When choosing the right shrub for your landscape, not only are there different varieties with different eventual sizes, but there are also different sizes just to begin with. Let me clarify… I'm not talking about large shrubs, I'm talking about shrubs in large containers. Picture yourself standing at your favorite nursery looking at buying a Limelight Hydrangea (these are wildly popular right now). They have a #3 container for $29 and a #5 container for $49. Which do you buy?

Most people opt for the less expensive one which is half the size of the larger. This is fine if your on a budget, or you want a “new” looking landscape, and have time to watch them grow. However, there is real value in buying a larger shrub to begin with, if the situation calls for it, and it depends on your desired outcome, so lets discuss…

If you want your landscape to look good now, as you have an upcoming event like a graduation or party, then its more important to purchase a larger shrub. You'd get more out of a #5 immediately instead of waiting 3 years for the #3 to catch up to the same size. Large container shrubs make your landscape look more established and mature, and they're roots can adapt quicker than some immature shrubs. You will get more impact now from planting a larger shrub.

Another example would be if you have an existing landscape with established shrubs and you want to replace a few but not all of them. Putting a #3 in next to your established shrubs won't look right, and you now have years to wait for them to catch up. In this case, buying a #5 (or even larger) would suit you better. Yes, you'll save $20-$40 bucks now by buying he smalle one, but your going to wait for 3 years or more for it to reach the desired size your looking for now.

These are just a couple of example to get you thinkng. I'm really generalizing about the sizes. There are alot of variables between varieties based on their individual growth rate, how well they've been cared for in the nursery, etc. You'll find a lot of different sizes at your nursery besides just #3 and #5's. But I do want you to take another look, and next time your there, consider how you want your landscape to be viewed right now. Think about it? It might just be worth spending a little extra now for the right size shrub.

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Did you know that the average roof (1,000sf) will collect 315gal of water in a half-inch rain?? Think about that… The average 10 min shower uses up to 50gal of water! So, with a half-inch of rain you could take 6 showers…. Ok, the point here is not to wash yourself with rain, but rather to give you some relatable idea of how much water actually comes off your roof. If you have landscape plants and a lawn (which you do), you use (and pay) for a lot of water to keep them alive. So, why not harvest the rain water and use it to water your plants and lawn? Doesn't that sound easy? It is easy.

This is not new, everyone by now is familiar with the rain barrel. Pictured above is a pretty basic example (inexpensive too) and you can dress it up with plants and landscaping if you so desire. You could also spend a little more on a decorative version like the one pictured below. Either way, these barrels will fill up more times than you can use them, and you could water your plants with them just as easily as turning on a spigot.

I think we should really take a serious look at rain barrels and start using more of them. It's responsible, it's easy, and it makes sense. Their are even larger versions which are buried under ground and can hold large amounts of water for your sprinkler system. Think about that one?… Your not paying to water your lawn anymore in the hot summer if your using rain water. When it rains a half-inch, only a little bit of it is actually soaked up by your green grass. The rest runs off down to the local sewer or lake. Why not keep what rain falls on you house or property, ON your property and use it. Believe me there is plenty of water falling from the sky that we can use for all of our outdoor watering needs. You could even wash your car with it! Not a bad deal.

Water conservation is a large topic, and rain barrels are only one example that I merely brushed over here. I'm writing this as a way to pass it on and keep water conservation in people's eye sight. To keep you thinking about them. I am responsible as a landscape designer and installer to do my best to keep you informed and educated about the green industry, and about sustainable practices that will benefit us all. I'll have more about this in my upcoming blogs if your interested. Have a great day everyone and think about rain barrels!

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If you go out to your garden and this is what you see staring back at you, what are you gonna do? They probably poo'd all over, right? (And ate your plants?) Well it turns out, as long as they don't eat your plants, this might just be the best thing for your garden. So, thank them.

Now, chances are, your not going to see them roaming your garden anytime soon,… but you can still reap the benefits of their poo. (I'm actually going to keep using the word poo instead of manure… I know it's immature, but it's a little more my style)

Alpaca have highly nutrient rich poo and its a great soil conditioner for your garden or landscape. It has a lower content of organic matter, but higher amounts of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, which means your plants will greatly benefit.

