Landscape Edging Blog - Page 6 of 14 - Tips, tricks, and information for aluminum landscape garden edging

Best Sprinkler for the Lawn

Posted on 29 July, 2016 in Landscaping

When summer hits and it’s time to water the lawn; it is important to find the right sprinkler to do the job right. The sprinkler that you will want to have will save water, which makes it easier on your pocket book and the environment. Your lawn should get about one inch of water per week, in order to keep it growing well and to keep it healthy. There are three different types of sprinklers you can choose from. Keep in mind that where you live changes how much water you need for your lawn.

Oscillating Sprinkler- This is the most common type of sprinkler. It can water up to 4,000 square feet of space, in a rectangular pattern. The problem with this can be that water can build up and create puddles on your lawn. This is caused by the curving of the water when it comes out of the sprinkler. You will need an oscillating sprinkler that has at least 15 spray jets. The cheaper the sprinkler the more you’re going to get puddles. So try to spend a little more so it works like it is supposed to.
Stationary Sprinkler- This is the best sprinkler for smaller spaces. You can get this sprinkler in three different patterns; circular, rectangular and square. This is the kind of sprinkler that a lot of people use for their kids to jump through. There is a bonus to this stationary sprinkler. It is one of the cheapest ones on the market. Although there are positives to everything, there can be negatives. The negative with this sprinkler is it can clog up easily, and is usually made of plastic, so it can break quickly.
Pulsating Sprinkler- This type of sprinkler makes a circular pattern, and it can water up to 10,000 square feet of space, given there is enough water pressure. This is the best sprinkler for spaces that have an irregular shaped space. The water rarely makes puddles with this type of sprinkler. The down-fall to this sprinkler is it is a little bit louder than other sprinklers, and it doesn’t work as well if you have low water pressure.

These three water sprinklers all have different prices and they all have different jobs. If you pick the right kind of sprinkler for your lawn you can end up saving a lot of money on water. Too much water can be bad, for a number of reasons; it’s bad for the environment, your wallet and your lawn. If you take the time to find the right sprinkler for your lawn that your lawn will thank you. You will also be happy with it because you will have a nice, green, lush lawn.

Five Ways to Update Your Space

Posted on 22 July, 2016 in Landscaping

Do you feel like you need to spruce up your yard this year? Not every yard needs a drastic change to make things look better. Sometimes all you need to do is change a few minor things to help things to go from “blah” to “ou!” Below we have listed five simple ways to make your yard looking great!

Add a decorative boulder (or five)

As you know, rocks have been used quite a bit in landscaping over the years. Sometimes they were placed there; sometimes they have been in a certain spot for years thanks to nature. Adding some boulders or large rocks to a space can make a huge difference. You can also use boulders to hide things you don’t want seen. Things like electrical panels and air conditioners. Plant some flowers to complete the look of those boulders and rocks in your garden.

Plant a new tree

Depending on where you live in the country, if you live in the colder areas then you know the toll that winter can take on some trees. So why not take out the old, not-so-good-looking tree and plant a new, fresh one in its place. Your yard and your neighbours will thank you. Plus, I’m sure you’ll see the benefits of it too when you see how great it looks!

Consider a pathway

Do you ever think that your backyard needs something else, but you’re just not sure what it is? Try adding a pathway. Consider the space that you walk through the most and put it there. Maybe it’s the direction to the shed, or to the pool. Either way, your grass would like the change or being trampled on. Consider getting your landscape edging from yardproduct.com to make even lines.

Clean up with river rock

Sticks and dried up leaves can be quite annoying when all you want is a clean looking lawn. Try installing river rock to give it a clean look.

Refresh your lawn

Instead of looking at everyone else’s green lawn, hire someone to come and give you that lush green lawn that you have been wanting for a while. Or if you can, do it on your own. Plant some grass seed, pull out a sprinkler to keep it growing, and wait! It won’t happen overnight, but continual planting of grass seed and watering will keep it going.

