Landscape Contractor Serving Commercial and Residential

Beat the Winter Blues

Flowers . . .  are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out-values all the utilities of the world. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Winter can be such a droll time of year. It seems that all color has gone from the landscape and even the sun keeps you feeling like something is missing. I find solace in the monotony of it all. It seems the perfect time to indulge in a warm mug of chocolate, to immerse yourself in a long heartfelt conversation with a new friend, or to get lost in a frivolous novel.

Over the years, I have grown accustomed to and embrace the rhythms of the landscaper's life. The ebbs and flows of rest and stress are as predictable as the seasons. The wintertime is my rest and renewal time--the retreat from the march of progress. It is my time to regroup, re-evaluate, and to contemplate. It is in this grayness that I find hope

Many people find their renewal in the fresh sights and smells of springtime. One cannot fail to rejoice in the bursting buds and the new life that is exploding from every living thing. Unfortunately, spring is the most demanding time for my profession. It is one that allows me little time to (literally) "stop and smell the roses."

Instead of lamenting the unfair trade that I have made with Life, that of colorless rest in lieu of springtime vitality, I have adapted. I have learned to make up for the "grayness" of my restful time by surrounding myself with everything alive and growing. The plants that adorn my deck in the summer, come inside and continue their show. With the fresh air that they bring comes a sense of life and growth that few things (outside of my own children) can evoke.

Gardening: The Original Self-Help Movement

"If you have a garden and a library, then you have everything you need." -Cicero

I admit I am an avid reader of all things,  and a consumer of endless self-improvement books, business books, and the like. They come in all shapes and sizes, differing perspectives, some faith-based, others not so much; some are applicable, others not so much. Each one has played its part in my journey and, if worthy of repeat visits, has a place on my bookshelf.

In the past few years, I have taken to become a "gardener", not just a landscaper. During one of my many "rescue attempt" sessions (i.e I didn't weed anything for a week and now I have to spend hours trying to undo my laziness) It dawned on me that if one were to spend more time gardening and less time "planning to succeed", all the lessons contained in a collection of personal improvement courses (including the number one self-help book, the Bible) could be grasped.

For example, think how easy it would be to understand the concept, " You reap what you sow" when you plant a carrot seed and, VOILA! a carrot grows. Not a turnip or a clump of lettuce, a carrot. Try planting a cucumber seed with the hope that it will become a sunflower. What disappointment! It is a mere cucumber. Yet, every day, we go about planting seeds, some good and some bad, and we lament that they have not become what we expected. If we plant the seed of order and contentment, that is what we receive. If we plant the seed of gossip, resentment, the contention that is what we receive in return.

It could also be said that if you fail to sow, you will have nothing to reap. I am a planner. I plan everything out as best I can beforehand to avoid as much pain as possible. It's what makes me a good landscape designer but not the greatest gardener. In order to be a great gardener, some planning is in order, but the most important thing you can do to be a successful gardener is to PLANT SOMETHING SO YOU CAN GROW SOMETHING! Thinking about it, charting it out, buying organic and non-GMO seeds, preparing the soil to perfection are all great and necessary. However, if you never actually plant the seed, it will all be for naught.

So if you really want to make the self-improvement journey, set your highlighted book aside for the spring and get out there and:

Grow something and in the process, grow yourself.

No Water Required

With summer fast approaching with its scorching heat, irrigation will become the foremost thought of most gardeners. For those of you on a private well, be cheered to know that your plants should respond well to your watering attempts. Us city dwellers on city water have to deal with chemicals and lack of good stuff to keep our green friends happy.

I find that rainwater produces the lushest and most abundant onset of new growth. Watch your plants after a good soaking and you can almost hear them singing! Well-water comes in a pretty close second. And although this city water perks things up, the plants seem to unfurl almost reluctantly.

If the area you live in is particularly hot and dry, (or you allow it to become that way frequently) try sempervivums and sedums (AKA Hens n Chicks). With the new green roof phenomena re-circulating, the sedums are becoming the new garden darling. They are hardy, don't require a lot of water, and are near impossible to kill (for those of you "black thumb gardeners" out there!).

So grab a mix of these guys to keep your water bill low and your green thumb intact.

July: Too Early, Too Late or Just Right?

July is that mid-summer month that comes too late to the party to make the spring planting window, yet too early for a safe entry into fall. It is, however, the perfect time to really appreciate all your earlier labors and to re-evaluate the needs that have yet to be met.

JULY TO DO LIST:

  • DO weed your beds and remove debris to the compost pile
  • DO water every day when rain has not been regular; watch your plants for signs of dehydration in the way of droopiness
  • DO deadhead your perennials and annuals. Geraniums notoriously need attention as do all your spent perennials.
  • DO cut your hydrangeas and zinnias and fill vases throughout the house with fresh flowers.
  • DO freshen up your mulch
  • DO fertilize your plants

JULY NOT-TO-DO LIST:

  • DO NOT divide plants or transplant
  • DO NOT travel without making property care arrangements

July is also a great time to do a quick mid-summer spruce up to keep your property looking its best for the summer festivities!

HAPPY JULY 4th and beyond!