General Landscaping – Page 2 – Soundview Landscape Blog

Landscaping On A Budget – Part 4: Installation

It’s time to install your landscape project. After all your careful researching and planning your vision will now be a reality. This is very exciting, but you still have a lot of hard work ahead of you. However, if you follow a few simple steps, you will save yourself time and frustration.

It’s all about the tool and how you use it:

No matter how big or small your project is, it will help tremendously to have the proper equipment to complete the job. For example, if you are spreading a dump truck full of screened loam over your yard, you will want to consider renting a small tractor to spread the dirt. The rental may cost a little more than you’d like to spend, but it will save you a lot of time and backaches in the long run. Many small machines (plate compactors, aerators) can be rented at a store such as Home Depot, but there are equipment rental companies for the bigger items.

It’s also important to make sure that you have the right tool to get the job done efficiently. If you are transplanting shrubs, get a transplant shovel, if you are spreading soil, get a nice lightweight rake, etc. Soundview Landscape Supply has many contractor-grade tools in stock including rakes made in the USA by the New England Rake Company.

Prep yourself:

Now you need all the “stuff”. If this is a smaller job (a few new shrubs, overseeding) you may only need to borrow a pickup truck and go get all your material by yourself. But, if there are a lot of big items like trees, multiple yards of soil or mulch or palletized material, then you definitely need to have them delivered to the job site. One of the silliest things I see, is people trekking back and forth all day, one yard of dirt at a time, killing their truck, wasting time and gas. There is no need for this! Just spend the extra money and get it delivered! It’s not that expensive and it’s what we are here for. Also, don’t wait till the last minute, call the nursery/supply store well ahead of time to make sure that you can get the material at the most convenient time for you. Just about anything can be delivered by Soundview Landscape Supply.

Git ‘er done:

Depending on the job, you also may need to dispose of brush and other yard debris while you are working. Having a dumpster dropped off at your house is an easy and convenient way to get rid of the yard waste. We have a variety of different delivery trucks and dumpsters to fit your needs.will work with you to help decide the best delivery options for your situation.

And now, you are standing there, with your tool in hand, wondering where to start. Now, if you’re me, you will enjoy a beverage while you procrastinate for a little longer, but let’s not do that. You have taken all the proper steps up to this point so you have a pretty good idea of what you are doing and what’s ahead of you. Pull out your plans and just take it step by step. You may not be able to get it all done in one day, or a weekend or even a week. Set a reasonable goal for yourself and take your time. Rushing will only result in errors, which will cost you time and money later on. More than likely you will run into a problem somewhere along the line, but don’t be afraid to seek advice. Soundview Landscape Supply is here to support you throughout the entire project
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Summer Color Selections To Beautify Your Landscape

There are many plants which can provide summer interest whether it is flower color, foliage, shape or texture. We’ve hand-selected some of our favorites that provide excellent summer color while enhancing your existing landscape:

Knock Out Rose varities:

The Knock Out family of Roses can make and gardener look like a pro. They are mid-sized plants averaging about 3’ tall and 4’ wide. Available in Red, Double Red, Pink, and Yellow. The Knock Out roses are a low maintenance plant that bloom continually until the winter. They can be used as show pieces, in mass plantings or in an otherwise plain landscape to make a great color statement. Here are a few we stock:

• Rosa ‘Radrazz’ – The Knock Out Rose
• Rosa ‘Radtko’ – The Double Knock Out Rose
• Rosa ‘Radcon’ – The Pink Knock Out Rose
• Rosa ‘Radsunny’ – The Sunny Knock Out Rose

Hydrangea varieties:
With so many Hydrangeas are on the market now it is hard to figure out which one is best for you. Well, why not get one of each! The Endless Summer line of Hydrangeas features the easily recognizable Original Endless Summer which blooms on old and new wood, extending the flowering season into the fall. The pink/blue flowers just keep coming on this 3’x5’ shrub. Also included in the Endless summer line are: Blushing Bride, pinkish blush mop type flowers continually bloom on this 4’x6’ shrub, and a lacecap flower – Twist-n-Shout, a pink continual bloomer with great burgundy foliage in the fall. Be sure to check our entire collection of Hydrangeas, sure to be a favorite – look for Blue Cassel, Invincibelle, Limelight, Pink Diamond and more. The following varieties are available at Soundview:

• Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmer’ – Endless Summer Hydrangea
• Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blushing Bride’ – Endless Summer Blushing Bride Hydrangea
• Hydrangea macrophylla ‘PIIHM-I’ – Endless Summer Twist-n-Shout Hydrangea
• Hydrangea arborescens ‘Invincibelle Spirit’ – Invinvibelle Spirit Hydrangea

