Lawn aeration also gives your lawn these added benefits:

• Allows the soil to breathe, giving the roots more oxygen
• Loosens the compact soil to provide more space for the root systems to grow
• Breaks up thatch
• The soil is more permeable for water to reach root systems

It is important to make sure you lawn has the best possible opportunity to receive the air, water, nutrients and care it needs throughout this summer in order to ensure that it has a better chance of survival through a cold winter.

Over spending or under spending is the last thing you want to add to any stress of a landscaping project. 

So instead of looking around, measuring and trying your best to estimate the right amount use our calculator to help keep your budget right on track.

You may find it confusing to purchase natural stone because it is typically sold by weight rather than square footage. The thickness of the material also varies changing the amounts you need. Here are some simple formulas for the most common stone projects.

When using decorative stone (crushed rock or pebbles) one ton (2000 lbs) will cover approximately 100 sq ft at a depth of 2″.  When using material over 1-2″ in size the coverage will be lower.

When installing a patio with flagstone one ton (2000 lbs) will cover approximately 100 sq ft. when using material that is 1-2″ in thickness. That is the recommended thickness for flagstone set in sand.

If the flagstone will be set in concrete you can use material that is 1″ thick or less. This will increase the coverage to 200 sq ft per ton.

When purchasing natural stone products remember the price per pound or per ton increases when the material is thinner however the coverage increases also so it typically balances out.

Summer is too hot and Winter is too cold!  Why can’t it always be Spring or Fall?

I have spent a lot of time helping you to design the perfect environment for you to spend your time outside.  One more aspect of comfort and convenience for your Outdoor Rooms is the temperature.

So just how do you control the temperature outside?  The answer requires a little bit of creativity.

Misters are great for cooling areas down and for increasing the humidity on the hot, dry, Summer days.  Try mounting your misters along the top of the walls  or along the bottom edge of the ceiling for your Outdoor Rooms.

Electric fans can also be installed in your Outdoor Rooms to help create a refreshing and cooling breeze.

A nearby water feature can also help to cool down your Outdoor Rooms.

For heat in your areas you can use outdoor firepits, fireplaces or even electric or propane heaters.

Blankets are always an option for helping you keep warm outside.  Be creative and make sure your temperature control devices help to create an area that still is functional and comfortable all year round.

Expand the usefulness of your Outdoor Living Spaces to all year round.

live, play enJOY…Life OUTSIDE!!!

The bulk of my post today is from Herman Melville–a quote from Moby Dick and one of the best short essays on man’s affinity to water that I have ever read.

I personally see water as an absolutely critical element of the landscape.  I like to use two different metaphors to describe the importance of water.  Water is the percussion of your landscape and water is the heart of your landscape.

Music without percussion has no foundation.  There is no beat, no rhythm.  Without percussion, the notes float through the air without any direction or meaning.  Just like percussion bring music down to you and moves you steadily along a path, so does water tie everything together in your landscape and give it meaning and direction.  Water connects you to your landscape.

Water also seems to give life to everything in your landscape just like your heart spreads your lifeblood to every corner of your body.  Even cold, hard steel or lifeless plastics come to life with water in your landscape.  The streams, falls and jumping fountains set the ambience for every corner and room in your yard.

Water is critical for an outdoor living environment!  I have attached the quote below.  It is quite engaging, so enjoy this and…

live, play, enJOY…Life OUTSIDE!

“If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.

There now is your insular city of the Manhattoes, belted round by wharves as Indian isles by coral reefs–commerce surrounds it with her surf. Right and left, the streets take you waterward. Its extreme downtown is the battery, where that noble mole is washed by waves, and cooled by breezes, which a few hours previous were out of sight of land. Look at the crowds of water-gazers there.

