Beautiful Roses!

Small Backyard

Some beautiful landscaping ideas for your small backyard. Give us a call at (215) 249-1236

Soaker Hose!

On hot days like today you want to make sure to keep your plants hydrated too. But what if you don't have time? The easy way to save time and money in your garden and have healthier plants is by purchasing a soaker hose! Water seeps out of soaker hoses delivering water right to your plants' roots while keeping the leaves dry. Sprinklers can waste water due to evaporation and runoff, hand watering is time consuming and drip irrigation systems are expensive. Switching to soaker hoses means you'll waste less water, lower your water bill and won't have to haul your hose around the garden. Here's how to install soaker hoses in your garden:

Instructions

1. • 1
     Soaker hoses are typically made from recycled rubber and they work best at a length of 50 feet or less, any longer and uneven water distribution will occur towards the end of the hose. Your soaker hose should be laid out on a flat level service.
   • 2
     Place soaker hoses directly on top of the soil. Do not bury them under soil. You can lay soaker hoses out in straight lines or snake them through garden beds; either way, space the soaker hose lines 18 inches apart to ensure the entire bed gets an even amount of water. Keep the hose an inch or two away from the base of your plants.
   • 3
     Soaker hoses come in tightly coiled packages. When the hoses are new they have an annoying habit of curling back up. Keep the hoses in place and prevent kinks by pinning them to the ground with U-shaped metal landscaping pins every 24 inches.
   • 4
     Cover the soaker hoses with mulch after they are in place. The mulch accomplishes two tasks by disguising the hoses and helping your soil retain moisture longer. Plus, it prevents weeds! Grass clippings or straw make a great mulch in vegetable beds, while wood chips and pine needles are a longer- lasting choice for ornamental gardens.
   • 5
     Encourage your plants to develop deep, drought-resistant root systems by watering deeply but infrequently. Let the water soak 8 to 12 inches down into the soil each time you water. Figure out how long you need to keep your hose on by watering for 30 minutes and then checking how far down the water has seeped. Change your watering time accordingly.

Tips

-If your faucet is located far from your garden bed, install the soaker hose in your garden and then connect the soaker hose to the faucet with a solid hose.

-Soaker hoses work best if you install a pressure regulator on your faucet and keep it between 10 and 15 psi.

-If you notice dry spots in your bed, your soaker hose may be clogged. To flush it out, just unscrew the end cap and run water through the hose to remove any debris, then replace the end cap.
-Increase the longevity of your hose by removing it from the garden in winter. Wash off excess soil from the hose, flush out the inside, loosely coil it and then store it indoors.

Container Garden

Container Gardens are the perfect accent to your backyard patio or front porch, adding that perfect pop of color it's been needing. But the problem is the possibility for combinations in your container garden are endless! Here are a few ideas to get the process going, 

A=Creeping Jenny B=Magenta Impatiens C=Swallowtail Coleus

A=Cordyline B=Gazania C=Salvia D=Calibrachoa E=Verbena

A=Fountain Grass B=Portulaca (Moss Rose)

A=Lantana B=Ornamental Millet C=Fan Flower

A(Centerpiece)=Cordyline B=Rudbeckia C=Artemisia

A=Purple Fountain Grass B=Red Verbena
C=Blue Petunias D=Peter's Golden Carpet

A='Red Sensation' Cordyline B=Licorice Plants
C='Soprano Purple' Osteospermum

Preventing Heat Stress

Heat stress in garden plants is a huge problem during July and August. Long periods of high temperatures (especially when the heat index is over the 100 degree mark) can take a real toll on your garden.

Here are a few tips for helping different plants in your garden through a hot, dry spell and keep them healthy and productive.

Vegetable Gardens

Vegetables need a reliable, steady water supply to stay productive. However, even with careful watering, they may suffer from heat stress. The most common signs of heat stress in vegetables are sunburned foliage and fruits (usually yellow and crisp to the touch), blossom and fruit drop, and wilting. There are a few things you can do to help your vegetable garden through hot weather:

• Water regularly and deeply.

