Does Your Business Lack Curb Appeal? You May Need a Commercial Landscaper!
Neglecting your business's exterior appearance can send the impression to prospective customers that your services or products are lacking, which can cause them to feel uneasy about supporting your business and instead seek out your competitors with good property upkeep and commercial landscaping.
Therefore, you want to ensure that your property's curb appeal tops the list of your marketing strategies, which experts say helps increase foot traffic as well as your sales.
Some simple ways to improve your curb appeal to attract more customers include:
Refresh Your Building's Exterior
Over time, your building can begin to show signs of wear and tear, which can cause it to look shabby and drab and cause people to wonder if it's still open.
However, there are some low-cost ways to revive the look of your building and send the right message to customers that you are still in business, including installing new trim on the exterior.
If your budget permits, you can also apply a coat of fresh paint on the outside of the building to update its look.
Meanwhile, if the door is dirty or has chipped paint, it could also send the wrong message to customers, so you should repaint or replace the door to also help project a professional image.
Check the Signage
Your signage also plays a role in whether or not customers feel inspired to enter your business; therefore, you want to ensure that it also remains in good shape.
Your signage should also be large enough and positioned where people passing your business via various routes can easily read it.
You can also use outdoor signage to alert customers of any deals you may be running, which will help attract new customers that may otherwise have not visited your establishment.
Fix Damaged Walking Areas
Freshly resurfaced walkways and stairs not only give your property a clean appearance, but it also ensures your customers are safe while traveling to and from your building on foot.
On the other hand, broken, cracked, or chipped walkways and stairs pose a safety hazard for customers, which will most likely discourage them from entering your business.
Therefore, to send the message to customers that you care about their safety, be sure to repair any problematic walking areas. It also helps decrease your business's liability risks.
Upgrade the Parking Lot
Like your walkway and stairs, a crumbling parking lot can also make customers reluctant to enter your establishment, and it, too, puts your business at risk of liability.
Therefore, be sure to maintain a smooth and even parking lot free of cracks and potholes, which also helps make customers feel welcomed.
It should also include clear parking lines and offer handicap accessible parking to further accommodate customers.
Hire a Professional Commercial Landscaping Company
Fresh greenery, such as shrubs, native California flowers, or even tree islands, strategically placed throughout your property, makes your business look more vibrant and lively, which also helps create an inviting atmosphere for customers.
If your property has no greenery, a commercial landscaper, such as Santa Cruz Landscaping, can help you choose the right selection of flora for your space and then also plant them for you to help increase the chance they will thrive as they should for the most appealing look.
A commercial landscaper can also maintain your new or existing greenery to help ensure it continues to grow for sustained business curb appeal.
Rock gardens also make charming additions to your property, and they are also cheaper and much easier to maintain than traditional gardens, so you may also consider this as an option to help beautify your property.
Meanwhile, light fixtures added to your property helps ensure your building can be seen at night, so it still looks inviting even during the evening hours. A commercial landscaper, such as a Santa Cruz Landscaping, can also work with you to incorporate the right lighting into your landscaping scheme to help set the mood you want.
Keep Your Property Clean
Once you have made all the necessary upgrades to your building and your property, you now need to keep it clean to ensure it remains attractive to customers.
This means regularly clean any trash from the property as well as the entryway, which helps display to customers that you take pride in your business. You should also ensure the windows remain clean because dirty windows make your building look run down, which can also cause customers to turn away.
If you have any window displays, they should also be dusted and cleared of any cobwebs frequently, and the display itself should also be changed every few months to help give your business a new look.
You can do this work yourself, or you may consider hiring cleaners to help save time.
Show Your Holiday/Seasonal Spirit
Adding seasonal decor to your business to celebrate the holidays or to welcome in the weather's changes gives your business a spirited look that not only adds to your business curb appeal, but that also makes your business look more friendly.
So don't be afraid to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for your customers throughout the holidays or seasons, just like you do for your family, so they feel they belong too.
As you can see, there are many quick and budget-friendly ways to upgrade your business's exterior, all which have been shown to help increase new customers for your business and, in turn, also your income, which is great for your bottom line.
Once you have found a look for your business that you are happy with, be sure to keep it up by ensuring it remains clean and refreshed, which will also help save money on more expensive upgrades later.
In the meantime, if you are interested in installing greenery or rock features on your property or you are in need of commercial landscaping for your current greenery, call us or visit our web site to schedule an appointment.
A Guide to Chemical-Free Weed Killing in Santa Cruz
There are ways to keep a "green" chemical-free garden that uses household ingredients to kill weeds. They are easy to use as well as being budget-friendly. When doing your yard and garden weeding, keep these methods in mind.
Eco-Friendly Landscape
Having an eco-friendly landscape means that you are practicing policies that will not harm you, the earth, and the plants. Harsh pesticide and herbicide chemicals can leak into your earth, water and plants that eventually end up in you, your family, pets, and any animals you are raising to consume.
There are weed killing ingredients that you can make from products found in the home that do an awesome job, pennies to make, and non-toxic to you. Some of these solutions are basic common sense while others may surprise you.
Weed Killing In A Santa Cruz Landscape
You can practice the old fashion way of pulling weeds out of the ground. Remember not to put the weeds into the compost. Bagging and throwing them away or safely burning the unwanted plants are ways to discard them. Removing the whole plant including the taproot is the key to the success of the plant not growing back.
