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...]
Watering Guidelines: First Year Plantings
Proper watering is critical to your plant’s health. Epling is committed to everlasting and vigorous landscapes. Our goal is to educate and practice the best home care and watering techniques. Regular watering will help maximize flowering and proper growth. However, NO watering schedule is a substitute for observing the daily conditions of your landscape. Frequent shallow watering leads to shallow root systems that are not drought tolerant. Open-ended hose: An open-ended hose should be … [Read more...]
Tips for Cutting Ornamental Grasses and Laying Mulch
Laying Mulch Mulch provides many benefits in the garden and landscape. Not only does it enhance the garden bed’s beauty, but it also helps many plants as they begin to emerge flush, ensuring maximum growth. Mulch holds water and nutrients in the summer, keeping the water run off to a minimum. Acting as an insulator, it holds heat in the winter which is especially good for the root ball of the plant. Freshly laying mulch in the spring is crucial as it is a critical time to suppress weed … [Read more...]
Top Tips for Spring Lawn and Garden Care
With all the information out there from fertilizer companies, turf specialists, and lawn experts, it’s hard to know if and when (and if) you should fertilize in the spring. Spring fertilization is recommended as part of a complete lawn and plant care program, along with cleaning up garden beds and applying mulch. The trick is to make sure you are applying fertilizer at the right time so that you don’t throw off your whole landscaping program. Best Time for Spring Fertilization When … [Read more...]
Start Planning Now for Spring Planting
Does this harsh winter have you dreaming about warmer weather and enjoying your outdoor living space and landscape? Spring may seem a long time away, but designing a master plan now eases the way into a beautiful, renewed garden. Waiting until spring is already here before planning your landscape changes and additions can not only hamper your ability to complete the project, but it can also jeopardize the health and longevity of new plants that may not have been planted correctly. Develop … [Read more...]
