Love Your Landscape – August 2019

Now that summer is here, we can enjoy our outdoor areas where we’ve been investing our resources, creativity and personal style. And no one is happier about that than me.

For those whose outdoor living dreams have yet to be realized, there are a few simple ways to improve the time we spend outdoors. Creating boundaries and definition can help you feel more comfortable in any outdoor area, and this helps you know where elements in your landscape begin and end.

As much as I like fencing an outdoor living area, I also like using plants as a privacy fence as a solution without taking on the commitment of installing a wooden or metal fence. Creating a sense of space is essential to utilizing the exterior of your property. If you don’t have a fence, there are a lot of landscape hedge ideas that incorporate plants to establish a boundary line around your home.

One of my favorite (and green) uses for seclusion is to create a boundary line of fast-growing trees that will reach their maximum height within a few years. Having fast-growing trees and shrubs as lawn edging throughout your yard will create a natural fence that will keep noise out and block the view from the inside and out. Some privacy fence ideas include using English Laurel or Privet to create a “green” wall. Both these plants grow quickly and keep their dark green colors year-round.

Within these beautifully-constructed boundaries, let’s not forget about the lawn itself. Here are a few tips to keep your yard healthy throughout the warmest moths of the summer:

•Take a Day Off from Watering: One way to keep your lawn beautiful while keeping your water bill down is to cut out one watering day per week…this can reduce your water use by as much as 15%.

•Time of Day: Water in early-morning hours before sunrise to lessen water lost to evaporation and daytime winds.

•Monitor Your Landscape: Make adjustments to watering times as needed. Shaded or protected areas may need less water than other zones. You may even be able to water less frequently than you think.

•Check Your Irrigation System: Check your irrigation system weekly for broken or misaligned sprinkler heads and drip emitters, which can be prime water-waste culprits.

•Mow for Best Results: Each time you mow the lawn, change directions. Set your mower to the proper height to promote a healthy lawn and to reduce water use. Recommended mowing heights are 2 1/2″ to 3″ for Tall Fescue.

If your goal this summer is to create your own personal summer oasis, take some time to think about these tips, and how you can incorporate them into your outdoor lifestyle.