Become a 'friend' of Signature Landscape Serives and keep up on what the crews are doing on your site, specials we are offering and seasonal ideas. | | |
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Volunteer of the Year
Joe Zaragoza, Mark Henning & Will Bailey | |
Signature Landscape was recently honored as Hope-Works Social Enterprises 2011 'Volunteer of the Year'.
Hope-Works is an affiliate of Snohomish County's Housing Hope. This agency has been assisting homeless and low income families by providing affordable housing for 25 years.
Signature is a Founding Partner in the newly created nonprofit corporation GroundWorks Landscaping. Signature has provided consultation to the landscape business & assisted in the establishment of an HR plan, opportunities for job shadowing, training & and an introduction to vendors, trade associations & training resources.
See the whole article on our Facebook page. | |
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What's The Crew Up To?
It's been an interesting winter so far with weather ranging from the mid-50's and sunny to ....well... we'll remember Snowpocalypse 2012 for some time I'm sure. Our crews have been very busy cleaning up storm debris from the snow, ice and wind that came through.
They will be assessing damaged plant material, pruning where needed and making recommendations for plant replacements if necessary related to breakage and freeze. Some freeze damage may take longer to express itself as plants struggle to recover. A tell-tale sign of freeze damage from this recent weather event will be shrubs with only their upper half dead. This occurs when the foliage of the lower half is buried in snow which insulates and protects it from freeze leaving the upper half exposed. It's an eclectic look at best.
February is a very busy time of the year for our crews.
They will be assessing and treating for moss in turf areas where contracted, getting weed prevention work done, raking remaining debris from the fall and putting the final touches on the landscape in preparation for spring.
 We are often asked "when is the best time to prune"? The answer can be as varied as the myriad types and uses of plants in our landscape. However, for most common landscape plants, it comes down to a question of time rather than timing. Winter affords us an opportunity to spend time pruning plant material to correct for bad growth habit, rejuvenate overgrown or declining plants and thin for proper structure. Most deciduous plants are dormant this time of year, allowing us to enjoy their structure rather than their foliage. Good pruning and attention to detail can make for a very attractive winter landscape so keep your eye out for our crews and all of the little details.
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Revitalize beds with fresh mulch!
Installing mulch in landscape beds serves several vital purposes. It protects the root systems of plant material from heat and cold damage, retains moisture and reduces watering needs. Mulch also adds valuable nutrients to the soil, reduces weed germination and creates clean, aesthetically pleasing beds areas which allow plants to stand out. Mulches are typically applied at a 1.5" - 2" depth. They can be installed by hand, or blown in. It is important to make sure mulches do not build up around the trunks of trees and shrubs as this can damage them.
New mulch should be installed every one to three years depending on the needs of your site and budget considerations.
There are a few options for which type of mulch to use. A couple of the more common ones are Fertimulch and Bark. Fertimulch is a darker, finer particle and feeds the soil with nutrients as it decomposes. Bark is a larger and lighter brown or red particle, is typically less expensive and controls weeds a bit better than Fertimulch. Personal preference, budget and the needs of the site will help dictate which type is appropriate for your site.
Performing this service regularly will provide perhaps the single most noticeable difference in the look of a site, as well as providing the additional benefits listed above. |
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