Prepare Mulch Beds for Spring Planting

Follow the 10 steps below for a beautiful flowerbed: KILL WEEDS  Spray all weeds with weed killer 1 to 2 weeks prior to mulching. This allows weeds to completely die, making them much easier to pull. TRIM TREES AND BUSHES  Because of the debris produced, be sure to trim trees and bushes before applying new mulch. CLEAN OUT MULCH BEDS  Remove all dead leaves, weeds and trimmings. CULTIVATE Use a roto-tiller or hand cultivator to loosen any compacted soil or mulch. This allows moisture and air to pass through the mulch easier. EDGE YOUR BEDS  Landscapes with clean edges enhance the appearance and give it a professional look. RAKE SMOOTH  Use a stiff rake, such as a mud rake, to smooth all surfaces to be mulched. Otherwise, your mulch will look lumpy. APPLY A PRE-EMERGENT  This is the time to prevent weed seeds. Apply the pre-emergent before mulching. A second application later further ensures protection from weed seeds. Note: Prevents germination of seeds from weeds. IT’S TIME TO MULCH  Apply new mulch over the cultivated mulch or soil. Spread evenly to 2-inches thick, more or less, depending on budget and taste. When complete, water to moisturize mulch and settle it into

February 22nd, 2012 zero comments Blog
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Landscaping Bricks

Landscaping bricks can be used together to form a decorative walkway, a formal patio, or to put an edge on a garden. There are landscaping bricks available today that form an “L” shape so that one side can lay flush with the lawn (eliminating the need for edging) and the other side can rise up an inch or two above the planting area to create a border to hold mulch, and a provide a decorative edge. Here are a few steps on how to install landscape bricks to the edge of your garden. Dig a trench along the area you would like to lay the bricks.  The trench should be approximately 2” deeper than the depth of the brick and 1-2” wider than the width of the brick. Tamp (compact) the soil to prevent or minimize the shifting of the bricks later. (A tamper can be found at your local hardware store or garden center). Pour 2-3” of sand in the trench and tamp the same as the soil.  The sand is used to raise the bricks slightly above ground level.  Setting the bricks slightly above will allow for a small amount of settling in the future. Lay the bricks in the bed of sand,

January 19th, 2012 zero comments Blog
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Patio Pavers Shapes

Patio Pavers are a great and versatile product that can be used anywhere around your home or for an outdoor area. Many materials can be used when laying Patio Pavers. Concrete pavers are one of the most commonly used materials for paving patios. This is because concrete is cheaper than most materials such as natural stone (such as sandstone, bluestone etc.). Concrete pavers are normally produced in block forms and can be cut and molded to any shape your project may require. There is a broad range of shapes, colors, patterns, and materials to choose from. Common Shapes: Simple shapes like rectangles, oblong, and squares are mostly used for Patio Paving applications. When using concrete, these shapes are generally used to imitate things like bricks. Other shapes: ·        Triangles ·        Octagon ·        Circles ·        Half Circles ·        Irregular ·        Zigzags ·        Keyholes ·        Diamonds ·        Fans ·        Hexagon ·        Rectangle and Square ·        Two Shape Combos ·        Natural Stone Shapes Most natural stones come with their own unique shapes. So when using natural stone pavers on your patio you may find that the range and selections available are not as broad as those man made paver materials, such as concrete and

December 13th, 2011 zero comments Blog
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A Few Things to Consider When Buying Mulch

Mulch does many things but the most important is it insulates, keeping the temperature more steady and protecting roots from cold snaps and hot spells. It keeps soil moisture from evaporating so you don’t have to water as often. It shades out weed seeds so they don’t get enough light to sprout.  If it’s organic mulch, anything that once was a plant, it breaks down to feed microorganisms that in turn nurture plants and make soil a better home for roots. Here are some things to think about when you are shopping for mulch. Consider the source. Most commercial organic mulches, apart from straw, are wood byproducts from the lumber industry. Bagged mulches from good garden centers or home-improvement stores or bulk mulches from reputable landscape supply companies are likely clean and safe. But cheap bags of mulch, such as those often sold at gas stations, may contain shredded construction debris or other waste with toxic chemicals, metals or lead paint. Choose mulch for its purpose. Consider the plant when you choose. Medium-textured mulch such as shredded hardwood will work in most places. But in a permanent layer around trees, big chunks, such as pine bark nuggets, will last longer. You wouldn’t want to dig

November 14th, 2011 zero comments Blog
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Patio Paver Shapes

Patio Pavers are a great and versatile product that can be used anywhere around your home or for an outdoor area. Many materials can be used when laying Patio Pavers. Concrete pavers are one of the most commonly used materials for paving patios. This is because concrete is cheaper than most materials such as natural stone (such as sandstone, bluestone etc.). Concrete pavers are normally produced in block forms and can be cut and molded to any shape your project may require. There is a broad range of shapes, colors, patterns, and materials to choose from. Common Patio Paver Shapes: Simple shapes like rectangles, oblong, and squares are mostly used for Patio Paving applications. When using concrete, these shapes are generally used to imitate things like bricks. Other shapes: ·        Triangles ·        Octagon ·        Circles ·        Half Circles ·        Irregular ·        Zigzags ·        Keyholes ·        Diamonds ·        Fans ·        Hexagon ·        Rectangle and Square ·        Two Shape Combos ·        Natural Stone Shapes Most natural stones come with their own unique shapes. So when using natural stone pavers on your patio you may find that the range and selections available are not as broad as those man made paver materials, such as

