Have you ever found yourself staring at your garden after a heavy downpour, only to find it overrun with weeds seemingly overnight? Don’t fret; you’re not alone. Heavy rain can create the perfect breeding ground for weeds, turning your meticulously tended garden into a jungle seemingly in the blink of an eye. But with a…
Clinging vines, such as the elegant creeping fig and the classic Boston ivy, can transform a drab wall or fence into a lush green masterpiece. These vines are not only aesthetically pleasing but also provide valuable shade and insulation. In this blog, we’ll guide you through the process of growing and maintaining clinging vines and…
You move into a new home, and quickly discover a pest in your yard. Or your neighbor brings home a pest, and to your annoyance, it spreads into your landscaping! No, we’re not talking about groundhogs or moles… Many species of plants can be surprisingly invasive and persistent! So what can you do about a…
In response to drought conditions, or perhaps simply in an effort to reduce water bills and maintenance time, many of our customers have replaced their traditional grass lawns with kurapia. Kurapia has enjoyed a surge of popularity due to its low water requirements, but many of you don’t know much about it otherwise. Now that…
Wood is perhaps the most commonly used material for a number of home and landscaping uses. But as we all know, wood can discolor, warp, crack, and show its age before long. The sun and rain can do serious damage over time, and you can’t exactly control those. So, what can you do to protect…
As you might have heard, the various groundhogs around the country could not reach an agreement regarding the arrival of spring. Some predicted an early spring, while others say winter will last six more weeks. Here in Southern California, we don’t have too much of a “winter” anyway! So, we can count on spring arriving…
As you might have noticed from weather reports around the country, winter has fully arrived! Of course, for those of us in Southern California, winter just doesn’t mean the same thing as it does elsewhere. So when it comes to winter gardening, you might have a few questions. Can I plant spring bulbs yet? Yes!…
As summer begins to wind down, most of us are ready for some cooler weather. But is your yard ready too? Here are some tasks to consider as the seasons begin to change over to autumn. Clean up. Leftover debris from spent plants is unattractive, and can also attract pests and diseases to your yard….
As spring arrives, you probably want to inspect your plants and begin making plans for your warm weather garden. If you notice something going wrong with your camellias at this time, it’s likely to be a fungal disease called camellia dieback. The fungus G. cingulata infects camellias via pruning wounds, grafts, or leaf scars. After…
Autumn is in full swing, and you know what that means! No, we’re not talking about your favorite flavored coffee drink arriving in local shops. It’s time to clean up all of those beautiful leaves that have begun to fall. And believe it or not, you can actually choose from different options with regard to…
“Smart” houses are becoming increasingly popular, with homeowners enjoying the convenience of operating their oven remotely, or receiving notifications from their fridge. Likewise, designers are rolling out “smart” applications for the yard, so that your outdoors can be as high-tech as your indoors. These are just some of the latest innovations. Smart irrigation. Watering your…
Here in Southern California, we don’t experience a harsh winter, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to transition your garden into the cooler months. In fact, because our winters are so mild, now is the perfect time to try some new cooler-season plantings and to continue enjoying your garden. A gardener’s November checklist is…
Now that summer has come to an end, and you’ve established your fall garden, what else is left to do? This October gardening checklist should help get you on your way! You could certainly rest and enjoy the fruits of your labor (perhaps literally), or you could get a jump start on preparations for spring….
Fall is only just beginning, and spring seems a long way off. So, you’re probably not thinking too much about spring planting! But, we have found that gardeners who tackle these three fall garden tasks find themselves much happier in the spring! In exchange for a little extra work now, you can save yourself hours…
Fall will arrive any day now and with it will come an array of colorful leaves. Are you ready to fire up your leaf blower? If you’re like most people, you have a leaf blower, or at least a rake, on standby to deal with all that fallen foliage. Then you will either bag them…
Due to their striking beauty and ease of growth, daylilies are a common component of many gardens. You can certainly take the laid-back approach with these perennials, allowing them to do their own thing without any specialized care. However, they will bloom more weakly and die off more quickly if you go this route. By…
For many gardeners, summer is their favorite time of year. Veggies are maturing, and many flowers have reached their peak. But there’s still plenty of work to do, especially as you nurture new annuals in flower beds or manage your vegetable garden. This handy summer checklist can help you get organized. Fertilize. Now is the…
If you’re considering the addition of a garden feature that will add both visual interest and a soothing appeal, you might be interested in the trend of “tunnels” created by shaping trees or other plants. Not only will your garden be the talk of the town; you can provide yourself with a soothing meditative space…
Are you looking for a unique outing that will please the entire family? Southern California boasts an impressive number of botanical gardens, vineyards, and farms, sure to please just about anyone. These 8 Southern California Visits are by no means an exhaustive list, but should provide you with some fun ideas for day trips around…
What happens if you’re unable to breathe? We all know the answer to that question. But here’s the thing: Your lawn, and the soil underneath need to breathe, too! Over time, a loose layer of dead and living organic matter builds up between the soil and your grass. It’s called thatch, and it’s mostly composed…
Now that summer has arrived, you might be looking forward to months of delicious homegrown veggies. But of course, you have to get those veggies to grow first, and hot, dry weather can pose a challenge to those of us with backyard gardens. Specifically, you might be wondering how often you need to water your…
If you planted flowering trees or shrubs in your garden, you probably did so in hopes of enjoying their beautiful blooms. But if you prune flowering plants at the wrong time or in the wrong places, you could negatively impact the amount of blooms you see during that season.
You’ve worked hard to cultivate a beautifully landscaped yard… so you would probably be dismayed to discover mushrooms popping up all over your lawn. Yet, that is exactly what often happens to frustrated homeowners, who don’t particularly care for these unwanted guests.
You probably hate to say goodbye to your beautiful rose blooms over the winter, but allowing your bushes to take a nap is a really important part of the cycle of life. Take care of your rose bushes over the winter, and you can ensure healthy plants and plenty of lovely blooms when warm weather…
Installing a drip irrigation system is a great way to keep your landscaping watered correctly, while saving you the trouble of standing in the yard with the garden hose. But even though drip irrigation saves you a ton of work, you still have to maintain your system. Many homeowners choose to perform this routine maintenance…