<span>Landscaping Tips</span>

Twelve Poisonous Plants to Avoid

If there’s one thing that’s naturally plentiful in the state of Florida, it’s flora. In fact, the name of the state is derived from the Spanish word for flowers, courtesy of Juan Ponce de Leon. What the explorer observed gave him the inspiration for the namesake and it’s well deserved, given the amount of sunshine and warm weather. Among all that plant life lurk several unpleasant surprises, toxic plants, which pose a health hazard to people and pets.

In fact, when broken down according to sources, plants are the 14th on the list of poisonings in the whole state, raking-up an astounding number of cases, which are approximately 2,600 to 2,700 per year. That number is only behind sedatives, cosmetics and anti-depressants, but ahead of vitamins, food and antibiotics. Of course, this means that too many people are exposed to toxic plants and it’s not unusual to find some of these right in your own yard.

Invasive Plant Species that Take Over Your Backyard

What’s more, plants can not only be poisonous, but also invasive. The qualifiers of invasive plants are ones which have a high tolerance for different climates, possess multiple reproductive methods, have a large broadcasting system, grow rapidly, and resist active management. Basically, what you think about weeds applies to these type of plants, they never seem to go away and spread, regardless of what you do.

The dazzling foliage of South Florida, both natural and landscaped, contains dozens of species that can hurt you. With its warm year-round climate — the last couple of weeks being the exception — South Florida provides a welcoming home to a vast variety of native and non-native plants containing substances that can irritate skin, damage eyes, slow the pulse, initiate seizures and cause organ failure. —Sun Sentinel

According to the University of Florida, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, the most invasive plants in the Sunshine State, including Sarasota, are as follows:

• Aquatic soda apple (solanum tampicense)
• Giant salvinia (salvinia molesta)
• Hydrilla (hydrilla verticillata)
• Hygrophila (hygrophila polysperma)
• Napier grass (pennisetum purpureum)
• Torpedograss (panicum repens)
• Water hyacinth (eichhornia crassipes)
• Water lettuce (pistia stratiotes)
• Water spinach (ipomoea aquatica)
• West Indian marsh grass (hymenachne amplexicaulis)
• Wild taro (colocasia esculenta)

Twelve Poisonous Plants to Avoid Putting in Your Landscape

Your yard might look beautiful with all its colorful plants and flowering plants, but it might contain some toxic ones, which include the following:

1. Bittersweet nightshade. Purple and yellow, complete with colorful berries is bittersweet nightshade. An invasive plant, it’s also a toxic one and one that is attractive to young children, which makes it a dangerous combination.
2. Foxglove. Beautifully white and lushly green, foxgloves are among some of the most common plants in yards across the country. These flourish in dry shade areas, but are dangerous to small children.
3. Laurels, azaleas, rhododendrons. All of these are toxic and not only to people, but to domestic pets, as well as livestock. Their beauty can’t be denied, but these are deadly and not a good choice for your landscape.
4. Castor beans. This annual does well in northern climates and is a tropical plant. It also serves as the source of the toxin ricin, a poison that’s earned its name in news events and official warnings.
5. Yew shrubs. Able to grow in either shade or sun, Japanese yew shrubs and English yew bushes, these can be found in areas where other plants have trouble flourishing. The bright, red berries conceal a seed which is poisonous.
6. Poison sumac. The name tells it all and yes, poison sumac is, well, toxic. Unlike the previously listed entries, which must be ingested in some way to be poisonous, poison sumac need only be touched.
7. Poison ivy. Like sumac, this plant is toxic to the touch and is poisonous because of an oil known as urushiol. What makes poison ivy so dangerous is how inconspicuous it is, not having any outstanding flowers to make it easy to spot.
8. Easter lily. These white trumpets are toxic, especially so to feline family members. Unfortunately, these are quite common, in-part because of their heady perfume scent, which make them more than just visually attractive.
9. Stinging nettles. Just like poison sumac and poison ivy, stinging nettles will give your skin a real sting if your brush up against them. Containing tiny spines, which induce rashes, these can be a real pain to rid your yard of but it’s necessary for them to go.
10. Yellow dock. According to the ASPCA, yellow dock is considered toxic to canines, and is not safe for dogs.
11. Lantana. With its colorful clusters of orange, red, and yellow, lantana is very attractive, but also invasive and toxic, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.
12. Lily-of-the-valley. Commonly found as wedding embellishments, looking a bit like chapel bells, these plants are poisonous.