My friends at the Pauley Alpaca Company have been nice enough to help me understand this better, and here's what I've learned:

Alpaca all poo in the same spot! That's right,… They all go to the same location and keep piling it up. Sounds gross, but here's what else I learned:

Alpaca poo doesn't smell! That's right,… No gross or overpowering odor to deal with like you get with cow, pig, and sheep manure, which all can be messy to handle, so here's what else I learned:

Alpaca poo looks like a 3/4″ little ball. Easy to handle and disperse. They're like little powerful pellets of nutrient rich fertilizer. They compost well and can be added into your soil very easily. They also increases the water retention properties of your soil, resulting in less watering in the summer. Some people hail this stuff as the gold of the fertilizer world.

The good news is Rock Solid is going to be adding this in with our composted soil this year. What does that mean? Well, it means that every plant we put in the ground in every single landscape this year, will be planted with composted soil containing nutrient rich Alpaca gold. That means your plants will grow faster, look greener, and be stronger for the future. It's a win win.

You can also purchase Alpaca pellets directly from the PAC by the pale, (cleverly called the “FannyPAC“) and spread it on your garden yourself this spring. It really is a great fertilizer and I'm glad to be supporting a good local business. I wont lie, it does feel kind of strange making a business transaction for poo, and it's easy to make a joke about (cuz it's a pretty sh _ _ ty deal, haha). But the benefits of having this in your soil are no joke. Its good stuff. Check it out.

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Which is it, a large shrub or a small tree? Well, technically it's both. Pictured is the Amur Maple, and depending on who you ask, you'll get both answers. There are certain varieties that blend the lines between shrub and tree and sometimes get forgotten because they can be difficult to place. The Pagoda Dogwood, Star Magnolia, and Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry are a few others, and all have the same identity crisis. Instead of looking to something else, lets look closer…

At maturity, generally these shrub/trees are from 12ft to 20ft tall, and can be equally as wide. With that size they are not going to be used up against your house. A lot of times when people are shopping at there local nursery, these varieties come in smaller pots and look just like many other small shrubs when young. Don't choose by how they look immediately, read the tag.

If you need some privacy or early/late shade on a hot patio, these varieties are a great choice. I say early/late because they're not as tall as a shade tree and will only provide shade in the morning or afternoon depending on placement.

What makes them a large shrub or small tree is in the pruning. The picture above shows an Amur maple pruned into a tree form, and the picture on the bottom is one that hasn't been pruned. They are the same though. That is what makes them versatile. They can be used as a canopy over a patio, sidewalk, or walkway and really make a space cozy and inviting. It will require some pruning to keep the bottoms clean and forced into a tree form, but its worth it. And it's not hard.

The good news is that they have a place in your landscape and with a little planning these Large Shrub Small Trees can be a real focal point for years.

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If you have Arborvitae, then after this winter there is a good chance you will be left frustrated as they look like the ones picture above. Stripped and cleaned of their foliage 4-5' off the ground, by a ruthless species of scoundrels that pillage in the night like a horde of hungry… (That might be too far… let me back up).

Deer love Arborvitae and will eat them. Especially in a winter with good snow cover. They will find them and eat them alive, like a vicious band of… (nevermind)

Deer like the taste of Arborvitae and they find them because there isn't much of an alternative to eat. They're readily available and taste good, so Arborvitaes are much like McDonalds for the deer (except they don't feel bad about eating them). They will eat them up as high as they can reach, leaving a very unsightly lower half exposed.

So, if this happens too you, the big question is… Are my arborvitae going to come back?

Your arborvitae will come back, IF, there is still some green foliage left on the lower branches. If there is no green on the lower branches and your just left with brown wood, then they will not likely grow back. If you still have green, you can increase your chances (and growth speed), by applying an evergreen fertilizer to the ground now, or in the spring, and make sure to water them in dry times. If they are stress free, they will grow faster. Lack of water is added stress. It might take a season or two, but they will grow back.

