Tips To Protect Your Landscape From Excessive Rain

The rainy season has returned. While the sun may be shining now, more spring showers are just around the corner. While plentiful rainfall is great news for a drought-recovering California, homeowners need to be weary. Excessive rain can wreak havoc on landscapes, causing expensive damage that could take weeks to repair and restore.

You’ve spent a lot of time and energy investing in your landscape and by extension, your property value. Don’t let your hard work get washed away with the next round of spring storms. After years of professional experience designing and maintaining landscapes to withstand California’s climate, we’ve compiled a list of ways you can help your landscape withstand heavy rainfall. Keep reading to learn how you can protect your landscape from excessive rain.

Make Sure Your Storm water Runoff Is Under Control

Not only is city storm water runoff one of the leading causes of residential flooding; it is also a major contributor of water resource pollution. Fortunately, there are several ways you can divert drainage.

One of the most common ways to control storm water runoff is to use swales. A swale is a depression within the landscape that redirects water drainage. While a swale doesn’t stop rainfall, it does help lead water to a drainage area, protecting your landscape from flooding. You can make your swale even more effective by adding pebbles, rocks, and deep rooted plants to the swale’s lowest point. This will help control the excess water’s speed to the drainage area.

Does a swale sound like too big of a landscape addition right now? Don’t worry, not all changes have to be big. Even a small change, like diverting your rain spouts can help control the water flow. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a local landscaping team to see what they recommend. It will be well worth the effort. After all, in addition to protecting you landscape, controlling your storm water runoff will also significantly lower your utility bill.

Avoid Walking On Water-Soaked Soil

Not only will trudging through a swampy lawn ruin your shoes, it can also damage your landscape. When you walk on a water-soaked area, your weight compacts the soil. This limits the amount of air pockets that exist in the soil, making it hard for plants to get the oxygen they need to stay healthy. Furthermore, when the spring showers finally end, your soil will dry and become hard. This will make it difficult to complete your summer landscaping plans.

Be Proactive With Landscape Maintenance

While you can’t control the weather, there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of damage inflicted on your landscape during the next surprise storm. If you haven’t already, it’s important that you create a maintenance routine for your landscape. During this time, you can inspect your landscape and eliminate potential problems before they even happen.

For example, you can prevent falling tree limbs from damaging your property by making sure your trees are pruned and parasite-free. Clearing debris and fallen leaves will make it harder for vegetative diseases to spread. Continue to make the effort to maintain your landscape on a regular basis and the next time it rains you can rest easy knowing your landscape is ready for excessive water.

Inspect And Reduce Impermeable Surfaces

One of the main culprits of backyard flooding is impermeable surfaces. Homeowners can greatly reduce this issue by inspecting their landscape the next time it rains. If you notice water cascading off of impermeable surfaces, like roofs, driveways, or pavement, take note.
Then discuss replacement options with your landscaping team. It’s possible to add features such as rain gardens to your landscape to minimize the amount of water that stays trapped above ground.

Keep Your Irrigation System Updated

If your irrigation system is five years or older, it’s time to have it inspected by a trustworthy landscaping company. With technology constantly being updated, there’s a possibility that a more cost effective system was invented. In fact, there are a number of irrigation upgrades currently available including:

• Soil Monitoring Sensors
• Rain Shut-Off Devices
• Smart Controllers

These features make it easy for homeowners to monitor their landscape and detect problems the very instant they begin to occur. For example, rain shut-off devices can detect rain and temporarily shut off your irrigation system to prevent overwatering.

Smart controllers make it easy to decide how much and how often you should water your soil. In addition, smart controllers come with weather sensors that can measure a multitude of factors like humidity and precipitation to help you give your lawn the correct amount of water each week.

Contact Your Local Landscaping Team

If you’re tired of dealing with a flooded landscape each time it rains, now is the time to reach out to your local landscaping team. If you live in Santa Cruz or Monterey County, K&D Landscaping, Inc. is ready to help you with all of your landscaping needs. Whether you need professional landscape maintenance or an innovative landscape design, it’s never too early to take the proper measures to protect you landscape from excessive rain.

by Justin White

Is Your Landscape Winter-Ready? 

When the temperatures start getting low, it means that winter is close. As soon as there are indications that fall is coming to a close, you should put on your gloves and get the appropriate tools to start winterizing your landscape. After, all, you do not want snow to mess up all your hard work.

