This project was particularly interesing in both the design aspects and the unique materials used. The lawqn looks absolutely

Simi Valley Perfect Lawn

perfect because, well, it is. It actually was made in a factory in Georgia out of things like nylon and you can literally walk on it and not realize that it isn’t the green, growing stuff that you are used to. It does have a really low water requirement (none). But, not to worry, the plants, trees and flowers are all real.

Textured Colored Concret

The driveway is done in a combination of curves with different textured concrete section. We used separate tones of concrete that match the colors in the stone, roofing material and on the house. This makes a very balanced, cohesive, and pleasing look.

The weather is cooling down due to the sun moving lower in the sky. Now is the time to reset your irrigation timer. Less frequent watering for the same length of time is best. You can cut the lawn back to every 3 days and the shrubs commonly only need watering once or twice a week.

Green Lawn and Flower Bed

Now is also a good time to divide perennials. especially those that bloom in the spring. Doing it now allows your perennials time to reestablish themselves and their root system before it is time to flower. A little care goes a long way to keeping your yard in top shape.

In addition to the curving pathways, additional patios and new plantings and lawn, this project has a number of factors that were important but not visible. One of these items was the drainage. The original drainage system has been installed at least 20 years ago. It consisted of the type of drain pipe in use at the time which did not feature tightly glued connections. This allowed the numerous trees on the property to invade the system and clog it completely.  The solution consisted of a lot of concrete cutting and replacement, plus new drain pipe everywhere. The new system is designed not to have issues with roots and other debris. After the first rain, the water just disappeared. Making for a very happy homeowner and lawn.

Backyard Makeover

The new irrigation system handled the need in the past to completely soak the lawn in order to keep some the the areas from turning brown in the hotter months, which wasted water and dollars. Proper sprinkler design with overlapping coverage took care of this problem.

For a yard of this size, the old design had an amazingly small amount of usable patio space. Construction of a new, main patio involved moving the pool equipment to another location. That new patio has a lighting system that is on a remote control which can be dimmed for mood setting or turned up to allow full lighting for a dinner party.

By adding  in new planting throughout, new yard lighting, surface coating all

Walkway to Small Private Patio

the existing concrete surfaces to give them color and make them all uniform in appearance, curving pathways through the lawn areas and another small patio for relaxing out in the garden and the yard has a whole new feel.

Add fresh mulch to your planting beds. The optimum depth for shredded
hardwood bark is 3 to 4 inches. This will help keep the moisture in the soil during our hot summer months thus requiring less water.

You’ll want to taper the level of mulch down to nothing around the base of trees and plants. This is to help avoid unwanted insects and disease both of which will thrive if your mulch is touching the stems or trunks.

Two inches of mulch is plenty in perennial beds. Too much mulch will cause root rot due to lack of oxygen.

Feeding and care of your garden pays off with rich color, abundant yields and healthy plants for you and your family to enjoy.

Flower Garden with Lighting

Another is to sprinkle Epsom Salt around the soil under your fruit trees to improve the flavor of the fruit.

With the weather warming up, it may be a good idea to look at the timing on your sprinkler clock.  You may want to increase the water time some, though, it is still a good idea to let the soil dry a little between waterings.

Before Photo Camarillo

This project is a corner lot that covered a lot of square footage in the front yard. The old landscape was pretty tired (actually, this before photo doesn’t show how it looked after a few weeks of rain when all the weeds had really started to grow.)

Besides giving this front yard a new and different look, the idea was also to provide a new landscape that uses very little water. One earth tone shade of crushed rock was used with crushed brick for the center walkway to create more visual interest that just a single color of rock covering the ground. The plants still need some time to grow and fill out in order for the look to be complete. None the less, lots of neighbors have stopped by to comment in awe over the new look.

Flower Garden, Santa Rosa Valley

Microorganisms first appeared as algae and survived on toxins. These microorganisms generated oxygen through photosynthesis. They created the nutrients necessary for plant life by using carbon dioxide to synthesize organic matter while creating soil.