If any of these exists in your yard, you ought to pull them out and replace them with something else.

Easy DIY Homemade Weed Killers

There’s always a constant battle raging between you and those stubborn, unsightly weeds. It started in earnest again this year, like it has every other, in the spring when the sunshine becomes plentiful and the plants and grass come out of dormancy.

Now, you’re out in your yard more than you’d like to be, pulling weeds. Bending over, breaking your back when you could be actually enjoying your outdoor space. It’s all a waste of time and you’re giving serious consideration to pulling up all that’s organically green and replacing every square inch of grass with hardscaping.

Alas, you have furry family members who would most surely object to the taking away of their space to romp and do their business. What’s more, you don’t want to go through the time and expense of doing so but one thing is for sure, you’re tired of fighting the battle because it’s become a costly one. Don’t fret, because you can ditch the chemicals and whip-up a weed killer right in your kitchen.

Organic versus Chemical Control Treatments

One of the biggest reasons for “going green” is help do your part in protecting our collective natural resources, but, for you, it’s a matter of practicality; and, to make your yard a bit safer for little ones and your beloved pets. After all strutting around the grass, which has been treated with fertilizer, pesticide, and of course, weed killer, isn’t necessary the best thing. It puts people and pets’ health in danger as those things are toxic.

…organic gardening and lawn care with cheap homemade herbicides that are easy on the environment. Vinegar, boiling water, salt and other simple ingredients and techniques can tackle any weed problem. The battle lines of summer gardening have been drawn. On one side are dandelions, crab grass, sorrel, clover, dock, nettles, poison ivy and an endless variety of other lawn and garden weeds. On the other side: one determined Green Cheapskate. —MSN Real Estate

That’s really why organic cures are better, because they are natural and for the most part, harmless to humans and pets. For instance, let’s say you have a pool in your yard. It’s a hot summer day and you and the kids take a dip and enjoy snacks. When it comes time to dry off, that’s when the towels are dragged over the grass, over the patio, all of which has been deluged with chemicals; and, that’s the towel being used to wipe off a face–not a good combination and one you want to avoid.

Simple DIY Homemade Weeds Killers to Try in Your Yard

If you’re tired of spending money to combat the weeds which seem to never stop ruining your yard, then try one of these six homemade weed killer recipes:

1. Vinegar. Distilled white vinegar is a great way to get rid of weeds in your yard. Just pour it over the unwanted weeds and let the acid in the kitchen pantry staple do all the work. Be sure to target the roots, if you don’t, you’ll only kill of the leaves and that’s not enough. Another thing is to be careful. Put it in a spray bottle and do not dose nearby flowers and plants, because vinegar doesn’t know the difference.
2. Table salt, vinegar, and dish soap. If you take it a step further and combine vinegar with table salt and a bit of dish soap, you’ll have a more powerful weapon against weeds. The acid, along with the sodium chloride, will attack the roots, while the soap will cause the mix to stick. Put together 2 cups vinegar, 1/2 cup salt, and 1 teaspoon of dish soap and apply.
3. Rubbing alcohol. This is also an easy spray and forget trick that works as it drains the moisture in the unsightly plants and causes them to wither. Spray it on the weeds directly, not the other plants and flowers, and let it dry for a moment. Don’t let pets near this when first applied, give it a few moments to dry.
4. Cornmeal. The corn gluten in this common household cooking ingredient acts like a contraceptive and keeps seeds from forming into weeds. Be careful, though, this should only be applied in areas where there are only weeds and not plants and flowers. Once treated, rejuvenate the soil and then you can plant seeds for flowers, plants, and vegetables.

A bonus concoction is a combination of smart strategy and modern science: they’re called ground covers. Because all things that grow from the ground compete for nourishment, a ground cover is a great weapon against weeds because plants and flowers will have a decided edge and thrive.

Drought Tolerant Plants For Your Florida Landscape

Although Florida generally sees upwards of 50 inches of rain each year, the state isn’t immune to the problem of drought. With most of Florida’s rain falling between the months of May and October, landscapers and homeowners are faced with the difficult task of finding beautiful plants that will withstand the dry conditions through the remainder of the year. Fortunately, there are some plants that can thrive in extreme heat – even with a lack of water.

• Portulaca

Known as “moss roses,” this colorful flowering plant has a built-in drought stress system, meaning it grows best during the hot, dry summer months. Portulaca blooms similarly to a cactus, with succulent leaves and ruffled petals in bright shades of red, pink, purple, orange, yellow, and white. This aggressive, self-seeding plant spreads quickly, and is perfectly suited to rock gardens with good drainage.