October 25th, 2011 zero comments Blog
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Playground Wood Chips Make A Safe Surface Material

A playground in the backyard for your kids is a great way to keep them entertained and keep them safe from outside influences. However, kids are always tumbling off playground equipment and hurting themselves. For that reason, playground areas need shock absorbing material such as a quality playground wood chips under and around playground equipment. To protect children, three government regulations control the manufacture of surface material for playgrounds such as playground wood chips. JK Enterprise sells quality mulch and topsoil in Northern Virginia, JK also carries playground wood chips that meets these requirements. Depth Of Playground Wood Chips ASTM 1292 provides the guidelines on the depth of wood chips needed to keep a child safe if they fall off playground equipment. A JK professional can help you determine the depth of wood chips you need for adequate coverage. Kids love to climb to the very top of playground equipment. If they fall, something needs to cover the ground that will keep them from a bad injury. You need to know what the distance is from the top of the equipment to the ground. The taller the equipment, the deeper the playground wood chips needs to be. It is important that

October 27th, 2011 zero comments Blog
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How To Use Mulch Around Trees

If you have trees around your yard you may want to consider off setting them against the grass by mulching around them or putting a bed of flowers around them and then mulching that. Grass will inevitably grow around the trunk of the tree and will need to be trimmed away.  However, when using a lawn mower or a weed trimmer you run the risk of nicking the trunk of the tree causing damage to the trunk.  Damage to the trunk of a tree isn’t good for the overall health of a tree. For smaller trees, you should use a shovelful or two of mulch and spread it around the base of the tree in a circle. Even out the 2 inch thick circle of mulch around the tree.   Avoid making a “mulch volcano” around the base of your tree with a pile of mulch that’s more than a few inches thick. If your mulch is too thick you’ll actually be cutting off the possible supply of water and air that can reach the roots. Using your hands (fitted with gloves) run a little ring around the trunk, pushing the mulch a few inches away so it doesn’t completely touch the

October 11th, 2011 zero comments Blog
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Pavers for Patio

Here are ten tips to keep in mind when building your paver patio. Tip 1 – Pave the way to long-term savings by using pavers. Your options for an outside area are vast, but if you want the best value with the lowest maintenance, a paver patio is the way to go. While it may cost more up front, the savings over having to stain and seal it year after year will pay for itself in the long run. Tip 2 – Make sure to dig enough ground to provide stability. You will need to dig at least 6 inches under the surface to prepare the ground below so the pavers won’t shift over time. Tip 3 – Make sure to block out the weeds. Weeds have a way of springing up even between pavers. Lay down a barrier to help stifle their growth and if they are a notorious problem, you may want to consider a soil additive. Tip 4 – You need to use a plate to pack the base. Pavers for patios are only as good as the foundation they’re built on. Packing the soil underneath helps ensure a smooth top surface and less chance of the pavers

October 4th, 2011 zero comments Blog
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Prepare Your Landscape for the Winter

Although fall has just begun, it is important to being thinking about your landscape defense against the cold weather.  Those that are new to landscaping may not understand the importance of protecting plants, or in other words, how to nurture and not torture. Our discussion refers to various types of plants and the approach one can take to protect them from extreme weather conditions, as well as to prepare for spring landscaping.  Gather your landscape supplies and get started. For starters, seed stalk plants may seem hearty but the best strategy is to remove them completely in order to minimize weeding in the spring. On the other hand, subshrubs should be left alone as they only need Mother Nature to replenish them in the spring.  On that note, when planning your landscape it’s important to remember that you should not move subshrubs, so choose a permanent place that you’re happy with. It’s hard to resist the beauty of a rose, but they are particularly sensitive to harsh weather conditions – including any extreme change in temperature and humidity.  With the proper care though, they can enhance your winter garden.  Some roses, such as rambler roses are virtually indestructible in the winter.

September 8th, 2011 zero comments Blog , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Soil Conditioners: How to use them in Six Easy Steps

Soil conditioners are additives you put in your soil to improve the quality of your soil.  Certain plants/vegetation thrives better in their “perfect soil”.  There is a wide variety of soil conditioners or amendments, these terms are often interchangeable, however, in some cases a soil conditioner, may refer to a product used for the sole purpose of loosening, or otherwise improving the soil structure in preparation for planting.  A soil amendment most often contains a blend of organic or synthetic fertilizers to encourage and help establish plant growth.  Even mulch is a soil conditioner since it actively improves the quality of your soil.  It is recommended that you add soil conditioners before you plant and often afterwards if using organic soil conditioners. Six Easy steps for Soil Conditioning: Step One: Test your soil to find out what’s missing and what type of soil conditioner you may need.  Most universities and colleges have a horticulture department with soil testing facilities. For instance, if your soil has too much clay, sand or is too acidic you will need a soil conditioner. Step Two: Measure your yard and/or garden to figure out how much soil conditioner you will need. Step Three: Remove any large

September 20th, 2011 zero comments Blog
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