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AG VanGundy Landscape, Inc. & AG Landscape Materials, Inc. |
Posts Tagged ‘landscaping’
Monday, April 19th, 2010
My last blog was our starting point on helping you create a great lawn. We talked about over-seeding and power raking, what thatch is, and some other basics. Today we’re going to get into fertilizers and total lawn replacement and/or slit seeding.
There is much to say about fertilizers and herbicides. Since the time I started A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. nearly 30 years ago, my opinion on fertilizers and herbicides has swayed back and forth many times. For about the past 10-12 years though, I feel that the use of chemicals in the landscape is greatly overdone and the marketing of these chemicals and the companies that spread them has created a sense that if you don’t have 5 or 6 applications of chemicals a year, you won’t have a great lawn. In my opinion, for most lawns, you should not need more than 3 applications per year. These applications would be: a good balanced fertilizer in March or April, a fertilizer with herbicide that kills weeds by contact in May, and a late summer/early fall treatment. More applications than that, I feel, causes additional fertilizer and chemicals to “run off” and end up in our streams and rivers. I believe in using balanced fertilizer with a good over-seeding program that promotes root development. Without getting into specifics, usually there are three (3) numbers on a bag of fertilizer (like 12-12-12 or 28-6-6). A high first number (over 20 for example) usually promotes a faster growth rate and some “greening”. I feel that it is just as important to develop root growth and that a fully healthy plant will, in time, look just as great and most likely use less water as well. This means that the first treatment for most lawns that are basically healthy should be a 12-12-12 or 14-14-14. A slow release type is best, if the weather stays cool in early spring.
I often over-seed during the middle or end of April, so I do not use a fertilizer with pre-emergent or regular herbicides. I only use these chemicals in a weedy situation or if there is bountiful crabgrass. As we get into May, and the Dandelions and other weeds begin to show in earnest, I then use a fertilizer with herbicide added.
Most commercial solid/granular herbicide based fertilizers must be drop-spread onto a “wetted” or “dewy” lawn so that the herbicide sticks to the leaves of the weed and can be absorbed into the plant. Please note to make sure that you read the recommended spreading rates for your application on the bag and do not exceed their recommendations, as this may cause a chemical burn to your lawn. If your lawn has a severe weed problem, using a solid fertilizer again and spraying a liquid weed killer may be the best option for you. Many liquids come in a bottle ready to attach to a hose and spray across the lawn. Please refrain from spraying on windy days, as this may force the chemicals to “over-spray” onto any ornamental plants that you or your neighbors may have adjacent to the lawn.
Finally, in late summer or early fall apply a balanced fertilizer similar to 12-12-12. This strengthens the lawn to go into the winter season. I do not recommend a super late application. I feel that this just runs off and that little benefit, if any, comes from it since I highly suggest a late March/early April fertilizer application.
For most applications this program should work. It does for my own home. When I do get that stray weed or two, I spray them singularly with a hand held or pump sprayer instead of a “blanket” spreading. I believe that this is easier on the environment.
Following these simple and easy steps should lead you to a good lawn. Sometimes though, thru negligent or otherwise, a complete removal and reinstallation of sod or new seeding may be required. This can be a large task to undertake and you may want to call a company, like A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. or A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. for guidance and/or assistance with material selection. Many times, I feel that sodding is faster and easier in the long run. The “speed” can be a big benefit if you have dogs or children as it usually only requires watering to get it established. However, a complete regrade is usually required along with the removal and disposal of the existing lawn/turf. Sodding’s largest con is that the up front costs can be higher than seeding and in high shade areas may have only temporary success. Overall, though these costs are overcome in less time and re-work or touch ups in seed starting.
For those of you considering seed and have the 20-35 days to establish a lawn, the seed benefits are a lower initial cost, less hard labor to install and the seeded lawn conforms to the area planted. Generally, I feel that seed lawns initially use less water, but that increases over time to equal with the sod.