Circumambulate the city of a dreamy Sabbath afternoon. Go from Corlears Hook to Coenties Slip, and from thence, by Whitehall, northward. What do you see?–Posted like silent sentinels all around the town, stand thousands upon thousands of mortal men fixed in ocean reveries. Some leaning against the spiles; some seated upon the pier-heads; some looking over the bulwarks of ships from China; some high aloft in the rigging, as if striving to get a still better seaward peep. But these are all landsmen; of week days pent up in lath and plaster–tied to counters, nailed to benches, clinched to desks. How then is this? Are the green fields gone? What do they here?

But look! here come more crowds, pacing straight for the water, and seemingly bound for a dive. Strange! Nothing will content them but the extremest limit of the land; loitering under the shady lee of yonder warehouses will not suffice. No. They must get just as nigh the water as they possibly can without falling in. And there they stand–miles of them–leagues. Inlanders all, they come from lanes and alleys, streets and avenues–north, east, south, and west. Yet here they all unite. Tell me, does the magnetic virtue of the needles of the compasses of all those ships attract them thither?

Once more. Say you are in the country; in some high land of lakes. Take almost any path you please, and ten to one it carries you down in a dale, and leaves you there by a pool in the stream. There is magic in it. Let the most absent-minded of men be plunged in his deepest reveries–stand that man on his legs, set his feet a-going, and he will infallibly lead you to water, if water there be in all that region. Should you ever be athirst in the great American desert, try this experiment, if your caravan happen to be supplied with a metaphysical professor. Yes, as every one knows, meditation and water are wedded for ever.

But here is an artist. He desires to paint you the dreamiest, shadiest, quietest, most enchanting bit of romantic landscape in all the valley of the Saco. What is the chief element he employs? There stand his trees, each with a hollow trunk, as if a hermit and a crucifix were within; and here sleeps his meadow, and there sleep his cattle; and up from yonder cottage goes a sleepy smoke. Deep into distant woodlands winds a mazy way, reaching to overlapping spurs of mountains bathed in their hill-side blue. But though the picture lies thus tranced, and though this pine-tree shakes down its sighs like leaves upon this shepherd’s head, yet all were vain, unless the shepherd’s eye were fixed upon the magic stream before him. Go visit the Prairies in June, when for scores on scores of miles you wade knee-deep among Tiger-lilies–what is the one charm wanting?–Water–there is not a drop of water there! Were Niagara but a cataract of sand, would you travel your thousand miles to see it? Why did the poor poet of Tennessee, upon suddenly receiving two handfuls of silver, deliberate whether to buy him a coat, which he sadly needed, or invest his money in a pedestrian trip to Rockaway Beach? Why is almost every robust healthy boy with a robust healthy soul in him, at some time or other crazy to go to sea? Why upon your first voyage as a passenger, did you yourself feel such a mystical vibration, when first told that you and your ship were now out of sight of land? Why did the old Persians hold the sea holy? Why did the Greeks give it a separate deity, and own brother of Jove? Surely all this is not without meaning. And still deeper the meaning of that story of Narcissus, who because he could not grasp the tormenting, mild image he saw in the fountain, plunged into it and was drowned. But that same image, we ourselves see in all rivers and oceans. It is the image of the ungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all.”

Watering in the winter, yes I know it sounds crazy. But you have to remember we do live in the desert.

Winter watering is usually not needed but we do have weather spells in the winter where there is no snow or rain for a stretch of time.

Even though it is cold, the sun is still beating down on the ground and the wind is blowing drying out your soil and plants.

There is no schedule to follow other than physically watching or better yet touching your soil on during these dry winter spells and using your own judgment.

It is particularly important to watch and water your plants and sod if they were freshly installed in the fall and the roots are not had a change to get established in your soil!

Have you ever wondered what “Bluestone or Pennsylvania Bluestone” is?  It is layered sandstone from the northeastern tier of Pennsylvania, parts of New Jersey and southern New York. While it is most typically blue there are also other colors and hues.  Our quarry is in New York just across the border from Pennsylvania and the stone we quarry is called New York full color, due to the wide range of colors in the stone. The stone is composed of sand, feldspar and mica. It is a strong, beautiful stone used in patios, walkways, stairs and many other architectural building applications. It is used both indoors and outside for wall stone, decorative boulders, natural steps and other landscape features.

