Myth 1: EXPENSIVE! The fact is you need to do your homework, price varies on the size and quality you want. People who just want the sound of water, may consider heading to their local garden center and picking up a fountain. People who just want a small DIY project should consider the prefab hard plastic liners. People who want the most natural looking pond/waterfall/stream should consider Aquascape products and find their local Certified Aquascape Contractor.

Myth 2: MAINTENANCE NIGHTMARE- While some water features and pumps will have to be cleaned up to 2 times a season, its generally very easy to do. Aquascape products come with a filter that naturally cleans the water, this filter also keeps itself clean so no maintenance is required until the end of the season, when all you need to do is take out your pump so it won’t freeze over the winter. Depending on the size of your pond and pump, you may not have to take it out at all. Yes that’s right, some water features can be enjoyed even in the winter.

Water features look great and can typically add a nice little chunk on to your property value. Every water feature project I have been involved with has been totally unique, from a rock waterfall cascading into an inground pool, to a pond flowing into a 100′ stream empting into another pond with 3 large waterfalls along the way, a pondless stream that empties into a rock basin with a buried pump. You name it, I’ve done it.

There are practical reasons to install a water feature, above and beyond the aesthetic beauty they provide. Live in an area with alot of traffic? Installing a waterfall (and being sure your pump is big enough to provide a nice roar to the water) will drown out the traffic noise, providing you with the relaxing oasis your property should be.

Other things to consider: Lighting your water feature can completely transform your outdoor space, making it usable and enjoyable no matter how late it is. Can’t sleep at night? Think about the where your water feature should go in your yard, as close to bedroom windows as possible can transform your sleep. Imagine the first thing you hear in the mornings, and the last thing you hear before to go to sleep is the sound of gently running water coming from your very own water feature.

Chemical Pesticides can be summed up as being controversial at best. Its no secret to anyone that pesticides have a detrimental effect on the environment. One of our major concerns when it comes to pesticides is our water system and what happens when the chemical run-off finds its way to our lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans. The link between biological dead zones(areas where the water is incapable of sustaining life) in our waters and chemical pesticides has been well studied, but that doesn’t stop the box stores for selling cheap quick fix chemicals.

Programs such as Integrated Pest Management(IPM) aim at using chemical pesticides only as an absolute last resort. IPM has been gaining alot of momentum in the landscape and turf industries lately. IPM isn’t about a quick fix, its about changing the way we think about what healthy turf/plants, and what a pest really is. The shift in thinking is brought on by becoming more knowledgeable about why pests are in turf to begin with that makes IPM so revolutionary.

An important part of IPM is the emphasis placed on proper pest Identification. If you misdiagnose the pest problem then how can you expect to treat it properly? Learning about the pests life cycle will help you understand how mature the pests are in your turf, where they live (soil, thatch, or surfaces), what stage they are easiest to control, and how environmental changes can affect populations. Monitoring pest levels before they become a problem is also very important along with prevent populations from getting worse. When monitoring we aren’t just looking for pest populations, its important to check the condition of the plants and soil in the area as well.

Threshold levels for pests are another vital component of IPM. A threshold is the number of a species of pests that you would consider acceptable in a sample size of turf  say 2′x2′. When the number crosses the threshold then its time to do something about the pest. There is no standard threshold number, it all comes from understand the pests, your average homeowner may be able to tolerate a little bit of plant damage and as a result would have a high threshold number, a golf course that must look pristine all the time, would likely have a very low threshold. 

There are many different ways to prevent and control pest populations without using chemicals. Cultural action can be the root of all evil or the long-term fix. For example when installing a lawn make sure that the topsoil is at a proper height minimum 8” , also be  sure that under the top soil there isn’t just debris and gravel. Healthy grass from the soil up requires less water, is more weed resistant, and is less likely to thatch. Improper maintenance practices such as mowing, fertilizing, irrigation, they can have a drastic effect on plant health and the pest populations. Sometimes even simple things such as watering less, and letting grass grow a little higher before mowing can be sufficient action to reduce a pest population.

Biological control is another way to take control of pest populations. Essentially biological control just means that we bring in other living organisms to supress the pests. Nematodes are one example of biological control, they release bacteria that can quickly kill pest insect populations. There are also some kinds of fungi that can also be effective in reducing pest populations.

Generally the most effective pesticide I’ve come across has been 1tsp dish soap per L of water. Simply spray it on the leaves or where ever you see pests. Always try that before going out to purchase a chemical if you think chemicals are needed. If you must use a chemical be sure to do your homework, choose the least toxic chemical, understand the proper procedures for handling it, and what the conditions are for it to work at its best.

Having a successful IPM program is having the knowledge and patience to realize that having a pest free turf depends on more then just quick fix chemicals. Proper identification along with weekly monitoring and ensuring that maintenance practices are being preformed properly can easily be as effective as a chemical spray. The main thing to remember about IPM is that its all about prevention, proper soil height will make all the difference in establishing a healthy lawn that will naturally discourage all kinds of pests.

