After you move into your new house and begin to think about selecting some trees for your yard, you may find this more challenging than you expect.

First, the neighbors may be closer than you realized when you chose a lot on an empty street with no houses on it, and this may change your tree-planting ideas altogether. A privacy screen of small evergreens for the side yards a feature you had never considered may become the first priority, with shade and ornamental trees to be planted later.

How could the proximity of the neighbors come as a surprise? The average lot size for a new house in the Washington area is a generous 7,200 square feet, with a width of 60 feet. But the houses built on these lots are big, occupying about 40 feet of that width. This leaves only about 10 feet for each side yard and 20 feet between you and your neighbors, said Dan Fulton of John Burns Real Estate Consulting in Reston, who has studied the Washington housing market for more than two decades.

The second challenge: You cant just go down to the big box store nursery and select a good screening tree. In a new-home community, you have to do some fact checking first.

The local homeowners association (HOA) may have rules on your landscaping choices, dictating not only acceptable tree species but also the height in some instances, including that of a living fence between side yards, said Rockville lawyer Thomas Schild, who represents condominium and homeowners associations in the Washington area. Most HOAs in Maryland and Virginia do not address this, but some do. For this reason, homeowners should check the HOA documents before developing any landscaping plans, he said.

Youll also have to locate the swales on your property because you cant plant trees or shrubs in them. A swale is a shallow ditch. In new home communities, they run across individual lots channeling rainwater into the storm sewer system. Swales are often so shallow that homeowners have no idea they are there, especially when the grading is so subtle the yard appears to be essentially flat. Despite its near invisibility, a swale serves a critical function. Legally you cannot plant anything in it that will impede the flow of water or affect a neighboring property.

The location of the swales will be indicated on the site plan of your lot, which your builder included in the documents he submitted to get a building permit for your house. If your builder is still active in your community, you should be able to get this information from his sales agent or someone in his construction trailer. If not, you may have to go the office where your builder applied for a permit to get a copy of your site plan.

Once you get the site plan and study it, youre likely to discover that a swale runs along one or both of your side-yard property lines (half of it is on your side and half on your neighbors), exactly where you envisioned a living fence of screening trees. You may still be able to implement this plan if the swale is narrow enough, said Jim Baish, a Frederick landscape architect and land planner who has designed the land-use plan for many new-home communities in the Washington area. For example, a 5-foot-wide swale down the middle of the 20-foot-wide area between houses would leave you 71/ 2 feet to work with, enough room for a row of small evergreens, he said.

Your site plan may also indicate a utility easement running across your front yard where underground lines for electricity, gas, cable and phone are buried, Baish said. The easement can be as wide as 15 feet from the curb toward your house; inside this area, a utility has the right to remove a tree if its roots are causing a problem. This is far less likely if you contact Miss Utility, a local service (District and Maryland, 800-257-7777; Virginia, 800-552-7001) that arranges for each utility to come and locate its lines, usually by spraying a different stripe across your lawn, so that you can factor this into your tree-planting decisions.

When youre finally ready to start selecting trees, youll discover that much of the advice has changed since you bought a tree for your old house 20 years ago. Back then, the emphasis was on ornamentals and bigger trees that looked good and were easy to maintain. The easy-to-maintain part is still true, but ecological and environmental considerations are the new starting point.

Original post:
How to select the proper trees for a new homes yard

Chantilly, VA (PRWEB) June 03, 2014

In May 2014, Saunders Landscape Supply saw high demand for their gravel and services, largely due to the wettest April on record. "The brutal winter we experienced in 2014 has created the need for rehabilitation of residential driveways," explains Don Saunders, owner of Saunders Landscape Supply. The increased precipitation earlier this spring led to deterioration and damage to driveways and home landscaping throughout the Virginia and Maryland area.

"The amount of snow and moisture deteriorated the driveways, and washed a lot of gravel away in many cases making it uneven," says Saunders. "People are applying a recoating of their gravel driveway after the damage this winter has caused."

The benefit of laying down new gravel goes beyond just the texture of the driveway. Gravel can also help to improve a yard's appearance. Homeowners often prefer gravel driveways because they are less expensive than asphalt and concrete, as well.

