Getting Started with Home Landscaping

If your property, including the lawn and around your house, looks staid and lifeless year in and year out, try to spice things up a bit. This year add some home landscaping to your Manheim property. The aesthetic and potential resale value of your home goes up immediately upon the installation of fine home landscaping, the likes of which Root’s Nurseries can provide. A simple and creative solution to a drab looking property, new home landscaping will make you the envy of neighbors, friends and family.

The process begins with designing the ideal home landscaping set-up. There are many aspects of such an undertaking that you will need to consider. Our professional designers and installers will work with you, seeking your ideas on what you are looking to implement. In this blog, we will cover some of the basics for first-time home landscape designers.

Research

Thanks to the Internet, researching a perfect landscape set-up is not at all difficult. Countless examples from around the world are now at your fingertips. With just a few types and a few clicks, you begin to gain insight into what looks and feels right for your home landscaping set-up. Gather a few ideas together about your dream landscape. Find some examples of properties that you think were done well. This can help you present our team with a good idea of what you’re looking for at your home.

Color Scheme

Colors will be a big part of your home landscaping design. Perhaps you have a preferred plant or a favorite color (or both) that you wish to include? This provides a nice starting point, but our advice to you is to keep from getting too complicated here. The more bold and audacious you get with your color combinations, the more difficult you will make the process of ensuring everything matches. Go with just a few basic colors when plotting the look of your new home landscaping.

Plant Proportions

Setting things up in proper proportion is one of the daunting tasks associated with designing the ideal home landscaping situation for your property. Our team of trained, professional landscaping experts steps in here by helping you visualize the scope of what the outcome of the final project is going to look like. Your plants need to be proportionate to each other as well as to whatever plot they are being installed into.

Get started on new home landscaping for your Manheim area home today by calling Root’s Nurseries at 717-898-0041. You can also Request a Free Estimate.

Caring for New Landscaping Shrubs during Cold Weather

If you recently bought some new landscaping shrubs for your Lancaster home, you may be wondering how to care for them as the weather turns colder. Some questions you may have are about how much water and sunlight they need and how you can protect them from Pennsylvania’s harsh winters. We can answer your questions personally when you visit our retail plant center to browse landscaping shrubs. However, we also want to offer some tips here that you can follow at home. Winter can be tough on new landscaping shrubs, but they can easily survive and thrive with proper care and planning on your part.

Although it may not seem like it, the winter sun can do almost as much damage to new landscaping shrubs as the spring and summer sun. You can prevent much of this damage by wrapping the shrubs’ trunks in some type of protective material, like burlap or corrugated paper that is light in color. This will keep the bark from experiencing extremes in temperature.

Another way to protect your landscaping shrubs as the weather gets colder is to make sure they get plenty of water in the late fall. Even when temperatures outside are quite cold, the leaves of the shrubs can get warm in the sun, resulting in transpiration. This can pull water away from landscaping shrubs, leaving them dry.

So how much water do your shrubs really need? This depends on the type of shrub, and if you visit our retail plant center, we can give you more specific information. In general, try to water them regularly in the fall. You can also water them on any warm days we might happen to get during the winter.

A serious threat to new landscaping shrubs is winter burn. To prevent this from happening, you can use evergreen branches to form a wind break over the shrubs. Another way to help protect your landscaping shrubs’ root systems is with mulch. The type and amount of mulch needed depends on the type of shrubs you buy, so we can offer advice on this as well.

With preparation and a few precautions on your part, your new landscaping shrubs will be all set for spring!

For more information on landscaping shrubs near Lancaster, call Root’s Nurseries at 717-898-0041, stop by our plant center in Manheim, or contact us for a Free Landscaping Estimate. 

Caring For Your Trees This Summer

Proper tree care is important, no matter what time of year it is. And even though fall will be here before you know it, caring for your trees is still a chore that should be done on a regular basis. Here is a brief overview of how to care for your trees this time of year. And, of course, if you have any further questions, you can always visit our garden center near Ephrata.

Take a walk around your property and look at each tree. Take note of any damage or other issues with your trees, like signs of disease or insect infestation. If you see any signs of these types of problems, visit our garden center to get advice on what to do to get rid of the problem. You should keep an eye out for any branches that are damaged and in need of pruning.

If you have the right tools and if you know how to do it properly, take some time to prune the trees that need it. Sometimes pruning is an art form, so it should only be done by those who know what they are doing. If you are unsure, hire a professional company to come out and take care of it for you. And if you want further advice on this, come to our garden center to talk to our experts.

Weak limbs need to be braced or cabled in order to help them grow. Sometimes it needs to be done after a storm has blown through your area. Cabling or bracing weak tree limbs is another task best left up to a professional. There should be some type of tree care service in your area that you can call for assistance. Or you can visit our garden center to learn more about cabling and bracing.

These are only a few suggestions on how to best care for all of the trees on your property. If you would like to learn even more, take a trip to our garden center. We have plenty of experts on staff who would be happy to answer your questions on how to best care for your trees and other aspects of your landscaping.

If you would like more information on our garden center near Ephrata, call us at Root’s Nurseries at 717-898-0041, or you can contact us for a Free Estimate. Our garden center is on Lancaster Road in Manheim.

How to Design a Balanced Landscape

Designing a landscape or garden can be somewhat confusing if you have never done it before. Fortunately, the professional landscape designers in Mt Joy at Root's Nurseries have a few suggestions on what to consider. And if you have any questions or need more guidance, give us a call!

You should not try to mimic the formal gardens that you find in fancy places like Buckingham Palace. Those types of gardens take around-the-clock care and maintenance to look good and, even then, you cannot account for slight differences in soil, nutrients and lighting. It is better to aim for a sense of balance. Your plants and flowers do not have to match exactly. 

