FYI: plants don’t look after themselves, gardeners do.

All of those stately homes of England, like Highclere Castle, the actual name of the estate in the PBS series, “Downton Abbey,” which I mentioned in February’s edition of my newsletter, “Eva’s Notes & News,” were or are maintained by a staffs of gardeners and horticulturists.

And while your home may be your castle, I understand that it doesn’t necessarily present the horticultural challenges equal to one of the stately homes. But maintaining a garden is more that just cutting the lawn, trimming the hedge and blowing away the debris (a/k/a “mow, blow & go”). So here are some things you might want to consider when contemplating the care and feeding of your garden.

How To Select The Right Landscape Maintenance Company?

Research & References

If you were selecting a contractor I’m sure you would do a little due diligence before you hired someone to rip out your bathroom or put on a new roof. The same diligence should apply in selecting a landscape maintenance company.

• Interview at least 3 potential companies
• Ask you friends or neighbors, whose landscape you admire, who does their maintenance
• Check them out on Yelp, Google+ or, if you’re a member, Amy’s List to see what’s been said about their work
• Ask to speak to at least two current employers and ask about the following:
  • Are your plants health and long lasting?
  • Is there a specialist in the company who has knowledge of horticulture, including plant selection and maintenance, evaluation and treatment of plant problems (insects, diseases, weeds, nutritional deficits); proper chemical usage; mowing, pruning and edging methods; and other detailed maintenance requirements.
  • Do they have the all the requisite equipment to do the job, including mowers, edging equipment, spreaders, sprayers, and specialized hand tools that are needed to properly maintain planted beds and turf areas? Do they understand the capabilities of the equipment and will plan schedules to ensure optimum performance?
  • Are they easy to work with and come up with suggestions that will improve your garden?

Benefits of using a Landscape Maintenance Professional:

While hiring a knowledgeable landscape maintenance company with specially trained staff may be more expensive at first, the additional cost is a small price to pay compared to the cost of replacing turf and plants damaged by disease and insects. Additionally, a company with a certified arborist available can identify hazardous trees on the property that represent a potential liability.

The improved survival rate of plants is another benefit. If a contract is to be used to define the maintenance company’s responsibility, a clause may be included to obligate the company to warrant newly planted shrubs and trees. A company that enters into an agreement in which plants are guaranteed will make an effort to ensure their survival.

Additional Information:

Should you be interested in learning more about professional landscape maintenance, don’t hesitate to contact us or check out our Landscape Maintenance Page on our website, www.garden-of-eva.com

• to remove diseased or storm-damaged branches
• to thin the crown to permit new growth and better air circulation
• to reduce the height of a tree
• to remove obstructing lower branches
• to shape a tree for design purposes
• to remove branches that are 10 feet or closer to power lines, particularly if they are connected to the house

Who Should Prune

Once the decision has been made to prune, your next decision is whether or not to tackle the job yourself. In the case of a large tree where you want to remove big branches in the upper area of the crown, it may be best to hire experts. Large tree pruning, in particular, can require climbing and heavy saws or even cherry-pickers and chain saws. This is a job that should be left to trained and experienced professionals. Never compromise personal safety in pruning a tree.

How To Prune

Large trees aside, there are many pruning jobs that you can do on your own. In all cases, the key is to prune the unwanted branch while protecting the stem or trunk wood of the tree. Tree branches grow from stems at nodes and pruning always takes place on the branch side of a stem-branch node. Branches and stems are separated by a lip of tissue called a stem collar which grows out from the stem at the base of the branch. All pruning cuts should be made on the branch side of this stem collar. This protects the stem and the other branches that might be growing from it. It also allows the tree to heal more effectively after the prune. To prevent tearing of the bark and stem wood, particularly in the case of larger branches, use the following procedure:

1. Make a small wedge shaped cut on the underside of the branch just on the branch side of the stem collar. This will break the bark at that point and prevent a tear from running along the bark and stem tissue.
2. Somewhat farther along the branch, starting at the top of the branch, cut all the way through the branch leaving a stub end.
3. Finally, make a third cut parallel to and just on the branch side of the of the stem collar to reduce the length of the stub as much as possible.

A similar procedure is used in pruning one of two branches (or one large branch and a stem) joined together in a ‘u’ or ‘v’ crotch. This is known as a drop crotch cut. Make the first notch cut on the underside of the branch you’re pruning well up from the crotch. For the second cut, cut completely through the branch from inside the crotch well up from the ridge of bark joining the two branches. Finally, to shorten the remaining stub, make the third cut just to one side of the branch bark ridge and roughly parallel to it.

