It is no secret that we are in the middle of a major drought and an historic heat wave. Our landscape plants need water to survive the heat and drought. Here are some things we at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping suggest to keep your plants and landscapes in good condition this summer.
Trees
Trees add the most value to a landscape of any plant. They take the longest to grow, too. Many trees do not show drought stress until they are already in trouble, so you may not see signs your tree is hurting now. They are definitely stressed between the extreme heat and the drought. Trees use water to cool themselves and will literally cook without an adequate supply of water.
Younger trees that have been planted in the last three years are especially at risk. To prevent that, make sure to water your trees thoroughly. Trees need two to three gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter two to three times a week during their first three years. During a drought, they can survive on one to two inches of water two or three times a week to get them through the summer to the fall.
Established trees should be watered deeply with two to three inches per inch of trunk diameter, especially when they show drought stress. These signs include dropping or wilting leaves, small or malformed leaves, yellowing of the leaves, and browning tips of the leaves. Always water in the morning before ten if possible so they dry out by nightfall. This helps prevent fungus and other diseases.
Foundation
We have clay soil that can become a hard, impervious rock during the summer when there is little rain. Your soil will pull away from your foundation when it shrinks in the heat. When it does rain, the cracks between your soil and your foundation fill up and can cause damage and flooding. To prevent this, water around your foundation during the summer. Running your sprinklers twice a week early in the morning will keep your soil moist and protect your house from problems.
Check Irrigation
Speaking of sprinklers, have you checked to make sure all your sprinkler heads are working properly? A busted head can cause a problem anytime. During a drought, you risk plants dying around a head that no longer emits enough water or even erosion problems from concentrated water flow in a specific area. Most homeowners typically check their sprinkler system in the spring when it is turned on and again in late fall when it is turned off. We suggest adding at least one to three summer checks of your system. Ideally, you would check it once a month to ensure the heads are functioning properly and the program schedule fits the climate conditions. If you can’t do it monthly, then maybe a few times during the hottest and driest seasons will make a big difference to the health of your landscape and turf.
We Can Help
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping can connect you with irrigation specialists that can come and check your system this summer. They can repair any problems with the system, so you are sure all your plants and your foundation are getting the water they need to survive the summer and the drought. Call us at (816) 825-2524 to get help managing your landscape this summer.
For hardscapes to look their best, they need regular maintenance. Hardscapes consist of the non-permeable parts of the landscape like pavers and concrete. Lack of maintenance makes these features dirty and could even destabilize the pavers over time.
Sweep or Blow Clean Regularly
The first maintenance item is to sweep or blow clean your hardscapes regularly. We recommend at least once a month during the season. This removes debris before it has a chance to accumulate. When it rains, debris forms a wet spot that can lead to stains on pavers and concrete. Wet spots can break down the sealant on the paver joints, allowing the sand to erode over time.
Power Wash
The next level of maintenance is the power wash. We typically recommend it at least every year. Be careful when using a power washer on pavers to keep the washer moving and never focus on the joints, so you do not force the sand out of the joints. You want to wash the dirt off, not blow the joints out. Concrete needs power washing, too, to look its best. You can rent a power washer from a tool store if you do not have one.
Chemically Cleaning and Sealing
The next step is to chemically clean and seal pavers and concrete. We use chemical cleaners to clean and prep pavers for sealing or even to strip the old sealer off of the hardscape and really clean the pavers and concrete off. We let this dry, then we touch up the paver joints with new sand, if needed, as mentioned in the Paver Joints – Techniques and Expectations article. We then apply a sealer to protect the pavers from fading in the sun or stains. Most all our clients prefer the wet-look sealer to enhance the color of their pavers and give it the wet look. This process also stabilizes the joints around the pavers and makes the pavers shine. Our wet-look sealer also contains an anti-fungal agent to help prevent moss from growing on your patio in those stubborn shady areas. For concrete, the sealer makes the concrete shiny and silky looking while repelling stains.
We Can Help
Chemically cleaning and sealing pavers and concrete requires special chemicals and equipment to do it right. Since most people only need this done every two to three years, owning such equipment is not cost-effective. We have a program where we will power wash your pavers and concrete every year. We will chemically clean your pavers and concrete, touch up the joints, and seal the pavers and concrete every second year. We already have the specialized equipment and knowledge to do this maintenance safely, so you don’t have to. Contact Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping at (816) 825-2524 or schedule a consult to get on our schedule.
