Mark your calendars for this fun free gardening event!

Before long, the weather will turn warm, flowers will be flourishing and the front parking lot of SAWS Headquarters will transform into a gardener's paradise.  Spring Bloom happens from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 10 at SAWS Headquarters, 2800 U.S. Hwy 281 North.

This fun, free event is your opportunity to learn about gardening, landscape care, and so much more! SAWS will offer great tips to help spruce up your yard while still saving water, and your favorite local gardening and landscape experts will be speaking throughout the day.

For more information and the schedule of events, check out the SAWS website.   http://www.saws.org/latest_news/NewsDrill.cfm?news_id=813

Time to Top Dress the Lawn

Now is the perfect time to top dress or compost your lawn.   Why should you add compost to your lawn?

Topdressing your lawn with compost is beneficial for many reasons:
1. Most importantly, it adds nutrients and living microbes to the soil environment
2. It encourages more water applied through rain or sprinkler systems to stay in the turf zone before it evaporates
3. It encourages a healthier "drought tolerant" root structure

We did a series of posts on the topic of composting your lawn this summer and I have attached the links if you want more information.
http://preferredlandscape.blogspot.com/2011/07/compostingas-good-as-it-gets-for-your.html
http://preferredlandscape.blogspot.com/2011/07/when-to-compost-your-lawn-what-blend-of.html
http://preferredlandscape.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-dressing-your-lawn-do-it-yourself.html

Have you made the switch?

In January, the Energy Independence Security Act began phasing out production of general purpose incandescent light bulbs.  This new act has put the spotlight on other energy-saving bulb options including LED. 

Preferred is an expert in the different LED options available in outdoor lighting and we have been installing LED systems for several years.  We have also been helping clients make the switch to LED on existing lighting systems. 

In a typical home situation, LED lamps should last more than 20,000 hours which means you don't have to change lamps more often than every 10 years.  But the real cost savings comes in the efficiency of LED lamps - they are super efficient using just one-fourth the power of regular bulbs.  While their upfront costs are higher, LED lamps pay for themselves in the long run through both reduced power usage and extraordinary lamp life.

Drought Survival Kit

The Texas Parks and Wildlife department is featuring a "Drought Survival Kit" on its website that offers residents tips on how to landscape with water conservation in mind.    Attached is a link to their website and a video clip.  Check it out and let us know what you think. 

http://www.texasthestateofwater.org/

Planning your herb garden

While you can now find some fresh herbs in grocery stores you still can not get the quality of herbs you can get if you grow them yourself. Once you begin using homegrown fresh herbs, you will never go back to using store-bought dried herbs again!

Looking at a seed catalog for herbs can be overwhelming. To make it easier, make a list of those herbs you use on a regular basis and check to see which of those can be grown easily in your garden.  When just starting out, look for herbs that are available as young plants you can transplant which are easier to get started than with seeds.

Be sure you plan your herb garden in a area where there is going to be plenty of sun and you have access to your garden hose.  Keep in mind how big your herb plants will get and where you want to plant them in your herb garden.

You shouldn't need to fertilize your herbs and you don't want to use pesticides on your herbs.  You may begin harvesting your herbs as soon as the plant has enough size to maintain future growth. Harvesting herb leaves prior to the plant flowering provides the best flavor.

Spring is in the Air!

Seems hard to believe that Punzsutawney Phil could be right with his prediction for 6 more weeks of winter with the warm temperatures we are experiencing!   

 

We are already working with clients on their spring designs so if you have a landscape project you are considering, now is the time to start planning it.  Give us a call and we can set up an appointment 210-657-7737.

Last Freeze Date

The average date of the last spring freeze is important in determining when to start on your vegetable garden.  If you start planting your garden prior to the last freeze date, a frost will either severely damage their leaves or slow their growth for weeks.  But if you wait too long past the last freeze to get started, your plants may not have much of a growing season before the heat of the summer.

For San Antonio, the average last spring freeze is March 6th.  In Fredricksburg, it is March 24th.  These are  averages and are not meant to be used as actual last freeze.  If you are eager to get started on your garden, you can start transplants in containers that can be placed outdoors but can be moved indoors when cold temperatures are forecasted.  Once the last freeze date has passed, you can transplant them to your garden.