My Favorite 3 New Landscape Products for 2018

What is new and exciting for 2018?  Although maybe not as hip as what you might find at the Consumer Electronics Show, a few of the new products at the landscape shows I have attended are quite cool.  After seeing hundreds of new ideas it was difficult to narrow down my list.  I want to share my 3 favorite new landscape products in reverse order.

1.

My 3rd favorite new product has to do with lighting.  Technology in landscape lighting has skyrocketed in the last 5 or so years.  After the introduction of LED lights came controlling LED lights in zones or rooms just like in your house.  Then came the introduction of RGB (commonly known as color changing) technology and the ability to dim light fixtures.  LED lamps are improving too, not just the color but also the brightness and the angle width of light.  For my customers, I am really excited about some new fixtures like the Silhouette Collection by Dauer Manufacturing.  From the picture below you can see what the lighting bollard looks like during the day but also see how the light coming through the cutouts creates interesting silhouettes.  This is  a lot more exciting than a typical path light.

2.

My second favorite new product is a new wall from Unilock. Unilock manufactures concrete and stone pavers as well as concrete block retaining walls.  Paver products have been improved dramatically in the last few years.  But, retaining walls have changed minutely in the past 15 years.  The Ucara Wall by Unilock is a game changer.  The structure of the wall is a plain concrete block that has ledge hangers on it (if you follow the Ucara Wall link the pictures tell the story).  Then, you pick the wall finish that you hang on the interior block.  Not only does this provide an amazing array of quick design opportunities for me and my customer but also a reduction in labor in since cutting time will be reduced.  And, the structure will be stronger as the blocks that hang interlock with multiple interior blocks creating a larger super structure.

3.

My #1 favorite new product....Out Deco panels.  With these you can create a chic stylish privacy fence.  The designs are such you could use them as sculpture in the garden or to help provide a backdrop for an ornamental tree.  They can be used on top of a pergola to provide shade.  They can create a contemporary privacy screen for your hot tub.  They are made from sustainable hardwood.  You can leave them natural to age and patina.  You can seal them to maintain the current color.  Or, they are completely paintable.  This is the un-fence fence.  Really, really cool.

There are many new products available.  Some are unsung since they are not meant to be seen like better edging for your patio.  I have chosen my three favorite because I think they are very creative and can make my customers outdoor space and more comfortable and more special.  Please contact me to help with your project.

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How to Choose the Right Crabapple Tree

I always tell my customers that the three main criteria that you should consider when choosing the right crabapple tree for your yard is flower color, berry retention, and disease resistance. You may find a cultivar that you like based solely on the color of its flower, but if you don’t consider all facets of my three criteria, you may just end up with an unhealthy tree   that lacks winter interest.

Flower Color

Flowering crabapples are known for the high impact of their flowers. They generally flower in May before the lilacs, and the flowers last for 1 1/2- 2 weeks. Crabapple trees come in an assortment of different colors and can provide a beautiful way to accentuate certain parts of your yard. You can find cultivars that flower in a variety of shades, ranging from red, orange, purple, and white. It’s up to you to decide what splash of color you’d like to add to your landscaping, but remember that it’s important to pick a tree based on more than just the aesthetic appeal that their flowers provide.

Berry Retention

If you would like a flowering crabapple but do not want berries, there are sterile varieties.  However, the flowers usually only last 1 1/2 - 2 weeks while the berries can last a lot longer and provide another level of winter interest. The fruits of some crabapples begin to color in August and others don’t begin to color until September. Additionally, some cultivars drop their ripened fruit while others hold their fruit until spring, which provides a great way for you to attract migrating birds to your yard.

Disease Resistance

Flowers for crabapples are generally all great.  Berry retention is important, but choosing a healthy, disease resistant variety is of greater importance. Different plants will stand up to diseases in different ways. When picking your plant, I’d highly recommend paying close attention to their respective abilities to resist common diseases, such as Apple Scab, Fire blight, and Cedar Apple Rust.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite cultivars and their respective colors and capabilities when it comes to berry retention and disease resistance.

Your Lawn: To Roll or Not To Roll

Often customers who want to remove bumps or ups and downs in their yards ask me about rolling their lawn. The assumption is that rolling lawns will achieve a more even and level yard space. However, this is not true. In reality, rolling your lawn will cause more issues than it will solve.

Rather than flattening out your yard, all rolling does is compact the top level of soil creating much harder layers of soil for grass to grow. Soil has a structure comprised of small particles with pockets of air space in between. If you roll your lawn, you are essentially removing the air space and pushing the particles tightly together. Those pockets of space are necessary if you want to maintain a healthy lawn. Without air space, water will not infiltrate the soil properly causing lawns to brown out to dormancy quicker during periods of drought.  Additionally, if your lawn doesn’t have enough air space to allow proper circulation during wet periods, it can lead to waterlogged roots that will eventually decompose. The most obvious necessity for empty space in your soil is that you need enough space for new roots to grow.

Furthermore, your soil needs enough space to allow oxygen to pass through. I often get asked questions about tree roots coming to the surface in lawn areas. Sometimes this is the nature of the tree; like with honeylocust. However, trees that do not typically grow this way will send roots to the surface if they cannot exchange enough oxygen in the soil.