I want to introduce you to Ian Templeton, our hardscape foreman and outdoor specialist. He leads the hardscape team, building paver and stone patios, walls, fire features, and outdoor kitchens. He is currently wrapping up a project in Prairie Village with a front stone walk along with 2 back patios, a fire pit, and a seating wall just in time for the 4th of July holiday.
Ian’s Experience
Ian worked in a warehouse running machinery before coming to Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping. When he got here, Ian started as a basic laborer, digging ditches and lugging equipment around. In the six years he has been with us, Ian has risen from the bottom to the top of the hardscape crew.
As Andy says, ”Ian is our longest-term employee and it has been a pleasure to watch him grow and develop over the years. He has been a part of some major outdoor living transformations and has built over 100 hardscape projects. This season he continues to improve his skills in project planning, logistics, and leadership. We look forward to having Ian on our team for many years to come.”
Ian says his favorite part of the job is running the machines. He also likes it when the job is finished, and he can look and see all the hard work pay off. He loves it when the customer is thrilled with their new outdoor living area.
Coming To Royal Creations
Ian was looking for another job while at the warehouse and a buddy told him about an opening at Royal Creations. He applied for the job and got it.
Local Boy
Ian was born in south Kansas City, so he is a local. He moved to Independence at the age of seven and still lives there. As a local boy, Ian is used to the worst the climate can throw at us, from deep snow and ice that make digging impossible to the heat of summer. On one job, the soil was so frozen that picks and shovels couldn’t penetrate, so Ian had to rent a trencher. The trencher could barely dig the trench, the soil was so hard.
Other Interests
Ian likes to play computer games, especially Fortnight, with friends. He likes it so much that he built a gaming PC with a lot of RAM, a big graphics card, and a lot of memory to run his games. He dreams of a more powerful PC to make his games run even better.
What Ian Can Do For You
We do more hardscape work in July and August than during the rest of the year. If you want Ian and the Blue Crew to tackle your hardscape projects, go to our website at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping and schedule a consultation. Our calendar is filling up fast, so contact us today.
As wonderful as summer is, the season brings weeds to our landscape beds. Hopefully, your landscape beds have had a fresh coat of mulch this season, which will be the best way to help keep weeds at bay, but there most likely will still be some. Here are some ways we deal with weeds at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping.
Hand Pull Weeds
The first way to tackle a weed is to pull it out of the ground and throw it on the compost pile or in the trash. Pulling weeds is the most environmentally friendly way to kill them. Make sure you pull the entire plant including the roots or the weed will just grow back. That can be tough if the weed has a long taproot, but it is important. If you can stay on top of regular weeding weekly or monthly, this can usually do the trick for most of your mulched areas.
Spot Spraying
If you have tough weeds that just won’t die, or you are renovating landscape beds that have major weed problems, you can use herbicides to treat the problem. When you spot spray, you must be very careful to only spray on the target weed. If the spray hits a plant you want to keep, it will cause damage and may kill it. Only spray on calm days because the wind will cause the spray to drift onto nearby plants. Spray the weeds thoroughly so that you can make sure to eliminate the plant.
Reapply Pre-Emergent
After we have removed the problem weeds, we reapply pre-emergent to the mulch in the landscape beds. We first applied pre-emergent when we freshened the mulch for spring. Most pre-emergents work for thirty to ninety days, so it is time to apply again. Weed seeds are spread by the wind, by birds, and by animals, so they can land on top of the mulch. While the mulch keeps most weeds from growing, a few will sprout in the mulch. These weeds are the ones we treat with pre-emergent. Typically, we will treat our clients’ mulch beds with pre-emergent 3 times during the growing season.
Weed-Free Guarantee
If you sign up for our garden care program, we will come weed your landscape beds for you. We will hand pull the weeds we can, and spot-spray the stubborn ones. Once your garden is weed free, we will apply another coat of pre-emergent to take care of the weeds through the summer. If you are bothered by weeds between our visits, we will come back and remove them at no extra charge. The benefits of our garden care program depend on the level you choose but can include spring mulch, spring plant health care, six monthly weed control visits, fall mulch, fall plant health care, winter plant health care, and summer plant health care, and even some annual flowers for our Royal Treatment customers.
Sign-Up Now
If you would like to have a weed-free landscape, then you can Sign-up for our garden care program by calling Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping at (816) 825-2524. Get on our schedule now so you can enjoy a weed-free summer.