For example, you should find plants and flowers that have a similar leaf shape or texture. Or you can find plants that are similar in color or in height or width. Our landscape designers can help you select flowers and plants that will look good together. Variety will also make your garden more interesting to look at.

When you plant, consider planting flowers in groups instead of in rows. Planting them in groups makes them more interesting to look at and easier to care for and maintain. 

Your garden should also have a focal point for every season of the year. That way, even when the weather is cold out, there is still something pretty to look at in your garden. And you can sit outside and enjoy your garden and landscaping on mild winter days when the temperatures are not too cold and the weather isn't too bad.

When planted correctly, flowers and plants can really enhance the look of your home and its curb appeal. You can soften sharp edges and make your home more interesting and beautiful to look at.

And if you want the assistance of our landscape designers in Mt Joy, call Root’s Nurseries at 717-898-0041, or you can contact us for a Free Estimate. Or you can visit our Retail Plant Center located on Lancaster Road in Manheim.

Tips for Caring for Your Garden This Winter

Winter is here, and sometimes people think this means they can leave their garden and landscaping alone until the spring. However, there are several things you can do to maintain your garden during the winter months. We have a garden center serving Lititz, so we have a few suggestions on some winter garden care chores you can do now that could save you some time and hassle when the weather starts to warm up again.

Christmas Tree

After the holidays, don’t just toss your Christmas tree! Put it in a bucket of damp sand out in your backyard. Decorate it with strings of cranberries and popcorn. Spread peanut butter on pine cones and dip them in birdseed and hang them up on the tree too. You will attract some beautiful winter birds and give them another tree to nest in.

Plant Containers

Take the time to empty out your plant containers and store them somewhere dry. If you leave them outside with old soil in them, that soil could get damp and then expand when the soil freezes. If that happens, it could cause your plant containers to break.

Compost and Mulch

If you compost, be sure the refuse you throw in there is not infested with bugs or other pests. You could inadvertently introduce them into your plants this spring if you aren’t careful! You should also be sure you are keeping up with mulching. While this is not a fun chore, especially when it’s cold out, this is a great way to help maintain your garden and landscaping when it’s cold out. If you are unsure of what type of mulch you should be using, just visit our garden center and we can help you out!

Snow and Ice

After a snow or ice storm, do not walk on your grass and don’t allow your pets to either, if you can help it. Walking on frozen grass could cause the blades to break and die, and that could result in unsightly brown patches in your grass this spring. 

These are just a few ways you can keep your garden and landscaping looking good this winter! For more helpful hints, visit us at our garden center.

Are you interested in learning more about our garden center serving Lititz and the surrounding areas? Call Root’s Nurseries at 717-898-0041 or contact us and get a Free Estimate.

It’s Fall! Time to Plant Trees!

It seems almost counter-intuitive, but fall tree planting is a very common practice and it is actually recommended by arborists and gardeners alike. There are a few reasons fall tree planting is a great idea.

In the fall, temperatures start to drop and rain begins to increase in most areas. But the soil still stays warm, so the roots have time to take hold and grow before the worst of the cold weather hits. And before the winter starts to get really cold, there will be a few frosts and the trees will go dormant and will be less active. 

Fall tree planting means that the roots will grow, and that means they will be nice and ready to drink up water when the spring rolls around again. And this means the roots are going to be able to access that water better. Plus, there is less stress on the tree if it needs to be transplanted in the spring.

It is best to do fall tree planting with a tree that has its root system wrapped in burlap, or for trees that are in containers. Trees that are planted in the fall also require less water overall. Plus, the fall sun is a lot less harsh than the spring and summer sun. So that means the leaves are less likely to burn and suffer other damage from the harsh and hot sun.

Fall tree planting also means you might have more of a selection of trees to choose from. Usually, in the fall, tree selection is at its peak. So you should have your choice of trees to choose from when you are ready to do your fall tree planting!

For more information on fall tree planting, call Root’s Nurseries at 717-898-0041 or you can contact us for a Free Estimate.

Fall Home Landscaping: Perfect Time to Begin Planning for Spring

Fall is in the air, which means your lawn and other landscaping will soon take a well-deserved rest for a few months until spring rolls around. However, that doesn’t mean you should put off your landscaping needs until March. Here are some things you should be getting accomplished over the next few months:

Aeration

Do you see rain pooling on your lawn? Then it’s time to aerate your lawn. Aeration will allow water and nutrients to again reach the roots. You can use either a garden fork or a walk-behind aerator to accomplish the job.

Fertilizing

You should have cut back on the fertilizer in later summer, but now is a good time to give your landscaping another mix. Fertilizing in the fall will help encourage root growth, so you have a green lawn earlier in the spring.

One more mow

Fall can be a happy or sad time for you, depending on how you feel about mowing. If you like mowing, sorry, but you should only do one more mow until spring rolls around. If you don’t care for mowing, then congratulations, you’re done until spring! One more mow will give your lawn the shorter grass it needs to avoid disease.

Rake/blow leaves

Sunlight won’t be able to get to soil that is covered by leaves. You’ll want to make sure to rake or blow away the leaves so your lawn gets all the sunlight it can before winter comes about. You can either discard of these leaves or collect them to use as compost next year.

Plant shrubs

Give your shrubs a head start and plant shrubs as soon as possible. This way, you’ll allow them an earlier start in establishing roots in cool, moist soil.

Looking for a local to Strasburg home landscaping company? Call Root’s Nurseries now at 717-898-0041 or Request a Free Estimate.