Landscape Design - Designing with An Eye on Maintenance

Maintaining the yard and its landscape can present challenges and waste a lot of time mowing grass, fertilizing, running the weed eater and more. However, a few design changes or tips can make the care easier and less time consuming.

Many challenges in maintaining the landscape can be reduced or avoided by simply taking time from the start to put proper design in place. When designing any landscape take into account the work involved in maintaining the landscape after the landscape is installed.

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Pesticides and Spray Masks - Required for Homeowners?

Recently the question came up on spraying a garden and landscape plants with pesticides. This came from a concerned spouse on her husband’s use of DIY chemicals for taking care of the critters in their yard.

Professionals like Terminix use spray mask all the time when applying pesticides in the regular rounds of growing plants for the retail market. They regularly dress up in their white suits and cover their face with a respirator… but does this apply to the homeowner? Do they need to wear spray masks also when applying chemicals?

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Dracaena Marginata - The Color Magenta

The Dracaena marginata has been grown as a house plant for decades. It’s also grown in about every configuration and pot size possible. You can find rooted tips from 3 inch pots all the way up to giant character specimens filling 200 gallon containers. Plus you’ll find bush types and staggered canes primarily in 8 inch and 10 inch pots.

It is a durable choice to select as a house plant for just about any home owner.

Currently I’m playing with some marginata canes and converting them to hydroculture ( growing in expanded clay rock) more on that as the project moves forward. The goal is to “teach” you some other ways to succeed with your houseplants. Watering is probably the Number #1 killer of house plants and we need give you some better alternatives than you currently use - like sub-irrigation and hydroculture. I want to thank Bob at InsidePlantLive.org for the push! You can learn a lot at the site - visit it!

Now back to the marginata sometimes called the “red edged dragon tree” not only comes in a variety of pot sizes but other varieties - BiColor, Tricolor, Magenta and a new one called “Dracaena ‘Tarzan’ - we’ll look at ‘Tarzan’ next time.

Magenta gives a much dark purple edge along the edge of the leaf offering a rich look to this indoor standard. Another plus… the care for ‘Magenta’ is the same as a regular marginata.

Here’s to a great looking Dracaena ‘Magenta’ stump!

The New Umbrella Tree?

Many people are familiar with the ‘umbrella tree’ the large or dwarf variety. With space being a premium in most homes a tall columnar shaped house plant would work perfectly and where the Schefflera ‘Alpine’ PPAF comes into play.

The best variety of the large umbrella tree is the selection known as ‘Amate.’ The column form umbrella ‘Alpine’ is a full compact plant with tight internodes between leaves and requires less space. This works well for both growers and homeowners. Since ‘Alpine’ comes from the ‘Amate’ gene pool it hold all of the characteristics and disease benefits that makes ‘Amate’ such a great plant. ‘Alpine’ is mite and disease resistant, comes clothed with dark green glossy leaves and hold leaves well in low light conditions.

When space is an issue and a tall plant is needed give Schefflera ‘Alpine’ a look – it’s the new umbrella tree in town.

Watch Out for Fertilizer Burn

Recently I’ve received some questions on lawn fertilizer and possible burn from it. Sometimes this happens when new homeowners in their excitement to get the yard looking good and green. Some people over apply and others figure they will make their own brew of lawn fertilizer.

It can be easy to burn a lawn with fertilizer, especially trying to establish a new lawn. Don’t forget grass is a plant, when it gets transplanted from the growing fields to building site it will experience some shock. It is always best to give the roots some time to get establish before pulling out the fertilizer spreader and fertilizing a new lawn. Even then I would not hit it a full strength.

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