Enjoy the Long Weekend!

 

Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is tribute to the contributions workes have made to the prosperity of our country.  In other words, the day off is in dedication to YOU, the American worker,  so put your feet up and enjoy your extra long weekend.  Leave the yardwork till next weekend!

What does it mean to be certified?

Sticking to the school theme this week, we wanted to address what it means when we say we are "certified".  Our employees have had a lot of education and have become subject matter experts in all landscape related fields including arboriculture, irrigation and landscape.  We are also licensed in many different areas and are members to many different trade organizations all with the emphasis on keeping our knowledge current to the latest innovations and techniques.

It is important to hire companies that are licensed to protect you, the consumer.  It is also important to have certified professionals that are committed on continuing their education for their field.  Here are a few of our memberships and what they mean:

The Texas Certified Landscape Professional (TCLP) program certifies individuals in the nursery and landscape industry that possess a high degree of knowledge and skill in horticulture and landscape development.

Texas Oak Wilt Certification (TOWC) signifies that the individual Arborist is ISA Certified and has received special training on the Identification and Management of Oak Wilt in Texas. Certified individuals may be associated with an Oak Wilt Vendor.

ISA Arborist certification signifies a professional identity who keep educated on the research of the new techniques related to the arboriculture field.   

Testimonial Tuesday

"I am very pleased with the work performed by Agustin and his helper last Friday on my water feature. They were very thorough and knowledgeable. I know that Agustin has been working on my property for over 6 years and every single time he has shown the utmost professionalism and courtesy which makes us, your customers, feel very special.  He is an excellent example of a 'model employee'.  Thank you for everything." ~Heberto G.

Ready to Show Off?

Does your yard still look great after three years in a drought?  It is time to show off your yard or nominate your neighbors yard to be part of the Water Saver Landscape Tour on Oct 5.  Applications are duie August 30th.  Click below for the nomination forms.

http://www.watersaverlandscapetour.org/files/13%20%20Tour%20Nomination%20Form.pdfhttp://www.watersaverlandscapetour.org/files/13%20%20Tour%20Nomination%20Form.pdf

Which grass has drip irrigation under the turf?

Its not a trick question!  With the drought we are experiencing, brown grass is a reality for most homeowners.  However, if you have drip irrigation, you can water more efficiently and more often during water restrictions. Here is a picture of a customers home where we installed drip irrigation under the turf as well as a section of his neighbor's yard without drip irrigation.  Wow - what a difference!

Back to School for Gardners too!

In the spirit of back to school time, here are some local gardening classes we dug up. 

The Bexar County Master Gardeners Association is offering a Children's Vegetable Garden Program that is a great way to introduce children to the fun in gardening without the all hassle.  The program is starting soon and goes through December.  For more information go to   http://www.bexarcountymastergardeners.org/

The San Antonio Botanical Garden offers many different classes this fall for everyone from beginner to experts.  If you are new to the San Antonio area, the "New Gardens for Newcomers" class would be a great opportunity to learn about planning a garden which will thrive in our area.  Check out their fall catalog for the full list of classes and information on how to register.   http://www.sabot.org/ama/orig/At_a_Glance_Fall_2013.pdf

There are a lot of other courses in the area - many local school districts offer community classes. Have you taken a local gardening class that you would recommend to others? 

How to care for your water feature

Before you get too relaxed sitting near your water feature, lets go over a few important things you need to do maintain your new water feature.

Add Water - You need to regularly add water to replace water that evaporates over time.  You will need to watch your new feature carefully to decide how often you need to do this.  You want to make sure that your submersed pump is completely covered in water at all times.

Keep it clean - On a daily basis, you need to skim the water feature picking up any debris or leaves that have flown into it.  About every 3 months, you will need to scrub the fountain to prevent buildup of mineral deposits and algae.  You can just use a scrub brush, dish detergent and warm water.

Check your pump - Check your the manufactures directions on your particular pump - usually you need to take apart the pump every few months and clean it out.  You can soak parts in vinegar if you have any tough mineral deposits.  If your pump every starts to get noisy, check the water level and confirmed it is submersed and if that isn't the issue it probably needs to be cleaned out.

Avoiding Algae - If your water feature is in direct sun, your feature will be more susceptible to growing algae.  If you just put a few drops of bleach in your fountain, it should keep algae from developing. There are also many chemicals on the market to help if your water feature develops an issue.

Different Types of Water Features

Preferred has had the opportunity to design and build all different types of water features.  We have done everything from large scale commercial down to small scale residential water features.  All of them are unique in their own way and customized to fit your landscaping needs.

Here are a few of our favorites to inspire you.

The relaxing sounds of water

Are you stressed after a long day at work? Wouldn't it be nice to have a relaxing oasis in your own backyard? Adding a water feature to your landscape is an easy way to add a bit of tranquility to your life. As of May of this year, residential water features can run anytime, even during drought restrictions.  This has made having a water feature much more desirable since you can have it run all year along and not have to turn it off during the summer months.

There are all sorts of different water features to accommodate anywhere from a small to a big area.  There are fountains, ponds and waterfalls.  The most popular water feature we install are the fountains that include several pots.  You get a lot of color from the pots as well as great sounds as the water flows onto the textured pots.

When choosing a location for your water feature you should consider how much sun it will get as well as the wind.  Optimally, water features will do best with the least amount of wind and sun as it will conserve the water. Preferred Landscape and Lighting will be happy to help you design and install the perfect water feature for your yard. 

The Fall Growing Season starts Now!

I am willing to bet the garden you started last spring is probably not producing much now that we are deep into the heat of the summer. But now is the time to get your garden ready and planted for our second growing season!

The ground is already warm so you can put a lot of seeds in right now.  One of the easiest second season plants to cultivate is green beans.  They like full sun, good drainage, consistent water.  They grow into bushes that mature in about 8 weeks.  If you plant in early August, you'll have a crop by October.

To get your soil ready for planting, add a lot of organic matter like compost, manure and mulch to make the optimal top soil for your plantings.

The second growing season will end at the first freeze which is usually around Thanksgiving.  So if you hurry, you can have several months of home grown produce!

 

Drip Irrigation Basics

Preferred Landscape and Lighting installs top of the line Rain Bird Irrigation systems.  We have been installing the Rain Bird drip irrigation systems for our customers for many years with great success.  Here are a few videos from Rain Bird that help explain how drip irrigation works and why it is so efficient.

What is the most efficient way to water your landscaping beds, vegetable garden and container plants? For areas like these, drip irrigation is an ideal watering solution that will provide great results while saving you water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHq2rpq5oms&feature=player_embedded

We have also had success with installing drip irrigation under turf.  The following clip explains how it works.

http://www.rainbird.com/support/XFS/index.htm



Stage 3 Water Restrictions are looming for San Antonio

Last week, the mayor of New Braunfels announced stage 3 water restrictions based on the quickly dropping Edward Aquifer.  Under the new limit, watering is only allowed every other week.

SAWS looks at a rolling 10 day average to make their determination which was just above the limit last week.  However, we have dropped almost 2 feet since last week making stricter restrictions a likelihood in the near future for San Antonio.

In stage 3, every other week there will be a restriction on all irrigation systems, sprinklers and soaker hoses.  This will have a significant negative impact on your landscaping if you currently rely on a traditional irrigation system.

However drip irrigation will be allowed Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays during the restricted week as well as hand watering will be allowed every day.   Stay Tuned - next week our posts will focus on drip irrigation and explain the benefits it provides for both your landscaping beds and turf.