All About Bee’s and Avoiding Their Stings

Posted on 15 July, 2016 in Gardening, Landscaping

No one likes to get stung by bees, that is a given. Especially when you are doing the dreaded yard work. The thing is that we need bees. We need them in order to keep plants and flowers growing. If it weren’t for them then we may not here. And we wouldn’t have things that we need, including our clothing.

Here is a list of things that you can do to avoid the bee stings in your yard this summer:

Bee Proof your home:

Fill any areas that bees may want to fill with nests. What I mean by this is fill holes in trees, clothes lines, any spaces that bees can make nests. Put screens over these areas, or if you can, fill them with cement if the object, for example a clothes line, can take the weight of it.

Hire someone:

Hire someone to come out to your home and relocate the nest. Make sure that they won’t destroy it though. Remember that we need those bees for some of our everyday things!

Avoid direct contact with the hive:

You’ll want to try your best to avoid contact with the bee hive. So like we discussed in the previous point, hire someone to come take it away. Vibration from lawn mowers or any other equipment can bother the bees in their hives. Their first thought is to attack when something is disrupting them. Try to pick some colours of flowers that won’t attract the bees as much these include white, yellow, blue or purple flowers. Blackberries, cantaloupes, strawberries and watermelons are a few fruits that attract bees.

Pick an ideal time of day:

Try to pick a cooler time of day to do your yard work. Before 9am or after 5am are the best times to mow your lawn. Bees are very sensitive to the weather so they are out more in the middle of the day. Rather than the morning and the evening.

Nature is where the bees live. They need their space, just as much as we need our space.

July’s Chores and Tips

Posted on 11 July, 2016 in Gardening, Landscaping

Dig up and separate clustered spring-flowering bulbs and tubers.
Feed roses after each growth, water regularly and remove dead heads of flowers
Feed growing annuals every month, to keep them blooming
Feed potted plants twice a month with half – strength liquid fertilizer like 20-20-20 or less often with a controlled-release pelleted fertilizer
Check to make sure that the soil is moist in plants that are grown in pots every day. If it is hot some plants may need to be watered twice a day

Plant trees a minimum of 6 feet from sidewalks or driveways to prevent the concrete from cracking due to growing roots
Be sure to keep up with watering plants, trees, and grass in the warmer months. Pay attention to the watering needs of plants
Apply mulch to plats that are sensitive to the heat. The mulch will help to keep the roots of the plants cool.
Help protect your recently transported trees by staking them. This will help to protect them from high winds and storms.

Use room temperature water to be sure that you don’t make indoor tropical plants to cold. The cold tap water can harm or kill the sensitive roots on these plants.
Keep indoor plants away from air conditioner vents. This will also cause your plants’ roots to get cold and harm or kill them.

Check outdoor sprinkler systems to make sure that they are all in working order.
Indoor plants should be kept out of direct sunlight to protect the leaves of the plants. Use sheer curtains to make sure they are getting enough light, but not too much.

Creating a Pet Utopia

Posted on 29 June, 2016 in Gardening, Landscaping

There are many differences in yard care where ever you go. For example law maintenance will be different from Florida compared to New York. There will be different times of the year to plant things and a lawn in Florida would need to be watered more than a lawn in New York would. One thing that remains the same for lawns where ever you are is that your pet has a safe and beautiful place to hang out. Let’s take a look around a hypothetical backyard at some things that may be dangerous for your pet that could be hidden in your very own yard.

Watch Those Flowers:

We walk out the back door and there are beautiful flower beds full of flowers. They add a glorious scent to the air as you step out the back door. You never would have thought that those beautiful flowers could be dangerous. But did you know that many flowers, if ingested are poisonous? Many animals may want to roll around in that garden, or even try to snack on those flowers! A small list of poisonous plants are Easter Lillies, Poinsettias, America Hollie, and Alocasia. These plants that are often found around homes and gardens can be the cause of anything from intestinal disturbance to unfortunately death. If a cat were to take a small bite from a lily plants then it could quickly lead to kidney failure. Check with some law care service providers in your area to make sure the plants that you are planting in your yard are pet friendly.