Both seeding and sodding require the same prep work with the exception that when sodding, the grade must be an inch lower at concrete sidewalks and driveways to allow for the thickness of the sod. We, at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. and A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc., believe in using an erosion control blanket or straw blanket stapled over the seed bed for sun protection and water/moisture retention. In my opinion, hay should not be used, as hay may contain weed seed and could contaminate the new lawn. We sell the blankets, staples, and grass seed and also the sod here at our yard in Roselle.
Most of the directions given here are for work in the Chicagoland area. If you are one of our readers that live in another growing area, check with your county or state horticulture extension service for information for your area.
Finally, there are many opinions out there on how to achieve a great lawn. For the most part, patience and determining a plan or course of action and then sticking to it should be your best remedy.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Landscape Installations, landscaping, Lawn Care, Lawn Renovation, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in General, Lawn Care, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
Although sometimes overlooked in importance, a fresh coat of new mulch may be just the thing needed to place that finished look to your planting beds. There are also several horticultural benefits to mulching beds. However, have you noticed the choices that are available to you? Some of the different types you may have heard of are: Premium Hardwood Bark, Double Ground Hardwood, and Dyed Wood Mulch, among others. Do you wonder what the difference is between these? Do you wonder which type is the best and/or which type to use?
In determining which mulch is best for you, you should first decide on your goals and what stage your flower garden or planting beds are in. You should also consider how much foot traffic, if any, the mulched area will get. Another consideration is if water must flow over the area and at what rate. Are you trying to achieve a certain look using color? Are you trying to create a fertile bed and retain moisture as well as regulate a consistent soil temperature?
If your primary goal is developing a fertile planting bed, it’s my preference to use Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch. It’s the mulch we at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. install in 90% of our job sites. This mulch is predominately made from the bark of hardwood trees; it breaks down over a relatively short period of time which in turn helps the soil stay looser. In our opinion, Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch also retains water better which should reduce on your watering needs. This mulch is more fine, a beautiful darker brown color and some say has a fresh compost-like aroma.
If you have a fairly established planting area and you’re focusing on color, Dyed Mulch may be an option for you. A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. carries 2 different dyed mulches. We have dyed red mulch and dyed brown mulch. This mulch is made from recycled wood scraps, such as pallets, lumber… and dyed with a vegetable dye. Heavy duty magnets remove any metals that may be in the wood prior to processing. It’s considered to be a very ecologically sound mulch. The color lasts approx. 2 years; however the color will begin to fade within the 1st year. The dyed mulch is good at retaining moisture within the soil and doesn’t break down like the Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch, so it doesn’t aerate the soil as well. But, the overall look of the dyed mulch is excellent and it normally will last longer than the Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch.
Cedar Mulch is yet another option available to you from A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. We carry Western Red Cedar Mulch. This is an aromatic mulch (after all it is cedar) and is a beautiful blondish mulch with a little red hue in it. Some say it resembles the inside of a cedar chest. This type of mulch doesn’t break down as fast as the Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch, it will last about 2 years although the color will fade to gray over time. Cedar mulch is also considered to be fairly bug resistant/retardant, meaning that many of the “creepy crawly” bugs don’t like the cedar aroma and may stay away. Western Red Cedar Mulch is an excellent choice for aroma, aesthetic, and moisture retaining. The two biggest deterrents are that Western Red Cedar Mulch is a light mulch, so if the planting bed does have a lot of water flow through it, the mulch may have a tendency to float or move. The other deterrent is the cost, it is the most expensive mulch sold at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. however, a lot of people believe that the benefits outweigh the deterrents because of the value over the cost as the Western Red Cedar Mulch will last longer.
New to A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. is the availability of Double Ground Hardwood Mulch. This is a fairly inexpensive mulch that is growing in popularity. It consists of tree grindings that have been shredded to a mulch consistency. It’s not as fine as the Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch and the color is not normally as dark or rich; however, it’s an excellent mulch to use for retaining moisture. It does breakdown fairly quickly, therefore, it does aerate the soil, although it doesn’t seem to contain a lot of the nutrients found in Premium Hardwood Bark Mulch. Overall, it is a good, economical way to go when mulching your beds.
