There is nothing more inviting on a cool evening that to cozy up around an outdoor fireplace. Gas fireplaces offer another way to turn outdoor spaces into usable outdoor “rooms”. They can be prefabricated as the one in this photo is, or custom made to fit any style or dimension. Be sure to check with local building codes before installing any type of fireplace or firepit.
Outdoor Warmth with Fireplaces
July 5th, 2011When your Garden Give you Lemons…Make Lemonade!
April 20th, 2011What’s not to love about growing edibles in your home garden? Not only do you get the satisfaction of raising your own food, but if you have young children, they start gaining an appreciation for the cycles of nature and start sampling (and even enjoying) fresh nutritious fruits and vegetables – that they actually grow themselves! Imagine your kids running out to the garden to pick lemons from your tree, squeezing the juice and making lemonade for their homemade lemonade stand. It reminds me of being a kid myself when we would sell lemonade on hot muggy Midwestern summer days. One of the most prolific and easy to grow Lemon Tree varieties here in the Bay Area is the Meyer Lemon. Plant one in a flower pot to decorate a patio or deck, in the ground as an accent plant for a garden focal point, in your vegetable/edible garden bed, or as a narrow espalier tree in a tight space. The more Lemons the better and remember, if your garden gives you an abundance of lemons – make lemonade!
Spring into your Garden with these 5 Easy Garden Tasks
April 6th, 2011In the Bay area, rain showers are now off and spring has shaken off its wet head to finally emerge in full glory. Current warm temperatures are hastening up the growing season which means beautiful blossoms, new leaves unfolding and weeds are popping. Here is a list of 5 things to help spruce up your garden now:
1. Weeding: hand pull weeds now while the ground is still damp makes removal easier without the use of chemicals in the garden.
2. Raking: clean out your garden beds that are layered with leaves to allow the soil temperatures to warm and encourage new growth.
3. Prune: now that your plants have let you know if they have made it through the winter, time to prune off the dead and misshapen growth in shrubs and perennials.
4. Lawn: overseed bare lawn spots and fertilize with an organic fertilizer that supports soil health.
5. Planting: now for the fun part – add new trees, shrubs, and perennials to fill in bare garden spaces with beautiful color and texture.
After your garden is spruced up, enjoy spending some relaxing time outdoors, admiring your beautiful garden with a refreshment and a friend!
Alameda County Home & Garden Show
February 11th, 2011Please come visit my booth #355 in the Hall of Commerce ! You could go home with a FREE garden related item ! !
Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton
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Alameda County Home & Garden Shows
25th Annual “Spring Show”~ February 18 • 19 • 20 • 21, 2011
4 DAY SHOW!
Friday Noon-6
Saturday 10-6
Sunday 10-6
Monday 10-5
Swimming Pool Planting Tips
January 29th, 2011Whether you are planning a new swimming pool or upgrading and existing one, beautiful planting creates the backdrop to an inviting and exciting space you’ll want to be in. Be sure to think about these dos and don’ts when it comes to plant selection and layout.
Do:
• Use taller plants to create privacy and scale such as shrubs and trees up to 15 – 20 feet when mature.
• Use a variety of plant sizes that have seasonal color and texture to create year around visual interest.
• Dress up the pool deck areas with accent pots filled with colorful plants well suited for containers. Select containers that blend with the theme and style of the pool and landscape. (i.e., classic, cottage, contemporary, Zen, ect.)
Don’t:
• Use plants that drop a lot of messy debris and berries that could clog the filter or stain the patio.
• Use plants that attract bees, have thorns or are susceptible to disease that require sprays (which could contaminate pool water)
• Use plants with invasive root systems that could lift paving or compromise pool structure and piping.
Your swimming pool is a focal point garden element that deserves a well thought out plan and professional execution. Time well spent in the planning stages will blossom with years and years of enjoyment.