Some weeds you can control by removing the tops or flowers before they go to seed. If the plant is a perennial, they will come back, but removing the tops will slow down the spread of the seeds.
A nice three for one effort is using mulch. The mulch not only keeps the weeds down, but also helps retain water for the plant. Also, the mulch will eventually compost to add more soil around your plants. Make sure to use the correct pH material around the plants you are growing. You need about an inch deep of mulch around your plants for it to do the job properly.
This no brainer solution is awesome for those pesky weeds that are in hard to reach places. Boil water in a medium saucepan and pour the boiling water over the plant that needs to go. You will get instant results. Just make sure to take safeguards when using this technique.
If you have the problem of weeds growing in the cracks of your sidewalk or driveway, a simple solution is to use salt. By spreading salt into those cracks, the unwanted plants will not only die, but new plants will not grow there for as long as the area contains salt. Do not use his method around the plants you want to keep as it will kill them also.
Salt is a good way to create "plantless" borders along driveways and sidewalk where nothing will grow. Just less need for a weedeater, but expect brown borders where ever the salt is placed. Do not use this method if you plan to replant in this area.
Vinegar is another household product that is very effective at killing plants. The acid draws moisture out of the leaves of the plant and will destroy it within 24 hours. Unlike salt, the vinegar does not last as long, but will destroy anything it touches. This method works well for destroying large patches of unwanted plants when you want to grow later in that area.
The most powerful organic weed-killing mixture you can make is to combine a gallon of white distilled vinegar with a cup of salt and two tablespoons of liquid dishwashing soap. Use a sunny, windless day to be sure it does not travel to the plants you want unharmed.
Rubbing Alcohol helps you when needing first aid but is deadly to plants if they come in contact with it. It works the same as vinegar, drawing moisture from the leaves, but has no lasting effect on the soil. For more stubborn or hardy plants, it may need a second treatment. Mix two tablespoons of alcohol to a quart of water to spray on the leaves.
All those of you who are not fond of mowing grass, you can just let the grass in your lawn do the work for you, By letting the grass crowd out the weeds with less mowing, your lawn may naturally do the job. If you let the grass go to seed before you mow in the spring, you can have a lush reseeded lawn the rest of the season.
Establishing a closely packed garden will discourage other plants from moving in due to lack of space to grow. You may have to do some weeding early on but close planting will pay off soon. Just like letting the grass grow in your yard, garden plants will do the work for you.
For those who are just starting a garden plot, livestock may be your quick fix. Goats or chickens can be borrowed to strip the plot of growth while providing organic fertilizer as well as aerating the soil. Just don't put them around plants you want to grow because they can't tell the difference.
Chemical-Free Garden
A chemical-free garden could be an edible garden, including the weeds. Before you discard the unwanted plants, you may want to check if they would make a good salad ingredient or tea. What you consider trash plants may have homeopathic properties that are traditionally known for healing or healthy nutrients. Take the time to do research before you toss out those "weeds".
Santa Cruz Landscape
To have a beautiful landscape in Santa Cruz does not require the use of harsh and dangerous chemicals. Remember that what you put on plants and on the soil will end up in you, your family, neighbors, and the local wildlife. Happy gardening! For other useful information about landscaping check out this blog site.
Beat the Heat: How to Keep Your Lawn Healthy in the Summer
Beat the Heat: How to Keep Your Lawn Healthy in the Summer
Summer is that time of the year that you want your lawn to look its best. It is that time when you need lawn care the most because your lawn undergoes much stress from the scorching sun and hot temperatures. These two elements of the summer weather are always a threat to your lush green grass. Additionally, your lawn faces another threat from the increased traffic by family, kids, and pets. All these stresses combined cause much wear and tear to the lawn, leaving your once sea of green gradually fading into brown.
While it is quite normal for the summer to be hot and dry, it is not a must that your lawn turns brown. Some homeowners are comfortable with letting their lawns turn brown and going dormant over the summer. There is no problem at all as it is only natural that the grass would preserve itself until cooler temperatures resume. However, it is a better look for your lawn if it stays green all summer. Moreover, the process of keeping it green is not complicated in any way. It only requires some strategic summer lawn care practices that will allow you to keep your lawn lush all summer.
What Causes the Brown in Your Lawn?
It is essential first to understand why your lawn loses its color before you know how to keep it green.
Watering plays a vital role in keeping your grass green and lush. However, it is not always the reason why the lawn turns brown. The weather leading up to the summer is always cool and wet. But as soon as summer begins, the weather dramatically changes to hot and dry. Such a rapid change causes the ground to dry up quickly, and the plants become water-stressed. As a survival mechanism, the plants go dormant and turn brown to preserve themselves.
As you can see, brown grass does not necessarily mean unhealthy grass. There is no need to panic when you suddenly see patches of brown in your yard. The grass has simply inactivated itself due to unsuitable climatic conditions. Once suitable conditions resume, it would quickly bounce back to life.
Nonetheless, other factors that contribute to your lawn losing its color include:
- Poor watering practices
- Poor mowing practices
- Insect or disease attacks
- Excess traffic
Keep Your Lawn Green with these Summer Lawn Care Tips
There are several steps you can follow to ensure that your lawn survives even the harshest of summer days. It is not complicated to keep a heat resistant lawn. Just make sure that you adhere to these tips with consistency, and you are guaranteed that your lawn will remain lush all summer.
