Hillscape - Your Favorite Landscaper

Fall Bulb Planting

2010-10-12T11:21:00.004-04:00

Believe it or not, right now's the time to think about gorgeous Spring color in your garden. Daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, irises and tulips all bring splashes of blue, white, purple, yellow, pink and red to days that can still feel cold and dreary. By planning and planting now, you can have the best results for your efforts.

Just when should you plant your bulbs? Ideally after the first frost, so that the cool weather keeps them safe from damage. The zone that you live in controls your planting time, so check with your nursery to ensure that you are planting your bulbs during the right time for your zone. You can also check here at http://www.ufseeds.com/Find-Your-Zone_700ff99396dedad5f.html

Where's the best place to plant? We recommend that you plant your bulbs at least 5 feet out from your foundations, as heat from the buildings can damage them. Make sure your soil is well-drained, and that it's pH falls between 6.0 and 7.0.

How far apart, how deep? Generally, large bulbs can be planted 8 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Small bulbs should be planted at 5 inches deep and about 3 inches apart. All bulbs should be planted pointy-side up. It's best to put a bit of fertilizer in the bottom of each hole you dig before you put in the bulb. After covering your bulbs with soil, mulch about 3 inches deep over the top to protect your bulbs.

In our area, the deer think bulbs are a tasty addition to their diet, and will paw up bulbs that are shallow - especially irises and tulips. So, take care to plant properly and enjoy your results!

Inadvertant Mud Slinging

2009-06-25T15:07:00.002-04:00

As we hop our "Grasshopper" mowers between the raindrops these past few weeks, we share in your frustration - cutting the extremely long grass, while NOT striping the lawn with a thin strip of mud that draws up the wheels with each pass, is a nearly impossible feat.

Some lawns are just too wet to cut - mowers and feet both sink into the ground. Soon, we will fondly remember all the water, as we enter the hot dry season coming up here.

Till then, anyone invented the hovercraft mower yet?

Are You A Dead-Header?

2009-06-25T13:02:00.003-04:00

Summer's here, and with it comes a rainbow of color in flowers. Beds filled with purple and fuschia petunias, yellow and orange marigolds, zinnias in sizzlin' hot summer shades and hanging baskets filled with multi-colored annuals - and all of them require dead-heading to keep their blooms coming. The more old blooms you can take off, the more consistent color you'll see.

Don't forget to fertilize, using your choice of a vast array of fertilizers out there. But that's another blog for another day.

And keep watering regularly, after we stop getting deluged here in the Northeast, of course. Later in the summer, especially, guard against the soil becoming too dry and you'll enjoy your flowers well into the Fall.

The Long War on Weather

2009-01-10T20:22:00.006-05:00

It seems that the only "down time" I get to write is on snowy days, when my landscaper husband is out saving the world from the possible mishap of slipping on ice or plunging themselves into a snowdrift. Sometimes I wish people would just stay home so I could have my wonderful partner here with me. But then, as I drive to my son to his doctor appointment, I realize that we all have important commitments that we are trying to keep.

I remember the first blizzard we lived through, in 1993. Our older son was only 5 months old, and I was stuck in the house with him. That year the State did NOT call a state of emergency until too late, and people were trying desperately to get to work. There were news stories of people who were fired for not making it to work! My heart ached for our customers as they cried "They might fire me if I don't get there!" My DH plowed for 4 days straight, without sleep - and he still wasn't anywhere near done plowing out people in need. When he left me, his beard was all black. When he came back 4 days later, he had big white streaks on either side of his beard - and it wasn't snow. Living on too much coffee and too little water and sleep had all contributed to his instant greying. That's when it really hit me just how dedicated my husband was to our family's welfare, as well as how concerned he was for his customers. He fought with all his might, came home after 4 days and slept for 8 hours, then went back for 3 more days to dig out more driveways.

16 years later, and I know I won't be seeing him tonight. He left early this morning, kissing me goodbye on my cheek as I lay sleeping. People are depending on him to get his work done, so that they can get to theirs. His work is invisible to most people, unless - God forbid - the weather decides to turn fierce again, pelting us with sheets of ice that cover every surface with a thick glaze, or blanketing the whole East coast with a blizzard of snow. I fear that forecast.

I'm thankful for my husband's dedication to our family, and his commitment to his customers and the people they serve, in turn. I'll always worry about him - that's my job. It'll always be my job, I guess.

So when you see my husband out on the road in his plow truck, could you maybe wave and say a little prayer of thanks and safekeeping for him? I'd appreciate it. Maybe a drink of water...

Leaf removal in January?

2008-01-11T07:43:00.000-05:00

"Make hay while the sun shines." We finally get the chance - in January, no less - to clean up those pesky leaves that held on straight through this past autumn. The biggest challenge in our maintenance division is coaxing the leaves to fall so we can get them all cleaned up before winter blows in.
So now we visit our customers and sweep up the messes left by trees who refused to yield their treasure in November. Only, our window of opportunity is closed as the rain settles in over the entire East coast. As we settle back into our dreary East Coast winter, we are glad we had the chance to keep our customers happy. What can we do for you?

Spring Mulching

2007-02-24T11:48:00.000-05:00

Time to think about cleaning up your yard and preparing your flower and planting beds for summer. Have you considered finding ways to lower the number of hours you spend weeding, edging, and watering your plantings?
Mulching is a great way to lower the incidence of weeds and keep moisture in your plant beds longer. Just make sure you get a high quality root mulch. This is a case where cost really means something. Your goal here is to get a mulch that does not contain any part of the weed plant, as this can bring fresh weed varieties into your beds. Cheaper mulches can contain seeds, spores and other parts of weeds and unwanted species.
Before you lay down your mulch, edge your beds with a spade. This gives your landscape a finished look, and helps keep your grass from creeping into your planting areas.
Finally, it is most important to keep your mulch away from the bark of the trees, or the bark will rot, and the tree will soon die. Mulch should be replenished at least every two years, preferably each year, as it decomposes and begins to fade into the soil. Need help with mulching? Give us a call - 908-996-3037.

Punxatawney Phil's prediction

2007-02-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

As we waited for the bus this morning, my son stomped on the thick ice at the end of our driveway. His heels made impressions that reminded me of spiderwebs, and the water underneath - invisible before his creative jumping - gurgled up in small bubbles, just big enough to turn the white surface into clear glass. The hope of spring breaks through another winter. This one was mild in our area, but the latest snap of cold kept us all huddled snug in our homes for a while more. As the sun melts away the snow, thoughts turn so quickly to the outdoors. What do you need to do this year to shape up your home, expand your living space, and enjoy it more? Warm weather's coming... Let's work together shape up the outdoors and make it the best year yet.