fp 041113 Lawn & Garden

SPRING LAWN & GARDEN

SFARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 • 1C

pringLawn&GardenLawn&Garden

■ ALAN [email protected]

Curb appeal is especially eye-catching beginning in April: thick, greengrass, appealing landscaping and the just the right touches with annualsand perennials plants and scrubs.

Local experts in landscaping, plants and lawn care share advice on cre-ating curb appeal for neighbors, motorists, cyclists, joggers — or anyonepassing by — to envy.

Nick Davis, owner of Extreme Green Lawns & Landscaping([email protected]) (www.extremegreenlawns.com),explained what his service did for a Farragut home.

Creating about 1,000 square feet of plant and scrub bedsaround a two-story red brick home using dwarf hollies,knockout roses and azaleas —surrounded by creek rock— Davis explained these homeowners wished to com-bine an attractive look and limited maintenance using

plants that would stay green year-round.Dwarf hollies “are evergreens so they stay green year-round,” Davis said.

“Evergreen azaleas, they also bloom in the spring. They stay green year-round, also.”

Using creek rock, “For some customers they like that because they don'thave to do it but once a year,” as opposed to "putting hardwood mulchdown," Davis added.

Rock beds and flowers often don't coexist well. “If there's going to bequite a bit of sun kind of beating down on the rocks, you're probably notgoing to want to put the flowers down there because it’ll just draw too muchheat,” he said. “Delicate plants you don't want to use with rock.”

However, knockout roses are an exception according to Davis. "Theybloom longer than regular roses,” Davis said. “They’re a smaller type rose.They bloom in spring into the early part of summer.”

When applying hardwood mulch around trees and plants, “You want tomake a little donut around the tree, that allows that when it does rain,water will siphon down into the root system,” Davis said. “You want to dothat with all your plants.”

Lisa Stanley, sales manager with Stanley’s Greenhouse, 3105 DavenportRoad, Knoxville (stanleysgreenhouse.com), spoke about color coordinating

Curb Curb File photo

Hardspaces such as this rock waterfall and pond at Stanley’sSecret Garden lend not only interest and beauty to the land-scape but also a sense of tranquility to a busy lifestyle. Appeal

See CURB APPEAL on Page 4C

Local experts in landscaping,plants and lawn care share advice

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2C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 SPRING LAWN & GARDEN

Pestcontrol

■ ROBBY O’[email protected]

Numerous pests can make keeping alawn or garden difficult.

Lee Strunk, All Seasons Lawn Careowner, said bagworms can kill trees. Theycan be found on almost any type of ever-green, he said.

Grubs can damage the turf, he said.“Because obviously they’re in the sod,

and they’re feeding on the roots of yourgrass,” he said. “So as they chew on theroots of the grass, the first thing thatyou’ll see, the lawn becomes less drought-tolerant and needs more watering. Andthe more they eat on the roots, then even-tually the plants that they’re eating onthe roots, they die.”

This also can lead to a bigger pest – theskunk, which may dig the grubs up andcreate a hole in the lawn, he said.

Fleas in the lawn can find their wayinto the house through a walk of the dog,he said.

During this time of year, mosquitoespresent an annoyance and a health haz-ard, he said.

“The things you want to do to preventmosquitoes are look around your lawn,look around the outside of your home,” hesaid. “Make sure there’s nothing aroundthat can hold water. Birdbaths and stufflike that are pretty, but unless you changethat water pretty frequently, it canbecome stagnant and cause a problem.”

All Seasons Lawn Care can treat for

grubs, and the business can treat outsidethe home for fleas or ticks in the lawn, hesaid.

Carl Haynes, Southeast Termite andPest Control owner, said spring and sum-mer are when pests are particularly trou-blesome, and usually March throughOctober marks the business’s busiesttime of the year.

The warmer weather of the past fewweeks has brought the ants out, he said.

