Beauty and Utility

The highly decorative flowering crabapples are choice trees for the purpose in attracting flying wildlife. Those with the smaller fruits seem to be more favored by the birds. First to be eaten will be the abundant, beautiful scarlet fruits of the Sargent Crabapple (Malus sargenti), lowest growing of the family (up to 8 feet) but wide spreading. By winter the fruits of Malus floribunda will be taken, while those on Malus seiboldi will provide late-winter food.

The European Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia), or Rowan Tree as it is known abroad, produces spectacular clusters of orange fruits that are as delectable to Waxwings, Robins, and other birds, as the foliage, unfortunately, is to Japanese beetles. The native Mountain Ash (S. americana) is equally interesting to the birds but poorer in form and more difficult to purchase.

The hawthorns, too, are widely used ornamentals which produce abundant, colorful food. English Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) is perhaps the best of half a dozen fine bird-attracting varieties. Cockspur Thorn (C. crus-galli), Washington Hawthorn (C. phaenopyrum), and Arnold Hawthorn (C. arnoldiana) are among the most widely planted for this purpose. All of these hawthorns require full sun, and well-drained soil.

Popular Dogwoods

Popular with man and bird alike is the lovely Flowering Dogwood, whose showy red fruits are eaten by no less than 93 species.

Of the shrub Dogwoods, we have found that the migrating Thrushes prefer the blue berries of the Silky Cornel (Cornus amomum). Generally they are all eaten by mid-October. Gray Dogwood (C. paniculata) and Redosier (C. stolonifera) also give excellent results.

Evergreens like the aglaonema chinese evergreen add much to the gardens year round beauty and to its success in attracting birds. Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is among the best. Unfortunately it is an alternate host for the cedar-apple rust and should not be planted in the vicinity of apple orchards. Elsewhere it serves a triple purpose: excellent cover, fine nesting sites, and choice winter food. The blue-gray fruits are eaten by more than a score of birds. Both staminate and pistillate trees must be present to produce fruit. This is also necessary to produce berries on the showy American Holly (llex opaca), and Black Alder or Winterberry (I. verticillata), both favorites of many birds. Ordinarily, the latter holds its fruits into mid-winter, as its name suggests. This past year, though, we watched flocks of Robins and Bluebirds completely strip several heavily laden bushes by early November, though the majority of the plants such as chinese evergreen were untouched until later.

For planting around the trees, the suburban gardener has a wide choice of shrubs, with barberries, blackberries and raspberries, blueberries and huckleberries, buckthorns, chokeberries, cotoneasters, dogwoods, honeysuckles, and viburnums all highly recommended.

Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and Alder-Buckthorn (R. frangula) reach a height of 15 to 18 feet, and are considered by some authorities to be the most effective of all shrubs in attracting birds. Buckthorn is not recommended, however, in areas where oats are grown because it harbors oat rust.

Perhaps the most popular plants, in the gardeners estimation, are the viburnums. The majority of them are noted for their brightly colored fruits, either at maturity or at some time during ripening. Some are notable, too, for their blossoms or their fall foliage, or both.

Most widely planted is the vigorous growing European Cranberrybush (V. opulus) which closely resembles the native High-bush Cranberry (V. trilobum). Unfortunately, its brilliant red fruits are much tarter than those of V. trilobum which are used in making preserves. The birds evidently find the berries unpalatable until they have frozen and thawed a number of times. In late winter they are greedily eaten, by flocks of wandering Waxwings and by Robins and Bluebirds migrating northward.

Whether you purchase or grow your transplants, well-grown 6 to 8 week old plants are best for the majority of these vegetables, except celery which should have a longer period of growth. The transplants should appear stalky and well grown showing every sign of receiving ample light. Tomato transplants will be about 6 to 8 inches high. Sometimes these transplants are sold in Hats without separation. Although they may be more expensive, plants grown in flats in individual containers like peat-pots, will transplant best and get off to a quicker start.

Bean seeds do not germinate successfully until the soil has warmed up somewhat. So there is little advantage in starting them too early. They are very tender and easily damaged by frost.

Some transplants benefit by watering them in with a weak fertilizer solution. These are known as starter solutions. Some companies sell some of their high analysis fertilizers in packages specifically for such use. Follow the manufacturers directions in using the fertilizer in this way.

Sweet corn addicts find plenty of varieties to suit their taste in home garden planting. Some prefer the old fashioned strains because of their sweetness and tenderness; others prefer the higher yields of the many hybrid sweet corn varieties available commercially.

