JK Enterprise Landscaping joins law enforcement nationwide in encouraging homeowners to take protective measures when designing their landscape this spring. Most of the techniques listed below are done subtly and blend well ascetically, but can go a long way in preventing home break-ins this summer!

1. Make sure doorways, windows, and porches are clear before planting. One should always have a clear view and access to the outside, should an emergency arise.
2. Remember that although bushes can provide privacy, they also give robbers a hiding place. Using smaller shrubs will give the same look while making it harder for burglars to stay hidden.
3. Likewise, walk and driveways should be provide compete visibility, also eliminating potential hiding spots.
4. Consider planting thorny bushes and shrubberies near windows, doors, and along fences. The literally “sharp” look may dissuade an intruder from targeting your home.
5. All trees surrounding your home should be properly pruned as a robber could try to climb the limbs to reach the second floor. Eliminate all opportunities an intruder has to enter your home while staying out-of-sight.
6. Hiding spare keys under a rock, under a doormat, in a potted plant, or above the door may seem like a life-saving idea, but burglars know these tricks too! These are among the first places they will check for easy access to your house.
7. Enclosing your lawn with locked gates or well-kept fences not only promotes the idea that the owner is present and cares about their property, but it also makes it more difficult for someone to break-in.
8. Placing a “Beware of Dog” visibly in your window can deter robbers from attempting to come into your home.

Taking these simple but important tips into account when planning your home’s landscaping can prove beneficial in more ways than one. While every homeowner wants a beautiful lawn, these simple landscaping tips can prevent a house from becoming easy prey for an intruder. Protect your family and your property from disaster—starting with your front yard

It seems that every year, the same pattern occurs—the temperatures increases; our spare time decreases. This ultimately makes it easier for many to procrastinate on necessary projects normally completed this time of year, such as spring cleaning, gardening, or landscaping. In spite of vanishing free time, it’s important for a homeowner to remember that these projects (particularly the landscaping) are as important of an aesthetic aspect of your property as the interior.  After all, shouldn’t a home be a beautiful place inside and out?

To help save time and ease the undertaking of spring projects, Northern Virginia’s leading landscaping experts, JK Enterprise Landscaping, have compiled a list of important tips to keep in mind when developing your home’s curb appeal:

• Before embarking on this year’s landscaping project, make sure to clean up your previous mess. Set a few hours (or entire weekend) aside to tackle an unkempt yard that needs sprucing up. Not only will this give you a fresh slate from which to start new projects, but it will allow one to really see the potential an exterior space holds.
• Just because your yard is cleared, doesn’t mean that immediately going to work is the next step. Instead, it’s always better to have a plan—especially when dealing with such a large investment of time and money. Drawing a map of your yard pointing out shaded and sunny areas can be helpful choosing where to place landscaping materials.
• Choose to plant a low-maintenance yard and you’ll save yourself aggravation later. Laying closer, for example, is an ideal alternative to grass because it’s insect repellent and requires less mowing.
• In addition to being less physically strenuous, layering your flower beds in three rows (with the tallest plants in back) provides a sense of repetition that will entirely unify your garden as a whole.
• Make sure to add hard landscaping materials (rock, wood, pottery, etc.) throughout your home’s exterior to the yard texture and divide it into visually appealing segments. When doing so however, it’s always the best idea to match your flowers, plants, and hard materials to the soil where you place them. (Color-code your map if necessary!)
• If your home’s exterior improvements are great but your budget is not, there are a few things one can do to accomplish a beautiful lawn with simple fixes that are more time consuming, but less expensive. Aside from retouching the paint on a fence or trimming the hedges regularly, laying plants that can be maintained year-round. Evergreens, for example, provide a complimentary color to any plant or flower and require a lot less up-keep.

The last and most important landscaping tip for spring 2012 is to know when to count yourself out. Although most homeowners want to lead their own landscape projects, doing so can end up costing more time and money, in addition to looking less-than-stunning. If you find that you’re lacking the time, expertise, or materials required for your project, it’s probably the best idea to just hire a landscaping company from the get-go. In addition to making the process an easier one, it will ensure that your property retains its curb appeal and value all season long!

• 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 place.
• MULCH MAINTENANCE 
  After a month or so, check the mulch for compaction. If it’s compacted, use a garden claw or cultivator to loosen it. This allows water and air to pass, which helps prevent the growth of fungus and restores appearance.
• FUNGUS 
  If present, remove it and the surrounding mulch. Rake existing mulch to cover the area. Then water thoroughly. Fungus is a sure sign that your mulch has compacted and your beds have dehydrated; cultivation and watering may be necessary.

Visit www.lumberjake.com for a wide variety of mulches.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. Lay the bricks in the bed of sand, making them as level as possible.  If there is a lean, make sure the bricks lean toward the grass area and not the garden.
5. Use sand to fill in the inside edge of the landscaping bricks, the garden edge, to stabilize the bricks.
6. Cover the sand with soil and brush away any remaining sand/soil.

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 brick.

Irregular Shapes:
Irregular paver shapes can be used for your patio area. They help create a natural, but elegant formal look. Irregular shapes are made from things such as cuts, broken stones, river rocks, ocean rocks, and broken pavers.

Combination of Shapes: Many combinations of shapes can be applied. This can help break up a large area and add interest to the design and overall outdoor space.

