Put a little pop into your landscaping design this Spring

When ever we do a new project there is always a place when the plants are spread out around the landscape bed, and dirt is piled high, without any sense of decency, and it seems that the project will never come together. I always seem to find that spot when I am painting or building a model as well.

Finally, you cross over that pinnacle of organized disarray and reach the place where you have your plants set in, you have put steel around your flower bed to outline its shape and to help keep your grass from encroaching on your beautiful design.

Here is where the right mulch will make a world of difference.

Before & After: Red Mulch - No Float

In the landscape photos in this article, you can see we shot a before and after from approximately the same angle so you can see what a tremendous difference a little mulch can make. This mulch is medium red, No Float mulch that you can buy at your local Home Depot. It is perfect for those beginning landscape bed designs because the red really amplifies the greens in your flower bed and helps to draw out many of the other colors that you might use. It creates a stunning effect with an accent of Marigolds in the Spring, or Pansies in the Fall.

Why use Mulch?

Mulch is a necessity in any flower bed and any good landscaping design used by all good gardeners. Other than just cosmetic – its more important functions are to:

• reduce water loss from your flower bed
• prevent erosion
• inhibit germination of weeds
• easier to maintain
• improves the quality of the soil
• reduces the amount of fertilizers needed

Types of Mulch

There are many different types of mulch on the market today. Depending on what you are hoping to accomplish in your flower bed design (perhaps a touch-up from last years design) or depending on your budget, you are sure to find just the right one. Red mulches, black mulches, cedar mulch, pine chunks, and the list goes on.

• Premium Cedar Mulch
• Cyprus Mulch
• Sierra Red Mulch
• Deep Forest Brown

We are nearing the end of February in Oklahoma and it is already time to start thinking about your spring landscape. What plants, flowers or trees are going to add just the right amount of something fresh to stand out and say, Wow!

Spring Gardening - Oakleaf Hydrangea

It is true that anyone who enjoys a good garden or flower bed also enjoys the praise of a neighbor or friends telling them how wonderful their work looks. And one way to spice up that dreary flowerbed is to add vibrant color. But one of the most favored plants for this season is the ‘oakleaf hydrangea’. It’s white blooms will be a great offset in any landscape and actually bring out some of the more brilliant colors of your other flower arrangements.

Oakleaf Hydrangea

The oakleaf hydrangea is a native to the United States and thrives well in Oklahoma planting zone. It’s foliage is dark green throughout the summer, silvery underneath and turning glowing red in the fall and it’s pinnacle blooms are a creamy white.

Hydrangeas are a beautiful centerpiece on any table. There white, pink and blue blooms have been prized for fresh-cut bouquets and used as dried accents in wreaths.

Taking care of your Hydrangea

Over the years, a hydrangea bush grows big, oftentimes out of bounds. The stems get heavy, weighted down by bunches of blooms that make the plant droop to the ground, especially after a heavy summer rain.

Now is the time to grab pruners and put that bush back in its place.

Depending on the species, hydrangeas grow as vines, shrubs and small trees, says Michael Dirr in his book “Hydrangeas for American Gardens.” Their flower buds form on the growth of the previous season or, in some species, on the current year’s shoots. The timing of that growth affects how and when you prune them.

When taking care of your oakleaf hydrangea or ‘Hydrangea quercifolia’ – known for its oak leaf-shaped foliage – it flowers on last year’s wood, and once shaped to your liking it seldom needs pruning – snip it lightly to control growth and shape.  Snow Queen and Alice are names you often hear in this family.

If you want to be the envy of your neighborhood – then call: 405-921-6584 and make an appointment to stop by and view our selections.

We do “Commercial Landscaping” & “Residential Landscaping”, custom landscaping large and small. We also do commercial landscaping maintenance for such clients as “Bridgeport Develoments”, “Livingston Homes” and continual landscaping projects for clients such as “Home Creations” who have multiple developments throughout Oklahoma.

Expedition Landscaping, Inc. is one of the few landscaping companies in Oklahoma City that has its own nursery. We carry our own trees, plants and flowers in order to better serve our clients throughout the Oklahoma region. And we are a wholesale distributor as well as supplying retail landscaping needs.

Check out our new website and view some of our designs, products and services. Come back often because we are continually adding photos, tips & ideas for your landscaping needs.