Driveways usually receive 57 bluestone, which is comprised of 3/14 inch pieces, or 21A, which is a mixture of stone dust and 57 bluestone. 57 bluestone is popular because the size of the stones allows for highly effective drainage. 21A, on the other hand, allows for greater compaction. When the driveway is more compacted and dense, it's less likely to shift and require maintenance.

Saunders Landscape Supply provides a variety of landscape services, and gravel has been a part of these offerings for the past 20 years. In addition to driveway gravel, they also sell river rock gravel, river wash gravel, and pea gravel, which can be used throughout the yard as a visually appealing part of garden landscaping. "A lot of people are spending time outdoors in the summer. The decorative gravel will improve the look of the yard, and provide a much better atmosphere," adds Saunders.

Saunders Landscape Supply has served residents of Virginia and Maryland since it was founded in 1994, and provides the materials that homeowners need for any lawn renovation or maintenance plan. The business is located at 14016 Sullyfield Circle in Chantilly, VA. For more information, call 703-764-4831, email marketing (at) saundersls (dot) com or visit saundersls.com.

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Saunders Landscape Supply Provides Relief to Homeowners With Damaged Driveways

Join the City of Woodland's free Water-Wise Landscape Tour on Saturday, June 7, to explore attractive, water-efficient landscapes.

"Water-wise landscapes not only reduce water consumption and reduce potential of pollution discharges into the storm water system, they can also beautify a home, lower maintenance, and provide welcome habitat for beneficial insects and birds," according to Wayne Blanchard, water conservation coordinator for the city's Public Works Department.

"During warm weather months residential customers with traditional lawn landscapes allocate, sometimes unknowingly, about 50 percent of their water use to landscape irrigation," Blanchard noted. "A properly designed water-wise landscape can easily cut outdoor water consumption in half during those warm months."

The tour includes 10 sites. The example landscapes represent a wide variety of settings, approaches, and features, including an excellent before-and-after example at 829 Lewis Ave., where owner Sandra Jennings-Jones was able to work around an existing redwood tree and a birch tree grove in this medium-sized front yard.

The landscaping incorporated a dry creek bed to reduce runoff, a flagstone walkway, mounded plantings of drought-tolerant plants, and a seating area for enjoying the results. Jennings-Jones stated. "After installing a water-wise garden, I spend less time maintaining the yard and more time enjoying the view."

Blanchard said the inspiration for the tour came from residents' interest in learning first-hand about successful water-wise landscaping in Woodland, including plant selections, designs and landscaping techniques.

The tour complements the city's recent how-to workshop series on low-water landscaping, Water Wise Wednesdays.

Blanchard stated, "We plan on offering this series again in 2015. The workshop has been well received the last three years and allows those on the verge of doing this sort of transformation an opportunity to study issues in more depth."

The Water-Wise Landscape Tour activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a registration event at the Woodland Community and Senior Center, 2001 East St. The registration event will include an alternative grass display, relevant literature, mow-strip planting plans for water- wise home landscapes, a presentation on providing for beneficial insects in a drought year, and an overview of the tour sites. The landscape tour guide book and maps will be available at the registration event.

The self-guided tour runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tour participants will have the opportunity to learn how owners removed existing plant material, prepared the sites, addressed challenges, and set up irrigation systems. Homeowners and/or Yolo County Master Gardener volunteers will be on site at the tour destinations to answer additional questions about the landscapes.

Read the rest here:
3rd Annual free Woodland Water-wise landscape tour

Incorporating carefully selected native plants into your garden is a great way to create a landscape that needs less water, fertilizer and pesticides and that also benefits native pollinators, such as bees, moths and hummingbirds. Many western native plants are adapted to strong sunlight, limited amounts of precipitation, soils low in organic matter and challenging winters. Even putting these benefits aside, many gardeners grow native plants to bring more of the natural landscape around them into their day-to-day lives.

As with all landscaping projects, youll first need to assess the conditions in your yard. Take a look at the amount of sunlight and wind you have, the kind of soil and available water. You can then start selecting plants you think will suit the environment. As you begin to research possible plants for your yard, remember that drought-tolerant plantsthose that will help you use less water in your landscapeare often adapted to full sun. If your yard is shady, you may need to look for plants that prefer a bit more water.

