Landscaping – Page 4 – American Landscape

Plants to Attract Birds in Winter

January 5, 2023/in Landscaping, Company News/by Mary Monday

We went to the experts for their favorite selection of plants that attract birds in winter. Here are a few ideas you can consider for your own landscape to draw our feathered friends to your yard!

Ryan and John both suggest chokeberry. Older varieties were often large and unruly, but the newer cultivars are smaller and tame. Ground Hug, Low Scape Mound and Low Scape Hedger are three varieties that fit well in the suburban landscape. They are native cultivars and birds love the berries over the winter. Depending on the chokeberry variety you select, the berries will be red or black. If you need more convincing that this plant is a winner, they also deliver flowers that attractive native pollinators and they give your landscape a fabulous pop of fall color. If you’re a bird watcher, chokeberry is a must have in your winter landscape. Watch for cedar waxwings, chickadees and cardinals to visit your shrubs.

Steve loves to use crabapples trees to attract birds. Crabapples once had a bad reputation because they would drop their fruit and often get fungal diseases. The newer varieties on the market hold their fruit through the winter and are more disease resistant than ever. Cedar waxwings and robins are common visitors to the trees and they rely on them for food as they migrate back in the spring. Best of all, the flowers put on a show every spring and are an important food source for pollinators in the spring.

Left undisturbed in the garden, the seedheads of various perennials and ornamental grasses provide sustenance for many birds in winter. Wendy likes to leave specific perennials up in the garden over winter to attract birds. Native grasses like little bluestem and native coneflowers and rudbeckias are favorites for seed-collecting birds. Finches, juncos, grosbeaks, and cardinals all enjoy visiting these plants over winter.

Katie Jean takes the novel approach of repurposing annuals left in the garden to help attract birds in winter. Sunflowers, amaranth, tithonia & zinnia are some favorites of the birds. You can either leave them up in your garden beds or gather the stems into a bouquet and attach it to a tree or post in your garden. Clever! These types of seeds are a particular favorite of finches, chickadees and juncos.

To attract a wide variety of birds, we recommend having multiple food sources available to entice whomever might be wintering nearby. A source of water and a nearby evergreen for protection will make your yard the perfect hangout for your feathered friends! And don’t be discouraged if you don’t have immediate sightings. It might take a little time for the birds to find your new plants, but keep an eye out and soon you will see them gathering in the haven you provided!

Our experts are ready to help with all your landscaping needs. Get in touch!

Download Fall Landscaping Checklist

October 3, 2022/in Company News, Landscaping/by American Landscape

Fall is a perfect time to set your landscape up for success in spring and summer. Follow this guide for our top tips on how to care for your flowers, lawn, trees and shrubs in fall.

Download Checklist

Flowers

Divide & transplant perennials (while ground temperatures are still warm)
Cut the tops and stems down to a few inches above the crown at the base of each plant. Once you’re done, make sure you rake the beds and dispose of dead plant material so your garden still looks fresh during the winter months.
Note: leaving a few inches of plant material and mulching above the crown is better for the plants. If any critters decide to nibble over the winter, they’ll eat the few inches above the crown instead of eating the crown and killing the plant.
Plant fall bulbs (before the ground freezes)
When you plant your bulbs, unless the label says differently, plant the bigger bulbs 8” deep and the smaller bulbs at 5”. Place the bulb in the hole with the roots facing down. Once planted, cover the hole with soil but don’t pack it. Water it once. Read our guide on planting fall bulbs.
Clear leaves from flower beds
Treat perennial weeds with herbicide
Spray perennial weeds (bindweed, creeping Jenny, clover, etc.) before the first freeze to allow the weeds to take in the herbicide and prevent a weedy garden in spring.

Lawn

Aerate your lawn – fall is the best time! The benefits are numerous:
- Improve air exchange between the soil and atmosphere.
- Enhance soil water and fertilizer uptake.
- Reduce water runoff and puddling.
- Strengthen turf grass roots.
- Reduce soil compaction.
Fertilize your lawn
Apply before the first freeze to ensure it looks its best come warmer weather.
Clear leaves from lawn
Mulching the leaves helps return nutrients to the soil. If that’s not an option for you, raking the leaves and keeping your lawn clear of debris can prevent your lawn from being smothered and stunting new grass growth.

Trees/Shrubs

Continue watering trees and shrubs until the first frost
Protect your trees & shrubs
Wrap trees up to the lower branches using hardware cloth or tree wrap to prevent damage from deer rubbing. Cage small trees and shrubs in hardware cloth to prevent rabbit/rodent damage. Be sure to bury the cloth 2-3” beneath the surface.
Do NOT prune evergreens until spring
Remove leaves from under diseased plants and trees
If your tree/shrub had a disease issue, such as apple scab, powdery mildew, tar spot, etc., disposing of the diseased leaves will help prevent a recurrence next year.

Note: do not compost diseased leaves.

Prevention is best, so consider getting on a spray program

Fertilize your trees and shrubs
Fertilizing in fall encourages root growth by restoring nutrients to the soil and allows for lush, healthy growth and flowering the following season.