If you need your trees pruned, or want a landscape consultation regarding the health and safety of your trees, give us a call at (323)  461-6556

To watch a charming  animated video on Pruning Trees.

This material comes, in part, from Pruning Trees, a step by step guide.

Part II of this series will include: When To Prune, How Much To Prune, Tools and Helpful Products.

Espalier, pronounced either “es-pah-lee-er” or “es-pah-lee-ay,” depending on how French you want to sound, is the ancient horticultural practice of controlling woody plant growth—originally for the purpose of fruit production—by pruning and tying branches to a frame so that they grow into a flat plane. The plant is usually, although not always, grown against a structure such as a wall, fence, or trellis and frequently in formal patterns.

History

Espalier as a technique is believed to have started with the Romans. During the Middle Ages the Europeans refined it into an art. The practice was used to produce fruit within the walls of a castle or a monastic cloister so as not to interfere with the limited open space and to decorate the fortified structure’s walls.

Vineyards have used the technique in the training of grapes for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years.

Espalier In Landscape Design

Espalier has considerable merit in today’s landscape design where the technique of growing fruit tress or ornamental plants is primarily used as a decorative accent.

An espalier becomes a living sculpture in the garden where the espaliered plants and trees can cover unsightly, boring, or blank, windowless walls or to create a visual screen or barrier—bringing an otherwise boring wall or space to life.

I have used espaliered plants as part of my landscape designs to add height in foundation planting, between widely-spaced windows and in tight, confined areas where spreading shrubs or trees cannot be effectively maintained.

To continue reading … Eva’s Notes & News

If you’re going to plant this month, planting a bare-root tree makes a great deal of sense. It is often less expensive, there is usually a greater selection available and they establish well. However, if you purchase a bare root tree and can’t plant it immediately, it’s best to cover the roots with soil until you can. Here is an excellent video on how to go about planting bare root fruit trees.

If March doesn’t work for you, then I suggested if you plant toward the end of spring, such as late May or June, a potted tree would be the better choice.

Make sure you know how much space each tree will need when it’s fully grown, what’s needed to prepare the soil and how deep to plant the tree. And remember, it’s important to plant in an area where the soil is well drained.

Here is a list of trees that do well in our environment. For more information about growing fruit trees in Southern California please check out eHow.com, Types of Fruit Trees Grown in Southern California, which is the source of this material or simply Google, “fruit trees Southern California”.

Citrus: Oranges, Limes and Lemons

Citrus fruits include the various types of oranges, tangerines, limes, grapefruits and lemons. According to the University of California’s IPM program, citrus trees do well in areas with warm summers; if they’re planted in a location that’s too cool, “the fruit quality will be poor with little sugar production in the fruit.”

Washington navel, Robertson navel and Valencia oranges—all “peel and eat” fruits—are some of the more popular varieties of orange trees in Southern California, while Eureka and Meyer lemons and Mexican and Bearss limes are very popular

Stone Fruits: Peaches, Plums, Nectarines and Apricots

Like all stone fruits, peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots have large stones or pits in the center. The trees drop their leaves in the winter and produce white and pink blossoms during the spring. Stone fruit varieties that require fewer hours in temperatures less than 45 degrees Fahrenheit—such as Babcock peaches, Santa Rosa plums, rose nectarines and goldkist apricots—are best suited to Southern California.

Pome Fruits: Apples and Pomegranates

The pome fruit family–whose name is “derived from the botanical name of the fruit produced” by its trees, according to researchers at Cornell University–includes apples and pomegranates. Pome fruits are generally found in cooler temperate zones; however, there are certain “low chill” varieties that can grow in warmer climates, such as gala and Beverly Hills apples and ruby red and wonderful pomegranates.

Persimmons

Persimmon trees, of which there are about 200 species, are evergreen and produce two- to three-inch orange or brown fruits that can be seedless. The trees bloom in late fall, and they don’t require many hours in temperatures less than 45 degrees, making them very suitable for Southern California.

Figs

Fig trees are easy to cultivate and require warmer temperatures to grow, according to the University of California Backyard Orchard program. Several varieties produce two crops: the “breba,” or first, crop, which “matures in mid-summer,” and the second crop, which “matures in late summer or fall,” according to the program.