Also keep in mind that many western wildflowers are short-lived perennials. Many live for three to five years, during which they will often produce seed thatif given the chancewill grow into plants to replace their parents. Expect your yard to change a bit from one year to the next. Self-sown seedlings are great for expanding your plantings or passing along to friends.

Here are some plants you might consider trying in your yard. The descriptions are from the new booklet Plants with Altitude: Regionally Native Plants for Wyoming Gardens, co-written by myself, Amy Fluent with the Laramie Garden Club, Dorothy Tuthill and Brenna Marsicek with the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute

Kelseys phlox or marsh phlox, Phlox kelseyi

This early bloomer is covered in glowing bright-purple flowers that hide its needle-like green foliage. It stands between 1 and 1.5 inches tall and is between 5 and 8 inches wide. It has a long bloom time (at least a month in many locations) and is less likely to suffer from winterburn than more common creeping phlox species (perhaps because it is so short). Its a great plant for the front of a garden bed. Phlox kelseyi is found in a few locations in Wyoming; the cultivar Lemhi Purple was originally collected in the Lemhi Mountains, which are near the southwest portion of the Montana-Idaho border. Lemhi Purple is becoming increasingly common in quality regional nurseries.

Rocky Mountain beardtongue, Penstemon strictus

Penstemon is the largest genus of wildflowers restricted to the new worldmostly north of Mexico. In Wyoming, there are more than 40 species, some broadly distributed and some restricted to very narrow ranges. They usually stand between 18 and 30 inches tall and are between 12 and 36 inches wide. Of the purple/blue penstemons, Rocky Mountain beardtongue is the species most commonly found at nurseries. (It is also easy to start from seed.) With tall spikes of blue-purple flowers and shiny dark green leaves, it is attractive in any garden and very attractive to pollinators, too. Like most penstemons, it has a short blooming seasontypically a month in summer. Also like most, it prefers dry soils. With excess water or too much shade, it can develop mildew on the leaves, and the root crowns may rot, especially if it goes into winter with wet feet. Rocky Mountain beardtongue can reseed aggressively, but cutting off the flower spikes after the blooms fade is an easy way to control this tendency.

Narrow-leaf coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia

These purple-flowered, hairy-leaved plants are tough, standing between one and two feet high and about 12 and 18 inches wide. Though shorter than the much more common purple coneflower, these plants are definitely more drought tolerant. Plants can be started from seed and should be transplanted when small; they are more difficult to transplant when larger because of their taproot. Plants start out a bit slowly and take a few years to bulk up in size. This plant can reseed a fair amount depending on conditions.

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Bring on variety when landscaping with native plants

Photo by Contributed photo

Scripps Newspapers Be sure to remove pets from yards being sprayed for ticks and fleas.

Even though were in a catastrophic drought, many people still try to maintain flower beds, shrubs, yards and trees. We need to make sure were not using anything that can be dangerous to our pets or at the very least be taking precautions to keep our pets safe. Planting new drought-resistant species in the yard can bring unfamiliar dangers into your pets environment.

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Pet columnist Katrena Mitchell can be reached at bcs4kat@aol.com.

2014 Times Record News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Protect pets from potential dangers of new landscape

Garden envy. We all have it, looking at yards that seem more glorious than ours.

If you spend your days tilling, toiling, weeding and watering, while those other gardeners have time for hobbies, entertaining and let's face it, a life it's no wonder you entertain wild thoughts of covering your yard in stone.

Don't give up. You're not an unworthy gardener. You just haven't yet caught on to the secret of having a beautiful, low-maintenance Colorado garden: Xeriscape.

LAKEWOOD, CO - SEPTEMBER 26: The xeriscaped gardens at Kendrick Lake Park and Gardens in Lakewood on Thursday, September 26, 2013. (Photo By Cyrus McCrimmon/ The Denver Post ) (Cyrus McCrimmon, THE DENVER POST)

That term, coined by Denver Water, doesn't mean a barren patch of rock. But it does mean recognizing that astonishingly moisture-rich springs like 2014 are rare events on the Front Range.

The low-water landscape is also low-effort. So once you've tried it, you'd better have a plan for using your extra time.