Finally, sold at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. is Playground Mulch. The Playground Mulch consists of wood fiber that is shredded. It has been tested for Shock Absorbing Properties in accordance with the procedures outlined in ASTM-F-1292-99 and is used in many public playground areas. It is not normally used in planting areas.
One of the biggest questions we get is how mulch do I need? A good, simple rule of thumb is that 1 cubic yard of mulch will cover approximately 100 – 125 sq. ft. @ a 2” depth. The other popular question is how does buying in bulk compare to buying in bags? Most bags are sold in 2 cubic foot bags. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard; mathematically it should be 13 – 14 bags would equal 1 cubic yard; however due to settling of the mulch in the bags and the fact the bags are many times not completely full, it’s virtually impossible to say with any degree of certainty how many bags it actually takes. When you buy in bulk, you also don’t have the garbage of the bags to deal with (another ecological, green reason to buy in bulk). You also see exactly what you are getting when you see the pile dumped. Another question is how much room will the mulch take up on my driveway? A good visual is that of a standard size bath tub. So, if you order 3 yards of mulch, picture 3 bathtubs on your driveway, but remember it is dumped in a pile, so it’s not like 3 bathtubs next to each other.
Your final option when it comes to mulch is to have a landscape company, such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. install the mulch for you. We can install the mulch as part of an over-all spring/fall clean up or we’re more than happy to send a crew to do just the mulching.
As always, if you have any other questions regarding mulch, please contact A.G. Landscape Materials at (630) 295-8190 or you can e-mail us through our website at www.agvangundy.com.
Finally, mulch is an excellent product both horticulturally and aesthetically. It promotes healthy, sustainable plants and provides your planting beds with that finished look.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Landscape Design, Landscape Installations, landscaping, Lawn Care, Mulch, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in General, Landscape Planning, Plant Maintenance | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Our snow plow drivers have just returned from what is probably one of the last snow events of the season. Although the snow fall was not as much as the forecasters had predicted, it was a very heavy wet snow that melted off the plowed and/or shoveled surfaces fairly quickly. This is one of the signs that spring can’t be too far away – the average temperature is on its way up; however, we’ll probably see a little more snow and some cold days/nights, but spring is definitely on its way.
When spring does finally get here and you start your outdoor projects, you need to remember that in the state of Illinois, you must contact JULIE whenever your project requires digging of any kind. It’s a simple process and one that should be done by your contractor, if you have hired one, or by yourself if you are the one doing the digging.
JULIE stands for Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators and they provide the free service of notifying its utility members to come to your project site and mark the underground utility wires. Even if your utilities are mostly above ground, it is still an Illinois state law that you must contact JULIE prior to digging. You can contact JULIE several ways; you can call them at 811 or 1-800-892-0123 or go on line and complete an E-Request.
You need to contact JULIE at least two (2) business days before starting your digging and you must start within 14 days of your call. So, that means if you want to start your project on a Saturday, you will need to contact JULIE no later than Wednesday. Some information you will need to complete your request is:
1. Your name, address and a phone number at which you can be reached
2. The county and city/town you are digging in, if unincorporated, the county
and the area of the township
3. Location of the digging (address, cross street, subdivision, name…)
4. When you plan to start your digging
5. Section/Quarter of the property, if available.
The JULIE representative will then inform you of the utilities that will be notified. The utility member (not a JULIE employee) will then “mark” your property with paint and/or flags. It is important to remember that utilities that are privately owned or installed will not be marked and are your responsibility. Examples of these types of wiring include, but are not limited to:
1. Invisible Dog Fence Wiring
2. Electrical lines for low voltage wiring
3. Wiring to a garage or shed
4. Gas lines to a swimming pool or grill
If you have hired a landscape contractor, such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. to install your project, the contractor should be the person that calls in the JULIE locate request. Be sure to check with your contractor to ensure that this important practice is followed. It can prevent a lot of headaches down the road.
If you would like more information about JULIE and the service it provides, you can go to their website at www.illinois1call.com. The website has a lot of good information as well as the e-request form for submitting your locate request on-line.
Just remember to contact JULIE before digging & let’s hope for a great spring!
