Vande Hey Design Center

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Get ready for Mother's Day

Here are some great ideas on how to pamper mom this Mother's Day.

Plant one on her: Remember mom with her own tree or rose garden or her favorite flower.

Have a family meal: Mom loves to have the family together around the table on her special day.  Why not give her the table with a purchase from our Berlin Gardens line of outdoor furniture.?

Don't let mom cook on Mother's Day: Do the cooking for her on her brand new Green Egg Grill, complete with eggcessories.

Would mom enjoy a day at the spa?: Make it easy by installing her own private Therasauna and La-Z-Boy hot tub.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

DIY Mulching

Mulch is any material places over the soil to control the growth of weeds, keep the soil cool, and conserve moisture.  An essential part of any landscape, right?  Not necessarily!

Gardeners do have options when it comes to mulch.  Light cultivation or tilling of the soil is highly effective in controlling weeds and conserving moisture.  Just ask any farmer and you'll learn how effective it is.  However, it is a time consuming, high maintenance process most homeowners choose not to use.  This accounts for the high popularity of both organic and inorganic mulches in today's landscape.  Let's look at both options in detail.

Organic Mulches: This category includes item such as chopped leaves, compost, cocoa/rice hulls, and shredded bark.  It basically includes anything that once was alive.  Organic mulches are by far the most beneficial to your landscape.  A 2" layer around perennials and up to a 4" layer around trees and shrubs will effectively cool the soil white controlling most weeds.  Yes, you will have to add fresh mulch every few years to maintain the proper depth.  Adequate layers of organic mulch require no man-made weed barriers and help add organic matter to our soils as the decompose.  One very important point that must be remembered is to NEVER pile mulch up against the trunks of trees or the crowns of shrubs and perennials.  "Volcano Mulching," as it has been nicknamed, invites rot and the invasion of insects to the growing points of our plants.

Inorganic Mulches: This category includes decorative stone, rubber, and plastic sheeting. Inorganic mulches are basically maintenance-free once installed and require the use of weed barrier fabrics.  They can often increase soil temperatures in full sun and may limit the movement of moisture and oxygen through the soil.  Price will vary greatly depending on the exact choice as well as shipping and delivery pricing.  Stone should be installed to a depth of 2" and once again not piled up against the trunks and crowns of trees and shrubs.  Many perennials will not survive in an inorganic mulch environment.

Ultimately, the choice of utilizing organic vs inorganic mulches is yours.  However, the decision must be based on the level of maintenance you desire AND the requirements of the plants you have chosen to grow.  A beautiful grouping of massed perennials will cry out for organic mulches while simple plantings of trees and shrubs will do just fine when mulched with inorganic materials.  The choice is ultimately yours so choose wisely.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Pruning for Dummies

Proper pruning of your trees and shrubs isn't necessarily complicated, but often strikes fear into the hearts of many first-time owners of a new landscape.  Here are a few "rules of thumb" to help you during your learning curve associated with a new landscape.

- Try to limit pruning the first year or two.  This keeps the maximum amount of foliage on the plant producting the maximum amount of nutrients as the shrub works to adapt to its new home.
- Spring blooming plants are best prunes immediately after they flower.  This spring pruning will not only remove any spent blossoms but it will also keep your shrub in shape for the summer ahead.
REMEMBER that spring blooming plants set their flower buds in the late summer of fall.  Pruning too late in the year will actually remove the flower buds for the following spring.  Examples of spring bloomers are forsythia, lilca, rose tree of China, bridal wreath, and mockorange.
- Summer blooming plants are best prunes when the plant is dormant.  This includes late fall and early spring.  Examples of summer bloomers would be potentilla, spirea, and Annabelle hydrangea.
REMEMBER that summer blooming plants set their buds in the spring.  Pruning once the growth has started each spring will remove the flower buds for the summer ahead.
- Trees that bleed readily in the spring are best pruned during the summer.  This allows abundant time for pruning wounds to heal.  Examples of trees susceptible to bleeding are maple, birch, and elm.
- Finally, put away your pruning tools for the months of September and October.  The result of pruning is often new growth.  New growth at this time of year can be damaged by the onset of cold weather.  Why temp fate?

Hopefully these general rules will make your more comfortable with the process of pruning your landscape plants.  Look for future articles providing specific information on how to revitalize your existing plantings through pruning.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

What Will Winter Leave Behind?

Now that spring is here, what will the winter leave behind?  That's a legitimate question, given that we have not seen most of our landscapes since prior to Thanksgiving.  The answer will depend on our individual situations, but here is what has already become visible with the snow's retreat.

Rabbit damage: Pesky rabbits have damaged many landscape plants through the winter.  Damage has even been seen on many plant types often listed as not susceptible to winter foraging.  The deep snow banks have allowed the damage to extend well up into the branches as well.  For now, all you can do is prune out the damaged areas and make a note to protect these plants from damage next November.

Vole damage: The deep and persistent snow gave both moles and voles a layer of safety as they ate through our lawns.  The retreating snow has left large areas marked by the "race track" like paths of these critters.  The damage is rarely permanent, growing back in a few weeks with a stuff raking and fertilization.

Snow removal damage: A quick look around shows the damage a shovel or plow blade can do as it scrapes across the lawn.  De-icing salts can also leave areas of brown, unsightly grass along heavily-salted walks, drives, and roadways.  If this is occurring in your yard, try using less hazardous salts such as calcium chloride or potassium chloride.  There is not much you can do to prevent damage caused by plow blades and shovels, especially when the damage most likely occurs during the hear of battle as snow piles increase and our patience with removing the snow decreases.

Winter burn on evergreens and broadleaf evergreens: Not only did the winter produce abundant snow but also periods of sub-zero temperatures accompanied by wind.  The result of this weather condition is the browning which is visible on our white pines and broadleaf evergreens like boxwood.  Once again the damage is inflicted and not much can be done after the fact.  Next winter, consider applying anti-desiccants to susceptible evergreens in October.  Also, make sure all your evergreens are well watered at the time of ground freeze.

Who knows what next winter will bring, but if we learn the lessons from this winter, we just might be able to avoid the problems next year.