Classic call
I love getting calls from new, prospective clients. Recently I drove to Burnaby to see a young couple about their landscaping. The house is newly-built and is worth millions already, so having a nice landscape to match the new home makes sense.
The lawns have open patches in them and weeds. When I asked the owner if he did any watering and fertilizing last year, he said no. And that’s what I suspected.
For a great looking lawn you need three things: irrigation, fertilizer and proper mowing height. Grass needs water and fertilizers give it a nice kick. I always recommend spring, summer and fall applications. If you want a nice green lawn, you can fertilize more often. Just be ready to mow more often.
Proper mowing height is also critical. Always aim to only cut the top third of your grass blades. If you cut your lawn too short, it will dry out easier and it won’t shade out weeds. I see this a lot. People don’t enjoy mowing their lawns so they cut the grass very short. Don’t do it.
Weedy beds
Literally every bed around the house was weedy; and the l-shaped bed in front of the house was a mass of weeds, mostly made up of Western bittercress (Cardamine oligosperma). This weed is famous for producing hundreds of seeds: when you touch a mature plant, you can see the seeds shooting out. And those seeds stay in your bed, waiting for the right conditions to sprout; and weeds aren’t picky.
My recommendation was to remove the weeds and install three inches of mulch: black aged mulch or brown bark mulch or fir mulch. Some people prefer to buy coloured mulch in bags from big box stores. Whatever you choose, go deep, at least three inches so you shade out the weeds.
Another option is installing more plants. The whole front bed is under-planted. Just last week I picked up free Rubus groundcover. Plants shade out weeds and outcompete them for resources. I also prefer the look over mulch. Remember, the mulch works but over time birds and wind bring in seeds so you will still have to do some monthly maintenance.
Never let your weeds produce flowers and seeds!
Privacy screen
This house looks out on to a busy street so installing a privacy screen would make sense. Hedges block out air and noise pollution; and they look better than a black metal fence.
I will give the owners a few different quotes. Cedars (Thuja occidentalis) struggle is our hot summers so that’s my last choice, although you can get them at a reasonable price if you shop around. Portuguese laurels (Prunus lusitanica) are pricier but they handle the heat better; they just don’t form a solid hedge. Yews (Taxus) might be the priciest but they form a solid hedge over time and they also do better in the heat.
I will try to get one of these three species.
Conclusion
Your beautiful new house deserves a beautiful landscape around it. But having a nice garden and lawn takes time, effort and money. You can’t allow weeds to form green mats in your beds because they produce thousands of seeds.
If you need help, you can call a small company like mine, and achieve your aim without ruining your retirement plans. Text me anytime.
