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Outdoor living spaces are a great way to enhance your home, no matter if you are looking to add an outdoor kitchen or hot tub. Whatever your motivation, having a patio is really an ideal way to add functionality to your yard and make it a fantastic place for entertaining guest.
In this post, we are going to cover four solid reasons why you need a new patio this summer. 1. Entertaining Whether it’s a graduation party, neighborhood barbecue, or an evening with friends, a patio is perfect for entertaining. Being able to enjoy nice weather and having room to move is just one reason to love entertaining on the patio. Another is that the inside of your house isn’t a mess when everyone leaves! 2. More Time Outside Having a patio opens up all-season opportunities for enjoying the outdoors. Spending time in the hot tub during the cold months is especially enjoyable. There are options for closing in patios spaces, if you see fit. Summertime grilling and dining on the patio is a wonderful way to celebrate summer, too. 3. Looks Great Because patio design can take on any number of variations in size and shape, you have options to make your overall landscaping look as good as possible. Maybe your goal is to complement existing landscaping. Maybe it’s to make some areas more accessible / usable. Maybe it’s to incorporate a little more privacy. Whatever your need is, there is a great-looking deck design just waiting for you. 4. Increases Home Value Not only can a new patio look great and change the way you spend time in your yard, but it is a surefire way to increase your home’s value. If, at some point in the future, you decide to sell your house, having an attractive, well-built patio is a fantastic reason to tack more on to the asking price. In Conclusion Adding patio space is a wonderful way to get more from your home and yard for so many reasons. We’ve listed four of them here. Grab a pen and come up with a few more reasons of your own. Maybe sketch out some patio ideas while you are at it. Then give us a call. To get the most out of your landscaping, E.P.M. Lawnscape and Supply offers professional landscaping services in the Jackson, MI area. Feel free to contact us online or call us today at (517) 990-0110.
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For many, landscape design looks easy, until they actually try it.
Why won’t the hydrangeas bloom? What keeps getting in the flower beds? Why doesn’t this look like it did on Pinterest? Landscape design is both an art and a science. A good landscape designer is educated and trained to know how all of the elements of a landscape work together… as well as which elements won’t play nice together. The Usual Suspects When it comes to amateur landscaping mistakes, there are 10 that come up regularly. In this post, we are going to share the 10 most common landscaping mistakes and give pointers on how to avoid them. 1. Wide Open Spaces Having a yard for the kids to play in is great. When you have a HUGE empty lawn, it’s not really good for much except killing a few hours on your riding mower every Saturday. Maybe that’s your endgame. If so, then please ignore the rest of this point. An ideal way to make a wide open lawn more interesting is by dividing the space up into smaller, more enjoyable spaces. Grill some steaks on the patio, then enjoy an evening walk through your wildflower garden. Maybe have guests over for some cornhole by the pond. 2. Form and Function You absolutely want your landscaping to look Instagram-worthy, but don’t lose sight that you and your family will actually be using your yard. To avoid the problem of losing function, ask yourself some basic behavioral questions before your start a landscaping project. Are you leaving space for the kids to play? Are you planting flowers where the dog normally does her business? Your landscaping should be a matter of both form and function, otherwise you wind up with a yard that is just nice to look at, but not good for much else. 3. Poor Lighting Sure, you may spend the majority of your time in the yard during the daylight hours, but good lighting can open up the evening hours, too, which is especially nice for those long summer nights. When the days are longer and the warm summer air carries well into the evening, it’s the perfect time to entertain guests or simply enjoy that time outside. When you are in your yard, you want to be able to see the fruits of your landscaping labor. You also want to make sure that you aren’t tripping on anything because you can’t see it. Driveways, porches, paths, and walkways should be the first on the list for lighting, as those tend to be the places that get the most foot traffic. Beyond that, consider lighting for those areas of your yard that you find particularly lovely, such as: certain flower beds, a water feature, a stone retaining wall, or a bocce court. 4. Winging It Landscaping isn’t something you knock out in an afternoon with the change that is in your pocket. It’s an investment of both your time and money. Would you build a house without blueprints? Of course not. The same holds true for your landscaping. If you don’t have a plan for your landscaping before you start, you will usually end up with landscaping that lacks cohesion and order. You can surely find more entertaining things to do with your time and money than throw it away on a landscaping disaster. 5. Using All of the Plants Let’s be clear—we love plants. It’s one of our favorite parts of landscaping. When you are picking out plants, however, it can be too easy to just get a myriad of different plants that you like with zero regard of how they will look together or whether they will actually thrive in your yard. The end result usually looks like a rainbow got sick in your yard. When picking plants, focus on unity, repetition, and complementary colors / sizes. Trust us; when everything is in place, you’ll be glad you did. 6. Hardscaping Holds It Together Because plants and flowers are so attractive, people tend to focus on that first when envisioning new landscaping. Hardscape elements, such as patios, retaining walls, paths, and the like really hold your landscaping together. Think of hardscaping as the framework of your landscaping. The way it ties the rest of the landscaping together can be beautiful and functional. 