Landscape Design Technology

In a world of face-paced technological advancement, one can only guess at what the next big thing will be. In the landscape industry, our main focus is still the harmonious integration of the natural and built environments, but we will soon be tapping into the tech environment to utilize new design and presentation tools.  In the near future we plan to use certain computer graphic programs to create 2D and 3D visuals that will enable us achieve more clarity of ideas in our landscape design presentations. The transition will not be immediate, but don’t be surprised if your next landscape proposal includes a photo-realistic image of your property with a stunning new look!    SEE YOU IN THE SPRING!

Ganshert was recently awarded a 2011 NARI Achievement in Consumer Excellence (ACE) Award recognizing us for our attention to customer service and quality workmanship as rated by our clients. Yay us!

Ganshert N&L NARI Award

Hope you all are working on your gift lists. Not sure what to get that person who has everything or is hard to buy for? How about saving him or her valuable time? A Ganshert Gift Certificate for that project you’ve been putting off will free up valuable time to do the things you and they want to enjoy.

P.S. A recent study funded by the Horticultural Research Institute confirmed that a ‘good’ landscape adds value to your home. A summary of the study found the following conclusions:

• Adding one or two island beds (increasing design sophistication) can alone add 2% to the perceived value of your home, e.g. on a $250,000 home that can add $5,000.
• Colorful plantings add nearly $1000 to the home’s value; returning 400%
• Installing a pleasing landscape is a good investment…returning $1.09 in value for every $1 invested.
• Landscapes are one home improvement that increases in value over time. Will a kitchen, a bath, or a deck investment do that?  NO

Give us a Jingle, Jangle, Jingle and we can email your stocking stuffer gift certificate today!

          …”Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”

One thing we can do is put the finishing touches on your outdoor trees and shrubs. Structural pruning is the landscaping term. Now that the leaves are down, we can see exactly what is needed to correct any problems inside your plants. It’s sort of our way of taking an X-ray of all the plant’s bones. What do we look for? Crossing branches, dead branches, broken or split branches, and older non-producing branches. Taking care of your landscape housekeeping now will start out the spring in perfect order; producing healthy, beautiful shrubs and trees that you can and should enjoy.

Call us today for a free estimate and have a Great Holiday Season!

Paul Receives Madison NARI Chapter Image Achievement Award

Paul was presented with the NARI Image Award honoring those who contribute to the enhancement of the remodeling industry’s image. The image award recognizes those who promote the professionalism of NARI and the remodeling industry, not their business.

The November 11th Celebrating Excellence Awards ceremony is considered to be the premier event of the year in the remodeling industry. The event was attended by more than 190 members of the Madison NARI Association. (Click here to see other awards and winners.)

Winter is getting closer to setting in; don’t let your yard maintenance wait until spring.

To help in preventing fungal diseases, mold, critter hideouts, and just having your yard wake up grumpy in the spring, do it a favor and do some cutting back of perennials and clean up your flower beds. And it’s important for prevention of scraping on your siding and possible water damage, that your shrubs and tree branches be pruned. Call us and we can do the once over — you’ll wake up happier in the spring too!  Fall is a great time for planting, too.   274.2443

Need Something To Keep Busy In This Nice Weather?

Lawn Patching

It’s getting a little late to seed patch damaged grass, but you can use sod to repair lawn areas. The sod grows quickly in cool weather and knits together with existing turf. WATER WATER WATER – Keep the sod moist for about 3 weeks until established or winter sets in.

Pruning

Prune back perennials or over-grown shrubs. Remember if spring flowering, don’t cut back in the fall or you won’t get spring blossoms. Most others are okay to prune now. Trees can be pruned in late fall or during winter.

Spring-Flowering Bulbs

Plant spring-flowering bulbs now and up until you can’t get the shovel in the ground anymore. Root growth occurs until soil temps dip below 40 degrees.

Mulching

Use shredded and mulched leaves into the turf. Mowing over the leaves will chop them finely, and those pieces will filter into the turf. Mulching leaves into the lawn will not harm the grass and will improve the soil.

For The Birds

Leave the seed heads on coneflowers and black-eyed Susans for the birds (and winter interest).

Winter Interest

Leave ornamental grasses to flow with the wind this winter. Cut them back in the spring instead. Plant cool-looking shrubs and trees with branching structures that add to the winter beauty of your front or back yard.

Water Water Water

Continue to water any new plantings right up until the ground is frozen. Water evergreens (even established ones) as needed throughout the fall until the ground freezes. Evergreens lose moisture through their needles and leaves (yes, some evergreens have leaves) all during the winter; so they need lots of moisture going into the winter season.