There are countless ways to illuminate the night, but one you should consider that might save you a good deal of money is solar landscape lighting. There is an excellent website that deals with this issues, Your Solar LInk Blog which I suggest you take a look at because it offers a great deal of information about all aspects of solar energy. The following is based on the information provided in that website.

The Solar Challenge

It can be a challenging and at the same time a fun process when looking into creating outdoor lighting for your home, yard or garden. The fun part of the process is that you are in control of creating a unique outdoor environment, inspired by your own imagination. You can create a comforting, welcoming mood with unique and eye-catching outdoor lighting.

However two challenges come to mind – finding a good bargain on the lights themselves, and the cost of hiring a licensed electrician to do the installation.

This is where solar powered outdoor lights step in. Solar lighting has become an increasingly popular alternative to the conventional and costly electric lights that currently illuminate our homes and living spaces.

Solar lights are affordably priced, simple and safe to install yourself (no digging ditches, laying the wire and attaching it to a junction box), and solar lights can be relocated easily, and above all else, you also save on electricity costs.

Solar lights use photovoltaic cells that absorb sunlight during the day and turn it into energy. Rechargeable batteries store the energy, making it available at night when it is needed. LED (light emitting diode) bulbs, which require little power and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, provide the illumination. There is no wiring necessary to connect the lights to each other or to the electric grid.

Until recently, most solar lights emitted only muted light and were not all that reliable. With the latest developments in the solar lighting industry, this has changed and super-bright LEDs have replaced more conventional filament bulbs.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) create light without producing the waste heat of regular bulbs, are very bright, and yet require a minimal amount of electricity to function. The result is a reliable, long-lasting light source that will typically work for the life of the solar light product.

When shopping for solar lights, it’s important to match the light to the function you want it to perform.

Six Tips on How to Choose Solar Landscape Lighting

Tip 1.
Decide if you need decorative accent, path or task solar lights.

Tip 2.
Find out whether the battery needs full sunlight to charge. Some lights charge with partial sun and work great under trees or in areas with low sunlight. This type of solar light can also be charged on a cloudy day.

Tip 3.
Consider the operating time. Usually solar lights perform year round and even charge the battery to provide operation during long winter nights. Some solar lights shine for several days before needing to recharge.

Tip 4.
Check the type of light bulb the solar light uses. LED lights offer the brightest and most efficient light when it comes to efficiency, size, price and energy usage. Some accent solar lights use amber LED lights to create a softer glow.

Tip 5.
Compare extra items like timers or an on-off switch to the cost. Colored lenses change the look of the solar lights without compromising the brightness. Some solar lights mount to your house, hang from trees or can be mounted to your patio rail.

Tip 6.
Match the lighting to your landscape theme. Decorative solar lights (figurines) can create an interesting theme for a landscape or lawn, or while positioned next to shrubbery trimmed to your taste. Country style solar lanterns will add that special countryside charm to your garden. Hanging Japanese Soji lanterns on your trees or patio will bring an Asian flare to your outdoors. Modern stainless steel solar accent lights complement contemporary landscapes. An ultra bright stainless steel solar light will be a great choice to light up your flag pole.

Highclere Castle Folly – Jackdaw’s Castle

During the recent run of Downton Abbey, I was asked by a client what the purpose was of a temple-looking building that was on the grounds of Highclere Castle (the actual name of the estate), which appeared to have no particular reason or purpose. This, I said, was a folly. And if you don’t know, follies are structures, as Gwyn Headley and Wim Meulenkamp, authors of the book ”Follies,” offer this amusing definition, calling them ”structures erected in complete disregard of the usual building practices and tastes, on sites that bear no relation to the ease of access, for purposes so bizarre or whimsical as to make their cost out of all proportion to their spurious utility.”

To continue reading … Eva’s Notes & News

Where to prune a rose.

This has been an unusually cold and wet winter, which means that while January is the ideal time to prune, February is still a good time to get those shears out and prune what you probably did not do last month. But don’t wait till March, particularly if the weather turns hot and dry. And keep up with the harvest of cool-season crops, such as peas, lettuces, and spinach. It will encourage more production.

Pruning

Roses can still be pruned. Take out all crossing canes, dead canes, or any that look diseased. If any canes have grown below the graft union or bud union, get rid of them. And prune mature bushes to around 18 to 20 inches in height.