Tags: AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Drain Tile Work, Hardscaping, Landcape Construction, landscaping, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in General | 2 Comments »
Monday, February 1st, 2010
Landscaping your yard can be a fun and exciting do-it-yourself project; however, some of you may feel overwhelmed by the possibilities, or you may not feel confident in your choices, or you may decide that your time is best spend doing something else, whatever the reason, you may choose to hire a landscape contractor to install your project. Choosing a contractor can itself be a daunting task; there are so many contractors around, so where do you start? I would recommend getting the answers to these general questions before narrowing your choices:
1. Is the contractor insured?
2. How long has the contractor been in business?
3. Are their crews someone you can communicate with?
4. Will they supply you with references?
5. What type of warranty do they offer?
Once you’ve narrowed your choices to 2 or 3 (I wouldn’t recommend more than that, it starts getting confusing), you will want them to come to your residence/project site to go over the project you’re contemplating. Hopefully, you have chosen A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. to be one of those two or three. Each company has their own sales process, but this is ours (and it seems to have worked fairly well for nearly 30 years).
First you need to call or e-mail the office to schedule an appointment. If a sales representative is not readily available at the time of your call, our efficient office staff will get some general information from you and pass it along to the sales rep. The rep should call you back within a day or so to schedule the appointment.
Before he/she comes to your site, you will want to consider a few things, like budget. You will want to convey to our rep what you are comfortable spending. You may want a $50,000.00 landscape, but you have $10,000.00 available. Keep in mind that this is not a huge problem. You may need to install your project in stages. We’ll discuss this a little later in this blog. You may also want to look around your neighborhood or at other homes; do you see any plantings that you absolutely love or hate? Our rep will want to know that also. Do you have a preference of colors? Do you love pink? Do you have reds? Finally, think about how much time you want to spend maintaining the newly installed landscape. Do you want it installed and virtually forget about it? Do you like tweaking things throughout the season? You may also need a copy of your plat of survey for the initial meeting.
Once our rep arrives, he/she will want to look at the area(s) to be landscaped. They’ll want to know the answers to the above questions and probably other information to help them customize the design to your taste/personality/lifestyle. Sometimes, especially if the project is not complicated, the rep will be able to sketch something on site and present you with the estimate. Other times, the rep will bring back the dimensions and notes and prepare a scaled design. There is usually a fee involved with the preparation of a design; however, the rep will certainly go over this with you at the meeting. Once the design is completed, the rep will contact you for a 2nd meeting to go over the details of the design. This meeting usually takes place at our office although not always. The rep will go over the overall concept of the design, basic colors included and bloom time. The rep will also go over the cost and our contract terms. If you love the design and the price is right, you’ll be asked to sign a contract and for a deposit to hold your price and get you on the schedule board. If you love the design, but the price is a little of your budget for now, the rep will be more than happy to discuss with you the options that would be available. For instance, you may decide to do the project in stages, our rep can help you prioritize which should be done first, or you may decide to install portions of the landscape yourself. Whatever you decide, we want to make sure that you’re happy and comfortable with the decisions.
Once your deposit is received and the contract is signed, your job goes on the schedule board for installation. We will give you an estimated date for installation. Your actual installation date is not something that can always be guaranteed because our work is very dependent on weather conditions and jobs that are being installed in front of yours.
If a permit is required, we can take care of that for you in most cases. We may need additional information from you and you will be responsible to pay the permit fees and/or bonds that may be required by the village and/or county. But, we’ll be happy to submit the paperwork, pick up the permit and be the liaison to the governing bodies.
Once your installation date is near, we will contact JULIE to mark the underground utilities at your site. Please note, that JULIE does not mark wiring that you have installed, i.e. invisible dog fence lines, low voltage lighting wiring… In these cases, you may want to mark them yourself or at the very least make sure that your sales rep is aware of these.
We will usually call you a day or two prior to the day we will be at your site to start your job. Your “start up” payment is usually due once our crews arrive to begin work.