The best way to prevent it from happening is too burlap the Arborvitae going into winter to protect them, especially when newly planted. If they are too big, then put 5ft stakes around them with mesh netting to lessen the chance of a deer attack. Their is also a great product called Repellex that I talked about in a previous blog that really works great.

Good luck out there, and remember what Mel Gibson said in brave heart, “They can take our arborvitae, but they can't take our freedom!”… (Or something like that).

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If this doean't get you thinking about spring, I don't know what will! Lilacs are a staple of spring time, and for me, bring back memories of being a kid and running through the neighbors hedge of full grown lilac bushes. Which I'm sure got me in trouble a few times. Lilacs just have a way of sparking memories for people. The flowers only last for a rather short time, and the shrub is nothing spectacular for the rest of the year, but lilacs are still revered for their magnificent blooms and fragrance. And everyone remembers a place or a time where lilacs were in bloom.

The Declaration Lilac is a great newer lilac that was introduced in 2006, as part of the U.S. flag series. While it was originally only hardy to zone 5, it has performed great in zone 4. The blooms are very large reaching lengths of 15″ long, and are extremely fragrant. The plant itself will reach a mature height of 8' and spread of 7', so it's a little smaller than some older varieties, but great for hedging, privacy, or backdrop.

If you have any affection for lilacs, this one is for you. Check it out at your favorite garden center, or ask me to get you one and you won't be disappointed. Is the grass green yet?

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Let's get it out of the way right off the bat… the answer is No. I assume you already knew that, and in case you didn't, I don't want to drag you along with false hopes that I figured out a way to successfully grow money.

Trees can however, put money in your pocket. It is proven that there are many money saving and positive environmental results from planting large shade trees on your property. We all know that trees clean the air we breath, but they also can play a role in storm water management by intercepting precipitation and slowing the the flow of runoff. This can reduce the public costs of treating stormwater runoff.

Trees should be planted to shade the east and west-facing walls and roof of your home, allowing solar radiation to enter south-facing windows. Trees should shade your air conditioning unit, slow the degeneration of asphalt, and block prevailing winds. If placed properly, on average, the presence of trees can reduce energy use by as much as 20-25%. Not to mention, having trees on your property can increase your homes value by 3-5% in the real estate market. That's real savings!

It may not be a tangible dollar amount for you to see right now, but the future value of having trees on your property is definately worth the initial investment. Find a great shade tree and plant it in the right spot, and it will put money back in your pocket.

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This is a shot of my 2013 Home Show booth just after i finished setting it up down at the civic center. I decided to switch it up a little this year and use only one style of retaining wall block all the way through the booth, and I was happy with the results. The reason behind this switch started because I wanted to build a bench using the very versatile Rockwood Lakeland wall blocks. A lot of the hardscape catalogs are trending towards outdoor kitchens and fireplaces which all look fantastic, but I wanted to show off something that's more practical and more likely to fit our backyards (and budgets). I wanted to show a practical and affordable use of these blocks, and a bench seemed like a good way to do that.

So, I designed the booth around the bench. I started by figuring out the best size for the bench and where it would be placed. I didn't want the bench to be over-powering, but inviting and modern. The bench was purposely made extra deep to feel more like a lounger than just a sitting bench, sort of a place you could easily curl up with a book or enjoy a glass of wine. The cushion colors where a big part of the overall feeling and needed to be inviting and complimenting.

As I watched the traffic passing by my booth, it was obvious that the bench was catching people's attention. They would pass right by me, but stop to take a double look at “the bench”. It served to further confirmed my assumption that this would be a nice addition to almost anyone's backyard.

Since the bench is custom made and not a kit, it can be constructed to any size that fits your style and needs. The cushions and all of the pillows are custom made as well to fit, so the color schemes are endless. This versatility, as well as having a practical price, makes these benches an easy addition to your patio or courtyard space.

So, start dreaming of your favorite sitting spot and let's create something cozy and useful out in your yard. Then let's show off YOUR project at the home show next year!

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