The long, hot summer can be pretty challenging on your lawn with all those hot, dry days. Many lawns bake in the heat. But, look around and you’ll notice some lawns in the neighborhood keep looking green all summer long. Wonder how that happens?
First of all, be sure to fertilize your lawn regularly. A well-fed lawn grows in thick, crowding out weeds and cooling the soil, which helps it handle the heat.
Don’t cut your grass short. Longer grass allows the growth of longer roots, which can reach down for moisture even on hot, dry days.
Most importantly, water your lawn thoroughly whether short or long. Frequent, shallow watering encourages grass to grow short roots, causing it to stress out during droughts. But an inch of water a week serves as a good rule of thumb for keeping your lawn green during the hot summer. Be sure to water as early as possible in the morning to help reduce wasteful evaporation.
Finally, older lawns may have types of grass that can’t handle heat. The grass may grow in bunches or have thick, ugly blades. Also, a hot summer can leave bare spots and thin areas around the lawn. New grass varieties have been developed to be able to handle scorching heat and still look good.
Improving the landscaping of your home can make a big difference by increasing a home’s real estate value. Home improvement experts say that landscaping could swell a home’s value anywhere from 10% up to 25%. Landscaping is more than just pretty flowers. Done properly, it can add as much to your home’s value as a new kitchen or bathroom.
A well-planned professional landscape design gives a property a polished look. The first step in any landscape transformation is a thorough property assessment. We meet with the homeowner to discuss their goals, their budget and work out the details.
Talk to any real estate agent and they’ll tell you that curb appeal is very important to their clients. To most homebuyers, the first impression of a house is very important. If a potential buyer likes the house from the outside, it usually adds to the first impression.
Landscaping can make the home more desirable and also give you one step up in the market. Many home buyers will also look at a property and calculate what it will cost to improve the landscaping. If it is already done, it makes the property that much more desirable.
Some home sellers will also invest in exterior lighting to improve the property’s appearance at night. People will drive around that look at the property at night and it will have a different look with the trees and shrubs all lit up. Landscape lighting can create an atmosphere, an elegant look with a lit walkway and the shadows created by the lighting.
The American Society of Landscape Architects recommends that homeowners invest about 10 percent of their home’s value in landscaping. Besides plants and lighting, this includes fencing, garden paths, fire pits, swimming pools and ponds.
Outdoor living areas, outdoor kitchens, terraces, pergolas and decks are also high-yielding investments.
You think that your landscaping is complete? Then what about landscaping stones. The artful application of landscaping stone could enhance the natural elements that you’ve already added such as shrubs and flowers. The aesthetic and functional use of stone can even raise the value of your property.
Without the skillful arrangement of stone and other hardscape components, even the most artistic of landscapes would lack a frame to set it off tastefully.
For some hardscape projects, you will need to combine your landscaping stone with mortar — or perhaps use concrete, brick, or tile, instead of stone. These and other variations must be considered when taking on one of the most popular hardscape projects — building a patio.
Whether composed of concrete, stone, or some other hardscape material, patios are a wonderful way to tie the indoors with the outdoors uniting house and landscape effectively and creating outdoor living spaces.
Some of the hardscape projects popular this year and obviously for years to come:
– stone fountains
– rock walls
– patio floors
– pergola columns
– foundations for gazebos
– stone foundations for porches & decks
– accent pieces for rock & water gardens
– last but not least—outdoor kitchens
Jager Landscaping can custom design a hardscape project for your property in no time at all. Call Jager Landscaping at 201-405-1033 to schedule an appointment.
Paver driveways, patios and/or pool decks are valued upwards of $10,000 so it’s important to protect your investment with the proper maintenance program. All Surface Restoration specializes in paver cleaning, sealing, and repair work. We protect the beauty of your pavers by washing away years of grime, stain, mold, oil & tar buildup. After cleaning your pavers, we re-sand them with polymer stabilizing sand.
The next step is our sealing system that helps prevent the structural deterioration of the paver’s soft top coating. It also protects your pavers from fading and helps prevent mildew, oil and other stains. Our paver sealer system reduces the efflorescence process, which is the white film or crystals that rise to the pavers’ surface. Our customers notice that this sealer process enhances the color of your pavers with a beautiful satin, satin-gloss, or matte finish. The choice is yours. They also find it helps reverse the aging process giving your pavers a lustrous finish.
There are times when there is a need for paver repairs. All Surface Restoration restores existing paver projects. Our paver repair service helps you regain the original beauty of your patio, driveway or walk without the high cost of a new installation. If you’re in need of paver repair due to settling, shifting or pavers are just showing signs of age, give us a call. We can repair most paver settlement or separation issues. We can clean and seal your existing pavers to help bring out their original beauty. We will make it look like new again.