Gardeners in the extreme north of the western region, particularly in the higher altitudes, are not quite so fortunate. The season is not long enough to mature these varieties successfully each year. To help fill these needs, earlier maturing kinds have found a place in some seed catalogues.

Glad Planting Time

May is the month to plant gladiolus corms out west. It is well to plant any time after the leaves start coming out on trees and shrubs. You can choose from a variety of best shade trees. This varies from late April until late May, depending on locality. Some plantings may be made at two week intervals up until the last of June to insure blossoms until frost. A better way to get succession of bloom is to select varieties whose blooming dates vary from early to late in the season. In general, smaller size corms bloom later, so planting corms in a variety of sizes will also aid in bloom succession.

Soaking corms in fungicide dips aids in reducing glad diseases. Plant #1 size corms from four to six inches deep (deeper in a light sandy soil) and smaller corms somewhat shallower, according to their size.

Dont plant dahlia tubers until danger of killing frosts is past. Plant the tubers so the eyes or buds are about four inches below the ground level. Make sure, when planting dahlia tubers, that a bud is present at the top of the tuber, otherwise no plant will form. Large clumps can be cut into a number of smaller divisions as long as one makes sure that each division has a bud at the base of the crown.

Backyard landscaping is all about making your surroundings look better. When you do it right, it can almost become a science of planting, growing, constructing, and sculpting the area to look its best. All the elements need to be taken into consideration such as climate, presence or lack of wind, lighting, and overall weather conditions to beautify the areas around your house.

The soil that is in your backyard or garden along with the climate will have an impact on what types of plants and flowers you should use. You might also find out what kinds of pests might be a problem and what you will have to do to fertilize and keep everything pest free and growing. Once you have considered these things you will then be able to start putting together a plan of what you want things to look like.

Designing a garden will allow you to pick from a wide spectrum of colors, shapes and sizes of plants and flowers. There are plants that have purple, yellow, blue, pink, and red colors and of course there are also vines and shrubs that have all sorts of looks. You will also need to decide whither you want your trees and plants to be evergreens where they always stay green or whether you want ones that lose their leave at winter time.

Plants and trees can be chosen for functionality as well as looks. Big shrubs and trees can help shade a house from the sun during the summer and hedges can be grown that serve to provide privacy. Natural walls built of plants and shrubs always seems to look better than a wood fence that will grow old and worn looking over time.

For the landscaping of a backyard, on the other hand, other ideas come into play. The more practical use of space is to be considered in a backyard. Front yards are usually for aesthetics and for show. Backyards are living spaces. In a household with children, the backyard could be landscaped as a mini playground for young kids. A house with no kids and plenty of backyard space might consider a wading pool for a cooler house atmosphere. A young couple as homeowners might want an entertaining area for the occasional get-together with friends and family. A busy homemaker might want an herb or vegetable garden in lieu of the flowering plants.

At times the finest home improvements are the simplest ones. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on high-end outdoor installations or lawn service companies, simple landscape edging can attach inestimable value to your lawn and enlarge the curb appeal of your home exponentially. Of course, landscape edging is only a simple project by relative standards, and excellent edging involves more than just throwing down rocks at the outer limits of your lawn.

The intention of using planting bed edging or edger or border is to separate the flower bed, shrub bed or groundcover area from lawn grass and keep grass out of the planting bed; garden edging may also be used to outline and define a specific area in the landscape.

Amongst the most familiar types of edging materials are the wooden cut-offs which come pre-joined in chain-like configuration ready for laying into position. The benefit of using wooden edging is that it blends beautifully with gardens achieving a very natural look. Concrete, stone or brick pavers can be used as garden edging. They are obtainable in a wide variety of colors, shapes and patterns, thus provides a gracious decorative element to most garden themes. Flat stone or level bricks manufacture a softer line. Bluestone and brick are both good quality choices for color and texture. Consider laying lengths of smooth bluestone on both sides of a grass path, or set bricks halfway in the ground in a dogtooth pattern.

Perhaps the least classy edging products are the thin plastic ones that have a rounded top. Thin edging material comes in handy if your path and drive are curved. These materials bend around very tight radius curves. Other popular types include bricking, decorative iron boarders, using other plants to form a mini hedge-like edge and cutting away a small clearing between the lawn and beds. The metal, wood and plastic materials might satisfy your earth-friendly requirement as they could be made from recycled materials.

