By Cindy Poore
Love, love, love April. The flowers in our landscapes are bustin’ out all over with blooms and reminding us that everyday is another chance at a more colorful life.
Hope you are making the most of yours.
My tulips under my bedroom window are a riot of reds and yellows. They don’t usually show their colors until mid- to late April but have been blooming since middle of March. This past winter of warmer than expected weather has given all the plants (and weeds) a jump start.
The warmer weather and nice days inspire people to get out in their yards and enjoy the landscape. Or if the landscape isn’t what you want, now is the perfect time to plan what changes you want to make.
We get really busy this time of year with oodles of calls for landscape designs, installations and sometimes just consulting for people who want to do the work themselves and aren’t sure how to get started.
Even if you aren’t sure where and what to do, you can get started on improving your yard and scratching that landscaping itch with some plants in pots. Pots are great for people who want to try their hand at gardening or growing vegetables, but are afraid to make a mistake. Plant
something in a few pots and set them out on the patio and enjoy them for a while. You can plant them in the ground later.
I like to get really big pots of various shapes and size and put some nice drainage in the bottom. Use some shipping peanuts topped with landscape fabric and then really great soil. Make sure you use the regular peanuts and not the biodegradable kind or they will melt under the soil and your plants will sink.
When planting pots for color, I like to put in a foundation shrub, preferably evergreen. Plant it off center and put some single color annual or perennial plants and at least one “spiller” near the edge to fill the bare spots. A spiller is a ground cover or plant that will drape over the side of the pot.
Think in contrasting colors. Use a tall heavenly bamboo with the sharp orange of a Gallardia and a nice gray foliage of Snow-in-Summer for the spiller. This would look stunning in a deep blue pot. Practically a whole landscape in a pot…
Keep your color scheme to only three main colors. Any more and the whole effect is diffused and distracting. Keep in mind, that freezes are still possible, so protect your new plants for at least another month from freezing, by covering at night or keeping in an area close to the house and with overhead protection.
Call us today
For help with your landscape
at (760) 868-6104
Spring is nature’s way of saying “Let’s Party!”
Robin Williams
April Tasks
¤April is when, near the end of the month, you will be safe to trim back your perennials and frost damaged plants. Some of your perennials look a little sad from winter weather (or what little we have had) and I’m sure you have been itching to get going on this.
¤Those of you that have fruit trees, now is the time to thin out some of the fruit while it is still marble sized. Take out about 1/3 to ½ of the fruit and you will get larger fruit in return.
¤Check your small plants for rabbit damage. Rabbits will eat anything except chain link. Put wire cages or fences around susceptible plants or planters to protect them, at least while they are small.
¤ Spray your weeds in your lawns while they are still young. Dandelions are crazy early this year! We can do it for you. Call us! 760 868-6104
¤ Time to prune back your butterfly bush (buddeladia) but leave the lilacs alone until after blooming unless you have ignored them in the past, then a renewal pruning is ok you will just get less blooms.
¤ Sow vegetable seeds like Swiss chard, carrots, peas and leeks in the ground and sow seeds for warm weather vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, squash indoors for later transplanting.
Let Us Help You With All Your Landscape Needs
(760)868-6104
Ssssssssst! Watch out for snakes.
The local paper is reporting that the first snakebite of the season has already happened. Another marker of our early warm weather and short winter. REMEMBER: Constriction injuries are often the most serious part of a snake bite. Loosen or remove the clothing in the affected area of the snake bite, remove ALL jewelry. You will puff up and the damage that the tight clothing or jewelry causes, could result in loosing a finger or even a limb!
Don’t stick your hand into a bush or debris pile without looking first so you can stay out of trouble altogether.
My Favorite Recipes
April means Easter is not far off and lots of BBQs and parties coming up. If you want a really easy cookie to serve, try these. From my friend Annabel. I’ve eaten these baked by her hand and they are heavenly.