• Catmint

Another favorite of rock garden landscapers, Catmint provides beautiful grey-green foliage year-round and small lavender flowers throughout the summer months. This useful plant can grow up to four feet tall, making it a perfect option for landscapers looking to fill space or create edges and borders. Catmint is especially attractive to bees and butterflies, which are drawn to the plant’s pale flowers – traditionally in shades of purple and blue, but can also be pink or white.

• Agastache

Bees and hummingbirds love this plant’s tall “spikes” of flowers – and the aromatic scent of these spikes makes Agastache a popular choice of gardeners and landscapers looking for drought-resistant flowers. This showy plant blooms fragrantly throughout the season, filling the garden with color even in the driest of summers. Agastache, like Catmint, is a tall plant that grows best in well-drained soil, as a border or behind shorter plants.

• Lantana

The vibrant, beautiful blossoms that adorn this plant make it a great choice for a dry garden – bringing in some much-needed brightness and color. The aromatic blooms, which contrast nicely with the plant’s dark green foliage, can be yellow, orange, red, blue, or white, and tend to change color as they mature. Growing Lantana will not only bring variety and interest to your garden, it will also attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

• Salvia

With its bright columns of color, Salvia Splendens is an attention-grabbing feature for a dry garden. The plant’s flowers are generally deep, vibrant red, but newer varieties come in blue, purple, pink, salmon, and white. Salvia prefers to grow in well-drained soil, but this hardy plant prefers little water and bright sunlight. The versatility of this plant makes it a perfect filler for any yard, as it can be used in flower beds, containers, borders, or rock gardens.

• California Poppy

These delicate, silky flowers begin blooming as early as February, filling the garden with shades of red, yellow, and orange – but the petals close up each night, and sometimes remain closed on cool or cloudy days. The California Poppy’s long-lasting flowers will keep your yard looking colorful until the end of September, even with poor soil conditions, blazing sun, and a lack of water.

• Artemisia

This robust plant fills garden spaces with mounds of slender, silvery leaves that provide a perfect backdrop to more brightly colored flowering flora. Artemisia is a fragrant shrub that is known for its culinary and medicinal uses, but the plant’s preference for dry soil makes it an excellent choice for anyone looking to keep their yard looking fresh and green through drought conditions.

• Licorice Plant

The silvery elegance of the Licorice Plant offers another great accent to add contrast to your garden. This plant’s long, trailing vines makes it the perfect choice for a rock garden or in a hanging container, but it will also grow out and fill any space. With a subtle green color and small, delicate leaves, the Licorice Plant is a beautiful choice for a drought-tolerant garden.

• Yarrow

Featuring aromatic, feathery leaves and vibrant flowers, Yarrow is a favorite among gardeners and landscapers. This hardy plant is commonly used as a companion plant, meaning it repels pests and attracts predatory insects like ladybugs and hoverflies, but it is also a beautiful addition to the garden with its tightly-packed flower heads. Yarrow grows best in hot, dry conditions.

• Succulents

These trendy plants are perfect for dry climates – their stems and leaves are built to store water. Succulents boast subtle, cool shades of green, blue, and purple, and thick, architectural leaves, making them a unique addition to any garden. There are tons of varieties of succulents available, too – there’s a succulent to suit any style of landscaping.

Filling your yard with these hardy, drought-resistant plants means spending less time and money keeping your garden watered – and when water restrictions are in place, this can save your yard from looking dried out and brown. Instead, let your lush, green plants be the envy of your neighbors by planting appropriate flora for the Florida climate.

Plants to Avoid in Your Landscape

Landscaping isn’t just about picking the right colors, lines, and shapes, it’s also about what you chose to plant. While you will probably opt for color and beauty to make it really pop, you ought to avoid certain plants. Not only those which won’t thrive on your property because of its geographical location and type of climate, but others as well. You should research each choice in order to prevent problems that will later be a reality.

The key to having a great landscape is to plan well in advance of taking-on the project. That’s true of most big jobs, planning ahead and taking into account as many contingencies as possible. While you might not think of everything, you will be able to come up with enough to make the effort really matter. Take into consideration more than style and function and you’ll certainly be glad you took the time to do so.

Types of Plants that Can be Harmful

What should you consider besides style and function? There are actually four kinds of plants that won’t be a good choice: noxious, invasive, unsustainable, and troublesome. If the plants have even one of these qualities, you ought to avoid including them in your landscape. The reasons for this vary, so, let’s look at each one and you’ll quickly understand why this is true.

