Low Maintenance Landscaping

You want your landscaping to add beauty to your home and provide curb appeal, but you also don’t want to have to spend all your free time working in the yard. Just because you desire low maintenance, it doesn’t mean it has to be unattractive. Here are some tips for creating a beautiful outdoors at your home with minimal ongoing effort.

Irrigation

One of the biggest aspects of lawn care that steals your free time is carting around the hose and sprinklers. An automated irrigation system takes care of the watering tasks for you, and keeps everything growing even during the dry spells that hit the Katy area. All you have to do is keep an eye on your yard, and adjust the timer settings as needed for periods of heavier rainfall.

Drainage

A big part of the success of your landscaping has to do with drainage. A professionally designed drainage system will get rid of standing water so it doesn’t build up after a heavy rain. This can damage your landscaping, leading to rotting roots and unhappy plants. And don’t forget the breeding ground for mosquitoes that standing water creates in this part of Southeast Texas! A proper drainage system also inhibits erosion, and makes your yard less muddy.

Hardscapes

Structures created from durable products like flagstone and natural stone will lower the amount of upkeep you must do in your landscaping. These weather resistant materials reduce demands for cleaning and repairs to patios, paths, and driveways. Hardscapes such as these are also aesthetically pleasing, upgrading your landscaping to the next level instead of the use of cheap materials.

Plant and tree selection

Consider planting slow-growth plants and trees, which do not have to be trimmed as frequently as their fast growing counterparts. Quarterly fertilization and trimming can easily be performed to maintain the health of these types of selections. One important thing to remember in the Houston area is to carefully choose your plants so that they’ll thrive in these unpredictable weather conditions. It may be helpful to seek the advice of experts who are well-versed in the best landscaping choices for this extremely variable climate.

Expert help

Not only is it useful to ask landscaping professionals to help you with your plant and tree selections, having them design outdoor areas is a great way to cut down on maintenance jobs. Converting some portions of your yard into outdoor living areas such as patios or decks can help. Such structures resist the elements and require less upkeep by the homeowner. Contact C4 Landscape & Design today to get started on transforming your landscaping into a low maintenance, yet beautiful setting.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

Winter Landscaping Tips

Who says your yard has to be blah in the wintertime? Katy winters often bring chilly nights and sunny days, with a bigger cold spell every once in a while to prove it is winter. This weather combination provides Katy with a perfect time of year for some important landscaping activities. Nearly all trees and shrubs planted during the winter establish themselves sooner than those planted during the spring and summer. Also, plants and flowers provide a splash of color for a vibrant winter landscape.

If you’re looking for some suggestions for cool season color, here are some great plants to consider:

• Pansies – popular, jewel-toned flowers that thrive in cold weather and bloom all winter.  Pansies don’t like heat so wait until evening temperatures get under 70 degrees to plant.
• Violas – similar to pansies in their hardiness, violas usually bloom in yellow, purple, and white. They make nice borders and potting plants.
• Dianthus – grow well in the Katy area and require plenty of sun. Bloom in many shades of pink during the winter months, as well as white, purple and red. Dianthus produce a spicy scent and last well into Spring.
• Calendula – a hardy yellow flower that can tolerate short spells of temperatures below freezing, and may even recover after a severe frost.
• Alyssum – a great cool weather ground cover that forms a fragrant border in sun or partial shade. Blooms in white, rose, or lavender.
• Cyclamen – bright green foliage with blossoms of white, red, pink, or purple. These can bloom as late as April. A light covering with a towel is usually enough to protect these flowers from frost on cold nights, but cyclamen give such great color that they’re worth taking winter precautions.
• Ornamental kale – brilliant leaves in colors like red, pink, lavender, blue, white, and violet. Excellent color plants for beds and containers.

In addition to brightening up your landscaping by using color, there are some other beneficial winter tasks. It’s a good time to prune woody trees, fruit trees, and shrubs. Prune crape myrtles to remove dead or weak branches and suckers. Cut back ornamental grasses to encourage new, unhampered growth in the Spring. Consider aerating your lawn and fertilizing winter-flowering plants, as well as trees and shrubs that are over a year old. Remember to water thoroughly before a freeze is expected. Protect your plants by covering them with a blanket or sheet, and then a layer of plastic. Remove the plastic when the weather warms because heat buildup can damage the plants. Finally, add new mulch to your garden to protect plants during freezing temperatures, plus discourage weed growth and conserve moisture in your soil.

