Nebraska's frost-free date is right around the corner. Do you have May 10 circled on your calendar? Tobias and I can't wait to get started on our container garden.
Container gardening is the perfect solution for people with limited planting space or mobility issues. Container gardens can add a wonderful splash of color to an outdoor living space, make an entryway more inviting and provide fresh herbs for the kitchen.
Are you ready to get started?
Consider the size of the plants in relation to the size of your pot. It is important to leave a little bit of growing room. Most annuals will come with a tag that will have the mature height and width of the plant. This information is very helpful when planning your design. Different heights and textures will add interest and depth to your pots. Tobias prefers the large foliage plants, while I tend to go for the flowers, but a nice combination of both foliage and flowers makes for a design appealing to the eye.
Water and fertilizer are the keys to healthy, continuously blooming containers. When a plant is blooming, it is using an incredible amount of energy and nutrients to produce those flowers. However, when a plant doesn’t get enough moisture it goes into survival mode, which usually means dropping its blooms to conserve energy. Fertilizing your plants will provide them with the nutrients they need to keep flowering. There are many different fertilizers on the market and most people have a favorite. I have had great success with organic fertilizers. I look for organic fertilizers made specifically to increase blooms. It is important to read and follow the directions on the package. I like to find a fertilizer that can be applied weekly. I then alternate fertilizer and root starter once per week. Root starter can be found in the fertilizer section. With this schedule, you are supporting both top and root growth for a healthy, vigorous plant.
Removing spent blossoms (sometimes known as dead-heading) will also help your annuals keep flowering. When a blossom is done flowering, the plant actually uses a considerable amount of energy to get rid of the flower. By removing the spent flowers, the plant can use the energy to grow and to put on new blooms. This is more important for some annuals than for others. Geraniums will benefit from dead-heading more than a plant with small flowers like Lobelia.
Tobias and I hope you enjoy container gardening as much as we do. You can get more information on container gardening AND see a picture of Tobias and one of his pals in the May newsletter, so go to our website http://www.cmscustomlawn.com and check it out. Better yet, if you don’t already receive our newsletter, you can subscribe right from our website's home page.
We’d love to see pictures of your projects. Feel free to send them to us at remonico@cmscustomlawn.com. Until the next time, happy gardening!
Rachael and Tobias (Meow!)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
DIY: Starting Flowers and Vegetables from Seeds
Hello! I'm Rachael and I've recently joined CM's Custom Lawn & Landscape's landscape division. I am responsible for landscape bed maintenance and, with the help of my cat, Tobias, am writing some do-it-yourself features for our newsletter and blog. If you don't receive our monthly newsletter electronically yet, please go to our website and sign up.
Have you ever started plants from seeds? This is not only a fun and rewarding project, but it is also a great learning experience for kids and can help cut the cost of this season’s flower and vegetable gardens. Here are a few tips from Tobias and me for easy, successful seed growing.
Gathering supplies.
The traditional seed tray filled with potting soil will work just fine for growing seeds, but there are a few products on the market that you may want to consider. One option is peat pellets, sold under several different brand names. It is a pellet made of peat moss that measures about 1”x ½” in size. When you add water, they expand to about 4”x2”. Tobias finds this part absolutely fascinating to watch. They are usually sold along with a tray and a lid to keep the moisture in. I like these because they eliminate the need for potting soil, which can be messy when using indoors.
Another handy product is the peat pot. These are small pots, about 2”-3” in size. You fill these small pots with potting soil and sew the seeds the same way you would in a seed tray. When the time comes for transplanting, simply make a few cuts in the side of the pot and place in the ground. The pots will begin to decompose rather quickly once they are in the soil, giving the roots plenty of room to grow. While Tobias prefers digging the plants by paw out of the traditional seed trays, I like the peat pots because I don’t have to worry about disturbing the root system of the young plant during transplanting.
These products will slightly raise the cost of growing plants from seed, but they make the process a little easier. In addition to these products, there are many others available in the garden centers of just about every hardware store in the area.
Dampening the soil.
Seeds should always be sewn in damp soil. I find the easiest way to achieve the correct moisture level is to use a zip top plastic bag. I start with my potting soil in the bag and slowly add water while mixing it until it is fairly damp, but not dripping.
The right location.