There are certain plants in this area that can cause skin rashes and irritations lasting a week or more. Most of the human population reacts to these plants, and sensitivity in individuals changes over time. People who have never had a reaction in the past should still avoid these plants, since toxins can build up in an immune system, and after a certain level cause a reaction. —USDA Forest Service

Noxious plants are those which cause health problems, which can range from irritating to serious. Some plants cause allergies to bloom, itchy skin, watery eyes, and congestion. Invasive plants are, of course, do not naturally grow in the area and are oftentimes quite troublesome because they spread aggressively. Unsustainable plants are those which have short lifespans and those which are susceptible to disease. Troublesome plants are those that just aren’t worth the time and effort–these include plants that need a lot of attention to keep looking their best and/or to keep healthy.

Top Landscape Plants to Avoid in Your Yard

There are some plants which don’t belong in residential landscaping. For various reasons, the following plants shouldn’t be part of your landscape:

• Gingko biloba. These trees have been around since the prehistoric times and they do have a certain beauty, growing up-to 70 feet in height. However, the fan-shaped leaves are quite difficult to rake after falling, not because of their size, but their smell. Gingko has an offensive odor, one that sticks to your clothing and follows you back into the house.
• Chinese tallow. Also referred to as popcorn trees, Sapium sebiferum have wonderful shading capacity, and offer eye-popping colors during the fall season. However, their sheer size, up to 40 feet tall and 30 feet wide, make raking leaves a big project. The real problem with Chinese tallow is it’s on the invasive species list and is aggressive about taking away as many resources it can from the competition.
• Sweet gum. Liquidambar styraciflua is native to the eastern United States and it grows up to 60 feet tall. It provides a vast amount of shade but that comfort comes with a price. Sidewalks crack when the surface roots grow out. It also produces a spiny fruit that falls several times during the year. Those same spiny fruit are harmful to pets who might find them all too tempting.
• Mimosa. Albizia julibrissin or the silk tree, is native to Japan, and produces pink flowers. It also grows up to 40 feet in height and thrives under the summer sun. However, the pink flowers and seeds fall everywhere. What’s more, this is an invasive species and will spread if planted.
• Honey locust. Gleditsia triacanthos is a plant that’s native to central eastern portions of the United States. It is known for its ability to grow quickly up to a height of 70 feet. This tree is covered in fern-like leaves, but those only hide the thorns underneath. Should it reach its end-of-life, become damaged, or develop a disease, it will pose a danger if it falls.
• Cottonwood. Populus is a deciduous tree, meaning that its leaves fall seasonally. It thrives in both hot and cold environments and grows fast to heights between 40 feet to 60 feet. Some species of this tree are listed as invasive but the real problem with these is the sticky sap cotton pods are nothing short of a nuisance.
• Linden. Also known as basswood, Tilia are also deciduous trees that grow 60 feet high and native to the eastern part of the country. Like cottonwood, it is sappy and attracts aphids, but the sap presents a host of problems.

How to Keep a Healthy Summer Yard

Summer is here in Sarasota, a preview of the annual season already occurred. If you think you’re dealing with a lot of stress and dread heat and humidity, just think about your yard. It can’t escape the sun and you compound its problematic existence by walking all over it. Hours of high heat, with little reprieve overnight, made worse by strong summer storms all spell trouble for your yard. That’s why it’s important to know how to keep a yard health during summer.

Why Routine Lawn Care is So Important

To maintain its natural green beauty, your grass must be cared for in the proper manner. This includes such things as a regularly serviced, tuned-up lawn mower, along with other lawn care equipment. Now is also a great time to test run your irrigation system. It’s possible you’ll discover leaks, breakage, and other problems; but, that’s okay, because there are ways to troubleshoot a sprinkler system.

According to Audubon.org, the average homeowner spends roughly 40 hours mowing their lawn each year, and we Americans spend $8.5 billion on lawn care products and equipment. Lawns are a major part of the gardening scene, with millions of acres in this country alone. Keeping a lawn in tip-top shape can be a big job, but my approach to it is a little more relaxed than others. —Today.com

Since you can’t relocate your lawn, you’ll need to care for it as the summer months bear down, day after day. It’s possible you’ll have to revive a winter beaten lawn or perhaps now is a good time to put down new sod for a great look and plenty of enhanced curb appeal.

