Landscaping FAQ's

Landscaping FAQ's
Q: Our 10-year-old yard was planted by the former owners. We can't afford to totally redo it, and there is some nice mature landscaping, but for the most part it is boring. Any suggestions?
 Much of your mature landscaping can probably be saved and used in a new design. If your existing plantings are too crowded or look misplaced, I would carefully select what to keep in its place, what should be transplanted, and what should be removed. I certainly try to save as much as I can; that big tree that stands awkwardly alone now can become a shade cover for a new stone patio or a wood deck by the contractor.
Q: I really love our new home, but I'm concerned about the noise from the busy street. What can be done with landscaping?
 A buffer of fast-growing, dense plantings can make a world of difference. Another wonderful idea is the addition of a water feature such as a fountain or a waterfall and pond. The soothing sound of running water distracts and camouflages street noises. I recommend contractors for water features.
Q: I have a wonderful jacuzzi tub in my bathroom with a large window to look out of. What can I do to avoid using the blinds all the time?
Create a small, enclosed garden outside the window with louvered, decorative fencing for privacy that lets the daylight in. A Japanese Maple and soft, flowering vines planted in this garden would be beautiful. Uplighting the tree with night lighting directed toward the fence would also maintain your privacy at night. Contractors are recommended for fencing and lighting.
Q: I only have 20 feet of area from the back of the house to the fence, but we have a very big side yard. What can be done?
Many homes built in cul de sacs have this type of yard and can be designed beautifully by making the side yard prominent. Start with just a small sitting area out the back door and direct the landscaping with a path and nice plantings to the side yard, stopping at the corner with another sitting area. This will create balance, flow and continuity and acts as a transition into the side yard. Often side yards are preferable to back yards because they offer more space and privacy for all of your family's interests.
Q: My backyard is so very small, I can't imagine there's room for anything. Can you help me?
So much of a large yard is lawn, you'd be amazed how many other special features can still be incorporated when you eliminate all that grass. Curves and different levels make optimum use of the space by adding more depth and interest. We use small trees instead of big ones. We can hide the fence with flowering vines that don't take up all the space that big shrubs do. My clients frequently tell me later that these small yards are their favorites because they spend more time relaxing in them than mowing them!
Q: We don't have time for a lot of maintenance but would still like something pretty and lush. How can we achieve this?
The real key to low-maintenance is proper planning. Select the right plants and space them properly. Avoid messy shrubs and trees and select dense ground covers that hug the soil tightly.
Q: Wouldn't it be wisest to invest most of our landscaping budget in the back yard first, because we spend more time there, and wait to do the front yard later?
It is actually most economical to have both the back and front yards designed together, even if you decide to start implementing the back yard first. With a plan, you could go ahead and plant a few shade trees in front right away, to give them time to grow, and wait to add flowers and shrubs later. It might also be more affordable to have the contractor pour a small walk in the front at the time he and the concrete truck are there to install the patio in the backyard, than it would be to pay them all to come back to do it next year.
Q: After purchasing our new home, we haven't much left in the budget to spend on landscaping. Where should we start with limited funds?
 Starting with a complete professionally designed plan, like taking a journey with a good map, is ultimately the most economical, efficient way to reach your goal. Whether you hire contractors to install it or choose to do some or all of it yourself, a plan will allow you to do your landscape in stages, as you can afford it, and avoid costly mistakes.

Susan's Published Garden Articles

By Susan Silva 02 May, 2015
To conform with drought restrictions, we're seriously regulating the water to our lawns or eliminating watering them entirely. Unfortunately, the water most trees desperately need is often missed or forgotten.  
 
It will take thirty years to replace a thirty year old tree. A lawn can be restored in just a couple of months.
 
Kyle Floyd, with Green Acres Nursery reminds customers that it's the lawn that is the larger culprit for consuming water and not the trees. Unlike lawn, a majority of trees can withstand drought, but still need to be properly watered based on the tree's species and size.
 
Studies show, a gallon of water per square foot per hour is used with most lawn-watering sprinkler systems. That's 1,000 (one thousand) gallons of water for a 1,000 (one thousand) square foot lawn after being watered a total of just 1 (one) hour. Trees require far less water.
 
Kyle also reminds customers that a tree's canopy provides moisture, shade, and the need for much less water to the plants that benefit nearby and below it. Trees also cool the house and the need for air conditioning is significantly reduced.
 
It can be 20 (twenty) degrees cooler under the shade of a mature leafy tree, also providing a very comfortable place out of the sun for relaxing and entertainment.
 