So I know it is the middle of winter and the last thing you are probably thinking about is working on your backyard pond. While this time of year is not a practical time for working in your water garden it is a perfect time to continue educating yourself on how to make your water garden great. Something you might consider looking into is how the right plant life can beautify and enhance your water garden.
Plants are amazing. Not only can they make your pond look more natural but they are truly nature’s filtration system. Natural ponds are usually surrounded by wet meadows, marshes, or swamps. These wetlands help clean and filter the water passing through them by absorbing silt, bacteria, and other pollutants.
Now different types of water gardens or ponds need different types of plants so don’t make the mistake of just going out and finding a water lily you like and sticking it in your pond. Do a little research into what will work best for your setup. Most plant nurseries will either have the different kinds of water plants you need or be able to tell you where to get them. Doing a little reading on your own and talking to a professional will make all the difference in making the right selection.

Waterproofing your basement is an absolute must if you have one today. Climates and weather conditions makes it a necessary part of any remodeling you make to your basement. If you are renovating your home at any time and are going to redo the basement so you can use the extra space in your home, waterproofing is an absolute necessity. There are various ways to water proof your basement but one of the least expensive ways is to use epoxy paint.

Epoxy is a thermosetting epoxide polymer that is also known as polyepoxide. It can be used in many forms including adhesive, paint and hardeners around the home. All forms tend to have different properties because it is a multipurpose chemical in its original resin form. However, in the case of epoxy basement floor paint it has specific qualities that enable it to serve its purpose.

Epoxy basement floor paint is used to seal, harden and waterproof basement floors. Basements are renowned for flooding and allowing moisture into the house but this basement epoxy floor paint can actually be used to prevent that from happening. Epoxy basement floor paint is an effective sealant because it will seep into the cement or stone and forms a waterproof barrier against moisture as soon as it is dry. It will also serve to harden the floor by setting as a resin rather than as a paint and that gives it a greater degree of stability that will help it to stand the test of time against the elements.

Epoxy basement floor paint also offers a degree of protection against fire as it is flame resistant. This function is boosted by the fact that it is actually ideal for use with walls as well as floors and can be used on stone, wood, concrete and any other similar type of material.

As well as being fireproof, its waterproofing abilities are second to none. Epoxy paint is used in sealing off swimming pools. The reason for this is that it penetrates the pores of the concrete to seal it off. It also acts a smooth surface so that when people touch the surface of the pool they don’t hurt themselves.

Epoxy basement floor paint is ideal for uses mentioned but remember that epoxy paint comes in a variety of colors. It adds to the overall look of the basement as well with many different decorative possibilities. As a result, you can effectively protect your basement as well as enhancing its aesthetic appeal. If you do wish to turn your basement into an inhabitable space then you could do far worse than using epoxy basement floor paint. Most other sealants only serve on specific function without regard for looks!

Epoxy basement floor paint can be applied with ease and sets within a few hours so the job could feasibly be done in a day. It can be applied to surfaces that have previously been painted or sealed. It also withstands most chemicals and so is extremely hard to breach.

In short, epoxy basement floor paint is the ideal choice of all in one for your basement, whatever your use it for. Fire resistant and water resistant, it will stay in place long after redecoration or renovation is complete.

This may come as a shocker but turfgrass requires water to grow. Your new lawn’s best friend is water. New sod should be kept moist for approximately two weeks. This moisture will allow the roots to grow down into the soil. Do not leave the sod soaking in water. This will reduce root growth. The number of times that water needs to be applied will depend on temperature, wind, reflected heat and other factors.

Begin watering the new turfgrass while the sod is being installed. Apply around one inch of water so that the soil beneath the turf is saturated. Ideally, the soil six to eight inches beneath the surface should be kept moist.

Pull back a corner of the turf and push a screwdriver or other sharp tool into the soil. The tool should penetrate easily into the moist soil and should be moist in the top six to eight inches. If not, more water is needed.