August Landscaping Guide

July 28, 2022/in News, Landscaping/by American Landscape

Flower Care

Fertilize container plantings.
Deadhead flowers to encourage additional blooming.
Monitor for disease and insect problems and treat as needed.
Divide bearded iris. For healthy plants, these should be divided every 3 to 5 years.
Check rhizomes for iris borer caterpillars.
Do not fertilize shrubs or roses after mid-August to discourage tender new growth before winter.

Lawn Maintenance

Mow as necessary. Raise mowing height to at least 3” as temperatures exceed 85˚F.
Water lawn adequately to keep it from going dormant. Deep (1” per week) and infrequent is preferred over frequent shallow waterings.
Scout for grubs. Peel back sod. More than 8 grubs per square foot can cause wilt or death of turf.
Establish or renovate turf by seed (late summer – early fall, depending on weather conditions). Prepare soil properly and get good seed to soil contact.

Trees & Shrub Care

Water newly planted trees and shrubs. Soak each plant well with the hose; sprinklers do not provide adequate water to encourage deep root growth.
Scout for fall webworm nest building near ends of branches.
Review health of trees and consider fall root feeding if necessary.

Tip! Don’t let weeds go to seed. “A year of seeding equals 7 years weeding.”

If keeping up with your landscaping chores feels overwhelming, reach out to learn more about our maintenance programs. (262) 252-4260

The Ultimate Guide to 2022 Landscaping Trends

January 26, 2022/in News, Landscaping/by American Landscape

As we creep closer to spring here in the Midwest, thoughts start turning to the landscape. Did you know that a good, updated landscape can increase a home’s value? Have you been considering fixing up the yard or investing in a new patio, firepit, or outdoor kitchen? If so, keep reading. We’ve compiled a list of what’s going on in the industry and a forecast of where landscapes are heading in the future.

Maximizing Outdoor Living Spaces

We have all been affected in one way or another by the pandemic. Its effects on the landscape industry have been impactful. People are staying home more and looking at and using their yards. This is leading to an increase in changing our outdoor spaces from simply something to look at to an extension of our living space. We are using our homes more and more often to socialize, relax, and work allowing outdoor living spaces to create value in many ways.

Outdoor Electronics & Lighting

Outdoor lighting is huge if you want to expand your outdoor living space. With the new technology in lighting you can create a multitude of scenarios with your lighting. Path lighting for safety, bistro lights for character, up-lighting for aesthetics…it’s all there. LED fixtures and bulbs allow for an array of colors at your fingertips. Bluetooth allows you to control it all with your phone. Add an outdoor Bluetooth speaker system and you’ll be ready for anything.

Speaking of outdoor electronics, how about an outdoor TV? Imagine sitting around your firepit at night and watching football games in the fall. The grill is going and there are drinks at the bar.

Creative Spaces for Living, Working & Entertaining Outside

For those of you working from home, how about a secluded nook in the corner of the patio? There’s a pergola with vines protecting you from the sun. Background music is on the speakers and you can comfortably enjoy a change of pace from your desk in the basement office. Or maybe you’re reading your favorite book, nestled in big wicker chair in the warm sun and a water feature is gently gurgling in the background. The birds are singing and the flowers are blooming. Can a relaxing moment get any better than that?

Outdoor Kitchens: Grills, Bars, Sinks & More

Outdoor kitchens have been popular in the past and they are not going away. Renovations to patio space to include grills, bars, sinks and refrigerators is going full steam ahead. In addition, we’re seeing built in patio planters to hold kitchen and herb gardens. Turning away from high-maintenance decks to concrete or natural stone patios is the way to go. While up front the cost may seem higher, the long-term benefits of durability and low maintenance will ultimately save you both time and money.

There are constantly new innovations in composition, as well as new styles and colors to work with. Whatever your style, there is something that will work for you.

Grow Your Own Food

Along with patio gardens, more and more people are turning to including edibles in their landscape. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, hops, apples, plums, pears, peaches, and several herbs…all of these and more will come back in our landscapes year after year. People are finding that growing their own food is economical and provides them a sustainable alternative to mass produced food.

Sustainable Landscapes

Adopting eco-friendly practices in landscaping has been at the top of trends lists for years and continues to be a priority in landscaping for both commercial and residential customers. More and more communities are moving towards incorporating environmentally-friendly solutions to mitigate some of the unpleasant side-effects of urbanization. Using things like permeable pavers, green roofs, planting natives, increasing biodiversity, minimizing irrigation usage, building rain gardens or bioswales, and using battery powered equipment are trends that are not going away. Learn more about how you can create a sustainable yard here.

Proper Landscape Maintenance & Design

As we focus more on and spend more time in our landscapes, landscape maintenance is more important than ever. Well-tended shrubs, mowed lawns, and beautiful plantings are now expected in both commercial and residential spaces. With proper design, you can even start to incorporate sustainable practices, without sacrificing a high-end look. While all landscapes require maintenance, trusting your landscape professional to choose the right plant for the right place can minimize the work you have to put in to keeping your landscape looking fabulous.