Pool & Spa Planting with Seasonal Color and Texture
Paving Material Selection
January 20th, 2011“So many paving material choices – what should I use?” is a common question asked when planning a new patio or walkway. With all the beautiful choices available, the selection can feel overwhelming. The answer is easier than it seems. Throughout the landscape design process, we uncover site and client specific factors such as architectural style, color preferences, drainage patterns, type of use, and budget. When factoring in all the variables, the right paving option becomes apparent. For example, my client with a small backyard and high style wanted the outside to match the inside. The inside flooring of travertine tile would look beautiful on the outside. However, because they also wanted an elaborate outdoor kitchen/bar island and pergola, we went with a less expensive paving material that has a similar look and feel to natural tile. We installed a beautiful stamped concrete patio with three integrated colors blended and scored to look like real travertine. They love the look of their new patio, use it frequently, and get so many compliments from all of their friends and family.
Arbutus ‘Marina’
January 17th, 2011
One of my favorite trees is called Arbutus ‘Marina’, a cultivar of the California native Madrone. This sun loving plant has so many great qualities which make it desirable for the Bay area. It is a 20 – 30’ medium sized tree that can be used as a single accent plant, or planted in a grouping for a tall privacy screen. Hummingbirds love the inverted rosy- pink urn shaped flower clumps in the spring and summer. The bark is a beautiful cinnamon red color with a peely texture when young turning to a polished smooth finish with age. The leaves are a broadleaf evergreen which produces greenery all year long. And towards the fall season, 1” round red fruits sparsely decorate the tree. Some people find the fruit a bit of a mess, so plant them where the fruit can drop into a groundcover bed rather than near a patio or walkway. It has great natural character and looks very dramatic with night lighting. An added bonus is that Arbutus ‘Marina’ is drought tolerant and can virtually go without irrigation once it gets established.
Happy New Year Gardeners
January 14th, 2011Happy 2011! Have you noticed that our gardens have been shivering more than usual lately? Here is a brief list of garden activities guaranteed to keep us warm while we wait for our plants to wake up from their winter slumber:
1. Weeding! After rain, pulling weeds is easier when the ground is damp.
2. Clean up! Removing fallen fruit, branches and larger leaves eliminates potential plant diseases and pests while allowing soils to wake up sooner.
3. Prune deciduous shrubs and trees by removing broken and crossing branches. This helps emphasize the individual character of each plant. Avoid pruning spring flowering trees and shrubs until after they bloom.
4. Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees in order to help control aphids, scale and mites if there has been a problem in the past.
5. Shop for vegetable seeds! Imagine your bountiful garden and the taste of homegrown tomatoes and start ordering seeds for your garden now.
6. Plan ahead! It’s not too early to plan your spring and summer projects. Whether its new plants, patios spaces, lighting and more, write down and plan your 2011 gardening projects.
Have fun in your garden! Its great exercise and a great way to get to know your plants!
Replace old washers = water savings + energy savings + rebates
May 4th, 2010My itchy eyes and sneezy nose can tell that the rainy season is behind us as we move into the “dry season”. Our beautiful emerald green hills are rapidly turning brown. This also starts the season of water conservation. Although we should always remain conscious about our daily water use, when the days are longer and warmer, we naturally use more water in our gardens and in our homes.
Today’s water conservation tip starts inside the home. At present, I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of my new front loading high efficiency washing machine. My 15 year old clothes washer was kind enough to break down just when our utility company was offering $100 rebates for high-efficiency clothes washers AND California’s $100 rebate for cash for appliances program. As a result, my new washer will wash larger loads while using less water and less energy. Front-loading washers use 40-75% less water and 30-85% less energy than typical top-loaders. I’m actually looking forward to getting my next utility bills to see the results.
Stay tuned for more ways to reduce water consumption inside and out.
Outdoor Lighting – Part 2
September 30th, 2009Have you ever approached an airport at night and noticed the rows of runway lights? Unfortunately, that is a lighting technique I often see used to illuminate home driveways and walkways. Rather than focusing on important features in the architecture and landscape, the eye is immediately drawn to the “runway” lights. Professional outdoor lighting design involves creating the right balance of light contrasting with dark while highlighting the unique features of the individual property. These features include accenting individual plant character, hardscape features such as columns and arbors, water features and outdoor art, and key architectural details of the home. In addition, it is important for safety to illuminate step areas and other hidden spaces for visual direction. Invest in high quality fixtures that are properly volted and won’t corrode or easily break. Whether viewed from inside the home or sitting outside in the yard, a beautifully designed outdoor lighting portrait will add many hours of additional use time to your landscape.
