surrounding roads, which is part of an overall plan to keep abreast of urban development expansion in the emirate of Dubai.

“RTA participation also aims to have a presence in this world event and exchange concepts & experiments with suppliers and specialized entities. It will also enable us to review the best practices & latest technologies in the field of plantation & landscaping. We will be able to explore the possibility of applying these aspects in Dubai, with a view to applying them in our future projects.”

“RTA is having a prominent stand covering an area of 295 square feet; where a group of projects undertaken by the Section will be exhibited, reflecting various phases ranging from design to full implementation. By the end of last February, RTA completed works in seven large landscaping projects costing about 60 million dirham, spanning an area of 98 hectares. Construction of more projects is underway at various locations in the emirate of Dubai, and they are expected to be completed during this year” said Nabeel.

Traffic & Roads Agency has an integrated plan aiming to expand the green areas in the emirate and create a picturesque view of roads & surrounding patios. The Plan envisages provision of safety & security elements, artistic effects, and environmental requirements. The fast-moving property development in Dubai warrants keeping in place a modern road network, and applying innovative concepts of road landscaping.

The exhibition marks the significance attached to outdoor landscaping sector in Dubai in particular and the whole region in general; and also showcases the required tools & equipment for indoor & outdoor decoration.

Tags: amp, best practices, convention and exhibition centre, development expansion, dubai international convention and exhibition centre, entities, environmental requirements, exhibition, exhibitors, global exhibition, greenery, Landscaping, mohammed, picturesque view, rta, saleh, security elements, showcase, square feet
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Question: Each year my squash blooms prolifically but seldom produce any squash to eat. What am I doing wrong ?

Answer: Squash plants produce male and female blooms. For fruit to set, pollen must be transferred from the male to the female bloom. Pollinating insects, mostly bees, carry out this important job resulting in fresh squash for the kitchen. When treating the garden for insects and diseases, spray or dust in the late afternoon to avoid killing the bees.

Another possible cause of squash not bearing fruit is the possibility of nematode infestation. Check roots for galls of nematodes.

Question: What is the web-like substance on many trees on the edge of town ?

Answer: What you are seeing is tent caterpillars. These caterpillars form webs that cover the branches of the trees while eating the foliage. The damage is minimal but unsightly. If you find it necessary, spray with Orthene or Bacillus thuringiensis.

Question: Why do the annuals that I buy need water three times a day ? Answer: A plant growing naturally of its own accord produces top growth in direct proportion to its roots, but flowers grown in greenhouses are products of a totally unnatural situation. They get all the sunlight, humidity, water and fertilizer they ever want so they grow many more flowers, leaves and stems than their roots could support if they weren’t so pampered. When you plant these pampered plants in the ground, you soon discover you’ve taken home a pack of water junkies.

You can avoid this problem by doing two things: First, never buy annuals already in bloom. Buy healthy but less advanced plants. Second, if someone gives you water junkies, remove all the flowers and about half of the foliage. Then plant. Within two weeks, your plants will be back in balance. Plus, they will bloom much longer and fuller than coddled greenhouse plants.

Tip: For relief from a insect bite, cut a clove of garlic and press the cut side against the sting for instant relief, according to the Garlic Seed Foundation.

Send your gardening and landscaping questions and tips to Washington County Master Gardeners, 2536 N McConnell Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72704. You may also call 444-1755 for answers to your questions.

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When she noticed a number of newly planted trees seemed to be languishing on city streets Pool Landscaping, including those in her neighborhood, she searched for the root of the problem. In the city’s fast-growing residential areas, the landscaping, installed for instant aesthetic effect, is often neglected.

“We have so many new neighborhoods in the city, and one of the first things developers do is plant the trees; and no one is there to care for them,” Ambusk said.

Associate city planner and interim planning director Cathyann LaRose said developers want to install landscaping as quickly as possible in order to sell property — which isn’t good for the trees.

“They’ve been grown in a pot, and the roots can continue to take over and strangle the tree if it’s not properly planted,” Ambusk said. Some of the trees are planted while still encased in wire baskets that contain their roots.

So Ambusk has taken the stewardship of South Burlington’s saplings into her own hands — along with a pair of pruning shears. Every Monday evening, from workday’s end until sundown, she and a team of volunteers known as “TREEage” hit the streets of South Burlington to care for the young trees.

The work isn’t difficult, Ambusk said: It really comes down to planting the tree properly and giving it daily care. Following an initial investment of time and watering in the early years, it will do quite well on its own for 100 more, she says.

TREEage evolved from Ambusk’s experience in the Master Gardener and Stewardship of the Urban Landscape programs offered by the University of Vermont Extension. The group has grown in number and knowledge in its second year, thanks to city arborist Craig Lambert’s pruning and maintenance clinics, Ambusk said. TREEage volunteers cared for 250 trees last year.

“We have literally been going tree-to-tree. It’s pretty slow work,” she said. She estimates South Burlington has 6,000 trees, Pool Landscaping and says Lambert has his hands full just dealing with day-to-day hazard maintenance.

Lambert offers public workshops on proper tree maintenance practices as part of the project. With his instruction, volunteers have undertaken root collar excavations and pruning on some of the more recently planted trees in South Burlington’s residential neighborhoods.

Lambert said Ambusk’s project is proving to be quite a benefit to the city: Her efforts have raised public awareness of the need to maintain the city’s tree resource, and her latest project will increase the number of trees the city will be able to plant.