“Crickets are not too bad so far,” hesaid. “They’ll pick up a little later on, butants, centipedes and now termites arestarting to swarm. We’ve had severalswarms already. When it gets up into the70s for several days in a row, that’s usual-ly when the termites start coming out.”

Above average rain also brings out ter-mites, he said.

“They have to have moisture, and thenyou have that 75-degree weather, the sun-shine, that’s when the swarmers comeout,” he said. “... And when you have thatkind of weather, people are out working intheir yard, and they tend to see signs oftermites that they normally wouldn’t seeat any other time.”

Pests can enter the home from outsidein a number of different ways, he said.

“They can come in through the smallestcrack imaginable around the doors,around windows, plumbing,” he said.“There’s just so many ways. It’s almostimpossible to make a home too tight for Robby O’Daniel/farragutpress

Treating for ants is Danny Kidd, Southeast Termite and Pest Control salesand service technician.See PEST on Page 7C

Local experts lend advice for handling unwelcome pests

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FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 • 3CSPRING LAWN & GARDEN

Gardening TipsGardeningTipsGardening is a rewarding hobby that many

enthusiasts credit with helping them to peace-fully escape from the hustle and bustle of every-day life. Though gardening can be both relaxingand rewarding, it's not as easy as it may seem,and the more time and effort a person devotes tohis or her garden the more likely it is to be suc-cessful.

Gardening can be a little daunting for begin-ners who have little or no experience plantingflowers or vegetables. But gardening need not beso intimidating, especially for those beginnerswho adhere to the following tips aimed at help-ing novice gardeners start their gardens off onthe right foot.

Determine what you shouldplant

Where you live will go a long way toward deter-mining what you should plant. While you canplant anything you can get your hands on, theUnited States Department of Agriculture hasdetermined specific plant hardiness zones thatindicate which plants are most likely to thrive ingiven locations. Maps of these zones can befound at www.usda.gov. By adhering to the maps,gardeners can significantly increase theirchances of growing successful gardens. When indoubt about what to plant, consult a local gar-dening center or seek advice from a professionallandscaper.

Think location when beginningyour garden

Beginners with large yards have the luxury ofchoosing the right location on their properties tostart planting. When choosing a spot, considerhow much sunlight a location gets on a dailybasis and the spot's proximity to a water supply.If planting flowers, try to avoid planting in areaswith heavy foot traffic so the flowers are lesslikely to be stomped. If you're planting flowers toaccent walkways, then consider erecting a barri-

er around the flower bed to safeguard the flow-ers from foot traffic.

Get started before you plant Preparing the soil a few weeks before you start

planting can help the plants thrive down theroad. Add some organic material, such as com-post or fertilizer, to the soil roughly three weeksbefore planting. This helps the soil retain waterand nutrients, which will help your gardenthrive.

Time your planting When you plant is sometimes as important as

what you plant. Some climates allow for year-round planting, but many do not. When buyingseeds, the packaging might suggest what time ofyear to plant the seeds. Adhere to these sugges-tions or your garden might not grow much at all.In addition, keep in mind that many seedlingsneed significant light throughout the day inorder to grow, so choose a time of year withample daylight.

Don't forget to mulch Mulch can be as aesthetically appealing as it is

effective. Mulch retains soil, helping roots togrow stronger, while deterring bugs and prevent-ing weed growth. And many gardeners findmulch adds visual appeal their garden, and doesso in a very inexpensive way.

Clean your tools Beginners rarely recognize the importance of

cleaning gardening tools before putting themaway. At the end of each gardening session,clean your tools thoroughly, as soil left onyour garden tools can play host to potential-ly harmful microbes that might kill yourplants.

Gardening can be a labor-intensive yetgratifying hobby. By sticking to a few simplerules, beginners can develop a thriving gar-den to reward all of that hard work.

for beginners

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flowers with the house’s outsidecolor.

