Helmke Industries Tips for Planning for Spring 2016
Know your climate: The soil in Rockland and Bergen County, as well as the weather challenges in the area should be kept in mind when planning a landscape. Summer of 2015 was unusually dry and this made watering a real challenge and extra expense for property owners. We recommend you choose plants that are low maintenance and/or make plans to water regularly and possibly install or repair your irrigation, especially if you are installing a new lawn. Choose plants appropriate for how much sun, and shade different parts of your lawn receive during the day.
Know what local ‘pests’ are in your neighborhood: While you may think that all of you have to plan for is sun and water for your landscaping, think again – deer, insects, and stray animals can wreak havoc on your landscaping. Plan in advance if you will need fencing, wire mesh, or help installing deer-resistant plants.
Plan for growth: When choosing landscaping and sizes of plants, we can help select which kinds of plants fit your needs. Certain plants grow faster than others. You might want fast growing plants for a privacy planting, but you may not want tall plants for the beds outside the front of your house. We can also go to the local nursery with you and look around together. This is a recommended approach, especially for large planting jobs.
Get inspired: For some, inspiration comes from looking at neighboring yards, or traveling to other areas of your town to look at landscaping. While others seek inspiration from home and garden publications and satellite television do-it-yourself programs. Often times a stroll through your local home improvement gardening center is all the inspiration to get you motivated. A no cost consultation with a Helmke Industries designer can also help with ideas and plans.
Map out the area: Once you know what type of plants you would like at your home, map out, or stake out the area in which your plants will be planted. Estimate enough room for pedestrians walking around, as well as growth and future maintenance of your landscaping. Ensure walkways will have safe areas for footing, and tall plants will not obstruct view lines from inside your home. Helmke is very experienced at this so give us a call.
Plan for maintenance: Landscaping requires maintenance and care. From pulling weeds, watering and pruning, to occasional replacement of dead plants. Once again, plan what plants will suit your maintenance schedule. We hope you hire us, but if you don’t we are happy to offer advice. Many people hire us a few times a year for big jobs, but most folks prefer to have the property maintained every week or two. We want our clients to be comfortable with their maintenance schedule and understand the reasoning behind it.
Low and high maintenance plants: Helmke Industries can help you to choose plants that fit your budget and watering schedule.
Try to do a little research beforehand, but if you don’t that’s okay too: Try to plan out some kind of strategy for your landscaping in advance. We will take care of everything for you, but it really helps when customers have some idea of what they want, what they like and don’t like. We are always happy to provide advice and guidance.
Plant landscaping at the suggested time of year: While you may be excited to plant your fruit trees and flowering shrubs, many plants will thrive better for years to come if you plant them at the suggested times of year that horticulturists and gardeners suggest. Give us a call or make a no cost appointment to consider these things. New lawns generally should not go in during hot weeks in July and August unless irrigation is strictly maintained. Fall is a great time to put lawns in, as well as Spring.
Contrast with your exterior home: Your landscaping should be an enhancement of your exterior home. Choose plants that compliment or contrast the colors in your home as well as the architectural time period of your home. A modern and minimalist home may enjoy a modern Zen-inspired landscape, while a Victorian home may have quaint gardens and flowering areas that are typical for the Victorian era. Plan your outdoor landscaping to be in harmony with your exteriors. Helmke Industries has been doing this in Rockland County since 1979, and we hope to work with you on your lawn and landscape this year.
Plan Ahead: Try to call us as soon as you can. We are busiest in May and June, so if you call us in February, March, or early April, we will have plenty of time to plan your Spring or Summer project. Autumn is also a great time to plant so please call us anytime July – November to do Fall lawn or planting.
Landscaping your outdoor home is one of the joys of springtime, which many people look forward to. We hope you enjoy these tips and use them to help you plan out your yard, and your expectations before you start. You will be surprised how much you enjoy your landscaping once you have planned it in advance. Go ahead, get going, before you know it, summer will be here. We have been serving the communities of Nyack, Orangeburg, Blauvelt, Tappan, Northvale, Montvale, Piermont, Palisades, and Sneden’s Landing since 1979. We hope to hear from you.
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