You probably hate to say goodbye to your beautiful rose blooms over the winter, but allowing your bushes to take a nap is a really important part of the cycle of life. Take care of your rose bushes over the winter, and you can ensure healthy plants and plenty of lovely blooms when warm weather…
Installing a drip irrigation system is a great way to keep your landscaping watered correctly, while saving you the trouble of standing in the yard with the garden hose. But even though drip irrigation saves you a ton of work, you still have to maintain your system. Many homeowners choose to perform this routine maintenance…
Summer is upon us, and we’re all rejoicing at the beautiful blooms in our gardens. But while summer can be a gardener’s favorite season, it can also be a dangerous time for plants. Heat stress can strike quickly and do major damage to your plants, so it’s important to learn the signs of stress along…
Even the most novice of gardeners has heard that applying fertilizer is essential to the success of any landscaping project. And yet, a lot of you are still skipping this vital step. If you’re wondering why fertilizer is so important, read on:
In most home gardens, roses bloom and provide the most color during the spring and fall months. But during the hot summer months of June, July, and August, rose bushes often do not look their best. Colors may be less vibrant, and blooms may be smaller due to lower petal count. It’s important to provide…
We often hear from homeowners who want low maintenance landscaping, but we’ve found that the meaning of “low maintenance” can vary from one person to the next. Before we create a low -maintenance-landscaping plan for you, it’s best to examine what exactly you hope for and expect. This way we can design a yard that…
As the holiday season approaches, we’re all pretty busy planning our menus and booking flights to visit family. But now is not the time to neglect your landscaping! Not only do you want to take care of your investment; you can add extra seasonal cheer to your home with a few small seasonal details.
So you want to hire a gardener to perform basic landscaping maintenance on your yard? You might be thinking you’ll just hire the person who quotes you the lowest hourly rate and be done with it. Unfortunately for you, that could wind up being a huge mistake. There are several reasons you should always check…
One aspect of plant care that people often don’t consider is washing them. Yes, washing your plants is actually very important. It doesn’t take long for dirt and dust to accumulate on leaves, and the grime will begin to block sunlight. Plants need sunlight to make their food, so you’ll eventually have a stressed plant…
If you feel as though you’ve been living in an oven lately, you certainly aren’t alone. We’ve had a hot summer here in Southern California, and some of our plants are suffering. Would you know the signs of heat stress if you saw them? Read on to discover how you can help your plants survive…
Tropical or succulent plants are popular in landscaping for their lush green leaves and brightly colored blooms. Here in Southern California, our weather tends to be mild (or at least more so than many parts of our contry), and this may lead you to believe your tropical plants will do just fine over the winter….
As the old adage says, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Most of us associate this advice with our own health, but it applies to the health of your garden as well! When it comes to growing roses, research and planning goes a long way toward warding off common problems.
Rose bushes have always been popular with gardeners due to their large, beautiful blooms, but some varieties are not without their share of work. Some traditional roses can be prone to a few common challenges. When left untreated, the spread of powdery mildew, rust, and black spot can damage a rose bush and undo all…
As the warm spring and summer months descend upon us, you may begin to spot snails in your garden. The brown garden snail was originally introduced to California in the 1850s by European settlers who enthusiastically enjoyed escargot. Unfortunately, the snails adapted so well to the climate that they became a common garden pest in…
On the heels of our previous discussion on how to prune roses, this week we are going to look at how to prune specific types of roses.
You may have questions and concerns regarding the annual maintenance required to keep your roses looking healthy, beautiful, and happy. Ideally, the months of January and February in frost-prone areas, are the best time to prune your roses. And, believe it or not, there is a great deal of controversy focusing on the manner in…