What is Mulch?

Mulch is a term used for any type of protective layer placed on top of the soil in order to provide nutrients, reduce erosion or retain the moisture of the soil. In many cases, mulch is also needed to lessen the weeds that tend to crop up in areas with high moisture content. Spring time is usually the time when mulch is most needed because there aren’t too many falling leaves that can serve as natural mulch to the soil. Therefore, ‘artificial’ or substitute mulch has to be placed in order reap the same benefits.

All types of materials are used as mulch. Oftentimes, the most readily-available material should be used. For instance, if there are plenty of excess straw or excess wood shavings in the area that should be the one most used. These two are categorized as organic residues which serve as only temporary coverings and depending on the bacteria infestation in the area, will quickly decompose. There are also artificial mulches such as rubber from tires or plastic mulch - thin plastic sheets used in commercial plantations.

Most organic mulch can be found in your own household or in a local farm or dairy. Most can be gotten for free but artificial mulch is a different case. Ready-made plastic mulch can be bought at about $30.00 for a 3×15 ft. roll. Furthermore, when you’re hiring professionals to do the mulching for you, there are several costs which need to be considered. First off, the quantity of the mulch needed will have to be calculated. It goes without saying that this will depend on the land area that will be worked on. Next, the labor of the workers should be calculated. Are you hiring on a per-hour basis or on a fixed-rate basis? This will have to be discussed prior to the execution.

Should you decide that you want professionals to do the mulching for you, consider the expertise needed for the job. There are artificial mulches which will have to be applied in a specific manner. Neighborhood kids or typical gardeners will not do. Some companies will provide the mulch for you and apply it as well. This is sometimes the better deal since specific mulches which need specific applications will do better with someone who already knows how to apply it inside and out.

If you’ve decided to do it yourself, research first what the Do’s and Dont’s are for mulching. There are several sites online which could help you how to apply wood mulch, plastic mulch or black mulch. Each one will have a specific application attached to it. Be sure not to put excessive mulch as well. Try a mulch calculator online to help you track how much you’ll need for your particular land area. Lastly, do not pack the mulch too tight. This will prevent much needed water from coming into the limbs and roots.

If you are looking for mulch installation in Hunterdon county, give us a call for a free estimate.

Installing brick pavers for patios is easy, and all landscape artisans follow the same basic method. It’s how you lay the groundwork beneath the surface that makes all the difference. Take a look at how we stall a brick patio.

The process

Base

We use a compacted base of crushed stone, quarry processed stone or recycled concrete, about 4 to 6 inches in width, to provide a base before installing the paving stones. Many landscapers use the 6-inch base that they normally use for bricks as the base for their walls and stairs. At LandStar Services, on the other hand, we make use of concrete forms to create a base for our walls and stairs. This masonry work is more expensive and is a time consuming method, but it guarantees long lasting results. Your stairs or walls won’t ever sink, sag or shift.

Screening

To enable water to run off on paved surfaces, it has to be adequately screened. Your patio needs to have a proper water drainage system that prevents excess pooling of water which can cause the bricks to settle in an uneven manner. We make use of a pipe system to ensure that your patios are adequately prepared for proper drainage.

Walls

Many landscapers neglect to glue layers of special concrete adhesive on the walls. We however, believe that installing a patio is a once-in-a-lifetime project, and so, make sure that walls are glued to ensure greater stability. Base material is also likely to get washed out through the cracks, and so, we also use weed paper to line the walls in order to prevent this from happening.

Brick laying and wall stacking

The most important part of the brick laying process is the cutting of the wall blocks and bricks. We take great pride in the precision and neatness of this part of our process, making sure that all borders are neatly outlined.

Stairs

Before we install stairs, we make use of a base of concrete, and then, we stack each block from the ground level up. This concrete base is extremely important to ensure that your stairs don’t settle. Patio stairs have to be kept to a 3-step maximum in order to avoid NJ hand railing on steps requirements.

Edging and top coating

We use an invisible border, made of concrete to edge your walkway. To fill in the cracks in between the slabs and bricks on the surface, we make use of especial polysand material that acst as glue that binds itself to the bricks once it has been swept in, and watered. Your patio is now more resistant to weeds in between the cracks.

Materials

We normally work with Techno Bloc products, and highly recommend these to our clients because of their durability and reliability. If you want to suggest your own color choices, you’re free to do so, or we can provide color samples that will work best with your home.