Preparing in advance will lessen the landscaping work required in spring too. So, when you take note of the drop in temperatures, make a point of covering your garden. Below are some useful tips on how to prepare your landscape for winter.

Assess your Garden

Before embarking on any preparations, find out which plants thrived well and those that didn’t during the previous season. Fall is the fitting time of year to either move or get rid of plants that are not looking healthy. It is also the time to plant bare root shrubs, trees, and plant bulbs.

Also, go to your yard and check if it is missing fall bloom. In case it is, go ahead and plant some late flowering plants.

Landscape Clean-up

First, get rid of all the weeds from your garden. If your trees have any diseased leaves, remove them too. Refrain from pruning your plants during fall as it will only encourage new growth when winter is on its way. Dig up non-hardy bulbs and let them dry under the sun before storing them in a cool and dry place.

Dig up a compost pit where you should dispose dried cuttings and leaves. These will make very good manure for the next season. Do not throw in any diseased leaves as they will give you more problems in your next crop.

Aerate the Soil

If you aerate the soil while the vegetation is still green, your crops will be full of vitality in spring. Let the soil get some breathing space as it gets into the cold season. During fall and summer, break up hard and dry soil to allow water and nutrients to seep through to the roots. In the dry winter period, water your lawn by hand to encourage the grass to green-up.

Winter tends to be harsh on trees and shrubs, which is why you should water them adequately before the cold weather starts.

Spread Mulch

Go for fall mulching as opposed to spring mulching as it will help protect the plant roots while retaining moisture during winter. Put at least 2 to3 inches of fresh mulch around all your trees and shrubs. To avoid using mulch that is full of disease pores, buy the hardwood shredded type. Usually, dump mulch is made from trees that died from diseases, and they tend to carry illnesses like leaf spot. To avoid getting diseased plants, keep away from such cheap mulch.

Mulch will protect your plants from erratic temperature changes in the soil. Protecting plants from the intense cold will help stop soil erosion. However, do not mulch too early as it will encourage diseases and pests; wait until the first frost when the ground starts freezing.

Move plants that are growing in containers indoors. If they happen to be too heavy to carry, cover the containers with a wrap and mulch the soil adequately.

Wrap Delicate Shrub

When snow becomes strong and is accompanied by high winds, your treasured shrubs can get split. If you value them, it is prudent to shield your landscape from these winter elements. You can do this in these ways:

• Cover small plants with overturned plastic pots
• Wrap small shrubs in burlap
• Encircle delicate trees with shredded leaves

Cut Back Perennials

Most perennials require cutting back to around 6-8 inches above the ground. However, some will still look great during the cold season. If you cannot decide whether to cut or not, just leave them and see whether you will want to have them when the next winter arrives. Also, some perennial plant seed heads serve as a source of food for birds during the winter season. Most of these perennials look untidy during the cold season and, therefore, you should eliminate them if you wish for a well-manicured garden.

Time to Fertilize Trees

As the temperatures go down, soils tend to cool down too, becoming uniformly moist. Trees and shrubs also start growing in the fall, which makes this the perfect season to fertilize trees. Fertilizing in fall will bring up the productivity of soil through increased nutrients and encouraged root growth. Such trees are more likely to survive the winter with fewer dead branches. They will also multiply in spring.

Ensure You Blow Out

Ensure you winterize your sprinkler system before winter comes, and freezing starts. This will reduce the costs associated with repairs. Let professionals remove all the water from your home system using compressed air. This will prevent any chance of freezing and damage that occurs in the winter.

Cover the backflow preventer properly to protect from any hard freezes that could burst pipes and flood your basement. Always consult a landscaping expert if you don’t know what to do.

With the above tips, your landscape will remain lush, green, and healthy in winter and you will be ready to welcome the spring with endless bloom.

by cmgroup

How To Choose the Right Plants for Your Outdoor Kitchen

No outdoor kitchen is complete without beautiful landscaping that complements the features of the hardscape and home. One of the most satisfying aspects of cooking outdoors is the ability to have edible kitchen essentials at the chef’s fingertips. Having fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits within reach gives the chef more time to focus on the fun, creative sides of cooking. Adding plants with bold color, sweet fragrance and practical function will make your outdoor kitchen the ideal entertainment space of your neighborhood.

Where’s the Sun?

First, before you start planning the perfect outdoor kitchen garden, consider the position of the sun. Will your designated planting space get the exact amount of sunlight it needs? Knowing how much sun the area will get can help you choose the right plants for your outdoor kitchen.