Weigela varieties:
The selection of Weigelas at Soundview ranges from small to medium, and offer great looking foliage with striking pink flowers in the late Spring. Ranging from the well-known burgundy foliage selections, we also include a new introduction with variegated leaves which is sure to please. Our standard inventory includes Wine and Roses, Fine Wine, Midnight Wine, My Monet and Eye Catcher:

• Weigela florida ‘Fine Wine’ – Fine Wine Weigela
• Weigela florida ‘Wine and Roses’ – Wine and Roses Weigela
• Weigela florida ‘Midnight Wine’ – Midnight Wine Weigela
• Weigela florida ‘My Monet’ – My Monet Weigela
• Weigela florida ‘Eye Catcher’ – Eye Catcher Weigela

Spirea varieties:
Some of the easiest growing plants in any landscape are Spirea. A deciduous selection with a variety of shapes, sizes and colors always in stock. Spireas can be used as Foundation plants, in mass plantings, on hillsides or in any other landscaped area. Some of the varieties like Little Princess, Magic Carpet or Big Bang can be used to attract butterflies in your garden. They are generally deer resistant and provide abundant flowers. Come see our varieties:

• Spiraea japonica ‘Double Play Artist’ – Double Play Artist Spirea
• Spiraea japonica ‘Little Princess’ – Little Princess Spirea
• Spiraea japonica ‘Gold Mound’ – Gold Mound Spirea
• Spiraea ‘Tracy’ – Double Play Big Bang Spirea
• Spiraea x bumalda ‘Anthony Waterer’ – Anthony Waterer Spirea

Kousa Dogwood:
The Kousa Dogwood (Cornus Kousa) is a very versatile, ornamental tree. Used alone as a specimen, or as part of a more complex landscape, the Kousa provides something for every season. The showy flowers in the late Spring and early summer start us off. You’ll enjoy the dark green foliage is offset by creamy white flowers. When fall comes the unique red berries are sure to attract wildlife. During the winter, enjoy the exfoliating bark. A fairly compact tree, with low branching will fill approximately 25’x25’.

We have many summer color varieties in stock and more on the way. Visit us at Soundview Landscape Supply and let our knowledgeable and friendly staff help you beautify your landscape!

Landscaping On A Budget – Part 3: Creating Your Design

Once you have completed your landscaping budget and have considered all the environmental factors, you can start creating a design. It helps to have a visual plan to stay on track.

You may want to spend a little extra money having a professional design the project for you or, you can save money by making a simple drawing of your ideas.

The most important thing to remember is to stay focused on the current project and remember the outcome that you have in mind. You will want the landscape to “flow” and not be a hodge-podge of plants thrown together. The plants should also match the style of your house. For example; a 2 story home will require taller plants to go with the height of the home. Whereas a 1 story home can get away with shorter plants.

Depending on your budget, you may have left some room to have a design done professionally. Many nurseries use computer software programs to create a design using a photo image. Depending on where you go, you may be able to bring them a photo you have taken for them to work with. Professional landscape design software contains large databases of plants and other landscape materials that will help you to visualize a rendition of what the end results will look like.

In the example photos below, you can see how “before” and “after” pictures can help you to visualize the outcome you want.

Example “Before”:

Example “After”:

If you don’t have the extra money to spend on a professional design, you can sketch one yourself. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a great artist to do this, just a rough sketch of the area is fine. There is always the internet, where you may be able to find an inexpensive software program to make your own computer generated design. Another great way to make a visual is by taking a photo of the house and bringing it with you to a nursery or garden center. Our nursery professionals use customers pictures all the time to help them create new beds and find the best plants to fit in the area.

Whether you are installing new plants, a new lawn or anything in between, it is very important to take accurate measurements of the area. This will be the best way to determine how much soil, mulch and plants will be necessary. With the right measurements in hand, Soundview Landscape Supply can help you with the calculations to determine how much material you will need.

You will need multiply the length times the width of the area to be landscaped to find the square footage (LxW=Sq. Ft.). The square footage number will help ensure you order the proper amount soil, mulch and fertilizer.

You also need to know the size of the beds to find the right size trees and shrubs. One of the most common mistakes is stuffing too many shrubs into the bed. In a few years, smaller specimens will be overgrown and your planted bed will look disorganized and will be harder to maintain. Unnecessary time and effort will be spent removing your plants.

It’s also important to understand the height and width the plants at maturity as they relate to the size of the planting area. So when you’re planning out your new planting bed, you’ll want to take all of these factors into account in order so your landscape is both economical and beautiful!

With just a little visual planning and forethought, anyone can create a beautiful landscape. Look for our next article in this series about how install your new landscape creation.