Positive Real Estate Professionals

The first thing to do upon arriving at home with all you healthy, fragrant, and beautiful selections is to place the tender young plants in a shaded area or begin setting them, pots and all, where you marked with your spray paint; do not leave them in your hot SUV or car! There are two ways to go about setting your plants out, either all at once or in manageable sections; either way you choose you will be able to stand back and get a view of the yard/garden before a single plant is in the ground. When you are happy with the placement of the plants it is time to dig!

I would recommend planting any trees you have chosen first. With trees and with most shrubs, you will want to make and “x” in the landscaping fabric with a utility knife. This opening you cut only has to be large enough for you to dig the hole. The hole should be larger around than the root ball but only about 2/3 as deep. In essence you will have a wider but shallower hole than it appears you need. This will be the case for all your plants. The reason for this is you want the trunk and top of the rootball of the plant to be above the ground level. Keeping soil and mulch away from the trunk of your plants can help to avoid “collaring” your plants which could lead to many problems including a diminutive mature plant.

Once the hole is dug, many people recommend filling it with water to eliminate any air pockets prior to planting. For me, I only do this for trees and large shrubs as I have not encountered any issues with smaller plants. Once you have dug the hole for your larger plants gently remove the plant from its container; you may have to use your utility knife to cut the container away. If the plant has become rootbound, you will need to break the mass of roots apart so that the roots can grow down and out rather than around itself. Again you can use your utility knife to cut on all four sides through the mass of roots. I know this may seem harsh but if your plant is rootbound like the one pictured on the right, it will do much more good in the long run. Free of it container, there is one more step before placing it in its new home. I put a handful of stones in the bottom of the planting hole to help with initial drainage but that is by no means required. The plant is now ready to be set, backfilled with garden, potting, or top soil and then watered very well. I would definitely recommend leaving the hose on very low at the base of the plant, moving the hose from plant to plant as they are set. After planting your trees and large shrubs, I would highly recommend working from the back of your garden to the front repeating this process for all of your plants. *Note: Smaller plants with shallower root systems can be planted in soil on top of the landscape fabric. This does include bulbs. The less cuts to the landscape fabric, the less you will have to weed.

Once the plants are in the ground, there is only one step left, mulch! Regardless of whether you are using traditional mulch, pine straw, bark, etc, this will be the final step. Mulch serves a couple of purposes. It is both decorative and it helps to retain moisture. While rocks are attractive, they do tend to hold and radiate the heat which can be damaging. To cut down on watering, I recommend a porous mulch about an inch to three inches thick, like pine nuggets and using larger rocks as accents! That is it! Just make sure you water your new garden for at least 30 days to help it get established, then it is sit back and enjoy! Thanks to careful planning and use of landscape fabric, weeding will be minimal while satisfaction will be maximum!

Piling into your pick-up or SUV you should definitely be proud of what you have accomplished so far! Take a moment to reflect on how you chose your style and designed it perfectly! Remember the initial confusion, then ultimate satisfaction in picking up just the right tools for your project! And what about that beautiful yard art that will add the perfect amount of serenity or whimsy to your space! Pat yourself on the back for preparing your site with soil, landscape fabric, and spray paint marking where all those vibrant plants will go! All this you have already done! So yes, take a moment to reflect on where you started and how far you have come! Satisfaction creeping into your smile and pride filling your soul! Now the fun really begins!

Enter the garden center or nursery with your plant list in hand. Be ready to be overwhelmed with all the colors and smells and selections. You however are no longer an amateur, you are well prepared! Having decided ahead of time what you are looking for, you know exactly how many or to buy for under that mature and shady that was one of the many pluses you noticed when you first saw your property! While shopping for the plants on your list you want to make sure that the woody stems of plants are pliable and not dried out or brittle. You also want to make sure on non-woody stemmed plants that the plant stalks stand upright and don’t show signs of dying back. Another thing you want to look for on both types of plants is that the soil is not totally dried out. Any of these signs could indicate that the plant has not been properly cared for and may currently be in distress. You know from your research on plants during the planning phase what they should look like. If all the plants where you are seem to be drooping or look generally unhealthy, then I would recommend going to another garden center or nursery to buy your plants. The same holds true for bug infestations; if you see signs of bug infestation on a couple of plants, chances are good that the other plants may harbor some stage of the bugs in the soil or somewhere on the plant.

