Fall Maintenance for Patios, Walkways and Driveways

As those fall colors in the trees begin to flutter to the ground, try to remember to regularly blow or sweep the surfaces of your driveway, patio and walkways.  While autumn leaves can be quite beautiful, cool nights and warm days will cause condensation which, when mixed with leaves, can stain your concrete pavers.  In addition to leaves, certain trees, like the glorious maple, have whets called samaras (aka ‘helicopters’) which can be very abundant, particularly after higher stressed seasons.  In order to promote seed growth, Mother Nature designs samaras to dissolve with only small amounts of moisture; the downside is that they can stain even more easily than a leaf.

Besides sweeping the surfaces of this debris, sealing paver surfaces can also help stains from penetrating too deep into the surface of the stone, making them easier to clean.  If you have not already sealed your paver project and live in an area with an abundance of leaves, you may choose to consider sealing.

As patio season winds down you should also consider removing any furniture, planter urns or barbeques from your patio.  While some of these items may be marked as rustproof or ‘exterior grade’, it only takes one screw, bolt or nut that wasn’t rust proofed to cause an unsightly stain when subjected to the rigours of winter weather.  If you do find a rust stain on your pavers, it will be a little harder to clean off but not impossible if you use a rust remover specially designed for pavers.

A well installed paver driveway, walkway or patio is designed to stand the test of time.  With just a little proactive maintenance these paver surfaces will continue to look great for many years to come.

Myths vs. Reality: How to Get Your Lawn in Top Shape this Spring

Have you ever wondered when the right time to apply fertilizer to your yard is or whether it’s ok to cut the grass really short?

To help homeowners get their spring and summer lawn care off to a great start and to celebrate National Lawn Care Month in April, Greenscapes offers these myth-busting tips.

Myth #1: You can water your lawn and landscape any time of day.

Reality: Water is a valuable resource; make every drop count! Watering the lawn in the early mornings or evenings after sunset minimizes evaporation. It’s the best time for water to penetrate deep into the soil.

Myth #2: It’s ok to cut the grass very short.

Reality: Most landscape professionals advise against cutting more than one-third of the grass leaf at a time. Mowing at a finished cut height of 3 to 3.5 inches throughout the summer is generally recommended. The lawn will need less water, will be more resistant to weeds and will have a deeper, greener color. Use a sharp mower blade to prevent tearing grass blades. A crisp and clean cut will help prevent a “brown tip” appearance.

Myth #3: It’s best to water your lawn every day.

Reality: Watering your lawn every three days is better than daily watering. Deep, rather than shallow watering of your lawn is recommended to nurture the roots. An inch of water to 12 inches of soil is the preferred ratio for watering actively growing grass.

Myth #4: If you want to replace your lawn, you should do it in the spring when plants get ready to bloom. 

Reality: The best time to sow seed is in the late summer and early fall when the temperatures are more consistent and when highly competitive weeds, like crabgrass, are at the end of their life cycle.

Myth #5: Early spring is the best time to fertilize the lawn.

Reality: Since different species of grass prefer nutrients at different times of the year, be sure to use the correct fertilizer, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place. A slow-release fertilizer allows for more even and consistent feeding over a longer period of time than a quick-release fertilizer. And, remember to use fertilizers responsibly by cleaning up any that lands on streets, sidewalks or driveways where they can be washed into lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.

Myth #6: A garden hose is more cost efficient than installing an irrigation system.

Reality: Many landscape professionals recommend installing an irrigation system with smart controllers which have sensors that water when needed. Smart irrigation can offer a cost savings of 15–20 percent on water bills. Converting irrigation spray nozzles from sprinklers to rotating nozzles will spread heavy droplets of water at a slower pace, which makes them more targeted and effective.

Myth #7: You have to irrigate to have a healthy and beautiful lawn.

Reality: Grasses are built to endure long periods of drought by entering a state of dormancy..  When temperatures and moisture levels are at their extreme, the growing point of the grass plant, the crown, will shut off the grass blades, turning them brow. In almost all instances, once the heat and drought stresses have gone, the crowns will begin to send up new shoots. There’s nothing wrong with irrigating to avoid dormancy, but “embracing the brown” for a couple of weeks in the summer is just fine too.