A Varied & Exciting Garden in Every Season

As we expand our living spaces to the outdoors, considering asking your designer to incorporate succession planting. Successional gardening and planting mean that you have a thriving and interesting garden all year round. A well-balanced landscape is going to have something to look at, no matter the season. Aside from the well-known interest in flowers and fall color, you can find beauty in winter with colored or textured tree and shrub bark, berries, seed heads and seed pods that hold on until spring.

Gardening to Attract Birds, Butterflies & Bees

Leaving ornamental grasses up and seeds on your perennials can increase the number of birds coming to the yard and eco-friendly landscapes are definitely hot right now. Finches love to visit the coneflower seed heads over winter and robins and waxwings are huge fans of crabapples. You can go wrong with a special bed or area in the yard dedicated to bees, butterflies and birds.

In a nutshell, in 2022 we are going to see a continuation of expanding our outdoor living spaces in a multitude of ways. We’re going to cook more, work more, and enjoy more time in our yards. We’re becoming increasingly aware of our environment and our co-existence with it, therefore finding ways to interact with it instead of controlling it. Technology will continue to be our friend in the landscape as we find balance between personal comfort and enjoyment and using our outdoor living spaces.

The American Landscape team is ready to help you make any one of these popular landscaping tactics part of your 2022. Get in touch today to start planning! Call (262) 252-4260 or reach us at: amerlandscape.com/contact.

Why All the Neighbors Can’t Help but Look at the Landscaping of this Brookfield Home

September 17, 2021/in News, Landscape Design, Landscaping/by American Landscape

Transforming a blank space takes vision. For this project, we were tasked with the landscape development for a newly-built, contemporary home in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The design and construction involved hardscape, landscape, drainage, irrigation and lighting elements for the property.

“Classic, timeless, simplicity, and refined” were the directives given by the client for the design and implementation of this project. This was achieved through the right selections of hardscape colors, mature landscaping elements and an eye for connecting all the outdoor spaces into one cohesive design.

See the transformation in this short video compilation of before and after images:

Patios

Spacious, classic bluestone patios provide restful retreats for peaceful relaxation and stunning sunset vistas.

Retaining Wall & Staircase

Elegant, modern-themed retaining walls and staircase flights transcend the steep grades of the site and the use of U-Cara wall block for the wall and steps complements the modern style of the architecture.

Walkways

A sweeping front walkway and intimate courtyard of patterned bluestone creates a beautiful and timeless front entryway to the residence. Pathways of natural flagstone and contemporary rectangular concrete steppers cross the lush green lawns, connecting the outdoor living spaces and introducing texture, pattern and visual interest to the hardscape aesthetic.

Trees/Shrubs/Perennials

Specimen trees, arcing evergreen hedges and generous groupings of flowering shrubs and perennials provide a diverse combination of bloom, structure and seasonal splendor throughout the site.

Lighting

As the sun sets, the home comes to life with a stunning display of up-lite trees, highlighted architectural features and the warming glow of path lights along patios, walks and wondering pathways.

All elements of the landscape were carefully designed to complement and beautify the home’s exterior. A mix of materials gives the landscape interest and texture, while the trees, shrubs, and perennials soften the hard edges and provide seasonal color.

Put our talented designers to work on your own landscape project. Contact us today at (262) 252-4260 or https://amerlandscape.com/contact-us/.

A Landscaping Makeover

June 29, 2021/in News, Landscape Design, Landscaping/by American Landscape

Brookfield, Wisconsin

Our clients purchased this Brookfield, Wisconsin property because they were looking for a home more conducive to spending their golden years than their previous two-story home, which was located atop a large hill. This particular home struck their fancy, mainly for its unique configuration with a central courtyard in the back of the home. They have a special appreciation for the outdoors and landscape, and felt like the footprint afforded unique opportunities for strong visual and physical connections, as well as an uninterrupted flow from the interior to the outdoor living spaces.

Front Entrance BEFORE

Front Entrance AFTER

With those goals in mind, the home was completely re-imagined both inside and out, in collaboration with an architectural team. Interior walls and functionality were reorganized to create an open concept and new opportunities for clear sight lines through the center of the home out to the landscape. Furthermore, the rear wall to the courtyard was replaced by floor-to-ceiling sliding glass panels – basically putting the courtyard space on center stage within the context of the building architecture.

Courtyard BEFORE

Courtyard AFTER

The design challenge, as we saw it, was to create a plan that worked in context with the very symmetrical, modern appearance of the home, yet broke from that rigidity to create a softer, more livable feeling within the outdoor space. With that in mind, the hardscape was organized to highlight the newly-created visual corridor through the center of the home from front to back.

Along this central axis is a front entrance courtyard with a raised central planting bed and over-sized black metal planters planted with rotating seasonal decor.

Paving material selections were intended to blend with the contrasting black and white color scheme on the building exterior. Paving stones were selected to be large so as to contrast with the size of the bricks on the façade. Planting beds were intentionally woven through the space in a very non-symmetrical manner to accomplish the goal of softening the lines. Site furniture was meticulously selected for its combination of modern appearance and ergonomic comfort.

See the full transformation in the video.

Ready to tackle your own landscaping transformation? Get in touch with one of our expert designers today!