Far too often, we want what we cannot have. We often cringe when we hear clients long list of plants they want. They won’t budge on some kind of plant they like because they are trying to recreate a memory.
Your landscape is subject to the laws of nature. If your climate won’t support the plants you want, you have to choose something else. Unless you are the big lottery winner and have endless funds and time to manage a plant growing in the wrong place, you must concede to Mother Nature.
Here is a perfect article that demonstrates that theory. Choose wisely. Get professional help with your choices and you will be richer for it, in time and money.
Frozen Pipe
It’s going to get cold soon. It’s not enough to turn off your sprinkler system. If you live in the mountain community of Wrightwood, and the transitional zones of Phelan, Pinon Hills, West Cajon Valley and Oak Hills, you should think about winterizing your sprinkler system. Water left in your lines, sprinklers and valves will freeze and expand damaging your system. You won’t realize it until spring comes and you start to use your system again. You could be at risk right now. Winterizing your system will remove all the water from your pipes and equipment so that there is less opportunity for problems. Call us to get on our schedule to winterize now or call us for the inevitable repairs you will need come this spring.
The very best time of the year is here. Fall is the winding down of the growing season and that is why it is the very best time to plant. Things are getting slower on top but there is lots of activity down below in the root zone. Plants planted in the fall take off sooner and do better in spring, than plants planted any other time of the year.
This is a great time to build and work your compost pile with all the leaves and twigs and branches you clean up this fall. Or add your homemade compost to your garden to build up the soil for next year’s veggie garden.
Keep watering trees and shrubs, but much less often. Still water deep though. Just space the days between watering more. Some plants may look dead, but they are really just dormant and all that root action is taking place down below. I suggest you not cut back perennials until new spring growth to insulate the core of the plant from winter frosts.
Definitely this is time to check and winterize your sprinkler system if you live in a zone of freezing weather. Thoroughly check your system before winterizing to make sure you don’t wrap up a leak that will be a problem for months. Then wrap pipes with insulation or cover sprinkler valves with an insulated box. A large insulated cooler works well for this and gives easy access. We can help you with winterizing
Plan for winter weed control to eliminate spring weeds. A pre-emergent weed application in the winter will prevent most spring weeds and give you your weekends when warm weather arrives again. We can quote you on your preventative weed control. We get really busy in the winter with applications and timing is preferred before a rainfall to water in the pre-emergent with FREE water from the sky. Call to get on our schedule so we might schedule you at the most optimum time.
Call Us at (760) 868-6104
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Plan for fire.
By Cindy Poore
This was a crazy summer! So, so hot. I may be getting old, but I don’t remember so may days of 100 plus heat from past years. Isn’t it usually just a few (3-4) weeks? This heat is just going on and on. And the fires are not making things better.
The fire. Now THAT was scary. And it didn’t even come close to us. The Blue Cut Fire burned so fast, so hot, so unpredictably, that we were under mandatory evacuation orders. After seeing the devastation, I can understand why. They couldn’t take any risks.
We were safe and pretty far from the actual fire. I wish I could say the same for everyone. A dear, dear friend’s property was right in its path. Fires were popping up everywhere on his property. He and his son stayed behind to defend his home and buildings. They fought with tractors and shovels and were on the point of exhaustion around midnight when a group of firefighters came over the ridge and helped them fight the monster off. All his buildings were saved. Tragically, his very near neighbors and many others in his valley were not so fortunate and lost their homes.
So planning for fire in your landscaping and maintenance is essential for nearly any home. Here are some tips from the University of California Cooperative Extension:
DEFENSIBLE SPACE GUIDELINES
Below are general guidelines adapted from CAL FIRE:
1. Create and maintain a defensible space of at least 100 feet or greater from each building or structure.
2. From the home to a distance of 30 feet, keep plants low, and make sure to have irrigation available when needed. Check with your local fire department about the exact distances required in your area.
3. Preserve single specimens or groupings of well-spaced and well-pruned trees or other vegetation.
4. Eliminate ladder fuels within the defensible space zone by disrupting the vertical and/or horizontal continuity of plants.
- Staying Home May 31, 2020Staying home has new meaning since the tragic and crazy world of COVID-19. While most are keeping a low profile at home, Perfection Landscape knows that we are essential for helping our clients care for their home environments. We continue to do maintenance for our regular and new clients keeping with social distancing guidelines for […]
- Weeds are Back! March 10, 2018Is your yard Exploding with weeds ? You may think a few weeds here or there aren’t much to worry about, but did you know most weeds are capable of producing over a thousand seeds each? Rain and the warmer weather that will follow will make conditions just right for hose little land mines […]