1. Plant the right grass
Ask any Santa Cruz landscaping expert and they will tell you that there are many varieties of grass that exist. Among these varieties, there are two distinct categories, cool-season, and hot-season grasses. The cool-season grasses perform well in the colder northern regions while the hot-season grasses are excellent in the warmer south.
As such, the grasses behave differently when exposed to various temperatures. The cold-season grasses become stressed in high temperatures while the hot-season grasses are better equipped to cope in this weather.
So the next time you are doing your landscape design, ensure you select an appropriate grass for the warm Santa Cruz weather. Should you select the cold-season grass for this warm climate, it would be much difficult to keep your lawn green all summer.
2. Water Your Lawn Properly
Proper watering of your lawn is one of the obvious things that can keep it healthy for a long time. However, when the lawn is incorrectly watered, the grass is bound to lose its vibrant look under the summer sun. The following practices would ensure that your lawn receives enough moisture to remain healthy.
3. Train Your Lawn
Your lawn must be properly trained for it to survive the hot summer weather. The training allows the grass to develop a deep root system that would enable it to tap water from a deeper level. To train your lawn, deeply water your lawn once or twice a week rather than short daily soaks. This allows the grass to develop a deep root system rather than a shallow one.
4. Water in the Morning
Your lawn benefits more when it is watered early in the morning than at any other time. Mornings are always perfect because the temperatures are cooler and there is less evaporation. Avoid watering the lawn when the sun is scorching outside because the water evaporates before percolating into the ground. Similarly, avoid watering at night because the lawn becomes damp, which creates perfect conditions for diseases to develop.
5. Keep Your Grass Longer
Mowing is an essential part of garden design and summer lawn care. Though as aforementioned, improper mowing practices could lead to lawns losing their lushness. There are two benefits of keeping your grass longer. It develops a deeper root system, and the longer grass blades shade the delicate root system from the harsh summer sun. This protects the grass on the lawn from drying up too quickly and thus remaining green. As standard practice, never mow your lawn shorter than three inches as to keep it healthy all summer.
6. Fertilize Your Lawn
Your lawn needs a source of nutrients to stay healthy. It is essential that you replenish the nutrients on your lawn regularly for it to grow thick and healthy. Microbes take about six to eight weeks to process the nutrients, so fertilize your lawn after this interval. It is recommended that you use a low-nitrogen lawn fertilizer to prevent the grass from growing very fast.
7. Keep Off the Grass
During the summer, your lawn is under much stress from traffic. Movement by kids, pets, family, or vehicles causes much damage to the lawn and the ground below. If you notice a discolored patch as a result of traffic, keep off the damaged area and give it a chance to recover.
8. Control Weeds Early and Often
Santa Cruz landscaping professionals advocate for controlling the weeds early and often rather than spraying the whole lawn with a weed killer. To get rid of weeds, manually pull them from the ground or use a weeding fork.
Santa Cruz Landscaping
Contact landscape experts K&D Landscaping if you have any questions regarding garden design, summer lawn care, heat resistant lawns, or landscape design ideas. There you will find everything you need to know about keeping your lawn healthy and green all summer long.
Hardscape vs Softscape and Why Your Landscape Needs Both
Together softscape and hardscape help make up your landscaping design, transforming your yard into a relaxing oasis, which can be used for basking in the scenery, to extend your living space, or for entertaining family and friends.
However, when it comes to softscape and hardscape, many people actually know what they are, as well as the importance of each for your yard; therefore, the following breakdown will help you understand both, which can then be used to create the perfect landscape.
What is Softscape?
Living things in your yard, also known as softscaping, give your yard a natural beauty that only lush greenery can provide.
The most obvious living feature in your yard is the lawn; however, trees, flowers, shrubs, ground cover, and any other soft, living, growing things in your landscape are also considered softscaping.
In fact, there are various elements that categorize a feature as softscaping, which include:
- Live, horticultural elements that, in landscaping, are categorized by their soft touch.
- Soft landscaping features that thrive and continuously evolve with the climate and other atmospheric conditions.
- Yard features that are not hard to the touch, such as stone wall.
What is Hardscape?
Hardscaping, on the other hand, are the inorganic features in your yard, such as the patio, deck, brick walls, gravel paths, and the driveway, etc. In other words, it is simply the hard foundation of your outdoor landscape.
Hardscape serves various purposes in a yard from, creating an outdoor living room to creating an outdoor kitchen for cooking and dining to creating a walking path for maneuvering your yard.
As with softscaping, there are also various elements that categorize a feature as hardscaping, which include:
- Inorganic or lifeless objects.
- Yard features that are hard to the touch; however, they are transferable, such as stones and pavers.
- Solid, permanent objects.
- Hardscaping objects can be natural like stone, or they can be human made, such as an outdoor gazebo, planter, or water feature, etc.
How Softscaping and Hardscaping Work Together
Though softscaping and hardscaping are totally different landscaping aspects, together, they help create balance in your yard, which makes for a more enjoyable space.
Otherwise, a yard with an abundance of live features and solely consists of living plants can create a jungle-like look and feel to the space, which makes the space appear overgrown and uncared for. However, by adding hardscaping features, such as a stone or gravel walkway, it helps create space between your yard's living features, which makes the yard look more organized.