• 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 through them in perennial beds, though, so use something finer. In vegetable beds, use something fluffy and easily decomposed, such as straw. An underlying layer of landscape fabric underneath mulch will help deter weeds, if you will never want to dig there. But replenish and tidy the mulch periodically to keep the fabric hidden. Mulch color is strictly a matter of taste; un-dyed dark brown mulch is the most classic look.
• Bag or bulk? Mulch comes in bags, usually containing 2 or 3 cubic feet, or by the truckload, measured in cubic yards. (A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.) Bagged mulch is much more expensive but easier to handle, especially if you have no place for a pile of bulk mulch. If you buy in bags, you can buy different kinds for different purposes. Bulk mulch can be ordered from garden centers or landscape supply companies. Prices vary; when you shop around, tell the seller what you want to use the mulch for and price the material they recommend for that purpose.
• Plan ahead. To figure out the area to be mulched, break it down into smaller shapes, such as rectangles or circles, measure them and figure the area of each.  Then decide how deep you want it:    *1 to 2 inches for perennial beds and *3 to 4 inches over tree roots.

One cubic foot will cover about 4 square feet 3 inches deep; 1 cubic yard will cover about 110 square feet at that depth.

Here’s a useful calculator. Buying too much mulch may tempt you to spread it too deep, which can obstruct water and air to roots. There is no need to remove old mulch; spread a new layer on top so that the old and new together reach the right depth for plants.

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 you have enough playground wood chips to cover the surrounding area as well as under the playground equipment.

Quality Of Playground Wood Chips

ASTM 2075 is the specification that playground wood chips needs to meet for particle size, purity, ability to drain and other established requirements. In addition, ASTM 2075 includes guidelines to control the amount of heavy metal and tramp metal that could cause harm to children. The other requirement that playground wood chip manufacturers need to comply with is the Code of Federal Regulations, CFR 1630/1631. These are the guidelines for resistance to flammability. These three regulations provide some safety measures for children playing in playgrounds at home as well as at public and private playgrounds.

When you want to buy the safest surface materials for under children’s playground equipment, JK Enterprise provides playground wood chips that meets all the government regulations. Nothing can keep children safe all the time, but by buying a product manufactured to the highest standards can help reduce many injuries.

You can see our quality playground wood chips HERE

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 concrete and brick.

Irregular Patio Paver Shapes:
Irregular paver shapes can be used for your patio area. They help create a natural, but elegant formal look. Irregular shapes are made from things such as cuts, broken stones, river rocks, ocean rocks, and broken pavers.

Combination of Shapes: Many combinations of shapes can be applied. This can help break up a large area and add interest to the design and overall outdoor space.

At JK Enterprise Landscape Supply, we are proud to say that all of our mulch are made locally here in Northern Virginia (Fairfax and Loudoun County). The mulch goes through a curing process to help reduce weed seeds before being bagged or sold in bulk. We work closely with developers, contractors, and homeowners to close the loop and recycle, rather than burn or bury landscape materials.

Clifton VA Mulch Manufacture & Distribution

The mulch we offer thrives in our region because it is native to Clifton, VA and its surrounding areas. JK is one of few companies that have the ability to manufacture and distribute a wide variety of mulch thus making us extremely competitive in our pricing. We save you money and help do our part in saving the environment by recycling and reusing. This is what sets apart JK Enterprise Landscape Supply from our competition and has made us a leading manufacturer and supplier of mulch, woodchips, topsoil, compost, and soil conditioners. The most abundant mulch that we offer is double shredded hardwood mulch. The pine mulches are mostly used for bedding around plants requiring more acidic nutrients such as azaleas, rhododendrons, etc. Mulch colors and texture can vary depending upon the aging process and time of year.

The Clifton VA Mulch We Offer Are:

• Premium Double Shredded Cedar Mulch
• Premium Double Shredded Hardwood Mulch
• Pine Bark Mulch
• Black Mulch
• Red Mulch
• Brown Mulch
• Pine Bark Nuggets

Our Clifton, VA Location

Find out more about our Clifton VA Mulch products.

At JK Enterprise Landscape Supply, we are proud to say that all of our mulch are made locally here in Northern Virginia (Fairfax and Loudoun County). The mulch goes through a curing process to help reduce weed seeds before being bagged or sold in bulk. We work closely with developers, contractors, and homeowners to close the loop and recycle, rather than burn or bury landscape materials.

Alexandria VA Mulch Manufacture & Distribution

The mulch we offer thrives in our region because it is native to Alexandria, VA and its surrounding areas. JK is one of few companies that have the ability to manufacture and distribute a wide variety of mulch thus making us extremely competitive in our pricing. We save you money and help do our part in saving the environment by recycling and reusing. This is what sets apart JK Enterprise Landscape Supply from our competition and has made us a leading manufacturer and supplier of mulch, woodchips, topsoil, compost, and soil conditioners. The most abundant mulch that we offer is double shredded hardwood mulch. The pine mulches are mostly used for bedding around plants requiring more acidic nutrients such as azaleas, rhododendrons, etc. Mulch colors and texture can vary depending upon the aging process and time of year.

The Alexandria Mulch We Offer Are:

• Premium Double Shredded Cedar Mulch
• Premium Double Shredded Hardwood Mulch
• Pine Bark Mulch
• Black Mulch
• Red Mulch
• Brown Mulch
• Pine Bark Nuggets

Our Alexandria, VA Location

Find out more about our Alexandria Mulch products.