by Simpson Landscape | Dec 16, 2015 | Articles |
By Michelle Slatalla for Gardenista Too many people ignore curb appeal until it’s time to move. Then they spruce up the place for the next residents. How does this make sense? Every time you come home, the sight of your front door should give you the sort of euphoric endorphin rush that long-distance runners feel when they stop. Adding curb appeal doesn’t have to be expensive. Take it one step at a time: here are 11 ways to add instant curb appeal for $100 or less: New House Numbers Above: When architect Mark Reilly gave an Edwardian home in San Francisco a full remodel, the facade also got a facelift. Photograph by Bruce Damonte via Mark Reilly Architecture. House numbers are one of the first things to catch the eye—first-time visitors are looking for them to confirm they’re at the right address—and should set a tone for what to expect indoors as well as out. The spare, slim lines of Hillman Group 5-In Satin House Numbers (above) hint at the modern interior that lies beyond the traditional facade; $5.98 per number at Lowe’s. Read the rest of this article... 
by Simpson Landscape | Nov 30, 2015 | Articles |
As the days the get shorter and the temperatures outside drop, our North Texas gardens are getting ready for their winter sleep. With frost and the occasional snowfall just around the corner, now is the time to protect your garden perennials – marigolds, mums and marjoram – with mulch. Adding a layer of mulch will shield the roots from the intermittent periods of extreme cold we sometimes get in North Texas. It helps prevent erosion and exposure during violent storms and is one of the best ways to prepare your garden for winter. Mulch helps the soil hold moisture so you don’t have to water as often. It also suppresses weeds, which can get out of control, even during winter months. And over time, mulches made from organic materials break down and increase your soil’s structure and fertility. What kind of mulch should I use? Simpson Landscape generally recommends using organic materials as mulch. When making your selection, consider how well it protects and what it will add to the soil. There are many types of materials for mulch – these are the most common in North Texas: Shredded hardwood: Come from chipped or shredded branches or small trees, usually a mixture of woods from a variety of trees Available at a reasonable cost, sometimes even free from municipalities or utilities Becomes alkaline as it breaks down, benefiting all but those plants that need a lot of acid Durable ground cover that “knits together” and resists floating away in heavy rains Shredded bark: One of the most common and least expensive types of mulch Comes from a variety of... 
by Simpson Landscape | Oct 29, 2015 | Articles |
Fall is a favorite time to enjoy trees and their foliage. It is also a critical time for tree maintenance and preparing your landscape for the upcoming cold winter weather. Tree pruning, especially, is essential in the fall. A healthy tree or shrub will survive the winter just fine, but a tree infected with disease or pests may suffer. During cold weather, dead branches can break off and fall, causing damage to power lines or structures on your property. Pruning keeps trees in shape, gets rid of dead and diseased wood, and encourages healthy new growth. While some trees and shrubs will benefit from maintenance year round, it is important that trees are pruned properly during the right season as well. Tree Pruning Do’s Dead, dying limbs should be pruned from the crown of the tree. Tangled limbs and other questionable branches that might cause damage if they fall should also be removed. If the crown is extremely dense, branches can be thinned out to improve light penetration and wind circulation. Trees should only be pruned to maintain shape (not size), to remove dead or diseased wood, or to keep limbs from touching structures. Retain branches that have strong, U-shaped angles. If you live in an area where scale, aphid, gall wasp and other insect pests are active, consider applying a fall insecticide treatment to the soil. This will help control the pests next year. Fertilizer can be applied as needed. Tree Pruning Don’ts Do not “top off” trees. While reducing the crown to lower the tree’s height is acceptable, beware of getting carried away and topping the tree.... 
by Simpson Landscape | Sep 29, 2015 | Articles |
The landscaping of your yard affects the curb appeal and influences the value of your home, and the outside of your property is the first thing visitors and potential home buyers see. So how do you know if your home’s curb appeal could be improved with a landscape renovation? Look for these three telltale signs that your landscape is due for an overhaul. You spend too much time on maintenance. A carefully crafted landscape can be designed for minimal maintenance demands. If you find yourself constantly facing gardening annoyances like invasive weeds, overgrown shrubs that continually need pruning or having to spray plants to prevent pests and diseases, there’s a good chance your property – and you – could benefit from a properly-planned landscape renovation. Unwisely placed plants or deteriorating garden features are often the cause of such headaches and can easily be simplified, replaced and updated for a lower maintenance landscape design. Your landscape is past its prime. Just like houses that need to be updated and renovated on occasion, landscapes also benefit from a makeover and redesign. Industry standards say that most residential landscape last 15-20 years before plants begin to outgrow their placement and lose their vigor. It’s a misconception that plants never change. As they grow, they need to be pruned, thinned and divided. Proper landscaping is a delicate balancing act between how plants look when they’re planted and how they’ll look when fully grown. A garden is dynamic and goes through stages where it may require more maintenance. You need to boost your curb appeal. A good landscape design will maximize your yard’s attributes... 
by Simpson Landscape | Sep 8, 2015 | Articles |
It’s no wonder that many plants in North Texas are struggling with the aftermath of the spring and summer weather that gave us more precipitation in four months than we had throughout all of 2014. High water tables and saturated soils during May and June contributed to an oxygen deficiency that caused stress and reduced growth to many plants and trees in the area, and now the same plants are distressed by the rapid jump in temperature over the last 8-9 weeks. At the beginning of the season, we enjoyed 74-degree highs; then it jumped to 98- then 104-degree days, and it happened within a relatively short time period. Many plants that usually thrive during Texas summers, such as Nellie R. Stevens hollies and magnolia and vitex trees, struggled this year. If you have plants whose leaves are turning brown at their leaf tips or edges, it’s an indication that they may be suffering from “moisture stress.” Just like a human body that can have circulatory problems pumping blood to the extremities, plant tissues that are the furthest away from plants’ roots, where water enters plants, are most vulnerable to not getting enough water. The problem also causes premature leaf drop. Inner and bottom leaves turn yellow, and then brown, and then they fall. It’s like autumn has arrived two months early. According to Neil Sperry, publisher of GARDENS Magazine, “moisture stress” has many possible causes. (a) the plant got too dry one or more times; (b) the plant has suffered some type of root loss and can’t take water up normally; (c) too much fertilizer was applied around... 
by Simpson Landscape | Aug 17, 2015 | Articles |
Choosing the right landscaping company is a significant decision that many homeowners and commercial property owners face when looking for professional lawn care services. A well-designed and properly-maintained landscape that is aesthetically pleasing, environmentally sustainable and incorporates safety features can significantly increase the value of your property. So how can you be sure that the landscaper you hire is reputable and will provide the right combination of value and quality? Here are 6 things that a well-informed property owner should know before hiring a landscape company. 1. Get an on-site assessment. It can be difficult to determine what kind of services a lawn needs or provide an estimate over the phone. All properties are different and landscaping solutions are not one size fits all. A qualified lawn care service should come out and inspect your lawn before offering a service package or providing a quote. 2. Avoid quick fixes. Just like any industry, there are self-proclaimed magicians who claim to be able to work miracles on your lawn overnight. Be wary of them. There is no fast fix for repairing a damaged lawn. If a lawn is in distress, a reputable landscaping service knows that taking the right steps to nurse it back into healthy stages takes time and is the only way to ensure true, long-lasting results. 3. Chemical check. If you’re considering any type of chemical treatment for your lawn, make sure the landscaping company you hire is certified to apply such chemicals. In Texas, businesses that are hired to apply any pesticides to plants, trees, shrubs, grass or other horticultural plants must be licensed by the...