Really Easy Pecan Puffs
From Annabel O’Leary
½ cup real butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup ground pecans
½ tsp vanilla
Dash of salt
Powdered sugar
Combine all ingredients and roll in 1 inch balls. Bake in 300 degree oven for 45 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar while hot and again when cold.
Chick Salad
By Cindy Poore
I love to find new ways to put healthy, but tasty in my diet. Try this salad for your next BBQ with grilled fish, chicken, beef or Portabellas.
Salad:
1 15 oz can Chick peas drained
1 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow or orange sweet pepper, chopped
2 or 3 chopped Kale leaves
Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbs sugar or Stevia to taste
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
Put all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over salad. Mix well and serve alone or over a bed of shredded lettuce.
By Cindy Poore
My youngest granddaughter (so far) is 5. This is the perfect time to teach her where our food comes from. I have plans to plant some actual food you can eat! I want her to know what real food is and where it comes from. I want her to experience the wonderful flavors of food fresh from the garden.
I’m so excited about this. Last year we planted sunflowers from seed. It was fun and we got to see them jump up high and bloom before winter even though we planted them late. I will keep you posted.
Got Weeds?
Even though we have had almost no rain, we still got weeds. Understanding that for the weed preventer to work, it has to be watered in once; most people want to wait until a predicted rain to have us spray. Which I understand completely because the effort to drag the hoses around to water that stuff in is a major pain and in cold weather too.
The water needed to water it in should not be a big issue for you. It takes between $0.75 and $1.50 (depending on rates and tier) per 1,000 square feet in
water costs to water in your pre-emergent equal to half an inch of rain. For a job of say…10,000 square feet that amounts to $7.50 to $15.00 in water costs.
What the main problem is, I can’t know when it is going to rain. And how much. And rain usually comes in right after or with wind. That limits us in when we can spray safely.
So give us a call to have your weeds sprayed right away. Just getting rid of your existing weeds before they get too numerous, or too big, or set seeds will be a prevention tactic all on it’s own. And if you need someone to help you water in your pre-emergent, we will be able to help you with that for an additional charge.
Now offering watering services for your pre-emergent application.
Call us today at (760) 868-6104
March Tasks
¤Now is the time to tidy up your garden by removing dead leaves from your perennials and cutting back your grasses.
¤Just FYI. The Crepe Myrtles and Russian sage will still look dead for another month or so. Don’t go off thinking they are dead. Patience.
¤If you got tulip bulbs, fertilize after blooming with a balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 or 12-10-18. This is when the new bulbs are forming and the best time to fertilize.
¤Feed all your plants and lawns now, and you will be rewarded with lots of great new green growth and blooms.
Why does my rose bush
look wet?
Spring has sprung. Well, we really did not have much of a winter. What? It rained like twice? The plants have been gearing up for a long growing season this year and the roses are no exception. They are putting out new leaves like crazy. Pretty soon you will see flower buds and beautiful blooms. And sometimes, their leaves will look wet.
The lush new growth of spring plants and the warm weather will bring out the aphids. The aphids secrete honeydew a sticky (and I’m told sweet) which makes the leaves look wet. The honeydew also attracts ants. Ants love aphids and often take care of them just to harvest their honeydew. Sorta like us and cows, ha ha.
If you see ants on or near your plants, look for aphids. Aphids come in all colors and their size can vary a lot depending on their growth stage.
Aphids are usually more annoying than dangerous to your plants. A good strong spray from a garden hose a few days in a row should take care of most of the little guys.
If that doesn’t work, give us a call. Now it the best time for us to apply a season long control for your plants that will kill and repel insects that feed on your plants.
We can kill and prevent bug damage to your plants, trees and shrubs for months with one application.
Call us at (760) 868-6104
The magic of deadheading flowers
Most people have heard of deadheading flowers, but don’t really know why it is so important. Consider that the flower plant is trying to reproduce by flowering. When you cut off the blooms, the plant will respond with more flowers!
