Weve had our winter a little snow, a cold snap or two, and a bunch of rain so now its time to start thinking about spring.

And nothing says spring like yard work and landscape renovations.

If you love your home, and you havent already done the deed, chances are youre already thinking about how youre going to transform your yard into your personal paradise this spring and summer. And if youre a typical homeowner, you probably dont have nearly enough money to do everything youd like to do, or enough time to accomplish it all.

Which is why Sherilyn Gale and Rob Turner of Beneath Your Feat Landscaping suggest the best way to begin transforming your yard is to develop a plan.

Naturally, there are as many ways to develop the perfect plan as there are people, and your personal paradise is not going to end up looking anything like your neighbours or best friends.

Its all about personal taste, say Gale and Turner.

Even if youre on a budget, you can achieve wonders, if you put your mind to it.

The award-winning landscaping team says a good plan starts with a dream. Do you envision a party zone or a personal oasis? Is it about food production or a place for the kids to play? Did you take a trip somewhere and marvel at the gardens you saw?

Perhaps you wish to include a design such as a Japanese garden, or as many customers we have built for want, a garden that emulates the Whistler theme natural rocks, boulders and native plantings that are drought tolerant. It could include an actual waterfall and stream, or even a dry river bed, says Gale.

One of the advantages of creating a plan, says Turner, is that it allows you to do the necessary projects over time. This is particularly helpful for those who can only devote so much time each year, or those whose budget only stretches so far.

The rest is here:
Gardening: Planning to transform your yard

Photo submitted

Author and landscape architect Senga Lindsay will inspire both your landscape and your fresh-from-the-garden meals with her multi-media workshop this Saturday, March 8 at the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden.

March 7, 2014

Author and landscape architect Senga Lindsay will inspire both your landscape and your fresh-from-the-garden meals with her multi-media workshop, The Best of the Best: Edible Trees, Shrubs and Plants to Use in Your Landscape.

The workshop takes place this Saturday, March 8, at 2 p.m. at the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden in Sechelt.

The grow-your-own-food movement has taken a stylish turn these days as foodies want their edible plants to look as good as they taste. From fruiting shrubs to root crops, patio containers to acreage, tasty plants belong in every garden.

Lindsay is a bright light on the Vancouver garden design scene and has created edible landscapes for private clients and restaurants, even edible rooftops.

Her recent book, Edible Landscaping: Urban Food Gardens that Look Great, will be available for sale. You can catch a preview on her YouTube channel, Pinterest page or website, http://www.sengadesigns.com.

A homes landscape can be its most healthy and attractive room, helping our planet while saving money too. You may be willing to make a few small changes or renovate your whole yard; either way, youll reap the environmental benefits, enjoy your outdoor space more, and harvest the herbs, fruit and vegetables, too.

Tickets are on sale at the Garden at 5941 Mason Road in West Sechelt, at local nurseries and at the Sechelt Visitors Centre, $12 for Botanical Garden members or $15 for non-members.

Follow this link:
How to eat your landscape in style

CAPTIONS

Discovery Cove at SeaWorld Orlando Guests interact with dolphins at SeaWorld Orlando's Discovery Cove. (JOE BURBANK, ORLANDO SENTINEL /October 24, 2005)

The Discovery Cove horticulture team will do a front-yard makeover for a Central Florida contest winner.

The "Landscape Your Yard" contest requires participants, living within a 50-mile radius of Discovery Cove, to submit a photo of their front lawn with a description of why they should win the prize. Descriptions must be less than 500 words. Submissions must be made via the Discovery Face Facebook page by March 10.

On March 12, Discovery Cove Facebook fans will vote for the yard that needs the attention the most. The top vote-getter will be announced March 19.

On April 22 -- that's Earth Day -- the Discovery Cove horticulture team will overhaul the homeowner's lawn.

See the original post here:
Discovery Cove: Contest winner will get front-yard makeover from horticulture team

LONGWOOD, Fla.

A Longwood man is in a fight with the city over the looks of his front yard. Sean Law says his yard is an eco-system and everything that grows there can be eaten. The city and some of his neighbors see it as an overgrown mess. "Nothing here is weeds, nor is it high grass," Law said. Law said the city has hit him with more than $140,000 in fines.

A neighbor expressed frustration over the fight between the city and Law that has gone on for more than two years.

"It's unbelievable that it has gone on this long," said neighbor Kathy Ettman.

Law was at Monday night's City Commission meeting when commissioners once again discussed his property. Deputy Mayor Joe Durso told Channel 9's Kristyn Cadell that he plans to meet one-on-one with Law to discuss the problem.

"He has brought this upon himself. It is his choice. It's his choice to fix the problem," said Ettman. Law said he has no plans to change the looks of his yard. The city will continue to fine him $300 a day.