If possible, find a warm spot to keep the seed tray. During germination, warm temperatures are more important than the amount of available light. After germination (when the first leaves come above soil level) sunlight is important, but direct sunlight should be avoided.
We hope you enjoy your seed-starting project. If you have any questions about this or other gardening issues, don’t hesitate to call us or send an email to Rachael at remonico@cmscustomlawn.com.
Happy planting!
Rachael and Tobias
Have you ever started plants from seeds? This is not only a fun and rewarding project, but it is also a great learning experience for kids and can help cut the cost of this season’s flower and vegetable gardens. Here are a few tips from Tobias and me for easy, successful seed growing.
Gathering supplies.
The traditional seed tray filled with potting soil will work just fine for growing seeds, but there are a few products on the market that you may want to consider. One option is peat pellets, sold under several different brand names. It is a pellet made of peat moss that measures about 1”x ½” in size. When you add water, they expand to about 4”x2”. Tobias finds this part absolutely fascinating to watch. They are usually sold along with a tray and a lid to keep the moisture in. I like these because they eliminate the need for potting soil, which can be messy when using indoors.
Another handy product is the peat pot. These are small pots, about 2”-3” in size. You fill these small pots with potting soil and sew the seeds the same way you would in a seed tray. When the time comes for transplanting, simply make a few cuts in the side of the pot and place in the ground. The pots will begin to decompose rather quickly once they are in the soil, giving the roots plenty of room to grow. While Tobias prefers digging the plants by paw out of the traditional seed trays, I like the peat pots because I don’t have to worry about disturbing the root system of the young plant during transplanting.
These products will slightly raise the cost of growing plants from seed, but they make the process a little easier. In addition to these products, there are many others available in the garden centers of just about every hardware store in the area.
Dampening the soil.
Seeds should always be sewn in damp soil. I find the easiest way to achieve the correct moisture level is to use a zip top plastic bag. I start with my potting soil in the bag and slowly add water while mixing it until it is fairly damp, but not dripping.
The right location.
If possible, find a warm spot to keep the seed tray. During germination, warm temperatures are more important than the amount of available light. After germination (when the first leaves come above soil level) sunlight is important, but direct sunlight should be avoided.
We hope you enjoy your seed-starting project. If you have any questions about this or other gardening issues, don’t hesitate to call us or send an email to Rachael at remonico@cmscustomlawn.com.
Happy planting!
Rachael and Tobias
Friday, October 30, 2009
Protect your concrete from salt damage
We all know how damaging salt can be to concrete driveways and walks. Protect your concrete against salt damage by hiring CM’s apply a penetrating sealer to your concrete surfaces.
Penetrating sealers can protect your concrete from corrosive winter ice melt products. These products can be applied to a surface temperature as low as 40 degrees. Most of the time, these sealers can be applied for as little as $1.00 per square foot and last for years. If necessary, the degreasing and cleaning of concrete areas can be completed before sealers are applied.
Please call Chuck at 738-1718, ext 671 if you are interested.
Penetrating sealers can protect your concrete from corrosive winter ice melt products. These products can be applied to a surface temperature as low as 40 degrees. Most of the time, these sealers can be applied for as little as $1.00 per square foot and last for years. If necessary, the degreasing and cleaning of concrete areas can be completed before sealers are applied.
Please call Chuck at 738-1718, ext 671 if you are interested.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Spotlight on Sprinkler Winterization
With the fall season fast approaching, it seems like a great time to revisit the sprinkler winterization process. Click the following link http://cmscustomlawn.com/irrigation/SprinklerBackDrain.aspx to view a diagram of a typical PVB setup. If you are comfortable with the setup, you can prepare your system for the winterization process prior to CM’s coming to your property. This is a time-saver for you and CM’s. By draining the interior, you no longer have to be home when we show up! Feel free to go shopping, go to a soccer game, or stay at work if you must. When you return home, you will have a notice in the door that we have been out to winterize your system. That is when you will complete steps 5 and 6. With that, your system is officially hibernating, something that many of us wish we could during the long Nebraska winter!
Listed below are a few helpful Q&A’s regarding sprinkler systems in general.
Enjoy the fall!
Andrea
Q. What is a check valve?
A. A check valve is a device that is installed in a sprinkler head that keeps the water from exiting the head when the zone is not running. Heads with check valves prevent the water from draining out of the sprinkler heads when the system is not in use therefore conserving water and preventing low head drainage or puddles.
