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Monthly Newsletter From Your Friends at Cary Lawn Care
The Beauty of Hardscape
James Thomas, Owner
When people talk about landscaping, plants are typically the first thing that come to mind. Whether it’s a bed of prized roses or some colorful ground cover to line a garden path, “landscaping” and “plants” seem to be one and the same.
Volume 3, Issue 7
Inside this Issue: The Beauty of Hardscape
Page 1
Thought for the Month
Page 1
Overweight and RLS
Page 2
A Bit of Laughter
Page 2
Recipe Corner
Page 2
The Hot Dog
Page 3
Time For Lawn Aeration
Page 3
Clean House, Get Money
Page 3
Interesting Garden Trivia and Facts
Page 4
Cary Area Small Business Spotlight
Page 4
Thought for the Month… The storm starts when the drops start dropping. When the drops stop dropping, then the storm starts stopping. ~ Dr. Seuss
But, a great landscaping is much more than just a few pretty plants placed strategically around your lawn. In fact, a key element of a solid landscape plan is something that doesn’t grow at all. Called “hardscape”, this landscaping element gives you long lasting fixtures that don’t require pruning, watering or sun. What is hardscape and how do you implement it into your garden? A Whole New Array of Options Put simply, hardscape includes all those elements that you might consider to be outdoor furniture or structural pieces; a tiered pathway, for example, or a deck or a stone wall. Once installed, these landscaping elements become permanent fixtures that require little, if any, maintenance. Hardscape would also include that pergola or gazebo you’ve been thinking about ,as well as rock gardens, seating areas, bird baths, statues and fountains. What are some other hardscape elements you could consider? How about: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Pavers and stepping stones Arbors Outdoor rooms Trellises Outdoor fireplaces Permanent grills
Getting Started As with any good landscaping layout, the first thing you’ll want to do is create a plan. But this time, instead of focusing only on flower beds and vegetable gardens, try visualizing seating areas, pathways and other permanent focal points that would be enjoyable all year around. Other examples would be a playground for the kids, a tree house or a giant chess game embedded into your lawn. A casual gathering area beneath a shady pergola is a great place to entertain and a stone pathway leads guests through your garden to hidden surprises. To get the most from hardscape, and your landscaping in general, remember that you’re not limited to the typical rectangular structure of your yard. Even though you’re looking at an open block of space, you can install hardscape elements that will separate this space into different sections and create a natural “flow” through your overall design. (continued on page 2)
Please Help Us Help You To help save us time and prevent damage to your personal items, please remove all toys and other obstacles from your lawn on scheduled service days. Also, please do not irrigate on scheduled days of service. If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, please let us know, in case we need to contact you. Thank you!
We’d Love To Hear From You! James Thomas Cary Lawn & Landscape Management Cary, NC 27519 919.821.5566 919.869.2232 info@carylawncare.com www.carylawncare.com MEMBER: NC Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc Going Green TM newsletter is published 12 times per year for valued clients and guests of Cary Lawn & Landscape management. For subscription information, please contact us by phone, fax or email per the above. Any portion of this newsletter may be reproduced or cited if full contact information is listed. Copyright © 2009 Cary Lawn Care, Inc.
(continued from Page 1) Easy Maintenance Another key feature of hardscaping is the minimal maintenance it typically requires. Rock gardens and stone statues don’t need watering and they won’t wilt or die if placed in a shady spot. Of course, these pieces will still require some upkeep, such as periodic cleaning and the like but overall, it’s a much simpler job. Initial Investment Equals Long Term Rewards One thing to keep in mind when considering hardscape elements, is the initial amount of time and labor it will take to install your piece. Many hardscape projects, such as decks, arbors and gazebos can be quite time consuming to build and require a little carpentry know how to construct them properly. If you’re leaning toward some of these design elements, you may want to consider hiring a professional landscaping company to build the structures for you. Want to talk about your landscaping issues? Whether you’re looking at hardscape elements, or just want to know which plants will work best with your soil, we can help. Give us a call – we’d love to help you find the perfect landscaping theme for your property.
