During the cold days of winter, we know your lawn isn’t necessarily the first thing on your mind! However, now is the best time to dream of warm weather and the time you’ll be spending outside in a few short months. Take a look at this website we found that gives great ideas about what you might like your yard to look like.
http://www.finestlandscapingideas.com/
Once you decide on an idea, or if you want to talk to professionals, please give Lovely Landscaping a call!
Hardscaping in the winter time is a very often ignored subject.
As this post on Heavy Petal, a gardening blog, points out, hardscaping gives an outdoor space its underlying structure. In the spring and summer, when the landscape is verdant and bursting with life, the hardscaping elements help to visually organize and define the space. But in the winter, hardscaping takes on even more importance.
It [hardscaping] creates the backbone of a garden, the bones upon which everything else hangs. And in winter, this structure is clearly evident, which is why it’s a great time to assess your garden…Let’s face it: plants are rarely the stars of the winter garden. Sure, there are plants with lovely berries, gorgeous bark, interesting seed heads, and even flowers. But it’s the architecture of the garden that provides overall impact: the structure that garden writers go on about.
If you look out your windows during the winter, you should still have a beautiful view, even if the landscape is covered in snow. Retaining walls, pathways, sculptural elements, fountains, arbors, etc. can all provide visual interest year-round. The post on Heavy Petal goes into even more detail about hardscaping, and it’s a great read! Check it out and let us know what you think, and call Lovely Landscaping in Omaha, NE for all of your hardscaping needs this winter and all year long! www.lovelylandscaping.com
Lovely Landscaping specializes in retaining walls and pavers. We have been serving Omaha and the surrounding communities for over 13 years. We can create outdoor living spaces and landscapes to make for more enjoyable living spaces. When you choose Lovely Landscaping for your outdoor needs, you will have an expert who pays close attention to detail in every aspect of the project. We ensure that every phase of the project is held to our high standards of care.
We know landscaping is an investment and we are a company you can trust. Our design staff will work with you to ensure we capture your lifestyle and taste. Our products and services include: Commercial and Residential projects, Boulder and Brick Paver Installation, Retaining Wall Installation and Repair, Fire Pits, and Natural Stone installation. We are looking forward to helping our customers attain the backyard they have always wanted.
Give us a call today! You will see that we are reliable and provide quality work.
While a white Winter may seem like a beautiful story book way to celebrate the holidays, many people don’t realize how much of a hassle snow can be. Keeping sidewalks and driveways free of ice and snow can turn into a full time job for those who live in snowy areas. These overworked souls will try anything to make clearing all that snow a little bit easier, and some of the methods they utilize can be a bit unusual. Here are 10 unusual ways to remove snow:
http://www.lawncaretips.org/blog/2010/10-unusual-ways-to-remove-snow/
Today, it snowed. We’ve held it off until now.. if you have yet to get your lawn ready for winter, we are here to tell you, it is time.
How to “Winterize” Your Lawn
If you’re not up to a full winterizing of your lawn then here is your “I’m ready for winter in just one Saturday afternoon” list of essentials.
1. Rake your leaves – If you only do one thing to prepare, do this.
Leaves will smother your grass and turn it into a dirt patch (and next spring the neighbor kids will come over to play on the new “vacant lot”). If your aches, pains and other excuses are pretty convincing then hire your local 15 year-old to do it for you so he can buy more toilet paper for your yard, oh, wait-a-minute…
You can save some of the leaves to put on your flowerbed to help prevent an early crop of weeds in the spring. When it warms up, rake, plant and you may win a prize for the best geraniums.
2. Fertilize – Late fall (about a month before it usually freezes) is the best time to fertilize your lawn because it’s hungry! It’s been slurping nutrients out of the soil all summer to grow leaves and there’s not much left to eat. Fertilizing in the fall will help the roots survive hibernation and wake up quickly in the spring. A quick start in the spring will help prevent disease and weeds. Fertilizers like Scott’s Winterizer is specifically formulated for a feasty fall feeding.
3. Cut your grass short – For most moist/wet climates you may want to give your grass a buzz cut before the snow flies. Generally, homeowners will mow twice in October and once in November because the grass is barely growing.
Instead of skipping weeks in October, it can be better to drop the blade height one notch and mow every week until the grass is about three-fourths of an inch tall. This will prevent a build up of dead grass in the spring that may smother new growth.
If you live in an arid climate (20 inches or less of rain per year) and you don’t have automatic sprinklers, skip weeks when the grass is barely growing. A moderate buildup of dead grass will help hold in ground moisture over the winter.
Related Winterizing Issues
1. Turn off your sprinklers – You’ll want to do this just before the temperature drops below freezing so your lawn doesn’t turn into an ice rink.
2. Drain your sprinkler lines – Water expands when it freezes and could cause your sprinkler pipes to burst. Many sprinkler systems automatically drain, but you may have a valve you will need to open to let the water out.
3. Your Lawnmower – Manufacturers recommend draining the gas out of your lawnmower before winter, but who wants to drain gasoline? The easiest way is to fill it with only enough gas to mow your lawn and then let the mower engine run out on your last cutting.
We found this information at the following link:
http://outdoorswithdave.com/landscaping/preparing-your-lawn-for-winter
Isn’t it lovely? Isn’t it wonderful? Isn’t it lovely?
A boulder paver can enhance a landscape in many ways! When rocks and boulders are integrated into a landscape, they create a calming and safe environment. Consider a boulder paver if you want a bit more natural of a look to your space. Boulders can be used to create walkways, ledges, gardens, walls, and art pieces. Similar to brick pavers, boulder pavers will last for a long time, not crack or break under stress from the elements, and not damage the ground below to where it is unusable.
We sincerely hope you’ve been spending time out in your yards over this beautiful weekend! We’re hanging on to the mild weather as long as possible. Maybe you’re utilizing your new patio, brick paver, or other hardscaped area on your property. Let us know how you have spent this beautiful weekend! Please comment below, and enjoy your Lovely Weekend!
Stone walls, concrete or brick patios, tile paths, wooden decks and wooden arbors are all part of the hardscape. We can handle anything from simple sidewalks to custom jobs, call us for an estimate or suggestions for your project.
Hardscape Benefits:
Lowe’s video might give you some ideas for what you want in your own yard. Let our team help with the planning and hardscaping portion! We’re your local experts.
Aren’t we lucky? Our beautiful weather in Omaha has held on through the beginning of October (at least!) You still have time this year to let Lovely Landscaping get to work in your outdoor area. We would be happy to come assess your area for whatever type of project you are looking to complete. Take a look at the website to give you some great ideas or just give us a call if you know you want a change but you’re just not sure where to start. Give us a call today! We look forward to hearing from you.
