Top Ranked Landscaper In Appleton WI
Top ranked landscaper in Appleton WI. Are you looking to have landscaping done? If you want commercial landscaping or need residential landscaping it can be quite a task to undertake, that...

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Top Ranked Landscaper In Appleton WI - Video

Waco, Texas (PRWEB) April 23, 2014

It is getting to be summer time and that means updating the yard. Let the landscaping reflect your personality. Increase curb appeal and enhance the look and feel of an entire neighborhood with these simple tips from The Grounds Guys.

Rocks A simple idea to updating your landscape is to create a rock garden. They are easy to maintain and can be done in a variety of ways. Rock can be colorful or traditional in color. Rock gardens are common in dry climates like those found in the Southwest.

Flowers Pollinate your yard. Flowers are fragrant and bright. Flowers like marigolds and zinnias can add personality to your landscaping designs.

Lighting Lighting is an important part of landscaping. Whether you are lighting a deck, walkway or patio area, lighting can enhance your landscape.

Yard art From garden gnomes to butterflies yard art can bring your landscaping desires together. Consider matching the colors of your house with the yard art of your choosing.

These are just a few ideas from The Grounds Guys on how to enhance your curb appeal and landscaping. However you choose to enhance your yard, make sure it shows your personality.

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Simple Tips to Enhance Landscape and Curb Appeal: The Grounds Guys Has Ways to Landscape a Home or Business

By Janice De Jesus Contra Costa Times

WALNUT CREEK -- Sarah Sutton's no stranger to the relationship between healing and nature. Growing up on the Peninsula, Sutton and her sisters appreciated the wonders of nature -- forests, landscapes, beaches and gardens. Then and now, Sutton had always regarded the earth's treasures as a natural art form that helped to calm the mind, body and spirit.

"Our Dad would take us out to be immersed in nature, whether it was hiking in the forest, walking in Huddart Park, the beaches along Half Moon Bay," said Sutton. "We were three little girls tidepooling."

From her father, Sutton learned the art of de-stressing in nature -- something she's cultivated as a landscape architect, ecologist and artist.

The author of "The New American Front Yard: Kiss Your Grass Goodbye" will be presenting "Healing Places, Restorative Spaces: Creating Landscapes and Gardens that Sustain Ourselves and the Planet." The book received a Silver Nautilus Award for Green Living/Sustainability and an Honorable Mention Award at the 2013 SF Green Book Festival).

At the April 30 event at The Gardens at Heather Farm, Sutton will show people how to regard home gardens and landscapes as much more than window dressing -- they can be sustainable, restorative healing places.

Sutton admits that while she grew up reading Sunset Magazine, which first instilled in her a love for gardens, she initially wasn't an avid gardener at the time. She thought about becoming a commercial artist but a college counselor pointed her toward pursuing a degree in landscape architecture. Suddenly, it all made sense--this career integrated her childhood love for nature with her love of art.

Sutton, who is also a Certified Natural Health professional, will discuss how garden designs and what you plant in your garden can help you create a healing sanctuary in suburbia. Topics will include how to holistically manage your garden, front yard foraging, regenerative landscape design and using Feng Shui principles in your garden.

While Sutton has painted oil and watercolor pieces, she considers the healing design projects she's helped create to be a different kind of art medium. She's applied holistic garden design principles to park plazas and gardens for family and friends.

Suzanne R. Schrift, a longtime colleague and a friend, said Sutton has a broad understanding of ecologically sound landscape principles and cutting edge practices, and is committed to teaching people how to think and act sustainably in the landscape.

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Turning gardens into healing sanctuaries: Walnut Creek to host landscape architect who believes in nature as 'de ...

Update: Police Make Arrest in Emmet County Murder Investigation Update: Police Make Arrest in Emmet County Murder Investigation

Updated: Tuesday, April 22 2014 7:12 PM EDT2014-04-22 23:12:17 GMT

910 News can confirm new details in a murder investigation in Emmet County.Back inearly March,deputies discovered Trenton Mallory's body in his home on Pleasantview Road in Center Township.

910 News can confirm new details in a murder investigation in Emmet County.Back inearly March,deputies discovered Trenton Mallory's body in his home on Pleasantview Road in Center Township.

Updated: Monday, April 21 2014 3:02 PM EDT2014-04-21 19:02:55 GMT

Some relief for schools tacking on days into summer vacation thanks to too many snow days. The state says as long as districts meet the required 174 school days...

Some relief for schools tacking on days into summer vacation thanks to too many snow days. The state says as long as districts meet the required 174 school days...

Updated: Tuesday, April 22 2014 1:07 PM EDT2014-04-22 17:07:29 GMT

If you're thinking of signing up to stream Netflix, now may be the best time to do it.

If you're thinking of signing up to stream Netflix, now may be the best time to do it.