Call C4 Landscape & Design to perform your winter landscaping services, as well as plant beautiful flowers to brighten your yard during the typically drab winter months.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

Spruce Up Your Landscaping for Fall

It’s been a long hot summer here in Katy, but there are some signs that Fall is in the air. Football is underway, Halloween decorations fill the store aisles, and pumpkins are placed on front porches. Now it’s time to think about what this time of year means to your landscaping, which may be looking a little rough around the edges after the summer heat.

Now is the perfect time to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and rainfall to revamp your landscaping. Autumn is the time of year that your plants tend to work on establishment instead of new growth. Lawns, shrubs, trees and flowers relish the warm soil combined with cooler air, and develop a better hold in your landscape. Some of the prettiest landscapes you’ll see next Spring are the ones that were planted in the Fall. Your plants will have time to become established now, have a time of rest during winter, and will revive in Springtime happy and comfortable in their environment. Then your well-established landscaping will be ready for the stress that next summer will bring!

Here are some landscaping tips for this Fall:

• Plant trees and flowering shrubs. Some of them are at their best colors during this season. As explained above, they flourish in upcoming seasons after Fall planting, and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.
• Consider planting evergreens. Not only will you enjoy their appearance all year, they provide diversity in your landscaping. They add some color, as well as giving wildlife a place to enjoy in your landscape year-round.
• Add mulch to your gardens. A new layer of mulch protects your plants for the upcoming winter, and provides both beauty and texture to your yard.
• Fertilize your lawn with a good winterizer. It will thicken your lawn to get it ready for next Spring.
• Plant perennials that supply instant appeal, as well as establish themselves for future years. You can even use perennials in containers to enjoy on your patio, and then replant them into the ground in late Fall so that the roots are protected during winter months.
• Don’t forget the annual flowers too. Pansies and ornamental kale are great choices in Katy to add bright colors to your landscaping.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

Landscaping Design Styles

When it’s time to spruce up the landscaping at your Katy yard, there’s more to it than just planting some shrubs and flowers. There are many things that you should consider in making choices about your landscaping. Your first decision is to figure out what style you’re going for, and then all the subsequent decisions will fall into place based on that.

So what does landscape style mean? This refers to the look or impression that your landscaping will achieve. Maybe for you that means basing it on your home’s style, family needs, or your personality. Another style option is pursuing a theme for your yard and its landscaping. Many homeowners choose a theme that accompanies their home style or their geographic area. For example in Katy, this might be a Texas theme.

Landscaping with a certain theme or particular style in mind will help you keep the project on track, as well as create unity between your home, landscaping, and garden. Let’s consider some of the most common design styles that you may want to consider for your Katy landscaping. Remember that this is a list of common designs, but your own style is limited only by your imagination!

Southwest

Originally used in Arizona and New Mexico, the Southwest style has become popular elsewhere too. It can be created by plants , garden decorations, and hardscapes.  The plants are often drought-tolerant, which can come in handy in the Katy area.

Mediterranean

As new varieties of palms and other Mediterranean plants are developed that can adapt to different climates, the Mediterranean style is increasing in popularity. This style gets much of its atmosphere from the plants selected. Changes in level are often implemented by terracing, water features, statues, and hedges.

Cottage Garden

In this style, the front path always leads to the front. Vegetables and herbs are planted in neat rows, and rustic materials like dirt paths, native stone, and arbors are incorporated into the landscaping. Plants are group informally and often self-sown, and flowers are abundant in a mix of colors and scents.

Japanese Garden

Some Katy residents desire to bring the Eastern world into their own backyards. The Japanese garden style brings elegance and serenity to your landscaping. It is usually simple and easy to maintain. The Japanese garden artistically includes plants, trees, rocks, sand, and usually ponds and flowing water. The goal with this design is to mimic nature.

Formal

The formal style of landscaping relies on geometrical shapes and straight lines. Usually, this style is very symmetrical. Plants are placed in order and pruned carefully to achieve a formal effect.

Tropical

Sometimes similar to Mediterranean gardens, the tropical style depends on the types of plants chosen. These plants typically have large leaves and flower into intense bright colors. Thick foliage is planted in the beds to create a tropical atmosphere.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

Why Should You Hire a Landscaping Maintenance Service?

Most homeowners enjoy having a well-manicured lawn, and a garden free of weeds but full of blooming plants and flowers. But for many people, it’s a real hassle to achieve that goal. It’s hard to find the time to complete the tasks necessary to maintain a beautiful yard and garden. Or perhaps you just don’t have the green thumb needed to make your garden flourish.

