Renovation or Installation – What Do I Need?
Helping customers create their dream garden paradise Knowing some landscaper jargon can help you communicate with your prospective landscape contractor. Landscape Renovations are a “spring cleaning” that gets your garden in shape if regular maintenance hasn’t been effective. Renovations are usually recommended for overgrown yards. This is an economical alternative to re-landscaping when the original […]
Fertilizer FAQs
What does N-P-K mean? What are the numbers on a bag of fertilizer? EX: 21-6-5 N – Nitrogen promotes rapid growth, dark green leaf color, improves quality and quantity of foliage, increases protein content of food crops P – Phosphorus stimulates rooting, vigorous growth and fruit/flower formation, hastens maturity K- Potassium improves disease resistance and protein […]
Lawn Care Basics
REGULAR LAWN CARE Mow weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the grass type and climate. It promotes dense turf, suppresses weeds and is great for children. Remove no more than 1/3 of the leaf at each mowing. Water lawns heavily. Allow the soil surface to dry between waterings; this reduces weed seed germination and discourages disease. Remember, tall grass […]
First aid for your water lily or lotus
The boom in aquatic plant sales the last 10 years has brought a boom in aquatic pests. Water lilies, lotus and bog plants all have unique challenges with bugs and diseases but we can adopt the tried and true techniques of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to start cutting down on problems. Careful with plant selection. […]
Kailua Landscape Tips
Kailua Landscaping Tips by Dorothy Mulkern It’s all about Soil Prep for landscaping in Kailua. Soil prep is a combination of cultivating the soil, bringing in compost and adding the right fertilizers before ever installing new plantings. There is no substitute for adequate preparation and this dramatically impacts how quickly new plantings grow, and how […]
Choosing Water Feature Plants
Choosing Water Feature Plants: Piecing together a self-sustaining ecosystem Choosing water plants for your feature is easy. All of the following plants are puzzle pieces that form a complete, self-sustaining ecosystem. Remember, water plants should not cover more than 2/3s of the water’s surface. Overcrowding aquatic plants limits air circulation and light. These factors make […]
Lotus Care & Repotting
Kevin’s Lotus Workshop February 22, 2014 About Lotus Lotus is found all over the world and is native to tropical parts of Asia, Australia and North America. In our containers, the plants can get between 3 and 5 feet tall. In ponds and in the wild they can quickly get very big, very fast. Repotting Instructions […]
Planting a New Tree
Trees are an investment that will last a lifetime. Here in Hawaii we are lucky – we can plant a tree any time of the year. In places with intense seasonal changes, it’s recommended that trees are planted during the dormant season – in fall or early spring. This allows the tree to establish before […]
Pruning Basics
There are many reasons to prune a plant. Removing dead wood will reduce risk from falling branches and improve plant health. Landscapers usually shape a plant for aesthetic reasons, or to direct growth away from your home. Farmers often prune to harvest fruits and vegetables. Tools of the trade. A few common tools we use […]