Check Out Your trees:

Along the back of the yard there is a line of trees. You think that they are safe for those beloved pets. But what if a storm comes? Is there any branches that may be on the verge of breaking? You wouldn’t want a branch to fall on your puppy. It’s a good idea to check out the trees every spring. Trees take quite a toll from the winter months. If you can check the trees out for yourself, I suggest calling a friend or a lawn service provider to help you out. This way you or a lawn care service provider can take care of any trees that may be dangerous.

Where Are Your Pesticides Stored?

We walk over towards the shed. There we find chemicals leaning by the side of the shed. Close by we see some fertilizer and some pesticides. All of these things should be put inside of the shed instead of outside. They should be locked up and in a high spot where pets and children cannot reach them. Don’t take the risk of accidental ingestion. It could make pets and children very ill or even worse it could cause death.

Where’s Your Lawn Care Equipment?

We get to the other side of the shed and there it is; an axe, some shears and a lawn mower. Don’t you think this equipment should be inside of the shed? Don’t risk the injuries that could be cause from those axes, shears or lawn mowers. Keep all of these things locked up in the shed away from the reach of pets and children.

Let’s Talk Mulch…

We look over to the bird bath that is surrounded by beautiful mulch. Wait a second though, what type of mulch is it? Does it contain toxins that could be harmful to your pet? Cocoa bean mulch smells wonderful. Pets may be tempted to eat some of the mulch because of the wonderful scent; but depending on the chemicals that are added to it, it could lead to vomiting, diarrhea, seizures and sometimes even death. Check your mulch before adding it to your garden. Or just ask your provider, or only hire a company that is trained to know.

Kids And Their Toys

Walking onto the beautiful lush, green lawn we know that our pets love the softness of the grass. The kids were playing with toys in the lawn, and then we see it. A small ball. Balls of any size and toys can be choking hazards for our pets. All it takes is for a dog with a stronger jaw to chew apart the ball and choke on a small piece of it. This could create a blockage or a tear in the dog’s throat. Make sure your kids know to pick up all of their toys when they are finished playing with them.

Ponds

Off to the corner we see a small pond. It really is beautiful to look at, that is, until we see the algae growing on top of the water. When it gets hot out the algae can grow thick. If your dog were too jump in for a late afternoon swim and were to swallow some of that algae it could be very dangerous. It could cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and weakness in your pet. These symptoms can last for a few days and make them very sick, where it could lead to death.

Don’t Let the Bugs Bite!

Doghouses and enclosures need to be checked often for spiders and their webs. Spiders and other insects often take up a spot in the doghouse or enclosures. Don’t spray them with pesticides because as we mentioned earlier they are dangerous for pets. Just spray it with a water hose.

Friends and neighbours that mean well

Last, but not least, a hazard you may have ever thought about is your neighbours. When you have visitors make sure that the gate it closed behind them. Sometimes you may have a pet that may want to make a run out around the neighbourhood if the gate is not closed properly. This can lead to your pet never making it home, or even getting hit by a car.

Now For The Fun

Now that you have checked your yard for all of the hidden hazards, go to the pet store and spoil your pet. Make the yard fun for them. By them some pet safe toys to play with. The proper sized balls to play with are perfect for dogs. While you’re at it, pick them up some healthy treats!

How To: Create A Butterfly Sanctuary in Your Backyard!

Posted on 20 June, 2016 in Gardening, Landscaping

Having a backyard is a wonderful thing, and when you have the opportunity to landscape it in a way that hinders the environment, it becomes something even more special. There are many ways to aid your local environment with your backyard but one of our favourites is creating a butterfly sanctuary.

A butterfly sanctuary in your backyard could help prevent extinction to certain butterfly species. These beautiful creatures are dying across the world due to loss of habitat and pesticides used to kill other insects.

You don’t have to retransform your entire backyard to make a butterfly sanctuary, it can happen with just a few plants, a windbreak, some warmth from the sun and a bit of shallow water for the butterflies to drink from.