This is when having a professional landscape maintenance service like C4 Landscape & Design can come to your rescue. Professionals will take care of your lawn, gardens, and trees. Let’s talk about some specific reasons that you should consider whether hiring professionals is right for you.

Chores

The bottom line is that to most homeowners, lawn and yard maintenance is a chore. A landscape maintenance service handles the chores that you either don’t have time for or don’t like doing. You come home to a manicured lawn and attractive gardens.

Expertise

Professionals know how to properly mow your lawn and weed your gardens, as well as keep your plants healthy and thriving.

Healthy conditions

A landscape maintenance service can treat your lawn so that the soil is healthy and pests are kept away. They also fertilize your lawn so that your grass is green and can better handle the changing weather conditions that Katy is prone to have. Lawn care professionals know what your yard needs to be the envy of your neighbors all year long.

Cost effective

You might think that hiring a professional landscape company is expensive, but it’s less pricey than buying and maintaining a mower, weed eater, edger, blower, and other important tools. Plus you don’t have to store the equipment, which can take up lots of room in your garage that is bound to be needed for other items!

Design

Remember, if you’re new to your home or would like some change in your landscaping, professionals can help you design exactly what you’ve been hoping for in your outdoor living space. And then, they’ll perform all the hard work for you to make your dream a reality!

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

The Benefits of Landscape Lighting

Would you like to give your home and gardens a touch of excitement, depth, and color? A simple way to do that is to incorporate landscape lighting. It can add beauty and style to anywhere you choose, whether it be your front, side, or back yard. There are a number of benefits of using light in your landscaping. Read on to learn some reasons to consider this at your own home.

Safety
It’s important to be able to see the steps and pathways outside your home. Outdoor lighting ensures that your family and visitors can safely navigate your property after dark. One of the major benefits to landscape lighting is that it provides you and your guests confidence after the sun sets.

Security
Landscape lights illuminate dark areas in your landscape, especially where someone might try to hide. Lighting deters prowlers, and also provides a feeling of comfort for you and your family. How you feel about your space is just as important as how it looks, so lighting should not be overlooked in your landscaping plans.

Garden accents
Enhancing your garden is an immediate benefit of installing landscape lighting. It adds interest and charm to your garden. An ambient effect to trees, shrubs, and flowers is created. You can even focus on certain elements of your garden that you especially like, such as a fountain or flowerbed or decorative accent.

Usability
Bringing light to private areas of your property allows you to enjoy it later into the evening. Consider illuminating decks, recreational spaces, and sitting areas. This allows you to relax or party on your patio into the nighttime hours.

Beauty
Create unique shapes out of shadows, highlight your home’s architectural elements, and dramatize the features of your landscaping with lights. You can choose to brighten up your outdoors, or subtly illuminate your property. You can even mix types and purposes of lighting in order to achieve your personal goals and style.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

Landscaping Tips for the Texas Heat

It’s July in Texas. What does that mean? It’s H-O-T!!!! The hottest part of summer isn’t even here yet, and it already topped 100 degrees several days in June. It’s going to get worse before it gets better, friends. When the only thing us humans can think of is jumping in some cool water or icing down some drinks, this is when our plants need us most.

Surprisingly, some of the greenest parts of our planet are in the tropics (think rainforest) where it’s even hotter than Houston. So that must mean that plants like the heat. The biggest difference between the tropics and the desert is really moisture, not heat. So we can deduce that heat is not our plants’ enemy, it’s the lack of moisture.

So the answer is just to water more during the summer and your landscaping will flourish, right? It’s true that watering will help, but you also must consider the amount of moisture in the air (called humidity). Watering your landscaping can increase the humidity at the time, but it doesn’t last long. The optimum time to water is in the morning because humidity is at its highest and temperatures are at their lowest. But by noon, any moisture in the air you created by watering will have evaporated and all that’s left is whatever humidity is in the air for that day. Even thought the Houston area is known for high humidity, it’s still not enough to nourish your plants. And don’t forget about wind. When wind speeds increase, which is often at the peak afternoon heat times, the moisture in the air is blown away. You’d have to accomplish an awful lot of watering in order to offset these effects of nature.

What can you do to help your landscaping during the hottest months?