Similarly, All Surface Restoration can repair bluestone patios and walkways by replacing the cement in between the stones then cleaning and sealing the bluestones to look like new.
Best of all, in most cases, these are all one-day projects.
With the high volume of rain we have had recently, you may have noticed water settling on your property or running downhill.
Soggy lawn areas and standing water in your yard indicates a serious drainage problem which is very common these days, says Frank Jager of Jager Landscaping. In many parts of our area, heavy compacted clay soil prevents water from filtering down through the different soil layers.
When the water becomes trapped and cannot run off, it will pool or pond. The location of the pools can often be right next to the foundation of your home.
One way or another the area will eventually cause damage, adds Jager. Standing water can damage the foundation of your home as well as cause disease and totally ruin your landscape plants and grass. Not to mention that standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
The key to correcting the problem can be a difficult task. There are several solutions to correct drainage problems. Some as simple as re-grading a portion of the lawn for positive water flow, extending the drain lines from your downspouts or simply adding a French drain system. Either way getting the water moving again and away from your home is essential to maintaining the value of your home and landscape.
Subsurface drainage systems have many different names, but they all do the same thing: remove water and lower the water table away from a building foundation wall or from under a slab.
If you have or suspect that you have water issues around your yard call a landscaper who is experienced with drainage issues. Usually they will find a workable solution. Many masons may recommend distribution boxes but, according to Jager, that does not work for landscaping and soil. Jager Landscaping installs special lawn drains that do not clog while catching water from various areas of the property.
It’s time to get out those gardening tools and add splashes of colors to your landscape. Flower gardens are easy to plant and care for. All you need is some careful planning and some helpful tips to keep your landscape colorful through the fall. Always remember that proper watering is essential to the health of your plants. To create a flower garden that you can enjoy for months to come, simply follow these steps:
• Before you select your plants and start your design you must know the sun and shade, wind exposure, soil composition of your perspective garden site. All these factors must be considered when choosing and designing your garden in order for your flowers to thrive.
• The most popular flower categories are perennials and annuals. Perennials are generally considered to be the easiest to care for but a blend of different types of flowers can give you more color in your garden for a longer period of time. So carefully choose a blend of flowers that will continue to delight you for months to come.
• Planning a garden design is all about choosing a layout that compliments your house and overall landscape. For a rustic, country look try mixing different heights, colors, and varieties of flowers together. If you want a more formal look, consider a rectangular or more symmetrical layout perhaps with a border.
• It is essential for any flower garden to have an adequate supply of water and nutrient rich soil. Also important is the amount of sunlight and shade, choose flowers that are appropriate for your garden conditions. If you have sandy soil, consider adding compost to increase the soil’s ability to hold moisture. If your soil drains poorly such as clay, adding a mixture of sand and compost will help provide proper drainage. Compost is always an important additive to any garden soil because it provides your plants with necessary nutrients.
• This is the last and easiest step to having a beautiful flower garden. Applying a fertilizer now to really make your perennials bloom. Adding compost or light mulch each season is essential to keeping your plants healthy. Compost or mulch keeps the soil nutrient rich and helps it retain moisture. And that’s about it besides the occasional removal of weeds. Then all you have to do is sit back and enjoy your efforts by watching your garden blossom.
Everyone loves to have a pristine, well-manicured landscaped property. Often it leads to many homeowners spending longer hours outdoors. Hiring a professional landscaper can free up homeowners’ time and help ensure that their yards are cared for properly.
One of the benefits of hiring a landscaper is the time savings. Landscapers typically have commercial-grade equipment that can dramatically reduce the time it takes to mow and perform other maintenance tasks. Some services have multiple employees working concurrently, enabling them to tackle several projects at once and complete them in a fraction of the time.
Landscapers familiar with botany and landscape design understand how to properly care for plants and trees, while novice green thumbers may be unaware about when to prune trees and shrubs, at what height to cut the lawn and which plants will thrive in particular locations. Such do-it-yourself maintenance may even cost more money than leaving it to a pro.
Hiring a professional can sometimes be more economical. For a certain weekly fee, homeowners receive the benefit of professional knowledge and execution. Also, homeowners will not have the expense of purchasing the various tools and equipment necessary for lawn and garden maintenance, tools and equipment that include lawnmowers, weeders, edgers, fertilizer, grass seed, leaf blowers, and shovels.
During the summer vacation season, it’s easy for homeowners to overlook their lawn and garden in favor of recreation and leisure activities. Hiring a landscaping service allows homeowners to rest assured that their yards will be maintained whether they’re home or not.