• Mulch the soil with at least three inches of organic mulch to reduce moisture loss and help regulate soil temperature.

• Shade certain crops, such as leafy greens and lettuces, to slow bolting. They will bolt, no matter what, during periods of intense heat. However, giving them some shade may buy you a couple of days before plant quality is diminished.

• Give them between two and four inches of water per week during very high temperatures (heat index above 100 degrees) and drought.

• To water, a long, slow trickle is best. This will allow the water to soak deep into the soil without running off, ensuring that the water is going to the root zone where it is needed.

• Shrubs can be misted several times per day to increase the ambient moisture -- this will prevent the foliage from drying out too much.

Lawns

Many lawns, including bluegrass, fescues, and ryegrass, naturally go dormant (turn brown and stop growing) during periods of high heat and drought. The easiest thing to do is just let nature take its course. Once temperatures return to normal, and the lawn starts getting adequate moisture, it will green up again.

However, if this is not an option (due to homeowner association bylaws or other issues) you can keep your lawn green by providing at least an inch (up to two inches during high heat) of water, delivered slowly and steadily, per week. Don't just throw the sprinkler out there for an hour -- if the soil is very dry, chances are likely that most of the water you apply will simply run off. Give the lawn a slow, short watering first to let the moisture soak into the soil. Then, later on or the next day, give it a long, deep watering. If you start seeing water running off onto your sidewalks, STOP -- you're just wasting water at that point.

It would also help to avoid cutting the lawn (it's not growing much in the heat anyway) so that you don't stress it further.

Trees and Shrubs

Newly-planted trees and shrubs (less than two years since planting) can be hit particularly hard by heat and drought. To keep them alive and healthy:

• Give them between two and four inches of water per week during very high temperatures (heat index above 100 degrees) and drought.

• To water, a long, slow trickle is best. This will allow the water to soak deep into the soil without running off, ensuring that the water is going to the root zone where it is needed.

• Shrubs can be misted several times per day to increase the ambient moisture -- this will prevent the foliage from drying out too much.

Got Weeds?

Does your garden have an overwhelming amount of weeds? Here's some natural ways to get rid of them. 


      1) Sprinkle rock salt, pool salt, or just plain old table salt over the weeds
      2) Douse weeds with vinegar or a mixture of half water half vinegar (or better yet, the leftover vinegar from a jar of pickles), and they'll be dead a few days later
      3) Have Chris Orser Landscaping come and maintain your garden beds for you! Call (215) 249-1236

Brown lawn?

Do you water your lawn regularly, but it still looks like this? It could be a different problem. Check the following conditions:

• Soil condition
• Presence of sufficient water at all depths
• Consider foreign substances or unusual activity or practices that may present difficulties
• Correct problems from animals on the lawn

If you have any questions or want Chris Orser Landscaping to fix the problem for you call 

(215) 249-1236 today!

Jealous?

Jealous yet? Don't be! This could be yours! Call Chris Orser Landscaping at (215)-249-1236 today.

Beautiful!

Another beautiful property! Beautiful flower beds and a gorgeous pond with a waterfall! Call Chris Orser Landscaping at (215)249-1236 today

Showcase property

What a beautiful Bucks County backyard! Call Chris Orser Landscaping at (215) 249-1236 today!

B-e-a-utiful!

What a beautiful property in Bucks County! Call today to have Orser Landscaping maintain your flower beds, or plant brand new ones! (215) 249-1236 

Don't forget your potted plants!

With this hot weather we've been having, don't neglect to water your potted plants too! Potted plants should be watered every day. Since they're in a container they will dry out faster than your bed flowers. Water your potted plants in the morning or night, not during the hottest point of the day. If you water in the middle of the day, the water will evaporate before your plants even have a chance to drink it up. Remember, there is a such thing as over watering. Make sure the container has a hole in the bottom for proper drainage if this problem occurs.