***Remember*** It is the job of the salesperson to sell you plants so in many instances they will downplay any negatives. Also, much of the revenue from nurseries and garden centers is generated from selling replacement plants every year!

This does not mean do not ask questions of the employees. In most cases, the employees are local and can tell you what plants they have or have not had success with. They can also give you some tips on improving plant performance! Most garden centers and nurseries will hire salespeople with the knowledge to assist you competently. There will always be some beautiful plant that catches your fancy as you are shopping! This is where the salespeople can assist you with information about full height and width at maturity, water and sun requirements, hardiness, and longevity. While I urge you to resist the impulse buy, we are human and sometimes we just have to have it! At least you have the info you need to make an informed decision! Be aware that many garden centers and nurseries sell tropical plants that cannot survive outdoors in most of the country. If you must have a tropical (and many are quite beautiful, see the Giant Bird of Paradise above), understand that it will have to either be moved indoors for the colder months or replaced the following year.

You have done it! All that is left to do is load them in your vehicle and head home to place and then plant them! As this post has run a little long, I will discuss planting and watering techniques in the next installment of this series! If you missed any of the parts in this series, just click the hyperlinks below to open them in another window!

Now that you have recovered from the cost of materials and arrived back at your home, it is time to use that spray paint. With plans in hand, paint directly on the ground the design you have decided upon for your yard/garden. There is no need to spray paint plant placement yet, only borders between beds and lawn. I would recommend checking your markings against your plans often. To save yourself potential angst, keep in mind that nature doesn’t conform to the designs of man so there will be some variations from your design. Some of the best parts of a yard/garden are the surprises mother nature throws our way! If you are doing a lawn only, you do not have to do any of this but the next step applies to both lawns and gardens.

Either rent a tiller or hire someone to till the ground in the area you will be planting. Be mindful of the buried utilities that are now marked on your property! Once the ground has been tilled, it should be raked fairly smooth. Now you have a decision to make, you can either put down your landscaping fabric (being sure to overlap it and stake it down) and put your soil on top of it, or you can amend your existing ground with the soil and put the landscaped fabric on top of that. If you choose the first option and are using some type of border (i.e. bricks, timbers, etc), place the border over the edge of the landscaping fabric and then backfill with soil. If you choose the second options don’t worry about having exposed landscaping fabric, it will be covered with mulch or pine straw! Either option works just fine!

Now comes the fun part! Grab that spray paint again and mark either directly on the landscaping fabric or the soil where the plants, yard art, and lighting will go according to your designs. You can use letters like ww for weeping willow or designate a whole area for wildflowers or bulbs. The important thing is to use a system that works for you! After you have marked where everything will go, stand where you can get a good overview and make sure it looks like you intend. Now, before the trip to buy plants, is the time to make any changes you deem necessary!

Feeling confident and happy with the layout of your beautiful new lawn/yard, check your list of plants against your design. Once you are satisfied that all the plants you want (and that can fit in your yard) are on your list, it is time to make that trip to the nursery or garden center! Part 4 will be shopping for plants and putting them in the ground! If you missed any part in this series you can click on the links below to read them!

After having taken note of many landscaping styles that you have seen throughout your neighborhood, in books, and on the internet you have settled on a design or combination of designs that suits you. With your designs in hand and plant research done, you are now ready for the next step! Call your local utilities to have them mark any lines that may be buried on your property. It is safer and cheaper to do this than risk your safety and pay potentially huge repair bills. Now, it is time to go to your favorite local nursery, home improvement store, wholesale club, or supercenter to get some essential landscaping materials! Before you go, make a list of what you need. Trust me, you’ll thank me later! Here is a sample list:

• gloves – blisters hurt worse than the $10 you spend on gloves
• spray paint – used to sketch bed and plant placement
• landscaping fabric – old timers used black plastic but I would discourage this as the plastic does not allow the moisture to pass through it and may cause your bark, straw, or mulch to mold and become unhealthy; landscape fabric is specially designed to allow the excess moisture pass through it and soak into the ground
• landscape pins or stakes – hold the landscape fabric down, some fabric comes with these pins, read the label to see if yours does
• shovels – the type you need will depend on what you are using it for; here are a few examples:

This is good for cleanup; picking up debris.