Likewise, a yard with too many hard features, such as all rocks or a single retaining wall, can make your property look more industrial or like commercial property rather than a residential structure. However, by adding soft features, such as colorful plants or ornamental grasses, it helps create a more homely feel that makes your property more inviting.
Therefore, avoid incorporating too much of one or the other when it comes to your landscaping design, which can throw your yard off balance. Since your landscaping also affects your property's curb appeal, if your yard's landscaping is off-balanced, it can even decrease its resale value.
When in doubt, you may even consider working with a professional landscaping company that can not only help you select the right features for your yard but also ensure they are incorporated in the right balance for maximum curb appeal.
Creating a Fun and Functional Outdoor Space
A well-designed outdoor space augments and extends the living space of your home. It is possible to create an ideal space in your backyard or your front yard, which feels like a smooth transition from your indoor space. Fun and functional landscaping will add to the allure of your outdoor living space and help you make it your own.
Front yard or backyard landscaping can seamlessly fit into the overall design of your space. Whether you have designed your outdoor space for entertaining, for family fun with children and pets, or as a tranquil hangout area, residential landscaping services can help you plan and execute your ideas and concepts.
Poolside entertaining
The space around your swimming pool can be enhanced by a variety of landscaping styles.
- Landscaping can conform to the shape of your pool. If you have a pool with curved edges, creeping and winding plants by the poolside will match the soft and flowing look. For a pool with perpendicular lines or a well-defined geometric shape, a minimalist lawn and geometric stone landscape will provide a clean and contemporary look.
- You can design a poolside space with a theme. Tropical palms and banana trees are perfect for rendering a California flavor to your poolside. If your backyard adjoins a wooded area, lush beds of flowering plants bordering the pool will reflect the forest-like surroundings.
- A design with a more practical aim is a gravel poolside landscape dotted with hardy plants that are suited for a hot and dry climate. This can help you save water during regular maintenance of your pool and backyard.
Patio and deck areas
With a sheltered and comfortably furnished patio or deck, you can carry your indoor living space outside. It can double as a dining area, an outdoor gym, a secondary kitchen for those barbecue evenings, or even an office space for when you are working from home.
Whatever the purpose of the space, landscaping can make it more homely and suited to the activity.
- Shelter: A pergola strung with graceful vines can shelter your patio without blocking out sunlight and fresh air. Wood can be used for a more traditional feel or metal for a modern look. A retractable canvas awning will give you the flexibility to alter the space depending on the weather.
- Privacy: Partial walls can create a cozy nook. Strategic placement of these walls can give you privacy from the street or a neighboring yard. A wall of tall hedges can serve the same purpose and blend in with the rest of your patio landscaping.
- Artistic touch: Night lights placed at the feet of trees can highlight them and make your patio more inviting after dark. Solar-powered lamps can be used for this purpose, helping you save energy and the environment. Grass or other greenery can be planted in between the spaces between stone slabs, creating lines of green, to soften the severity of the stone, and add a pop of color.
- Color: Pebbles, gray-toned succulents, and cacti can be added to match the stone seating of your patio. Tender, green bamboo can be planted to match your wooden slat furniture. Flowering plants with blooms of the appropriate color can match your patio furniture and fixtures. They can be changed when you change the fixtures, like the cushions on your couch, for example.
Garden space
Your backyard or front yard could be a beautiful garden, which could be a hobby, increase the curb appeal of your home, or provide you with a space to do some organic farming.
- Local flora survives the best in all types of local weather and will require minimal maintenance. Plants native to the Santa Cruz environs, such as cypress, elderberry, and types of sage, are easily available. Some plants attract bees and butterflies and are beneficial to the ecosystem.
- Rock gardens can give your outdoor space an artistic touch. It is a space can be filled mostly with stones and rocks, requiring fewer plants. Rocks and pebbles of varying sizes and hues are arranged in creative layouts that can be multi-level or terraced in some cases. Moss adds color and softens the arrangement. Plants that complement the stony appearance are added to complete the design. A water feature such as a pond or a waterfall can enhance its beauty.
- A vegetable garden in your backyard will provide your kitchen with the supply you need, grown in the manner of your choice. Raised beds can be accommodated in any part of the yard. Herbs, vegetables, and fruits can be cultivated organically, helping you maintain a sustainable lifestyle for yourself and your family.
Kid-friendly and pet-friendly outdoor areas
One of the main reasons that homeowners purchase a home with a large backyard is for the sake of their children and pets. Landscaping can help make this space safe as well as inviting to both.
- Kid-friendly backyards can have a lush lawn with a jungle gym, a trampoline, or an above-ground kiddie pool. A colorful climbing wall with a rubber fall surface can be a fun way to keep the children active. Plants that do not have thorns or prickly leaves, rocks that add a decorative touch but do not have sharp edges, and are placed well away from the center of the space can keep your backyard attractive as well as safe.
- Pets love a large backyard in which to run around. Landscaping ideas suited for pets can keep them happy and safe. Taking care to avoid flowering and fruiting plants that could be harmful to your pets if ingested, is one way to adapt the landscaping for pets.