How to Keep a Healthy Summer Yard

Remember, the sun isn’t the only thing your yard deals with — pets, pests, weeds, non-native and invasive plants, and towering trees can also present serious competition for sunlight, soil, moisture, and nutrients. Here are some helpful suggestions about how to keep a yard health during summer:

• Keep foot traffic to a minimum. Walking on well-watered grass is something to be avoided. When grass is wet and endures foot traffic, the blades will spring back. However, when you walk on a wet lawn, you are compacting the soil. That causes air to be choked-off from the roots. What’s more, on a dry lawn, grass blades will remain tamped down, causing damage to your yard.
• Always cut grass at the right height. It’s very tempting to cut the grass short to lengthen the time between mowing. No one likes suffering through the heat of summer when it’s more convenient to mow it short, that’s understandable. But doing so will expose the soil to more heat, causing moisture to evaporate at a faster rate. In addition, the more grass tissue removed, the less cool your lawn will be during summer. Cut the grass 3 inches high and your lawn will benefit.
• Water appropriately, don’t overdo it. Many people know the best time to water a lawn is just before sunrise, when it can bolster dew, making for a great environment for grass to drink and thrive. Water deeply but infrequently, a good rule-of-thumb. Too much moisture is trouble for grass physiology and for soil organisms, being deprived of precious oxygen and more susceptible disease. Water in zones and then wait until the lawn is dry to water again.
• Do not bag grass clippings, use them. It’s common for homeowners to bag and discard grass clippings after mowing their lawns. After all, it looks better and is also a great way to gain organic materials for composting. But, it’s a waste because grass clippings can be broadcast over the lawn with a mulching mower. These act as slow-release fertilizer as the clippings decompose. You should not spread grass clippings near water or storm drains, though.
• Wait until fall to overseed your lawn. Some lawns are more prone to heat stress because of the species of grass. This makes seeding and overseeding seem necessary to revive and make your grass healthy once again. However, it’s actually best to wait until fall to overseed your lawn. This will equip it to withstand the summer heat when it arrives again the following season. You should learn which species of grass you have and how it’s best seeded for the best results.

If it’s time to refresh your landscape, contact us. We are a full-service, professional landscape design company and serve all of Sarasota, including near Bayfront Drive, around Rolling Green Golf Club, along Longboat Club Road, and elsewhere.

Backyard Entertaining Landscape Ideas

Your outdoor living space might be less than exciting, or, functional. You’ve wrestled with the idea of a complete makeover, but, just can’t come-up with a conducive idea that will work. Sure, you’ve seen plenty of design ideas, but these look difficult to implement, and what’s more, just too expensive. Like many homeowners, you want an impressive backyard entertaining space, but the landscaping is less than inviting. It’s just too plain, too old, and too much to transform into something new.

Like with many things in life, there are workarounds for making a boring space into something that will wow. The good news is, it doesn’t have to come at a huge price. There are plenty of ways to get the look you most want and keep costs way down. With a little creativity and some elbow grease, you’ll be surprised what you can accomplish.

Choosing the Right Outdoor Living Space Arrangement

The biggest trick you’ll have to pull off is to choose the right outdoor living space theme and arrangement. Some homeowners envision a beautiful outdoor kitchen, complete with all the bells and whistles: a small refrigerator, over-sized grill, a sink, some storage space, plenty of landing space to prepare meals, and of course, lots of seating with tables for family members and guests. While this is certainly a worthwhile endeavor, it should be done with a lot of foresight.

Before you contemplate specific backyard landscaping designs, you have to ask yourself some basic questions. What are you looking for from your yard? Are you trying to create an entertainment area where you can host friends for cookouts? Or is kicking back and relaxing in a meditation garden more your style? If you have kids and/or pets, you’ll have to take their needs into account when designing your yard. —Landscaping, About.com

A huge mistake is to build-out a place for an over-sized grill, only to discover during the first try out, the guests are smothered under a cloud of smoke. That seating arrangement might seem to flow just right, giving plenty of room to maneuver, but, it’s also exposed to the full strength of the sun, creating a sauna effect. You probably get the idea — being thoughtful about where this and that will go and how it will interact with the environment and weather is of utmost importance. This is why you need a workable plan to make a truly beautiful and functional outdoor entertaining space. Know typical wind patterns, sunlight exposure, and the like to arrange the space for maximum comfort.

