Tag Archives: #bark

Clever Ideas

Beat The Heat!

Summer has taken it’s toll on everything and everyone so far, these 100+ degree days really take it out of you! But, that doesn’t mean that everything has to look like a wasteland in your yards either. There are plenty of steps to take to help preserve and bring back any plants or flowers that are struggling.

First things first, make sure you are matching plant types to the right zones in your yard! Not every “summer living” plant can handle full sun all day! Some of the seasonal summer plants need to be in the shade for part or even half of the day to stay vibrant and lively. So, start by doing a little research. Can my plants handle the full sun spots in my yard? Which ones should I be moving to an area that gets shaded during the day? Are the trees I have in the yard going to aid in providing shade for some of the other plants? Geranium, Lantana, Mealycup Sage, and Zinnia are all gorgeous full sun summer flowers that can brighten up your yard, on top of bringing in the wildlife. Bees and Humming birds will notice when you add flowers in your yard that can sustain themselves, and in turn aid you in keeping your crops vibrant too!

If you have those partial shade areas Cone Flowers, Ferns, and Daylilies are great options! No one likes seeing big open spaces with nothing going on in them. Finding partial shade plants and flowers to fill the voids will tie your yards all together to make a whole masterpiece!

Once you’ve made sure your plants are in their correct zones a great way to keep them thriving during the summer is to Prune and Dead Head those plants! – Get your tools and green waste can out. Once your shrubs are done blooming, deadhead and trim. Most plants and flowers will reproduce their flowers once they get rid of their “dead weight”. Keeping dead heads of flowers on your plants can stunt their growth and greatly shorten their blooming periods. Plus, who wants to look at dry and crispy dead flower pods on their plants when trying to enjoy their yards? By also trimming your plant, you help them stay as happy and healthy as they can be. It is not uncommon for plants to grow “outside their limits” especially when potted. This means it’s growing more or longer stems/leaves and the roots have trouble keeping up with the above ground growth. Keeping your plants under control will aid in them looking the best they can!

Next step will be to help Preserve! – This can mean making sure you are watering correctly, but also at the best time of the day! I know it may be hard to see your plants looking wilted at the mid day mark and it’s scorching hot out, but best to wait to water until the cool off period of the night begins. Wait until the sun is almost down if you can, or at least not beating over the top of your yard to water! Watering at the peak of the day can actually cause the roots of the plant or even the leaves/flowers to burn as the water evaporates. If you have drip lines or sprinklers helping you out with the watering department, make sure to test and check your irrigation system for any leaks, cracks or damages. Also be sure to check what time of the day your systems are going off! Again, you wouldn’t want your sprinklers going off middle of the day in the peak of the heat. Drip lines are great for the summer since they will slowly add water to the base of the plant and usually won’t create a heat problem when placed correctly.  Another great step can be adding a  layer of  bark 2″ to 3″. The bark will not retain all the moisture but help keep some in the areas around your plants, and also aid with weed control.  The nice polished look of fresh bark is a bonus! Just make sure you have the green light to have bark in your yards with your HOA or even your insurance!

If you didn’t do it in the spring time, another great option to help your pants sustain their beauty will be to repot them if they have been in the same pot since last year! Often times a plants root system will overtake a pot which in some cases will stunt the plant itself! When they have too large of a root system in the pot, there isn’t always enough nutrients left in the little soil that is left in your pot, but can also increase the chances of root rot. Best rule of thumb would be to make sure your root ball is 1″- 2″ smaller than the pot you are placing it in. You can trim the roots just like you would trim the stems to keep them fitting the size of the pot you currently have them in, or you can go up in a size with your pot too! Which makes a great argument to having multiple plants/pots in a range of sizes so you can rotate as the plants need! Be careful when you upsize a pot that you don’t get a pot that’s too big but also not too deep! Deep pots are great for big plants that have vast root systems, but not for your tiny plants like marigolds. It would also be a great time to top off your plants with a fresh layer of new soil! Help add any nutrients back into their pots, or planted locations, with new soil right on top! All the benefits of the new soil will reach the roots as it migrates down through the current soil they are planted in.

Clever Ideas, Winter Prep

Oh, The Puddles!

Along with the holiday season being right at our doorstep, so is the rain! Like any good dog, we love to splash and play just as much as the next pup! Though, sometimes we want to make sure our yards stay as dry as they can too.

If you have a gravel driveway Road Base is a great choice to lay down. Road base will compact and get almost too hard for my paws to get through, BUT you won’t be walking in puddles either! It also won’t shift too much, if at all, under my weight or even your car! You will want me to help dig out any water that’s there already though, standing water and the Road Base don’t work very well together, but it doesn’t need to be totally dry either! If you’ve got some DEEP holes of mine to fill, or a culvert to repair the 4″ Cool Cave is a great base layer and erosion control for those kind of areas. Did you know a lot of the Park systems use it on their trails? I get my paws on some every time I go to the Sterling Point Trail around Folsom Lake on high erosion zones! They might be a little too big for a normal dog like me to get their mouth around, but that’s why it works so well. The Cool Cave can also be topped off with Road Base or even the Crushed Fines to fill in the gaps to make it more solid of a surface too. Then you won’t have to worry about my paws getting in the cracks or any little humans tripping either!

Did you know we have a bark-taskular Cool Cave Base? It’s just similar Road Base but its BLUE! It’s also the same type of rock as the 4″ Cool Cave, so if we want to get our paws matching colors we can! On some of my walks in the neighborhoods I see people using it for functional use but also for decorative purposes! It looks absolutely tail wagging as a color accent in your yards.

