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6 Outdoor Features That Will Take Your Backyard to the Next Level

• 04 August 2020
• by: GreenWise Grounds Care 
• note: no comments 

Having a backyard can be like having a little piece of heaven all to yourself. It’s your little corner of nature that you can cultivate however you please. Odds are you’ve been spending more time in your backyard lately, especially with the current pandemic situation. If all that time has you thinking your yard could use an upgrade and you’re interested in taking your small slice of paradise to the next level, consider adding some awesome outdoor features that will make it really stand out.

An Outdoor Koi Pond

Koi ponds are beautiful additions to a backyard. Essentially a swimming pool for fish, the traditional koi pond lacks the slope or steps common to a regular swimming pool or water garden. This helps keep the fish safe from predators. Regular koi pond maintenance promotes the health of the fish and the cleanliness of the pond. Many people find that having a koi pond in their backyard brings an added sense of peace and tranquility. The brightly colored fish often become beloved, low maintenance pets that can be mesmerizing to watch. Adding a koi pond to your home can also have a positive impact on your home’s market value. Many times people are willing to pay more for a home that has a koi pond than they would for the same home without one.

A Fire Pit

Summertime is often associated with camping and campfires. If the pandemic has you uneasy about camping, you can bring the camping experience to your own backyard by adding a fire pit. Having a fire pit in your own backyard can be great for rustic outdoor cooking. It can also make your yard more cozy all year long, even if you live in an area that gets snow in the winter. Fire pits can improve the ambience of your yard too. Few things are as mesmerizing as staring into open flames. If you choose this backyard addition, make sure you are familiar with proper safety protocol. Prioritizing safety is what lays the foundation for having fun.

A Deck

Decks are great spaces to host parties in your backyard. If you were into party hosting before the pandemic hit, but didn’t have a deck to host them on, adding one now might be the perfect way to prepare for your next one. If you have extra time on your hands, building a deck might be a good way to use some of it up. Otherwise, there are plenty of professionals who can do it for you. Once you have your deck built, add some outdoor furniture and decorations to make the space comfortable for yourself and others. You can make this as simple or as intricate as you want. It all depends on the look and feel you’re going for. Take the climate in which you live into consideration when choosing deck furnishings. It won’t do to spend all that time, money, and effort only to have it all ruined by the weather.

An Outdoor Kitchen

If you’ve picked up cooking or baking as a hobby, adding an outdoor kitchen to your backyard can be a fun option. An outdoor kitchen can be placed on a patio or a new deck and can be a great addition that brings family and friends together. While the cost to add an outdoor kitchen can fluctuate depending on how elaborate it is, it can add significant value to your home and be worth the cost. When designing your kitchen, keep functionality in mind. You should have adequate counter space, the appliances you are likely to use, and good lighting that will keep your food preparation area well lit whether you are cooking during the day or at night.

A Putting Green

If you love golf, a putting green might be the perfect addition to your backyard. This can be a great option if you aren’t able to visit your favorite golf course or just need to practice to improve your short game. If you have a smaller yard, don’t worry. You can still have a putting green. It might not be as extensive as one in a larger yard, and you may have to limit the features and obstacles you add, but you can still design a green that will allow you to have a good time. There are multiple benefits to adding a putting green. Like many other awesome features, it can improve the value of your home. It will also make your home stand out from others in your neighborhood, elevating it and giving it more of a luxury feel. And, of course, it gives you a chance to get out, get some sun and fresh air, and practice a bit of golf whenever you like.

A Gazebo

If you want to give your backyard a timeless, elegant feel, consider adding a gazebo. Gazebos can be a great place from which to enjoy the outdoors and nature. The roof provides shelter from excessive sun and precipitation, while it’s open structure creates an open, breezy, light environment that is perfect for relaxing outside. If you are an avid reader, this might be an ideal addition that allows you to read your favorite books outside in a comfortable setting. If you’re a fan of movies, you can try hanging a screen from the gazebo to create an outdoor theater setting, or you can convert the gazebo into a theater for a home theater outside of your home. If gardening is your hobby, you can use it as a greenhouse, a place to hang or set various planters, or use it as a structure for plants to grow up on. You might also consider using it as a source of income by renting it out for events.

There are lots of outdoor features you can add to your backyard. Doing so will give your yard personality, and many will increase the value of your home and property. Whatever option you choose, consider the cost and maintenance, as well as the impact it will have on your yard’s aesthetic. Your backyard is your space. You should make it your own.

