Monday 28 October 2013

Some lawn maintenance services you can't do without

Plants, flowers and foliage make up your landscape. If you want to enjoy a healthy and beautiful lawn round the year, you need a comprehensive maintenance program in place that can keep your lawn clean and away from pests and other insects, apart from ensuring that its aesthetic quotient isn’t tampered with. 

Looking after the landscape on your own can be a tedious job; and may often cause a lot of trouble, especially if you can’t devote adequate time, patience or effort to get the tasks done. In such cases, it’s best to hire landscaping professionals to get the job done. There are many landscaping companies in the market that offer a bouquet of lawn maintenance services - starting from simple lawn care to extensive lawn maintenance, and almost everything in-between. 

Here are a few lawn maintenance services, which will collectively make sure that your lawn is in its best form all the time:  

Pruning: Hand pruning is performed on plants from time to time, ensuring that they grow in proper shape. 

Insect and disease control: This is one of the most vital areas of landscape maintenance. The infestation of insects in the lawn can cause severe diseases. The lawn needs to be free from such pests and insects to keep diseases at bay. Insecticides are sprayed from time to time to ensure that the plants do not become home to insects and pests. 

Weed control: Prevention is by far the most essential aspect of weed management and control.  Even if a negligible amount of weed establishes its infestation, management and control costs can shoot up considerably. This is why lawn maintenance professionals monitor and detect the source of weed accurately, and take necessary steps to combat weed growth.  

Hand weeding: Hand weeding is a practical method in which weed is removed with hands, implementing manual labor. This method can work best to demolish perennial weeds that generate periodically from underground plants. For this method to be carried out, the moisture content in the soil needs to be high so that the weeds can be pulled out easily.  

Ground cover control: Ground cover fabric is the easiest way to put a full stop to weeds. 

Fertilization of plant material: Fertilization is mandatory to ensure that your lawn gets all the nourishment that is necessary. Owing to environmental pollution and lack of proper space to grow crops and plants, it becomes a necessity to use proper fertilizers to give your foliage all the nourishment that it needs. 

Leaf removal: Dead leaves give a messed up and dirty look to your lawn. The decay of dead leaves can also cause fungal developments. Therefore, it is mandatory to remove dead leaves from time to time to keep your lawn lush green and attractive.   

Edging: This is done to keep your lawn in proper shape. Some shrubs tend to grow fast, thus making your lawn look clumsy. It is important to cut them regularly so that the area beneath receives proper sunlight and air. 

Tree maintenance: This includes climbing up trees, cutting unwanted branches or dead leaves. It forms an integral part of a good lawn maintenance service. 

Turf maintenance: If the turf area is affected by pests, it is very difficult to remove them. Use of proper fertilization, insecticide, pesticide and weed control not only extends the durability of your turf but also helps you get a lush green cover all round the year.  

You should never overlook any problems related to your landscape maintenance. It is very important to keep in mind that once your lawn is infiltrated, restoring it will burn a hole in your pocket. Therefore, it’s best to hire a landscaping professional and entrust them with the task of your lawn maintenance.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Gates & Fencing Ideas for your landscape

It is very important to keep your garden properly fenced in order to ensure safety and keep away stray animals. For most people, gates and fences are merely functional elements. But with some planning and creativity, you can make them attractive and as interesting as the plants that surround them. After all, gates and fences are wonderful ways to define your premises or provide a structure for the plants in your garden to grow up against. 

There exists a number of fencing and gates’ designs, from which you can take your pick based on what suits the aesthetics, as well as your budget and requirements. Here is a list of some fencing and gate designs to best suit your landscape:

Private fencing: If you choose to keep your outdoor spaces enclosed and separated from your neighbors on every side, this is the most appropriate design for you. You can choose fences with a wooden barrier, which are wall like partitions without any gaps that would separate you from the outside world. 

Picket fencing: What can be a better way to adorn your flower garden with a white picket fence? Since times immemorial, picket fencing has been most house owner's preferred choice. You can keep chickens and other animals away from your garden as these wooden fences have pointed pickets. Typically, picket fences are about three feet tall and adorn the front yard. You can protect your turf from pedestrians and other vehicles and at the same time, enjoy a view of the world outside. 

Pool fencing: A swimming pool is a prime asset of every landscape. If it is not properly fenced, it can become a headache. Most importantly, if you have children at home, fencing around a pool is a must. However, a solely adult community may choose to differ on the need of pool fencing. 

Deer fencing: Deers can destroy gardens, crops and vegetation overnight. People mostly living in rural and suburban areas can opt for this type of fencing. These barriers are usually 8 feet tall and the height should be able to withstand windy and stormy days. 

Split rail fencing: Usually whitewashed, this type of fencing is the traditional look for equestrian residences. High maintenance is needed to keep them in proper shape. 

Security fencing: Home invasion has become a common and dreadful scenario in today’s world. There are two things that need to be taken into consideration to build a security fence successfully. Firstly, it should be visually discouraging for intruders. Secondly, the designers have to make sure that it is impossible to get through the fence. Sometimes, these fences are also electrified so that when touched, the intruder will get injured. These fences are also accompanied with strong gates that are bolted and welded to make sure that the fencing is firm and sturdy.

Fencing and gate designs lay a very major role in giving an overall impression about the house owner. There are a wide variety of choices available for residential fences. Depending on the climate, your home décor and your priorities, you can set up the fencing around your house. You can choose vinyl, wood, wrought iron, aluminum or bamboo as the fencing materials. Each of these materials has its own pros and cons, which should be taken into consideration before making the final choice. In case you feel doing it all on your own is a tough task, you can hire professional landscape experts to help you select the right material and type of fencing, and get it erected with a design that boost the aesthetic appeal of your landscape.