When matching colors withflowers, taking a red brick homeas one example, “Then I wouldprobably want to put white oryellow against it ... becausewhite or yellow will reflect thelight out and it will show up thecolors against it,” Stanley said.“Use white or yellow as a barrieragainst the brick, then put yourother colors on the outside ofthat white or yellow.”

With a tan home, “I wouldprobably want the bolder colorslike the reds and the oranges,”Stanley said.

For in-ground plants and flow-ers around scrubs, “Come outabout six inches” for the scrub'sdrip line, Stanley said.

“Usually the borders colorswould be best there, your whitesand your yellows. ... To show upagainst that deep green. Thencome out from your border andapply some color against that,either your reds, oranges, pinksor blues.”

Stanley said a homeownercould add “a focus” potted plant

among the scrubs and in-groundflowers. ... “But I probably would-n't want to do my whole border”with potted plants.

To make each in-ground plantstand out in a bed, “I like to do azigzag [pattern], so that none ofthe plants are hiding,” Stanleysaid. “It looks better from theside and it looks better from thefront.”

Lindsay Lindsey, landscapedesigner and assistant managerfor Meadow View Greenhouse &Garden Center, 9885 Highway11E, Lenoir City, (www.meadowviewgc.com) ([email protected]), said sherecommends to “always havesome foundation of evergreens,so there’s some interest all year.But then you also can add differ-ent seasons of color with yourselections.”

“I think the biggest problemswe see are just putting a plant inthe wrong place,” she added. “Acommon one would be an azalea,everybody thinks they can go sunor shade. Typically, an azalea isgoing to be stressed if you put itin the full sun. … It is a plantthat likes to have morning sunbut evening shade.”

As for year-round, mainte-

nance-free plants, “A lot of smallconifers [pine needle ever-greens] work well,” Lindsey said.“You’ve got some hollies and box-woods that stay in that two- tothree-foot range.”

“Using perennials for color isgood, also,” she added. “Mostperennials have a bloom periodthroughout the year. … theydon’t all bloom in all seasons, sousing different perennials is howyou get different phases of colorthroughout the yard.”

Annuals “typically give youmore color,” Lindsey said.” Andthey do have a much longerbloom period than a perennial.”

Among the more “drought-tol-erant” perennials according toLindsey are sedums. “Autumn joysedum is one variety that’s taller,gives you great color but is verydrought tolerant,” she said.

Lee Strunk, owner of AllSeason’s Lawn Care &Landscaping (www.allseason-slawncare.us), warned aboutlawns browning during thehottest periods of summer. Aboutfescue lawns, "Once it getsbrown, it’s done,” he said. “Yourarely can get it to come back.And even if it does come back,it's not going to come back as

Curb appealFrom page 1C

Alan Sloan/farragutpress

Around this birdbath at Meadow View Greenhouse & GardenCenter Is an arrangement that could be duplicated for curbappeal at a home: sun annuals and evergreens bordered byflagstone.

Photo submitted

This two-story brick home in Farragut had about 1,000 square feet of plant and scrub beds, filledwith creek rock, installed by Extreme Green Lawns & Landscaping.

strong as before.“Of course, watering is the

best way” to prevent browning.“It needs about an inch of rainper week. ... To know that you'regoing to have to have a raingauge,” Strunk added.

In addition, “You need a goodfertilization program to get yourgrass established, even in thewintertime. … It grows a rootsystem throughout the winter-time and the cooler times of theyear,” Strunk said.

Fertilize “about five times ayear,” Strunk added. “About thistime of the year or maybe a littlebit earlier … then about sixweeks after that … then there isa summer fertilization that hasthe turf-builder in it, which isgoing to help produce the rootsystem again. Mid-summer, mid-July. Then again in the fall. ...

And then around December.”Struck warns about lime. “You

never want to put lime on any-thing until you do a soil test totell what your pH is,” he said.“For turf grass, your pH prettymuch needs to be neutral, some-where between six and seven.

