Landscaping Outdoor Decorating

At Suffolk Sod Father we want you to know how to make the right choice when hiring a sod installer. Following this handy guide will help you choose the right company, know what you should expect, both before and after the sod installation.

1. Protect yourself and your property: Is the sod installer you’ve chosen licensed and insured? No work should be done without the proper certificates. This protects you and the company as accidents can occur. This information should be readily available from the installer or their website.

2. Experience Counts: And how can you tell? It’s easier than you think, use word of mouth referrals from friends or simply Google “sod installers” to find local providers. You want to see that the company has a good business history, and has sod installation as one of the services provided. Many landscapers will provide this service, however not all lay sod or do design work. Ask for references, and to see jobs that were completed by the sod company.

3. Sod supplier: Ask where your sod will be purchased. It is not unusual to request a sod sample, literature from the sod farm, including the seed mixture used. There are many varieties of sod grown by sod farms and selection of the appropriate sod for your region is imperative.

4. Meeting the installer: What your installer will look for and why:

a. Do you have currently or will you be having a sprinklers system installed? After the sod is laid, your installer should adjust all the heads to accommodate the sod height.

b. Is the soil healthy? A soil analysis should be done to determine the soils integrity.

c. What are the growing conditions? Your installer will be taking notice of shaded areas, and may recommend trimming back trees to allow for adequate sunlight.

d. How much sod is required? Now is the time to mention any scheduled projects such as flower beds, walkways, patios, etc. Accurate measurements will reduce waste and keep the cost of sod and cost of sod installation down.

After a thorough walk through of your property your installer will provide you with an estimate as well as a warranty. Doing your homework now will ensure your sod installation will go smoothly and be done correctly. Sod is an affordable alternative to lawn renovation and yearly reseeding. With a proper annual maintenance program, your sod will look great for years to come!

Cottage gardens were originally created because the addition of flowers to vegetable gardens helped to attract bees. This became an art form including deep borders, a colorful mix of flowers and herbs, pathways and perhaps even benches tucked away in a private area of the garden. When it comes to planting ideas and tips, you can always start with recreating this look with small pathways lined with lavender, herbs, colorful perennials or even roses. It is always best to use a colorful mixture of perennials and shrubs. This abundance of flowers will attract bees, butterflies and moths, as well as the species which prey on them, birds and bats!

The trick behind cottage gardens is that the flowers and shrubs are grown very closely together and placed in such a way as to appear as though the flowers and shrubs were simply placed there without any real planning or thought behind it. The truth is that there is a lot of planning that goes into making a cottage garden appear ‘natural’. The best advice to give is to make sure that all the available space is used. This includes using both ground cover plants and plants that would add height to the fragrance and texture of the garden such as honeysuckle and Clematis, or climbing roses. This will reduce the amount of maintenance required by minimizing space for weeds and by adding habitat will encourage insects and birds. Cottage gardens are informal gardens which look like they have evolved over time effortlessly.

Drifts of plants bulbs, in the form of tear drops, made up of textures such as gravel or clay will make very natural looking beds. If the ground is uneven it can complement the garden even more as you can add tiers of planting, different levels, contours and shapes to your drifts. If you are good at gardening then the random planting of annuals growing between perennials that grow vigorously will be possible and can give your cottage garden a more old-fashioned appeal. If you’re not careful, however, the garden can become a riot of color and shapes, some may not like this; so, decide on your preferred cottage style and adhere to the plan carefully. Allow for seeding in from species such as poppy and verbena though, so the garden does evolve and doesn’t stay static. Always remember to group plants by height, color, texture or plant type so that the cottage garden is easier on the eye.

It’s funny how militaristic Anchorage residents get about their lawn despite the fact that they have such a short time to enjoy it. The grass starts coming out during the middle of May and by the middle of September its greenery is quickly fading.

Nevertheless, Anchorites love their green grass, no matter how short it lasts, and de-thatching it during the springtime is one of the best ways to create a perfect lawn that your neighbors will envy and wonder to themselves how you do it.

What is thatch? What is de-thatching? How will it help my lawn? The answers to these questions will all be answered.

What Is Thatch

Thatch is basically a thick coat of organic matter that covers your yard. It is composed of many dead things. This includes dead grass and leaves from the previous year, roots, twigs, various items of debris and dead insects.

Over the last six months all these things have formed a top layer that has been sitting on your lawn and it covers it like a blanket. Depending on where you live will determine how thick it has become.

It is suffocating your new grass from growing. Heavy thatch is preventing water and oxygen from penetrating into the soil. Pests and diseases are also attracted to areas with heavy undergrowth and when these things invade your grass it can be very difficult to get rid of them.

What Does De-Thatching Accomplish

The process of de-thatching involves tearing your yard up and breaking up the thatch. Landscapers and lawn professionals use a machine with sharp racks on them to do this. They literally break up the top layer of growth that is sitting on your front and back yard. It pierces right down to the soil. Once they do this the way has been paved for fresh grass to grown in its place, completely unhindered.

Many homeowners who desire an attractive lawn get their yard de-thatched in late April or early May, depending on when break-up ends. It’s a good idea to get it done two weeks after break-up because the yard is going to soaking wet due to the snow melting and not evaporating yet.

When Should I Get It Done

When you get your lawn de-thatched you should ask whatever lawn care professional you employ to aerate the yard afterwards. They do this will a tool called an aerator. It is basically a pole with several spikes and the end of it. Using the aerator they go around the yard and poke holes in it. The purpose of this is to allow moisture and nutrients to sink through these small holes to aid in the process of making healthy green grass.

The most the service should cost is a couple hundred dollars. This number will go up or down depending on how or small your yard is.