Functional landscaping for socializing
Your backyard can be a perfect space for entertaining. Whether it is for a barbecue, a quiet gathering, cocktails, or as a spillover space for a party at home, a beautifully landscaped backyard can be an alluring space.
- An outdoor bar or barbecue can make it a self-sufficient space for a party in balmy weather when the guests would prefer to stay outside and the hosts do not need to shuttle between the outdoor space and the indoor bar or kitchen.
- A fire pit or a fireplace would make your backyard a convenient space for a gathering during the cooler months.
- Ample lighting around the outdoor entertaining space makes it more appealing. Lighting can be in the form of overhead warm lights on the cabana, enhanced by solar lamps in the surrounding shrubbery. Tiki torches can add a touch of whimsy.
- A cozy nook or conversation corner can be built using a partial L-shaped wall for a sectional sofa.
An oasis of serenity
Your outdoor space can be designed to be a haven in which to de-stress and unwind.
- A tranquil space can be created in your backyard with water features. A gurgling fountain or a gently cascading waterfall can be a source of soothing white noise. A koi pond can add to the zen-like atmosphere and make it a pleasant space in which to kick back and read or listen to music.
- Shady areas can be built with plants whose leaves rustle in the wind. Plants with sweet-smelling flowers like jasmine or gardenias can elevate the allure of the space.
- A raised wooden platform surrounded by plants can be a delightful space for yoga or meditation. In larger spaces, a meandering walkway can be used for a relaxing stroll.
Landscaping can make your outdoor space enticing as well as functional. A range of ideas can be used in Santa Cruz for landscaping your home. Once you have an idea of the purpose that you would like for your outdoor space, there is a wide variety of creative ways in which you can realize the dream of your ideal backyard or front yard.
Disease and Insect Prevention Guideline for Trees
Trees are an integral and important part of the home landscape. Providing many benefits and often increasing the value of your home, keep them in optimum condition by learning the best tree disease and insect prevention methods.
Like other growing plants in your yard, landscape trees and shrubs can fall victim to a variety of diseases and attacks from different insects. If you can spot these issues before they damage your valuable trees and shrubs, you can usually contain the problem. Become familiar with potential pests and diseases that affect trees in your area.
Practicing Tree Disease and Insect Prevention
Trees should be healthy and vigorous to maintain their beauty. When they suffer from damaging insect infestations or any of a number of diseases, their appearance begins to change. This may be the first indication that something is wrong with your trees.
Learn to inspect them regularly to catch any potential problems. A stroll through your property can double as a way to check your trees. When you’re inspecting for pests and disease, it is often called scouting.
Be on the lookout for tree abnormalities like dying limbs, and the yellowing and drying of foliage when it should be green and growing. If you see bleeding cankers, or visible fungi it may be time to call in a professional. Tree care experts, like those at Santa Cruz Tree Service are trained to diagnose and treat issues that are hurting your trees.
Tree Disease Prevention
Keeping trees healthy is the best way to stop disease from infecting them. Providing the right nutrition is important in this quest. Trees in the forest get nutrition from their neighbors, such as leaves that fall, hold in moisture and then decompose to provide nutrients.
Provide the same scenario in your landscape by removing grass under trees and mulching with organic mulch. This type of mulch will decompose and provide nutrients. Leave a few inches between the tree trunk and the mulch, as mulch cuts off air circulation.
Mulch stops weed seeds from sprouting near the base of the tree. Keep weeds removed from the area as much as possible, as they compete with the tree for nutrients in the soil.
Fertilize trees that have lost their vigor. Healthy trees that are properly cited may not need fertilization. Those in need of a boost may benefit from an annual layer of compost, blood meal, or sewage sludge in early autumn. If you let fallen leaves remain under trees, or shred them and put them back, other fertilizer is likely not necessary.
Tree disease mostly results from bacterial pathogens and fungal infections. These often don’t kill the tree immediately but start a process of a slow decline. Healthy trees resist a steady onslaught of potential infections.
Sometimes disease enters through a mechanical injury, like that from a mower or weed eater. Disease can be spread by splashing water. An insect infestation can cause an opening for disease to enter your tree.
Disease possibilities include root rots, wilts, cankers, blights, and general decline. Different trees are affected by different diseases, such as hardwoods, softwoods, and conifers.
Diseases are often specific to the type of tree. In many cases they are identified by the name preceding the disease, as in this listing by University of California of Diseases of Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.
Tree Insect Prevention
As with disease, healthy trees are more likely to repel a serious insect infestation. This is not always possible and sometimes treatments are necessary to save the tree.
One of the most potentially dangerous situations is an appearance by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). This is a jewel beetle often responsible for the destruction of ash trees. It is native to NE Asia.
Non-native insects are more threatening to our trees than those that are native to our country. This is true in both the forest and the landscape. The EAB was discovered in the US in 2002, in Michigan.
While this destructive pest has not appeared in our area, Santa Cruz Tree Care professionals are aware of how to treat it. We also provide Tree Insect Prevention for Other dangerous insect pests, such as:
- Goldspotted oak borer
- Asian longhorned beetle
- Sudden Oak Death
- Pitch canker
We also offer protection against more common, but not so deadly tree insect pests like:
- Beetles
- Borers
- Caterpillars
- Weevils
- Adelgids
Insect pests sometimes arrive in the country on plant material transported from overseas. Of course we can’t mention every insect pest or Tree Disease Prevention program we offer. However, you can rely on our experts to properly diagnose and treat ailing trees and shrubs.