My Favorite Recipes
Dinner for One (or two)
I have a lot of friends who are singles or couples who don’t want to fix complex meals but still want to eat good food. Since I share that same situation, I look for things to cook that are yummy, but don’t take a lot of time and ingredients. One of my favorite go-to meals is a game hen. Since they are about 1 ½ lbs each, one hen is enough for two. If there is just you, then you have some wonderful bird left for a salad the next day. Try this recipe and its variations for a great meal.
1 1 ½ to 2 lb game hen, rinsed and pat dry
Salt and pepper to taste.
That’s pretty much it. Wrap the hen in a large piece of aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Unwrap foil from the hen ( push to sides) and roast for 15 more minutes to brown.
Then try one of these great variations for the last 15 minutes after unwrapping foil from top of hen.
Baste hen with BBQ sauce.
Baste hen with your favorite flavor of jam.
Mix 2 tbls. Apricot jam mixed with 1 Tbls. Dijon mustard and ½ tsp cracked pepper and baste hen during last 15 minutes of roasting.
But wait! There’s more.
2 small red potatoes, quartered
2 large mushrooms, quartered
4 stalks fresh asparagus, cut in half
1 small zucchini, sliced in coins
¼ red bell pepper sliced
2 Tbls. Italian salad dressing
Place all veggies in a bowl and toss to coat. Place veggies in a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap. Bake veggies in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Serve with the game hen.
“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not smashing it.” Arnold H. Glasow
Task of the Month
By Cindy Poore
Ok, it’s finally chilly outside and who wants to go out there and work in the garden? But there are always tasks to do even when it is chilly and hopefully wet. Oh yeah, don’t forget the wind. There is always the wind. And the task of the month is Prevention. It’s worth a pound of cure. One of the biggest prevention jobs we love to do is to help you keep your trees, lawns and plants in top shape.
If you have problems with some highly valued trees and shrubs, now is the time to apply the pre-spring insect prevention. This is not a foliar spray after the insects have landed. This is a “from the root area application” that gets absorbed into the tree’s vascular system and protects your trees and shrubs from the inside out from unwanted invaders.
Although you can apply anytime the plant is growing, from now until mid spring is the best time to apply as the plants vascular system is starting to move after a sluggish winter season and most plants are getting ready to send out new growth. An application now is perfect for your high value trees and shrubs that typically are under attack during the growing season year after year. Even roses.
This will work for most insects that suck or chew on leaves or branches because the insecticide will move throughout the plant. It takes time for the insecticide to move through the plant though, so that is why we apply late winter so that the new green growth of spring is protected.
This is where the love comes in…. you gotta love your garden all months of the year. Yeah, it needs attention when you don’t necessarily want to go out there. It’s sort of like a baby you have to get up in the night to feed. Your body tells you no, no but your garden tells you yes, yes. You will reap the benefits come this spring. And if you really just can’t face it yourself, well then….
Call us! We LOVE to help! (760) 868-6104
Get Ready! The weeds are coming.
If you have not already, give us a call to help you with your weeds. Pre-emergent applications WITH weed killer will be the norm for the next few months since the little guys are starting to show up now. And they won’t be little forever.
You can prevent more from showing up with the pre-emergent application with your weed spraying. Do all your property, or just your problem areas. Pre-emergent spraying is safe for all your plants and will not harm them, however, we do not apply on or under edible plants.
“Start where you are, Do what you can, Use what you have”
Unknown
Garden tasks February 2014
- There is still time for pruning roses for lush and beautiful spring blooms.
- We are still applying dormant oil treatments after pruning for spring pest control this month IF your tree has not bloomed or leafed out , so call us and we can do it for you. If you wait until March, they likely will be all leafed out and too late to spray dormant oil.
- Plot out your veggie garden. It could just be a few pots on the patio, or a corner of your yard. Raised beds make it more accessible and controllable. You get to choose the soil! (instead of the soil you were dealt). It doesn’t take much space to grow something fun and healthy. Order your seeds. A seed catalogue is just porn for gardeners.! Start your seeds indoors before the end of February and by April you will be ready to put them outdoors (with protection).
