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Did you know that since 2009, Beautiful Blooms has been using OMRI approved organic pesticides to care for plants in your landscape and since the spring of 2012 the only synthetic pesticide we use in the care of your landscape perennials and shrub beds is Roundup®?  It’s true!

In early spring of 2012, I took our inventory of synthetic pesticides to the local hazardous waste processing facility and we have not looked back since.  I have to say…it felt really good to do that, that day.

In June of 2013 we used up our last bag of synthetic fertilizer for landscape beds and when Mary Beth asked if she should order more I said “Nope, we’ve got that covered with organics now”.  What I was referring to was using compost tea with various organic additives.  We have a compost tea brewer and we brew 20-80 gallons of tea per week for use on all of the properties we care for.  The results are tremendous.  We see an improved perennial in just a few days or weeks, shrubs react a little more slowly and typically show their improved health the following year after applications have begun.  Remember—compost tea is a soil treatment and healing our soils after years/decades of degradation through the use of conventional chemical use take a little bit of time.

At this time, the only synthetic pesticides that we use in the care for ANY landscape is for the treatment of pests or diseases on trees and broad leaf...

Congratulations! You have just made a significant investment to your yard, and to your life, by installing new plant material. To ensure that investment is productive and successful, you need to nurture it, just like any other investment, making sure you do all you can to help it pay-off.  So, now what?

Watering – not enough or too much – is the most important step in establishing new plants. Beautiful Blooms will always “water-in” all the plant material they install for you. However, once we leave the property, you become responsible for seeing that adequate moisture is supplied. Knowing when and how much to water – and conversely, when not to water – can be tricky, so we offer these guidelines.

Perennials: It is recommended that you water 3 times-a-week, for the first 3 weeks whether is rains or not. After 3 weeks, water once-a-week, unless there is at least ½ inch of rainfall during that week. If natural rainfall is not sufficient, then supplemental, regular watering is needed. Remember that plants dry out faster in windy, unprotected areas, as well as on slopes.  Also, pay close attention to plants placed under a roof overhang; they will need slightly more water since the soil in that area tends to be drier as it does not receive any rain.

Small shrubs: You should use a hose at a slow trickle for 10-20 minutes per shrub to thoroughly saturate the root zone. You will want to keep the water at the ...

Fall: My Favorite Season & Great Grass Growing Weather

—Mike Harrington

Fall is my favorite time of the entire year. Cooler nights and decreasing daytime temperatures are a big factor in my enjoyment of this season. I love being outside on fall evenings because you can feel the temperature changes every night. Rainfall events also happen more frequently during the fall as compared to the normal July and August weather and I thoroughly enjoy storms. Turf-grass has been a passion for me for over 2 decades now. I am not sure it is fair to compare myself to turf-grass as kindred spirits, but just as I love the weather and the season, so does turf-grass.

The heat and humidity have dropped allowing turf-grass to thrive in cooler temperatures. The rainfall helps to keep the grass growing and it definitely aids in germination of any new seed that has been planted. These conditions make the fall the best time of year to try and repair a lawn that has been damaged from neglect, overuse, or just summer stress. The first step in lawn repair and recovery is aeration.

Aeration is best performed in the fall because it helps stressed turf to recover from the summer’s heat and humidity. It opens up the soil allowing better nutrient and moisture uptake. Aeration relieves compaction that forms from use of the lawn. It also helps to relieve the hardpan areas that might develop from the long periods of time with a lack of moisture. Not only does aeration benefit the...

Is your lawn chemical dependent?  For over half a century, the normal and accepted way to maintain a home lawn was to apply fertilizer, pesticides, water, and regularly mow it….and collect the clippings of course.  In the past decade this mantra has been evolving.

Two items on this list seem to be easily understood and adapted by the majority of the public.  
First to go was collecting your clippings.

This seemed to be perhaps the most painless step in converting the general public to a more earth friendly way of caring for their lawn—in part because the municipalities stopped collecting most green waste.

Depending on the part of the country you live in, watering restrictions can be severe.  Here in Wisconsin we typically only see restrictions during extended periods with little to no rain.  Even these restrictions are quite mild—usually every other day watering is allowed.  Compare that with west Texas where outdoor watering is limited to 2 hours per MONTH.

Maintaining a tightly manicured lawn requires a lot of inputs.  Can we have our cake and eat it too?  That is really the question.  Most people are not willing to give up all of their lawn space, and it is justifiably useful to a degree.  If you have pets, children, or simply enjoy being outside in your yard lawn is a necessary part of your landscape.  To decrease the amount of synthetic fertilizer and pesticides applied to your...

Flower bulbs are easy to plant and easy to care for. Here is general information that applies to all spring-flowering bulbs.  Spring-flowering bulbs MUST be planted in fall when soil temperatures are between 40-55 degrees F.  I prefer to plant as late in the season as possible because it gives the critters that much less time to dig them up before the ground freezes.  Once the ground freezes, the bulbs are safely locked into a vault of frozen soil until spring when they will abound with beautiful colors.  Just remember, spring flowering bulbs MUST be planted before the onset of winter. Choosing a Site There are two key considerations when choosing a site for bulbs.

1. Sunlight

Most bulbs need ample sunshine to bloom well next spring and to store up the energy required to flower in future springs. Many bulbs–including crocuses and bluebells–can be planted beneath deciduous trees; these bulbs  are able to satisfy most of their light needs before the trees leaf out. (See each item we offer for specific light requirements.)

2. Drainage

All bulbs need good drainage; never plant bulbs where water collects. The drainage of heavy clay soils may be improved by digging in organic matter such as compost or composted manure. How to Plant There are two principal ways of planting bulbs.

3. Planting a bed

Excavate the area to be planted and loosen the soil in the bottom. Set the bulbs in the bed, following the spacing recommendations...