Want to make your backyard look extra special? Let us landscape it for you!

Don’t Bag Those Clippings

• 11 April 2016
• by: GreenWise Grounds Care 
• note: no comments 

You’ve probably heard the age old question: “Should I bag my lawn clippings or leave them on the lawn?” In most cases, the answer is pretty simple: Leave the lawn clippings on the lawn! By leaving the clippings not only will you save time and energy, but you will also be returning valuable nutrients to the lawn.

Grass Clippings act as fertilizer

On of the most important things you need to do to your lawn is to feed it regularly, grass clippings contain the same beneficial nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients that lawn fertilizer does. In fact, lawn clippings can provide up to one-third of the annual nutrients your lawn requires.

Less Work for You

In addition to adding the nutrients back into the your soil, leaving the clippings will reduce your mowing time and save you the hassle of emptying the bagger and having to dispose of the clippings.

Some easy guidelines to follow

Here are a few things you can do to help your grass stay strong and looking good. Be sure to routinely sharpen your mower blades and mow regularly at the recommended cutting height for your type of grass. Don’t mow when the grass is wet. If the grass is so tall that mowing at your normal cutting height will remove more than one-third of the length, you should raise the height of your mower. You can mow your yard once at the raised cutting height, and then mow it again in a different direction at the normal height. You can avoid a growth surge by using a slow-release fertilizer.

It won’t create a thatch problem

Contrary to what you may have heard, leaving lawn clippings on the lawn will not cause a thatch problem. Thatch is a layer of partially decomposed grass between the soil and living grass. Grass clippings are primarily water, so as long as you are mowing frequently at the right height, the grass clippings will break down and disappear rapidly.

There may be exceptions: when Bagging is Okay?

There are some circumstances when bagging your grass clippings may be warranted. If you see any signs of lawn disease, you may want to bag the clippings to avoid the spead of any fungus. Grass clippings may also be collected for use in a compost piles or to be used as beneficial mulch. Many people bag their grass clippings for aesthetic purposes or to keep the clippings from being tracked through the house. In most cases, simply following these mowing guidelines will avoid any clumps that detract from your lawn’s appearance and will keep the grass clippings small enough to filter down into the lawn.

10 Easy Tips for a Healthy Lawn

• 10 April 2016
• by: GreenWise Grounds Care 
• note: no comments 

Having a healthy and green lawn can make a big difference in the looks of your property. It will increase your curb appeal and is more visually pleasing to enjoy during the spring and summer months. Here are ten easy tips for taking better care of your lawn.

1. Clean Up Debris
   Gently rake any leaves that were left behind from last fall as well as any areas that have been weighed down by rain and snow to lift the grass back up.

 

2. Dethatch and Aerate your Lawn
   Dethatching and aerating your lawn will allow vital air and nutrients to get to the roots of the grass. Aeration will also loosen up compact soil and break through your lawn’s thatch layer allowing it to breathe and grow.

 

3. Seeding your Lawn
   Seeding or over seeding your lawn by using a premium high quality seed. You can re-pply yearly or even multiple times per year if needed in areas where you have bare spots or heavy traffic where your lawn is thinning out.

 

4. Sharp Mower Blades
   A sharp mower blade will produce a cleaner cut which will help the grass blade heal quickly after it is mowed to prevent any lawn diseases. Dull mower blades tear the grass and leave jagged edges exposing the grass to diseases. GreenWise crews sharpen their mower blades daily to give your lawn the best cut possible.

 

5. Trim and Edge your Lawn
   Trimming your lawn with a gas trimmer and power edger will help to tidy up your lawn’s edges giving it a cleaner, more finished look. Trimming and edging of all concrete areas will be performed as part of your lawn care service.

 

6. Fertilize your Lawn and Be Patient
   Generally you’ll want to apply fertilizer in the fall. Take care not to put excess amounts of fertilizer on your lawn. You’ll need to be patient and wait for your lawn to become green and healthy. Using too much fertilizer will burn your lawn and leave you with a bigger problem to deal with. Using an organic lawn food may be slower acting than regular synthetic fertilizer, but you will benefit with a healthier lawn.

 

7. Weed Treatment
   For a weed-free lawn it’s best to prevent weeds by applying a pre-emergent herbicide early on in the season to tackle weeds before they sprout. If it’s too late, you can try using a post-emergent herbicide that is designed to kill growing weeds.
    
