David's Landscaping Blog August 2006 Archive

Sourwood Trees
Sourwood trees are among the first to provide fall foliage in eastern North America. As Steve Nix observes, "By late August it is common to see the foliage of young ... Read More

Thursday August 31, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Bay Laurel Trees as Container Plants
A good landscape design for small spaces requires some creativity. You must ask yourself, "How can I squeeze maximal benefits into minimal space?" Container plants are often part of the ... Read More

Wednesday August 30, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Lawn Care Problems: Answers From Lawn-Boy Mowers
The experts at Lawn-Boy Mowers do more than just sell lawn mowers. Their Web site is a resource for answers on lawn care problems. For instance, did you know that, ... Read More

Tuesday August 29, 2006 | permalink | comments (1)

Pruning Trees and Shrubs
Pruning can be scary, which is why many novices to landscaping avoid it. Let's face it: Once you lop a limb off, there's no changing your mind, right? Reading this ... Read More

Monday August 28, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Pleaching Laburnum Trees
"Pleaching creates an effect of a living arch or tunnel. To achieve the effect a row of plants is grown up and their tops intertwined. A temporary wooden or bamboo ... Read More

Sunday August 27, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Chrysanthemum Flowers -- The Quest for Hardy Mums
Chrysanthemum flowers are valued for the fact that they are perennials and bloom in autumn, offering the potential to provide your landscape design with knockout fall displays for years. But ... Read More

Saturday August 26, 2006 | permalink | comments (1)

Flowers for Cutting Gardens
Cut flowers look great in a vase on the kitchen counter, don't they? But you may be ambivalent about growing your own cut flowers in backyard cutting gardens, since removing ... Read More

Friday August 25, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Avoiding Tree Damage From Storms
It's prime time in the hurricane season for the Caribbean and Southeastern U.S., so avoiding tree damage from storms is a current concern for many. About's Guide to Forestry, Steve ... Read More

Thursday August 24, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Time to Harvest Lavender Flowers?
Lavender flowers make for pleasing borders within a landscape design. The attraction in growing lavender, however, doesn't end there, since lavender flowers are aromatic and can be harvested and dried ... Read More

Monday August 21, 2006 | permalink | comments (1)

Organic Lawn Care
Some folks may question the premise behind organic lawn care. "Gee," I can hear them object, "I'm not a sheep: I won't be eating the grass." However, even putting aside ... Read More

Sunday August 20, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Beech Trees for Fall Foliage
While enjoying those last summer days at your favorite beach, do a little fall landscape planning: consider planting beech trees in your landscaping. Forest beech trees not only have wonderful ... Read More

Saturday August 19, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Why Spittle Bugs "Spit" on Plants
Like many children, as a kid I was drawn to the anomalies of the plant world -- not anything that required scientific training to identify, but just oddities that anyone ... Read More

Friday August 18, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Getting Rid of Mimosas and Other Invasive Plants
Mimosas (also called, "silk trees") can be real pests in the landscape. A frustrated reader recently asked About's Forestry Guide, Steve Nix a question on getting rid of mimosas. Steve, ... Read More

Thursday August 17, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Landscape Lighting for Beginners
Landscape lighting can literally shine the spotlight on your landscape design. In fact, some aspects of your landscaping take on a special beauty at night, if properly illuminated. Outdoor lighting ... Read More

Wednesday August 16, 2006 | permalink | comments (1)

Sissinghurst -- Home to a Beautiful Landscape
"For tens of thousands of people around the world, the garden at Sissinghurst is the embodiment of English beauty, gentility and grace," begins this article about one of the world's ... Read More

Tuesday August 15, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Lawn Watering and Mowing in the Dead of Summer
Many homeowners have seen their bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescue turn brown from the heat this summer. But Steve Jones, the Plant Man, has some encouraging words when he ... Read More

Monday August 14, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Covering Fences With Virginia Creeper Vines
This week's featured poster in the Landscaping Forum writes, "I have a fence that's about 160' long and want to cover it with some vines," specifically proposing Virginia creeper vines. ... Read More

Sunday August 13, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Oriental Bittersweet Vines -- A Bittersweet Decision for Landscapers
As the berries of Oriental bittersweet vines ripen, they display a pleasing golden husk, while their leaves begin turning a greenish yellow. Soon afterwards, the husk will burst to reveal ... Read More

Saturday August 12, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Vine Plants for Shady Havens
Need to create a shady spot in your landscape? Need it fast? Shade trees are wonderful, but they take awhile to mature. You may be better off building a garden ... Read More

Wednesday August 9, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Yard Work in the Dog Days
The sweltering temps make yard work tough during the dog days. But don't complain: before we know it, we'll be freezing our fingers off putting up outdoor Christmas decorations (well, ... Read More

Tuesday August 8, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Building Bog Gardens
"If a certain area of your landscape looks like the Okefenokee swamp, don’t throw in the towel..." quips Steve Jones. Why? Because bog gardens are an interesting alternative to giving ... Read More

Monday August 7, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Recycling Grass Clippings
To pick up grass clippings, or not to pick up grass clippings? That is the question answered in this guide to recycling in lawn care from Cornell University.

Sunday August 6, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Yard Makeovers With an Attitude
Are you a regular viewer of the yard makeover shows on TV? If so, perhaps you've grown tired of the same old, same old? Just once, wouldn't an unexpected twist ... Read More

Saturday August 5, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Impatient for New Impatiens Plants?
Impatiens plants have much to offer, including shade-tolerance, long-lasting blooms and brightly colored flowers. So what's not to like? If there's a knock on impatiens plants, it's that they're so ... Read More

Friday August 4, 2006 | permalink | comments (10)

How to Achieve Privacy in Your Yard
Everyone knows about the privacy fences and traditional hedges used to gain privacy in the yard. But Steve Jones offers some thoughts on a more creative way to shield yourself ... Read More

Wednesday August 2, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Fall Foliage Trees
Today is the first day of August. According to the calendar, that means we've just entered the last full month of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. While I don't mean ... Read More

Tuesday August 1, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)