After our article on evaluating your landscape, you may have found some plants that are not doing well and need to go. You may also have found some holes in your landscaping. Consider putting one of our favorite perennials in instead. These perennials are hardy and do not need much water and fertilizer to thrive.
Catmint (Nepeta)
Catmint does great in a well-drained area in the sun. There are several varieties that all grow vigorously. The height varies by variety but is usually around 18” – 24” tall. Catmint can grow like crazy, so make sure to give it 2 to 3 feet of spacing for room to spread. When the flowers fade, shear them off to promote more blooms. Catmint is drought tolerant once established, and the leaves are edible. The scent repels some insects, including aphids and squash bugs. You will also notice that small white butterflies love this plant.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Black-eyed Susans are easily recognizable with their yellow petals and dark brown or black centers. This member of the daisy family is native to the Eastern United States but has been naturalized across the country. This perennial is tough as nails and grows to be two to three feet high. Pollinators love this flower, and the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly grows on it. The cut flowers last a week to ten days in water, bringing the sunshine in with them. These hardy flowers will self-seed. If you want more of these in your garden, then crush up the seed heads in the fall and leave them in the mulch to sprout.
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
The purple coneflower is native to the central and eastern United States. It has pinkish-purple petals with a dark brownish center topped by an orange cap. This tough plant is drought tolerant once established and is also deer, heat, humidity, and salt resistant. It grows to be two to three feet tall and will grow in full sun and partial shade. Pollinators, especially butterflies, love coneflowers. Birds, especially American goldfinches, will eat the seeds if you leave them on the plant. Coneflowers make a nice border or plant a clump of them in the landscape. Varieties have been bred that are red, white, pink, orange, yellow, or red as well.
Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
Daylilies have big, showy flowers in a variety of colors. They reach from one to four feet high, depending on the variety. Blooming at various times of the spring and summer, daylilies provide an important source of nectar to butterflies and hummingbirds. They grow in full sun to partial shade. While each bloom only lasts a short time, the plants have numerous blooms over a long time period. Daylilies are poisonous to cats, so do not plant them if you have outdoor or feral cats around. We prefer the re-blooming varieties for more color throughout the season.
Dianthus (Dianthus)
There are over 27,000 registered varieties of Dianthus. Some of them are perennial. The flowers are fragrant and can be pink-lilac, pink-purple, or white. They have frilly margins, and some have a border around the petal. Dianthus makes a great border or is part of a landscape bed. They grow from four inches tall to four feet tall, depending on the variety. The plant is resistant to deer but vulnerable to rabbits. The petals are edible if grown organically and are often crystallized and used on cakes. We use the shorter perennial versions as the front-row border plants in many of our designs.
Liriope (Liriope)
Liriope is a low-growing ground cover. It comes in green and variegated with white. We prefer the variegated varieties. Most varieties grow from ten to eighteen inches tall. An evergreen, Liriope has lavender, purple, pink, or white flower spikes during the summer. It grows in shade or full sun and is heat, drought, and salt tolerant. In addition to being used as a groundcover, these tough plants can be used as edging or massed in a flower bed.
Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Coral bells are a low-growing perennial that has interesting foliage in colors ranging from green to yellow, red, and Burgandy. It has a tidy, clumping habit. The tiny bell-shaped flowers draw bees and butterflies. Depending on the variety, this plant will prefer partial shade. The leaf colors can be a stunning contrast to the dark mulch and other plants in your garden. Coral bells may need to be divided every three to four years to do well. They prefer the soil on the drier side but tolerate heat well.
Hostas (Hosta)
If you need a perennial for the shade, you need a Hosta. Most Hostas are between 1-2.5 feet tall and are grown for the foliage. Some varieties have fragrant, showy flowers in white, lavender, or purple. The leaves range from yellow-green to dark green to bluish-green, and variegated varieties are common. Hostas will fade or change color in the sun and get burned up easily. However, in the shade, the Hosta may outlive you if given reasonable care. They do prefer an inch of water a week to do well, so make sure to water frequently, especially when the plants are young and getting established.
Astilbe (Astilbe japonica)
These clump-forming perennials have fern-like leaves and thrive in partial to full shade. The flowers are feathery plumes in pink, red, or white. Bees love Astilbe. The plants are tolerant of heavy shade, black walnut, deer, and rabbits. The mounds can grow to be one to five feet tall. The leaves come in red/Burgandy, brown/copper, and green. They look nice in containers, walkways, and woodland areas.