“Take a soil sample … theymake a tool for it, and that tooltakes up a plug that’s three inch-es long and probably three-quar-ter inches in diameter. Justtakes two or three of those in abag,” Strunk added.

With Strunk advising to sendsamples to John Deere Landscap-ing, 1337 E. Weisgarber Road, thenext step is sending it to a lab to“actually do a soil analysis, andthey'll send you back a report ...They will tell you how manypounds per thousand square feetthat you need to put on.”

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IrrigationPros and cons of automatic systems

Water is essential to keeping a lawn or garden in goodhealth. The trouble with watering is that it can be time-con-suming, especially if your idea of watering is standing out-side with the hose. But thanks to irrigation systems, water-ing has become a lot less hands-on.

An irrigation sprinkler or drip system takes much of thework out of watering a landscape. Some can also be fitted todeliver fertilizer and weed-prevention products to a lawn.But before any digging takes place, homeowners might wantto learn about the advantages and disadvantages of irriga-tion systems.

AdvantagesOne of the most obvious advantages is the time savings

afforded by an automatic sprinkler or drip irrigation system.Once installed, many systems can be set to a timer to waterat specific time intervals and on certain days of the week.This means there's no need to worry about forgetting towater the lawn and coming back from vacation to find crisp,yellow grass.

Another advantage is that irrigation systems, particularlythe drip type, can be positioned so that water is more effec-tively targeted where it is needed. Nozzles can be adjustedand underground drip tubes will deliver water right to theroots, rather than spraying walkways and driveways.

Another advantage is that automatic irrigation systemsare generally hidden from view, which means there are nounsightly hoses stretched across the lawn and no more trip-ping hazards. Sprinkler heads pop up to spray and thenretract when the job is done. Underground drip systems dotheir work out of view. For families with young children and

pets who share outdoor spaces, automatic systems may be asafer option.

DisadvantagesThe primary disadvantage associated with a sprinkler sys-

tem is the expense. These systems can be quite costlydepending on the size of the property. Furthermore, por-tions of the lawn will have to be dug up to install pipeworkand attach it to the plumbing system of the home.

It is best to install an irrigation system prior to the instal-lation of sod or extensive landscaping.

The repairs to fix an irrigation system can be much morecostly than replacing a damaged garden hose.

Irrigation systems have their advantages and disadvan-tages, and homeowners should weigh their options.

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Pools & lawnsThe backyard has become a go-to desti-

nation for warm weather recreation. As the"staycation" has grown in popularity, moreeffort has been put forth in making thebackyard a place where all members of thehousehold can enjoy themselves. Thatmeans merging interests into one space. Apool may be competing for acreage alongwith a decorative patch of lawn. Somehomeowners wonder if lawns and pools canbe successful alongside each other.

Many question if chlorinated pool waterposes any ill effects on the grass in thebackyard. In addition to splash-out of waterduring fun times in the pool, water also willbe tracked across the lawn from childrenand adults exiting the pool or will flood thegrass when it is necessary to clean and"backwash" the filter. Will you be left with adried-out patch of chlorine-burnt lawn?Probably not.

Healthy chlorine levels in a pool are keptso that the pool water is generally on parwith the chlorine levels contained in regu-lar tap water. You wouldn't hesitate turningon the hose to water your lawn, so youshouldn't be overly concerned about poolwater splashing out of the pool, particular-ly if you are stringent about maintainingthe proper pH levels and chlorine levels.

Also, soil can withstand chlorine at highacid levels and is pretty resilient about self-correcting. Furthermore, grass blades areselective about which nutrients theyabsorb, so excess chlorine likely will notpenetrate the grass blades.

Chlorine also dissipates in the sun.Therefore, while the levels may be elevatedupon just hitting the grass, over a shortwhile the chlorine will essentially be usedup and pose no additional threat to the sur-rounding lawn.