What are alternatives to lawn rolling?  The easiest way is adding soil to the low areas or shaving down high spots.  You must be careful not to disrupt the drainage pattern of your yard.

If you are interested in discussing this further please feel free to contact me.

My guest said, “Funny, there are no mosquitos tonight.”

Whether you’re hosting a barbecue or just relaxing on your patio, the summer season has always been the best time to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors. Needless to say, most of us would much rather enjoy this time with our friends and family and without the threat of mosquitoes. Most people assume that the only remedy to this problem is to apply a heavy dose of smelly bug spray.  I don’t know about you, but I hate going in at night smelling like bug spray. In a perfect world, we would all be able to grill out on our decks or drink a glass of lemonade without the threat of being a mosquito’s very own “all you can eat” buffet. Luckily, I found that this “perfect world” could in fact exist with a product by Nutone called the Haven mosquito repellent system.

The Haven system works and looks just like a series of path lights. With a fixture set in place every 10-12 feet, you can be sure that your backyard will stay mosquito-free for the summer season. I use this system at my own home, and the difference seems like night and day. Before I had it installed along my patio, I would constantly find myself having to go back inside the house to reapply bug spray or simply stay inside. This really limited my use of our patio. Now that I have the Haven system, I never even have to think about mosquitoes, let alone swat one away from my neck. We had 8 people over the other night.  It had just rained and the air was still–typically a perfect recipe for mosquitoes.  After an hour or so of sitting around the fire pit, one guest said to me, “funny there are no mosquitoes tonight.”  I showed everyone the mosquito fixtures and told them how they work.  This also illustrates how the system is odorless and sound free as none of my guests new they were there until I told them. No smell. No annoying zapping noises.

The Haven mosquito repellent system uses an EPA approved chemical called Metofluthrin, which is the same chemical you will find in products from the popular brand OFF!. Furthermore, the chemical only takes about 15 minutes to activate, which means you can be 15 minutes away from enjoying your yard for hours on end at any given time. You will have to refill the chemicals every year, but that is a very small price to pay for the benefits that the system provides. The typical cost of this system ranges from $1,500 to $2,500 for a typical sized patio or deck which is much less than a screen porch.

If you are interested in discussing this further please feel free to contact me.

Autumn Blaze Maples Versus Other Maples

When people are shopping for a shade tree, they almost always ask me what I think of Autumn Blase Maples.  My first thought is always, WOW, another one.....those must have been marketed like crazy at some point!  Truth be told, it would be one of the last trees I would plant in my yard.  

First, a little science and a little history.  Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) and red maple (Acer rubrum) flower at the same time and can cross pollinate.  The resulting tree is a naturally occurring hybrid referred to as freeman maple (Acer x freemanii).  Before I get into the specifics of the Autumn Blaze Freeman Maple, it will help to understands it's heritage.

First the Silver Maple

• Fast growing.  

• They are often referred to as a soft maple because they damage easily in wind storms.

• Yellow fall color.  

• Easily grown in urban soils. 

  • Tolerant of higher alkaline levels.

  • Toleralnt of lower oxygen levels.

• Native to Wisconsin.

Red Maples

• Red maples are slower growing.  

• Troubles with low oxygen levels and higher PH of urban soils.  Soil PH above 6.5 will cause the leaves to become lighter in color.

• Less damage in wind storms.

• Red fall color.

• Native to Wisconsin.

Autumn Blaze Freeman Maple was the first freeman maple marketed which is one reason I believe it is so well known.

• It was believed to have the fast growing attributes of the silver maple but the stronger wood of the red maple.

• Will tolerate urban soils.

  • Tolerates the alkaline soils of urban areas and of Southern Wisconsin.

  • Tolerates low oxygen levels of urban soils and soils from recent construction.

• Red Fall Color

The problem is Autumn Blaze Maples do suffer from storm damage easily.  With the silver maple and the autumn blaze maple, this is not necessarily from weak wood but from acute branching angles that cause bark inclusion.  When bark becomes included, there is less wood in the connection between the branch and main stem causing a weakness (See the image below).  The branch on the left is closer to 90 degrees and is strong.  The branch angle on the right is narrow (acute), resulting in the bark becoming included resulting in a weak branch.  Proper pruning when the trees are young can limit this problem, but it will not eliminate it.

There are very good freeman maple alternatives.  The varieties Autumn Fantasy and Sienna Glenn  have the same fast growing attributes of the silver maple, but better branching habits and the fall color of the red maple.  They are both tolerant of urban soils.

Ultimately, autumn blaze maple is popular and well known.  Many of my customers inquire about them.  It does grow fast and has a nice, red fall coloring, but the narrow (acute) branching habit makes the variety prone to storm damage.  Varieties such as autumn fantasy or sienna glen have the same desirable attributes, but have better form and therefore incur less storm damage.

