Landscape Design in Media, PA
Landscape design is a great way to enhance the beauty and functionality of your outdoor space. Whether you are looking to create a stunning garden, a luxurious outdoor living area, or simply want to improve the look of your current landscape, B. DeMichele is here to help! The first step in landscape design is to create a plan. All of our customized plans include the types of plants, trees, and shrubs appropriate for your property, the size and configuration of your space, and any other elements you would like to include.
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Hardscaping in Media, PA
Hardscaping involves the use of materials such as pavers, bricks, stones, and other hard materials to create a beautiful and durable outdoor living space. Hardscaping can include walkways, patios, decks, driveways, outdoor kitchens, outdoor fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor water features, and outdoor seating areas. Conveniently located in Media, PA, B. DeMichele is an expert in the area of hardscaping. You can be sure that we will use our many years of experience to ensure that your hardscaping will be beautiful and durable.
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Softscaping in Media, PA
Softscaping refers to the living elements of your landscape design, such as perennial and annual plants, grasses and trees. Here at B. DeMichele, we believe that a harmonious blend of hardscaping and softscaping is essential when it comes to creating compelling landscape designs.
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Softscaping: Caring for Flower Gardens
Anyone can care for a thriving flower garden; although it does take some time and effort. Below are some tips to keep your flower garden happy and healthy.
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The Three Necessities: Water, Sunlight and Fertile Soil
Your flower garden must have an adequate supply of water, sunlight, and fertile soil. Any lack of these basic necessities will affect your garden’s health. In terms of watering and sunlight; the best thing to do is follow the plant tag suggestions. During hot and dry cycles it’s okay to water more frequently; but too much water can cause your flowers to rot. It’s best to water at the base of each plant as overhead watering can encourage the spread of diseases. It’s a good thing to add organic matter and fertilizer to your garden yearly; as your flowers as well as earthworms and microbes feed on added organic matter causing reserves to be low for the following year.
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Flower Selection
There are four types of flowers: annuals, biennials and perennials and bulbs. Annuals typical grow and bloom for one season. For biennials, the leaves and stems grow the first years and the flowers are produced the second year. Perennials and bulbs bloom and grow for several years. The best thing to do when planting your garden is to mix all four varieties of plants to ensure that something will always be blooming. Also, switching out annuals can add interest and different colors / textures to your garden yearly in front of your backdrop of perennials.
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Insects
Most insects are beneficial to your garden; while a few can be detrimental. Insects such as bees and butterflies not only pollinate your flowers but also fertilize them. Concerning the “bad” insects look for clues in the damage they leave behind such as chewed leaves. When choosing an insecticide, choose one that yields the highest pest death rate with the least impact towards the environment and beneficial critters.
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Deadheading
Deadheading keeps gardens neat and blooming. It’s the snipping off of the flower head after it wilts, this allows for the possibility of a new flower to grow and bloom.
Softscaping: 10 Gardening Tips
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Create Planting Beds with Ease
To create a new planting bed, slice the lawn area with a spade and flip it upside down. Next, cover the area with about 3 inches of wood chips. After a few weeks the bed will be ready for planting.
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Keep the Dirt and Soil Outside
To prevent soil from being tracked inside keep plastic shopping bags by your door. So, if you have to go inside you can cover your muddy gardening boots / shoes with them. Also, to prevent soil from getting underneath your fingernails scrape them across a bar of soap before heading to the garden. The soap will provide a seal. Once you are finished in the garden, use a nail brush to remove the soap.
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Soil Amendments
For acid loving plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas; an easy and cost effective way to amend the soil is to sprinkle left over coffee grinds over it. About ¼” applied each month of the growing season with keep the pH of the soil low. Also, to keep fungi away from newly planted seedlings add a little bit of chamomile tea to the soil around the base of the plant once a week until the seedling is mature.
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Compost Creation
Compost can be created from the previous years’ garden pathways. All you have to do is apply three layers of newspapers within the walkways and cover them with a 2” – 3” layer of mulch or wood chips. By the next spring you will have a rich and dark compost that can be added to the beds surrounding the walkways.
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Water
Soaker hoses save you the time of standing with a hose or refilling a watering can. The water can be left on for several hours while a section of the garden is slowly getting irrigated.
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Put Away the Hose
If you decide to use a conventional hose rather than a soaker hose for easy storage and faster access stationary and portable hose reels can be used. Also, you can create your own hose stand by putting a rod in the ground and covering it with two terracotta pots, the bottom one to be upright and the top one to be upside down.
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Aphid Control
An easy and cost effective way to remove aphids is to fill a spray bottle with half parts water and half parts dish soap. Spray the infested parts of the plant in the evening (to prevent leaves from burning in the sun and heat) with the dish soap mixture.
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Weed Control
Use the “shovel method” to remove low-growing mat-like weeds. Wait until the weeds create a nice cover then splice them with a spade and bury the leaves in the soil. The rotted leaves will create nice compost.
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Functional Weed Wacker
To prevent the line on your weed wacker from jamming or breaking spray vegetable oil before installing it.
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Garden Markers
Use a permanent marker along with acquired flat faced stones to create labels for your plants within your garden.