Q. What is the copper tubing extending from the house to the ground?
A. This is the copper that leads from your valves to your pressure vacuum breaker (PVB.) The PVB prevents water from flowing back into your potable water supply once it has passed by the device. Some systems may be installed with a reduced pressure assembly (RP.) The RP serves the same purpose as the PVB but is used in situations where a PVB will not adequately protect the potable water supply.
Q. Is my system a self-draining system?
A. If you do not have sprinkler heads with check valves installed, the system is self-draining to the extent water will naturally flow out of the heads due to the slope of the terrain. The valves are self-draining as they have a reverse pressure drain in the valve box. The drain opens up when the water is shut off. If you do have heads with check valves installed, the system is not self draining. Either way, we strongly recommend having the system completely winterized and evaluated each year.
Q. Should I drain and blow out the system?
A. Yes! It is good idea to have CM’s drain and blow out your system at the end of every watering season. Please call our office at 738-1718 to schedule this service. Our systems include drains, but blowing out your system insures there is no water left in the system and that all your lines, valves, and PVB will be ready for spring. If you do have heads with check valves installed, the system is not self draining.
Q. Will the pipes crack or freeze?
A. Poly pipe expands significantly, so small amounts of water can be tolerated and most lines drain to the lowest head on the zone. However, the vacuum breaker or backflow preventer, copper pipe, or PVC pipe around the valve box may crack if they are not winterized. That being said, any system where the heads are installed with check valves will crack and freeze if not winterized as check valves will cause the poly lines to retain water.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
CM's Custom Lawn & Landscape now on Facebook
CM's has recently joined Facebook. One of our many goals is to make communication easy for you. This is great way for us to share photos and resources in a quick and easy way. Do you have a question for us? Post it on Facebook. Do you want to see what we have been up to all summer? Check it out on Facebook.
To become a fan of CM's Custom Lawn and Landscape click the link below:
While you are there I encourage you to check out Concrete Countertop Innovations too! They have some fantastic projects going on right now. To become a fan of Concrete Countertop Innovations click the link below:
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
RSS Feeds
RSS Feed – a technical tool for you 
We are in full Spring Swing at CM’s. We are working hard in the field and in the office to make your experience with CM’s the best possible. I wanted to take a minute to point out a handy feature of our blog, an RSS feed. Now don’t stop reading just because I used nerd language. RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” A website that has RSS feeds will have the “RSS logo either in the top toolbar of your internet browser or the RSS icon on their page. It usually looks like that orange icon next to the title above. An RSS feed is great for many reasons. In this instance it becomes easier for you to follow our blog! The information comes directly to you. So when Jeff posts important information about sprinklers, or Andy is providing an update on Low Impact Development, or I am unveiling customer service enhancements, you have the information right away. How great is that? The next question of course is, “How do you subscribe to an RSS feed?” There are many ways; however I will highlight the steps used if you are using Internet Explorer, since that is most often used.
Open Internet Explorer (IE).
2. In the top of the IE toolbar you’ll notice the orange “RSS” logo I was talking about earlier. Click the logo.
3. An HTML preview of the feed you are going to subscribe to now appears. Click the Subscribe to this Feed link.
4. A pop-up window will appear. Click Subscribe and that’s it!
Now Internet Explorer will be notified when new blog posts are available for you to read. To see if there is anything new to read, follow the steps below.
1. If Internet Explorer is already open, click on the star or Favorites Center at the top left of your screen.
2. Click Feeds.
3. The CM’s Blog will be listed there and will be bold if new information is available.
Personally, I love using Outlook 2007 as a reader. I just find it easier to get my RSS feeds in email form vs. having to open up Internet Explorer. The nice thing is if you have setup the feed through IE it appears in Outlook automatically. I love things that are automatic and easy.
So now that you have setup your first RSS feed with CM’s and know how RSS feeds work, have some fun with it. Go to some of your other favorite sites and subscribe there as well!
Remember how I mentioned, customer service enhancements? Add the following link to your favorites and enjoy the ease of paying your bill online at: https://www.intuitbillpay.com/cmscustomlawn
Happy June!