Backyard Entertaining Landscape Ideas

If you’ve seen different concepts, designs, and even finished projects, these can look very overwhelming. Instead of tackling the entire project from start to finish at-once, consider an incremental approach. Over the course of a few or several weekends, you can piece the concept together, which can actually help you save money and time, if you approach it smartly. Here are some backyard entertaining landscape ideas:

• Install a fire pit. A fire pit is a multi-functional feature that can be used for gathering around to cook, roast marshmallows, or just provide ambiance. Regardless if it’s square, rectangular, or round, you can install a fire pit that also serves as a table, with seating all around it. For additional look and function, stake some citronella bamboo torches around the perimeter to fend off insects and for a bit of fragrance.
• Put-up a pergola. This is also a multi-function feature because it can be used as a gathering place where guests are shaded from the sun. Install lighting for evening use, and, go for beauty by spreading vines over the top and along the support posts. If you want to take it an extra step, put an outdoor fireplace at one end, giving it a more sophisticated look.
• Install a water feature. A waterfall is a background feature that not only looks terrific, it adds quite a bit of ambiance to an outdoor space, with its sound of flowing water. Place lighting around it to make it sparkle during the night for an even more exquisite experience.
• Create a garden dining area. If you like to grow vegetables and/or fruits, this can be expanded to do much more. Put a picnic bench right alongside your garden, or, plant a garden around a picnic table. You can treat your guests to fresh meals while dining right in the heart of the garden.
• Transform a shed into a studio. If you have an old shed on your property, you might consider refurbishing it and transforming it into a studio. Hang French doors, install a few windows, and extend a small porch from the front, complete with seating. You can also opt to wire it to accommodate a small refrigerator and lighting.

Another thing you can do is to hang a hammock or two. These are great for relaxing and can bring a bit more functionality to your outdoor living space.

Preventing Brown Lawn Spots

Now that we’re well into the fall months and winter is officially right around the corner, you’ll probably see more and more brown spots on your lawn. When homeowners see such sights, particularly this time during the year, they often attribute it to the season–after all the grass is dormant and there’s less rain, with much cooler temperatures.

To a good degree, that sentiment is true, but weather and climate alone are not the only causes of browning grass patches. There can be a few different reasons you’re seeing what appear to be deadening patches throughout your yard and it doesn’t necessarily have to do with seasonal change.

If you grew-up having the chore of raking leaves in the lawn, especially during the fall months, you probably attribute that mundane task with parental discipline and their want to keep the yard looking good. However, you might not know that raking leaves is far more than an aesthetic choice, it’s one that’s often necessary for the health the grass systems incorporated into your yard. Sure, it might keep the yard tidy, but it also keeps it healthy.

Common Reasons for Brown Lawn Spots

So why is it that raking is healthy for grass? Well, that’s because the majority of yards in North America, particularly those in the northern United States, as well as throughout the midwest and into the south, are composed, in-part or in-whole, of what’s known as “cool-season” grass. One example is Kentucky bluegrass, which, contrary to conventional wisdom, is not actually dormant during the fall. In fact, the opposite is true, such grass is really the most active during the fall season, as it seeks to revitalize from the heat of the summer.

Symptoms of brown and large patch diseases may vary greatly with the type of grass and soil conditions. The diseases usually cause thinned patches of light brown grass that are roughly circular in shape. These areas range in diameter from a few inches to several feet. Often the center of the patch will recover, resulting in a doughnut-shaped pattern. When disease conditions are favorable, large areas of the lawn may be uniformly thinned and eventually killed with no circular patch being evident. This type of pattern is commonly seen on infected St. Augustine grass grown in shady, moist locations. —Clemson Cooperative Extension

It is through the months of fall such cool-season grass does its best to “make hay” in a necessary process to strengthen its root system. If the grass is not given free reign to soak-up as much sunshine as possible, it will be deprived of much-needed nutrients and water. The latter two are more scarce during autumn and sunlight becomes all the more critical to the equation. If you allow leaves to cover your lawn, an impenetrable canopy will prevent that precious sunshine from getting to the grass.