Mature Raised Flower Beds

Here we have a brief look at the beautiful mature raised beds in Doylestown Township. These flower beds have been properly maintained allowing them to thrive and grow to their full potential. Do you want your flower beds to look this great? We can start from scratch or fix up your current flower beds to have them looking beautiful in no time! Call Chris Orser Landscaping today at  (215) 249-1236. 

WOW! Look at this Place.

This backyard is the ideal spot for backyard entertainment, summer barbecues, and relaxation. This particular backyard has several different sitting areas, a large pond with a water feature, a pool with an attached hot tub, beautiful stucco perimeter walls, stone garden walls, stone walkways, and gorgeous shrubs and flowers throughout the entire area. If you would like to create your dream backyard, call Chris Orser Landscaping today at (215) 249-1236.

Proper pruning and deadheading

Now is the time of the year to prune and deadhead all of your plants. Every week or so, remove faded flowers from perennials and some annuals.  Not only will this make the garden look better with dead flowers removed, it also helps because many flowers will stop blooming if the plants set seeds. Some plants replace flowers with really attractive seed heads, but others scatter their seeds all over the garden, much like a dandelions do. You often wind up with dozens of baby flowers that you have to pull out to avoid ending up with a hundred daisies in one square foot of garden soil. Cutting off flowers before they form seeds prevents this maintenance headache. To deadhead, simply cut the dead flower off using scissors for lightweight stems or pruning shears for heavy and thick ones. Cut the stem below the flower at the first leaves or flower bud you come to.

Flowers

These flowers would add a great pop of color to your deck, pool area and patio. Call Chris Orser Landscaping at (215) 249-1236 today!

Inspiration for your own backyard

Take a look at these great ideas for your own backyard! Like what you see? Call (215) 249-1236 today!

Another hot day!

It is WAY too hot out to cut your lawn, prune your gardens, and manage your property! Who wants to spend their entire weekend doing that?!

Let the crew at Chris Orser Landscaping do it for you! We are a full service lawn care provider and cut over 200 lawns per week.  As far as pruning goes, from overgrown jungles of vines and saplings, to delicate rose gardens, our experienced technicians will help tackle this essential garden chore. Keep cool, relax and call 215-249-1236 to get the job done!

It's gonna be a hot one today!!

With temperatures reaching around 100 degrees, there's several things you can do to get your garden ready. 

• Keep Plants Mulched.
 Replenish mulch in the heat. Adding mulch will help keep the soil and roots cool and conserve water, as well as prevent weeds.If you are using grass clippings as mulch, let the grass clippings dry before spreading them around your plant.

• Water Deeply.                                                                                                                                                                      Irrigate the soil deeply and infrequently rather than giving plants a light sprinkling each day. This requires about 1 inch of rain or sprinkler irrigation. Make sure your soil is draining properly. Poorly drained, soggy soil conditions combined with hot weather can wipe out a plant in a matter of days.  But avoid watering the leaves of your plants; water the soil at the base of the plant.  Water on the leaves can be heated by the sun and cause scorch or burn and fungal diseases thrive when the temperature is between 70 and 90 degrees. By watering the soil, you can protect your plants from this disease and damage. Also keep water from puddling at the stem for too long. If the stem of your plant stays in water too long, it can be susceptible to fungus or disease

• Plant Vegetables.
 There is still time to plant heat loving veggies such as southern pea, okra, sweet potato, amaranth, malabar spinach, and watermelon. Give them adequate water as the heat increases their water use.

• Stop Pruning.
 Spring blooming shrubs, vines and trees such as azalea, dogwood, redbud, spirea, forsythia, wisteria and some roses shouldn't be heavily pruned unless they are dormant. Excessive pruning will reduce next year's blooms.

• Evaluate Plants.
 Take a stroll through the landscape late in the day and take note of plants looking wilted or sunburned. They may be in too sunny a location or receiving too much late-day sun. Consider moving woody ornamentals and perennials such as azalea, hydrangea, ginger, and hosta in the fall.