"My life is complicated with kids and a job. It made sense that my landscape was little work; that other type of landscaping was W-O-R-K, what with mulching and watering a lot," said Pat Hayward, executive director for Plant Select, a program that helps develop and market water-wise plants for the intermountain West. She lives in the foothills of Masonville, just northwest of Loveland.

"When we don't have to use as much water or work as hard," she said, "why wouldn't you want to do this?"

Perhaps it's the allure of the lush, dense landscapes that national magazines flaunt in their pages. Gazing at the cool greens and tropical blossoms, it's hard not to lust after that same look in our harsh, arid land.

"My experience is that we need to permanently shift how we think about water," said Alison Peck, owner of Matrix Garden Design in Boulder.

More here:
Soggy spring is brief: For garden longevity, plant a Xeriscape

My dog keeps bringing ticks in, even though I have a tick repellent collar on him. Is there a way I can treat my yard to kill the ticks? Debbie, Burlington.

Talk to your veterinarian about a different type of tick repellent to use on your pet to protect him from ticks and fleas, but also consider some modification to your yard and landscape. Try to reduce leaf litter and ground cover areas where rodents can hide. Keep the grass mowed, and leaves raked and composted. If possible, keep your dog in the sunnier parts of the yard, away from trees, shrubs or wooded areas. If you find ticks on your dog (or on you), it is important to remove them right away to lessen the chance of disease.

Create a tick-free zone by spreading wood chips between your yard and any wooded areas, or use a barrier spray with a product containing permethrin. Permethrin can be found in a formulation for use on dogs, as well. If you decide to use a chemical application, always follow label instructions to the letter. Even though two products may contain the same active ingredient, permethrin in this case, other ingredients may be in there. So choose a spray specifically for use in the landscape for a barrier spray, and a different product for use on your clothing or on your dog.

For more information on ticks, and to find out how to get ticks or insects identified, visit the UW-Extension Insect Diagnostics lab website at http://labs.russell.wisc.edu/insectlab or visit the page specifically dealing with ticks at http://labs.russell.wisc.edu/wisconsin-ticks.

In addition, you can bring ticks or insects (killed in alcohol and in a container, please) in to the UW-Extension Horticulture Helpline sites at one of the Racine County Office Buildings in Ives Grove or Burlington.

Growing pole beans

Last year I had trouble getting my pole beans to set fruit. Was it too hot for them? Are there more heat tolerant bean cultivars to grow here? Trisha, Racine.

Beans are tolerant of heat, and typically dont have problems with pollination and fertilization of flowers unless the temperatures stay above 95 degrees for two to three days. However, if warm temperatures were combined with drought, you might see a significant decline in fruit production in beans.

Flowering and fruiting processes are sensitive to environmental stress. If the conditions are not right for the plant to produce fruit, fruit will not be produced. Tomatoes, for example, do not like high night time temperatures and will typically drop flowers on hot summer nights. But beans are okay with the warmth unless it is extreme. English peas, Sugar Snaps and other sweet peas are types that are sensitive to heat, but they are exceptions in the bean family. Blue Lake, Contender, French Filet, Yellow Wax and other bean cultivars do well in warm weather as long as the soil is moist.

Lack of water is a big issue for bean production, so make sure to keep those vines well-watered during times of flowering and fruiting. Dont fertilize beans, unless you know your soil is deficient from the results of a soil or a plant/soil analysis. Beans are able to gather their nitrogen from the air, but wont if they are supplied with a luxury amount of nitrogen in the soil. Sometimes too much of a good thing, nitrogen in this example, is really just too much. If the plants are green, growing and flowering, chances are they are getting the nitrogen they need.

Read the rest here:
The Root of It All: Keeping ticks out, and growing pole beans

AMES, Iowa Complete control of weeds in the home lawn or garden is not a practical goal for many homeowners. A more realistic approach is to minimize weed populations through various control measures.

How do I control dandelions and other broadleaf weeds in my lawn?

Good cultural practices are an important key to controlling broad-leaf weeds in the lawn. Proper mowing, fertilization and other sound management practices help establish a thick, healthy lawn. A dense stand of grass provides few opportunities for unwanted weeds. When broad-leaf weeds invade lawns, mechanical and chemical measures can be undertaken to remove or destroy the weeds.

