Wagner Landscaping

Autumn Landscaping in Pennsylvania

2010-08-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Autumn in Pennsylvania

By Mark Wagner

Well it’s that time of year again. The kids are back in school and you are taking stock on what you did for the summer and wonder where the time went. Every year seems to go faster and faster. Did I get to do the things I wanted to do this summer?

I know that I did spend a lot of time in my yard enjoying working in the garden and flower beds. I always checked on my plants, re-arranged pavers, moving my planted pots around or pulling weeds and pruning off the bad parts of the plants. I would love to sit on my porch in the early morning with a cup of coffee looking across the road at the river that never seemed to move very fast. And on a good morning I would get to see a blue bird. But the reason I loved sitting on my porch the most was that I got to look at all the plants I so vivaciously tended to all summer long. Getting up and checking to see if I got new sprouts or new buds, especially on the plants that needed just that little bit of extra care. I love to just look at them all and say I made this beautiful and just soak it all in.

Well we all know good things have to come to an end, but there are many ideas out and about to make that enjoyment last just a little bit longer.

There are many plants available that can stand up to a little cold or even a little frost. The kinds of plants would be your more fibrous and woody plants. With all the variety of all the tall grasses that have become available within the last few years, would make a great addition to your fall gardening experience. There is such a collection of colors, heights, and plumage, for me it is hard to choose. The best thing about the grasses is that they are maintenance free.

If you would still like to enjoy some of you most favorite summer flowers, you could transplant them in containers and bring them in every night. Or if you are not that ambitious you can cover you plants up at night to avoid the frost. Either way you are prolonging you enjoyment.

Also in late summer there are a variety of mums that can be planted. These are one of the most hardy when dealing with the cold weather of October. Kale is another great plant that can add a lot of color to your landscape.

Another great idea for fall coloring is the trees that you plant in your yard. You can go from bright yellows to fiery red. Some of the best choices are sugar maples, birch, ash ginkgo, redbud, beech, hickory, butternut, honey locust and the tulip tree just to name a few out there. Do some searching on the net. It seems like they are coming up with new hybrids every year, and you could possibly be the first on to have the new breed of tree and having the neighbors asking what kind of tree is that? Where did you get it?

With all the gourds, pumpkins, cornstalks, hay bales and potted plants you could have a lot of fun decorating your yard for fall. You could make a straw or hay bale stack on both sides of the end of your driveway and set up an arrangement of the fall colors. Go out and get some cattails, take a nature hike and see what could possibly catch your eye. If it catches yours, more than likely it will catch the attention of others also. If you by chance have old farm tools somewhere this would be a fun time to put them out too.

When we have the opportunity to make a good thing last, even if it’s for just a little bit, we should take advantage of that. We know that eventually all good things must come to an end. But the great thing about landscaping is that we get to do it again next year and the next.

Swimming Pool Guide

2010-08-02T09:06:00.003-07:00

Swimming Pools Guide

The ultimate in backyard landscaping is the swimming pool. No other landscaping idea can compare to the breath-taking view of a sparkling swimming pool.

Although inground pools are the most impressive, even some above ground swimming pools can give a great backyard makeover, especially if you build a wrap-around deck to surround it.

Swimming pools are not as expensive as most people think really. However, if you are planning on selling your home in the next year or two, you will not likely recover the cost of having the pool put in. Pools are a great idea if you are planning on living in your home for a few years and will have time to enjoy it.

For more on swimming pools, visit Wagner Landscaping at: www.wagscape.com

Swimming Pool Guide

2010-08-02T09:06:00.001-07:00

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words — And Dollars!

2010-05-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

Tip: Mark Wagner, CLP, recommends drawing base maps to scale and using a digital camera to improve the accuracy of designs and cost estimates.

“The old days of taking photos with a Polaroid camera and making dimension notes on a piece of paper are over,” according to Mark Wagner, CLP, of Wagner’s Landscape Company, Inc., in Aston, Pennsylvania. “Today, when visiting a site I use one-eighth-scale grid paper and a digital camera to help get the base map as accurate as possible in terms of the house size and the location of existing landscape elements and downspouts.”

Wagner says he draws the base map to scale and uses the camera to help improve the accuracy of his designs and to reduce estimating mistakes. “In fact,” he continues, “I think I have charged several thousand dollars alone for drainage pipe that I otherwise would have missed on a drawing or failed to see without an accurate picture to remind me.”