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Melinda's Garden Moment: Attractive Landscape for Wildlife

Chico, CA (PRWEB) April 23, 2014

Outdoor Trunk officially launched its ecommerce store this week with the goal of changing how people think about outdoor spaces. Found at http://www.outdoortrunk.com, customers will find a creative and eclectic mix of high-quality products designed to help define or refine their personal style. Visitors will find a blog filled with ideas and inspiration on how to make their outdoor space an extension of their indoor living area.

A sister company of Melton Design Group, an award winning landscape architecture and planning firm with over 25 years' experience in commercial and residential markets, Outdoor Trunk is redefining the outdoor space market.

Our mission is to create connections between people outside, in their neighborhoods and communities, says Founder Christa Melton. Through our blog and inspiration gallery, we show customers how this can be done and how they can use the products we offer, mixed with their own, to create a space thats unique to their style and fits their own individual spirit.

Product offerings include items such as outdoor furniture for the yard, accents for gardens and eco-friendly items to give or get. All products are chosen by Christa and her design team who have over two decades of design experience in creating both indoor and outdoor spaces with a commitment to beautiful, sustainable environments. Outdoor Trunk is all about blurring the lines between inside and out, said Melton. So much of this country provides weather that allows us to be outside throughout the year Outdoor Trunk helps customers learn to maximize this precious space by providing resources to create an appealing gathering place for people to talk and connect. We call this social landscaping."

Outdoor Trunk considers education at their core offering emails with inspiration, how-tos, DIY projects to keep the outdoors fresh in their minds. One of the more popular topics is their Tipsy Tuesday feature which shares refreshing cocktail recipes featuring natural, plant based infusions and ingredients such as the Sweet Pea cocktail made with fresh peas, pesto, lemon and vodka.

Outdoor Trunk believes you should enjoy the sunshine. Melton adds, We need to get back to community. Its a big piece in creating harmony. Come join us. Watch Outdoor Trunk's newest video for more insight into the inspiration behind the company.

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"Social Landscape" is Focus of New E-commerce Site Designed to Bring People Together

If you plant it they will come. Birds, butterflies and other wildlife you and your family can enjoy right in your own backyard. Whether you have a large yard or garden in a pot you can attract wildlife to your garden.

Start by providing food. Include nectar producing flowers like phlox the butterflies and hummingbirds love. And plants that produce berries or seeds for the birds to enjoy.

Evergreens, thickets and birdhouses provide beauty for us and wildlife with shelter from predators and the weather. Include trees, shrubs, perennials, water or nesting boxes for birds, butterflies, beneficial insects and other wildlife to raise their young.

Then skip the pesticides and go green. Consider joining thousands of others and register your yard with the National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat.

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Garden Moments: Creating an Attractive Landscape for You and the Wildlife

AMES, Iowa Modern roses, such as hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas, are attractive additions to the home landscape. While roses are beautiful, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists say they do require good care.

Proper planting is critical. After planting, important cultural practices include watering, fertilizing, deadheading, weeding, pest control and winter protection. To have additional questions answered, contact Hortline at 515-294-3108 or hortline@iastate.edu.

I placed soil around the base of my hybrid tea roses in fall. When should I remove the soil?

Remove the soil in late March or early April in southern Iowa, mid-April in northern portions of the state. A frost or freeze in early spring wont harm the roses.

When should I prune hybrid tea roses in spring?

The upper portions of modern roses, such as hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras, typically winterkill due to exposure to low winter temperatures and extreme temperature changes. Gardeners should prune out the dead wood after the winter protection is removed from modern roses in late March to mid-April.

How should I prune hybrid tea roses in spring?

In early spring, all dead wood should be removed from hybrid tea and other modern roses. Identifying live and dead wood is easy. Live wood is green and has plump, healthy buds. When pruned, the center of the stem (pith) is white. Dead wood is brown and has no live buds. Its pith is brown or gray.

When pruning roses, make the cuts at least 1 inch below the dead, brown-colored areas on the canes. Make slanting cuts about one-fourth inch above healthy, outward-facing buds in the same direction as the bud. Remove the entire cane if there is no sign of life.

Because of the severe winter weather, hybrid tea, grandiflora and floribunda roses often suffer a great deal of winter damage. Normally, the primary objective of rosarians in the upper midwest is to remove all dead wood and save as much of the live tissue as possible. If roses suffer little winter damage because of a mild winter, prune the rose canes back to within 8 to 12 inches of the ground.

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Yard and Garden: Caring for roses

RAISED BEDS

These landscape helpers are simply aboveground, freestanding beds for any type of plantings. They provide a better growing area by literally lifting up plant roots so they aren't growing in clay, sand, rocks or weeds. Filling the beds with good-quality soil provides a place for plant roots to easily grow, which nets healthy plants, better blooms and a plentiful vegetable harvest. Drainage is better, the area warms up faster in the spring, and soil doesn't get compacted by foot traffic.

You can buy raised beds, but if you build it yourself, material costs can be very low, especially if using repurposed items. All you need is to design, build and then plant.