• Choose native and drought resistant plants. Look around at the plants that grow in the Houston area, and you will see many that thrive in this environment. You just need to be selective and smart in deciding what plants are right for your yard. There are lots of native and well adapted plants that can survive with normal rainfall amounts and little extra care. Try to use them for the majority of your landscaping.
• Consider compost. It can improve the nutrient and water holding ability of soils. It’s a great fertilizer for any plants. You can add compost to the top of your lawn and flower beds, and use it as part of the top layer of new plantings.
• Mulch! Soil without mulch on top gets hot and dries out fast. Even using rock or gravel helps reflect heat and hold in moisture. It’s even better to use organic mulches because they break down and feed the soil.
• Water smartly. Intermittent deep soaking is what most plants need. Check out our April 2012 blog on watering that contains lots of helpful information about watering techniques.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

Focal Points in your Landscaping

Inside your home, you spend time and money decorating to make it look inviting. You think about your flooring, paint, furniture, and accessories. Your yard is simply an extension of your home. You should carry the same types of ideas that you’re using inside the walls of your house to the exterior, because the outside of your home is the first thing that visitors see.

One of the keys to an interesting and appealing yard is creating focal points within the landscaping. Here are some examples of elements inside your home and ways that you can achieve them outdoors.

• Carpet – use groundcover and grass to create a beautiful carpet outside.
• Lighting – shine a spotlight on whatever you want to display in your landscaping. Maybe it’s a fountain, maybe it’s a pretty tree. It’s your choice!
• Pictures – create a pretty picture through a display of flowers.
• Walls – shrubs can be used to form walls or entire rooms if you desire.
• Ceiling – include a pergola and use vines to drape across the top to create a lush ceiling.
• Kitchen – bring your kitchen outdoors with an area for grilling and entertainment.
• Art – add some garden statues to bring allure and uniqueness to your landscaping.
• Fireplace – for many homes, the fireplace is the focal point inside. The same thing can happen when you add a fireplace outside, or a fire pit table. You can use colors and textures that set the tone for your whole outdoor living space.
• Running water – encompass the soothing sounds of a fountain or waterfall into your landscaping.
• Living room – entertain your guests or relax on your own at the end of a long day in a outdoor living space with seating, tables, container plants, and lights.
• Food – sometimes there’s nothing like homegrown tomato vines, pepper plants, or fruit trees to add that touch of coziness to your yard.
• Fragrance – like the scented candles and potpourri you use indoors, take advantage of nature’s fragrance array with sweet-smelling flower choices.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

Common Landscaping Mistakes to Avoid

If you drive through neighborhoods, you’ll notice that the landscaping for some houses really stands out above the rest. Even if all of the houses have nicely cut, green lawns and no weeds, some of them just grab your eye. So what makes some look ordinary and others look fantastic? Here are some common landscaping errors that may be making the difference.

Not having a plan

Make sure you don’t start planting until you have a big-picture plan in place. Before you even purchase a single plant, draw out some guidelines about how you want your yard to look. It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford to do it all right away, it’s better to have an overall design so that it doesn’t look like it’s pieced together. Also, a plan enables you to budget for more expensive portions like trees or water elements.

Poor irrigation

Consider your yard’s irrigation needs. In addition to watering the plants and lawn, this includes making sure drainage is in place. Think about how your yard slopes and if there are low-lying areas that may gather too much water.

Not knowing your plants

All plants have requirements for optimum growth and beauty. Consider how much water and root space each plant will need, and whether they should be placed in sunny or shady locations. Also, some plants don’t flourish well next to one another (for example, some can choke out other plants). Keep in mind plant’s growing seasons too, so that you prune or harvest fruits at the right times.

Color mistakes

Using color really adds beauty to your landscaping, but don’t fall victim to grouping the colors in just one area. Spread the colors out in a variety of portions of your landscaping so that the benefits are visible everywhere.

Focusing on only one season

Think about how you want your yard to look year-round. This impacts your decisions like evergreen or deciduous trees, annual and perennial plants, and flowering shrubs and trees. For each plant that goes dormant during the winter months, you should have a plant that stays green. Also, plants that have berries in the winter are a good way to maintain some color in your landscaping.

Neglect

When formulating your overall landscaping design, predict how much time and money you’re willing to commit to maintain it. Landscaping requires upkeep such as fertilizing, pruning, weeding, and more. It is a mistake to create a yard that you won’t be able to maintain.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

Watering your Landscaping

When it comes to your landscaping, one of the biggest questions homeowners have is how much watering is the right amount? Knowing how to water your lawn properly can give you greener, healthier landscaping and also provide you with big savings on your water bill.

A general rule to follow is that your lawn should receive about 1 inch of water per week. If you overwater, you can saturate your soil so much that the roots lack air and can’t grow deep enough. On the other hand, if you don’t water enough, you can dry out the grass, soil, and roots to the point that your landscaping can go dormant or even die.