Curbing machine You can use the landscape curbing machine in a variety of applications that require the placement of durable concrete edging, such as golf courses, parks and recreation areas, water-retention areas, garden borders and miniature putting greens. In addition to decorative landscape curbing, the curbing machines apply to commercial tack-down curbing, ranging from low-profile rollover curbs to standard parking lot curbing. The auger drive provides high-density extruded curbing that eliminates flat spots and weak areas in the curb.

Metal edging frequently comes with clips that are easy to use to secure each piece together. Stone edging is another costly edging material. Stones can be effortlessly used for round or straight beds. They last even longer than metal edgings, though. The prevalent issue with stone edging is that it allows for grass and weeds to grow between each piece.

Landscape edging adds a fastidious look to a landscape project. It helps to classify and protect beds. Edging helps to keep a crisp, clean looking bed. In some situations, like landscaping done near a pond, edging can help to prevent the erosion of the soil. There are edging choices for any budget and any type of project.

Trimmer: The trimmer has a hard-chromed cylinder and fully-caged needle bearing. The trimmer has a debris shield with built-in cut-off knife to achieve optimal line length and a heavy-duty gear case with sealed bearings to prevent moisture, dust or dirt from entering the engine.

Everyone loves a perfectly groomed, beautifully landscaped yard.  Unfortunately, the cost of landscaping can often deter people from doing what they want to with their property.  This does not have to be the case.  Follow these easy money saving tips, and you can turn your front and backyard into an outdoor paradise in no time.

Spend Money in the Right Places

When landscaping on a budget, you often have to make decisions on what part of your yard to invest in what what not to.  You can make the biggest impact on your yard by planting trees because of their size, and by improving your soil.  Adding quality soil to your yard makes everything grow bigger and healthier, and can be done cheaply with mulch and compost.  This is very important, because no matter how much you spend on plants for your yard, they will not grow well in bad soil.

Save Money Where You Can

There are plenty of resources out there for you if you know where to look.  For instance, if you need mulch or trees but don’t want to break the bank, check with your local municipality.  Many cities often give away free trees, mulch and compost.  If you are looking for bricks or stones, check demolition sites (just be sure you are allowed to take anything you find).  If you are looking for natural stones, go on a hike. 

Looking for new plants or shrubs?  Talk to a neighbor about exchanging cuttings.  Look at your own yard for resources too.  Do you have any plants that could be divided?  Do you have any compost that could be used to enrich your soil?  A little creativity can go a long way when it comes to lowering your landscaping costs.

Come Up With A Plan

It is important to have a design in mind when landscaping your home.  If you do not, you may end up buying something you do not need, changing or replacing work you have already done, or not being sure when you are finished.  Plan your design in phases if needed.  This can help spread out the cost of landscaping.  If you have a solid landscaping design, you are more likely to finish in less time and stay on budget.

Spend Money Wisely

There are times when a landscaping job is too big to do yourself, and you are better off hiring a professional.  If you end up going with a professional landscaper, or buying materials from a nursery, do it wisely.  Buy plants, mulch, seeds, etc.  towards the end of the season, when they will be drastically discounted.  Get several estimates for landscaping jobs, and ask about package deals where the materials are discounted because you are paying for the labor.

Save Money Over Time

When selecting plants for your yard, think about the long term costs.  Ask yourself the following questions:  Will these plants require a lot of water, which could affect my water bill?  Will these plants require maintenance, like trimming or pruning? These can be some of the hidden costs of landscaping that many people do not consider.

Along then same lines, consider the extra electricity required when putting in landscape lighting. If possible, put in lighting that is solar powered to save you money down the road.

Finally, remember that a great yard does not happen overnight.  Plants can take a few years to mature, and enriching soil can be a long process as well.  Be as patient as you can, and think about the money you are saving on your new yard.

by Dustin Kester

Planting a tree may seem simple at first glance.  You just put it in the ground, right?  Well believe it or not, there is more to it than that.  You could just go out and plant it, but let’s face it -  trees and shrubs can be expensive.  We should do everything we can to maximize the success of these plants.  Follow these step by step instructions and you will give yourself the best chance to grow a full, healthy tree (or shrub) that will last for years to come.

1.  Time and Location

To be successful in your planting venture, you will need to plant your tree at the right time of year.  Fall or spring is the optimal time, with summer being too hot and dry for a young, recently transplanted plant, and winter being a bad idea for obvious reasons.