It is microorganisms in the soil that help to decompose or break down matter thereby enriching the soil. Increasing the quantity of microorganisms in your soil increases this process. That means stronger, healthier plants and roots.

Garden Thousand Oaks

Environmental microbes helps to re-establishes a healthy balance of soil ecology and that translates directly to the plant’s natural defenses against disease and insects.

Environmental microbes can be used on lawns and gardens; trees and shrubs; even directly on seed and bulbs. The application is simple. The microbes come in a concentrated form and get diluted with water. Just use a standard hose sprayer.

Benefits

• Healthy plants. Plants are heartier, less prone to infection or disease
• Fruit and vegetables taste better – more flavorful
• Used repeatedly, plants need less water
• Flowers appear more vivid and last longer
• Lawns are greener and fuller
• Chemical free, safe to use around children and animals

There is a system available to inject earth friendly fertilizer directly into the sprinkler system.  This means that you fill the tank up about once a month and all your plants and lawns get fed every time you water.  This makes the plant material very healthy and sends the root zones deeper.  It also avoids the chemical runoff that is normally associated with fertilizer pellets.  Many cities are beginning to require this type of system for commercial projects as part of the effort to eliminate chemical buildup and algae growth in lakes and ponds. The system also allows the use of organic critter control.  This is a flower extract that tends to drive away gophers, deer, rats and rabbits.

Sometimes, recycled material can be used directly in the landscape design.  This could be using broken concrete pieces for building garden walls, using soil for contouring instead of hauling it away or rocks that are unearthed for ornamental features in the gardens.

Composting is a green approach for getting rid of yard waste.

Cutting your grass with a mulching type of mower keeps a lot of grass clipping waste out of the landfills and is actually good for the lawn.

Water Friendly Landscape, Simi Valley

Adding a layer of mulch cover over the soil in your garden beds will help hold in moisture and this means that you will not have to water as much.  This could be bark chips or wood shavings.  It is important to fertilize adequately if you use

redwood chips as these use up nitrogen when they decompose and your plants will need more than normal.

There is a type of irrigation control box, which has a miniature weather station as well as a rain override system. This efficient technology is know as a Smart controller. The sensors detect weather conditions and adjust watering based on needs. The technology has been around for almost twenty years but the cost of these has come down for residential use. The return on your investment will probably be seen in the first year if not the first few months. Remember driving past houses during a rainstorm when the sprinklers were going full blast?

There are a many companies offering smart irrigation control products. Some are: AccuWater, Green Leaf Mapping & Control Systems, HydroEarth, Irritrol, Rain Bird, Rain Master, Toro, and Weathermatic.

If you don’t have a Smart controller system, the next best option is to adjust your settings regularly. Turn off the system when it rains, use it less when it is cool or cloudy, and regularly check which areas need water the most and adjust those valves. Wherever possible, design the sprinkler system to water the shady and sunny areas separately.  This might mean investing in a few more sprinkler control valves, but it makes a difference in the long run.

Simi Valley Lawn

It is amazing how many lawns I walk across when visiting properties where I hear a squishing sound as I walk and my shoes are soaked when I get to the other side.  This is the most obvious overuse of water and is more common than you might think.  This is not only expensive and a waste of water, it is not good for the lawn either.

Simi Valley Green Lawn

Plants with a strong, deep root system generally thrive and appear very healthy.  To help your garden plants and lawn develop deep roots ensure that the soil is properly prepared and fertilized. Plants with deep roots will use water that is lower into the soil zone thus conserving on water consumption.

As much as possible, it is better to water less often and let the soil dry somewhat between waterings.  This keeps fungus from developing and allows the roots to breath.  It also tends to send the water deeper into the soil and therefore drive the root zones deeper.  After the plants are established, stretch out the watering times until you reach several days between each one while keeping an eye on the health of the plants (the exception to this is those very hot spells in the summer – then you can set your controller for a short watering cycle to keep things cooled down once a day and still water the

Los Angeles Garden

longer cycles several days apart – this is particularly important for lawns).