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...]
Spring Mulching and Planting
Reasons to plant and mulch every spring are in abundance. Mulching helps plants and trees hold in precious moisture. Spring planting adds color to your landscape for the season – or even longer – depending on what you choose to plant. Whether you plan to redesign your entire landscape or you’re just looking to maintain your existing one, a little work now will reap big rewards the rest of the year. Choosing the Right Mulch Before you apply mulch, you need to decide what variety you are going … [Read more...]
What’s Bugging Your Garden?
2017 looks like it’s going to be a tough year for bugs in Northern Virginia landscapes. Every gardener dreads dealing with bugs and other pests; it can be both time-consuming and expensive. The old adage, “the best medicine is prevention,” is also true for landscape pests, though. Following good gardening practices, encouraging natural predators, and frequently checking your plants can go a long way in avoiding pesky insect damage. Uncovering the Source of Your Pest Problem Once you have … [Read more...]
Spring Lawn and Landscape Tips
Whether you're a seasoned homeowner or a brand new one, winter is a great time to plan ahead and make a spring to-do list for your yard. There are activities you may tackle yourself, like raking and mowing, but others – like aerating and fertilizing - may require some professional help. Planning now will help you achieve the lush green lawn and beautiful garden beds you’ve always desired. 7 Ways to Prepare Your Lawn and Landscape for Spring 1. Inspect As soon as the snow has melted, it’s … [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 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 placed at … [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...]
