Did you ever wonder why you were pruning and what the goal was? How about what’s the differenct between the the cheap spray price and the more expensive application of insecticide on your trees and shrubs? If so check out our February 2012 newsletter.
I dont know what a tree is worth to you, but I do know that trees are quite valuable in the landscape and with the benefits they provide.
Lay a blanket under a tree and have a picnic with your grandkids. Attach a hammock to two trees and take a lazy summer afternoon nap. Mount a bird house in a tree and watch the wildlife gather and harvest your bounty. Watch your 10 year old exclaim “I can climb the highest Dad!” as he climbs the tree higher than ever before. Sit in a rocker under the broad branches of an evergreen and rock your newborn to sleep.
Trees provide lots more benefits than just shade and oxygen. They invite us into nature to live life outdoors. If you want to measure the monetary benefits of a tree you already have or one you are planning and don’t know the best location to put it, have I got an app for you! Davy Tree Service has developed an app for smart phones that will do just that, measure a tree’s value in air quality improvements, CO2 production, Electricity savings from it’s shade and storm water absorbtion. Get your free app with your smart phone at value.m.davey.com
Had the neatest opportunity this past Saturday. I attended the Newberry Springs Hi-Desert Pistachio Growers Association meeting in Newberry Springs. I manage a little grove of pistachios for a client that is a part of their extensive estate in Apple Valley. Over the years, we have been pretty successful in delivering healthy trees with fair amount of pistachios, which my client roasts with sage and gives as gifts for clients at Christmas time. My client wants to take the grove to the next level. The trees are getting mature and producing a fair amount of crop. I joined the association to rub elbows with the “professional” pistachio growers in the hopes of getting better at this aspect of my expertise.
I found out lots. Mainly what I didn’t know that I didn’t know! Richard Matoian, executive director from the American Pistachio Growers Association, spoke on the state of the industry today and the improved outlook for American growers. American exports of pistachios have increased to about 65% of our total crop is now being shipped overseas versus about 35% just a few years ago. China has increased their import of American pistachios from 1 million lbs to 80 million lbs from 1993 to 2011! Virtually all the pistachios for sale in our local markets is American grown, most from here in California.
The best things I learned about pistachios is how nutritious and healthy they are! I guess by now we all know that nuts in general provide healthy oils and may even reduce the risk of heart disease. Pistachios are included in that group. Did you know that for instance that 2 ounces of pistachios have 12 grams of protein, more than the 10.5 grams in 2 ounces of cooked halibut? Or that 2 ounces of pistachios have 570 mg of potassium versus a better known source of potassium, a large banana that tops out at only 487 mg? How about 2 ounces of pistachios have 6 grams of fiber versus 2 ounces of cooked broccoli has 1.9 grams?
I learned that pistachios really pack a punch of nutrition and I promise to take them more seriously in my diet and use them in my meal planning. I suggest that you do too!
The wintertime landscape can be so drab… check out our November newsletter for some suggestions to liven things up a bit!
Check it out here: November 2011 Newsletter
Wondering what to do about the rabbits that ruin your landscape? Find out abut that and how to winterize your sprinkler system in our October newsletter.
Click here: Newsletter October 2011
- 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 […]