7. It Matters Where You Plant This is a landscaping mistake we see time and time again. You find the perfect plant, shrub, or tree and you know just where you want to put it. Only, you haven’t taken the needs of the plant into consideration. Putting shade-loving plants in a place where they will get sunshine all day is a great way to kill those plants. Planting some eight-foot trees along the side of the pool, deck, or house might be great for privacy now, but when those trees mature and start reaching 50 feet, you’ll have all kinds of problems with regards to plumbing and other structural elements. Some thorny shrubs are beautiful. Putting them around your central air unit can lead to lots of scratches as you are covering the unit for winter and uncovering it for summer. Not to mention the look you’ll get from the repair person if you ever need it serviced. A professional landscape designer knows just how certain plants grow and can help you find the right plants for the right places in your landscaping. 8. Seasonality When it comes to choosing plants, think beyond just summer. Yes, pink roses look amazing in the sunlight. The yellow of daylilies practically glows. Russian sage offers a shade of purple that is all its own. If these are the only types of flowers you are planting, your landscaping will be virtually barren outside of summer. When it comes to plants and shrubs, you’ll want to pick those that bloom at different times of the year so that your landscaping looks vibrant all year round! Spring lilacs and autumnal mums are just two options to consider for pre- and post-summer enjoyment. 9. Irrigation is Essential When you have your plants in the ground, you’ll want to be sure to have a plan to meet their watering needs. Watering with sprinklers and hoses is one option, but if you have a large yard, that can be a very time-consuming affair. A better option would be a professionally-installed irrigation system that goes in place before your plants go in, so the watering needs of specific areas can be addressed first. 10. Set It and Forget It Once your landscaping is in place, that’s just the start. Plants, shrubs, trees, and water features alike all need regular attention to remain looking great. From pruning, to weeding, to watering, to relocating some plants, your landscaping is an interactive practice. If you don’t feel like you’ll have the time to keep up with it, be honest from the start. That way, you can work in plants that require less attention. Finally, if it is in your budget, there are professional landscape maintenance options available. In Conclusion When you flip through Better Homes and Gardens and see a finished landscaping project, it’s only natural to try to make one for yourself. What you don’t see, however, is the planning that goes into making the landscaping look that good. As a result, it is all too easy to make common landscaping mistakes that can cost you both time and money. To get the most out of your landscaping, E.P.M. Lawnscape and Supply offers professional landscaping services in the Jackson, MI area. Feel free to contact us online or call us today at (517) 990-0110. We often recommend mulch in our blog posts. While mulch might not be the complete miracle for whipping your yard into shape, it comes pretty close. The main goal of mulch is to improve your soil conditions, regardless of which type of mulch you use. Mulch does this in a number of different ways, including:
In addition to these crucial functions, mulch just looks good and gives your yard a well-maintained appearance. In general, homeowners have two main categories of mulch from which to choose: organic and inorganic. Organic mulches are comprised of materials that will naturally break down over time. We will go into each in more detail, but they include:
Mixing any of these into your soil can improve the fertility of your soil, aid in aeration, and better your drainage as they naturally decompose. The benefits of this decomposition also come with the knowledge that you will have to replace organic mulch regularly over time if you wish to retain those benefits. In contrast, inorganic mulches, do not decompose and require very little replacement, if any. Common inorganic mulches include:
Inorganic mulches really shine when it comes to weed suppression and decoration. It’s worth noting that stone mulches both absorb and reflect heat. This can be helpful in spring, as it can warm the soil fast and help you get some pants in the ground sooner. During the dog days of summer, however, it can warm the soil too much. If conditions are also dry, this could put those plants in harm’s way. Be sure to water those areas extra well. If you have decided to take the plunge and get started placing mulch in strategic locations around your yard, the next step is to decide which mulch (or mulches) will best suit your needs. To that end, let’s take a look at some different, popular mulch options. Organic Mulch As we mentioned above, organic mulches are mulches that provide benefits as they decompose, so they’ll need to be replaced regularly. Bark, Nuggets, and Wood Chips Bark, nuggets, and wood chips come in both hardwood and softwood varieties. They are dried and aged. Sometimes they are dyed (usually red or black), then packaged and sold in bags. For trees, shrubs, and perennial flower beds, you’ll want to stick with hardwood. For large trees and shrubs, you can opt for softwood, which is usually some variety of pine. Pine, in general, is a little more acidic, so it will take longer to decompose when compared to some other organic mulch options. If you are looking for mulch for walkways, you can check with your local municipality. Some will give you their freshly-ground mulch from public works clean up jobs… free of charge. This mulch is not dried or aged, so keep it to walkways. If you put it anywhere else, it will pull a tremendous amount of nitrogen from your soil as it decomposes. This