If you want to attract butterflies to your backyard you want to plant special plants like milkweed. Milkweed is a host plant for monarch butterflies, and the only type of plant that their caterpillars like to consume. Monarchs will want to place their eggs in the plant and will be drawn to the milkweed in your yard in the spring because of the sweet smell. Milkweed is actually critical to the survival of the monarch butterfly!

Please note that Milkweed is actually poisonous to humans, and if you have children in your home, we would strongly recommend you chose a different plant. Milkweed is used by Monarchs because the substance they eat from the milkweed makes them toxic to birds.

There are other popular plants that attract butterflies – you can read about them here!

It is important to build shelter from wind for the butterflies, which is why bushy plants are very important. The wind will keep butterflies away from your garden, and you can’t have a butterfly sanctuary without the butterflies!

Sunlight is important as butterflies like to sit in the sun, warming their wings. Water must be shallow so they can sip from the puddles.

Creating a butterfly sanctuary can be incredibly easy by adding some plants, a bit of water, sunlight, and a break from the wind, with some amazing benefits.

Lawn Care Tips to Get An Amazing Lawn

Posted on 12 June, 2016 in Landscaping

Your lawn is one of the first things people see when driving past your home. With a little bit of time and effort, you can have the lawn that really is greener on the other side! Here’s how you get started.

Lawn Care Maintenance:

This is a must summer, spring, winter and fall! The spring and summer months should be spent watering and fertilizing and the fall and winter months should be spent protecting it from cold, harsh weather.

Weeds and dead leaves should be removed from your lawn as soon as you spot them. Weeds not only look unattractive but they also cause your healthy grass to die. There are a variety of pesticides available at your local home improvement store. Be sure to use them on a regular basis to prevent weeds from growing on your lawn.

Your trees and shrubbery should be trimmed as required. Plant flowers that welcome people to your home and make sure you cut grass no lower than three inches to the ground. Cutting it shorter can damage the blades and the health of the grass!
If you’re unhappy with your current grass, it might not be a bad idea to purchase grass seed and replant. There are tons of varieties of grass available and planting these seeds will put you on the path to a gorgeous lush lawn!

Hire A Professional:

Hire one of the dozens of companies that offer professional lawn care services in your area. Professional lawn care specialists can take care of things that you cannot do on your own. Unsure of what that entails? Give them a call and ask them what they can do to help your lawn be as beautiful and healthy as possible.
Be sure to ask around before you pick a lawn care technician. It’s important to compare licensing, experience, and competitive pricing when picking a company. Lawn care doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, and if you compare companies, you can find an affordable price to work with your budget.

Final Thoughts:

Landscape Edging has tons of benefits for your lawns, gardens and even your pools or playgrounds. Check out what products we offer and their benefits here.

June’s Chores and Tips

Posted on 3 June, 2016 in Gardening, Landscaping

Here’s is June’s list of chores and tips for your gardens and landscaping!

Stop fertilizing as often on established roses to encourage plants to slow down for the hot summer.
Water deeply as temperatures climb; a garden needs one inch of rain or water each week. The best time to water is early morning. Evening watering is less desirable because plant leaves that remain wet through the night are more susceptible to fungus diseases. By mulching plants it will reduce water losses and improve yields.
Hose off your plants in the early morning to increase humidity and control spider mites.
Cut off dying blooms to help regrowth.
Stake your tall flowers to protect them from the wind. Use stakes which are large enough to support the entire plant. Use soft twine or twist ties to secure.
Cover fruit trees and vines with plastic netting to protect ripening fruit from the birds.
The best time to harvest most herbs is just before the flower when the leaves contain the maximum essential oils. Cut herbs early in the morning on a sunny day.

Apply mulch to the ground around heat sensitive plants keep the roots cooler and prevent evaporation.
A brown or grayish cast over a lawn can be caused by dull or improperly adjusted mower blades that shred grass rather than cut it.
Control mosquitoes by eliminating all sources of stagnant water.
Clean up dead brush and debris to reduce fuel volume in fire-prone areas.