Recipe Corner Overweight and RLS Doctors at Harvard Medical School have found that seriously overweight people are much more likely to suffer from restless legs syndrome. The condition causes burning and creepy feelings in the legs that makes it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. In a novel approach to the overweight/restless legs problem, authorities at Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, Ill., say it's difficult to determine whether obesity causes restless legs or the other way around. Restless legs could cause an overweight problem because lack of sleep disrupts hormones and metabolism, which can cause weight gain. Those who have the condition may find some relief through moderate exercise, hot baths, prescriptions or massage.
Strawberry Spinach Salad This is a surprisingly delicious and refreshing salad. It is also very easy to make. Wash and dry 9 oz spinach leaves and minimum 1 basket of strawberries. Remove strawberry stems and cut each strawberry in half. Combine spinach leaves and strawberries in a large bowl.
Mix the following ingredients for the dressing: 1/2 cup sugar 2 TBS Sesame Seeds 1 TBS Poppy Seeds 1 small onion, minced (can use onion salt if your family doesn't like onions) 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce ( be careful—this ingredient it can be overpowering) 1/4 tsp Paprika 1/2 cup oil 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar Refrigerate for 30—45 minutes. You may pour the dressing over the entire salad while it is in the bowl, or over each individual portion when served.
A Bit of Laughter… A woman was found guilty in traffic court and when asked her occupation, she said she was a schoolteacher. The judge rose from the bench. "Madam, I have waited years for a schoolteacher to appear before this court." He smiled with delight. "Now sit down at that table and write 'I will not run a red light' five hundred times."
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Information on One of Our Favorites—the Hot Dog Call it a dog, sausage or frankfurter, it's been around since before the 9th century BC. Homer's Odyssey refers to a man by a roaring fire waiting impatiently for his sausage to cook. In the centuries that followed, many references to the sausage are recorded throughout history. In the 19th century, German immigrants came here and brought their sausages and their dachshund dogs with them. In 1867, a German butcher opened a stand in Coney Island in New York and sold 3,684 "dachhund" sausages in milk rolls. A cartoon was drawn featuring the sausages, but the cartoonist didn't know how to spell dachshund, so he called them hot dogs. The name stuck. A study done a few years ago indicated that Americans eat more than 16 billion hot dogs each year. They eat 150 million on the 4th of July alone. We now know that, health wise, the hot dog has a bad reputation. It contains 14 to 16 grams of fat. But we intend to eat them anyway, especially during the month of July. And that's OK if you don't eat too many of them on too many days. Nutritionists at the Mayo Clinic recommend choosing a fat-free dog or one that has 2 grams of fat or less. They taste pretty good, especially with the toppings, and have only about 50 calories each, The reduced-fat dog is their second choice. It contains 7 to 10 grams of fat and 100 to 120 calories. They are made with beef, chicken or turkey, but their taste isn't necessarily better than that of a fat-free hot dog. If you are a vegetarian, or someone who is limiting red meat, try the meatless hot dog. They are soy based with 0 to 6 grams of fat and no cholesterol. Condiments are needed to liven up the flavor. (All hot dogs contain 200 to 400 milligrams of sodium.) Health experts recommend boiling or microwaving. Grilling can cause charring, which isn't healthy.
Time For Lawn Aeration! What Is Lawn Aeration?
When you aerate your lawn, you punch holes in the soil. These holes allow more air and water circulation around your lawn's roots, preventing fungal invasions, and they encourage the growth of healthy microorganisms in the soil. These microorganisms eat lawn thatch, a layer of dead bits of grass on top of the soil that can choke out your lawn. Aeration also makes it easier for your lawn to grow stronger, deeper roots. A good root system is essential for your lawn's survival in times of drought.
When Should I Aerate my Lawn? The best times to aerate your lawn are the spring and fall. If you have warm season grass in your lawn, spring is preferable because the grass is gearing up for rapid growth and can recover quickly from aeration. Cool season lawns grow most vigorously in the early fall, so that is a prime time to aerate them. You should avoid aerating in the heat of summer, or if your lawn is very dry. Plan on giving your lawn a good watering two days before you want to aerate. Some lawns are better candidates for aeration than others. Lawns growing in clay soils usually need aeration around twice a year because the clay compacts easily. Lawns in sandy soil usually need to be aerated much less. Once a year should be sufficient. Aeration is an easy way to improve your lawn's health. By aerating just once or twice a year, you can ensure that your lawn's roots are strong. You will see the result of healthy roots every time you look outside: an emerald green carpet of thriving grass.