will handcuff the growth of other plant life in that area. Straw Do you have a newly-seeded lawn? Straw from clean barley, oat, or wheat is a great light-mulching option. Straw mulch does a solid job keeping the new grass seed in place, while protecting it from rodents, birds, and other critters. As is decomposes, it soaks up moisture which is essential for seed germination. While they make look similar, straw and hay are not the same thing. Hay can contain seeds that could easily sprout in your garden. Using hay would be like intentionally planting weeds in your yard or garden. Shredded Leaves and Grass Clippings One quick and easy way to get mulch is to make it yourself by saving shredded leaves and grass clippings from your regular yard maintenance. Grass clippings are ideal for perennial and vegetable beds. You’ll want to turn them into the soil at the end of the season for maximum benefit. Shredded leaves, on the other hand, are good for garden beds, as well as around trees and shrubs. You’ll want to avoid spreading either on too thickly, which can lead to matting that has the potential to block air flow. Note: If you have used insecticides or herbicides on your grass, do not use those clippings for mulch. Cardboard / Newspaper If your main goal with mulch is weed suppression, then undyed natural cardboard and/or shredded black and white newspaper is a very effective organic mulch choice. For maximum benefit, start with two or three layers, then cover those layers with a heavier organic mulch, like shredded leaves or grass clippings. This will help keep the cardboard or newspaper in place. Avoid coated cardboard or colored newspaper. They take a long time to decompose and can possibly introduce toxic dyes to your yard. Cocoa Chips With a name that could just as easily live in your pantry, cocoa chips are known for their rich color and familiar scent. Made from cocoa bean hulls, cocoa chips are easy to work with and an ideal fit for any mulch application. Take care not to apply more than an inch nor to water too much in areas where you spread cocoa mulch. It decomposes more quickly than other mulches. It also comes with a higher price tag than many other mulches. You’ll want to get by with a once-yearly application if possible. You should avoid cocoa mulch if you have pets, as it contains the same byproducts in chocolate that can be dangerous to pets. Manure Used as a mulch, it is also a great fertilizer. Composted animal manure is rich in nutrients that plants just love. It works particularly well for vegetables. Note: cat, dog, and pig manure may contain organisms that can cause diseases in your plants. Further, fresh manure can burn the roots of your plants. Avoid all of this manure. Inorganic Mulch As we mentioned above, inorganic mulches are mulches that do not decompose and do not need replacing very often. Rock You can get mulch rock in a number of different forms, including: crushed gravel or crusher dust, lava rock, marble chips, and pea gravel. Because inorganic mulch doesn’t decompose, it is an ideal choice for walkways and paths. If you opt for stone, you’ll want to keep it away from plants, shrubs, and trees. Rock mulch does a poor job at retaining moisture, as compared to organic alternatives. Also, it retains heat, which can cause the soil to warm to unsafe temperatures for plant roots when the mercury rises in the thick of summer. Landscape Plastic / Fabric Landscape plastic can be tricky. It is made from polyethylene film, which is impermeable. This means that neither water nor nutrients can pass through it. Sure, this also means that it is a great weed suppressor, but it really should be considered just a short-term solution. Now, if your goal is to use it as a way to keep the soil surrounding your plants warm, you’ll also have to install some sort of irrigation system under the plastic to ensure the plants are getting enough moisture. You could also water the old fashion way… by hand. At the end of each growing season, you’ll want to remove the plastic; otherwise, it will deteriorate in the sun. This also means that you will have to replace it next year if you opt to use it again. If you want a longer-term solution, landscape fabric is the way to go. It has the same weed-suppressing effect, but it is permeable, allowing air and moisture to pass through. Because of these advantages, you can expect it to come with a higher price tag than landscape plastic. To really get the most from your landscape fabric, place a layer of organic mulch across the top of it. Wood chips would be a great option. Rubber Durable and inexpensive, rubber mulch is made from recycled tires. For this reason, it is the perfect mulch for playgrounds and really not much else. It doesn’t decompose and since tires were originally made for a different application, they can contain toxins that work their way into the soil, undermining the health of anything trying to grow there. Know When to Say When Yes, you can have too much mulch. If you are piling up mulch around the bases of your trees and shrubs, you can start to have a problem with too much moisture collecting in the root zone, which can lead to root rot. Further, this technique is just asking for problems with rodents and/or insects. The ideal depth for layering mulch is about two-to-four inches. In Conclusion When it comes to mulch, you have a myriad of different options. The first step towards choosing the right one is knowing which mulch is most ideal for your application. When you have the right mulch, just follow recommended application directions to realize the full potential mulch can have on the appearance and health of your landscaping. To get the most out of your landscaping, E.P.M. Lawnscape and Supply offers professional landscaping design and installation services in the Jackson, MI area. Feel free to contact us online or call us today at (517) 990-0110. |
Our Services:Commercial Snow Removal
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Contact & Location:Phone: (517) 990-0110
Email: nick@epmofmichigan.com 2840 Shirley Drive
Jackson, MI 49201 |
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