Cut back woody and overgrown perennials. If in doubt, look at the base of the plant. If it is sending up fresh growth there, you can safely cut off the dead or old plant material now. Cut back old foliage from ornamental grasses, liriope (monkey grass) and mondo grass to just a few inches high. And evergreens may still be pruned, but avoid pruning them later on this spring and summer.

 Bare-root Planting

Now is the perfect time for bare-root planting (plants without a root ball) There’s a whole host of bare-root plants available through mail order, but if you’re buying locally, roses, berry bushes, artichokes and ornamental trees should be available. For information on how to go about planting bare-root stock, also know as dry-root, check out my January 17, 2012 blog on the subject.

 Fertilizers

Fertilize roses and perennials at the end of the month and keep them watered. You can use chemical fertilizers (follow package directions on amount and frequency) or organic fertilizers, such as compost, fish emulsion, and others.

In the low desert and other hot areas, feed citrus, avocado, and deciduous trees now, but wait till next month in cooler coastal or higher zones.

Weed Killer

To greatly reduce weeds, apply a pre-emergent weed killer to beds and borders. It works by preventing seeds from germinating, so don’t apply anywhere you’re planting seeds.

And for more information, check out February 2012,  Monthly Gardner.

As the following photographs will show (all by Luke Gibson of Luke Gibson Photography), this has been an extraordinary project. Defined by a series of descending terraces, my client’s new backyard includes a large living area and fire place, a dining area and outdoor kitchen, our famous wall of water, as well as a pool and spa and a charming entertainment room adjacent to the pool.

It has also been a wonderful experience – my clients have been terrific to work for and with – and the result, a collaboration of intent and execution, will provide them, their family and friends with a beautiful and livable landscape for years to come. As a landscape designer, this is as close as I come to perfection.

To continue reading … Eva’s Notes & News

Here is a condensation from an excellent article that comes from the University of Minnesota’s “Sustainable Urban Landscape information Series” or SULIS. So if you want really detailed information, check out the entire article.

Tree Spading & What’s Involved

Tree spading is a common method for moving and transplanting large trees from one site to another. The following are some reasons for transplanting large trees vs. younger, smaller trees are:

• To prevent the loss of a tree due to building, roadway expansion or other construction;
• To create space for a new building addition;
• A particular mature tree has outgrown its present location;
• To alter the design of a landscape;
• To move a tree to a site better suited to its needs;
• To create a mature landscape quickly.

Initially, transplanting a tree with a tree spade may be more costly than purchasing container stock or B&B trees. However, the tree spade may be the best option if a tree will otherwise be lost or if the value of the tree outweighs the moving costs. Spading is also saves labor, planting time and years of maintenance of the juvenile tree. Spading also eliminates the possible risk of mower damage that commonly occurs on younger, smaller trees.

Tree spades are used in various ways throughout the green industry. Commercial nurseries use tree spades to lift large, field-grown trees out of the soil, and wrap the root ball in burlap and twine (termed “ball and burlap” or B&B) for retail sale or compact storage. Landscape companies and arborists use spades to plant large trees that are nursery-grown or have been moved from elsewhere in the landscape. Landscape professionals use a tree spade to create an “instant landscape” by digging and transplanting large trees from one location to another.

Homeowners can also use spades to locate trees on residential sites. Trailer-mounted spades that can hold a soil ball up to 44 inches in diameter are available at some rental centers. However, due to safety issues, and the complexity of the equipment and processes involved, it is strongly recommended that individuals hire an experienced contractor specializing in tree spading to transplant trees.

Dig Safety

Always contact the proper company or municipality for the location of underground utilities prior to digging. It is also important that you locate private lines such as irrigation systems, wiring for landscape lighting, water lines that serve water fountains and ponds, etc. In Minnesota, call GOPHER ONE at 651-454-0002 or contact a qualified professional contractor regarding the utility location prior to breaking ground.

Supplies and Specifications:

Tree spades are available in a variety of types and sizes. Some spades have the capacity to move a tree with a maximum trunk diameter of eight to 10 inches, or a soil ball up to 90 inches in diameter. The size of the spade is critical. It must be large enough to accommodate a root ball that will sufficiently sustain the tree after planting. If a spade is too small, the root system will be too small to allow for long term establishment and the tree will die. When determining the spade size needed to move a tree, deciduous trees are measured by trunk diameter and evergreens are measured by tree height. A tree spade can be used to move one tree at a time or a pod trailer may be used to move as many as three trees at one time.