When the work is completed, the sales rep or the crew foreman will walk you through the job, go over the watering instructions, the warranty again and answer any questions you may have. It is then that the final payment is due. But, don’t think that just because you make your final payment our relationship has to be over. We’re here to answer questions that may come up or assist you with other projects you may want to install.
Finally, deciding to do any home improvement with a contractor can be nerve racking, but at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. we try to take some of the nerves and turn them into excitement.
Tags: AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Dog Runs, Drain Tile Work, Drainage, Landscape Design, Landscape Installations, Landscape Planning, landscaping, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in AGVanGundy.com, General, Landscape Designing, Landscape Planning | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 18th, 2010
Take a look outside. What do you see? Snow? Ice? An empty garden? A yard that is beaten down and brown? Although it’s January, it may not seem like there is a lot going on in the world of horticulture, but now is the time when your possibilities are endless. You can dream about what you would like to see in your yard. Your thoughts aren’t crippled by the weeds growing in your garden. You’re technically working with a blank canvas. This planting season you can change whatever needs changing. But, where do you start? A good idea is to think back to last spring what did you like about your yard, garden, or planting areas? What plants to you want to work with in your existing landscape? What colors would you like to incorporate? Think back to other yards either in your neighborhood or others, did you take notice of any of their plants? Do you want to add a whole new outdoor living space (outdoor kitchen and/or fireplace)? Does your existing patio or walkway need updating or replacement? What goals would you like to accomplish with your landscaping?
Now that you have some thoughts & maybe some ideas, it’s time to do some investigating and educating.
You may need to educate yourself on plants that will work in your growing zone and on plants that can conform to your existing outdoor living space. Maybe you have a shady area that tends to be difficult to grow anything in or vice-versa a very sunny area that gets extremely hot during the summer days. But where do you start? A great starting place is on the internet. There are countless number of sites and forums. Other great sources are seminars, home improvement shows, your local newspaper and your library. Seminars are often held by the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, local gardening clubs, and the Chicago Botanical Gardens – you can contact anyone of those sources for schedules and topics. Home Improvement Shows are in abundance in the Chicago area, especially during the winter and early spring months, may you can attend one or two of these and pick up some literature. A lot of newspapers will have whole sections dedicated to Homes & Gardening. There’s also your local public library. Although the library seems to be a dying entity, it’s really a great source of information gathering. You can usually fine virtually everything there, from hard copy books to periodicals to internet access to local news regarding local happenings such as seminars. Finally, for those of you who want to invest a little more, most community colleges offer introductory to advanced horticultural classes, seminars and symposiums.
Once you’ve done your investigating and maybe some educating, some of you may decide you need additional help or you just don’t have the time and/or patience to incorporate your new found knowledge yourself – you may want to work with a professional landscape company, such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. We love working with informed, educated clients; however, we also relish the opportunity to work with and inform clients new to the landscaping world.
Homeowners and clients aren’t the only ones needing seminars and education. We use this time of year for training, seminars and trade shows. This month we’ll be attending the largest Midwest Horticultural Show in Chicago (Mid-Am). There, we’re looking forward to seeing the latest in equipment, new growers, new materials and of course being reintroduced and reminded of some of the standards we’ve already been accustomed to. At the end of the month, a couple of us will be attending a computer class to brush up on some of old skills and hopefully learn some new applications. February will find us at another trade show and a seminar specifically geared toward Perennials. Our crews will more than likely be attending a safety class, a pruning workshop and updating licenses. Personally, one of my goals for this off season is to learn more about flagstone and topsoils.
Don’t forget that January and February are great times to do your dormant pruning. If you haven’t done so yourself and aren’t planning on doing it yourself, please contact us at www.agvangundy.com or call us at (630) 295-8190 and we’ll be happy to help you.
Spring and warmer weather are only a couple of months away. Soon it will be March and usually the snow has melted a few times, so you can get out and assess your landscape. Get your training in now, stay excited and work toward a goal.
LET’S THINK SPRING!
Tags: AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Landscape Designing, Landscape Planning, landscaping, Lawn Care
Posted in General, Landscape Designing, Landscape Planning | No Comments »
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