Contact us soon for this fall’s Aeration. Our schedule is filling up quickly and we want to make sure your lawn is included!
Landscaping Question Corner… Q. My yard has so many dips and holes that it cuts very unevenly. How can I smooth it out? A. This often happens if the soil was not raked out properly before rolling the sod. The result are those little hills and dips you’re seeing, which can wreak havoc when you’re trying to cut an even lawn. To avoid re-rolling your entire lawn you might first try filling in the holes with sand and/or soil. If your grass is already growing well, it should adapt to the new soil depth and grow taller to accommodate. If your grass is barren in these areas, you can always spot fill with plugs of sod. These can be bought or you can cut them out yourself. Depending upon the size of your yard and the extent of the uneven areas, filling each spot could quickly become an overwhelming task. In this case, you might want to consider using other landscaping features such as pathways, raised beds and play areas to eliminate the need for mowing these uneven areas altogether.
Clean House, Get Money Cull clothes from your closet, clean the basement and the attic, and get all that junk out of the garage. You can't give it away, but you can sell it. There are many ways, including selling at pawn shops (where business is booming), selling online or holding an oldfashioned garage sale. Garage sales are a $3 billion industry.
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Interesting Garden Trivia and Facts • Wheat is the most widely grown plant in the world. It has been cultivated for more than 7,000 years in every continent except Antarctica.
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• Botanically, there is no such thing as a pumpkin. Pumpkins are certain varieties of squash, which through local traditions and use, have come to be called pumpkins. Squash and pumpkins belong to the family 'Cucurbitaceae', which also contains cucumbers, melons and gourds. • The onion is a lily, botanically. Asparagus is also a member of the lily family. The name "asparagus" comes from a Greek word meaning "sprout". • The eggplant is a member of the potato family, and is also known as a garden egg, melanzana or aubergine. • A tomato is a fruit, but it is legally known as a vegetable. In 1893, a case went before the US Supreme Court about importing tomatoes from the West Indies. Fruits could be imported tax-free, vegetables couldn’t. Since tomatoes were eaten with main dishes and not as desserts, the Court ruled them to be a vegetable. •
Cary Area Small Business Spotlight The Eminence Day Spa opened its doors on Wednesday, September 9th. Located at 201 Shannon Oaks Circle, Suite 200 in Cary (off Kildaire Farm Road, near Cary Parkway), Eminence Day Spa offers treatments by trusted health care professionals on the revolutionary Ion Magnum and Nano Perfector. These are the most technological advancements in weight loss and anti-aging medicine on the market today.
There are more than 1,000 varieties of tomatoes currently being grown in the U.S.
• The average American eats 13 pounds of tomatoes a year (plus 20 pounds a year in the form of ketchup, salsa, soup, and BBQ sauce). • The biggest tomato on record weighed in at a hefty 7 pounds 12 ounces. It was grown by Gordon Graham of Oklahoma. • Cool as a cucumber? It's true ... the inside of a cucumber on the vine measures as much as 20 degrees cooler than the outside air on a warm day. • Asparagus and rhubarb are the only vegetables that can reproduce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. • Potatoes are the most popular vegetable among Americans. Second and third place go to head lettuce and onions.
Never heard of these recently invented medical marvels? A few minutes on each machine and you’ll be sold on the health and beauty wave of the future. Eminence Day Spa also goes a step further with its signature bio-identical hormone test to help “extend your younger years”. The owners are great and the techs are very knowledgeable. Drop in to visit Eminence Day Spa and see what they can do for you. www.eminence-dayspa.com 919.654.7337
Page 4 2009 – Going Green
In Upcoming Issues: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Recipe Corner—Fall Recipes More Cary area Small Business Spotlights Wonderful area places to spend time Get to know Owner, James Thomas
Cary Lawn & Landscape Management, Going Green Brigitte T. Thomas, Editor 919.821.5566 ext 7502 TM