Eastern Redbud

Eastern Redbud (Latin name Cercis canadensis) is amazing when it flowers. The flowers are a beautiful magenta-red that run up and down the trees branches.   It is one of the first plants to flower in the spring; before the leaves come out.  In southern Wisconsin it flowers end of April or early May.  It is native to eastern United States and Canada.  The tree produces multi-seeded pods in summer.  They look like pea pods as the plant is in the pea or Legume family.

It is edible. It is said that Native Americans ate redbud flowers and the young pods either raw or cooked.  The flowers are high in Vitamin C and can be used as a condiment on salads. The unopened buds can be pickled or used as a caper substitute. The seed is about 25% protein, 8% fat and 3% ash.  A study done in 2006 shows the flowers and the seeds to be very high in antioxidants as well as linoleic and alha-linolenic acid.  The seeds also have oleic and palmitic acids. (Green, Deane. Eastern Red Bud: Pea Pods Tree; http://www.eattheweeds.com/eastern-red-bud-pea-pods-on-a-tree/).

The seed pods are best fresh.  They should be cooked  and flavored with olive oil and a splash of vinegar.  Seedpods quickly turn too astringent to eat if left on the tree too long.  Sample one and you'll expereince all of your salvia drying up in your mouth. (Richey: Redbuds both beautiful, edible; Urban Forager; March 27, 2011; http://onlineathens.com/stories/032711/liv_805965171.shtml#.WQNM6lPyvdQ)

You can also prepare the seedpods in butter just like peas!

The trees flowers are also great for pollinators as they aide bees in their honey production.

The tree gets to be about 20' tall and slightly wider than its height giving it a nice round shape.  It has graceful arching branches.  A very nice mature form.

It does best in full to partial sun and well drained soil.  

Eastern Redbud is beautiful ornamental landscape tree for your home.  It has added benefits of being edible.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Landscape Planting Design

One of the best compliments I can get from someone about a project of mine is when I am told they love their yard.  We love the spaces.  We love to be outside and use the yard.  There is always something flowering. Our house/ yard looks great.  

This does not happen by accident.  I do believe garden design or yard design needs to be done holistically.  A designer needs to consider how the yard will be used and to create harmonious functional spaces incorporating all elements including patios, pergolas, swimming pools, front walks, driveways, yard space and plantings.  Landscape planting design can be one of the more difficult aspects to garden design.  One issue is most customers want low to no maintenance.  But, they also want interest at all times with sequences of flowering, fall color and winter interest.  As a licensed Landscape Architect and a Horticulturist, what are my guiding principles to planting design?

Create a Setting and Develop Buffers.  Plants are great at creating a setting. My first step in planting design is to locate views to buffer and think about major plants to frame the house and create great spaces to be in.  An oak tree can provide a great canopy to sit under.  Or a Juneberry planted adjacent to the front walk not only can help frame the house but can develop a living arbor to walk under.  A few well placed evergreens can screen the view of a telephone pole, annoying street light, or provide visual privacy from your neighbors deck.

In general, I like to keep front yard planting simple.

• Frame the house and the front door.  

• Include some evergreen.

• Allow for areas for annual color.  

• Avoid areas that will be muddy in the winter.  

• Use plants that have strong seasonal interests. 

The picture below is from a project early in my career, but still one of my favorites.  It is formal but it illustrates the concepts well.

Planting in the back yard should create a setting around the house and the seating areas.  Shade trees not only shade the home and can affect heating and cooling of your house but offer a great place to sit under.  Ornamental trees like flowering crab apples offer stunning spring flowers and can soften views you don't like.  Perennials and shrubs will soften the house and hardscape while providing constant variety of flowers and blooming.

The original Green Industry!  How you can Affect the Environment of Your Home and Property.  Shade trees, with proper species selection, can shade roofs in the summer reducing air conditioning needed and keep your garage cooler.  When leaves are lost in the winter sun can still warm the house.  Groupings of trees can be used to create wind blocks and prevent snow drifting across driveways.  Rain gardens can be used to encourage water infiltration reducing the burden on city storm sewers and assisting in keeping lakes cleaner.  I haven't even mentioned providing cover and habitat for our furry and feathered friends.  They love the berries too.  And after the bees pollinate the Black-Eyed-Susans the birds eat the seeds.

Keeping Maintenance to a Minimum.  Easy curving plant beds are easy to mow along.  It is always my goal to plan for a now edge trimmer yard!  Eliminating big open plant beds and planting full plant beds reduce weeds.  Placing flowers where you see them will reduce the amount planting space and maximize the flowers affect.  A perennial garden on the side of your house may rarely be seen, but placed along the back border where you see it from your kitchen window will provide much more pleasure.

Other Considerations.

• Soil type.

• Light conditions.

• Layers of plants with tallest in back.

• Edible plants.  Juneberry for an ornamental tree, strawberry for a groundcover, or blueberries as a foundation shrub.  Yum!

• Flower smells.

• Fall color.

• Winter interest isn't only evergreen.  How about berries, bark color, snow on branches or even a place to have holiday lights.

• Wildlife as noted above. 

• Allergies.

Having a great looking yard doesn't happen by accident.  Thought and planning will provide a setting for your house and outdoor spaces.  Plants can help affect your immediate environment as well as our world's environment.  There are many things to consider.  Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance with your yard.