Store pesticides in a safe place in their original containers, away from children and pets. Use pesticides carefully in your garden. Read the labels and follow the directions. The warnings and precautions are for your protection.
Feed houseplants once a month or apply fertilizer diluted to quarter strength every time you water.
Protect sun sensitive houseplants from direct sunlight by moving them to a cooler location or covering your windows with a translucent curtain.
June is the perfect time to clean out the greenhouse. Discard dead or diseased plants and old potting soil. Good sanitation is necessary to control greenhouse pests.

Cutting flowers is best done with sharp shears or a knife which will help avoid injury to the growing plant. A slanting cut will expose a larger absorbing surface to water and will prevent the base of the stem from resting on the bottom of the vase. It is best to carry a bucket of water to the garden for collecting flowers, rather than a cutting basket.
Hanging baskets exposed to sun should be checked daily and watered if needed. They should also be sheltered from high winds.

Have any other tips? Share it with us in the comments below!

What is your lawn telling you?

Posted on 27 May, 2016 in Landscaping

I am sure you’ve read articles before that discussed what type of grass to plant in your yard or how to have a beautiful lawn – but have you ever taken the time to think about the soil beneath your turf? Why do we assume that the turf will perform to our high expectations without looking at the overall condition of the soil it is supposed to thrive in.

We are all guilty of falling into the trap of judging the quality of our turf by how green the grass is or how think they appear. So the real question is, “How do I get there?”

Start by doing a soil report. By knowing what nutrients are in the soil, organic matter content and how they all relate to one another to increase plant health is what soil reports are designed to do. Having a soil report done is like having a starting line of soil health and can act as a report card to see the progression of how your soils are being managed.

It is important to get several samples to get an overall snapshot of not only the troubled areas, but also the above average conditions to see how your soils are responding to micro climate areas. This is a very affordable way to ensure your budget isn’t being wasted on things that don’t work.

Knowing the history of products applied and when they were applied is just as vital to interpreting and understanding the data from the soil report. Your soil report will show what nutrients are available, deficient, and in excess. Having this information would allow a turf specialist to customize a soil fertility amendment program custom to your turfs needs.

Once the program is followed and well established, the results will be truly outstanding. There will be fewer weed infestations, fewer insect populations, deeper and denser root masses, less thatch accumulation and a better utilization of nutrients that up until now, were unavailable to the plants.

So you’ve taken care of the soil, but there’s another important factor – water! Most soils that are “dysfunctional” at various times of year are usually over or under watered. There are technologies developed to be incorporated into irrigation systems to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.

In the end, with a basic, balanced cultural approach to turf, irrigation, and soil health, we can make best use of what nature has provided.

What is your lawn telling you?

Turn Your Own Backyard into an Inspiring Destination

Posted on 13 May, 2016 in Gardening, Landscaping

Some landscaping trends come and go fairly quickly, but apparently changing your backyards from your basic landscaping to create a destination is a trend that will be around for quite a while! People want their backyard to be somewhere where you would like to go to spend your spare time. This week we will discuss how to create your backyard into an inspiring destination.

It’s time to turn all your ideas, plans and designs from the Winter into a beautiful getaway, just feet away from your back door. It’s time to take the money, the time and the effort to invest in your backyard. Did you know that by adding a new patio to your property, it can increase your perceived value of your home up to 12 percent? It makes sense, as surveys have shown that today’s working families do not have time to money to invest in a cottage property. People are tied to their smartphones and finding time and space to catch our breath is not a simple task.

Many people have began investing in their own property, creating a backyard oasis which allows the whole family to unwind together without the time and expense of travelling to a cottage or taking an expensive vacation. Oh, and it probably doesn’t hurt that a well designed landscape improves your home’s value.

There are hundreds of options out there for luxurious outdoor living, it’s no wonder that people are making the backyard their destination of choice. Need some ideas, check out our Pinterest boards, or our Houzz ideabooks. Everything from outdoor kitchenettes, outdoor furniture, water features, and weather-proof televisions and speakers – – living outside has become almost as comfortable as living inside!

So what are you waiting for? Take the plunge and turn your own backyard into your own inspiring destination.