Start a Compost Pile

Before you know it, you will have black gold in to spread over your beds and expensive perennials.

Call Us

If all of this is a bit too much for you to mentally and physically tackle, just give Ganshert’s a call (274.2443), and we will do the whole works for you.

Hey, it’s a great time for hardscape construction! Fall is a landscaper’s dream season. We’re getting caught up and the weather is dry and cool and perfect for those landscape projects you’ve been putting off all year or maybe been putting off for several years. Now’s the time to give us a call. 274.2443

Below is a backyard patio and landscape remake for a client in the Nakoma Neighborhood.  Here is a situation where they had a small  bluestone patio, but didn’t really use it because it was too small (can you tell where the old patio ended and the new begins? I can’t either.) The stone wall was there, but was never finished by another contractor.  So…they hired Ganshert N&L to expand the existing patio (by 150 sq. ft), to remake the natural stone walls with a bluestone cap, design and plant the raised flower beds off the patio, and then design the planting beds for the side and back yard landscaping. What was basically an area not used before, is now a beautiful and practical outdoor space. They love it and the owner tells me, “Peter and I now eat our dinners out on the patio every night; we just love everything about it. Errin (Ganshert’s designer) was wonderful and did such a great job with the design and picking out the plantings that will give us something for every season.”

Why landscape designers go to college for landscape architecture – And Why You Hire A Design/Build Landscape Company:

1.  Color: Use warm colors (red, orange, yellow) to attract attention and excite, and cooler colors (purple, blue, violet, pink) to recede, create a calm mood.

2. Location of flowers on the stem: Flowers that are lateral (axillary) can be hidden by leaves if the flowering occurs after leaf expansion. Terminal flowers (flowers blooming at the end of a stem) are more showier.

3. Fragrance: (sweet) lilacs, some viburnums, privet are pollinated by bees, moths, butterflies. Foetid (smelly) flowers are pollinated by flies, beetles, e.g., callery pear, lantana viburnum

4. Season: When does the plant bloom?  Spring is most common. Late fall or winter flowering plants include hybrid and vernal witchhazels; summer flowering includes roses, hydrangeas; early fall includes sweet-autumn clematis, Russian-sage. Some bloom heavy in spring and sporadically in summer.

5. Size: How large are the flowers? large flowers are one inch in diameter or larger.

6. Intensity of bloom: Some years are better than others — some plants are alternate bearing (some crabapples and fruit trees). Or  delay of a year’s bloom could be environmental, such as a late killing spring frost or a severe winter. Flowers that are produced before the leaves or above the foilage, e.g., bottlebrush buckeye, redbud, forsythia

7. Duration: How long does the plant stay in flower? Most woody plants are in flower for only 5-14 days, but some flower for a longer or shorter period, while others are sporadic in flower. We can increase the duration of bloom in our landscape by choosing plants that bloom over a longer period of time, not just in spring. Also, microclimates can change duration causing the plant to bloom earlier (located next to a heat vent) or later (placed in shade or on the north side of a building), which could be beneficial to avoid late killing frosts, e.g., magnolias.

Aeration and Overseeding

About this time of year (especially during a hot and dry summer) your lawn may be looking a little thin, developing brown spots, or just doesn’t look as good as it should. Over time, lawn soil becomes compacted or hard, and your turf has trouble filling in those thin and browning spots. Summer heat, drought, insects and disease can also take their toll. If any of this sounds and looks familiar, aeration and overseeding should be on your spring or fall to-do list.

One of the best means of rejuvenating turf is to combine the power of professional aeration with overseeding. All lawns, regardless of their condition, can benefit from some level of renovation every year or two.

During aeration, we’ll use a machine known as a core aerator to pull plugs of soil and thatch up from your lawn. The compacted soil is loosened thus creating more space for air, water and fertilizer to reach the roots, resulting in a much healthier root system for a thicker, healthier lawn. Some people are under the misconception that you have to thatch your lawn every year – not the case. There are some instances where a lawn is bad enough to require thatching. It much more important to aerate — aerating helps to break up thatch, which can prevent water, fertilizer and insect controls from reaching the soil.

Following up aeration with overseeding is a great way to thicken up a thin lawn or develop a hardier, more drought-resistant grass. Good seed-to-soil contact is essential for seeding success, and the new grass seed will have an easier time germinating and growing in the holes left behind by aeration. Keep in mind that when overseeding your lawn (whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or a Ganshert client); the soil should be kept moist with light, frequent sprinklings (twice a day) until the new grass is well established (about 2 inches high).

For more information on lawn renovation, or to schedule fall aeration and overseeding, give Ganshert Nursery & Landscaping LLC a call 274.2443 or email us at info@ganshert.com