• Keep Yourself Safe.
 Drink plenty of water while working in the garden and use sunscreen with at least an SPF 15. Avoid extended time out in the sun during the heat of the day.

Heat tolerant perennials:
Ornamental grasses, daylilies, coreopsis, coneflower, black-eyed Susan, junipers, spruces, pines, cacti and succulents.

Spotlight on: Hydrangeas

The Lace-cap hydrangea is one of the most widely recognized species of hydrangeas. They are called Lace-caps for their lacy horizontal blossoms and large globes of rich colored flowers. These flowers grow in moist, well-drained soil with sun or at least partial shade. The only shelter needed is from the drying winds. These flowers grow in clumps up to 6 ft in height. 

These flowers can be maintained by cutting back to the first pair of buds beneath the old flower during the spring. They bloom during the fall and summer seasons and are frost tolerant. 

The unique thing about hydrangeas are that you can control what color the flower will be based on the type of soil. To change the color of your hydrangeas, follow these directions.

To change to Pink 

For the flowers to be pink the plant must not take up any aluminum from the soil. if the soil naturally contains aluminum, you must try to keep it away from the hydrangea's system. Here's a few tips and tricks:

•  Add dolomitic lime several times a year. This will help to raise the pH. Shoot for a pH of about 6.0 to 6.2. Since hydrangeas take up aluminum best at lower pH levels, raising the pH will help to keep the bluing effect of aluminum out of the hydrangea's system.
• Use a fertilizer with high levels of phosphorus. Phosphorus helps to prevent aluminum from entering into the system of the hydrangea. 
• In areas that naturally produce blue hydrangeas (soils with aluminum), consider growing pink hydrangeas in large pots. If hydrangeas are grown in pots, it would be best to use soil-less mixtures, since these mixes would probably not have aluminum in them. In a pot, it will be much easier to control the requirements for growing pink hydrangeas.

To change to Blue

To obtain a blue hydrangea, aluminum must be present in the soil. To ensure that aluminum is present, aluminum sulfate may be added to the soil around the hydrangeas.

• We recommend a solution of 1 Tbsp aluminum sulfate per gallon of water be applied to plants (which are at least 2-3 years old) throughout the growing season. Important: Water plants well in advance of application and put solution on cautiously, as too much can burn the roots. 
• Add organic matter to the soil such as coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels, grass clippings etc.
• If the soil naturally contains aluminum and is acid (low pH) the color of the hydrangea will automatically tend toward shades of blue and/or purple.

Spotlight on: Wave Petunias

These flowers are a beautiful addition to any landscape. This plant is covered in blossoms which are available in a variety of colors. They can grow up to 4 ft in just a few weeks. These flowers thrive best in a sunny spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight and plenty of water. They grow well as ground covers, in beds, hanging baskets, or other containers

Spotlight on: Azaleas

Azaleas are a shrub with small glossy leaves and usually bloom in reds, pinks and whites. This plant grows between 1 to 3 feet in both height and width. It thrives best in partial sun and only watering when necessary. These azaleas can be used as small hedges and border shrubs. 

Our project featured in Philadelphia Magazine!

We were honored when Philadelphia Magazine and the EP Henry Catalog wanted to feature one of our recently finished projects in their publications. We are also very proud of this project as well as every job we work on.

This could be yours...

Picture this, in your own backyard. Call 215-249-1236 or visit us at orserlandscaping.com

Summer picnics!

Get your backyard ready for entertaining this summer with Orser Landscaping. Call 215-249-1236 or visit us at orserlandscaping.com

Want a backyard like this?

Want a backyard like this? We can help! Call 215-249-1236 or visit us at orserlandscaping.com

Growing Our Flower Inventory

Take a look at some of the beautiful flowers we have to offer!
Call Orser Landscaping at 215-249-1236 or visit us at OrserLandscaping.com

Summer is here!

Want a healthy lawn and beautiful gardens? Call Orser Landscaping, (215) 249-1236 or visit us at www.OrserLandscaping.com !