You may need a few items such as lopping shears, pruners, a pruning saw, a ladder, and a rake.

When you prune, take off the dead branches of the plant. Not sure which ones are dead? Snip off a little bit, if the branch is brown on the inside, it’s most likely dead. Snip a little at a time toward the middle of the plant until the middle of the cut is green.

Inspect your trees and shrubs for branches that are “criss-crossed” or that rub other branches. Take off one of “criss-crossed” branches. Be safe and do not try to cut branches that may be too large for you to handle or that are over head. Once cut, these branches may fall and strike you. Leave this type of pruning to a professional.

Snip off the suckers that are coming out of the ground or that are growing perpendicular or straight out of the plant. Crab trees often have both of these types of suckering growth, as do many maples.

Trim off any broken branches within the plant and discard. Again, cut those branches that you can safely cut.

After removing any diseased or dead branches, you should clean your tools with a bleach or an alcohol solution to disinfect them so that, if diseased, the disease is not spread to other branches or plants.

Now is a great time to re-shape the plants – just remember to trim a little at a time, step back and take a look at it – because once you cut it off, you can’t put it back on. Dogwoods and especially Spirea benefit from this.

Dormant pruning is one of the best things you can do for your plants. If it’s your first time, it may be a little intimidating, but know this: most plants are pretty hardy – you may over-trim, but sooner or later, it will grow back, just be patient and take your time.

Of course, this started me thinking about my own business. An American owned business, whose suppliers are all here in the in the United States. Most of my firewood suppliers are right here in the suburbs of Chicago. How does this relate to the topic at hand? Well….think about a gift of firewood. We’ve delivered several already and a few orders on our delivery board for later this month. Our firewood is from trees grown in the U.S., split by U.S. owned companies, delivered to us by U.S. owned companies and delivered/sold to you by my U.S. owned company. How many people could we keep employed just by purchasing firewood?

I know you’re probably thinking “Firewood as a gift? Really?” I know it may not be as exciting as some gifts, but I also know that in today’s economy, more and more people appreciate the practical gifts. Not only that, but it sure is a more personal gift than a gift certificate to a box store or a department store. Also, each time the recipient lights/starts a fire they’ll think of you.

We deliver to most of the Chicago-land area. We stock Mixed Wood and Oak Firewood. We can still deliver before Christmas, and we can even tarp the firewood and place a bow on it. You can always stop in our material yard and pick up the firewood, too. Go to our website at www.agvangundy.com for more information. You can also like us on Facebook at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. or follow us on Twitter at agvangundy.

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season.

A few weeks ago we had a house fire at my home. Luckily my son was home and able to escape from his bedroom window, get to a neighbor’s home and call 911. He not only saved himself, but he saved our home as well. He is our hero.

The fire department was there in a matter of minutes and did a magnificent job containing the fire with minimal additional damage. The chaplain that accompanied them was very comforting and helpful. Everyone has done a great job helping us through this.

The outpouring of thoughtfulness has been extremely appreciated.

As for our clients – we wouldn’t be here without them. We realize that there are a lot of options out there for the type of services and products that we offer and are so grateful that they choose us. We do our very best to provide the best service possible.

Our vendors are incredible. Talk about good service; we can only be as good as our vendors. Hopefully we do them proud.

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving? Hopefully you will be with family and/or friends giving thanks for what you have.

Although it will be a different holiday season for us – it will be a celebration nonetheless.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Although it’s still a little early to start a lot of your landscape projects, we here at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. have some products available now. We have gravels, some decorative stone, Dyed Red Mulch, Dyed Brown Mulch, Bark Mulch & Playground Mulch available. Topsoil, Garden Mix, Compost, and Sod should be available within the next couple to few weeks. Of course, firewood (mixed & oak) is available year round.

As of today, (3/8/11), our prices on most of our materials as the same as they were at the end of the season last year; however, due to the fuel situation we are experiencing, we do anticipate an increase in some of our materials. We think we’ll be able to hold price increases to less than $1.00 per yard of material. Hopefully, the powers that be will get a handle on the fuel situation sooner than later.

This past week-end, we attended the Flower and Garden Show at Navy Pier. WOW! Talk about an event to get you ready for Spring. There were a lot of new ideas & new products. We’re looking forward to implementing & working with some of them. It was so exciting to talk with people as passionate about landscaping as I am. It was also educational for me to learn about some of the new products and design ideas.