- Buy bare-root plants now for the best bargains.
- Cut stems of early blooming trees and shrubs now and bring them inside and place them in water. The warmth of the indoor environment will bring them to bloom for you to enjoy inside!
Garden Coaching?
What is Garden Coaching? Well, it is that little push you need to have the outdoor landscape you want at prices you can afford. We work with clients who have a need for professional guidance in transforming or maintaining their landscape. Some need to know WHAT to do. Some need to know HOW to do it. And some need all that AND to be held accountable for getting it done!
Planning ahead is key. We will coach on a one-time, occasional, quarterly or monthly basis. Whatever fits your need and budget. We can help you get your game plan going.
We can walk your garden and do an inventory of what you have and how to take care of it. We can also tell you what you might add and where to put it. We can show you how and when to prune and fertilize your plants and how to make the most of what you’ve got.
When you are ready, we can coach you, or we can do it all for you. Whatever you need. Give us a call to get your game plan going!
We can do all these services for you if you need help! Call us at (760) 868-6104
My Favorite Recipes
I have wonderful clients! You all have told me you enjoy my recipes and I love sharing. This one is from a fantastic lady and friend, Deanna Carlson. Try it. It’s so easy and likely you have all the ingredients on hand. My hubby LOVES spicy so I added some salsa to ours and he RAVED over this recipe. Unfortunately, it’s not Diet or low cal. Oh well, you can’t have everything.
King Ranch Chicken Casserole
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
cooked and shredded Crushed Tortilla Chips
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 oz. Shredded cheddar Jack cheese 1
8 oz can/jar spicy salsa (Cindy’s Optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Put crushed tortilla chips in greased 9 X 13 casserole dish generously covering the bottom. Top with shredded chicken.
In a separate bowl, combine soups, evaporated milk and Rotel tomatoes and salsa if desired.
Pour over chicken and top with shredded cheese. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake 45 minutes, uncover the foil and bake 15 minutes more. Serve warm with a salad and cornbread. YUM!
“You will find as you look back on your life that the moments that you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love” Henry Drummond
Closing out the year…
By Cindy Poore
While October is my favorite month in the garden, December is my favorite month inside. Next to the fire. Winter doesn’t officially begin until the 21st. It is starting to get cold and our plants are showing it. The frosts we’ve had, haven’t really hit most of my plants hard here in Phelan as my gazanias are still blooming and looking great. Wrightwood has gotten a few snows already however, and plants are still buried!
Wherever you are, please remember that even though it’s cold, your plants still need occasional watering. Even with the advent of snow. Snow does not have as much water in it as you would think due to the air factor. Of course, you don’t want to water if it is freezing, just keep in mind that plants will need more than just snow to survive the winter.
One other thing that is very important this time of year. PLEASE check your valves and drip filters to see that they are well insulated. If we installed them, the valves (where the water is released into the rest of the system) are insulated on the “constant pressure” side. But the whole unit should also be insulated with an insulating blanket and a cover to keep them dry. Keep in mind, the best defense is PREVENTION. Anywhere there is water is subject to freezing and potential damage.
If you don’t have a box over your valves, you might try to place an upside down ice chest over them. A trick I learned from two clients. Very effective. And oftentimes cheaper than the covers sold for the purpose.
Remember, we will be there for you if you have problems, so keep our number handy and give us a call if you need help.
There are so many things to remember and be thankful for this past year and so many exciting things coming up for my family and I will bet yours as well. When you get together with your friends and loved ones this holiday season, and EVERY day really, remember to tell them how much you love and appreciate them. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Merry Christmas to You and Yours
From All of us at Perfection Landscape!
