| |
LANDSCAPING NEWS AND IDEAS FROM THE VAN ZELST TEAM.
Autumn is no time to put your landscape on auto-pilot.
Around this time every year, when the kids are back in school and the nights are cooler, it's tempting to let the landscape take care of itself. But if your garden has been well-planned, you'll still have months of color to enjoy as fall foliage is complemented by late-blooming plants and grasses in their prime. What's more, steps you take now lay the groundwork—so to speak—for a lush, healthy environment next spring.
|
Here are a few items to consider...
- Replace annuals with mums, asters and other flowers that thrive in cooler weather.
- Spend some time in the flower beds—planting new bulbs, dividing perennials and removing weeds that can harbor insects and disease.
 If you want to add more trees to the landscape, it's time to get planting.
- Existing trees may need pruning and fertilization after they've gone dormant for the winter.
- Keep watering trees and shrubs—especially if they've been recently planted—until the ground is fully frozen.
- Winterize your pond or fountain.
- Think about how you want to decorate the outside of your home for the holidays. The Van Zelst team can help you hang boughs and lights in a way that won't damage trees, plantings, or hardscape.
|
These maintenance tasks make all the difference in how your landscape looks in the coming months, and how beautiful it will be when next spring arrives. If the list sounds daunting, let us help. Trust the experts at Van Zelst to plan and carry out landscape maintenance properly.
A glimpse into our design process.
 One of the first questions people ask me is how we know what to do with a landscape—how we get ideas and get started. So I thought I'd give you a little insight into our design process. While each landscape is different, step one is always the same.
Every landscape begins with an in-depth discussion with the owner. What you want from your landscape? We look at the style and scale of the home, what you like and don't like, and how your family lives. These impressions will guide us as we bring a landscape to life.
In the project shown here, the home's style and homeowner preferences suggested a colorful European perennial garden. The intimate size of the site presented challenges and possibilities the Van Zelst team found exciting. In the end, the limited space didn't prevent us from incorporating walkways, flowerbeds and a cozy backyard patio.
In addition to beds, flower boxes and planters that spill over with blooms from spring through fall, bluestone walkways help define areas and a millstone fountain lends visual interest.
After taking that first step together, no two landscapes are the same. Large or small, formal and manicured or spontaneous and seemingly effortless, we can work together to develop a landscape that's the perfect reflection of you.
|
 |
 |
For answers to all your landscaping questions,
or to work with Van Zelst to create the perfect
environment for your family, drop us an
e-mail or give us a call at 847.623.3580.
All the best,
Dave Van Zelst
|
Van Zelst, Inc., 39400 N. Highway 41, Wadsworth, IL 60083
847-623-3580 | www.vanzelst.com
� 2008 Van Zelst, Inc. All rights reserved. Our photographs are reproduced with the permission of Linda Oyama Bryan.
|
|