Keep in mind the healthy tree concept and follow these tips to keep your trees happy without chemicals. This can start with planting. Plant a new tree in the right location and care for it properly afterward. Once trees are established in the right location, care is often minimal as they grow. During this time they add beauty and value to your property, while providing shade and ornamental benefits.
Santa Cruz Tree Care
Tree experts at K&D Landscaping serve Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley & Watsonville, CA (Central Coast). They're trained to quickly diagnose disease and begin treatment. These professionals are up-to-date and informed of new types of insect pests that may arrive in the area.
Call a professional tree care expert if you need them. Most likely, they will love your trees just as you do.
Landscaping for Small Yards
Your Californian home is a source of pride for you. It's a place where you spend time often, so it should reflect your style and values. Even if it isn't as large as you'd like it to be, there are many things you can do to make it your own. Part of the fun of owning a home is making it feel comfortable and inviting from the outside to the inside. Santa Cruz landscaping can be transformative even when applied to the smallest yards.
Below, learn how a landscaped yard is highly beneficial. Gain insight into ways to improve the appearance of your front and back lawns and gardens. The only thing stopping you from experiencing a residential landscape is the lack of knowledge as to where to start with the project.
The Benefits of Small Yard Landscaping
A landscaped yard is testimony that you care about every square inch of your property, no matter if it's small or not. It adds to the value of the home and allows you to tell your story the way you want to tell it. Your landscaping can reflect your personality and interests with minimal effort.
Many benefits come with small yard landscaping. Among the most notable is how it increases the curb appeal of your home. The addition of flowers, plants, and bushes causes people to pass by your house and notice how good the yard looks. It's not enough to decorate the interior of your property because the exterior needs love, too!
Other things worth mentioning about home landscaping include:
- It protects your home from becoming damaged by erosion. Santa Cruz landscaping keeps the foundation of your house from shifting due to loose soil and rainfall. It's a way of protecting your property by minimizing the amount of soil that shifts when the rain pours. Too much rain can significantly impact your home's structure if not addressed. Containment walls can be included as part of your landscaping to help keep excess water from pooling at your doorstep and potentially ruining your home's foundation.
- It attracts bees which pollinate food crops. It's how farmers can supply their nations with the surplus. You can select what you plant based on this information and provide ample nourishment for pollinators. There are many wildflowers that you can plant in an attempt to feed the bees.
- It gives you less grass to mow. Think about how much time, effort, and money you'll save by investing in home landscaping. You won't spend hours mowing the same patches of grass repeatedly because you decided to landscape your small yard. There is less effort expended trying to keep the grass lush and green, and more time enjoying your beautiful landscaping.
- It provides you with a source of food as well as fresh flowers you can bring indoors. The inclusion of plants can be very beneficial. Not only do they improve the appearance of your yard, but they also give you food to eat and fresh floral arrangements, you can decorate your home with often. A garden rewards you with tangible goods that you can use to better your physical health and mental well-being.
As you can see, the benefits of small yard landscaping are abundant. The choices that you make today have a direct impact on your future. From making your home appear more appealing to neighbors and passersby to providing your family with an endless supply of fresh produce, herbs, and flower arrangements, you have options.
Are you still not sure where to begin? Don't worry. There are landscaping ideas for you to consider in the next section of the guide. Decide which ones serve your small property best after reading through the ideas.
Landscaping Ideas for You to Explore
Landscaping options exist to meet your needs and the size of your yard. You don't need to invest a lot of money to get your desired look, either. Working within your budget, you can create the type of yard that gains everyone's attention for the right reasons.
Your perfectly manicured lawn can consist of a variety of things, including stone pavers, water fountains, birdhouses, potted plants, garden fences, shrubs, trees, and plants of all sizes and varieties. The materials that you use can be a mixture of wood, stone, bamboo, and metal, depending on the look you are trying to create with your choices.
Landscaping can provide you with greater privacy, hence the addition of bushes. It can create a small but tranquil space for you to soak up Vitamin D. The items that you select to place in your yard can also provide shade, promote self-sufficiency, and invite conversation.
There is no yard too small for residential landscaping. With some creativity, you can transform the space that you know into one that you're able to enjoy more frequently. It's incredible how a stone bench and a few flower pots full of your favorite flowers can make you feel happy and serene.
Make Your Small Yard Look and Feel Like Home to You Through Landscaping
Now that you know what it takes to landscape a small yard and how doing so benefits you, you're able to decide what to do with your own property. What will you do to enhance its appearance and make it match your design aesthetic? You've got options that meet your needs and fulfill your vision that you can explore today.
Attractive Landscaping for Office Buildings
If you're trying to determine the best landscaping solutions for your office building, then you should check out this list below. Here are seven ways to ensure you have attractive landscaping for your office building.
Attractive Landscaping for Office Buildings
1. Work with a Commercial Landscape Provider
If you want to have the best possible commercial landscape, then you should look into utilizing professional services. They will help ensure your property gets the exact TLC it deserves. No matter your budget, you should be able to find someone who can handle your office building landscape needs.
Make sure you only use a landscaper with a proven track record of success. Before signing up for their services, you can ask to see examples of their work. You also can ask for reviews of their work. Consider one-off services and ongoing service agreements to get the results you want.
