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Theres More To A Green Thumb Than You Think ~
Admin • May 31, 2019
here’s plenty of time before spring comes a long, but it’s always fun to look through magazines like Southern Living at the beautiful gardens and landscapes featured there. They’re always lush and thriving, often filled with unique plants and flowers you may have never seen before.
But before you start pining for that unusual flora, there are several factors to consider if you want to be successful in having the gardens of your dream. The four most important are sun, soil, water and zone – these factors are the key to having that green thumb. Unfortunately, you can’t count on a plant’s label to give you the whole story, it’s a generalization at best.
Start With What’s Not on That Label: Zone
Zones are the categories detailed in the which breaks the country into segments based primarily on seasonal temperatures. Additionally, how long are the summer, spring and winter seasons, and what are the highest and lowest average temperatures? Zones are numbered with the coldest being zone 1 and the hottest zone 13. Kentucky is broken into two categories in one zone: Zone 6A and 6B. However, you’ll rarely find that on the plant label, instead you’ll find them segmented more simply as Annual or & Perennial. Annuals will only last one season in your particular zone, but perennials will return year after year.
Sunshine, Sweet Sunshine
Most of the plants you’ll find at your local nursery are, however, labeled with one of four sun requirements: full sun, part sun, part shade and shade. Full sun basically refers to 6 or more hours of direct sun a day. The are best able to tolerate the stronger afternoon sun. Both “part sun” and “part shade” refer to a plant that prefers four to six hours of direct sun each day (best if it comes in the first half of the day). The terms are basically interchangeable. When you see “part sun” used, the grower is stressing that the plant requires at least four hours of sun and will likely do better with closer to six hours.
There is a subtle difference in light preference for a plant labeled “part sun” vs. one that says “part shade.” But, essentially, the two terms mean about the same thing. When you see “part sun” used, it means the plant should not receive more than four to six hours of sun and that morning sun is best. Part shade indicates a only a slight difference in that it will likely do best in dappled morning sun a tree canopy provides.
Lastly, full shade does not mean no sun at all, but that the plant will do best with shorter time in the less intense morning sun. Full shade plants are great for planting near the base of a tree or under an eave that lets only the early morning sun in.
Dishing the Dirt
Believe it or not, soil requirements can be wildly complicated. There are six main soil types:
- Clay
- Sandy
- Silty
- Peaty
- Chalky
- Loamy
Much of central Kentucky’s soil is clay, which is not very hospitable:
- Clay drains poorly
- Few air spaces
- Warms slowly in spring
- Heavy to cultivate
- If drainage is improved, plants grow well as it holds more nutrients than many other soils
Last But Not Least, Water
Water is the easiest part of a successful garden. While plants differ in water requirements, it’s a much easier element to control. The best way to judge whether or not your plants need water is to simply watch them. When a plant begins to droop and no other issues are apparent, it’s likely time to water it. Conversely, yellowing leaves are usually a good sign that your plants are getting too much water. There are other concerns specific to some plants, some of which are fine with being watered from above, but others should only be watered at the soil – and no plants should be watered in the heat of the day or late in the evening. Watering in the heat of the day can burn your plants foliage, and watering late can result in molding.
These last three – sun, soil, and water – are best addressed by making sure your plants are grouped by like preferences. Don’t plant one that craves damp soil in the same bed as one that needs periods of fully dry soil.
Easier still? Hire an expert landscape designer to plan out and plant your gardens for you. A professional landscaping company has the knowledge and experience learned through extensive training and hours of dirty hands. Hiring a professional landscaper will cost you less in the end, because you won’t watch the plants you spent all that time and money on go down the drain. Jennifer of Mow Mow’s Landscaping has the knowledge and years of experience to give you the lush, successful gardens you desire, and a stellar five star rating from hundreds of satisfied clients. Give Mow Mows a call at 859-475-4500
today or Click Here
to start your planning early!
Probably not with silver bells and cockleshells*, considering there aren’t any sandy beaches in central Kentucky 😉
February 15, 2019 Lexington, KY – Mow Mow’s Landscaping is proud to announce that it has earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award (SSA) for the second year in a row! This award honors service professionals who have maintained exceptional service ratings and reviews on Angie’s List in 2017 & 2018. “The service providers that receive our Angie’s List Super Service Award demonstrate the level of excellence that members have come to expect,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “These pros are top-notch and absolutely deserve recognition for the trustworthy and exemplary customer service they exhibited in the past year and overall.” Angie’s List Super Service Award 2018 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include maintaining an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade and review period grade. The SSA winners must be in good standing with Angie’s List, pass a background check, record a current trade license attestation and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines. “Mow Mow’s goal has always been to exceed our customer’s expectations in quality of work, professionalism and promptness of service. It is an honor to receive this reward and be recognized for attaining this goal for the 2nd year in a row.” – Jennifer Medrano, Owner Mow Mow’s Landscaping has been listed on Angie’s List since 2017 when the company was first launched. This is the second time Mow Mow’s Landscaping has received this honor. Service company ratings are updated continually on Angie’s List as new, verified consumer reviews are submitted. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in multiple fields ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality. For over two decades Angie’s List has been a trusted name for connecting consumers to top-rated service professionals. Angie’s List provides unique tools and support designed to improve the local service experience for both consumers and service professionals. ### For over two decades, Angie’s List has provided trusted reviews and information to help millions of consumers make smart hiring decisions. Angie’s List offers more than 10 million verified reviews in over 700 service categories, providing its members a credible resource for researching and comparing local service providers. Angie’s List is based in Indianapolis, Indiana and is an operating business of ANGI Homeservices (NASDAQ:ANGI). Contact: Steffanie Finkiewicz Angie’s List 303-963-8384 mediarelations@angieslist.com You can check out Mow Mow’s Angie’s List reviews here .
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to start your garden, this is it. It’s time to start seeds indoors so they’ll be ready to plant outside when spring begins in earnest. It’s a fun project to get you through the late winter period that’s really all about waiting for spring to finally come calling.
With this record setting cold, central Kentucky is experiencing what’s known as a ‘hard freeze.’ But what exactly defines a hard freeze? –
Happy New Year! With the beginning of 2019 here upon us, it’s time to start preparing your landscape to look its best in the spring. While it is easy to hide away from the cold winter weather here in central Kentucky, be sure to spend some time in January and February knocking out some simple yard work- beyond taking down the decorations you put up for the holiday season. Not sure where to start? Here are a few helpful suggestions:
Ice melting products can damage your landscape. Rock salt is by far the leader in causing landscape damage both in the soil and via wind driven salt spray.
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