Preventing Brown Lawn Spots

Though leaves can be a problem, causing brown lawn spots, these are not the only cause. There are a few other sources of browning lawn grass and ways to prevent and/or treat such unsightly spots. Here are the most common causes and treatment protocols:

• Brown spots in unexpected, but seemingly consistent places. If you are raking the leaves and doing so regularly, but still see brown grass patches in your yard, it could be an organic life form that’s causing those spots. A popular best friend and quadruped, your furry family member, your dog. Dog urine is quite harmful to grass because it contains concentrated nitrogen, which actually burns the grass. Given enough potty visits in a particular area, which dogs are well-known for having their favorite places, and the result is brown patches in the same places. One way to prevent this is with a pit stop made of pea gravel or mulch.
• Broad creeping brown spots. Though mowing is a weekly requirement in Sarasota during the spring and especially the summer months, it slows during autumn. However, the need to mow doesn’t completely stop, mowing in Florida is almost a year-round job, and, if you’ve notice brown patches, take note of when they begin to show and are most prominent. Then, check your lawnmower blade, it’s probably dull and/or you’re cutting too close to the soil.
• Brown patches appearing after raking leaves. If this is the case, the explanation most likely is spelled-out above. Leaves block sunlight and, if left in the dark long enough, cool-season grass, most especially, will suffer and begin to wither, struggling for light, nutrients, and water. Rake regularly to prevent brown spots from forming under fallen leaves.

Should you not experience browning in the fall but see it when it’s most unlikely, like in the summer, then the cause is either Japanese grubs and beetles or it’s brown patch fungus. One way to tell is the latter thrives most in hot, humid conditions.

Basic DIY Landscaping Tips and Tricks

Putting a landscape design together takes a lot of preparation and know how. Unfortunately, homeowners are bombarded with media that magically transforms properties in thirty to sixty minutes, yielding stunning results that isn’t possible without the help of dozens and dozens of crew members. That phenomenon gives homeowners the misconception landscaping is not difficult. Of course, it’s often the hard way that notion is dispelled and that’s when disappointment sets-in.

Landscaping, like anything else, is a process, and, it can be a complicated and complex one. Breaking it down to fundamentals is essential to getting the right results. By following some basic principles, do-it-yourself types can produce a great design that really impresses the eye and serves in a functional capacity.

Where many people go wrong is going all out and going too big. It’s best to start small and work up in an incremental manner, developing on a particular theme and keeping it flush with continuity. It’s wanting the perfect design and not seeing the forest for the trees which causes mistakes to be made and that will cost a lot more time and money. Settling on a concept and executing in a step-by-step fashion will yield the best results, not trying to do it all in one shot.

Fundamental Landscape Principles

Professional designers blend five basic elements into each of their projects: color, or more particularly, how colors relate to one another, form, line, scale, and texture. It’s the relationship and balance between these things which serve as the cornerstones of great landscapes. Conspicuous by its absence in those five elements is function, and that’s likely why do-it-yourself homeowners focus just on aesthetics only to learn later-on that their new design is lacking. For instance, let’s take a scenario in which you install a fire pit that’s right in the middle of your yard, only to discover it’s now in a place where keeping it lit is problematic because wind routinely blows strong over it.

Do-it-yourselfers must first learn the basic designing elements that underlie the discipline of landscape design. These fundamental elements will then serve as building blocks for learning and implementing the more advanced principles for designing a garden in the backyard. These tried and true principles are the cornerstones of the world’s picture-perfect gardens. —Landscaping, About.com

Another example would be placing seating on an uncovered patio to entertain, only to learn that it’s arranged in such a way that it’s right in the heat of the sun and, too far away from the grill. You have to think beyond beauty and about how some elements will serve a purpose. If you don’t plan every aspect out, you’ll be left with having to sort it out later and could even face having to completely uninstall something to correct the situation and then put it back.

Basic DIY Landscaping Tips and Tricks

To get started, you’ll need a game plan. Begin with your budget, because that’s ultimately will determine how big and grand your design will be. Again, start small, you can always add to it later-on and make improvements and embellishments as time goes by until you get it to your liking. Once you have a budget established, then do the following:

• Write out a list of your needs first, wants second. Prioritize what you’d like to include and start with your must-haves. If you want to create a space that’s going to be a place to entertain, you’ll likely need a grill, preparation surfaces, and serving platforms. Then, include the things you want, after you’ve got the essentials.
• Learn the sun and wind patterns. This is a big problem that often goes unknown until you’ve wandered into the know. Before you put anything in permanently, take some time to learn the sun and wind patterns and save yourself the grief, frustration, time, and effort.
• Work with your yard in varied ways. Think about your entire space in sections. Put seating here, hardscaping there, a water feature over in one corner, then rearrange all of them to find the best ebb and flow. You’ll probably discover there are better ways to arrange your features.
• Begin small. Okay, so this point has been made, but it bears repeating. Starting small is a sure way to avoid making a monumental mistake, or two, or three, or more.
• Create around a focal point. It could be a fire pit, a waterfall, a flower garden, anything that stands-out. Work out from the focal point and keep the look and feel continuous.
• Strike a balance. You should create a flow of color and avoid monotony. Too much of one thing will be a bad thing and too little might make something look out of place.