Removing weeds by pulling and digging is an effective control option in small lawns or when only a few weeds are present. This method is best accomplished after a soaking rain or deep watering.

In many situations, herbicides are the only practical method of weed control. Effective broadleaf herbicides include 2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba, triclopyr and others. The most effective broadleaf herbicide products contain a mixture of two or three herbicides as no single compound will control all broadleaf weeds. Fall (late September to early November) is the best time to apply broadleaf herbicides in Iowa. Broadleaf herbicides can be applied as liquids or granules. Before applying any herbicide, carefully read and follow label directions.

How do I control weeds in my garden?

Cultivation, hand pulling and mulches are the primary means to control weeds in the home garden.

Cultivation and hand pulling effectively control most annual weeds. Perennial weeds are often more difficult to control. Repeated cultivation or the use of herbicides may be necessary to destroy some perennial weeds.

When cultivating the garden, avoid deep tillage. The roots of many vegetables, fruits and flowers grow near the soil surface. Deep cultivation will cut off some of these roots. Also, deep cultivation will bring deeply buried weed seeds to the soil surface where they can germinate. Hoe or till around plants or between rows and pull weeds close to plants. To effectively control weeds, cultivation and hand pulling must be done on a regular basis through the growing season. Small weeds are much easier to control than large weeds. Its also important to destroy the weeds before they are able to go to seed.

Mulches control weeds by preventing the germination of weed seeds. Established weeds should be destroyed prior to the application of the mulch. In addition to weed control, mulches help conserve soil moisture, reduce soil erosion, prevent crusting of the soil surface, keep fruits and vegetables clean and may reduce disease problems.

See more here:
Yard and Garden: Minimizing weeds is a more realistic goal

Its a great weekend to get out and boy are there a lot of ways to accomplish that this weekend. You can take on a serious run with the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey which goes for 178 miles through some beautiful landscape. Or you can take a walk around the track at Reno High School and help raise money and awareness for those fighting cancer. You can catch some off road races in Fernley, hit up a 40 household yard sale in historic Old Southwest Reno and attend a NDOW workshop to teach your kids to fish in Verdi.Enjoy!

Friday 5/30

Reno Tahoe Odyssey

This 178 mile relay race winds from Reno to Tahoe and back through some incredible landscape.

http://www.renotahoeodyssey.com

Stuff a bus for seniors:

This event is part of the national celebration of older Americans and it takes place at the Aces Ballpark. The cities of Reno and Sparks are teaming up with the Washoe County Senior Services to fill the bus with things seniors need. They have list of wish items on their website. It runs from 10:30 a.m. -8 p.m.

http://www.reno.gov

Wild West in Midtown:

The Creative Coalition of Midtown is holding an event tonight, from 5-9 p.m. to show off the changes to that part of town and to celebrate the history of the Wild West. 40 businesses are taking part.

Go here to read the rest:
Things 2 Do!

By Julie Moore Master Gardener May 29, 2014 4:10PM

This mature backyard landscape design features a beautiful mixture of plant materials, colors and textures that create privacy. | Courtesy of Julie Moore

storyidforme: 67069916 tmspicid: 23905940 fileheaderid: 11747386

A landscape design requires the right tools, and the first ones to pick up are a pencil and paper. A well thought-out plan will be your guide and should result in a more successful project than one that is done piecemeal.

If this sounds daunting, it doesnt need to be, according to Richard Hentschel, University of Illinois Extension educator in horticulture.

The landscape design should draw the eye to the front door, Hentschel notes of the front yard. This can be done using walkway and garden-bed designs that lead the eye to it. Walkways should be wide enough to accommodate two people and can be curved or straight, based on a casual or more formal outcome to be achieved.

The plant beds created need to be large enough to support the desired plantings.

In the backyard, Hentschel says to take inventory of the areas your family will need.

Will the yard be one with a lot of activity or more passive? Do you need a kids play area, or spaces for entertainment, adult recreation, gardening interest or storage needs?

The next step in the design process is a site analysis.

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Master Gardeners: Plan landscape on paper before planting