Quick Tip- A little brown won’t hurt you. A healthy lawn should only require 1/2”-1” of water per week, generally we can get that amount in the rain.  Save your sprinklers.

Quick Tip- Do it right the first time, it can take up to 5 years to bring soil back to life using lime and organic matter after people go crazy with chemicals.

Step 1: Find out what Hardiness Zone you are in. Put it into your memory because people will test your knowledge later in the program.

Where are you on this map?

 Step 2: Go on down to your local garden center and begin picking out the plants that you like. Be sure to read the tag to make sure that your garden meets the special requirements of the plant. Check what zone its hardy in, just because they are selling a variety of plant doesn’t mean its actually meant to be planted in your area, this is especially true if you buy your plants at box stores. Also be thinking about where the plants will go, is there full sun? Is it moist and well drained? Is it an annual? Perennial? Shrub? Flowering Shrub? Tree? How much space will it need once it reached its full spread? Once you’ve found the right plants for you go over to the fertilizers pick up a box of Bone Meal and put it in your cart. I’ll tell you why further along in the process.

Step 3- Once your home from the store sit your plants in front of the area you are looking to plant. Take a good look at the sizes, shapes and textures of the plants you picked out. Begin placing your plants where you would like them planted. When you are done, step back 10 feet, and look at it again. I generally change things around a few times until I feel like it looks right.

Step 4- Time to Dig. You Don’t want to dig your hole any deeper then the container  your plant is in. That avoids digging it too deep and your plant dying on you. You do however want your hole to be about as round/wide as the root ball/container. Leave the soil you excavate close by, you’ll need it to back fill around your plant. This helps loosen the soil around your plant allowing CO2 and water to get to the roots easier.

Step 3- Whip out the bone meal, toss a small handfull in the hole, and a little more in with the soil you dug out of the hole. Bone Meal has an NPK Ratio(Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium) of  4-12-0 the phosphorous will have the highest number. The nitrogen is good for giving it that little jump start it needs, the phosphorous will help develop the plants roots, and give them what they need to spread. The best part about bone meal is that its 100% organic, and sells for about $3 a box.

Step 4- Plant. Carefully remove the plant from its pot. Notice how the roots have wound around themselves. The roots are girdled, and thats not great for the plant. Massage the roots to loosen them up before sticking it in the ground. Also be sure to remove all the tags as well. Nothing looks tackier then plants in a garden with tags still on it. If you need the tags for a reference then file them in a folder. Put the plant in the hole, and back fill with the bone meal soil mix and use your hands to tamp the soil.

Step 5- Water. Count to 5 slowly (one one thousand, two one thousand…) that will make sure your plant gets plenty of water. Continue watering every evening, depending on the weather, you a skip it on rainy days, and after its rained for a few days straight, use your common sense.

Step 6- Enjoy!

Quick Tip- Using Organic ferts are far better then using chemicals, chemicals basically force feed a plant, which can cause it getting too much of the things it needs which will kill it. To put this into perspective, its like you wanting to eat a rib eye steak, and someone forcing you to eat a cow. If you eat the cow, you’ll die. Organic fertilizers break down, and allow the plant to only use the amount of nutrients that it needs while leaving what it doesn’t need to be absorbed into the soil.

Bark Mulch is vital to any planting bed. The primary function of mulch is to help retain moisture in the soil providing a barrier between the suns evaporation and the soil. Its also a great for keeping the shape of your planting bed, after a heavy rain soil alone tends to wash out quite easily.  Another important function of mulch is that at the right thickness (between 4-6”)  it can deter weeds even without the use of landscape fabric.

Mulch is generally made of cedar bark, and  it smells wonderful (to me anyway). You can get it by the bag just about anywhere or at your local garden center. It comes in 3 different colors, natural, red and black. With the colored mulches be aware of what you are buying, some mulch is made with dye, which will stain your hands for at least a week (trust me). Its well worth it to find out if its colored with natural non-toxic ingredients. Over time mulch will eventually fade from the sun and rain, generally topping up the mulch in your beds once a season will suffice in making your beds appear fresh again.

When choosing the color of mulch that is right for your bed its important to consider a few things: What color do you like? What color will best compliment the color of your house?  When I’m in the field I generally prefer to use black mulch, let me tell you why. Black mulch at 4-6” compacted (which means step on it while your raking it out or tamp it with the flat end of a hard rake) gives you all the benefits of mulch as I had mentioned before, it also helps to absorb heat from the sun, which helps it decompose faster, which means its also going to add precious nitrogen into your soil at a greater rate. Black mulch just has a way of making your plants jump out at you, you really wind up appreciating the variety of plants in you beds and the colors of the flowers alot more.

Quick Tip- You get more bark for your buck if you buy in bulk. Borrow a truck or trailer if you don’t have one, or find out if your local garden center does deliveries. A bed thats 5′x20′ will take generally take about 2 yards of mulch about $70-$120, or 60-70 bags priced anywhere from $3-$7 per bag. You do the math, why pay for a bunch of plastic packaging?