This week-end (March 12th & 13th) we’ll be at the Home Show at Harper College in Palatine. If you’re looking for something to do & you’re in the area, stop by and see us. We’d love to talk to you about some of the new products and new services we’re going to be offering this year.

Don’t forget to check out our website at www.agvangundy.com, our previous blogs. Check us out on Facebook @ AG Landscape Materials, Inc and follow us on Twitter @agvangundy.

THINK SPRING!!!!

This past week-end was spent at the Home Show in Arlington Heights. It was great to see so many people as excited about spring’s arrival as I am. I got to talk to a lot of homeowners regarding their projects, both do-it-yourselfers and those looking for a contractor. I’m really looking forward to working with them.

On Monday, I attended a seminar conducted by Unilock, Chicago. Now, I have to tell you, I have been in landscaping over 30 years, but even I learned a few things. As an “old dog” I often think that “old school” is best. It sometimes takes a nudge from my kids and my employees to broaden my outlook and I have to be honest, it was great to learn about some new products and new installation techniques. I can’t wait to implement these new learned ideas.

Our next home show appearance will be at Harper College in Palatine, on March 12th and 13th. If you get a chance, come on out. It’s a great place to get ideas and to meet with us face to face.  Finally, I want to encourage you to check out our previous blogs as they contain a lot of useful information. The blogs pertaining to planning for spring I think you’ll find especially interesting this time of year.

Let’s all think spring!!!

If you are thinking about a larger job which will require a building permit from your town or village and want it to be completed early enough for you to enjoy most of the year, we will have plenty of time now to complete the design and make any needed adjustments before filing for the permit. Most towns and villages now require permits for patios, retaining walls, driveways, and in some cases even drain tile work. In addition to expanding their permit requirements, many of villages have reduced their building department staff, which has increased the amount of time needed for getting a permit approved. The permit approval process, which previously was a simple 2 – 3 day process has now become a 2 – 3 week process in some villages that are requiring more and more specifications. Some towns are now even requiring engineering prints and seals for retaining walls over 24” – 30” high. I’m not telling you of these new requirements to scare you off of doing your project; I just want to inform you of what some of you may be up against. We here at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. have worked with a majority of the towns/villages here in the Chicago area and I have to admit, we have a pretty good working relationship with most of those building departments. We understand that they have limitations, as do most of us, and are willing and able to work with them and act as your liaison to get your permit approved. But, why not start this process as early as possible? The longer you wait on this, the longer the permit process will probably take.

I’m sure plenty of you are thinking about changing some things in your current landscape, but aren’t quite sure what to do. Where do you get “the most bang for your buck”? For ideas, there are plenty of publications and t.v. shows, but I think a great way to get ideas and/or meet contractors early in the season is to attend one of the week-end home improvement shows that occur just about every week-end somewhere in the Chicago area. Currently we are scheduled to be at two local home shows within the next few months. On February 25 – 27, 2011 we will be at the Home show in Arlington Heights and on March 12 & 13, 2011, will be at the home show in Palatine at Harper College. This is a great opportunity for people to come out and talk to us personally about you’re wants and needs for landscaping, look through our portfolios of before and after shots and of some of our completed projects. This also give you an opportunity to set up a free first appointment (with some restrictions) right then. We love taking part in these home shows as it gives us an opportunity to “show our stuff” to potential clients in the area.

For more information regarding planning for spring, check out our previous blogs from January, 2010, I think you’ll find them informative.

For more information regarding A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc., please visit us at www.agvangundy.com or call us at (630) 295-8190. We’ll be more than happy to go over the areas we service and the services that we offer.

I’ve been blessed to do what I love for over 30 years. However, this year, in particular has brought a lot of pride back into my companies. We have worked on some great projects (check out our album on our web site @ www.agvangundy.com or on Facebook @ A.G. Landscape Materials). We have helped customers get just the right material in just the right amount for their do-it-yourself jobs. We’ve been able to other landscape companies get their materials so that they can get their projects done. All in all it’s been a very good year.

Here’s hoping you get to spend some time with your loved ones and that you can take a couple of minutes to think about the blessings you’ve received over the past year.

Happy Holidays!

