Spring has sprung! (We can tell because we can’t stop sneezing.) After a not-so-wonderful winter, we’re all excited to get back outside and make our landscaping beautiful again. With yard beautification comes so many choices: bushes or flowers? Annuals or perennials? Mulch or no mulch? If you’re not sure about your mulch needs and desires, we can help! Why Use Mulch? Many people prefer using some kind of mulch to help suppress weeds, retain soil moisture, keep the soil cool, improve the … [Read more...]
Develop Your Landscaping Plan
It’s cold outside, and most of our landscapes are quiet and at rest at this time of year. But like many,, you probably always have landscaping plans in your head. Winter is the perfect time to do some dreaming and planning and put those thoughts on paper. It’s also a great time to start making plans with your landscaping company. Well-thought landscaping plans can help achieve successful results and save money. How Can I Put Together a Landscaping Plan? Start with a … [Read more...]
Do I Really Have to Rake My Leaves?
It’s been an unusually warm, wet summer here in Northern Virginia, but at some point, we all know those leaves are going to fall. Fall leaves can feel like a big landscaping nuisance, but they don’t have to be. You can decide to rake them and take them or (with the right equipment) leave them alone. Let’s take a look at some of the best leaf management options. Why Do We Remove Leaves? Fall leaves can look pretty for a while, but if they’re left on the ground, they can form a thick layer and … [Read more...]
Does Hiring a Landscaper Save Me Money?
Do it yourself (DIY) is big these days, and a lot of us think DIY landscaping and lawn care are money savers. However, the truth is, hiring a lawn maintenance company is incredibly cost effective. When you factor equipment, supplies, costly mistakes and the most valuable commodity of all--your time--hiring a landscaper makes a ton of financial sense. DIY Lawn Maintenance vs. Epling Lawn Lawn Maintenance In an era of big yards and busy schedules, taking care of lawn maintenance and landscaping … [Read more...]
How Can I Prepare for Winterization?
Winter is coming, and it could spell disaster for your lawn or landscape. You spend the other months of the year cultivating a beautiful yard and garden, so don’t let a Virginia winter spoil it for you. A process called winterization can help you protect against a brutal winter and come through with a healthy outdoor space. Preparing for the Winter Months The winter season causes plants to die or go dormant, and preparing is an essential part of winterizing. Simply put, to winterize your … [Read more...]
Getting Year-Round Color in Your Landscape
No matter the season, color in your landscape can be easy with a simple plan. Incorporate annuals, perennials and shrubs with different bloom times for continuous bursts of color within your landscape. Planting and Bloom Times The best suggested times to plant are during the spring and fall, when the weather is cooler. The new plants and bulbs have time to adjust to the new environment before extreme temperatures of summer or winter begin. Specific plantings, such as summer annuals, can be … [Read more...]
Simple Steps to Winterize your Landscape
As summer ends, watering should not. Continue watering your trees, shrubs and plantings until the ground freezes. One of the biggest factors causing winter decline is the lack of water and the plants drying out. If you allow the plants to soak up the water all the way to the winter months, they have a much better chance of remaining healthy throughout the winter months. Spraying your evergreens for winter burn will create a waxy coating on the leaves and needles to help seal in the … [Read more...]
Benefits of Irrigatian Systems coincide with new Irrigation Management Services at Epling.
The installation of an irrigation system in your landscape has many benefits which include saving time, money and water. The awareness in the importance of conserving water has grown as effects of the drought have become commonplace. In addition, irrigation systems will help promote growth of healthy turf and reduce the weed population. Saving time is important to almost everyone. Hand watering with a hose can take away valuable time in both the morning and evening hours. Irrigation systems … [Read more...]
Think Spring, but plan in the fall: Designing a year-long color rotation begins in the fall.
Rotating Annuals provides color rotation which is a great way to spruce up bare spots and problem areas. Annuals can also accentuate a simple pot or window box and have a tendency to create a nice back drop. In most of Virginia one can change annuals three to four times a year. In our area we have many different options to choose from depending on what time of year it is. The first color rotation of the year would be the spring. During this part of the year one would want to … [Read more...]
Container Gardening: Something for Everyone
Every household is unique with unique gardening needs. Individuals that live in townhomes or apartments may have different needs than those that live in single family homes in the town or in the country. For a variety of reasons, container gardening might be an advantage. Container gardens come in a variety of forms such as hanging baskets, patio pots, window boxes, herb and vegetable container gardens, succulents, or vertical gardens. Before determining which container garden is best for your … [Read more...]