Tree pruning not only improves the aesthetic appearance of your tree, but also promotes good health. LandStar Services offers specialized tree pruning services that are designed to enhance the natural shape of your tree, and prevent it from spreading out beyond its scope. We use cutting-edge equipment to trim branches and shear leaves, to ensure an optimum look for your trees. We also undertake removal of deadwood branches. If these decaying branches are left to stand on your tree, they are prone to fall without warning, and this could prove highly hazardous.

Our tree pruning services are provided as per your specifications. If you feel the need to trim your tree to enhance its appearance or have noticed deadwood branches, call our professional team of tree pruning experts.

There are several reasons why landscape architects and lawn maintenance experts recommend tree pruning, and not all of them have to do with great aesthetics. Sure, pruning can make dramatic enhancements to your tree’s appearance, but it also improves the structure of the tree. Besides, pruning helps get rid of dead wood branches that can prove a hazard to those walking or standing under the tree. Pruning also helps prevent certain diseases, and inhibits the development of nesting grounds for insects. It promotes the growth of healthy heartwood, and helps heal “wounds” in the tree.

If your home is constantly disturbed by power outages resulting from the expansion of your tree towards and into the electrical line system near your house, then pruning can help clear the area, thus preventing black outs. This should be done only by a certified professional however, and never by home owners. You can also prune a tree to let in more sunlight through the branches, and into your house.

When you have expanding branches of your tree intruding into your terraces and balconies, you will find your home more prone to termite attacks. Pruning can help clip the tree branches to an easy to maintain length.

Best Time for Tree Pruning

Depending on the tree and the reasons for pruning, there are different times of the year that are perfectly suitable for this maintenance activity. For instance, if you’re looking to boost growth in your tree through a little pruning, then early spring is the best time. If you’re trying to get rid of fungal growth on your tree, then spring’s damp conditions are not ideal for pruning at all. Whatever the reason for pruning, make sure you hire only a trained professional – tree pruning is serious business, and untrained hands can easily destroy your tree.

 There are many cases where it may be necessary to remove a large tree - disease, yard hazards, renovation of the house etc. In such cases, it becomes imperative that you get your tree removed only by a qualified and professional team of specialists. The days of taking an axe to your tree are far behind! Removing a tree from the root can be a dangerous process that takes the expertise of seasoned professionals. LandStar Services offers tree removal services that are handled by its team of experts who have all the experience necessary to remove your tree safely, with no damage to the surrounding environment. Our technicians use only state of the art equipment and specialized processes to remove your tree efficiently.

There are many reasons you may need to remove a tree from your yard. Trees that are dying or dead have the potential to fall without warning, causing injury to people, who may be walking or standing beneath it. This is not just dangerous to the persons involved, but can also put you at risk for legal troubles because you as the owner of the property where the tree stood can be held liable for damages in the event of any injuries. A qualified tree specialist will be able to tell if a tree is in its last stages, and whether removing it is the only step available.

Many times, trees can become so large and wide, that they screen sunlight from reaching your home. In such cases, they have to be removed to bring natural light back into your home. Other times, trees can also develop structural defects as they grow, and spread their branches. If these structural effects are causing hazardous conditions in your yard, it’s time to bring the tree down. If you have plans for renovation of your existing property that involves the removal of a tree, you again need to contact an experienced tree removal company.

The stump that’s left behind after a tree has been removed can be dealt with in two ways. It can either be excavated though a stump extraction process, which involves digging a hole that has to be filled later. The stump itself is thus extricated, and disposed off. The stump can also be ground, using a wheel with built in teeth that quickly grinds and shreds the stump. Grinding is the most affordable way to remove a tree stump.

Nothing will add more instant beauty to a garden than climbing vines. Climbing vine plants tend to grow pretty much carefree while adding a point of beauty and interest to a trellis, wall, fence or tree trunk.

Climbing vines can make a bland garden picturesque during its first growing season. Nothing will add more beauty to a tree in your garden than a trail of Morning Glory streaming up its trunk, or maybe the sweet smell of Honeysuckle or Jasmine Tobacco overhanging a patio.