2. Have Annuals and Perennials Planted
A Santa Cruz landscape design company could plant annuals and perennials on your property. Remember that annuals do not return every year. Use them for a seasonal blast of color. Perennial plants will come back for you year in and year out if properly cared for, and landscaping pros can ensure that proper care happens.
When looking at your solutions for landscaping in California, there are some great annuals and perennials that will work for your Central California property. You have bushes, shrubs, and trees to consider. Take some time now to think about what types of annual and perennial blooms will look best for your business.
3. Look into Shade Producing Plants
You also should be sure to look into shade producing plants for your building. Consider various bushes and trees that do more than just look great. Look into plants that also will shade your building.
When you add shade producing plants, you can potentially lower your company's energy bills. And why would you not want to reduce how much you pay for your utilities? Invest in shade producing plants. It will pay off for your company right away and well on into the future, too.
4. Remove Weeds and Unnecessary Growth
It is essential to remove weeds and unnecessary growth in your office building garden. Did you know that if you leave these issues unchecked, you can impact the safety of your building? Weeds and growth can cause you to have all kinds of foundation and structural issues with your building. Not only can a landscaper remove weeds and growth for you, they can install liners, mulch, and pine straw, too, to keep these issues from developing again for your business.
After-hour safety is further ensured for your company, too. Keep the growth under control. Remove opportunities for criminals to lurk on your company and hideout waiting for their moment to strike.
5. Pay Attention to Walkways and Surface Issues
Make sure to have a landscaper look into any imperfections with your walkways and surfaces. These issues can present safety issues for your company and can negatively impact your curb appeal.
You might have grown accustomed to seeing these cracks and other flaws. You might not even notice them at all, but they actually are some of the first things the public notices about your property. Those first impressions are very important for your business.
6. Ensure You Have a Green Lawn and Colorful Blooms
It's also very important for your lawn to be green and healthy. Colorful blooms are a must for you, too. Both will attract more people to your business and will continue to influence your current customers to continue doing business with you.
Fertilizers can be applied to your lawn and garden beds. Proper pruning of bushes, trees, and shrubs by landscapers will ensure you have better curb appeal, too. Landscaping in California comes with specific needs pertaining to the region, so be sure you have those basics covered. Your Santa Cruz landscape design firm also might install a watering system to ensure you have that green lawn and colorful blooms.
7. Limit the Impact of Pests and Rodents on Your Property
You should know there are all kinds of pests and rodents in Central California that can wreak havoc on your landscaping. These critters can cause you to have issues with your building, too. You should apply necessary precautions to prevent these issues from happening.
Experienced landscapers are well-versed with how to remove pests and rodents for you. They also can help ensure you do not have pests and rodents return. Talk to professional landscapers today to see how you can mitigate your chances of issues.
Work with Pros to Ensure You Have Attractive Landscaping
Make sure you consult with experts about what will and will not work with your landscaping. These pros can guarantee your Santa Cruz area office building gets an immediate facelift. They can ensure your office building looks its best for many years to come, too.
Landscaping Tips for Spring in California
There is no better time to get out and enjoy what is the most welcome and inviting season than to plan for and execute a Spring landscape. From the soil to the topography to the touches of your own charm and whimsy, here are some useful California landscaping tips to help you get going:
It All Starts with the Soil
Take the time to evaluate your soil to understand how to water and what plants to buy. Sandy soil holds less water and therefore needs more frequent watering. Heavy clay soil holds more and needs less water, but that means it also holds more of the salts. This can inhibit growth. Plan to compost all your vegetable matter so you have a free method of revitalizing your soil’s health naturally. Once you get started composting, it can be compelling and well worth the effort.
Picture It
Whether you have an existing landscape garden or are looking at open space, picture the space and how you can make the best use of it. As part of your Spring garden tips, it is wise to arrange your plants in a way that works for you rather than making you work harder. Consider the zones in shade and in direct sunlight. Notice how the sun moves through the day leaving areas either in shade or in prolonged daylight exposure. This can affect your plants and how you decide where to put them.
Scale Back Your Pruning
Pruning is necessary to keep growth in check. However, pruning also tends to promote growth. Plan your pruning strategically to give your plants, shrubs and trees the most attractive and natural appearance. If you want to promote growth, prune accordingly. If you want your plants to be less maintenance for you, there are ways to prune for stability and less growth.
Often, when you see square-cut shrubs, they may have an attractive symmetry, but they also have a regular landscape gardener coming out to tend to them. It can take less time to cut them back that way, but it also means a more regular effort to keep them square. Conversely, it is possible to select the right branches to remove that will give the garden a properly sculpted look that you can sit back and enjoy rather than feeling as though you need to get up and grab the clippers.
Irrigation, Soakers or Mulch
In California, you don’t really need to be concerned with irrigation schedules. Then again, you could plan your own in terms of making the most of what your plants and trees require. For some plants, you can have a system of soakers that dribble out the water using less over time. You may also want to allow deep soaking if your soil hangs on to the moisture. In such a case, you are watering less often. Try a mulch in your beds to help hold the moisture and to suppress the growth of weeds. You can also get mulch in colors if that adds to your garden charm.