Previous Story:Longwood residents weary of neighbor's overgrown lawn

Read the original post:
Longwood man in battle with city, neighbors over edible landscape

BAKERSFIELD, CA- Kern County residents rolled up their sleeves to help a veteran. Volunteers from Home Depot and the Wounded Warrior Project helped landscape the front yard of Army veteran Tony Casada's home in Northeast Bakersfield Saturday.

We are doing some shrubberies , some nice color we are going to make it look beautiful," said Amanda Riley with Home Depot.

In 2010 Casada was awarded the Purple Heart after encounters with two improvised explosive devices left him injured.

"I was lucky just to walk away with all my limbs and that is the most thing I can ask for, is just to be alive," Casada said.

But he still has a shoulder problem, back issues, and traumatic brain injury. One of the reasons Casada reached out to the Wounded Warrior Project was his veterans benefits were taking a long time to be processed. The project put him in touch with local leaders.

"Congressman McCarthy has been a big help, Casada said. He got the ball rolling after ten months that (the VA) were sitting on their hands."

After six hours and few rain delays sprinkled in, the Casadas finally got the chance to take in their new front yard

"It's such a blessing that people are willing to give up a Saturday for six hours to come out and help, Casada said. We had dirt before so I mean it's really, really overwhelming."

Read the rest here:
Volunteers roll up their sleeves to help a Bakersfield Veteran

Q. This drought has me thinking about replacing my lawn with water-wise plantings. Can you help me get started?

A. First, mow the turf as low as you can and remove or cut down all other plantings.

If you choose to replace it with a desert motif, cover the space with landscape fabric (not black plastic) and place gravel, boulders, rocks for a dry stream bed, etc. over it immediately. If you plan a cottage garden or a drought tolerant Mediterranean and native species landscape, try sheet mulching. It suppresses weeds and saves labor by composting them in place, improves the soils structure, moisture and nutrient retaining capacity, and will eventually improve plant vigor and health, often leading to improved pest and disease resistance.

Once youve mowed and cleared the area of plantings, lay down a permeable weed barrier cardboard, several layers of newspaper, burlaps bags or discarded natural fiber carpets (not nylon, and again, dont use black plastic). Overlap so you cover the area thoroughly, then wet to hold the barrier in place. Then layer compost and mulch on top chipped plant debris or prunings, leaves or straw weed free and 2 inches to 5 inches deep. You can add rougher organic material on top of that. Cut holes in the cardboard and plant directly into these. The area around them will gradually turn to soil. Airborne weed seeds will settle on the mulch, so some weeding will be necessary. Keep the material at least 6 inches away from trunks and stems and use wire mesh to protect from rodents as needed.

The Shasta Master Gardener Program can be reached by phone, 242-2219, or email mastergardeners@shastacollege.edu.

Original post:
Master Gardener: Use landscape fabric, cardboard to cover lawn to create new yard

Last week's taste of warm weather served as a reminder that spring is still coming after one of the coldest Illinois winters in decades.

For landscape and lawn maintenance companies, it was an indicator that one of their busiest times of the year is about to begin.

"It's been a long winter and people are starting to think about what they can put in," said Cathy Stetson, manager of Changing Seasons Landscape Center in Marion. "It's a good time to get (landscape installations) booked because once the weather starts warming up, time slots start filling up and it's hard to get installations scheduled."

At Tri-County Lawn and Tractor in Murphysboro, a line of lawnmowers awaited servicing on Monday while mechanic Jason Fred used a forklift to position a recently received shipment of 20 new Cub Cadet machines.

"Everybody wants to get their oil changes, blades sharpened and get everything ready before mowing season," said Fred, who said he services between 300 and 400 machines per year. "We don't do just Cub Cadet, we do all models."

According to industry market research company IBISWorld, landscaping services is a $74 billion industry that is forecast to experience rapid growth in the next five years as the construction sector recovers from the recession.

IBISWorld predicts that growth will encourage households and businesses to return to outsourcing yard care by 2019, while the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted a 14 percent increase in landscape architect jobs by 2022.

"I think the housing market is fixing itself and people are putting equity back into their homes whether they're staying put or selling," said Scott Grams, executive director of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association. "That drives the landscape industry."

Grams said that he believes 2014 will be a flat economic year for landscapers, but better availability of plant material in 2015 could spur industry growth.

"Because of the recession, nurseries cut back on the number of trees they ordered, which hurt homeowners and landscapers," Grams said. "Tree prices in some areas have doubled and I would advise consumers that if they're looking for a deal on landscaping, now's the time."

See the article here:
Spring means busy season for landscape and lawn maintenance companies

This sand cherry bush has attractive white flowers in the spring and produces tasty cherrylike fruit all along the stems.

As spring rolls around and you get ready to plan new garden projects, take a moment to consider using edible plants as part of the landscape.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gardeners tend to see the world around them in two different ways, either as a landscape or as a practical/utilitarian food-producing spot.

