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.
Late May is a good time to evaluate your landscape. By this time of year, most plants have begun to sprout and leaf out. Take a walk around your property and look at what is working and what doesn’t look so good. It’s usually not hard to spot a struggling plant in a healthy garden. Here are some things to consider when deciding how to deal with these unhealthy plants in your landscape.
Is A Plant Healthy?
Do your plants look healthy or is something not quite right? For plants that have died, this is easy. Remove these dead plants as soon as possible. The garden always looks better with an empty space rather than a dead eyesore. This is also an opportunity to fill the space with something new that can paint new life into a landscape.
However, sometimes, it can be quite difficult to tell if a plant is doing its best or has some problems. In our experience sometimes a plant doesn’t fit the space it is in. Maybe it is too big, making the space look cramped, or maybe it is too small, making the landscape look sparse. Or maybe it needs a good pruning, or sheering to look its best. Other times, the plant just hasn’t bounced back from our tough winter yet. If that is the case, you have another decision to make.
Nurture Or Removal?
Do you nurture the plant that is struggling or remove it? Before making that decision, think about the plant’s age and size. If you replace the plant with a new one, how long before the new plant is as big as the old one? If you are looking at an oak tree that is struggling, it takes decades for a replacement tree to reach full size. In that case, you would be wise to work with a professional arborist to see if you can help the tree recover. We have some great resources for this if you need a referral.
On the other hand, if you are looking at a perennial that is a year old, it might be time to cut your losses and replace it. Right now, it is better to ere on the side of the plant in most cases. If the plant is not going to make it, you can replace it in the spring or the fall when replacements have the best chance to do well. Avoid replacing plants in the heat of the summer when they will undergo more stress. The only reason to do this would be for a special occasion or gathering and then make sure that they are irrigated properly.
Choosing Replacement Plants
When you do need to replace a plant, you should consider the space you have and the mature size you want the plant to grow to be. You may also consider why the old plant didn’t make it. Was it too sunny? Was it a disease or a critters eating it? Try to find a plant that fits with the space and either blends in or stands out. If you cannot replace it with the same species in an established hedge row, then make it seem intentional and stand out as a feature of the planting design. Choosing native plants also has the advantage of reducing the need for irrigation and pest control. Native plants also support more wildlife, including pollinators, than non-native plants. You can find native plants in all sizes and colors, so you have a lot to choose from. If you have the opportunity to use native plants, the chances of success could be much greater.
Getting Professional Advice
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping can help you decide if a plant needs to be replaced or if it can be nurtured back to health. We can also advise you on recommendations for a replacement plant if you need one. Sometimes it is best to start over with an entire section of your landscape to make it look cohesive. This is when we can add the most value by helping you do it right, this time. Schedule a consultation soon before our schedule fills up.
Instead of giving the special person in your life a bouquet of flowers that will die in a week sitting on the dining room table. This year, consider giving them a whole pot of colorful living flowers that last all season long. Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping experts will design a colorful planter just for you, come out and fill your container with potting soil and fertilizer, and install the plants. You may select the style and color pallet you prefer. With our seasonal subscription, you can give the gift of two- or four-season swaps so the planter doesn’t get old. What mother or wife wouldn’t love to come home to a new planter pot full of flowers to brighten the curb appeal of her home?
Designs
Our color planters come in five designs. Each contains a combination of thrillers, fillers, and some spillers. The Dynasty is a symmetric design that looks classic. It contains a formal evergreen and seasonal annuals. The Renaissance is asymmetric with an organic look. It contains an informal evergreen and seasonal annuals. The Noble contains a tall, whispy grass as the centerpiece surrounded by seasonal annuals. The Crown Jewel contains colorful, tropical annuals. Finally, the Chateau has mounding and cascading annuals.
Colors
You can choose from four types of color pallets. Complementary color sets contrast but complement each other. These color combinations are bright, punchy, and pop out and draw your attention. For example, you can choose blue and pink, blue and orange, purple and yellow, or pink and yellow. Monochromatic colors are one staple color in varying shades and tones. Polychromatic planters will include lots of color variety as available and suitable for the design you choose. Finally, analogous color planters have color sets that match and are similar in tone and feel, for a soothing, mellow look. Examples include pink and purple, blue and purple, and red and orange.
Sizes
Our planters come in four sizes. Small planters are less than 16 inches in diameter. Medium planters are 17 to 21 inches in diameter. Large planters are 22-27 inches in diameter. We can also design a custom-sized planter over 27 inches for you.
Watering
Flower pots can require a lot of watering, especially in the heat of the summer. We use a water-conserving potting soil to help retain moisture longer. We can provide instructions for a do-it-yourself watering system that fits on the hose spigot, or we can install a professional watering system and tie it into your existing irrigation system if you need help with watering.
Ideal Customer
We know that lots of people enjoy going to the nursery and shopping for the perfect flowers for their home or even for their Mother’s house in the next for weeks. This program is not necessarily for those folks. This is for those who want to do something a little more special and customized for their loved ones. The value that we offer is to have it all done for you as a white glove service to be able to gift it to your special someone. Why not collaborate with your siblings and invest in a repeating seasonal subscription? It is the gift that keeps giving all year round. Right when you need it we will be out in the fall season to swap them out and to look great until we come back again for the winter arrangements just in time for the holiday season. Then again in the spring, we will have them freshened up before Easter.
Specials
We have several specials until Mother’s Day. If we plant two containers, you get $25 off. If we plant three or more containers, you get $50 off. If you sign up for a two-season swap, you get 10% off. If you sign up for a four-season swap, you get 15% off.
Give Us A Call
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping is taking orders for these planters until Mother’s Day and will have the first planter out by the end of May. You can purchase a container from us or supply your own. You can see our flyer here for all the details. To reserve your custom-designed seasonal planter, call us at (816) 825-2524 or schedule a consultation. Remember, we need all orders by Mother’s Day, so contact us today.