Hiring a local landscaping service will not only benefit homeowners, but also it also benefits the local economy.
Over time, any type of exterior paver or natural stone will suffer weathering from continual exposure to the elements. While some people prefer a weathering look, others favor the clean look of freshly installed stone. Thankfully, paving stones can be restored to their original state.
Clean the stone with a solution of equal parts of common white vinegar and water. Vinegar is a mild acid that will eat away most common mineral deposits and weathering from the face of tiles and stones. The solution needs to be applied to the surface and then allowed to sit for several minutes, after which you need to scrub the surface with a scrub brush and then rinse it with clean water.
Blast the surface of the paving stone with a pressure washer to remove dirt, grime and other buildup. This is a good option if you have access to a pressure washer, as you don’t need to use any chemicals. There are times when you need something stronger because the pavers have mold, mildew and other grime. Our All Surface Restoration division uses pressure washing with a natural solution that has amazing results.
Of course chemical solutions are readily available in any home improvement store but they should be reserved for the most stubborn of weathering buildup so as to not damage the surrounding grass or natural environment. Follow manufacturer directions for mixing, direct application, washing and rinsing. As a general rule, you will apply it, let it soak, scrub it and then rinse the stone. Our liquid solution at All Surface Restoration will not damage surrounding grass or plants.
If you happen to have a particularly difficult buildup of minerals and weathering on the surface of the stone, you can purchase muriatic acid at a home improvement or hardware store. While it will not harm natural stones, be aware that you cannot use muriatic acid if your paving stones are man-made or cement-based. Muriatic acid eats through anything that contains cement and is ideal for calcium and salt buildups. We really do not recommend the average homeowner using muriatic acid because you have to be very careful as you can ruin the surface of the concrete.
You can make the outdoors an extension of your home with smart landscaping ideas. I would like to share some great tips for transforming your front or backyard into one of your favorite destinations. Many of our clients get their inspiration from resort destinations that they visit.
· 
A fireplace makes an outdoor living space luxurious. It’s the perfect gathering spot for all family members, whether they’re cozying up on a cool evening or roasting marshmallows.
· If you have a smaller property and don’t want a lot of maintenance, we suggest the placement of a large flagstone walkway surrounded by large beds of flowers.
· If you want to add some real style to your backyard, consider a sunken garden. Sure it may require some special drainage but it looks magnificent.
· Many people find crossing over a bridge an enjoyable experience. We like to recommend designs based on how people would walk through a space. For example, creating a bridge from one patio to another near the pool.
· When designing outdoor kitchens, it’s important to determine how the prevailing winds blow in that area. It helps determine where to safely place the stove.
· To define a formal garden area, add a stone border in the lawn, which serves as a transition space within the landscape.
· When designing an outdoor space, it’s important to choose plants that will thrive where you intend to put them and where they will resist the elements.
Before you know it, the cold, dreary weather will give way to the burgeoning spring season and the promise of new growth. Of course, this also signals the perfect time for a thorough spring cleaning. But this goes beyond clearing out the attic or getting rid of last season’s old clothes. The outside of the home needs some annual care just as much as the inside; no area more so than the yard or garden.
Sure winter can wreak havoc on a yard or garden and all but ruin the beautiful landscaping that defined it before the chilly weather set in. They can sure look worn after a long winter and may even appear beyond saving. But rolling up the shirtsleeves and getting to work on yard beautification is the best way for anyone – man or woman – to start anew and get into the spring spirit.
Here are some suggestions for your spring cleanup project:
· Winter storms can wreak havoc on a yard in the form of fallen branches and piles of leaves. The best remedy is to clear all tree debris from the yard. Once that is done, then it’s time to get down to the business of pulling the weeds that have likely cropped up during the winter months. Once this is complete, homeowners should then plan on spending 10-15 minutes one time per week maintaining a weed-free yard.
· There’s no way around it, if you want to ensure a thriving lawn or garden, you are going to need to fertilize. That means everything: the grass, flowers, and shrubs. In fact, there are a number of different fertilizers available for a number of different purposes and a few lawn and garden types. You can choose to use chemical fertilizers or go organic.
· Think about adding mulch. Just one layer of mulch on a flower bed can bring the plants roaring back to life. Professional landscapers suggest applying four inches of mulch over the top soil, which will help retain moisture and prevent growth of those pesky weeds.
You can choose to do these projects yourself or call a local landscape company to do the work for you.
Spring cleaning goes beyond clearing out the attic or getting rid of last season’s old clothes. The outside of your home needs some TLC just as much as the inside.
jagerlandscaping 