Last but certainly not least, be willing to change. If something just doesn’t seem to fit the theme or is too much work to put in, then let it go and take a different direction.

How to Create a Rock Garden

Few can deny the beauty and function of a rock garden. What’s this about function, you might be asking? Well, rock gardens are the perfect answer to what ails you the most when it comes to your lawn and landscape. Practically every home has that one area that’s really difficult to maintain. It might be a corner, a slope, or another challenging reality that you absolutely dread having to take care of from time to time. When you put in a rock garden, you won’t have the same headache to deal with, and, you’ll get the added benefit of having a great feature.

What’s more, a rock garden is a kind of one-and-it’s-done, or, set-it-and-forget-it hardscape feature. In other words, once you put in a rock garden, you really don’t have to do much to maintain it. Rocks don’t grow, but, they do help to encourage growth. So, you’ll have to weed around it now and again, unless you put down landscape fabric.

In addition to being easy to create and maintain, there’s the benefit of having a feature that will last for many, many years. This is one of the secrets of professionals, they know that hardscaping brings a lot to an outdoor living and entertainment space, not only providing aesthetics, but also function, and longevity.

What is a Rock Garden Anyway?

A rock garden is just that, its namesake explains it all, at least, to an extent. Unlike some other landscape features, rock gardens can have a very specific purpose, which is mentioned above. These hardscapes are a great way to deal with problematic areas of a lawn and are popular in sub-tropical and tropical climates. A rock garden is typically comprised of assorted sized stones or rocks, and are aesthetically arranged. This arrangement includes small gaps to allow small plants to grow through. These plants are generally less water dependent and thrive in well-drained soil.

“A rock garden is a group of plants that look good planted among rocks,’ says Jody Payne, director of the Rock and Native Plant Gardens at the New York Botanical Garden. ‘They can include small plants, unusual plants, shady areas filled with ephemeral woodland plants and sunny areas dotted with dwarf conifers and small flowering plants and grasses.’” —HGTV Gardens.com

Small rock gardens are created to mimic natural bedrock outcrops for a stunning visual effect. These were very popular landscape features during Victorian times, and, are coming back into style, in-part, because of the ease of creation, and low maintenance. These can be found on commercial properties and are a favorite go-to since they can be arranged for a particular look.

How to Create a Rock Garden

If you want to enhance the look of your landscape, there’s little else that’s as simple as creating a rock garden. What’s more, you don’t have to be a professional to get great results. All you need is some common tools, a little time, and of course, rocks. Here’s how you can create a rock garden:

1. Gather the tools and materials. You’ll need a pair of leather gloves, a spade shovel, wheelbarrow, sand, landscaping marking paint, leaf mold, small gravel, limestone or sandstone, and, rocks of varying sizes. It’s also a good idea to wear heavy work boots to protect your feet while you’re excavating.
2. Choose and mark your rock garden location. Now that you have your tools and materials ready to go, it’s time to choose where you’ll put-in your rock garden. When you settle on a spot, mark the boundaries with landscaping marking paint.
3. Excavate the marked site. Using a spade shovel, begin to excavate into the ground, digging down at least one feet in depth, if you’re digging into a slope, putting the soil and sod aside. Should you not have a slope to dig into, you’ll have to create a raised bed, which will require digging down three feet, and building walls of limestone or sandstone. An alternative is to build a berm, which naturally slopes on all sides and promotes drainage.
4. Put down a drainage layer. This will be where water, such as rainwater and irrigation water seep past. Using large rocks, fill up the excavated area to about one-third to one-half deep. You want it to be even, but certainly have plenty of small gaps for proper drainage.
5. Put down the sand layer. Now, you’ll need something to support the topsoil, and that’s what a sand layer will do nicely. It should also be even, covering the drainage layer, a few inches in depth, comprised of coarse sand.
6. Put down the soil layer. Mix together one part topsoil, one part leaf mold, and one part small gravel to create a soil layer. This will fill the excavated hole to its brim and then, it’s time to rock out with the finishes.

You can arrange rocks to your liking and then, let it settle for at least a few days. Thereafter, you can plant flowers in the soil layer and then all you have to do is enjoy your new creation!