Some of our most popular blogs have been about Topsoil, Firewood, and Planning for Spring. Other blogs have been about Permit Processes, Sales Processes, Lawn Renovation, Snow Plowing, and Mulching, just to name a few.

Today I just wanted to let you know about some blogs that I’ll be posting in the future:

Cleaning & Sealing of your brick pavers
Polymeric Sand vs. Fine Sand
Building your own retreat space
Permits & the many new regulations for a lot of the villages in the Chicagoland area

I’m looking forward to continuing posting blogs.

If you have a topic or subject you’d like me to discuss regarding landscaping or landscape materials, please don’t hesitate to submit it to me via my web site at www.agvangundy.com.

Planting your bulbs should be done now. Bulbs are a great way to add early color to your landscape and, depending on type of bulb and depth of planting, will keep the color coming throughout the growing season. A little planning and research will ensure your success. Probably the first thing you should know is what zone you live in. Here in the Chicago area, we are in zone 5. Zones 4 & 3 are to our north and 6 – 10 are to our south. Knowing what zone you’re in will help determine the best bulbs for your area and the bloom time.

There are a wide variety of options when it comes to selecting which bulbs to plant. These are a few of the things you should consider before purchasing/planting your bulbs:
1. Color Scheme
2. Area (Is it sunny? Is it shady? Is it a combination?)
3. Bloom Time
4. Height of the Plant
Once your decisions are made, head to your local supply store and purchase your bulbs.

To plant your bulbs, prepare the area by tilling the soil so that it is easier to plant in. Mixing a little compost with the soil will help soften the soil and add additional nutrients (check out our blog dated 4/28/10 on different types of soils).

Many people choose to use a drill with a “tulip” bit to assist them in digging individual holes for the bulbs. Others choose to dig a “trench like” area to place the bulbs in at once; still others choose to dig individual holes with a tulip spade or even dig by hand. The depth of the hole or holes is usually listed on the bag or container that the bulbs came in. Also, usually listed, is the recommended distance between each bulb.

Place the bulb in the hole(s) root side down and cover with topsoil. Moisten the soil and tamp lightly.

That’s all there is to it. Now just wait for early spring for the first of the bulbs to emerge.

Fall Clean Ups should also be done between now and the end of November. A good fall clean-up should consist of at least removing and disposing of fallen leaves and other debris collected in planting beds and in your lawn area. Here at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. we would also recommend a core-aeration and installation of a layer of mulch. The core aeration will help loosen the soil and make it easier to accept the fall application of fertilizer. If you are going to put down any herbicide or weed killer, do not overseed at this time as the seed will not germinate properly. The installation of mulch is a good idea as it will help retain moisture and root zone temperature in your planting beds over the winter months.

Finally, with your outdoors ready for winter – make sure you’re stocked with ready to burn firewood from A.G. Landscape Materials. There are several different types of firewood; however we sell Oak and Mixed. We sell by the Face Cord, ½ Face Cord, 60 pieces & 30 pieces. We deliver to your home (in the Chicago Area) and stacking services are also available.

Check out our website @ www.agvangundy.com for more information regarding firewood or any other products & services we offer.

Have you thought about changing your landscape at all? We are more than happy to come out and work with you on installing plants or a new patio or walkway.

Do you have drainage issues on your property? We can come out and get the area graded correctly and install the drain tile so that your spring lawn and basement will be drier.

Once the leaves are down – do you have the time to rake them up and dispose of them? Here at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, we do. While we’re there we’ll be able to put down a layer of mulch, which is so very important to protect your plants against what could be a harsh Chicago-area winter. Installing mulch in the fall will help keep a consistent root zone temperature and help retain some moisture.

Don’t forget to call for your firewood. A.G. Landscape Materials carries both Mixed and Oak firewood. We sell it in a variety of quantities (30 pieces, 60 pieces, ½ Face Cords, Face Cords). We deliver throughout the Chicago-land area all year long. Don’t have a fire pit? Would you like one? How about an outdoor fireplace? Contact us and we can help. We have various sizes, styles and shapes available.

You can call us at (630) 295-8190 or e-mail us at www.agvangundy.com for details about any of the services we offer (from delivery of mulch, topsoil, gravel and firewood to installation of complete landscape projects).

Remember it’s not too late to get your outdoor projects done. Do them now and you may be one step ahead in the Spring.