Water Features

There is nothing that makes a more peaceful sound than a water feature in your garden or yard. Water features come in all shapes and sizes, and the feature you choose will not only need to match your garden décor and arrangements, but also be one that you can maintain easily.

A small fountain is far more easily maintained than a pond. Many fountains simply plug into a standard outlet and recycle the same water around the cycle. These water features need refilling from time to time but little else. A larger water feature, including ponds and large fountains, will require much more maintenance. Once you’ve selected the best water feature for your garden or yard, you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the water as you relax, work or play.

LAI Pros can schedule a consultation to help determine the best place for your water feature. Call us today.

Outdoor Living

As spring settles in, the party and everyday life easily moves outdoors. Features outside help set the scene and create an entire outdoor living space that you can enjoy during the day and well into the night as well. Among the most common features of an outdoor living space you’ll find:

Firepits –Build or buy a fire pit for your patio and you can have your own sing-alongs and marshmallow roasts or just sit back and enjoy the romance of the dancing flames.

Kitchens – With a fully functioning outdoor kitchen you can host grills and outdoor parties or just enjoy the warmer weather and spring breezes while you sample new recipes on the grill.

Play Areas – For the youngest members of your family, having an outdoor play area gives your children a space of their own, and a chance to exercise and enjoy the out-of-doors as well.

Are you ready to enjoy your newly designed outdoor living area? Call us today to schedule a consultation.

Landscape Tip of the Month: Staking

Not all trees need to be staked. In fact, it may be better to not stake your tree if it’s otherwise healthy and planted in normal conditions. But if you have a tree that is top heavy, planted in windy conditions or prone to be hit by children or pets, staking it will help it to grow safely in one place.

To stake a tree, decide first if you’ll need one or two stakes. Small trees just need one stake to hold the tree upright in the wind or offer balance. If your tree has a truck more than three inches in diameter, however, you’ll need to put two stakes on the tree opposing each other. Use soft material to hold the tree to the stake as this will allow the tree to grow normally.

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

Instructions: Set up a dredging station for the shrimp by adding the flour to a shallow bowl, mix the coconut and bread crumbs together in another shallow bowl, and beat the eggs and water together in another separate, shallow bowl.

Grease a large baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat each shrimp in flour, then egg allowing the excess to drip off and then coat with the coconut mixture using your hands if needed to press them onto the shrimp. Designate one hand for dipping in egg and the other for the dry ingredients. Set them on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the shrimp are coated.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp until golden brown and shrimp are cooked through. Serve with avocado dressing for dipping, in tacos or in a salad.

Pest of the Month – Lawn Fungus

Lawn fungus is very common in the South and if left untreated, can destroy your lawn.  The best defense is a good offense. Avoid fast release forms of nitrogen fertilizer as fungus attacks lush new growth. Water early in the mornings to give the moisture plenty of time to dry out. Keep lawns mowed on a regular basis at the proper height as lower than recommended encourages fungus.

The most common form of lawn fungus is commonly called brown patch. If you see widening circles of dead or dying grass on your lawn, treat the entire lawn with a fungicide as fungus usually spreads and treating just the visibly affected areas may not be enough to prevent continued problems.

Landscape Associates experts in lawn and pest problems can help you with all types of lawn problems. Call us immediatly if you suspect fungus in your lawn.

How to Prune Azaleas after Bloom

Pruning azaleas can be tricky. If you fail to prune at the right time, you might wind up with a giant blob of green in your yard with no flowers at all next spring. Pruning azaleas is actually simple once you know the right way to approach the task.

Trim your azaleas about three weeks after they finish blooming. This gives the plant plenty of time to develop new blooms for you to enjoy next year. Wait too long and you’ll cut off the flower buds and wind up with a green shrub. Use hand trimmers and cut the branches back to slightly different lengths to create a “cloud” shape. This will give your azaleas the most room to bloom next year. When pruning, cut back to the stem as leaving large bare stumps on the branches can cause dead wood and draw insects as well.

Call Landscape Associates to make your lawn and garden “summer ready.”

Choosing Summer Annuals

These are the months when we start to choose spring and summer annuals. These bright plants add color to a garden, but making the right choices can be tricky. When you’re choosing annuals for your garden, select plants that have been stored outside. This will prevent any shock tender young plants may feel if they have been inside and out of the heat of the day.

Also select annuals that show little or no root at the bottom of the container. Once a plant outgrows its container, you can expect it to be stressed when you plant it as the roots will be broken and must be regrown. When planting, gently remove the annual from the packing pot and spread the roots before placing the flower in the ground. Be sure to water frequently initially as this is the care these colorful plants received at the nursery.

Landscape Associates loves to help it’s customers select and plant annuals. Call us today to come out and design a beautiful annual garden for your enjoyment.

Avocado Buttermilk Dressing

(Dip for the coconut shrimp)

Ingredients

Instructions: Add the buttermilk, 1/2 of the lime juice, flesh of the avocado, sour cream, cilantro and about 1/4 teaspoon salt to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Taste and season with more salt and lime juice if desired. Refrigerate.