Gift Suggestions:
The very best gift anyone can give, is a memory. After all, what else will travel through the years with us? So then, do something memorable with your loves. I remember making popcorn balls with my sister. Sticky, hot buttered fingers and tasty fun! In colors! What do you remember? Do it again.
Ok, on my soapbox again. Who wouldn’t want better health? A gift subscription to your (and mine) favorite gym, Kokomo Fitness in Hesperia! It’s a no-brainer. Get a trainer! Call them at (760) 995-3366. (They do not pay for this suggestion, I’m just a raving fan and client!)
The other gift suggestion you can’t beat with a stick is a book! Pick one tailored to your recipient’s tastes. Here are a few
of suggestions:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom
The Greatest Minds and Ideas of all Time by Will Durant
They are all on my list Santa!
December 2013 Garden Tasks
It is still not too late to plant bulbs and you may still find some bargains from the catalogues or at the nurseries.
December is the very BEST time to sow poppy seeds for a spectacular view come this spring, with just a little encouragement from some rain.
And hey, did you know you can collect seed from your spent flowers?
My granddaughter and I collected seeds and made special seed envelopes to give as gifts. So fun!
Move your tender potted plants to a sheltered space under a patio, or in a sun room if possible to overwinter.
You can protect planted tender shrubs by covering them with a cloth cover on those evenings and mornings when the temps dip near freezing. Just remember to remove coverings during the warm part of the day. Or try a mulch of straw to protect the core of the plant.
Did you remember to change the batteries in your battery operated sprinkler clocks when time changed? If not, do it now. Battery-operated clocks will stick ON if the battery is weak. Only way to turn off the station is to insert a new battery and then use the clock to shut it off.
Remove any fruit still hanging on to branches and clean up all leaf and fruit debris under the tree. This is ESSENTIAL to prevent spread of disease and pests which overwinter.
January and February (or when all the leaves have dropped from your tree) is the best time to apply a dormant oil. Dormant oil is a common, low risk, organic pest control method. We are scheduling preventative weed control and pest control applications now so give us a call soon, because our schedule (which is limited by the weather sometimes) is filling up and we would like to help you have a healthier garden in 2014.
My Favorite Recipes
December, and Christmas especially, brings forth the memories of crazy good food we grew up with. The trend now is to go with healthy, clean eating. You could argue that carrot cake is a vegetable or fruit cake is… well…, fruit. Right?
But sometimes you just gotta give in to a little tradition. And, not everyone is on a diet. I think. Even though this recipe is really LOADED with sugar, it could be a rare occasion sweet treat for some. I mean, it’s flavor is so intense, you really can’t eat a lot of it and it DOES have some actual fruit in it! (wink, wink)
Aunt Ginny’s Candied Orange Peels
3 large oranges
¾ cup of juice from oranges
2 Tbs light corn syrup
2 ¾ cups sugar, divided
Cut the peel on each orange into quarters then remove the peel sections and reserve the actual orange for juicing. Slice peel into ¼” wide strips. You should have about 4 ½ cups. Juice the flesh of the orange and reserve, adding water if needed to make ¾ cup.
Place orange peels in a medium size non-aluminum, sauce pan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook, covered for 15 minutes. Drain the peels in a colander. Boil the reserved ¾ cup orange juice/water, the syrup and 2 cups of the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add peels. Simmer stirring occasionally, 35 to 55 minutes until translucent and tender.
Remove peels with slotted spoon to a large rack on top of a baking pan lined with wax paper. Let drain 5 minutes. Separate peels and dry about 1 hour. Place the remaining ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl or zip lock bag. Add the peels and toss or shake until evenly coated with sugar. Transfer sugar-coated peels to racks to air dry, about 2 hours. Store in an air tight container for up to 1 month.
“California is a fine place to live – if you happen to be an orange.” – Fred Allen
Apple Valley, CA call us to schedule your January rose pruning schedule. Last year, we were not too busy, but this year, we already have quite a few who will have us prune their roses, so call us to get on the schedule, right away.
- 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 […]