Garden, Landscaping

If you've installed an automatic irrigation system in your lawn, you already know you've made a significant investment in your lawn's health. Protect that investment by taking the proper steps to turning it on for the first time in the season. Irrigation systems involve many small moving parts and a constant water flow, and these elements require frequent maintenance. You should perform an inspection at least twice a year – when you start up for spring and when ...

When you plan for spring lawn maintenance, don't overlook aeration and dethatching. These two seemingly unglamorous, unexciting processes can play a big role in maintaining a healthy, bright lawn through the summer.

AERATION IMPROVES NUTRIENT ACCESS

Soil tends to compact over time, and this hinders the passage of air, water and nutrients to your grass roots. Aerating a lawn involves creating deep, slender holes that create a pathway for water and nutrients to reach hungry ...

Drying the late summer leaves and flowers for winter use was a skill used by rural women all over America. Before refrigerated florists, getting any flowers in winter was impossible. The way they got around it was to dry all they could in late summer. Knowing what to pick and what colors share greatest longevity were time-learned skills passed down from mother to daughter. Your herbs, both perennial and annual, have lots of growth, so there are opportunities to add fragrance and flavoring to your ...

Severe winds, harsh storms and wood-boring bugs can brutally assault your trees.

Ultimately, certain problems like these can kill a tree.

Even if your tree has died from an inadequate water or nutrient supply, you should still consider having it removed.

If you notice a tree might be dying, you should call an arborist to assess it. The sooner you catch the problem, the less costly tree removal is - and you may actually save it. ...

There was a time when the only gravel gardens were in the desert.

In lands of little rain where soils are porous and well drained, this surfacing material has proven highly successful.

Problems arise when this solution is applied to other locations and climates that are not so compatible with the technique. With gravel proving popular particularly in contemporary landscape design, there are a few caveats to consider before you select it as ...