You will also want to choose a good species of tree for your location.  Do some research.  Find out what trees are native to your area and learn about their growing patterns.  Consider factors like how big a tree will get, how much cleanup it will require in the fall, its resistance to disease and drought, etc.  It may not seem like it, but this can often times be the most important step to your tree planting process.

2.  Buy Your Tree

When you have finally decided on the tree that is right for you, it’s time to buy.  Shop around a bit at your local landscaping shops and nurseries, and ask a lot of questions.  Find a good, healthy looking tree.  Remember - depending on the tree, many may not have leaves during the best times to plant.  But if it does, make sure the leaves are green and not diseased or drooping.

3.  Location (Again)

Now it’s time to choose the best location on your property to plant your newly purchased tree.  Think about how big it will be when it is full grown.  Will it be too close to a sidewalk, a house, or power lines?  Is it in a place where you want some shade?  These are all important things to consider.  Also make sure the place you choose has good drainage and sunlight.

4.  Dig

Tree Planting Diagram

Once you have found the perfect spot, it is time to dig.  Be sure to dig the hole two to three times larger around than the width of the tree.  It is important that your hole is not just big enough to fit the tree.  If the hole you dig is larger, the loose soil surrounding the tree will be easier for the roots to grow into, allowing your tree or shrub to take hold firmly in its new home.

Your hole should also have what is known as a pedestal.  A pedestal is an area of higher soil at the bottom-center of the hole.  this is for the tree to sit on once it is placed in the hole.  Use your shovel to dig a small groove around the pedestal.  This will serve as a place for extra water to pool, so that your tree does not drown.  This is a very important step and crucial to the success of your tree.  When your tree is planted, it should come out of the ground about two to three inches above the soil around it.  Use this as your gauge to know if your hole is deep enough or not.  Finally, soak the bottom and edges of the hole with water.

5.  Place the Tree

Root Matrix

It is finally time to place the tree into the hole, atop the pedestal you just created.  If your tree is wrapped in burlap or potted, now is the time to take it out.  Do not do this step until you are absolutely ready to plant the tree.  Otherwise the roots could dry out.  If you are planting a shrub, it may have a root matrix instead of a root ball.  If this is the case, you will want to break up the bottom of the matrix a bit before you place it in the hole.  This encourages the matrix to grow out into the surrounding soil.  Make sure the height of your plant is correct when you set it in the hole.  The trunk of the plant should be above ground level by two to three inches, but not so high that any roots are exposed above the surface.  This extra height above the surface is also crucial, as it prevents water from pooling around the base of the tree and rotting it.

6.  Fertilize

Now is the time to fertilize your tree.  This is an optional step but is highly encouraged.  When fertilizing your tree, be sure to spread it evenly around the hole, as some plants are better at nutrient transfer than others.  Also, follow the instructions on the package carefully.  Over-fertilizing can cause quick but weak plant growth, or could even burn up parts of your plant.  A slow-release fertilizer is probably the best way to go.

7.  Fill the Hole

Next, we back fill the hole.  If you like, add some composted material at this point.  Use about three quarters of the original soil and a quarter composted material for ordinary trees.  For fruit and nut trees, add two thirds original soil and a third compost.  Don’t have any compost?  Think about starting a compost pile of your own.

8.  Water and Mulch

Water your tree once you are done back filling.  Newly transplanted trees need lots of water, so do not be afraid to give it a good amount.  After all, we took precautions to avoid over watering when we planted.  When watering your tree, it is good to evenly soak the ground with a slow, steady trickle of water.  This is much more effective than a quick splash, and will help your tree to take deep hold with its roots.

Next, add some mulch around your tree.  Mulch keeps weeds down, holds in moisture and provides excellent nutrients for the tree as it decomposes.  Mulch in a circle around the tree all the way out to the drip line (the circumference around the tree where leaves will drip).  Be careful not to mulch too thickly, about one to three inches is all you need.  Also, do not mulch too high around the trunk, just enough to cover the ground there.  Because mulch holds in moisture, too much mulch around the trunk can rot your tree.

Later in the day, water your tree again.  Do this after the ground around the tree has dried out some.  In the coming days and weeks, it is important to water your tree regularly when it does not rain.

9.  Stake Your Tree

Staking your tree is another optional step, but it can be beneficial to trees that are a little flimsy at first.  Stakes can protect them from the wind, and encourage a nice upright growth.  When you stake your tree, be sure not to tie anything too tightly to the tree.  Whatever material you use should also not dig into the bark.

So there you have it.  Follow these steps and you will have a beautiful to your yard for years to come.  Happy landscaping!