Hillsides are so much fun for me to stretch my paws running on, but did you know that BARK can help prevent or lessen the likelihood of any of my play space from washing away? Redwood Ground cover (or commonly referred to as Gorilla Hair) is great for steeper hillsides since it mats together just like my hair might after playing! It is a great accent to add to your yard with a vibrant red/brown color that just BARKS against any plant life I haven’t dug up yet. If you’re looking for one that’s easier to walk on, the Walk-on Bark is a great choice too! Both of these are easy on the paws and easy on your yard.

You know those old towels you use to dry me off? Or the bed sheets I have left too many pawprints on to wash off? They make great frost covers for your more sensitive plants with going into the cold season! Just a little extra protection for your sensitive plants will go a long way to getting them through our furry weather! I have my coat and you have your gloves, but do your plants have their blankets?

Clever Ideas

Summer Fun

Summer has always been my favorite.  My kid friends are out of school and my days consist of swimming, eating and sleeping.  Now as far as the garden goes, there is always work to be done.

Plan & Plant – We are always planning.  but now is the time to plan your spring bulbs.  And at the same time plant your summer color (marigolds and zinnias are some of my favs).  Our Planters Mix is the best choice for your summer color.  To add art to your yard, with a stock tank container (I love the round one).  It is easy to move and place in your design.

Maintain – Mulch/Bark your area around your garden ( I prefer walk-on bark for my paws).  This will keep moisture in, roots cool and dust down.  Plus it will look amazing.  We have many varieties and colors to choose from.
Be sure to check your watering schedule as our temperature creeps up. And don’t forget your hand watering containers.
Pinch off your herbs so they will keep producing.  Check your feeding schedule for your strawberries.  We all love shortcake!

Harvest – It is about that time.  Morning is the best time to pick that yummy food.  Keep your eye out for rodents and the pesky snakes, they may like the morning too.  Clean up any fallen fruit to avoid the rodent and squirrel issue.  Make up a feast with your tomatoes, peppers and basil – my mouth is drooling already.
And as always – Happy Digging!

Clever Ideas, News

Dry-Scaping

Well we live in California, and yes is it dry, warm and sometimes hazy.  I usually get comfortable by lying low in the soil or lounging in the A/C.  My masters are concerned with water use with their landscaping (and all dogs need water), so a few suggestions for your outdoor living area.
*  Create areas using more hardscape ~ increase the size of your patio area~ add a #calstsone paver walkway; #decomposedgranite #firepit lounge area. Mix #flagstone with #crushed rock creating that zen feel garden. Or add a #drycreekbed made of cobble and #mexicanpebble.
* Refer to the Low-Water Garden guide produced by the state of California (tax dollars at work).  The plants listed will thrive in our environments and you will love all of them!
* Top your plants with great soil like #plantersmix or #compost.  The soil will allow the plant to retain and absorb water more efficiently.  Then topdress plants with fresh  #Bark (mulch), adding another layer of moisture – and it looks great too!  My master has many sizes, colors and types of bark (my favorite word).
* Check, check and recheck the efficiency of your irrigation system.  Check the length of time the water runs and the time of day the water is running.  Every plant has water requirements; high, medium or low.
And most of all Happy Digging!

Uncategorized

Much to Bark About

As we roll through March, and march into April, our Spring is upon us. Baseball, blossoms and bark.  But my friend bark (mulch) is high on my list of things to do.
* Color Dyed Barks ~Now this is not your Momma’s dyed bark.  Our Black and Brown barks have a UV protected colorant that last longer then the recycled barks.  What this means to you, is you will not have to replace it next year!  Not to mention the color looks amazing.
* Nugget Barks ~ now we call it deco bark.  The uniform shape really makes it a more polished look.  Many homeowner associations call out for our Small Deco in their specs. Large Deco Bark is also available, if you prefer a more chunky look.
*Fibrous Barks = a slopes friend.  If you have an area that experienced erosion this winter, then Redwood Ground Cover (aka Gorilla Hair) is a solution for you.  It is the best bark product to mat down on the ground.  If Redwood Ground Cover does not fit your liking, look at our Shredded Cedar.  It is also a shred product, but not nearly as fibrous as the Redwood.
* I’m not dyed, nor fibrous or a nugget! Then I must be Walk-On Bark.  The Walk-On is more of a true chip product, lighter in color than the all of the above barks and not as formal a nugget product.  It is also falls in the medium price range.
Just the word “bark” brings a ring to my ears.  And more than anything I love to roll in the bark.  Happy Digging!

Clever Ideas, Uncategorized

Where did November go?

Now who doesn’t love November….Our cool nights have begun (aka me by the fire), the leaves are falling (aka me rolling in leaves) and my master is inside making treats that may fall to the ground (aka me licking floor).  So from my perspective….not a bad gig.  But as always, my master is working, working, working.  While I am sleeping, sleeping sleeping.  And what are they doing?
*  Maintain if no Rain – So the rain does not always fall on the plain.  If we have a dry spell, turn the water on for a bit to keep your plants happy.  And don’t forget about those potted plants under cover.
*  Protect- don’t neglect – Everything likes to be warm.  This includes the soil.  A nice layer of bark would make those roots happy.  My master has many varieties to choose from!  If mud is a problem, maybe a crushed rock is the solution.  This will keep the mud down and much easier to drive or walk on.
*  Cold can be controlled – So you are getting a bit of a chill in the evenings?  Well good thing my master has firewood and kindling in stock!  Now a 1/4 cord can fit into the back of a pickup, lickety-split it can be home for you. Or if you need a larger portion…..call and set up a delivery.  Oh yeah, don’t forget to grab a bundle of kindling too.
So whatever this season brings for us all, just remember a warm fire, a cute dog (aka me), with family and friends makes all things better.  Happy Digging!