This is good for planting small plants & bulbs.

This is good for digging holes in hard ground & clay.

This is good for trenching borders and digging deep holes.

• rakes – again the type you need will depend on your use. I would recommend both types shown below.

Good for raking grass and leaves.

good for leveling soil, mulch, bark, etc. and for spreading seeds.

• miscellaneous tools; you will see lots of tools in any garden center. If you don’t know the intended use of a tool ask a sales representative. If you want it and it is within your budget, then the choice is yours!

An axe to chop stubborn roots! Be careful!

Bow Saw to remove small trees and shrubs. Be careful!

A machete to clear overgrown areas. Be careful!

• edging – if you are laying out beds and your plan calls for a border or edging then this would be the time to purchase it
• soil – there are three prominent types and I tend to use soil only in beds as it would be cost and labor intensive to use as a base for a lawn. You can amend any of these with home produced or purchased compost. I would also look into buying soil by weight, many garden centers offer unbagged soil placed directly in a truck bed at substantially less cost. Reduced packaging is also better for the environment.

Garden soil which tends to be heavy and somewhat clumpy but is fairly nutrient rich.

Potting soil which is lighter than garden soil so there is less clumping and is the most nutrient rich of the three.

Top soil tends to be very light and not clumping at all but is probably the least nutrient rich.

At this point, you do not want to purchase your plants yet as the site preparation must be done first! If you buy plants now, they may sit in their containers and either wilt or require constant watering and care to keep them healthy. If you want, you can buy seeds at this point as they store easily and there is little danger of them dying from neglect! If you are doing strictly a lawn, purchase your grass seed now! You will be happy to know that this is the time to buy that dog statue and bird bath you have been wanting. This is also the time to purchase any yard/garden lighting. You know what comes next…paying for it!

Part 3, will examine site preparation including tilling, use of landscaping fabric, adding the soil, and placement of yard art and lighting!

As many people elect to make improvements to their current home, curb appeal is a very popular subject these days. From a good pressure washing to updating lighting, increasing your curb appeal is one of the best ways to get the biggest return on your investment. There is a lot written on the internet, in newspapers, and magazines about ways to increase your home’s curb appeal. There are entire television shows dedicated to curb appeal. In the following series of articles, I am going to look at ways to increase your yard’s curb appeal.

We know what we personally like in a yard. Maybe you like a little patch of grass or an English garden or a woodland garden or a vegetable garden. The first step, before you pick out a single plant or buy that cute yard gnome with the red hat, is to determine what type, or combination of types, of yard you like. What, you have no clue what type of yard you like? Okay, put on your walking shoes, put Fido’s leash on, and go for a walk around you neighborhood. If you don’t live in a subdivison or an area conducive to walking, hop in the car and go for a drive. Take note of specific features in the yards you see that you like (i.e. trees’ shape, size, and color or the use of planting containers). A digital camera can be an effective tool in this venture. Once you have ideas, it is time to plan your dream yard!

I would suggest that you sketch how you want your dream yard to appear. Try to be as detailed as possible with this, indicating things like dimensions, structures, and any overhead obstacles (i.e. powerlines). An effective tool in planning your dream yard is the internet; more specifically, gardening websites! I use Dave’s Garden because it is a user contributed website (meaning that most of the information is real world info from other gardeners) and it is very easy to navigate. The important point here is that you consult a website or book to get useful information in helping you to select plants that are appropriate for your area’s growing conditions and the space alloted for mature size. You would not plant a Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) which reaches heights over 40 feet and spacing requirements of 30-40 feet in a small area! Another serious consideration should be the toxicity of different plants to both people and pets. For example, all parts of the Southern Magnolia from the example above are poisonous! I’m not saying not to plant a poisonous plant, but to be aware of where it is planted to minimize the risk to young family members and/or curious pets! Maintenance is another huge issue for most people, so decide how much time you reasonably have to devote to the yard. Use your internet or other traditional resources to help you select the right plants for your dream yard; a bit of research and planning can save you both time and money in the long run.

So you have decided what style or styles appeal to you. You have sketched designs and tentavely selected plants. Part 2 will include a trip to the nursery or garden center to select the tools, landscaping materials, and maybe that pink flamingo you have always wanted!