There are warning signs that trees are stressed and needing water. A healthy tree's vibrancy is replaced with lifeless, under-sized leaves appearing pale and limp. Premature dropping of leaves along with yellowing and browning are other warning signs the tree needs water. The tree's canopy is often sparse instead of full. Prolonged neglect can lead to tree diseases and eventually death to the tree.
 
It's essential to understand trees and their water needs. Most tree roots are in the top eighteen inches of soil, but studies show the greatest number of tree roots consuming water, oxygen and nutrients are in the top six to eight inches.
 
The amount of water needed for a tree depends on its size and species. According to the article, "Caring For the Trees in a Dry Climate" from Colorado State University, trees must be given top watering priority during the drought over the lawn and includes these general tree watering guidelines:
  • A general rule is to use approximately ten gallons of water per inch of the trunk's diameter (width of trunk measured at knee level) for each watering. General formula: Tree diameter times five minutes equals total watering time.
  • Example: When hand watering using a garden hose at medium pressure, it will take about five minutes to produce ten gallons of water. For a four inch diameter tree, it should receive forty gallons of water. Multiply by five minutes for a total watering time of twenty minutes.  
  • Distribute water evenly under the tree's dripline.
 Change your outdoor irrigation systems to drip, micro-spray or low-flow systems based on the needs of your trees and landscape with timers for efficient and not over watering. Seek the help from professional landscapers and nurseries for low water irrigation systems and drought tolerant landscapes for your property.
 
Water early in the morning or after the sun has gone down. These are the times when trees restore the water lost during the day. Also, be sure to add mulch around the trees to reduce soil temperature and decrease water evaporation.  
 
Soaker hoses and drip systems keep the trees healthy while using less water. They soak into the ground where the water is needed, and not run into the street and drains. Long, slow watering to a depth of twelve inches with soaker hoses or in-line emitter drip systems buried below three to four inches of wood mulch is often recommended. Generally in warmer months, younger trees need to be watered twice a week, and most mature trees every two weeks.
 
Landscape contractor, Steve Irwin of Alpine Terrace Landscaping often advises using soaker hoses placed around the drip zone (area shaded) of the tree with timers. For extra large established trees like Sequoia sempervirens (Redwoods), Steve advises watering these giant trees with soaker hoses for a twenty-four hour period every two weeks in the warmer months.  
 
An easy and inexpensive option for deep & slow watering for very small trees is to water them using a five gallon bucket. Steve Irwin recommends puncturing a very tiny hole at the the base of the five gallon bucket (thirty-second of an inch), place the bucket under the tree's drip-line, and fill to the brim with water. This method should be done twice weekly per small tree, moving the bucket (s) when empty to other spots within the dripline.
 
Trees provide shade and shelter to our homes and wildlife, and most importantly trees provide the healthy air all of us need to breathe. It's critically important for our health and environment to keep our trees watered, healthy, and producing oxygen.
 
According to chemistry expert, Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D in her article, "How Much Oxygen Does One Tree Produce?", are the following quotes from studies made of different trees regarding the overwhelming importance about the oxygen our trees produce.  
 
"One acre of trees annually consumes the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to that produced by driving an average car for twenty-six thousand miles. The same acre of trees also produces enough oxygen for eighteen people to breathe for a year."  - NY Times
 
"A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as ten people inhale in a year."  - Arbor Day Foundation
 
"On average, one tree produces nearly two hundred sixty pounds of oxygen each year. Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four."  - Environment Canada
 
"A one hundred foot tree, eighteen inches in diameter at its base, produces six thousand pounds of oxygen."  - Northwest Territories Forest Management
 
"A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of forty eight pounds a year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support two human beings."  - Mike McAliney, Arguments for Land Conservation: Documentation and Information Sources for Land Resources Protection, Trust for Public Land, Sacramento, Ca. December 1993
 
Susan Silva Landscape Design of Orangevale, has been designing conceptual residential landscape plans for more than thirty years.  
 
Susan recommends Steve Irwin and his crew with Alpine Terrace Landscaping for professionally engineering and installing her landscape designs.
 
Susan refers to Kyle Floyd and other team members at Green Acres Nursery, recommending them to her clients for quality service, plants & supplies.
By Susan Silva 30 Sep, 2014
Whether you want to garden all year long or just prolong the spring and summer seasons, there’s a greenhouse just right for you and the space that you have. Regardless of the size of your backyard, a greenhouse comes in many sizes and designs imaginable, from something simple to something elaborate.
By Susan Silva 09 Sep, 2014
Going into the job, I knew this small backyard was in need of a complete makeover. The deck was old, worn and rotting. The brick patio and planters were falling apart. The spa always needed maintenance and wasn't being used. The backyard also needed screening from fences, high rise wires and the westerly sun.
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