Some gardeners only enjoy landscape gardening, growing roses, shrubs and perennials that provide beauty. Other gardeners only grow vegetables and fruit, seeing produce as the ultimate goal of gardening.

Even those gardeners who do both still treat their landscape and food gardens discretely, as if they were separate tasks that should be done separately.

But what if we blurred the lines a bit? What if we started to see the beauty in the foods that we eat? What if we saw the food in the plants that we admire for beauty? The result is called edible landscaping.

I've been "lecturing" and writing about edible landscaping for a while now. I decided when I bought my house that has a tiny yard (25 by 120 feet) that I wouldn't grow anything that I couldn't eat.

That's when I discovered edible landscaping -- I mix the best of both worlds. You get beautiful plants that also produce delicious food. It can be fun to find new and interesting things to grow too.

So mom was wrong -- you can play with your food.

Getting started

Read more:
Garden Guru: Sometimes its OK to play with your food

Published: Friday, February 28, 2014 at 7:27 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, February 28, 2014 at 7:27 p.m.

Gardening has been on the minds of many North Florida residents, the stubborn cold temperatures of late notwithstanding. And while most experienced gardeners know the steps needed to begin the season on the right foot, we talked to landscape and gardening experts for suggestions on how to start the season right.

One note: The area isn't past its final cold snap. The average last killing freeze is March 10, after which it's considered safe to plant.

Another note: The University of Florida Extension Soil Testing Lab is offering free soil testing at its third annual and newly renamed Lawn and Garden Fest on March 29. It's a good way to know with certainty what your yard needs. More on that later.

Depending on the micro climate in a particular yard, the growth of the lawn slowed down or stopped altogether for the winter. As the days get longer and the temperatures increase, the lawn will start to grow. It may seem obvious, but a good first step is to check that your mower is in good condition. Blades should be sharpened at least once a year to ensure a clean cut.

TIP: Mowing heights for different types of grass: St. Augustine 3 to 4 inches; Bahia 3 to 4 inches; Zoysia 2 to 2 inches

TIP: In general, depending on the amount of shade and soil type, irrigate once a week during the spring and once or twice a week during the summer. The amount of water needed does not vary: to inch of water.

TIP: If you maintain your own lawn, fertilization should take place after April 1, when the likelihood of a late frost has passed and new growth has started. During the winter, warm-season grasses lose a portion of their root system, reducing their ability to take up fertilizer. Fertilizing too early increases the risk of leaching nutrients into the groundwater supply and causing water pollution.

TIP: Read directions carefully, and look for the correct ratio of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium for your grass.

One of the first things the nurse does during a doctor's visit is take a person's blood pressure. It gives an index of what else is going on in the body.

Read the original here:
Spring garden primer

It appears that the worst weather is over for us; and what a winter it was. It will be very interesting to see what our landscape looks like in another month or so. The wintery conditions sure did not seem to play havoc with our flower bulbs as I see them coming up beautifully in my yard and all over town. The flowering apricot trees are also in full regalia.

My winter vegetable garden was a disaster this year. Last week I re-planted seeds for radishes, kale and carrots; and planted sugar snap peas. Hopefully, the heavy rains will not rot them before they have a chance to germinate.

Here are some tips you may find helpful for tending to your landscape in the month of March.

Trees and shrubs: Finish pruning crape myrtles, but avoid the temptation to cut them back severely. Only remove crossing or broken branches and cut off old seed pods. Apply slow release fertilizer around the drip line of trees and shrubs. Dont trim hydrangeas even though their stems may look dead, as this springs flower buds are contained there.

Flowers: Prune roses. Begin a fungicide spray program for disease-prone varieties when new leaves appear or replace them with a hardier variety like Knockouts. Broadcast slow release fertilizer on perennial beds. You can divide perennials such as hostas, day lilies and phlox as soon as new growth appears.

Lawns: Dont water dormant lawns except during extended spells of warm windy weather or if the soil becomes powder dry. March is the last window to kill cool season weeds before green up. You might want to visit Williams Farm and Garden or Trent Hardware for advice regarding cool season weed control. Wait until late May to fertilize established lawns.

Vegetables: Set out small cabbage, swiss chard, kale, broccoli an bok choy plants. Continue sowing lettuce and radish seeds every few weeks for a steady salad supply.

Fruits: Fertilize fruit trees, grapes and berries with a slow release product.

If you keep on top of these tasks, taking care of your yard will not become overwhelming.

This months topic for the third Saturday workshop at the Craven County Cooperative Extension Office is Plants That Succeed. It will be on March 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. It sounds like a very informative topic, so dont miss it. March 17, also, begins the third Monday garden tours in the demonstration gardens there. The one hour tours, beginning at 5:30 p.m. are open to the public. Each month Tom Glasgow discusses different plants that thrive in the local landscape. These events are free. I hope to see you there.

See more here:
Judi Lloyd: Gardening tips for the month of March