By Jane V. Morse

Palms are one of the key elements of many tropical landscapes, and they deserve special attention during a cold spell. Cold weather can weaken the palm, making it more vulnerable to disease, and frost and freezing temperatures can kill plant tissues, reducing water conduction in the trunk for years. After a frost, remove

damaged portions of leaves, retaining…

Continue

http://www.houstonlandscapedesigns.com/page/winterizing-your-sprinkler

By Randy Lemomn



There are some basic rules to follow in post-freeze pruning:



1. If it's a tropical, non-woody plant and the twigs or trunks are mushy or

soggy, cut it back to live wood or live tissue.



2. If it's not truly tropical, like Hibiscus, and has live wood left — even if the tips and/or leaves are blackened, browned or crispy — you can often leave them in place to act as semi-insulators against future freezes. (Most hibiscus are root-hardy… Continue

By David Beaulieu,



Success in home landscape design is certainly attainable for do-it-yourselfers, but there are some pitfalls that should be avoided if maximum satisfaction is to be achieved. Thus the need for this list of 10 mistakes to be avoided in home landscape design. The mistakes covered range from miscalculations that have practical ramifications to more subtle errors that negatively… Continue

The Best Back Yards Have Something to Offer in Each of the Four Seasons

By David Beaulieu,



Have you noticed that we are demanding more and more out of our landscapes? For the upscale, this may take the form of outdoor kitchens with all the amenities of home, or, perhaps, large in-ground swimming pools with jacuzzis built right into them. For the average person, the trend is toward… Continue

By ELIZABETH LEXAU



THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER time to develop your water conservation IQ. The word is out: water is recognized as a limited resource everywhere—even in areas not yet hit hard by shortages.



In response, government agencies and consumers alike are demanding a more efficient use of water, especially when it comes to landscape irrigation. In a few short years, water-efficient landscaping has evolved from one of those “Gee, what a nice thing to do” concepts… Continue

by GLI



Green landscaping methodology is worlds apart from traditional landscaping techniques, and emphasizes the conscious selection of appropriate plants, water efficiency/conservation, and the use of fewer resources to blend the landscape into the natural world and enrich the biodiversity of the surrounding ecosystem.



Let’s take a look at some green landscaping methods that are not classified as complicated or high tech, and are relatively easy for the average… Continue

By Dena Davis



1. The easiest way to jazz up your outdoor deck or patio is by using splashes of color. Sometimes it only means investing in a few accent pieces that make a bold statement and your outdoor living space perks right up. You don't always have to buy new – with a little elbow grease and some creativity you can make second hand items look brand new. Here are some ideas to help get you started.



2. Before you begin, clear everything off of your deck or patio… Continue

With all the work you do to keep your property beautiful from spring to autumn, why let your garden die down in winter? By selecting hardy plants that produce flowers when most other plants are dormant, you can bring color and interest into your garden even when the days are colder. The meaning of "winter blooming" depends on the temperature range of a region, though. A plant that blooms in January in a mild climate may bloom in October in a cold climate. However, even if winter temperatures in… Continue

Do you long to have the kind of lawn that all your neighbors aspire to emulate? Or do you live next door to Super Lawn Care Guy and just want to give him a little competition? You know the type--every spring, he's out there digging up each and every dandelion with his little dandelion knife. Either way, having a lush, green lawn is possible, and a lot easier than you might think.



1. Know your climate.



If you want your grass to grow well, you have to plant a strain… Continue

Step 1

Fertilize your lawn. Just a couple of times a year is plenty. You can fertilize once in the spring, and then again in midsummer with a food specially blended for lawns. These blends are higher in nitrogen than other elements. Nitrogen is what stimulates vigorous growth and a deep green color.



Step 2

Use a fertilizer spreader. Fertilize your lawn after mowing in addition to when the grass is dry. Fertilizer will stick to the blades of wet grass, burning… Continue