Some of the most popular and more common perennial vines that will come back year after year are listed below, take a look:

Jasmine Tobacco: Star shaped warm sweetly scented blossoms that bloom from late spring to mid-summer

Honeysuckle: Beautiful white ,pink flushed flowers that turn creamy yellow and bloom in early or late summer

Trumpet Honeysuckle: Returns year after year with fragrant red blooms from early to mid-summer, makes an excellent cover for link fences

Cup and Saucer Vine: This vine is an annual that will bloom from spring until fall, an eye catcher for all who see it with its five cornered paper like buds that open to resemble a cup and saucer with green bell shaped flowers that become striped than turn completely dark purple, absolutely amazing to see

Hop - Aureus: This perennial vine has bright yellow leaves with tiny flowers that look like tiny pine cones, attracting butterflies

Porcelainberry Vine: A perennial vine with pea sized lavender berries that bloom in mid-summer with a green leaf color with hues of pink, Looks at its best in the fall

Clematis “Sweet Autumn” The most known of the flowering vine plants, blooming the first year

Morning Glory “Heavenly Blue”: Blooms all summer into the fall attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, the most common with its bright blue heart shaped leaves

Morning Glory “Grandpa Ott’s”: Blooms are velvety royal purple petals with bright rose star shape and a pink throat, Awesome on a trellis, fence or wall

Climbing Hydrangea: This vine can be used as a ground cover but easily climbs a wall, trellis or tree trunk attracting hummingbirds with its large clusters of flowers

For more information on climbing vines plants and other visit Springhill Nursery.com

How to get a lush, verdant hue from the lawn that you tend so lovingly from year to year; now that is a hotly contested subject and one that needs some objective comments.

Is it about the choice of grass originally sown or laid?; is it about climatic factors?; is it about the condition of your soil?; is it about the the type of soil?; is it about turf being better than seeding?; is it about scarifying and general care and maintenance?; is it about water application?;or is it about nutrients? You are about to get some answers.

Always bear in mind that there are two very general choices for grass, one strain that grows well in the Northern Hemisphere and that other that fairs well south of the Equator. Getting this wrong is disastrous, so ensure you have the correct variety. They are categorized as cool season grasses (for northern climes) and warm season grasses (for antipodeans).

For the north, Kentucky Bluegrass is a good choice - make sure it is a recent mix of varieties - because it tends to maintain its form without too much feeding and even in an extended rain free period. The variations of Fescue are also a preferred option as they need vary little care to maintain their lushness. So, mixture is critical; make sure you find the right mix from reputable suppliers.

The natural soil substructure need not be a problem with lawns; topsoil is normally all that is necessary for a successfully green lawn, although do make sure that the subsoil is sound and not likely to sink.

If you are starting from scratch, ensure you add enough sand to the topsoil to aid proper drainage; waterlogged areas will not give you the green lawn you desire but quite the reverse. Make sure you add in fertilizer which is probably the single most important factor for obtaining a greener lawn. We will come to that shortly. Bulk produced fertilizers tend to produce better results, but if you wish to go organic you can use materials such as peat moss, leaf mold and pine bark.

The condition of the soil should also be assessed with regard to adding extra lime where necessary.

Scarifying your lawn will obviously help because the roots thrive on an oxygen supply which will also help to make the grass leaves greener in the long term. Removing moss and other undesirables with a sturdy grass rake will also help immensely by removing competition for the soils nutrients.

It is nutrients which will ultimately give your lawn the greener look that you so crave. Organic nutrients are fine and have their place in the garden but they are time consuming to produce, hard to apply quickly and efficiently and do not contain the same intensity and concentration of proprietary brands.

To assess different fertilizer and nutrient products, first look at what they are designed to do. You want a richer, greener lawn so make sure that the product is geared up to achieve the results you want.

A broad rule of thumb to begin with is around ten to fifteen kilos of a high grade fertilizer, such as N5-P10-K15, N6-P12-K12, N5-P10-K10, or N7-P14-K21 for each 1000 square feet of lawn. When a soluble form of nitrogen is employed, do not utilize in excess 500 grams of nitrogen per 1000 square feet.

If you follow the few basic rules outlined above, it is then all about choosing the best product available for making your lawn greener. Shop around and see what works for you.

I always felt that landscape trees are one of the most important aspects of a landscape designs.
That’s because they have so many outstanding features. They have height, mass and they also provide screening. And let’s not forget about spring and fall color.

There are basically three types of landscape trees.