Andrea
We are in full Spring Swing at CM’s. We are working hard in the field and in the office to make your experience with CM’s the best possible. I wanted to take a minute to point out a handy feature of our blog, an RSS feed. Now don’t stop reading just because I used nerd language. RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” A website that has RSS feeds will have the “RSS logo either in the top toolbar of your internet browser or the RSS icon on their page. It usually looks like that orange icon next to the title above. An RSS feed is great for many reasons. In this instance it becomes easier for you to follow our blog! The information comes directly to you. So when Jeff posts important information about sprinklers, or Andy is providing an update on Low Impact Development, or I am unveiling customer service enhancements, you have the information right away. How great is that? The next question of course is, “How do you subscribe to an RSS feed?” There are many ways; however I will highlight the steps used if you are using Internet Explorer, since that is most often used.
Open Internet Explorer (IE).
1. Go to the site with the RSS Feed. In our case we’ll be going to:
http://cmscustomlawn.blogspot.com/2. In the top of the IE toolbar you’ll notice the orange “RSS” logo I was talking about earlier. Click the logo.
3. An HTML preview of the feed you are going to subscribe to now appears. Click the Subscribe to this Feed link.
4. A pop-up window will appear. Click Subscribe and that’s it!
Now Internet Explorer will be notified when new blog posts are available for you to read. To see if there is anything new to read, follow the steps below.
1. If Internet Explorer is already open, click on the star or Favorites Center at the top left of your screen.
2. Click Feeds.
3. The CM’s Blog will be listed there and will be bold if new information is available.
Personally, I love using Outlook 2007 as a reader. I just find it easier to get my RSS feeds in email form vs. having to open up Internet Explorer. The nice thing is if you have setup the feed through IE it appears in Outlook automatically. I love things that are automatic and easy.
So now that you have setup your first RSS feed with CM’s and know how RSS feeds work, have some fun with it. Go to some of your other favorite sites and subscribe there as well!
Remember how I mentioned, customer service enhancements? Add the following link to your favorites and enjoy the ease of paying your bill online at: https://www.intuitbillpay.com/cmscustomlawn
Happy June!
Andrea
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Rainwater Harvesting: Utilizing our Precious Resource
Rainwater harvesting is easily defined as the catching of rainfall in a container for later use. It is a simple step that you can take to create a more sustainable life for yourself. Some initial questions probably come to mind when I make such a bold statement. Why should I harvest water when all I have to do is turn on my faucet? Will the collection system look ugly? How much work is involved? What are the costs? Let’s take a closer look at each of these issues to better understand water harvesting.
First of all, Mother Nature always knows what’s best for the environment. It is no secret that plant materials respond much better to rainwater than to municipal water. Take a look at your yard after a good soaking rain and see how quickly it greens up. Then look at it after irrigating from municipal water and you will see the response is not as quick or even as green. It may not be feasible for all irrigation needs to be met with a rainwater collection system. Rather, a combination of harvested rainwater and supplemental municipal water is the likely solution. After all, what mother doesn’t need a helping hand every once in a while?
The simplest and most cost effective means of harvesting is through the utilization of a rain barrel. There have been a number of manufacturers that have come out with their own lines of barrels that you can buy online or at local retailers. Rain barrels come in a variety of shapes and colors because of the popularity that they are experiencing. There are barrels that have planters on the top of them so annual plants can grow and drape over them. Some come in unique shapes, and others are designed to look like pieces of art. If you wanted to create your own barrel, you can customize it to any color, texture, or placement to fit your needs. This can potentially help lower costs and gives you the satisfaction of building it yourself.
The costs vary greatly depending on the type of harvesting project that you want to undertake, so it is important to consider your end-use plans before taking the plunge. Most rain barrels hold about 55 gallons, and will usually fill up in a very short time with runoff from your roof. If you want to move up to a larger system that can supply your irrigation for planting or even your turf, that would require the installation of a larger tank with a minimum capacity of about 500 gallons. The larger size will allow you dramatically cut down your outdoor water use (which can be about 40% of your water bill in the growing season) and also harvest much more of your runoff instead of letting it go down the gutter. These systems can be adapted to supplement existing sprinkler systems or be their own stand-alone system.
1,000 square feet of roof during a 1-inch rainfall can yield 600 gallons of water. Considering our seasonal rainfall average is 30 inches, we’re talking about a total of 18,000 gallons of water! When you use municipal water, you are not only being charged for the water, but your sanitary sewage charge is based on the amount of water you use. MUD is expecting large increases through 2017, reaching an estimated $50 per month according to MUD.