While it is possible to plant drought resistant plants, a Spring landscape tends to contain more flowering plants for their color and beauty. You may also enjoy fruiting plants and trees since it is the season for most of these. Explore the markets and decide if you want to include plants that feed you.
You can either plant from seeds or from cuttings. You can also start a wide variety of edibles from what is left over such as onions, lettuce, celery, avocado, watermelon and so much more. These plants provide yet another aspect of your Spring Garden tips that can get you hooked on producing your own vegetables and fruits. Just take the time to learn their different planting times.
Companion Plants that Work for You
If you do decide to plant fruits and vegetables, there are companion plants you can locate properly to help mitigate the pests while adding beauty to your Spring landscape. Companion plants add significant benefits including:
- Maximizing your available space
- Increasing productivity of your plants
- Conserving water
- Pollination
- Creating a habitat for beneficial insects
- Making the best use of your soil
Polyculture borrows from the principles of cottage and forest gardens. It is a way to provide compounds to other plants making the most of their symbiotic aspects such as bacteria and nutrients within the soil. For example, a plant with longer roots draws up the nutrients from deep within the soil that shallow roots would otherwise never reach.
Your list of Tips on California Landscaping would not be complete if it did not include suggestions on using your imagination. You can add your own touch of whimsy and charm with a few garden items. The local garden shop and craft stores are stuffed with garden charm. From gnomes to wind chimes to glass orbs, you may want to add one or two items to your garden.
Further, consider making use of the uneven ground or make some of your own. A raised patch upon which to plant some grass gives you an inviting knoll. Strategically situated under a shade tree gives you your own park. There are endless ways to introduce your own brand of magic.
Landscape Design Ideas to Save Time on Garden Upkeep
A low maintenance landscape can be lovely and filled with imagination along with extraordinary beauty. Simplify your life and ensure that you have a lovely landscape to enjoy all year long by trying low maintenance landscape tips. You can enjoy some extra leisure time when you incorporate organization with a low maintenance landscape plan. You will be able to surround yourself in your lovely landscape in a simple way with the some good tips and useful ideas. Keep in mind, you are meant to enjoy your landscape because it is intended to be an oasis for everyone in your home to enjoy. Some useful landscape tips will simplify your life in remarkable ways.
Tips to Save Time and Money on Garden Upkeep
Saving time and money while lightening up your workload can be done with some good tips in your pocket and ingenious ideas in place. You do not need to spend hours on end trying to keep your landscape well-tended because it is possible to simplify your life without skimping on quality. You do not need to make your landscape a full-time job because lovely landscapes are maintained with ease by incorporating the following tips and ideas:
Have a Plan in Place
Measure your landscaping area and make a good plan for the entire space. Draw up a little sketch of creative ideas. Incorporate clear paths and draw in the plant beds. Be sure to have some fun creating unique ideas for your customized landscape area. Assess any shady areas and plan ahead for the larger areas of sun and plant according to their needs.
An Organized Tool Shed
Be sure to keep your tool shed organized because organization will cut your work time in half. All of the gardening tools can be hung up properly in order to offer easy access and added convenience. This is an excellent time-saving technique worth completing because in the long-run it is going to prevent wasteful searches for needed equipment. If you do not have a tool shed, you can hang an ordinary peg board up and keep all your needed gardening items hung up on the board for easy access. Get creative with your organization!
Less Lawn Mowing and Extra Growing
Consider mowing your lawn less and allowing your grass to get a little longer than usual. This can give your landscape a natural appeal to it. A few less mowings during the month will give you some extra leisure time to enjoy. Many landscapes look very natural when the hedges are pruned less too. This is done in order to offer a fuller and healthier appeal with less clipping and pruning to take up your time. Less mowing and more thought into the hedge choices can really make a difference in terms of the overall maintenance of a landscape.
Make Mulch Work for You
Mulch is an excellent material to place over the soil and the surfaces in your garden area. It can come in many different forms. It will retain moisture and suppress the weeds as they try to take over. It will keep the soil cooler and improve the fertility if it is an organic form. Mulch can even add a touch of color to the landscape and make it stand out from others while reducing your weeding time.
Limit Impractical Plants and Consider Water Wise Plants
Choose plants that are drought tolerant and avoid lavish impractical plants. A water wise plant needs less water during the growing season. Save time and save on water with drought tolerant plants.
Always Carry a Bucket or Tote
Keep a reusable bag, bucket or other useful item with you when you are doing any work on your landscape. Never go out without having some type of container and be sure to put it to good use. This will keep you organized while gardening in style. Keep all your needed items with you and reduce your steps by keeping everything handy as you work on your landscape.
Consider Including Companion Plants in Your Landscape Mix
These will help with pest control and assist in some prevention while they add beauty to the entire landscape. This will maximize space while increasing crop productivity. The idea is to group compatible plants together as you conserve water and make better use of the soil.
Composting Will Add Health to Soil
Be sure to add compost to the planting beds. Do this on an annual basis. This will make the soil more resilient to diseases. It will help your soil to retain extra moisture while increasing the soil fertility in a natural way.
Added Creativity and Less Work
These landscaping tips will add much organization to your entire landscape while providing you with more leisure time to fully enjoy your surroundings. You will have less work on your landscape with a low maintenance garden. Don't forget to add a dash of extra creativity and have the landscape of your dreams. A low maintenance landscape can be filled with creativity and you will enjoy less work.