If the planting area receives direct sunlight much of the day, consider creating shade with the use of plants. However, if the kitchen is located in a shady area, more attention must be paid to the type of plants that can be successfully grown. In general, edible plants require at least six hours of sun per day. This makes a sunny location an key need for a successful kitchen garden.

In addition to choosing the right amount of sun, consider how often you want your plants to access the sun. First, think do you want to plant your plants directly into the ground? Second, would it be easier if you could move your plants into the best position everyday? Finally, determine what is the best solution for you and your plants. By designing an arrangement of planters and pots, you can move your plants to areas with the best amount of sunlight. Fortunately, this allows you to take advantage of the sun’s warmth in any season.

Creating Desirable Views and Privacy

Thoughtful plantings are the best way to enhance beautiful views or create privacy around the perimeter of your outdoor kitchen and seating area. A narrow space can be screened with vertical vines. Small trees and bushes offer structure and the opportunity to define specific views. It is essential to be aware of how the garden will mature to create a landscape that will not become overgrown or require extensive management. For the best result, choose plants that are proportional to the garden’s size and offer a professional, finished look. In addition, reach out to your local landscaping company for professional maintenance help.

Structure the Landscape with Fruiting Plants

Fruit grows on many types and sizes of plants, including trees, bushes and vines. Selecting a wide variety of different orchard fruits gives you the opportunity to build texture and structure within your kitchen garden landscape. Apples, pears, citrus and cherries are all available in dwarf tree varieties for container planting and easy harvesting. Blueberry bushes can produce fruit during much of the season. In addition to tasty fruit, you'll also get to enjoy the bushes' beautiful leaves when they change in autumn. Vine fruits such as grapes or kiwi are ideal for narrow spaces along a wall or trellis. They are also a wonderful option for small urban gardens.

The Charm of Veggies and Greens

Growing veggies and greens near the outdoor kitchen is a practical way to enjoy farm-to-table meals. Kale and chard are colorful, healthy greens. Also, they can be easily grown in either pots or landscape beds. Lettuces and mustard greens prefer partial shade and cool weather; many of these salad fixings can be grown year round and thrive in shady areas. Garlic and onions are the foundation for any home-cooked meal. These root crops can easily be tucked into pots or small corners of the landscape. Edible gardens can be creative and unique; their design is only limited by the homeowner’s imagination.

Fresh Cooking with Culinary Herbs

Herbs are easily grown and require very little maintenance. The joy of cooking with fresh herbs makes them an essential addition to any outdoor garden. Garnish evening cocktails with fresh mint or rosemary. Use sage and basil to flavor grilled meat. The possibilities are endless when you have a garden of spices and herbs right at your fingertips.

Surrounding the cooking space with herbs that are within easy reach gives the chef a variety of fresh options for creative cooking. Guests will be fascinated when the chef crafts their meal using the greenery that surrounds your outdoor kitchen. Bring a taste of Europe to your backyard with the distinctive, flavorful French tarragon. Nicknamed the "King of Herbs" by many French chefs, this unique herb is a fantastic seasoning option for many dishes, including fish, poultry, and salads.

Any food lover will be delighted by the tasteful variety your outdoor kitchen herb and spice garden provides. Plus, your guests get to indulge in the added bonus of enjoying the heavenly aromas these fresh herbs emit.

Cut Flowers For the Table

Flowers bring color and interest to the residential landscape. In short, popular varieties of cut flowers in the garden means the host can set a beautiful table for entertaining at a moment’s notice. Roses, sunflowers and lilies are easy to grow. In addition to their natural beauty, these flowers can be cut and arranged to enhance your table's setting. As a matter of fact, these flowers are beautiful as single stems or large bouquets. In addition, edible flowers such as borage, calendula and pansies can be added to desserts and salads for a colorful, unique accent that goes beyond a simple garnish.

Getting Started

In short, there are many beautiful plants that provide shade, structure and color to your landscape. Therefore, choosing edible plants to surround your outdoor kitchen is a simple way to add a customized, practical touch to the home that will delight your family and guests.

Ready to get stared? Reach out to your local landscaping team for additional help with all of your landscaping needs. If you live on the Central Coast, consider giving K&D Landscaping, Inc. a call. Their professional team has over 30 years of award-winning service. When it comes to choosing the right plants for your outdoor kitchen, K&D Landscaping, Inc. is here to help.

by cmgroup