Forcing Bulbs

The process of getting bulbs to grow (forcing) occurs when you create a situation inside that replicates what Mother Nature does outside. If you decided you want to bring some garden beauty indoors, make sure you select the appropriate bulb.

The most common bulbs for forcing are narcissus, hyacinths, tulips, crocus and amaryllis. Generally, irregularly shaped bulbs (tulips, freesias) force best in soil, while regularly shaped bulbs (paper whites, crocus) do best over water. Forcing in soil is more foolproof than water, and all bulbs can be forced in soil. You can buy special vases for forcing hyacinths and amaryllis. You can also buy complete kits. Once you know how it’s done, you’ll want to find unusual containers for forcing bulbs.

Don’t be afraid of making a mistake, because the worst that can happen is that the bulb won’t bloom or it rots, but the joy of seeing a plant grow and blossom is well worth it. So be brave and fool Mother Nature, she won’t mind!

Tips

• Ethanol alcohol, which is found in most hard liquors, can act as a growth regulator and keep paper white narcissus shorter and more compact during forcing. Use plain water the first seven to 10 days. Once the green shoots are 2 to 3 inches tall, replace the water with one part alcohol to seven parts water. Foliage will be more compact, but with blooms just as large and long lasting as usual.
• Pre-chill bulbs (except amaryllis) in bags of damp sphagnum moss or damp potting soil in the refrigerator. Label bags.
• Choose firm bulbs with no soft or rotten spots.
• Plant tulips with the flat side of the bulb facing outward. Choose single early tulips. They are easiest since they are programmed to bloom early anyway.
• Pot amaryllis two weeks apart for a succession of blooms. With amaryllis, the bigger the bulb the better.
• Discard bulbs after bloom or plant them outside.
• Change out the water weekly if it becomes murky.

Instructions For Forcing

Hyacinth

• Force in water in a forcing vase. Fill water to just below the bulb. Never let a bulb sit in water.
• Chill 12 weeks in the forcing vase until roots fill the vase and shoots are 2 to 3 inches tall. Remove from the refrigerator and place in a sunny location.
• Weeks to bloom: Two to four.
• Tips: Chilling period is critical for hyacinths to bloom. You don’t have to choose the largest bulbs. Flower spikes can get top-heavy, so be careful vases don’t fall over.

Tulip

• Force in soil. Cover bulbs with 1/2 inch of soil. Water.
• Chill 10 to 15 weeks in the refrigerator.
• Weeks to bloom: Three to five.
• Tips: Pack bulbs tightly together with the flat side facing outward. Single early varieties work best. Tulips are the most time-consuming to force.

Amaryllis

• Force in a special vase in water. Don’t let water touch the bulb.
• No chilling necessary.
• Weeks to bloom: Four to six.
• Tips: Start in a warm, dark place, then move to the light when the stalk is 2 to 4 inches tall. Flowering stalk can be top-heavy, so add pebbles to the vase. Choose the biggest bulbs.

Crocus

• Force over water in special vases or on a bed of coarse gravel. Plant pointed side facing up.
• Chill 12 to 15 weeks in a paper bag or forcing vase.
• Weeks to bloom: Two.
• Tips: Pack corms tightly together in a low vase. (Corms are technically swollen, underground stems, but are also known as bulbs.) Hybrid crocus perform better than the smaller species types.

Narcissus

• Force in water on pebbles or in soil. Fill the container with water to just below the bulb. The bottom of the bulb should just be in contact with the water. In soil, pack bulbs in tightly for a nice display of flowers.
• Chilling period: None required.
• Weeks to bloom: Five to seven.
• Tips: Use a container that is twice as wide as high. Place in a cool spot until buds show color, then bring to a sunnier spot to bloom. They can get top-heavy, so be prepared to tie floppy leaves to a bamboo stake.

Troubleshooting

• If bulb rots: Water level is too high. The water should just be touching or barely below the base of the bulb and not covering it.
• If bulb fails to bloom, bud doesn’t develop properly or flowering spike is very short: Not enough chilling. Most bulbs, except narcissus and amaryllis, need to be kept at 40 to 50 degrees F for several weeks.
• If foliage gets too tall: Bulbs have been kept in the dark too long or did not receive enough sun when growing. An east or south-facing window is ideal.

For more information about forcing bulbs, Google, “forcing bulbs California, or check out California Bountiful – one of the resources for this blog.