This all sounds good but now you may be wondering about what happens once you install a system. Retrieving water from a collection system can be as easy as turning a spigot. Larger systems may require pumps or more sophisticated filtering processes. Rain harvesting systems are meant to be low maintenance. They will require periodic inspection to look for debris build up, proper pump operation, and winterization (depending on setup of your system). One good investment that I would recommend to make maintenance easier would be a gutter protector. This will make cleaning your gutters much easier or even not needed, and result in less debris making its way to the water harvesting system.
Rain water harvesting will save you money. It will limit your runoff contribution to the storm sewer system; it will improve your plant health; and it can become a beautiful addition to your landscape. I’ve only touched on a little of what water harvesting can do for you and its benefits, so I highly recommend looking into it more.
When you add the financial and environmental benefits of rain water harvesting to the aesthetics of a healthy, lush landscape, you may start to wonder why you didn’t consider rainwater harvesting earlier. Feel free to contact me for more information on the topic.
Rainwater harvesting is easily defined as the catching of rainfall in a container for later use. It is a simple step that you can take to create a more sustainable life for yourself. Some initial questions probably come to mind when I make such a bold statement. Why should I harvest water when all I have to do is turn on my faucet? Will the collection system look ugly? How much work is involved? What are the costs? Let’s take a closer look at each of these issues to better understand water harvesting.
First of all, Mother Nature always knows what’s best for the environment. It is no secret that plant materials respond much better to rainwater than to municipal water. Take a look at your yard after a good soaking rain and see how quickly it greens up. Then look at it after irrigating from municipal water and you will see the response is not as quick or even as green. It may not be feasible for all irrigation needs to be met with a rainwater collection system. Rather, a combination of harvested rainwater and supplemental municipal water is the likely solution. After all, what mother doesn’t need a helping hand every once in a while?
The simplest and most cost effective means of harvesting is through the utilization of a rain barrel. There have been a number of manufacturers that have come out with their own lines of barrels that you can buy online or at local retailers. Rain barrels come in a variety of shapes and colors because of the popularity that they are experiencing. There are barrels that have planters on the top of them so annual plants can grow and drape over them. Some come in unique shapes, and others are designed to look like pieces of art. If you wanted to create your own barrel, you can customize it to any color, texture, or placement to fit your needs. This can potentially help lower costs and gives you the satisfaction of building it yourself.
The costs vary greatly depending on the type of harvesting project that you want to undertake, so it is important to consider your end-use plans before taking the plunge. Most rain barrels hold about 55 gallons, and will usually fill up in a very short time with runoff from your roof. If you want to move up to a larger system that can supply your irrigation for planting or even your turf, that would require the installation of a larger tank with a minimum capacity of about 500 gallons. The larger size will allow you dramatically cut down your outdoor water use (which can be about 40% of your water bill in the growing season) and also harvest much more of your runoff instead of letting it go down the gutter. These systems can be adapted to supplement existing sprinkler systems or be their own stand-alone system.
1,000 square feet of roof during a 1-inch rainfall can yield 600 gallons of water. Considering our seasonal rainfall average is 30 inches, we’re talking about a total of 18,000 gallons of water! When you use municipal water, you are not only being charged for the water, but your sanitary sewage charge is based on the amount of water you use. MUD is expecting large increases through 2017, reaching an estimated $50 per month according to MUD.
This all sounds good but now you may be wondering about what happens once you install a system. Retrieving water from a collection system can be as easy as turning a spigot. Larger systems may require pumps or more sophisticated filtering processes. Rain harvesting systems are meant to be low maintenance. They will require periodic inspection to look for debris build up, proper pump operation, and winterization (depending on setup of your system). One good investment that I would recommend to make maintenance easier would be a gutter protector. This will make cleaning your gutters much easier or even not needed, and result in less debris making its way to the water harvesting system.
Rain water harvesting will save you money. It will limit your runoff contribution to the storm sewer system; it will improve your plant health; and it can become a beautiful addition to your landscape. I’ve only touched on a little of what water harvesting can do for you and its benefits, so I highly recommend looking into it more.
When you add the financial and environmental benefits of rain water harvesting to the aesthetics of a healthy, lush landscape, you may start to wonder why you didn’t consider rainwater harvesting earlier. Feel free to contact me for more information on the topic.
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