Some people have actually said thatwatering your lawn with pool water can bean eco-friendly way of curbing water usage.Therefore, it may be safely used on lawnsand most flowering plants. It is unadvisableto water vegetable gardens with pool waterbecause of any trace levels of other chemi-cals that may be found in the pool water.

Homeowners still concerned aboutexposing their lawns to pool water can cre-ate a buffer zone around the pool. Ingroundpools are traditionally bordered by con-crete or patio blocks. Place stone or mulcharound the perimeter of an above-groundpool to catch any splashes and to create abarrier between the pool and the lawn.Also, direct backwashed water through along tube and flow it to an area away from

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insects.”To combat pests, he recommends call-

ing an exterminator.“You can’t keep them away,” he said.

“All you can do is do what you can to killthem before they come in and start layingeggs and multiplying.”

Southeast Termite and Pest Controloffers free inspections where employeeslook at the home and provide suggestions.

The business uses granule, a sand-likesubstance spread around the foundationof the home, he said.

“Once you spray over them or if you justwait and let it rain, the rain releases thechemical in the granule, and it’s very, very

effective on outside insects like ants,crickets, spiders, centipedes, millipedes,things like that,” he said.

Baits work mainly on ants and roaches,he said.

The business may also use pesticides incertain situations.

“If you had a heavy infestation of ants,roaches, fleas, something like that, thatyou need to do an initial treatment of apesticide, but after the initial knockdowntreatment, you could switch to your baits,your granules,” he said.

He stressed that everything the busi-ness uses is safe for people and pets.

“We service hospitals, daycare centers,nursing homes,” he said. “We can’t affordto use anything that’s dangerous.”

PestFrom page 2C

pruningBenefits of

Pruning trees and shrubs is necessaryto ensure they maintain their health andvigor. Trees and shrubs should be inspect-ed annually to determine if they need tobe pruned. Mature trees typically do notneed to be pruned as frequently as youngtrees, which need pruning to establishbranch structure. Trees and shrubs thatgo years without pruning can becomeovergrown and weak. In addition to pro-moting tree and shrub health, pruningpays a host of other dividends.

Pruning removes dead ordiseased branches

Pruning helps a tree or shrub maintainits shape and vigor by removing broken,dead or diseased branches that can beunsightly and make it more difficult forthe tree or shrub to stay healthy. Whenbroken, dead or diseased branches areremoved, trees or shrubs look healthierand add aesthetic appeal to a property.

Pruning trees and shrubs

promotes growth of otherplants

Trees and shrubs that go years withoutbeing pruned become overgrown, makingit difficult for plants underneath or adja-cent to them to grow in healthy. Forexample, grass beneath an overgrowntree might not get adequate sunlight,which it needs to establish strong rootsso it can grow in lush and healthy.Pruning allows plants beneath the treeand shrub, and even those next to thetree and shrub, to grow in nicely.

Pruning can sometimesbring plants back to life

Shrubs that have gone years withoutbeing pruned can sometimes be salvaged.In some instances, pruning such shrubscan restore natural and healthy growth.

Pruning reduces risk ofaccidents

Overgrown trees can interfere withpower lines, increasing the risk of acci-

dents and power outages. In addition,overgrown trees tend to have larger,weaker limbs, which can prove hazardousand cause property damage duringstorms. Pruning overgrown trees reducesthe risk of such accidents.

Pruning can save money Over time, overgrown trees might

require professional assistance in orderto be removed or pruned from a property.Homeowners who prune their trees asneeded can save themselves the cost of a

potentially pricey tree service.Pruning adds curb appeal

A property littered with overgrowntrees and shrubs hurts a home's curbappeal, giving prospective buyers theimpression that homeowners might havebeen careless with regard to maintainingthe whole house and not just the lawn.But trees and shrubs that are pruned andwell-maintained can add to a home's curbappeal, something that goes a long waytoward impressing prospective buyers.

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fp 041113 Lawn & Garden