   
8. Water your Lawn
   Water your lawn regularly or install an irrigation system if you don’t have time to water with a hose and sprinklers. Try to maintain consistent moisture in the soil of your lawn rather than over watering for long periods of time. Your lawn only needs approximately 1-2 inches of water per week-depending to survive.
    
   
9. Check for Insect Damage
   If you notice yellow spots in your lawn around mid-summer, you probably have an insect issue. You can treat your lawn with many natural pesticides or you can purchase chemical insecticides at your local big box store store.
    
   
10. Let GreenWise take care of your Lawn
    Our easiest and most important tip is to let GreenWise Grounds Care handle all of your lawn care needs. We’ll take care of everything for you. Request a free online quote today!

 
Just follow these simple tips and you’ll be on your way to a healthier, greener lawn.

Spring Lawn Care Guidelines

• 10 April 2016
• by: GreenWise Grounds Care 
• note: no comments 

It’s an Ohio tradition: shortly after the first warm sunny day of spring arrives, folks are anxious to get out and begin working in their lawns and gardens.

Our enthusiasm for yard work appears to rise with the temperature. This year, we think, I’m planning to fertilize my grass. This year, I’m planning to get eliminate that creeping Charlie. This year, I’m planning to seed those bare patches.

Unfortunately, the most effective time to do most of the items that improve our lawns is from August to October. Fortunately there are some steps you’ll be able to take now to get your yard in great shape.

First, hold off on the exhausting raking. Spring turf is very tender, and you don’t want to tear it out by the roots. Don’t rake if the impressions of your shoes stay on the turf once you’ve walked on it. Use a bouncy, light-weight rake to get rid of the remains of last year’s leaves however you’ll want to keep off the lawn until it’s dry.

If your yard is rough, bumpy and also the site of hard use by children or dogs, you should consider aerating. While the most effective time for aeration is in the fall, spring aeration — paired with a repeat in fall — will really help an abused yard. Many weeds, as well as annoying prostrate knotweed, thrive in hard-packed soil and might begin to take over your lawn causing the grass to suffer.

Don’t bother stomping around the yard with those silly shoe spikes that some mail order catalogs sell. Aeration is removing plugs of soil from the ground so nutrients and water can more easily reach grass roots — is best completed with a core aerator, a machine that appears a little like a snowblower. Aerators pull about 3″ long plugs of soil from the lawn.

To make it easier for the machine’s prongs to penetrate the yard, provide the grass a thorough watering or wait until it’s been soaked by a decent rain. The aerator should be run a minimum of 2 or 3 times over a yard in numerous directions. If you think it looks just awful, you’ve done a decent job. Lawns recover very quickly from aeration, with the soil plugs all disappearing in about ten days.

Commercial aerators tend to be massive machines that are troublesome to transport and very powerful. Instead of renting a bulky aeroator and lugging it home consider having your lawn added to our aeration schedule.

Aeration additionally helps lawns absorb plant food, and minimizes runoff of both nutrients and water. While Ohio suggests fertilizing low-maintenance lawns in August and October, you’ll be able to fertilize in may and June, as well. keep in mind that leaving finely cut grass clippings on the yard through the summer acts as a nitrogen fertilizer so don’t bag your grass clippings.

For homeowners with weed issues, a weed-and-feed or a fertilizer with crab-grass preventative may be applied in spring. Crab grass, an annual weed, begins to germinate once night soil temperatures reach 58 degrees, according to Ohio University that typically happens in the middle of April.

Since few folks actually take the temperature of our soil, an easier way to remember is to use crab grass pre-emergent once you see lilacs beginning to bud. Only use weed preventers wherever you’ve had a problem before, and keep in mind that crab grass could sprout earlier close to sidewalks and driveways as a result of the heat.

It seems logical that spring would be the most effective time to plant grass seed, however that’s another job that’s best done in August and September. That’s a result of weed seeds germinating principally within the spring, meaning there’s less competition for grass seed that is planted as fall approaches. However now could be a good time to lay sod if you’re ready to keep it watered through the hot summer months.

As for killing weeds, perennials like dandelions and creeping Charlie are easier to dispatch once the weather cools in late summer and also the plants are directing their energy to their roots. However you’ll be able to rake out lots of creeping Charlie within the spring — watch the grass! — and dig dandelions.

Mow frequently, and remember to leave those clippings on the yard, aerate and fertilize as you wish.