Here are some guidelines to follow for watering:

• Watch for footprints that remain on your lawn after walking on it, or for the grass to turn darker than usual. Both of these are signs that it’s time to water.
• Water as infrequently as possible. Deep, occasional watering promotes healthy roots that can tolerate the intense heat and droughts that the Houston area is prone to get.
• Water in the morning when your lawn is wet with dew. Don’t water during midday due to evaporation, or at night because it increases the risk of some plant diseases.
• Spread the water evenly across the area. Avoid flooding portions or missing spots. On clay soils like much of Houston has, watch for excessive runoff. It may be necessary to water in shorter spurts over several applications in order for the water to penetrate the roots. Also test your sprinkler system to make sure that it’s watering the desired areas.
• Do not overwater. Use a rain gauge to measure how much water your lawn is getting, and if it’s more than an inch per week, water less. This will help lower water bills, insects and diseases, and maintenance requirements.
• Be smart about fertilizing and watering. Don’t water heavily right after fertilizing because the fertilizer can run off into the water system. Instead, water lightly to allow the fertilizer to absorb into the soil. Also, wait until after a forecasted rain to fertilize your landscaping.
• If rains are expected, don’t water. And keep track of rainfall so that you can apply less water if Mother Nature is watering your landscaping for you.

Remember that about 1 inch of water per week is only a guideline. Aim not to go over that amount, and also don’t panic if you don’t reach that number. Your lawn isn’t going to die if it doesn’t get exactly that amount one week. Just try to meet that goal and you’ll end up averaging out to the right amount.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.

The Benefits of Tree Pruning

Tree pruning is much more than sawing off unwanted branches and limbs. Proper pruning enhances the beauty of almost any tree in your landscaping, but improper pruning can ruin or greatly reduce its landscape potential. Like any other skill, pruning requires knowing what you are doing to be successful. The idea that anyone with a saw can prune trees is not true! More trees are killed each year from improper pruning than by pests. In most cases, it is better to skip pruning altogether than to do it incorrectly.

So what exactly does pruning mean? It’s the removal or reduction of plant parts that are not required, are no longer effective, or are of no use to the plant. Essentially, pruning involves removing plant parts to improve the health, landscape effect, or value of the plant.

Some of the main reasons for pruning trees include:

• to maintain tree health
• to remove diseased or storm-damaged branches
• to thin the crown to allow new growth and better air circulation
• to reduce the height of the tree
• to remove obstructing lower branches
• to improve the quality of flowers, fruit, or foliage
• to shape a tree for design purposes
• to maintain structural integrity or stability in high winds

The first thing you should do is plan your approach to pruning. The best rule of thumb is “less is best” when pruning trees. Dramatic improvements can be made to a tree’s health and appearance with minor pruning done in the right places. As a rule, no more than 25% of the crown of the tree should ever be pruned. Pruning more than that risks fatally damaging your tree.

Making cuts in a specific order will reduce the total number of cuts. First, all dead, broken, diseased or problem limbs should be removed. Next, training cuts should be made in order to develop a desired shape or fill in any open areas. Finally, corrective prunings may be done to get rid of weak or narrow crotches and remove a less desirable center branch if double branches occur. It is often smart to hire a professional for your pruning jobs because they know how much to cut and where to make the cuts, because sometimes when homeowners get started cutting it’s hard to know when to stop!

When is the best time to prune your trees in the Houston area? The key to choosing the time to prune is this: do not prune at the convenience of the pruner, but at the time when it results in the least damage to the tree. The dormant season, late fall or winter or early spring, is ideal (although dead branches should be removed at any time.) Pruning during the dormant period minimizes sap loss and stress to the tree. It also minimizes the risk of fungus or insect infestation. Finally, in the case of deciduous trees, pruning when the leaves are off will give you a better idea of how your pruning will affect the shape of the tree. And remember, the least desirable time to prune is immediately after new growth begins. You don’t want to stunt the growth of your trees!

Once you’ve decided that your trees need pruning, your next decision should be whether to tackle the job yourself or hire professionals. There’s a lot to know about making cuts correctly to encourage rapid healing of wounds, dressing wounds appropriately, pruning shape and amount, training young trees versus mature trees, etc. In addition to the knowledge involved, safety is an important consideration. Large tree pruning may require climbing and heavy equipment, and even small trees can be dangerous if you don’t know how to correctly use the equipment. Whether you do the pruning yourself or hire someone else, the goal is to produce strong, healthy, and attractive trees. This objective can only be achieved by understanding how, when and why to prune, and by following the principles involved.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.