Designs are easy: a 4-foot square or 8-by-4-foot rectangular wooden box both work well. Height is usually 8 inches to 2 feet or taller. Current research says the use of pressure-treated lumber with copper-based chemicals poses minimal risk to plant or people health. But if you have those concerns, line the inside with heavy plastic or use non-treated lumber (it'll still last many years).

You don't have to use wood. Stone, brick, recycled concrete, metal sheets or cinder blocks will work. Get creative! Match a raised bed style with your landscape style and sun conditions, and locate it away from tree roots. Find more ideas: diyhomedesignideas.com/garden/raised.php

If you're placing the raised bed directly over turf or a weedy area, turn over the soil leaving the roots turned up then tease open the clods with a garden fork to allow drainage. Then fill the frame with garden soil or layered materials. This layering is known as lasagna gardening, or sheet composting. Water the layers as you build it.

Start with 6 to 10 overlapped newspaper sheets, or one sheet of non-coated cardboard, then 2-3 inches of brown materials such as leaves, straw or chopped-up dead plant foliage (nondiseased). Next, add 2 inches of green materials like grass clippings mixed with kitchen vegetable scraps (no meat or fish) and coffee grounds. Top with 3 to 5 inches of finished soil (bagged or your own composted soil). Water it all in place; let it dry for a few days, then you're ready to plant. See more about sheet mulching at blogs.cornell.edu/garden/sheet-mulching/

Larger raised beds will require lots of soil, so consider bringing it in bulk, measured by the cubic yard. Ask about the various mixes and whether they are well-composted or aged.

Once the soil is filled in place, water it several times so any excess fertilizers or salts from the bulk or bagged soil will move down through the soil.

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Colorado Garden to-do list for April 18-24

(credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Spring is the perfect time of year to start thinking about planting a garden. With a warm, mild climate and plenty of sunshine, the Peninsula is the perfect environment for growing most plants. Certified Edible Landscape and Master Gardener Mike Klein shares an overview of some of the main things to consider before planting. Use Kleins tips and make this year the year you start your dream garden.

Mike Klein is both a Master Gardener and Certified Edible Landscape Gardener with the UCCE Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco County. To become certified, Master Gardeners spend 14 weeks learning about everything from botany and soil science to plant pathology and pruning, and they must also annually volunteer hours sharing their knowledge with other local gardeners. See the UCCE website for planting guides and localized regional gardening tips.

Klein says the number one thing to consider when starting a garden is the geography of the yard. First, analyze where the sun rises and sets. Where does the yard get sun? Does the house face north, south, east or west? It is important to ensure the right plant is selected for the right place. For instance, heat-loving palms shouldnt be placed in a shady north-facing yard, while tender ferns would suffer in the direct sun and heat of a south-facing yard.

It is also important to consider the water and soil of the yard. Consider drainage and the requirements of the plants you want to grow in order to choose the best location for them. It is also important to take note of the yards soil. Is it hard clay or loose sand? A good rule of thumb is always to amend garden soil with some quality organic compost, as it typically contains a well-rounded variety of nutrients that help plants thrive.

Decide on the type of plants to grow. Does your dream garden include vegetables, year-round color, large trees or masses of annual flowers for visual appeal? Also consider theme gardens like a butterfly or hummingbird garden, as well as if the garden will be used for entertaining, relaxation or as a kids play area. All of these can influence appropriate plant choices to maximize a gardens enjoyment.

Dont be afraid to take risks and try something new. If theres something youve always been curious about growing, why not go out on a limb and take a chance on it? Even with gardening failures, there is always a learning experience, whether its how to better care for the plant or perhaps the location of a better planting spot. Always wanted to try growing potatoes or have a bulb garden? Throw some in the ground. What is there to lose besides a few dollars? Klein suggests to keep in mind that gardening is supposed to be fun. Dont worry about making mistakes or failures, and dont be afraid to take risks.

In response to our recent drought conditions in California, many gardeners are looking for ways to still enjoy growing things while also being responsible and conserving water. Klein says water-conscious gardeners can choose water-wise plants such as California natives, or plants that grow in Mediterranean areas, South Africa and Australia and thrive in drier conditions.

Other great ways to reduce water usage in the garden includes lawn removal and making use of drip irrigation systems and mulch. According to Klein, removing a lawn is the number one way to reduce water consumption. He suggests replacing a lawn with an attractive rock or native plant garden, or even a handful of fruit trees which will have the added bonus of delicious fresh fruit in addition to a lower water bill. Drip irrigation system supplies are simple to install, and supplies can be readily located at local Home Depot or Lowes stores. Mulching the ground around plants not only aids in stemming water evaporation, but also reduces weed growth.

Joanna Metheny is a freelance writer covering all things South Bay. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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Ask A Peninsula Expert: How To Start Your Dream Garden

Real estate for sale in Ewa Beach Hawaii - MLS# 201402761
91-1167 Hamana Street Ewa Beach Hawaii 96706 MLS# 201402761 Private corner lot with professional landscape yard includes a beautiful water fall hot tub mango...

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Real estate for sale in Ewa Beach Hawaii - MLS# 201402761 - Video