For more helpful tips on taking care of your lawn and landscape, or to get advice on how to hire a landscape professional, visit greenscapesmadison.com   

Greenscapes of Madison Awarded Best Of Houzz 2016

Greenscapes of Madison

Awarded Best Of Houzz 2016

Over 35 Million Monthly Unique Users Nominated Best Home Building,

Remodeling and Design Professionals in North America and Around the World

Madison, Wi, January 10th, 2016 – Greenscapes of Madison has won “Best Of Customer Service” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. The premier landscape design, construction, and maintenance contractor was chosen by the more than 35 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than one million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.

The Best Of Houzz is awarded annually in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 35 million monthly users on Houzz. Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2015. Architecture and interior design photographers whose images were most popular are recognized with the Photography award. A “Best Of Houzz 2016” badge will appear on winners’ profiles, as a sign of  their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

“Anyone building, remodeling or decorating looks to Houzz for the most talented and service-oriented professionals” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “We’re so pleased to recognize Greenscapes voted one of our “Best of Houzz” professionals by our enormous community of homeowners and design enthusiasts actively remodeling and decorating their homes.”

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About Greenscapes

Our team of professionals offer superior customer service setting a high standard for innovative design and quality construction. Greenscapes provides award-winning landscape maintenance for commercial, condominium, and residential properties. Our snow removal services for Commercial properties in the Madison area offer reliable care with an unmatched attention to detail.

About Houzz

Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a small room to building a custom home and everything in between, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas 

Aeration: How to Cure Hard-Core Lawns

I hear a lot of people talk about aeration as if it isn't really part of necessary lawn maintenance. It is only for golf courses and the guy who wants the best lawn on the block. You might even have this gentleman as your neighbor. He's the guy you see in his yard at 5:00 in the morning with a dandelion puller while you have your morning coffee. You have already conceded to Mr. Jones and determined since you won't be pulling weeds at 5:00 with him, you probably don't need to aerate like he does either. While Mr. Jones might be completing aeration twice a year, how do you know if and when you should be?

• Typically a compacted lawn is thin. If you haven't changed any other lawn care practices recently and the lawn seems to be getting thinner every season, it's time to aerate. 
• If you now swear that fertilizer is also a waste of time and money, it's time to aerate. Mr. Jones lawn looks great after he fertilizes right? It must be the brand he is using! Fertilizer won't do you much good over compacted soil as it can't penetrate it. The nutrients simply wash away and never reach the roots.
• You seem to have more wash outs than normal after rainfall. Again, if you haven't made any changes to the grade or surrounding area and suddenly mulched or other areas are washing out, it's time to aerate. Just as compacted soil won't allow nutrients to reach the roots of your turf, it won't allow water to infiltrate either.  Not only does this create more runoff, it also forces the turf into drought stress earlier than it normally would.

"OK, OK I get it, but when should I do it?" If it has been awhile and/or you have never completed it before, aerate a few weeks before you fertilize. Then complete an annual aeration about month before our first frost.

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Shaping Up for Spring

As we finally begin our transition from winter to spring it seems the days of fresh mulch and budding plants are still all too far off. As the snow melts our landscapes are initially a fairly sorry site. We start winter off  welcoming blankets of clean white snow and we bid it farewell with black and gray snow sprinkled with garbage and unsightly turf.

If you spent some time planting last fall you might be enjoying some snowdrops or other early bulbs as the snow melts away. Hopefully you completed a thorough fall clean up which will make spring seem a little less daunting. While we might have to wait until late March to actually get into our landscape beds, you can rest assured the mess that lays before you will patiently wait for you! While you wait to tackle the beds and turf, now is the time for planning and equipment maintenance.

It's best to turn to the largest pieces of equipment first as they may require more substantial repairs. Typically, this means the lawn mower. Some items to address:

• Clean or replace
• Spark plugs, air filters, belts, oil
• Sharpen or replace the mower blades
• Check the tires & tighten any loose bolts

March is the best time for planning and designing new additions to the landscape as well. You are anxious for warm days and cool nights in the yard and you are spending a lot of time looking out the window anyway right? It might be time for some new or updated hardscaping such as a patio, fire pit, or outdoor kitchen. Or perhaps a new vegetable garden or additional planting beds are in order. While you consider your options and budget it is a good idea to contact a professional early at this time as professional contractors will book their season quickly. At Greenscapes, our construction division is typically already booked out 2 months by March 1st. If you are considering landscape additions this year contact us soon!

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