This month, Ambusk planted 30 Princeton elm trees in a new community nursery with a $1,000 grant she received from GE Healthcare, where she works in finance Pool Landscaping. The city gave her permission to use land located at the National Gardening Association on Dorset Street for the nursery.

The elms are 2 years old and cost about $15 each. In another three to four years, they will be worth more than $200 each and will be ready to transplant to public land in South Burlington. Ambusk plans to add 30 new trees, in a variety of species, to the TREEage nursery each year.

LaRose says the nursery will also give the city credibility toward its goal of becoming a designated “Tree City, U.S.A.”

The Tree City U.S.A. program aims to encourage better care of community forests and advance urban forestry practices while providing cleaner air, shadier streets and aesthetic beauty in populated areas. The designation will also open additional avenues for grant funding: With a tree budget of $1,000 per year (enough to purchase about three trees), the city can use all the help it can get, LaRose said.

The young elms are destined for a future lining South Burlington’s streets, especially in older neighborhoods that haven’t been getting much landscaping attention, LaRose said. They’ll be useful as the city’s recreation path extends through new neighborhoods, and there’s a potential the nursery project will be used for educational outreach in the schools. While the project hasn’t officially been linked to the development of the City Center downtown district, LaRose said the timing will be perfect.

Tags: aesthetic effect, city arborist, city planner, city streets, craig lambert, developers, elm trees, initial investment, landscape, Landscaping, master gardener, neglect, planning director, pool, Pool Landscaping, pruning shears, residential areas, rta, s south, saplings, stewardship, sundown, university of vermont, urban landscape, vermont, wire baskets
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the average household spent more than $400 for garden-related items. Landscaping grew by 19 percent, water gardening by 49 percent, fruit tree planting by 26 percent and vegetable gardening by 1 percent. Experts watch sales and several other areas to distinguish trends.

Why are they important? Garden and landscape trends shape consumer choices for the next year and years to come.

I mentioned last year after returning from the International Master Gardeners Conference in Little Rock that green gardening was the undertone of many of the speakers. For 2008, the Garden Media Group identified going green as the No. 1 global trend, professional trend-watchers for the gardening industry.

“Environmentally savvy homeowners know that it’s not just good enough to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle; you’ve got to be environmentally responsible ” said Garden Media’s Susan McCoy.

Gardeners want to find ways to conserve water, use locally produced or recycled materials and use environmentally responsible maintenance procedures.

Eco-chic is the buzzword for gardens designed and maintained in an ecology friendly manner. Gardeners are recycling plastic pots, composting and using rain barrels to catch rainwater. To restore balance in nature, they are creating feeding spots for birds and planting flowers so that bees, ladybugs and beneficial insects have fruit and nectar to eat.

Water gardening is still trendy. However, it is not necessary to have a huge water feature. In fact, wasting water is out. New smaller scale fountains and ponds are en vogue. They use less water, require less maintenance and can be more interesting in a home landscape. Pondless waterfalls are an option as are tabletop and recirculating fountains.

Many gardeners are opting for less grass in smart and easy landscapes. They are adding stamped concrete patios, walks and driveways. Turfless landscapes are showing up as gardeners install rocks, shrubs, trees and ground covers rather than traditional grass lawns. More expensive initially, it will save time, money and energy in maintenance, especially if combined with a drip irrigation system. Natives show up frequently in low maintenance gardens as well as ornamental grasses.

Half of this country’s consumers say that a lack of time is a bigger issue than a lack of money. The landscape service industry is exploding as homeowners who have purchased homes with large landscaped lawns just cannot find time to maintain the outdoor aspects. Full-grown plants and trees are hot sellers for homeowners too impatient to wait for smaller ones to naturally mature in the landscape.

Outdoor rooms take center stage in gardening trends. For the past five years, outdoor living and decorating were cited as the top two mega trends. In 2007, $6.2 billion was spent on outdoor furniture, accessories and grills. More than a million outdoor kitchens were constructed, and upscale homeowners opted for construction of gazebos near their outdoor pools. Stylish table lamps, special submersible lighting for fountains and dramatic illumination options are now on the market as a result of interest in outdoor living projects.

Simplicity is in with a new twist on the monochromatic slant. One basic color theme dominates a bed or pot with foliage plants and succulents, many of them variegated, used as accents. Landscaping Services A ratio of 60 percent of a primary color, 30 percent of a secondary color and 10 percent of accent color is attractive for a pot or bed. Big is beautiful these days. Big plants in big containers with big bold color are being used to create stylish pot scapes.

The “slo” food movement is growing, according to Landscape and Garden Consultant Adele Kleine.

“This philosophy reduces dependence on convenience and processed fast food. One of the purposes of gardening is to encourage adults and children to feel better emotionally and to inspire them to take more control over what they consume. That’s what slo food does,” Kleine said.

Farmers markets and organic food stands are part of this movement, as well as home vegetable gardening. Garden sales via the Internet are increasing dramatically. This year, sales are expected to equal or exceed catalog sales, growing from $7 million in 2007 to more than $10 million.

Consumers jump on the bandwagon for products that are new and hot, so growers will continue to introduce hundreds of new plants each year to meet consumer demands. Organic pesticides, fertilizers, eco-friendly products and drought tolerant and/or pest-resistant plants, many of which are container suitable - plus more native options - are expected to be big sellers this year.

Hopefully, these eco-friendly trends are not merely fads that will fade with time Landscaping Services. We all can be responsible caretakers of the environment, but need readily accessible products to help us do so.

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