• Shade Trees
• Ornamental Trees
• Evergreen Trees

Shade Trees

Shade trees are typically very large and their canopies offer much needed shade in hot and sunny areas. There are many different shapes form columnar to those with wide canopies. Those with wide canopies will provide the most shade. Picture the stately Elm trees on estates in our American landscapes from years ago.

Andrew Jackson Downing used these in his designs. Many old black and white photos portray these graceful trees out in large open lawn areas.

Due to their size, however, they must be used with care in areas that they have room to grow. Large open areas are perfect.

The Red Maple is one of my favorites. It has dazzling red color. October Glory and Red Sunset have flaming red and orange foliage in the fall. Red Maples are also a native tree and very hardy.

Ornamental Trees

These trees are usually smaller in size, although some can get quite large. They have outstanding features, such as leaf color, flowers, outstanding bark or interesting shapes and branching structures. Ornamental trees can be used at house corners, near a front door, or out in the open lawn. They also look nice if you have a privacy screening of evergreens. They can be placed in front of the evergreen trees so their features really stand out.

One of my favorite ornamental trees is the Flowering Dogwood Tree. It is a true all season plant. In the Spring, it produces lovely white or pink flowers. It has a lovely shape. Although not a true multi stemmed tree, its branching structure is wide. The leaf has a nice shape too. In the fall it gets red berries which creates not only fall color but also an attraction for the birds.

Evergreen Trees

As their name implies, they are evergreen and retain their leaves all year lawn. Evergreen trees may be have needle type leaves or broadleaf ones. Needle type varieties are such trees as Norway Spruce, Douglas Fir, or Hemlock. Broadleaf evergreen trees are such as the Southern Magnolia with it’s large leaves.

Evergreen trees often have a specific purpose for being used. They are used as a screen to block unwanted views or create privacy from an adjacent neighbor or road. Because of their form and mass, they at times can look nice at house corners, as long as enough room is left for their mature size.They can get quite large. There are however, varieties that stay smaller, such as Hybrids of the American Holly. Foster Holly is one that comes to mind and can easily be used in the landscape.

Consider adding trees to your landscape. They add a sense of scale and beauty that no other plant type can. Just be sure to select the right tree for the right place. Size, texture, and sun/shade conditions should all play a part in your decisions.

Susan Schlenger is a Landscape Designer with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Please visit Landscape Trees to learn more about trees in your landscape. You might also enjoy visiting Evergreen Trees for some suggestions.

Construction patios serve many purposes at a time. It is a wonderful place that is used for spending enjoyable moments like having cocktail, barbecuing, reading book, relaxing or spending time with family and friends. In the night lightening a patio makes the ambience of the house more live and colorful. Thus the function of patios is versatile. Therefore how to build a patio is a major concern for the house honor. There is variety of designs and patterns of patios. These designs are based on some themes and ideas to suit the taste and requirements of the house honor. The size of the patio also determines the ideas for a patio. After all one has to make it a perfect place for spending quality time.

Patio design ideas require some considerations and planning. Issues like weather, size, and views of the patios should be taken in to account while planning a patio. If there is already a swimming pool within the residential premise the patio near the pool will serve as a relaxing place provide feel good sensation. Using umbrella can be a good design for the patios. It can serve as cover to the patio. For sunny days umbrella can be replaced to enjoy sunlight. In case a swimming pool already exists, the area around it can be better developed in to a patio making the pool a focal point. Walkways to and from the house and landscaping the area around the pool to give it a good shape can serve a good theme for a patio idea. Making a focal point for the patio is very important. It should be eye catching and will make the patio center stage. Fountain, statue or a flower bed can best serve as a focal point for a patio.

Lighting is also an important factor for making a patio live and beautiful during the night. It adds beauty to it and makes the area safe for walking. There are several types of lighting equipments like hanging lights covers or gazebos give romantic and soft feeling to the atmosphere of a patio. The strategic areas like walkways, steps of the patio should be selected for lighting purposes to make the patio design more meaningful. Selecting a patio cover is essential for patio design ideas. And the most important factor to be considered here is the weather. The patio cover should be temporary so that it can be easily replaced in different weather. People staying in colder areas can go for permanent patio cover. In a nut shell the patio design should be attractive and appealing to the eyes. It reflects the personality and standard of living of the master of the house.